My First Mile

I woke up this morning with something to prove.  To myself, that is.  I was going to prove that I could run a mile without stopping.  I walked out to the corner at 6:30am and started on my way.  Guess what?

I DID IT.

I don't know my time because that wasn't important.  All I wanted to do was accomplish this little feat that I had never done before. 
I know a mile is nothing to several of my friends who run all of the time, but the mile was always intimidating to me. 

We were required to run a mile when I played girls basketball in high school.  I walked part of it.
We were required to run a mile in Fitness for Life in college.  I walked part of that, too.

After that, I accepted that I wasn't an athlete and that it was just something I couldn't do.

I brought back the goal of running a mile after I had Rachel, but forgot about it until just recently.

The mile.  Could I?

Last spring, when I was frustrated with the weather and life in general, I decided there was one thing I did have control over.  I brought back the consistent exercise 5-6 days a week (just 30 minutes) and started to prepare fewer frozen pizzas and hot dogs on busy nights.  My goal was not so much to lose weight, but to get physically stronger than I had been before. 

Well, a few months later, I am stronger now than I have probably ever been, but I still didn't know if I could do it.  Running has always been something I avoided.  Give me just about any other form of exercise instead! 

Still, the goal of running a mile never left me, so I had to get it accomplished.

Even if I never identify myself as a runner, I can now check this one long-held goal off the list. 

Yes, that's right, Laura CAN run a mile. 

Whatcha doin'?

I should be sleeping, but I am basking in the silence. 

My kids set a new "MOM!" record today, I am sure of it. 

It wasn't all tattling, actually most was not, but it seemed like there was always someone lurking around the corner waiting to talk to me or ask me something.

Even during my 2-hour stint in the baseball concession stand tonight--there was always one of my children at one of the three openings (or wandering inside) to talk to me.  Really--they had nothing better to do than lurk behind the concession stand waiting for me to come out to the grill to flip the hot dogs???? 

(The concession stand DID have the added magnet of food, I admit, which they (incorrectly) think they can eat with abandon and for free whenever mom is working.) 

Oh, I love the little monkeys, you know I do.  But, my ears are tired.  So, so tired.

Despite the tired ears, it was a good day.  David's aunts visited this morning, followed quickly by his Grandpa and uncle.  A man came today to fix the slight scratch in our new downstairs shower.  Sheet rock *shouldn't* be too far away.  (Patience, mama, patience!) 

So, that's what I'm doing. 

So tired. 
So thankful.
All is well.

Good night.

He has made everything beautiful . . . .

As I was outside this evening picking up random water-soaked kids' clothing from the backyard (thank goodness we live in the country!), I noticed the sun was shining beautifully on my perennial garden. 

I went back in the house and grabbed the camera, only to have the lens immediately fog over in the humid air.  I tried to wipe it off and take a photo anyway (I was running out of the perfect light), and this softened look was the result.  The only editing I did to this photo was add the text. 

 

Pretty cool.

Not what I had planned, but so much better.

 

It seems like that happens a lot.  Like everyone, I want things to happen in MY

 time, but they hardly ever do. 

However, when I look back at what God has given me in my past 34 years, the people who matter most to me, the prayers answered or unanswered, I see His perfect hand in the timing. 

 

 

 

Beautiful.

 

 

Rhubarb Delight

It's time to use some more of that rhubarb in the freezer and share my very FAVORITE rhubarb recipe. 

With Landen's help stirring, we were able to make this for our dessert tonight.  As we licked our lips over our first pieces, we discovered that Rachel is also a rhubarb lover!  Now we have someone else to join us in enjoying our rhubarb treats.

 

 

Rhubarb Delight

 

Crust

1 cup flour

2 T sugar

1/2 cup butter

 

Combine and mix with fork or pastry blender until crumbly.  Press into a 9x9 pan or pie pan.  Bake 20 minutes at 350.

 

Filling

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks--beaten

1/3 cup sour cream

2 1/2 T flour

(*Tip from my Mom*--add about 1 T more flour if using frozen to help it thicken.)

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb (Mine are packaged in 2 cup bags, which is also enough).

 

Cook in saucepan over medium heat until thick.  Stir constantly to make sure it doesn't scorch.  Cool and pour over baked crust.

 

Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of cream of tartar

 

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Gradually add sugar.  Pile on top of dessert and brown at 375.

 

You can also double this recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan.

 

This is David's grandma's recipe, but I grew up with it, too.  It takes awhile to get the filling hot and thick, but it is worth the effort.

 

Ohh, crunchy sweet crust, sweet tart filling, and sweet fluffy meringue. . . yum, yum, yum!

 

Fishing for "reel"!

As you know, my kids have wanted to go fishing for quite some time.

 

I really like to fish, too, but we don't own any fishing gear (except for worms).  There's also that little problem about taking the fish off the hook. 

I'm not so crazy about that part.

So, they usually get to fish once a year when we visit our friends at Enemy Swim.

 

Well, all that changed a few days ago when Grandma Melius was walking by a dug out near our alfalfa field and saw "Godzilla" the fish jump out of the water.  She decided he must be caught.

 

Great Grandma and Grandpa Neises (the professional fishers of the family) were called in as reinforcements.

 

The kids and I were up for the adventure, so we loaded up the minivan and set out to catch the "big one" yesterday morning.

 

The kids had tons of fun learning how to fish for "reel."  They caught on to casting and reeling right away.  Great Grandma, Rachel and I observed for the most part.  As it turned out, the bullheads were biting, so there was quite a bit of action!

 

  Teresa got the award for the first catch (she caught 3), Nathan got the award for the most caught (10), and Landen won "The One Who Got Away--Twice" Award.  The poor thing had a big fish on his line twice, but didn't get to claim either one.

 

But, fortunately unlike so many other fishermen in the world, he has proof of one of his "almost" catches!

 

When Rachel got braver walking through the reeds and this was the view I most saw of her, we left to play at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 

They never did catch Godzilla, but he's not going anywhere.

 

He's just getting bigger.