Swim Across America

This was Emily's fourth year raising money for cancer research and patients with Swim Across America and we couldn't be more proud of her!

You can read about her previous swims here.

And check out her fundraising page here.

I let our summer schedule get in full swing before I looked to find a swim in our area and get her signed up. When I checked the website I was shocked to see they were all in about a week or so - not enough time to raise money! I called the organizers from our old swim team and they said they would be happy to have Emily join their swim.

The good thing about that is it gave us more time to fund raise - the bad thing is that their swim starts at 6:30am and is 30 minutes away. Man, have we ever worked ourselves into a "summer" schedule. My kids have been going to bed so, so late and then we have all been sleeping later in the mornings. Only the fact that they have to be at the pool for swim team practice at 8:30am has us dragging ourselves up somewhere around 8, wolfing down breakfast and racing up to the pool.

Getting up so early on Saturday was tough - and creeping into their rooms and waking them felt so mean, especially little Em who had such a job ahead of her.

Here she is once we arrived at the pool and got her signed in.

Even that early in the morning she is still smiling. I love this kid!

I was a little bummed that our "number streak" ended. Her first year she was #4, the second she coincidentally was #14, so last year we asked to be signed in as #24 ... this year they already had her listed as #17 when we arrived. Oh well.

She likes to use the time as an extra practice and mixes up her strokes.

 Jacob & Jane entertained themselves while she swam.

It was really hot and humid, I am surprised they didn't "accidentally" fall in.

 

She saves 'fly until the end few, so she doesn't tire out too much.

Still smiling at the end.

72 laps - not a bad way to start your morning!

Guess who "wanted in" on the picture?

So we let the goofballs get one too. (They really are proud of her.)

And so are we.

Kid Packers!

We had movers for both moves (I highly recommend it if you are planning on moving twice in 5 months) but we packed ourselves. The kids were really great in helping with the packing and packed most of their own rooms and almost all of the toys and DVD's & stuff from the playroom.

The drawers for our entertainment center finally came in last week & the guys came down and installed them. I'm excited to get the last few cardboard boxes out of here, so pulled out all the movies & video games and started sorting them into their permanent home.

It wasn't until I carried the box upstairs with VHS tapes to giveaway, that I noticed how the box was labelled.

Nice.

Of course, they mean "adult" as in "not Disney" but those movers sure might have wondered why we had such a huge box of them!

Words to Live By.

I was in the office making the bookplates for this years books (I'm a bit behind this year), while Rick and the kids made cookies in the kitchen.

I heard Emily say "Dad, Mom has 3 motto's" She then explained they are;

(1) Touch it once. (A tidying / clean-up phrase.)

(2) The house can never be too clean.

(3) You can always use more cheese.

I guess my job with her is done!

Swim Across America

When we first heard about Swim Across America it seemed a perfect fit for us. We all love to swim and cancer took Rick's Mom back in 2007. Emily is really the only one who can swim a mile - but we plan on more family members joining her in the future!

Today she participated in Swim Across America for the third year.

Here she is after her first swim in 2009.

2010

and getting ready for the 2011 swim.

When I was looking at old photo's from her past swims we realized that she had been number 4 her first year and number 14 her second year, so we were stoked that she could be number 24 for this year!

After she was all signed in she got on her cap & goggles ready to hit the pool! It was a little overcast & chilly but I knew she'd warm right up as soon as she got going.

One down, 71 more to go ....

She mixed it up doing some freestyle, some butterfly, some backstroke some breaststroke. She still has swim competitions this coming week so it made for a good workout!

 72 laps - still smiling!

I did it!

 Mom!  I'm so tired, please stop taking pictures of me.

Then she got to sign the banner. Emily always dedicates her swim to her Grandma & signs the banner to her.

 

Oh, how I love this girl

A picture with Aidan, one of her good friends who also swam today.

We're so proud of Emily & know Grandma is too!

Counties - Day 4

The last day of counties.
Bittersweet to think that she will not swim here again, or participate in swimming on a New York team again.

"Game face."

Backstroke.

She swam well in backstroke but didn't place or get a personal best. I always tell her it's great that she even qualifies for these meets - and it is nice when she gets to win occasionally but we can't win them all!

It's tradition that they always go to the theme park next to the pool on the last day of counties. However, since they'd added the events from the first cancelled day, the meet didn't end until later than normal and only about 30 minutes before the park closed.

For the first time in 6 years, Emily's team did not win the county championship. The winners always get free entry into the park. We hurried over and tried to figure out the best way to buy tickets (seriously, I'm not paying full price for 30 minutes). I bought a cheap non-rider pass for us both so I could just pay per ride for Emily and we went in. Emily couldn't find her friend Aidan or their coaches - the jr coaches always go in and ride the rides with them. She did a few rides, we grabbed some fudge - she loves fudge - and we left. She was already pretty bummed they they hadn't won counties and then to not be able to have the traditional "after meet" fun that they always have was even more disappointing. I promised her we'd meet up with friends there again on a day when there was more time to play. It would have been nice to move away after a win, especially as the counties will not be held there anymore but probably a good life lesson for her. Even though I know it's a neccesary part of learning and growing it just sometimes breaks my heart to see them learn those "life lessons."

Counties Day 3.

We stopped at the store again this morning. It's not very efficient going every day or so but this close to the move I am trying not to have extra food in the house and use up what we have ... so grabbing just what we need for the day or to supplement what we are using up is the easiest way to do it.

Jacob and Jane love to go in the "car cart."

If you have to fold yourself into it, you're probably getting a little big for it!

After swim practice we went home to work on packing. The kids are in charge of packing up all our toys from the playroom.

Sometimes we get a little distracted and start playing with them.

We'll create the same toy storage system at the new house (because I love it and it's been awesome) but for a temporary solution at the rental, I got the IKEA bins. All the kids have to do for the toy packing is switch them from the cloth bins to the IKEA one's. I'm leaving the cloth one's for the new owners.

I didn't realize they were purple. I thought they were gray and it just had a purplish hue to the plastic covering. I don't have time to go back and change them, so I guess we're living with purple.

Are you sick of swimming pictures yet?

If so - stop reading now because here comes a bunch more. Day three of counties is breaststroke, Emily's best stroke. They also (thankfully) decided to add a little to each of the remaining days of counties rather than add a day to make up for the cancelled day, so they did backstroke too.

Here she is waiting for her race.

She told me later that they were planning their strategy for this freestyle relay. 

LOVE IT!

They were ahead at the end of the first length. (Each swimmer only swims 25 yrds and since there are no blocks at the other end of the pool, they start in the water.)

Can you see the look of excitement on Emily's face?

Just slightly behind after the second swimmer.

Emily swims 4th.

My heart is always pounding for her, I know she feels the pressure of being the last swimmer.

She started a little behind and in second place.

Narrowed the gap.

Swimming her little heart out, she came up even ....

Then passes,

for a WIN!!!

1st place, lane 3, for a time of 2:29.96

Well done girls!