St.Thomas - A week ago today!

Wowza!  It is FREEZING outside!  Only the kind of freezing that you get in January in Illinois...the stuff that we talk about every year.  F-R-I-G-I-D!!!!!  Which is why I had to tell you from the get go that there is heat somewhere!  It is becomming unbelieveable again.  The funny thing is that the first 48 hours of our trip Sean and I probably told each other that we couldn't believe the heat...a thousand times.  It is just unbelieveable(remember...I don't vacation)

So, a week ago today(Thursday) we docked in St.Thomas(U.S. Virgin Islands) and had a great day!  This port is known as a huge shopping port and especially known for its jewelry stores.  It was hard to find a store that wasn't selling jewelry.  It is a beautiful area.  And although the taxi cabs are insane and the drivers are mostly sane, they don't take too much away from the scenery.  There were more lizards basking on the rocks on our port.  I think they probably stay because the restaurants in that area feed them, and the rocks offer them a good source of warmth...because you can't imagine that they are laying there to "human watch".  They typically wouldn't want to be bothered...but they were pretty lazy. 

We did a barefoot sail and snorkel ride on the Kekoa which is a self made catamaran.  It was a great ride and the men who were sailing the boat actually put the boat together themselves.  They also build tree houses and seem very knowledgeable about their trade.  Something to certainly be admired...not to mention that they are brothers, which I think is great! 

The snorkel is great but takes some getting used to.  If you are a natural swimmer like my husband, then you are going to take to this quite well.  It doesn't take alot of skill and pretty quickly you can get all the skill that you need to enjoy the scenery.  If you are like myself, more of a land dweller...this might take a bit longer.  I actually found that if I held my mouthpiece in, I felt better.  I think it was the whole "getting over breathing while in the water" thing.  I keep trying to hold my breath which obviously...not smart.  So, I figured it out and before I knew it the hour of snorkel was over.

San Juan - A week ago today!

Dare I say...San Juan was SOOOOOO hot!  91 degrees!  It is a good place to be if you enjoy shopping, senor frogs, and site seeing.  I think there was probably a beach...somewhere but we didn't visit it.  We spent our day wandering around picking up free gems from different stores.  I tried on an amazing $27000 blue diamond ring that didn't want to but did come off my finger! :)  Those blue diamonds...jeesh!  Gor-geous!

Here are a few pictures of our trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico!

this was taken from the boat on the way into port

The group that wandered together!

Lizards are everywhere in Puerto Rico!

Here is Sean...who wanted to climb this tree and every other tree he saw...I have no idea why, but I am rather used to this kind of thing :)

Some of the colors of the buildings are quite flashy!

Me outside of Senor Frogs

me with our ship the ms.eurodam

A week ago today

A week ago today we were pulling our mock-titanic into Grand Turk.  From the dock, Grand Turk is beautiful...very close to paradise but we learned more about this area than the average Margaritaville dweller.

Before we went on our trip Sean and I made a list of a few excursions that we thought we would like to do.  I figured that we may never be in these area's again and we should try to actually "do" something.  At Grand Turk we had decided to go on a clear bottom kayak and eco walk tour.  It wasn't too expensive and really wanted to do something that required movement...especially when you have felt like you were eating 24/7 on the boat.

The actual tour was AWESOME.  The tour guide was a rather large native man who you wouldn't typically see in a kayak...but he was funny and had great knowledge of the plant life, fish and other things that he happened upon during out trip.  Because the kayak was clear on the bottom we could watch the fish and vegetation which added a nice aspect to the ride(I say ride...because Sean did all the paddling)  The weather was beautiful and we got to see all kinds of things and wild flamingos, which as it turns out...do exist outside of the zoos :)

The thing is...Grand Turk is a really poor area.  Most of the people who live there live in huts and the damage of hurricanes is ever present.  There is garbage in the streets, wild horses and donkeys and women who sit in their teeny tiny shops selling handmade trinkets for little money.  But you never once saw someone who didn't seem content.  It is unreal.  In fact as we were driving and I was watching out the window, I remember that I just kept saying "unreal", and thinking that our girls wouldn't believe the houses and land.  Unreal. 

