Carpe Diem

Ruth's 2nd birthday

2010-10-23T23:25:00.002-04:00

We took this video of Ruth learning it was her birthday (and randomly since then she's said it's her birthday too). It's been an amazing two years with our baby Ruth so far!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rOaRiE7JmU

Year End Update

2010-01-17T22:44:00.003-05:00

There is something about spending time with family around
the holidays and the nearing of the end of the year that causes me
to be more reflective about the past year than I tend to be while in
the midst of it. Each year I appreciate that as it helps me to take stock of what the past year has brought- the blessings along with the hard things. It is always humbling to look back over the way that God has provided, and especially this year.
It was about this time last year that Lauren and I made our decision to leave PA, even though at that time we really had no idea where we were actually moving to. A decision that even perplexed us more than once. Through God's guidance, we settled on moving to Bozeman, MT and working at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures for the three months of summer.
Through many tears we said “see you soon” to the countless people that were an integral part of our lives in PA. Our church family, some of our immediate family, our small group, and our larger group of friends and coworkers. God had provided and placed each of those people in our lives for a season, and we were trusting him that if he could do it once, he could do it again. The last week of May held many goodbyes and many memories. I for one was glad to have a long drive ahead of us before we dove head-first into our Montana summer.
God provided a wonderful staff at YAA this summer, and the lives of many kids were impacted by our staff. It was a joy to be able to work and live life with the Coates and the Hawthorne's, as well as the other full time camp staff, David, Shawn and Tessa. Camp stretched us in many ways, many that we anticipated, some that we didn't. God graciously provided financially for us over the summer, often through many of you, and we humbly thank you for that opportunity.
In moving to work at camp we came to know Joe and Debbie Velli, who opened up their home to us and provided us a place in their home to live for the summer. Their kindness and hospitality has been a huge blessing to our family as we have continued to live there even though the summer is long over!
As camp came to a close for the summer, the larger question of finding real jobs loomed ahead of us. In September, Lauren was able to get a casual call position in the ICU at the Bozeman hospital, which has worked well to fit around the rest of the family schedule. I started working at TGW Inc., a custom rustic furniture and cabinetry shop in November. I have enjoyed getting to learn a new facet of the woodworking industry, though our market has continued to slow as the year has drawn to a close. I'm not sure what the new year will bring, though I am confident in the Lord's provision, one way or another.

Ruth has been a constant source of smiles and joy in our lives! It has been incredible to see her little mind and body grow and change as she learns new things everyday. She has shed most of the rolly-polly baby rolls that she brought to Montana. They slowly disappeared as she began to put one foot in front of the other and walk and run laps around our apartment. She has enjoyed having a playmate in Mayne Coates, and their clear personality differences keep the four of us parents often laughing. Ruth is currently expanding her vocabulary on an almost daily basis, and loves “talking” with her stuffed moose and stuffed puppy. She's still just as cute as she was last Christmas, even though she's lost a few chins along the way....
This coming May, Ruth will be joined by another sibling! Lauren has been feeling much better lately, now that most of the morning sickness is past. We're both unsure what life will be like with two little ones to tear up the house, but we're looking forward to it all the same.
We've enjoyed the random and the planned visits of many friends over the last six months and welcome the many more to come! Joe Gough, Dan Porter, Luke Zitzman, Lauren's family, my parents, Larry and Laura Hoffert, Garrett and Beth Suhr. Anyone is welcome to visit, we'll find room for ya!
All things considered, we have really enjoyed our time in Montana so far. It really is a joy to have such beautiful country literally right out our back door. There is a National Forest trailhead at the end of our road, which is a hiking and mountain biking trail that networks into a trail system that could take you all the way south into Yellowstone National Park if you'd like! There are countless trout streams to be explored and fished, and I'm really looking forward to going elk hunting next fall.
Because of working at camp for the summer and having a cold fall, Lauren and I did not make it out camping at all this past year, but we can't wait to have some weekends next year to explore our back yard, on foot or by Jeep.
I was asked last week by a friend if Montana feels like home yet. His question really caused me to ponder that thought. In many ways yes, it does feels like home. It feels comfortable, inviting and welcoming. But from another perspective, we sometimes still feel like strangers, like outsiders. We've begun to establish some friendships here in Bozeman, but that is a slow process and can't be expected to happen overnight.
We remember that this world is not our home, someday we will be with our Saviour and friends in Heaven. But in the meantime, please pray with us as we travel this earth seeking the best path. We are still not sure what the future will hold for our young family. We desire to enjoy the earth given to us as we serve him and fulfill the calling of raising children. Please pray for contentment where God has us at present, and to make the most of every opportunity.
Thank you for you friendship. Grace to you-
Josh & Lauren

August

2009-08-05T11:50:00.004-04:00

I know, it's August, but seriously, I didn't have to wear a sweatshirt out of the house this morning and it is warm enough that we let the girls (Ruth and Mayne) go swimming this afternoon. Ruth was a little fish in the water, Mayne took a little while to warm up to it but lived it after a bit. I don't blame her though, the water was pretty cold!

One of my jobs has been taking pictures for an end-of-the-week slide show, and it's great fun getting the pictures of kids completely enjoying themselves. I am finishing up the staff slide show, then both main roles of mine (pictures and camp nurse) finished. We are finished with the kids camps, so now we have a few weeks of Awana camps, church camps, and a family camp. We are not as involved in these camps, we don't do counseling or teaching, but we run some activity areas such as climbing wall, zipline, and canoeing. Josh's role as mentor of the high school program leaders has wrapped up, but his facilities management role continues, and I will probably be helping him on some projects. I will also be continuing to develop the camp's Health Center and other policy writing.

We are beginning to pursue some jobs and housing as our time here is ending in a few weeks. We appreciate prayer as we jump in to the next leg of this journey!

Here is a link to additional pictures on facebook (you do not have to be a member to view these pictures) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89468&id=728905868&l=92e656c13a

Summer Pictures

2009-06-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

Life now

2009-06-19T22:39:00.002-04:00

There are certain things that I am learning about living in Montana. There is only one area code (406) for the whole state. Yeah, there's that many people. The weather is crazy. When they call for scattered showers, they mean it. Not just scattered areas of the county might get some rain, like in Pa. The day will start sunny, then absolutely pour for 10 minutes, then be sunny again. This repeats about 3 or 4 times throughout the day.

It's weird to be living on the West side of the time zone. So last night we played soccer (which was a blast!), starting at around 8 or 8:30. We stopped at around 10 or 10:30 with still plenty of light to walk the 1/4 mile home. It actually gets dark around 11 or 11:30. But because we're more North of Pa, it still gets light at 5:30-6am.

It's June 19th, and I'm still waiting for summer to come. Today was the nicest day, mainly because there was no cold rain and it peaked at about 75 degrees if you were standing in the sunshine. I have all these cute summer clothes for Ruth that I want her to wear, but I would be freezing her cute chubby legs if I put them on her. Maybe it'll warm up soon!

