18 years 18 lbs

My husband and will be celebrating 18 years of marriage this coming September and I hope we have at least that many if not more!

Recently, I got on the scale and realized that I have gained 18 pounds since we got married.  UGH

I don't think I look bad for my age, but it is obvious that there is more to love...

Gil and I both admit that initial attraction is key, he once told me he would never date a heavy girl or anyone taller than him.

Our relationship started different, we were both coming out of bad marriages.  I wasn't looking and he was only looking for someone to hook up with, nothing serious.   We sat and talked over coffee every morning, we went to lunch 3-4 times a week, when his son had surgery I was there for him, when my son was in the hospital, he was there for me.  We talked on the phone after the kids were in bed and commented on the tv shows or movies we were watching.

My first inkling that I wanted more was when he talked about one of the new girls in the office, he said she was his type, long brown hair, green eyes, petite body frame and big chest - I on the other had had an athletic build, small chest, short blonde hair, blue eyes and stood at 5'8" 3 inches taller than his 5'5".  

I hinted to him one night while we were out at a bar celebrating a co-workers birthday as to how I felt, but, it was her he kissed that night.

If you asked I would have told you I was in love with my best friend and he didn't know it.

One day not long after that night at the bar, he asked me out to dinner and to see a comedy show.  At that point where you have to say good night, he reached out and grabbed my hands, he looked up into my eyes and said "You are my best friend, I never thought I'd have feelings like this ever again for any one person.  Your the first person I think of when I wake up in the morning and your the last person I think of when I close my eyes.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you" he then leaned in to kiss me.

Getting older isn't always easy, it is an adjustment to accept the gray hair and wrinkles I see when I look in the mirror.  Gil tells me that I'm beautiful and that I'm just as sexy as when we first met.  I too still swoon when I see him walk into a room.

After getting on that scale I decided that I can accept the gray and wrinkles, but the extra pounds must go!

I feel that if I write this down and post, it is my why of committing and working toward getting back in shape.

In 1994 I weighed 138 pounds and was a size 7 - today I weight 156 pounds and am a size 10.

I'll check in with you every few weeks and let you know how things are going.

~G

Mini Vacation

This year has been the year of mini trips.  I long to go back to our annual 7-10 getaway which I had become accustomed to the last few years.

Because of all the chaos of this past year; mom moving in, traveling for William's competitions, graduations and Matthew's big move, any plans I had to go on a big vacation we shutdown.

So instead of a cruise or a trip to some beach, we took a trip to Branson, Missouri with a layover in Conway, Arkansas for a quick visit with Matthew!

Seeing Matthew was great, but we only really had 6 hours with him over the time we were there... we arrived late on Thursday, where we basically said hi and then went to sleep.  On Friday Matthew had to work so we laid around watching TV, went shopping and did some site seeing.  When Matt finally got home we went golfing, grabbed some dinner and then headed to bed as we had to be on the road by 7am the next day.

We arrived in Branson just before noon and checked into our free hotel room... yep it was free because to pay for this vacation I signed us up to listen to a 90 minute presentation on "Time Share Ownership"

Saturday, we swam, went mini golfing, rode go-carts and did the Dixie Stampede!!!  Sunday morning we went Ziplining and shopped at the mill before we had to arrive for our presentation. 

I promised my husband we would never ever ever sign up for one of these again.  It wasn't 90 minutes, but more like 3 hours of torture.

We did however, get free tickets to Yokov Circus and we won a 4 day Carnival Cruise... well sorta free - it costs $153 per person, plus tips, plus travel to the port of call and parking, oh and the possibility of added fuel fees if the price of oil goes up!

Monday before we headed back home we went on "The Ducks"

All in all not a bad trip, however, after all the running and traveling I feel like William in the last picture of the slideshow!