Trey Buddy's Birthday

Trey Buddy is now 7 years old! It's so hard to believe we could go, so quickly, from this

to this!

Time has a way of just flying by...

Just a Couple Things

Trey's birthday is coming up this weekend. I asked him what he wanted his birthday dinner to be and he said, "Half baked potatoes!" Ummm, I think that's TWICE baked potatoes buddy:)

In MOPS this morning, our devotion leader got us thinking about memories and brought up the story of her younger daughter having imaginary friends. It got me thinking about Zach and how he used to have two imaginary friends. They were bears and their names were Christopher and Judy. They used to hang out in the trees behind our house, even though we lived in an apartment and their weren't any trees out there. But he would look out every day and tell me how they were doing. They went everywhere with us and he had to buckle them into their seatbelts in the car. After a couple years they must have left because he quit talking about them. I miss those days.

Missing and praying for some people in our lives who are gone this week.
The Adams are down in Mexico on their mission trip to Camp El Monte. I am so excited they have this opportunity and know their family will be a big blessing while they are there.

My parents are in Malaysia for a Marriage Encounter Weekend. I am doing some extra filling in for her at preschool and hope they are having a great time also.

Homecoming

Zach and his friend Jessica

Sisters

When I first wrote this post a year and a half ago, I had just discovered the joy of being the mom and seeing my children interacting and helping each other without prompting. Not that it hadn't happened before but this time it was captured by my camera.

Since that time, Alexis has taken her role as big sister very seriously. She has taken on helping with Leah quite naturally. She helps her get shoes on and clothes. She plays pollys with her and monopoly.

We were surprised, but shouldn't have been when Leah first went potty on the big potty with Lexi helping her. She refused to even sit up there for me and acted like she was afraid of it. But with Lexi in charge, she sat up there and went. Several different times.

The other day I heard noises out the window like Lexi helping Leah ride her big bike. I dismissed it at first because when I help her she acts like she can't do it and doesn't want to try. Which is why I was dumbfounded when Lexi ran in yelling about Leah doing it by herself. And she was. She now rides all the way down the street, by herself.

Craziness. I need to remember this in the future instead of trying to get her to do something. I'll let Lexi act like it was all her idea and 'bam'! Problem solved.

Race Update

So much to say about our race. I'll try to be brief.

Started out with a 1 mile run. I thought "I can do this". Did not figure in my 30 pound pack. Ran the whole way but that's all I can say for myself.

Got to the canoe and had to PORTAGE it! Yikes. This canoe was not meant to be carried on the shoulders. It had cup holders of all things that cut into my neck and bruised my spine. By the time we got to the water I was nearly crying.

Got in the canoe. Paddled 14 miles down stream. Passed one 24 hour team. Yikes for them. We did pretty well and only argued a tad. Realized that arguing in a race is over way quicker than in real life because you can't get away! You forgive and forget and MOVE ON.

Got to the bike. Could hardly get on it because I was shivering so bad from being soaking wet. Dried out quickly however. Being pulled behind Dave's bike on a tow rope at a million miles per hour will do that.

Stopped for an orienteering course. Did farely well, found all the checkpoints and moved on back to the bike. Dave and I hadn't biked as much as we should have but still felt we did well overall for the biking.

Back to the Boy Scout Camp to pump up the packraft. Wish I had a picture of Dave sitting in the back and me lying on my stomach on the front of the boat with my legs on Dave. But I don't have a picture. It was really hard to paddle straight out in front of myself but we did it. Took us 50 min. to go 1 mile upstream and 19 min. to come back. Hard paddle indeed.

Went the second 'O' course. This was tricky. We never did find number thirty four even though we searched for two hours. So we ended up quiting because we were at the 12 hour mark. Never got to do the ropes section which they put at the end. Although, I did get to practice ascending the night before. It was not as difficult as I had worked myself up over.

The best part?

We WON!!!!!

For our 2 person coed division we won!!!!

And all I have to say is Dave Huntley, YOU ROCK!!!

How many families can say DE JA VU?!

Our Weekend

Dave and I are headed to Oregon, IL for the weekend to do a 12 hour adventure race. It will be filled with firsts for me.

Packraft- in addition to canoeing, we have to fit both of us plus our packs into an inflatable boat and paddle to a specific point.

Climbing wall- I haven't even attempted this. This is the prelim. part of our race. They will time us and will determine our starting positions based on how we do. Dave already told me he expects we will be starting dead last.

Rope ascending- I didn't even know this WAS a rope event. You have to climb up a vertical rope with handles for your hands and feet. Not thinking this will go well for me.

All this is in addition to canoeing, biking, a zipline and finding checkpoints in the woods(orienteering).

I'm asking myself "And I want to do this why?"