I was searching our local events site to find something fun to do together over the weekend.  That’s when I found out about the sweetheart plunge.  The sweetheart plunge has been going on for 17 years the weekend before Valentine’s Day.It’s a fundraiser for North Kent Community Services and is one of the least expensive polar plunges I’ve heard of.  Entry fee $5. I know it’s crazy to pay someone to jump in freezing cold water but it was for charity ……and I get to cross of another adventure off on my bucket list.  My husband was a definite yes when I told him about it.  He had participated in one in Indiana before but it was unseasonably warm that day so he was a little disappointed with his first experience.  Having them cut a hole in the ice gives you more street cred.

I found out that people dress up in crazy costumes and a dj plays music before they go in.  I immediately began searching the internet for an easy couples costume. That’s when I found the suggestion of double rainbow. On the original youtube video you hear a guy transition from passionate excitement to sobbing at the site of a double rainbow. Of course the autotune the news guys took it and made a song out of it. If you haven’t seen the youtube autotune video here it is.

In my mind a double rainbow costume would be easy, original and funny to anyone who had seen the video on youtube.  We had even thought of adding motions to the song.  I invited another couple to join us and only half wanted to participate.  So we transitioned from the couple category to the group division as “Double Rainbow…. Starting to Look Like a Triple Rainbow.” My friend had fun rainbow colored clothes to wear also so we just had my husband wear black to be the storm cloud.  It was a stretch but are you really worried about dignity when you are plunging into cold water in front of a group of strangers.

I was super nervous the day of.  I ran that morning with a running group and could not feel my fingers for the first mile of the run.  At the completion you could see runners with frost all over their hair and facial features. It was cold!!!  18 degrees and the weatherman said it was closer to 0 degrees with the wind chill, but cold is cold right?

We registered and found out that they we would have had to have our song given the night before.  Too bad there wasn’t any info on the site stating that. The dj said we could just hook our phone up to the system but another coordinator refused to allow it and said we had to chose a song on the list.  Ironically, our song was more family friendly than half the songs on the list.

I brought face paint to paint our rainbows when we got there.  I also painted our kids faces too.  University of Michigan M’s were requested of course.  I think a good majority of the crowd thought we had a different agenda by our rainbow theme that day.  Maybe that’s why our pictures didn’t show up with the rest online.

The worst part was watching everyone while waiting to go in.  The group division was last and it was sooooo cold!!.  We had prepped our kids and my friend’s husband with video cameras and our cell phones to take pictures.  The youtube video below explains what happens when you put a 3rd grader in charge on filming.  I was getting to the point where I just wanted to get it over with.  The announcer asked each group why they were taking the plunge.

When it was finally our turn we explained our double rainbow theme from youtube and that they didn’t play our song.  The announcer asked the crowd if they had ever seen double rainbow on youtube and half of the crowd raised their hands ,so at least we didn’t sound as crazy.

We decided that we would go all the way under the water.  I figured if I was only doing this once I should do it all the way.  We danced around a bit, my hubby and I kissed before walking the final steps into the icy cold water.  I mean there were rescue divers in insulated suits as a precaution in case anything went terribly wrong.  That was my worst fear.  Jumping in the water and having my body go into shock and then the big spectacle of being rescued.  I decided that the faster that I went under, the faster it would be over.

I went under almost immediately.

I came up for air and tried to find my hat.  It was so COLD!!!!!  I went out as fast as I went in and enjoyed the body temperature neutralizing of the hot tub located on site. The experience was so fast that it was almost a blur because you are so focused on getting in and out as fast as possible.

My friend lost her shoe in the water and was not going to search for it.  That’s when the divers came to the rescue.  We only got to enjoy the hot tub for a few minutes before they cleared us out for the next group.  To my shock I didn’t even use my towel to dry off.  The hot tub did such a great job of shocking our system that we seemed warmer than the spectators as we walked a block to the public restrooms to change.

The experience was surprisingly fun despite the cold.  We felt great after changing our clothes and were warmer than the remaining family members who were spectating.  I will definitely put more time and effort into the costume and dance if I do it again.  This is something that would be so fun to do with a big group of friends.  I never dreamed I would be open to trying the plunge another time. I think my stipulation would be a hot tub on site to go in, otherwise I think you would be chilled to the bone all day.

If taking a polar plunge is on your bucket list check out these tips. Click here if you want to try the Sweetheart Plunge next year. Click here to find a polar plunge near you. Special Olympics also host polar plunges that you can search for by state.

