tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505941544723989232024-03-12T23:40:06.491-07:00stebarstudioJeff and Wendy Stebar + family members... Dogs, cats, and a delightful guinea pig named Meeko.AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-33278224944017130262008-09-07T21:19:00.000-07:002008-09-18T22:23:14.490-07:00Beautiful<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKtWumMUffUbMqX4pIHJpksArQUQmgEf_A6miDRBhyphenhyphentfDZKTcT7OU9BxKalndvgHKkpxJZtRrxF1ZHflw7Hv3gDWTMhcOGFLHxAlZOgE2ElNGUVrs3wpaiKLZM8rX1kSgxP5J6g26RyNU/s1600-h/jac1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243500821422919474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKtWumMUffUbMqX4pIHJpksArQUQmgEf_A6miDRBhyphenhyphentfDZKTcT7OU9BxKalndvgHKkpxJZtRrxF1ZHflw7Hv3gDWTMhcOGFLHxAlZOgE2ElNGUVrs3wpaiKLZM8rX1kSgxP5J6g26RyNU/s400/jac1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6t2lSoM6RPRJc1wCYyz3eDPRQu7mNd-YNhjyiSv4S00j8CHyJFuqWo_txhpZhvGS2GZLAYBj6zenwo_UBqCIURadXaCI91Ld7UBs73E_CFJtJEcjQVpFEAq_ABegmOl1QDtd5vw3Lwsu/s1600-h/jac2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243500826475321506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6t2lSoM6RPRJc1wCYyz3eDPRQu7mNd-YNhjyiSv4S00j8CHyJFuqWo_txhpZhvGS2GZLAYBj6zenwo_UBqCIURadXaCI91Ld7UBs73E_CFJtJEcjQVpFEAq_ABegmOl1QDtd5vw3Lwsu/s400/jac2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkfvBZrcQPJLqSrHG5JhWTQ60AGv0SwXA24RDm0ndJMKt4znL3nmMyvfcTwvfwh_GS3kWgTflcff9I7INRLxTUp8p18f-nz_dlpbUqmKE2IpxexS6VeBMb3aSwGuDdCUsK7JdBIusTT3g/s1600-h/jac3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243500831834184018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkfvBZrcQPJLqSrHG5JhWTQ60AGv0SwXA24RDm0ndJMKt4znL3nmMyvfcTwvfwh_GS3kWgTflcff9I7INRLxTUp8p18f-nz_dlpbUqmKE2IpxexS6VeBMb3aSwGuDdCUsK7JdBIusTT3g/s400/jac3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WrZY5z-MvgtMB71p0vQlKK1g8VeKn3c6JN9WsW3A657Msj1UD9gjgn8VXX9CMZ53kjyqWYRnfCFXJU4rw0xb6qCxaGiGyMBO3kbrNmuu62O_oj6627RsBOvCJj3OlBwN2YloTb3C7zA5/s1600-h/jac4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243500832049582130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WrZY5z-MvgtMB71p0vQlKK1g8VeKn3c6JN9WsW3A657Msj1UD9gjgn8VXX9CMZ53kjyqWYRnfCFXJU4rw0xb6qCxaGiGyMBO3kbrNmuu62O_oj6627RsBOvCJj3OlBwN2YloTb3C7zA5/s400/jac4.jpg" border="0" /></a> Jacquie goes to the Temple for the first time before leaving for the MTC and Tiawain. We love you!Rachel Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535193254405225815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-79487285702934074042008-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:002008-05-19T19:17:37.804-07:00Jeff in Beijing for the Great Wall Marathon<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">May 17, 2008</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KuVDYK3wibMsw9k1lvr2kqwDDvT_MReQo3sKSpd_XUGZcMyN7099PCjGdDcVSRlOASxdDoalKP5EFG27BuL7g6LDnhxZh5XLSUnUFagSI3x98TX1P1k20yknefEpRBKJ02zb-AMBCTQL/s1600-h/GWM01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KuVDYK3wibMsw9k1lvr2kqwDDvT_MReQo3sKSpd_XUGZcMyN7099PCjGdDcVSRlOASxdDoalKP5EFG27BuL7g6LDnhxZh5XLSUnUFagSI3x98TX1P1k20yknefEpRBKJ02zb-AMBCTQL/s400/GWM01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202249247238041762" border="0" /></a>Our first glimpse of the Wall as we parked the van and got out to look around...it is magnificent on any scale...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsUmvBY8u_d019G-GOEpaI69eS1gQDG5_QyKybg_Tj0h17-a6eJ-yAJMTg2_n5Jw8RocZTFX8XoKWQTec9vqdGKj1cN11vOD5gkfVZNj-Ub7bA9-F0edcsvtkl11cGPTJKjf4ii0tTwNm/s1600-h/GWM02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsUmvBY8u_d019G-GOEpaI69eS1gQDG5_QyKybg_Tj0h17-a6eJ-yAJMTg2_n5Jw8RocZTFX8XoKWQTec9vqdGKj1cN11vOD5gkfVZNj-Ub7bA9-F0edcsvtkl11cGPTJKjf4ii0tTwNm/s400/GWM02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202249247238041778" border="0" /></a>On the way into the castle, traditionally dressed Chinese dancers added to the festivities... </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30dzp82uS480_R31qBRpoOLtu5bX4ZAOq9aYyEa9l34Z0WvR59-aGSv0N-G68NDr03F60mWJFsJCVPAK5tzQd9zut3o5u3LowUJFwRW0y0Bd97lQnYK-TdbjpObFxVmFjKYM19T-_XkJq/s1600-h/GWM03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30dzp82uS480_R31qBRpoOLtu5bX4ZAOq9aYyEa9l34Z0WvR59-aGSv0N-G68NDr03F60mWJFsJCVPAK5tzQd9zut3o5u3LowUJFwRW0y0Bd97lQnYK-TdbjpObFxVmFjKYM19T-_XkJq/s400/GWM03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202249251533009090" border="0" /></a> ...they were accompanied by some equally traditional Chinese musicians...all in stark contrast to the loud rock'n'roll being played at the start. Think of Bruce Springsteen’s "Born to Run" mixed with Mulan...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBehLVsXlEy6E7ASa2d4UHFvOqwVzdrOV9egnZE7wjEK36Mix5B41w4ZZixpXYDJccGMmqqKiv-na5lNvESu8hs5PBGml9Q_20ufBTT3eZMf2zsQ6o9q25x3AzwTTEWUmzTCSvAt9SA0Q/s1600-h/GWM04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBehLVsXlEy6E7ASa2d4UHFvOqwVzdrOV9egnZE7wjEK36Mix5B41w4ZZixpXYDJccGMmqqKiv-na5lNvESu8hs5PBGml9Q_20ufBTT3eZMf2zsQ6o9q25x3AzwTTEWUmzTCSvAt9SA0Q/s400/GWM04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202249251533009106" border="0" /></a>After leaving "home" at 3:50am, we arrived at the castle (a fortress built into the Great Wall) at around 5:30...all runners were in the courtyard...5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon. Notice the Wall snaking its way up the mountain in the background...<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ip3FZPJFYOGK5ZbYxQ2dThnKSxbAJ0T5ysd2eTTqIekywMP7WF64DB3TGf3t6BTMY1DIegrkI3P605Brw19mkzBleD7yz44a9H1AsNAFzUG1zyQFUmpMM61q_csrv1pjdfizAajTC_xF/s1600-h/GWM05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ip3FZPJFYOGK5ZbYxQ2dThnKSxbAJ0T5ysd2eTTqIekywMP7WF64DB3TGf3t6BTMY1DIegrkI3P605Brw19mkzBleD7yz44a9H1AsNAFzUG1zyQFUmpMM61q_csrv1pjdfizAajTC_xF/s400/GWM05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202252266600050930" border="0" /></a>the festivities were perfectly timed with the sunrise over the mountain...<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdHZE2jFKnTEoXIFY1tPzz6LDfuWghUvQ5olIw61-aLW9Fin3hIV79BLM2S2j2RQP-IeI1d-9PGsApWHWfY1pzH5OcITcjJUiAT5ZenOCMA4-fI_OGiLncnDDEH0FffNwZuKa6fJNXqsJ/s1600-h/GWM06.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdHZE2jFKnTEoXIFY1tPzz6LDfuWghUvQ5olIw61-aLW9Fin3hIV79BLM2S2j2RQP-IeI1d-9PGsApWHWfY1pzH5OcITcjJUiAT5ZenOCMA4-fI_OGiLncnDDEH0FffNwZuKa6fJNXqsJ/s400/GWM06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248955180265554" border="0" /></a>...the whole time the Wall lurked above us. The foreground tower (left) is part of the castle. The tower on top of the mountain we would pass through twice in the next several hours... </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF16Ly1P5NjEqy88U4JeYuYDUYvLjmeCTVygEM42HL4t1V5W1xDsw1v9DE-lHBJnT0gCd_r2hq93LeCR2McbuI-XD5FUPdUDzNZQQKf1AfIJTqs5KccoSoWwnOidZXUrkY724u5QTQHnN/s1600-h/GWM07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF16Ly1P5NjEqy88U4JeYuYDUYvLjmeCTVygEM42HL4t1V5W1xDsw1v9DE-lHBJnT0gCd_r2hq93LeCR2McbuI-XD5FUPdUDzNZQQKf1AfIJTqs5KccoSoWwnOidZXUrkY724u5QTQHnN/s400/GWM07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248955180265570" border="0" /></a> After a few speeches by Chinese officials the race officially started at 7:30am...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBKgrb7gyBTsLRytI70kJAgqmpGjRr3aX0XQjtGAca49Si0GgJlZwO5_xrzNaF-XhnNL9bZrGi0KEfTuluiljh5PtjIg2FTUyEuQH-2aWIg1nNXTJyLwQTXAFvsMB0sFFyH97fvyng4nt/s1600-h/GWM08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBKgrb7gyBTsLRytI70kJAgqmpGjRr3aX0XQjtGAca49Si0GgJlZwO5_xrzNaF-XhnNL9bZrGi0KEfTuluiljh5PtjIg2FTUyEuQH-2aWIg1nNXTJyLwQTXAFvsMB0sFFyH97fvyng4nt/s400/GWM08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248959475232882" border="0" /></a> The race begins…</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd0hNxxI1BqPFzbVKOjjQIJB-FnUJGmo_IeQJl39DJAqh09rKRea6B3-ZDrWlVfKq2_ZwCcxHzNQ6FpzeG19VVPWxydtdMuwIcCFZRl8DNUYCDC3uDpyRJwWT8ZPpF43RqDdnavsJByFB/s1600-h/GWM09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd0hNxxI1BqPFzbVKOjjQIJB-FnUJGmo_IeQJl39DJAqh09rKRea6B3-ZDrWlVfKq2_ZwCcxHzNQ6FpzeG19VVPWxydtdMuwIcCFZRl8DNUYCDC3uDpyRJwWT8ZPpF43RqDdnavsJByFB/s400/GWM09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248959475232898" border="0" /></a> We left the castle and did a steep three-mile uphill run on a paved road before reaching the Wall...this was our first close-up look at the Wall...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADvpGPk1TEk0_pMDracLa2SWQbH6invz_qf7R3g0M0wsNG8rBlRL7I5V3g2ouqaVnx6Ffvhn1Wui4W5OO-yDrIiiZ5ZfA8SnWyY4cRvYAcui5l6e5VRkofyC483ka1HVwAxSGdJkv8Xpv/s1600-h/GWM10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADvpGPk1TEk0_pMDracLa2SWQbH6invz_qf7R3g0M0wsNG8rBlRL7I5V3g2ouqaVnx6Ffvhn1Wui4W5OO-yDrIiiZ5ZfA8SnWyY4cRvYAcui5l6e5VRkofyC483ka1HVwAxSGdJkv8Xpv/s400/GWM10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248963770200210" border="0" /></a> ...this is some of the first steps we took on the monster...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMrVyxwe6CIPytJM5TEoKxJ77IMP37QYMzG2HZH11bUeePQqlK8zF5EizAyZOnPk62GC8_x-xkVSInwXD_8FJdDMvD8QYoZ5lcxOI8kT6UEULiJ3K3HBfFUlxlKL9Y6Xkn6quOrlRXhnX/s1600-h/GWM11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMrVyxwe6CIPytJM5TEoKxJ77IMP37QYMzG2HZH11bUeePQqlK8zF5EizAyZOnPk62GC8_x-xkVSInwXD_8FJdDMvD8QYoZ5lcxOI8kT6UEULiJ3K3HBfFUlxlKL9Y6Xkn6quOrlRXhnX/s400/GWM11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248169201250322" border="0" /></a>...during our first pass on the Wall section...this is one of the restored portions. Notice how steep the ascents and descents are. Steps ranged from 4" to 18" in height...some brick, some stone,...some cut cleanly, some very rough....</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck0-x7cy1ORiu6E2lOeoLKVezIPZ1T8LtvIkIw8jupCV-hiPXNlGOS16VOM8gMXqYV7ssRb6bg5vipbCUfQlmBBUdvb7luFL8za1wn4iVP51jAXwbCNerHBIPzQ71x3XH9Yw8eBKzpYZQ/s1600-h/GWM12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck0-x7cy1ORiu6E2lOeoLKVezIPZ1T8LtvIkIw8jupCV-hiPXNlGOS16VOM8gMXqYV7ssRb6bg5vipbCUfQlmBBUdvb7luFL8za1wn4iVP51jAXwbCNerHBIPzQ71x3XH9Yw8eBKzpYZQ/s400/GWM12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248169201250338" border="0" /></a>...about four miles into the race...this section of the wall was much less "finished" than some of the others. Some sections were downright treacherous... 40" or so wide, a wall on one side and a 30' drop on the other...95% had no handrails.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lHG4hYTAwcqxYn7ZKebaagQTFFs8gg4kbVnjh-TRi8UsxFIEsl8vtTykCFXZBmU473aP58WHL_ONFehcUlm1BAa_WRxRkBFctX5afRFEtPStK7S17kbfDMhmagSIhVlH74nof9mZyUKQ/s1600-h/GWM13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lHG4hYTAwcqxYn7ZKebaagQTFFs8gg4kbVnjh-TRi8UsxFIEsl8vtTykCFXZBmU473aP58WHL_ONFehcUlm1BAa_WRxRkBFctX5afRFEtPStK7S17kbfDMhmagSIhVlH74nof9mZyUKQ/s400/GWM13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202259422015566082" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <p class="MsoNormal">Chad Daniel, chomping at the bit, wanting to get to the next section of those stairs...</p> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisn7AoWu68epDi17JGRmH7xSuOmKD3UNXmlOdublXKsmYEUY-J0I52yCRzaAMSYgMNzM4vu1yt9tuyMKkd49SZGN8o7mOFInv5ErmOvhYe18eNXNYo7xQNC-ysLvbID-mka6HEhPbCX6w/s1600-h/GWM14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisn7AoWu68epDi17JGRmH7xSuOmKD3UNXmlOdublXKsmYEUY-J0I52yCRzaAMSYgMNzM4vu1yt9tuyMKkd49SZGN8o7mOFInv5ErmOvhYe18eNXNYo7xQNC-ysLvbID-mka6HEhPbCX6w/s400/GWM14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202248173496217650" border="0" /></a> About a half-mile after getting on the Wall...the building on the far right is where we began the climb...after that steep 5k run...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1iMtdYk1wZsr-XRnhboGGfiii40mSGNQferVrcc3YBWXpj2T-AM2heXMYIyB1eOk9HNDJVyFMUS9mHFcUWlICpAPDLNryUpMmnIw1xUxqaVaEczK86jrwC79TuLadNQMAJ8BlLSI_ub/s1600-h/GWM15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1iMtdYk1wZsr-XRnhboGGfiii40mSGNQferVrcc3YBWXpj2T-AM2heXMYIyB1eOk9HNDJVyFMUS9mHFcUWlICpAPDLNryUpMmnIw1xUxqaVaEczK86jrwC79TuLadNQMAJ8BlLSI_ub/s400/GWM15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202271593952882962" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> Chelsea Stebar wrote "Oh my goodness. Those slopes are just inhumane."