Deanna Adler

I'm going to start posting my "What's New" stuff on my blog.  You can either bookmark it here: www.deannaadler.wordpress.com or go to the blog tab on this website.

I hope you're all having a wonderful 2009!

August 18, 2008

I participated in my 3rd triathlon this weekend.  It was an amazing experience.  In short, out of 3710 women, I came in 256th!  That's the top 7%.

There were good parts and there were scary parts but all together, it was awesome.

You can read all about it on my blog at:

http://deannaadler.wordpress.com/

This morning I recorded a segment for Northwest Afternoon which is a local TV show in Seattle.  We talked about my weight loss story and how I’ve become a weight loss life coach.  Now, I'm able to help other people travel a similar road to experience healing and freedom from weight burdens!

It was a tremendously fun experience and I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be.

There was a portion of the segment where they got my husband, Vic, on the phone and he said a little piece.  He said he was terribly nervous about even doing that much.  He’s so funny!

It will air on Monday, July 21st, at 3pm on KOMO 4.

June 19, 2008

As of today, I am going to try to blog more.  I've had this blog for a while but I'm now pledging to use it more.

It's www.deannaadler.wordpress.com 

It will be my hope to blog on a somewhat regular basis so feel free to check it out often.

For quite some time now, people have been emailing me for ideas, encouragement and motivation to continue on their paths of losing weight or changing their lives in some way.  It's during these times when I'm talking with them or emailing back and forth that something comes alive in me and my gut takes over.  I'm often able to help them unlock something in their life that has the potential to start them on their paths of lifelong, genuine change.  It's amazing, empowering and fulfilling to see people become free of their burdens and realize their true potential.

April 24, 2008

Our local news has a segment called "Eric's Little Heroes" where they get clips of kids playing sports.  It is so cute and I've always laughed at how cute the little guys are. 

Well, last Saturday was the first Tball game of the season and guess who was there?  The camera guy for KOMO 4 TV recording for Eric's Little Heroes.

One of my boys, Josh, is one of the main kiddos they focused on and Zack, my other athlete is the first baseman who "didn't step on the base".

You can check it out: http://www.komotv.com/sports/heroes/18025514.html?video=pop&t=a

We're so proud!

I am about to admit to you how computer illiterate I am. 

I have no idea how to respond to guestbook comments. 

There, I said it.  I can also throw in that I don't know how to text.  Anytime someone requests me to text something to them, I ask my coworker, Rachel, to do it for me.  She laughs at me every time and I'm so embarassed.  BUT, not embarassed enough to learn how to do it.  Some things I'm actually ok being behind the times with.

However, my guest book is another matter all together.  I love all the people who sign my guest book.  I love reading every word you write and I am so honored that you take the time to go in there and write something to me.  You mean a great deal to me.  I would love to respond to you but I don't know how.  At one point, I was able to take a look at your email address if you entered it and I could send you an email personally but for some reason, I'm not able to do that anymore.

I am saddened to think that you may think I'm not responding to your comments but believe me, I love every single one of them and they encourage me more than you know. 

I would also like to add that I welcome your emails as well:  deannaadler@yahoo.com   Nothing makes me happier than seeing an email from someone I don't know who has been touched somehow by my story.  You truly bless me when you drop me a note to say hi.

All this is to say, I love communicating.  I think the more we communicate, the more we learn.  I'm all about learning!

Women of Grace

Hand in Hand...Faith in action

Saturday, April 26, 2008

8:30am-4:00pm

So here's something fun and exciting...I've been asked to do a workshop at Grace Lutheran Church for their Women of Grace women's event.  Check it out on their website for more information: www.gotgrace.com

If you're local, I'd love it if you even wanted to sign up and come to the event.  It sounds like it's going to be a great day.  There will be worship, food, vendor booths and three different breakout sessions (I'm doing one in the afternoon).  Let me know if I should look for any of you to say hello to. 

March 11, 2008

I'm now an officially published author, thank you Shirley M!  What fun I had writing for a local newsletter giving encouragement and sharing some of the things I've learned. 

I have heard people suggest that I consider more seriously writing a book.  That is such an incredible compliment because after writing a few columns and seeing my story in print several times last year, I can't imagine having a whole book about this road I've been on. 