So this year I thought I would try to make Valentines Day a little more special.  I missed the mark and that’s ok.  My perfect day had more of the elements of  a drama and endings of a romantic comedy.

I’m a deadline girl so my creative projects usually begin at the last possible minute the night before or in this case the morning of.  My alarm was supposed to go off super early so that I could get everything done before my kids woke.  My phone died at sometime while I was sleeping, so I woke up 20 minutes before the kids in a scramble.  I created the super easy Pinterest inspired cinnamon rolls and decorated their table while I made the kids stay in their room.

They loved it and I felt like I gained a few mom points. I know boys aren’t into details as much as girls but I’m hoping to instill in them the security of knowing they are loved.

I went to the gym in anticipation of my chocolate feast to come and then stopped by our storage unit to get clothes and the other half of a pair of high heeled shoes that I had accidentally boxed up.  It’s weird visiting the parts of your life that are currently on hold.

As I paid for my gas, the attendant made my day by simply just saying “Have a great Valentines Day!” and putting a heart on my receipt.  He was tattooed, pierced and had his ear gagged.  I wonder if he gave all the men special treatment too or maybe just disheveled moms wearing workout clothes.  I would have LOVED to watch him give a heart shape receipt to a biker.

I went to boys school to do a cameo at both V day parties.  I’m always torn by which one to be at, so I just swing by each for a bit.  My youngest loves seeing me there and treats me like a rock star.  My oldest son acknowledges me like a pesky fan barely looking at me but yet he tells me afterwords that he likes when I’m there.

Scanning the room at my boys valentines parties outed all of the moms and teachers who’ve been on Pinterest.

I wasn’t at that level this year. I didn’t even have cards with candy or the bonus bag with card, candy and little trinkets. Sorry boys, your momma only bought you plain old Star Wars cards.

In my mind, the boys would come home from school and I would have heart shaped jello jigglers out on a decorated table for them to continue the little details from the morning.  I made the jello before I left and was hoping my husband could set it up. He didn’t get the message and was bringing in groceries.  I tried to cut the shapes out when we got home and I really failed.

I’m sure there is a technique to get to shapes out and if I had been spending more time on Pinterest researching I probably could have found it.  The boys thought the shapes were elephants and all kinds of images that did not resemble hearts.  I ended up scraping up the rest of the non shaped jello and putting it in bowls for them. They were happy.

I was not so happy when I found out there was no dessert for our dinner that night.  Not having chocolate or dessert on Vday is like not having greasy food on Super Bowl Sunday.  I would rather eat dessert than dinner any day of the week.  So you can see where this is going……. My husband was upset at me for not being appreciative for the special dinner he was making and I was upset that he told me he was taking care of dessert and then forgot to buy any.

He was making salad, bacon wrapped filet mignon and veggies.  I had asked earlier that week if he wanted me to make the dessert.  He is a WAY better cook than me for the meal food but the dessert was why I went to the gym that day and what I had been looking forward to all day.

So off I went to Meijer to buy all things chocolate to complete our meal. I found several options and out of frustration began tasting them in them car on the way home.

The dessert verdict was microwaveable chocolate molten cake with mint chocolate chip gelato.

So you could say dinner was a bit tense.  We had each hurt each others feeling.  I had even thrown his favorite candy at him out of my purse before I left for the store.  I had planned on making a cheesy card to go with it but at the time throwing it at him felt better.  Out the window were my plans of decorating the table, playing great music, and enjoying each others company.

What’s the holiday about anyway?  Oh yea showing LOVE!!! oh and that we LOVE our spouse too!!!  That’s a little hard right now.

So prepping for our special masquerade swing dance night was also a little icy.  I made one final attempt at make the day special for my boys by adding glow sticks to a poster I found in their Vday card box.  I added the cheesy lines of “you light up our lives”, My hope was that when their grandparents put them to bed they would find their surprise right before they went to sleep.

I remember my mom writing “I love you” on a heart shaped doily when I was in high school.  I’m not sure what the occasion was and for whatever reason I have kept it since high school.  I think it was because the way she expressed love was through acts of service and gifts.  She had a hard time with words of affirmation and physical touch.  She LOVED me but I think the way she was raised and the way her parents were raised, just weren’t as affectionate or affirming.  They, like her, showed love in other ways.  We would shop together or she would spend all day organizing my closet in high school to show she cared, or put together something like my over the top baby shower. (where every detail was thought of to make a great presentation) I’m not saying she wasn’t ever affectionate or affirming.  It just wasn’t as natural for her.

