Hometown friends & happenings

It takes a long while for a town to feel like home. Not everyone reading this will get this...and not every town is like this. We knew from the day we moved that this town was where we were supposed to be but it took a long while for it to become home. I think Tom still can't believe this is where we are settling (not that he doesn't want to be here, but if you had told him 10 years ago this is where God would call him, he'd have laughed in your face). So it brought great joy to both of our hearts to watch Cole and Josiah entertain their friends at the rockclimbing wall at the Y yesterday afternoon. It was Cole's first friends b-day party (I know parties have gotten out of hand in our society, but we've decided to keep it simple and do the same thing we remember our parents doing, we will allow each child 2 parties while they are at home; other than that, b-days will be family affairs for us). I must confess Tom and I both enjoyed this time with our kids and their friends a lot! Cole has such a sweet spirit and truly made the day feel like it was a time of celebrating his friendships and some of the little people that make up his community.

Earlier in the morning I was able to meet up with our biking/running Sat. morning crew. Thanks to Sharon for sending this picture. These women are so helpful to me in my fitness journey. I enjoy getting up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday, knowing they will be waiting for me. And yes, I am a "socializer" (that's what the 16 mph bike club calls us....you can guess what our mileage is, I won't say) and a "queen" and I'm thankful for those people in the group who tease, admonish, challenge, support and keep me on this path, even on a week the scales aren't kind. They are a big part of what makes me try and they have me doing things I never would have attempted. And most of all....it's just plain fun! I feel like I can do anything when I am on the last 1/4 of the way running in, and correspondingly I feel like I can do nothing when I am starting out on the first 1/4 of the way...but the feeling of finishing has me addicted to trying!

We finished the day with my dear sis Amy and her husband Steve taking us out to eat at Red Robin. What a treat as I really didn't want to cook at that point, and felt like at least I had exercised off the calories earlier that morning (and that my friends IS the true crux of my problem!). Then Grandma (who we saw one last time after she had spent a few days at my sister's) decided to treat the grandkids to icecream at Ben & Jerry's. And guess who didn't get left out...