Light the Night 2009

Amazingly enough this was the 4th annual Night the Light for Team Klara.  Kara has been gone for 5 years, but never forgotten.  I can't believe how time moves so fast and how it even goes on at all.  And being there at Light the Night with her family and friends feels so good and so bad all at the same time.  It also gives me hope that we will do this walk forever.  For me it's not so much about raising money for blood cancer research (which is very important and I will be fundraising doubly hard in 2010!) but it is a great time to get together with people who were important in Kara's life.  I know that it is a year away, but if you can just take one Saturday next year to celebrate and remember Kara you won't regret it and we would LOVE to see you there.

Anyway, the walk was once again a success.  I did a bit of misjudging on when the walk was (date wise - I thought it was in October!) so I had to work the morning of the walk.  I didn't really want to drag the kids to Davenport (I drove there and back to Des Moines in the same afternoon/evening) because they have been going there quite a bit because of Hawkeye home games and my work schedule.  So I left the family at home this year and my mom came with instead.  We had a very nice time.  She got to catch up with Mary House and I got to fawn over baby Nora and talk with great friends. 

Here are some pictures from our evening:

Marcy (Kara's sister)

Jod, Scott, James, Ken (among others in the background!)

Checking out some lost balloons

Jen, Nora (in stroller), Scott and Marcy

Mom chattin' it up with Danika Perron (classmate of Nathan's) - she volunteers her time and takes team pictures at the event.  

Mom, Marcy, Dayton (Marcy's oldest son)

James, Scott, Jod (notice the headphones on Jod - she couldn't miss the Hawkeye game!)

Our shirts this year had a phrase written from a birthday card that Kara had sent Jen one year.  They said "Hope you have an awesome day" and it was in Kara's handwriting.  Very cool!