The Adventures of Jason and Cayce!

Whitewater Rafting

2010-07-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today we returned to Birmingham from a great weekend in the north Georgia mountains with Brad and Lindsey.

We arrived late on Friday after a long weeek of work for Cayce to our rented cabin. After a few hours of sleep we headed to the Ocoee River in Tennessee. We did a full river whitewater rafting trip that lasted 6 hours. Part of the trip covered the whitewater kayak course from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Jason fell out of the raft on highest class rapid of the river. It was scary for Cayce to watch but everything turned out fine and it was a great day.

On Sunday, Brad and Lindsey had to head back to B-Ham so they could get back to work. In the afternoon Cayce and I went for a hike to a huge falls and ate some great BBQ at Poole's. We went to this BBQ place because it looked interesting and when we walked up we found out that some people that we go to church with here in Birmingham (3 hours away) own it and work it on the weekends. Pretty small world.

It was a fun weekend all around. I love getting to see all the different places that are in this land of ours.

Catching Up

2010-07-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been 4 months since we last posted and we have kept ourselves busy! Here are some of the highlights:

Jason's roommate from Wisconsin, Eric Fry, was married in May. The wedding was held in Beaver Creek, Colorado and we had an amazing time. It snowed on Saturday while we were hiking up the mountain and it was beautiful.

Immediately upon returning to Birmingham from Colorado, we started packing for our 5 year anniversary trip to Hawaii. Once again we went to Kauai and stayed in the same condo complex as we did on our Honeymoon. Kauai was just as beautiful as we remember and we relaxed and did a few things that we missed on our first trip.

We did a lot of relaxing on secluded beaches (Jason read 5 books and Cayce actually read 2!).

We hiked a few different times including a 7 mile round trip hike along the Na Pali coast. There

were some really scary sections, but we survived.

I also tried my hand at boogie boarding!

In addition to the trip to Kauai, we were able to go to Jason's friend Jerry's wedding on Oahu. The ceremony was beautiful, and the setting for the reception was out of a postcard. In addition to the fun we had surrounding the event, we were upgraded to the corner penthouse suite of the JW Marriott. It was truly stunning.

In June, we drove to the south eastern part of Alabama to Lake Eufala. Cayce's sister Lindsey and her husband, Brad, own a lake house and they invited us for the weekend. We always have a great time with them and Preston provided lots of entertainment, as usual.

1st Birthday AND 1st Sermon

2010-03-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

It is still hard to believe that the babies are ONE! Preston turned one on February 20, and Logan turned one on February 25. We had a party for them on Saturday, February 27. Everyone came to Birmingham for the festivities. Lindsey made them matching birthday outfits, and Brittney made them matching "smash" cakes.

Here's Gigi with her two grandbabies. This was the first time they'd seen each other that weekend. They are never too sure of each other at first. Logan, especially, is never too sure of Jason. She keeps a close eye on his every move!

Here are the matching outfits and party hats that Lindsey's friend made. They were perfectly coordinated with the outfits.

Cute family photos:

Here are the cakes after they had been "smashed". Logan LOVED making a huge mess. She even helped Preston with his cake. Preston HATED being sticky and dirty. It was kind of funny and sad at the same time.

On Sunday, Jason was asked to preach. His first sermon went really well. He spoke in front of approximately 600 people. He is so gifted, and I am so proud to be his wife!

Happy New Year! (and everything else that's been celebrated since our last post)

2010-01-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas in New York with Jason's family. This is the view of his parents' backyard. It snowed just before we arrived and melted the day we left. We spent lots of time with family, ate lots of food, and Jason educated Cayce on how to do the shuffle in the ice/slush. It's impossible to get to the front door of your destination (quickly) from the car in windy, freezing conditions for fear of slipping and breaking something.

Dylan and Brooklyn enjoyed Christmas morning...lots of toys!

We celebrated Christmas with Cayce's family earlier in December. Preston and Logan were cooperative enough to allow us to take pictures by the tree.

Poor Logan...she already lost something in the bottom of her purse. Like mother like daughter! Love you, Brittney!

On December 5, we ran the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon. It was such a well-organized, inspiring run. The experience of running through St. Jude's campus was something neither of us expected. We hope to be able to run it again when given the opportunity. We also walked through the famous and historic Peabody hotel and saw the March of the Ducks.

In November, Cayce and her mother took a trip to Gatlinburg, TN. They stayed in a little cabin on the top of a mountain. They also drove over to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore Estate decorated for Christmas. It was beautiful (and huge). It took them two hours to walk through the estate.

Jason was a lumberjack for Halloween (and Yukon Cornelius for Christmas).

October was filled with football games. Jason went to the Red River Rivalry in Dallas. Two of his friends from high school (Brent and Jeremy) met him there as did his friend, Karl, from Austin. He also ran into his friend, Geoff, from Austin.

We also tailgated at the Alabama/Tennessee game in Tuscaloosa with Brittney, Matthew, Lindsey, and Brad.

Need a Lift?

2009-09-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we, again, drove down to Lake Eufala in southeast Alabama to stay at Brad and Lindsey's lake house. The house was owned by Brad's father before his death. We have had a few opportunities to stay with them this summer and do not pass up the opportunity, if at all possible. We had no idea, on the 3 hour drive to Eufala, that this weekend would be so memorable.

