Putting All That Energy to Good Use

Ever since Josiah ran his first race--a mile run on Thanksgiving Day in 2011--he's been hooked.  But what a good thing to be hooked on!  :)

Running a mile is now pretty easy for him; and he's moved on to 5Ks, having had several opportunities to run them in the past year and a half.  Today was his latest race, this time to support our wonderful local pregnancy center, an organization which has, for a very long time, been near and dear to my heart (and to my parents' hearts--my dad spent a number of years serving on the board of the center).

Here, in pictures, is the story of this race...

 My oldest and my youngest--"The I-yah's!"--before the race.

On your mark...

 Get set...

 GO!

 And he did.  :)

 While we were waiting for him, the other boys had great fun playing on the playground.  I believe they were pretending it was a ship--probably a pirate one, because despite my conversations with them about pirates being thieves and robbers and Really Bad Guys, they still are enamored with them, as are most (all?) little boys, I suppose.  :)

While the pirates were busily occupied, I sat and admired a certain someone's sweet eyelashes.  :)

And then it was time to wait near the finish line, eagerly looking for our favorite runner to appear.  Until he did, David, Tobin, and Shav did a good job of excitedly welcoming all the runners that passed by on their way to the finish line.  :)

 And then he came!  There was a little mix-up about which way to go, so Josiah actually ran further than he needed to, and I thought we might have to send David after him to tell him to turn into this road and run down here to the finish line.  But it all got straightened out...

...and Josiah made it.  :)

 I think his time at the end was 32:38, but that could be off by a few seconds.  Josiah would know; and if he wasn't asleep right now, I would ask him.  :)

 I was SO proud of him!  Still am, as a matter of fact.  :)

 He might not have crossed the finish line first; but in my eyes, he's a champion!  :)