Track, Babysitting, and a Race

Friday I was able to complete one of my goals for the year. I participated in a 5k event. Molly Phair hosted it at one of our local high school's track. It was a fund raiser for friends of theirs who have a special needs son. He needs a high tech bike so he can be independently mobile. We all paid our few bucks to help their friend and gathered to walk/run with friends. Dad ran, too, and mom came along to cheer us on. I was hoping to get lost in the crowd. No one would really even notice me. They wouldn't see how slowly I was completing the course. Unfortunately the crowd was way too thin to get lost in. Fortunately everyone was friendly and supportive. Mom was a great cheerleader.

It was embarrassing to be so slow. But I sure enjoyed being with friends. Dad finished a good 5 minutes before me. He's in such great shape! I loved being with young families who had their kids out there, some running, some climbing on the bleachers, some being pushed in strollers. One of my favorite things was adoreable little Christa Phair. She's about 3 and is 100% princess. Here she was at a 5k dressed in a black ruffled skirt and pretty pink dress shoes. She ran the first lap just in front of me, her little skirt swishing and her pink shoes flying. She'd speed up for a bit, then slacken up, but she kept going the whole lap. Finally toward the end of it she was getting pretty tired, so she held my hand and we walked together for a time. Then she found friends to play with on the grass.

It warms my heart so much to see these little children and the love they have for their daddies and mommies. Oh that every child in the world could know such love and security! I admire the Phairs, the Seavers, and the Davises so much! They are truly terrific people.

Monica is in such great shape, and Albert helped mom cheer us along. Cole (age 10) finished in about 22 minutes! Impressive.



Travis competed in the district track meet last weekend. He had a PR in the triple jump. He scored points for his team in the triple, the 300 m hurdles and the 4 X 400 relay. He also competed in the 4 X 100 relay, but the baton was dropped so that was the end of that. He did a great job and worked his guts out. Didn't make it to state, THANK HEAVEN!!! He may not like me saying this, but Lynn and I were so relieved to have him done with track! He had such a brutal week this past week, managed to get a 100% on his calculus test - Woop Woop - and how could he have survived if you added track practice and state competition on top of all that???

Today when I was sitting with Travis at church and we were singing the closing hymn together, I just about got teary thinking that I don't have that many Sundays left before he'll be out at school. Ugh.

This is a long post, but I just had to say that I got to babysit James and Mike (Aubrey and Sean's boys) this Thursday. They are such good little guys! It's ovbious that Aubrey and Sean are great parents. I have a tool box full of little match box cars. That's the first thing Mike goes for. He loves to play with the cars, and he loves to line them up in a very neat row clear across the family room floor. James likes to play ball. He loves to be active. He helped me make homemade graham crackers, and he ended up with flour all over his face. I should have taken a picture.