Tag Archives: Swimming

Swim Night with the Kids!

Good evening!

I just got back from watching my sweetie and the kids swimming, because of my new tattoo, I am unable to swim for at least 2 weeks, so I had the pleasure of being the photographer/observer!

This is me from my vantage point! 😉

Here is Miss Megan in her adorable polka dotted  bathing suit!

 

Here is Morgan and his Uncle Jay-Jay! Morgan follows him around like his shadow! 🙂

Uncle Jay-Jay does a hand stand…

and Morgan immediately has to do a hand stand too!

Now it is Megan’s turn to pick an activity, and of course she chooses her FAVORITE pool game…

Marco POLO!!! 😉

They could play this game for HOURS!!! 🙂

Aren’t these guys just the CUTEST??? I was so jealous watching the fun from the sidelines, but I am very happy that I was able to get some pics, albeit some fuzzy ones – they are just constantly on the go!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! ;-)

Working Out & Feelin’ Groovy!!

Good evening!

I have had a very busy, but very satisfying day today!!

First of all, dare I say it??? but work is actually getting better! I am not sure why, but the vibe in the office is really lightening up and it is making easier to want to be there day in and day out!! I think we can all finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and so far – IT’S NOT A TRAIN!! WHEW!! 😉

At the end of work today, I had another Zumba class, and I must tell you – I am still pretty sore from Tuesday’s class, so mamma was modifying LIKE CRAZY today!!! 😉 Still left sweaty, sore, exhausted, and so glad that I done it!!! This is a six week class, and I can see that as the weeks go on it is going to get easier because I am going to have learned all of the dances. But, let me just tell you about an amazing moment that happened in class this afternoon. Those of us who were new, were learning moves to a new song. Well, one of the moves in this dance is something I have seen actual dancers do. I am not sure I know how to describe what it was, but it is basically where you plie, and your entire upper body sways left and right as your arms follow along – kind of like you are pretending to be a field of wheat in a nice breeze, It is a great stretching move, and in that moment, it was almost as if time had stood still, and I was graceful. I felt the motion from my abs all the way up to my fingertips, and it was right there, in the middle of crazy Zumba class that I felt real peace. Is that just crazy??? It was quite the divine moment for me. I am going to try and look it up on YouTube and see if I can find that dance move so that you can see what I am talking about.

Anyway, class ended and I came home and had a really healthy dinner with my sweetie; baked potato with fat free vegetarian chili – so DELICIOUS!! YUM!!

After sneaking in an episode of Bones – yes, we are STILL trying to get caught up!! It was time to go swimming!! I love swimming. I have loved swimming for as long as I can remember. I can remember swimming in my grandfather’s pool with my mom, dad and sisters and just having soooo much fun! Well, this evening, being as sore and tired as I am, I still managed to squeak almost an hour in!! My sweetie makes swimming fun, now!! We just talk, and play, and chase each other, kind of like little kids!!

Well, we have just gotten back to the house, I am sitting in his bathrobe, that smells just like him – I just LOVE that smell, and we are enjoying our dessert, which is a bowl of fresh strawberries, some light cool whip, and two graham crackers. I mean, seriously, what could be better than that???

After I am done for the night, I am going to head upstairs and get a little reading done – I am reading all about southern women, and southern culture/lifestyle! I think I have somehow tapped into a part of my heritage or something! I am just CAPTIVATED!! Anyway, more on that in another post!!!

One last thing before I go…I was reading an article this morning, and it was basically 3 friends stating 5 things that they do that make them happy. It made me think about that all day. So before I share my 5 Happy Things with you, I want to ask you to share with me in the comments section above, Dad, I am talking to you too!! 😉 What are 5 things that make you happy!! I know 5 might seem like a lot, but you can do it!!

My 5 Happy Things are:

  1. Car rides in the country (My daddy used to take my mamma out for drives in the country, and I have ALWAYS thought that was just SOOOO ROMANTIC!! Good job, Dad!!!)
  2. Sitting in a comfy corner, snuggled under a fuzzy blanket, reading a great book with my girls sleeping in my lap!!
  3. Sipping sweet tea out on the back porch while enjoying the sounds of nature, and of course that is always better with someone you love!
  4. Finishing something I never knew I would ever get the opportunity to start – like belly dancing, a collage class, or Zumba!!
  5. Helping someone just for the sake of seeing the expression of happiness, and gratitude on their faces.

