3 Yr Portland Anniversary

2012-02-03T12:15:00.005-08:00

This past Wednesday, February 1st marked my 3 year anniversary of moving to Portland. In these past few years, I have soaked in everything Portland and surely by now I can consider myself a "Portlander". So I decided to throw a party to celebrate this wonderful, wacky, super weird city that my friends and I are so lucky to live in.

So Wednesday night, my house became the heart of Portlandia. People joined in the festivities by wearing their favorite hoodie and skinny jeans, plaid shirt, thick-rimmed glasses or biking attire. We listened to some Modest Mouse and Blind Pilot (both local bands), played lots of ping pong, ate gluten-free/vegetarian/vegan/organic snacks (well, actually we ate Velveeta queso and cakeballs), and everyone brought their favorite local beer to share. The party wouldn't be complete without a homemade pinata of Mount Hood - a project that I put way too much time and evergy into only to see come crashing down with a swing of a stick from Megan Steele.

The party was a blast (I've decided to host more random weeknight parties) and was a great reminder of what amazing friends I have here in this wonderful city. Here's to a great 4th year in Portland!

clearly marked food - in case of any food allergies

everyone made sure to get their daily dose of Vitamin D

in order to avoid Seasonal Affective Disorder

Megan and I with our awesome tats

you can never have too many tats!

Jamie - our personal tattoo artist

Happy Birthday to Drew!

anniversary cakeball

Scott and I dominating in doubles ping pong

Megan busting the Hood pinata

a porch full of bikes... soooo Portland

I Can See!... Kind Of

2012-01-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

Ever since 3rd grade, I've been burdened with bad eye sight. But never again will I have to deal with contacts of glasses (well, at least not until I'm old and need bifocals); because last Wednesday I had laser vision correction surgery! I originally thought I would have LASIK like most people, but due to the shape of my eye, my doctor recommended that I have PRK laser correction surgery. I'd never heard of this surgery, but apparently 20% of "LASIK" patients actually get PRK.

The main difference in PRK surgery is a longer healing process. Instead of cutting a flap on the surface of your eye, the surgeon chemically removes the top layer of cells on your cornea and then uses the laser to reshape your eye. So instead of simply replacing the flat over your cornea, your eye has to regrow those cells over several weeks (TMI??) causing blurry, ever-changing vision. The actual surgery took less than 10 mintues and I was awake the whole time. I was given a Valium pill to "help me relax" - which I think only made me crack dumb jokes with the nurse about how it felt like she was waxing my eyebrowns as she taped my eyes open.

You hear stories from lasik patients about how they went under the laser, opened their eyes and could miraculously see perfectly! It was quite disappointing for me to go under the laser, then open my eyes only to see a whole bunch of blur. "Um, excuse me... could you just hand me that laser real quick? I think I just need a few more zaps to clear things up." I knew this was normal and expected, but it was still a bit of a letdown.

They gave me some super cool sunglasses/goggles that strap around my head, a whole bag of eye drops and sent me blindly on my way. My sweet mom, who flew all the way up to Portland to take care of me (more on that later!), drove me home, put me in a dark room with my goggles, and continued to wait on me hand and foot for the next several days. (This may be hard to believe, but manicures and foot massages highly increase the comfort of an eye surgery patient!)

So what do you do when you're practically blind, can't drive yourself anywhere, can't read or watch movies, are sensative to light, and have a mother who won't let you look at a computer? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And for me, that is torture. But I've tried to enjoy some down time and let people take care of me. I can't wait to actually be able to see clearly again and I know that these few days/weeks of blurriness will be worth it in the long run.

So if you see me in the next week of so and I don't wave and say hello, or if I stare directly at you and don't recognize you or realize that I'm making direct eye contact with you, just have a little compassion on the little blind girl... and maybe drop a quarter in my coffee cup.

I was looking through the comic strips in the paper yesterday (with the paper about an inch from my face and my eyes squinted) and this is the first one I read. I laughed out loud, showed it to West and Megan and said, "This is me!!"

Understanding God's Will

2012-01-21T10:10:00.002-08:00

What do you do when you think you are aligned with "God's will for your life", but then realize that you might in fact be completely off? Maybe you've determined which path you should take based on your own feelings or what the people and culture around you tell you is the right way. And you just assume that that's the right path because it's the norm. It's the path that most people seem to take. It seems to be a reasonable and safe path. It's simply the path you feel you should take. Yes, it's the path that God is trying to lead you down... right?!

"God's will for my life"... I put that phrase in quotes because it's a phrase that is thrown out nonchalantly in the Christian culture, and I just don't think it's that black and white. I don't think that God has a set "will" or "path" for my life that I am supposed to robotically walk down as if it is the Yellow Brick Road leading to Paradise. But I do know that God loves me and cares about me and wants me to make "good" decisions as to how I live my life and what path I walk down.

Recently as I've been praying, I have started questioning my perspective of "God's will for my life." I talk to him about what I want/don't want, how I should feel/how I don't want to feel, what actions I should take/what I should steer clear of. And I ask for his help; for him to show me the right path. And he doesn't. Things remain unclear. I still don't know what path to take. So I just stand there. And I turn cold and irritated and lazy.

And then I realize that my expectations are way out of whack: I talk to God about my predicaments and he waves a wand to heal them. I don't think this is exactly how the whole "personal relationship" with God works. So I've come up with two different perspectives on taking steps towards the "right" path; two possible answers to my question of "God, why aren't you doing anything?!?"...

1) Help yourself. I don't mean abandon God because he's too busy to help or he simply doesn't care. I mean don't underestimate your role in your current predicament. You play a part in the solution, too. Sometimes you have to take the first steps of changing your attitude, or letting go of your selfish desires or maybe inching your way out on a limb.

2) Maybe you're stuck in your current "predicament" because that's where you're supposed to be right now. I sometimes pray for God to take away certain thoughts or feelings in me. And despite me trying to escape, sometimes they linger. Maybe I just need to have a new perspective - instead of focusing on what I want, maybe I need to be more attuned to what God has in store for me.

So instead of praying with tunnel vision, I will try to pray with a new perspective. And instead of tip-toeing down my own narrow path, I will look for the path that allows me to run with a freedom that I didn't even know existed.

Kyle Lake
These thoughts were prompted by a book I'm currently reading titled Understanding God's Will by Kyle Lake. Kyle was an amazing man who started and pastored University Baptist Church in Waco. He was a friend of my family and an amazing influence on many young people in the Waco community. Kyle passed away at the way-too-young age of 33 years old. Kyle was a deep thinker and took life seriously, yet fully "lived it up" and challenged those around him to do the same. I love the benediction he gave every Sunday and I think of it often: "Love God, embrace beauty, and live life to the fullest."

Come Thou Fount

2012-01-08T19:01:00.004-08:00

For some reason, each new year seems to bring with it anxiety. At midnight we throw confetti, blow horns, give kisses/hugs/high fives, and toast champagne. And then the next morning, I roll out of bed feeling pretty drowsy and am slapped in the face with a new year.

For a moment, I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. The wind has been knocked out of me and I need to quickly pull it together. I hyperventilate for a few minutes as I try to figure out a plan for the coming year of my life: my living situation, my career, my priorities, and how to improve in all aspects of my life.

I finally give myself a pinch and realize that although it is a new year, January 1st is just another day. So I push all of the chaotic planning aside and thank God for this one day. I thank him that I'm alive and breathing (even if my breaths are fast and labored), I thank him for my job (even if it is hard starting back to work after vacation), I thank him for amazing family and friends (even if many of them are far away), and I thank him that I don't have to be in complete control (because everything doesn't revolve around me - thank goodness!). And just thinking about all of this last night led me to be extra thankful for a God who is always there as my most trustworthy and dependable friend, and puts up with all of my self-pity and complaining (New Year's Resolution: less self-pity and complaining?).

So this year I resolve to let go of my urge to constantly plan my life and simply give thanks for each day. (See this quote from Cry, The Beloved Country.)

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

This hymn is a favorite of mine that proclaims that God is the giver of all good things and implores us to willfully give our heart to him.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for they courts above."

Christmas in Texas

2012-01-03T15:45:00.003-08:00

This year I was able to be in Texas for a full 8 days for Christmas break. I haven't visited Texas since last May, over 7 months ago - the longest I've ever been away! I flew into Dallas after midnight on the 20th (or the 21st, rather), got a short night's sleep at Emily's house, and woke up early to me nieces playing downstairs. I loved just hanging out with the girls: playing ConnectFour and Jenga, reading books, painting our nails, swinging outside. We met up with all of the Coleman Clan (minus Robert, but including Ollie and Uncle Bob) for lunch, then Mom, Dad and I headed south on I-35 to good ol' Waco.

My aunt and uncle from Uganda have been in America from nearly 2 months and are staying at my parent's house (as well as cousin Stephen who is in med school in Lubbock). I loved spending lots of time with them at the house: playing Scrabble, watching movies, cooking yummy food. I also loved having dinner with Andrew and Stephen and plotting our 20-year time capsule excavation (although we didn't actually carry it out this year... mainly because metal detectors are hard to get your hands on). I was also able to see David, Mary Kay and their girls from Alabama who I haven't seen since last Christmas.

Other highlights of my Texas holiday: finally meeting 3 month old baby Henry!!! and getting to rock him to sleep one night, spending time at the Olson's house, running in Cameron Park with Hannah, building a gingerbread train with Carter, the 7th and James Christmas Eve service full of incredible music, the DaySpring Christmas morning church service, spending time with the whole Carter family the day after Christmas, Ninfaritas, dinner with friends at Sam's, running in Castle Heights.

Amazingly, I was able to get together with both my high school and college group of friends! Anne, Sydney, Patty and I met for coffee and Barnes & Noble, our old hangout (yes, we were a little dorky). We make this a priority ever Christmas when we are all back in Waco. And Hannah, Kate, Whitney, Merrill and I all met up in Austin one night for dinner and a slumber party - just like the good ol' days at Baylor. I was so grateful for that time together with them since we all currently live in Portland, Los Angeles, Lubbock, Waco and Austin. We truly picked up right where we left off which made me realize how blessed I was and am to have such amazing friends.

When I left Texas last week, I wasn't able to give an answer to the question, "When will you be back to visit again?" All the weddings are behind us, there are no births or big family gatherings coming up anytime soon... I honestly don't know when I will be able to travel back to Texas. But I hope it's not another 7 months away!

lunch in Dallas with the Colemans

playing with sweet little Henry

loved catching up with cousin Laura

the sisters and kids

the whole fam (minus Brett and Taylor)

Being Home

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."

- Maya Angelou

"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."

- Christian Morgenstern

The Most Festive Time of the Year

2011-12-19T10:24:00.006-08:00

Christmas quietly snuck up on me this year, but last weekend it hit me over the head like a bag full of toys... like a Christmas tree full of ornaments, like a sled flying down a snowy slope... and the festivities have continued in full swing since then. If I wasn't in the holiday spirit before, I am now!

It all started with Megan's Classy Cocktail Christmas Celebration - a great excuse to throw on a red cocktail dress and sip on peppermint martinis...

Followed by seeing The Nutracker with West, Jason and Erin then another cocktail party for a young professional women's group I'm a part of.

The next morning a group of us ran the Holiday Half Marathon in North Portland. People were pretty festive which actually motivated me to run faster - I wasn't about to let a grown man in green tights, a Santa hat and jingle bells on his shoes beat me!

These are the characters that made the run entertaining...

That evening was the Moore's annual Advent Celebration which is always the highlight of the season for me. It's a meaningful gathering of scripture reading, Advent reflections, music and wonderful people.

We had our company Christmas party this past weekend where we all went to "A Very Merry PDX-Mas", a holiday musical, Portland style (featuring songs about a green environmental Christmas, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and The Annoying Drummer Boy who beats on buckets and trash cans... soooo Portland).

This weekend, Megan and I went for a run in one of my favorite neighborhoods to look at all of the festive lights, then watched Elf. Now all I need is some good family Christmas time in Texas, which comes tomorrow! Merry Christmas, y'all!

The Awe of Christmas

2011-12-10T11:05:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday as I was having storytime with my two-year-olds Sunday School class, something occured to me. We were reading about the birth of Jesus (you know: Mary and Joseph, manger, star, shepherds, wise men, angels) and I realized... this may be the very first time some of these kids have heard the Advent story. Even if they heard it a year ago when they were one year old, this might be the first time they can somewhat comprehend the story. I can't remember the first time I heard the Advent story, but I've heard it so many times since then that I've let it lose it's wonder.

So this week in home group, we read the entire Advent scriptures (Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12) and each picked out something in the story that we usually don't pick up on. We asked questions and wondered about all of the details together. And the awe and amazement of Advent came back to me.

Some of the parts of the story that we wondered over...

- The fact that Mary and Joseph weren't married. Think of all of the social implications people must have placed on them, the labels Mary would have been given, the courage it took for them to tell their story, the faith they had to have in God and what he promised through the angels.

- The angels appeared to shepherds, some of the most lowly people in that time. He sent angels to make this grand announcement to outcasts.

- Luke 2:19 "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Mary went through a lot. Her fiance almost left her, people probably wanted to stone her, she was traveling on camelback for months during her pregnancy. And then after she gives birth to this baby, people come to worship him.

- What happened to the gold, frankincense and myrrh? Mary and Joseph had nothing and they were living in a stable. These gifts from the magi must have been the biggest blessing for them. Maybe they used these gifts to travel to Egypt and escape Herod.

It's easy to inadvertently read through the Advent story and forget the glory of everything that actually happened. This year, try reading it through the eyes of a two year old. Or read it from the perspective of Mary or Joseph or the shepherds or magi.

Advent Conspiracy

Several years ago, Imago Dei started a movement called Advent Conspiracy, challenging people to focus on the real reason of Christmas and not get caught up in the stressful consumerism that this season has become. This will really make you think...

Laugh at Yourself

2011-12-02T11:32:00.006-08:00

We can all use a good laugh now and again, even if it’s at your own expense. I’ve found myself laughing at myself a lot lately (meaning that I’ve recently done some pretty stupid things). But how boring would life be if we took everything seriously and just tried to act like we’re perfect all the time? Here are a few somewhat embarrassing, but pretty hilarious examples:

Two weeks ago I went for a bike ride and had my first biking accident involving a car. Don’t worry, the car didn’t hit me, run over me, or back into me. Because it was parked. That’s right, it was just sitting there and I managed to hit it. Thankfully the car didn’t have any damage, but my forearm got quite a nasty-colored bump. I looked around to make sure no one was pointing and laughing, gave a sigh of relief that no one had seen this catastrophe, then hopped back on my bike and peddled ever to Megan’s house to get an ice bag and share the story.

Yesterday, my friend Whitney and I were discussing how annoying it is to wear contacts (we have really deep, meaningful conversations). She mentioned how awful it would be to lose a contact while camping. And I said, “Yeah, or to lose a contact in the snow when you’re snowboarding.” She replied, “Oh my goodness, is that how you broke your wrist snowboarding? Because you couldn’t see?” I thought of using that as an excuse, but instead just admitted, “Nope. I just busted it for no real reason.” And then laughed at what a lousy snowboarder I am.

For some reason the heater at my house is not working, so last night I decided to go out in the garage and fix it myself. I turned the red nob to OFF which blew the little flame out and then I couldn’t get it back on. My friends Conner and Mat came over to hang out and I automatically told them about the broken heater and took them out to the garage to show them what I’d done. Well, apparently I turned the water heater off instead of the actual electric heater (the first embarrassment that we had a good laugh over). So Conner lit the water heater again. I said, “Thanks, Conner. I’ll think of you when I’m taking a hot shower tomorrow morning.” I obviously hadn’t thought that through before verbalizing it. We all laughed for a solid minute over that one.

This week, my boss told me about an intriguing movie (or was it a documentary?) titled “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”. So I pulled up the Multnomah County Library website and logged in to put the movie on hold. Our intern, who was looking over my shoulder, stared at me and said, “Do you have your library account number memorized?” (She might have coughed “nerd” after that.) “Duh, 33326372.” And then I admitted that I memorized it to the tune of Bethoveen’s 5^th and that I sing that in my head as I type in the numbers.

Today, our receptionist Sarah kindly brought me sparking water from Trader Joe’s. I took the 42oz bottle up to my desk, sat down and twisted the top off. The sparkling water quickly bubbled up and sprayed out of the bottle as if it were a high-powered water hose. When I finally got it to stop spraying, I stood up and walked downstairs to display my soaking wet outfit to Sarah, who must have shaken the bottle before handing it over. She laughed at me and I said, “That’s ok; I can take it. I laugh at myself all the time.” Which is what inspired this blog post.

Wow, this post is getting long. My middle name is definitely not Grace – I’m clumsier than I realized. All this to say, when you feel like things aren’t going right or like you’re a complete idiot, don’t put yourself down… just laugh at yourself.

Other People Are Catching On
My friend Brad (or let’s call him “Bob” for confidentiality) admitted to us last night that he went for a massage this week with a “naturalistic”, very Portland masseuse who ended up putting heals on him and clicking his feet together. Apparently this super odd practice healed his back, but not many guys would admit that they 1) got a massage and 2) wore heels in the process. But it makes for an amazing story that we all enjoyed and got a big kick out of.

