Sleeping Like a Baby

This is classic fetal position!!!

Rose Gardens

Wow, row after row after row of beautiful, sweet smelling roses! What a delightful way to spend a morning! Annalina smelled just about every variety!

Rose Garden Park

Richard and I took the lil kids to the HUGE Rose Garden playground the other day. They had never been there, and honestly I don't remember ever going there myself! The place is HUGE! There are lots of fun things to play on! The kids had a wonderful time playing. When they got their fill of play, we went on a small hike and ended up at the Rose Gardens, which I will post about next. Fun times!!

OMSI Fun

I remember as a child going to OMSI when it was up by the zoo. They moved into Portland years ago, but I had not seen the inside. Some friends gave us an OMSI membership as a gift and so Saturday we went to explore yet another part of Oregon I have neglected! It was so much fun. We had actually been to see an OMNI-Max show a few years back, but I have never had the pleasure to exploring the exhibits. The kids had a great time! We even got to see a planetarium show which bored the kids a bit since it was a live show, but hey, they are short! We look forward to going to see another show soon!
This was the kids favorite part of the Einstein Exhibit. Actually there was a lot of fun stuff to see, but the huge head was pretty cool.

I got pics of everyone as an astronaut, but I look the best(because my head takes up more of the hole)!

Our infrared family! Aren't we HOT!

Joseph was really into the bones and things....

And, as always, Annalina LOVED the critters!

With all of her past hearing problems, this exhibit was pretty interesting to Annalina!

I TRI-ED and I SUCCEEDED!!

I had many things going against me for my very first Triathlon at Blue Lake on July 31st. Some are far too personal to share. But I had determination, the support of my friends and family and I prayed and prayed to be able to do this! I can't begin to express the emotional roller coaster this has been! Aside from giving birth, this is probably one of the most difficult things I have done!

We got to Blue Lake early on Saturday morning. All my kids came along even though we had to leave at 6am. I had not slept well the night before. My stomach hurt, I woke up hot, then I woke up cold. I was sure I had food poisoning. I got up at 5am and started getting ready anyway. I was too nervous to eat or drink. I got checked in and headed over to the bike area. Renetta helped me set up my stuff and Megan handed me protein bars and water. We wore gold swimming caps and headed to the Lake. It was a cool morning and overcast. The water was warm compared to the air. We were the second to the last wave to get started. The air was electric with excitement. We were here and ready to go! We got into the water and after the countdown off we went! Melia and I hung back. I did not want to be kicked or hit so I stayed to the side. The water was very murky, so I could not swim free style like I normally do, that would have been too scary. I did the side stroke most of the way, alternating to back stroke when I got tired. A woman in our wave was struggling. I kept calling encouragement to her and I think that distracted me from my fear. I found that the swim was actually my favorite part! I came out onto the beach and there was my family cheering and waving at me! What a rush that was!

Transition to the bike was tough. But after a few minutes I was ready to go! The ride was beautiful, along the Columbia River. It was still overcast and cool, but it felt great! Renetta and Melia soon passed me. The cross winds were brutal and my legs soon began to ache. I did not now the route, but it was an out and back path, so people were coming back while I was on my way out. I kept watching for a purple helmet, knowing Megan was way up ahead of me. I can't tell you how good it felt to finally see her and have her tell me I was almost halfway there! Soon after Renetta and then Melia went by cheering me on! I was looking forward to the turn around so the wind would no longer be coming at me. I was wrong though, the wind was against us no matter which direction we went. The high point of the bike ride was being passed by a cute 70 year old lady! I hope I am still doing this at 70(and I hope I can pass a 37 year old)! I had a lot of time to think and to pray. I loved being able to pray to the Lord while I was struggling but seeing such beauty all around me. I was hurting in many ways and did not think I would be able to handle the 5K. Triathlon is such a personal sport, I was competing with myself only, just trying to finish. I loved how supportive the other women were. We would cheer each other on as we passed each other. I thought of how alone we are in this life. We can't really stop to help another along, we can only encourage and love one another and pray for strength for ourselves and those who are struggling.

