Your questions answered!

Today was a really good day, complete with a super run! We went on a new route and did a 4.4 mile trail run. The entire way out is uphill, and it is tough for me.  But the view and scenery is so beautiful, it's worth it! Plus, even though things are hard and we might hate it at the moment, we often find ourselves doing that very thing as soon as possible, right?!

 

Thanks to all of you who had questions! Let's see if I can give y'all some answers...

Vanessa@GourmetRunner asked: "What is your plan for the future? How did you end up in Tanzania, and how long will you plan to stay there? 

We had visited Africa before (although not Tanzania specifically) and wanted to do mission work here.  We met people who had connections here, and everything worked out for us to come, so here we are!  We made a 5 year commitment, which is up in April, so we're planning on moving back to the States sometime next year.  Plans aren't set in stone yet, but the guys will get jobs, go to school, etc., and I'll still be around helping and working at whatever I can.  I definitely want to nanny, though!

Neon Blonde Runner asked:  "How many countries have you lived in"

That would be two - I've only lived in the U.S. and Tanzania.

Julia@PainPrideandPerseverence asked: "Where have you lived and where do you hope to live in the future? What is your favorite activity to do with Panya? What is your favorite hike?

My parents grew up and lived in California, so we lived there when I was small, but then we moved to Iowa where we spent all our time before moving to Africa a few years ago.  We're trying to work things out to move to Tennessee (anyone in Blogland live there?), but we're not sure if that will work out quite yet.

My favorite activity to do with Panya would probably be cuddling.  I mean, everything's better when you have a little pup snuggled up by you.  But she also LOVES to play fetch and tug of war...she could do it all day long!

 

My favorite hike would probably be this one.  The view was so gorgeous, and the hike was fun!

 

Coy@FirstInPhilly asked: "Are you running towards any race?"

Since there aren't any races whatsoever around here, I'm trying to build up a solid mileage base, and then work on speed. I suppose it's a race aganst myself since I'm always trying to beat my best times, though!  But I'm so excited to do a "real" race when we move back to the States!

Rachel@RachelInRealLife asked: "What do you miss most about living in the U.S? What has been your most amazing experience in Africa so far? Scariest?

What I probably miss most about living in the U.S. is seeing friends and family...when you're so far away from everybody you hope they're not forgetting about you! :)  It's hard sometimes not being able to just pick up the phone and give a ring or send a text.

Wow, these two are a bit hard!  The most amazing experiences I've had have been working with my family trying to share the Gospel (which thankfully you can do anywhere!), but also just living in such a different place and society.  When everyday life and culture is so different than what we think of as normal, it's hard to pinpoint just one thing.  But assisting with a home birth is waaay up on the list!

The scariest thing?  That is a really tough one.  It doesn't have necessarily do with being in Africa itself, but Jacob and my Dad were just driving outside of Arusha one day, when they were hit from behind by a Greyhound size bus.  It sent them flying off the road, and flipped the Land Cruiser (which was completely and totally wrecked).  Besides bad bruises and a broken rib, they weren't really hurt, which is amazing, because looking at the Cruiser you wondered how they were even alive.  In the moments when I didn't know if they were okay, or even alive were the scariest moment of my life.

I did get malaria, which was NOT fun.  We were able to get medicine and once it was treated I was totally fine, but when I was in the middle of feeling like I was about to die - the fever and not being able to even stand without vomiting - was a bit scary.

Danielle@DEM asked: "If you could have one...what would your superpower be? On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being chill as a icycle and 10 being sweating like an inferno, how nervous were you delivering that baby?!"

Hmm...I think I'd probably choose super speed, muahaha.  Or invisibility...that would be pretty cool.

I wasn't as nervous since I was only assisting at the birth, but the labor was progressing perfectly without any trouble whatsoever, so I'd probably be a 2 or 3 on the Stressometer!

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Thanks again to everyone who asked questions!  I do have a post all ready that may involve soft pretzels...and if you ask if I like those, the answer is yes.