I think it's horrifying to see the statistics of obesity and obesity-related medical conditions in the United States so there's no part of me that doubts that people need some kind of motivation and introspection into the real problems that are going on.  I am 100% convinced that being overweight (or underweight or other addictions, etc.) is only a symptom of the actual problem.  I think the real issue has much more to do with self-esteem, happiness and self-respect.  I think so many people are missing a true, genuine joy in their lives and might not even realize that it's possible to feel so good.  I know I certainly didn't.  I thought I was a pretty happy person, I just had this one big problem.  But now that I'm on the other side of it, I see that I was being held back from my real purpose.  I was happy (to a degree), I just wasn't joyful. 

There are some ways that I am so thankful that I had this weight problem.  It wasn't fun by any means and I didn't like any single part of it, but I am thankful that it was something that caused me to look a little deeper into my life to figure out my issues that I didn't even realize I had.

Thank you to all of you who have visited my website and emailed or signed my guestbook.  I love hearing your stories and the things you're learning.  I invite you all to get in touch with me and let me know how I can help you.  The freedom and purpose I have found are so completely awesome that I want to do everything I can to help you find the same things in your life.

Many months ago, I felt the stirring to get up in front of people and share my story.  What's amazing is that a few years ago, even the thought of public speaking would have made me sweat.  It was difficult for me to speak in a small group let alone a large one.  What a great God we serve, through these years of self-discovery and listening to His voice, He has equipped me with the skills and the passion to do just as He has called me.

If my story is something that would fit well into your church's women's event (or any other church function), your office's "Get Healthy" program (I've heard some offices are even paying employees to lose weight!), any kind of speaking event, I welcome you to send me your request.  I am passionate about inspiring, empowering and encouraging people to believe that the impossible is very much within our reach.  We can finally begin dreaming outside the box because we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) and are capable of so much more than we realize.

Check out my "Motivational Speaking" page for more info.

August 20, 2007

The triathlon was yesterday and I'd have to say that outside of family events like my wedding and the birth of my children, it was the single most life-changing and awesome event I have ever witnessed.  I am still kind of in a state of shock that I even completed it.  Of course I was there and it was me, but it doesn't feel like me.  Completing a triathlon was such a huge goal of mine for such a long time that it feels strange being on the other side of it now.  I can't even believe I've done it.

But I did it and I did it well.  I was aiming for a time of 1 hour 45 minutes.  Imagine the dance of joy I did when I found out my time was 1 hour 28 minutes.  Amazing!  People ask me which leg was the worst and which was my favorite.  Honestly, they were all so different with completely different dynamics that there were wonderful and challenging parts of each of them.

THE SWIM

I was most anxious about the 1/2 mile swim.  In the days before the event, I got the most butterflies about this leg of the race.  As I was on the shore and my wave was about to start, it wasn't butterflies that took over, it was more a sense of being anxious to just jump in and get it started.  It felt like there was a lot of talk and pumping up and I just wanted to get the show on the road.  I was so glad for that time though because it built those feelings up to take over any nervous energy and by the time we did finally start, I was raring to go.

I had always heard that there are so many people in the water at the same time that it feels like a washing machine.  After experiencing it, I agree that is the most accurate way to describe it to someone who hasn't experienced it.  I got kicked, hit, bumped and shoved.  But I also did that to others as well.  It's just the amount of people in a limited space and it's hard to move about.  There were so many people that there was never a time that I could really open up and go too fast.  That helped me pace myself a little bit and it was a very manageable speed for me.  I found myself enocouraging the other women around me who were struggling a little bit.  Especially when we rounded the last corner and only had one length left until the shore, it was fun to point out to the others around me that we were almost there.  I could tell that some of them were completely relieved.

THE BIKE

After I got out of the water, my legs were so heavy!  I wasn't prepared for that.  As I made my way to the bike, I concentrated on keeping steady and continued moving.

I had heard horror stories about losing your bike in the transition area.  With 5000 other bikes in a small space I can understand the concern.  My transition zone was very clear and I didn't have a problem.  I just went right up to my place and got my bike and took off.

Right away I knew I was in for a good time.  I started passing people right away.  A man from church let me borrow his very expensive racing bike and I was immediately thankful.  I got up to speeds of 30 miles an hour and passed people throughout the whole ride.  Typically the left bike lane is reserved for passing but I found myself staying there for the entire 12 mile ride.  I passed so many people that it would have been a waste for me to move in and out of the lanes so most of the time, I just stayed in the passing lane.

It was quite a confidence booster when I realized that I had passed up to 500 or so people throughout the course and no one passed me.  Not a single person.  I was dancing inside!  I gained an incredible amount of time on the bike.  Out of 3500 participants, I came in 99th for the bike.  Amazing!

