Blessed

We picked up Rece a bit early from daycare on Friday to go to the Children's Zoo here in Lincoln. It's a great zoo for kids and the afternoon was beautiful. Watching Rece run from exhibit to exhibit fascinated with the animals was joyful. It's easy for me to get caught up in all the things I need to get done and all the goals yet unfulfilled. Having afternoons like this remind me how blessed we are.

My first 10 miles

I've been training for a half marathon since early August. My first. The race is October 21 and a couple weeks ago I had a run of 10 miles on my plan. I know I've never run 10 miles in a row in my life. Ever.

I asked my friend, Andy, a runner for a few years now, for advice for a long run like this. He told me to be patient and to make sure I gel and water for the run. I totally forget to get gel (I've never used it) and the morning of the run I was searching for something to take with me on the run. My solution? Rece's applesauce packets! These work great for Rece - no mess and they taste great. I had one before the run and filled it with water and took another with me. I ate it at mile 6 and applesauce (and applesauce flavored water) never tasted so good. And, don't tell anyone but this running thing is kind of growing on me. We'll see how the hip and knee holds up through the race. More updates to come.

Losing neighbors - missing friends

It's been three weeks since our neighbors, the Stutheits, moved to Chicago. It was a hard week for a lot of us on the block; we loved having the Stutheits as neighbors. They are genuine, caring and fun people (typical K Staters). There was a palpable sense of loss - our block commiserated. I felt a bit like when I was in third grade and one of my best friends moved away. What has caught me by surprise was how attached I've become to our neighbors. I suppose it's because since I moved off the ranch in Bartlett I've never really felt like anyplace was "home" - there are places I lived but no place that was ever my community.  Carrie and I have lived in our house for 5 years and in that time we've put down deep roots. This is our home. We care about this place, this community and the people here.  And, we're happy for Jeff and Jennifer, it gives us a great excuse to Chicago, but we're going to miss them for a long time. That's what communities do.

Derner men fishing trip

On thing my dad, brothers and I have never really learned to do is relax. (Well, I'll admit, I've been trying harder than they have to learn this skills for some time) We're trying, though. We planned our second fishing trip this year to Wetstone Bay in South Dakota. Dad upgraded the fishing boat which was much needed after our harrowing experience in the 16' Lund last year at Pierre.

Yes, it was only 36 hours together and the fish were few and far between, but that wasn't the point. The fact that we all made the time and effort to do it - that just hanging out together was important enough. I don't think we'll ever be good at relaxing; I don't see any weeklong camping excursions in the immediate future, but we had a great time and have memorable experiences to build on for the future.

My brother Levi and nephew Chance with the best catch of the trip - nice walleye

 

 

Dad - fishing, driving and directing (can you believe he going to be 70 next year?? I hope I age half as well as him)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming Lessons

I "learned" to swim at 29 years of age, and by swim I mean frantically splash across a pool. Carrie was a life guard and looks like Michael Phelps to me. I always wanted Rece to take after his mom in this regard, but when Carrie brought up swimming lessons for Rece - at 20 months of age - I was skeptical. What I had read online was that the current recommendation is to wait for lessons until age 4; when kids can learn to hold their breath. But, our neighbors, the Jones, had taken their little girl who is a month younger than Rece to the previous session and was thoroughly impressed with the program at Country Swim School.

Carrie signed Rece up but was willing to cancel after we went to our orientation meeting.  I was expecting a snake-oil sales pitch and I'm sure my skepticism was obvious. Not to mention feeling put out that they require new parents to attend an orientation meeting before your kids can take a class.

It's nice to be pleasantly surprised.

Sue, who has run Country Swim School for more than 30 years, was a direct as she was clear about her wisdom, experience and methods to help kids learn to swim. The kicker was the demonstration. There was a parade of kids - from 10 months to 10 years old showing their skills. When I saw that 10 month old dive from the side of the pool and swim about 10 feet to her mom, I was sold. Not sold because Rece will be able to swim on his own, but sold because he'll have the foundational skills in place to be a good swimmer. I don't care if he ever competes in swimming, but I'll rest easy when I know that someday he can enjoy being on the lake with friends. Not to mention, Miss Sue runs a tight ship and the discipline and routine will be good for our little guy.

So, expect to see lots more swim lesson pics and posts in the future. We'll be in the "Water Babies" class until Rece turns three. This means Carrie and I will be in the pool with Rece for his lessons until then, too. a bit of a burden on the schedule? Yeah, but it's been a ton of fun seeing Rece learn to love the water and spending the time together has been a true gift.

Summer veggie pizza

Love summer veggies. The garden looks rough but thankfully the local farmer's market still kept us supplied. Every blog needs food pics to drive traffic. :) Here's our token pic. Saute' the veggies and put on top of a crust with low-fat garden veggie cream cheese. Easy. Just like summer meals should be.

Crazy summer

This was a crazy summer for travel. Literally dozens of nights on the road. Carrie and I were able, however, to sneak a few days in to visit her family in Oregon and Washington after finishing a conference in Silverton, Oregon. First of all, if you ever want to understand why it's called the "Oregon Trail" so see the paradise that is the area around Silverton, Oregon. You'll quickly understand why pioneers by the thousands risked it all to get out there (just the huckleberries alone are worth the trip).

So, did I get pictures of Rece with his grandparents, with his new cousin Riley, or with anyone in Washington? Of course not. I did get a picture of him standing at his grandma's sink playing in the water. The slightly mischievous look on his face was merited. the next glass of water went right on the floor. Little turd.

Mister fun

To say that this was a hot summer is a bit like saying that state fairs cause people to eat unhealthy foods...understatement. Still, we were committed to playing outside with Rece whenever we could; he needs his vitamin D. To cope, we invested in a kiddie pool (that required being re-filled each day - something about 98 degree water that he didn't enjoy) and a mister. Our awesome neighbors, the Batemans, came by on this summer evening and turned Alece loose with Rece in the yard. Nothing like the joy of little ones...

Here's a pic of the same two characters in the pool a month later. Look how much they both grew up in a month. Crazy.

4th of July - Hot Dog bar

Yeah, it's almost October and I'm just posting about the 4th of July - good thing I'm not trying to sell ads on this thing!

Anyway, Carrie and I love hosting our great friends Andy and Ben over the the 4th of July. This year was all about food and fireworks (and, of course, celebrating America). What's more American than hot dogs? So, we worked on a plan for a hot dog bar. Four different types of dogs and five prototype recipes representing iconic American tastes. of course people could create their own masterpiece (and many did). Regardless it was a great way to get the neighborhood to hang our before the fireworks.

 The five iconic dog recipes.

 

A portion of the bar spread around our kitchen.