Finished!!!!!

This picture says it all!! 

 WE DID IT!

13.1 miles all for our sweet future daughter!

But we did not do it alone!  We were joined by nearly 1,500 other runners all running for the purpose of adoption and orphan care!  Even more than that we were joined by some precious friends who sacrificed finances, time, and their bodies to help bring our Kenzi home!

Here are 10 out of 14 Kenzi for Keeps team members!!

We were especially surprised when our sweet friends Keith and Jennifer decided not only to come and cheer us on but to also join our team and go the distance with us!  They used a kid free weekend to bless our lives and the life of Kenzi...that is a sacrifice!!:)

I loved training with my hubby and then getting run together!  He did finish before me but he was waiting with a smile and encouragement when I came up to the finish line!

It was also such a treat to share this day with my sister.  She and her friend Val have been training just about as long as Nathan and I have.  It has been so fun to encourage one another from a distance!

By the way...Val smoked all of us with a time of 1hour 50 minutes!!  And it was her first half!

The race itself was just an amazing experience.  Just knowing that we were all gathered to run for our future children and for the children who remain in orphanages had me emotional from the start.  I spent time praying for our girl all along the way!

12 out of our 14 team members raced and finished!!

Keith encouraging Jennifer and Brandi as they finish strong!

Kasey blew us away and ran like a rock star!

Michelle, Chris, and Amy...finished!!

We ended our morning with a free massage...wonderful!!  And then headed to my parent's house where they had literally prepared a feast for us!

 

We are so thankful for all of you who have been apart of the Kenzi for Keeps race...from the prayers, to those of you who donated,  the sweet messages on race day, the friends who ran, my sweet parents for watching our kids AND preparing a post race meal,  to my sweet friend who knew she wouldn't be able to come and run but decided to do her own Kenzi for Keeps jar and added 5 dollars every time she walked a mile for our girl...this was totally a group effort and I hope that someday our sweet Kenzi will read this and know how loved she was even before we saw her face!!

Friends don't let friends run alone!  I am so thankful for these girls and their support and encouragement along this journey!  Our shirts are from the race and say...running with purpose!

Can I admit that I cried a little as I neared the finish line...it was lined with pictures of adopted children...reminding the runner why we were running.  I couldn't help but to think what it will be like to see Kenzi's picture there next year.  Really this race has been so much like the process to adopt.  There has been training and preparation, right now we are enduring as we continue to wait, and someday (hopefully soon) we will cross the finish line and bring our girl home.  I know that day won't even compare with the excitement we felt when we finished this 13.1!!!

Next up...training for another half!!!  Now that I have run one I have got to beat my time!:)