Eat, Pray, Love (Run & Play too!)

A Big Week

2012-02-24T12:47:00.004-08:00

EAT: Sadly, food was not a priority this week.

PRAY: Started a new Bible Study session and Lent Devotionals.

LOVE: Looking forward to a low key weekend with Todd... and Lola of course.

RUN: I signed up for a 1/2 marathon! I guess that means I actually have to start working out and running again. The race isn't until August so technically training doesn't start until May, BUT my plan is to hit the gym in March. Yes people, I know it's next week. Gotta start somewhere right?!

PLAY: Monday- dropped Mom and K off at the airport, worked a full day, went home looking forward to a relaxing evening. HA! We had 5 people at our house between 6-9. Todd's safe was delivered and maneuvered into the basement (it weighs 400lbs and it required 3 grown men to slowly take it to the basement). Todd's old gun case was unpacked and given away, taken out of the house :). People came over and looked at/test drove my car and decided to buy it. A friend came over and let me drive his car. .. yes, that was all on Monday night. After a full day of work.

Tuesday- 8 hours in the office, a trip to the car dealership, sold my car, costco run and a volleyball game.

Wednesday- 8 hours in the office, bought a new car!, first night of Oasis in months.

Thursday- full work day, refinanced our house, home to cook dinner, dog park, Todd off to basketball and I met up with a girlfriend.

Friday- NO PLANS! HALLELUJIAH! ... my fingers are crossed Tres Lobos is in my near future.

Needless to say, I'm pooped. A busy unexpected week. But some of you may have caught that fun Wednesday activity... a new car! There is another Green Goddess on the road my friends! It may not be a Jeep but it is an Outback! ... and I'm going with "Hatch-Back" rather than "Station-Wagon." You've been warned :)

Funny how your choice of cars can dramatically change in 5 years.

I tried desperately to find a picture of the Jeep (RIP) but no luck. Just imagine an awesome dark green Wrangler. So fun.

The Recap Is Here

2012-02-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

Warning: this post is going to be slightly out of order AND it might make you hungry :)

EAT/PLAY/LOVE: So as some of you know, Mom and Kerwin were in town for a visit this last weekend. Like I usually do, I planned our activities around meals and I'm calling this weekend a success! Friday night they landed and we headed straight to Rockwell-Republic. We put our names in for a table and started at the bar. They ordered wine (Malbec) and I ordered a Martini (Rockin Republic- think French Martini with raspberry puree). Then we got moved to our table, and started ordering. It really worked out perfect, none of us were super hungry so we just ordered three things and split them. We stared out with SUSHI! yum :), next we ordered the Pork Belly with Cherry Potstickers, the potstickers were like dessert! The pork belly was good too, covered in a sticky type sauce, but tender. Personally a little salty for my taste, so I could only have so much. Lastly we ordered the Grilled Romaine salad. So good! Grilled romaine, topped with walnuts, goat cheese and a garlic-balsamic vinaigrette. We also ordered a bottle of the 4 Sisters Shiraz, delish. I'm keeping my eyes out for this one. Todd's flight got in around 10pm so he was able to meet us at the restaurant for a drink before heading home.

Kerwin had never been to our house before and Mom hadn't been back in a while so we gave the full tour, told them about all the updates and then it was bedtime. (Sorry no pictures from RR!)

Saturday we slept in and had breakfast at home. Todd made a huge pot of coffee and I prepared a Quiche: ham, red bell pepper, broccoli and cheese. It turned out great! ... there were barely any leftovers. It was a beautiful sunny day so we got cleaned up and headed down town to give the tour of our great city :) Our first stop: Mad Cap Coffee. It was a first time for all of us and I was almost more impressed with the latte art than with the latte!

Next we headed over to the olive oil store off Monroe Mall. Very interesting, they had an olive oil that tasted exactly like butter. Mom and K bought a bottle and couldn't wait to use it! From there we wandered down towards the Amway and JW, then took the SkyWalk down to the convention center. We spied on the boat show a bit and then made our way back to the car. We made a quick stop at Founders Brewery and were not disappointed. A beer and some pretzels were just what we needed to rejuvenate the spirits! Founders was packed! If nothing else, it's a great spot for people watching :) Our last stop on the downtown tour was the Fish Ladder, a highlight for Todd even though there were no fish to be seen...

So we headed home, made a lunch of cheese, crackers, summer sausage, grapes, nuts and combos (yes I said combos) and played card games for a bit. We took most of the afternoon to just relax and stayed home for dinner. I made Chicken Enchiladas, a staple meal for Todd and I. After dinner we watched Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Loved it.

Sunday was a nice and low key day, we met Todd's parents at the Cheri Inn. Can you say EGGS BENEDICT! Delish. After such a champion breakfast we took the afternoon to recover and relax. My mom gave me her wedding China and for Christmas gave me another place setting so that I had enough to serve a 4. So I decided a fancy dinner was in order ... and was to be served on the China of course. It was my first time making risotto and I was intimidated, but soon realized that risotto is the perfect thing to make for a neurotic cook who can't keep their hands out of the pot! You literally have to stand and stir the entire time... easy peasy, nothing to it!

Main Course:

Crab Cakes served alongside Asparagus, Grape Tomato and Mushroom 3-Cheese Risotto, topped with marinated Venison Steaks

To Drink: Menaje Trous

Dessert:

Buttermilk Lemon Cakes, sprinkled with powdered sugar and strawberries

To Drink: Cupcake Proseco

tbd...

2012-02-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

this post is mostly for Susan :) because she is sick of looking at the picture of delicious See's Candy below, but also because I want to let you people know- whoever you are - that I have lots of fun things (let's be honest, FOOD) to share from the weekend! Only thing is I have no time. So, one of these days, hopefully tomorrow or the next day, I'll get a good update up with pictures.

In the mean time- Happy Fat Tuesday! I can't believe it's here already! ... anyone giving up, or intentionally gaining something for Lent?

Chocolate

2012-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

EAT: I think it's safe to say that See's Candy is produces the best chocolate ever. I trust that you all fully one hundred percent agree with me. If not, I'm willing to fight about it. Love you all, I hope someone someday delivers you a box of See's Candy.

LOVE: Even though my Valentine is all the way across the country, he still managed to surprise me on Valentine's. I came home to two big boxes of Chocolate sitting on my kitchen counter, when I called my mother-in-law to thank her she informed me that she was only the messenger and that the chocolates were from my Sweetheart. What a nice surprise. Too bad I can't share them with Lola, and since Todd's gone all week I guess I'll have to eat them all myself! What a pity.

Conference

2012-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

EAT: Conference food- plentiful, "free" (even though I paid for it in my registration fee), and not really worth it. I'm in Atlanta, at a hotel, eating hotel conference food from Thursday morning until Saturday afternoon. I though Superbowl/ Ski weekend did a number on my body... ugh. The combination of the food made in mass quantities and too much coffee is throwing me for a loop. I can't wait for next week, to eat low key plain food that I make in my ow kitchen. And water, I can't wait to drink like a gallon of water every day. On a side note, I have access to the executive lounge thanks to Todd's crazy hotel points status, and the food in there has actually been pretty good! Thank goodness for executive status, hah.

PRAY: The conference is mostly about tax, finance and compliance. Not exactly glamorous. In fact my colleague that I'm traveling with calls it a Dork-Fest. BUT it's a conference for mission agencies, non-profits and foundations... there is some good stuff here, and we've had some awesome dynamic speakers. It's so impressive to see these people who are just on fire for God, and who excel in different areas of business but they do it for God. Like the guy tonight, he's literally 29 and celebrating his one-year wedding anniversary tomorrow. He talked about Paul and how we need to realize that the disciples we're capable of making are reflections of ourselves. So until we clean up our act, our "disciples" are in trouble. He said a lot of other great stuff, but I think I'd butcher it if I tried to recreate it here. He was awesome. He was 29 talking to a group of CFO's and top executives of mission agencies. He nailed it.

LOVE: So this weekend I'm in Atlanta, next week Todd is in California, next weekend my mom is in town. Not a lot of quality K-T time to be had over the next week or so. And along these same lines, like a lot of you I read Kelly's Radical Blog (Kelly I hope it's okay I'm sharing these links!), she recently shared another blog that I read this evening... interesting stuff that we don't usually talk about seriously, for whatever reason. I have lots of thoughts here (surprise surprise) but not enough energy to get into it. Miss you Todd.

RUN: So I'm in a hotel- as mentioned above, and I found the fitness center. I even packed a pair of workout clothes and tennis shoes. HAHAHHAHAAH. Who am I kidding? Seriously I think that February is hopeless for me. BUT I have high hopes for March. I should probably find someone to keep me accountable here...

PLAY: Just one comment on conferences. I hate name tags. They're awkward. They make me feel like people are staring at my boobs all the time! I think I'd almost rather write my name on my forehead with a sharpee than wear a sign around my neck that conveniently hangs right at boob level. And yes, I've already adjusted it to be higher than normal so I look extra dorky, but still feel like my boobs are getting too many stares. I'm sure I'm over reacting- I mean come on, my boobs aren't that great! hah. Also, I love hotels. But this reinforces the fact that I cannot have a TV in my bedroom. I would totally stay up way too late every night watching tv that is so not worth it. ... like I did last night :) BUT I'm currently watching a marathon of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on Food Network, laying in bed, in my pjs, life is good... until the next hotel conference meal!

Food Debauchery

2012-02-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

EAT: McDonalds, Doritos, Scotcheroos, Breakfast Sausage, Pringles, Ruffles, Pizza, Chips Ahoy. And that doesn't even include the Super Bowl party. Yuck! Too much processed food in one weekend. My body was already pissed at me after McDonalds, but hey, what can you do? Girl's gotta eat and when this is your only option, you eat!

LOVE: Todd and I are dreaming... ABOUT A LOG CABIN! Anyone want to me our financial backer? hah.

PLAY: So, the reason for all this is because Friday afternoon Todd and I headed north with some friends for Ski Weekend 2012! We rented this awesome rustic log cabin and bought weekend lift tickets for Crystal Mountain. The snow wasn't exactly fresh powder, but the runs were 100% open and when it's 40 degrees and sunny out you can't really complain :) It's always fun to get away and do something you normally don't get to do. On the way home we took the scenic route and spotted a bald eagle!

Sunday afternoon is really a blur. We got home in time to read the paper and pop some cupcakes in the oven and then we headed to a Super Bowl party. This was probably the most "social" weekend Todd and I have had in a long time! And I have a feeling that this whole month is going to be loaded with activities. I think the Doritos commercials were my favorite :)

Slow Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew

2012-02-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

EAT: The title is a fib, you KNOW I didn't use beef, that's just what the recipe is called. We used venison - of course. And in typical fashion, anything I make with venison Todd devours and declares it a major success. I liked it, it was good, warm, filling, healthy. So nice to have dinner ready when I got home. Next time I think I'll cut the meat into larger pieces and maybe add a concoction of spices. I took a picture, but it's one of those things that isn't really captured well in a photo. Oh well...

Still along the lines of food, yesterday our staff headed out to On the Border to support a great organization- The Michigan Abolitionist Project. I should've shared this information earlier- WHAT WAS I THINKING?! Next time there is an event (Feb 22 at the Jenison Culvers) I'll be sure to be more proactive. They're raising awareness about human slavery / trafficking right here in Michigan. Human Slavery isn't something that's limited to third world countries. It's right in our backyards!

On the Border was of course delicious. We all ordered off the lunch menu, the food was surprisingly spicy! I loved it. You can't really do Mexican food wrong. I'll even take Tex-Mex, I'm that desperate :)

Fingers Crossed

2012-01-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

EAT: ... I tried a crock pot recipe this morning. Here's hoping it works! for some reason my crock pot meals never really turn out.

Did I tell you all we went to Tre Cugini on Friday? I subscribe to the GR Magazine and the coupon this month was buy one entree, get one free. Considering I've been wanting to go back to Tre since Restaurant Week 2010 I was just a tad excited. The food and atmosphere were great. I totally stuffed myself silly and regret no part of it. I'll just tell you what we ordered but sorry no pictures just let your imagination do the rest... everything was DE-LISH!

Todd started with their clam chowder, when it came out he was a bit nervous because it was tomato based, but it had a nice kick and there were huge chunks of clam all throughout. He ordered the special Halibut for dinner and after I talked him letting me into trying his I almost wished I changed my order! It was light and flaky with great citrus flavor. The veggies were also plentiful. He skipped out on dessert- silly man.

I ordered their house salad, the balsamic dressing was the perfect tanginess. My entree was the house made papparedelle pasta with sausage and butternut squash. The noodles were fresh and super wide. Yum. I ordered coffee and the creme brûlée for dessert :) Both were splendid. Tell me if this is weird though- I think I like the creme brûlée room temp or warm though rather than chilled. Tre's was chilled- and still smooth and creamy, but I think it could've been better a bit warmer.

PRAY: For the people who go to my church (Surprise- I was actually there this weekend! hah), I don't know about you but I really enjoyed the sermon. Steve said a couple things that jumped out at me and I was pleasantly surprised by them. Granted, I could've done without the detailed recount of his need for stitches (yuck! anyone a bit squeamish?!) but yeah. I liked it.

LOVE: I don't know if this is in the appropriate category, but whatever- it's my blog and I can do what I want to! ... Valentine's Day is almost upon us. Todd and I don't really celebrate. Usually I just use it as an excuse to bake and put pink frosting on something :) BUT he's gone this year so it's just me and Lola :) and I think I might go on a baking rampage. I'm open to suggestions what I should make... and I'm definitely willing to share the goods... hmmm oh the possibilities!

RUN: hah, as if!

PLAY: I started another for fun book "Two for the Dough" ... another Stephanie Plum book. Has anyone see the previews for "One for the Money" with Katherine Heigl? I want to see it, that's the prequel, I read that book over Christmas.

okie dokie... fingers crossed I survive dinner tonight! if it's a winner I'll share, if it's a loser ... who knows what?!

CHEERS

2012-01-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

Thank goodness for happy hours :) Why don't I do those more often!

I just really have one thing to share, and I guess it could go under the "Eat" category, but I'm for-going that today. Last night I stopped in at this new wine store called Sense of Wine and loved it. They don't really carry anything super cheap, but I think everything they carry is probably delicious and worth an extra $3.

Anyways, they have tastings every Saturday (3-5pm), they have wine classes AND they host private parties. The owner guy totally has an accent- maybe a French one. And did I mention they partner with a private chef?! Yum. Who wants to have a wine party?!

Bad News.

2012-01-25T05:56:00.000-08:00

EAT: Eggo waffles can in fact go stale and get over toasted in the toaster. No amount of butter and or syrup can redeem them. It will also make your tummy hurt.

What can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Question: when you use syrup on your food (pancakes, waffles, ect.) do you first heat it up or serve it cold/ room temp? MINE'S ALWAYS HOT!

@#(*&(!

2012-01-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

EAT: Let's be honest, "EAT" is my favorite part of this blog. I feel like I'm slacking in the other categories, but whatever, as long as there's food I'm happy!

Friday night Todd got home from a week on the road so after dinner I made us these little lemon cakes that I've been wanting to make. I've baked with buttermilk before, but to be honest I've never tried it on it's own. So interesting! It smells delicious and tastes like plain yogurt. I found this recipe in a cook book I bought a few years back, one of Martha Stewart's with lots of good pictures. I feel like it's much easier to follow a recipe if you know what the finished product is supposed to look like! Anyways, I whipped up 6 jumbo muffin sized cakes and I expected them to last us all weekend if not into early this week. WRONG-O! They were gone by Saturday afternoon. We each had one for dessert, then Todd had a late night snack. They were delicious for breakfast on Saturday with coffee and then Todd finished the last one off after lunch. I will be making these again. The ingredient list was simple, buttermilk and lemons were the only thing I had to specifically purchase.

One more food update :) Saturday evening we got together with a large group of Todd's college friends and their spouses at Bistro Bella Vita. I'll be honest, I was more excited about the martini list than the menu, but after dinner my mind has been changed! Everyone at the table ordered different things so that was fun, but I'll just share what Todd and I had.

Fresh focaccia bread was warm on the table with olive oil and freshly grated parm.

We ordered the calamari to start- they were light and had a great flavor with a yummy cream/ tarter sauce drizzled across the top. The were served in a pool of marinara- which I loved but Todd could've done without. The extra sauce was great for dipping the focaccia in too!

