Turkey Trot 2012

Yesterday was SO MUCH FUN!!! I was so nervous for nothing!  I did not sleep well at all the night before, even with a melatonin! You know what I mean?  The kind of sleep where you know your brain is still on and running in the background?!?  I was nervous on so many levels.  Afraid it would be a competitive (not fun) run, afraid of the unknown terrain and simply afraid I might struggle to finish it … even though I have been running 3 miles (and sometimes more) 3x’s a week!

 I am so DELIGHTED that I ran it! It was so not what I was anxious over, AT ALL!  It was FUN and the group we had made it much more than fun… it is a precious memory I will always treasure! We had a fantastic group of runners….some newer runners, some old runners and some cold turkey runners!!   I finished in 37 minutes and some unknown seconds, I forgot to look!  I was the last one of our group to come in (and believe me I am SO ok with that) and there was something quite special about having almost 20 people cheering for you as you come to the end!  I had to fight back tears!  Even with no desire to “compete” in my times, just to run and finish it felt like such an accomplishment!!  

It was also very fun to have Mrs. Vandenbos there.  She is a much loved piano teacher for quite a few in our group of runners, including Mitchell!  She is a marathon runner, so this 5K was small potatoes for her I’m sure!  She did great and she joined us for our “after” photo!

So many in our group did so well! There was about 200 - 300 people participating and many of our group finished under the 30 minute mark (or just over)and we even had some ribbons that were won!  Mitchell finished nicely under 30 minutes, which was his goal.  Taylor B. won 1^st for her age group, Roscoe P. won 3^rd (I believe it was) for his age group, Titus B. got 3^rd in his age group and my sweet hubby got third for his age group with a 21:01 and 19^th overall.  I am so proud of him! He was in the 30-39 age group but the two that beat him were younger than him!  No one the same age as him or in the next age group up (40-49) finished before him! I keep telling him that he should actually train more over the next few months so when he turns 40 he will be ready to really run!!  He was quite the runner in HS and when we were first married.  He commonly ran his mile in HS in the 4:20’s with his best time being a 4:10!!! He used to finish his 5K’s between 15-16 minutes! The last official race he ran was almost 18 years ago, about a year after we were married, the Frost Bite Foot Race in Anchorage.  This is a race held in downtown Anchorage in JANUARY!  It was in the single digits for temp. and that did not include the wind chill, it was crazy cold!!   It was very special to me to run my first “race” together with Chad and Mitchell.

We finished our adventure off with a delicious feast at the E’s home…. Egg casserole, Quiche, Blueberry pancakes, sausage, fruit, cinnamon rolls, coffee and sweet fellowship!   It was a very special morning on so many levels.  Completing the Turkey Trot  was an awesome milestone for me, but experiencing it with those dear to my heart was the icing on the cake!  I can’t wait to do it again!!

 

 

 

 

 Before the run....

 



 

 

After...

(some don't look any worse for the wear)

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

REALLY?!?!

 

 

