Update for my children.

A week or so ago, I went to South Carolina to run a 10K with my daughter Leah, but on the way I stopped to see some old friends in Asheville. Not that the friends are old, but we've been friends a long time. Anyway, now that we're all grandparents, that's what we spend a lot of our time talking about, and I was there in time to see grandbaby #2 come home from the hospital. Number 2 was born a few weeks early and had to spend some time in the NICU putting on weight and getting the hang of essential life skills like eating and breathing. By the time I got there, she was a champion. Here she is on homecoming day at a whopping 5 pounds 9 ounces (I think):

Number 1 is almost two years old and my kids will recognize that she looks exactly like Josh, her daddy.

She even has his seriousness.

In other news that my kids will be interested in, Levi and Brittany are also expecting a baby, I think in November. Remember the days of toy wars in the upstairs room? You've all come a long way.

Be thankful ~

P52 Weeks 16 and 17: Things that Grow and Green

I missed last week because I was busy being dragged through a 10K by a girl I don't know named Heather, who is one of the Six-Mile Turtles. If you missed that story and care, you can read it here. I'm making up for it by posting a photo this week that covers both themes, Things that Grow and Green.

(Taken with my new 50mm f1.4)

For more Green photos, go here.

Be thankful ~

Pete has a pity party.

I got a new lens the other day, and since the people in my house don't like to pose for pictures, Pete is my only victim.

Man-squared gave him a bath yesterday and I caught him pouting behind my desk chair after the ordeal (Pete, not Man-squared), curled up in the only square of sunshine in the house.

Look at that pouty face. Don't you feel sorry for him?

Me neither.

I remember when I had an 11-pound Yorkie and giving him a bath was a 5-minute process of lifting him in, soaping him up, rinsing, and drying. Not so with Pete. Man-squared calls him toward the bathroom. Pete runs and hides. Man-squared tries luring him out with food. Pete resists. Man-squared grabs him by the collar and pulls him out of his crate, then picks up all 70 pounds of him and deposits him in the tub, holding him there with one hand while adjusting the water temperature with the other. By this time Pete is trembling and the dog hair is flying, and it's not like we use cold water out of the hose. Pete gets a nice warm shower, a massage, and a fluffy towel.

By the time it's over, Pete is traumatized and I'm remembering why I like little dogs. But all's well that ends well, and Pete smells much better today.

Be thankful ~

My day in three lines.

Wake up. Granola and yogurt. Gym. Wally World. Travel booking. Lunch. Shower. Work and coffee. Tear apart Man-squared's room. Laundry. Make Spaghetti sauce. Dinner. Church nursery. Hot bath. Bed.

Be thankful ~

More excitement.

Also, I forgot to mention yesterday that I found out Cracker Barrel now has multigrain pancakes and they are delish. They make me want to go back for more.

Today I drove home in the cold rain to Ole Virginny and was welcomed by a lack of Internet connectivity in my house. After spending 30 minutes on the phone with "tech support," resetting the modem no fewer than eight times, restarting the computer fifteen or twenty times, and swapping out every ethernet cable I could find in the house, I finally gave up. The signal comes in and gets broadcast by the router (all the laptops get the signal) but won't work on the computer it's hooked up to. "Tech support" thinks maybe the bitmap adapter capability got interrupted by the buffer cache and the installation codec isn't compatible with the default platform.

I think it's choked with dog hair.

While I was gone I got the new-to-me lens I had ordered the previous week. Once I get time to fiddle around with it, I'll put up some experimental photos. In the meantime, here's one I took with my cell phone while I was in South Carolina with Leah. There is seriously just enough room in this car for the driver. The rest is packed to the ceiling with trash. Amazing.

Kids, remind Daddy of this when he fusses at you for leaving your cars messy.

Be thankful ~

Exciting news from South Carolina.

