Patience

One of the few shows we enjoy watching together is Fixer Upper. (It's even caused LaVor to throw around the idea of moving to Texas. I wouldn't mind. Go Aggies!) We were wondering what nationality Joanna Gaines was so I turned to Google a few months ago to find out. That turned me onto her Instagram account, which led me to a photo that caught my eye.

I then googled Kara Tippetts and came upon her blog, where I read her story. A 38 year old mother of 4, wife to Jason, battling breast cancer. What especially caught my eye was her passion to live, even though she was dying.

I found her blog shortly after Brittany Maynard ended her life. Kara wrote Brittany a letter, asking her to reconsider her decision and shared her testimony of accepting the Lord's plan with Brittany.

In the short time that I've known about Kara Tippetts, her positive outlook has made a huge impact on me. She completely handed her life over to Heavenly Father, accepting the trial that she was faced with, turning to Him and the Savior for comfort, peace, and truth.

I loved this excerpt from the letter:

"Dear heart, we simply disagree. Suffering is not the absence of goodness, it is not the absence of beauty, but perhaps it can be the place where true beauty can be known.

In your choosing your own death, you are robbing those that love you with the such tenderness, the opportunity of meeting you in your last moments and extending you love in your last breaths.

As I sat on the bed of my young daughter praying for you, I wondered over the impossibility of understanding that one day the story of my young daughter will be made beautiful in her living because she witnessed my dying.

That last kiss, that last warm touch, that last breath, matters — but it was never intended for us to decide when that last breath is breathed."

As I was preparing for my visiting teaching appointment this morning, I couldn't help but think of Kara Tippetts as I read the words of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”

I was sad for Brittany Maynard when she took her life, accepting her death sentence the doctors gave her. It's easy for me to sit here and write this, as I'm not faced with the extreme trial both these women faced. But I was really pulling for Brittany, that she would ultimately choose to live her life until our Father decided to call her home, rather than ending it on her terms.

In the last two weeks, based on Kara's husband's blog posts, it was expected that her passing was near. But she never lost faith, she never second-guessed her beliefs, she embraced the time she had with her children, husband, friends and family. She was an exceptional example of being patient.

As I kissed my boys before bedtime last night, I couldn't help but think of Kara's children, who will never have their mom to kiss them goodnight or good morning. I climbed into bed, next to LaVor, and thought of her husband who is now physically without his sweetheart. Their lives are forever changed but I hope they're able to feel some comfort in knowing their wife and mom fought a good fight and was an example to many. I'm certain she arrived to our Heavenly Father and heard the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

I'm Walkin', Yes Indeed!

After a year off, I am so stinkin' excited to get things rolling for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2015!

I contemplated walking in another city next year but since Doodlebug will barely be a year old, I decided to stick close to home and family. Maybe the following year will be where I switch things up!

You all know how the story goes - I get to walk 39.3 miles in 2 days, in hopes of putting an end to breast cancer. But in order to walk, I need to earn at least $1,800. If you'd like to do your part, no matter how big or small, I invite you to click on my photo on the right hand side of the screen. That will take you to my Personal Page, where you'll find an explanation as to why I love participating in the walk, as well as a place to make your donation.

This is going to be an exciting nine months...I can feel it!

And happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Missing Out

I can't believe it's been almost 7 months and I still haven't shared my amazing gift that I got for Christmas.

My mom enjoys making the gifts that she gives for Christmas so I put in a special request about a year ago.  Since I have zero sewing skills, I asked if she would make me a t-shirt quilt out of all the t-shirts I've warn/received from the breast cancer walks.  She kindly agreed.

It turned out PERFECT and I sleep with it every night. It came in especially handy this last weekend, when all I could think about was how I was missing out on the Avon Walk. It made me so sad!

I checked Twitter and Instagram all weekend, looking at photos and reminiscing about what a great experience it is. I decided that unless I'm in a situation where it would be nearly impossible to do, I want to continue participating in the walk each year. I even think I'll do a different city next year, just for kicks.

My quilt represents the first 6 walks that I did and now I'm looking forward to gathering another 6 years worth of shirts to contribute to another one.

As long as there's a fight to fight, I'll be walking.

Avon Walk 2013

How is it possible that it's been over a week since I completed the walk?!

