Field Trip

Parker had a field trip on 12/23/11 to The Henry Ford. Since I was already off that day I signed up to chaperone. My first time ever chaperoning. I was in charge of 2 other boys plus Parker. They were so full of energy! I let them basically 'guide' me around the museum where they wanted to go and pick what they wanted to look at. They were really well-behaved and seemed to have had a good time.

Parker really impressed me. He really has so much enthusiasm for history and was so excited to show the other 2 boys the chair Abraham Lincoln was shot in, he knew about the Women's Sufferage exhibit, the Rosa Parks bus, the Presidential cars, and on and on. He also knew about the KKK exhibit, which was a bit awkward for me at first, not knowing how the parents of the other 2 boys would feel about this particular exhibit being pointed out to their children. The other 2 boys were asking him what the 'costume' was for and Parker told them it was because 'a long time ago white people weren't nice to black people, and this is what the white people who hated black people wore.' I know I say it often and people think I am biased, but he is one smart kiddo. I was so proud of him. They even got to work on an 'assembly line' building model cars.

Progress...

So I have been doing the Booty Call challenge for about a week now, and boy am I feeling it today! I have been mostly using Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, and just yesterday I moved up to Level 2. WOW what a difference from level 1!! The first time I did the ab portion of level 1 I thought, I can handle much more than this! Enter Level 2. It is only 20 minutes but it really works you! I plan on taking a picture of me now (sorry, this won't be shared! lol) and then another one in about a month so I can visually see my progress.

I am actually surprised at how well I am keeping to the 4:15 am wake-up to work out schedule. I know it has only been a week but when I started I wasn't sure if I would make it past the first few days. Don't get me wrong, there are days it takes extra effort to drag myself out of my toasty bed and away from snuggling with Mark (such as this morning) but I just remind myself that I'm in this with Nikki and I know she is getting up early too. So far that does the trick. This is our way of 'working out together' despite the miles between us. And I have Billie, who may live closer but we may not have conducive schedules. I sent her the booty call challenge and she accepted. Even at 12 weeks pregnant she is now back to running and plans on running a marthon in the spring. I applaud her!

I've never been one for New Year's Eve resolutions but I am planning on writing up a list of 'goals' so I can cross them off my list as I achieve them. I will post that soon. In the meantime I invite people to check out www.toneitup.com/community and take on the Booty Call Challenge!

My Favorite Story....

.....The Christmas Story

My favorite part of this time of year is the story of the birth of Jesus.

Mary and Joseph were betrothed to be married when she informed Joseph she was with child, the Son of God. Joseph had made up his mind to privately divorce Mary, believing she had been unfaithful until an angel came to him in his dream, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

When Joseph woke up he did as the Angel of the Lord instructed him. He took Mary home as his wife but had no union with her until after the birth of the Child.

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, to register for the census ordered by the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus. By the time they arrived in Bethlehem the inn was full so they stayed in a stable. It was here that Jesus was born. No crib was available, just a manger.

That night an angel came to some shepherds keeping watch over their flock. He announced the birth of a Savior. The shepherds hurried into Bethlehem and found Jesus in a manger, just as the angel had told them. After they had seen Jesus they spread the news and everyone was in awe.

Wise Men from eastern countries saw a star in the sky that signaled the birth of a new King. They came to Judea to worship Jesus, continuing to Bethlehem and following the star until they found Jesus where they knelt down to worship Him. They brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I love this story. It is the story of Hope, and the foundation of my Faith. I hope to always establish in my children Christmas is about Christ and celebrating his birth, not the gifts under the tree.

Challenge

I have been challenged to a booty call!!

No, not that kind... Mind out of the gutter please! :)

Nikki introduced me to Tone it Up Wednesday, a fabulous website that helps hold you accountable for working out, eating habits, etc. You can keep a food and exercise journal, join groups, receive different workout and diet tips, etc.

With Jamaica literally 3 months away (3 months from yesterday, to be exact), this is perfect! I quickly responded to Nikki that I am up for the challenge!

Yesterday was my first day. I woke up at 4am and did 20 minutes of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and logged it into my exercise journal. It may only be 20 minutes but boy...when you haven't worked out in awhile she kicks your rear! I'm a little sore today.

She also sent me a link to another website I plan on checking out today, http://www.dailymile.com/. She said it's another website to keep you accountable. I have a horrible habit of becoming bored easily and falling out of a workout routine so I'll need all I can get! I will add it to my blog and try to keep up with it the best I can, so all 4 of my followers can keep track of my progress. All encourgement is appreciated!