Speaking of Brad, I mean Bob… he introduced me to a new band that I absolutely love and has become one of my new favs. We went to the Blind Pilot concert at the Crystal Ballroom last week. I’ve been listening to their albums “We Are The Tide” and “3 Rounds & A Sound” nonstop since then. Check them out!

My favs: Half Moon, Get It Out, The Bitter End, 3 Rounds and a Sound, New York, Keep You Right, The Story I Heard

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T22:37:00.001-08:00

I spent a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving in Portland this year with a great group of friends. Drew's mom and nephew were in town from South Carolina and definitely brought the Southern cooking with them. In fact it was a Southern Thanksgiving all around since everyone in attendance was from either South Carolina, Georgia or Texas. We even fried a turkey (just like my Uncle Rufus used to do) and had sides of mashed potatoes and mac and cheese (both which are considered vegetables in the South), collard greens, biscuits and dressin' (not "stuffing").

I think I'll let the delicious pictures speak for themselves...

Josh (aka Turkey Doctor) carving the fried turkey

a nice presentation of the platter of turkey, Doc!

getting all of the extra meat off of this bird...

my mama taught me how to dismantle a turkey!

that's right, even Drewsky did a little cooking

(not without a beer in hand, though)

the most amazing spread of deviled eggs

Naylan and I are planning to open a deviled egg/cakeball cart

speaking of cakeballs... pumpkin cakeballs!

drunk cranberries... just substitute Grand Marnier for water

the whole group at the Thanksgiving table:

Naylan and his girlfriend Trisha, Sheila, Drew, Kate, 6-yr-old Grayson, me, Josh

Christmas Tree Lighting

On Friday, we kicked off the Christmas season with the lighting of the Christmas tree at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland.

bundled up for the tree lighting

and then we topped the night off at Rogue Brewery where Kate and I met (and harassed) a local celeb and got his autograph... in sharpie on our forearms (ask me about the story later)

So Portland

2011-11-22T12:08:00.003-08:00

This past Saturday, Megan and I explored our amazing city of Portland on foot. All too often we take the simple pleasures of our city for granted and don’t get out and enjoy the local (and sometimes “touristy”) things in our own backyard.

We started at the Imago Dei DIY Fair (in conjunction with Advent Conspiracy) where we picked up great ideas for crafty projects such as homemade burlap wreaths, vanilla extract, wine cork boards, and compost bins (so Portland!).

Then we walked across the Burnside Bridge and wandered around the Portland Saturday Market where you can find Portland craziness in all its fullness: people on stilts, henna tattoo artists, Bible-beating evangelists standing on soapboxes (literally), bearded guys banging on plastic buckets (so Portland!).

We walked on over to the US Outdoor Store to find some warm running pants and rain gear so that we can stay active and hopefully avoid SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) over the next 7 months of dreary Portland late fall/winter/spring/early “summer” (Portland… why?!).

Next we hit up Powells where I picked up books on American slavery, the life of James Franco, and a teen fiction series on the post-apocalyptic world. I hunkered down in a corner of the connected coffee shop and flipped through the books while often getting distracted by the eclectic group filling up on their daily soy latte and vegan tart (so Portland!).

We strolled along in a drizzly rain (ugh, Portland!) to the Stumptown Coffee in the Ace Hotel. We ordered $4 8-oz lattes (really, Portland?!) and sat in the cozy hotel lobby and read an article about Occupy Portland in the Portland Mercury. It was entertaining and completely annoying at the same time.

After that we headed over to the Central Library, which I’ve never been to but wanted to visit for quite some time. It is a gorgeous historic building in the heart of downtown. We walked up the marble stairs to the third floor which has a room dedicated to sheet music (so Portland) and another where you can browse through CDs. I filled my bag up with Coldplay and John Mayer piano books and Lifehouse and Matt Maher CDs. (Public libraries are an amazing resource, and totally not dorky. If you don’t already have a library card, you should get one.)

All this walking made us hungry, so we stopped in Henry’s Tavern for an early happy hour burger and Rogue beer (so Portland – or rather Newport). And then continued on to REI to continue our search for running gear (gear is the epitome of Portland).

After a long, yet very relaxing and enjoyable day in downtown Portland, we crossed over the bridge back into Southeast, our true stomping ground. Thanks, Megan, for such a fun day gallivanting around Portland with me. To all of my friends out there, I hope you take every opportunity you have to “tour” your own city and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Portlanders Love…

- being crafty
- bridges
- going against the grain
- coffee, the stronger the better
- anything organic, vegan, and gluten-free
- camping out in city parks in the name of economic equality
- checking out free music (bc we're all "musicians" and in bands)
- beer, the hoppier the better
- gear, and lots of it
- everything local

Wrestling With God

2011-11-13T23:01:00.005-08:00

We just finished a series at Imago about the life of Jacob. The story of Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32:22-32) has become one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Here you have Jacob, a deceitful man who has lived a less than exemplary life, go through a life-changing experience in one intense night with God, his creator. Jacob is fearful of soon meeting his brother Esau who understandably hates him and wants to kill him. One night when Jacob is alone, God wrestles with him until daybreak, breaking his hip and renaming him "Israel". In his own weakness and incapability to control the mess he has made, Jacob encounters God in a violent way, but comes out a completely different man. Wounded yet healed.

I've been thinking a lot about "wrestling with God" and what that looks like in my life. As a Christian, I proclaim that I have a personal relationship with God. But I've come to question if I really know God. Personally. I think I know the God of this religion I'm following. I know that he loves me and is always there. I know that he is good. I know I like talking to him. And I can almost always feel his presence. But do I really know God? And what does a personal relationship look like? One of the most important things in a deep intimate relationship with someone is the ability and willingness to challenge each other. To be open and honest. To state the difficult truths. To hear the difficult truths. To figure things out together, even if that means getting a little dirty. I'm pretty good at being open and honest with God. I can tell him exactly what I think. I tell him when I don't like something, when I'm frustrated with him, when I want things changed. But then I often walk away and don't listen to his response.

Wrestling takes two people. Each person is trying to gain a superior position over the other. But we know that God is omnipotent and if we enter into wrestling with him, we're definitely not going to win. So just entering the wrestling match is a big first step. Wrestling takes energy. And it could be embarrassing when I end up in a headlock. It requires us to lay down our control (which we don't really have anyway) and actually want to figure things out with God and let him change us in the process.

But wrestling isn't fighting. We're not throwing punches in a violent way, hoping to knock our opponent out. And when we wrestle with God, he's not judging us and he's not pushing us away. He's actually coming closer to us. He's touching us and transforming us. We might get hurt in the process. There might be some scars, or a broken hip in Jacob's case. But a couple broken bones is sometimes what it takes to be changed. And a limp reminds us that God cared enough to change us.

Wrestling with God, especially at night when it's dark and we can't really see what's going on, can be scary and confusing. I've come to find that usually when I'm in opposition to God, it's because I can't see the whole picture. I don't really know what's best for me. Or I can't see how what I do in my life might be affecting others. But God can see the whole picture and he does know what's best. And in seeing all of this, he chooses to come down and wrestle with me and help me understand. I'm grateful for a God who is willing to wrestle with me.

Jacob's story challenges me to encounter God in a way that doesn't really seem pleasant and easy. We can't be afraid to step into the ring and wrestle with God. How else will we be changed?

Lago di Merlo

2011-11-07T21:44:00.001-08:00

Last week, I gained a new appreciation for wine. Oregon's Willamette Valley is up there with Napa when it come to excellent wines. And my job, surprisingly enough, is teaching me to be a wine connoisseur. So I'm gradually learning to appreciate the quality and taste of wine. But last week I learned to appreciate the complex process of making a good wine.

A certain winemaker in Portland has become a strong supporter of MTI and for the past several years has hosted a vineyard harvest party at his vineyard, Lago di Merlo, as a fundraising event for us. The harvest party took place two weekends ago, but the grapes were not quite ready to harvest on that Saturday. Grapes should be at at least level 19 on the Brix scale (which measures the sugar content of the grapes) in order to be ready for harvesting. Due to an oddly cool summer, these grapes were only at a level 17. So instead of harvesting grapes, the guests enjoyed a day in the sun playing bocce ball and feasting on fresh roasted pork and fine wine.

Apparently last week was the final harvest week for vineyards all across Oregon before the cold winter weather moved in. It was "all hands on deck" at the Merlo vineyard on Wednesday, so I took the morning off work and volunteered to pick grapes. I put on my rubber boots, bought a new pair of gardening gloves, borrow a pair gardening clippers, grabbed a bucket and started harvesting grapes! It was actually a beautiful day outside and picking grapes was so quite enjoyable "work"! It was a real community event. Eighty-seven-year-old Harry Merlo himself (yes his last name is Merlo and he is a winemaker - fate) was out there in the vineyard clipping grapes alongside a dozen migrant workers, the neighbor from across the fence, a group of interns from the World Forestry Center, some of the Merlo wine salesmen, and a few MTI volunteers who had been at the party a few days before.

All I did was spend a few hours clipping bunches of grapes off of the vines, but my little hands were a small part of the big process of turning those grapes into wine. And I can hardly wait to someday drink a glass of that what is sure to be a fine 2011 Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

the very fresh roasted pig at the harvest party

Wednesday morning grape picking

vines heavy with juicy Sauvignon Blanc grapes

Elvis, one of the World Forestry interns

who has since called me everyday to "greet me" and say "hello"

me and winemaker Harry with a bin full of harvested grapes

Great Adventure 2011

2011-10-24T22:12:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday night was the 2011 Great Adventure Dinner and Auction. Saturday marked my 2nd year as an employee at Medical Teams International and my 3rd auction. The past several weeks have definitely been busy - there is a lot of work that goes into an event of this scale. At times I was amazed at everything that our team of three (me, Deb and Chiqui) were juggling: item procurement, decor and catering, invitations and rsvps, wine donations, catalog production, run-of-show schedule, corporate sponsors, a Lexus raffle, hundreds of volunteers. This event is definitely becoming a well-oiled machine!

A few days before the big night, the warehouse at our headquarters was cleared out and transformed into a Caribbean dining hall. Things came together pretty smoothly this year. Deb and I got into the office early on Saturday morning, made a few last minute tweeks, then looked at each other and said, "Let's do this!"

I got chills as people began flooding in the warehouse at 5pm on Saturday evening. All that we had dreamed about and planned was finally becoming a reality. Generous items that were procured by our dedicated committee members and wine that I had carried in and out of our storage facility was now being bid on by guests who's name tags showed names that I had become quite familiar with over the past few month. Then the guests were seated for the dinner and live auction where our new auctioneer, Letitia, welcome them with plenty of energy and got them riled up over 28 live auction items, each one better than the last.

Everytime I try to explain this amazing auction to friends or family, I find that I can't actually put it all in to words. I can never relay the energy and excitement that fills the warehouse. Or fully explain the humbling generosity of our donors and how miraculous one night can be.

On Saturday night we raised a record-breaking amount: $1.414 million!!!!

The following morning, our incredible staff and volunteers gathered for a celebration brunch to congratulate one another and talk about what a great night it was. I sat there and looked around the room at the amazing people whom I was surrounded by: a couple who have dedicated the last 3 years of their life chairing this auction and getting literally everyone they know involved, the president of Lexus of Portland who completely donated a $31K Lexus for our raffle, an elite producer who practically donated all of his production services to make our event top-notch, the most knowledgeable wine connoisseur I know, and a handful of women who won't take no for an answer when it comes to procuring auction items. This is the reason I love my job. It is truly a blessing to work with each of these people.

So another successful auction is behind us... and we're already scheming for next year!

our superstar committee

the Caribbean dining room

the international auction room

Katie, our auction intern, and me

more pictures coming soon...

I Would Give Anything...

2011-10-14T17:43:00.005-07:00

I'm pretty sure last weekend was just about the worst weekend ever. It all started on Thursday evening at 10:30pm when I locked myself out of the apartment where I was dogsitting. No keys, no phone, nothing but two rowdy dogs, and me in my pajamas. After about an hour of bothering several strangers to ask for help, borrow their phone, get a little advice/sympathy, I was directed to Pop-a-Lock. The guy used a glorified coat hanger to let me back in to a place where I don't even actually live and then charged me an arm and a leg. Friday was a long, busy day at work and when I finally got home and stumbled over to climb into the big comfy bed, I stepped in dog poop. Saturday morning, I took the dogs down for a walk, paid the meter for my car that was parked on the street, and headed back up for a little more shut eye. I kept my eyes shut for a little too long and when I went back down to reload the meter, I already had a bright yellow ticket on my windshield. No wait, it wasn't just a ticket, it was two tickets. One for expired parking, the other for an expired license plate. There goes my other arm and leg. Sunday night, a rancid smell woke me up at 3am. I turned on the light, looked around the room, and saw poop. Everywhere. And a little puke to top it off. So it's 3 in the morning and I'm on my hands and knees cleaning up dog crap. I go back to sleep for a few short hours and wake up to a Monday that has already started off on a bad note. I walk downstairs and outside into the rain. I cross the street to where my car is parked by a downtown park. I look at my car and think, "Oh geez, did I really leave my window down all night?" Nope, my window isn't rolled down. It's shattered. Glass everywhere. My car has been broken into. As if I expected this to happen (because I'm on a pretty impressive streak of bad luck), I roll my eyes, turn around and walk right back into the apartment lobby to call the police. I file a report, find out that it's not covered by my insurance (if I had a third arm and leg, they would be gone too) and arrange for my windows to be replaced. So on one of the busiest week's of the year, I don't even have a car to drive into work. When it rains, it pours (into your car that is missing half of the windows). I'm in the downtown apartment lobby crying on the phone to my mom and the janitor takes a break from mopping the floor to bring me a box of kleenex. At that moment she was a saint - it didn't take much to add a touch of brightness to my day. I start planning a really long run to blow off some steam and then realize that my brand new, never worn running shoes (plus favorite rain jacket, gym bag, watch and ipod) were all stolen. Who steals a pair of size 5 shoes and a pink jacket? Seriously. Well maybe I can relax by curling up and reading. Nope, they took my favorite copy of Les Miserables (which coincidentially is about a man who was a thief and then turned his life around).

So to recap: locked out of the apartment, stepped in dog crap, parking ticket, another ticket, even more dog poop with a touch of vomit, sleep deprevation, car broken into, barefoot running, no arms or legs.

I was seriously scared to walk down the street or turn a corner for a couple of days, afraid that a bus might hit me. I started thinking, "Things were pretty bad this weekend, but they could have been worse, right?" And I tried to come up with things that could have happened to put me in an even worse situation: my car could have been completely stolen, I could have been kidnapped, someone could have died.

And that led me to think about the times when we say, "I would give anything for ________ not to happen." We always say that on the back end of things when something awful has already happened. What if we looked at that statement on the front end of things when awful things haven't already happened.

For example: what if my car was actually completely stolen, or I was in a car accident that left me a quadriplegic (literally cost me my arms and legs), or what if one of my family members died... would I give up my measley ipod and my replacable running shoes? Yes. Would I take the hit of a couple parking tickets? Yes. Would I even step in dog poop? Sure.

So maybe all of this happened in the place of something worse happening. Instead of saying, "I would give anything..." I'm just giving it without knowing what could have happened. I know that's a crazy train of thought, but it makes me feel a little better about my streak of bad luck.

Colorado with Hannah

2011-10-03T23:10:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I met up with my friend Hannah in Colorado. Hannah is a recruiter for Baylor and is in Colorado for 2 weeks for work. I came to keep her company for the weekend and we had a great time together!

I flew into Denver on Friday afternoon and we went straight from the airport to Red Rocks Park for a little hike. It just so happened that there was a Grateful Dead cover band concert at the amphitheater that weekend, so we were completely surrounded by 45-60 year old total hippies. I’ve never seen so much tie dye apparel in my life! We enjoyed a nice walk through the park then headed back to our hotel to freshen up and head out to dinner.

Our friend Jordy, who lives in Denver, recommended a pub called Bulls and Bush which was very local and tasty. Since Jordy couldn’t join us for dinner, we bought her a souvenir poster from the restaurant and dropped by her house to drop of her surprise gift (ding-dong-ditch style). Missed you, Jords!

Saturday morning, we had brunch at a spot called Toast before heading 70 miles south to Colorado Springs. We drove to the Garden of the Gods were we got out for a nice morning walk through the amazing spired rocks. It was a gorgeous day and there were lots of rock climbers out which made me want to throw on a harness and start climbing up the walls.

We stayed at the beautiful Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs. Hannah had a “Baylor Joe” coffee meeting schedule that afternoon for prospective Baylor Bears in the area. I came as her “assistant” and loved having the opportunity to see her hard at work. Talk about a girl who is passionate about Baylor! She made me want to enroll in classes again!

That night, we went to the amazing Broadmoor for drinks and dessert. We sat outside by a beautiful pond and enjoyed watching the sun set over the Rockie Mountains. Truly breathtaking.

Sunday morning, we drove to the top of Pike’s Peak, a 14,110 mountain. I’m amazed that you can drive your car all the way up a paved road to the top of such a big mountain. It was pretty touristy, but the views were amazing. Especially at this time of year with leaves starting to change. I think that is the highest I’ve ever been before. It was cold up top… and actually a little hard to breath.

