Final Pre-Race Update

T-7 Days!

First off, THANK you for bearing with me as I continually post, fill your inbox, and flood your Facebook page with updates about Team World Vision. I could not have made it through 17+ weeks of training without your encouragement and support. This will be my final pre-race update! I promise to only fill your inbox one last time post-race...this year anyway :)

Second, I still need your help to get to race day. My achilles is still not 100%, so I covet your prayers. What's worse, my closest teammate, Scott, is also injured. He took a nasty fall on Friday night, and at this moment, he is still not sure he can even run on race day. If you could pray for physical and mental healing, I would be forever grateful. To those of you already praying, THANK YOU!

Third, I would love your support on race day if possible. I have said it before, and I will say it again...the spectators last year really helped me cross the finish line. Seeing my family and friends throughout the course was AMAZING. If you are in town, I promise you will have fun. Cheering on runners might not sound like fun, but trust me, it is. Even for non-runners. Make signs, bring cow bells, yell loudly. It makes a difference. My goal is to keep a pace of 9:45/mile if that helps you decide when and where to go :)

Fourth, THANK YOU to those of you have already sponsored me financially. At this moment, I have raise $2,985 dollars. That means that 59 people will now have clean water FOR LIFE because of my family and friends. WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD, PEOPLE! LITERALLY!!! I am so honored and humbled. I have been brought to tears many times during this fundraising journey. Bono once said, "We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude and longitude determines whether a child lives or dies." I truly believe that now. Together we are solving the clean water crisis.

Fifth, there is still time to support me! If you are willing and able, click below to learn more about Team World Vision's impact and to donate to TWV on my behalf. THANK YOU!!!

http://www.teamworldvision.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=1531

Thankful to do life with such wonderful people,
~Sandra

Happy Half Birthday, Grayson!

Today you are five and half years old. Unfortunately, this isn't good enough for you because you continually ask, "When will I be six?" In fact, when you were asked a few days after your fifth birthday how old you were, you replied, "I'm gonna be six!" I had to politely tell the asker that you would be six in 360 days. Basically, you always want to be your brother's age. This is difficult for me because as your mama, I want you to stay little for quite some time :)

Kindergarten is going well for you. You don't love school, but you definitely enjoy it. In fact, you think the WORLD of Mrs. Thate. Whatever she says, goes. I think I might ask her to tell you to eat more vegetables because I am pretty sure you would listen to her! I love getting updates about your day, and you are always VERY excited to show me what you worked on. If you see me throw away ANY of your work (even little worksheets), you get very angry at me. Just today you brought home a picture you drew of you swinging on a swing set. You were then asked to write sentence below describing what you drew. By no means did you have complete words, but I could actually read your sentence. It is fun to see that you are on the brink of reading and writing. Your world will become infinitely bigger when you can truly read! You get school lunch almost every day; the school provides you with a Gluten Free lunch each day, and you have enjoyed everything so far. You even tried peperoni for the first time, and now you ask for it at home.

You started soccer with Griffin this fall. You play on separate fields but at the same time. I don't see the joy on your face that I do during your tennis lessons, but you have fun running around and playing with the other kids. I enjoy that tire yourself out :) Mommy and Daddy love that you still enjoy tennis at the bubble as much as you do. I think it is safe to say we are officially a tennis family :) You also thoroughly enjoyed your time at Vertical Endeavors recently. Let's be honest, I think you like anything that involves movement.

Sleeping at night is going MUCH better. Because you no longer take naps during the day, you fall asleep quite easily at night. You still try and get out of your bed for a little bit (and we let you for a little bit), but none of this staying up 'till ten o'clock business anymore!  You and your brother still share a room, and I am not sure if the two of you will ever sleep in separate rooms. You gab away each night, and it makes me smile.

Happy Half Birthday, my strong-willed child! Your energy and zeal for life is unmatched, and it is a joy to be your mommy. I love you to the moon and back...forever and a day.