ex(PR)essed

What a great Thanksgiving holiday! On Tuesday night, Jeff and I hosted his parents and brother Tim overnight. Then, my parents arrived Thursday afternoon for the Thanksgiving festivities. It was great to see both sets of parents without having to travel at all. Love that!

I really like hosting my parents for Thanksgiving. Before I got married, it was our tradition to have Thanksgiving in central Pennsylvania and then go antiquing on Black Friday. It was nice to re-visit that tradition this year.

When my parents come for Thanksgiving, the day ends up being very relaxing. This year, I got up around 9 a.m., leisurely drank my coffee and read the newspaper, puttered in the kitchen, and spent some time in Clifford (our big red chair) admiring all of Martha Stewart’s holiday wonderfulness.

The meal all came together wonderfully, and we enjoyed every bite! After dinner, mom and I jetted off to Michael’s — they were open from 6-9 p.m. Thanksgiving night. It really wasn’t terribly crowded, and we enjoyed shopping around and gathering bargains. We also bought some necessary supplies for our button trees (more to come on that later).

On Friday, we enjoyed our annual Thanksgiving antiquing trip with Jim and Amy VanZandt.

We met them in New Oxford where we spent the better part of the day shopping for bargains. Somehow, we managed to leave without this beauty, although we all agreed it would look fabulous over my mantle. I mean, who doesn’t love a bull painted on velvet?

The other disturbing sight from our day of shopping? (Book lovers…brace yourselves.)

In our group was a librarian, retired elementary school teacher, and six avid readers. It pained us to see these books so carelessly strewn outside. It was clear that some had been wet and most were horribly abused. It was almost too much for us to take, and we purposefully looked away when passing by the second time.

Saturday was comprised of more antiquing and shopping…and making a button tree! I had seen these adorable button trees on my favorite non-family-member’s blog: Ali Edwards. Mom and I decided to take a try at making our own button trees. Now…it wasn’t the easiest or the least frustrating craft that I’ve ever embarked on, but I coudln’t be happier with the result! I was so button-happy that I attempted a second one yesterday, so I now have a pair. Too cute.

Now another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it’s onward to Christmas. Hard to believe that today is December 1! In the next 24 days, I have cards to write, cookies to bake, gifts to purchase and wrap, and a house to decorate. Whoa. I think we should all be given a mandatory sabbatical in the month of December…

He did it! Jeff completed the JFK 50 on Saturday in freezing temperatures and with a great attitude. What a day!

We got to our hotel in Hagerstown around 11 p.m. on Friday. We simply went to bed — we were both tired and anxious to get some sleep before the big day.

The alarm went off at 5 a.m., and we both bundled up. Jeff ate about half a bagel and drank a Naked Juice. We left the hotel around 5:25 a.m. to drive to the school in Boonsboro where the packet pick-up and pre-race meeting were. We got a decent parking place, picked up Jeff’s packet, and joined the hundreds of other runners in the gymnasium for last minute instructions. The race director reminded the runners of some important details and recognized race veterans — people who have competed in the JFK 50 for several years. It was impressive. A young man next to us stood as a veteran of this race and admitted he was trying to complete it in 6:45, a phenomenal time. (He met his goal, by the way!) At that point, Jeff was feeling relaxed and ready to go!

Then, we were off. The start line was probably 1/2 a mile or so from the school, so we began the brisk walk into downtown Boonsboro. This bank time-temperature sign was a popular stop-off for photos! It was cold!

We got to the start line just in time. By the time I walked the extra half block to find a spot along the road, the starting pistol had been fired, and the runners were off!

I quickly bustled back to the hotel to take a shower, dress in my warmest clothes, and eat some breakfast. Shortly before 9 a.m., I was back in the car and headed to mile 15, the first spot where I would see Jeff. At this particular location, the runners were coming down off the Appalachian Trail through a series of switchbacks. The small country roads that allowed us to get close to our runners were jammed full of cars, and I had to park at least 1/2 mile away. The walking actually helped keep me warm, so I really didn’t mind too much.

