Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Race for a Cure

Hello dearest Bleaders...I can hardly believe April is literally right around the corner!!  Like, tomorrow even!  Holy schmoly! 

April around our house is insane!  Completely and utterly insane.  Let me just list off a few things for you... 3 baby birthdays (that I can recall right now), 3 anniversaries (including J's and mine - #7 baby!), 4th Avenue Street Fair (it's this really cool event in Tucson where they shut down 4th Avenue and a whole bunch of small vendors set up in the street with art, food, whatever, and we walk up and down the street buying and eating until our wallets are empty, and watching the crazies come out - I kid you not!), J's annual camping trip with about 75 other friends, Easter, 3 adult birthdays, TAX SEASON comes to a close (AAHHH!!!), and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Race for a Cure. 

So every weekend is jam packed - for instance, this weekend I have 3 separate events on Saturday alone, and 4th Avenune on Sunday with MBM!  It's a fun month, but also a tiring month. 

The Breast Cancer Race for a Cure has become near and dear to my heart.  I know there are a lot of cancers out there and I do hate them all, but this one hits way too close to home and here's why. 

One of my Mom's BFF's beat it, but we watched her go through it and it was hard.  This woman is one of the healthiest people I know.  She's hysterical, a Pilates Instructor, I think never eaten pizza in her life and she's a spitfire.  Double Mastectomy and she's still kickin' baby!!!  Sad to say I don't have a photo of her to share!

BFF in Phoenix's Mom beat it and I watched them both go through it, that is BFF in Phoenix and her Mama.  It was very scary hearing what BFF in Phoenix was watching her mom deal with, and even scarier realizing that these woman that I dearly love were suffering and there was not a damn thing I could do to help, except show them that I loved them dearly through cards, or calls or whatever.  And so I did just that.  And when BFF in Phoenix's Mom beat it, boy did we celebrate.  I create Christmas Bulbs every year for those I love and have spent time with over the year.  Basically, I write on a different colored bulb things we did together or milestones of the year.  Wanna know what the biggest one was on BFF in Phoenix's Mom's?  It said...Kicking Cancer's ASS!  She told me it was the first thing she saw and she loved it!!!  Man do I love this lady!!

 Me and Mom Ryan in 2009.  How ridiculously beautiful is she?

And lastly, my Mom had a small brush with Breast Cancer.

My Mom and me a couple years back at a work conference in Toronto.  Again, I have great genes thanks to this lady!

When I was in college, she found a lump.  They did a biopsy and thankfully it wasn't cancerous, but man was it scary.  When my Dad called me and told me I needed to come home that day, I literally drove home in a fog.  I even ran into my roommate's car on the way home...really, backed into her.  Small dent in me and her.  (Yup Mom, that's where that dent came from...I hit Sara's car...didn't I tell you that?!)  But the cars got fixed and so did Mom.  So very thankful!! 

So a couple years ago, MBM and another friend and I decided we would do the race.  No, it's not super challenging, but it is worthwhile.  We even made shirts that showed who we were walking for and everything.

 This is me, MBM and Becky.

Last year was kind of a bummer.  I had a whole bunch of people I was going to walk with, and everyone seemed to bail at the last minute.  SOMEONE slept in, someone got sick, etc., etc.  I ended up walking with a neighbor, and it was great, but not as great as the previous year.

This year, Trainer has enrolled the gym.  The gym is contributing another $5 per enrollee from the gym, and a member is matching that contribution.  Trainer is also having shirts made.  I'm pretty sure they are going to say, "Big or Small, Save 'Em All!"  That's what you get when you are a gym primarily of men!  But I think it's cute.  I've gotten some people to join the team and Trainer sent me a very nice email the other day thanking me for my support.  So Robot from boot camp is coming, as is Lobster (but with a different team), Meanie Christinie and Bethie!  Busted Kate will be there too, so we'll go to breakfast afterwards! 

Anyway, if you are in T-town, it's on April 10th at Reid Park.  Go to Trainer's website and sign up (QUICK!) or you can enroll on race day.  And if you can't make it, you can always donate to Trainer's site. 

And something funny that links this all to infertility is that the drugs that cost me an arm and a leg that I take to induce lots of eggs, also treat Breast Cancer.  Isn't that weird?!  Who knew all these people fighting Breast Cancer might also be really fertile!!! :)

I'll post photos after Race day!  Happy Friday LOVELIES!