Memorial Day, Birthday, Family

It doesn't get much better than this.

Memorial Day, the 26th, was my birthday. Rick and I went to Winona Lake to spend three wonderful days with Mike, Tammy, the kids and my mom. What fun we had. Arriving late Friday afternoon, Rick and I were attacked by the kids - nothing beats having an 11 yr old and a 9 yr old hug and love on you for a good 10 minutes.

Tammy made homemade strawberry shortcake, just for me and it was absolutely delicious! yum! She was concerned because she had used the wrong measuring cup for the flour - 3/4 instead of 1 cup. So the shortcake was a bit dense - but it had plenty of flavor.

Saturday was spent on the lake. Mike has a deckboat, perfect for fishing or tubing. Eric swears that this is the year he will learn to waterski. I'm looking forward to seeing his progress come July 4th!

Sunday morning Tammy and I walked the 2.5 miles into Winona Lake Village. My incentive for this walk? Fresh coffee and possibly split a danish with Tammy. We took off at 9:30 a.m., got to the coffee shop at 10:20 a.m. (not bad time, if you ask me). What do we see? Nothing. Nothing in the village is open on Sunday - until noon. Oh my. Tammy was hoping for a shot of caffeine, and I admit to hoping for a bite of baked sweet goodness. Oh boy.

So, we sat on the coffee-house porch, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze from the lake. We people-watched, talked about the history of the village, and in general twiddled our thumbs for about 30 minutes. Tammy went to college here at Grace College and is very knowledgeable about Winona Lake's history - check out info about Billy Sunday, the founder of the college and quite the evangelist, and general info about this beautiful area: http://www.winonalake.net/

We decided that my legs were now ready to move, so we walked to the lake. Then we walked two neighborhoods. Then we walked the canal. Then we walked...oh, you get it.

As we rounded the corner of yet another block, and I saw by the town clock that noon was finally within minutes of becoming reality, I shared an idea with Tammy. "Hey, do you think Mom would like to join us for lunch?" Thinking this was a great idea, she used her cell phone and within 10 minutes Mom was driving toward us. She brought Kelly with her and we made the afternoon a girls' day out. The best part? Getting a ride back! Don't tell anyone I said that.

Monday morning was spent saying good-bye - for now. Rick needed to be home before 2 p.m. because he was going to be working out of town for the next few months and wanted to get an early start on the travel. I wanted to get home somewhat early so I could hook up with a few friends before the holiday was over. So, we left at 10 a.m. and got home about 3:00 p.m.

HearIndiana Walk a Success!

I walked the 2.3k and boy am I proud! Carrying this extra 50 lbs is like carrying handweights, ankle weights and a backpack of stuff. But, I did it and can proudly say so.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and donated to the cause. My sister-in-law raised over $650, without really trying :) We're both anxious to start next year's fundraising, stoked to raise more.

HearIndiana received more than their goal of $25,000.

Here are the photos - proof that I did it! LOL

Yeah, it says Runner! I swear the number was random! Believe what you will! LOL

I've caught my breath and agreed to pose with my Aunt Chris, brother Mike, SIL Tammy and the two kids, Eric and Kelly. We've decided that purple really isn't my color.

Proof of movement! Yes, I've been caught in mid-stride. And, I'm only a step or so behind Tammy. We won't mention that I found her pace to be olympic-training speed, or that she slowed down at the 3/4 mark so I wouldn't be lonely.