I was extremely nervous for this year's walk. The most I had trained was six miles, and that was almost two months ago. I kept telling myself, "You've done this before, you can do it again." But deep down, I wasn't so sure.

To save some money this year, we decided to stay with LaVor's parents Friday night and I would drive into the city Saturday morning. The last bus is scheduled to leave the host hotel at 5:30 in order to get to the opening ceremonies on time. This meant I'd have to get up before 4:00 in order to get ready and make the drive into the city. I tried to get to bed early Friday night but was so paranoid that I'd miss my alarm, I ended up waking up every hour to check my clock. When my alarm finally went off, I thought, "Who gets up this early to walk 26 miles?!" I do!

It was pitch black outside and the freeway was pretty empty, which made the drive into the city pretty boring. Sure enough, the line for the buses was wrapped around the building, like in previous years, leaving me to think that I probably could have slept for another 10 minutes. Oh well.

I found an empty seat on the bus and chatted with the woman, also walking by herself, as we maneuvered our way to Fort Mason. She was an older lady, probably mid to late 40's, and was walking in honor of her mother-in-law who had recently passed away from breast cancer. It was her first walk and she was excited but nervous, so I gave her what little advice I have. We walked to the ceremony together and ended up parting ways.

As tradition, I signed my name on the inflatable column, grabbed some breakfast, and waited for the ceremony to begin. Last year was freezing so I brought an extra sweater this year, which ended up staying wrapped around my waist the whole day.

While I LOVE doing the walk, I do think they need to switch things up. The format is the same every year, the videos they use have been the same, I think the speech the coordinator gives is even the same. I didn't take as many pictures this year for that very reason...they'd be the same as the last two years. The one thing that was different this year was the amount the San Francisco walk earned...$4.2 million! Woo hoo!

The beginning is always a challenge, as a thousand walkers are trying to get out of the park and people are trying to get their pace going. Our route took us along the water, through Fisherman's Wharf, pass the piers and then up Market and through the Financial District. We walk through Chinatown, North Beach, and end up on Polk but turn onto another street before we hit the ghetto. We then walk through the ritzy part of town, up a giant hill (where the paramedics wait at the top...no lie), and then back down the hill, along the Presidio. While walking down the hill, I came up behind a familiar person...Margie, the lady I met on the bus! We caught each other up on how we were doing and walked together up until her family met her at Crissy Field. From there, we walk up another hill, which gives you the perfect shot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Walking across the bridge is another challenge, especially with the runners and tourists. Thankfully the bikers have been moved to the other side of the bridge...they're deadly.

I was text messaging my sister as I walked across the bridge, trying to figure out where would be a good place to meet. I ended up getting to our original spot quicker than expected so after stopping for a potty break and a quick lunch, I had something to look forward to after I climbed another hill.

These lovely ladies! This was the first year that Lori, my friend and former co-worker, was able to come cheer me on. It was such a treat to see them and to admire the wonderful work my nieces and nephew did with the signs. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then I continued on my way.

If there was one thing I learned this year, it was that I needed to keep moving. If I stopped or slowed down, the pain in my legs seemed to get worse so I had to maintain a certain pace. I tried stretching and drank more water this year than I ever have before, but I think it came down to the lack of training.

Because of where the Wellness Village and the Closing Ceremonies are, they have to alter the route a little bit. On Saturday, you have the option to either do a 23 mile loop or go an extra 3 miles so you can do the actual 26 miles. On Sunday, it's 15 miles from start to finish. When I reach the point of either stopping at 23 or going for the 26, my body always hopes my mind will choose the 23 but I just can't. Those last 3 miles are tough, especially because not many people choose to do the extra loop so you're pretty much by yourself, nobody to cheer you on. There is a pit stop on the extra loop and that seems to help...a little. But nothing helps more than to see the 26 mile marker...the end is near!

I ended up getting to the finish line before LaVor, his parents, and The Lime arrived, so I got to walk through it twice. Another confession...the finish is a little anti-climactic compared to the first couple of years. I'm always proud that I accomplished the first day but I'm more excited that I get to sit for the rest of the night.

