Always Be Prepared

Ever have a time in your life when you were excited to do something that you've always wanted to do, but when you actually did it you kept asking yourself "WHAT WAS I THINKING"?

Well I most definitely had that experience on Memorial Day!  Josh knew I have always wanted to go on a hike over by the dam to some warm springs. I have heard of people going on the hike and having a good time...

Well let's just say...

We didn't follow the proper Boy Scout code (always be prepared)

This is the thing, Josh just told us to get ready to go...OKAY, a  little more detail woulda been nice.  I grabbed my tennis shoes, put them in my backpack along with my camera, phone & lip gloss!  But I was wearing my flip flop and I could change once we got to where we were going.  (See he didn't exactly tell us where we were going until we got there!) 

We're still in the parking lot...

 So Josh, Nicole, our two little dogs and I get to the hike around noon.  It was nice weather, not too hot (I'll just leave it at that)  and we start walking down the trail.  Josh always takes off and leaves everyone behind so he always has to stop and wait.  He stopped at a shady spot under the highway bridge...No big deal for him, he sits down and gives the dogs some water while Nicole and I are left behind with no water!  So we finally reach him and I begin to climb up the hill to where he was....WHAM!!!  I fall flat on my face!!!  And Josh just sits there and stares at me like I'm an idiot and asks me what I'm doing!!??  Ahhh...hello!  I like falling on rocks and hurting myself!  So I sat and drank some water.  

Highway Bridge

This is my knee after I fell...doesn't look too bad, but looks are deceiving!!

Well unbeknownst to me, while I was falling some older lady was climbing up the mountain in the same area, she was out of breath and could hardly function.  The people she was with went ahead without her.  She said that this hike was NOT for a person from New England and couldn't believe she was having such a hard time because she is usually a first responder.  We gave her a water bottle to see if it would help her any.  It did!

So on we went.  Trudging through a gravely trail that was difficult to walk in.  No shade!  The sun blaring down on the rocks and our little dogs walking along with us.  Then comes these crazy rocks we have to get down.  Someone was smart somewhere in time and tied ropes where these rock were.  If those ropes weren't there I would have said Screw It!  But get this...we should have listened to our dog!!! They wanted NOTHING to do with going near those ropes.  So Josh climbed down, then Nicole part way...I would hand the dogs to Nicole then she handed them down to Josh.  Finally once everyone was down, we continued on.

Rocks & Ropes!

Then again, more ropes and rocks!!!

We got to where we found the hot springs, but just a trickle.  The water was most definitely HOT!  In fact too hot!  I walked through it while on the trail, but figured it was too hot to do much more.  In NO WAY would I want to swim in that nasty stuff!!!  What am I talking about, I wasn't going to swim anyway!!!  But it was really gross! I kept thinking "I wonder how many people have take a pee or poop here?"  Yes, that's how gross it was.  And this place was a LONG, LONG way from any toilets!!!

Start of the hot spring "Waterfall"

 So we didn't finish the hike, we stopped at the last rope because we were having to carry one of our dogs because his paw got hurt.  It isn't fun having to carry a dog.  But we were tired as well.  We sat and rested for a little bit then started back toward the car.  By this time, we were pretty much out of water!  We only had about half a bottle of water left to use between us three and the dogs. Josh put Sampson across his shoulders and we each took turns carrying Lulu.  She would walk when there was a lot of shade, but most of the time she was carried because the rocks were too hot and sharp for her.  There was a couple that was going back that we spoke with most of the time.  In fact, we ended up catching up to them because they left  before we did.  They ran out of water too, so they were struggling just as much as we were!  

We look happy, but we were actually exhausted.  We still had to go back!

At one point Josh said, "I'm just going to go on ahead and take the dogs.  I'll get them to the car and bring back some water."  Since he went ahead the couple kinda stayed close by.  We just went back and forth talking on off to keep ourselves going.  The last time as Nicole and I past them, the lady was trying to cool off, well she ended up lifting up her shirt...Nicole says "EWWW....I didn't need to see that!  You didn't see that mom?  Her BOOBS were down to her knees!"  Oh poor woman!  

