Happy TURKEY-FREE day!

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there was a mom who thought she was good at what she did. She could fold clothes until her fingers bled and smile while stain-sticking the blood out of the carpets. She could tirelessly read and scratch the backs of her children until her eyeballs dried up into prune-shaped objects while singing, "Oh Happy Day" and soaking them in saline solution to reconstitute her sight. She would single-handedly manage three craft projects in three different developmental age groups all while knitting sweaters for the homeless... until today... she lost it... Iumm...I mean, my friend who I am talking about...went WHOLE HOG BALLISTIC! Tears shot out of her face as she angrily stamped her size 10s all around the kitchen until her youngest just stood and stared...not knowing what to do. All because of construction paper. Yes. I said construction paper. I was My friend is very crafty and loves breaking up the stress in her day by yanking out every craft item that her craft closet can hold. Laying out some paper, paints and glue sticks is like a drug in her veins. Calms. Soothes. Makes everything alright. until today... she lost it... My Her youngest is just ecstatic that "Ho Ho" is coming!! He runs through the house asking, "Ho Ho tum-ing? Ho Ho tum-ing?" To make his and my her life a little easier, she decided to make a festive green paper chain that would be a toddler version of the advent calendar. Each night before bed, he could pull off a ring and it would be one day closer to "Ho Ho tum-ing!" They sat and cut, her face began to twitch as he wasn't cutting where she asked him to...then they began taping the rings and counting together...30 days until "Ho Ho!" That's when doubt seeped in...in my her lack-of-sleep stupor, she wondered if it was in fact 30 days until Christmas...could it be? Today was the 25th...Christmas is the 25th... For some reason it wasn't making sense. So, rather than having the chain end one day too soon and having to deal with a toddler who thinks "Ho Ho is tum-ing" when he clearly is not....I she slowly walked to the calendar to do the math. That's when it happened... ...r-r-r-rip... ...r-r-r-rip... ...r-r-r-r-r-r-r-riiiiiip... I turned to find the last 15 minutes of sanity laid before me in holiday green confetti...all over the kitchen floor...that's when my week of worry about our dog's prognosis after the accident, the last 3 weeks of a toddler who has gotten the SAME FRIPPIN' virus three times IN A ROW and is not sleeping well, the two church productions that I have become RESIDENT GO-TO person for all the creative stuff you need, and countless writing assignments I have fallen asleep too early (with the kids WHILE they are saying their prayers) to complete all came to a head... I lost it... He stared... then cried... then we snuggled...in complete silence (except for Wonder Friends). Then... he told my mom! She had sensed my quivering voice the night before when I complained about all I was drowning under and (bless her heart, the best mom in the world) brought me my favorite sandwich in the entire world - only that good b/c it's made by HER! I wish I had a video of him pantomiming the whole thing. He even got the tattered green Holiday chain out of the recycling bin and beat his little fists on the counter! But he has been an angel ever since. Guess it's ok to blow your top as long as no one gets hurt and everyone is still standing when it's over! Ummmm, yeah, it was me...not my friend...wouldn't be a friend of someone THAT kooky! It's construction paper! Sheesh! Get a FREAKIN' GRIP! LMAO! Here's to better days....

Is this initiation or hazing?!

