Adventure Land!

Leah and I were so scared of this ride. Actually, we ended up laughing at how not scary it turned out to be!
"6 in a raft and the little one says, "Move over! Move over!" We were always happy to find rides that at least half of our family (we had 11 people total!) could ride together.

Our last ride as the park was closing for the night.

Waiting in line. Yes, our family took up an entire section of the line!

Riding their hot pink motorcycles!


Smile! (Guess Grandpa didn't get the memo...)

More waiting in line = pictures!


On the teacups. It was the ride that never ended!!!

After my disappointing weigh in on May 29th, I was ready to get back on track. Our family spent the next day (Saturday) at Adventure Land, and it was a nice, hot day to spend outside. We left early that morning, so I wasn't able to fit in a workout. We were all scrambling to get things ready and packed, get the little girls dressed, do their hair, feed them, keep them happy, and then do the same for ourselves. The plan was to get to the park in time for lunch, as my dad's company was providing lunch for the employees and their families. (They also paid for our entrance tickets. Immediate family only, which still came out to 8 tickets for us! A huge blessing!) Anyway, I spent about 5 minutes that morning throwing together a salad and some snacks that I could eat during the day. I wasn't going to head to a theme park unprepared!

Turns out, after having to stop 3 times for a bathroom break on the way down there (it's 3 hours away) we barely made it in time for lunch. They served hamburgers and hotdogs, baked beans and chips. My salad was still in the van, and I wanted to save it for supper, so what did I do? Simple. I grabbed a hamburger and half of the bun, piled it high with lettuce and tomatoes, and I turned it into a hamburger salad. It was actually pretty good! Then the fun began. We walked all over that park, and often split up into small groups heading off in different directions to catch "big girl" or "little girl" rides. About 3 hours later, we all trekked out to the van for a snack of grapes and bing cherries. Yum! We also refilled out "illegal water bottles" (you can pack lots of stuff into 3 strollers!) and reapplied sunscreen. Well, everyone else did. I decided to go "all natural" that day and refused to put on sunscreen, thinking I'd get tan faster. Bad idea! My shoulder turned a nice flamingo pink and were quite sore for several days....

Even though we did a lot of walking, I still felt like I had a lot of energy to get out as we were leaving the park. Walking is good! But I didn't feel like I'd exercised a whole lot that day. However, it was nice to have a day that was different. I was hoping that maybe my body would like it, too.

Beginning on Sunday and going through till my next weigh in, I was having trouble getting my body back to where it was before. I felt hungry a lot, even though I'd eaten plenty at the previous meal. My body had gotten used to eating very frequently, especially when I was going to so many graduation parties, and it was a struggle to get back on track. I found myself eating bigger meals and snacks, because I didn't want to have to fight against the urge to eat between them. I did record my meals, though, and was trying hard. And I had great workouts! I spent an hour on the treadmill one day and went almost 5 miles, which I hadn't done before. I did about 65% running and 35% walking, and my legs were quite sore the next day. ;) So, I was hoping that my exercising would be enough to compensate for some extra calories I'd consumed. The weekends are the hardest days for me to be disciplined, and I'd eaten more than I should have. It's hard to not feel deprived and to not give in when you're REALLY craving something!

Anyway, I gained a pound last week. My exercise wasn't enough to make up for some wrong snacking, which had me frustrated with myself and with the whole weight loss process. Why? Why? Why? That's what I wanted to know. Why me? Why is it so hard? Why can't I lose this weight? Why does one or two dumb choices have to ruin an entire week of work? Why isn't there another way to lose weight? Why? Why? WHY???

I wasn't ever contemplating quitting, but I spent a lot of time griping and complaining in my heart that Friday morning as I was driving into town. I was discouraged and I let my guard down, and that's when thoughts of doubt and jealously began creeping in again. Let's just say that I wasn't exactly a happy camper! But I began to pour out my thoughts to the Lord and just take some time to get everything off my chest. I talked just like Jesus was sitting in the car next to me. And I was reminded again of this truth - you can't spend time in the presence of the Lord and not be changed. Because let me tell you, when I got into the car and started driving into town I was an unhappy, discouraged, and frustrated person. But as I spent time communing with my Savior, I became living proof that "In Your presence is fullness of joy", and "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom". As I was praising and thanking Jesus, confessing sins and asking for strength, and simply spending time with Him, my whole attitude changed. I felt peaceful and calm, knowing that I am His and He is still in control. Gaining a pound didn't change that. I'm not a loser or a failure. No, I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me and gave Himself for me! And so are you, my friend.

So now, I'm excited about this week. I thought it would be a good idea to pull out a few of my resource books and read through them again. I've gotten more ideas and tips that I'm putting into practice this week. Again, I had a rocky weekend (not catastrophic, but there is still room for improvement) so prayers are appreciated. But overall, I'm walking in His strength and believing that in Christ, I can do all things!

Our God reigns ~ Bekah