Magnetic Purse Covers and Raspberry Mousse

I got a 20% off card in the mail from the Clothing Closet here in town.  Karrie is just so sweet, so I had to come and look at some cute stuff!  I ended up with a white and blue floral bill fold.  Something very girly, slightly old-lady-ish, but fun.
Getting this cute item made me look at the current brown purse I've been carrying around.  This purse served me well for four years before it started to fall apart.  I purchased another purse, but I kept crawling back.  Creature of habit and being kind of a style idiot made me like the normal, plain brown bag.
Well, no more.  The other purse I purchased was a Miche bag... for those who don't know what that is, it's a plain bag that you can purchase covers for, so you can only have one purse with multiple options.  Love the idea.  Then, after the initial purchase, I found out how much the covers cost. More than my beloved brown purse.
I found one I thought was cute but was not worth the $35 they were asking (yeah...).  So, I got all crafty and cheap. 
Purchased magnets, fabric and glue for all around $15 (magnets, it turns our, aren't cheap).  But, I got two purse covers out of the deal plus a lot of leftover fabric for when these homemade guys fall apart, I'll just make more.

In case you are someone googling how to make these like I did, it's easy!  I used a cardboard box from a 12 pack of pop (proud of Jim, it took him forever to finish those!).  It actually fit perfectly in the grooves.  I just put the purse in, marked with a pen where I needed to cut and there you go.  I picked out a fabric, wrapped the cardboard on the outside and glued with regular tacky glue on all sides.  I glued the magnets on the cardboard before gluing down the top portion of fabric.  Then I decorated.  I used flower brads and a fabric strip on one, and ribbon on the other.

I love simple, don't-have-to-be-good-at-sewing crafts.

The other pictured item is my raspberry mousse for my birthday cake before it was cooled.  So super easy, mostly healthy and awesome!  1 Package raspberries, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbspn sugar blended with a handmixer until creamy.  Refrigerate so it solidifies.  I put it in layers of a dark chocolate cake made with maple syrup instead of sugar (I know, maple syrup has sugar in it.  But having fresh, Minnesotan maple syrup makes it worth it to me!).

Tomorrow is the day we've all been waiting for!!!  Happy Birthday to me!

Dinner

Post 2 of the day.

If you haven't noticed, I have a lot to learn about basically everything.  One area I have learned a lot about in the past couple of years is food.  I am still, however, trying to reconcile the food I now purchase with a budget that I'm satisfied with.

This isn't to say I don't have my success stories, but I just haven't found the right formula that fits our budget, our tastes and our health.  It's easier having a husband who is not training for a triathlon, as he generally will eat all of my healthy options now instead of insisting I provide him with "his" food. 

I also have a new desire to have more recipes at my disposal, and fun, exotic ones.  Things that my mom probably wouldn't have made.  I know that no one really knows me as a good cook, as I rarely bring things to share at family fellowship meals and everyone else that reads this knew me when I was in high school and had no skills of any kind in anything.  But I love to cook and I hope I don't sound too arrogant when I say I don't stink at it, either.

So here are a few things I've done.  If you have more tips, I would LOVE them.  I really am looking for this perfect balance that so many other people seem to just have. 

1. I make a monthly meal plan.  I try to arrange meals by ingredients. For instance, if something has spinach, I will try to use the rest of the spinach during the same week so it doesn't go bad.

2. I check the grocery stores for sales.

3. I only buy what's on the list... or at least I try to (I'm guilty of the "ooo... that looks too good not to buy" statement, too).

4. I buy meat for once a week.  Instead of buying a lot of chicken, I buy a whole chicken, prepare it for Sunday lunch and use the leftovers for the meals all week.  To split up the meat I have vegetarian meals or something with frozen shrimp.  I do the same with turkeys and roasts.  I was amazed at how fast dinner prep became when my meat was already cooked.   This will probably only work while we are a two person household.

5. I buy in bulk or buy when on sale and freeze.  Not a lot, though.  For things I like to keep on hand, like peppers and hamburger, I will buy in bulk once every few months.  I don't really like buying in bulk all the time. 

6.  To keep things different, I ocassionally invest in a Cooking Light Magazine, or a BH&G Low Calorie Magazine.

Tonight, I made Moroccan Spiced Grapes and Chicken from the April issue of cooking light.  I didn't have all the ingredients and picked up the wrong color of grapes (shoot me, I like green better than red!), but it still turned out really well.  I used leftover chicken from a chicken I roasted Saturday.