I am at a loss for words... I have no idea which end is up... Our sweet doggy is home and can not stand or sit so YOU picture the mess... My sweet baby boy is sick AGAIN for the 3rd time in a month...hacking up a lung, can't sleep, fever so YOU picture the sleepless chaos... Today was....well....um... put it this way...I felt like Meredith Grey (on her WORST day @ the hospital) meets one of those Vet 9-1-1 shows. Baby in bed crying b/c he wants to snuggle... Doggy two floors down whining and howling b/c she has to pee and can't MAKE herself go in her pen (kind of the bed-pan issue I had after having kids.) Get baby calm...maybe asleep? She's let loose and finally pees!! YAY!!! Now baby is screaming for more snuggles and I have a load of pee-stained blankets to take care of... CRAP!!! There is a load of laundry only 1/2 way thru a cycle IN the washer....these blankets stink! They HAVE TO GO IN! I flip the switch to the shortest spin cycle and GO WITH IT. 9 minutes later spin is done. I yell up to the baby to just give me two minutes - he says, "K!" I take soapy but SPUN clothes out (knowing full well I will have to wash them AGAIN later) and throw them in the dryer... Squeeze the blankets in - PU! Start the wash. CRAP! Baby is now sleeping and I have to leave in 12 minutes to pick up my other two @ school!!! HELP?!?!?! ANYONE?!?!?! Uh, oh. Doggy is whining...probably POOP heading out anytime now! Think I can clean THAT up and get baby in the car asleep all in 12 minutes? I have been in a sorority!! I will take HAZING over THIS any day! (Don't get me wrong - I am BEYOND THRILLED TO HAVE OUR PUP HOME!!!!! THANKFUL BEYOND WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!)

It all started with a truck in the toilet...

That's when I knew if I didn't get this kid outside I would lose my mind we had been inside too long! So, it was cold...and MOMMY HATES TO BE COLD...but we headed outside to play. We took a rake and got to work! (It wasn't dark...the picture just turned out that way) We grabbed a couple rakes and hit Mommy with them got to work.

Then after Mommy came to after being hit by a rake one too many times my little guy had decided our work was through we headed inside for craft time! Time to make the DOUGH! Salt dough, that is!

4 c. flour

1 c. salt

1 1/2 c. warm tap water

VOILA!!

My little SENSORY KID was loving the dry ingredients...kinda like sand...which he used to hate. But, I was trying to get him out of my hair entranced in something that was not going to turn into an INDOOR SNOW STORM!

When the "flurries" started, I quickly added the warm water to cut down on the mess I was trying to NOT have to deal with...I had to start dinner!

Oh yeah....that's a lot LESS MESSY!! What was I thinking? Sometimes my art teacher past doesn't mesh with my mom-of-a-too-busy-toddler present. A little more flour and a little help kneading and it is all good! Loads of fun! Ahhhhh...time forMommy to have a moment to just think....what was I going to think about? Oh yeah, right, dinner! Now, I can start dinner and watch from afar and not be bothered. Unless, of course, your name is Montegue J. Cat! Then it is your DUTY to bother my while my hands are dripping with cold, raw chicken juice *gags*! Finally, when the salt dough project turned into a full-body sport, I decided it was time to call it quits and get him involved in something else... Thanks to PAMPERED CHEF and their bowl and collander set WITH LIDS, I had a nice and easy way to clean up but have our supplies on hand for another time...like in 45 seconds when he gets bored with cars and trucks... I didn't care that he was onto something else! I was just glad he wasn't asking to go outside again thrilled that we had some fun hands-on playtime! We were warm and cozy, him playing with his cars and me finishing up a vat of CHICKEN CORN NOODLE SOUP... until he saw what was floating down from the Heaven's above! We could actually WATCH the SNOW STORM coming in!! As much as I hated that there was snow on its way...this was kinda cool!

And SNOWFLAKES taste WAY better than CHICKEN CORN NOODLE SOUP...if you're 3!!

So, I thought I could do everything...

