A Tribute to My Granddad

My granddad was a great navigator, able to read the clouds and move around and through storms, able to locate and set down a small Helio plane on tiny mountain airstrips. And now he’s home, the direction his heart has always pointed.

Granddad grew up an athlete. He wanted to run in college, but when that dream failed due to struggles with illness, he attended Bible school instead. He dreamed of becoming a pilot, but couldn’t enter the Air Force because of his susceptibility to bronchitis. He committed his life to full-time Christian service, believing that he belonged to the Lord, and that if the Lord wanted his dreams to happen, they would.

Granddad met my nana at a Wycliffe school in Norman, Oklahoma. He didn’t pursue her before first asking her age. Gentleman that he was, he wanted to make sure he was being appropriate in his pursuit. He spent further time with Nana at Jungle Camp in Ecuador and there proposed to her. Nana’s mom, Sarah (my namesake) gave him her diamond for Nana’s engagement ring.
God did provide for Granddad to become a pilot. Wycliffe needed jungle pilots and Granddad became the only pilot Wycliffe ever paid to train.

Granddad was circling for a while. I noticed in Thanksgiving 2022 when I called him on the phone. He kept repeating himself, but he was repeating over and over that we should thank the Lord. I could not complain. I knew he was slipping when he called my cell phone and talked to me like my mom, his daughter. He did not quite get details of my life right when he realized who he was talking to, but he remembered my husband's career, and that made me smile.

I saw him last December 28, 2023. He was sitting in a wheelchair in his nursing home room. He did not quite remember who I was, but I think he eventually got it. We spent the hour I was there looking at family photos. He got several names wrong, but still seemed to remember who went with whom. He noted that he liked pictures because it reminded him to pray. It was music to my ears when he read scriptures aloud from some of the cards on his dresser.

When I went to go, Granddad tried several times to lift himself out of his wheelchair. “I want to walk you out,” he said. I reassured him that it was not necessary, that he could rest.
As I turned to close his doors, I heard him say, “I guess I won't be seeing you again.” Tears sprung to my eyes. I was not sure if he meant on my current visit, or eternity, and to comfort him, I replied about the present moment.

“No, I have to fly home soon,” I said.

I knew that most likely that I would not see him again, though, at least this side of heaven and I didn't. He took a short flight home to glory on Saturday, May 31^st, after a rapid decline in health experienced the day before.

Granddad is now a citizen a citizen of heaven. He has landed and is finally home. Though I will see him here on earth no more, I have confidence that I will see after I, too, take my final flight. Granddad trusted Jesus as his Savior and in part because of the legacy he left his family, I do, too.

Eats and Empties (Week 23)

The Eats:

Blueberry babka (Sally's Baking Addiction)

Coq au vin (Recipe Tin Eats)-Made by my husband

Easy homemade chicken gravy (Creme de la Crumb)

Peanut butter chocolate crunch bars (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Philly cheesesteak pasta (Meal Prep in an Instant)

The Empties:

Jar of applesauce
Box of beef brother

Five pound bag of carrots

Bag of chocolate chips

Carton of 18 eggs
Frozen egg scramble (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Graham crackers
Container of Greek yogurt
Two bags of frozen green beans
Frozen lentil potato soup (Running on Real Food)
Old lima beans

A pound of mushrooms
Jar of Costco peanut butter
Bottle of red wine for cooking
Box of whole wheat penne pasta
Box of whole wheat rotini pasta

Tuna

What went to waste:   

A little bit of lettuce I had to trim off

Driving vs. Flying

I have not talked about it much, but we got a new car this year, not because we wanted to do so, but because the other new car we bought didn't work out for us. As such, we decided to go on some road trips this year. We have never gone on road trips longer than a day, and that was years ago, when we went to Colorado for our honeymoon. First we, (I mean my husband) drove to Oakland for my half marathon race. That was a twelve hour day, but doable since we had plenty of physical activity scheduled the next few days. After the race, drove seven hours to Big Bear. That was also okay, as it was only a day, and after I had exerted all the physical energy I wanted to for that time period. It was only six hours home the following day, and that was that.

This past week, we decided to drive to Texas to visit my family. That was a two day ordeal one-way: 10 hours the first day (plus two hours with time change), and six the second. On the way back, we did six, six, and six. All together, we were gone seven days, five of them being traveling days. We said we wanted to try some road trips and see what we thought. Well, I am here to tell you, I'm going for flying next time.

There are plenty of pros to driving. We can take as much luggage as will fit in our car. We can pack our own snacks, liquids and refrigerated items included (if we have a cooler). Driving may be better for people with immunity issues, as it exposes a person to less crowds. Driving gives flexibility (McCool Travel, n.d.). Driving is great for getting a feel for topography. Driving is great if we want to stop and sight-see. Driving is great when we just have one or two things we want to do in an area (as on the half-marathon drip). Driving can have a lower carbon footprint (if a person values that type of thing), but it depends somewhat on distance (Sunkara, 2022). In some cases, driving may save money, but only if we plan our drive for efficiency rather than some of the other above benefits for driving. In short, driving has its benefits.

