Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween...

...From the Peter Pan Cast!

Oh, wait! That's my family at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party earlier this month. 

We look so incredibly like the cast that I almost didn't recognize us.

Last Friday, I hosted the Annual Halloween Musicale. Ty and I also threw a party the following night.  We aren't really party people, if you know what I mean. The last party we threw was a small gathering (mostly family) for my college graduation - in December. We really want to use our home to be hospitable, so we decided to throw a Halloween bash!

It was hosted by Wendy and...

...The Ghost Host (duh!)

He was such a sport at MNSSHP, but he said he didn't want to "wear a dress" at his own party. We recycled the hat from his John costume, and came up with this!

One of my favorite parts about Halloween is the themed food.

I had so much fun creating treats for our parties! Yes, the punch is teeming with sour gummy worms. 

But not every edible spooky has to be sweet!

Exhibit A: Bats!

Exhibit B: Spiders!

Here's some of the gang in the photo booth! Ty and I are sitting on a bale of hay. :)

(Of course we didn't think to take pictures before a handful of wonderful folks left. Rats!)

 I need to send this to Kelly; she'll get a kick out of it.

 Sone is acclimating to American culture just fine.

And for today? I'm going to work as a nerdy music teacher.

Oh, wait.

Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do!

I do that every day. 

At least I'll be handing out candy on this special day!

Running on Adrenaline

Literally.

Friday evening I attended a limited-time event at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In honor of Friday the Thirteenth, it was entitled, "Unleash the Villains."

We all should have guessed that it would be packed. HS parking was full, and the bus transportation was so crowded that I was having flashbacks (nightmares?) of my RunDisney experience. 

Thankfully I was with my Disney pro friends. They knew alternate routes and such. We ended up parking at Epcot and walking the 2.5 miles through the back entrance and through Disney's Boardwalk just to get to HS. Beats sitting on a bus for 1-2 hours any day! (Did I mention I'd already spent 4 1/2 hours in the car driving to my teacher's house and back?) 

The special fireworks show was truly incredible, and I was in even better company. But it certainly made for a late-night. It was so late, in fact, that I only snuck in 3 1/2 hours of shut-eye before my long run with this girl. 

Post run! Happy, happy!

I'm fairly certain no professional would ever recommend sleep deprivation as a part of marathon training. Nonetheless, I ran my farthest yet - 14 miles! Without Mollie's accountability, I know I would have skipped out on my long run. It truly makes a difference knowing someone is up early on a Saturday and is expecting you! (It also makes a difference when you take an out-and-back route; there's really no option to quit when your car is still seven miles away.) 

Of course, the monkey was fully rested and anxious to play. I took this while trying to squeeze in a 30-minute mid-morning nap.

I was a little busy squeezing in much more important things - like family time with my sister! 

Photo Credit: MVL Photography

And the rest of the crew. 

Photo Credit: MVL Photography

Photo Credit: MVL Photography

(And one of Ty and me, just for kicks...)

Photo Credit: MVL Photography

Julia left this morning to head back to Laos. It's hard having a part of your heart so far away, but it makes time together all the sweeter. Last night I had the privilege to perform with her - much like my last night in Laos. Our church hosted the annual variety show, in which we showcased my sister's songwriting talent. Once again, it was a joy creating music together!

Did I mention we arrived at the airport around 5am? Late nights and early mornings are enough to make me turn from my morning habits. Clearly there was good reason for such shenanigans. It's not every day you can snatch a few more hours with the best sister ever. 

On that note, it's past my bedtime. Officially out of adrenaline. 

"Have You Washed Those?"

I have a confession to make.

Running bloggers and fashionistas, prepare to be appalled. 

I only own one pair of running shorts.

Did you hear the gasps across the ones and zeros? Or perhaps this isn't a shocker to you at all. Because you've seen my photos. And you've been wondering, "Have you washed those?"

Backtrack all the way to 2010 when I bought my yellow, grey-lined shorts. 

Run for Africa 5K with my sister and her friends

This was a small race, and I actually medaled in my age-group. Ironically, it was a horrible run for me. I donated blood about a week prior to the race and became extremely anemic. That's another story. I have not donated blood since.

Look! I was even caught washing the Civic in my yellow shorts.

Woah! I was caught washing the Civic?! 

I am the worst about washing my car, so this may be an even bigger story than the shorts. But I digress.

You saw them in Laos.