(Yes...I flunked NaBloPoMo with only 2 weeks to go) Just when you think you have it all tucked neatly under your belt (and in your pockets) and you have a handle on everything. You can do it all! You are super woman! That is when God takes a moment to reel you back in to remind you that you need HIM to make it all work! The last couple months have just been a whirlwind of things to do, places to be...I don't have to tell you...if you are a mom you get it. Someone asks you if you can make 4300 cupcakes for the bake sale. There is nothing on your To Do list so you say, "Sure!" Then, behind curtain #2 is the committee at a community organization who has gotten wind of your "talents" and just knows you are the right person to make all of the costumes for the Christmas Pageant. And since, Great Aunt Bessy died, they have NO ONE TO DO IT! "OK," you say. After agreeing to hand sew 35 mice costumes, you try to run ... your feet are going in circles and making that cartoon-y whizzing sound but you are not going anywhere! A giant Curtain #3 stands before you and behind it is your family. These little leeches will suck you dry. They are cute but they are deadly. Wipe my nose. Change my diaper. Call my teacher. Feed me dinner. Help me study. Read me stories. Kiss my lips. (that's the husband) They don't even have to say it, the whining oozes from their poors and if you hesitate for one meesly second they just KNOW that you have chosen cupcakes and costumes over them! Pout. Pout. Pout. I have spent this last couple of months "gathering" projects that either I have put on my plate or other have shared with me. Some are small and completely do-able. Some are larger than life and I think I was unconscious when I said, "yes." Some use my talents and my gifts which make me NOT want to say "no." God gave me talents and gifts so I can use them, right? So, why would I withhold them from people to keep extra hours in my day? Some of the things on my plate are the daily duldrums of a stay-at-home mom. There are a lot of those in a big heaping helping on this plate of mine! And that's OK, too, because I chose this job. I LOVE MY JOB! All of these things are OK in moderation, right? Am I addicted to having a full plate? Ha! That's funny! If that plate has pizza and ice cream on it, you better believe I am calling the addict counselling hot line. But what about when that plate has laundry, prop design, freebie writing assignments, grocery shopping, cleaning, general organization and staying on top of things so my husband doesn't find me at the bottom of a pile of mail gasping for air? What then? So, add to that a horrific accident in front of my home where our dear sweet 3 1/2 year old black lab is hit by an F350 truck that DIDN'T brake! At all! Until AFTER it hit her! Her pelvis is broken in 8 places and the vet has no idea if the Xrays will show a spinal injury. He says if it is just her pelvis, she can heal but if she has no bowel or bladder control over the next couple of days, it will mean the worst. We wait. For days. Yesterday my husband went to see her. She didn't wag her tail. She didn't look at him. She was grimacing in pain. Her belly was distended and she had yet to "move her bowels." I cried all night. As a last resort, I texted all my friends and asked for them to PRAY FOR POOP! My Facebook family was praying and IMing me! We prayed for POOP! The kids prayed over and over for God to heal her! Today when my husband went to see her, her big brown eyes stayed glued to him, she wagged her tail and he said she looked much better. Her belly was less puffy and SHE HAD POOPED!! PRAISE GOD! The Vet said she had even stood up on all fours earlier in the day...only for a couple seconds but she did it. Then he said, "You need to start thinking about your plans for bringing her home!" BRINGING HER HOME! WE ARE BRINGING HER HOME! God is so good. There is nothing too small to pray for in His eyes! He is not BENEATH anything! I prayed for POOP! My TO DO list will be dwindling soon, of course, because I have now earned the honor of being Morgan's nurse!

I'm slowing down. We're taking it one day at a time! The cupcakes and props can wait...my Fuzzy Black Princess needs her family!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

woof!

CIRCLE OF HOPE...

CIRCLE OF HOPE BRACELETS

HELPING TO fundraise for cancer research just by grabbin' some BLING for your girlfriends, daughters, grandmothers, teachers, bus drivers, babysitters, hairdresser, sisters, friends, clergy, favorite cashier, mailwoman, mentor, coach, Sunday School teacher...

You get the point!

(scroll down for a way to help COLEMAN LARSON specifically!)

A CALL FOR COLEMAN...