As I made it back to the transition area, it felt like I was the last to come in. There was my family, all of them, and my sister Marella with Conrad, and my parents, and they were waving a Team Amy sign. I knew I could not quit. I dropped off my bike and headed for the 5K. The muscles in my legs that were hurting on the bike ride settled and I felt like I could complete my first triathlon after all! Again the 5K trail was out and back, so Megan, Renetta and Melia all passed me heading out. I came along the lake and knew I was almost back. There was Adrienne and Tim at a bend in the trail. Adrienne handed me her flip flop, a little joke since I had a dream that I had to carry a flip flop with me the whole tri. I carried it across the finish line. As I approached it, I heard my name and number being called over the loud speaker. And then there was my husband and my family! Renetta came up to me and placed my medallion around my neck. I had done it. I came across that finish line by myself, but I knew I was not alone.

My husband took hundreds of photos of me and my "teammates", sadly I did not get any with my family. I do not like most of the photos of me, however I look forward to comparing them to future Triathlon photos, you know, when I am a smokin' hot triathlete! In my division there were 131 people who finished. I was 128th. There were hundreds more in other waves, and probably only 10 people came in after me. It took me 2 hours and 34 minutes to complete the 1/4 mile swim, 12.5 mile bike ride and the5K. I am so happy I endured to the end and was able to finish. I am looking forward to doing this again and again! I want to thank my sister, my aunt, my children, my husband, my family for loving and supporting me and my Heavenly Father for hearing my prayers!!
If you click on this photo and make it bigger, you can see Megan and I waving at the camera!!

Tri-ing, really,really trying!!

This past Spring my Aunt and my sister talked me into Triathlon training. I must have been mentally imbalanced(and looking back, I truly was) to agree to this. But you have to start somewhere and sometimes it is best to just jump in and get going! I have often thought I would like to be a runner, but then thoughts of getting to a healthy weight would always stop me in my tracks. I once set a goal to run a 5K with Jake, but only when I was skinnier!! That day never came. Good news though, I still have time! I have been biking a lot this summer and have gone swimming a few times too! My left foot has been really bothering me, but I still have tried to get out walking when I can! I joined a "Biggest Loser" challenge with friends and have cut sugar from my diet. I am not dieting and carefully watching what I eat, but the weight is slowly coming off! Hmmmm...could training for a triathlon be the key to weight loss? It has become a way of life, one that I enjoy! My focus is on me, and that is not a bad thing! I take the kids to the park and they play while I walk/jog. We go biking as a family. The changes I am making are good for the whole family!

Renetta's stake is hosting a Triathlon in September so Megan and I signed up but decided that was too far off. We registered for the Blue Lake Triathlon on July 31st with Renetta and Melia, a friend of ours. I was having serious second thoughts. I have been anemic for the past few months and with my foot hurting I was thinking of holding off to do my first Tri in Monmouth. My dear sister told me I could do it. But did she really know that? I nap once or twice a day how can I make it through 2 and a half hours of heavy physical activity! My Aunt called me and explained something very important. She said,"Amy, you will be tired, you may not have the energy to finish and that is ok, you will be ahead of where you are today and the training you have done will show". I went to the Dr and he prescribed an anti-inflammatory for my foot. Within 24 hours, NO PAIN AT ALL!! I asked him if I should do this Triathlon, he told me to go for it. Well that was it. My last hope for backing out was my Dr's advice!

Still fear and doubt were my constant companions. I can swim a half mile, I can bike 12 miles and I can do a 5K. But can I do them all together?? I was afraid not. The week before Blue Lake, I decided to do a run through in Hillsboro, just to see if I could. I mapped out a 12 mile bike trail and a 5K walk. Renetta called to see if I wanted her to join me. She lives an hour and a half away and I did not want her to have to drive three hours just for me, so I told her not to come. But she insisted and I will be forever grateful for her being there for me. We met at the pool at 7am. We swam, I felt great, we rode and it was fun, then we walked and the feeling I got as we came around the corner back to the pool was amazing! I had done it! We had done it! I hugged my aunt like crazy, then drove home in tears! I was on a high for a couple hours, calling Richard and Megan to tell them I could do this!! Around 1pm I fell asleep. The kids came and went,and each time I woke up my body ached. At 3pm I was up and feeling great! I can do this!!

The next morning Megan, Melia and I headed out to Hagg Lake to try Lake Swimming, the last big hurdle in my mind! We were all nervous about swimming out in the open water! We got in and did it. It was a bit cold and the water was cloudy. It was not a comfortable, fun swim, but we did it! I am ready, we are ready! We can do this!!

What a difference a couple days can make!