<b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" > <o:p></o:p></span></b> Hannah Stebar wrote "I wouldn't have made it past the 3 mile point..."<br /><br /></div><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""> </span></span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span></span></b><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1z-3urOOzj-peoAQvAzK_craG8KWgW5vMRlTArhlpu9ZijBywJp9bI0Z43ZAbtLY-Z3GxCINkYxSjCSeHUUf1eNzNy7onj8eJrJbeQE54g-DU6kZbKnG1k_jtqRyF26Ht5K8lET2C_evG/s1600-h/GWM16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1z-3urOOzj-peoAQvAzK_craG8KWgW5vMRlTArhlpu9ZijBywJp9bI0Z43ZAbtLY-Z3GxCINkYxSjCSeHUUf1eNzNy7onj8eJrJbeQE54g-DU6kZbKnG1k_jtqRyF26Ht5K8lET2C_evG/s400/GWM16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247808423997378" border="0" /></a> Chad begins another descent...quickly followed by another ascent...seeing the pattern?<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9sYjGWUv1f4ajZIX4qpBC3sUuy0yhEV5o6sMyJHC-uKpe-C0Tcmni6i9nQaQFClYn62QB57_NnOd_2mwSskC7PptJzve75vbofH_x-IhB_74KzbIZRmUlpI6H0gJuSwfGvlg8GkJM8c/s1600-h/GWM17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9sYjGWUv1f4ajZIX4qpBC3sUuy0yhEV5o6sMyJHC-uKpe-C0Tcmni6i9nQaQFClYn62QB57_NnOd_2mwSskC7PptJzve75vbofH_x-IhB_74KzbIZRmUlpI6H0gJuSwfGvlg8GkJM8c/s400/GWM17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247817013931986" border="0" /></a>At about 8-miles into the race the course leaves the Wall and winds its way through the Chinese countryside. We passed several villages...this one had nicely paved roads. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfYVgCQkZBFaxrG8kCht_6Pjyimm2L_l0JGzmt-1gQVG0KeeDMdvsUucMTvf54IwSLSUrTXB99wTatY3HvLcEa6Ktua-5JBi3sOaIYT8v3S8lyZX_-NDBoxZOHsH_bT0Nr4vrSfNbUGg1/s1600-h/GWM18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfYVgCQkZBFaxrG8kCht_6Pjyimm2L_l0JGzmt-1gQVG0KeeDMdvsUucMTvf54IwSLSUrTXB99wTatY3HvLcEa6Ktua-5JBi3sOaIYT8v3S8lyZX_-NDBoxZOHsH_bT0Nr4vrSfNbUGg1/s400/GWM18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247817013932002" border="0" /></a> ...all with dozens of people lining the way. This is the only day of the year some of these people ever see a foreigner...these areas were very remote.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAv4XELkhoXr5XEacO-vJtmAaZEhXZ0ChZeI_YsjDDntMV9uSgpjdAoqpO9ouwyqHDapkTaEqK6OLeRzQr9tE9cbUUl8G3wSqjzWsbmrDJQHVyFpS1MHnirQi7gp_CAT1FFslkZmt4_S_q/s1600-h/GWM19.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAv4XELkhoXr5XEacO-vJtmAaZEhXZ0ChZeI_YsjDDntMV9uSgpjdAoqpO9ouwyqHDapkTaEqK6OLeRzQr9tE9cbUUl8G3wSqjzWsbmrDJQHVyFpS1MHnirQi7gp_CAT1FFslkZmt4_S_q/s400/GWM19.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247821308899314" border="0" /></a>Several sections were relatively rough dirt roads... </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIBvhpmFKbyQ3jZW-hUH4b1aKX9mbBKOWZ7C47qiZESgeEL92CBGMWKa4U6Kr4OSHctFkANxFIui9hGK-CLUDD6BNfFJWKolsNY9ua6VvowHvU7VScMWcXvLoe6qTGBGR2umS5I9Re0LH/s1600-h/GWM20.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIBvhpmFKbyQ3jZW-hUH4b1aKX9mbBKOWZ7C47qiZESgeEL92CBGMWKa4U6Kr4OSHctFkANxFIui9hGK-CLUDD6BNfFJWKolsNY9ua6VvowHvU7VScMWcXvLoe6qTGBGR2umS5I9Re0LH/s400/GWM20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247512071253858" border="0" /></a> ....but each village had scores of cheering locals wanting to get a high five as we passed...they would all yell "Jya Yo!, Jya Yo!" as we went by...this was the most fun part of the course.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0U5pWcQWw7ga7ciLAYj_ASkJa4eld9jR-YPIXkbKY0SxHPywPW3I0loo8A_c1MOduAyJbI04J5qtDkeY7YIr4Mh8Ux6GHeqMPrNw5NdxMKEzYFiTaz4ZqUmuc4SwP9OYYk1XSxYWpXrc/s1600-h/GWM21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0U5pWcQWw7ga7ciLAYj_ASkJa4eld9jR-YPIXkbKY0SxHPywPW3I0loo8A_c1MOduAyJbI04J5qtDkeY7YIr4Mh8Ux6GHeqMPrNw5NdxMKEzYFiTaz4ZqUmuc4SwP9OYYk1XSxYWpXrc/s400/GWM21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247512071253874" border="0" /></a>... at around 17-miles the course turned into a cow path...rutted, rocky, steep...it was treacherous footing...we went through orchards, fields, and just plain wilderness. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJ_SApAL31Y_donqlk9JIZLSpmQao-HjzThw4J0U_Z60ySemnzZv6WfJghmM3iIzRRjj4SXEYM9Pt85LdHCkhpZTILAA_1xqkMbBHTuOVuNL7qF2XEiscHlL1tFUafzNZ1HE2_9kAhS4e/s1600-h/GWM22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJ_SApAL31Y_donqlk9JIZLSpmQao-HjzThw4J0U_Z60ySemnzZv6WfJghmM3iIzRRjj4SXEYM9Pt85LdHCkhpZTILAA_1xqkMbBHTuOVuNL7qF2XEiscHlL1tFUafzNZ1HE2_9kAhS4e/s400/GWM22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247516366221186" border="0" /></a> This little girl is either making a peace sign or she’s two…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi418Qp89uNo-pzd6VqfPHk2kk8_dxBYQHSQEVYSYqWlDkuIbe-hj3OB4OiqiMe50TvXmJsWaPlDqiOw76wJvwOE489yi5SUn4IhyrT9cGAfjmkBa3UlZaV1gQ5R60APaAlQABe3H9Ju_lo/s1600-h/GWM23.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi418Qp89uNo-pzd6VqfPHk2kk8_dxBYQHSQEVYSYqWlDkuIbe-hj3OB4OiqiMe50TvXmJsWaPlDqiOw76wJvwOE489yi5SUn4IhyrT9cGAfjmkBa3UlZaV1gQ5R60APaAlQABe3H9Ju_lo/s400/GWM23.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247516366221202" border="0" /></a>....winding our way through another village on rutted dirt roads…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNad20oMRgux-KLHC_hKlieDy-PpmFL8R791eC8PmAYJT4DOv89jeZStrOWBUTVzqz1UW3zW5LIw_sykbCR6z9tGBVlvm-OEPPb1e3HVSOqxJWtTwF55nEhgOCEF2MHvfoL2sf09pteYQL/s1600-h/GWM24.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNad20oMRgux-KLHC_hKlieDy-PpmFL8R791eC8PmAYJT4DOv89jeZStrOWBUTVzqz1UW3zW5LIw_sykbCR6z9tGBVlvm-OEPPb1e3HVSOqxJWtTwF55nEhgOCEF2MHvfoL2sf09pteYQL/s400/GWM24.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247520661188514" border="0" /></a> More of the villagers…<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfxUBNohCmgnoZN38BsQ8yZMSK5G6Fdus117OOCCCkqVdw8HBPlAB1OcgkRfSWmEqbNCrthKe25wcj4uvK83F3IaJRAvEG0qzlh_9khrr7VPLwFkLK_gFgLeJvMOJDKPswNtxfXpgw1xH/s1600-h/GWM25.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfxUBNohCmgnoZN38BsQ8yZMSK5G6Fdus117OOCCCkqVdw8HBPlAB1OcgkRfSWmEqbNCrthKe25wcj4uvK83F3IaJRAvEG0qzlh_9khrr7VPLwFkLK_gFgLeJvMOJDKPswNtxfXpgw1xH/s400/GWM25.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247108344327970" border="0" /></a> ...after a while a smooth dirt path along the river bed felt very good...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-9EFMPBgkBWzEUGJJ948rgI3z0hCDyvjtniQ34neOK_pbNl6M3PCp-lzIKsPoSF0Ko6uASg9NFHyIZiaCJccbTHKiksxkkit5mjHUy3jcKfdQKgtV1i1QC4bXV0ZHvn7wTorfVovZhDJ/s1600-h/GWM26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-9EFMPBgkBWzEUGJJ948rgI3z0hCDyvjtniQ34neOK_pbNl6M3PCp-lzIKsPoSF0Ko6uASg9NFHyIZiaCJccbTHKiksxkkit5mjHUy3jcKfdQKgtV1i1QC4bXV0ZHvn7wTorfVovZhDJ/s400/GWM26.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247112639295282" border="0" /></a> ...but it was the children and their excitement that made this section of the race fun.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LN947qERlVPVtczH2Q5ZALs9lh_TxFX-5cuGr47ifGq0HGeMxOqcuhcIVs1CES51Ky3vKiG1qvKlaezzD5p369J2EUturYPMtBRy9YcFXYjpQjl3Fq37MMcJzM2O7K1Z1EFm9fg29Gtc/s1600-h/GWM27.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LN947qERlVPVtczH2Q5ZALs9lh_TxFX-5cuGr47ifGq0HGeMxOqcuhcIVs1CES51Ky3vKiG1qvKlaezzD5p369J2EUturYPMtBRy9YcFXYjpQjl3Fq37MMcJzM2O7K1Z1EFm9fg29Gtc/s400/GWM27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247112639295298" border="0" /></a> ... one of the downhill stretches.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-Nc6hid1bZ17OAMyGt4OZet6N-PsqBd_LjYHlC4VZt5zxIvyvfpEwsEF3Thd-SK-HXDXAPe6xWcIzUjmoWPsTxrwR_yL_gRDZusiz6rQid5ibZ1tp8MOpuKdzq2FQRqSYd-i_h5ui9vm/s1600-h/GWM28.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-Nc6hid1bZ17OAMyGt4OZet6N-PsqBd_LjYHlC4VZt5zxIvyvfpEwsEF3Thd-SK-HXDXAPe6xWcIzUjmoWPsTxrwR_yL_gRDZusiz6rQid5ibZ1tp8MOpuKdzq2FQRqSYd-i_h5ui9vm/s400/GWM28.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202247116934262610" border="0" /></a> Then it was back up on the highway to push through the 20 and 21-mile mark. Notice the traffic is not controlled in any way...we dodged dump trucks, semis, buses, motorcycles, sheep, horses, camels...you name it, we went around it.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kfVNRZH1QARq6vHU7qyXbfZHKztKEnNAYxbbWahDfDL8GyyCSxiWQtbyDwETmrmTRdJQEFXzADO1Nj9N_AE4pQk8B7i4fKrxDq8DGAe3iV81L8zcOsDxBXQow1fM6ZO1qtt8mqaD6CvT/s1600-h/GWM29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kfVNRZH1QARq6vHU7qyXbfZHKztKEnNAYxbbWahDfDL8GyyCSxiWQtbyDwETmrmTRdJQEFXzADO1Nj9N_AE4pQk8B7i4fKrxDq8DGAe3iV81L8zcOsDxBXQow1fM6ZO1qtt8mqaD6CvT/s400/GWM29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202246300890476242" border="0" /></a>After passing through the castle at 21.5 miles, we crossed the river again...and headed for the worst part of the course...a death-march-like climb back up to the Wall...the tower on top of the mountain was where we BEGAN the second section of the Wall.<br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnVd48-cM_GHyVEspxBchgjBvAZX0ByZcJpIRSs-JWkWVmSj5WYa2GTa7L7Wlq-dOmOvAHXwFhVn_7DcQMzQ3wQGYrULMD_tXiwKCy7cj_Tnkzu4PMW2lBgvpfvWikSjaUFtV_4-hXZFN/s1600-h/GWM30.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnVd48-cM_GHyVEspxBchgjBvAZX0ByZcJpIRSs-JWkWVmSj5WYa2GTa7L7Wlq-dOmOvAHXwFhVn_7DcQMzQ3wQGYrULMD_tXiwKCy7cj_Tnkzu4PMW2lBgvpfvWikSjaUFtV_4-hXZFN/s400/GWM30.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202246305185443554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This photo taken from the bridge... With all the glycogen spent, 21 miles behind us... and an 1100 foot climb was the reward. During this climb no one was speaking...all I heard was panting, coughing, people throwing up, wheezing... there is no way to communicate how brutal these next three-miles actually were...several times I had to sit down, or lean against the Wall to keep from falling over...my legs were trembling... <span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF1WMRjRUSiIrwJHUt7DJMkZR6vrsX0JSNReFSuSBJMjX7GQuMTGhrHmvrHSUlE79xeDsthvDN8LzSfRHOBChIgVHI1YVt2Sylv9qdnsI7AjnoIQXN7NG1HlShbBitruHZ0NmBuHfN4Db/s1600-h/GWM31.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF1WMRjRUSiIrwJHUt7DJMkZR6vrsX0JSNReFSuSBJMjX7GQuMTGhrHmvrHSUlE79xeDsthvDN8LzSfRHOBChIgVHI1YVt2Sylv9qdnsI7AjnoIQXN7NG1HlShbBitruHZ0NmBuHfN4Db/s400/GWM31.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202246305185443570" border="0" /></a>From about a third of the way up the death climb, looking back down at the bridge and the castle...<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6CERAlEAzrNNW2-R_2dWOcItD9lbu7jf450lkNUsLwt_XPLdXE1uVNH8o3epdrcNPh6xubPKTHqwd7GPEB0jv0CIsgEnQuuM_Inys2ZQY6bUUgNL5ewtb7mHOLaHopQ5LlKpJ637cLRA/s1600-h/GWM32.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6CERAlEAzrNNW2-R_2dWOcItD9lbu7jf450lkNUsLwt_XPLdXE1uVNH8o3epdrcNPh6xubPKTHqwd7GPEB0jv0CIsgEnQuuM_Inys2ZQY6bUUgNL5ewtb7mHOLaHopQ5LlKpJ637cLRA/s400/GWM32.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202246751862042386" border="0" /></a>At least half of the Wall sections were surfaces like this... rocky, uneven, slanted...and very steep. This is a rare section with a handrail. To see well-trained athletes struggle up these sections was remarkable...again, there is no way to describe how hard it was...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawka1rDzwObM9Y3k9sGbHyCyGjovHA5h2_773hs6Jr6tjuMax8MrIgXQSDy-Eyrfjaklp219a4m_2KgPmWPA7Uz2Z0YQm3oMRFMbb0oVk_Idp-daiTnJIECClmsrFQsv2zgZz9WNSlIRo/s1600-h/GWM33.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawka1rDzwObM9Y3k9sGbHyCyGjovHA5h2_773hs6Jr6tjuMax8MrIgXQSDy-Eyrfjaklp219a4m_2KgPmWPA7Uz2Z0YQm3oMRFMbb0oVk_Idp-daiTnJIECClmsrFQsv2zgZz9WNSlIRo/s400/GWM33.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245768314531490" border="0" /></a> Once we made it to the top we were greeted by another set of monster climbs. This second section on the Wall was the reverse of the first...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiHtBhObIpZP9iUo7x3r70aPJ_YJ75UTIy_DPhbxU9AxcLqhQX6rhXDLWgjBd-VHLpccCRGV7DCNUXTgjO9MSCVnPlQpRXltrhpJ71YJWOk0GRMHghzTLe-G1c0oobZOldn33E1GuL3rb/s1600-h/GWM34.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiHtBhObIpZP9iUo7x3r70aPJ_YJ75UTIy_DPhbxU9AxcLqhQX6rhXDLWgjBd-VHLpccCRGV7DCNUXTgjO9MSCVnPlQpRXltrhpJ71YJWOk0GRMHghzTLe-G1c0oobZOldn33E1GuL3rb/s400/GWM34.