The Philadelphia Marathon

For months my sister has been training for this marathon. During our summer vacation,  her and Jeff were running 16 miles in Northeast MD while I was eating popsicles on the porch 8 months pregnant.  I really wanted to go see her run but wasn't sure how to take a 7 week old into the city. I thought about going by myself and leaving Wyatt at home but Jeff was certain that I would end up in the Schuylkill river and miss the race entirely  with my sense of direction. After begging and convincing Jeff to take Wyatt we decided the night before that we were going to surprise her at the finish line. We got up, fed Wyatt packed up his stuff and headed for Phili. As we passed boat house row you could see the runners, it was such a beautiful day and perfect weather for a marathon.

We got there found a parking spot and walked towards the art museum to try and find my parents. I stopped at a Wawa along the way to get some hot water so I could warm up Wyatt's bottle (which he never ate because he wouldn't wake up). I figured that would be easier than trying to nurse him in that huge crowd of people.

 

Luckily we found my parents pretty quickly and then looked for a spot to stand along the finish line. I felt like I was guarding my tarp at Creation all over again, there were tons and tons of fans cheering people on. We knew that their estimated time was around 12:00 so we watched so carefully as each runner ran past looking for the colors they were wearing. My heart jumped every time I saw a short girl in a purple shirt . . .

We waited and waited and finally Jeff called (who was standing a little farther ahead) and said he saw Joe (a friend they were running with) so we knew they couldn't be far behind.I gave Wyatt to my Mom (who had been asleep since we left the house @ 9 a.m.) and jumped over the fence so I could run with her to the finish line.  A few minutes later Jeff called to warn us they were on their way. When I saw her I couldn't believe how good she looked. I was so proud of her for finishing so strong!

Words can't really describe the relationship that we have. We're best friends and always there for one  another.  We truly enjoy watching one another cross our finish lines in life. I'm so glad my husband let me cross this one with her. . .