The Petry Family: We are all HOKIES

Today the Hokie Nation came together to honor the memory of those we lost on April 16, 2007. We took part in the 3.2 mile walk/run in their honor this morning on campus. Last year, the route was primarily the drill field but this year it included a lot more ground around the entire campus.

Gordon was at the walk last year but of course wasn't able to see what was going on (I was 32 weeks pregnant with him). He enjoyed today, and spent a lot of time taking it in. The walk took place during the time he normally has a morning bottle so it got a little hairy there for a minute or two....but he was a trooper as always and completed the whole route. I even got a little extra calorie burn carrying him for a while rather than pushing him in the stroller.

Prior to starting the walk/run there was a moment of silence and 32 white balloons were released.

To start the walk participants released maroon and orange balloons (a lot more kids were there this year, or maybe I was just more aware that they were there but as soon as the balloons were released you could hear wailing. Seeing a balloon fly off was never a good thing when you were a kid....Gordon didn't have that reaction though.) I'll turn it over to him so you can hear his perspective on the event.

Hi fellow Hokies! I hope you wore your orange and maroon today, I sure did! We had to get up early to get to the walk this morning. I served as a wake up call at 6AM. Aunt Linda took the day off and came to walk with us. She is visiting for the whole weekend! I really got a good opportunity to people watch today....7000 people showed up for the event. There were a lot of people we knew there, but of course we're all Hokies...so we're family!

The balloon release was really cool....I've never seen so many of them. A couple of other kids cried when the balloons went up in the air. I wasn't sure why though.

So I am going to have to let this balloon go Daddy?

There they go....

That is a lot of balloons Daddy

Here are some of the people that I knew who walked with us....

Aunt Brooke was there!

Vanessa and Joli were ready to get their walk on as well.

After heading past Burruss and around the duck pond we headed towards Lane Stadium. I had been there once before, for the Nebraska game, but we didn't go into the stadium the same way we did for the game. No sir!

They included the tunnel and the field in our route this year. It was a bit crowded trying to get everyone into the tunnel, but everyone was patient.

I started to get a little fussy though, by this time I normally have my bottle and a short nap. But there was so much going on that I didn't want to rest...too many people to watch. So Mommy took me out of the stroller and carried me for a while.

There's Aunt Linda moving everyone along! We're about to go into the tunnel.

We're in the tunnel!

So this is how the team gets to the field...

Is that Enter Sandman I hear?!?!?! (They did actually did play Enter Sandman)

I better run out onto the field then. LET'S GO......HOKIES!

After we came out of the tunnel, we walked around the outside of the field...Frank knows us too well. I'm sure he knew, that given the opportunity, Mommy would have taken me right out to the 50 yard line, sat me down and taken my picture - stroller and all.

We did get a couple of photos, even though I wasn't really feeling it. I was ready for my bottle and a nap.

Me, Mommy & Aunt Linda

Mommy continued to carry me after we left the stadium and walked past her office and behind the stadium back up to Washington Street. She was feeling the burn when we went up the hill behind her office. Then I decided I no longer wanted to wear my hat...so there was no other option but to go back in the stroller I didn't want to get too much sun. I fussed a little but then Mommy busted out the Cheerios and I cheered up! We continued the walk down past the bookstore and Donaldson Brown and back to the drillfield.

Yay! We finished, here are me and Daddy crossing the finish line....and some guy.

Then I had my bottle and cuddled with Aunt Linda for a bit. I was looking forward to going home, taking a nap and spending the rest of the day with her. I had had a busy morning.