Saturday, October 22, 2011
Avon Walk Day One
We were up before the sun, preparing for battle. It was unusually cold in Charlotte, almost freezing weather, so us Texans wrapped ourselves in layers, and topped it all with our pink shirts and purple Bouquet of Rosies hoodies. Body glide on the feet, moisture-wicking socks, tried and true walking shoes, pink mittens, chapstick. Packed our water bottles, extra socks, blister bandaids, cameras. We piled in the cars and arrived in Charlotte right on time.
The walk started in a park just outside of downtown Charlotte. It was pitch black out still but they had the park all lit up for us. Our first stop was to sign the infamous pink inflatable pillars. These pillars are at the start and end of every Avon Walk each season. We could look up and see the Chicago layer from when Ann walked in the spring. When we walked up to the pillar to sign it, this was the first thing we saw:
How cool is that? As my mom would say, it felt like a God thing.
We each took our turn signing our names and writing a little message. It was so special to see what each of us were walking for and what other people were walking for. There were so many of us. I've never seen so much pink in my life.
Another special thing for me was wearing Mike's mom's angel pin. When Mom Hedges passed away, each of us kids got an angel pin of hers, which she collected. Wouldn't you know - mine has a pink breast cancer ribbon on it? So I wore it today in honor of her and her beautiful legacy. Love you, Mom Hedges!
We gathered together for an incredible opening ceremony, reminding us of why we were walking and pumping us up to get it done. Then this guy led our mass warm-up, which was hilarious, mostly because they were all 80s exercise moves and the guy kept laughing at us. Then they signaled the start, and we BOOKED IT to the front of the line.
Did I mention that it was still pitch-black out? We were crossing foot-bridges in the dark and trying not to run into anything. We even walked through a tunnel in total blackness. Laura, Regina and I set a fast pace and kept it up.
Several miles in, the sun began to peak through, and we were starting to get the chill out of our bones. Laura's plantar fasciitis (a painful foot condition) began to rear its ugly head. Poor sweetheart. We adjusted our pace and kept on. We were going to stay together no matter what.
Every couple of miles there would be a rest stop. We'd refill our water bottles, grab a few snacks, and keep walking. We were on a mission.
The best part would be when we would round a corner and see our family waiting for us. They met us along the route every few miles. They were all wearing purple and making such a ruckus cheering for us and the rest of the walkers, that by the end of the day, walkers were talking pictures with them!
At mile six, our Aunt Ann jumped in and joined us walkers. She walked with us for the rest of the day and was a constant source of encouragement. It was much easier to walk two by two instead of as three walkers, and we were so glad to have her with us.
We didn't even stop for lunch, just grabbed our bag and walked. It was interesting trying to put mayo on a sandwich while in motion. Later we did have to stop once so that I could pump. Oh, the odd things I've had to do in public... I hadn't been pumping more than a minute before I attracted the neighborhood cat, who must've smelled milk. We all laughed about that.
Did I mention how encouraging it was to see our family as we walked? Sweet Aunt Linda was there at every cheer station, resting in her chair and encouraging the walkers. I know we were all thinking of her and how if even one step we took would help her, we would walk every step until we finished it.
My dad brought Chloe and Gracie later in the morning, wearing their special "My mom is one amazing walker!" shirts and shaking their pom-poms. They walked with us for a little bit. My grandma and mom were home watching the babies, and I was so thankful for their sacrifice so that I could walk. It really did take a village.
I would say, easily, that the best part of the walk for me was getting to spend time with Laura, Regina, and Ann. We talked about everything under the sun, cried together, and praised the Lord together as we passed each mile marker.
I felt pretty good for most of the day. I don't remember at what point I started hurting. My biggest problem was the hills. Did you know that Charlotte is hilly? And by hilly, I don't mean a hill here and there. I mean constant hills, a never-ending series of ups and downs. The hills wouldn't have been so bad but my right knee flared up. For some reason, it only hurt me when going down a hill or curb. Regina's hamstrings started cramping at the end of the day, and Laura's plantar fasciitis never let up. So, we'd approach a hill, Regina & Laura would suffer the climbing up it, and I would suffer the climbing down it. At this point, we made slow progress, but at least we made progress.
Just before mile 20, Mike and Kirsten joined us. Us girls were hurting at this point and needed an extra boost. Our feet and legs were throbbing. Mike and Kirsten talked with us and made us laugh and kept us going.
All I remember about the last few miles is that it seemed like they seemed never-ending. Where was that mile marker? What? Only 25? One more? Then the last mile took us down across gravel (so cruel) and looped us around into a park.
Laura, Regina, Ann and I linked arms and walked the last hundred of feet, tears mixed with joy. We stopped before finishing for each of us to hug Aunt Linda and whisper to her that we were doing this for her. We linked back up and crossed beneath that beautiful pink arch.
26.2 miles. We did it. Cramping muscles, gigantic blisters, buckets of sweat later, we did it. And we were determined to do 13.1 more miles tomorrow...
Because we were "in it to end it."
The walk started in a park just outside of downtown Charlotte. It was pitch black out still but they had the park all lit up for us. Our first stop was to sign the infamous pink inflatable pillars. These pillars are at the start and end of every Avon Walk each season. We could look up and see the Chicago layer from when Ann walked in the spring. When we walked up to the pillar to sign it, this was the first thing we saw:
How cool is that? As my mom would say, it felt like a God thing.
We each took our turn signing our names and writing a little message. It was so special to see what each of us were walking for and what other people were walking for. There were so many of us. I've never seen so much pink in my life.
 |
| L to R: Ann, Colleen, John, Laura, Brad, Katie, Regina, Linda, Deb, Kirsten & Mike |
We gathered together for an incredible opening ceremony, reminding us of why we were walking and pumping us up to get it done. Then this guy led our mass warm-up, which was hilarious, mostly because they were all 80s exercise moves and the guy kept laughing at us. Then they signaled the start, and we BOOKED IT to the front of the line.
Did I mention that it was still pitch-black out? We were crossing foot-bridges in the dark and trying not to run into anything. We even walked through a tunnel in total blackness. Laura, Regina and I set a fast pace and kept it up.
Several miles in, the sun began to peak through, and we were starting to get the chill out of our bones. Laura's plantar fasciitis (a painful foot condition) began to rear its ugly head. Poor sweetheart. We adjusted our pace and kept on. We were going to stay together no matter what.
Every couple of miles there would be a rest stop. We'd refill our water bottles, grab a few snacks, and keep walking. We were on a mission.
The best part would be when we would round a corner and see our family waiting for us. They met us along the route every few miles. They were all wearing purple and making such a ruckus cheering for us and the rest of the walkers, that by the end of the day, walkers were talking pictures with them!
At mile six, our Aunt Ann jumped in and joined us walkers. She walked with us for the rest of the day and was a constant source of encouragement. It was much easier to walk two by two instead of as three walkers, and we were so glad to have her with us.
We didn't even stop for lunch, just grabbed our bag and walked. It was interesting trying to put mayo on a sandwich while in motion. Later we did have to stop once so that I could pump. Oh, the odd things I've had to do in public... I hadn't been pumping more than a minute before I attracted the neighborhood cat, who must've smelled milk. We all laughed about that.
Did I mention how encouraging it was to see our family as we walked? Sweet Aunt Linda was there at every cheer station, resting in her chair and encouraging the walkers. I know we were all thinking of her and how if even one step we took would help her, we would walk every step until we finished it.
