Change -- can't digitally do it!

My mom must have felt really sorry for me because she gave me my Christmas present early -- a new digital camera. I got to pick and decided on a new Kodak Easy share. That is the what the first one was. I couldn't branch out. Had to stick with what I know. And the verdict -- I love it. It is small, easy to use, and exactly what I had hoped. Really, I am just so excited to be able to capture moments again. Speaking of moments, there have been so many in the past week that I don't know if I can cover them all.

We just finished Frankenstein at JWT on Thursday night. It was a great run with a great cast and a great director. My only complaint -- it was too short of a run! I had a blast working with everyone and was sad to say goodbye. Mom, Pat, Patti K, and Judy came to the last show on Thursday which thrilled me. Victoria and some of the theatre girls came too. It was a bit nostalgic to be backstage with them again considering my first show with them was when they were around nine years old. Now they are teenagers! There was a little girl in the show that I connected with so she made backstage a blast during the run. The kids are my favorite thing about Jenny Wiley and pull me back everytime.

Was Jeff really acting?

My original "theatre kids"

My favorite part about JWT -- the kids

Hard at work backstage.

Miranda and Amanda

The day after closing, we had to strike the set. Much to everyone's surprise, it was my first strike that I can recall. It was humourous to see me with power tools, but it wasn't bad at all. Here is a pic for the family to have a few chuckles.

Afterward, some of the cast went to Bob Evans to break bread before parting.

It was one of the most entertaining lunches I have had. It was Mitch's first time to Bob Evans, and he ate up. Mitch is hysterically funny so we laughed the entire time.

My favorite part of the lunch was reading the menu. Mitch knew nothing about Bob Evans so he made us take turns reading the history aloud. AAhhh. All I can say is good times. Here is Jeff reading us a dramatic passage concerning Bob's sausage factory undertaking.

What great people and a great time to end the past few months in KY. I will miss JWT a lot.

< 2 !!!!

I did it! The 1/2 marathon was a success. My goal was two hours, and I did it in 1:57:22. (The time when I crossed was a little ahead of when I actually started.) Over 1,700 people ran in it, and I must say it was one of the best accomplishments I have achieved. In my age group, there were 59 that ran, and I finished 9th! I was pretty excited considering it was my first. It was a great experience overall. During the whole course there were people watching and cheering the runners on which was amazing. How neat to have complete strangers encouraging me to stay strong and assuring me I could make it.

Crossing the finish line! Woohoo!

Past the finish line! A bit out of breath!

The best part of the run was my family at the finish line. Mom had come with me that morning and watched me off. She is my #1 fan and is always there for every event be it in Kentucky or in Cozumel. (You have no idea how much that means to me) I had no clue my sister and family were going to show up but when I crossed the line there were Meg and Josie. Meg with camera in hand, of course. Next came Maggie Mae & Owen and Joe shortly thereafter. What a great surprise! Dad had to leave early that morning, or he would have been there too. I don't think the kids fully understood, but mom said they were great cheerleaders for the participants. Meg was in awe that so many people loved running, and Joe said he may do one with me sans training. Thank you all so much for coming. It made the run so much better. My next goal is the Charleston Distance Run and a full marathon next year. Mr. Average and Mrs. Clark, are you in? Also, congrats to Ashley for finishing the Detroit half! You are awesome, girl.

The cutest fans ever!
Future runners in training

What a great sight after 2 hours of running

Afterward, food was a must so we headed to my favorite restaurant -- the Cheesecake Factory! Guacamole was on my mind. My cousin Jay was working in Louisville so he met us there. He is hands down one of the funniest people I know and is so much fun to be around. It was great seeing him again and catching up on Gwen and Gracie news.

The other great part of my visit was Maggie Mae's birthday. I had to miss the family party, but I got to participate in the "Chef Party" (a.k.a the friend's party). Meg did a great job, very creative. The pizza cake was adorable and quite tasty. The kids seemed to enjoy the chef hats and aprons, as well as making their own pizzas and cupcakes. Maggie had a great time with all her friends and racked up on presents too.

(Sorry, James, no blog pics. The ones I took didn't turn out! Next time we need to have a photo shoot. haha)

Happy 5th Birthday, Maggie Mae. I have enjoyed all five years of your life and look forward to the next 50. You are such a joy to me. Every time I am with my family, I am reminded of how blessed I am. What a great weekend and what great company to share it with.

