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28/04/2008 One event down - One to go!Hey gang..........Tracy did great this weekend at the OKC Memorial Marathon. She finished the half marathon in some really challenging conditions. Meredith and I cheered hard........and Meredith loved ringing the cowbell! What an amazing event! I was even more impressed with the Team in Training organization and participants than ever before. Go Team!
I had the privilege of speaking with the TnT troops on the Saturday night pre-race event. Shed a few tears but it is always good when you share about Mitchell.
On another note........Mitchell's headstone arrived today. It is perfect. I have pix.......or you can go see for yourself at Spring Creek Cemetary. Tough stuff - good stuff.
More info later.........check out the pix. 25/04/2008 Chick Fil A Day - Go Mitch Go!Today, April 25th - all day!
Chick Fil A - NW Expressway!
Tell them you are with Go Mitch Go! 22/04/2008 Month 8thI must be honest, these last few weeks have been rough for me. My missing Mitchell just continues to seem greater with each month.....I think it is because it is spring and spring is Mitchell's season. It hit me hard last week when I had to take Meredith to the doctor for strep throat. I had to fill out new paperwork for whatever reason, all was well until the family history part. When it came to "brother" the first box was "Alive" the 2nd box was "Deceased" and I was to put an X by one or the other. It caught me off guard and I skipped over it and finished the rest of the questions, but I knew I would have to answer it eventually. I could feel my heart begin to beat harder, the lump in my throat was so big I could hardly swallow, it took everything in me to remain calm, cool and collected. Deep down I was mad! I was mad that they needed me to fill out the paperwork.....why does everyone have to switch to computer files anyway? I begrudgingly returned to the question, I placed an X by cancer and an X by "deceased." I wanted to cry, I felt sick to my stomach, I felt the need to apologize to Mitchell..."Buddy, I am so sorry I had to do that...." The poor girl behind the desk...... I am sure she is still wondering why I was giving her the "evil eye" as I gave her back my paperwork......
Our pastor has been doing a series on the Parable of the Farmer, you know, the one about the seeds and the different types of soil(found in Matthew 13). It has been a great series and I have learned a lot from it. Each week he has discussed the types of soil which are actually the conditions of our hearts. One thing he said this week really hit home with me, he said that we choose the condition of our own hearts. I thought about that and how it related to me and what we have been through. I could choose to curl up in a ball and stay in bed all day, I could choose to be mad at God and the entire world. Would it get me anywhere or make me feel any better....? I highly doubt it.... I choose to believe in God and in His will and plans for my life. I choose to trust Him on those days(which seem like most days lately)when I just want to pull the covers up over my head and let the day pass without me. I choose, and want God to consume me from the inside out!
This Sunday I will participate in my first half-marathon, it has felt great to be a part of such a wonderful cause and I do not have any doubts that I can do it, however, Sunday in April 27th, it will be exactly 8 months that Mitchell has been gone and I fear my heart will ache heavily on Sunday as is does the 27th of each month. Please pray for me, that I will have peace and the endurance to complete my race.
God has blessed us with each one of you!
Much love,
Tracy 21/04/2008 Latest news - OKC marathon & Chick Fil A DayUpdated photos from the GoMitchGo tournament are here!
Upcoming Events Our next Chick Fil A event is this Friday, April 25 at the NW Xpway location -- ALL DAY! Eat more chikn! Make sure to tell the drive thru or register personnel that you are with GoMITCHGo - Team in Training!
Catering orders placed this week will count toward our cause! Pharma reps, doctors, & State Farm folks that love to eat -- make it happen! Thanks!
Training & fundraising update:
Our apologies for placing a false deadline out there! If you would like to contribute to our Team in Training efforts just follow the instruction below:
Tracy will be running the half marathon at the OKC Memorial race this weekend. I have been shelved by doctors orders due to IT Band and Plica Band issues in my right knee............wow, I am learning so much anatomy through Mitchell's treatment and my running ailments that it is scary! Tracy continues to do well and our fundraising goals are well within reach. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support.
