A Good Saturday

Ross and I don't make a big commitment to house work for rental property. So even though I hate the "blah" color our apartment is painted or the disgusting carpet or the fact that the tub is nasty, in the back of my head I think "this is only temporary". However, we did come to the conclusion on Saturday that it was necessary to do a little house work because we were so cold getting out of bed that long underwear and gloves were a given outfit. The cause - old leaky windows; the solution - plastic wrap that shrink wraps the entire pane; the decision - it's only getting colder! So off we went to ACE Hardware for this project. I was highly skeptical that plastic wrap would really help the house retain heat and honestly? We have to use a hair dryer? Seemed a little too easy - but I'm a believer. It was fairly easy and now I sit at the computer able to type this morning because my fingers aren't blue.

After this ordeal, we decided to go to the conservatory and Eden Park. I wanted to take my friends there last week, but we just kinda ran out of the time. It was beautiful though and Ross and I really enjoyed it.

First room was the desert... Ross was in a "I don't feel like smiling" mood.




























They were having an orchid display. The room smelled amazing.



























They also had a bonsai exhibit - which I thought was really neat. Look at those plants - I love that they look like hundreds of year old trees. Amazing.




















Other pictures of interest were:

Dead Man's Fingers - ewwwwww!


























Various fruit trees - these are papayas and oranges.





















The waterfall. These reminding me of Fredrick Meijer Gardens in Michigan.




















After the conservatory, we walked to Mount Adams, which is the cutest little neighbor ever. At the top of the "Mount" was a good view of Cincinnati. After this, we were getting hungry, so went to a cute Italian restaurant and then drove around looking at houses (we are starting to house hunt - which is exciting). We ended the night watching a movie with homemade lattes (amazing). A good Saturday.

Girls Weekend and Food

I guess these 2 categories go together nicely because what is better than good friends and good food? Anyways, had the annual girls weekend in Cincinnati this year, which was so great to see everyone (although we really missed Laura). I feel like the lousy friend this year because did I take any pictures? No - I took one of Heidi stirring a huge bowl of chili and that's it. But regardless, we had a fun weekend in absolutely perfect fall weather. Festivities started Friday night when Ross and I picked up Heids from Dayton. We drove home, made chili and homemade bread bowls, and then walked to a local pub for a beer. Side note - I've decided that Ross and I need to start hanging out at local establishments more often. Good community feeling right there.

By late Friday night, Sarah and Lindsey had arrived and we enjoyed hot mulled wine and some good catching up. Saturday, Ross made apple pancakes (complete with homemade apple butter) and then we trekked off to Coffee Emporium... cute coffee shop. We then made the mandatory trip to Jungle Jim's because it's really just that cool and headed home for a bruschetta lunch. Afterwards we rested a bit, took a walk up to Alms Park, and then headed out for dinner. Dinner was "interesting". We experienced the worst customer service ever (which reminds me that I'll be writing a review of that place afterwards) but handled it well and got to laugh about it all night. Sometimes needless situations create the most humor in the aftermath. After dinner, we walked across the river into Kentucky and sat in Newport. Sunday was church and fall dinner. Although we did the Cincinnati activities, it was really great to see everyone and catch up on people's lives. Even though it's difficult sometimes, I'm so glad that we've been able to keep up the tradition of getting together once a year. Thanks, ladies - I had a great weekend with you all.

Other than that, it's been quiet in Cincinnati. I cooked a lot this summer and fall and am continuing to enjoy cake decorating. I made a great cake to celebrate my brother, Derek, and my birthdays last week when we were in town. Here's just a taste of what we've been enjoying the last few months:

Sourdough bread. I readily admit that Ross is the better baker between the two, but I liked how this loaf looked.

Everything Guac we made this summer in Ludington. Good thing we liked it because we had it for about 4 meals straight.











One pot wonder. Amazing pasta dish with buchamel (horribly wrong spelling) sauce.












Light summer bean salad with fresh corn cakes on the side.











Awesome enchilidas with adobe/chipotle peppers.










Mulder's homemade pizza.