Jeff looked great at this point and seemed in good spirits. He was about 30 minutes off his desired pace, but I knew the AT portion of the race would probably be the most challenging in regards to terrain. I was thrilled that he seemed to be doing so well.

I saw him again at mile 27. By this time, the runners were on the C&O Canal, a dirt/gravel, completely flat towpath. At this particular juncture, I saw two runners fall. The first seemed to just collapse, but quickly bounced back up and kept going. The second, a young woman, lost her footing and fell down this stone embankment. Thankfully, she bounced up too, and when I saw her at the finish line many hours later, she was bawling. I’m thrilled that she finished, and she’ll have quite a story!

Jeff seemed to a little less enthusiastic around mile 27, and he mentioned that he was fighting a headache. I offered Tylenol at the next stop and he refused it. I was hopeful he would shake the headache because sometimes they can really knock him out.

I saw Jeff again on the C&O around mile 38. It was obvious at this point that the entire field of runners were feeling pretty spent. Almost everyone was walking. And, it was getting so cold. We were nearing the end of daylight and the natural warmth of the sun, and people were slowing. While I waited along the trail for Jeff, a runner actually asked me if I was alright! I was bundled to the max, but my knees were still knocking from the cold! How ironic that someone who had already run 38 miles was asking the girl who just got out of her warm car whether she was alright!

I saw Jeff again at mile 46. It was dark. And cold. And, I had gone all day without finding a place to eat or pee. I was losing my enthusiasm, and praying frequently for a good attitude. And, I was getting worried that Jeff’s pace would put him at risk for being swept off the course due to time limits before he finished.

Thankfully, my fears were unfounded! While waiting at the finish line, I heard the DJ announce 15 minutes until they cleared the course. My heart skipped a beat, and then, there he was! Eleven hours and forty-seven minutes later, and he was crossing the finish line, having completed his first 50-mile run! Wow!

I was amazed at how well he did afterwards — I was expecting the worst. Cramps, naseua, extreme fatigue. He was obviously beat, but he was in good spirits.

He commented, “My legs feel like they weigh 100 pounds each and my feet feel like ground hamburger.” Mmmmmm.

We got home around 9 p.m. on Saturday. Jeff immediately enjoyed a hot shower. I unpacked our bags, put on my jammies, and we both went to bed. We were exhausted (for very different reasons). Obviously, running that distance takes alot of you (like more than 7,000 calories and about three pounds), and navigating unknown roads and standing in the cold can be tiring in an entirely different way.

Two days post-race, and Jeff is taking the stairs a little slower and shuffling at times. But, overall, he is recovering very well, and I couldn’t be prouder. What an accomplishment!

For months Jeff has been talking about and preparing for the JFK 50, a 50-mile trail race that snakes through central Maryland. Now, here we are, less than 48 hours from the start and our house is bustling with preparations.

Jeff has been sharing detailed notes about his preparations on his blog. He’s worrying about things like hydration, temperatures, chaffing, and the like. Read all about it here.

I’m also busy preparing. You see, it’s no easy task to watch a trail race. So, there are limited opportunities to see him, unlike in the last two marathons he did when I was able to see him 10-12 times. If all goes well and I can self-navigate rural Maryland, I will see him five times at most. That means a lot of down time for yours truly, so I just wanted you to know that I’m also prepared. Here are my plans:

Hydration
Basically, my hydration plan for the day is quite simple: lots of coffee. Our day will start around 5 a.m. I’m hopeful that there will be plenty of Starbucks…er, I mean AID stations, throughout the day.

Temperatures
It’s going to be cold, no doubt. I’ll be wearing my Columbia shoes, wool hiking socks, brown pants, Under Armour long sleeve shirt, sweater, Columbia jacket, and gloves.

Chaffing
I don’t anticipate any, thankfully.

Plan of attack
First and foremost, don’t get lost. Next, scout out warm places to avoid sitting in an idling car all day. Third, address all the envelopes for this year’s Christmas cards. Fourth, read. Fifth, cheer for Jeff when he passes by and hopefully capture a photo or two. Sixth, maintain hydration and nutrition plan. Next, crack open my puzzle book. Repeat.

