Relay for Life 2013

Another year has gone and last weekend it was once again time to Relay for the American Cancer Society.  Our family has in one form or another participated in the relay since they started in Jasper back when I was still in school.  It started out as Dad as the team captain then I think one of my aunts did it for a few years and the last several years my cousin's Gwen and Emily have done it.  Now it's mostly cousin's on the team but it's always a good time and a good reason to get together and try to raise some money for a very worthy cause.
The relay starts at 6pm on Friday evening and ends at noon on Saturday.  I worked all day on Friday so when I got the kids and got home and loaded the bags for our trip then we met Wes at ElNopal and got some supper.  After eating the kids and I headed for mom and dad's house.  I dropped the kids off with mom and dad and settled them in and headed for Jasper to meet Gwen, Emily, April, and Brooke at the Relay.  Due to the rain they decided early on Friday that they were going to move the event into the gym at the middle school.  This is the first time they had ever had to move it so I wasn't sure how it would work out but I think it worked pretty well.  They have two gyms so they put the 'campsites' in one and the walking track in the other.  They encourage onsite fund raising and this years theme was "growing seeds of hope" so we had styrofoam cups and potting soil and seeds and markers, glitter, stickers and other decorations so people could grow their own seeds of hope.  We didn't make a lot but it was something.  We walked and talked and had a good time visiting then sat down and watched the luminary ceremony.  They used glow sticks for the candles since we were inside and I think it worked great.  After the ceremony we walked some more and visited and had pizza at midnight.  I think most of us left around 12:45am to get a few hours of sleep.
Saturday morning mom and dad had a house showing so we cleaned the house and packed up the car and we all headed into the Relay again.  We spent the morning walking and visiting and stayed for the closing ceremony at noon.
Our picture during the luminary ceremony even made it in the local paper :)

Saturday after Relay we went back to mom and dad's.  I helped dad replace the kitchen faucet and the kids played with some air planes mom had bought them.  We ate supper there then headed back home.