Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Amazing Race
This past weekend was The Amazing Race for Hope with the Journey Church. SUCH a fun time! Kyle and I teamed up with the Jernigans to make our 4-person team. There were 12 other teams "competing" for first place in a Race event that took a GREAT deal of planning and coordination. I mean to tell you, those Cinnamons mean it when they say "Go Big or Go Home!" They did an AWESOME job!!!
We all met up at the church on Saturday at 12:30, received instructions and our first clue and we were off for 24 hours of racing/pit-stopping madness!
Several of our tasks were lighthearted competition, but the majority of the event was about serving the area. We collected a LOT of boxes of food for the Lowcountry Food Bank, bought lunch for at least 25 random gas station employees in the area, sorted, tagged, and shelved over 2500 articles of clothing at the Lowcountry Orphan Relief Center, landscaped the lawn at Sangaree Intermediate School (some of us in the pouring rain), and gave out a BUNCH of bottles of water to unassuming pedestrians in downtown Charleston.
I have more pictures to upload, but this is all I've got for today. I was racing, so I didn't have time to take pictures every step of the way.
Day 1:
We all met up at the church on Saturday at 12:30, received instructions and our first clue and we were off for 24 hours of racing/pit-stopping madness!
Several of our tasks were lighthearted competition, but the majority of the event was about serving the area. We collected a LOT of boxes of food for the Lowcountry Food Bank, bought lunch for at least 25 random gas station employees in the area, sorted, tagged, and shelved over 2500 articles of clothing at the Lowcountry Orphan Relief Center, landscaped the lawn at Sangaree Intermediate School (some of us in the pouring rain), and gave out a BUNCH of bottles of water to unassuming pedestrians in downtown Charleston.
I have more pictures to upload, but this is all I've got for today. I was racing, so I didn't have time to take pictures every step of the way.
Day 1:
Our team, all packed and ready to go!!
Kyle with our 2nd clue.
There's a big gap of no uploaded pictures here, so I'll fill you in on what happened.
The last clue of the day sent us to our Pit Stop location, where our team came in 4th for the day!! We were pleasantly surprised as my pessimistic teammates thought we'd be coming in 7th. (I guessed we would be 5th and they scoffed [yes, scoffed!] at me!) And Clay and Kyle deserve all the props in the world for setting up tents in the pouring rain. Unfortunately, we didn't get to use them because "rain" is too gentle a term for what we were experiencing. "Monsoon" may be a tad strong, but ... it was very close! Our tents flooded and the four of us ended up sleeping in cars -- the Jerns in theirs, and us in the back of the Brownings van. (Sleep may be too strong a term for what actually occurred as well. That actually implies rest and whatnot. What actually happened was very far from that. Made for an interesting Day 2.)
Day 2 opened with us going to Isle of Palms (the beach) for our first task. We watched the sun come up on our drive down. It was very nice, actually, despite being completely exhausted. We finished a few other tasks and headed back to the campground for the final leg of the competition.
Then we had a worship service in one of their buildings.
The winners were announced - The Pretties! :)
And finished the weekend with a baptismal service in the Edisto River. (And yes. It was cold!)
All the CSU students who participated in the Race and/or attended the worship service
Going into this weekend, I really had no idea what to expect. But it exceeded all of my expectations, and I really feel like the impact of what we were able to accomplish will be felt for a while. In ourselves, and in the community.
Labels: Journey Church, photo
The Mendy/Wesley Update
Mendy and Wesley are home from the hospital. Derek is still there, and they spent their first night at home together. Everything, from all reports, went very well. I think they'll do just fine.
Also, her friend Allie put together a video and added it to Mendy's blog. If you want to see it, it's right here. It's got some other pictures and some video from his Birth Day! It's very sweet.
And we've decided that my parents will be called Gram and Granddaddy. Have I mentioned yet that they're on Cloud 9??
The Family. (by Allie, again)
Also, her friend Allie put together a video and added it to Mendy's blog. If you want to see it, it's right here. It's got some other pictures and some video from his Birth Day! It's very sweet.
