Harper's Birth Story

Almost six months after Harper made me a mom, I am finding a few minutes to write what I have been wanting to write since the night that we brought her home.  Harper's Birth Story.  This story is written to Harper as a letter.

Harper,

It is very important to me that you know the story of your birth.  I want you to know how special the experience was and how it created a bond between your dad and I that will last forever.  I felt better than I have ever felt when I was pregnant with you.  Barring a few bouts with nausea, I loved the feeling of being pregnant.  With you, I craved lots of milk and hot sauce.  I just about ate us out of house and home. I used to go to Piasano's Pizza on James Island on 5 dollar calzone Tuesdays :)  Veggie Calzone please!  I also loved to eat the Buffalo Chicken Wraps from East Bay Deli. I would even dip the potato chips that came with the wrap into hot sauce!  I was pregnant with you on our third wedding anniversary.  Your dad and I took a "baby moon"/anniversary trip to Disney World. We went to Epcot Center and took a behind the scenes tour of Disney.  It was so much fun.  Towards the end of the pregnancy, I was tired a lot; but I was still very healthy.  I was able to work out a couple of days a week until pretty close to the end of the Third Trimester.  We got everything ready in your nursery for you, and Dad repainted the whole house and had wood floors installed before you came.  I used to tell everyone that he was "nesting" in a manly way.

So the morning before you were born, I woke up feeling different.  I knew we were close.  We went to the Charleston Birth Place to get checked out, and Leslie the midwife told use that I was dilated 1 cm.  She advised us to stay busy that day, so that is what we did.  We went to Mount Pleasant and shopped for shoes,  ate Japanese food, and enjoyed ice cream.  I was having contractions about every 8-12 minutes.  Nothing major.  I knew that the next day was going to be "game day" :).  That evening, I had Cory go out and get me some Chicken Parmesan...This was the meal that I always ate before my basketball games, so I figured that I should fuel my body the same way for this event.  I ate every bite.  We went to bed at our normal time, and around 1am the contractions woke me up.  They were coming about every 5 minutes then.  I remember starting to feel a little excited/anxiety, but I was not in any pain.  Around 2am, I called the midwife.  When Judy answered the phone, I said in a cheerful voice, "Good Morning:)."  She answered, "You are not ready."(Later she told me that I was too happy to be ready:)  She instructed me to have your dad call her back when I could no longer stand or talk through a contraction.  The next several hours seemed to fly by for me.  You dad was a champ.  Between contractions, he would feed me bites of banana and give me slurps of Gatorade.  He let me lean on him and sway back and forth to ease my discomfort, and later, when all I wanted was to sit on the cool floor, he sat behind me and let me lean back on him between each wave.
Around 7am, I knew you were almost ready to make your appearance.  We grabbed our bags and made our way to the birthing center.

When we got there, our midwife Judy met us and started filling up the pool.  I was dilated 8cm; and by the time she got the pool filled up, I was dilated 10.  You were what they call"sunny side up," which is a nice way of saying that you were going to be a little harder to deliver.  Judy had me in all sorts of different positions to try and turn you around, but you wanted to stay the way you were.  Although we were both still very healthy and safe, after several hours of trying, I was pretty tired and ready to see your face.  Judy called the hospital, and they got a delivery room ready for us.  One of the funniest things that happened all day was during the commute from the Birth Place to the hospital.  Judy was wheeling me up to the room, and I was pushing about every 15 seconds then.  You were ready.  I had my eyes closed for almost the whole ride over because I was so deep in concentration.  The one time I opened my eyes, we were on an elevator with several maintenance men.  Their faces were all flushed because they thought I was going to deliver you right there on the elevator!  I didn't, though :).

They got us into a delivery room, and in what seemed like a couple minutes later, you made your entrance.  I wish you could have seen your dad's face when he saw you for the first time.  He said, "There she is!  There is our baby!"  He turned away for a quick second because he was so overjoyed, but then came right back to my side as they handed you to us for the first time.  I can't express how awesome that moment was. There was so much love between the three of us at that moment, that although the room was full of nurses, it seemed like the three of us were completely alone.

