Treasured Friends

We have lived in North Carolina for over 10 years now. It's hard to believe it's been that long. We all love it here and can't imagine living anywhere else. We love our home, our yard, our neighborhood, our church, and our friends. One of the main ministries of our church is the Small Group Ministry. It took us a while, but we found a small group within our church that has been an excellent fit for Rich and myself, but also for our children. Once a week, we gather with our small group, share a meal at a home of one of the families, study our Bibles, have accountability, and prayer. Our children experience community and fellowship with the other children in the group. 

The idea behind the small group ministry is to "do life" with  your small group. On this particular day, we all gathered together on Labor Day and went swimming and cooked out. It can take a long time to develop relationships within the church. It requires a commitment to seek out those relationships and time to develop them to the point at which it's comfortable to seek out prayer and counsel for whatever it is that is going on in your everyday life. 

We are so thankful for our small group. We love the people in our small group and are continually blessed by them as we share our lives with them. Our entire family looks forward to going to small group each week. Years ago, after we were first married we were a part of a small group ministry and  Rich began a small group ministry at the church that he pastored. We have missed this ministry so much over the years! Our children are blessed by the friendships they are forming. 

I am not only thankful for the relationships that I see my children forming  - both within our church at large - and with the other people (both young and old) in our small group, but I am also thankful for the women in the small group who have become my dear friends. 

The Track Meet

The runners marched on to the field to the Olympic song. The yellow group is Aaron's group. (7 year old boys) Aaron signed up to run the 800m and the 400m.

The green group is Martin's group. (10 year old boys)
Martin signed up to run hurdles, the 100m dash, and the 400

You can see Aaron on the right side of the picture getting ready to run the 800m which is about a half mile.

We discovered during the week of Runner's Camp that Aaron's strength is in distance running. He ran the 800m in only 3 minutes and 44 seconds! He won a 2nd place ribbon in his age group!

He won a 5th place ribbon for the 400 m.

Martin got participation ribbons in some events, he got 5th place in the 400, and 3rd place in the shot-put. Rosalie and Jonathan ran the sibling race and each of them got participation ribbons too.
We had a super fun week of learning track and field events while also studying the truth of God's Word. They can't wait to go back next year!

More Runner's Camp

I finally got a picture of all 4 of them in their RC t-shirts this morning before we left. It was very early and I had just gotten through waking them up. Martin had just told me that he was tired of being woke up. (these kiddos are a little spoiled with our leisurely mornings and always getting to sleep until they wake up on their own! Of course ... my children are mostly early risers ... so don't think for a second that I ever get to sleep past 7!)

Is that a cupcake in his hands?? We had a little birthday party at mini-camp today and the children enjoyed some yummy cupcakes!

All four of the children are loving their week at Runner's Camp! I'll have more pictures later this week of the track meet!

Runner's Camp

We are all going to Runner's Camp this week! Martin and Aaron are with 10 year old boys and 7 year old boys respectively. Jonathan and Rosalie are going to the mini-camp.
I am helping and doing some teaching in the 4 and 5 year old group at the mini-camp.
It was a great day for all of us. Jonathan and Rosalie loved the mini-camp and were so happy to learn that they get to go back tomorrow!
Martin and Aaron got t-shirts and a special runner's camp bag and Bible. We got a special lunch box for Jonathan and Rosalie ... and you would have thought it was the best gift they had ever received! They loved taking their lunch with them to mini-camp!
I'll come back later with a picture of all of them in their t-shirts. J & R got their own runner camp t-shirts  to wear the rest of the week!