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245768314531506" border="0" /></a> ...ouch...every step was an effort...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG4g0wZRy7wMohK1qlotynebH6AdDiQ1C9pSegOExYlkgNngbmDEdtUWXpC2GAx5wu2TRkUWb2beoafuuiWOofdBpFg1JuN-tnX8gvNHlVF4Y8H2UAqWbWNfDalxZGjlIHM11ku7LyKid/s1600-h/GWM35.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG4g0wZRy7wMohK1qlotynebH6AdDiQ1C9pSegOExYlkgNngbmDEdtUWXpC2GAx5wu2TRkUWb2beoafuuiWOofdBpFg1JuN-tnX8gvNHlVF4Y8H2UAqWbWNfDalxZGjlIHM11ku7LyKid/s400/GWM35.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245772609498818" border="0" /></a>Look closely at this photo... this is mile 23...<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xb_ou46sV22lku7JCpO9ZEqEHm_K_14shdwNH4nfr2T08slhTAjoMGGMWDIUUj8xt3thI3n1EiNe_0eRWYk4_KGDjcipRe8x_eDBWondu-0HxTDAcEWgBlWKv7QFl5aa2M1ppOFu5tLD/s1600-h/GWM36.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xb_ou46sV22lku7JCpO9ZEqEHm_K_14shdwNH4nfr2T08slhTAjoMGGMWDIUUj8xt3thI3n1EiNe_0eRWYk4_KGDjcipRe8x_eDBWondu-0HxTDAcEWgBlWKv7QFl5aa2M1ppOFu5tLD/s400/GWM36.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245188493946514" border="0" /></a>A view of the Great Wall from the Great Wall.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqULFQ1EknIZs7zO3oA1P5Tq6aHibQ_HXkVcH1TCVWYrxwOog0aAhw4k6foSWnL20NFdiJEf3h_MT_qrMKPy-2ZffJQyOwg9AUX5n6v-kCK11Fs8SyCjrJ1EdHOTxiLpYnEw7H_e5UXNe/s1600-h/GWM37.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqULFQ1EknIZs7zO3oA1P5Tq6aHibQ_HXkVcH1TCVWYrxwOog0aAhw4k6foSWnL20NFdiJEf3h_MT_qrMKPy-2ZffJQyOwg9AUX5n6v-kCK11Fs8SyCjrJ1EdHOTxiLpYnEw7H_e5UXNe/s400/GWM37.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245184198979202" border="0" /></a>The only level sections on the Wall were at the towers...there are 6,000 of these on the hundreds of sections of the Wall...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 150%;"> </p> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT2smiEWIqRh92A5jrD3XGd23yIYOnVzqFfPiFy83YDdSMYil6UzZMYaMufVt1-tJfkjP7QcbMQOnoUXbJBXnVJPX8ZJUfEcEu1rEdLoprOawTvm40WoBdXLpaVBweWhCfwVAt_D_nxJh/s1600-h/GWM38.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT2smiEWIqRh92A5jrD3XGd23yIYOnVzqFfPiFy83YDdSMYil6UzZMYaMufVt1-tJfkjP7QcbMQOnoUXbJBXnVJPX8ZJUfEcEu1rEdLoprOawTvm40WoBdXLpaVBweWhCfwVAt_D_nxJh/s400/GWM38.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202245184198979186" border="0" /></a>After running a steep downhill three-mile section we came back down to the highway and turned into the castle for the last time. Don't take the apparent look of excitement to be anything else but relief...this race is twice as hard as a normal marathon. I have never done anything that even comes close...as I crossed the finish line I was so dizzy that I almost fell over.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNT3HGbKKU0lKlM-euQ42lq9sWsXLt86jFSuYcUKqnGFCBQo5CA4kwvoMedFRGw7VvsVYzLUzgD52LVz6hv_h1ze2hKlkLlr-WaKuQxBmK3mrb2KZ2mGiKgvNydjcjz8V8Nx6aUu4YSzE/s1600-h/GWM39.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNT3HGbKKU0lKlM-euQ42lq9sWsXLt86jFSuYcUKqnGFCBQo5CA4kwvoMedFRGw7VvsVYzLUzgD52LVz6hv_h1ze2hKlkLlr-WaKuQxBmK3mrb2KZ2mGiKgvNydjcjz8V8Nx6aUu4YSzE/s400/GWM39.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202244926500941410" border="0" /></a>I was so tired that I didn't even remember to remove my fuel belt. After finishing this ordeal in just over six hours ( my normal marathon PR is 3:43) there was nothing left...<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIWchktQerD2s5ElYiQ1gZmiFRoEr8ntlrEAqC4HmUmgwE0AjWvBl98G1WrVVudIfoBNxzO_3NhNHTczdpKxwJkU5eH5d7cL7LXmq9pAP30AB78aTGzXXn8v6G2C6_f8-3Xh2GcvDPTht/s1600-h/GWM40.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIWchktQerD2s5ElYiQ1gZmiFRoEr8ntlrEAqC4HmUmgwE0AjWvBl98G1WrVVudIfoBNxzO_3NhNHTczdpKxwJkU5eH5d7cL7LXmq9pAP30AB78aTGzXXn8v6G2C6_f8-3Xh2GcvDPTht/s400/GWM40.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202244832011660882" border="0" /></a>...it is all about recovery at this point...<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1sG9IfA9uSwNnN1MURX0pKhTed1xDJOnhcqb-xWhoJ_4DH_t_ii-KNN6TAhl6aLNyi1kdk1CncHMmsNJexDkpkB4xf46sl3s2S9FVrZ0ajfOoxTLSO6jarx5CeXJvrz7XQYJ60AHNygL/s1600-h/GWM41.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1sG9IfA9uSwNnN1MURX0pKhTed1xDJOnhcqb-xWhoJ_4DH_t_ii-KNN6TAhl6aLNyi1kdk1CncHMmsNJexDkpkB4xf46sl3s2S9FVrZ0ajfOoxTLSO6jarx5CeXJvrz7XQYJ60AHNygL/s400/GWM41.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202244694572707394" border="0" /></a> Our Atlanta contingent...Jimmy and Maryanne, Chad and me...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplcW4hm9uulfEXojnZNqLAd0LdUudYIk0rgxZ76VnIqGrMOJMqZRHLYC238DXMQoGFqkr4uBAKmEFgUMx6dhU5NY3XWsmbRXMkiREmPRLumorl0pdNuu_d_9B3vpHmUcfSW0gMMCnbyfp/s1600-h/GWM42.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplcW4hm9uulfEXojnZNqLAd0LdUudYIk0rgxZ76VnIqGrMOJMqZRHLYC238DXMQoGFqkr4uBAKmEFgUMx6dhU5NY3XWsmbRXMkiREmPRLumorl0pdNuu_d_9B3vpHmUcfSW0gMMCnbyfp/s400/GWM42.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202244544248852018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"What some people will do for a cool medal and a T-shirt"<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some photos of Beijing taken in the days leading up to the race<br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_7Lemrr55CPdUWr4tWB_5K3F8sTriQwD7Pdu8TWx6SQTvan1Iu1rNSzTl5IINFk4CEfzvNrXS9mlIcZ6h7CTtfD8CoQLVERddLEGZw2YpGgiem9lteQ-DigGm5BRShsS41kP3X2MRLtA/s1600-h/BJ01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXwtAXWgl2jc0roFahakiEZrx8kvSMe9LY-BwxddPOb6fqW0YyZnDeMrq-LmzGSKow152c-i4PFI1A7i81XBE6Hp_zEv4Lg7a6QUM7tGWJvzQ9uemJ77UVXa_SMWwJjOYVL3VJOlhOd3P/s400/BJ20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202274243947704658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp-kPAkXvurO2YwXX44qnIwmgWqyHJJMtMI39KsvPk6ED9MegnytoLGd1WUsh9h0qmU1LBMf0Vxf3l-n0af5sQxF-9yABriAVluaRhjXXvD6Se5V4c6W3V9nVP59YQraODuLFCwJZS1tf/s1600-h/BJ21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp-kPAkXvurO2YwXX44qnIwmgWqyHJJMtMI39KsvPk6ED9MegnytoLGd1WUsh9h0qmU1LBMf0Vxf3l-n0af5sQxF-9yABriAVluaRhjXXvD6Se5V4c6W3V9nVP59YQraODuLFCwJZS1tf/s400/BJ21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202274248242671970" border="0" /></a><br /></div>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-47303525741030470612008-05-02T07:53:00.000-07:002008-05-02T08:32:11.594-07:00Whirlwind Trip<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> I made a quick trip to Provo to help Chelsea move into her Spring term housing (which she will only be needing for less than two months) We were crazy enough to think that moving from her third floor apartment into another third floor apartment would be no big deal... WRONG!!!! My legs felt like wobbly stems of jello long before the job was done. My only regret is that I took no pictures. My camera stayed back in my car.( I didn't want to add another thing to be carried up and down the stairwells.) Her room mate, Autumn Pando, is just as wonderful as I thought she would be - and such a hard worker! She was so patient and easy going, even though (I'm sure) she was just as worn out as either one of us.<br /> Thank Heavens for their friend, Stephanie, at day's end to come to our rescue with fresh legs (Yes, those legs of hers were extremely fresh) and single handedly carry their new 20" TV up the three flights of stairs for them. What a woman!<br /> Brian has wiped this computer clean, installed windows Vista (very nice), and is going to put back my files (only the ones I truly need, mind you) and then I can add some of the pictures I took while at Rachel's house before my flight back home. Brian is up now (he was working on installing new programs until late, late last night) so he wants me to get off now so he can start work on this computer again. He finished his last final for the semester earlier this week - so he now has the time to do this for me. (We had so much stuff on this computer that there was very little hard drive space left and it was taking so long to do anything.) I'll post again later. Bye<br /></span></span></span>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-60629790325856578752008-04-18T11:48:00.000-07:002008-04-23T21:37:40.652-07:00Lost Dog!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">"What I Did Over Spring Break"</span><br />by McKinley Stebar<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">My family members (well, not all of them because Brian and Jacquie were still in school and Chelsea was away at BYU) were making plans to drive to Michigan, the state of my birth. They decided I could go with them.</span><br /></span><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAJTUXW2ohYKAohyphenhyphen3W-AH3YkDKWgdOi26swbjSlKWyn2A_wweD3pcaWiN3piDwr5EXiSZ3h_VsXgFC4xuvIQUfhTHHONc5jBZbgzhvhRcUEGzcq5Gx5i4bZ14E0yeHgAGH-zkoaku83A0/s1600-h/McKinley1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAJTUXW2ohYKAohyphenhyphen3W-AH3YkDKWgdOi26swbjSlKWyn2A_wweD3pcaWiN3piDwr5EXiSZ3h_VsXgFC4xuvIQUfhTHHONc5jBZbgzhvhRcUEGzcq5Gx5i4bZ14E0yeHgAGH-zkoaku83A0/s400/McKinley1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192524124735235202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />But before I could ride with them in the van to see Papa and Grammy I had to get ready.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >I needed a bath.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5T1jzbLYDi5KE2aVyz7pLSRnswqJiwOynt2l7hpvmjk4v2n70sDQnQsGNakRLMlgdWGGwr1bZiSxJCnxLoLy-Nirh-02MBouZYSAlGC9DiB-XXzccvk2a0dUnOs4-GxPENsoc8YT7iXML/s1600-h/DSC_0005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5T1jzbLYDi5KE2aVyz7pLSRnswqJiwOynt2l7hpvmjk4v2n70sDQnQsGNakRLMlgdWGGwr1bZiSxJCnxLoLy-Nirh-02MBouZYSAlGC9DiB-XXzccvk2a0dUnOs4-GxPENsoc8YT7iXML/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192510406609691714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >That didn't sound too bad...</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij97ZbgdbzYLlwkvQSHtEj-s_G_3wcYTgemMycLM47ykvVp6wzeVqXFocoyYi8z-K75Iz_bw3mpNcWOw-bi7Bhz-_EzykZeIyJnuuzEgh-5gg-1vmf_DK42kguZN2xASvvoKi3mXsTEU54/s1600-h/DSC_0017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij97ZbgdbzYLlwkvQSHtEj-s_G_3wcYTgemMycLM47ykvVp6wzeVqXFocoyYi8z-K75Iz_bw3mpNcWOw-bi7Bhz-_EzykZeIyJnuuzEgh-5gg-1vmf_DK42kguZN2xASvvoKi3mXsTEU54/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192509461716886578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vhY2boJCH_vcTQSLF4rvc1eu3r1oFSBKp_2PlpaKZJlOcZ3sIryzNBmcAE0RypiOqyLTAWJT-gaTlgPSXMIxh9F3yIDbTEuBw3F0ZkPXH8LYNelI9BvBKd3w0z9ivGzvu76I32JGiY1V/s1600-h/DSC_0022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vhY2boJCH_vcTQSLF4rvc1eu3r1oFSBKp_2PlpaKZJlOcZ3sIryzNBmcAE0RypiOqyLTAWJT-gaTlgPSXMIxh9F3yIDbTEuBw3F0ZkPXH8LYNelI9BvBKd3w0z9ivGzvu76I32JGiY1V/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192508551183819810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC41W1mXoCgbr1u593uTBi5hA9CQBEPWORGYeGaQLqiad_c_vt_9LdIO8LZ5WfAvaU47mzJSbkEDeWII822sZDg9oxxsgxeSWKQqT6Wj8jd8y68cryCZ5epM6q95D4YECkxGEV4ZHS33bZ/s1600-h/DSC_0025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC41W1mXoCgbr1u593uTBi5hA9CQBEPWORGYeGaQLqiad_c_vt_9LdIO8LZ5WfAvaU47mzJSbkEDeWII822sZDg9oxxsgxeSWKQqT6Wj8jd8y68cryCZ5epM6q95D4YECkxGEV4ZHS33bZ/s400/DSC_0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192507649240687634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qA5NQtWF4CvfVQPFCyRwoeNXJUu6jAQPyMB_LbuzSoQfMKvz2GwkECSeBxqLkIBdX9J-MRc3FSlnnR4cNbtRbdfiwV6yVaMRVgcPNQw_kXG8s8M2gqAqL01tzmtlE6hGMUYOcDv8_AYy/s1600-h/DSC_0028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qA5NQtWF4CvfVQPFCyRwoeNXJUu6jAQPyMB_LbuzSoQfMKvz2GwkECSeBxqLkIBdX9J-MRc3FSlnnR4cNbtRbdfiwV6yVaMRVgcPNQw_kXG8s8M2gqAqL01tzmtlE6hGMUYOcDv8_AYy/s400/DSC_0028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192506631333438466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_IW8bOGO05LWikarMBT-faYubKJfTzMNMeeCE168IzsoiDoSgH7EZOMtl-LtpwiJ02Al-yAUQjm_2TX1MNTroMeph7KIkYyNuPwDmRMC-QFW0AZ__CrJAxZUx2jh7pGkihxmTY2IzGu3/s1600-h/DSC_0031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_IW8bOGO05LWikarMBT-faYubKJfTzMNMeeCE168IzsoiDoSgH7EZOMtl-LtpwiJ02Al-yAUQjm_2TX1MNTroMeph7KIkYyNuPwDmRMC-QFW0AZ__CrJAxZUx2jh7pGkihxmTY2IzGu3/s400/DSC_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192505918368867314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmHYIDVCSqbiJHxYYc616ikT5C-QN5DOvqSq6xJuDREKwn0_jCYGevI6XB5oHza0KrV9BQopbr99-wZkPg6plPTTUtWJKyLCaJc_nwT-qrgl9syxxnUU4Q4thMFS5a0rLJoHUdde6Gc1I/s1600-h/DSC_0036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmHYIDVCSqbiJHxYYc616ikT5C-QN5DOvqSq6xJuDREKwn0_jCYGevI6XB5oHza0KrV9BQopbr99-wZkPg6plPTTUtWJKyLCaJc_nwT-qrgl9syxxnUU4Q4thMFS5a0rLJoHUdde6Gc1I/s400/DSC_0036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192505007835800546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7b9jjHZQ0u59sagT4yXTIOeoWCQjT5JNVW7UKTwaDyTGgFwIh3fJBlIF1c5-DHXfXzas56SWx9L15Yg-bllMzn6vmK4pwXkhnsSM1vlcqrCi7VmxrW9B2cxe9tfwF80ONNVLKrbkJ2Zb/s1600-h/DSC_0039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7b9jjHZQ0u59sagT4yXTIOeoWCQjT5JNVW7UKTwaDyTGgFwIh3fJBlIF1c5-DHXfXzas56SWx9L15Yg-bllMzn6vmK4pwXkhnsSM1vlcqrCi7VmxrW9B2cxe9tfwF80ONNVLKrbkJ2Zb/s400/DSC_0039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192504281986327506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Hunter was given the option to either stay home and keep Brian company while he stayed behind with his school work, or come with us. I have never known any dog to ever turn down a car ride - no matter where his true loyalties my lie. He rode in the front seat most of the way.