Ever swim with Whales??

Last week was a new adventure. Earlier this year a few friends that I work with made plans to travel to Canada for a fishing trip in September. It would be perfect, cool temperatures, remote wilderness, and tons of silver salmon! The perfect “man” trip! Little did I know when I made these plans that I would be right smack in the middle of intense Ironman training.

With the plane tickets booked already, there was no way of backing out of this trip. In addition, I REALLY wanted to go fishing so off to Canada we go. My trip started early on Sunday morning. Up to Portland, then to Vancouver, B.C., then a short plane ride to Campbell River. From Campbell river we had a 2 and a half hour drive up and over a mountain, literally. The road was dirt most of the way. Around 9:30pm that night we finally made it to Tahsis, our new home away from home.

Fishing started early as it usually does so no room for training before heading out on the water. The scenery was incredible! Fishing was a little slow, but we were catching enough fish to keep a smile on my face. Water temperature was 58 degrees, plenty warm for a swim with a wetsuit. Around noon I decided that I should probably slip on my wetsuit and go for a little open water swim. We were trolling in a remote bay that had timber right down to the waters edge. My plan was to swim back and forth from one side of the bay to the other, about a 200 yard lap. Then something crazy happened. As I was planning my swim and exactly where I would be swimming a huge whale came barreling out of the water, EXACTLY WHERE I WAS GOING TO BE SWIMMING! After seeing this enormous creature hogging my “lane” I decided against any open water swimming as you can imagine. I was a little bummed because I really wanted to use my new Aqua Sphere wetsuit but it just wasn’t meant to be. Can you imagine swimming and having a giant whale swim by? Or better yet, bump into you! That’s just crazy talk!

After fishing 10 hours we made our way back to Tahsis. We cleaned the boat, cleaned the fish and headed to the cabin. The sun was setting and I knew if I was going to run, I would have to do it right now. I was tired, hungry and I’ll be honest, running was the last thing I wanted to do. I ate a few PowerGels to give me a little pick me up and laced up the shoes. Man was I sluggish. It seemed like I wasn’t really running, but more of a speed walk. I went a few miles and looked at my pace, it was official snail pace. The challenge is my heart rate was as high as it is when I do intervals. Not a good combo. I ran up the road we came in on 4 miles before realizing I had to run back down this same road to make it back home and it was almost dark. The streets were lined with brush and trees. The sky was barely visible in the thick canopy of trees. As I made my way back it seemed like a tunnel was formed and it was closing in with darkness. Needless to say my pace picked up a bit since I didn’t want to get eaten by a bear. Once I made it back to the house I was glad to be home, but very glad that I pushed through the workout.

The next day we had a great day of fishing. If you ever have the chance to catch silvers, these fish are amazing. Fishing was so good that we didn’t make it back to the dock until it was dark. Same situation as the day before, tired, hungry and knowing that I needed to run. I quickly did my chores and laced up my shoes again. This time I didn’t venture outside of the little village but did 2 mile loops. My pace an heart rate were much better this night. I think it was because fishing was so good!

The next day was our last day and I knew if I was going to get a run in that it would have to be before we got on the boat. The only challenge with this was I was already getting to bed late and my two friends (and I) wanted to get an extra early start back on the water because we didn’t have a lot of time before we had to leave and our optimism towards the amount of fish we were going to catch was high. The next morning came fast and once again I found myself running the 2 mile loop through the village. As I ran I realized that not a soul was awake which was kind of cool. I got my run in and quickly got ready for some more fishing.

Unfortunately we had slow day and like that we were making our way back over the mountain to Campbell River. Sleep came quickly that night.

The next day was a full day of travel. I made it to Boise around 5:30 and was greeted by smiles from my kids and wife. I love it when they get to pick me up from the airport. Unfortunately as soon as I got home, I knew I had to get on the bike. It had been 5 days since I last rode and the countdown to Kona is not slowing down. I was on the trainer by 6:30pm and rode the first 60 miles of the Kona course. 3 hours total ride time. It felt good to be back in the saddle and I had a special little training partner for part of the ride.

