Gatlinburg Day 3

On Friday morning, we woke up and went to run at the Greenbriar entrance again.  This run was not quite as long as Thursday, and the weather was pleasant once again.

The freshmen men congratulated each other on a job well done...

As everyone stretched and relaxed on the rocks alongside the stream,

 became too much for several of the runners to resist...

But it was COLD, and the current was moving pretty quick!!!

We went back to the campsite, had breakfast, made picnic lunches, and rested up for the afternoon hike.  Last year we experienced the "strenuous" Ramsey Cascades hike, and decided that we needed to share that experience with the freshmen. 

Last year we learned (the hard way) that buses can not drive all the way to the trailhead... thus adding 8 miles onto an 8 mile hike.  This year, we came prepared... or so we thought.  We borrowed the campground owners' van to ferry us all to the trailhead. 

Not a good plan.  Coach's big idea to pile everyone in and save a trip resulted in a flat tire... and the realization that we would be walking an extra 4 miles down the mountain!!

The hike began along an old road, and steadily narrowed and became increasingly steep.  Near the end, we got to go through an old growth forest...

When we finally made it to the top, we were ready to relax for a while.  Kacie and Tuesdae had the right idea...

Here are the first seniors to run all four years for BMC! 

We had a little photo shoot in front of the waterfall, which was breathtaking!  (Literally... that water was COLD!)

 the way down, we stopped for one more group photo...

 When we got to the bottom of the trail, the senior guys repaired the flat and went to have the tire fixed in town.  For the rest of us, the walk to the bus seemed almost unbearable.  We started down the mountain, but managed to hitch a ride before walking the whole way.

Back at the campground, it was taco night!

 And an impromptu game of chubby bunny... Derek was the champion, but that picture was gross.  Here is Richard instead...

After tacos and chubby bunny, we went to participate in karaoke night at the campground!  Just about everyone participated in at least a song or two...

 The whole guys team got up and did Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.  Hunter convinced Richard to get up there, thinking they were going to dance and karaoke to "Bohemian Rap City..."  Boy, was he mistaken! 

 We shut the place down, and stayed around for a group picture and devotion.

 

 The next morning we went for a run, had breakfast, loaded the van... and said goodbye to Jellystone!  We finally arrived back on campus late Saturday afternoon.  What a great team bonding trip! 

Gatlinburg Day 2

We woke up Thursday morning and loaded the bus to go run.  Not too far from our campsite was an entrance to the Smoky Mountain National Park with a long stretch of unpaved road suitable for running.  After a nice, long run, we were thankful to have coffee and a healthy breakfast waiting on us at the campsite.

After visiting and hanging out at the campsite for a while, we loaded the bus again... This time to go white water rafting.  Big Creek Expeditions took us down the Big Pigeon river.

In raft #1: Riley, Kelsea, Tuesdae, Richard, Drew, Derek, and Coach

Raft #2: Hillary (Coach's sister), Kacie, Beth, LaTifa, Casey, Austin, and Brian

 Raft #3: Stephanie, Emma, Sarah Duley, Jose, Hunter, Nathan, and Bryan

Rafting was a great experience, and everyone had fun... even those who were extremely nervous before the trip! The whole trip wasn't one rapid after another.  We had several stretches of calm water... Runners took advantage of these times and used them to plot raft takeovers and send each other swimming in the river!

After our rafting trip, we showered (some at the rafting place... others at the campground... because SOMEONE forgot their clothes!) and then went into downtown Gatlinburg for the evening.  Everyone split into groups and spent time shopping and crowd-watching.

By the time we got back to the campsite, everyone was worn out and ready for bed!  Nathan led devotion, and we called it a night.

Gatlinburg Day 1

I am not sure what I was thinking, but I did it... I planned another "team bonding" trip to Gatlinburg, TN with the BMC cross country team.  Last year I learned some lessons, and I was hopeful that this trip would be more enjoyable for everyone.  I think I was right!  We left Blue Mountain very early in the morning, and headed out in our much more reliable bus!  This year Sarah and my sister Hillary came along to keep me company- I was so thankful to have them on the trip!

We arrived at the campground later in the afternoon and set up camp.  Our team was quite a bit bigger this year, so we had some extra tents and took up a lot more room!  Everyone got changed and we had our first practice of 2011 on the mountainside trail... this time everyone ran to the top and hiked back down; last year the downhill run was a little too strenuous on everyone's joints.

Since it was Wednesday, we sat around the campfire after dinner and listened to "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" preached by Paris Reidhead.  Excellent sermon.  Some people listened, some slept, and others did a little of both...  Granted, it was a long sermon at the end of a long day, but I really didn't want to have just a 5 minute fluffy devotion to start our season.  Recently, I saw a twitter post that read, "People who pride themselves on getting beyond creeds end up with the paralyzing incapacity to get beyond catchwords."  