And we've decided that my parents will be called Gram and Granddaddy. Have I mentioned yet that they're on Cloud 9??
The Family. (by Allie, again)
Labels: Aunt Rita, baby, photo
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Hey you with the pretty face -- welcome to the human race!
Wesley Malcolm was born last night at 10:47 PM. He's 7 lbs. 5 oz., 20" long.
He and Mendy are both doing well.
The photo was taken by Mendy's friend Allie.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Becoming Aunt Rita & Uncle Kyle
Today is Baby Day for my sister!! She's had a pretty miserable week this week, but today it all pays off! She'll be induced this afternoon and Wesley Malcolm will officially join the Goebel family. I'm so excited to meet him! (Next weekend, if all goes as planned!)
Mendy went into the hospital last night with some blood pressure issues. So we expected a call this morning saying, "Today's the day. Momma's on her way down and we're getting ready. We'll call you in a few hours." Only problem with that is that I had left my phone lying on my desk overnight. So ... no phone. Kyle went into work a little late this morning, so I could have access to his phone as much as necessary.
So when I woke up this morning, it was to Kyle with his hand on my belly saying, "Your cousin is going to be born today, and we're really excited!"
Come on, little Wesley! We're all ready to meet you!!
Mendy went into the hospital last night with some blood pressure issues. So we expected a call this morning saying, "Today's the day. Momma's on her way down and we're getting ready. We'll call you in a few hours." Only problem with that is that I had left my phone lying on my desk overnight. So ... no phone. Kyle went into work a little late this morning, so I could have access to his phone as much as necessary.
So when I woke up this morning, it was to Kyle with his hand on my belly saying, "Your cousin is going to be born today, and we're really excited!"
Come on, little Wesley! We're all ready to meet you!!
Labels: Aunt Rita
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Assorted Update Post
- I heard the heartbeat again this morning. At 154 beats per minute, my midwife said everything sounds perfect. And the best part is -- we scheduled the appointment for the ultrasound!! On Tuesday, April 7 we find out if we're having a "he" or a "she" -- a Darby or an Iva! Can't!! Wait!!
- I was really nervous about this appointment for some reason. I had myself worked up, I guess. I don't know why. Do the uncertainty and the nagging "What ifs" ever really go away?! I hope so.
- Part of the anxiety about this morning is that I was involved in a
very minor accident on Saturday. While sitting at a red light, a driver wasn't paying attention and didn't even make a move to slow down until his tires squealed about 10 feet behind me and he plowed right into me. (Kudos to the ol' Saturn for toughing it out. She did lose two reflectors off the sides of the fender, but not a dent or a crack to be seen. Who needs a Hummer!?) Well because of the fact that it was SO MINOR that my seatbelt didn't even catch/pull ... and because of the fact that I was running LATE and didn't have time to wait on a police report for a couple of missing reflectors ... I thought, "Everything's fine." And only when people started asking me incredulously why I didn't go to the hospital to get checked out did the idea occur to me that "maybe that's what pregnant people do". So I started questioning myself and the "wisdom" I exhibited in not getting checked out immediately. Therefore, the moments before the heartbeat came through this morning were a little tense for me, but once it did and I got the 'everything sounds great' from my midwife, I breathed a sigh of relief. Saved from my own stupidity! (Isn't God good for that?!) - An Update on my sister. There was a lot of talk from last Thursday until yesterday afternoon about inducing her yesterday. So if you saw my "I'm going to be an aunt today" status on facebook yesterday ... I wasn't lying! That was the plan. But, as plans often do, hers has changed and she's at home just waiting. The doctors are keeping a close watch on her blood pressure and platelet count. They're not high/low enough to be of REAL concern yet, but just in the range that inspired her doctors to keep a close watch.
