thefrinkydinks everyday: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

I Learned to Swing!!

This afternoon Zach taught himself how to swing!

He has been inside all day because Elissa was home sick. He finally decided that he was going to go outside and play around 3:30p. He was playing on the deck for awhile and then out of the corner of my eye I see that he is on the swing. I look over and realize that he is pumping and making himself swing.

I grab my camera and go outside and he is yelling at me, "Mom, I learned to swing today!" Then he is yelling, "This is so cool! I can swing! Woo Hoo!!" Some of our neighbors were walking by and laughing and smiling. He was SO proud of himself!

It was so fun watching him be so excited and proud of himself.

It was just the sweetest moment.

A Fish Named Zachary

Saturday, 1-29-11

Zach is becoming quite a fish.

He is using his arms to swim much more often.

He is still afraid of the back float. I need to work with him on that.

We are enjoying our Saturday's at the Y.

Getting ready to push off.

He is off!

Look at him go!

Number 1!

And now back...

Use those arms!

Finished!

Now the back float

Oops, going under!

Another good lesson!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

10K #1

COMPLETED!

They didn't get me running across the finish line. I guess it took me to long. :-) But here I am making the turn at 5k (3rd person back).

Darin and I signed up for a 3 - 10K (6.2 miles) race series through Fitness for Vitality. This was the first, then the 2nd is at the end of February and the 3rd the end of March. This series is at Seward Park. It is nice because you get to run the same course and try to improve each time.

This is the longest I have ran since the half marathon on 11/28. I have only been running 1 or 2 times a week, so I wasn't feeling totally prepared.

Darin has been running less then me, so he wasn't feeling at all prepared.
(And he had to take a bathroom break in the middle of the run)

And the fact that we were at his work party until late last night.

Do you believe our excuses?? :-)

Our official times:
Heather                          Darin
1hr 08min                      55:50 min
11:02 pace                     9:01 pace
Women's Place/Overall             Men's Place/Overall
46/78                         28/45
92 10k runners overall
57 Women
35 Men
Sobering numbers.......

We didn't want to make it too hard for us to improve over the series. :-)

And I have to admit that a speed walker beat me. I have got to beat her next time! LOL!

*******

I retired my first pair of running shoes @ 330+ miles.

And I got these pretty new ones. I've put 10 miles on them.

Happy WhAt??!!

40th Chrissy Stafford!!

(A trio of creme brulee - vanilla bean, grand marnier & rich chocolate - YUM!)

And you look oh so FABULOUS!!

Amy Jo, Amy and I had a fun evening planned to celebrate Chrissy's 40th.

Thursday we met at Kent Station and started the evening with a little coffee and Amy Jo brought us some festive decorations - glowing princess rings & a "Birthday Girl" headband for Chrissy. :-)

(Amy got all the great photos. Here are just a few that I got.)

Then we were off to Palisade Restaurant!

It was quite an adventure getting to the restaurant. We all got in my car. I had programmed my GPS with the address and hoped that it wouuld get us there. I really had no idea how to get there. When we were on I-5 it wanted us to get off at an early exit and we decided not to follow it. So it recalculated. Then we got off at Seneca and it was a fiasco. The thing wouldn't talk to me enough or say which street we were going to turn on. I'm sure it is an operator error because I really have no idea how to use it. We missed a turn and then tried to get back on track and have it recalculate. It kept telling us to turn right when we thought we should be turning left. So then Amy Jo got her GPS out and it was then telling us different instructions, but still wanting us to turn right (maybe we should have turned right). I finally decided just to follow my GPS and just when I thought it had taken us to a dead end, there was the restaurant. It is located on the water, but kind of tucked away. It was a "fun" adventure!

We were there a little early, so we got a glass of wine (which I needed after that stressful drive) and toasted to Chrissy and her 40th birthday. We pray that her next 40yrs are even more blessed!

We had a nice table overlooking the marina. It would have been a beautiful picture during the day.

We got MANY compliments on our glowing rings and Chrissy's headband. :-)

We got Chrissy a hand painted wine glass that we also wrote our own little messages to her.

I picked it up, so I had time to think about mine.
"You are a blessing! Prv 18:24 (NLT) Love you, Heather"
(and yes, the version was important LOL!)
"There are 'friends' that destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."
Of course, Chrissy is the latter.

We have another gift for Chrissy, but unfortunately it didn't arrive on time. Oh well, I guess we have to meet again. :-)
The food was SO good!

We started with macadamia nut crusted brie.
I won't post the picture of Amy thoroughly enjoying hers. LOL!

Our dinners were to die for!

Can you tell?!

This is my meal below. I took a bite of the salmon and barely was able to swallow (I'm not a fish eater, but I try). The girls finished it up for me! :-)

Then when we were finally ready to leave, we walked outside and my car was waiting for us. I was all prepared to give them my ticket, but they had already figured out we were coming. It sounds funny, but we were all in shock and trying to figure out how they did it. It was funny.

It was such a wonderful evening! We had so much fun recalling funny stories and catching up on current events. I really cannot believe that we are to the age that one of us is forty (me next year - we won't mention the young'uns). It sounds so old, but we feel so young - and look it too!! :-) I now understand the saying, "you're only as old as you feel." I think you have to be old to get it. LOL!

I'm so thankful to have these wonderful life-long friends to share this adventure with (and so glad that Chrissy gets to pave the road for us! hee, hee). I'm so looking forward to the stories we will be recalling in another 40 years!

Here's to you, Chrissy!

Happy 40th!

Enjoy and Embrace this Fabulous Day!!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Community Helpers

Tuesday, 1-25-11

Zach learned at preschool that his community helpers are doctors, police officers and fire fighters.

Tuesday we got to go to the Bonney Lake Fire Station for a tour.

To say that Zach was excited would be an understatement!

The 3 amigos!

Christian, Brady & Zach

They got a tour of where the fire fighters eat, live and sleep

Zach got to push the button that turns on all the kitchen appliances.

When the fire fighters get a call, all of their appliances are automatically shut off to prevent an accidental fire.

This is one of the dorm rooms.

Instead of using bedding, they each bring their own sleeping bag.

The kids are looking up at the light, which is red, when it comes on in the middle of the night if they get a call. They don't want blinding light when they wake up. :-)

Then they each got to look at "the pole". They looked down the pole and then went downstairs to wait for a fire fighter to come down it.

Oooooh......Aaaaaaahhhh

They are dying with excitement.

And here he is!!

Zach excitedly exclaimed, "I'm next!"

Then Fire Fighter John was showing them how he is the same nice guy with his gear on and not to be afraid if a fire fighter comes up to you with all his gear on.