So check out Tone It Up! Join, and find me on there, AmandaMey. We can all workout "together" and encourage each other!

Partners in Hope

Every year for 2 days Channel 99.5 WYCD does a Radio-thon to raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital. This directly translates into 2 days of me crying from listening to the various stories from parents who's child has fought against Childhood Cancer. Some have survived, and some have not. To listen to these stories is heart-breaking. People don't give children enough credit. They are amazing little people. These small heroes fight courageously, guiding their parents along on the journey showing them that despite what they are going through they can still find joy in each day. The Radio-thon ended at 7pm on December 9th, raising over $454,000 in just 48 hours.

On Friday, December 9th 2011, Mark and I became Partners in Hope for St. Jude's. I am sooo excited about this. It is only $25 a month and will be the best $25 spent. I will gladly give up stopping for coffees and some lunches for this worthy cause.

"Worthy" doesn't begin to describe St. Jude's. It costs $1.7 million daily to operate. The families St. Jude's treats never receive a bill. Ever. They are amazing in the work they do, caring for each patient. Their goal is so some day no child has to experience this beast called Cancer. I am thrilled to be even just a small part of this. As time goes by and I learn more things I hope to become even more involved with raising money and even visiting a St. Jude's facility.

On Saturday I read an article, Pink Is Not the Only Color of the Rainbow, written by a father who lost his child to a Pediatric Cancer. I have said a few times now I will always be a supporter of Breast Cancer, having 2 survivors in my own family, but with the amount of attention Breast Cancer receives, I feel it has become a novelty. Please don't misunderstand, I do not make light of it because women still die from it. It is still Cancer and Cancer is still a Beast, no matter where it attacks. But as this article states, September is Childhood Cancer awareness month, followed with Breast Cancer Awareness in October. It seems we barely get into September before you start seeing Pink everywhere you turn.

"The funding estimates do not lie in terms of which causes receive the most federal dollars. Childhood cancer is low on the totem pole. Twelve percent of the budget for the National Cancer Institute goes to breast cancer research, while only three percent is dedicated to childhood cancers, of which there are hundreds of types. There are "fifteen children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer." It is a fight for a share in a very segmented marketplace. And yet, when childhood cancer is given its due, i.e. the month of September, it does not even get the full days of the calender before being forced from the marketplace by pink."

The statistics are stunning when it comes to Pediatric Cancer. Please take a moment to read and share this article. My passion and goal is to raise more awareness. If I can reach and raise awareness through just 5 people, inspiring them to become more involved, I will have succeeded.

The Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." [Matthew 7:12]

The Golden Rule. I grew up with this and I have begun trying to raise my own children by it. It seems moreso these days people have forgotten about it.

It amazes and disappoints me at the same time how spiteful people are. Whether they are miserable in their own lives or they just use excuses to justify their behavior, it is sickening to me. People are making "lists for Karma"? What is this?? Do I believe in Karma? Sure. But to actually WISH ill on people? I don't understand this contempt for other in the human race. I've had my share of being angry with people or having a dislike for someone but I could never wish ill on someone.

I can't imagine living my life like this. There are so many other more important things I can think of to focus my time and energy on, rather than how I am going to hurt people. People I love were given bad news. People I care about lost someone dear to them. People I love just need positive thoughts, prayers and hugs sent their way. Instead of wasting so much time and negative energy on being spiteful, I am choosing Hope. For those who focus on how they are going to hurt people I am just going to pray they find the peace and happiness they desperately need but lack.

I apologize for the lack of 'upbeat-ness' of this post, obviously I am feeling a little frustrated. Thanks for allowing me to step up on my Soap Box and vent. As I am stepping down I will leave with this:

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." ~ Jack Layton

A missed photographic moment

Yes....I, Amanda, The Camera Whore as so many of my friends lovingly call me, missed a photographic moment last week.

On Wednesday morning I woke up to get ready for work and went to shut both boys' bedroom doors as I always do every morning, so as not to disturb them with my "beautifying process." As I went to close Parker's door I noticed he wasn't in his bed. I figured he was in the bathroom but when I checked I found the bathroom empty. Huh.

I checked the living room, thinking he went for a little late night, not-so-awake wandering and landed on the couch. Negative.

I checked his bedroom floor in the corner, empty.

Feeling my heart rate pick up I called his name and went to check both the front and back doors of the house to see if they had been tampered with at all. Both were locked and exactly as we leave them every night before going to bed.

