500 MILES!!!

We did it, we did it! Between my cute husband, my energetic kids and my own little legs that  seem to be aging faster than I would like, we made it.  We accomplished our goal of 500 miles.  I have been so impressed with the dedication of my kids this summer.  There were many days J.T. and Cambelle would take a bike ride together to clock some miles, one day he even stopped at a little place nearby and bought that cute sister of his some ice cream.  I count that as success no matter how you look at it.

I had visions of a weekend get away to celebrate this huge accomplishment, but like so many other of my visions it didn't quite work out that way.  Sara is in a community play that has sucked away most evenings and every Saturday.  I can't wait to watch her, but we had to make some adjustments to our celebration.  We went out to a local steak house and had a great meal, and I brought a gift wrapped in a bow that held the "surprise" that the kids were waiting for.  They   opened the gift and found three notes for each of them.  The notes shared my own memories and the things that stood out to me.  I loved seeing Sara and Cambelle hold hands as we walked to the temple, their bond grew as the rode the bike path and played games like "I spy" and "What's your favorite..."  I was so impressed during the 5k that we ran when Cambelle had tears in her eyes but still didn't give up.  J.T. ran that entire race without stopping, it was the first time he had done that, I thought it was so cool.  This year Troy worked with us to reach the goal and that made it even better. There eyes lit up as they read the notes, I hope they know that they made my summer memorable, and I loved being with them.

Under the notes there was a bottle that contained money that we have been saving for a trip we are taking.  They have been saving the money to pay for entry tickets for many of the things we want to see.  The surprise was this, that Troy and I would take care of the tickets and they could use the money for souvenirs.  They were excited and so am I, they have worked hard.

When I think of all that was accomplished this summer it was so much more than tracking miles, it was about spending time together on our bikes, running, and taking walks.  It was about planning ways to be work toward a common goal and enjoying a little fun with each other.  I know that my kids are growing up faster than I like, and I want to have as many cherished memories as possible. The memories that we make are like little packets of sunshine that we carry with us forever.  It was a good summer.

This is when Sara realized what the surprise was.

This is when J.T. realized.

The burger was bigger than this cutie.