Why I skipped Christmas Cards this year

I didn't send out 1 Christmas card this year. I didn't really have a great family photo and figured no one would miss us this year. But, I missed us this year. So, here is my electronic greeting card. A picture can't describe what 2013 meant to John and I. 

Our family's hardest moment of 2013 was in February when Maddie went into septic shock and we spent some time in ICU. It was a bleak time for us. I (Rhonda) remember a few days later, I sat in her room and we waited for her blood pressure to basically come back. It was a moment where God showed us that this child is not ours-she belongs to God. 


Maddie survived. She was in the hospital a lot but, now she is doing well now. Life is different. She lives in Pediatric Nursing Home Care in North Little Rock. We thought her coming home was going to be an option. But, we have learned that her health is fragile and can turn on a dime. She needs full time nursing assistance that John and I can't provide. The great news is she is happy and doing better than she has done in a while. She is in a protected environment and she is not exposed to much. She still wins the hearts of many with her killer smile. Maddie has sotos syndrome and with additional diagnosis of severe sinus problems, epilepsy and developmental delay.

Lauren is 9 and she has continued to thrive. Lauren has autism. Lauren joined i Can! Dance team this year. She loves dancing!She is still quite the electronics guru! She is currently learning about videoing (everything!) on her iPad. Lauren counts to 30. She knows her ABC's and with the use of her talker she is on a preschool level. Lots of improvement. Lauren participated in Special Olympics Bowling this year! She is happy and loves to travel with us. Lauren attended Camp Barnabas and Camp Aldersgate this year.

If you read this blog, you know I had weight loss surgery in the summer.I also started back to school and will finish in Spring 2014. Surgery, along with working out and therapy has improved my quality of life so much! John joined community band. He enjoys his music. We returned to Seattle to see John's family this past year in the Spring. We enjoyed the trip and needed the time away. John spent some time in Seattle again before Christmas too. 

We have a lot planned for 2014 including mailing out Christmas Cards. Till then follow this blog and keep in touch with the Bensen's.

My brother and I lose weight in 2013!

We have had a lot of family time recently. Thanksgiving, Wedding extravaganza, Christmas and the actually wedding was all in the past few months. I am not complaining. It’s a special time and it’s been fun. A year ago during Christmas I shared with my family that I was going to have weight loss surgery.  Many folks do not share because of the “back lash” or lack of support but, I felt that this battle needed my family's support and I didn’t want to mislead anyone. My family was supportive but, my brother will tell you he was apprehensive. I shared with him that losing weight is a journey that lots of people take- some of us will succeed and some will fail. All of us will take different roads to get our results. No road is “easy”. My brother was 298 pounds last Christmas. He really didn’t have room to judge and he knew it. Being fat sucks. 

So, he left that Christmas and made some decisions. He started working out, changed his eating and got with his PCP to help create a plan for him to lose weight. I think he wanted to show me he could do it. He did it. He lost over 75 pounds. He looks fantastic.

My Brother Kyle and I lost a combine total of  170 pounds in 2013!

The New Year is a time when lots of people make goals and jump on the bandwagon to lose weight. I support getting healthy. Some people need medication; some people need weight watchers, some people need to get moving and some people need surgery. I support it all. My life has greatly improved..

 Everyone says I look better but, more than anything I feel so much better. I was in bad shape a year ago. I was weighing in at over 350 pounds. My feet hurt so bad- I was sick on antibiotics 3 times last November and December. My breathing was labored and I was developing asthma. I had no energy and felt exhausted much of the time. My life was leaving me in the dust. I was really too fat to work out. Let's be honest I had a big amount of weight to lose!

Today, I do not diet. I had a lifestyle change. I did use phentermine for 6 months and lost 13 pounds. I know many people who lost weight with phentermine, hormone injections or shakes. I think I would have been more successful had I done a few things differently. Weight loss plans like weight watchers are proven to be a great tool. Working out is also a great tool. All these things are tools. Tools to help you be healthy and feel better. These tools do not work if you don’t make a decision to eat better.

My brother and my family are supportive. I am blessed without a doubt! They know that losing weight is hard and it's challenging. It's a mental game as much as a physical game. I didn’t just have a surgery and lose weight. Therapy along with working out and some other life styles changes was important key to my success. 

You can have a getting healthy story like Kyle and I have by next Christmas. It’s not going to be easy but, I promise you it will be worth it. I guess it’s only fitting that my brother gave me scales for Christmas. He knows I will not be offended and use the precious gift. It’s all fancy and tells me I have not drinking enough water. Ha!  

Losing weight isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. The most important thing you can do for yourself today is to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Remember, weight loss is not a race but a marathon. Our bodies, our minds, our lives are meant to be filled with balance. Learn from us and get motivated to change your lifestyle in the New Year.  Cheers to 2014 and to your life being better.