MEMORIAL PARK...

along the familiar three mile trail of memorial park:

i've walked as a guest in houston while we were here for summer internships and as a resident of houston.

i've walked a dog, worn a baby carrier, pushed a single stroller, and a double stroller.

i've held my husband's hand and i've held tiny hands while pushing an empty stroller.

i've worn short-sleeves, sweatshirts, shorts, long pants, tennis shoes, and headphones along the way.

i've walked with friends who are single, newly engaged, newly married, and in seasoned marriages.

i've walked with friends who just lost a parent, recently lost a baby, and friends and their babies.

i've bumped into old friends i hadn't seen in years and had conversations with strangers.

i've listened to songs and podcasts, had phone conversations, in-person conversations, and prayed.

i've had days i didn't feel like i could finish three miles and days i went around the loop multiple times.

i've attended picnics, playdates, field trips, holiday parties, and class parties.

i've people watched, dog watched, golfball watched, bird watched, and traffic watched.

i've snapped pictures for random people along way and had our family pictures taken by lisa woods.

i've eaten ahi tuna sandwiches at beck's and ordered smoothies from smoothie king.

i've passed out so many snacks and handed out countless books to the stroller occupants.

i've flown paper airplanes, pushed kids on swings, and watched them on the slides.

i'd logged hundreds of miles around this park. but it wasn't until evan began work at his new office last year that i first noticed the clear view of his building. as i come around one of the corners on the trail i now smile with God each time this tower comes into sight. like a beacon among the clouds. and i am reminded that familiar and unknown, past and future, all my steps and all my days, are intricately woven together and known by Him.

EMBRACE THE CAMERA, 13.1 EDITION...

on 11-13-11 i walked the san antonio half-marathon.

12 weeks of training led to 13.1 miles walked in 3 hours and 18 minutes.

i consistently walked 15 minute miles the entire race and

i finished the day on cloud nine thinking i got my best time ever.

when we got home and i made the mistake of searching for past race results.

i found out i was six minutes faster in 2006,

when i walked the austin half-marathon with my bestie.

somehow we pulled off 14 1/2 minute miles

while walking over black ice that covered the streets that cold february day.

considering my actual best time was:

five years, two babies, and a hundred pounds i've gained and lost ago

i decided to still be quite excited about the most current results.

i loved lacing up my tennis shoes again for longer distances and walking for a great cause.

i wish i could have told all the people camped out along the way

thank you for the encouragement and entertainment they provided.

my favorite signs of the day was a kid in a lawn chair holding a poster board that read,
"worst parade ever," while his mom stood next to him with one that said,
"move faster, my arms are getting tired."

my favorite cheering squad was my own personal one.

it's amazing what a burst of energy was provided by seeing their smiles.

somewhere along the route,

my avett brothers and head and the heart playlist was interrupted

by a bebo norman song that began to play over my headphones. 

the words to it couldn't have been more perfect for the day's events...

"Walk down this mountain with your heart held high.
Follow in the footsteps of your maker.

With this love that's gone before you and these people at your side,

if you offer up your broken cup, you will taste the meaning of this life.

It's a common ground and I see you're all still standing,
but just look around and you'll find the very face of God. 

He's walking down into the distance,

He's walking down to where the masses are.

We're standing in a place of peace, and this is how the world should be.
So walk down the mountain with your heart held high."
(Walk down this Mountain by Bebo Norman)

(more embracing at the andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com)

PART 3 OF THE 3 DAY...

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH
our 3rd and final day of the walk!




5:15 AM
we start the day with big good morning smiles from the camping/walking rats!











5:30 AM
we chow down our breakfast,










6:00 AM
then pack up all our gear, tear down camp,










7:00 AM
and hit the trail for the last time.
today's route covers the least number of miles over the 3 days.










2.3 MILES
pit stop 1











4.2 MILES
pit stop 2












4.9 MILES
cheering station love from evan, abbe, michael, and avery! the cuteness of the dinosaur hat avery is wearing is enough to entertain me for a few miles down the road.









6.9 MILES
grab and go











9.7 MILES
for today's lunch we got to live it up! emili (sunni and tiffani's third sister) and her boyfriend jaime brought us taco bueno. i didn't finish all of mine before leaving so i now have a bean burrito in my pack for later. nice.









13.0 MILES
pit stop 3











after eating the rest of my burrito i also refueled with a smuckers uncrustable. these things are so good. i am going to miss being able to justify eating so many snacks, especially these.











14.4 MILES
cheering station













15.4 MILES
pit stop 4









i wait at pit stop 4 for the rest of my team to arrive so we can walk the last miles together. my feet are in rough shape and i am thankful to have a few minutes to get them patched up before we continue.









team "marlene's girls" walks the final miles of our journey altogether. almost 58 miles into our trip some things are still the same- we are still walking and laughing together, but some things are different- mainly we now know how to stretch!









17.9 MILES
it feels absolutely incredible to walk across the finish line! we are ushered through a line to get our finisher t-shirt then told to wait in the holding area until we line up for closing ceremonies.







18.1 MILES
all walk participants are now wearing matching finisher shirts. the crew members' shirts are gray, the walkers' shirts are white, and the breast cancer survivors are wearing pink. it is absolutely amazing how many survivors completed this 3-day journey. i am powerfully reminded once again of this walk's purpose.