We then drove back to Denver for another Baylor Joe full of excited high school seniors and their parents. I actually loved getting to talk to those families about my Baylor experience and hopefully give them a good perspective on what Baylor is all about. We then had dinner with our friends from Baylor, Chris and Michael, who just moved to Denver about 6 weeks ago.

It was a wonderful, relaxing, much needed weekend with one of my best girl friends. Thanks for letting me come join you during your work trip, Hannah!

Hannah and I at Red Rock... blantantly being called "tourists" by the old hippies.

the amazing view of Pikes Peak and the Rockies on the drive to Colorado Springs

Hannah at I walking through the Garden of the Gods

taking in the amazing scene

our castle for the weekend

(yes, there are lots of funny solo shots from this trip since it was just the two of us)

at the top of Pikes Peak - our first 14er... and we didn't even break a sweat.

the fall leaves turning colors. it was a great time of year for this drive.

Keeping the Faith

2011-09-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

Let me just start by saying that I like the feeling of being in control. I like to know what’s going on, have a plan, make decisions and feel that sense of accomplishment when everything goes just right. And taking control of certain things in life seems to work well. But that’s usually just the little things: what tasks I’m going to complete at work that day, how I will spend my money, what clothes I will wear, what food I will eat, what book I will read, how I'll spend a free Saturday afternoon. The bigger, more complex things in life are a little more complicated and much less controllable.

That is where faith comes into play. And I’ve been struggling with faith a lot lately. One of the core presuppositions of being a Christian is that we have faith is something bigger than us. God. An all-loving God. We are told that all we need is the faith of a mustard seed. We are led to walk by faith. We proclaim that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith. And we find reassurance in having faith in things unseen.

The idea of faith is good and nice and simple… but sometimes you get a little impatient. And the whole faith thing just doesn’t seem to be working. God isn’t pulling through for you, so you figure you’d better just take things back into your own hands. You’re lost in a dark place with no foreseeable end in sight. The clock is ticking. Time is wasting. You subtly clear your throat. You impatiently tap your fingers. Roll your eyes. Wave your hand in the air. And he just isn’t taking a hint.

In situations such as this I often think, “God’s too busy to deal with me right now. Or he doesn’t realize the importance and urgency of my situation. If he’s not going to handle this, then I will.” Somebody got to do something, right?!

So you take matters into your own hands. You try to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. But you’re working so feverishly that the pieces are getting torn and flying all over the place. So now you have lots of missing pieces and you’re left with an incomplete puzzle. You can’t even see the whole picture!

Defeat. Utter defeat. You raise your hands in surrender. Then you sit down, unclench your fists, let your shoulders hang, and let go of the breath you didn’t even realize you were holding.

This is when I realize my madness. Sometimes I’m humiliated. Sometimes I just laugh at myself. Part of me wants to throw another punch in hopes that I can reclaim my power (which I never really had). But another part of me is so relieved that the fight is over. Because I’m exhausted. And I’m beat. And I am glad to put the situation back in God’s court.

The truth is, I like the feeling of being in control… on some level. But I'm learning to let go of trying to control all aspects of my life. And boy is it tough. But deep down (probably not even that deep down) I sure am glad that everything's not up to me. That I'm not in complete control. And that I don't have to worry. I just have to have faith.

Walking in Faith
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

- Hebrew 11:8

Welcome Baby Henry!

2011-09-19T12:34:00.001-07:00

Exactly one week ago, my newest little nephew Henry Woodall Starr was born to my sister Sarah and her husband Taylor in Waco. Henry arrived on the morning of Monday, September 12th weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz - so tiny! It nearly killed me that I wasn't able to be there for his birth and I have yet to hold this little guy. I will get to meet him when I go home for Christmas in a few months (although I look at flights to Texas everyday - especially when someone sends me a pic of him which makes me want to hold him right now).

Baby Henry, I know I haven't met you yet but Aunt Mary loves you already! Can hardly wait to meet you!

The Starr family with their newest addition

Have you ever seen such a sweet big brother?

Aunt Emily and cousin Hannah with baby Henry... wish I could hold him!

my 2 neices and 2 nephews... I'm one lucky aunt!

Look at that cute grin... you can't look at this picture and not smile yourself.

What a good looking family! Congrats Sarah, Taylor and Carter!

Mount Adams - Round 2

2011-09-12T22:17:00.003-07:00

This weekend, a group of us traveled up to Washington to climb Mount Adams. Last August I climbed Mount Adams for the first time and it was awesome - one of the best weekends I've had here in the Northwest. I don't know if "awesome" is the word I would use to describe the climb this weekend...

The group was definitely awesome: me, Drew, his buddy Trung from Colorado, his coworker Kate, our friend Kiersten and my coworker West. However, if I were to describe the climb in one word it would probably be: miserable. I'm not really sure why this trip was a million times worse than the last time I climbed Adams... I think I'm going to attribute it to being exhausted after a long week and really busy Friday. When we arrived at the trailhead just after midnight on Friday night/early Saturday morning, my absolute lack of sleep and delirium was obvious. I seriously thought about skipping the climb and just sleeping in my car. But I didn't drive all the way up there to back out and just sleep, so I gave my cheeks a few slaps to wake myself up, turned on my headlamp and trudged on with the rest of the crew.

There were several times along the way when I almost gave in and turned around, but my stuborness got the best of me and I kept going. My boots were killing me (I've decided that my next big purchase will be mountaineering boots) so every step was literally painful. Not to be dramatic, but I wanted to die. I think this climb was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was literally bribing myself to make it to the top: "Ok Mary, if you make it to the top, you can treat yourself to a pedicure... and a new pair of shoes... and Swirl frozen yogurt..."

But at the end of the day (well, actually it was around 10am) we summited the 12,281 mountain. The torture was finally over and we could now head down the mountain. We glacaded over 2,000 ft which made the trek down much faster (and also made my butt quite numb). It was pretty hot that afternoon (especially once we got off of the snow and onto the rocky trail) and we kept having delusions of the end of the trail where our car was waiting for us and a cold stream to stick our aching feet in. But we finally made it back to the car, drove out to Hood River, filled our craving for burgers and beer, then headed back to Portland where we crashed in our comfy beds and slept a good 12 hours.

West and I were talking about how funny it is how quickly you forget the pain of a miserable experience and quickly say, "That wasn't too bad... I'd climb that beast of a mountain again next week!" I guess there's just something about conquering something that wasn't so easy to conquer.

If I could add one word to the "miserable" description, it would be: exhausting

Kiersten and West leading the way

Kate heading up the mountain as the sun is about to rise

Kate climbing her first mountain - pretty impressive!

West and Kiersten reaching the summit... I think this is right before West shed tears of joy and relief for surviving

West and I at the summit

Kiersten and I at the summit

The summiting crew

the most beautiful part of the climb

hiking out on the never-ending trail to the car

the group - minus Trung who forgot his sunglasses and had to turn around after sunrise

Bayocean Spit Camping

2011-09-07T21:58:00.008-07:00

I've decided on the new tradition of celebrating my birthday with a camping trip. It all started last year by backpacking in Olympic National Park and continued this year at Bayocean Spit near Tillamook on the Oregon Coast. Saturday afternoon, Megan, Kathy, West, Jason and I packed up the car and headed West until we came upon the Pacific Ocean. We hiked about a mile down a dirt road, through some brush, over a little hill and onto the sand where we set up our camping area.

I've never actually camped on the beach (actually, I'm not even sure if it's legal), but it was so cool to just set up our tents on the sand, dig a pit for a camp fire, and lay back and relax as we listened to the ocean waves crashing just a hundred yards from us. The sunset the first night was breath-taking. It was a perfectly clear sky which turned bright colors of pink, orange and red as the sun set over the water.

There is something so refreshing about being out in nature with no sense of time and no obligations. I'm definitely someone who like to use my time wisely and be productive, but for those three days I just relaxed and went with the flow. So what did we do to fill our time? Layed on the beach and read, sat around the campfire and talked, played frisbee, flew West's kiteboarding trainer kite (probably my favorite part of the weekend), cooked creative meals over the open fire, napped, and took long walks on the beach (seriously). Sunday evening, I woke up from a nap to find Drew hanging out with the group - he had surprised me and come out to join the celebration! I have such great friends. They even made me a birthday smore with a candle in it and brough along little bottles of champagne (my favorite).

Thanks for joining in my birthday camping trip and for making it such a great start to my 26th year of life!

Hood to Coast 2011

2011-08-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I ran the Hood to Coast relay for the 3rd year in a row. I applied for a team earlier this year and we were miraculously selected to be one of 1,250 teams to participate. We started off as a team of MTI coworkers, but over the months people ended up dropping out and were replaced by friends of team members. So our team name fittingly became "Droppin' Like Flies". I was in Van 1 with my friends Megan and Michael and a few other new friends Justin, Trevor and Bobby plus our driver, Bill.

This year I ran Leg 2, which I really enjoyed despite the somewhat brutal first leg completely downhill from Mount Hood (a 1,500 ft elevation loss over 5.7 miles). I ran at quite a pace (7:15 min/mile) and killed my quads. My second leg was just outside of Portland along Hwy 30 past the St. John's bridge. It was a tough leg because it was really hot outside on Friday evening and I think I was pushing myself a little too hard. I kept a pretty good pace by tailing a woman in blue shorts for several miles. I passed her with about a mile to go and felt pretty good about taking the lead. However, she made a comeback in the last few hundred yards and we sprinted toward the exchange line as her team yelled, "Get her! Get her!" That was the most defeating feeling to hear people cheering those words and knowing that you are the person they're yelling about. So I pretty much ate that woman's dust as she crossed the exchange line before me and at that moment I realized my competitiveness as I walked off the steam. Oh well... she motivated me to run hard and brought my pace for that leg under 8:30. My final leg was at 5am on Saturday morning and was quite enjoyable as the weather was cool and the light of the sunrise was barely visable over the horizon. I finished up strong and was glad to be finished early.

After our van was done with our last legs and passed off to Van 2 to finish up the relay, we were able to take showers at Trevor's beach house and then head down to the beach at Seaside to wait for our final runner. Once we made it across the finish line, we were all anxious to get back in the van, head back to Portland, and crash in our own beds. I fell asleep at 6pm Saturday evening and woke up at 7am the next morning. I felt much better after a good night's sleep, but have never been so sore. I walked out of my room and stood at the top of the stairs for a good 10 seconds telling myself, "You can do this... you can make it down those stairs!" They were pretty freaking miserable, but walking became easier throughout the day.

I absolutely love running the Hood to Coast race and I've made it a new goal to eventually run each of the 12 legs. Our team this year was amazing... everyone ran hard and no one got injured. I hope we can all run it again next year!

Van 1 at the Starting Line at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood

Van 1 on the road waiting for Bobby to come in

Mary and Justin stretching on Hwy 26

the big exchange with Van 2 under the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland

my 2nd leg along Hwy 30

celebrating Bobby making it to the top of a brutal hill on his last leg

the whole Droppin' Like Flies team happy to have finally made it to the Oregon Coast!

Mount Hood Climb

2011-08-09T22:58:00.001-07:00

This weekend I finally checked off my biggest Portland Bucket List item: climbing Mount Hood. Standing at 11,249 ft high, Mount Hood is the highest peak in Oregon and fourth-highest in the Cascade Range. This mountain is a sight to behold on a clear day. At times it is literally breath-taking. Often on my drive home, I'll turn a bend and there will be Hood, as big and majestic as ever. And I think to myself, "I want to climb that thing." Several times I've made plans to climb it, and we've ended up having to cancel the trip due to bad weather (cloudy conditions, snow, wind, avalanches).

So last week when Drew told me the climbing conditions were looking good for the coming weekend, I tried not to get my hopes up, but I really wanted to be able to climb it on what might be the last good climbing weekend of the year. The conditions stayed perfect and my hopes became a reality.

So late Friday night, Drew, Pete and I made the 60 mile drive southeast of Portland, parked at Timberline Lodge, laced up our boots, threw on our packs and started hiking at 1:00am. I had only taken an hour nap Friday evening, so I was pretty exhausted but completely stoked at the same time. Our headlamps lit the way as we made the 3,000 ft climb from the parking lot to the Palmer Glacier. Pete turned around at this point and left Drew and I to push ahead on our own. The stars up there were amazing. We even saw several shooting stars. And the sunrise from behind the mountain was absolutely glorious. In contrast, the smell of sulfur coming from some of the vents in the volcano were stronger than I imagined (and oddly made me crave deviled eggs).

Drew and I climbed past Crater Rock and Devil's Kitchen, over the Hogsback and up the Old Crater towards the summit. The last several hundred feet at the top where tough and required a lot more strength than I anticipated. Foot placement with your crampons and having a strong hold in the side of the mountain with your ice ax was crucial. It was slow and steady (and wore me out), but we made it safely to the top and summited at 7:30am. The view from the summit was amazing. You can see 7 volcanos (Rainier, St Helens, Adams, Jefferson, and the 3 Sisters). I'm so grateful for a clear morning.

The way down the mountain was long and tough on the quads (now I see why so many climbers are skiers as well - it's so much faster and easier to get down). My boots were not the most comfortable footwear I've ever worn and they definitely left their mark with blisters and bruises on my heels and shins. I can't honestly say that I loved every minute of the climb - there were several times when I thought, "What the heck am I doing? I should be curled up in my comfy bed right now." But every minute of the tough climb was worth the overall experience. It was all pretty sureal, actually, that for so long I've wanted to climb this mountain and now... I have! Thanks Drew, for making this trip with me and encouraging me to keep climbing! What an experience.

Drew and Pete at Palmer

making my way up the mountain as the sun rises

this mountain is a beast

the final push

the most technical part towards the top

Mt Hood Summit: Saturday, August 6th 7:30am

we did it!

Drew and Mary's summit of Hood

Drew loves documenting with videos... someday I believe he will create a climbing documentary.

Beyond the Limits

"The bizarre trend in mountaineers is not the risk they take, but the large degree to which they value life. They are not crazy because they don't dare, they're crazy because they do. These people tend to enjoy life to the fullest..."

- Lisa Morgan

Mom and Dad in PDX - Round 3

2011-08-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

My parents came up to visit me in Portland for the 3rd time. I'm so glad that they have been able to visit every year that I've been here so far. And they came at the perfect time of year this time! We did so much in 6 days: food carts, cookout with my church community group, the 4T Hike around Portland, dinner with the Moores, they came to my triathlon, Portland Farmer's market and Saturday Market, progressive dinner (Kells for drinks, Montage for dinner, and Papa Haydn's for dessert), church, The Grotto, kayaking and fishing at Trillium Lake, dinner with the Schoberts who just moved up from Waco, and Les Miserables. Wow, looking back we did a LOT! Thanks for making the trip up to Portland, Mom and Dad!!!

Blue Lake Tri-It Triathlon

2011-07-31T21:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I made my first attempt at a triathlon... and it was great! My friend Leslie told me about this all-women's sprint triathlon at Blue Lake Park just outside of Portland a while back and I've kept it in the back of my mind. I feel pretty strong in running and fine in biking, but I'm never been much of a swimmer. So I started swimming at my community center a couple months ago, slowly built up my confidence in the water, and signed up for this year's Blue Lake race. I decided to participate in the "Tri-It Novice Triathlon" which has a shorter swimming distance than a sprint triathlon. The race includes a 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5k run.

The race was great and I felt strong the entire time. Swimming was definitely the hardest since I'd never actually swam a fair dinstance in a lake and since there were lots of people surrounding me (kicking, splashing, scratching, bumping). But I ended up finishing 1st in my age group (25-29 year old) and 10th overall for the Tri-It race with a time of 1:26:05 (11:12 swim, 42:53 bike, 24:33 run, plus transition times). This race was so fun and definitely not boring. My mom and dad are in town for a long weekend (more to come on that soon!) so they were able to come out for the race. And Megan and Drew came to watch too - thanks, guy! You're the best.

marked with our race number and age

starting off with the swim

transition area between the swim and bike

headed out for the run

my friend (and coach) Leslie

the crew post-race

Interview with God

2011-07-21T22:46:00.002-07:00

Right now we are in the middle (hopefully closer to the end) of hiring a new development officer at work. This position has been open for a while and needs to have been filled yesterday. We have seen a wide range of candidates. All have come across as good, nice people; kind, intelligent, hardworking. They have put on their best suit, presented a resume of skills and accomplishments, and done their best to “sell” themselves as the best fit for this position. They tell us what a respectable organization this is, how much they would love to be a part of this team, and how they would add value to our work. After the interview, they write thank you letters to show appreciation for our time and consideration. One last plea for our acceptance. Then await a phone call saying, “You’re hired.”

Of all of the people we have interviewed so far, we still haven’t found the right one for this position. Despite their accomplishments, kindness, and desire for this job, there’s just something about each one that wouldn’t work. I think about what each candidate must have thought after their interview. Probably: “I nailed it. I was professional. I answered their questions. I showed confidence. There’s no reason for me not to get this job.” And then they receive the phone call saying, “Thank you for applying for this position and interviewing with us. However, we have decided not to hire you.” Rejection. In their mind it just doesn’t make sense.

