Run, Peter, run!

Here's Peter running the Cheesehead Half-Marathon last weekend. Aaron joined him for the last 50 yards to the finish.

As some of you already know, Peter has been training since spring to run in our city's marathon. For those of us (including me) who are not runners, the obvious question is why?? Why put yourself through the agony, heat, and pain of training for such a long race?

The short answer is that Peter is a wonderful, dedicated dad. He is running in the marathon to raise funds for our next daughter. He already loves her, even though he's never even seen a picture of her and doesn't know her name. He tells me she's the inspiration each time he increases his miles, and she's the thought that pushes him through the pain.

The longer answer is that we knew we would have to be creative to fund this adoption, our second adoption from India in 5 years. He dreamed up the idea of fundraising by running a marathon, and then he got to work.

Along with Peter, we also have a dedicated relay team running for our daughter. My sister Alicia will be doing 2 legs of the relay, and Peter's sisters Mary and Anne will be taking a leg. Our friend Lisa and her son Colin will each be running one leg of the race as well. We are so moved by their desire to help bring our daughter home.

Now the marathon is a few weeks away, and we are inviting friends and family to consider supporting Peter and the relay team by pledging any amount. You can use the "donate" button on our sidebar if you feel led to do so. All funds will go toward upcoming adoption fees and travel expenses. We have been so moved and overwhelmed by those of you who have already responded -- thank you so much!

What makes your support even sweeter is how encouraging it is at this stage in the adoption process. We began this journey 2 1/2 years ago, and it's easy to have your spirits flag when you're waiting on invisible officials on the other side of the world. Our next "deadline" is September 30, when we must submit another batch of paperwork in hopes of being matched with a child later this year.

Rest assured, we will post her photo as soon as we find out who she is! In the meantime, thank you for praying with us and supporting us as we wait -- and thanks for cheering Peter on!