Wine-ing, Whining and Winning!

What to do about life? 

This is huge and has been weighing on my mind recently.  Greg and I have found ourselves in such a weird space.  All within a 3-week span, we had ONE bright, brilliant boy graduate from college.  ONE darling, determined daughter move away for school at the U of I.   And ONE, comical, creative, Cub that entered public school as an 8^th grader, after 7 years of homeschooling.

What to do about life?

Greg and I are wandering the rooms of our home, in search of the faintest whisper of noise during the day.  Strange place we are in. 

For me, because I have spent the past 13-plus years as a SAHM, it is the most bizarre feeling.  I am whipping up recipes in the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon (which is normal) but what is NOT normal, is that I usually have Alli, or at one point, all three of our home-schooled kids, sitting at the bar, chiming in on what would go good in the recipe.  Alli LOVES to cook!! I miss her sitting there with her school books, asking questions, or reading to me, making art, or crafting up her own delicious recipes.  I have always had the kids around.  Have always had alot of kids around.  

  I am missing the churning in our home.  The activity.  The daily buzz.

Now, it is silent, with the occasion snore from one of the dogs.

And then……Greg.

 My sweet, loving, wonderful hus-by.  He works from our home office, our deck, our patio, or our hammock,  but has now switched his schedule to work on East Coast time!!!…at 2pm…guess who I am bumping into??  Wandering the halls…..

What to do!

On an EXCITING note,  our trip up north to Canada last week was amazing!  We had the most fun with our friends, and kids up there.  Did a lot of wine tasting!  Did a lot of laughing.  Did not a lot of sleeping….

 At Dirty Laundry Vineyard

At Misconduct

Township 7

Volunteering for Ironman Canada was incredible!  We worked Run Aid Station #1 "Cirque de Sole" (we won as best run aide station at the banquet.)  We met some incredible people. I loved helping these athletes, as they chugged back water, grabbed sponges to put into their shirts, shorts, or anywhere else they could fit them, or just squeeze onto their heads, on this 100-degree day!  As a volunteer, we were also privileged to get up bright and early on Monday morning and march ourselves down to register before the general public. At 5am!  So my next Ironman race will be in Penticton, BC next Aug 2012.

 Sister Madonna Buder

 I am REALLY looking forward to getting back to Ironman training….not because it will give me something to do….but….well, yes…..that exact reason!! 

Until then, I will keep up with my Asylum workouts 3x a week, with a couple of days of Insanity sprinkled in.   Run.  Run a lot!  Tri Cities Marathon in October?  Possible.   And of course hit a few swims, and bikes, before the “real” training kicks in.

 And we do have one little trip to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 3 weeks!!!!  Nothing like getting your blood pumping, & gettin' ya psyched for training than going to the Big Island to watch the Big Kahuna of Ironman races.

I am VERY excited for this trip!!  It's 10-days in Hawaii.  It's Ironman.  Not to mention how fun it is going to be to see our friend Mr. RS cross that finish line AND to be traveling with our great group of friends from Coeur d’Alene.  Bliss!

So, as one chapter in the Nilges House comes to a close, and we learn to let go of our kids, and live in the hushed rooms of our house, another will open.  I am sure of it!

~~~To be Continuned