Happy Halloween

Born to Run

I read Born to Run a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. It almost brought me to tears by the end because I was so invested in the characters. It sent me on a journey to rediscover why I love running. The last 6 months or so I have lost motivation in most aspects of my life and running was no exception. I still ran, but it was very mechanical and just because I knew I needed to do it to keep me going. Why did I need to run? I had forgotten. I remember someone asking me about why I run and I didn’t have much of a response. I said something about loving it that contained virtually no substance and I came away wondering why I love to run. I couldn’t answer that question and in August I could hardly force myself out the door anymore. In September I discovered Born to Run. In the book they talk about all these people who LOVE to run. They were people who discovered a passion for running that fueled their lives and I knew I could relate. Yet, I couldn’t at the moment. It was more I knew that at some time in my life I could have related.

The book gives a lot of information and some research about long distance (ultra) running, trail running, and barefoot running. I had been extremely skeptical about barefoot running before and I am not sold to the point that I will be out there barefoot all the time but I have tried it.  I would like to try more trail running, though nothing too steep. I have no ambition to become an ultra-marathon runner, or even a marathon runner, but I do believe I was born to run. I don’t think the book was purporting to have all the answers, and I liked that. I felt it really was just trying to show a side of running that hasn’t been mainstream, and ask some important questions.

In the middle of reading I ran a half marathon, and it was my slowest to date. I had become pretty focused on getting a faster time but ended up being happy to finish as well as I had. I asked myself again, why do I run? Still no answer. I didn’t run for a week after I got back from my race and in that time I finished the book. Finally, I went out and ran 3 miles without a gps and without my ipod. The weather was beautiful and I was just happy. I couldn’t stop smiling and there was nowhere else I wanted to be. I had been stressed earlier in the day but that didn’t matter. I could think more clearly and even forget what was worrying me. I remembered why I run. I knew why through all those hard times I kept telling myself that I need to run. Running is freeing. It’s a time when I take control. It clears me of strong emotion and lets me just be. It’s a time when I conquer my body and my mind and listen to my spirit. Running keeps me sane, keeps me focused, and returns me to center, but only if I let it. I’d made running about the time and made it into something I had to do instead of letting it be something I want, need and love.

 I'm glad I didn't give up on running and that it's still here for me.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 The best part of the whole experience was just exploring Hogsmead and Hogwarts. It took us more then half a day and it really isn't that big. The merchandise is all fun to look at as well and often hard to resist. I'd have to say none of the rides were really worth the journey. The one in the castle made my mom and I both nauseous and was quite scary with all the dementors.

 

We arrived on the Hogwarts Express. Okay, you cant actually get on it but it was still pretty cool.

You can go in Hogwarts and wander around a little, mostly while you are in line. We spent a while in Dumbledore's office. He gave us a lot of advice. One such piece was to choose what is right even when it is not the easy choice.

These paintings were discussing Harry and his accomplishments.

On the grounds we discovered the runaway Ford Anglia.

 

Hogsmead, despite the snow it was very warm and sunny.

We had lunch at the Hogshead and enjoyed some butterbeer. Yum!

We got some postcards and things at the Owl Post.

We also checked out the wands at Olivander's. Though I am not sure why his shop is now in Hogsmead. I guess he had closed his shop in Diagon Alley so may as well reopen here.

Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon

This race was magical! But seriously, it was a lot of fun. We flew to Florida on Friday afternoon and got in pretty dang late. It was one of the hardest flights I have had due to the coming ons of an awful cold. In the morning we got up and went over to the race expo. This was at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. After some good General Conference watching, carb loading (Macaroni Grill), and grocery shopping we returned to WWS. The race started at 10pm but they asked us to be there a few hours early. My mom and I tried to make the time pass by looking for the fastest runners and trying to locate someone who looked like they might win.

The race included some fun spectators. Along with the workers in the parks there was also a green army man from Toy Story, Lightning McQueen, Russel, Doug and a few other characters waving to us. The mile markers were billboards that were lit up. There were also DJ's along the way and music playing in the parks. One of my favorite things was a light up snail about the size of a small car driving in a parking lot. We only got a couple pictures on the bus that night.

