Friday Foodie

I found a great recipe on a blog this week.  The blog is Plain Chicken and there are some really yummy looking recipes there!  Like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies ~ my mouth is watering just typing that!

The name of her blog "Plain Chicken" also rang a bell with me.  Steph said about the blog name:

Growing up, I was not an adventurous eater (I'm still not, but I am getting better) and I would always order the chicken "plain" when we went out to eat.  My brother constantly made fun of me.  If anyone asked me what I was going to order, before I could answer, my brother would chime in with "plain chicken".

Anyone who ever ate with my brother, Rod, will love that title as much as me!  He was the ultimate "plain" eater.  No ketchup on his fries.  Nothing on his hamburger (not even cheese.)  No syrup on his pancakes (peanut butter, please!)  There was nothing else plain about Rod, and if he had a blog it would have been extremely colorful and entertaining, but his food was plain.

So on to the new recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti
Click link above for the original recipe.  I reduced it quite a bit.

• 9 oz spaghetti (I used Fettuccine)
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz cream cheese (I used light)
• ~ 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce (I used a little less than 1/4 cup, I didn't want it so hot we couldn't enjoy it)
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup Ranch dressing

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.

In a large sauce pan, combine chicken broth, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and Ranch. Stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is warm. Add chicken and toss with spaghetti.

This was so easy and so good!  My biggest concern was making it too hot, but it seemed just right.

Nutritional info:  I didn't write everything down on this.  I calculated it on my iPhone app, but didn't save all the details.  Originally I thought it was going to be 4 servings, so it would be about 10 points plus (42 points for the entire recipe.)  We have eaten it twice and there's still some left, so I'm guessing 6 servings, so about 7 points plus for a good size serving.

In Case of Fire

We just finished eating dinner (I have a new recipe for tomorrow!) and I was sitting here reading a couple of blogs.  Sniff... hmm... I smell smoke.  I stepped outside and, low and behold, there is smoke.  Oh.Boy.  It's that time of year, Southern California's other season:  Fire.

This was taken in 2003, the house on the left is ours

There were several brush fires burning along the 118 freeway.  It's currently about 30 acres with no structures threatened.  Fire crews are on the scene with three water-dropping helicopters assisting.  It is along the route that I had mapped out for Saturday's 18 miler.

I have always said I run for my health.  Yes, I enjoy it.  Yes, I'm training for another marathon.  But I will not go running (or cycling) in smoke filled air.  So in case of fire, no matter what the training plan says, smoke filled days are mandatory rest days.

It could be a long couple of months if this is any indication.  Time to start praying for rain.

The Unconquerable Symbol

I am reading a fascinating book.  I'm sure I'll do a full write up when I'm finished, but something jumped out at me last night that I had to share.

The book is called  Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor when Hitler came in to power in 1933.  I am only about 25% of the way through the story, the author has taken a lot of time to lay the ground work of who Bonhoeffer was before Nazi Germany.

As the Nazis began taking over Germany, one thing to come under attack was Christianity.  Chapter 11 is titled "Nazi Theology." Hitler said, "It’s been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn’t we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?"

The new Nazi religion had a 30 point program outlining the way things should be.  These points included cessation of the publishing and dissemination of the Bible in Germany and clearing away from its altars all crucifixes, Bibles and pictures of saints.  And finally, point number 30:

On the day of its foundation, the Christian Cross must be removed from all churches, cathedrals and chapels . . . and it must be superseded by the only unconquerable symbol, the swastika.

Whew!  That just struck me!  The unconquerable symbol does not look like this:

There is only One Who is unconquerable and conquered all.  Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."  The old rugged cross that "emblem of suffering and shame" is the unconquerable symbol!  It stands for the greatest event in the history of mankind.  When God Himself paid the ultimate price for US.  Yes, there's an unconquerable symbol, but it looks like this:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

September Photo A Day

I tried this on my marathon blog for the month of August and it just didn't work!  I'll be giving it a go here in September.  I plan to do more than photos, perhaps give my thoughts on some of these topics.  Want to join me?  For the complete details, go here.