In...

...every...

...picture.

(By the way, Julia and Sone are both here right now! Julia is here until September, and Sone is studying here for a year!)

You also saw them at my half marathon.

Who would have dreamed that yellow shorts would coordinate with so many shirts?

Look! I even wore them yesterday for my 10-mile run with Mollie! Did I say ten? Why yes, yes I did. I was only planning on doing seven, but why stop at seven miles when you're enjoying every moment of your route and company? I found I had no good reason, so I finished up with Mollie.

She may or may not have bribed me with chocolate milk from Whole Foods. You'd better believe that was my recovery drink. Because that's as true as it gets.

This whole shorts-dilemma came up in conversation during our run. I can't really tell you why I only have one pair. A long while ago I purged all the "athletic shorts" I never wore from my wardrobe. Somehow I've never remembered to purchase an additional pair that I like. Truthfully, I'd prefer to spend my dollars on ice cream. For what it's worth, I love my yellow shorts. I'll admit this has become ridiculous, but it's only fair to point out that the one-pair-of-shorts-dilemma has kept me from falling behind on laundry. Gotta wash them so they're ready for the next run. Somehow I don't see that strategy holding up for the next four months.

Saturday afternoon, after our run, I received a text from Mollie saying she had some hand-me-down shorts for me. What a sweetheart! I guess I should really get my act together and purchase a second pair before strangers start throwing shorts out the window as donations to the "Yellow-shorts Girl."

At this point, perhaps you're thinking, "I've seen the Yellow-shorts Girl!"

Do honk or wave next time.

But don't get too close. There's always a chance I've forgotten to do the laundry.

Lying Low in Tokyo

We're on the move. Two flights down, two to go. While I was sad to leave my sister, I am ready to hug my husband and hit the keys hard! And bring home our puppy in eight days. Being out of a routine is challenging for me. Because of that, I know it's also good for me every now and then.

I had such a pleasant last weekend in Vientiane that I was sad to see it slip away. I helped lead music at Julia's Sunday evening fellowship three hours prior to boarding a plane. It was a fun way to go out, topped off with gluten free pumpkin soup and chocolate ice cream. Yes, please. Way to make a happy traveler.

Boarding call...

The Floating Restaurant

After my Saturday run, we embarked on a short trip to a special river-side restaurant to enjoy an early lunch.
Our special outing took place at a location translated "The Floating Restaurant."

Julia's friends joined us for our adventure. We have had access to a car this trip, and it has provided so many more opportunities for going out and inviting friends along. Two of us still had to ride in the trunk, but it was no biggie.

This is the riverwalk where the restaurant was located.  There were many little shops down here and - as you can see - some gorgeous plants and flowers!

Once we arrived at our destination, we sat and perused the menu. As I previously mentioned, finding food for me has been particularly challenging. So don't chastise me when you hear I ordered a coffee, an omlette, and french fries. I have eaten street food and traditional Lao food most every day. (A LOT of sticky rice!)

After ordering, we were directed to a boat that had a table set for us. It was close to the ground, and we had cushions on which to sit. So comfy!

My lunch view!

Most of the dishes were served family-style (as are most things), so everyone took a little of this and a little of that. The rice, however, was served to each person in these small baskets. I was much appreciative, because it cut down on cross-contamination risks.

My rice basket

Take a look at this fish, served cleverly on a fish-shaped dish. I don't even like fish, but I must admit I thought this so beautiful and tasty looking.

Get a load of our table! No one went hungry! That's my omlette in the middle. Mmmmm. Even the frozen french fries were tasty.

Our whole group

My plate!

Our boat floated down the river and back for about an hour. I couldn't help but take some shots of the surrounding area.

This man is raising fish and lives in the adjacent house. Did you notice...

His pants? :D

Sone is eating the beak of a chicken. No, really.

This is when I'm reminded that I do, indeed, love this place. ISuch a stunning view.

I love everything about this!

Candid and silly!

Heading back to the dock.

Posing with the Alpha-Mommy :)

These are gifts that were offered at a small Buddhist temple. These idols are everywhere.

A view of the riverwalk

This was the highlight of the trip for me! It was so restful and fun being with Julia and her close friends and enjoying yummy food (a taste of home for me!). I'm looking forward to being home (not traveling home), but it's hard saying goodbye for six months. I'm so thankful for great memories to tide me over until Julia comes home in July!