Forever Young!!

"The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball."

-Doug Larson

Or water balloon, for that matter!! Yesterday, for the first time in a LONG time here in Minnesota, the temperature was 100 degrees and, man, did it throw us for a loop! Unfortunately, our air conditioning broke so we were left in extreme heat indoors. Now, we could have driven over to the Mall of America and spent the day there in air-conditioned comfort, but what would be unique about that?! When we heard the forecast on Monday night, I suddenly got a brilliant idea that originally started out as a joke...

This puppy that we got at Wal-Mart for only $15 at 11:30 at night on Monday, along with 500 water balloons, three water guns, and a water balloon sling shot. My family thought I was being ridiculous, but they were sure proven wrong! I was up at 8:30 and we began setting up and filling the pool. Obviously, the water was too cold to enjoy right away, but that didn't stop us from beating the heat; we reached for our water balloons and started loading them up. For the next hour, we ran around chasing each other with the balloons and making up games to play, getting soaked, which made a huge difference and was much-needed, even at 10:30 in the morning! By noon, the pool was warmer and we sat in there for awhile and had some lovely beverages (VERY important to stay hydrated in the heat). We had lunch, cooled down some more, sun bathed a little, and even let the dogs swim for a bit. With the exception of a few indoor breaks, we spent the entire day outside having a blast, keeping cool in our fun way and went to bed very tired and only slightly sunburned (yay, sunscreen!).

To some this may sound like a childish way of "wasting" a day away, but I would do it again and again. I feel that it is important to have these kind of times when we let ourselves feel young again and enjoy what we used to. If you grow up and never look back, you may forget about the things that once made you who you are and lose that passion for life that you used to have. Experiencing life through the eyes (and sometimes actions) of a child can actually teach us a lot; like the fact that a $15 inflatable pool, pack of balloons, and a hose can be so incredibly fulfilling. Children don't need to spend tons of money to have a good time, they don't question how silly they may look, and they don't underestimate the power of spending a little time with family.


My mom said yesterday that she was proud of me for allowing myself to have a good laugh and not cut the fun short with complaints or other obligations. I was shocked! Do I really do that?? Is a laugh over something completely ridiculous really that rare with me?? And then it hit me: YES. I focus so much time on work, school, bill-paying, and grocery-shopping... and when I'm not focused on that, I'm worrying about something else. Yesterday, that all went away for one entire day: no business, no stress, no serious mindset. And it felt INCREDIBLE. At the end of the day, I went in with my childhood freckles shining, which I usually hide with makeup, and my sides aching from laughing so hard, as I hadn't in the longest time.

Experiencing this yesterday has inspired me to try and find one day every once in while to throw back to something that makes me incredibly happy or incredibly sentimental toward my chilhood days. How about all of you?? Do you ever do this?? What is something that you like to do, see, or eat that brings you back to "the good old days"?? Today I am back to work, but trying not to allow myself to dwell on any stressors. I want to maintain my high from yesterday and leave work eager to enjoy the sunshine once again today. Hoping you're all staying cool out there and finding things that make you happy!

Back again soon,

P!