relay 4 life

Both Bryce and I have been effected by Cancer. We have each had family members suffer with this awful disease and die from it. Each year we get together with his family and relay 4 life. If you have never been to one of these events they are pretty amazing. At the relay each team is trying to raise money to help find a cure for cancer and throughout the night team members take a turn to walk. My team divided it hourly, so that there is someone walking all day and night for 24 hours. It represents the everyday constant struggle cancer victims go through everyday. At night there is a ceremony with talks and music given from people who have been effected by cancer, and at the end of the ceremony everyone walks, and there are bags with the names of cancer survivors and cancer victims. It is always amazing to me how many people are effect with cancer. It hit Bryce pretty hard this year too. At is work he was helping a guy who came to the hospital for something that seemed pretty minor, but in the end was told that he had cancer and would only have 4 more months to live. Bryce deals with death everyday, but it shook him up pretty bad to see this young father diagnosed with cancer. I think it is because both he and I know first hand what it is like to see people you know and love suffer through this terrible disease.

These are the people that we relay for:
The lives we have lost

• MarShell- She is Bryce's cousin, and the type of person that you love immediately. She was always happy even throughout her fight with cancer. She could always make you smile and laugh about everything. MarShell has always been the life of the party, it was always a good time if MarShell was there.
• Grandpa Bryce- I have never met him before, but from the stories that I have heard it doesn't take a genius to know that he was a pretty awesome man. Everyone loved him because he made everyone feel like they were special. He was honest and kind to everyone, and everyone loved and respected him.
• My Dad- it's hard to write about my dad because to me he was just dad, but to others he was a man of strength. He was a green Beret in the Vietnam war and he ran 14 Marathons. He had us all convince that we was going to make it up until his last week with us, but even then he wouldn't let any of us think any differently. I miss him everyday.

The fight lives on

• Stihl- His name fits him perfectly because this little man is made of Steel. He is Bryce's 10-year old nephew and he has overcome Cancer twice already. Although stihl may be small he is one of the greatest little athletes. He plays baseball, football, and basketball every year and he does amazing in each sport he is the toughest and sweetest little guy you would ever meet.
• Grandma Erickson- We just celebrated her 90th birthday, although you probably wouldn't believe it if you saw her. She is quite independent, and she doesn't smell like old lady. If there was one word in the dictionary for the saying "sugar and spice and everything nice" she would be it. She is the cutest little old lady, just don't call her that.
• Grandma Miller- She is one of the most stubborn people that you would ever meet, but that isn't the word that I would use that describes my grandma the most. She is very optimistic and very loving. However she refuses to take any kind of pills, and I don't think that she will. One of her quotes is, "I believe what I believe, now don't try to foul me up!"
• Jeanne- She is my mom's cousin. She is really sweet. I feel bad for her though ever since she was diagnosed cancer her and her mom have been going through some rough family patches. When family should have been for them the most they turned their back and Jeanne, you wouldn't have known it from her though she has stayed pretty optimistic about everything.

At one of the booths they were selling marshmellow gunsNo one was safe... not even woman or children
But the all the grown men seemed to be having a good timeBryce and I wanted to see which one of us could blow the hardest, but I cheated and Bryce ended up choking. I probably should have felt bad for him, but I was laughing so hard I was crying.

We love you guys you are all such great examples of strength and courage. You are an inspiration to people everywhere!