For dinner Todd ordered Duck Two Ways. He wouldn't even let me try it it was that good! It was served with a white bean and pork cassoulet, which Todd also said was great. I decided to go big so I ordered the "Boeuf Bourguigonne. Ever since watching Julia & Julia I've wanted to try it. IT WAS AMAZING! The beef was so tender and flavorful and the assortment of vegetables were cooked perfectly. I didn't take pictures, sorry! But I am not ashamed to say Todd and I were both members of the Clean Plate Club that night.

I decided that I shouldn't get dessert, even though the Creme Brûlée was calling my name. But someone was nice enough to offer a bite of their Flourless Chocolate Cake. It was rich and gooey and warm, but the vanilla gelato stole the show!

PLAY: Saturday morning was gorgeous so Todd and I put on our gear, grabbed Lola and loaded up the car. We cross country skied for an hour or so at Indian Trails. We were the only ones out there and it was early enough so that 28th street was super loud. It was hard work but so worth it. I'm hopeful that the rain today is only temporary. I want the snow!

Happy Monday all :)

pasta partito

2012-01-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

EAT: Since the other night I had a fiesta, I decided to use my online translator and figure out how to say party in Italian (partito). Then I looked up pasta (pasta). Ha, I knew it'd be the same but just wanted to check. So, another night with Todd on the road means Katie gets to make whatever she wants for dinner! Again, thanks to trusty Trader Joe I had some fresh paparadelle pasta that I cooked with peas, Bertoli pesto and plenty of fresh graded cheese- parmesan and romano. MAJOR SUCCESS. I love pasta almost, if not just as much, as I love mexican food. And I must give big props to Bertoli*. I think I like their pesto more than Costsco's Kirkland brand AND more than the stuff I make!

Look who was "patiently" waiting under the table incase I dropped anything. YEAH RIGHT Lola, this pasta is all mine!

Happy Friday everyone, hope you have a fantastic weekend!

*Note: I'm doubting the brand name. I googled it to find a link but can't find it. IT's the kind that comes in the refrigerator section by the cheese. They also make tortelini and raviolis.

Hot Tamales!

2012-01-19T06:50:00.001-08:00

EAT: Considering I grew up in Southern California, I have a little bit of Mexican flowing through my veins. The reason I claim this is because of my intense love of Mexican food. I've been told that during my mom's pregnancy with me they ate at El Nopal at least once a week. That was for sure my favorite restaurant growing up... until they changed ownership, anyways back to my point. Tamales. Love them. I remember getting them at the grocery store from the deli and from the little league baseball field snack bar. SO GOOD! Then, for like 10+ years, I didn't have any tamales- I broke that streak last January on our vacation to Portland/Seattle when I had tamales for breakfast. Mmmm...

(This was at a Diners Drive-ins and Dives joint of course!)

So Todd was gone last night and I decided to have a little solo fiesta. Thanks to Trader Joe's I had some excellent tamales in the freezer and I'll admit it, they were the highlight of my night. The tamales were surprising spicy! Those green chilies had some kick! I also ate nachos :) with fresh avocado.

Hey- what do you call cheese that's not yours? ...

NACHO CHEESE! hahah :)

PLAY: I've been reading a lot. I've gotten into this silly little series about Flavia de Luce, and 11 year old girl, somewhere in England with chemistry skills, a love for poisons and a keen ability to figure out who done it. They're hilarious and silly. So far there are 4 books in the "series" but i don't think you have to read them in any particular order because the author re-explains relationships and whatever else in each book (but not in an annoying and repetitive way.)

They are:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of a Pie

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

A Red Herring Without Mustard

I am Half Sick of Shadows

Have you been reading anything fun lately?

Nothing to Say

2012-01-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hi. I feel like I should share something, but I don't know what!

So here's a super cute picture instead :)

One of these darling pups is Lola, this photo was taken in January 2009.

I want another puppy now. How about you?!

january?

2012-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

EAT: Please note the date and location in the photos.

JANUARY 11- Grand Rapids MICHIGAN!

That's right, we're grilling... outside. I didn't snap a photo of the meal, but all compliments go to Chef Todd. Grilled BBQ Chicken, Corn and Wild Grain Rice. Yum yum in my tum :)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012 everyone! So far mine's been great, I hope yours has been too :)

In 2011 I set 3 New Year's Resolutions for myself and accomplished two of them:

1. Read the Bible in a Year (check!)

2. Do not eat office candy (check!)

3. Improve my marathon time- you all know the saga behind this one...

In 2012 I know I want to set some goals for myself, but they aren't as specific. AND I haven't decided to commit to any of them yet. Here are my ideas:

1. Read a book each month

2. No fast food! (unless in an emergency situation- ie road trips / airports)

3. Either start going to the gym or quit (Todd's idea!)

4. Be less cranky (hah)

That's if for today. Many Blessings to each of you in this new year!

Happy New Year from the Sytsma's!

You know who Lola kissed at midnight!

Christmas Destination: Scottsdale

2011-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

Wednesday 12/28: We landed in Phoenix about 6pm and Dad picked us up in his gigantic truck and we headed home. Per our request, dinner was Carne Asada, rice and beans. Can it get any better? We feasted and then we Christmased. Teddy was able to get out of work a bit early so the 5 of us (Dad, Elouise, Teddy, Todd and I) were able to just hang out the rest of the night.

(Weird pose explanation: the camera was on a timer
and I had to make a mad dash to get in the photo...
hence the one leg forward, ect.)

Thursday 12/29: After sleeping in, we finally got out of bed and had some coffee before going on a nice long walk with Elouise. Usually when I'm in Scottsdale I take this loop as a run, it's about a 4 mile course, all flat with views of different golf courses and resorts, not too shabby. This time we just walked it at a leisurely pace. It was another beautiful day. Todd and I couldn't have picked a better weather week! When we got home El cooked us a fantastic breakfast. Tamales topped with a fried egg, and of course a little left over carne asada, rice and beans. There are no small meals on vacation :) That afternoon we hit up the mall and the old town shops. Teddy had to work so we met him on his dinner break at this great burger joint called Indulge. You can customize your burger (which I did: turkey burger, lettuce, pickles, avocado, kaiser roll...) or they have some specialty burgers. Teddy had a pastrami burger, Todd and Dad had beef brisket sliders. Oh yeah... and fried pickles, and haystack onion rings. SO GOOD. We got home stuffed to the brim and vegged out on the couch. The only reason I got up was to eat my Sprinkles Cupcake for dessert. We bought 4 different flavors to try: Lemon, Coconut, Marshmallow and Vanilla Peppermint. ALL GOOD!

Friday 12/29: Homeward bound... but not without going for a great walk. We had anticipated getting up early and driving to Pinnacle Peak. Todd and I wanted to tackle a new hike this time. But for a few reasons it didn't work out, so we had El drop us off and trusty old Camelback. It was 11:00am and PACKED! We made it up to the first outlook and decided it wasn't worth fighting the crowds. So we turned around and walked home instead. I think the walk home was about 4 miles. We got back in time to shower and grab a quick bite before getting to the airport. Both flights went smoothly, but let me say this, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE SLEEPING IN YOUR OWN BED!

It was a wonderful week. Fantastic to see family and you couldn't beat the weather. But it is great to be home, to finish up the year in Grand Rapids, with my Lola :)

San Diego Part 2

2011-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 12/26: Today was family day. Todd and I headed into Escondido to visit with the Schultz's. We were able to spend some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa and then were surprised when My Aunts Judy and Nancy and Uncle Gary showed up. It was great seeing everyone. Unfortunately we had plans at 1 and had to run out, kind of rushed... but not before snapping a group photo! Grandpa never gets the memo "You're supposed to smile!"

We then met Sharrah and her two kiddos for lunch at Rubios. Silas and Skylar are the cutest. They recently bought a home, but are in the process of some major renovations before moving in. Sharrah took us over to their house and we got to get the "before" tour as well as say hi to Jake, her husband. We're so looking forward to coming back next year and seeing the finished product! Oh yeah, forgot to mention the weather: another perfect day, low 70's and sunny.

Todd and I then headed back to Encinitas just in time for dinner with the Lawless crew. Mom made a huge batch of White Turkey Chili and everyone came over. It worked out great, I was able to see my Grandma, Bill, two Aunts Kelly and Kari, some cousins Sara, Hannah and Shannon. With such a big family it's hard to coordinate, but my mom did a great job and it was nice to be able to spend time with everyone.

Wednesday 12/28: Last day in Cali. Mom, Todd and I took our time getting cleaned up and all packed and then headed down to a few beach shops, namely Patagonia. Love that stuff. Next stop: LUCHE LIBRE!! Typically Todd and I go for Diners Drive Ins and Dives restaurants, but this one was a Man vs. Food, and it didn't disappoint. The restaurant was hilarious. We had to wait in a line that wrapped around the front of the restaurant but it was worth it. Everything we ordered was delicious. Their signature dishes are tacos and burritos stuffed with fries! We also bought an ornament for our tree :)

We still had some time to kill before catching our flight so we found a parking spot downtown and just shopped and walked around the Gaslamp Village for an hour and change. Again, it was so nice to be outside in the sun. San Diego was a success.

Christmas Destination: San Diego

2011-12-31T09:05:00.001-08:00

For the sake of not missing any details, I'm going to break these next few blog posts into days rather than my topics...

Saturday 12/24: Merry Christmas Eve! Todd and I slept in then rolled out of bed and started a fire in the fireplace and put the coffee on. Usually Todd and I exchange gifts / celebrate Christmas day, but because of our travel plans we celebrated a day early. December 24 was Christmas from the minute we woke up to the minute we went to sleep. So just a quick summary for you... the morning was spent in our PJ's sitting by the fire exchanging gifts and sipping coffee. After breakfast we cleaned up and took the pup to the park then headed home to pack. That afternoon we headed to his parents for a wonderful Christmas dinner and presents. It's so much more fun to watch little kiddos with all those presents. We wrapped up the night around 10, headed home, tried to pick up the house and then crashed.

Sunday 12/25: Up and at em early! Todd and I headed to GRR at 8 am. Both our flights were completely full ... and full of children ... but they were all on time and we landed in sunny San Diego at about 2:30. Seriously, 75 and sunny on Christmas. Not too shabby. My mom picked us up and we headed home to Encinitas. We had a small gift exchange and then we feasted: pork loin, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, fresh rolls, gravy and CHERRY PIE! So good. Todd and I called it a night fairly early, we were both wiped out from the flights and the time change.

Monday: 12/26: Todd, Mom, Kerwin and I got to play tourist in our own city! It was a glorious day. After having coffee outside- wearing short sleeves and sunglasses- mom cooked a wonderful breakfast- blueberry french toast casserole! Then we all cleaned up and headed down to Point Loma. We visited Cabrillo National Monument and the views were spectacular. It was another 75 degree day, beautiful.

We grabbed lunch at this awesome spot on Harbor Island called Bali Hai. We were seated at an awesome table on the open air patio and had a great view of the harbor. We even spotted a huge osprey and two sea lions! hah. Lunch was also delish, kind of an asian fusion place. We started with two appetizers: fancy crab ragoon and wasabi fries. YUM! Mom and Kerwin split a Lobster BLT and Todd and I both got different versions of a Tempura Salmon Bento box.

After lunch we headed to Sea Port Village, we contemplated boarding the Midway, but because we only had an hour until close we opted for walking around the village instead. It was a perfect day to be outside. Next we headed home, changed into some warmed clothes and made our way to the San Diego Botanical Gardens. There was a Christmas light festival... I don't think we'll be visiting again next year, but it was nice while it lasted. WARNING: Do not watch the movie Hereafter. Even though it's Matt Damon, it is terribly slow and boring.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

Eat: You all know I'm ready for a Christmas feast! After stuffing myself silly full of pepermint bark and Christmas cookies all month I am ready for some food! Christmas Eve morning will be breakfast with me and Todd (mimosas of course!). Christmas Eve dinner will be at Todd's parents. Wanda always pulls out all the stops, including king crab legs and prime rib! Christmas dinner will be at my mom's... I think they're going less tradition this year and more fancy pants. Either way it'll be delish. And then later in the week we'll be at my Dad's and I'm sure my old friend Carne Asada will make an appearance. I'm going to end the year with lots of great food... which probably means I'll start the year with tight jeans. What can you do?

Pray: First and foremost, Happy Birthday Jesus! Does anyone know how old he'd be this year? Kind of a funny thought. Unfortunately all of our family plans don't allow us to make a Christmas service, but I plan to keep the Nativity light on all weekend to help remind us of the true reason for the seaon.

Love: I'm very much looking forward to spending the holidays with all my loved ones. It'll be great to see my parents, brother and grandparents as well as some good friends. Christmas Eve is always a highlight getting to watch my niece and nephews tear into their gifts. I will be missing Lola this year though, but she'll be in good hands. I'm just trying not to think about it! hah.

(She just turned 2 on Monday! Birthday bone)

Run: Ha! After dealing with countless knee and now foot issues this year I'm over it. I hope to go on a few hikes and walks over the next week though. But honestly, if I barely make it off the couch I'm okay with that too. It's all about quality time this next week. There will be plenty of time for running next year.

Play: Bring. It. On. Hoping to catch some new movies and to read a ton next week. Any recommendations send them my way! But at the end of the day (which it literally is) I just want to say this: MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL! Thank you so much for everything each of you have done for me and how each of you add to my life in a unique way. I hope you are all able to enjoy this holiday season to the fullest, and I can't wait to be with you all next year! (I love being able to say that!)

Merry Christmas, from the Sytsma's

Christmas Pops!

2011-12-15T05:34:00.000-08:00

EAT: I felt like I needed to document (with a blog and pictures) the fact that I actually have been cooking and baking- despite the lack of details shared. The first week of December was cookie crazy, 2 batches of sugar cookies, peanut butter kisses and raspberry linzer cookies. We also hosted Todd's best friend and his wife for dinner and served surf and turf: venison tenderloin, crap stuffed sole with salad and twice backed sweet potatoes. Below are some (terrible!) photos of my most recent baking: Christmas Cake Pops!

#61 Become a regular somewhere

2011-12-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

EAT: Not sure how many of you read my bucket list. It's nothing special, just a list of almost 100 things I'd like to accomplish in my lifetime. #61 is become a regular somewhere. When I first moved back to MI there was a few months where I literally went to Dunkin Donuts almost every morning for coffee. The drive thru girl new my jeep (oh how i miss you!) and my order. And I always paid in change. She didn't know my name, and since it was drive thru we never really talked, but I'd say I was almost a regular. But now, I think Todd and I are really onto something. For the past 4 weeks (i think...) Todd and I have eaten at Tres Lobos every Friday night. And I'm pretty confident the hostess / owner recognizes us. :) The food is awesome, cheap and fast! The place is right by our house and if we want we could totally leave the house, sit down, order, eat and be home in 45 minutes. LOVE IT! I don't know if this will be an every Friday night tradition for the rest of our lives or anything, but while it lasts I am enjoying every single yummy Mexican meal I can! anytime you want to join us let me know!

Power of Praise

2011-12-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

PRAY: Saturday night Todd and I were lucky enough to attend a semi-private concert by Bebo Norman and Mercy Me. Holy cow- knock your socks off amazing. Both of these bands are very open and expressive about their faiths and they performed Christian music, both some of their radio hits and songs from their Christmas albums. Let me just say this (and people, please don't take it the wrong way)... I haven't been in an audience filled with that much life and praise and glory in WAY TOO LONG! Todd and I always seem to put "the music" towards the bottom of our lists when it comes to important things in a church... but after Saturday night's reminder of how awesome a great praise session can make you feel I think we might need to reevaluate. The reason I was drawn to church in college was all because of the music. The high you get with people putting their hearts and voices out to God (maybe with a little hand raising and hip swaying- who knows!) ... I think I try to be more of a grown up in my worship style now and deny my true desire to sing and dance. I don't really know where I'm going with this, except to say, man did it feel good. Amen. Bring on the praise.

PF CHIZ-ANGS!

2011-12-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

EAT: Last night I met two lovely lovely ladies for dinner at the new PF Changs. Even though we got there at 5:15 and had to wait over an hour to be seated, the experience was worth it. Let me get right down to the good stuff:

I ordered some coconut cocktail to start, it tasted/ smelled like sunscreen (in a good way!) and I loved it. Then we shared 2 appetizers: Crispy Green Beans with a tangy dipping sauce (my favorite thing from my PF Chang's previous experiences) and the famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps. According to our waiter 75% of the people who eat at PFC's order them! Both were really tasty and had large portion sizes. When I saw our entrees come out I knew I'd be taking home leftovers. For dinner we each ordered something totally different: Mongolian Beef, Sesame Chicken and Shrimp LoMein (me!). My noodles were great and the shrimp was yummy and flavorful. The other two entrees also received high praise. The food was great- I'm excited for lunch today!