I can’t wait to see your lists!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

The Best Kind of Naked Sunday!

Good afternoon!

I have had the BEST kind of naked Sunday ever!! One hanging out and playing with my sweetie, Jason!! We have spent the day so far, cooking, reading, writing, playing in the pool, and pretty much just having a PHENOMENAL day!! 😉

This evening, we are planning on having a special, healthy, grilled dinner that we are going to make together. He is begging to have a Eureka marathon – the tv show? I may have to give in, eventually! 😉 and I may give him the satisfaction of kicking my booty at a game of chess tonight – that is usually how that goes, and then I wipe him out at Bananagrams…well ok, almost. 😉

My goal is to practice extreme-self-care today: Eating healthy, exercise, rest, relaxation, play, and to bed on time, all the while enjoying some quality time with my sweetie!! THAT is my definition of the BEST kind of naked Sunday!! 😉

AND, Have I told you that I have my first intermediate belly dancing class tomorrow evening? I have officially graduated my beginner’s class and will be in this class for at least the next 8 weeks. I can’t wait!! I will keep you posted! 🙂

Well, I am getting back to my sweetie and our day!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

A Gorgeous Day!

Good evening!

It has been an absolutely gorgeous day here in Oregon. It was a bit on the toasty side today, but I just got back from  nice long swim in our chilly pool, which was absolutely refreshing, and we have air conditioning in our little place, so I think I should be able to nod off to sleep quite nicely this evening. It also probably helps that I am beyond tired, from having so much fun with my sister, Jennifer, while she is still in town.

Her and her husband, Austin, are only in town in until tomorrow, at which time they will return home! I have tried, for years to talk them into moving here, but Salem is just too big for them, which is ironic because it is just too small for us!! 😉 Anyway, we have squeezed in some quality time after work this evening, going to their favorite place in Salem to eat, and that is at Mongolian Grill. They make it a point to eat there at least once during every visit, and this time was no different. 😉

I must interject here, I have been part of a support group called Chunky Dunkers. This is basically a get healthy & fit support group that I started with the help of my sisters, Alex, Jennifer, oh, and I can’t forget my sweetie, Jason. Well, Alex has lost almost 60 pounds, and Jennifer has lost almost 40. I am soooo ABSOLUTELY PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM (and a little jealous, if truth be told), and it has caused me to have a feeling of a renewed sense of,

“Ok girl, you have got to get your butt into gear and make this happen for yourself!!”

So, I have eaten extra fruits and veggies today, avoided all calorie-laden drinks, and tracked all of my food that I have eaten, walked the stairs at work, and even got an extra half an hour of vigorous swimming in this evening! Whew!!! Only one day down, and possibly hundreds more to go, which is ok, seeing that it took me literally 16 years to get to the size that I am. I have never really been overly self-conscious of the weight, but I am noticing that the older I am getting the more aches and pains in my joints I am getting, and I am just TOO YOUNG to feel this DAMN OLD!! 😉 So, instead of just pissing and moaning about it, I am going to step up to the plate and take some action – little, by little – baby steps!!

If any of you reading have any hints/tips/ideas/yummy recipe ideas, or even just some motivational support for me and my get fit actions, I would be more than happy to hear from you. Please leave me a message in the comment section above!

Thank you SOOOO MUCH, in advance!!

With that said, I am going to head off to bed for the evening!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

P.S. These pictures were taken in my mom, Linda’s, garden. Aren’t they just lovely? Thanks, Mom!! 😉

A Quickie Post!

Good morning!

I am running a little behind this morning, but I am pretty jazzed about today, and for no apparent reason, just because! What a GREAT feeling!! I am learning to LOVE getting up early every morning! It gives me the opportunity to really clear my head and wake up before I head out to face any challenges that might come up in my daily life!!!