Notice the creepy guy behind us..

We ran through Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, ending up at Epcot. Running in the evening was great but it made planning eating and drinking a little harder. I didnt really like having to be there so early and lining up 30 minutes before. It seems like there should be a way to alter that process to make it better. It was a huge run too so I was always surrounded by people. It never spread out or felt less crowded. My mom and I finished within an hour of each other which was a first. My time was 2:00:15 and her's was 2:59:45. Good job Mom!!

We returned to each of the parks on Monday to explore them. It was fun trying to remember where we ran. We wore our race shirts and got a lot of comments from people. We saw others wearing their shirts or medals and bonded with them. Here are our favs from Animal Kingdom, baby monkey and baby elephant (a month old).

We stayed at the All Star Resort, Movies section and loved it. It was so cute! Each of the buildings had a theme and great decorations. We were assigned to  the Mighty Ducks building. We spent Sunday evening just exploring the hotel and especially enjoyed the Toy Story buildings. We also enjoyed the Sports buildings. The football one had a miniature field out front with turf. There were a couple guys out running plays.

Tuesday we took it easy. We went to the temple, went to lunch (Maccoroni Grill again), explored down town Disney and then went miniature golfing. The legos were amazing! There was nessie in the lake and a scene from Sleeping Beauty. The family behind us golfing was from Ireland and they had the most adorable little girls with red curly hair. They were making me laugh the whole time. "Granpa, where did the ball go?!"

 

Last day was HP, that will be another post. :)

Spinach and Carrots

This commercial makes me laugh. It also makes me think about the things I love about my job. I love teaching kids about how to be healthy and I love hearing how much they already know. My favorite is when I get to spend time answering their questions. They can be very concerned about making good choices and I love that.

This last year they changed MyPyramid to ChooseMyPlate. It's been an interesting transition for me to figure out how to teach, and there are things I like and things I don't like. It's nice to have it be a plate, because it's something that you associate with food and the visual is nice, but other than that I miss the pyramid. I miss how the new pyramid got smaller at the top, you know, since it was a pyramid? I would teach about how the healthy foods in each group went towards the bottom and the less healthy foods went towards the top. So cookies and cakes were at the top of the grains group where it is small and you shouldn't eat very much of them. Then we put whole grain food like whole wheat bread and brown rice at the bottom and you should eat lots of those foods. I liked the visual of how the pyramid was a rainbow of all the foods that helped you keep in mind eating variety.

I also am not a fan of the change of the name of the Meat and Beans group to the Protein group. Dairy foods are really high in protein too, so that is confusing, especially to kids. Also protein is a nutrient, not a food group. It provides energy to the body along with carbohydrates and fats. Those foods tend to also be high in fat. We could just as easily call it the Fat group. That might help people eat less of those foods. :) On that note, I think the Protein group looks too big on the plate. I liked on the pyramid how the meat and beans group was obviously the smallest, since this is a food group American's tend to overeat. Having it look so small was a reminder to eat less.

Last thing, what about exercise? I loved the addition to the pyramid of the stairs. I liked visually tying exercise and food together and making people realize that food AND exercise were both needed for good nutrition. I miss that little person walking and giving the pyramid a third dimension. Maybe I can tell the kids that's what the fork represents. I get that question a lot. :)

 

Golden Day

This birthday was one of my favorites. I was so spoiled on all accounts. That day will definitely be one I remember. I was so glad to have so many people come to the temple and come celebrate and eat cake with me after. It lasted a good week and a half with people sending love and presents. Thank you!

Two Things

There are two things I have learned in the past couple months that have made a big difference in my life.

1. I have no control over what other people do.

All I have control over is how I react to the things that happen around me. I cannot tell others to do or feel anything. No matter how much it affects me and my life, I cannot make anyone do anything. I can only decide what I am going to do or feel. (I’m still figuring out how much control I actually have over my emotions.)

