Ok, i guess i'll own up to a secret: i watch "So You Think You Can Dance." Not only do i watch it, i look forward to it every week. This past week i was not able to catch it on Tuesday but i found a cool dance online that Sabra and Kameron performed. i hope you enjoy.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Back Home
i'm finally home from San Antonio! i had a great time. It was fun getting to know the students from Faith Bible Church and spending time with Bill Loveless. My trips to S.A. are always great times of refreshing and encouragement. My entire outlook is usually totally different and my faith strengthened everytime i get to spend time down there.
WHile at the retreat, i went mountain biking (which i've never really done before). i realized that i'm not very good at it. i ended up going on s trail all by myself, which we were warned not to do because of the mountain lions, and spent half the time either flying over the front handle bars or walking next to the bike up a steep hill. The palms of my hands are still healing. :)
i will say, it's a tough work-out and pretty enjoyable once it's over. i'm glad to be back though and glad to have the Y in my sights again.
WHile at the retreat, i went mountain biking (which i've never really done before). i realized that i'm not very good at it. i ended up going on s trail all by myself, which we were warned not to do because of the mountain lions, and spent half the time either flying over the front handle bars or walking next to the bike up a steep hill. The palms of my hands are still healing. :)
i will say, it's a tough work-out and pretty enjoyable once it's over. i'm glad to be back though and glad to have the Y in my sights again.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Baby News and More
We had an ultrasound today to find out if we needed to get ready for a boy or girl and it was pretty clear. We're going to have another GIRL! Everything looked normal and healthy and she was moving quite a bit. It is so amazing to watch this little girl growing and stretching in the womb. We could see her little heart pumping quickly and her little fingers and toes.
The doctor said her brain looked great and guessed that she would be smart (not that he can tell that from an ultrasound) and asked which one of us she was going to take after if this were the case. Dani and i looked at each other in a moment of silence and then i said, "probably our parents."
We are so excited that we got see our little girl moving around today and for the great report. It's also kind of nice because we already have girl stuff from our first two girls. :)
On another note, i ran 5 miles and walked .25 along with a few weights for my arms and back. i forgot my iPod so i was a little bored because baseball was on the tv in front of me and CNN was on (without subtitles) on the tv next to it.
The doctor said her brain looked great and guessed that she would be smart (not that he can tell that from an ultrasound) and asked which one of us she was going to take after if this were the case. Dani and i looked at each other in a moment of silence and then i said, "probably our parents."
We are so excited that we got see our little girl moving around today and for the great report. It's also kind of nice because we already have girl stuff from our first two girls. :)
On another note, i ran 5 miles and walked .25 along with a few weights for my arms and back. i forgot my iPod so i was a little bored because baseball was on the tv in front of me and CNN was on (without subtitles) on the tv next to it.
Interesting Article
i just ran across this article this morning. It makes so much sense to me and it makes me think this better explains why there is so much division in the American churches.
It's a beautiful day today and we hope to find out if we're having a boy or girl!!!
It's a beautiful day today and we hope to find out if we're having a boy or girl!!!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
My Dog is Out of Shape
Sunday: i ran around the neighborhood for 35 minutes and walked for almost 10. Gracie (my dog) was so tired she started foaming at the mouth (not like rabbis foam). It took her a LONG time to stop panting heavily. It was kind of humorous to me because she had been REALLY hyper all day and getting a little too rambunctious in the house so i decided to take her on my run.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Nice
Friday: i got to run for 7.0 miles today and walked for .45 followed by a few weights for my arms and back. It took me just under an hour to run the 7 miles and felt so good! It's also good to know i can do it at this point. :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Fun With My Fam
Wednesday: i ran 5.5 miles and walked .5, followed by some weights for my arms and back, followed by playing with my fam in the pool. i changed up my routine a little and decided to run while daughter 1 was in swimming lessons so i could then hang out with daughter 1, 2, and Dani afterwards. Usually i run pretty late at night.
i'm trying it out this way so i can play with my girls and then work in the afternoon and evening instead. When i go to run at night, it takes a large chunk of time and makes for an extra trip into town (since we live in the sticks).
i liked it! Now it's time for me to get back to work.
i'm trying it out this way so i can play with my girls and then work in the afternoon and evening instead. When i go to run at night, it takes a large chunk of time and makes for an extra trip into town (since we live in the sticks).
i liked it! Now it's time for me to get back to work.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Running in Place for a long time
Monday: i ran for 5.25 miles and walked for .5 followed by some weights for my arms and back.
