bumpy ride?

It seems like it would be bumpy but from what I read they said it wasn’t a bumpy ride…

Keenens big owie

some people just go too far

I’ve run a lot in my life but some people just take things too far.   Apparently it’s not enough to simply run a marathon to those British types.  They have to dress up to do it. Click here for 50 more pictures of the craziness.

Almost may in Colorado

Bike ride today with the boys

First day of spring soccer

40 Days of Water Recap

I have just finished the 40 days of Water challenge.  It was a great experience and something that I will do again, although I had no idea just how hard it woul be.  I am always trying to learn from whatever I do and I can say I that definitely learned some things from this experience.

1. A lot of stimulation comes from what we drink.  I was surprised at how I would find myself noticing how often my mouth was devoid of flavor.  In the middle of things, studying, reading, driving, talking, listening, browsing, I would find my attention drawn to the fact that there was no flavor in my mouth.  It was a strange sensation and it helped to remind me of what other people in the world have to endure all the time.
2. Some things that I thought would be easier ended up being very difficult.  I found myself, literally, dreaming about drinking coffee.  Is that a sign of addiction?  I’m not sure but hot chocolate and coffee ended up in my dreams regularly.
3. People are supportive.  When I explained what I was doing people were genuinely interested and were encouraging in the endeavor.  I heard a ton of people say, “That’s great”.
4. People didn’t want to give anything up themselves.  This one is interesting because they may have felt like they were behind and wouldn’t be able to catch up.  They may have “missed the boat”.  However, I can’t remember a single person who said told me that they liked what I was doing so much that they would like to join me in it.  I did not specifically invite people because I was interested to see what they’re response would be.  The next time I do something like this I will have something with me that has information and invite people to join me.  I think once people hear what you are doing it helps to specifically invite them.  On the other hand, giving up coffee may be too much for most people.
5. Giving up something, anything, can go a long way to helping people.  I don’t give things up very well and doing this taught me a lot.  I am used to my conveniences and taking something that I am used to away made me think of others more.  I spent more time praying and thinking about others.

Even though I was having dreams about flavored drinks and I struggled some days to resist drinking soda or coffee I am glad that I did this all the way through.  I realized how much money I spend on something that seems so insignifcant and understood how other people in the world have to live a lot better.  It was a great experience that I plan on doing again in one form or another.  And finally, I gave $46 to B:W Mission because of this experience!

Getting started early

A Seattle day in Colorado

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