Ineffable

in·ef·fa·ble/inˈefəbəl/

Adjective:

Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. Too sacred to be uttered.

 As you've probably heard, I've been going through a training program for my teaching job this summer. A couple of weeks ago the word "ineffable" was brought up during a training discussion and, while I don't remember the context of the discussion, the word immediately resonated with me . . .

"Too great to be expressed in words."

. . . see, yesterday marked one year since our friend Jeremy was killed in action in Afghanistan. For the past year I've really struggled in expressing my thoughts and feelings on his sacrifice. While I certainly did not know Jeremy as well as Chris did (they'd known each other since high school) and Jeremy was not the first loss I've ever dealt with, his death has truly had a profound impact on me, one that I haven't been able to explain, and may not ever be able to. Not only have my thoughts wandered through the questions of life and death, but I've also pondered the true sacrifice of our military and their families, the direction of my own life, my views on religion, what it means to live life to its fullest, and, most importantly, love.

I always admired Jeremy and Colleen's love for one another. From the first moment I met Colleen, I knew they had something truly truly special. I didn't even have to meet Jeremy, who was deployed at the time, to see their love for one another; I saw it in the way Colleen talked about him, the perpetual smile she had on her face. Now that Jeremy is gone, I still see their love through their amazing little boy and Colleen's words of immense wisdom and inspiration in her updates on life now without him. Love like that is a remarkable thing and one to which we should all hold tightly if we are lucky enough to have it. Love like that is something we can all learn from; I know I have.

Love is ineffable. Jeremy's sacrifice is ineffable. The gratitude I feel towards him, his entire family, and our entire military for providing me with the freedom to live and love, is ineffable.

Run for the Fallen on Memorial Day

I went three weeks without posting anything and now you get two posts in one day, what a treat, right?!

I'll keep this relatively short, but I'm a member of the Wear Blue Run to Remember running community that I wrote about back when we ran the DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in March. When we ran the half marathon, I wore one of the Wear Blue Run to Remember shirts in memory of our friend Jeremy and now I have another opportunity to run in his memory and in remembrance of all of the other men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

The Wear Blue Run to Remember community is encouraging people across the nation to join in their special Memorial Day event where everyone will pledge to run or walk miles that day in honor of our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terror. I received a reminder email about the event and thought I would share its moving words with all of you:

"Thank you for joining wear blue: run to remember for our special Memorial Day event, wear blue Runs for the Fallen. We, along with runners across the nation and in countries overseas, will log miles in honor of each of our Service Members who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice in the Global War on Terror. wear blue is honored to have you a part of this active community that runs to honor the Service and Sacrifice of the American Military. Together, we ensure that no life given in Service to our Nation will ever be forgotten.

“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke: but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” President James A. Garfield - Speech at Arlington Cemetery, Decoration Day (30 May 1868)

Memorial Day weekend brings to mind family barbecues, swimming pools, children playing in the sun. It is a weekend to spend with family and friends celebrating the beginning of the summer season.

But Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is different. It is the one day a year we come together to honor the Heroes, the men and women in the Armed Forces, who gave their all for the United States of America. It is a day to pause and remember the gravity of the gift and sacrifice these men and women made. It is not about politics, or religion. It is about solidarity.

Thank you for joining us as we honor and celebrate each of the lives of the 6,465 American Service Members who have died in the Global War on Terror.

With Memorial Day one week away, we encourage you to invite your friends and family to join us and pledge their miles in their own communities across the nation. We currently have 3,998 miles pledged; 6,465 men and women have given their lives in the Global War on Terror. Together, we can ensure that each of these heroes will be honored this Memorial Day.

Run with us. Remember with us. Whether it’s one mile or 50 miles, thank you for pledging your miles. Continue to pledge to never forget the Heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Join a nationwide movement and run to honor the Service and Sacrifice of the American Military."

  

While you're planning your barbeques and trips for this weekend, consider adding in some time for a short walk or run in memory of our military. You can pledge the miles you plan on running or walking here at their website. I have already pledged my miles, and encourage you to as well! 