With the generosity of others, we were able to get a hotel room in the city Saturday night so I didn't have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn, just the crack. Our hotel was about an 8 minute walk to the host hotel, according to Google. LaVor didn't want me walking alone but I didn't want him and The Lime to have to wake up to drive me. So I ran. What?!?! I don't know how I did it, but I did. I hopped on another bus and found another empty seat, this time next to a woman named Gina. It was also her first time walking and we enjoyed the drive to Corte Madera, sharing stories about our boys. When we arrived at the Wellness Village, the sun was beginning to rise and offered a beautiful pink backdrop.

With a full belly and stretched legs, I was ready to whip out another 13 miles. Except that I didn't get my annual picture with Indiana Al from KRTY! I looked for him all weekend and wasn't successful in locating him. Turns out he was there, which made me super sad!

The walk on Sunday is the same as Saturday, just in the opposite direction. When I started out on the long, boring stretch of path in Mill Valley, I once again recognized the lady in front of me...Margie! We caught up, once again, and continued to walk with one another through Sausalito, down to Fort Baker. It really makes a difference to have someone to talk to and to help keep your mind off of your aching body. Plus, it was nice to meet someone new.

Going across the bridge was a doozy. I felt like my hip was going to crumble into a million pieces and I ended up getting stuck behind several slow people (remember...I needed to maintain a pace!). I was so stinkin' happy to get off that thing and stretch my legs. Plus...it's all downhill from there!

As I was walking through the parking lot near Crissy Field, I heard someone shouting my name. My parents arrived just as I was making my way to the Marina. I mentioned that I needed to keep walking (fast!) so I would meet them at the finish line. Just like Saturday, I arrived there before everyone else and got to walk through it twice.

I wanted to wait and see Margie come through and I'm so glad I did! She was quite emotional, which made me cry. I remember that feeling of, "I did it!" and she had a personal reason to do it, which I think added to the emotion. I'm hoping I see her again next year.

It is always an honor and my sincere privilege to be able to participate in the walk. I admire the women who battle this disease and do hard things every day. I had to remind myself of that often, "This is hard but people do much harder!"

I look forward to what next year's walk will bring.

Blessed

About two weeks ago, LaVor asked if I was still planning on doing the walk.  Fundraising had hit a major plateau, I wasn't motivated to train, and was feeling pretty "blah" overall.  He got out of the shower one night and said, "So I was thinking..." and presented a plan on how I could get more donations.

With a plan in place, and an especially supportive hubby, I started walking again and have made great strides (no pun intended).

LaVor was planning a visit to the Bay Area last weekend and suggested I join him, so I could stand out with my sign and hopefully get a few more donations.

...a few more.

I made about $30 in the first hour or so that I stood out at our local Farmer's Market.  I was excited and hoped for at least $70 more at my second spot.

It happened to be an extremely hot day, so I grabbed a couple bottles of water, my sign, and set up shop in the exact same spot that I've used for years.

Literally, about thirty seconds after I got there, a gentleman came up from behind me and said, "I think you dropped this."  I didn't drop anything but he kindly handed me $5.00.

After about three hours of standing out, I came home to find that I had earned an additional $130.  I could not believe it!  I have to write down a few of the experiences I had, as they all really touched me.

-One gentleman saw me from across the street and as he was coming at me,  I immediately recognized him.  He said, "Where have you been?!"  I told him we recently moved out of the area but that I thought of him often.  He has donated every year that I've stood out with my sign and it meant so much to me that he wondered why I wasn't out this year.

-Another man walking by pulled out his cellphone to show me the pink ribbon cover he had on it.  His mother was a breast cancer survivor but ended up losing her life to another disease.

-There's a bar across the street from where I stand and in the past, people have come out for a smoke, saw me, walked over, gave me $1, then went back to smoking or drinking.  This time, a man walked out of the bar, walked straight over to me, handed me $10, and turned right back around and went straight into the bar.  He also gave me the updated score of the A's game.

-After about an hour of standing out, and despite drinking lots of water, I started feeling a little faint (a familiar feeling, unfortunately) so rather than create a scene, I plopped down on a bench and took a little break.  Before I knew it, a patron from the nearby restaurant was standing in front of me with a full glass of ice cold water and a donation.  She said, "I've been watching you this entire time and thought you could use this."  She continued in saying, "I have many friends who have suffered from breast cancer and I appreciate all that you're doing!"  I almost started to cry because I appreciated what SHE was doing.