Sometimes I think we are this way with God. We do our research by reading the Bible and studying theology. We build our resume by going to church, attending Bible studies, volunteering and just being "good" people. We put on our best suit, present our accomplishments, and give him the answers we think he wants to hear. We write our thank you letters through prayer – pleading for him to grant our requests – and wait for him to say, “Well done. You’re hired.” We want him to give us what we want: that perfect job, husband, financial situation, opportunity, health, life. Yet sometimes (maybe more often than not) we get rejected.

And we think: “Seriously? I thought I nailed it. I’m the perfect fit for ___________. I’ve got the skills, the personality, the desire. Why wouldn’t God hire me?”

Apparently God has his own business plan which is bigger and more encompassing than our narrow little daily task list. It's definitely frustrating at times to not be the boss and have control. And God is a tricky boss because sometimes he doesn't call us into his planning meetings where he casts his vision for the upcoming year, goes line by line through the budget, sets hard fast goals for us and then sets us loose to close the deals for ourselves. In God's business, faith is a key corporate value.

But the good thing is, God can see past our crisp black suits into our aching, vulnerable hearts. He's not a boss we have to constantly impress and keep a completely professional relationship with. Although he may not "hire" us for every position we apply for, he we always listen to our requests and be open to discussion. And no matter how many times we let him down and fall short of our goals, he will never fire us.

Trusting the Boss Man

"The Lord teaches you what is best for you and directs you in the way you should go. If you pay attention to his commands your peace will be like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea."

- Isaiah 48:17-18

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

- Isaiah 55:8-9

Kayaking

2011-07-10T22:51:00.006-07:00

This is going to be the best summer in Portland... because I now own kayaks. Last weekend, I went kayaking for the first time ever in a friend's borrowed kayaks and absolutely loved it. There's just something about being out on the water that is so peaceful, soothing and enjoyable. Kayaking is the perfect summer activity around Portland because there are so many great spots in the area to easily drop a kayak in the water and enjoy some amazing scenery; whether its on the Columbia River, the Willamette River, the Deschutes River or a nearby lake. So I decided that investing in kayaks would be a great idea because I was sure to get plenty of use out of them.

So a few days ago I bought a pair of kayaks on a whim. Today Megan and I took them out on their first excursion on the Willamette near Sellwood Park in SE Portland. It was the perfect afternoon. I have a feeling that this is what every weekend is going to look like from now on.

Palindrome
I just realized that KAYAK is a palindrome: spelled the same backwards as it is forwards. There aren't many words like that, but my niece Hannah and my friend Hannah always point out that their names are palindromes as well. So here's a little story about kayaking in palindrome form...

Megan and I headed out to the river sometime after NOON. When you talked about the Willamette, many people say, “EWE, GAG! That water is dirty.” But I’ve had my EYE on getting out on that river. The water LEVEL is unusually high on the river, but we stayed safe and didn’t even have to yell SOS. I rowed hard and the KAYAK moved as fast as a RACECAR. Thankfully I didn’t injure my ROTATOR cuff. When I told my fam about the kayaks, DAD and Uncle BOB said, “HUH, you know how to KAYAK? WOW, that’s a pretty sweet GIG!” And MOM told me to wear sunscreen (which I DID so my skin wouldn’t get REDDER). Maybe someday I can take my niece HANNAH out, but for now she’s just a TOT. There are many more kayaking SAGAS to come!

Long 4th of July Weekend

2011-07-05T23:09:00.001-07:00

This was a wonderful, long 4th of July weekend. So good that several times I felt like I was back in college! The weather in Portland was perfect!! Apparently it was the first weekend that we've had 2 consecutive days of sun since February. Summer is finally here!

The weekend consisted of several bike rides, lots of reading outside, nachos and margaritas, fire pits and smores, kayaking on the Columbia River at Rooster Rock in the Gorge, a real deal road trip (9 people in a 7 passenger van, stopping at visitors centers, lots of pictures, trail mix, guide books and maps, James Taylor on the radio) touring Mount St Helens with the Moores and Amoses, corn hole, cook outs, and fireworks. I love fireworks and Fort Vancouver just across the border in Washington is known for its amazing fireworks show. So the 9 of us (plus Toby the chocolate Lab) drove up to watch the fireworks from the top floor of the Murdock office. The boys and I even climbed up on the roof of the building and had an incredible view of all the fireworks shows (there were at least 40-50!) going on around the Portland and Vancouver areas. It was amazing to be stand up there and have a 360 view of fireworks exploding all along the horizon.

It's weekends like this that make the long, dreary wait for the summer worth it!

Life is Tough...

2011-06-27T22:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever noticed how there are rarely (if ever) times when everything in life is just right? There is always something wrong, something a little off, something missing, something you wish you had or didn't have. When I think of my life and all that I have, I am so grateful. How could I ask for more? But I often find something to worry about, complain about, long for. Have you ever noticed how in each stage of life there is something that makes you think "when I have that, then things will be better"... or "if only this would happen, then I would be happy"?

Lately I've become very aware of my complaints and negativity; be it work, living situation, relationships, personalities, the weather, culture, things not working out like I hoped, temporary annoyances, whatever. I strive to find all of the good things in life (which are plentiful and completely surrounding me), but sometimes I let other things (which can seem significant, but really aren't) bog me down. While thinking through some of these things at church yesterday, I wrote on my bulletin: "Life is tough... get used to it. Get over it. Move on." A sudden, way-past-due realization. A scripture referenced in the sermon came from Ephesians 4: "...put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness... Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry... Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up, that it may benefit those who listen."

At the same time, I do believe that there is a difference in complaining vs. being open and honest with people to whom you are close. But there is a fine line between productively processing struggles and difficulties in life and detrimentally tearing others down.

So I guess my challenge to myself (and to you) is to:

- let go of the negatives and cling to the positives

- take heart and remember the important things in life

- turn over your worries and just have faith

- live in the moment instead of hoping for things unseen

- be an encouragement to others

Oh You Bring...

Music can be so theraputic. This is a song that I love right now. A good listen when I need comfort, when I need to refocus, when I need a reminder of God's love, protection and providence.

Mary Poppins

2011-06-23T22:23:00.002-07:00

Last night, my friends Erin, Kathy and I went to see Mary Poppins the musical... and it was magical. I saw Mary Poppins in its opening season in London in 2006 when I was traveling with Baylor in Great Britain. I've always liked Mary Poppins (maybe its because she has such a great name), but I love the musical! I think it is even better than the movie - although it is hard to top Julie Andrews.

Keller Auditorium was packed with young children (with an overwhelming amount of girl scouts in the audience) which made it a fun atmosphere. The actors were amazing, the set was incredible and the songs were spectacular. My favorite numbers were Step in Time with the chimney sweeps and Supercalifragilistiexpialidocious (which took me back to the days of Baylor SING - skip to 4:20).

Mary Poppins and the girls

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!

Yes, Burt is dancing upside down on the stage frame. Magical.

Another Day at the Office

2011-06-15T22:28:00.006-07:00

I have a wide variety of roles and responsibilities at work, but today included one of the best parts of my job... taste testing for our big event coming up this fall. Deb, Chiqui and I made a visit to our caterer's office during lunch and sampled the delicious menu options they have put together for our auction. They presented us with 2 salad options, 3 main course options, and 2 amazing dessert options... let's just say that we left with full bellies and 2 bags full of delicious leftovers. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!

Roasted Sturgeon Filet

Jerk Chicken with Fried Grits (that's right, Dad!)

Island Curry Flankiron Steak with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Passion Fruit & Lime Bavarian Sponge Cake

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Eat What You Earn...

When my alarm went off at 6am this morning, I wanted to just knock it off my nightstand, put a pillow over my head and go back to sleep. But then I remembered that we were having our big taste testing today and I knew I needed to burn some calories this morning in preparation :) So I went for a nice cool jog (in the rain) which is always a great way to start the day. But after our delicious lunch meeting, I decided a little extra activity today would do me good. So when I got home from work this evening, I decided to go for another jog (again in the rain) to try out my new running shoes. I got these Vibram 5-Fingers at the REI used gear sale this past weekend. They had only been worn once and were a great deal and I've always wondered what they would be like to run in. It definitely felt different. I got a little blister on my left heel so they need to be worn in a little more. I could tell that I was using different foot and leg muscles when running in these barefoot-feeling shoes and it will take some getting used to. I probably won't trade in my favorite Nikes for them, but I'll try running in them maybe once a week or so.

kind of weird... I know.

Smith Rock and Tumalo Mountain

2011-06-06T22:42:00.007-07:00

This past weekend I finally made it down to Bend in Central Oregon, probably the most outdoorsy town in the whole state. My good friend Josh just moved down to Bend a few weeks ago. Although we were all sad to see Josh leave Portland, we now have a great excuse to travel to Bend (and a wonderful house to stay in when we visit).

Some of Drew's Australian friends just finished climbing Mount McKinley in Alaska and are now in the Pacific Northwest for a couple of weeks. So we all packed up our gear and headed down to Bend on Saturday afternoon. We met up with Josh at Smith Rock where we did a little rock climbing. Let me just start by saying, I felt completely intimidated in this crowd. It's been a while since I last rock climbed and that was at an indoor climbing wall where I tended to stick to the easier set routes. I've never climbed outdoors and here I am at a world-renowned rock climbing park with my two buddies who practically climb for a living and three Australians who just climbed Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. No big deal. I tried hiding behind a few big rocks, but the crew quickly pulled me out, slapped a helmet on me, strapped me into my harness, threw a rope at me and told me to start climbing. It was tough (I'm still sore), but it was so enjoyable. It's amazing to be out in nature like that just shimmying up a 80 ft rock wall.

stopping along Hwy 26 to Bend to take in the

clear view of Mount Hood

the Deschutes River running through

Smith Rock State Park

Josh showing me the ropes - literally

making my way up the Ginger Snap route

you can barely see me at the ledge of Peapod Cave in the middle of this picture with Hugh climbing up Cinnamon Slab crack on the left

Hey, Hugh!

Drew on Cinnamon Slab, which he said is

possibly the hardest rock climb he's attempted

just hanging out on the rocks

The next day we wanted to get some mountain climbing in so we drove out towards Mount Bachelor to Tumalo Mountain, which is a 7,779 ft volcano that was completely covered in snow. It only took us about 2 hours or so to make it up and back with an elevation gain of around 1,000 ft. It was a good little climb and it was nice to get outside for the afternoon.

me and the boys on top of Tumalo Mountain

with Mount Bachelor in the background

on the summit... this picture says it all

I'm still amazed at all of the mountains, trails, parks and adventures Oregon has to offer. I'm so lucky to have great experienced friends to explore with! And I've barely scratched the surface.

Let the Adventures Continue...

"A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life by him who interests his heart in everything.”

- Laurence Sterne, Anglican clergyman

Cold Climate Region

2011-06-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

I hear that summer has arrived in other parts of the country, but I haven’t experienced it first-hand yet here in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the fact that it is past Memorial Day and June is now upon us, the dreary rain and cooler temperatures insist on hanging around Portland. I’ve defiantly donned summer dressed and sandals in an attempt to “stick it to the (weather)man”… which usually just leaves me with goose bumps and threats of going back to Uganda indefinitely.

I was hit with the depressing reality of the climate in which I live a couple weeks ago…

I bribed myself in that if I finished the Eugene Marathon, I could buy myself a new swimsuit at J.Crew. So one Saturday in May, I went to the downtown J.Crew store and started wondering around looking for my great new swimsuit. After walking through the entire store and not spotting any pool wear, I asked one of the sales people where the swimsuits were. “Oh, we actually don’t carry swimsuits in store since we live in the “cold climate region” of the country. You have to order them online.” I think my jaw dropped and I nearly spilled my hot coffee on myself (which wouldn’t have mattered anyway since I was wear my rain jacket). Come to find out, none of the J.Crew stores in all of Oregon and Washington carry swimsuits. That’s just ridiculous.

But I have faith that the sun will eventually find its way out here. Until then, I will continue to wear summer dresses (and a jacket) during the day and sleep in my long pajamas with my electric blanket turned on at night.

The VanDyke Wedding

2011-05-24T22:47:00.002-07:00

After months of anticipation, Ross and Hannah's wedding weekend finally came! Drew and I proudly take credit for our friends' marriage... if it weren't for us, they wouldn't have met. Long story short: Hannah came to visit me in Portland on Memorial Day weekend 2009, Ross came to climb Mount Hood with Drew that same weekend, they met on the campus of Reed College, we took them on a progressive dinner around Portland, then on a road trip to Seattle the next day; Ross and Hannah went back to Texas, he asked her on a date, they fell in love; exactly two years later, Drew and I are standing next to them at the alter.

The wedding weekend was a whirlwind, but it was absolutely wonderful! Hannah and I had an amazing group of girl friends in college and it was so much fun to spend time with all of them. It's very rare that we're all in the same place at the same time.

Ross and Hannah: I'm so blessed to have been a part of your relationship from the start. I had the unique opportunity of watching your relationship grow through both of your eyes. Your love for one another is so apparent to anyone who is around you. You encourage and challenge one another, you lean wholey on God as the foundation of your relationship, you're selfless and find joy in one another, and you have more fun than any couple I know! I'm so happy for you. Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. VanDyke!

Friday bridesmaids luncheon

the bride and bridesmaids at the rehearsal dinner

bridesmaids at the reception

the bride and her wedding party

the happy couple

The Perfect Woman...

This passage in the book I just read and blogged about, Through Painted Deserts, made me think of Ross and Hannah and I used it in my rehearsal dinner speech:

"Describe the perfect woman."

"She's got a great smile. She's going to be an athlete and like the outdoors. I want to travel so she'd have to be willing to live on the road. I'd like to hike Europe sometime. And when we hunt, she has to help carry the deer back to the truck. I want a companion. Just someone to share life with. I want her to be my biggest fan and I want to be her biggest fan too. I want us to raise kids in a home where they know their parents are in love with each other and with them... A friend. A true friend, someone who knows me and loves me anyway. You know, like when I'm through putting my best foot forward, she's still there, still the same... I guess that's all I want."

Through Painted Deserts

2011-05-15T21:47:00.008-07:00

I just finished reading a wonderful book by Donald Miller, native Texan, current Portlander, and author of Blue Like Jazz. This book, Through Painted Deserts, really struck home with me since it is about Don's journey from Texas to Oregon and what he learned about "light, God, and beauty" along the way. Here's a quick synopsis:

"Fueled by the belief that something better exists than the mundane life they've been living, free spirits Don and Paul set off on an adventure-filled road trip from Texas to Oregon in search of deeper meaning, beauty, and an explanation for life. Many young people dream of such a trip, but few are brave enough to actually attempt it."

This book fell into my hands with perfect timing. Every now and then, on a normal day, for no particular reason I ask myself, "What the heck am I still doing in Portland?" There is a back and forth struggle between living in an amazing place where I am constantly being challenged, learning about myself, having once-in-a-lifetime experiences, being forced out of my comfort zone, and experiencing real community... and at the same time missing my family, longing for the deep relationships of friends I grew up with, wanting to be in a familiar place, wishing I felt settled, and growing tired of missing out on the life I used to know.

Through Painted Deserts reminded me that life is a story made up of many journeys along the way; and each of those journeys helps us understand a little more of what life is all about. Some of my favorite quotes that really spoke to me are:

"Are we on a pilgrimage?" he asks. "I don't know," I tell him. "Maybe we're all on a pilgrimage... Maybe it's all one trip, one big road trip through the cosmos, through the nothingness. Maybe we're all going somewhere. Or really, maybe we are all being taken somewhere." "Where are we going?" I ask. "Maybe it isn't for us to decide, just to give in to it... It is whatever God wants it to be. Maybe we are just supposed to trust that He won't beat us up when we get there. Maybe we are supposed to trust the He is good."
And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?
Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.

Eugene Marathon

2011-05-01T22:05:00.001-07:00

Today I successfully completed my second marathon. My friend Adele and I signed up for the Eugene Marathon about 5 months ago, started training about 10 weeks ago, and decided we would actually go through with it this week. Going into the race we weren't sure if we were going to be able to actually finish the whole marathon or if we would end up cutting it short and just running the half marathon. I have to say, all odds were against me actually being able to pull this off. I was in Africa on vacation for 2 weeks during what should have been my peak training time; I had a work event 200 miles away in Washington last night meaning I didn't get into Eugene until after 11pm; my lodging situation fell through 3 days before the race; and I only got 2 hours of sleep last night due to anxiety and not sleeping in my own bed. But we surprised ourselves and ran the whole 26.2 miles without ever stopping to walk and actually having fun and smiling the entire way.

We kept a nice, steady pace the entire time and completed the race in 4:41:58 (with about 7 minutes worth of bathroom breaks). It was the perfect day for the race in Eugene, OR - aka Track Town, USA. The sun was shining with temperature starting around 40 and getting into the low 60s with a nice breeze. The course was wonderful. We looped through forested areas, ran by the Willamette River on bike paths and started and ended at Hayward Field, home of the University of Oregon track team. We actually sprinted the last 200 yds on the track in the stadium with people cheering us on in the stand - it was surreal. There were aid stations at all the right spots serving us water, Gatorade and Goo. And Alan and Adele's husband Brock rode their bikes along the course and met up with us every few miles to offer us food, drinks, Advil and cheer us on.

