Goodbye Gram

It's not everyday that a woman questions the significance of losing her mother on her own birthday, but that has been on my mother's mind this week.

My mom awoke on her birthday Monday morning, at home in Delaware for the first time in a couple weeks. She had been visiting her family in New York and Vermont the last two weeks, often helping care for her ailing 94 year old mother, Emma.

Mom got the call from her sister's house that their mother had just breathed her last and peacefully gone to heaven that morning. It was bittersweet news. It is always tough to say goodbye to a loved one, but Gram had lived of full, long life.

Mom called each of her four children to share the news with us. My girls were awake and wanted to talk to her, so they heard the news about their Great-Grandma. Adria actually became pretty emotional about it. With the news, we almost forgot to wish my mom, "Happy Birthday"...or at least try.

As I drove Adria to school later that morning, she was fussy and said, "Mom, I just can't get it out of my head that I'll never see Great-Grandma again. That's a sad thought. I need happy thoughts in my head." Even though Adria only got to visit with her a few times, she remembered.

Before we could talk about our hope of seeing Great-Grandma again in heaven, Adria giggled and said, "I just had a happy thought." She talked about our fun little visit with "ridiculous" Uncle Ron, Aunt Kathy and Great-Gram in early October. I'm so glad we were able to make that trip and visit, even if it was for just a few short hours.

So many more were impacted by Grandma's passing. She left an incredible heritage that included eight children (though 2 of her sons preceded her in death) and dozens of grandchildren and great-grands and even 4+ great-great grands.

Saying goodbye to my Grandma, reminds me of a post I wrote several months ago about life and the inevitable times we must Say Goodbye.

Since the news on Monday morning, many have been remembering the times they had with Emma and sharing photos on Facebook. I thought it would be special to put many of their words together in a single post. Of course, I can't capture them all and there are many who are not online, but I tried.

You can also read Emma Parson's  obituary HERE, which was published today.

LORNA - Daughter of Emma

Now that all my siblings and children have been notified, it is time to tell all my FB friends. My dear mother, Emma Elenor Underwood MacDonald Parsons was escorted through heaven's gates this morning at 7:30. Even though God chose my birthday to bring her home, I am blessed. It really is a good birthday gift, knowing my mom is whole, young, happy and reunited with long passed loved ones, and meeting grandchildren and great grandchildren that none of us got to know is a blessing to me. Happy home going Mom, you will be missed, but I am glad I had you for 57 years

Mom and Lil's daughter Sophie with Gram at her 94th birthday party in Feb.

Gram with 4 of her children - Kathy (holding Rachel's little one), Darrell, Noreen and Lorna

CANDICE - Youngest Daughter of Emma

I'm having a really hard time being on here because you are all making me cry my eyes out with your stories of my mom...Thank you for your kind memories of her...If some of you don't know, my mother passed away yesterday at the age of 94. I cry mostly that I did not get one more chance to hug her ...and say good bye...But she did pull one on my sister, Lorna Outten, by passing on her birthday of all days! She always had a great laugh and I loved to make her laugh too.

KATHLEEN - Daughter of Emma

My mom, Emma Underwood MacDonald Parsons, passed from this earth to her heavenly reward this morning. She has lived with Ron and I for 6 years, so there will be a huge void here in this house for us. She was the oldest of ten. She was mother to eight children, grandmother to 24 plus, 51 plus greatgrandchildren, and 4 plus great great grandchldren.

Kathleen's family with Gram

NOREEN - First Daughter of Emma

Thank you to all who have posted wonderful words of love and memories of my MOM Emma Underwood MacDonald Parsons,,who passed away peacefully this morning at age 94...If anyone of you has any pictures of Mom that you would like to share for the funeral, we would like you to share them by sending them to Kathy and Ron's E-mail address...we will be going to Carlton Funeral Home tomorrow to make arrangements and will post the results afterwards...

