Evie, The Giant

This little child right here is the epitome of a tiny giant.  This little girl literally fills up a room when she walks in.  If you didn't know Evie was around.......trust me, she will tell you.  She is the biggest and boldest creature who ever did weigh 36 pounds and I have been once again humbled at how challenging parenting a giant is.

Over the past 2 weeks I have been in either the principals office or have had private meetings with Evie's teacher nearly every day.  I joked the other day that I have been in more trouble in the past 14 days than I EVER was in my 16 years of school.  Well, not me, but my 3.5 year old giant of a child.  One day a little boy took her seat so she sat on his head.  The next day her best friend took her toy so she grabbed her hair and punched her.  The next day she saw an old lady pass by the playground and yelled at the top of her lungs, "RUN!  That old lady is going to kill us!"  

Awesome

The day after the old lady incident she was being so naughty with her best friend that the teacher had to put them on opposite sides of the room for the entire day.

This week she didn't like that a boy growled at her so she threw sand in his eyes.  Today a different boy growled at her so she threw more sand at his head.  

It's naughty as a 3-year-old and yet the reality is that this kid doesn't take crap from anyone.  She is a giant....and a fierce one at that.  One simple truth.......Don't mess with Evie Frances.

Evie is such a special little girl and as fearless as she is, she spends all of her days in an endless quest to make me stop to play with her.  "Mommy, will you play with me?"  I hear this all day long.  She is relentless and desires my presence in her life so much.  It's humbling and I find myself wishing I had more time and more of me to spend with her.  I also wish that I was better at just playing.   Oh Evie, how I wish that I could be a better player.  

Her giant status extends well into her smarts too.  Evie is about 3.5 going on 10 in her language skills.  Her teacher told me the other day that sometimes she feels as though she is conversing with an adult.  Trust me....I know.  

This beauty is a giant in every sense of the world and she is growing up with the boldness to match.  I tell her over and over again that she is a world changer and I have no doubt that the world may simply not be quite ready for the giant that is coming for it.  

Evie, I love you. So, So, SO much.  I love that you are mine.  I love that you are bold and willing to stand so firmly on your own.  Remember that you are a warrior.  Learn to fight for all of the right things.  Go boldly, seek Jesus and be a giant.  You are destined for greatness little girl and you are destined to be a role model for many.

The Day I Became an IRONMAN: The Finish Line

My dream.....it was coming true.  My IRONMAN finish line was here.  I chose to give the finish its own blog because it was simply its own experience. It was 2 minutes of my life I will never forget.  I remember everything.....every face.....every feeling.  It was magic in every sense of the word.  It was my moment and it was perfect.

In the year leading up to this moment, I had dreamed the finish and how it would play out a hundred times.  In all of them, I had this perfectly cheesy smile.  I was gonna stop and walk and hug everyone, but then the time came and nothing I had dreamed could have compared.

I passed that "To Finish" sign and a wave of deep emotion hit me.  My joy played out in raw tears.  Rosario, my fellow teammate saw me and ran the 100 yards to the finishing chute.  I couldn't contain my tears, "I did it."  I told her.  "I really did it."  I was simply overwhelmed and my tears kept coming.

My emotion surprised me, but frankly, I had surprised me.  My emotion came from this overwhelmed place.  You see, in all of my reading, prepping and planning for the marathon I had held onto one big reality--Not many first-time IRONMAN racers run the whole marathon.  In fact, countless articles and athletes confirmed.....you should absolutely plan on run walking the marathon.  So I honestly will tell you that I planned to have to walk.  I just told myself to run until I absolutely needed to.

And there I was.......at the finish having run the whole marathon.  I had planned to let myself walk but I just never needed to.  The body will achieve what the mind can believe.  I believed I could be one of those rookies that could run it all and I DID!

I ran into that finishing chute a new woman.  I had found someone on that course  who was more capable than I ever thought and that person I discovered was ME.

Bethany, You are incredible, You are amazing, You are strong, You are an IRONMAN.

I was able to get my tears in check and be fully present for the victory of the finish.  I came around the chute and raised my arms.  I stepped onto that black carpet with the red Mdot logos.  The bright lights seemed to spotlight just me and I had my moment.

I felt everything and reveled in it.  I flew under the finish arch, let out a victory cry and heard those sweet words.....

Bethany Longmire, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

I came to a stop even though my body would have continued and rushed into my coach's arms.

"Bethany!  Do you have any idea what you just did?!?" She cried. "Did I come in under 12 hours?"  Her smile said it all, "Not just under 12 hours Bethany, you crushed it in 11:20!"

What????

I looked down  at my watch in disbelief 11:21:22 it read.  I screamed and hugged Dawn with every ounce of joy I felt.  We did it!  Together.  She always believed in me and I had proven her right.  I will never forget it, or her in that moment, or us in every moment that led to my successful finish.  What a year it had been.

My dream became a reality and I made my first mark on the IRONMAN world.

There is a quote in the TRI world, "The sky is not the limit.....I am."

I am an IRONMAN and this chapter of my life has only just begun.