Showing posts with label nasio. Show all posts

A Proud Mamma

October 10th

At home before the race, just a tad nervous
Today Ella, my 17 year old daughter is a tad stiff and is hobbling around, but later on she will sit down and write some thank you letters.   I am a proud mamma on so many different levels I could burst.

Yesterday in beautiful autumnal sunshine she and her band of support runners ran the Oxford half marathon in the name of a local charity The Nasio Trust.  This is the second time in just over two years that Ella has raised as much money as she could for the Nasio trust, having visited Kenya with them she was determined to return and help with life changing projects again.  All money raised will go directly to the projects and nothing else.

At the 11th hour, three of her support runners had to pull out for various reasons and so from a band of 8 runners they were reduced to five.  The others were sorely missed but it did not dampen the spirits or the money raising efforts.

Ella had hand written some flyers and had them printed and between the runners they handed these out along the route, thus adding to their overall running time as well as waiting 8 minutes for queuing at a toilet stop!  Two of the runners, Ella and Phil from The Twisted Yarn had not run a half marathon before and looked to me (a non runner) to breeze the race.  The day for spectators and runners alike was fantastic, the atmosphere was supportive and it was so busy, 10,000 runners in Oxford plus all of us watching too.  Heaving but fun.  Ella said it was great handing out the flyers and everyone was so receptive and friendly.

So to those of you who wished her well, donated to her page, it's still not too late: Ella's fund raising page , (she will update this in due course with photos from the race and from Kenya over the coming weeks and months, so do pop back) and helped her in any way shape or form, I thank you from the bottom of my very proud heart.

THANK YOU 

Near the start of the race and already handing out flyers

Mile 9

A lot of bananas were consumed
at the end of the race

Oxford in the October sunshine

Ella and her support team of runners having completed the half marathon

The total she has raised including off and online money is a tad over £1660
but she is still trying to push that up a notch.  What a wonderful result, 
again to those of you who helped or may yet help, I say:   THANK YOU.

A snippet on life...

October 7th

Life is for living they say... well blimey I seem to be going it at like there is no tomorrow and consequently  blogging has suffered.  I'm not complaining that life has thrown me many adventures and social times, but could they be more spread out over the year and not crammed into a space of 6 weeks.  Yeah, you're right it sounds like I'm complaining;  I best be quiet and let you have a glimpse of what has kept me so occupied...

There was Russia...

The Church of the Spilled blood

The Winter Palace


For more photos and a snippet of how wonderful the city of St Petersburg is pop over to see From Russia with love, for those of you kindly waiting for Russia part 2 I hope to post it next week.



There was our yearly friends and family boating regatta on the river Thames...

This was our 15th year of hosting, it's hard work but super fun, here's a glimpse of one of the days...











There was my father's 80th birthday celebrations...

As a young man!

Spot the Where is pappa photo!

It was a real hoot having masks made up of pappa


There is boat moving around the coast before the weather turns too much...

The boat has been away from home for 4 years and we have experienced so many wonderful memories, now she is back in UK shores we need to move her around the coast to be refurbished and looked after, a boat spa if you like.  We still have a couple of hundred miles to go before the weather turns, wish us well...

Below are the last photos taken when she was moved from Southampton to Eastbourne, so very British don't you think.









...and finally, Ella and her half marathon run for charity...


 I broke my heart completely on this trip and yet I don't feel broken, I feel determined.

These were some of the words Ella uttered on her return from Kenya just over a year ago.  It changed her and she is determined to go back and to continue to help.  In raising money she has decided to run a half marathon, THIS SUNDAY in Oxford, she had not run more than 3 miles before this, running is not her natural form of exercise and I think she is there.  Do pop over and read about what she did in Kenya last time and her very touching thank you letter she sent to everyone who helped her achieve her goals last time.  

Should you wish to donate any money, a cup of coffee worth, then she would be grateful, as would I and she would then personally keep you informed of exactly how the money was spent on life changing projects for orphaned children in Kenya.  Her page is  
Can you spare a penny or two please


Ella and the girl she personally sponsors, Naomi
Ella's thank you post from her last trip to Kenya:  Thank you
Before she left for Kenya:  Before Kenya
What did Ella do in Kenya? Kenya


Joining in with Amy sharing my five with you today, pop over and see what others are sharing

♥  I am ever so thankful for my life  ♥