We walked along the best we could and do our best.  I kept talking to myself as I walked along.  I thought about what the pioneers did and how difficult their circumstances were.  Would I have been able to do what they did?  (That's an entirely different subject in itself)  Finally Josh came back with 6 bottles of water!  It was the best water I ever had.  He even poured some on me, it was so cold because my body temperature was so whacked out!  The couple was still a ways behind us, so I yelled to them asking if they wanted some water.  I already knew they did, so Josh and Nicole took the water to them.  I was so thankful when I finally got back to the car.  

WE WERE DOING OUR BEST!!!

So technically, we just about died that day, but saved 3 lives because we shared water with them :D

BURN

With summer coming so quickly, I wanted to take a minute to remind everyone...

When out in the summer sun...please, Please, PLEASE remember to wear sunscreen!!!

Please use this as a friendly reminder...

Your probably wondering why I would write such a thing...

WELL OF COURSE THERE IS A REASON!!!

Last week Josh went to California for work and made a quick visit to the beach.

 Well MR. INDESTRUCTABLE thought it was a GREAT idea to hang out on the beach without any sunscreen on.  HELLO....just because the sun isn't blazing and the weather isn't hot DOESN'T (get that? doesn't) mean you won't burn!

When I pulled up to pick Josh up on Thursday evening from work he looked like a BRIGHT RED CHERRY!!!  Swollen face and all! I was not thrilled because I have told him for years that he needs to wear sunscreen.  Of course he doesn't listen (he's a know it all and doesn't burn! yeah okay!). 

Life was hell for the next three days.  He couldn't understand why he was in so much pain and why the sunburn itched so bad.  He kept telling me I didn't understand.  (Mmmm...whatever!)  He thought he was the only person on the face of the planet who had ever been sunburned.  I tried to tell him that the skin that usually doesn't see the light of day, usually is very sensitive when it DOES get burned, unlike the arms that are usually exposed to the sunlight.  YEAH, again he wouldn't listen.  I looked up sunburns on GOOGLE to see if there was something I could tell him to do that I didn't know. (Afterall, I have been severally sunburned MANY times) Nothing new was found, but what was there I told him to do.  He didn't believe a word I said and was insisting on calling a doctor...then he looked the information up himself!  Found out that I was right, but didn't like that I was right!  But unfortunately for him, he didn't read everything on the website.  I had to read it work for work very slowly and explain what each line was saying.

(Seemed like he lost all his common sense!?  I didn't think a little sunburn could do that!)

I was a relief when we finally got home.  I got so tired of listening to the whining I went to bed early.  But sadly it started up again the next day!!!

  GRRR...I finally said, "GET OVER IT, EVERY PERSON WHO LIVES IN THIS HOUSE HAS BEEN SUNBURNED JUST AS BAD AND HAD TO DEAL WITH IT!!!  NOW YOUR THE DUMMY WHO NOW HAS TO LIVE WITH IT!  IT WILL GO AWAY, NOW JUST LAY THERE ON THE COOL SHEET AND DAB THAT COLD STUFF ON YOU AND DON'T MOVE UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO!!!"

What a relief, I didn't have to listen to another word about the sunburn again for the rest of the day!  So friends...please remember your sunscreen and save yourself and your loved ones from the pain and agony of the pain sunburns cause  :D

P90 Xplitive!?

So my sweet Adam purchased P90X...

Talk about a proud moment for him.  He came running downstairs a couple weeks ago telling me he bought it...Okay!?  

So the package came in the mail on Saturday and he has been studying the program from front to back...No big deal, good for him!  So he intently watched the introductory video and so forth.  He's even following the diet!  Great for him.  I told him it's just a matter of eating right, drinking lots of water and exercise.  

But this isn't about Adam, this is actually about me and what I decided to do with him.  OH MY GOSH!!!  I told Adam I would do the workouts with him!  So I get a text at 4:27 Monday morning asking if I was ready (I was upstairs and still had 3 minutes before my alarm goes off normally)  So I ignored the text for a couple more minutes then got up at exactly 4:30 to go wake Nicole up as usual.  Then I quietly went back into my room and VERY sleepily got into my workout clothes.  When I went downstairs Adam was all ready to go with the DVD on pause waiting for me.  

