whatever

i feel refreshed.
God is good.
i hear and i am listening.
we watched a short video in my bible study and it spoke so deeply to me.
if i find out what it was…i will share it.
i don’t pay attention to detail enough.
thank you for all your sweet words of encouragement.
i don’t want to be fake in any way.
i’m just like you…i have low points.
just keepin’ it real.

**************************************************************
i was looking through iPhoto and came across the wedding photos from this summer.
i was waiting to post them because i had no pictures of the bride!
the wedding was “our hero” and his beautiful blonde bride.
you can see them here and here
they are going to have gorgeous babies…someday.

the day before…a group of us helped set up for the reception.
there was alot of laughing…we were quite goofy.

i was in charge of cutting limes for the bottom of the vases.
it was so cherry and bright.
we should have made some margaritas while we were at it!
why didn’t we?

aren’t the colors so pretty together?
it was so great for an outdoor reception.

here’s a close up of my sister and i.
i don’t think our noses are that big in person…are they?
we had way too much fun that night.

and let’s not forget my shoes…
they still like getting attention
even though it’s fall and they are put away for a season or two

how handsome are these guys?
these two boys men were my first friends in hillsboro.
that would mean we’ve been friends for 23 years.
that’s a long time.
i feel old.
we have the same picture from my wedding of the 3 of us.
maybe someday we’ll have one from dan’s wedding.
our parents are all best friends.
lots of memories.

dan and katie.
dan had us cracking up all evening.
“attitude“

and another of carolyn’s flowers.
this photo is recent but it was just as beautiful that day.

i had the best time that night.
can you tell?
so many old friends in one place…my sister…my parents…
my husband too of course.
it was like a magazine photo come to life.
at least that’s what i felt like…

i am feeling…something.
i can’t figure out quite what it is.
an urgency? to be with God…maybe?
being called loudly to Him.
hearing Him…hearing the him say the word GROW.
feeling frustration and disappointment with myself.
ready to be with God with intention.

i have no photos from the last 3 days because of my feelings.
i am “feeling” but not feeling creative.
so i will share some of talby’s pictures i found on my camera.
there were about 40 like this.
her view of life…

me working in the kitchen…on that pumpkin cake i am guessing.

they don’t even know i was about to kill them accidently.

everywehre in our house there are baby dolls lying around.

the over pass outside of town…

the grain elevator in walton…

the zinnias in the vase on the coffee table.

cute, sweet, everyday life.

AND back to being stuck in the mud…
the car is doing great…thank you again adam.
lauren and her friends took all the pictures that day…
i was not in the mood.
i did put on my make-up while we waited though.
they took probably 25 pictures of the inside of the car.
we sat in the car for 2 hours…
from the moment we stopped till when we were finally out.
that’s a long time…but still better than walking through it…leaving our car…
oh i can’t even think about it…it would have been so awful.

saturday morning….
woke up at 6:30 and was on the road by 7:00.
lauren was with me and we picked up her friend.
we were on our way to the annual arts and crafts fair.
the sunrise was pink.
it was so pretty.
a few minutes later i said “was that lightening?”

12 minutes after this sunrise photo…

i had turned off the highway onto a side country road
going to meet my family at our friends’ house
(i was unaware this was the wrong country road)
it had now been raining hard about 5 minutes…on us
but almost 2 hours on this road…i didn’t know that.
i thought “hmmm…i thought this road was paved.”
then i lost control.
we were siding all over the road in the mud.
i said a bad word…we all screamed a lot…
we swerved some more….slid….screamed some more.
then came to a stop.
for good.
thankful not to be in the ditch
i was stuck…deep in the mud…in the pouring rain…
on the wrong road… with two 12 years olds…in my husband’s car.
his baby.
i wanted to cry…or throw up.
my cell phone doesn’t work in this area.
lauren’s friend had a phone….
the one time i was glad a 12 year old has a cell phone.
it got a signal…we called my friend’s home.
5 rings and the machine…”hello….hello….it’s megan…if you are home…pick up please….i am stuck in the mud….pick up please….if you are there…i am stuck here…we can’t get out”
my mom picked up and said she’d send someone.

our hero.
i have never been so happy to see him.
my good friend got out of his warm bed and came to rescue us.
he leaned in with that big smile “how are you ladies?!”
we were fine now that he was there.
i felt stupid…like a city girl all the way…a dumb one.

he got out a tarp and laid down on the ground…in the flood…
and got us hooked up to be towed by his truck.
it was slow going…lots of sliding….after moving a little bit he’d come back to the car and pull as much mud off the tires as he could…with his hands!

check out our tracks…
maybe next year i will enter the demo derby.
just not in an Acura.

he was so great.
adam…you rock.
you never lost your smile…
you were so kind…
you are the best.
if you asked me to come out in the rain…lay on the ground in the mud…and clean your tires…4 tiimes….i might have hung up and gone back to bed.
AND he came back later in the day and cleaned out the mud from the tires and got it driving smoothly again…i don’t think i could’ve faced craig with his car in that shape.
thank you for saving me.
thank you for answering your phone.
i am so grateful.
how can you do that with a smile?

the craft fair seemed so dull compared to that excitement.
but we went into town anyway in the rain…and 46 degree weather.
both my sister and i said “why are we here?”
but we did it… we gave it an hour and half.
look at all the goodies we found.

walking tacos

local fire department…

doggie hats with sunglasses for sale

seriously.

we were cold.
lorel bought that coat yesterday
and i wore her new sweater over my sweater.
our shoes and socks were dripping wet.
we went home and took a nap.

