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| More Fun Snow Pictures |
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Few More Pictures From our Wintry Blast
We couldn't help but go for some walks this past weekend and enjoy the snow some more.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Long Awaited Update - 2009 Year in Review
We haven't really given much thought lately to posting pictures of the things we have been up to. Life has certainly kept pace while we've been making the most of it in Asheville. More recent events include a trip to Texas, Megan's brother--Patrick's--engagement, and of course more hiking and foraging for wild mushrooms.
To go back from where we left off, which was our last real snow day for the season in March 2009, in May (two months later) I started a new position as the Controller of a company called MultiView. Our company serves the business and accounting needs of hospices all over the country.
Here I have been blessed immeasurably in that I have found a company with a compelling vision, a great business model, and strong leadership. I feel that my experience up to the present has been great preparation for the position I have right now, and even as I write this nearly nine months after starting with the company, I just feel overwhelming gratitude for the Lord providing a place for me to put the very best of my efforts and talents to use. Here are some pictures from the park that is just 5 minutes from the office:
In June of ’09 we went to TX for a week and enjoyed the condo on the Comal River before Daniel’s wedding. Now, there is a tradition developing with this pattern—and not the good kind of tradition. In the summer of 2005 before Megan and my wedding, we went for a family vacation in the same condo (courtesy of good friends the Harrells) in New Braunfels. Mike unfortunately lost his wedding band while swimming in the river. Fast forward to the summer of 2009, and I turn around and do the same thing. Yes, I only had the ring just under four years and I managed to lose it swimming in the Comal the week of Daniel’s wedding, just as Mike had done four years before!
But enough of that, Daniel now has as his wife the lovely Brooke (Fogle) McGinty, and we have been very glad for the occasions on which we’ve been able to get to know her better.
We had some other miscellaneous happenings throughout the summer:
Another huge change is that Megan has her own classroom this year and is merrily teaching third grade at her beloved Asheville Christian Academy. It’s not as if the school belongs to her, of course, but she takes a great deal of pride in teaching there and absolutely loves the Christ-centered environment the school affords. I quite agree and revel in any and every chance I have to make an excuse to go (an occasional volleyball game, their excellent plays, etc.) Even as I write, Megan is halfway through her first year and still in the thick of the year, to be sure, but she enjoys it all immensely despite the incredible workload under which she (and now both of us) labors intensely.
Another excellent addition to the family is well under way, as Megan’s younger brother Patrick is engaged to Ellen Gaston. We had the pleasure of providing shelter for her as she scuttled her way across the country in her now deceased CRV (a whole different story). We took to her with the utmost celerity and secretly wished that Patrick might do the same, and I suppose now that Megan’s sisterly instinct was spot on as he has asked her to be his wife. Hooray! Another reason for a summer trip to TX! These pictures were from the first time we were able to be with them together, but before they were engaged (the engagement pictures are farther along):
For our anniversary this year we played it fairly low-key and went out for a sunrise breakfast at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway (they have an amazing view) followed by blueberry picking at Graveyard Fields (a little too early in the season though, but we still picked quite a few).
Also, we felt incredibly blessed to have some family (Megan's aunt and uncle Wendy & Carl and her cousin Zach) come from TX to visit our neck of the woods! They originally were just going to backpack their whole time here, but unfortunately (or fortunately for us, depending on how you look at it) they picked some incredibly rainy days to make a go of it, and decided to enjoy our place instead—what a terrific time!! We took them to Mellow Mushroom, the drum circle at Pritchard Park, and word on the street is they really enjoyed our city =)
We had another visit from Patrick and Ellen--a most agreeable couple, although it was the ill-fated trip for Ellen’s CRV. We went to Hickory Nut Gap with them and shared the nicest McDonald’s in the country (outside the entrance to the Biltmore Estate). They have also been introduced to the Chocolate Lounge, so they are in our "inner circle" with whom we share such jewels of our beloved city. =)
Another vey positive note is that my dad was finally able to pay us a visit. I hadn’t had him outside of his familiar surroundings of TX since he had helped us move originally from TX to Columbia, SC. It was fantastic to have him for a few days and be able to share our world of Asheville with him. We toured around town a little bit and also got to see Mt. Mitchell, so it was a great, albeit brief, time.
Of course we went hiking around leaf season to enjoy some of the colors. The colors seemed really good this year, but we didn’t get to do quite as much hiking as I would have liked. There were some major transitions at work while I took on increasing responsibilities.
