The Boys!

The boys just finished their Cross Country season.  This is their first year in Cross Country, and they loved it.   At the end-of-season party, Yan received a "Silent Ninja Award" from the team.   It was very funny, because the "Silent Ninja" is so Yan Yan.    The girls in the team came up with this idea, and did the drawing.   Here is his "award", on paper plate:     :-)

Both of them have improved their time significantly through the season.   But the most precious part of this is that they have discovered the fun and joy of running - pure running.   Since joining the Cross Country team, they have been running around the neighborhood and trained together.  Now that the season is over, they are still running together regularly, and would look for 5K event and sign up to run together.   What is a more beautiful picture than brothers running together. 

I always feel blessed to have two boys.     When they were little, they played Thomas the Train and Lego together.   As they grow older, they are still doing everything together - biking, basketball, computer games, digging snow tunnels, running...... they share a room together, and take turn doing their own laundry (Well, "take turn" is a nice term - it is more like whoever runs out of clothes first will do the laundry, out of desperation, ha,ha..).  They call each other "B" (for brother).  Over these years, as far as I can remember, they never fight.   What a gift they are.  

I recently heard a song about the fisherman brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, in the Bible.      It reminded me Matthew 4 when Jesus called the brothers to follow him:

"Come, follow me"  "and I will send you out to fish for people.”   

 "At once they left their nets and followed him."

I don't know where and how God will lead them, but it is my prayer everyday that they will follow Simon Peter and Andrew's footsteps, respond to God's calling like they did -"at once they .... followed Him".   Yes, sons, follow Jesus - He is the way, the truth and the life.

Yan Yan is an official docent at the National Marine Corp Museum!     He finished the 10-week training course in September, and has been volunteering there every other Saturday since October.     Here is Sam in his docent uniform:

Handsome!   ha,ha....   We are so proud of him, even though we are still amazed by how much he likes it.   (History is not exactly my favorite!)      He absolutely loves working there.   He has made friends with retired veterans, has been surrounded by the subject he likes most,  and the best part, (from Mom's perspective of course), he gets to practice his public speaking skills (which is not exactly his strength, what a wonderful opportunity).

As smelly,  rough and sweaty the boys are(especially after running.   Faith can tell you all about that.  ha,ha....) I snatched this picture on our way out yesterday - Sam was helping Pearl to put on her coat.   It melted my heart!