I came to Greenville on Friday to run the Greer Earth Day 10K with my middle daughter, Leah, after spending Thursday and part of Friday with a good friend in Asheville. One of Leah's New Year's resolutions was to run a 10K (6.2 miles), so we signed up a few months ago. Life being what it is for a grad student with three part-time jobs, the longest distance Leah had run was 4 miles, so I told her we would just take our time, take walk breaks, and have fun. I figured I could sort of pull her along and she would be forever grateful that I was there to help her finish.

Oh, I crack myself up.

First of all, I will say that was the longest 6.2 miles I've ever run, but that may be because it was uphill all the way. I was the first one who wanted to stop and walk. I was the one who lagged behind. I was the one who kept a visual leash on "Heather," the girl in front of us with the T-shirt that said "Six Mile Turtles." I made myself an honorary member of her club the minute I saw it, and all through the race I wanted to keep up with her so I could sprint at the end and beat her across the finish line. I thanked her for it later.

Leah and I made it in 1:14:36 and 1:14:39, which is a 12-minute mile. I was a little concerned that I would be last, but I came in 261st out of 290-something people. I wasn't last in my age group and even beat a man. So I guess it was all good. If I run that pace in my half marathon, I'll still finish in under 2:45, so I don't feel too bad about it.

In other exciting news, I bought gas for $3.38 a gallon yesterday. Also, my new favorite word is skeezy, as in "This is a pretty skeezy part of town."

Today we're sitting at Panera enjoying free Wifi because my computer won't hook up to BJU's network. We're going for a walk later to work out yesterday's soreness, and tomorrow I'm going home to rescue my guys from our persnickety oven. I love that they need me.

Less than a month until the half marathon.

Be thankful ~

Just a little bragging.

Sometimes I marvel at how beautiful my daughters are. Am I biased? I guess so, but honestly, this girl is gorgeous. Abbey went to the Junior/Senior Banquet with some friends, none of whom is a boyfriend. I think they may have paired up according to height so Abbey could wear her heels. With Ryan:

Abbey is a lover of staged photos. She's going for the "smolder" look here.

You can only do this with a good friend.

My word, I love these people.

And bowties! So awesome!

Be thankful ~

Running

Today I did my longest run—10 miles. Well, 9.82, but if you want to argue the last .18, you'll have my full attention after you run 9.82 miles with me. Stephanie and I were coming up to the parking lot where we'd left our cars, knowing we had to continue past them to the end of the road and come back to them (the other .18 mile), and as we approached, I looked at my little green Honda and said forcefully, "I AM STOPPING and I don't care if it's not a full ten."

We ran at a nearby Civil War battlefield, which has a lovely winding road that goes through it. Three and a half out, then back, then another three (almost) and we were done. It was definitely the hilliest course I've run so far, and that made it much harder for me. But Stephanie knew when to push me and when to let me stop and walk, and we actually did a lot of talking—more than I'm used to when I run. And still ran a slightly faster pace than I did on my 9 last week, so I'm happy.

All except for my feet, which are killing me, but I've been promised a foot rub tonight. Running does have its upside.

I thought I would come home and be lazy for the rest of the day, but I've had a surprising amount of energy and got a few things done. Tonight I will definitely be lazy.

Tomorrow Man-squared has his ACT, and I'm going to take that opportunity to read the third book in the Hunger Games series. And not run.

Sunday we're going to visit my mommy and daddy for lunch, and I'm not going to run that day either.

Monday is still under negotiation.

And just in case you need a little motivation:

Be thankful ~

P52 Week 15: Sacrifice

 When I hear the word sacrifice I immediately think of God sending his Son to be the sacrifice whose shed blood paid the price for our sins, but how do you photograph such a thing? Then I thought of my favorite verse that so completely conveys what God did for us.

There is no greater love.

For more interpretations of this week's theme, Sacrifice, go here.

Be thankful ~

Dorks R Us

Just a little while ago I was standing in the kitchen when Ben came running up the deck stairs, threw open the door, and said, "Hey Honey, can you come here and look at this bird?"