Ruth has been growing and throwing us challenges here and there. She learned how to gag to the point of vomiting if she doesn't like a food. We're putting a stop to that real quickly. Her favorite food is prunes, so we often use that to disguise the peas. She's such a camp kid already. I caught her with a handful of dirt in the mouth the other day. I usually don't mind the rocks or sticks, but the dirt is something we're trying to stay away from. There is an endless supply of new friends willing to hang out with Ruth, particularly her new friend Brianna who is going into 5th grade. Brianna loves to hang out with Ruth, and she never complains about her arm aching after lugging the chub across camp (as I frequently do). Ruth loves the swing, the grass, and dandelions. She loves animals, when ever she sees the dogs, birds, squirrels, or the like, she gets really excited and says "ooh! ooh!" and pushes off whoever is holding her to try to get closer to the animal. So cute. The dogs are, fortunately, very tolerant of her, all others run away before we get too close.

Soccer day camp just ended and the 3rd and 4th graders come next week as the first of the residential camps. Josh is swamped with work at camp, and I try to make myself busy. I am basically the nurse, laundry lady, photographer, camp store helper, office manager assistant, and mom. That's all for now, I'll post some camp pictures soon!

We've arrived!

2009-06-09T23:12:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Bozeman, Montana!

We are thrilled to be writing you from our summer home here at YAA! We left PA on Wednesday, May 27, with our caravan headed West. My dad, Dale, and Lauren's sister, Heather, drove with us on our journey across the nation. It was a huge blessing to have the extra hands as we took our fleet of three vehicles and trailer loaded with our belongings towards Montana.

All told, it took us 44 hours of driving in 4 days to cover about 2200 miles. Our travels took us from Pennsylvania just past Chicago, IL the first night. The next day was a shorter day, leaving Illinois and heading through Wisconsin and into Minnesota. We were thankful to meet some dear friends for lunch in Wisconsin, which was a welcome break from the road. We then spent the night with some other friends in Minnesota. The third day took us through the remainder of Minnesota, across South Dakota and into Wyoming. We took detours to drive through Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore. Saturday we headed Northwest through Wyoming to Bozeman, Montana.

We arrived at camp Saturday afternoon and were able to take the next three days to settle into our summer quarters and regroup after an emotionally and physically exhausting previous three weeks. It was refreshing to wake up on Sunday and not have to get into the car!

The first of the summer staff arrived on Thursday, so it was awesome to get to put faces to names and share a meal with everyone that evening. Staff training started first thing Friday, which included all 18 summer and year-round staff members. We've been able to participate in a number of activities which have really helped the staff to begin to gel as a group. Saturday we took a twelve mile hike that took us over a ridge and down Cottonwood Canyon, right in the back yard of camp. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the 40-50 degree temperatures and snow! Sunday we awoke to about 2” of fresh powder, which although it is beautiful, was a surprise with only two weeks until the start of summer camp!

Please pray as the high school students in the Timothy Program, arriving Thursday the 18th., who are assistant counselors and help with the overall maintenance of camp. Pray for Josh as he works with them and alongside the other senior staff. Pray for Lauren as the health care of the camp is being developed and grown. Pray for us as we continue to learn what it means to be parents as we are involved in camp life.

We are praising the Lord for our safe arrival, a great staff, and encouragement from His word. We are currently just over 75% of our support goal, and are so grateful for His provision thus far. We are confident in our Lord to provide for our needs. Thank you so much for your gifts, notes and encouragement, we would not be here without you!

Ruth's update!

She's been crawling all over the place, every evening coming home with dirty knees and socks. We hold to the wisdom of Grandma Barb – a dirty baby is a happy baby! She is pulling herself up on everything that will hold her, and falling over when it doesn't. She's taken many tumbles, but she's learning fast. And yes, thankfully, she survived the car ride here!

Heading West

2009-03-23T10:47:00.002-04:00

Spring has sprung, and I think it springs faster every year we get older. Outside, the little tiny white flowers that are scattered through our yard are coming up and blooming. Some would call them weeds, but our daughter loves them! Speaking of weeds, baby Ruth Elizabeth, who was born October 19, 2008, is growing fast. She has already outgrown some of her friends who are a few months older. She has been such a joy in our lives as we watch her grow and learn every day! Right now she’s so close to turning over by herself and will start some real food soon. And just this weekend her first tooth started to poke through!

After Ruth’s birth, Lauren has gone back to work as a full-time nurse, and Josh has been doing part-time work in a number of carpentry and woodworking areas, mostly working for a custom wood furniture builder. We’ve been able to share working and at home responsibilities, which has been great!

In the summer of 2007, we had an opportunity to work at a camp in upstate New York for the summer. Both of our skill-sets fit very well into camp life, which helped us make the most of that time. Prior to that summer, and much more since that summer, we have been constantly in conversation about where our goals and desires would take us, both vocationally and geographically. In a large part due to how much we enjoyed our summer at camp in New York, we’ve been exploring the idea of working at a camp that operates year-round. During the past few years, a number of our very close friends have made the transition into full-time camp ministry, and we’ve been able to visit to work and play along side them, which has renewed our desire to pursue camp ministry.

Through many conversations and prayer, we have made the decision to move to Bozeman, Montana and work at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures for the summer! We have been out visit Montana on four different trips, and to YAA on three different occasions. Two of the trips were to volunteer for work projects, and we will be taking a third team out for a work trip in May. We are excited to be working alongside Seth and Cathy Coates at YAA for the months of June, July and August, and we feel that the positions we have been offered at camp fit us well. Josh will be playing a key role in the maintenance and facilities department while also participating in various program areas as he is needed. Lauren’s primary role with be as Mom to Ruth, but will be expanding and updating the healthcare role at YAA.

YAA is a family centered Christian camp that resides just south of Bozeman, nestled into some of the mountains there. They have a full summer camp program which targets both kids and families, and their facilities are used year-round for retreat groups and community organizations. The camp was founded in the 1960’s, but has existed in its current form with a full-time director since 1995.

For the positions that we are taking, we are required to raise the funds that will pay our salary, as the other full time staff do. We also need to have people who would be committed to prayer for us and the ministry of YAA. With our previous experiences at camps, both as campers and as staff, we see the great impact that it makes in the lives of the children and their families that attend. We will continue to leave updates and pictures throughout our time in Montana.

Christmas pictures

2009-03-23T10:41:00.002-04:00

Welcoming our new baby!

2008-10-29T17:17:00.002-04:00

On October 19, baby Ruth Elizabeth Vinson was born! This much anticipated arrival came early in the morning. She was exactly a week late and we were getting a little impatient, maybe it was just me (Lauren). Josh and I had finished watching a movie on Saturday night and turned in around 11:30pm. Not an hour later, at 12:20am I was abruptly awoken when my water broke. Mild contractions started 15 minutes later and quickly intensified. We went to the Birth Center at 2:30am with the contractions closer together and lasting longer. I'm not sure the midwife quite believed me when I said the contractions were every 4 minutes and lasting 1 minute. I mean, I know I'm a first time mom, but I know how to read a watch! So we showed up there and she checked me and said "Oh! You're 6cm dilated! We'll keep you here." And so we stayed and the labor quickly progressed. I was imagining myself lounging in the hot tub for a few hours through labor, but the reality was there was no "lounging" during labor. I was in there for about a half hour before I got out and had to try something else to ease the pain. Josh had popped in the Gladiator soundtrack, one of my favorites, when we first got there, and it ran through just shy of two times before she made her entrance into the world. Ruth was born at 5:17am weighing in at 8lbs 4oz, and 20 1/2in long. She has a full head of dark hair and dark eyes. She is just beautiful. She's been a great baby, very content, eating well, and pooping a lot. :)
Josh has been an incredible dad. He was the self designated middle-of-the-night-diaper-changer for the first week as I was very sore and tired. He's amazing with her. I'm feeling better now, but we're still not getting a whole lot of sleep, which we expected. So that's it for now, she's waking up and will no doubt be hungry!

