Games of the XXX Olympiad

In honor of the opening ceremonies this evening, I will share my favorite childhood Olympic memory.  It's this one.

I was in 2nd grade, and had just started tumbling classes.  I absolutely fell in love with the 1996 women's gymnastic team, the "magnificent seven".  I still remember watching Kerri Scrugg's vault, which clinched America's team gold, after a disappointing fall on her first attempt.

I remember her amazing one-foot landing.  I remember her being carried to the podium by Bela Karolyi.  And I remember going to tumbling class and landing all of my passes on one foot, with my arms proudly lifted into the air to imitate her signature landing.  I so badly wanted to be a part of that Olympic team, and my favorite thing about these games is that we can vicariously dream through these athletes and feel like we are a part of the team.

Truth be told, I cry like a baby when I watch this video.

p.s.  I just remembered.  All the other girls at school picked Shannon Miller and Dominique Moceanu as their favorite, but I always like Dominique Dawes because she was tall like me.

eh...

Ya'll, I've got little to say.  My writing mojo has left me for the time being, and I'm ashamed to say that I have abandoned the search in favor of wilting away in this summer heat with those dearest to me.  Perhaps August will find me intoxicated with the promise of school supplies and happenings to divulge. 

For now you should all know that Marion Piper makes us laugh.  Every.  Day.

birthdays

Today marks eight months since Piper first entered our lives, and we love her more each day.  She is growing so fast, and becoming quite the wiggle worm.  I Can't wait to see the things that are to come, but I sure do wish that I could bottle time. More on that later, because...

..we celebrated Zach's 25th birthday today.  To a wonderful husband and father who works so hard and always keeps us laughing:

We love you so much, and wish you the very happiest of birthdays!  What would we do without you!?

What do you "do"?

I've sat down about a hundred times to write this post.  The post in which I define my role. In our home.  In the "workplace".  As a mom who is seeking part-time work, but not in exchange for cutting my "mom" hours. 

The truth is, I can not and will not define this role myself.  I can only be faithful with what God has given me.  A wonderful, God-fearing husband, a beautiful little girl who needs Jesus, and more than we deserve.

I fail daily as a wife and a mother and a woman who claims to know and love God.  Sometimes to the point where I'm tempted to cast aside this work as yet another failed experiment in my search for the perfect, fulfilling, well-paying dream career.  But the Lord is faithful, and gently reminds me that the point of my failing is my failing. 

Does any of that make sense? 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that as much as I would prefer a list of dos and don'ts, tasks next to a small, black box that I can fill with a check-marks and never think of again, motherhood and wifehood and christianhood doesn't work that way. 

So there is no clearly defined role.  The perfect mom, who always has it together.  She showers daily and dinner is never burned, nor is there a speck of dust on her side table or the inner workings of her heart.  She is not here and may not be anywhere, except a pinterest board.

Instead, I'm full of imperfections and love for a great God and family.  And that great God is each day molding our family into one that will struggle and, Lord willing, do things for His kingdom.  I guess that's what you could say I "do".

Notice there are no pictures here.  I simply don't have it in me.

on Marion Piper and growing up

We're growing up around here.  All of us.  MPG get's bigger by the second, and I'm reminded of my selfishness by the (nano)second.

This weekend will make eight whole months since the little one showed herself, and our hearts were stolen.  I realized that I never did give you guys stats from her sixth month appointment.  My hope is to cover growth from 6-8 months in a near future post.

For now you should know that

Marion Piper is desperately trying to climb up on everything..including me.  I suspect that she will be on the move sooner than later, although her interest does not lie much with crawling.

She holds her own bottle now.  This has changed my life and freed my hands.  But, oh, how I will miss cuddling my little one while she eats.

Piper even fancies grabbing her own spoon, right out of my hands, every now and again to feed herself.

Something you probably already knew:  we're simply smitten with her.

Happy Monday!

checking in

I ran a 5k on Wednesday morning.  My time was nothing to write home about, but I reached my goal and was a sweaty mess as I crossed the finish line into the arms of cheering family members.

After finishing the race I have been training for in recent months, all motivation went out the window.  Which means I need a new goal to work towards.  A new 5k to look forward to...preferably in a new city.  With a new time in mind.

I had three goals (with a secret fourth one).
1.  Finish. Check.
2.  Finish, not in last place.  Double check.
3.  Finish without yelling at my faithful and supportive coach/husband.  Half check.  I wish you guys could see us.  He is shouting praise, telling me where to pick it up or where to prepare for a short uphill.  I'm snapping at him.  I'd say a "half check" will do us, and I'll work on it more.
(Secret 4.)  Finish in less time than it took me to run the course a few weeks ago as part of my training.  Check!

Isn't it horrible that sometimes I don't blog simply because I don't want to take the time to take/edit/insert photos.  It's the truth, ya'll.  It's the pictures.  And these lazy summer days.  And this terrible heat that keeps on keeping me from blogging.  And my not wanting to face the truth.  Be honest with you guys.  Put myself out there. 

But mostly it's the pictures.

I wish we could "feel" summer's haze without having to deal with the hot, sticky days.  But it's all too true that in order for us to sleep in, eat waffles dripping with homemade blueberry syrup, and peruse local farmer's markets that are overflowing with fresh florals and peppers that are as big as your head- it must be no less that 142 degrees outside with 99 percent humidity.  I'll take it.