Canada Part 2: The Big Race!!

The Ragnar Relay race is an amazing opportunity to "Connect, Conquer, and Celebrate!"

Our team consisted of 12 people running day and night for a total of 193 miles around Lake Ontario and finished off at the beautiful and majestic Niagara Falls!! 

Abe had never run a Ragnar before, and he was excited to compete in this one.  During our training, an old injury flared up.  His knee and IT Band hurt him so severely, he knew he would not be able to compete.  Sadly, we knew we had to find a replacement for him.

With only a couple of weeks before the race, I called my sister-in-law in Texas to see if my nephew would be willing to take Abe's place.  She said yes!  Both of my nephews would be able to join us!!  We would already be in Missouri together for Nanny Camp, and they were already planning on flying to Utah the following week anyway.  By changing their flights to leave from Buffalo, NY instead of Missouri, they actually saved over $100.00.  Everything was falling into place!

Abe had to fly home sooner from Missouri, so I drove our 6 kids and my two teenage nephews to Michigan.  We would only stay in Michigan for two days- long enough to pack up for our trip and take them to the beach before we would head to Niagara Falls!!  ALL the kids were ecstatic!!

Our team consisted of Me, Jackson, Tyson, Jordan,  my 14 year old nephew, Aaron, and our great friend from New York, Kevin.  My 16 year old nephew, Nathan, would bike alongside my little boys to keep them safe as they ran, and Abe would be our designated driver!!  The other 6 runners on our team were people that we would meet once we arrived!  Our team was complete, and we couldn't have been any more excited than we were.  

THE RACE WAS ON!!!!

Every team member had a different distance to cover.  While they ran, our van full of runners and supporters cheered them on as they ran their hearts out... even through extenuating circumstances.

The Ragnar has different starting times depending on the speed of the runners.  Our start time was 8:30 in the morning!

Jackson (age 11) ran:  2.8 miles, 5.6 miles, & 8.1 miles = 15.7 miles!!

Tyson (age 9):  5.7 miles, 3.6 miles, & 3.5 miles = 12.8 miles!!

Rachel (age ?):  7.6 miles, 5.6 miles, & 7.7 miles = 20.9 miles!!

Jordan (age 7):  5.7 miles, 2.9 miles, & 3.2 miles = 11.8 miles!!

Aaron (age 14):  5.3 miles, 3.9 miles, & 9.7 miles = 18.9 miles!!

Kevin (age ?):  6.0 miles, 9.0 miles, & 5.4 miles = 20.4 miles!!

Nathan (age 16):  Biked 26.7 miles in support of the little guys!!

Abe (age ?):  Drove & cheered for 200 miles/30 hours, & biked 11.6 miles in support of the little guys!!

Our Teammates In The Other Van

I will not report extensively on the other half of our team because they were not in the same van as us, but I will say that we couldn't have found kinder, more fun strangers to become our friends and teammates!  The other half of our team created our team name: "Zombie Unicorn Apocalypse" AKA... "ZUA!"  They had AMAZING unicorn costumes and van decor...


... but we had the Zombie...  Aaron!! 


While they ran, we attempted to sleep and eat... wherever we could...

Jackson's Highlights

Jackson started the race!!  He lined up with a bunch of big adults and didn't have a single look of fear on his face.

The gun went off, and Jackson sprinted ahead of all the rest.  He was on FIRE!!  

After 2 long runs and hardly any sleep, his 3rd leg starting time was 4am!!  We had only slept in the van for a few hours; I know I was glad it wasn't my turn to run.  I was exhausted!  Jackson never complained once.  He got up to run his longest leg while it was still dark.  The van couldn't follow him on this portion of his run, so Abe biked with him and talked to him about all the beautiful things along the way.  Jackson ran steady and finished even stronger than he started!  

Jackson reported:  "My favorite part of the race was the 8 mile run with Daddy because I saw a lot of cool stuff, and it was nice to spend time with Daddy."

