12-Week Challenge DAYS 56-58

Easter Weekend!  It's been such a cold week.  Very pretty on several of the days, but not warm at all.  It doesn't matter when we're warm inside, which is what Easter is all about, for all the most lovely reasons.  He is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed.

Easter candy has been a biggie for many years for me.  Those Cadbury eggs, the malted milk ball eggs, the chocolate bunnies, the cream-filled everythings .... not to mention the Hershey kisses in all the pretty pastel foils.  For many years, true confessions, I ate far more than our kids, and looked forward to the excuse of eating it while filling Easter baskets and the little plastic eggs to hide for our hunt.

Not this year.  Not at all ... And the true freedom is that I won't even care all that much.

We bought another little veggie steamer last weekend.  There are double-decker that cook separate veggies on the layers, but this was identical to the other one we have, and again, less than $5 at a Thrift Store.  I think people don't know how cool these are and just give them away.  So now we have two, and will happily use both!

We steamed TWO delicious fresh veggies tonight:  beets and brussel sprouts.  Bob likes them hot with vinegar.  I like mine cooled down, with a little pickle juice (either sweet or sour) straight from the pickle jar for pickled veggies.  YUM.

We talked about sugar at dinner while we ate our veggies ... That we miss it, but not the down-side of it.  I wrote all about missing it in October, and I don't know that that will ever change.  Just like I miss really wonderful parts of raising children, or homes we have lived in, or times of life that were especially fun or rewarding.  Yes.  We miss it, but for Bob, not the blues it brings, and for me, the instant and clamoring more-more-more that lasts for a good long time after eating it ... especially chocolate.  I do NOT miss that!

This morning, while finishing my upper body workout, there was such a euphoria after finishing with the 25-pound dumbells.  As I put them down, my own arms felt so free and so light! I wiggled and wave them again and again ... and thought about how free and light and happy it feels to have the pressure to eat sugar gone.  And of the Savior and how he takes away burdens and sadness ... and literally the weight of the world with his willing sacrifice. 

I treasure Easter, and the joy of spring, and want to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible to celebrate life, and express gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the privilege of being granted a physical body for my turn here on earth.