Saturday is the only day pink is my favorite color

Last week the following things were heard around our house,  "Saturday is the only day pink is my favorite color."  and "I am going to run the 5K this year." and "How many more days until the Race for the Cure?"  and "Whose group are you going in? Dad's, Mom's, Aunt Hilary's or Aunt Amy's"

This has become one of the best family traditions that we have. The kids look forward to the race all year, in fact as we left this year they were already talking about who was going to run the 5K next year. 

It is funny this is the one Saturday that the kids don't complain about getting up early on a Saturday. In fact they were up before I was and had started breakfast before I could point them towards the lovely carb filled doughnuts I had purchased the day before.  They got themselves ready and got Matty ready and were in the car a full ten minutes ahead of schedule.

We drove downtown this year, by passing public transportation and saving ourselves from the crowds and a few dollars. And the kids were ready to go. Donning their pirate gear this photo right here became a photo opt for more than just mom. 

So there we were. The Bradly Pirate crew, with Matty, Captain of the the Pink Pearl. We are a surly bunch of buccaneers. 

Matty refused to don any of his pirate outfit, except for the pink belt. That boy has style.

The best thing about this race is we do it with family. Some of these kids have been doing this race since they were weeks old, it is fun to watch them get excited about this walk every year. That may have something to do with the swag that they love to collect- this year there was even cake pops. 

We all participated in one race or another. I was sidelined to the one mile with the boys thanks to my broken toe. While the girls and Christian did the 5K. In the end though we all finished.

It was a bittersweet year to walk though. Thoughts of Grandma Helen were fresh in all our minds, we walked in honor of her and missed her. Whenever we took her with us on that race she always thought that everyone was there for her, as if she was the only cancer survivor in the state of Utah.

It was a beautiful day and a ton of fun and a tradition that we will continue. I love that my kids don their new favorite color, pink, once a year. I love that they are learning that so many people are effected by cancer every year. I love that maybe they might learn a little empathy and compassion to others who are suffering.