The way it was always meant to be

I studied a camouflage of jewel-colored water glint as ocean lapped coral so rhythmically we use the sound for therapy. For four days last week, Phil and I stole away to Puerto Rico, an early celebration of a DECADE together of wedded bliss, challenge, laughter, heartache, adventure, mistakes, joys, and intimacy. And the trip was just about perfect.

I only wish I’d written more.

The muse was with me. (And how could she stay away? Such beauty and inspiration, time and leisure.) But I needed Virginia’s room of one’s own and the peopled beach kept the writing just out of reach. But it did give me the opportunity to read the most perfect book I’ve ever read—the kind of book whose language inspires you to be a better writer and whose characters feel familiar and sympathetic and whose storyline is compelling. It was so delectable that I’m giving it its own post soon, so I’m going to make you wait for the title. It’ll be worth it, I promise.

 

As each day yawned, I felt the bubbling of words inside and turned them over like smooth stones in my palm. And a couple of times, I put the words to paper –punchy, unexpected sentences strung together so interestingly that even I was amazed they came from me.  But many times, the words gave up trying to escape because I choked them. I’ll write when I get back, I kept telling myself.

But now I’m back home and the words are gone, the muse has left, and it’s taken me days to write a version of our trip because the words fall short every time.

But this post isn’t just about what I wished I’d done; it’s about what we did. And I'm telling you it felt like we were walking on dry ground between walls of ocean. The weather was always sunny but never hot. We rode a ferry to an island each day, and I spent every boat ride trying to find the words to describe the water there. We hiked the rainforest and kayaked at night in the bioluminescent bay and talked and laughed and ate and read and slept til we wanted to. It was heavenly.

I really do think God made us for things like this--to commune deeply and drop our jaws at beauty and explore nature and emotions without fear. But sin entered the world and it isn't like that anymore. We have fractured relationships and spinning lives that miss beauty and experience shame. But it was a taste of the GOOD that God created this world to be and the PERFECTION that He promises it will be again and I'm grateful.

Stay tuned for more trip reflections and the book review!

Vancouver

It's been five years since Phil and I went on a trip together, so when we had the opportunity to travel to Vancouver to celebrate his dad's Lifetime Achievement Award with his company, we jumped on it. The trip was entirely impractical--two days of traveling for two days of being there--but worth every inconvenience and cost.

What made it worth it:
The look on Phil's dad's face when he saw us. He thought it was just another company trip and had no idea that his sons were flying out to surprise him. When we got there, it was dinnertime and we were going to put our bags in the room, freshen up, and surprise him at dinner. But when the elevator doors opened, he was stepping out, so after a "What are you doing here?" and a wink from us, he was beside himself excited and emotional. Smiles. Tears. Hugs all around. After all the years he's supported and encouraged and gone out of his way for us, we loved every second of giving that to him. The scales will never be balanced, but we hope he felt an inkling of the gratitude for and pride we take in him.

The time away together, uninterrupted. It took a little while to get used to not having kids, and of course we missed them terribly, but it didn't take too long to adjust to life without them either. After all, we've had many more years without them than with them. With the exception of a mild panic attack on the plane (see picture of what I envisioned being my impending doom), we soaked up our time together. I read two books and two magazines, we went on a date, we (tried) to sleep in, we drank our coffee hot, we walked and talked and spent lots of time with other adults. It was glorious. And the reunion with our kids was pretty awesome too.

The beauty of Vancouver. We packed in the activity in our short 48 hours in Vancouver. The highlight by far was hiking Grouse Grind--1.8 grueling miles of steps with one breathtaking view at the summit. Many thanks to Phil and his brother for making interesting conversation to keep my mind off my burning thighs.

photo credit

We also biked the seawall, which really did look like this picture for 9+ miles. Blue water, blue sky, distant mountains, city skyline, green space. All in one. About as close as I get to Heaven on Earth, I think.

photo credit (pardon the lady in purple's backside)

Three Things Thursday

Thing One: our trip to New Hampshire

We spent the last week in New Hampshire with 60+ members of Phil's extended family. Don't worry--it wasn't one of those family reunions where you have to wear name tags and eat three different kinds of Jell-O salad; we actually know and like each other (and the food was awesome). While the weather wasn't perfect, we made the best of it, and enjoyed reconnecting with people we'll only get to see a handful of times in our lifetimes. I've only seen most of Phil's cousins two other times before this trip (our wedding, if that even counts as spending time with people, and the last time we did this, three years ago), but they're so quick to love that I always feel welcomed. Moo did great on the planes and was obsessed with any girl of any age (oh my) as well as canoeing, kayaking, and riding on the pontoon boat--pretty much anything water-related. Love that kid's sense of adventure.

