191+ Miles Pledged

WE DID IT!! I woke up at 5AM jumped out of my bed & said a silent pray that God had not sent the rain. It was windy, cold & cloudy bit NO RAIN!! I had my cup of coffee & could hardly sit still until 6 when I needed to wake up the boys. Hunter & Jacob where helping me out today at our wear blue:run to remember event in town. We got out the door on time & headed to the Yelm / Tenino trailhead to set up. Of course with this being the first year I've hosted we had several little issues along the way. But we learned how to post the placards for next year so that the wind should it be here again not blow them away! As frustrated as I was at set up it all evaporated as more people showed up. I was worried the weather would keep them away but I was praying they would hold to their pledges. Only 5 where no shows- But two of those sent me private messages explaining they where still running just not at 8:30AM.

We read the names that had been turned in of our fallen, at times with tears running down my face. But I made it through the list & we snapped our group photo . Then we where off!! Here are some of the pictures from my  morning. I had so much fun running & sometimes walking. I really had no idea how exhausted I was until I got home to sit down. I ran my 4 miles pledged then ran & walked another 2.5 just so I could visit with some of the runners on their journey. It was so nice to see the laughter & hear the stories of why they came. The thanks people gave was not needed. Today was nothing I wouldn't do again in a heartbeat. It finally made me feel like we where a living, breathing, Memorial to those in our past who made it possible for me & my family to have a future.

Our Gold Star family with some friends

 

 

At the end we where mostly all still smiles. Happy in the knowledge that we didn't forget those who where gone. Some like me accomplished a goal of running further then I ever had- now I have super sore muscles to prove it. It is something we will do again in the future. The sun shined down at just the right moments.

"Greater love hath no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends"  John 15:13

Getting Ready

A lot of prep going into Monday's  wear blue: run to remember . It started off with just a hope that some of my friends & fellow community would come out to honor our Fallen. We have managed to get over 30 adults plus children now who have pledged miles. We are currently up to 172 Miles Pledged for our Fallen. I'm so grateful to everyone who is giving up a couple hours of their Memorial Day to remember why the day is really set aside as a holiday. 

Someone said to me today " happy Memorial Day" it made me stop and think. I thought back to last year as I read a BLOG from a War Widow who wanted others to realize it's not a "happy day" for most. No it may not be sad & full of tears for a lot of people . But each person who has lost a soldier is in a different stage of grief so to say " happy Memorial Day" is not really appropriate. This made a lot of sense to me so I am no longer saying happy Memorial Day ever again, but Thank you. My way of saying this will be this run this year & I hope every year I am able I will run . Here are a few of the pictures showing the prep leading up to the run. Anyone can offer to host a wear blue: run to remember at anytime. I just wanted to make Monday's a little more special.

It started with Banyan & I doing a little shopping yesterday. Then we headed out to Dupont early this morning to pick up the shirts that several of our runners bought.

 From there Banyan & I where close to post so I headed to the 4th Brigade Memorial. Every year since they opened it I have visited on Memorial Day to remember all our friends listed on that wall. This year we will run for them so I went today to place the flowers & the flag.

Next I met up with my friend Dana who offered to help make placards with all the Fallen soldier's names. If a runner turned in a name to be read then we made a placard that will line the trail part of the way. It's a visual reminder of their sacrifice. It was very touching as Dana & I worked on these to look at the date. To see how long ago some soldier's died as well as just this past Monday we lost two. It was a very sobering reminder that this war is not over until they all come home.

These simple extra touches are not required if you host a run. But I felt it will make the meaning behind the run that much more powerful. These men & women went when called, stood beside their fellow soldiers . Then made the ultimate sacrifice so my family could live free. It was no trouble at all to do things to honor them. I was over whelmed with emotion as I made shirt deliveries .The excitement that my friends & fellow runners expressed over participating really solidified my choice to host this run. I am ready for Memorial Day are you ?

Wear Blue to Run

  


With Memorial Day fast approaching as well as our friends 1 year angelvarsry it got me thinking. How can I as a Army spouse live up to my promise to all those families that I would not forget their hero? I went back & forth on this. I could go to the Memorial on post again this year & have quiet time. But that just didn't seem like enough. Then a friend posted about the wear blue: run to remember. A widow from a unit off of Joint Base Lewis McChord had a passion for running well before her new title of "War Widow". When that happened she turned her passion into remembering all of our Fallen Heroes EVERY Saturday. That's right folks I said EVERY Saturday she got up with a group who had lost someone in the beginning and put on her blue to run. Now it has a following of people who just want to never forget the sacrifices of our soldiers. Many run each Saturday.  Every weekend a route is dedicated to a fallen hero. You have choices to run 3 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, even 12 mile routes. You can buy a standard shirt now and run to remember.

Well needless to say they are hosting a big Memorial Day event. My only problem is it is about 40 minutes away and I wanted A LOT of people to want to participate. After looking through their Mile Pledge page I realized you can host your Run Meet-up for Memorial Day. So that is what I did thanks to Facebook. I have a lot of civilian friends who are runners & we live in a military community . I posted the event invited everyone and asked them to spread the word. We have one Gold Star Family attending now so I am so pleased that they will be able to see that as a community we have not forgotten their sacrifice or their soldiers.

