VICTORY DINNER!!!

The night before we left Reykjavik, Team Diabetes hosted a BETTER-THAN-DELICIOUS meal for us at a local restaurant. Fred DeFina - the director of Team Diabetes - congratulated us on all of our achievements and thanked each person individually for all of their efforts. Together, we raised almost $400,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association and with that we can send close to 400 kids to camp!!! These statistics, along with a WONDERFUL speech by another delightful person, brought tears to my eyes. We really did make a difference. And something about this dinner made it feel tangible.


On that sappy note......LOOK AT THE FOOD WE WERE SERVED!!!!! IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!! The lime risotto was my favourite part :)


Well - I think this concludes my Iceland posts! We'd like to thank EVERYONE who supported us during the past year. This journey wouldn't have been possible without every penny, smile, and word of encouragement that you gave to us :)

Speaking of pennies......SAVE THEM UP! We may be running with Team Diabetes again one day, haha.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MARATHON DAY, STORYBOOK STYLE :)

Our pre-race group photo!!! Together, we raised $394,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association!!!! And guess what else? EVERY SINGLE PARTICIPANT FINISHED THEIR EVENT!!! Way to go TEAM D!!!!!

Eeeee! I remember feeling so weird in this picture - super nervous, super happy, super emotional, super eager.........It was nice to have Tayls tucked in my running "fanny pack" (<---- LOVE THEM) and to have a good set of tunes to rely on. Oh ya, and PHILLIP!!!

The starting line!!! How exciting! It is amazing to think that we began this journey exactly one year ago today (August 20th). The moment the race begins is an unforgettable one: people are cheering, giving high fives, and singing along to the music that is blasting! From now on, I will always think of this moment when I hear U2's "Beautiful Day". A beautiful day it was! Ah - I am even tearing up as I write this....

This was what the first kilometer looked like: STUNNING! I loved hearing the crowds and watching the reflections of my fellow participants dance across the water. It was not too long after this that I had my first little cry session, as Reykjavik residents came out of their homes with pots and pans to cheer us on! I suppose listening to Mariah Carey's "Hero" was another factor in my meltdown :)

YAHOO! How lucky was I to run with Spiderman and strike a pose with Superman?! As for that gorilla in the background.....he's either a zoo animal on the loose or Superman's pet.....NOT SURE. Either way, their groovin' moves kept us strong!

Less than 700 people participated in the marathon, which left us feeling like we were the only participants for many parts of the race!!!

See!!! It appears that it is just us TWO competing today! Haha. Thank you to our trainer MICKEY who ran around with our camera to capture pictures of us!!!

Superheroes in action! We were delighted to run alongside our trainer for a couple of kilometers. His spunk and passion for running really motivated us to put one foot in front of the other!!! THANKS, MICKEY!!! (<---- best trainer name, ever. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed him as much if his name was more usual....)

Bah! We made it through those dreadful 20's - where you're over half way finished but still half way to go. Those are NOT the nicest kilometers to get through. Especially when a certain someone's knee (AHEM - MINE!) gave out at kilometer 18!!!! I was in so much pain but I refused to quit. Seeing this 32 km sign encouraged me to keep on going!!!

This helped too. Not only was Tayls in my running belt, she was also on my wrist! Every time I checked our time, I was reminded of why we were there and who we were running this race for. There was no way I was going to give up. NOT A CHANCE. I was willing to have NO KNEES for the rest of my life, haha.

Just before we got to this point (about 7 km remaining), Phil's spidey sense was put to the test. We came upon an old man, laying in the tall grass. He didn't speak any English, but his leg muscles were twitching and tears were running down his face. Phil started to massage his legs while I called for help and was eventually able to attract a medic in a bright coloured vest. Once he arrived, we wished the man well and continued to the finish line.

I may look happy in this picture, but I am posing in this manner simply to hold myself up! Ouchie! Let's get this thing OVER WITH!!! HILARIOUSLY (or not so), this final kilometer felt like the LONGEST kilometer in the whole race!!!

YIPPEE-YA-HOO!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!! Joint pain and all, we finished our first FULL MARATHON in 5:41:18!!! It felt SO GOOD to complete what we set out to do and to cross the finish line TOGETHER :)

These are the two ladies we saw continuously throughout the race - Megan and Janelle! As a group, we encouraged each other to stick with it and stay positive! Thanks, girls!!!

Showing off my oh-so-special medallion to the gal we dedicated this day to - MISS TAYLOR HOIT! WE LOVE YOU, TAYLS!!!

BEAT IT!

The evening before the marathon, Phil went out with other Team Diabetes members while I worked with Tayls on my marathon music. I was way too much of a nervous nancy to relax and have fun, so staying at the hotel and prepping my race gear seemed to be the more appropriate option. I bow down to Britney and the cast of Glee for singing me through the 26.2 :)

P.S. Being fully organized and ready to go in the morning didn't seem to erase any worry. I was WIDE AWAKE for most of the night with a bad case of pre-race jitters (and the side effects of extreme hydration)!