Race for the Cure

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know Breast Cancer Awareness is a cause close to my heart.  Combine that with my love for running, add in new runner, Caroline,and participating in the Susan G. Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure turned into a no brainer!  The race will take place on October 20th, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Many charity events, whether running, walking, or cycling, require participants to raise very large amounts of money.  Usually $2,500 to $3,500.  As much as I would love to see that kind of money raised, my fundraising goal is just $100.  I already have a pledge for $50, so I'm half way there. 

When I was training for my marathon, several asked if I needed sponsors.  I did not at that time, but I do now!  So if you would like to donate, please go to my donation page here.  No amount is too small (or big!)

Of course, more important than fundraising is taking care of ourselves.  Get that exam you've been putting off.  Schedule that doctor appointment you know you've been avoiding.  Preventive care is extremely important.  It is not considered selfish to take care of your health!

Off my soapbox, for now!

Friday Foodie ~ Page Update

I took some time yesterday and updated my Friday Foodie Page.  I had gotten way behind, in fact there were recipes from 2010 that hadn't made it to the page!  But they're all there now.  I got so hungry looking at recipes and I started longing for Fall.  I'm not really in the mood to make Pizza Soup or Butternut Squash Bake when it's hot outside!

 Perhaps a Lemonade Pie or Orange Creamsicle Pie, instead?

Or maybe Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars...

Warning: The principle of "don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry" applies to looking at recipes you love, too!

Encouragement

One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Samuel 30:6

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

I think it's important that we learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord.  Reading His Word, standing on the promises, learning to trust.  All of these will help us in times of distress.  We can find the strength to encourage ourselves.  I picked up Mom's Bible, looking for a quote for this post.  I saw one encouraging word after another.  It was her way of encouraging herself in the Lord.

I also know encouragement from outside sources is a huge blessing.  I was reminded of that while out running this morning.  Just as I got to a service road, that is extremely steep, a mountain biker started going up it as well.  He said, "You're going up this?"  "Yeah."  I asked where he was riding.  Then he asked where I was running.  "7 miles of hills today, I'm training for a marathon."  "This is a hill, for sure."  About 2/3 of the way up, I had to walk.  My heart rate was 166 beats per minute, and I just couldn't keep up with his cycling pace.  As I slowed to a walk, he simply said, "Good job."  But I could tell by how he said it, he meant it.  He wasn't patronizing me.  He knew the hill was tough and recognized my effort.

True, honest, encouragement doesn't take a lot of flowery words.  Two words.  That's all it took to give me some encouragement for the remaining 5 miles.  "Good job."

It really takes so little to be an encourager.  When someone is down, telling them we're praying for them can make a world of difference.  When someone does a great job singing a special song, tell them so.  I do my best to thank each of my musicians every time they play for the choir.  I hope showing my appreciate will encourage them.

I don't know who the young men are in this picture.  But what a great example.  Be an encourager today!

Source

High Praises Music Conference

I attended the High Praises Music Conference, hosted by the First Pentecostal Church of Bakersfield, on Saturday.  It was outstanding!  The special guest was Sis. Dedie Cooley (and she brought her husband and kids along.)  Sis. Cooley is top notch.  She is so passionate about the ministry portion of music ministry in a church.  I attended several of her classes and got so much out of them!  Here's a little recap of my day:

Connecting With Your Congregation - Sis. Cooley
It's important to select the right songs for your congregation.  Singing songs the congregation can learn and worship with.  Choosing songs that lift up Jesus, not show off the musical abilities of your musicians and singers.  She made a great point at how long it takes to learn a new song.  The choir or music director has listened to a new song about 25 times before the congregation hears it for the first time. We need to give the congregation time to learn the new song as well, so they can worship freely.  And sometimes we just need to make the song "congregation friendly."  In other words, drop a couple of bridges or musical interludes.  Our worship service should be a true time of worship, not entertainment where the congregation stands or sits and listens to the praise team sing.
My 2 Cents:  Just because a song sounds great in the car, does not mean it will translate well for a worship service.  Also, I have learned that the first time our choir sings a new song, the congregation rarely really gets with us.  But the next time, and the time after that, they start worshiping with us.

