Miss Becky's Blog

TOP SECRET ADVENTURE . . .

Would you like to be a "Secret Agent" and help us carry out an exciting ADVENTURE to recognize and honor Ken (some of you know my husband as "Smiley") on his 70th Birthday, which will be on October 26, 2006.

Our mission will be to WALK, JOG OR RUN 7,000 MILES IN 7 WEEKS TO SURPRISE AND HONOR KEN/SMILEY AND TO RAISE MONEY FOR OUR SUNSHINE PROJECT IN CHINA.

You may not know that Ken had a "heart attack" last May ... he's OK and we are very grateful for the MIRACLE of modern medicine and the doctors tell us he should have several more years to enjoy on this earth. (The complete story is posted on this BLOG in the article entitled: "Smiley's HEART Miracle" and can be found by clicking on the category "Miracles" or "My Family".

We are very grateful that Ken is doing really well physically, he was back to golfing less than a week after the "heart" experience. He's done some jogging, lots of outside work in our backyard, some "hoops" and is now busy officiating American high school football games. This experience has made us more grateful than ever for the blessing of healthy bodies. I know he would not have done so well, if he had not been "jogging", playing "hoops" and staying activity the past several years of his life.

To encourage better fitness and heart health in our family and among our friends, we will celebrate Ken's 70th Birthday AND raise funds for the SUNSHINE Project that we started in Nanjing, China in 2003 (complete information and pictures of this ongoing project are also posted on my BLOG ... go to the category "Sunshine Project.)

TOP SECRET ADVENTURE--is the name of our project, because Ken doesn't know anything about it ... we want to SURPRISE him ... so PLEASE DO NOT SAY OR WRITE ANYTHING TO HIM ABOUT THIS. Please reply to this e-mail address only: missbecky@xmission.com

THE EVENT: We are planning a special running/jogging event called SMILEY'S FUN RUN, here in our hometown of Logan, Utah. It will be on Saturday, October 21, 2006 and we'll Walk, Jog, or Run seven (7) miles. For "fun" we are using the number 7 because Smiley will be 70th years old! Ken does not know anything this. One of his friends will make a "golfing" date with him that day and when he arrives at the Golf Course, a number of friends and family members, will be waiting to "surprise" him. We'll begin SMILEY's FUN RUN there and other family members and friends will join us along the way. We'll "jog" past many special places in Ken's life including the high school where he coaches basketball now and the university where he worked for 30 years. The "finish line" of the "run" will be at our home for food and celebration with friends, family and neighbors!!!!

It will be very meaningful to Ken/Smiley to have so many of the people he loves participate in this physical fitness activity, because he KNOWS how important regular exercise is to keeping your heart healthy...especially now!!! Also, recent research has concluded that the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to keep your brain healthy, young and smarter, is to "Move It" ... get regular aerobic exercise. (See article on my BLOG entitled "Seven Ways To Make Your Brain Smarter" under the category: "Art of Living".)

You do not have to live in Logan, Utah to participate in this event ... you can select any seven mile route and Walk, Jog or Run it that day. Those of you near a university campus could use the track at the sports field (four laps around equals ONE mile). Not all of our family or friends will be able to come to Logan, but they are planning to participate where they live, for example our daughter, Kara, will run in Boston, K.C.'s family will run in Las Vegas and friends will be running in Provo and California.

THE SUNSHINE PROJECT -- It is common in America to raise money by getting donations and participating in special running events or marathons. We have had family members and friends do this in the past. We'll raise money for the Sunshine Project, by inviting friends and family to make a finanial donation to the project as a Birthday Gift to Ken. Each participant in the FUN RUN will pay a "registration fee" which will also go to the project.

TRAINING MILES COUNT -- Now is the time to begin training and preparation for this event ... it's SEVEN weeks away. When Ken and I ran a marathon, which is over 26 miles, we trained and prepared for over three months. So if you start this week, you can be "ready" by October 21st to do SEVEN MILES. Remember you don't have to RUN the whole way ... a combination of walking and jogging is best AND you can even WALK the entire way if you want, but it should be fast walking to get your heart rate up!!!!

It would be so AWESOME to have American and Chinese people BRIDGE the huge ocean that divides our countries, and come together, "heart to heart" bringing SUNSHINE into the lives of these special deaf children. If we were to build such a BRIDGE, from American to China, it would be about 7,000 miles long. Our GOAL in this project would be to meet in the middle of that imaginary bridge by counting all the "training" miles each individual does, along with the 7 miles of the FUN RUN! That means the Americans need to total up 3,500 miles and the Chinese need that same amount. Working together WE CAN DO IT!!!! Start this week with your preparation and record the number of miles you are able to do each day ... if you did 10 miles a week by the time of the FUN RUN you would have done a total of 70 miles!!! Our group goal will be to do 7,000 miles in 7 weeks!!!!

YOU are INVITED to participate in this TOP SECRET ADVENTURE in any or all of the following ways:

* E-mail me your Birthday wishes and thoughts for Ken/Smiley, giving an update on your life and what you are doing now and send a current picture of yourself. I'll print it out and put in a special Birthday Book we are making for him. Please send to me at: missbecky@xmission.com .... do not tell Ken, this is part of the "secret".

* Register to participate in SMILEY's FUN RUN, by sending me an e-mail message (missbecky@xmission.com) with your Chinese name, English name, correct e-mail address and the location (city or area) that you will be in on October 21st to do your "running". I will e-mail you back giving you the name of the contact person in your area. You will need to pay them your "registration fee" which is your "donation" to the SUNSHINE Project. The amount of the fee is whatever you can pay from 7 to 70 RMB. (In honor of Ken's "70th" Birthday, we use the number SEVEN as offen as we can!) People can give any amount they can that ends in seven, for example 7 yuan, 17 yuan, 27 yuan, etc. This "donation" or registration fee tells us they are committed to participating in the FUN RUN. All who successfully finish the seven miles that day will earn a prize.

* Begin your TRAINING now, by "jogging" each day ... except Sunday. We've found that a day of "rest" is really good for the body and I run much better on Mondays when I've rested my body on Sunday. Research also shows the same health benefits for those who do six days of aerobic exercise and those that do seven days. It is also good to "rest" your body the day before the race ... that's what runners do when they run marathons. Record (write down) the miles that you do each day.

* EACH SUNDAY REPORT YOUR TOTAL MILES FOR THE WEEK TO ME ON E-MAIL at: missbecky@xmission.com. I will post an UPDATE each Sunday on my BLOG giving the total number of MILES for both the American and Chinese teams, so you can see what progress we are making toward the Total Goal of 7,000 MILES. Be sure to check my BLOG each week to get the latest information on this project! When you go into my BLOG, go to the listing of Categories on the right hand side of the screen and click on ADVENTURES -- TOP SECRET ... that will be the best way to get the latest update on the project.

* After, finishing the FUN RUN, on October 21st, REPORT the total miles you "ran" that day to me on e-mail OR to your contact person.

* You are welcome to invite other friends to participate, sharing the opportunity and blessings it will bring.

By your participation in this project you will be giving a special

* GIFT to Ken/Smiley, a

* GIFT to the deaf children in Nanjing China, and a

* GIFT of better health and fitness to Yourself.

TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER, HAPPIER PLACE -- KEEP SMILING!!!

P.S. ... Remember to keep this a "secret" from Ken/Smiley