JANINE - First Granddaughter to Emma

Today I lost my last grandparent Emma Eleanor Underwood MacDonald Parsons. She was 94. I can't even begin to tell you what a huge hole she is leaving in my life, as did her husband Leslie, and my other 2 grandparents Maxine and Ted Gordon as Emma was one of the main forces in my life. I was blessed to have 4 grandparents who literally raised me together. It's great to have parents be there for you, but I have found that my life was so much fuller by having both sets of grandparents sharing in the raising of me and my brother Ted. Not only did she teach me right from wrong but she taught me God's love and what it meant to be a Christian. Her leadership was to be commended and it was always inspiring. She showed me the value of hard work, loyalty, and especially FAMILY. I will always hold her near to my heart. RIP Gram

REBECCA - Daughter of Ray

On February 12, 1920, the first-born child of Howard and Katherine Underwood entered this world. Over the next 94 years, she would touch the lives of many, being the solid rock that held this huge extended family together. She brought many to Christ by her godly example and was always an active participant in the church. She had many, many friends, outliving too many of them. It saddens me that she will no longer be in my life, but I know she had a long and fulfilling one. This amazing woman that I had in my life for 45 years will truly be missed by many! This photo was one of the last times that I saw my grandmother. Always sharp as a track, even in the end, she could recall events and people better than most people younger than her. I love and will miss you, Grandma!

MICHELLE - Granddaughter, daughter of Ray

APRIL - Granddaughter, daughter of Ray

My Beautiful, Loving, Beloved Gram, Emma MacDonald-Parsons, gained her wings and went home to Heaven this morning. It saddens me greatly that I was unable to go home to New York to see her the past two years. The memories I have will last a lifetime. She was my teacher in Sunday School for years and was so fun to be around! RIP Gram! I love and miss you. Tell Dad and Doug and Gramps and everyone else up there that I love them. Dance, Sing and rejoice until we meet again!

DANIEL - Grandson, son of Noreen

Just a few photos with Grandma From years gone by , she was so important to me , along with Grandpa especially in my youth, and I will always be thankful for all the love and wisdom she shared with me and so many others. My heart goes out to all my family members that feel the sorrow i feel tonite, she was truly an Angel among us

ALETHA - Granddaughter, daughter of Allen

BETH - Granddaughter, daughter of Allen

It is hard to put into words the feelings I am having this morning. My heart is joyful yet weighed down with sadness. My Gram, Emma Elenor Underwood MacDonald Parsons moved on from this earthly life to be with loved ones in Heaven. I have joy that she is at peace, wrapped in the love of those gone before and of our Lord. Yet, it is hard not to feel the sad. Goodbyes are never easy. Until we meet again Gram, I take comfort that you are now an angel blessing your family from above

LILLIAN - Granddaughter, daughter of Lorna (my sister :)

Good bye, Gram! This is our last "selfie". Just a couple months ago. I always said you were "spunky" love you and I'll miss you dearly, but so glad you are with grandpa and your boys and Jesus! Emma Parsons you lived an admirable life!

JESSICA - Granddaughter, daughter of Candice

Things I liked about going to Grandma's: Coloring, helping to cook, watching old movies, playing games like boggle, putting together puzzles, playing with all her stuffed animals, riding bikes, exploring the slate mountain in back of her house, going to Sunday school and going out to eat afterwards. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Rest in Peace, Gram 

CLAIRISSA - Granddaughter, younger daughter of Candice

Words cannot express how I feel now my Gram Emma Parsons passed away. I love you see in heaven.

Clairissa on right with Shannon, Abby, my girls and I during our October visit with Gram

KATRINA - Granddaughter, daughter of Ray

My heart is broken...so many memories RIP grandma...

SETH - Grandson, son of Allen
My heart is grieving but my soul is at peace knowing Grandma is now returned to her family in Heaven. During this week of Thanksgiving let us remember what a wonderful woman she is, and will continue to be when it's our turn to meet back up. I love you Grandma, thank you for all of your blessings during this life.

One of our best family photos, back in 1989. 

YOU ARE LOVED AND MISSED, GRAM!

The Race of a Little Champion

The race was just a half mile long. But for a group of Kindergarten students, that is quite a distance to run.  For our six year old daughter Adria, running a race 2,640 feet long was almost a miracle.

She wanted to do it. She really wanted to run this race. Adria has seen Mommy run a 5K race before and even asked to have a number put on her shirt, so she could race. While I trained to run a half-marathon in her honor, I told her that there would be a children’s race the day after mine. She got so excited about it, and even did a couple little “training runs” herself.

But when race day came (two weeks ago on Sunday, November 9), Adria became nervous as she found herself surrounded by strangers and about 40 other kindergarten age children standing at the starting line.

We were in Savannah, Georgia where Mommy had just completed the 13.1 mile Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon as part of Team Spina Bifida, an organization that raises funds and awareness for spina bifida while encouraging people to get active.

Adria’s race was KiDS ROCK Savannah 2014, and there were children from Kindergarten through sixth grade competing, one grade level at a time. It was a one mile race except for the K-age runners, who just had to complete one half mile.