The Famous BLUE LAGOON!!!

The Blue Lagoon - a geothermal spa - is one of the most popular travel destinations in Iceland. We visited this unbelievable place with Leah - our very first Team Diabetes friend!!! If you keep a bucket list, you may want to add this sanctuary to it!

Is this for real? How can so much natural beauty exist in one place?

Sarge finds himself in a similar situation to the Dead Sea - Ziplocked and LOVING LIFE! (I hate to admit it, but he actually looks a wee bit scared!)

Hi Leah and Phil!!! People in sweaters and jackets look on as those in the lagoon relax with healthy "spa-like" drinks (or those of another nature)!

Tayls forgot her swimsuit but Sarge was willing to share his swimwear with her! Unfortunately, the "zipping" mechanism wasn't fully intact and she had to sit on the sunny window sill when we returned to the hotel.....

Sea creature explorers!!! We spent a long time finding the coolest parts of the lagoon - including the shallow parts, the "really hot" parts (the temperature ranges from 98 to 102 F), the "massaging" waterfall, and the spooky cave......

There were big buckets of "GOOK" (<--- or "silica nourishing mask") that patrons could apply on their skin for free. Just apply, let dry for 5 to 10 minutes, wash off, and FEEL FRESHER!

Our Mrs. Doubtfire moment. I wonder why Phil didn't want to participate....

Can you spot us?! Talk about relaxing. AND DEHYDRATING!!! I drank so much water after this water-zapping affair!!! Definitely not recommended pre-race.

This place was HONEYMOON CENTRAL! It may not have been our honeymoon, but a day at this place sure made it feel like one!

[Side Note: I was just on the website for the Blue Lagoon - where there happens to be a LIVE WEBCAM! Haha, if only I had known sooner....you could have joined in on our experience!!!]

The Premiere Soir!

It was after 5 before we got settled into our hotel room and we decided to peruse the downtown before heading to bed early. Our hotel was right near the city centre, so exploring the area was quite easy!!!

Here it is - the gem booked for our team!

Our walk by the harbour. Ah - FRESH AIR!!!

You can see the new opera house in the background. You should have seen it all lit up and pretty on Culture Night!

Memories of our wedding day in Cyprus....

Even at a chilly temperature of 12 degrees, everyone is outside - enjoying the (seems-to-be-never-ending) sunshine! HELLO - cute sweaters EVERYWHERE!!! Oh - I did get one of those by the way. I hope it gets cold in Kuwait soon!!!

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!

Taylor has finally arrived at the hotel - just in time for an enjoyable lunch and our arrival at terminal three! Usually I want to sit beside Phillip on the plane.....but I'm kinda hoping he won't mind if I choose to sit with Tayls this time! He's been acting funny anyways....I've never seen Phil embarrassed around my sister before. It must be his pre-flight jitters.

Thank you for all of the encouraging messages (and blog posts!) we received this morning. We are so blessed to have all of these cheerleaders in our lives!!!

Oh -the food is here! Must go!!!

BLOG YA SOON!!!!!

How do we look?!

Here we are in our new "Team Diabetes" tees! We wore them for a nice and easy 10K yesterday morning - and even got some roadside compliments!!! Soon enough we will be sporting these tops with other Canadians in ICELAND! YAHOO!!!!!

Thank YOU.

I remember when I first got the idea to join Team Diabetes last summer. Many thought I was crazy (even Phil!) for thinking that dream was possible. I mean, the task of raising $12,200 is a wee bit daunting.....even when you take all of our GENEROUS friends and family into consideration! And you know what? We almost didn't do it. We almost gave in to the "YA RIGHT'S", "IMPOSSIBLE'S" and "You're crazy's!!!". But then we went for lunch with my friend, Sara McConnell. Our conversation went something like this:


Lindsay: We'd have to raise $12,200......which is a lot, I know.

Sara: So? You said you were going to climb Kilimanjaro...

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And you did it.

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And then you said you were going to run a half marathon....

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And you did it.

Lindsay: We did.

Sara: And now you're telling me you want to raise $12,200 for diabetes.

Lindsay: Yes...

Sara: And just like everything else you set out to do....YOU WILL DO IT!!!

Lindsay: You think?

Sara: Lindsay - YOU WILL DO IT. And if you don't - you will regret it.

Lindsay: I think so too.


Well, Sara.....WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! We raised $12,200 for Team Diabetes!!!! And without your encouragement and love, we would have kept this idea just that. AN IDEA. You believed in us and for that reason, we are feeling so happy this evening about our success. THANK YOU, SARA. We love you.

Before I sign off here, I'd like to leave you with this quote from my gal Oprah:

I don't think you ever stop giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being able to touch somebody's life.

