Breaking Point

So far 2010 has been a great year for me. I moved into a beautiful new home. Now this is not just any new place, it is basically the essence of my dream home. Check it out (sorry but couldn't figure out how to reverse the order of the pics):

I have always wanted a place I was proud to call my home and I found this here. So finally since moving here I feel settled.

Days after moving in I was promoted to Director of Rooms at my job. Now this is quite an accomplishment, especially since I have only worked at this property for just over 8 months. I can completely say that I love my job and it looks like things at work will only continue to get better.

I am also lucky enough to say that I have been able to add a new person to my circle of best friends. I don't think that it is every day that you find a friend that you really connect with at my age. I find it is much easier to add acquaintances to your life, but true best friends are hard to come by.

So it all seems pretty great, right? Well yes and no. Each one of these things are great, but I am not completely happy with myself. For those of you that know me, I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. And today I have reached my breaking point. Today I will make a change. So I pledge to you that I will lose the weight once and for all! I have taken my pre-diet pictures (however I will not be posting them until I lose the weight). And my goal is to lose 35 pounds. Now in order to be accountable I plan to use this as a forum to track my progress. So today is day 1, 35 pounds to go. I began the morning with some cardio with Bob (my favorite trainer) and then a little bit of time of the bike. My caloric intake today was 1345, a bit more than I planned, but you have to start somewhere.

Inspirations

Today I look at my life and overall I consider myself to be a happy person. I have an amazing family and I am lucky enough to consider my sisters and mother among my best friends.

My mother is the epitome of strength, losing the love of her life and still managing to press on every day. I know the struggles I have had with losing my father, so I can only imagine what it was like for her. Now my mother has always been the type of person who doesn't like to share what she is going through. She keeps things inside and never wants to show how vulnerable she really is. She sacrificed her life to build our family and she has managed to raise three amazing women, each sucessful in their own way. My mother is an inspiration to me.

Then there is T, my older sister. Throughout our lives we have always had a bit of competition between the two of us, especially since we are so close in age. There were things I was better at and others that she excelled at. I think this affected our relationship, as it lead to jealousy, among other things. Then one day things changed. She was no longer my competition, but my sister. I look at her life with a bit of envy, but more with a sense of pride. Truly all I see is the amazing woman, mother and friend she has turned into. My big sis is an inspiration to me.

And I could never forget about G, my little sister. Growing up I would have never thought I would be as close to G as I am today. She was just so much younger, so I hate to admit it, but for a good portion of my teenage years she was more of an annoyance to me than anything else. But now, I don't know what I would do without her. She is my comic relief. Not a day goes by that she doesn't have me cracking up. She reminds me of who I am deep down, when I seem to get lost in my own little world. She turns to me for advice or just a shoulder to cry on, always making me feel like she looks up to me; and this is a feeling that carries so much weight in my heart. She stands up for herself and follows her own path. My little sister is an inspiration to me.

So I just want to thank each of you for being an inspiration in my life everyday. I could never imagine my world without you in it. I love you.