I'm Back....Now -- to Catch Up!

Yep, I'm back to "bloggey" land -- if that's what you call it. I needed a little break. Last week, we had some "blogworthy" things going on. But, I'll recap one post at a time.

Marc was on yet another furlough week from work last week. Therefore, Luke and I had him home.

We actually took a short family trip, but I'll blog about that in another post.

This post is about the Wichita Marathon. It took place yesterday (Sunday, the 18th).

You might remember about a month ago about Marc and our friend Seth running the Wichita 1/2 Marathon -- to prepare and train for the full marathon (26.2 miles).

So, Marc and Seth left at 5:15 A.M. yesterday to get there in time to warm-up a bit....

Seth's wife (and good friend of mine), Sarah, and I waited to arrive with their two children and our one child at the marathon finish when the guys predicted they would finish.

I actually didn't capture too many photos -- that would be because Luke absolutely did NOT want to stay in the stroller. He was MUCH more interested in crawling around while we waited on the guys. I did my very best to keep him out of the way of runners. However, we did have a couple of close calls! Sorry for any of you marathon runners who could potentially be reading this....I hope Luke didn't cause any falls.

When we first got there, it was actually a bit chilly. So, all three kids were fairly bundled up.

Here's a photo of Luke in the five minutes he did actually spend in the stroller. In this photo, he was looking at oncoming runners approaching the finish. He was trying to find his Daddy.



Collin and Natalie did much the same thing -- stayed in the stroller for a bit to stay warm. Then, they proceeded to run around (as opposed to Luke's crawling).



After waiting awhile (nearly 1 1/2 hours) -- we did finally see the guys coming up the final stretch. They were actually running with a couple of women. This is the best photo I could get (sorry you can't see them better). Marc's on the far left. Seth is right next to him. The two women are on the right (and yes, Marc knew one of them).



Marc's run close to 100 marathons and ultra-marathons, and so, we won't talk about him. This is "old" business for him.

BUT, this was Seth's first marathon. AND, he finished -- which was the ultimate goal. GO SETH!!!!!!! We're happy for your finish.

Also, Seth and Marc both finished without passing out OR throwing up -- which we're also all thankful for.

I haven't talked with Seth today -- we'll ask him next week (after the soreness has wore off) if he would like to do another marathon someday.

After the race was over, Seth partook of the "free" massage. This is a photo of him in the massage chair -- he had ABSOLUTELY no idea we all took photos of this.



Many times after a race, Marc does go for the free massage. But this time, he didn't. I think he was more interested in lunch and a Pepsi -- of course.

But, before heading off to lunch with the guys, I captured this "end of the race" photo.



Again, good job Seth! I hope you're not too sore.

Sarah and I are very thankful that both husbands/fathers finished in one piece.

Overall, the kids did fairly well considering the wait. I certainly can't complain.

Yep, I'm still Here....

Hey All -- I'm still here. I've just been taking a bit of a "bloggey" break.

We have quite a bit going on the next five days, so when I get back to blogging, I'll have photos to share!!!!

Thanks for being patient, and please don't leave me!

The Shoe Saga and Light....

For those of you who have asked me about where I purchased Luke's shoes (the ones in the last post), I purchased them at Payless Shoe Source.

Luke's shoes, his only pair, were a saga this weekend.

Saturday evening, Marc, Luke, and I took a nice long walk through town (Luke, obviously, was in the jogging stroller). It was a bit chilly, and so Luke not only had on his jacket with a hood, but his legs and a bit of his torso were wrapped up in a blanket.

When we got home, I sat Luke down to take off his shoes and socks to get ready for bed. I noticed one of his shoes was gone -- yep, one of the brand new ones that he just started wearing the week before.

I continued to get him ready for bed, and Marc hopped on his bicycle -- the one with the light and all as it was dark.

He rode our walking route, looking for the shoe. But, he didn't find it.

This morning (Sunday), he got up really early and went for a run. He ran the same route we had walked the night before -- to again look for Luke's missing shoe. He still didn't find the shoe.

This afternoon, after Luke's nap, the three of us (with Luke in the stroller) once again went out for a walk -- the same route we took last night. Marc and I weren't ready to give up looking for this shoe.

