Swimming Update!!!!

Hello everyone!
I know it has been awhile but I thought I would update you on how I am doing with my Swimming.

Well as you all know back in January I started taking swimming lessons. I continued taking them until the end of May.
A couple times this summer I went and swam at Bally's as I am working towards improving my health.
Back when I started in January my thought/goal was that I would master my fear of swimming and then when School started in the Fall I would reactivate my Bally's membership and then I would get up early and go swim before I go to work.

DRUM ROLL!!!!
This week was my first complete week of waking early, swimming and then going to work.

I DID IT!!!!!!

It feels good to be active, I am definitely more alert during 1st period.
I am now able to swim 100 yards without stopping.


Now on to the picture.

Last night sai had a sleepover party and so me and MJ went out.
We hit happy hour PERFECTLY!!
Then we went and sat one her back porch and chatted until late.
It was so great to just sit and relax.
Ahhh... Life is definitely good.
:)

Our newest pet

I found our newest resident in our yard today
her/his name is now skyler and hopefully will
stay with us longer.

The zucchini plant is becoming a monster next
thing we know it will be eating max.

We visited Teresa's grave while we were in
utah.

Our newest plant happens to be a bannana and
lemon yellow mushroom and is shareing a pot with
our palm tree.

This update was posted by sai. Stay happy :)!

P.S. This is my third official day of middle school!

My Back Yard update

Over memorial Day weekend I landscaped my back area.
5-29-09

7-1-09

I can't wait to eat my yummy zuchini...

My Lilac 5-29-09 7-1-09
My Pond 5-29-09
I have made some additions to my pond since May.
I added spitting turtles.

My pond pumps are completely run on Solar power. :)
I am so happy about being able to do this.

Water Lily
7-1-09

Max loves hanging out on the back porch.

My zuchini plant is taking over. I have removed two of the original four plants. It is VERY happy out there. :)

Walking in the Park

Today was Sai's first day back for Swim Team practice. So while she swam Max and I walked around the lake that is across the street from where she practices. It was a nice day, not too hot, but still warm enough to enjoy the walk.

Sai also had an orthodontist appointment so I thought I would take a progress picture.

February 11, 2009

Today

My new cell phone

Today Sai and I went for a bike ride to Cold stone to redeem our birthday coupons for free ice cream. Yum Yum!!

On our way back Sai wanted to stop at a playground, she likes the slide because it is really slick.

While she played, I settled down on the grass in the shade.

This was my view, as I lay on the grass.

This picture and the picture below where both taken with my cell phone. I have to admit I am pretty impressed with these pictures, especially because they are from a cell phone. The pictures at the golf course where also from my cell phone. We took Max for a walk around Eastlake it was pretty.

There were 8 little ducklings swimming here, but they disappeared before I got my phone out.

This is a picture of the mountains as we were leaving Walmart the other day. This was taken with a cheap kodak camera that cost under $100. It is the one that I keep in my purse.

Sadly, I didn't have my great rebel XTI camera or you would be looking at an even cooler picture.

Adventureland Golf

Today we went to Adventureland MiniGolf.

It was really fun, they have very creative courses.Sai even wrestled an extremely large lizard creature.

Check out this elaborate pond with alligators!!!

June 1st

This day was Sai's 12th birthday.

It was ironic when I took out the dog in the morning that this is what I saw.

This young robin was sitting on my flower pot, resting as it was clear it was his first day of flying.

It's mommy was sitting in a near by tree, watching out for any dangers.

As I came out to take my pictures, I scared off the neighbor's fluffy white kitty.

Removing one of the many dangers facing this young bird.

Mommy bird was chirping lots at me as I took pictures of her baby.
Eventually, baby bird took to flight, it was shaky, and the attempt to land on the railing of the fence was not gracefully, but the baby did safely land in the grass.

Which leads to the irony.

I often feel like the mommy bird, staying up in a tree, watching as my young bird spreads her wings and enters the world filled with fluffly white kittens, and not so graceful fence landings.

It is...really hard, but at the same time very exciting watching my little bird take flight.

