Wonder and Joy

my kids are full of wonder and joy.

They love life so much, and in turn help me see the wonder and joy in an ordinary day - especially about a plain, ordinary thing.

Today was just such a moment for me.  In fact I wasn't going to blog today until this moment happened.

When the second Night at the Museum movie came out McDonalds had happy meals toys that wound up and moved when a card was put in the slot.  Well, we had 2 of 'Rexy' and 2 of the squirrel.  This morning the boy found one of each but was so upset because he couldn't find 'The Thing'. 

'The Thing' being the card needed to make them move.  So, being the world's most amazing mom, I created my own 'thing'..... with a scrap piece of paper - - folded!

How excited the kids were when I got them to work!!

Fast forward to this afternoon.

The girl is napping and the boy is in his room playing quietly while I check facebook. 

then the squeaky door began to open.

"He cannot have to go again!  he just went poo twice!" I thought, shaking my head, as I heard the footsteps.  He was saying something about 'the thing'.  I looked down the stairs as my very excited, very happy little boy ran into view holding two pieces of 'the thing'...the original card... in his hands. 

"I found the thing for Rexy! I found the thing for Rexy!"  there was honestly pure joy in that child's three year old face.  He was practically giggling as he held them up high for me to see.

We had to find Rexy right away.  We found both squirrels before we finally discovered Rexy hiding on the bottom step. 

Back to quiet play in his room, so content, so happy with himself for finding 2 pieces of the card. 

Back to the computer for me to take a moment and share my pride in my son with the World Wide Web.  I love that little boy, my first-born.  Who takes the time to stop me at times and say "mommy, let's kiss."  just because he wanted me to give him a kiss. 

I love the wonder he has in discovering everything around him. 

I love the awe as he watches the leaves change color and waits for snow to come.

I love his hugs as he wraps his strong little arms around my neck.

I love his stories (even when they're the same ones).

I love his questions (even when they're the same ones).

That's what I have as I watch my kids grow:

Wonder and Joy.



What to Write

So, I have this blog.....
why?
Why do i have this blog anyway? 
honestly, I have no idea. 
What is it about?
I don't know.
I have friends and family who blog about being a stay at home mom, hunting and fishing, the life of a worship pastor, and my brother the comedian blogs about.... well, life as a comedian sees it.  
I was asked the other day what my blog is about, and I said "just me and my life."  How creative is that?!
I honestly don't know what inspired me to blog at all... OK, i do.

have you ever seen the movie Julie and Julia?
I loved it.  it made me want to blog. 
Not about cooking - honestly i do not have a passion for cooking, and no one would want to read about my cooking - I'm a boring cook.
I didn't want people to send me things - food and money like she gets from her readers.  (but I will take money or gifts if people do want to send me some.)
I honestly don't even care if anyone ever reads this blog.

So why am I blogging?

i love to write and my thoughts come out a little better when written - or in this case, typed.
I may not write every day, I may only write when I have an idea i need to get out. 

But for now this is about me. 
my kids.
my husband. 
maybe even my cat.

This will be about my life as I know it.

unless I come up with something more exciting to the world.

     This is Clive.  Named after C.S. Lewis.   Clive Staples Lewis.  This is my cat - well he annoys me a lot so he's really more my husband's cat, but he's the only cat we currently have.

Terry Fox Run

the day finally arrived.
I hadn't run in over 2 weeks...probably closer to 3 weeks, actually, and the furthest I had run was 2.6km, with one attempt at 3km - that one I walked about half of it.  so when I woke up on Sunday Sept 19th I wasn't ready at all.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, God had blessed the day with beautiful sunshine.  Pulling into the high school parking lot i saw the sign for the run; way up there on the crane truck.  I honestly got so choked up and the tears began to form.  I couldn't cry, this was ridiculous.  No, it wasn't nerves about running it was the fact of what I would be running for.  I had to be able to run 5km.  Terry Fox attempted a marathon every single day during the Marathon of Hope.  5km was honestly the least I could do to do my part.  it was a lot for me, but i would be running with dan and our kids.  he was going to run with me, to help me keep going, AND he would be pushing the jogging stroller with our 3 yr old and 18m old in it.  we registered, handed in our pledge sheet and waited.  I kept looking at the sign. 
The Terry Fox Run.
This year was the 30th anniversary of Terry's run.  1980 - 2010.  I was 5 when he ran.  i don't really remember a lot of memories without being told about them first, but Terry Fox is one I remember.  He was so strong.  Even when he was so sick.  Cancer didn't seem to be everywhere yet.  But now, honestly, I don't know anyone who doesn't have a loved one that cancer has directly affected.  ANY Cancer.  there are so many varieties it is overwhelming when one stops and thinks about it.  it is something that affects us all, and Terry Fox ran to raise awareness and to get closer to a cure one day.  I'm sure from everything he started there are thousands (minimum) who are alive today, beaten their cancer, in remission....  i was going to run 5km in support of the research to help thousands, millions, more.  no wonder I got choked up and teary.
None of us had ever done the run, but dan and I had wanted to for a long time.  the emotions arrived again when they sent the bikers off... it was almost our turn.  the boy wanted to run with us.  he's 3, but he wanted to race.  so we told him he could help daddy push the stroller up the hill (yes we started on a hill) with daddy and when he got tired he could go in with the girl.  So, it was runners and bikers turn.  We were off - in a mass of people.  walkers, kids on bikes, dogs, rollerblades, runners, strollers.... and up the hill we ran - weaving around people to get out of the mass.    the boy ran his hardest up that hill holding the stroller with daddy.  We got to the top and he was tired - into the stroller he got, but I was so proud of that little guy.  off we went.  i did have to slow down and walk a couple times, but dan says it wasn't any longer than a 300m walk, total.  When we got to the top of the hill - the home stretch, the emotions were back - but i still couldn't let them out.  the boy wanted to run down the hill so he got out.   but he was more tired than he thought - he tripped and fell - dan carried that determined little boy down the hill to the end and I pushed the girl down.. Throughout the run when I was slowing and struggling Dan would run ahead of me and run backward wo the kids were facing me.  They would cheer and laugh, it was so great having them help me find it in myself to do something Dan believed I could do.  I finally believed it too.
I had done it!  We had done it!  so exciting!   couldn't believe it was all over though.  next year it's the 10km...i have a year, I can't let myself procrastinate that badly.
Thank you to all the volunteers and everyone that keeps this run going every year!