Well, a seed about the size of those pictured below spent the afternoon in JD's nose yesterday!  Somehow he got the notion to put an orange seed up his nostril!  REALLY?!!?? I had just stepped out of the shower when Shelley comes running up the stairs to tell me that JD had put an orange seed up his nostril!  As I stood there in disbelief, I started thinkin' about what to do. Of course he tried to pick it out, which as you can imagine did not help one bit! I tried to get it out myself with tweezers and then an opened paper clip, closing the other nostril and having him blow really hard ..... needless to say, nothing prevailed.  I started thinking I was going to have to take him in somewhere but our DR's office was closed for the lunch hour and I considered the ER for a moment but thankfully we have our dear friend Dr. Dan E!  I gave him a quick call and he calmed my fears and reminded me that the nasal passages open into the mouth and eventually with some flushing of the nasal passages it should come out in his mouth or he will simply swallow it! Of course this all happens just as we were getting ready to head to my class at church, so with no more available time to begin anymore extraction procedures we continued on to our class, orange seed in the nasal passage and all!  The end of the story is quite simple.  I was going to wait until the evening time to work on the flushing out when Chad was home. I knew we would need Daddy's expertise on this.  When we got home from class, I was in the kitchen when Shelley came in and said, "Momma, the seed is much farther down now, you can really see it."  JD had sneezed a few times in the van on the way home and I was hoping that because of the sneezing it had moved it down a bit and I believe it did!  I put him up on the counter and laid him back.  I could see it much better this time.  At first we tried to use a turkey baster to suck it out...thank you sweet Barb for the suggestion but it didn't quite get it out even though it did help to bring it down a little more. He was of course fighting me on wanting to lay still and allow me to get in there as I needed.  So, with the promise of a bowl of ice cream if he laid very still I was able to get the tweezers in there and wala...extract a VERY LARGE orange seed!  As I looked at it I began to wonder if it really could have made it through his tiny nasal passages! Thankfully we needn't wonder, extraction successful and mission accomplished!

 

"Never a dull moment", as Papa used to say.

 

 

 

 

(photo credit)

 

 

 

 

Hey, Fat Girl

 

I wanted to share with you a post I found on another blog. The author is Flint at http://flintland.blogspot.ca/ 

He has a great blog, he is a REAL runner and his post REALLY encouraged me.  Even though I don't run on a track, over these months it has taken every ounce of everything I have to run on the road where everyone can see me! He put words to my insecurities and encouraged my heart just the same.  I hope you enjoy the post.


 

Hey, Fat Girl.

 

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.


http://flintland.blogspot.ca/2012/05/hey-fat-girl.html

 

 

 

Papa

It’s hard to believe that it has been one year since my Papa stepped into eternity. Tonight, in memory of him, we will have steak ~ n ~ eggs with sourdough toast.  This was another one of his favorite meals, and the last birthday dinner he chose.  Words cannot adequately express how much my heart aches with missing him.  This morning, when I first woke at 4:38, my heart was heavy knowing what day it is.  Before I drifted off to sleep again, I thanked the Lord that He nudged me to wake up a little after 5 AM one year ago today with a strong desire to go check on Papa as he slept. How thankful I am to have had those last couple minutes with my hand in his as he took his last breath at 5:15 AM.

Over this last year, I have wrestled with myself often as I relive our last days with Papa. I wonder if there were signs I missed in recognizing his final decline.  As a family, we were by his side by his side almost every waking hour of the last years of his life, especially in those last 7 months he spent bedbound.  We lived our lives in his little part of our home, with him… how could I have missed knowing the end was so close?  We were blessed in our last days with Gigi.  She followed a pattern of decline and so it was very obvious to see that her time was close and we were able to be gathered around her bedside when she took her last breath.  In my heart I guess I assumed it would be the same with Papa. I often rethink the day before and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  We had soccer in the morning so some were gone and some were home, and Ramona came in to help with Papa.  He was his normal self, kind and sweet, with “I love you’s” freely given.  We spent the afternoon and evening in with Papa, watching a Boise State football game, sitting with him, visiting between his sleeping, and holding his hand. I cut the boys hair in there and per usual we ate our dinner in with him.  We had Penne con vodka and fresh bread, a meal he deeply enjoyed.  He had a bite of pasta, a bite of bread and even a little sip of red wine.  We did our family devotions with him and then tucked him into bed.  The only “difference” you could say is that by the time we were done getting him ready for sleep, he was already asleep.  This wasn’t terribly unusual as he slept so much at that point but it was different in the sense that he was always awake to say his goodnight’s, I love you’s and give us all kisses.  How I have agonized over those last hours. Our time with him was sweet and just as it had been every day for a very long time.  Did I miss something?  Should I have been alarmed that he wasn’t awake to say his usual goodnights?  Was there something more in the day that I didn’t see? He was declining of course, eating less and sleeping more but this day seemed to hold nothing different than the days, weeks and even months before.  I have struggled to leave this with my Savior.  I have wrestled with guilt and sadness throughout this last year about how things might have been different had I known or recognized more in those last hours.  I have been reminded many times by Chad to rest in the situation and realize…..how can we ever know?  He has reminded me that we have no regrets in our years with them.  At the time of Papa’s death we had spent 12 of our 18 years married with Papa and Gigi, and a myriad of precious memories were made with them.
 

