Megan's CIU Graduation

Well, four years and an extra semester after beginning, Megan finally walked across the stage. It was nice to realize the fruit of our original purpose for moving to Columbia, SC in the first place. Now the only question is: what next?

We still have so much we would like to do and see, and we feel in some ways that a whole realm of possibilities awaits us. That leaves a lot of room for questions, sure, but it also leaves a lot of room for God to move us in any direction He desires.

A big congratulations to my wife for all her hard work. I have now begun to call her "Mrs. Summa" pseudo-mockingly, but she definitely earned her title.

Megan's Graduation

Weekend to Remember Getaway in Charleston, SC

Here are a couple of photos from our time at the Weekend to Remember conference in Charleston. We really enjoyed the speakers and the material. It was really well done overall. They keep the schedule fairly full though, so we don't have too many photos.

Weekend to Remember

Beach Bums Just One More Time

To get the feel of the wonderful weekend getaway we just had in Hilton Head, cue some Beach Boys or Jack Johnson and imagine yourself on the beach listening to the sound of the waves soaking in the sun. We’ve wanted another chance to go to the beach before we relax our kung fu grip on the summer months and instead embrace the coolness of fall. This weekend was that chance.

Have you seen the movie Powder? It’s about an albino guy who had lived his whole life in a basement completely concealed from any sunlight. Well, now you have an idea what I felt like heading back out into the sun after another long remission. It felt so nice to have that chance again.

The highlight of the time was probably the walk along the beach at sunrise. God orchestrated the clouds that morning for the kind of symphony only he can pull off. I wish the pictures could do justice, but it’s hard to capture that kind of beauty.

End of Summer 2007 Vacation

Birthday Bash in the Woods

For an excellent birthday adventure, mix equal parts day hike, mountain vista, waterfall, and happy marriage. Stir until consistency is firmly set in memory. More or less, this was the recipe for our getaway for my birthday, and it was just what the doctor ordered.

The day began with a meal fit for a king, or at least his stable boy. I opened my gift, and I was elated to receive a wine guide (fun coffee table reading) and a bottle of Irish Cream. Delicious! Both gifts were perfect in that they show how Megan knows me well, and because they’re gifts that I would never actually get for myself.

We then proceeded to the Pisgah National Forest, to see what adventures awaited. Though it was a little warm, we enjoyed a nice 6.2 mile hike up to Looking Glass Peak and a very refreshing swim at the bottom of Looking Glass Falls. Very simple, yet eminently enjoyable, this was a birthday to remember well.

Birthday Getaway

Antonia's Visit

We had the wonderful privilege of hosting Antonia for two evenings, our beloved friend from just over the pond. She was in town for a quick stop for a wedding, and it was very fun to see her again after such a long remission. Megan and I treasured the bits of time we were able to have her, and we even met her mate Terry, who was an equally rousing conversationalist. It was great to have them both, and hopefully is won't be so long until our next rendezvous.

Antonia's Visit

Summer 2007 Family Vacation

Thanks to the Harrison's generosity, Megan and I had an amazing vacation near Asheville, NC. We ate every meal outside listening to the lovely sounds of the nearby creek, and the weather was ideal for hiking in the nearby mountains and visiting the local attractions.

Every morning greeted us with crisp mountain air while we breakfasted and shared a morning devotional. Even though we frequently ate our breakfasts at standard vacation time (9:00 am), we still saved room for other amazing meals. Clint and Jeanne's recommendation of breakfast at the Stony Knob Cafe was, of course, amazing, and I definitely want them to know that I will forevermore take their recommendations to heart.

The first few days we were here were actually rainy, but since the McGinty's had been traveling, it was a nice time to sit on the amazing porches and just watch the lush mountain vegetation reflect an entirely new and richer hue of green. I made my way partly through A State of Fear by Michael Crichton and otherwise enjoyed the dramatic expedience of entering into the vacation mentality that I had foregone for far too long.

Once the weather permitted, we ventured out for a quick sortie to drink in the scenery of a nearby waterfall: Douglas Falls. The trip was decently long and bouncy, as it took us nine miles east of Bernardsville through the Pisgah National Forest. The trail and scenery was worth it, however, as was the lovely waterfall greeted us with exuberant mists kissing our faces as we passed nearby.

Some of our other adventures included Chimney Rock and Montreat, old favorites of ours. The best of all of this was just being able to share the memories of this area with Megan's family. We will miss them and times such as these as they head back to Texas and then on to Japan, but we definitely used the most of our time.