My dad brought Chloe and Gracie later in the morning, wearing their special "My mom is one amazing walker!" shirts and shaking their pom-poms. They walked with us for a little bit. My grandma and mom were home watching the babies, and I was so thankful for their sacrifice so that I could walk. It really did take a village.
I would say, easily, that the best part of the walk for me was getting to spend time with Laura, Regina, and Ann. We talked about everything under the sun, cried together, and praised the Lord together as we passed each mile marker.
I felt pretty good for most of the day. I don't remember at what point I started hurting. My biggest problem was the hills. Did you know that Charlotte is hilly? And by hilly, I don't mean a hill here and there. I mean constant hills, a never-ending series of ups and downs. The hills wouldn't have been so bad but my right knee flared up. For some reason, it only hurt me when going down a hill or curb. Regina's hamstrings started cramping at the end of the day, and Laura's plantar fasciitis never let up. So, we'd approach a hill, Regina & Laura would suffer the climbing up it, and I would suffer the climbing down it. At this point, we made slow progress, but at least we made progress.
Just before mile 20, Mike and Kirsten joined us. Us girls were hurting at this point and needed an extra boost. Our feet and legs were throbbing. Mike and Kirsten talked with us and made us laugh and kept us going.
All I remember about the last few miles is that it seemed like they seemed never-ending. Where was that mile marker? What? Only 25? One more? Then the last mile took us down across gravel (so cruel) and looped us around into a park.
Laura, Regina, Ann and I linked arms and walked the last hundred of feet, tears mixed with joy. We stopped before finishing for each of us to hug Aunt Linda and whisper to her that we were doing this for her. We linked back up and crossed beneath that beautiful pink arch.
26.2 miles. We did it. Cramping muscles, gigantic blisters, buckets of sweat later, we did it. And we were determined to do 13.1 more miles tomorrow...
Because we were "in it to end it."
Friday, October 21, 2011
Avon Pregame
It's the weekend of the Avon Walk! Can you believe it's finally here? For us, the Walk is a family affair. So my family rallied in Charlotte, North Carolina to support us girls as we walked.
Mike and I roadtriped with the kids on Thursday. Let's all be honest. I can't say that either Mike or I were excited about 8.5 hours in the van with our children. Not that we don't love them. But a five-year-old, an almost three-year-old, and two desperate-to-move one-year-olds in their carseats for eight hours seemed like a recipe for disaster to us.
It wasn't. It was actually fun! We loaded up in the afternoon and drove until dinner. We ate yummy Chick-Fil-A and let all four kids get their wiggles out on the playground. Then we put all the kids in the jammies, put them to bed in their carseats, and drove on. In the wee hours of the morning, we arrived at the beautiful lake house we were all staying at. Even in the dark it was beautiful. My parents were already there, and they helped us transferred the kids to bed. That was then end of day one. Not too bad!
The next day, the crew started to roll in. My cousins Laura, Brad and Regina arrived the night before. My aunt Linda (their mom) and Grammy arrived in the afternoon, along with Aunt Ann and cousin Kirsten. My mom's cousins Deb, Colleen and John drove in during the evening. You heard right - 17 people in the same house! It was soooo fun!
You can imagine I was a little nervous about my four little kids in a new (beautiful) environment. They did so well! We brought little booster seats, and the babies would sit up at the counters and stuff their sweet faces. The big girls did puzzles and played with the cousins. The rest of us adults just enjoyed being together and catching up.
In the evening, several of us went to Event Eve, which kicks off the Avon Walk weekend. It was so fun to see all the pink! Regina, Laura, and I are the walkers for our team, Bouquet of Rosies. We signed in and donated the remaining checks and cash donations we had received. Thanks to all of you, as a team we raised $7,392!! Isn't that amazing?!? We were so excited. Thank you all so much.
We finished up our Event Eve with taking a group photo and then shopping, of course! I mean, who doesn't need matching pink ribbon hair bows?
We headed home to a yummy dinner, rowdy kids, and lots of fellowship. Mike and I got the kids to bed - a small miracle - and then us girls packed up all our things for the morning. It was going to be an early start - 4:15 a.m - so everyone headed to bed.
Mike and I roadtriped with the kids on Thursday. Let's all be honest. I can't say that either Mike or I were excited about 8.5 hours in the van with our children. Not that we don't love them. But a five-year-old, an almost three-year-old, and two desperate-to-move one-year-olds in their carseats for eight hours seemed like a recipe for disaster to us.
It wasn't. It was actually fun! We loaded up in the afternoon and drove until dinner. We ate yummy Chick-Fil-A and let all four kids get their wiggles out on the playground. Then we put all the kids in the jammies, put them to bed in their carseats, and drove on. In the wee hours of the morning, we arrived at the beautiful lake house we were all staying at. Even in the dark it was beautiful. My parents were already there, and they helped us transferred the kids to bed. That was then end of day one. Not too bad!
The next day, the crew started to roll in. My cousins Laura, Brad and Regina arrived the night before. My aunt Linda (their mom) and Grammy arrived in the afternoon, along with Aunt Ann and cousin Kirsten. My mom's cousins Deb, Colleen and John drove in during the evening. You heard right - 17 people in the same house! It was soooo fun!
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| Grammy was so excited to see Caleb! |
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| Auntie Annie loving on Julie |
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| Gracie and cousin Kirsten |
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| Regina teasing Caleb (on his new blankie from Aunt Linda) |
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| Regina & Chloe do a puzzle. |
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| Tootsie & Gracie do a puzzle. |
We finished up our Event Eve with taking a group photo and then shopping, of course! I mean, who doesn't need matching pink ribbon hair bows?
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| Ann, Katie, Linda, Regina, Laura and Kirsten |
Big Day Tomorrow!
Tomorrow's the big day, folks. We're all ready to go. Pray for us, friends! It's a long way to walk.
But it's a lot easier than cancer...
But it's a lot easier than cancer...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Why I Haven't Blogged in a Couple of Days
It's been over a week since my last posting. I've walked. I've taken photos for postings. I just haven't done it. I haven't done it because my heart is too heavy, and I don't know how to put words to it.
Last Tuesday, my Aunt Linda found out that her lung cancer has spread to her brain. Her doctors are treating her immediately and aggressively, as it is very serious. Last Thursday, she began 14 whole brain radiology treatments, one per day. She will have some short term memory loss and will lose her hair again. She cannot drive for a year, and she will need to stop working in 2-3 months. The good news is that her lung cancer responded well to radiology, and so her doctors have hope that her brain cancer will as well.
I cried for the first 24 hours after hearing about Aunt Linda. Even though I know that the Lord can heal her, even though I know she's beaten cancer once before, I cried. I love her. I can't bear the thought of life without her. I don't know life without her, nor do I want to. She was always there as I grew up, a second mom, always just a few blocks away.
My Aunt Linda had triplets when I was seven years old. She already had one son, Bradley, who was two at the time. My family moved from the farm in Illinois to Houston where Uncle Ray and Aunt Linda lived, and that was the beginning of years of living only a few blocks apart. There was always a baby at our house, it seemed like. I remember taking walks at night after dinner, all ten of us. Their children are siblings to me. It seems like I hardly have a memory from my elementary years without one of them in it.