THE RUN

I was most looking forward to the run because that has been my strongest leg in training.  As I got off my bike, I instantly understood what I had heard about needing to find "land legs" before starting the run.  My legs felt like jello!  It took me until about 1/4 mile into the run to really feel like I was on solid ground again.  It was an incredible experience.

As I was running in that first 1/4 mile or so, my timing chip fell off.  It had been secured around my ankle on a plastic band and it was pretty tight to begin with and just finally popped off.  Luckily, I felt it come off and went back to get it.  All throughout the run I asked officials along the course how I should hold it when I crossed the finish line in order to register my time.  Each person I asked had a different answer.  Some said to put it in my shirt, others told me to stuff it in my sock.  This dilema was actually a great distraction because it helped me focus on something other than how tired I was.

Speaking of tired, I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't too tired at all.  I was running at a bit slower pace than other races I have done, but it was comfortable and I felt good, like finishing the race would be no problem.  All the while I was running, I just kept thinking about how I was about to finish a triathlon and how awesome that was. 

As I approached the finish line, I decided I would solve the timing chip dilema by holding it as close to my foot as possible without bending over.  At this point I was frustrated about the whole situation because I do feel like it took away from the emotion of crossing the finish line.  As it turned out, I ran hard at the last 100 yards or so and then immediately went to someone to tell them about my chip problem.  They wrote down my name, race number and the time on the clock as I passed through and said they would have to manually put in my information but not to worry, it was fine but would take until the middle of the week.

As it turned out, all that was for naught.  When I crossed the line, it must have been low enough to register.  All my times are there no problem!

So that was it.  I got my medal.  I was a triathlete.  I did it.  Goal achieved!

Out of 3500 I came in 237th.  I was 13th in my category of 925.

Here it is a day after and it's starting to sink in that I've done it.  I'm starting to realize that I have achieved my goal that I've been working on for three years.  I realize that the 275 pound girl who decided to set a goal that seemed unreachable is now a triathlete and it brings me to tears.  God is amazing to me and I have to step back and reallly pause to take in all that He has done in my life.  It's almost too much to wrap my mind around.

The finishing medal they gave to all the participants says, "The woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes it."  That is so true.  I'm not the same.  I have proof of how much a life can change and I'm on a wave of emotion that it's me.

August 16, 2007

In my last entry I described hearing God ask me if I was ready, really ready.  Without knowing what that really meant, I took a leap of faith and said yes.  Thank goodness I said I was ready.

The very day after this happened, I was asked to do many more media spots (see last entry for more details) and one that was especially fun was an interview I did for Northwest Cable News.  You can see it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wNRnehdBmg
Since then, I feel like I've been riding a wave!  I have a few more things lined up with the local media here in Seattle and others that are on a more national level in the works. 

I'm definitely feeling the pull toward public speaking and after having that confirmed with some professional people who think it might be a good niche for me, I'm especially excited about what that could mean.  It's exciting for me to think about what God can do and how he can transform a life like mine was into what I see today.  I never would have fathomed talking in front of an audience, I never would have fathomed the ability to do a triathlon!

So the triathlon.  This Sunday.  6am.  I will complete it in under 2 hours.  We'll see!

August 8, 2007

It's time for an update since so much is going on!

First of all, I have participated in many 5k races and I've found a new passion.  Running!  I love running!  Who knew that three years ago I would be someone transformed into a running machine!  I love the way change happens; gaining momentum a little at a time, building on goal after goal and then looking back and seeing how much ground has been covered.

I've participated in a handful of 5k races and a 4 mile race as well and have been completely surprised and pleased with my performance.  I might even be kind of good at it!

I've earned 3rd place in two races and accomplished my personal best in one of them, an average of an 8 1/2 minute mile.  I love progress and I love being healthy.

I'm also training for the Danskin triathlon which has been a wonderful way of pushing my limits and finding out what I'm capable of.  Just the training alone has been life-changing and I can't imagine what that will feel like to cross the finish line.  The actual race is August 19th, just a few weeks away.  I am fighting off excited nerves and trying to maximize the few days of training I have left.

Because of my participation in the Danskin, I've also been contacted by local media about my story.  I am so happy about sharing with them and providing an example to as many people as possible.  It has become my life-passion to show people a story about options and change and happiness. 