We arrived late Friday night and spent a few hours catching up with our hosts. We then hit the bed in anticipation of a busy day of water skiing, knee boarding, wake boarding, and riding around on Saturday. Saturday morning was beautiful and after waking up and putting the boat in the water, we were off.

Cayce, our resident athlete, hops up on her skis on the first attempt and even has been making great progress on slalom skiing.

After a few attempts by me to ski, we decided to head in for lunch and recharge. After lunch and a short nap by Preston, we were back on the water. Lindsey decided to go first and was tearing it up on one ski. Then she switched to the knee board and attempted a few unsuccessful 360s. She started to get tired and I decided I was going to give it a try. I got in the water and was ready to go, but when Brad tried to crank the boat, it was dead. We were adrift. After many attempts we were trying to put our heads together about what to do and trying to stay away from the rocks on the shore. We eventually drifted into a small cove and called the sea tow boat.

One small problem entered our minds as we sat and waited on our rescuer. Dark clouds were moving toward us...fast. I checked the radar on my phone and realized that we were sitting in the path of a pretty fierce looking storm. So, being the P90Xer that I am, I jumped out of the boat with the ski rope and swam toward a dock, pulling the boat as I went. When I reached the dock, I was able to jump up on it and pull the boat the rest of the way over and get it tied down. Amazingly, on the dock, we found a battery charger. Brad hooked it up to the boat, but after letting it charge, the boat didn't turn over. At this same time, the sky opened up. It started raining so hard. The lake house that owned the dock we were on was vacant, at the time, and Cayce, Lindsey and Preston were able to wait on the screened in porch.

As they were dry and warm, the sea tow pulled up and hooked up to Brad's boat. They towed us back to the boat ramp. It continued to pour down on us the whole time and Brad and I had a good laugh. We caught a ride back to the lake house and picked up the truck and trailer. After retrieving Cayce, Lindsey and Preston from the camp we returned to the boat and were able to get it on the trailer.

We were so thankful that we were not out in the middle of the lake when we went adrift. It would have been a whole different experience with an infant who probably would have been crying. We are also so thankful that no one was at the vacant lake house because I don't know how someone would have reacted, given the events that were going on.

On Sunday, everything was back to normal. Before we left the lake the sun came out and we were able to dry out the boat. As always, when we spend time with Brad and Lindsey we come away with a story to tell.

My friend, Mary

2009-09-05T19:40:00.001-07:00

In late July, my friend from Austin came for a visit. Mary and I became friends at church in Austin, and we have kept in touch over the past year. I took Friday off from work. We spent the day eating sushi, watching a movie, and eating dinner on the back porch. On Saturday, we went to the local farmers market, Pepper Place, then went for pedicures. Jason cooked us a fantastic dinner that night. We had seared Ahi Tuna, grilled asparagus, and spaghetti squash. We played a game of Trivial Pursuit, and Mary kicked our butts in a game that lasted about 30 minutes. On Sunday, Mary's grandparents met her in Birmingham to pick her up on the way to the beach. Thank you, Mary, for a fun girls weekend!

2009-09-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

On another weekend this summer, we took a trip to Hot-lanta with Brad, Lindsey, Matthew and Brittney. On Saturday we went to a Braves game where we saw Chipper and the boys take on Johan Santana and the NY Mets.

After tailgating for a couple of hours, we headed into the game. It was an awesome afternoon. The weather was perfect and so was the company.

Lindsey was on the JumboTron, Matthew and Brad threw the speedball faster than me and Brad and I were finally beaten at Ladderball.

On Sunday, we ate at a famous burger joint in Atlanta called the Vortex. They were featured on Man vs. Food and Cayce is the one who wanted to go. Matthew was the most adventurous of anyone by ordering the Elvis burger. It was a 1/2lb burger with peanut butter, fried bananas and bacon.

On Monday, Cayce and I took the day off from work and joined Matthew and Brittney at a Six Flags water park. There we some great rides and the weather was, again, perfect.

Ihfe Invasion

2009-09-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Karl, Kaley, Gabe and Hallie Ihfe came for a visit the week after July 4th. We met them in Austin and we became great friends. Karl and I spend several hours a week encouraging and challenging each other over the phone.

As always, we had a great time with them. Karl and Kaley are the type of people who you can spend 4 hours together and it feels like 4 minutes. When living in Austin, Cayce and I would regularly end our visits with the Ihfes at midnight or later. It was much more of the same during the visit here.

Cayce and I were amazed at how old Gabe and Hallie are getting. Gabe has started school this fall and Hallie is a very precocious 3 year old. During the trip we were audience to Halie's unique personality and showmanship. At dinner one night, Hallie did her best impression of a waitress by standing at the head of our table and taking all of our orders. Gabe has grown into quite a young man. He is smart, a strong swimmer and is very talented video game player.

During the weekend, we spent some time at the pool, ate pizza at the famous Davenport's Pizza in Mountain Brook, took walks, Karl and I ran, skipped rocks in the river, took a roller coaster ride in the rain, and laughed a lot.

It was such a treat to share our home with the Ihfe's. They are such a sweet family. We miss them tremendously and look forward to seeing them again soon.

Celebrating July 4th at the beach!

2009-09-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been too long since we've posted, but we wanted to share our summer with you. Back in July, we were asked to go to the beach with Brad, Lindsey, and Preston. Brad and Lindsey go with some of their friends each year, and this year they asked if we wanted to come along. It was a gorgeous weekend. Jason had never been to the Gulf. I think he was pleasantly impressed. The water was beautiful, the sand was beautiful, the sun was pretty but hot, and the experience was a blast.

