Running the Christian Race: Part 1

Running the Christian Race:
How Running a Half Marathon Relates to Being a Christian 

Part 1 of 13
(See what I did there? A half marathon is 13.1 miles)

The year my mother was diagnosed with ALS, I was running a 5K every month. I had run eleven 5Ks when we got the news, and my running abruptly stopped. Traveling across the county to be with her, grieving over the impending loss, and actually losing her less than a year later, kept my energy low and my spirits even lower.

As I began to feel my heart healing, about two years later, I posted on Facebook that I wanted to start running again. It was something I wanted to do in my mom’s honor. I felt guilty taking my own health for granted after seeing how a progressive neurodegenerative disease can destroy the body.

Almost immediately after posting my plan to run again on Facebook, a friend from five hours away invited me to run a half marathon with her in Paducah, Kentucky. In the little reply box underneath her comment, I typed, “Sure! I’d love to!!” Famous last words!

Over the next several months, as I prepared, and especially on the day of the race, God’s Word came to mind often reminding me how much running a half marathon is like running the Christian race that Paul speaks of in 2 Timothy 4:7 when he says he fought the good fight and finished the race. I pray that these analogies help you press forward as you run for your eternal crown.

I was excited about my upcoming race and told a lot of people about it. Most of them thought I was crazy, but even the ones that were happy for me clearly did not want to join me in my endeavor. I almost always got the same response: “Good for you, but I’d never want to do that!”

It’s not that my other friends weren’t capable of running a half marathon. Aside from any physical setbacks, most people’s bodies are suitable for running. Almost two million people ran half marathons in the United States in 2016. Sixty percent were women. I would tell people, “I know it sounds hard, but you could do it, too!”

Have you ever heard “Good for you, but that’s not for me,” when you tell someone you are a Christian? I have heard it many times. Anyone can become a child of God, but so many people out there think it isn’t for them. Matthew 7:13-14 tells us to enter through the narrow gate. Only a few find the narrow gate that leads to life.

The day of the race, there were a lot of onlookers. People made encouraging and funny signs like, “Great Job, Total Stranger” and “Worst Parade Ever!” There were volunteers at water stations cheering us on every few miles. Some people put signs up in their yards and balloons for us. Others sat in lawn chairs and waved as we passed by. One sweet gentleman put up all kinds of signs in his yard for his wife. “Best oncology nurse ever. I love you.” It was heart melting. He sat and waited for her to pass by and cheer her on, but he never intended to get out of his comfy chair and join us. It meant a lot that were people there to watch, and many of them were good people, they just weren’t ever going to join in.

Let’s be sure we not only choose the road less traveled, lets also encourage others to come along with us as we run toward heaven.

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When "Not Right" Is Alright

I met a really sweet mom at the pediatrician's office today. She was very friendly and caring. She and her daughter interacted with Levi & Adam a lot. I am certain she meant no harm when she made a comment that has stuck with me all day.

While looking at Levi, she kind of jumped like something jogged her memory and said, "I'm glad I saw him because that reminds me about a gift I need to buy!" She told me about a family member that was born prematurely and is a twin. While her sibling is fine, she had some complications, and I'm assuming is intellectually disabled because the woman went on to say that she is buying this twenty-six year old a talking Care Bear stuffed animal for Christmas because she is "not right."

Not right.

She remembered her "not right" family member when she saw my "not right" son. Again, I do not think she meant any harm at all. It's just that those words have really been on my mind today. Mostly because I think Levi IS right. He is ALL that's right. He is loving. He is caring. He is funny, and he causes us to celebrate the little things in life. As a matter of fact, today we had several people check on him and celebrate with us that he is breathing properly (after a hospital stay due to pneumonia).

This little guy may be seen as "not right," but that's alright with me, and I am so glad he's mine.

"Special" Needs Poem

"Don't Break the Ice" Sight Word Game

I made a change to Levi's favorite game so we can use it to work on sight words. Just use a permanent marker to add words to the ice cubes from the "Don't Break the Ice" game. I've combined two game sets so every cube is the same size. You can find the game for a few dollars on eBay or keep an eye out at garage sales. Use nail polish remover to wipe the cubes clean and write new words.

Apraxia of Speech and Down Syndrome

Apraxia of Speech is a disorder that makes it difficult to plan, coordinate, and make speech sounds. Some children with Down syndrome have apraxia, but not all of them do. It has been a concern of mine from day one. Levi has a hard time imitating sounds and speech. He often just makes a "k" sound for whatever he wants and has done this or a "g" sound since he was a year old. His lack of progress concerned me, and we've been talking with his speech therapists about it. He sees a SLP (Speech and Language Pathologist) at school and also has speech therapy with a different SLP outside of school once a week.

I recently met with Dr. Jane Kleinert, an award-winning expert on Down syndrome and apraxia at the University of Kentucky. She said a hallmark of apraxia is that traditional therapies aren't successful. We try and try to get him to imitate the sounds we make, and while sometimes he can, he is not exactly ready for that stage of speech development yet. An infant will make sounds and babble before being able to put those sounds into words, and infants initiate those sounds and babble by themselves without being told what sounds to make. We have to encourage Levi to do that through play to get him more ready for imitation and to make typical speech therapy practices more effective. Once we can help him build these foundational language skills, the other things we are doing should be more effective.