Seriously, I haven’t had the best attitude about this particular race. But, now that it’s only two sleeps away, I’m getting on board and looking forward to seeing the love of my life accomplish this incredible goal.

Both Jeff and I celebrated birthdays this week. While we didn’t do anything extravagant or out of the ordinary, we did enjoy receiving birthday greetings from family and friends and eating at a nice restaurant last night. Simply put, I had a great birthday, and here’s why.

1) A stack of cards waiting on the table for me when I got home from work on my birthday.

2) Three of those cards were from my parents, including a musical card from my dad that played “My Girl,” the song we danced to at my wedding. Though I’m not normally overly-emotional, I cried. It was such a sweet gesture.

3) Lots and lots of singing! Thank you Kim, Yon, Dwayne, Rachel, Mike, Susan, the OMPR team, and the youth group for serenading me on my birthday!

4) Perfect birthday cards — some with squirrels, some with Muppets, and some with wonderfully nice messages. Each thoughtfully chosen.

5) Cupcakes with sprinkles — mmmmmm!

6) Faceboook greetings from far and wide! This was my first birthday on Facebook, and I was floored by the number of friends that sent happy birthday greetings to me. Wow.

7) The most adorable earrings you’ll ever want to see! Thanks for the acorns, Jamie!

8) An ocassion to reflect — to be grateful for my 32 years of life, for the profound impact my parents have had on me; to celebrate having Jeff in my life for four years; and to eagerly look ahead and wonder what the next year will bring.

What a spectacular fall weekend! The weather was so fabulous that Jeff and I felt obligated to spend lots of time outside soaking up the warm, afternoon sun. Yesterday, we spent a few hours hiking the Appalachian Trail up Peters Mountain. The key word is UP. My calves were aching about 20 minutes into the hike, and my legs were trembling by the time we reached the peak, but these types of views made the hard work totally worth it.

We both spent so much time staring at the rock-strewn trail that we lamented that we had probably missed a great deal of beautiful scenery. On the descent we noticed a few squirrels (I love how busy they are this time of the year), a couple of eerily twirling leaves, and two trees completely stripped of their bark. I also noticed a single leaf stuck to the side of the tree and found the composition simply stunning.

After a thoughtful Sunday morning service, it was nice to spend the afternoon soaking up the creation that God so lovingly created for our enjoyment. I’m thankful to Him for the changing leaves, mammoth rocks, and trees that seem to stretch beyond my vision. And, I’m thankful too for the ache in my legs that reminds me that I drew a bit closer to Him.

Well, the alarm clock was a rude reminder this morning that vacation is over! Jeff and I had a wonderful week — lots of reading, sleeping, and just general lounging around. Here are just 10 things I want to tell you about my week.

1. I got to eat pumpkin ice cream twice. Love that.

2. I did a lot of sleeping, and I really like to sleep. For six days, I didn’t set an alarm clock or worry about what time to get up. As a matter of fact, for the portion of our vacation spent at Keuka Lake, it was warmer (by far!) to just stay under the covers. So I did.

3. I got reacquainted with my mountain bike. My Army green Trek mountain bike used to be my baby. Then Jeff came along. And then a red, faster, sleeker Trek came along, and, well, I’m afraid of mountain biking really. Jeff and I rode a bit in the woods behind my parent’s house. And, my mom and I used our mountain bikes to stalk, er…I mean encourage, Jeff during the marathon. We probably pedaled a total of 20 miles that Sunday morning, which allowed me the opportunity take these photos:

4. I like to read. Alot. I finished one good book on vacation, “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, and started another, “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett. One of my favorite moments was being spread out on the bench of a picnic table in the warm Friday sun drinking tea, reading, and dozing.

5. Hurricane Ike made a stop in Meadville. On Sunday night, we lost electricty around 8:30. Jeff and I laid in our room with flashlights balanced on our chest reading while the wind howled outside. I thought it was a bit creepy. Forced everyone to enjoy an early bedtime though. (Please see #2 for more on this topic.)

