Running Club

My awesome friend Nicole sponsors a running club in the summer.  All neighborhood children are invited.  She has an organized system and makes it really fun for the kids to get out, be together, and keep moving.  For every mile run, you string a bead on your chain.  Each fifth mile is a star bead and you get a coveted Gatorade.  Before our trip I took pictures of our chains (except someone's is missing):

We logged our miles as we were away and ended the summer with the following mileage:

Hannah - 42 3/4 miles

Jacob - 41 miles

Drew - 35 1/4 miles

Camden 16 1/2 miles

Way to go guys - your mom is so impressed!  Of note is the fact that Jacob was able to pass up Drew (but probably only because he went on some of the very long sight seeing trips that Drew missed, like Gettysburg and Washington, DC).  Jacob was very motivated to beat his brother since he is concerned that his brother is going to be stronger than he is (a valid point, considering he works hard in gymnastics).  Also of note is the fact that Camden joined in a few weeks in to the program.  He didn't want to miss out on the fun!  Drew is so proud of his chain that he wears it under his shirt when he goes to gymnastics.  

I love my runners!

Reverence

There are a couple of boys at our house who have never gotten down being reverent for a prayer.  Recently I decided that it was getting to the point of ridiculous, considering their ages, and implemented the following plan:  either you are reverent for a simple, small prayer, or you can be reverent for a timer set for as many minutes as you are old.  It's pretty well nipped the problem in the bud.  Except for the occasional situation, our boys have been behaving much better.

This morning we had one of those occasional times.  I had to make lunches so I had the perpetrator standing with me in the kitchen so that I could keep an eye on him.  After a few minutes, he was noticed by Emmie, who walked right up to him, stood next to him, folded her arms and bowed her head.
There are moments in life that are so fleeting that there isn't time for a camera.  This is one of them that I want to remember.  I love this sweet, little girl!

Emmie in Nauvoo, on the Trail of Hope

The Trip of a Lifetime

It has been my dream for awhile to take my family across the country and back to my roots.  I wanted to share places that I know and love, share history with them and expose them to different places.  This past winter I got a wild hair -- I felt like this summer was the time to make it happen.  I have a most supportive husband who indulged me and we made it happen!   It was the trip of a lifetime.  Any one facet of the trip would have made it successful, memorable and worth it, but to have so many wonderful things take place brought such deep, tender feelings to my heart.

My children and I bonded as we chatted in the car, sang together, learned about the different states together, and just spent time together without interruptions or distractions.  A LOT of time together.  So worth it.

My kids saw so many different parts of the country - the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado, lots of farmland in the mid-west and tiny towns with wonderful, friendly people, the quaintness of upstate New York, beautiful Delaware, stately Washington, D.C., Amish Country in Pennsylvania, and busy Philadelphia to name a few places.  I think one of my favorite things to hear was when Callie said, "I want to live in the east some day."  I am so glad to have shown them different places and the uniqueness and good things of each one.

Time with family.  I can not say enough of how good my family was to me while I was single-parenting it across the country.  We were prayed safely to the east coast and back.  We had a wonderful time with many cousins, aunts, uncles and Grandpa Martin.  Time with family is WONDERFUL, and I particularly loved spending individual time with nieces and nephews and getting to know them better.

Time with friends.  I was deeply moved and touched by reconnecting with old friends.  After my first day of driving my dear friend Lybi opened her home up to us in Colorado and she took such good care of us:  fed us, had family night fun with us, had great accommodations for sleeping and when my baby woke me up early in the morning she even sent me back to bed so I would be well-rested for my drive that day.  It all meant so much to me and I loved getting to spend time with her.  In Delaware I was able to spend time with my best friend from high school, Emily.  I loved spending time with her on a few occasions and wish there could have been more - her old home in Pennsylvania is beautifully situated and perfectly suited inside and out to her - it was a treat to visit her there.  I was able to go to church in Wilmington while I was there - I got there for the last little bit of church in my old ward and got to visit with people in the halls.  It was a shock to run into Jimmy, who I grew up with and thought lived in Nebraska.  What fun to catch up and see good people that are dear to my heart still doing well and still wonderful people!

Being spiritually fed.  I couldn't go across the country without seeing sites that are significant to my family and I spiritually.  It was incredible to take my children to Kirtland, Ohio, Palymra, New York, Adam-ondi-Ahman in Missouri, and Nauvoo, Illinois.  My girls both had very special experiences for which my heart swells in gratitude.

As a side note, I have not blogged about a lot of things in the last 6 months or so that are significant to me that I would like to remember.  As I go back and add posts, I will post them chronologically.  So while it may not seem like I am updating - I am, just in the past:).  For those who care, you can check April-now for updates.  It will take a long time to get all of my trip posted, but so worth it to me - I want to remember it forever.

At least every couple of days Camden will refer to "our date".  "Mom, do you remember when we went to the zoo on our date?  Do you remember when we ate ice cream cones on our date?  Is the Grandpa that is coming to visit us the one that we saw on our date?"  It took me a time or two to realize that he was referring to our trip.  I took this trip wanting to make an impression on my other children, but I am thrilled that it made such an impact on Camden.  I will forever be grateful that we were able to take THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!