10k

 This weekend my friend, Tasha, her sister, Nikki, and I completed a 10k! We did The Walla Walla Marathon (but only the 10k part). It was a "Run for the Ribbon" which was a breast cancer awareness run and the proceeds were given to the hospital. I wanted to do some kind of a race before I turned 30. I turned 30 a few weeks before the race but I think it still counts because I was 29 when I signed up for it. This is a picture of us before the race. Not the best picture because I'm talking but I think it would be rather difficult to find a picture of me NOT talking. One of my kids' biggest complaints is that I talk too much...
Which makes me feel I should let you know that we didn't actually run the 10k. We walked most of it. But not all of it. Just the parts where we weren't too busy talking. :o)

Someone posted this in their yard around the last mile mark. A little deceiving since that last mile seems like the longest but it was still fun to see.
Also the volunteer traffic man that was stationed in the intersection of Fern and Pleasant was AWESOME! He would run out to high-five you and cheer for you.
"You go Girl!"
"You're almost there!"
"You look great!"
"Keep going!"
I was running at that point but loosing my "Umph" Totally gave it my all after that. Thanks, Traffic Man!
One of the cool things about running (I use that term loosely) in a race for the first time is that you will ALWAYS set a Personal Record. I finished in about an hour and a half. Sadly, it is 3x slower than my 5k time but that just means I have a lot of room for improvement. :o)
After the race I stretched out around the corner at my Aunt Patty's so I could cheer on the other racers. "The Traffic Man" was so inspiring it was contagious!

Here is us after the race. It was so cool to hear my name announced as I crossed the finish line! I think we look better here in the after photo. Maybe because I am too tired to talk at this point. Probably though it is because we spent all summer preparing for this race and as you can see here; WE TOTALLY ROCKED IT!
Tasha is talking about a half marathon now...

A Note from Tasha
Megan- I am so thankful we did the 10k! It is important to set goals and challenge ourselves. That feeling of accomplishment is very satisfying.
You are right though that last mile seemed never ending, thank goodness for that traffic man, he was awesome! I could use someone (personnal trainer) in my life to yell out those encouraging words all the time!
We had a goal and we stuck to it! Thanks for all your time and work. I am happy we did it...who knows next yr it may be that 1/2 marathon! The proceeds went to cancer and I was happy to donate! Thanks Megan and Nikki for the support

Beach Trip 2012 Part 1

Freestyle Peach Tart

Freestyle Peach Tart
Makes 2 Tarts

When I was pregnant with Sarah my MIL gave us a peach pie. I ate the whole thing. The WHOLE thing. I justify my actions in that I was pregnant, the baby wanted it and it has to be healthy because it has fruit as an ingredient.
I gained about 70lbs that pregnancy.
I had a baby that was 11 lbs 1 oz and 24 inches long.
I'd say peaches are pretty darn healthy.

Ingredients
1 package refrigerated pie dough (2 pie crusts)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
8 oz cream cheese, room tempish
4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
Topping of your choice
   We eat this with vanilla ice cream but the recipe is oriningally from Kraft Food and Family magazine (Summer 2012 p.56) and calls for Cool Whip on top.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay the pie crust out on a silpat. If you don't have a Silpat go buy one. Right now. If you are completely unable to get one you can spray a cookie sheet with foil.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar.

In another bowl stir together the cream cheese and 2 Tbsp cinnamon, sugar.

Divide and spread onto crusts leaving about 2in around the outside.

Set aside 2 Tbsp cinnamon, sugar and pour the rest over the peaches and toss until they are coated evenly. Don't kill them until all you have is peach juice. Gently toss them. And if anyone knows a peach peeling tip or trick or magic spell PLEASE let me know!

Divide and spread onto pie crust over the cream cheese.

Fold up the edges and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon, sugar over the tarts. Make sure to get some on the crust edges.

 

Bake about 25 min.

Eat one and share the other one with your family. Just kidding. Maybe... Share one with your family and bless another family with the other tart.

Mandy and Duke

This is what our little family was belting out today.

Hubby says it's about Barry's dog. I think he got that idea from a movie (maybe Can't Hardly Wait?). What do you think? Is Mandy a girl or a dog?

I love our Duke Dog. He's like one of the kids only he minds better. MJ told me one time that the only way you could tell Duke was adopted is because his eyes are brown and ours are blue. Yep. That's the only way.
Not sure I could write him a love song though.
Maybe...
I could tell him how great it makes me feel when he greets me with his waggily half tail. The way he uses his big, brown puppy eyes and expressive doggy brows to look at me. The way is is sweeter and more patient with the kids than I could ever be (there is no way I would ever let my kids pull my hair and ears or stick fingers up my nose or ride me like a bucking bronco while I WAS asleep). He cleans the leftovers up like I'm a world famous chef. He doesn't care what the house looks like or even me for that matter. He minds his manners, doesn't jump on people, stays off the furniture and he doesn't run or yell in the house. He is always willing to forgive any offense (like forgetting his favorite brand of dog food and bringing home kibbles that he will pick out and only eat the most moist morsels).  He's a great walking partner. He has my back unless he's scared.  He is always up for a game of chasing, wrestling, make-overs or science experiments (like what happens if I pull his lip up this way and stick my arm in his mouth). He is a champion at playing fetch. He can play fetch with golf balls so you never have to chase one again. He is a great swimmer; especially the Doggy Paddle. He is ready to listen to all of my problems. He follows me all over like I'm something special. His cold nose nuzzles are like hugs and they just melt me. He is our best friend, he is our son and our childrens' brother. I love our Duke Dog.
It still doesn't sound like Barry's Mandy...
But I'm going to go cuddle with my dog. <3 p="p">

