May 2018

If we thought it was nice that boards were over, the first two weeks of May were even better. Jed didn't have school for two whole weeks. We got so much done, we had so much fun and best of all Porter no longer thought Daddy was stranger danger. They had some wonderful bonding time.

We tried to make the most of our two weeks of freedom. We spent a lot of time rock climbing, hanging our with friends, playing tennis and pickle ball, going to Jed's classmates wedding, and hiking in eastern Tennessee.

The hike was very fun and rewarding. We took the dog with us, which was risky, because she had to stay in the car over night while we were in the hotel. We were afraid we were going to come back to a shredded vehicle but she was perfect. We hiked in Tracy City which is about a half hour out of Chattanooga. The hike was called the Fiery Gizzard and at one point it was ranked one of the top ten hikes in the US (not currently though). Still, it was gorgeous and so much fun. The part we did was ten miles and Porter was a champ. He didn't cry once and seemed to enjoy himself. We hiked along a small river with waterfalls almost the entire way. The summit was beautiful. Zoey was so good but by the end she was so tired we had to carry her up the last set of stairs to the car. There was a lot of technical footwork and scrambling over boulders that we think it got to her paws. It was such a fun experience. We loved it so much we are going back to the area to do a backpacking trip near Chattanooga in June. At the very end of the hike, not ten feet from the end of the trail, we encountered a harmless but very large black snake. We measured it to be over three feet, we couldn't see the end. I'm one to exaggerate, but this is no joke. I was so thankful we didn't see anything like that until we were done with the hike.

The next weekend we went the opposite direction and went camping with the Hill's in Arkansas. We went to Lake Ouachita. The water was clear and beautiful and the weather was perfect. When we first got to the camp site I sat alone holding our place and watched all the snakes swim in the water around us. I heard a crash on a nearby forest hill and looked over to see a flailing giant snake falling down the hillside. When Jed came back I told him we were leaving. Of course we stayed but I wasn't ok with the snakes. Luckily as more people arrived they left us alone. There was a family near us that were fishing for catfish. The man caught 10 catfish. One of the fish was about 30 pounds. It was so incredible I've never seen anyone fish the way he did. He would see a fish and then say, "I'm gonna catch that fish," and he would. The Hill's brought their paddle boards and we had a really fun time on the lake. Porter seemed to enjoy it even though he had to be in his giant life jack that he clearly hated.

Since about February I started training for the Great American Half Marathon. It was part of Memphis in May which is a large international festival that goes on during the entire month of May. Every Saturday celebrates something different, World's BBQ fest, Beale street music festival, 901 fest, etc. I was very excited to work toward something and the top three finishers got a cash prize. I thought I could for sure get top three, maybe even win it. I worked harder at running than I had worked on it since my college days. It was really fun and rewarding. Come race day I felt so ready. I was a little disappointed on how I did. I didn't feel like my time reflected how I had trained. I got third place, $250, so that was neat, but I totally could have gotten 2nd. The first place girl was from Kenya and ran so fast I didn't have a shot. It was still fun. Jed and Porter had been so supportive all the months leading up to the race and cheered loud during. Porter wore a t-shirt that said "go mommy go." That night we got free tickets to the 901 fest. We enjoyed a sushi burrito, hanging with classmates of Jed's and watching a spectacular firework show.

 As always, Jed and I celebrated Memorial day in style.All of our friends were asking us why we were wearing fourth of July shirts. Come on people! We went on a fun family bike ride at Shelby Farms, cleaned up the yard, played in the kiddie pool with Porter, and then went to the Park for a party with friends. I love this time of year!

I finished my last days of working with the Tonkins. They have been so kind to us the last three years and it was sad to say goodbye. It will be really nice to be at home with Porter though. Even though he was able to come with me, he still needs the consistent schedule that home can offer him and even in just a couple short weeks, Jed and I have seen a difference in him.