On the Run

I will never claim to be a good runner; I just run for myself, both my health and my sanity. Since running the Byron 5K this summer I have been inspired to run more actual races. Last Saturday my training partner Christy (who also happens to be my friend, neighbor and sometimes my motivation when I can't find any myself) and I ran the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. What an amazing and humbling experience to be surrounded by women who have fought the battle of breast cancer. The thousands of people who gathered for this cause early on a Saturday morning was incredible! I personally ran this race not only as a challenge for myself, but in honor my sweet aunt Cher who battled breast cancer and survived! Any time during the race that I felt like stopping I pushed on knowing that she pushed through way more pain than I know. My official chip time was 33:06, not too shabby! I knocked a minute and a half off my last race time which made me happy. Excuse the lovely self portrait from my phone, but no one else in our families volunteered to come to the race at 8am on a Saturday morning and take photos so it was up to Christy and I and this is the best we came up with.

Can't turn our backs to him for even a minute . . .

. . . or this is what might happen!

"Hi mom! I got in all by myself!"

"Uhh, there seems to be a bit of a problem here."

"Something is definitely not right here. Could you please get these wet clothes off of me?"

"Hey mom, quit taking pictures and help me! It's not that funny!"

Matthew LOVES bath time and excitedly runs to the bath tub every time he hears it filling up. Tonuight I was gathering towels and jammies for bath time while the tub was filling and apparently I didn't get to taking off Matthew's clothes fast enough to suit him so he hopped right in the tub fully clothed!

Feeling like fall

With the cooler temps, Joshua going back to school and the amount of leaves that have fallen in our backyard I'd say that fall has arrived. Last week Cory was going to mow the lawn along with all the leaves that had dropped, but Joshua insisted raking up a pile of leaves to jump in before they were all gone. After the pile was created we tried to entice Matthew to come and join us in the fun fall activity, but he wasn't liking it, not one bit; it could be the piles of leaves Joshua dumped over Matthews head that turned him off to the "fun" of jumping in the leaves. Joshua spent an hour jumping and burying himself in leaves, kicking leaves, throwing them. Love what entertainment a simple pile of leaves can provide!

Trying to show Matthew just how fun it is to play in the leaves. He wasn't buying it.


Throwing the leaves so they'd all fall all over him.

Contemplating life while laying in the leaves.

Another failed attempt by Joshua to entice his brother to play in the leaves buy burying himself so Matthew had to find him.

First Day of Kindergarten!

Last Tuesday was the Joshua's first day of Kindergarten! It was a bit rough waking him up early (to say he is not an early bird is an understatement) but it helped he had school to look forward too! A quick breakfast and it was on to getting ready. I got to drive him to school the first day as I had to stay for parent orientation so beside taking the annual first day picture on the front porch we also took one by the tractor that sits in front of the school. Joshua started to get a tad teary when I said goodbye to him before recess, but any thought of crying was soon gone as his friend Jocelyn took him by the hand and they ran out to play together. Lucky boy not only has his friend Jocelyn in his class, but his friend (and second cousin) Eli in his class too! Unlike many moms that morning, I shed no tears because I am excited for Joshua to start this new adventure of Kindergarten! Perhaps it's all my experience from teaching, but these children are so curious and their love for learning is almost insatiable that school is most certainly the best place for them to be so I'm not sad, but rather thrilled that the world is opening up even more for Joshua this year. And yes I do worry . . . about things like what friends he will choose and whether or not he will make his own good choices, whether he actually ate his lunch, if he is being kind and showing Jesus to others through his actions and words, his teacher and the 26 children in her care. . . but this is what we have been raising him to do for the past 5 years and God always has Joshua in His hands so I know he will be safe even though I am not there to look after him. I pray that this will be a year of growth for Joshua and I look forward to all the things God has in store for him!

Joshua at school by the tractor.

Joshua and Jocelyn, buddies back together again!

Hard at work at on the first day already.

Grinning ear to ear after his first day and first bus ride home!

Camping at Channel Park

Over Labor Day weekend we camped at Channel Park with Cory's parents and his sister and family. We arrived and set up in the pouring rain, but thankfully that quit in the late afternoon so we could eat outside and head down the road to Lake Michigan to enjoy the waves. The kids had an absolute riot swimming, jumping and playing in the waves together. Matthew wanted no part of the waves so we roamed the deserted beach instead. Friday the weather took a turn, and unfortunately not for the better. With the drop in temps, wind (gusts around 45 mph) and rain here and there the kids played inside trailers most of the day. We did run out to the channel to watch the Lake Express ferry travel from Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan which Joshua loved as he could see all the cars loaded on the ferry as it went by. After much debate about whether to go out to eat or find something that night we stuck it out at the campground and shoved all 11 of us into Paul and Toni's trailer for dinner - which really worked surprisingly well! We did drive down to Lake Michigan just to see the effects the high winds were having on the lake, but then it was back to the trailers for the rest of the evening. We made the best of it by putting on a movie for the kids which they were all for. Joshua and his cousin Allison even got to have a sleepover at Grandma's trailer which made those two kiddos quite giddy! The winds slowly died down over the course of the day Saturday and the sun finally revealed itself so we were able to take lots of walks and have the kids play outside more. There was a lot of dune climbing and running down which we all enjoyed too, even Mazie (Shawn and Erin's new dog who happens to be quite the speedy little creature)! Since Grandpa and Grandma had their boat at the campground Shawn thought the kids should at least enjoy a boat ride if nothing else. We bundled them up in their sweatshirts, jeans and life jackets and they got the royal treatment of being carried to and from the boat by parents. Joshua had fun yet bumpy ride with the wet clothes to prove it! Of course by Sunday the weather cleared just in time for us to pack up and head back home. Even though the weather wasn't ideal we had a fantastic time and made lots of fun memories together! Enjoy the summary of our trip via the video below.

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