Family Photo

This was taken in December. Aren't the kids cute? What a pain it is to take family photos! It just gets progressively harder as there are more kids. . .We had a photo taken of all my Dad and stepmother's grandkids. . .6 kids. . .5 under the age of 3! Craziness! Then, recently, we went to visit my stepsisters in Fresno. Tried to have a picture taken with our kids and theirs--nothing doing! J. and baby E. were NOT having it! Anyway--this is our most recent family photo.

Notice I am well hidden in the back. I am working hard on that. I have been in Weight Watchers for 16 weeks now, and have joined a gym. I go to the gym 5 days a week (it's great--women only! No GIANT weights taking up a lot of space since women never use them, and no women who work out just so men will look at them! Just a bunch of people like me!) So--I've lost 26 pounds so far. That is just a drop in the bucket of what I have to lose, but at least I'm started!
Have you ever noticed that moms NEVER take time for themselves? Even when that is what you are supposedly doing, you probably aren't. For example, my friend and I were trading off days of babysitting during kindergarten, so we each got to have a few hours off. What did I do? Called doctor's offices, shopped for summer clothes for the kids, etc. It was all stuff I had to do for other people anyway, I just happened to be doing it without pushing a stroller and carrying a preschooler! The greatest thing I have gotten from exercise is that it is the only time that I am physically unable to do something for someone else! I am actually doing something for me--it is a physical process but it definitely has a mental reward too! (Not to mention that there is free childcare at the gym so I can work out AND take a shower!!)