Out-of-body experience

I am organizing. Well, I'm attempting to organize. There is an awful lot of that I need to do before we start school for the year. Whenever I try to organize anything, it's the closest I can imagine coming to having an out-of-body experience. It's like I have to become somebody else and try to think within their organized brain. The whole process is really time-consuming and draining for me.

The bummer is that I can't stand clutter and chaos; I can't function within that environment. My shoulders creep up to my earlobes, and I become terribly irritable. As far as I'm concerned this indicates some kind of genetic defect. If chaotic surroundings affect me so much, I should have the natural talent of knowing how to organize effectively.

I know people like this. Such people do exist, and I have actually called such a person before to help me organize. The following account is true, I promise:

I tried to organize my "craft cupboard" several years ago. I opened the cupboard and looked at it. I thought about that cupboard. I looked at it some more and thought some more. The craft cupboard defeated me; I was paralyzed. I called my friend who is one of those people. No kidding, I described my craft cupboard over the phone to her, and she immediately began telling me what to do. This person took me through what to do step-by-step until my craft-cupboard was conquered.

I am trying to "be that person," and so far I have mostly conquered the desk in the study. The problem is, this is a terribly draining experience, and all of my energy, including any creative juices, are being channeled into this out-of-body experience.

So, this is the end of my post.

The Ugly Truth

The charming 3-year-old celebrated in my last post ruined my sleep last night. I'm not sure exactly what happened except that she was completely wakeful until - 4:30 a.m.! She had a new "dream" about every half hour that caused her to loudly beckon me to her room so she could share it with me. By about 2:00 a.m. I wasn't feeling particularly friendly or conversational anymore, but there was NO reasoning with her.

All that to say, I woke up sleep deprived and needing BIG coffee. Have you ever started your day looking for an opportunity to yell at someone? If not, then me neither, and please stop reading this post.

If you have, then I invite you to continue reading. I actually felt pretty good most of the day; really, I was rather proud of my self-control under the circumstances. My big goal for the day was, ahem: to get through it. No way, no how was I going to let Grace take a nap, so we went to the park this morning, the swimming pool this afternoon, shopping at Newton's "Discounts in the Dark" tonight, and currently she is sleeping like a log. Mission accomplished so far.

The trouble occurred today when I had to grab about 4 items at our little grocery store. We have a REALLY little grocery store, but it is conveniently located actually within our little town. I save up shopping for the big grocery store in Newton whenever I can, but sometimes you just need something immediately, like provolone cheese. I walked into my little grocery store straight back to dairy to grab a gallon of milk and saw the discount sticker lady (who is very nice and was completely unaware of the state in which I awoke this morning).

"O, half and half is marked down, GREAT," I said. We're getting a little low; it's very important for coffee. So, I looked through the whole crate of half and half marked 5o cents off and found every one with a date of yesterday or today.

"Isn't this the use by date?" I asked.

"O, I'm not sure if it's the use by or sell by date," she began and said something about being sure it would be fine for a few more days.

I began to feel a bit unstable emotionally all of a sudden. I read the carton, "Um, it says right here to use by date on carton. I think I'll pass since this is half and half after all."

Irrational anger began to sway my thinking. I hastily grabbed my remaining items and with much inner-grumbling drove home to make lunch. I began to unwrap the provolone cheese I had just picked out with care trying to find the best deal I could. My dimmed powers of observation kept me from seeing the 4 large, very dark green globs of mold now glaring at me right through the clear wrapping. This was bad timing.

Those poor employees. I actually worked myself into tears driving back to the store to take it back. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for since I woke up. I walked right up to the sweet, unsuspecting employees.

"Look," (it was all I could say at the moment) "mold!" Assuring me I could have a refund or more cheese, I walked past them to the back saying, "I need more cheese."

Now it was time for the poor guys behind the meat and cheese counter to have to be exposed to me. "Um, you probably want to know that I just bought provolone cheese right here that had lots of mold globs all over it." The aforementioned employees had just rushed back to show them the evidence.

"I need more, but look, and here's another, O, and this one too..." I began handing them all their moldy provolone cheese chunks as if I was doing them a great favor. These poor guys came running out, explaining that provolone is always the first to go bad, and they were so sorry.

"Well, do you have any good ones in the back?" I asked.

