Keeping Cool at the Pool

It's summertime and guess what. It's been really hot and humid here. 

I know you're surprised, given where I live you would think mid 70's with 10% humidity but those aren't the conditions we've been having.

We've been having temps in the high 90's with a heat index of 105 because of the humidity. 

When it's like that your feet blister if you have to walk in the sand at the beach too long without flip flops and beautiful stone work around the pool feels like your walking across a frying pan in the afternoon sun. 

So Emil M. was in charge of Family Night this Monday and I suggested having a pool night at our neighbors house. They've generously said we can use their pool since they live up in VA most of the time. 

Emil Michael's pool gear

So here are some cute pictures from our epic pool night. 

Emil M. suggested that the kids strike a "noble" pose. It is  interesting to see how each of them interpreted that. 

 
Not quite sure what the word describing this one was.

 For those of you who have seen Madagascar, this is Kirstin's interpretation of 

"Alex, The Lion!"

I guess Kirstin should take up yoga because she loves doing yoga positions when being photographed. (I don't know about that girl!)

This is how most of the attacks on Emil went that night. 

Step 1

Put the smallest kid in front. Remember! There is strength in numbers!

Step 2
Attack Dad!!!





Step 3
Dad makes an example out of the oldest kid!

5K Part 2

(Did you miss Part 1?

That's Ok, I skipped it. 

Keep reading you'll catch on.)

There must be something about turning 40 that inspires women to want to challenge themselves personally. I think that after the many years of rearing your children you are finally in an place where you can spend a little more time thinking about yourself and less about dirty diapers and cheerios. 

The indoor track at our YMCA

So about a month ago I was reading one of my favorite cookie blogs (Bake @ 350) and saw this recipe for these cookies.

Monster Morning Cookies (Just click on the name to go to the link)

In her blog she was talking about being in a group of runners that were training to run a 5K. Some mornings she has one of these cookies for breakfast. So this is how my brain thinks.

Cookies for Breakfast= Running a 5K

Monster Cookies. I only eat one. You can make them even if you don't run a 5K!

This was something I could totally DO! The cookies are filled with whole grain, Peanut butter, oatmeal, craisins and maybe lots of choc. chips, sugar and butter too. 

I had to make a batch and if I was going to commit to doing that I might as well commit to running a 5K while I was at it. After all, I do really like to run. (After I'm finished) And a 5K is only just 3.2 miles or something silly like that. I could totally do this! 

Did I mention? COOKIES for BREAKFAST??!!

One of the first suggestions by my training program was to buy new shoes but I'll save that for if  I pass the finish line. These guys and I go way back!

I got on the internet and found a couple of apps that I could use on my phone as trainers and began. By the way. The cookies were amazing! And they kept my stomach from growling before lunch. 

(This is a very serious problem I have.)

Day one and two of training were great! however I had problems with my knee after day two and had to take the weekend off. (I had a ACL, Knee surgery, about 15 years ago and it has affected my ability to participate in some physical activity.)

So the next week I did some yoga to loosen up and this week I decided to have another go at it. You train 3 times a week. Letting your muscles rest in-between days. I switched up some things and I'm going to continue to do yoga on my resting days and hopefully my bum knee will be strong enough to make it through. I'll keep you updated and if you want to join me when I actually enter a 5K that would be amazing too. My training program has me finishing in 8 weeks so we'll see!

Where did the time go?

This past Friday was my anniversary. Emil and I have been married 20 years! It's so hard to believe. Kirstin asked me the other day if it seemed like a long time and I said "it seems like forever". And it does, in such a good way.

Me & Michelle (my best friend) 1991

When Emil and I met I was working 3 jobs trying to earn money to go to school at Southern Utah University in the fall, (to find my husband). (Ok, there may have been some serious tanning sessions and beach days with Michelle sprinkled in there as well as dating guys too...)Emil was just working and surfing. Always looking for that perfect wave. We were both working at a grocery store called Food Lion. I was a cashier and he worked in the produce department. His friend and roommate,  Pokey, actually noticed me first. He told Emil he was going to ask me out so Emil came through my line to check me out.  When a couple of days had passed and Pokey still hadn't asked me out, Emil told him he was going to ask me out if Pokey didn't soon. As his name suggest, Pokey was slow to act and Emil asked me out for the 4th of July. We went to a party and watched the fireworks from the beach.  Sometimes I joke about how I saw fireworks on my first date with Emil.