Wouldn't you know it? We found it just under two miles from our house -- in the middle of a fairly busy street (12th and Main St. for you locals). I actually am the one who spotted it, and Marc ran into the middle of the street to grab it.

Needless to say, it had been run over a few times in the almost previous 24 hours it had been missing.

Here's a look at the shoe....





I'm usually not too sentimental with "things," per se. But, for some reason, this one kind of makes me sad. We thought Luke looked sooooo cute in them. They actually fit him. They only lasted him a week. My friend Lisa said to me today, "I'm sure it won't be the only thing he'll ever lose." True -- but, it's just a bit sad to me.

So tomorrow, Luke and I will head out to purchase another pair of shoes. Hopefully, we'll find some just as cute and just as functional.

Marc and I are still baffled as to how he kicked that shoe off from underneath a blanket without us knowing :)

*****

And now, to the "meat" of this post....

A couple of weeks ago, I was having one of those weeks....You know, one of those weeks where nothing seemed to be going correctly, no matter how trivial it may seem.

I won't bore you faithful readers with all of my so-called crises, but I will share one of them -- complete with photos.

I am a part of a Young Moms Bible Study which meets on Tuesday mornings. It's a great group of ladies to be with, and each Tuesday, we take turns bringing a yummy breakfast to share. A couple of weeks ago, it was my turn.

I decided to "go out on a limb" and bake something new -- a pumpkin muffin recipe that I found online. After all, fall is here....

I mixed them up (I even had to buy a few ingredients), and then, I proceeded to bake them. After the timer went off, I stuck a toothpick in SEVERAL of the muffins, and each time, the toothpick came out clean. After they were baked, I placed them on a cooling rack.



After they were cooled, I went over to put them in a "take-along" container for the next morning. At that point, I accidentally dropped one to the floor. Uugghh....

Ultimately, however, I'm glad I did that. That muffin wasn't finished AT ALL in the middle. The dough just kind of spewed out. Uugghh....

So, in a panic, I ate one myself. It too was doughy. Uugghh....How could this be? The toothpick came out clean on several muffins.

I poked through a third one. Doughy....Again, uugghh....



It was 10:00 P.M. at that point in time. I wasn't about to try and bake something else. After all, I was tired. So, I went and told Marc that I was going to make a late run to the grocery store and just buy some muffins for the morning -- completely and utterly disappointed in myself, at that point.

Fortunately, the grocery store did have some what turned out to be pretty good blueberry muffins.



After I got home, I threw away the muffins that just weren't going to work.



Little situations like this and bigger situations that at one point afflict us all are just what Satan wants to happen. The enemy is lurking around -- just wanting something to happen to make our lights for the True One, Jesus Christ, go out.

Though I have, in situations like the muffins, come really close to letting Satan win, I am determined to not let him win.

Throughout that week of minor crises, I was reminded of a song many of us, including myself, learned in Sunday School as children. I'd like to refresh all of your memories or perhaps share it with those of you who may not know it. It's really W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

Shine all over Newton (or insert the name of your town).
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over Newton.
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over Newton.
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

And to close, I'd like to quote some important scripture....

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Our Saturday....

O.K., so I'm a little behind on posting this week -- which I do NOT like. So, sorry faithful readers.

I have several catch-up posts in mind, but here's the first.

Last Saturday (September 26), we had a fairly busy, but also enjoyable day.

Marc's been training for his big 100-mile ultramarathon coming up (in just over a week), so that morning, he did a 40-mile run. Therefore, Luke and I didn't see him much in the morning.

While Marc was running for several hours, Luke and I took our obligatory walk through town.

For those of you who see Luke often (or for those of you who look closely at Luke in the photos on this blog), you know that Luke NEVER wears shoes. And, for the entire summer, he hasn't worn socks either.

Luke has the "fat" feet thing going. In other words, his feet are literally shaped like little blocks. His feet have been like this since birth. Therefore, buying shoes for him isn't easy; therefore, I haven't. Luke is either in socks or barefoot. Since he's not walking yet (we're on the 15-month plan), I just haven't needed shoes for him either.

ALSO, I've read in several different articles about it being better for babies/toddlers to learn to walk barefoot (thanks for the reminder as well as reassuring me, Candice).

Blah, Blah, Blah....