I knew I was in for a workout, but I wasn't quite ready for this.  The very first workout is basically all push-ups!!!  I have never really been able to do very many push-ups because of my arms.  When I do a push-up I am never able to get the full lift and rest when needed.  Anyway, I started this workout saying I will do my best and just do what I can.  So that is what I did... a full hour of push-ups and pull ups!!!  I did more push-ups in that hour than I have EVER done in my entire life to this point!  Needless to say...I am in excruciating pain in my arm and chest area two days later!!!  And I might add I'm not the only one feeling this way.  

So of course P90X is a 6 days a week workout, so of course we had to do it again last night!  Again an entire hours of working out, but this time with squats and lunges!  Ever heard of squat jacks?  Yeah me either until doing them last night...its basically doing 30 jumping jacks in squatting position X 2!  

OH MY GOSH TALK ABOUT KILLER!

(I feel for Jake today)  

Once the workout was finished I went upstairs and took a shower and chose not to talk to anyone for the rest of the night!  I decided it would be best to go to bed and sleep the nausea and pain off instead of being a grump.  

So around 10:00 this morning I got a text from Adam...R U sore

My reply....Heck Yes!!!

All I can say is, the next 88 days BETTER be worth it!  I will compare the pain I am feeling to the pain I felt regularly while training to do the half marathon.  But this is an all over pain, not just in my legs.  

Yet another reminder...

A quick lesson to remember that I was reminded of the other day-

I believe in what I do

I believe in who I am

I believe in who I can become...

I  believe(s) in what I do

I believe(s) in who I am

I believe(s) in who I can become...

He believes in what I do

He believes in who I am

He believes in who I can become...

I/We must always remember I/we am/are not alone in this journey of life!!!

Little Girl Gone

So as most know our family has been working on wedding plans for Breanne and Tyler.  We still have a couple months to go, but most Saturdays are usually spent focusing on getting something finished that is hard to do during the week.  Well the past couple weekends has been pictures....Last weekend was engagement/announcement pictures with Kate which was fun for Breanne and Tyler.  Josh and I went along because neither one of them knew where Willow Beach was.  It was fun to watch them too...I can't wait to see the pictures and get working on yet another project!!! 

 This weekend Breanne did bridal pictures at Mikel's....  She was dressed in her dress and looked absolutely beautiful!!!  I was happy to help her get dressed, but let me tell you I was so happy that my mom was there to help!  As time went on and realization began to set in I became emotional.  I actually had tears, which I haven't had at all. (Yes, Breanne has been waiting for them) I had to compose myself and just smile.  I think what hit me was that Breanne isn't my little girl anymore.  She is a woman... I have to admit, I did a fabulous job raising her!  Tyler will be very lucky.  Although, she is a little messy (use that as a warning). 

I will miss Breeze very much.  She has been my rock during hard times.  She was always there for me to cheer me up and to listen to me when I had something smart or sarcastic to say (yup she got it from me!) She will always be my most favorite shopping partner next to my mom.  I could spend her money just as well as she could spend mine) She's no longer the little girl who would sit in grandma's bathroom with all of her credit cards dressed up in tons of necklaces saying...."CHARGE IT GWAMA!!!" Tyler will now get that opportunity!

  I will miss her extremely loud mouth and telling her to take it down a few octaves :) But that's just who she is...She has grown into a very beautiful woman who I am extreme proud of...She's an excellent exercise partner because she stays right with me to keep me going, even though she could leave me in the dust!  She's always willing to go along with one of my crazy ideas even though it may have turned out to be a bad idea. 

Love you Breeze

XOXOX

I thought I posted this...my bad!  A little late, but the feeling is still the same.



A little closer

Well today is another month, so I am suppose to write about my goals and resolutions.  

As of today, I really don't feel like doing it.  I know where I stand on reach them and what I have accomplished so far this month in obtaining my goals.  

I am proud to report, I AM still working on them.  Working and focusing on the goals I set has proven to be extremely difficult!  Seems that some days I get side tracked for one reason or another (mainly wedding stuff), but I still find time do what the things I want to do for myself.  An in all honestly, it isn't the full effort I originally intended.  But I am determined to accomplish them.  I am not a quitter, I am extremely stubborn and will do whatever I can to reach my goals.  

I guess I am this way because I have to feel that I am doing something for myself.  I am far from selfish, but I always want to find ways to improve myself and setting goals is what keeps me in check. 

This month will be a little quieter, but still busy.  I will take a little more me time to work on my goals so I will feel a little more accomplished.