My First Full Marathon

I did it!  I ran my first full marathon.  I ran in the Disneyland Half-Marathon a few years ago while we were living in California.  Yesterday, I participated in the PF Chang Full Marathon here in Phoenix and I completed it with the time of 4:53:13.  My goal was to finish in four and half hours but the last six miles were brutal.  I'm happy that I made it in just under five hours. 

I appreciate all the support of family and friends.  Linda and the kids came to cheer me on.  I can't tell you how much it meant to have someone on the sidelines encouraging me on.  I also appreciate my friends at Arizona CityFest for sponsoring my run.  The CityFest is the Luis Palau event that is coming to Tempe Town Lake on March 19-20.  I want to thank all the people from New Hope Community Church in Gilbert and the many others who pledged their support by giving money to CityFest.  Lastly, I want to thank all the volunteers who cheered the runners on along the way.  Again, I can't tell you how much it meant to have someone standing on the side saying, "You can do this" even if that person is a complete stranger.  I passed one woman on the sidewalk who kept saying, "You can do this runners!" as we all slowly (and I do mean slowly) ran by her.  I asked her, "How about those of us who stopped being runners a few miles ago and we are now just staggerers?"  She smiled and said to me, "You can do it too!"  I asked one of the many police officers if he was picking up hitch-hikers and taking them to the end.  He too smiled and told me that he wasn't allowed.


Even though at the end of the marathon I vowed to never do it again and even though it took me the rest of the day on Sunday to recover, this morning I'm not so sure.  I feel pretty good and it was a lot of fun.  I like running everyday and it's nice to have a goal in mind.  My sister, Karen, who has run in many marathons is already talking about doing the PF Chang Marathon with me next year.  Who knows?

Why I don't still live in Michigan

This is picture of Michigan's first 'big snow' of the season sent to me by a friend of a friend.  People from back home usually send me these pictures and then ask, "So, do you ever think you will move back to Michigan?"  I do miss family and friends and I do miss the four seasons.  But...well, how can I say this...when I asked a man in church one morning why he moved to Arizona from the north, he said, "I got tired of shoveling snow, so I strapped a snow shovel to the top of my car and drove south until someone asked me, 'What is that?' and then I knew it was time to stop driving and stay." The man settled here in Gilbert.

Some very good friends from Kalamazoo, Michigan came to visit us for the last few days of October, Jim and Lori Gasaway.  We had a wonderful day kayaking in Canyon Lake, just 30 minutes from our house.  As a comparison picture to the one above, I submit to you this picture.  This is the typical 'winter weather' that we need to 'suffer through' on a daily bases.  Anyone want to come and visit us in Arizona?

But, don't come in the summer or you will be like this Arizonan ice cream truck!

Visit to Santa Cruz

Last week our kids had fall break and we went up to see our oldest son, Adam, at UC Santa Cruz.  Joshua, our seven year old, heard us talking about our trip and he thought that we were going on a cruise.  He was disappointed to learn that we were going to a city called Santa Cruz instead of going on Santa's Cruise.  He expected presents and reindeer and Christmas cookies.  Zachary, our nine year old, was disappointed when we visited the Golden Gate Bridge and he realized that it wasn't golden at all; instead, it was the color red.  I posted his reaction on Facebook and a friend responded, "The bridge is red because it was left out in the rain." 

We had a good time with Adam.  He wanted his keyboard and the matching leather chairs I had in my previous office.  He gets along well with his roommates and likes his classes.  He continues doing website development for various people and he now has a job doing it for the university.

We love the church that God has called us to in Gilbert, AZ.  New Hope Community Church is a healthy congregation with a passion for outreach, discipleship and service to the community.  On October 4, we canceled our morning worship services in order to perform service projects in the community.  One group went to clean up a park, another went to clean the yard of an elderly person, another went to a nursing home, another took lunches to homeless persons and ate with them, another group stayed at the church and made blankets for the Indian reservation, and my group went to a home for teenage girls and we planted gardens.  There were so many groups that I can't list them all.  We had a good time and the congregation can't wait to do it again!

A Week of Firsts

This has been a week of firsts.
* Yesterday was the first time that the high temperature was below one hundred degrees since we arrived in July. It was the first time the pool temperature went below eighty-four degrees (it was still 80 degrees this morning at 6:00 a.m.).
* It was the first time my kids went to All Stars for Jesus at church and they absolutely loved it (they told me that they can't wait to go back next week). All Stars is a fantastic youth program for the kids where they do many service projects in the community.
* This week we also sent our first son away to college for the first time.
* This morning I was considering wearing my jeans to the office which would be the first time I didn't wear my shorts and flip-flops. But, I decided it is still too hot for me; today we are supposed to have a high of only 97. Arizonians are beginning to say, "Well, it's beginning to cool down a little. Isn't the weather getting nice?"
* On Saturday I am thinking about taking the kids for their first hike in the Arizona wilderness. I hope we don't see our first diamondback snake or our first scorpion.
We are having a lot of fun in Arizona and we are enjoying the sun shine.

Son Off to College

My oldest son is off to college. He is attending the University of California in Santa Cruz. The campus sits up in the Redwood trees, overlooking Monterey Bay, about 30 miles south of San Jose. The temperature stays in the mid-60s to the mid-70s all year around. You can almost see the surfers from his dormitory. He keeps telling me that he will just be another poor suffering college student. Yeah right!

I will truly miss him. I will miss his persistent explanations of how computers work and the latest, greatest news about the internet (of which I never understood a word he was saying). I will miss his opinions and observations about politics and religion. I will particularly miss our theological discussions. And most of all, I will miss his constant encouragement. He would always tell me how proud he is of me right when I needed it the most.

Even his younger sister and brothers will miss him. They were all sad to see him go this morning.

Adam, your mom and I are so proud of you and we love you.