Montgomery Advertiser Video

This video was created by the Montgomery Advertiser in conclusion to one of their writers running 5 Komen Runs this fall. My mom and 4 other women were featured in it. The writer and runner, Kym, lost her mother at 17. Kym's mother was only 40. Her blog tells of her journey.

Click here to see the video.

Video and my mom's blog post

Check out my mom's blog post here. Make sure to scroll down to the video...or, I guess you could just watch it here! :) ...but do go read her blog! Happy Friday!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Breast Cancer 3-Day Komen

**warning...this is the longest post I've ever written. please read it though. I hope and pray that you will be even a fraction as blessed as we have been in the past 3 days!**

As you know, our family went to Atlanta this weekend for my mom's (Addie's Rie Rie's) 3 day Komen walk. My mom,along with 3,500 others, walked 60 miles in 3 days to help find a cure for breast cancer.

My first thoughts (at 7am in the pouring down rain, as I ran across 3 parking lots to make it on time, in 5 layers of clothes, holding my daughter inside my jacket all of which I was attempting to keep under a poncho) of this event at the Opening Ceremonies were several short words: why would anyone who was not insane attempt to do something so absurd? They must be nuts, or loony, out of one's mind, or maybe just down right crazy.

(According to my daughter's look, I might just fall into the category of crazy as well! I can assure you she was dry though!)

To the untrained (or unknowing) eye, this mass of people was just a bunch of (mostly) women out for a "stroll" (in the rain on the 1st day) wearing anything from pink tutus or pink boas to pink foam crowns or pink wigs to angel halos or angel wings (all in ponchos on the 1st day!) What on earth could bring so many people together to do something so extreme?

...a daughter, a mother, a wife, an aunt, a best friend, a grandmother, a sister, one's self, even a husband or brother...anyone affected by a disease that knows no boundaries of age or race or health or even gender...Breast Cancer.

In some way shape or form, each of these individuals walking have been affected by breast cancer, either first hand or because of someone they know. Did you know that 1 in every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime? Did you know that the 2 biggest risk factors for having breast cancer are 1.) being a woman and 2.) getting older? Did you know that an estimated 40,000 people will die of breast cancer in one year...but there was an estimated 2.4 million individuals with a history of breast cancer still alive in 2004? Did you know that the incidence rate of breast cancer decreased by 3.5% from 2001-2004? Did you know that "every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant?"

The weekend was full of laughter, walking, sharing, walking, learning, walking, blisters, walking, oh so tired feet, walking...and a little more walking for all of these walkers! We had fun meeting up with my mom at the cheer stations (and sometimes a Pit Stop or we'd just track her down in the 3 miles stretch of people).

Addie sleeping in her new sling (in the rain on Friday)

walking down Peachtree Road right in front of my aunt's condo!

mom and her walking buddy, Judy

Anna, Addie, and Rie Rie

As my understanding of this tremendous commitment my mom had made increased; and as the day/s went on, and I witnessed the sheer magnitude of this event; the words I would use to describe it increased in size as well: perseverance, patience, healing, friendship, challenges, discoveries, generations, commitment, finding-a-cure, passion, optimism, celebrations, strength, turning points, victories.

The Closing Ceremonies were another moving moment in this weekend...not only did it include the walkers, there were also the supporters. All of the walkers came in with arms linked in groups of 5. After the walkers, the crew and the medics came in, and the final group of people to enter the room...the survivors. Arms linked in groups of 8, these brave women (and a few men) were ushered into the center of the room as the other walkers raised one of their shoes up in the air to honor these individuals who epitomized their reason for walking...individuals who had fought the fight and battled the disease...and won.

my mom, right before she walked out with other survivors to thousands of "raised shoes' who had walked 60 miles because of individuals just like her!

Anna, Mary Anna, and Marie after Closing Ceremonies
We don't look like we're related or anything, do we?!?!?


Rie Rie, Paul, Addie (who had been asleep!), and Anna

Bottom line...this group of about 3,500 individuals, together, raised over 8.3 million dollars to help fund research for finding a cure to end breast cancer!!!

And since everything always comes full circle, 4 short words come to mind that describe this event and what it stands for: hope, joy, faith, and love...for the future.

After rubbing a minimum of 5 blisters, developing tendinitis in an ankle, and hurting her knee; when I asked my mom if she'd do it again next year...I got an emphatic "YES!" Will I do it with her...that's yet to be seen, but I'm leaning towards it. I mean, who wouldn't want to walk to find a cure in honor of this little one:

(video to come in a future post)

Wordless Wednesday

It's Finally Here...

...my Mom's 3-Day (60 mile) Komen Walk is this weekend! Addie, my mom, and I are heading over to Atlanta tomorrow morning. Paul will be meeting us there on Friday. We're so excited to get to see Addie's Great Aunt Nana, Uncle Jay, Aunt Millie, and her Grandpa!

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the journey my mom's been "walking" over the past 5 months, here's some info (click it) about the walk. Make sure to drop by her blog and leave her an encouraging comment!

We'll be visiting with family some of the weekend and cheering my mom on at the Komen "Cheering Stations." We'll meet back up with her at the "finish line" for a Closing Ceremony.

You know we'll have tons of pictures when we return, and I promise I'll do a blog post on it all! (or link you to hers!)

Flashback...

1 Month

6 Months!

Breast Cancer Awareness Dinner

As many of you know, my mom will be walking in the Komen 3-Day the end of October. She will walk 60 miles over the course of 3 days. You can learn more about it here.

The Faulkner University (where she works) Volleyball team has committed their year to "Playing for the Cure" (click on the link to learn more). Their benefit dinner and silent auction were September 16th. They raised over $3,000 from ticket sales and the silent auction, and a portion of that will go to my moms walk! We're so excited!

We'll of course it was a family affair and here are some pictures from the night:

my mom who's been a breast cancer SURVIVOR for 2 years now!

Doug Amos (MC and a dear friend),
Kim Hendrix (a local news anchor for WSFA),
Rie Rie, and Addie

Paul/Daddy, Rie Rie/Marie, Addie, and Anna/Mommy

she finds the metal on the chair quite interesting: "cold, kinda shiny, good texture...maybe it should go in my mouth!"

what a mess! :)

the dress we made for the silent auction

new friends: Carrie and Tina

Addie's favorite buddy: T

(you can also go here to see a few more pictures)