Up..Up..and Away

It has happened to us all when we were kids and has happened to our kids or will. We go out side with out new balloon in hand and without think let go. There it goes up..up..and away into the air.

You stand and watch as long as you can till you can't see it any more. Some kids scream till they get a new one and some don't even get a new one and just scream. It is one of the worst things that could ever happen to you as a kid. Right?

Did you ever wonder where that balloon would actually end up? When you were a kid did you ever participate in a contest where you tied your name onto the balloon and if the place holding the contest got a call about your balloon you won? Did you ever just put your name and phone # on a balloon anyway just to see where it would end up or if someone would find it? We did this several times. I am sure Thomas has no recollection of this but we did the contest at grandma's one year or maybe 2 years. I think it was a 2 because I was so excited about it the next year. We never won, nobody ever found my balloon or at least that I know of. I am sure we couldn't do that today with all the crazy people out there but it still would be fun to do.

Fast forward 20 + years.

Now that Chris is working most nights I am home alone the majority of the evenings. This used to bother me but it doesn't as much any more plus Kona is there too. 2 Sunday nights ago I was sitting on the couch watching Amazing Race. I was completely into it and all of the sudden Kona is looking out the back window growling. Not just a little, "hello, hello" she was hair standing growling. Now I knew she wasn't growling at the cats they were in the garage and when she see's the neighborhood raccoons she just barks at them. I actually freaked out and froze on the couch for a full minute not wanting to move wondering what to do. I slowly peaking around the corner thinking maybe it was a raccoon and she didn't like them being in the back. I didn't see anything. Looking a little closer I saw something move on the patio but it was low to the ground. I kind of figured being that little and low to the ground it wasn't a person. Since it wasn't a person I decided to get up a look.

Yep it was some kids Happy Birthday Mylar balloon.

That is where they end up. In some random persons backyard dancing around, while their dog is ready to attack and they are scared out of their mind.

Funny part when I brought it in to pop it she wouldn't stop growling at it. After I put it in the garbage can she kept staring at the garbage can like it was going to pop back out of the garbage. I love her!

Traditions

For the last 2 weeks I have been thinking I should blog more since it is the end of the year. I keep making a list of ideas and I am sure I have at least 60 days worth of blogs I just get busy and think of other things to do when I get home. I am going to try and do as many as I can in a row before I run out of topics. Today's topic, traditions.

I was talking to Mom today about a conversation she had with a friend. They were talking about Christmas traditions they used to have with their families when their kids were little and now it is time for those kids to move on and have their own Christmas traditions with their families. One of our family traditions was getting a Christmas tree. We would get up on a Saturday or Sunday morning go to McDonald's for breakfast and go get our tree. The sad part, I actually forgot about this tradition until Mom mentioned it. I hate to say it but over the years I have become a holiday I don't look forward to. Today I think I finally pin pointed what it was. Traditions.

As Mom and her friend we discussing all their children have gown up and have their own traditions now. They go and get their trees as families with their kids. Some may go to breakfast, some may make a day of it, some may go to the woods to get their tree. Some families make gingerbread houses with their kids and some will make cookies. On Christmas day they wake up with their kids and open presents and go about their day. I tried to think what Christmas tradition do Chris and I have...........We don't. Some years we get a tree some years we don't. Some years we decorate some years we don't. The only real tradition we have had is where we spend Christmas day. One year we spend it with my family and the next year we will spend it with Chris' family.

I think I need to come up with a Christmas tradition. I guess I am going to have to come up with one in 10 days.

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

I haven't posted in a while cause much hasn't been going on. Well nothing exciting. I shouldn't say that we have been very busy lately. I found this new recipe and thought I would share.

I couldn't figure out the other night what to make for dinner. For some crazy reason I wanted to make a casserole so I started searching on MyRecipes.com through their casserole category and found this Green Chile-Chicken Casserole. This is going to one to keep that is for sure. We even thought the sauce would be good to use for enchiladas. if you try it I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.


Ingredients
1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's) (We used cream of mushroom instead cause we have about 20 cans of it)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

My Secret.....

My secret to wearing pointy toed heels.

I love wearing heels mainly because I am short and the taller I am the skinnier I feel. Ok I know I am crazy but it is true.

I found a pair of cute pointed heels before I left for NY but the 7 were too big and the 6 1/2 seemed to just pinch my toes. I had a thought. What if I wore trouser socks.......Voila it worked. My feet didn't slip and they fit perfectly. I was so happy and my feet were happy too.

My little secret that I had to share. I am sure you have all already discovered this secret and if you have well just let me please keep thinking I have discovered something new. :)

26 Years Ago

Today is the first day of school for many kids. As I think about each kid going back to school I start to think where has time gone?

26 years ago I was just starting 2nd grade. Which turned out to be the year I met my Best Friend. You go through a lot in 26 years of friend ship but I have to say thank you for this last year. This last year has been a great year. I know it isn't over but I know it will end just as good as it has been. You have helped me get through some great accomplishments this year and in 26 years.

At the beginning of the year we joked when I said, "for real this is going to be the year." Thank you for helping me make this year "that" year.

Here is to 26 years ago and 26 more years. I love you Jenn!