 I now officially love heated grapes.  I didn't really follow the instructions for the recipe, either.  I'm just too lazy to make that many dishes.  But it still turned out really well.

Anyone have any tips for grocery shopping for me?

Birthday Week... Go!

Anyone who has been around me in the past couple of weeks knows that my birthday is coming up.  I love birthdays and I love them more every year, so if I get a chance, I announce my birthday.  It's not because I want things, I don't even need recognition that it's my birthday.  I just really, really like to celebrate.

So today, I pretended that my new glasses were a birthday present, even though I paid for them.  I made Chai Banana Bread, using this recipe, cutting out the white sugar, halving the butter and using whole wheat flour.

I also made dinner, which will be a separate post. 

And I made myself a hair appointment with my favorite stylist, Chelsea. 

See, I don't mind other hair dressers (my experience at Head 2 Toe was very nice), but I just love Chelsea.  She and I enjoy the same books and movies and she not only cuts and styles my hair, she shows me how to do things with it, too.  I didn't know how to curl my hair until Chelsea showed me.  So, I turn off my cell phone, and for about 45 minutes, Chelsea plays with my hair, makes me look a little better, and we talk movies and books.  It's a great way to start birthday week.  Sorry about the picture not showing my new hairstyle.  I am no good at capturing it myself.  Those are my new glasses, however.  I feel very librarian in them, but I love them.  She made my hair have more layers and curled a little for me tonight.

By the way, I want to apologize for birthdays I've missed.  This year, for some reason I haven't been very good about keeping up with them.  So here is a late HAPPY BIRTHDAY to everyone that I totally skipped out on.  I suck sometimes :(.

But...
In case you were interested, this is a totally shameless announcement that my birthday is Friday, June 1.  I will be 25.

That's Not Me

Exercise and food are common topics for me.  I enjoy talking about making things homemade, making things healthy and things I do to push myself.  I enjoy listening to others ideas and sharing my own.  I like listening to different diets, different ideas people have regarding food and what is and is not healthy.  A majority of the time, many healthy diets are very similar with only slight differences, either catering to preference or a strict belief about something.  Often times, when my personal experiences come up, it's very positive.  Times when Shannon and I celebrate a smaller clothing size, when I get teased (in a good-natured way...I hope) about my diet, or when Jim can't contain himself and blurts out "you are so freakin' hot!".

There are things, however, that I would rather not discuss.  Things that make me uncomfortable or things I'd rather forget.  My weight loss, for one.

Two years ago I lost 35 pounds.  I was one pound away from being considered overweight and now stay at a 19 BMI (lowest healthy BMI).  It was a lot of work and dedication.  I wish I could say I'm proud of my accomplishment, but really, I'm just embarrassed I ever got that way in the first place.

I'm not that girl anymore.  I was only "that girl" for a short while, but I am no longer like her.  Kristin was a sloth.  Lazy.  She didn't know anything about food other than it tasted good and she wanted it quick and easy.  She knew how to do the bare minimum with the least amount of exertion.    She tricked herself into believing she didn't look bad or that her behavior (or really, lack thereof) wasn't disgusting.

That girl isn't here anymore and I'd rather forget about her.  I'd rather forget that it took 35 pounds to look and feel the way I do now.  This isn't to say I look, feel or act perfect now, but I have come a long way.  And talking about weight loss reminds me of who I was and I like to keep that part of the story to myself.  I don't want to be thought of as fatty-gone-thinner.  I want to be thought of as me now, healthy and happy and motivated.

Because it isn't about weight loss anymore, it's my way of life.  It's my personality.  I am now a runner (even though it still feels weird saying that... like I'm lying or something).  I am the kind of girl who eats granola, drives a Subaru, recycles.  I'm the kind of girl who loves to bike with her husband and walk to work.  The kind of girl who likes bell peppers, healthy desserts and bleu cheese.

I guess what I'm getting at is... it's been 2 years.  I'm not her anymore.  She's gone and an upgraded model is here.  In a couple years, I hope to look back and see the areas that have improved since now.  I can be content with who I am now, for now.

Picture courtesy of Impact images, when he did my picture for the band concert.

