Well we are finally at 8.5 months and had quite the wonderful weekend! On Saturday afternoon we headed up to Wisconsin for Nick to run his second full marathon and spend some time with the family. We stopped at Lambeau Field to pick up Nick's packet and then Jennifer cooked some delicious homemade Chicken Alfredo so Nick (well all of us) could carb load before the big day!
Race day has been filled with a lot of emotion for quite some time now. As I said previously, Nick's mother, Valerie passed away on May 20th, 2011. So he knew this race would be exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally, but he was ready for it.
Unfortunately, due to the heat the race officials called the race! So Nick never got to finish! He was running incredibly strong up until he was forced to stop (mile 18.71) but he is still determined to do another one - of course! We were all very proud of him and the beer definitely cheered him up at the end! Here is a look at the rest of our weekend.
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| Top Right: Running in the marathon with a big grin on his face! Middle Right: I wrote on Nick's leg so people could cheer him on as he ran along. The other leg said "This Race is for You Mom - May 20th, 2011" Bottom Right: Stopping at Mile 18. At this point he knew they stopped the clocks, but he was determined to keep running! Middle: Celebrating with some well deserved cold beers. At least this cheered him up after having to stop early! Top Left: Running along in the race right before they pulled him off. Bottom Right: Stretching out after being pulled off the course. |
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| Left: This was right before Nick had to stop the race. He wasn't planning on stopping here, but such is life! Right: Our amazing family! We chased him along throughout the morning so he had lots of support (Scott, Me, Nick, Mykah, Stephanie, Jennifer, Gracie, and Madilyn). Not Pictured: Duane Olson. Yes, Duane, Nick's good running friend, drove all the way out to support Nick and cheer him on. Unfortunately, due to all the traffic and them calling the race early, Duane never actually got to see Nickolas run! But he stayed with us afterward for some drinks, food, and fun! |
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| When we got back from the Marathon Grace wanted to send another letter to heaven for mom. She sent a balloon and letter to Heaven on her birthday as well, so I think she has a forever tradition started that will always have a wonderful meaning behind it. Since we were all there we all wrote her a message. The weather was absolutely perfect and as soon as Gracie released it, it soared high into the sky. I am sure she loved getting our messages and seeing us all together. We miss her a lot, especially on days like today, but it is always reassuring to know she is looking over all of us. |
Thank you to all of you who were sending prayers to the family, Nick, and Valerie throughout the weekend and throughout this year. It is so reassuring to hear that people are still praying for Valerie, Gracie, and the family. It has been quite the year, but we have been blessed with A LOT of amazing things this year and we know that Val is just continuing to bless and support us day in and day out.
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