Way to go Nate! Your wife and daughter (and so many others) are so proud of you!!!
Here's a quick recap of how that day went:
Nate got up and went to meet the bus that would bring him to the starting line too early to be called anything but ungodly. Seriously....it was early. It was only about 45-50 degrees when the race began and the wind was at the runners' backs the entire race so for them, it was great. Not ideal conditions for those of us cheering, but we weren't doing all the hard work, so I can't complain.
My (Jenny's) parents and sister also made the drive up to Duluth that Saturday to help cheer on Nate as he ran. Together we made it to four different mile markers along the race including the finish line.
And you can see that Moriah was a trooper that day. She got taken out of her crib at 4 am to be put in the car for almost 3 hours. When she got to Duluth it was cold and rainy and she was in and out of the carrier and car seat all day. No good naps and feedings as best we could along the way. Seriously, couldn't ask for a better baby! She's amazing!
Of course, it wasn't all work and no play. We (Nate and Jenny) went up to Duluth on Thursday evening and checked into our lovely accommodations at the University of Minnesota Duluth dorms! (Can we say, second honeymoon, anyone?!) We didn't think a dorm room was ideal with six-month-old so we begged and pleaded and finally Grandma and Grandpa Kissel (my parents), graciously agreed to take their granddaughter for a couple days. Ok, really they had already said that they were thinking of driving up to come cheer on Nate and I offered to let them take Moriah for a couple days to sweeten the deal--Moriah gets to spend Thursday and Friday with her Grandparents, they drive her up to meet us on Saturday and we all cheer on Nate together!
The added bonus: Nate and I had a full day in Duluth just the two of us to do whatever we wanted! (Plus, this was our first overnight away from Moriah.) So, after picking up his race packet we got some lunch, went to a movie, walked around a bit, got out for dinner, and then caught up on some TV shows online while back in our luxurious...dorm room. Ok, the dorm room was just a place to sleep at best, but it was great to get away.
Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Kissel for not only taking your granddaughter for a couple days, but also for making the trip up to Duluth. Dad, thank you for driving around and parking in lots of not-so-easy-to-park-in places. Thank you Kristi, for joining us and remembering to take pictures of the day. Thank you Moriah for being the best little trooper.
THANK YOU DONORS for donating in support of Moriah's adoption through Nate's run in Grandma's Marathon!!!!! You didn't have to give, but we accept your generosity with appreciation and humility. In the end, we know that it is God who ultimately provides. But we also believe that he often chooses to provide through people. We are thankful for your support. And while we still have a long journey ahead of us, every gift is a blessing and reminder to keep moving forward.
Thank you all, again!