My recipe for carrot cake muffins.













Birthday cake.

Marathon Recap

Sunday I ran a marathon, and it was an incredible experience. Not easy, not fun at times; but I wouldn't have changed a thing. Such an amazing 5 hours. True to Megan form, I'll make a list with a mile to mile recap of the event.

Mile 1: Crowded and Cold! (The start included the half marathoners and it was 36 degrees out!)

Mile 2: Had a cup of yellow gatorade on a completely empty stomach - not a good idea, see mile 5 and 6

Mile 3-4: Discovered that from now on, only grape gatorade would be offered. Stopped drinking gatorade all together.

Mile 5-6: Horrible side ache. Thought about "walking it out" but decided that only bad could come from stopping. Starting praying that it would go away.

Mile 7: Started feeling better - could it have been the gummy bears given out?

Mile 8: Had a GU and felt extremely relieved.

Mile 9-13: Feel euphoric. Flying through the woods. "Soul Meets Body" by Deathcab and "Making Movies" album by Dire Straits gives an extreme amount of pleasure, and I find that I'm -yes- having the time of my life. Charge up the hill at mile 12.


Mile 14-15: Pickle juice? Really?
Mile 16-17: Beautiful scenary along the Grand River. Perfect running weather. Starting to get bored though once noticing that this was going to be a really long section (think 8-9 miles on the same straightaway)


Mile 18-20: Turn into a small, sniffling baby. "My feet hurt! My legs hurt! I'm chaffing on my arm!" Even convinced myself that I deserved to walk. Walked about 6-7 times for a minute each. See my parents and remark with a quiver in my voice that "I don't think I can do this! I hit my wall!" Passing runner tells me not to 'hit the wall' but to give the wall a high five and say - Let's Go! Random stranger gives me a cherry jolly rancher (yes, yes - I took candy from a stranger) and suddenly, the world looks a little brighter. I decide to grow up and stop bitching. Make a decision that it's time to finish this race.


Mile 21: Orange wedges delight me.


Mile 22-24: Have gone into a somewhat yoga-like mentality. I don't feel anything anymore. Miles pass slowly, but this doesn't seem to matter nor register. I just keep chugging along.


Mile 24.5-25.5: Brother in law sees me and asks if I want company. "Okay" - sounds distracting - this could work. He talks, I listen. He runs in church clothes, I drag my feet along... I know he's making me run faster, and I know it's a good thing - I'll get done faster. At 25.5, he convinces me that I'll finish before 12:45. I've got that number in my head.


Mile 26: I see the mile marker. I think I may be imagining it.


Mile 26.1: My brother runs out of the crowd and starts video taping me. Thought it was cool for 2.4 seconds until he started asking me questions. I tell him to stop pacing me and go away.


Mile 26.2: I see the finish line. I see the timer - 4:44:50... I've got to hit the mark in 10 seconds. Victory! Come through at 4:44:58. I thought I was going to cry at this point, but was just too proud of not walking the last 6 miles to break down again. Hug Don Kern (race director) and get really too excited about the yellow gatorade in the finish chute. Drink 2 cups full, ate half a pickle and some culver's frozen custard. Received my finisher's medal and found Ross.


So that's about it. My official time was 4:42:19, which is like a 10:40 mile. I'm proud of that. And so thankful for the people that came out; Mom and Dad Mulder for making posters, screaming loud, and making it to like 7 different locations. Gregg Mulder for running with me for a mile. Mom and Dad Huizinga for beaming everytime I saw them. For Derek Huizinga, Shelly Funk, and my grandparents for coming out and cheering me on. For the 32 friends and family that wrote me encouraging notecards and got me through the race mentally, and especially for my husband, who road a bike all around Grand Rapids to capture pictures, video tapes, and encourage me from the sidelines. He also gets an extra thanks for hauling me on my feet everytime I need to get up, giving me a lot of massages this weekend, and for telling me over and over again that he's proud of me. Hearing that makes the pain so worth it.

