Oasis

When Josh and I were first married, we lived in the upstairs of a brick oven duplex in the middle of Rockford.Our landlord, Mass, mowed the modest lawn every week or so, and there wasn't really room for a garden. Most of our time outdoors was spent taking walks around the neighborhood in the evenings. It was a respite from the stifling heat of upstairs (our time there remains the only time I can remember showering in cool water on a regular basis), a chance to have those lovely long talks that come in the beginning of marriage, and an escape from the consistent, loud, and resounding shouts our neighbor made for her son every night around 8:00. (We knew almost nothing of them, but we sure as heck knew the little boy next door was named 'BRAAAAAAAANDON!!!!) I loved our duplex, and the memories of our time there are so sweet, but I remember longing for the time when we'd have a yard we could escape to, instead of the cracked sidewalks and busy roads around us.

A couple years later, we moved to Peoria and rented a house from Josh's cousin. It was pretty tiny, and pretty outdated, but we made it work. It had a yard, at least, and a space in the back for a little garden. The yard was mostly clover and riddled with hidden holes, which made for some interesting mowing experiences. Our garden gave us some tomatoes and peppers, as well as some volunteer tomatillos, and so we spent more time outside. But we knew it wasn't forever, and we had also been blessed with yet another interesting neighbor. His name was Eric, and when he was sober, he was nice enough. When he wasn't sober, he'd sit out in his truck (not actually driving, mind you, because of that last D.U.I.), and blast metal, punctuated occasionally by a horn honk or string of expletives. One night, after about an hour of this nonsense, Josh called the police. Eric's response was pretty epic, even though he didn't know it had been us. Needless to say, we didn't spend a whole lot of time outside after that.

And now, the dream has finally been realized. We have woods on three sides, and across the street we have Hans and Jo, a retired couple from the Northeast who could not be sweeter if they tried. (Jo is constantly finding little treats for the girls and loves to tell them they are beyootiful.) And it's taken a lot of work, and a lot of time, and money and ideas and frustration and time and time and money and time and work and work and work, but our yard has finally become the oasis I dreamed about in our stuffy duplex and in our tiny home next door to a psychopath. I love to go outside and look at our flowers or see what's ready to be picked out of the garden. And the best part is, there's so much more work to do, and the ideas are still coming and there are new flowers to plant. And we're not going anywhere.

Here are some recent views around the my little oasis:

Running: One year later

A year ago this month, I put on my old pair of Nikes and went for a run.

For as long as I can remember, I have hated running. I hated feeling like I was breathing through a straw, all while looking like a fish out of water, gasping. I hated that my lungs burned, and my legs burned, and that for hours after I was done I would cough anytime I did something silly like laugh or talk or breath just slightly too deeply. Mostly, I hated that doing something to get in shape made me feel so woefully out of shape.

But last year, I hated how I felt about myself more than I hated running. I was carrying extra weight from having Ellie, which would have been a fine excuse if she hadn't been almost 2. I had expected the weight to fall off like it did with Elaina, so I never changed the way I ate or never exercised, minus a few halfhearted attempts at a Jillian Michaels dvd. Newsflash: doing nothing changes nothing. Who would have thought, right? I was tired of feeling fat. I was tired of being jealous of runners who seemed to effortlessly float down the street. And so I decided that since I hated running, that's exactly what I was going to do.

Tonight, I put on my new pair of Nikes and went for a run.

I was having a bit of a rough night. Mom and Dad and Rachel, Lips, and Nehemiah are on their way to Kenya, and they'll be gone almost a month. Mom called while we were having dinner, and we got to say goodbye to her and Dad, and then I spent the next hour trying rather unsuccessfully not to cry. It's not that I don't want them to go, I just don't want them to go. We had planned on going to the park after dinner to serve as a distraction, but when the girls misbehaved during dinner, that privilege was revoked and I was stuck at home feeling sorry for myself.

Josh suggested I go for a run. Two years ago, I would have laughed in his face.

But tonight, I changed into my running clothes (yes, Erika--the sheltie shirt made an appearance), strapped my phone on my arm, and David Crowder and I went for a run around our neighborhood.

It was humid and bright--perfect running weather. The music had a good beat, and I found my rhythm pretty quickly. I never once felt like I was going to die. I ran for almost a half hour, and when I came home, I felt better.

I don't hate running anymore. I probably still look like a fish gasping for air when I run. I'm not the fastest person out there, and I am so impressed with people who can run any length of race because I haven't worked up the confidence to try myself. I'm not great at it, but I'm not going to quit. And I think that's half the battle, anyway--just putting on my shoes and walking out the door.

(And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to stalking the Flight Aware website that is allowing me to follow my family's flight. One day down, only a bazillion more to go...)

Anniversary getaway

Tomorrow, Josh and I celebrate our 8th anniversary.

He is my best friend, and I can't imagine going through life with anyone else.

Yesterday and today, we had the chance to get away for our anniversary, for the first time in five years. After dropping the girls off with his mom, we drove to LaSalle-Peru and visited the local sights, including a store called Rural King (just as classy as you would imagine), Target (to get swimsuits for our hotel stay), and Steak and Shake for a nutritious, early lunch.

Then, we headed to Matthiessen State Park for an afternoon of hiking. The weather forecast had threatened storms and high winds, so I was nervous that we'd get there just in time for the deluge to begin. Luckily, the storms held off and we enjoyed dappled sunshine and the rustling of a cooling breeze high in the trees. Instead of stormy, the weather was absolutely perfect. And anytime we got close to too hot, we found ourselves having to (or choosing to) walk through the chilly water.

We hiked all afternoon, enjoying various waterfalls, cascades, and one or two unmarked trails. And we talked about where life is taking us, and where we want to go, and laughed over silly memories and how we kept losing our very sensible footwear (flipflops) in some of the muck of the streams. We hadn't been to Matthiessen in five years, but it was just as wonderful as we remembered, and we made many, many great memories this time as well.

After we finished our hike, we stopped for a quick snack and then headed to the Starved Rock Lodge. After checking in, we went back to the water--this time, the chlorinated kind--and spent an hour relaxing in the pool, hot tub, and sauna. Then it was time to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at Elements, which is the restaurant on site. Josh had a grilled porkchop with polenta and green beans, and I had polenta with butternut squash, rosemary, and sauteed mushrooms. It was deeeelish, especially after a long day of hiking.

Obligatory food shot

After dinner, we took a walk around the lodge grounds, and then had dessert and drinks. We finished just in time to watch a beautiful sunset. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

This morning, we slept in (hallelujah, amen) and then, as part of our anniversary package, went back to Elements for breakfast. Though our legs were sore, we decided a little more hiking was in order, so after checking out we drove to the entrance for the Kaskaskia Falls and Ottawa Canyon, and then went to hike to  the Illinois Canyon as well. Today was a bit muggier and a bit buggier, but the views were just as beautiful, and of course, the company was just as nice.

After our adventures over the past two days, I have a few observations.

1. I will never say that Illinois lacks in natural beauty ever again. It's not that I ever actually believed it, but when you see the same river and the same farm fields every day, it can seem mundane. Sure, it may not be as obvious as, say, the Rocky Mountains, but finding looking a little harder to find it is so, so worth it.

2. Josh and I really enjoy hiking. I can't wait to explore that hobby more with him.

3. That being said, I am pretty sure tomorrow I will be thanking the Good Lord in Heaven that I have a desk job, because right now, any movement below my waist hurts.

4. Marrying Josh was the best decision I have ever made, and the past 8 years have been the best years of my life, and the past two days reminded me of just how lucky I am. I can't wait to see where the next 67 years take us.