Obesity and weight-related illnesses are at an epidemic level in our country and I am committed to helping people who struggle with weight, meeting them right where they're at.  I hope I can reach them because I have been there.  I pray I can provide an example of having options and not being cornered in a very scary, depressing, dangerous corner.

As I was running the other day I felt God speak to me.  He asked, "Are you ready, are you really ready?"  Without being aware of what that could really mean, I answered, "Yes, I'm ready." and I am.

On June 23, 2007 I ran my first 5k ever!  It was for the International Association of Women Police and it was called "Run With Cops, Not From Them."  HAHA, the t-shirt by itself is enough to make me chuckle.

It wasn't an official race where they track time and placement but it was official enough that the air was electric and people were really gearing up for a good time.  There were probably 150 people and it was so refreshing to see so many people of different shapes and sizes, young and old, runners and walkers.

When the race first started, there were so many of us all clumped together that it took about 1/2 mile before we spread out enough to really secure our places in the pack and find the right pace.  I started by just trotting along and weaving in and out of other runners/walkers. Once it evened out a bit, it was easier to fall into a groove and I went as fast as I could safely go, I really tried to push myself.  It was really neat to see how I compared to other runners; I passed a few people, a few people passed me.  In all, I was pleasantly surprised that I held my own so well.

As I was coming up to the end of the race, there was a curve in the path so I could hear cheering before I actually saw the finish line.  It all kind of hit me right then that I was just about to finish my first race.  I had a flashback to the days that I wouldn't have been able to even fathom entering a 5k, even as a walker.  I briefly thought about the miracles that had happened in my life to allow me to be where I was.  Tears came to my eyes and I got all choked up which is when I found out how hard it is to run and cry at the same time! 

I turned the corner and saw a huge group of people holding balloons and cheering each runner as they came through.  There was an open space in front of me and for a moment, as I ran toward the end, it felt like all those people were cheering just for me.  It was a moment I will never forget when I was able to spot my husband and kids, and they were cheering for me too.  It all kind of turned into slow motion after that.  I crossed the finish line and heard people yell, "Good job," and it was surreal that they were saying that to me.

Without knowing for sure what place I came in, my husband said he figures about 20 people crossed the finish line before me.  So out of 150 people, I was in about 20th place.  Not too shabby for my first time.

It was such an exciting time and such a great experience.  I have no doubt this will be the first of many races in my lifetime. 

Monday, March 5, 2007

There have been a few times in my life that I have had this feeling that something pretty incredible was about to happen.  I can't really explain what it's like except to say that it's an exciting feeling full of a sense of momentum that my life is about to make a turn.

The first time I felt it was in about June or July of 2004.  I wrote it down in a journal and just stated that I felt strange like something big was coming.  In August of 2004, I had a huge spiritual revelation (you can read about it in the beginning of this website) and I started the process of losing 125 pounds.  That definitely changed my life.

The next time I felt this feeling was in January 2006.  My husband and I were tossing around the idea of buying some houses and fixing them up to sell them or rent them out.  I thought God was telling me that we were about to become hugely rich!  It was only 1 month later that we found out our precious baby girl, Rebecca, was on her way (completely out of the blue too).

Now, I feel that feeling again.  I wish I could describe it better because it feels so good.  It's like God is getting certain things in my life all in order and then he's going to hit me with something fabulous. 

Several months ago I felt led to learn more about public speaking.  I have no idea where that came from since I'm terrified of speaking in front of people.  I have only given a handful of speeches in college and high school and each of them was a disaster.  When I speak in front of people I start to sweat, my voice shakes and I feel very uncomfortable.  That is why I was very surprised to find myself at the library checking out just about every book they had about public speaking.

I wonder if that is where God is leading me. I wonder if he wants me to share this story that he has given me.  I wonder who he thinks wants to hear it?  I wonder what doors he will open and if that is even the direction he's getting me ready for.

Whatever it is, it's coming and I'm so excited.

I think I'm just about back to my old self now after having a baby.  Or at least I'm close enough to feel like I haven't lost a whole year as far as my physical training goes.  So, the training is back on for a triathlon.  I still have to do some research into which one I'm going to do and when exactly D-day is, but I'm starting to get myself ready for sometime this summer.

In the meantime, I'm planning to do the 5K race before Renton River Days.  My family always goes to the parade on that Saturday morning in July and it occurred to me last summer, as I was sitting there pregnant and not able to race, that it would be so cool to do that next year.  'Next year' is now upon us and I'm getting ready to go.

