2 walks

It’s hard to walk 60 miles, and I am considering walking 120 miles this year! Yes, I really want to walk in 2 events this year. My long term goal is to walk in every single city! I think that would be amazing! My snag this year isn’t time, it’s not the 120 journey, it’s not that I’m not motivated, or that I just really don’t want to participate in multiple walks. Once again, I meet the struggle with raising money. $2300 is the minimum amount of money you have to raise in order to walk in one event. I’m going to need to raise $4600 in order to make my goal of two events in 2012. I don’t want to use this blog as a complaint, because honestly I am not complaining. Yes, the money is very hard to raise, but I know that I am capable of raising enough money to walk in two cities this year.

What inspires you? I have to ask myself that question every time I think about my walk. What inspires me the most, is walking with my friends I met the previous year so that I can catch up face to face and not via computer or text. I get so inspired by all of the survivors who at the end of the walk I will salute with my shoe. I am inspired by my grandmother who beat breast cancer, my step mother who beat non-Hodgkin’s. It’s very easy for me to be inspired by the participants who carry those heavy flags every day. The best inspiration I can find comes from those who are walking, and still fighting. The pain I feel deep into my bones is nothing in comparison to those who just had chemo and walked as far as they could.

Those inspirations are what drive me to make sure that I raise the money I am required to raise, so that not only will I be able to walk in two events, 120 miles for 2012 – but so that I can help fund research – the essential component to finding a cure.

The purpose of tonight’s blog, is to renew my spirits. I know that this is a journey, from the moment you sign up, to every dollar raised, to the actual event, and with the friendships you keep. Every walk, every year is unique. I don’t want to miss out on any of it.

Catchup…Ketchup…Catch UP!

I have been so lax on blogging this month!! Totally not my intentions! LIFE has been so hectic lately. I think I may have caught up!! As a stay at home mother, I always joke that you know you have fallen really far behind when you don’t even have Ketchup!! How did I fall behind? Well, it all started about 2 weeks ago, when I decided I wanted to enroll in two 8-week session classes that I thought would be beneficial to the degree I have. WOW! I forgot how hard it is to be in school and with 2 toddlers, 2 dogs, a cat and a husband who is also in school working toward a Masters!!!

I know that I can get going again!! I just have to learn to manage my time a little differently. Blogging is such an awesome way to unwind after a very long day of work. I stay at home with my boys, but I don’t get to sit around and eat Bon Bons and watch Soaps. That sounds fantastic, but very unrealistic :P

I feel like, since God has blessed us with the opportunity to stay at home, I should use my talents to serve others. So, my days are spent trying to help where ever I am needed. I hope my kids learn that service is important.

Part of why I am doing the Susan G Komen 3 Day for a Cure walk, is because I think your children truly do learn by example. IF I can show my kids to use their talents, strengths, gifts and serve others I am setting my kids up for success. I will also be able to show them how important it is to make time to exercise. I have to train or else I’m not going to be able to make it to the end. I hope that I am setting an example for my boys, that it’s all about time management. If you make the time to do the things that are important to you, you will have no problem accomplishing your goal. 

Todays GOAL: Rearrange my schedule, make time for the important things!!

God sends you places just at the right moment... Tonight, we had a new renter move into our rental house where we used to live. I still had a couple pieces of furniture in storage, so I decided to make the 40 minute drive south to get my things so the renter could begin to move her things in.

Some friends found out that we were in town, and asked us to come over for dinner. We hadnt been to dinner at thier home for a very long time - so we decided to go. I was telling a few guests and the hostess that I was walking 60 miles in November. A lady, who I just met in person this evening said when and where? I told her November 4th-6th in Dallas. She said Im a "SURVIVOR, I love Dallas and I want to do it with you!!" I was so excited!! I added her to facebook and forwarded her a load of info. I would LOVE it if she decides to join our team.

Isn't it amazing how things work out like this?

God is LOVE!

The Turtle Club....

