Retreat

Next weekend, I am going on my retreat for Mom's of special needs children. You can read all about my fears and some of the plans that was going on here.

I remember getting dropped off and not quite sure what to do or feel after I dropped my stuff off at my room. I met one person and she was friendly but I felt like if I stood and talked to her, while she talked with others that I was a 3rd wheel. I guess I felt that way due to them knowing each other and I was new.

I ended up spending most the weekend with two other newbies and that was a relaxing and fun experience. None of us had any expectations going in and were just as alone in the deal.

I remember unpacking and thinking what did I get myself into and sort of feeling lonely. I opened my suitcase and there was a note written from my husband and it made me cry.

It didn't take me long to start feeling at home and have a really good time. I just wished it came along more than once a year. However, I do get that a lot of fundraising and work goes into planning it.

A lot of the things that we have to do to prepare for it is the same. We are to bring a picture of our kids, a book to leave for others to read and a white elephant gift to exchange. I haven't totally decided yet but the joke is to bring a "funny" gift but it's not a requirement. I am leaning more towards bring something nice like a homemade gift basket of things for a Mom to pamper herself with.

There are doing zumba this year and I am excited that I still get that option to work out. They feed us really well so good to know that I shouldn't have a set back in the weight loss from it. Actually though, I wouldn't count a setback as anything but a gain. I have gone into losing weight so easy minded that not losing one week isn't a major let down. I am also more educated and now know the amount of calories it would take for me to eat over maintaince for me to really gain. This way if I am retaining water for whatever reason I don't panic cause I know I didnt eat calories in that amount.

Back to the retreat. I am not going to go to the horse ranch this time. It took up three hours of the time and I just don't want to do the exercises that will make me search deep within myself and cry. No thank you!! LOL

I have arranged for one of the Mom's to help me learn how to do make up but I have to buy makeup. So as long as I can pull off spending money for makeup that's on the agenda to do.

I plan on bringing some scrapbook supplies to possibly work on Izzy's scrapbook but on the fence about actually bringing the book.

The day of the retreat my sister and I are going to the hair salon and get our hair done. She is getting hers cut short and plans to donate it. I am getting mine cute and layered like I did last time. But I am going to try to go shorter cause the shorter my hair the more it curls and I love it.

I am going to try to leave my phone alone so I can focus on the people and having a good time instead of what's going on online. I don't have to borrow my sister's camera because for Christmas she gave me the camera because she got a new one.

I hope I have as much as fun and very grateful for the chance to go again. It was a really eye opener and it's something that I never realized how badly I needed to know that I wasn't alone.