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNljUzpf-TMz-LqaR_Bi9MHrkseBnfzGtxB8OXG-dPLwwsVCaEVPbD6NXPqcNoMUpR-gZuBjWTb25oODQCv1IBRv8M5OJztRsjMAXXjvO1lcjbPsvQzZkb0doIR12vdXZ6XX6Mnaybk_6/s1600-h/DSC_0013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNljUzpf-TMz-LqaR_Bi9MHrkseBnfzGtxB8OXG-dPLwwsVCaEVPbD6NXPqcNoMUpR-gZuBjWTb25oODQCv1IBRv8M5OJztRsjMAXXjvO1lcjbPsvQzZkb0doIR12vdXZ6XX6Mnaybk_6/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192497534592705474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >This is Hunter with his real blood brother Rocky Bear. They wasted no time in sniffing around and establishing domains.<br />The gate behind them was not sufficiently latched my first night in this unfamiliar yard. Everyone went to bed and sometime during the night I got the gate open and got out of the yard.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovDArD44SI48XjgMfgIHZUCblYg9GG9NE6jVT_qmx3cE-j3Hh6TWOC7YKZNhNk8HeiTAwfKsDjzLrAdhkHdOqvf0cym-4YlYOHUZjWDhvW4GDmX2ABP5aidN_BJ8aqmqOFvCOn7AWecXc/s1600-h/Copy+%282%29+of+DSC_0091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovDArD44SI48XjgMfgIHZUCblYg9GG9NE6jVT_qmx3cE-j3Hh6TWOC7YKZNhNk8HeiTAwfKsDjzLrAdhkHdOqvf0cym-4YlYOHUZjWDhvW4GDmX2ABP5aidN_BJ8aqmqOFvCOn7AWecXc/s400/Copy+%282%29+of+DSC_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192531503489049746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Strange noises. strange street lights, strange smells, strange everything... Before I knew it I had no idea where I was. Scarier than that, I had no idea where to find MY FAMILY!!!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxY-1AUtSgE-AAmwLm6wsc6rCK6m-DDW3Gd75ccSygEzzCDcjn3HVx49XGPcY-2qMIb1mDjaSDEk9J7L2rg3UomucmPh29TJ6xObbs2yNELtxpYSkfjAxSlznQXE8mH99jGikPAuyBQsn/s1600-h/LostDog+MyStory.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxY-1AUtSgE-AAmwLm6wsc6rCK6m-DDW3Gd75ccSygEzzCDcjn3HVx49XGPcY-2qMIb1mDjaSDEk9J7L2rg3UomucmPh29TJ6xObbs2yNELtxpYSkfjAxSlznQXE8mH99jGikPAuyBQsn/s400/LostDog+MyStory.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512949230330962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">I was in the middle of every family pet's worse nightmare! I was A...</span><br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGThDESL0j7SaLXct6eLaOxWRL-RMpzkKeHLpxCDK9LuBDAAVieHg_RI9BiK4ybO9gOpDsx0zJh6DpVoZwuFEk4cT3lTvsJnwWgq_T8cEZMTMwJVMldgZKVGFNtoFXysDwTXrN3ETqGxv/s1600-h/Lost+Dog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGThDESL0j7SaLXct6eLaOxWRL-RMpzkKeHLpxCDK9LuBDAAVieHg_RI9BiK4ybO9gOpDsx0zJh6DpVoZwuFEk4cT3lTvsJnwWgq_T8cEZMTMwJVMldgZKVGFNtoFXysDwTXrN3ETqGxv/s400/Lost+Dog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192496731433821106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">The search for me began at 6:00 in the morning when Jeff realized I was no longer in the yard.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Wendy threw on some clothes and started walking up and down the streets in the immediate neighborhood calling and whistling for me, hoping I had not wandered off too far. Jeff and Ali were the first to get in a vehicle and drive around looking for me. Hannah( and her friend Stacy Galli) decided to keep their pajamas on and walk around towards the main road with just their blankets wrapped around them for warmth (it was cold!) Their reasoning was that this way they could leave their strongest scent for McKinley to pick up and that would lead him back to them.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">What nobody knew at the time, was that I was already miles away from that fateful opened gate and could no longer see, hear, or smell anything that resembled HOME!</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFG2p6SGretfLxbcBp2PkapLllDg1xPqJRa1C_V1hLfqH1TyVN9gNAc5mbrUUgXx3NwGZST8uihU-qaujxQsEK90EOV406ptHuHqS8P85dl1-x4xhArl1t6BiGO_YfxxlCpP7YpNNauj2/s1600-h/DSC_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFG2p6SGretfLxbcBp2PkapLllDg1xPqJRa1C_V1hLfqH1TyVN9gNAc5mbrUUgXx3NwGZST8uihU-qaujxQsEK90EOV406ptHuHqS8P85dl1-x4xhArl1t6BiGO_YfxxlCpP7YpNNauj2/s400/DSC_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192460829802193650" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">After several phone calls to animal shelters, local veterinarians, the Sheriff Departments of two townships (I was no longer in my original Shelby Township) ... it was time to make and post the Fliers. Fliers were posted everywhere - at intersections, subdivision entrances, restaurants, libraries and at one particular little elementary school situated way off back from the road (which turned out to be the most important posting of them all.) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The fliers brought phoned in "sightings" of me - the first of which was two miles, then four miles, then, in the end, six and a half miles away from where I started. The last few callers all lived in the same subdivision and through angels and divine intervention ( and through my family's fervent prayers) I was somehow kept in that neighborhood, running back and forth between the houses, until my family could get there and take me home.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">It was a miracle that they were able to find me at long last. It was after 8:00pm, getting dark and cold and starting to rain. I almost couldn't believe it when I heard them calling and whistling for me. When I saw them at first I thought it was impossible that it could really be them. I kept back at first, a little bit nervous because so many people had tried to catch hold of me today, strangers trying to pull me into their cars, I had even wriggled out of my collar when someone tried to hold onto me, pulling it over my head and leaving it behind with my I.D. tags still attached.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I know now that they were really just trying to help me.<br /> If I ever wondered before if people would really care about a dog and a family in trouble - I have no doubts about that now.<br />There are some great dog loving people out there.!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFEdT2p34gHkysojT_tY-T2LF7awCfC4NYF1IfqZ2MsblG_XWNj_eOlzIcrRM36lmZHEr3pNy1bNvEWvtVNoH6olxI-9aoBY6nT4gbRNawLToNK6TXJ5hua4QHk3q0VKEGTiey5uLiZXt/s1600-h/DSC_0074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFEdT2p34gHkysojT_tY-T2LF7awCfC4NYF1IfqZ2MsblG_XWNj_eOlzIcrRM36lmZHEr3pNy1bNvEWvtVNoH6olxI-9aoBY6nT4gbRNawLToNK6TXJ5hua4QHk3q0VKEGTiey5uLiZXt/s400/DSC_0074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192462045277938434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhA1V0izJWYuqOLqxtPlPfi8OL0wohRZJrWIO_PuS_JacusQTsS1gKp45Vgk2N3-t_x04bldzkwUsp5Y7spSikaObLMwlIOnS_ah1VxZftt0AHe59KFsW99kMWoMw1P2Lk5rUHDMhmWU0/s1600-h/DSC_0161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhA1V0izJWYuqOLqxtPlPfi8OL0wohRZJrWIO_PuS_JacusQTsS1gKp45Vgk2N3-t_x04bldzkwUsp5Y7spSikaObLMwlIOnS_ah1VxZftt0AHe59KFsW99kMWoMw1P2Lk5rUHDMhmWU0/s400/DSC_0161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192485543044014930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">It's wonderful to be back with my family again! Papa came out to give me a pat and welcome me back to his securely latched, well gated backyard. As for the night times - I'll be safely bedded down in the garage until morning comes - for the rest of our stay.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTPZCovrOw0WW1F-aK0Pl0bb6Jo4jd1_zpnf1aQS-K5bvclXT7GpJI-2FjEGgGEqsLAABQtpc6nkM1K_pnQPqGfZTPQkdEqZnHTuRHmwjpwRrtK5MJO21izsFcqFSvd0_MC8nHyXaRXPq/s1600-h/DSC_0118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTPZCovrOw0WW1F-aK0Pl0bb6Jo4jd1_zpnf1aQS-K5bvclXT7GpJI-2FjEGgGEqsLAABQtpc6nkM1K_pnQPqGfZTPQkdEqZnHTuRHmwjpwRrtK5MJO21izsFcqFSvd0_MC8nHyXaRXPq/s400/DSC_0118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192459124700177106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">It will take some time to forget about the scariest things about being lost. Stuff that is just too hard to talk about. I'm trying my best not to think about them.</span></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzzVOjUFKX0EORVn7UokHZ8oX9zSo6U0BgzYMSm8GfbXCt79WiyVh10gK70FEM23WkHmb5kkF7RwUKlbVegAN2HaOjgFRds5mttmAMy-Lv3dXCjbfNAG9jUKEmsqoeB4claynHHUgy5wk/s1600-h/McKinley+inSafeCorner.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzzVOjUFKX0EORVn7UokHZ8oX9zSo6U0BgzYMSm8GfbXCt79WiyVh10gK70FEM23WkHmb5kkF7RwUKlbVegAN2HaOjgFRds5mttmAMy-Lv3dXCjbfNAG9jUKEmsqoeB4claynHHUgy5wk/s400/McKinley+inSafeCorner.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192457887749595842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">But for right now this corner feels safe. I can see my family through the sliding glass door and I am a good distance from that infamous backyard gate!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn-xH4DZbG98Bi15_wWHkx8dRihhvWFWP6CDQP5TiSgLirpJppSb6Dw3Df2N3lJQZymUH3V_i9gcAsyLxZlu8lgIfEiEFinf8FQqJDXolxS9tXfS_j97p6DORKJHAp2qg1ox9cWjF6NUH/s1600-h/DSC_0057.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn-xH4DZbG98Bi15_wWHkx8dRihhvWFWP6CDQP5TiSgLirpJppSb6Dw3Df2N3lJQZymUH3V_i9gcAsyLxZlu8lgIfEiEFinf8FQqJDXolxS9tXfS_j97p6DORKJHAp2qg1ox9cWjF6NUH/s400/DSC_0057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192490031284839298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Meanwhile Papa's cooking breakfast! Bacon, eggs, biscuits, and baked apples for starters. Yum!</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmaJY1uTYInJXgzg4KeXinXS11RIASepfVRFg49mow7tqNE051bEVG4XK3v_nUomIlCXQaLmydfrSYSLbFqlvWbgdJUb9-5x8KZQkTld-X_hF1QTWO3mLThyphenhyphenFp1MYf1hIH3joc1thiBBv/s1600-h/DSC_0098.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmaJY1uTYInJXgzg4KeXinXS11RIASepfVRFg49mow7tqNE051bEVG4XK3v_nUomIlCXQaLmydfrSYSLbFqlvWbgdJUb9-5x8KZQkTld-X_hF1QTWO3mLThyphenhyphenFp1MYf1hIH3joc1thiBBv/s400/DSC_0098.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192555881723421858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I think Rocky Bear smells the delicious food and wants in</span>.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykEBX1QA1p841l1DaAKIj11SXrgBOzpmNNYexv-6Rp3YKWiPSvvUfhx3MTzOekN8-uQKXZn4Ev3MAxPAB-89rfZxpdsnIXszBw_5G2Yg_hIBu3LoNFf8sU1NVyzn4zj4Cb3LssKIv3hzY/s1600-h/DSC_0128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykEBX1QA1p841l1DaAKIj11SXrgBOzpmNNYexv-6Rp3YKWiPSvvUfhx3MTzOekN8-uQKXZn4Ev3MAxPAB-89rfZxpdsnIXszBw_5G2Yg_hIBu3LoNFf8sU1NVyzn4zj4Cb3LssKIv3hzY/s400/DSC_0128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192492505186001810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3VcLMXp-KCuwAvh_9Kmc8FDXqu1twSZzKO7Q31Gw8bnWZfGlras8g9-9CefvP_Zh_HbzSWID0dNOFq2Id9oCHej98VcFEqOXoem6oSVGu_sk55r1Ul_Mu2JK0b0An-FFS4B0dGzS7eAS/s1600-h/DSC_0041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3VcLMXp-KCuwAvh_9Kmc8FDXqu1twSZzKO7Q31Gw8bnWZfGlras8g9-9CefvP_Zh_HbzSWID0dNOFq2Id9oCHej98VcFEqOXoem6oSVGu_sk55r1Ul_Mu2JK0b0An-FFS4B0dGzS7eAS/s400/DSC_0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192489253895758706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Grammy is still a bit under the weather with pneumonia. Even with her being sick, it's hard to keep her from trying to wait on us all.