Exciting Times

Today, I competed in my 1st Ironman triathlon. Actually, I should say that I was part of a relay team that competed in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon, held in Branson, Mo. There was about 1500 athletes registered for this triathlon. I took the first leg, a 1.2 mile swim in Table Rock Lake and had a blast doing it. I will say that I was very nervous about the swim given I haven't swam this length in 10 years and it was in a pool!

One of my teammates had a 56 mile bike ride through the hills of Branson (and for those of you that have been here you know how "hilly" this area really is)! My other teammate had a 13.1 mile run around the Branson Landing (no shade along the route and in the heat of the early afternoon)! Needless to say, I think I got the best end of the deal. I was amazed and in awe of the people that did the entire event by themselves. Such athleticism!

Here are a few pics from the amazing day!

We met at the swim site at 6am!

It was twilight when I first got in the water to warm up.



So many people!

A Happy Moment!

Many of you may have known that J's mom and dad spent 21 years as missionaries to Honduras. This year they retired as full-time missionaries and returned to the States. We are so happy to have them in the area and are so excited to see what God has in store for them here. Above is a pic of the new home owners and their humble little abode the day they moved in.

What are you teaching me God?

Every parent has had THOSE days! One in which, nothing seems to work out as it has planned. One where the frustrations of parenting hang around our head and bear down on our shoulders. Today was one of THOSE days (or at least mornings)! The inevitable toddler-tantrum phase is upon us here. Don't get me wrong, Little Man is a joy to be around and I love being his mom. But there are those few times in between all the happiness and fun that make me want to really question WHY God allowed me to be a mom.

As I thought long and hard about this after Little Man went down for his nap, I remembered how blessed I am to have such an amazing child to love, teach and guide in this life. These "small" trials in parenting will one day be just that- small trials.

Another correlation I had was how similar our relationship with our children mimics the relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. I wonder how many times He has tried to direct me down the best path and I have been the one kicking and screaming? We see something that we WANT, unaware that God has something enormously better for us if we choose His path. Unfortunately, I have (I'm sure many times) resisted as a child does, the path that God has wanted for me. Thank Him for His grace! This is one of the amazing ways that I can see God from a different perspective. I am truly blessed by that!