Hiking in the ADKs

2008-06-25T15:00:00.003-04:00

Josh and I and our friends Matt & Nicole Welsh went hiking in the high peaks of the Adirondaks this past weekend. It was a quick weekend trip just to get out and enjoy life in the raw. I had the little one in tow (I'm about 5 1/2 months pregnant now), so Josh carried most of the weight in his pack, while I carried my ever-so-heavy sleeping bag, ground pad, clothes, and both our camp pillows. He's so wonderful. We did Haystack Mtn, and wandered down the the falls that were near our lean to. It was way too cold to swim, but the water was beautiful- crystal clear. Here's some pics from the trip...

Ultrasound

2008-05-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

We had the 20 week ultrasound today. First of all, it's crazy to think that it's half way over already. In a mere 20 weeks, this baby will take it's first breath. Second, it's amazing to visualize the small wonder growing inside. The baby was so resting comfortably with it's legs crossed, just not wanting to wake up and stretch out. So we still don't know what we're having, it'll be a surprise in a few months! The ultrasound tech said she could take a guess, but it'd only be a 50/50 guess on the gender, which was our odds to begin with, so we'll just have to be patient. :)

Suhr Wedding

2008-04-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

Garrett and Bethany Suhr's wedding in Harrisonburg VA. We came from all over the US to reunite to be a part of this day. It was fantastic to be among friends, to catch up and laugh together. Now that all the roommates are married off, we are looking forward to having reunion times when we get to hang out and relax together. We're not sure when this is going to occur, but someday...

Baby update:
The morning sickness is finally over, praise the Lord. The tummy baby bump is growing, but I still don't really look pregnant unless you know me. We have an appt for May 22 (our 4th anniversery) for and ultrasound to find out the gender. So I'll be updating you guys on that when we know!

Announcement!

2008-04-08T10:09:00.003-04:00

Introducing baby Vinson!

I got an ultrasound done yesterday and wanted to share the picture with everyone! We don't know the gender yet, we'll find that out in another 6-8 weeks, but here's the little one! I think it's sucking it's thumb in the top picture.

I'm about 13 weeks so far, and only a little tiny tummy bump to show for it, but on the US I saw the heart beating! So it is really real, not just nauseated days and doctor visits. It's about 3 1/2-4 inches long and already it's little body is functioning at an amazing level! I was blown away by seeing this little living body in mine. Josh and I are both thrilled and looking forward to meeting the little one. The due date is October 12. We'll keep you updated!

so, it's been a while...

2008-02-25T21:17:00.006-05:00

I know, it's been forever since we've updated this. We have been living life, working, and the like. Josh is finishing up grad school this May, he's downstairs reading so here I am. We just enjoyed about 3 inches of snow- the most we've gotten this winter, but it was 45 degrees today, so it only stuck around for 2 days. Unlike our parents in WI who are enjoying (well, maybe not anymore) a good 2-3 feet of snow for the last few months. And I think they're getting hit again, if I saw the weather correctly today. Enough jabber. Here's some pictures of good times we've had recently!

This is about 2 hours north of us at Rausch Creek Park- it's a giant playground for big boys. Josh and 2 friends took my Jeep for a day of off roading. They had tons of fun playing in the mud. I opted not to go this time, I'll go when it's warmer. We are a 2 Jeep family now, a Wrangler and a Cherokee. It's lots of fun, except at the gas pump.

This is our home. In August we moved into a duplex. This is an upgrade from the apartment complex where we share washer/dryer with 25 other apts. It's been a nice change. But, as all humans do, we are still wishing for more. Someday we want a yard and a garage. I know, lots of time...

Over Christmas our Young Marrieds class at church had an elf party. We had to dress up as an elf-something. Like, on the right, and elf-lifeguard. We ate, played a white elephant game (you know, oh THOSE wedding gifts), and hung out. We have an incredible group of friends.

We have said goodbye to some of our closest friends as the head in to full time ministry at camps out West- the Coates in Montana and the Hofferts in Wisconsin. This has been a hard time but the Lord is good. We love you guys!

2007-12-01T19:31:00.000-05:00

Here's the progress on the next quilt. It'll take a while to do these edges...

back in the groove

2007-10-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

It has been great being back home and reconnecting with friends and family. We continue to be reminded how blessed we are to be in this community. But, there are some things that take some adjustment after camp:

-we sang hymns all summer, at a fast tempo. it's takes some adjustment to sing them slowly now.

-driving.

-driving with other cars on the road.

-at camp we sang before every meal , now that's be a little hard with only 2 people.

-having cell phones.

-wearing shoes. (I think I wore sneakers maybe 5 times over the summer, the rest of the time it was Teva sandals. I think my feet relaxed b/c all my shoes were tight when I got home. Josh still doesn't believe me though :)

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of at this instant...

These are some fall fun we've had. We went apple picking with Sarah & Jesse Wells. We got a little excited picking the apples. We got 20 lbs. We made 4 pies and still had half the apple left over. So we fed our friends apple pie for the next few nights.

We had dinner over at Garrett's house. We had brats and hamburgers and dairy queen for dessert. We carved pumpkins which was a blast. Garrett and Beth had an issue with making stars that actually resembled stars. But they worked it out. Josh did a great job on cutting the top out with his saws all. I think he would have done more if the battery hadn't have died. :)

2007-09-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

here's some more pictures from the summer...

in Montana

2007-08-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

Camp is over, we are taking some breathing time. We left on Sunday, slept at the Wells' apartment - where all of our stuff was stored for the summer- and moved into our new apt on Monday. We had the help of the Wells and Eric to move in, then Becky, the Hofferts, and the Eads came in the evening to help organize everything. It was great! We love the new place. We are now mostly moved in, and left promptly Wednesday morning to go across country to visit Josh's parents in WI, then out to Montana to visit the Coates at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures. We have had a great time here so far! We just got back from 2 nights in Yellowstone National Park, camping and hiking with the Coates. We still have a few days which we are going to help with some work projects here and, who knows, probably play some more. We will be back in the PA area sometime on Wednesday. I'll be writing more when we get home...

Eric's update

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Today the Guides got back from their high peak hiking trip.
They were all dropped off 10 miles outside of camp and ran in
(this was planned- they knew about it so they all had their
running stuff). So, my camera malfunctioned, so I don't have
great pics, but here's what I've got. He did great! I don't have
to official time yet, but I will let you know when I get it.

finally the pics!

2007-07-15T21:24:00.001-04:00

ok, as promised, here are some pics from the last few weeks...

Here's a picture of Josh and his group that went to the high peaks during staff training.

Here are the nurses that are up there this summer. Not all at once, but we were able to snatch a picture on a weekend that we were all here.

