My Husband Rocks! The extended edition...

Okay, the dryer-crayon catastrophe has been diffused, so I am at liberty to post what I was originally going to post yesterday. Welcome to My Husband Rocks! Frid...oh wait...Saturday!

Thursday night we headed out to the annual Firecracker 5k, held every year at The Racquet Club of Memphis. We love going to this benefit run. It raises thousands of dollars for St. Jude's Research Hospital, here in Memphis. Our family has a friend who is currently a patient at St. Jude, so it's especially important to us. But we are not just participants, no sirree! Well, okay, I am. But you know this is My Husband Rocks! so...

My husband rocks because he RAN in the 5K! I can't tell you how proud I am of him. Two years ago was his first run, at this very event. He became addicted to it. He ran in almost every 5K that was to be run around Memphis. Then, in December of 2006, he ran his second best time in below freezing temperatures and strained his lungs so much so that he ended up with pneumonia...two bouts that lasted well into March. Needless to say that getting back into running was a scary prospect for him, but knowing how badly he wanted to run in this race, he began training for it again. His lungs are fine now, much to our anxious thoughts' relief.

So, we headed out to the Racquet Club yet again...And after waiting around for a bit, as well as taking some photos with his company's team (they were a sponsor of the event), and of course a photo with the Kiddo, he kissed me goodbye and waded into the mass of runners. This is one of the most popular races in the city with about 3500 or so participants. There were news crews and even a helicopter circling the route.

There is so much celebration going on for this event. With it being held the day before July 4th, there are always people wearing patriotic running gear, folks in their yards with sprinklers sprinkling to cool the runners as they pass by, and of course all the fanfare before the race, with balloons to set free, the National Anthem to sing, and Old Glory to raise.

I'm telling you, I cannot hear the National Anthem sung, especially around 4th of July, without tearing up. Unless I'm singing it. Then I get into a zone and I'm able to do it without the tears. Anyway, this woman singing it was phenomenal. And being amidst all those people, watching that huge flag wave in the breeze, it was just amazing. And hearing my little boy singing along without missing a word or note...it just was about too much for this mother's patriotic heart.

After the start, Kiddo and I had nothing to do for a while, so we found the misters and I let him mosey on through to cool off, even though it was a comfortable 85 or so degrees. VERY unlike July 3rd in Memphis.

Then we sat around the Club until we heard the applause and shouts that announced the first runners coming in a short 15 mintues after the start. I'm sure this was a welcome sight for them...

And we settled in to wait for Daddy. We knew several folks running; Several of my sweet husband's co-workers, although I only saw Larry, his boss, come in. Then we saw our church's preschool director, Sissie, come in. I know there were several others we knew, but folks were such a blur coming in that I'm surprised I could tell who anyone was.

I did pay attention to some of the faces. There were a myriad of emotions running over the people. Some were of quiet determination. Some were of sheer joy that they had made it to the finish. Others were of determined pain. I wondered what was going through their minds as they crossed that finish line, with the music blaring and the "BEEP, BEEP" constant from the computer chips being read as they came across (both of which, the music and the beeping, was making me quite deaf). But in the end, all I truly cared about seeing was one face. It was almost like a celebrity was coming when I finally saw his face in the crowd. "There he is! There he is!"

This picture is blurry because just before we caught sight of him a doofus stood in the street, right in the middle of my line of sight so I couldn't get a better shot. Grrr.... Anyway, I think it's great, now. It shows him in motion. And crossing the finish line with this very respectable time...

His goal was to come in under 50 minutes. He made it with time to spare and was pleased. Considering this was his first race since two bouts of pneumonia, I think it's remarkable.

Just like I think he is remarkable.