A Challenge...

I remember a time when I was slim and pretty. My husband would claim I am still pretty but even he has to pause at... slim. Of late I have been coming across photos, after the fourth baby - still slim. After the 6th baby - still fairly slim. After the 8th baby - well, a bit less slim. But then came baby nine and a steady loss of weight when she hit five months. I was elated.

Then came the big FOUR O, followed by babies eleven and twelve! Oh, but there was no more melting of baby fat as I had always experienced in the past. Usually, at just about 5 months of age the baby's appetite would increase to such a point that no matter what number or type of calories passed my lips - the baby fat just fell off. No such luck after 40. That ugly ten letter word, metabolism, is to blame I am certain.

But now... my second daughter is getting married. MARRIED! So, I am looking at bridal gowns and these clearly 27 year old women modeling mother of the bride dresses.... Now short of plastic surgery I can never look that young again and I can probably never get that slim again but I can get a little slimmer!

So dear readers - I am issuing a challenge - to myself. I have no idea of my weight - we don't even own a scale but I do know my dress size and, blush, am too vain to announce it here. So I am challenging myself to drop two sizes (at least) by this coming June.

FOUL! You cry - what challenge is this? If you do not even publish the dress size? Well - I will be adding a photo in a day or two of moi! On my bike! (From the back - again just too vain, I'm sorry to say! Be patient, the Lord is not done with me yet!)

And YOU, dear readers, will get to judge how I am doing as I will post once a month a picture of me - on the bike, in the same shorts and tee and you can decide if you think I am actually dropping in size. I will choose a tee that is somewhat form fitting so that you can see and cheer me on as I battle the war of the bulge! If I meet my goal, I will post a picture of myself with the flower girl in our wedding gear - face forward.

So cheer me on - bycycle laps, crunches and leg lifts here we come! You know - this just might be fun!

(Picture to follow in a day or two, after I recover from a ruptured cyst.) Read more!