I am my mother’s daughter and I have a tendency to display love the same way with quality time, gifts and acts of service to show I care but yet I married an affectionate, affirmative husband.  I guess God knows what we need in our lives to challenge us.  We tend to give love the way we want to be loved.  So that’s where our problem lies…….. I wanted to feel loved by being given something chocolaty and he wanted to feel loved by me appreciating and admiring his efforts in the kitchen.

I try really hard every day to show affection and affirmation to my kids but I am guilty of being sub par at giving it to my hubby.  It just doesn’t come as naturally to me and it’s something I really need to work on practicing daily.

We gave our kids hugs and kisses before we left and took a “fake it til you make it” pic on the way out the door.

We were both pretty upset at each other.  We stopped at a gas station for gum and he came back with chocolate and I was MAD!  This is because before we left the house I told him that my “chocolate love tank” was FULL and I didn’t want him to buy me any because I had eaten plenty already.  To his defense I told him that I didn’t want any gifts but in my mind I was going to be eating something sweet for dessert which he forgot to purchase.  He thought I was playing mind games and took the gamble that I might be happy.  Ironically, he said he knew I would be ticked but said he just wanted to make me happy.  Clearly we have a communication issue on this subject.  Our car ride was tense and we ended up sitting in the parking lot for awhile before going in. Ugh!  This perfect day followed by a perfect date was not going according to the plan I had envisioned in my head.

We finally stepped inside and took in our surroundings.

Lots of creative masks including a guy with a brown bag over his face with eye holes. We made a decision to make the most of it and enjoy ourselves.  We haven’t taken swing lessons in a long time so we only have a few signature moves and then my hubby transitions into “just go with it” freestyle form.  This makes for stepped on toes, almost dislocated shoulders and many, many laughs.  We tried to copy some of the moves of the pros, participated in the line dances and even reluctantly laid on the floor with the crowd for Snow Patrol’s song “Chasing Cars.” (must be a Tuesday swing night tradition, they did it in the summer too)

We went back to liking each other again and were reminded of why we are together.  We didn’t have to have other friends with us to have a good time there because we enjoy each other and we really are best friends.

Missing the mark on Valentines Day was just another reminder that I miss the mark everyday showing love to the people I care about. Love is a verb which means action has to be taken daily.  Thank God we get to start over each day and try to get closer to the mark.

If you want to learn more about what your love language is, check out the book and website the Five Love Languages. There is a quiz on the site you can take too.

While at the event, we got to pet the dogs and my husband even helped Terry by holding a few dogs before he demonstrated dog sledding to the crowd.

I was so excited that it worked out a week later to try it as a family. Snow has been very inconsistent this winter and I have learned to take opportunities when we get them.  We got several inches the night before where we lived.  Terry who lived 30 minutes away,  had a little less snow than us but felt that it was enough to give it a try.  Upon arrival, our boys found out that Terry and his son were big University of Michigan fans.  The boys of course had an immediate connection with their love of U of M and began a game of snow football while we were setting everything up with the dogs.

Terry has a trail at his home set up for the dogs to practice on.  He has competed in several races and even took a bucket list adventure to watch the Iditarod in Alaska.  He was gracious enough to show us some of the equipment he uses in summer.  A friend customized a summer sled for him to keep the dogs in shape all year long.

The only downside is when you fall it’s gonna hurt.  There is nothing to cushion your fall once the snow melts.

We took some time checking out the dogs.  Two of the dogs could not be in the same cage together.  They were true alpha dogs who did not play nice together.  Most of the dogs were related in some way.  One of the stories that Terry shares during assemblies to children is about how one of the dogs used to always run next to it’s father.  They ran together for years side by side.  The dogs use commands to turn left or right and to slow down.  When the dog’s father died the dog would miss the turns and cause problems while on runs.  It turns out that the dog relied on her dad to nudge her into the turns instead of learning the commands.  This is why Terry shares with students that it never pays off to cheat because one day you will be in a situation where you will need to use what you were supposed to learn.

I was so excited and nervous to take my turn on the sled.  Terry had shared with us how that the dogs have no loyalty and if given the opportunity they will run away.  If you were out in the woods and fell off, the only hope you would have for them stopping would be if their harness got caught up in something causing them to have to wait for you to free them.

So no pressure. Rule #1 Never let go of the sled.  Rule #2 Refer to rule #1

My husband and Terry began bringing out the dogs.  I had 3 dogs who would be pulling my sled. Each dog can pull about 50lbs of weight for their optimal speed.  We had a pull line set up so that when they let go of the dogs I would be ready to go.  Once they start running there is no holding back.  I was instructed to bend my knees down like when you are skiing to help balance on the sled to keep it from tipping.  You have to call out the command “hike” to start or go faster, “g” for right, and “haw” for left before the first dog starts to turn the corner.