In the meantime, have a great three-day weekend and stay hydrated if you're going to have the 90+ degree weather like we will!

Courtesy of Joint Base Lewis McChord, via Flickr

Running for a Cause Complete!

Well, we did it! We each ran the inaugural DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon this past Saturday, and we also raised the $1500 for our running cause, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation! Thank you to all of you who supported our cause and donated; You've helped us make this more than just a race!

The race went great - the weather was perfect (70s and sunny), the bands along the course were good, the crowds were great, and the sites were even better! Like last year, the half marathon course went around some of the best sites in DC - the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Union Station, the National Mall, the White House, and the Octagon House - and some of the best neighborhoods - Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Columbia Heights, and H St. NE. Below is a map of the course to give you an idea of what we got to see along those 13.1 miles.

View Larger Map

While the race went great, it was even better to run for something other than ourselves. Not only did we raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, but we also made sure to support our troops on the day of the race by wearing shirts in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Chris wore a TSAF memorial t-shirt honoring the fallen 1/75 Army Rangers, including our friend, Jeremy Katzenberger, who I wrote about this summer. Will and I wore Wear Blue: Run to Remember t-shirts. Wear Blue's mission is to use its running community to create a living memorial to the service and sacrifice of the American Military. They run for "the Fallen, for the Fighting, and for the Families." I just happened to stumble across their website a few months ago and thought that it'd be a great community of runners to join and support. What was really touching was that at one point during the race another Wear Blue runner, a veteran, spotted me on the course on Saturday and our short conversation before he ran ahead, that little bit of camaraderie between the two of us, reminded me why I was running - I wasn't running for myself, but for others.

Just so you can see, below is the back of both shirts, which are pretty cool. My apologies for my sweaty-ness, I had JUST finished running. . .

We don't have any "action" shots of us running, besides what's on the Marathon's website (which aren't very pretty, at least for me!), but here are some photos of us reveling in our post-race glow, err, sweat!

This last picture is Chris and I pointing out how I dominated my IT band. I was really nervous that my IT band flare-up would prevent me from finishing the race, but I did! (How I did might be another post...) I certainly didn't beat my personal best, which was my goal when I first started training, but I finished. And, I wasn't too much off my best time anyway, despite the bum leg! Whenever I felt a twinge of pain or had doubts about finishing, I remembered who I was honoring by running this race - the pain and hardships others have gone through - and then the pain I was feeling didn't bother me as much.

I'm already planning my next half marathon, and this time, I'll make sure my body's healthy and I'll finally beat my personal best! In the meantime, on behalf of me, Chris, and Will, THANK YOU for helping us support our cause, and THANK YOU to our military men and women and their families for their ongoing sacrifices!

Running for a Cause

On March 17, 2012, Chris and I, along with my brother, Will, are running in DC's inaugural Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon. Each of us have run many races for ourselves - I did the DC Half Marathon last year, Chris has run countless full marathons, and Will ran for his college cross country and track teams (Buzzzz, go Hornets! Right?) - but this time we have decided that we wanted to run to benefit others. We have chosen to run this race to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and are hoping that you all can help us reach our goal of raising $1500 for the organization.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides a college education to every child who has lost a parent serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps during an operational or training mission under the U.S. Special Operations Command. They also provide cash grants to personnel seriously wounded in the line of duty so that their families can travel and be at their sides during their recovery without financial worries. This foundation hits close to home for Chris and I because as you might remember we lost a good friend last summer, SSG Jeremy Katzenberger, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. His now 1-year-old son will hopefully get to benefit from an organization like this one day. On top of that though, there are also so many of our family members and friends that have put themselves on the line for our country and this is just one way we can honor and support them.

$1500 might seem like a lot of money, but in reality it's only $500 per person. Or, only $38 per mile we run on race day. $38 a mile is nothing compared to the sacrifice the men and women in our military and their families make every single day.

Please help us honor and support our armed forces and their families by visiting our First Giving site for this event and donating to this cause. As everyone always says, every little bit counts.

