Shuttle Run

About 4 years ago, me, Heather's mom and a couple of Heather's cousins were sitting in Lois' (Heather's mom) hot tub. It was about 12 degrees that evening and there was at least 3-4 feet of snow on the ground. We were all laughing and having a great time. I got the great idea of daring my cousin Aaron to get out of the hot tub and run to the tree and back (about 20 yards). After much coaxing and jeering, he did it - and then several of us followed.

Okay, so I LOVE Heather's mom - cracks me up! So she's laughing with all of us (loves being around people) and is enjoying the hot tub, when I say,

"Hey Mom, I dare you to do it; only you have to run to the tree, dive in the snow, and run back." Everyone started rolling at the thought. Surely she wouldn't. I almost knew when I asked that she'd be game. She was. She was about 62 at the time.

So she got out of the hot tub and ran to the tree... "Dive, Dive!" we were all yelling. But instead of diving, she just fell straight back (Nestea plunge style) into the snow -and since it was so deep, she completely disappeared. Hilarious. So when she got back up - I started yelling, "Dive, DIVE!" as if she hadn't done enough already. So she does - head first. We were ROLLING! Oh my word - funniest thing I've ever seen. She is running back to the hot tub covered in snow... wearing a bathing suit; I mean seriously, get a picture in your head. It was hysterical. So as she's getting back in the hot tub, she says, "Man, that water stings!"

So anyway, this past week, we were at my sister-in-law's house for Christmas - and somehow a memory of Heather winning the shuttle run as a kid is brought up. (She's very proud of this. Says she won on account that her legs are only as long as my arm... says it puts her closer to the ground and she doesn't have to do a whole lot of bending over, which is a time saver.) Anyway, the next thing you know - it is ON! So two shoes are set up in the living room, time keeper recruited, and BANG, they were off. Heather went first and set the pace at 5.8 seconds. But what I was really waiting for was Lois. I knew she'd do it. She's 66 now so of course she had to make a couple lame excuses about how she might break something, blah, blah, blah - but then... she went for it.

Here it is.



I love her for this. Sounds corny - but this crap makes me feel young. Seeing her squatting at the starting line, and watching her throw herself across the finish line was a week's worth of devotions for me. I'll carry this for years - and when she passes on (probably when she's 113) I will fight to have this played during her funeral service. Know why? Because this IS Lois... at least to me it is.

Life is good. Live it to the full - don't you think?

Oh, and her time... 6.9 seconds. Not too shabby!

I know, I know - "Where's Heather's video?" Oh, I have it alright. But I'll have to ask first. I dare not post that thing without permission.