Unfortunately, I got a stomach bug toward the beginning of the week and just yesterday started feeling like myself again. I even felt like eating three mini Reeses cups and later three chocolate chip cookies, so clearly I'm back. :)

Thing Two: book rec
I recently finished reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). I always loved her on The Office and knew she was one of the writers, and I also like her new show The Mindy Project, so it was an easy summer pick for me. The book is one of those you'll finish in two days tops.

Some nonfiction is written by people who have interesting stories but who aren't writers; this isn't one of them. Because Kaling is a writer, the both what she says and how she says it is interesting and well-crafted. And really, really hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. And I almost never laugh out loud when I read. If you're looking for an easy, funny, summer read, this book is for you. (Girls only, though.)

Thing Three: funny Moo story
It was Sunday and somehow Moo knew that it was church day (possibly tipped off by the dress I wore--a rarity in my case). In the process of getting all of us dressed and out the door, Moo said "church."

"Yes, buddy. We're going to church where we learn about Jesus and how much He loves us."

(as if I was the stupidest person on the planet) "Momes."
(Translation: "No, Mommy. We don't learn about Jesus at church. We learn about Moses.")

I'm glad my VBS story time stuck with him. Here's him one day after VBS playing "Momes" at home:

Never too early! Thankfully, Jesus made a comeback this week and is all he wants to talk about (a sweet post for another day).

(And yes that's a paci in his mouth. When he's not sleeping. Don't judge. We've been going through teething hell over here the last two months. I'm fine with it.)

My midwest debut, hospitality at its finest, and some of the best friends I could ask for

Oklahoma, y'all. It's the place to be. Especially when some of your best friends live there and they have two precious daughters whom you've never met and one of them came all the way from China and you haven't seen any of them in over four years. So, when we realized Phil had an extra week of vacation, we thought: it's time for a road trip to see the Riherds, friends we've known since college. And that's just what we did.

Moo captures how excited we were to see the Riherds!

We broke up the 10-hour trip by stopping overnight halfway--a brilliant move considering we had our 17-month munchkin in tow. (Side note: a 10-hour trip without kids sounds almost wonderful: uninterrupted conversations, the ability to take a nap, read a book, listen to a book or music of your choice--all sound luxurious) Thanks to Advil for a molar that decided to cut through the day we left, lots of Baby Einstein DVDs, new books from the library, and a few new toys from the Dollar Store, the trip wasn't bad. And I loved getting to see a different part of our country.

But let's get to the good stuff. When we arrived, Ashley was on her way back from picking up her daughter at preschool, so the house was empty. But it wasn't empty. It was full of thoughtful touches like a plate of grapes, tangerines, and homemade brownies with a welcome note on the kitchen counter. When we walked in the guest room, we found pictures on our pillows that their four-year-old had drawn us and little glasses of candy on our dresser along with some water bottles. Bed and breakfast material, people. When our hosts arrived, Moo was pretty immediately smitten with their two girls. It's not hard to see why.

Despite some finicky weather, our visit was delightful in every way. The kiddos got along well, and the youngest two (Moo and their daughter, both a year and a half old) especially hit it off. I'd be lying if I said we weren't trying to arrange a marriage in their futures. :) Clearly they understand how perfect they'd be for each other. Just look at these pictures:

(side note: perfect day for Moo to wear his "Chick Magnet t-shirt. It may be a bit too big on him, but it's oh-so-appropriate!)

Our friends outdid themselves. They took us to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, the Oklahoma City Zoo, a nature park, and to one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. In addition to showing us all around town, Ashley also did some seriously delicious cooking. Spaghetti. Hash brown casserole. Breakfast casserole. Homemade pulled pork BBQ. Homemade banana pudding (the I-must-have-that-recipe kind). Chicken salad. Spinach dip. Brownies. It was wonderfully overwhelming. In fact, the day we left, she sent us on our way with packed lunches and a tin of fresh-from-the oven oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (my favorite). I was taking notes on how to be more hospitable because if anyone has that gift, it's the Riherds.

We left feeling rested, encouraged, and loved, and now we're experiencing some serious Riherd withdrawal. It's rare to have other families who feel like family, but the Riherds are like that for us, and we're so, so grateful.

