Hi everyone,
It is now Sunday, one week after the Disney marathon week-end. As I look back,
it all seems like a dream. It comes and goes far too quickly. I have run Disney
four years in a row now. The first year it was my daughter Angela and Granddaughter
Maggie and myself that made the trip to Disney. This year our group included ten
adults and four kids. Next year it will be five kids. When John and Angel made it
back home to Davenport Iowa, they went to the doctor and found they are pregnant.
Baby due about Sept 13th! Love those grandkids!! This will be number five! The
logistics of getting so many people to anyplace on time is not easy.
Saturday morning Maggie, Nancy, Jesse, and Myself ran the family fun run. This
was our second year in a row for doing the family fun run. I am hoping this will
inspire Maggie to run the marathon with me someday when she is old enough. We took
it slow. Maggie's legs just are not as long as the rest of us. I did not get a
chance to train with Maggie this year as they moved to Charlotte North Carolina.
Maggie's folks had her training at the gym on the tread mill however and Maggie
did very well. I am very proud of her.
Saturday afternoon we drove cross town to visit the "Picture People" to
have pictures taken of our grandkids. Not often we get them all together at one
time so we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. We went right from the
pictures to the APD, we were a little late but we made it. There was a point were
I didn't think we would make it at all. We had a great time at the APD, talking
with everyone, catching up with old friend and meeting new ones. Wish we had more
time to talk and catch up.
Sunday morning Nancy, Jesse, and myself made our way to Epcot. We all ran the half.
It was very cold at the start. The three of us started out together for about the
first couple of miles. Then Jesse pulled ahead and ran his own race. Nancy and I
stayed together. They were both running their first half marathon. Their longest
race before this was the Bix in Davenport Iowa which is a seven mile run. Nancy
and I had a great time together. Stopping to have our pictures taken with all of
the Disney characters along the course. Just before we ran through the castle I
spotted someone that looked like Disney Dead Diane Cusimano ahead of us. I hollered
out, "hey, there is another Disney Dead". Diane turned and waved. We
were just getting our pictures taken with some Disney Characters so we did not
have a chance to talk. I am pretty sure it was Diane, if I am wrong, I apologize
in advance. Nancy and I finished in three hours and about four min. We were not
out to set any records, we said at the start we just wanted to have fun and that
is what we did. Jesse finished in about 2hrs 20 min. They both did very well.
Jesse has signed up for next year already, do not know if Nancy will be running
next year or not, because they want to have another child (grandchild number six
for us!) so Nancy might be pregnant next year for Disney. Will have to wait and see.
Monday morning John and Angi flew back to Davenport. Angela, Rick, Maggie, Jordan,
and Dillon came home with Jan and I to Melbourne on their way back to North
Carolina. Then on Wednesday Nancy, Jesse, and Sydney came and spent the balance
of the week with us in Melbourne. They left this morning to go back to Cedar Rapids
Iowa. The house seems sort of quiet and empty this afternoon and it is back to
work tomorrow but for now I will savor all the great memories of the past week!
Sounds like everyone had a great time at Disney and I would like to congratulate
all of the first timers and all the veterans of Disney as well for a job well
done!! And a special congratulations to Bart for his PR, it sound like you had a
fantastic run!
Bob Chapman
