Greensboro Collegiate Biscuitville Run!

Two weeks ago Ben casually mentioned an unusual invitation he'd received. It was to join a team of colleagues to compete in a 4-member relay sponsored by a favorite local chain restaurant, Biscuitville. Each member was to race through one biscuit-related relay, run .7 miles around a few city blocks, finish with a pass through a flour shower, then pass a mini rolling pin to the next team member.

My immediate reaction was YOU. MUST. DO THAT!

Because I love the opportunity to photograph him looking so hilarious.

And this didn't disappoint!

The Avery Dennison team 

All 4 members of each competing team stayed at the race beginning until their team name was called to begin and a member passed the rolling pin. 

Avery Dennison was called second so Ben (relay #1) set off to be #1! He not only immediately boxed out the competitor called with him but also overtook one of the original 2 called minutes before him! 

Relay #1: Sweet Tea Tumble

  

I love this picture of Ben (notice the shadow) running through the flour shower: 

That other guy didn't have a chance when Ben saw they'd have to run up to and climb over a wall to slide into the sweet tea while holding a lemon in their mouths. Ben + climbing = FAST! No matter how many lemon slices he's chewing. 

Passing the rolling pin to the next team member while they all waited at the starting line: 

(Side note: I was waiting at the next relay with a friend and our babies, but Ben ran through his .7 mile loop so quickly that I had to sprint to run ahead of him to get pictures of him flying through the flour shower and to keep up as he passed the rolling pin.... 

I was exhausted. No marathons, races, or relays for me!)

Relay #2: Run through pancake batter tires while carrying a piggy. 

Since Tiesha was one of the first racers at this relay the volunteers still weren't really sure how to advise her. This moment was pretty funny, she finished the tires and was ready to run her loop and said to the nearest volunteer, "Uh, can I give this to you...?" 

Relay #3: Buttermilk Slip 'n Slide

The buttermilk slip 'n slide was my favorite! Volunteers had huge batches of buttermilk in buckets they would throw on the racers as they jumped on the balloon thingy. The racers were so enthusiastic and so grossed out at the same time, and the volunteers loved dousing them! It was AWESOME. 

Relay #4: Jam crawl! 

I actually missed seeing Beth do the jam crawl (total bummer, it seemed awesome), but Ben was standing ready and got some good pictures with my phone! Yay for modern technology! Annnnnnnd there were a ton of racers crowding her when I tried to catch her getting through the flour shower so I had her re-play the moment for better pictures afterward. Soooooooo I didn't take the first pictures and the second are fake. Judge me. 

And the Avery Dennison team after the relay!

 Aren't they a glorious mess?

A good friend of ours from church, Seth, was racing with a team from his office so his wife, Alta, and I hung out (with our matching Canon 60D cameras!) to take pictures from different angles of our husbands. It was great to have a friend there to keep an eye on Whit while I ran after the A/D team, and fun to commentate with someone about all the sillyness we were witnessing! She took the awesome pictures of Ben going through the sweet tea tumble, and I got these of Seth at the buttermilk slip 'n slide: 

Our friends!

Even Whit got in on the Biscuitville fun with one of the free breakfast biscuits they were distributing!

It was SO. MUCH. FUN.  

Click here for more info on the Biscuitville Run. 

Our Anniversary Trip to Roanoke, VA!

When Ben and I got engaged we spent the weekend calling all of our long-distance family to poll which weekend of 6 would be most convenient for everyone to come to town for our sealing and reception. One after another they all gave the same reply- the first weekend possible; which happened to be over Easter. Everyone flew or drove in on Thursday, we were married on Good Friday, and spent the weekend celebrating.

It has worked out so well that our anniversary now falls around a holiday weekend every year! Ben gets Good Friday off of work, so we love considering where we should go to celebrate :D This year we used the extra time to go to Roanoke, VA. We couldn't decide between a mountain or beach vacation (we love living close enough to so many beautiful areas that anything is an option!), but quickly settled on Roanonke- a city nestled in the Appalachian Mountains only 2 hours away- after seeing that one of favorite (and clean) comedians, Jim Gaffigan, was scheduled to have a show there on Saturday, March 30. Ben did some extra research and discovered some really terrific activities Roanoke has to offer. We spent the weekend hiking 2.5 miles to the top of a mountain and sinking hundreds of feet below the Earth into a cavern, seeing one of the most wonderful comedians in the country and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Roanoke, VA Natural Bridge

This natural bridge was formed after a cavern collapsed. Along with Niagara Falls it has been one of the most popular natural tourist destinations in America since the 1700s, and has been included in many Wonders of the World lists. (I had never even heard of it, even growing up a few hours away in SC. But I'm glad I've finally learned more of my nearby history and visited!)

Roanoke, VA. Dixie Caverns

The only caverns in SW Virginia, the Dixie Caverns are nearby the Natural Bridge. The caverns were discovered in 1920 and are now open 363 days for 50-minute tours. The tour takes groups deep into the mountain and from "room" to room of discovered caverns. We go up and down different layers, see stalagtites (from the ceiling), stalagmites (from the ground up), water pools, and bats. 

I, foolishly, didn't set up my camera on a tripod so I didn't get many good pictures, but it was really, really cool! (And only a little cold ;)

Dragon's Tooth Hiking Trail

There are many hikes around the Roanoke area due to it's proximity to the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, but Ben quickly chose Dragon's Tooth as our Saturday activity due to it's name. That was fine with me- you may remember I referred to Whit as "Dragon" before he was born! Portions of this hike were pretty strenuous, though, and, in hindsight, may not have been the best choice... 

It started off as a tame walk gradually uphill...

Then there were a few areas of necessary wall scaling... 

(during which I kept repeating, "Be careful with my baby!")

And the last .7 miles (or so) was almost exclusively scrambling over giant, awkward boulders.  It's been hailed one of the hardest hiking portions of the entire App Mountains! I have breathing trouble due to Tourette's Syndrome, Ben has a cranky knee after years of competitive downhill mountain biking, and we (Ben) was carting around Whit the whole time! If I'd realized this last section had such a tough reputation I might have discouraged the trip! 

The trail is called Dragon's Tooth because there are giant Tuscarora quartzite rock formations that straddle the cliff which resemble giant fangs. After climbing for about 2 hours I sat down with Whit at the base of the cliff while Ben climbed the extra 30 feet to get a view from the top of the "teeth". This is the very top of Cove Mountain!

I was here: 

Changing Whit's diaper, 

and nursing. 

 We left Whit under the watch of some VT student hikers so Ben could guide me up to the top of the rock: 

It was sort of terrifying. 

But beautiful! 

Ben carried Whit in our new Osprey Poco Baby Backpack, which garnered lots of attention! This we heard from passing hikers:

"Wow! Do they make those in my size?"
"He's got the best seat on the mountain!"
"He looks tired from this hike."
"Hey! There's a baby in there!"

"You're a better man than me..."

It's funny how having a baby automatically makes you popular :)

We contacted the Roanoke YSA group on Facebook for a babysitter and found tickets to Jim Gaffigan on Craigslist for the fourth row!! It was INCREDIBLE. We also went to two local restaurants, Wildflour (which is organic, local fare in a unique restaurant covered with paintings done by local artists) and The Quarter (named the best new restaurant of 2011 and designed with New Orleans food. We ate gator! It may have been one of the best meals of my entire life!)

All in all we had a really terrific visit! There is also an impressive-looking modern art museum, a fun downtown square, and the second-largest municipal park in the country so I'd say another trip to Roanoke is in our future!