Portland To Coast 2009

Running Shoes - check
2 sets of Walking Clothes warm and cool weather - check
Socks (at least 2 sets) - check
Underwear & jog bra - check
Running hat - check
Water carrier/water bottle - check
Energy Food - check
Energy Drink - check
Water - check
Sunglasses - check
2 changes of dry clothes - check
Flip Flops - check
Warm Socks - check
Jacket or Sweat Shirt for night - check
Warm hat - check
Sleeping bag - check
Pillow - check
Money - check
IBU - check
Camera - check
Cell phone - check
Zune - check
Chargers - check
Toothbrush and paste - check
Earplugs - check
Eye mask - nope but I got the warm hat to cover my eyes - check
Book - check
Zip Lock Bags - check
Band aides - check
Walkies - check
All fitting into one back pack - check

Thursday night I went over my checklist 3 maybe 4 times and even packed extra if there was room in the backpack. I wasn't going to have Tara yelling at me cause I didn't fit everything into one backpack. I wasn't going to be that person that over packed.

Friday morning Jenn shows up at 3:50ish and I am ready to go. Well everything is packed and I am ready to get this show started. Butterflies a little but I have hours till my first leg so I am ok. I drink down my first Monster of the morning to wake me up, it is 4am and I don't tend to be awake at 4am very often. Still downing water to hydrate I think I was on my 3rd bottle for the morning. I was for sure going to be hydrated. By the time we got to the start I think I went to the restroom 3 times. I decided I was going to be hydrated. Everyone in my van can vouch for me. I was VERY hydrated! There was not one exchange where I didn't use the restroom. I may have even had to go a few other places too. ;-)

After hours of waiting and anticipating it was time. I grab my newly purchased Zune to get it ready and WHAT, are you kidding me, it is dead. I was so upset but Erin to the rescue let me use her iPod. It was around 5pm as we approached the exchange my stomach started flip flopping. I was freaking out. The exchange point I remember was kind of crazy and I see walkers going up a path through the wood. Erin runs to the car and hears someone say, "we won't be able to meet up with them for about 4 mile." Erin quickly grabs me her water pack runs it to me and tells me the WONDERFUL news. At this point I am close to puking and about to jump back in the van. I just think to myself, "You are fine. You have done 8 miles without water and the girls ahead of you for at least 6 miles. 4 mile a piece of cake." But trying convincing yourself that?

I see Claire as she approaches I get ready in the exchange lane, we exchange and I am on my own straight up hill through the woods. There aren't many people around me so I just focus on the path ahead and making that 4 miles. As I walk up the path I see road. What are you kidding me I don't have to wait 4 miles? NOPE!!! All of that stress and anxiety for nothing. I take a deep breath and a sigh of relief. As I hit the road and pavement I get into a grove and just start walking and watching ahead to see who my first road kill will be. After a few minutes I hear a few honks, yelling and see The Pork Chop Express with my girls cheering me on. At that moment a wave of emotion hits and I get so excited. I am doing it, after all these months of waking up early and hill climbing I am doing it. I was so proud of myself. I didn't care who else was proud of me, I was proud of myself. I knew I could do it but there was a little bit of doubt in my mind that I couldn't. At that moment for the next hour and 6.81 miles nothing else mattered and I tried to take in every moment of each step I took. Focusing on going faster and pushing my body to catch the person ahead of me. At that moment my toes and toenails could have fallen off and I would have never known. Well I might have.

It was one of the best 31 hours of my life. Sleeping in a field, driving in a mini van for 31 hours, eating the best ham and cheese croissant, sleeping on a grange gym floor, bonding with amazing friends, laughing, joking and making up crazy games counting the the number of Nike shorts we saw was all worth it. We were tired by the end but at the end we were ready to do it all over again the following year. So much that now I have considered taking on the Hood to Coast in 2010. Just think there will be that much more time to count the # of Nike shorts.

Thank you Tara for creating an amazing team of girls that could work so well together. Thank you to the girls in The Pork Chop Express. You were so encouraging even when we were tired ourselves and ready to be done. Knowing that you guys would be at the end got me over that last little surprise hill.

Final short count 30.

Thank you to all of those who supported me and the American Cancer Society. I ended up raising $530. It was the second part of my challenge and I was very thankful to all of you that contributed and supported my efforts.

Pictures to come later.

July....

It kind of flew by honestly. I have feeling August is going to be the same way and it is only the 7th. We did have a busy but wonderful July and have been enjoying our summer with amazing family and friends.

July 4th weekend we went down to Salem and spent the weekend with my Tracie (my sister) and the family. We had a great weekend and were almost sad to come home.

The following week Chris went to Lewiston, ID to paint Aunt Debbie and Uncle Bob's house. He was gone a little over a week. While he was goneI want to Mom's Silpada kick off party....

Had dinner with friends...

Had a Bowl-A-Thon with my PTC team...

Had a sleep over with Penelope....

Cuddled with my babies......

and Had a going home BBQ at Tracie and Mario's for Lacee...

Chris got back on 15 and we left EARLY Friday morning on the 17th to head down to Grants Pass for the weekend with Mom, Jack, Alex, Tracie, Mario and the family. We had a great time swimming, BBQ'ing and riding the Jet Boats. It was a great relaxing weekend except I was sick for a few days and Chris was sick on the way home.

The last weekend we went on a random camping with the Teshera family to the Wilson River. It was a quick last minute trip but it was great fun.

July went by fast but we had a GREAT July!!! Now on to August.