Pack, Unpack, Repeat

And now to blog about something that won't embarrass my spouse. "General happenings" sounds innocuous enough. Here's a little update:

This summer we have traveled around like crazy people. Since coming to Central City in late April, we have driven to and from Louisville 5 times, usually to stay for the weekend. It's like we never left! We drove to Florida in June, and then really started trippin' in July. Yes, trippin.

On July 1st, we took a trip to Columbus where we spent 3 days cleaning and painting our new condo. With a lot of help from some wonderful family members, we were able to paint the kitchen, dining and living areas, basement, upstairs bathroom, all three bedrooms, STAIRCASE and TRIM (those were big, big jobs), leaving only the downstairs bathroom to complete. It was a lot of work, but when we were done, it felt so good! Sometimes I think our cushy lives cheat us of satisfaction and character building by not offering enough hard work...but that's neither here nor there. Our new place looks so much better and we can't wait to live there. Pictures to come.

A few days later, we drove to Louisville from whence I departed for Oklahoma with my sister Susanna who was moving there. We rented a van, loaded all her things and started out on the 12-hour drive. We left Thursday morning and I returned Saturday night, so I spent Friday seeing my mother, grandparents, aunt and uncle. We celebrated my birthday in Enid, then I took a trip (trip within a trip, Inception style) to my grandparent's farm in Omega.

Pulling into their driveway and looking out into the pasture where we always played as kids brought back a flood of memories. That's the special thing about a grandparent's house - they change so little, the sights and smells can snap you right back to childhood as if you'd never left. At any rate, I had a hard time saying goodbye that night, but needed to get home to my own little family in Kentucky.

Another 12-hour drive and I was back to Louisville Saturday night. SO good to see my guys! The three of us drove home to Central City Sunday evening, where we started the unpack, do laundry, re-pack routine.   Thursday morning we set off for Atlanta with Andrew's entire family. We had planned this trip months prior in order to attend the temple there (where Andrew's family was sealed), see some sights, shop and spend time together. It was a lot of fun!

The women and children ended up at the mall a couple times while the men went to eat HUGE meals at the Vortex (as seen on Man vs. Food) and a really good Brazilian Churascaria ($20 for an all-you-can-eat lunch of meat, meat, and more meat). Being on my own with crazy Asher made me resort to gimmicks like 75-cent mechanical toy rides and renting a stroller shaped like a car.

Asher and Aubrey riding the ice cream truck

What a little stinker

Fun at the pool

Spl-Asher

We were home Sunday night, and while performing the unpack, laundry, re-pack routine, had a few days to simmer in a bubbling pot of anxiety before our big move to Columbus last weekend. Yes, we (and by we, I really mean me; Andrew acted like a total pro) were nervous about how everything would work out, but in the end, the weekend went very smoothly. This, of course, was thanks to the help of others and the grace of God. We had so many wonderful men turn out on very hot days to help us load and unload, and my in-laws came and worked like dogs to help unpack and set up. In the end, it was unbelievable how much progress we made on the place! Here are a few before and after pics from our main floor:

Before:

After:

The tiny kitchen before:

And after:

We'll post more when we have time. Right now, I need to go start packing for our next excursion: the 3rd Annual Steele Family Campout. Tomorrow we'll be meeting Andrew's extended family up in the Ft. Knox area for a weekend of rugged outdoor fun. Just kidding, this year there's a pool and an indoor sleeping option, so it won't be as hardcore. At any rate, we're really looking forward to seeing everyone!

I'll level with you, though. As much fun as this summer has been, we're getting tired of trippin. Being settled will feel like heaven! We'll be living and working in Kentucky until Andrew starts school in September, and when we finally get to Columbus for good, by golly, we're not going anywhere.

:)

Male Model

So our beloved Andrew has become a model.

 Not really, but sort of. He is working for a company specializing in outdoor gear, and they've had him help out by modeling their products. I love that I can go to Amazon, search Rutwear and then boom - there is Andrew, decked out in camo, looking uncomfortable. The whole affair isn't so much a source of pride, as a source of comedy. His pictures have given us a lot of laughs!

 Here's a sampling of his work...you'll see what I mean.

Blue Steel

Pretending to lure water fowl...

Makes me want that jacket.

Just missing the rebel flag and a Git 'R Done sticker



Who doesn't love a man in waders?

Don't answer that.

Happy

         

Sad

After the gun, a hunter's fanny pack is his most important tool.

  

Then there's this...

And this...

Okay, so that's not really him, but I wish it was.

And finally, from his early work - the famous poncho shot.

OH SNAP!! Bahahahaha....
If Andrew ever runs for public office, let's hope these don't surface.

F to the LORIDA!

Because "Fun in the Sun" is overdone.

Imagine spending an entire week in Florida with your family. Well guess what? We totally did that. I know. And it was awesome, too.

We arrived in Panama City Beach Saturday evening, where we would vacation with Andrew's family. The next day, Andrew, Asher and I drove to Destin to stay a couple nights with my big sister Liz, her husband Rich, and their two little boys. They just moved from Phoenix, AZ, to Galveston, TX for Rich's anesthesia residency... I've been sad knowing they are still too far for frequent visits, so it was unbelievably good to see them. Their condo was gorgeous! We had so much fun swimming, talking, laughing and watching the boys play together. Cried when we left.