Now Brad and the triplets are all grown up and off living their own lives. Now I'm the one with multiples, outnumbered by very small, very quick, very loud little people. Now I'm the one looking back at my Aunt Linda, thinking, 'Ohhhhh. I get it.' As an adult and a mother myself, I see all that she willingly, loving sacrificed. I see/know how utterly exhausting and overwhelming it must have been to have so many little ones. I see how she did the best she could and how that best really and truly was incredible. I see how well she mothered. I look at her and have hope that maybe someone will look at me one day and say that I did it well too.
So I cried. Darn that rainy weather, I walked in the mall on that Wednesday and cried in front of strangers and did not care. Did. Not. Care. Let them stare. My heart was breaking. I was crying for Aunt Linda, for my Uncle Ray, for my cousins, for myself. I was crying because it took me back to those days with Caleb and myself, and how none of life is guaranteed. I cried as I listened to a Hillsong CD on repeat, trying to nestle myself deep inside Jesus' love, trying to remember what I know, know, know is true - He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is, even so, worthy to be praised.
So tonight I do not make my customary plea for Avon donations. Tonight I beg of you to pray for my dear Aunt Linda, that the Lord would work another miracle in her life and in her body, and thereby once again bring glory to Himself. Please, please pray.
Last Tuesday, my Aunt Linda found out that her lung cancer has spread to her brain. Her doctors are treating her immediately and aggressively, as it is very serious. Last Thursday, she began 14 whole brain radiology treatments, one per day. She will have some short term memory loss and will lose her hair again. She cannot drive for a year, and she will need to stop working in 2-3 months. The good news is that her lung cancer responded well to radiology, and so her doctors have hope that her brain cancer will as well.
I cried for the first 24 hours after hearing about Aunt Linda. Even though I know that the Lord can heal her, even though I know she's beaten cancer once before, I cried. I love her. I can't bear the thought of life without her. I don't know life without her, nor do I want to. She was always there as I grew up, a second mom, always just a few blocks away.
My Aunt Linda had triplets when I was seven years old. She already had one son, Bradley, who was two at the time. My family moved from the farm in Illinois to Houston where Uncle Ray and Aunt Linda lived, and that was the beginning of years of living only a few blocks apart. There was always a baby at our house, it seemed like. I remember taking walks at night after dinner, all ten of us. Their children are siblings to me. It seems like I hardly have a memory from my elementary years without one of them in it.
Now Brad and the triplets are all grown up and off living their own lives. Now I'm the one with multiples, outnumbered by very small, very quick, very loud little people. Now I'm the one looking back at my Aunt Linda, thinking, 'Ohhhhh. I get it.' As an adult and a mother myself, I see all that she willingly, loving sacrificed. I see/know how utterly exhausting and overwhelming it must have been to have so many little ones. I see how she did the best she could and how that best really and truly was incredible. I see how well she mothered. I look at her and have hope that maybe someone will look at me one day and say that I did it well too.
So I cried. Darn that rainy weather, I walked in the mall on that Wednesday and cried in front of strangers and did not care. Did. Not. Care. Let them stare. My heart was breaking. I was crying for Aunt Linda, for my Uncle Ray, for my cousins, for myself. I was crying because it took me back to those days with Caleb and myself, and how none of life is guaranteed. I cried as I listened to a Hillsong CD on repeat, trying to nestle myself deep inside Jesus' love, trying to remember what I know, know, know is true - He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is, even so, worthy to be praised.
So tonight I do not make my customary plea for Avon donations. Tonight I beg of you to pray for my dear Aunt Linda, that the Lord would work another miracle in her life and in her body, and thereby once again bring glory to Himself. Please, please pray.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Random Walk Photos
Here I go. Off to do my last big walk before the Walk itself.
The girls watching Mommy leave. How cute is that?!?
The gigantic pumpkins at Arnold Farms on Hwy 2.
Good old College Parkway. Almost home.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Sixteen Miles
Today I walked sixteen miles. I got up early, got dressed, and left all four kids in my mom's totally capable hands. Both babies were sobbing hysterically when I left. That about broke my heart.
I was all over the place mentally, so I put on my audiobook and tried to zone out. I walked from my house onto Bay Dale, down College Parkway to Route 2, up Route 2 to Fish Paws Deli, and then crossed over onto the Baltimore Annapolis Trail. I headed for downtown Annapolis.
My spirit was struggling. I felt/feel overwhelmed with all that is going on in my life. I constantly feel like I can't get anything done (or done well), like I'm treading water and getting nowhere.
That kind of mental attitude is not good for the walking mojo. Then something in my audiobook made me think about my babies. Two beautiful, healthy babies. Two living babies. I thought about what it felt like to hold them in my arms, to be on the receiving end of their slobbery kisses, how my heart does a little dance when they smile at me. I thought about how thankful I am to have them and how different things could've been for Caleb and I. Thankfulness washed over me, and the Lord renewed my spirit. I was back in the game.
I crossed over the Navy Bridge, basking the slight breeze, the smell of the water, and the warm sun on a chilly day. There's something about walking over a bridge that just means something, you know? I can't explain it, so I won't try.
From there, I walked downtown, past the Naval Academy and towards City Dock. When I saw the chalkboard sign at SugarBuns restaurant advertising a Monster BLT, I promptly decided it was lunch time. NOW. With a Coke, please.
After I demolished my BLT, I walked towards City Dock and was so surprised to see that it was Boat Show Week. I am so out of it.
I looped around downtown and then walked up Duke of Gloucester and West Street all the way Westgate Circle. Then I turned around and headed back down to City Dock again, trying to clock a few more miles.
After another loop around downtown, I headed up Rowe Boulevard, crossed under Highway 50, and kept walking on Bestgate towards Westfield Mall. A little before mile seventeen, my knight-in-shining-Camry swung by and picked me up.
I was supposed to walk twenty miles but I decided that sixteen was enough. I hadn't seen my kids all day, and I had a girls night out planned for the evening. I needed to go home and be with the kids for a bit between events, so I cut the walk short and headed home.
And, let me tell you what - those slobbery kisses made all the walking worthwhile.
Okay, friends! It's time for my typical closer, so I won't delay. Would you please consider donating to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer? It's really easy to do, and your donation makes such a difference. You can either click here to donate, or you can access the donation page via the Avon Walk link on the right side of this blog. Thanks so much!
I was all over the place mentally, so I put on my audiobook and tried to zone out. I walked from my house onto Bay Dale, down College Parkway to Route 2, up Route 2 to Fish Paws Deli, and then crossed over onto the Baltimore Annapolis Trail. I headed for downtown Annapolis.
My spirit was struggling. I felt/feel overwhelmed with all that is going on in my life. I constantly feel like I can't get anything done (or done well), like I'm treading water and getting nowhere.
That kind of mental attitude is not good for the walking mojo. Then something in my audiobook made me think about my babies. Two beautiful, healthy babies. Two living babies. I thought about what it felt like to hold them in my arms, to be on the receiving end of their slobbery kisses, how my heart does a little dance when they smile at me. I thought about how thankful I am to have them and how different things could've been for Caleb and I. Thankfulness washed over me, and the Lord renewed my spirit. I was back in the game.
I crossed over the Navy Bridge, basking the slight breeze, the smell of the water, and the warm sun on a chilly day. There's something about walking over a bridge that just means something, you know? I can't explain it, so I won't try.