-Even when I was sitting on the bench, with my sign upside down and hard to read, people would still turn their head to see what it said and donate.

There's always funny things that happen, too.  Like the guys who asked me if I was going to use their $1 for crack and if I put Vaseline on my teeth to make them shiny, or the ex-Raider who sat by me for two hours and told me his life story, or the man who pretended to honk a pair of hooters as he went by with his wife in the driver seat.

I love the honks, waves, smiles, inspiring stories.  But I especially love the kindness that I get to witness. Most of these people don't know me but they are willing to hand me a $20 bill to support those affected by breast cancer.

While I love being able to walk, and I might get a tad annoying when it comes to asking for money, I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it to help those that are battling this disease. And it's with the help of amazing people I've been able to meet, while collecting donations, that hopes and dreams are able to come true.

I [Had] a Dream

I've been known to have a few crazy dreams in my lifetime.  Okay, a few is an understatement.  I have crazy dreams ALL the time.  And last night was no exception.

A few days ago (in real life), I e-mailed the Oakland A's to see if there was any chance they'd be willing to donate to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (if you want to donate, my little button is in the upper right hand corner).  My dad has always said, "The worst thing someone can say is, 'No' so you might as well ask."  I have to remind myself of that often, especially when fundraising.

Then I had my dream.  When I get a donation, I get an e-mail letting me know and it's almost like Christmas when I see that e-mail in my mailbox.  So I received an e-mail and I logged onto the website to see who it was from.  To my surprise, it was from the Oakland Athletics and their donation amount was $10,000.00!  I had to do several double takes of the screen to make sure my eyes were seeing it correctly.  All I could think about was, "This is over five times what I needed!"  Then my sister chimed in and said, "It's not real, Kimberly.  You're having a dream."

When I woke up this morning, I quickly checked my e-mail and there was no donation notification.  Whomp Whomp Whomp!

I can't help but think about how many lives and families would benefit from such a donation.

Cinderella said it best, "If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true."  One can hope!

Last year's total earned in San Francisco...Woot woot!

Change of Plans

Before getting pregnant with The Lime, I had everything planned out so that I would be early enough in my pregnancy to still participate in the Avon Walk.  Despite people shooting down my plan of execution, it all unfolded the way I had hoped.  

Since everything went my way the first time around, why would I second guess things the second time?  Ha!

After I finished the walk last year, I didn't register for this year because I was hoping we'd either have another little one in our family or I'd be huge with child.  After a year of trying, we've come to realize that The Lime is the only kiddo Heavenly Father has planned for our family right now.  While it makes me extremely sad, I have to accept that life isn't about what I want or what I think I need.  Someone knows better.  So my trust is in Him.

While vacuuming last night, it hit me that I need to do the walk again.  Rather than feeling sorry for myself (which I've totally been guilty of doing for months), I need to be serving others and be grateful for all of the wonderful blessings I've been given.  The walk accomplishes both of those things.

The walk is at the end of September this year which actually works out nicely.  It gives me almost four months to train and raise my money.  The fundraising will be harder this year, as I don't have my little spot to stand on with my sign and I don't think our new city is keen on people asking for money on street corners.  But really, when has the money stopped me?  It's always a rush to the end and it all works out.

It'll all work out.

The 3-Day

I always know the seasons are changing when the Susan G. Komen 3-Day comes around. It's hard to believe that the Avon walk was two months ago and in two days, the 3-day will be over, too!

My sister has worked her bum off this year to reach (and surpass) her goal of raising $2300. The walk is worth it in the first place, but when you really have to earn your money, it makes it that much sweeter.

My parents joined The Lime and I as we traveled across the bay to cheer Kari, Lori, and Cathy on.

The Lime decided to start the festivities early on and draw on his face with markers, about two minutes before we were ready to walk out the door. He was p.r.e.t.t.y. proud of himself.

The weather could not have been more perfect! The sky was crystal clear and the sun was just warm enough but not hot where it could interfere with the walkers' experience.

As we drove to meet my parents, we had to pass my sister's house. The Lime had a hard time understanding why we were driving by and not stopping. He kept asking where Auntie was and I had to remind him we were going to cheer her on as she walked. We tried practicing, "Go Auntie! Go!" but he got a little shy in front of the other ladies.

