The joys of living ITP (Inside the Perimeter)

Today was T-shirt Sunday at Martha Brown United Methodist Church. We have attended MB since waking up late one Sunday morning four and a half years ago. (It was the only church we could make it to in just five short minutes before the 11:00 a.m. service.) We love it for lots of reasons. . .the people, the historical building, its love for the community, the special services, the best pastor in the history of churches, and of course, the convenience of it only being slightly less than a mile from our house.

This morning was t-shirt Sunday, so Annika and I got up early, dressed in our t-shirts and jeans, and walked/rode to Sunday School. We have this Jeep Stroller that totally rocks our world! Annika loves it , it's perfect for running, and it plays our iPod through its speakers! This was a purchase that I had to talk Geoff into since we already had a "perfectly good stroller". However, it has more than paid for itself since we bought it. We use it to haul Butterbean, along with toys, bags, and even our drycleaning to and from the village.

(Ours is orange.)

Anyway, this morning as Annika and I strolled to church and greeted our fellow neighborhood early risers, I was reminded of how much I love living in a community where I can enjoy a leisurely walk to church with my chatty Butterbean.

(For the record, Geoff skipped Sunday school, but he drove and joined us at church!)

Blog Edit** We just topped off the perfect EAV day by taking a family walk to Holy Taco to enjoy the yummy guacamole!

East Atlanta Village life is for me!

Travels

He's back! Geoff finally returned from his two week trip to Puerto Rico last night. Annika was thrilled to see him, even in her sleepy stupor. She was even more excited when she realized he was still here this morning! She caught up on a lot of hugs, giggles, and snuggles.

Daddy's empty suitcase provided a lot of entertainment this morning, too. As you can see, she is ready to travel!

We hope she stays this excited for the looooong plane ride we'll have in July when we travel to Norway!

Marathon Mommy

All of the time, effort, training, blisters, and Saturday mornings resulted in success!

26.2 MILES

Grace, Robin and I finished the race and lived to tell about it.

The most difficult task I've ever tackled.

(Yes, that includes giving birth. But then again, I had a C-section.)

The first part of the race was terrific, but miles 13-20 nearly killed me. In the end, during those last six (don't forget the point two) miles, it came down to Mary Mary songs playing on the iPod while I praised God for the lessons he had taught me about commitment over the past few months.

It was a very humbling experience, indeed.

His Grace abounds, even on a hot and sweaty Nashville afternoon.