This is one of the instructional areas -survival. (the instructor is teaching how to make a survival shelter). The boys love to come to this area.

Here is Josh taking a picture from Josh's staff hike in the high peaks in the ADKs.

Josh is on his way to his master's in fishing with this pike. We caught two pike in 3 casts, then nothing else for two hours. it was fun canoeing on the lake and talking, well worth the time.

Thank you for understanding how busy we are, we wish we were able to talk to everyone more often. Camp life is keeping us busy! We are so blessed to be able to be a part of this community for the summer. We are half way through 2nd session and have 2 more sessions to go (which means 5 more weeks). We appreciate your prayers!

2007-07-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

so, this whole technology at camp thing isn't really happening. there is one computer at camp that has dial up, so slow! and the library has extremely limited hours. so, sorry these are so few and far between. but to get on with it...
we are having a fabulous time here. (oh frustration, i can't get this computer to load the pics that we drove the 20 minutes into town to do, so, maybe next time and i only have 15% battery)
Josh had a great time on the staff hike a few weeks ago. It has been such a blessing to see all these godly men interacting and loving the Lord. We haven't had any major injuries, a few stitches, and big bruises. I am trying to learn camp nursing, it's just so different. i feel like i'm not really using the skills of nursing that i have, but maybe it's just that different. it's been awesome getting to know the other staff wives and the staff kids. sarah and i started a girls book study on sunday mornings, we've really enjoyed getting to know their hearts.
please continue to pray for us and our marriage in the business of camp life. pray for safety as always, us and the Wells have enjoyed healthy blessings so far.
we loved having the Hofferts and Garrett up this past weekend! it's was great to have familiar faces around. we hiked up chimney mountain and explored the caves in the surrounding area. it was a blast!
weather has been good, a little on the cool side for me-perfect for Josh. in my book you shouldn't have to wear jeans and a sweatshirt all day in july! :) love you guys! I'm down to 9% battery, so I have to sign off, maybe pics next time! I'll work really hard to... and I'll have lots of 'em!

4 days til the campers come!

2007-06-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe it's been 3 weeks since we got here! It's been great getting to know all the staff here, I can now say that I have all their names down, all 80 or so of them. We have a few more days of staff training left, then the kids show up on Saturday. I have been filling the role of nurse and camp store manager. It's been busy, a lot of copying and filing in the health center, and a lot of counting inventory in the store. I am feeling a little inadequate in the health center. Most of the staff coming in are ankle and knee pain, rashes, and other random stuff. Mostly my answer is - here's some Motrin and ice. Not exactly my area of expertise. I have been to the health center in town with one guy's injury, the Nurse Practitioner there is super nice, so that's great. Josh is very busy with...everything. He's always busy with something. He's having a great time getting to know the guys. He loves to step into their lives, applying what he has learned in school, and being the man that he has grown into in the last few months. He just got back from the staff hike, which they had a blast. All was safe on the trail, praise the Lord. That's all I have for now- the library closes in a few minutes. I don't have any pics either- I'm not sure yet how the library feels about me uploading the pictures onto their computer. We love you all and miss you! Thank you for your prayers!

at camp

2007-06-01T09:30:00.000-04:00

Work weekend is over. Josh worked on the 'gazebo', which is really a large log garage/storage shed. It was begun last fall, this year the rafters were completed and it's ready for the roof now. I did lots of work in the health center, getting ready for the summer. I also did the inventory for the camp store.

We moved into our cabin for the summer, the Lookout. It is right on the waterfront of beautiful Lake Whitaker. It's about as big as our apartment, but a gajillion times more beautiful and way cooler! Here's a picture of the living room, and a picture of the lake as I'm sitting on the front porch- my view every morning.

I am sitting in the livingroom as the director, Josh, and the 3 section chiefs plan staff training at the director's house in Albany. We'll return to camp on Sunday when the entire staff arrives and the summer fun begins! The campers arrive in another three weeks. Pray for safety as staff training begins, relationships, and growth. We are excited to get to know all the guys and invest in their lives. We are getting to know the 15 guys that are here already since work weekend, there are about 65 more coming. That's a lot of names to remember!

packing...

2007-05-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

Well, here's the last of our apartment at good ol' Willow Ridge. We're nearly finished packing (despite what the pics show), painting is done, and cleaning has yet to be begun. But we're leaving soon! We are so excited to see what God has in store for us this summer. We'll keep you updated!

Before and after...

opinion?

2007-05-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

ok, mom (or who ever else wants to put in their two cents), let me know which you like better -> with the squares together in one top, or the colors separated in two. I don't think they looked too bad together. Thanks!

off to camp!

2007-03-29T21:33:00.000-04:00

This summer we will be heading six hours north to Deerfoot Lodge in upstate New York! I (Lauren) will be one of the camp nurses and manage to camp store, and Josh will be the assistant to the director. We are so excited for a summer of challenge, growth and fun! It will be a blessing to be in nature, away from the business of Willow Grove, PA life. My brother Eric will joining us up there for the summer as he journeys and adventures through the 'guide program'.

http://www.deerfoot.org/index.php

Life goes on in the meantime, busy as ever. Growing leaps and bounds in relationships, loving life, and ever learning.

Jeep Progress - Or not so much.

2007-02-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

So, here's a bit about my latest all consuming toy. Here's how she looked when we picked here up:

A little bit of time (okay, a lot) and a little bit of money (okay, more than I expected), and here she sits now.

Here's what I've been playing with and learning about lately:

As well as the space I have to work in, for which in this cold February, I am eternally grateful.

I'll keep y'all posted as progress is made. Right now, it is unfortunately up on jack stands without a rear axle. Soon. Hopefully before we get lots of snow, because I want to play in it....

Projecting

2007-02-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

This Christmas, Josh got me a sewing machine, and I've been busy ever since! I made the scrubs all on my own (my stitch ripper got quite a workout :). I wore them to work, and washed them and they haven't fallen apart, so I think I did an okay job!

The quilt has come along quite nicely, after many hours
spent with mom (thanks!). I was a little overwhelmed going to the
quilt store on my own- too many choices! Hopefully I won't have to go
again, I think I'm about finished... This is my first one, and I pretty proud of it (maybe I shouldn't say that until I'm completely finished!)

We also had the opportunity to go to Kutztown this past weekend to watch Eric in his track meet. He did very well at the hurdles and the 400m race. We were excited to hang out with him and Grace and Tim! After the meet, we all went to 'Snuzzles' in Kutztown for dinner. I'm pretty sure that we ate the hugest stromboli that can be made!

And stay tuned for updates on the Jeep Comanche that we got before Christmas... it's coming along...

Christmas

2007-01-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

This Christmas was a busy one. We had a great time traveling to be with family. We had our own Christmas with our little cute tree, then the traveling began.

Dad's and Mom's here
in PA...

And in WI...

At the Soeren's (the entire family was there!)

And at the Vinson's

In the end we had a great vacation from life and a relaxing time with family. Only 11 1/2 monthes until next Christmas!

Ugly Sweaters!