Running is especially challenging for Adria, but for many children with spina bifida it is impossible.  As a result of being born with myelomeningocele, Adria has weak ankles with almost no sensation in her feet and toes along with low muscle tone in her calves. Due to extreme pronation in her feet, Adria must wear leg braces, Ankle Foot Orthotics, in order to walk any distance. She first learned to walk with a walker at age 2 and then on her own at age 3. Within the last year, she has learned to run better but is much slower than the other children on the playground.

Adria and Mommy at the starting line

As we stood at the starting line with Adria and Mommy sharing her #27 race bib number, I became nervous and excited for her. Would she be able to do this? She’s never run this far before. (It's the same question I asked myself when I ran a marathon a few years ago.)

Then some little boys next to us started talking smack to each other about who was the fastest, and to my surprise she chimed right in. “I’m going to go faster than you guys!” Adria exclaimed to them. And of course they ranted back, “No way, I’m faster than you!” They went back and forth a few times, while I admired my little girl’s confidence…and also feared for it.

Before it continued much more, the announcer gave the signal to get ready. Since there were so many little runners, most accompanied by their parents, the race started in waves with about 10 seconds between them. Adria and I were in the second wave to start.

Ready, Set, Go! Adria took off running with great enthusiasm. Soon, children were passing her at much higher speeds and in the rush, she tripped and fell. No real damage was done, so Adria got up and continued on, but within a few minutes she realized she had dropped far to the back of the pack. She slowed to almost a stop and questioned her ability to continue. She was already breathing heavy and almost lost heart.

At that moment, I feared that I had made a big mistake by encouraging her to do this race. But I knew she had more to give. And I knew this would be normal in her life – to run slower than her peers. She needed to learn to keep going and not be disappointed by her limitations.

In spite of being tired and in the back of the race, Adria keeps running.

Daddy and I encouraged her to keep trying and do her best. A race attendant on a bike rolled up, she would be the one following the back of the race, as is typical. She too encouraged Adria and rallied behind her. Adria kept going. Soon, the crowd of spectators started cheering her on as she continued. Though they did not know this little girl from Delaware or her condition, they could see she was a fighter.

The cheers urged Adria on, but her body became weary as she lagged further and further behind and was eventually the only child left on the course. I even asked the race attendant if there was a time limit, and she said no, they would wait for the final runner to finish.

Adria and her support group, including the race attendant on the bike behind us.

As a final huge turn loomed before Adria, the attendant asked a group of teenagers to join her on the course, rallying behind Adria with cheers of encouragement. They became her cheerleaders (though Adria tells the story now and remarks how they did not have pom-poms!).  A large crowd waited at the finish line and joined in the cheers shouting louder. The race announcer at the finish even called her by name. As Adria heard all the cheers, she found the strength and pushed herself to cross the finish, almost 30 minutes after the race started.

Mommy takes a video of Adria's fight to the finish while cheering her on!

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE!
With her "stranger" cheerleaders behind her.

Winded, red-faced and exhausted, she smiled in her victory. Coming in last place did not matter, Adria had finished the race!   

The Little Champion

We were all so excited to see her fight to cross that finish line on her own!

At any point, Adria could have quit. She could have lost heart, grown weary and walked off the course. It was her choice. But she did not. She had to slow down and barely walk at times, but she kept going. She fought the fight and finished the race that was set before her.

We thank God for the blessing she is and pray that she keeps this strength and perseverance always.
 

Conquered: 13 Mile Run in Savannah!

Several months I decided that it was time to push myself again and run a half-marathon...that's 13.1 miles. When I saw that the Spina Bifida Association had an endurance and fundraising program called TEAM SPINA BIFIDA with the motto "Race. Compete. Inspire.", I got excited about doing a run in honor of my daughter Adria.

I signed up for the Rock'n Roll Half-Marathon in Savannah, Georgia on November 8 and pledged to raise $500.

GREAT NEWS...BOTH GOALS WERE SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED!

Thanks to the generous support of friends, family, and co-workers with on-line donations, it was fairly easy to exceed my fundraising goal and have $585 raised by race day. THANK YOU SUPPORTERS!!!

The half-marathon went very well for me, even if I was 14 weeks pregnant, and recovery was quick. There was no "bun in the oven" when I signed up for the event but I knew it was possible. Since I've been running regularly for years (though shorter distances), there was no real reason for concern...just an emphasis on staying hydrated.

Our little family of four took a road trip down to Savannah, Georgia for the weekend, allowing the girls to enjoy a lot a new experiences (and a lot of movies in the van!). It's a charming riverfront city with a lot of interesting history.