From there, I walked downtown, past the Naval Academy and towards City Dock. When I saw the chalkboard sign at SugarBuns restaurant advertising a Monster BLT, I promptly decided it was lunch time. NOW. With a Coke, please.
After I demolished my BLT, I walked towards City Dock and was so surprised to see that it was Boat Show Week. I am so out of it.
I looped around downtown and then walked up Duke of Gloucester and West Street all the way Westgate Circle. Then I turned around and headed back down to City Dock again, trying to clock a few more miles.
After another loop around downtown, I headed up Rowe Boulevard, crossed under Highway 50, and kept walking on Bestgate towards Westfield Mall. A little before mile seventeen, my knight-in-shining-Camry swung by and picked me up.
I was supposed to walk twenty miles but I decided that sixteen was enough. I hadn't seen my kids all day, and I had a girls night out planned for the evening. I needed to go home and be with the kids for a bit between events, so I cut the walk short and headed home.
And, let me tell you what - those slobbery kisses made all the walking worthwhile.
Okay, friends! It's time for my typical closer, so I won't delay. Would you please consider donating to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer? It's really easy to do, and your donation makes such a difference. You can either click here to donate, or you can access the donation page via the Avon Walk link on the right side of this blog. Thanks so much!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
$1,800 Raised!
Check out the email I got this morning!
We did it! We raised $1,800! Can you believe it? I'm so excited! Thanks so much, friends!
I'm so excited that I'm thinking why stop here? Let's raise more! My new goal is $3,000 by the Walk itself, October 22nd. I know that seems like a lot - and it is - but think of all that money can do to help fight breast cancer!
If you haven't donated yet, there's still time! You can either click here to donate, or you can access the donation page via the Avon Walk link on the right side of this blog. Go ahead! You know you want to!
We did it! We raised $1,800! Can you believe it? I'm so excited! Thanks so much, friends!
I'm so excited that I'm thinking why stop here? Let's raise more! My new goal is $3,000 by the Walk itself, October 22nd. I know that seems like a lot - and it is - but think of all that money can do to help fight breast cancer!
If you haven't donated yet, there's still time! You can either click here to donate, or you can access the donation page via the Avon Walk link on the right side of this blog. Go ahead! You know you want to!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Twenty-Nine Miles
There's only three weekends left until the Avon Walk. I'm getting up to the 'big walks.' The training schedule called for a 20 mile walk on Saturday and a 9 mile walk on Sunday.
Thankfully, my mom flew in Friday and will be here for 10 days while she attends a conference in Baltimore. Her timing was perfect, since my two biggest walks will be this weekend and next. I felt so much better knowing that Mike was not alone in caring for the kids. I don't know what is more exhausting - handling two toddlers and two breastfeeding babies by yourself for nine hours (when you are not the one who has the milk) or walking twenty miles.
Saturday's weather forecast was in the 50s and a 30% chance of rain. I decided to walk outside anyways for as long as I could. My mom's magic suitcase produced a rain poncho I could wear if the rain got bad, and since Mom was here, Mike could come get me at any moment if it started to rain.
I decided to walk up the Baltimore & Annapolis trail, starting at Fish Paws deli until the trail's end in Glen Burnie. Then I'd turn around and walk back, making it a little over 20 miles.
I started at 9 a.m. It was cold but not killer, cloudy but not raining. I have found that I really like walking places I have not been before. There's so much to see! Even in the yucky weather, the trail was beautiful. The leaves are starting to turn here.
The really fun part was walking past places I've only driven past or to - Marley Station Mall, Glen Burnie, etc. I couldn't believe that I walked there. When I got to Dorsey Road, the end of the trail, I could've kissed that dirty pavement. (I did not.)
Then I had to walk the 10 miles back. That was harder. By this point, I was tired. So I set my mind on the next goal - lunch at Marley Station Mall. Specifically, Chick-Fil-A. The waffle fries and Coke were calling my name. So I walked, and walked, and walked.
Marley Station Mall welcomed me with this sign. I mean, really? Really?
After Chick-Fil-A, I got back on the road, feet throbbing but belly full. It started raining before I even got out of the parking lot. It was just a light sprinkle, so I donned my fabulous green poncho, and this Jolly Green Giant got back on the trail.
At 6 p.m. I emerged from the trail. I was tired and wet, but victorious. I was so encouraged that I had not only made it but had done well.
Sunday called for 9 more miles and a 50% chance of rain. This time I decided to walk the mall. It was Breast Cancer Awareness weekend at our mall, so that was fun to see all the support from the stores and the patrons. I listened to my audiobook and booked it. Mike met up with me for the last two laps. My new bestfriend Ben Gay and I had two rendevous to ease my throbbing knee but all in all it was a good walk.
The best part of this weekend was the encouragement it gave me. I did it! I can do this! It made the Avon Walk weekend look possible, like I can do it not just limping across the finish line but striding across it.
So, are you with me? You have 19 more days to donate to my Avon Walk but only ONE MORE DAY to donate towards my intermediate goal of $2,100 by October 3. If you haven't donated, can you please? $10, $20, $100 - any amount helps. Think of the women and families you're helping! To donate, just click here or on the Avon Walk link on the right side of my blog. Thanks again, friends!
Thankfully, my mom flew in Friday and will be here for 10 days while she attends a conference in Baltimore. Her timing was perfect, since my two biggest walks will be this weekend and next. I felt so much better knowing that Mike was not alone in caring for the kids. I don't know what is more exhausting - handling two toddlers and two breastfeeding babies by yourself for nine hours (when you are not the one who has the milk) or walking twenty miles.
Saturday's weather forecast was in the 50s and a 30% chance of rain. I decided to walk outside anyways for as long as I could. My mom's magic suitcase produced a rain poncho I could wear if the rain got bad, and since Mom was here, Mike could come get me at any moment if it started to rain.
I decided to walk up the Baltimore & Annapolis trail, starting at Fish Paws deli until the trail's end in Glen Burnie. Then I'd turn around and walk back, making it a little over 20 miles.
I started at 9 a.m. It was cold but not killer, cloudy but not raining. I have found that I really like walking places I have not been before. There's so much to see! Even in the yucky weather, the trail was beautiful. The leaves are starting to turn here.
The really fun part was walking past places I've only driven past or to - Marley Station Mall, Glen Burnie, etc. I couldn't believe that I walked there. When I got to Dorsey Road, the end of the trail, I could've kissed that dirty pavement. (I did not.)
Then I had to walk the 10 miles back. That was harder. By this point, I was tired. So I set my mind on the next goal - lunch at Marley Station Mall. Specifically, Chick-Fil-A. The waffle fries and Coke were calling my name. So I walked, and walked, and walked.
Marley Station Mall welcomed me with this sign. I mean, really? Really?
After Chick-Fil-A, I got back on the road, feet throbbing but belly full. It started raining before I even got out of the parking lot. It was just a light sprinkle, so I donned my fabulous green poncho, and this Jolly Green Giant got back on the trail.
At 6 p.m. I emerged from the trail. I was tired and wet, but victorious. I was so encouraged that I had not only made it but had done well.
Sunday called for 9 more miles and a 50% chance of rain. This time I decided to walk the mall. It was Breast Cancer Awareness weekend at our mall, so that was fun to see all the support from the stores and the patrons. I listened to my audiobook and booked it. Mike met up with me for the last two laps. My new bestfriend Ben Gay and I had two rendevous to ease my throbbing knee but all in all it was a good walk.
