Happy Anniversary to the Millers!

Today marks our second wedding anniversary! My, how the years zoom by... Last year at this time, we were having our final baby shower and preparing for Riley's arrival. The year before that, we were tying the knot in a major way.

We hit the jackpot this year! I just so happened to get a writing assignment at a local bed & breakfast (actually very chic cabins just outside city limits), so we'll be tucked away there tonight enjoying some country peace and quiet. They even arranged massages for the morning! I can't wait to tell you all about how cool this place is.

I love you Kevin. I'm so lucky to be your wife and I can't wait for many, many more years of fun and togetherness with you and our family!

In case you're in the mood for a visual journey back, here's a link to our wedding album:

OUR WEDDING ALBUM!

 

A long voyage, indeed.

Sixty miles....check! We are finally getting back into the groove of normal life after our trip to Philadelphia for the Breast Cancer 3-day. Thank you so much for all of the support and donations and love you sent and offered up on behalf of this crazy journey. It was so awesome to read your letters while I was curled up in my sleeping bag after a looooong day on the road. 

Simply put, the 60 miles was MUCH harder than I thought it would be. I'm still not sure if my feet are okay, but they will be! We heard awesome stories that made us cry, watched people struggle to make it through, and I think each of us left more appreciative of our lives--for whatever reason. My team was fantastic. Juli, Natasha, Catherine, and Sonya--thank you. For picking my limping body off the grass at the pitstops and being encouraging and funny and great company. I could NOT have finished without you.

I'm including a few pics below. These are mostly day 2 and 3 (Natasha and I shared pictures to preserve battery life). Am I glad I did it? So, so, so glad. It was an experience of a lifetime. For me, it may be a once in a lifetime experience. But I'm glad I had the one journey. It was intense and amazing. 

I should also say this. I ended up raising $3,270. Our team (of only 5 people!) raised $21,488. Our Philadelphia walk raised 8.1 million dollars! Pretty awesome. Pretty frickin' awesome!

Things I learned on my 3-day walk:

60 miles is a long, long, long way. 

I'm stronger than I thought I was.

I complain way too much. 

Sleeping in a tent was the easy part--and I'm high maintenance.

Hot chocolate can cause permanent damage to your tongue.

The human spirit is more uplifting than I ever imagined.

Blisters don't need chemo (although they do need a good lancing sometimes--mine came mid-day on day 3).

A high-five is surprisingly motivational. So is a woo. And a hooray.

Everyone has a breaking point. Mine came day 2 at lunch. The tears flowed. I freaked a little. I pulled it together and I kept walking. 

Sitting your back into someone else's poop can be a pretty powerful precursor to a mid-day breaking point. Just sayin'...

Men in tutus on bikes = funny. 

There are a LOT of words for 'breast.'

Breast cancer survivors are tougher than tough. (Try catching yourself complaining about your feet hurting when the person in front of you is growing back their hair.)

I'm not a person who can attend a dance party after 10 hrs of walking.

I am a person who loves Advil PM.

I'm not so good at keeping track of water bottles, knee braces, or hats (I lost all three on the walk).  

Sometimes a lunch in a restaurant turns out better than expected.

I paid very little attention to the weather. Any other day, I probably would have been freezing.

If a friendship can last 60 miles, 2 nights in a tent, and a disorganized closing ceremony, it can probably last through anything. 

I am lucky beyond words. 

I love my life.

Our tent: (Natasha's legs)

The sea of pink tents. (It really was awesome to see.)

Getting to see Riley at City Hall on day 2

Day 3 pit stop action (we stopped at chatted with our men--including Jimmy!)

Blister 911!

Various walking scenes:

More pit stop. Home of porto-potties, food, and drink.

Riley and Kevin visiting on Day 3:

Riley and Jack:

Walking into the finish line area:

Closing ceremonies (shoes up!)

Survivor circle:

If you're interested in the rest of the pictures, you can see them here:

THREE-DAY PICTURES ON FLICKR

Natasha's Dirty 30!

Lucky, Natasha! She planned our insane, 60-mile walk as a part of her monumental 30th birthday. Leaving the planning to us, it should have come as no surprise that she ended up somewhere crazy. And, apparently, to us crazy means a japanese restaurant with private karaoke booths. Yakitori Boy in Philly was just that spot. We started off apprehensively (and sober) with very little singing action. The pics below prove that soon changed. We even coerced Natasha into singing once or twice. I didn't even know it was possible! 

It was a very, very fun and insane evening. At the end of the night, we found out just how much fun we did have. $783 worth, thank you very much. I almost punched my husband in the face when he tried to lay down his credit card for all of it. Let's say he wasn't in his right mind, exactly. Luckily, he ended up with some help. His face is so cute and all, it would have been a shame to scar it up.

We returned to Juli and Walker's awesome pad for a very cheesy and rainbow-themed birthday cake. (We had to outdo the rainbow number from my own birthday.)

I love Natasha dearly and I have to go out on a limb and say she will never forget birthday # 30. Hope you had fun!

Happy Birthday, Ethan & Andy!

The day we left town for Philly was my darling brother Andy's birthday. The first day of the 3-day walk was my adorable nephew Ethan's birthday. As a result, their online shout-outs are way behind. Just a week...

I love you both and hope your birthdays were as wonderful as I think you are! I can't wait to celebrate with Ethan and family this Saturday. I remember when you were born. I remember rocking you while surfing on AOL back in the day. I cannot believe you are now 10 YEARS OLD. Time is way too fast for my liking...

Happy birthday, boys!

(this picture is old, but it has the necessary participants!)

They are ready for us!

With just over a week until our monumental walk, Philly is rolling out the pink carpet for National Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you out there in Blogville who answered my plea...you are amazing. I'm up to $3,250 raised for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's so thrilling. I never thought I could surpass my original goal.  And, our awesome team has raised nearly $21,000. Whoa.

I just saw this in today's paper. Our money doing great things:

OU Cancer Institute gets Komen Research Grant

Haven't donated yet? There's still time....please click here and do it today. Only 10 days 'til we put foot to pavement!

Happy Birthday, Jadyn!

Our favorite little lady is now EIGHT YEARS OLD. I remember the day she was born and it just doesn't seem like so long ago. Man, she is growing up fast... 

Happy Birthday my silly, beautiful, funny niece -- I hope your day was so special, just like you!