Chase, Chris and Curtis decided to do another IRONMAN race and of course signed up last year before they realized we would have a newborn infant in tow when it actually took place. I was ALL for staying home with the kids while they gallivanted away in Houston but I was lured into going and it really wasn't too bad, for me, that is. For Chase however, the poor guy hardly got any sleep with George waking up every three hours in the hotel room and having to pick Chris up from the airport at 1 a.m. the night before (only having to leave the next morning at 5 a.m. to reach Houston on time for the check-in deadline). Poor guy was doomed from the beginning.
The boys left early Friday morning and Pops, CC, the kids and I left later that afternoon. The car was so packed Pops barely had enough room to wedge himself in between the double jogger and the travel swing. The drive to Houston was HORRIFIC!! George decided it would be fun to scream the entire way. Poor Pops did his best to console the little man from the back seat but unless the car was going a steady 70 mph, George was furious!! This was especially difficult with the back to back traffic leaving Austin and the stop and go country roads the rest of the trip.
The entire drive I attempted to mask the steam coming out of my ears and I kept thinking that Chase needed to find a different hobby. Preferably a hobby that didn't involve me driving five hours with a crying infant and an angry father in-law in the back seat. He had already completed three Ironman races. We get it! You're an Ironman. Lets move on to something else. Painting, or automotive repair would be handy. Carpentry and/or plumbing would also be a good choice. Something useful. I guess if someone tried to break into our house Chase can flash his medal at the guy and send him walking or if in a heated debate Jack's friend doesn't believe his dad is tougher, Chase can always show up wearing his Finisher t-shirt and put the rumor to rest. Other than that, I'll take a nice new painting over the mantel over a shiny medal any day. .
As mentioned above we didn't get a whole lot of sleep on Friday night (screaming infant again) so Chase was in NO shape to complete an Ironman. I tracked him the whole day and although he had an awesome swim, with the heat and high winds the bike got the better of him. After vomiting several time and suffering through heat stroke, he called me and said he didn't think he was going to finish. Well swipe my stripes NO!! He WAS going to finish!! He had to just to make the hellacious drive from Austin worth it. I told him we didn't come all this way to see Dad quit. I sent him the above picture telling him we were all rooting for him from the hot tub. I mean, if we can suffer all day swimming and lounging under the misters, he could certainly run a marathon, right?
Miraculously, after I sent him a few more funny pictures for comic relief, he started running and then started sprinting so he could finish before the midnight deadline. So we waited and waited at the hotel. We swam, ate dinner, and snuggled in bed with a movie and as soon as we got word we was close to the finish line, we jumped in the car and headed down there to see him finish.
The kids lasted about ten minutes in the stroller before they were totally asleep so they never got to see Chase finish.
The rest of us missed the finish too because we were too busy looking for his bike. Eventually we had our Dad back. He finished at 11:15 which wasn't his best time but considering his lack of sleep, we were just happy he was done!!
The next day was equally as chaotic as we speed raced back to Austin to be on time for George's baby blessing at 2:00 p.m. We were making awesome time and then encountered a near accident when a huge semi truck rolled over expanding it's dirt and trailer all over the highway. There was NO way for any cars to pass and we nearly slammed into the car in front of us trying to stop! It was a very scary dodged bullet. If we had been five minutes earlier it might have been us sprawled out on the highway.
A little shaken we finally arrived to the chapel at 2:05 hoping we still had time to rush in and sit down for the opening song. But Cannons wouldn't be Cannons if they weren't inquired over at the pulpit as to where we could possibly be for our own child's baby blessing. I heard Brother Scott asking for us and I quickly opened the door and as reverently as I could proclaimed that the Cannon's were indeed in the building and ready to bless George Edwin Cannon.
It didn't matter that we were late. It didn't matter that no one's hair was done or that Mom couldn't find her eyebrow pencil. It didn't matter that shirts weren't ironed. All that mattered was George. Sweet George and him being here on earth and in OUR family. How we love him so!! The smile overwhelmed Chase and he too got a little emotional and then gave one of the sweetest baby blessings I have ever heard. He blessed George with an alert mind, the power of discernment, to be a good friend and to find good friends. He blessed him to have a testimony of his own of our Savior and of the restored gospel. He was blessed to one day be baptized, serve a mission, and be married in the temple. He blessed him with gratitude and health. And through the whole blessing George didn't make a peep. If we hadn't been late it would have been a perfectly spiritual moment. It still was pretty amazing and I kept thinking of how grateful I was we weren't involved in that terrible accident. All in the name of George Edwin Cannon did we make it to church that day. I expect great things from this little one.
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