Running in My Neighborhood
Saturday and Sunday i ran around my neighborhood because the Y closes earlier than it does Monday-Thursday. i'm not sure how far i ran but i ran for 30 minutes on Saturday and 25 on Sunday.
i would have run longer on Sunday but there was thunder and lightening so i quit early.
It's been kinda fun changing it up a little and running with my dog, Gracie. She's a German Shephard and a great dog. It's been a while since i took her for a jog with me and she is a bit out of shape (we let her run around a lot closeby but i guess it doesn't keep her in shape as well). By the time i stopped running and started walking, she has been panting heavily with her tongue out several inches. She's so tired she starts dragging her back claws on the ground! It's kinda funny.
i think she likes it though because she gets excited when she sees me putting my running stuff on.
i would have run longer on Sunday but there was thunder and lightening so i quit early.
It's been kinda fun changing it up a little and running with my dog, Gracie. She's a German Shephard and a great dog. It's been a while since i took her for a jog with me and she is a bit out of shape (we let her run around a lot closeby but i guess it doesn't keep her in shape as well). By the time i stopped running and started walking, she has been panting heavily with her tongue out several inches. She's so tired she starts dragging her back claws on the ground! It's kinda funny.
i think she likes it though because she gets excited when she sees me putting my running stuff on.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Getting Started
In May, we moved to Waco with every intention of living in Waco for several years. This is the place we felt Y∙LIFe would base from and we would begin a ministry to Baylor students in the fall.
We searched for 6 months for a home for us in Waco and ended up signing a contract to rent a duplex at the end of April for 6 months to give us more time to find the right place for our family. We had found some homes but none that really fit our needs right now and long-term and that were also in our price range.
The week that we moved to Waco, we also learned that we were expecting our third child! This was a full week of excitement, anxiousness, and boxes (most of which are still in our garage or kitchen).
During this first week, Dani and i looked at each other after a long day and both realized (almost simultaneously) that this was not the area we were going to end up. i can't really explain why other than we both really felt this was not the right move for our family or for the ministry.
So, we started to look again in other areas. When our old house was for sale, we looked in San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Austin, McKinney, and a few places in Oregon. We figured at this stage we would still be in Texas but were open to wherever we felt was right for our family (which is where we believe the Lord would lead us by making it clear to both of us at the same time).
Shortly after our little conversation about the move and what to do next, Dani found a new development in the area we just moved from that CenTex Homes were building. We decided to look in that neighborhood and after a few weeks of praying and discussing everything, we decided to sign a contract with CenTex Homes and begin the process of building a home in the central Texas. We were shocked to see that building was the cheapest option for us that also provided us with the space our growing family needs as well as a base for the ministry offices. We will also be close to another college (University of Mary-Hardin Baylor) where we can begin reaching out to college students.
To shorten the story a bit, we met yesterday (Friday) with the construction manager to go over the "Pre-Pour Orientation". We are excited for this and can't wait to settle in to our new home before our third baby comes (hopefully).
It's crazy how difficult things were for us trying to find a place to live until we realized the futility of our abilities and efforts and surrendered to Christ for this decision. It's amazing how easy it became and how we have been reminded constantly to walk in trust and faith in Him.
If we don't have too much rain the rest of July, we should be able to move in by the beginning of November!!!
We searched for 6 months for a home for us in Waco and ended up signing a contract to rent a duplex at the end of April for 6 months to give us more time to find the right place for our family. We had found some homes but none that really fit our needs right now and long-term and that were also in our price range.
The week that we moved to Waco, we also learned that we were expecting our third child! This was a full week of excitement, anxiousness, and boxes (most of which are still in our garage or kitchen).
During this first week, Dani and i looked at each other after a long day and both realized (almost simultaneously) that this was not the area we were going to end up. i can't really explain why other than we both really felt this was not the right move for our family or for the ministry.
So, we started to look again in other areas. When our old house was for sale, we looked in San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Austin, McKinney, and a few places in Oregon. We figured at this stage we would still be in Texas but were open to wherever we felt was right for our family (which is where we believe the Lord would lead us by making it clear to both of us at the same time).
Shortly after our little conversation about the move and what to do next, Dani found a new development in the area we just moved from that CenTex Homes were building. We decided to look in that neighborhood and after a few weeks of praying and discussing everything, we decided to sign a contract with CenTex Homes and begin the process of building a home in the central Texas. We were shocked to see that building was the cheapest option for us that also provided us with the space our growing family needs as well as a base for the ministry offices. We will also be close to another college (University of Mary-Hardin Baylor) where we can begin reaching out to college students.