As of Sunday night, her contractions were at 7 minutes apart and intensifying. (Sunday night, she was still able to talk through them, so they were nothing major. But Monday morning, she was hurting a good bit more.) She was dilated 2 cm on her own yesterday. And now she just waits on progress -- fast or slow as that might be -- at home. No induction -- which is ultimately good but was disappointing for her to find out late yesterday afternoon after waiting hopefully all day. - This weekend is The Amazing Race. And, while I have no idea what to expect at all (the Cinnamons are really good secret-keepers, it seems), I'm really excited about the weekend!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
To Atlanta, a much belated trip
Until this past weekend, it had been exactly two years since we'd seen Alex & Jana. Two years ago (March 14 was the day I got my tattoo, and we were staying with them then), we went to Atlanta, saw an Explosions in the Sky show, stayed at their house for a few days, sleeping on air mattresses because all their stuff was either gone or in storage. They were moving to London for a while for Alex to attend seminary.
So it had been far too long. And we were really excited to get to see them this weekend.
And then Alex had an appointment, so after a pancake breakfast, we all headed to:
the tattoo parlor.
The not-finished product ... but this is as close to finished as I got a picture of. :)
The next morning, we got up and went to the 11 o'clock service of the church where Alex is preaching. They're planting a church in Newnan. They are meeting in an old theater-turned-bar. It's a REALLY nice venue!!
argh. crooked glasses!!!
So it had been far too long. And we were really excited to get to see them this weekend.
And then Alex had an appointment, so after a pancake breakfast, we all headed to:
the tattoo parlor.
The not-finished product ... but this is as close to finished as I got a picture of. :)
The next morning, we got up and went to the 11 o'clock service of the church where Alex is preaching. They're planting a church in Newnan. They are meeting in an old theater-turned-bar. It's a REALLY nice venue!!
argh. crooked glasses!!!
This was an incredible weekend. And we can't wait to go back and visit again!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Pregnancy Dreams
I figured this was worth documenting. Since I've been pregnant, I've had some pretty weird dreams. (Some might say this is not JUST a pregnancy thing, but something I'm kind of known for, but it's different now. They're much more vivid, or something. And I always wake up kind of half-way believing them.
The dream I had last night was about Amy and Craig, my sister-in-law and brother.
I dreamed that they were pregnant, but not married and the whole family was about to find out about the pregnancy. So the three of us were walking down the beach and I saw this preacher that I know and I was like, “Here, can you marry these two?” And he was happy to do it, so we all stood under a pier on the beach and they got married while I just walked around awkwardly. And then they lived in our old house from Georgia.
WEIRD!!
Labels: pregnancy
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Till's Visit, a Photographic Wrap-Up
So I did mention that Till likes to cook, didn't I? Oh the glory of the Lord is in my kitchen this week! He cooks. And he does his own dishes. (Except for the ONE time that I insisted and did a few of my own ... but only once because, yes, I will not argue if you say, "Leave that. I'll get it." Does that make me a bad person?)
Anyway. So yeh. Till likes to cook. And I like Till's cooking.
Till Mueller, Master Chef
On Sunday night, we came in from a long day at church to this:
homemade ravioli. Excuse me, people. He MADE that pasta. With his own hands.
I impress pretty easily, I guess but Chef Boyardee is the only man who ever made me ravioli.
I'm just saying.
These photos are kinda crappy because it was so dark in the kitchen, but ...
Spinach and Ricotta stuffed ravioli with a sage butter sauce.
At my house.
Wha???
Monday night, homemade lasagna. Yum!
Tuesday night appetizers:
"Russian Sushi" - steak and beets cooked with balsamic vinegar (love to hear him say "winegah"!) and a creamy horseradish sauce
Tuesday night main course:
Steak, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, onions, spinach, and some other stuff I'm probably leaving out ... cooked together and I'm not sure what it's called, but when I was done, I called it the Clean Plate Special. Yum!
Tonight was pizza night. And when I say the man cooks to feed an army, I ain't kiddin'!
There are two uncut pizzas still sitting on top of my stove.
He made the dough (without a bread machine! Wha??) and the sauce and the pizzas were great!!
