Fine Arts / Miss Nina's

 This week you had VBS

aka: Fine Arts at Celebration Church.

We have been looking forward to spending

this week with Nina and family.

Their house is not close to ours, and so close to Celebration.

Also, Noah was signed up for classes, too!

It was an action packed week

with classes followed by play dates. 

And tons of yummy foods and snacks.

Miss Nina and I cooked up a storm!

It was a warm week, again.

You and the boys played so well.

Even with baby Jose.

Nina and I were spoiled with all our time together.

It was so nice to spend so many days 

with her in her new house, 

getting to know her new routines 

and seeing her life close up, again.

On Friday, you had your performance. 

You were in Shadow Casting.

Here is our little video of it:

5k Thursdays

On Thursday you ran your 5k, again.

Usually, Jaymee, Alexis and I

at least walk it.

This week, Jay and Alexis had already

run it in the morning with Aunt Julie.

And with my injury from the horse accident

I stayed back with Jaymee, while you and 

Aunt Julie ran it together.

You were so proud when everyone on the sidelines 

clapped and cheered you in as you sprinted

through the finish line with A. Julie.

You did SO well! 

You beat your time from last week by 10 minutes.

A Julie said you ran much more.

She is SUCH a great coach, and you are

super blessed to be able to train 

with such an athlete as her.

Jay was thrilled when you got to her 

for stage two of your run...

She was glad to supervise and monitor

your cool down as the two of you

talked about the big run. 

I'm so proud of you, 

my little runner.

4th of July

Traditionally, the F family stays at our place

to celebrate and enjoy the 4th of July with us.

Although, the R family also joins us in 

our fun family sleepovers for the other 

holidays we get together, they are not 

usually able to come for the 4th.

This year, they did!!! :) 

We pre-made all the food again

so I wouldn't have to do anything 

once everyone got here. 

It was harder without Sarita this time,

but the menu was full and delicious!

With the house full and the temps in the high 90s 

we had a great party Tuesday and Wednesday

with BOTH of our favorite families.

You and I went to the most amazing 

fireworks we've ever seen 

on Saturday night. 

I took some videos and will add them 

when I get them off my camera.

But from now on, every year,

THAT is the place we will ALL 

always go to see our fireworks. 

THE BEST.

After a show like that, we decided to

just stay home and do fireworks here 

on both of our nights with our friends.

Uncle Levi and your Dad bought the coolest 

HUGE fireworks that went WAY up and made

beautiful shows for us. 

It was fun (with a little crazy mixed in). 

You got your special alone times with Miss Erika.

And you and the F kids had a great time together,

as always. 

You ate your faces off, swam in your new little pool,

played fruit ninjas, and made the cutest books.

The mid-week celebration will not be forgotten. 

Can't wait to do it again!

Running Mates

On Thursdays you are running a 5k 

with Jay, A. Julie, Alexis, and me.

(Jay, Alexis and I mostly walk)

Aunt Julie goes with you because you RUN!

This was your first week. 

You will run through the summer. 

You did well, but it was SUPER hot today.

You ran about 1.5 miles of the 3.1. 

It will be cool to see how you progress over time.

Warriors in Training

I whisper it aloud again, standing in the gap - you're warrior mom being brought up right beside you, 

"not this time"

How many times I've thought about how things might have been if someone would have told me when I was three, four, six years old... 

I think of the kind of guidance and reasoning that comes from Truth and Spirit, vs that of our own ideas and systems. They're all around us. Ruffling their feathers like proud chickens. In time the distinction shows certain, like the difference between jumping off a cliff vs opening wings to soar. 

A boy at your school bullies.

And so it is. There are things in his life you haven't seen happen but have shaped his need to bring you down, for his salvation. Your's is in Jesus, so go to Him. Jesus says, 'love your enemy'. (matt 5:44) And I've found that if we can see a person's hurt when he's hurting us - to know that it hurts God that HIS PEOPLE are broken... it will help. 

You lay afraid in the night, filled with thoughts.

Welcome to having a mind. You and I are so alike. We refuse not to think. 

We have two options in everything... a blessing or a curse. 

Which will you have? 

Teach yourself to control your thoughts, 'take all thoughts captive' (2 corin 10:5), and it will make life so much easier. 

Think of three good things you will be dwelling on tonight, 'whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things' (phil 4:8). 

We have to make thoughts, we mustn't let thoughts come and make us.

I know that you are on a God guided path. Getting an early start to things I have only been allowed to see for the sake of showing you. Everything I've been molded into, good and sorry, are just what He wants for your mom to be, for you. What an honor. 

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1Thes 5:16-18) 

Quick & Easy Flip Flop Save

I'm putting this on a site so it can be pinned. 

I need to pin it.

I can't take credit for this awesome flip flop saving tip. 

I owe many thanks to the kind Mom at summer school pick-up today, 

who generously shared it with me when she saw me and my son 

sadly looking down at yet another broken flip flop. 

This is one of those bread bag tags. 

All you do is slip it on the strap that pulled out, and voila! Fixed.

I'm only sorry for all the flip flops we had to throw away and replace last year.

you

So far your summer has been a blast. 

Lots of playing with Jay, swimming, running,

enjoying your last weeks with Sarita,

summer school, bowling, movies, 

events, and get togethers.

You don't play with Henry anymore.

But the two of you meet once in a while, 

he in his woods across the street

and you in yours. 