We spent a few minutes taking lots of pictures with everyone before Kari, Lori, and Cathy went to enjoy their lunch and complete the remaining 8 miles of the day.

On our way out of the area, we stopped off for lunch. Except that The Lime hardly ate his but he did take a good picture of Omi. I probably shouldn't let him touch our camera and he might be the reason why I've been getting error messages on it. But he loves doing it and he is pretty proud of himself when he does. So as long as he continues to take cute pictures, I don't think I'll stop him.

I'm so proud of Kari and can't wait to hear how the rest of her weekend (40 more miles!) went!

The Walk

Just like every other year, the walk has come and gone.

This year was different, very different.

To save on gas and time, I took BART into the city on Friday night, which brought back a lot of fun memories from when I took BART to go to culinary school every morning. While walking from the BART station to the St. Francis, a bird flew straight into my backpack. We both just kept on going and pretended like nothing happened.

I checked in for the walk, got my "5" button since it was my 5th year, went across the street to grab something to eat, and walked to my hotel before it got dark. I don't know how people go on business trips - traveling alone is boring!

Also like every other year, I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn to walk back to the St. Francis and catch the shuttle to the opening ceremonies.

And that's where it all began...

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-At the opening ceremonies, I was standing alone, waiting for it to start, with my pink scarf wrapped around my head (it was freezing!). A woman walked by and said, "You look like a pink ribbon! I just know your family would love to see a picture of you!" So she took my picture.

-I wore the same shoes I did last year, since I can't afford to spend over $100 on new shoes each year. It sucked. I never got blisters but the muscles of my feet were killing me.

-I walked alone for a majority of the walk. Every once in a while, I'd catch up to a group of people but then pass them. My i-pod kept me company and I was forced to listen to a lot of songs I normally don't listen to, to save my battery.

-Eating is not a priority on my walk, mainly because I don't get hungry. I snacked a lot and drank a ton but only ate half of my sandwich at lunch and the chips. I unfortunately faced the consequences of my actions when I felt like passing out at mile 25. I remembered I had a mint in my backpack that gave me a tiny boost but I didn't know how I'd make it to the end. Thank goodness there was one last pit stop where I grabbed some Cheez-Itz and Chex Mix. Both saved me!

-My sisters and nieces met me in Sausalito, where they were enjoying some yummy pizza, which they offered to me but I declined. I should have taken them up on their offer.

-LaVor, The Lime, and Jared Hatch passed me right before I got to mile 24. They asked if I was going to end at 24 (which was the actual finish) or go the extra 2 miles to do 26. I told them I was hurting, tired, and hungry and hadn't made up my mind yet. When the two ladies in front of me went on to do 26, there was no way I was only doing 24. When I got to the finish line, Jared knew I wasn't going to quit. I'm an overachiever...what can I say?

-I had a constant smile on my face the entire weekend. All of the Moto Crew commented on it and I got a lot of smiles back from bikers and walkers that I passed. I couldn't help but show how happy I was to be doing my little part in fighting breast cancer.

-This was the first year that I filled up my "Who I'm Walking For" sign. When I got home, I was looking at my previous signs and I started out with only one name. It makes me sad to have to add more names but I'm also honored to be able to walk for them.

-On Saturday morning, on the shuttle to the opening ceremonies, an older woman sat next to me and initiated the conversation. After mentioning she was from Utah and had attended BYU, we made the connection that we're both LDS. It was her 10th year participating in the walk and she's traveled all over the country doing it. I regret not getting her name or a picture with her. Darn!

-As I was walking along the Marina on Sunday morning, I happened to look up at a home (gorgeous homes along that strip!) and a man was sitting in his front window. I thought, "That looks EXACTLY like Hubert Keller!". Since he has restaurants in SF, I thought my chances were good so I waved to him and he waved back. When I got home, I Googled the address and his name popped up. It was pretty cool since LaVor and I are fans and I've always thought it would be neat to meet him. Waving is good enough.

-On both Saturday and Sunday, when I was struggling to take each step, I never considered stopping because I kept thinking about the men and women who fight each day to conquer this disease. If they could do it, I could certainly walk 41 miles.