The first thing I noticed right away is how much power they have.  The dogs were so excited to be running that they hit the ground fast as soon as the tether cord was released.  We made the first corner and then as we were approaching the next corner my sled lost balance and flipped hard causing me to hit the ground.  My sled tipped to the left so fast that it caused my head to hit the ground first.  I was holding on tight but when your sled is sideways and the dogs are still running full speed there is no stopping them.  They weren’t really concerned for my safety.  All I could think was “Oh Crap just broke rule #1 and 2.”

Terry quickly caught up to the dogs and gained control and I learned the valuable lesson of squatting really LOW while riding the sled.  I am a visual learner and I learned the hard way.  My husband was waiting to video tape and all he saw coming around the corner was the dogs minus the driver.

After Terry regained control of the dogs, I gave it another try, really lowering down each time we turned.  Near one of my final corners the sled began to tip again but this time I jumped off and ran in between the sled and jumped back on when it became balanced again.  That seemed to be easier that fighting gravity.  I was happy that I didn’t let go and regained control.  The experience was amazing!

The real dog races have as many as 16 dogs and 1000lbs of equipment.  I have a new respect for the drivers because you have to be so strong to keep in control of all of that power.

Next, was my husband’s turn.  He had 4 dogs pulling him.  His dogs ran a bit slower but he still got the feel for it also.  His sled also tipped and once again Terry had to catch up to the dogs.  He got the hang of it later and tried the same trick I did by jumping off and then back on when the sled was unstable.

My boys also got the give dog sledding a try. They each rode on the sled together.

I was relieved that Terry was the one driving.  I knew that I didn’t trust my abilities to have that scenario not end in disaster.  Watching Terry showed me how you really balance and get down low on the turns.  The boys had a great time on their ride.

I love meeting people who are passionate about their hobbies.  The dogs involved truly become a part of the family and are a labor of love.  I would love to go for a long ride as a passenger sometime but I will always treasure the fact that we had a once in a life time experience of driving a dog sled.

If you would like to go for a dog sled ride check out this site to find one near you and if you would like Terry Perysian to do an educational assembly at your school or business  you can contact him at (616)- 218-9135.  He brings the dogs and presents a hands on demo about dog sledding.

My husband and I went on a cheap date while our kids were staying the night with their cousins.  I found two cards for free bowling which= an affordable date.  When we got there, we found out that we needed to wait 20-25 minutes until the bowling leagues finished up their games. We decided to kill some time by driving up the road to wander around a few stores.

That wasn’t helpful for me. I LOVE a great deal and I really enjoy the wearable artistic expression of shoes. We stepped inside a TJMaxx style store and I immediately found an amazing pair of fun royal blue heels with a side bow for $12.99.  Shoes are great because no matter how many times your clothing sizes change, your shoe size still typically stays the same.  $12.99 is not a lot for cute shoes but royal blue heels are not a necessity in our current financial situation.  I really LOVE variety in fashion and already own many,many, many pairs of fun shoes.  I tried them on, then mourned that I wasn’t going to purchase them, and then continued to look at all of the fashionable clothes and home accessories that I wasn’t going to buy that night.  I got a little depressed and in my head I was having a little pity party.

Then we arrived back at the bowling alley and I saw the bowling group of visually impaired people.  Walking sticks, guide dogs or the fact that they couldn’t to see had not stopped them from enjoying a night out despite their impairment.

Right then I was instantly challenged to really SEE the blessings in my life that I take for granted everyday.  Health for myself and my family, vehicles that run, food in our pantries, loving family, great friends, the list goes on and on and on.

Before my run at the park the other day, I watched a elderly woman being assisted to get into her vehicle by a younger female.  She had been slowly pushing her walker by in the parking lot, determined to MOVE, to push thru, to brave each step thru the pain. Determined to make the most of the beautiful weather that day.

I began to think about how many steps I take for granted.  I watched my mom slowly deteriorate from cancer with excruciating pain.  She would use all of her will and might just to circle around the first floor from the kitchen to the living room.  So many steps that I have the ability to take with ease everyday.

Unfortunately, it’s a natural mindset to think of what we don’t have instead of appreciating what we do have.  I try to write down blessings each day, no matter how big or small and yet I still fall into this trap all of the time.  There are sooooo many blessings in my life and people who have enriched it.  If I was watching a movie about a character with all of the things I do have, ironically I would probably be envious.

