The Power of Inspiration - Part 2

April 15: Tri the Rim Sprint Triathlon - Goal Accomplished!

When we woke to two inches of snow on the ground and a temperature of 25 degrees, we knew it was going to be quite a memorable day.   However, we had no idea just how amazing this day would be.  We had been working very hard with lots of miles on bikes and running and even a few days swimming before school, but just weren't sure how the race would turn out.  We did a lot of riding and hiking earlier in the week and wondered if that would make things difficult for Carver and Kayla.  On the way in I asked them what they would tell themselves when it got hard.  Carver said, "Just don't quit.  This is discomfort, not exhaustion" would be running through his head and Kayla said she would be telling herself her favorite memorized Vince Lombardi quote, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear is when he has worked his heart out for a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."

Carver running from the pool to the transition area before his bike ride.

We set our transition area and the next thing we knew, we were off!  Brett raced with Carver and I stayed with Kayla.  They both did beautifully in the pool and Kayla had her fastest swim by far!  It was pretty cold when we ran out to climb on our bikes and the first lap was chilly, but we loved the fact that we were beating the boys!  She rode really well and was especially thrilled to pass Kenna, our niece Kara and our friends Jenny and Crystal who were cheering like crazy for us!  Carver is such a natural on his bike and had an excellent ride.  Brett and Carver did pass us on the bike, but that just fueled Kayla more.  By the time we started the run, Kayla was beaming.  She was truly having a blast and was soaking it all in.  Our friend Jenny ran with us at the beginning of the 5K and our friend Crystal ran us into the finish.  Kayla was determined to sprint to the end and she did!!!

Kayla at the finish!

Both kids were AMAZING and all four of us loved the whole experience.  Carver and Brett finished in 1 hour and 58 minutes and Kayla and I finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes.  Both kids ran the 5K leg way faster than they ran a 5K in February and that was AFTER they swam and biked!  Once the race was over we learned that Kayla WON the 0-17 female age division!   Carver was up against some high school boys and didn't win an award, but at 9 was the youngest participant.  They both received lots of encouragement from fellow racers and are hooked!  The whole way home they were talking about other races they wanted to finish.  It was an incredible Sunday!

Starting the 5K with Kayla

To share all the training and physical experiences of this spring with our kids has been tremendous.  Kenna had an amazing 7 mile run on Saturday getting ready for her race in June and I quickly realized that our window of training together is gradually coming to a close.  Very soon our children will totally drop Brett and I because we will be so much slower than they are! 

Brett after his finish

The Power of Inspiration

This January, my Kenna (the one who often shrinks from athletic activity) decided to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles!!!) to honor the memory of her Granddaddy and raise money on his behalf for the leukemia society.  Because of her example Carver and Kayla have decided to complete a sprint triathlon (500 yd. swim, 13.1 mile bike and 3.1 mile run) on Sunday, April 15th!  Here is the copy of Kenna's donation letter:

Dear Friends and Family,

Most people think that leukemia is a children’s disease and once I agreed with them.  But in January 2010 my whole family discovered that no matter how old you are leukemia is still a possibility.  It was at that time that my granddad, Avery T. Willis Jr., was diagnosed with the fatal disease that we had once called just for kids.  When he died on July 30, 2010 all of our worlds were rocked forever.  At this time I started to realize how many people and their families were and are affected by blood cancers.    

This past January, I found a small brochure with the words Team in Training across the top in my mom’s classroom.  When I opened it up I found out that I could raise money to find a cure for blood cancers.  When I read that Team in Training helped people run endurance races I admit it shrank a bit, but when I got home that night I went on to the website and found out that you did not have to be an expert runner.   I decided I had a mission I had to complete.

On June 9 this year and I will be running my first Half Marathon (13.1 mile race) with my mom.   You can help me accomplish my mission by donating a few dollars to the cause.  All the money will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for kids and adults with all kinds of blood cancers.  It will help people who do not have the money to go through with the treatment and research a cure.  For more information call me at (970)-764-7455 or email me at kennamykenna@yahoo.com or send me a letter at 786 Durango Rd. Durango Co.81301.  To donate go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/nm/SteamWrk12/gwillislfb. Help me tell these people that we care and want to support them.   

                                      Team in Training Member,

  

Ahhh, April - you are so bittersweet...