The next morning I rode another 30 miles of high cadence spinning in the early morning then headed to pool. No fear of giant whales or sea creatures at the YMCA. I swam surprisingly good. I have to imagine the rest was good for me. I then went into the office for a few hours before heading home for my long run. I ended up going 20.5 miles and it was a little tough. I was pretty tired from the previous workouts and the travel but got the long run in which is always nice. That night Andrea and I went to Les Mis with some friends. It was good, but a little long. 3 hours with it ending at 11pm is way past my bedtime. It was nice to spend the evening with Andrea though.

The next morning came quickly once again and before I knew it I was back in the pool. I swam the full Ironman distance straight. Swim time was 1 hour 17 minutes. Swimming is not my strongest of the 3 disciplines but it’s still fun to do. After my swim I was back on my bike only this time it was outside. The air was filled with smoke from the surrounding forest fires in the Boise area but it didn’t seem to bother me too much. I rode 92 miles and called it a day. By the time I finished it was 4:00pm and I really wanted to spend some time with my family.

This week was a good example of just how patient and supportive that Andrea is. I felt guilty each time I had to hit the road to train instead of being with her and the kids. Each time though she always showed me her support and encouraged me to keep going. I don’t take this lightly and recognize that her sacrifice to make this possible is just as big or bigger than the sacrifice an athlete takes to train for an Ironman. Such a key component!

For the week I swam 7400 yards, biked 182 miles and ran 41.5 miles. Not as much mileage as I’ve had the last few weeks, but I had to dig as deep as I’ve ever had to this week to get it done. In the end though, it will all be worth it if I can cross the finish line in Kona for my precious ORPHANS WITH DOWN SYNDROME!!

1st Annual Race for Maggie

A few months ago I posted to my blog about our idea to organize a race to raise funding and awareness for Maggie, our current RODS orphan.  Today that idea became a reality!

The day started with a 4:15AM alarm clock welcoming Andrea and I to the days activities.  After a 12:15AM bedtime for us because of a very fun trip to McCall with some work associates, we were both a little slow to “rise and shine”.  Luckily the thoughts and excitement of getting to see the race come to fruition helped boost the energy level. 

 

Bear Creek Park was chilly and the grass was still wet from the dew that would surely dissipate once Mr. Sun came out to play.  Setup went well.  It was fun to see the headlamps of the volunteers busily working like an active beehive, paying special attention to every detail. 

Before we knew it, racers started showing up and registration packets were being handed out left and right.  The Half Marathon started at 7:00am sharp.  One thing I quickly noted was the energy and anticipation that the racers brought.  I love that about racing! 

After the Half Marathoners took off we started working on registering all of our 10k participants.  Our volunteers did a great job!  Organization was good and the many hours of planning were paying off.  The other welcome sight was the warm sun who was now happily shining down on everybody.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather today! 

Our second countdown of the day was now upon us as the 10k racers toed the line.  Off they went!  Once again, the competitive look in many of their eyes and that energy was ever present.  This was fun! 

Participants for the 5k were already arriving and pinning their race numbers to their shirts.  This being my first race to organize I was a little nervous.  Having Angela Redding and Matthew Hansen as part of the Race Planning Committee really lightened the load and gave me peace of mind.  They are great! We had 2 races going on and 1 more to get started before racers would be expected at the finish line.  So far so good. 

 

 

The 5k was our largest group to race by far.  The diversity in this group was inspirational to say the least.  There were very serious runners and others who I wouldn’t consider serious runners but definitely serious advocates of Orphans with Down Syndrome.  It was a sight to see watching them all take off running and knowing that each of them were playing a part in helping Maggie find a home.  As they made their way through the course I thought to myself, “I can’t wait to see how much this will grow for next year!” 

 

About an hour and a half after we started the Half, our first finisher came cruising in to the finish.  That was the first of many high fives I got to give to each of the finishers.  It’s fun to race, but it’s also a lot of fun to get to see each of the finishers cross the prize line with big smiles on their faces and a look of accomplishment in their eyes. 

