First Day of Autumn

1. A Favorite-- We celebrated the first day of Autumn a couple of days ago.  I love this time of year here in Michigan.  The colors on our Michigan Maples & Oaks have already begun to show sprinklings of yellows, oranges, and reds.  It won't be long before the shores of all our lakes will be deck out in an array of fall colors.

2. A Proud--  With fall also brings High School football.  I've already attending several games but the last couple I had the pleasure of attending with a couple of friends of mine.  Their girls are both in the marching band and the proud looks on my friends faces as their girls marched spectacularly into the stadium was worth every chilly moment.  We all have children that we are proud of and when we share those moments it makes them even more special.  Go Mollie!  Go Malorie!  Both Amazing Clarinetists!

3. Something to Ponder-- "You have to be brave with your life so others can be brave with theirs."

4. A Dislike--  The banging of the construction works on top of my office building.  I guess mainly it's because the banging sounds like someone living upstairs bouncing a basketball.  It's rather aggravating.

5.  Something Difficult--  Learning to let my 16yr old son learn from his mistakes.  This is a tough one for me.  I'm a nurturer by design.  Seeing your child stumble & struggle with something is not easy but often necessary to help them become thriving adults. So I've decided though that what seems like a struggle now can often lead to successes.  (Thomas Edison said something to this affect.)  How can I expect my child to dream big if there aren't some pitfalls along the way.  So I will celebrate the struggles as well as celebrate the successes and I will do it as a proud mom!

6. A Thank-You-- It's something so very small but I want to say thank you to my husband for making me coffee.  Anytime I want coffee, he unselfishly makes it for me.  I haven't made coffee in my own home for what may be years.  Besides being good at it, he just does it.  Not out of opportunity or out of obligation, but purely because he knows it blesses me.  I love this small act of love.

7.  An Un-noticed-- On my arm I wear a BodyMedia Fit device (bodybugg).  It goes virtually unnoticed hour upon hour during my day.  But at the end of the day it provides me with all the information I need to succeed in achieving my weight loss goals.  It lets me know how much sleep I'm getting (and quality), calories burned (during every minutes of my day), along with many other pieces of information.  They knowledge is power and I feel very powerful when I wear it.  Thanks BodyMedia!

7 Things

1. An Unnoticed-- These beautiful red leaves in middle of a green bush outside my office.  Quietly tucked inside while passers-by take no notice to them.

2. Something to Ponder-- "Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

3. A Favorite--  A beautiful Sunset in Lansing, MI this morning as I drove towards work.  Filled with reds, pinks, and oranges.  A spectacular view.  A gentle reminder of God's creativeness.  It was even more pleasurable knowing He knew I would notice.

4. An Accomplishment--  I celebrate this week with a dear friend in my life.  She worked hard to graduate Nursing school and recently was employed as an RN!  Way to go!

5. To Do-- Celebrate more!  Celebrate the big things in life but remember to celebrate the small ones too.  Like today; the very last day of summer.  I'm definitely mourning the season I cherish the most, but I want to take time to celebrate the beginning of Autumn.  It's a short lived time here in Michigan; lasting but a few weeks in seems.  The colors will be amazing guaranteed!

6. A Dislike-- Construction.  There's construction on a frequently traveled highway along my route home each day.  It's new and only to last a few days but I simply can't seem to remember at the end of my long work day to take a different route.  UGH!

7. A New--  My recent discovery of Pinterest.  At first I was thinking "another social media site" but this one is more like an idea board.  You make a bunch of boards and pin things on them.  Sounds simple but if you're like me it's right up your alley.  My recent boards include: Places to visit, things to do, DIY, etc...  No more books filled with clippings from magazines and newspapers. 

Have a great day!  Share a few of your "things" with me. 

Champions

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them . A desire, a dream, a vision." - Muhammed Ali

     Today I start my journey using my bodybugg by  BodyMedia Fit.  Their mission is "Knowledge is Power. Unlock/decipher the body's secrets.  Put information into the hands of people, empowering them to improve their lives!"
     I've currently to date lost 60 pounds.  I have about 58 pounds to go.  More importantly I am doing this right.  Exercising and eating healthy have become by two main goals with the numbers on the scale an extra bonus.
    With this BodyMedia Fit product it should take all the guess work out of knowing exactly how many calories I am burning with each activity. It's got to be inspiring.

    The quote above is something that I have deep inside me.  I have a deeply embedded drive inside me that calls out to me that "I am a CHAMPION."
      A DESIRE  to become the best I can be.  A DREAM to inspire others along the way. A VISION that keeps me motivated to see my goals come to fruition.