To shorten the story a bit, we met yesterday (Friday) with the construction manager to go over the "Pre-Pour Orientation". We are excited for this and can't wait to settle in to our new home before our third baby comes (hopefully).
It's crazy how difficult things were for us trying to find a place to live until we realized the futility of our abilities and efforts and surrendered to Christ for this decision. It's amazing how easy it became and how we have been reminded constantly to walk in trust and faith in Him.
If we don't have too much rain the rest of July, we should be able to move in by the beginning of November!!!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Another Update
Wednesday: Took off for July 4th festivities (and the Y was closed anyway).
Thursday: Ran 5 miles, walked .75 and did a few weights for my arms.
i think i'm going to change by layout on this site again. i have probably given tribute long enough to the Orange Frozen Latte at Starbucks.
Thursday: Ran 5 miles, walked .75 and did a few weights for my arms.
i think i'm going to change by layout on this site again. i have probably given tribute long enough to the Orange Frozen Latte at Starbucks.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Back on Track
Tuesday: Ran 4 miles, walked .75 and did some weights for my arms.
i REALLY didn't want to run but i forced it and loved the feeling afterwards! i finally got new shoes and they are GREAT!!! i went to a running store in Oregon where they watch you run and tell you what shoes would work best for the way my feet land and with my back, etc. i ended up getting a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 3 shoes. They have great cushion and full support. It's amazing how much difference shoes can make.
They also said that my shin splints were most likely a result of the poor shoes i had before. They were not all that hip on Nike Shocks. These guys felt that the Shocks were great shoes for marketing because they looked cool but they were not even decent running shoes.
After wearing these new shoes, i would have to agree.
i REALLY didn't want to run but i forced it and loved the feeling afterwards! i finally got new shoes and they are GREAT!!! i went to a running store in Oregon where they watch you run and tell you what shoes would work best for the way my feet land and with my back, etc. i ended up getting a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 3 shoes. They have great cushion and full support. It's amazing how much difference shoes can make.
They also said that my shin splints were most likely a result of the poor shoes i had before. They were not all that hip on Nike Shocks. These guys felt that the Shocks were great shoes for marketing because they looked cool but they were not even decent running shoes.
After wearing these new shoes, i would have to agree.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Running Update and Nerd Test
Last week: i ran around the resort in San Diego (someone said it was 42 acres). I just ran for 30 minutes, not sure about distance.
Sunday: Ran 3.3 miles.
Monday: Ran 3 miles, walked .5 and did some weights for my arms.
Also, check out how nerdy you are! You can just click on the box below that has my score on it. Let me know what you score!!!
here's my score:
Sunday: Ran 3.3 miles.
Monday: Ran 3 miles, walked .5 and did some weights for my arms.
Also, check out how nerdy you are! You can just click on the box below that has my score on it. Let me know what you score!!!
here's my score:
Unexpected Vacation
We are back from an adventure that we didn't plan on taking! Our time in Oregon was fantastic. We had a lot of fun with Dani's parents and family. We celebrated our second daughter's second birthday and Dani and i celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.
The camp i spoke at was incredible and really encouraging as well. You can read more about that at the Y∙LIFe blog here, if you want to.
We were scheduled to return to Texas on June 27th and we loaded the plane at PDX in Oregon. Our flight had a lay-over in San Diego where we were supposed to switch planes quickly (we had less than an hour originally)and then finish the jaunt to DFW in Texas. Our flight was delayed an hour leaving PDX so we thought we were really in a pinch to make our connection. We found out that there were 18 other people on this flight that were also trying to get to DFW, and we were all sitting in the back of this plane. The flight attendants made an announcement for the other passengers who had more time to make their connection to stay seated so the 18 people trying to get to DFW could make their flight.
Then, as we landed and had permission to turn our cell phones back on, i received a call from Orbitz.com. On a side note, if you are planning a trip soon, Orbitz.com is a GREAT site to book your reservations. Not only do they offer great fares but they also call you the day you are set to leave and update you on your flight status (i.e. on time, delayed, cancelled). Back to the story: As soon as i turned my phone on, i received this call from Orbitz.com. It said that our flight to DFW had been cancelled! i told the fight attendants and they hadn't heard yet.
So, we were no longer in a mad dash to get off the plane to make our connection. Instead, we had to go to the American Airlines counter and see what was going on and when we could get out. As you can probably imagine, the line was LONG! Our flight was supposed to leave at 5:15 but every flight to DFW from San Diego had been cancelled starting at 3:40. So, we were all now in line trying to get out on another plane.