6. I climbed 800 stairs so that I could enjoy the wonder that is Watkins Glen. It was a cool, sunny day, and we enjoyed our climb up the gorge. The lighting made photography difficult, but I got a few shots worth sharing:

7. I can’t talk about visiting Meadville without talking about going to Pymantuning to feed the fish. This time the fish were all too deep, and the geese and ducks ate all our bread. Jeff was even brave enough to feed the seagulls by throwing bread into the air and watching them pluck it out of the sky. Mom and I just squealed and covered our heads in fear of an awful, unfortunate seagull accident that would leave one us with an unwanted present in our hair!

8. Ben. Ben who I babysit when he was only months old and is now a first-year student at Penn State. Ben and his brother and sister are like grandchildren to my parents. So, we were all so pleased that Ben was home for the weekend. Then, Jeff and I took a little State College detour on our way home yesterday so that we could take Ben his bike. In exchange, Ben took us to the Creamery! More ice cream…mmmmmmmmmm!

9. On Saturday, Jeff and I went to his cousin Angie’s wedding. First of all, kudos to the couple for chosing to get married in the Chautauqua Institution. That is one of my very favorite places, so I was thrilled to be on the grounds again, especially for such a happy occassion. Angie was a stunning bride. Truly. She was gracious and kind. And, sometime ask me about the special father-daugther dance. (Bring a tissue.)

10. Sadly, in the stack of the mail that was waiting for us was a note from the county. I’ve been summoned for jury duty. It’s official. I’m totally an adult. And, it’s definitely back to real life.

Happy Friday, friends! Greetings from a girl who is feeling pretty giddy about leaving for vacation tomorrow. Jeff and I are looking forward to a week of merry-making in western Pennsylvania and western New York. Once the business of the vacation is over — Jeff’s marathon on Sunday morning — it will be all about sleeping in, reading, relaxing with family and friends, shopping, and leisurely days.

My goals for the week are pretty modest: finish reading “East of Eden,” do some Christmas shopping, have a good visit with Jeff’s grandpa, and hike at Watkin’s Glen.

We’re taking our mountain bikes with us, which means that we’re driving the Element instead of the Civic. Who cares, you ask? We do. That means we have the pleasure of listening to XM in the car instead of shuffling through CDs and my MP3 player, which seems to have major trouble understanding the word “random.”

If I feel like it, I will post an update about the marathon next week. (I know Brandie will be waiting anxiously for a few photo of Jeff in an aluminum foil cape.) But, I will be on vacation (did I mention that?) so I’m not making any promises.

On Saturday, a dear childhood friend of mine, Sarah, married the love of her life in downtown Pittsburgh. Sarah and I have been friends since first grade. She and her family are a large part of many of my childhood memories, so it was a real joy to see her marry her best friend.

She was an absolutely stunning bride. And, she threw a fabulous party! I sat a table with many of my high school friends, marveling that 13 years after graduation, we would all still enjoy each other’s company so much. It was great to get caught up with Julie, Laurie, Heather, Lori, Jason, and Kim.

Plus, my cute parents were invited to the wedding, so we enjoyed seeing them. On Sunday, we took Jeff up the Mt. Washington incline for an incredible view of the city. Beautiful blue skies made for outstanding ogling!

Then, we spent the afternoon watching the Buccos get pummeled by the Brewers. At least it was a beautiful day for a ballgame! I especially enjoyed the free Pirates smiley face cookies handed out before the game by Eat-n-Park!

I really love the city of Pittsburgh, and I especially enjoy being there with my favorite people. My dad went to refrigeration school in the city, so it’s fun to be with him as he remembers his long, cold walk across the Seventh Street bridge in the winter and meals at a little downtown cafe. In college, I made some of my own Pittsburgh memories when I spent a summer interning at the Andy Warhol Museum on the northside. I truly always thought I would end up living and working in the city, but after sending 30+ resumes to organizations in the ‘burgh and never getting an interview, it was clear that God had different plans for me. So, I’ve made my home in a different ‘burg, and I don’t regret it at all!