I've always heard that running outside is more difficult than running on a treadmill so with that in mind, a friend of mine and I are running along a bike path outside my work every Friday.  We've done it a handful of times already and I'm finding that I've heard correctly, it's a bit tougher than the treadmill.  We've started out going 3 miles and are concentrating on our time and making it faster each time we do it.  After I get a better handle on that, I'm going to do some more endurance training and maybe think a bit about jumping into a pool and learning how to swim again.

I'm relieved that getting back into shape hasn't been too much of a struggle.  I wondered if I would be able to return to my previous level of exercise after Rebecca was born and while it took me several months, I have been able to reach most of my previous goals. 

While I was pregnant, I gained a total of 60 pounds.  That was pretty hard on me since right before that I had lost 125 pounds.  It put a strain on me mentally and physically.  I was surprised that my body physically ached carrying around the extra weight.  My bones and joints actually hurt at the end of the day.  I think back to when I had the whole 125 pounds on my body and I'm not sure how I was able to carry that around.  I don't think I'd be able to lift that amount now.

It was also emotionally tough because I had to face my body image issues all over again.  I had to remind myself that the person I am is not defined by what my body looks like.  When I was heavier, I always thought people judged me by my weight.  I always held pieces of myself  back because my own self-image was so poor and I thought everyone disregarded me because of my weight.  One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that people don't pay as much attention to what others look like as we think.  One of the most common things I have heard after people realize how I used to feel so self-consious and embarassed is that they never really noticed my size.  Maybe it was something that they initially saw, but they never really thought of me as 'the fat girl' which is definitely how I saw myself.

As I was getting bigger and bigger with my pregnancy, I really had to battle those thoughts about my own size again.  I had to continue reminding myself that God gave me the same soul no matter what the package looked like.  I had to focus on the fact that I love other people for what's on the inside, not what they look like and that other people feel the same way about me.

Now that I'm becoming an average size person again, I have to hold on to those lessons I learned and try not to pay too much attention to what my physical body looks like.  Self-image will always be a sensitive issue for me so that is going to be easier said than done.

But I look at my life as a never ending lesson.  I love to learn and grow and change and I'm looking forward to the next chapter.  Whatever that may be.

The boys and I at the Monster Truck Show           Rebecca is already eating rice cereal!!

Rebecca was born on Sat. October 7th at 4:48pm.  I was only in labor for three hours and it was a wonderful experience.  She was 7 pounds, 5 ounces and 19.5 inches long.  I did it without the use of drugs like I had planned and I'm so glad I had already expected that.  With such a fast labor, I don't know if I would have been able to have drugs even if I had wanted to.

I felt like since my last two labor and deliveries, I had gained much more confidence in my body and a greater faith in God and that I owed it to my baby and myself to trust in God's great plan and have this baby the way he created me to.  It turned out to be one of the best days of my life.  Everything went smoothly and I was up and ready to go home in a matter of hours.

During the course of the pregnancy, I gained about 60 pounds.  This was very hard for me for many different reasons.  The main thing that I noticed is that my self-esteem plummeted.  It was hard going from a weight loss of 125 pounds to then gaining 60 of it back!  I noticed I was embarrassed when I saw someone I hadn't seen in a while, I avoided social situations that I would have regularly jumped into, and I didn't like what I saw in the mirror.  I was a little surprised at this reaction to having extra weight because I truly thought I had conquered these feelings and that I would never have to face them again.  I was wrong.  So much of my self-image is still wrapped up in what I look like.  I suppose there will always be an element of that going on, but I want to be in the place where I'm happy and joyful no matter what I look like.

Now that I've had that reminder, I'm working on taking this 60 pounds off without so much emphasis on when it happens and how fast it happens.  Rather, I'm focussing on the progress and how good it feels to be more active again and using food for fuel rather than to indulge.  I'm trying to feel comfortable with myself at every stage of this weight loss and I'm trying to trust that I'll get back to where I started.

Rebecca is now 7 weeks old and is such a blessing to this family.  Her brothers are both infatuated with her and never miss an opportunity to give hugs and kisses.  At first they were giving her so much attention that they were a bit smothering.  We decided then to get a kitten to divert some of that attention.  It has worked in that now the hugs and kisses are divided between two little ones but there are still plenty to go around.