Summer 2007 Family Mountain Vacation

Let Freedom Ring

We celebrated the 4th of July this year with some friends from church, the Weilands. Before Megan and I even went over we played tennis, and remarkably the weather had let up for once and given us a wonderful 85 degree way with a nice constant breeze. Then we enjoyed swimming in the Weilands' neighborhood: a perfect way to cool off.

Once we had worked up our appetite, we found out they had bought the most delicious burgers from Earth Fare (an all-natural grocery store), called the black and blue burger. It's organic grass-fed beef with blue cheese crumbles and black peppercorns in it. Oh my goodness gracious--those folks at Earth Fare really know how to make a burger (and for hippies that's saying something). The Weilands also had some fireworks, which topped the evening off. All in all, it was an ideal way to celebrate a very American holiday with some very American fun.

Fourth of July With the Weilands

Vacation in Amelia Island, FL

We had the wonderful opportunity to go on vacation with our friends Clint & Jeanne; two better friends we’d be hard-pressed to come by. It was a great time for the lot of us with beach-going, tennis-playing, bike-riding, and other fun times aplenty. The weather yielded its choicest fruits to us later on in the week after the initial showing of afternoon showers, and we made the most of the beaches, waves, and salty sea breeze for the duration of our visit.

Nevertheless, it was the company that made the trip so meaningful. It seems so rare to find two companions who speak into our lives with the care and camaraderie as what we found in them. Refreshingly candid, they always felt like boon companions, co-laborers, and comrades. We will miss them incredibly as they settle down in Kentucky, but on the same note, ours is the kind of friendship that can be reignited as quickly as it was begun in the first place. We’re so much the better to have known them, even if for a time, and I look forward to the times that we will share as our lives continue in unique directions. Who knows when those two roads that diverged in the woods may actually converge again?

Summer vacation with Clint & Jeanne

Daniels' Visit to Our Humble Abode

Getting to have Daniel over was good for Megan and me both: a chance to have him see our daily lives here in South Carolina. It was good all the way around, as we felt privileged to offer him a place to stay while he caught up with old friends. We also felt the pangs of memories rekindled as his visit drove the void of Texas’ absence deeper than it has been in some time.

We revisited questions with him about whether our stay here is permanent, or if we’ll answer the inevitable call back home to kith and kin. Such questions for now remain unanswered in both our hearts. Putting down roots is never easy, but the longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave. So… the answer for now remains: who knows where we’ll be five, ten, even twenty years from now. We will try not to presume anything. James 4:15

Daniel's Visit to our Humble Abode

Camping... and yummy fajitas

Aaron and I felt the need to escape and camp out so we wrested our gear from its lonely abode and headed out, um, Northeast to Cane Creek Park just south of Charlotte, NC. It proved to be a beautiful respite from our daily responsibilities. We first set up camp and then enjoyed a lovely meal with my former prof (Jenny Merkey) and her husband Kyle and infant son Trey at their house located a mere 10 minutes from the campground. We had a wonderful and relaxing evening with them which included grilled chicken, oven potatoes,panera bread and for dessert homemade cheesecake and British tea (PG tips). I believe this is the ideal way to go camping, enjoy the great outdoors and be fed by someone else. This is the life! (Thank you Mrs. Merkey!) As for other excursions, Aaron and I went for an easy hike around the lake, enjoyed a rousing game of putt putt golf (Aaron barely won...and I got 3 hole-in-ones), went canoing on the lake, read books, watched the sunset, collected firewood, created a fire worthy of an eagle scout, played cards (I won spectacularly), and fell asleep to the music of various insects, preferably not mosquitoes...

But alas Aaron and I were granted but 20 minutes of sleep before we were rudely awakened by a bunch of country hicks singing at the top of their voices, playing their guitars and the like. During the day time this wouldn't bother me, but when it rolls around to 3am, desperate measures must be taken. I like my sleep, I do not like to be deprived of my sleep, and when people are purposefully flouting the rules, the teacher comes out in me and puts them in their place. So I marched out to their campsite in my P.J.'s and told them off for breaking the quiet hours and they thankfully quit their shenanigans and went to bed. Needless to say it was deathly quiet the next night we were there.... =)

All in all we had a wonderful weekend away and look forward to our next wilderness escape. Perhaps next time we will go backpacking and escape everything...

Camping at Cane Creek

The Wedding Planner

Megan had her first and hopefully last chance to be a wedding coordinator for our friends, Corrie and Andrew. Due to some last minute hiccups (the wedding coordinator and pianist backed out two weeks before the wedding), she volunteered graciously to try and stand in and keep the ball rolling. Despite the last minute nature of the whole event, she kept her composure remarkably well, and the whole event went off without a hitch. I was in charge of music (which I had selected and qued up on an iPod), and that too went quite well. Last weekend Jeanne Harrison graduated from CIU, and we were able to go with our neighbors Nick and Daphne Seargent and friends Audrey and Evan Eusey to the ballet of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I hadn't been to the ballet in some time, and these seats were the absolute front row in the dead center. It was nice seeing all the fancy footwork up close and personal, but on the other hand we guys had to contend with the closeness of all the males in tights. Good performance though.

