Marching Machines!

The March of Dimes walk was SO great!  Thank you to everyone who supported this event by walking or donating!  Prayer and warm wishes were also very much appreciated :)

Highlights:

• We were surrounded by many friends and family for the walk!  Local friends and friends from Atlanta and Ohio, family, therapists, nurses, other parents of preemies, and parents of full-term babies... you name it, they were represented... and that was just our Team!
• It was incredible to see so many people out supporting March of Dimes - our town had a great showing!  As of walk day, the total raised was more than $82,000, and additional donations have come in since then!
• The students from our school had their own team and both raised money (more than $500!) and came out to walk.  What a great family we have in our school!
• Our fundraising was a huge success!  We set our personal goal at $3,000... and blew that out of the water by raising more than $4,200.   We were even recognized as the top individual fundraiser :)
• Our TEAM fundraising was also incredible!  I was a bit worried after my ambitious goal setting of $7,000 for The Early Birds, but everyone proved my worries a bit silly by raising more than $8,200.  Wow.  Our team also was recognized for top team fundraiser!
• Our tshirts rocked - thank you Jessica and Emma for the great brainstorming!
• It didn't rain!  This was a huge concern all week, with heavy rain and thunderstorms looming... but it was clear skies all day.

The proof is in the pictures :)


The Family :)



 The Friends :) 

Not all, but many of our Team Early Birds walkers and students. 

 The Wonder Women :)

Nothing like girlfriends!

 Pre-march fun for daddy and George... balancing on one hand!

 Samuel and Julie all smiles :)  Fast friends! 

 Olivia taking a break from the busy morning and all the new people :)

She did amazing!  Olivia can get overwhelmed around new people fairly quickly, and this girl was a trooper with everything.

 Let the March for Babies begin!

 Quick photo op with more of the Team and some of our younger walkers :)

 Pit stop! 

All three did great during the 3-miles and sat back and relaxed for the most part... until the end, when they started to get ants in their pants :)

 No story here, just DB and Josh enjoying the view from one of the bluffs...

which everyone is invited to view next year when we walk again!  Hint hint!

 

 George enjoying some post-march been-in-the-stroller-forever running!

 Olivia: "Me Too!"

 Samuel: "Me Three!"

Well, not running yet, and not standing independently, but standing none the less :)

 We also met HG for the first time :)  My kiddos were fascinated by her!

Love those cheeks and that flower!

 We also saw a friend we haven't seen since the NICU! 

I follow her blog, but haven't actually seen this precious Olivia since she left the hospital.  Isn't she amazing!  Plus, pretty cool for Samuel to meet one of his old buddies :)

It was an eye-opening day too... not only did we see Olivia (above), but we also saw our former NICU buddy Conner.  It is truly incredible how far these kiddos, mine included, have come.  If you ever feel the need to actually see a miracle in progress, check out the difference a year or two makes in the life of a preemie.  I can only imagine what they will be like in 10-15 years!  Really hits home that the March of Dimes is important... that every baby deserves a chance to be born healthy.

After the walk we stuck around and visited the opening of the PR Farmers Market!  The kids loved it!  Not only puppies (above), but goats, great danes, boiled peanuts, a home-made grits machine ("big truck" to George), and lots of exhibits to check out.  Great end to a great day!