"I'm afraid this is all we have, Ma'am; but we do have the pre-sliced right here, unless of course you were planning on grating it," he looked really embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"No, I need it sliced, but this is twice the price per ounce, see; so I was just going to slice it myself." Now they both looked and compared provolone cheese prices.

"O, yeah, you're right. Well you can have it for the same price," they offered.

"I think I will do that," I replied and carried it up to the aforementioned employees to whom I explained the peace offering. They had to call the same two guys in the back to figure out what to do now.

"You can just take it," they said.
So I did.
I'm hoping to sleep better tonight.

The Wit of Grace?

Our little Grace is one hard-to-figure, creative 3-year-old. We are just never quite prepared for what may come forth from her lips at any given time and in her only volume - loud.

So, last night on our family outing to Wichita, we happened to stop by Target. While there Gracie picked out some new big girl panties along the theme of Disney princesses. She was R E A L L Y excited about having princess panties, but since she's never actually seen any of those movies, she doesn't know the names of these beautiful characters. Abby took the time to help her identify who they were, so she could tell Daddy when we met up with him. For some strange reason he suddenly disappeared right as we headed into the big girl panty section, completely uninvolved in the very important discussion of which ones to choose (Curious George, Hello Kitty, Dora, you get the idea - HARD decisions...)

A few moments later while still a good way off, but close enough to identify, Grace ran toward Greg exclaiming, "Daddy, I have princess panties! And it's Cinderella and Snow White, and BOOTY!" She really emphasized this last name as a clincher to the whole bit of fascinating news. That would now be our new nickname for Sleeping Beauty after we all had uncontrollable giggles for awhile in the aisle at Target.

This morning, Grace prayed before eating her Honey Bunches of Oats. I love her sweet prayers, usually so simple and real. Well, this morning she decided to be a little overly-spiritual and attempt to incorporate some things perhaps she picked up on from listening to other people pray. I immediately wrote it down...

Dear God, Help us get better and get more. Help us to be bored with You and get lost. Amen

What that was all about, I have NO idea, but I think that's similar to the way I sound when I'm working a little too hard at impressing people with my spirituality instead of being authentic.

And tonight while playing tennis as a family, Grace was mostly being a grumpy onlooker. She had her own raquet and ball but decided whining would be much more fun. Finally, under threat of losing her freshly-baked brownie once we got home, she became a little cheerier. Greg shot a winner right past me while I moaned, and Grace yelled,

"It's okay, Mommy! You always get it in the house -- HOORAY!"

Not sure, but she sounds like a genuine fan to me.

Dappled Shade

I'm a bit of a naturalist, sort of. What I am not is any representation of that word which conjours thoughts of science. I am 100% not a scientist and have never claimed any such thing.

With my disclaimers out of the way, I can safely share my love of experiencing nature. Autumn is my favorite season, absolutely: the majestic colors of foliage, the slight chill outside that makes my hands long to hold wooden knitting needles and alpaca yarn, the gray blanket of sky that makes all colors extra vibrant, and golden beams of strong sun that hit a lone tree like a great spotlight setting it apart... and then the fact that all of this comes and goes within the span of about two weeks. It seems terribly unfair to me, every year. This magnificent beauty that is so short-lived... I never feel as though I've adequately drunk it all in. As far as I'm concerned this is one season that never wears out its welcome (okay, some can argue the same for spring; but this is my blog).

I thought about this a few days ago when I took Rosie, my bad dog whom I love (again) out for a walk/run. This was a stupid idea. It was 10:30 am and 92 degrees already, but I was feeling terribly sorry for my bad dog who desperately needed exercise and is much worse without it. I was sweating like a pig (which, by the way, is an interesting expression. Do pigs sweat? Andrea, could you answer that one for me? Why not say "lathering like a horse"...) Anyway, we were both sweltering. There was no escape from the beating, unrelenting sun. The sun was at just such an angle so as to avoid giving us any shade whatsoever along our route... until one point. Right as Rosie and I rounded the last curve of the arboretum, there it was.

About twenty feet of the most beautiful dappled shade I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating either. Intent upon beating the sun and sticking to my goal, we had kept up a good clip the whole way. As I entered the shade, I was so stunned by it that I made Rosie stop so we could just stand there and experience it. Within that little oasis, my whole perspective changed. I felt I could have spent the whole day right there. I looked at the variety of wildflowers around me, heard birds I had barely noticed before, actually felt a gentle, cooling breeze and contemplated.

