I'M FREEEE....FREE FALLIN'!!!

This post is more for my friends and fam who follow my blog every now and then. I realize I'm a bit behind in writing about it (especially for those who read my sister Tara and Brooke's blogs), but here are a few pics of our family adventure jumping out of a plane at 11,000 ft! (my dad's idea!) :)

The most anxious part was waiting in the tiny plane for over 1/2 hr as it ascended to the right altitude. Mike and I went first - and there was only room enough for us, the pilot and our 2 tandum instructors. Because of the way we were seated, I had to jump first (oh great!) and I could tell by the instructor's progressively-more serious tone that we were nearing the 'now or never' point. All I could think of was 'ARCH!' (really, our only responsibility during the fall)...90% of the risk is eliminated if you do this correctly.

Gettin' suited up!

Michael and me!

Here we go!

It was a real lil' plane...

The Pilot yelled 'DOOR OPEN!' and within a second, the door (aka WALL) of the plane flew open, leaving 1 cm between me and the open space of sky (and loud wind!!). With no time to allow fear to creep in, the instructor yelled 'LEFT FOOT OUT!' Then, after tightening the harness one last time, he yelled 'RIGHT FOOT OUT!' - now I was crouched outside the plane on a piece of platform that seemed to be no bigger than 1-ft long slab of metal. READY, SET...ARCH!

Pulled parachute right after the freefall!

35ish seconds of free-fall felt more like someone put a 122 mph fan in front of me - the wind resistance was insane (and chilly!) - but what a rush!!! I screamed/laughed so much that the wind took all the saliva out off my teeth and my mouth was super dry. haha! After we dropped about 6,000 ft, the instructor gave me the signal to pull the ripcord and we came halting to a slow, peaceful float above the ground for about 10 minutes. By this time, I could see the images of my family on the ground (and glimpses of Mike in the air with me) - it was so surreal to be floating so high as if I was looking out of a plane, only to look down and see my tennis shoes dangling below me.

Made it!! :)

The landing was soft and smooth - it was so cool to just glide down. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go and if you've EVER thought about doing it - you must! It was an experience I'll never forget and SO fun to do it as a family!!

Sis Andee, Dad, me, Mike, & Bro-in-Laws, Mark and Tim (everyone but the mamas went) :)

Had to throw a couple of these cutie-patooties in there...My nephew, Myles, hangin' out in the cabin of the 1957 plane.


My niece, Teagan, hangin' out with her very anxious mommy as her daddy goes skydiving!

NATURE'S PLAYGROUND

My workout yesterday consisted of a bike-run that took me to one of the most beautiful places our area has to offer. Headed south down 64th Ave on my bike, I turned west on 138th and cruised into one of my favorite places to get lost in thought (but hopefully not literally lost!) - the trails of Saugatuck Dunes State Park! I LOVE this place! I strapped on my running shoes and attempted to attack those hill climbs up and down - some parts ended up in a walk, but that was ok with me. The beauty was breathtaking!

Where else can you be on wooded, packed trail dusted with pine needles and 42 steps later (seriously, I counted!) :) be stepping in the pillowy soft sand of the beach?! The terrain was challenging but fun - it's worth the run, walk or hike to watch the sun glisten over the vast waters while standing on top of the dune - despite my pounding heartbeat and tired legs, I couldn't help but feel peaceful and blessed for the moments of solitude and calm.

42 steps later....

If anyone is interested in joining me for an adventure like this in place of their strength workout one of these days, let me know. Ted....you're first in line! See you outside! :)

OLYMPIC FEVER!

I'm officially addicted to the greatest games in the history of the world! Ok, that might be a little hyper-excited, but I am LOVING the Olympics this year. As someone who is involved in muscle development and performance training, I am in awe each time I see the athletes. The amount of strength, control and power in every ounce of their bodies is something to marvel at - my favorites have been SWIMMING (of course, Michael Phelps - wow!), GYMNASTICS (you think doing planks are difficult - try it in the air on unstable rings!), BEACH VOLLEYBALL (tough chicks), and something close to my heart, TRACK and FIELD (funny to think, with my best times, I'd only be about 3 seconds from a gold medal in the 100m race, 10 seconds from gold in the 400m and 14 seconds from gold in the 800m...Ok, that's a lot in Track & Field time, but still... fun to think about) :)

Check out this cool video describing the perfect blend of GENETICS and TRAINING that make Michael Phelps speedier than any other...

Another thing I love about the games is how much unity it seems to bring - at a home-level (I love sitting watching the games with my family and Mike and his family - it's been a lot of fun!) and globally. Pretty cool.

What's been your favorite part of the Olympics?

R.E.S.T.

Thanks to Juan Carlos Santana, renowned functional training expert, personal trainer to professional sport teams and general fitness populations, sought-after consultant and dynamic speaker, founder and owner of the Institute of Human Performance...and my teacher and previous boss!

Check out the Institute of Human Performance site here - and read below for a reminder that a LIL' rest can make a BIG difference.

Good rest time

(49-56 hours per week).

Enough can’t be said about getting good rest. If you have to sacrifice time for work or family, rest time is usually the first to go. If you make that mistake, you will surely suffer. However, the price you pay when you give up your rest is difficult to detect because it happens so slowly and over such a long time. Most Americans are sleep deprived even though they spend many hours in bed or watching TV, playing video games, surfing the Internet, and so on. If your mind is flying, you are not resting. Imagery (i.e., perception) is everything; if you are sitting down and imagining you are running, you are not resting—you are running. Go to bed early and take naps even if you can do so only on the weekends. View naps and good rest time as a miniature vacation from the chaos we all call life.