2. Things don’t always get better.

Things may get better but they may not. I think for the past few months I have had an enduring attitude. I thought if I just waited out the storm I could then figure out life from the wreckage. Problem is that storm I have been trying to wait out may never end. This life I am living right now may be all I am I going to get, so I better not let life pass me by without me living it.

When I first realized each of these things it was frustrating and I have found myself wishing they weren’t true. But it’s only as I have been able to accept these two things that I have actually been able to find peace and the desire to move forward.

nbd

Joy

2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and me are that they might have joy.

I have been thinking a lot about joy lately and how I can find it and have it. I believe we do exist that we might have joy and so I should be searching for it. I think joy presents itself is many different ways. For me I have always associated it with those moments when I felt connected with something eternal. It's interesting as I have been looking for joy these last few months that I have found it in very small places and often small moments.

I felt joy in making a baby laugh. I felt joy as I walked outside and felt the warm sun on my skin. I felt joy in a conversation shared with a friend. I felt joy in the exhausted moment after a great tennis rally. I felt joy in the five year old I just met who couldn't wait to hug me. I felt joy in laughing with friends. I felt joy as I had a tickle fight with a three year old.

Finding joy seems to take more patience than effort. I also learned that it requires hope. I guess that means this next month I will work on finding more hope.

Teacups

It had been forever since I had been on the teacups and Emma convinced me we should go on them. She could not however convince dad that it was a good idea, so he was our photographer and documented the whole experience.

We very carefully selected which teacup we should ride in so I would like to draw your attention to the spade with the blue and gold. It was high class.

Getting up speed and Emma getting scared!

Spinning! Look at Emma's hair fly! Okay, that is deceiving. We actually spun as little as was possible, but we can pretend.

Crazy happy girls.

We finished up with some serious conversation. Probably discussing which color of dumbo we were going to ride after this. (We chose green.)

I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired

I've been annoyed at the world today. Right now, I blame the fact that this is my fourth (or eighth, depends what counts) sickness of the year, the fact that I haven't been able to breath out of my nose for almost 3 days, haven't been able to stand up without getting dizzy for 2 days, haven't been able to leave my house (except for 3 tiny excursions I deemed necessary for my sanity), and now feeling like my throat is on fire every time I swallow.

Keeping me cooped up with only my thoughts for 2 days could be dangerous. I am definitely in need of some awesome tennis or a good hard run. (Those are out of the question until I recover!) This was sure a way to get me to slow down. I resisted (am still resisting) but I am now facing some of those things I have feared thinking about. Heavenly Father knows what's best.

World, I am sorry for the unwarranted annoyance. I will try to make it up to you in the future.

Currant Bush

God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:

“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.

“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …

“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’” 

God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.

From the talk:

“As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten”

D. Todd Christofferson
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Priorities

1. Go to school and learn
2. Date and be social
3. Make money and pay bills
4. Run


1. Love God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength.
2. Love my neighbor as myself.

Mark 12:30-31

Goodbye Woody

If You Love Something, Let It Go. If It Comes Back to You, It's Yours Forever. If It Doesn't, Then It Was Never Meant to Be - Anonymous

I had a discussion about this quote the other day and it really got me thinking. (FYI, "the other day" could mean anything from yesterday to years ago.) I have always hated that quote and thought there was no way it could be true. I resisted letting go of anything I loved. I was too afraid of it not coming back. Recently I came to realize that I really do think this quote is true and it can be applied in more places and ways than I had imagined.

This made me think of the people in my life I have let go and who, for one reason or another didn't make it back. There are people and relationships that are only meant to last a season and sometimes it is really hard or sad to watch them go. These people can change you and leave a lasting imprint on you. I had to realize letting go doesn't make them any less important. It may just be that the role they played in your life is complete. I watched Toy Story 3 the other day and as I watched Andy give away Woody I thought of all the Woody's in my life who "have been my pal for as long as I can remember" or "never gave up on me" or "would be there for me no matter what." Those are the kind of people you want to hang on to but sometimes you cant.

Goodbye Woody...