4:30 PM
we line up in rows of 10 and walk with our arms linked from the holding area to smu's campus for closing ceremony. i heard 3 days ago that more than 3000 people were doing this walk, but not until now does it set in how many of us there really are. the streets are completely filled with row after row of walkers joining together for the common goal of ending breast cancer.







we enter a beautiful grassy section of the dallas hall quad on smu campus. the middle area is roped off to smaller sections around a flagpole. outside this roped off area the lawn is already completely full with supporters who are here for the ceremony. they cheer wildly as we walk in and take our places in the outside circle on the quad. next the crew members walk in and take their place in the middle circle. we walkers take off a shoe and raise it to the crew members who have served us meals, filled our drink bottles, helped set up camp, bandaged us, and so much more.





finally the survivors enter the field and fill the inside circle of the area. we can not raise our shoes high enough or clap loudly enough to celebrate them! opening ceremonies were touching, but closing ceremonies are even more powerful. we have spent 3 days walking among others with a common goal. it is incredible to now all be squeezed together in this place united to end breast cancer as well as celebrate life.



the flags that have been carried all week are now raised and flown from the center of the circle as well as along the stage. the speaker gets up and announces the grand total that was raised by this 3-day... 7.9 million dollars! that money is used for breast cancer research, treatment, education, and prevention. i am overwhlemed to be a part of something so powerful.







thank you team for making these 3 days so memorable. i'm so thankful i got to be on this journey next to each of you. i will always remember these 3 days together while wearing bows and moleskin, eating uncrustables, and encouraing one another.











thank you to my family and friends for being so supportive of me doing this event and this cause. i couldn't have done it without your love, cheers, cards, babysitting, and donations.











thank you to the very special women in our lives who are the reasons we walked. your lives impacted us in such incredible ways. we love you annette, carol, doreen, frances, gan-gan, jeani, kristi, marlene, roseann, sue, susan and many, many more.










there's so much more i could say about this experience. i haven't even mentioned the shirts that would normally be crude in any other setting but kept us laughing for 3 days straight, the amazing people pushing wheelchairs for 60 miles in honor of loved ones that can no longer walk, the signs that i read day after day that will forever remind me to do what i can to prevent breast cancer in my own lives and for others, and there is still so much more.

PART 2 OF THE 3 DAY...

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
we wake up feeling sore but surprisingly we really are ready to do it again!
i am very thankful to be feeling refreshed for day 2.




6:00 AM
breakfast of bacon, biscuits, oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, and fruit.










7:00 AM
we start the morning journey.










3.3 MILES
as we arrive at pit stop 1 there is a boy passing out doughnuts and thanking us for walking for his mom. we are constantly getting powerful reminders of why we are walking.








4.2 MILES
we get to a cheering station in carrollton. in the parking lot this face is waiting to cheer me on. it is the first time i have seen her and evan in 2 days and i am so excited to stop and hug them. her grinning face as i approached was priceless.










mom and dad and leah and casen also came to cheer for us. seeing these familiar faces means more than i can say. the only hard part is i wish i could stop and just chat with them all day. dad gives our team some stretching pointers then we eventually continue on our way.








6.5 MILES
pit stop 2



9.5 MILES
grab and go







11.2 MILES
we eat a picnic lunch in a grassy field. today's menu consists of pineapple chicken wraps, grapes, pasta salad, and a cookie. while we eat an awesome dj plays excellent 80's tunes.









13.4 MILES
more smiling faces i love are at this cheering station. i get to see evan, adelaide, mom, and dad again plus sara kate and ashley too!









as i am walking i hear someone saying "annalee" up ahead. my friend lissie lives in dallas and she found me along today's path. she walks a mile with me in her jeans!










14.2 MILES
pit stop 3










17.1 MILES
at this pit stop i take advantage of trained medics who know what they are doing. i can feel the blisters that have formed in between my toes. i know we are getting close to camp but i don't think i can wait any longer to treat the blisters. the trainer pops 1 of them then carefully bandages it and a couple of others so i can finish today's miles.








20.0 MILES
as i leave the grab and go station at 2o miles i see this surprise ahead of me!









20. 7 MILES
back at camp i shower and use the makeshift facilities again.









tonight at dinner my friend katie from college joins us! she is a marathoner and says she is exhausted from this event and she thinks the 3-day is very challenging. that makes me feel better for being so worn out!






after dinner our team explores the rest of the campsite. if you take note of my outfit it becomes quite evident that during the 3-day you are in another world where you suddenly lose all fashion consciousness. i am now wearing a pack by day and capris with fuzzy socks and crocs by night, wow. we visit the "3-day cafe" where there are webcams to visit with family back at home, tvs, magazines, recliners, and late night snacks. we also go to the camp store to look for souvies, then to the camp post office. at the post office you can mail out camp postcards and pick up cards people sent you in advance. i am blown away with the kindness of the cards i received. then we visit the white remembrance tents where people have written extremely touching stories of loved ones who battled breast cancer.





it's now 9pm which means lights out at the camp. it's our last night to sleep in the pink tents and strangely enough i think i will miss it a little. we decorated with battery operated christmas lights and paper lanterns so we could find our tents in the dark and they now seem almost cozy. well, as cozy as it can be in 40 degree weather.








then again maybe the cozy factor comes from the candle sarah beth brought for our tent. we feel like martha washington and betsy ross blowing out a candle before we go to bed.
2 days down, 1 to go!