Have I walked through dappled shade before? Yes, of course, but I couldn't remember a time when I had needed it so badly and found it so unexpectedly. I couldn't remember ever appreciating it so much. I took a moment to thank God for His blessings all around me all the time calling for me to appreciate them- to see the beauty they reflect of their Creator.

Autumn wouldn't be to me what it is if I expected it to wear out its welcome. The whole nature of its magical lure is in its Divine brevity. No, I'm not a scientist. I'm a nature-lover who would prefer to keep it all a mystery (although home schooling is blowing that a bit for me) and allow it to draw me a little closer to my Creator.

It's official

Well, it's official - I've started to train as a barista. Yesterday I worked on my steam wand phobia while trying my hand at a little steaming and frothing of milk. The whole tamping of the espresso with 30 pounds of pressure to "pull a shot" makes me feel p r e t t y cool. I also have a really nifty Lincoln Perk t-shirt and apron.

Now, on a completely different train (of thought, that is). I have to share an amazing "God-thing" that recently happened in our lives.

I am really looking forward to taking Abby away for a "Passport 2 Purity" weekend. This is a great one-on-one mini conference put out by Family Life Today for a parent and preteen to go on together. This is where The Big Talk happens, but it's so much more too.

I'm going over all of the material with great anticipation, and Greg and I planned the weekend to a tee. The idea is to go somewhere that would be fun for the child you're taking, have a great time together, make memories, and cover important stuff. Abby enjoys Kansas City. She wants to go to the science museum and the Moon Marble Company store, etc. We found the ideal hotel where we can stay and go over all of the material we need to cover in between outings; the one problem was that this particular trip wasn't really "in the budget." We have a travel budget, but currently gasoline about drains it.

Greg and I each decided to pray specifically about the amount of money we needed for the trip depending on the Lord however He would choose to provide (being perfectly willing to wait until my new, small paychecks could cover it). However, we had talked about trying to make this trip a priority this summer...

We came home from our whirlwind Dallas trip and found a card in the mailbox with yep, you guessed it... the exact amount of money we had discussed needing for this trip with Abby. It came inside an encouraging note from a source we never would have imagined receiving such a gift.

I share this, because I can't keep quiet about it. God is good; His faithfulness is far too often overlooked by me. I'm too busy focusing on my disappointments most of the time to see the Hand of Grace that sustains me. It was interesting that Greg and I had both been praying that God would provide in such a way that we would know it was Him (again however He saw fit to do that); we just wanted to acknowledge Him - to see His provision and not gloss over His gifts as if we actually did it on our own. We know our tendencies...

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above;

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of The redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love:

Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

The trip is on the calendar - in August.

Abby: The Inside Scoop

In honor of Abby's 11th birthday here is...

The Scoop on Abby

NAME: Abigail Sarah

AGE: 11

FAVORITE MOVIE: Narnia

PET PEEVE: Someone drinking out of her glass

INTERESTS: snakes/amphibians, space, rocks

TOP 4 BOOK PICKS: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements, Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary, The Great Brain by Fitzgerald

FREQUENT SAYINGS: "Gooooooodness Sakes!" "That is SO cool!"

MOST FUN FREE TIME ACTIVITIES: reading, building things (k'nex, etc.), listening to music, playing games as a family, playing guitar, coloring in detailed coloring books (Dover)

MUSIC FAVES: Newsboys, Super Chic, Veggie Rocks

FAVORITE FOODS (gotta have this one): breakfast sausage, chicken enchiladas with poblano cream sauce, spaghetti

FAVORITE BEVERAGES: good ole o.j., "good" lemonade

FAVORITE DESSERTS (notice a theme): chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cake, toll house pie, chocolate malts

Abby's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 C. sour cream

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding

1/2 C. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. warm water

4 eggs

1 C. chocolate chips

Mix everything but chips together with a mixer until well-blended. Then stir in chips. Pour in a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

QUIRK: 2nd and middle toes are webbed on each foot (very cute, if you ask me)

TOP OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: playing tennis, shooting baskets, nature-exploring at the arboretum

FUTURE CAREER INTERESTS: geologist, missionary, space exploration science

DREAM VACATIONS: Disney world (again!), going to Africa: to see Victoria Falls, meet people, see landscape and animals

FAVORITE COLOR: Red!

