Love is in the Air...

Happy Monday Bleeps!

Ha...can Mondays every really be happy?  Well I'm sitting here with a swollen knee all elevated up so I'm on the fence about Mondays.

Okay, when last we spoke I was leaving the gym to get ready for my cousin Kim's wedding reception (she and Brad got married last month in Jamaica..soooo wish I could have been there).  I had dragged my tired butt to the gym and put in an hour.  I am super proud that I got that in.  I cannot express how tired I was.

When I got home I made sure to have a nice protein packed lunch.   The reception started at 5:30 so I wasn't sure when we would see food.

I like to plan ahead for most things, but one thing that I have a hard time with is planning my outfits. It really depends on how I'm feeling that day.  Is it a skinny day? Or do I need that extra space?  I still had to drive to grandmom's and pick her and my mom up so I decided to dress casually and bring my outfit to change into.  T-Minus 10 minutes until it was time to leave and I still couldn't decide.

I could take the killer dress from Easter with my sensible nice nude heels.  Or I could take the comfortable LBD with the kick ass black and white polka dot heels.  The smart girl said "take the sensible shoes!" and the former fat girl said "my god woman, wear the belly hiding dress!".

I was still tired on the drive so I stopped for some Starbucks.  I got a grande iced Vanilla Chai.  Be proud though, I passed on the pastries.  OH how I wanted a cake pop though.

When I got to grandmom's I had a full 5 minutes to change before we had to leave. The comfortable heels won.  So on went the spanx and the spandex dress.  I love the dress.  I love the comfortable heels.  But, I'm also smart and brought some flip flops to go with it. They eventually made it into the picture, but not soon enough (my knee is killing me).

The reception was held at the Reading Museum.  We had an hour's drive.  We might have made the Museum tour, but we made a side trip to see my cousin Michaela before she left for prom.  She looked stunning.  I felt like I was going to burst into flames.  It was hot...and spanx do not help.  Suddenly wishing I went with the black dress.

We did make it to the reception at 5:30 on the dot.  Appetizers and drinks were ready, but I had a mission.  There was an Andy Warhol exhibit in the adjoining room and I needed to see it before they roped it off.  I took my time and enjoyed it.  Then it was time to head for drinks.  My drink of choice: Peach bellini. But, they were going to be closing the exhibit soon and I ran back in to see it some some family.

Eventually I sat down to enjoy my drink when I realized I needed to get some appetizers in my belly first.  OH wow!  There was a lovely veggie medley.  Some asparagus.  Fruit.  A tray with tomatoes and mozzarella.  I was so excited, except that the plates were small.  I should have filled two plates.

I did not need to though, because soon it was time to eat.  My worry is always that I will fill my plate before I get to the last station.  I have a hard time picking and choosing.  So I started with a spoonful of ziti.  Then two pieces of tortellini.  Another spoonful (serving spoons mind you) of ratatouille (another vegetable medley).  I filled the center of my plate with salad and grabbed a roll.  Not done yet.  I had the choice of turkey breast or prime rib.  I eat turkey all of the time.  So I took a piece of prime rib.  He trimmed the fat and I was happy.

Natrually I cleared my plate.  It was delicious.  My immediate thought was: Go back for more!  But, I made myself sit there until my belly caught up with my head and I realized that I was full. I did not want to cross the line with spanx on.

There was a lovely duet playing music, but there was not the usual dance floor.  That did not stop me.  I move to everything.  But, I did not work up the sweat like I usually do.  So glad I went to the gym in the morning.

It's Dessert time!  There was so much to choose from.  I picked a small piece of tiramisu (YUM), more fruit, and a shot of Creme Brulee. I had never had that before...but I am hooked.

I cannot express how happy I was.  It was a wonderful time with my family, but I didn't feel guilty about what I ate.  I did not obsess over the food.  I was in veggie heaven!

So if you know me, you know I love to take pictures.  I also like to cheese it up. Kim and I took a bunch of pictures together and I was mortified when I saw them.  All night people were calling me "Skinny" and telling me how great I looked.  I thought I looked pregnant in some of these pictures.  I almost cried.  Then I went to the ladies room and realized that the spanx was failing me and had slipped down.  I fixed it and felt much better.  Although, I'm not going to lie...if there are video cameras outside of the museum, someone is enjoying footage of me shimmying out of the spanx and pulling them off.

It was a fun fun Saturday, but the weekend wasn't over yet.  I had to run home to go to sleep, for Sunday I was going to the Phillies game with Daddy....

***To Be Continued***

****Please note****
  

If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you!  Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week.  The journey is so much easier if you have support.

 jhendersonfit@gmail.com