Each Day Is a Gift

Yard work.  Transplanted the 2nd Alberta spruce.
 

Yard work.  Cleaned, set up and decorated the spare bedroom (Larissa's room) as a guest room.  It's been used to store cases and cases of dialysate and PD supplies, but now already for Jia Fen when she comes! :)

Very slow recovery jog by myself.  Stopped to stretch after every mile.  AP: 11:40 (pathetic). 

Raked up two wheel barrels full of pine cones and needles that have been packed and embedded from the lawn for the last 2 or 3 years.  My arms and neck are SO sore!

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary.  Hubby asked me where I'd like to go for our anniversary dinner celebration.  I teased him and said:  "Legal Seafood."  He said:  "Hopefully next year, we'll be in Boston to celebrate our 39th and we could go to Legal Seafood."  He took me to Red Lobster.. it'll do for now! :)

Ran with Karen and Wendy nice conversational miles.  It got quite windy at the end.  AP: 10:19. 

Jia Fen arrived today! :)

Went to Sister Ashlynn Clegg's sealing and reception.  She is now Mrs. Rhodes!  Took Jia Fen with us, her first attendance to a temple sealing in English.  (The rain storm held off so lucky for picture taking).  After the sealing I took jer to Ocean Mart.  Then we attended the reception. 

Missionary Expo Fun Run ~ the BEST, FUNNEST 5K ever!!!  We picked up Wendy and her son, Eric, at 6:30 to drive to the start of the race at Cinemark by the University Mall.  Registration at 7am.  There were may be 30-40 runners!  All proceeds go to support missionary fund.  Sister Levine was the special guest.  Missionary Mommas designed special race shirt (in a bright pink) that has "Mommas hastening the work" in the front and "Divine Strides with Sister Levine" in the back.

While lining up to pick up our bibs, we saw Sister Sorensen and her brother, Matt. What a great former companion and eternal friend she is!  Was hoping more returned missionaries from our mission would come.  Then the Levines and their friends arrived.  The RD gave us brief description of the course which also included a 1K and 3K.   The race started on time at 7:30.  It was a bit cool with overcast sky, perfect running weather. 

All the "pink" T-shirt participants stayed at the back and walked.  I was dressed to run, so was a bit cold to walk.  Within the first 100 yards, Sis. Levine was hitting her brother (who was pushing her in the wheelchair) and he remarked that he'd give her to some strangers to push if she didn't stop hitting.  Her mother said:  "She would not hit Sis. Lew.  Plus she's so tiny she wouldn't need to bend over to push the wheelchair."  Yep, I was just the right height to push the wheelchair; so I took over and started running to catch up to the runners ahead.  Sis. Levine was on a basketball scholarship before her mission.  She was very athletic and competitive.  She told her mom that a 5K is a sporting event and she wanted some Nike shoes so I knew that being pushed by walkers would be considered non-athletic! :)

I had heaps of fun running and pushing Sister Levine back and forth through the other runners/walkers so we could cheer them on.  Sis. Levine was laughing so hard!  I had her do the Miss ASSM (don't forget the M) waves to the oncoming runners at some turn-around parts of the course!!!  :)

With 0.25 mile to go, I ran her back to her parents and brother, then we all walked together.  With about 50 yards to the finish line, I stopped, and Sister Levine's dad and brother assisted her out of the wheelchair and supported her while she and I walked and sang "Called to Serve" crossing the finish under the cheering of other participants and supporters!  She felt like a rockstar!!!  She is such an inspiration and a living miracle!!!  Just a short 7 months ago, she lied comatose in a hospital bed in Canberra, Australia with massive brain injury but not a single broken bone or scratch after being hit by a car going 40mph.  The Lord has a special mission for her.  Her parents are awesome example of unwavering faith, dedication, courage and abiding love!
 

In the afternoon we went to Sister Morgan Church's sealing in Ogden.  She is now Mrs. Scoresby.  The rain storm also held off for picture taken.  We went to the reception under torrestial rain!