BIBLE VERSE: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! -Psalm 8:1

My (as Abby's mom who always cries at this part, not out of sadness, but simply because I'm moved) excerpt from the end of The House at Pooh Corner:

Then, suddenly again, Christopher Robin, who was still looking at the world, with his chin in his hands, called out "Pooh!"

"Yes?" said Pooh.

"When I'm - when - Pooh!"

"Yes, Christopher Robin?"

"I'm not going to do Nothing any more."

"Never again?"

"Well, not so much. They don't let you."

Pooh waited for him to go on, but he was silent again. Still with his eyes on the world Christopher Robin put out a hand and felt for Pooh's paw.

"Pooh," said Christopher Robin earnestly, "if I - if I'm not quite ---" he stopped and tried again --- "Pooh, whatever happens, you will understand, won't you?"

"Understand what?"

"Oh, nothing." He laughed and jumped to his feet. "Come on!"

"Where?" said Pooh.

"Anywhere," said Christopher Robin.

Happy Birthday, Abby! You are a tremendous blessing in our lives and you are growing into a lovely young lady. We are so proud of you...

Big Birthday Bash

We just returned (as in two hours ago) from a whirlwind trip to Dallas to visit Greg's brother and sister-in-law (Brian and Melanie) and family. Our niece Hannah turned 16 last month, so this was our better-late-than-never BIG BIRTHDAY BASH.

They just put in a pool, so we had been planning a pool party; but monsoons had delayed things a bit. Gracious Hannah decided we should come this weekend and make it a DOUBLE BIG BIRTHDAY BASH, because Abby will turn 11 on Monday. We made the most of our 44 hours there...

H I G H L I G H T S

Swimming, of course

Fabulous Food: grilled salmon and Farfalle Alfredo, pizza on the grill, croissant sandwiches, chocolate mousse birthday cake, really good coffee...

Great conversation - I love that

Laughing at youtube

Presents!

Going to SuperTarget (not something I get to do everyday like I could in Iowa, now that the closest one is 40 minutes away); Thanks, Melanie!

Finding out my sister now has a blog! She called to tell me while we were on our way to Dallas. The address is: http://knittinghummel.blogspot.com/

Sleeping in a super comfy bed

Visiting the Heard Museum to see the Snake Exhibit - Abby thinks snakes are fascinating and knows all about them!

And meeting Rapunzel the Hamster who is actually named Sophie. Due to an odd cross-breeding of some sort, she has antennae made of fur growing right behind her ears (thus my nickname for her). Melanie held her for the picture. I knew you'd have to see it to believe it...

The Fairy House

Today was a beautiful, cool day in stark contrast to the stifling heat and humidity that has been imprisoning us within our air-conditioned walls. In celebration, the girls and I went to the park - FREEDOM!

We slid, swang, conversed, climbed, and temporarily adopted a pet toad. Emma (with creative inspiration from Abby, Grace, and I) constructed this enchanting fairy house.

My grandma (Mama Ann) is famous around our house for her childhood love of fairies and for the stories we've heard of her fairy house construction. As soon as Emma felt her fairy cottage was delightfully complete, she said, "Mom, please take a picture so we can send it to Mama Ann."

Mama Ann, here is our fairy house built by your inspiration and in your creative honor. I LOVE that we are not too old for this!

Random Barista

A few random smatterings (I'm not sure that's a word; but I'm using it because I like it, and if it's not, it should be):



*Rosie did this last night:





I loved that little rubber duckie. Picture it with its sweet red bill that matched its bow tie. He was the only one that stood out; the only one that was different from his 3 other siblings.

Currently she is Rosie, the bad dog whom I do not love; she's on my BAD LIST.



*My hairdryer broke, which makes me sad. I cannot think of one place in Hesston where I can get a new one.



*I noticed that the flavor of Gracie's toothpaste is: Princess Fruity Bubblegum. What does that mean?



*O, and I have a new part-time job. I will start working (training) next week to work very part-time at Lincoln Perk, our local coffee shop. Greg and I thought a little extra income to go toward family fun and vacations might be nice. I will be...

A BARISTA!

The Wisdom of Grace

Yesterday was a BIG day for Gracie. She went to her first birthday party. The day started with Sunday School, then Kid's Praise (children's church), then a potluck for our new pastor of student ministries and his wife, then the birthday party during what is usually naptime for Grace.



