Girls On The Run 2011...

As a parent, I have found that there are certain parts of my childhood that I hope I can connect with my children, and a part of my childhood was my love for sports.  I am extremely blessed by having 2 very active children who love all kinds of different things.  I don't think there is a sport out there that my son doesn't like, which is a double edged sword.  As a Mom, I want him to try everything to see if he likes it, but on the other hand there is new equipment to buy, schedules to keep, travel expenses, and trying to learn new rules while not looking like a dork by asking a ton of questions.

Then there is my daughter, who loved soccer, until a HS student kicked a ball into her gut so hard she passed out (a total accident!!!).  She was involved in a tumbling class and loved that as well, until she had an accident at a friends house and whenever she did a simple summersault or cart wheel, she would get a bad head ache.  That was awhile ago so I hope she will want to try it again soon.  She was super and so graceful!
Then this spring she brought home a flyer about a program called "Girls On The Run".  I had never heard of it before but the gist of it was that GOTR is a running club that helps girls get in shape not only physically, but emotionally as well.  She wanted to check it out, and thankfully my MIL called me and reminded me on sign-up day!

Girls On The Run is so much more than a running club.  My daughter actually looked forward to going to it on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and for her that is HUGE.  She has learned this spring that she is awesome just the way she is, she has made goals and reached them and she found a love for running!  Just this past weekend, I watched my 9 yr old do something that no one else in her family had accomplished.  She ran in her first 5k and looked like a seasoned runner while doing it.  I decided that I was going to walk over to a place that no one else was at so I could just enjoy watching my little girl become the champ she is.  It struck me as I watched her running, how much determination and concentration she had.  As she passed me on her first lap, the tears started to well up because I was SO PROUD of my baby girl.  I let the tears flow freely because as a Mom, you want good things for your kids, and you also want them to see the awesomness in themselves, that you have always known was inside of them.  I watched my child become a young lady this weekend.  Yes she still loves Spongebob & iCarly, but to sit on the sidelines and watch your child push her body further than you had ever thought of doing yourself, well in the simplest of terms, I am in awe and have an even bigger respect for what she has done.  When Hannah reached the finish line, I was cheering like crazy and wanted to give her the biggest hug I could!  After her race, she looked at me with the biggest smile and sense of accomplishment I was again, fighting back the tears.  I was in awe of this 48 pound tiny girl who showed how big her heart was and how competitive she truly is. 

I am writing this blog, not because I hope people will join, but because I want never want her to forget how amazing she really is.  She may be tiny in body size, but she is a GIANT when it comes to heart, determination, and competitiveness.  Great things come in small packages, and the best of all is my daughter.
I love you Hannah and one day you will understand when you have children of your own, how amazing they really are.  I made a promise to you, and today I will start training for a 5k that we can run together in soon.
You amaze me everyday, and God truly blessed me when he chose you to become my daughter.
Love ya P-Nut!
Mom