November

The month to be thankful.  I've never participated in the "30 days of Thankful" and I don't intend to start now but since I have missed blogging about a bunch of things, I will catch up on a few that I've been thankful for over the past few months.

The first being this...

Max finished 3rd for the entire triathlon, that's what the 3 fingers are about.

My kids participated again in the Miracles of Mitch triathlon in August and raised over $1000 for kids fighting cancer.  But this year it hit a little closer to home because a family friend's 14 year-old son was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in May.  Brenden has been a complete ROCK STAR.  He has undergone surgery that removed part of his femur and replaced it with a metal rod.  He has had 9 chemo treatments and has 9 more to go.  He has been working through this, working through the crap of having cancer with a positive attitude and I am beyond impressed. 

I am always humbled when I stand watching the kids race but this year it meant a little more.  Unfortunately, my kids have run for friends of friends or I ran into someone I knew from high school last year whose child had cancer.  But this year, this year we knew Brenden.  How can a healthy kid who was playing baseball the day before find out he has cancer?  A fall, a limp, a routine check up and the doctor says that horrible word.  It's when things like this happen that you step back and say a little thank you that your child is healthy.  I am thankful that my children can do something positive and I'm SO proud of them for doing it year after year.

Miracles of Mitch

It’s a day that the kids look forward to all summer.  It’s a day when we thank our blessings and puts a little balance in our lives.  As I sat waiting for the race to start, I looked up and saw a friend from high school.  I smiled and asked if it was his kids first year and he kept smiling and said, “Yes, as an All-Star and he’s so excited”.  All-Stars are the children that my kids are running for.  All-Stars are the kids who have cancer.  All-Stars get recognition on stage and pass out the medals.  When Brody came walking in with the All-Stars, smiling from ear to ear, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling and I was completely humbled.  We just got a reality check that proved how precious life is and Max and Claire along with 700 other kids are making a difference. 

Here's a few pictures from the day.

Bright and Early...Nah, they didn't have to be there until 9;)

 Claire finding a seat with her age group

 Max waiting for a seat

 Brody is 2nd from the left

 Just got done swimming and transitioning to the bikes

 DONE!!

 BONUS this year...Madison, Jordan and Aliva came with Mom and Dad to cheer them on!!

Miracles of Mitch

The kids signed up to do the Miracles of Mitch triathlon again this year.  They are running for kids who can't.  When I was pulling up last years photo, I couldn't believe how young they looked.  What a difference a year makes!!

If you'd like to help them reach their goal of raising $1000, please stop by http://events.miraclesofmitch.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1001700&pg=personal&fr_id=1110

Thanks so much:)

Miracles of Mitch

The kid's are doing the Kids Running For Kids Who Can't Triathlon. Their webpage went live yesterday. Check it out:)

Miracles Of Mitch

I learned something new this year. It's Miracles OF Mitch not Miracles FOR Mitch. I learned that when the kids won sweatshirts for their fund raising efforts.

It was another great year and I'm a little slow getting these up. The kids raised $1330 this year and won another Mitchie award!! Every single dollar goes to help the kids and their parents because the triathlon has enough sponsors to cover the cost of the event. This year, just the Mitchie winners raised over $100,000, not counting what the other 900 kids who participated raised, it was a GREAT year.

Claire was fortunate enough to stand next to one of the All-Stars (kids with cancer) while waiting to jump in the water. The girl is in remission and was able to compete this year and Claire thought the girl was very cool!

The only bummer about it becoming SO big is that I don't get to take the photos I would like, but we're not complaining, just sharing the ones we got.

Max getting his medal
With their Mitchie Trophy
Running from the water to the bikes
Jersey with pinneys
He just finished

Being silly at Mommy's request
Running from the water, her least favorite part of the day
she just got her medal
Dropping off their bikes
annual shot
Some of the All Stars on stage, singing the National Anthem
The kids waiting to walk to the water.

Miracles For Mitch

Four years ago my son Max spotted a sign at the gym for a kid triathlon and he was ALL over that idea. I signed him up, he trained his little 9 year old butt off and I missed it. Yes, it was one of those days on the calendar that was split with another day and I misread it as being the following week. Luckily, my friend Annie was the one who made me realize my error before the "big" day. PANIC..what the heck was I going to do?? My little guy was training hard and I missed it. It's not like they have triathlons every weekend.

Annie to the rescue.

She found Miracles of Mitch Triathlon, Kids Running For Kids Who Can't. It was 2 weeks away and close to home. I signed Max up and told him that we were doing a bigger and better triathlon, not knowing ANYthing other than what the website told me. He quickly went door to door and asked family and friends for donations since it was also a fundraiser for cancer and he raised $670 the first year.

We (Max, Claire and myself) showed up on that early Saturday morning, it was drizzling and cold and we had no idea what to expect because as all of you know, doing a triathlon or even running a 5K is NOT something I would EVER do. Max has exposed me to the world of people who run for fun, I still don't get it but I support it;). What I didn't expect was for our lives to be forever changed.

The first thing they do when you arrive is to write the name of the kid you are running for on the back of your leg. Max ran for Buzz, a boy his age with Leukemia.

Ready, set..time for the grand entrance into the park, each age group is represented and enter starting with the 7 year olds and ending with the 17 year olds all wearing their swim caps. In the front of this procession are the Miracle All Stars. The kids with cancer who the kids are running for. Smiling faces, some still bald from chemo and waving. Claire and I stood there clapping with tears running down our faces. They have one of those All Stars speak to the group before the triathlon starts. It's nothing profound, it's just a little about them and a high five shout out to the kids basically.

Flash forward another year and Claire was listening to the All Star speak. She had passed on doing it because she doesn't like swimming in a lake but helped her brother raise money. Claire is also her Mother's child and can't wrap her brain around those that run for fun.

This All Star was finally in remission and she was competing in the triathlon. Claire looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "If she can beat cancer and do this, I can beat the lake and do it too".

The next year she did it with her brother. She didn't seem to "enjoy" it but she enjoyed being part of something so amazing. Max always finishes with a smile, high fives the next handful of runners and then asks where his butter burger that Culver's donates is at;)

This year was Claire's second time and she enjoyed herself and finished with a smile and was also asking for food when she finished.

Together they raised $1246. They have a family total of $4266 over the four years of participation.

This year I had the pleasure of standing next to one of the All Star parents while waiting for our racers to pass us (her son won't be able to do it until 2012 due to his treatment but her nephew was running) and we chatted a bit.

This short conversation gave me that knock upside the head that I needed. It put life back into perspective. I get so busy with our lives that I forget to be thankful, truly thankful. I don't have to worry if they'll be here next year. I don't have to worry about what treatment is doing to their bodies. I just get to celebrate what amazing kids they are or be irriatated at them for not listening when they should or eating what I cook. I get to be proud of them for their generosity and compassion for others. I get to hug them every single day.

So, thank you to the Miracles for Mitch foundation for changing our lives and continuing to remind us that you should take nothing for granted and hug your kids as often as you can.

At the finish line after the triathlon

With their Medals for finishing and Mitchie Award because of the money they raised