I cannot believe that it is April!  Where have the last four months gone?  This month always brings a flurry of emotions, but I think this year April is just painfully bittersweet.  You see, on one hand I CAN'T WAIT to have my own kids for two whole months!!!  (Football starts July 30, so in August I have to share them with coaches)  We have such great times in the summer and I truly treasure each moment...OK, maybe not "treasure" when they are bickering or begging to play Wii every five minutes, but I really love to just be with them without the pressure of a daily agenda that includes early alarms, schedules and homework. With the  finished school year behind us, we just get to relax and refuel together.  Kenna and I will share several books together, Kayla can't wait to spend time hiking with her camera, and working football drills and Carver will spend countless hours catching the football while jumping on the trampoline.  We will camp and climb 14ers, ride our bikes and enjoy a trip to Nana Camp in Texas.  Truly, summers are magical and just too short for my taste! 

But on the other hand, I will soon have to say goodbye to my other kids...the ones I have shared my life with for the past 8 months.  This class will be the hardest class I have ever given up.  OK, I say that every year, but this group is really dear to my heart.  This class has set several records for me:  the most time I have ever spent visiting with social services, the most bathroom accidents (remember I teach second grade...), the most I have been asked how I would parent the child at home and general parenting advice, the most I have actually lost sleep praying for my kids, the most I have been constantly touched by my kids (they hold my hand while I am teaching, walking down the hall and constantly play with my shoes and feet during read aloud), and by far the kids this year have just matured.  We have walked many painful journeys together and have had lots of fun laughing together as well.  Like every year I will cry telling them goodbye on June 1, but this year will be different.  This class of kids is just incredible and I am so shocked that in just 8 weeks they will walk out my door.  I only have 8 weeks left to make sure each one knows how valued and treasured they are and maybe teach them to subtract with regrouping along the way.  Just 8 weeks to share with them how much I have fallen in love with each of them...  Maybe if I get all of my tears out in April May will be easier...  

2012 - Don't Miss It!!!!

Have you ever seen the movie, "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin?  There is a scene in that movie that always haunts me...when Steve Martin misses his daughter's bouquet toss and is trying to catch up to her as she leaves on her Honeymoon with her new husband.  So many times I feel like I miss those big, life moments, too.  Unfortunately, like so many moms, I am always so busy doing the "stuff" of life that I miss LIVING!  Well, I am planning to make 2012 very different!

As a family, we welcomed in the new year by setting four goals each.  All five of us set spiritual, physical, mental and social goals.  It was amazing to hear the goals and action plans of my family!  We decided that goals are so much more attainable than resolutions:).  One of my goals is to affirm my family with a little notebook I write and place under their pillow.  My friend, Jamie Jo, gave me this idea a while ago and I am finally putting it into action.  My goal is to write a word (or words) of affirmation to each of my family members at least three times a week.  I knew that if I decided to do this everyday, I would fall short, so I opted for a more reasonable plan.  So far, so good!  It is amazing how much more I see the incredible people in my life when I am looking for ways to encourage them:)!

So, watch for lots of photos of the Willis family working toward and achieving goals this year!  Because we don't want to miss it!

Kenna Grace

Kenna in Musanze, Rwanda this summer

Remember 7th grade?  Remember the discomfort of social pressure and trying to fit in?  Well, Kenna is having somewhat of a challenging 7th grade start.  She has made some wonderful friends this year and is loving her teachers, but that pesky homework has been a hassle and has made for some intense conversations between the two of us.  All that to say...in church Sunday night she announced that she had forgotten to do a Power Point that was, of course, due the next morning!  Grrr... Thankfully, my sweet and wise friend Gracie (she has two children older than Kenna) just looked at me and bit her tongue.  This was her very gracious way of saying, "Lay off Gretchen!"  We ended our conversation and headed for home so Kenna could begin what would be a VERY long night for her.

In the car on the way home she casually mentioned, that she wasn't going to be able to finish a Spanish project that is due this week as well.  Although I wanted to rant, I remembered Gracie's advice, and simply asked why without any scolding and was overwhelmed by Kenna's response.

"Well, Mom, our teacher wanted us to build an altar to Pablo Picasso for the Day of the Dead celebration and I just heard God telling me not to do that.  I am only supposed to build an altar to Him.  So, I told my teacher how I felt and asked if I could complete an alternative assignment.  I talked with a friend and she felt the same way and was just waiting for someone else to stand with her so she wouldn't have to talk to the teacher alone.  My teacher said she respected my position and will get back to me."