Since there were four of us flying (Dani, our two girls, and me), they had a hard time finding a flight that we could get on so we ended up having to wait until Saturday before they had another open flight. On top of that, the airline would not help us out to cover the expenses because the cancellation was due to the weather. i asked if all the rain in Texas was a publicity stunt from "Evan Almighty" but the humor was lost in the chaos.
Dani started calling hotels in San Diego to see if we could get a room for the next three nights. She found us a room at Sommerset Suites for a great price, but they didn't have any openings for Thursday night. We discussed renting a car and trying to drive home but it was going to cost at least $600 just to rent the car since we were going to leave it in Texas. After weighing all our options, we decided to head over to Sommerset Suites and hope for an opening on Thursday.
Unfortunately, no rooms opened up so we had to move. Thursday (during nap time) we had to check out and get a cab to take us to Town and Country Resort. This was a nice place that had a GREAT deal on rooms as long as we didn't cancel our reservation with them. Apparently, they just wanted to fill up their open rooms so instead of $400 a night it was $119 a night.
We skipped naps and checked in (we had 4 huge bags of luggage and a trash bag with our oldest daughter's carseat in it) and decided to go swimming. The weather was beautiful in San Diego! Cool nights and warm days with a nice breeze and dry heat! Of all the places to get stuck, this was probably the best (even though everything was really pricey there).
Friday, we decided to catch the trolley and head over to the San Diego Zoo. This was a blast and the girls had a lot of fun. The polar bears were playing together, the hippo was sleeping with his noce up to the glass underwater, the pandas were within 10 feet of us, and the gorillas were sitting right in front of the glass. This was a really fun day! Then, we found out that you can use the ticket you buy for the trolley for the bus ride as well (we had to take both to get to the zoo). The only problem is that we found out after we already bought four tickets for the bus. :)
The room we had for Thursday, Friday, and half of Saturday was decent but all the beds were in one room (not a suite). That meant nap time was off and bed time would be a little challenge. We were so thankful for the room and to have a place to stay though.
Saturday, we swam a bit in the morning and then loaded all our luggage up to check out and hop back in a cab to take us to the airport. We decided we should get to airport early since there had been so many cancellations. When we arrived at the airport, our flight had already been delayed 45 minutes. We were a little nervous and hit our breaking point as we tried to get through security. i wish we could have it on tape, imagine the four of us taking our shoes off, unloading the girls and our stuff out of the strollers, getting our laptop out of it's bag, taking our belts off, emptying our pockets, etc. Now imagine this in double speed with a line of people behind us!
We finally got through and realized that i left the girls water cups in the stroller and it spilled on the scanning machine as it went through! So, now we have a wet stroller, no water for the girls, and the security people wanting to know what liquid i was trying to smuggle in. As all this is going on, our youngest grabs the tickets and starts playing with them. It was all a bit chaotic.
Finally, our plane is ready for us to board and we venture on. Mommy carrying a big pink backpack in front, daughter #2 right behind pulling her little Dora backpack on wheels, daughter #1 pulling her little Dora backpack on wheels behind daughter #2, and me carrying the carseat and laptop following both daughters and Dani. I'm sure that we are those passengers that other people just hope aren't on the same plane.
Our plane was delayed another hour but we finally took off and landed at DFW just before midnight on Saturday! My brother picked us up and we headed for home. We finally made it home around 2:30 am on Sunday morning at went straight to bed.
This unexpected vacation ended up being a pretty fun trip (until the bills come in). :) God was definitely teaching us all flexibility and patience throughout this trip.
Needless to say, this is the most excited we've been to be back home and in our own beds! Right now, our girls are napping!!! Obviously that didn't happen much on our trip and they still really need that rest time (as do we).
The camp i spoke at was incredible and really encouraging as well. You can read more about that at the Y∙LIFe blog here, if you want to.
We were scheduled to return to Texas on June 27th and we loaded the plane at PDX in Oregon. Our flight had a lay-over in San Diego where we were supposed to switch planes quickly (we had less than an hour originally)and then finish the jaunt to DFW in Texas. Our flight was delayed an hour leaving PDX so we thought we were really in a pinch to make our connection. We found out that there were 18 other people on this flight that were also trying to get to DFW, and we were all sitting in the back of this plane. The flight attendants made an announcement for the other passengers who had more time to make their connection to stay seated so the 18 people trying to get to DFW could make their flight.