And the part that got to me the most was that 99% of the people who came ashore that day did not see what we saw.  We would ask people what they did and the majority stayed close to shore on the beach or in the shops and restaurants that are just a few feet from the beach.  If you were to ask them what they thought of Grand Turk, they would probably tell you that it was paradise, but in reality...the people who live there live in a different type of reality.  One that doesn't revolve around tourism, but one that they have grown accustomed to.  That is something to be respected and admired.  The live with so little and yet they live.  What a lesson in the middle of what seemed like paradise from the shore.

Guess what Illinois???

80 degree weather exists during January!!!!!  I know...I hardly could believe it too...and I keep forgetting that when I get home the weather is NOT going to follow me.  I am terribly sad about this, but terribly happy to get home to my girls.

I have been blessed beyond measure yet again by a company that showers us with appreciation and I can't wait to get back in the swing of work again!  Re-fresh-ing!

Here are a few teaser pictures!  We didn't see more than 15 minutes of rain during our entire trip!

This is from our second formal night.  It is somewhere between St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.

On the way into San Juan.

Lizard in San Juan.

The water at Half Moon Cay.

Week 1 - Check

I am done with week 1 "training".  Give me a break right??? Most of you could get off the couch onto the treadmill and handle this workout.  But I figure I had to start somewhere!  And I don't want to get burned out so, I just stuck with the plan and finished those three running workouts and then added an elliptical and resistance workout as well.

I do plan on running while on the boat, and from what I have read there are plenty of treadmills and beautiful scenery out the windows! 

I have to be honest...I was pretty proud of myself getting the kids out twice this week(all 5)while Sean has been gone.  It isn't easy to take 5 kids anywhere much less to the gym.  They behaved perfectly and I am pretty glad they did! 

Next week I up my length of runs.  At this point the time is more like a mind game than anything else so if I psych myself out, I will be fine!  And...I didn't have any music in my ears this week.  I need to charge the ipod(ok...more like find the charge cord), or borrow seans sweet itouch.(if I can get it out of his grubby paws)

Until then...rock it out sistas!

Day #2 of training...

Yep, it Thursday...and it is SNOWING...not only is it snowing but it is a snow day!  4 of my children are out playing in the snow at the moment.

So this brings me to point 1 of my workout pitfalls.

I don't get to the gym because I have to tote 5 kids with.  Now this isn't really typically the case.  When I like to go to the gym I usually have either 1 or 2 children because the other three are in school.  Fine...perfect, that works!  BUT WAIT!!!!  How about summer's, breaks and...snowdays!  Not too mention that when it is really cold out I feel bad dragging the littles out for something that I often feel is a priveledge(me being able to work out). 

Isn't that crazy?  Isn't this a bad excuse?  Didn't you think that I was better at this parenting 5 kids thing than this post would lead you to believe???

So, for those of you who don't have this problem...I want your advice!  I know the whole "just do it" attitude and that it is "better for me", but when the rubber hits the road sometimes it is just easier to stay home.

What do you think?

**edited to add - I am still planning on getting to the gym tonight and am NOT giving up...nor will I.  When I set a goal, I am really good about seeing it through.  It's after I am done with the goal that things change.

Week 1 - Crazy Idea...starting point...

Allright...so I have yet another crazy idea.(insert rolling eyes) *Please note that this is NOT part of any resolution.  It is just something I congered up today while on the treadmill.

I want to run a 5k non stop.

I am out of shape and want to have a goal to work towards.

I know that a 5k isn't much to many of you...but for me, it's a good start!

I want to be able to do this in a month.  Here's the schedule.

WEEK ONE
Mon Rest
Tue Run 2 mins, walk 4 mins. Do 5 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 3 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 4 times
Fri Rest
Sat Run 3 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 4 times
Sun Rest
WEEK TWO
Mon Rest
Tue Run 5 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 5 mins, walk 3 mins. Do 3 times
Fri Rest
Sat Run 7 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Sun Rest
WEEK THREE
Mon Rest
Tue Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Fri Rest
Sat Run 10 mins, walk 2 mins. Do twice then run for 5 mins
Sun Rest
WEEK FOUR
Mon Rest
Tue 8 mins, walk 2 mins. Do 3 times
Wed Rest
Thu Run 9 mins, walk 1 min. Do 3 times
Fri Rest
Sat Run 12 mins, walk 2 mins. Do twice then run for 5 mins
Sun RUN 5K

And for my running friends-please check this schedule and give me any and all advice you would like.  I am open to your ideas!