Fall has arrived her in this great state. Therefore, it's a bit chilly to have Luke be barefoot. Luke likes to pull his socks off which isn't the best thing when he's in the stroller on a cool day or evening.

SOOOOO, it's shoe time for Luke -- and again, for those of you who are completely used to seeing Luke barefoot all of the time, this is a C.H.A.N.G.E.

I found some very cute ones that actually do fit his "fat" feet (and I say that very lovingly as his mother). This past Saturday was the debut -- in the stroller, of course.

Here he is, modeling the cute little boy shoes.



I did notice while walking that he kept looking down at them.



And, just for fun -- here is a photo of Luke in our driveway a couple of days later -- again, in the shoes.



After the obligatory Saturday morning walk and shower, Luke and I hung out at home. When Marc came home, we watched him recover (on the floor) from his 40-mile run.

In the afternoon, after Luke's nap, Luke and I headed to Prairie Harvest Deli -- here in town.



It was their "Cider Saturday" -- the day where they make fresh apple cider from 125 bushels of apples (and actually, one of the ladies I talked to that day said they made cider from quite a few more bushels than just the 125).

Marc and I figured we just had to have some fresh cider.

I don't know how well this photo shows up, but it's the chalkboard sign on the sidewalk in front of the store. You know you're in small town America when you see cute signs like this.



Here are the many apples yet to be made into cider (and this was at the end of their day).



And yes, it was good cider....



In the evening, Marc, Luke and I went to "Buffalo Wild Wings."

I know this may surprise some of you (since Marc and I have eaten out at many places throughout this great country), but neither of us had actually ever been to "Buffalo Wild Wings." Because of that, Marc chose it of all places for his birthday meal (since his birthday was the day before).

And, since we couldn't really find a movie we were interested in and nothing else sounded appealing (as far as date ideas) and both of us procrastinated on finding childcare, we just took Luke with us for Marc's birthday meal. That way, it was a family thing.

Our service that evening wasn't the best, but Marc and I usually give places two chances on service unless the first time was REALLY BAD.

But, Luke was such a great trooper. He hung out in the high chair so well without whining and complaining. I had taken a few toys, but mostly, he was intrigued with Marc's black Pikes Peak visor (Luke is playing with the black visor in this photo -- it may just be hard to see).



Louder places such as this one are good for a one-year old. All of the sporting events on the televisions are a nice distraction from the noise of a toddler.



When ordering, Marc was deciding whether or not to get ribs. Hmmmmm...you don't want bad ribs, do you? So, he ended up calling my brother, Joel, to find out his opinion (he and his wife have eaten there several times).



Joel was sorry to let Marc down (Joel's words -- not mine), but Joel had actually never had the ribs there. So, he had no recommendation.

Marc did end up ordering the ribs and buffalo wings (in addition to the wings we ordered together). Marc's opinion on the ribs -- order them elsewhere. They weren't that great. But, he did enjoy the wings -- especially with the Honey BBQ glaze. I enjoyed them as well.

Really nice photo, isn't it? Thanks for posing, Marc!!!!



Besides the buffalo wings (and I'm not sure why I did this), I did have a cheeseburger and fries. I know that's fairly boring. But, I don't eat burgers real often, and when I get the chance for a good sports bar type burger, I go for it. Unfortunately, that evening, I was full from wings. Therefore, the burger didn't get all eaten. But, it was good, and I would recommend it.



And, to not leave Luke out -- he had chicken strips which he always likes. He also had some applesauce and cheese that I had brought for him -- as well as his milk.



*****

Fast forward to the last couple of days (Wednesday and Thursday)....

Luke's been a little on the ill side. It's not been bad, but considering Luke really hasn't been sick at all in his little life, it's a new thing to us.

He's come down with a fever that only goes down with some Tylenol. He definitely has been acting like he doesn't feel the greatest (wants to cuddle more which really doesn't upset me). He's definitely been sleeping more than normal (slept until 10:00 this morning and still took a 2 1/2 hour nap).

No runny nose, no congestion, no cough, no vomiting or diarrhea (Yeah!)....Just a fever.

I know it'll run its course. We know he'll get better. In the meantime, it's just sad.

With all of the flu and crud going around, I have been a good mother and have kept him away from other children and busy public places. But today, I needed to get out -- to run an errand just to you know, get out....Can't be cooped up too long in the house. I might go crazy or something.

