Life and Times of the Sharp Family

I got a text from Colby while I was working that said: "Ran into a former student of yours in town.  His name is _______.  Says you inspired him.  He is going into chemistry. (Class of 20__) How awesome is that? I have been pretty much in panic mode the past couple of days, being unable to work on school stuff, but knowing full well how badly I need to be working on school stuff. This was exactly what I needed to remind me what being at school is all about. Thank God for an awesome text message! Lord, thank you for the big encouragement today.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I never in a million years thought I would ever have the opportunity to stay in one of the luxurious rooms at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan.  But, thanks to 3 Disciplines and their partnership with this resort, tonight I am.  The Barefoot Triathlon takes place on Sunday, but we are here today to set up and make sure everything is ready to go for race day. Normally, we have to take the world's fastest (coldest) shower in the RV and bunk up with 5-7 other people.  It's not exactly relaxing or posh. After a tough day of work, I was able to take a shower and leap into a super soft and comfy bed.  Now I'm watching Michigan State on the big flatscreen and I'm looking forward to snacking on some salt and vinegar chips, reading a book, and falling asleep.  Not bad for a working girl.  I feel almost pampered! Thank God for the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa! Lord, thank you for the chance to work in a little bit different situation. ...

Colby and I took off for Lake Odessa this afternoon to watch his younger brother Sam play his first JV football game of the season.  The anticipation of the football season was in the air, and though it didn't feel even a little bit like fall, we were all chomping at the bit to see some action under the lights. The kids stayed with their Grandma Kathy, and when we returned, the girls were both 100% passed out in the living room. I am so thankful that I got to see their exhaustion take the form of hilarious sleeping positions.  AJ, on the couch, had her left leg splayed so that it was propped directly on top.  Dharia, was completely perpendicular draped over a recliner.  After a very full day and returning home late from a long trip, it was wonderful to be able to chuckle a little bit. I am also grateful that Grandma Kathy allowed them to maintain their awkward or maybe super-comfortable positions by allowing them to just spend the night.  They were obvious...

My Dharia got her first haircut EVER today.  Until this morning, her long hair had never been cut and reached well past her bottom.  It had gotten to the point where she was refusing to take a bath because it was so difficult to brush her hair afterwards, poor thing. A couple of days ago she looked at me with tears in her eyes and told me she was ready to get it cut.  We had been talking for a while about how if she *did* ever choose to get it cut, that she could send it to a little girl who needed it because they were sick.  I made an appointment and today, I watched with tears in my own eyes as her long ponytail was quickly tied and snipped off.  We ended up being able to send well over 18 inches of hair to "Children with Hair Loss", a Michigan company who provides wigs to sick children in need. My daughter sat still for the entire duration of the procedure and was elated with her new look.  She couldn't wait to show every one.  I was so pr...

This morning we had *the* best opening speaker I have ever heard in my 9 years of hearing opening speakers. Dr. John Draper was real.  He challenged us, encouraged us, and inspired us -- all while backing up his statements with research and making us laugh. It was truly refreshing and it definitely helped set the tone for my school year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to listen to him speak today. Thank God for Dr. John Draper! Lord, thank you for the amazing words from this incredible man and for the timely message today.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Tonight Dharia officially met her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Abbee at the Parma Elementary Open House.  Dharia got her picture taken at the "smile board", did a scavenger hunt in the classroom, and told Ms. Abbee her favorite thing that she did this summer.  That girl was in heaven.  As we left the classroom, she gave me a thumbs up and said, "Oh yeah! Only 1 week 'till kindergarten!" I had a much more difficult time than I imagined I would seeing my little girl march bravely into that classroom, but it definitely makes me feel better seeing how happy it made her to be there. I am so thankful for this journey she is about to embark upon and for the excitement that is just bubbling out of her. Thank God for kindergarten! Lord, thank you for giving Dharia this excitement that she can barely contain about kindergarten.  Thank you for giving her the chance to meet her teacher tonight and to get acquainted with her classroom.  Bless her year with Ms. Abbee. ...

