Draperites update

I don't know how time just kind of slips on by.  I'm struggling with a few things as I get older.

1.  Where does time go?  I feel like for the first time I'm starting to think that there are too many things I want to do in life, too many things to get accomplished, too many things to learn, and I don't have enough time

2.  My body is no longer growing stronger, I think I've passed my prime.  I can't run as fast as I used to, I can't jump as high as I once could, and I'm constantly sore.

3.  I have aged a lot in the past 6 years.  Amber was showing me pictures from when we were first dating.  I blame it on my scout calling and last year busy-ness and stress.

I know you who are older than me are thinking "just wait Reed" and I know you're right.  IT just kind of crazy to realize those things and feel them on a small level for the first time.

So with all that I've made the goal to be more active.  I have barely exercised over the past year, just hadn't had time to.  So this past week I got into it.  I did a workout at the gym the other night.  It's three days later and I can barely lift my hands over my head.  I don't recover as quickly as I once did.

I've also run a couple days.  I ran yesterday 5 miles, and a couple days before that 3 miles.  It's crazy to think that during my glory days of marathon training 6 miles was the least I'd run.  Yesterday I stopped and walked a few times and just tried to enjoy it.

I guess I have this fear, and it's that I'm not going to be able to be an active Dad with my future children as they get older.  I've been blessed (I think, still yet to see) with a job that's going to allow me time to be with my family.  ON my run yesterday I was just thinking about how I can't wait for Hyrum (and hopefully future kids) to grow up, to spend time with them.  I was envisioning Hyrum running cross country, playing baseball, basketball, and tennis.  All of those things I could do with him.  I envisioned him on the cross country team and him getting out of school at the same time as me and me going to their cross country practice and running with him.  How cool would that be??

So I have good motivation to work out, a good purpose.  #1 is from a gospel sense, our body is a temple and we are to keep it healthy and clean, and #2 I want to have a good time with my kids as a 45-60 year old father!  I also have thoughts and visions of buying a new house one day and building a sports court where my kids and their cousins/friends can go our and play tennis, basketball, and have a batting cage out there.  These are just thoughts/dreams, maybe one-day things.

Here's a quick update

Reed-Loves seminary thus far.  What a unique opportunity in the summer to be immersed in the scriptures.  Have enjoyed the Old Testament, but man there's a lot of doubt for me there too.  Some CRAZY stories that I am constantly thinking "that can't be right, or we're missing some info. here, or what the heck just happened?  One question I have is that the Jehovah of the Old Testament seems a little different than Christ in the New Testament or Jesus in the Book of Mormon.  Not something that affects my testimony at all, but something I'm sure I'll come to understand more.  Jehovah of Old Testament seems so harsh, rash, justice driven, whereas Christ of New Testament and Book of Mormon seems more merciful and kind.  For example the other day I'm reading a story in Joshua about a guy who steals something.  Joshua finds him out.  The guy admits to his guilt.  I'm waiting to see the result (in the Book of Mormon it would seem like this guy admitted his guilt so God would forgive him).  The result after this guy admits what he has done is wrong is that they take him out to a field and stone him and his family to death for doing wrong.  What???  Just doesn't seem right to me.  I think some of it has to do with Law of Moses vs. Law of Christ.  But it still seems that Christ is the same yesterday today and forever but at the same time he was different with how he treated Israelites from Nephites.  I know there's an answer in their somewhere that makes sense.

Amber-Keeps herself busy being Mom.  Has begun helping me set up my classroom at Olympus.  She's gifted in these type of things.  She's also bought a bike trailer for Hyrum that's a little broken down.  She's spent hours on it sewing and fixing so hopefully Hyrum can ride in it.  She loves projects like this.  She loves being creative, solving problems, and fixing things.  We've also been reading a book together called Left to tell about the Rwandan Hutu-Tutsi silver war in 1994.  It's an insane story.

Hyrum-Going to turn 1 soon!  He's growing every day.  Amber remarks to me about how much of a little boy he is becoming.  He's figuring things out, getting smarter every day, and just growing up.  He's at such a fun age.  He's starting to get a personality and say no to things by swattning a spoon away or throwing a toy you give him he doesn't want, or spitting out some food.  But he's still so young that you don't get upset with him, it's just funny when he does it.  He has a water table that he loves.  He really enjoys going places and while he loves Mom and Dad he also loves being held and spending time with others who love him.  He is one loved little boy.

We love you all.  It's been so fun this past week with Phil in town.  Mom, thank you.  I've also really enjoyed doing the BOM Facebook page with you.

Reed