Liz's Letters

What a fantastic time my husband and I had celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! Here are a few of the highlights! This is a live photo of the one I posted on February 7th. It is more beautiful in real life! The view from our beautiful hotel room. Snorkeling is always fun! It was whale season in Maui. We saw lots of whales...this is a baby. Mom is underwater. This Banyan Tree was planted in April, 1873, and marked the 50th Anniversary of Christian missionary work in Lahaina. The tree was imported from India and was only 8 feet tall. It now stands over 60 feet high, has 12 major trunks in addition to a huge core. It stretches over a 200-foot area and shades 2/3 of an acre. Cruising on our anniversary Along the road to Hana What a great place to eat! Fred's! Our Lei ceremony Blessed with wonderful memories!

As of tomorrow, my son's wedding is only 6 weeks away. I am excited, but I panicked a bit recently at the thought of the family photographs that would go down in history. So, I started a weight loss program. I have gradually crept up in weight since my move to Texas, now almost 7 years ago. Turning 50 hasn't helped. And although I exercise diligently, I continue to not see results in the area of weight loss. So, I am making a drastic change - at least for the next 45 days, I will be following the Slim4Life program. I am a little skeptical but willing to commit for that amount of time and more likely for 8 to 10 weeks for a 20 pound weight loss. I just finished a 3 day preparation phase (also known as a cleanse). I found it impossible to eat 2-3 pounds of meat per day but have lost 3 pounds in 3 days - most likely water. Tomorrow begins the weight loss phase. I know it will be difficult because it is quite restrictive, but like I said, I am willing to do whatever it take...

Life is flying by quickly these days. Those who know me well know that I must guard myself carefully or I will over-schedule, over-book, and over-commit. But, in the last few years, I have learned to slow down, to take time for myself and to actually spend time a.l.o.n.e. which is something that I rarely did in the past. Many times I have found myself noticing that I actually enjoy my own company and look forward to times where it is only me hanging out with me. I find myself talking to God a lot more and that's always a good thing. Burning the candle at both ends is a thing of the past and now you will rarely find me awake after 9:30 p.m. and if I do happen to still be awake, I am usually tucked quietly in my bed reading. This week, these disciplines will be a challenge to keep. I shopped all day for things needed (wanted) for an upcoming anniversary trip to Hawaii. My future daughter-in-law's wedding shower is tomorrow, so I finished up the shopping for that as well. W...