Run for Relief

Last night I ran in my first 5k since high school (when I was FORCED to do it). About 2-3 weeks ago one of my friends and Young Life girls (who actually didn't end up doing it) asked me to run in it so I decided to give it a go. I already knew that Leslie and Sarah were going to run it so I started running with them to get ready. Surprisingly I sort of liked it...when I was done at least. :)

The race was the Run for Relief for Rockdale Emergency Relief. RFR for RER. Say that 10 times fast.

Rockdale County Emergency Relief Fund, Inc. (RER),

provides supportive services and assistance to residents

of the Rockdale County community or to transient

residents in the Rockdale County community

experiencing a temporary crisis situation for which

financial assistance or commodities are not reasonably

available from any other resource that can restore their

immediate self-sufficiency. (via RER's website)

I managed to finish in 35:45 which was a full 4 minutes faster than I had ever done it while training (for all of 2-3 weeks). I was sooooo excited when I turned the corner for the last stretch and saw the time at the finish! I somehow managed to get 2nd place in my age division. Crazy. I am so proud of myself and my girls! :) We all finished ahead of our goal times.

Getting ready to start - I painted 147millionorphans.com on the back of my shirt. I figured at least one person would see it since I refused to finish last. ;)

At the finish - Since I was so far ahead of my normal time Justin was not at all prepared to snap pictures so we only got one or two of me finishing.

Leslie at the finish line!

Sarah at the finish line!

DONE!

I can't wait for the next one girls!

(embrace the camera) June 24

Last weekend we went to Stone Mountain. We walked around for awhile and then decided to hike a little of the mountain. Justin had just gotten stitches in his shoulder the day before (he had an mole with abnormal results removed) so he was sore and we didn't have much water since we weren't planning on hiking so we didn't go all the way to the top this time. It was so fun and we can't wait to go again!

We were testing out the Moby Wrap at home since I hadn't had him in it in MONTHS. He has to know what is going on at all times...I love this picture of him peeking around me. :)

This is about 1/2 way up I think - we hung out here for awhile and then headed back down.

Justin found a flat-ish rock to set the camera on so we could get one of all three of us.

It's kinda hard to tell from the angle of this picture, but he was laying his head on my back. This was right before we finished and headed home. He was wiped out!

For more {Embrace the Camera} challenge go here.

our garden

We have a little garden.

We're growing squash, green beans, bell peppers, banana peppers, tomatoes, basil, and oregano.

All of those pictures were from a couple of weeks ago when we planted it. Everything is bigger now, but still no actual peppers, squash, or tomatoes.

We have these in our front and backyard. Our backyard neighbor (who is wonderful and gave us the tomato, green bean, and bell pepper plants) says that they are Native Tiger Lilies. I like them. Mucho.

Do you have a garden? What are you growing?

Oh.

And also, we have huge Rhinoceros and Hercules Beetles in our backyard. We saw 7 yesterday and I saw one this morning. They are absolutely awful looking, and while I know they can't hurt me, I am still pretty much scared to death of the backyard. Last year it was killer poison ivy, now it's killer beetles.

Tell me those aren't the scariest looking things ever.

If you know how to get rid of them please please please share.

What can you do to help?

There are somewhere between 143 million and 210 million orphans in the world.
(based on a recent UNICEF report)

Because I'm not sure you really grasp how big those numbers are on the first read, here it is again:

143,000,000 - 210,000,000. MULTI-MILLIONS.

Those aren't just numbers. They are children.

There are a multitude of ways that you can help, and I hope to share many with you over the next few weeks and months. But today I am going to share one simple way that you can help change the life of ONE.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the numbers and to think that if you can't help them all you might as well not do anything because it won't be enough. Let me just tell you now friend that satan would love nothing more than for you to believe that lie.

I'm asking you to do what you can.

And we can ALL do something.

My new friend, Erica, and her family are in the process of adopting a second child from Ethiopia. They are selling some ROCKIN' shirts to raise funds for the adoption.

She will begin pre-sales for the shirts on Monday, but right now she is holding a *GIVEAWAY* on her blog for one of the shirts. Go see the shirts (seriously, they are fab!), enter the giveaway, and then go back on Monday and place your order. I know you are going to want one (or 5). :)

(Embrace the Camera)

Silas (11 months)

Well here we go again. Silas is 11 months old...one more month until the big 1 year! This post will be mostly pictures because he is basically doing everything he has been doing with a few new tricks thrown in the mix.

He has added to his repertoire:

*climbing - He has always like to climb on things, but now I mean he is REALLY climbing. I found him on top of the side table in our living room this week. He is not afraid of anything.

*singing - And it is so cute! He will just sing to himself while he's playing and he will sing with me. I like to do the vocal warm-ups from Sister Act II with him - you know, the la's. I will do it and then he will just sing "lalalalalalalalalalalala" back at me. Preciousness.

*swimming - He LOVES it. I think he would live in the water if he could. I've been working with him and he knows how to hold his breath under water, but hasn't really figured out that it's best to close your mouth when you go under too - not sure how to remedy that yet. He also is getting better at relaxing when I put him on his back to float. And he loves to be pulled on his tummy so he can kick.

*gathering things - He collects little sticks and stuff and puts them in the cubby on his outside car. He has also started to enjoy putting things back IN instead of just taking them out.

I can't think of anything else he has started doing in the past month but I'm sure as soon as I hit "publish" that I will think of 20 more things. That's usually the way it goes.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this month:

Snack time!

This one will be framed. Love the flip/almost-mullet hairdo he's got going on. :)

Snuggling with Momma - this was the weekend Justin and I were miserably sick.

Playing with Daddy

He LOVES drinking out of the water hose! I have a whole series of pics of him drinking from it and it's the cutest thing.

My mom and Meemee came a couple of weeks ago for a visit and while they were here he got his first taste of "licking the beaters" with mashed potatoes. He was a big fan.

And of course, nakedness abounds.

Sitting on the deck like a big boy with Mamay. He was so proud!

You talkin' ta me??

He also loves to swing. We will hopefully have him a swing of his own soon. This was at a friend's neighborhood pool last week. Look at that tongue. :P

I can't believe he is almost ONE. We are having so much fun!

(embrace the camera)

Yesterday Silas and I spent the day at the pool with Sarah and her boys and some new friends Missy and Jack.

Sarah took this one of us:

It makes me happy!!

Go here for more of the challenge. :)

Sunday Song (on Tuesday)

BEAUTIFUL

I see your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say -
You're beautiful

I see your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who you are -
You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home -
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL

I see your face - you're beautiful.

(embrace the camera)

A bloggy friend, Emily, is hosting a challenge every week - it's for mommas (and daddies) to be in pictures with their kids. I love this because I am always the one behind the camera.

Justin grabbed the camera and started snapping away on Sunday afternoon.

I think I look a little crazy in this pic. But that's pretty accurate. I am crazy. :)

Go check out the challenge. :)

Summer Fun

Thursday afternoon the May boys and Silas had a little fun in the sun and water (and mud). I have a feeling this will be a weekly event. Too bad the Mamas don't have a pool too!

Total opposites. :)

Silas is almost always more interested in eating the grass and playing in the mud

I LOVE this picture!

Lubbin' on Mama

I wanted to get a picture of me and Micah and Connor because it has been a while (actually, except for the pictures from when he was born, there are no pictures of me and Connorkins) and this was not an easy feat.

This is what I had to do to get him to smile at.all. He wasn't feelin' "picture time" that day but look how cute!

And this is what happened when I told Connor I wanted a picture with him...

Oh well. :P