If you are new to my blog...meet Coleman and Caden! Twins! Partners in Crime! Coleman is fighting a beast called Medulloblastoma - brain cancer! He will be 5 December 5th and has been fighting this beast for literally HALF OF HIS LITTLE LIFE! My good friend Mimi and I have made it our mission to pull out all the stops and give these boys the BES TWISMAS EH-VA! So, because Coleman makes such a CUTE REINDEER... Mimi likes to call this... RUDOLPH'S ROUND UP! Take it away, Mimi! "RUDOLPH'S ROUNDUP prizes are coming in steady. I got candles in today , they are 3 wick candles in a glass container shaped like Texas ! They are beautiful ... (not just cuz they are Texas shaped , well...), I will be getting some Cure Search stuff, a team Unite sweatshirt. I am also designing new Coleman and Caden TeeShirts. That will be a surprise for later..." For now it is time to get busy: I DECLARE RUDOLPH'S ROUNDUP OPEN . One entry: $5 or three entries: $10. (Maximum 3 entries , BUT donations for more welcome )The $$$ will go exclusively to TEAM LARSON (100%), please be generous, we want their holiday season to be as amazing as possible... You can either mail in the money for your entries and/or donations. Mimi Avery 111 Aviator Dr Fort Worth , TX 76179 Or paypal them at mimiavery74@msn.com If your heart is willing, please include a short(or not) note for The Larsons . Even if you paypal ,I will print the notes out for them . If you didnt quite get it, if you have questions, suggestions email me at myriamtx@yahoo.com To get to know TEAM LARSON, head over to www.carepages.com and register (it's free and takes 2 seonds) then type in ColemanScott (all one word) and start reading. This little man is AMAZING! You will fall in love. If you know of anyone who would be willing to give a donation to this cause, please feel free to post a link to me on your blog or FWD a link to your address book! We made a miracle happen last Christmas for Mimi's son Julian...let's see if we can do it again!

My firsts...as if you asked! LOL!

Found this on someone's blog but they didn't tag anyone so I took it...thought it would be fun. I didn't read all of the things FIRST that are supposed to be firsts so this could be interesting. We'll see if I hit "Publish" at the end...haha.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?

Scott Risbon, my best friend's brother - I know, I know, that crosses the line in that "don't date the brother" rule but we weren't dating, just good friends without dates to our Junior Prom.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?

Um, no. That's a weird thought.

3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?

Some kind of whiskey, I think. I was pretty naive and went to an upperclassman's party. When I walked in, one of his friends handed me a cup. I was 16 and still thinking they served punch at parties so I said, "thanks" and took a huge gulp. Never had punch light my lungs on fire! I played it cool and handed the cup back. Blech.

4. What was your FIRST job?

Technically, babysitting. First job I had outside of other people's homes was at our local mall in the food court. The place was called Coney Island - we served hot dogs and cheeseburgers. I even had to scrub the white slime off of the hot dogs before putting them on the grill. NO LIE! Maybe that's why I refuse to feed my kids the foul tubular meat. Double Blech!

5. What was your FIRST car?

Sniffle, sniffle. Her name was "Betty" (as in Boop)...she was a beauty. My beloved Rangoon Red '65 Mustang. My sweet daddy pimped my ride and turned a banged up white 'Stang into a very sweet ride! Happy 16th to me!! But, sadly, she got old and unreliable so for safety's sake we sold her down the river. So sad. It was kind of funny though, at one point there was a crossed wire or something and when I made left hand turns the headlights turned off or she stalled. So, for months, I drove way out of my way to get to my destinations by only turning right. I tried to deal with it as long as I could before telling my dad. But after almost getting T-boned a couple times, I had to give in and tell him...I still have pictures of her. I think I loved her more than my first boyfriend!

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?

That would be "Goose," one of the 3 Michel(l)e's in my BFF Bunch! Love ya, friend!

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?

I didn't think of a person this morning. I thought about Morgan, our 3 1/2 year old Black Lab who was struck by a car last night and spent the night sedated @ the vet. Still waiting to hear a prognosis. Please pray if that is your THANG!

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?

Mrs. Komez...she was very pregnant and she felt it necessary to discuss her discomforts with the class, usually at story time. The last thing a 6 year old wants to think about is that her fat teacher has tremendous gas due to her innards being shoved up to her neck.

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

I was 3 months old and I flew from PA to LA where I lived for the next 2 years. My first words were said sweetly with a lo-o-o-ong southern drawl.

Mama = "Mow-mah"

Michelle = "Mee-shayl"

To this day, if I meet a southerner, I have a hard time staving off the twang.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?