That day, your Mimi, CiCi, Poppi, Papaw, Uncle Josh, and Aunt Jess came to visit.  I cried when my dad held you for the first time, and your dad cried when his mom held you.  Everyone remarked about your beauty and alertness.  Aunt Jess said that she was going to put mascara on your big eyelashes someday.  We'll see.

Love,
Mom

New Recipe: Homemade French Dips

This recipe has made the cut, and will be in the rotation each month in the Evans household.  Sorry, no pictures...but here it is. 

Homemade French Dips

Crock pot
Any cut of beef (or venison) that will shed well
1 can of dark beer
2 cans of Campbell's french onion soup
water
salt and pep
hoagie rolls and swiss cheese


Cover beef with ingredients and crock all day.  serve on rolls with cheese and a cup of the juice from the crock pot.  I served with fries. 

you can also save the stock and add chopped onions for French Onion Soup. 

Jessie's Cognitive Phases of Pregnancy

I was thinking this weekend about the different things that my mind has chosen to fixate on during these last nine months. It is amazing what happens in the mind during pregnancy. I thought it would be interesting to share my particular mental phases. Here we go...




Phase 1 - OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

The day we found out that we were pregnant, I just could not believe it. I took a Dollar Store pregnancy test in the morning. (don’t invest in those.) I took the test, then texted a picture of the results to Cory with the caption, "Does this look like two lines to you?" Neither of us could tell. On the way home, I splurged for the digital PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT kind. After I took the test, I was too nervous to look at the result. Cory went in the bathroom as I paced in the kitchen...I yelled "What does it say?" He did not say a word, and I knew. He came out of the bathroom and handed me the test. The test read, PREGNANT. We sat at the kitchen table in shock. I felt scared, overwhelmed, and excited all at once. Our lives will never be the same. Wow.



Phase 2 - IT'S ALIVE!!!

After the initial shock and a few weeks of sickness wore off :), my mind became fixed on the fact that there was a living being growing inside of me! I could not wrap my mind around the idea that this thing that was the size of a grape would someday be as big as me, with thoughts and opinions and friends and a life of its own. It rocked my world to think about it.



Phase 3 - PREGNANCY QUEEN

About mid-way though, I loved being pregnant. All I wanted to do was eat from morning until night. I loved the liberating feeling of being able to eat my way through the day with no regret at all. I could get around easily, and people I did not even know catered to me :) It was magnificent.



Phase 4 - HOLY CANNOLI!! I HAVE TO DELIVER THIS THING!!

Feeling Harper move inside of me is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. I know I will really miss that when I am not pregnant anymore. Once she really started to move, I began to think a lot about the delivery. I was pretty fearful about it at first. I dove into doing research about the process. I needed to find out what was going to actually be happening in my body during labor.

For me, if I can understand why something is happening (a pain or sickness of some kind), then I will do a better job of dealing with it. It is like when I was training during my college basketball days. Even though workouts would be excruciating at times, once I understood what that pain was doing to my muscles, I could handle it. During this phase, I actually thought a lot about my athletic experiences. I have definitely experienced the exhilaration of pushing past points at which I KNEW I could go no further. Through those experiences, I learned that my body is a lot stronger than I think it is. I know that when I get to the dreaded transition stage of labor that I have read so much about, I will be able to dig deep and push through.

Also, during this phase, I really have spent a lot more time with the Lord. It has been a sweet time. My house is currently covered with "labor scriptures" on post-it notes. I have also made a labor worship mix for the birthing center. I know that at the base of everything, through all of my experiences and underneath all of my head- knowledge; He is the source of my strength. He is where my help has and will always come from. I am thankful to know Him :).



Phase 5 - WAIT...SHE IS COMING HOME WITH ME??? TO MY HOUSE???

This is the stage that I am currently residing in . I am not sure how it escaped me before. HELLO?!

I am not thinking about the delivery as much anymore. I am now educating myself about the time after she comes home. I am learning about feeding, and bathing, and pediatricians. The house is also getting the fine tooth comb treatment. Everything has been cleaned from top to bottom. I have washed all of her clothes and bedding, put all of her toys in place, set up the changing area, and put the car seat base in the car. I am so excited to get her home.



Throughout the entire pregnancy, there are a couple thoughts that have not left my mind.

