Labor Day Weekend

Continuing all the spoiling that has been happening in the last few weeks, my great-grandmother treated Andrew and me and the rest of the family to dinner at Oak Ridge's Flatwater Grill.  The problem is that it was for her birthday.  Her birthday.  Her treat.  Papaw Johnny decided that's the way this family would be handling things from now on.  On your birthday, you take everybody else out to eat.  Hey, you get to pick the restaurant, so it's only fair.  Thanks Mama Ese!  I definitely recommend the fried shrimp and the birthday brownie dessert.  

MaryAnn, Papaw Johnny, Carl (yes, he is really that tall), Mama Ese, and Mary Lou.

I'm still trying to talk her into going to Europe with me next Summer.  She just has to see Paris.

The whole crew minus photographer Carl.

Dad giving me the cold shoulder after I told him I didn't particularly enjoy The Shack.  Sorry, Dad.

After peeling myself out of bed Saturday morning, Rachel and I hit the pavement for our weekly long run.  We were doing another 6-miler.  No problem, right?  We both did it on our own last week.  Well, around mile four I began having trouble breathing.  Rachel said it kind of sounded like an asthma thing - shallow breathing.  So, we stopped, I sat for a minute, then we started walking, and I thought I was ready to start running again.  Not even 10 yards later, we were forced to stop again, but for a different reason.  

Let me try to set the scene.  We are running on Cumberland right under the overpass.  Just as we stepped on the railroad tracks, I heard a train.  Not in an off in the distance kind of way, but in a step-on-it, you-are-about-to-be-hit-by-a-train kind of way.  I'm ashamed to say my first reaction was, "Oh S***!"  I scared Rachel to death, and her more appropriate reaction was "Jesus!"  (At least one of us was calling on the giver of life in this life threatening moment.)  

It turns out that the train was just behind us on the bridge, but for a few moments, I thought my life was over.  Mix that with the shallow breathing incident, sunny 85 degree weather, and my body just couldn't take anymore.  We doubled over in laughter for a few seconds, then everything started spinning, then it went black, and I went to my knees on the sidewalk of Kingston Pike (a.k.a. Knoxville's most traveled road).  Needless to say, this was all quite embarrassing, but Rachel did tell me later it looked like I was praying.  Maybe repenting for my earlier reaction.  My favorite running partner then sprinted to the nearest gas station and brought back an cup of ice cold refreshing water.  So I ruined our long run because we had to walk the lasts two miles (Sorry Rachel), but at least we have Labor Day to make up for it.  So much for sleeping in!  I'm getting out before the heat tomorrow!  Check my training stats on the left to see if I make it!

Knoxville's Best Sweet Tea

Today my sophomore honors students conducted a tasting of sweet tea to find out which restaurant in Knoxville serves the best.  I got the idea after reading an article called "Sweet Tea: A Love Story" in the July/August issue of Garden and Gun.  Yesterday we did a close reading of the article, and today we voted on the best sweet tea.  Their homework for the long weekend is to write a review.  We have a few contacts at the Knoxville News-Sentinel, so I am hoping the best one will get published.  Don't you think that would be valuable information for Knoxvillians?  I will definitely let you know if that happens!  These kids are absolutely wonderful!  Here are the results.  

1st Period:

• ***** McDonalds with 94 votes
• **** Chick-fil-A with 91 votes
• *** Bojangles with 60 votes
• ** Chintzy Rose with 50 votes
• * McAlisters with 34 votes

3rd Period:

• ***** Bojangles with 97 votes
• **** Chick-fil-A with 91 votes
• *** McDonalds with 77 votes
• ** Chintzy Rose with 58 votes
• * McAlisters with 53 votes

I made madeleines because we discussed Marcel Proust, a French novelist, who wrote about how this French treat brought back memories of his family.  

I poured 250 cups of tea today.

My room was a sticky mess by the end of the day.

