Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

As everyone knows, my Grandma Dille was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the beginning of the year. The whole family started the "what can we do" thought process. My mom's work had a team participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. It is an event that begins Friday night and a each member of the team is supposed to take turns walking the track until 7 am the next morning. It is symbolic of the phases of cancer and how cancer patients feel during their battle and treatment. Unfortunately, Grandma lost her battle with cancer before the Relay, so we ended up doing it in her memory. Since Grandma is dutch --we spent a few nights making a windmill out of fridge and dishwasher boxes. I think it turned out pretty neat.

This is the color guard at the start of the night

Here is the Dall Family in front of the windmill

Here's mom and the girls. We had shirts made in honor of Grandma. The front had a little dutch girl and "Onze Held" which means "Our Hero" in dutch. Here's the back...

Grandpa Dille came up for the caretakers lap. He was impressed with the windmill in honor of Grandma and even teared up a little. Grandpa told me to make sure to get a colonoscopy when it's time.....he said if he would have forced grandma to go sooner, we may still have her. I'm not sure if that's true, but I do believe that everyone should be tested when it's time!

Here is the whole Zweifel family - or as we liked to say "Team Windmill"

Here's the girls and grandpa

After the survivors and caretakers took a lap, the Relay started and we started walking....and walking.....and walking....

I am so thankful I have such supportive friends - here's Jenny and her family walking (thanks Jenny!)

Ian, Kristen, Mom and Andrea

When it got dark, they started the Luminaria Ceremony. Anyone could make a donation and get a bag in celebration or in memory of someone affected by cancer. Ben Lomond High's drummers and bag pipers played and everyone marched behind them

Bradee, Mom and Dad

Jen, Easton, McKenna, Kaylee

Garrett & James

Kaycee, Dave, Bradee

Marlee & Me

Riley & Rachel

The bag pipers then played Amazing Grace (while teardrops from heaven fell) and everyone knelt. Then each person stood and lit their candle and they read off who you were there in support of.

Mom stood first

Here are our luminaries in front of our camp site

Then.......you guessed it.......MORE WALKING!!!

Bradee and Dave

Mom, Brynlee & Garrett

During the night, they played E.T. on the scoreboard

It was REALLY cold, waiting for turns to walk

Jenny and Kayden

Rachel, Kristen, Mom and Garrett

After a LOOOOOOONG night (and the world's longest blog post) it was time to pack up and head home.

I truly hope that our efforts to raise money for cancer research helps other families who are affected by cancer. They said that 95% of people will be affected by cancer in their immediate family. That's a lot. So please, have a colonoscopy, have a mammogram, talk to your doctors if you have a family history and let's catch it before it's too late! Thanks again to everyone who donated to our team! You are WONDERFUL!