100th Post and a Giveaway

Back on May 12 of this year I don't know that I truly believed that I would eventually have a blog with 100 posts.  Today I am making my 100th post!  Let the celebration begin....

On our first full weekend with baby Millie we took her to our local farmers' market.  One of the vendors offered to take a picture of us with her.  I am usually the one behind the camera so I definitely appreciated the offer.  I remember at the time I didn't hate this picture.  And I don't hate it now.  Am I proud of the shape we were in?  No.  Was I happy to spend time with the love of my life and our new puppy?  Absolutely!

To celebrate our Puppiversary we took Millie back to the farmers market this weekend to take a new picture.  In the year we have had Millie she has definitely grown...and we have definitely shrunk :)  Thank you Amy with Look Closely Photography for snapping this picture for us.

Another look - I had to see these pictures side by side. It is obvious how much my husband has lost and I am happy to see my loss as well.

Not only has this blog (and all the great support that has come with it) helped me to lose weight it has led me to new life adventures. My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed competing in races.  So far I have done a 10K and a couple 5Ks. My husband has also added a triathlon to his racing resume.  In November we are doing our second 10K.  I am eager to see how much I have improved.  We are even considering a winter series...ominously called the "Frostbite Series".  Hope this winter isn't like last winter :)

In general, our life style has become more active.  We actually kayaked 11 miles on our vacation.  Yes, on our vacation! Our family staged a mini-triathlon in our neighborhood. We ran and played with our puppy, tried new bike trails and even rode off trail.  Of course, there has been endless parade of selfies - I still have not mastered them.

Looking back over my blog the past few days has made me laugh, cry and re-inspired me.  These are some of the posts that have been meaningful to me. I hope in some small way I have (and will) touch and inspire others to fight every day to keep moving forward in their own journey.  This is tough and it is okay to fail and try again until you find what works for you.

May 12 - Jumping In! My first post.  Explanation of how my blog was named.

May 20 - Can I Do It?  A little over  a week in and fear of failure threatens to derail me.

May 28 - 5 Pounds!  My first five pounds lost.  Enjoying homemade grilled pizza.

June 14 - Route 66 10K  Our first race. Being signed up for this race kept me motivated in the beginning. 

June 24 - Weigh In & Date Night  Total loss 15 pounds. With a little planning my husband and I had a very special date night that kept us active and we were able to enjoy favorite foods within our calorie budget.

July 20 - Dash and Splash 5K - A fun race with family followed by a party in the waterpark. My first swim suit pictures to ever reach the internet - yikes!

July 26 - Happy 1st Birthday!!  Millie's - the puppy in Losing My Puppy - celebrates her first birthday.

August 5 - Weight Off My Shoulders - 25 pounds lost.  Fun pictures of me holding items that weigh 25 pounds.

August 18 - The Journey Will Have Splurges - Recap of a fantastic mini-vacation with our niece and nephew.

August 28 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - A personal story of how Multiple Sclerosis has affected my life and weight loss journey.

September 24 - Time to Hit the Panic Button! - On every journey there are moments of complete frustration and the feeling you just can't make it another step.

**** Giveaway ****

To celebrate my 100th post milestone and as a thank you for your encouragement and support I am offering a small giveaway.  As you know, I love taking pictures. I also use my photos to make notecards.

Simply comment on this post by Friday (10/17) and I will enter you in the drawing for a set of cards I made from pictures that have been featured on my blog.  Don't be alarmed you will not receive a bunch of sweaty post race pictures or failed selfies of me and my puppy.  You will receive a set of 12 5" by 7" cards from the selection below.  Each card has a date on the back indicating the date it appeared on the blog.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!!  I spent my elementary school years in Ontario and will always have a deep connection to Canada :)  Today I will be dreaming of delicious butter tarts :)