Georgia on my mind...

So tomorrow morning we take off for vacation...
I'm excited because we get to spend some quality time with some of the most amazing people we have been blessed to know...

It will be fun to return to Calhoun...We lived there for 4 years  It is where I ~

• formed amazing friendships

• I began my teaching career
• Bought my second Jeep

• Got my first Golden Retriever (Cassie)

• Had our first child

While it was NO secret that I wanted to move back to the NW ASAP while living there God blessed us with amazing friendships, an awesome church family and many fun opportunities.

The boys have not been back to Calhoun for 12 years! (Ty -2 Josh- 5!)

Awwww - look how little they were!

 Jeff and I went back for one of our dear friends funerals in 2004 so it has been a long time since we have gone back to just enjoy...and yes...I'm utterly aware that it will be HOT...

Last night Jeff was telling me that he was going to pack jeans and did he need to bring a jacket in case of rain...I just looked at him as if he had lost his mind...then he laughed and said "maybe its like childbirth...you forget the pain!" 

So we are off to "hotlanta" and we will be taking a trip up to Music City Nashville to see the relatives and show Ty the music scene.

Happy Summer!

Frychik

Summers here and I'm ready...

Last week it FINALLY felt like summer!

We had two pool trips and after a scare with the boat not starting...(my husband was a mechanical wizard and fixed it!) we FINALLY got out on the lake!

Josh was gone to camp for the week so Ty enjoyed being an only child and we had his friend around to keep him entertained...

We got the boat out Wed night and put in at around 8pm (traffic has been awful for Jeff :() The water was flat...the air was warm and I began wondering if I should try to ski...But first you need to know some of the back story...

Almost exactly a year ago we went to Priest Lake, Idaho for our family vacation. It was a fabulous, cabin, lake, vacation! However, while there I tried to ski and it was a disaster! I was an all time high weight wise so I was thankful that we didn't know anybody else in Idaho as my attire was decidedly not covering my larger than they should be "assets"

I love to ski and planned on skiing every day of our vacation...I hated putting on the wetsuit, it was a long process of pulling and tugging and squishing and squashing...it was exhausting and humiliating...this was difficult not because the wetsuit was small...it was PLENTY big...I was just BIGGER.

After getting suited up I was in the water ready to go and for the first time since learning to ski I could not get up...to put it bluntly my arms were not strong enough to pull my fat ass out of the water! I was in tears...it was an all time low and that evening Jeff and I sat on the dock and made a commitment to a healthier lifestyle...

I didn't ski anymore that summer and now a year later I was wondering how much tugging would be needed to get the wetsuit on in front of 4 teenage boys...and if I would be able to get up on my ski...

Jeff had already skied...he popped up and stayed up longer than ever, having that silly grin on his face...the boys had tubed....the sun was gone...if I was going to do it I had to do it NOW!

I grabbed the wetsuit and pulled it on EFFORTLESSLY!!!!  and then eased my way into the refreshing waters of Yale Lake...

My first attempt up involved drinking a lot of lake water and doing my best imitation of a seal cough but the second time I was up and I felt strong. My legs were much stronger thanks to all the biking and it felt amazing.  It felt amazing to see in such a clear way the difference a year of hard work could make.

When I let go of the rope and sank down into the water I was so excited!
It was so worth it!
Having a healthy body is such a gift one I appreciate more and more as I get older and worry about what I may not be able to do...

Frychik

I think I can...

Several weeks back my bro-in-law called and proposed a bike ride...
He is a HARD CORE biker!
He has ridden up Mt. Rainer and averages 100 miles a week...

Needless to say I was INTIMIDATED!

But he is a nice guy and he knew who he was inviting so "we" (Jeff) said yes.

The proposed route was to ride West from The Dalles to Hood River - which sounded pretty flat...

We decided to have a mini getaway and after ditching the kids on Sat. we headed to the Gorge. After many stops along the way we eventually ended up on the road we would be biking...I had decided to ease my fears it would be best if I saw the road we would be riding before we actually did it...then I wondered if that was a mistake?!

It was decidedly NOT flat! This is a picture of what would be our first climb out of The Dalles...2.3 miles of switchbacks. I have NEVER done any climbing like this...