I have to say, this marathon was much more enjoyable than the rainy Portland Marathon I ran this past October. Adele and I had a great time and never felt like we were about to die or wanted to give up. It was quite miraculous actually! Thanks Adele for being such an amazing running partner! What should we train for next?

Adele and I chugging along

post race in front of Hayward Stadium

us with our support crew - thanks guys!

Sisters in Portland

2011-04-20T22:33:00.007-07:00

This past weekend, my sisters came to Portland for a weekend visit! I was so excited to finally show Emily and Sarah around my city (let's just say that I emailed them their weekend itinerary within hours of them booking their flight to PDX). We crammed so much into 48 hours... we ate at food carts (which are way better than the hot dog stand they were expecting), toured my house, stopped in at my workplace, shopped at Trader Joe's, got pedicures, had a nice dinner in the Pearl with Alan, walked through Powells, ate at Voodoo Donut, went to the Portland Farmer's Market (amazing!), went to the Portland Saturday Market (a little weird), visited with the Moores, ate lots of food, went shopping, had a progressive dinner (The Bagdad McMenamins, The Montage, Papa Hydens) with several of my friends, went to Imago Dei, ate some more, and shopped some more.

I can't remember the last time we Carter girls spent that much time together - just us, no kids, no other family, just hanging out. There was lots of girl talk and lots of quality time together - it was great!!

Emily and Sarah: thank you SOOOO much for making the trip all the way up to Portland to visit me. Y'all are the best! Shoooooot...

Emily and I with our crepes at the food carts on Hawthorne

Friday night outside of Powell's (in the Portland rain)

Saturday morning at the farmer's market

by the waterfront near Saturday Market with Drew

with the Moores at Saturday Market

the whole crew outside of The Montage after dinner Saturday night

There's No One Like a Sister

"Sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship."

- Margaret Mead

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there."

- Amy Li

"If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child."

- Linda Sunshine

"Whatever you do they will love you; even if they don't love you they are connected to you till you die. You can be boring and tedious with sisters, whereas you have to put on a good face with friends."

- Deborah Moggach

Uganda Adventure 2011

2011-04-14T23:05:00.001-07:00

I returned on Sunday from two weeks in Uganda with my mom, aunt Judy and cousin Claire. It was an amazing trip... and quite an adventure. This was my third trip to visit my Aunt Janice and Uncle Tim at Restoration Gateway in Northern Uganda but the first for the rest of the crew. Another family friend and her two daughters joined us for past of the time as well... it was quite the "mother-daughter" trip. I loved having this experience with my family.

There were hundreds of memorable moments in this trip, but I will share some of my favorites and then let the pictures speak for themselves:
- going to sleep when it got dark and waking with the sunrise
- sitting on the porch of Mama Grace's house playing with little David, Christopher and Santo
- Santo appearing out of nowhere all the time
- playing frisbee with the kindergarden class
- observing my mom teaching the children how to read and write
- sitting under a tree sipping a cold Coca Cola and discussing Ugandan culture with Joseph
- walking through Karuma village and running into Ugandan friends from past trips
- biking to Karuma and back with Claire
- Claire screaming as she rode a boke with no brakes or shocks down the bumpy road
- playing dominoes by headlamp
- spending the night in the container with Janice and chatting in bed
- helping Mitch calculate and pay the worker's salaries
- climbing the water tower to watch the sunrise over the Nile River
- fishing in the Nile with Mitch
- sitting by the fire listening to Joel tell how he was captured by the LRA
- nearly getting attached by a 10-foot crocodile on the boat safari
- eating dinner at Acholi Inn where the LRA used to stake out during the war

Little David singing the "Allelujah Amen song" over and over

... it never got old

Headed Back to Uganda

2011-03-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Today I leave for my 3rd trip to Uganda. My mom, Aunt Judy, cousin Claire and I will visiting our family the McCalls at Restoration Gateway for nearly two weeks. It's been 2 years and 2 months since I was last there and it still hasn't hit me that I'm finally making it back over.

I don't really know what to expect from this trip. I'm excited to see everything that has changed at RG in the last two years. I'm excited to see all of my Ugandan friends again. But I'm most excited to share this experience with my family and see Uganda through their fresh eyes.

Other things I'm looking forward to:

- spending time outside in the sun

- no cell phones

- no agendas or obligations

- fresh mangos, pineapples, papaya

- amazing sunrises and sunsets

- playing Scrabble with the fam

- subconsciously speaking with a Ugandan accent

- the safari at Murchison Park

- sleeping in a hut

- spending time with the Ugandan people

I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to share when I get back in two weeks!

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

- St Augustine

Community

2011-03-18T15:52:00.003-07:00

It seems that a lot of my conversations over the last couple of weeks have revolved around the importance of community. Authentic community is something I've learned a lot about in the last few years and am still learning. I feel like I have two very strong communities in my life right now, both for which I am very grateful.

First, I have my community in Texas. The people I have grown up with and with whom I've spent the first 23 years of my life. These people know everything about me; where I come from, who my family is, have seen me through all stage of my life so far (including the really awkward ones), and with whom I will always be connected. All of us are so similar and we seems to really "get" one another. The roots of these relationships are deep and I am so grateful that these relationships are still so strong even though I am now 2,000 miles away.

Then I have my community here in Portland that is so strong despite me only being here for a little over two years. I am still amazed at how quickly I got connected when I first moved to this new city. I didn't know anyone, yet I was able to instantly get plugged in at church (thanks to Drew), in the community (thanks to the Moores and Murdock), and with a great friend group (thanks to my fellow interns, especially Carrie, and my new roommates). I don't think I've ever experiences such authentic community as I have here in Portland. Let me try to explain what I mean by authentic. Each of us here in Portland are very different; we all have different backgrounds, family upbringings, stories of how we ended up here, goals in life, interests, talents. People are completely open about who they. And everyone is very accepting of everyone else's differences. My eyes have been opened to people's real life stories, many which are very different from mine and have been difficult journeys. We are all willing to genuinely live life together and be in authentic community with one another (I just realized how hippie that sounds). I hope this kind of community is something I strive for wherever I go in life.

My book club just read the book Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoffer. These are some of his thoughts on community that I really like:

"When God was merciful to us, we learned to be merciful with our brethren. When we received forgiveness instead of judgement, we too were made ready to forgive our brethren. What God did to us, we then owed to others. The more we received, the more we were able to give... Thus God Himself taught us to meet one another as God has met us in Christ."

"God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight."

Fresh Eats

2011-02-28T14:01:00.001-08:00

I love baking, but I've never been much of a cook. I figure it's time to start filling my recipe box with more than brownie, cookie and bread recipes. Unfortunately, woman can't live on carbs and sweets alone. I'm also trying to be more conscious about eating more fresh foods and less processed foods. Out with the granola bars and crackers, in with the fruits and veggies!

So far I've done pretty well with my cooking resolution...

I've started making homemade hummus on a regular basis.

I made homemade pesto with pinenuts and walnuts

Then used it for a pesto pasta salad with shrimp

I cooked chicken cordon bleu for my home community group a couple weeks ago

And last night I made Cajun Gumbo with fresh veggies

I love using recipes that are tried and true - I get most of them from my sisters or from friend's cooking blogs. So if you have some favorite recipes, pass them along! Bon appétit!

Somewhat Celeb Sighting

On a completely unrelated note: Saturday afternoon, I was in the downtown Macy's browsing around. A couple of the shoe clerks who were helping me mentioned that they had just seen an NBA basketball player and were a little star struck. I brushed it off and continued my shopping. As I hopped on the escalator, I heard a man say, "Yeah, we're just in town from Atlanta for the weekend." I turned around real quick and blatantly stared at a 6' 9" guy... who saw me staring and said, "Hey, short stuff. How you doing?" Caught off guard and awkwardly ascending away from him on an escalator, I stammered, "Hi, I'm good. How are you?" He kind of laughed and thankfully I was quickly out of sight and on the second floor. Since it wasn't really an indepth, meaningful conversation I didn't catch his name - but I think it was either Joe Johnson or Marvin Williams. So if you ever want tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game, "short stuff" over here has got the hook up!

A Year Later at Meadows

2011-02-13T21:21:00.001-08:00

Exactly one year ago today, I broke my wrist snowboarding at Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort. I've only been snowboarding once since that fateful day and I decided that I needed to get back up there on this 1 year anniversary to show the mountain who's boss (or at least just make nice to the monster that put me in a full-arm cast for 10 weeks).

So Alan, his coworker Pat and I headed up to Meadows for an afternoon on the slopes. I still had plenty of falls (its going to be pretty dreadful sitting on my sore tailbone tomorrow) and there were definitely times when I wanted to chop down some trees, build a fire and burn my board today, but at the end of the day I gained a little extra confidence and am looking forward to a few more days of boarding before the season is over.

Alan and I with our sweet boards

a crowded day on the mountain

on the lift... headed into the unknown

my biggest accomplishment today: not once did I eat it getting off the chair lift!

Alan flying down the mountain like a pro

me creeping down the mountain like a beginner
warning: the beginning of this video may make you dizzy... yes Alan is videoing this while snowboarding. impressive.

RG Featured in Waco Today

2011-02-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already seen the February issue of Waco Today, check it out (click below)... the McCalls and Restoration Gateway are the feature story!

2 Year Anniversary in Portland

2011-02-01T11:37:00.004-08:00

Today is my two year Portland anniversary. Who would have thought I would still be here settling into this odd but wonderful city? Two years ago I would have told you I would only be in Portland for 7 months. A year ago I would have told you I would probably only be here one more year. Now when people ask me how long I think I’ll live here, I simply say “I honestly don’t know, but why leave something that’s so good?” I still miss my family and friends in Texas every day, but the longer I am in Portland the more I love it and accept it as my home (at least for now).

After reading through some old blog posts and my post on this day last year, I realized how much I am continuing to grow year after year. If I was to describe this past year in one word it would be this: faith.

Within the last year I have discovered:

- you can plan your life, but 90% of the time things don’t go as you planned

- you should wear wrist guards when snowboarding

- you can do anything you put your mind to, even running 26.2 miles

- a little bit of encouragement can go a long way

- how to live in the moment

- giving visitors “Mary’s Portland Tour” never gets old

- spontaneity makes life more exciting
- I'm no longer weirded out or surprised by the weirdness of Portland

- how flat Texas really is in comparison to the Oregon terrain

- my Texas accent is never going away and it apparently gets stronger when I talk about Texas

- you can eat at a different Portland restaurant every night and never run out of options

- the power of prayer

Portlandia

2011-01-27T17:02:00.004-08:00

Have you guys seen Portlandia yet? It's a 6-episode short-based comedy series which takes the audience to a dreamy and absurd rendering of Portland, Oregon. And for the most part... it's totally true. I'm not sure if it will be funny to those not living in Portland, but it's all us Portlanders can talk about. I watched the first episode with friends last week and throughout the entire thing we were all laughing and saying, "Yes, that is so Portland!!"

It may seem over the top that the show features people asking their waitress details about the life of the free-range chicken they are about to eat, or people riding around on double-decker bikes and unicycles, extreme feminists, or adults who actually participate in an adult hide-and-seek league. But it's real! Portland truly is the "place where young people go to retire". This show will give you a glimpse of how unique (and totally weird) Portland really is!

Rock Climbing

2011-01-17T14:55:00.001-08:00

My friend Megan and I have decided to join in on one of Oregon's most popular activities: rock climbing. Megan experimented with outdoor rock climbing a bit when she lived in Kenya this past year. The only experience I've ever had with the sport is climbing the Baylor rock wall once my freshman year of college. (Baylor actually has a great rock wall which stands at 52 feet. I wish I had taken more advantage of it. If you live in Waco, you should try it out.)

We found an awesome rock wall at a gym close to our work. So we had a private climbing lesson, became belay certified, purchased a 10-time flash pass and invested in our own climbing shoes and harnesses.

We are going to try to climb once or twice a week so that we can build up skills and strength for outdoor climbing this summer. Rock climbing is a physically demanding sport - my arms were so sore the first time I climbed that I could barely grip a pen the next day. But climbing is a great challenge and actually a really fun activity to do with friends. Climb on!

Yoga Ball Chair

2011-01-06T18:55:00.005-08:00

I have to admit, sometimes I have a really hard time sitting at a desk for the majority of the day. Sitting in a not-so-comfortable swivel desk chair can get pretty uncomfortable pretty quick. I was reading an article about health on Monday and it mentioned the benefits of trading in your desk chair for an exercise ball. I've heard of this before and always thought it was weird. I mean seriously, who sits on a big neon bouncy ball (which is normally used for yoga, crunches and push ups) in a professional work environment? But as I kept reading, I realized all of the wonderful benefits that come with trading a normal desk chair with an exercise ball: increased core strength, improved posture and decrease back pain, better circulation, burning up to 350 calories a day at the office!

So as of yesterday, I have replaced my lame desk chair with a bright green 65cm exercise ball... and I love it! I'm never going back. I talked up the idea to my coworkers on Monday and Tuesday. I don't want to be "that one weird girl who sits on a bouncy ball at work", so I got several of them on board with me and now Megan and Mary Lee have ditched their old desk chairs for a stability ball, too. Several coworkers have stopped by my office and said, "Hey Mary, why are you sitting on a ball?" "Why not?!" They tried it out and agreed that it's pretty comfortable (and even kind of fun). I think I've started a new MTI office trend!

And I promise not to be this annoying coworker:

Home for Christmas

2010-12-29T21:20:00.009-08:00

I just returned from a 10-day trip to Texas for the Christmas holiday. I am so thankful that I was able to be home for such an extended time period. It gave me a chance to see lots of family and friends and to really catch up with everyone (unlike the usual quick, crammed, rushed weekends I spend in Texas). I took the overnight flight to Dallas on the 17th and arrived at 9:00am just in time for Hannah’s 4th birthday party – breakfast with Santa. Hannah has been talking about her party for months and was so excited that it was finally the big day and that Aunt Mary made it all the way from Portland. I’m so glad that I was able to be there to celebrate with her – she’s getting so big!!

I headed to Waco the next day and was there for the rest of my trip. I loved being able to relax at home, go for walks with my mom around the neighborhood, watch old home videos, eat at all of my favorite local spots, enjoy 85 degree sunny weather, go to the 7th & James Christmas Eve Service, see all of my high school friends, run into people I knew all over town, drive to Austin to have lunch with Merrill and Baby Parker, spend lots of time with Hannah (including my very first Zumba class), do workout videos with little cousin Genevieve, go shopping with my mom and Sarah, have dinner with family friends, play the piano whenever I wanted, go with Carter to get his first haircut, and just be with all of my family who came in town for the holiday.

I especially enjoyed having dinner and spending the night at Sarah and Taylor’s house on Christmas Eve so that I could see Carter open his stocking and gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. He literally screamed with excitement when he saw his new train set, and was nearly just as excited about the chapstick and bandaids he got in his stocking.

Emily, Brett and the girls drove to Waco on Christmas Day. It was great to have the whole family together - a rare occurance now-a-days. Poor little Alice Anne was sick the whole time and just wanted to lay in her mommy's lap. But Hannah and I spend lots of quality time together. We were pretty much attached at the hip. We played hide-and-seek, colored, played Disney princess songs on the piano, went out to dinner and breakfast with the "big kids" (the older cousins), and had sleepovers every night. It was a sad morning when she left to go home - you would have thought we were never going to see each other again. But I loved getting to spend so much time with my favorite four-year-old neice.

Overall, it was a great Christmas in Texas. It couldn't have been better!

Anne in Portland

2010-12-16T15:27:00.001-08:00

One of my best and longest friends, Anne Olson, came to visit me in Portland for a long weekend. Anne and I have known each other since we were seven years old. We went to elementary school together at Hillcrest PDS as well as high school together at Waco High. Some of my fondest memories of me and Anne include a 5th grade trip to New Orleans with our French class, our elementary school theater show (S.O.S.), high school choir and show choir, vacation with her and her parents in Santa Fe, countless nights and weekends hanging out at Barnes and Noble with her and Sydney, and making the roadtrip up to Portland together nearly two years ago.

Young Mary and Anne at Hillcrest PDS.

Please notice the appliqued, oversized, tucked-in tshirt and the one shoulder overalls.

Sydney, Mary and Anne at a WHS Choir concert. You've gotta love the silk vest and bow tie, crushed velvet dress and sweet letter jacket.

I'm so excited that Anne was able to visit me in Portland now that I really know the city and could show her around. She got to see where I live, visit some of my favorite spots and meet my friends. She flew in this past Thursday; we went to happy hour and caught up on life. We realized we hadn't actually seen each other since last Christmas - crazy! Then she came with me to my home community group. I was able to take off from work a little early on Friday and we headed to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. We stayed at a great resort and had an amazing view of the ocean and Haystack Rock from our balcony. We ate some delicious clam chowder at Mo's that night, then watched one of our favorite movies, Once, together and just relaxed. The next morning we wanted to go for a nice little walk along the beach, but it was pretty windy and rainy so we just ran down there, took some pictures, and headed back indoors. After a yummy brunch, we headed back to Portland.