I went in to check Camden's bedroom floor...No Parker. How on earth do I lose this child TWICE in one week??? (*Side-note, Parker couldn't be found for almost an hour after school on Monday. It was litearlly THE most terrifying half hour I have ever spent in my life as a mother).

Trying to keep the panic down I leaned in to take a quick peek in Cam's crib, if anything to see if I am looking for 2 kids instead of one. I saw Camden, curled up into a corner of his crib as he always sleeps. Curled up next to him was Parker.

When both boys woke up I asked Parker why he was sleeping in Camden's crib. His response - "I just got lonely and missed my brother....."

In telling people this story (Lord knows I love telling stories about my boys:)), so many people asked if I took a picture. While I did have the thought, I decided against it, not wanting the flash to wake either of them up. I have been kicking myself ever since.

So here I am....documenting this adorable display of brotherly affection with words since I 'dropped the ball' on a photographic documentation. Lesson learned, I will not be dropping this proverbial ball again, however I am sure Parker will thank me for this later as I'm sure it would embarrass him terribly should such a picture um.... accidentally make an appearance around friends or a girlfriend.

Happiness

"Do me a favor...Stand up, walk to wherever the nearest window is, and just look outside. You may not know this, but there's an entire panet's worth of summers, friends, sunsets, street lamps, songs, late nights, great films and night skies waiting for you. Your life is as amazing as you want it to be, but first, you have to let it be that way." ~Chad Sugg

I found happiness. My happiness is in my growing relationship with God. My happiness is in my relationship with Mark. He is loving and supportive and encouraging. My happiness is in my boys and their smiles that light up the darkest days. My happiness is my small circle of friends and my family. I have an amazing life.

I feel like lately I have encountered a handful of people who are only happy if they are making other people miserable. They are so unhappy and miserable with themselves and their own life...and as the saying goes, "misery loves company." Their own lives have taken a wrong turn and instead of trying to 'fix' it they retaliate in a way that only hurts innocent people. In the end that person is not any happier. It's a sad and vicious cycle to be in. It makes me angry and sad at the same time for these people. I pray they find peace and happiness within themselves because it is only then you can truly be happy.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I have seen people making posts on FB throughout the month of November, 30 Days of Thankfulness. Very cool, and cudos to all of you. I can't ever stick to a 'daily' commitment like that. Remember the 30 Day Photo Challenge? 'Nuf said. :)

I know every so often I will 'wax poetic' (I read this phrase a few times and love it so I thought I'd try it out :)) but my blessings are great and I feel are worth repeating. So here is my list of things I am thankful for:

* God, for bestowing so many blessings on me. He truly is great.

* My fiance, truly one of the most amazing and wonderful men I have ever known. He takes such great care of the boys and I. He works sometimes excruciatingly long shifts to provide for us. He cooks, cleans and changes poopy diapers without a grumble. He cares for Parker as if he is his own. And he loves me, so much he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. That in itself says a lot.

* My boys, they bring me SO. MUCH. JOY. Their smiles are like my personal rays of sunshine. I am honored God entrusted these precious gifts to me, to mother and love.

My sister, she is just amazing and my best friend. She is always there for me.

* My daddy....We didn't always have a close relationship. It took a long time but now we are there. I am so thankful for his continuing health and sobriety.

* My Papa...his health has been on a steady decline for several years now but somehow we are still blessed to have another Thanksgiving with him.

* My soon to be sisters in law. These women are amazing and inspiring. I love them so.

* My niece, nephew and soon-to-be-niece or nephew. They are incredible little people and I am thankful to be their aunt. I don't get to see them often but I hope with time our relationship will grow. And I am thankful for the new peanut that is baking, I can't wait to meet him/her!

* I am grateful to Donna's mama for sharing Donna and her story with everyone. I know I talk about it all the time but this family, this little girl, are truly amazing. She was beautiful and wise beyond her 4 short years. She impacted and moved me tremendously. Because of her Donna's Warriors was created and we are here as long as possible to make a difference for kids of Childhood Cancer. Donna forever changed me for the better.

* My circle of friends, you are all so great and even if we don't talk or see each other very often I hope you know how much I love and cherish each of you.

Here's to eating too much turkey and pie and a day full of counting blessings and making memories!

Working mom

I am a working mother, it really sucks some days. Today is one of them.

Parker had his Thanksgiving Feast and program at school today and I had to miss it due to my job's 'rules' for Holiday Pay. I already come in later (and work later) on Wednesdays so I can take him to school. The rule is you have to work 8 hours the day before a holiday (or take a paid vacation day) to get the holiday pay. Leaving for 2 and a half hours for his program would have cut me short.