THIS WAS A PARTY! Everything was pink: cake, streamers, and five little 3 and 4 year old girls in their pink swim suits. There were two little wading pools and a slip 'n slide. Grace came home when it was over, sat on the couch talking incessantly, and next thing I knew, all was silent. Silence makes me VERY NERVOUS, so I ran into the living room and this is where I found her...







She was completely wiped out; this was really messing up my plans for the evening. Greg and I were planning to go for a jog together when it cooled down a bit and then watch a movie we rented. We can leave Abby in charge for a bit and take our cell phone along, and this kind of thing goes very well when Grace is exhausted and goes to sleep right away at bedtime. But it was 6:00! She had been sleeping for 45 minutes already; I had to wake her up.



This was a bad idea. I probably should have put her right in bed and dealt with it when she woke up at 5:00am, but instead I had a precious, three-year-old monster on my hands. She would not/could not stop crying. I tried putting her in her room for some "alone time" to calm down : no good. I tried putting her on my lap, snuggling, and cheering her up : couldn't do it. I told her if she wanted me, she needed to calm down and stop crying or she would have to be alone in her room. Finally through huge, choking sobs I could barely make out her words,

"I want to cry WITH YOU in my room. I have to cry."

What could I say; that was so well put. I've been there and have probably said almost the same thing to my Heavenly Father. I believe He delights in those words so much more than, "I'll be back in a moment; I need to calm myself down."

Today's poignant quip by Grace involved her deep desire to play in the rain under her umbrella coupled with her fear of thunder. She refused to come inside, but stood on the back patio under her umbrella yelling, "Somebody needs to come out here and keep me safe in the thunder!"

Here is the result:

O, to be willing to risk the storm in brave dependence on The One who keeps me safe in the thunder.

The League Meet

This was not a creativity-enhancing sort of day. I suppose it could've been for some people who are not me. This morning started with a 6:00 am alarm reminding me to wake the girls for their last swim meet of the season. This was the VERY IMPORTANT league meet. Only those with qualifying times get to swim, and every team in the league is represented.

*

See, we got into this swim team thing, because Greg and I want our girls to be able to swim well. Greg and I can't swim well; it's a good thing to know. Swimming is great exercise, and they enjoy it. I also get WAY MORE for my dollar with swim team than swimming lessons (gotta be practical). But, this is small town swim team. The other teams you compete against are far, far away in other small towns; we hadn't fully thought that one through...

The girls rode the bus to be there early enough to warm-up. Greg, Gracie, and I drove the 1 1/2 hours to Coucil Grove where the meet was held, trying VERY HARD not to think about the price of gasoline. We were there to watch Abby swim in three races. Each race turned out to be 2 1/2 hours apart. We forgot to pack a lunch (being ignorant of the large quantity of time that defines "The League Meet"). As an exercise in discipline, I will list all of the POSITIVE aspects of today:

• driving through the beautiful, scenic flinthills to get there



• big trees, under which shade was found to sit in



• snacks; we did have some



• sunscreen



• comfy camping chairs with drink holders



• a large playground nearby where Grace could channel her energy



• friends to visit with at the meet



• a particularly friendly bumblebee who thought my head was something to pollinate and found me wherever I went; onlookers were amused



• watching Abby swim



• driving through the beautiful, scenic flinthills to get home



• large, juicy hamburgers that we made for lunch as soon as we got home (4:00)



• a lunch late enough to double as dinner



• the opportunity to fry burgers meant to be grilled, once the grill ran out of gas



• finding a brand new Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine in my mailbox this evening



• company over for dessert and great conversation + a fun game tonight



• my REALLY COMFORTABLE bed!

These pictures are from the swim meet one week ago; both Emma and Abby swam in that one.

Fireworks & Fireflies

These pictures have nothing to do with my post, but I had to share them. Here are Emma and Abby today on their last day of horse camp. They each asked for this opportunity for their birthday present this year. We got to watch them barrel race today -- Yeehaw!! They had a blast. Abby will be 11 in two weeks and Emma is 9.

On to my post..

Our little town Hesston, Kansas is REALLY into the fourth of July. I think it is has something to do with the fact that Kansas legalizes major explosives meant only for combat fighting for the week surrounding the 4th. Honestly, you can pretty much stage your own major fireworks show (the kind shown in the downtown of big cities) right in your own driveway if you have the money. We had truly never seen anything like it until we moved here. There is no need to travel anywhere for a show. The big, bad, finale' type stuff goes off for hours and hours all over town.