Visit our First Giving site!

Thank you!!

2011 In Review

2011 was an interesting year for us - full of plenty of ups, and plenty of downs - so let's review some of it, shall we?

I started this blog back in February with a list of New Year's resolutions goals. Some of those goals were accomplished, some weren't, but more on that later because I have some new and exciting 2012 goals!

In February, we also started work on our basement bathroom, which, if you remember correctly, we just finished in December. Nothing like the usual 11-month home project . . .

In March, I ran my first half marathon, which was also one of my goals for the year! This year, that same marathon series is going to be a Rock N' Roll Marathon, so of course I am running it again, but this time Chris and my brother will be joining me. Can't wait!! Although, I really need to get in training mode . .. .

In April, Chris and I tackled the jungle of our front yard, tearing out ivy and planting some grass in its place. We're still going to have more gardening work to do in the front this spring, but I am so thankful that we squashed that ivy. Those original photos of it still make me shudder!

In May, while we were finishing up school for the semester, I expanded my baking repertoire by making some Mint Julep cupcakes (they were ok) and we decided to compete with one another in our own version of a Book It challenge (and in case you are wondering, we are still in the process of reading the books . . .)!

June seemed to be the epitome of highs and lows for the year - we celebrated our babies 5th birthdays and our 2nd anniversary, but also received the devastating news that one of our good friends was killed in Afghanistan. It was a rough month, but it changed us and has given us a better perspective on life.

July was pretty uneventful, except that Chris took me to the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2 midnight premiere, on a work night! (I have such a great hubby!)

August was a booming-blogging month for me with a total of 11 posts! I got a little crazy :) Anyway, I started on a few painting projects around the house, such as the chevron wall and the guest bathroom. I also started my Tourist Tuesdays and Washington Wednesday posts, since this blog is supposed to be about our Washington life and all. Lastly, we experienced the momentous Washington Quake, which was crazy crazy stuff! Oh, and we celebrated our 1-year anniversary in our home, with messy house photos!

September through December were marked by travel and home projects, which were nice distractions from school work. Between Chris and I, we traveled to St. Louis three times (here, here, and here), Kansas City, Florida, Milwaukee, and, last but definitely not least, MEXICO! We had fun putting up new art in the house, getting my chalkboard-paint on, and finally finishing a bathroom too. And, my beloved Cardinals won their 11th World Series!

On top of all of the things that I blogged about in 2011, Chris and I were also blessed with making new friends, even more travel opportunities, great adventures around DC, and more home headaches and accomplishments that I can count. 2011 has truly been a great year, despite the heartaches, but I am SO ready for 2012. Bring. it. on. :)

On this Veterans Day, give to those who make us proud to be Americans

The week before Nov. 11, Chris decided that he was going to post a different veteran or military organization on Facebook each day for that whole week preceeding Veterans Day. He wanted to post organizations that people should not only be aware of but also donate to in order to help our veterans and their families. It is an incredible thing what that the men and women in our armed forces and their families do for us, for our protection. every single day, and it is something that Chris and I both feel strongly about, especially after the loss of our friend Jeremy this summer who was killed in action in Afghanistan. So, after sharing all of these great organizations on Facebook, I asked Chris to write a blog post (his first blog post here at OWL), listing all of the organizations that he shared. Below is his post . . .

It's Veterans Day, so here are a list of well-run and impactful charities that help our servicemen and women and their families. I invite anyone that reads this to take a few minutes out of their day and read about what these charities are doing for the men and women who have done so much for each and every one of us. And, if you're willing, please make a donation -- every little bit helps!


Disabled American Veterans
DAV is a non-profit charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families.  DAV is historically given a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, primarily for it's financial transparency and accountability.
Donate to DAV


Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a 4-star non-profit charity.  They provide emergency assistance and morale to our troops and their families, and to wounded warriors when they return home. Operation Homefront has more than 4,500 volunteers and has provided assistance to more than 100,000 military families in need.

