Weekly Wrap-Up: The One with the Awesome Birthday Gift
Happy Friday! Is it me or is the summer already going by way too fast? It’s been a good week here – another of those laid-back, relaxing ones. I love those weeks.
Tuesday was my birthday and I gave myself the best birthday gift ever:
That’s right, I finally hit 75 pounds lost – 76.8, to be exact. What a great feeling!
I never thought I’d see the day when getting up at the crack of dawn to go running would sound like a good way to start my birthday. My, how times have changed.
Brian got me a new pair of running shoes, which I got to break in yesterday. My in-laws got us some new sheets, a mattress pad, and new pillows. Nice! I thought I was going to like the sheets best because our favorite ones finally got so threadbare I had to throw them out, but those pillows are like sleeping on clouds. I love them!
Today is a day the kids have been looking forward to since this time last year…we’ll be spending some time at a local amusement park. Megan asked me if I was excited. She couldn’t comprehend how I could not be excited. All I can think about is how hot and sticky it’s going to be. It will be fun, though. It always is.
Next week Brianna will be at youth camp. It will be the first time that she’s gone to camp with kids from our new church. She’s really excited. I think she’s going to have a great time, but I’d still love a prayer or two for her safety.
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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
Amazing! Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I bet your trip to the amusement park will be a blast even though it's hot…enjoy your day!
Wow!! You've now inspired me in yet another area. Congratulations on your 75 mark… I need to do the same.
Congrats on your wheightloss and Happy birthday.
Congrats on your weight loss! You look fabulous!
Wow, congrats on your weight loss!! You look great!
Congratulations! I know that has been a lot of work.
Wow, Kris! Congratulations! You look great! Very inspiring!
Thanks, Tricia. And, you're probably right about the amusement park. We always have fun and, hey, I should be cooler than I've been in the past since I have less insulating fat. ;-0
You can do it, Jennifer! I know people say it all the time, but in this case it's definitely true: if I can do it, anyone can!
Thanks on both counts!
Thanks, Mary!
Thank you! I feel so much better.
It has been a lot of work, but it's totally been worth it.
Congratulations, Kris! Happy Birthday, too! You look fantastic! Summer weeks are awesome!
What a fantastic weight loss success. Did you do it all with running? How much more do you want to lose? Happy belated birthday and keep up the wonderful work.
Happy Birthday! You look amazing!
Kris, you look great! That is a great accomplishment!! Happy Birthday to you too!!
Thanks!
You look fabulous and you are such an encouragement to me as I restart my weightloss journey. I need to lose 70 pounds. Happy, happy Birthday to you!
Yes, I love summer weeks. Thanks!
Thanks, Crystal. No, I didn't start running until March of this year. I started losing weight in November of 2009. I used walking as my main means of calorie burning before I started running. I plan to lose 18 more pounds, for a total of 95.
Thanks, Gretchen.
Thanks! I feel great!
You can do it! I'd love to encourage you as much as I can. Have you seen my fitness blog? That's where I've chronicled my weight-loss journey.
I wish I enjoyed running as much as you do – that is awesome !!
I have one word to say: AWESOME!!!
Plus, Happy Birthday 🙂
! CONGRATULATIONS ! Having followed you since the start of your weight loss journey and remembering your initial posts – I'm SO EXCITED for you!
And having just had a third baby, I'm now on my own big weight loss journey. The pounds don't fall of easily for me! =) Anyway – this post was fun. Thanks for posting a picture and HAPPY BIRTHDAY as well!
Happy birthday. 🙂 And WOW on the milestone – congratulations! Hard work paid off big time!
Kris, you look A-Mazing! Congratulations, happy birthday, and many healthy more to you!! 🙂
I'm glad you had such a great birthday! You look fantastic!!!
I never thought I'd ever enjoy running…but I love it!
Thanks!
Thanks! I'm pretty stinking excited, too, to be honest. 😉 It's definitely a whole lot easier putting the pounds on than it is taking them off.
Thanks!
Thanks. I feel so much better.
Thank you.
You look great, Kris! Congratulations and Happy Birthday!
congrats and happy birthday! i'd love to hear about your journey from being a non-runner to a runner. i've started running/training for a 5K and three weeks into it, my knees and ankles are beginning to hurt while i run. bad shoes? wrong stride for my frame? i'm clueless, but i want to continue running. any suggestions? again, congrats! hope you didn't melt at the amusement park (i love the heat, but not the sticky heat!). ~liz @smithical
WOW! You've done an awesome job! What a way to start the next year of your healthier, more active, more fun life!
Annie Kate
You are an inspiration! I am struggling with weight loss and your success really encourages me to keep going.
Kris you look amazing!!! Good for you!!
Happy Birthday! You look great~that is quite an accomplishment! Way to go:)
Oh my gosh you look amazing! Well done, what a great birthday gift 🙂
Thanks, Julie!
I've got a couple of posts about running and shoes on my fitness blog that you may find helpful:
https://eclipsednomore.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-shoes.html
https://eclipsednomore.blogspot.com/2011/04/ten-tips-for-new-runners-from-new.html
Hope that helps!
(Oh, and, yes, it was miserably hot at the amusement park, but we survived.)
Definitely!
I'm so glad to hear that! Losing weight is a struggle, but it's so very worth the effort. Don't give up!
Thank you!
Thanks, Lora!
Thanks!
happy birthday and congratulations!!!!! You look fantastic! You must feel really, really good. 🙂
I do, Julie. Thanks!
thank you so much! i look forward to reading more about it so i can help my knees and ankles conform to my new fondness of running. 🙂
You really ought to visit a store that specializes in running. They can take a look at your stride and recommend shoes for you. I was wearing a knee brace every time I ran and inserts for plantar fasciitis until I got good shoes. I haven't used either since. I've had no knee pain and only occasional plantar fasciitis pain (but that's not necessarily due to running. I have that when I sit for long periods or when I do a lot of walking).
A friend told me that she read in a book by runner Kara Goucher that running doesn't cause knee pain, improper running form does. According to Goucher, running is actually good for your knees.
Just something to think about.
Just want to congratulate you on the beautiful results of all your hard work! You look fantastic and I'm really happy for you!
Thanks!
Congratulations on the weight loss! That is an incredible accomplishment and probably the best birthday gift you could ever give yourself!
Absolutely!
You look great! I have followed you on this journey from the very beginning. You should be so proud to have stuck it out.
Blessings
Diane
Thanks, Diane. I really am. It's a great feeling to know that I've stuck with something so important and have been successful.
First of all congratulations on your weight loss and your running! I too thought I would never run and just did my first 10K a few weeks ago.
Also, do you know what brand of pillows you got? I need of some comfy pillows.
Thanks.
Congrats on your first 10K, too! I know how exciting that is. Unfortunately, I have no idea what brand the pillows are. They were a gift from my mil and the tag doesn't say. Sorry!