The bird's life flashed before my eyes as I imagined the worst—that Pete had tortured it almost to the point of death but not quite. Or that it had flown into a window (we've seen that a thousand times) and it was twitching on the ground, peeping out its last peeps.

Instead, when I got to the deck, Ben was pointing out into the woods where there's a fallen tree and a big pile of sawdust. In it, a pileated woodpecker had struck the avian mother lode and was feasting away. As we watched, he flew up and landed on the side of a tree. Then we saw him fly off, and if you think that's no big deal, it's because you've never seen a pileated woodpecker take off from the side of a tree. They do a backward dive with a half twist so they wind up flying belly-down like they're supposed to. I wish I'd gotten it on film (or SD card), but you'll have to be satisfied with these cut-rate photos. 

Pileated woodpeckers are quite large birds, adults being 16–18 inches long and they make a sound like a crazy jungle animal laughing. Don't you wish you had some?

Be thankful~

Thoughts for the day.

I came home from yesterday's nine-mile run feeling quite energetic. It may have had something to do with my visit to the tax lady where I found out we were getting a refund, an occasion that hasn't happened in quite a few years. Anyway, I weeded the front and back walkways, sprayed them with Roundup, did a bunch of laundry, vacuumed up the never-ending supply of dog hair, took a shower, and then collapsed on my bed at 4 pm. When I tried to get up an hour later, my legs were stiff and my knees were sore, but nothing an epsom salt bath couldn't handle. Today I'm much better and I'm thinking I'll be able to bang out an easy three tomorrow.

Did I really just say that? I've heard runners talk about doing an "easy three" for years, but never thought I'd be one of them. I think training for this half marathon has convinced me that the best race length is 10K (6.2 miles). It's long enough to be a challenge, but not so long as to kill me with all the long weekend runs.

Anyway, today being Sunday, I thought we needed some pumpkin bread (good carbs, vitamin A) and a nap, so after I ate three slices while it was still warm, I hopped on my bed with the day's Sudoku puzzle and invested some serious time in recovery from yesterday's beating, er,  run.

Also, remember I said we got a Big Green Egg? Here are a few pics of Ben trying it out. So far he's done burgers on it (they were slightly overdone, but he knows what he did wrong) and chicken (it was uh-ma-zing).

Come for dinner and you will immediately go buy an Egg of your own.

 

And finally, I can't stop thinking about our fun weekend at the Wilds. I keep looking back through the photos. Here are a few more of my favorites. I'm sorry if you're getting sick of the swing shots, but I love the looks on people's faces when they first start falling. Ben and Tony:

And one more of Tony and Cori:

Be thankful ~

P52 Week 14: Foolin' Around

Last weekend we took a group of young adults to the Wilds, a Christian camp. Among the beautiful scenery of Western North Carolina's mountains, we enjoyed great preaching and loads of fun. One of the highlights of every trip to the Wilds is the Giant Swing, a 60-foot high contraption where they harness you into hang-gliding gear, haul you up 6 stories, and then let you go. I actually went on the Giant Swing for the first time this year, and so did Hope (on the left), shown here with Kelce the instant after the click that lets you start falling.

It's definitely not my best photo ever, but it's just too funny not to share.

For more Foolin' Around photos, go here.

Be thankful ~

The Wilds

After spending most of last week in Lynchburg doctoring Abbey, we left bright and early Friday morning for the Wilds, a Christian camp in Brevard, NC. We left at 6 am so we'd be sure and be there between 5 and 7 for check-in. What were we thinking, 11 hours for an 8-hour drive? Even with Tony filling his water bottle every half hour, we had way more than enough time.

