What we did with Race.....

Well, that flew by!

We did get a few extra days with Race. And they were chocked full of fun family time. There were MANY baseball games....from Dixie Youth to Minor league.

Race got to see Jack hit his very first homerun to tie up a game that his team would go on to win big. That win placed them first in their division. (wildly cheering)

He also got to spend a lot of time with Austin helping him prepare for his move up in baseball. They worked hard and played harder. Race watched him really tear it up at his first practice, on a new team. His efforts payed off in a big way with the new coach. It was a great feeling for both dad and son.

Race and Austin competed in a homerun derby against one another at the batting cages. Jack, Savannah, and I watched and cheered them on. There were 30 pitches. They had to bat 15 right handed and 15 left-handed. Final count? Austin 19 homers, Race 18 homers. They both only missed one ball! It was so fun. The kids and I were screaming and yelling like maniacs, and people were gathering around to see what was going on and to watch these guys slugging it out left, then right! It was so fun!
Afterward we hit the bumper boats. The kids totally took advantage of Race's first time in the boats and they DRENCHED him, before he even got out into the water. But their dad is never one to go down without a fight, so the whole family ended up soaking wet when we left!!(And wouldn't you know it? Not a towel in the car!)We took our front row seats at the minor league game, soaking wet!

Having Race at home also meant that my work-outs were about to become much harder. No more little dumbbell lunges inside. OHHHHhhh Nooooo...we have to go OUTSIDE...in the HEAT....on the DRIVEWAY.....AFTER we had done all our other lifting. We lunged all the way down the driveway and all the way back up.I had 15 pounders, and I couldn't tell what was going to give first: my totally smoked arms, or my wobbly, trembling legs! Whew!
No more leisurely running on the treadmill in the AC. Ohhhh Nooooooo.....not us. We went OUTSIDE...in the HEAT....with the GNATS...and Race introduced me to 300 yd shuttles. OH. MY. Gosh. I think that's the hardest thing that I've ever done. (O.k, not counting childbirth). Football players? How do you do it?
But you know what? It was fun afterward. Race is a great motivator, and the harder I go, the harder he goes. Savannah and Austin ran sprints with us. He always makes us stronger and more confident. It was all really, really great.I would do it again and again. (I would probably throw up again and again...but..you get the picture).

Looking back, we spent most of our time outdoors. Race and the kids spent a good bit of time down at the creek. They piled up large flat river rocks, to raise the water level in one area, and create a swimming hole. They swam for most of that afternoon.

We got alot of work done as well, but that's not nearly as interesting, so we'll leave all that out.

Race is gone, and life is back to normal. Not drab. Just normal. He has become such a huge presence to us, that the void that is left when he is away is unmistakable. BUt I don't think that I'd have it any other way.

We love you Race!