Have You Heard? - Sis. Cooley
Have you heard?  If it is a chorus you do not know, it is a new chorus!
This was a great class.  Sis. Cooley presented 25 choruses, providing lead sheets, and singing each one.  In.One.Hour.  She is so energetic!  I only knew about 4 of the 25 choruses, so I came home with a bunch of "new" songs.  Some I may have heard somewhere else, but forgot as soon as I got home.  Having a lead sheet for each song is so great.

Background and Altar Service Principles - Sis. Cooley
Bottom line - Background music should remain in the "background"
Numerous musicians shouldn't be playing background music at the same time.  Our role is to be a help and blessing to the service, not a distraction.
Altar music must never be a distraction.  The most important part of the service is at the end of the message, when people are being stirred.  Too loud or the wrong song at altar time can kill the move of the Spirit.

Music Question and Answer Panel - Bro. & Sis. Cooley, Sis. Cathy Clark, Sis. Debbie White
Many questions were presented - How do you know when a person is ready to play for a service?  How long should you practice?  What is required of a musician before they are used?  And many more.
The prevailing theme was musicians must practice and be competent, but a right spirit is key.  All the talent in the world cannot cover up a bad spirit.
Bro. Cooley's perspective, as a pastor was also very helpful.

Working With Difficult People - Bro. Cooley
Resolving conflict - how, why, why it's difficult but necessary.  Bro. Cooley gave so much good information in this class.  He also talked about how to survive a confrontational "ambush." 
Yeah, we musicians are temperamental and conflicts will happen.  But how they are handled can make or break a music department.

Stop the Music - Sis. Cooley
This last class was incredible.  Those who function in music play influential roles in the life of the church.  We must have a consistent walk with God.  It's a sad, but not uncommon, occurrence when a musician walks away from God.  If they never get off the platform and bury their face in the altar, they are in a very dangerous place.
"Music ministry is not the right of the talented, but rather it is the privilege to the committed."


I really cannot express just how much this conference helped me.  To be reminded of WHY I started playing in the first place.  To sit and think about what I need to work on.  Whether I'm in the congregation or on the platform, I must first be a worshiper.  The new material was a shot in the arm, but even more importantly was the spiritual boost.

Forty Nine is Just Fine!

My sweetheart is having a birthday today.  He's just a little older than four now...

The first one we celebrated together, he turned 26 the day after we met!  Actually, our group was still sitting in Lyon's when the clock struck midnight and we sang "Happy Birthday" to him!

A glimpse into the past, shows what he'll look like in the future.  Les and Lance with Grandpa Earl McElhaney. 

Sweetheart,
I'm glad I get to spend birthdays with you!  I treasure each one and I treasure you even more!
I love you!

Where It All Started

Twenty three years ago today.  The last night of Camp Meeting in Santa Maria.  I met the love of my life!

We've aged a little, but there's absolutely no one I'd rather spend my days with!

Scars

Warning:  Slightly graphic picture below.

I had a very interesting conversation on Sunday.  One of my friends was talking about a scar she has on her leg from a motorcycle accident.  Her skirts always hide it, so I've never seen it and don't know how bad it is.  I started telling her about a scar I have on my head.  "See, right here," I said, as I pointed.  She said, "I don't even see it." I went home and looked in the mirror and she was right.  I could hardly see it and I knew where to look!

I received this scar when I was in the 9th grade.  It was Friday night after youth service.  My sister, a friend, and I were going out to eat.  We stopped at a stop sign.  A frontage road was to my right.  A car came up the frontage road, didn't stop at a stop sign, and broadsided us.  None of us were wearing seat belts (it wasn't the law back then.)  I was thrown into the windshield.  This is what I looked like the next day:

If I I remember correctly, I received about 50 stitches.  A portion of my hair, that had never been cut, was shaved off.  I don't remember anything from the time we were hit until I awoke in the hospital.  I was able to go home that night.

“Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going.”
 ~ David Rossi

That was almost 35 years ago.  The physical scar has faded, but the mental scar remains.  I still picture myself with a much larger scar.  I really thought, when I pointed it out to my friend, that she would see how horrible it was.

I don't even know the name of the man who hits us that night.  I never met him, but I've never forgotten what he did.  The outward scar has almost vanished, but if I rub in just the right spot, I can still feel the mark that was left that night.