Last night I took Rosie, our bad dog whom I love, out to do what dogs do outside. It was on the darker side of dusk, and as soon as I stepped outside my ears were assaulted: KA-BLAM, "Rosie," EEEEEEEEEEEEE-BANG-BANG-BANG (x27), "do your," POP-POP-POP-POP-POP, "job." EEEEEEEEEE-POP-POP-POP-SIZZLE-HISS-SIZZLE.

When I looked around for the source, I was captivated by... FIREFLIES. They were gorgeous, filling my back yard with peaceful, excitement. My eyes darted around to each new glowing light; randomly surprising me with beauty. I never get used to them. I never know when they'll be out, and then they only light up at dusk. I didn't want to go inside, fearing I would miss a part of the show.

I smiled at God's sense of humor. "YOU WIN," I said, "hands down! Best show in the neighborhood."

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise Him! O praise Him!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Will Run For Smoothie

I like to jog. Weird, I know. In high school, running was nothing more than a necessary evil to stay on the tennis team. Since moving to Kansas a couple of years ago, however, I have taken up jogging as a hobby that I actually enjoy. Of course, Kansas is tremendously FLAT making this a fairly feasible undertaking.

The funny thing about my enjoyment of jogging is that I'm not actually good at it. I'm r e a l l y slow. But...
I love it anyway. I love being outside; I even have gear to run in any winter weather except slippery snow. I don't even mind sweating. I love Greg's ipod, which I get to borrow when I run. I'm not into competitive running; I like contemplative running. I really like going for longer runs; my longest so far is 6 1/2 miles and that was my favorite run - really!

Greg and I went for a run today; we're both trying to get back into jogging condition after having had quite a break for awhile. It was a really terrible run. All I wanted to do the whole time was WALK. Everything felt tired. But I didn't walk, because...

Greg ran with me.

.

I noticed a big difference, however, between the times when Greg was ahead of me and when he was right next to me. I thought about how I began this jogging enjoyment in the first place. It really started when a dear friend, Brandey, ran with me on my first 5 mile run. Five miles is a huge milestone, and Brandey knew I would need some serious encouragement. She said she would run with me and then we would go to Lincoln Perk, our local coffee shop, for a major reward if I did the whole thing without walking (I think that part was my idea).

.

Let me tell you something about Brandey, SHE HAS RUN A MARATHON! She is a real runner. She places at 5k's. She's good, and she runs fast.

.

Brandey ran that five miles right next to me the whole time. She talked to me, so I didn't even remember that I was running 2 miles farther that I ever had before. I did it, and I loved it. But there is no way I could have done that for the first time by myself or with somebody right in front of me. If I was behind her the whole time, I would have walked because of course I'm going to be behind her. She's good; I'm not. But I never thought about that; I never had to; I had a great time.

.

Christ has done this for me. He is the Perfect Marathon Runner. I am slow. He chose to take on humanity at the will of His Father to run with me. When I want to walk He reminds me that I do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with my weaknesses, but I have one who has been tempted in every way, just as I am - yet was without sin. He knows how to finish this race; I cannot run it without Him.

.

We did get big ol' fruit smoothies afterward, by the way, and shared a piece of cake (got to replenish those carbs)!

A Slice of Pie

Sometimes, what I really need more than a slice of life, is a slice of pie. I'm figuring that you occasionally have those days too.

We had company over the other night and made this pie for dessert. I love this pie; Greg loves this pie, so I'll share the recipe. Now for a recipe to qualify as a genuine favorite of mine, two qualifications must be met:


1) Must be ridiculously easy to the point that sharing the recipe is almost embarrassing

2) Must be impressively delicious to the point that everyone thinks I slaved

This particular recipe qualifies on both points, so even though I'm blushing, I'll share.

I first had this pie at Greg's parents' for Thanksgiving and fell in love with it. My mother-in-law's Aunt Roma gets full credit for this one. If you love coconut and enjoy chess pie (as all good Texans should), this is a bit of heaven.

TOASTED COCONUT PIE

3 beaten eggs

1 1/4 C sugar

1/2 C melted butter

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 (3 1/2 oz) can flaked coconut

1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

Combine eggs, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir in coconut. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

And there you have it. Finally, a rationale for the otherwise dumb cliche'...

EASY AS PIE!