Donate to Operation Homefront

Homes for Our Troops

Homes for Our Troops is a 4-star non-profit charity that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured servicemen and women through donations of money, building materials, and professional labor, all at no cost to the veterans.

Donate to Homes for Our Troops

Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation is a 4-star rated non-profit charity that manages "comfort homes" on the grounds of military and VA medical centers, enabling family members to be close during hospitalization.  These "comfort homes" have provided millions of days of lodging to the families of injured and rehabilitating servicemen and women, all at no cost.

Donate to Fisher House

Walter Reed Society

The Walter Reed Society is a non-profit charity that benefits the Walter Reed Army Medical Center though its educational, treatment, patient, and research activities.  They manage a fund that provides assistance to servicemen and women injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Donate to Walter Reed Society

Wounded Warrior Project

The Wounded Warrior Project is a 3-star rated non-profit whose vision is to "foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history."  They raise awareness for the needs of our injured service members, help injured service members aid and assist one another, and provide various direct services and programs to help meet the needs of our injured service members.

Donate to Wounded Warrior Project

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is a 4-star rated non-profit, consistently considered one of the most well-managed charities out there today. They specialize in providing assistance to the special operations community, which consists of Army Special Forces (Green Berets), the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Navy Small Boat Teams, Navy SEALs, Air Force Combat Controllers, Air Force rotary and fixed wing squadrons, Marine Corps special operations personnel, and, of course, their families.  They help severely injured special operations personnel and provide financial assistance to the families of fallen special operations soldiers, including scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the children of these fallen soldiers.

Donate to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

My work has been really crummy the last couple of weeks months, to put it nicely, and so every day I hang on to those things that make me happy. My walk to work this morning was one of those things . . .

First of all, on my way to work I pass two historic cemeteries, a sprawling armed forces campus, a high school, and other various places that have a lot of green space. As you can guess though, there isn't much "green" about these spaces lately. They are literally bursting with beautiful fall colors - reds, oranges, yellows. The image below is of this magnificent tree in one of the cemeteries that I pass in the morning. Brilliant, no?

Via slack13 on Flickr

Anyway, this morning not only were all of the trees bursting with colors, but a thick fog was still hanging in the air making the colors seem even more vibrant than usual. On top of that, there was a slight breeze making it literally rain brilliant fall-colored leaves. It was gorgeous, and made me happy.

Even though I live in a huge city, I'm so grateful that I get to pass through lots of green spaces every day that often remind me that whatever crummy day I've had (or will have) doesn't really matter. Right?!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Never Forget

I might be almost two days late in posting about 9/11, but I have this urge to share, to get my thoughts off my chest.

10 years ago yesterday, Chris and I were both coincidentally in our AP American History classes when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Chris was taking a test, I was working on a group assignment about the American colonies. I vividly remember the teacher next door, the swim coach, bursting into our classroom's doorway and stating that "a plane flew into the World Trade Center." I don't remember my teacher's reaction, or my classmates' reactions, but I do remember that I thought it was just a small private plan. I thought it was some kind of prank, just like those pilots who try to fly under the Arch. My high school-mind could not even fathom something so horrifying happening, so of course my initial reaction was to think it was a stunt...

Even though the magnitude of that announcement didn't register in my mind at that moment, I still have vivid images in my head of that day from that moment on - the notes I was taking in that class, walking to my art class behind some seniors discussing what kind of plane it was, watching the shock on my french teacher's face as our class watched the towers fall on her tiny television, and then sitting in near silence at P'sghetti's after school with friends - not ready to go home, but not having anything to say - only then beginning to comprehend how much our lives would change.

