a happy run.....

****photo to come***

Yesterday was my absolute dream run and believe me it wasn't because I had my best time ever. Although I did shave a whole 3 seconds off of my goal time on my second mile...:-)

First of all it was great that the rain stopped for awhile so that I could even go. It felt so good to be out there again. The trees were green and the sky was so blue and it smelled just heavenly. My IPOD was fully charged (which is a miracle in itself) and I found myself just smiling as I looked around. As I got down the road I see my father in law on the tractor and I wave over to him and he gives me one of those Big Arm Waves...I smile again. I keep running (using the term Very loosely) and as I get to my first turn I see my sister n law and niece riding towards me on their bicycles..(Lisa is my sister n law but she has also been my friend since we were little. She stood up in our wedding in Texas in 1988 with Rob's brother. Long story short - they just celebrated 13 years of marriage on Saturday and live 2.5 miles from us...) and I smile again. So I run on and pass the King Farm which ALWAYS makes me smile. It is an old barn with no house but the people that own it come and mow every weekend. When I go by I almost always stop at the spring out in front. You can lay on your belly on a rock and reach down and get fresh water that has come right from the Earth not 5 seconds before...aahhh....So as I was running toward home a neighbor (who has been Rob's friend since they were young and was actually stationed in Lubbock where I grew up) passed and leaned out the window cheering for me and clapping like I was running a marathon...smile again...

Then as I pass my in laws house my husband pulls out of their drive in his big red diesel truck and and stops to give me a kiss...smile again...but then after all of this my favorite part happened. As I was getting close to the stream that crosses in front of our land I see my 18 year old daughter with a group of friends. They were carrying buckets (more like cups, totes and a pink plastic purse) across to an area that was previously dirt and making it into mud. I had to stop and see what they were doing. They all started using it like war paint and then laying in it and squeezing it between their fingers. They laughed and laughed and said they felt like little kids...I grabbed one of their camera's and snapped some photos...LOL!! So, as I left towards home I honestly could not stop smiling Huge....then Rob pulled up beside me as I ran the rest of the way he drove and cheered me on....

I can't imagine ever having such a perfect 3 mile run...and I love that it had nothing to with time but about enjoying the world around me. I realize that I am absolutely blessed that God has given me a running path like he has....:-)