Thankful

Rebekah Grace on our first trip to Astrakhan, Russia - December 2009

It was right about this time two years ago when we got the call. "Well, they don't have any little boys, but they do have a little girl" the lady from our adoption agency said... We didn't care, boy or girl. We just wanted to be parents, and give a child a home. Two years removed from that phone conversation, we tucked that little girl in a warm bed at her grandparents house last night.

Today, The turkey is in the oven, the dressing and sweet potatoe casserole too. A feast is being prepared, a celebration. And two years from standing on the fearful edge of the unknown, the little malnourished girl we found in the dark of south Russia is about to sit at the table, again, with her family, on a warm Thanksgiving day in Alabama.

 My daughter, to whom everyday is a gift, will never know hunger again, and her family is to numerous for my aging mind to count. She's a Boman, and a Felton, and a Cleland, and a Burt and she holds all the rights and priveledges associated with belonging to a large, loving family.

But I'll never look at my beloved daughter sitting at the table, with a plate full, and not think of the feast to come. For those belonging to Christ, one day we'll all gather around at the feast of the Marriage Supper of The Lamb of God, and not a stranger will be found on that day, and for all of enternity we will rejoice in what Jesus Christ has done to bring us into His family. And every day between now and then we will continue to point Rebekah to the God that saved Mommy and Daddy and sent them to get her. So, remember the fatherless today, and, if you are not a part of God's family, allow me to invite you in, there are plenty of seats at table.

Today I am most thankful that we were not left as orphans.

z


1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also... 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:1-3,

World's Strongest Man Finals in Photos

I'm a loser for not wrapping up this whole WSM '11 sooner. But here we go. 

 The Man, The Myth, The Legend - Randall J. Strossen... He's probably reading one of my tweets..

 The truck pull lane

 This is the view from competitors angle.

 This is what a world record looks like.

I can't believe I was there to witness all of this, and got to play photo journalist at World's Strongest Man for a few days... best use of vacation time ever...  Brian Shaw deserved the win, but like Paul Ohl said once "if you give Zydrunas enough events, eventually, he'll win."  If there had been one more event Zydrunas would have claimed his 3rd title, he was just warming up at 6 events. Nevertheless I'm proud for Brian, he worked hard for it.

To view all of my photos from the finals Click Here for Day 1 and Here for Day 2.  

Breaking Stuff

Had the chance to experience some of the more stunt oriented strongman feats.  Gym member Nick brought some bricks and a bat for us to try and break. It was a great night. Enjoy.

for more information about where I train visit www.auburnbarbell.com

World's Strongest Man 2011 - Qualifiers - Day 4

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Day 4 of World's Strongest Man qualifiers was a joy to watch. Some groups had Block Press, some had DB press, everyone had stones.

The day began with the circus dumbbell press. Four dumbells of ascending weight were used (220 - 250lbs. - I think). The good dumbbell pressers made it through 3 dumbbells, the bad dumbell pressers were lucky to get one. The surprise of the day was seeing Nick Best out early and warming up with a light barbell and then the lightest dumbbell in warmups. Everyone thought he was through when he was helped off the platform after the car deadlift a day earlier. Despite a great effort he was unable to press any of the dumbbells.

Thor made it quickly through three dumbbells and cleaned the last, but was unable to get the press.

The Block press is one of the purest tests of pressing power. Of course, Z and Derek get all 4 blocks (240ish - 330lbs) in showman-like fashion. And I've been a lifelong fan of Derek Boyer, so, for me the highlight of the day came when Derek grabbed the mircrophone and said: "I'm the old guy here, and I'm gonna be honest, this is a real crap event for me. So, if I get that first block up, I want you guys to cheer like I just won this thing!" Derek then proceeds to flip the switch and wrestle with the first block for what seemed like a minute, then pressed, rested it on his head and then finished the press. When he got it up the crowd went nuts and he jumped around and yelled. It was great to see.

Somehow I imagined the stones arriving in a golden chariot pulled by Clydesdale unicorns and then unloaded by Zeus himself... Not so much.

So let me just summarize by saying that the stones were awesome to watch. To watch these giants do their stone runs live and in person was surreal. I will say this, the stage was constructed over grass and the fifth stone kept getting dropped, so by the time the event was over it was creating a little sink hole in front of the platform. Nothing was really ever done about it, not sure if, at that point, there could have been, but still. It was one of the things that reminded me that the point was to finish shooting for that day, not let the best strongman in the world have a safe stable place to load a 400lb. stone. That was a little discouraging. Fortunately, I don't think it really hindered anyone, but I guess it's the point of the matter.


Day 4 observations:

• I followed all the athletes to the cafeteria, I watched them stand in a lunch line and act normal and just hang around regular folks. I watched Zydrunas make a salad.
• All you hardcore diets folks, let me tell you this, the greatest strongmen in the world don't eat brown rice, sweet potatoes and boiled chicken all the time. The eat anything that looks like meat, cereal, cookies (lots of cookies), they raid the ice-cream freezer, and pretty much stuff their bellies with whatever they want. So take that amateur nutrition experts.
• Terry Hollands isn't scared to get in his underwear in front of folks.
• I felt like I stood next to guys that looked like this most of the day... I can just hear him saying "I can totally do this, bro"
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... guys, if you own any article of clothing that resembles even a similar style to the one pictured above, please burn it. You're only embarrassing yourself...

Here is a link to my pictures from Day 3 and 4 of qualifiers