Tonight we got to take the kids shopping for their "First Day" outfits. It was so cute to watch them look around the store, finding what they liked, and admiring themselves in the dressing room mirrors. After careful consideration, both Breslin and Dharia settled on an outfit and we headed home. I was so thankful to be able to give them the opportunity to feel excited and confident for school. Thank God for first day outfits! Lord, thank you for our fun shopping outing. In your name I pray, Amen.

Today was so awesome for a couple of very big reasons. First, I am so proud of my Aunt Suzanne. She trained hard for most of the summer to complete her first ever sprint triathlon. She battled injury and frustration, but ultimately overcame and crossed that finish line with a huge smile on her face. I am so thankful she was able to experience this victory. Secondly, I managed to talk almost half of my cross-country runners into volunteering at this same triathlon. They got up early and carpooled all the way to Vicksburg in order to help out at the race. It was one of my most favorite moments I have had so far as a coach. It was amazing to watch them working hard, giving back to the sport, and to see them forming closer relationships with each other. It turned a long, hard work day with 3 Disciplines into a wonderful and memorable one. Thank God for Suzanne's first tri and for my cross-country volunteers! Lord, thank you for a great day at the triathlon and for all of the...

Just this: That is all.  That is more than enough to give thanks for. :) Lord, thank you for my girls who always can make me smile.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I have never before been done working a day at 3 Disciplines before 10 pm. So I was beyond thrilled to be leaving Prairie View County Park at 7:30 pm tonight. My hopes of getting home early and hanging out with my kids, however, were dashed when I saw a huge traffic backup on I-94 East. I envisioned being stuck for hours, but instead, I was able to exit before having to come to a stop. I only had to go a little bit out of the way, and I got home at 8:30 . I cuddled with my kids, had a snack, and was sound asleep by 10 pm. I am so thankful that avoiding traffic made that all possible tonight.  Thank God for avoiding traffic! Lord, thank you for letting me get home quickly and safely tonight. In your name I pray, Amen.

We have made an annual trip to the Calhoun County Fair since Dharia was just a couple of weeks old.  This year, however, we were disappointed to find that the fair we have come to love and look forward to fell during our trip to Tennessee. I happened to see that the Chelsea Community Fair was running this week, so I thought it might be fun to take the kids to a fair of some kind, even if it wasn't the one right in our backyard. We had an amazing time.  From seeing the animals and riding rides, to watching the demolition derby and eating fair food, it was the perfect night.  We bought kids wristbands for the first time ever, and they were over the moon excited to be able to ride as many rides as they wanted as many times as they wanted -- at least the ones they were tall enough to get on in the first place.  I couldn't believe my eyes as Breslin and Dharia walked hand in hand into the Gravitron and rode it all by themselves, only to step out with wild eyes and...

It's that time of the year for back-to-school get-togethers, open houses, and other such nonsense. Okay, well maybe it's not nonsense, but there seems to be some undue haste in welcoming back the school year. Nevertheless, last night we had a wonderful time meeting Colby's new staff at Parma Elementary.  Their back-to-school party took place on Pleasant Lake.  It was a beautiful night to be on the lake, but my favorite part of the evening was when the kids got to go out on the speedboat.  They loved the "fast boat", but all it took was seeing just one person tubing before they were all clamoring to do it too. As the token adult on the tube, I had the privilege of hearing their shrieks and wild laughter on the tube as the boat took off around the lake.  It was amazing to hear that laughter and experience that pure, unadulterated joy. Plus, I like to tube so it all worked out. :) I am so grateful that my kids are so adventurous and brave.  I am thankful ...

It's always hard for me to leave vacation and head home, especially one as incredibly magical as this one was. One thing that I can always look forward to, however, is seeing the excited faces of my three kids when I walk through the door.  In this case, I came around the side of the garage to the backyard.  The girls raced into my arms from the trampoline giggle-shrieking with glee.  Breslin gave me a hug and politely said, "Welcome home, mom." I really missed these guys. Thank God for our homecoming! Lord, thank you for three sweet and excited faces to come home to.  Bless our remaining time together as a family this summer.  In your name I pray, Amen.