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Papa was serving at the Detroit Temple until late last night but was still bright and chipper as ever this morning as he fried up his perfect little bacon strips and eggs. That man has unbelievable amounts of energy. I get tired just thinking about everything he accomplishes in a day.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc9PJ7bCzNpyfT2eSwqA84xxt_Ia_sK6uisz0G5IrzsKhA-SoxJIWqT74CCAYQRZQS82pqAzpq-RvLOiivrVqAi1bkpo-FRM-x06ZvBgLCFJadmRj3JVlj_l1ilxz4FFBKF8eO8AveD1U/s1600-h/Papa'sBreakfast.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc9PJ7bCzNpyfT2eSwqA84xxt_Ia_sK6uisz0G5IrzsKhA-SoxJIWqT74CCAYQRZQS82pqAzpq-RvLOiivrVqAi1bkpo-FRM-x06ZvBgLCFJadmRj3JVlj_l1ilxz4FFBKF8eO8AveD1U/s400/Papa'sBreakfast.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192488536636220258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Poor Brian! You know he's going to be so jealous when he hears about missing out on one of these marvelous breakfast feasts. He lives for this kind of fare.</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisgliextEkRe-dL7PPCPSQKOw1aFh9pjDyJW4NF8RVzx04v95p7hXT93Aa2B8XfoIGvFj97ChCV-o66G3C24ife3TY65bSEqEpmWSe8oZixR0vmP_KZWdaRZ_sXH5rBZdWB_JpKAxZvbJ/s1600-h/DSC_0149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisgliextEkRe-dL7PPCPSQKOw1aFh9pjDyJW4NF8RVzx04v95p7hXT93Aa2B8XfoIGvFj97ChCV-o66G3C24ife3TY65bSEqEpmWSe8oZixR0vmP_KZWdaRZ_sXH5rBZdWB_JpKAxZvbJ/s400/DSC_0149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192480930249138962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Things are starting to get back to normal. Dogs have short term memory, you know.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXQfZwepaiKdKTwh30DiI0PjbI64E0dcIuQPvbJDErD1tHp0mb3thzlSs1IGkJu1icRhKJro8QbZD0OoEozhtX2uKIEVDlyrZJIVBrEqf9I4w0qUYd9JY4uztflb24AWS4a_K7UHZMC-J/s1600-h/Copy+of+DSC_0136.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXQfZwepaiKdKTwh30DiI0PjbI64E0dcIuQPvbJDErD1tHp0mb3thzlSs1IGkJu1icRhKJro8QbZD0OoEozhtX2uKIEVDlyrZJIVBrEqf9I4w0qUYd9JY4uztflb24AWS4a_K7UHZMC-J/s400/Copy+of+DSC_0136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192484121409839938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Today was the only nice day throughout our entire trip. We went to an open air mall that was Dog Friendly called Partridge Creek. It was great .</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoVNKNJia2nS5xZTvwlwjIARkkPcdB0sieZIKgdjyIIMsqNMswqTXB6rf8UdvYtGWjCOngB5KwP50NMihXYDLibX9oN8uNgcufWMj4KaV_s5EWNT4BiFtXMZvPAHzN3qnNLutVKZGkJvv/s1600-h/DSC_0178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoVNKNJia2nS5xZTvwlwjIARkkPcdB0sieZIKgdjyIIMsqNMswqTXB6rf8UdvYtGWjCOngB5KwP50NMihXYDLibX9oN8uNgcufWMj4KaV_s5EWNT4BiFtXMZvPAHzN3qnNLutVKZGkJvv/s400/DSC_0178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192454279977067154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Hannah and Stacey went off in search of the perfect birthday present for Chelsea's 19th birthday.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLCMkozCjJiRumAeug4aaS0W0-qGLReySf6X23Ex7cBvpd9TodeYbX_H4QqDz9kbYG53LkYDcEkq1_FV_Wm1Nn3nZ3UBS4qWcYfkqiWMOuouctlgBTH_uWIkqya5ibx9k9_pti5HsMnRe/s1600-h/Gift+Searching.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLCMkozCjJiRumAeug4aaS0W0-qGLReySf6X23Ex7cBvpd9TodeYbX_H4QqDz9kbYG53LkYDcEkq1_FV_Wm1Nn3nZ3UBS4qWcYfkqiWMOuouctlgBTH_uWIkqya5ibx9k9_pti5HsMnRe/s400/Gift+Searching.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192449619937550946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"> The Paparazzi followed them everywhere!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZnEuL6JUchTVFBKV74MK_v7T-xAax5HiBueDgdkpRWi0N20qZNrpsnKwTLhJtkjgjx4-dqEcS2Lpb8LkwE-d4WHwRiX5rbpq44bxXTgWH6TSP0hV1zC5OpcylMWzkao48fsfR4EW74AW/s1600-h/Followed+by+Paparazzi.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZnEuL6JUchTVFBKV74MK_v7T-xAax5HiBueDgdkpRWi0N20qZNrpsnKwTLhJtkjgjx4-dqEcS2Lpb8LkwE-d4WHwRiX5rbpq44bxXTgWH6TSP0hV1zC5OpcylMWzkao48fsfR4EW74AW/s400/Followed+by+Paparazzi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192448005029847618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Looks like she found just the right gift.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagvAfg_FlBMYW6isszFUHHmmwE7I_SlDbsnW1f_zFG8GIkxs0Ly2q4QCojnAVUV4lPPbaRsK4UxUVj9A3e3njyo4VaWhiWEIZ0nxykRZL4r-Gu4pTqT3ZHPAdnZW1r8n8GkAjE0xxUf0T/s1600-h/watering+hole.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagvAfg_FlBMYW6isszFUHHmmwE7I_SlDbsnW1f_zFG8GIkxs0Ly2q4QCojnAVUV4lPPbaRsK4UxUVj9A3e3njyo4VaWhiWEIZ0nxykRZL4r-Gu4pTqT3ZHPAdnZW1r8n8GkAjE0xxUf0T/s400/watering+hole.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192446780964168242" border="0" /></a>McKinley enjoyed the watering holes especially for dogs.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And Ali thought he might enjoy the effervescent kind of water from this fountain.<br /></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF1pwR2w1orQHsDkhbzPsx5QQdiiD2tdWLf17pNxH4ThIYf3Sw_G0Jp4OsF91KsekbKyioScUB2XTCYrNPLGaJCnup8l7iUp90QWmCBFFi4W3l7ndwubIcoWwBPesJ8lYrUSMqx2d2yXx/s1600-h/watering+Fountain.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF1pwR2w1orQHsDkhbzPsx5QQdiiD2tdWLf17pNxH4ThIYf3Sw_G0Jp4OsF91KsekbKyioScUB2XTCYrNPLGaJCnup8l7iUp90QWmCBFFi4W3l7ndwubIcoWwBPesJ8lYrUSMqx2d2yXx/s400/watering+Fountain.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192445290610516514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">There was even an outdoor fireplace in the middle of the mall walkways.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cc9FH9IIb9eiasN1w7Zplhq-6IhbYkbexXRd-wYCylE_OK07dufbL6pGGFYkp79gt22l64rCMG3Eb5xISL7BypckVfsej3cdysLjrCR9_Z5dO7JAgWsAGPZLxOw2XiCxZnKxJMBPIMle/s1600-h/Copy+of+DSC_0223.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cc9FH9IIb9eiasN1w7Zplhq-6IhbYkbexXRd-wYCylE_OK07dufbL6pGGFYkp79gt22l64rCMG3Eb5xISL7BypckVfsej3cdysLjrCR9_Z5dO7JAgWsAGPZLxOw2XiCxZnKxJMBPIMle/s400/Copy+of+DSC_0223.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192453867660206722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">McKinley made lots of new friends. I don't know what it is about big lovable looking dogs... no matter how big they are, little kids always seem to know it's okay to pet a Saint Bernard.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoLM1t9xbiadg_gxkx91cIYIiSpxMwhwOY9dvg9_4h5EKaGX0rlmqCBLebcG0JttMUWGADhEjfW_O1zyW9TeG5uN9HyjqckdGnHjv4cgvRtWsf4f7wZ32iXz8Zj9kMjTLiAFSTBOTukD-/s1600-h/DSC_0204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoLM1t9xbiadg_gxkx91cIYIiSpxMwhwOY9dvg9_4h5EKaGX0rlmqCBLebcG0JttMUWGADhEjfW_O1zyW9TeG5uN9HyjqckdGnHjv4cgvRtWsf4f7wZ32iXz8Zj9kMjTLiAFSTBOTukD-/s400/DSC_0204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192441893291385346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iuSdz-ACeY3hzDYrEVWhnXFycO6qH2Nt4oZC7465U7DyrWoOvSLRojcxSgsYBRFnbMfySabtMTFlrUmtU_ruEzEFlkJryLLFkkvDPXh58_16BJ7xuNTwFIY-b9sq9V2MrQ5SwB4d9k44/s1600-h/DSC_0209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iuSdz-ACeY3hzDYrEVWhnXFycO6qH2Nt4oZC7465U7DyrWoOvSLRojcxSgsYBRFnbMfySabtMTFlrUmtU_ruEzEFlkJryLLFkkvDPXh58_16BJ7xuNTwFIY-b9sq9V2MrQ5SwB4d9k44/s400/DSC_0209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192441523924197874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I'm just glad McKinley wasn't drooling at the moment...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkPFAPZiZNVD4f5D67GVD0MECoNu1WpCza9C1kwbhE_9wWGbFF6PhAkJsClykWNyQJlCWBHCoeicYokcV-Bbd7mgSNPlHdQEYMjhzZeQ8KPzeui-tPAbToITffTEFQFuna5nyIYkPfx2y/s1600-h/DSC_0213.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkPFAPZiZNVD4f5D67GVD0MECoNu1WpCza9C1kwbhE_9wWGbFF6PhAkJsClykWNyQJlCWBHCoeicYokcV-Bbd7mgSNPlHdQEYMjhzZeQ8KPzeui-tPAbToITffTEFQFuna5nyIYkPfx2y/s400/DSC_0213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192441012823089634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Although, in this case, I think it actually was the drool that attracted this little pooch to McKinley's face.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicItBaVEA9hAhDF1BAtW54apDD4uo0jA_JEPjuztPuaLbO3oFghJNNP0MHV75Ek-iqGZ25ifUjnNBKbn1gv27iYDzm8xcb6683zqWvISRIVXVjISncarW4aYSfN7k-kBpx7FqpgKUqzjC5/s1600-h/dogface2dogface.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicItBaVEA9hAhDF1BAtW54apDD4uo0jA_JEPjuztPuaLbO3oFghJNNP0MHV75Ek-iqGZ25ifUjnNBKbn1gv27iYDzm8xcb6683zqWvISRIVXVjISncarW4aYSfN7k-kBpx7FqpgKUqzjC5/s400/dogface2dogface.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192440639160934866" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ayCQ0Kne_A8bF2cQpsWjGqvIzxXXs7H6ogzaUto2sA5sE_69XmdPd0KHNDW4ZiIW9D7rR8aDmaR0TUrx7OjPJUg22X4tgj21moNqQOxl0pgXzK1xDnaCbbXkG4F94xkwclGAVZA_pE34/s1600-h/DSC_0226+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ayCQ0Kne_A8bF2cQpsWjGqvIzxXXs7H6ogzaUto2sA5sE_69XmdPd0KHNDW4ZiIW9D7rR8aDmaR0TUrx7OjPJUg22X4tgj21moNqQOxl0pgXzK1xDnaCbbXkG4F94xkwclGAVZA_pE34/s400/DSC_0226+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190723404965474434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">One special feature on the property just adjacent to the Dog Mall is this one hundred year old Oak Tree.</span></span><br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYDeufjMj3mKE04py1e8OfKCti4peneFn5ksyR05_uh6p5NJh_8qRXxZv_GNQbHWLyNjjtKhqUUJvtbTPkmhio9SsBqUJ4WIiLRan88Z8xWx5MN5p0ZCRQ9TsAxI8pghSeCjExKptGIbB/s1600-h/DSC_0225.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYDeufjMj3mKE04py1e8OfKCti4peneFn5ksyR05_uh6p5NJh_8qRXxZv_GNQbHWLyNjjtKhqUUJvtbTPkmhio9SsBqUJ4WIiLRan88Z8xWx5MN5p0ZCRQ9TsAxI8pghSeCjExKptGIbB/s400/DSC_0225.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190719109998178418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">There's Ali way down at the base of the tree - so you can see how tall it really is.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZLtnlv2cq9ZPq1t2pV6d1wU84TiHWgU9S93Min96-U9kYEre8b5em94XLZ-Q9wSfg6dOlNz_0IvdqdBdQEh1sw4KeGjL_HDPkqHGHVBIf4ktWCyQBUAmNPf0UAEM6ueU0t1GtFqHOmAg/s1600-h/DSC_0245.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZLtnlv2cq9ZPq1t2pV6d1wU84TiHWgU9S93Min96-U9kYEre8b5em94XLZ-Q9wSfg6dOlNz_0IvdqdBdQEh1sw4KeGjL_HDPkqHGHVBIf4ktWCyQBUAmNPf0UAEM6ueU0t1GtFqHOmAg/s400/DSC_0245.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192442438752231954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">We spent some more time just walking around and enjoying the nice weather.</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qrMMgQY4pZtUCviNfou_6Ym1DHktw5UJEk9yuFVC0L7_9eyUIev251LAD0d_0Qzdq5StAU2zDd2F8z1lRjUZ-eBeHMLgmYkGv2Wu8GHUTpD3H6nml8NA3aMBAUN6mGux6G5RL-2Cp3PK/s1600-h/DSC_0258.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qrMMgQY4pZtUCviNfou_6Ym1DHktw5UJEk9yuFVC0L7_9eyUIev251LAD0d_0Qzdq5StAU2zDd2F8z1lRjUZ-eBeHMLgmYkGv2Wu8GHUTpD3H6nml8NA3aMBAUN6mGux6G5RL-2Cp3PK/s400/DSC_0258.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190717688364003410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The stores were "oh, so exclusive" with really BIG ADS.</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMCTntbx785byJuPWKDTRzXrpMlS3bXEGjSH8lYnJOVhXsEwnHDgFbI1rLLxcriXZLGaWKpWdgL5b370vglUWlpTTjc9KcXBvul69OsJ3rFEk-uD_qKdCVy1IxiQFyLKXLzpcdEEqGAgL/s1600-h/DSC_0283.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMCTntbx785byJuPWKDTRzXrpMlS3bXEGjSH8lYnJOVhXsEwnHDgFbI1rLLxcriXZLGaWKpWdgL5b370vglUWlpTTjc9KcXBvul69OsJ3rFEk-uD_qKdCVy1IxiQFyLKXLzpcdEEqGAgL/s400/DSC_0283.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192452184033026674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br />Time to start heading back home because Papa was making dinner!<br />By the time we got back it had already started to rain again.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF5amqq1jdvm1fu0TcRCwI9y3dVPvi2w7tfHaNz60qfJVZAX6YOSc_jxjfDX8BS9FgKrTCctW4aFB9_3TByHYRxoXTItJ4CkHz6XLT986XCelwQLd90Wv07dZXjOG04eHn3lGMgA8Rzrc/s1600-h/DSC_0294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF5amqq1jdvm1fu0TcRCwI9y3dVPvi2w7tfHaNz60qfJVZAX6YOSc_jxjfDX8BS9FgKrTCctW4aFB9_3TByHYRxoXTItJ4CkHz6XLT986XCelwQLd90Wv07dZXjOG04eHn3lGMgA8Rzrc/s400/DSC_0294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190708866501177394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Steve Wasco came for dinner, too. It was nice to visit with him.