Living the Dream: People You Should Know- Day Seventeen

Since I have been full blown thinking about Laynie the last 24 hours... I can hardly think of her and not think of this family. We came together as a "Laynie Love" family and because of my high regard for all of them, and their intense love for our baby, I am going to share my musings on this very cool family.

I am talking about the COPE gang.

We are missing one very important Cope in this picture (well actually more than that, but for the sake of this story, we are missing...Amanda)

But before I get to her... I want to tell you how I came to be friends with these crazy people.... long before I started sharing Laynie's story on Facebook, I had an email chain that I sent blogs to faithfully, and one of those people was Carl (for those of you that don't know, that is Lacey & Kip's daddio), and because he is not a man of many words, and most of the ladies in his office knew about Laynie and asked for constant updates, he felt it easier to just forward my blogs on to them. Beverly Cope was one of the "Forwardees".   She contacted me via email, after she had been following for awhile, and let me know that she had shared us with her family, and they were all 100% behind us in prayer.   Some people say that to you, but this person meant it. I felt those Cope prayers.

So Beverly and I were email buddies, and when we had Laynie's first blood drive in February 2010 at Alameda Church of Christ in Norman, Amanda and her daughter Alana came.....gifting a teddy bear for Laynie. A new best friendship was born that day. Amanda already knew ALL of us, and it's so easy to start a friendship with someone that already knows everything about you. And she already knew us... she was to Chapter 25 in our 30 chapters..... Friendship nirvana.   I keep looking for a picture from that day, and I just can't find it anywhere. (I know there is one)....but it gets better.

Next, Liz finds me on facebook. Amanda is Beverly's baby, and Liz is the big sis. She is uber cool, over the top funny, and just one of the neatest girls I know. We start conversing regularly on facebook, and I just love her america. (that's a lot in Deaton language)..

Then all the sudden a "Josh Cope" pops up on facebook, first on Laynie's page, then on mine. Always with the sweetest things I have ever heard, telling us to keep the faith with Laynie, and how her story made such an impact on their family.  All the things we needed to hear, as we were facing the finish line with our angel.

Fast forward to MWC blood drive after we lost Laynie.   Beverly is there... donating her blood.   So is Amanda. Then at a sister's event at Journey church in Norman...there is Beverly and Amanda. It was a true "sisters" event, getting to see them and share that evening with them....

Then, after reading one of my frenzied "I want to have a blood drive every month the rest of my life" blog on facebook, Liz caught the blood drive fever from me, and helped put together a blood drive at her work at one of the state capital buildings. It was AWESOME. She was not about to fail. I watched her go practically office to office, literally blackmailing people into donating blood. It was so "Liz". I love it. And I finally, got to meet Josh that day.  After months and months of comments from Josh....there he is, in his awesomeness, donating blood for the memory of our precious one.

BUT, the thing closest to my heart, was the Cope participation at the "Wings of Hope" icicle run. (Remember, I named it that....because we had dang icicles hanging off our faces, our noses, anywhere where moisture could occur, there was an icicle)..

And the Cope's didn't let 400 million below temperatures get them down..... there they were....

First, Beverly arrived with Liz (laughing) and Amanda and Alana.... People it was so cold... I'm not sure where those big smiles came from... I think their faces were frozen that way.

Then Josh showed up, with his wife, Jamie and their son, Blake, and I almost passed out from shock because "He-Man" had on .....

SHORTS. UHM, friend? are you loco?

Amanda drank her energy drink, which helped her run in circles, while sister looked on.. Trust me, it wasn't about looking good that day, it was strictly about survival. I know how I exaggerate, but I am kidding you not, it was dang near "lose a limb" cold that day. Don't be fooled by the sun's presence in the picture. It showed up, but it did NOT deliver.

These two were taking it easy, just in front of me, walking.

Little did I know, Josh was a "Real Runner" and had no trouble finishing his 5k... can't remember if he placed... even if he didn't ... he placed in the "Deaton Heart Book" as FIRST IN HEART. (Awww)

Didn't realize that Josh's wife, Jamie was a runner, either. She was super duper awesome that day, and I'm pretty sure she placed in her division.... if she didn't, she's still a winner, cause she's one of this great bunch.

Their offspring, Blake, was amazing. He took 1st in his age division, and he was TIRELESS... ran like a machine the entire 5k.... the kids got skills...

He raced one of the El Reno college athletes across the finish line.... if I hadn't been dying a mile behind him, (ok, probably more like 2 miles behind him) I would have cheered like a crazy person for him!

Liz did great.... she kept her pace through the entire race, even though she couldn't feel her nose OR feet. WAY TO GO, LIZ!

Amanda and Alana finished right around the time I did, and Lacey was so busy taking pictures of her crazy mama finishing and making a huge scene (WHAT?) that she totally missed the youngest Cope's coming across the finish line...

But my favorite pic of ALL, out of ALL the pics taken that day... was the one of Beverly..... "Yep, I'm freezing, but I'm going to smile and wave and pretend I had a wonderful time!" (See her purple bracelet?)