Grow Old With Me

Tests.  Life is full of them!  I don't have time to write them all down in one sitting, but here is part I.

Sunday morning my stomach was doing flip-flops in anticipation of the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia.  It was a hot day, the complete opposite of the previous year’s record low temperatures.  We spent the night at Matt’s parents’ house so we could leave the kids there and head out to the race.  It was a jam-packed day with almost 30,000 runners signed up and ready to go!  The porta-potty lines were 45-minutes long if you picked a slow one.  Broad Street was packed with runners and on-lookers jammed the sides of the street.  When the starting horn went off for the first wave, my heart beat faster!  The sun peeked out just as we edged near the starting line.  Matthew stayed with me to cross the start, gave me a high-five and off he went.  We agreed beforehand that we would run separately this year so he could run as fast as he could.  

It was strange, being alone in a crowd of thousands.  It was much harder in some ways.  The heat was strong and the water-stations were welcome!  Fire-hydrants were opened up all down the Street every half mile or so, water spraying hot runners and cooling us down for a temporary thirty seconds or so. 

The test to endure was really difficult!  I had to keep thinking of things to keep my mind off the pounding in my chest that never seemed to calm down.  One of my last long runs I did during training was so unbelievably fun for me that I fell in love with running for the first time.  I run because it’s healthy and I have goals to accomplish, but not necessarily because I love it.  Well, that time I loved it.  Yesterday was not a run where I felt like I loved it.  I enjoyed it, but I also really had to endure it.  Songs from my training runs went through my ears and head that seemed to match my thoughts exactly.  “Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I’m not scared cuz You’re holding my breath…” and “It’s a beautiful day!”  and  “I get carried away like I’m the only one who’s ever felt the way that I do, but I can hear you say, you’re not the only one, cuz everybody hopes to get through…” “And the pride of my heart makes me forget it's not me but You who makes the heart beat, I'm lost without You and dying from me.  So tell me what is our ending?  Will it be beautiful?” “We never give up even though times get hard to understand, it's never enough for us to sit back and hope He has a plan, we gotta stand up and face the cold with boldness that is focused on the fact we got the keys, so just believe there's nothing closed.”

It was so awesome finding Matthew in the crowd and exchanging stories.  We also met up with Matt’s brother and his wife, Rebecca.  She told us that it was the longest run she had done pregnant.  We all screamed and hopped up and down in excitement.  I thought, “Wow, if she can do it, anyone can!” Ten weeks pregnant, running 10 miles.  I'm so proud of that girl! 

No excuses.  Was it a hard test?  You bet.  But that is the only way to improve, to grow, and to inspire others.  Tests show us what is true, what is real.  I'm excited for the results of our tests to show in our lives.

It’s always such a wonderful feeling to wake up to the sun’s smiling face and the blue sky beckoning you into the day.  Spring has officially sprung and it’s exciting to see the bulbs that I divided last year come up in their new places, and the butterfly bushes and lavender starting to bud.  Flowers make me so happy.

I’m so glad that everything God says is true.  It really makes me trust Him more!  Yesterday when one of our kids told us that they had been lying to us about something for a couple weeks it broke our trust in them a bit.  It’s also been exciting to see that trust building back up as they’ve told the truth again!  A good reminder of how we need to be honest, even when it hurts.  The hurt of walking in the dark is worse than the pain of coming into the light.  What lightness in their step and what peace in their eyes now that their conscience is clean! 

As I type, Jack is sitting next to me at the computer desk, pen industriously in his hand, bent over his paper, concentrating on making neat, even scribbles across each line of the paper.  He is “writing a story” he says.  He is “busy, busy.”  Nadine and Elijah both are into copying books, word for word, and Jack is following suit!  I LOVE to see them writing!  Now Jack is leaning his head on his hand and drumming his fingers on the desk with his other hand.  He has really been in to writing these days.  I have a file of scrap paper, where little hands can reach in at any time they feel inspired to pen or draw something.  He also has a notebook of his own that he carries around everywhere!  It is so cute.  He has found another outlet for his warrior-like nature.  He conquers with sword AND pen!  

Also as I type, Nadine has been busy sweeping the fireplace, organizing the bookshelf, fluffing the cushions on the couch, and vacuuming the floor.  I didn’t ask her to do any of those things, but she loves to work and be busy!  Earlier this week we were at a park with a mile-long track.  Matthew was jogging with a friend.  After a while Nadine decided to jog alongside him.  I knew she was a good runner, but we’ve never ventured past our backyard to run.  Well, 11 minutes later, they came running back around and I cheered her on.  She was wearing pink crocs and a pink sundress.  Without breathing hard she said, “A mile?  I ran a mile?  I didn’t know I ran a mile!  I’m not even tired!  I think I’ll run two!”  And so she did!  Then she walked the 3^rd with her cousins.  We need to get that girl some running sneakers!

The past 10 days have been spent with cousins and more cousins!  We had a great visit from Beck and Heather and Sherry too!  

Elijah has been doing REALLY well in school.  He writes neatly and thinks creatively.  His prayer tonight was very long as usual, but part of it was, “Thank you for everything that I can imagine!  Thank you for our imaginations!”  He truly has a sweet heart.  A sentence he wrote for his homework tonight said, “She is beautyfoule.”  He was so proud of the fact that he thought of getting the “Beauty and the Beast” movie case out so he could copy the word “beauty” to spell the word “beautiful”.  Then he said, “It’s talking about YOU, Mom!”  I was so touched.  He often does and says things like that. 

Elsie is a walking dresser.  In the past three weeks she has decided to potty-train herself.  So we haven’t bought anymore diapers and we HAVE gone through a lot of panties.  I pulled all of Nadine’s old ones from the attic box where they were stored and am very glad for each and every one!  On Monday when I had just hung out wash on the clothesline, Rachel pointed out that there were “24 panties in a row”.  I guess that gives you a bit of an idea! =)  Elsie also likes to change clothes even if they aren’t wet, or if they are barely wet.  During “nap time” (which she is quickly giving up, oh help) she often goes through five outfits at a time while she is supposed to be “sleeping”.  She has her favorites and since there are so many favorites, it is way more fun to wear them ALL each day!  She is a master trampoline-jumper.  She climbs up the ladder and jumps with all of her little heart.  Then she thinks she’s really tricky when she knocks the ladder down, hoping to deter anyone else from jumping WITH her… even though she is the only one who actually NEEDS the ladder to get on the trampoline.  So cute!  

Matthew & I have been running a lot, training for the 10-mile Broad Street Run in Philly in a couple of months!  It’s fun, and we’ve pulled a few friends into it, which makes it even more fun!  We are so thankful to do this together.