End of the Year Wrap Up

This year I have not been as diligent posting on the blog.  Sheralie has done the lion's share of the posting, for which I am grateful.  This Sunday I am skipping my usual Sunday afternoon nap to record some final thoughts on my theme for the year:

No Shortcuts

One reason I have not done as many blog posts is that I have been training for a marathon most of the year.  Having set the goal for 2010 and finished the Baltimore marathon, I immediately signed up to run the Washington DC marathon in March with my three brothers.  I have come to really enjoy running.  It helps clear the mind and rejuvenates the body.  However, you can't cram for a marathon.  You have to put in some serious miles before taking on that commitment.  And serious miles means a lot of time.  Just a tip for anyone thinking about a marathon.

Learning another language is also something you can not cram for - it is just something you have to put in the hours of practice and study.  Learning Spanish is harder than running a marathon.  At least with running I have a good amount of feedback in terms of statistics - how many miles for how long.  I can measure improvement as my times improve.  There is no easy metric for Spanish.  You just have to keep studying and have faith that you are really learning something.

There are also no shortcuts for raising children.  I love my children a lot.  They are a source of happiness and joy.  However, they can be a handful.  I would venture to say that raising children is harder than both Spanish and running.  It is even harder to see signs of progress.  Sometimes you see signs of regression.  It is tempting to focus on things with more concrete results: work, hobbies, books, church callings, etc.  Sometimes you don't see the results of parenting for more than 20 years, until your own kids become parents.  Fortunately I have an amazing wife that helps us stay focused on teaching and loving our children.  It has been a big year for children.  James has been the happiest baby ever.  Jeffrey was baptized, started Cub Scouts and loves playing basketball and football.  Laird has learned to read and grown up so much.  Lucy is our three year old who changes clothes ten times a day.  Each brings something special to our family and we love them.