Melissa, Melissa, Melissa. We met when we were four, went K-12 together, then different universities, were in each other's weddings, lived in different states and now live a mile from one another. We talk sometimes daily and see each other a couple times a month. To this day (33 years later) she is one of my dearest friends. She even held an intervention for me once. Drove 3 hours to Penn State to discuss my choice of boyfriend. (Not my hubby. His roommate)

11. What was your FIRST sport played?

Does kickball count? The swings at recess? Not much of an athlete. Really don't enjoy dodging, chasing, kicking, hitting or tackling things. Would much rather sit on the sidelines and yell. Cheerleading was my gig in high school.

12. Where was your FIRST sleep over?

Probably the Drumeler's house. At about 3am I got up to secretly call my mom to come get me. But I didn't tell Mrs. Drumeler, or my friend for that matter, so they were all a little freaked out when someone was ringing the doorbell in the wee hours of the morning. I did this a couple more times before we took a sleep-over hiatus.

13. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?

Not sure because I had 5 kids to wake up to this morning. But I opened my lips before having coffee so whoever it was was not in focus so I really am not sure.

14. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?

My Aunt Cathy's in 1973. I was 3. I wore a long gauzy baby blue dress with a very floppy, wide brim hat...with flowers of course. Very 70's.

15. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?

Prayed for my pooch!

16. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?

Oh dear, I went to see The Jackson 5 with my dad. He rocks. He pretended to be security and snuck us down from the nosebleed seats to the floor - close to the front. No. I am not spoiled (chuckle - see #5)

17. FIRST tattoo or piercing?

Ears pierced when I was 5. If I could make up my mind, I would have a tattoo. I will only get ONE and for years I have had numerous ideas that I think I totally love...until I come up with the next one! The latest I have had in mind for a while. Will break down soon and get it! On my forehead! LOL! Just kidding!

18. FIRST foreign country you went to?

England and then France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria - all in the same trip. I was 14 and went with Melissa and the German Travel Club. What happens in Europe, stays in Europe! Right Meliss?!

19. What was your FIRST run in with the law?

Following my boyfriend home from the SATs, he went a different way that I didn't know and "Betty" T-boned a BMW! My FORD lost an "R" and become a FOD. Sheesh. It was the first time I had to actually talk to a cop. He had no sympathy for me - he was more interested in the fact that I lived in the town where the woman shot the monkey. (long story - has nothing to do with the accident)

20. When was your FIRST detention?

I only had one - for being late to school more than the acceptable 3x. I only lived 7 minutes from school but "Betty" wasn't always cooperative, nor was my snooze button.

21. What was the FIRST state you lived in?

Pennsylvania. Just a small town girl from Pennsyl-tucky.

22. Who was the FIRST person to break your heart?

Greg Cooper. I got my first "Dear John" letter soon after he left for college.

23. Who was your FIRST roommate?

Jen Chiari. She was a nursing student at Hahnemann University. We lived in Center City Philadelphia (my first time away from home and I didn't know her from Adam). She was very nice. She had a very memorable, snorty laugh.

24. Where did you go on your FIRST limo ride?

To my Nanny's funeral. It was white. I felt very important. I was 11.

Wanna try? Consider yourself tagged!!

Link back to me and leave a comment here when you post so I can be nosey - that's all I ask!

I met Kate Gosselin!

Hershey, PA is a great place to be no matter what! THERE IS CHOCOLATE THERE! LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOCOLATE!

The street lights are GIGANTIC HERSHEY KISSES... every other one is unwrapped. You can actually SMELL chocolate if your windows are down! With streets called Hershey Drive and Cocoa Avenue, how can you NOT love this place?

Not sure how that HOCKERS fit into the whole Chocolate theme, but, hey...to each his own!

Kate was slated to be the guest speaker at the STEPPING OUT: WOMEN OF PURPOSE 2008 Christian Women's Conference. See those dancing ladies?! Aren't they awesome?! 3,000 very cool Christian women were in attendance! They weren't all dancing! (Those are actually cardboard ladies, not real ones!)

And we sat in the second row...RIGHT BEHIND THIS SEAT with THIS SIGN ON IT!