Grilled Chicken

Last night, we were invited to a dinner party at the near-empty Helzer house.  With the big move starting on Friday, a dinner party was in order complete with Just Dance on the Wii.  I was lazy and didn't bring anything, primarily because my initial idea was a fruit salad and when I asked, Danielle was making a fruit related pasta salad and Shannon was bringing watermelon.  Not having any more creative ideas at the last minute, I came empty handed.
It is a fun group of people I've been spending my free time with lately.  On Saturday, the same group watched a local artist perform at the Open Range and played with paper footballs, flicking business cards and flipping forks into cups.
Last night, after a delicious dinner complete with a really yummy cherry desert made by Tracy, we played Just Dance for a while. We got everyone convinced to try it except for Bob.  I kind of have to laugh at the pictures where Nate and Ryan are battling it out, with a obviously bored Bob playing on his phone behind them.  Jim thought I looked "cute" while dancing and decided to grab my camera.
It was a relaxing and fun evening with friends.  It's not something Jim and I do often-- let's be honest, we're kind of a boring couple-- but it was really great to do.

What IS this?

I have been given another wonderful opportunity to show my ignorance and I'm just going to cut to the chase.

What is this thing?

With a little google research, it looks most like a Hawkmoth, or Hummingmoth.  However, all-knowing Wikipedia says they don't live in America.  There was another breed that apparently lives in the US, but didn't look like the little guy we saw.

So, if you've seen this kind of fella' around, I'd like to know what it is.  Other than awesome.  

Ladies Night

My churches Women's Ministry Fellowship had the final meeting of the year at DQ last night.  Usually, we ride our bikes there, but the wind scared us all into our cars. 
These ladies are all very sweet and fun.  In the top picture, you see Janean, a confident and caring woman who loves her kids more than anything in the universe.  Rachel, a considerate woman who always remembers to call me or invite me places more than anyone else I know.  You can't see Jennifer, but she is there, and she is the first woman to really invite me into the church and embraced me for who I am.  Tammy is a great teacher and sweet lady.  Esther is dedicated to her work and is always considerate to others.  Rosie is who I want to be when I'm her age... she is absolutely wonderful.  Gail is sweet, compassionate and fun.  Gloria is a great baker and is giving of herself and her home.
In the bottom picture, Meridee (I admit, I don't know how to spell her name) and her mother Pat.  They are both fun ladies and it's been fun getting to know them.

Not pictured, Emily and Haley, wonderful recent graduates.  Haley's mom, Reba, who is always willing to drive me places and invited me to watch Haley play volleyball when I didn't have any friends here yet.  Sydney and baby Aliza.  And last but not least, Karen. 

Karen and I have been playing music together since I moved here.  She is humble but extremely talented and wonderful.  It takes a special person to perform with and we gel so well. 


So now you know some of the awesome ladies I get to live near, learn from and grow with.  I love this group of ladies.  I have so many ladies I can come to when I need them :).

Dark and Dreary Saturday and RECIPE

Initially, the plan for today was to go on an 8 mile run, mow the lawn, pull weeds, clean out the garage, give the dogs a bath and maybe a long bike ride this afternoon.  That didn't happen.
Instead, God perfectly directed Danielle and I to head towards town early and placed us a couple blocks from our cars when the hail hit and we still got a nice chat in at the Lampstand over drinks.

now, I'm at home and haven't stepped foot outside except to brush the dogs, who are all now asleep on my freshly cleaned rug.  My guitar is sitting on the couch and Jim is working on fixing a TV for the shop.  Our TV has been off all morning.  It's been just a nice, quiet, warm day inside so far.

Which brings me to my recipe.  Now, some of you know that I am trying to wean myself off of sugar.  It's the last of the bad-for-you's to go and it's the hardest.  Not to say that I am eating dessert all the time, but when a cookie presents itself, I eat it.  So, instead of going cold turkey, I decided to slowly go healthier in my desserts.  First, with CCK, I highly recommend her by the way, and now with my own little experiments.  And today I found a keeper!

Alicia, if you are still trying to introduce oats into your diet, I think you would LOVE this.  Runners, this might be a great after run snack.  I am not proud to say that it was a lot of "sprinkle this, dash of that" on my part, so I'll try to do my best with measurements.  However, I don't know of one bad ingredient in here (depending on the chocolate you use), of course.

