I mentioned the Nashville/Tennessee Flood from two weeks ago. This YouTube video is awesome, and I just thought I would pass it on to those of you who live outside Tennessee and did not see the true devastation.

Now, I am really out of here for a couple of weeks!

Labels: General

The end of school is always crazy, so I am going to step away from the blog for a few weeks. When I return, I'll have plenty to post about, and I hope to be using a new computer! We ordered a new computer today to replace the one we lost to lightning. By purchasing a new desktop, we also got a great deal on a new laptop, so maybe I'll start posting again from some exotic location with WIFI (like Chick-fil-a). :)

Labels: Blogging

After I completed my first 5K run in April, I set a few new goals. I have mentioned that my long-term goal is to run in the 2011 Disney Princess Half-Marathon. In the short-term, I am hoping to run another 5K in June and a 10K on Labor Day.

Training is going well, but I have made a few adjustments. A few days before I ran the 5K in April, I heard about Jeff Galloway's training programs. Jeff Galloway, a former Olympian, recommends including one minute walk intervals in your runs to reduce injury, speed recovery and enable stronger finishes. For my first 5K, one of my goals was to run the entire distance, but after that race, I started playing around with intervals. I was amazed that I could finish the 5K distance faster when I included a few walk intervals!

In the last few weeks, I have been experimenting, and for now I am going to stick with the interval plan. I really think it will help me mentally as I get into longer distances because it breaks up the run into smaller, more manageable segments. At first, I worried that this would be cheating, but if a former Olympian uses this method, then a mom of two who has never run before can as well!

I am enjoying my new Garmin so much. It is very helpful with the interval training because it alerts me when it is time to run or walk. I don't have to focus on my watch, I can just enjoy the run. Truly, I can't believe how much I do enjoy running now!

Labels: Running

We had a wonderful Saturday! I started off the day with a 3 mile run (no one could have convinced me 6 months ago that I would like starting the day in this way). Then, we headed to my Favorite Boy's rec league baseball game. His team has been having a very rough season, but they got their first win today. They were so excited. I hope this win will give them a confidence boost and the encouragement needed to win a few more.

After the game, I went to another baseball field to meet up with a lifelong friend. Her son was playing in a tournament in our town. It was wonderful to have some catch up time. She's been my friend since we were four, and I so enjoyed talking with her and seeing her family.

Later in the afternoon, my Favorite Boy went to practice for his 8u tournament team. He just arrived home with a HUGE smile on his face. He hit the ball over the fence! I don't think he will stop smiling for a week. I wish I could have seen it, so I told him he will have to repeat his performance in a game next weekend!

We've had a fun day, and I am so thankful for my family and friends!

Labels: Family and Friends, My Favorite Boy

This week has been so surreal! If you haven't heard, Tennessee was hit with what historians are calling a 1,000 year flood over the weekend. There is devastation everywhere. Thankfully, all we lost was a computer to a lightning strike. The computer was on a surge protector, but the lightning came through the cable modem to the computer. I am hoping that my pictures and documents can be saved from the hard drive, but the loss of a computer is nothing compared to what others around us are facing.

The national media was very slow to take notice of the floods, but I am glad they are finally getting the images out there. If you have seen the pictures, you know the damage is unbelievable. It's Katrina-like in some ways: deaths, extensive flooding (some homes were ripped off their foundations by the swift-moving water, thousands of others were completely submerged), over a thousand boat rescues in Nashville alone, people in shelters, etc... The damages are estimated to be around the billion dollar mark, and so many people need help. Tennesseans are known as volunteers and for helping each other, but national media attention will bring much needed relief monies from around the country as well. Since many of the flooded homes were not in known flood plains, thousands of home-owners are facing the damage without flood insurance.

Roads, businesses, and services are slowing reopening, and of course, people are trying to return to normal activities. Sadly, it will be a while before many people can do that. Please keep the flood victims in your prayers!

Labels: General

In the last 24 hours, we've had about 12 inches of rain in our area. If you haven't seen pictures on the national news, you can check out our local news at wkrn.com. Interstates have become rivers with cars and buildings floating down them. The images are unbelievable.

Yesterday morning, my Favorite Boy's ballgame was cancelled, and we decided to head to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville for some rainy day fun. We had a wonderful time (it wasn't until we were on our way home that we realized how bad the situation was getting), and I am posting pictures of our fun times below.

This morning, we made it to worship for an abbreviated service, but the crowd was small. I am sure that schools will be cancelled Monday. By tomorrow, it should be sunny and the waters will recede. My Best Girl prayed for rain last week, and she has now declared that she will never pray for rain again!

Here are a few things we enjoyed at the Adventure Science Center. Finding our house on a satellite screen:

My Favorite Boy trying out an interactive sports exhibit:

Fun in an ambulance:

Learning about living with disabilities:

Labels: Family and Friends, General