Inspirational People
This month started with a jump start of great motivation and inspiration. I met Mark Eaton and we chatted about his book “The Four Commitments of A Winning Team”, and I spent some time with Pamela Atkinson and her never ending fight against homelessness.
These two individuals gave me some needed strength in my own battle against depression and have helped me look to brighter times. Josh Burkman, a former UFC fighter, also laid some of his spirituality, experience and knowledge on me that surprised me but has helped too.
Family Time
I always have a sense of belonging and purpose when I am with my family and my extended family. My Aunty Ofo was visiting from Samoa, and I got to break bread with her and Mom and spend time laughing and reminiscing about the good days in Samoa.
The time I spend with cousins and nephews is a bit of a fountain of youth for me because they make me feel and act young. We were able to go and laugh our butt’s off at Wiseguys Comedy Club with the legend Sinbad. We also watched my nephew Fatu and the visiting Kahuku High School Rugby team take on Herriman High School.
Health and Fitness
After a long layoff I finally am injury free and was able to force myself to the gym. I am still battling low testosterone and some depression issues but being back at the gym has helped me reclaim my personal foothold on my anxiety and emotions. The saying, “Half the battle is showing up” rang truer for me as I made my return to my 2:30 a.m. Vasa routine.
Learning Together
My wife and I have decided to enter the world of fostering children and part of the approval process is that we have to be CPR certified. The 8-hour long class was entertaining and bearable thanks to our instructor and my cute “lab partner”—my wife.
She checks in with how she is doing this month:
Easter Weekend
This month has been an amazing month for me filled with Easter vacation to California to see my whole family and to celebrate my youngest sister’s 40th birthday.
It had been more than six months since I had last seen my whole family, so they had only seen pictures of my weight loss. Let’s just say they were extremely surprised when they saw me, and to be completely honest it made me feel great. It is always nice to hear compliments when you have been working so hard on achieving change in your life.
My sister was in town from Arizona with her family, and we celebrated her 40th birthday with a Superwoman theme. It was so cute. I was able to spend the whole week with my family in California while the kids were off for spring break. We took a day trip to San Francisco for site seeing. The best part of that day trip was the ability that I had to walk all day long without getting tired or having my legs swell up. It felt so good, and I was actually excited to take pictures instead of dreading it.
At the end of the week we traveled to Las Vegas for the blessing of my niece and nephew’s first baby girl. It was so great to see them and their cute little family.
Family is Everywhere
Upon returning to Utah we had several opportunities to meet and visit with families that had come from Australia, where our daughter Jaelyn is serving her mission. It was truly a blessing to be able to hear what amazing things our daughter is doing as an LDS missionary.
We were able to meet the Tui family and have a nice dinner with them. They talked about how Sister Te’o would come to their home every week to be fed, which made us laugh because we know how much she loves food. The Pua family stopped by to bring a package from Sister Te’o with lots of Australian treats in it.
One thing that these families all had in common was their love for our daughter, and it brought tears to my eyes to think about how grateful I am to them for taking care of my daughter while she is away from home. They have become her family and have been able to bring her comfort and support. We love you!
Let the Wedding Plans Begin
Many of you have probably heard that our oldest daughter Jordyn is getting married on August 4th. With that said, my daughter and I have started to make plans for the special day. Bridal shower invitations have been made and printed, flower colors have been picked out, the reception menu has been decided, and many other details are being finalized.
One thing we were still missing was the most important item: the wedding dress. After several attempts in arranging our busy schedules to match, my daughter and I were able to go dress shopping last weekend. It was the highlight of my entire month. My mom was in town, which made it even more special.
My daughter tried on several dresses before finding the ONE, and she looked beautiful and so happy. She had a smile from ear-to-ear when she finally said, “Yes to the Dress”. I began to cry when I saw her knowing that my little girl was all grown up and getting married. I am so proud of the young woman that she has become. I know that she will be an amazing wife and mother someday. I love you Jordyn!
Unfortunately, I will not be able to post a picture of the dress until the wedding day. You know how it goes, but stay tuned for the month of August.
Energy and Time
I will conclude with saying that I clearly can see that I have an abundant amount of energy now. What I am finding is that I am oftentimes lacking the time in my day to get everything done. I am positive that I am not alone in this challenge. I work full-time in a job that can be demanding and overwhelming at times, but super rewarding.
My eating habits remain where they should be, and I am still losing weight at a healthy rate. My challenge is still finding the time to exercise on a regular basis. I walk over 12,000 steps a day, but I still want to be able to get my heart rate up with some cardio.
My goal this next week is to work out every night before I go to sleep. Wish me luck. I have a wedding in my future as Mother of the Bride, so now I have a new milestone to reach. The good thing is I have all the confidence in myself that I will make it there.
Thanks to everyone for the ongoing support! Click here to follow our Losing for Life journey.