Cake Decorating

Yeah, Yeah... it's been awhile. Contrary to what some of you may think, I haven't been sitting around reading and watching Ellen all month, I've actually been pretty busy. Marathon training got really hard in September (35-45 mile weeks) which takes literally like 2 hours out of your day on average, and I also did a temp job for a city zoning and development company for 3 weeks, which was interesting to learn about a new area. Additionally, Ross and I have really enjoyed getting involved at our Church with new member classes, community group, and Financial Peace University.

All those things are fine and good, but not really the point of this post. Another thing that has consumed my Thursday nights are cake decorating classes. I love these classes! I've learned so much about cake decorating. Here are some techniques I've been honing the past month:

Class #1: We learned how to transfer pictures from a template (or just the internet) to a cake using clear gel and then filling in the design with the star pattern. Here's my underdeveloped fish...

That weekend, I made a cake and tried to transfer this sun flower that I drew on it with honey... note to self - honey doesn't work! I had to free hand this... looks okay, but not professional.

Class #2 and #3: Megan forgets her camera... way to go. We worked on roses, rose buds, clowns, sea shells, rosettes, animals, borders, etc. I pulled out my phone and took some pictures, but because I'm not technically gifted nor willing to shell the money to be so, I transfered my phone pics by taking pictures of my actual phone... nice.

Class #4: Decorate an entire cake. This was the best class because we got to do the whole process, from baking the cake to icing it (yes, my icing on my cake sucks... but I have a reason - cream cheese icing doesn't crust so you can't smooth it out. Since this was a red velvet cake -Ross's favorite - using cream cheese was not an option).

Here's the basic lattice and sea shell border. I thought my icing skills were pretty good at this point!

Here's the final product. Honestly - I think it turned out really well! A pretty good investment and use of time - I would highly recommend taking these classes.

Marathon - that's right!

I've wanted to run one - for a long time, but honestly was always just a little too scared. I don't like to think about getting hurt, or worse yet, of dying. People die in these things - and I'm a wuss - so I always back out of the idea of running that kind of mileage.

Every year when I train for the Riverbank Run I think "I'll just keep training from here on out and it'll be a piece of cake". Not so. Never in any of those 3 races did I cross the finish line and think, "Oh boy, now I can train for a race that's 10 miles longer!" Never. In fact, my inner voice shouts all the more louder that I'm sick of training and I'm done for the season. This launches me into a 6 month hiatus where I do essentially no running at all in protest until New Years where I commit to being in 'the best shape of my life'. This renewal guilts me into signing up for 25k and the cycle continues all over again.


My first year running the 25k with Meengs. I barely made it. Didn't walk, but didn't dazzle anyone with my mad running skills. Kerin had to basically drag me across the finish line. I did love the experience though and I knew that I wouldn't die if I decided to do it again.








My second year. Meengs was in Japan, but I decided to do it on my own (well, Ross did it too but certainly didn't run it with me - I'm downright slow). I had a great experience - loved it; perfect weather and shaved 15 minutes off my first race time.








Third year running the Riverbank. I was trying to think about why I didn't have any pictures of me at the actual race and then I remembered why this was my last Riverbank Run - it poured. From the beginning of the race until mile 9, the sky spewed forth a mighty turrent of water. I survived again, but had no grand visions of doing it again.

Last spring I did not run the Riverbank. I didn't regret it; I don't think I thought about it at all outside of watching it in May, but I missed running. I missed how it made my body feel - so strong!

This summer I decided to start running again and with the smallest idea of a marathon in my head, I got up each morning at 6:30 and headed into the humidity for another grueling run. Run after run, until - like today, I sit and anticipate an 18 mile run for tomorrow and think - I know I'm going to make it! Give me gatorade and GU and I'll survive.

October 17 is the anticipated date - Grand Rapids Marathon. I'm signing up officially this weekend and am so excited to join the lesser crowd of individuals that call themselves "marathoners".

It's the Little Things...

Isn't it though? Sometimes something so simple can make your day. I don't know why - but some of the good things I've noticed lately happen when I'm running (much more on this later), for example:

Monday's 8 miler: Preface - I haven't been on the trail for a month due to MI visits and it being too darn hot so I opt for week long sports club trials (free and fun!).