PRAY: Wednesday was the first bible study session we've had in weeks! Pretty much a whole month has gone by since I'd seen everyone. It was nice to get together. But I must say, that the fellowship I received last night at dinner is what is holding me over for this week :) It was great to sit with two Christian women and hash out somethings that needed to be addressed. Also, I'm excited for this advent season. I hauled out our little Advent dinner devotional that I want to get into again. Granted we haven't done it yet this week (since we didn't eat dinner together except Monday!), but there's always this weekend to get the ball rolling.

LOVE: My life is good. I am surrounded by people I love (and a spoiled puppy) and by people who love me. So grateful for Todd, and for family and friends. :)

RUN: Confessional- have not run since the Alger 5k. But somehow my jeans still fit so I'm not all that worried yet. I think I need to pick myself up though this month. Here we go!

PLAY: This weekend kicks off the Christmas party season. We have two parties this Saturday, two parties next Saturday, 2 work parties the following week and then we start the actual celebrations on Christmas eve (the following week). It's going to be a busy month! Pray that Todd gets another deer so he can hang out with me at all the parties!

Also, here are some pictures (long overdue) of Todd's mini buck.

fail.

2011-11-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

EAT: my split pea soup sucked. just so you know.

I've been swamped...

2011-11-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

The entire month of November is a blur so far. I've been swamped at work and by the time I get home at night (after all our weeknight commitments) I'm wiped out. I've been trying to keep on my 25 days posts, but haven't really done any other blogging. SO here is a quick summary of highlights over the month of November.

EAT: I feel like I've actually been cooking a lot. After a trip to Trader Joe's our freezer is sitting pretty. I absolutely love these frozen shrimp potstickers (Goyza?) we got from there. They're super easy to make and they taste so fresh and delish! I served them up with jasmine rice (thank you Uncle Ben) and asparagus. Yum!
Quiche. Who knew Todd loved this as much as he does. In my most recent Everyday Food magazine they did a whole spread on quiche and off a fluke hunch I asked Todd if he even liked it. His response "I LOVE quiche!" So I mixed together 6 eggs, 3/4c of heavy cream, S&P, quick steamed broccoli, chopped/cubed ham and some shredded cheese and viola! Quiche! It was great the first night, and even better the second night. This will be a new winter staple!
Right now I've got split pea soup stewing in the crock pot and I bought ingredients for a white bean and kielbasa stew (a Real Simple recipe). Todd and I will be feasting on soups all week in preparation for my favorite holiday of the year!

PRAY: We've had a few weeks off of bible study, and I have to admit I'm enjoying the break. I'm hoping when we join up again after the holiday I'll be refreshed and fired up about it again. I've continued reading through the Bible and just started the book of Acts. I'm enjoying learning more about Saul/Paul but am also a bit confused by who all these other people all! Such as "John, also known as Mark." Who the heck is that!? hah. Also, along this note, I'm hoping that the holiday season will rekindle something in me. I'm not overly excited about church these days, I have a feeling it's because I'm so busy Mon-Sat that I feel like Sunday is my only day to really recuperate. We'll see what happens...

LOVE: I love Todd, I love Lola. I love you :) okay, I was on a role there. I'm excited for family time and good food. And (don't hate me for this) the snow. I've really enjoyed being outside this fall, but it's always dark out! The snow brings this brightness no matter what time.

RUN: Well, I'm lazy. The last time I ran was the Alger Heights 5k. I keep telling myself to get to yoga, in fact I've had my gear packed in my car for about 2 weeks now. I'm in denial. I need to cross train and start strength training too. I need to yoga. Maybe tomorrow... ha!

PLAY: Todd got a deer! A little 8 point, it was his first deer with his new bow so he was excited about that. But the buck wasn't as big as he thought it was so he's still going strong. Let's hope he gets something real quick, I'm ready for the season to be over :)
Our new nephew Carter was dedicated on the 13th. We drove up (out? down?) to Plymouth for the service and a little luncheon. He's super cute, can't believe he's fitting into 3 months old clothes already!
We bought a pop-up camper! Super old and super cheap. Looking forward to some camping trips next summer :)
Todd, his dad and our brother-in-law Matt converted our wood burning fire place into a gas fireplace in the basement. It's so nice to be able to use it, and to turn the lights off and watch the glow from the fire light up the basement.
Basement bathroom construction has begun! Matt was over last week and did the underground plumbing, Todd and his dad are going to frame it this Saturday and that's as much information as I know. It's a guy project. Todd is already trying to convince me that the "seat-down" rule doesn't need to apply to the bathroom toilet. Nice try Todd, I don't think so.

OKAY! I think that's most of it, maybe I'll do a picture post one of these days. LOVE YA!

Deer Fever

2011-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

This post will be slightly out of order because my brain has sort of stopped working and I don't know how else to make it work!

LOVE: Last weekend my dad and bro made it out to Grand Rapids, mostly because it's bow season and my dad caught deer fever two weekends before, but who cares about the reason right? It was fun having family in our home, Lola loved the extra attention and I didn't mind it either.

EAT: They boys got in late Friday night and we headed to Johhny B's for some dogs and fries. We tried the corn dog... not bad, but not what we were expecting! It almost tasted like Indian food, hm... personally I prefer the sweet cornmeal base, but who am I? The regular dogs and fries were delicious though :) Teddy also requested venison meat balls so we stuffed ourselves silly with those on Saturday night. Sunday we experience restaurant week (read more here). We also cooked a "big breakfast"... my house still smells like bacon, and of course we had to stop at Real Food Cafe. Todd swears he's had his last "loaded pancake" but I'm not so sure. And by loaded pancake I mean the huge sausage and bacon filled pancake topped with 2 eggs and covered in maple syrup. Yikes.

PLAY: The boys spent plenty of time in the woods and saw plenty of deer but no luck. 2 arrows were released (one on purpose) and now there are plenty of inside jokes referencing text messaging in the tree stand. There's always next year boys! Lola and I had some quality time together too. It was a busy but relaxing weekend.

Restaurant Week Round 2: Louis Benton

2011-11-10T13:04:00.001-08:00

EAT: Monday night 11 of us dressed up and headed down town to partake in (hopefully) a new annual tradition... fancy restaurant week! or at least that's what I'm dubbing it. I will just say that everything was great: the drinks, the food and especially the company! Want to give a special shout out to all the lovely ladies who were there: Steph, Laura, Luimes and Sarah :) Love you girls! Let's not waste anymore time dilly dallying here. Most everyone ordered off the restaurant week menu and a few people even upgraded!

Course 1: Salad or Soup Dejour. I upgraded to the Lobster Bisque. Best decision I made all night. It was super rich and creamy, my favorite dish.

Course 2: Steak and fries with fancy ketchup (the popular choice), bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and fancy mashed potatoes, or ahi tuna and rice. You could also add an additional side for only $3! Todd added the biggest stuff potato I've ever seen and I added cajun spinach (spicy!)

Course 3: New York cheesecake or house made raspberry sorbet. Both delish.

Bottom line, every thing was great but I'll probably never go back! Unless that Lobster Bisque starts calling my name...

Hang Tight

2011-11-09T05:36:00.001-08:00

Not that any of you are sitting on you the edge of your seats in anticipation on my next blog posts, BUT I do have two posts that I want to share but can't find more than 3 minutes to put them up. Hopefully by the end of this week I'll be able to share another restaurant week meal and tell you about my dad and brother's visit.

Also, have you noticed my new "25 Days" tab? ...

Restaurant Week- Round 1

2011-11-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

EAT: Shiraz Grille. It might be the only Persian restaurant in GR and we love it. Although I was the only one to order off the restaurant week menu, everyone was more than satisfied. We made our reservation for 8:30 (or so I thought!) and arrived to a nearly empty restaurant- soon to find out that our reservation was actually at 8 and the kitchen closes on Sundays at 8:30. WHOOPS! But, the food was still great. I didn't take any pictures though, boo me, but Shiraz nails it on the visual presentation.

Teddy and Todd both ordered the lamb shank. A freaking huge slab of lamb, still attached to the bone sitting upright in a yummy pile of tomato based sauce next to jumbo carrots and peas. They licked those bones clean. Dad ordered a combo kabob plate- one chicken, one beef, with rice and grilled vegetables. Again, he loved his dish.

My three course meal had all very interesting names but I'll just share the link and tell you what they were:

1. Split pea/ lentil/ pomegranate infused soup. Yum.

2. Walnut chicken with white rice and saffron and a few yummy bites of roasted squash. Delish.

3. Baklava doused in honey... I'm pretty sure the honey was infused with rosemary. Great ending.

You have my recommendation to go there... anytime, all the time, every time :)

Alger 5k After Party!

2011-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

EAT/LOVE/RUN/PLAY: I'll say it- success! The run was fun (despite a sore knee), the food was yummy and the company was great! We even had a fire roaring in the fireplace! I will say it wasstrange having so many kiddos in our house, but Lola loved them just as much as they loved her:) Enjoy pictures from the spread and me and Lola in our Halloween "Twins" costume.

Drink Station: Coffee, Hot Cocoa with chocolate dipped marshmallows and fun toppings, Robinette's Cider and mini bottles of water.

The full spread! Close up shots to follow...

"Witches Hats" cookies, Candy Corn, Honey Crisp apples. Pumpkin Whoppie Pies (new recipe from last year, the filling is SO GOOD!), side view of Ghost Meringues.

White Chocolate Chip Ghost Meringue Cookies. (Melt in your mouth!)

Robinette's Pumpkin and Cinnamon Sugar Donuts with my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting (all from scratch!)

Halloween Smore's Bags: Ghost Peeps, Grahm Crackers and Mini Hershey Bar.

Lastly Me and Lola: Host and mini-host.

Family Visit (part 2)

2011-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

LOVE: So yeah, Dad was in town. It was great having a visitor and specifically him here. He's real laid back and easy going. I feel like we just lounged around all weekend but that was okay. It's also just great knowing that Todd and Dad get along so well. Like sometimes I think they have more fun without me! hah. In a good way though, it's not like I have to worry that they won't have anything to do or say if I'm not there. Also, it's nice to know that Dad fully support who I married- or who married me, whichever way you put it. Oh yeah, Dad also fully supports my dog. In fact, he loves Lola so much I was a little worried he was going to try to stuff her in his carry on without me noticing. Good thing she weighs 60 pounds and is not easily captured!

Speaking of LOVE, we got to witness and participate in a wedding: Mr & Mrs Mark Lantinga. It was beautiful. Laura looked stunning, I think everything went perfectly! I'm so happy for them and can't wait for them to come home so we can all talk about the fun time we had- and to get the scoop on their honeymoon!

RUN: Marathon weekend... for everyone else! Saturday I was feeling good. I went to the expo, picked up my packet, ran into a bunch of friends- I even gave my bib # away! I was that laid back about not participating. But then Sunday/ Race Day arrived. We headed down to mile 21 to cheer for Sarah. Even before I saw her running I was getting all choked up cheering for strangers. I think it was a combo of emotions. Seeing other struggle through and persevere made me so happy and proud for all of them. But at the same time seeing all these other people triumph and complete a task that I so desperately wanted to do but couldn't. It was hard. But Sarah ran by and I screamed and clapped and cheered, so happy for her... then cried on the walk back to my car. Next year I own that freaking marathon (well maybe not the GR but a marathon). Who's with me?

And major major props! and congratulations to all the runners out there- both full and half marathoners! ... (I haven't checked the times yet, but I'm pretty sure that "Katie Sytsma- bib 222" set a PR on Sunday! hah. Kait, the runner I passed my bib to is way speedier than I am!) Way to go everyone!

PLAY: Phew, since Family Visit has already stretched into two blog posts I'll make this category more like a list... weekend activities- all were wonderful. Rehearsal and Dinner, Dad had dinner with Mark and Wanda and got a Walker Tool & Die tour compliments of Mark. He loved it and talked about it all weekend. Hunting Friday morning- dad's first time in a tree stand!, the wedding and Calvin volleyball tournament. Marathon Expo, Fish Ladder, the dog park (times a million trips!) Terrible Bosses. GR Marathon Cheerleaders, cooking for family, more hunting. Out to breakfast, shopping, chillin with Lola.

Family Visit (part 1)

2011-10-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

So, we had a crazy weekend. Weddings, hunting, my dad was in town, I was still a little sick, but overall it was successful!

EAT: I'm going to start on Thursday and work my way through Monday. Thursday was rehearsal dinner at Bistro Bella Vita. Wow- great wine, super yummy appetizers: cheese platter with salmon and yummy crackers, DELICIOUS entree: skin on trout (almost smokey flavor), the best mashed potatoes ever and asparagus. Dessert was also great- there was a platter of lots of yummy things: lemon bars, chocolate covered strawberries and mousse- super rich chocolate mousse. I ate two pieces of that! Friday the wedding was at the Goei center. Talk about a beautiful spread. The appetizer table was gorgeous, and it tasted as good as it looked. Sausages, cured meats, cheese, grilled veggies, crackers, hot and cold dips. Wow. The next best part: THE CAKE BAR! They had several flavors of cake and I literally tried them all. Coconut crunch, pumpkin, cinnamon, ... maybe 2 more. They were all so good it's hard to remember, coconut won my vote. I wish I had pictures. Thanks for getting married Mark and Laura :)

Since my dad was in town he had a handful of requests. First I made him venison meatballs, with egg noodles, gravy and asparagus. For dessert we had apple crisp (a microwave recipe!). It was a hunting weekend so I though the venison meal would be appropriate. We also had a platter of venison summer sausage and black pepper sharp white cheddar with assorted crackers. So good!

Sunday was the big day though. I made our families' "Chicken Noodles." This recipe has been going around for at least 5 generations and I am literally the last Schultz who knows how to make them. Grandma would be proud. We ate our fill on Sunday and I packed Dad a to-go container that he took back to Scottsdale with him. That evening we ordered Jets Pizza and breadsticks. They always produce a winning pizza. I also made angel food cake (Dad's favorite) with strawberries and an orange glaze.

Monday I skipped work and Dad and I ate at the Omelet Shop, nothing worth bragging about but still good. We ate a late breakfast so neither of us were up for lunch, but after I dropped him off at the airport I was starving and (gasp!) drove through McDonalds! haha. A guilty pleasure, I have to admit it- I freaking love their food. I think it's because I refuse to think about it while eating it (an any other time) AND the fact that I probably only eat it 2-3 times a year. Nevertheless, I drove through and enjoyed every last fry. PLUS it's McDonald's Monopoly- now I'm in the game! hah.

PRAY: Well, we skipped church (marathon weekend) and since we don't have Bible study this week I haven't been doing my lessons. I'm still reading the Bible though. I finally made it into the New Testament and man am I excited! No offense to all the prophets, but the Disciples and Jesus are a bit more interesting to me :) This week is Kids Food Basket, I'm excited for my t-shirt and to actively do something again. I also led the study (well, I prefer to say facilitated a group conversation) for the past 2 weeks so I'm looking forward to being a participant again. This study has been interesting so far (the beloved disciple), but I think my main hold up is that since the group is so big I am constantly feeling like I'm missing out. It's awesome to have such a large group and I'm excited to get to know some new ladies more, but at the same time I miss all the one-on-one connections. It's just an adjustment period though. Its' great to have such a diversity of perspectives and experiences to learn from. Side note, I thought that getting back into a routine would fire me back up but I haven't had that spark yet. I may have over committed this season (who? Katie- over commit?!) ... It'll all work itself out though.

Comfort

2011-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

EAT: Alright every one, someone please explain to me what is going on. When I look outside and see the beautiful leaves I think fall, I crave comfort food, I want to wear sweaters and vests, my boots. BUT THEN I walk outside and instantly start sweating! And am wearing sandals... IN OCTOBER! You all probably think I'm crazy, but I'm sick of the heat, BRING ON THE CRISP COOL WEATHER!

So (my point being) this weekend I got sick. Personally I think it's stress manifesting into physical attributes, but whatever the reason I was still sick and wanted good food. So I turned on the freaking oven despite the 80+ degree weather outside. In March 2011 Runners World magazine included a recipe for Cauliflower Mac & Cheese. I made this once before and it didn't really turn out all that good (the recipe called for nutmeg and I included pumpkin pie spice instead- don't ask), but I knew I could make it better. Plus I had a whole head of cauliflower in my fridge begging me to use it. So I whipped up a batch, I pretty much only used the recipe for cooking instructions and added my own ingredients.