Driving has its drawbacks, too. It's easy to overpack, which means more work before and after the trip. The length of the trip means a need for more food (multiple meals versus one or none when flying), which can increase cost. Driving can be painful, especially for those with certain health issues like back conditions (Regenerative Spine & Joint Center, 2023) or circulatory problems. Driving may not always be better for the environment (Sierra Club, 2024), and driving is not always cheaper. Our recent trip cost just about the same amount as it would have cost to fly, and that was with only eating out two meals over the course of our five travel days. (We packed a lot of food and kind family and friends we visited fed us the other times.) All in all, driving did not come out on top.

I have decided after this trip that in most cases, I prefer flying. I would rather fly than drive because it it one expense, versus multiple (hotels, food, gas, etc.) to track. I would rather fly because I don't have the mental burden of meal planning and meal prep for the road. I would rather fly because, although luggage rules are annoying, they constrain my packing and make me more efficient. I would rather fly because it means (in many cases) I can sleep all of my travel nights in the same bed (versus in four places), as with our most recent trip. I would rather fly because it gives me more days in a place, especially when that place is with family. Flying is also statistically safer (Smith, 2025). When factoring in the value of time, flying often comes out as more affordable (see, for example, the Travel Math calculator). In the end, I would rather fly because I like to fly. 

I was hesitant about these road trips because I feared how I would fare on them. All in all, I was able to stay busy crocheting, reading, and sleeping, so the actual experience was not too terrible. I did not hurt too bad, at least for most of the trips. I was able to get in early morning workouts before each day of travel, which helped my squirminess. The big thing driving had going for it in my mind, though, was affordability. (I really like to save money.) When it did not turn out to give us that much of an edge, though, and when I cried because my time with my family was too short, that was it for me. I will drive if I have to, but otherwise, sign me up for the flight.

--

Blog readers, how do you prefer to travel? What pros and cons of driving and flying did I miss? Please share in the comments section!

References:

McCool Travel. (n.d.). 8 great reasons to drive instead of fly. https://www.mccooltravel.com/8-great-reasons-drive-instead-fly/

Regenerative Spine & Joint Center. (2023, July 27). Car driving and lumbar disk pain. https://regenerativespineandjoint.com/2023/07/27/car-driving-and-lumbar-disc-pain/

Sierra Club Redwood Chapter. (2024, June 1). Emissions from flying or driving? Which is worse? By a member of the California Sierra Club's climate committee. https://www.sierraclub.org/redwood/napa/blog/2024/06/emissions-flying-or-driving-which-worse-member-california-sierra-club-s

Smith, E. (2025, March 26). Driving vs flying: A comprehensive travel comparison. https://www.blacklane.com/en/blog/travel/flying-vs-driving-a-comprehensive-travel-comparison/

Sunkara, L. (2022, May 19). Which is worse for the environment: Driving or flying? Reader's Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/which-is-worse-for-the-environment-driving-or-flying/

Travel Math. (n.d.). TravelMath.com.

Everything I Read in May

I am back to reading! Our vacation helped me fit in a few books, and after that, I made steady progress, helped along by a second road trip we just ended. I am trying to read some different books, more life books than chick-flick romance. Don't get me wrong. I like the happily ever after stories, but they can tend to pull me in to the point that I might get too invested in fantasy and not as invested in real life. Some of the real life books I read this month were hard, but some were good. And I still wish I read more than I was on social media, again, not an entirely bad thing, but something that I would like to do less of. With that being said, here's what I read:

28) A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman—Andie Phelps and Melanie Johnston both lost their sons in a tragic accident. They are currently losing so much more. This book follows both of their journeys through grief and recovery from it. There is a twist in the end that involves Andie’s friend Christi that doesn’t quite fit with the theme, but I will leave that to readers to assess. Although maybe not the most memorable books I’ve read, this is still a good one. The reminders about God’s forgiveness and salvation, however, are worthy promises they endure.

29) Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman—Kelli Huddleston starts a journal entitled “Finding Kelli” after losing her father and stepmother in a car crash. In the wake of their deaths, though, she discovers that all she knows of herself might be false. She takes a cross-country road trip to explore links to truth, renaming her journal, “Finding Me.” This book had me intrigued, near tears, and rejoicing. The gospel message is not quite as strong as in A Promise to Remember, but it is there, and let me tell you, this is a story to remember.

30) The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer—This is a good book, one about accepting and living within limits. The practices of silence and solitude, Sabbath, simplicity, and slowing are good ones—ones I don’t know I can fully practice, but as Comer states, they’re about practice, not arriving. The goal is Jesus, and apprenticeship under Him. Ultimately, that’s what eliminating hurry is about, living in the present with Jesus and who He made us to be. I can get behind that, and I also do see the cost, at least in a worldly sense.

31) Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman—Lauren Summers has an eye for fashion design, and an internship to help her get her foot in the door for a career, that is until a new starlet has a “wardrobe malfunction” that ruins everything. Lauren becomes the fall girl and hides to stay out of the limelight. Her new “job” designing costumes for a high school theater production is hard work, and her neighbor Charlotte Montgomery is even harder. Lauren keeps hearing the scripture, “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land,” and does not really know what it means, that is until the end of the story. This book has a little bit of mystery and intrigue, some history, a dash of romance, and a lot of perseverance and hard work and listening to the Lord. I liked this book!

32) Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman—Readers return to Shoal Creek (also the setting for Waiting for Daybreak) as Grace Graham faces her family and an onslaught of health issues. Grace has always run from problems, but can she now stay put? Can she learn to trust God and others? The author's pharmacist past definitely informs the portrayal of a measles outbreak in this story, as well as the discussion of vaccines. All in all, though, it is a great story about facing fears, forgiveness, and learning to love others, especially when their viewpoints differ from one's own. I enjoyed this book!

33) Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It by Jennie Allen—This is by far one of the best books about emotions by a lay person that I have read. In it, author, Bible teacher, and speaker Jennie Allen not only vulnerably shares her own struggles with emotions, but also makes a case for emotions not as good or bad, but as gifts from God to help people connect with God and with others. Allen presents practical and professional solutions for untangling emotions, and provides hope that this untangling is possible, maybe not completely, but in a way that can connect and enrich life. I highly recommend this book to lay people and professionals alike. It provides both a strong and accessible theology of emotions, one from which I think every person can benefit!

34) Me Time: The Self-Care Guide That Transforms You from Surviving to Thriving by Jessica Sanders—Written by a social worker, this is an accessible book about self-care, and more than that, about self-awareness. Sanders writes in a gentle and kind way, encouraging readers to check in with themselves and ask what they need. She suggests carving out time for self-care, and offers idea about how to practice self care in 1, 5, 10, and 30 minutes; and 1, 2, and 4 hour plus hours. Some cute abstract art and cutes make this a fun, easy reference guide that could be good for healthcare lobbies, and maybe even the coffee table!

35) Leaving Yesterday by Kathryn Cushman—This book was a tough one for me to read. Alisa and Rick are separated. There are not one, but two violent crimes (not described in too much detail, but enough). The characters fight lots of temptations, giving into some and resisting others. This book was a good, real, true-to-life, book, but a bit too close to reality for me to really enjoy it. It is hopeful, though, and hopeful in a real-life, consequences-happen way. Read somberly, I guess is what I am saying.

36) 36) Tender Grace by Jackina Stark—I had a hard time getting into this book. Written in daily journal style, it was good, and rich, but slow, and maybe that’s the point. It is the story of new widow Audrey Eaton and the trip she takes from Missouri to the west coast to reclaim her life and learn more about God and his tender graces. With some exposition of the gospel of John, insights about grief, and even some laugh out loud moments, this book has gifts to offer, perhaps to those in new life stages such as Audrey’s most of all.

37) Fire on Ice: The Exclusive Inside Story of Tonya Harding by Abby Haight and J.E. Vance and the Staff of The Oregonian—Written in 1994 by the staff of The Oregonian, “the first to report almost every development in the [Tonya Harding] case,” this is an expose of Harding’s ups and downs, from her early life, to her on- and off-again marriage, to financial struggles, to crime. Ultimately, it shows how her “husband” (in quotation marks because they were officially divorced) paid his friend and a group of thugs (out of Phoenix, Arizona, no less!) to injure Harding’s competitor Nancy Kerrigan, and hopefully give Harding a competitive edge. Harding gave lots of excuses to try to cover up her knowledge of the operation, but it is pretty clear that she knew about it. As the authors concluded about her potential appearance at the Olympics that year:

“Tonya Harding will be there because the man she married, and loved, and lived with paid money to thugs so they would whack the current national champion in the leg. Harding will be there because her lawyers threatened to sue to the hilt anyone who tried to prevent her from going.

But most of all, she will be there because she doesn’t know any better, because she doesn’t know what else to do. Tonya Harding learned very early that life is unfair and she has been told, over and over, that life has been particularly unfair to her. She learned that winning is all-important, that it brings love and respect and, especially money. She learned that violence is a way to solve problems.”

This is a sad story all the way through, and a cautionary tale against letting winning become the be-all, end-all, because when it does, it’s a fire that consumes everything.

38) Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens by Kate Bowler—Another beauty from the prolific Kate Bowler, this book focuses its devotionals around caring for self and others not in the good days, but in the terrible ones, and finding God in the midst of them. The book contains devotionals for everyday hard seasons, as well as for Lent and Advent. Each short meditation contains a preamble, poem, and reflection question. It can be read daily, or in sections. Not every meditation hit home, but many really did, making this book get a thumbs up recommendation from me.

39) Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish—This is a bit of a heavy book. Part fiction, part sourdough cookbook, and part history of bread, it follows Wild Rise bakery owner Liesel as she navigates her past, present, and future. Liesl's mother passed on to her not only a history of baking, but stones for bread in terms of a history of mental illness that left Liesl motherless at an early age. The book covers difficult topics like self-harm, divorce, learning disabilities, and heaps of grief. It is good, but hard to read, and definitely emotional. The recipes, well, they look challenging, but delicious! All in all this was a good read, but one readers need to read when they are ready to take a big bite, because it is a mouthful!

40) Thin Ice: The Complete Uncensored Story of Tonya Harding, America's Bad Girl of Ice Skating by Frank Coffey and Joe Layden—Another book about Tonya Harding, though not really with anything new to offer. This expose was slightly shorter than Fire on Ice, and still implicates Tonya Harding as more involved with the attack on Nancy Kerrigan than she let on. It also shows just how unprofessional the attack ring was, dubbing them “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.” The whole tale really is what the author sets it out to be: a tragedy of misplaced aims, affections, and agreements. How much about the attack on Kerrigan Harding knew will probably never be known. What is true is that Harding and her companions skated on thin ice and feel through, to all of their demises.

41) Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish —Fostering an abandoned infant brings Abbi and Benjamin Patil together, at least for a time. Sharing a few interests, but also diametrically different, they each wrestle with their own demons. Abbi struggles with an eating disorder, infertility, and memories of past sexual abuse. Benjamin wrestles with PTSD after fighting in Afghanistan. Then there is sub character Matthew Savoie, who struggles with symptoms of Alport Syndrome. This wasn’t a bad book, but once again a heavy read, and one that seems to wrap up a dark night of the soul a bit too quickly after taking up most of the book. If you choose to ready this book, watch over yourself, because it may bring up some stuff.

Eats and Empties (Week 22)

The Eats:

No cooking for us this week! We were traveling and came home to eat food I thawed out of the freezer.

The Empties:

Frozen bacon

Bag of beef jerky
Luker chocolate squares
Bag of frozen green beans
Five pound bag of potatoes

Bag of pretzel rods

Frozen spicy enchilada casserole (Meal Prep in an Instant)
Bag of trail mix

What went to waste:   

Thanks to the freezer, nothing that I know of!

Strong(er) in May

It's been back to the "rat race" after our first vacation, and now a second one. I hoped to carry some of the ease and joy of vacation back into real life, and at moments, it seems like I have. Other times, it seems like I have just fallen right back into the rut of rush, rush, rush, and fail to enjoy life.

Vacation itself was a victory for our marriage, though. By God's grace, I did not drive my husband nuts despite spending almost 24 hours straight with him for four days on end (and a lot of that in a car hurtling down the highway at high speeds). In fact, I missed him the first day we went back to work. Being apart just felt weird! I guess we still like each other. We survived an almost seven day road, trip, too. Praise the Lord!

God is growing us in our teamwork. We tend to do things pretty differently, but we have been able to tag-team a few things. I called the doctor and left a message. He was able to coordinate with the doctor. I ask a question. He gets the answer. I prep for the company. He cooks for and serves the company. We have failed many times in our collaboration, but I praise God for each and every success.

The Bay Bridge Half was a physical victory for me. Praise the Lord for my fastest half-marahton yet! I think I *might* be making progress in my pull-up program, but I also want to be careful. Several men I know have tendonitis/tendinopathy from doing too many pull-ups. I hope not to get that! I continue to do physical therapy exercises, too. I think I now need those for both my dystonia and my running career.

Spiritually, I don't think I am stagnating, but maybe I am just steady? At least I hope so. I can't name a whole lot of mountaintop moments, but I seek to continue in my spiritual disciplines of weekly prayer time and dedicated Bible reading. The Spirit is showing me how much I worry on a daily basis, and convicting me to pray more. That is a growth area, for sure!

All in all, I am thankful for this month. May God continue to grow me stronger in him, stronger in the body and life he has given me, and stronger in my marriage, for his glory and my good.

Eats and Empties (Week 21)

The Eats:

Instant Pot baked potatoes (Platings + Pairings)

Lamb and feta meatballs with tomato sauce (The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook)

The Empties:

Frozen easy sourdough bagels (Lion's Bread)
Frozen blueberries
Five pound bag of carrots

Two pound bag of cheese

Frozen cauliflower rice
Container of feta cheese
Two packages of frozen green beans
Green pepper
Package of sandwich ham
Container of Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
Ground lamb

Mom's pancakes
Raisins

Reese's bananas

Box of spaghetti

Can of crushed tomatoes
Can of tomato sauce

Frozen big-batch white beans (Epicurious)

What went to waste:  

Nothing that I know of!