This afternoon, Colby and I decided to take a last, long hike to Charlie's Bunion. At first we were pretty hesitant.  Okay, I'm really making us sound a lot less whiny than we were.  Because, we had every excuse in the book.  It was raining; we were tired; there was lots of fog so we probably wouldn't get to see much anyway; there would be a ton of people out on the trail; our feet hurt.  It even went so far as that we pulled over on our way to the trail head and started to turn around. I'm so thankful that we sucked it up and went. We made it to the top of Charlie's Bunion to see the most incredible views either one of us has ever seen in our lives.  I didn't think there was any way that Chimney Tops could be bettered, but I was wrong.  I can't even describe the awesome splendor we were able to take in while sitting on top of this mountain. I hate to think of all that we would have missed if we had decided to turn around and go back to the cabin....

After hiking Rainbow Falls this afternoon in a consistent rain, Colby and I changed into dry clothes before piling into the Ion and taking off down the Roaring Fork Nature Trail. We had no sooner made the  first turn after clearing the parking lot when I slammed on the brakes. There, not more than 10 yards in front of us, was a giant black bear crossing the road.  At first, we were speechless. It was fascinating to see this magnificent creature in its natural habitat. Then, once the shock had worn off, we each scrambled for our phones in an attempt to capture the bear on camera. By then, the bear had lumbered off into the nearby forest, so any pictures were less than satisfactory, but Colby and I were elated nonetheless. We are both pretty stoked about bears, and to see one in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park seems almost too good to be true. We are both so thankful to be able to have this memory. Thank God for the bear! Lord, thank you for this awesome experience today...

Colby and I decided to hike Chimney Tops today in the great Smoky Mountains National Park. We had never done this hike before, although we knew it to be immensely popular among hikers to visit this area. We had been working all week at this type again, as the trail is under repair and only open on Friday through Sunday.  At first, the hike didn't seem like anything too special. There was climbing, sure, but we had had plenty of that in our strenuous hike to the Ramsey Cascades on day one.   I didn't realize that until later, but apparently most people never even make it to the end of Chimney Tops, because the last mile of the hike is so steep (you climb over 1300 feet in less than 2 miles). So we were just going about our business, enjoying each other's company.  When we reached the end of the hike, however, we were astounded.  The summit of Chimney Tops is a sheer rock face that affords 360° views of the mountains all around. That is, if you are brave enough to scal...

Yesterday, Colby and I took an early morning hike to Baskins Creek Falls. There, we were asked astounded by the beauty of a raging waterfall. The hike, however, was only 3.2 miles long and left is wanting a little more. So after lunch and an afternoon nap, we hit the trails for a second time--our first ever late afternoon hike. We chose the Alum Cave Bluff trail, as we had done it previously and knew it was incredible. We weren't disappointed. It turns out that evening hiking isn't quite as popular, so the traffic on the trail was light and petered out the farther up we went. We were so happy that we seized the chance to do this 2 a day and see a beautiful place we might not have been able to on this trip otherwise.  Here is a vine Colby made of the bluff once we reached the top: https://vine.co/v/hMxaQA2HZgD Thank God for our 2 a day! Lord, thank you for giving us the energy and opportunity to do two hikes today. In your name I pray, Amen.

After hiking to Hen Wallow Falls this morning, Colby and I stopped at a sweet little restaurant in the Arts and Crafts District of Gatlinburg called The Wild Plum. The Plum specializes in Wild Plum Tea, and I was so in love it that I drank nearly a gallon. We sat outside on the deck surrounded by a canopy of trees strung with white lights. I had delicious vegan soup, salad and even dessert. It was beautiful. Thank God for the Wild Plum! Lord thank you for a beautiful lunch in a beautiful place. In your name I pray, Amen.

10 years ago today I married my best friend. What more could a girl be thankful for? Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be back to celebrating. ;) Thank god for 10 years! Lord thank you for giving me Colby for the past 10 years. I pray that you would bess the next ten just as abundantly. In your name Amen.