Blessings

                                                             
 

Blessings

By Laura Story

 

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Courtesy of lyricshall.com

I recently heard this song on the radio and absolutely LOVE it! It is such a good reminder that is sometimes hard to hold onto in the midst of the raindrops, the tears and the sleepless nights. It came on the radio at a time when I really needed to hear this Promise. I hope that it touches your heart too; that it can comfort you during your storm, and that you can hold onto the message for your hardest nights.

Fry Bread

Tonight was our church's Progressive Dinner.This year's theme was Italian. If you don't know what a progressive dinner is; it is like a Gypsy potluck. We eat each course at a different house.
First we met at the church and dropped the kiddos off to be sat on. You know; babysat. Then a prayer, an icebreaker and some directions and we were off! The first stop was appetizers. Cheese, crackers, pizza, bread and toppings, meatballs and spiced cider; Oh My! I have to give a shout out to Russ for pouring! That was some good pouring!
Then we drove on to Soup and Salad. It was so hard to choose! I picked a soup that reminded me of the potato and sausage soup at The Olive Garden, green salad with pasta salad on top, homemade wheat bread, pea salad and a smidgen of a fruit salad. Ugh! This was all way too good and I was already full! But the show must go on!
So we drove to the main course. I tried to get just a bite of everything. Such good food and so much of it! This is also where my contribution to the night came in. I tried out a new recipe for fry bread. Marilee, a family friend, makes Italian fry bread for special occasions and it is the best! I love bread anyway but this stuff is the bombdiggity! When I heard we were doing the Italian theme I knew what I was going to bring! I  have to admit I was a little nervous about trying a new recipe to serve to everyone at church.What? I should have tried the recipe once before doubling the recipe and serving it to everyone? Naw. That's not how I roll. My dear, sweet, darling Noah joked, "I thought you like your church. What did they ever do to you?" But it turned out great and everyone else liked it too because there were NO leftovers! It also made me feel good to hear people talking about how good it was even when they didn't know I was the one who made it. I may be bragging a little but I'm pretty sure I have bragging rights at this point.
But we weren't done! We still had dessert. So many delicious things to choose from! Again I tried to take just a little bit of everything. Pumpkin bars, cheese cake, tiramisu with homemade lady fingers, and things that I don't even know what it was but BOY was it good! I do not consider myself a quitter but at some point I just couldn't eat any more. I was so full.
I loved getting to see the houses too. I laugh thinking about trying to squeeze all those people into my Little House! We were welcomed with such warm hospitality and beautifully decorated houses. I had an awesome evening eating and fellowshipping with my old friends and meeting new ones.
Besides the fact that our church rocks and has lots of talented cooks and bakers; the point of the story is that I made bombdiggity fry bread and wanted to share the recipe.

Fry Bread

1 cup milk
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sugar
2 packages yeast
1 cup warm water (somewhere around 100-110 degrees)
4 1/4 cups flour
(I doubled this recipe to make enough for the progressive dinner. It served a lot of people.)

Scald (I had to look this up) the milk, salt, butter and sugar. Let it cool.

In a large mixing bowl add the water to the yeast and dissolve. Add the milk mixture and flour and mix well. I had to knead it by hand at the end. It is sticky. Cover with a towel and let double in size. I put it in the oven and leave it but you have to remember to pull it out before you preheat the oven; especially if it is in a plastic bowl. My Grandma Mary Ellen always used to let the dough rise in the bathroom because it was usually the warmest room in the house.
Once the dough has doubled in size you will need to heat a few inches of oil in a pot or frying pan. I think Marilee uses a cast iron skillet. I prefer a large pot because it is tall so you don't have as many oil spatters to clean up when you are done. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a water drop go ahead and start your pulling, stretching and frying. I pulled off pieces of my sticky dough and stretched them out a little and dropped them in. I could fit about 3 safely, 4 when I got impatient. Noah was in charge of turning them over and taking them out when they were golden brown. He said 4 was too many because they would stick together.
We served them with pastas. You could also sprinkle powdered sugar, or cinnamon and sugar on them and serve them for dessert like elephant ears. :o)
Go make some bombdiggity fry bread, give a prayer of thanks for all you have and go brag about your bombdiggity fry bread skills.

Lyon's Park

We don't usually frequent Lyon's Park because it is clear in College Place! Really it's not that far. I think we will be going more often. We had a lot of fun.



Lyon's Park

We had a picnic lunch. Can you tell by the peanut butter smear on Madison's cheek?

And then the girls played in the water

A nice lady gave the girls some bread to feed the ducks.

We named these guys Curly, Moe, Larry and Mary



They found a "Duck Village" that just happened to have some ducklings

Where was Benjamin?

Sleeping.

While we were picking up our picnic supplies the girls spotted this wind sculpture.

I think one of these would look great in my yard. What do you think?

And on the way home...

nothing interesting happened.  :o)