Afghan 85

Another one done! This was not my favorite blanket to crochet. Something about it just seemed tedious. Despite not using bulky yarn as instructed, this blanket did work up pretty quickly, though. (Double crochet blankets tend to do that.) The ombre color effect was not intended, but rather a result of different dye lot yarns. (I have never had a dye lot difference be this apparent, but there is a first time for everything.) Overall, I am both pleased with this blanket and glad it is done!

Hook: size J Boye ergonomic crochet hook

Yarn:

Mainstays white

Loops & Threads sage

Pattern: 

Quick and easy blanket (Sierra's Crafty Creations)

Finished size: 31 x 40 inches (not standard, but that's pretty standard for me!)

Eats and Empties (Week 20)

The Eats:

Bircher muesli (How Sweet Eats)

Egg scramble (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Hearty lentil and potato soup (Hummusapien)

Lemon chicken with potatoes (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Orange sweet rolls (Sally's Baking Addiction)

The Empties:

Fresh asparagus
Package of bacon
Box of baking soda
Bag of beef jerky
Fresh broccoli
Two pound bag of frozen broccoli

Brown n' serve sausage
Dried cherries

Frozen chicken
Cilantro
Corn tortillas

Carton of 18 eggs
Dark Duo chocolate

Frozen garlic
Container of Greek yogurt
Old lentils

Half gallon of milk

Trader Joe's mochi rice nuggets

Old onions
Orange
Pickles

Baby portobello mushrooms

Five pound bag of potatoes

Ten pound bag of potatoes
Head of romaine lettuce
Seventy-ounce jar of salsa
Sour cream

What went to waste:  

A few cilantro leaves, but I got what we needed out of the bunch and composted the rest, so only minor "waste," if any

The Shaping Hands of Mothers

The older I get, the more I realize I have been shaped by my mom. Although I am not a mom, I have faith in Jesus because of my mom. I value homecooking because of my mom. My mom taught me to budget shop and save money. My mom continually models selfless service and sacrifice. My mom is a faithful prayer warrior and a steady encourager. My mom is a great nana to my brother's kids and so thoughtful in the way that she interacts with them. My mom is wise in all areas, and especially in health. My mom knows the Bible inside and out and models regular time in it. My mom walks daily, even though she has pain. My mom is a beautiful pianist and taught me how to play the piano. My mom can sing harmony with or without music, and knows hundreds of hymns. My mom works tirelessly, sometimes to her own detriment, but because she values excellence. I love my mom and I am so thankful for her!

Now that I am married, I am shaped by my mother-in-laws. I have spent less time with them than with my own mom, but I am shaped by the vast quantities of time I spend with their son, my husband. They value communication and joy. They like to celebrate holidays. They have shaped my husband into a flexible, empathetic, caring human who cares for me. They have taught him about food and travel and appreciating the little things. My life is enriched because of the ways that they enriched the life of my husband. 

I give thanks for the other mothers in my life, too: for my sister-in-law for the great wife she is to my brother, and the great mother she is to my adorable niece and nephew. She is so creative and caring! It gives me great joy to see the ways that she is raising them in the Lord. 

On the other side of my family, I have sisters-in-laws who share family recipes and teach me about the culture of my husband's family. They bring to me experiences that are meaningful to my husband, and enrich my life. Thank you, sisters-in-law!

I value my friends who are mothers, too. They give and sacrifice and give some more. What a delight to see them also raising their children to know Jesus!

So on this Mother's Day, I give thanks to God for all the mother's in my circle: my own mother, my husband's mothers, my sister-in-law, and my friends who are mothers. You are all doing a great job, and I send all of you my love.

Happy Mother's Day!

Real Life Marriage: Asking Instead of Assuming.

"I was doing this for you," He said. 

"And I thought we were doing this for you," I replied.

And there we stood at an impasse on the corner of the street, on a windy day in San Francisco.

I had asked to come to California to run a race, this is true. I thought that morning when I asked what he wanted to do for the day, though, that we could do something for him. He was insistent that this trip was for me, though so he had planned the day around what he thought I wanted to do.

The problem was that neither of us had asked what the other wanted. We thought we knew. He thought that I wanted to go to San Francisco. I thought he knew that I wanted him to take the day for himself. Our hearts were good, but our communication was not.

I am thankful that God blessed with me a husband who wants to do nice things for me. I hope that sometimes I can do nice things for him. In order for these nice things to happen, though, we have to communicate. We have the realize that we are not the other person, and instead of assuming, we have to ask what the other person wants. Yes, it is arduous. Yes, it is sometimes not fun, but it leads to more success in the end.

Thankfully, by talking out our missteps, we were able to salvage our San Francisco trip. We ordered a Waymo. We saw some sights. We ate sourdough at the famous Boudin Bakery. We took some pictures at Fisherman's Wharf. We went back to our hotel. 

Was it a perfect day? No. Was it a learning day? Yes. By God's grace, for our good, and to His glory, may we continue to do so. In Jesus' name, amen!