We arrived in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach on July 3rd and made it out to the beach for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We found some shade underneath a pier, and Preston was pumped! As we looked around, we realized we might be the only ones who didn't come prepared for our July 4th day in the sun. So, Jason and I left for Walmart. We picked up a pop up tent and headed back out to the beach.

It was EXTREMELY hot on July 4th. Preston had enough of the heat and feel asleep in this chair under our tent for about 3 hours in the afternoon. We took turns watching over him. Jason and Brad setup Ladderball and played for hours with other beachgoers. Lindsey and I caught up, read, and enjoyed being together.

Later that night, we watched the fireworks from our condo balcony. We also got our own private concert with an up and coming artist, Brad Garth Brooks.

Thanks so much, Brad and Lindsey! We loved the trip!

Folla me to Lake Eufaula

2009-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

The weekend of June 27, Brad and Lindsey invited us to Brad's family's lakehouse on Lake Eufaula in southeastern Alabama. It was a gorgeous weekend, and we had so much fun together. Brad was so patient when trying to pull us up out of the water on the wakeboard, skis, and a failed attempt at slalom skiing. At the end of the day, Brad took us out on his tube which "seated" three people, literally. When we took spills on this thing, they were nasty. Cayce got whiplash, and Jason thought he tore his retina.

All of our lake pictures didn't quite make it off the camera...frustrating!

Preston was pooped after a long day on the boat. He looks so cute in his little lifejacket (it hardly allows him to move), but of course we don't have any pictures on the computer.

The Yankees are coming!

2009-07-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

In June, my parents came to visit from New York. It was their first trip to Birmingham and coincided with Birmingham's largest music festival, City Stages (which has now gone bankrupt and will never again take place).

After arriving at lunch time on Friday, we headed downtown to see 38 Special, Styx and REO Speedwagon. Although it was in the low 90s with high humidity it was a really enjoyable night.

On Saturday, my Dad and I played golf while the heat index was between 105-110 degrees and there was very little breeze. Cayce and my mom shopped and ate at O'Carr's restaurant. My parents then treated us to PF Chang's for our (belated) anniversary dinner.

Sunday we had Cayce's family over to our house after church for the first gathering of both sides of the family since our wedding. It was a fun and special day. Sunday night we went back downtown for some good music and fantastic people watching. The Doobie Brothers opened up for Lynyrd Skynyrd (Wooo Free Bird!) Both bands rocked and we had a great time.

We capped off the long weekend on Monday night with dinner at home with Brad, Lindsey and Preston. It was a memorable visit and I think that they may actually come back to the Dirty South again.

Congrats Garth and Kalli!!

2009-07-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

Weddings are always a great time, and when one of your best friends from growing up gets married it is a very special day.

Kalli and Cayce met when they were in cradle roll at church in Birmingham. From day one, Kalli has been creating laughs and stories in Cayce's life. If you ever get a chance to meet Kalli you will never again think of her without a smile appearing on your face. I have known Kalli for only six years or so, but wow what an impact she has. I may have only spent a dozen hours in her presence, but when she and Cayce are together, it is magic. They click like friends who spend everyday together, even when they have been apart for months.

Garth is the lucky man who has captured this woman's heart. He has a shy confidence about him that works very well with Kalli's dominant personality. Garth is an adventurous traveler who will have his hands full.

Today, as I write this Kalli and Garth have been in Africa for three weeks. Garth's job has taken them across the Atlantic for the next two years and we will miss them. Cayce and I plan on trying to get over and see them during the next two years but will have Kalli and Garth in our prayers either way.

Trip To Austin...Yea Karey and Kent

2009-07-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

During the middle of June, Cayce and I made our first trek back to Austin. We saw old friends, ate great food, experienced a little bit of Austin and saw our friends Karey and Kent get married. Karey and Cayce became friends as Community Bible Study small group leaders. She was so impressed with Cayce's choice of a red-headed husband that Karey decided to find her own...this is where Kent comes in.

Karey and Kent had their wedding at a mock old Texas town

The ceremony was OUTSIDE in near 100 DEGREE heat surrounded by a beautiful grove of Pecan trees. The surroundings were only surpassed in beauty by the bride and we had a great time at the reception getting to know a fun couple who was sitting at our table.

As always Austin was scenic. Our hotel was on the Texas campus, next door to our old church.

I was able to catch up with quite a few of my co-workers and was able to get a tour of the finished north end zone of DKR Texas Memorial Stadium.

So after a weekend of Tex-Mex, Rudy's, friends and celebration we head back to B-ham. Adios Tejas, we will visit again soon.

The Arrival of Brooklyn Williams and Visit to NY

2009-05-19T16:08:00.001-07:00

I am proud to present the newest member of the Williams Clan: Brooklyn Ann Williams. As you can see Grandma Williams is beaming! Brooklyn was born on 05/07 and she and her Mom, Bethany, are doing well.

Big brother Dylan (3 years old) seems to be making a good adjustment and is treating his little sister well. She has red hair like her daddy and is a big girl.

Dylan was sweet before Brooklyn was born and created this bear for her at Build-a-Bear.

Unfortunately for me, I planned a trip to NY based on Bethany's due date which was May 1st. I returned home on Cinco de Mayo without seeing my niece, but Ihe had a great time. I was able to spend a lot of time with Dylan, my parents and grandparents. There was even a trip to rough and tumble (an inflatable fun house). The weather was nice and cool, there was great food (pizza, half moon cookies, and Irish Nachos), and lots of laughs.

