Welcome to the Rainy Season

As I was working on posts last week I came across this one, patiently waiting in a state of "draft" since March. Wow. Has it really been 3 months since my trip to Kenya? This year is moving by much too quickly! Finding this post made me realize that I kind of failed at documenting our trip. Oh well. Maybe I'll get around to getting the rest of the stories up. Maybe. Let's not get our hopes up. This post, however, does document a pretty notable day--the one where we all got soaked. Enjoy reminiscing with me!

Hell's Gate National Park
Monday, March 14

After the lake tour and walking safari we headed to the lodge to check in, eat lunch, and change into shorts for our tour of Hell’s Gate National Park. Just before the entrance to the park, we stopped at little shop and each paid 500 ksh to rent bikes that we would ride into and through the park! We had been planning this part of the trip since the beginning and we were pretty excited. The excitement, however, dwindled slightly as I struggled to ride my well-worn bike uphill to the park entrance. I would like to blame some of the challenge to the high altitude, but it was also due in part to the misappropriate gear that my bike was stuck in. At the gate, while I was seriously reconsidering this whole “bike through the park” plan, Eustace got my gears adjusted and I felt a little better about it all. (It turns out that each one of us was wondering at that point if we should have just ridden in the van rather than taking the bikes, but we stuck it out.) Hell’s Gate is a beautiful park and it was fun just ride the dirt roads and see zebra and gazelles as I went.

Our destination for our biking tour was the gorge in Hell’s Gate where there is a fabulous view of the area. As we approached the entrance to the gorge, a herd of cape buffalo decided that would a good time to cross the road—and they took their time doing so. Cape buffalo are massive animals and can be fierce (and charge) if you get too close. So, we kept our distance. As we waited for them to cross, the rain that had recently started as a sprinkle began to pick up. As our time at the park was running out, it became clear that the rain wasn’t stopping anytime soon and the buffalo weren’t going to move out of our way.

Enjoying the ride and the view -- before the rain!

We decided to forgo the gorge and ride back to the entrance to the park. Just minutes into our return ride the thunder started and then the downpour and then the hail! As pea sized hail began pelting our arms and legs and faces, we pulled over to the side of the road and took cover under a tree (or tried too). The trees in the park weren’t made for rain cover! As we huddled together in the cold rain (so cold!) we couldn’t help but laugh together—what an adventure our bike ride through the park had become!

We were very, very cold. But still managed to smile!

Unfortunately, the storm was just beginning. We stood under that leafless tree for probably half an hour before deciding that enough of the storm had passed over us and we had to just ride back. So, we did. The rain kept pouring down and the hail kept stinging our legs, but we pressed on. As we reached the entrance to the park, the storm let up. Our driver started laughing when we saw us all soaking wet and exhausted—they didn’t have any rain at the gate or any idea that a storm had gone through the park! While we never ended up seeing the beautiful gorge of Hell’s Gate, we definitely had a memorable experience and we have a great story to tell! (We look forward to seeing Rose’s pictures of the gorge, from a previous visit, at a later date.)

Shivering, we rode back to the lodge in the warm van and then took some much needed showers. Clean and warmer, we ate a lovely dinner (the first of many international buffets) and then went to bed quite early. We had a very tiring day!

Our hotel room: four rooms are inside these Africa meets England cottages.

Classic tourist photo in front of the lodge.

Pure Joy

Jubilee is a time of rejoicing and celebration. Kate means pure.

Jubilee Kate McNeilly was born at 7:46 a.m. on June 22, 2011 to proud parents: Dani (my little sister) and Alex McNeilly. She weighed a healthy 8 lbs 11 oz. Not anywhere close to her aunt, uncle, and mommy in weight, but she was right on time (and we were all at least 2 weeks late!).

My dad picked me up from work yesterday afternoon and we drove down to Bloomington together. My mom and Alex's mom (the two Nana's!) had been at the hospital since the early morning. Little Jubilee had to spend her first day in the nursery as she had a little meconium in her lungs. She was on oxygen and monitors, but by this morning she was free from the machine and with her mommy and daddy!

I had the privilege of being one of the first people to hold her! And photograph her! I took just a few (well, over 100) pictures and here are some of my favorites...

She is

Pure

Joy.



Happy every-holiday-for-the-next-year to me!