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bAInoitwY3QwMORluALrhcwNkSg5BYs8ajz53uUFMjezrxchN-pIongvMjDnF5VhHWieUluLaJt_rV447Q_IXNNbvPyNOqiJuvpUZEUmg9atoRCBielwue-XmPjydidY_I7H5P3cJMl6/s1600-h/DSC_0301.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bAInoitwY3QwMORluALrhcwNkSg5BYs8ajz53uUFMjezrxchN-pIongvMjDnF5VhHWieUluLaJt_rV447Q_IXNNbvPyNOqiJuvpUZEUmg9atoRCBielwue-XmPjydidY_I7H5P3cJMl6/s400/DSC_0301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190709369012351042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Saturday was rainy off and on, but Hannah and Stacey had "sunshine in their souls today"</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">as they got ready for the big Bloomfield Hills "The Best of EFY" day at the Stake Center.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic7p3mN_uyiHRsXbTsmNcDnglyNFsBCj5SZlwtnLKJH3Sc_5RTW3coL80pISazH7hyphenhyphen_QVmzPlioh4PwpKN8qRWcSX65mVQqIHYZzT9tyeWoONZKbzjehdyP0k1GVaqLESBDcnO-vsmJJd/s1600-h/DSC_0312.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic7p3mN_uyiHRsXbTsmNcDnglyNFsBCj5SZlwtnLKJH3Sc_5RTW3coL80pISazH7hyphenhyphen_QVmzPlioh4PwpKN8qRWcSX65mVQqIHYZzT9tyeWoONZKbzjehdyP0k1GVaqLESBDcnO-vsmJJd/s400/DSC_0312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190707084089749538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"> I think Jeff is ready to get going, too?</span><br /></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLkVcZRcYxeUkJX4Fbni8dxqY10SEGyqi_hmJecm3jhs_-VTubk4OSUlfDg5vb35nGTgRWzpxdT1ib-ItfYNiD6Hth9EEn2uMX-SNl2PounCPRSIFGz0EZvo6Spifn59tDkCqcylmYqaP/s1600-h/Jeff's+ready,+too.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLkVcZRcYxeUkJX4Fbni8dxqY10SEGyqi_hmJecm3jhs_-VTubk4OSUlfDg5vb35nGTgRWzpxdT1ib-ItfYNiD6Hth9EEn2uMX-SNl2PounCPRSIFGz0EZvo6Spifn59tDkCqcylmYqaP/s400/Jeff's+ready,+too.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190706706132627474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >We were just about to get in the van when McKinley realized we were just about to go off and leave without him!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6FvfVL0MnMD51m-G3nVKyc2AIwZDJe71hHMIvn_Ed-JEZmSYxcVf_p9ZpxAk1HVw8aVCGk0VAf-RF6CrIK2eXGAEzI7umbQfKnAuZFWgb_0dlhO33durxDK8aEywx-9GP_SPEgbXPBES/s1600-h/DSC_0313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6FvfVL0MnMD51m-G3nVKyc2AIwZDJe71hHMIvn_Ed-JEZmSYxcVf_p9ZpxAk1HVw8aVCGk0VAf-RF6CrIK2eXGAEzI7umbQfKnAuZFWgb_0dlhO33durxDK8aEywx-9GP_SPEgbXPBES/s400/DSC_0313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190705198599106562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">We had originally planned on just leaving McKinley in the yard while we drove to Bloomfield Hills... but he was pretty clear about his intentions to NOT be left behind. After all, how could we even think about letting him out of our sight after all we'd just been through? - and still being so far away from home? We decided that he did have a pretty good reason for wanting to come ... so we thought better of it and brought him along with us. </span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUsDM0QYwJtPaL6bcdhoH77fC1A0tWsztZtiv6qlUHkJJlPWju-yHr_hTTVfi3gF2o2sKllCBuvKQROUhC2ImmG7icBHbM_w-zgVhTSK5XKdeqOlrgA8oGxldNr0dipI9196fXlAi9DeG/s1600-h/DSC_0315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUsDM0QYwJtPaL6bcdhoH77fC1A0tWsztZtiv6qlUHkJJlPWju-yHr_hTTVfi3gF2o2sKllCBuvKQROUhC2ImmG7icBHbM_w-zgVhTSK5XKdeqOlrgA8oGxldNr0dipI9196fXlAi9DeG/s400/DSC_0315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190703944468656114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Here we are at the Bloomfield Hills Stake Center and that's the Detroit, Michigan Temple in the background. Jeff and I both grew up attending this stake building and never dreamed that one day there would be a Temple standing right next to it.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNXnKAx_EPwREDI8mlwltPA26igb2NyW2eYofpa2t2HoHOGnDymYVaW9CIVYWxFpm3AcSOaQBIp-xzHca3H31BWUfBT0K1bDt-9SNscxX3sdET47a-imA3wI3nZHC4Mj338Y_Ht89RYa6/s1600-h/DSC_0324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNXnKAx_EPwREDI8mlwltPA26igb2NyW2eYofpa2t2HoHOGnDymYVaW9CIVYWxFpm3AcSOaQBIp-xzHca3H31BWUfBT0K1bDt-9SNscxX3sdET47a-imA3wI3nZHC4Mj338Y_Ht89RYa6/s400/DSC_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190703240094019554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jimSJaLYjfEMuQuuUmiIyxSivs-ni5m9qaYb7-4KluziTa7alqXSRQLCC-N1Ir9PZB77Q4srmKtVRlauf0ajbUNHKVXHSaWwh9TKjlAo5trkfqhQdYT9YOovk6y2FP5IFAB7p9hVglFZ/s1600-h/DSC_0329.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jimSJaLYjfEMuQuuUmiIyxSivs-ni5m9qaYb7-4KluziTa7alqXSRQLCC-N1Ir9PZB77Q4srmKtVRlauf0ajbUNHKVXHSaWwh9TKjlAo5trkfqhQdYT9YOovk6y2FP5IFAB7p9hVglFZ/s400/DSC_0329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190677929851744194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">We went to visit my sister Shelli while the girls were at their activity. Dave came home while we were there and gave Shelli a bouquet of red roses. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> "Dave always brings me flowers when he comes home from work" Shelli said.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Today was their anniversary and Shelli hadn't even mentioned it when I called to see if it was alright for us to come over and visit for awhile.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> It was fun to see both of them and talk about family and life - as if the miles apart hadn't really separated us. I need to be better about keeping in touch with my sweet little sister. </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCuMptTlz3XcgWvnxHbSwICnKwV2RjpOQT0FCQR_R8g3sTKNcaL4vedZdTFJXCD039ilYMYVMkLNepaNFRk4Cbw4XiYHTrTOdbqIGdYE1ZVbeTIavoGHOOXV-_gdmPXEdyIevWgqV9fZm/s1600-h/Copy+of+DSC_0337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCuMptTlz3XcgWvnxHbSwICnKwV2RjpOQT0FCQR_R8g3sTKNcaL4vedZdTFJXCD039ilYMYVMkLNepaNFRk4Cbw4XiYHTrTOdbqIGdYE1ZVbeTIavoGHOOXV-_gdmPXEdyIevWgqV9fZm/s400/Copy+of+DSC_0337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190675292741824418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">"Have you gotten taller or have I gotten shorter? Don't answer that..."</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUXyMwL2SuIU-k-_zjbjI5GGSroI_drZg75Ot1udOWENgV59sXhiWzKR88eHPPhfAvo-XMtmT6pBMjthQvJ9p1RCPYejWz1751P-TKFB1064JUmJfQl46L3vOSsLKk3U9yzG8gxxVEJtp/s1600-h/DSC_0342.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUXyMwL2SuIU-k-_zjbjI5GGSroI_drZg75Ot1udOWENgV59sXhiWzKR88eHPPhfAvo-XMtmT6pBMjthQvJ9p1RCPYejWz1751P-TKFB1064JUmJfQl46L3vOSsLKk3U9yzG8gxxVEJtp/s400/DSC_0342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190669666334666642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Jeff took Ali to Hockey Town to find her just the right sized Red Wings Hoodie. This store is actually right next door to the ice arena where The Red Wings have their practice.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >How cool is that?</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfq6aa1zMhc-XWm-8jYpHrAMMoJMjvPZQtxD4-nNwKZ97lJ55CkI8t7HAxRBM68Rsdu-9-vhMpW80Jxuzy1DSYq8VPalfRPp-NRwekUMdATXH3L3jCFMoxaJN-WUr-9jk87cWO11TCqXD/s1600-h/Copy+of+DSC_0346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfq6aa1zMhc-XWm-8jYpHrAMMoJMjvPZQtxD4-nNwKZ97lJ55CkI8t7HAxRBM68Rsdu-9-vhMpW80Jxuzy1DSYq8VPalfRPp-NRwekUMdATXH3L3jCFMoxaJN-WUr-9jk87cWO11TCqXD/s400/Copy+of+DSC_0346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192457041641038514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">We picked Hannah and Stacey up from the Dance a lot earlier than we expected because of some pretty urgent sounding requests from their cell phones while they were ( I think) hiding out in the bathroom. They were trying to get away from stalker Michigan boys (who kept showing them where they lived by pointing to different regions of their hands) and danced, (Hannah tried to demonstrate) as if they were having epileptic seizures... and those were the "cool" ones.<br />(The boys back home in Atlanta never looked so good.)</span></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E_Br6PF67PjFmJCgf5mIJRItYS698RH9h21A6uD7W_UrOL5rdcyYzAD9nl3GlXI9VUyWBnnVY6wMNsY_0AqbvF-Xtyn5QOPyKbALa-c9c_SfYVnu5VoGvDuaNudGFpuuq_ozV7tz4G4q/s1600-h/DSC_0232.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E_Br6PF67PjFmJCgf5mIJRItYS698RH9h21A6uD7W_UrOL5rdcyYzAD9nl3GlXI9VUyWBnnVY6wMNsY_0AqbvF-Xtyn5QOPyKbALa-c9c_SfYVnu5VoGvDuaNudGFpuuq_ozV7tz4G4q/s400/DSC_0232.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190662760027254658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">We were happy to get back to Jeff's parents home earlier than we had expected. We were leaving to drive the 12 to13 hours back to Atlanta in the morning and it would be nice to get a good nights sleep first before starting out.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Despite the traumatic beginning, we enjoyed our visit, as always, with Toye and Russell.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">They continue to be great examples of service and self sacrifice for their children and grandchildren. We hope Toye is doing much better by now and getting over her pneumonia and regaining her strength.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> It's nearly midnight and time to call this post DONE! Jeff is in Saudi Arabia heading up 3 University projects for The King of Saudi Arabia - King Saud.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">(That's "His Excellency" to you and I.) But that's another post for another day. G'night!</span></span>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-68533828670477558852008-04-04T13:19:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:52:48.229-07:00Here I Am!<i><span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been discovering all the amazing things I can do with my new digital camera.</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%; font-style: italic;"><br />Jeff and his parents </span><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> got it for me for Christmas... and my Birthday (It's a REALLY nice camera) but I kept going back to my faithful old 35mm camera because I knew it so well. I wasn't sure how difficult it would be to learn how to get the pictures I wanted with this new fangled digital thing.</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">But this camera is so easy to use. One morning with the zoom lens on and it was like opening up a whole new digital world! It's so liberating! I don't have to wait for that perfect shot before clicking my shutter anymore because I don't have to worry about wasting film ever again. And being able to load my pictures directly onto my computer has completely changed my life.</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Here is a sampling of what I shot early Tuesday morning in Peachtree City. Spring comes early here in Georgia and everything is budding and blooming. I know the humidity and insects are soon to come, but right now it's pretty nice.<br /><br /><br />The running path by the Peachtree City library is a favorite starting point for a lot of runners in the area - Jeff included. (although, that is not Jeff in this picture. This guy is a totally random, nameless runner, who just happened to be passing by.)<br /> Jeff would only be a blur going past because he is so much faster than this guy.