I have been so upset by having to miss this. I tried to make other arrangements but to no avail. Parker's step-mom Jen asked if I would be ok if she went for his program and offered to take pictures and send to me. I told her that would be great.

This was a very hard thing for me to do. It has always been difficult to share my child with her. I will admit I'm insecure, having moments of being afraid he will 'choose' her over me, think she is the better or more fun 'mommy' or the one who is there for him more than I am. I know, this is childish. It's just not easy to share your child. But...today I swallowed my pride and felt a little gratitude for her being able to be there so he at least has one parent there. The bottom line is him and what is best for him.

I know working is a necessity and some days I am ok with it. I just hate feeling like I miss out on so much of their lives. I missed their first steps. Classroom parties and field trips. And as they grow there will be more. I do try to do what I can but there is always something that will be missed.

I also wanted to share his art project from school. His turkey says "I am thankful for" and each feather says dad, mom, little brother, God, step mom and step dad. What I love the most about this is he said God. Mark and I make efforts to take him to church and involve him in church activities, and we pray before meals. Parker's prayers usually include something about "showing people the path to You." It makes my heart smile so big that our efforts have an impact on him.

I am so blessed to have this little boy. I am thankful to God He entrusted me to be a mommy to these gifts He blessed me with.

Success!!

$1,067.50!!!

So far this is what we are up to. The donations seem to still be coming in, and there are cash donations that were made but haven't posted yet!!! What an AMAZing experience this walk was! Despite the early wake up and lack of sleep the night before, everyone was in a great mood and seemed to have had a great time.

Let me tell you what an awesome team of people this is. Everyone did

such a great and worked so hard getting donations and coming up with other fundraising ideas.I cannot express how blessed and grateful I am to have such wonderful people in my life, and be as excited about this cause as I am. This also includes all of our donors, who so generously gave and helped us to exceed our goal. There just aren't enough words that can properly express my appreciation to all of them for making Donna's Warriors' first event so successful. These people are Rock Stars.

This is not going to be a one time deal. As long as there will be a St. Jude's Walk, Donna's Warriors will be there. And I hope each year our team and donations will grow.

I am also looking for more Charity events for us. So far I am looking at doing things for both Ronald McDonald House (donating money, food, toys, clothes) and Children's Hospital of Detroit. Facilities like these are a God-send for families who have a child being treated. They are always in need of anything that will help make the kids and their families staying with them more comfortable so they can focus on getting through treatments and getting better.

There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities. These organizations are non-profit and function through people like Donna's Warriors, people with big hearts and a desire to make a difference.

If you hear of an organization that is looking for donations or help, please let me know. If you'd like to join this team to help make a difference, even if it is just for one child and their family, let me know. There is always room for more Rock Stars. Plus you'll get one of these cool shirts :)

Stay tuned for more events!

More wedding plans

So today my brain is everywhere but on work. I know, this is nothing new.

2 more days until the walk and Donna's Warriors is still doing great with donations coming in. For those keeping track at home, we are up to $982.50!

So today my focus has been more on wedding stuff. This is, afterall, the 'base' behind this blog, right?

Nikki received her bridesmaid dress in the mail yesterday. I am SO excited she found one so quickly, easily and affordably!
Isn't she adorable? She is going to look gorgeous. Although, she's that person that could get away with wearing a paper bag and look fab.

Now that she has her dress I started looking at bouquets. I decided to look off-site from the resort because the 2 I loved from the resort were $300 and $400! Mark wants me to have what I want but I just couldn't ever justify that.

Here are the 3 I love:

I am not going to say which one is my top pick. I'm curious to know what YOU think. Kind of like a vote. :) So let me know, and in a few days I'll let you know which one was the top 'vote' and which one is my pick.



Nautical Knot

Caribbean Bride

Together Forever

The Braided Bun

I saw this blog post today on The Small Things and thought it was definitely worth sharing. I am always looking for new and different but simple things to try with my hair. It's long and I refuse to cut it off but I get bored easily. This blog is really awesome, she does all sorts of tutorials (video form) about different hair styles and she makes them pretty easy to understand. Check it out, let me know if you try it! :)

Braided Bun

Goal

Every day feels like Christmas to me this week. With the St. Jude's Give Thanks Walk just around the corner (3 days to be exact but who's counting?? :) ) we have been watching the donations just come pouring in. Today being Wednesday I didn't get here until 9 am. I opened my Outlook to an email from one of our Walkers informing we are at......drumroll please.... $932.50!!!!