I needed a break. It is summer time and things have been a bit crazy and I really just needed to go somewhere, away from it all, and enjoy myself! But without money for a room at the beach or somewhere else relaxing, I was at a loss as to where to go! I have been wanting to get down to Monmouth to visit my Aunt and Uncle so I asked, could we do a sleepover? Aunt Renetta said OF COURSE, come on down! So the two little ones and I set off on our adventure, starting with the drive through car wash! Joseph use to be terrified of it and honestly I don't think I have ever driven through one myself, so it was a fun new experience! We drove what seemed like forever to the kids(about 45 minutes) and stopped at Walmart in McMinnville. From there it was probably only about a half hour to Monmouth. It is a beautiful drive and the kids watched for animals along the way even getting to see some buffalo!

We got up to the door and Joseph knocked, and knocked and then knocked again! Then we heard Aunt Renetta cheering from inside the house! What a fun reception that was for the kids. She was so excited to see them and got them special juice drinks, made rice crispy treats and had all the makings for smores!

OK, time out for a moment! I am a mother. I am use to mothering my kids and making sure they are respectful and careful and not a bother to anyone else. My dear sweet Aunt made them feel right at home. Have you ever heard the words, "Don't worry if you spill your juice on the floor, its ok" or "you can eat in any room of the house, its fine with me"?? They have a beautiful new dining room set and I told Joseph to be careful playing with his cars on it, but Renetta said, "Don't worry about it". In her home, my kids were free to be kids and it felt so nice!

So it was probably the hottest week of the summer, it got up to 97 that first day. We took the kids down to the park and they played in the fountain.
Later we talked Uncle Rich into going with us to the Dallas aquatic center to swim! Renetta is helping me train for a Sprint Triathlon at the end of July, so she was teaching me techniques for lap swimming. I can swim fairly well, but had a lot to learn about endurance swimming and utilizing my energy efficiently! Uncle Rich stayed with the kids in the smaller pool and Renetta and I swam 20 laps together. I did it! It was hard, but I did do it! Annalina and Uncle Rich went down the water slide again and again and then Annalina swung into the pool on the rope swing and used the diving board. Joseph was pretty scared when he first got in the water. There is a big water feature and then a lazy river that makes the current in the small pool pretty strong. But by the time we joined them, he was floating in an inner tube, having a great time with Uncle Rich! It was soooo much fun to watch my kids having such a great time, and to be there with my Aunt and Uncle!

We had Pizza for dinner and Uncle Rich cooked it on the BBQ! There was much discussion on whether this would work, and the pizza did burn on the bottom, but it was SO good! I am tempted to try that next time we get a pizza!

Renetta, the kids and I slept out in the yard and Renetta and I stayed up until about 2am talking. I found that Renetta and I have so much in common! It was so nice to just chat freely with someone who loves me and understands me! I love my Auntie Renetta and I am so grateful to have her in my life!

The next morning Rich and Renetta took us bike riding around Monmouth, then the kids ran through the sprinklers while Renetta and I rode some more! Before heading home the kids talked Renetta and I into going back to the swimming pool. She took the kids so I could do some laps! I swam and swam and really wanted to get my 20 laps in. I was thinking a lap is down and back, so I was counting each length of the pool, but just had to quit at 30. I was so sad to have to go tell Renetta I could not do it on my own! 40 lengths was just too many for me! She laughed at me and explained I only needed to do 20 lengths! Yippee!! Not only had I done it on my own, I had overdone it by 10 laps! I feel confident that I can go the distance on the swimming part! Now to put it all together!!

We headed home from the swimming pool. The kids were exhausted and content after a fun couple days in Monmouth! I feel energized and ready to get back to life and its many challenges! Thank you Uncle Rich and Auntie Renetta for allowing us to come stay with you!

What kids value most....

So a couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking my two young ones on an adventure! I have been feeling the need to get away for a bit and was invited(or did I invite myself? Not really clear on that) to spend the night in Monmouth with my Aunt Renetta and Uncle Rich. While packing up I told each kid to put what they wanted to play with in their little backpacks and take it to the car. When we got there, this is what I found....
Joseph's bag had cars and monster trucks. And that was ALL he brought. There was tons more room in his bag, but he said he just wanted to bring his favorites.
Annalina's had animals, both beanie babies and littlest pet shop critters. Not surprising, but still very cute!!

Two things that keep me going.....

Celebrating Summer!!

