It was ten years ago. . .

Abbotsford News, June 11, 2012

Lauren Gunning (pushing wagon) and sister Erica were among those participating in the Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes on Sunday at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford. The event raised funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and its research into a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

(NOTE: the whole family is in this shot! My son Jeff (Erica and Lauren's Daddy) can be seen on the far left, and Crystal, their Mom, is pulling the wagon. Bill and I are in there somewhere - see the lady with the short hair and the green-striped shirt? And Bill is the guy to the right of her in the grey Tilley hat. Hard to believe it was that long ago!)

RIAARRRRRRWWWW! Tigers on the loose at the JDRF Walk for the Cure

Erica is transformed from a sweet little girl into a TIGER! Today we all enjoyed going to the JDRF Walk for the Cure on her sister Lauren's unstoppable Ladybugs team. It's a kid-friendly event with rock climbing, mini-golf, arcade games, clowns, balloons, more mascots than I've ever seen, and FREE hot dogs! The face-painting was something else at this event- I'll post a few more pictures below. All in all, a fun day with a great purpose: to bring us a step closer to a cure for Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. Next year Grandma is getting HER face done.

http://margaretgunnng.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-glass-character-synopsis.html

http://members.shaw.ca/margaret_gunning/betterthanlife.htm

Lauren ROCKS at the JDRF Walk for the Cure!

Lauren ROCKS at the JDRF Walk for the Cure! This is a family event we all look forward to every year, a walk to raise funds and awareness for the Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes Research Foundation. Lauren was diagnosed at 15 months, and here celebrates her exuberance and vitality in an impromptu dance performance onstage!

http://margaretgunnng.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-glass-character-synopsis.html

http://members.shaw.ca/margaret_gunning/betterthanlife.htm

Walking for the cure: a family affair

As I mentioned in my last post, yesterday we took part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation annual walk for the cure. This has become an event we look forward to, and this year we noticed that Erica and Lauren seemed to be getting a lot of attention from photographers for the local papers.  They were snapped several times in the course of the day.

Oh, those papparazzi! Perhaps it's something about golden curls and blue eyes (or elaborate face-paint with ladybugs entwined in it) that attracted all that attention.

Then this morning, we saw this in the Abbotsford News!  We never expected all of us to show up in a photo.

At the front of the procession pulling the wagon is my daughter-in-law Crystal. Erica (7) rides in the wagon, while Lauren (4) pushes it (go figure).  At the far left in jeans and shades is my son Jeff. But get this, Nanny and Papa ended up in there somewhere (blessedly semi-hidden by the crowd). Dead-centre you'll see a man in a Tilley hat (Bill), then another guy to the left, then Nanny in a green striped top.  Glad it wasn't taken from the rear.

Stay tuned for more. . .