Colby and I finally arrived at our little cabin in the woods. This haven in Sevierville, Tennessee will be our home for the next week. We were a little concerned about how it would measure up to the places we have stayed in previously while visiting the Great Smoky Mountains. I am so thankful to report that the cabin is incredible. Even in the dark, it is obvious that the view is breathtaking. The inside is immaculate, cozy, and luxurious. I can't believe I really get to stay here for the next 7 nights! Thank God for our Cabin in the Woods! Lord, thank you for giving Colby a chance to spend time together in this beautiful place. Please bless our week together. Amen.

Tonight I was asked to participate in something I am thrilled and excited about.  I cannot divulge the details of this event at this time, but I feel blessed and honored to be a part of it.  It's fun to have something to look forward to and phenomenal to have this bubbly feeling because of that anticipation. Thank God!  I'm looking forward to it! Lord, thank you for events that are special and exciting.  I am grateful that you give us things to anticipate.  In your name I pray, Amen.

While tearing down the race today, I managed to nearly slice my thumb off while cutting some fencing off of its supports.  We were in the throes of tearing down, and blood was gushing from my thumb.  I managed to get some gauze wrapped tightly around it with some help from my friends, but it didn't feel too good.  I worked for a couple more hours, before an athlete noticed that I was bleeding through the gauze.  When my boss looked at it, he declared that I would need stitches.  GAH!  I just wanted to finish cleaning up and get home. Team Maddy is a 3Disciplines sponsored athlete that attends many of our events, and the family was there.   Is simply cannot describe how fantastic this family is, and I am blessed and thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet them and hang out with all of them.  If you want to read about something truly inspirational, consider this short article .  Anyhow, Team Maddy's mom noticed that I was having issues a...

For the first time ever, I was placed in charge of the swim course at a an event.  So, I have been out in the water all day setting 13 large neon buoys that mark the sprint and olympic distance races for the swim tomorrow.  Basically, I used my GPS to find where a 1500 m and 500 m swim would be and then used the jet ski to two the buoys to their proper locations.  The hardest part was lining them up straight so that the swimmers saw a perfectly linear pathway to their turnaround. I was grateful for this opportunity to learn something new and thankful for a job that lets me drive around a jetski on a beautiful lake on a perfect summer day. Thank God for the chance to be the swim course coordinator! Lord, thank you for a fun job that gives me the chance to learn and do so many thing.  Thank you for a beautiful day out on the water.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today I went to Midland to work at a triathlon. My car was in desperate need of an oil change, however, and I have been stressing out for the last several weeks on how I could possibly get it in somewhere. It turns out, happily, that I did not have to arrive on site until 11 AM. So, I was able to stop at the Valvoline . I was so grateful for this bit of extra time, and for the wonderful people at Valvoline who were super great and got me on my way in a blink of an eye.  I got my oil changed and even arrived on site early. Thank God for an oil change! Lord, thank you for the time and opportunity to get something takg care of today. It's nice to get some stuff accomplished even when you think it's going to be a crazy day. In your name I pray, Amen.

Today was a weird weather day--alternating between sunshine and storms at various intervals and making it difficult to predict the best time for venturing out to do my long run. At about 2 pm, I decided to go for it. I laced up my shoes and headed out. My plan was to break up my mileage so that I was never too far away from the house, just in case the storms decided to make yet another appearance.  At 16 miles in, the sky started to look dark. At 17 miles, it started to sprinkle. When I reached the house to finish at mile 18, the sky opened up and the thunder boomed impressively. I hurried in and thanked God for watching our for me and for helping me to have good timing. Thank God for good timing! Lord, thank you for helping me finish my long run today and for minimizing the crummy running weather while I was out. In your name I pray, Amen.

I am so thankful for my dad. Today is his birthday. I am extremely happy that he was born because he is awfully special to me. Thank god for my dad! Happy birthday! I love you! Lord, thank you for my dad and for this day to celebrate him. In your name I pray, Amen. 