1. I am so thankful. We have prayed for this child for a long time, and the Lord has blessed us. I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. I overflow when I think about it.

2. Cory is going to be an awesome dad. I am so thankful that he is ours :) I am so confident going into this next stage and a huge part of that is because of him. Love him.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR COGNITIVE PREGO STAGES!

At a wedding a couple of weeks ago. 

preparing the nest

I sit today about 6 weeks from my due date.  Cory and I are so excited.  It seems like anytime there is a silent moment in our house, one of us will say, "I just cant wait to see her."  We are constantly daydreaming about her, I think.  I keep visualizing that moment when we will see her face for the first time.  I told Cory that he is nesting as much as I am.  Over the last week, the whole house has received a fresh coat of paint  and new wood floors. 

We are tired, but we are having so much fun.  This pregnancy has been a great season for us.  it has been such a sweet time.  The Lord is preparing each of us for this next step.  I appreciate my husband so much, and I am so thankful that he is mine.  He is going to be an awesome Dad :)  

Over the next week, we are going to be working room by room, deep cleaning and reorganizing.  The joys of preparing the nest:)

All of this work has worn someone out :)

Making the Switch: Part 1

Disclaimer: Every Pregnancy is different.  Every person is different.  This post is not meant to elevate one kind of delivery above another.  We have to all birth in the environment that we feel the most comfortable in.  That is what is best for the baby. These are just my thoughts about MY pregnancy.   

Over the last several months, the Lord has really changed our hearts about the way that we introduce Harper to the world.  For the first few months of our pregnancy, we were both kind of numb to any type of understanding that we actually had choices to make about this pregnancy and birth.  We just thought we were supposed to go with the flow and trust our doctor.  After all, doctors are the experts.  About four months in, however, we began to get a little discouraged the way we were treated at our huge OBGYN practice.  Our doctor called us her "easy" parents, and spent about three minutes per visit with us.  We needed more.  We began to do some research. 

Although doctors ARE experts, and we certainly need them; they are experts in pathology.  We have a completely normal pregnancy (thank you Lord).  The concept of a natural childbirth with a midwife began to come at me from all directions.  I researched and researched and researched and came to the conclusion that this may be a good route for us to take with our next baby :)  (once I get one under my belt).  Cory was supportive of me, but the more I thought about it, the more this question began to rise within me: "If  you know that this method is best for the baby, what is keeping you from giving this gift to Harper?"  the answer was fear.  I was afraid of the pain.  I knew that the right thing to do was to turn my fear over to the Lord and take a step of faith. 

We visited the Birth Center shortly there after for a consultation.  I asked the Lord to give Cory and me peace about which way to go.  As we walked around the place, we both felt immediately settled.  When we were in the birthing suite, Cory just looked at me and shook his head "yes".  At 30 weeks, we officially transferred our care to the Charleston Birthplace.  We could not be happier. I have never been a hospital person.  They give me anxiety as soon as i enter the door.  I immediately fell in love with the idea of delivering in a place that was like a home.  The calmness of an environment like the birthing center trumped the hustle and bustle of a hospital....BY FAR...  AND there is a possiblity that we may be the only family there at the time of Harper's delivery. We are very excited about bringing Harper into the world this way. 

For more information about The Charleston Birthplace, click this link: http://www.charlestonbirthplace.com/

Along with testimonies from friends, here are some links that helped me realize that natural childbirth was the right option for me.

http://www.birthingnaturally.net/index.html

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/business-being-born/ (this is a full length movie, fyi)

more to come about this topic...

Maternity Pictures

It has taken me about 7 months to talk Cory Lee into taking maternity pictures.  Finally, he agreed.  Sally from our church took these beautiful pictures for us.  She is so talented.  We went out to Sunrise Park on James Island.  It was a lot of fun.  I even think Cory enjoyed it :).  Here are a few of the shots I fell in love with. 

To look at more of Sally's awesome work, check out her website.  I have it saved to my favorites so I can stalk all of her new shoots :) http://www.sallywattsphoto.com/

refrigerator people.