I call my new creation

Banana Cinnamon Cookies

To make approximately 15 bite sized cookies.

1 Banana
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1 tsp Cinnamon (or, sprinkle over banana and oats until you think it's enough)
A little less than 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
1 tsp baking powder
A small shot of vanilla (optional) a very small amount of honey
1 more Cup Rolled Oats
Chocolate Chips (I used Hersheys sugar free)

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend or food process first 5 ingredients until smooth.  Add remaining rolled oats and chocolate chips, stir, make into cookie sizes.  You might put parchment paper down on your cookie sheet first, mine doesn't stick often so I didn't bother.  Bake for 10 minutes or so.

And, if you don't want them as cookies, eating the blended mixture I thought it tasted a lot like oatmeal, so halfing the recipe and heating in a bowl in the microwave for a little bit might be an awesome breakfast.

I'm very proud of this little recipe, if you haven't noticed.  :)  They do have that hint of banana you would expect, so if you don't like banana you probably won't like them.  But, I don't hate banana and it sure beats never having that baked good texture again.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Flower Fairy

This rose just opened up this morning in front of our house.  I have been watching ants carefully open up the petals for the past few weeks and finally their hard work has paid off.  This is the first time we've had these roses in front of the house.
I don't know how these flowers show up in the front of our house.  I hate, hate, hate yard work.  Which is pretty apparent in our beautifully kept neighborhood.  Our yard usually has the longest grass, a few weeds (or a lot), and other typical bad looking yard woes.  However, the flowers in the front keep coming up and are different every year.  I think I have a flower bed fairy to keep at least one part of the yard looking nice for me.

If anyone has any yard work tips, I'd appreciate it.  Particularly quick and not-so-dirty ones.  I'm sorry to sound like such a girly girl, but I don't like bugs, I don't like dirt and I don't like sweating unless it's for athletic activity.

Edited to add:  That isn't a rose.  It's a peonies.  See, definitely not a gardener, florist, or anything that has anything to do with yard work.  Thanks for pointing that out, Bob :), I learned something new today.  Maybe you should come identify the rest of my flowers... because I don't know what those are called either....

The Chests

From what I've heard, having a hope chest is pretty normal.  I have a cedar chest I inherited from my grandmother that is currently the home of a few of my dresses as a little girl, and a special set of new clothes I received when we moved to Ogallala from Laura.  My hope for the future is a baby girl.  If we have a boy... poor kid doesn't have any clothes.  But this is all, of course, if we are ever blessed with children.
So instead of dwelling on the uncertain future (God will sort that out and I'll keep working and praying), I would like to take a moment to dwell on the past.
I have another chest in our master bedroom closet.  It contains memories.  Primarily pictures, awards and letters.  Because of last nights ceremony, I had a reason to carefully place another pin in my pin box.  I decided to clean the whole chest out since I was there already.  For a while, I was very sentimental, holding on to every card I ever received (and if any of you know Louise from First Baptist, you know that I got a lot of cards!), so I went through and held on to the most important ones.
I held on to letters, "love one another" notes, letters or recommendation, cards from past students and that had especially touching words from the giver.  I held on to pins, pictures, newspaper clippings and drawings from old friends.  I held on to awards, special gifts (like the reindeer ornament my dad carved), and important funeral bulletins.
It is nice to be reminded of the life I've lived and the memories I've made.  If I ever start to whine about life, tell me to look in my memory chest.  

This little box holds all of my cards, letters and wedding announcements.

Why Music Is Important

This evening, I was invited to a special Tri-M induction meeting.  I became an honorary member because someone nominated me and I was voted in.  It was humbling, knowing high school kids picked me (which never would have happened when I was actually in high school) and to experience such a kind recognition.
Because I had to give a speech and Jim insists I post it, here is my speech on why music is important.

When Mr. Schlake contacted me about tonight, he asked if I would mind saying a few words about why music is important.  Given my current audience, I'm sure these thoughts aren't anything new.  And of course, they are going to be a bit biased coming from a musician, but I will share them with you anyway.

Music is a natural response.  When we hear good news, we dance.  When tragedy strikes, we gather together and sing.  In everyday tasks we develop a rhythm.  One of the most common involuntary actions is to hum.  It is a part of virtually every civic and religious ceremony, a part that, left undone, would leave the ceremony feeling empty.