End of XC Season

This year, Latifa was the only BMC runner to make it to nationals, which were once again in Ft. Vancouver, WA.  She was not exactly excited about qualifying or overtly thankful for the opportunity to travel (expenses paid) across the country to represent BMC at the national championships.  I love to travel and looked forward to seeing Portland again; however, I was afraid this would be a painfully QUIET trip, and the lack of enthusiasm about going made me sad to miss part of our family's Thanksgiving vacation to Jellystone.   

Unexpectedly, Emma Baxter and her mother, Stacey, decided to travel along and support Latifa.  The trip started off on Thursday morning just as I feared.  Two sullen college students sat across from me in the Memphis airport.  "Great.  This is going to be the longest three days of my life," I thought.  Things did not improve much throughout the day, and we had the longest dinner ever at Red Lobster that evening.  Thankfully, Stacey gave Emma a "talking-to," and the next day was MUCH better.  Emma's more positive attitude was infectious, and I think Latifa even started to enjoy herself!

On my run through the town and along the river that Friday, I saw this metal statue.  I have always been drawn to WWII posters (I love the colors and the drawings!), and I also like metal artwork- this combined the two into a neat "Rosie the Riveter meets the shipyard" type statue. This year we did not run from Washington to Oregon and back... doing it by myself just didn't seem as exciting as it was last year!  I did, however, stick some money in my sleeve and finish my run at Starbucks.  Walking the block over to our hotel in the drizzle, holding a steaming cup of coffee was as therapeutic as the run itself!

 I loved the statue and drove us back to take a picture of it later!  We all got out of the car and admired the view of the river and Bridge.  This is the only picture I have of Stacey!

On Friday, we jogged the course, checked in for paperwork, and had some down time.  That afternoon, we ventured across the bridge and into Portland.  Taking the advice of the concierge, we decided to explore the free public transportation system rather than chance parallel parking in the downtown area.  It was definitely the lesser, yet more exciting, of two evils.  The fall colors were beautiful, and this picture makes it look like it was actually sunny outside.  HA!  Don't be fooled- it rained the ENTIRE trip, once again.

We spent several hours shopping, and Emma coerced me into trying on formal dresses, saying that if she had to talk and be friendly, then I had to try on a dress with her.  Done deal, definitely worth it!  :)  I have officially reached the age of needing "Spanks" under fitted dresses.  Oh boy.  I'll stick to t-shirts and jeans.

We enjoyed trivia games and dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, explored Ross: Dress for Less, and then managed to find our way back to the car (using the rail system) and then back to the hotel (using the highway system).  It was a weekend of planes, trains, and automobiles!

The next morning was race day. The course was once again at the historic Fort Vancouver site, a destination for travelers on the Oregon trail in the 1800's! The runners ran around the edge of the drilling grounds, and I loved looking at the tree-lined officer's row homes. (And imagining what they would look like if it was sunny...)   Latifa was in the same starting box with her Union competitors, Allison Martin and Audrey Hazelhurst.

The start was crazy crowded, and it did not thin out much... 300 of the fastest NAIA women in the country were racing, so there was not the typical large gap between first and last.

It sounded like a stampede at the finish line, as women battled over finish place.

Latifa finished near the middle of the pack.  Nagging knee pain, dehydration, and lack of nutrition handicapped her before the race began.  At this point, I was becoming more certain of my decision to resign, and so I had decided to enjoy the trip instead of picking a fight over whether a nutty bar was a sufficient breakfast/lunch to prepare for a race at 1:00pm.   In addition, I don't know if Latifa had ever run in a race that large or crowded, and I know that she is not used to being boxed in the middle of the pack.  It was a great learning experience for her, and I think next year she will be better prepared mentally for the aggressive, crowded race.

After resting a bit and then having some Chinese food for lunch, Latifa voted to go see the ocean.  "If we were going to get that close to the Pacific Ocean, we might as well go see it," we reasoned!  This was the most amazing part of the trip.  As we drove, the highway turned into a two lane winding road.  You see, in order to get to the beach, we had to go over and through the mountains!

We got higher and higher, and we began to see some snow on the side of the road and on the trees.  We stopped in the middle of the road to take a picture of this tunnel through the mountain!

 

It was beautiful, and we were amazed!  We pulled over at a "scenic overlook" place and took a few pictures.  Mountain/ snow pictures are never as pretty as it was in real life, but this will give you a general idea... It was a winter wonderland at the beginning of November!

We began the descent toward the ocean, and got there JUST in time to see the beach before the sunset.  It was amazing.  The waves were so much larger than the waves in Destin!  We got there a little late, but it LOOKS like the sun MIGHT have been shining here... maybe things are different on the other side of the mountains!  Going from moderate weather... to mountains and snow... to beach and beautiful... and back, all in a few hours was a memorable experience.  Yay, for voting to see the beach!

