2 down...1 to go
or
26.2 down..13.1 to go!!!

What an amazing weekend.

"Eli's Team" met again in Myrtle Beach to walk the 1/2 Marathon in Honor of Eli and all those with blood cancers. This year I walked with the names Eli, Kinsey, Abbie, and Cliff on the back of my shirt...walking in these little ones honors.

Friday night found our entire family at the pasta dinner for LLS. Since Eli is the honored hero for the season they asked me to speak...and as I prepared and actually gave the talk "Eli's Story" it hit me just how much we have come through...and all of the people in our lives that have made this incredibly difficult journey bearable. As I showed pictures of my bald, skinny boy in 2007 and the robust boy of 2008 and then there he was looking the picture of health. Boy, we were there and here we are now. We have so much to be thankful for.

Saturday morning 5am came really fast as we left the beach house (thank you to Margaret and Jolly for that) and went to the start of the 1/2. We only had 15 women this year..there were some new folks and some that had walked it last year as well. We even had a couple from Rome, GA who ran it in amazing time!! Although the group was different, it was still a great time. It was definitely a "sophomore" year in this 3 year commitment. Last year all of us were training much more. Partly because of fear of the walk. For me, last year was a therapy of sorts...I was going through so much I could do nothing about that walking for hours talking to my friends was a wonderful way of dealing. I didn't need that as much this year, life has gotten back to normal and things have gotten busy again. We took some walks, but not too much. But we all made it...13.1 miles!! Now I am looking forward to next year, the final walk, and the "beginning of the end" of this for us. The walk will again be in Feb, and we go off treatment in April...wooohhoooo!!

From then on, it was a girls weekend (although all of the girls were at that point walking like 90 year old women!!) What a joy!! As someone said, what a great group of women..to which I responded...yes, I do make good friends....I am very, very fortunate to have such a supportive group of women in my life, and I know that!!!

In all, I think we will come to about $5000 raised for LLS in the walk!! Yea!!

And that was my great weekend. Next year, same place, about the same time!!

Thanks for checking in.

Maria

I am thankful for my friends and that I was able to complete the 13.1 miles !!