I see so many amazing ideas on Pinterest or blogs that showcase their creativity, great cooking skills, parenting skills, amazing houses, traveling adventures and then I can begin to feel like I fall short.  Like I’m missing something or missing out on something or I’m not doing enough.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying things but sometimes we can get out of balance if it’s something we don’t need at that time or when we put pressure on things to make us truly happy. The greatest gifts can’t be purchased in a store. Envy is the thief of joy and I want to enJOY my life to the fullest.  That’s probably why every now and then God puts people in front of me who put it all into perspective.

Lord help us all to want what we already have.

My challenge to you is to start a gratitude journal if you don’t already. Here is an ap for a gratitude journal you can use on your ipod.  Each day just take a moment and write down 5 things that you are grateful for.

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Ironically I was more nervous about playing moms hockey than trying the luge.  I don’t have amazing skating skills and I’m personally not a huge fan of playing in full contact sports myself.  I’ve never been in a fight, can’t skate backwards or cross my feet over each other.

But why would I let those minor details get in the way of a new experience?

I saw a segment on GMA a few years ago featuring average moms who played hockey.  I admired them for doing something I didn’t think I would have the guts to try.  Looks like trying roller derby has given me a new confidence to try just about anything despite my skill level.

Why not? Just makes life more interesting.

I found out that not everyone who plays is a mom or even married and the skill level ranges from beginner/beginner to used to play for a team.  They had me a beginner/beginner.

I recruited two friends, who both had family members actively involved in hockey.  One of them had access to equipment we could borrow.  I had no idea how much stuff hockey players put on.  Protective pads for every part of your body and even garters to keep up your socks.  The uniform isn’t figure flattering, so why didn’t I eat more junk before I came?

It felt like an eternity just getting all of our equipment on.  I felt like I completed a workout by just getting dressed.  Now the challenge would be moving with all this stuff on!

We joined the other “moms” on the ice for practice.  We began with skating drills to the other side, followed by skating and stopping on the different line drills.

I was pretty much last one every time.  We tried skating and jumping on the ice followed by balancing on the opposite foot.  We got to try skating down the ice with the puck.

Then we moved on to turns. That’s where I got an “e” for effort and we’ll leave it at that.  I discovered i was the only one who couldn’t skate backwards that day.  The coach was so encouraging and just keep reminding us that the stuff he was asking us to do was hard and to just try our best.

I was really excited that we were going to scrimmage that night.  We were divided by the color of our jerseys.  My first task was trying to hop over the wall.  I’ve seen it happen a lot from working at Dallas Stars games in college.  Unlike me, those guys were pros and I just didn’t want to wipe out for my big debut on the ice.  I found that hugging the wall worked even though I looked ridiculous.

Once I got on the ice it hit me that a puck could take out three middle school years of dental work and I didn’t know how to stop fast if i was charging toward a puck.  (Maybe I should have said yes to the facemask)

I had a close one when my friend almost accidentally hit me in the face when we were both going for a puck during the scrimmage. Even though I had everything not going in my favor, I was still having so much fun.

Maybe the danger of potentially losing my teeth gave me an adrenaline rush when my opponent would wiz by me.  Overall my friends and I had a great time and we want to try it again sometime.

If you want to try moms hockey and you live in Grand Rapids check out the flyer above and  click here for a schedule. Check out this article if you want to know more about what equipment you will need. I didn’t find a national search for moms teams but you can google your state to see if there is on in your area,

We arrived at the ice center after a white knuckle trip down.

We scoped out the arena and noticed the markings on the ice for our game.

Our only knowledge of the sport came from channel surfing during the Winter Olympics. We knew there were brooms involved and that it looked like shuffleboard on ice.

We were told that curling is one of the few sports where beer is encouraged on the ice.  You just set it on the ledge inside the rink while the other team is going.  No wonder so many guys like this sport!  We checked out our surroundings and noticed the other newbies and the pros who brought their own broom or wore matching outfits.  The “Sweeping Beauties” guys were my favorite.  They owned it with their matching neon green sweatbands.

Most of our instruction was on the ice which was good because I am a very visual learner.

The round stone is called the rock and weighs over 40lbs.

The area on the other side of the ice is called the house.  You want to get your rock into your house without passing the line just like shuffleboard. The “sweepers” no longer use real brooms but something with a similar purpose.  You only sweep if the thrower’s rock is short of the house.

Then the sweepers will sweep as fast as possible in front of the rock to get it moving closer to the house.