This is so awesome!! Words cannot express how beyond thrilled, excited and proud I am. We have worked and rallied hard to reach our goal and it is paying off!!

It's not over yet though. We do still have 3 days left. I am hoping people will still make a donation. And even though the walk is Saturday, that doesn't mean my quest to make a difference is done when we finish walking. I am so looking forward to the next challenge, and I hope to get one started soon.

I've never been a part of anything like this before. My first experience was The Race For The Cure in Detroit this past May. I thought that was an awesome experience. Creating Donna's Warriors has been different though. I read Donna's Cancer Story and wanted to do something. So I did, and so far it has been an AMAZing experience. I'm surrounded and supported by incredible people...friends... They have been just as excited about our cause and progress right along with me. I hope we can make it grow and accomplish more.

Donna's Warriors

Donna's Warriors

We are in the final week before the walk, just 5 more days! I am so exited, I feel like a little kid at Christmas!

The team has done a great job getting donations, I am truly surrounded with amazing friends and family. Each donation, no matter how much, is so greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps! Someone mentioned to me people may not feel like they can give a lot and if they can't make it a decent donation then they don't want to donate at all. Even if it's just $5, it all adds up and it's all for a great cause!

The design for our shirts was submitted last week.


The shirt will be black, for Donna's favorite color. The writing and picture will be in a yellow-gold, the color for Childhood Cancer. The shield on the right will be the left side chest logo and then the picture and team name on the back. They are going to look so great, I can't wait to see them!! And a HUGE THANKS to Stoliker's for donating their labor for the charity!!



I love seeing this all come together. I know this is going to be an amazing experience shared with some amazing people.

Wednesdays

I love Wednesday mornings.


On Wednesday mornings Mark and I switch roles. He takes Camden to daycare and I take Parker to school. It feels like bonus one on one time with my boy and typically we have some pretty great conversations where he makes me giggle. This morning was no exception.


After eating breakfast he told me he wanted another piece of toast. I was running behind as usual so I told him he could make one himself and told him how. As he was spreading the jelly and butter he sang the Peanut Butter-Jelly song from Family Guy (Please don't ask how he knows this because he isn't allowed to watch the show. Some how he discovered it though), only he changed up the words to be Butter and Jelly. I tried to get video but I'm afraid I missed the best parts.


He ate his toast and was so impressed with how well he did and how good it tasted he surprised me with my own piece. He informed me of his secret ingredients...butter, jelly and love (might I add no piece of toast is complete without a song and booty shake?). After I took a bite he told me "You just ate my love." What a kid.


He then told me, very specifically, how he makes his toast. He informed me he adds love by kissing the tip of each finger on his right hand (he even told me it has to be the fingers on the hand you use to hold the knife in to spread the butter and jelly). And you have to make the butter 'stand up' just the right way.


Then he told me he can make toast for all of my co-workers and sell it for $10 each. He told me since he is making it, he gets to decide how much to sell it for.


This boy knows how to melt me and make my heart smile.

Another Wedding

It is now Sunday evening and I am relaxing after a fabulous weekend. Busy, but fabulous!

One of my long time best friends Amy married her soul mate yesterday.

Amy and I became friends in 1989, we were in 5th grade. A year later she moved to St. Charles and we maintained our friendship through phone dates that lasted hours. Several years later as we became adults we somehow lost touch. Some 12 years later we reconnected and picked our friendship back up again as though no time was ever lost. I learned our friendship does not depend on being together, it is deeper than that. Our closeness is something inside of us that is always there ready to be shared with each other whenever the need arises.

I am so thrilled that despite the 12 year gap of time in our friendship she asked me to share in her special day and gave me the honor of standing

up for her. Through this Mike and Mark have even become friends. I have a feeling we will

have many more fun times and memories to be made in the future.

Amy is an amazing woman, and I'm so glad her and Mike found each other.

Halloween

Halloween was so much fun this year! Since Parker went trick or treating with his dad, we took him to Trunk or Treat at our church. He not only received a fair amount of candy but they had games set up too. We really enjoy doing things through church. It's a great community we are happy and proud to belong to.

Monday night Mark dressed up to pass out candy and we dressed Camden in his costume and just let him walk around. He was so happy, just laughing and walking around. He even scored a sucker, a Hot Wheels and some glow sticks. That kid sure does love being outside. We were out for about 2 hours and he was so mad at me when we went inside! We are so blessed to have such happy and healthy boys.