 

 

 

 

One by one the racers came in and crossed that finish line.  Volunteers were busy recording times, handing out waters and making sure everybody was doing well.  It’s a great reminder to remember the power that comes when a group of people come together for a common cause.  There is only so much that any one person can accomplish on their own.  Together, on the other hand, we shall conquer!

 

As the final 5k racers finished we prepped for the grand finale, the kids fun run!  We also prepped for our special visitor for the kids fun run, HANS!!!  A few weeks ago, a close friend of mine came up with an idea.  He asked if he could dress up as HANS, an “elite” athlete equipped with giant muscles and of course a European accent to go along with those muscles.  We introduced HANS when all the kids were lined up and told them that for everyone who beat HANS in the race, a donation would be made for Maggie.  The kids loved it!  Off they went chasing down the European giant.  Luckily, in the final stretch HANS took a spill on the grass and each of the kids passed him by!  It was great! 

 

 

 

 

On a personal note, I got to watch my little princess Brynlee run the race.  She made Dad so proud!  She didn’t hold anything back and finished very strong.  I could see the look in her eye that I feel when I come down the stretch towards the finish line, heart pounding out of my chest, having just pushed myself to the absolute limit.  I kneeled down just past the finish line as she sprinted across right into my arms.  I picked her up and she gave me a huge sweaty bear hug.  I could tell that she had pushed hard for Maggie and I was so proud.  She has that fire in her.  I hope to get to race many races with my kids in the future.

 

Everyone was so supportive of our efforts for the race.  Those words of encouragement go a long way when you put take the plunge to put these events together not knowing how it will turn out.  I am also thankful for all the help taking down.  We were all a little tired, but once again, many hands make for quick work! 

As a closing note, it looks like about $2,000 will be able to be donated to Maggie after all race expenses are paid.  This is one of the main reasons why we do this.  The other is to create awareness for the circumstances our little orphans are facing.  After today, we know that at least 200 more individuals are aware of Maggie and the hundreds of others who are in orphanages and mental institutions.  It will become very real for us all when we organize a race and have one of the orphans we raced for in years past there to welcome the racers cross the finish line.  What a day that will be!

 

An Experience I Won't Soon Forget...

Recently while training for the Ironman World Championship I had a great experience. I started the day leaving my house at 5am for a 112 mile ride with my good friend Derek Morris. It was pitch black when we left and I was reminded of what it was like training earlier this spring when the temps were still cold in the morning. That cold air was back in full force.

We rode for about an hour and a half before we started to see the familiar sunrise sneaking over the horizon. What a welcome sight! The ride was going well, but I found myself more hungry than normal. Luckily I had packed extra nutrition this go around because I knew the small town we were going to fill up our water bottles at may not have what I like to use. The chocolate peanut butter Powerbar I had early was a welcome sight followed by a green apple Powergel hit the spot.

We followed the Snake River for much of our ride. The wind was a non factor and the morning sun was very nice. It's nice getting to ride with someone who is a good rider. It helps keep the pace where it should be as well as makes the miles fly by.

Around 65 miles in I was feeling good, but I could feel this weeks workouts catching up to me. My long rides typically take place on a Saturday which means I had an entire weeks worth of miles under me. Derek got a second wind and pulled ahead around mile 90. Not wanting to lag behind I picked up the pace as well. We finished strong. Final stats were 112 miles biked, 132 average heart rate, 196 avg watts, 91 avg cadence, 19.9 mph avg.