We started out our class by practicing throwing lunges. This is why they recommend that you wear running pants. Thank God my jeans were stretchy.  You put your right foot on the block and then slide your left foot forward.  That made for some comical attempts by everyone.

We kept on practicing and then we got to try throwing the rocks from the starting block.

Almost every time I did the lunge I wiped out afterwards on the ice.  My instructor said that my throws were good so who cares about bruised knees or egos.

After a few good lunging throws we were instructed on how to “curl” the rock. You can rotate the handle to the right or to the left to create the curling spinning motion. This is what separates curling from an ice version of shuffleboard.  The curling is where the strategy comes in to knock out your opponent’s rock of the circle area.

We were joined with a group of 6 coworkers.  I love that these coworkers decided to change up their hangout night with an intro to curling class too.  They were really fun to hang out with.  We played a few innings where my husband and I each scored a point.

The sweeping position is where the cardio comes in.  You could be booking it down the ice if the thrower’s rock comes down the ice fairly fast but still needs assistance getting to the targeted bulls eye.

We played several innings and loved how much fun we were having.  Curling is interactive, takes teamwork and is just fun!  I highly recommend trying this off the beaten path sport.

If you want to check out curling try Kalamazoo Curling Club or locate a curling club near you.

I had tried the wheeled luge with my kids this past summer and I knew I wanted to come back to try the winter one.

It looked scarier and went faster.

The winter track reaches speeds up to 30mph where the summer track reaches speeds up to 23mph.  This also gave me a bit of an advantage because I knew a little bit of what to expect which took the edge of my fears.

We arrived at the park a day after a pretty big snowfall.

The roads were less dicey and the trees were beautiful with their branches weighed down from heavy snow.  We were still cutting it close time wise when we arrived.  We immediately signed away our life, showed that we had proof of insurance and were on our way to join the clinic.

Our clinic was filled with a troop of boy scouts who had camped all weekend. Kudos to them but NO THANKS!

Our instructors showed us how to ride the sled and how to stop.

The two most important things you need to know.  NEVER take your arms off of the handles by your legs and where your heads looks is the direction you are going to go.  Kind of like rolling out of bed.  You look the direction you want to go and push off on the opposite leg.  You keep your head back the whole time and don’t squeeze both of your feet because that causes you to swerve.

We got our helmets, elbow pads and picked out a sled.  We choose the beginner one for our 1st few times down.  This past summer I learned that the elbow pads are essential because in all likely hood you will hit the wall a few times.

The most challenging part of the clinic is carrying your sled up the stairs.

The sleds are HEAVY and I felt pathetically winded every time we went back up.  We did get some male workers who came to our rescue and carried them up a few times.  A perk of being a female.

The top of the stairs has an observation bridge where you can watch people come out the shoot and visually follow them down for the 1st half of the track.

The track that is open to the public is lower than the one that the pros use.  They still have to climb more stairs and they reach way higher speeds in the 50′s.

Even though I had done a fairly similar experience earlier this year I was getting a little more nervous  as I got closer to my turn.  All I needed was a few seconds of courage and I would be good to go.  Once you are sliding down there is nothing you can do about it and it will be over soon enough.  That logic has gotten me through many scary/ extreme adventures.

We were closer to the back of the line and saw the kids before us return.  Which is always a good sign.  I hopped on my sled, made sure I had the positioning right and I was on my way.

It is the most unnatural feeling to be sliding down a hill, knowing that you can hit the walls but cannot not push back off of them.  I hit the curves fast and did bang the sides a few times.  I was so grateful for those elbow pads.  I had forgotten about not squeezing both of my feet because it causes you to swerve.

As I went down the steepest part of the track with a few more bangs and then followed the final curve into the crash pad.  You just put your feet on the ground and sit up or you can lean back and form a bridge like formation if you can’t sit up all the way.  I never seemed to master the cool way to stop which is how the Olympians do it.  They grab the bars where your feet are and pull up.  It just never felt natural and I kept on forgetting to pull those instead of my handles in those final seconds.

As I got off the track I found out they clocked me with the speed gun at 27mph.  Not bad. Ok, now that the nerves of the first one are over, I was ready for more.  I waited for my friend to come down the track. She clocked in at 26mph and loved it too.

We did several more trips down the track. Each time we got better and learned to use our shoulders and head more for steering.  One of the workers described it as doing a long stomach crunch.  As we progressed to our final trips down the track, we changed our sleds to intermediate and we had the worker at the top push us in an attempt to get more speed.  My first time being pushed made me feel like I was going really fast so I think I overcompensated and hit the wall a few times.  The next time I was more comfortable but still only got to 27mph.  I got the second fastest time of the clinic 29mph on my final time down the track ironically when I wasn’t pushed.

