Racing Through Tears...

Saturday was the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It's a family tradition at our house since I joined the "cancer club" 5 1/2 years ago. Each year we haul the kids downtown to the Gateway and walk (or run) in the race. It's one charity I completely support since over 75% of all the money raised stays in Utah to support all kinds of breast cancer research, support and other kinds of funding. Plus the kids (and I ) have lots of fun collecting all the free samples they hand out each year. Here we are collecting our stuff when all of the sudden Ethan is attacked by the Grizzly's Hockey Bear!!!


Then it's off to the starting line......
(Matt is pushing Sadie in the stroller along side his brother Joe pushing their two kids)

Ethan walked along with Matt and everyone even though he was only 10 days out from having his tonsils out.

The kid is a real trooper I'm telling ya. When I asked him if he felt up to walking the one mile, he said, "Um, ok Mom. That's fine." He's such a good kid.

Last year, Spencer and I ran the 5k together. It was the first time someone in our family had actually "ran" the race. Spencer got pretty tired, but really stuck with it and made it to the end. So I asked him this year if he wanted to run again or just walk with Dad and the others. He said that he really wanted to run....I asked him why he wanted to run again, and he said that he had so much fun last year, because he LOVED that half way through the race someone hands you a cup of water and when you are done with it, you get to drop it on the ground. He said that was the best part of the race!! How could I argue that? I agreed we would run the 5k together again this year.
So here he is drinking his water and then happily throwing the cup on the ground.... I think I enjoyed this part of the race just as much. The cold water was necessary to keep me from passing out!!!

There were over 17,000 participants this year. You couldn't really even "run" for the first few blocks of the race because the street was packed full of people.It is at this time during the race that I start to become emotional.

This is my 6th year participating in the race and each year I think I'm not going to cry this time. I know many of the survivors now and there's really no reason for me to get emotional every year is there? Yes, there is. I guess the sight of so many thousands all running for someone...the signs pinned to everyone's back showing who they are running in celebration of, or in memory of, or both. Sometimes you see the sweetest stories printed on people's shirts. The race encompasses a great feeling of love and caring. You just can't ignore it. So, you cry. I guess it's kind of like in church when you're bearing your testimony, you've done it before, you cried before, but every time you do it, you cry again and again...

This year was particularly emotional for me. I was running in memory of my dear friend and fellow Young Survivor Sister, Aubrey Arnell. Aubrey was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27. She has a sweet husband and 2 kids Caleb and McKaela. She did all of the regular surgeries and treatments at the time of her diagnosis and was cancer free for 2 years. Then Dr.'s discovered a large tumor on her liver. The breast cancer had spread to her liver. She continued on extremely aggressive treatments for another year until the chemo just stopped working. Through all of this, Aubrey was a big supporter of our survivor group and was always upbeat and positive. Never once did I see Aubrey complaining, frowning, or saying something negative. She would always say things like, "I need a Care Bear stare over here!!! Send me some luck you guys!!!" It wasn't until the last couple of weeks of her life did I notice a slower-paced Aubrey. I was able to have breakfast with her just 10 days before she passed away. I will never forget that morning. It was such an honor that she shared 60 minutes of her final days on earth with me. I love ya Aub. I miss ya lots.

I could barely finish the race through all the tears. It gets a little tough to breathe when your crying and running at the same time!!! Finally we crossed the finish line. And then at the finish line I see Aubrey's husband and kids just finishing their race. I said hello and gave them all a big hug. Spencer said hello too, since he came and played with Caleb once, while Aubrey and I visited. At that moment, I couldn't help but hug Spencer a little tighter. Just because I could.

So after the race is completed all of the survivors line up and "march" through the crowd and line up on the stairs. A motivational song is sung and lots of tears are shed. Lots of CHEERS and lots of applause are given. It's such a cool feeling. This is what my view looked like...I zoomed in and was able to find Matt and Sadie, my Mom and sister Larena in the enormous crowd of people...

I even found another survivors daughter clear at the back of the crowd cheering her mother on!
This is little Hannah with her pink pom-poms cheering for her Mom...

After the song the crowd starts to break up and our little group stays for pictures. As I mentioned earlier, this group is called The Young Survivor Sisters. Another survivor, Ginny Nelson, and I started the group after discovering there was no support group for younger women with breast cancer. Our group has over 35 people in it now. Everyone in the group was diagnosed UNDER the age of 40. Most of us in our 20s. We get together every month and have lunch and talk cancer. It's been a tremendous help in my life. Not only have I gained a lot of knowledge and help, but I have made forever friends. Love you sistas!!!

Here's my real sisters....(from left to right) Larena, Danielle, Me, and my Mom. Thanks you guys for coming to support me! You guys are the best!!! Love you!

Even though my Dad wasn't there, he ALWAYS donates quite a bit to the fund each year and has always been so supportive of me. Thanks Dad! I really appreciate you!

My mother-in-law also signed up to come, but at the last minute couldn't make it...(she was being wonder woman again) so I really appreciate her always being there for me too. Love ya mom!

My sister-in-law Robyn ran with Spencer and I...until I got too slow and I begged her to go ahead....Thanks Robyn for coming and supporting me!!! (And kicking my trash at the race..you are quite the runner!)

But most of all thanks to Matt, Spencer, Ethan and Sadie who are always there for me every day. I have the best family ever!! Thanks for being my rock and helping me every day through all the crap cancer can dish! I couldn't do it without you...

I know there are a lot of you out there who are very supportive as well. So thanks to all of you too! The kindness I received from my old neighborhood when I was diagnosed will FOREVER be locked in my heart. Some of the best people EVER were there for me during the hardest times of my entire life....thanks Edgemont Ward!!!
After such a great day, it's nice to have a little perspective....hug a little longer, listen a little more carefully, take time for the things that really matter and always remember...even when you fall flat on your face, at least you're still moving forward!!!