And may I just add how awesome our daycare girl is?? She does such a fantastic job. She had a Halloween party for the kids last week on Thursday. They played and had treats and painted pumpkins. She takes pictures throughout the day of the kids and posts them on a Facebook she created just for daycare so us parents can see. The one picture below of Camden just cracks me up. I asked her what he was doing and she said he was trying to 'eat his belly button.' Gotta love that kid, and mad props to Mrs. Jen for doing such a fabulous job!

Starting a Movement

This post is so full of emotions...happy, excited, a little bit of sadness, inspiration...and on and on. I apologize now for the length. I only hope you'll stick with me and find it worth the read.
My friend Melissa and my sister AnnMarie and I have organized a team of walkers to participate in a walk to raise money for St. Jude's Hospital. This is HUGE for me, I'll tell you why.

Throughout the month of September I read a blog written by a mommy who's daughter was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at just 21 months old. Every day for 31 days she wrote a post about Donna's Cancer Story, each day representing one month of Donna's battle. Each post detailed what Donna went through each month, from brain surgeries to the most intense chemotherapy treatments to stem cell harvests and implants, more chemo treatments and proton laser treatments.

For 31 months Donna and her parents (nicknamed Mary Tyler Mom and Mary Tyler Dad) were in and out hospitals. They watched their daughter, their baby, struggle with not feeling well, vomiting, loss of appetite and thirst and pain. Because this particular cancer is so rare, there is no treatment path to follow. They (MTM, MTD and Donna's team of doctors) had to take things day by day and formulate treatments how they felt would be best. They treated her and fought for a cure, not just to 'treat' it. Through it all MTM and MTD shielded Donna from whatever they could, trying to not 'burden' her with the details of her illness. And Donna...for being so small, was Super Woman. She smiled and showed her parents how to Choose Hope.

Shortly after Donna turned 4 years old (October 19th, 2009 to be exact), that beautiful baby I had fallen in love with through 31 heartbreaking blog posts passed away. MTM wrote that Donna knew she was going to die, asked her mama who else she knew that was dead. She learned in preschool (which she attended to the very end) that bones cannot talk. What a smart cookie.

I cried reading each and every post. People kept asking me why I was reading something so sad. My response, how could I not? I felt like it would have been a dishonor to Donna's memory, to the strength of her mama and daddy, to not read and share. It made me appreciate my own babies so much more. If I start feeling frustrated with a tantrum or smart talk, I remind myself Donna's parents wish she was still here to throw that tantrum, or talk back.

Her story is incredible. SHE is incredible. And amazing. Her parents are amazing and inspiring. Reading this blog started something in me. I did a little research online and found Pediatric Cancer receives little funding, minimal awareness. Until I read Donna's story, I had no idea September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, or that the color for it is Gold. As Donna's mama stated when starting her blog, Gold is the new Pink.

While I will always be a Breast Cancer supporter and will continue to do walks to raise money, Pediatric Cancer is now my primary cause to support. Donna inspired me. Through her I wanted to DO something, to make a difference. Through her I am Choosing Hope for those still fighting against the beast, cancer.

The walk for St. Jude's came at a perfect time. This is just the first of I hope to be many things that I can do to make a difference. So far we have a fantastic team started, and it's growing. Our donations have started coming in. I get so excited every time I am told someone has joined our team or a donation has been made. This is an AMAZING feeling!!!

So now I am going to not only encourage you to read Donna's story, but to feel inspired and go to our page to make a donation. I encourage you to share her story and our page with friends and family. I want to start a movement! I promise you it's worth it!

St. Jude's Give Thanks Walk, Detroit Our goal is $1000 but I am hoping and praying to exceed that. Choosing Hope!!!

Our team name is Donna's Warriors, in honor of an angel taken far too soon.

Read. Share. Be inspired. Be a Warrior.

**** Photos are courtesy of MTM's CaringBridge journal.

Kenny Chesney - The Good Stuff

I just love this song..... I always hear it at perfect moments.

Day 11: Something Fun

I decided to lump my "something fun" and pictures from doing the Making Strides walk last weekend into one. This is the second breast cancer walk I have done and not only is it for a good cause but I have fun doing it. This wasn't as big as the Race For The Cure I did in May but I was in excellent company.

Doing these walks gives me such a great feeling. I am already looking forward to RFTC, which I am hoping to recruit more walkers for to make a team.

Overload

I think I am experiencing blogger overload. I feel like I have so much I want to write and post about and no time to do it. And at least one will be a long one so I hope you won't be scared off by the length and will stick it out to read the whole thing. I hope it'll be worth it and I'm hoping to have some very good things come of it.

