Wordless Wednesday

Inagural Run for Wine VA Half Marathon

On June 4, 2011, I had the opportunity to participate in a half marathon with a group of women I love. My training was essentially non existent, but I wasn't about to sacrifice my entry fee or the experience of my first half. I walked. Well, I did run the downhills. But mainly walked.

Short story: I finished. 3:38.

Long story: I walked with my good friend Noel. We got to the start line, and things were delayed! The race started a good 25-30 minutes late, which pretty much sucked. We got started, and things were going well. Noel didn't tell me that she was hurting, but she pushed on. First mile, right on pace. Second and third miles, still going strong. Fourth mile, Noel made me laugh and I almost peed myself (thanks, Peter). Yay for portajohns! I was afraid I would be using the side of the road, and it was full of poison ivy. Mile five--great. Still feeling good. I'm officially further than my longest distance. Great. I can do this! Mile six. Uphill. A big uphill. Like the ones on campus but longer. And then a dirt road. But it's not really dirt; it's pavement with rocks on it. Ouch. By now, my toes feel funny and my knees hurt. Don't complain. Noel is hurting. I must stay strong! Mile eight...kids at the crossroads give us high-fives. Awesome. Mile nine--big house. One of the guys on the course refers to it as Tara from "Gone with the Wind." Fair statement...it was big and gorgeous. Mile 10, and I'm ready to be done. I'm hungry and my knees hurt. Mile 11, and I know I've got this. This is like a day at the mall. Power-walking the mall, but still. I'm going to finish. Noel and I part ways. She needs to run more to ease her legs up some. Fair enough. I start walking with random people on the route and talk to them. Mile 12 is crap. I bonk. I go through the cemetery along the route, and seriously consider stopping to sit on a tombstone. Who puts a hill in a cemetery anyway??? And then, the finish. Even worse...the last stretch is uphill. I hear people saying the finish line is at that silo over there (points). That silo is way off in the distance. And then, I reach the driveway of the vineyard. I see mom and Peter. He's asleep. Then I see Noel at the finish, and she's holding cups of water! Hallelujah, water! I pause for a picture with the two random ladies I finished with, and then cross the line. I did it! Ouch! I'm thirsty. Someone give me water. Thanks, Mom, for freezing some so it's cold. I strip out of my shirt and sports bras (I had on a cheapo nursing bra too). Ahh...relief!

What will I do differently next time? I'll train. I'll eat a bit more before hand. I'll drink more electrolyte drinks. Will I have more fun? Not likely. It was a weekend with a bunch of friends, my mom, and my baby. It'll be hard to top that.

Go Cupcake Chasers! :)

My baby's gone mobile!

A week before he turned 9 months, Peter took his first hesitant "crawl." Now, he's a pro!

Smartipants

Smartipants aren't your typical pocket diaper. They have a "sleeve" sown into the inside of the diaper that's open on both ends. The insert goes in, and then doesn't have to be pulled out when used. It agitates out in the wash!

As Peter gets bigger, I like these diapers more. I wasn't able to get a good fit around his thighs until they chunked up some. Now, though, they fit well. I do feel like they sag a little on him, but it's not bad. They still work under just about any pants.

And now, pictures. I'm not getting better at these; he's getting harder to work with!

Rumparooz

Rumparooz (or RaR in the cloth diaper world) are a great diaper. They definitely fit small, though, so they may not be the best bet for someone who has large babies, and especially large toddlers. It has four rise settings and Peter is already on the third, but he still has plenty of room in the waist.

I have the snap version, and I've been very happy with it. I also love all the prints and colors this diaper comes in. We have the robots print, and platinum. At some point, I plan to pick up a couple more prints. It's so hard to find good boyish prints in diapers, and RaRs definitely have them!

For a pocket diaper, this is great! It has a fleece inside, and inner gussets! This means that it holds even the runniest of messes inside...always a plus. The only negative is that the opening isn't at the top of the back, but rather just inside the back of the diaper. Due to this, it can occasionally result in digging through poop to get out the insert. Wash your hands well after!