I was also able to catch up with a few friends. This picture of Mike Mierek with his oldest boy is priceless. Mike (who is 6'4") is standing next to his 13 month old. He is the biggest toddler that we have ever seen.

Blessed, Beautiful, Fun, and Hot Weekend!

2009-05-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

The weekend of April 25, we traveled to Nashville for two very exciting events...the Country Music Half Marathon and the Dave Matthews Band concert at Vanderbilt Stadium. The trip started off a little shaky. We left Birmingham in enough time to get to downtown Nashville to pick up our race packets by 7 pm. About 1 hour into our trip, we ran into bad traffic and sat for a good 30 minutes. This put us at the front door of the Convention Center at 6:58 pm. Thankfully, the staff let us proceed with the last group of late arrivers, and we were able to quickly go through the line and get shuffled out the door. We hurried over to Caryn's, ate, and began preparing for an early 4:15 am wakeup call. Thanks Caryn!!

Jason ran the race by himself, and Cayce ran with her good friend, Natalie. It was a beautiful day, but neither one of us was prepared for the heat. Needless to say, this was not one of our best performances, but we thoroughly enjoyed the morning. After the race, we met Dwight and Harper for a visit. Thanks Natalie!!

After a quick nap, we got ready to head to Vanderbilt. The weather that evening was amazing, and we had so much fun at the concert. We even got the chance to meet up with our friends from church here in Birmingham, Bo and Whitney.

The next morning, we packed up and headed to Birmingham to make it in time for church. Logan was making her big debut, and the whole family would be in attendance. What an awesome day! Here are just a few of the pictures. We were the paparazzi and Preston and Logan were the true celebrities! We had such a fun day together.

Meeting Logan

2009-03-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, we drove up to Nashville to meet Logan and spend time with the whole family. Brad, Lindsey, and Preston made a guest appearance as well, and we had such a fun time together. Logan was so precious and sweet. We hope to visit again soon!

See below for the sweetness (she is so cuddly):

She gave her Uncle Jason a really scary look when she first saw him, but she eventually warmed right up!

I love this picture of the two little cousins. I'm so glad we all got to be there that weekend!

She was so comfortable sleeping on Daddy's shoulder.

Jackson Hole

2009-03-17T18:40:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we went to Jackson Hole with Jason's work group. It was a reward for interviewing and being hired into the best sales territory in the US. We arrived on Thursday to find huge, snow-covered mountains and our room with a fireplace in it.

We caught a ride into downtown Jackson were we walked around the square and checked out the shops.

We had an amazing view of Grand Teton from our room.

On Friday morning we went to the Grand Teton Resort and took snowboarding lessons. Basically, we spent the next 3 hours falling on our knees, wrists. shoulders all while hitting our heads and getting whiplash. After lunch, we both were able to figure it out a little bit and as the day we went on we started carving up the mountain.

Our instructors name was Kelly and we owe her many thanks for being so patient with an un-athletic goof ball and a cold-hating former gymnast who was taught to NEVER to thrust her hips forward (very important to do during snowboarding).

On Saturday we went on a snowmobile tour of a national park. We rode out 10 miles to this natural hot springs. The temperature is 105 in the winter. On the way back, we stopped by an open field to have lunch. After lunch, we were given some time to 'play around' on our sleds. During this time, Cayce experienced the thrill of snowmobiling. Jason then decided that he was going to attempt to jump a tall hill and almost killed himself, seriously. The story would take some time to tell here, but please feel free to ask about it next time you see us. Cayce was not amused.

Jackson Hole was a lot of fun and we both hope to go to the mountains in the winter again soon!

A Snowy Day in Dixie

2009-03-01T13:52:00.001-08:00

This morning, Sunday March 1st, the forecast called for 1-3 inches of snow...and it actually happened! They cancelled church today and closed the interstate for a little while. At our house, we probably had about 3 inches of snow. It was great snowball snow.The roads were clear and not slushy. There was a little bit of slickness on the bridges and overpasses. Downtown Trussville, was pretty and there were lots of kids out making snowmen and throwing snowballs.

What a great day! It is now 4pm, the sun is out and the snow is melting fast. That how the weather goes in Alabama. It is going to be 70 on Wednesday...Ahh Spring is here.

Hanging with Preston

2009-03-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

We have spent the several of the last few days with Lindsey, Brad and Preston. We have had a chance to feed him, hold him and even change a few diapers. He is a great baby. Aunt Cayce is his favorite so far, but we will see how long that lasts!

I am not sleeping in this picture.

Hooking Horns already!

Another Joyful Day!!!!

2009-02-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

It is with tremendous joy that I, Cayce, introduce our new niece, Logan Avery! Logan was born this afternoon at 4:30 weighing 7 lbs 4 oz and measuring 20 inches. Brittney is doing well but is quite exhausted. The one and only picture I have of Logan was sent to me on my cell phone. She is beautiful, of course, and has dark hair. I can't wait to meet her! God is good!

Joyful Day!!!!

2009-02-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

It is with tremendous joy that I, Cayce, introduce our new nephew, Preston Cale! Preston was born this afternoon at 2:40 weighing 7 lbs 12.9 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches. Lindsey is doing well but is quite exhausted. Preston is such a cute baby, and we are excited that he is finally here! God is good!