(wow this is a long food post!) I cooked the cauliflower stove top for about 25 minutes or so, then put it in my food processor to make it all smooth and creamy. Then I added cheese (not that much actually- less than 1 cup), a little bit of bread crumbs, some dijon mustard, GARLIC POWDER and stirred it all up. I poured this over about 8 oz of cooked cavatapi noodles and some barely steamed broccoli, stirred it up in my baking dish and then topped it off with more bread crumbs and whatever other cheese I had left on my cutting board. Into the oven at 400 for 25 minutes and viola! It's pretty good, a nice way to pack in the veggies. Plus this week is going to be crazy so I'm happy to have lots of extra to eat throughout the week for a quick meal. Don't' get me wrong- it's no Kraft or velveeta, but it's noodles and cheese- you can never really ruin that!

SHOUT OUT!

2011-10-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

LOVE: Hi. Just wanted to shout out to two lovely ladies who said some really nice things to me last night... or about this silly little blog. I write this blog for me, for an outlet, one more way to write down all the compulsive lists I make in my head- but hopefully in a slightly more entertaining way! BUT it makes me happy that the people who read it enjoy it! So I wish I had a funny story to tell, or a yummy recipe to share, but I don't. So just enjoy these silly photos instead- I stole them off the internet somewhere. They made me smile and I thought they might make you smile too. LOVE YA!

He Hunts: She Reads

2011-10-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

LOVE/PLAY: Todd's gone a lot on weekends/ weeknights during this season. And with the limited TV stations we get- there are ALOT of sports on TV. So, while Todd's hunting and football is on, Katie is reading! Saturday (or maybe Friday?) I finished Laurie Notaro's new book: It Looks Different on the Model. Hilarous. Sunday I started and finished The Particular Sadness of a Lemon Cake. The jury is still out on this one. I liked it, but am still a little confused about some parts. Last night I started Homemade Life, and I can already tell I'm going to love it. It's written by a popular food blogger Orangette and has a recipe at the end of each chapter. This book is right up my alley.

So to all you (let's be honest less than 5?!) readers out there if you have any book suggestions send them my way!

why not...

2011-10-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here thinking about blogging but don't know if I have anything in particular to share. But WHY NOT?! I need a five minute break anyway.

EAT: Friday night we dined at 616 in the JW Marriot with some friends. Fan-freaking-tastic. We all ordered a bunch of different stuff and just dove in. Kale salad, salmon bisque, steamed mussels, 3 different sushi rolls, fish and chips and crab crusted walleye with crunchy potatoes. Like I said- a bunch of different stuff. At least there were 4 of us to take it all down and not just Todd and I. Another highlight were the salted and smoked almonds at the weird little circle bar in the Amway's Lobby. Over the rest of the weekend I can't really remember what we ate! Obviously nothing notable. I'm starting to get the baking itch though, I bought a can of pumpkin at Meijer... endless possibilities!

PRAY: I suck at this. I've been doing my bible study and have been enjoying the lessons and the time our group gets to spend together. I've also been reading the bible diligently. Other than that I suck. I've still got to figure out when to get my 'big prayers' in- now that I'm not running in the mornings (well I haven't been for 8 weeks!) I still want to find some time to set aside that I can commit to. What else? I feel like this is a confessional all of a sudden?! I haven't picked up Operation World in weeks. I did read, I think someone posted it actually, a phrase that was like a big punch in the gut though. It read something along the lines of "what if tomorrow you woke up and all you had were the things that you thanked God for today." SO at my dinner time prayers I've been trying to be more specific than normal. Not that this makes up for my lack of 'big prayers' but who knows... okay, enough of this confession mode.

LOVE: I would just like to send my condolences to all the other hunting widows out there. Bow season opened Saturday morning and just like that I woke up to an empty bed. Todd's report of his two new properties were super positive so that means he'll be spending LOTS of time up in the tree stands. And he's trying extra hard this year to find Crystal a friend. (Crystal is the shoulder mount we have above our basement fireplace.) So, Todd is good- preoccupied. But each hunting season seems to get better, more lessons in communication learned. My other love, Lolishka (her russian name) is my saving grace these days. Extra cuddly, she instantly forgives the fact that park and play time have been cut down because of a busy schedule, and she loves all the same TV shows that I do. HAHA, I just made myself laugh.

RUN: okay, the update is finally here. I'm running again- sort of. Permission to take myself outside, off the treadmill for 20 whole minutes! Then if I succeed with no pain I'm allowed to add 5 minutes to my run, every other day. The only thing is that after my first outdoor run on Friday, my knee was a bit sore while doing Art Prize that evening. So I'm approaching this whole thing cautiously, without rushing it. Fall is my favorite time to run though, so I'm sure I'll be out there as often as I can. Terrance, my PT was great though. Solid guy with tons of knowledge and experience. On a fun note- I got new shoes! Nike Lunar something... black with neon pink and blue. They're cool looking if nothing else.

PLAY: October is going to be a busy one! Tons of stuff at work (not that work should be listed in the play section!), we've got a super fun wedding, my dad is visiting, the marathon is this month (I'll be there cheering!) and of course it's Halloween and the ALGER 5K!!! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'll be having an after-party of sorts. SO if you're running or walking in it, or if you want to cheer for it come on over!

Okay, like I said. Nothing super significant to report, no pictures to share. TTYL. :)

GBC

2011-09-28T07:34:00.001-07:00

EAT: Otherwise known as Green Bean Casserole. Last night when making dinner I decided I wasn't in the mood for the asparagus and brown rice sides I had originally planned on. So instead I whipped up one of my FAVORITE dishes, that I usually forget about until Thanksgiving. GBC baby. I make it exactly the way the crunchy french onions box tells you to. And I prefer french cut. So needless to say I am excited for lunch today... woo hoo leftovers!

He's BACK!

2011-09-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

LOVE: ... Saturday I picked up Todd at the airport. He left the previous Saturday for a week long adventure on some wild river in Oregon (the Deschutes) ... definitely no cell phone service or any way to get in touch with him if I had to. It's an annual adventure, one that I can truly say revives Todd. This annual trip is more like a week of survival for me! Last week was probably (seriously) the busiest week of the year so far, and Todd was gone. I had to go at it alone, well, with Lola. BUT WE MADE IT! And now Todd is home. So good to be together again, just lounging on the couch, napping through Sunday football and laughing at the ridiculous poses Lola chooses to sleep in (ie. on her back, spread eagle, front legs straight up in the air). Thanks for coming home Todd :) missed you, love you.

It's Official...

2011-09-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

PLAY: I've officially watched all 135 "Take Home Chef" episodes on Netflix. I feel closer to Curtis now than ever before. I will say this, the show dramatically improved from season 1 to 2. The theme song is better (now some type of Indian/Asian music with no cartoons!) and Curtis has a bit more confidence, aka less awkward moments. BUT the original premise also changed. Season 1 Curtis surprised lots of hot ladies in the grocery store and let them take him home ... to cook for all their (sigh) rich boyfriends and hubbies. Sorry Curtis. But in season 2 Curtis ditched the grocery store and instead answered viewer letters and videos and surprised people who were sort of expecting it... not as fun, but it still worked. He got taken home and cooked up a good meal. He also stopped signing off with his tag line "Next time you're in the market you never know who you're gonna meet, so dress up!" Oh Curtis... what am I going to do without you? Maybe I'll see you on real TV someday.

Hello, Good-bye.

2011-09-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

HELLO FALL! GOODBYE SUMMER! I thought it'd be appropriate to say good-bye to one season today, the day that all my 'fall programs' (i'm a dork) begin. Plus, if I look out my office window, I can see orange leaves on the trees :)

EAT: Even though at the beginning of the season I couldn't get enough, I am ready to be done with the grill! My meals will no longer accept potato chips as a worthy side. My body has had enough pork products for one season. BRING ON THE ROASTED VEGGIES! the crock pot meals (which I swear I am actually going to try this fall) and all the pumpkin flavored desserts!

PRAY: As alluded to earlier, let the Bible Study begin! ... and it's a 'real' study this time, one with daily work and readings. I will no longer be able to get away with just reading one chapter the night before and cramming. Let's get this routine going baby! Oh yeah, and me and Todd are official now- official PHCRC members. I'll be home pretty much the whole fall and am ready to be able to hear an entire sermon series.

LOVE: The one draw back of fall.... Hunting. In the summer Todd and I do most of our weekend activities together. In the fall, he's out in the woods- solo style. Lola and I get to spend a lot of quality time together this time of year. That's okay. I love my dog :) and then when TOdd is actually home on the weekends it makes them more special. Plus, I can appreciate (to a certain extent) the true joy that Todd gets from spending time in nature. It's one of his passions and I am so happy for him that he is able to embrace it.

RUN: Well... poop on you stupid right knee. You ruined my summer of running and training. No more marathon, probably no more 1/2 either. I did start Physical Therapy this week though so here's hoping I'm able to enjoy a few casual runs this fall- my favorite time of year to run. Long sleeves and shorts weather. Cool enough where you never really get hot. Cool enough where the first few deep breaths you take make your lungs cold. And when yo get out in the quiet you not only enjoy working hard in cool weather, but you have beautiful scenery with the changing leaves. New running goal- Run the Alger Halloween 5k pain free.... and somehow sneak Lola into the race :) HEY ALL YOU RUNNING/WALKING PEOPLE- put this race on your calendar, then plan on coming to my house after for coffee and pumpkin post-race treats. You literally run past my house on the course, all your hubbies/ kids who don't participate are welcome to cheer from my front yard and keep warm in the house the rest of the time. I'M SERIOUS. Do it.

PLAY: Well the end of summer marked some serious highlights. Todd and I's 3-year anniversary... and my brother- and sister-in-law gave us the best present ever: CARTER HENRY CLAYPOOL! ... born yesterday, on our anniversary, little chunky monkey with lots of hair. Super cute, he snores :) Congrats!

I aslo wrapped up "In the Garden of the Beasts" ... serious book, but interesting. and I just started Laurie Notaro's new book (compliments of Jodie!) I think my next read will be another Flavia deLuce or something along the light hearted lines.

Okay folks, I think that's it. Hello Hello, Good-bye Good-bye.

The BIG EASY (aka NewOrleans)

2011-09-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning I left San Fran nice and early to meet up with Todd in New Orleans for the holiday weekend. He was there all week for a conference so it just worked out great to have him stay for a few more days to show me the sights. Plus, we had the perfect excuse for a mini-vacation. Our three year anniversary is coming up so New Orleans was more than justified.

EAT: oh boy, where do I begin? Basically Todd had called me earlier in the week and rubbed it in my face that he had eaten Char-Grilled Oysters for dinner. So pretty much the first thing we did when I landed was go out to dinner so I could savor the delicious char grilled oyster goodness. Thank you ACME Oyster House. Holy ****! So freaking good. We split a dozen char grilled and then for entree's he ordered deep fried stuff blue crab and I ordered the New Orleans special: red beans & rice, seafood gumbo and sausage. Then to top it all off we ordered the most delicious dessert- it was like a carmel pecan ice cream sundae thing. Too good to describe. I'll be honest, it was a mistake to have my first meal be ACME, because every other meal we ate I was thinking about those damn oysters and wishing I was eating those instead! So, regardless of how good the rest of the food I ate was, it was tainted by the oysters, those char-grilled oysters.

So where else did we eat (I feel like the appropriate question is more like where didn't we eat!)? After ACME we randomly found the Roosevelt Hotel and ordered a drink from the famous Sazerac Lounge. I was too chicken to order their signature drink (I prefer the sweet stuff), but man was that bar stocked!

Friday morning, per the reccomendation of the concierge Perry (Todd's new best friend), we headed to Mother's. You want your southern breakfast, then you go to Mother's. Everything comes with grits and the serving is HUGE. And what I love about New Orleans, is that when you order coffee, instead of cream they serve it with steamed milk. SO GOOD! It's like a $1 latte! ... or something like that. Anyways, the best part about Mother's was the biscuits and homemade jam. I could have eaten a whole basket of those warm yummy morsels.
For lunch (well- we sort of slept in, so breakfast was more like lunch and lunch was more like an afternoon snack) we frequented Cafe DuMonde. Todd had already tasted a beniett at another place so he was more than ready to try them from the mother-ship. We ordered three servings (9 total!) and I ordered a milk, it just seemed right. Man. French donuts. Hot out of the oil topped with powdered sugar. Man. Everyone should have one (or 9) of these before they die.

Dinner was Red Fish Grill. We had a touristy coupon for a free bottle of house wine and it was heavily advertised as a hot spot so we figured what the heck. We started with crab cakes (the smallest crab cakes I've ever seen), they were tasty. Todd ordered the Red Fish- he liked it. I ordered risotto with sole and crab. It was .... well, it was dry and sticky and so crammed with crab that I couldn't even tell I was eating risotto. The bottle of wine we ordered was Kung Fu Girl (a Riesling). It was good, but overpriced. I wouldn't reorder what I got and I probably wouldn't go back if I had the option. Oh well, now I know. And keep in mind I couldn't stop thinking about ACME.

Saturday we hit up the hotel complimentary breakfast. Lunch was Margaritaville (more a sanctuary from the rain if nothing else). My meal was horrible, not typical of Margaritaville from my previous experiences. That evening we went to Chef Besh's wood fired pizza place in the Roosevelt Hotel, Dominica. Our appetizer was the bomb. Deep fried (of course, we're in New Orleans) squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese. YUM. We both ordered pizza's, they had lots of yummy options. I chose Margarita, my favorite. Unfortunately mine was a little too cooked (lots of blacked crust), but I wanted to visit one of his restaurants and was happy enough with the food. The served chocolate espresso cookies with the bill. This was my second favorite part.

Sunday we again ate breakfast at the hotel and then, as our last act in New Orleans, had lunch at ACME :) Another dozen char-grilled oysters and then we split the fried fish platter. It was catfish, and it was surprisingly delicious. Super smooth and almost creamy. An appropriate farewell to the Big Easy.

LOVE: I'll spare you the details, but it was a great weekend just to be with Todd. We had no set agenda and it was very relaxing. Because of Tropical Storm Lee, Todd anticipated the weather might be a bit prohibitive so he upgrade our room to a suite. We had a really comfortable space just to hang out, watch sports and movies and read. We also had a kitchenette so we were able to keep champagne chilled in the fridge. Love you Todd, it's been a great 3 years!

PLAY: What all did we do? We saw a huge freaking above ground cemetery, a bunch of mansions, rode the trolley, cruised down nasty dirty burbon street (oh yeah- it was decadence weekend! aka the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, I'll let you create your own mental images...), we checked out the casino and the river walk. We wanted to do a tour pulled by a horse drawn carriage (actually I think they were mules), but the weather was a little too bad. Tropical Storm Lee didn't really slow us down, it just got us soaked.

While in N.O. I got some good reading in. I finished Before I Go to Sleep- It's basically the book version of "50 First Dates" with Adam Sandler and Drew Barymoore only the creepy version. I also read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie- A Flavia deLuce Novel. I loved this, it's in a series based on an 11-year old girl and the mysteries she solves. I'd recommend both books.

Overall it was a great trip... all of them were. On the way home Todd got upgraded to first class, so that was also an enjoyable tid bit. Now I can check New Orleans off my list! Happy to be home though... nothing like sleeping in your own bed, and I can't tell you how good it felt to eat my first piece of fruit and salad! I was seriously deprived of healthy food over the past 10 days!

San Francisco!

2011-09-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Mention this city to my 89 year old Grandpa and he'll break out in song, "I left my heart in San.... Fran... Cisco...."

Last Monday I headed to SanFran for a work conference BUT the 'working' didn't begin until Tuesday so I had all afternoon on Monday to play in the city. Good times were had, the day flew.

EAT: Per my father, I had to visit the Buena Vista Cafe for an Irish Coffee. CHECK. Man that stuff is good. Hit the spot, it was a cool day and I'd been walking around like crazy so I plopped down at the bar, ordered one up and enjoyed :)

I also visited Miette in the Ferry Building (my favorite place in San Fran). It's basically an indoor artisan/farmers market. I could've spent hours in there, but was crunched on time. So I hit the pastry shoppe purchased maccroons, dark chocolate & sea salt and some lavender short bread cookies and hit the road. I found out at Miette from reading one of my favorite blogs Bakerella. Love that blog, love cake pops.

THEN for dinner Monday I met up with my coworker and we at at Restaurant Q, super random, but I found the listing from the food network's Diners Drive Ins and Dives list. This is a mandatory thing for me to do in all cities I visit. Guy Fierri knows his food. We started dinner with steamed muscles and my entree was DUCK and all kinds of fancy delicious toppings. Yumo.

