Spread The Better: KELLY & BRIAN

People come into our lives everyday in one way or another. The lady checking out behind you in the grocery store, the mechanic working on your car, your children's teachers...we cross paths with others constantly. Have you ever thought back to how you met your best friends? Where were you? What made you strike up a conversation with them that lead to them becoming a cherished person in your life? However we choose to go about it, developing friendships in our lives is an integral part of our happiness. Good friends will hold us up when we feel unable to stand. Friends will put their own life on hold in a moment when we need a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on. Being a friend is a talent. I truly believe this. I have many people whom I consider dear friends but there are a handful of them who are gifted with the ability to be an amazing and selfless friend.

Lauren, "LoLo", is one of these people whose charisma, energy, joyous nature, and pure heart create the perfect recipe for a genuinely great friend. She is there for others and has been there for me throughout the last two years. This is not because she has to, this is not because I've asked her to, it is because she feels the desire in her heart to bless the lives of others.

Thank you LoLo for setting an example of what it means to be a true friend. Thanks for helping to spread Andrew's message to "be better". He would've thought you were incredibly special, I know that by how you bless my life and the lives of his children. I was so honored that you chose to represent this great cause at your latest race. Check out LoLo and her awesome friend at their event below...

LoLo is one of these people...

So are our dear friends who we were able to meet up with today. Kelly and Brian live in Wilmington, Delaware. Just as Andrew and I do, they have four beautiful children...3 boys and a girl. When I mentioned to Shiloh that we were going to visit a family with 3 boys and a girl, she was anxious to hang out with their Kaitlyn.

It just so happened that the day we were in Delaware, their son Brody had a flag football game. This was the perfect solution to the pent up energy in the kids from being on the bus, as well as their desire to have friends to play with. We rolled up to the flag football field in the bus and let the fun begin.

Jaxon, Choice, Kaitlyn, Ryder, Brody, Bentley, Brian, Kelly, Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate

We introduced the 8 kids to one another and observed how quickly kids develop friendships. I believe us "grownups" should take notes.

Jaxon, Choice, Kaitlyn, Ryder, Brody, Bentley, Brian, Kelly, Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate

Just as I'd anticipated, Shiloh and Kaitlyn hit it off instantly. Kaitlyn is a cheerleader for Brody's football team and she is as cute as a button. Shiloh wasn't sure what they would do because she thought Kaitlyn may be more girly than she. It wasn't long before the tomboy in both of them came out and they were rolling in the grass with the boys.

Shiloh and Kaitlyn

I had a wonderful time chatting with Kelly and Brian, which also meant I was blessed to snuggle on their sweet baby Bentley. He is a doll! Smiles from ear to ear the entire time we were together. He is their cherry on top...which is well deserved once you have reached number 4.

Kelly, Brian, Bentley, and Juliann

I must mention sweet Kelly. She is an incredible woman! When she and Brian began dating many years ago, Brian was working on wildland fires in California. He still serves as a volunteer fireman but no longer in the capacity that he did back then. However, there is something within a firefighter that forever stays connected with his brotherhood. Brian and Kelly were so effected by the Yarnell Hill tragedy in large part because of their close connection and understanding of the life of a firefighter. They understand the sacrifices that go into being a firefighter and having four small children at home. Or, being married to a man whom you send off to work at a dangerous job each day while you stay home raising your four children. This is such a tremendous sacrifice in and of itself. So Kelly, being the sweetheart that she is, reached out to me. She offered up her families home and their time to us so that we may pay them a visit while we were here in Delaware.

Kelly, Bentley, and Juliann

Such kindness and compassionate nature has worked its way from the top down. This loving family received us with open arms today. It was a blast to see the boys run crazy like a mob around the football field. To any onlookers, they may have appeared to be a tiny little gang.

Choice

Choice and Jaxon

Tate, Jaxon, and Choice

Tate

Brody, Tate, and Ryder

Tate, Jason, Kaitlyn, Shiloh, Brian, Brody, Choice, and Jaxon

Kaitlyn, Shiloh, Brian, Ryder, Brody, Choice, and Jaxon

Tate, Jaxon, Choice, Shiloh, Brian, Brody, and Ryder

Jaxon, Tate, Choice, Shiloh, Brian, Kaitlyn, Brody, and Ryder

Choice

Choice and Jason

Ryder

Shiloh

Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Jaxon, and Kaitlyn

Shiloh

Choice and Jaxon

Jaxon and Choice

Brian, Kaitlyn, Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Brody

Brian, Choice, Kaitlyn, and Jason

Choice, Kaitlyn, Tate, and Jason

Choice, Kaitlyn, Ryder, Brody, Bentley, Brian, Kelly, Jaxon, Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate

Thank you Kelly and Brian for using one of those moments as random as the woman behind you at the grocery store, to initiated a cherished and lasting friendship. You looked for an opportunity to serve, an opportunity to love, and opportunity to empathize, an opportunity to ease another's burdens...and you did just that! You guys are doing an incredible job spreading the better in Delaware and the results of that work have blessed lives all across this great state...even reaching us in Arizona. God bless you!! Hug and kiss those kiddos for me!