I've Been Everywhere, Man

(title to be sung in your best Johnny Cash voice)

We've been doing some road trippin' over here. First to Orange Beach with my family (just Moo and I were able to join them), then to Chattanooga for Easter, and finally to Edmond, Oklahoma (yes, OKLAHOMA) so see some dear friends. So I've been gone for two weeks with less than a day in between trips to do laundry. It's been fun, different, exhausting, exciting, and all kinds of wonderful. 

The beach.

Let's just say the weather did not cooperate. With the exception of one day, it was so cold (highs in the upper 50s with 20mph winds) that we were only able to go to the beach twice and one of those times I had pants and a sweatshirt on. Still, it was great to be away together as a family, swim in the indoor pool, play Dominos, and eat yummy seafood. Moo was especially excited because not only were his grandparents and aunts and uncle there, but his cousin was there too and those two are big buddies. I hadn't vacationed with my family since high school, so it was fun to have so much time with them, and, of course, to be the kid again and not have to pay for my gas or food. :) Best of all, it was a change from my regular routine, which was beginning to feel like it was on repeat, so a new environment with other adults was wonderful.

Easter.

Lovely weekend spent with family and friends, good food, and most significantly, worship at my home church, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian.  

Oklahoma.

This trip was so great that it's getting its own post. :)

In the queue: 

• Our Oklahoma adventure
• Books I'm reading
• Adjusting the agenda
• A contest of sorts!

Like a dream

When Moo woke up at 5:00 a.m., I was convinced it was a bad omen for our family vacation to the beach--just the three of us. And when we got 45 minutes down the road and I realized I had forgotten my bathing suit, Moo's bathing suit, and my toothbrush, I was definitely feeling pessimistic.

But.
I was all wrong.
Those were about the only bad things that happened on our trip.
The rest was like a dream. Really.

Moo was an angel in the car. Not one bit of fussing on our way there.

Stopped at a middle-of-nowhere gas station Subway for lunch and realized that it was by a state park that sat on a lake. Lovely. And spontaneous. We're never spontaneous, so that was extra wonderful.

While on vacation,

• Moo learned to clap
• We rented bikes for a day and rode to dinner, which we ate outside during sunset, and then rode back
• Moo loved the sand and water. He crawled all around the sand and kicked his feet in the water. He even let us put a little hat on him.
• Phil and I gave each other 45 minutes "off" each day to do whatever we wanted, so one day I took my journal and Nook out to the beach and another day I went for a jog. (Note to self: if you haven't been running in months and you decide you can totally crank out a 25-minute jog, beware: you WILL be sore by nightfall.)
• We watched two movies: We Bought a Zoo and October Baby. Both good in their own way. Mostly, it was nice just to have time to watch a movie together.



Not sure about the helmet at first

• The weather was perfect--low 60's to mid-80's. 

After a month where Phil was gone so much that I felt like a single mom and Moo thought "phone" and "daddy" were the same thing, it was good to reconnect, necessary to reconnect. It brought us such JOY to be together, unconnected from other responsibilities and people, and we left with sweet memories, ten videos, and about a hundred pictures. 

Some people dread family vacations, but we loved this one. And I hope that never changes.

My truest self

We were in the mountains a couple of weeks ago--a welcome change from my typically-stressful back-to-school August. Had it been a "normal" year, I would have been teaching instead of being in North Carolina with my family.

That day in August, when teachers started back and I stayed home, felt strange. There's just no better word for it. For the first time in eight years--in my whole life, really--I wasn't going back to school. I missed my coworkers, students, and teaching--all signs that I loved what I did, and I consider that a good thing. But, I also experienced considerable relief not to be starting the marathon-sprint of teaching again, not to have the burden of grading hanging--always--over my head, not to have to leave Moo every morning. I miss teaching, but not to the point of regret, and that's a very good thing indeed.

So, back to the mountains. There's something about those mountains--the Smoky Mountains in particular--that sets me alive and makes me feel like my truest self. I don't know exactly why I love the mountains so much. Maybe it's because I grew up in them. Maybe it's because Phil and I are reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild, which chronicles her journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in California. Maybe it's because I'm reading Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow, a beautifully written novel about place, about roots and knowing--intimately--your particular niche in the world. Whatever it is--probably a combination of all of these--I'm longing for those mountains where it's simple and quiet, where I sleep soundly, where the fog lazily drifts, and where I feel closest to God. I want more of that.

Spring BREAK

Remember that vacation I needed so desperately? 

Well, I got it. 

And, OH MY, it was all kinds of wonderful.  

