Motivated Mondays - family dinner!

This weekend we had a family dinner at my in-laws house. They sold the family home recently and this was the last big family dinner there before they move out and someone else's family gets to make new memories there.

My husband and I have only known each other for just over 2 years so I don't have a ton of memories there but I do have a few very special ones and I know my husband's family has a whole ton of great memories in that house. Although I think home truly is where the heart is (if I didn't know that already, it became very clear to me when I was half living in Vancouver, half living in Texas so I could be with my husband!), I think it's still emotional for everyone when you're saying good bye to a home filled with memories.

My mother-in-law had a great idea for the last family dinner in that house - Pizza Party! She arranged for dough and sauce from the best (IMHO) pizza place in Texas, Pink's Pizza and we had tons of toppings to choose from - cheese, veggies, meats and my favorite, pineapple! The house was full of people and love - my husband and I, his dad and step-mum, his sisters and their significant and others and his aunt, who hasn't been well enough to travel for awhile. This was the first time we got to see his aunt since she experienced some heart issues earlier this year and this is the motivating part of this Motivated Mondays post - while all of us made delicious pizzas, Sean's aunt stuck to her diet plan (dramatic diet changes were needed after her health scare) and made a very tasty looking salad.

(my tasty creation - pineapple, pepperoni, peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and pesto!)

I've talked before about food and celebrating. It's something we do as a culture - when we have celebrations, we eat and frankly, I like that. Food prepared with love and shared with those you love is amazingly comforting and rewarding. And as long as we don't reward ourselves all the time with food, there is nothing wrong with celebrating with food. But when health could be compromised by the food choices, health has to take priority. And this weekend, my husband's aunt chose a few treats to enjoy and then stuck to her diet plan and it was so inspiring and motivating to me! It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is eating but we are all responsible for what we put in our mouths and how that impacts our health and this weekend, I think we all witnessed pure determination to achieve better health and you can't help but be motivated by that!

I know new memories will be made in my in-laws new home and I can't wait to be a part of it!

What did you do this weekend?

When have you had to miss a meal to protect your health?

What's your favorite pizza topping?