Tuesday, March 29, 2011

will you marry me?

Three years ago today my husband told me he loved me for the first time and asked me to be his wife.  

After his proposal on the square in downtown Bowling Green, we went to a "family dinner" with my friends, an event that I had actually invited Chris to attend. Joanna had invited me to family dinner a few days earlier. It ended up being a surprise engagement party.  He had thought of it a week or so earlier and was able to execute the plan with the hard work of Joanna and Marissa.  

What a sweet memory.

Here are a couple of photos that were take of us that night. They are ripped from one of my albums on facebook, but I think they may have taken by Joanna. 


Saturday, March 26, 2011

pushing through it

In an effort to be healthier and feel better, I have been jogging/running/walking again.  Today I started week three of this eight week schedule.  By the end of the eight weeks, I should be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping. That may sound fairly easy to some people, but not to me. I am definitely not a runner. Even when I have taken the time to built up the endurance required to do it, I've never been very fast.  I did this program a little over a year ago, but I guess the practice of running didn't stick. It's probably because I am terrified of running on a treadmill, and it's basically impossible to convince me to run outside during Kentucky's extremely humid/hot summer months and cold winter months.

It was 47 degrees and very windy when Chris and I went out today. I wanted to stay in, but my hubby held me accountable by giving some gentle encouragement. He told me I could face the cold! We're not supposed to have very many warm days over the next week, so I didn't have much of a choice. In order to build endurance, you have to practice it pretty regularly. Taking lots of days off basically gets you nowhere.

Week three kicked my butt. Good thing I was expecting it! It's the point where there is more running than walking. The first time I went through the eight week schedule I got discouraged in week three because I couldn't complete it on the first try. I couldn't push through four minutes of running at a time. I remember that I kept trying throughout the week, each day I improved, and by the end of that week I was able to it with ease. This time I did it on the first try!

Sometimes I think running is just as much a mental exercise as a it is a physical one. It really does make you feel better, and it provides sense of accomplishment when you reach the end. If you never thought you could be a runner, you should try it. You might find that anyone can do it if they are willing to take the time to try (and push through just a little pain).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

a visit from an old friend and a new friend

One of my best and oldest friends, Beth Ann and her little girl Teagan came to visit for a few hours last weekend. We had a good time catching up over Beth Ann's (very belated) birthday lunch. It's always nice to sit and talk with one of your best friends. Now that we're adults we rarely see each other. We might get to hang out a couple of times a year. We hadn't seen each other in months, but as usual it was like nothing had changed. I felt like I was thirteen again and hanging out at a slumber party. The only difference was there was a baby and a husband at the party.

Chris and I had fun playing with Teagan. We hadn't seen her since she was first born last July. She's a doll baby. Beth Ann said we waited too late to take pictures. At this point Teagan was tired and not in the mood for smiling. Next time we will take pictures first and play later.


yummy meat loaf

The best meat loaf I've ever made is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Meat loaf:
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil or oregano or both (that's what I do!)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds of lean ground beef

Topping: 
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon of dry mustard

Mix all meat loaf ingredients up and pat it into a 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours or until its cooked all the way through. Pull it out, and add the topping. Then, put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Always serve with mashed potatoes. If you aren't having mashed potatoes with it, I think you should probably just forget the whole thing!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

lazy saturday mornings

Pretty much every Saturday morning for the last two and a half years has meant sleeping in and a delicious breakfast of eggs and coffee. Usually before I ever wake up Chris puts in his iPod, gets up and reads the news online. Then, he comes back to bed with me, and when he can finally drag me out of bed, he makes breakfast. I make the coffee. Saturday is the only day of the week that we feel like we have time to sit and have a relaxing breakfast together.  If we were disciplined enough to get up earlier during the week or on Sunday mornings before church, we could do this more often, but those of you who know me very well know that sleep usually wins. Plus, there is something nice about enjoying breakfast together without having to be anywhere at any certain time.

That's not to say that today will be a totally lazy day. We have lots of work ahead. Saturday is usually the day we catch up on cleaning the apartment, laundry, going after groceries, etc. Today we are also taking my car in to have it serviced, preparing and filing our taxes and having my ring inspected so that the warranty is up to date. It sounds like a lot of boring errands, and for the most part it is, but at least I get to run these boring errands with the person I love.