the sun came out.
we ended our crazy day in just the right way…
dinner with family and friends.

yummy, relaxed, comfortable, dry, surrounded by kansas beauty.
are her flowers gorgeous or what?
i bet they liked all that rain.

even though the day was totally crappy…
i am so glad i got to spend it with my sister.
we can laugh at all that stuff…what else is there?
just making another memory.
good stuff.

i am not trying to turn this into a food blog.
but there is some really good food that i just love to share.
my mom made this at our house once and we were hooked.
it’s good hot but i love it cold too…later in the day when it’s sitting there…taunting you…
we have never had left overs the next day.
it’s that yummy.
and it’s easy.
the recipe is on the side again.

get all your ingredients together…
do you have 6 eggs and 3 apples at the same time?
that is nearly impossible around here.
usually if i am making this i have recently been to the grocery store.
6 eggs?!

melt the butter and pour it into your 9 x 13 pan.
kind of looks gross right?
don’t think about that.

do you have one of these?
the apple peeler/corer/slicer…by pampered chef.
one of the best inventions ever.
it is fun to use…definitely worth the money…you’ll have it forever.
i put down paper towels where i am working so it’s very easy clean up.
just wrap up the peels and cores in the towels and toss it out.

after you have them peeled and sliced cut the apple in half.
i feel sad for you if you had to do all that by hand…
but proud too if you are that committed to this breakfast.
your family will be so happy and you can pat your self on the back.

put them in the pan on top of the melted butter.
it’s okay to sneak a few here and there as you are layering…
it’s the only healthy part of this dish.

now add all the other ingredients together except the flour.
once it’s combined well then slowly add the flour…
to keep from getting big flour lumps in the batter
they are a pain to get out.

now it looks like this frothy eggy liquid…
it’s very runny…like egg nog?
thicker then milk but not as thick as batter.

pour the entire bowl over the apples & butter.
go a little slow so your hard work of perfectly alined apples don’t fly out of order.
it will just all float together…a happy egg, apple and butter bath.
i bet that product would sell at bath & body works.
i would buy it.

take the brown sugar and sprinkle it on the top.
when my mom made this the recipe was for a tiny bit of brown sugar.
after a few times i have increased this alot.
“i have a bit of sweet tooth”

put it in your oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
this is a breakfast dish so usually during this time i pour a cup of coffee
read a magazine…
or get dressed out of my pajamas…

now when it’s done it will look golden and crispy and very puffed up.
you will take it out of your oven and you will have this thought
“wow..i am an amazing cook. look at this. it’s spectacular.”
and you are right.

then you will turn around to refill your coffee
and put your hot pads away
and check your favorite blogs…then you will see what happens
it goes totally flat…
so don’t worry.
you didn’t do anything wrong.
it just does that.
if someone reading this knows a way to keep it puffy…please fill us in.
it tastes so good you will forget about how perfectly pretty it looked before.

you can get really fancy and sprinkle powdered sugar on it.
then close your eyes and pretend you are at a bed & breakfast.

so the next time you have you bring a dish for bible study (like i did tuesday)
or have a relaxing saturday morning…
or your mother is coming to visit…
make this!
or make it for yourself and eat the whole pan…i won’t tell.

lots of projects i am feeling determined to get finished this week.
and to be honest…this list has been up for 2 weeks
and 2 things are crossed off now.

and by tonight…2 more at least will be crossed off.
i will show you all the goodies when they are all done.

last weekend…
craig’s dad came with a trailer full of toys for craig to play with.

they got the yard re-seeded
and whatever else they did.
craig was loving it.
he was drooling over that mower.
silly boys.

gerald showed scott how to use the leaf blower.
he and my nephew took turns with it.
he felt pretty grown up.

now we wait for the green to come back.

and did you know….
that we are the meanest parents in the world?
apparently we are.
according to this pretty girl.

this picture was just before her first dance on friday.
she had a wonderful time.
and i am happy about that.
i told my sister “this is a good week for her.”
that was last week.
nothing major…just us doing our job…
setting boundaries and rules that are for her best.
and her doing her job of not liking discipline and change…
and making sure we know it.
our line almost everyday around here “she’s sooo 12”
gotta love it.

i let this entire day go by without even noticing the date.
that is sad.
i wanted to share this video…
my mom sent it to me this summer.
it’s beautiful.
if you are anything like me you’ll need a bunch of kleenex.
(or your sleeve)

i just remember how scared i felt on september 11, 2001.
i was on my way to a doctor’s appointment when i heard it on the car radio.
it was regular radio that had become all news that morning.
they screamed live on air when the second plane hit.
my kids were at school…sean at a sitter.
i sat in the office waiting area all alone…very pregnant
listening on the secretary’s radio.
i started crying.
i called craig and told him i thought he should come home.
i felt afraid and alone.
i picked up my kids from school.
i thought “if they hit Chicago…or something close…how could i find my kids…i am so pregnant…i couldn’t get there…they’d be so scared”
it was the only thing i felt i had control over.
i watched the coverage until my heart was too sad to take any more.
so sad…
so wrong…

after our late walk the other night
my neighbor and i stood outside talking for a while
like we always do…
(that’s why i like walking with you girls-all the talking)
a frog hopped across the driveway.
the two of us were being so girly trying to catch it…
squealing and jumping.
well we got it.
it entertained annie the next afternoon.

she put it in her bike back pack.
then she took him for a ride.

he wasn’t interested in a free ride.
after a little more play we let him go back in the garden.
i am sure he had never been so relieved.