"Blessed Are The Peacemakers..."

This morning I had the privilege of attending the 21st Idaho Peace Officers Memorial.  

It was a beautiful ceremony and extra difficult with the addition of a new name this year.  Shelley PD Officer Sgt. Kent Swanson suffered a heart attack while responding to a domestic call on May 21, 2018.  His family attended the service in Washington DC where his name was added to the National Wall and today, his name was added to the Idaho Wall.  His fellow co-workers presented the wreath.

Then all 75 names are read, each accompanied with the sounding of the bell, and a rose placed on the ground under the wreath.

We had a break in the rain and even the sun came out.

“Blessed are the Peacemakers…”

Weekly WI: Finally A Loss

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday

I’m working a four-hour OT this morning so I’ve been up before the sunrise.  I’ve got a hair appointment afterwards and then later this evening, a Rock Concert where my niece Hailey is playing guitar.

My WI yesterday went really well.  I was a bit nervous with my sugar intake towards the end of the week and my Jamberry Party on Monday night which included some party food and alcohol.  I lost 0.8 pounds, which I’m super stoked about. 

 

My first thought was, “Whew!  Not a gain.”  My second though was, “Oh, I wished it was more.”  Then, I realized that if I’d like to lose at least 2 pounds a month, maybe even 4 pounds a month, then I’m on a good track thus far.  I’ll keep it rolling this week.

 

We had a great meeting and I love my group so much.  The leader, Cindi, was back from her vacation and we started off the meeting refreshing last week’s topic of fixed mindset vs. growth mindset.  Cindi shared about the image on the white board at her Saturday meeting and I was able to find it online.

 

This is a great representation of how a growth mindset and being open to change, while scary, can be really rewarding.  I can think back to my own WW journey and how scared I was when I started.  I had such a large amount of weight to lose that it felt impossible.  At that time, I was focused on losing at least 15 pounds.  I remember very vividly how it felt when I reached goal and how I stood in front of a mirror in the dressing room at JC Penney in tears.  I had done it and it felt so good.

We shifted our meeting to this topic of the week which was about taking a break from weight loss.  Weight loss can get exhausting and at time really frustrating.  When that happens, it might be time to take a step back and relax while giving maintenance a go.  When in maintenance, you add 5 points to your DPA and you still get your WSPA.  It can sometimes take the pressure off the scale and maybe allow you to feel better overall.  Cindi stressed the importance of giving it an end date so you can come back at losing with a fresh mindset and attitude.

 

Cindi asked the group if we could weigh the exact same as we do now come Labor Day would you be happy?  Um…YES!  And, I can answer yes not because I’m where I want to be but because where I am is way better than being any heavier.  I’d be ecstatic to not have gained anymore come Labor Day.  Of course, my goal is to continue to lose weight so going into maintenance for me isn’t in the plan.  But, it is nice to know if I get mentally burned out, that taking a step back to refresh is always an option.

Six Weeks Until Girls Weekend

It’s my Friday today and I’m looking forward to my “weekend.”

My weekend is starting off with a Jamberry Party this evening after work.  It will be a small group, my house is ready to go, and I’m super stoked for some fun this evening.

Speaking of fun, I’ve been reminiscing of our past Girls Weekend Trips since they have been coming up on Facebook.  We moved the date so our next trip is now six week away.  In the meantime, I’ll be smiling from ear to ear as I think back on all the fun we have had.  This year, two new gals will be joining Phoenix and I.  It is really enjoyable to meet/visit new people and/or get to know your friends better.

Here are the previous Girls Weekends posts:

I consider the Las Vegas trip Danielle and I took back in September of 2013 the “first official Girls Weekend.”  It was just her and I had year because nobody else could really swing the cost and the time away from work and family.  Don’t be fooled with just two of us, we had a blast.

Las Vegas Adventures – Part One

Las Vegas Adventures – Part Two

 

Our Girls Weekend in Walla Walla was the first time we rented an Air B & B so we could have room to stretch out, visit, cook some meals, and enjoy your time visiting with each other.  We had a nice size group and tons of fun.  Despite Walla Walla being super dead since it was just after the local college students graduated, I’d go back again.

Girls Weekend In Walla Wall, WA – Day One

Girls Weekend In Walla Wall, WA – Day Two AND my 1000th Blog Post!

 

The following year, we looked around at local destinations so we could try and build a larger group.  We had tons of fun visiting Sun Valley and Ketchum and spending a day at the Sun Valley Inn getting spa treatments.  This was one of my favorite Girls Weekend destinations.  Again, we rented an Air B & B for this trip so we had plenty of room.

Girls Weekend In Sun Valley

 

Last year was our smallest group, just three of us.  But don’t be fooled in thinking we had any less fun.  Bend, OR was my very favorite Girls Weekend.  Maybe it was alcohol, maybe it was the small group, or maybe it was destination.  But I loved every minute I spent with Phoenix and Danielle.  Now, while we did love our destination at Old St. Francis, the actual hotel room for three girls felt cramped.  I’m happy this year we are going back to a house rental.

Girls Weekend 2018: 12 Breweries In 3 Days

Girls Weekend 2018: The Other Stuff Besides Beer

 

This year our destination will again be local.  More details to follow….