Flying, Fun, and Fourteen

My second family -- the Mays.
V & I ready to go
Ready for take off
Natural Bridge -- we hiked there, Ashley!
Eastern KY from the air

Last weekend we took a fun trip to Lexington and flew in the helicopter! It was quite an amazing view -- much better than the small window of an airplane. Eastern KY is gorgeous from an aerial view. We flew over Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge. It is much different from the air than when hiking in the middle of it (Believe me, Ashley!) After 45 minutes we arrive in Lexington, ready to shop. V & I did the Fayette Mall and tried on tons of clothes. That night we ate at the Japanese restaurant and then headed to Saul Good for the half baked cookie sundae! Thank you, James and Kirsten, for the recommendation. Cheryl wanted to shop in a nearby store so V and I passed the time by trying on horrid prom dresses. Yes, she is 14, and for a moment I thought I was too! We ended the night with Fireproof -- the new movie starring Kirk Cameron. I think all of us cried at one point -- maybe even Frank. The next morning I got up early and did a 13.5 mile run in Lex. I really think I could live there. It was a great run, and I got back just in time to shower, hop on the helicopter, and hurry back to rehearsal at 12:30. It was a whirlwind weekend full of fun.

What in the world?

Foxy ladies

Back to the 80's. Is that style back?

One sad event -- my digital camera broke! I have no way to take pics for awhile. Plus, that camera has been around the world with me. It has taken me a few days, but I am finally coping with the fact that it is gone.

V is like a little sis to me.

During my time here in Prestonsburg, I have spent some quality time with Victoria. We run together, watch movies, eat cookie dough, and just have fun. I have known her since she was nine, and I am so proud of the girl she is becoming. Not only is she beautiful, but she has a real heart for God. I got home from rehearsal the other night, and she and Cassie were singing and playing the guitar. They are both great singers so it was a blast singing around with them. I forgot how fun 14 was. I was quickly reminded of my age on Wednesday night. We were at church, and I came up to V and Cassie. They were talking to a boy, and he asked me if I was V's mom! LOL! The 14 dream sequence ended abruptly. Anyway, I have enjoyed my time with her and am trying to live it up for the next week and a half before I leave.

Hangin' out with the girls

Also, good luck to all my friends doing 1/2's or full marathons this weekend. Sunday is the big day in Detroit, Columbus, and Louisville!

The journey continues

Almost two years ago, I began blogging about my internal life journey as well as my outward one. It was a bit more intense at that time then it is now, mainly because time is a healer. I have stuck with the lighter side of life in recent months, honestly, because life has been loads of fun. Recently, I was at a conference called Transformed. Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort (Way of the Master) were the key speakers, and it impacted me greatly. I don't usually blog about "controversial issues" because offense is not my intention. Nevertheless, I must share this. Beginning in April of this year, a change began in me. Thanks to some dear friends in Newnan, Georgia, I had a great revelation that changed my life forever. The revelation was -- Jesus loves me. A child's song -- yes, but those three words became so much more to me. They became real not only in my mind but in my heart. That truth stirred me in April and has become the driving force of my life since then. When I finally understood that He loves me, it became motivation for life and continues to influence every area from my work to exercise to family. No, I'm not perfect. Oh, what a relief to know that nothing in me could ever hope to be. I have no doubt that I cannot attain anything resembling perfection, but I have every confidence that Christ in me can undoubtedly change my heart beyond my comprehension. The last six months have been some of the most exciting in my life and all because of Jesus' transforming power. I can't remain silent any longer. If you haven't experienced this love, I pray you seek it out like a precious jewel. It is worth every ounce of time, energy, and pain to realize it.

"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all."

A little less pollution

This has definitely been one of the most hectic weeks I've had since leaving Ohio. My friend Adam and I have been doing acting workshops in schools for two weeks which is an all-day event. We then would drive back -- sometimes from destinations two hours away-- to start rehearsals until 10 at night. Needless to say, my alone time has been minimal this week. That is my excuse for the blog negligence. Also, the Mays just reconnected to the information superhighway tonight! Two weeks without internet! I can't believe I made it. Other than the fact that most of my family and friends are ready to strangle me, I have not missed it. Life is much simpler without having mulitiple vehicles of communication. It has probably been frustrating to those on the other side, but I must say it has been an enjoyable experience for me. The less technology I allow to pollute my life, the more I am able to accomplish, and the more people I am able to give my full attention.

I would love to write more, but I am getting up early to fly to Lexington -- IN A HELICOPTER! It will be my first helicopter ride, and I am pretty excited. I plan to take lots of pics. Frank has already told me I get the front seat ride. Woohoo. I will try and catch up next week on the blog. I'm still beating you, Meg! And DJ!