The new Grand-parents with Preston.

Brad, lets see if your practicing paid off!

The Three Stooges and Baby Showers

2009-02-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Sunday after Christmas, the whole family (including the three stooges) went over to visit Wayne. Wayne is Cayce's great uncle (her father's uncle). He had some special gifts to give the two new babies, and we also had a Christmas gift for him. Matthew, Brad, and Jason took their seats next to the fireplace, and we all talked for a couple of hours. Right before we left, we took a few pictures. It was a really nice afternoon.

The next weekend, Lindsey's coworkers hosted her first baby shower. Preston received some really nice gifts including the outfit mother gave him and the outfits hanging on the clothesline. The wreath on the fireplace was made out of diapers. Lindsey's coworker made it for her to hang on her door at the hospital.

A few weeks later, Hillsboro hosted Brittney's first baby shower. Logan also received lots of really nice gifts, including a pink leotard with a built-in tutu. Matthew, watch out!

All the girls love taking pictures together. It's nice being closer to family!

Christmas in Alabama

2008-12-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

Picture this...Late December, almost Christmas and we are wearing short sleeves and sweating. This is a scene I would have never imagined growing up. It is Christmas time in Alabama where we eat Lasanga and Coconut Cake on Christmas eve and Ham, Turkey and green bean and corn casserole on Christmas Day.

On Christmas eve, we ate 2 meals and opened gifts at Cayce's Meemaw's house. As you can see Brad (Lindsey's husband) got a new Christmas tree wife-beater. Doesn't he look thrilled? Just kidding. The two that made out the best were Preston (Lindsey's soon to be born son) and Logan (Brittney's soon to be born daughter).

On Christmas day the Logan family traditionally heads over to Virginia and Erle's (Great Aunt and Uncle) house. We again eat 2 huge meals and play cards. This year we spent most of the day with Brittney and Matthew (Lindsey was working and Caryn was cruising). After Matthew and Brittney compared stomach sizes, Matthew won by an outey, we took this picture.

Caryn arrived after returning from her cruise the weekend after Christmas and we were able to take a rare family picture.

It was a quick weekend but we had alot of laughs. It is great to think that next year there will be two little ones running around. It is even better to think about how this time next year Logan will be bossing around Preston and he will cry when she comes into the room.

Thanksgiving in Snowy NY

2008-12-29T18:49:00.001-08:00

We went to upstate New York for Thanksgiving. It was the first Thanksgiving that Jason spent with his family in several years. We landed in Syracuse on Thanksgiving afternoon with several inches of snow on the ground. On Friday, both sides of Jason's family were invited up to his parents house. Almost everyone came to visit including Jason's younger cousin and great uncle who are both battling cancer. We had a great time. The King of the party, by far, was Dylan. He is our (almost) 3 year old nephew. Dylan is a ham and full of energy while being well behaved (quite the opposite from his father). On Saturday morning, we woke up to run with lots of snowflakes falling. It was a beautiful scene and made for a fun run. Even though our stay was short, we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday!

Our New House

2008-12-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since we posted a blog. I have many excuses, but one in particular is of merit. We have purchased a new house. We closed on our new home on November 14th and spent about 4 weeks doing projects before we moved in. It has been a great home for us so far. It backs up to some woods, so Jason feels more at home. Here are some pics:

As you can (somewhat) see, we have plenty of room for visitors. For all those who expected a Christmas card from us this year and did not get one, this house is again our excuse. Please come visit...Birmingham has lots to offer!

On Wisconsin

2008-10-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Cayce and I went to Madison, Wisconsin. Cayce had never visited Madison and I wanted her to experience real football weather.

We saw my old house and the view of the stadium from it.

Saturday morning, we went on a jog along the Menona Lake Trail. It was awesome!

The view from Picnic Point (1/2 way through the run)

The Wisconsin Student Union Terrace.

Following a Heisman Winner. Ron Dayne walked down the hill to the stadium with us.

Wisconsin played Ohio State and lost. #2 is true freshman QB Terrelle Prior who is going to be a stud.

No Wisconsin football game is complete without Jump Around in the student section!

The capitol building on Sunday morning.

We had a great time in Madison. We stayed with my friends Bart and Suzy and we were able to meet up with great old friends. The weather for the game was in the mid 40s and it was perfect. On Sunday, we were able to go to the new Blackhawk church building (this is the church that Jason attended in grad school and where the friends who helped lead him to Christ still attend). They just built a huge new building on the west side of Madison and we heard a great message!

Mad-town is a great place and if you ever want to go to a game up there, let Jason know and he will try to meet you!

Jeff and Elena's Wedding

2008-10-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

We went for a trail run the first morning in Phoenix. It was a beautiful morning, but as usual, Jason got us lost. We were trying to find a road that did not exist. It was a beautiful, although stressful and hot, run. We made it back in time for Jason to shower quick and head out, still sweating, in his tux.

The wedding ceremony was neat. All the music was performed by a mariachi band. The ceremony was in a beautiful missionary-style church.

The set up of the reception was amazing. There were huge flower arrangements on the tables and a great band. We spent most of the night on the dance floor and Jason had some great laughs with old friends.

The Bride and the Groom...looking Dapper.

For those that do not know, Jeff and Jason were classmates, fellow troublemakers, and most of all great, great friends in college. Elena has made him a better man.

The Boys. Tim, Jeff and I were trouble in college and some slight resemblance of those old days peeked out during the weekend.

