Join the Journey-year 2

Wow what a busy, busy week I have had. Sorry I've missed you all, I just had to put the blog on the back burner for a few days. But life is back to normal now, and I get you caught up on my little life.

For those of you that have read from the beginning, this will be a repeat of information, for those of you new to the blog, it's just one more installment in my life.

So, last June my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 41. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, her sister died of breast cancer in her late 40's, and my father's mother had breast cancer. So you might say that I have a slightly higher risk of getting the disease (gee, ya think?) So last September we walked in our first Join the Journey breast cancer walk, that is a grass roots walk here in our community. The walk is only 4 years old and every year it grows and grows.

So last Sunday it was our second year to walk. 10 miles, by the way. I have to tell you that it is an amazing sight. Those that are walking that are survivors wear a pink shirt, and everyone else supporting them wears gray. I cannot tell you the lump you get in your throat watching this sea of over a 1000 pink and gray shirts walk through our city.

We start the day with a kick off speech at one of the high school stadiums.

Here we are sitting on the cold wet bleachers waiting to get our walk going. A little tough to not get a little choked up listening to the ladies kick it off.

Here we are on about mile 6. Me, the ever dopey clown that has to take a flying leap as my dad photographes from across the street.

I love my mom and sister laughing at me making a complete ass out of myself while the teenage girls behind us completely ignore me.
(Can just insert that it is killing me to look at myself in the picture-I'm going to go eat a salad. Don't you hate yourself in pictures?)

And at the end of the 10 miles they feed you an amazing meal. Here is my sister enjoying these amazing brownies with a fabulous ganache on the top.

The significance of this picture is that last year she was in the middle of chemo when we walked and couldn't taste anything because of the chemotherapy. So not only did she make it the 10 miles last year, but she couldn't taste a darn thing.

Here she is last year:

Just compare those 2 pictures. What a difference a year makes. Amazing gal she is, pretty amazing.

And they have all of this great information for everyone to have, including really encouraging everyone to do self exams. And these two gals walk around the whole day. Man they just crack me up.

And all I can think when I look this picture is, "I'm really glad I wasn't in a testicular cancer walk."