Wow, I was completely challenged by the Holy Spirit in my almost 13 year old.  Since Kenna was little she has always had an unusual sensitivity to the Spirit and how often I miss this beauty within her as I battle to make her focus on the earthly rather than the eternal...  As a 7th grader I was so much more concerned with being liked and pleasing others than I was with pleasing my Father.  But not Kenna...this is the kid in Kindergarten who, when asked what she wanted for Christmas, responded with, "That all over the world everyone would ask Jesus in their heart."  She has also led two of her friends to Christ on the playground and is very committed to her dream of running an orphanage in Africa.  As much as it pains me to admit it, I think it will be much easier for Kenna to passionately follow whatever the Lord has for her than it will be for me to let her go....  I love you, Kenna, and am so inspired by your confidence and obedience to the Lord.

Life Lessons from Football

Today was the first round of football playoff action!  Kayla and Carver have been working since August 1st for this day and were both READY to play, but the day yielded unexpected life lessons.

Carver on the opposite side defensive end wearing the red long sleeve shirt.

Carver #39 on the left trying to keep his teammates from getting sick and trying not to throw up.

Carver's game was at 9:00 in Durango.  When we woke him up at 6:30, he started complaining that his stomach hurt and was moving very slowly.  Thinking he was nervous, we quickly started into our game day routine and music, but he still didn't eat very much and was moving very slowly.  He was pretty pale on the way to the game as Brett and I told him how even pros get pre-game jitters before big games and not to feel upset.  That was right before he asked Brett to pull over so he could vomit....poor guy!  After he got sick he felt much better and was ready to play.  Just after his first defensive series, I looked down the sideline only to see him throwing up again!  He played tons of minutes today, but unfortunately it was with much less spunk and intensity that usual.  Poor guy tried to stay as far as he could from the rest of his team on the sidelines so he wouldn't share anything.  Some of his coaches didn't know he was sick and were not impressed with his lack of energy, but I couldn't be more proud.  His team won 20-0 and Carver learned the important life lesson of supporting his team and giving his best even in less than perfect circumstances.  On to the Semi-finals next Saturday!!!

Kayla with the white long sleeves taking it to #77

Kayla's game was at 3:00 in Cortez.  Unfortunately her team lost their game in the last 2 minutes with an interception and a touchdown.  It was heartbreaking!   She was not the only player sobbing after the game.  They played soooo hard today and she desperately wanted to play in the Super Bowl this year.  They lost the first round of the playoffs last year as well which made today even more difficult.  She just kept saying, "I just wanted this game so badly today."  As she was crying and following her usual routine of telling her coaches thank you after the game,  I have to admit I was crying too hard to join her in thanking them.  It is just do hard to have such an abrupt ending to a season.  Needless to say, it was a very long drive back from Cortez...

Kayla to the right of #79 in the white long sleeves, firing off the line

 

Kayla absolutely loves the game of football.  I asked her one day why she plays football and she said, "Because it is hard and always challenges me.  I really love the challenge and I really love the game."  She HAS worked hard this season.  She played offensive tackle and guard this year and it was harder than last year.  She had to change her stance this year to compensate for growing about 5 inches from last year to this year and to help her change her center of gravity. 

Kayla's game face from the Pagosa game

On the way home she set her goal for next season.  She wants to play a very crucial defensive spot that will require lots of off season training and has decided to adopt a Tim Tebow quote as her mantra for the off season, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."  She has decided she now hates the number 19 (19 seconds were left in the game when Aztec scored their touchdown...) and has decided 19 will be her rep number for her workouts and her motivation for this off season.  I can't wait to see her reach her goal in August!

So we finished the day with triumph and loss, but are very grateful for the opportunity to play the game of football. 

Kenna Finishes Strong

Kenna #24 and her team finishing their season

Kenna finished her first volleyball season last Tuesday with a Pink Digs for the Cure game.  Hers was the only local middle school team participating in event in conjunction with Durango and Ignacio High Schools and Fort Lewis College.  She was really excited to play in this event.  Each girl dedicated their play to someone and Kenna dedicated her game to "her Granddaddy who died last year from leukemia."

Kenna's volleyball season was terrific!  I was so proud of her dedication and determination.  Never once did I have to wake her for her 6:30am practices and she never complained about getting up so early!  She was very concerned about keeping her grades up with the extra time for volleyball, but she has done beautifully.  She worked hard and showed great improvement and is very eager to play again next year.  She really loved being part of a team sport and made several new friends.  They finished the season with 7 wins and 3 losses. She has made big plans to train in her off season!

Kenna we are so proud that you played hard and finished strong!