Those last few rounds on the track I was corrupted by the boy scouts. They were putting snow on top of the crash pad so that the unsuspecting boy scout coming down the track would be hit in the face by a pile of snow.

My friend just happened to be coming down next and I told them she wouldn’t mind she’s a good sport. ha ha.  The boy scouts were instructed to have no part in hers so I had to do it myself.  And while I was at it, they said if I was going to put snow on there it might as well be a lot of snow.  She came down and the snow timing was PERFECT.

She was a good sport about it and had her fastest time which made her happy despite a face full of snow.  I knew I would be getting it for my last trip down but I didn’t care it was so funny.

Who knew that two college friends that had cliff jumped together in Jamaica, would be trying the luge together 15 years later.

I highly recommend trying this experience.  It was up there with trapeze for me for a once once lifetime thrill ride.

If you want to try the luge too, check Muskegon Luge and Winter Sports Complex and take the plunge!

There is also an Adventure mom discount to try the luge on Friday nights

The National Museum of the US Air Force is totally free and and you could spend hours there easily. This place is HUGE. Wear comfy shoes because you will be doing a lot of walking.My family went with my dad two summers ago and we really enjoyed it.

The first tip I have is to get there early and put your name on the list for the presidential plane tour. The tour is also free but fills up fast.

You get to see planes of ex presidents, including the plane that they brought back JFK’s body on and that President Johnson was swore in as president.

Those hangers also had really cool concept planes.

Walking thru the museum is like walking thru pages of history. All of the wars, space and anything you can think of in between.

There are also simulators that you can pay to get a taste of a wild aviation adventure.

My kids did really well in the museum because there were so many interesting planes and interactive exhibits to view. We also did one of the simulation rides.

We won tickets for our trip to Air Zoo in Kalamazoo,MI. Air Zoo is also a museum that displays planes thru the history, has interactive aviation and space exhibits and also has rides and simulators.

One of the first things you notice as you step into Air Zoo are the beautiful murals everywhere. They are bright and meticulously detailed.

I kept on walking up to the different walls for a closer look to really take it all in.

We looked at a few planes as we entered and then were persuaded to check out the kid’s rides.

There are several rides that you can ride with your kids. We really enjoyed the hot air balloon themed ride.

We also rode the Ferris wheel ride and I rode the paratrooper plunge with the boys.

They do also have simulators but we opted to not to upgrade our tickets. We let the kids ride each ride a few times before we started touring the museum. The boys loved seeing the planes. We also really enjoyed the exhibits that told stories of women in aviation,

various wars, and also the stories of the African Americans who fought in the war.  There were so many stories to be told. We tried to read as many as we could before the kids grew impatient.

We checked out another hangar with huge planes and the boys got to take pictures inside a little blue devils plane.

We transitioned into the space area where there were a lot of interactive displays and demonstrations with workers.

We also found inspirations quotes all over the museum.

We made our way back to the other side of the beginning of the museum to see more planes and displays.

Then we headed to the kids room with little rides and puzzles and toys to plays with.

Once again great murals everywhere we turned.

We closed out our visit with a few more rounds on the rides and we were on our way.

Both museums are definitely worth seeing. You can’t beat free a museum or one where you can entertain the kids in between exhibits.

If you would like to plan a visit to either museum click on their name above to get more information for your next trip.

I admit I had ugly tears during those first few months we moved to Michigan and also at different points later along the way.  They were in the shower, in the car on the way to the grocery store, and in my pillow so that no one would hear.  I had a hard time adjusting to leaving my family, close friend relationships that were my version of extended family living close to me, my jobs that I enjoyed and that gave me a sense of purpose, my church community and the house with open floor plan for entertaining that I had waited for.

I also deeply yearned again for my mom who died in 2004.  I was given an up close vantage point of  my mother in law and her interactions with her two daughters that made me crave and miss my mom even more.  That is not saying she has not been loving, accepting or treated me like family. She has always been more than I could have dreamed for in a mother in law.  It was just more on my end, missing the connectedness to the one who gave me live.  I was regretting that she wasn’t also around hearing her grandkids laughs, wiping their tears from playtime injuries (that were a result of sibling wrestling that went too far),  and all the other moments in between.

We’ve struggled financially, we’ve moved again hoping that it would be temporary until the new job starts….it’s been longer than we had planned.  I’ve missed the old relationships that have helped fill so many of the mother/sister voids I had during those crucial years of my life.  We’ve also lost in some way a sense of home and being connected with roots.  Maybe because we knew that we would only be living in this city for a season.