We all have scars.  Some are in our flesh, others in our hearts and minds.  Scars that no one sees, but we still remember how we got them.

More people have been hurt by a careless tongue than a sharp sword.
~ Mom's Bible

As we go through life, we can be as careless as the young man who ran the stop sign that night.  He got in a car that was not his and left a scar in my life.  Our words, even those spoken in jest or carelessly, can also inflict scars.  The wound will heal, but the bearer of the scar will remember the one who inflicted the pain.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Habits

My Daily Thought Wheel had this for today:

Habits are:

at first ~ cobwebs,

at last ~ cables. 

What was your first thought when you read that?  Did you think about a bad habit or two?  I did.  My initial reaction was negative.  That little habit that at first is easily broken becomes one that binds.

But wait.  Habits are also a good thing!  It just depends upon the habit.  Not all habits need to be broken.  Prayer, Bible reading, witnessing, faithful church attendance.  Those are cables that hold my life steady.

I would have never started, much less finished, a marathon if running wasn't a habit in my life.  My house would be rat infested and smelly if I didn't have the habit of cleaning. Sometimes laziness pulls me out of a good habit, but if I clear the cobwebs of laziness, I can find my way back to those that strengthen me.

We ALL have habits in our lives.  One way or another.  Habits ~ either get out the broom to get rid of bad ones or work a little more to strengthen the good.

One More Feature

One more feature on the Pts. Plus Diary is the scanner. 

Hold your phone up to any item.  It will scan the barcode...

 

Then calculate the points for you!

This is SO cool! I was having a blast seeing how many items I could scan that were in my pantry!!

Cool iPhone App

I am definitely not a power user when it comes to my iPhone.  Phone, email, text, a little blogging.  I check the weather and use the maps.  And take lots of pictures!  So recommending an app is not going to be a regular feature here.

Since my marathon, my activity has dropped, we went on vacation, we had company, and my eating has been atrocious!  Of course that means I'm not liking the number on the scale these days.  I knew I needed to get back to tracking, but didn't want to write stuff down for some reason.  I searched the App store on Saturday and found many Points trackers.  The only freebie was Weight Watchers, but it's not truly free.  You use part of the site, but must pay a monthly fee to use the tracker.  I finally installed Pts. Plus Diary by Frippware for $1.99 and so far I really like it.

Here are a bunch of screen shots with some of my favorite features, in no particular order:

The Home Page.  10 buttons on the top take you to various other screens.  The four at the bottom show where you are for the day.

 

Basic points calculator.

 

Food search.

Activity points calculator.

 

Restaurant search.  Just start typing the restaurant name, choose your restaurant, then go through the categories.

Settings.  Lots of options here.  You can use the current PointsPlus or the old Points system. I also setup a daily reminder that pops up on my phone reminding me to track for the day.

Recycled items.  Because anyone who has ever tracked their eating knows you use the same foods over and over and over!  (Even if you don't track, you probably eat the same stuff a lot!)

What's your favorite app?

Ice Cream Survival Guide from Hungry Girl

Five mornings a week I receive emails from Hungry Girl.  Today's was very timely and I wanted to share.  It's HOT everywhere and ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato are just the ticket for cooling off.  Even if you're watching your caloric intake, you can still enjoy frozen treats!


The Basic DOs & DON'Ts 

DO K.I.S.S. -- keep it simple, silly! Basic flavors are the safe way to go. If it's got hunks of peanut butter and candy pieces in it, chances are the calorie count is higher than the less flashy flavors. And keep your serving small -- even fat-free ice cream typically has at least 100 calories per half cup, which is NOT a lot of ice cream. No need to overdo it...

This is a GIANT cone!  I didn't say I always follow the advice given!

 DON'T go for the big cones. The problem isn't just the amount of ice cream they can hold. (Though that is an issue!) The cones themselves contain a considerable number of calories. Oversized waffle cones typically have around 160 calories and 4g fat each... and that's for the PLAIN ones. The ones that are dipped in chocolate and other goodies tip the scales with 200+ calories and up to 15g fat! And remember, that's before the ice cream...

This is a SMALL cone!