When I was in Grad School, one of my friends did a speech about refrigerator people.  Basically, she said that one way you could measure your success is by counting how many refrigerator people you have in your life.  I have never forgotten that.  A refrigerator person is someone who comes to your house to visit; and feels like they can open your fridge, dig around a little, and choose something without asking.  I love it.

I have always loved to entertain.  I love to get everyone together.  I am sure I have annoyed my mother over the years with the "get togethers" I organized at her house.  I want so much for my home to be a welcoming environment for people...like my Granny Millie's house.   

I read a neat blog post today about preparing for guests.  Check it out.  This lady is one of my favorite bloggers.  I am always learning from her.  The blog is about preparing for your guests by praying for them and the visit.  This is one area that I have not thought much about during my prep for people.  I clean and think about what I am going to cook, but I don't spend time in prayer for the visit.  Hello???.  It is so crazy that I forget that entertaining/hospitality is a joy for me because it has been gifted to me by my heavenly father.  I get so wrapped up in enjoying it, I forget about the one who gave it to me, and that I should talk to Him about how He wants me to use it.   Great lesson to learn. 

Big News!!

Meet Baby Evans


Baby Evans :) from The SCL on Vimeo.

Frugal Friday!!

http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/rinsing-with-vinegar/

Great post about ways to kick the chemicals out of the house.  (and it is a lot cheaper too)
Check it out!!

Craft idea

This is something that I thought was really cool.  My hubby got me a bottle cutter for Christmas.  I think I may give this a try. 

http://www.dailydanny.com/?p=4257

People, I jumped out of a plane!!

I still can't believe it. For about 6 months now, my cousin has been trying to get me to do this...finally we took the plunge. Literally.

I met my cousin Meagan in a small town (not sure if it was a town) about an hour north of charlotte. It was a four hour drive for each of us. When I pulled into the place, I thought that we may have made a mistake. I was expecting an airport. This was more like one of the farms on Johns Island. I expected a free range chicken to run under my feet at any moment. The first step was to go into the small office and sign you life away. Then there was a safety video to watch, which seemed to be hosted by one of the founding members of ZZ Top. I took a picture of it so that my husband would know that i watched it (another story). Then off we went for "ground training"




about to step out of the fake plane



being pushed from the fake plane



arch back training



 Finally, it was time to get suited up. I was sooo excited.

and away we went...

sign says "Propellers Rip Off Heads"  Great Choice for the last thing you read before you step on the "runway"

The plane was about the size of a small SUV inside. There were no seats. I sat on the floor facing the back of the plane with my back leaning against a piece of plywood. not kidding. I was closest to the door because I was going to be the first one out. My cousin sat behind the pilot (leaning back on his chair) Our guides were facing us. The belts (not seatbelts :) were attached to the floor and buckled around our harnesses when we sat down. As we ascended in this "after school project" of a plane, I was very thankful that I was going to have chute strapped to me soon. A few minutes into the flight (it lasted about 20), I look up and my tandem partner is SLEEPING!!. i nudged my cousin and gave her the look the that you probably have on your face as you are reading this. I was quite sure that I wanted needed the person who i was about to strap myself to and leap towards earth with to be alert.



Our instructors had these dials on their arms that showed the altitude; and when we got up to 8,000 feet, it was time to put into practice our five minutes of training. It was harder than you would expect to move around in that little plane. I had to turn around and face the front, then my guide attached our harnesses. When we got to the proper altitude, the pilot pulled these two knobs and it seemed like the plane slowed down to a hover. My guide said, "are you ready to jump out of a plane?' and I nodded. :) Then The door popped open.



The next part is something that i will never forget.



i want to tell you why.



I love the Lord. I love the teacher that he is. I truly believe that in every situation, just as James says, there is a chance for our faith and endurance to grow. In Bible study with basketball girls, we have been talking a lot about faith, and last weekend, the Lord gave me an object lesson in it at the Women's retreat. I tried every way I could think of to get someone else to lead the music because I was sure that I was not good enough to do it. The Lord taught me so much through that process about his Faithfulness and about the real me (which is what Jean Baker told me that steps of faith will do) that I probably need to do another post about that subject.