We spent four relaxing days in the North Carolina mountains, 

just the three of us, 

and for four days I didn't:

wear makeup

check my email

make any phone calls

leave the house where we were staying

leave my sweats (except to put on workout pants for a walk)

blog

read other people's blogs

We hardly even watched TV. The goal of this vacation was to simply BE as a family, and I wasn't bored for a moment. I was able to journal, take a bath, play lots with Moo, take family walks, play games, read together (book reviews to follow), eat an entire half gallon of my favorite ice cream (Edy's Slow Churned French Silk anyone?) by myself (!), catch up on the growing stack of magazines I hadn't had time to read, spend lazy mornings in bed getting Moo to try to roll over, and just talking and catching up with the best husband a girl could hope for. 

Mark Buchanan wrote a book on the Sabbath called The Rest of God, and in it, he argues that "the Sabbath is a day in which no other day has any claim." I love that. And this vacation felt like a relational Sabbath for us--a time when no other relationship had any claim (even though we LOVE our relationships with friends, family, and coworkers). It was just us. And it was so good. Pictures to come! 

A preview of blog topics to come:

• Another round of book reviews
• My latest addiction (besides Edy's French Silk ice cream) :)
• Moo's milestones
• Monthly recipe update (and a few recipes too!)

Weekend getaway

Call it a babymoon if you want, but Phil & I took a little trip to Atlanta a few weekends ago just to get away together and it met & exceeded our expectations! We vowed to see no family and not over schedule our time and we stuck to it, making it one relaxing weekend.

Many thanks to my sister-in-law for the heads up about a Living Social deal, we scored a two-night stay at the Artmore Hotel in midtown, which meant we drove a maximum of 10 minutes to the rest of our destinations that weekend. The hotel was chic & modern--a young look in an old building. Because they were so full that weekend, we ended up staying in a "studio," which meant that our bedroom was upstairs and our living room was downstairs. Was that alright with us? the concierge wanted to know. Um, yes. The hotel room was honestly the size of our apartment two years ago in Chattanooga and decorated with some of my favorite colors: red, black, & white. Indulgence!

After checking into the Artmore and picking our jaws off the floor exploring our weekend studio, we headed to what would be one of the best Braves games I've ever seen. It was Bobby Cox night, so we got to see all the old players from the 1990s AND McCann broke the record for most hits in a season AND the Braves hit five home runs to take the win. It made me want to tomahawk chop with the best of them.

Saturday, we enjoyed sleeping in and a complimentary breakfast before heading to Atlantic Station to wander around a bit. Not needing or wanting to buy anything in particular, we grabbed some lunch and headed back to the hotel, deciding to spend the rest of our afternoon at the High Museum of Art. In fact, our hotel was so close that we just walked to the museum and enjoyed a few hours of AC and stunning art.


After all that walking, my ankles had become cankles and needed a little elevation, so we spent no less than two hours with our feet up watching "cable"--another indulgence since we don't have cable at home. We're convinced that shows on A & E & TLC are put there just to make viewers feel more normal about their own lives.

We ate dinner outside at Park Tavern, looking over Piedmont Park. The weather was pleasant, the food delicious, and the company the best!

Sunday's brought us to Ikea as we looked for a new chair for our living room. Never having been there before, Phil just about drooled when he saw how affordable and well-laid-out the store was. Thankfully, we found just the chair, enjoyed oohing and ahhing at various home decor, and ate lunch in the cafe before heading home with a chair crammed in the back of our Honda.

We're counting down the weeks until our family becomes three, but we're also enjoying these last weeks of being just two, and the Atlanta trip was the perfect pre-baby getaway!

Boston Marathon 2011

Let's get one thing straight: I did not run the Boston Marathon. My 45-year-old aunt, however, did, and she invited me to come along for support. Of course, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to spend extended time with one of my favorite people, take off two days of school, go to a new city, and experience the Boston Marathon from the sidelines!

You have to know that my aunt has struggled with an auto-immune disease, aplastic anemia, for ten years now and she's a cancer survivor. Keep that in mind when I tell you that she finished in the top 10% of all runners, the top 5% of all women, and 79th in her age group. Boo-yah!

The trip was full of highlights (not the least of which was the fact that there were over 100 Dunkin' Donuts stores within a 5 mile radius--no kidding). BUT the best part for me was watching my aunt in her element, watching her do what she's passionate about, seeing her on her turf. I really don't know much about running. In fact, I probably learned more about running in a 72-hour period than I had in the rest of my life combined. But there's something about seeing a person do what they love--whether or not I understand it and whether or not I share their passion for it--that gives me JOY. I was overcome with emotion watching her run toward the finish line, knowing that this was probably the most memorable moment of her running career, knowing how hard she'd worked to be there and knowing what she'd overcome in the last decade.

