Sunday, May 20, 2012

Ash Kicker 2012....kicking ash!!!

Yesterday Corey, his sister Kim, and her husband Juan participated in a 5K super muddy obstacle/adventure race for charity called The Ash Kicker. 
BEFORE THE RACE PICTURES:



 AFTER THE RACE PICTURES:



The reason they look so muddy & beautiful is due to the AWESOME & CHALLENGING obstacles.

Here is a list of the obstacles:
  1. Nothing But Net! – Climb up one side of the cargo net & down the other. Looks easy until you reach the top.
  2.  
  3. Beam Me Up – Maneuver your way along a row of balance beams.
  4. Jump & Duck – Jump over Sasquatch size hurdles then duck & crawl in some serious ash pits. We want to make sure you crawl so we’ve added a surprise over the top of the pit that will defiantly make you get low!
  5. Forest of Fun – We’re not clearing you a path….you’ve got to work your way through this dense brush. Try not to veer off the course you never know what’s lurking around in the woods!
  6. Beaver Trail – Tromp your way through muddy water, dense brush & some serious vegetation as you work your way along the beaver’s trail. Never know if a beaver will in the brush??
  7. Arachnophobia – Hope you’re not afraid of spiders! You’ll be weaving your way through bungee webs in the trees. Don’t think you’re getting out of this easy; we’ve got tires stacked up so there’s no chance of easy footing.
  8. Sasquatch Stairs – Work your way up Mt. Ash Kicker by conquering these Sasquatch size stairs. The higher you go the taller they get.
  9. Burn Baby Burn – Just because you’ve reached the top of the stairs doesn’t mean you’re done climbing, now you get to work your way up the sandy, rocky, steep hillside.
  10. Ladders & Chutes – Climb to the top of the ladder & slide down the chute into a muddy pit! Nothing easy about this…the tube is dark & the water is COLD!
  11. Stairway to Hell – Climb up & over this 8 foot ladder then get ready to climb through what is heaven to our Sasquatch….a mud pit. We’re making sure you get muddy & have to crawl this pit is covered & you never know what may be lurking around in the dark!
  12. Crash Landing – Base jump off the sand pit but be ready for a crash landing.
  13. Mountain Climber – Work your way up Mt. Ash Kicker by using ropes to help with this vertical incline.
  14. Mt Ash Kicker Crawl – Now we’re taking away the ropes & letting you crawl on your hands & knees up the mountain.
  15. Let it Slide – Back by popular demand but with some modifications. Our slip & slide will have you flying down the hill into our own little swimming pool.
  16. Army Crawl Ash Kicker Style – We want you to get down & just to make sure we’re sending you through some dark & muddy tubes. There’s no way outta this one.
  17. Squatch Pipe – This half pipe is Sasquatch size. Better get your speed up as you run up the front & pull yourself to the top. You may need some help to get up this one! Now get ready to climb down, better hang on tight.
  18. TireD? – You need to climb, fight, & crawl your way over this Big Foot size tires.
  19. Squatch Tub – Here’s your chance to come clean at the finish as you go through our very own Sasquatch Foam Pit! After all that sand & mud we want our racers to finish squeaky clean & ready to party!
They were on a team called, "The City Slickers" (a team formed by The City of Longview employees - Corey's employer).  Most of the teams had funny names and costumes.  It was a TON of fun for the whole family.
Here are some pictures of our fun day.  I only got pictures of the very beginning and end of the race.  Next year, I am going to go take pictures of some of the crazy obstacles.  Go to the website for more information.

 Here is Team City Slickers
and they're off!! 

Check out some of the great costumes.  One of the best parts was checking
out all the crazy team names and costumes!! 


So after they took off we (me & my mother-in-law Diane) took the kids (Carlie, Berkeley, Jordan, Andres, & Adan) to eat some lunch.  Last year's winner did the course in 32 minutes so I figured we had at least a 30 minute break.  So just as we were finishing our lunch, Juan shows up and wanted to know why we were not at the finish line taking pictures!!!  We FAILED!!  Should have known Juan would be SUPER fast.  He did the course in 32 minutes and last I checked he was in 22nd place overall in a race that had 1000 runners!.....OOPS.  So here is a pic of his dirty legs that Jordan took after the race of JUAN the man!

Kim conquering the mud tube

 bubbletastic
 go Kim!

 All DONE!!!  Kim finished in just over 42 minutes

 my husband is handsome


 home stretch
this is where Corey fell on the tires...oops
 wow Kim, looking good
comparing battle wounds
 muddy & fabulous...Corey finished in 50 minutes (yes his baby sister kicked his ash)
 City Slickers: post-race

 brrrrrrrrrrrrr

rinsing all the mud, ash, & sweat off
 my favorite boys in the world
 cousin love
 the had a BIG inflatable bouncy obstacle course for the kids and it was FREE!!!!!!




 more cousin love



they also had a blast at the playground after the race
 playing in the bubbles & my only pic of Jordan to prove he was with us :)

 love my bubble loving, swimsuit backwards, sidewalk chalking girl!!!


they did this for a LONG time!!

After the race we went to my house to relax and BBQ.  It was so much fun to hang out with some of my favorite people!!!!  Some of you might have noticed that I am in NONE of the photos and either is my mother-in-law......well apparently no one thought we were worthy of a photo!!  But, we were there and we had a great time!
***Sorry for the marathon post, but we had over 350 pictures so this is actually SHORT!! :)




Friday, May 11, 2012

Beige is boring...I NEED color

If you have ever been to my old homes in The Dalles or AZ you know I like to paint my walls a bunch of random crazy colors.  I love my new home and I love that the walls are all a nice light beige color instead of starting with all white walls.  It is nice, BUT oh so BORING!!  I finally got fed up yesterday, hopped in the car and spontaneously bought a can of muted turquoise and painted an accent wall immediately.  I LOVE it.

 I forgot to take a before picture - this is the best I have.

I used for the first time the paint & primer in one - Brand: Valspar Signature Colors; color: POND (E843-3).  I was really hesitant because it is expensive.  BUT, oh my!!  I only had to paint one coat - TOTAL (with a few touch ups).  It was amazing.  Usually with a color this dark I would paint one coat of primer and one or two of the paint.  I am a fan now - you should try it.  It actually works out to be cheaper and a HUGE time saver!!!!!


Mid-Project - you can see my inspiration pillow in the lower left corner.

 LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!  This picture does not do it justice - guess you will just need to come visit me :)
I loved it so much I hung up some more pictures and decorations.
Now it is time to PAINT SOME MORE!!!!! hmmmm what will I do?