Another truth that has been brought to mind lately is that while I would have taken more comfort in being with Papa longer in the hours leading up to his death, it is not I who would bring him comfort, but his Savior.  I never wanted Papa to be "alone" in death. I have come to see though, that even if I had been with him through his last night in this earthly realm, in reality, that part doesn’t even compare to the comfort he received from Christ as he crossed between the earthly and heavenly realm.  I could not “walk the vale” with Papa, so to speak, but he was not alone.  Psalm 23 gives the reassurance that “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”. I am very aware of these truths in my head, but I struggle with getting my heart to follow. I have been and I still often ask the Lord to take this struggle from me and I need to trust him to do just that. How weak I am in my faith, how much more I have to learn and grow.  How thankful I am that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me in spite of myself.  How grateful I am that He is a sovereign God and that he knew and orchestrated the final moments of Papa’s life to be used for His glory and for the continual deepening of my trust in Him. 

I wanted to share with you a portion of the devotional entry for today, October 2 from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions. I read it again today and I remember reading it the morning Papa died and I am thankful for this sweet reminder from the Lord. 

“The hope which is laid up for you in heaven” – Col. 1:5

“Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy here.  It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there.  Here we are weary and toilworn, but yonder is the land of rest where the sweat of labour shall no more bedew the workers brow, and fatigue shall be forever banished.  To those who are weary and spent, the word ‘rest’ is full of Heaven.”

 

 

Monday Munchies: Bean and Kielbasa Soup

This soup is delish! It originally came from my dear friend Michele and it fast became a family and guest favorite! I usually serve this with my sweet corn bread and a mix of pickles!  Hope you enjoy!

Bean and Kielbasa Soup

 

1 pkg beef Kielbasa, sliced in rounds

2 - 14.5 oz can kidney beans

2 - 14.5 oz can black beans

2 - 14.5 oz can butter beans

2 - 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans

salsa (enough to fill one empty bean can)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

 

This can be either an all day crock pot soup or a quick 1hr. cook in a stock pot on the stove.  Add all the ingredients to your crock pot or stock pot and cook accordingly .... its that simple...and delicious!

 

 

Note: The original recipe called for only 1 can of butter beans and 1 can of pinto beans.  Over time we have come to love 2 cans of butter beans instead.  This recipe is so flexible you can do what you please with it and it is still delicious!



 

Monday Munchies: Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I have been thinking I would love to start posting recipes on here once, maybe twice a week if possible!  For now we will start with the Monday Munchies first edition and see how it goes!

This recipe has been loved for years around here! It is delicious and an excellent way to use up your zucchini this time of year!  I will post the recipe as it is written first, then I will tell you my changes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup veg. oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups grated zucchini

2 1/2 cups flour

4 Tbsp. baking cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups chocolate chips

- Cream butter/oil/sugar

- add eggs, vanilla and sour cream

- stir in zucchini

- add dry ingredients

- pour into a greased 9x13

- sprinkle chocolate chips over batter

 

Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes

 


Alterations: *See new update below as of 10/1/12*

- I used applesauce to replace the veg. oil
- I used 1/2 & 1/2 to replace the sour cream, but you could use milk
- I fresh ground some flour from my Hard White Wheat Berries so the flour was completely whole wheat.
- I was out of baking cocoa powder so I used 1 1/2 unsweetened baking chocolate squares melted.  I added them when I added the eggs, vanilla, etc.