So, we went to the bank and to grab me a bite to eat (through a drive-thru).

I took this photo while stopped at a stoplight. He looks a bit sad, in my opinion. His fever was down at this point, and so, I know he didn't feel too bad. But still, you can tell that he doesn't feel right.

**You locals will know exactly where I am in this photo.



I promise I'll get caught up on other posts -- especially for you, Candice :)

35....

Today, my dear husband, Marc, turns 35. Yep -- the big 3-5. He could be President now. He's halfway to 40.

Yes, sometimes, he still likes to eat like he's 16....



**That photo was actually taken back when he was a mere 29 years old. But, it definitely still represents Marc. The photo was taken at his most favorite pizza place in the entire world -- Chico's Pizza in the big ol' metropolis of Moses Lake, WA. It's in eastern WA state. Some very good friends, Doug, Melissa & Andrew, live up there. This particular pizza is an all-meat pizza topped with bacon.

But, he's still my Marc -- the Christian husband and father, the leader of our household, my greatest fan, the best earthly Daddy for Luke, the ultra-runner, the Taekwondo person heading for the big Black Belt, the ultra-conservative who can answer and defend nearly any political question, the man who enjoys eating fried foods and drinking copious amounts of Pepsi, the trivia nut who knows an incredible amount of useless information, and ultimately, my best friend here on earth.

Luke and I love you bunches, Marc!!!! Happy 35th!

And, just for a little fun on this blog -- here's a photo of Marc about two months after we met -- he was only 28 then. Has he aged a bit? Not too much....

A New Driveway....

Nope, it's not our's...it's our neighbors', Willis & Joan.

I've stated this before on this blog, but I'll state it again. We live in a WONDERFUL neighborhood. Our little cul-de-sac is secluded from the main road in town. There are many trees, and it's quiet. There are only eight houses on our street, and we know each family in those houses. Everybody on our street is wonderful and trustworthy.

One thing about a small neighborhood like our's is that when something major is going on, everybody in the neighborhood must be outside to watch and KNOW what's going on.

Yep, I've become one of T.H.O.S.E. people since living in this neighborhood -- yep, the one who MUST know each and everything that's going on within the neighborhood.

Last week, our next door neighbors, Willis & Joan got a new driveway. Willis had told me about a month ago they were going to have this done, but I couldn't remember when.

Then, one morning, Luke, Ollie, and I went outside during Lily's nap. (Remember -- Ollie and Lily aren't our kids. They have wonderful parents. I'm just the caretaker of them 1-2 mornings a week).

Here was the site we saw from our driveway.









Luke just sat in the driveway and watched for a bit. Then, he couldn't have cared less. He went on playing with his toys.



Ollie was a bit different, on the other hand.

First, he just stood at the edge of the garage, holding the open bottle of bubbles and a ball.



He kept saying, "Sarah -- the tractors are scary." I kept telling him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him and that Jesus was right beside us. It was O.K. to come in OUR driveway. We just wouldn't walk over to the other driveway where the tractors were.

That didn't seem to help any.

Finally, he inched forward just enough to come right up beside me.



This whole driveway process went on for several days. So, Ollie got to see the "tractors" a couple of times, and both times, those tractors were "scary" (according to Ollie).

Another neighbor, Wayne, who is retired and lives alone, is one of those neighbors who definitely knows what's going on....So, he "supervised" this entire process each day.



Finally, late last week, the project was completed, and everybody went home.

Earlier this week, when Ollie came over, he asked immediately about the tractors. He wanted to go and see them. He seemed disappointed when I told them they weren't there anymore.

I think he might've forgotten they were S.C.A.R.Y....

Now, the driveway is still curing. Willis and Joan can't drive on it for a little over a week. So, they park in the street. Fortunately, we have virtually NO traffic on our street.

Here's the finished project -- as viewed from our driveway.



It's too bad they couldn't have just swung on over and fixed our cracked concrete driveway -- without charging extra, that is :) It's too bad life doesn't work that way.

Fourteen Months....

Believe it or not, Luke is fourteen months old today (the 21st). It's a little hard for us to believe as time has gone SOOOOOO fast!

Here's a photo of him exactly one year ago today.



And, here he is -- just today....



He sure has changed a lot!