Then, as we landed and had permission to turn our cell phones back on, i received a call from Orbitz.com. On a side note, if you are planning a trip soon, Orbitz.com is a GREAT site to book your reservations. Not only do they offer great fares but they also call you the day you are set to leave and update you on your flight status (i.e. on time, delayed, cancelled). Back to the story: As soon as i turned my phone on, i received this call from Orbitz.com. It said that our flight to DFW had been cancelled! i told the fight attendants and they hadn't heard yet.
So, we were no longer in a mad dash to get off the plane to make our connection. Instead, we had to go to the American Airlines counter and see what was going on and when we could get out. As you can probably imagine, the line was LONG! Our flight was supposed to leave at 5:15 but every flight to DFW from San Diego had been cancelled starting at 3:40. So, we were all now in line trying to get out on another plane.
Since there were four of us flying (Dani, our two girls, and me), they had a hard time finding a flight that we could get on so we ended up having to wait until Saturday before they had another open flight. On top of that, the airline would not help us out to cover the expenses because the cancellation was due to the weather. i asked if all the rain in Texas was a publicity stunt from "Evan Almighty" but the humor was lost in the chaos.
Dani started calling hotels in San Diego to see if we could get a room for the next three nights. She found us a room at Sommerset Suites for a great price, but they didn't have any openings for Thursday night. We discussed renting a car and trying to drive home but it was going to cost at least $600 just to rent the car since we were going to leave it in Texas. After weighing all our options, we decided to head over to Sommerset Suites and hope for an opening on Thursday.
Unfortunately, no rooms opened up so we had to move. Thursday (during nap time) we had to check out and get a cab to take us to Town and Country Resort. This was a nice place that had a GREAT deal on rooms as long as we didn't cancel our reservation with them. Apparently, they just wanted to fill up their open rooms so instead of $400 a night it was $119 a night.
We skipped naps and checked in (we had 4 huge bags of luggage and a trash bag with our oldest daughter's carseat in it) and decided to go swimming. The weather was beautiful in San Diego! Cool nights and warm days with a nice breeze and dry heat! Of all the places to get stuck, this was probably the best (even though everything was really pricey there).
Friday, we decided to catch the trolley and head over to the San Diego Zoo. This was a blast and the girls had a lot of fun. The polar bears were playing together, the hippo was sleeping with his noce up to the glass underwater, the pandas were within 10 feet of us, and the gorillas were sitting right in front of the glass. This was a really fun day! Then, we found out that you can use the ticket you buy for the trolley for the bus ride as well (we had to take both to get to the zoo). The only problem is that we found out after we already bought four tickets for the bus. :)
The room we had for Thursday, Friday, and half of Saturday was decent but all the beds were in one room (not a suite). That meant nap time was off and bed time would be a little challenge. We were so thankful for the room and to have a place to stay though.
Saturday, we swam a bit in the morning and then loaded all our luggage up to check out and hop back in a cab to take us to the airport. We decided we should get to airport early since there had been so many cancellations. When we arrived at the airport, our flight had already been delayed 45 minutes. We were a little nervous and hit our breaking point as we tried to get through security. i wish we could have it on tape, imagine the four of us taking our shoes off, unloading the girls and our stuff out of the strollers, getting our laptop out of it's bag, taking our belts off, emptying our pockets, etc. Now imagine this in double speed with a line of people behind us!
We finally got through and realized that i left the girls water cups in the stroller and it spilled on the scanning machine as it went through! So, now we have a wet stroller, no water for the girls, and the security people wanting to know what liquid i was trying to smuggle in. As all this is going on, our youngest grabs the tickets and starts playing with them. It was all a bit chaotic.
Finally, our plane is ready for us to board and we venture on. Mommy carrying a big pink backpack in front, daughter #2 right behind pulling her little Dora backpack on wheels, daughter #1 pulling her little Dora backpack on wheels behind daughter #2, and me carrying the carseat and laptop following both daughters and Dani. I'm sure that we are those passengers that other people just hope aren't on the same plane.
Our plane was delayed another hour but we finally took off and landed at DFW just before midnight on Saturday! My brother picked us up and we headed for home. We finally made it home around 2:30 am on Sunday morning at went straight to bed.
This unexpected vacation ended up being a pretty fun trip (until the bills come in). :) God was definitely teaching us all flexibility and patience throughout this trip.
Needless to say, this is the most excited we've been to be back home and in our own beds! Right now, our girls are napping!!! Obviously that didn't happen much on our trip and they still really need that rest time (as do we).
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