I think tonight will be a swimming night with my sweetie, which is always fun!! We have fun with friendly competition in the pool!! It makes me feel like a kid again, spending all my days in the water trying, unsuccessfully to not get sunburned!!! Thankfully our pool nowadays is indoors, so no sunburn any longer!! LOL! 😉

I have a couple of new art classes that I am going to be taking within the next couple of weeks that I am excited to tell you about this evening, but my song that I LOVE belly dancing to, just came on, so I am going to have to go!! When a girl has got to dance, well, what can I say??? She’s GOT TO DANCE!! I will talk to you all of you this evening!!

Have a FABULOUS day!! 😉

Finally Getting Back to Swimming!!

Good evening!

My family stopped by today for lunch and swimming!! Instead of completely taking the day off, I thought I would share some of the pics that I took today!!

This is our nephew Morgan AKA Little Man!!

This is our Niece Megan, and her new toothless grin! Isn’t she cute??

She is so silly! 😉

This is our nephew, Chris!! I am so glad he held still for this picture – thank you, Chris – you are such a hottie!! 😉

This our nephew, John!!

I know he is hard to see, but this is our nephew, David!

Here are the newlyweds, Michael and Lynette!! 😉

Here is the beloved Uncle Jay-Jay!! 😉

Here is the entire brood!! Apparently I forgot to come out from behind the camera!! 😉

This is what we all really look like!! Having fun!! I just love this group of zany, crazy, people!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Megan Night!!

Good evening!

Tonight is Megan night!! We haven’t had one of those in quite a while!! I w beginning to wonder what she even looked like!! LOL!!! Tonight she pretty much has free reign to decide what we are going to be doing for the evening!!! So far we have gone to the theatre and watched Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It was pretty stinkin’ fun! It is so cool to watch Megan watch a movie. She just gets so into it, kinda like when I take her out and we go people watching!!! and I just LOVE her commentary, being 8, she has such a cool perception of the things that happen in movies!! 😉

Right now Jason and her are playing the video game Cars together!! They are just so cute!! Jason is playing really slow so she has some time to learn how to use her controller. Later on this evening, we are going to pack our stuff up and go hit the pool, and maybe swing by Cold Stone  and have a little ice cream, before getting ready for bed!!

Tomorrow she has requested that we go to “the downtown” tomorrow!! She is VERY EXCITED to be doing that! I am not exactly sure what we have planned, but I do know that she is getting a manicure from her auntie tomorrow!!! She LOVES that, I LOVE doing that for her!!

Now about my week. Work has been alright! I have been working really late most every day this week, although I did promise Megan that I wouldn’t work AT ALL this weekend – if you remember, last time she spent the night, I had to work ALL FREAKIN’ WEEKEND!!! It really was a bummer, so I am hoping to make it up to her this weekend!!! Oh, back to work, well, I think there is finally light at the end of our busy tunnels, but it hope is coming, that is all that matters!!!

Jason has been doing AMAZING at helping around the house, and doing little things here and there to show his love and support! It has been rough for him, not being steadily employed, but I truly appreciate all that he has done for us!!! I couldn’t do what I do, and stay sane, without him! I feel like I have my old Jason back!! He just seems so much more relaxed, and he is excited to LIVE again! For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, you know that he has had a rough couple of years, with one tragedy after another that he was having to deal with, but I must say that he is doing GREAT!! I am just sooo proud of him!!! I LOVE YOU, BABY!! I STILL THANK GOD FOR YOU!!! 😉

Well, I am going to see if I can rustle up the “kids” to get off of their game so we can go swimming!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Feeling Like a Kid Again!!

Wednesday nights at my place are one of my favorite nights of the week! It is the night that my sister-in-law brings my niece and nephew over to have dinner and then go swimming.

My niece is 7, and as cute as a button! She is like the perfect little blond girl that you just know is going to be super popular because even at 7 she is just magnetic.

My nephew is 4, and is he is a near duplicate of my husband, just waaaaay smaller – think mini me to my sweetie!! 😉 He is a firecracker, and has absolutely NO FEAR!!! Swimming with these two is just sooo much fun! It makes me feel like a kid again; diving, flipping, handstands, races, stunts, tricks, somersaults, and just playing!! Let me tell you, that is THE BEST way to exercise!! To play, to be a kid, to have no cares, and for one evening a week to take on that fun and vivacious lifestyle!!

I must’ve done something good in my past to get to be part of their lives!! I am blessed!!

I love these two kiddos!!

~Auntie Chrissy 😉