Archive - Family RSS Feed

Run Jenni, Run

October 15, 2008 in Family with 0 Comments

I am super proud of my wife right now.  She has been running and training for a 5k that is coming up this weekend.  She is running in the Susan G. Komen Race for the cure in Charleston this Saturday.  What makes this race special for her is that she is running it with her mom who overcame breast cancer 20 years ago.  I am staying home with the kids, but I’ll be cheering her on from here.  Jennifer has never really ran much before, but she is really loving it now.  She ran 3 miles yesterday and she can definitely run further than me right now.  I’m going to have to step it up to keep up with her right now.  Check out her race page here, and her blog post about the race here,  and then please consider donating to such a great cause.

I was originally planning on running the Galax 5K this Saturday, but I will probably back out after seeing the weather forecast.  I haven’t been running much and it will be cold.  That’s a combination for me to stay home.  I do plan on taking Luke and Emma to run in the 1 mile fun run.  They may even talk me into joining them for that!

Back Home and Ready to Go

September 22, 2008 in Church Related, Family with 0 Comments

We got back home last night from a week of vacation at Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina.  It was a great week of food and fun with the family.  Here is a quick list of some of the big events of the week.  We became tourists for  a couple of days and checked out the following

  • We did an eco-tour of the island.  This was a 3 hour boat trip that took us around the inlets and let us get out on an undeveloped barrier island.  It was both educational and fun and the kids really enjoyed it. We want to teach our children a love of nature.  You can see the hand of God in so many different things.  Just looking at the native wildlife and plants, the power of the ocean, and how the ecosystem works gives them an appreciation of our creator.
  • We visited Patriot’s Point and went through a WWII submarine, a Destroyer, and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.  The kids had a great time climbing through all the ladders and doors, and they even learned a little history in the process.  It definitely gives you a better appreciation of what our soldiers go through in war.   I am thankful for my freedom and for those who have fought to keep it.
  • On our way home, we stopped in Columbia, South Carolina at Riverbanks Zoo.   It is much smaller than the North Carolina zoo in Asheboro, but it is also much more manageable for a day trip with kids.  You are close to the animals and you can see the whole park in a half day.    

Overall, we had a great week.  The weather was great and we were able to spend a lot of time on the beach.  I always have a tough time unwinding and this trip was no exception. It usually takes several days for my body to truly relax, but I felt like I never really got to that point this time.  Remind me not to schedule a planning meeting the day before a vacation.   I had several church things on my mind throughout the week that I simply couldn’t get past.  I still had fun, and I was able to really play with and enjoy the kids, but it was a tough week mentally since I had so many things on my mind.  Now it’s time to get back in the swing of things and catch up from last week. 

Weekend Reflections

September 15, 2008 in Church Related, Family with 0 Comments

We had a good service at church yesterday.   Attendance was down, which surprised me since school has started back, but I think many were enjoying the incredible weather this weekend.  And for those of you in the service, I FOUND MY WALLET.   

I woke up and couldn’t find my wallet before I left for church. It was on my mind all morning and then right before I started to preach, I remembered where it was.   It was awesome to have the relief and peace knowing that it was found.  Why don’t we feel the same burden and concern for people who are lost?  If I get upset and consumed by a wallet, then shouldn’t my response be the much greater for people.

After church, I made the 5 hour drive by myself to join Jenni and the kids at the beach.  I am typing this while listening to the waves crash on the ocean.  We’re staying at a condo with Jenni’s parents at Isle of Palms near Charleston in South Carolina.  My brother-in-law Chang is a chef here in Charleston and he came over last night and cooked up an incredible meal.  We had low-country shrimp and grits with andouille sausage, shrimp cocktail, and pan-seared grouper with an incredible mustard sauce.   It was awesome.

We slept late this morning and we are planning of having a busy day doing absolutely nothing!   I am definitely unplugging this week and plan on taking a lot of time just to read and refocus.  I may check email if I feel like it, but my family is my focus this week. 

Homeschooling Thoughts

September 3, 2008 in Family with 0 Comments

Each year, Jennifer and I make the decision whether to continue homeschooling or send our kids to public schools.  Private or Christian schools aren’t an option in our small town.   This year was a first.  We decided to send Emma to 4th grade at the elementary school and continue homeschooling Luke for 3rd grade.  When it comes to educating children, every parent must realize that they are responsible for teaching children about God, whether they are in public school or not.   We know and respect many homeschool parents as well as public school parents, and we made our decision based on what we felt God telling us and on what was best for our child.  I don’t get caught up in the endless debates of homeschooling vs public schooling, and I’m excited about Emma getting the opportunity to let God shine through her this year in school.

My wife Jennifer had a series of posts on her blog about homeschooling that were excellent. She says it much better than I could.
Part 1 – Homeschooling Advantages
Part 2 – Public School Advantages

fyi: I using Google Chrome to write this post – it’s clean, fast, and sleek – I’m still not sure if I would use it over firefox.

Wildlife in our backyard

August 22, 2008 in Family with 0 Comments

One of the great things about living in the mountains is that our backyard is full of wildlife.  Our yard is about 2 acres and since we are on the edge of a large woods, we have all types of wildlife coming through.  Deer, turkey, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, foxes, and possums are in our yard all the time.  Here are a couple of pictures from last night and this morning.  Last night we had a large number of deer playing in the yard, and then this morning we had two different groups of turkey walk through the yard.  Check them out

Time to Recharge

August 11, 2008 in Family with 1 Comment

Jennifer is kidnapping me and taking me to Blacksburg for an overnight trip without the kids.  I love getting away with my incredible wife.  Part of my birthday present from her was a trip back to our college town.  It’s so fun revisiting places where we used to go on dates and where we used to hangout.  We’re staying at the new Inn at Virginia Tech (even though I’m still mad that they built it on the front nine of the old Tech golf course)  I’m not planning on blogging or updating twitter, so if you need to get in touch with me just leave a message and I may get back to you, but I plan on really disconnecting to recharge for a couple of days.

Hiking with the Kids

July 11, 2008 in Family with 0 Comments

Jennifer and I took the kids hiking to the Cascades yesterday. It is an incredible waterfall over 60 feet tall near Virginia Tech that we used to visit when we were in college. It has to be one of the most beautiful hikes anywhere in the Appalachian mountains. The 5 mile trail parallels a mountain stream all the way to the top and you feel like you are immersed in some type of tropical rain forest. The kids did awesome and I only had to put Drew on my shoulders for about half a mile. The pictures below really don’t do it justice, it’s one of those places where you really need to take in the sound and sight together. This website has some panoramic views of the falls. If you have never been then you definitely need to check it out. Their official website is here.

Alex Has Got Talent

July 9, 2008 in Family with 0 Comments

A girl here in our town was on America’s Got Talent last night. She’s in our homeschool group that meets once a week so we know her well. She did a great job and yes, everyone around here talks just like she does. Check it out.

Page 5 of 16« First...«34567»10...Last »