So I have been thinking about Faith a lot lately; and on the ride to Charlotte, the Lord began to show me how this tandem jump I was about to do was a lot like my walk with him. I get so scared at times to step out into the "unknown." And unlike those crazy North Carolina country boys who were strapped to our backs on Saturday, the Lord won’t push us out of the plane if we are too scared to jump. Even though he knows the joy and exhilaration we will experience if we do trust him and step out.



As the door popped open on the plane, a rush came over me like I have never experienced. The guide put his foot out on this yard stick of a thing under the door. I was to follow suit, and I did. It was very difficult to hold your foot steady, as the wind was blowing so hard. Finally the count...1.... lean back and forward...2.....lean back and forward.....and .....3!!! We were off!!! For a split second, I could see the plane in my peripheral vision (and how fast we were moving away from it) and i thought, "crappity crap I just jumped out of a plane!!!" BUT THEN the coolest thing happened. I could no longer see the plane, and the earth did not seem as though we were getting any closer to it. I felt like I was FLYING. I put my arms out and started shouting (joyfully, not out of fright). My guide was laughing as I was shouting "I'm flying!!"



Then he pulled the parachute, and there was one of the most peaceful silences that I have ever experienced. He pointed out Charlotte's skyline (an hour south) and Winston Salem’s skyline (45 min to the east) and Grandfather mountain to the west. I could see the farmland below divided like a patchwork quilt. It was amazing.



I was in the shower yesterday morning (I do my best reflective thinking in the shower), and the Lord brought this to my mind again. I realized that he created tandem skydiving (like all things) to point us to Him, to his sovereignty, his fathering, and his joy as we experience trusting him, stepping out with him, and flying.

 

Great Message.  Check it out!

http://www.passioncitychurch.com/watch/#20100418

On Your Left!

Well I finished my first sprint tri last Sunday. It was a really fun experience, and I am excited for my second one in July. The environment was so exciting and cool. It seemed like a great community of people. I got to the site about 5:45 to get registered and start setting up my station. I had some butterflies when I arrived, but nothing like I used to have during my basketball days. I really like the feeling of having no other people to be responsible for. If I have a bad day, it only effects me, not a whole team of people. My friend Danielle and I set up our stations next to each other. This was her second tri, and I was glad to have her there to show me the ropes. My hubby and in-laws came to support me as well. It was pretty cool.

Swim 600 yards 15:19

I just knew that the water was going to be freezing. That was one thought that I could not get to leave my brain. Another was the fact that I was swimming in the dog pond (and I knew what dogs did in that pond. I had a feeling that I would puke at some point during the swim out of sheer mental image of dog crap. (I didn't though)

The swim was a wading start. When it was our turn, we entered the water (which was not cold at all) and got ready to start. One of the girls in my age group thought it would be funny to tell everyone that she brought her dog here the day before and it crapped in the pond. Not funny. Anyway the horn went off and away we went. I took a place out the outside because I was new and I figured I would be slow. It is a lot different swimming in lake water than it is swimming in a pool. You can't see a thing. I did my regular stroke for a couple minutes and then did several rest strokes. I swam a bit on my back too (that is what I am doing in the picture). This was the hardest part of the race for me. I am going to work more on my swim for the next one. My family had set up a place next to the lake, and it was cool to hear them cheering for me. They were great. I finished the swim in about 15 minutes. Close to the back of my age group, but not a bad time.

T1 2:41

The first transition was a bit touchy. I am definitely going to bring something to sit down on next time. I filled a Frisbee with freshwater before the race, and used it to rinse the dirt off my feet before I put on my shoes and socks. Helmet on, back off the rack, and away we go.

Bike 12.8 miles 52:35

The bike course was fun. I got passed a lot, but that is ok. I kept a pace of about 15-17 mph. We rode out of the park and down a road lined with oak trees, then out toward the beach. Everyone was so encouraging. The people at the intersections would cheer as you pass, and more importantly, the really good riders often spoke a word of encouragement as they passed you. (Which happened a lot :) Every time someone would pass me, they would yell out "On Your Left!!" I was about 8 miles in, and I had not had the opportunity to pass anyone yet, when I noticed a lady in the distance (could this be my first "On Your Left!") I did not get too excited; I just kept my pace, and steadily gained on her. As we rounded loop and headed back to the park, I finally made my move. It felt good. I said "On Your Left" and moved around her. HAHA Small victory! (Hopefully next time, I will get to say that at least two times :) When I got back into the park, my family was there cheering for me. Cory got a neat video that I will try and post later. It was cool to see them.