Eats and Empties (Week 19)

The Eats:

Blueberry waffles (Oatrageous Oatmeals)

Easy chocolate cake with four-ingredient healthy frosting (Big Man's World)

Protein tortillas (Fit Foodie Finds)

Spicy pork carnitas (Meal Prep in an Instant)

The Empties:

Apples
Jar of applesauce
Bag of beef jerky

Five pound bag of carrots
Box of chicken broth
Container of Costco cinnamon

Frozen cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels (The Pantry Mama)
Frozen corn

Dried cranberries (Craisins)
Bag of Crio Bru
Two cans of green chiles

Frozen Hawaiian pork (The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook)

Frozen homemade pizza sauce (Budget Bytes)
Two pound bag of Monterey Jack cheese
Two pound bag of mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Box of strawberry pop-tarts
Frozen peppers and onions
Head of romaine lettuce
One can of tomatoes with green chiles
Bag of trail mix

What went to waste:  

The potatoes had some bad spots, but I cut them out and used what I could.

I did throw away some pork broth I froze, but then did not use.

(Not) All the California Things

I wrote all about the half marathon in my recap post, but I realized that I forgot to share about all of the other things we did in California! We saw a lot of the state, but definitely did not even dip our toes into all it had to offer.

(Well, before we got to California we stopped in a town called Quartzite. I was befuddled by all of the camel statues. My husband explained that the camel driver Hadji Ali had settled in Quartzite.)

We saw a lot of the California countryside on our drive to Oakland. I did not realize California had so many orchards: almond, avocado, cherry, citrus, olive, and more!

Oakland was an interesting city. Our hotel was downtown, and we saw a lot of poverty around the hotel, combined with some nicer spots just a few blocks further out. We walked through the First Fridays event to get dinner, and then I ran to Lake Merritt on the shakeout Saturday morning. Other than the bridge, that was about all we saw of Oakland.

We stayed at The Moxy, not the nicest hotel, but not the worst either. The rooms struck me as dorm-room like, with a small footprint, no plush furniture, and only a small fold-down desk. The room had a refrigerator, though, so win! Our window also looked out over the city, which I enjoyed.

Saturday afternoon, we traveled into San Francisco. This was a pricey trip! It cost us $20 each just to get BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) cards. I got confused trying to figure out which line to ride into the city. Fortunately my directionally savvy husband got us there. We planned to ride the cable cars when we got into San Francisco, but the line was very long, so we decided to book a Waymo down to the wharf. That was an added expense, but a good decision. (Side note: We use Waymo quite a bit in Phoenix, but apparently it is a wonder to others, as we got lots of looks at stop signs, and especially when I rolled down my window to take photos.)

As noted in my recap, I did not want to walk too far, so we settled for a short walk along the wharf and then lunch at Boudin Bakery. This bakery has a sit down restaurant, as well as a to-go counter (where we ordered). There is a glass window where people can watch bakers make the sourdough from outside. Inside the building, there is a store and also a bakery selling whole loaves of bread and other goodies (like the turtle I ordered). I one-hundred percent recommend a visit if in the Bay area!

We rode an old bus back to the BART station. (Thank goodness, as it would have been a long walk.) It was interesting to see more of the city as we went.

After the race, we drove down to Big Bear. We planned to stop for burgers along the way, but found the place we intended closed. We settled on In-N-Out, but the first one was packed. We found another location and it was packed, too, at 3 pm on a Sunday afternoon! I guess Californians really like their In-N-Out!

Driving to Big Bear was a bit of a shock to the system. After a beautiful sunny day at the ocean, we came to a forest with fresh snow! Thankfully our cozy little cabin had heat!

My husband booked our Sleepy Forest cabin through AirBnB. The cabin was essentially one room, but that one room housed a nice bed, couch, eating nook, jacuzzi tub, closet, bathroom, sink, and refrigerator. It was just right for the time we had.

We planned to go hiking Monday, but woke up to rain. Each hour, the forecast would predict the rain clearing the next hour, but then about 15-30 minutes in, the rain forecastwould extend. My husband suggested going to the grocery store for food to kill some time. While there, we saw lots of what appeared to be backpackers. We later learned that Big Bear is near the Pacific Crest Trail.

After walking around Von's for what felt like a long time, we returned home with our food. It was still raining. I prayed for it to lift as we drove around the lake and to the Discovery Center. The nice guide there told us about the local eagles and about places to go for a walk. The rain finally started to clear, and we headed for the Stanfield Marsh Boardwalk. This is technically over the marsh, but for an Arizona girl, it looked like a lake. It was so cool to walk out over the water. After reaching the end of that path we turned around the other way and walked out to a point on the lake. It was super cool. Thank you, Lord, that the rain let us get out!

We ate our lunch back at the cabin and I napped. We wanted to go out for Mexican food in the evening since it was Cinco de Mayo. I felt nervous about finding an open restaurant, but we had no trouble. We dined at Azteca Grill and were in and out in 30-45 minutes. Our waiter was so kind and attentive, which made the experience even more enjoyable. And the food, was overly ample and delicious! My husband got the Don Juan burrito with two meats. (He said he could barely fit it all in his stomach.) I got the mole verde and took half home. I have never had mole verde, but it was a delicious creamy sauce that went great with the chicken, and repurposed, made for great chicken tacos!