Speaking of inserts...this diaper comes with two--a contour and a regular. The contour snaps onto the regular for added absorbency. It can be used separately for small babies or those who aren't heavy wetters. Peter can still make do with just the contour, though I need to switch to the regular, just for better coverage within the diaper.

My Little Ham

Peter had his first taste of ham off of my sub tonight. He loved it!

Way back when...more thoughts about camp

It seems that I loved to write about camp in college, which makes sense. It was a big part of my life. Still is. The mountain changed me. I can still remember the smell of the cabins, the cool mornings starting fires, the hugs, skipping around holding hands, singing songs, changing lives.

3-8-2007

So, I'm sitting in my bed at home, thankful that it's Spring Break and that the wireless at least works with my laptop. It's been a good break. I still need to work on a paper, but that's not too bad. I don't think it'll take me very long. Probably about 3 hours is what I'm hoping. I can knock it out tonight and tomorrow. But you all don't really care about a paper. Neither do I. Time is fast approaching for camp. It's hard to believe that I'm getting ready to start my fourth summer. I can still remember my mom dropping me off the first summer, and moving in, and all that jazz. I was so nervous; I didn't know what I was getting into. Now, I can't imagine not being there. I know the paths like the back of my hand. I looked at a picture in the brochure Tammy sent me the other day and knew exactly where it was taken. I remember leaving the mountain last summer sobbing, crying out to God. I just knew that I was done, that He didn't want me back up there anymore. It was an overwhelming feeling that I had all last summer, that I was finished. Even up through when applications were due, I still wasn't sure. I spent many hours praying, looking at pictures, reading and rereading my journals. I sat in Sean's room and cried when he told me that I would eventually have to figure something out. It was a decision I didn't want to have to make. I went ahead and started working on the application, but I still wasn't sure. Even after I submitted it (a day late), I still didn't know if I was doing what God wanted me to. I just knew that I needed to make sure that the option was still there. I did my interview on the phone one Wednesday afternoon. After talking to Tammy for about 30 minutes, I was fairly certain that I was supposed to go back, but I still didn't feel that peace about it that I've felt in the past. Part of it was that I was scared that I was reapplying just because I was afraid to leave my comfort zone. I've grown secure in camp; it's a way for me to escape things. Interview weekend was really hard for me. I had to work open house, so I didn't get to make it. Understand, this is the first time I have ever missed it. It was at my first interview that I saw Mundo for the first time. Those memories are precious, as are the people I met that weekend. But anyway, back to this year: I distinctly remember going back to my hall to work on bulletin boards and having one of the other RAs come up to talk to me. I told him about having decorated my cabins, and how much fun that always was, but challenging, too. The next day, I kept telling Sean how much I really wished I was at camp; he couldn't understand. No one can. Just know that I prayed a lot for everyone that was there. And cried, because I knew that there would be people there that I might never see again, because they were applying for different missions. The day I got the e-mail telling me I had been rehired as a unit leader, I fell face down on my futon and cried for a good 30 minutes. I had the peace about me, that I was doing what God wanted. My friend Nick Clanton was the only person that was at his computer, so he got to hear all about it. (Yay for Nick being at Caraway this summer!) Later that night at BSU, he came up and hugged me. I cried again. It only took about a week for me to even be able to think about camp without tears welling up. Even now, I still tell everyone just how excited I am to be back up on that mountain. No matter what doubts I had, or what I felt God was telling me, I know HE knew what was going on. And thus, when I drive my car back up that mountain for summer number four, I'll be able to smile, because I know that God has new girls for me to impact, new ways for me to be impacted, and new friendships for me to be able to form. The memories from 2004, 2005, and 2006 can never be changed, but new memories are always welcome! So, I'm not really sure where all of this came from, but I just wanted everyone to know where I'm at right now. The next two and a half months are going to fly by, and I'll be in prayer for the lessons that will be taught and learned on the mountain this summer, the relationships that will be formed, and the hearts that will be changed!