I think Jackson must have seen cool stuff on his other runs as well, but having his father there with him made the mundane seem spectacular.   Abe created a memorable run.  After Jackson's longest, toughest  run, he couldn't stop talking about the raccoon, the coyote, the beautiful houses, the birds, and a duck.  Apparently, they saw a werewolf and the Loch ness Monster in Lake Ontario... ???  Who I am to question that one??? :-)

Tyson's Highlights

Tyson ran so hard!!  Wonderful Nathan was there to encourage sweet Tyson as he ran with all his heart.

There was a lady that ran beside him for a while on his first run.  She cheered for him and told him how amazing he was.  My heart was warmed watching strangers encourage my son.

On his 2nd run, 2 big, strong men tried to pass Tyson the entire run... but Tyson was just too fast.  You could see the look of joy on Tyson's face as he kept ahead of the men and the look of futility on those men's faces.

Tyson's 3rd run was right on the edge of Lake Ontario.  He watched the sun rise over the lake.  Abe also biked with Tyson on his last run.  Abe and Tyson insist that they saw the loch ness monster and a space ship floating on top of the water.  Tyson says, "It was really big, and it looked like it was made out of bamboo sticks.  Also, a squirrel stopped, looked over at me, shrugged its shoulders, and kept walking down the road with the other people."

Tyson and I agree that EVERY Canadian was super nice... even the Canadian squirrels and mosquitos- "They didn't even bite us!!" Tyson said.

Tyson's favorite part of the race:  "I liked watching the sun rise.  It was really cool.  Every time the sun rose higher, that was me running a little farther."

My Highlights

I LOVED taking the hand-off from Tyson because he was always sprinting toward me like a champ with the biggest grin on his face.  

On my 1st run, I thought I had made a wrong turn in the city.  I passed some people, and then I didn't see anyone for a very long time!  I even asked a stranger in the city to use his phone!  My van was nowhere around because they were getting gas.  I was exhausted!!  

After running through the city, I entered beautiful, hilly farmland.  I passed a runner and asked how far we had run.  She said, "About 5."  I assumed it was 5 miles.  After a long while, I saw another runner.  I asked him how far we had gone.  He said, "About 5 miles"  What?  How could it be?  I had been running for a long time... I realized that the first runner was speaking in terms of kilometers... must have been a Canadian!!  

At my moment of complete exhaustion, I saw a different support van pull over on the side of the road.  My support van was still off getting gas.  A woman jumped out and began to cheer.  There were no other runners around, so I wondered who she and the rest of her van were cheering for.  I turned around, and nobody was behind me either.  As I got closer, I realized they were cheering for ME!!  She had a water bottle already open ready to pour into my mouth.  I gladly took the water and thanked them profusely.  She called out, "We're here for you!  Good job!  You're fast!"  

My next two runs were amazing!!  My favorite parts were watching Abe jump around like a crazy man every time I passed the van.


Tyson picked a flower and handed it to me during my second run.  What better encouragement than that???!!

Jordan's Highlights

Jordan had his longest run first.  I was worried about him because he was so young.  He didn't show the least bit of fear or worry.  He ran with a serious look on his face.  When he came to a big hill, I yelled to him that it would be his toughest hill.  We all encouraged him.

Then... a giant hill appeared!!  It was so high that Jordan couldn't even see that his finish line was right at the top of that hill.  I ran down the hill cheering him on.  Jordan didn't slow down on that hill... he sped up!!  Oh my goodness!  I have never heard such loud cheers at a Ragnar as when he came sprinting in at the top of that hill.

He ran straight into my arms, and I hugged his tiny body as tight as I could.  What a champ!

Nathan rode by his side and encouraged him for all three of his runs.  We cheered for both him and Nathan.  I LOVED watching giant Nathan ride his bike next to tiny Jordan.  

A tradition of the Ragnar is to mark on your windshield how many people you pass.  It is called a "Road kill" when you pass them.  On Jordan's last two runs, I ran next to him to see if he needed water.    Without even turning to look at me, he reported how many road kills he had... so, so serious!!

