In Memory of

Bye-Bye Van

Thank you, Brown Van, for taking me from CA to OR to AL to FL to IL to TX to UT to SD. Thank you for 9 long years of faithful service. Thank you for Paul Simon and John Denver. Thank you for never getting in an accident and never catching on fire. Thank you for never stranding me in the middle of an intersection. Thank you for always driving another few miles on empty. Thank you for the camouflaging effect of your brown interior - all stains and messes blended beautifully in with your brown carpet and bench seats. Thank you for the freedom you gave me and the passenger capacity to hold our growing family and visitors. Though you were never stylish or luxurious, you did your job well. May the road stretch long before you.

The Brown Van served us well. I have a lot of memories with that van...we went a lot of miles together. But the '89 Dodge Grand Caravan was tired, and saggy, and consuming a gallon of water at every stop. So we decided it was time to put it out to pasture. Nathan thought I was a maniac for wanting to take pictures of the van before we got rid of it, but I really am fond of that old car.


See Ya!

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summer Time?

Summer is supposed to be a restful time, when I get to lay back and read to my heart's desire. And relax on a hammock. And drink lemonade. But we have been so busy.

It is moving season in our military neighborhood. We have been pet sitting, and babysitting for neighbors as they get ready to leave. We have also been playing with them as much as possible before the movers come. Several close friends are leaving in the next couple of weeks and it is really sad. Hannah's 2 neighborhood pals are moving far away.

All this playing has made my house fall apart. There are barbies in the choo-choo train box, and library books lost behind the couch. The various puzzles and building sets are making it impossible to vacuum.

The weather has been beautiful, and that is another reason we have been so busy. It is just too nice to be inside. We have been playing tennis, and rollerblading, and slip-and-sliding, and bike riding, and blowing bubbles, biking backward....

On Monday night, we walked all the way to the ice cream store with our neighbors for our Family Home Evening treat. We were like a little parade - 3 bikes, 3 jogger strollers, 8 adults, 9 kids, no dogs.

Ice cream, swim suits, otter pops, mosquito spray, family reunion, camping. These are the things our summer is made of. That's what we've been doing. Nothing much to blog about, but a lot of fun!

I am Freezing

Our split level house has its own weather patterns. Guess what? Heat rises. I think we could plan some pretty impressive experiments showing that right here in our home.

Down near the TV it is always cold. The kids sleep in sweats and socks and extra blankets. Up stairs it can be really warm - especially at dinner time when I am pulling things out of the oven. I sleep in just my white jammies! We closed all the downstairs vents, hoping to encourage the cold air to go up, but it is still quite cold down here, and warm upstairs. Brrrr.

-------------------

Today was my rest day from running, so Sydney and I went on a walk. But first, Sam the dog escaped (BAD DOG) and we had to run around the neighborhood calling to him, trying to bait him with a tennis ball. So embarrassing. He will usually come back if you have a ball and pretend like you want to play, but today he found his own tennis ball and was not impressed with the one I had. He eventually decided to come with us on our walk. Nice dog.

Yesterday during my run (4 miles) I had problems with my shorts. I do not actually own any shorts, so I borrowed a pair of Nathan's official Air Force exercise shorts. It was very warm, so I was glad to be out of my usual Air Force issue blue sweats (also Nathan's,) but those shorts had a creeping problem. Chub-rub as Sarah likes to put it! Dang. I was so focused of keeping those shorts down, that I hardly noticed my sore foot. Blister, sadly, is still there. May need new shoes.

Running Check In

I think I did okay last week with my running. I went every day and ran about 10 minute miles. Really, I think I can run just under 10 minute miles, unless Sam the dog is with me. He always has to pee in the grass near the soccer park, and if I don't have a bag with me, then he always has to go #2 somewhere along our route. So I have to watch out for an empty field, and tug at his collar to convince him not to go in someone's nice grass. All those potty breaks add up and slow me down. It is not all bad, though, sometimes I am terribly glad to be able to stop and just stand around.

I was really proud of myself for being able to go 4 whole miles, and then 5 miles what really incredible. But I had a little trouble on Saturday's 5 mile run. I started to feel a hot spot on my arch on mile #4. My arch felt hotter and hotter, and finally I stopped and took off my shoe. I had a little blister. Ouch. I still had to go a mile to get back home. I walked a while, but it still hurt, so I went ahead and jogged on home. The blister was not too bad, but it was a little tender all weekend. I could not wear my favorite black sandles to church because they rubbed my owie.

I did not run Sunday, or yesterday, to let the blister heal. It looks like pink tough skin, now. I ran my 3 miles today, and it didn't feel too bad. (Sam came with me) I tried using mole skin over the sore spot, but my feet are sweaty and the moleskin slipped down. Nathan recommended that I put the mole skin over the part of my shoe that is causing the rubbing. I will see tomorrow if that helps.

Happy Father's Day, Grampie!

Run

I am working on running. I am not a fast runner. Really more of a jog/walker, but I am trying to get moving a little more. After Emily was born I successfully lost the baby weight by running 2 miles a day and eating less. John is nearly 2 and I have not lost the weight, so I am trying the running/less eating thing. I don't think I am losing, but atleast I am no longer gaining weight.

Okay, so I have been following the coolrunning couch to 5K running program. I am up to 2-3 miles and feeling good.

My neighbor is a run/walker, too. She is getting ready to start training for a half marathon in the fall. She is trying to talk me into going with her. Does that sound too crazy? 13 miles? She has a pretty gentle plan that eases you into running a really long way.

So if I am going to do this, I need to start the pre-training workout:
3 miles on Monday, 4 miles on Tuesday, 4 miles on Wednesday, off on Thursday, 3 miles on Friday, 5 miles on Saturday. I am going to try it this week. If I can do it for the rest of the month without killing myself, then maybe I will start her training schedule in July.

The main problem is that this race is on Sunday. Do you think she would be mad if I just train with her and do not do the race?

Laundry

Here is a great way to fold a shirt. Not my usual technique, but we may try this.

Bed in Summer

In winter I get up at night
and dress by yellow candlelight.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The bird still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown up people's feet
Still going past me in the street

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

Guess Who...

This person loves to read.


This person 57 inches tall.


This person is a soccer star.


This person is learning how to play tennis.

?



"The Great Good Thing" is a book this person recommends.


This person is a girl.

??


The mall is a place she enjoys going.


She is wild about chocolate.


She is 11 years old, today!

???


Do you know who this delightful girl is???


HAPPY BIRTHDAY


11 years old!

More Anna Karenina Thoughts

Last night I was watching Rick Steve's Best of Europe (or something) He was in Nice, and he mentioned that there were about 500 Russian noble families that would holiday there in the late 1800- early 1900's. Interesting.

Also, I read a review of an A.K. movie available at the library and it said:

"Story of passion and family conflict set in 19th century upper-class Russia. Anna (Leigh), the wife of a stuffy bureaucrat, falls in love with a dashing cavalry officer. Ultimately discarded by her lover, she is driven to suicide."

Huh? Discarded by her lover? I was thinking that she was a little loonie, and jealous, and imagined that he was leaving her - but he (though maybe not so much in love) was still committed to her. Am I wrong?

There are three Anna K. movies at our library. Fun.