I don’t know how many of y’all are familiar with the “rules” of the Air Force but one of them involves facial hair – basically, a man can have a mustache if it is well-groomed and doesn’t extend past the lips.
Not appropriate:
March was a bit different! The Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh threw down a challenge in February and issued an all-in Mustache March.
This tradition is in honor of a great Air Force pilot – Robin Olds. His mustache did not met the regs for the Air Force!!!
Robin Olds was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a “triple ace”, with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general.
Side-note – way back in May of 1996, Robin Olds was the speaker at Chris’ Pilot Training graduation ceremony!!!
So, Chris felt the need to participate!!!
pretty good!
However, he decided that just growing a mustache wasn’t quit enough. He wanted to look more like Robin Olds.
Pretty close, huh?!
Chris’ unit had a contest for the month and guess who won???? Yep – Chris was the winner by a landslide!!! Nice!
All I know is – I’m so glad that March is over and the mustache is GONE!!!!
much better!!!
It was a fun contest for the guys and I think Chris enjoyed participating but I was not at all sad to see the last of the mustache!!!
Only heard that a few 100 times this past month – the boys and Chris pretty much have the same warped sense of humor!!! Good times!!
Pretty much all bloggers know that you can have friends (really great ones even) that you might not have actually met in person.
There are times at dinner that I share a story and the boys say, “One of your bloggy friends?” YEP!!! They think it is sort of weird but they also know who I’m talking about when I refer to some of my bloggy friends by name.
I always wonder if I would recognize some of my bloggy friends if I saw them out somewhere! And, I wonder if they are the same in person as they seem to be on their blog. I think that I would recognize and know the majority of them!!
I have always tried to be 100% myself on this blog!!! I have many faults and imperfections and they are pretty much all part of who I am on the blog as well as in real life.
My hope is that if/when we meet you will feel like you know me because we have already been friends through our blogs!!!
Yesterday I met Susan (Sole Searching Mama) while she and her family were here in Topeka to watch one of her son’s wrestle in the state tournament. If you don’t know Susan, you really should head over and meet her. She is an amazing mom to 5 super cute/handsome boys and she is 30 weeks pregnant with their 6th child.
Hunter went with me since he wrestled back in the fall and it was so great to meet Susan and all of her family!!! She is exactly like I thought she would be!!! Susan and her entire family are beautiful and I’m super happy that we were able to meet in real life. (I didn’t take any pictures – just enjoyed the time chatting with her and watching wrestling!)
I know that many of y’all have met other blog friends at different conferences, races or just because. Were you surprised or was it like running into an old friend?
I hope that any time I meet a blog friend they think I’m exactly the same in person as I am on here!
I’m pretty much just me – all the time for better or worse!!!!
One thing I’ve never understood is the saying – “Break a leg.”
When someone runs a race, the last thing they want to hear is to break a leg or break anything other than maybe a record!!!
Apparently saying –
to an actor is bad luck!!!
It’s one of those things that I don’t totally get since acting has never been my thing but last night I told Jordan to “Break a Leg.”
He was in his first play – THE HOBBIT.
first appearance (green shirt)another role- hard to get pictures in the dark with my iPhone
I fail at being a stage mom – forgot my camera for the invited dress rehearsal – epic fail!
3rd rolefinally a non blurry picture
Jordan had 3 different roles and he was the opening voice (behind the scenes). He did a great job and it was fun to watch him try something new.
with some of his friends
I’m used to shouting good luck after all my days as an athlete and coach but I will gladly switch and say –
Have you ever been in a play/musical?
Do you know the reasoning behind “break a leg”?
(something to do with bowing and curtain calls is the best I could come up with)
I’m not posting about my daily 44s till the weekend but I will say that this week I have done some HARD ones – I picked a theme for the week (I’m all about trying new things these days!) and YIKES!!! I have been having to work really hard every morning!!!
From the time I started blogging, I wanted my blog to be fitness oriented. Fitness has been part of my life for years – definitely over half of my life and I like sharing a small part of it with others.
I think that it is important to find something you love and do it!!! For me that something happens to be –
I know that I have rambled on about all different kinds of things here over the past year and a half but every day always included at least a little bit of fitness in the form of my daily move!!!
Now I feel a little lost. I love this place that I have to write different stories and thoughts but I don’t want to lose sight of my true purpose.
And, maybe it doesn’t matter that much!! I read lots of blogs that fall into all different categories (lots of fitness ones, of course) and I enjoy the diversity.
Do you feel like your blog falls into a specific blogging niche?
How do you define yourself as a blogger?
