Spiritual Fitness Bootcamp

The Fall Youth Group Retreat this year was a test of physical and spiritual fitness in the woods.  Two days of testing was attending by Connor and Sonja accompanied by Jozsef as a leader.  

The kids tent camped in the woods, were awakened by reveille (though, sadly, they did not end the day with taps), and ran a series of obstacle courses designed by a military veteran who attends our church.

Through rain, mud, and trial the children learned to lean into community and God.  The teens and leaders learned about God, each other, and themselves while they had fun and established or deepened friendships.  

Though they came home wet and muddy, they were smiling ear to ear.  We are thankful that they had they opportunity to go on retreat this year.  :-)  

Apple Fest

 

One of our favorite fall festivals to attend is Apple Festival.  We drive up north and spend the day taking in fresh air and sunshine, vendor booths of all kinds, and seasonal apple treats.  

We didn't take many photos, but we sure did enjoy getting out.  The week had been rainy, so we wore our boots to navigate the fairgrounds, but otherwise, the weather was very pleasant.  John was a bit extra tired since he had completed the Smile Run the night before, but he hung in there well.  This year we took one of the boys' friends with us which added to our fun.  Of course, we enjoyed apple fritters (well, those of us who aren't gluten free did), old fashioned root beer from a keg (a repeat favorite), and fresh apple cider. 

Jozsef, Levi, Nikolas

On the way home, since we were in the area, we stopped by our favorite coffee shop for a seasonal coffee, a bathroom break, and a couple of games of corn hole.  

By the time we got home, it was time to make and have dinner so we unpacked our stuff and got to cooking.  The end of dinner greeted us with twilight and even better temperatures so we headed out to the front yard to play more corn hole before calling it a night. 

Never before has corn hole been so popular in our household.  But in our neck of the woods, the game is largely popular--there are even leagues to join.  And join Jozsef did!  He' s currently in the fall league and learning lots while having fun with the guys.  John, Nikolas, and the boys' friend Levi, have all been playing more to practice with Jozsef and there's talk of all of them joining the next round of leagues.  :-)  Looks like corn hole is now just a regular part of life.  :-)  October isn't over yet and we're hoping to squeeze more in.  Let's see what we can accomplish! 

Smile Run

It's been a year and a half since John broke his ankle.  It's been a long, trying journey back to full healing.  He still has issues with it, maybe he always will, but that remains to be seen.  John is on the two year healing plan and he often has to remind himself that his break was severe and the doctor was very honest about how long this would take to heal and that there may be lingering symptoms.  That is a humbling reality for a guy who has been very active all of his life and John is slowly adjusting to his new abilities.  However, the story isn't over yet, and John truly does not know just how limited he will be in the end.  He's vertical and pretty mobile, but his limits need some testing for us to know just where he stands.  John has taken a few trots and has played with kids a bit, but there has been no full out exertion of his leg's ability.  There is a healthy amount of fear in truly pushing the limits of his leg.  None of us have forgotten the pain of that break and none of us wants to revisit something like that.  Still, there has to be some testing of limits.  After much thought, prayer, and research, John chose to participate in a 5K run.  He chose one with a course that was of good terrain and he vowed to listen to his body.  The goal was to finish.  That's all.  It wasn't about his time.  It wasn't about winning or beating anyone.  It was about finishing.  And if that meant that he had to walk the whole thing, then so be it.  But he wanted to see what he could do and how it felt to move with all of that metal in his leg. 

So he signed up, and on race day, we went out to the park to see him through.  The weather was perfect and John chose a great organization.  The run was actually a fundraiser for an organization formed in memory of a young boy who died of asthma.  There were several activities for the children to enjoy while we waited for John to complete the run and plenty of friendly people to chat with as well.  

The huge bubble makers were a big hit and John tried his hand at it after his run

Corn Hole was a great pass time as were free treats like popcorn and cooling snow cones.

We took Charlotte and Hudson with us and they drew a lot of attention.  American Leopard Hounds aren't very common and many people were interested in learning about the breed.  :-)  

John guessed it would take him about 30 minutes to complete the route--he was pretty close.  He crossed in just about 37 minutes.  John admitted to walking some, but was pleased with how his ankle performed and even more so with how it felt.  The test run was a success.  By no means can we declare John at the finish line of healing, but he is one great big step closer, and for that we are thankful.  God has brought him so far and given him so much ability back--not only is he walking, but he can actually say that he can run. :-)  I do believe that this run will be annual for John--he'll want to be sure to keep (and improve if possible) his mobility.  I can't think of a better cause to participate in--both for the fundraiser, and for John.  There are lots of reasons to smile when you can run.  :-)

Pumpkin Pleasures

 

At the end of a rainy week when the temperatures were pleasant and the skies bright and sunny, we ended a school day with some pumpkin fun,  :-)  I took the kids to the pumpkin farm where we explored the variety of available pumpkins and gourds from traditional to heirloom and chose a few favorites.  

The grounds were muddy, but that didn't keep us from weaving our way through the corn maze.  

The spicy smell from the snack shack was so enticing we couldn't help but to discover the tasty treats that were inside and to purchase a few fall favs to take home.   

The kids had fun climbing on huge tractors, riding on barrel horses, playing a bit of corn hole, visiting the farm animals, and relaxing on the porch for a bit.  Seriously, the weather was perfect!  With our picks loaded up, we headed home to share our findings and to make pumpkin shakes--an autumn tradition that goes back to Pumpkin Festival at Oregon Hill. :-)  The younger kids had yet to taste these epic blends and it was high time they were introduced to them.  

Not surprisingly, the shakes were a hit.  :-)  Our next round of pumpkin fun will be in carving...stay tuned! :-)