A month? Really??

Wow, it has been one month since we started the B-Hop challenge. I am down a total of 6 lbs, M is down 12. I am losing slower than I had planned, but keeping a steady pace and making myself more consciously aware of all I eat. I'll total the group on Wednesday, but I suspect we're well on our way to the first 60 lbs lost off our bodies, not to mention to good spirits we're gaining from the feel of success.
I can finally share some pictures. This first is one taken after church on Easter Sunday, it was quite an ordeal to snap it of ourselves. I ended up resting the camera on our rail between family room and kitchen, and when the picture snapped, the camera bounced to the floor - oops! We are all wearing our corsages and boutonniere that M bought us for Easter. It was a good day for us as a family, surrounded by our local family members.

We leave for Philly on Friday, so I am concentrating on eating well this week and packing the van with healthier snacks; fruit, popcorn, cheese, milk and water for drinking, and avoiding the fast food, which I have successfully steered clear of this past month. I made some gluten free muffins for M to take on the road with us, the kids tried them out tonight and proclaimed them yummy! We're making our lunches along the way, to save cash and calories, I even purchased a loaf of gluten free bread for M's sandwiches. I found some organic milk in small cartons for the kids and will brew some ice tea for M & I to drink in place of soda's on the road.

Last week, our father had a pacemaker installed to regulate his heart rate. We all gathered throughout the day to check in on him, and afterwards my sisters, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and I went out for a Mexican meal, complete with a margarita. I tried not to over indulge, although I am still a danger around chips and salsa or any other salty snack, and still need to teach myself to not just habitually grab, stuff and chew around such temptations. Here is a picture of the sisters, as we completed our Mexican meal and try to picture our more slender selves in the future. It wasn't the best week for exercise, cruddy weather, and busy schedule. This week is starting out not conducive to keeping up with a daily routine of walking, so I'll really try to capture a moment when it presents itself to get out and move, even if it is just for a few minutes a day.

So, for next week, my specific goals are:

• concentrate on enjoying time with family we see less frequently
• use the time in our van to talk with kids and get connected to what's going on in school and in their minds
• open my mouth to visit and not to stuff full of food
• take advantage of staying in the city and walk daily
• race the kids to the top of the lighthouse on Cape May, NJ
• come home at the very least weighing the same as when I left!

I ran into cousin CAB at church on Sunday, she's been afraid to report in because she doesn't want to skew our numbers. I assured her to keep in touch and keep at it, we are all bound to have our moments where we struggle and get off course, but there is definitely power and strength in numbers, so hang in there CAB and keep us posted on your progress.

One last note, M, V and I are hooked on John Adams on HBO. We are all anxious to visit the historic places of our founding fathers while in Philadelphia, even though we've been to many of the places before, we have a renewed interest in seeing the place where our country declared its independence. What heroes these men, who fought for the freedoms we take for granted and made such personal sacrifices to create a country where freedom reigns.