eleven...and hanging ten

Well, after about six weeks of living fairly simple lives as pre-missionaries, our family enjoyed a very special celebration for Joshua's 11th birthday.  Although he had a bit of difficulty deciding on what he might want to commemorate this milestone, when he finally decided to go for an experience rather than an object, he decided that our time in southern California provided the perfect opportunity to request...a surfing lesson!

And so as soon as we finished classes this afternoon, the five of us headed out to Manhattan Beach, just south of Santa Monica, and Joshua's wish was granted.  The weather could not have been more ideal--a lovely 74 degrees with a slight breeze as the sun began to dip in the sky.  Joshua met Heather, his warm and experienced instructor, then he suited up, and spent the first 45 minutes learning the ropes on the safety of the warm, dry sand.

Then it was time to head for the waves.  Not too surprisingly, it's difficult for me not to see this experience as a great lesson in perseverance and stick-to-itiveness.  Joshua is a strong swimmer who was so excited for this chance to learn a new skill, and he absolutely loves the water, but passion alone doesn't make for a natural surfer.  He spent almost as much time swimming out, falling down, and swimming out again, as he did catching some waves and finding that perfect balance on the board.

His instructor was a great mix of patient teacher and enthusiastic coach.

In the end, our sweet boy emerged happy, fulfilled, proud, exhausted, and utterly satisfied.

Afterwards, we celebrated with a delicious seafood dinner and a chance to soak in the very unique opportunities that this day provided.  Once again, our plans for mission service overseas put into rather clear perspective how very special each and every day can be.

And, of course, earlier toady, we enjoyed a little celebration with our enthusiastic and ever-supportive mission house buddies.

We thank God for the wonderfully mature, bright, precocious, curious, reverent, silly, questioning, challenging, goofy, gifted, loyal, absolutely beautiful soul that he has given us in our precious Joshua.

Happy birthday, sweet boy.  

 For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14

 

the swimmer

Because the girls have each had a birthday since we started this blog, both of them have had posts dedicated to their histories, unique personalities, and such.  I must admit, however, that the [justice-seeking, always-wanting-to-be-fair] first child in me has been feeling a little guilty that our firstborn has not had the opportunity to shine in our little corner of the blog world.

Well, we're about to change all that right now.

My husband is skilled in many things, only one of which includes his exceptional swimming ability.  Even now, far-removed from his days on his small town’s high school swim team, he enjoys great swim workouts at our YMCA at least two or three times per week.  He always says that in his triathlon days, swimming was far and away his strongest event (he was apparently the “second one out of the water at Callaway Gardens" back in the late 80s).

And now we have learned that Joshua has inherited his father’s (thank goodness!) great swimming talent and has thoroughly enjoyed participating in a year-round swim team here in Greenville.  He started back in 2009, after a swim teacher in El Paso deemed him “ready for swim team,” and he’s absolutely loved it since.  This kid who had been just fine with YMCA soccer for years, suddenly found a sport where he could shine.  The individuality of swimming, the discipline of multiple practices each week, the rigor and reward of pushing his body a little more each time, and the huge energy burn that he experiences with every practice--all these have been gifts for our little man's wonderful and somewhat intense personality.

He is thriving in this sport, and is understandably a little bummed that he'll have to say goodbye to it while we are overseas.  And as he has matured both physically and emotionally through this experience, I have found my own growth as well.  I finally get the whole parental pride in kids' sports now.  Not a haughty idea that my kid is better than others, but rather an amazing satisfaction at seeing Joshua's sense of accomplishment.  What a gift to see him be so focused, work so hard, do something he loves so much, and enjoy the benefits of it all.

 

 Joshua has always been a great student, one for whom academic stuff seems to come fairly easily.  And while he's certainly got (his dad's) genetics on his side, swimming is neither natural nor easy for him. Of course I would never wish unnecessary hardships on my kids, but I think it's an awesome experience for Joshua to be truly stretched, challenged, and sometimes humbled in this endeavor.

And finally, with full knowledge that I am far from objective when it comes to our little ones, I've gotta say that this boy's butterfly is something to behold!

 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:13-14