Upon making it back home I went and put my running shoes on to finish up my workout. I knew I needed 5.5 miles to reach my weekly goal of 40 miles ran. I took off from my house and there was nothing left in my legs. It was a little frustrating because I had completed 2 century rides the previous 2 weeks and had great runs afterwards. I ran maybe a quarter mile and decided I needed to head back. I took a turn down a street that would have circled back to my house. At the moment when I needed to turn right to my front door step, I felt like I needed to go left and keep going. One mile I told myself, just one mile. I grinded through that mile and instead of turning back I told myself, just go to the end of the street, then we'll head for home. The end of the street came and went and I kept going. I had two more Powergels, one tangerine and one green apple and started to feel my legs coming back to me. My pace picked up and I continued on. Right about this moment the song "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me came on my IPOD. Not my normal running music, but I liked the change. I remembered back to last November when Andrea and I first found Reece's Rainbow. We actually made a video about our desire to help these children with "I can only imagine" as the theme song. You can watch that video HERE.

I felt a huge sense of gratitude come over me that I get to be out on the road at that time battling through this wall because ultimately I was getting to do it for the kids.

I looked down at my watch and saw mile 4 just turned into mile 5. What originally was "I can't even run a mile" has now turned into 5. This was not something I did on my own, it was because of the cause that I get to race for. I've learned this through experience. If I was training for Kona for my own purposes, I would have turned back long ago. Because I get to race for these kids, it allows me to take the selfish side out of it and focus on them. In the end, it makes me a better triathlete.

My pace was the fastest it had been on the entire run. My legs felt great and my confidence to toe the line in Kona was never higher. It was the kids that made this possible. It was these orphans with Down syndrome that gave me the opportunity to get to do this. I'm normally a pretty low key individual with emotions rarely on the surface. This moment was different. Tears streamed down my face thinking about just how lucky I am to get to swim, bike and run these kids to their forever families.

The week ended strong. 7,750 yards swam, 194 miles biked, 41.3 miles ran for Orphans with Down Syndrome.

What a Week!

We spent the week in Utah.  I had to work in our Utah offices so I decided it would be great to have my family come along.  Andrea could spend time with our extended family and we could spend time together in the evenings.  It worked out great! 

One huge piece of news from the week is one of our dear little RODS Orphan Megan has a new picture.  Megan is one of the original children that Andrea and I chose to fund raise for when we first found Reece's Rainbow last November.  Megan currently has $24,055 in her adoption account and is soooo ready for a family to commit to her.  Here's the original picture of Megan when we chose her.

After a month or so of fundraising, Megan got a new profile picture.  Here it is:

Then just recently we have this one of her!  How awesome is that!

As you can see, she is getting excited to meet her new family!

Another great experience we had this week came just yesterday.  First thing Friday morning we received a call from Andrea's Grandma and Grandpa Allen.  They live in Brigham City and invited our family to attend the Brigham City Temple open house.  We didn't think we were going to be able to attend this because it actually doesn't open to the public until the 18th and we would be home by then.  Because they had been volunteering leading up to the open house, they allowed all of the volunteers families to come see the temple today.  Awesome!

Before I go into our experience, here is a 3 minute video that explains why I feel that the temple is such a special place.

There are 130 LDS temples throughout the world.  Each time that a temple is built, there are a few weeks that the temple is open to the public to tour.  This is an opportunity for anyone to visit and see what the inside of a temple looks like and learn about what takes place there.

As Andrea and I and our three children entered the temple I felt a peace come over me.  It had been a crazy day so far.  I got up early, rode 100 miles, then had to hurry and pack so we could make our way back to Boise.  Those feelings of "hurry up" left me and I began to recognize just how blessed I am.  We made our way to each room as the tour guide explained what each room was for.  This particular temple has 3 different levels or stories.  As we progressed upward, that special spirit began to grow.  Our children grew more calm and my gratitude became even more present.  The tour ended in a beautiful room that is called the Celestial Room.  We sat down for a few minutes as a family.  I looked at each one of my children and my beautiful wife.  Nash was sitting on my lap.  We kept making eye contact and smiling speaking to each other without using words.  I consider those few moments among my most cherished moments of my life. 

Andrea and I were married in the Logan Temple in June of 2002.  Another word used for "married" that Mormon's commonly use is "Sealed".  The word sealed is used to better describe our belief that when a man and woman are married in the temple, this unity does not end at death, but is carried on forever.  In other words, we believe that families are eternal and can be together forever. 