Toward the end of the fall semester, for Thanksgiving break, we decided we could really use a getaway to the mountains. (I know we live in the mountains but it’s not exactly the same thing). We decided we should try to make a tradition for Thanksgiving and went to Fairhaven Ministries mountain cabins in Roan Mountain, TN. It’s just beautiful out that way, in my opinion. I haven't had such a "de-stressing" Thanksgiving ever before, and we were able to have Thanksgiving supper with Megan's team-teacher, Mrs. Simmons, and her husband Lee. That really made up for the lack of family in the area to feel so much a part of someone else's.
This brings us to our Christmas vacation—partly in Tyler, TX and partly in Houston—where Patrick actually proposed to Ellen, his fiancé. It was an incredible time with family on both sides, although for some reason I forgot to cart my camera around while I was in Houston =( I’m getting worse and worse about remembering to take pictures.
Oh yeah, and we’ve made some friends who we’re extremely excited about spending time with. Jonathan and Betsy, and their two twin kids Eli Hannah. We’ve been to each other’s houses and even decided to start up a small group with another couple we’re excited about getting to know: Martha and Brandon.
We also enjoyed a heck of a snowstorm last night, so it was worth putting pictures of our most recent little moment of enjoyment of our local area. With that said, I’m looking forward to an incredible 2010 and all that it has to offer, but hopefully I won’t try and catch up an entire year’s worth of events in one posting ever again (no promises though).
To go back from where we left off, which was our last real snow day for the season in March 2009, in May (two months later) I started a new position as the Controller of a company called MultiView. Our company serves the business and accounting needs of hospices all over the country.
Here I have been blessed immeasurably in that I have found a company with a compelling vision, a great business model, and strong leadership. I feel that my experience up to the present has been great preparation for the position I have right now, and even as I write this nearly nine months after starting with the company, I just feel overwhelming gratitude for the Lord providing a place for me to put the very best of my efforts and talents to use. Here are some pictures from the park that is just 5 minutes from the office:
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| Walk Around Fletcher Park |
In June of ’09 we went to TX for a week and enjoyed the condo on the Comal River before Daniel’s wedding. Now, there is a tradition developing with this pattern—and not the good kind of tradition. In the summer of 2005 before Megan and my wedding, we went for a family vacation in the same condo (courtesy of good friends the Harrells) in New Braunfels. Mike unfortunately lost his wedding band while swimming in the river. Fast forward to the summer of 2009, and I turn around and do the same thing. Yes, I only had the ring just under four years and I managed to lose it swimming in the Comal the week of Daniel’s wedding, just as Mike had done four years before!
But enough of that, Daniel now has as his wife the lovely Brooke (Fogle) McGinty, and we have been very glad for the occasions on which we’ve been able to get to know her better.
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| Vacation in Texas for Daniel and Brooke's Wedding |
We had some other miscellaneous happenings throughout the summer:
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| ACA Teachers Gathering |
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| Gardening Around the House - Midway |
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| Mountain Laurel in Montreat |
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| Great Smoky Mountains - Clingman's Dome |
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| Camping Trip to Linville Falls |
Another huge change is that Megan has her own classroom this year and is merrily teaching third grade at her beloved Asheville Christian Academy. It’s not as if the school belongs to her, of course, but she takes a great deal of pride in teaching there and absolutely loves the Christ-centered environment the school affords. I quite agree and revel in any and every chance I have to make an excuse to go (an occasional volleyball game, their excellent plays, etc.) Even as I write, Megan is halfway through her first year and still in the thick of the year, to be sure, but she enjoys it all immensely despite the incredible workload under which she (and now both of us) labors intensely.
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| Megan's Classroom - Getting Ready |
Another excellent addition to the family is well under way, as Megan’s younger brother Patrick is engaged to Ellen Gaston. We had the pleasure of providing shelter for her as she scuttled her way across the country in her now deceased CRV (a whole different story). We took to her with the utmost celerity and secretly wished that Patrick might do the same, and I suppose now that Megan’s sisterly instinct was spot on as he has asked her to be his wife. Hooray! Another reason for a summer trip to TX! These pictures were from the first time we were able to be with them together, but before they were engaged (the engagement pictures are farther along):
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| Patrick & Ellen Pay a Visit |
For our anniversary this year we played it fairly low-key and went out for a sunrise breakfast at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway (they have an amazing view) followed by blueberry picking at Graveyard Fields (a little too early in the season though, but we still picked quite a few).