  

The funniest part of Jordan running was the slumped shoulders of all those he passed.  It's bad enough to be passed, but when their legs are a 3rd of the size of yours... it can be a bit disheartening... poor adults. :-)  At the end of the whole race, another runner gave him a special pair of sunglasses as a prize for being the youngest runner at the Ragnar.

Jordan said:  "My favorite part of the race was my last run because I ran a lot faster."  Just like I thought.... it was all about the road kills for Jordan. :-)  

Aaron's Highlights

Aaron was the fastest runner on our team.  He had the GREAT idea of wearing a black morph suit while he ran.  He looked awesome!

We loved watching Aaron run!!  His long legs and great stride made every step seem effortless.  We couldn't actually see his face under the morph suit, but we could tell he was smiling.  

On Aaron's 2nd run, he was in the outskirts of Toronto... the biggest city in Canada!!  He ran beside another girl through some trails in the dark late at night.

We stopped at the side of the trail to cheer him on, but we didn't realize that he had just passed us!  He was in all black and hard to see, so we waited and waited and waited for him.  Finally we went to the interchange and found Aaron patiently waiting for us because he had already finished his run.  He's so fast!!!!

Aaron later reported that he took a wrong turn at one point because it was hard to see in his black suit at nighttime, and all the other runners followed him.  When he turned back around, they did too, so they got ahead of him.  He wasn't about to let that happen!!  He sprinted ahead and passed them all again!  Mind you, Aaron only had about a week and a half to train for this race- but he had a LOT of strong will.

His 3rd run was 9.7 miles!!  He had never even run that far in his life!!  He strained his muscle a little bit, so he stopped to get it taped.  After he got it taped, he ran even faster and passed everyone again!!  That's hard to do at the end of a Ragnar!!  Aaron was a champ!!

I loved watching Nathan cheer for his little brother.  I could see that Nathan was very proud of his little brother's accomplishments.  

Kevin's Highlights

I don't know how old Kevin is, but I do know that he is a grandfather!!  What a runner!!  He is an amazing man!  Kevin agreed to do this race with us while he was in Africa doing service.  Kevin is the president of the most amazing nonprofit organization called, "Reach The Children." 

http://www.reachthechildren.org  I traveled with him and a big group of others in 2001 to Africa to do service, so my family was honored that this wonderful man was a part of our family for the weekend.

Experienced with getting around in foreign countries, Kevin was our official guide with the map.  

Kevin had to run through downtown Toronto after midnight.  It's a beautiful city, but I have NEVER seen streets so alive with people!!  We couldn't even find Kevin until the end of his run because we even got lost driving through the streets around construction!!

Kevin did great, but he was in a lot of pain after that 9 mile run through confusing streets and crazy trails of Toronto.  He mustered up all his strength and ran an AWESOME final leg just a few hours later the next morning.  We cheered for him all along the way.  He was a champion!!

Nathan's Highlights

Nathan had the best attitude of any 16 year old I have EVER met.  This fine young man jumped in and helped whenever necessary, sat in the most uncomfortable positions with his long legs, and cheered on all of us plus MANY other runners along the way.  He and his brother showed immense gratitude for every single thing they received.  

He turned 17 years old a few days later, so that means he will be serving as a missionary at the end of next summer.  What a blessing for my young boys to have Nathan set such a great example for them.  

After Nathan and Aaron left, my boys, said, "I wish they were our brothers... or at least lived right next door to us!!"  Abe and I agree that his leg and knee were injured for a reason... we certainly felt blessed to have these fine young men accompany us on the trip.

Nathan said he wants to run a Ragnar some day and that this experience was one of his "favorite life experiences."  I believe it was the positive attitude that everyone brought!!  An attitude of encouragement!