Every day, whether we realize it or not, we are reminded of the events that day. Every day our lives are different because of those couple of hours. It's difficult to wrap my mind around that concept, and I am no longer 16. It's hard to imagine because after a decade has passed it's hard to even remember what life was like before that day... But then, just this past week, I realized that I have to remember what life was like before that day. I have to remember because when I finally do become a teacher I will most likely be teaching students who do not remember life before 9/11. I might be teaching an American history class just like that one I was sitting in ten years ago. Unlike me though, my students will only know a life without the Twin Towers, a life of terrorism, a life of war. It's incredible to think about how 9/11 will impact their lives, those in the generation born afterwords. Because of them we really can never forget. We can never forget all of those that lost their lives that day, never forget about those fighting and dying every day since, and never forget how our lives instantly changed. It is our responsibility to never forget that we must move forward to make our lives and world better for the generations that will never remember 9/11/01.

Life is short.

Let's just say that the month of June was a roller-coaster ride that I am just now recovering from (hence, my blogging hiatus, again). It started off well, with half-day Fridays at work, a lovely 2-year anniversary dinner at Restaurant Nora, and a much-needed trip to Table Rock Lake, but then it quickly became exhausting. The day after we returned from our trip to St. Louis and Table Rock, Chris got a call about the loss of a friend. Not just any friend though, a friend who was also a soldier killed in action while defending our country.

That week was really rough. I'm sure I was in a daze - not only was I not sleeping well, but my mind was constantly racing with thoughts that oftentimes left me on the verge of tears. Even the thought of going to two baseball games, one of which was my beloved Cards, did not really cheer me up. Going to the games only gave me a slight reprieve from the thoughts that continued to play across my mind. I knew our friend had died doing his job, and what he loved, but I was heartbroken for his family - his amazing wife, and precious son.

At the end of the month, we traveled back to Kansas City for our friend's funeral. I know it might sound odd to say that a funeral changed my life, but I don't know if there are any other words to describe how that weekend affected me. Actually, it wasn't necessarily even the funeral that changed my life, but the experiences I had over those few days... Witnessing the Patriot Guard escort and honor someone who had fallen risking his life for us, changed my life. Observing grown-men in uniform who, on any other day, would be stoic and intimidating, break down in sheer sorrow at the loss of a friend and a brother, changed my life. Watching people in stopped cars put their hands over their hearts as the procession passed for a soldier that they did not even know, changed my life. Winding through the streets of Ft. Leavenworth lined with hundreds of military personnel and civilians saluting, standing at attention, and holding American flags thanking him and his family for their sacrifice, changed my life. Seeing his wife grieve all the while still being the best mom to a precious little boy, changed my life.

These people became my inspiration - the people who took time out of their day, even just for a minute, to honor someone they've never met who died protecting our freedoms... the people who risk their lives every day defending the ideals of America and making our lives safer.... and, most importantly, my inspiration comes from his wife, and others like her, who sacrificed any semblance of a normal family life for the sake of our country with the utmost humility and strength.

Experiencing a soldier's life being mourned by his family and friends was, and still is, gut-wrenching. Experiencing a soldier's life and sacrifice being celebrated by his family and friends was, and still is, inspirational and life-changing.

Please remember that while we are all tucked away in our homes, complaining about a bad day at work or how hot is, there are thousands of men and women fighting abroad for our freedoms and many families at home separated from their loved ones all so that we can continue to go about our normal lives in the comfort of our own homes.

And, remember that life is short - sometimes shorter than you or anyone else wants.

Remembering Jeremy

Dear Readers (not a big crowd, I'm sure),

I apologize for being MIA this last week - I know that is a running theme for me - I had definitely intended to write about finally getting to visit my family and our weekend at my parents' lake house on Table Rock Lake, and I had wanted to write about our week of baseball games at Nationals Park to watch the Cards, Nats, and Orioles play . . .. but those plans and that motivation got derailed last week when we got the horrible news that one of Chris' close high school friends was killed in Afghanistan. Maybe someday I will be able to articulate to all of you how I've felt this past week, but one thing I do know is that my heart breaks for the wife and 7 month old son he left behind and the life they had planned together.

While you probably did not know him or his family, I ask that you visit the website we've created in memory of him - Remembering Jeremy - and, if you feel inclined, please also consider donating a small amount to the fund that was established for his family (more information can be found on the site).

Lastly, please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Best to all of you, and thank you!!