Well, I had some deep thoughts ready to write and post, but I'm just not feeling it at the moment. So for now, I leave you with this. #4 on the current wish list. :)

Super fun weekend keeping Wyatt and Emme with Mom while DM and Em went to an out-of-town wedding. Great kids, lots of funny moments, sure didn't take a single picture! Next time, I guess.

This morning: coffee, unpacking, laundry, email catch-ups, camera shopping.

Watched the tail end of the Boston Marathon. Cheruiyot set a new course record of 2:05:52. Dang.

On the agenda for the afternoon? Getting life together...

1,888 pictures. That's right. Rachel certainly got some solid documentation! It really is difficult to put the weekend into words. As long as the 50 hours seemed at times, by 3:00 Sunday afternoon I was left with that feeling of "what just happened here"?! So much preparation went into the weekend, everything really did go incredibly smooth, and we couldn't have asked for better weather, better support, better teammates and a better cause. More reflections to come, I'm sure, but here are a few highlights from the weekend:

Our two team names and inspirations for the weekend, Teteh and Tomas. Named after two of the boys in Ghana. One has been rescued while the other is still working on Lake Volta.
Mercy Project mastermind and our most faithful supporter. Check out the onesie!

Team picture before taking the field.

And so it begins...

Catcher? Check. WAKA Official? Check. Batter? Well... at least the attempt was made! Waiting for one of many pitches. Way too many to count!


We certainly did not go hungry!

Wow. Just wow.

Katy: evasive maneuver behind Matthew.

Ready to take the field again. Notice our "scenic" dump ground in the background.

Outfield action.

A bit o' air.
Taking some time to revamp the schedule a bit.

A run-in with the Pope. I promise, it was everything BUT graceful! Check out Ben's face in the background!

Yes, we did take our picture with the Chick-fil-A cow. Don't judge. I did ask him if he had a nickname. His companion answered "Cow". Ok then!

Our tent city, which I must say, stayed intact all weekend long. Three cheers!

Emily and myself during one of our "night shifts". This girl is amazing, not to mention the fact that she has the coolest hammock ever!

And then we rested... 3 blissful hours of accumulated rest time from 2-5 am the second night.

Team Tomas A. These guys were so fun to play with; could not have asked for a better team.

Done! Carrying the clock to home plate for the final picture.

50 hours!!! $19,000 raised for Mercy Project!!! What a way to finish out the weekend! Epic indeed.

Well, as of 2:00 yesterday, we are the new Guinness World record holders for the longest kickball marathon. Woohoo!

50 hours.
255 innings.
488 total runs.
Final score of 274-214.
Tired, sore, very blessed.

Blessed to see old friends as well as make new ones. Blessed by all our supporters and donors. Blessed to know that 15 more of the kids in Ghana will be able to have a home with the $19,000 raised this weekend. God is so good!

More pictures to come in a few days...

It’s game time! Beginning this Friday at noon, 40 players will start a 50-hour game of kickball benefitting the Mercy Project. This week several of us are busy with final preparations for the weekend, setting up tents and wrapping up all the details before our teammates arrive at 11 am on Friday. Some final plugs:

• Please pray for clear weather, health (and sanity!) of players and volunteers, good crowd support and a successful weekend of raising awareness and support.
• Visit the Mercy Project site to learn more about the kids in Ghana. Feel free to donate to the cause through the PayPal link while you’re there.
• Follow the kickball game on Twitter.
• If you’re in the Metroplex area this weekend, come out to support us. We’ll be at Community Park in Rowlett from 12 noon Friday – 2 pm Sunday located here.
• Check back here in another week or so for pictures of the event. It’s gonna be epic!

Join us as we “Kick It 4 Captives”!

Good news! Chuck E. Cheese has a design opening. At last I've found my true calling! Ha! I'm job searching today, which is always fun. But, it is that time again. Weird week. I don't think there was a single day of normalcy. But then, that's sorta how I like it. Let's see, there was a random Open Mic night on Monday that ended up being a very cultural experience. Slam poetry at its best. Then there was Dollar Pokey-O's Night on Wednesday after church. Stellar evening for sure. Lots of gym time this week, though no running. I have now become well acquainted with Plantar Fasciitis. Let me be clear that we are not friends, but have indeed met head-on. Slow at work this week, all 16 hours of it. Last night was great; got to catch up with an old friend that I don't get to talk to much. Happy Birthday, Oliver! Went with Rachel to her riding lesson at a nearby barn. Small piece of heaven, I assure you. If I had some extra cash floating around, I would be riding there on a weekly basis. But it was fun to get to go and watch Rachel ride; she's quite accomplished. LOST capped off the evening. Whew! Supposed to work today, but then didn't, so I'm trying to make myself work at home for awhile with the reward of making M&M cookies this afternoon. Should be good.

Had this thought earlier in the week: Sometimes I think we get so caught up trying to figure life out that we forget to truly live. Been thinking about that one and trying to remind myself to take those moments to soak up some sun, encourage a buddy, see beauty around me, work on building relationships, laughing more and worrying less. Sometimes I need to stop trying to detail life out and just let it happen.

At this time in 1 WEEK, we will have been playing kickball for two and a half hours with 47.5 more hours to go. Woohoo! Getting super excited about the weekend; can't believe it's already here. Please be in prayer for our big weekend and as always, for those sweet kids in Ghana.