Sunday, November 24, 2013

Stages

And this little piggy went weee, weee, weee, all the way home.  This is what your toe looks like when you're trying to maneuver down stairs that are covered with nerf guns, bionicles, and books, one wrong move and your sent tumbling down the remaining steps.  The fact that it's pretty swollen and stuck at that funny angle, tells me that it's probably broken.  So with the rest of the family pretty sniffly, and myself a little out of commission, I'm calling it a sick day.  Think I'll buddy tape that toe, and spend the day recovering on the couch.  We've got a busy week ahead of us, and we all want to be feeling better by Saturday when we run the Annual 5K Santa Run in Ogden.    

Organized races have a great energy about them, but also a kind of annoying price tag.  However, this is my favorite 5K, they provide the wardrobe, they let those "naughty" Santas cut out early and take a shortcut to the finish line, and all the water stops serve milk and cookies.  This year the company won't get any better, I'm running with my sweet cousin, and one handsome young man.  Jonas loves to run and he loves his holidays, so I think this will be a great first race for him.  I don't think I'll be beating last years time (under 27, missing my run bud), but I don't mind, I'll take great companionship over fast times any day.  This is the stage of life I'm in.   

My husband and I were married close to seven years before we had our first great companion (that be Jo).  During that time we discovered our loves, realized what was important, and made some big decisions.  After we'd had our time, we felt totally and completely ready to move on to that next stage of life and enlarge our family.  I think often about the stage our family is in.  We've realized as parents you make some sacrifices on a personal level, but it's for the good of the group.  It's all about taking the things that we love, and making them work.  It takes a bit more preparing, but it's euphoric when these implements are successful.  I remember taking Abe on our favorite family hike when he was just days old, our pace a bit slower, our distance not as far, but our journey far more triumphant then ever before.

Breathtaking views, beautiful newborn babe, and Sol picking his nose

And it began, three all four and under
My hiking these days is usually with other moms.  Packing one babe (sometimes two),  and a few others in tow, we meet and let the kids set the pace.  Their happy, dirty faces tell us when it's a good time to stop, and it's usually no where near the end, but somewhere in the middle, with a good stream or pond to play in.


The same thing is said about bike rides.  I'm the proud owner of a trike with a basket on the back for hauling kids.  With it, I can keep a steady pace, even with a wobbly three year old new to riding a 2-wheeled bike. 


We've adapted our life to include the whole family in our passions, so that these passions can also become theirs.   We're an active family, we love our hobbies, and I'm glad to share them with little ones.  Truthfully they're only little for a small amount of time, I don't know how many more years I'll be able to keep up with this bunch (I've already lost a bike race to Jo, but I'm demanding a rematch, I didn't hear go, my foot slipped, and really my bike is just not as fast as his.).





They were quite the troopers, it was cold, but they made this winter hike to an awesome yurt



Abe was insistent on wearing his ducky suit that day, and I pick my battles.

I'm happy in the stage were in, even a little sad to see it coming to a close, I don't know if I'm ready to give up "little ones".  Oh how I miss having a baby, they are in all honesty, my best accessory.  There is something unbelievably and indescribably amazing about holding your new born babe, I have no words, I love everything about it.  I spent seven consecutive years either pregnant, nursing, or both, and I have no regrets, not even the stretch marks.  I know I'm a bit fluffier than I'd like to be, but I've realized the time and effort it's going to take to loose some of my stuffing (apparently my body has grown fond of its cushioning, it's putting up quite the fight, but I think in the end I'll win) is going to be something that takes me away from my family far more then I'd like.  It's funny how that fluff seems to settle, a little on the hips for propping up a baby, and a little more in the front to cushion little heads ("No I'd rather cuddle with Mom, she's softer."). 

So for now, I'm glad to run after others have gone to bed, even if it is midnight, I don't like running in the heat anyways.  And it's never safe to swim alone.  Long, steep hikes are a bit overrated, I usually end up twisting an ankle at some point anyhow.  And nothing beats hugs and high fives from tiny hands when finishing a race.

Just after finishing another 5K with my sister from another mister, made it under 30 minutes, even sprinted the end, not too bad for this fluffy gal

Happy in the stage I'm in......, but possibly a little excited for the next stage to come?  A little of both, time will tell what happens next. (Welcome to my eternal and internal struggle)      

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