Abe's Highlights

Abe is always my champion... what can I say more??  He supports all of us like no other.  He gives love like no other.  He looks at life in a positive light... like no other!!  He biked, drove, and cheered like a true champion!  ...and it was Father's Day the following day.  While other fathers were receiving fancy meals, we took him to eat the biggest burger he could buy at Wendy's on our drive home from Canada.

Abe will do a Ragnar some day!!!  We'll make sure of it.  I love my champion.

Mariah, Juliana, & Jayden's Highlights

I never thought it would have been possible unless I saw it myself that 3 small children could sit and sleep in a van for so many days in a row, and still smile, giggle, and cheer for everyone around them.

The children's efforts were not without reward.  They took a ride on an elephant half-way through the race... and finished at the beautiful Niagara Falls.  What a happy day!

OUR TEAM OF CHAMPIONS!!!!

We celebrated dinner as a team at the Hard Rock Cafe.  We got to know our teammates even better and fell in love with them even more!!  They were intelligent, kind, and FUN!!  

We faced much opposition arriving at this point, but I believe anything that will bring a family closer together will face opposition!  We thank God for the opposition and the opportunity to "Connect, Conquer, and Celebrate!"

Canada Part 1: The Stolen Wallet

It was 2 days before we would leave for Canada for our BIG RAGNAR RELAY RACE!  I was prepared with the correct enhanced ID's for each of the children to cross the border and had been carrying around my wallet with ALL that information for the past month and a half.  I didn't want to chance them getting taken, so I wanted them close to me.

Abe had to fly home to Michigan sooner than the rest of us, so I was alone with our 6 children and my two nephews.  At one of our gas stops on our way from Missouri to Michigan, I remember looking at my wallet and thinking... "I don't want to leave my wallet in the van while we go to the bathroom because someone might steal it."  

I went to the bathroom with Juliana, Jayden, and Mariah.  I set my wallet down on the toilet paper roll dispenser.  I was struggling to keep Jayden from digging in the trash cans and toilets, so I completely forgot my wallet there as I walked out.  The store manager was in the bathroom with me and left shortly after I did.  I went to the van, had the kids run a race across the parking lot to get their energy out, and promptly noticed I had forgotten my wallet in the bathroom.  I ran back into the bathroom, and my wallet was already gone.  I went in and out of the bathroom retracing my steps about 5 times, and then I approached a family at a table near the bathroom to ask them if they noticed anything at all.  They said nobody had gone into that bathroom since I left, but that I should call the police and look at the video cameras.  

I called the police.  A sweet police officer gave me some gloves, and together we dug through all the dumpsters and trash cans for the wallet... nothing.  He questioned all the employees including the manager.  Everything seemed very odd and strange about everyone's responses of where they were at certain times, but still nothing...

It was the sickest feeling to drive away from a random gas station in the middle of the US knowing I was leaving my wallet behind.  The police officer even teared up telling me how sorry he was for us.  He said, "It would have to be a miracle if that wallet was found."   I drove very, very slowly away from the gas station hoping for that miracle... hoping that somebody would rush out of the gas station waving my wallet in their hands.  

Nope... none of that happened... I was worried about getting home on one gas tank left.  I was worried about my big, 6'4" and 5'11" nephews' need for food.  We had snacks, and I hoped it would be enough.  I was worried about getting into Canada after so much excitement and so much training for our race.

Abe, my hero, made lots of phone calls canceling credit cards and trying to find out what our options would be for leaving and returning to the country.  I was worried about the $300.00 Walmart card and $120.00 cash I had lost with the stolen wallet.  My identity was stolen in 2001 with $20,000 charged up under my name, so I was worried about mine and my children's identities.  Abe immediately signed us up for identity theft protection that day!!

As I drove away, these worries consumed my mind as I prayed for help.  I looked through my CD's and popped in my Bob Marley CD.  Honest to goodness, these are the words that played loud and clear:

"Don't worry about a thing, 
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right. 
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, 
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!" 