You'll talk a nice while,

and then you'll come up to the house

to declare that you've had a great talk with Hen. :)

You are still into spies and cats. 

Spy cats, usually. 

Or super ninja spy cats.

You want your room redone again. 

Well, not exactly. You love the walls.

You want a new bed. The house isn't doing it for you anymore.

You sleep onto of the house on your twin mattress,

but now you want to be able to 

fit underneath your bed, standing. 

Uncle Robert is going to come and help your Daddy 

build you a cool fort-like loft bed.

This will be the LAST room change 

you will get for awhile. 

You and I are still in karate together. 

We go on Monday nights. 

It's been really good.

You also still do private riding lessons at Linda's.

You've just started showing a trust and interest 

in riding Gwin when we go out to see her together.

I am enjoying your smothering cuddly

sweet loving nature toward me.

Everyday after school we snuggle up

on the couch and I read to you.

You're still my little boy.

Long and independent as you are growing.

We haven't been going to Church a lot, again.

I've been watching it live online,

and you and I have been reading 

the kids versions of 

The Case for Christ

The Case for Faith

and

Max Lucado's

He Chose the Nails

The squirrels are gone, 

the days are hot,

the evening walks are cool.

We're making the most of our time,

and I'm trying hard not to let any of it 

pass us by unnoticed.

We are grateful for all that we have.

Daily Mile

I guess we could call it your first "blog", if it qualifies as one. 

Tonight, you wrote your own first entry on your "Daily Mile" training tracker. 

http://www.dailymile.com/people/Zeek4590

I had been posting your runs over the weekend for you 
and thought this might be the perfect way for you to get familiar 
with an online documentation format.

Not to mention putting to use all those typing lessons 
you sat through this school year. 

Your first post was adorable. 
You did it yourself from the laptop while I showered after our run tonight. 
You also discovered how to change the "theme"/colors of your page, 
and you set it just as you wanted it. 

Running with you was fun. Still not for me. But for you... anything. :)

Flying High

When I watch your legs running along side the road, so long and fast, 

I can't help but remember when your Dad and I first saw 

your little leg and foot in the 3D ultrasound during my pregnancy. 

That leg and foot almost spoke to me on the screen. 

They looked so good and strong and meaningful. 

They really stood out to me. I remember thinking, 

"that is the leg and foot that will help carry my son throughout his life." 

I remember dreaming about one day witnessing them 

take their first independent steps... and later seeing them move you swiftly...

and even later watching them bend and throw you upward 

toward the sky as you jumped high. 

I'm proud that you have taken up running. 

Not because I need you to run, but because you are strong. 

Your heart, your mind, and those beautiful strong legs and feet... 

I pray they will always serve you well, 

helping you fly higher and farther than we've even dreamed for you. 

RUNNING? What Next!?

I can't believe that today we bought you a pair of size four running shoes. 

I know that you were wearing a size three when we bought you 

your last pair of tennis shoes, 

but I guess I never thought about what that meant 

for your ever growing feet! 

SIZE FOUR. Wow, you're getting big!

Although you own about 15 pair of flip flops, 

because (like me) that is all you wear as soon as 

the last drop of snow melts for the year, 

we had to find you a pair of "running shoes" because you have been running! 

This as a outstanding and unexpected for me 

as you being a size four at age six.

It all started when you asked if you could run to Uncle Jeff's house 

(we have been taking care of his home and farm animals 

while he's been recovering from another bike accident) 

I told you that you could run, but that I would not be running to Uncle's. 

So I followed you in the Jeep. 

This is pretty easy to do because Uncle's house is only .7 miles 

from our house, and the two roads we travel between us 

are country roads with not many cars on them.

The first day I thought nothing of your run. 

It was cute, and I was grateful you were getting the exercise. 

You only made it about .4 miles before you asked 

if you could climb into the Jeep for the rest of the trip.

The second day, which was yesterday, you asked again. 

I agreed and followed you in the Jeep. 

You only made it about .4 miles again, and then you were back in the Jeep.

Only this time, you asked to run home from Uncle's 

after we'd tucked all the animals in for the night.

You ran the entire .7 miles home! 

FAST. 

In flip flops! 

In 80 degree weather!

You were so happy when you got to the house. 

I thought FOR sure you would go right to sleep after brushing your teeth. 

But for some reason it actually livened you up, 

and you couldn't sleep at all. You stayed awake until 10pm! 

(Aunt Julie said this is exactly what happens to her when she runs.)

Tonight, with your adorable new, size four running shoes strapped on, 

you ran in just your shorts, high 80 degrees again, 

from the house to the corner, 

from that corner to the corner on the other end of our street, 

then back to the first corner. 

Then we went to Uncles, tucked everyone in, and you ran all the way home. This gave you a total of 2.1 miles!!!

Aunt Julie told me to make sure to get photos and video 

of you running so she could see how cute you are. 

She invited us to do a 5K Thursdays with her, Alexis and Jaymee 

at the YMCA beginning the last weekend of this month through summer. 

We are IN! 

I will be walking with Alexis while the rest of you 

run, run, run together!!!

I know you are proud to be running because 

your Pepere, Aunt Julie, and Uncle Jeff are all big time runners. 

Little do you know yet that 

Aunt Michelle, Uncle Eric, Miss Emily and Miss Amber 

are all in on this sport too! :)

I'm so happy for you. It's great that you like running.