T2+Run 22:20 (35:00)

I went into the second transition feeling really good. I intentionally did not push myself as hard as I could because I did not know what the next leg was going to be like. I got back to my station to find that someone had put their bike in my spot (made me a little mad). I moved theirs over a bit, and placed mine on the rack. I remembered to take off my helmet :) and discreetly put on ipod into my shorts (not legal). I started off on the run, and here is where the fun started. I was running for about a quarter mile when I came to a fork in the road. There was a man behind me who had gotten off of the bike around the same time so I turned around to ask him which way we should go. He guessed left so I said ok. I felt great on the run. I had my Needtobreathe playing in my headphones, and I was cruising. Runnin my own run. I came around a bin and it looked like a only had a bit to go before I was turning back to the home stretch. I thought "Wow I feel great for being about ready to finish three miles" I chalked it up to adrenaline, and kept moving. I saw my family and said "I feel good." I went around another bin and lost sight of them. Apparently, after they saw me, they began to do some calculating in their brains because as I came back around to make my sprint to the finish, my father-in-law came along side of me a said, "I think you missed part of the run, kid." OH NOO! No wonder I was feeling so good! lol However, by that point, I had no idea how to get back to that section of the course without backtracking (they had us corralled like cattle). So I just decided to add some time on to my finish since I was only going for a baseline.

Overall, it was a great experience and I can't wait for the next one.



Total Time (with add on) 1:45:00 (met my goal of under 2:00:00)



and no woman over the age of 60 finished before me :)

me and my Coach :)

Training switches for next time (My next race is July 11):

6 weeks away

I am going to add weights in three times per week paired with run/bike and one Brick on the weekend.

I am also going to do two short (30minute) swims a week

.

Goals for July 11

Swim 13:00

T1 2:00

Bike 45:00 ( I would like to learn ot use my aerobars too)

T2 and Run 32:00

Total 1:32:00

Court Yard Hounds

I was just doing some desk work and listening to NPR and I heard this great interview. Court Yard Hounds is one of my favorite new bands. check out the interview. They play a really cool bluegrass tune for the NPR audience.

Second Brick!! And It Did Not Feel Like a Ton of Them!!

I did my second brick yesterday afternoon. Great weather (about75 degrees). I was as slow as Christmas, BUT I completed 12.8 miles on the bike and ran 3 miles WITHOUT STOPPING!! yippee! I rode down Chisolm road and passed some real riders going the other way. They waved and that made me feel good, kind of like I was a part of the club. (I am very thankful that they were going in the opposite direction so that they could not gauge how slow I was traveling :) Anyway, I felt good the whole way. I averaged about a 4 minute mile on my ride, that is about 14 mph (not fast at all if you know anything about cycling, but "we got a first timer out here." I had my ipod stuck down in the back of my shorts where I could not reach it, so I was at the mercy of my random playlist. It treated me well. I sang along with some oldies and then listened to a great message from my parent's home church. The scenery on Chisolm is beautiful. Around every bend is a horse farm, or a marsh creek, or a nice pasture. It is really enjoyable. When I finished my ride, I put my bike in the house, threw on some running shorts over my tri-shorts (I still feel naked in them), and set off on my run. 1.5 down and 1.5 back. I was turning the corner out of my driveway when I realized that I still had my bike helmet on (ha!). I ran back and threw it on the front porch(more on that in a minute). I hope I don't do that on race day. I had a great run back down Mary Ann Point Rd to Chisolm. My legs felt pretty good (a lot better than last week). I was working at a pretty conservative pace because my goal was to finish the entire thing without stopping. I am going to work on speed in the future. (Coach Cory helped me come up with that strategy)
As I was finishing the first mile of the run, the sermon that I was listening to came to an end and my music started again. All day I had been meditating on some things that we had learned in church earlier that morning. I am definitely the "heady" person that our pastor was talking about. Here is an example of that...After the sermon, I immediately begin to worry that I have missed something or have not been doing something right. As I was training, The Holy Spirit began to remind me that He has me. His Spirit is leading me into all truth and I am walking with him and desiring for him to lead me and fill me. I can rest. I can recall several times in my life when I have felt Him press on me to just chill out. As I was running, I began to reflect on his goodness and his fathering of me; and I could not keep my hands out of the air. It boggles my mind that the One who created everything, cares enough about me to father me and lead me into Real truth. boggling. The Lord is so faithful to me and He truly knows me completely. It was a great training day and a great time with the one who knows me better than I know myself.