If you're not familiar with Bob Marley, I included the link to this song below!!  He sang in such a relaxing manner, I immediately felt calmed from all my worries... somehow all this mess would work out alright.  Who would have thought my message from God would come through Bob Marley of all people?  It's another testimony to me that God speaks to us in the language that we understand best!!  :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGUr6wzyT8

We arrived safely to our home in Michigan with the gas tank settling right above the empty line.  We felt blessed.  Upon arriving, I realized that I had left my running shoes in Missouri!!  I decided I would have to wear my old running shoes even though it could potentially cause injury to my knees with all the mileage I would be running over the weekend.  When my sweet mother realized my shoes were still in her house, she insisted on keeping the shoes I left there and mailing me money for new shoes!!  She also helped significantly by compensating some of our stolen money along with her check for the shoes.  Mothers never stop rescuing us no matter how old we are!  I sure am grateful for her rescue efforts!

I bought the new shoes and did a test run in them.  They felt even better than the ones I had left in Missouri!!  My old knees didn't even hurt!!

Canada's Border Patrol

After many, many phone calls, we received news that all the children under 16 would be fine to enter Canada and return to the US with just their birth Certificates.  Border Patrol said I would possibly be OK if I bought a new enhanced ID and showed border patrol my receipt.  Nathan, my 16 year old nephew, would be OK to return to the US, but Canada's border patrol said he would only possibly be OK to enter their country.  My Canadian friend's suggestion was to pray for a REALLY nice border patrol officer.  We did!!  I had a prayer in my heart the entire drive there!!

I was actually trembling as we waited in the line of cars approaching the border into Canada.  I asked Nathan if he would be alright if he had to stay the weekend with friends in Detroit instead of going with us if he was unable to enter Canada (his passport expired 2 weeks previously).  He said he would be alright, but we all hoped for the best.  I combed my hair and straightened up the van as much as possible attempting to look a little more presentable.  

The officer took our paperwork, looked at our huge van, came out of her little building, and walked around the side of the van.  She opened our doors and looked in at all the smiling faces.  Then, this sweet, Canadian border patrol officer smiled big and took the time to talk with each of the kids and encourage them in their upcoming race.  Once we drove away, cheers erupted, and I sent text messages to family members and other team members with the announcement:  "WE MADE IT INTO CANADA!!"  We ALL said a prayer of gratitude.

Inspired Words- Inspired Moments

In our church, each week a few different members receive the opportunity to give talks/sermons to the congregation on an assigned topic.  Yesterday, a beautiful woman spoke about "Enduring to the End."  The words she shared began to resonate in my soul.  The truths she shared seemed to fit right in with the truths my spirit needed to hear that morning.  The more she spoke, the more I kept thinking her message was just for me.  (I'm sure many people felt that her message was intended for them as well because it was delivered with such a strong spirit.) 

As I listened, the thought came into my mind, "If she talks about the refiner's fire, I'll know this message is for me."  I didn't say it as if to look for a sign from God to know of HIS direct communication with me; the thought just came into my mind...  

Less than a minute later, she began to speak extensively comparing the refiner's fire to the trials that make us stronger.  I could feel tears begin to well up in my eyes and had to look away from the speaker so that those tears wouldn't actually drip from my eyes.  

As another speaker stood to share his message, I quickly went to the bathroom with Juliana.  While I was in there, this woman who had touched my heart so deeply with her words, happened to come into the bathroom too!  I'm usually too busy helping my children, teaching a class, or doing my secretarial assignments to have much more interaction with other adults than my quick hugs to visitors and friends between classes.  If she hadn't have come into the bathroom right then, I never would have had the opportunity to tell her how deeply inspired her words had been.  I believe God gave that moment as a gift to both of us.

She appreciated knowing the things she felt inspired and guided to say actually made a difference, and I felt the Spirit even stronger as I voiced my appreciation for her words.  Our moment of sharing our thoughts in the women's bathroom benefitted both me and her.  Isn't it beautiful how God is working in so many lives at the same time?  HE loves each of us so dearly and individually, and HE is constantly orchestrating beautiful moments throughout each of our days in each of our lives.