Anyway. So yeh. Till likes to cook. And I like Till's cooking.
Till Mueller, Master Chef
On Sunday night, we came in from a long day at church to this:
homemade ravioli. Excuse me, people. He MADE that pasta. With his own hands.
I impress pretty easily, I guess but Chef Boyardee is the only man who ever made me ravioli.
I'm just saying.
These photos are kinda crappy because it was so dark in the kitchen, but ...
Spinach and Ricotta stuffed ravioli with a sage butter sauce.
At my house.
Wha???
Monday night, homemade lasagna. Yum!
Tuesday night appetizers:
"Russian Sushi" - steak and beets cooked with balsamic vinegar (love to hear him say "winegah"!) and a creamy horseradish sauce
Tuesday night main course:
Steak, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, onions, spinach, and some other stuff I'm probably leaving out ... cooked together and I'm not sure what it's called, but when I was done, I called it the Clean Plate Special. Yum!
Tonight was pizza night. And when I say the man cooks to feed an army, I ain't kiddin'!
There are two uncut pizzas still sitting on top of my stove.
He made the dough (without a bread machine! Wha??) and the sauce and the pizzas were great!!
Ok, his whole trip has been great. Kyle and I have both really enjoyed having him around. For more than just the fact that he cooks us dinner (though, let's be honest ... it doesn't hurt!). I feel like we haven't done all that much since he got here -- just our regular "stuff". But the weather's been great, so we've been able to sit outside together and just hang out. It's made for some great evenings. We'll be sad to see him go, for sure!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Looking Forward:
There are lots of things going on in my life these days. Lots of fun things to look forward to, and a brighter outlook on everything, enhanced by my new-found nonsickness. (Yes, that's a word.) So today I will share a list.
Things I'm Looking Forward to:
Things I'm Looking Forward to:
- My sister is going to have her baby in the next couple of weeks. So while we're not planning to head down for the birth (head down... hahaha, unintended pun), there's a good chance that a weekend in our very near future will involve a drive down to Georgia to meet the new addition. Very excited to meet little Wesley Malcolm!! (I'm holding out for a Friday the 13th baby! The next generation needs to be able to carry on the tradition my mom and I have started.)
- Our friend Till is visiting from Germany!! He flies in this Friday and will spend several days -- maybe a week -- with us. Till was an exchange student who lived with Kyle and his family while we were all in high school. And we've all stayed in touch with him since then. He came and spent Thanksgiving with us in 2006, I think. (Was it that long ago!?!) And I learned on that trip that (a) he's a REALLY good cook and (b) he really LIKES to cook! So I'm looking forward to his visit for very selfish reasons as well as just looking forward to the visit.
- We're planning to visit our good friends Alex & Jana in Atlanta next weekend. We haven't seen them since just before they left for a year-long stint in London. And that was two years ago! So we're very excited about seeing them. Plus they're planting a church that's doing some pretty crazy stuff in Atlanta. And we're really excited to see what that's all about.
- Have I mentioned that Till is coming to my house? AND COOKING FOR ME!? I might get spoiled. (He made leek and bacon quiches last time ... with homemade pastry and everything. SO GOOD! I'm hoping for a repeat.)
- The Amazing Race. (Not the TV show, though it is somewhat "inspired".) It's a service project / fundraiser / camp-out / pretend to be homeless for a night weekend sponsored by the Journey Church. Kyle and I are on a team (probably the winning team, if I'm being honest) with the Jernigans. Not exactly sure what all will be happening, but you can bet there'll be a photo-heavy recap at the beginning of April!
- Sometime during April or May, my sister and I (and maybe Amy!?!? Ya wanna??) are going to spend a weekend with our aunts in Georgia so they can meet and spoil the new baby. And so we can rest and relax in a NORTH GEORGIA SPRING! How awesome will that be?! I love spring. And I love the mountains. So that combination works out well for me! Also ... YARN SHOP!!
Labels: Aunt Rita, Friends, pregnancy
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