Random Thoughts During a Wednesday Morning Drive

Today for my 43 I did a move that I should be doing much more  frequently – the Clam.  This move is great for your butt and hips and requires no equipment.  

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QTG8AOJ9wA’]

Obviously that isn’t me in the video – I just used a video from YouTube because I was too tired last night when we got to the hotel to make a demo.  I really  did do the move this morning, though – 43 right side and 43 left side.

This is one of those moves that is all about control – it should be a slow movement and even though you might not feel anything for the first few, after about 10 you will definitely feel this one!!!

And, because we are still driving today (only about 8 hours left!!) I didn’t do anything else.  I will be ready to get back to my normal workout routine for sure!!

#1  I’m loving the WiFi Hotspot for the long drive – today it is a weak signal and very slow so I’m skipping pictures because it is taking WAY TOO LONG!!

#2  The drive home is going by quicker than the drive to Florida – HOORAY!!!

#3  Traveling is much easier now that the boys are older – they actually sleep some in the car and they are old enough to entertain themselves  (even though sometimes that means hours of one of them saying the same thing over & over & over & over & over…..)

#4  I’m ready to start cooking again – looking through recipes and trying new things!!!

#5  Truck drivers aren’t always the most considerate – I can’t count how many times one has pulled out in front of us to pass a truck or 3 and there is really no need other than it is a great way to slow us down!!

#6  I’m glad that the rain and cooler temps that have taken over the midwest for the past week or so didn’t affect us in Florida!!

#7  Sad that I need a blanket in the car!!

#8  Traveling with 3 boys means that sometimes the car stinks!!

#9  Pretty sure next time we go anywhere over an 8-10 hour drive we will FLY!!!

#10  I CAN’T WAIT TO BE HOME!!!  As great as our vacation was and as much as I love the beach, there is no place better than home!!!

What are your random thoughts today?

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim

A Final Recap

Today’s 43 was nice and easy!!!  I worked my obliques with a side crunch.

start
start
crunch
crunch

You can tell that I didn’t even bother with shoes – trying to save time at 5:00am so that I could get ready to begin the long drive home!!!

Of course, I had to do 2 sets of 43 – one on each side!!!

Last Day!!
Last Day!!

I’m pretty sure that we squeezed every minute out of this vacation that we could!!  Now, all that is left is the drive home (22 hours!).  Hopefully we can find the last 10 states we need to find all 50 state license plates!

During the past number of days we have all had a great time!!  Some of the high-lights:

*  Jordan & Hunter and the 2 Page boys logged approximately 150 hours of gaming on their phones/iPads/iPods

Game Time
Game Time

*  My grandpa went into the hospital the day we arrived in Florida.  He had a heart attack and after an EKG, DRs said his heart is only operating at 15%.  He won’t have surgery though – too risky at his age (98).

Poppa
Poppa

*  Chris had a weird allergic reaction – big red welts (like 3 inches in diameter) on both arms plus more on his torso.  Thankfully, a trip to minor med, a prescription for a steroid of some sort and he is good as new!!

*  Hunter got his first ever ear infection (at age 12!).  Saturday he went under water, came up crying because his ear hurt so bad – another trip to the minor med, another prescription and no more swimming for him for the rest of the trip!

*  The beach running is really hard on my Achilles!!

left Achilles is swollen
left Achilles is swollen and hurts

*  I saw way too much crack on the beach.Screen shot 2013-07-30 at 6.55.59 AMNot kidding, I saw one lady every single day who walked around in a tiny bikini that only covered about 1/2 her butt – not a good look EVER!!!

*  Of course, no beach trip is complete without at least one good Speedo sighting – 

yep - totally snapped a picture when he walked by!
yep – totally snapped a picture when he walked by!

*  I managed to get 1 (and only 1) picture of all 4 of us the day we dressed up for Daryl’s retirement ceremony.Jordan, Hunter, Kim, Chris

*  There was plenty of time enjoying the beach!!

Florida

Florida

Florida

 

*  Lots of beauty all around!

sunrise
sunrise
cool bridge over the bag
cool bridge over the bay

*  We enjoyed lots of fun times with some great friends – the Keens who flew in at the beginning of our vacation and the Pages who live in Florida now!

*  Our Florida vacation 2013 has been a truly great time full of lots of memories!  With the driving (a total of 4 days) and 9 full days in Florida, this trip has been a long break!

*  2 days in the car and we will be more than ready to be back home and back to reality!!!

Where is your favorite vacation destination?
How long do you like to be on vacation?

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

Last Day in Paradise

Today I used my band again for my 43.  I did a bicep curl while in a V-sit position.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3KdK7gLSFM’]

I love moves like this because not only am I working my biceps but also my entire core so it is a double bonus!!

And since this is our last day here in Florida, I took advantage of the beach for another hot, steamy run!!  4 miles – 32:33 + 0.5 miles cool down  – I actually ran the last 2 miles much faster than the first 2 but I was really having to work hard – the humidity just sucks the energy out of me!!!

Screen shot 2013-07-29 at 8.27.03 AMToday is our last day before we start the LONG drive home and I plan to enjoy every second of it!!!  For me that means plenty of time on the beach doing my favorite thing:Beach

For the boys, it probably means more time hanging out with their buddies (the Page boys) playing games on their phones/iPads:

really?
really?

Notice how Chris is right there in the mix with them?!  The other day I walked in from the beach and the little video below is what I saw!  Crazy!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tebgl-EEi3Y’]

Last night we got some great sunset pictures on the beach.