The best part of this weekend was the encouragement it gave me. I did it! I can do this! It made the Avon Walk weekend look possible, like I can do it not just limping across the finish line but striding across it.
So, are you with me? You have 19 more days to donate to my Avon Walk but only ONE MORE DAY to donate towards my intermediate goal of $2,100 by October 3. If you haven't donated, can you please? $10, $20, $100 - any amount helps. Think of the women and families you're helping! To donate, just click here or on the Avon Walk link on the right side of my blog. Thanks again, friends!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Fifteen Miles
Yesterday was my fifteen mile training walk. Chloe had a soccer game in the morning, and so I didn't get started until 12:30pm. It was also raining, and so that meant another walk at the mall.
The first three miles were oddly hard. I just kept thinking that if I would just keep going, it would get better.
It did eventually. I just sort of blanked out on how much my back hurt. (I pulled my back out when I was in my third trimester of the twins' pregnancy, and now it seems like I can pull it when I'm not even doing anything! And, of course, I pulled it two weeks ago.)
I just kept listening to my audiobook and walked, walked, walked. Make that "walked, bobbed and weaved, walked, tried not to plow (said person) down, walked, bobbed and weaved." The mall was packed. I even got to see a health expo - eight times - where oddly I got potato chips and coupons to McDonalds.
I finished at 7:30pm - seven hours. I did pretty well until the last mile or so. Somehow I jacked up my left knee badly and pulled something in that thigh. I literally limped the last half mile. People kept giving me the most pathetic looks - I'm sure because I looked pathetic. IT WAS ROUGH. Sooo different from my 12 mile walk two weeks ago.
So Friday's party was a huge high, and Saturday's walk a big low. I finished, yes, but the idea of having to walk eleven more miles... I could not have done it yesterday. I would've kept going, yes, but I'm pretty sure that I could not limp faster than the sweeper van at the Walk. (If you're going too slow, the sweeper van picks you up.)
I did not walk today, even though I was supposed to do 7 more miles. I decided to rest my body. I am feeling more level today. I mean, yes, I am super sore, and certain directions I turn my knee hurts like fire, but I'm back to believing that I can do this. I'm encouraged by the fact that I did not get a single blister - hoorah for the runner's knot! I also think the bobbing and weaving at the mall put a lot of unusual stress on my body and specifically my knee. Plus I was exhausted from a week's worth of lost sleep as I prepared for the party. I'm choosing to believe that I can do this!
Are you with me? Any donation to the Avon Walk would help - $10, $20, anything you can. Not only would my tired feet thank you, but those courageous cancer patients would too if they could. To donate, see the link on the right side of my blog. And, please! Don't forget to pray for me and my team - especially for our health and fundraising!
The first three miles were oddly hard. I just kept thinking that if I would just keep going, it would get better.
It did eventually. I just sort of blanked out on how much my back hurt. (I pulled my back out when I was in my third trimester of the twins' pregnancy, and now it seems like I can pull it when I'm not even doing anything! And, of course, I pulled it two weeks ago.)
I just kept listening to my audiobook and walked, walked, walked. Make that "walked, bobbed and weaved, walked, tried not to plow (said person) down, walked, bobbed and weaved." The mall was packed. I even got to see a health expo - eight times - where oddly I got potato chips and coupons to McDonalds.
 |
| Halfway done |
I finished at 7:30pm - seven hours. I did pretty well until the last mile or so. Somehow I jacked up my left knee badly and pulled something in that thigh. I literally limped the last half mile. People kept giving me the most pathetic looks - I'm sure because I looked pathetic. IT WAS ROUGH. Sooo different from my 12 mile walk two weeks ago.
So Friday's party was a huge high, and Saturday's walk a big low. I finished, yes, but the idea of having to walk eleven more miles... I could not have done it yesterday. I would've kept going, yes, but I'm pretty sure that I could not limp faster than the sweeper van at the Walk. (If you're going too slow, the sweeper van picks you up.)
I did not walk today, even though I was supposed to do 7 more miles. I decided to rest my body. I am feeling more level today. I mean, yes, I am super sore, and certain directions I turn my knee hurts like fire, but I'm back to believing that I can do this. I'm encouraged by the fact that I did not get a single blister - hoorah for the runner's knot! I also think the bobbing and weaving at the mall put a lot of unusual stress on my body and specifically my knee. Plus I was exhausted from a week's worth of lost sleep as I prepared for the party. I'm choosing to believe that I can do this!
Are you with me? Any donation to the Avon Walk would help - $10, $20, anything you can. Not only would my tired feet thank you, but those courageous cancer patients would too if they could. To donate, see the link on the right side of my blog. And, please! Don't forget to pray for me and my team - especially for our health and fundraising!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Avon Party Rocked It Out!
Tonight was our fundraising party, and did we ever have fun! Yummy food, delicious wine, shopping, and hanging out with the girls - how can it get better than that?
For those of you not in Annapolis, you probably haven't heard about our party.
Most of you know that I am an avid coupon-er. I often get things for free. (No, don't believe everything you see on Extreme Couponing, and no, I am not one of those people.) For the past few months, I've saved up those freebies, with the intention of having a fundraising party. At the party, I sold my freebies to my friends at a discounted price. All funds paid went to the Avon Walk!
We're talking toothpaste for $1, razors for $3, dish soap for $1, body wash for $2, etc, etc. I've been so excited about this party because it seemed like one of those "good and perfect things from above." Everyone was blessed - me as it gave me a way to bless my friends (unusual in my now very isolated children-dominated world), my friends as they stocked up on toiletries and gifts for 50% off or more, and breast-cancer patients since the money went to the Avon Walk.
Thanks to my girlfriends, the party was a roaring success! We had thirteen customers, and together we raised a generous $642 to support the cause! Isn't that AMAZING?!?
I could have never pulled off a party like this without the incredible support of my friends. Chrissy, thank you for hosting at your beautiful home and letting me store my stash of freebies in your basement. Chrissy, Heather, and Tai, thank you so much for providing delicious snacks and wine, not to mention encouragement and advice when I needed it most.
Bekah, thanks for showing up early and being willing to do whatever needed to be done. She did an awesome job making the pricing signs (see below).
Much thanks as well to a few businesses who supported us. Safeway in Arnold donated a $10 gift card, which we used to provide some delectable cheese for the party. Annapolis Copy & Print donated a 20"x30" print that showed what a donation to the Avon Walk can help do. Party City in Annapolis donated a dozen pink balloons to help us decorate. Thanks so much!
There was even a ton of things leftover. I'm thinking a yard sale in October might be the perfect final send-off before the Walk. What do you think?
If you weren't able to make the party, you can still donate! Just click on the Avon Walk link on the right side of my blog. (And if you're wondering why the $642 isn't included on my Avon page, it will take the Avon Walk a few weeks to process the checks.) Thanks again, everyone!
And now to bed. I have fifteen miles to conquer tomorrow...
For those of you not in Annapolis, you probably haven't heard about our party.
 |
| "Whether you have them or are fond of them, come hang out and 'support' the cause!" |
Most of you know that I am an avid coupon-er. I often get things for free. (No, don't believe everything you see on Extreme Couponing, and no, I am not one of those people.) For the past few months, I've saved up those freebies, with the intention of having a fundraising party. At the party, I sold my freebies to my friends at a discounted price. All funds paid went to the Avon Walk!