DO indulge in a small cake cone or sugar cone. Just as the too-large cones are dangerous because they can hold too much ice cream, small cones are fantastic because they can only hold so much! Plus, the calorie counts are nice and low. Cake cones, the flat-bottomed ones, generally have 20 - 25 calories, and standard sugar cones have 45 - 60 calories a pop.

DO scope out alternative options. Yes, you're at an ice cream shop, but there may be other treats worth considering! Soft-serve fro yo? Go for it. Sorbet? Sweet! Just check the nutritional stats to make sure your choice is a good bet.

DON'T get crazy with the toppings. Those things can get you into TROUBLE. Just because you got a scoop of super-light ice cream, that doesn't mean that piling on candy, cookies, and gooey syrups won't affect the stats in a big way. Fresh fruit toppings, however, are always a good choice!

DO gather ideas for later. Sure, that hot-fudge brownie sundae on the menu may be a calorie catastrophe, but that doesn't mean you can't re-create it at home... guilt-free, of course!

Mini Survival Guides for Mega-Popular Ice Cream Chains!

Baskin-Robbins
Best Options: The magic words? BRight Choices! There's Fat-Free Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, Caramel Turtle Truffle Reduced-Fat No Sugar Added Ice Cream, and Pineapple Coconut Reduced-Fat No Sugar Added Ice Cream. A small order has only 80 - 120 calories (PointsPlus® value 2 - 4*). And don't discount the Kids Vanilla Soft Serve Cone -- only 130 calories and 4.5g fat (PointsPlus® value 3*)!

Shocker: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae -- sharing this with a friend or two does NOT make it an okay selection. It has 990 calories, 43g fat, and over a HUNDRED grams of sugar (PointsPlus® value 27*)!

Friendly's 
Best Options: The lightest options are the no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream, fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, orange sherbet, and (how good does this sound?) watermelon sherbet. Each of these has 80 - 100 calories per scoop (PointsPlus® value 2 - 3*).

Shocker: While the 5-scoop Super Sundae and 12-scoop Giant Crowd Pleaser are clearly nutritional nightmares, the item that REALLY haunts our dreams? The Hunka Chunka PB Fudge Lava Cake Sundae, with 1,770 calories and 107g fat (PointsPlus® value 48*). Even if you share it with three friends, that's still 440+ calories and more than 25g fat. ACK.

Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops 
Best Options: Here we HIGHLY recommend the Vanilla Greek frozen yogurt, which has 150 calories and 4g fat per half-cup scoop (PointsPlus® value 4*). Also great are the sorbets, with 110 calories or less per half-cup scoop (PointsPlus® value 3*).

Shocker: What's most shocking to us is the fact that the sundaes and shakes are NOT listed on the nutritional information page. BOO. But we do know which ice cream flavors to avoid. The What a Cluster flavor has 290 calories and 18g fat (PointsPlus® value 8*) and both the Coconut Seven Layer Bar and New York Super Fudge Chunk have 270 calories and 16g fat (PointsPlus® value 7*) per half-cup scoop. No thank you...

Cold Stone Creamery 
Best Options: The Sinless ice cream -- Cake Batter, Banana, and Sans Fat Sweet Cream. Each "Like it" serving has 170 - 210 calories and 0 - 1g fat (PointsPlus® value 4 - 5*). There's also a fantastic array of fat-free sorbet selections (Pink Lemonade, Watermelon... Strawberry Mango Banana!) with 140 - 240 calories (PointsPlus® value 4 - 6*) per "Like it" serving. Cold Stone also has a BUNCH of fro-yo flavors with impressive stats.

Shocker: If you order a "Like it" portion of regular Cake Batter ice cream with a mix-in of brownies and pecan pralines, that li'l cup will contain about 710 calories and 46g fat (PointsPlus® value 20*)!!! We're not saying that's the worst thing you can order -- we're saying that it's easy to get into trouble, even with the small servings.

And remember, gelato is an even better choice than ice cream ~  a half cup contains 150 calories and four grams of fat versus 200 or more calories and eight grams of fat for ice cream.

Hang On To Your Hats and Glasses!