We’ve experienced the bitter and the sweet.  The bitter lessons of financial hardship coupled with the abundance of joy for making up for lost years living away from family.  I will never forget this past Easter, at a backyard baseball game with extended family, where my husband’s aunt, (who is also a grandma) wiped out running toward home plate.  She wasn’t injured but the memory is priceless.  I didn’t know she even played baseball.

In this season we’ve grown, we stretched, we’ve searched our souls and questioned “why God?” many times.

The other day, I was downloading onto my computer pictures from my phone and I watched as the computer displayed this last year and a half in bit of a slide show version as it downloaded.  I can’t dismiss all of the good memories because of some of the bitter experiences.  We have played and explored with different eyes and minds with a “take it all in while we’re here approach.”

We’ve also reestablished and created new friendships that have inspired me and made me feel normal again.  Like the part of myself that had been missing was finally coming back to life again.

I’ve had so many great adventures this past year and a half while I’ve lived here.  Wandering for hours around Art prize -where my soul felt most alive and inspired (maybe because my mom was an artist and I felt I needed to take it all in for her), taking a fencing class, participating in roller derby practice, riding the summer luge track, participating in a flash mob, taking a family trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes, running a half marathon, trying stand up paddleboarding, and weekly trips to the beach are just a few off the top of my head.  And there was also …….picking blueberries

They are my youngest son’s favorite food and I promised to take my boys and my neighbor’s sons for our first blueberry picking experience.  We each attached our buckets and then began “sampling” the trees for the best blueberries.

Some were super sour and some were sweet.  As we filled our buckets, the sweet and the sour blueberries were intertwined together.  There was no way to separate the sweet from the sour.

Just like the different seasons in our lives.  We have to take the bitter along with the sweet.  We can’t appreciate a sunny day unless we’ve been through the storm.  The bittersweet makes us who we are.  The bitter highlights areas that we would not have chosen to grow in, but that we benefit from once we are on the other side.  And let’s face it when someone shares their hardships in life, we breathe a sigh of relief.  Not that we want someone to experience something horrible, but that we can identify with each other more and share more deeply when we can admit to the bitter that we want to forget.

It was in this season that I felt the desire to create this blog and website to help inspire getting out of your comfort zone no matter what season you are living in.  I hope this is an encouragement to you if you are also experiencing a season with the pain and lessons of the bitter, mixed with beauty and joyful moments of the sweet.

And if you do want to pick blueberries this summer check out Sandy Bottom Berries or click here to find a blueberry farm near you.

The first thing I noticed was that the class was PACKED.  We’re talking 7 rows across at least 10 rows packed.  That’s the first sign that you know it’s a good class.  I was grateful that my friend choose spots for us in the 2nd row to the right by the window.  I think if I was in the middle of the herd I would have felt a bit claustrophobic with all of the people surrounding me in a hot room.

The room had quotes and inspirational encouragement written on the blackboard along with instruction for better form.

I’ll admit before the class started my mind wandered to thoughts of how embarrassing it would be to carried off in a stretcher if I didn’t make it.  The instructor asked how many newbies were in the class that day at the beginning of the class.  It was a relief to know I wasn’t the only new one.

The instructor got us started with breathing and several poses that I was familiar with from taking my “normal” yoga class.  She was really encouraging and the pace felt really fluid.  I didn’t feel like my heart rate was getting too high to where I wanted to faint or run out the door from feeling suffocated.

At certain poses it was great to turn my head and look at inspirational quotes or phrases on the wall.

My friend said that the grace and peace encouragement really stood out to her during our class.  She was also super helpful with showing me how to get better form when my arms were crossed the wrong way for a balancing pose.  At one point of the class we partnered up and helped each other with poses that took us to a deeper stretch.

What’s nice about the a warm room is that your body seems to stretch way easier than normal.  Which is good because I’m guilty of not stretching enough with my regular workouts.  You will also SWEAT from EVERYWHERE but so is everyone else which causes you to feel less insecure than you would in a regular class.

The whole class went by way faster than I expected and was really enjoyable.  I concentrated on being in the moment of focusing on each pose.  It was also good that there wasn’t a clock in site because I tend to peak at the clock during my normal exercise classes to see how much longer I have to endure.

I would definitely recommend trying a hot yoga class.  The picture for the blog post is our “after” pic.  I really felt refreshed and like my body had really accomplished something.

If you want to try  a hot yoga class try check out Funky Buddha Yoga Hothouse on my discount page or to find a hot yoga class near you.