In that moment when I was there with my family, I felt in my heart that this sacred promise is indeed true.  Families can be together forever.

After leaving the temple we saw Andrea's Grandma Beth working diligently to prepare all of the refreshments for those who just left the temple tour.  I'm very thankful for their service which in turn gave us the opportunity to enjoy this experience as a family.

1st Annual RODS Racing "Race for Maggie"

Since forming RODS Racing, we have been kicking around the idea of holding a race as a way to create awareness and funding for one of the children we are advocating for.  The task seemed daunting to say the least.  Then I had a great experience.

Early one morning at the beginning of the summer I was out running.  It was just getting light and as I was coming down Linder road.  I was surprised to see another runner coming up the road the other way.  Then I saw another.  After another few seconds more runners came.  There must have been 25 plus that morning running together.  As we passed I was inspired by this group.  You could tell they were all doing their best making their way up Linder hill and getting a good workout.  I wondered who had organized the group and what their plans were.  Then I saw my answer.  In the very back shouting words of encouragement I saw Angela Redding. 

Angela lives in my neighborhood and is infamous for "getting things done".  She has created a reputation that whenever somebody has a big project, they call on Angela for help.  I once participated in an "Amazing Race" throughout Boise with 15 other couples all organized by Angela.  Andrea and I once had an amazing evening along with a dozen other couples filled with Five Guys burgers and high speed Nascar go carts for the guys and a stretch limo, incredible hors d'oeuvres, and roses for the gals.  We all met up in the end for a live concert by Tyler Stenson all for a whopping cost of $30 a couple and all pulled off by Angela.  Remember the RODS Racing event with the Snow Shack, yep, the brainchild of Angela.  So when I saw this running group that morning I wasn't surprised to see it was organized by Angela. 

I spoke with her later that day and told her my idea about organizing a race for the RODS orphan.  She had actually organized a small race for the running group the year before that turned out amazing.  She thought about it a day or two and called me back ready to make this happen.  We've been working out the details this summer and are ready to roll! 

We're fortunate that this event will not only be a great fundraiser for Maggie, our current RODS Orphan, but it will also serve as the Eagle Scout project for two youth in our neighborhood, Matthew Hansen and Spencer Nelson.  We are lucky to have them helping us out. 

Our plan is get our feet wet this year and learn the ropes with all of the permits, etc that are required.  Our goal is to have 100-150 runners participate.  We'll be having a few different events that day, a 5k, 10k and Half Marathon as well as a 1 mile kids fun run.  We want to keep the registration fee as low as possible at $20 per person for the 5k, 10k, and Half and $5 per person for the kids fun run.  We also provide will provide race entries for the entire family for $50.  All of the 5k, 10k and Half participants will receive a RODS Racing shirt in their race packet. 

The event will be held on September 8th.  You can read more as well as register online by going to the RODS Racing website. 

All proceeds will be going towards the adoption costs of Maggie.  Sponsors will be huge in helping with the costs to make sure we can donate as much as possible to Maggie.  If you are interested in learning about the different levels of sponsorship available, please contact me.  You're company logo will be on the Race T as well as be given other advertising opportunities. 

Special thanks to everyone helping to make this a great first event!  We hope to see you there.

Potty Training, Ironman Training and Parent Training

First and foremost, I apologize for my tardiness in updating my blog.  My goal is to update it once a week which I will continue to shoot for.  The title of my post pretty much sums up the last few weeks.  It's been an adventure to say the least.

