Great Start to 2016

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE 2016

I did a Polar Bear Plunge in 2012 and it was a blast.  I have wanted to do one ever since, but for some reason or another I haven't.  So this year I decided to stay an extra day on Orcas Island and do the Polar Bear Plunge at Cascade Lake.  I convinced my daughters to do it with me this year. My youngest, Madison, is very adventurous and said 'Sure, that sounds fun!' My oldest, Abbie, is a bit more cautious and asked a bunch of questions.  I was a lot like her when I was little so I simply told her "Sometimes you just need to do stuff, just to do stuff and not worry about so many details." So we were in agreement, all three of us would do the Polar Bear Plunge.
The plunge started at 11am on January 1st.  Of course that morning like usual I got side tracked and we ended up getting there five minutes late.  Instead of being sad I seized the opportunity since we were there and willing.  I got the chair out for my Mom and plopped her on the beach.  Then I said we are doing our own Vaskelis Polar Bear Plunge!  "Mom get the camera ready we are doing it."  I grabbed the girls hands, we counted to three, and we ran in.  Madison was the first out followed by Abbie and I a few seconds later.  Abbie freaked out a little bit because she was so cold.  I told her that was normal.  We got wrapped up in towels and congratulated ourselves for a job well done.  I asked Abbie if it was that bad.  'Mom, it is really refreshing, I just can't feel my toes and I don't like that.'  I asked Madison what she thought.  'Mom that was awesome, I can't believe I just did that!  I am really cold though.'  Grandma purchased shirts for them, we put on jackets, and headed to Rosario so we could warm up in the pool and hot tub.  I hope that this becomes a yearly tradition because it truly is a blast!!

Ready to go

The countdown

We are off

That was fast

Warming up

Picture with Grandma

Celebratory Shirts

Warming up in the hot tub