Friday was a beautiful day here in our moist little part of Oregon! After rain, clouds and more rain, it was delightful to get out and spend some time in nature. I took the kids and met Megan and her kids and Marella and her kids at the 53rd Avenue Park, which is just a couple miles up the street from us. The highlight of this park is the water feature. The kids have a blast every time we go. Annalina and Joseph just adore being best buddies with their cousins Leila and Nathan. I had so much fun watching Conrad play. He entertained himself, jumping from step to step, then eating grapes. He is such a happy guy and I loved seeing how his big sister Britlee loved playing with him and chasing him around. She will be a fabulous mother someday! It was also fun to see Kathryn play in the water, never getting to close to the spraying, but splashing in puddles. She is adorable with her curly red hair!

It felt so good to be with my sisters. We talked and enjoyed each others company and this was something I needed very much. The sun was out but there was a nice breeze and we sat in the shade of a new little tree. Family and Nature, both reminders of the Lord's love for us! Getting to enjoy them both together was absolutely priceless!!


Conrad, catching some air!!

50% Chance of Rain...Taking that Risk!!

For my Birthday I got a beautiful new bike. She is named Ariel. We have been out and about a lot lately! I heard about the Banks to Vernonia trail, which is about 20 miles long and I have been wanting to try it for over a month now! It has been a VERY rainy Spring, so every time we have made plans to go ride, it has been raining. Well the forecast for today was beautiful, all week long! Then Friday it changed, to rainy! Just my luck! Early in the morning there was a 10 percent chance of rain, turning to 50% later. We decided to just go for it and got up and headed out. We invited the teens, but only Adrienne accepted our invitation and joined us. Jake's allergies have been bothering him, so I don't blame him for staying home!

We got on the trail at Manning and rode two and a half miles to Buxton where there is a long railroad trestle that crosses a meadow about 30 feet up. There was a slight incline most of the way and Joseph, with his small tires, was working really hard to get that far! After the trestle, we headed back, then stopped for a snack. The kids wanted to go back to the trestle one more time, so we went back and then had a beautiful downhill ride on the way back.

Now would be a good time to mention that Joseph is afraid of hills. Not huffing and puffing his way up, but going down them. The slightest decline and he hops off and walks his bike. We have been working really hard with him on going down simple slopes like from the sidewalk to the street. He has been improving, but heading back to the car I was worried he would walk the whole way back. He kept saying, "wow, it looks like a hill" and we would reply that all the trees made it look that way. So on he went! I was very proud of him. We were almost back to the car when he went over some gravel and fell pretty dramatically! He cried for a minute, then hopped back on the bike and off he went.

Adrienne and Annalina stayed together most of the time. Adrienne was armed with her new camera and took lots of beautiful pictures of our trip, which I have added below. It was such a beautiful morning and I had so much fun spending time with my family. We are going to try to get out as often as possible with the kids, staying active and enjoying nature!

Happy Graduation Miss Adrienne

My Adrienne has graduated from High School and we are so very proud of her! It was a beautiful day to graduate, the first sunny warm day in a long time! After graduation we went to her boyfriend Tim's house for photos and food. His mom is always so kind and generous to feed our family!

Later that night Adrienne headed out to the all night grad party with her friends. They were bused to the SW Portland Community Aquatic Center where they had a full night of friends, fun and food.

I have mixed emotions about Adrienne graduating. I can clearly remember her preschool graduation where she dressed up like an angel and sang to us. Can 18 years really have gone by? Have I prepared her for adulthood properly? I started thinking about this very seriously. Figuratively, I have packed her bags over the years, I have given her gifts as well as burdens. What I want most to do right now, is root through those bags and pull out all of the bad and replace it with good, solid advice for life. But as parents of teens know, that time is gone! Did I do enough? I felt some deep depression over this for a couple of days. Then I looked at Adrienne and I saw the strong young woman she has grown to be. I see how she loves her siblings and I see her willingness to serve me by helping out with them when she can. I see her continuing to take part in family activities even though she is not required to. I see her love and compassion for others and I see the great choices she is making in her life. I see how she has learned to work through difficult times and she does not give up. And I know I have done the best I could and she will be alright. I hope she will always feel comfortable talking to me about things and that I can still help to guide her. I know she now has the option to make her own choices, and I may not always agree with those, but I know that I will always love her. I love the adult she has grown into and I love having her around. Probably the main reason I have not completely broken down about her growing up is that she is still home with us. I am so grateful for that and will enjoy the time we have left with her before she ventures out on her own!

Happy Graduation Adrienne! We love you SO much!!

Tim and Adrienne

Grandpa & Grandma Frederick with Adrienne at Graduation
Graduation Family Photo

Our family with Tim's family celebrating Graduation
Post-graduation silliness!!!

Don't they look like the Verizon cell coverage stair step thingy?