Little Pink Tents

**This was originally posted LAST year before the 3day ... and, because I procrastinated til the bitter end THIS year ... here it is again!!!**

This weekend I am going camping. Camping in a little pink tent that will be sitting in a sea of little pink tents. A sea of little pink tents in the middle of the city. Tents full of people nursing sore feet, aching bodies and blisters. Lots and lots of blisters. Blisters that come from walking, BY CHOICE - twenty miles a day for three days straight. And other little pink tents full of people who - BY CHOICE - will get up around 4AM (or earlier) each of those mornings, brave the chilly morning air and fix breakfast for a gajillion people, ride out into the streets to blaze a trail for the walkers, set up places for them to nourish their bodies, bandage their blisters and rest on that trail and set up fun spots to send off, encourage along the way and welcome the walkers back to their little pink tent homes.

Why, you may ask, would somebody - much less a few THOUSAND somebodies - subject themselves to that? Because we are desperate to put an end to Breast Cancer. DESPERATE!!!

Some of the people I will be camping with have had breast cancer. Some are fighting it now and have chosen to camp and walk and/or crew in between their chemo treatments! Some have some one they love fighting it now. Some, like me, have some one(s) they love who have beaten it. And some, like me, have some one they love who have lost the fight.

I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that these two little girls (well, not so little anymore!!!), who are faced with growing up without their mommy, do NOT have to face growing up in fear.

I do it because Paula was my very bestest friend in the world. Because her children are two of the most delicious girls on the planet and I love them so very much. I do it because I have two little girls who's family medical histories are sketchy at best and I want them to be protected. And I do it so that NOBODY else has to feel the pain that comes from watching a loved one suffer this stinky disease.

I do it because "Everyone Deserves A Lifetime".

Please say a prayer for us this weekend. Those of us on the crew will be starting on Thursday and the walkers on Friday. Please pray for the families that we will be leaving at home. Please pray for nice weather, safe conditions, good spirits and A CURE!!!!!!!!!!

Also, if you would like to support the cause with a donation, please click on the button on the sidebar that takes you to my fundraising page! Thank you so much for your prayers and suport!

Thank you so very much! Don't know if I will be back before Monday....

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

This Is Where I Beg Your Forgiveness And Promise To Blog A Little More Frequently ...

I have been a VERY bad bloggy friend this summer ... VERY bad.

And, here and now, is where I promise to make up for lost time and tell you a bit about our summer.

I spent most of the summer training for a triathlon ... an event which I, sadly, did not even get to participate in. And, for the record, shin splints do NOT get better by just pushin through the pain. I did get to go to the event and cheer my friends on...



... and take a whole ton of pictures - I am workin on a little slide show. That guarantees a post for another day! Because my sweet, heroic friends who DID participate deserve a post of their own. Especially Kelly




and Jane



who came in 1st and 3rd for the women (Jane, by the way, was robbed and SHOULD have come in at least second. Unfortunately she missed a turn on the bike portion and rode a couple miles or so before realizing her error and turning around. Girlfriend was NOT happy!!!)

I also had a birthday last month. Now, I knew that the hubby had something up his sleeve but wasn't sure what it was. I could not have even begun to prepare myself for what he had planned....

Here is a glimpse of my surprise ...



Yeah, that would be my mommy - who flew in for my birthday! Please ignore the fact that I had just woke up and had been cryin my eyes out over my surprise!!! We had a whole 36 hours together before she flew back. I had a stinkin blast with her and could not have felt more loved. Thanks Honey, and thanks mommy!

We also spent a day at the beach, just my little fam and me.






The girls had a blast - until it was time to go home of course. THAT was not so much fun at all!!!

And, given the fact that we were parked DIRECTLY in front of the police station, draggin two screaming children and (because our keyless entry thingy does not work at the moment) setting off the car alarm, it was NOT the highlight of the day for mommy and daddy either. Just sayin!

We have also spent a LOT of time with this sweet thing too...



... Miss Belle. Our Monday dates with her are numbered though because her sweet mama, Mrs. Erica, is bout to give birth any day to a bouncing baby boy. I am TOTALLY lookin forward to that even because I have been asked to attend said birth and be the official photographer!

I do hope that it doesn't happen next weekend though. Because NEXT weekend I will be camping, with a few thousand of my closest friends, in little pink tents.



Because, for the 5th year in a row I will be participating in the Breast Cancer 3day. I am a member of the crew - which means I do not do the walk, but I work the event and support the walkers in ANY WAY I can! I am also raising money to benefit the Susan G Komen foundation in their support of breast cancer patients, awareness and the search for a cure. I do it for Marla, Holly, Alice and Donna - who all survived the dreaded disease. I do it for my Bev, who is fighting it right now! I do it for my Grandma who won HER battle and lived to be the sweet age of 95 years young before going Home to Jesus!

And I do it for Paula, my BFF, whom we lost to this stinky stuff 5 years ago. I will fight to the end to be sure that her girls do not have to face that battle. IF you feel led, at all, to support this endeavor, please visit my fundraiser page. Every little bit helps!

OR, support me with your prayers - prayers for a safe weekend for all involved, for my man and girls at home without me, and for a CURE for cancer. ALL types of cancer. Because EVERYONE deserves a lifetime!!!!

I have so many other things to share about the summer, and I will, but given the fact that Sesame Street just ended, my time for blogging is up for the morning. So, I gotta go for now, but in the words of Arnold, I'll be back!!!!!!!!!