The Best of Intentions

Well, summer definitely did NOT go as planned.  Granted, it started off well.  Days spent at the park.  Trips to the swimming pool.  Then several things happened at once.  The swimming pool started charging for students' families, whereas before we could get in for free.  That makes a huge difference when you're on a tight budget.  Then, I started having problems with a tooth...and that led to oral surgery and three teeth removed instead of one.  Then there was healing time for that.  For one tooth pulled, I imagine that wouldn't have taken so long.  But  for three?  Yeah.  That took a lot longer.  Especially when one of the sites did NOT want to heal correctly and had to be packed with this awful clove-y junk.  YUCK!!!  Well, after that happened, I got an infection under one of my wisdom teeth.  The dentist's answer?  Get them out of there!  My response?  My dental insurance doesn't cover that!  Needless to say, I'm still dealing with that nasty little problem, though it is at least manageable now.  Then there were personal issues.  Big ones.  Then came the trip to the emergency room with horrid pain, gas, indigestion, heartburn...which turned out to be gallstones.  Of course, that led to surgery.  And recovery.  And October. 

October has been fabulous so far!  I'm getting back on track now with my eating and exercise plan.  Life got in the way during the summer months, and I found myself completely focused on other things.  I didn't go crazy with my eating, but I only got to the gym and handful of times, and you would not beLIEVE the difference that makes.  October also brought about a trip to upstate Ohio.  My baby sister and her hubby moved there so that he could pursue his PhD.  It is gorgeous up there!  Especially with the fall trees that are blooming right now, the views are spectacular.  We took my daughter to Cedar Point--her very first trip to an amusement park, and she loved it!  She rode her first roller coaster, and I was so proud of her.  And I had a little moment of joy when I actually was able to go through the turnstiles.  To most people, this would be a stupid thing to be happy about.  But 9 months ago, I wouldn't have been able to enter the park that way.  I would have had to have found a different way in, and I would have been horribly embarrassed.  But I made it through the turnstile!  And though there were moments during the day when I wished that I could ride the coasters with my little girl, for the most part I was thrilled to walk around the park with my dad.  It was really good to spend time with him.  And I promised myself that next fall when we take this trip again, I will be on those coasters with my family.  I lost 80 lbs in 6 months when I was really focused.  I have no reason to believe that with hard work and dedication, I can't lose a good 100 during the next year.  I know I can!

October has brought other things into my life as well.  For the first time in 10 years, I am working a job outside my home!  It's strange.  And wonderful.  And scary all at the same time.  I have spent all these years making sure that my daughter gets a firm foundation, and I really felt that now was a good time to see what I could do.  So, my new job is a start.  I'm praying for good things!

I'm determined that, as much as it is up to me, the rest of 2010 will be fabulous!!!