I get a similar feeling when I watch my friend Lauren sing, or when I see my brother play baseball, or listen to my sister tell me about her artwork. There's something unspeakably sweet about seeing people do what they were created to do and it makes me gush joy.

My aunt, running in pink!

Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner and Scottish missionary, famously said, "When I run, I feel His glory," and while I don't quite feel that glory when I run, I feel it when I write, and when I see His glory in others as they use their gifts, I get the glow of glory as an onlooker.

So, Boston was enjoyable, Dunkin' Donuts' chocolate cake glazed donuts (let's be honest: I ate more than one) were delicious, but the sweet spot of the trip was really the glow of glory I felt watching my aunt do what she was created to do: run for His glory.

Primrose Inn

In our recent visit to Acadia (see photo album on my facebook page), we stayed at a quaint, homey bed and breakfast called the Primrose Inn. We chose it because of its outstanding website, but now love it for far more respectable reasons. Beyond the delicious gourmet breakfasts, daily afternoon tea & cookies, private porches, comfortable room, free water & cokes, free Internet, a fantastic DVD selection, hiking and biking trail books to borrow, free lip balm (yes, these things are important), and pretty much any other amenity that you could possibly want or need, the innkeepers, Katherine and Jeff Shaw, are believers. We had an opportunity to talk with Katherine for a while one afternoon and to hear their story of how God moved them from California to Bar Harbor, ME three years ago, taking them away from a life of excess and materialism and into an unfamiliar and fairly godless area of the east coast. I was most impressed by their heart for service, particularly to pastors. They allow pastors and their wives to stay at the inn for FREE! This is such a blessing to so many burned out pastors who go there for respite or for pastors who couldn't otherwise stay in a place like that. Other innkeepers in the area don't know what to make of it, which is such a ministry in itself.

If you ever plan to go to Bar Harbor, you would be foolish to stay anywhere but the Primrose Inn. Even if you're not the bed and breakfast type, I would highly recommend it. In fact, we met so many interesting people from all over the country who were staying there and many of them said it was the nicest bed and breakfast they had ever been in. It's five star treatment for a very reasonable price.

And ever since our return, I'm not satisfied with cereal for breakfast anymore. I've been making french toast, blueberry pancakes, etc. We'll see how long it lasts, but I was spoiled by the breakfasts up there! I'm already craving some sausage and mushroom strata for tomorrow morning...

Charleston

Our recent trip to Charleston, SC for Phil's residency interview at MUSC:

I knew when our hotel was flanked by a Starbucks and a Dunkin' Donuts that our trip to Charleston was going to be a good one. When we arrived, we spent the day walking around down town, perusing the outdoor market, walking along the water, and gawking at the old "town houses" (mansions), and yes, taking a carriage ride.

Be it known that neither Phil nor I have ever taken a carriage ride in any city--ever. We prefer to blend in in new places, to look like a local even when we're tourists. I do realize the substantial amount pride and illogicality of that, but it's true nonetheless. However, the history buffs in us won out. We were dying to know the stories behind the buildings, the houses, and the various military forts, so what better way to do that than a carriage ride through the city? Granted, we were the only ones under 60 on the carriage, but it turned out to be quite an educational experience. We sat in the very back and just as I finished whispering, "I hope they don't make us all go around and introduce ourselves," our tour guide had the grand idea of having us introduce ourselves, starting with us, in the back. Phil voted for telling everyone that we were Jan and Kenneth Jorkins, but I introduced us before he could go through with it. When I said we were from Alabama, our tour guide, Matt, said, "Roll Tide," and we were quick to interject that we weren't those kind of Alabamians (Go Dawgs!). Below are some pictures taken during that memorable carriage ride:

Throughout the old part of the city, there were private gardens everywhere, and while we couldn't walk through them, we enjoyed peeking at them through iron gates. It literally felt like some parts of the city were frozen in time.


One of my favorite older houses had an old boot scraper outside the front door and I loved the wrap around porches everywhere!




I broke my sunglasses several weeks ago and bought some new ones at the market--finally!






That evening, we were wined and dined at a delicious seafood restaurant where we met some wonderful people who justified why Charleston is known as the "kindest city in the nation." On Friday, Phil had his interviews while I went back downtown to window shop and take in the water that I love so much. We finished our Charleston experience with a late afternoon trip to one of the beaches there. The fog was rolling in and the sky was beautiful--dream-like gray--and we enjoyed walking and discussing the day's experiences. Although we didn't pack for the 78 degree humid weather, we certainly loved the city and Phil really liked the program. It's definitely in our "fav five."