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| Anniversary Blueberry Picking |
Also, we felt incredibly blessed to have some family (Megan's aunt and uncle Wendy & Carl and her cousin Zach) come from TX to visit our neck of the woods! They originally were just going to backpack their whole time here, but unfortunately (or fortunately for us, depending on how you look at it) they picked some incredibly rainy days to make a go of it, and decided to enjoy our place instead—what a terrific time!! We took them to Mellow Mushroom, the drum circle at Pritchard Park, and word on the street is they really enjoyed our city =)
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| Wendy, Carl, Zach and Patrick Visit Asheville |
We had another visit from Patrick and Ellen--a most agreeable couple, although it was the ill-fated trip for Ellen’s CRV. We went to Hickory Nut Gap with them and shared the nicest McDonald’s in the country (outside the entrance to the Biltmore Estate). They have also been introduced to the Chocolate Lounge, so they are in our "inner circle" with whom we share such jewels of our beloved city. =)
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| Ellen and Patrick Visiting |
Another vey positive note is that my dad was finally able to pay us a visit. I hadn’t had him outside of his familiar surroundings of TX since he had helped us move originally from TX to Columbia, SC. It was fantastic to have him for a few days and be able to share our world of Asheville with him. We toured around town a little bit and also got to see Mt. Mitchell, so it was a great, albeit brief, time.
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| Dad Pays a Visit and Seeing Mt. Mitchell for the First Time |
Of course we went hiking around leaf season to enjoy some of the colors. The colors seemed really good this year, but we didn’t get to do quite as much hiking as I would have liked. There were some major transitions at work while I took on increasing responsibilities.
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| More Fall Hiking in WNC |
Toward the end of the fall semester, for Thanksgiving break, we decided we could really use a getaway to the mountains. (I know we live in the mountains but it’s not exactly the same thing). We decided we should try to make a tradition for Thanksgiving and went to Fairhaven Ministries mountain cabins in Roan Mountain, TN. It’s just beautiful out that way, in my opinion. I haven't had such a "de-stressing" Thanksgiving ever before, and we were able to have Thanksgiving supper with Megan's team-teacher, Mrs. Simmons, and her husband Lee. That really made up for the lack of family in the area to feel so much a part of someone else's.
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| Thanksgiving Weekend Getaway to Roan Mountain |
This brings us to our Christmas vacation—partly in Tyler, TX and partly in Houston—where Patrick actually proposed to Ellen, his fiancé. It was an incredible time with family on both sides, although for some reason I forgot to cart my camera around while I was in Houston =( I’m getting worse and worse about remembering to take pictures.
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| Christmas Vacation 2009 in Tyler, TX |
Oh yeah, and we’ve made some friends who we’re extremely excited about spending time with. Jonathan and Betsy, and their two twin kids Eli Hannah. We’ve been to each other’s houses and even decided to start up a small group with another couple we’re excited about getting to know: Martha and Brandon.
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| Short Winter Hike on Kitsuma Trail & Chocolate Lounge Afterwards |
We also enjoyed a heck of a snowstorm last night, so it was worth putting pictures of our most recent little moment of enjoyment of our local area. With that said, I’m looking forward to an incredible 2010 and all that it has to offer, but hopefully I won’t try and catch up an entire year’s worth of events in one posting ever again (no promises though).
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| January 2010 Snow Storm |
Monday, March 02, 2009
Last Snow Day of the Season (maybe?)
We got a late season snow that was actually the best we've had so far this season. It covered everything a beautiful blanket of white, and gave most people a good excuse not to be on the roads. Days like these require a warm fire, hot chocolate, fresh cookies, and a good book--a recipe for a perfect wintry snow-day. Enjoy!
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| March Snow Day |
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| Hiking in Snowy Montreat |
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Christmas 2008 in Asheville, NC
Enjoy some pictures from our time together as a family here in Asheville.
Then, for new years we headed up to a cabin at Fair Haven ministries in Roan Mountain, TN. We enjoyed some quiet time in the cabin playing games as a family, and I was fortunate enough to gouge my calf with a rusty nail. Is that my jaw twitching?
Then, for new years we headed up to a cabin at Fair Haven ministries in Roan Mountain, TN. We enjoyed some quiet time in the cabin playing games as a family, and I was fortunate enough to gouge my calf with a rusty nail. Is that my jaw twitching?
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| Christmas 2008 in Asheville, NC |
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| Round Bald Hike for New Year's Eve |
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| Christmas 2008 Family Vacation to Tennessee |
"Happy Thanksgiving Back" (in Texas, that is)
It was about time that we got ourselves back home to the great state of Texas, complete with its guns, fierce sense of independence, friendly faces, and excellent Mexican food. More to the point, however, we finally got to see my (Aaron's) side of the family for the first time in nearly two years! That is certainly the longest absence I've had from the family, but I hope they know it's not because I don't want to see them!
