Week 22...It's Been 10 Years!

Next week on the 10th June, I will be celebrating our 10th Wedding Anniversary with my husband, Anthony.

All together, this year we'll be celebrating 14 years since we first started seeing each other. The second photo from the top is us on one of our dates at a function at the Hilton Hotel, as it was called back then. Anthony was a barman there. In that photo he is 20yrs and I'm 27yrs old. He looks about 16...lol...

We didn't have a huge, grand wedding, though we had about 100 guests. It was a very cold June night back in 2000, and it started to drizzle at the church. By the time our reception was in full swing, it was pouring and cold. We had the reception at my mum and dad's place out the back patio, as well as a marquee. Dad forgot to hire the burner thing-a-me-jigs, and I still haven't forgiven him for that. One good thing that came of it, was that we all had to huddle to keep warm, and because of that everyone mingled and there was alot of genuine conversation, which isn't always possible at a wedding.

My mother and aunts cooked for the wedding, and there was no shortage of food. My mother is part chinese, and was raised by her sister (who passed many years ago), who was a chef in her earlier days and so mum learnt from her, and we've been the lucky recipient of chinese home-cooking for all of our lives.

Next week we're off for a whole 3 nights and 4 days to celebrate our anniversary. We're going to be staying at Clear Mountain Lodge, which isn't far away, but I want to explore the northern part of Brisbane, especially around the mountains and ranges. Anthony offered for me to do a 1 day adventure tour, to do some abseiling and bushwalking. Twelve months I would have jumped at the chance, but with my injury at present, I don't want to risk anything. Maybe I'll put it down for next year's anniversary! Though, some light bushwalking we'll probably get around to doing, as Anthony isn't really into nature.

I'll be doing a post on my other blog, Recipes in Richness, at some stage about my hubby. It'll be a bit of a tribute to him. He doesn't get alot of mention on this blog, but truth be known, he's my rock. I'm still amazed at how lucky I struck it in a man. He is truly an amazing, beautiful person. Anthony is a wonderful husband and father...kind, generous,thoughtful, loving, and most of all...patient...he never raises his voice in anger, and never speaks unkindly! You'd have to be patient to put up with me. He has always put my goals and dreams first, even behind his. Though he would admit, he's happy to lead a quiet, uneventful life. As long as he can go to the gym, watch his sport, have time with his few, good friends, and spend time with Philomena, he's happy.

I remember we used to write a lot of letters to each other over the years. I have them in shoe boxes and I can't remember how many we wrote. There are over 150 letters...which reminds me, I'll have to go back and read them again.

What I love about writing letters is that they are a great form of communication, especially at the most difficult and emotional times. It allows you to say what you want to say without pressure from the other person. It allows you to have more clarity, and best of all, it allows the other person the time to think and respond, rather than react in the heat of the moment when you're disagreeing.

We still write each other letters, though not as many these days. Anthony wrote me a lovely, short letter last week, telling me he was looking forward to our anniversary get-away. He mentioned how he was thrilled at the 'new me' (which is the old me), since doing the IBO programs. He talked of how difficult it was at first to accept the time I was taking for myself to transform my body, but that after awhile, when he saw how I was changed and happier, and my old, confident self again, he was elated. And of course, he said, that he was excited about how I looked...hee..hee... Anthony ended the letter by encouraging me to take on the next part of my journey...to end the current struggle with injury and take this opportunity to get back on top and reset my goals, and move toward them with the same zest and energy I had only last year, and he was looking forward to the outcome! How lovely is that?

Anyway...it's still another week away, but I thought I'd just get it out there, out of the way, as I don't know how much time I'll have to blog next week.

As of today...June 1st, I'm embarking on a renewed journey. I'm back on track nutrition-wise. Exercise will take a month or so to really come together and work out a solid plan, but I've started back right at the start. I saw Liz on Saturday, who is qualified in exercise physiology, to help me with some activiation exercises, mainly glutes. She has some similary problems, mainly in relation to hip/pelvis stability. Liz is one of the many friends I've made in blogland, and through the community that is blogland. It's amazing isn't it, how some friendships you form, can benefit you in ways you never really envisage, and make you the richer in the process?

I basically need to strip back my movements and re-learn how to use my muscles, and then build up the exercises gradually and start activating the correct muscles. At the moment, my hips are taking over, so my glutes are being left for dust. I also have to look at activating my lower traps, rather than my upper traps, which are currently doing all the work. And as always, my deeper abs need alot of work. So I have alot of work to do, but I'm hopeful I can make progress in a short period of time, and begin the real work and start training with some intensity again. I'd like to be as strong as I was, this time last year.

So today I weighed-in at 61.4kg. My goal is to be at 57kg's by the end of July. It's only 4.4kg, but it seems like 40kgs to move. Admittedly, I've been a little spasmodic with my nutrition. And the fact I haven't trained with any type of intensity for awhile hasn't helped. So I should see some initial loss, just through getting back on track nutrtion-wise. Meanwhile, I will be looking to up the cardio, until I can start getting into some serious weights again. No running, and doing cardio which encourages more glute activation, rather than hip. At this stage also, I'll probably have to look at doing pre-conditioning workouts, because it's been a while since I've done any consistent weights work.

Anyway...that's the plan. I'm excited again, and confident I'll be on my way to achieving my benchmark of Sexy Bitch by the end of the year...6 months...what can I achieve in 6 months? A SHITLOAD! :P

Have a great week all you wonderful people! :)