Traveling to the Traveller

We are on our way once again to the Arkansas Traveller, which was Ryan's first 100 mile attempt. Ryan intended to run a different ultra in Arkansas this month, but due to some nasty weather tearing up the trails in that area last winter, that race was cancelled. Since we loved our last Arkansas vacation, we decided to try this one again and, hopefully, put this ultra to rest. Ryan learned a lot from that race, and has corrected those issues, but there are no guarantees on race day. No matter how much you've prepared, you're at the mercy of the course, the weather, and whatever your body decides to throw at you that day. Whatever the outcome, we're just really excited to be able to get away from a hectic schedule and enjoy some family time. This year, Ryan's parents, grandmother and uncle are meeting us. We plan on relaxing, catching up, and enjoying some of the country's best trout fishing, weather permitting. I guess that relaxing part will start after the race. I always covet people's prayers when Ryan's racing, so send a couple up for us tomorrow!

Grandma Myrtis

My kids and I were so blessed to have the opportunity to go visit my grandma (my mom's mom) in Atlanta two weeks ago. My mom's youngest brother Glenn, who has been taking care of my grandma's affairs since she had to leave her home and move into assisted living, called us to say that she wasn't doing well. My mom, my sister, the kids and I all got plane tickets for that next weekend and headed to see her. It was amazing how well everything fell into place for the trip, even down to good prices for last-minute tickets. We stayed with my aunt Pam, uncle Glenn and cousins Alex and Chris for the two nights we were there. It was great to catch up with them, and my kids had a fun time getting to know them. G was little the last time we were there, and Scout had never been to Atlanta. G learned a little about chess from my cousin Chris, and Scout spent her time chasing their dog and following my other cousin Alex.

We visited my grandma a few times over the three days, though she was pretty tired and stayed mostly in bed while we were there. The kids gave her a card they'd made for her, and I explained who they were. She seemed to recognize everyone else. She looked frail and weak, though she'd been eating a little better that week. When she was busy with a meal, we hung out in the lobby. The home has a dog named Calvin that they adopted, so my kids loved playing with him. Garrett also interjected himself into a group of residents who were doing a puzzle and had some good, albeit a little mixed-up, conversation with one lady in particular. (Imagine the conversation of a 4-year old combined with that of a senior with early-stage dementia and slight hearing loss. Sweet, funny and hard to follow.)

We also visited my grandma's house, where I have inumerable fond memories of family trips, mostly at Christmas time. My mom has three younger brothers, and those who weren't living in Atlanta would stay at my grandparents' house, while the rest would come for the day. My cousin Andrea, my sister and I got relegated to the basement to sleep on my grandpa's army cots, and we thought it was great. Every year we'd put on a "show" for the adults, standing on the fireplace hearth down there, holding our imaginary microphones, and singing to whatever cassette tapes we'd brought for the trip. I recall one amazing performance set to the music of Alvin and the Chipmunks, which included some stellar choreography to "Uptown Girl". The visit was always better if we happened to get snow while we were there. I distinctly remember thinking at one point that Georgia must be a northern state, with all the inch or two of snow we got once every two or three Christmases. Hey, when you grow up in South Texas with no chance of snow, it seems like a big deal. At my grandma's house this visit, it was fun to watch my own children run and play where I used to at their ages, being fascinated by pine cones and basements and air vents close to the floor. I wanted to soak up every moment.

Exactly one week after we left Atlanta, my mom called to say that my grandma had passed away that morning. It was quick and peaceful. Though I am sad to have lost my sweet grandma and my last grandparent, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have spent time with her in those last days and for being able to have my children experience some Georgia moments and say they knew Grandma Myrtis.

Grandma Myrtis, me, G, my mom, and Scout

My sister Andrea, my grandma and me

My Uncle Glenn trying to convince Scout to be a Georgia girl

Playing with Calvin

Doing puzzles

Learning about chess with Chris

Hanging out with Alex

Running with pinecones in my grandma's backyard

You guessed it... this is where we used to perform. I guess Scout got the gene.

