christmas tree time...

charlotte's new light rail...there's a station near our house

road trip to jacksonville...go hokies!

check out our parking spot!

the noon-free wedding!

walking down the aisle


the raleigh clan

What a sweet weekend! We went to one my best friend's wedding up at the Maggie Valley Resort. Despite the chilly weather, everything was beautiful and a lot of fun. The events included meeting up with old friends, playing a cornhole tournament, feasting on yummy food and relaxing by the fire. Can't ask for a better weekend! Congratulations Amy and Ross!

ummm...need i say more?

as we were enjoying an otherwise wonderful thanksgiving weekend at the soderbergs home in salisbury, we suddenly became aware of the neighbor's peculiar looking statue...

blacksburg weekend

meredith and virginia at VT


aidan

Blacksburg, VA is the home of the Hokies. We visited the burg over the weekend and had fun, relaxing fellowship with some old friends. Meredith and I feasted over pumpkin chocolate chip muffins at my favorite coffee shop called Bollos. The time was sweet! We also had the pleasure of meeting sweet Aidan Andrews, a new addition to our friends, John and Catherine. What a handsome boy! And if the weekend wasn't perfect enough, VT pulled out another football victory...go Hokies!

home renovations continue...

the fun part_demolition

the realization that demolition is over...and i have to fix the gaps...

quite a while later with some help from an electrician...

virginia has been very patient with the mess...and though i'm not quite finished, we both are happy with the new space!! now that we have a true living room everyone needs to come visit us!!

Virginia conquers the Baltimore Marathon!

Post marathon...what running beauties!


"What am I doing?...Where is that finish line?"



Watch carefully...watch for the woman shuffling her feet...aka Virginia at mile 26.


So...I finally did it. I've been saying I've wanted to run a marathon for a long time, but never have until Oct. 13, 2007. Thanks to my running buddy, Lauren, I crossed the finish line of the Baltimore Marathon. Yes...I actually ran...or should I say shuffled 26.2 miles. The Lord blessed the day richly with beautiful weather, an awesome running route and a great run. My theme verse was Psalm 73:26, "My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." So, on to the next challenge. Any suggestions?

down comes the wall!

before


in the middle

finished...to be determined

So, Daniel and I were inspired by all the HGTV projects and decided to take a wall down in our house. It's quite humorous to watch Daniel and I work together. If it were up to me, I'd start knocking into the wall with wild abandon...if we run into a problem, we'll solve it then. Daniel, on the other hand, thinks about every detail and possible problem well before the project begins. Needless to say, in most cases, Daniel's way is much better...and probably safer.

Blog Slacker

So, Daniel and I have this agreement that he deals with the technical posting of pictures and I'm supposed to do the writing. As you can see by the long delay with the writing of the previous posting, I am the slacker of the two of us. But, don't you worry...I am very faithful in reading others posts. I admit, I'm addicted to reading blogs. I love it...so keep em coming (and I'll try to do better too). As for the McNamee household, things are fairly unremarkable...the garden is producing tomatos left and right, only 5 more weeks left before the Baltimore marathon (I'm up to 18 miles next week-ouch!) and our Sunday night lifegroup is back in full swing for the fall. Stay tuned for more exciting updates;o)

the land of the waterfalls-transylvania county

A couple of weekends ago, Daniel and I went camping with my family outside of Brevard, NC. Despite the hot weather, it was a blast! We ate hobos and smores over the campfire, went swimming in the waterfalls and even went blueberry pickin'! It was sweet time away from busy city life and very much needed!

sourwood inn...a pleasant respite from the city

sourwood inn garden

enjoying a relaxing weekend

hike up to craggy gardens on a cloudy day

dedication...even on vacation

If you are looking for a sweet, quiet and relaxing place to get away, I highly recommend the Sourwood Inn off the Blud Ridge Parkway ("thank you" to mom and dad mcnamee for the gift certificate!). Daniel and I visited this sanctuary for the first time this past weekend and it was wonderful! Despite yucky weather, we managed to thoroughly enjoy ourselves. The weekend included soaking in bubble baths, eating yummy food, reading, photography and exploring the Parkway...one of our favorite spots close by. I am more and more convinced that the average Amercian lifestyle is way too busy and taking time to be still for His Glory is really more of what God intends for His people.

sunflower transformation

it's bigger than me!

"Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!" Psalm 103:22

"They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made." Psalm 145:6-9

What an amazing Creator we have! The intricacy of this sunflower is such a testimony to God's imagination and sovereignty. Details are not forgotten, whether in the formation of a flower blossom or in our own lives. When I take a step back and remember this, it's easier to have an eternal perspective and unfading joy. Praise Him!

The Summer Sizzler trail run

It's official...my friend, Lauren, and I have signed up to run the Baltimore marathon in mid October. We started our training in June and are now underway. So far, all has gone well and we are enjoying these recent cool mornings. This past weekend we ran in a 7 mile trail run up at Lake Norman State Park. It was a beautiful, shady trail. Lauren came in first in her age group and I came in second in my age group...Baltimore marathoners better watch out!

Crossing the finish line


Virginia, Lauren, and Patrick...we made it!


And we're off!

Warming up

Catching up on our blog...Summer 2007

soccer camp


charlotte knights baseball





catherine soderberg's garden in salisbury

Grove Park Stay-Hmmm...Leave it or take it?

Daniel and I spent last weekend in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn. I had a veterinary conference and couldn't pass up an all expenses paid weekend in the mountains, especially at the Inn. To give my honest opinion, I didn't think it was actually all that great. Yes, it is a beautiful building and area, but the service and accommodations were not worth the steep fare for a night's stay. I'd just as much rather stay snuggled up in a tent next to my hubby out on a mountain peak. I did, though, go on a sweet morning run, Daniel and I visited the Asheville arboretum and Daniel photographed along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Sounds like my kind of fun!

relaxing at the beach- Ponte Vedra, FL

Daniel and I traveled down to Ponte Vedra, FL to spend about 5 days with his side of the family-what a sweet time! In addition to relaxing, sunning and sleeping, we met our newest family member, Christopher (see below)...so adorable! Some of the other highlights included taking walks/runs on the beach, watching dolphins surf the waves and witnessing a lightning storm pass over the ocean. What a blessing to spend time being still and awing over God's beautiful and powerful creation! I need to do this more often!




the sun rises over the horizon




little christopher brings another generation to the beach




an evening on the beach






chef jeremy prepares his famous kabobs

a night at the symphony

We have officially been Charlotte-ites for 1 year...I can't believe how time flies. Although we were a little uncertain as to what the "big city" would bring, we have been pleasantly surprised as to how much we have enjoyed Charlotte. There is a lot to offer young people and families...great parks, a fun downtown, sports events, yummy restaurants, live music, festivals and sweet community. This past weekend we went to Pops in the Park with some Uptown friends-what a night of dining over fresh guacamole, sipping on wine and listening to the Charlotte symphony!

fellowship on a cool summer evening


"pops" in the park...thanks brad


hmmm...that guacamole looks good


oh the places an aerobie will fly...and not come back