Over the weekend we took the kids with their Aunt and Uncle to the Summer Fest in Garrettsville, OH; it is filled with fair foods and a parade! Laney had such a good time ... running into the street and grabbing the candy as the parade went by; she especially loved seeing the horses go by! That morning before we left, she let me do her hair (which is a huge battle) and she decided she wanted braids and she wanted mommy to wear them too .... so we did.
I have been feeling particular good about losing the baby weight (45lbs) that I had gained during my pregnancy with AJ. I have been running and working out, trying to be as active as possible to get those last 10lbs off. My clothes have been feeling better ... my confidence has been up .... and then I took THAT picture at the parade .....
I didn't look at it on my phone until later that evening when I went to post it on facebook ... and then I stopped and couldn't post it. When I looked at THAT picture, I saw fat ... chubby ... gross. I thought to myself ... HOW EMBARRASSING .... I have been doing ALL this hard work ... and I look like THAT?! I can't post THAT picture!
3 days later ... I took a deep breathe and looked at the picture. and instead of ONLY seeing the negative ... I saw my BEAUTIFUL, HAPPY daughter. The little girl that adores me and does NOT see me the way I see myself.
I'm trying SO hard to be mindful in my actions and how I see myself so that I can portray what beautiful means for my daughter.
So as I strive to see myself the way my daughter AND my husband see me ... I will hold myself to a standard of Grace NOT perfection and I encourage YOU to do the same.