The rest of the week in San Fran was filled with lots more delish food. Breakfast at Grove Cafe (poached eggs with grilled zucchini and fresh brushetta!) and we ate at some other spot that starts with a D... Declacacies? who knows, but I had a super yummy egg sandwich on chibatta bread. I had lunch one day at the famous Boudin Bread Co. - a huge waldorf salad with a bug chunk of sourdough on the side. We also ate at an express sushi place. Seriously, our 5-piece sashimi and california roll came out in about 5 minutes... along with miso soup and a salad!

Dinners were fab all week. We went to a Mexican place (Colibri), but it wasn't Mexic0-Mexican it was Veracruz Mexican. Fresh corn tortillas, huge scallops served on purple Peruvian potatoes! and mango creme brulee. The last restaurant we went to was italian: Puccini & Pinetti. Everything here was home made. Heirloom tomato brushetta, a roasted red pepper tapenade, and my pasta dish. Holy ****, to die for: Papparadelle with a light cream sauce and preserved lemon with prosciutto and peas. No room for dessert this evening.

PLAY: As I mentioned, I played the ultra tourist Monday afternoon. I walked all around town and rode the trolley cars- hanging off the side with a ridiculous grin. I saw the Golden Gate bridge (although with the fog I couldn't even tell it was red), Alcatraz and Ghiradelli Square,Union Square (SHOPPING!!!) and the gate into China Town, the Ferry Building on Embarcadero and lots more I'm sure I'm forgetting. I'm pretty positive that I walked up the steepest hill in the city. All the trolleys were jam packed so I just kept walking (faster than the trolleys!). Good times. Fun city.

stay tuned for the BIG EASY. xox

San Diego

2011-09-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

"WELCOME HOME KATIE" said the beautiful sunny sun and salty shiny ocean! Last Thursday I flew home to San Diego for a family wedding and was able to eat some good grub, see great friends and family.

EAT: What is a trip to SD without some Rubio's fish tacos?! It's an opportunity missed! Good thing I got my fish tacos... and a fish burrito, yum yum. Other yummy food establishments visited were Submarina (the only sub shop I like), Pizzacato (random but good), The Pancake House and Starbucks- for my new favorite drink: Nonfat COCONUT Latte! too bad the coconut is seasonal and the season is over. Mom and Kerwin also cooked us a fantastic meal Saturday night and Sunday evening we ordered take out from an Indian place. I love Naan. :)

One more fun thing to add here, on the way to San Diego I connected in Cincinnati and per Todd's recommendation HAD to get some Cinci Chili. Oh yeah- Gold Star, 3-way Chili! Now I can say I have truly lived.

PRAY: I won't lie. Haven't really been living up to anyone's expectations here. But I have been reading the Bible, the book of Ezekiel. Crazy, looking forward to being home for a while and getting into the church grove. Prayer request: Grandma Schultz was just diagnosed with stage-2 breast cancer at 87 years old. Pray for peace and strength as she gets ready for a mastectomy and recovery from surgery.

LOVE: Got to witness another beautiful marriage- my favorite blessing I have received, and I think the greatest blessing that God has given me. My little youngin cousin Emily got hitched, he wore his dress blues and they are on their way to start their life together in North Carolina! Oh to be 19 and in love... (how cheesy I know). Also got to spend some great time with my bro, Mom and Kerwin, and my maternal Grandma and extended family. Gotta love all the cousins! Teddy and I also took a trip into Esco to visit my dad's parents. Grandpa will be 90 this month and Grandma is 87! They also just celebrated 71 years of marriage!

RUN: let's not talk about it.

PLAY: Hello Pacific Ocean how I've missed you! I got to visit my best friend Sharrah and her family over the weekend as they were camping down at Carlsbad State Beach. She has the cutest kids. It was so fun just to drop in and say hi, play with Silas and meet little miss Skylar for the first time. And of course to visist with Shar, I wish I could see you more often girl! Miss you!

AND I used my birthday money to buy a pair of minimalist shoes, the New Balance ones. Love them- not for exercising, but they are great for walking around the city in (see San Fran/New Orleans blog posts).

I should also mention here that I've read my first (few) books on the Kindle and have decided I love it! I finished the third book of the Dragon Tattoo series. I liked it, but I'm happy to be moving on. I also downloaded the Bible on my kindle (for free!) so that was nice to only have to bring one "book" and be able to access lots of reading materials.

Alright folks, that's San Diego. Now on to San Francisco...

checking in!

2011-09-03T13:09:00.001-07:00

hello world!
it's actually kind of sad, i've been without email/internet access for over a week and i was SO excited to log on this afternoon! thanks to tropical storm lee, todd and i have had some extra downtime so while he's enjoying some football, i'm enjoying catching up on the blogs i follow and email.

so yeah, i'm currently in New Orleans :) and loving it. last weekend i was in San Diego and all week i was in San Francisco for work. i'm having some great quality time with todd, but am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, using normal shampoo and seeing lola!

more details on my world tour next week! happy labor day everyone :)
~k

birthday success!

2011-08-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

thank you to all my friends and family who helped make this year's birthday celebration memorable... i feel extra spoiled to have so many lovely people in my life.

EAT: this year felt like a celebration of food! after a fantastic dinner friday with some wonderful ladies, i was treated to a birthday breakfast :) thank you susan! (and todd for the great service and lemon square surprise!) then at the movies i ordered popcorn! a real treat since my hubby despises those tasty kernels. dinner at Sanchez was delish and i've been eating leftover cupcakes all weekend! the food fest continued into Sunday, a fairly standard Sunday breakfast: cinnamon rolls and fruit (coffee of course), followed by a Hollister sandwich at Cherry Deli. instead of our usual pizza we decided to take full advantage of the lovely weather and grill out- chicken and corn. simple but so good. oh yeah, and ice cream. hah.

PRAY: church was good... wrapping up a series is always kind of fun. music was great. my church attendance is about to plummet as i'm out of town the next two weekends and then todd is gone another two weekends in september. figures, when it rains it pours.

LOVE: Thanks Todd for spoiling me. looking forward to celebrating our anniversary early in NEW ORLEANS! ... woo hoo. and Lola, thank you for being extra cuddly and sweet- even with that giant cone on :) (but good news- that nasty cone's days are numbered!)

RUN: per my recent post. i'm on a running hiatus until the knee is fully healed and then my goad is to jump into 1/2 marathon training. SO my plan this week is instead of sitting on my bum thinking about running, i'm actually going to work out- ha! what a concept! yoga for sure one night (maybe even one morning!) and hitting up the Kroc Center. Since I pay for the membership I might as well use it right? geez. don't worry todd and i have talked about this... chances are our Kroc days are numbered as well.

PLAY: i love all my friends. and it is so nice to have some newer friends too. once you're out of college it's so much harder to connect with people and recently i've been really blessed to make some great connections and start some friendships that i think will last for a long time. WAHOO! oh yeah, I saw Water for Elephants. Good flick, great book. Todd was excited to see Rob Pattison play a non-whiny role, or in his words "play a character that you actually want to like." Todd is not a Twilight fan. Crazy I know. AND i'm reading a new book- In the Garden of the Beasts, by Eric Larson. About Berlin during the Hitler days, its a non-fiction, which is crazy for me, and I'm enjoying it. Get this- my mom and todd got me a Kindle for my birthday. I've got a handful of real books to read still but I'm planning on taking my Kindle with me to San Diego/ San Francisco/ New Orleans next week and I can't wait not to have to lug 3-4 books around with me the whole time. Hey, does anyone have any restaurant or things to do recommendations for any of those cites?

half marathon?

2011-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

RUN: So, after visiting an orthopedist and having an x-ray, going to the chiropractor twice and receiving ultrasound therapy, attending 2 free clinics (good form running and an injury clinic) I think I finally have an answer. IT Band Syndrome. eff. Tendonitis that still hasn't healed after 5 weeks of rest.

I had originally ruled out IT band because my knee pain was below my knee, and when I had IT band tendonitis in my other knee a few years ago it felt completely different. But at the injury clinic when the DPT put pressure along my IT band and discovered I have major tenderness from where my quad/knee connect to half way up my thigh I conceded. Crap.

So now what do I do? I told Todd last night that I think I have to forfeit running the entire marathon. I mean really there's no way, my longest run (5 weeks ago) was a 12 miler, I haven't run more than a 4 mile distance since and my long run this weekend is supposed to be 17 and my knee isn't ready. Realistically by the time I hope my knee to be healed I'm supposed to be jumping into a 20 mile run. I don't think so, that'll just send me back to the bench.

I printed off a half-marathon training guide, and surprisingly with my handful of runs over the past 5 weeks, I'm not that far behind on my training. I think it's my new goal- to rest my knee as long as it takes and then shoot for the 1/2 marathon distance. The training regimen is super low key compared to the full and I'm confident that (if my knee were in running condition) I could handle all the distances, even with my 5+ weeks of "rest."

Taking some advice from a friend, and saying my fear out loud: I will not be running in the 2011 Grand Rapids Marathon. So, with tears in my eyes (crazy right? who cries over NOT running a marathon?!) ... I ask that you pray for me, that I can find peace in my decision and that healing comes quick. I'm sick of being on the bench. I want back in the game.

change of plans

2011-08-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

EAT/PLAY: ... per my previous blog post I had assumed we'd go out to Tre Cugini for my birthday. The two things happened, first I checked their menu online. WAY more expensive than I had thought. I guess visiting during restaurant week can skew one's perspective of pricing, ha! Second I opened up an email from the San Chez and got a GREAT birthday offer! ... "for every tapas you order, order another one free!" yes please. Fill me up with tapas :)

I heartily suggest that all you go to their website http://www.sanchezbistro.com/ and join the email list- make sure you put your birthday information down too! And then, anyone who loves Italian food can join me at Tre Cugini during restaurant week 2011!

Crossing Over...

2011-08-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

When do you officially move from your mid-20's to your late 20's? I'm afraid I'm there. This week will be one of preparation, getting ready to admit I am much much much closer to 30 than I am 20. So sad. At least I married an older guy, he'll always keep me young :)

EAT: Believe me, I am a champion eater. Not sure that's a good thing! A few weeks ago I made cupcakes- chocolate with strawberry frosting. Typical cupcakes, nothing fancy. I wish my camera would take a good picture though! I made blueberry pancakes for myself last weekend. Delish.

This weekend I had some bomb diggity shower food. Holy cow, 2 awesome salads, chips and guacamole, fresh fruit, tasty desserts (a whole table of them!) and a granada punch. Last night Todd and I went all out. On my way home from Detroit I stopped in at Trader Joes and Omaha Steak Co. MAJOR SUCCESS! So our dinner consisted of a lovely starter salad: 2 types of lettuce, mushrooms, red pepper, avocado and goat cheese) followed by rack of lamb (not my fav so Todd at 90% of it) and sweet potato medallions. Dessert was my favorite: blueberry peach crisp- with plenty of whipped cream. Oh yeah, we drank HoneyMoon Viognier wine. Another Trader Joe special, not quite 2-buck-chuck, but I'm pretty sure it was less than a $4 bottle. SCORE!

PRAY: Finally got to church last week. Woo hoo! Attended an awesome leadership conference: Willow Creek Association, holy mega church in Chicago! well done though, a few of the lectures stood out more than others, but that's fairly typical. Plus I was able to have some good conversation in between the sessions. :) Since I'm not really running these days, I tried get my long prayers in on the drive to and from Detroit, but the bad weather prevented it. I kept starting and then stopping, forgetting where I was at and found myself too concentrated on driving to be able to concentrate on the prayers I wanted to lift up. I should work on that- multi-tasking in the car... not one of my current skill sets. Bottom line though- I've got a boat load of work to do. Not sure where to start, but I need to find my motivation and just go after it. Just started the book of Jeremiah, so I'm also hoping that since this book is a little more, ahem, to my liking I'll find more joy in my readings rather than monotony.

LOVE: Thank you to Todd for putting up with my pouty attitude. I'm finding myself highly discouraged by my bum knee. And it doesn't help that Lola is also laid up. We're quite the pair of couch potatoes these days. Not good. And lack of exercise makes Katie cranky. Thanks again for your patience and your love regardless of my mood. oxoxo Here's some pathetic pictures of Lola and her various cones... in size XL and XXL.

RUN: ugh. I wish. still working on this, though not making much progress. Gazelle's "Good Form Running" clinic was discouraging rather than inspiring. Especially when I attempted "Good Form Running" the next morning and it turned my dull, constant ache into sharp shooting pain... oh yeah, in less than a mile! So I limped around all weekend after a 1 mile attempt. SAD! Now I'm on a regimen of ice and anti-inflamatories, am planning on attending an injury clinic at Gazelle and will be buying a knee brace. And what the heck, I'm going running tonight. Who knows how far I'll get, but I'm doing it. So there. Yoga tomorrow. Running TODAY!

PLAY: Go see the movie "The Help." And go with girlfriends, like I did. Then you can all laugh at each other when you look over and everyone has tears streaming down their faces shamelessly. Good flick- better company. As mentioned earlier, baby shower in Detroit. My sister-in-law is due next month and most likely, the next time I'll see her she will have a baby! So crazy, can't wait. Just started a new book "In the Garden of the Beasts" about Americans in Berlin during Hitler's rise. What else. Oh yeah- birthday week. Except that doesn't really apply in this household. I'm contemplating going out to breakfast on Saturday morning- anyone want to come?- and then Todd and I will do dinner Saturday night. I'm thinking Tre Cugini, but could be swayed otherwise. Any restaurant recommendations?

still catching up...

2011-08-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

PRAY: unfortunately not a lot of good things to report here. We've missed church who knows how many weekends in a row and I'm looking forward to finishing or getting my current study "over with." How terrible is that?! I'm also slacking on the bible reading, praying for the world, haven't talked to Todd in weeks about where we stand in our "giving." Time to pick up the slack! I am looking forward to the fall Bible Study though. I'm ready to be back in a daily routine of getting in the word and intentionally thinking about/ studying how to get God more in my life.

LOVE: on the other hand, there has been some great Katie-Todd-Lola time happening over the last month. July was Todd's slowest travel month all year so we were able to just be with each other. August is another busy month for us (surprise surprise) so I'm hoping that we'll be able to get some solid K-T time in despite the packing schedule.

RUN: is the anticipation killing you or what?! well, basically from July 17-31, I only ran three times totaling 10.5 miles. I was supposed to log 53 miles during those two weeks. WHOOPS! and to make matters worse/lazier I didn't really compensate for not running by exercising other ways or eating super good. Bum knee = lazy Katie. SO, I went to the orthopedists on Monday and he said "throw out your custom inserts (from my podiatrist) and start running again!" No tendonitis, no torn something or other, just get back out there- but pace yourself and consider doing a gait analysis clinic. Okie dokie doc. So I ran yesterday morning with Lola, 1.5 and headed home because of a sore knee. Arg. The doc said not to run through the pain, turn around when it starts and hopefully you'll get back on your training schedule over the next 2-3 weeks. We'll see what happens. I'm going to try my hardest not to over do it, I've got fancy new shoes, sans inserts and I'm ready for the road... as much as I can take. I might resort to running 2x a day since the pain goes away after an hour or so of stopping.

AND- another sad note to share. My faithful running partner is out of commission. :( Lola had a little surgery/ procedure yesterday to get some things removed from her leg and she's not allowed to really do anything for 2 weeks- until the bandage and stitches come out. It's really pretty sad, she has the 'cone of shame' and hates it. Plus she's bleeding through her bandage so I have to take her back to the vet to get her new bandages. Poor puppy. Lots of TLC coming her way. I've really come to love running with her, so much so that I'd rather run with her than without her. Hopefully over the next 2 weeks I'll be able to use this "alone time" to my advantage- focusing on my stride and spending quiet time in prayer....

PLAY: The summer is always super busy. And we all love it, it's all fun stuff we're busy with. So, over the last two weeks we've been able to spend time at the cottage (no pictures, sorry!), have a lovely Bible study in a lovely home, go to picnic pops with friends (beach boys tribute, yeah baby!), attend a super fun bachelorette party- eat at Reserve and stay at the new CityFlats hotel and have brunch at 616, and this weekend we've got more fun stuff coming up. I've got a softball party, Todd's spending time with some of his "hunting buddies," and I'm headed to my sister-in-law's baby shower.

Okay, I think I'm all caught up! Thanks for hanging in there! xoxo

it's been a while

2011-08-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

I've got some catching up to do... which may result in multiple blog posts! Exciting right? hah. Probably not so much, but thanks for reading anyways.