Here are the things that I have been busy with:

1) Wedding planning!!! We met with our travel agent this past Sunday to finally start all wheels in motion. Right now our task is to get all necessary paperwork and passports in order and turned in by December. I will be the first person to admit I am terrible with paperwork. It'll take a little extra effort on my part to stay on task with this to get it done. But it's pretty important so that encourages me :)

2) I seemed to have stalled on my Photo Challenge. So I need to get caught up on these somewhat. Stay tuned...

3) I did a Breast Cancer walk this past Saturday. It was cold but we had a good time. I will do a post with pictures.

4) Mark and I took the boys to a cider mill on Sunday. We had so much fun. Camden loved the pumpkins! We just let him wander around to look at them all. He kept pointing and saying "hot!" (Hot is what we tell him when he tries to touch something we don't want him to touch lol). I was able to get some pretty good pictures of us. That'll be another post.

5) Donna's Cancer Story and trying to put together some sort of a walk or donation drive of sorts. This will be my big post. I've written about Donna's Cancer Story briefly before but I want to do one in more detail, one that does her more justice (other than the one written by her mama). This is serious business to me. It touched me and affected me so deeply and now all I want to know is what can I do??? I want to help bring awareness to childhood cancer. It receives minimum funding. I would absolutely love it if people would post comments after I write this one, who are willing to participate in something or has ideas on how to start something. I want a movement here! I want impact!

Anyways...as you can see, lots going on. I will try to organize my thoughts and start getting them posted.

Life

"If God had meant for today to be perfect, he wouldn't have invented tomorrow."

"There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy and its only reward is that it's easy."

"Life is like fresh fallen snow. Be careful where you walk because every step will show."

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it."

Lately I have been learning to pause more and enjoy moments, locking those moments in my vault of memories. Particularly with my family and friends. I cherish them so much.

I read a blog last month, written by a mother who's daughter was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at 21 months. She lived 31 months, through surgeries, treatments, relapses, stem cell harvests and rescues. It was so heart-breaking, reading this mommy's anguish over her daughter's suffering, the strength between her and her husband to keep going, learning from Donna to just live. I cried so much reading this blog but it was so worth it. Please check it out, Donna's Cancer Story.

Even though Donna's life was cut tragically short by this beast, I learned so much. I appreciate my kids so much more. Not that I didn't appreciate or cherish them before, but it did help put things into perspective. Their tantrums are just not a big deal to me now, I don't let them frustrate me.

I am looking forward to a weekend filled with Mark, my boys and friends, and making more memories. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

Have a fabulous weekend. Take pictures, make memories and cherish every moment. I know I will.

Women...

I saw this today on Facebook and thought it was worth sharing. I am always saying I hope I can raise my boys to be gentlemen... And if God ever graces me with a little girl, I hope to raise her like this as well....

This and That

Things seemed to have slowed down quite a bit for us since my sister's wedding, however we are not lacking exciting events.

Last weekend I was given tickets to the U of M game. I was so excited to give them to Mark and Parker as a surprise. Just a few weeks ago Parker told me he wanted to go to a football game this year, since he's never been. Consider that request checked off! The weather was PERFECT for a football game. Final score: 58-0 U of M. Did the other team even show up?? HA!

This was Parker's and my first time at the Big House. We had so much fun. Don't you totally dig the maize and blue mohawk? Little Boy caused quite a stir and gained some fans with that one.

I am excited to start working on the details for our own wedding. We have been talking about it for at least 2 weeks now but us actually sitting down with the computer, paper and pen to work on it hasn't actually happened yet. I've been exhausted in the evenings and falling asleep very early, leaving Mark to watch tv alone. :/

Have I mentioned lately how great he is? Really. A girl couldn't ask for a better fiance. I was a bit under the weather on Monday and he brought me flowers at work, a slurpee after I came home and when I passed out on the sofa before 8pm he tended to the boys and put them to bed. He also stood for 2 hours yesterday, folding the clean laundry I have been avoiding like the plague (don't judge me). He also gets up early every morning (even on his days off) to help me get Camden ready for the day, make lunches and take Parker to school.

How did I get so lucky, you ask? I'm not really sure, but I am so glad I did. There isn't a day that goes by I don't thank God for bring Mark into my life.

