Are you ready for this?

We Are DONE!! I can't believe we ran the Wasatch back! It was so much fun. It was so hard, but fun! Now I feel like I can do anything! What is the Wasatch Back Relay you say? Here is the synopsis in a nut shell. The course goes from Logan, UT to Park City, UT, a distance of 181 miles. Each team is made up of 12 runners. Each of the 12 runners takes 3 turns or legs. The legs range anywhere from 3 to 8 miles each. Each team has two vehicles with 6 runners in each. I took Baby Cakes with us since he's still nursing. One of the ladies in our other truck had her nursing baby too. So each of our trucks had 7 passengers. We decorated our trucks Thursday night and had a big pasta dinner for our whole team. We put love sacs in the back of the trucks with big umbrellas for shade. We had matching shirts and we bought iron-on transfers to personalized them with. We made our own sayings for each runner. Mrs. Bird's shirt said "What's that smell?" Mine said "Where am I?" Some of the others were "I just passed Chuck Norris", "Under this outfit I'm NAKED", "If you can read this turn me around, I'm going the wrong way", "3 months ago I weighed 300 lbs","Are we there yet, Are we there yet, Are we there yet?","My wife made me do this" I can't remember all the others. We made onesies for the babies that said "Milkshakes or Bust!" They were fun. Then we all went home for SLEEP. The First half of our team started at 8:40 am on Friday June 20. Mr. Bird and I were in the second truck with another couple we met through homeschooling, Matt and Kerilyn, a friend from church, Jeremy and Kerilyn's Brother-in-Law, Ryan. The first half of the team finished their fist legs around 2:30 in the afternoon. We met at the exchange then sent Ryan out for his first run. I was runner nine and Mr. Bird was runner 12, the last on our team. My first leg was easy. It was 3.5 miles and slightly down hill. This is the map of my run . The hard part was that I was running it at 4 in the evening with no shade. It was SO HOT. My ears were bumping and my head felt like it was going to explode! It was a fun to see all the other runners and knowing I was part of something bigger than myself. My run was in farm land. I passed one florescent green pasture after another. In one one the pastures there were 4 of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. They were in a frenzy from all the runners and vehicles on their otherwise quite country road. They were running through their pasture at full gallop kicking their hind legs and rearing up sporadically. I passed huge sprinklers watering huge pastures. The sound of the sprinklers matched the beating of my heart. As I passed one set of sprinklers the end of it spayed a few drops of water on my smoking body. It felt like heaven. I passed another set of horses that was so happy to see the runners. They started running with me at their fence line and stayed with me at my pace until their pasture ended. It was so cool to see the horses get into the spirit of the race. I ran the whole way and I felt good after I got back in the truck. I ate a cold banana and have never felt so refreshed in all my life. After all our runners ran we met the other truck at the next exchange and we knew we had about 5 hours before we would need to meet them for our next legs. Matt and Kerilyn live not too far from the course so we went back to their house for left over pasta and showers and sleep. It all went as planned except the sleep part. I put baby cakes to sleep and laid down to try to sleep. My mind just kept racing. Then I heard whispers and footsteps upstairs. It was obvious no one was sleeping. So I went back up to join the party. Next thing I knew it was time to go to the next exchange to start our second legs.

Here is me running my second leg at 2 am!!! This one was harder. It was 6.2 miles at a slight constant incline. But it was BEAUTIFUL!! What a run. I felt great, the temperature was perfect. The air was crisp. I felt like I could have kept on running for miles and miles. I could hear all the crickets chirping and bugs singing. I passed Echo Reservoir and the moon light was shimmering on the water. I went under a train bridge just as a train was passing over me. I thought of Mr. Bird's mom and yelled at the top of my voice " I'M SO LUCKY!!!". I ran right next to a huge cliff. When I looked up and saw the top it made me kinda dizzy. I just felt so much a part of our big beautiful world. I love the beauty of it all. After my runs I started having knee pain. I have never had knee pain from running so I got kind of nervous about it. Lucky for us we had a chiropractor on our team. He was in the first truck.

When we met at the next exchange he worked on Matt's back and my knee and Mr. Bird's knee and hip. I don't know what I would have done with out him. I felt so much better. He gave me a wrap for my knee to wear for my last run.

We finished our second legs around 5 am. We parked the truck and crashed. Three of the boys "slept" in the bed of the truck. Matt and Kerilyn snuggled up in one sleeping bag on the ground next to the truck. Baby cakes and I slept in the crew part of the crew cab. It was awful, so uncomfortable. I could not stretch out my legs, my hip was sore from laying on the same side, I had a seat belt in my back. I think I managed a hour of something like sleep though. Baby Cakes, on the other hand, slept wonderfully. He fell asleep way back at the house around 9pm and slept until 4:30. I fed him then he went back to sleep and slept until almost 7 am.He did so good. It was harder for him during the day. He was hot and did not want to take naps. When he finally did fall asleep for a nap he was awake again within 20 minutes. That made him kinda crabby. Licorice always made him feel better though! Yes, that's licorice on his face, not a horrible rash.