 I'm not going to lie I am a little disappointed so far at the response. I get that you make Memorial Day plans you may go out of town or plan a bar-b-que. But I'm sorry folks that  free day off of work is NOT about bar-be-ques & vacations. Is it really that hard to get your butt up out of bed at 8AM drive to a local meet up place to run / walk the mileage of your choice to remember? Seriously people amaze me! I made it a family friendly event. 

The only requirements are 1. Wear Royal Blue to keep in context of the original group. 2. Listen to me read a list of names that I personally have a vested hero on as well as other names that may be turned in prior to the run. 3. Smile for a group picture for the Wear Blue to Remember  group to post to show how across the country people have not forgotten. I made it so simple yet even our own military families who currently have a spouse deployed can't seem to find time to take an hour of their day. The excuse of no babysitter doesn't fly with me either as you can bring the whole family & walk 1 mile.

I ask you to stop to remember as you sit at your computer screen the soldier who is far away from home. He is hungry because he has been on patrol for awhile & they don't  stop for breaks. He hasn't showered because he wanted to sleep instead. He may not have eaten because he chose to stand in line to call his wife,mom, dad, kids back home for a whole 20 minutes to hear their voice. For you to sit & tell me you can't get off your butt and take time out to remember that brother or sister who use to stand to the right or the left of those men- well yeah you just lost my respect on a lot of levels. Then you are going to post or invite everyone to a bar-b-que later?? I just don't understand how easily you forget September 11th & why these men said "I'll go, I'll take the bullet for you so you can stay at home safe".

Anyway that is my rant & I hope if you are looking for an easy FREE way to honor our men & women on Memorial Day you too will set up a Walk / Run to remember in your community or go join one that someone may have already started. It's not about us on that day folks it's about them & even my husband who is still gone. He may come home soon but until his boots are on the ground we will never know he is safe. 

Go here to see my list of who I pledged my miles for on Memorial Day : Page of Remembrance


** EDIT** A friend made a good point not everybody is on facebook- Yelm, WA Memorial Day 2012 at 8:15 AM the names of the Fallen will be read at the Yelm / Tenino Trailhead. Then you walk or run however many miles you pledged. We are up to 128 Miles Pledged from the Yelm Community- so exciting & thankful.

 

Paying our Respects

By the time this Blog posts we should be in Spokane,WA to pay our Respects to Fallen Hero SFC Clifford Beattie. He was a great father ,son,& friend. He loved to make you laugh & tried everything in his power to make it happen often. I put together a short video tribute so his children can watch it anytime they want to remember his big personality & smile. We will miss you Cliff but we know you are watching over us now & we will see you again one day my friend.

          

                       

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 

Welcome Home Cliff:arrival at Spokane, WA 

Bar-b-Ques & Memories

Over the past weekend on Saturday we planned our first & last lake day with my whole family of the summer. In Washington summer doesn't really start until July when it finally warms up. But being as I am from the south it officially started this weekend for me & my family. We planned awhile back to combine my second son's birthday with a cookout for my husband. Both had me invite their close friends to enjoy a delicious day of food cooked by a good friend & fishing on our lake. The weather on Friday had me more then a little worried that we where going to be soaking wet all day Saturday. Thank goodness for answered prayers! It was a little overcast & cool but no rain in sight!

 We kicked off around noon & before the after noon was over had about thirty people kids including running around having fun. It was a great time to relax after a long stressful week. We ate smoked ribeye & hamburgers . The kids took turns going out on the boat & fishing from the shore. A few fish where caught ,cooked & deemed not very tasty. I know it is a day that Paul can look back on in a few months when he is deployed & remember with happiness. A day that my boys can remember as a fun time spent with their dad before he deploys for a year. It was all about family, friends, & creating new memories for him to take with him on his deployment. I couldn't think of a better way to spend our Saturday.

 

My husband getting some of the boys out in the boat

 

Jacob with his first Trout of summer

 

Our chef Jerry did an amazing job

Sunday we headed out to Jerry & his wife Tiffany's home for another cookout. We had some amazing pulled pork sandwiches to eat while sitting at a bon-fire . It was another great evening spent with good friends filled with laughter. Jerry had worked really hard on a special shadow box filled with two Flies he tyed for Paul. They both have some significant meaning but for the life of me I can't remember all the details they both told me. I just know Paul loved his gift!

 

Monday we woke up relaxed & ready to honor our fallen in remembrance.I talked with the boys all about Memorial Day again & why we have it off from school or work. We watched a few shows on the History Channel that went along with Memorial Day. Then as I drove to the airport to pick up a friend I made a stop on Fort Lewis at the 4th Brigade "Raiders" memorial garden. The wall holds names that are dear & near to my heart. I wanted to stop & take a moment to remember our Fallen friends. I snapped a quick picture as a few flowers had been laid out for the day. It was the best choice I made all day to stop & remember.

 

Each name of the 16 Heroes that we lost during our deployment from 2007/08 is engraved on the marble wall. It brought a lump to my throat as I walked up & the first name I noticed was Coop's. I remembered how he made me laugh everytime I was lucky enough to be around him. I touched his engraved name & remembered. I think that is all he & their families ask of us each day, to not forget the sacrifice. I truly hope that my sons will always know the true meaning of Memorial day & choose to Honor our Fallen on their special day.