Oh back to the helmet. So I was on my last leg of the run, I had turned the corner and could see my driveway about 300 yards away. All of the sudden, I see a big white Ford truck coming my way with my worker man inside. He saw my helmet on the front porch and decided to put out the search team :). My hero. I started making muscles and he smiled. He rolled down the window and I shouted 12.8 and three baby! 12.8 and three!!

There may not be an I in TEAM, but there is one in PR (kind of).

So I did my first BRICK this weekend. For those of you who do not know what that means (I found out myself a couple weeks ago) a BRICK is a training session that incorporates two of the three triathlon events. On Saturday, my friend (who totally acted like she was out of shape and then continually left me in the dust and was forced to stop and wait on my slow butt)and I rode for about 17 miles and then attempted to run for 3 (yeah right). I felt good during the bike ride (I was just real slow) and I actually felt like I could have kept on riding, but when we got back to her house, parked the bikes, and began our jog (which went from "let's do three miles," to "let's just do one," to "let's just jog around the block so our legs can get a taste") MY LEGS WERE JELLO. I was fighting the mental battle the whole time. "DO NOT STOP!!" "I have to stop" "DO NOT STOP" "I just need to walk for a second" and so forth it went... I jogged until I lost sight of Danny only to find her again running in and out of cul-de-sacs waiting on me :) I gave in. We walked and talked and once I got my wind back, we finished strong and jogged back to her house.

I much as I am moaning right now, I really am enjoying the feeling of getting back in shape. This weekend, I felt sore for the first time in a few years. I mean two-a-day sore. It was nice. I also love cross training. I am really enjoying the biking and swimming. Danny and I were talking (during one of the few times we were close to each other on the bike ride) that we have totally been conditioned to HATE running. It was always a punishment for us during our basketball days. We both really have to work hard to get running miles in because it is so grueling to us.

Let me just say that I am alright with being the slow person. I am in PR world now (this means personal record) (just learned that too). It is much more enjoyable than my athletic experience in the past. Before, there was the pressure of being responsible for your teammates; and the pressure of letting others down if you did not perform well. I do not feel that now. There is an I in PR (kind of).

T-to the-R-A-I-N

I realized this morning after I attempted a 600 yard swim in the pool without stopping that I may drown during the race. Over the next 3 ½ weeks (ahhhhhhh I can't believe that is all I have), I really have to step up my pool training. The swim is definitely my weakest link. Other than that, I feel pretty good. I am excited to do my first brick this weekend with Danny.

Sprint Tri Tummy Ache

t minus five weeks from RACE DAY!! I have been working harder in my training, and I am starting to get a little nervous about the unknown aspects of doing a sprint -tri. I was looking over the trail maps for the running portion of the race and the bike portion today and my stomach started making those nervous sounds. I keep reminding myself of my minimal goals.

1. Finish without stopping
2. Don't let someone a woman over the age of 70 beat me

I know I can do it. I will keep everyone posted.

I wanted to share this with everyone. I have had a great time making this podcast this year. These are some of the goof-ups :)

   2009-2010 SCL Outtakes from The SCL on Vimeo.

Taking Up Your Cross

When Christ Calles a man, he bids him come and die. 
-Dietrich Bonhopper


Matthew 10:38 &39

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Mark 8:34-36

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

We are called to be “set apart” BUT

-The temptation is to try and change the outside first ( I am going to stop doing this, or start doing that, or do this more, or do that less)

-True change is Inside –Out Change (asking Jesus to soften your heart and teach you how to live)

Psalm 51:16-17
16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Never starts with doing more, Always starts with surrendering more.