Tight

The day Jeremy got the "M" was seriously one of the happiest days of his life. He can tell you the details of this day like I can tell you the birth stories of my children. It was a dream come true....an accomplishment....something he had always wanted. And if he said it once he said it a thousand times...I will never get rid of this car. I love it that much. He has four beautiful children and yet a picture of this car is his iPhone screen saver.  He has always been like that with his cars...but with this one is was much more.

but things are tight....and will be getting tighter and so Jeremy made the heartbreaking decision to sell  the "M"....right now there is just no other way.

I watched him clean this car for two days....and every time I cried.

 Cleaning this car inside and out...one last time...was his way of saying good bye.....and I know it's just a car...but I am telling you it was heartbreaking...

 He said the last thing  to do before he turned it over to the new owner was peel his Iron Man sticker off.....
The M sold in 4 hours and was gone in the blink of an eye.....

 and now we own a used Prius...a cheaper car...with great gas milage......and his screen saver is now someones else's car.....

 I am proud of him....of us...we are putting the family first...and doing what we can keep up even when it's tight. It's all these little struggles that make you stronger...pull you together...so you know love and feel love and can hopefully get through the big ones when they come.
But as long as the sun is rising over the Hardy house and 6 heartbeats still beat within it...life is good.

Things may be tight...but then again....so are we.

Epilepsy Charity Home

Since Braden has Epilepsy and we love him like our own...it made perfect sense to support the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentucky for the Norton Commons Charity of Homes Event. Today we were on Wave 3 listens promoting the event. Doing good work in the world just feels so good. We all have our struggles...our good days and bad....but there is always time to help others....

 The house is beautiful and it's coming right along! I hope we raise a lot of money for the foundation!

It means so much to all of us....especially my Rollins...here is his homework from last week...check out #9:

9. What do you think will be the biggest difference between this school year and last school year?
Learning to be without my best friend. I will worry because he has seizures 

Down Time

This weekend we were craving a little down time. With school, soccer, cross country, guitar, ballet, and hip hop back in full force we were tired. Riggs went off to hang with some friends and I took the other three littles off the couch for some nice quiet time by the creek.

 Something about the sound of water.....

 It's just good for the soul....

 We enjoyed our hour or so by the water.....and then headed back home for warm baths and more cuddle time on the couch.

Sometimes you just need a little down time......

Our 1st Tiger Run

We signed Riggs up for the St. X Tiger Run the very last second of the deadline day. It is a middle school and high school meet but we thought it would be a good way to see where he is this season and to be a good confidence marker for him...in a middle school race of elite competition  no matter what he did....it would be great. Looking ahead we wanted him to have this race to look back on and since it is a longer race we knew it would be a good one to start out his season with...the longer the race the better he is. At practice on Thursday he said he didn't feel well but he ran anyway...and actually ran pretty well. He threw up all the way home. He was pretty darn sick on Friday and stayed home from school. He spent a lot of time rehydrating and relaxing in the bath...and we were unsure if the Tiger Run was a go or not. We would leave it up to time and to him...he knows his body.

On Saturday morning he wanted to run....

 It is a big meet.....so many teams....so many people.....he took it all in....
he saw the medal table ....and we all thought....one day.....hopefully.....

My big 5th grader suddenly looked like a tiny peanut compared to these middle schoolers.....

 Running shoes  were taken off.....

 and new, carefully picked by Riggs, spikes were put on for the first time this season....

 He warmed up.....

 lined up with hundreds of other kids......and the gun went off for the first time this XC season for Riggs

 I waited at the one mile marker for him....the first time I saw the Gator I truly felt like I was going to throw up....these kids just seemed so big and they were coming so fast.....we eat, sleep and love XC so I knew all the kids in front by name....I clapped and cheered for them like they were my very own...oh it was so exciting! I wondered how long it would be before I saw my Riggs.....

 and sooner than I thought there he was....right behind 2 North Oldham boys....his one mile time at 5:50...

He was small but he was mighty....I could tell he was giving it all he had and I was so proud of his heart and will to try so hard.....

 At the finish line I waited....I cheered as Josh sped by with his time in the 9's.....

 and then Logan....

and a few more runners came by and then came the pack...and I could not believe it.... but Riggs was in this pack....one of the first 20 for sure.....

 he was pushing....giving....trying...

 It was almost as if I could feel his heart beat.....

 and he put his heart on the line...all the way.......

 until he crossed the finish line...and his race was over...

 and then and only then...did he think about stopping....and it set in that his hard work at every practice was worth something....

 He was quiet after the race and high fived every runner he knew...telling them good race....I watched him do his thing because he was doing everything I hoped he would all on his own....

 We were happy Coach Jeff was there to see his first race of the season....

 and then we were off in the blink of an eye to our first soccer game of the season......having no idea how he finished or what his time was...but happy because no matter what he tried his best...and that's all you can ask for....

 When we reunited with Daddy later in the day he had a little something for Riggs....not something he had bought for Riggs but rather something Riggs has earned....

A medal from the Tiger Run....one of the medals that had been on that very table he saw that morning... his "one day" was today....and it meant the world to him....

 He had a t shirt.....he had a medal...
He had a new 3K PR...placing 17th with a time of 11:00 flat
But more than that he had a great beginning to a new XC season....something that means so much to him....running feeds his soul in a way that amazes me and fills me with love for him. Let the 2012 XC season begin! Every season is always its own adventure....and I can't wait to see where this one takes us!

XC meet count down....

We are about a week away from our first official meet of the season...we are really trying to make these last days count for our Gators. We were so happy to have Jeff come review form and breathing.

 Riggs is really looking good, but honestly we are not sure where he is...where his head is this season and how he is measuring up.  It has been more difficult that we thought for him to be the team leader this year.  He still struggles with his confidence....even with running. Last year he had people who consistently beat him...like Brandt and Nicole...people to push him...pace him. If he ever beat them it was an awesome boost...and if he didn't that was fine too because it was not expected.  So it has been hard for him to be the leader....knowing that bad days come...and bad races happen and that one day he will probably loose to someone he is not expecting to....and knowing how devastating that might be to him.  We are especially nervous about these first races that are so short.

 The team is great and I have so loved getting to know the new kids....and the new families....

 Tonight they got their XC letters.....I make one for every kid on the team..and point out why we are most proud of them...it takes a long time....but when the Coaches pass them out...and they read them...and that little smile creeps onto their face...it's worth every minute I put into them...

 I could not love my XC boys more.....but I sure love every child on this team too.

 I want to lift every single one of them up....and let them know they count...that they matter to the team....

I am so excited about our upcoming meets and I can't wait to see what the season brings!

Double birthdays

The Hardys gathered to celebrate Grandpa's 60th and Jeff's 42nd birthday!

 It was just what I needed today.....time with family...after a week of mourning Mrs. P's loss.....When you spend a week with someone wanting one more minute with some one who is gone...you appreciate the minutes you have with the ones you love even more....
I drank this traditional birthday celebration up...the gathering around the table...the singing....the wishes made....

 the opening of presents.....

 the presence of family.......

 and time with the ones you love....

 I smiled at the tradition of Bumpa's cake....she has been making this birthday cake for 42 years....it was just a great afternoon......full of love and family....

and thanks to our day Rollins totally ace his weekend home work from sweet Mrs. Noon......