We're talking toothpaste for $1, razors for $3, dish soap for $1, body wash for $2, etc, etc. I've been so excited about this party because it seemed like one of those "good and perfect things from above." Everyone was blessed - me as it gave me a way to bless my friends (unusual in my now very isolated children-dominated world), my friends as they stocked up on toiletries and gifts for 50% off or more, and breast-cancer patients since the money went to the Avon Walk.
Thanks to my girlfriends, the party was a roaring success! We had thirteen customers, and together we raised a generous $642 to support the cause! Isn't that AMAZING?!?
I could have never pulled off a party like this without the incredible support of my friends. Chrissy, thank you for hosting at your beautiful home and letting me store my stash of freebies in your basement. Chrissy, Heather, and Tai, thank you so much for providing delicious snacks and wine, not to mention encouragement and advice when I needed it most.
Bekah, thanks for showing up early and being willing to do whatever needed to be done. She did an awesome job making the pricing signs (see below).
Much thanks as well to a few businesses who supported us. Safeway in Arnold donated a $10 gift card, which we used to provide some delectable cheese for the party. Annapolis Copy & Print donated a 20"x30" print that showed what a donation to the Avon Walk can help do. Party City in Annapolis donated a dozen pink balloons to help us decorate. Thanks so much!
 |
| Leftover $1 goods - Can you imagine how much there was to start?!? |
There was even a ton of things leftover. I'm thinking a yard sale in October might be the perfect final send-off before the Walk. What do you think?
If you weren't able to make the party, you can still donate! Just click on the Avon Walk link on the right side of my blog. (And if you're wondering why the $642 isn't included on my Avon page, it will take the Avon Walk a few weeks to process the checks.) Thanks again, everyone!
And now to bed. I have fifteen miles to conquer tomorrow...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
3 Miles Down
Today's walk was more on the unusual size. Tonight I walked three miles at the mall...with the family. Yep, all four kids.
It was Mike's idea. I thought he was crazy.
The backstory is this. It was rainy here, so I could not do my regular 7 a.m. walk around the neighborhood. That means I have to walk at the mall.
Let me digress here for a moment to note that I really don't like to walk at the mall. Who wants to look at all those beautiful, nicely dressed people when you are the only sweaty person around? And it's torture to be barraged all those wonderful food smells. (Do remember that I am both training for a 39 mile walk AND nursing two babies so my calories needs are intense and my hunger leaves no prisoners.) It's also a reminder of how terribly out of style I am. BUT it is a dry place to walk, and there's a bathroom and water fountain around every corner. Walking at the mall is a practice in finding the blessing in all situations.
Anyways, Gracie and the babies had a 4pm doctors visit, so all six of us piled in the car and went. (At one point, all four kids were crying. Hysterically. I recall desperately wishing for a third person and deciding that three flu shots at once was a very, very bad idea.) After the appointment, we ran a few errands for the fundraising party tomorrow (PLEASE COME!!) and then finally made it to the mall.
I originally thought that we would take two cars to the pediatricians and that afterwards Mike would take the kids home while I walked the mall. Mike decided that we should ALL go to the mall. Again, I thought he was crazy. I avoid taking all four into public alone at all costs. But not fearless Mike! He strapped Julie in the Baby Bjorn, put Caleb and Gracie in the double stroller, and Chloe walked beside him.
And it worked! They shopped while I sped-walked around the mall, doing my fastest time ever. Here and there we'd get a glimpse of each other. The last half mile, the big girls decided that they too would walk. They had to run, really, to keep up with me. Poor little Gracie was sprinting.
It felt good to be walking. I haven't walked since last Saturday when I got roaring sick again. Walking reminds me of why I'm doing what I'm doing and how good it feels to be a part of it. It gave me time to talk to the Lord and ask Him why this season has been particularly hard. I was reminded of how the Enemy comes hard against all things good. This walk is certainly an "all things good."
We ended our mall excursion with dinner at the food court. We've eaten out as family maybe four times since the babies were born, so this was a big deal. Needless to say, we had fun! The big girls were excited to sit at tables and chairs their size and eat their (shared) kids' meal. The babies kept pounding the table, and they loved the bread and gyro meat from the new gyro place. We won't even talk about the ungraceful way I inhaled my gyro.
Aren't they so cute? Worth walking for, right? I sure think so.
I can't resist the opportunity to point out that Mike is amazing. I mean, who does that? He's been such a champion and a trooper. Baby, you're the best!
I better sign off for tonight. Tomorrow is the big fundraising party. I hope y'all come out! If you can't make it, don't forget that you can donate via the Avon link on the right side of this blog. Thanks again for all your support!
It was Mike's idea. I thought he was crazy.
The backstory is this. It was rainy here, so I could not do my regular 7 a.m. walk around the neighborhood. That means I have to walk at the mall.
Let me digress here for a moment to note that I really don't like to walk at the mall. Who wants to look at all those beautiful, nicely dressed people when you are the only sweaty person around? And it's torture to be barraged all those wonderful food smells. (Do remember that I am both training for a 39 mile walk AND nursing two babies so my calories needs are intense and my hunger leaves no prisoners.) It's also a reminder of how terribly out of style I am. BUT it is a dry place to walk, and there's a bathroom and water fountain around every corner. Walking at the mall is a practice in finding the blessing in all situations.
Anyways, Gracie and the babies had a 4pm doctors visit, so all six of us piled in the car and went. (At one point, all four kids were crying. Hysterically. I recall desperately wishing for a third person and deciding that three flu shots at once was a very, very bad idea.) After the appointment, we ran a few errands for the fundraising party tomorrow (PLEASE COME!!) and then finally made it to the mall.
I originally thought that we would take two cars to the pediatricians and that afterwards Mike would take the kids home while I walked the mall. Mike decided that we should ALL go to the mall. Again, I thought he was crazy. I avoid taking all four into public alone at all costs. But not fearless Mike! He strapped Julie in the Baby Bjorn, put Caleb and Gracie in the double stroller, and Chloe walked beside him.
And it worked! They shopped while I sped-walked around the mall, doing my fastest time ever. Here and there we'd get a glimpse of each other. The last half mile, the big girls decided that they too would walk. They had to run, really, to keep up with me. Poor little Gracie was sprinting.
It felt good to be walking. I haven't walked since last Saturday when I got roaring sick again. Walking reminds me of why I'm doing what I'm doing and how good it feels to be a part of it. It gave me time to talk to the Lord and ask Him why this season has been particularly hard. I was reminded of how the Enemy comes hard against all things good. This walk is certainly an "all things good."
We ended our mall excursion with dinner at the food court. We've eaten out as family maybe four times since the babies were born, so this was a big deal. Needless to say, we had fun! The big girls were excited to sit at tables and chairs their size and eat their (shared) kids' meal. The babies kept pounding the table, and they loved the bread and gyro meat from the new gyro place. We won't even talk about the ungraceful way I inhaled my gyro.
Aren't they so cute? Worth walking for, right? I sure think so.
I can't resist the opportunity to point out that Mike is amazing. I mean, who does that? He's been such a champion and a trooper. Baby, you're the best!
I better sign off for tonight. Tomorrow is the big fundraising party. I hope y'all come out! If you can't make it, don't forget that you can donate via the Avon link on the right side of this blog. Thanks again for all your support!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Bouquet of Rosie's
When you do an Avon Walk, one of the best aspects is being part of a team. You walk together, raise money together, and help support each other. My team is made up of members of my mom's side of the family. Here's an email Mom sent out recently to share what our team is doing...