Have you done a Q&A post yet?

If you haven't, get on it!

If you had to, would you rather live without sweets or bread?

It would be slightly painful to be sweet-less, but I just couldn't leave bread behind...I have a piece of toast for breakfast almost every morning.  
I hope this scenario never happens.

Q&A, and an anniversary

I've loved all the Q&As going on around blogland lately, and was excited when I was tagged to do one!

So ask away - now is your chance to ask all those questions that you've been dying to know the answers to!  Questions about Panya are also welcome. Because she's so cute.

Today is my sister and BIL's one year anniversary!  The ceremony was in the evening, and little lanterns lined the aisle she walked down.  

We'd shared a room all our lives, and knowing that from then on we'd be separated - and separated by an ocean, no less...that night was one of the loneliest nights of my life.  I am so thankful, though, that God blessed her and Lee more than I ever thought.  They're perfect for each other and are so happy!  Right now they're on their way to Tennessee where Lee will be attending preaching school.

Happy Anniversary!

I've been working on designing my Mom's blog - she was using blogger, but switched to Wordpress.  Wordpress definitely isn't as user-friendly as blogger is, but it has alot of options. 

 

Ask whatever questions you have in the comments!

Do you have siblings? Are you close?  

"When I was a young warthooog!"

I can't even do a recap of workouts last week, because there were hardly any "real" ones.  Okay, so the roads here can be really, really bad.  The bumps can send you flying.  When we lived in Arusha there was a certain road we would always have to go down, and I'd always have huge bruises on my hips from where the seat buckle would bang against them.

When we were driving home from church last Sunday we hit a bump, and when we landed, my foot came down and got cut open on something in the floor. I'm not really sure what it was that I cut it on, but it was gouged pretty deep.

 Obviously I need to work on my blogging skills, because I only remembered to take a picture a couple days after it happened when I was cleaning it.  It would've look so much more impressive with the blood!  It just looks like a thin flap of skin here, but it's actually super thick.  I couldn't really put pressure on it for a few days, so I was hobbling around for a while.

  Oh, and I feel that I should point out that I have lotioned and taken care of my feet since this picture was taken.  Over and out.

So, last week meant no running for me! I did do a bunch of core work though, so that was good.

On to the more interesting news, the guys (minus Luke - he has to stay for school :( ) are leaving tomorrow to go hunting for a couple days.  They're super excited because it's been about a year and a half {pretty much a record} since they've gone.  Meat here is insanely expensive, so hunting helps alot.  They were going to go a bit earlier in the week so they could all go, but found out that there was already a big group in the area they were headed for - so they postponed it.  It wouldn't have been a problem, except that most others that go out have absolutely no problem with poaching and will shoot at almost anything that moves.  Poaching is a huge problem, and it's so sad and wrong.

 This is Luke holding part of an elephant jawbone they found last time they went.  We have one of the back teeth from that, and it's enormous. 

Jake and his wildebeest - aren't the beests cool lookin?

It's cool, because we've gotten to eat cape buffalo, wildebeest, gazelle, warthog, and eland.  A guy we know does taxidermy, and here it's super cheap, so we do have quite a few on our wall.  Including a cape buffalo in our living room.  Wouldn't that be fun to sleep under?!

Since JaketheRunningBuddy will be gone for the next few days, that means I won't get a couple of runs in this week, but we'll get right back on it! I'm itching to get out for one. :)

That leads me to something I've been thinking about quite a bit recently.  When I very first started running, I went out purely for the fun of it.  I didn't know or care how fast\slow I was going - I just went.  Then after a while it was still my fun, but I started worrying about my time, and how I "needed" to hit a certain mark.  If I missed a run, I'd get emotional and uptight.  I want to get faster, and better at it, but somewhere along the way I started to put so much pressure on myself, it wasn't quite as fun anymore.

I don't run for weight loss...it's my hobby.  It's my biggest hobby, but not an obsession.  I always have to have a buddy to be able to go out, so it can be unpredictable at times.  

