POST CHRISTMAS WRAP-UP

My family (minus WH who took the pic) on Christmas Day.
Front: SIL with Hamish the llasa apso/shitsu cross.
Middle: Father-in Law (FIL); MIL; BS; my mum.
Behind my mum: me, my dad and BIL. Thats it. Thats our extended family and we all get along really well and love spending Christmas together. Its perfect.







I love Christmas but am glad that its over cause I cant maintain the pace of it all.





Yesterday we were invited to big family / friends get-together at SIL's place from lunch-time onwards. Neither WH nor I felt like socialising a lot more but went along anyway and contributed a significant amount of left-over food. We cut our visit short and happily spent some nice time together at home just contemplating what 2009 will bring for us. WH made the bold statement that he thought "2009 will be a defining year for us" and I have to agree. More on this in an up-coming post as it deserves one all of its own.





This morning I was back into the training and it being holidays I was able to do one of my programs and follow it up with an hour's brisk walk. I felt a bit tight after a week off and found it hard to get a decent walk pace going in the beginning but once I found 4th gear all was good. Followed that up with a superb breakfast of oat/egg white/low fat cottage cheese pancake with 1/2 banana, SF maple syrup and a sprinkle of LSA and I was ready to slay dragons. I felt great once again.





Today was the last day that the ILs are here so it was another day at SIL's place but at least it was just our family so it was very casual and relaxed (think: no make-up / hair in a ponytail / shorts /thongs - gotta love it!!). We did our bit to finish off left-overs and I bagsed the turkey meat and ate mountains of salad with it whilst everyone else hoed into the full-fat cheeses, cracker biscuits, gorgonzola and spinach pie, sweets, chocolates, ice cream and more beer and wine. I wasnt even tempted to indulge as all I wanted was good clean food and was happy when my wishes were accommodated.





Life is pretty good right now. Both WH and I are on holidays and are spending time with our BS. We've had a great time with the extended family and cherish Christmas for this reason. The weather is beautiful which lifts my spirits even higher. I'm in a good headspace and am enjoying training again and eating well. I look back over 2008 with mixed emotions but I look forward to 2009 with hope, excitement and a positive can-do attitude. It will be a defining year because I will make it so.





:-) Magda