Just keep swimming...just keep swimming...just keep swimming

I don't know why I had to write that three times. It just seemed appropriate so I did.

This weekend started off awesome. Friday was running, food, errands then home to discover I forgot to get the hot dogs out to thaw...so I scrambled to get at least one package of 30 thawed before heading over to the CODA (Christians On Deployment or Assignment) BBQ that a couple from our church was throwing. Of course the whole congregation was invited too! About 40 or so people showed up and it was a blast! The kids couldn't stop playing on the slip and slides down the hill.

                                 (Photo from the facebook of Pastor Andy Schwartz)

Saturday we mostly stayed home. I had taken the kids off their allergy medicine a week or two ago since I was doing good without it and we had been out running every other day or so. The BBQ flared up Ric's allergies and he had drainage galore in his belly from overnight. Luckily after 2 times of throwing it up, he was back to normal. He slept for a couple hours on the couch in the early afternoon and still had no problems so I took the kids to the Fathoms O' Fun parade in downtown Port Orchard. The Navy Band played in it and I cried.I knew I shouldn't have talked about daddy to the kids, but luckily I had my sunglasses on and no one noticed, including my kids. Later I cried again when there were members of the military from around our area carrying banners of those who didn't get to come home to their families. The last time I cried was when the Submarine Vets went by...walking and on the first and second "floats". I was so proud of them in a way I am not proud of other military members (I am proud of them all, of course, there's just an additional proudness for Submariners). I wish I had some pictures from the parade on my iPad so I could upload them here...maybe another day I'll do a picture entry or something from it.

Today was a great day too. We went to church, like usual, sat with one set of adopted grandparents and fellowshipped after service. Once second service started I ran over to McDonalds to pick the kids up some lunch. Came back, sat with them while they ate then helped a bit in the nursery.

At 12:30PM the SWAT (Servants With A Testimony....our Teen Group) Mystery Dinner started. This is a really fun event they hold every year. This year it was a beach theme. The menu consisted of quite a few things...to name a few....Jellyfish (jello), Bait (gummy worms), Thing a ma jig (spoon), Catch of the Day (fishstick), Booty of a Pirate (Pirate's Booty), Trident (fork) and a few others. I don't have the menu in front of me anymore or I'd write them all down. There were 12 items and 4 courses. You had to figure out how to eat it all with what you ordered. If you didn't want to eat it, smuggled another item or opted to receive something to aid (or add to) your meal, you had to sing a song. If you were caught cheating, tattle tailed on someone not eating something, or knew of someone cheating but didn't say anything, you had to go to the mic and sing a nursery rhyme in pirate-ese. It was quite enjoyable.

In the middle of the dinner we were told to look for a golden coin under our chairs...if we had one, we won the chance to either keep the fish or give it to someone else. I won a fish...I was going to give it to someone else but my kids (of course) begged me to keep it regardless of me reminding them our cat would probably try to eat him. They continued to bed and I caved...so we now have a new member of the family.

Meet.....wait for it.....Barnafin Red

 Alaric didn't like the name Barnafin and wanted to name him Red so I said they both got their names and gave him a first and middle name. They seem happy with it and there was no more screaming from either of them when they both got their names chosen. Again, there is a better picture on my camera, but I haven't put those pictures on my iPad or the computer yet. I'm lazy...and it did just happen today.

So after the dinner we took Barnafin Red home so he wouldn't bake in the car while we were at WalMart. We then headed over there to buy him a new tank, some food, rocks and a shark to put in the tank (which I forgot to do). I also bought some special water to start him out in. I'll buy another bottle in a week or so when I clean his home. I do need to do some research to see if the gallon sized baby water is about the same as this stuff...if so...I'm totally buying baby water again.

Does anyone know if there is anything else I have to do for this thing? I haven't owned a fish since I was about 13...and my parents took care of everything except the feeding which whomever wanted to do it did.

After WalMart we went back to town to visit Best Buy for some new movies. We ended up getting 6...one for each kid and four for me and Josh (well one was Space Jam so it's technically for the kids). Now if only I could ever find a chance to actually WATCH these movies! I can't even keep up on my tv shows (especially when it's so hot outside and the kids are sleeping with me).

Tomorrow I am running again. I am going to die for two reasons. 1) the temperature (73-ish by 8:30AM!) and 2) we haven't run since Friday! EEK! My shin splints are going to make me cry again. I'm hoping Wednesday will be a little better. If it gets too warm that early in the morning (or even tomorrow if it's too hot for me) I think I'll pay to get us into the Y to use the track (I have a membership already so it won't break the bank at least!)

I'll let you know how it goes sometime! Have a great week y'all!