First off, Ironman training.  I started out the year going strong knowing that St. George was only a short 4 months away.  St. George came and went and then our big adventure with Kona Inspired came about.  I didn't slow down in my training and have kept at it 6 days a week since January.  I don't remember the last day that I didn't at least swim, bike or run except for Sundays.  Most days I do at least 2 disciplines and some days it's all 3.  This training has been rigorous to say the least.  Last week alone I trained 19 hours with my totals being: swimming 7800 yards, biking 184 miles and running 43 miles.  I've got my routine down pretty well now.  Bedtime is 9:30pm, I wake up at 4:30 and am out the door by 5:00.  It's getting lighter much later now so every morning I get to watch a complete sunrise which is a highlight.  Usually when I get on my bike that early my legs are tired from the previous days workout.  I'm kinda sleepy and wouldn't call myself "chipper" by any means.  I ride for 45 minutes or so with my headlamp then that ever faithful sun creeps over the mountain.  By the time I'm an hour plus into it I'm feeling good.  The endorphins kick in and my pace picks up.  That thought of "what in the heck am I doing this early in the morning" is replaced by "I'm glad I'm doing this, it feels great!"  I like to jump off my bike and go for a little jog.  The air is still crisp and the smell of fall is just around the corner.  My running route takes me through the edge of golden wheat fields and tall corn stalks.  This is soooo much better than running on a treadmill in the winter when theres snow on the ground.  I've grown to love the feeling of pushing myself.  Once my training for the morning is done, I'm meticulous about stretching and using the foam roller to roll out the aches and pains.  I've learned the hard way that you have to take the time to do this every single workout or I will get injured. 

All of this fun in the wee morning hours is something I do alone most of the time.  Not necessarily by choice, but I don't mind getting to go at it alone.  Last Saturday I did get to ride with my good friend Doug.  We left at 4:30am and rode 104 miles.  As I write that I shake my head because I realize how stupid that would have seemed to me a few years ago, but believe it or not, it was a lot of fun.

As I ride and run, I often times think of the kids we are racing for.  I've had Maggie on my mind a lot lately.  We don't know a lot about her except that she's been transferred to an institution.  We don't know how bad her circumstances are or what her health is like right now.  That goal of $15,000 can't come soon enough.  We're nearing $11,000 but still have some work to do.

Now onto the entertaining part, potty training.  We decided to potty train Nash and Ridge this week.  Day 1 started Monday with 30 pairs of "big boy undies".  By the time I got home from work at 5:30 we were down to 5.  I took over for 30 minutes while Andrea ran some errands.  There were 2 accidents.  I don't know how Andrea has the patience to endure this all day.  A full Ironman has nothing on the mental fortitude that she must face each day trying to get these boys to do their business in the potty.

The pinnacle came Tuesday night.  I had to run over to a families house in our neighborhood for a few minutes.  I left at 8:31pm and was back at 9:03.  In the span of 32 minutes all heck broke loose.  Nash had an accident (number 1) right after I left in the kitchen while he was eating some cereal.  He decided he would try and hide it by moving the kitchen stool over the mess.  In doing so he slipped in the wet mess and hit his head on the edge of the kitchen stool cutting open his eye.  Andrea comes in to find a bloody and wet mess of Nash laying on the floor.  It gets better.  Ridge heard the commotion and came running in to investigate.  Andrea had Nash over the sink trying to stop the bleeding so Ridge pulled the kitchen stool over to the sink and was standing on it checking out his bleeding brother.  Andrea looked over at Ridge and saw that he was peeing all over while watching Nash.  Andrea in a surprised voice told him he was peeing.  It surprises Ridge and he jumps off the stool and slips on his own pee, smacking his head on the ground.  So now she has two crying kids and two messes to clean up. 

Hold on, it gets better.  Andrea cleans the boys up and takes them up stairs to watch a show while she cleans up the mess downstairs.  While she's downstairs cleaning the mess she hears Nash say, "Oh no!"  She looks up the stairs to see Nash holding what we later find out is Ridge's pooh in his hand trying to help clean up his brothers recent mess.  I thought that was really cute even if it was kinda gross.  Andrea goes up stairs only to find Ridge did his number 2 business on the carpet in front of the TV and had it all over him.  Nash had it all over him from trying to help his brother out.  She then puts both of them in the tub and gets them all cleaned up.