Retiring My Money Maker

I've only stood out for donations 3 times this year. Not so good. Especially since I don't even have 10% off my donations and I have almost 2 months left. Yikes!

I think one of the reasons why I haven't been motivated to get out with my sign is because I always get at least 1 person that tells me my sign is offensive. I'm afraid one day, I'll get a real crazy person and they'll do more than just criticize.

So for that reason, I'm retiring my sign and creating a new one. The new one isn't finished and it's not my original saying, but I think it'll be just as productive as my veteran sign.

So long, old friend.

Proof

One thing that happened a lot, while fundraising for the Avon Walk last year, was people would question if I was really doing the walk or keeping the money for myself.

Part of me was insulted but most of the time, I would say, "I have a real job. Standing on the street corner, asking for money, is not something I would do for an income (just boobs)."

I'm ahead of the game this year. Since our current PC doesn't have Microsoft Office (I'm dying without it! 20 years of it being at my fingertips and now...nothing!), I had to print the info in Picasa under the "wallet" setting. I had a bunch of blank business cards from our wedding (I can find a use for everything) so I glued the "wallets" to the cards.

Now, if someone questions me, I can provide proof that I'm legit.

Too legit to quit (hey...hey)!

One Day

After 5 months of fundraising and a month of training, the walk is officially behind us.

I always get sad when we get to this point. There's so much excitement and anticipation in the months leading to the walk and it's over like that *snaps*.

I am going to be 100% honest in saying that I had little faith in LaVor. After doing our 13 mile training walk and seeing how challenging it was, I was totally convinced he'd make it halfway on Saturday and possibly complete Sunday. I am SO pleased to tell you that he not only conquered the 26.2 miles on Saturday (even though we technically only had to do 24) but he finished the 15 miles we chose (again, Sunday we were only technically supposed to do 13 since we did 26 the day before) to do on Sunday. His feet, unfortunately, tell the story of our victory. But he did it and I'm so proud of him. It's a wonderful experience and I'm so grateful we got to do it together this year.

As in years past, the thing that gets me the most is seeing that people are walking for the women in their lives. I loved having LaVor as my partner in crime but I really missed my mom and sister. When I took my annual picture with Indiana Al from 95.3 KRTY, he asked where my mom was. Isn't that cute? He totally remembered her and asked that I tell her "hi" for him.

I also had a "moment" in Sausalito where there were a group of women with t-shirts on that said, "Young Survivors". They each had their age of when they were diagnosed, written on their shirts. One woman was diagnosed at 28 (8 months away for me) and it brought me to tears! I had to give her a hug and LaVor insists that she had a freaked out look on her face but it reminded me once again that this disease doesn't care how old you are, what you look like, where you're from, if you have a family, or if you're a man or a woman.

Since KRTY has such a large crowd participating, they bring out one of their vans that follows us along the route. They had music blasting both days and it really helps to get you motivated! A long trail with no noise can make 26 miles feel like an eternity. On Sunday, walking back to the Golden Gate bridge, LaVor was feeling the affects of walking 30+ miles and was planning on catching a bus at Fort Baker. We passed the KRTY van, blaring Jason Aldean, and one of the guys gave LaVor a huge hi-5 and said, "Way to go, bud!". It gave him that extra boost he needed that lasted the rest of the day.

This was the first time that we were both away from The Lime overnight and it stunk. Any little boy we saw that appeared to be his age, made us sad. But he was in great hands with my parents and I think all 3 of them had a blast with each other. They were able to come cheer us on in Sausalito, as well as my sisters and 2 nieces. LaVor's grandparents were at the finish line on Sunday, waiting for us with open arms.

We had such a great time and will continue walking until one day, there's a cure and nobody has to face this disease again.

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One Bad Apple Ruins The Bunch

During a break in the rain tonight, I was able to do a little fundraising. The street traffic is obviously down when it's wet outside but there were still several cars out as it was commute time.

I had only been out about 5 minutes when a woman rode by on her bike and yelled, "THAT'S OFFENSIVE!!!" I told her I was sorry but she repeated again, "THAT'S REALLY OFFENSIVE!" I can only assume she meant the side of my sign that said, "Like boobs? Donate to the Avon Walk!" The other side reads, "Donate $1 to fight breast cancer!"

