Misty shakes her rump to fight cancer

Inside a cancerous colon, originally uploaded by MCuthbert.

One of Misty's New Year's resolutions this year was to complete a 5K. She's been working on a "Couch to 5K" program, running through the neighborhood.

Today she accomplished her goal, participating in the Rumpshaker 5K, a benefit for colon cancer research. I am so proud of her!

Kendall and I accompanied Misty to the race, which began and ended at Sloss Furnaces. After the event, the runners walk through a giant inflatable colon that shows cancerous cells growing inside. It's a lighthearted look at a serious disease.

Here are some more pictures from the event.

Birthday party disaster averted

Gate closed? No problem. These girls make their own fun, originally uploaded by MCuthbert.

Kendall's birthday party almost didn't happen this weekend. She'd requested a party at Vestavia's Wald Park, which she loves because the playground is set up like a big wooden castle. Unfortunately, with an outdoor event there's no accounting for weather, and as the day drew closer, rain appeared imminent.

On top of that, almost everyone who was invited (just family) said they couldn't make it. My dad was prepping for a colonoscopy, so my parents were out. Two of Misty's cousins had to work. Then another of Misty's cousins -- the one who would have been bringing the kids -- called the morning of the party to say she wouldn't be making it, either.

Suddenly we were faced with hosting a "party" for Misty's mom and her aunt & uncle. And while Kendall loves them all dearly, that's not a very exciting guest list for a 3-year-old.

Misty was pretty upset about it and was ready to just throw in the towel. I knew it would break Kendall's heart though, to hear that her birthday party was cancelled because no one was going to show up. I got on the phone and called up a couple friends from church who have kids around Kendall's age, explained the situation, and asked if they could join us at the park for a while.

Tasting the cake
Originally uploaded by MCuthbert

Our friends saved the day. They didn't even hesitate -- they just said, "we'll be there."

Kendall never knew the difference. Instead of her little cousins, she had Addison, Kennedy, Tyler, Nolan, and Liliana to play with at her party, and she had a great time.

The intermitent rain, too, turned out to be a blessing, because it created a means for us to encourage the kids to leave the playground for a few minutes to eat. After pizza, the shower ended and they were back running around again. When another spurt of rain hit, we rounded the kids up for cake. Back to the playground for a while, then another shower meant it was time to open presents. It worked out perfectly.

Here are a few more pictures from the party.

I am so thankful for our friends who came through at the last minute to help make it a special day for Kendall.