2006-12-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday was our 'Young Marrieds Group' Christmas party. We all came in the ugliest sweaters that we could possibly find at area thrift stores. We found ours at Goodwill. When we checked out, the girl asked if we were going to a sweater party- to which we said yes- she said she never knows whether to ask or not, but the sweater that Josh put on the counter was a dead giveaway! His won the trophy for being ugliest...
We had lots of fun, ate good food, played a white elephant game (thanks to Mark Jaolvick we played 'Travel'- which was a great time). I walked away with some coffee flavoring, and Josh came away with a coffee grinder (which we now will have two of those).

Matt & Nicole

Seth & Cathy

Thanks to all those who planned and hosted! We had a blast!

November?

2006-11-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

I heard on the radio yesterday that there are only 56 days left in the year and somehow that number seemed a little low. Have we already lived 310 days of this year? That seems to be the case.
The weather having changed as it has, now is my favorite time of year to be outside, and having just spent a week with Tristan while he was borrowing some floor space to sleep on, I decided I needed to get back on my bike. Of course about 3 days after I decided that, daylight saving hit and I lost all opportunites to ride after work as it is now too dark to see where I am going. I rode two days anyway, and have since realized the folly of my ways. I decided I didn't like not being able to see where I was going. Nonetheless, I up and registered for a cyclocross race that was held yesterday out it Lancaster. Garrett rode with me, and we went. It was great fun to be back out racing and be hanging out with a mess of people who love to do the same thing. Long story short - I got my butt kicked. Unfortunately 13th out of 14 is not my worst race result ever, however that was the final result yesterday. Something about having my heart rate monitor record my max heart rate as a sky high 212 tells me that I'm not in as good of shape as I was hoping I was. I won't make excuses, even though I could come up with some pretty good ones. It was fun, I hope to be able to do it some more, but in order to do that, I'll have to ride more, which it will be interesting to see where that falls in the priority list of life...

Fall Festivities

2006-10-18T18:41:00.000-04:00

Fall has officially hit the Vinson's, complete with a trip to upstate NY for Deerfoot's fall work weekend and a trip to the orchard and pumpkin patch at a local farm. At Styer Orchards we got to take a ride on a hay wagon out to the orchard to pick a few (not quite a bushel) of our own choice apples for some pie later on. From there we walked up to the pumpkin patch, which was pretty well picked over by the time we got there, so we ended up choosing pumpkins from back at the barn. Cathy found a great one, sticking to the rule that she had to carry it back to the car. I bought a few butternut squash and made some killer butternut squash and apple bisque soup, with a few extra jars worth.

That was this past weekend; the weekend prior to that, Columbus Day weekend, Lauren and I and Seth drove up to Deerfoot for an extened weekend of work in the great outdoors. Cathy couldn't make it because of work, and we had a great time without her there. Oops, I mean in spite of the fact that she wasn't there. We had gorgeous fall weather; it frosted overnight, but during the day it got up to 60 or so with bright sunshine. We definately had our work cut out for us, Seth and I were overseeing the construction of a log framed storage shed about 25' x 35', and all we had when we got there was a concrete slab to build it on. We wasted no time. Seth took off into the woods with another guy and they felled about 10 or 15 trees and had a crew of guys with a truck hauling them back to the site. Meanwhile, Lauren and I worked on a layout and drilled some holes for post anchors. We sketched some "blueprints" on the concrete slab so we would have something to go off of once the logs were ready. After the logs started coming in, we had a crew of people start peeling the bark off of the trees; we do that so that it doesn't trap moisture against the wood or allow bugs a place to set up house. We had five sections of log framing to erect, and we didn't get the first one up til after lunch on Sunday, but by lunch on Monday, the frame was there ready for rafters and roofing material. Seth and I had a blast playing with chainsaws; I think I want one for Christmas...

Tri Fun

2006-09-19T22:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we and our friend Chris did a sprint triathlon! This was our very first triathlon, so we were just doing it for fun, no real competition. It was sponsored by a YMCA, so the swim took place in their pool (which was good, so we didn't drown on our first race). That was 500 yards, then we ventured out into the cool misty weather to bike 12.5 miles. The last leg was a 3 mile run, which is surprisingly tough on your muscles after biking. We finished well and were still able to get up the next morning without too much groaning. We had the best support team ever- Seth, Garrett, Larry and Laura were around almost every corner cheering us on with much enthusiasm! We couldn't have done it without them! (At least not ending with a smile) It was a great experience, so we'll see if it will be an ongoing thing, or just a once in a lifetime event.Here is the link to the website for results, (which are not in yet, but you can check if you want when they do come up) http://www.trifind.net/triathlons/pennsylvania/southern_branch_ymca/

HA!

2006-07-05T02:19:00.000-04:00

And you thought I forgot about this thing! Well, this is just to prove you wrong. I will update this soon. Sometime soon . . . .

Back in action.

2006-04-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

I finally managed to scam the Coates' digital camera for a few shots. It almost looks like new except the front doesn't all match very well and the rear leaf springs are pretty saggy. I think it needs a lift. Doesn't really sound like new either. My water pump is squealing at me and it sounds like there's rocks in my catalytic convertor, so both of those are putting the hurt on my gas mileage as well. No relief in sight though, I've got two pretty solid weeks of work coming up, starting with a 15 page paper due next monday that I don't even have a topic for. Sweet! I love it when that happens- especially when it is nice outside. I did almost get a ticket for driving behind PBU's property, but there was nice police man who wanted to make sure I was going the right direction when I left, so he stopped and helped me. That was nice of him.
Lauren and I, and our team, are getting more and more stoked for Ireland, though it is hard to believe it is only about 6 weeks away. And it seems like those six weeks are pretty well spoken for too. That's about all I've got time for, check ya soon-

Back to the grind

2006-03-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it back to Philly. I'm not yet sure if that is a good thing. I suppose it is. Home was good, and a much needed break and breath of fresh air. It's amazing to me how you can get in a rut, just the rut of daily life, and the only way to gain new perspective on it is to remove yourself from it for a while. You get so caught up in the day to day that after a while it doesn't even register in your mind until you can pause for a little bit and then start over.

With that perspective, I can say that though being back in Philly may not be worth throwing a party over, I feel much better being here than before we left. It's not so bad to be able to come back to sunshine and 50-60 degree weather. I like this time of year here, everything is starting to get green, but the humidity and the heat hasn't picked up yet, jeans and a sweatshirt feel great. It's that time of year you can get away with driving around with the windows down and the heat on to keep your fingers warm. Life seems to be picking up speed, daylight savings is right around the corner, and my classes are pouring on the work.

Everything seems to be happening now. Ireland is only 6 weeks away, our anniversary is while we are there, but yet there seems to be so much more that needs to happen before we can leave - Multiple research papers, exams, reading, book reports, bible study prep, throw a wedding or two in there, and Boom! - summer is here. Yikes.

Almost looks like summer doesn't it?

No place like home...