My Success Story is officially out now in the July, 2006 issue of Shape Magazine.  I'm on page 128.  You can also read it here: http://www.shape.com/success/20

Overall, I am very pleased with the article although we did have many conversations about ways they could include God in my story.  They told me that because they are a secular magazine, they can't alienate some of the readers by offending them with any kind of God.  I had a big problem with that since my whole story is about God.  The way they tell my story, it sounds like I just woke up one day and decided I didn't want to be big anymore.  The truth of the matter is if I hadn't had a huge spiritual revelation and if not for God, I would still weigh 300 pounds.

The writer and I tried to compromise with how we could let that part into the article and she thought it would be good to insert the word "faith" which is where the title came from.  It is something about finding faith in myself (instead of God).  In the end, it was already in print before she gave me a chance for anymore input and I didn't even know where we had left it until I read it myself.

Beside that part of the situation, I have to say that I think it is pretty neat.  I have never before opened one of my favorite magazines and seen myself in it.  That alone is pretty awesome!

So check it out and I hope you enjoy it.

May, 2006

We had an ultrasound last week and found out the baby is a girl!  We are so excited!  We have two sons already and are now being blessed with the daughter we were hoping for. 

From the very first day our boys found out they were expecting a new sibling, they were convinced that it was a girl.  They planned from day one where she was going to sleep, where she would sit in the car and how they would help change her diapers and feed her.  Once we had the ultrasound and found out that they were right, we were so excited to tell everyone.  When it came time to tell the boys, they were completed underwhelmed and looked at us like, "Yeah, we already know that!" and sure enough, they were right from the get go.

We're starting to think of names and have decided that we'll narrow it down to two that we can live with and then let the boys choose between the two.  We want to keep them as involved as possible to let them know that this huge life-change will not change how we feel about them.  We are still trying to balance the idea of having three kids with making sure they will all get equal attention and love and want to make sure that starts right from the beginning.

I am 20 weeks along now and feeling really good.  I am still running 4 miles a day on the treadmill which I have been assured is safe.  I just have to keep listening to my body and making sure to slow it down if I feel too tired.

All in all, things are good and I'm feeling encouraged that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be at this time in my life.  God is good and keeps pouring out his grace and love for me and my family.  We humbly accept all He has to offer and are so thankful for all the blessings.

April, 2006

I have gotten several requests to put updates and new information on my website.  So here it is.  It's almost 2 years since I started this phase of my life and things are wonderful! Here are some recent events:

Several months ago I turned in an essay and some pictures to Shape Magazine and was selected as one of their future Success Stories.  We did an interview and they sent out a photographer and my story will be in the July, 2006 issue.  I've never been in a magazine before, I am really looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Also, some other big news!  I have recently started training for a triathlon.  I have increased my running on the treadmill to 4 miles a day and started riding my bike about 12 miles a week.  Shortly after I started that training, I noticed I was very tired and hungry all the time.  I had heard that when you increase training, it always takes a while for your body to adjust, but when those symptoms just wouldn't go away after several weeks, I decided to do a little more searching into why I was feeling this way.  After a little bit of research, we found out that we're having baby number 3!  This was a huge surprise for us since we weren't necessarily planning to have more children, but are now so thankful that God blessed us in this way.  I couldn't imagine not having this very special addition to our family and will welcome him/her in October, 2006.

I initially wrestled with issues about having done all this work on myself only to gain weight back with the pregnancy and how I would deal with my body changing and becoming a bit slower.  But as time has gone on, I have truly embraced being a healthy pregnant woman and am enjoying all the things that come with that.  I am still running 4 miles a day since my doctor assured me that since my body was used to it before, it wouldn't hurt to keep it going.  I am still concentrating on eating well and making good decisions about food. 

For the first time in my life, I really feel alive.  I feel like God is ushering me down the path that He has had for my life all these years.  I feel like I'm finally the person I'm supposed to be and the joy that comes with that is simply impossible to describe.  I'm happier, more accepting of other people, I laugh more, I am more patient, I am more loving, I am more at peace.  I have had to wrestle with forgiving myself for not taking care of this problem sooner and stepping into the life God wanted for me a long time ago.  Now that I have, I'm able to concentrate more on the possibilities of what He has for me.  The bigger I dream, the more that is possible.

I'm still planning on competing in a triathlon.  I am shooting for the summer of 2007 by which time I will have lost all baby weight that may come and will once again be in excellent condition. 

I am completely invigorated by the future and all the possibilites.  I am trusting God to take care of me and my family and the feeling of being secure in that trust feels better than anything I've ever felt before.

More updates and pictures to come soon!