<br /></span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8OOPQdwpjRRXqCzBHUifFApxay10Gj1tzU6-hUT0nW2bV6yMkeCVCTG5ChuKlNbGo4w92y7OCrwD2jKqdmW_Z70_4viKcBOtOOjUqCSzNIfyaLdoj8wqzP1DkHPamFQqafrr1g5xmxnI/s1600-h/13+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8OOPQdwpjRRXqCzBHUifFApxay10Gj1tzU6-hUT0nW2bV6yMkeCVCTG5ChuKlNbGo4w92y7OCrwD2jKqdmW_Z70_4viKcBOtOOjUqCSzNIfyaLdoj8wqzP1DkHPamFQqafrr1g5xmxnI/s400/13+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185524690577781042" border="0" /></a>If you look closely you can see droplets of the morning dew still wet on the petals of these flowers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-xjo5Mrd7od2fnTkwla_wGPPPB00aOisFmthP3IZ07i2eJHdlBwLDezmay-tmwuNRuMBF1kICOicF9Y_CF82nks1J0sOTMvo11tmLI91h4DBupHbtxqYoe10e5Xzk9tT88aEdfYaqICI/s1600-h/04+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-xjo5Mrd7od2fnTkwla_wGPPPB00aOisFmthP3IZ07i2eJHdlBwLDezmay-tmwuNRuMBF1kICOicF9Y_CF82nks1J0sOTMvo11tmLI91h4DBupHbtxqYoe10e5Xzk9tT88aEdfYaqICI/s400/04+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185524042037719330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx8Oh1GaB2hhSgYbfVxGwOxBzt3OkQ8YKc5mr2PxYKH5cycbwxeRSciORcvmIz7x7F4X3CRDaRSL8nivf4zRNefeN06RxgmUq-egn_Q5Hyf0dKx_QjZv53ZXQs-CuDx6dHkXqTL9Jga8O/s1600-h/05+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx8Oh1GaB2hhSgYbfVxGwOxBzt3OkQ8YKc5mr2PxYKH5cycbwxeRSciORcvmIz7x7F4X3CRDaRSL8nivf4zRNefeN06RxgmUq-egn_Q5Hyf0dKx_QjZv53ZXQs-CuDx6dHkXqTL9Jga8O/s400/05+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185523728505106706" border="0" /></a> Wow! This pinecone just jumps right out at you!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEMnRGSZ9GTkoGTAP35-3a1GSk0lBpYzdPhr3UpRQkVDh4x0sycfsDs6UbN2lEpLJoLercnjrJliI-J5uCo8KY35UNGye_re4oHAkFYTuLI0Q0Pd_aiTIKx-WCq1dFPoY5S69SjDvufDm/s1600-h/06+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEMnRGSZ9GTkoGTAP35-3a1GSk0lBpYzdPhr3UpRQkVDh4x0sycfsDs6UbN2lEpLJoLercnjrJliI-J5uCo8KY35UNGye_re4oHAkFYTuLI0Q0Pd_aiTIKx-WCq1dFPoY5S69SjDvufDm/s400/06+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185523264648638722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wZxzNvFcU0n7TJvHrcGeRVN3zkj1XuO0Usd5P3QAokmWeun29H-VpSJtL7vUNNlM2g_BLD5wd_pqJ44p81q77chsdbLooXtdRr0GfyY0db3wXGtmmzsm1WcjHk9lpyp5dBN0Lhz7eeMQ/s1600-h/07+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wZxzNvFcU0n7TJvHrcGeRVN3zkj1XuO0Usd5P3QAokmWeun29H-VpSJtL7vUNNlM2g_BLD5wd_pqJ44p81q77chsdbLooXtdRr0GfyY0db3wXGtmmzsm1WcjHk9lpyp5dBN0Lhz7eeMQ/s400/07+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185521877374202098" border="0" /></a>I was so amazed that I could even capture the spider thread shimmering in the morning sun. How Magical!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0TudLMttpOzVf0jhpcrX4eMl5-t49ecGZzsPzvR7zoPOvdf4JqtqzE2JugyOfVTLcZ-rdnCkp6LYC_NKhCE5PrJuma_O_92kRBpiiMZSFEQbUEnUnZwn-PB5HZyz8C-kR5bFT0FuYUGX/s1600-h/08+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0TudLMttpOzVf0jhpcrX4eMl5-t49ecGZzsPzvR7zoPOvdf4JqtqzE2JugyOfVTLcZ-rdnCkp6LYC_NKhCE5PrJuma_O_92kRBpiiMZSFEQbUEnUnZwn-PB5HZyz8C-kR5bFT0FuYUGX/s400/08+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185520769272639714" border="0" /></a>This is what the Dogwood blossoms look like up close. They are blooming everywhere and line many of the nicer residential streets. They're beautiful but they are also the reason why people with allergies are miserable throughout this season.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EJSOjZDNdW0RwoUz4bBonswK_O5DhcTmTf7ccmUPYCLyFxXShnzO3cCWcYULq0f6Xwc_qMLaQVxA3BQHg9qQ_NmuUek5sFqM_KmO2mUvFhmP7fTAqTXOvLk8I0SDg087c5JSKiVl9F0r/s1600-h/02+Spring+in+PTC.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EJSOjZDNdW0RwoUz4bBonswK_O5DhcTmTf7ccmUPYCLyFxXShnzO3cCWcYULq0f6Xwc_qMLaQVxA3BQHg9qQ_NmuUek5sFqM_KmO2mUvFhmP7fTAqTXOvLk8I0SDg087c5JSKiVl9F0r/s400/02+Spring+in+PTC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185519983293624530" border="0" /></a>I thought this was cool how you can see the sun shining through the petal of this flower.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMqtzq78VWXCO9r4NMtiZWZM54A3wV_BfkjdLpdONv8_f2dKv4_sCqmoXZJlAHLzpxp2lHXHBk_GbPaK-dSTZwAz-sW_AC8yi5sC5Gm2p4-TGLVm8rL1fLZAXOLFU6ACBj_wm96TDe-3z/s1600-h/09+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMqtzq78VWXCO9r4NMtiZWZM54A3wV_BfkjdLpdONv8_f2dKv4_sCqmoXZJlAHLzpxp2lHXHBk_GbPaK-dSTZwAz-sW_AC8yi5sC5Gm2p4-TGLVm8rL1fLZAXOLFU6ACBj_wm96TDe-3z/s400/09+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185515675441426626" border="0" /></a>Most of these shots I took pointing up into this blossoming tree while I was standing underneath.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2qAkyC5IPtB57PxjkJCPX8ijW42xaIVcvcfok9lBBYbaLaPn-7IqdgOPxtMgCPCkLLHrkLBaW2Ra43FPpEMR3heKkpI6mQhaGhFrieJ89ZwwN1wGg8LTh64O8EAsplYtNBBr84g25llU/s1600-h/03+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2qAkyC5IPtB57PxjkJCPX8ijW42xaIVcvcfok9lBBYbaLaPn-7IqdgOPxtMgCPCkLLHrkLBaW2Ra43FPpEMR3heKkpI6mQhaGhFrieJ89ZwwN1wGg8LTh64O8EAsplYtNBBr84g25llU/s400/03+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185514717663719602" border="0" /></a>This was a clump of decorative grass. Some incredibly skillful horticulturalist carefully grew it to look this way on purpose.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l2H2897sS_xLybmpj3NkBrGSRpQMr9vpw8hkStl7k9EU_kApFQC4oWKQ2NW65diwnWCimohVmu9bfxQ7v1UfaobJffvfK2GDuMdq-Mf5xLHEjL1IxwBGioO46nPSfgp4WlLQk-_lgwGo/s1600-h/10+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l2H2897sS_xLybmpj3NkBrGSRpQMr9vpw8hkStl7k9EU_kApFQC4oWKQ2NW65diwnWCimohVmu9bfxQ7v1UfaobJffvfK2GDuMdq-Mf5xLHEjL1IxwBGioO46nPSfgp4WlLQk-_lgwGo/s400/10+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185513321799348386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gIDl5dA-XVv3Zjlf4CMdMV_H_HU4dIItalKXStuGBtm8YTHSq2EhS4Y1Qdtb2EMijJfDGZrkfO1MchnxTyfS6VKv57_VReYIwEo9Y9gpS3g_DWnGg2M6fNTbHxsmI0h6xeRGVJXunKoY/s1600-h/11+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gIDl5dA-XVv3Zjlf4CMdMV_H_HU4dIItalKXStuGBtm8YTHSq2EhS4Y1Qdtb2EMijJfDGZrkfO1MchnxTyfS6VKv57_VReYIwEo9Y9gpS3g_DWnGg2M6fNTbHxsmI0h6xeRGVJXunKoY/s400/11+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185511947409813650" border="0" /></a>I don't know what kind of plant this is... butI thought it was pretty.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgV_9KnIBrkvs7Nx7NGst-PvJvJ77mShQlPR3enhQERl66Bpfb8Yzd0hz1D-x5AF0vyneRinV0Vqz0bk51AbWkLnSaa1vcFJwqnQDQDD0hk9m_Bqk0HHIhTBPPimxx7vG1wx-wjyAjksy/s1600-h/15+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgV_9KnIBrkvs7Nx7NGst-PvJvJ77mShQlPR3enhQERl66Bpfb8Yzd0hz1D-x5AF0vyneRinV0Vqz0bk51AbWkLnSaa1vcFJwqnQDQDD0hk9m_Bqk0HHIhTBPPimxx7vG1wx-wjyAjksy/s400/15+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185511036876746882" border="0" /></a>This wee little plant is growing out of the massive gnarled trunk of this tree.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9rB9EBgm1DJlhKPT0GNvKr0OYJ22VgxorL9wT6QpMs8ZMoESON6MezwRLA409FRTeQuyFZJZ6HRqd7T6wbPdC2HwdOejElrFj8sK2FdfQx4pb_RSdoM9ffrRd9i7JTH3HCsboTBrD9Lx/s1600-h/16+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9rB9EBgm1DJlhKPT0GNvKr0OYJ22VgxorL9wT6QpMs8ZMoESON6MezwRLA409FRTeQuyFZJZ6HRqd7T6wbPdC2HwdOejElrFj8sK2FdfQx4pb_RSdoM9ffrRd9i7JTH3HCsboTBrD9Lx/s400/16+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185509512163356786" border="0" /></a> When the sun shines through a squirrel's ears, they look almost transparent.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgdEnTOiprJZG1C7bmojIA3hBDv8yqDd48wLbm2oK3As9lqo-R3reaF-bljuWDDcw84ehI9rMyRoPXkw8psbtxYBZNF9ZgS3DCtx-WZZbaaKpoBlCNEERGWXl6lfSRdHdZCEnZQSJls3F/s1600-h/17+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgdEnTOiprJZG1C7bmojIA3hBDv8yqDd48wLbm2oK3As9lqo-R3reaF-bljuWDDcw84ehI9rMyRoPXkw8psbtxYBZNF9ZgS3DCtx-WZZbaaKpoBlCNEERGWXl6lfSRdHdZCEnZQSJls3F/s400/17+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185508262327873634" border="0" /></a> Through these woods is a walking path that leads to Lake Peachtree.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWqeCEVLTC5QHfuOJBH7cqZPw9Ea6X4Rwrn8YCmYXvQJ_Er7Vt0OJPFSKsGItr1E3C_2NbzemFsCW5ovDBWDtR9cx6McB_jgnNhyqxweFkDMcEZlwo3GJbUEGLqdZ2E0VtwQ1qmQ34iQ0/s1600-h/18+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWqeCEVLTC5QHfuOJBH7cqZPw9Ea6X4Rwrn8YCmYXvQJ_Er7Vt0OJPFSKsGItr1E3C_2NbzemFsCW5ovDBWDtR9cx6McB_jgnNhyqxweFkDMcEZlwo3GJbUEGLqdZ2E0VtwQ1qmQ34iQ0/s400/18+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185507278780362834" border="0" /></a>It is lovely in its own way.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBExqbcAMhSN6nqh4KRz61I-KdwYpKX3iGY8YvEsQVfZY5dItbLPdTKOnYDSPwutiVPmz1DrxAe2DMc4vCBaeDHfVoLeYVekeqeq2hkCNKJwDBjXNF9rMsooSfgtfwrECLFF3geIqtyxW/s1600-h/19+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBExqbcAMhSN6nqh4KRz61I-KdwYpKX3iGY8YvEsQVfZY5dItbLPdTKOnYDSPwutiVPmz1DrxAe2DMc4vCBaeDHfVoLeYVekeqeq2hkCNKJwDBjXNF9rMsooSfgtfwrECLFF3geIqtyxW/s400/19+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185505453419262018" border="0" /></a> Okay, so I couldn't get as close to my bird as Chelsea could get to hers...<br />but I DO like the cool branch stuff in this shot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ2XxCVtyq7GfmUGvd9CqmuX20GaorfCHg9vteHuyirBjSDGhzNzGCkYpcj_LQKMC8TEyoXloAhBXfvFaX1VVFCcydkosmCTkWEDuD4yjyo2GTIZ5uwMHe2EgFMucdMP_0MSQHX9tGFjB/s1600-h/20+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ2XxCVtyq7GfmUGvd9CqmuX20GaorfCHg9vteHuyirBjSDGhzNzGCkYpcj_LQKMC8TEyoXloAhBXfvFaX1VVFCcydkosmCTkWEDuD4yjyo2GTIZ5uwMHe2EgFMucdMP_0MSQHX9tGFjB/s400/20+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185504414037176370" border="0" /></a> Ducks and Geese! I took tons of pictures of the ducks and geese ... however, the geese didn't swim off as fast so I got more of them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivVYuOvHXz3JprUjbL3OxuF9NjQ0HzTER8QL1HO4m3b0lmcKEX1x_SoIx5sAMY2sqcmjgK0jd1OuLwge9nX1ZUa8iD9H66LoLdk3J4ZVbIWmgHOGhxSBYTmyyEUACTbjG55MErNXQIUlv/s1600-h/21+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivVYuOvHXz3JprUjbL3OxuF9NjQ0HzTER8QL1HO4m3b0lmcKEX1x_SoIx5sAMY2sqcmjgK0jd1OuLwge9nX1ZUa8iD9H66LoLdk3J4ZVbIWmgHOGhxSBYTmyyEUACTbjG55MErNXQIUlv/s400/21+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185503434784632866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKWmsfl1bjD-pgj_cAGj7e5CkhrUrRv5sXjA52Volvlk425WNFwu03k5Kog659VPibttKFVmndx5PAnazifzneEU6DXuFYdDZswGqMmX3BGDWo0piGLjicDxqk3plJoro7skF6YRmpt-j/s1600-h/22+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKWmsfl1bjD-pgj_cAGj7e5CkhrUrRv5sXjA52Volvlk425WNFwu03k5Kog659VPibttKFVmndx5PAnazifzneEU6DXuFYdDZswGqMmX3BGDWo0piGLjicDxqk3plJoro7skF6YRmpt-j/s400/22+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185501407560069138" border="0" /></a>Look, this goose and his reflection make a heart!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfBQ2HHrkrNZytCyzyjGKsztyxRdH3sO4LL9VdJGio86icbtiJC8WCXRBXWLfR0FPQWXQV9Rpy-4UcdJVKRXFr-RYq6zadlTzWtn_AVMKKq889do8aWJaJo-bi91Gx9eaNK60y-x2KVln/s1600-h/23+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfBQ2HHrkrNZytCyzyjGKsztyxRdH3sO4LL9VdJGio86icbtiJC8WCXRBXWLfR0FPQWXQV9Rpy-4UcdJVKRXFr-RYq6zadlTzWtn_AVMKKq889do8aWJaJo-bi91Gx9eaNK60y-x2KVln/s400/23+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185500338113212418" border="0" /></a> I was intrigued by how intact and perfect the seeds on this dandelion looked...<br /> and wondered how much longer it could possibly hold onto them.<br /> But, the wind is calm today... so maybe a bit longer.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPHFwzuoh10FQxQzqDwgttjRYYFr42CrPgNEFSWuB5onR8Il42AUVm9Hr2Fyp6LO9zhhwo_qkD28zfIqZxwzX-6PGUHBU5EnU2FnHFIUtvxrp95Isj1pHvnCRXE9o3MnRxHUulHUj0x2a/s1600-h/24+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPHFwzuoh10FQxQzqDwgttjRYYFr42CrPgNEFSWuB5onR8Il42AUVm9Hr2Fyp6LO9zhhwo_qkD28zfIqZxwzX-6PGUHBU5EnU2FnHFIUtvxrp95Isj1pHvnCRXE9o3MnRxHUulHUj0x2a/s400/24+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185499320205963250" border="0" /></a>This leaf is hanging on for dear life. I like the contrast it makes against the budding tree branch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-HIoWoIsJW0TT5m0aMRbq1kqSLMsbRoQGi35ixnPnLMU9RTOjHW51J89IjitqfHxQ8adBmH24NNuZlhA61w1WQIqAbt2oaJ0dUHLidm976D60nB4KPk3-4-R6E1KwokrjJ_QC2UTfDcx/s1600-h/25+Spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-HIoWoIsJW0TT5m0aMRbq1kqSLMsbRoQGi35ixnPnLMU9RTOjHW51J89IjitqfHxQ8adBmH24NNuZlhA61w1WQIqAbt2oaJ0dUHLidm976D60nB4KPk3-4-R6E1KwokrjJ_QC2UTfDcx/s400/25+Spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185498233579237346" border="0" /></a>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-85507163246716747512008-03-31T13:50:00.000-07:002008-03-31T13:51:44.094-07:00Where's Wendy???So, does anyone know what Happened to Wendy???.....Rachel Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535193254405225815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-77364218926756552582008-03-24T08:58:00.000-07:002008-03-24T09:22:43.733-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEivrdChUIFnBg_kUODLf-qMUHE7c7hGgYHLCtpfHRbdZRY20MsFYW6K0bNJjE9np9ATjrf1axqvYwrfNRlNaZ63yfP81vkv7_gdm1r5ENV_B0DGC2cKXoiLfnyXTI96m5rsvMx1CAzW_/s1600-h/JacquieArt32108.