2006-03-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

It is amazing to get on a plane and in a matter of two hours be 1000 miles from where you were two hours ago, and all you did was take a nap in an uncomfortable chair. But it is fantastic as well. As nice as it is to go someplace in two hours, it's nice to be able to get away from a place in two hours as well.
I thought I'd take the opportunity to type a little somethin' while sitting here at CFS prior to a spectacular breakfast prepared by our hosts, Larry and Laura. Even though Lauren and I are home with family, it really feels like a vacation, and I am thankful that we have family to be able to enjoy that with. This scene is a far cry from what Philly looks like right now, but it is a welcome change in scenery, even though it is a step back into winter, and not towards summer. All that said, I'm not going to waste my vacation and time with friends typing on a stinkin computer-

Saint Patty's Day

2006-03-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

Well if you'd like to have an idea what being out on the town is like on any given Irish evening (weekend or not), take a field trip to your local pub/bar this evening. Chances are, it'll be shoulder to shoulder packed out, with pints of Guinness flowing everywhere. The only difference is that in Ireland, they have good music playing. I was actually thinking about going out this evening, just to sort of get back in shape for Ireland, but I'm not sure I can stand all of the Americans. But it is a lovely day for a Guinness! I do think it's remarkable that the Catholic Church pretty much has a saint for every day of the year, and the Irish are the only ones who got everybody to throw a big party for theirs, and a rather un-saintly party at that!

Today I got myself a haircut. I know all of you are dying to know that, but it was pretty cool because Lauren cut it for me. Now, many of you may not know this, but I have cut Lauren's hair on a fairly regular basis. I'll only cut it if she wants it short - no, not with a pair of clippers. So today, we traded and she cut mine. It looks good and I like it - not that I really have any options there.

We also filed our taxes today - yes it's been a rather thrilling day. We had somebody else do it, and it was awesome. It took us less than an hour, and we're done. He told us what we're going to get back and when to expect it, and the best part was that I didn't even have to break a sweat over it!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2006-03-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

I suppose that means I have to apologize to my brother and to my dad for missing theirs, or at least not advertising for it, but 1 out of 3 isn't too bad is it? I guess that depends on whether you are talking about baseball or birthdays.

Today, so far, seizing the day meant beginning it with a breakfast of champions: Starbucks Guatemalan coffee and blueberry muffin chased by a thought provoking conversation regarding what "church" might have to do very differently to really connect with this current ultra-electronic generation. No conclusion drawn. Stimulating though.

I also painted my Jeep. Sort of. Krylon makes this cool spray paint that you can actually paint plastic with - it "bonds to plastic on a molecular level." That's what the can says anyway. So I bought some black to freshen up the trim on my Jeep which had faded to a sort of grayish-green.

That's sort of the before picture. You at least get the idea of the grayish-green. Someday I'll add a new picture. Not bad for $5 bucks and a couple hours work. Almost looks like new. Someday I hope to be able to do this:

Instead of this:

But it will be awhile $5 at a time.

Whoops, Wow, Woohoo!

2006-03-12T23:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I should apologize to all of my faithful few followers for my own ineptness at knowing how this blog thing works. I just figured out why all of you that submitted stuff didn't get to see it posted - I had to "approve" it. I just didn't know that. Consider it done, and I'll try not to let it happen again.

With that said, maybe we can try this all over again.

Hard to believe it is nearly the middle of March already; it's spring break at school, which I am glad for. I guess I'll just update a few "life" things, not much of it is too interesting at this point in time though - just to warn you. Patrick Saia was home to PA here for a few days, so Lauren and I, Seth and Cathy got to spend about 24 hours with him, which was about all we could take, so after that we sent him home. Seth and I did manage to get the incredible privilege not only to take a ride in The Cobra again, but we both got a chance to drive it for a short while. If you want to get an idea of what we were behind the wheel of, check out this link: http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/roadster/roadsterkit.html Go to their homepage and check out some of the videos if you've got a good connection. It's worth it. It just kinda makes you want to drive for hours. In a sort of odd way, it reminded me a lot of my old back Jeep (my CJ7). I think it was the raw feel of a machine that communicates every feel of the road to your body. A machine that was meant for that, for driving, for the experience of the drive, not simply for the purpose of going from point A to point B.

Lauren and I will be going home to Wisco for the better part of a week, from March 22-26. It will be a busy five days, but it worked out without either of us missing any work or school stuff. We're going to make a trip up to CFS to hang out there. We'd love to be able to make the trek up to WWC, but I just don't think that is going to happen.

On another note, we're nearly finished teaching through the book of Ruth at The Porch, and looking forward to what might be coming next, but to anyone that is interested, I highly recommend studying Ruth. It has been awesome to read and study it, allowing God to define himself to me through what he has chosen to reveal about himself through that story, instead of me bringing my preconceptions about God to the story and reading them into the story itself. I've been studying through it with two other guys, Jeff and Josh, (yes, that's Josh, Jeff, and Josh) and it has been a great journey to study through the book together and share the teaching responsibilities. A book that I highly recommend as a sort of companion to the book of Ruth is a book by Larry Crabb titled "Shattered Dreams." It looks at the book a little more from Naomi's perspective, and it doesn't really stick to the book in train of thought, but it raises some very important and difficult questions. Maybe I'll post a few of them this week.

Spring has hit this weekend, Friday and Saturday were about 60-65`, Monday is supposed to be over 70. I'm not complaining. Now, if it would only stay this temperature all summer. I'd be okay with that. Well, that's all for now. If Lauren and I ever get around to either buying or borrowing a digital camera, we'll post some pictures of our new apartment now that we're all moved in and well settled. Until next time-

Depressing?

2006-02-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

Well I think I might take the "hit counter" off the bottom of my blog - it's simply a little depressing to find that in fact the whole world is not beating a path to my blog doorstep. If you had asked me before, I'm not sure what I would have said, but I think I would have guessed that I could get more people interested in what goes on on this page than Tristan, my brother Zach, and my mother. And when you put it that way, it even sounds depressing.

The last week has been crazy insane and insane crazy. Wow, I guess it's been two weeks. Oh well. I feel like I've been going nonstop and running on little more than high octane Starbucks coffee. Which isn't an all bad thing, except I think it is aiding to ruin my sleep habits, and I'm sure things could be much worse.

As I sit here at my desk, I am surrounded by what seem to be towers of books. Books for school, books for Bible study, books for fun. There are a lot of good books and authors there, ranging from naturalist John Muir to C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer to Dwight Edwards, John Piper, Larry Crabb, to a beautiful 450 page book entitled "Modern Psychopathologies." I just can't seem to put that one down. If you're looking for a good read, I can come up with something for ya. I think there's something like 13 books I have to (want to) read, not including 5 commentaries, two bibles, and one journal. Hence, the IV of coffee that pumps caffeinated goodness through my veins.

Dead Poets Society

2006-01-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

If you have not seen the movie Dead Poet's Society, I highly recommend that you do so this weekend. I thought that I might explain a little of the title that I chose for my blog, since not everybody knows what that means. "Carpe Diem" is Latin for "seize the day." For those of you who didn't know, it's not just the title of a Metallica song off of one of their sweet metal albums. It is also a kind of running theme to the movie Dead Poet's Society. If you haven't seen it, you were perhaps like me, thinking it to be some sort of weird movie about the ghosts of long dead poets, which by the way is very false. On the contrary, it is about a group of high school boys who, more than being alive, are very much full of life. The movie follows them through the better part of a school year where they are all boarding students. It is very interesting to watch the movie all the while thinking to yourself, "which one of these guys am I most like?" Also asking "what would it look like for me to seize the day, make the most of every moment, where I am in life right now?" Hence, "Carpe Diem."

