2012 Recap!

Hi all!

We are just hours away from saying goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013. Since 2009 I have been documenting the year with a scrapbook I make online and in the last few days I have been working on my 2012 scrapbook. As I go through the pictures of the year (which are organized by date and event on my computer), I am so grateful for all the wonderful things that have taken place. As the countdown winds down I can only imagine what fun and exciting things 2013 will hold for me and my family. Since I can't predict the future, I will just do a quick recap of the amazingly fun year of 2012!

• In February I had the awesome opportunity to attend the IOC Women in Sport Conference. This conference brings women from across the world together who are apart of the Olympic movement. We have come so far in the United States with women's rights compared to so many other countries. I can play sports, vote, work, drive a car, etc.These are freedoms that on any given day I may take for-granted.  The ability to do something as simple as compete in  a sport has so much power to shape the lives of women across the globe. I enjoyed this conference a great deal and the lessons I learned will not soon be forgotten.  Oh did I mention the conference was in Los Angeles and I got to go to Hollywood while we were there?!

Jennie Finch!!!

• 5K craziness! I completed nine 5K's and one 8K. Needless to say I have found a new hobby! Turns out I really like to run. I even got a treadmill for Christmas so I could run at home when it's cold! I had to get new running shoes because I actually wore out a pair. That is just unheard of! In December, I officially signed up for my first half marathon in March of 2013. I don't know what has gotten into me. The best part is I have roped my sister in to running with me at most of these things! In 2012 I have run through mud/obstacles TWICE, been splattered with paint TWICE, run in freezing cold temps, extreme heat, and even finished a 5K in 35 minutes (this is a miracle for me! There was a point in time my goal was just to jog the whole thing without walking!)! I can only imagine the types of runs 2013 will hold! Oh yeah! I even made my family do a 5K for my birthday celebration! :)

Run Lucky

Jim Thorpe Courage Run

Dirty 30

 Corporate Challenge

The Color Run

Color Me Rad

Midnight Streak

Dirty 30-Zombie Edition

Edmond Turkey Trot

Naughty or Nice 8K

• I think the best part of the year was the Family Reunion in Hawaii!! We spent a week in paradise and I got to meet some really great family! TJ's aunts, uncles, and cousins are amazing people. I am so honored that I got to meet them all. In addition to the reunion we got to explore the Big Island and Oahu. I can't wait to go back! I love the culture. I also want our kids to know that part of their family history. It is so important to know where you come from. 

• My 10 year high school reunion was in October. I felt like we all looked pretty much the same! LOL! I had a great time catching up and reconnecting with old friends. Go Bronchos!

• I know we got Elizabeth Tyalor at the end of 2011, but she has been so much fun this year! We love her to pieces and we are so glad she is our little puppy baby! :) To add to the family dynamic my dear sweet husband rescued a kitty a couple of weeks ago! I was willing to give it a blanket on the porch, but he thought we should bring it in. So now we have a cat... She is fun and Elizabeth loves her. Maybe in 2013 we will add human babies to our family! Only maybe no promises! :)

• A huge accomplishment for this year is I have managed to lose almost 50 more pounds. I only have 25 more to go to be at my goal weight for Weight Watchers. I am so excited to be so close!! It will be a life long journey to stay healthy and keep my weight under control, but I am confident I will because I have changed my lifestyle! It's not a diet people, it's a way of life! 

Feburary

December

• The Holidays! 2009 was a tough year for my family. My Grandma Norma passed away right after the first of the year and then that December my Papa Frank joined her in Heaven. That was a sad time and the Holidays were tough to get through since all of our traditions revolved around them. I made a promise to myself not to let another holiday season pass by without trying to enjoy  it to the fullest and creating new memories with the loved ones we have with us! I think we did a great job of that this year! We had the 2nd annual Calfy Christmas at my house, we had our 2nd annual treat baking day, mom and I enjoyed tea at the Skirvin, and many other celebrations took place! We can't let Grandma down. She loved this time of year! 