I've been wanting to visit the Portland Art Museum to see the Lee Kelly special exhibit. Lee Kelly is Portland's most well-known sculptor who donates one of his amazing pieces to our auction each year. I knew Anne would appreciate the art museum as well, so we went straight there on Saturday afternoon. After grabbing some hot tea at Stumptown, we headed home to rest a little before a progressive dinner that night.

Our first stop of the night was at The Bagdad for cajun tots and beer with my friends Megan, Alan, Drew and Madison. Then we headed to The Montage, a very hip Portlandy cajun restaurant, then to a great European-style pub called The Horse Brass. It was a great night with good food and even better company!

Sunday morning, we pulled ourselves out of bed and made it to the early Imago Dei church service. I was excited for Anne to be able to visit my Portland church since we went to the same church, Dayspring Baptist, in Waco for a while. Then we had a nice brunch at Isabel's in the Pearl District and headed over to the Portland Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge. Despite the oddities and quirkiness of the market, its one of my favorite things in Portland! Anne found a unique flower hanger and I got an awesome picture of the St. John's Bridge (which I ran across in the Portland Marathon).

That night we met up with one of her old college buddies for an early dinner then went to see The Nutracker ballet. I haven't seen that ballet since I was probably about 6. It was incredible. Really beautiful. We stopped by the Moore's advent party to say hello to them and then headed home.

Monday, Anne enjoyed the city by herself while I was at work and that evening we went to see the Portland Zoolights. I love Christmas lights! The zoo was completely lit up and we rode a train through the whole area. We topped off the night with dessert at Papa Hayden's, the best dessert spot in town.

I loved getting to spend so much time with Anne and really catch up on life. Anne is such a dear friend and I value our relationship so much. Thanks for coming to visit me Anne - you'll have to come back up when the weather is a little nicer!

eating crepes at a food cart

in front of Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

dinner leftovers at The Montage with Megan

the festive ZooLights train

after riding the zoo train

Soccer Mom for a Week

2010-12-06T17:34:00.003-08:00

For the past week I have been acting as Soccer Mom for a friend who is vacationing in Hawaii for a week with her husband. It has been quite an experience taking responsibility for an 11, 14, and 17 year old. These kids are really great - not your typical crazy tweens and teens. Sam, Kelsey and Gerik are some of the smartest, most responsible, respectful and well-mannered kids I know. Kuddos to their great parents, Annie and Andy!

This past week has been an interesting experience that gave me a pretty realistic idea of the life of a parent. First of all, I realized the pressure of being responsible for other human beings and having them heavily depend on you. For example, if I oversleep and wake up at 7:00am instead of 6:00am, then someone might miss her carpool and the first 10 mins of gym class (sorry about that Kelsey – I guess I’m just not used to waking up that early). Or if the kids have soccer practice and friends invite you to dinner, you’ll just have to catch up with your friends another time. After all, your schedule isn’t really your own anymore. Also, the kids expect you to remain calm and make clear decisions (even when you’re still half asleep) in unexpected situations such as one of them getting sick to the stomach at 3:30am and needing medical attention and a little comfort. Even after they’ve headed to school and you’re at work, if one of them throws up after “over-running” in gym class (yet proudly breaking his personal running record) you’re going to get a call asking you to pick your sick child up from school. And just when you thought you were done with homework forever, a kid who worked hours on a book report might accidently lose the document and need your help retyping it and printing it out successfully.

I also learned to walk the thin line between having a good time with your kids and flat out embarrassing them. I dropped little Sam off at soccer practice last week and had an hour and a half to kill. I figured I’d take advantage of this precious time to myself and get in a little exercise. So I decided to run around the nice track where his team was practicing. Several other parents were doing it – it was like a parent’s running club. His shaggy blond hair made him easy to spot and I watched him headbutt a few balls and score a couple goals. Such a great soccer player! On our drive home he said, “I saw you running around the track during practice. That was my team playing on the field.” “Oh yeah,” I said nonchalantly. “You’re team plays really well (not that I was intently observing or anything).” And when a high schooler wants you to drop her off at the movies so she can see Harry Potter with her friends, don’t even think about telling her that you’re dying to see that movie too and would love to come along even if you have to sit in the back corner. But if you do think that, resist the urge and make plans to see the movie by yourself another time.

If you want to get on the kids’ good side, take them to Sonic for a milkshake after a long soccer practice, cuddle up on the couch and watch Toy Story or Twilight, teach them how to make cakeballs, cheer for their favorite football team on tv, offer to let them borrow your nail polish, play (and lose) a game of ping pong, admire their really awesome blanket tent, and just be available to chat over a bowl of ice cream.

I have to say I loved having the opportunity to hang out with these kids for a week and I learned a lot that will come in handy down the road (way down the road).

Hidden Talents of an 11 Yr Old
"I’m really good at not spilling. It’s like my specialty. Oh, and balancing. I’m really good at that, too."

- a really talented 11 year old

Getting Back on the Board

2010-12-01T20:48:00.002-08:00

This weekend was my first time to hit the slopes since I broke my wrist last winter. I have to say I wasn’t too excited about getting back on my snowboard, but I knew I had to face my fear and jump back in the saddle (or the bindings). So on Sunday Alan and I made the hour drive up to Mount Hood in the snow and ice. The snow on the mountain was great – it snowed a lot last week (even in the city).

We decided to snowboard at Skibowl which seems to have a little bit easier slopes (and a slower chair lift) than Meadows where I snowboarded last winter. So we slid into the parking lot, started layering up and then Alan said “Um Mary, you only have one boot attached to your board.” I couldn’t believe I left one boot at home. I thought about throwing my scarf in and just heading home; I thought about snowboarding barefoot or maybe flamingo style; and then I realized I could just rent boots for the day (duh). So once we were fully geared up (with my new wrist guard tightly wrapped around my still achy wrist), Alan gave me a little pep talk to ease my nerves, reviewed Snowboarding 101 and I slowly scooted over to the chair lift. Now the chair lift is by far my least favorite part of snowboarding. I wish I could just relax and enjoy the gorgeous view while ascending the mountain and passing over snowy trees, but I’m just too anxious and worried about getting to the top and having to somehow dismount the still-moving lift while hopefully keeping some sort of grace. I made it off the lift pretty well the first two times, but completely ate it on the third time. A little 9-year-old girl standing at the bottom of the lift slope yelled out, "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" and continued to ramble (loudly) about how embarrassing it is to faceplant in the snow like that. Thanks, little girl.

It ended up being a great day on the mountain and I have regained my confidence as a snowboarder - a beginner snowboarder. Can't wait to hit the slopes again!

Happy Thanksgiving... and Now Christmas!

2010-11-26T21:10:00.004-08:00

The holidays are here! It's by far my favorite time of year. Within in the past week, the holiday spirit has quickly set it - possibly due to the inch of snow we got in Portland on Tuesday. Yesterday was a wonderful thanksgiving spent with friends. I had Thanksgiving dinner at my friend Drew's apartment. His dad, his dad's wife and his niece were in town from South Carolina and they sure know how to make delicious Southern food. We had a great evening of fellowship and fun. I definitely missed all of my family back in Texas (and Uncle Rufus' amazing fried turkey), but I am enjoying this new tradition of spending Thanksgiving with the people who I am very thankful to have with me here in Portland.

It is now officially the Christmas Season! I can't think of anything I love more than Christmas lights, Christmas carols, holiday parties, and everything else that is part of this joyous season. My friend Megan, her mom and I kicked off the Christmas season this evening by touring the Pittock Mansion which is exquistely decorated for the holidays and then going downtown to watch the lighting of the Portland Christmas tree in Pioneer Square. It's rather chilly outside so we sat in the Nordstrom Cafe and watched the festivites from above out the window. We ended the night by enjoying some delicious guacamole, queso and margaritas (which are always part of any season of the year for me). Happy Holidays, y'all!

in Pittock Mansion

outside Pittock Mansion overlooking downtown Portland

at the Christmas tree lighting in Pioneer Square

a great ending to a great night

Christmas Time is Here...

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely..."

~Charles Dickens

The Fugitive

2010-11-18T17:02:00.001-08:00

My cover has been blown. They're on my trail. My name is all over the news and on "WANTED" signs.

According to The Oregonian newspaper:

Troutdale Police are looking for a lilting Irish national, wanted in connection with a series of recent embezzlement cases at local businesses totaling over $225,000.

Mary Elizabeth Carter, 46, was last known to be living in Portland, said Troutdale Investigations Sergeant Steven Bevens. She is wanted on a pair of outstanding felony warrants for aggravated theft.

Carter, described as 5 foot 7 inches and 160 pounds has a slight Irish accent. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Mary Carter, the police need your help.

People at work are catching on. Yesterday, Bill came over to my desk and said, "What's your middle initial?" "L," I said. Today a coworker passed me in the hall and said, "Didn't I hear something about you on the news last night?" I'm doing everything I can to throw them off, but they are keeping a close watch on me.

I got emails yesterday from family in Texas saying they were "praying for me" and if I get caught I should "plead insanity". At least they're still claiming me.

Thankfully I'm "housesitting" for the next few weeks (aka hiding out). I'm hoping the dyed hair, weight loss and Texas accent are a good enough disguise.

Blackberry and Rice

2010-11-15T22:36:00.001-08:00

This evening, one of the worst nightmares came true: my phone completely died and I was disconnected from the world. For three hours. I thought my phone was dead for good. Not because of old age, not because the battery burned out, but because I handed it to a 6 month old. Yes, I willingly handed it to a 6 month old. Bad idea. Obviously.

I was taking care of two babies during a meeting at church this evening. They were doing fine until one of them got fussy and set the other one off. So they both started crying. I just couldn't get little Abigail to stop crying. After trying everything (rocking, bouncing, swaying, singing) I decided I should just go ahead and page her mom. So I pulled out my phone to send an SOS message and baby Abigail instantly calmed down. It was as if the lights and buttons hypnotized her. At that point, I was just glad she wasn't crying and let her suck, drool, spit and slober to her little heart's delight. From that point on she was a perfect angel. She was giggling, laughing and babbling. After about 30 minutes I said, "Hey Abigail, do you want to call Uncle Daniel and tell him hi?" (Her Uncle Daniel is a good friend of mine from Murdock.) I reached over and grabbed my phone, which slipped around in my hand due to slobber, pressed the phone book button... and nothing happened. Dead. I couldn't revive the wet thing. I was frustrated at myself, but decided to just let it go and take it in to the Sprint store tomorrow. Abigail and I had a great time playing the rest of the night. She sucked on her teething toys, pacie, and bottle the rest of the night.

When I got home, my phone still wouldn't turn on so I put it in a bowl of rice. I had heard about this crazy trick for if you accidently get water (or baby drool) in your phone. The rice absorbs the moisture. And what do you know, it actually worked! After 20 minutes of sitting in pile of rice, my phone turned back on and I was back in business.

Moral of the story: don't give your phone to a baby. Duh.

Ironic?

2010-11-14T15:29:00.001-08:00

This car double parked behind me this weekend.
Ironic?... I think not.

Just a reminder not to be a sore loser.

Sharing

2010-11-11T11:21:00.002-08:00

Deb and I had the opportunity to speak in chapel on Tuesday. We spoke on the blessings of the auction and thanked the staff for each of their roles in making the event a success. We played our Change-a-Life video which is shown right before the paddle raise on auction night (see video below).

The quote used by one of our honorary chairs at the end of the video is from a Hatian proverb that says, "God gives but he doesn't share"... meaning that God gives us humans everything we need to thrive, but he doesn't divvy it up. That charge is laid upon us. What a huge responsibility; and one that we don't do very well.

There is a scripture in Acts 4 that shows an incredible picture of what it would look like if we actually took hold of that charge and shared everything we had:

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had... There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

We each have so much more than we need. And yet there is still hunger, starvation, homelessness, poverty and suffering in the world. It's an overwhelming charge to take hold of. Where do we start?

Great Adventure 2010

2010-11-02T16:46:00.003-07:00

This past Saturday evening was Medical Teams International's 5th Annual Great Adventure Dinner and Auction. The evening was amazing and we raised $1.34 million!!! The weeks leading up to the even were long and stressful but I was suprised at how well everything went on the night of. Of course there are always a few kinks throughout the night (for example: a lost puppy kennel which turned up on the bottom of a cart in the catering tent), but overall everything went very smooth.

It's exuberating to see all of the hard work that has gone into planning the auction come together. It was almost surreal to see the doors open at 5:00 and watch 650 guests pour into our warehouse which was completely transformed into an amazing international silent auction area and tropical Guatemalan dining room. I was also amazed at the generosity of our guests. The live auction was so exciting (at least the bits and pieces of it that I caught while running around dealing with logistics) --- people were raising their bid cards high and often. Each time a package sold, I thought of all of the effort our committee members put into procuring each specific items that ended up raising thousands of dollars.

So the night went well and was tons of fun. But most importantly we raised $1.34 MILLION which will touch the lives of millions of people around the world!!

The International Silent Auction room

our incredible Silent Wine section

Our auction intern Olivia with the $8,000 puppy and one of

the Trail Blazer cheerleaders (our spotters for the evening)

Father Ganz, one of my favorite people in Portland

- so glad he was able to make it to the auction!

Bas and the Auction Chairs about to announce the total

celebration dance!

me and our new Director of Development, Kristen Kirst

click here for more pictures

and here's a pretty cool video of our warehouse transformation

1 Year at MTI

2010-10-25T21:26:00.001-07:00

This past Friday was my 1 year anniversary of working at Medical Teams International. Exactly one year ago I started as a temporary employee just 2 weeks before the big annual auction. I was thrown into the craziness and didn't really know what was going on most of the time. I stayed plenty busy and after a couple of months I was hired on as a full-time employee in the Development Department.

I am so blessed to have a job that I love! My workplace is definitely unique - in a good way. For example, one day last week a coworker came in after a rough morning. She opened up to us about what was going on and we all stopped to pray for her. Prayer is not an uncommon occurance at my office. It's normal for us to open or close a meeting in prayer or stop during a stressful day and take time to pray together. We have a chapel service every Tuesday morning where we sing and then hear words of encouragement from guests speakers or fellow staff members. I know that's not typical in the workplace and I try not to take it for granted.

I also really enjoy my coworkers. MTI has an amazing and talented staff and I'm so thankful to be a part of it.

me, Deb and Annie during auction week 2009

The 2010 Great Adventure Dinner and Auction is this Saturday. This is a crazy week at work. Pray for a successful event -- and our sanity!!

Texas Engagement

2010-10-20T22:25:00.004-07:00

This past weekend I made a surprise trip to Waco - at least it a surprise to my good friend Hannah who got engaged on Saturday! Her boyfriend, no wait fiance, Ross called me about 2 months ago and said he was planning to propose to Hannah on October 16th and would love for me to be there for the celebration. Well of course I quickly booked my flight and started making plans to come to Texas without letting anyone but my family know.

Let me start this story from the beginning... On Memorial Day Weekend 2009, my friend Hannah came to visit me in Portland and Drew's friend Ross came to visit him as well. So we all hung out together that weekend, even took a day trip to Seattle, and had a blast! I didn't really notice anything between Hannah and Ross that weekend - I was just glad they got along. Well, they went back to Texas and started dating! They both came back up to Portland to visit again this past Memorial Day Weekend. And now, a year a half after meeting in Portland, Ross and Hannah are engaged!!!

Hannah was extremely surprised... Ross told her that he was coming up to Portland last weekend to climb Mount Rainier with Drew but he really just hid out in Waco and showed up where she was in Austin on Saturday and proposed. And to add to the surprise, Drew and I were there to celebrate with them. Hannah and Ross are quite possibly the best couple I know. Congratulations, Ross and Hannah!!!

I also got to spend lots of quality time with my family (while I was hiding out in Waco making sure I didn't run into Hannah and ruin her surprise). Emily and the girls came in from Dallas on Friday and the whole family was together - a rare occurance. I especially loved getting to play with Hannah. We ran around and did cart wheels in the front yard, played the piano together and she watched me sew. At dinner on Friday night, she put her hand on my shoulder, leaned over and said, "Aunt Mary, I miss you." Made my heart melt.

It was a whirlwind weekend, but totally worth the trip. I got to see nearly all of my college friends, hang out with the fam, and even meet Merrill's precious little daughter, Parker!

Deep Friendships

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."

- Robert Southey

Portland Marathon

2010-10-11T22:42:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I ran my first marathon... and I survived!!! Ten weeks ago Alan and Drew came up with the genius idea of the three of us running the Portland marathon together. So we all signed up together, began a crash training program and hit the ground running (literally). "Running a marathon" used to be on my "bucket list", but I haven't even considered actually running one in years because I always figured it was just bad for your body to run that much. But after running my first half marathon this summer and the Hood to Coast relay again in August, I figured that if I am ever going to actually run a full marathon now is the time.