A good January weekend

2006-01-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

-I'm not really sure where the weekend went, now that I think about it. Both Saturday and Sunday seem rather blurred in my 20/20 hindsight. Saturday, at least most of it was taken up by going down to the Philly Rock Gym in Valley Forge for a bouldering comp. I didn't finish as well as I hoped - 8th I think, but Seth took 3rd out of about 15-20 guys in the intermediate class. I would have liked to have done a little better, but I know my endurance simply is not there. It was probably one of the most fun times that I have had climbing in a long time. The problems were good and there was a good variety of stuff. Sometimes it's just good to climb on stuff that somebody else has set, someone other than what you're used to.
-Friday I got out for probably the last beautiful day of winter, it was about 60 and sunny, I couldn't have asked for a sweeter January day to pound out some road miles. Again, my endurance just isn't there, but it's coming. I've been doing the same road loop consistently, and I've been consistently dropping my times in completing it. Right now it's about an hour to do the loop, which is a good lap for me.
-Yesterday was an altogether different day. I skipped church because I went to the climbing comp Saturday, which meant I had only Sunday to pound out a 10 page research paper for school. I had all of the research done, but I didn't even have an outline yet. I wasn't too worried, though maybe I should have been. The downside to this was that I knew I couldn't sit down to watch any of the football games on, as much as I would have liked to. I also forgot about a meeting that I had at 12:30, after church to start some team-building stuff for going back to Ireland this summer. All told, that took a solid 2.5 hours out of my typing time. When I left for the meeting I at least had a rough outline done to go off of when I got back. Well, I finished my paper, all in good time, enough to do some reading before I hit the sack- I finished the reference page with some help from Lauren at a bit after 10. Not bad for ten pages. I think it's a good paper too. I hope my prof does-

A little mud on the tires

2006-01-19T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well now that it's been about a week since that ride, and it's supposed to be 50 degrees again tomorrow, I suppose I ought to clean off my bike so it looks presentable again. I'll have to see whose garden hose isn't frozen. I'm looking forward to this upcoming season, though I am wondering where all the training is going to fit in. The '06 schedule is out, you can check it out at www.masuperseries.com and as it turns out, I am actually going to be gone for what would be my home course advantage on the 21st of May. Which is also the day before my 2nd anniversary, crazy to think about. There are 12 total races to score in, so that gives me plenty of time to find that time to train.

On a different note, I did find out what my next vehicle will be, or at least what it should be. Jeep just released specs on what the 2007 Wrangler will look like, and I think it rocks. Check it out yourself(they wouldn't let me steal any pictures) at Jeep.com (http://www.jeep.com/07wrangler/index.html?CMP=AFC-Autoshow). So what if it isn't all that practical? How many of the things that each of us do in a given day are all that practical aside from eating and defecating?

An Epic

2006-01-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

The whole thing about an epic ride or an epic something is that it really is epic. I don't know I've ever heard of anything else being called "epic" except for a lot of old classic stories like Homer's Odyssey and so on, and here and there a few storied bike rides. Well, I wouldn't exactly call this story the Odyssey, but it was really long and certainly was odd.

As I started out before, it was a 60 degree day in January with the sun shining high overhead, quite a contrast to today's weather of pouring rain and 35mph+ winds. It felt more like September than January.
Jason(J-Core to those of you who know him) and I had planned this the week before, knowing the weather was supposed to be so fantastic. There is a sweet loop of mostly singletrack all the way around this lake called Blue Marsh that makes for a 30 mile loop. There is one spot about 10 miles into it that you can cut of 10 miles and make it a 20 mile loop, but that is the only shortcut. We had tried to organize a trip to do this loop in the fall, but it got rained out, so here we are in January, stoked that we get to do it.

So I took off first thing in the morning, well it was close anyway, to meet him up at his apartment in Kutztown about an hour away. I got there right about 10am. We load up and head out to the trailhead, driving separately so that I can head home for dinner right when we're done. With a lot of putzing around and some minor getting lost, we finally hit the trail at 11:30, a bit later than I was expecting, but shouldn't be a problem right? 30 miles of track, I figured 3 hours optimistically, but no more than 4, taking into account that neither of us are exactly in tip top shape.
Well, we hit the first 10 miles and we, relatively speaking, tear it up. It was a gorgeous day, I just couldn't comprehend that it was possibly January. The trail was a bit soggy from some rain the day before, but it wasn't too bad, just a little slow. All told, with one break for a breakfast bar, one hour and thirty minutes. I sort of wished we were moving a little faster, but no big deal, we had plenty of time and it was a sweet day.

We decided we were feeling pretty good and we weren't going to get a better shot at doing the whole trail probably until May or June, so we skipped the shortcut and hopped on the 2nd section of 10 miles. This is where I started to get worried. It started with about 3 miles of mostly flat singletrack close to the lake that was just really soggy. You know, the kind that just sucks the energy right out of you. As we continued, I began to watch my cpu record the steady and slow decline of our average speed. No big deal, I just figured we took too long of a break at the road so, I suggested we just keep on plugging away to keep some of that momentum. It turns out that the oatmeal that Jason ate for breakfast wasn't really cutting it, nor were the Combo's he brought along for lunch. Granted, Jason has only owned his bike since August, but this was bad.

Next up, now that we were half way through was a section up and around a small ski hill, but nonetheless it was a ski hill. I was stoked and ready for some good long technical climbs. Jason was dying a slow death. Here is where the walking began. His technical skills really weren't matched up yet with how strong his legs were, which isn't saying much. We made it through, got back to the road, 10 miles to go. Time passed, now three and a half hours. That puts it at 3pm in the afternoon, 10 miles to go, and the sun sets in 2 hours. Uh-oh.
I knew I couldn't say much of anything to him, I've been in his shoes before, I just hoped we could make it out by dark. Well, we began counting down the last of the miles as Jason slowly seemed to disintegrate before my eyes. I had to really try to go as slow as he was, especially on the hills. I never thought I would see the day where my granny gear on a 27 speed bike wasn't low enough. With about 7 or 8 miles to go, he started walking every hill. I mean every single one. He hardly had the energy to stand on his pedals to coast through the downhills. I knew we were sunk, and I could see it in his eyes. I gave him my Clif Shot, my Gatorade, my breakfast bar, and I think all it did was help him keep his eyes open. We started out with an average speed of close to 8, we were now under 7mph and dropping fast. In case you don't know, it really is faster to pedal your bike, even in granny gear, than it is to push it. Trust me.

We're down to about 4 or 5 miles to go, and it is now nearing 5pm. I suddenly don't need my sunglasses anymore, and there is now a chill in the air. Jason's legs are starting to twinge and threatening to cramp. He tells me to just go on, go back to the parking lot and leave, he'll make it out sooner or later. Well, from the looks of things it was going to be a lot later than sooner. Though I was tempted to take off, I wasn't about to leave somebody who has no energy, whose legs are nearly cramped solid, who doesn't have any food and only a little water, out in the woods by himself, now that it is nearly dark. We did have one thing on our side though, it was a totally clear night, and from the looks of things we were going to have a full moon.

