When do you KNOW it's working?

I frown at the scale quite often, a little wrinkle in my brow. It sometimes makes me so angry that this little flat box has so much control in my life. Up one, down three. Down five, up two. Down seven, up six. It's so frustrating sometimes. So what keeps my motivation going? Why don't I just give up and quit? Well, to be honest, it's moments like what happened to me this weekend.

We spent July 3rd with my husband's family at Lake Amon Carter (that's in Bowie, TX for those of you that aren't in the cool crowd). Emily spent the day splashing in the water with her cousins, Garrett popping firecrackers, Ronnie and I on the water. And then there was Jacob. Jake, 2, is a runner. He likes to run. He also likes to run AWAY. As Ronnie and I were trying to get aboard our Hobie 16 catamaran, Jake decided to take off running into the next lake lot, where (to my embarrassment and dismay) an elderly couple were enjoying some "quiet time". I chased him around our lake lot, to the next, around it, and back through ours before finally catching up with him, where I picked him up and firmly deposited him into his grandmother's waiting lap. Getting on the boast, I realized something profound.

One year ago, I would not have been able to do that. I would have gotten tired, had a cramp, SOMETHING. For SOME reason, I would not have been able to go after my son.

It was a great feeling.

So, the scale hasn't changed that much in the last year. My clothes haven't either, for that matter. But I am aware now of the fact that I must be doing SOMETHING right! Those little baby steps are adding up one by one.

So I'm gonna keep on keepin' on.