So for the past couple of months, a good chunk of my weekends have been devoted to long training runs. I have to say, there is no way I could have done the training for this race on my own. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed going for long runs since my two buddies were running beside me. It gave Alan, Drew and I time to just talk and enjoy each other's company. Plus these guys were extremely motivating and encouraging to me since this was my first marathon to train for (they have both run marathons before). Marathoner Bill Rodgers said, "Your training partners are key to your success, and friendships based on your runs together are strong." --- this is so true. Thank you Drew and Alan for helping me succeed in this race and for being such strong friends!

The anticipation and anxiety building up to the race was intense and yesterday morning I was ready to just do it. After a sleepless night (including nightmares of missing the race), my alarm went off at 5:30am and I awoke to a disguistingly rainy and dreary Sunday morning. Fall in Portland -- what can you do? I downed a Clif bar, threw on my running clothes and hat and headed downtown. Unfortunately, while the three of us were on a training run 3 weeks ago Alan sprained his ankle which ultimately prevented him from running the marathon yesterday. We were all really bummed that he couldn't run it, but maybe (just maybe!) that will give us a good reason to run another race together in the future (the very distant future). But even though Alan wasn't running the race with me and Drew, he was nice enough to give us a ride to the starting line and then he biked nearly the entire course and stopped every few miles to cheer us on and take pictures. Seriously Alan, you really went above and beyond for us and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support on race day.

So it rained (not drizzled, but rained) throughout the entire race yesterday. That made for pretty miserable conditions. The worst part was that my shoes were soaking wet and full of water making them much heavier than normal. Around mile 10 I could feel that my body was already getting weak and instead of my original 4 hour goal, I decided all I wanted to do was finish this thing. There is a big hill leading up to the St John's Bridge around mile 17 (right when you really want to die). About half way up the hill I about lost it and decided I could only walk. A random lady in blue ran up behind me and said, "Don't walk. You can make it. Keep going." I don't know who she was but actually several times throughout the race when I was struggling she came out of nowhere and told me to keep going. Creepy yet really encouraging - thanks, lady in blue! I made it up the hill with her encouragement and Drew pushing me (literally, Drew had a hand on my back and was actually pushing me).

Miles 17-23 were rough. Several times I thought to myself, "This is the most miserable thing I have ever done in my life." There were times when I wanted to cry, hit someone, puke, jump in the river, or just lay down on the side of the road (doesn't this make you want to go run a marathon?!). But I had just hit a wall - a really big wall - and Drew was amazing in helping me get through it. He stopped when I stopped, he slowed down when I needed to, he gave me food and water even when I didn't think I needed it, and he told me every few minutes that I was going a great job. Drew, I would have never finished without you - seriously, I would have happily jumped in the back of someone's truck and taken the easy road home if you hadn't encouraged me the entire way!

There were so many other people that came out (in the rain!) and encouraged us throughout the race: Alan, our #1 fan of course; Drew's coworkers cheering at mile 11 and 25; Josh at mile 18 with a sign that said "Freight Train Carter" and a dry towel for me to wipe my face with; all 3 of my roommates yelling louder than anyone and giving much needed high fives at mile 20; the Dudleys at mile 24 giving us water and bananas for our final push to the finish line. Drew and I finished strong with a time of 4:18:15. One of the best signs I saw during the race said, "Pain is temporary, pride is forever." My body was definitely hurting, but at the same time I felt so good. Several people asked me yesterday if I wanted to run another marathon... ask me again in a few weeks and I just might say yes.

early morning run in the rain

obviously early in the race - I'm still smiling

drenched to the core, but trying to push through the pain

smiling to keep from crying - getting so close to the finish

we did it!

the gang

A Piano in Portland

2010-10-02T15:41:00.007-07:00

I took piano lessons throughout my entire childhood and teenage years (starting when I was 6 years old until I graduated high school at 18). There were definitely times when I wanted to quite and escape the daily hour of practicing, weekend competitions and yearly recitals, but for the vast majority of the time I loved playing the piano (at least that's what I recall looking back on those years). I have always lived in a house with a piano (for years we even had 2 pianos at the house - imagine the chaos of 2 little girls practicing piano at the same time) so I was always able to just walk downstairs, sit on the bench and play to my heart's desire. I have really missed having easy access to a piano here in Portland. There is an electric piano in the chapel at work (which I play every third Tuesday of the month at chapel service), but an electric piano just doesn't have the same feel or sound of a regular piano.

So for the past few weeks, I have been searching online for a free or inexpensive piano. Alan and his roommates want to have a "music room" in there house and I was put in charge of finding the piano. After hours of searching, I finally came across a posting that said "Upright Piano free for the taking. At the corner of 32nd and Hoyt, in front of the garage." So I made that location the end goal of my run yesterday, and in the middle of a 13 mile run, I found the piano sitting in front of the garage and covered with a tarp. I took a quick break, played some scales on the keys to hear the tone, decided it was a pretty good deal (since it was free and all), and ran home to call Alan. He and his 3 roommates and I piled into Scott's little truck, drove to the Laurelhurst neighborhood and picked up the piano. It was quite a feat getting this piano into the back of the truck - we even had to recruit a random guy walking down the street to help. But we (actually the boys - I tried to stay out of the way) got it in the truck bed, strapped it down and Scott drove the mile and a half extra slow and carefully while Alan and Chad pounded chords (or really just random notes) all the way home. Just imagine you're walking down Burnside (the busiest street in the heart of Portland) and a little white truck with a huge oak piano passes by spreading piano music and laughter as it goes... it was quite hilarious.

The guys somehow managed to get the piano into their house without damaging their hardwood floors, their backs, or the instrument (well maybe a few scratches here or there). I have to say it's not the best piano I've ever seen or heard: several ivory pieces of the keys have broken off and need to be glued back on, a few keys stick unless you pound them about 10 times, and once we got it to the house I realized that there are no pedals on the piano (we are currently using a screwdriver for a pedal until I find the right replacement pedals). Oh well, it was free and it plays so we'll take it!

I brought a few of my favorite piano books up here with me and played through them for a good while last night. Then I taught Alan the piano basics and he practiced in on of my old Christmas song books - he caught on pretty well and I wouldn't be suprised if he's practicing the piano right now. I'm pretty excited to have easy access to a piano up here now - finally!

making a game plan for moving the piano

the previous piano owner, the random guy who stopped to help, and the boys lifting the piano into the truck

strapping it in for the ride home

thankful the piano didn't fall out - strategizing how to get the piano in the house

Scott taking a break to tickle the ivories with the piano half way out of the truck

it was tricky getting it through the door

the free piano - isn't she a beaut'?!

To Mrs. Lindsey

I truly believe the reason I love piano so much is because you were such a great teacher - seriously! You have been such a wonderful influence on my life ever since I was 6 years old and if I still lived in Waco I would want to start taking piano lessons from you again! So many people say that they really regret quiting piano lessons when they were young. Thank you for always encouraging me to continue playing and for teaching me all that I know!

2 ½ year old Mary learning to read music and play the piano young!

Yard Makeover

2010-09-28T08:11:00.002-07:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Fall Swimming

2010-09-16T15:12:00.003-07:00

I debated the title of this post because it makes me admit that fall is actually here. I know that all you folks in Texas are anticipating the arrival of fall and the cooler weather it will bring. But fall weather in the Northwest means cloudy grey skies and the beginning of 7 months of dreariness. I knew that fall was really upon us when I went to Starbucks two weeks ago and the Pumpkin Spice Latte was back - it was a bittersweet moment.

I really wanted to go for a run yesterday after work, but alas, it was raining. I would have put on a running hat and a wicking shirt and pushed through the mist (its what you have to do when you live in Portland), but Stephanie called and gave me a better option: swimming. Not the fun splash-around-in-the-pool kind of swimming, but the real deal speedo-swimcap-and-goggles-in-a-lap-pool swimming. I can't remember the last time I've actually swam for exercise, but if I had to estimate I'd say: at the Ridgewood Country Club summer kids olympics where the Brophy girls beat me every year (and then I would sulk about it and refuse to be in the picture as the "runner up" - the troubles of a 5 year old).

So Steph and I went for a swim at the Mount Scott Community Center last night and apparently I'm not quite in swimming shape. It was tough! During the first 2 laps, all that was running through my head was, "i can't breath. this is miserable. i bet the lifeguards are getting a kick out of my lack of swimming style. i'd rather be on the eliptical right now." But Steph (who was a swim instructor for years) gave me some great tips on how to improve my swimming and by the end of the hour I was flipping through the water a little easier.

My big goals for this year were/are a half marathon (which I ran in July) and a full marathon (which I'm running in October). Next year, it's a triathalon (a mini triathalon). And I'll have the whole dreary fall and winter to splash around and train in the pool.

my childhood swim coach

my first pair of swim goggles

summers at Ridgewood - those were the days!

Olympic National Park

2010-09-08T12:15:00.004-07:00

This past weekend consisted of a lot of time in the Great Outdoors. My friends Alan, Scott and I decided to take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and go backpacking/camping in Olympic National Park in Washington. We headed North on 1-5 Friday afternoon, veered West on 101 through Sequim (the sunniest city in the Pacific Northwest) and made it to the Sol Duc trailhead on the North side of the park by nightfall. Exhausted from the long ride, we quickly threw all of our bags and gear in the front two seats, lay down the back seats, threw down our sleeping bags, and camped in the car for the night.

Awakened by the sun the next morning, we got up, made oatmeal and coffee with Alan's nifty camping stove and french press, packed up our things, threw on our packs and started the hike "into the wild". It took about 3.5 hours to cover the 8.5 mile hike to Appleton Pass where we decided to settle. We nabbed an incredible camp site with stunning views, set up camp (actually, the boys set up camp while I stretched out in the sun) and explored the area.

Once we were in the park with no turning back, the boys informed me that Olympic National Park is known as Bear Country (a much wilder Bear Country than Waco, TX). You're required to either store your food in a bear canister or hang it on a bear wire to keep bears from disturbing your campsite. Alan and Scott crafted their own bear wire by climbing into some trees, tying a rope between the branches and hanging our bag of food high in the air out of reach of the bears. It was actually pretty impressive!

Sunday (which just happened to be my 25th birthday) was a wonderful day! We slept in, had some more delicious oatmeal and coffee, went for a beautiful hike where we climbed every peak we came upon, and had a relaxing afternoon napping and reading outside. We made a warm dinner of polenta, sausage, peppers, onions and mushrooms (maybe not the birthday dinner I would have picked back home, but still yummy) and the boys were sweet enough to pack a little birthday treat for me (a smooshed zebra cake) which they put a candle in and sang Happy Birthday to me. We made hot cocoa (a delicious treat to warm us up from the freezing wind), played cards in the tent, then dropped in our sleeping bags content from a perfect day.

We woke up on Monday morning to the blowing rain. We forced ourselves out of our (somewhat) dry tents into the nasty mist, ate a quick breakfast, tore down the tents, stuffed our packs and started the long hike out of the wild. I have to admit, I kept a swift pace trying to get out of the rain and back to the car. Yes, the scenery was gorgeous, but my clothes were wet and I hadn't showered in 3 days. I can't say that I wasn't excited to get back to civilization and drive to the nearest Starbucks for a triple grande pumpkin spice latte (nonfat, no whip, 3 pumps, extra hot with foam).

So I survived my first backpacking trip and would do it again in a heartbeat! So many places to explore, not enough time!

A Quarter Century Old

Thank you for all of the sweet birthday wishes! I'm sorry I wasn't able to actually answer calls and return messages on my birthday. I honestly kept forgetting that it was my birthday on Sunday because I was disconnected from the rest of the world. I brought along the birthday cards I had received before I left on Friday and opened them while sitting in the wilderness on Sunday afternoon. And I loved turning on my phone on Monday evening and listening to all the voicemails and reading the text messages from my great friends and family. This 25th year of my life is off to a great start!

Hood to Coast 2010

2010-08-29T14:41:00.006-07:00

This weekend was Hood to Coast 2010! This was my second year to run this 197-mile relay which starts at Mount Hood and ends at Seaside, OR. This event is called "the mother of all relays" and sounds somewhat intimidating, but it is really so much fun! My team, Equip Africa, was organized by John Garrick the founder of Eternal Impact. John is a ball of energy to say the least, but has been sick with an intense sinus condition that will require surgery next month. However, he pushed through his illness and weakness and ran as the 12th leg, the anchor, of our team. John, you are amazing!

So here's a little overview of how the relay works: You have 12 team members who each run 3 legs of the 197 miles relay. The team has two vans; Van 1 carries runners 1-6 and Van 2 carries runners 7-12. Someone on your team is always running. So Van 1 runs the first 6 legs then hands of to Van 2 who runs the next 6 legs. We go back and forth like that until all 36 legs are finished. Van 1 started at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood at 9:30am Friday morning. My van took over in Sandy around 2:00pm that afternoon.

My first run was leg 7 which was 5.65 miles. I ran it in 48:25 with an 8:24 min/mile pace. My cousin Madison was nice enough to drive out to Sandy to cheer me on and even ran the first 4 miles of that leg with me! Having someone run beside me and talk with me was so encouraging and made the run much easier and more enjoyable. Thanks so much, Madison!

Our van finished our first legs under the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland where John handed the baton (which is actually a slap bracelet) off to Carly, Runner 1. While Van 2 ran their second legs, we headed to a church where we were able to take showers, clean up and grab a Subway sandwich before heading to St Helens, OR to start our second legs.

My second run was leg 19 which was 5.89 miles and a little hilly. I ran this leg around midnight and was a little delirious. It was also surprisingly really cold. The run was pretty much on a windy road through a forested area, so it was pitch black but we are required to wear a reflective running vest, head lamp and red blinking lights on our front and back. Running in the middle of the night in the dark is totally mental. You can't see your surroundings or where you're going, you have no idea where you really are, I couldn't just glance at my watch to see how far I had gone, and my body was wishing it was in a warm bed. I ran that leg in 53:13 with an 8:51 pace. After a little stretch, I headed to the back bench of the van and fell asleep while the other runners ran their second leg. Last year I think I only got 30 mins of sleep during the whole H2C weekend - mainly because a fellow teammate snored pretty loud, not to mention any names (Ryan). This year I bet I got abour 3-4 hours of sleep which really helped!

I ran my final run, leg 31, on Saturday morning around 9:00am. This was a nice easy 4 mile run which I finished in 31:57 with a 7:59 pace - I was really pushing it on this one! Both vans met up in Seaside to finish the final leg with John. We crossed the finish line on the sand (that's right, they make you run the last bit of the race when you're sore and want to fall over in the sand - cruel) after running for 28hrs 30mins and 32secs. We received our medals, took group pictures then headed back to those smelly vans to head home where we could take a shower and drop in our beds. I went to sleep at 7:45pm last night and woke up at 7:45am this morning - a full 12 hours of sleep!

With 1,000 amazing teams, 12,000 crazy runners and 2,000 rediculously decorated vans, there is never a dull moment in the race. I loved being able to spend time with everyone on my team, most of whom I didn't know at all or hadn't seen since last year's race. I had a blast this weekend and can hardly wait to run Hood to Coast again next year!

Van 1 getting ready to load the van and start the race...

no backing out now!

Madison and I about to run my first leg

John (in the sweaty blue shirt) finishing his first leg under the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland.

Yes, there was team from Texas here flying the UT flag. I stopped them, told them I was from Texas as well and talked to them for a while - we instantly bonded, even though they are Longhorns.

We spent way too much time in these this weekend.

Equip Africa team on the beach after crossing the finish line!

Thanks again to everyone who supported the Eternal Impact cause and who encouraged me along the way. A good friend gave me a great challenge in order to raise money for Eternal Impact: he agreed to donate $5 for every second under 9 mins I kept my average running pace. This really motivated me to kick it in gear and run as fast as possible. I ended up with an 8:28 average pace and a $160 donation from this friend!

That leaves me only $160 from my $1,000 fundraising goal. I ran my heart out this weekend and now I'm giving my final fundraising push for Eternal Impact... click here to make it happen!!

10 days to go...

2010-08-17T13:08:00.002-07:00

This weekend I had my final Hood to Coast meeting before the big race which starts on Friday, August 27th. We discussed all of the details about what to expect during the race (being smelly and exhausted, but loving every minute of it) and revisited the reason we're running this intense 200-mile race from Mount Hood to the coast of Oregon in the first place... for Uganda!

Some of you may remember that I ran Hood to Coast last year, too. I didn't realize until after signing on with my team that besides running this insane relay, we would also be raising money for a Ugandan organization called Eternal Impact. This was very exciting to me as I have such a love for the country and people of Uganda, and it gave me extra motivation to train for what's called "the mother of all relays". I am running on the Eternal Impact team again this year and am just as exciting about the race (minus the no showers or sleep) as I am about supporting this wonderful organization.

So apparently you're a faithful blog reader - thank you! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your interest in and support of my everyday life, no matter how close or far you may be. So now I'm asking you to support and encourage me in this race by helping me reach my $1,000 fundraising goal for Eternal Impact. Don't shy away from me now! Seriously, every little bit makes a difference - $5, $15, $50 - it all adds up and can make an incredible impact on those served in Uganda.

So log onto the Eternal Impact donation page and give whatever it is your big heart can give. (Make sure to designate funds for Hood 2 Coast Team, then Mary Carter.) Thanks to those who have already given -- Mom and Dad, Granddaddy, Uncles Les, Uncle Bob and Aunt Judy, Kaitlyn, Laura, Hannah, Liesl, Alyssa, Anne, Kate. I appreciate it more than you know!

