Not All Things are Meant to be Shared. Or are They??

This time of year I pretty much eat, sleep, live and breathe the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I have this little group of chicks that I think about 24-7. Are they training? How much more money do they need to raise? All that jazz.

Laundry doesn't get done. Dishes don't get washed. And don't even get me started on what a mess the upstairs is. But this is what I do. And I love it. And Biggsy, the man I love, gets it.

But we don't share it. Not really. I give him updates on the donations, number of walkers, etc. And I love bragging about how he helps me with fundraising. Each year he sends out one fundraising email with the subject line, "Save Second Base." And boy, can he bring in the $$$ with that!

There's a part of me that wishes he'd walk. And I think we've skiied together enough times that we kind of have a groove for how we could pull it off. Walking together some of the time. On our own some of the time. It'd work.

But then there's a part of me that wishes he'd crew. He would love that part of the 3-Day world. Not as one of the crazy fairy costume wearing guys up at the front or the Santa strolling through the dining tent. But as a member of the Gear & Tent or Safety or Whatever. He could totally rock with that.

We kind of talk about it from time to time, but at the same time it is kind of nice to have him here to take over my role for the weekend while I'm gone. And I think he enjoys that part as well. It really is the only weekend of the year he gets to totally take over as Mom. It's the only weekend of the year he gets to sit on the couch, watch the soaps and eat bon-bons. Every guy needs that, right? Yeah. Right.

But we do talk about it. And as cool as it was to have Anthony on our team this year, it would have been neat to have Biggsy there as well. Then, our unofficial slogan could have been:

2 Guys.
120 Boobies.
3 Days.
Priceless.

So Anthony thinks Biggsy should walk, and this is part of what Biggsy shared with him. It melted my heart.

"You seem to think I do not appreciate the difficulty of my wife's accomplishment of, not walking, but committing her life to this cause. I get all misty every time I read her blog about why she walks. Frankly, you do not fully understand what she has put herself through for this cause, in the name of her Mother.

The first year she walked, she was not ready and way overstretched herself. She came limping into the finish line in so much pain that she barely acknowledged Kaitlyn. I am used to her ignoring me, but not Kaitlyn. I really expected her to not do it again. She's not exactly one for enduring pain; she doesn't even like to sweat.

Then she trained for y2 and did it. Still hurt herself, but she did it. I think her little feet are just not made for walking that far. Too little with high arches. The preferred foot is long and flat. But she didn't just do it, she recruited a bunch of people to do it with her. How she managed to build a team to go do something that caused her so much pain still amazes me.

Now, I watch her recruit and manage her team. It's all passion. She doesn't have to try. Raising money, talking to strangers, walking at night by herself, putting up with whiners, she does it all and only complains a little.

So, to your point. Why I should do it? Yes, I could do it. The walking scares me much less than all the women sitting around getting emotional. I wouldn't even have to raise $$ since D'Lyn would do it for me. I think D'Lyn, on the surface, wants me to. However, I tend to have an opinion about how to do things. This opinion would be completely different from D'Lyn's. She does everything on emotion; me on data. I am more than a little concerned that my involvement, while supportive, would not be good for her overall experience.

Secondly, I think it is healthy for her to have her thing. I support it. I'll help her. I plan my time around it, but its hers. She needs it to be hers. We have many things together, but not many things that are ours individually. I have Sunday afternoon softball. I do not invite them and they usually do not come. Its good for me that way. I equate it to picking out our china. D'Lyn said she wanted my opinion and I was more than happy to give it, but we would have both been better off had I just stayed in the electronics section for an extra 1/2 hour.

So, I am still thinking about it. Probably will be for awhile, but that's where I am now."

I wanted to share that with you because, as a wife, it's such a cool thing to hear your husband brag on you -- way cooler than walking 60 miles. If Biggsy decides to walk or crew, great. If he decides to sit on the couch and eat bon-bons, great. I love him either way.

Three Walks, Three Very Different Experiences

I'm home.

Safe and sound.

Many stories to tell.

My Mom was there again.

Hang with me a day or two and I'll tell you all about it.

Love,
me.

Why I Walk....

I walk because I can't walk away.

I walk because cancer took my Mom from me -- someone so precious. And it left this big, fat hole in my life where she belongs. I walk because things weren't perfect between us for a long time. Life's trials had brought some distance between us. There was no doubt that we loved each other -- but we didn't always get along like we wished we did.

So I walk. I walk to honor my Mom. I walk to show everyone here on Earth that she was LOVED. And I walk knowing that she's somehow with me. She was at that first cheering station last year. And she was at lunch. And she was with us at closing ceremonies. You couldn't convince me any differently.

I'm Not Going to Write About the Election

I'm not going to write about the election today. I didn't watch it last night and I don't plan to turn on the TV for the next four years or so. If something major happens, you might want to call me -- or just don't. Just let me live in my bubble.

And I promise not to say, "I told you so" when you begin to figure out that you were a Republican after all -- that you were just snowed by the pretty words and big ideas. I promise not to inundate you with a pile of articles from Canada that demonstrate just how bad their health care really is. When the wealth redistribution stuff kicks in, I'll bring you a pot of chicken noodle soup. Or maybe a can.

