Joy

(Apology to those who follow both Melanie's and my blog, the pics are the same because I took ZERO pictures)

There are those who seek joy and those that create it. My sister Melanie is the latter. We finished our half marathon last weekend. Melanie PR'd it. I LOVE'd it. I didn't even notice the first six miles. We just laughed and mocked and ran and walked. We drank Cytoplasm and ate sliced fruit from unwashed hands. We made it halfway without incident. 

This is us at the half-half:

Still happy, but getting tired. Time for Beans.

Beans, Beans - the magical fruit

the more you eat

the more you HOOT!

The more you high-five anything with a face or paw or hand

the better you feel

so let's have beans for every meal!!

I have carefully worked at building a caffeine-immunity over the years (just in case) but the same cannot be said for one Melanie Wellman. She couldn't have been crazier if she was drunk on being high. "How're ya doin'? How're ya doin'? How're ya doin'? How're ya doin'? How're ya doin'? I've had BEANS!!!!!!" For the next six and a half miles, Melanie (and sometimes myself out of peer pressure and the desire to not be left behind and mostly for a "drafting" effect, really) zig-zagged between the edges of the race high-fiving anything with some sort of an appendage. She smacked hands, posters, cups, little infant hands, faces, dog paws and police officers. She leapt, she twirled, she dodged. She pushed people from behind while shouting her mantra "We can do hard things! Come on!" By the time we made it to the end, my Nike+ said we had gone 15.5 miles instead of the 13.1 we set out for. Seriously. I would have died right there but it seemed like a lot of work. She, on the other hand, began to run around with complimentary bananas sticking out of her ears.

Because of the spectacle, we were easily able to find the rest of our crew all of whom had finished before us (of course, they only went 13.1 miles... I'm just sayin'). Sara came all the way from Hawaii to run with us and then flew right back. How's that for love? I feel I have no choice but to return the favor (minus any running) and will do so next week. (Swine flu cancelled our cruise). Jeff and Jamey came and ran it, too. Jamey might have won - i can't remember. he was very fast. I still can't believe this happened. When I get my flux-capacitor fixed, I'm going back about 10 years to tell us all that we're doing this so I can watch us laugh and laugh. I felt much love. I wish I could be with all of my family and friends every day. That truly is heaven.

Jeff Wellman, Self, Mel, Sara Bosler, Little Jaymee and Big Jamey.

Lexi couldn't run because she fractured her ankle training. (We'll do another one another time.)But she came to cheer and laugh at us. Mom came out because she wanted to cheer us on and also because she can't resist a hotel room - she says they're "sexy". In fact, she paid for the rooms. Everyone pitched in so much and helped make this possible. I am extremely humbled. We raised over $4,000 for Team in Training. I'm sure that it's the lucky dollars that will pay for a CURE!!

Special thanks to all who donated:

Rob and Kathy Frazier 

Lisa Adams Bohne 

Jason and Jennifer Knight 

Canyon Springs Dental 

Ruth Butler 

PETER KING 

Lori Nally 

Jodi Gilray 

Mike & Emily Crowton 

Tyson Price 

Cliff & Eileen Henkel 

Ted LeNeave 

Cal Darrow 

The Cima Family 

Alan & Nancy Dickson 

Maegen Martineau 

Jeremy & Sara White 

Brittany Atkinson 

Harmon and Lindsey Tobler 

SPencer and Louise Price 

Apryl Munoz 

Emily McLean 

Christine Holland 

Annette Miller 

suzanne marchesano 

Sara Pack 

Rod & Kandace 

Keri Peterson 

Brent Stoddard 

Marianne Husted 

Sherrie Burt 

Morrow Family 

Emily Price 

Karen Wellman 

Laura Wellman 

Vivian Gardner 

Rita Mueller 

Katie Price 

Karen & Collins Petitt 

Megan Bird 

Jessica Mandile 

Jennifer Crotts 

Shaunna Leavitt 

Dondra Norton 

Barb Jensen 

Stacia Dorny 

heather ives 

Missy 

Jennifer Hoy 

Angela Cowden 

Pamela Caudill 

Lisa Brennan 

Michele Boyer 

Kristy Munoz 

Teresa Watson 

Tamara Wyatt 

Toni Huskey 

Heidi & Sean Bishop 

Andrea Stroud 

The Noorlander Family 

Christy Hiniker 

Summer Haught 

NAtalie Kidd 

April Leonard 

April Allen 

Troy Slaugh 

CRISTA LENEAVE 

Sam Buntin 

Leslie Moon 

Jill Bryce 

Lisa Hardin 

Kathy Nevin 

Chrysta Wellman 

Tamara Gordon 

Cheryl Wellman 

jennette farley 

Amie Haroldsen 

Kristine Barkdull 

Shirlene D. Burt 

Dahlene Mullins 

Amy Waite 

Tiffany Jones 

Suzi Williams 

There are people on that list that we have never met. There are people on that list who don't have an extra dollar but donated anyway. There are people whom I haven't seen since high school. I can't think about it without feeling like I'm going to burst. Thank you. Thank you. I have never felt so loved in all my life.