Music is an international language.  It is recognized by every culture and sheet music can be read in every language.

Music creates community.  We gather for a variety of reasons, but a consistent element to gatherings is music.  It is the background to great conversation; it is the bravery behind a boy asking a girl to dance.  It shapes the collective mood of the people listening to it and brings those within earshot together.

Being a musician creates skills that we find useful in all areas of life.  Musicians work as a team to produce the desired outcome and discipline their bodies to proper form, much like athletes.  We communicate by cleverly turned phrases and appropriate pauses, like writers.  We represent themes like artists.  We perfect the math of rhythm and the science of sound and we share history.  We perform in front of an audience.  We are delicate and hushed and loud and vibrant-- but only when the time is right.  We work diligently to perform at our top level for the task at hand, even when it is difficult.

And for me, music is my opportunity to be a part of a bigger picture.  I am a small part of a whole sound.  It has been my privilege to perform behind and among some of the most talented musicians I've known here in Ogallala.  Regardless of my contribution, the whole sound has always been of the highest quality.  It is an honor to work with such kind, dedicated and talented people.  And this recognition is also a huge honor.  Thank you

Haley and Grandma

Saturday, we said goodbye to Grandma Hillis and Aunt Kathy.  While we were in Grand Forks, we stayed at a fancy hotel, provided by grandma.  We had dinner in the hotel lobby with all of Uncle John's kids, Grandma and Aunt Kathy.  I look really awkward in this picture but that's okay.  It was a nice visit.

We took off kind of early Saturday to make it to Fargo to say "hi" to Haley, my friend from high school.  A lot has changed for both of us since the last time we spent time together.  I used to go to her trailer before college band and we would take turns cooking dinner.  Now, she lives in Fargo and is a rep for a bank chain.  It was so nice to have lunch with her (and she introduced me to Tutti Fruiti!)

We made it as far Chamberlain Saturday.  We walked across the highway from our hotel to a Dairy Queen attached to a gas station, brought the food back and ate in silence at our hotel.  We considered a late night swim but fell asleep before we could decide what we wanted to do.  It was more exhausting to sit in the car all day than it is on days that I have a long run and am physically active all day.

We drove right through Winner, SD, where my grandparents lived and are now buried.  We stopped by their grave.  When my grandmother passed away in '07, someone put a glow-in-the-dark cross near her grave.  It was still there today!  The house they lived in was the same, down to the llama figurine at the top of the tool shed.  
It was nice to think about my grandma on Mother's Day.  I like being able to celebrate the great women who have been in my life.

Waterfalls

Woke up to a longer run along the lake.  It was really nice and I did it in a solid time (yay!).

We had breakfast at a place called Coho for the second morning in a row (complimentary from our hotel for part of our package).  Jim discovered the awesome taste of actual maple syrup on his french toast, so we stocked up.
 
We went to the spa after that for the first massage I've ever had.  It was a relaxation couples massage.  It was enjoyable, but I'm not gonna lie, I felt a little awkward through the whole situation.  It felt like we had to whisper the whole time and I was afraid to do anything but tiptoe.  But it was fun to experience and I was relaxed afterwards.

We swam in the pool for a little while after that, followed by picking up lunch at the first place we had lunch here, the Schroeder bakery.  A lady from Turkey works there and made us some awesome food and chai tea.  We also picked up dinner while we were there.

The bikes needed to be used again so we took the full south length of the Gitchi Gami bike trail from Tofte to Schroeder.  We found some hiking trails along the way and decided to go to "just one" of the look out points. It was obvious there was something else around the corner, so we did about 6 "just one" more look out points.  Waterfall after waterfall, each one unique and majestic in it's own way.  I'm kind of a sucker for waterfalls, so I took about 50 pictures.

Packing up the bikes was kind of sad, since we leave early tomorrow morning.  But when that was done, we grabbed our dinner and say on the rocks near the lake to eat.  We are now sitting in the hotel room, Jim has an amazing looking piece of carrot cake to eat while we watch the sun go down.  Hot chocolate on the patio before bed and an early morning tomorrow.  

