I feel GREAT today!!

Today was a great day. It was Labor Day and some friends and my family went to the Outlet Malls. I got a nice work out outfit and a couple new shirts. For some reason new clothes always make you feel good... especially when you get awesome deals on them. But the thing that felt really great was clothes fitting better already. My stomach is flatter...and... I just feel better. I don't feel full, I don't feel bloated, and I don't feel controlled by food. We went into Dairy Queen for a snack and I opted for a Diet Coke instead of actually eating. And the thing is... I felt totally fine doing so and my hunger was near what it was yesterday. Maybe my stomach is actually shrinking. I don't know if it is but I sure am excited.

I have a bunch of events to keep me motivated. Greg is leaving for 5 days for a short TDY...that part is not good but it makes me want to do my best so he will see progress even in that short amount of time. I also set a family picture appointment for two weeks from this past Saturday. So, of course I would like to be feeling good for that too.

I really feel God blessed and helped me out today. The friends we went with also mentioned that they were working on losing some weight. They actually opted to go back to their place to have a steak salad instead of eating out. That took all temptation away and I even chose the light salad dressing... and loved it. I will have to go out and buy some the next time I go shopping. Very tasty.

The actual week starts tomorrow and it is my prayer that it will be non-stressful with the kids. They have been sick and a little on the clingy, whiney side. I pray for patience and the ability to not turn to food for distraction. Really, I want my focus to be even more on my kids than it has been. I want to truly see inside what is happening in their little lives. I want to understand their wants and desires. So often I think of how little Zoey's issues seem, but I know deep down... she just wants to learn more about the world, what I am doing, and who she is. I love my kids. I am so blessed to be a mother. I often get worked up over the fact that we don't have all the nicest things... I definitely don't have the best wardrobe... and days aren't always fun when you have crabby kids at the fun outlet stores that you want to just shop, try on things, and enjoy... those things just aren't always possible... but it is okay... this is just a brief time in our lives that I want to learn to enjoy more than I do. Because, I do enjoy it, but I also miss the time with my husband, the time by myself, and the ability to spend money without worrying about the future of my kids. But how great it will be to leave our children with more because we lived with less now. Until tomorrow...