EAT: Lots of pictures to share here. I feel like I've been doing a fair amount of cooking this summer, and for some reason not as much grilling :( Todd's been out of town more than usual so that may be one of the main reasons. First, one of my almost weekly meals is to make home made pizza- with pesto and fresh mozzarella and whatever other toppings I have on hand. Here are two:

Another new favorite meal I'm getting into is sauteing or roasting veggies and then serving them with fried eggs! It sounds weird but I love it. I think this will be a winter staple when it's more fun to turn the oven on.... the first dish is with asparagus and potatoes, the other is with cauliflower, tomatoes and linguine.

Below are a few random things I've put together: cupcakes for a wedding shower (green is their color), crunchy baked zucchini & green beans- my home made version of the fried ones you get in restaurants, pesto shrimp pasta dish with veggies, and yummy pesto chicken, tomato and fresh mozzarella sandwiches. Can you tell that I'm into fresh mozzarella right now?!

28th year and still going strong

2011-07-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Another successful weekend at the cottage. This was the 28th summer that my husband's family has been vacationing at Upper Silver Lake. So happy to be a part of the tradition...

EAT: Friday night Todd and I drove the whole 11 miles out to Pentwater and had a great meal on the deck of Village Cafe (or something). We started the meal with mussels and a nice grown up beverage. He ordered the coconut shrimp and I had the walleye. And of course we ordered Key Lime Pie. When they say it's home made there's no way I can pass that up. While in Pentwater we also stopped at the candy shoppe and picked up lots of goodies that would be eaten throughout the weekend. Saturday was filled entirely with cottage food- topped off with hamburgs on the grill. I can't remember the last time I had a burger! Sunday morning Todd and I snuck off, picked up coffee and muffins/bagels and headed to the big lake, Point AuSable light house actually. We had a little breakfast picnic and just enjoyed the quietness of the lake and the dunes. After that we explored a new Cherry Market and whatever other little shops were open on Sunday mornings.

PRAY/LOVE: After time spent this weekend with Todd I can truly say that our marriage is the biggest blessing in my life. It was so nice to be able to spend time with him, outside of the city. Even being in the boat (reading) while he fished was super enjoyable. Thank you Lord for setting this one up.

RUN: I literally took the entire week off. So weird. The good news is that last week's schedule was fairly low mileage. I iced (not as much as I should've) and relaxed as much as possible. And I bought new shoes. I've got a doctor's appointment on the books for next Monday and I'll probably call my podiatrist this week to set something up to make sure that my orthodics/ inserts are still doing the job. But the plan is to lace up my new kicks and hit the pavement tomorrow morning. It's only 4 miles so I think I'm just going to brave through it - regardless and then evaluate if I should get back on the program for the rest of the week or hit the gym instead. Tonight is hot yoga, if anyone feels like getting their sweat on, join me at 7:30!

PLAY: Another great weekend. Time spent with family was truly enjoyable. It was also another great reunion with Lola after picking her up from the kennel. She was extra cuddly last night, I think she missed us. It also didn't help that over the weekend I read a book with some of the main characters being dogs (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle). After reading/ thinking so much about other dogs (and meeting other GSP's!) it was nice to finally be with mine again. For those of you without dogs I don't expect you to relate. But it is CRAZY how much of a part of your life they become. Thanks Lola for being such a wonderful addition to our lives.

Have a great week everyone! ... enjoy the lower humidity, I know I will~ k

first weekend success

2011-07-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

holy heat batman!

EAT: ate too much! that's what the cottage will do to you! Park Place Pizza, breakfast at the Sands, the "snack table," heaven bars, fresh cherries, trail mix... the list goes on and on and on.

PRAY: good prayer session Saturday morning- almost 12 miles worth!

LOVE: great family time. it's fun to interact with my niece and nephew i cant believe how big they are and how great it is to see their personalities come out :)

RUN: as mentioned earlier, 12 miler down. but not without pain. my stupid knee hurts- real bad. and it still hurts. right knee, lower outside. gets super stiff if i sit too long. dull ache/pain- like someone took a sledge hammer to it. we'll see how the 3 miler goes tomorrow morning. any advice fellow runners?

PLAY: cottage= play. already looking forward to next weekend.

this week is going to be crazy busy. i literally have a commitment each and every evening. phew! that's what summertime looks like at the sytsma house!

Bragging

2011-07-13T12:03:00.001-07:00

I totally forgot to explain the previous title... it's mostly work related, so not all that fun BUT- I basically got a snow day in July! Monday the storm knocked out our power so they sent me home at 9:30am! It was awesome to have a free day at home (mostly cleaning and whatever else) but it made for a crazy Tuesday and Wednesday as I had several deadlines this week.

I also got to go to an earlier yoga session which was great. Do you all do yoga? You should... at my studio. It's awesome. I'll get you free passes if you want. Or you can do it for free, at Wilcox Park, on Sunday nights at 7. Namaste yogis :)

Tres Locos

2011-07-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

As in three crazy days.

EAT: lots of good mood food- and no, I'm not talking about Arby's dollar menu. I mean fresh fruit and summer salads with the occasional grilled hot dog. Gotta love sweet sweet summer time. Oh yeah, I had some Indian food at Queens Pub. Yum, I love naan. Also, their fries are super addicting. Wow, for sure over dosed on the fries. Attention all! I bought a huge canning pot and canning tools... anyone have any recipes to share? Or better yet, does anyone want to come over and have a canning party?!

PRAY: I suck at being a full time Christian. There, I said it. I've got tons of excuses, but no one wants to hear them. I need to pray more, I need to read the Bible more, I need to be a better person more. It's really crazy how not having that weekly Bible Study makes a difference! I am definitely one who needs to be held accountable in this stuff. Already looking forward to the next Oasis gathering, a group of supportive Christian women in community.

LOVE: Lola is a snuggler, but she's also a hot box! It's like sleeping with a 65 pound heater attached to your leg. hah. And Todd... we're headed up the cottage soon and I am so excited to get in that boat and watch you fish. You love it, you don't do it nearly as often as you like, but you make up for lost time as best as you can. Thanks for letting me sit in the boat and watch, sorry if I'm too chatty sometimes. xoxo

RUN: Running is going well! The first mile or so seems to have a share of aches and pains, but they usually work themselves out after I've warmed up. Today was the most glorious running weather I ever could've asked for. Low 60's, sunny and zero humidity. I didn't want to get out of bed and run the 6 miles but I did it. And I'm so glad... not necessarily because I ran, but because I got to enjoy the beautiful weather. 12 miles this weekend! It's crazy how much harder the double digit miles are. 9 is easy peasy... somehow crossing over to 10+ makes it hard! I'm thinking it's almost time for new shoes :)

PLAY: Another great weekend... time spent with family (my bro was in town), celebrations with friends, pontooning down the Thornapple, picnicking at Fallsburg with friends and our pups, dinner with neighbors (yum), drinks with the girls and now getting ready for the cottage. July has been and continues to be a fun month!

photos!

2011-07-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the weekend... and I want to add I finished another book, "The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death" by Laurie Notaro. HIL-ARIOUS. Thank you Jodie for recommending this author. Literally read the book laughing out loud. Todd thought I was crazy!

Pictures are as follows: Lola loving the water hose. Lola lounging on the deck. Green Pasta. Homemade Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches. Todd and I on the Whaler, heading back in from the big lake. The crazy dune that the crazy dudes climbed up!

4, 10-Hour Day workweek anyone?!

2011-07-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Three day weekends are the best. I'd totally be up for a Mon-Thurs 10 hour work day if that meant I'd get three days off every week! Any takers?! :) I'm pretty sure the state of Utah complies!

EAT: Home made chocolate-chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. Yum. I made my first batch of green pasta for the summer: yellow/green squash, peas, pasta, pesto and parm. Excellente. And I had my first dinner at Boatwerks in Holland on Sunday evening. Great venue, can't wait to go back. There are like 6 other things on their menu that I want to try.

PRAY: Let me just say that I love the Dollar Store. Sadly, I'd never been there before but I went and I conquered. All 4 of the SERVE kids will have stocked mail boxes for the week. It's fun to spoil without breaking the bank. I've been feeling a little off track/ slacking these past few days so pray for me that I ramp my life back up in the right direction :)

LOVE: It's July. It's hot. I'm starting to get some color! The cottage is right around the corner. My brother is coming into town this week. Todd is home all week! All good things, very good things.

RUN: I feel slow right now. Saturday the humidity was gross and this morning I was just in putz mode apparently. But there's always tomorrow! My inner-week mileage is jumping up this week to 3/6/3, just one extra mile on Wednesday but that means I have to get out of bed on time! And, Todd and I explored the trails by our house and I'm already looking forward to my long run this weekend! ... how scary is that? Looking forward to an 11 mile run?! I must be crazy.

PLAY: Weekend recap- low key Friday with Todd. Saturday we enjoyed the air conditioning during the day and then had the Burgin Family over for dinner. It was great catching up and watching their kids interact with Lola. So cute. Sunday after church we had the opportunity to get out on the big Lake with some friends in their boat. We put in at Holland, cruised down the channel and then anchored in near some dunes for a beach day. The guys were crazy enough to go up the dunes. The women stayed back and watched them suffer. Cheers ladies! Monday we fully relaxed, long walks with the puppy, a few (surprisingly good) errands, laid out on the deck, dinner on the deck and wrapped up the weekend with True Grit. I still can't decide if I liked the movie or not. Bottom line though, FANTASTIC weekend. Thanks to all my wonderful friends, husband and puppy who contributed. xoxo

... I have a few pictures from the weekend but haven't uploaded them yet. Maybe I'll post them later, maybe not!

Sleepy

2011-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's events I am sleepy. As in probably could've slept all day. But I didn't.

EAT: Yesterday was probably my unhealthiest eating day in a while. Not that it was super unhealthy, but I didn't eat any fruits or vegetables all day! (unless you count pickles and the fruit that I put on top on my ice cream and covered with whipped cream.) And I was probably dehydrated. So, I'm thinking this poor food day is also a contributor to my sleepiness. BUT I packed a fairly healthy lunch and am headed out to dinner tonight (Twisted Rooster, yeah baby!) so I am bound to eat something super yummy ... and hopefully it'll be a little 'healthful' too. I don't think that's a word, but I don't care. I'm using it.

PRAY: After two days filled with visitation, funeral services and a formal military burial for Grandpa Sytsma I ended my evening with my Oasis Bible Study- at my house. The book we are reading right now, Messy Spirituality, has discussion questions in the back and one of them was "What do you think people will say at your funeral? - what do you want them to say?" I didn't have the emotional capacity to answer this out loud to my group last night, but I hope that my funeral is something like Grandpa's... but with a bit more of a party feel. It was Todd's Grandpa who passed away, and I had limited interaction with him, but I still felt the loss. He was a good man and I can see the grief on my family's faces so I too grieve with them. It also reminds me that my Grandparent's are getting closer and closer to the end of their lives and selfishly, I am not ready for that. BUT back to the funeral details: Grandpa was a man of faith, confident in the Lord and the plans that He had for them. Grandpa was not only content with what he had, but happy with it. He never worried about the future because he knew the Lord would provide. And his Bible... worn, from being read every day, literally. They found a hand written checklist of each day followed by check marks. They also found a book mark with a list of his favorite verses "The Lord is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." Grandpa was confident that the Lord would provide and he was happy to know Him and to get to read about him daily. That would be awesome if people could say that about me. I have A LOT of work to do before I get there, pray for me... that I do get there.

LOVE: I love lots. And I hope everyone who I love knows it. I want to be a more outward lover of people. Does that make sense? I want the scowl on my face to be a smile and my initial thoughts to always be of others. I want to work on changing my conditional love to become more unconditional, less selfish, more God-like.

RUN: Call me Forest Gump. Well, not quite. I don't want to jinx myself, but I am loving my training program. Loving getting it done in the morning and loving being able to run with Lola. October here we come! I still have plenty of hard work ahead of me, but I think I'm ready. Bring it.

PLAY: HELLO 3-DAY WEEKEND! come quickly... very quickly. I. Am. Ready.

Third times a charm...

2011-06-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Or rather I mean 3 great weekends in a row! But I'm having a hard time coming up with creative headers.

EAT: I heart the grill. Grilled pork chops on Friday and grilled hot dogs on Sunday. Friday Todd got home from a long week in Atlanta and I had made quick stop at Ken's to pick up some dinner. I put on a yummy greek seasoning rub and then Todd grilled em right up! I served them with a side salad and asparagus, yum. Saturday I cooked breakfast- scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls (Todd's favorite). Breakfast at home has become so much more enjoyable than breakfast out. Saturday evening we stopped in at Todd's parents and crashed dinner. They ordered pizza from Andrea's... not too shabby on the timing there! Sunday we headed to Fallsburg park and charcoal grilled hot dogs. I prefer my burned :) ALSO... I picked up some salt & pepper pistachios at Costco. Oh my. If you love pistachios you should buy these. Warning: you will consume them at a rapid rate. Sunday evening I felt like baking- I attempted to make a blueberry pie with a crumble top. It kind of came out more like a blueberry soup. I didn't use a recipe and I think I served it too hot- it didn't have time to set yet. I'm looking forward to more of that tonight- dessert! Sunday night we weren't too hungry so I just whipped up some guacamole and we had that with tortilla chips. Fresh garlic, a small dollop of mayo (i was out of sour cream) and salsa, and an avocado. SO GOOD. I love mexican food. Okay- last food item. I made a meal for some friends of ours... apple type muffins (from a box, nothing fancy), michigan strawberries and my first ever quiche! I kind of winged this, I found a recipe for a fritatta and a quiche and then sort of combined them. It looked and smelled delish! But since I didn't eat any, who knows. If I get a good report I'll post the recipe. It was easy and healthy.

WOW- apparently being out of town for several weekends in a row has caught up with me and I was overdue for some Q-T in my kitchen!

PRAY: It felt good to be at church yesterday. In a community- family of believers. Plus we got to celebrate a new family joining the congregation :) Before church I logged my 9-mile run for the week. That was also a good time of prayer, I think it helped prepare me to be in the right mindset for church. Also, I picked up our "envelopes" out of our communicator so this was our first Sunday officially using those. We'd been giving regularly, but this felt more intentional. While I was on my run Todd got out our PH book and figured out how much they'd like us to give/ support. I have some interesting thoughts on their calculations... but don't know how to explain them without stepping on ALOT of toes. So, I think for now I'll just keep my mouth shut (a challenge- believe me!) Also, Todd's Grandpa Sytsma passed away this weekend. So this week we'll be celebrating his homecoming.

LOVE: As indicated this was a third great weekend in a row, having spent maximum time with Todd. Having him gone all week (literally) makes me really protective of his time, so it was awesome to just relax at home this weekend. We went running together, read the paper, enjoyed time on our deck, visited friends and family and spent some great time at Fallsburg.

RUN: GENTLE LEADER SAVED MY LIFE... or rather Lola's, because I was tempted to kill her several times. So, thanks again Kait. My running partner is back on the team and my gait won't be ruined because of it. Also, my 9-miler this weekend was easy peasy (besides one minor detail that'd I'd rather not share publically! hah- runners you may be able to guess). One thing though, my right knee is a little sore in the outside lower region. Any guesses? It hurts mostly during or after walking the stairs. This week is an easy one: 3/5/3 with a 6-er on Saturday :)

PLAY: Fallsburg Park. Lola may have had the best time of her life. We found a great little picnic site with a table, shade and sun and a creek running through it. Lola was literally in the water until it was time to go home. We also watched a few movies this weekend: 500 days of Summer and Cedar Rapids. Ha. Both were funny, but watch at your own risk. I read a book this weekend too: Never Let Me Go. It was interesting. I guess someone is or has made it into a movie. I'll be looking into this. The book was about these children who were basically created so that they could be organ donors... but it was more about their youth and relationships than it was about the medical stuff. It was good.

Okay, signing off... this week is going to be busy again (surprise surprise) with lots that I'm looking forward too. Spending time with college friends, hosting Bible Study, happy hour/dinner with girlfriends, softball :) and gearing up for a 3-day weekend! Yahoo!

i need help...

2011-06-22T07:52:00.001-07:00

RUN: Okay people, someone tell me what to do/ how to fix this. I love the idea of running withmy pup, but every morning I find myself hating the experience because she doesn't ever stop pulling on the leash! It doesn't matter if I yell, pull back, stop, anything... she just keeps on pulling! Unfortunately it's affecting my gate- or my running form, so much to the point that I can tell one of my hips is suffering and someone asked me if i was limping yesterday!