G on the chin-up bar we loved to play on in the basement

Sitting on the wall of the driveway out front right before we left

The Ridgells' Visit

We were so happy to have the Ridgells come visit at the end of the summer. It's so nice to have kids the same ages, so that everyone has a buddy. Although G plays well with boys and girls, his games are becoming much more boy-like (like the afternoon we spent playing pirate robots, though I never totally grasped that one), and I wondered how Anna would take to it (she's into the princess thing). Thankfully, all the kids played together beautifully. Anna did ask Ryan at one point if we had any princess dresses, but when she found out we didn't, she was content to be Batman. Maybe the wings were reminiscent of fairy wings - a black fairy...

We spent the weekend doing Ruta Maya yoga, feeding Stretch and Spot (the giraffes at TDS), and swimming at our neighborhood pool. When dinner had stretched too late into the evening Saturday, and we knew another outing would be a disaster, Joe Don even went to grab ice cream and various candies to make our own "Amy's Ice Cream" at home.

As usual, the conversation was rich, the laughs kept coming, and the time passed too quickly. We can't wait for the next visit!

Jeremiah and Anna were the only ones patient enough to wait for Spot, who was timid.

So sweet

Apparently, the kids were a little worn out by Sunday morning. This is milk and Sesame Street time in our bed before church.

G and Andrew getting the giggles

Rachel and Derek

Our friends Rachel and Derek came for a weekend visit recently. It was so good to see them and their sweet doggies! We took them on a walk through the greenbelt, during which we played in the teepee someone built out of branches out there and discovered a new little house someone built, complete with a marked walkway and a birdhouse. We also took them to our favorite eating spot right now, which is Torchy's Tacos. I tried the frozen hot chocolate for the first time (delicious, by the way), and G ran into his little friend Juliet, whom he sees there frequently. (Okay, so maybe we go there a little too much, but, I guess so do they.) The visit was short, but fun, and we hope they make it this way again soon!

Scout and Derek playing with the Tess (Izzy keeping to herself nearby)

G and Scout in the teepee on the greenbelt

Exploring on the path

Scout

G

Scout walking Izzy

Derek and G looking for Native American artifacts

More renovations

We've done a few other things to the house lately. Ryan did a lot of electrical work, and then our friend George came over and fixed some of it. George also spent a lot of time explaining electrical currents to Garrett, which was mostly over G's head (and mine), but was super sweet. Ryan and the kids did work in the backyard after someone came and took the hot tub. Yea! We got new windows, which means the temperature in our house stays constant, and we can't hear the bugs running into the window glass at night. Yes, they were that thin. Ryan also tore down the back deck, which was rotten and falling apart, and cut down a few trees. It's a ton of work, mostly for Ryan, but it's fun to see it change and become closer to what we envisioned when we moved here.

George and G

Yard work





Scout resting after all her hard work

Ryan tearing down our two-story deck

The master bedroom windows before...

and after!

G's First Day of School

Garrett is in pre-K this year and attending the same school he did last year. We were happy to hear that one of his teachers from last year would be in his class again this year. We are also blessed to have a new teacher, who has been great with him. The first day was familiar and pretty easy, though I'd gotten used to having him at home over the summer and was reluctant to let him go. He is having a lot of fun, though, and seems to be doing great. Here are some pictures from the first day.

Ryan's first win

With all of the commotion surrounding Scout's recent accident, I almost forgot about Ryan's big accomplishment that night. He signed up for a three-race series this August called Capt'n Karl's Series, which are 60K's run at night. I think the theory was that it might be cooler in the middle of the night, but not so much this summer. Anyway, Ryan ran the second of the series the Saturday that Scout fell and called on his way home, around 2 or 3am to tell me he'd won! You can read the details at the link below, but, basically, he ran with a girl the entire race, picked up his speed when she stopped for a bathroom break and beat her by a mere 7 seconds. That kind of time difference in these races is nearly unheard of. A half-hour difference is more typical. I was so proud of him! We told G the next day on the way to church, but he just smiled and said, "That's great" with little enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure he thinks Ryan wins every race. He probably assumes the finishing medals and buckles are 1st place trophies, several of Ryan's running buddies have told G that his daddy is really fast, and what little boy doesn't think his dad is the biggest, strongest and fastest? Ryan finished the series this past Saturday achieving 2nd place overall. Congratulations, Ryan!

Here's the link to the blog with all the stats. Look for Ryan under the 60K.
http://teamtraverse.blogspot.com/2009/08/team-traverse-captn-karls-all-nighter.html