We saw each other every day until I left for Utah a month later. (I was great at multi-tasking!)

It wasn't long before I was homesick for both North Carolina and Emil. 2 months later I got a quick trip home when his school had Ring Figure. (A big dance and ceremony when they get their class rings.) I got to see VMI and Emil in uniform!

That held us over until Christmas...

When he came to see me and go skiing. We started referring to each other as "Love" as in "Love, can you get me a glass of water?"

It wasn't something we decided to do it just happened. 

We were, and are, each others definition of Love.

The next summer found me home at the beach again and Emil and I got married....

I thought I knew what my life would be like when we got married....

But I was never prepared for the laughter and tears we've had over the years.

Summer 2007

The different jobs.....

June 8, 2008

The changing hairstyles....

 2008 

The different homes we've lived in....

Spring 2012

May 6, 2012

Our friends and families have given us a well of strength to draw from as well as support through our toughest times. 

I always thought I was the luckiest girl to have landed a cutie like Emil. 

And I am.

I'm just glad he's not just a pretty face, he's just as amazing inside as he is out. 

I think everyone thinks their love story is the best as do I. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I love you, Love.

In August we go for a week long trip to Belize to celebrate! I'll take lots of pictures for you and make sure I squeeze in a serious tanning session just for old times sake!

Camps

Last week was Girl's Camp for our church. I was in charge of about 90 girls and 20 adults. It was fun, hot, frustrating, sweaty, and exhausting. We went to Camp Snyder, a Boy Scout Camp in Haymarket, VA. They had 600 girls there for the week. They had a really great facility with a Archery and BB Gun range, a COPEs course (similar to a Ropes course that's used for team building), a lake with canoes and paddle boats and an olympic pool.


Kirstin was a Youth Camp Leader(YCL) which meant she helped the leader in her level. This was her 5th year and she was very excited to be a YCL. One of her friends, Camille was in the same level and they were quite the pair! They decided they wanted to have theme days. So each day they picked out a different them and dressed and acted that way the entire day. It's things like this that make camp fun for yourself and others your working with. I'm so glad she had a great attitude about camp. 

The first day was super hero day. Kirstin was the black widow and Camille was Green Lantern


The next day was Geek Day. Camille and Kirstin with one of their 2nd Year Girls, Ameila

 This one of Camille cracks me up every time!

Me stealing a hug!

Then there was cartoon character day? Kirstin is Cookie Monster, which is also her nickname. (technically not a cartoon character but close enough.) Camille was an Incredible Batman?

The last day was Safari day where they were Steve Irwin and The Crocodile Hunter. 

Yes, I know they are the same person but we'll allow for some incongruity given the situation. Here is a fun little clip they did while at the pool. (Hope it works!) They are such nuts but everyone loved them!

Most days it was go, go, go until I dropped between 11-1am. Some of the lucky leaders got to stay in a cabin with bunk bed cots, AC, a shower & bathroom and kitchen. I was one of the lucky ones. Most of our leaders were slightly older and felt that two mattresses were more comfortable than one so one day, as a joke, I had Rose, my assistant camp director take this picture. We cracked ourselves up. 

Somehow everything seems so much more funny at camp. Probably because I get silly when I'm tired and I'm pretty much always tired there. I need a full 8 hours of sleep and I average 5 soooo.... It's a given that I'll giggle at whatever you say. It was fun but I'm so glad to be home even if it meant that there were 4 loads of laundry waiting for me besides what I had to do from camp. 

We did have a blowout tire on the way home which was just such a joy to change on the side of the road in 99 degree heat with beach traffic passing us by. 

We got a lot of encouragement by way of honks when I was bent over getting the spare tire out of the back. All I'm saying is, I hope Karma is real.

After we got it fixed we stopped at Wendys because a frosty makes everything better and while in the process of using the bathroom I discovered there was no toilet paper. Seriously?!!!!! Thankfully Kirstin was in the stall beside me and saved the day. Actually, she pretty much changed the tire, having done so in the civic just a month ago when she got a flat tire at the beach.

Boys? Who needs them? Moster women are strong!