Pilgrims at Oak Ridge

Has everyone already gotten on pinterest ? It's my new favorite website/time waster/ social media application. As a very visual person, I love being able just to look at all the beautiful photos everyone is sharing. Let me know if you want an invite. And you can get it one the iPhone, and so have a little amusement to use when you are waiting (or perhaps when you are procrastinating....). A sobering read about the realities of sex selective abortion. Two interesting photography links, both somewhat related: The Ghosts of WWII - a series of photographs of modern Russia blended with shots from the same sights during WWII. Very intriguing. (HT - challies ) Dear Photograph - a similar concept, but this is individuals doing the same sort of thing. There is a beautiful wistfulness about these photos that greatly appealed to me. (HT - MJ )

I was too lazy and impatient yesterday to wait while the computer uploaded more photos (a somewhat slow process) so here are a few more shots from our time:

We were only in NYC for about 36 hours, but we still managed to cram a lot in. Day 1: Central park, the metropolitan museum of art, lunch at a place called Little Brown , Yankee Stadium and a yankees game, and then Judah was all done. Day 2: Tasty breakfast, central park zoo, South Street Sea Port, lunch from a greek food truck , Staten Island Ferry, Ground Zero, Snack at Momofuku milk bar , Walk through Times Square, then the bus ride back to NJ. Whew. It is almost cruel to only go there for 36 hours since there is so much to do. I think next time we go I'd like to mostly just hang out in the Village, and maybe go up the Empire State Building. Judah's favorite part: the seals at the zoo and the pigeons, which were everywhere. Jeff's favorite: the ferry and the met Aubrey's favorite: the met and the central park zoo (More photos to come!!)

I was a bad daughter and wife this father's day. Being on vacation so long made me totally space on getting any kind of gift or card. So, here's a little tribute, a day late and a dollar short. I am incredibly blessed to be the daughter of one wonderful father AND the wife of another. Both men have taught me a lot. Here's just a sampling: Wisdom learned from my dad: 1. When you push in the brake, you also have to push in the clutch. 2. There is a right way and a wrong way to hold a needle driver. 3. Don't worry so much about the first deer you see when driving, worry about the second one you don't see. 4. If you add two or three cups of cold water to the ice around the ice cream churn, it'll freeze faster. 5. Lean back and bend your knees when you are trying to get up while water skiing. 6. You are never too old to wakeboard. 7. Ultrasound is a really, really cool technology. 8. Don't knock your snow skis together on the lift. They might fall off...

A big reason why we went on vacation at all was to spend some time visiting with Jeff's family. Since much of my extended family is close, I feel like we get to see them fairly frequently, but Jeff's family is further away and so we just don't see them nearly as much. It was wonderful spending so much time with them. We stayed with Jeff's grandmother, who took great care of us. Judah loved getting to see his great grandmother again. We also visited with two of Jeff's aunts and uncles as well as some cousins. I think for Jeff the best part was just learning more about his family history. We talked a lot with Grandma about some of her family memories. His great grandfather was born and raised right there in Manhattan, and worked in the city as an engineer helping to build the 8th Ave subway. He moved his family out to New Jersey after he had kids, like so many other families at that time. Grandma went to the University of Alabama for college, getting a degree in ...

Admission: I feel like I didn't take enough pictures on this vacation. I guess when your hands are busy herding the newly-walking 14 month old and carrying all the stuff he requires, there just isn't one left to do it. The first part of our recent vacation was to Virginia Beach, where our denomination was having its annual general assembly. This is mostly a business meeting to discuss and vote on issues that arise, but also a time for fellowship and networking. We did get to do some of both, meeting up with good friends several times. Jeff also got to talk to lots of different people to find out what opportunities are out there. Every night there is a worship service, and I was excited to hear Tim Keller preach live and in person. Jeff, I think, was excited to "talk shop" a bit. Most of our friends here in Greenwood are in the medical community and Jeff is often stuck listening to us all blather on about this or that medical condition. I was glad he could finally...

Wow. I didn't expect to be away from the blog for quite so long. But when you are on a fun vacation, staying with someone who doesn't have internet (can you imagine?), such is life. Honestly, it was sort of nice to be away from everything here for a few days. I didn't read any blogs. I didn't even think about anything medically related. More about the rest of the trip soon, but I'm thankful to say that the three long driving days we had actually went pretty well, even with a 14-month old. Yesterday, my son did yet another thing that just killed me. We were taking a long dinner break and before we got back in the car to go, we let him stand in the driver's seat. Here he is, pretending to drive, all while making his adorable little car noise: Then, I kid you not, he tried to adjust the mirror. I'd say he hasn't quite figured out how to use the mirror to his best advantage. And finally, he even tried to turn on the radio. Where doe...

My second attempt at shorts for Judah: Slightly larger than the last, and I added pockets. I'm diggin' these.

We are enjoying some vacation here in Virginia Beach. Of course, he went to the beach last year , ( twice actually!) but that was in his still mostly a blob stage. This year it is lots more fun. Judah LOVED playing with the sand. He also, of course, took a bite, just so he could compare it to the taste of regular garden dirt which he has sampled several times. Since he didn't cry but actually seemed to swallow, I'm thinking he prefers sand to garden dirt.

Another video, this time, visible proof that our boy's gone mobile.

A video! For those curious - Judah is taking his bath and I am pouring water from a jug into the tub. Clearly, I am a comedic genius.

1. I diagnosed my first case of chicken pox the other day. Which is kind of funny because a disease that was once a rite of passage is now so rare that it actually seems kind of cool when you see it. I've definitely seen chicken pox before - seeing as how I had them once upon a time, and remember when one of my younger siblings got them, but I just have never diagnosed them before. I can't prove that's what this patient had, but seeing as the rash looked like the classic description and this guy had never had them before, I'm pretty sure.  2. I've decided it's definitely not a sewing project until I've used my seam ripper. I am physically incapable of completing something without having to take out at least one seam. (Yes, this means that more projects have been completed. Photos to come.) 3. Today, while I was ripping out a seam (see above) I caught about 10 minutes of the show So You Think You Can Dance . The best part? Hearing someone say, "I...

Two favorite comestibles right now: 1. What I like to call my ABCD-LT sandwich. Ingredients: Avocado, Bacon, Cucumber, Dill (fresh), Lettuce, and Tomato. Mixing some fresh dill and lime juice into mayo and smearing a little inside is also excellent. 2. It has taken 30 years, but I am finding myself obsessed with sweet tea. I know, I know. As a lifelong southerner, I should have been obsessed long before now. But what can I say? I just didn't love it. This is how I make mine:       a. Place 3 family size tea bags (regular or decaf, it's up to you) in a pitcher of your choice.       b. Pour 4 cups of just boiled water on top and let the bags steep for 3-5 minutes.       c. Then add 2/3 -3/4 c. splenda or sugar (since I don't like to drink my calories, I prefer splenda) and stir until dissolved.       d. Add another 4 c. cold water.       e. Pour into glas...