Sunday morning we decided to hike to the summit of Squaw Peak in North Phoenix. It was another beautiful morning. We saw huge, movie-like, cactus everywhere. It was a great hike and there were alot of people on the trail.

At the summit of Squaw Peak. The hike was 1.25 miles to an elevation of 2,608 feet.

Phoenix was awesome and we can see why so many people want to live there. If only it was 30 degrees cooler in the summer, we might consider it.

Jason's New Blog

2008-09-10T19:50:00.003-07:00

If you are intrested in hearing Jason's ramblings go to jasongotothecorner.blogspot.com

Our First Alabama Adventure

2008-09-10T17:43:00.001-07:00

We decided to take a hike over Labor Day weekend and we had many options. I had no idea there were so many outdoor things to do here in Alabama. We made the 2 hour drive up to Little River Canyon on Monday morning. Little River Canyon is a national park located in Northeast Alabama (about 20 minutes from the place where all the unclaimed airline baggage goes to be sold in a huge warehouse). The canyon itself is known as the Grand Canyon of the east. It was a great day for a hike. There is a 50 foot waterfall that we had easy access to and a great hike down the side of the canyon to the river below. This is where the adventure began...we stumbled upon a couple of nude bathers. They were actually suprised to see us and asked us to stop walking while they put their clothes on! Our reaction was to continue to walk and basically ignore them as best we could. Maybe if we were born and raised in Alabama we would have been shocked, but we just came from Austin where nudity is an acceptable form of expression at public pools and social events. Below are some pictures of the day.

Last Ireland Pictures

2008-09-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

Here are some final pictures from our trip to Ireland. It was a great time and we will have ever-lasting memories. I will continue to update the blog from time to time with our current adventures. Please keep in touch! Cayce and Jason

Back in the USA

2008-07-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

Well, we have landed in Chicago and we were only an hour late. It was a great flight (mostly because we flew over Greenland, which was ice and snow covered). We really enjoyed the trip but we are happy to be back home.

Tomorrow or Friday, I will update the blog with more pictures and a description of the last few days we were there. Mostly, the trip was about driving (1200 miles in 11 days), food (lots of potatoes, sausage, bacon, potatoes, fish, eggs, potatoes, and fried stuff), clouds, and friendly people. The Irish are proud of their country and they should be (it is an amazingly beautiful, diverse, and rugged country). There were many times where we would arrive at a spot that our tour book told us about and all we could say is: WOW!

There was one instance in particular that we haven't blogged about yet. We were driving to a place that our tour book described as a 'photo op heaven'. As we navigated the one lane road that is actually a two way street, we passed a parking lot where some people had pulled off to hike the rest of the way. We knew we were near the coast and the car in front of us continued on the road toward the spot. As we climbed up a 30 degree incline on a one lane road in our 3 cylinder, stick shift, Toyota Corolla, we rounded a blind turn to find out that we were now on a one lane road with no guardrail on the left protecting us from a 500 ft. cliff and a cliff side on the right leading up. As a person who is terrified of heights, this was an unpleasant finding for me. We did arrive and it was mostly worth the stomach distress and nauseating feelings.

Cayce has had plenty of chances to laugh at me and has taken advantage of all opportunities! We are looking forward to talking to all of you and thanks for the funny comments that made us feel loved and missed! Have a great Wednesday and as they say in Ireland, 'tanks a million'.

Day 8- Inisheer and the Cliffs of Moher

2008-07-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

On Day 8, we decided that we were going to drive as little as possible. From the town we were staying in, Doolin, we were able to catch a ferry over to one of three small islands off the coast of Ireland. We went to Inisheer, the smallest of the three. Life on these islands reflects what life was like in Ireland's past. The people speak Gaelic and there are few cars. For the most part, what we were told was accurate. There were few cars and just a small bit of tourism industry.

One of the interesting sites on the island was an old church that was mostly buried under a sand dune. It was in the middle of a graveyard and was the first church on the island. The missionary's tomb was not far away buried under about 4 feet of sand. The doors of the church were only about 3 feet high.

We also came upon an old rusting ship wreck. You can walk right up to it and into it, if you want. We didn't get that brave, but it was impressive. It is just sitting on the beach rusting away.

Next, we took the same ferry to the Cliffs of Moher. They are 700 ft. above the ocean and an impressive sight. We met some other tourists on the boat. One couple was from Australia and their grown daughter was with them (she works in London). The conversation was nice and of course we had to inqure about their holiday (vacation). The rest of the world has it right, if you ask me. Europeans get about 5 weeks of vacation, 4 of which they have to take between June and August. Most take this time consecutively. In Australia, workers start with 5 weeks and after 10 years with a company you get 12 weeks a year. This couple had been out of Australia for 5 weeks when we met them.

Part of the tour of the cliffs took us to this rock which acted like a huge bird sanctuary. There were thousands of birds: sea gulls, penguin looking things, and huge black raven looking things. There was bird poop everywhere!

After dinner in town, we drove out to the cliffs again so we could see them from land and watch the sunset. It was an amazing view. The only issue of the day was the sunburn suffered by Jason, between the direct sun and the reflection off the water in the boat, his face was roasted. Go figure! There's not much sun in these parts, but Jason always manages to find it!

On to Galway...

Day 7- Ring of Dingle, County Clare

2008-07-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

On Day 7 we drove the Ring of Dingle, think of a miniature Ring of Kerry with more cliffs and less other tourists.