It was truly encouraging to see everyone both in my immediate literal family as well as the "family" I became a part of while attending Cypress Bible Church. We got to see the Oropezas, the Monsons (yay!), the Henricksons, pastor Dave Gibson, the Martins, the Littles, and many many others =) It was very refreshing to run into those who were there that Sunday at church. Here are some of the pictures, both of family, and of a delicious barbecue lunch we ate after church at Goode Co. I highly recommend that place. I had an entire plate of jalapenos and some brisket, which hit the spot of filling my "Texas need".
It was truly encouraging to see everyone both in my immediate literal family as well as the "family" I became a part of while attending Cypress Bible Church. We got to see the Oropezas, the Monsons (yay!), the Henricksons, pastor Dave Gibson, the Martins, the Littles, and many many others =) It was very refreshing to run into those who were there that Sunday at church. Here are some of the pictures, both of family, and of a delicious barbecue lunch we ate after church at Goode Co. I highly recommend that place. I had an entire plate of jalapenos and some brisket, which hit the spot of filling my "Texas need".
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| Tejas Thanksgiving 2008 |
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| Thanksgiving 2008 - Lunch at Goode Co. |
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Cold... But We're Still Hiking
The weather has been turning steadily colder. As I write this it's 26 degrees outside with a "RealFeel" of 24, plus winds of 8-10 mph! But it really is fun to step outside into the brisk air and feel like the seasons actually do change around here. It's taking a little getting used to the sun coming up around 7:00 and going down around 5:00 though. That makes for a pretty short day.
Well, this past weekend we didn't hike anywhere because I was studying for my CPA exam the whole time, but the previous two weekends we did, so I wanted to post some of the pictures. While the pictures aren't incredible or anything, we did find some of the best views we've ever seen of the area out around Craggy Gardens and Craggy Gardens Pinnacle. That's the first place where we've been where you truly get that "on top of the world" feeling. The pictures just don't do it justice, because you really could see a 360 degree panoramic view of the Appalachians. We even had a nice view of Mt. Mitchell off to the North. Enjoy!
Well, this past weekend we didn't hike anywhere because I was studying for my CPA exam the whole time, but the previous two weekends we did, so I wanted to post some of the pictures. While the pictures aren't incredible or anything, we did find some of the best views we've ever seen of the area out around Craggy Gardens and Craggy Gardens Pinnacle. That's the first place where we've been where you truly get that "on top of the world" feeling. The pictures just don't do it justice, because you really could see a 360 degree panoramic view of the Appalachians. We even had a nice view of Mt. Mitchell off to the North. Enjoy!
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| Craggy Gardens Pinnacle Hike |
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| Max Patch Hiking |
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Winter Wonderland... in October?!
Well, we got our first snow of the season! And, incredibly enough, it's still October. There wasn't much in town (Asheville), but it snowed a fair deal in Swannanoa and Leicester/Marshall (surrounding areas). I had a chance to drive through some of it, so I decided to put some of the video & images here on the blog.
It really did a number to get us to thinking about the changes of seasons. It was a treasure to enjoy such an early snowfall; we're now officially dreaming of a white Christmas. =)
It really did a number to get us to thinking about the changes of seasons. It was a treasure to enjoy such an early snowfall; we're now officially dreaming of a white Christmas. =)
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| Winter in October |
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Fall is in the Air in Asheville!
It's that time of the year when the most pressing concerns are going to the nearest Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and celebrating the changing of the seasons. And this year is no exception!
We've been all the more ecstatic because we live in such a beautiful place where we can enjoy actual "seasons" besides the nine months of hot and three months of in between like I'm accustomed to back in Texas. Don't misunderstand--I like Texas and all, but I've never lived in a place where I can truly enjoy the fall as much as I enjoy it here.
We've been really trying to take advantage of the season, enjoying hikes through forests of sunny yellow, fiery orange, and rich scarlet. The days have been surprising us with their early morning briskness--it isn't uncommon to wake up in the low 30's with our gas heater having kicked on automatically.
There's just something about the cool, crisp mornings--when your coffee serves as much to warm you up as wake you up--that gives this season an extra measure of "like" in my book. I will confess readily that I've always wanted to live in a place that genuinely had a fall season. I remember too well my elementary classrooms being decorated in the colors of the season whilst I walked outside to pine straw and 80 degree temperatures. Even when the leaves did finally change in late December, it was from green straight to brown, with little in between.
But here we are! I feel as though we've "arrived" in the sense that we live in a place that seems to be a little piece of heaven on earth. Now... if only I could find a half-price winter jacket. Something tells me I'm going to need it...
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| Mushroom Identification in Montreat |
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| Camping with Chris and Nina Oxner |
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| Back Home - Gardening |
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