Yep…the Sampson-Myers-Bertram-Lorow weekend escapade to Lancaster County was a huge success! As anticipated there was much giggling, eating, antiquing, and just general getting caught up with each other.

This weekend’s gathering is thanks to a little place called Lock Haven University, and two girls who both happened to live on the first floor in Russell Hall. When I met Jamie 13 years ago, I’m not sure that I would have thought that we would one day spend a weekend together with our husbands and our parents! But, God has blessed us both with wonderful families, and I love that when we’re all together it feels less like two separate families and more like one big happy one!

My cute Jamie is adorably pregnant. And, I mean adorable. So adorable that I was too distracted to take a single picture of her cute self. But trust me, she’s even cuter than usual.

I found myself wanting to photograph all the elements of Lancaster County that make it such an interesting place:

Don’t you love that stack of rolling pins? I couldn’t walk from that antique booth without taking a picture! And, jugs of homemade rootbeer? Delicious! Jeff and I definitely splurged on homemade rootbeer and sauerkraut while we were in Amish country. (He also splurged on a whoopie pie! Lucky duck!)

Everybody needs a Jeff, Dave, Linda, Jamie, Brad, Karen, and Jerry in their life!

It’s good to be back at work after a busy, exhausting Fourth of July weekend. Neither Jeff or I have family in central Pennsylvania (besides our much-loved church family at Immanuel), so we spend many holidays bopping from place to place to see our kin. This holiday weekend was an especially hectic example: Jeff’s parents and siblings were all in New York at Keuka Lake with his extended family, and my brother and his family from California were in Meadville visiting my parents. It made for a bit less than 1,000 miles of driving and much more togetherness than this introvert is used to, let me tell ya!

We left on July 4 for Canisteo, NY for a picnic at Jeff’s aunt Becky’s house. I adore Becky — she is one of the first Lorow relatives that I met, and she always makes me feel so at ease. We had a great time playing redneck golf and hanging out with myriad aunts, uncles, and cousins.

On July 5, Jeff ran a 15-mile trail race, and I went to a flea market with the rest of his family. Best Kettle Korn ever! We spent the rest of the day with another batch of aunts, uncles, and cousins…only this time they were all from his mom’s side of the family. That night, I hung out with two-year-old Hope, a sweet little girl that Joe and Molly adopted from China. She won me over in no time flat, and I had a great time playing with her and teaching her to count the boats on the lake.

On Sunday, we left in the afternoon for my parent’s house. We had see my mom and dad quite a bit over the past two weeks because of my grandfather’s funeral, but I never tire of spending time with them. I was delighted to pull into the driveway and see dad and my brother Dwayne standing at the grill! My parents made so many delicious meals, which we enjoyed eating outside on their fabulous deck.

We did many Meadville-esque things with Dwayne, Barb, and Brandon, including lunch at Eddie’s Footlong Hotdogs, frozen custard at Hank’s, feeding the fish at the spillway in Linesville, and hiking up into the woods to see the beaver dam. We got see the neighbor kids, whom I adore, and even lit a few fireworks, much to Brandon’s delight.

Jeff and I left Tuesday morning so that we could spend a few hours with my grandmother, who was back in the hospital. I had a great visit with her, which was a real gift. Her memory is slipping at a rapid rate, and I feel fortunate for every time that I visit and she knows who I am. This time we laughed and remembered some of our adventures together, just like old times.

And, interestingly, one of my favorite parts of the whole trip took place in my parent’s backyard. There is an abandoned quarry deep in the woods behind my parent’s house. Amazingly, there are fish here.

And, just as we got there, it started to pour, and we all got soaked! But, everybody was in good humor. Both Barb and I caught a fish. Jeff, the fish whisperer, caught like 40, and dad hooked a few too. The Powell kids came with us, and we had a great adventure.

All in all, it was a blessing to see so much family in just a few days.