I won't say, "I told you so." But I'll be thinking it.

But I'm not going to write about the election. This a warm, fuzzy Mommy blog. Above all, I'm a Christian and the Bible instructs us to follow and respect the leaders and laws of our land -- even when they contradict what we believe.

So I won't write about the election. And I won't watch CNN. Instead, today I'll spend the day packing for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. An event that is every bit emotionally rigorous as it is physically rigorous. Pray for us as you pray for this country.

Why I Walk....

I walk for all my friends who haven't figured out yet that they should be walking with me.

The ones who will find a lump. The ones who will lose a Mom to breast cancer. The ones who have the breast cancer gene, but don't even know how to find out about it. The ones who don't remember to do their self exams. The ones who aren't even "old enough" to have their first mammograms -- and don't know that cancer is already lurking in their bodies.

I walk for my friends. The ones who don't have cancer and never will. But that doesn't mean their lives won't be touched by this terrible disease.

I walk for my friends. The ones who aren't ready to join in the walk yet, but who open their checkbooks and make donations to support this cause that needs their support so badly.

Whatever Happens Today....

Remember, God is bigger than any election. He holds THE keys to THE Kingdom.

That doesn't mean you don't need to storm the gates of Heaven with prayer that the right candidate will be elected. Just don't forget that "The REALLY Big Guy" is in charge!!!

Why I Walk....

I walk for Nelva. For Granny Nelva. For Auntie Nelva. For "Hosting the Election this Week" Nelva. For bread-baking and pickle-making and wild-plum-picking Nelva.

I want to be just like Nelva when I grow up. That's pretty much always been my goal. She can get you to do chores after Sunday lunch without ever making you think it was her idea. She can coach an amateur bread-baker over the phone while juggling lunch for Uncle Don and whoever he's drug in. She welcomes Biggs' hunting buddies with hospitality and graciousness and a kindness that keeps them coming back.

She's been my substitute Granny for a long, old time. At 69, she and I braved a hurricane to watch Rana compete in the Miss America pageant. How many people can say that?

But Auntie Nelva knows all too well the ravages of cancer. She has nursed far too friends through cancer treatments and mourned far too many of them after they died. Not a year after losing her baby sister to cancer, she faced the terrifying cancer diagnosis with Uncle Don. Luckily, they caught his early and he seems to be on the mend.

I walk for Nelva. Because you don't have to have breast cancer to have your life's course altered by this disease.

Why I Walk....

I walk for my sisters, who perhaps still needed Mom more than I did. M'Lys and A'Lise -- who aren't quite ready to take on walking in the 3-Day. But when it comes to being "walker-stalkers," no one compares.

From their decorated car, to snacks, to trash can duties, they are there to serve. And they do the most amazing job. It's not just Team Tiara that appreciates them -- it's everyone they come across.

I walk for my sisters. That the advancements we are funding now will keep them healthy for years to come.

I walk for my sisters.

It's That Time of Year...

It's that time of the year.... When I pretty much lose all dignity and resort to begging people to donate to the 3-Day.

Please consider yourself "begged."

If you've already donated this year, thank you from the bottom of my pea-pickin' little heart.

If you haven't, please consider doing so.

If you have a friend who might consider helping us out, please ask them to do so.

Here's the scoop.... To walk, each team member HAS to raise at least $2200. Once a donation goes under a team member's name, it cannot be moved to another team member.

We have SEVERAL team members who are hurting for donations. These are people who have stepped out on faith to take up a cause they believe in. And they need your help.

Please go to our Team Website. There you will find a list of walkers who desperately need help.

Remember, all donations are tax-deductible. And you might just be donating the last dollar needed to fund a cure. Or you'll be saving a life.

Isn't that a good way to start your week??

Why I Walk....

I walk for Milton. This man who has lost two cherished wives to cancer -- both of whom started with breast cancer. This man who was God's great gift to Mom in her final years. A strong Christian who she always said made her feel "safe." A man who travelled the world with her and stuck by her until the end. Who loved her with his whole heart.

A man who I know would give anything to be able to walk in her memory. But with age creeping up on him, and joints that are getting a bit creaky, he can't. So I will. I'll walk for Milton. It won't be all 60 miles because I have my own fair share of creaky issues. But I'll walk as far as I can.

I'll walk for Milton.

Why I Walk...

I walk for my girls. I walk so they will never know the fear of a lump. So they can grow old and wise and know their grandchildren. So that by the time they are old enough to know what a mammogram is, there will already be a cure for whatever it may show.


I walk for my girls. As an example to them that when life kicks you in the pants, rolling over and playing dead is not acceptable. That you have to work towards your goals -- even though they may seen unattainable. Even if the outcome is uncertain.


I walk for my girls. That someday they will be able to tell their grandchildren about how I took on a task bigger than life to fight for something I believed in. That they will have a story to share about how a little team grew and grew and grew to a point where, as of today, we have raised over $171,000 in three years. That story will be a part of our legacy.


I walk for my girls. The two most amazing children I know. Two children who are still heart-broken at the loss of their Granny. Two children who lost someone so very precious to them long before it was time.


I walk for my girls.