Habbakuk 1:5b

"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." Habbakuk 1:5b

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Love the colors, hate the raking

Our maples are just alive with color. It was such a nice sunny day today and I had to take some pictures of them before they drop all their leaves and I'm cursing them as I rake and rake and rake.
Our backyard maple turns an amazing red/orange.
Our old front maple is golden yellow
The new maple we had planted last year has its leaves still green with just the tips turning dark red.
It is a magnificent display. I love fall.

The Muddy Monster

Ok so today was the Muddy Monster 5K Cross Country Race. Bill won his age group last year in the same race which was then called the 'Devil Dash' and it was on a different course. Bill has been looking forward to this race for a year because there is a team component that adds together the score of 3 runners signed up on the same team. Bill has dreams of winning not only his age group but the team competition. He enlisted Jeremy and Brian, our running friends, to come and be on our team. They sported matching Vineyard Running Club shirts. It was a Halloween race so I decided to get in the spirit and wear a costume (a regrettable mistake). I decided because it was slightly cold that I would wear this orange convict jumpsuit that I had left over from my Young Life program days.
Here is Bill and I pre race. By the time the race came around, it had warmed up so I lost the hat and the long sleeve shirt under the jumpsuit. (important information for later)
Here are the boys in their matching VRC shirts- logo courtesy of our talented graphic design friend, Jordan.
Don't they look handsome. By race time they lost their hats as well
Ok so it was time for the race. I have been running slower than usual due to half pint and due to a crazy work/travel schedule I have not gotten out for a run more than once a week. I knew it would just be a nice jog for me. The day was sunny, the course was hilly and slick from rain/mud/dew so as I started I knew I wouldn't be winning anything. About 1/2 mile into it, I started getting really hot. The jumpsuit weighs like 5 lbs and is made out of really heavy fabric. What the heck was I thinking? Right after running my slowest mile in over a year, I had to stop to try to get cooler. I rolled up the legs and tried to tie the top around my waist but it was so huge and with so much fabric that it didn't work. I ended up stopping like 50 ft later and just taking the whole thing off; luckily I had appropriate clothes on underneath. I had to move my number and I think the whole ordeal took about 3 minutes. Then back on the course I went. I didn't know what to do with the 5 lbs of orange heavy fabric jumpsuit I was carrying. I should have just left it on the course but I didn't know if you could do that so I carried it the rest of the way. I am already tired and huffing and puffing because half pint is taking all the oxygen I breath in first but now I'm carrying this ridiculous costume. I was so pissed at myself. Bill was waiting for me near the finish and I finally got to drop my burden. I ran that last 200 meters really fast. It was a terrible race. I had to cry afterward. But I, at least, beat the 'freaks' dressed up like ketchup and mustard. That is my only claim to fame. I outran the condiments. Pregnancy has really taken a toll on my running and it makes me kind of mad. I keep telling myself come May 1st half pint can sleep in the jog stroller as I get back in the game. While I was suffering and running freakin' 10 minute + miles, the boys were celebrating at the finish.

They finished 15th, 16th and 17th (Jeremy, Brian and Bill). Brian wiped out on the slippery bridge and got muddy but not seriously hurt which was good. Bill got first in his age group, 40-44. Brian got first in his age group, 30-34 and Jeremy got second in his age group, 25-29. Jeremy ran a marathon last weekend so it is amazing to any of us that he turned in such a great time.

When you got your award, you had to stand up on the hay bales to get your picture taken.
Here's Jeremy
And Brian
And finally Bill
When the team awards were announced, the Vineyard Running Club was sure that it would get top 3. 3rd place a group of teenage cross country girls, 2nd place some team called team tutu wearing tutus and 1st place a team of young cross country high school boys. Seems odd right? No VRC. Fishy as how no girls beat Jeremy, Brian or Bill. They talked with the race director afterward who didn't even have their team listed in Top 10 though he remembers signing them us as a team. He apologized for the oversight and will send them their trophies... official results are up and our boys beat team tutu who got second place by over 3 minutes. I was hoping to finish this blog with a shot of the boys post race with their trophies but alas that is not meant to be. It was, however, a glorious first day at the races for the Vineyard Running Club.

The boys and their award bags.
me finally smiling after catching my breath, changing my clothes and eating a ton of watermelon and oranges.
Life Lesson #4654 -- no dumb Halloween costume when trying to run a race.

Vineyard Running Club, the humble beginnings

One of Bill's dreams has come true. He has started the official Vineyard Running Club with folks from church. Here is a shot from their humble beginning... Ty, Jeremy, Cara and Bill. I was at a dinner for work and wasn't able to make it. Nile made the gang hot chocolate for when they returned home. We are planning on running once a week with dinner at our house afterwards. We have big dreams; logo, matching shirts, total domination in local races.

