5K Report

I do have the intention of eventually starting a separate blog to document my running adventures. But, until then just a quick post to report:

S and I ran the Wellsville "Hotter than Haiti" 5 K Fun Run last Saturday. The run was held to raise funds for an orphanage in Haiti. I was surprised at how many little Haitian children were there who have been adopted by families in our area. It was really neat!

The weather was perfect.

The course was quite fun with a couple small hills.

We both set a new PR.

S- 25:36

Mel- 25:37

Oh, and S walked away with a football prize from the raffle drawing. Woot!

Next race: Red Ribbon Run- October 11th.

Milestones to Achieve

Like I said in a previous post, Crew learned to sit up in bed. Thanks for the many comments, cheers, praise, and rejoicing with us in this accomplishment! Twenty-Six comments is an all time high for me and it does help knowing we have our own little cheering squad.

As anticipated, his new skill has led to another.

This is good... very very good! Unfortunately, we aren't getting a whole lot of sleep around here and nap times are far and few between.

* Note: Positions pictured are exactly as occurred but just to save my pride- No, I don't dress my child in the same outfit everyday and he doesn't wear jeans to bed for the night.

On another note, today I went with Crew and his Preschool class on a little field trip to a local "Hobby Farm". I volunteered to bring his wheelchair as they would be walking a few blocks. I anticipated having a wonderful time with my son. There would be chickens to see, horses, ostriches, emu's, tortoises, turtles. I even stopped to purchase batteries for my camera for the great event. What I didn't anticipate was the drama my little one would put on "just because mom was there". You know the one, "Let me show you all how I've got my mom wrapped around my little finger". So embarrassing! I even told the teacher that I wish I hadn't gone because I know he is fine without me. In his little class there is an adorable little girl who also has CP. I met McKenna at a GYM class over two years ago before Crew could even crawl. McKenna, a 1 lb preemie was then learning to crawl and pull-to-stand. Today I saw her RUN without the use of a walker or DAFO's for that matter. Part of me was thrilled to see her progress and her cuteness. McKenna is an example of all that can be achieved. But then... it was just a LITTLE disheartening to think of how far we still have to go.

Yes, discouragement is a part of our world but I do try not to let it take over. In your everyday lives, do you suffer from discouragement, self-criticism, or the awful trait of comparing yourself to others? Sometimes it can be so debilitating! I really detest the feelings of discouragement.

How thankful I am today to come home and read this post by one of my favorite bloggers. I agree wholeheartedly with Lori that each one of us is blessed with different talents, experiences, opportunities. We cannot compare what we are going through with that which we "see" of others. I don't think we can ever guess what challenges another might face or experience. Lori, also talks about BALANCE. This is something I am getting better at. There was a time in my life as a mother where I DID NOT invest energy and time for me. How invigorating it is to finally have something that I enjoy (exercise)! I will keep reminding myself that its okay to indulge in this passion without guilt and it will make me a better wife/mother/daughter/sister/friend. Yes, it's okay!

Sweet September

YESSSS!!!!!

S and I went running today at 4:00 pm. I am not use to running in the middle of the day but we had an opportunity- and we went. It was a good, hard run. Part way through, S got really tired so I dropped him off at the van and continued on for another 1.5 miles. I passed the bank and their digital sign said it was 86 degrees! My mouth has never felt so dry on a run and I felt like choking. By the time I got back to the van I was dead. I grabbed my water bottle and sucked it dry then S wanted a cheeseburger. *giggle* Good times!

Another First

Crew has never been able to sit up in his bed which means he lays there until I pick him up. Four years is a long time to work on one skill and he has been working very hard. Today was very exciting when I opened his door to find him like this. It is hard to see from the picture but he is kneeling. I'm a proud momma today!

Random Weekend Happenings

It's been years (like 15) since I've hiked to the Wind Caves in Logan Canyon. Saturday, we decided to take the older boys and find the caves. The hike was great. It took us about 50 minutes to get up the 1.8 mile trail where we climbed approximately 1000 feet. Ouch! The view from the top was magnificent. We had a late start on Saturday morning and so it was mid-day when we finally made it to the top. We were happy to find out there was a nice breeze in the caves which makes sense since the caves were formed from wind and water. The trek down the trail went much faster but sure did beat up my knees. On the way down we passed a gentleman with a prosthetic leg. That sure did stop the silent complaints in my head. What an inspiration!

Later, we met up with Ken and Kristen where they took us for a refreshing boat ride on Hyrum Reservoir. Crew is all about the boat ride! Wow, I think that kid would be content living on the water! Unfortunately, I don't believe he will get another chance for a boat ride until next summer.