Corrie and Andrew Snyder's Wedding

Our New Family Addition

We added another family member, more out of necessity than love, but I know that in time I will love him as if he were my own.

Our New Family Addition

Junior Senior Formal

Megan and I had the chance to go to CIU's junior/senior formal, which was a fun environment to see everyone from CIU relaxed and enjoying a good meal together. We were fortunate enough to get to sit with our great friends Clint & Jeanne Harrison, and the planners did a wonderful job on the decor, the food, the music, and all the key elements that made the night quite memorable for everyone involved. It was fun for me (Aaron) to see Megan's school friends and remember the real worth of the collective experience college offers those who have the chance to attend--especially a quality campus like CIU. On a lesser note, horseradish makes an amazing sauce for roast beef. Ah, good times.

Junior Senior Formal

Easter Vacation

We decided that we really needed a therapeutic getaway, so we drove 3 1/2 hours north to the border of North Carolina and Tennessee to a little town (little as in smaller than Navasota) called Hot Springs. We were drawn both by the alluring sound of a soak in some relaxing hot springs as well as the promise by the weather folks that it should snow. On both counts we were not disappointed.

Driving through the rolling hills and mountains on our way there, we found the sky suddenly began to spill snow all around -- only a little at first, but after awhile we actually began to see quite an amazing display. Who would have thought that we would be treated to such a fantastic display of snowfall so late in the year? Near to where we were staying, there was a reported five inches of snow. It was perfect to set the tone for the weekend of being far away from both home and responsibility.

We enjoyed a wonderful soak in a private and natural hot springs jacuzzi tub, a dinner at a lovely little restaurant (there were three to the town, including the bar), and two great hikes in lush and verdant woods -- a seeming contradiction as so much of the beautiful spring flowers and buds wore a late winter's jacket of virgin snow.

Easter Vacation

Chili the Chinchilla

Well, after much pleading from Megan, we finally decided to acquire a pet. Most young couples seem to give into the need to fill some kind of caretaker void by adopting a pet fairly early into their marriage. Not us! We held out for a year and a half, and even then, we only caved in because I'm not around as much in the spring. And what kind of pet did we get? A dog, most trusted and amicable of companions? No. A cat, the sulking sneaky and surreptitious stalker? Definitely not. We nabbed a rat--a Chilean rat to be specific. To make them more palatable as pets, they have been given the name chinchilla. As to whether or not they're cute, I'll let the audience decide. (Hint: one of the items is a video)

New Pet Chinchilla Named 'Chili'

Megan's 22nd Birthday

These were just some pictures we took of Megan opening up presents from her parents Mike & Rowena. For my gift, see the entry regarding the pet rat, uh, I mean chinchilla.

Megan's Birthday

Belated Balentine's

Well, owed to the fact that I was in NJ for Valentine's Day, we decided we should do something special to celebrate once I got home. Although it's trite, we had really been wanting to try out this place since we first heard about it right after moving here. It's called The Melting Pot, and it's a fondue themed restaurant. You can order only parts of the meal, but we went for the full out three course meal.

It starts with your choice of some kind of cheese fondue with vegetables and bread for dipping. We got the four cheese dip with white wine, and it was one of the tastier concoctions I've had. The second part was like the Asian concept shabu-shabu Megan's parents introduced us to, which consists of a healthy plate of raw meat that you dip into boiling water. The best part though, in my opinion, was they they had about ten different sauces you could then dip the various meats into. There were about six or seven meats with all those sauces, so the combinations were pretty much endless. The dessert, which we scarcely had room for, was a chocolate dipping sauce with Irish Creme liqueur in it. It was delicious also, but we're not huge sweet tooths, so it probably was our least favorite. Overall, it was a very fun and different concept that we enjoyed quite a bit. But don't just take my word for it (cue the Reading Rainbow theme song).

Belated Valentine's Day Dinner

Christmastime in Texas

Last year we spent our Christmas break in Sapporo, Japan, so this year it was our turn to go to Texas. While it was quite the whirlwind tour--half in Austin and half in Houston--we enjoyed getting to see so many people from home. We had more family around than in previous years also, which was great. Another highlight was getting to see Jenny Martin (Isaminger)'s wedding. That was another great chance to see so many people whom we hadn't seen in a year or so.

Christmas Break in Texas