I Know Pride is a Sin, 3rd edition

I've decided that this is going to be a monthly installment. Each month I'm going to post about something I've accomlished or some project I've completed.

For this month's installment, I want to share my weight loss success.

Two weeks ago I started a diet/weight loss program. I'm embarrased to share this, but my weight had reached 202 pounds, which is the most I've ever weighed. With my sister-in-law's wedding quickly approaching and my mother informing me that we would be taking family pictures at the beginning of June, I knew I had to do something. I was not happy with myself and I was embarrased about the way I looked. Shopping was (and still is) depressing - I was wearing a size 16 and nothing looked good on me.

I'm pleased to report that after 2 weeks of being on a strict diet and working very hard, I am down 12 pounds!! I am so excited. When I started I took my bust, waist, and hip measurements, and I've lost 1 1/2 inches in my bust, 2 1/2 inches in my waist and 2 inches in my hips. I'm starting to feel good about myself again. I know that I won't be able to keep up that level of weight loss until June, but I'm hoping to loose 20-25 pounds before the wedding/family pictures/my anniversary. Do you think I can do it? I have 2 months. I think I can do it!!

I'd like to ask for your help. Each Sunday I'm going to post my weight loss from the week. I would really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement. And anyone who wants to do this with me is more than welcome. We can do it together!

Zachary

My brother is so amazing and this post is dedicated to him. Last week was a big week for Zack! On Tuesday and Wednesday he competed in the Southern California Championship Decathlon. This meet determined the top competitors in Southern California who would go on to compete in the state championships. For those who don't know what a decathlon is, it is 10 track and field events over then span of 2 days: 100 M, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 M, 110 M high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 M. The top 6 competitors qualified to go on to State, and guess what? My studly brother made it! He took 6th place and will go on to the state championships! I'm so pround of him. It was SOOOOO close... in fact, it came down to the last event, and if there had been just a couple more seconds between Zack and the 7th place guy in that last race, he would have been pushed out of 6th place. Talk about nerve wracking!

Then on Thursday, He got a very special letter in the mail. My baby brother, my little Zacky-Poo, has been called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Mexico Merida Mission, will be learning Spanish, and will report to the Missionary Training Center on September 1. I am more proud of him than words can express. Serving a mission is not an easy thing - leaving your home and family for 2 years to go to a country you don't know and speak a foreign language with only 12 or so weeks of preparation... I'm not sure I would have the strength to do that. He is so excited to serve the Lord and the people of Mexico. Zachary has grown up to be such an incredible young man. He is smart, funny, athletic, and most importantly, has a testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and he is eager to share that testimony as a missionary.

I don't have any pictures of Zack opening his mission call, because the little butthead couldn't wait and opened it without me... So you'll just have to settle for these pictures I took at his decathlon.

Pole Vault

Long Jump

I believe this is the 100 M

Javelin

110 M High Hurdles

High Jump

He Said, She Said

Trevor: Sister Grafton? If CTR is choose the right, what is choose the wrong?
Me: Choose the wrong would be CTW Trevor, why?
Trevor: Well, because CTR is choose the right, and CTW is choose the wrong, and we should CTR and NOT CTW, right Sister Grafton?
Me: Right Trevor. We shouldn't CTW.

Things That Matter

I get my feelings hurt kind of easily. I try REALLY hard not to, but I get really excited about things and ideas I have and I tend to pour my heart and soul into everything I do and when I get shot down, it's really hard for me.

Recently I was led to believe that I would be doing a pre-wedding photo shoot with my sister-in-law and her fiance. They would get dressed up in their wedding clothes about a week before the wedding and go down to the temple and the beach and where ever else they wanted to go and get alot of the pictures out of the way so they have less to worry about on the day of the wedding. (Nick and I did it, and it was so much fun and made our wedding day so much more enjoyable.) Well, as soon as I was under the impression that would be happening for sure I got SOOOO excited! I was so happy to do it for them and it seemed like the only way I was going to get to be a part of the wedding. Then I was told that they decided to hire someone else because the other person was going thru a rough patch and could use the help.

My first emotion was extreme dissapointment. I had been so excited to get to be a part of things, especially in a way that meant so much to me. Plus it was going to be a paying gig! A real job that I was going to make a little bit of money on! Then I went from sadness to anger. Didn't they think that I could use the help too? Didn't they consider that I was already making plans and doing research for the best spots to take pics in San Diego? Didn't they think about the fact that the other person already has an established photography business and has no trouble booking jobs while I am still trying to build a portfolio? Then anger turned into resentment: am I not good enough? Why would they rather have the other person over a family member?

What's the point of me telling you all of this? I was listening to my ipod, and a Rascal Flatts song came on, "Things that Matter." It talks about how some things matter, and some things just don't. That life is short and we need to not waste time with things and feelings that cause us pain and keep us from experiencing the things that really matter in life. I took a step back and realized that as crappy as it is that I am not involved in any way with my sister-in-law's wedding, by being sad or angry or resentful about it, I'm keeping myself from all the happy things that go along with the wedding. All I can do is keep offering to help and be satisfied knowing that I've done what I can and the rest is up to them. I need to spend my time focusing on the things that matter, not the things that don't.

Thanks for the life lesson Rascal Flatts!