We went to bed early that night, as we needed to leave early in the morning. I got out just at daybreak to see the lake one more time and catch the sunrise. Driving out of Big Bear on the Rim of the World highway made me hold on for dear life (NOT because of my husband's driving, but because of the height and curves and fog), but we made it.

Other than the steep roads, I would definitely go back to Big Bear. It was so clean and fresh and friendly. We saw tons of things (like the mineshaft coaster) we would like to do, but did not have time to do this time. With Big Bear only about six hours from us, maybe we will make a repeat trip?

I would say we got our time's worth out of the few days we spent in California. There is certainly more to do, but maybe that is what means to have had a good vacation? That we budgeted our time and enjoyed it rather than packing things in because of the fear of missing out? Thank you, Lord, for an amazing trip!

Bay Bridge Half Marathon

Praise the Lord, it's been a pretty epic year of running. To cap it all off, I really wanted to run one last race on my birthday. It is already quite hot in Arizona, which led me to look outside the state for races. I intended to look closer to home, but then this one caught my eye: The Bay Bridge Half Marathon, a marathon that ran across a bay to an island and back, with a decent host hotel price, an included a technical jacket, and free race photos. I was sold! I told my husband that this would be a dream race. He wasn't keen on going to California for a race, but he agreed to try to make it happen.

The Training:

I told myself that I could "party-pace" the race and did not need to train hard, but then my competitive side kicked in. I started trying to add miles onto my Sub-45 minute 10K plan from Run to make them add up to half-marathon training lengths. (I roughly used the Orange County intermediate half marathon plan for a race that happened at the same time as mine.) I did add a few more miles to the final runs of race week. Two miles and twenty minutes felt too short, so I made them 5K. I started carb loading three days before the race, maybe a bit of overkill, but with running a few extra miles that might have depleted my glycogen stores, it probably did not hurt. (Plus according to my expected race times and Featherstone Nutrition's calculator, I still needed a three-day carb load.)

The Travel:

We drove 12 hours on Friday to get to the race hotel. Well, my husband drove and I rode. I carb loaded okay this day, but definitely did not hydrate as well as I could have. I also got a little stiff and sore during the day, despite running laps around a gas station when we stopped midway through the drive. Thankfully I still had a day to recover before the race.

The Tangents:

Thank the Lord, I got surprisingly good sleep Friday night. I woke up bright and early at 5:20 am and started the day. I ate breakfast around 7 am, and that was probably too late, because I was hungry! I had wanted to try out my race day breakfast, but as it was, I needed more food, so I ate more: a banana, cinnamon raisin bagel, strawberry pop-tart, and my own version of Nesquik with added salt (1 tablespoon of sugar, plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa, and about 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt).

I went down for the shakeout run around 9 am and chatted with the other runners. The 9:30 am run took us down to Lake Merritt and back. The group was small, I would say 20 or less. We stopped at 0.95 miles in for a rest, and then got back to our starting point about 2.1 miles. I wanted more time on feet, so I took off for another mile.

Packet pick-up was easy. I grabbed my bib and jacket and a few freebies and then got photos with my bib. My husband and I traversed to San Francisco after that. I worried about food and time on feet, but I think we did okay. My husband found busses and a Waymo to keep from walking endless miles. I ate a sourdough turtle from Boudin Bakery instead of my lunch bagel which worked out just great. Once again, my hydration was probably not as on point as it could have been. I had set out a water bottle to take with us, but I forgot it.

We came back from our adventure and I took about an hour nap. Then I laid out my flat runner and got ready for the morning. (I also had my husband take these flat runner pictures when I was in bed, as I had seen others do so and found their photos funny.) I ate an earlier dinner. We played Scrabble. I read my Bible. Then it was shower and snack time, and to bed.

Overall, I was quite a bit more lax with my race prep this time around. I was more flexible with the foods in my carb load (like sourdough discard banana bread and the turtle). I ate more carbs overall. I ate more pop-tarts. I took more liberties with my training plan (adding, subtracting, and breaking up miles). I did what people say not to do and took a little vacation before the race. All of this led to more and less anxiety about race day. Overall, I wanted to approach the race with curiosity and have fun. (I wrote, "Choose Joy" on my bib for this reason).

My goals for this race were:

A 1:50, 8:20/mile

B 1:55, 8:25/mile

C Get some good race photos. 

Based on my Pat's Run pace, My Pro Coach said I could run a 1:44:38 half. Based on my 10K, it went up to 1:45:18. Based on my last 5K, it went up to 1:51:11. Anything less than my 1:52:52 personal record was good in my book, and I told myself that if I just had to fun run it, I would, because that was what I ultimately wanted, to have fun!