To friends and family of "Bouquet of Rosie's",
Many of you are aware that in the spring of 2008, Linda (Egli) Kym did the Houston Avon 39 Mile Walk for breast cancer. Little did she know that taking those first steps would begin such a journey. As she was training for the Susan. G. Komen 60 miles walk the next fall, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.
The next fall, Cheryl (Egli) Roth walked in Linda's place in the Dallas 60 mile walk. with Linda's cheering, support, and dry socks every few miles.
The following April (2010), there was quite a victory celebration as Linda (now in remission, Praise God!), Cheryl, Regina (Linda's daughter-in-law, married to Brad), and two friends of Linda's crossed over the finish line at the Avon 39 mile walk in Houston. Ardis Egli, Ann (Egli) Kaiser, and most of our spouses walked much of that race at our sides. Many of the family cheered us on as we walked.
This past spring, Ann Kaiser committed to doing the 39 mile walk in Chicago. So in June, we went to Chicago - Ann, and her cheering section: her two youngest children - Kirsten and Austin Kaiser; Linda, her daughter Laura (Kym) Krehbiel and daughter-in-law Regina:, plus Ardis, Cheryl, Aunt Helen Egli, and Colleen (Egli) Tracy. Many walked beside Ann to give her support, and she walked across the finish line with much celebration.
And so, we have a new team, called the "Bouquet of Rosie's" committed to the Charlotte, NC, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on October 22-23: Linda, Regina, Laura, Cheryl, Katie, Helen, Colleen and her husband John. We all hoped to walk - we will see what happens when it comes right down to it as several of us have various physical ailments that may prevent us from meeting that goal. There will actually be 17 of us in North Carolina including our spouses and children. We would love to have you join us! If you are interested, let us know - the more to cheer, the better.
We chose the name "Bouquet of Rosie's" in honor of our Grandma Rosie Egli (Glenn and Les' mother), our common thread. That connection was particularly meaningful as one of the few things we ever heard Grandma say she hated was cancer.
In Grandpa and Grandma's extended family, which now numbers a remarkable 207 people (including spouses), the following persons have been stricken with this awful disease: Grandpa (John) Egli, Glenn, Gladys (Egli) Zehr, Linda, and Cheryl's husband Marty. There are many more family and friends who have been cancer victims as well. Although those cancers were not all breast cancers, we believe that any cancer research potentially benefits the treatment of all cancers. Medical research in other areas have benefitted our families as well, sometimes saving their lives. Katie (Roth) Hedges - Cheryl's daughter - developed serious heart disease during her twin pregnancy last year, and one of the twins, Caleb, was born with a heart defect that required heart surgery when he was only 14 days old and less than 5 pounds. Katie is one of the walkers on our team, and Caleb is 10 months old and crawling! God has been good to us in so many ways.
As a family member or friend, we ask that you would consider supporting us with your prayers. Walking 26 miles one day and 13 miles the next is HARD! We also ask for your financial support. The cost per person is a minimum donation of $1800 per walker. With eight "Bouquet of Rosie's" team members, we need to raise $14,400. And that doesn't include the training costs (shoes!!), flights, or housing.
Please consider going to our team website: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/Charlotte?team_id=100130&pg=team&fr_id=2080 and donating whatever you can - even $5 would help. If you do not have internet access or prefer to mail us a check made out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, please email Katie and ask for the address to send it to. Time is short so please send your donation by Oct. 8, or donate to our site by Oct. 15. And keep us in your prayers the weekend of October 22 & 23!
We are sending this to all of our family members and friends we have an e-mail address for, and written letters to many others. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be willing to help!
The Bouquet of Rosie's team:
Linda, Laura, Regina, Helen, Colleen, John, Katie & Cheryl
To friends and family of "Bouquet of Rosie's",
Many of you are aware that in the spring of 2008, Linda (Egli) Kym did the Houston Avon 39 Mile Walk for breast cancer. Little did she know that taking those first steps would begin such a journey. As she was training for the Susan. G. Komen 60 miles walk the next fall, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.
The next fall, Cheryl (Egli) Roth walked in Linda's place in the Dallas 60 mile walk. with Linda's cheering, support, and dry socks every few miles.
Cheryl (my mom) & Linda at the end of the Susan G Komen.
The following April (2010), there was quite a victory celebration as Linda (now in remission, Praise God!), Cheryl, Regina (Linda's daughter-in-law, married to Brad), and two friends of Linda's crossed over the finish line at the Avon 39 mile walk in Houston. Ardis Egli, Ann (Egli) Kaiser, and most of our spouses walked much of that race at our sides. Many of the family cheered us on as we walked.
Mom at the finish of the Avon Walk - April 2010.
Regina, Dad & Mom. In it to END IT!
This past spring, Ann Kaiser committed to doing the 39 mile walk in Chicago. So in June, we went to Chicago - Ann, and her cheering section: her two youngest children - Kirsten and Austin Kaiser; Linda, her daughter Laura (Kym) Krehbiel and daughter-in-law Regina:, plus Ardis, Cheryl, Aunt Helen Egli, and Colleen (Egli) Tracy. Many walked beside Ann to give her support, and she walked across the finish line with much celebration.
And so, we have a new team, called the "Bouquet of Rosie's" committed to the Charlotte, NC, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on October 22-23: Linda, Regina, Laura, Cheryl, Katie, Helen, Colleen and her husband John. We all hoped to walk - we will see what happens when it comes right down to it as several of us have various physical ailments that may prevent us from meeting that goal. There will actually be 17 of us in North Carolina including our spouses and children. We would love to have you join us! If you are interested, let us know - the more to cheer, the better.
We chose the name "Bouquet of Rosie's" in honor of our Grandma Rosie Egli (Glenn and Les' mother), our common thread. That connection was particularly meaningful as one of the few things we ever heard Grandma say she hated was cancer.
A slightly younger Katie with Grandma Rosie.
In Grandpa and Grandma's extended family, which now numbers a remarkable 207 people (including spouses), the following persons have been stricken with this awful disease: Grandpa (John) Egli, Glenn, Gladys (Egli) Zehr, Linda, and Cheryl's husband Marty. There are many more family and friends who have been cancer victims as well. Although those cancers were not all breast cancers, we believe that any cancer research potentially benefits the treatment of all cancers. Medical research in other areas have benefitted our families as well, sometimes saving their lives. Katie (Roth) Hedges - Cheryl's daughter - developed serious heart disease during her twin pregnancy last year, and one of the twins, Caleb, was born with a heart defect that required heart surgery when he was only 14 days old and less than 5 pounds. Katie is one of the walkers on our team, and Caleb is 10 months old and crawling! God has been good to us in so many ways.
As a family member or friend, we ask that you would consider supporting us with your prayers. Walking 26 miles one day and 13 miles the next is HARD! We also ask for your financial support. The cost per person is a minimum donation of $1800 per walker. With eight "Bouquet of Rosie's" team members, we need to raise $14,400. And that doesn't include the training costs (shoes!!), flights, or housing.
Please consider going to our team website: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/Charlotte?team_id=100130&pg=team&fr_id=2080 and donating whatever you can - even $5 would help. If you do not have internet access or prefer to mail us a check made out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, please email Katie and ask for the address to send it to. Time is short so please send your donation by Oct. 8, or donate to our site by Oct. 15. And keep us in your prayers the weekend of October 22 & 23!