SAFE, CLEAN WATER - comin' right up!

I'm someone who loves water - it makes us feel good, it's healthy and our bodies simply need it.

Within the 30 minutes I wake up, take a drink, shower, use the restroom, wash my hands, wash my dishes, brush my teeth, and fill up my waterbottle, I've used more water than one person in a developing country does in DAYS.

And...I didn't have to walk 5 miles with a 44 lb container before I did any of this.

DID YOU KNOW:
* When you flush the toilet, you are using the same water amount that one person in a developing country uses all day to wash, clean, cook and drink (http://www.knowh2o.org/)

* MORE THAN HALF of Africa's people lack access to safe drinking water. (www.dropinthebucket.com)

* Over 80% of the disease in developing countries is related to poor drinking water and sanitation (http://www.who.org/)

* A child dies every 15-sec from diseases related to poor drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. (http://www.knowh20.org/)

* 1/3 of all deaths in developing countries are children under 5, often because of DIARRHEA - 4,900 deaths occur daily because of diarrhea.

The CHAIN REACTION of unclean water is devasting. Aside from the severe health and sanitation issues, the time it takes women and children to retrieve clean water keeps them from being able to attend school and therefore, obtain a career or respected status.

Luckily, people around the world are taking notice...People in our neighborhood are taking notice. Engedi Church, through the organization World Hope International, has formed a relationship with and has fully supported an Orphan Trust Community in Zambia, Africa.

Through World Hope International, $3,500 covers the direct costs of drilling a well and provides clean drinking water to as many as 2,000 people. (http://www.worldhope.org/)

THE RIDE

The THIRST: WELLS FOR ZAMBIA bike ride (sponsored by Engedi Church) was an overwhelmingly successful event. I guess you can't really define 'successful' but, according to the numbers below, realizing that over 4,000 people will now have access to safe, clean drinking water is pretty much not only successful but downright amazing.

And...you Valeo-ians alone contributed over $800 - Wow. That means YOU'VE directly impacted the lives of about 460 individuals in Zambia...

Here are the stats from the July 19th event:

* 46 riders (including 12 children and teens)
* 1,822 miles ridden for clean water in Zambia
* $8,008 raised which fully funds the cost for two wells and a partially funds a third. Wow!! Is God good, or what?
* 14,000 = total number of people in Zambia who now have access to clean water due to events such as these since Engedi began nearly three years ago
* The first well will be drilled at the Choma Central Orphan Trust which is fully supported by Engedi. (aka - we know exactly where the first well will be - and people we've formed relationships with will directly be influenced!)

THANK YOU!!

In honor of my GRANDMA, 1919 - 2008

My dear Grandma (Oosting) passed away this past Sunday, June 20th. While my heart is saddened that she won't be there to watch me get married someday, meet my future children or share any more of her hilarious stories, I am comforted and EXCITED knowing that she's with Jesus celebrating in the kingdom of Heaven.

Here are some of my favorite memories of her. I love you, Grandma, and am so thankful for the life you had and the legacy you leave. You will never be forgotten!

* The way she loved on my Grandpa and held his hand.

* The sleepovers, birthdays at her house and being babysat when my sisters and I were little.

* She was the only person I knew who called her couches 'davenports', ha!

* Painting ceramics with her in her basement.

* Her infamous Lamb-shaped cake she made on our birthdays - a tradition started when my dad was a baby and is now carried on with my sister's kids!

My nephew, Myles, on his 1st bday w/ Great-Grandma's lambcake!

*Her presence at our t-ball and softball games growing up all the way through our college track meets.

* Riding in the car with her and grandpa on the way to the high school basketball Championship games my sisters played in.

* Her strawberry jello with pink cool-whip frosting and banana cream pies she'd bring to every holiday get-together.

*The t-shirts and shell necklaces she'd bring back for us girls from the various places she and my grandpa would travel.

* The stories, the stories, the stories! Everything from growing up in a house off all boys, to her childhood haircuts, to my favorite - of how she met my grandpa while racing cars on the streets of downtown Grand Rapids!

* Her little snicker when she tried not to smile - her dry sense of humor was the best!

You can read more on her LIFE STORY here... :)

TEAM ZAMBIA - a different opportunity

Some of you have read my Blog post regarding Team Zambia during Holland Hundred bike ride and would like to contribute but aren't able (or don't desire :)) to commit to the actual ride. I will be riding a leg of the tour (probably the 36-mile option) for Team Zambia. If you are willing, would you consider supporting the cause by giving a flat donation or amount per mile I ride? I'd love to raise as much as I can for the building of clean water wells in Zambia, Africa.

My church (www.engedichurch.com) is partnered with a community in Zambia and a group of people from engedi travel there each year to continue this partnership, dig fish ponds, teach skills and trades, develop relationships with the orphaned community and build water wells. Each well provides the opportunity for 2,000 people to receive access to clean drinking water, an everyday necessity that, to us, is constantly at our fingertips. Your consideration to donate at any amount brings us one step closer to raising $3,500 for another well in Zambia!!

If you are willing, checks can be made out to 'engedi church' with 'clean water wells' in the memo. You may give them personally or send them to me at the address below in my signature (by Friday, July 18). For donations over $25, you will receive a gift card to the Zeeland restaurant At The Diner (www.atthediner.com). For donations of $500 or more, photography packages from Steven F. Fox Photography will be granted! (www.stevenffox.com).

Thank you so much for helping promote GOOD HEALTH (here and globally!)