Best Compliment Ever

"You are everything good about life rolled into one."

Bon Voyage

Here is my shout out to Emma's friend Carson. He leaves for his mission to Romania tomorrow. It's been fun having him around these last few years. One of my favorite memories was playing the dance game at Thanksgiving. :) I don't have any pictures from then but here are some from our recent adventure in St George mini golfing.

Forever Family

This cute little family was so happy coming out of the temple.

These two looked adorable in their white dresses.

I loved having dinner with everyone after. It was fun to get to talk to family and enjoy a great meal made by Grandma Atkin. Listening to my uncles tell stories of their youth and laughing at their confessions was probably the highlight.

Bread

I recently started a new job which requires me to be able to do cooking demonstrations so this month I have been practicing cooking. One of the ladies I work with said she encourages people to start by tackling bread because "if you can cook with yeast you can do anything." I have had a mini bread maker for a few years and I have had a little practice with yeast so I dove right in.
(These recipes are from USU Extension)

french bread
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkgs yeast
2 cups hot water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup oil
6 cups flour
Combine warm water (1/2 cup) and yeast (2 pkgs); let stand 10 minutes.
In a large bowl blend hot water (2 cups), sugar (3 Tbsp), salt (1 Tbsp) and oil (1/3 cup); let cool.
Add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth.
Add enough flour to make a soft dough that can be mixed with a spoon. (I had no idea what that meant!)
Leave spoon in batter and allow dough to rest 10 minutes.
Stir down and let dough rest again; repeat process every 10 minutes for 1 hour.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide in half; flatten into rectangles and roll up jelly-roll style.
Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Brush tops with egg wash recipe.
With a sharp knife, slash tops diagonally 4-5 times.
Let rise until double (30 to 60 minutes).
Repeat egg wash. (Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.)
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until light brown.
Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

egg wash
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
Beat egg and oil with a fork until well blended and creamy.

I didn't love this bread. It had a good hard crust like it was suppose to and was pretty fluffy inside. I just think I didn't love the recipe but maybe I will give it another try. (I halved the recipe and still had tons of bread.)

bread sticks
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
In a large bowl combine warm water (1 1/2 cup), yeast (1 Tbsp) and sugar (2 Tbsp); let stand 10 minutes.
Add salt (1/2 cup) and 3 1/2 cups flour; beat until smooth.
Add enough remaining flour (1/2 cupish) to form a soft dough. (Once again, how do I know what that means?)
Turn dough out on lightly floured surface; knead 3 minutes.
Cover and allow to rest 10 minutes.
Coat a baking sheet with margarine.
Place dough in maddle of pan and press outward to edge of pan. Spread topping over dough.
With a dull knife score dough down middle and across.
Let rise until almost double (15-20 minutes).
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

bread stick spread
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Blend.

These were delish!! I loved them and ate them all up and was wishing I had made the whole recipe instead of half. I also didn't have anything on hand to make the topping so I just put butter, garlic salt (with parsley) and Parmesan cheese on them. Yummy!

In conclusion, these were pretty easy bread recipes. I think my previous experience with yeast helped. I learned some and am interested to try some other recipes. (My roommate has a recipes for Texas Roadhouse rolls she wants to try, it looks hard!) I did everything by hand and didn't use a mixer at all. It seemed easier that way, but with more dough that may be more overwhelming.

There Is a Green Hill Far Away

There is a green hill far away,

Without a city wall,

Where the dear Lord was crucified,

Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,

What pains he had to bear,

But we believe it was for us

He hung and suffered there.

There was no other good enough

To pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate

Of heav’n and let us in.

Oh, dearly, dearly has he loved!

And we must love him too,

And trust in his redeeming blood,

And try his work to do.

This has become one of my favorite hymns and every time we sing it before partaking of the sacrament I look at the wall behind the pulpit and I picture this…

 

 
I remember a time when that green hill was "near at hand" and I walked those streets that are now within a city wall.  I think of how close I felt to those events that happened two thousand years ago. I remember the place and I remember the spirit and I know. I know He lived and died for me.