GoMitchGo Tournament update
This event was a huge success. Many thanks to John Conner and family for their support and making this event a reality. We will have the final "tally" on the fundraising this week and we will keep you posted. Support this ballpark.....these are good folks that do an incredible amount of good work for our community that is never publicized.
Attention: MEN
Download or listen to the "Warrior" sermon series starting from March 22, 2008. Craig Groeschel is knocking it out of the park. Step up and fight. 15/04/2008 April 15, 2008I had no "catchy" title for today, in fact I did not even plan on sitting here and entering anything tonight. But I received an email from my wonderful father-in-law and I wanted to share this poem that he wrote. He wrote it in 1991 when a family in their church loss their son. Who knew that it would mean so much to our family today.
WHEN OUR CHILD GOES BEFORE US
As we travel down Life's pathway, many things we can't explain. Why must a child go before us, while as parents, we remain?
We would gladly exchange places, suffer all the grief and pain, Of that child who went before us, while as parents, we remain.
The empty void we feel inside, as our tears of sorrow rain, When our child goes before us, yet as parents, we remain.
Then The Master calls so gently, in a comforting refrain, "Oh, my child, I've gone before you, but for now, you must remain."
Let HIS loving arms enfold you, and HIS strength your life sustain, For some day that child will meet you, and you'll walk down Heaven's Lane.
So, "Let not your hearts be troubled", cherished memories retain, Of that child who went before you, and proud parent you remain.
Yes, Child of God keep looking upward, to that Great Celestial Plain, For THE CHILD has gone before you, and some day, HE will come again.
Bob Whitaker, 24 Aug 1991
Clinging on to Christ's strength to sustain while we remain.........awaiting for HIM to come again!
Kiss your kids from head to toe tonight....
14/04/2008 Keep on Keeping on..........I read this song on another friends website. I seem to find or hear what I truly feel in songs these days. This weekend was hard as I watched for the first time Mitchell's baseball team play, but he never took the mound to pitch or approach home plate to bat....he loved the game, loved to play and loved to win. Now he is always hitting home runs and never has to play in bad weather.......
This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be We had so many plans for you We had so many dreams And now you've gone away And left us with the memories of your smile And nothing we can say And nothing we can do Can take away the pain The pain of losing you, but ... We can cry with hope We can say goodbye with hope 'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, And we can grieve with hope 'Cause we believe with hope There's a place where we'll see your face again And never have I known Anything so hard to understand And never have I questioned more The wisdom of God's plan But through the cloud of tears I see the Father's smile and say well done And I imagine you Where you wanted most to be Seeing all your dreams come true 'Cause now you're home And now you're free, and ... We have this hope as an anchor 'Cause we believe that everything God promised us is true, so ... We WAIT with hope And we ACHE with hope We HOLD ON with hope We LET GO with hope ("With Hope", Steven Curtis Chapman)
Thank you Lord for giving us hope...... Tracy
13/04/2008 Mitchell Whitaker Memorial Baseball TournamentWe are having a great turnout for this event.
Many thanks to the 60 plus teams, John & Debbie Conner, and the rest of the Del City Ballpark family for making this event happen!
Check out the pics -- more to be updated later. Play BALL! 08/04/2008 Small ThingsThis grief business is so unpredictable. You would think just the "big" things would make me cry, but I am finding that sometimes it's those "smaller" things that effect me in a big way.......Today as I was continuing my "Spring cleaning," I came across many small things that were Mitchell's. For instance the small square bandages that we used after I would give him his daily shots...they worked the best. And then there was the PH sticks that we used to test his pee when we were in the hospital, we called them the "Pee sticks." The thermometer that we could only use on Mitchell so he would not get anything from any of us, the special skin stuff to help his rashes he would get from the chemo, the saline nose spray that has his name on it, again only to be used by him. I sat in the middle of my bathroom floor and cried. Even in the smallest of spaces I will find a "piece" of Mitchell. You may be saying by now "Tracy, stop cleaning!" As hard as it may be sometimes, I do believe it is a part of the healing process. But this did not end my day of "small things." Today when Meredith came home she handed me a small baggie with some money in it. She told me that 2 Kindergarten boys wanted to give some of their money to our cancer fund. From those small hands came a big sacrifice! I am sure they may have been saving for a new toy or a new video game, but they chose to give their $43.31 to help us find a cure for cancer.
