"New Me at 33!"

Yep, my 33rd birthday.

pretty flowers from my family!

I celebrated turning another year older this week, but most importantly for me, I celebrated how far I've come!  I had a goal to reach a certain weight before my birthday, and I'm proud to say that I reached it!  I wanted to be at a healthy weight and be more confident about the way I looked.  I received a lot of support and encouragement from my husband, but I had the self-motivation to accomplish this goal for myself!  I know that everyone in my life loves me no matter how I look, so it wasn't about others and how they view me, but it was about how I viewed myself.  I am in a much better place on the outside and the inside.  I am grateful that I've had some obstacles in my life to overcome and to work through, so that I can be on the other side of those challenges as a different person--hopefully a better person.  

P.S. Lots of people have asked us how we have lost a lot of weight and it's very simple (but can be very hard):  Healthy eating and daily exercising!  Giving up sweets was hard for me, but now I can have something once in a while and not feel guilty, for my hubby it was giving up beer.  He has yet to drink a beer in 9 mos!  I always tell people that if I can do it, anyone can!  Just set a goal and don't deter from it!

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Phillippians 3:14