One Mile at a Time

This year I am running a total of 15.45 miles over 3 legs. My fundraising goal is $1,000. That comes out to just under $65 per mile. Here's my promise: if you sponsor a whole mile, then I will run that mile however you want me to run it... listening to your favorite band, wearing certain clothing, doing cartwheels (well maybe not since I'm trying to make a certain time). This could get interesting!

Mount Adams

2010-08-09T21:15:00.003-07:00

This was an epic weekend... Drew, Josh, Madison, Mollie and I climbed Mount Adams and made it to the top! Mount Adams, which is part of the Cascade Range, is the 2nd highest mountain in Washington with an elevation of 12,227 ft. I have to admit I was a little nervous about this weekend's climb, but it went smoothly and was a blast!

Our group drove out to the mountain near Trout Lake in South Central Washington on Saturday evening. We set up camp near the trailhead, ate a pasta dinner, then headed of to bed (actually sleeping bag) around 8:00pm. When climbing in snow, you want to start your climb very early in the morning when the snow is frozen and packed as opposed to slushy in the afternoon. So the plan was to get 4 hours of sleep, wake up at midnight, and start climbing around 1:00am. But I didn't sleep a wink - I wasn't tired, I wasn't too comfortable and I was anxious to get on the mountain. So after laying awake for 4 hours, it was time to get up, get ready and begin the climb.

It was pitch dark so we used head lamps to light our way up the South Spur Route which starts at 5,600 ft and gains nearly 7,000 ft of elevation over 5.7 miles. A few hours in, right before we got to the "Lunch Counter", I felt something dragging on my boot. Surely I didn't step in gum on a snowy mountain! I looked down to see what was hanging off the bottom of my boot... and it was the sole of my boot! I'd rented these boots from an outdoor store that I have used before, but these boots had definitely seen better days. Thankfully Mollie had some duct tape in her bag (you're a lifesaver, Mollie!) so Drew and Josh mended my boot with athletic tape and duct tape and we kept climbing. Problem solved. Or so we thought. Throughout the climb, my shoes continued to fall apart. Not only did we have to keep mending the right shoe, but on the descent the entire sole of my left shoe came off in my crampon (those spikey boot attachments that provide traction in ice and snow). By the end of the day, after at least half a dozen repairs with tape, string and rope, I just ripped the soles completely off of the boots - so frustrating, but at least it didn't completely ruin the trip. Thanks for taking care of me, Big D!

Besides that, everything else was great. The weather was perfect: sunny and clear skies with just a little wind. The views were incredible: from the top of Adams you could see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson and Mount St Helens. And being on the mountain as the sun was rising was breathtaking. And the company was the best: I loved getting to spend quality time with each person while on the mountain. Being out in nature with no distractons and nothing but time is a great way to build relationships with those around you.

I'm so thankful to Drew and Josh for guiding us up Mount Adams. What a great weekend - one of the best I've had up here in the Great Northwest. I can't wait for the next big adventure!

2010-08-09T17:14:00.014-07:00

Summer Reading

2010-08-02T22:01:00.004-07:00

Remember when summertime used to mean three-month long sabbaticals, relaxing vacations, daily adventures, and a much-needed break from the norm? Well those days are long gone and my summertime adventures are cut down to two-day weekends and books that help me escape in my mind. In the past few months, I've rediscovered my love for reading and have figuratively been on many amazing adventures. I have:

- traveled to Pakistan to help build schools for young boys who otherwise might fall under the power of the Taliban and young girls who otherwise might never receive an education that empowers them with confidence and self-worth

- followed my dreams across Egypt in search of treasures - a journey that lead to faith and wisdom

- been confined to a hospital bed due to "locked-in syndrome" with my memory and imagination as the only escape

- lived in Brooklyn in the early 1900s and overcome the hardships of poverty and family tribulations

- and most recently, hitch-hiked across America reaching the final destination of the Alaskan wilderness

I highly recommend each of these books. This was my 3rd time to read the Alchemist (my all-time favorite book), my 2nd time to read Three Cups of Tea (my 2nd favorite book), and my first time to read Into the Wild (which has quickly become my 3rd favorite).

What books would you recommend?

Favorite Book Quotes
“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.”

- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

"If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs."

- Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea

"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

- Chris McCandless, Into the Wild

Summer Weekend

2010-07-28T10:49:00.004-07:00

This weekend was the ultimate summer weekend. A group of us made a day trip to Seattle on Saturday. Tori and Alan had never been to Seattle (pretty understandable for Tori since she's only here for the summer, but Alan's lived here for over 3 years!). So we made the 3 hour drive north and had a great day in the "Emerald City". We first went to Pike Place Market where fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, music is playing, and fish are flying - literally. We bought some delicious Rainier cherries (just about the only cherries I'll eat now), sweet rasberry jam, an avacado the size of a small cantelope and fresh pluot (a plum apricot hybrid) smoothie to sip on as we walked around.

We headed down to the waterfront where Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountain Range were in full view over the Port of Seattle which flows into the Pacific Ocean. We walked around and enjoyed the views (even though it was quite warm and muggy on Saturday), dropped into the Central Saloon (Seattle's oldest bar) for happy hour, then headed to the Mariner's game - the real reason we made the day trip to Seattle. The Mariners played the Boston Red Sox; and since the Mariners are dead last in the American League West standings, we weren't expecting much of a game. Plus, there were probably nearly as many Boston fans as there were Seattle fans at Safeco Field. But the Mariners suprised us and beat the Sox 5-1 in an exciting baseball game! We made it back to Portland around 2am and I dropped into bed exhausted after a fun-filled day.

Sunday, Tori and I slept in (which was much needed) then headed to the Sauvie Island beach with Stephanie. It was a perfect day to lay on the sand and read a book - so relaxing! As we were driving through northwest Portland, we came upon a young boy who was standing on the corner with a pitcher of lemonade and a box of brownies. Even though I'm not a big lemonade fan, I love supporting kids who have eagerly set up a lemonade stand to earn a little extra summer spending money (we have all done this at some point in our childhood). When we got home that evening, we decided to top off our super summer weekend by treating ourselves to a Burgerville milkshake. Sitting outside partaking in America's favorite pasttime, basking on the beach, slurping down lemonade and milkshakes to ward off the summer heat... we couldn't have asked for a better summer weekend!

Sunsets

2010-07-24T10:03:00.006-07:00

I have become somewhat obsessed with sunsets. In Portland in the summer, the sun doesn't set until around 9:00pm. I have found a few great spots to watch the sun set over the hills and mountains. Last night Stephanie, Tori and I watched the sunset from a cemetary in the west hills. It was gorgeous - like a ball of gold slowly nestling and covering itself in the cloud and trees. To me, the sunset is God's reminder that at the end of the day there is peace and beauty.

Last night's sunset in Portland.

One of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen.

Taken in Uganda, January 2009. A real sign of hope.

Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111:2

Tillamook Cheese

2010-07-18T23:03:00.001-07:00

Tori and I have a list of things to do while she is in Portland for the summer. A few of the items we have been able to check off our list include eating at The "Original" Taco House (a wannabe Tex-Mex restaurant close to our house), sitting on top of Mount Tabor to watch the sunset... and I guess we have a lot of things we still need to do. Yesterday we checked another adventure off: visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon about an hour and a half west of Portland. The cheese factory is definitely a hot tourist spot and was quite crowded yesterday. We read about the history of cheese, fun facts (did you know that it takes about 10 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of cheese?), observed the cheese production factory and process line, and tasted some yummy cheese (including squeeky cheese which actually squeeks on your teeth when you eat it) and ice cream (banana split flavored).

After the factory tour, we headed to Lincoln City which is right on the Oregon Coast. We ordered lunch to go, climbed up a sand dune and ate as we watched the waves roll in. It was a beautiful day for sitting on the beach. We layed in the sand and relaxed for a while before heading back to Portland. It was another relaxing, wonderful, sunny summer weekend!

the drive from Portland to Tillamook - beautiful farm land

Tori tasting some yummy cheese

munching on some cheese while observing the factory

relaxing on the beach at Lincoln City

our lunch spot view

More Adventures in Wyoming

2010-07-09T11:21:00.004-07:00

It has been a week of non-stop adventures here in Jackson Hole, WY. I've pretty much dropped straight into bed when we get home every night. Wednesday the girls (Jennifer, Megan, Mom and I) started the day off with an early morning horseback ride. Our guide Chris led us through the scenic forested areas around the Teton Village. It was a very peaceful ride and we saw several beautiful wildlife birds.

Wednesday afternoon we piled on a bus and headed down to the Snake River for whitewater rafting. Another couple joined our group of 6 on a raft. Ralph jumped right in and started cracking jokes with Les and Lee. His wife Jeannie, on the other hand, was a frazzled mess. First thing she did after she reluctantly crawled into the raft was turn to our rafting guide Peter and said, "I'm extremely nervous about this. Is it okay if I get on the floor when we get to the waves?" He did a great job of calming her nerves (somewhat) even though she threatened to jump ship a few times. We all had a blast rafting down the winding river and paddling our way through the Class 3 whitewaters. Megan and I were at the front of the raft and were pounded several times by waves that nearly knocked us out of the raft. Jennifer kept getting a mouthful of water, Jeannie managed to stay off the floor and paddled quite well, and Ralph admitted to loosing control of his bladder once or twice. It was a crazy ride to say the least.

Yesterday was another active day that took all of my energy. Dad and I went for a 20 mile bike ride in the morning. We had all talked about riding the sky tram up to the highest point in Jackson Village, but I thought it would be a good idea to hike to the top instead and then ride the tram down. So Dad and I got on the 7.3 mile Summit Trail that winds up to the aeriel tram. We started off at a pretty good pace and enjoyed hiking through the shaded woods and the nice views of the mountains across the Snake River. But that only lasted for a couple of miles until we got on a gravel road that became our "hiking trail" for the rest of the way. All I can say is, "Worst hike ever!" We were completely exposed to the sun the entire time and we were practically walking on an uphill road of pebbles that seemed to never end. We passed a middle-aged man about half way up who said through heavy breaths, "My family left me for dead 2 miles back." "I feel ya, brother! I feel about 3/4 dead myself right now," I said trying to encourage him but mostly just vocally expressing how much I loathed this "trail". Dad and I reached the summit at right under 3 hours (an hour less than the average time reported for this hike. As I was dragging my worn out butt up the final 100 yards of the hike I saw my mom and Les walking around the summit looking fresh, cool and clean. They had just gotten off the tram ride that took them an relaxing 10 minutes to the top of the 10,450 ft summit (an elevation gain of 4,200 ft). Dad and I both agreed that it was an awful hike, but we felt accomplished at the end. We treated ourselved to a margarita at dinner and a chocolate cabernet sauvignon ice cream cone as we walked around the Jackson city square last night.

Exhausted at the end of the hike. These smiles were forced.

I've decided that today is going to be a relaxing vacation day. I layed by the pool with a magazine this morning and we're about to go for a short hike around Phelps Lake this afternoon. Mom and Dad left to head back to Texas early this morning, so it's just Les' family and me for the next day and a half.

Fly Fishing in Wyoming

2010-07-06T19:18:00.001-07:00

Today was the first full day of my vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We went fly fishing on the Green River with local fishing guides. Uncle Les and I were in the boat with Spencer who was a great fly fishing teacher (and could really rock a mullet). He taught us all about dry flies and nymphs, casting and mending, setting your hook and reeling the suckers in. We spent a full day on the river and I caught a total of 16 fish!... twice as many as Les, the runner up. Spencer was great about showing us exactly where to cast our line to reel in the most fish. The weather and scenery were perfect. It was such a peaceful and fun day. I wish I could do this every day!

A River Runs Through It

"My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - came by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy."

Sauvie Island Half Marathon

2010-07-04T14:28:00.002-07:00

I did it: I ran my first half marathon! This morning I ran the Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon on Sauvie Island - the same place where I picked berries last weekend. This was the perfect first half marathon because it was completely flat (thank goodness for no hills), the scenery was gorgeous (berry patches, crop fields, farmhouses, the river), and the weather was amazing (upper 50s and sunny with some clouds and a little breeze).

I found a "rabbit" at the very beginning of the race for me to follow and keep up with. So for the first few miles I kept a good steady pace by keeping the girl in the white jacket in sight. But then around mile 5 (about the time the Rocky theme "Eye of the Tiger" came on my ipod) I picked up my pace and passed her. I kept a pretty good pace throughout the race and my body felt great the whole time. One of my goals was to pass more people than passed me. It kind of became a mind game and I started thinking of the race as a Nintendo game - like I was accumulating points for each person I passed.

My main goal was to finish the race (13.1 miles) in less than two hours. When I came to the final mile, I turned on the Chariots of Fire theme song and kicked it into gear. It's a shorter song than I thought so when it finished I had to play it again to keep my momentum going for the last half mile. I picked up to full speed and crossed the finish line at 1:56:57. My coworker Mary Lee (yes we have the same name) was right on the other side of the finish line waiting for me and snapped a picture of me as I crossed (will post picture soon!). Her husband Scott ran the race as well and is the one who talked me into signing up a few months ago. Thanks for being my photographer and cheerleader, ML!

I had such a great time taking on the challenge of running a half marathon and honestly loved every minute of the race. I'm already trying to figure out when I can run another one!

Organized Running

This morning as I was pulling up to the start line, I couldn't help but think how funny organized races are. I mean we're paying money to run a long distance, waking up at an oddly early hour, and fighting traffic to join a crowd of thousands of other smelly runners. There is definitely something more satisfying about competing in an organized race, though, that you don't get from just running around your neighborhood for exercise. And it helps that you get a medal and fresh strawberry shortcake at the end of the race as well!

Berry Picking & Dog Mountain

2010-06-28T12:35:00.003-07:00

Saturday Tori, Stephanie, Julian and I went berry picking at Sauvie Island, the largest island on the Columbia River. Sauvie Island is about 10 miles northwest of Portland and is primarily farmland and wildlife refuge. It is a summer hot spot for picking berries and has an incredible view of Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood and Mount Adams. It was the perfect summer day: complete sunshine and upper 70s with a slight breeze. We spent a couple of hours wandering through strawberry fields and rasberry patches. We would pick a few and put them in our basket, then pick a few and put them in our mouthes. You can't get any fresher or more organic than that!

The four of us kept saying that we felt like we were on vacation because the drive was gorgeous and relaxing, we got to enjoy an afternoon on an island, and before we left we discovered a peaceful beach right on the river which we are determined to spend a whole day on soon!

When we got back to Portland, we made a delicious southern dinner: fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes (with greek yogurt mixed in), corn, sauted spinach, biscuits and homemade honey mustard sauce. For dessert we had homemade vanilla ice cream topped with our fresh-picked berries. Then we played corn hole in the back yard until it got dark a little after 9:00 (yes, it doesn't get dark until that late here in the summers).

The vacation weekend continued with perfect weather again on Sunday. Alan and I went for an intense hike on the Washington side of the gorge. We hiked Dog Mountain which is a steep 6.5 mile loop with a 2,500 ft gain in elevation. The scenery was amazing, though. Once we got close to the top, we were hiking through a beautiful wildflower field and could see miles and miles of the Columbia River as well as Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens. The tough climb was worth the view!

I believe that the Portland summer is finally here... and once this weather sweeps in it's impossible not to be outside enjoying every minute!

Caffeine Confusion

2010-06-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love sipping on a steeping hot cup of coffee (with peppermint mocha creamer) in the morning while you read the newspaper, watch the news or check your emails? I always look forward to enjoying that first cup of coffee at work while making my to-do list for the day. I know the caffeine boost will help me cross off the tasks ahead of me.

This morning I headed to the downstairs kitchen (which, although furthest away from my desk, has the best brewed coffee in the building) to fill my mug with liquid energy. My coworker Tom was headed to the same spot. "Yes, someone made a full pot of decaf," he said excitedly. "What's the point?" I thought. "Drinking decaf coffee is like a broken pencil... pointless." Then he reached for the orange pot, poured his cup of coffee and headed off to work. "That's odd. He was excited about decaf coffee but he poured from the orange pot. Everyone knows the orange pot has regular coffee and the brown pot has decaf. Right?" Thinking he must have been confused, I poured my cup of coffee from the orange pot as I always do.

I went back to my desk and yelled across to my coworker, "Hey Jen, do you drink the coffee downstairs? The orange pot is regular and the brown pot is decaf, right?" I hear her and Michael snicker, "Nope, it's the other way around." Are you kidding me?! This whole time I've worked at MTI I've been drinking the wrong coffee? Every morning. I've been filling up on decaf. I've always thought I couldn't make it through the day without coffee. And I think back on all of the times I've needed a caffeine boost in the afternoon, so I headed down to fill up my mug (from the orange pot), gulp it down and then think, "That's exactly what I needed. Now I have the energy to make it through the day." It was all in my head. I seriously have mental issues.

I couldn't help but laugh at myself all day. What a rediculous mix up. Now that I'm drinking from the brown pot just think of how alert and productive I'll be at work!

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