Reeds Lake Run

I ran the 10K in the Reeds Lake Run today. Thanked God this morning for cool air...but then for some strange reason the organizers of the run had the 10kers running at 8:45AM and the 5kers at 8!!
So by the time 8:45 rolled around it was already 75 and hot!! The run around the lake was pretty much in the shade but the last 2 or 3 miles were obnoxious. I did dump water over my head whenever there was a water station and ran through every sprinkler that was going but it wasn't enough!
I really wanted to finish it in 58 minutes....1:02:50...bummer. Oh, well...at least I finished and I didn't keel over at the end!
The next race isn't until September now....10 MILES - the Bridge Run. Ran it last year and finished in 1:40, I think. I'm hopeful to shave a minute or two off the time...we'll see.

I saw lots of pink shirts for Milan. Milan is a little girl that died of brain cancer and they formed this group that raises money for pediatric brain tumor research. There were probably 20 to 30 people running today. I wore my E shirt - a tank top today - but have been thinking about trying to raise money either for Child Life at Helen DeVos or brain research. We already have the memorial fund set up at the hospital so that would be easy. What kind of fundraiser is the next question and how does one go about starting it all!

Food for thought.

Summer

Summer has arrived! I am enjoying my days off while reading on the deck, playing with new recipes, lingering over memories of last summer, and just loving not having any responsibility!

This Sunday marks the first time in 7 years I won't be driving Ethan down to Camp Catch a Rainbow. It's a camp for kids with cancer outside of Jackson, MI. Ethan loved it and if you remember last year, we were in-patient with meningitis and tumor growth. Ethan was up on Sunday morning with his camp shirt on waiting for the docs to give the go ahead for camp! They did...God bless them! He had a couple of rough days before the pain meds were evened out but he came home with that glorious smile and content!

We got the news a couple of days before camp that he would have less than 6 months with us. His time for fighting was over. It was a difficult thing to hear but we knew in our hearts that God's ultimate plan was about to be unfolded before us.


So I am enjoying all the memories of last summer....the total joy we felt - not sadness - of spending time with our boy!

This Sunday some of Ethan's ashes will be at Camp Catch a Rainbow with a special friend of ours who plans to spread them on Stony Lake early in the morning. They used to fish early in the morning on that lake.

Even though tears are streaming down my face as I post this...I know that Ethan is in such a wonderful place...that he lived the life God intended him to live to the fullest. On Sept. 8 I'm pretty sure he ran into Jesus' arms with that incredible smile of his!

Thank you God for your gracious love and mercy... give my boy a hug a kiss for me!