Strongest Dad

You have to read this story and watch teh video at: www.youtube.com Team Hoyt Read this story and check out the video! Unbelievable.
From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

And the video is below....
a Love the story! Check it out Check out the video at : www.youtube.com and search under TEam Hoyt

Proud Momma!

That's my boy in the red jersey! They played hard but tonight wasn't the night! The boys learned REALLY quick about listening to the coach (ME) when she says get a drink! 80 degrees After all they are only 8! I still love em! Oh and what a photographer(my daughter) gotta love these kids!!!!
Shellee

help for kids

disaster that happened in Russia when reactor # 4 Read up on this site see how many kids and families are still being affected by the nuclearblew up sending tons of radi active material into the atmosphere. Every summer Global family alliance
www.globalfamilyalliance.cobrings kids who have medical needs as a direct result of the nuclear reactor accident. I have personally been involved in loving one such child . 3 years ago my brother and his family had a girl from Belarus in there home for 5 weeks what a great summer. Watching her get medical care,dental care things she had never had. We taught her to swim!!! 12 years old and she had never swam in a pool!!! what a thrill it was. Sharing Gods love with these kids is truly heart warming. Check out the site if you get a chance!

Read between the Lines

Often times I find myself up late at night,cant sleep so I usually turn on the tv but after reading Vicky M. Blog about journaling I thought it was a great way to jot down what I was thinking and feeling enabling me to go back at a later time and re read what I wrote. Sorta reading between the lines of what I wrote.I can better understand and work through whatever was bothering me and causing me to not sleep. Journaling is a great way to get frustration,anger and conflict out and allows me to be completely honest with no one else needing to read it just a way of letting go.
So off to journal!!!!!
momma Shellee

Little girl all growen up

Ashley I really enjoy reading your blog especially the "Ladies of Virtue and Excellence"
God is so awesome he blesses us so many times a day we really are not worthy of his price He paid. I like your perceptive and what you took away from the funeral you attended. Death i so sad,however when you can see through the pain and sadness usually there is a message in all of this. I enjoy getting to know you and think you are a great kid! Keep your head always looking up!
Shellee

CHICKEN FOR DINNER!!!!!!!!

Kraft foods has a great magazine that comes out monthly . Its got wonderful FAST meal ideas that are delicious! My kids even love them. This month hey have tons of great dessert ideas for mothers day!!!!! Try going to the Kraft link when you get there look up stuffed chicken check out the Chicken Bruschetta n cheese!!!!
It is fabulous! Happy cooking!!!!!!!!!
ONE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFO: THE SITE ALSO PROVIDES YOU WITH NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO EACH RECIPE THEY PROVIDE.

Life after 40

More.... A magazine designed with the 40 year old + women in mind. Not only can you find great age related articles it gives great advice and insight in a variety of areas; dating, menopause, child raising , vacations , cooking. This month they have included a lot of articles on swimwear and different styles/looks that are attractive and not old fashion. A great article on vacations with "Spa's " as the main concept!!! Ahh to go on vacation! Anyway I really enjoy reading this magazine it has a well rounded mix of women's articles but still has fun information like other magazines like people , Vanity fair etc.