Friday, June 17, 2011 was a special day. Yes, it was my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary. And my friends Kristen and Roger's 5th anniversary. (It's hard to believe that it's been five years since I flew home from Italy for a week to be in their wedding!)

Five years ago was also probably the time that I stopped using one of my best high school graduation gifts (yes, from 2000): my Pentax 35mm SLR camera. It used film. (This my be foreign subject matter for people born after the mid-1990s.) I was SO excited about that camera. I still love it. And, even though it's basically worth nothing (and it's too expensive to use it/develop film), I can't bring myself even try and sell it--or give it away. But maybe someday my kids will take photography class at school, and maybe, just maybe, they will have an old-school teacher who will make them use 35mm cameras and film. And then, they will be so excited to use their mom's old camera. Right? I mean, that was me back in 1998. I got to learn with my mom's Canon. sigh.

I've gotten off track.

This past Friday was a special day because I bought a present for myself; a present that brings me quite up to date with current photographic technology. I am now the proud owner of a Digital SLR camera. It's beautiful. It's fast. It's shiny and new. I love the sound of the shutter when I press the release. I love the quality of the images. I love holding the camera up to my eye--like I'm using my mom's old Canon, or my old Pentax! It even takes video. I'm clearly in a new league. I've been researching DSLRs forever. I wavered over the Nikon v. Canon decision. (I went with Nikon. Mostly because I like how the camera felt in my hands.) I did the math and, well, I did the math. This is not cheap present.

So why now? Why did I leave work a little early on Friday and go to the camera store downtown (where the salesman probably thought I was a little bit crazy) and walk out less than an hour later with a new camera? Well, the timing was greatly motivated by the quickly approaching birth of my new niece. She is due any day now (maybe tonight!) and she really needs to be well-photographed! I mean, she is going to be super cute. My almost 2 year old niece, Mia, and her little brother (coming in September) give me even more inspiration to take our family memory keeping to the next level.

There will be many photos making their way to the blog. I started using Picnik to edit and play and I'm having way too much fun. And I've been carrying my camera almost everywhere I go...in the cutest camera bag ever! It's called "The Bowler" and its sporty-ness has produced comments such as "Cute purse!"...from men! I'm almost positive that I've never had a guy compliment my purse (or undercover camera bag) as "cute" or at all. Love it.

trust & wait

Please join me for a short English language lesson...

trust
[truhst]
–verb (used with object)
1. to have trust or confidence in; rely or depend on.
2. to believe.
3. to expect confidently; hope (usually followed by a clause or infinitive as object): trusting the job would soon be finished; trusting to find oil on the land.

wait
[weyt]
–verb (used without object)
1. to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till, or until ): to wait for the bus to arrive.

I don't usually find themes or single words to describe a season in my life. However, this past weekend God was making it really clear to me that 1) I need to TRUST Him more (and with everything) and 2) I need to wait. Wait for what? Well, I think I'm supposed to trust God and see. Funny how that works.

I've always loved words and their meanings. I had a little set of reference books when I was young. They were black faux-leather with gold lettering on the covers. There were several books, but the dictionary and the thesaurus were my favorites. I would use them when writing papers for school (before I had to type everything in Word). Sometimes I would just read them. Nerdy, I know. My love for words is one of the reasons I get excited about Study Bibles and concordances and notes and cross-referencing. When I learn more about what a single word means in the Bible, in its context and compared with other references, it helps me gain a better understanding of the whole picture--and it gives that word power and substance to teach and change me.

These two words--trust and wait--keep coming up in my personal Bible study, Sunday morning sermons, conversations, prayer with friends, and in my email devotionals. So, I looked them up. And I love these definitions! They fit so well with applying the two verbs to my relationship with the Lord. I want to have more confidence in God, to rely and depend on Him. He is trustworthy! And while I'm not "trusting to find oil in the land," I am trusting to find God moving in my life and providing for my needs and guiding my steps. I believe in the Lord; I trust Him.