Ireland is full of wildflowers. We found these next to a beach we stopped by.

Our first stop on the Ring was an old stone fort that was probably first built around 1200 BC. It was made of stone and the most recent improvements were during the first 200-300 years after Christ.
We had another hike to the top of a mountain and as you can see, the wind was blowing hard. I think Cayce should look into getting some hair products that would help her maintain this look when we get back to Alabama.

The view from this mountain was great. The clouds were high, so we had a clear view. The wind was really making the ocean choppy, and as you can imagine the sound of the water hitting these rocks was awesome. There was a large boat trying to make the trip back from the largest of these islands with some tourists on it, and we dubbed it the "vomit cruise".

Later in the afternoon we arrived in Doolin, our destination for the day. Doolin is on the coast and is known for its traditional Irish Music. We were able to see two different musical groups play. The first group was just 2 guys, one with a guitar and the other with a banjo. They were excellent. The 2nd group was at least a fiddle, a guitar, and a banjo. We couldn't see them because there were so many people around, but they sounded good. For dinner, we ate at our Bed and Breakfast, which is also a restaurant, and Jason had one of the best desserts he has ever eaten (a chocolate truffle flourless cake with mint ice cream!).

Day 6- Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Connor Pass

2008-07-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Day 6 was the day we tackled the Ring of Kerry (along with every other tourist in Ireland). It is a 200 kilometer, 2 lane (which in America would be wide enough for only one lane) road with spectacular cliffs, mountains, and green pastures. It is the most popular tourist attraction on the island and there are large tour buses that can hardly fit in one lane. Cayce rode in the bushes quite frequently.

This is the highest peak in Ireland, it is called the Carrontuohill. Driving toward is was a good way to start the day.

This is off the side of Carrontuohill, looking over Dingle Bay. Gorgeous!

On one of our side trips, Cayce suggested that we walk along this rock beach to see if we could get around this point to see the open ocean...boy did she regret this suggestion when Jason made her scale up the side of a dirt wall to get to the vantage point. (This is Cayce, and not only did I make a poor suggestion, I was mainly irritated that I had to wear my purse attached to my body because I was in charge of the Passports. Nice of Jason to take pictures.)

On another hike, we went to the top of another small mountain and had a beautiful 360 degree view of the ocean, Dingle Bay, and other greenery.

From the top of the small mountain...can you find us? Stupid Auto timer on the camera! (This is Cayce, and this picture makes me laugh out loud!)

After we left the Ring of Kerry, we went to a small town called Dingle. Along the way there were pasture lands and mountains in abundance. Cayce has an infatuation with sheep and couldn't believe how many there were and that they climb to the tops of the mountains to graze. They also traveled onto some of the main little roads.

I'll leave this last picture for Cayce to fill in the details:

OK. So, this picture just shows the road (you can see the reflector in the middle indicating there are two lanes). There is not enough room for two cars. On the other side of this rock wall on the left is a steep cliff. We traversed this Connor Pass, as it is named, around 9pm and the fog was setting in. We got to this point in the road, and Jason rearranged his seating position. He was sitting crazy upright, with both hands gripped tightly on the wheel. I felt badly for him but couldn't help but laugh. I am such a mean wife!

Day 5- Mizen Head, Mountains, County Kerry

2008-07-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

On Day 5, we started the day and ended the day on the beach.
We drove to the southernmost point of Ireland, Mizen Head, after a wonderful breakfast at our B&B. There were more than 20 things on the buffet and about the same number of main dishes to order. As for the southernmost point, we never made it to the spot (because Jason would not pay to be scared to death again). To get to that point, a person is required to cross over a 700ft. suspension bridge. We didn't remember this point until we were pulling out of the parking lot, and Cayce believes that Jason intentionally did not remember (This is Cayce, and I don't believe, I KNOW this was on purpose). We also stopped by this beach on the southern coast. It was a huge sandy beach, and we were able to see a sea kayaker doing his thing in the waves.

We drove up to County Kerry and through the Killarney National Park. During the drive, we were on mountain passes that, on occasion, lead through a one-lane rock tunnel. It was pretty neat, but rather scary.

We arrived at our Bed and Breakfast, which was across the street from the beach. We went down and saw a few kids playing in the waves. Mind you the temperature hasn't been above 65 since we've arrived and it is about 8pm by this point. The three kids in their wetsuits were having a great time.

While on the beach, we noticed that there were so many rocks washed up by the tide. These rocks looked like they belonged in a spa for use during a hot rock massage.

This is the front of our Bed and Breakfast for our stay in County Kerry. The rooms are described as Laura Ashley style. It was beautiful!! We had a long day of driving and are looking forward to the Ring of Kerry tomorrow.

Day # 4 The Rock of Cashel, The Vee

2008-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back on the Internet, so here is Day 4.

Our first stop was to a town called Cashel which is known for its castle, named the Rock. It was a huge structure that was basically located straight up a hill on all sides. It was originally a church, but then they built a castle on the site as well.

There were neat archways, great engravings on the rock walls, and some amazing gravestones.

We then hiked to an old abbey, which we had all to ourselves. We located it while we were on the Rock. The ruins were breathtaking, and we had a great photo op.

We then drove up a mountain pass that the locals call the Vee. Once we reached the top, there was an amazing view of the valley below. There were so many different colors of green, and the mountains in the background made for a spectacular view.