Right about this time Brynlee and I came strolling through the door happy as clams after our little visit with the neighbors.  I go up stairs only to see the mess at the top of the stairs.  Then I see Nash's eye.  Then, in what seemed like the slow motion you see in the movies when someone doesn't dare turn to look at his sure death, I slowly turned to look at Andrea.  I was sure that she would have a look that would turn me to stone or cause me to go into convulsions or something horrible like that.  We made eye contact and she smiled.  The kind of smile that says, "you are never going to believe what just happened".  Hats off to her.  I honestly don't know how she is so patient.  Had this happened to me I would have called 911 and then crawled into the fetal position hoping the authorities arrived soon. 

So that brings me to my last training I'm experiencing and that is parent training.  The only bad thing about this training is it seems to be a "teach yourself as you go" type of training.  I've learned that there's not a manual because every kid would require their own 12 volume set because they are all different.  The crazy thing is what might work for one is the complete opposite for the other.  Don't let me fool you though, I love it.  I wouldn't trade being a parent to these 3 rug rats for anything and I know Andrea shares the same sentiments. 

We're having a great time watching the Olympics the last few days and we can't wait for the fair coming up.  Brynlee can't wait to see if Harley the Hog has gotten even fatter than last year.  I may need to take a break from counting calories the day we go though.  I'm not sure my "caloric intake" would approve of the 4 corn dogs and bag of cotton candy I'm going to have! 

Reece's Rainbow Reunion

Today Andrea and I made our way to Washington D.C. for the National Down Syndrome Conference.  Upon checking in at the hotel we both looked at each other and said, "we should have brought the kids."  There were lots of families in the lobby with lot's of kids and lot's a special little children with Down syndrome.  There are also many teens and adults attending the conference who have Down syndrome.  We felt right at home and enjoyed that special feeling that always comes when in the presence of those who have Down syndrome.

After dropping our bags off at our room we hurried out the  door to what I considered "The Main Event".  We were on our way to the Reece's Rainbow Family Reunion.  Upon arriving at the restaurant I began to meet many people I had become friends with on Facebook, but had never had the privilege of meeting.  It was there where I was privileged to finally meet Andrea Roberts.  It was great to get to visit with her.  She has a light in her eyes and a determination in her character that you immediately pick up on when talking with her.  It's hard to grasp just how much of an impact she has had on hundreds of children and families. 

After sitting down, we started to visit with many of the other family's in attendance.  Each of them had all of their children there, many of which had Down syndrome.  It was fun to visit and see that similar sparkle in each of their eyes that I saw in Andrea's.  After visiting for  a few minutes the conversations would turn to their children.  It was then that it really hit me.  Most of these children were adopted and essentially rescued from a life of much difficulty and trial.  They now have a Mom and Dad that love them dearly.  It's one thing to imagine these children with their loving parents, but it's very real when you see it first hand with your own eyes.  They are part of a family now with big brothers and sisters and someone who will tuck them in at night and read them bedtime stories.  Someone they can depend on. 

One story stood out the most to me.  An awesome family with 2 little girls with Down syndrome shared about their "gotcha" day for one of their girls.  They woke up that morning full of anticipation and excitement.  They decided that such a day should be celebrated so they planned to bring chocolate and other goodies to the orphanage to share with everyone.  The previous days when they would visit their little girl they felt that those at the orphanage were very cold and it was possible that they didn't necessarily have the children's best interest at heart.  Upon arriving at the orphanage, one of the workers brought their little girl into the waiting room dressed in only a diaper.  The worker handed them their girl and turned around and walked out.  That was it.  No good-byes, no hugs or tears.  They left the gifts on the table and left the orphanage, never looking back.  I can't help but think of the other children that are there right now enduring the circumstances.

Not everyones story was this way.  In fact, many parents spoke of the genuine care and love that many of the workers at the orphanage have for the children.   Nevertheless, nothing will take the place of a mom's touch in comforting her child.

After dinner I left feeling a strong feeling of gratitude.  Gratitude that I get to be a part of this.  Gratitude that I am Nash's father and that he is my son.  Gratitude for the progress that has been made and the many plans for the upcoming months and years of service on behalf of the children. 

It's going to be a great weekend!


Here's a picture I got to take with the one and only Reece!