Do I trust Him enough to wait? And wait patiently? I find the definition for "wait" more challenging than "trust." To wait is "to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens." Hmm... I do not believe that waiting on God should be inactive. While it may be tempting to sit and do nothing until I get some big, message in the sky, type of direction, I truly believe that God has purpose in my present position--and I need to make the most of it. I must keep serving Him and seeking to glorify Him in my now. No, waiting on God is not "inactive." So, I looked up repose and I found these words: being at rest, peace, tranquility, calm. Yes, that is the kind of waiting I want to do. Especially if I am waiting for "something expected" as the definition says. Or perhaps, it will be unexpected? I do expect that whatever it is that my Lord has for me will be good--the Romans 8:28 kind of good. The making me more like Jesus kind of good. The definitely worth waiting for kind of good.

And so I pray that I would TRUST Jesus more each day. With open hands and an open heart, I trust. And I pray that I would WAIT on Jesus with peace and tranquility in my heart; expecting Him to lead me and direct me when I need it; knowing that it is for my good and for His glory.

Will you trust and wait with me?

Welcome, Summer

I’m glad you’re here!

This past weekend really felt like summer! For me this meant a mix of being outside, visiting graduation open houses, buying new SPF 30 sunblock, and eating anything cooked on a grill. Combine that with 90 degree weather and a power-outing thunderstorm and it’s definitely June in Indiana. Even though my fun weekend made it hard go back to work this morning, I am very excited for the months to come. Much of that excitement is due to my current housing location. I’ve been living in Broad Ripple since January and now I finally get to enjoy all that the area has to offer. My condo is right on the Monon—and by “right on” I mean you walk just 20 steps from the front door and you’re on the trail! I love it! One of my goals this summer is to take full advantage of my proximity to the Monon and Broad Ripple. Indianapolis has so many locally owned restaurants and shops, especially in BR, and I want to visit them all! This past weekend got things off to a great start.

Zest!
Much of my super hot Saturday was spent with my dear friend, Rose. She’s currently living in Kenya (I visited her there in March), but is home for a brief visit. She worked a shift at the hospital Friday night, which meant that she was free to hang out with me on Saturday! After some pool time in the morning (another reason I love where I live!), we hit the Monon trail for a leisurely 1.8 mile walk to Zest! Exciting Food Creations. Zest! was celebrating their 5 year anniversary, so we took advantage of their delicious Crème Brûlée French Toast on special for only $5. Rose and I split the French toast (it’s super yummy, but very rich) and it made the perfect dessert for our “breakfast for lunch” meal. We had the Stuffed Tortilla and a side of seasonal berries for a well rounded and filling meal. The atmosphere was fun and friendly, the service was great, and I loved the neighborhood vibe. The Reese Art Fair was taking place along 54th Street and right outside of Zest! The street fair was just one more sign that summer had arrived! We browsed for a bit after lunch, but the hot sun quickly drove us to the shade of the Monon and we made our way back home. This was only my second visit to Zest! and I will definitely be going back.

 
BRICS
I was delighted that Sunday evening included another stroll around BR! After an overcast and humid afternoon, the evening turned out quite nice—perfect weather for shorts and flip flops…and ice cream! My friend Jen met me at my condo and we took to the trail. This time, however, we stayed around Broad Ripple Ave and just made a big loop. Minutes into our walk, we passed by BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station). The deck was full of people enjoying what looked like really good ice cream. We kept walking, enjoying the sights and sounds of BR, which was quite busy for being a Sunday evening. After making our loop, Jen and I were on the same page: we needed to see what the crowd at BRICS was all about. Stepping inside, we were met with the always welcoming smell of freshly baked waffle cones! The place was packed! We took a number and peered through the glass at the large selection of flavors while waiting our turn to order. How would we ever decide? I overheard someone ask for a “split scoop” and my flavor dilemma was solved! On a sugar cone, I opted for Chocolate Choo Choo (extra dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks) and Broad Ripple Blackberry (blackberry ice cream with blackberry swirl). It was pretty much the perfect combo. My “one scoop” of ice cream was enormous! And at $3.10 I felt like I got my money’s worth. Jen and I enjoyed the hospitality of a couple on the deck who invited us to share their table (it was crowded!). We chatted about our jobs, traveling, Butler, living in Indy, AA, and Jesus. It was quite a conversation. The combination of delicious ice cream, sitting outside, and meeting new people made for a perfect end to the day and the weekend. At 0.3 miles from my condo, BRICS might become a hazard to my health (in the most scrumptious way possible). I’ll just have walk a mile or two each time I stop for ice cream!

BRICS on the Monon. (Photo courtesy of brics.)

 

I hope you are enjoying Summer wherever you are!