Monday's Little Thing:
Me: (giving the runner's 'wave' and nodding to a guy on rollarblades that I see all the time on the trail) "Good morning!"

Rollarblade dude: "Morning - hey, you're back!" Huge smile.

Tuesday's 5 miler: Preface - never run in the afternoon, but did because I had a meeting downtown and decided to wait for Ross. Blazing hot and humid, and I'm in a bad mood.

Tuesday's Little Thing:

Mom running with little kid. Little kid on scooter. Little kid has to pee - bad - and they're still like a mile from their car. Mom pulls kid off the trail and stands in back of him while he pees. Hilarious.

Wednesday's 8 miler: Preface - keep seeing friendly lady on trail. Because I hate looping this route, I decide to run 3 out, come back 1 mile, repeat back to 3 mile spot and repeat back down the trail to starting point. Pass friendly lady several times.

Wednesday's Little Thing:

Me: (About to pass friendly lady for the fifth time this morning) "Hi, again!"

Friendly lady: "You're amazing! Good work, girl!"

Me: "You are too!"

30 Before 30 Revisit

I'm so bummed! On my last blog, I wrote up a "30 before 30" list: 30 things to do before I turned 30, and then when I deleted the blog, I never wrote down my list. What a momental loss!
I started thinking about this list last night because I wrote it when I was 24 and now in a month, I will be 27 and that is half way to 30 from my last list... which is a little scary when you consider how quickly time goes by and how quickly things can change.
I remember recording that there was so many things that I wanted to do, wanted to accomplish before having a family. At that time I couldn't image having a child -
I think back on the last 3 years and smile about the things I did do, but remember that there were opportunities to try new things that I avoided: out of fear, out of laziness... Why do we sometimes avoid ways to enrich our lives? Why I am content with so little sometimes when there is so much life to be lived!?
I worried about a lot of stupid stuff, I shrunk away from being who I am, I often lived in the future instead of in the present, I was anxious... I'm not that afraid to admit these things - they're probably issues that a lot of people struggle through and have to go through in order to live the lives that they were intended to live. But the part that I do become afraid of is the complacency to continue living in that mind frame. It's not fun to worry - and I shouldn't. God has surely taught me, especially this year, that worry is an extra burden that only I put on myself. It isn't worth the struggle - God knows what I need, He supplies it, and I don't have to worry - ever. I suppose the same rule applies to living authenticly - I am who He made me to be - there is no reason to hide that or to live otherwise.
I'm starting to realize this, but the hard part is getting over that hump... (I get to this place in my rationale a lot) and just doing, just living, just being me.
In the spirit of enrichment in my life, I have formulated a new list: and I'm not saying that I HAVE to do everything on it, but they are things that I want to do because doing them would make me, more me! I'd love to accomplish them before I have kids - but I am slowly realizing that children create more life and more love and I want more life and love - and I want them with Ross - so I'm not putting a time table on this list; 30 before 30 just has a nice ring.

1. Read through the Bible in a year
2. Run a marathon
3. Get something that I write published
4. Have a garden
5. Create a hobby farm (yes, I want chickens!)
6. Take cake decorating classes
7. Get my Masters
8. Get a dog
9. Learn how to sew
10. Take cooking classes
11. Go sailing
12. Travel to Asia
13. Travel to Western Europe
14. Buy an original piece of art - check, did that
15. Take a pottery class
16. Relearn french
17. Take a backpacking trip with Ross and not be scared (bears are scary forces!)
18. Create something that I can market/sell
19. Eat healthy so that I truly look my best
20. Join a community band
21. Volunteer somewhere on a regular basis
22. Use the farmer's market regularly
23. Take more pictures
24. Run a duathelon
25. Have a family
26. Adopt
27. Be a smart consumer
28. Find a true church home
29. Be part of a book club
30. Be able to stop, analyze, evaluate a situation, and chose the best thing to say at any given moment :)