Also, on Saturday we cooked up a fine Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler in our backyard fire pit. We were exhausted at that point! I'm not sure why we decided to cram so many activities into one day but the cobbler was delicious... it was definitely worth it in the end. I can't wait to try some new recipes.

Finally, Sunday morning I was surprised when the Bishop released me from my 3-year Cub Scout calling.... which I've loved. Instead, I was called as a Relief Society teacher. Yikes! Talk about yanking someone out of their comfort zone:) My first lesson is this Sunday and I am waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy nervous!

I'm loving the weather here. Today I walk/ran a total of 11 miles. Isn't it great!

Capture The Moment

It's been a month since Crew's surgeries and I can honestly say we have our silly little boy back! We have been enjoying his smiles and giggles and just simply "living in the moment" with him. I feel blessed to have him in my life because he teaches me so much everyday.

The afternoon before his surgery, his Big Boy Tricycle arrived! Yeah! I love it that Crew has a chance to just be a kid and I've realized that "the bike" has become his favorite activity.

Crew started preschool a few weeks ago. The communication with his new teacher is lacking so far but hope to improve on that soon. We did not receive his back-and-forth book the last two days so I have no idea how he is doing. I did write her a note last week asking how it was going and she stated that because they are still trying to figure out which chair to use and because he "eats slow" and gets pulled out for OT he hasn't had much opportunity to interact with the other children. Okay, I am trying to be patient here but isn't that what preschool is all about? I don't want to end this post on a negative note... that is not my intention. I'm sure the teacher has a lot to deal with these first few weeks of school so I am giving her the benefit of the doubt. BUT, I just want my child to fit in and be happy which shouldn't be too hard. Just look at his killer smile!

Eye Surgery Follow-up

It's a good thing we like our doctor because waiting 4 hours for anything is insanely ridiculous. This sign makes me giggle every time I see it. I think they should add "sleeping bag" and "cooler stocked with goodies" to the items to bring list.

We will wait in the hall, thank you very much! Crew is extremely frustrated by the fact that the toys in the waiting room aren't exactly "accessible" when you factor in the other 30 kids waiting to see the doctor. I've learned to steer clear of the waiting room because if the toys are out of sight it's easier for me to keep him happy. Instead, I dance and perform circus tricks for hours on end in the hall. He's not exactly thrilled.... Hmmm. Maybe I need to learn a few more tricks.

Do they really expect 100's of children per day to wait for that long and not turn into monkeys?

Yessss... Happy boy with straight eyes. Thank you Dr. H, the surgery was a success!

Off to Zion

Last week we made a spontaneous decision to visit Zions National Park. Ever since I attended the Scout training last spring where they emphasized the importance of exposing boys to nature, I've been itching to get them out and do some hiking. I'm not sure how it happened but summer slipped right past us....

We hiked about 5 miles the first day where we visited The Narrows, Emerald Pools, and The Canyon Overlook. The Riverside Walk was our favorite and we were able to take the wheelchair. H loved looking for critters and was often out taking the lead. S also enjoyed all of the hiking and sightseeing... what a blessing!

There were several hikes that were accessible and we pushed Crew along as fast as we could. He loved the bumps and was often squealing with delight. We got some interesting looks from people but for the most part other hikers would pass Crew in his wheelchair and giggle right along with him.

Some trails weren't accessible so we just hauled Crew in the backpack. Every year I think it will be the last time we will squeeze him into the pack and then somehow we manage to do it again. I'm not sure how comfortable it was for Crew but he seemed to love climbing the mountain just as much as the rest of us.

At the end of the Riverside Walk we spent some quality time walking through the river. I know this is one of my boys favorite activities. They remember and frequently talk about walking through the river from some of our past camping excursions. I don't know what it is about nature and water but I too have some fond memories from when I was young.

The second day we were able to go see the St. George Temple and Snow Canyon. Then we headed up to Kolob Canyon where we hiked Timber Creek.

Towards the end, Crew started feeling at home in his backpack;) I love this picture of Crew snuggling up to his dad.

On Sunday night we started driving home but we knew if we kept going we would drive straight into a huge rainstorm. We decided to stop in Cedar (I love it there) and get a hotel. The boys had a great time swimming and it was nice to have clean place to rest. I'm really glad we decided to stay another night. Monday morning we drove to Cedar Breaks where it was freezing but the view was so worth it. The boys were great on the ride home. They have thanked us multiple times for taking them on this trip... it was so worth it!