Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2012

Yesterday was the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K at Liberty Park.  I had registered this summer.  I've asked around multiple times to see if I could get anyone to go with me to no avail.  So, yesterday at 6:15 am I pulled out of my driveway with just the four kids & myself.  I figured they'd all go back to sleep because they didn't go to bed until around 10 pm.  Nope.  They were ALL wide eyed & bushy tailed the ENTIRE TIME!  We only had to make one potty stop so we made good time.  I found Liberty Park (no thanks to the crappy mapquest directions).  And, I even got a really good (close) parking spot.  I had brought the kids in their PJs so once I was parked we had a changing & hair combing.  The boys & B had this year's Relay shirts on & Sam had on her pink hope shirt I found at the mall last December.  It was fairly chilly though so we all put our jackets on.

Caleb looks onery in this picture but I think it was because he just wanted a picture of just him.

We checked in at the registration tent & we each got a sticker that said "I am walking in memory of".  I wrote Grandma Lea on one for Nash, Sam & me.  I didn't put them on the two little ones because I was trying to put them on our backs (so people could see them as we walked) and since they were both sitting in the stroller, no one could have seen theirs anyway (and Brooke would have eaten hers if she was able to get ahold of it!).

Even though our Relay shirts had orange writing on them, I still put pink bows in B's hair.

Caleb got his own picture so he was happier.

They welcomed everyone & we heard a brief statement from each of the sponsors.  They mentioned that over $80,000 had been raised online with a total of over $160,000.  And not all the money is in yet.  It always amazes me how much money a united and passionate group of people can raise.

The walk was 5 miles.  I wondered how well the big kids would do because that is a long walk for them.  We had to stop at about every other corner to wipe the noses of the little ones and usually to wait for someone to catch up (usually me with the double stroller).  Otherwise, we didn't do too bad.  There was complaining from Nash but, he had good reason.  When I picked out his clothes to bring with I apparently only grabbed one sock, thus the poor kid went without socks (not that he doesn't do it all the time, but he usually isn't walking five miles when he does that!).

The hoard of people walking down 700 E.  There were people as far as you could see in front of us and as far as you could see behind us.  People were all decked out in pink from head to toe.  It was really cool to see.

One of the emails I got said you could bring your dog as long as it was on a leash.  Lots of people brought their dogs.  There were big dogs and little dogs (like smaller than Charlotte).  I had thought about bringing Charlotte but decided that five miles was a long way for that little pampered pooch to walk and I figured she'd end up in the stroller with the kids by the time we were done.  Towards the end I saw people carrying their little dogs and I was glad I hadn't brought Charlotte.

We had to stop and take a break one time.  It was a good thing I made Rice Krispie Treats to take with us.  We ate them on the way there for breakfast and we ate them again when we took a break.

It only took us about an hour and a half to walk the entire five miles.  Not too bad considering we had a double stroller and two kids walking with me.  Sam wanted her picture taken by the pond.  I think the boys would have preferred to jump in it, even though it was still pretty cold.

After we finished the walk we headed back to the truck.  The kids wanted to play at the playground, but the toys were still wet from the rain storm the night before.  Caleb was out cold before we even got out of Liberty Park!

I figured little sister would zonk out quick too but she stayed awake until half way through Sardine Canyon & then she woke up when we got home and wouldn't take another nap until nearly 5 pm!

Good thing she's cute!

Our ACS rep, Erin, brought my red Grand Club shirt from Relay for me.  Yay!  I've been waiting to get this since Relay in July.  It means I raised at least $1,000.

A few other random photos:

Sister likes to color lately.  I got a coloring contest for each of the kids from the Hyrum grocery store.  She had a blast coloring it.  Notice her purple hand?

See the purple smiley face on her guts?  That was given to her by her big sister!  Geez!  Talk about setting an example for your siblings!

The last week-week and a half Brookelyn has woken up several times during the night.  I'm fairly certain it's from her booger nose and two molars that have ruptured.  Not only that, but I've shared my bed with this:

Sam across the bottom & Caleb underneath the pink/purple blanket.  By morning my spot (on the left) is considerably smaller!