We all got up and loaded in the truck to find breakfast and head to the next exchange. This sign is a great description of my last leg. It was only 3.6 miles but it was straight uphill. It was an average uphill grade of 7.6% and I climbed 1482 feet in elevation, and it was high noon. I was walking on my shadow, yes, walking, not running. I did start out running but that only lasted about 1/2 mile. I decided to enjoy it even though it was hard.

I started collecting beautiful wild flowers. I did not want to carry them so they ended up in my hair. Then I found a little hitch hiker. He was light enough for me to carry and really fuzzy and wriggly. I wanted to bring him home for Doodle so we could watch him turn into a butterfly, but I dropped him and could not turn around to find him. Sad. Cry. I saw beautiful scenic vistas, butterflies fluttering on gorgeous wide opened wild flowers. It was such a beautiful hike. The trail started out running right past a babbling brook. The trees and flowers and grass seemed to just glow out their colors, they were so vibrant. It was such a great feeling when I finished that leg. I was FINISHED! I had done what I have been training to do for months! Plus I had flowers in my hair. I know, I'm so pretty! My legs literally felt like jello. They were shaking and they were done. I knew as soon as I stopped walking I would not be able to get them to go again. Kerilyn's last leg was right after mine. She ended up hiking the rest of that mountain. Here we are at the top.

WE DID IT! WAA-HOOO!!!

Here are our cute guys hanging out in the truck. What a fun time we all had. When Mr. Bird ran his last leg we knew we were almost done. We dropped him off and drove to the finish line to wait for him. When we saw him coming we joined him and all 12 of us ran in together for the last 100 feet. We were quite the group with two babies in our arms. I had such a hard time standing up. We hung out with our team for a while then said our good byes and headed for home. When we got here I could not move my legs. They were rejecting any commands I gave them. It was physically impossible for them to get me up our stairs so I could shower and sleep. Mr. Bird stood behind me and I put one foot on a step then he pushed my body up. We did that one step at a time until I was up. I fed baby cakes and we all slept 10 hours, then I fed baby cakes and we all slept 2 more hours. It's amazing what sleep can do for you. My legs are functional gain. They hurt like I have never felt before, but they are moving! I just have to say,

What a rush!

I hope I survive!

Mr. Bird and I are on our way to run the Wasatch Back relay! It goes from Logan, UT to Park City Utah. I'm nervous, but anxious to get started. Wish me luck. If I make it through I'll post more about it. If I don't you can check out their site to find out more about this insane race and what killed me!

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/wasatchback/index.php?PHPSESSID=69073d40a16dc3ff1e9e17361265953b

What's for Dinner

How about Egg plant Parmesan? Sooo yummy.

I made this a while ago for some friends and it was really yummy. I wanted to lick the pan clean when everyone left cuz it was G-O-N-E gone! But I showed restraint. So here is the recipe.

Happy Eating!

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants

Kosher salt

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes

2 clove garlic, peeled and minced

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

4 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 lbs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (the key is fresh, people! It's killer!)

1 cup grated high quality Parmesan cheese (NOT the Kraft kind. The kind in the refrigerated section or the deli. The kind you have to grate by hand is best)

1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

Method
1 Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange one layer in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly and generously with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours. The purpose of this step is to have the eggplant release some of its moisture before cooking.
2 While the eggplant is draining, prepare tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
3 When eggplant has drained, press down on it to remove excess water, and lay the slices out on paper towels to remove all the moisture. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine flour and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Pour beaten eggs into another wide shallow bowl. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat, and pour in a a half inch of olive oil. When oil is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 10x15 inch glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with one third of the Parmesan and half of the basil leaves.
5 Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan, and all of the remaining basil. Add remaining eggplant, and top with the remaining tomato sauce and Parmesan.
6 Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with favorite pasta and more sauce is desired.

P.S. I have used this sauce recipe for sauce for spaghetti and it is to die for. I just add basil to it. I LOVE it. It turns out oh, so fresh!

P.P.S. This is way better than any eggplant Parmesan I have had at any restaurant. It is literally perfect. I could run away and marry it! It's oh, so cheesy and fresh and delightful.

Happy Father's Day!

I have been trying to come up with an alias for my darling hubby since I started this blog. Now I have it. I have to tell you a story first so it will make sense. We have a book that he LOVES to read to the kids. It is called The Best Nest. It is about Mr. and Mrs. Bird and their nest.

It starts out with Mr. Bird singing this song,

"I love my house,

I love my nest,

In all the world

This nest is best!"