Day 10: Something I Made

Something I Made

Welcome Fall!! This is my favorite time of the year. With the cooler temperatures comes the cravings for 'comfort' foods. This past weekend the temps barely reached 60 so on Friday I made a huge pot of chili. I consider this my first time making it 'home-made' because I really just took the basic ingredients and added what I thought it needed. The boys both hated it but Mark and I thought it was great (or at least he told me it was delicious lol). Here's what I did:

3 cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can of tomato sauce
2 normal sized cans of crushed tomatoes
1 medium tomato, cut up
1 large green pepper, cut up
2lbs of ground turkey

Brown the ground turkey, strain. Add it to a large pot of the rest of the above ingredients.

Here's what I added to taste:

4 or 5 cloves of garlic, (chopped in the food processor)
3 or 4 tablespoons of chili powder
a little bit of Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tablespoon)
pepper
garlic powder

Mark likes a strong kick so in his own bowl he added chopped jalapenos and some hot sauce.
It made a lot too, so you can freeze the left overs and serve at a later date.

I think that's it. I just kept tasting it and adding what I thought it needed (clearly I didn't measure much) and it turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. This was kind of a proud moment for me since I used to be a decent cook but seemed to have lost my 'knack' and have had some kitchen debacles lately.

Let me know if you try it, or what your favorite 'fall' recipe is!

Day 9: Faceless Self-Portrait

Faceless Self-Portrait

Thank you to my 7 year old for taking this one for me :)

Today is (supposed to be) the first game of the ALDS for the Tigers, my favorite baseball team. Well....my only baseball team!

I wore this shirt today to show support and luck for the boys and my favorite pitcher Justin Verlander, who is supposed to be pitching tonight. Some 'luck' my efforts brought, we are currently on a rain delay with a 1-1 score.

I 'heart' the Tigers!

Day 8: Technology

Technology

I am using my camera for this one. I love taking pictures, especially of my boys (even though I usually use my phone lately). I am using this for Day 8 because I had lost the battery charger and with both battery packs dead the camera was rendered useless. BIG BUMMER. Many a great photo opportunity was missed on account of this.

But I finally found it a couple of weeks ago just in time for the Monkers' birthday party, YAY!!

***Side note: Thank GOD this isn't the "30 Consecutive Day Photo Challenge"!! Can we say FAIL??

Wedding!!

Not mine...my sister's :)

September 24th, 2011 truly turned out to be a beautiful day, in every aspect of the word (despite a certain someone's attempt to ruin yet another wedding. I won't name names here, but I will say she is running 2 for 2. I shall call her The Wedding Crasher).

Even though the weather people predicted rain off and on all weekend, the sky was a beautiful blue with scattered big white fluffy clouds.

The ceremony went off fabulously. AnnMarie was so gorgeous. Jordan cried when he saw her walking down the aisle, which of course set off all of us bridesmaids. Thank God for the tissue we all hid in our bouquets!

The reception went great. I promised I would post my speech on here, so here it is. And let me tell you, I almost didn't make it through!!

I want to start off by thanking everyone for being here to celebrate AnnMarie and Jordan's special day. I know it means a lot to them.

AnnMarie, my baby sister and best friend. You look so beautiful today. You are the picture of a glowing and radiant bride.

I remember when I found out I was going to be a big sister, and then when we found out you were a girl, I was so excited. After you came home from the hospital and I was back in school, I would BEG mom to just let me take you to school for "show and tell". I was so convinced I could take care of you, just leave you in your infant seat and rock you with my toe when you get fussy.

I always wanted to help take care of you...from feeding you to helping you learn how to walk, to riding a 2-wheeler bike and giving you big sisterly advice. I remember as we both became holder thinking, she's going to grow up and get married some day, and then she won't need me anymore. And now here we are on your wedding day and I hope you will still need me once in awhile. Even though I know Jordan takes great care of you, just humor me now and then, ok?

Jordan, you came into AnnMarie's life at a perfect time. You helped to heal her broken heart at the time and showed her that even though a window had closed, you were there opening a door for her. You were patient and gave her time, and now it has paid off as you have won the ultimate price - her heart and love for the rest of your lives. I know you will always treat it, and her, with the care and love she deserves. Just as I couldn't have picked a better sister if I was given a choice, I also couldn't have picked a better husband for her to share her life with.

As you start your life together, remember...... "Life is short - kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love deeply, and forgive quickly." A successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always.

I raise my glass to AnnMarie and Jordan, and a lifetime of love and happiness. I love you guys.

WOW...I still cannot even type this, or even talk about how beautiful she looked, without getting teary!!

AnnMarie, now that I know you read my blog, I am so proud of you, and proud to be your sister. I love you (and Jordan too!).