But let me tell you about the race. This was my third half-marathon. The others were in 2007 (Virginia) and 2012 (Indianapolis), and I completed a full marathon in 2007 in San Franciso, CA.

These big events are quite the EXPERIENCE. With more than 20,000 signed up to compete either the full, half or relay marathon last Saturday in Savannah, the city was buzzing with activity.

It all started at the Convention Center on Friday, where we all converged to pick up our race packets and Bib numbers...and be immersed in Health Fair trade show selling everything from sneakers to sport jelly beans to headbands and beyond.

I brought the girls in with me, carting them around in the double stroller. This was no easy task. It's hard enough to navigate this thing down the sidewalk, let alone through a crowd of thousands!

I wasn't the only one with a race packet. Adria would be running her first race on Sunday, the day after mine! That was an incredible experience (more on that next time!)

Navigating the girls through the throngs of people getting their race packets on Friday. 

 The crowds were actually much worse than they look in these pictures! I was more than ready to get out of there.

Relaxing by the River - the city is just behind us but you can't see it in this picture.

EXPERIENCE RACE DAY WITH ME!

Awake at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 8...Actually, I was awake about half the night because a certain toddler could not sleep well in the hotel.

Snap a mirror selfie trying to show my baby belly at 14 weeks... Then leave hotel while the rest of my family sleeps on.

 Park in the city by 5:30 a.m. and walk 1/2 mile to the starting line. There it is!

 Grab a bagel, banana and water to fuel up before the race. Then wait in long lines to use a porta-potty before the start.

 Escape from the crowds for a few minutes and enjoy the serenity of the Savannah riverfront a few steps away. Above an almost full moon lingers in the western sky just before the sun rises below.

 The only time I saw this busy street so empty... around 6:30 a.m. Just one street over, thousands were awaiting the race start in 30 minutes.

 And here they are. The thousands of marathoners getting ready to go. I started in corral 12 based on my expected finish time.

 It was kind of strange. In the midst of thousands of faces, I was alone. I did not recognize a single one. I've always run big races with people I know, so it was definitely different to be so far from home.

 But I quickly made friends with a sweet southern lady named Leah who was running her first half-marathon. She took this pic for me. It was about 45 degrees when the race started, so I had worn this long-sleeve shirt to stay warm. Like many other runners, it came off a couple miles into the race and was tossed on the street. (I heard they donate them to charity anyway.)

 And we are off! I carried my phone with me during the entire race, so I tried to snap some photos along the way. This is just a mile into it.

 There were many supporters along the run, including cheering crowds with signs, bands, singers and even...bagpipes ;) I thought of you, Mom.

 Leah and I became instant friends and running partners as we kept each other going and ran together through the first nine miles of the race!

 And there was the Rock'n Roll Inflatable dude to change up the scenery of the course.

 At mile 11, Adrian texted me to say he and the girls were up and having breakfast. Unfortunately, it would have been far too complicated for them to come down to the race and watch me. I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see them cheering me on, but Adrian called my phone and we were able to "Facetime" during the last 1/8 mile and through the finish line! I couldn't say much because I was exhausted, but Adria and Johanna could watch me and I could hear my little girls cheering me on to a strong finish!

 Almost 2 1/2 hours after I started the race...I crossed the finish line. Sweaty, sore, exhausted...and Victorious!

 

They handed all the finishers a Medal along with water, pretzels, chocolate milk, and energy bars as we continued in mass through the cheering crowds and to the after party. The party was a big event with bands and activities, but I was ready to go find my own little cheering section back at the hotel.

The race ended at Forsyth Park, which is a Savannah landmark, so I enjoyed it briefly.

Thankful and happy to have completed a great run!

Back at the hotel with my girls, who were my biggest fans :)

MY RACE STATS

Here are the details of this race. My finish time was just slightly better than the half-marathon I completed in 2012, but this time I did not take many walk breaks. My times aren't really brag-worthy but for a pregnant mom who only runs once or twice a week, I'll take it!

• Time to Complete the 13.1 mile run - 2 Hours 26 Minutes
• Average 11 minute/mile pace
• Came in 685 out of 1,198 Females in my age division (30-34)
• Finished 6,158 out of the 10,631 Half Marathon finishers 

Overall, the race was a great experience with many wonderful memories made. It inspired me to want to do it again and again! I love the energy and camaraderie of runners. Plus, I was able to do it for a great cause and earn two sweet medals to add to my little collection!