13.1 miles: 13 inspirations

It's race weekend baby!!  LOVE this weekend.  I'm surrounded by people who truly GET what life with CF is like and they hug and cry right along with you.  It's always amazing and always fun! LOVE our Team 65ROSES.

First step in the party weekend: pre race dinner with my miles for Cystic Fibrosis friends and my adorable date!

Ethan was a true gentlemen! He opened doors, gave me flowers, and held my hand because he said he wanted to act  "like a man".

He sat through the meal and the speeches, the tributes, and rewards. He was an excellent date!

He may have been distracted for a few minutes with camwow, but I can't say that I blame him.

He won flowers for his sisters after the meal. 

He didn't want his date to end so he asked to go somewhere special. I can't think of a more special place to go in Atlanta after 10pm than Krispy Kreme for hot-fresh-now donuts!

At first he only wanted the chocolate iced until he tried the hot original glazed fresh off the conveyor belt. He was hooked!

We visited the expo, 

prepared gear, 

Fueled up

and played outside in the beautiful weather with Daddy!

Fueled up some more at a roof top bar.

Then settled down in our hotel room right next to my start corral as well as the awesome Olympic Centennial Park!

Let's do this!

I ran the half marathon with team 65ROSES again this year on Sunday March 23rd. 

We stayed downtown with the two big E's. 

Here are my 13 inspirations and amazing CF Superheroes for the 13.1 miles: 

Mile 1 David Adkins

Me at Mile 2 Sutton Grace Burnett ( Team Sutton Grace) a mile and smile for the little cutie!

Me at Mile 3 Vivian Bowman

Me at Mile 4 Jaimie Crook

Me at Mile 5 Hayden Bailey (Hayden's Team)

Me at Mile 6  Leann Rittenbaum this miles for YOU!

Me at Mile 7 Colin Depriest

Saw his dad and baby sister at mile one!!

Me at Mile 8 Susan Crenshaw Burroughs

My favorite sign on the course ... Super relevant to our cause!

Me at Mile 9 Joy Heinsohn Smith

Notice my friend Kevin carrying 65 roses!

Me at Mile 10 Caroline Toole beautiful mile through Piedmont Park.

Me at Mile 11 and earlier with Colin Penuel

Me at Mile 12 Graye Thompson

Another mile and another smile for you kiddo.

Me at Mile 13 (.1) for my Elena Goodrow

What an emotional journey!

So thankful Joel caught this pic! Thanks husband:) 

Done! 13.1 miles for a marathon of a disease; Cystic fibrosis.

Under 2 hours, barely, but I'll take it!

Kevin completes his quest to deliver the bouquet.  It was amazing!  He carried his handmade bouquet all 13 miles which was made up of a rose for each donation he received towards the cause.  

He completed his mission and then crashed out from physical and emotional exhaustion and elation!  I get it man, I get it.  You made me cry several times as I watched you run ahead of me with that rose baton in the air.  Best EVER!

Elena loves her beautiful keepsake that will be making an appearance in Rosebuds AND Great Strides very soon! Thank you again Kevin!!

Also, thanks to my parents for watching the two little E's while we had big kid time downtown!

Please consider making a donation to my little CF Superheroes Rosebuds page if you would like to help honor these 13 AMAZING CFers!!!  Thank you to these 13 for inspiring me on race day and EVERYDAY!http://www.razoo.com/story/Super-E-S

Elena at the State Capital for first CF Awareness Day!

Elena was asked by the CF Foundation to be the face of Cystic Fibrosis as the Senate proclaimed March 7th as Cystic Fibrosis Education and Awareness Day.  They knew she was confident, mature, comfortable in front of crowds, and pretty darn cute.  

 Touring the House of Representatives with our Rep Tom Kirby.

 Elena with her Daddy on the House floor.

Elena speaking to the Senate.

 So proud of her strong voice and confident message.

 Elena stopping by the Governor's office.  He was not in today, but she was able to meet the Lieutenant Governor. 

 Left to right, Clay (CF Dad), Molly (CF Foundation), Carey (CF Mom), Elena, Joel, and PaPa.

This girl earned her double order of hash browns scattered and double covered!

TEN! The Big 1-0

At risk of sounding dramatic, Elena made it to ten.  It's not really that dramatic when we learned of a six year old with Cystic Fibrosis named Emily who passed away on March 1st.  This stupid stupid disease with no real rhyme or reason as to how it takes these precious lives.  If there was only a pattern or similarities between cases, but yet there really isn't!  These kids are healthy and doing great, then take a sudden and quick downward spiral that leads them to eternity. Hence the reason that any sniffle or cough sends us into over drive and super cleaning mode.

We know Elena has Cystic Fibrosis.
We know Elena is doing very well and has great lung function.
We know that Elena does her treatments and benefits from them.
We know that we are doing all we can to keep her healthy.

We don't know if or when CF will take her.  Dramatic, yes, but also a reality for Elena and our family.

We could choose to live our days in fear, but instead we live our days with FUN!

Many people were floored by our Epic Harry Potter party we threw for the E's. (See more here) I justified it for many reasons.  First, why not just host a huge party for multiple kids birthdays that are so close.  Second, we have not thrown a big party in a couple of years.  Third, we don't know how long we have together with our kids so "Go big or Go home!" Fourth, Elena is 10...she has made it to 10.  This IS a big deal!! This is a REALLY big deal!!  So we celebrated like only our crazy family would.  Adults dressed up like wizards and kids running around on brooms with homemade wands.

Please consider helping us bring more tomorrows for all CFers by donating towards Elena's fundraising efforts here:  http://www.razoo.com/story/Super-E-S

Life is precious.

Go have loads of FUN today with the people you love.