Rocky Mountain 5K

I'm still going backwards to catch up on events from the summer!  I couldn't let this one go unspoken about though.  I've mentioned before that we meet some of the greatest people through Mason.  They are attracted to him and I am so fortunate to know them.  Now we are finding the same thing with Victoria.  This event kind of involved both kids.  We have this student from Physical Therapy school who was kind enough to volunteer his time and come to our home every week to work with Mason.  It has been a huge blessing for me because for almost a year I was homebound and unable to take Mason anywhere due to my awesome back!  Jimmy was around last fall when we decided to take the trip to Ukraine to ask Victoria to join our family.

 He decided that there was something he could do to help us.  He went to his school and dicussed his idea and they started a foundation and he planned a 5K Fundraiser with our families adoption expenses in mind.  The 5K was planned and scheduled for August.  We were so happy that Victoria was here for the event.  I think it was great for her to see how nice people are and that complete strangers were doing so much to help our family bring her here.

 It was such a perfect day.  So many people came!  I was a bit overwhelmed.  Every donation and entrance fee they gave us went directly to one of our adoption loans.  We have made such a huge dent in that debt thanks largely to the help and donations of friends and family and strangers.

 A few weeks before this event Vika and I had a little chat and it came up that she was told by her orphanage director that America had paid us to come and get her.  That felt very different than the sacrafice to pay for it ourselves!  I explained the difference and that we followed our hearts and paid ourselves to come and get her and bring her to our family.  You can imagine the different mind-set and thinking process of coming her on the pretenses of your family was paid to do so rather than wanting you enough to do whatever it takes to get you here!

 I was still in my recovery weeks from my back surgery and Ezra and I only made it about 1K and back!  When he got back to the parking lot where the finish was and realized that the rest of the family wasn't there he lost his mind!

 He really lost his mind.  He threw a full on kicking and screaming 15 minute tantrum.  There really wasn't a lot I could do for him since I was technically not allowed to lift him.  So I watched him roll around crying on the asphalt sad that I couldn't wrestle him into my arms!  He was fine and eventually happied up.

 I went back to run in with the family.  Ethan ran ahead to check in first.  He was so darling.  One of the students that works with Mason came and ran with him for a while.

 My 5K finisher.  How many 8 year olds finish a 5K? - an official 5K?!  I was proud of all of them.

 Ezra had another melt down.  I walked Mason in.  Victoria was pretty beat, but she made it walking and running the whole way!

 I was pretty amazed that they weren't even last!  They did great.

 I honestly expected so much more complaining from Victoria.  That was her thing around this time.  To complain about everything and everywhere we went and everything we did.  This was different though.  I was so glad.  I hope that she realized how amazing this was and that all of these people were there for her!

 I felt like a cheater running through the finish line, but Mason had to finish and I helped him out.  Vika finished and I was proud of her.  This is the first time she's done anything even close to this!  Mostly the whole experience was incredible and overwhelming for me.  I was and am so grateful to all of those people out there who have contributed to help us bring Victoria here.  I already can't imagine not having her!