Blanket

That is what Lake Superior looks like.  A rippling blanket that never ends.  At lake level you can't see any land in all directions but the coast you are standing on.  It doesn't have waves like the ocean so it just ripples for miles and miles and fades into the sky at the horizon.  From where I'm sitting right now, on the bed in our suite, I can see the trees outside and the water beyond. That's it.  No ground at all, just water.  It's incredible.
I ran south on the Gichi Gami (I think I spelled that wrong) bike trail for my morning run.  The south side doesn't really look at the lake but goes into the forest, moving further and further away from the highway.  I turned around after hearing one too many twigs breaking around me.  Luckily I was at a decent mileage. Tomorrow, I go north, which is more lake views and a longer trail... and from what I can tell, less hills (thank you!).
We biked to breakfast this morning.  Normally, I am a light eater at breakfast so I my eyes were bigger than my stomach when I ordered the granola pancakes with local maple syrup and fresh fruit.  To burn off those extra morning calories we continued riding our bikes for a few miles.  At noon, we met our guide, Andy, who took us to Caribou Falls (and since they no longer see caribou here, it's kind of a funny name).  It was a short, less than a mile hike to the top of the falls. 

We hiked by ourselves around Temperance State Park, which is just a short distance from our hotel.  It has a rocky beach and a few trails and was a fun afternoon excursion.  Jim skipped rocks and I did some rock artwork.

A little time watching Storm Stories on the weather channel (yikes, by the way), then we got all dressed up for the big dinner date we had planned.  I had a really good salad with a not-so-good duck leg-- a greasy duck leg with a fresh salad?  I also wore my Chinese dress.  Jim actually stared for a while when I "revealed" my outfit.  We were the only ones not in jeans at the restaurant, but it was fun to get attention and the waitress treated us with a little extra fancy flare.

Tonight, we rented a movie from guest services.  We will have hot chocolate by the fireplace while we watch said movie, crack a window to listen to the soft waves as we fall asleep and leave the shades up so we can watch the sunrise in the morning.

Have I mentioned how much I love it here?

Tofte is Amazing

I love it here.

I have had some pretty amazing vacations in my life.  I've toured 7 European countries in a double-decker bus.  I've poked a jelly fish in Florida, negotiated prices in Nogales (Mexico), ridden with the top down in Kauai, watched cars fly by on the Salt Flats, collected sea shells on the California coast and watched a sunset at the Cliffs of Moher.

But this is going to be hard to beat. 

With a population so small it wasn't mentioned on the sign, Tofte is quiet but simply amazing.  Our suite, with a two person shower (dueling shower heads), jacuzzi tub in the living room, full kitchenette, views of the lake and apartment feel would have sufficed to make this vacation worth the drive.  The rocky shoreline that smells clean, not fishy like our own lake or salty like the ocean, was an added bonus.  The champaigne they delivered to our room soon after our arrival was definitely a plus.  The paved bike path along the water is a perk.  The store down the street that sells all of my favorite brands at competitive prices wasn't bad either (except for our bank account....).

And, we've only been here a couple of hours.  Tomorrow we are planning on attending a guided hike through waterfall filled areas, a long bike ride with a picnic lunch (which we will pick up at the coffee shop we had lunch at today, which was also amazing) a complimentary breakfast and fancy dinner here in town (where I will reveal the Chinese dress I got a few months ago!).  The next day, a couples massage and swimming at the spa on our resort property with another complimentary breakfast.  Have I mentioned I think this place is awesome?

Mall of America

The last time I was in the Mall of America, I got lost.  I tried to grab the hand of a stranger I had mistaken for my mom.  Yeah, that didn't go over well when I discovered it wasn't her.  It was traumatic enough that I remember the lady turning around but not a second after.
Today was a lot less traumatic.  It was exhausting and not something I'd repeat on a daily basis, but I enjoyed it.
 For some reason, my dear husband was awake at 5:45 this morning (I told him last night today would be a good day to "sleep in"... what happened?).  We went to the hotel gym for some treadmill time.  Then we were headed to the mall... at 8:30 AM.  We parked and walked to the entrance to see the opening sign of 10 AM.  Back to the hotel where I took a nap, and then back to the mall at a decent time.

I wore my new shirt that I got at the running shop in Lincoln.  I also wore my new charm from Danielle that says "i run".

We started at Lego Land.  Jim smiled the whole time we were there, took a lot of pictures but kept his adult cool.