The Great Pumpkins

So after a year hiatus with no pumpkins carved in our house, the kids finally got it done this week. Unfortunately the pictures were put in reverse order from what I wanted so you can see the progress backward.
Nile did this really cool spider of which this picture does no justice but when it is lit up, it looks awesome.
I think Gabby was trying to look like her pumpkin.
Iverson children with knives... everyones most scary Halloween moment.
Cleaning out the guts
Bill made some yummy roasted pumpkin seeds which is always the best part of pumpkin carving.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Movie List

So here is a wish list of movies from Kyle in Mazatlan that got stolen. If you would/could like to donate to the movie drive, just let me know. He's knows the list is long and is just grateful that we are going to try to replace any.

Dead poet’s society
Indiana Jones (any)
Star Wars (any)
Underworld/ Underworld Evolution
Bourne Trilogy
Pan’s Labyrinth
Hotel Rwanda
Casino Royal
The Italian Job
Rambo (any)
The Rock
Oceans 11
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Departed
Black Hawk Down
Little Miss Sunshine
Usual Suspects
Catch me if you can
The Great Train Robbery
Blood Diamond
Gone in 60 Seconds
3:10 to Yuma
The Shawshank Redemption
Independence Day
Rain Man
The Fugitive
It’s a wonderful Life
A Christmas story
Silence of the Lambs
American History X
Forest Gump
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Sting
V for Vendetta
Groundhogs Day

Monday, October 20, 2008

Robbery

Our dear friends in Mazatlan, Kyle and Ellen, had their home broken into when they were back in the states visiting. These two packed up their entire lives, moved to Mazatlan about 18 months ago and live in the small poor colonia in which they serve. Their hearts for Jesus and those they minister to is large. Bill and I are greatly inspired by them and in awe of the life they lead. Check out her blog http://mexicomercy.blogspot.com/ . I am going to try to replace some of the things they lost and take them down with us. I think the easiest would be the DVDs that were stolen. If you would like to help out, please check out the blog and give/send me something they lost that is easily transported in luggage and I'll take it down in December.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Images from my time across the pond

It was one of the craziest things I've done lately but me and Half Pint flew to London for my dear friend Lizzie's wedding. I left on a Wednesday morning, drove to Chicago, got on the red eye and landed in London Thursday morning. My friend, Amanda who luckily had business in London the next week, met me for our three days of English fun. Lizzie picked us up at the airport but her car wouldn't start So here is a picture of a Heathrow security guard doing something to her battery. We ended up getting the car jumped. Interesting English fact #1... it is not called AAA there but only AA - i suppose one A is for American Amanda and I checked into our hotel, took showers and away we went. We took the underground into the city and got tickets to the evening show of Wicked which Amanda has never seen. We then just walked around and ended up in St James park which is just lovely. It was a full day on Thursday, we didn't get back to our hotel until midnight and Amanda didn't sleep at all on her red eye flight so we were exhausted.
After sleeping like 13 hours, we woke up on Friday afternoon and just bummed around the town Lizzie lives in. Later in the afternoon we went to help decorate the hall for the reception. Lizzie's church is much like ours, homeless. They meet in a school hall/cafeteria so we decorated it to look not so cafeteria-ish. After decorations were done, the ladies went to a local pub, the Swan and Bottle, for dinner and drinks. I brought Lizzie some stuff for her honeymoon including this cute tank top which says "I said Yes" in fun bedazzles.
Lizzie and Phil got married in this 16th century church called St John the Baptist. There pastor did most of the service but the offical part was done by the Vicor. It was remarkably beautiful inside. Her mom, Loretta, got into the English mother-of-the-bride spirit and wore this fantastic hat.
Lizzie and her dad
This picture does a little justice to the inside of the church, but not as much as I would like. Phil and Lizzie left the church to 'Ring of Fire' by Johnny Cash... apparently he's huge in England.
Here are the three of us as we walked to the reception site.
I love this picture of me and Lizzie. The sunlight makes us look almost angelic or something like that. Unclear why the bottom of the picture is gray.
Amanda and I had a great time drinking our tea with milk and putting clotted cream and jam on our scones. Jenny, a friend of Lizzie's who is pro American and very helpful, sat next to us helping us not look stupid.
Lizzie and Phil left all smiles to the honeymoon to the Canary Islands.
The flight was long going over, but I slept. The flight was longer coming back due to something about flying into the earth's rotation and I didn't sleep much at all. I was exhausted most of the time I was there. Despite all the money it cost and the sheer fatigue of pulling such a trip off, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I met Lizzie as a sweet funny freshman at Canastota High who knew not much of God. She is now a sweet funny lover of Jesus who married a man of God and their relationship is a testimony to what God has done in their lives. Lizzie introduced me as the person who introduced her to Jesus and that just made me smile. And now Half Pint is a world traveler, two different countries (Mexico and UK) and not even 14 weeks old yet.