For her birthday, Sai wanted to take her two best friends to the Melting Pot for her birthday.
So we all dressed up, did our hair and went to a fancy dinner.
It was fun!

Updates!

Just thought I would do a quick update. Yes, I am procrastinating writing my World of Work final and tallying student hours worked. I just need a "Quick" break. :) I just have to stay off of facebook, or I will never get to bed.Recently, Sai and I went to the School District's High School and Middle School Art Show at Front Range Community College. Sai had a piece of her Art work in it. :)

This picture is entitled "The Crane" because there is actually a picture of a crane in there. This picture doesn't do it justice, I can't wait to get it home and framed along with her other art work. I already have a frame for it. :)

Swimming Lesson Update...

Well, I have now been taking swimming lessons since January, and I can proudly say, I am mastering this most troublesome task. My swim teacher laughs at me because when I am doing the breaststroke and I enter the deep end I lose all ability to do my "airplane, chicken, solider" correctly, and do random flutter kicks with erratic attempts at the correct kick. This some what frustrates me because I really want to beat my anxiety, but watching the deep end approach and then fall below me, is obviously still a source of anxiety. Although my freestyle does not turn into erratic panic. I can actually do that now without stopping in panic. So I have hope for my breaststroke. :)

Just a note about my bathing suit. I love it! I remember having a pair of pants that looked very similar to it when I was in High School. Problem was I only wore them twice, because this COMPLETE bitch had the SAME pants and we wore them on the SAME day. OMG!!!

She threatened to beat me up if I ever wore them again. So due to fear, they hung in my closet for a long time. Oh... to go back and just wear those awesome orange pants again, even if she did beat me up. ;)

Random Thoughts

These are water drops on my bathroom ceiling. While I was showering this evening I splashed water up there. OOPS!! The first thing that popped in my head was... "Crap, now I am going to get mold." As I finished my shower, I realized... "Ha!!! I don't live in Washington, no mold for me!" :)
I was hoping to get to watch them drop, but no they had to evaporate before they would let that happen. grhhh, argh!

Spring Break!!!

For spring Break Sai and I went to Orlando, Florida. And spent some quality time at Disney World. The first night we hit the Magic Kingdom!

We stayed there until after 1 am.

We were Very Exhausted!!!

Sai at Epcot.

Sai at the Animal Kingdom.

Waiting in Line to Ride Fast Track. This was one of our favorite rides at Epcot.

A hug from a chipmunk!

Our last day at the Magic Kingdom.

The Mad Hatter Ride! Ugh...That is one ride that always makes mw feel ill.Catching the Magical Express back to the airport.

We enjoyed beautiful warm weather, to come home to snow!!!
BRRRRRRR!!!!

2 Days in a Row!!! The Crowd goes wild!!

MARCO....
POLO....

Sai recently did a research project for school on Marco Polo. The final project was to be a map of an explorers travels.

Here are a couple of pictures of her map.

She used baked clay as montains, glued sand in the desert areas and used colored Spaghetti noodles to mark his journey from Italy to China and then back.

Why spaghetti, well, Marco Polo was actually the person who brought pasta to Italy from China.

Yes, Pasta originated in China. :)

Thomas Jefferson brought pasta to America from Italy.

The sea monster in the corner is actually one of the monsters Marco Polo claimed to see on his journey.

It was a fun project. Projects are definitely her favorite.

Oh, I forgot to mention that her map, is almost the size of my table. :)

For Claudia :)

It seems that time has passed by very quickly and I have yet again fallen behind on my blog.

As per, several requests, from an unnamed source, for new stuff, here is a sampling of the stuff going on in our lives.

After many "disagreements" about what "brushed" hair should look like Sai got her hair "trimmed"

Sai also had her layer it. So it ultimately ended up a little shorter.
She loves it!
"It is SOOOO much easier to take care of"
Why do children ever doubt their parents?

:)

Here are some pictures from March's swim meet.

She took first place in the 25 freestyle. :)


I was finally able to take a sequence of pictures while she was doing a flip turn.

I'm not sure she appreciates it, I think it is cool. :)