Celebrating our Freedom

My big kids getting ready to ride their bikes and scooters in our local 2011 parade.

Today we begin our celebrations for Independence Day.  In our family, we have some great, regular traditions.

Every July 3rd my family goes to a Fourth of July parade with some friends and then stays afterwards to watch fireworks.  Then we follow up our celebrations on the 4th by getting up early to walk or ride in our local parade to a park.  We participate in the games and fun at the park and head home after a couple of hours.  Next we pack up the car to go to my in-laws house  for a picnic and social time with family.  As evening approaches we load it up and drive to another suburb to picnic and watch fireworks with some good friends.  We go home late and tired on the night of the 4th but always have lots of fun.  This has been our pattern for several years.

I know it sounds like a lot of food and celebrating but the nice part is that we have done this for years.  I know exactly what I am going to encounter.  I can plan for it.  I can decide right now what I am going to eat and what I will politely turn down.

On Independence Day we celebrate our freedom and I would like to include my freedom from food.  Food does not have to have a hold on me.  I can say yes or no to benefit me. On this holiday I want to exercise my freedom by saying no to the foods that are not good for me and eating what will be good for me.  Thinking ahead, I know that I will encounter snacks at the parade and fireworks this evening.  I truly have no plans to eat any of them. I am going to get a good, healthy dinner on the way to the parade and then eat it while waiting for it to start.  I'm not sure what yet, but I'm thinking either salad or sub sandwich.  I will decide what I am having before I leave the house and fit it into my points accordingly. I have tracked my food so far today so I will know exactly how many points I have to spend.  I will bring my water for my drink.  I don't need any alcohol and rarely drink soda.  I will enjoy my dinner and then bring some fruit to snack on. I already purchased snacks for my kids and none of them will call to me.  I don't forecast any difficulty in bypassing them.

Tomorrow, we will encounter ice cream at the park when we finish marching in our little, local parade.  I will plan on having that ice cream.  It's always a nice treat after walking 2 miles.  It's just a little bit so it wont even cost me much. I will bring along a healthy snack to eat while the kids are eating all of the candy that they win on their little games.  Right now, I'm thinking a hard boiled egg and some blueberries.  I'm glad I'm working it out in my head now so I can boil the eggs today and have them ready for the mad dash in the morning.

We will then eat at my in-laws for lunch.  I will eat a burger with no bun and a side or two.  I am bringing the fruit so I know it will be there for me.  After a few hours we will be off to watch fireworks with some friends.  I know that they will have grilled meats available.  Depending on how much I ate at my in-laws, I may have a piece of meat.  I am bringing the veggies to share so I can always snack on them.  I will need to track my points today to keep myself on target or I know I will get out of control fast.  My friend always makes rice krispie treats so depending on what I feel like eating I may have one of those instead of the meat.  It is a day to celebrate so there is nothing wrong with eating a little celebration food.

The trick is to stop from eating too many celebration foods.  I always need to remember that it is good to have a limit.  Today is my birthday.  I feel a little strange publicizing that but I have a point.  Yesterday Bryan asked me what I wanted for dinner today.  He has to work all day and is going to meet me and the kids at the parade.  He offered to pick up my birthday dinner.  I told him that even if it doesn't sound exciting, what I really want is to eat a healthy dinner for my birthday.  After all, it's a day to celebrate me so I want to take care of myself.  I don't need any cake or, dare I say, ice cream.  I just want to feel good when my birthday comes to an end.  I feel the same way about my Fourth of July celebrations too.

Happy Fourth and have a great day,

Corinna

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." -2 Corinthians 3:17