On our way back through the mountains, we stopped for dinner at a logging camp restaurant.  When it was built, it was the base of a logging camp, and it was the largest log cabin... I don't know, in the world?  Something like that.  Anyway, it was very cozy and pretty.  It was like a Cracker Barrel type place, and we marveled at the GIANT saws hanging from the walls and at the size of the stump that the cash register was mounted on... The center was hollowed out and big enough for a person to stand in the middle, with a counter all around.  The portions were Paul Bunyan sized... after eating steadily for the duration of dinner, the level of stew in my bowl had hardly moved! 

After our meal, Emma posed for one last picture with the giant, carved lumberjack, and we headed back to the hotel.  This time, it was dark going through the mountains, and the roads had gotten icy in spots! 

 We made it back safely, backed our bags, and prepared for the long journey home the next day.  We left Portland super early, flew to Houston, flew to Memphis, and then my family picked me up at the airport and we drove to Gatlinburg, TN to start our Thanksgiving vacation!!  I made it through all U.S. time zones in one day!  Although the day seemed long, it was a piece of cake compared to the MONTHS of journeying in covered wagons to get to Oregon done by the settlers!  

Stay at Home Mom

"When I grow up, I want to be a Pediatrician."  This was my standard answer to grown-ups until I was in high school.  At that point, it became clear that I was NOT cut out to be a medical professional.  (I do not do well in emergencies!)  Next, I wanted to be a Home-Ec teacher... until my Home-Ec teacher told me I would never find a job.  Finally, I settled on being a corporate fitness agent and ended up at Lambuth University. 

At Lambuth, corporate fitness agent turned into certified athletic trainer... and that's how I met Scott!  Taping wrists, thumbs, and ankles each afternoon was one of my responsibilities, and Duley #75 needed wrists and thumbs taped... no pre-wrap, please.  

After a time, we became a couple, and shortly thereafter began to speak of marriage.  The professional demands of an athletic trainer were not exactly in line with our vision for our future family, and so I switched my major to elementary education.  We reasoned that if something unforeseen happened and I had to work, I could at least keep the same hours as our children.  We married after Scott's graduation, and I was pregnant at my own graduation ceremony one year later.  

Fast forward 12 years... After 10 moves, 4 children in 5 years, and several career changes... Scott is a teacher and football coach, and I am a stay-at-home mom who homeschools our children and coaches the Northeast MS Homeschool running team, the Spartans.  Thanks to the Lord's provision and the generosity of our parents, we are making things work with one income.  The budget is TIGHT, and there is not any breathing room, but we are making it work.  On the side I clean houses, make aprons, and sell bread.  I had these business cards made to attach to gifts...

Out of the blue, I am approached about coaching cross country at the collegiate level, and I accept the position of head cross country coach at Blue Mountain College.  (I posted the details of the situation about 2 years ago when it happened.)  The Apron Strings cards would be packed away, and this was my new business card: 

It was an exciting new challenge, and I have worked hard to build and improve the program over the past two years.  I love the school, the science of sport, training athletes, and the people I work with.  It is truly a wonderful work environment. 

 For those who have never coached a sport, it is important to understand that coaching is not a 9-5 type job.  It is all about relationships, and my runners become like extensions of my family (much to their chagrin at times).  Coaching is a job that is never done; there is always one more thing that could be done to make the program better; one more letter that could be written; one more article to be read on the latest research; one more recruiting database to be searched; one more t-shirt to design; one more night to stay awake praying for the freshmen girls who hate you... it's not a job that you can just check at the door. 

Over the last two years I was overall successful at my job, but my success came at a cost.  My parenting, my housekeeping, the education of our children, laundry, and my cooking all became more than a little haphazard.  (Oh wait, I suppose my cooking has always been haphazard... well, I had an excuse the last two years, anyway.)  I was treading water at my FIRST job, my IMPORTANT job... being a wife and mother.  

Circumstances occurred to make me see that the runners at BMC did not want a mother, but my children were desperately in need of one.  I began to see just how quickly time was passing... Hannah was about to turn 13, and two blinks ago when I started my job, she was only 11!  

Scott and I decided that probably the best thing would be for me to come back home.  In fact, he admitted that he would be delighted to have me back home but did not want me to give up something I loved.  The funny thing was, in keeping my job I was giving up something I loved... my family... and I wanted it back.  In making that decision, I feel like the Lord has given me a second chance with my family... I have seen how important my job as a wife and mother really is, and I have a renewed purpose in parenting.

Although I am eager to become a full-time mom again, I truly love Blue Mountain College.  It is a great school, and I want to see the cross country teams continue to grow and improve.  In fact, I could even see myself coming back here one day when our children are out of the home.  In order to avoid putting the athletic department in a bind, I worded my resignation to say that I would stay until the end of the spring semester if needed.  

For now, our family is in a holding pattern.  It is the off-season for both cross country and football, so the time demands are not quite so intense.  In a few short months I will pack away the BMC business cards and unpack the Apron Strings cards. 

 I will still need to clean a house or two and occasionally make aprons or bread.  Having to live on a tight, tight budget will once again be difficult.  However, this time around, I understand that the tight budget is a burden much lighter than the one of a full-time working mother, and I hope I will bear it quite cheerfully.