As I was getting dressed this evening, Dharia looked at me and said, "Oh Mommy, I remember that dress.  You wore it to the bar." Um, excuse me?  Why does my daughter think I'm going out to the bar?  I was confused and a little distressed.  The dress was nothing special, just a long, sleeveless number -- definitely not something that screams, "I'm going to the bar!" My worry was only made worse when the girls started going through my closet and putting my dresses on, proclaiming that they, too, were going to the bar. At this point, I was beside myself with concern.  What message was I sending my girls and how was I going to fix that?  How could I be fighting this battle already?  I thought I had at least a few years before I was going to have to argue with them about where they were going at night. It was only when AJ looked at me and told me that she would be dancing with the prince that I got it. I wasn't going to the bar and hadn't gone t...

I love the big lake.  In fact, there's not too many other places on Earth I'd rather be than the western shores of Lake Michigan. The fact that today was cool and breezy only made Lake Michigan all the more beautiful to me. What makes a trip to the beach even better? When GRANDPA comes. My dad, Colby, the kids, and I journeyed to St. Joseph today.  We did all of the awesome things at Silver Beach, like ride the carousel and rinse our sand off in the giant interactive city fountain.   But, more than anything, it was just a blessing to BE TOGETHER. I was with some of my most favorite people in the whole world all day in one of my favorite places in the whole world; and if that's not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is! Thank God for St. Joe! Lord, thank you for the time with my kids, my husband, and my dad today.  Thank you for beautiful places that aren't too far away that we can visit.  Thank you for the memories we made today and for ...

We have TV issues at our house. Several months ago, our large flatscreen TV (not a plasma, by the way...one of those big projection TVs) bit the dust.  It was about time.  Colby  and I bought it from Circuit City (no longer in business) shortly after we were married (nearly 10 years ago). We didn't really want to spend the money to replace it, so we borrowed one of my dad's TVs, which broke just a couple of weeks after we took it home.  Oops. At this point, it was obvious that we were TV killers. Therefore, in the interest of TVs everywhere, we decided against getting another TV.  We didn't have cable or an antenna anyhow, so we were basically using it as large screen for Netflix. And so the weeks and months went by where everything we watched was either on a laptop or an iPad. How cutting edge are we? Turns out, not very. My dad, in his infinite kindness, stumbled across a functional, yet decidedly old-school TV while helping move out someone's ho...

I had a visit with my chiropractor today.  And, while, this in itself might not seem like a big deal, today it was a huge blessing. You see, it turns out that I dislocated one of my ribs.  Yep, it hurts.  I found out when I finally straggled into see Dr. Tazzi because I was in so much pain.  But, he was able to adjust me on Tuesday and get the rib closer to its original position.  I immediately felt better upon leaving, but was immensely sore yesterday.  He encouraged me to come in again today...which I absolutely intended to do.  I wasn't going to say no to that! Anyway, I feel almost normal tonight, thanks to him.  I am so thankful that he was able to diagnose the problem and help me on me feel better. Thank God for my chiropractor! Lord, thank you for Dr. Tazzi and for the way he was able to relieve so much of my pain.  In your name I pray, Amen.

For lunch today, the girls and I visited Casa Rodriguez on Wildwood in Jackson.  I had never been there before, and I'm always excited to eat Mexican. While perusing the menu, I was intrigued by the zucchini enchiladas listed.  No doubt they were vegan (minus the cheese and sour cream of course), and I'm a big zucchini fan.  I ordered them and anxiously awaited their arrival.  The girls ordered Mac and Cheese or all things.  Sigh. I was not disappointed.  Those zucchini enchiladas rocked.  Period.  I gobbled them up and wished that I could have ordered more than three.  Or that I had the recipe.  Or that Casa Rodriguez was my next door neighbor. I think that I often take for granted that not only do we never have to worry about having enough to eat, but more often than not, we are able to eat delicious food too.  This is truly a blessing in my life. I'm thankful for an excellent lunch today! Thank God for zucchini enchilad...