Levi does say some words when we tell him to, but the sounds Levi makes on his own are "wow" and "yay" and other exclamations, many of which are related to our play times at home. After talking with Dr. Kleinert, it made sense to me that Levi calls me "Yay" instead of "Mama." I try to get him to imitate me saying "mama" and he can when I work intensively with him, but it is not something he does on his own. He pats me and says "Yay." He points at family photos or to each of us at home and says, "DeeDee" for Daddy, "Bubba" for Adam, and "Yay" for me. Without fail, he always calls me "Yay." Now, I have some understanding of why and how to get him to move forward. It is because this sound is one he learned to initiate on his own, and he learned to do so through play. If we can get him to initiate other sounds on his own, he will be better able to talk without working so hard.

Another support we are adding for Levi is an iPad mini that he will use only for communication. This will not take the place of talking or discourage him from using his own voice. Like sign-language, it will be his voice until he is able to speak more on his own, and it encourages communication. The app we have chosen is called "Speak for Yourself." It is similar to the "Proloquo2Go" app. Click here to see it's features. Levi's speech pathologist at school has been working with him at school, and we use it at home. To start with, we have very few words on each screen to choose from. We can add more as Levi (and us adults) get more familiar with where the words are located.

He isn't always interested in using it, and can get frustrated. I also am learning, so we are only in the beginning stages. I admit, I need to devote more time to using the app with him, but I am so thankful for the understanding I've gained over the past several months, and pray that we can help support him so he can make more progress in this area.

Here's a short video showing some of Levi's speech difficulties, some of his strengths, and how he is using the "Speak for Yourself" app.

New Flooring & Kitchen Update

BEFORE:




And AFTER:

My friend, Amber, at Stone Cottage Chic got me started on the painting, and I have finished things up very slowly. Some days I would do one coat on just a few cabinets. Once the cabinets were painted, I would be cooking dinner and put two drawer pulls on and then do two more the next night. Little by little, it all came together, and I am so happy with the results.

The backsplash is made up of 10 inch square peel-and-stick pieces. I love that there is no grout to clean, but it has the look I was hoping to achieve. Thanks to our friend, Tyler for putting those up for me.

These handy dandy shelves are another favorite addition. Found them at Lowes.


You might notice the new floors, too. Those went through the whole house. Here are some shots of the living room.
BEFORE:

And AFTER:

My favorite part of having this kind of flooring? It is laminate, and it is tough. It was only 99 cents a square foot and has a 50 year warranty! I looked and researched for months about hardwoods and never found anything I thought I'd be happy with. This stuff is perfect for us!

A Quick Hello & More From Our Photo Shoot with Malicote Photography

I am slowly adjusting to the boys both being away at school. Adam loves kindergarten and is doing beautifully. Levi has the same teacher, which has made for a smooth transition. Some of his classmates from last year are with him again, too.

We are getting ready for this year's Walk for Down Syndrome. Click here to help out by registering to walk or making a donation.

I said I'd post more of these photos and almost forgot!! I am 10 pounds lighter right now than I was in these photos! I have a ways to go, but it is nice to be making progress!

Levi's Best Buddy

Adam's soccer coach called at the beginning of the season to introduce himself and give a little information, but he started out by saying that Levi & his son, Caleb, were in the same preschool class last year (and are together again this year, too). He told me that Caleb doesn't talk much & is in speech therapy but came home every day last year and said, "Wevi is my best buddy." 

The other day, I dropped Levi off at preschool after his morning therapy sessions, and he did not want to go. I walked him to the classroom and out their door that goes to the playground. Caleb ran right up to us. Levi let the teacher hold him but didn't want to get down & play. I went in the room and left the door open enough to watch so I could see how Levi was doing. A few seconds later, I saw him run off to play. Right away, Caleb looked through the cracked door & gave me a thumbs up so I knew Levi was okay. How sweet is that?!

Thrift Store Style

I love picking through items at thrift stores and putting together inexpensive yet up-to-date outfits. I enjoy pinning outfits on Pinterest for inspiration, then getting similar pieces for a few dollars each.

But before showing some photos of some of my latest finds, I have to admit that I've been putting this off due to my 40 lb. weight gain that I am fighting. I have lost a few pounds since these were taken but have a long way to go. After Levi was born, I dropped the 40 pounds I gained with in a year. Now it is all back on & I don't have a pregnancy to blame it on, just bad choices. I am running regularly but eating too much for it to make any difference in my weight. I am working to juice at least once a day & am adding more organic veggies to my day. I am hoping now that school has started & we are beginning to have more of a routine around here that I can step it up and see results soon.

Thanks to my friend Megan Tibbs for a fun photo shoot! Here is a top I recently got for $2. 50. I love the details around the collar & sleeves.

With something that is decorative around the collar, I like to wear a simple necklace that doesn't compete with the shirt. This is one of my favorite necklaces with a charm to represent Adam, Levi, and Wes.

This white shirt is another $2. 50 buy. Notice I wore a much bolder necklace this time.

I love the ruffles on this top & how they add interest in a subtle way.

I have wanted one of these Miche bags with the magnetic, interchangeable covers for a long time, but they are not cheap.

Thanks to ebay & a little bit of patience, I now have a base purse and a few covers that I got for $5-$10 each instead of the $40+ they were to start with.

Of course my favorite new accessories are my Younique makeup products. The 3D Fiber Lash mascara & lip glosses are my most prized items. Click here to see my Younique website & shop around.

Photo Shoot by Malicote Photography

There are so many great photos, that I will be splitting them up into separate posts. I absolutely love Kelsey Malicote. She is a ray of sunshine with some mad photo skills. I love her use of light & how subtle she is with Photoshop.

Our Last Few Weeks in Photos

Outdoor Play

Bible Camp

Favorite Picture Ever...