So I’ve been with out a computer for a while (story of my life, right?), then a crazy training schedule. I’m sorry for anyone who thought I might have forgotten about a Plunge update. Here it is…

Sadly for some of my team members, unexpected duty or training got in the way of them being able to be there, but that didn’t stop my team from raising VERY close to $1,000 for the MD Special Olympics. Me and and few brave (and VERY cold!!!) managed to make our way to Sandy Pt State Park, and what an awesome day it was! First, I’d like to thank my guys for NOT keeping their promises of wearing tuxedo Speedos and Borat bathing suits!!! Much appreciated!!! Then I’d like to apologize for my not putting my camera in the right bag. I’m at the mercy of others for photos still and I am crushed. Anyhow, we all got up that morning and driving over the Bay Bridge was terrifying. There was ice in the Bay!!! Oh yeah, it was FREEZING!!! They told us when we got there that they had to break the ice from the jumper’s side! God bless the coffee stand. With out their wonderfully warm lattes (and refillable cups, which also easily held 12 oz beers) we may have never made it from the nice warm food to the ridiculously hard, cold, unplesant sand. We all raised up our blue wristbands at the 1 o’clock whistle and ran our cold butts into the Chesapeake anyway though. It was an amazing day. I’m hoping (yet unsuccessfully trying to get a team of super plungers for next year to jump every hour for 24 hours. I have a whole year to work on it, so I’m sure there’s got to be few willing to go with me. If not, I know I’ll have my Q team next year too. A special thanks to S, who made the plunge on his big 2-3! You are a hero! I’d like to give another special thanks to my Dad for coming out for moral support. While jumping in ice cold water is normally a dumb idea, he showed up to support me and my guys! I love you!!! The ones that made it thisyear promised to do it with me again next year, and the ones that didn’t promise to make it up to me. I am currently getting a team together for the DC Breast Cancer Walk in October, 60 miles in 3 days, and they’re already excited about it. I am so blessed to work with people with such big hearts and I thank each and everyone of you!!! I am a firm believer in the quote ” Be the change you wish to see in the world”, and I am overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the people around me. You all make me so proud and honored to be a part of your lives!

On a fun note… there is going to be a Bel Air bar crawl to support breast cancer research this spring, courtesy of the amazing oraganizational skills of Ms Genni M. Yes, this means you should totally be there. And yes, it also means beer and saving boobs. See you soon

A lot of people use New Year’s as a time to look back at their year and make their goals for the year to come, but I always found Thanksgiving to be way more appropriate.  I have had a rough one, probably the hardest year I can remember, but it was the best.  Since this time last year I’ve gotten divorced, moved out on my own and struggled to balance life as a single mom, Marine and made some attempt at maintaining a personal life all at the same time.  I’ve always been a little too proud to ask for help when I needed it, but this year changed all that.  It was the first time I really had to face the reality that being a parent means I no longer have the luxury of being too proud; a really tough thing for me to do.  It was terrifying to admit that I can’t do it all.  What if people thought I failed?  Worst of all, I thought asking for help meant that I had failed.  Like last year, I found myself in tears while planing this Thanksgiving.  This time though their is not one single drop of defeat, but instead overwhelming gratitude.  Since last Thanksgiving I have managed to start rebuilding my relationship with my mother, which I was sure for years would never happen.  Even after not speaking for a long time, then only superficially for a couple of years, at my time of need, my mother still came through and is now one of my best friends.  My best childhood friend along with my father both deserve a huge round of applause for being more stubborn than me and pushing me to reconcile.  My kids are at the ages now when they are really becoming their own little people.  Their likes and dislikes are more apparent everyday.  It’s hard to believe 4 years ago I was waddling around, unable to see my toes and counting the seconds until I could make that ginormous belly I was carrying around disappear.  Now my son tells me about his day, helps me make dinner and dances in the car with me on the way home from work.  My daughter sings me songs about anything and everything she can think of and pulls me by the hand to the sofa to snuggle and watch Dora before bedtime.  Even when I think I am “too busy” to sit down, she reminds me everyday that there is no time better spent than simply being with the people you love.  Living alone (as in with no other adults) was terrifying to me last year.  I clearly remember the first night after I moved when my friends had gone home and the kids were in bed and I was sitting in my living room, totally and completely alone. I had no idea how to handle it.  It was so much time to think.  I couldn’t run away or distract myself, the only thing to do was face it.  And face it I did; and I lived.  Shocking.  All that worry and doubt I had carried around for so long didn’t kill me after all.  I learned to let go and enjoy the moment and have fun.  Don’t get me wrong, their was tons of crying and shouting along the way, but I can honestly say that for each sob I have laughed twice as loud and twice as often than I can remember.  It’s a blessing.

As I am getting my house ready for Thanksgiving on Thursday I have been fielding frantic phone calls from friends: how many people are going to be at their house, is this person going to get along with that person, how will they handle all of their family with out Xanax and a long list of other things that they worry about.  I on the other hand, consider myself lucky.  This Thursday I will have about 20 people crammed into my little 3 bedroom apartment.  They all know how crowded it will be, some of them know each other, some of them don’t, but they are all glad.  I will hear the running around of 8 kids and the laughing and bustling of the friends and family who got me here today.  We will eat ourselves silly and tell embarrassing stories, stay up late drinking wine and playing Scrabble, and eventually go to bed with full bellies and hopefully overflowing hearts.  I may not ave learned a damn thing about fixing a turkey this year, but I think I got the more important recipe right.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I am getting my Quantico team ready to head up to Anne Arundel in a couple of months to do the Polar Bear Plunge.  For those that don’t know, this is an event sponsored by the MD State Police every year to help raise money for the MD Special Olympics.  I’ve got a good group of guys & girls that I’m stationed with down here in VA willing to take the plunge for such a good cause, but we need your help.  Each team member needs to raise $50 in donations in order to participate.  In return, we will be taking a jump into the Chesapeake Bay on January 24 to raise awareness for the Special Olympics.  To donate simply go to the donation page for the MD Polar plunge and enter Christina Williams.  From there you can click on the link for My Team Page and choose to donate to any invidual or make a general team donation.   We really appreciate any help we can get!!!