I asked my chiropractor for advice and he said no long runs (5 or less) with the dog because that's too much negative activity for me. I ran 3 with her this morning and was so annoyed I can hardly stand the thought of running 5 with her tomorrow. Todd thinks we need to try a pinch/choke collar next. I'm not sure what to do. Someone help me please. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix my dog, turn her into the perfect running partner...

PLAY: Here are some pictures from our Chicago weekend. I love taking pictures. Todd hates it. He prefers not to take pictures. I also suck at taking pictures so they never turn out like I want them to. Oh well, here they are anyways. Just a few snapshots!

Todd, in our plush hotel bed. He has long legs.

Me, on a couch in the elevator! The Drake was a classy place :)

Sushi dinner- yes please!

Todd and I outside Union Station waiting for the train.

We're right by the river here...

The Windy City

2011-06-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

I really want to be able to stick to my blog format (have any of you noticed?) but sometimes it's hard because my headers all flow into one another... so I'm compromising. Keeping the headers, but combining them. I'm okay with it, I hope you are too! *Warning- long post ahead!

EAT-PLAY-LOVE: Last weekend Todd and were gifted with a complimentary one-night stay at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. (Thank you Elouise!) Since Todd spends so much time on the road as it is, we thought it would be fun to take an alternate means of transportation into the city and hopped on the Amtrak in Kalamazoo. Apparently summer time is also construction season for the railways, arg. But besides being delayed on the tracks for 40-60 minutes it was a nice alternative. Todd and I were both able to relax and check out the scenery that you often miss while driving.

Now on the to fun part: FOOD! We started off our trip with McDonald's breakfast- personally, I think this is the way most vacations should start! Egg McMuffin- hold the ham- is my personal fave :) After we got off the train at Union Station and hailed a CRAZY cab, we checked into the Drake, changed into shorts and hit the town! First order of business was lunch. I was starved, finally at 2pm (3pm MI time) we found this awesome little bar/ restaurant called Grami. This place hit the spot. I ordered the best fish tacos I've had in a long time, they came with fresh tortilla chips and salsa. Todd ordered a burger with bacon and a fried egg- the french fries that came with this were amazing. The other really cool thing about Grami was that they had this huge window at the front of the restaurant that opened up to the street. We sat in front of the open window at an elevated table and had an awesome view of the action going on in the street. The breeze was also enjoyable :)

After lunch our next mission was clear: Nordstroms and macaroons. I was long overdue in getting some new 'staple' jeans. My 2 current pairs that I wear all the time are getting thin and faded, plus I had a gift card to Nordstroms. MAJOR success there. Next time you see me, I will most likely be sporting my new jeans. Feel free to compliment- hah, kidding! Todd was a trooper during the shopping. No complaining, no hovering. He went to the men's department and looked at the crazy ridiculous price tags. I think he enjoyed himself.

Now let me explain the macaroons. I read all these food blogs (surprised?) and there are always pictures of these awesome little french cookies and I have never eaten them before! I figured that there had to be a pastry shop somewhere in the city of Chicago that had them. Well, somewhere along the search- the endless walking up Michigan Ave and where ever else- I gave up. Instead we settled for some gourmet cupcakes at Sugar Bliss. I ordered 2 mini cupcakes (vanilla and cinnamon carrot) and Todd ordered a jumbo Strawberry cupcake. They were good, but nothing I couldn't make myself. Sprinkles is still the reigning champion on cupcakes for me!

So after I satisfied my sweet tooth, we both gave in to our aching legs and feet and headed back to our hotel. (Guess what we found- a bakery with macaroons in the window... closed! So we planned to go back on Sunday and get some macaroons to go.) Our bed at The Drake was awesome. And having that huge flat screen right infront of you wasn't half bad either. It almost made me want a TV in our bedroom, but not quite. So we vegged out and relaxed for a while, then when hunger came again (for me, not Todd) we headed down to the lobby bar for a quick pre-dinner drink (strongest drinks ever! Todd had a Highball and I had a French Martini) then walked back out into the city for sushi! It was delish, and the restaurant (Sushi Taiyo) had the coolest bathrooms ever! hah.

The next morning we had complimentary breakfast in the hotel, so good, and then walked along the lakeshore. There were tons of people out exercising. I love that. How fun to be able to run down Lake Shore Drive every morning! We detoured into the city to get my macaroons at E Leaven ... I was disappointed to say the least, then headed back to our hotel to pack up and cab it back to Union Station.

Fantastic weekend with Todd. It was great to spend time with him, one on one without distractions or an agenda. This weekend reassured me (not that I was doubting) that our relationship is strong- and that we are supposed to be together. Love you Todd, thanks for being better than I could've hoped for.

PRAY-RUN: Okay... I'll make this part short. Before we took off for Chicago I had to get my first long run in- 8 miles. Easy peasy! Well, sort of. I was happy to be finished but wasn't suffering by any means. And my legs and feet felt great. Also, I didn't run with Lola and I think that made a big difference. I could concentrate on my running form and enjoy the quiet. I love running with Lola, but she's not the best partner. ALWAYS pulling on the leash- not good for my form, or my hips. Naughty puppy. We're working on this. But as I mentioned I could enjoy the quiet and I used this time as a time of intentional prayer. I think it made the run go fast. I can honestly say that I probably prayed for at least 5-6 miles. REMEMBER HOW GOOD THIS WAS KATIE! ...

Tigers Weekend 2011

2011-06-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

PLAY: (going out of order- bear with me!) This weekend was the annual Tigers Weekend! 8 of us loaded into the mini-van (thank you mom sytsma for the loaner) and headed to Detroit on Saturday afternoon for 2 days of Tigers baseball, a little casino action and fun times with friends.

EAT: Ball park food and 42 degrees north brunch. What more could you ask for on a trip to Detroit City?! Hot dogs, peanuts, cold over-priced beer, chili cheese fries. Brunch was classy but a gluttonous affair. There were eggs, every kind of breakfast meat imaginable, biscuits and gravy, grits, oatmeal, BELGIUM WAFFLES, customized omelets, toast, bagel, pastries, fresh fruit, bottomless coffee and orange juice. Thank you Comerica Park and the Renaissance Center for filling my belly with way too much food all weekend.

LOVE: So nice to spend the weekend with Todd in a hotel room. I didn't have to worry about cleaning up or putting stuff away or anything. Granted we were only in our room for about an hour both days (not including sleep time) but still, it was nice to get away and catch up. 3 weeks on the road made this weekend trip extra special.

RUN: this is it folks! official training starts tomorrow! I typically don't follow any guides to the T, but I'm going to try this time around. Hal Higdon suggests T/W/Th short runs (3-8 miles) followed by a Saturday long run (8-20 miles!). He gives you Monday and Friday as rest days and suggests a Sunday cross-training day. I'll most likely do my cross-training on Monday with Hot Yoga and keep my Friday/Sunday for rest. My life is pretty jam-packed crazy in the summer so I'm planning on doing morning runs with Lola! and I know that I'll have weeks here and there where my schedule gets messed up but that's okay. I'm looking forward to getting into this routine and seeing where it takes me. I'm currently running in a pair of Brooks, but I just got a flier from Gazelle about a new pair of Asics that I'm interested in. I'll probably hold out on new shoes until late July/ August but I'm always open for suggestions! I have high arches, but wear inserts so I need more of a neutral shoe. I prefer non-white runners, because I can't stand seeing the pretty bright white turn to nasty brown after one week of wear.

PRAY: If you all are up for it, send prayers my way as I start my training. Please help me to use my running time as open conversation with God. I started doing this last year towards the end of my training and am hoping to do it again this year. Pray also that I can be Radical... and for the men's group at PHCRC as they dive in.

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK EVERY BODY!

Success!

2011-06-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

EAT/LOVE/PLAY: Last night my sister-in-law, Kristi and I hosted a Baby Shower for my other sister-in-law, Tracy, at my house. With 21 women it was a packed house but I think everyone left with smiles, full bellies and I know Tracy left with a bunch of great gifts from all the generous women. The guest list was all of the Weersing ladies (Todd's maternal side), neighbors and "Eagle Drive"- Todd's parents vacation with the same group of couples each year of Labor Day weekend, it all started at Eagle Drive. The night started with opening prayer (thank you Kristi!) and then we all filled our plates with an assortment of yummy desserts, coffee and punch. We played two games, had prizes, opened gifts and then passed out favors. Everyone was able to stay and chat, Tracy looks great! and I think everyone had a wonderful time. Even better- the clean up was minimal! We passed out a bunch of the leftover desserts and called it a night! Below you'll find some pictures of some of the details- my camera's not the greatest, but you'll get the idea. The picture of the dessert table doesn't do it justice- there were several more desserts on it by the time the party started!

Yes Please!

2011-06-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

EAT: Summer Salad Bar... yeah baby! Ingredients include romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, carrots, orange and yellow peppers, cucumbers, fresh sweet corn, hard boiled egg, and fresh asparagus. ... toppings not pictured included blu cheese, asiago cheese, toasted almonds and raisins. Most ingredients were compliments of Ken's Fruit Market.

One more thing!

2011-06-06T09:25:00.001-07:00

Just a quick shout out to Kaitlin and Isaac and new baby Lincoln!
So happy for you all. Now get that baby a passport and bring him to the states so we can all squeeze his cute little cheeks!

No creative header today...

2011-06-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

EAT: Festival. Need I say more? Todd and I went down at 2pm on Saturday afternoon. It was about 85 degrees with the sun beating down from above and the hot asphalt biting on your feet. But don't worry, that didn't stop us from eating. First stop was Vietnamese- excellent chicken on a skewer and an egg roll, both topped with sweet and sour. Next stop Mexican- corn on the cob, mexican style, mayo and cheese on a stick. Sounds weird but it's delish. Third stop American- root beer float, yum. Last top was Greek. We looped back to the beginning so Todd could get Slovaki? or something... grilled beef skewer on a bun. He said it was worth going back for. Great kick of to summer.

PRAY: Since Todd and I are in the process of becoming new members at PHCRC, Pastor Steve and Lori invited us over for dinner after church with two other couples. Great food, good company... It's nice to continue putting names to the faces we see and to dig deeper into the community at PH.

LOVE: Excellent weekend with Todd. It was great just to be together after basically 3 weeks apart. His traveling should be much more low key from here on out (until the fall) and I think we're both looking forward to getting back into a routine, as boring as that sounds. But there is something great in knowing that every morning I'll wake up to Todd and not have to call him on my way to work while he's at some hotel room in some random place. And making a meal plan and looking forward to eating every one of those meals together, at our dining room table, talking about life over good food. To find joy in predictability... not trying to sound profound or anything, but I love consistency and knowing what to expect.

RUN: Last night at about 8pm, once it finally cooled down! Todd, Lola and I ventured out for a jog. Todd's MAC Basketball league starts this week so now he's decided to get in shape for that. It was a good run, always nice with company. Todd held Lola's leash so that was a nice change as well. Although I still gave most of her verbal commands it was nice to go "hands free." Last night was one of those times when I loved running. It wasn't hard, it was conversational paced, I was never tired or sore or out of breath. It just was awesome to be able to go for a run, no ulterior motives (training), no expectations, no distance in mind. Just running...

PLAY: We got invited for our first pontoon trip of the season on Saturday. It was a great float down the Thornapple :) and I survived without any bug bites! Huge miracle. Other than that this weekend was pretty relaxed. We've got a busy week ahead of us though with commitments each night besides Friday! I'm looking forward to each activity but am still keeping my fingers crossed I make it out alive!

Memorial Weekend...

2011-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Warning- long blog post ahead!

EAT: Most of you know I was on vacation over the weekend. And most of you know my vacations are mostly focused on food (as they should be right?!) Mom and I met up in Sacramento and headed east to Coloma/ El Dorado/ Placerville (beautiful country where gold was discovered!) for my high school friend Justin's wedding. We definetly ate our fair share, here are some of the high lights:
1. Nugget's- a super high end grocery store where everything looks, smells and tastes delish. I had the most amazing chocolate croissant one morning. If I close my eyes I can still taste it. Mmm...
2. Real Mexican food at Sir Vesas. Ha, I like the play on words here, but mostly it was so refreshing to have authentic Mexican food. I love you Grand Rapids, but your Mexican grub doesn't cut it (and yes, I have been to Little Mexico and Beltline Bar).
3. Thai Food. Before we even saw the menu, we knew we were in the right place. There was a huge party of Thai people in the banquet room, and if they think it's worth it you know I'm going to love it. We ordered these super yummy shrimp appetizers and chicken pad thai. Too bad we thought we were getting the lunch portion and we ended up getting the dinner portion. Needless to say there was enough pad thai to feed a small army. Boo- I hate wasting food!
4. The food at the wedding was fabulous! I wanted to take pictures of everything, but my camera doesn't do it justice. I did capture a photo of their candy table. This is just a glimpse at how picture perfect every last detail of this wedding was. Job well done Jenny. A-plus-plus!

PRAY: All weekend I found myself buying things and splurging (which I had planned on), but I also found myself saying "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have money and spend money without worry! To be blessed to have been born in the USA", and then I would ask God to help me be a good steward of the finances I have been blessed with. ... hopefully this is a step in the right direction. Also, since I was on vacation for a wedding I kept praying (and hope to continue to pray for) Justin and Jenny as they embark on this new path of life. The wedding sermon challenged the couple to be committed to 4 things: romance, forgiveness, commitment to each other and to be committed to finding a common faith. I have their party favor on my desk. I'm hoping it will serve as a reminder to pray for Justin and Jenny when I look at it. It's so hard to think that great people, people that I love, might not get to spend eternity with Jesus. I've gotta get radical- making disciples and praying. "Lord, make me a prayer warrior. Let me pray without ceasing and come to you for everything- with honesty and trust."

LOVE: I had a fantastic time with Mom, thanks for being an awesome date. I love weddin

gs, this one was amazing. And I love Todd. I've barely seen him for the last 2 (going on 3) weeks but this weekend he worked so hard at keeping the house clean and grocery shopping for me! He also bought me Pretzel M&M's... a new favorite.

RUN: time to get my butt in gear! there was no running this weekend and I have 2 weeks until official training begins!

PLAY: Besides food, and time with mom, one of the highlights of this trip was re connecting with my high school friends Tom, Mike and Justin. This was probably the first time the 4 of us have been together since high school graduation. It was so nice to spend time with each of them and to catch up. It's so funny having guy friends- I love it. I'm already looking forward to our next reunion... whenever that may be!

Summer Nights

2011-05-24T07:21:00.001-07:00

LOVE: Michigan. Summer. Nights. Last night took an awesome walk around Alger Heights and the Kroc Center with a great friend (thank you very much Jodie!), then ended up on my deck relaxing and chatting until 9:30. Oh yeah, did I mention it was still light out?! And that it wasn't cold or hot, just the perfect temperature?! Love it. Love love love it.

**I'm singing Rascal Flat's "Summer Nights" in my head right now. Side note: I also love love country music.

For the love

2011-05-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

PLAY: Game One = general soreness everywhere. Game Two = strained right quad muscle (not ideal for a runner). Game Three = sliding injury. What compelled me to slide into third base, for the first time in my life mind you, eludes me. And I got out. Oh well, who knew coed rec-league softball would be worth all these injuries! Thanks for recruiting this non-softball playing girl. I've been enjoying myself immensely, despite the bruising!

Rain Rain Rain Go Away

2011-05-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

EAT: I like to eat my string cheese at room temp. When it’s cold I can’t taste it. Just saying…

PRAY: I’m trying not to get ahead of myself here. I’m really excited about some opportunities that are coming up. I’m also really excited about the next book we’re going to read for Oasis (and the opportunity to discuss on a deck with a drink in hand!). But I want to finish Radical strong. And I want these principles/ passions to stick. I really hope that I am able to consistently serve in one way or another and to remember to make time for this kind of thing first, rather than squeeze it in after all my other stuff. (ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS ANYONE?) And I need to work on my prayer-relationship with God. Sometimes I go to bed and think, I prayed enough today so I’m not going to pray again tonight. But then I was thinking… how many times during the day do I call my husband to chat? AND I talk to him at home too. I for sure talk to Todd more than I talk to God, and I’ll throw an extra phone call in the mix just for fun. My prayers don’t always need to be formal; they don’t need to sound pretty. God wants real raw me, any day all day. I need to remember how lucky I am that I have the opportunity to talk with HIM 24/7 and need to start capitalizing on that.

