Busy Weekend!

What a busy weekend we have had! Friday we were out and about in Rome again. Dave had signed up to run the Roma Marathon and we needed to get all the paperwork involved. We had a good time and enjoyed the Marathon Village that was set up for all the runners. While we were in Rome, we also went to a market and walked around. The markets are always interesting places to walk. We also went to one of the largest churches in Rome, aside from St. Peters. We met a man outside the church. His name was Franklin and spoke fairly good English. We were eating our lunch, so we shared a cookie and a tract. Dave tried to give him an English Bible, but he said that he didn't need it. The man felt as if he was going to heaven and knew everything he needed to know. He was a very religious, philisophical person and felt that all were religions were fine.



While Dave was going to be running the Marathon this weekend, the children and I thought we would run the 4K Fun Run. It WAS a lot of fun and so glad we chose to do it! Here is our day in pictures...

We got up at 5:45am, so that we could take the train in to Rome. Adrenalin pumped in!

Now we get to ride on the subway without about 80,000 other people who participated.

OK, we weren't ALL on the subway TOGETHER, but it WAS a lot of people!

This man was standing up on a little hill and preaching to the people below. He spoke in English and so the kids and I stood and listened to him for a little while. Dave was already lining up for the Marathon. Not sure who he was exactly, but what we heard him saying was "right on the money". I felt so sorry for him though. Many people were mocking him and jeering him. I wanted to encourage him with a few "AMENS" and did, but how couragious of him!

This was one of the really fun things in the Fun Run. There were people with flags and bikes, dogs and balloons. There were instrumental bands playing on the corners as we walked by. At the beginning of the race, they played the Italian anthem and we walked by the "Mayor" of the city, or whatever they call him here. The military were all around him. Helicopters were above us taking pictures of our Fun Run and of the Marathon that had started just before our race.

The race started near the Coliseum. It was unbelievable the amount of people that were in the race. There were many more doing the Marathon. This is just one of the many pictures that I took. Everytime we turned a corner, I wanted to take a picture. Walking through the city was so picturesque and amazing! It was a great way to see everything and go down some streets that we hadn't been down before.

The race was sponsored by McDonalds. Here are two very proud spokespersons! After the race was over, Ronald McDonald himself was there and signed their hats! Wow!

Walking through the streets together. They did such a great job! The race was about 2.5 miles long and they all walked it the whole way, hills and all! Well, ok, Ashlyn did get just a little bitty piggy back ride towards the end.

Yeah! We made it to the Finish Line! Not a moment to soon too!

Such good work deserves a very special treat! Mommy treated them to a gelato while we waited for daddy to get done! Too bad they weren't from McDonalds, ha!