So we made the last-minute decision to stop in Asheville and see our friends Tom and Karen Wright at their store, Wright's Hearth, Heat, and Home, where they sell woodstoves, pellet stoves, and all kinds of other cool stuff for the home. (They also do gas logs if you live in the area and want them.) Anyway, it didn't take 15 minutes for us to decide we had to have a Big Green Egg

(billed as the "ultimate cooking experience") which we bought and loaded in the trailer with the luggage. In case you've never heard of the Egg, it's a smoker/grill that cooks everything and anything. You can even make hard-cooked eggs that have a little smoky flavor on it. And it uses natural charcoal. We're doing our first Boston butt this weekend.

Anyway, after spending money and fellowshipping a while, we left for Brevard and still got there before 5 o'clock.

We found our cabins/rooms and went exploring and to Cool Beans for coffee before dinner. Here's Marvin, who presides over services in the Fireplace Room at the Lodge.
 

Friday night we had dinner and the evening service, and collapsed into bed.

Saturday morning we had two sessions (Chris Anderson preached through the entire book of Jonah in two days, and it was amazing, as always.), then lunch and the whole afternoon to play. We started on the Giant Swing, which I had never been on in all my years of going to the Wilds. The Giant Swing is a contraption that pulls you up, strapped in hang-gliding gear, 60 feet (think 6 stories) and then lets go abruptly. And lest you think 60 feet isn't so bad, I suggest you get your perspective from the top. It's very different.

Here are Leah and I getting ready to swing. Leah's excited. I feel like I'm on my death march.

Yes, my eyes are closed in prayer. I was most nervous about the duct tape holding that thing together.

We had just let go of the rolling platform. They have not yet started the machine that pulls you up. We are hanging about 5 feet from the ground. The screaming has already commenced.

More intense screaming, and yes, my eyes are still closed. I opened them occasionally to see how far from the ground we were so I could gauge when the drop would happen. You get no warning, just a click and you're falling. It's easily the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced. Why I have a smile on my face here, I have no idea. Call it altitude-induced stupor. And look how calm Leah is!

Our photographer (I think it was Tess) captured the instant of the click. It's as horrible as it looks. I'm digging my fingernails into Leah's bicep.

Once you get past the initial drop, you could almost call it fun if you believe in the doctrine of suffering.

Cori and Joy were next. This is exactly what I felt when I saw the duct tape.

I'm happy to report we all lived through the swing, and if there had been time, I would totally have done it again.

Next was a hike to the Fourth Falls, which my lame photography skills don't even remotely do justice to. Here's Tony and Cori, whom we dubbed "The Golden Couple."

A few people were brave (or dumb) enough to jump in. Tony said the water was WAY colder than they made it look. Here's Sarah Minnick swimming for the falls. There's a ledge there right under the falls that everybody tries to get on, but the force of the water pushes you off.

Tony kept saying he wasn't going in because he didn't want to hike out in wet clothes. (Hiking in was easy. Coming out is way harder, which you'll see in a minute.) Leah told him, "Oh, just go in! We're not leaving here until 4:30!" which was not exactly true. We had to be back at camp at 4:30.

So in went Tony and Cori, and they swam all the way across to a little ledge on the opposite side.

At which point the guy in charge shouted, "Five minutes! We're leaving in five minutes!" and Leah did a facepalm.

Here's the hike out, which is more of a climb. Years ago somebody had the sense to add ropes and it's a good thing they did or I'd still be sitting down by the falls crying for my mommy.

After we limped back to our rooms and showered, we had dinner, Fun Time (where we laughed so much my face hurt), and then the evening service.

We've been going to The Wilds for 13 years, and there's never been a time when I didn't want to go back. It's just the best place on earth. If you ever get a chance to go—with teens, college & career, ladies, couples, whatever—don't miss it. You'll be glad you went.

Be thankful ~

I promise I'm still here.

I spent last week doctoring Abbey, then the weekend at the Wilds with some of our college & career people. I have photos of an amazing waterfall, Ben dancing, and me on a 6-story swing. If I can dig myself out from under the pile of editing and dog hair, I'll put them up.

Be thankful ~