LOVE: I love that after this week I have to ‘short’ weeks in a row! Thank you vacation and Memorial Day! Can’t wait to spend time with mom and celebrate a great high-school friend’s wedding.

RUN: I ran once this week (so far). I felt good too. I have about a month before my official marathon training begins. My first long run will be 8 miles, but I’m confident that I can already do that. The 5/3 was a big confidence boost for me since I did minimal training and felt fantastic after the race. So right now I’m trying to decide how I’ll embrace this ‘interim’ period between the 10k and marathon training. I don’t want to be too confident, but I don’t want to over run right now. I want my legs/ body to be fresh before the tough stuff begins. Any advice?

PLAY: Our deck is almost done! Today should be the day! It is already looking so much better, I am so excited for Todd to come home and see it. Also, it’s really just going to make our lives (Lola especially) so much better and easier! Now I just need to figure out how soon I can bribe Todd into power washing and staining it!

… One of these days I’ll figure out how to post pictures. That might make this thing more interesting.

Weekend Review

2011-05-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

EAT: I pretty much failed on this level over the weekend. We carbo-loaded on Friday at Pietro’s. I’m slightly ashamed to say I ordered “The Tour of Italy!” and even though it wasn’t anything worth bragging about, I polished off the majority of the tour, hah. Saturday we grilled out, nothing fancy there, and then Sunday we had a potluck at church. My contributions were minimal (super easy pasta salad). So let me clarify- I failed at the whole cooking/baking… not at eating. I ate plenty this weekend, but my work in the kitchen was weak. Oh well, it’s nice to have breaks like that. This week I’ll be eating dinner solo most nights, so I’m sure they’ll be even less to report on then! One revelation though: Snickers salad. Never heard of it, never had it, but it’s genius- fruit and candy mixed together and called “salad!”

PRAY: We’re officially joining a church! Woo Hoo! You wouldn’t believe the pressure that’s been lifted. It felt so good to sit in church on Sunday morning and just listen- not judge or critique or consider the pros and cons. We just sat, listened, accepted everything for how it is and worshiped. Amen. And what’s also nice is that Todd and I both currently have our memberships at other CRC’s so it’s more like a simple transfer than a big process to become members at Plymouth. It’s just nice to know that the transition will not be stressful or labor some, mostly paperwork! God is good.

LOVE: Todd is my bombshell. ☺ My support staff, my sounding board, my favorite. This Saturday he got up early to drop me off at the race, and stood around and watched me in the rain. Not only did he do all that, but he forfeited a perfect opportunity to go turkey hunting- you see, cold nasty raining weather is ideal for turkey hunting. But he didn’t complain once, instead he offered praises. Thanks Todd, for all your sacrifices, love and support. Now go get us a turkey!

RUN: Well, one of my three 2011 races is over! Woo-hoo, considering the fact that I’ve probably only run 10 times this whole year, and never ran more than 5.5 miles I’m pretty happy with my results. I finished the 10k sub 60 (which was a goal decided standing in the starting corral) and felt great. I evaluated my stride mid race and felt solid and steady, even, and not over compensating for any injuries. My pace was consistent; I probably had negative splits for a few of the miles considering the extreme congestion in the first mile. And when I finished I wasn’t tired or fatigued and probably could’ve easily logged another 2 or 3 miles if needed. I probably could’ve upped my pace and run faster, but I didn’t care enough and I was able to enjoy my surroundings at the pace I was going and had time to encourage the other runners I passed who were struggling. The only hiccup: my knee almost gave out on me! I have no idea what the deal with that is- and I’m hoping it was a fluke, but probably around 5.25 my knee started feeling really weak and I felt like I couldn’t put any pressure on it! So I eased up for about a quarter of a mile and then said screw it, the race is almost over. So I opened my stride and finished the race. I’m planning on hitting the pavement this afternoon again; hopefully my weak knee is a thing of the past. I just want to say congrats to all the other runners out there! Even though this race wasn’t high on my priority list, it felt good to be a part of something so big and to see all the people so proud of themselves for this accomplishment. Also, my condolences go out to the family of the runner who collapsed and died mid-race. So sad and scary.

PLAY: Since the weather was so crummy I was able to sneak is some quality reading time over the weekend. I pretty much started and finished “Shanghai Girls,” by Lisa See. (I didn’t even have time to add this to my Reading List!) Overall I liked the book. I have an appreciation for historical fiction, books that teach you about a different place or culture. Not too long ago I read “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” another book based in the same time frame but instead of only Chinese relationships it touched on Japanese-Chinese relationships and the Japanese Internment camps (ugh). Anyways, back to Shanghai Girls. I like the book but can’t decide how I feel about the ending! I found myself siding with Pearl over May time and time again, but wonder if it was only because Pearl was the narrator. Has anyone else read this book? Any thoughts? Did you like the ending?

Tis the season...

2011-05-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Summer season that is!

EAT: Last night we had our first real summer meal. I mean, we’ve definitely fired up the grill a few times already but I don’t think that counts. (Sometimes we get really desperate in the winter and shovel a path to the grill.) What made it feel like summer was that we had our first ‘summer salad’ for dinner. It’s a weekly staple in the hot months at our house. I chopped up fresh romaine, cukes, hard-boiled eggs and grilled chicken and topped them off with blu cheese, sliced almonds and whatever other crunchy options sounded good. A hard reality also struck last night- time to replenish my salad dressing selections! What are your favorites- brands/ flavors? So… even though our dinner wasn’t necessarily drool worthy, it marked the beginning of the summer for me and I liked it!

PRAY: Where to begin. This was kind of a big week. According to Todd I ‘opened a can of worms’ on Tuesday, then I read a tough chapter in our Radical book, Wednesday Oasis discussion was motivating AND Todd and I are moving forward in the process of making Plymouth Heights our official church home. So now I’m trying to figure out “How much is enough” and am looking for places that I can serve and contribute to. One of my big things is that I feel like we are equipped with so much more than a checkbook! And personally I feel like I would get so much more out of physically serving at a home or mission or something than by writing a check, putting it in the mail and forgetting about it…. Any ideas out there? Anyone know of some Grand Rapids needs that I/ we can help out?!

LOVE: I love Todd and I’m super excited for all of our summer adventures. I’m excited that we’re officially joining a church together; it’s crazy how we have to make all these ‘grown up’ decisions! I mean, I know I’m a grown up and that Todd is too, but sometimes when we make decisions I’m like ‘oh yeah- these are the things my parents used to decide for me.’ Sometimes I can’t decide if I like being the one in charge of all this stuff. It has its pros and cons, I sometimes miss the carefree life of a child, but at other times I’m proud of the decisions we’ve made and the life that we’re making for ourselves and am SO GLAD that my parents had no say in the matter (not because they wouldn’t have agreed, but just because we’re independent!) So yeah. And Lola, I love her too. She got a bath last night and so she is super soft and shiny and smells really good too. ☺

RUN: Monday- 1 mile sharp pain. Tuesday- 2.5 miles dull pain. Wednesday- rest/ feeling good. Thursday- Reed’s Lake… walking, but I couldn’t feel my muscle contracting with every step. I’m taking this as a good sign! Friday I plan on running somewhere around 2 miles and doing some major stretching. Then bright and early Saturday is the 5/3 River Bank Run! We’re going to own the 10k. Just want to make a quick shout out to Lisa Eastway, whoops Lundy! It was great catching up around Reed’s. Thanks for having patience while Lola ran through every mud puddle possible (hence the bath mentioned above). And another shout out to Katherine Burgin, who I’m running with tomorrow. Can’t wait to cross the finish line girl! So proud of you.

PLAY: Summer time summer time, sweet sweet summer time! Back yard self-landscaping: CHECK. Hanging baskets: CHECK. Window air conditioning unit installed: CHECK. Lawn/deck furniture cleaned and placed out: CHECK. Deck Project: COMMENCES NEXT WEEK! … all that’s left is to fire up the central air to make sure it works and buy a new lawn mower! … both our lawn mower and vacuum cleaner breathed their last breath (in respective clouds of black smoke and dust) over the weekend. Woo hoo appliance shopping! Now taking recommendations!

HOLY LONG BLOG POST! Thanks for bearing with me till the end… have a fantastic May day!

FANTASTIC weekend...

2011-05-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

EAT: Even though my mother-in-law said I wasn't allowed to bring anything to Mother's Day Dinner, I protested, I begged and in the end I brought cupcakes :) And let me say this, they surprised me! Since it was Mother's Day I wanted to make cupcakes that I new Mom Sytsma would love so I made Coconut Cupcakes and they were fantastic! I didn't think I liked coconut, but these pretty little cakes may have changed my mind! If you're in the mood for something super sweet, white and fluffy these are for you.

PRAY: Thank you wonderful God and Father in heaven for blessing us West Michiganders with beautiful weather BOTH DAYS this weekend. The sunshine is renewing and refreshing and having pink skin (instead of pastey pastey white) feels so good!

LOVE: Mom :) Even though I celebrated the holiday in Michigan, I was still able to connect with my mom and both Grandma's who live on the west coast. It was wonderful to talk, share some good news from California and to be able to look forward to seeing all those very special ladies soon. Also, it was great to spend time with my Michigan-based mom and grandma on Sunday for dinner. It's such a blessing to have family who accepts you for who you are and that make you feel welcome. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

RUN: no running this weekend... even though the weather would've made for a glorious outing. Thanks to my rec-league, laid back, slow pitch softball league my right quad muscle is very very angry. Katie hasn't sprinted in several years, and I need to remind myself that softball isn't worth pulling muscles over- especially when you have a race the next weekend and need to start training for a marathon! Oh well, fingers crossed my leg remembers what to do this week with minimal complaining. I gotta get some miles in!

PLAY: Todd and I have had two extremely successful weekends in a row and it feels good. Last weekend we spring cleaned our closets. The entire back of my car was loaded with clothes and kitchen gadgets ready for donations! This weekend we "re-did" our back yard. We pulled a bunch of nasty weeds and random plants out of the back yard, salvaged the flowers and replanted them in the front yard, laid down some anti-weed netting and wood chips, planted trees and strategically placed some rocks. We also added some edging that separates the grass from the wood chips. It looks SO MUCH BETTER! After we get our deck extended next week our backyard will be officially ready for summer. I am so looking forward to it. DECK PARTY at our house!

The word is out!

2011-05-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

EAT: three words: Kirkland Costco Pesto.

PRAY: A few days ago I had a great conversation with a coworker. It was more of a "let me get this off my chest" session, but the way it ended was phenomenal. I tend to pride myself in the fact that I don't define myself by my job- or what I get paid to do. Don't get me wrong, I think what I do is a great line of work and the company I work for is awesome, doing great things for the Kingdom and I'm happy to be a part of that. I've learned a lot about the world and have appreciated my experience here so far. But what I mean is that I like to be able to say that what I do from 8-5 everyday isn't who I am. I like to be able to leave at 5 and not bring any of that work stuff home with me. BUT over the past few weeks/ months this has been getting harder, for whatever reason. I'm letting 'work get to me' and dwelling on things rather than just letting go. I said to my coworker something along the lines of "It's easy to say work is work, what happens in the office doesn't matter to me, but it's harder to actually not let it matter. It's hard to be at peace and let there be a clear separation of work and life." This is what my coworker said- "PRAY for that peace, Katie. God is good, he will help you." .... why have I not been praying? Why have I just been venting and letting things build inside. God is the ultimate outlet- why haven't I told him any of this?!! So needless to say I am going to be working on this.
Another thing I'm going to be working on- praying for opportunities to have spiritual conversations (thanks Oasis!) and praying that God gives me control over my emotions when doing so. I tend to get real teary whenever there's God talk, and that can be frustrating, distracting and make it hard to get my point across or whatever when I'm blubbering. Oasis was good last night. Good conversation, good company. I think we're making some progress in figuring out this whole BE RADICAL thing. I'm nervous and excited, but I think once we actually do something (however big or small it may be) then I think it will get easier. Starting is always the hardest part... taking that leap.

PLAY: ... hence the title of this post. THE WORD IS OUT. I posted my blog on facebook, ha. I really wanted to start a blog, so I did. But then I realized the only people I had told were my parents, mom-in-law, husband and one friend. How was I going to go public with this? It's a weird thing, you want to tell people, but not really. You don't want to say read my blog everyone, but then at the same time why do you start a blog if you don't want people to read it? Do you know what I'm trying to say? It was a weird, in-between feeling. But now it's out there. If people decide to read this, great, if not oh well. I think I'm going to benefit from this as a 'journaling experience' more than anything else. We'll see where it goes.

THE SUN IS SHINING IN MICHIGAN! ... if only I had a mobile office (or better yet, a day off!)

He Provides the Meat for our Table...

2011-05-03T05:47:00.001-07:00

EAT: Literally. For those of you who know my husband, saying that he's just an outdoorsmen is an understatement. He LOVES all things outside- and the deeper you find yourself in the woods, the better. And no outdoor activity is complete without some type of weapon (be it a bow, gun or fishing pole!). So last night we had venison steaks (tenderloin and chops actually) for dinner. I marinated them overnight in some fail proof recipe (oil, vinegar, honey, soy sauce and garlic) and then we slapped them on the grill. The steaks, along with the grilled corn on the cob and red skin garlic mashed potatoes were delish. Todd made more noises at the dinner table than I think I've ever heard him make before! ... hah. So there you go, thank goodness for grilling season :)

PRAY: ... tonight I get to read Chapter 5 in Radical. Can't wait!

LOVE: One quick puppy story. This morning I overslept, surprise surprise. So instead of making Lola wait in her kennel for another 30 minutes while I showered and got ready, I let her out so she could roam around the house and look at squirrels out the window, you know- the usual. But this morning instead of enjoying free reign she plopped herself down smack in the middle of our king size bed and sprawled out. She literally didn't move an inch, she just enjoyed the luxury of our fluffy down comforter and all the space she wanted. Spoiled.

RUN: I forced myself, and Lola too. 4.5 miles from our house all the way up Alger to Burton. And let me tell you, that Alger extension is no little hill. Good think I just let Lola pull me all the way up! One run down and one more closer to the 5/3 Riverbank Run 10k.

PLAY: I don't know if this qualifies as play, but it's fun so I thought I'd share. On Sunday I applied Jergen's Natural Glow sunless tanning lotion and holy cow miracle worker. I swear, having a tan is one of the most flattering things you can do for yourself. If the scale hadn't told me so, I would've thought I lost 5 pounds and gained definition! ... all in one little bottle :)

Join the club!

2011-05-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

I did it. I've initiated myself and created a blog! I hope that this is one that my friends and family will follow and enjoy... not just roll their eyes at whatever it is that I decide to post. I'm going to try to be honest and real. Who knows how consistent I'll be with this, but I'm going in with confidence! I'm also going to try to stick with a format. Something like this...

EAT: I love food. I've been on a baking rampage since before the 2010 holidays and it's got to stop! My camera isn't the best at taking pictures of food, but if I happen to snap a pic that looks extremely appetizing I'll share. I may even post recipes or links to recipes that I've tried and had success. Or I may just brag about something awesome I've eaten. My goal here is to make you drool!

PRAY: Last summer I joined the Plymouth Heights CRC's Oasis Women's Bible Study. So far we've read one book (Forgotten God by Francis Chan), done 2 Priscilla Shier studies (Jonah and Discerning the Voice of God) and right now we're in the middle of RADICAL by David Platt. Each of these studies have challenged me, but I'm still struggling to put my thoughts and the conversations we've had into action. Maybe this blog will help keep me accountable...

LOVE: I'm married to the best person I could ever have hoped for: Todd Marcus Systma. A slightly older guy :), good looking, athletic, extremely rational and very patient (with me specifically!). We've known each other since April 2006 and I knew I'd be with him forever since day one- seriously. God is good... and the Tigchelaars are great matchmakers! I also am head over heels for this 60 pound pup we call Lola. Our German Short Hair Pointer is a spaz, but she's my spaz. Having a dog has brought so much joy (and responsibility!) to our lives. If I talk about her too much just tell me, it's okay.

RUN: Last year I completed my first marathon. The key word here is completed. ... not quite good enough for Katie. This year I want to finish that same marathon and beat my time. So, you'll here some of my running saga on here. The only other races I'm planning on doing this year are the 5/3 10k (May) and the Alger 5k (October). I love running... once I'm in the swing of things. Plus, this year I have a running partner... Lola!

PLAY: Todd and I have fun. We love to take trips and make the most of things. If I have any fun stories I'll share them here, who knows what'll show up here!

Okay, this is the end of my first ever blog post! How exciting. Let the adventure begin...