Yesterday I ran the Ogden Half Marathon. After the continual down pour of rain for three days, I was beginning to worry if I'd need a boat to float the half instead. As we pulled into Eden Park at six in the morning, the clouds were starting to clear. The day looked hopeful.
Getting ready to run the race temporarily interrupted my writings and pictures. I worried about the race after having stayed up night after night till two and three doing these posts. I was ok for the race, but I feel the exhaustion now as I sit here and type.
Before the race, I questioned myself often as to why I signed up to run the Ogden Half. I'm not fast, I'm not really a runner in the true context, there are things about running long mileage that I absolutely hate. So why did I enlist?
Yesterday as countless bodies dotted the narrow paved landscape before me, as the sun rose up over the mountains, looking at Pine View with streaks of light glistening across its glassy surface, and feeling the energy in the air, the spirit of the event, I understood clearly why I was there.
Running a half marathon is not really a big deal to a lot of people. Although I saw the first woman doing the entire marathon, all 26.2 miles, pass by me at mile six for me, mile 19 for her, and as she gracefully streaked by I was so impressed at her pace and the ability she had to hold that pace for 26 miles. Being out on the road huffing and puffing, I truly marveled at her incredible spirit and talent.
That's not what I want to write about today though. What I do want to write about is how much I thought about my family while I was traveling on the road.Trying to run for thirteen miles, is a personal challenge for me. And as I labored yesterday to do my best, I had over two hours to personally reflect on my life.
My friend's father in law was killed in a car accident this spring in Ogden Canyon. She ran with me. We stopped at the place he died, I held on to her as she sobbed. Again I thought about my family and as we started in running again, I saw my blessings there on the road, stretched out before me in plain sight. It was an overwhelming feeling, the magnitude and relization of all those blessings presented themselves through every mile.
Huffing and puffing down the road I thought about Des graduating, about an era in my life that is now finished, I thought about each one of these posts I've written, I thought of each one of my kids, each one of their individual years of growing. I thought about how unique each one of my kids are, and how something different within each one inspires me in a different way. When you are on the road as long as I am, trying to finish 13.1 miles, you have a long time to think about a lot of things. Running a half marathon is spiritually rewarding. And at that moment I knew exactly why I signed up. It's very personal, very spiritual and ultimately reflective. My friend described it best. "It's spring cleaning for my soul!"
Note: I'll be doing this marathon next year! I'll be one of the first one's to sign up!
So I pick up where I left off.
I worked on Gage's pictures most of the day and night before the race. Completing the race and coming back to the pictures, feeling overwhelmed and blessed, I have decided not to wear makeup for a week. Even waterproof mascara won't hold up under the steady flow of water. I'm sure it's not going to get any better as my last child crosses the school finish line.
The other night, I found six more stacks of pictures under the desk and thirteen large photo albums in the main study. I spent all night looking through them picking out pictures scanning them and then putting them back into the albums.
As I thumbed past one picture after another I began to see a new pattern evolving. Remember if I were posting my children in order, You'd be reading Corbin's tribute right now, not Gage's. So in between Gavin and Gage, my life got turned upside down. The worst thing I ever thought could happen in this life, happened... I lost a child. Death came and robbed me, breaking my heart into a million pieces.
Now if I'm having an emotional break down with my youngest graduating, imagine how I handled burying my baby in the earth on a cold November day. Gavin was only twenty months old. Seth was nearly four. Kaedell was five and Emy six. I went numb after Corbin died and I didn't pull out my camera for sometime.
When I found out I was going to have another baby I was nervous, scared, anxiety ridden, hopeful, optimistic, sad and happy all at the same time. Thankfully though, when Corbin died God sent me a million angels. At no other time in my life, have I ever felt the power and magnitude of my Father in Heaven's love to the degree in which I felt it back then. It was intensely protective and it guarded and sustained me through the most difficult time in my life. Not only did it literally pick me up and save me from my deepest despair, it instructed me with wisdom that would shape the very course of my existence. It would change my life forever and in an imperitive way!
After the rain, God sends the sunshine. And on December 23rd, my Christmas arrived early. He was a fine little package. A complete bundle of joy. His name however, was suppose to be Paige. He was suppose to be a girl. After all, the spirit had told told me after Corbin died, I would have one more girl! Right then it didn't matter to me if he was a girl or not. He was healthy and hearty and I was eager to be a mother again and he was beautiful!
We named him Gage, I loved that name Gage, even more than Paige, and we carried him home on Christmas Eve. It was the greatest Christmas ever that year! If you want to really spoil and excite your family, bag them a puppy, just bring home a baby! We should have bagged buying any presents that year. We should have just wrapped Gage up and tied a red bow around him and stuck him under the tree. No other present that year even got noticed!
We gave him the middle name of "Lorin," after Man With A Drill's dad. Lorin was elated.
I am amazed when I discovered the picture below. My dad is holding Gage on his blessing day. My dad had huge hands. I miss them!
Sweet as can be, this baby was. He came with everything to heal a mother's broken heart!
When I found this picture below, I couldn't believe it. I had forgotten I had asked my dad that day to bring the kids to the hospital. We left White Hawk home with grandma. LOL!
Wow, I had a lot of little kids! It was a priceless time of life.
Man With A Drill's Dad use to come over to our house quite frequent. He was a man with a lot of wisdom. He would say, every single time he left, "Enjoy these years, they are the very best ones, and they won't come again. I think back on that all those times he said that and he was a profound man! I should have listened to him!