There would be another 3 mile climb and many other "shorter" climbs in the 43 miles we would be riding. But my brain settled on this first climb...7 miles into the ride I would have to tackle this hill...I began concocting excuses reasons why I should stay behind and send the boys on the ride without me

1. It would be good brother bonding time

2. I would just slow them down they would have more fun

3. Somebody really should have a car in case of a flat or some other "emergency"

4. What if you run out of water? Its super hot and I could make sure you had water

5. My tummy hurts...

We headed to our hotel and jumped into the pool and I tried to put the hills out of my mind...

Side note: Why do men without Michael Phelps type bodies feel compelled to wear speedos and bend over in public pools where I am swimming??????????

We met up with bro-in-law and drove up to the look out to check out the views and show him some of what we would be riding.

This picture was taken the night before...Please notice the road way down by the river...that is where we would begin...I am putting on a brave face as I was working on my reasons why I would not be riding in the morning...

We shared a hotel and after a night of nerves (I could not get the hill out of my head) TWO snoring Fry guys and a miserable excuse for a pillow it was 5:30 am and we began getting up...

Because the forecast was for 100 that day we had decided to start early...

I had resolved to just do it... or die trying...

It took my the 7 miles to settle down and stop panicking...It helped me tremendously to know it was 2.3 miles long. It helped me know how much longer I needed to hang on until the top...a mile in I knew I would make it and I just kept peddling...If I could climb this hill I could do the rest of the ride I told myself...I've told you about my head games before...

While I didn't pose at the top this is what I was doing in my head when I got there but there wasn't much time for celebrating because we still had over 30 miles to go...

We got off the road and hit a really cool trail that took us through tunnels with amazing views. It was UPHILL the whole way! Every time I went down a hill it was hard to enjoy because I knew I would have to come UP the hill very soon...I began concocting reasons why I would only make this a one way trip...but then I thought about how badly I wanted to ride DOWN that huge hill at the beginning...I had earned it and darn it I wanted to ride down it!

In the tunnel there is an amazing view behind us...take my word for it :)

My bike enjoying the view...It is about 8 am and it is getting HOT already...

Cary did the big hill at the beginning twice...show off! ;)

I rallied and decided to ride back even though there was another HUGE LONGER hill to climb and it was HOTTER!  I started to worry a bit when I was hot but I was feeling chilled and had goose bumps all over me...But I did it! I survived! and I'm so very glad I did!

It was AMAZING to go down the hill at the end...mostly because I knew I had done it! I knew I had accomplished something new and big for me and it felt amazing! As I whizzed by those climbing the hill I was so grateful that was behind me and I was enjoying the reward!

This last year I have had to push through several walls of fear...it is teaching me perseverance.  This is a good thing...

Frychik

4th of July 2012

I hope you had a lovely 4th of July...

We had a lot of fun around here...

Good food..

Great friends...

and lots of things that went BOOM!

The boys were so stinkin excited about their firework stash this year...Personally I thought it was a bit over the top but nobody was interested in what mom thought and since it wasn't moms money buying the stuff I decided to let boys be boys...



While fireworks are great what I love is the people, games and food...

It was a gorgeous evening.  We had fireside seats for the show...

Not as pretty in the light of day .. :)

Excited that it seems that we are finally headed into summer with a string of hot days ahead!

Let summer begin!

Frychik

50 miles....

Yesterday I accomplished a goal
It feels good to set a goal and go for it and be successful.
Thre are so many times when I tell myself I will accomplish this or that and don't...
So its good to be really specific about what you want to do and go for it...

I have set several goals for this summer -
Two of which are

1. Establish photography business - have you checked out http://www.shellyfryphotography.smugmug.com/ ? - This goal is not "accomplished" but I have made progress in that direction.

2. Ride 50 miles on my bike. Yesterday I rode 50 miles on my bike - 50.2 miles to be specific. Previously my longest ride had been 42.  I'll be honest and say those last 10 miles were mentally and physically challenging! If it had been 50 FLAT miles (which it was NOT) my crotch, hands, feet, neck would have still hurt after 3.5 hours on the bike but with hills sprinkled throughtout ~ beginning, middle and end ~ my legs were on fire!  And while I will admit to some whimpering as I approached the last two hills...I am still so proud to have accomplished this goal. Its good to know I can do it...and now I don't ever have to do it again! :)

Most days my goals are decidedly less ambitious...like clean out a cabinet or two or weed the garden or do the laundry (which compared to some of these I would rather ride 50 miles...) But regardless of the list it always feels good to accomplish something you set your mind to! 

Frychik