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEivrdChUIFnBg_kUODLf-qMUHE7c7hGgYHLCtpfHRbdZRY20MsFYW6K0bNJjE9np9ATjrf1axqvYwrfNRlNaZ63yfP81vkv7_gdm1r5ENV_B0DGC2cKXoiLfnyXTI96m5rsvMx1CAzW_/s400/JacquieArt32108.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181343879217540802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(excerpt from Chelsea Stebar)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" ></span><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" >I visited my old home town yesterday. It was a really surreal experience. You see, I grew up in a small, sheltered town in Utah. But I moved to Atlanta about five years ago. Now, I'm going to school out here in Utah and my sister has been visiting this week, so we took a day-trip down to our old home town.<br /><br />It was a strange feeling, seeing my old house with someone else's cat in the window, driving down those same streets I had traversed so often as a kid. I knew them so well, and yet I had the unshakable impression that I didn't belong there anymore. I knew exactly where I was and who used to live where, but so much had changed. I had a set image in my mind of what everything was supposed to look like - the way I remembered it - but of course, a lot changes in five years.<br /><br />I sure am glad I moved to Georgia when I did. I learned so much and met so many amazing people in Georgia. My life is so different now. Going back just made me realize how much I would have missed out on had I stayed in Utah.<br /><br />But good gravy is it beautiful down there.</span><br /><br /><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/frodocracked/P1170873.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" >( From Chelsea's site on DeviantArt <span style="font-size:85%;">dated March 21,2008</span>)</span></span></span></span>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-57306800015041584452008-03-23T13:03:00.000-07:002008-03-27T20:17:11.320-07:00Bonding TimeThis last week has been full of family time for me. Jacquie's been here in Provo and we visited Aunt Rachel's family on Sunday and went to Morgan on Wednesday. It was really great to go see Aunt Rachel, Uncle Jeff, Clint, and Derek again. We even got to see Amber and her adorable little son, Nathan.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4da-QaS9mBTLGMX-ibEIyHzXjX4hphZV6p27tF_g668X1xmyj4cV_Ehvqmh5nLz-JN_5gk5pBIrmcu-S5JTeGCOnSlOhZOFUnkqlqHh5VcK5z4JgBzO6udHubqU6fXCkkBXwNQBeAe2g/s1600-h/P1170687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4da-QaS9mBTLGMX-ibEIyHzXjX4hphZV6p27tF_g668X1xmyj4cV_Ehvqmh5nLz-JN_5gk5pBIrmcu-S5JTeGCOnSlOhZOFUnkqlqHh5VcK5z4JgBzO6udHubqU6fXCkkBXwNQBeAe2g/s320/P1170687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182615327785967154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcPOmhyphenhypheneVL66mKmPUj_v1jepXQdk5ZW7lOh-wo5LSe309JG75rogLldDFF63tt8hwGtwHU1l-WyPM4ucMOPKHGuWuz5sAdZhoa3V6tyWmqgGvNDBebV-bl1YPpatwdl9EPlev0w5bnRw/s1600-h/P1170671.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcPOmhyphenhypheneVL66mKmPUj_v1jepXQdk5ZW7lOh-wo5LSe309JG75rogLldDFF63tt8hwGtwHU1l-WyPM4ucMOPKHGuWuz5sAdZhoa3V6tyWmqgGvNDBebV-bl1YPpatwdl9EPlev0w5bnRw/s320/P1170671.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182616358578118226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UGUzEGRI2XOBP8G7TUmTUX6KyU_a72agt_Lw3589vFNOxxiBI6wRWFGtg22jTU6DBeGi3hkgXyYEH9nepm2c0X-pdAVEZbK7cFfbgDMA7zXQn7kFj5cgeVo9jm4X-HLkNDVICriLLC8/s1600-h/P1170685.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UGUzEGRI2XOBP8G7TUmTUX6KyU_a72agt_Lw3589vFNOxxiBI6wRWFGtg22jTU6DBeGi3hkgXyYEH9nepm2c0X-pdAVEZbK7cFfbgDMA7zXQn7kFj5cgeVo9jm4X-HLkNDVICriLLC8/s320/P1170685.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181032116941315490" border="0" /></a>Jacquie wasted no time in re-bonding with all the kids. We had some fun reminiscing with Clint about the good ol' days when he used to come to our house in Morgan. We all got a good laugh remembering the salted watermelon incident... Then we had dinner, watched The Office, and made Easter sugar cookies. It was quite a lovely day. :)<br /><br />So then on Wednesday we went out to Morgan where we visited with Aunt Sandi's family and Grammy and Papa. It's so crazy how much older our cousins have gotten. Of course, I'm sure they thought the same of us. But Morgan is just as fabulously beautiful as ever. Jacquie and I drove up to Mountain Green for a while and visited with some people there, like the Smiths and the Mayhews. It was great to see old friends again. It's so strange to think how many of the people we used to go to school with are married now, especially for Jacquie. From what we heard, there are only a couple of her old friends left single. But we had a good time experiencing flashbacks together as we drove up the Highlands and around "The Loop" where we used to ride our bikes as kids. And of course, we visited our old house. Man, I miss that house. I don't so much miss living in Morgan, but I miss living in that house on that mountain-top with that view. But I am really glad we moved to Georgia. I'm a totally different person now than I was when we left. I like my life and myself much more now.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLB84DPzvZwvb6IbfjYPJxdTaWAm6-OAeGm9QA2uA4iUzD1uiElmCA4AHA40JqKYM8Xx-6WL1SFJM-EtcWh5spqj0V0ibOlT6HLypqSvaWkQs-pWTztBkMkB3wpSgNtL4TYo1bqNEE54/s1600-h/P1170952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLB84DPzvZwvb6IbfjYPJxdTaWAm6-OAeGm9QA2uA4iUzD1uiElmCA4AHA40JqKYM8Xx-6WL1SFJM-EtcWh5spqj0V0ibOlT6HLypqSvaWkQs-pWTztBkMkB3wpSgNtL4TYo1bqNEE54/s320/P1170952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182625957830024818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5mRTBfGC9bNElgrODq2ga4ydCg-LRoZAcGNLBPd5KlRGubPkC1_5p8ZH7o3p-sYXMRo9p2wUWpei0w04NdbR3XFIIgKRbcS3bx9c8kBBA_CiuzI4HVkpF6oMcR3AM5UlV7v-Qwbmejs/s1600-h/P1170923.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5mRTBfGC9bNElgrODq2ga4ydCg-LRoZAcGNLBPd5KlRGubPkC1_5p8ZH7o3p-sYXMRo9p2wUWpei0w04NdbR3XFIIgKRbcS3bx9c8kBBA_CiuzI4HVkpF6oMcR3AM5UlV7v-Qwbmejs/s320/P1170923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182624549080751714" border="0" /></a>Chelsea Stebarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09332692786578167333noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-88932159927744944752008-03-18T19:11:00.001-07:002008-03-18T19:35:08.809-07:00Jacquie on BYU Campus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNr0uC1RxZfMq67fxmAh_QXsE-4e-WfVRfyUXHSK7Ha_DGNC1HWv9_lXh2jY6A-kd-iMW5kKoaiFMuF6VE7sOPU0d_Gn_LdZMIVn426liZQxs3ZEpg65-FncT1d-44kMTMXn6NiiqrReu/s1600-h/Jacqueline.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNr0uC1RxZfMq67fxmAh_QXsE-4e-WfVRfyUXHSK7Ha_DGNC1HWv9_lXh2jY6A-kd-iMW5kKoaiFMuF6VE7sOPU0d_Gn_LdZMIVn426liZQxs3ZEpg65-FncT1d-44kMTMXn6NiiqrReu/s320/Jacqueline.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179269877316722738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Jacquie is using her Spring break from school (West Georgia has theirs before Easter) to visit Chelsea at BYU this week. She has spent time with friends, visited with the Binghams and their two darling little boys and for an extra treat, Amber Coop stopped by with her little Nathan and visited for awhile. Jacquie spent an evening at Divine Comedy, Sunday went to a BYU ward, FHE group on Monday, and today attended the devotional with featured speaker Richard G Scott. She's also finding out why they call Provo the dating capital of the world.<br /> Tomorrow her Grandparents, Toye and Russell Stebar (who are visiting with Rusty and Sandi Stebar this week) are coming to pick them up to spend a day back in Morgan to see their cousins and Aunt and Uncle and visit with some old friends there.<br /></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" > I can't wait to hear Jacquie's version of all this when she gets back home on Saturday night. G'night for now. WS</span>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850594154472398923.post-8154999289857618882008-03-17T08:45:00.000-07:002008-03-17T13:59:56.559-07:00Day One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XWVz-IlUNMS1iV-kL27QkAQ51ztvza7-XB65SJhE38foxtn8UrlX3DeDQzBhHLDhxOPZDw0gMh5EdZaVxT0gp7b_sEltie_Aj2T3Vm0f81Egqqt5Bn1qw51-G0fwQnn9_Eilmi6-M2Or/s1600-h/3722-R1-10-11A_011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XWVz-IlUNMS1iV-kL27QkAQ51ztvza7-XB65SJhE38foxtn8UrlX3DeDQzBhHLDhxOPZDw0gMh5EdZaVxT0gp7b_sEltie_Aj2T3Vm0f81Egqqt5Bn1qw51-G0fwQnn9_Eilmi6-M2Or/s320/3722-R1-10-11A_011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178814808351842306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> I am brand new at this so there may, indeed, be an awkwardness to the way this probably sounds... however, I have always cringed at the lame excuses I hear from others as they apologize for themselves and their perceived short comings before they even begin a task... I surely don't want to sound like somebody like that!<br />So, here begins my smart and insightful recordings of the great and oh so interesting comings and goings of the Stebars.<br />Jeff- Currently in New Orleans giving wonderful and informative seminars about the future of sustainable building trends in the world of higher education. Riveting!<br />Brian- Holding his 4 point GPA at Georgia Tech and recently offered a (paid) research spot in the College of Computer Science. He has his sights set on the Rhodes Scholarship. We'll let you know how that turns out.<br />Jacquie- Currently spending Her Spring break in Provo with sister, Chelsea. Still plugging away on her Psychology BS at West Georgia and maintaining the Hope Scholarship that pays her tuition. Yeah! She is set to graduate in July and has decided to serve a mission, hopefully planning to embark on that next adventure in August. She'll be a GREAT full time missionary. She is already an exemplary member missionary, and her testimony is Rock Solid.<br />Chelsea- Artist and Animator Extraordinaire. She loves the "Y" and has found the animation program that BYU has to offer a great fit for her above-average talents. (That's right!) She got all As her first semester and, with the 25 AP credits she began college with, she is currently ranked as a sophomore. See, it really does pay off to take those AP classes.<br />Hannah- She's Happy as a Bird and sings Disney songs around the house to prove it. She's on everyone's favorite friend list because she's so much fun and has followed in her sister Jacquie's tradition of becoming the reigning entertainer of our family. Her everyday happenings seem magical when she tells us about them. She's a sophomore at SCHS and is smart about making these high school years count so she can choose wherever she wants to go to college.<br />Ali- Eleven and on the brink of Young Womanhood. She sings, she draws, she plays the trumpet, she bikes with her sister, Hannah, and accompanies her on many an adventure in the woods behind our house. Her goal is to be someone Amazing and, as for now, is leaving all her options open.<br />McKinley- 11/2 year old Saint Bernard, big and still growing. Hairy, droowley, but sooo sweet.<br />Hunter- Daschund, obnoxious, for the most part. He thinks it's his job to keep McKinley in line. Meanwhile, McKinley thinks he's a chew toy.<br />Pouncer and Clover- Brother cats. Native born in Utah but air lifted to Georgia when we moved here five+ years ago. Distinguished in their formal black and white fur attire. Garage dwellers for the most part except on lovely sunny days when they choose to warm themselves in the southern sun.<br />Meeko- Hannah's newest, coolest Guinea pig. And if you were one who didn't believe guinea pigs could have much personality , then you have never had the pleasure of meeting one of Hannah's.Maybe it's because of Hannah's extraordinary ability to relate to animals that makes these furry little creatures so expressive and fun to watch.<br />Me (Wendy)- Menopausal... and I don't mean a person who carries her young in a front pouch. I just </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >have</span> a front pouch.<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /></span></span></span></span>AofF13http://www.blogger.com/profile/06236810807470647071noreply@blogger.com5