Florida

 

I love all the variety in the colors.  All of those pictures were taken in a 20-30 minute window but they are all so different!

Florida

 

Fun with friends!!

Florida

 

So, I’m off to enjoy my version of paradise!

same type shot - different day
same type of shot – different day

Happy Monday!!!

Kim

Life Isn’t Always Sunshine but I Love it Anyway

Today’s 43 was one that I’ve never tried but need to do more often.  It was a front wall squat.  I need lots more practice because I can’t go down very far without toppling over.

Start with your toes against the wall – 

start
start

(you can barely see me – the bright light worked against the picture but too late now!!)

Slide down into a squat keeping your knees and hands against (or near) the wall –

slide down
slide down

You can tell from the picture (barely) that I couldn’t even get down to 90 degrees – so a good 43 but one that definitely needs work!  I liked the fact that performing this type of squat added in a balance challenge!

And, because we actually slept in a little, I decided to keep my workout inside because the humidity is killing me when I run here.  I did Turbo Fire – Sculpt 30.  This was a great workout today since I haven’t gotten much strength work this week!! You  use the Turbo Fire band 

Turbo Fire Band
Turbo Fire Band

for a full body strength workout!!

love the sunshin
love the sunshine

For the past week, it has been easy to love life – because we’ve been at the beach (2 more days!!!)! And, I’m pretty sure that by now it is a well established fact that the beach is my true HAPPY PLACE!!!

Life is perfect here!!
Life is perfect here!!

However, in my “real life” back home in Kansas, life isn’t always sunny!!  There are days that look a lot like this –

grey
grey

And, some days are just kind of drippy!Screen shot 2013-07-28 at 9.19.39 AMHowever, I can finally say that no matter what the weather and other circumstances that come along  –  I LOVE MY LIFE!!!

That hasn’t always been the case!  In high school, I think I just existed.  I loved running track and I enjoyed school but the rest of it was just something to be survived.

College was 4 years of fun even though I worked hard to maintain a track and academic scholarship and then added in a job my senior year.  But, I still wasn’t completely at peace with myself.

I spent a number of years trying to find happiness through other people instead of looking for it inside of myself.  

Screen shot 2013-07-28 at 9.33.33 AMI thought that the people I surrounded myself and hung out with controlled my happiness.

I even struggled when we had kids – I thought that being a Mom should make me happy all the time – that kids meant sunshine 100% of the time!!!

Screen shot 2013-07-28 at 9.16.40 AMSo, it has taken 43 years to finally get to the point where I am completely content during the sunny times and the not so sunny times.

And, as long as I know that there is always time at the beach to look forward to, my life is full of sunshine!!

sunset with cloud cover
sunset with cloud cover 

Do you love your life in all types of weather or just during the sunny/happy times?

Happy Sunday!!

Kim

A Retirement Tribute

Today for my 43 I worked my abs (silly since the rest of my workout was very ab/core heavy!!).  I used my band – 

Turbo Fire Band
Turbo Fire Band

With the band – I did a bicycle counting a right twist and a left twist as 1 rep.  The resistance of the band adds a nice little extra to the standard bicycle crunch.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZZS5XrQhEw’]

After that, I did my 3rd round of the Climbing Everest challenge (from Taylor @ Lifting Revolution).  Today instead of doing 1000 total reps, I did 1500.  Instead of 7 sets of 100 mountain climbers, I did 7 sets of 150.  And the 6 other moves that are normally 50, I made 75.  Yikes – that really made this a difficult workout!!  

Tuesday – 1000 reps – 14:13
Thursday – 1000 reps – 12:23
Saturday – 1500 reps – 19:13

Yesterday was not a beach day – we had much better things today!!

Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.31.09 AMThe main reason that we picked Bradenton Beach, FL for our vacation this year was because some of our long-time friends recently moved here and yesterday was DP’s retirement from the Air Force. Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.30.50 AM

We first met the Page family when Chris and DP were in pilot training together in Lubbock, TX.  They started off flying the T-37 Tweet – Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.32.26 AM

The next plane that they both flew was the T-1.  They were both planning to be “heavy” pilots (not fighter pilots).Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.33.52 AM

After Pilot Training, the Pages moved to Oklahoma and DP flew the E-3 AWACS – Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.35.11 AM

Later in his career, he flew the RC-135 (an air refueler – Chris flies the KC-135) – 

the 135 is the gray one in the middle
the 135 is the gray one in the middle

For 22 years, DP has served our country!  He has been deployed numerous times and has been involved in 1000s of missions  both during war-time and peace-time.  

DP
DP

Screen shot 2013-07-27 at 8.20.38 AM

The retirement was a great time to honor DP and for him to share about the family and friends that have supported he and his family during his career.

Throughout DP’s incredible military career, his wife (Erica) has been the most supportive military wife possible.  She has survived numerous deployments, moves all over the place (even other countries), raised their 2 boys (often as a single mom) and done it all without ever complaining!!!Daryl & Erica

The Page family is a true example of a family that has given themselves 100% to our country!!!DSCN3611

Plus, they are just amazing people!!  They are the kind of friends that if you need something (anything)  you call them!  We have taken several trips to Hawaii with them, visited their home and hosted them in our home – every time we are together is always a fun experience and plenty of great memories are created.  (It helps that their 2 boys and our 2 are close in age and all get along!)

Congratulations DP & Erica!!  We are proud to be your friends and love all of the times we have shared together!!!  We’re looking forward to tons of new memories (on the beach!!)!

Happy Saturday!

Kim