Nov 28- First Remember Madeline Turkey Trot, with video from Sterling's gyrocopter

I am  grateful for having a purpose this morning when I woke up.  Knowing that a walk to remember Madeline was in place, was a wonderful way to start this first Thanksgiving. My heart is full of gratitude for the people who woke up on this very cold morning and joined our family for the first Remember Madeline Turkey trot. 

Amazing turnout to support our family 

Morris family after the 5K

My walking buddy, Alicia Eichorn, Madie's AP English teacher from her senior year


 As we were walking past our home we caught the Lyman family tying yellow ribbons around our trees. I love the texas star and Madie's star together in this picture.  so touching to see 4 trees in our front yard with big beautiful yellow ribbons.  


  Starting and finishing from Ehrhardt Elementary where our family just finished 25 consecutive years,  Taylor who last Thanksgiving was lying in a hospital bed not able to move, 

finished the 5K first in 21 minutes. 

Taylor's first place finish, unbelievable that he even can run 

 The Thanksgiving miracle, would be seeing how far he has come this year.

As a family we will never forget the outpouring of love, prayers, and every act of service imaginable that surrounded our Thanksgiving holiday last year. 

 I remember with humility and gratitude, eating Thanksgiving dinner on a picnic blanket on a cold concrete floor of the waiting room in a hospital last year.  We tried to share with any who walked by realizing that we had turkey and the fixings, brought by friends, that so many people there didn't have. 

 I know there are families today in hospitals across this country, praying for miracles, not caring too much about what day it is, just very aware that their lives are playing out with a script they had no agenda for.  My heart and prayers go out this morning to all of them.  I will never forget!  
I clearly remember not knowing if Taylor would ever walk again, knowing that he had very little ability to move any part of his body.  I will never forget the look in his eyes, when I first saw him on Thanksgiving eve last year.  It's imprinted on my mind forever. 

"Deer in headlights"

He was intubated, pain coursed through his body both emotionally and physically, in ways I hope I never understand, and yet I would have taken it from him if there had been a way to do so. 
Remembering Madeline, Taylor and Bailee, plus our family's journey,  I again share this video for any who may have missed it last week. I will never forget seeing this on a megatron screen in October at the BYU homecoming Spectacular then watching  Taylor perform(singing and dancing) for an audience of around 10,000 people on two consecutive nights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hI3mKNiX8w&hd=1
Last of all...
 Sterling, the artist in our family has the coolest tools for his business and so we have some footage from the beginning of our walk. Not your average video, it's amazing!