Just look at them working.  Quite a studious bunch.

If I am guessing correctly, they are thinking: "How on earth can I describe this tea any differently than the last one.  Ummm, strong tea flavor, extremely sweet..." 

Anybody want to chime in? Which is your favorite? I was sick to my stomach after tasting the first two in first period. Being a water-only drinker, they all just tasted like syrup.

Treadmill Torture

3 days without running + 2 days of rain = 30 minutes of treadmill torture

I hate the treadmill.  I hate the treadmill.  I hate the treadmill.

Whew.  Thanks.  I'm feeling better already.

Baby #6 Is Here!

Avery, Izzy, Sofie, Emma Grace, Lucy, and now Katelyn have all arrived to join the Cole and McAffry families. Katelyn made her way into the world on August 24th at 2:15 AM. She is 7 pounds 4 ounces and makes Emma Grace, only two months old, look so big. It's amazing how fast they grow.

She seemed to be wringing her hands constantly.  Uh oh.  Hope she's not a worrier like her Aunt Sarah.

Uncle Andrew was pretty hot and sweaty after this.  Holding day old babies just isn't his thing.  His comfort zone is throwing kids in the air to catch balls off of the roof.

I don't know if I have ever seen Maddie happier.

It took less than two minutes for her to ask to hold her baby sister.

Maddie was so excited when Katelyn wrapped her tiny fingers around her hand.

I hope the vignette and blurry edges aren't too cheesy.  It just couldn't help myself.  It looks so much better than my SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera) shots.

It's amazing how content we can be just looking at a baby.

The new family of 4!  Congratulations!

I wonder how long this look will last...

Catching Up

• After mentioning several times on this blog that I think eating out is a waste of money, I must confess that I have eaten out four times in the last week.  Last Friday, Rachel's parents treated us to Bravo's Italian after we decorated for her husband Jason's surprise party.  I am not ashamed to say that I ate more than my share of bread, an entire plate of spaghetti and then half of the chocolate dessert.  Mmm mmm.  Delish.  The next night was Jason's 30 birthday bash at Nama.  Rachel went all out, so I thought I owed it to her to at least try the sushi.  Well, the fried version.  It was surprisingly tasty.  Fried soy joy with cream cheese.  I definitely see more of that in my future.  Monday, Andrew called me at lunch to tell me he was taking me out to El Chico's for dinner.  This might not sound like a big deal, but we never do that, so I was really excited.  He knew just what I needed...it was a rough day.  Then last night, Mom and Dad took the whole family to P.F. Chang's because Matt moved back up to ETSU today.  He'll probably be in town almost every weekend, but hey, it was an excuse to celebrate!  Anyway, I'm afraid I have been spoiled in the last week.  Looks like this week it's back to normal though.
• I have been conspicuously silent about school starting back up.  PHS has seen some changes, and I am trying to adapt.  To be completely honest, I have spent several lunch breaks looking for job offers.  These have been the most challenging two weeks of my career.  I have never prayed harder about my job.  God has revealed to me that this is where I am supposed to be though.  I am leaning on him to pull me through.  
  
• I will leave you with some family pics.  It is a big night for the McAffry's.  My sister-in-law Morgan is in labor as I write.  I hope to have pictures up tomorrow.

Two of my favorite subjects.

Nana getting some sweet baby time.

The day just isn't complete without some roof ball.

We had to sneak Andrew out of the house before the kids noticed he was gone.  Can you tell they enjoy their Uncle Andrew?

I love it when they don't look at the camera!  Melissa knows me well.

Maddie is staying with Nana and Gaga tonight while Mom and Dad are at the hospital.

"But I'm ready to see her NOW!"

This girl will always be the boss.  The others never had a chance.

"You mean I'm going to have some competition?"

Action Figure Jesus

Greg, I see your organic hair mayonnaise, and I raise you...

Action Figure Jesus!