Doing the Thing

Race morning

I am a planner and had race morning mapped out by the minute. Wake-up at 5 am. Breakfast of a strawberry poptart (with frosting and sprinkles, because this was a celebration run!) and RNWY collagen in coffee at 6:15 am. (I recently started drinking caffeinated coffee before running because Sports Scientist Jonah Rosner says it can enhance performance.) Getting coffee was as bit interesting, as our hotel elevators broke and I had to climb six flights of stairs down and back up again. It was a good warm-up, I guess.

Walk downstairs at 6:45 am. (I felt race nerves, so I tried to read while we waited for our Uber to the start area. I also used the bathroom again during this time.) Catch our short 15 minute ride to the start line at 7:05 am. After that, plans were a but more fluid. I immediately used the restroom, and then sat on the curb for a few minutes to rest my legs. I did a 0.6 mile shakeout run with a few strides, and then used the bathroom at again. I lined up at 7:45 am. I took a pumpkin spice GU gel at 8:00 am, and then participated in the pre-race yoga stretch. At 8:15 am, we were off!

Miles 1-3

I tried to keep up with the 1:50 pacers, but they were going out fast! I figured that I had to run 8:20 minutes/mile to break 1:50. They were running around 8:00 minutes/mile, so I decided to drop back and run my own race. I roughly planned to follow Jess Do It's 1:45 half plan, and 8:00/mile was not in the cards.

Miles 1-3 were flat and I kept about an 8:05 pace. I thought I was doing pretty good until mile 5 when I noticed my pace slowing to around 8:15/mile. We were running up the bridge, though, so it was all good. I had been sipping on an 8 ounce water bottle throughout this time and took my first gel, a caffeinated birthday cake GU, at 30 minutes. I waved at every photographer I saw and just tried to enjoy the bridge views. They were beautiful.

Miles 6-10 

The turnaround was at 6.5. I had finished my water by now and took a cup from the table. I drank some of it and poured the rest down my back. I took a few shots of the views and kept on trucking. As I ran back, I got to cheer on runners coming my way. This was one of my favorite parts. Things felt good, so I just kept hollering. I took a caffeinated chocolate GU gel at 60 minutes, sans water since I had none, but this was a thicker gel, so I could kind of chew it and keep going. I was clocking under eight minutes a mile going down the bridge here.

Miles 11-finish 

Things started to flatten out, but I just kept going. I knew I could run 7:41 minutes/mile for a 10K, and faster for other races, so surely I could keep an 8:00 minutes a mile or less pace. It was a little hot, but I just kept going. I briefly thought about a 90 minute gel, but then I was close to the finish and forgot about it. A man with a "God loves you" shirt was running around me at this time. Some people on the sidelines saw my bib and cheered, "Choose Joy." I thought. I prayed. I celebrated.

I had read in reviews of this race that the course was a little short. It seemed this way coming in, so I ran hard to the finish. I pointed my finger up because I wanted to thank God for this race (thought it probably looked more like number one). I thought I might run past the finish, but instead paused my watch to get my medal and glass. I pawned them off on my husband so I could run the little bit more to get 13.1. I wanted to get 13.7 for my 37th birthday. My official race time was 1:42:34. According to my 13.1 run, my time was 1:43:47. In either case, it was a new personal record!

Takeaways:

The finish festival was Epic. They gave us recovery drinks at the finish line, but then almost every vendor had more drinks, from La Colombe coffee, to Yerba Mate energy drinks, to other beverages. They also gave out noodles. (My husband ate these, as they did not appeal to me.) All in all, I would say I got a haul. Along with the tech zip up and free photos, I think this race was way worth it!

We had booked at 10:45 am Uber back to our hotel. Since I finished the race at 10 am, that left us waiting a while, or so we thought. In another blessing from God, the Uber driver came around 10:30, so after all the race goodie collecting, we did not have to wait long!

I felt the burn in my legs as we had to climb six flights of stairs back to our room. When I saw the cleaning ladies hauling linens up and down, though, God convicted me that I needed to stop complaining. I did NOT have things that bad. I chose to run and hurt. They were jsut trying to work!

We headed out of Oakland pretty quickly after I showered and cleaned up, as we had other adventure plans. My neck and shoulders hurt, but other than that, I found the soreness minimal. I felt a little tired, but not exhausted, and I definitely rode the race high for most of the day. As my mom said about my race photos, "You look so happy," and I was/am. This race was truly a gift from God and a great way to celebrate my birthday!

What's next? Well, I am registered to run a half marathon for charity in October. (If you would like to donate, you can do so here.) I would like to go sub 1:45 again, but we will see. Maybe if the Lord allows me to keep running I can eventually run a full marathon at this pace and qualify for Boston? That seemed impossible years ago, but now, maybe! Whatever the case, I give God the glory and thanks for running and whatever experiences I get to have, because as Tara-Leigh Cobble says, "He's where the joy is."