Arthritis Cream at 30??

Well, even though I despise running, I have decided that I'm going to run a half marathon. It's in October and in Kansas City.

Now, I've not run one of these before.Come to think of it, I'd haven't really run much this summer (which may have something to do with the weather) at all, so this is a fairly stupid, er, new adventure.

But nonetheless, I've committed so I'm going to try my best to train diligently. I've got the new, fix-the-goofy-way-that-you-walk-on-the-insides-of-your-feet shoes....


The tunes....



And, perhaps most importantly,

a motivating...

consistent...

energetic running partner.



There is only one entity not on board...and that would be my left knee. She's been protesting, swelling up, generally making her dissatisfaction with the training known. So, I bought the Ben-Gay and slathered it on!

Here we go! Wish me luck!

:)

The cutest soccer fan EVER!

Remember our friends Kim and Ross? The ones who had their shower here...and the diaper cake? Well, a week ago, Tuesday the 12th to be exact, they welcomed sweet little Isla Caroline into the world!

She is a beauty and so alert! She looks like an 8 lb version of her dad! We couldn't be happier for the Wallis family and can't wait to cuddle her again...and then watch her grow! She's a lucky girl with such terrific parents!

(just in case you're a somewhat ignorant American like me, Manchester United is daddy Ross's team of choice! How cute is she in her little outfit??)

Fun Friday Foto

Hooray, it's Friday! Here's a cute Oggy picture to start your weekend off right!

The "R" word

Bet you're wondering, ey? Here it is...(drumroll)

Religion.

Yep, I don't really like that word because of all the connotations. Chanting Words in Unison. Extremism. Potlucks.

Here's the thing. Faith, way more important. Get it. Got it. But somewhere along the line, the religion thing comes into play because I want to go to church (so hard to find one we both like!) and want to have an involved faith.

That said, I don't need to tell people they're wrong, and that seems like what religion does. Because you know....you're not supposed to drink that, pray like that, or vote like that. Uff da.

Anyway, enough with the ramblings. Try this on for size:

Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about
the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver,
one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits
as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

Ok, so maybe it's not that complicated.

Once Upon a Time, In a Land of Lakes, Kayaks, Hiking Trails and Tents...

Wow...I'm afraid this is going to be a bit of a long post...but stick with me for a glimpse at what is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful places in the country. (yes, one of...I know there are many--aren't we lucky??)

So...

Once Upon a Time...there were three girls.

We'll call them Sarah, Kristen and Steph.

These girls (ok, these 30-somethings) decided it was high time they left the cities they lived in, commutes they despised and all semblances of corporate life, for the great woods of the north, where they all secretly wish they lived, selling pottery and swimming daily.

Upon leaving the blackberries, high-heels and other indicators of real life, the girls set out to explore the magical forests of Copper Falls State Park.

The found softly flowing rivers...

that quickly morphed into mystic waterfalls....

The girls climbed over huge boulders...

(formed millions of years ago by slowly drying lava--see? one of our heroines read the signs so diligently placed by the Wisconsin DNR)

...high above the waterfalls...

To see first-hand the wonders of nature.

And to try to channel Ansel Adams. Better luck next time.

It was time for the girls to move on with their adventures when one girl tried to knee the other off the edge of the cliff. Ok, that didn't really happen, but doesn't it kind of look like it in this photo?

After concluding their adventures among the cliffs of Copper Falls, the girls decided to move on to the next set of waterfalls.

However, the evil logarithms at google almost thwarted their adventures by sending them in the wrong direction.

(...um...note the Corn Field)

But the girls figured it out and eventually found Morgan Falls, which they didn't take any pictures of since the falls were dry. The adventurous girls then gave up on waterfalls and headed for the magical land of Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Upon arrival, the girls set up a tent. A familiar practice to Miss Kristen, but an utterly foreign concept to her Marriot Silver Elite level friend.

Nonetheless, a beautiful dwelling was built by the girl from Wisconsin and all three sleeping beauties didn't so much as feel a pea (or root) under their super-plush-and-very-fancy Cabela's air mattresses (thanks, KZ!!!)

The next morning they awoke to a crisp, cool morning in the beautiful Lake-side town of Bayfield...

...where the girl who lives in Kansas couldn't stop putting her feet in the clear, crisp and frigid waters of Lake Superior...

...and also couldn't seem to stop taking photos of sailboats.

The Norwegians (well, the Norwegian and the mutt) encountered a good-luck troll which they figured they should take a photo with to bring good fortune on the icy lake.