Choice, Kaitlyn, Ryder, Brody, Bentley, Brian, Kelly, Jaxon, Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate

I had one of THESE...

...realizations when we got back onto the bus after the flag football game. The kids had eaten pretzels for lunch because that's what was available at the concession stand. Their thin hoodies and shorts (in 40 degree weather) were covered in stickers, grass, and mud from playing behind the field, and they were reeking havoc on everything in sight. Naturally, since we'd left such a positive footprint in Delaware, we thought we'd end the day with a bang in Philadelphia. The kids had just the right dose of energy today for the task that lay ahead for them there.

Ryder, Rusty, Juliann, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice

But that would have to wait for a few more minutes. We made one last stop in Newark Delaware before heading towards Pennsylvania.

Tate, Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, Ryder, and Rusty

Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, and Choice

Unfortunately, Ms. Chris was out of town for the weekend so we left her some bands and cards. I hope she knows how much she contributed to our healing. Thank you Chris!

Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, and Choice

Whenever I think of Philadelphia, two things come to my mind.

1. The Liberty Bell.

2. Rocky Balboa

(In no particular order) :-)

We took time to stop by both of these historically relevant landmarks, starting with the Rocky tribute.

Ryder, Juliann, and Shiloh

Ryder, Juliann, Choice, Shiloh, and Tate

Juliann, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice

Tate, Jason, Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Juliann

Jason and Juliann

Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice

Jason, Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Juliann

It didn't take a lot of convincing to get the kids off the bus here, They were decked out in their Be Better gear...the other gang to which they belong. Willing and prepared to run those Philly stairs just as Rocky did when he was training.

https://youtu.be/Z8v8cktq63Q

And just like the stallion, we were off!

Shiloh, Juliann, Tate, Ryder, and Choice

Shiloh, Juliann, Ryder, Tate, and Choice

Shiloh, Juliann, Ryder, Choice, and Tate

Tate, Choice, Ryder, Juliann, and Shiloh

EVERYONE MADE IT!!

Even with three different bridal parties taking pictures on these stairs, we made it to the top!!! I'm not sure how much they appreciated us accomplishing that feat but we were pretty excited about it. (Which is evident by the following celebratory moves...)

Choice, Ryder, Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate

Ryder, Juliann, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice

Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Juliann

Choice

Tate

Shiloh

Ryder

Juliann

Jason

Training like Rocky brought out the fighter spirit in us. Jason and I had a little match up at the top of the stairs. I'll let you determine for yourself who you think won the match.

Jason and Juliann

Juliann and Jason

Jason and Juliann

Juliann and Jason

Jason and Juliann

Juliann and Jason

Truths.

Jason and Juliann

We made our way back down the stairs where the victory dancing continued at the bottom...

Choice

Tate

Tate and Choice

Shiloh, Juliann, Tate, Choice, and Ryder

Tate, Shiloh, Choice, Ryder, and Juliann

Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Juliann

Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice

Shiloh, Ryder, and Choice

Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Ryder

Juliann, Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder

This was a good release for us today. We were essentially able to play all day long, beginning at the flag football game. The sunset in Philadelphia was beautiful.

Jason

Juliann, Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Jason

Shiloh

Ryder

Juliann, Shiloh, and Tate

Tate and Shiloh

Juliann, Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, and Choice

As we were admiring the artwork on display downtown, I was thinking about Andrew's favorite movie clip. It, of course, came from the man himself, Rocky Balboa.

Please click on the link below...

https://youtu.be/A_zHFQ-5es0

KEEP MOVIN' FOWARD!

Jason and Rusty

Jason, Tate, and Rusty

Shiloh

Tate and Shiloh

Juliann and Shiloh

Juliann

Juliann and Shiloh

We ended the day at the Liberty Bell. It was pretty late in the evening and we were only able to view it through a glass enclosure, so the stop was very brief.

Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Juliann

Tate, Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, and Ryder

Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, and Choice

Juliann, Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Jason

Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice

This was a great day and a wonderful chance to refocus. An opportunity to remember Rocky's advice that it's not about how hard you get hit but about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE HOPE, YOU'RE DEFEATED BEFORE YOU START.

Have hope, have fun, and have a blast while doing it.

Spread The Better

Friday, October 23, 2015

KELLY & BRIAN - Delaware

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