If you can't read the fine print, he has "poseable arms and gliding action."  Mom and I found this at Earth to the Old City, ironically now in Market Square, and I tried not to offend the owners as I stifled my laughs and took a picture.  I hope Jesus is laughing at this too.

Born and Born Again

During our drive to Maryville this morning, Andrew and I observed first-hand why the Smokies are the Smokies.  I wish I had a picture of it, but I wasn't thinking of it at the time.  The fog around the foothills of the mountains was breathtaking.  Beautiful.  The day only got better from there as we celebrated Emma Grace's baby dedication and Audrey's baptism.

Not surprisingly, we were about 20 minutes early so I walked around taking a few pictures of the church.

The sweet man holding the door practically ran inside when he saw me taking pictures.  I'm guessing he was a little camera shy.

This girl loves her Uncle Andrew.

I swear this wasn't even posed.

My favorite moment of the day was just after we sat down in the church.  It was just Russ, Audrey, Andrew and me, and Audrey reached for the Bible in the pew.  She asked Andrew to find John for her.  He did, and she immediately found John 3:16.  She traced it with her fingers as she read it.  She knew exactly what her decision meant, and she got her heart ready for it by diving into the Word.  She truly ministered to my heart today.  Praise God for this little girl.

The whole family showed up to share in the big day.

The poor thing looked terrified staring out at the congregation.  Y'all know how I feel about water, right?  I'm quite positive it just wouldn't be a pretty scene for me to baptized this way.  Man, I'm glad I'm Methodist!

Getting ready for Emma Grace's turn.

Notice Russ's strong-hold of Jake.  He had been dancing around the front of the church while sucking his thumb.  Seriously, what was up with all the attention on the girls today?  He needed a moment in the spotlight.

You would not believe the cheeks on this baby.  Luscious.  Kissable.  Irresistible.

The Hotel Alcatraz shirt made me a little nervous.

We can't forget about Maddie.  Her baby sister should arrive in the next few weeks.  She is getting some good practice with Baby Emma.

Going Public

I just can't stop running. The knees are still killing me, but after taking most of the summer off for some serious tennis playing, I'm back. I remember having a conversation with Rachel where I said, "I am finished with running. My body just can't take it." Little did I know how addictive it was. We have officially planned our training schedule for the Oak Ridge half-marathon in November. One of the first steps in this kind of training is to go public with the information so you really can't back out. I am taking this one step further by documenting my training on the left so I will really be accountable for my workouts. I'm thinking the next step should be to buy new shoes and a new running outfit because that always makes running more fun!

Don't think I am getting obsessed or anything. Rachel and I just decided we really missed being able to eat whatever we want. I am looking forward to being able to do that once we get to our longer runs. Seriously, I can eat the house down - especially at Mom's for Sunday lunch after a 10 mile run on Saturday.

I have to give Rachel credit for being my fitness partner. We exercise together four to five times a week either running, playing tennis, or doing Pilates. When she was out of town this summer, I didn't know what to do with myself. Thanks Rachel for all of your encouragement. I couldn't do it without you!

Here is the video of my first half-marathon if you haven't seen it. One thing I am working on is trying to hold my shoulders back while I run. Really, somebody out there could have clued me in to the posture problem. Quite embarrassing. And Andrew will be getting some tutoring on video camera techniques before the next race, but nobody tops him in the yelling category. Hearing his voice is the best part of the video.

Crazy Bowl

Our new small group is on the third week of Beth Moore's Jesus, the One and Only. We have scheduled a girls' night out once a month until the end of the year, and last night was the first. Tamara had never been to Big Ed's Pizza so that was an obvious choice. I'm the only one who ate four pieces, and I didn't feel a bit guilty about it. Since Andrew was out of town, I thought I should honor him by eating about a third of what he normally consumes at Big Ed's. If you have never seen him in action at this place, just trust me, it is a sight to behold.