My initial reaction was sadness. I didn't make my sign to offend anyone or poke fun at breast cancer. But then I got mad. Out of the hundreds of smiles, thumbs ups, words of encouragement, I get this one grouch that yells at me! Then...I got scared. What if she came back and tried to destroy my sign?!

About 10 minutes later, a car drove by with their donation hanging out the window. I waited for traffic to stop, ran across the street to collect it and ran back to my staging area. As I was running back, I saw a police officer in the line of cars. Whoops! I always get nervous when I see the police because I don't know if I'm breaking any laws. Sure enough, he pulls up next to me and rolls down his window. "Did a woman pass by here earlier?" he asked. I told him what happened and he said she had called them because of my offensive sign. He told me his wife participated in the walk a few years ago, found nothing wrong with my sign, wished me luck and told me to have a good night.

I could feel my knees shake as he spoke to me. The only trouble I've ever been in was in the 5th grade when I got my name on the board! Needless to say, I was relieved when he found nothing wrong with my actions.

I love you, California, with your Golden Gate ajar...

(I didn't Google this picture...it's mine. Please don't steal it.)

I've walked across this bridge 3 times in the last 3 years.

In less than 5 months, I'll have walked across it 4 times.

You've guessed it folks! I'm officially signed up to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for the 4th time. Yippee!

I've already earned almost $200 just by standing on the street, waving my creative signs. I'm shooting on earning the entire $1,800 that way! But just in case you don't live locally and won't see me every Saturday morning, you can donate here.

Side note...if you have closer ties to LaVor, hold off on donating. He may be joining me this year!

Completed

It took me all week but I finally got to send my handwritten note!

I had been meaning to write this woman, to express my gratitude towards her for her amazing attitude. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and I hadn't seen her until recently. A few weeks after she was diagnosed, her husband lost his job. The first thing out of any one's mouth would be, "Why me? Why at this time?" But her take on it was the complete opposite! She saw it as a blessing, that her husband would now be able to take her to appointments and be by her side during this trying time.

For the short time I was able to visit with her, nothing but good things came out of her mouth. She's able to see the Lord's hand in all and has realized that he has a plan for her and she's going to enjoy the ride.

Since our visit, I haven't had a day go by where I haven't thought of her. Anything that may cause me to think, "Ugh! Why?!" is quickly pushed away by a positive thought.

I love when people of other faiths can have a positive influence on my testimony. Her faith and acceptance of His will is contagious.

So score! My goal was completed and my testimony strengthened.

In It To End It

After months of (somewhat) training and fund raising, we've completed the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

We had another great weekend, fighting for boobies and feel great about what we've accomplished.

We determined that within the 3 years our family has participated in the walk, we've raised $12,600.00 and walked 260 miles! How awesome is that?!?!

I would love to write all of the wonderful things about this weekend but we'd be here all day. So I'll just point out a few things I'd like to remember...

• We only got 4 hours of sleep the first night. We weren't sure how we got the energy to walk 26 miles but it came from somewhere.
• The weather was perfect for walking! Not too cold, not too hot. It was just right, no matter where we were on the route. Although, as we were leaving the Wellness Village on Saturday night, it did get quite chilly and we were grateful we had a warm hotel room to go back to. No camping for us!
• The new route was fun...something different. I love having the opportunity to see parts of the city that I never knew existed.
• Found out that the lady who cheers us on in her pajamas, is named Pepper. I love it!
• Cute old man at mile 15.6 saw my "I love my little tatas shirt" and smiled. He notified me that his wife instructed him not to say anything this weekend. He was afraid that if he did say something, it would be to someone his wife knew and he'd get in trouble. Therefore, he just smiled and nodded as he read my shirt.
• Seeing the little kids cheer this year had a whole new meaning. One day, The Lime will be out there, with jingle bells on his wrist.
• Met a lovely woman named Kathy. She came out from New York and finished the last couple miles with us on Saturday.
• After seeing several people walking for their moms, I couldn't wait to see my mom at the cheering station. As we walked towards each other, I instantly started crying, gave her a huge hug and told her I wasn't sure what I'd do if she wasn't around. I'm so lucky!
• Not being able to pump as often as I needed to really messed me up. I couldn't wait to see The Lime at the finish line, both days, for more than 1 reason.
• I got blisters on the same toes I did the last 2 years. It's just the way my feet are made, I suppose.
• A woman asked us if we were twins. We came to the conclusion that we may sound alike and obviously come from the same family but that's about it.
• We had to take pictures in front of the restaurants that we love. For me, Memphis Minnie's & Suppenküche!
  