The passing of one who was truly great

Monday October 6th is National PA Day. On Monday October 6th our profession lost a truly great one. Dr Benet Pardini PA-C has a long list of accolades and titles and awards. He was a PhD in physiology before going back to PA school to be able to work with patients. He taught part of the first year PA physiology course and was my favorite professor while I was in the program. He even taught it to his own class many years ago. He worked in pediatric cardiology and loved it. He was the first non MD director of one of the medical school communities (think Hogwart Houses). He was the past president of the Iowa PA Society on whose board I am also a member. He adored his wife and two kids. He was really involved in this local church as well on the school board. He had crazy curly hair and was so fun to be around. He was my friend and colleague and mentor. On Monday October 6th I arrived at work and they had just called his code. He died suddenly in this sleep and was unable to be roused by his wife in the morning. 911 was called and CPR started. A heart rhythm was never able to be brought back. He was 54. I cried and cried at work that morning. I went over to the trauma room to say my last goodbye before they took him away for organ donation.

Ben --you will be missed by all who knew you and our world will never be the same without you in it. You saved lives even in your death. Well done good and faithful servant.

Big Ten Stadium #5

We, along with our friends Amy and Brian Boelk, road triped to the Michigan State v Iowa game the first weekend of October. My folks met us there and despite horrific offensive play calling resulting in another Hawkeye defeat it was a great time.We couldn't get enough of the Herky Darth Vader helmet right near us.

This is our 5th Big Ten Stadium that we have visited. Only 5 more to go (Ill, Ind, Purdue, OSU and Wisconsin)

These are our friends the Boelks. They are Hawkeye crazy and named their twin boys, Carver and Kinnick after Iowa's basketball and football stadiums.
My folks broke dress code by not wearing black.
I was able to visit my ailing grandmother after the game and tell her about our baby. She was so excited and the look on her face was priceless when I shared the news. On Sunday morning we ran at 5K on campus called the Dinosaur Dash to benefit MSU's Natural History Museum. It was a beatiful race through campus which is surprisingly really picturesque. Bill had a weird bout of supraventricular tachycardia (which runs in his family) about 1/2 mile into the race and had to stop long enough for his heart to convert back to normal sinus rhythm and even with that he missed placing in his age group by like 6 seconds. Scary- one more episode like that and he is headed to the cardiologist. Me and half pint had a nice slowish run but I still averaged under 10 minute miles. I won't be breaking any land speed records for a while.




Our latest endeavor

Well the word is out and most of you already know. I'm knocked up. Got a bun in the oven. And this is our latest and perhaps greatest endeavor. I took 'before' stomach shots and think I'm just that un-modest enough to keep posting pics as I get fatter and fatter. My due date is April 20th and right now I'm calling him/her Half Pint.


Bill's First Place

Bill ran a race in Kalona which is a small town right near us a few weeks ago. He placed first overall; that's right, kids, Bill won the whole stinkin' thing. He was really proud of himself (as he should have been) and his reward is this sweet but yet highly disturbing bobble head trophy. He said it was really weird being in front and 'didn't know what to do'. I think you just keep running like you're being chased but then again I've never led the pack before.


Mexico revisited

I just love this picture from our day in Dona Chonita.



Homecoming Dance

So I finally have started my long awaiting blogs. Here are the pictures from Gabby's homecoming dance. I lost track of her date's name... she was going with this one guy who goes to the public high school but went to Gabby's school last year but because of something some girl said or something the group changed and all of a sudden that guy wouldn't know anyone so Gabby decided not to go with him (she swore he wouldn't care, I wonder what his true feelings were) and then was dateless up until about 48 hours before the dance and then went with his fella. When all the kids arrived back at the picture house after dinner, the boys looked like they were being led to slaughter and looked so uncomfortable in their ties and dress shoes. All the girls were chatting away. Apparently Gabby's date and a bunch of other freshman boys left the dance because 'they're lame' but Gabby reports a great time anyway.
The Kodak moment of her first of many wrist corsages.
Pretending to put it on; none of the girls were brave enough and the boys' mothers ended up helping



Thursday, October 16, 2008

the pop and gurgle

Last night I heard the pop and gurgle of our heat spurting back to life. It was going to get under 40 degrees overnight so Bill and I knew it was time. I hate it being time. I don't mind winter and love being cozy, but I hate the heating bills and long for spring when I can turn off the heat. I live in a creaky old leaky house full of character and the trade off is gi-normous energy bills in the winter and irritation as I write Mid American Energy their checks.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

the promise of future blogs

i have been delinquent in blogging. i have a lot to update on but it will have to wait. i'm just blogging now to dangle that carrot of funny, informative and sarcastic blog posts to come....

i will at sometime in the next few weeks blog about

1. gabby's homecoming dance with pictures
2. our trip to watch the hawks blow it at Michigan State with pictures
3. Bill's first place win in a local race
4. exciting plans we have for 2009
5. a tribute to my late friend and colleague, Dr Ben Pardini
6. my trip to London for my friend Lizzie's wedding with pictures

that is all the enticement i think you can handle. i'm off to london in the morning and will blog when i get back. i know you can hardly wait. talk amongst yourselves until i get back.