It will go against every urge in your body, but make sure you let it cool for a few minutes or your mouth will be charred for days.

The next stop was the bowling alley. For some reason, regular bowling just isn't exciting enough for my friends. This is the second time that our bowling outing has ended with "Crazy Bowl." Sounds fun right? Yes, until three of your students walk in the door pointing at you. I just might be blackballed from my small group because I refused to do the chicken dance bowl with my audience of former students. Just couldn't do it. I did, however, participate in tight-roll bowl, upside-down bowl, grapevine bowl, running-man bowl, spin-around-3-times bowl, and pretty bowl. Those of you who know me well know how out of my comfort zone I was with each of these. It took a little convincing, but I had a blast.

Really, how much would it cost to purchase a pair of bowling shoes?  I'm thinking it might be worth it.

The tight-roll: Perhaps one of the worst fashion trends ever as it makes everyone - no matter how thin - look like a balloon.  Notice I didn't actually take pictures of a whole person, just the feet.  They would have never posed for another picture.

Trying to catch my balance after a spin-around-3-times bowl.

As you can see, we are very serious competitors.

Guess who came up with grapevine bowl?  Yours truly.  It's the only thing I can do on a dance floor.  Gotta love the Electric Slide.

Somehow these two even made the running man bowl look cute.

Quite possible the best thing about cosmic bowling.  Wear white and your ghostly pale legs that actually made someone say, "Oh my, you are pale!", will look incredibly tan.

McAffry House - 7:15 A.M.

This makes it hard to leave in the morning...

Chapman Family

Most of you probably know about the Chapman Family's story over the last three months.  Their strength and faithfulness is a testament to the unfailing love of our God.  Don't miss their story on Good Morning America tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.  They will be on Larry King Live Thursday evening.  I will be watching tissue in hand.

Going Out With a Bang!

I really ended this summer right by taking advantage of tax-free weekend on Friday night at the outlets, going to the lake Saturday, and attending the Hargis wedding Saturday evening. What a weekend!

Rachel and I took the boat out early before the guys came up.  She amazes me.  She can do it all.  I, on the other hand, can't and don't really want to try.  She actually thought she could talk me into driving the boat so she could ski.  Are you kidding me?  It took me three hours in 90 degree heat just to get in the water--and that was only after we were a safe distance from what I'm sure are snake-infested shores.  Poor Andrew had to stay within 36 inches of me while I was in the water.  I spare you the details of the time my cousin almost drowned me in our pool (while the rest of my family laughed at what must have been an amusing sight) and the time I got trapped underwater in the ropes from the inner tube.  Suffice it to say I get a little nervous around the water.

The girl who can do it all trying to be patient with her friend who can't.

We rushed back from Norris Lake to get ready and be at the Marriott for the 5:30 wedding.  It was by far the most emotional wedding I have ever attended.  I don't know Amanda that well but am looking forward to some couples game nights in the future.  I have known Chuck since 1st grade when he had a rat-tail and a perm.  I can only get away with writing that because I know he doesn't read this!  Anyway, after Ty Mathews' poignant words about the church as the bride of Christ, Chuck and Amanda exchanged vows with each other and then with Camden, Amanda's son.  Add this to the still 90 degree heat, and you get me with a sweaty-teary mess of a face.

Camden and Chuck's neice, Madison.

What a good-looking pair!

As if exchanging vows with Camden wasn't enough, Chuck danced with Camden to Brad Paisley's "He Didn't Have to Be."  I looked at Angelina like, "Surely they aren't going to make us watch this."  I finally had to ask Chuck if we were finished with all the stuff that was going to make me cry because I only had traces of make-up left on my face!

Had Angelina worn the first dress she tried on, we would have attracted a few unwanted stares in our matching royal blue dresses.  Thanks for going with the black!

Who would have thought I would be the first to be ready while Andrew was the one trying on five outfits before finding the right one?  Never mind.  Nothing unusual there.