I think Mark has finally found a partner to run with! And Ri has gained weight and grown!!!!

Well, I think it's true. He's found a partner... an unexpected partner to boot! If you haven't guessed it already, it's a 2 year old. Now, I'm not saying that Mark is slow or anything like that. He amazes me sometimes with his determination and desire to run. He does a great job. For years he has run, rarely missing days, even in the blistering cold. But he has always run alone. Oh there were fleeting days when someone would muster the endurance to run, but those days didn't last but one or two times in a row... except for the time that Jacob ran in the turkey trot (I think that wore him out and he dreaded running after that). I've tried, but it is way too boring and now that I am older and out of shape.. IT HURTS TOO MUCH!

As we begin another season of soccer, we are all too aware of the need for our family to get into shape. So, last night, we went on a family jog. Erin instigated it because she is determined to run everyday. I told her I would run with her (ha ha.. I can't run much, but I was determined to help her and thought I would ride my bike along side of her). The boys soon joined in and were determined to run too. Once Elizabeth heard the word run, she piped in and begged to go. So I figured that I would walk really fast with her in the jogger. As soon as Mark heard we were all going, he asked Ri if he wanted to go. Before we knew it, it was a family affair (though Emily was at Cedarpoint, so she couldn't). Everyone took off running, including Ri and Elizabeth, before I could get the jogger together. Soon I heard Mark yelling for me because Elizabeth was running so fast that she was spreading the distance between her and Mark and Ri by too far. It would have been dangerous had a car come down our road. She obviously can't keep up with the older ones, so they were not with her. I got the jogger and ran to catch up with Ri. Mark took off for Elizabeth. She was jogging at a good pace down the hill towards the creek. I figured she would stop jogging after she past our neighbors. Nope, she kept jogging. She kept it up for nearly 3/4 mile or more. It was amazing. She kept a steady pace the entire jog. I think she was the strongest of everyone! We were all in awe. Mark just beamed saying "I think I found my running partner". So... look for her in the news sometime - the youngest marathon runner ever :) !

As for Ri, well, he is growing. We are thrilled. When he was at his medical exam in Guangzhou, he weighed 23.4 pounds and measured 33 inches tall. That was 2 1/2 months ago. Yesteday, he had his 2 months check to monitor is weight and height. We were so excited to see that he had gained over 2 pounds and grew 1/2 inch. He weighed 25.8 pounds and measured 33 1/2 inches long. I can't imagine how much he would weigh had he not had diarhea so badly for the first 1 1/2 months we had him. The doctor was so pleased with his progress that he said he would see him in 2 months again, but expects to very quickly be just routine check ups. I did have him check Ri's walk. He does not have a normal walk. We have noticed a hesitation with one of his legs. The physcial therapist thought that one leg was shorter then the other. Our doctor confirmed it and is making an appointment for us with an orthopedic specialist. He expects that Ri will need a lift for his one leg (to place in his shoe). So, you can pray about that. What a minor issue for us to deal with!



I wish I had a picture of Elizabeth running, but I don't. The below pictures were taken by Emily in Florida.