Stevie

C25K

So my friend Poe and I decided a couple weeks ago we would start doing the Couch 2 5K app. The main reason was to get ready for the Tough Mudder in Seattle in October. After looking more into the Tough Mudder, I knew I wouldn't be able to do that this year. I would be sicker than a dog and there is no way Josh would be able to help with the kids much while I was recovering...that's the Navy Life way of course! I have continued on in the journey of C25K with Poe regardless. I am enjoying myself, though it's really hard to push through with my shin splints.

I was doing good with it until just the past two runs. I don't know if it's the fact I'm pushing an extra 80 pounds, especially on uphills (albeit slight uphills), if I'm running wrong or what...but the muscles around my shins tend to seize up and cramp after about 20 seconds of running. I can push through to 90 seconds, but when I start walking after that, I have to stop to stretch more...no matter if I stretch extra well beforehand or not.

Today was extra hard for me. We are on W3D1 which is run 90, walk 90, run 3, walk 3 two times through. I got through about 90 seconds of the first run 3 and slowed down to a walk (I'm at a canter/jog anyway) I was in so much pain that I wanted to cry, but I pushed through and eventually started running for the last 30 seconds or so. After walking for 30 seconds or so after, I paused the workout and stretched a bit. I cried. Not only the muscles around the shin are cramping, my calf muscles are cramping. This happened last time too, but it didn't make me cry. I did a short stretch and started walking again because another of our friends stopped walking to wait for me. I ran part of the next 90 seconds, walked, ran a few seconds of the 3 minutes, walked, turned around and ran the rest of the 3 minutes (it was now downhill). When I started walking the last 3 minutes, tears were flowing. I got them stopped and wiped before anyone else caught up to me. Caralyn was so worried about me that she put my iPad down, turned around onto her knees and kept asking me "mommy...are you okay? Mommy...do you need help? Mommy...it'll be okay...we'll get through it! You can do it mommy!" She kissed my hand and sat back down to finish her movie.

About halfway through the cool down my shins and calves were feeling okay again. I'm sure it didn't help that I didn't wear my compression wraps, but it didn't help wearing them last time either. I need to go buy the compression sleeves but alas they're $40 and I don't have that kind of extra money right now.

We will be waiting until Monday (not something we like doing anymore) to do W3D2 because we are pretty busy on Sunday...and it will work out to not have to work out on the 4th of July which helps me since I am taking my munchkins to the zoo. It's our 2nd annual 4th of July tradition. I hope it goes as smoothly as it did last year. With them a year older I'm contemplating bringing the wagon instead of the stroller this year. I think I'll leave it up to them on the day of. We have the canopy for ours so it'll be good either way.

Well, I need to go get ready for the rest of my day. I just wanted to get this out before the kids woke up from their car nap. Hopefully I'll have something else to write about tonight! We shall see!

Stevie

Guilty Pleasures

Everybody has them...many of us have more than one (I know I do!)

I was able to indulge in one of mine today during my kids' quiet time. I truly didn't think they were ever going to get around to season three of this show...I feel like I've been waiting forever...and I already spoiled myself by saving 3 before I watched them. I couldn't save this one for another pile up. I HAD to watch it today. It's so bad that many times I have dreams of one Derek Hale in different scenarios. This happened when the actor (Tyler Hoechlin) was playing Martin in 7th Heaven too. He has only gotten more handsome with age.

                 

                          

Can anyone guess what this guilty pleasure is? Anyone? If you guessed Teen Wolf, you are correct! Congratulations! You win a huge ole AIR HUG!

                                 

I know...I am a 29 year old woman. I should not be watching this teenybopper show, but I can not get over how much I love it! I sometimes feel like a dirty old woman for liking it so much (I mean, most of the characters are portraying high school students!) and sometimes I think I'm in denial about how old I actually am. I certainly do not FEEL 29 most of the time. I barely feel like I'm out of high school even though it's been 11 years.

TV shows are what hold the majority of my guilty pleasures. Many of those shows are teenybopper shows. Some I really don't know why I watch them since I don't actually like them (well, I can think of one show this is true for anyway). Then there are those shows I started to watch because my husband is a total sci-fi nerd...and I've been converted and love them just as much or more than he does. I feel like a poser sometimes with these shows, but I can't help what I love.

Okay, I'm trailing off subject. I'm good at doing that. My train of thought isn't what it used to be. I'm thinking of doing a once a week (if I can even get myself to blog that much!) "Guilty Pleasure" blog post. If I can figure it out, maybe I'll start trying to do a link up for it. I know not many people read my blog at the moment, but hopefully if I start doing this regularly, that will change.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show? What category holds most of your guilty pleasures?

Stevie

*Note: These pictures are not mine. They are random pictures I found online and saved. If you are the owner of these, please let me know so I can link to you and give you credit for your work.