Misc.

Like everything else, I cannot post one of those rad little mix tapes on my blog. Is it the blog? The stupid computer? I have no idea.

Anyway I am rocking out to Stone Temple Pilots and Wilson Phillips and Mr Bigg right now. Good fun. Alan and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday. Just youngins, I know.

Lucy started dancing the other day, bobbing her head and singing when she hears music! She's dancing right now! And clapping! (I'm a very proud parent).

I'm looking forward to a trip to WA. This time, FINALLY, Alan is taking me to see the Pacific Ocean. It will be nice to have a break-- no matter how much I love Wilmore it will be good to see family, visit a real city, and (thank you merciful God) breath ocean air into my lungs.

And my sister's coming for a visit after our trip. She wants to hang around town drinking Ale 8, harassing the local (sounds good to me!).

I'll write more later when I have something worth saying.

See Sarah run. Run, Sarah, run!

Once upon a time I was a college student. I lived on chicken patty sandwiches and canned pineapple all school year, spent most of my time planted in front of a computer or in class, and relaxed by "hanging out" (usually consisting of a bunch of friends sitting in someone's dorm room or a restaurant while eating crappy food).

One summer break I was at my grandparent's place in upstate NY when my younger cousin invited me for a run. I made it up one hill and down the next and almost died. I couldn't get back up once I was on the ground. My aunt had to get me with her car. I crawled into one of the bunk beds at the house and almost withered away with shame. 20 years old and I couldn't jog a 1/4 of a mile. But it was no wonder considering the way I took care of myself.

College came and went. Now here I am a few years later determined to live down the embarrassment of being young and out of shape. This is my second week of running and I hope to be fit enough to run a 5K at the end of June. (Special thanks to Meredith for inspiring me and keeping me accountable; please click on her blog link at the right to read her marathon story).

This is really a balancing process. I'm making up for all that inside, sedentary, philosophy time I spent in college by getting out, running around, looking at the stars, while still nurturing that part of me that likes to think deep and long. I'm learning that going for a jog and knitting, liking science and loving God, being a homebody and enjoying good company are not mutually exclusive.

So despite all the naysayers I'm going to run and I'm going to love it.

Baby

Our Lucy is such a baby! She is all chubbiness and smiles. Lucy can sit up all by herself, eat solid food, and even blows raspberries on our necks. She started clapping a little and says "dadada" and "mumum" and "buh buh buh." You'd think a baby never babbled before the way Alan and I are proud of her when she does that.

I wanted to post some pictures (there are hundreds to choose from, trust me) but my computer is being dumb and won't let me upload pictures or even make hyper links on this blog (any advice Chad?). Hopefully I will have some up soon.

She is napping with her Dad right now; they were both up late last night due to teething pain (Lucy was teething, not Alan). Alan is a good nighttime parent. When I am too tired to think straight Alan is walking around with Lucy, hushing her back to sleep.

We are very sleepy these days and very happy.

We heard many a comment when I was pregnant about how soon we were having a baby, questions like "Was this a planned pregnancy?" from virtual strangers. If I was indignant then, now all I can say is they can stick it where the sun don't shine. Lucy is the greatest little person I've ever met; shame on people who make others (especially new moms) doubt the joy and blessing of being a parent.

Pictures will be up soon, I promise.

Well I whisper in the dark
From the bottom of my heart
And I'm searchin for one star to shine
I will shout from mountain high
And I'll reach into the sky
Til you open up my eyes so blind

Oh but lord no, Don't make it easy
Keep me workin' til I work it on out
Just please, please shine enough light on me
'Til I'm free from this shadow of doubt

-Gary Nicholson


i surrender all
to the promises you made
and i will give it all
to the maker of the day

no one knows your heart
and no one knows your fears
when no one solves the mysteries
or even wipes away the tears

can you hear the sound of laughter
from the other side of life?
there are days when i feel like a stranger sometimes...

-Newsboys

Stargazing II

My nighttime explorations of the sky are getting better each time I gaze. Now I can pick out constellations by the handful, even in the terrible Wilmore sky (the lights from Lexington and the Asbury baseball field ruin the Northern sky). Mars and Saturn are up every night this season, hanging out in Gemini and Leo respectively.

I encourage you all to look up some evening this week. There are a few links on the side bar that can help you orient yourself under the night sky.

Once Alan empties our camera of baby movies I will take and post some new pictures of Lucy. We've been plowing through the semester, learning to be parents, to be better people of faith, keeping our heads up as best we can.

More later. Too tired to write anymore!