Fall Early Release day

Today was the first fall early release day....I picked up a truck full of boys at school...... and fed them  a snack and dropped them off in the back yard. I never heard from them again....just hours of football playing fall fun!

It was a fun afternoon.....I'm so lucky to be able to give them afternoons just like this!

walks...

Walks.  The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird.  

~Jules Renard

I love it when we all go for a walk...usually the boys are on their bikes...and Jack is with us...it's just a good feeling when you walk with the people you love.

A trip to the Apple Orchard

With the fall season brings the longing for all things fall....so today we ventured for a day in the apple orchard! Every fall since Riggs was two I have taken the kids to this precious Orchard...it is a hidden gem...a secret down roads that fork off again and again...behind a latched gate.... 

and once you drive through the gate...it's like you are in a secret place...that you just discovered all on your own....I feel that way every time I come here.

There are no workers...no cash register....just a sign that says: help your self to a cookie, grab a carrot for the pony, and pick as many apples as you can fit in your bag...just leave $5.

Some apples are on low hanging branches...low enough for even sweet Lila to reach.....

Others are way high up and require a daddy and an apple picker to get.....

They are all beautiful.....

We tasted them all....so many different kinds....sweet ones....tart ones....red ones....green ones.....

 

 We just enjoyed the beauty around us....the apple season was  pretty much over so the apples we found were treasures! The orchard is vast and quiet...the ground littered with fallen apples that were beginning rot...filling the air with a sweet smell.  It was just us and the trees....and it was lovely.

Just so you know...when a giggle erupts in a quiet orchard...it is extra beautiful!

 We headed back down the gravel road to find the one eyed pony with our carrots.....

 He was happy to see us....

He really had a thing for Lila.....

 Then we headed back to the truck...we didn't take a bag of apples but we left $5 anyway...our afternoon in the orchard was priceless.....

We are so happy fall is here!

Franklin County Meet

We arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park for the Franklin County Invitational. We arrived excited and eager to run on the beautiful bluegrass on what turned out to be a beautiful day after a morning of rain.  

Within seconds Riggs had spotted him......Wes Grogan. The 4th grade runner from the YMCA and also Ethan...another 4th grade from the YMCA team. They had both beat Riggs at the Trinity meet and he took it pretty hard. It was one thing for him to be beat by 6th graders and even 5th graders but by other 4th graders....well that was very hard for him to swallow. As soon as he saw them he got more focused and he made up his mind that he would give it all he had to beat them.  It was a whole new game and I seriously wanted to throw up....I knew Riggs would be devastated if they beat him today.

They passed by and he watched them in their yellow uniforms from a distance...he took them in and I wondered what he was saying to himself.....and then he looked away and his eyes softened......almost like he was at peace with what was going to happen...like he knew the end result......but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad......

They approached the starting line and got ready to run....that's what they came to do!

The Hardy boys stood side by side for this start....at first Riggs  was very focused and Rollins was almost doing a tired stretch.....

But that stretched stopped and Rollins too got focused and ready to run....

The gun went off and both boys had great starts! I prayed for swift, smart boys with happy hearts at the end of the race.....and I would be lying if I didn't also say I  added...please let Riggs beat those 4th graders from the Y .....he wants to so bad.....

The first time I saw Riggs he was right behind Wes...so close but behind....

The next time I saw him he had passed Wes...but he still had far to go...and Ethan to pass....Please let him hold his speed.....I prayed

. The next time I saw him he was in front of Wes AND Ethan....

Coming into the finish line....I saw him...still ahead of both of them and I yelled out...Not Today! Today was Riggs' day....they would not beat him today....

There he was in front of yellow YMCA boy after yellow YMCA boy....seeing what he saw in his head....him finishing before them.....

He was flying.....Go Riggs!

He finished 4th with a 3K time of 11:45......a new PR for him.

It was a big day for Riggs for sure...but don't forget about little brother who has focus of his own....

He came into the finish line of his first 3K ever....running as a second grader in a field of older kids....and finished 16th! He was amazing!

I ran as fast as I could to them....a fence separating us....I could not wait to see their faces....my big hearted boys....and they were happy...and my heart breathed a sign of relief.

Jeremy saw Rollins and went crazy...and then he saw Riggs and was yelling...and came up to him and in typical boy fashion smacked his butt with joy!

I just love a cross county meet...because my boys love them so much. Because they try so hard...because sometimes it's just your day and victory is sweet...and it's always worth the effort no matter what. Because it means something to them...because I love them.

The results were posted and life was good.....

Goshen boys took first!

It was a great meet and a good day!

I love it that Riggs was able to set a goal and he was able to acomplish it today. I love it that both of my boys are running so well...but more than that that they are trying so hard!

back in the truck...Jeremy did his play by play of both of the boys races,,,,

then Riggs did his.....

and I listened with love and hung on every word....it was like reading Twilight

We celebrated on campus at Ramsey's for lunch...

Man oh man...it was a good day!