The thing I had to realize was that if I have to skip a run or two (or four), the world isn't going to end. 

When I think of it that way, I still usually get all of them in, but if I have to miss one, it's easier - and it makes doing it alot more enjoyable!  Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that. I can improve without the stress.

What's one of the most interesting things you've ever eaten?

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Do you sometimes find that you put too much pressure on yourself, and make what you're doing not as fun? 

Distance PRs

I've gotten some new followers lately, so if that's you, welcome! I have already been trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, which has been great, but leads to a slight attack of the hair horns.  What does hair horns have to do with anything?

Just reading blogs shouldn't give you hair horns, right?

This is me. Reading your blog. 

The fact that I usually do it like this is the problem

 A word of advice: don't leave your hair in a towel for an hour, or else you'll end up being mistaken for Albert Einstein's twin. Or Willy Wonka.    

Last week was a huge milestone for me, because it was a distance pr.  Yes, I realize that 7 miles is just a walk in the park for most of you, but the farthest I'd previously gone was 10k.  My "long run" for last week ended up being 7.18 miles.  This was so exciting, because I never would've dreamed that I would be able to run that far.  A few months ago running 3 was a huge accomplishment for me - something I never thought I would hardly be able to do.  For the next few weeks, each week will be a new distance PR!

Next month we'll be making a trip to Malawi to do some Bible teaching, and I've been working on a lesson to teach some girls.  We actually went there 5 years ago, and that was the first time I'd ever been to Africa.  I'm excited to go back and see the people, and also see how my perspective has changed in the time that we've lived here since then.  Anyway, my lesson is almost finished, and I think it will be really good!

What's something you've been excited about?

Are you training for a race? 

Also, give me your opinion on the new header!  

A newborn, and a weekly recap

I've been absent from the blog world for a little bit, and I've missed reading and commenting on your blogs, but I just haven't had the time.

Before, I mentioned in passing that our neighbor\friend\fellow missionary Bonnie was due to have a baby at any moment.  Carey and Bonnie had to decide what they were going to do for the delivery at the beginning of the pregnancy, since we can't just run 10 minutes to the nearest St. Jude.  Well, they weren't going to be able to go back to the States to have the baby, and the hospitals here are....horrible, horrible.  Filthy, unsanitary, and who knows (well, sadly we do!) what else.  The nearest decent hospital is probably in Nairobi, Kenya.  That being said, Bonnie picked my Mom to be the midwife, and me to assist at a home birth.  I know you're probably thinking how crazy that is, but it was the best option available, and Bonnie has always had extremely good, easy births with no complications whatsoever.

For months and months we've been preparing, talking, gathering supplies, and researching, along with having "checkups".  

Friday night at 8:45 p.m., Carey called and said Bonnie was in labor.  Mom and I gathered our things together, and got there at about 9.

 Here she is in between contractions

After a quick, problem-free delivery, Kylie Elizabeth was born at 12:14 a.m., on July 2nd.  She gave a healthy cry immediately, and was cute as a button!  The next day when the used-to-be-baby, Ryan, came in and looked at her he said, "I like that one, Daddy!!"

Here's Carey holding his new daughter for the first time.

She wasn't too happy about being cleaned up!

Now that the exciting news is over with, let's see what last week looked like:

Last week:

Monday: 7.5 mile bike ride

Tuesday: 2 mile run

Wednesday: Strength

Thursday: 4 mile run

Friday: 6 mile run

Sunday: 8 mile bike ride

I haven't included a post run picture in a while - whew, way overdue! :)

I did alot of arm\core work this week (I don't remember all the days) using some 10 minute Tracy Anderson videos.  She's a bit annoying, but it's a really great workout!

We were going to have a 4th of July party, but everyone was so tired from the weekend and excitement of the baby that we decided to postpone it. :)  We did make homemade chocolate ice cream, though!

(source)

Do you know anyone who's ever had a homebirth?

Did you do anything for the 4th?