One of the events Hannah and I came up with in our "Olympics" was "Float Bucking."  Jump on a float while it is being thrashed around by the other person and see how long you can stay on.  This was one of the funner events!  As Hannah was trying to stay on, I did my best impersonation of an amusement park ride operator.  "Hang on to your hats and glasses, folks, this ride's about to get crazy!"

Well, I just looked at the calendar and realized it's almost that time of the year called the holidays.  For me, I feel like they start in September ~ our annual Youth Alive seems to kick off a season that is busier than any other.  2012 is no exception:

September 6-7 - Youth Alive in Burbank
September 21 - Wedding of Craig Gwin and Danielle Long in Nashville
October 6 - Ladies Day in Fresno/Grizzly Century Ride in Northfork
October 20 - Mens Day in  Fresno/Susan G. Komen for the Cure 5K in Fresno
November 7-9 - West Coast Conference in Fresno
November 10 - Santa Barbara Marathon
November 11 - Pastoral Anniversary Service in Burbank
November 22 - Thanksgiving
December - I don't know the exact dates but we have the following events:
End of Year Banquet
Toys for Tots
Music Recital
December 25 - Christmas

Whew!  Hang onto your hats and glasses, folks!

What about you?  When is your busiest season?

A Great Time Had by All

We had a great visit with Lance and Hannah. The only regret was that Monica and Claire couldn't come.

Les and Lance rode four out of five days:
Thursday in Santa Barbara - 72.6 miles
Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains- 47.3 miles
Saturday in the Santa Monica Mountains - 61.4 miles
Monday in the San Gabriel mountains including a trip to Mount Baldy ski area- 71.7 miles

Total miles ridden- 253!  Yes, they both love riding their bikes!  I'm so glad they are so close to each other, even living so far apart.

Hannah and I filled our days with laughter and more laughter! She is such a fun girl to be with. We took Amtrak to Santa Barbara on Thursday. Then took Downtown-Waterfront trolleys to get around Santa Barbara (50 cents each way!)  This included a trip to the zoo and up State Street. Old Spanish Days was going on, so we got to see some of that as well. There was to be a parade on Friday and we were surprised to see personal chairs being set up on Thursday.  These people were serious about their parade!

We tried to count how many times we said "Eeeww!" while walking through the reptile house, but lost count!

While the guys continued the male bonding by bike, we did some mall bonding on Friday!  She is quite the shopper. It was Hannah's first time in Anthropology and she loved that store!  The Coach purse she is carrying is mine.  I thought it might escape to Indiana, but it's still here!

We spent quite a bit of Saturday in the pool. We were inspired to start our own Olympics, starting with Float Running. Line up as many pool floats as you can, take a running start on the sidewalk and see how far across the pool you get.

Sunday was pretty low key with church, then Lance and Hannah visited the Reagan Library.  Les cleaned the bikes up a bit preparing them for the final ride on Monday. (I may have taken a nap...)

Yesterday was not only their final day with us, but also Hannah's last day of summer vacation. She said we needed to make it a good one and we did! She wanted to go for a walk, so I suggested a trip to our local trail - Las Llajas. It was in the high 80s by 9:00, so our walk didn't last long. But we knew we had the pool waiting for us!

Our Olympics continued and that was when I was reminded that I am no longer 11. We were discussing different dives and flips when I told Hannah how is use to be able to do a cartwheel off the diving board. We don't have a diving board, so Hannah headed for the grass. Unfortunately, so did I. My cartwheel was executed perfectly until I started the descent. My left hamstring went one way while the rest of my leg went another!! OUCH!! After a brief timeout, I was able to get back into the game.

We took a midday excursion to Target then it was lunch time. Hannah's choice - Taco Bell. Not typically on my radar, but I am a fabulous aunt, so to Taco Bell we went.  I tried the Cantina Bowl and told myself I would work off the calories in the next round of our backyard Olympics! Yogurtland was our next stop and we really enjoyed that!

We spent a couple more hours in the pool, continuing to wrack up gold, silver and bronze medals like the champions we are!

After homemade ravioli for dinner, it was sadly time to take them back to LAX. Their flight was to get into Indianapolis at 5:17 this morning and Hannah would be heading to school and her first day of sixth grade at around 8:00. I hope she was worn out enough to sleep on the plane!