"And Heidi Wins FIRST PRIZE!!!"

Last night was our AWANA pinewood derby Grand Prix. For the past couple of weeks as she's been building and playing with her car, Heidi's imagination has been active. She's been busy announcing the races:
"On your mark, get set, GO!... And they're off...and Heidi's in first place, her bus is the fastest! Heidi is winning!... And Heidi wins FIRST PRIZE!!!"
I've been cautioning that she might not win, that the fun is in the participation, not just getting first place. I guess all my advice wasn't really necessary, see: As someone else laughingly commented, "The shortest person in AWANA won the biggest trophy."! I could hardly believe it when her car kept winning race after race. She, on the other hand, acted as though she expected it all along, which, I suppose, she had. She did get caught up in the excitement and thrill of it all (the expressions she had were priceless, but my camera batteries were dying and I couldn't seem to capture any of them) and informed us afterward, "I LIKE to race!"

Heidi built her car almost entirely by herself. Karl saw it as a good opportunity to introduce her to some tools, so she got to try her hand at operating a hand saw, vice, rasp and drill. Not bad for a three year old girl! (Yes, she is in her pajamas, some things are just too exciting to waste time getting dressed for).

All Daddy did was the paint (she insisted on red and we only had that in spray), the weights underneath and the wheels and axles. She tried putting those in, but wasn't strong enough.

No, that's not her car. Daddy fulfilled a dream and built one of his own. He says it'll keep him satisfied until we can afford to build a real one.

Heidi wanted a RED (her favorite color has shifted slightly) bus, and that's what she built. Oh, and it has three number threes on it because she's three years old, of course.

Heidi and Hannah had fun checking out all the competitors before things got started.

Then it was time to race. Heidi wasn't tall enough, so Daddy had to lift her to put her car on the track.

At first she was a little intense with watching the races, by the end, every race was watched with a huge smile.

And what was Hannah doing while big sister was racing her way to glory? Why riding a rocking horse of course!

Heidi's buddy won second, and she was thrilled to have him on stage with her, but couldn't quite take her eyes off the trophy.

The true realization of glory occurred when I told her she got to take it home with her. What bliss!

She very willingly showed the trophy to her friends, and even posed for pictures - a rarity for her.

Karl holding one very tired and one very exuberant girl at the end of the night.

What a blessing to hear him talking to Heidi on our ride home about Paul (someone she's been very interested in lately). How he described living his life as a race in which first prize was knowing Christ and bringing Him glory. I am so proud of my little girl for winning her first race, but would be prouder still if she, along with Paul, chooses to press on toward the goal of knowing Christ Jesus.