After some exploring in the sweet town full of ice-cream shops and old fishing boats...

...the girls headed to Madeline Island for shopping and relaxing on the beach.

The next morning brought the most exciting adventure of all...sea kayaking on beautiful Lake Superior!

After a quick training on how to efficiently exit the kayak you're strapped into in the unfortunate event you flip your watercraft into the 45 degree water in 4-foot waves in a thunderstorm, the brave and courageous girls set out across the glassy lake through the Apostle Islands...

Where they kayaked through towering sea caves...

(cute hat, Stephie!)

And past the Sand Island lighthouse...

To the lovely and remote campground on Sand Island, where the girls parked the Kayaks for the night...

...And made new friends over scrumptious whitefish and s'mores.

The morning on Sand Island broke with a beauty the girls will never forget...

And they set off on the final day of the trip, most thankful for the pristine beauty by which they were surrounded...

...the good friends they were able to spend time with...

...and the fact they never did need to use the "get out of the lake and back into your kayak" technique they learned.

Earth Muffins

I've recently learned about the designation of an Earth Muffin. Not to be confused with an Earth Mother, an Earth Muffin is....


EARTH MUFFIN:
Environmentally conscience, socially aware, recycles when she can, prefers organic or natural products, and will drive out of the way to support mom and pop before large consumer corporations. She’s a modern hippy but also has a practical side. She’s cute, showers regularly, and encourages others to do the right thing without being judgmental or critical.

Yep, I think I'm one.

Just Weird

Well, I just returned from fun, adventure-filled weekend with friends Stephanie and Kristen. More to come on the great time we had camping, hiking and kayaking.

But first, I just had to talk about the oddest thing we found on our way up to northern Wisconsin. We saw this sign and pulled in to expore.

That's exactly what it was. Statues like these....

Hundreds and hundreds. Odd, a little creepy, but

they had a clean bathroom so the stop proved worthwhile.

I Heart Kansas

And here's why: 90-degree weather. Yep. It's been in the upper 90's and low 100's for almost a week now. Hot, hot, hot. Yep, almost the worst time of the year...the "dog days" of summer. But I LOVE it because this is the worst we have for weather. No -20 degree temps, no -40 degree windchills.

Sure, it gets cold, but nothing like the motherland. All the buildings have AC and it's quick and easy to cool down, so having HOT be your most extreme weather? Ok by me!

You just gotta know how to enjoy it! :)

Good Quote

I always love a good quote, and this one was in my planner yesterday:

"On with the dance, let the joy be unconfined!" is my motto, whether there's any dance to dance or joy to unconfine.

-Mark Twain

Minnesota Vacation

We traveled up north to MN for the 4th of July and had a great time! It was relaxing, complete with beautiful lakes, wildlife and time with family and friends. After hours and hours and hours of driving, we finally hit the lake country, you could almost smell it in the air...

We stopped in Minneapolis so Michael could visit the lovely Northwestern College campus...



...and Oggy could stretch his legs. Before we knew it the dog found his favorite spot on the ornate and historic campus!

Not only are you not supposed to have dogs on campus, but they're really not supposed to be off the leash and I'm pretty sure they aren't crazy about wild, wet dogs running around. But, he was so. darn. cute.


When we made it to the lake, Oggy quickly discovered the chipmunks, but just couldn't quite reach them. Darn it. But not for lack of trying. He continually stood at the base of the tree and then JUMPED as high as he could. To the amusement of the neighbors.



One of the most exciting additions to the lake this year was the new kayaks.

Me and my new hubby took them on the maiden voyage...and our first kayak ride as husband and wife. awwww.

Oggy LOVES the water (though he doesn't know how to breathe and swim and does a lot of coughing and sputtering).

He felt especially compelled to serve in a guiding capacity when the kayakers returned. Here he his accompanying his grandma on her safe return to the shore.




Near my parents place, we ran across a cluster of Lady Slipper orchids growing wild. They are the Minnesota state flower and pretty rare and very lovely. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a clear focus on my extreme close ups so sorry about the blurry pics.

Dear friend Stephanie joined us for part of the weekend and the whole crew headed out for a kayak/canoe trip. Good fun, though the outfitters caused us all to have scenes from "Deliverance" flash through our heads. Uff da.

This week is Steph's birthday...

...so we had a party! Yes, complete with Transformers party hats.

All in all, a great trip! Michael is so patient to put up with Oggy and I for that many miles, but we had a great time!! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the fun, great meals, kayak rides, boat rides and relaxation. We all had a blast!