Days 5 & 6

The Shinler Family (well, half of them).

This weekend was absolutely amazing! I had such a great time with my family. Every fall my parents host the Shinler Shindig. It is basically a redneck tournament. We are split into teams and are tasked with activities to complete and then are timed in an obstacle course. Activities include trap shooting, blow gun, darts, hatchet throwing, nerf gun, wrist rocket, etc. Basically a lot of shooting shit! Excuse the language. Points are added up and the winners earn bragging rights for the next year. After the tournament we eat (way too much) delicious food and end the day with a fun hayride to the river. Only about half the family was able to attend this year, so it was quite small. We have a huge family that is loud, crazy, and really fun! The best part is everyone's sense of humor. During the obstacle course all of the cackling is just hilarious. If you don't have tough skin and a good sense of humor, chances are you won't fit in ;)

Driveway

If you are following my blog you might be wondering if I got my miles in and why I didn't post yesterday. I'll start off by saying YES I got my miles in! I was going to get my hike in in the morning yesterday but I ended up cleaning my house (haha- I can't stand a mess!). I fit my miles in when I had downtime and was walking around all day anyways. About 2 of my miles were an on-purpose walk around the property. I walked about three more just from being on my feet all day, so I called it good and decided not to feel guilty about it. The reason I didn't write yesterday is because I was having too much fun, and that's ok with me!

My sister-in-law and best friend Jasmine was gracious enough to accompany me on my hike this morning. It was great to have an hour together to chat about life. The weather was beautiful and the time flew by. It was a very nice change of pace to have a walking buddy. Music gets old after a while and it's always nice to shake things up! When we got back to the house we felt bad because we realized we forgot to bring Ryder with- OOPS!! I don't even think she noticed!

I just can't get over how beautiful everything is this time of year. I love how the leaves are different every single day. What I love even more is how my endurance is improving! I can't believe how fast I am seeing changes in myself. I mean, I still get all huffy after walking up a hill, but I am feeling stronger every day. I already feel like I could go for another 3.3 right now! My first couple of days, I would have never considered a second hike. I feel more alive, if that makes sense. Which is why I wanted to do this, so that is great news!

Swampish Area 

I hope you are all enjoying the blog! Until tomorrow and with gratitude,
Jamie Lynn