Then, we made our way around level 1, then level 2.  Other than a Nestle Toll House cookie we didn't buy anything at first.  By the time we were finishing level 2 I was having a sensory overload.  So instead of trudging on, we had lunch (I had the best smoothie ever at Healthy Express with my wrap and it had the BIGGEST straw I've ever drank out of!).

Then, because I was still a little overwhelmed, we went to The Avengers at the mall theater, followed by finishing off the third level and a quick drop in to Old Navy and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before we left. 

We are now relaxing at the hotel and getting super excited for our awesome stay in Tofte coming up tomorrow!

Marathon Day

Saturday was a great start to our spring vacation.  We drove to Lincoln and met Nate and Danielle at the running expo and then walked over to a running store.  Pictures of what I bought at this running store some other time.

We were invited over to carb up with the Helzer clan at dinner Saturday night.  We got to be a part of a fun family dynamic for a little while.  Danielle surprised me with the coolest charm... again to be pictured later.  Then we were off to the hotel so we would be ready for today.

Today, I witnessed thousands of people overcoming obstacles, fulfilling a lifelong goal or whatever other driving force caused them to push themselves to the finish line.  There were people trying to break PRs and people trying not to break down.  There were groups running for causes, friends running together and full families.  People who were much older, much younger and much bigger than I am were all headed to the finish line.  But the brightly colored group of bouncing heads and swaying arms wasn’t what I came to see.  I came to cheer on my running partner and her family.

We were successful at getting quite a few smiles and laughs (and a couple of curses) with our mile 3 sign.  Jim was a trooper, holding it the whole hour and a half we were there.  We kept waiting for the “next break” between people before we went to our next destination but that never really came.  Nate, Danielle, Amy and Scott came by in a crowd of runners and I would have missed them had they not yelled my name (which seems a bit backwards, if you ask me).

We found our next spot at mile 17 which doubled as mile 22 on the way back.  We got there in time to see the first place runner on his way back.  Jim became an expert cheerer as he found runners names.  I randomly called out “I like your shoes!” (personally, this is one of the highest compliments I think a runner can receive, right below “great form!”) or “way to go!” and tried to thank all of the pacers as they went by.  I snapped a shot of Danielle as we cheered her by.

At mile 22, Danielle still looked like a rock star, which was no surprise to me.  Jim pulled out our sign Shane suggested (don’t puke) as she went by and I went along side her for a really short amount of time just to tell her how awesome she was.  Whether or not going along in my jeans and street shoes was really appropriate at a marathon is beside the point. 

Then we hurried to beat her to the stadium, found Nate (who said he had a pretty good run but unlike a runner I didn’t ask what his time was [sorry, Nate, I know you did awesome!]), and watched her come across the finish line.  I got a sweaty hug or two and took pictures with our favorite racers.  Though the goodbyes we said were just for a while, I couldn’t help but tear up a little as we left.  I am so proud of Danielle for doing a full, so proud of Nate for doing his 4^th half and frankly, I’m just more bummed than ever that we became friends so close to their move.

We were back in the car and out of town soon after.  As I write this, we are somewhere on I-35 N in Iowa, about 3 hours out from our destination.  We are both still proudly wearing our “Run Helzers Run” shirts, which outside of the marathon area makes us kind of look like we are on our way to a cheesy family reunion (you know you’ve seen those shirts).  When I post this, we will be in Bloomington, MN, hopefully comfortable in our next hotel.  Mall of America is on the schedule for tomorrow. 

Awesome job to our favorite runners (and to the other few thousand, too)!

Why Is Getting Up So Hard?

I love being productive.  I get a natural high from being tired at the end of the day in a clean house with a good dinner cleaned up after.  I particularly love a long, productive day.  I also like to see my progress, which is why I'm a list maker.

And today, I have just a few more list items before I can sit back and relax and do my nails... which is also on my list.

So today, I'm extra sunny feeling.  For one thing, it is actually sunny out.  I was also up at 4:30 this morning.  By 7, I had run with Danielle, started laundry and dishes and performed at the National Day of Prayer.  It is noon, and my house is clean, including projects that have been on the back burner for a while.

Why, when I feel AWESOME on days like today, is it so hard to get up early in the mornings?  How frustrating.

This afternoon, I have pre-trip preparations to attend to.  Packing... lots of packing.  And more packing.  And planning the extra fun stuff :).

My next post will be in-trip.  See you then!