We are sending this to all of our family members and friends we have an e-mail address for, and written letters to many others. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be willing to help!
The Bouquet of Rosie's team:
Linda, Laura, Regina, Helen, Colleen, John, Katie & Cheryl
Friday, September 2, 2011
Why I Am Walking
Please consider this your official notice: I might be crazy. I have committed to participating in the 39.3 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 22-23. I'll be walking a marathon and a half over two days, walking alongside my team Bouquet of Rosie's, which is made up of several of my extended family members.
I remember when my mother asked me to walk. "We're all walking in Charlotte. Are...you...in?" she chanted over the phone from my Aunt Ann's Avon Walk in Chicago. I'm pretty sure I was feeding at least one baby at the time, and I felt instantly panicked. I wanted to, but I could not imagine how I would be able to train. How could I do that kind of training when I was still not getting a full night's sleep, still not able to get a shower but every few days, still breastfeeding two very hungry babies, and was just two months out from being on daily blood pressure medication?
Even so, I committed to doing the walk. Now I look back and feel like it was the Lord calling me out - calling me out to be with Him, calling me out to reclaim myself, calling me out to begin to process our brushes with death this past November, calling me out to give back. This walk has blessed me more than I can ever give back to it, and I am so thankful.
Everyone has a reason for why they do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I am walking for my family, in two ways. First, my family knows the devastating effects of cancer. Eleven of my family have been diagnosed with cancer. Three of these were breast cancer. Four of our family members passed away as a direct result of their cancer, leaving behind a trail of grieving loved ones.
I am also walking for my own nuclear family. Last November, both Caleb and I almost died. Medical research played a key role in the saving of our lives. Caleb was born with a coarctation of the aorta, a "smallish" heart, and an misshapen valve. The coarctation - a narrow place in his heart - had to be removed at just 14 days old. I cannot convey how terrifying it was - to see your baby become unresponsive, to know you could not help him, to see him attached to all those tubes and IVs, to literally hand your newborn to a stranger in OR scrubs and pray, pray, pray that you could hold him again. Those days changed us forever.
Because someone went before us and did the medical research, my son lives today.
I walk for me. I too almost died. My blood pressure shot out of control following the birth of the babies. For several days, nurses and doctors worked round the clock to make sure that I did not have a stroke. I was so sick that I was only allowed to go to the bathroom, and I was not allowed much time with my newborn babies. After five days of hospitalization, the doctors finally got my pressure controlled via a combo of three blood pressure medications. The final diagnosis was moderate congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, and severe anemia. I was sent home on bed rest, and it took me four months to ween off the medication.
If it had not been for medical research, my children would be motherless.
I walk for my children. Did you know that 1 out of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer? I have three precious daughters. I don't wanted any of them to war with breast cancer.
And so I walk. I walk so that maybe someday, there will be a cure. I walk so that maybe no one will feel the pain I felt as I watched Caleb suffer or the pain I felt as I wondered if I would make it home. I walk so that my children, my family, my friends might be free of this fear.
Will you partner with me? In order to participate, I must raise $1,800 by my walk date, but I am aiming for the stars and trying to raise $2,100 by October 3rd. The money I raise will help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures.
Again, will you partner with me? Will you invest in you and your family's future health? Will you give? You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign by clicking on the "Donate to Katie's Walk" button on the right side of this blog. It will redirect you to my personal Avon Web Page, where you can donate by clicking on the pink "Donate Now" button. If you prefer to write a check, just contact me and I'll send you the information and form.
Would you also pray for me? That I and my team would be healthy (no more blisters or throwing-up, please!). That the money we raise together would be a blessing to those suffering. That each woman, man and family touched by that money would somehow feel a touch of a loving God. That this journey would bring glory to the Lord, the Ultimate Healer.
Lastly, I'm going to be blogging about my experience on my Avon Web Page as I continue to train. My goal is to blog after every time I walk (usually about four times a week).
See you soon!
I remember when my mother asked me to walk. "We're all walking in Charlotte. Are...you...in?" she chanted over the phone from my Aunt Ann's Avon Walk in Chicago. I'm pretty sure I was feeding at least one baby at the time, and I felt instantly panicked. I wanted to, but I could not imagine how I would be able to train. How could I do that kind of training when I was still not getting a full night's sleep, still not able to get a shower but every few days, still breastfeeding two very hungry babies, and was just two months out from being on daily blood pressure medication?
Even so, I committed to doing the walk. Now I look back and feel like it was the Lord calling me out - calling me out to be with Him, calling me out to reclaim myself, calling me out to begin to process our brushes with death this past November, calling me out to give back. This walk has blessed me more than I can ever give back to it, and I am so thankful.
Everyone has a reason for why they do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I am walking for my family, in two ways. First, my family knows the devastating effects of cancer. Eleven of my family have been diagnosed with cancer. Three of these were breast cancer. Four of our family members passed away as a direct result of their cancer, leaving behind a trail of grieving loved ones.
I am also walking for my own nuclear family. Last November, both Caleb and I almost died. Medical research played a key role in the saving of our lives. Caleb was born with a coarctation of the aorta, a "smallish" heart, and an misshapen valve. The coarctation - a narrow place in his heart - had to be removed at just 14 days old. I cannot convey how terrifying it was - to see your baby become unresponsive, to know you could not help him, to see him attached to all those tubes and IVs, to literally hand your newborn to a stranger in OR scrubs and pray, pray, pray that you could hold him again. Those days changed us forever.
Because someone went before us and did the medical research, my son lives today.
I walk for me. I too almost died. My blood pressure shot out of control following the birth of the babies. For several days, nurses and doctors worked round the clock to make sure that I did not have a stroke. I was so sick that I was only allowed to go to the bathroom, and I was not allowed much time with my newborn babies. After five days of hospitalization, the doctors finally got my pressure controlled via a combo of three blood pressure medications. The final diagnosis was moderate congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, and severe anemia. I was sent home on bed rest, and it took me four months to ween off the medication.
If it had not been for medical research, my children would be motherless.
I walk for my children. Did you know that 1 out of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer? I have three precious daughters. I don't wanted any of them to war with breast cancer.
And so I walk. I walk so that maybe someday, there will be a cure. I walk so that maybe no one will feel the pain I felt as I watched Caleb suffer or the pain I felt as I wondered if I would make it home. I walk so that my children, my family, my friends might be free of this fear.
Will you partner with me? In order to participate, I must raise $1,800 by my walk date, but I am aiming for the stars and trying to raise $2,100 by October 3rd. The money I raise will help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures.
Again, will you partner with me? Will you invest in you and your family's future health? Will you give? You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign by clicking on the "Donate to Katie's Walk" button on the right side of this blog. It will redirect you to my personal Avon Web Page, where you can donate by clicking on the pink "Donate Now" button. If you prefer to write a check, just contact me and I'll send you the information and form.
Would you also pray for me? That I and my team would be healthy (no more blisters or throwing-up, please!). That the money we raise together would be a blessing to those suffering. That each woman, man and family touched by that money would somehow feel a touch of a loving God. That this journey would bring glory to the Lord, the Ultimate Healer.
Lastly, I'm going to be blogging about my experience on my Avon Web Page as I continue to train. My goal is to blog after every time I walk (usually about four times a week).
See you soon!
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