Lastly, we ended the day at our new destination, Cork City. The storefronts were, like all other cities, colorful. Our Bed and Breakfast room was adequate, and we walked around looking for a recommended restaurant for 2 hours before finding it. We decided not to eat there!

Day 4 was one of the most beautiful days in terms of scenery, and we will never forget it!

Finally, Internet!

2008-07-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

We are staying at a place with internet. We are not sure the next time we will be able to post because it took us 2 hours to update the last 3 days. Also, sorry that I'm such a blogging novice. Bear with me as I learn. We miss everyone!

Love Cayce and Jason

Day 3- Kildare and Kilkenny

2008-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our first stop on Day 3 was to Kildare. It is a small town with a cool old church and tower. The tower was 108 ft. tall and had no foundation. The base is just rocks placed on the ground. We paid $14 to climb up 6 steep, old wooden ladders.

The view from the top was amazing. You could see mountains in the distance and the small town below. It was very windy, but manageable

This was as far as Jason climbed. As wimpy as he is, he also finds creative ways to waste money!

Our next stop was to the National Stud Farm of Ireland in Kildare. These horses are high class racing horses that race all over the world. It was just after foaling for the mares so there were a lot of foals being taught by their mothers.

Once we arrived in Kilkenny, we checked in and walking into city centre (as they call it). These two boys passed us and I wanted to take a picture. I'm not sure who was more curious me of the boys and their tiny horse or the boys seeing that I wanted to take their picture.

Our last tourist spot before dinner was to Castle Kilkenny. It is a huge castle that was built in the 12th century. It fell into ruin when the family who owned it for 600 years went bankrupt. It is now being restored and was interesting history. The walls at the bottom are 5 meters (15 feet) thick and no one knows how many rooms are in it (because they keep finding them).

Day 3 is in the books. Tomorrow we go to Cork in the southwest. Hopefully, we'll be back on soon.

Day 2- Dublin

2008-07-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

On day 2 we started on a tour bus that took us around to most of the major sights in Dublin. It was a great deal and we were able to experience a mostly open top, double-decker bus.

Our first stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is part of the Church of Ireland and was amazing and huge. They were preparing for services so we were able to listen to the choir practice and it brought tears to our

eyes.

We tried to get into the other large church in Dublin, called Christ Church, but they were beginning their services.

Next we went to the Guinness factory and took the tour. The highlight of the tour was the last stop. On the top floor of the brewery there is a 270 panoramic view of the city. We met some people from Sweden and Cayce immediately made friends!

Kilmanham Gaol (sounds like Jail) was also on the tour. It was a sad, but historical place. We saw lots of prison cells and heard many moving stories about the Irish fight for independence from England. The brutality was astounding.

Dublin Castle was the next stop. It was a neat building but the real highlight was the museum that was attached. It contained religious writings from all over the world and included several pieces of the gospels that were discovered in Egypt and were written around the year 200 AD.

We ate dinner at a place called The Church and and as you guessed, it was a church for a long time. It was renovated and has a great atmosphere.

Lastly it was back to the bed and breakfast. We were awake all the way until 8pm tonight. Whew, we are beat. See you tomorrow.

Day 1- Dublin

2008-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Day 1 in Dublin was interesting. We landed, on time, and got to our rental car. It is an interesting experience driving a stick shift from the right hand side of the car on the wrong side of the road. So far no accidents, but we'll see.

Once we made it to our Bed and Breakfast (which was adequate), we took to the streets to learn about Dublin. We found a few things: there are thousands of people in the city on a weekend (think Times Square on small streets), they are friendly but speak lots of languages other than English, the storefronts are very nice, and there are pubs and historical things everywhere.

After a few hours of walking we had the city pretty well figured out so we headed back to our hotel for some sleep (not too long after Cayce fell asleep sitting up at the National Historical Museum).

We will do the majority of our Dublin sightseeing on Day 2. We'll see you then.

Bye, Bye Austin

2008-06-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

It is time for us to move and the last month has flown by. Monday, June 30th, we depart for our new adventure in a familiar city. In preparation for our move to Birmingham, we have been visiting some of the amazing sites around Austin. This is a beautiful and fun place.

We visited Barton Springs Pool (a natural spring that has been turned into a huge swimming pool). The temperature holds constant @ 68 degrees and is wonderful in the summer (Cayce is not much of a fan). There are many people watching opportunities at this 'hot spot' where Austin is Austin (nudity, homeless, tattoos, and the such).

Hamilton Pool was next on the tour. It is a collapsed cave where a waterfall creates a beautiful green-blue pool of water. There was no swimming the day that we hiked there (high levels of bacteria) but it was a beautiful place.

We also went out to the Pedernales River to go tubing with our friends from church for a couples wedding shower. It was awesome. The land is owned by a lady from church and we saw just a small piece of the 1000 acres of her ranch.

The highest point around Austin is a place on top of Mount Bonnell. From this vantage point you have a beautiful view of downtown and of Lake Austin. The sunset was amazing.

Well, after a challenging, stressful, but fun three years in Austin it is time to leave. We have had some unbelievable experiences because of our move here (traveling to Europe, sailing in San Diego, winning a National Championship, meeting the Prez., and serving our church). I know this sounds cliche, but the things that we will remember the most are the people. We have made some amazing friends, life long friends, pour your heart out in front of friends.

Austin is a diverse place with tons of things to do, where no one cares what you look like, and jeans are always dressy.

We'll miss you Austin...we will really miss you friends!