 

There were so many other wonderful moments in 2012. This year was truly a blessing and I look forward to what 2013 has in store. I wish you all the very best in the New Year. I hope you are able to find all the happiness and hope that your heart desires. 

See you all next year!

Love always,

Leigha

Birthday Extravaganza!

Earlier in April I challenged my family to do a 5K with me for my birthday. Today was the Jim Thorpe Courage Run and this race separated the men from the boys and the women from the girls! Lol. Okay, it wasn't that crazy.

Mom, Dad, Kaytie, Becky, Kenny, TJ, and Melissa (who might as well be an adopted sister, she is Kaytie's friend and is at nearly all our family events!) all showed up bright and early Saturday morning to take on the 5K. I had so much fun!! I loved seeing my family out there all together, taking on a challenge and completing a goal. We were all one team, even though we all crossed the finish line at different times. TJ finished first since we was in the handcycle division, then Kaytie, me, Melissa, Mom, Dad, Becky, and Kenny. As we each finished we all waited at the finish line to cheer each other on. Everyone had huge smiles as they crossed the finish line! There is a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish something like that, whether you walk or run it.

After it was all said and done we went to La Baguette for my birthday breakfast and to try and recover. This was one of the most fun birthday's I have had in years! I loved having all of my family together and encouraging them to push themselves to the limits and have fun while doing it!

Thank you to everyone who came out today! I love you all and I hope you had fun! :)

After we got home I found last year's picture from the Jim Thorpe 5K. Take a look at the difference a year can make..

Next week Kaytie and I take on the Dirty 30!! A 5K with 15 obstacles along the way.  I can promise you that blog post will be less inspirational and more comical.I mean really. I put on lipstick before I did the race this morning and I am going to be covered in mud next week! I am just worried about Kaytie leaving me in the dust... or mud in this case! Wish us luck! :)

On the road to a healthy life...

 It wasn't that long ago that I started this weight loss journey. I checked back and I had signed up for Weight Watchers on December 28, 2010. So one year and a few months later I have lost 60.8 lbs. My life has changed drastically when it comes to my activity level and how much I do care about living a healthy lifestyle. I want to be healthy, I want to try new and fun things, I'm not afraid that I can't do something anymore. So let's recap:

December 2010

September 2011 -35 lbs

November 2011 -40 lbs

January 2012 -50 lbs

March 2012 -60 lbs

Thanks to Cheryl for coming up with the idea to document this weight loss with a picture every 10 lbs or I wouldn't really have any good examples!  My goal is to reach my Weight Watchers goal by next April. I have increased how much I exercise each week and if I stay on top of my tracking I should reach this no problem. I have no clue if what I am about to say next is even possible, but once I reach lifetime at Weight Watchers I want to either be in a WW commercial or be in the WW magazine or both ;).  I wonder what the process would be to make this happen? I'll let you know when when I reach lifetime! :)

My newest motivation is this:

 5K's are my new hobby and I want to get better times with each one I do. I often think back to the Weight Watchers 5K that I did last May. It was so hard and all I did was walk it. No running whatsoever. I have come along way and with each 5K I complete, I feel a little bit stronger. I wanted a way to display my bib numbers. They encourage me and remind me of where I have been and where I am going. I found this online for photos and decided it would work nicely. There are fourteen spots to hang bib numbers and I plan to fill it up! It hangs in my closet so each day I am reminded to stay on track. My new thing is doing crazy 5K's. I signed up for the Dirty 30 in May. It is a 5K mud run with 15 obstacles along the way! It sounds like so much fun!!! Then in June I signed up for the Color Run in Tulsa! This one they throw a different color of paint on you at each kilometer! Again, SOOO excited about it! I am sure as the year goes on there will be several more, probably not as outrageous as these two but fun nonetheless. 

I am lucky enough to have a husband that supports me in each of these crazy ideas I get. He  has been to each race and plans to be there for every other one as long as he is town. Some days I get overwhelmed with how thankful and grateful I am for the life I have. I feel like by being healthy and active I can truly live this wonderful life I have been blessed with and appreciate every minute of it.


Until next time,
Leigha