Gage was the calmest child you will ever meet! I could sit him on the kitchen bar and go off into another room and he would sit there all day if I let him. He was so easy going. He never cried. And he was the most handsome baby ever!
We had a lot of fun back then. My sister just lives one street away from me. Our kids spent a lot of time together. We were always trippin' or doin' somethin' fun.
My family grew so fast. It wasn't long and I had a house full of little boys!
My kids have always been close.
And that is rewarding to see as a parent.
Everybody wanted to adopt Gage as their own.
His aunt Kris was always giving me a hard time saying she wanted to take him home.
Gagey boy was the easiest kid ever to raise.
There was only one thing he loved to do however, and that was...
Tease. Gage is and always has been a big tease!
But his kind and gentle heart made up for the teasing. I found this picture above and it has a story. This little girl was our neighbor when we lived in our rental while our new house was under construction. She was a child that didn't have a lot of friends. It didn't matter to Gage. He'd go next door and be as nice as he could be.
Seeing all these old pictures makes me miss the Bear Tooth. I have a video of Gage teasing Kelson. It was the same trip this picture was taken on. Gage would growl like a bear and Kelson would cry and say, "No bears Gage, No bears!" I'm going to find it. I'm going to post it. It's priceless.
Utah days at Plain City Elementary. It's a good thing you grew taller Gager!
All the girls liked Gage. He treated them different than all the other boys. That and he was the cutest boy ever.
Phyllis Nelson, the drama teacher at Fremont put me in charge of all the Munchkins one year. Gage tried out for Fremont's Wizard of Oz and was cast as the mayor of Munchkin City. He was awesome. Des and Goose got to be munchkins and poppies since Gage made the part. That was a fun play!
I don't know how it got started but Gage took up the art of tying balloons. He got so good at it we bought him a kit. He still makes them for the grandkids when balloons are in hand. They love it.
I've always said, this was the very best time of life there was. I have good kids and we had lots of fun together. This is the time of life traditions took hold and we planned lots of fun family trips that bonded my family together like glue.
Like the ritual of going to Lake Powell. Gage is sporting his live lizard ear rings. Catching lizards and tying them to their hats took place the second we arrived at the lake. Gage always was a clever kid. He would think up things nobody else did.
Man With A Drill became Gage's baseball coach.
Bear Tooth and Bridger Lake, the two best places on earth to bind a family together. Gage loved to fish.
Good years!
Here he is getting his gun.
One of our hikes camping at Bridger.
Then came the years Gage played the Saxophone.
Gage and Caitlan fishing in Bridger. Man With A Drill actually made the canoe himself. He had a good scout leader when he was young and they made lots of canoes. This canoe has sported some good memories.
Gage tried out for the football team at Wahlquist as a 7th grader. He had me come and get him early the second day of tryouts.
When he climbed in the car, he told me he quit and didn't want to try out anymore. I could tell he was nervous and worried about the worst, not making the team. He loved football and couldn't wait to try out. t told him to get out of the car and go back and apologize to the coach. I told him he needed to finish what he started ---see it through. I remember that day, I told him "Crowther's aren't quitters!"
He optimistically got out and went back. He was one of only two seventh graders that made the team. He was so excited.
Lots of good times.
Lots of good memories!
We had a neighbor that took a liking to Gage. She raised Patterdale terriers. They are not a cheap dog. She loved Gage going to visit her. Gage would go with Man With A Drill when he did his home teaching. Nancy was not big on religion, but she loved Gage and was big on dogs and that's all it took to end up with a free puppy. You can see in the above pictures what that led to.
Seth served a mission in Singapore. He sent all the boys home ties for Christmas.
Christmas traditions are part of the fun too.
Hanging Christmas lights is one of those traditions. Gage has always been extra creative. He put the light clips to good use. Besides being creative, he has a good sense of humor!
No matter what we do as a family.
There is always a good time to be had.
The result is a family that is closely bonded!
Gage played tennis.
He loves the outdoors!
Jeepin' in Moab was another fun trip we took often. Here we are on the Golden Spike trail. It is one of the hardest trails down there.
All my boys love their bikes. They love to ride together.
Fly fishing in Bridger.
Jumping into the Jackson river. "Do Not Do This!" That's what I use to say constantly. Gage scared me to death doing this.
Who wouldn't want a date with this handsome guy? No wonder the girls loved him!
Coming off the field at Fremont!
One great young man!
This picture was taken down at the twine huts. Gage and all of his friends made these incredible twine huts up in the trees. Gage actually got me up there for a picture as he graduated and prepared for his mission. I hate heights. The picture was worth the torture of climbing up there!
Gage is an entrepreneur.He became the family fix it man. He can fix anything. To this day is something breaks and Gage is around I run grab him.
Seminary graduation.
These days went by too fast.
One Giant Heart.
Determined and Creative
Loyal and Ambitious
Fun Loving As They Come
Generous
And Kind
I pay tribute to you today Gage. When ever I call and ask Gage to help me, he always responds with a willing heart. "Sure, mom, what do you need." Just today he came over and helped my niece with her car and then showed me how to use my iPad stand. I would have never figured that out if he hadn't. He is a pleasant optimistic person. He looks for the good in everything. Happy and gentle by nature, I know God sent him to our home just at the right time. He brought healing to my heart. He is and always has been a great blessing to us!
Congratulations to you Gage! I love you!
1 comment:
Holy cow bro I love you man and Mom I love these pics lots of good memories bro aeren't you glad your a graduate from Weber State too you dog well done!
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