I hit the next section, a long winding downhill that I just had to bomb through, I couldn't take it anymore. I probably could have fallen asleep at the bottom waiting for him, but I had an idea. It was going to be dark soon, no doubt about it, so I trashed my way back to the parking lot, the last 2.5 miles, opened up my Jeep, grabbed my headlamp and my Maglite flashlight, and headed back down the trail to find Jason. When I left him, he had totally given up on riding altogether, that means he is now walking, pushing his bike, probably at about 2mph. I found him, riding while holding a Maglite in my hand, and we walked out the last 1.5 miles. The last section of road we climbed to get back to the parking lot, Jason was so drained I pushed my bike up the hill, and I pushed his bike up the hill. He was nearly delirious from not having any energy. He was really looking forward to going to the gas station and buying fruit roll-ups, pop tarts, and Gatorade!? Nobody in their right mind eats that combination. He really sounded like he was talking in his sleep, I wish I could have recorded it.

We finally reached the parking lot at 6pm. On the trail for 6.5 hours. That amounts to less than 5mph average, which is painfully slow, but to Jason, it was just painful. I felt bad just leaving him, I couldn't drive him home because we had two cars, but I think he made it. I assume so, but come to think of it, I haven't heard from him since......

Truely an Epic Ride

2006-01-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

Yes, I will tell you about it. Soon. But not yet. It starts with a 60 degree day on January 12, 2006. What a beginning. You should hear the rest....

Verizon Sucks

2006-01-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

I could use up way too much web space to go on and on about that topic. I have had nothing but problems with their crappy customer service and entire business infrastructure. I can't say anything bad about their cell service because I can't speak from experience with that. Anyway, long story short, I moved almost a month ago, and called Verizon to move my phone and DSL services, but they screwed it all up and totally canceled my DSL account. Though this temporarily leaves me with sporadic internet mooching off of friends, I took it as a sign from God to switch internet providers. So when this is all said and done, whenever that may be, I will no longer be a Verizon customer, never to be one again, and I will have unlimited local calls instead of just a dialtone, DSL that is twice as fast, all for the same price, by switching to Cavalier Telephone. Sorry for the rant, but it's my space. Well it's not myspace, but it is my space. I'll be back online soon. I hope.

Cutting it close

2005-12-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

I just printed off today the form I need to submit by the end of the year in order to race for Guy's Racing this next year. I've been in kind of a bind since moving because Verizon sucks. That's all I'm gonna say about that, I don't want to get all riled up. Anyway, suffice to say, we've moved and moved in, and we have no internet, so today I'm down at the library deleting my junk emails and killing some time. I am so glad I have no shopping to do today, it would just suck to have to be out today, especially around here.

Well, Garrett has come and gone, he dropped in Wed afternoon and we chilled til about 11 last night before he bounced to hang with brother Bradford out in West Chester. It was sweet to be able to kick back and catch up over a Leinie's Apple Spice Ale, which unfortunately is not sold here in PA, so he brought me a Christmas six-pack. Coates was able to hang for awhile, but he and Cath left last night for Maine. Holmes and wifey spent some great times in Iowa this week, (which I'm told stands for Idiots Out Walking Around). Rumor has it Fisher and Suz are in town and have cell phones, but that sounds a little far-fetched if you ask me, I think I'll have to see it to believe it. Apparently Pat had his Christmas presents imported from Italy and from PA, though I'm not to sure I can believe that either, cause that's 3rd or 4th hand information, which tends to be unreliable, but I don't have anything else to go off of either. Anyway, hope your Christmas isn't a debacle and don't drink too much of that SoCo Eggnog. Merry Christmas-

School's Out For Winter!

2005-12-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of anyway. I have a class in four weeks that I have some pre-course work for, but I'm trying not to think about that. Our last class was today, a Christmas party of sorts mixed with our end of semester evaluation. I think the party is only there to offset the depression that accompanies the evaluation. Oh well, it's over now. I have some serious packing to do before we move, and some serious painting to get started on. I'd love to just go to town on the new apartment, but we have to paint everything back to off-white that we paint bright red before we move out, so I don't want to go overboard and have to repaint the whole place when we move out next time. With that said, I'm gonna grab a beer and some boxes go nuts.

A lazy sunday...

2005-12-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Yet again I am here, though I should be finishing up the last bit of homework that I have for the semester. Not a lot left to do, but just enough time left in the semester to procrastinate a little more. I spent the week since last post working, a rarity for me, though it was pretty sweet to be doing some good carpentry again for a little while. Also nice to know that there is an end in sight, as I am only building a closet. I went out Thursday night to watch a little band I know called Cedarwell(www.cedarwell.com), down at the General Lafayette Inn(www.generallafayetteinn.com), an awesome little pub/brewery where you can buy a mug that they'll hang at the bar for you and serve you your drinks in. It was a cool show, and good to kick back and hang out for a little while.

This next week looks pretty crazy, with the last day of classes and homework tomorrow, packing up to move all the way across the parking lot starting as soon as we're packed, not to mention things like painting the new place, and setting everything up again. Thankfully we at least have some colors picked out, so that difficulty is done. Now we just have to get them up on the walls. Shouldn't be too bad though, that is what my brother Zach is coming out to help us do. Okay well, that's not why he's coming, but that's what he's going to be doing. All week. Day and night. Ahh, it's good to have a brother . . .

New Year's Resolution

2005-12-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

I've decided on one new year's resolution, if you will, and I figured, what's the sense in waiting til January so I started today. I've decided that I am going to re-enter the world of mountain bike racing next year. So I started today with my first training ride for the 2006 season. Everybody else is finishing up for the year, mountain and road nationals are long over, cross nationals are next weekend, but I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'm gonna need all the time I can get. It was great. I was planning on playing football today, as last night was the first snow we've had this year, but that got nixed so I decided to take advantage of the 2 inches of snow which made for a very wintery ride. If you dress right it's fine, and for the most part I did, but I still don't have all the feeling back in my toes, they got a little wet. I love the briskness of the cold air in my lungs. I love the cold, as long as I can stay warm, which is usually the trick. I am really stoked about racing next year, I forgot how much I missed it until I went to one of Tristan's races with him. We'll have to see how my training actually goes . . .

Bono's Faith

2005-12-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

That's right, Bono's faith. Check out this article, it'll surprise you. http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=4139

We'll try this again

2005-12-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I am supposed to be, that is, I should be feverishly preparing for teaching this evening at The Porch, but I seem to have reached some sort of roadblock. It's that sort of burnt out feeling, even though I haven't put as much time into this week as into prior weeks, mixed with a desire to be doing something else. Hence my presence here. So instead, I type while listening to Audioslave on a new Yamaha stereo. I'm teaching on wisdom/foolishness tonight, out of Ecclesiastes 11, which seems ironic due to the foolishness of my current time constraint. I think I'll probably end up working that into the plot of things.

On a different note, I have a couple other blogs that I want to link up to my site if I can figure out how, which I haven't yet. If anybody has any tips, I'd appreciate it. One of them is a good friend of mine who is a pro mountain bike and cyclocross racer, which is just cool to be able to say that I have a friend in pro sports. Even if it is cycling, and he pays his own way everywhere. Check it out at www.tristanschouten.blogspot.com

2005-12-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Here is entry number one, as I attempt to sort out the endless maze of blogland.