You see, tonight I was on the phone with Tayls, talking about our daily happenings. Part of her day involved a big hunt for insulin pump supplies, while part of my day involved a big hunt for "running sunglasses". Part of her day involved a credit card purchase that couldn't be avoided, while part of my day involved an optional swipe of the VISA card. Part of her day involved stress and worry, while most of my day was carefree and happy. I don't like it. It's not fair. But because of the donations we received over the last year (FROM ALL OF YOU!), the Canadian Diabetes Association is able to fight in every way possible to make things a little more equal. One day, Tayls may not need her pump. One day, Tayls may not have "diabetes". One day, Tayls will only wear a bracelet for fun instead of necessity.

I love you TAYLOR. We did this FOR YOU. You are our inspiration when it comes to life and living and every kilometer in that marathon will be dedicated to YOU.

Thank you to everyone who supported our cause. Your compassion will inspire us to put one foot in front of the other on August 20th.

1st Annual "Dinars 4 Diabetes" Charity Golf Tournament.

Phil's golf tournament for Team Diabetes was a GREAT SUCCESS this Saturday. With the help of his buddy Kelly and the wonderful people at the Kuwait International Golf & Country Club, he put together a fantastic day on the course! The weather was perfect - with a nice breeze and slightly overcast sky - and it was as though the grass turned a special shade of "bright green" just for the occasion!

The tournament attracted 54 individuals and every participant seemed to have an enjoyable day of golf. They were happy to go home with a prize (yes, Phil arranged so that every golfer would receive one!) and a delicious lunch awaited those who completed their 9 holes. Phil gave a short speech at the end of the day to thank everyone who helped make the tournament a success and he was sure to mention our motivation behind Team Diabetes (ah-hem, our sister TAYLOR!). Next year, he hopes to organize an even "better" (<---- his words, NOT mine!) tournament for diabetes education and research. With the overwhelming response from year one, I am sure year two will be a blast!!!

Our fundraising total for the event is (drum-roll please): $2511.25!!!!!!!

Thank you to all those who were involved in this very successful event!

Our "Sweetie for Diabetes".

On Saturday, my beautiful sister Taylor held a bake sale for Team Diabetes. It was an incredibly kind gesture she made to help us out with our fundraising efforts and she certainly went ABOVE and BEYOND anything we could have imagined. I mean - this girl has TWO full-time jobs (GLUTEN-FREE BAKER and SUPER-MAMA) and she STILL found the time to make all of these delicious treats and a colourful, attention-grabbing poster!!! Her enthusiasm to raise money for diabetes is really admirable and we are so thankful for all of the hard work she put in to make this bake sale a HUGE SUCCESS! Check out our fundraising thermometer on the left side of the page - her event put us OVER the half-way point!!!!

WAY TO GO, TAYLS!!!! We LOVE YOU! Thank you for being YOU! XOXO

A KIND-HEARTED LIST!

Whenever I doubt people, I click on our "THANKS" page and awe at all the individuals who've supported our mission with Team Diabetes!

From our head to our toes, every part of us is THANKFUL FOR YOU! Your donations have motivated us to keep going and enjoy the journey.

Open your heart (and your wallet, haha) HERE!

"Dinars 4 Diabetes" Charity Golf Tournament.

Please join us for the 1^st Annual “Dinars 4 Diabetes” Charity Golf Tournament which is to be held at the Kuwait International Golf & Country Club on Saturday May 14^th, 2011. Teams are asked to register before Thursday May 12^th to ensure their spot in the tournament.

WHO? Male and Female Golfers of all skill sets and abilities!!!!!

WHAT? A Four Person “Texas Scramble” Golf Tournament (Includes a Welcome Gift, a Bucket of Range Balls, Nine Holes of Golf, a BBQ and Prizes!!!!!!)

WHERE? Kuwait International Golf & Country Club (South on Hwy 40 and turn right on Exit 306. Then take the 2^nd U-Turn, and the course will be on your right and is identifiable by the green fence.)

WHEN? Saturday May 14^th (Range Open at 5:45am, Shotgun Start at 7am, BBQ and Prizes 10-11am)

WHY? To have lots of fun and to support Diabetes Research, Education, Awareness, and Advocacy!!!

COST: 25KD / Person and 100KD / Team (You can sign up as an individual or as a team) Note: 10KD of each entry fee is directly donated to “Team Diabetes”.

HOW TO REGISTER MY TEAM? Please contact either Phillip Parkinson (9990 8357, phillip_parkinson@hotmail.com) or the KIGCC directly at 23925195 or 23925467.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please check out our website at www.kigcc.com, or email Phillip Parkinson (phillip_parkinson@hotmail.com).

*RENTAL CLUBS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST*

GUESS WHAT?!

Phil has organized a "Dinars 4 Diabetes" charity golf tournament for May 14th! He's excited to have his friends come out and enjoy a great day for a GREAT cause. Remember - if you can't make it all the way to Kuwait to participate, you can always contribute online by clicking HERE.

Team "D" Tuesday, Week #25

Our thoughts and prayers are with Japan. We hope yours are too.