I have never once put myself in the category of a Healthy Living Blog – I read a lot of blogs that definitely fall into this category but I fall short in way to many areas for this definition. But, I really do want to be a Fitness blogger!!!
OK – this feels wrong to start a post and not begin with my 44 but I’m going to try. On the weekend I will share the entire week of Daily 44s.
Mema’s 80th birthday party
For most of my life I was super blessed with the best role model any girl could ever wish for – my grandma (Mema).
this is how my grandparents “posed” most of the time
My grandmother taught me early on how much fun shopping was. She was an expert shopper! During all of that shopping she showed compassion to many people. No one was ever “beneath” Mema – she treated everyone equally and fairly!!
spring 1998
Mema believed that a woman should always be “put together” and that meant – dressed nicely, hair done and LIPSTICK. I have probably let her down in this area a lot – I love to be in workout wear and often skip makeup all together!!
even when she lost her sight she still looked at Poppa
Mema was very SOCIAL!!! She would talk to anyone and everyone about the most personal things. Many times I remember thinking that the lady at the Bealls counter or the cashier at the Chinese restaurant didn’t need to know quite so much about me but….
Poppa’s 94th birthday
Mema taught me how to be a “worker.” I spent many summers with my grandparents and I worked! I helped in the garden, did chores around the house and worked in the kitchen. Mema cooked like Paula Deen before anyone knew who Paula Deen was. If a little butter was good, a lot of butter was better!!! There was never a bad dish at my grandmothers!!
Even though we worked hard, we also rested. Every day after lunch we all would find a nice spot and nap (them) or read (me) for 30 minutes – I loved that time!
rest
My grandparents together taught me what true love is. I don’t think I ever heard either one of them say a cross word at or about the other. I know they didn’t always agree about things but they knew what was important – LOVE!!!
May 25, 1996 a few special words right before my wedding
Mema always had time for her family. I think that family was truly the most important thing in her world and we always knew it!!! I talked to Mema at least once a week from the time I went to college until the very end of her life.
2000
Mema loved her great grandkids. I know that even though she understood why we lived in Kansas, she always hated that we were so far away. I hope that my boys had enough time with Mema and Poppa to know how very special they both were!!!
Mema couldn’t see much by this time but she was still studying Hunter!!
Mema taught me that you didn’t have to be musical to appreciate good music. I think I got my musical ability from her (none!!) but I still love to listen to music. She would have loved hearing the boys play their instruments!!
listening even when she couldn’t see
In the last few years of her life, Mema taught me so many lessons!! She taught me that no matter how hard life becomes and no matter what comes your way, you just have to stay strong in your faith.
I feel sure that Mema was making sure Poppa was “eating right” (her way!)
I think that Mema is the one who taught me the art of making sure that people do things the “right” way!!! She was good at convincing Poppa to eat certain things or not eat them. I think really it all just goes back to the complete love they had for each other!!
Mema and Poppa loved to travel and went to many places and many different countries over the years. Even with traveling though, Mema taught me that home was always the best place to be. I still feel that way!!
this picture was after Mema had bypass surgery – I went down for a week to help take care of her
Losing her sight was hard!! (She had macular degeneration.) I know that it frustrated her to not be able to see her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. Yet, she rarely complained. In fact, I don’t think I ever really heard her complain even during the last 2 years when I know that she was unhappy because she wanted to be home with Poppa instead of in a nursing home.
always joy!!
I remember watching Mema open a gift and be able to figure out what it was even without seeing it!!!
fun!!
Even in the nursing home, Mema tried to show her family a good time. It wasn’t quite the entertaining that she used to do. That is another thing she taught me – how to be a good host. She was an incredible hostess and nothing made her happier than having a large group of friends and/or family to feed and entertain!!
January 2011Mema & Poppa with Aunt Jackiethe last good visit I had with Mema
I was fortunate to have Mema in my life as many years as I did. I was 41 when she died. (February 6, 2011) Thankfully, I was able to go down in late January of 2011 and then I went down again in early February.
2011
I spent the last 2 days and nights of Mema’s life with her and held her hand when she took her very last breath. I applied some of the lessons she had taught me over the years and just let her know how very much I loved her and always would!!!
2001 (Sam & Stacy’s wedding)
I have missed my grandma every day for just over 3 years. Today would have been her 88th birthday!!! Happy Birthday, Mema – I will always love you!!!
I hope that at the end of my life I can look back and be able to know that I made Mema proud!!!
Who is your biggest role model?
What lessons did you learn from them?
Only heard that a few 100 times this past month – the boys and Chris pretty much have the same warped sense of humor!!! Good times!!