• Love the San Jose Police! They ride their bikes on the route with us and provide much needed entertainment. Although, some were a bit perverted this year.
• I don't like that each year, my list of people I'm walking for gets longer. But it makes me that much more motivated!
• We couldn't have done it without the donations, love and support from our friends, family members and complete strangers. A big thank you to everyone!
  

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Honk Honk! Beep Beep!

Our goal for this weeks walk was 15 miles. It ended up being 16.6.

On my way to work last week, I realized from my sister's house to a certain point was roughly 8 miles. "Perfect! That'll be our walk for this week," I thought.

We're both about halfway to our required $1800 goal in order to participate in the walk. I decided to make a sign that said, "Donate $1.00 to fight breast cancer" and carry it on our trek. It took less than an hour for the donations to roll in. Our first $3 were donated by a man and woman, that looked like they didn't have very much. One woman at the end of the walk apologized for not having $1.00 but gave us the 30 cents she had in her pocket. 3 people donated $5, some even pulled over and stopped their car in order to donate. One man got out of his Jeep and said, "Finally! A cause I'm willing to support!" He had tears in his eyes as he handed us his $1. As he drove away, he honked and waved. Several people honked; mostly guys :oP

We ended up earning almost $30.00 and wondered why we didn't make a sign 2 months ago! Not only did we earn money but we called the cops on a drunk woman, passed a gorilla that just so happened to have a banana as a snack and found out that Sonic doesn't have indoor seating.

Both of us now have sunburned legs and necks but we're that much closer to our goals.

Third Times The Charm

Perhaps after participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for the third time, it'll make a positive difference for my friends facing the nastiness of this disease.

If you're wondering why I'm walking again, check this post out and this one too.

And if you'd like to be one of the 1800 that donates $1.00, click here.

Year Two

Last weekend was the Breast Cancer 3 day walk. It was the second year that my friend participated and the second year we went to cheer her on (we being Amy, Kari, Grace and I...mom had to stay home this year).



My friend was so excited for the walk...especially because they offer Uncrustables as a snack along the route. Even though the sign was for her, everyone told us how great they tasted!

She just so happened to have an Uncrustables with her!

(My head was looking a little funky in this picture...I'm not happy that neither sister mentioned anything about the funkiness.)

Until next time...year three.

I walked

The walk has come and gone and I'm sad.

This years walk was much different than last years;

• We knew what to expect which ended up making the walk somewhat easy
  
• We were missing a Jibbley girl...she's ready to pop. You'll see in the photos
• It was colder and foggier
• Fundraising was much harder
• My mom was able to complete both days like a champ and we finished together
• We had people we were walking for
  

We honored Marsha Patterson, Gabi May, Suzy Koss, Heidi Wright, Linda Rodrigues, the Probst sisters, Carol Shill, Jo Hendee, Sister Booth and Hannah Powell.

We walked in memory of Mrs. Convento and Laura Moutray.

We grew, cried, smiled, cheered and were once again empowered to win this battle.

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Just a few tidbits of information...
-The song in the slideshow was played at her funeral.
-The picture of the woman with the drum was taken while she was at her window, cheering us on. She happened to have a pink nightgown on.
-The following picture was where the Golden Gate Bridge was...you just couldn't see it since the fog was so thick.
-Cute little boy, standing all alone, did have 2 sisters with him. They were throwing pink rose petals at us, as we walked by. They ran off but he stuck around for the picture. After I said, "thank you" he said, "adios!"
-"Bicyclists Slow Down" sign was as we were going uphill...ironic.
-2 pictures of me in front of the old California Culinary Academy site and the new one.
-"Minna" was my great grandmother's name...hopefully it will be one of our little girls names as well.
-Picture looking downhill with the city in the background was the hill that nearly took my mom. The sweep van stopped to see if she wanted a ride up to the top but I quickly answered for her by saying, "She's finishing this hill whether she likes it or not!" and she did :o)