The rest of the trip we spent in PCB with Andrew's fam. We hung out on the beach, swam, fed ducks and turtles at the lake, shopped, played games and ate great food. It was a baalast! Honestly, you just can't go wrong with these people. When we're together, it's always a good time.

Here is a peek at our trip in pictures:



The beautiful Harris clan

Asher, Wes and little Kent

Oh, boys  :)

Chasing waves

Love those big, black eyes

Andrew's twin sister Ali, her husband Bryan and baby Henry.

I know, they're total eye candy.

Kim, Abby and Joey. We love them so!

Because, hello - they're breathtaking. Nice, Abby!

Maybe someday I'll get over this sweet face, but today is not that day.

Memorial Day Weekend

Our Memorial Day Weekend was filled with grilling out, corn hole, cute kids, homemade ice cream and family wiffle ball games. We are so thankful to live in a country where we can enjoy times like these freely!

Asher and Aubrey rocking the Power Wheels.

I'm jealous...total unfulfilled childhood fantasy.

 "Nobody messes with the Saw Blade."

We have started playing wiffle ball every weekend at Andrew's grandmother's house. Lately it's been a lot of hot, muggy, mosquito-bitten fun. Here are pics from our memorial weekend game.

Coin toss

Holding it down in the outfield...kind of. This picture captures Asher performing his both despised and adored "No, no, no", complete with finger wave. I need to be more careful with what I teach him.

Sweet face

The group



Big and Small

I don't know how else to put this, so I'll just come out and say it: Asher is crazy.

I, of course, mean that in the best of ways - the sweet child is extraordinarily active. He climbs, he runs (I mean RUNS), he dances. He investigates everything, which is really just my nice way of saying he gets into every drawer, container, closet, and cabinet, empties its contents, then moves on in search of old food bits that have fallen to the floor.  I'll admit, it frazzles me sometimes.

His absolute favorite thing to do is play outside - looking for rocks, throwing balls, scaling the riding lawn mower, playing around inside the cars. He frequently crawls in the stroller and looks at me expectantly until I push him around the block. I don't mind, because he is actually holding still in one place.

 At Great- Granny's house wishing he could play ball with the big boys

Last Tuesday, Asher took a fall down the stairs. It was horrible. When the poor little guy finally calmed down and we ascertained he was bump and scrape free, we put him down to walk. To our dismay, he started collapsing when he put weight on his right foot. It wasn't swollen, but he continued to limp around on it. All of a sudden, I was desperate to have our wild, active toddler back.

Long story short, nothing was broken.  He'd just twisted his ankle, so we wrapped it and released him back into the wild. The limp only lasted for a day or two. Suddenly, it was a huge blessing to see him back to his old, busy self. What a good lesson in gratitude and perspective.

We're so thankful to our Heavenly Father who constantly teaches us, and watches over all of his children, big and small.

And we're extra grateful for our crazy Asher.

Sweet crip

 

Of course it's real

Brand New Baby

We're missing our baby boy.

Well, it's mostly me missing, but Andrew does too. We've come to realize each stage has its own challenges and rewards, and while 16-month-old Asher has gotten increasingly fun and we love him more each day, nothing beats the cuddly sweetness of a newborn.

....Is this what convinces people to try for another?

Well, until we're officially ready, we'll just have to reminisce. Here's a little look back at our family when Asher was still brand new.




* I prefer to watch this with the sound off so I can focus on how precious baby Asher is without being annoyed by the sound of my own voice. Try it that way.

The Mini

Last Saturday I ran my first mini marathon. What an experience! At 13.1 miles, it was the farthest I've ever run in my life. It was hard, but felt really good to accomplish.

The back story is this: Not too long ago I caught myself eating ice cream while reading Women's Health. I realized my love of fitness is hard to reconcile with my even greater love of food. It's a tough balance to achieve.

 

Thanks for the visual, internet clip art

I enjoy exercising, but my efforts have usually been fairly casual. I wanted to push myself. I have a few friends who had done or were doing the half marathon, so in January I made a goal to run it, signed up and started training. Still too casually, but training, nonetheless.

The night before the race I was too nervous and keyed up to sleep. I had come down with a cold and worried about breathing through my nose the next day. I felt unprepared. My goal had been to finish the course in 4 hours, but I was scared I wouldn't finish at all. I said a series of very serious prayers. When morning finally came, I had a bowl of oatmeal, chugged a Gatorade,  donned my 7-year-old Nike's and anxiously headed out. 

I told you it was hard, and it was. But as I ran, I found myself really enjoying the experience. Imagine - the sun shining, people on all sides cheering you, drum lines playing, and 15,000 sets of shoes pounding the pavement. We ran through downtown Louisville and all the way to Churchill Downs where we were able to run around the infield. I kept myself jogging at an easy pace most of the way, but really started to feel it around mile 10. Mile 13 went on forever. Finally I saw the finish line and sprinted down the last leg. What an incredible feeling!

I finished at 2:36, and want to try for 2:15 next time. If this is what accomplishing a goal feels like, I need to set more and get to work!

Downtown Louisville. We ended the race there on the Great Lawn

The face of a true champion.

Just kidding.