Next time I think I will try to replace the sour cream with applesauce also for a total of 1 cup applesauce.  Also, on a side note, the original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups sugar and I long ago reduced it to 1/2 cup but you could increase the sugar as desired! 


This recipe always gets rave reviews and even though you can see the grated zucchini in the batter somehow it assimilates well and it is not distinctive in the cake!


Let me know if you try it and what you think! Hope you enjoy it!

Recipe Alteration Update 10/1/12:

SOOO... I made a couple more cakes over the weekend and here is what I found:

The recipe calls for baking cocoa but as I mentioned I had been using unsweetened baking squares because I thought I was out of baking cocoa.  I found my baking cocoa and used it this time and liked the baking cocoa better.  I used my Ghirardelli's Sweet Ground Chocolate and since I had originally cut the sugar this sweetened it a little bit more and I liked it! ALSO...I accidentally used 1 tsp. of baking powder instead of 1/2 tsp. and of course it made it a little lighter and a bit taller so that was fun! This is such a great recipe because you can make adjustments and still come out with a great cake!

Redneck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our neighbor's "trampoline" ...  UUMM ... I LOVE that we live in the country!

 

 

 



i do ... Bridal Shower Cupcakes

I meant to post these a while ago but I kept forgetting... I will get better at posting them right away! I want to keep a better pictorial/journal record of the cupcakes I do so I thought utilizing my blog would be good for that.  The only problem is that I forgot my camera so these photos are from my phone and not the greatest. 

 

These cuties were done for the bridal shower of a dear girl at church.  The original idea came from http://cottonandcrumbs.co.uk/?p=22 but a friend found the link on Pinterest and shared it with me.  Bailey’s colors are yellow, gray and black so I tried to match as best as possible.  For the swirl, I just used my 1M tip and topped it with the small white pearls.  For the “i do” sign I used gray cardstock paper with a little bit of texture to it and printed multiple  i do” phrases in the font I chose on the paper.  Then, I used a Martha Stewart tag punch to punch out my desired shape. We tied little knots in black ribbon and attached them with craft glue to the tag then craft glued the tag to the small popsicle stick.  Looking back now, the only thing I would do different is get a little bigger size tag punch.  I think I would have liked the look better with a little larger “i do”.  Overall, they were fairly simple and a whole lot of fun to make!  

 

 

 



Sleeping Under the Stars …. Kinda

Last night we had an outdoor movie night and a sleepover under the stars…or under the pop-up to be more precise! The kiddos love to sleep outside at least once over the hot summer days and Chad has been itching to do an outdoor movie with the projector.  It was the perfect night to watch one of our favorites, National Treasure 2 and take our slumber in the great out of doors! The only sad part is that Mitchell has been gone for a week at his BPD Explorer Academy in Pasco so he was not home to join us.  He will most certainly be in unbelief that I actually participated in the sleeping outdoors part! I am absolutely a “motorhomer” not a “true camper”, let alone a “sleep outdoors under the stars-er” but I was determined to make it through the night! I have never yet, in all the years of them sleeping outdoors, joined them in the fun! The phrase “I can’t believe you are still out here Momma” was heard more than once into the late evening!  Isabelle took advantage of the situation and used her fingers to simulate a bug crawling in my hair as we were drifting off to sleep….needless to say, she got the reaction from me she was hoping to hear!  I know we did not officially “sleep under the stars” with the pop-up above us, but I was ever so thankful for the cover as I heard the drip of condensation and dew hit the ground all night!  As much as I was longing for my own bed, it was quite a joy to peek out and see the amazing stars, here the coyotes howling much closer than usual, feel and smell the cool night air and to see God’s beautiful sunrise come up over the berries and farms around us.  Precious memories made.

Ummm....is it just me or does this photo make Isabelle look like she has a TON of make up on?!?
No worries....no make up...at all!