Gladitude Monday: Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk Edition

Howwwwdy!
Some of you may be tired of me posting about the 3 Day. Sadly for you, I don't care. ;) However, this will be the final one because the Seattle Breast Cancer 60 mile 3 Day is officially over, and all walkers are in and accounted for. And it was an amazing experience. Here's a little bit about our Team Live! Laugh! Love!

• 11 walkers, aged 21 - 61.
• 20 children among us
• all of us are married
• 6 go to the same church
• we represent full-time and part time workers and stay at home moms
• one of us walks with an artificial leg
• one of us has been active in the USMC, and now is a security officer for high ranking muckety mucks at a successful software company based in WA.
• one of us grew up on fishing boats and in Alaska
• none of us has had breast cancer, though one of our walkers was sporting bruises badges of courage on her breast from her n.e.g.a.t.i.v.e. (wooo-hooo) punch needle biopsy.
• we are all shapes and sizes--if we can do it, anyone can

My Breast Friend, aka our team captain, S.

Opening ceremony @ 6:30 a.m.

Husband of beloved Michelle.

Here he is again--his face, this time.

Day 2: Cheering station; mile 27ish.

Drama Girl makes awesome posters, doesn't she?

Big @ the cheering station. I cannot tell you how important the cheerers were to our mental well-being. What a treat to see my family, as well as those of my fellow walkers. Apparently, S.'s hubby had a caravan at our local Mickey Ds' so that all the kids and hubbies who were available could cheer on the team en masse.

I have the breast family ever. Even if David was monkeying around. ;) They had to wait until nearly all the 3,300 walkers had passed by to see us. We were the "injured reserve" team. Lots of blisters, sore muscles, and post-surgical bad knees. So...we waited for everyone in our group. Because that's what a team does.

The agony of da-feet. What's a loss of a toejail (or 2) when it comes to fighting cancer?? This was my friend, JH. She walked for the last day entirely on open blisters from her third toe to the ball of her foot to her heel.

I know it's blurry, but see if you can find the blister on her heel. ;0)

Look at the beautiful artistry God shared with us on Day 3. This is Mt. Rainier. See all the tents? They were c-c-c-old. But not bad, really. And we had gorgeous weather, with highs in the low 80s. Hot in the p.m., but no rain, so we were thankful. Also, many folks sprayed us either with spray bottles or their hoses, so we made it through.

Team: LIVE! LAUGH! LOVE! We. Made. It.!!!!!!!!!

Gladitude: Glad I made it. Glad for warm showers. Glad for the generosity and grace of the human spirit. Glad for honking cars and waving fans. Glad for flat stretches of roads and pit-stops with porta-potties and gator-ade. Glad for the survivors who give us hope.

I'll be catching up with you all soon.

Soli Deo Gloria!