I cannot believe that today buzzed right on past me. I had a million things that I had to do today and I got about 7 of the million completed. I would have been more productive but my 2 year old (Autry) gets anywhere from 1-12 bloody noses a day! Its crazy! Today we had 4 and one lasted roughly 30 minutes. His ENT says to Vaseline his nose, his pediatrician suggests nasal spray, a humidifier and Vaseline and to tell you the truth none of these suggestions make a difference…

We did not manage to have a bleeder during our 3 mile walk tonight which was refreshing! We never found one of Brody’s shoes that we had no idea was missing until it was too late. That’s always awesome. I have decided that my walking group (me, Kirt, Autry and Brody) will forever be called the Turtle Club!! We cannot set a nice pace when we are strolling across town looking at bunnies and throwing our shoes -

Tomorrow I would like for the turtle club to manage 3.5 miles. It is supposed to be 84 degrees! I cant wait!!

Good Walk!

It is a beautiful 60 degrees today, and with an extra hour of daylight I got out this late afternoon to walk. I walked 3 miles in about 50 minutes - with kids. that’s an important side note. Walking with 2 toddlers is a real treat. Brody likes to take his shoes off and see how far he can throw them. Autry has to wear the perfect costume which usually includes a red cowboy hat, sunglasses, & any other accessories that call out to him! We have to stop for nearly every “large” rock we see, and we lose them all by the time we get turned around and headed back home!

We live in a small town - its about .87 miles from one side to the other. So, we zig and zag through the neighborhood trying to make the route a little longer! I want to share an awesome tool with some of you. If you have an Android Phone - you should look into downloading the free app called Cardio Trainer. Its awesome. This app will record the number of steps you take, it records your mileage, times you, puts it on a map for you, plays your music while you walk, and allows you to post your info to face book. Today I walked 3 miles which told me was over 4400 steps (cant remember the total). It will also tell you how many calories your burnt, in my case I burnt 299!!

Some people have expressed interest in finding walking partners in your area. If there isn’t anyone who is training near you (my case.) then go to a local fitness center and see if anyone would be interested in walking with you simply for the exercise. Who knows, maybe you can inspire them to join your team!

If you download cardio trainer please share that with me! I would love to know what you think about it!!

Lets Get It Started!!!

Thank You for visiting my blog. The intention of this blog is to be able to share a journey with you every step of the way. I am a 2011 Ambassador for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the cure. I am honored. 

I have taken on an incredible challenge. On November 4^th, I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, camping out at night with thousands of other women and men taking this journey with me.
It's for an event called the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure^®.

Net proceeds from the 3-Day for the Cure are invested in community-based breast health programs and breast cancer research. The research funded focuses on decreasing breast cancer incidence and mortality in the next decade. In order to participate, each walker is asked to raise a minimum of $2300.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® works hard to build a future without breast cancer, and I plan on raising $2500 to help bring us closer to that goal.

So many of us have personal connections to Breast Cancer. My favorite teacher of all time was my Kindergarten teacher. She taught me all I ever needed to know - including how to catch the Gingerbread Man. Some of you know her as Mrs. Henton, but I am lucky enough to be able to call her Grandma. My Grandma, is a Breast Cancer SURVIVOR!

My husband Kirt is my rock. He has really supported my decision to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure^®. He too has a close connection to Breast Cancer. Kirt’s Cousin Judy Savely and Aunt Patricia Jessup are both Breast Cancer SURVIVORS!

Please visit my personal website & if I have inspired you, you can also make a donation!!

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2011/DallasFortWorthEvent2011?px=5712901&pg=personal&fr_id=1622

I am so excited to be on a team with one of my very best friends. We are going to Rock our Socks off!!

If you click on this link you can read a little bit about our team and make a donation.

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2011/DallasFortWorthEvent2011?team_id=184067&pg=team&fr_id=1622


I am going to blog about this journey I have already begun. Please stay with me, its going to be a wild ride! I promise to blog about the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I will also be sending video updates from the event!

Finally, my favorite quote:
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
~John Quincy Adams