Gooooaaaalllll!

On the day of Addie's birthday party, June 13th, I met my weight loss goal that I had set way back in July of 2012. It took me 23 months of hard work, late nights and early mornings working out, passing up yummy food, and gaining and re-losing weight. It wasn't easy, and maintaining is also proving to not be easy. (I just ate a whole box of macadamia nut chocolates that Matt gave me for our anniversary yesterday. A. Whole. Box.) but I am so proud of myself.  I lost 50 pounds!

This picture gives me really mixed emotions. 

On one hand, I am so proud of that girl on the right. She worked really, really hard. But I also love that girl on the left. 

As I was looking to find a good "before" picture, I found lots of pictures of my precious 4 month old baby Laney. And my 2 year old Frankie, 4 year old Addie, 14 year old Chris, and 16 year old Lexi.  And part of the reason for that big belly pouch, and extra 50 lbs was right there and very, very worth the weight. That girl there on the left was still spending hours upon hours nursing a sweet baby. She was trying to stay afloat while adjusting to raising a blended family of 5 kids. And a busy husband with two jobs and working on a masters degree. She was learning how to be a mother of 5 in her mid-thirties. 

I love that girl on the left. I love what she gave to her kids, even though it changed her body. I love the things that fluffy body was able to do. And I don't want to look at her in disgust or mockery. When I see this picture, instead of seeing how bad I look, I am trying to see how far I've come. 

I guess I'm just saying that motherhood is beautiful. That getting older is kind of amazing. And that I wouldn't change either one. 

But 50 lbs feels amazing. (: