Pangea Adventure Race

About a year ago, Steve and I heard about Pangea Adventure Racing and thought it would be a fun thing to try together. Adventure races combine biking, paddling, and treking into one race. The goal is to use a map and compass to find certain checkpoints in the woods or along the water all while competing to do it faster and more strategically than the other teams. We volunteered at a race last November to get a feel for how it goes and signed up for one in January. We had to cancel that race to travel out of town and then it fell off our radar. When we found out I was pregnant, we knew the window of opportunity was short! We signed up for the very next race which just happened to be held right off our street, and would be raced in the woods across from our house and in the river we know so well... slight advantage perhaps. We trained for about a month and were excited for the big day!!

Our Pre-Race Picture

Our team name was "Paddles and Saddles"

One thing I love about these races is that the fastest or most athletic team does not always win. There is so much strategy involved, as well as your ability to use a compass, read a map and carefully budget your time. Our race was three hours long and we were able to make it to 13 of 15 check points.

Getting ready to start! You draw marbles for the order in which you do each discipline. We drew Trek-Paddle-Bike. I really did not want to bike last since it is my weakest of the three (not to mention we were racing in JUNE heat!) but it ended up being a really good thing. We were able to go all out on the trek and paddle and then know when we needed to head back on the bike so we didn't get a time penalty.

Our Post-Race photo! We were so exhausted and incredible hungry!

We placed 9th out of 33 teams. Not bad for our first try!! I am eager to enter another one with Steve after the baby is born.



VBS - Summer 2011

I was happy to have talked the girls into VBS this year! We found a friend to sign up with Brooke and I was a helper in Ali's class. Our girls are such homebodies and they'd much rather stay home and play all summer, but I knew they'd love VBS if I could just get them in the door!

Ali at craft time

Brooke and her friend Jaelyn

End-of-the-week performance time!

Mother's Day Tea Party

To celebrate Mother's Day this year, we treated Mom, Marie, and Grandma to a special tea party at the Corner Rose Tea Room. The Corner Rose Tea Room exists to support the efforts of the Russell Home, which cares for brain damaged children and adults. The Russell home has been around for a long time. I remember singing Christmas carols there as a girl scout and mom, Marie, and Grandma have also been involved with the Russell home at one point or another.

Our tea party was a really special treat. The room is so beautifully decorated with hats, antiques, and other girlie nicknacks. Each seat had it's own fancy hat and either a shawl or a fur wrap. We had so much fun playing dress up!

And then is was time for tea! The tea was yummy, especially Ali's, which had about 8 sugar cubes in it.

And the food was great too. We started with chicken salad on croissants and tomato bisque. Then the towers arrived!

The bottom level had different finger sandwiches, the middle level held fruit and different flavored scones, and the top level was dessert! The highlight were the little chocolate mice made from a chocolate covered cherry, Hersey's kiss and almond ears.

It was all delicious and such a treat!

I'm so thankful for this special day with these wonderful women! I love who they are and what they have each meant in my life.

Ooh La La Beauty Spa!

This book has been very popular in our house lately. Fancy Nancy has inspired our girls to start their own beauty spas. The first one took place on the back porch and Brooke did the honors of pampering her female housemates. I got a manicure and a new hairstyle, Mrs. Maribel got pampered too and here's a picture of Ali getting her manicure..

THEN, Brooke got the idea of havinbg an Ooh La La Pony Spa for Ginger. She gathered up all things pony from her room and brought them out into the driveway so Ginger would feel at home. Then she went to town putting bows and ribbons all over Ginger's mane and tail.

Rope Swingin'

One of Steve's projects this past winter was constructing a launch platform for our rope swing. Rope swinging into the river was fun before, and now it is Super FUN!

Here's a shot of the multi-level platform!

Steve goes flying through the air...

Brookie's turn!

Sarah loves the rope swing too!

Ali's Fifth Birthday Party.. Mermaid Style!

Turning five is such a big milestone birthday, and despite my protests, Ali insisted it was her turn. Our birthday princess woke to a trail of "fives" leading from her bed to her door.

She started her morning by opening a special gift from her sister. Brooke so sweetly put together some tricks from her very own magic sets and gave them to Ali. They were presented to Ali with the message, "I now trust you to keep the secrets of magic!"

The traditional DeMoor birthday pan-CAKE!

Ali requested a party with a mermaid theme. We decorated the house with lots of blue, seaweed and sea creatures. Ali greeted her guests in her mermaid costume and painted water on them with a little paint brush (her idea) so they would feel at home under the sea.

The first game we played was a mermaid race. We wrapped the kids legs in plastic bags and they hopped across the room in their mermaid tails to get the bucket with their name on it and then hopped back.

Then we went outside and blindfolded the kids and put them in the pool. They had to feel about to find the treasures in the pool. 

Cake time! 

Our little mermaid is so special to us. She is a ray of sunshine, a cuddle bug, our sweet cupcake. We love you, Ali!

Spikerella

Brooke and I make weekly trips to the pet store to buy live crickets for Spike, her bearded dragon. In May we spotted a flyer for an event called the Reptile Rally which included a reptile meet and greet, scavenger hunt, and beauty contest. Brooke was hooked! She counted down the weeks and days, prepared a costume for Spike and was ready to go! When we got there, the Reptile Rally wasn't really rallying. It wasn't quite all Brooke had imagined in her dreams. She was the only one with an entry into the beauty contest, but luckily we found a kind manager who was able to work with us to make it a big deal for her. She dressed her lizard and had princess music playing in the background from an ipod to set the scene.

The staff at the pet store were so tickled by her Spikerella. I think Brooke put way more into it than they were expecting. The manager awarded her the first prize winner and sent us home with some free crickets!