It is a typical looking nest, not too fancy, not too plain, but it is their home.

Mrs. Bird decides she does not like the nest and wants to go find a bigger, better nest. They try many places and end up in the bell tower of the church. Only they didn't know it was the bell tower for the church!

So, Mr. Bird goes off to find food and leaves Mrs. Bird there. While he is out the guy comes along to ring the bell for the town. It frightens Mrs. Bird away.

When Mr. Bird comes back he is shocked and horrified that she is missing. He starts to hunt for her but can't find her and suspects the worst.

He ends up back at his first nest and is delighted and shocked to see Mrs. Bird!

Not only is she back at the old nest, but she is singing his song .

"I love my house,
I love my nest,
In all the world
This nest is best!"

She had decided that there was no nest like an old nest for a new bird. Low and behold she had a baby, out of nowhere!

My darling husband reminds me of Mr. Bird. He loves our house. It is not a huge glamorous mansion, but we love it. It is our home. He is always doing something to make it just a little better. We have brought our babies here and we love our nest.

So Happy father's Day Mr. Bird!

I love you so much for the wonderful father you are to our kids.

Purfectly Puffy

Doodle had her second annual dance recital last week. She takes tap and she loves it. This year she danced to

Pop Goes the Wiesel

and I'm a Lonely Little Petunia.

I still have to try really hard not to get those songs stuck in my head. I must have heard those songs about a million times the last couple weeks. And if they do get stuck in my head I CAN NOT sing or hum them aloud or the next thing I know 4 people are singing or humming or whistling them. It's enough to send me to the loony bin!

She had such a fun time. She loves all the little girls in her class and she adores her teacher, as do I. If she ever retires I know a lot of little girls who will be so sad. She is so good with the kids and she does an amazing job choreographing all the dances and costumes and the whole program.

I loved all the frills and ruffles. In a house full of boys it's not too often we get to wear perfectly puffy costumes and get all dolled up.

Doodle and her dance mates did such a cute little dance. It was so fun to see them all on stage and loving it. When they came out the whole audience went "AW WWW!". They are just too precious for words.

Doodle in her petunia costume waiting for her turn to dance.

She is cute and she knows it. It was so hard to keep her out of the costumes before the night of the program. We had to try really hard to keep them clean and nice, but she just wanted to play in them and put them on every day. Now that the program is over she has not asked too wear them even once. Silly girl.

Baby Apples

My orchard is officially started! Last Saturday we Planted our first row of apple trees. We started by pulling out the nasty "spider bushes" form the front yard. I have no clue what the real name of these bushes is. We just call them spider bushes because spiders LOVE to build their homes in them. GROSS! I have hated those ugly bushes since day one. It only took 3 1/2 years to get rid of them! Good Riddance! The brick wall is next to come out and that area will become our raspberry patch.

Dubs thought the holes we dug for the trees was so cool to jump over. The kids had such a fun time "helping" plant the trees. You know how much help 3 year olds are. But we really wanted to make it fun for them so they could feel it was their orchard too. I love working with my kids. It feels a lot like playing to me. They were so excited.

We got two golden delicious and two Macintosh apple trees. The golden delicious trees already has tiny baby apples on them. They are so cute. We will end up cutting them of this year because the trees are still too little to support them. They need to focus on growing this year.

They need lots of water and lots of love!

Here is our cute little Doodle with her tree. Her favorite food in the whole world is apples. I think we picked the right fruit tree to start with!

Dishwasher in Training

Our 3 year old, Dubs is absolutely obsessed with playing in the water. It does not matter where the water comes from.

The sink, a water fountain, the hose, the sprinklers, the tub and yes even the toilet.

If he is quiet too long I can always find him playing in the water somewhere. When he was about a year old I left him at my sisters house for some reason or another. I forgot to warn her of his water obsession.

She found him IN her toilet playing like it was the best invention ever. He actually climbed all the way in with the help of a stool like a baby swimming pool.

He never forgot how handy stools can be and now finds something to climb up on any chance he can get.

When we were at the Library last week I ran over to the grown up section to find a book *gasp* for me. I know, what was I thinking? When I came back there was Dubs on the stool playing in the water fountain.

He found out that if you put your finger in the spout while you turn it on it will spray EVERYWHERE. I was gone at most 2 minutes and he had water all over himself, the floor, the walls and the little girl he was teaching his naughty habits to. I was so embarrassed.

So we decided to put his bad habits to good use.

We have him brain washed into thinking doing the dishes is fun because he can play in the water without getting in trouble. He thinks it is the coolest thing ever. We had to get it on video so we can show it to him when he's a teenager. We can say

"See, you LOVE doing dishes, you must have just forgotten."

He is quite a cute little dish washer!