Once upon a time, some smarty pants decided that it would be awesome to start the new year off with a nice dip in Lake Michigan. Somehow that turned into a big Chicago tradition for many and so every New Years Day at noon, a bunch of crazies strip down to their skivies in sometimes subzero weather and take a nice cool swim. Jeremy was one of those this year, apparantly I will be next year too. Somehow I don't think I quite realized what I was promising when I told Jeremy, "I will next year honey, this year I'll just take pictures." So let's take a look at Jeremy's crazy adventure. We started off by meeting at one of our friends house in our ward and then caravaned off to North Avenue beach.
Jeremy pumping himself up to get iced. Luckily on the 1st it was at least in the single digits with the wind chill. The snow had melted the previous day and the wind came and froze everything, including our car doors that morning.
We'd been watching the travel channel and their "Top 10 Beaches", Will got excited and wanted to go to the beach. "Can I go beach Mama?" I told him sure, but I don't think this is what he had in mind.
One of our friends was smart enough to bring a tent, it blocked a little bit of wind and kept some of the kiddos warmer.
Going in...
Yup, you can see a little kid in there. You didn't think they had immunity to this challenge did you?
At least Jeremy was smart enough to bring flip flops so he wouldn't be barefoot on the ice when he came back.
I had never seen him run out of the water so fast. But he swam all the way out to the buoys, when under then back. I am so proud.
Pandemonium with people trying to get undressed to go in, or getting dressed to avoid hypothermia.
Jeremy told me the worst part was that he couldn't feel his feet unless he moved them, at which point it felt like they were going to break when he bent them.
Will had tried following his Daddy out into the water and was glad when he came back. I think Jeremy was too.
Notice the ice still in his beard? It did melt eventually and Jeremy got warm after taking a nice long nap under our heating blanket. And they lived happily everafter...until next time.