This "small" act touched my heart in a big way today. Thank you Dillon and Evan for your grand donation!
Watch out for those small things in life...they just may make a big impact on you...... 07/04/2008 I am weak, He is strong......"I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Normally on Mondays when everyone returns to work or meets up with their friends, the talk is about the weekend. This weekend for me was quite eventful. When asked what I did this weekend this was my reply......"On Saturday I ran 10miles then went to the mall with my friend Heather, where we got fashion advice, in person, from the one and only, Tim Gunn(Project Runway). On Sunday I ran in my first race, The Red Bud. It was quite an experience as I ran towards the finish line with 3600 other runners. It was a full weekend!" But the thing that I did not share with others, the thing that I still to this day cannot believe I do/did, was to kneel at my son's graveside and weep. I still love where his earthly body is buried, it is not the most beautiful place and could use a little more TLC, however, it is peaceful and on a sunny day you can see the blue sky for miles. Mitchell's site is sprouting new green grass, it is the greenest spot around! There is a statue of Jesus in perfect view, with 3 lambs, one of which is on his shoulders. It reminds me of what a loving and caring and strong sheperd Christ is. Today I was at the grocery store and I came across a new candy, the sour kind, in a split second I picked up a bag thinking "Mitchell will love these...." in the next split second I realized he WOULD have loved them.....It is a good thing I had a list made or after that I would have forgotten what else I needed.
Over these last few months(actually the last 2+ years)I have had many freinds and strangers tell me "Tracy, YOU are so strong." "I am so proud of how YOU are handling this..." My reply is always "It is not my strength but THY strength." There is no earthly way or being, not my husband, not my sweet girl, not my parents, nor any friends that can provide me with the strength I need to put my 2 feet on the floor each day. No words can describe the pain my heart feels over the loss of my precious Mitchell, and some days it takes a MIGHTY hand to pull me out from under my covers.
The good news....? Even with all the strength He gives me each day, He still has more to give.....just ask.
God Bless,
Tracy
PS. I bought the candy anyway.......
02/04/2008 NewsChannel 9 StoryThursday, April 3rd - 5pm broadcast.............keep your eyes peeled.
It will also be teased throughout the day on Channel 9. 01/04/2008 Team in Training Update!Hey gang,
The link above will shoot you directly to our online fundraising webpage. We are just under $4000 in donations to date! Thanks so much for your generosity, prayers, and concern! Our second Chick Fil A Day was another success and $450 more dollars were raised for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Thanks for your support! We love you all!
News9 will be doing a story today on our efforts as we train and run in the RedBud Classic this weekend. We'll keep you updated on air times.
On the injury front.........my IT band (right knee) is still problematic and I have scaled back my running to the half marathon in OKC and San Diego. Tracy is still kicking strong and I am very proud of her dedication and commitment.
Please make sure to support the Chick Fil A on NW Expressway. Ray & Heather Ferreyro own the franchise and are outstanding folks. Eat more chicken.
Upcoming Events
Friday, April 11 th - Sunday, April 13th: Del City Ballpark - Mitchell Whitaker Memorial Tournament
Friday, April 25th: Chick Fil A - GoMitchGo event - Nw Expressway location
KEEP SENDING PICTURES! I WANT TO SEE YOUR GOMITCHGO SHIRTS AND BRACELETS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS..........I KNOW THEY ARE OUT THERE........SHOOT THEM TO US AT: TEAMWHITAKER@YAHOO.COM
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