This month seems to be the busiest month of the year for me with holidays, preparing for my annual family camp with my siblings and their families, and then just for added pressure: running around finalizing stuff for my daughter Jordyn’s wedding.
I have been spread very thin when it comes to time to get everything done and trying to make sure that I have to time to workout and recover before the alarm goes off again for a new day. Many people are surprised to hear that I workout at 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m., but I know that if I didn’t go at that time then I probably wouldn’t go at all.
I have been steadily going to the gym for 30 days without any injuries (knock on wood), and am back to living it and not being able to see a day without a start at the gym.
My day-to-day schedule has been stacked more every day, but my energy level has not waned at all. I may however want to look in to seeing a specialist about the bags around my eyes because people everywhere always say to me, “You look tired”.
While it may be true that I look tired, it’s probably just the sagging skin around my eyes. LOL, BWAHAHA, even my little figurine I got from Soul Capture has bags under its eyes
My greatest source of energy comes from the smiles and interactions I have with the people I meet every day through work. It is like getting a booster shot of positivity every time it happens, so thank you to all of you for allowing me to feed off of your energy and aura. My wife Jennifer is a huge source for my ability to push on and get things done. Her journey and resilience is inspiring.
Celebrations
I love the month of July because there are so many fun celebrations with the 4th of July, Pioneer Day, and three birthdays in our family!
My daughter Kilani turned 18 this month, am I really that old to have another child turn into an adult? I guess so since my birthday was this month too. No need to share my age. Let’s just say that I got one year older and hopefully wiser.
My youngest son Lisona turned 14 this month, and he will be a freshman in high school next year. So, as you can see, we have a busy month with many reasons to celebrate.
The 4th of July was great. We spent it with dear friends the Havilis, and it has become a tradition that we get together and set off fireworks and roast marshmallows. Luckily there were no real injures or fires that happened, just a little scare—but no one was hurt, thankfully.
Our biggest celebration that is yet to come is less than one week away: our daughter’s wedding. I am really excited for it to come and to be over, if you know what I mean. So much planning goes into to putting on a wedding and I am not going to lie, I am a bit exhausted.
Plan, Plan, Plan
OK, so as I mentioned, we are in the midst of planning our daughter Jordyn’s wedding. Now this is the second wedding that we have had in our family, as my son was married around this time 2 years ago.
I am grateful this time around that I have learned what to do and what not to do, what is needed and what isn’t. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the amount of money that it takes to pull off a beautiful wedding.
I have to give a shout out to my friends and family who have stepped in to help me plan down to the smallest details. My mom has been amazing and has been helping with ideas and shopping for decorations, and my husband’s cousin will be making the beautiful cake—Carmen Cakes, check her out.
Dress shopping has been a struggle for me, not because I can’t find something to fit, but because I want to be comfortable and still look elegant. I have bought three different dresses. One was a dress I really loved, but it didn’t scream Mother of the Bride, so I think that is a no. Another dress that I found is really beautiful, but I am having a hard time finding shoes that look good with it.
Two years ago when I shopped for the dress for my son’s wedding, I was a size 20 and I had a hard time finding something that I felt pretty in. Yesterday I found a dress that I loved that was a size 10! Talk about the joy that I felt when I looked in the mirror. I couldn’t stop smiling! My decision to have this surgery is the best I have made in my life.
My daughter’s dress is gorgeous, and she is going look amazing on her special day. I am so happy for her. As you mothers know, we worry about our children all the time and we want them to be happy and find someone who treats them well, making them feel special. My daughter has found her someone: Nathan is a great person and I love how he makes my daughter feel about herself and how he makes her smile. I couldn’t be happier.
Future
Looking ahead to this next month and the months to follow I have made some personal goals that I know are achievable. I have 20 more pounds to go before I reach my goal. I am down 80 pounds since post-op and have gone from a size 22 to a size 10/12.
It seems so strange to even type out those numbers, but I am overwhelmed with the success that I have had. I started to workout on a regular basis now, and it has helped to boost my energy even more. My goal is to start doing more meal preparation for the whole week, so that it is easy to make healthier choices with my food already prepped.
Our daughter returns from her LDS mission on December 12, and I want to have reached my goal by that day. I know I can, and I will.
Life is good and worth living being the healthiest me that I can be. It is still a daily struggle to be smart about what I eat every day: This surgery isn’t a magical pill that takes away all of your cravings, it is a jump-start. It takes commitment and drive to want to keep moving forward, a desire to be the best version of you that you can be. If you are considering having a weight loss surgery, I would encourage you to do your research and make sure that it is right for you. This surgery helped my life and made me feel better about myself.
Thanks to everyone for the ongoing support! Click here to follow our Losing for Life journey.