Now, I need to explain...MY focus for the day was NOT to be a "fan" - I was completely HONORED to meet Kate! They told us at the book table that those with books would get priority to meet her so she could sign them. I had my book with me. I bought it a couple weeks ago and finished it in 2 days!

I know I have said this before and I know some of you scoff and think, "Whatever!" (it's ok that you scoff, I still love you! Even my BFFs that were with me scoffed...all day!) But, here it is! I was as excited to meet Dawn and Mimi (last years when we got to go see Oprah, thanks to a WONDERFULLY AMAZING READER! Thanks Kendra!) as I was to meet Kate. Dawn, Mimi and I had never met in person, only knew each other via the blogosphere but we had a connection that was unexplainable! Like sisters separated at birth!

So, I felt like I was meeting up with just another friend I had yet to meet! I took no pictures. (The pictures in this post are from my friends' cameras.) I didn't squeal and get all goofy! I did get her autograph but when Dawn's books come out, you better believe I will get hers, too!

So, we sit down in our seats behind the SPECIAL GUEST SIGN...not because it was MY choice, but because my friends insisted. Quite honestly, I agreed because I thought it would be easier to give her the huge giftbag with NAMESAKES in it at our seats than make a production of it for the audience of 2,999 other women standing in line after she spoke. But, whoever was supposed to sit in that seat never came. That was ok. We were in the second row and I was happy!

Then I hear an, "Excuse me!" My friend, Dina, tapped me and pointed passed Anne-Marie (our third musketeer) to a girl with a huge smile. What she said made my bones giggle with excitement! It was the best thing I had heard all day! She said, "Hi! Do you have a blog? I think I read your blog!"

This is me texting Dawn and Mimi and 400 other people and telling them about my fan! Actually, she had Googled something about "seeing Kate speak" and I can't figure out HOW I came up in that search...can you? *grins* I am embarrassed to say that even though my fan and I chatted for sometime about how thrilled we were to see and hear Kate, I never got her name. If you are reading, please introduce yourself! I feel horrible!

Before Kate came on stage there was a slide show of the kids and sweet worship music. Some of the photos I had never seen, so that was fun! (Not that I think I have seen ALL of Kate's photos!) One photo that always makes me giggle is the big belly shot. The one from the side on the day she delivered the sextuplets. Why do I giggle? Because the caption under that picture tells that her belly was 54" in circumference. Not funny? It is when mine was only 2 or 3 inches smaller and I only had ONE baby! How sad is that?! LOL! But...my daughter was 11 lbs at birth...almost as much as Kate's 6 COMBINED at birth!

Anyway, it was so neat to listen to her speak without all the interruptions TLC provides. She spoke so calmly and like we were all...all 3,000 of us...sitting on her couch in her living room! It could happen. She is used to crowds! She birthed one!

She spoke of all the miracles that happened, of her faith, of Jon and his strength...GO HERE TO BUY HER BOOK! You will be so blessed by knowing her story...not just what you see on TLC! Kay Arthur spoke after Kate, I made my way to the exit to stand in line so I could give her the NAMESAKES! There were already tons of people in line. I started to worry that I wouldn't get to her before she had to go. But, I figured God had blessed me with the time to make the NAMESAKES, He would make sure I got the chance to give them to her.

I did!

She signed my book as we chatted! I handed her the bag and told her I made something for "the kids."

Then the guy with the gray hair inspected my gift bag as if I stuffed it full of Poison Ivy! But, I get it...she's a celeb and you can't be too careful! They were trying to get so many people through the line, there was no time for her to look in the bag and that was just fine with me. I am just so thrilled to have had the opportunity to make them for her!

The previous shot is funny! See how she is saying, "Awwwww." It's because my BFF, Anne-Marie leaned over and said to her, "She just might be your BIGGEST fan!" Then I leaned in and said, "But NOT the scary kind!" Kate, I think, was relieved! LOL!

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference! The worship was amazing! Kay Arthur, of course, was amazing!! And I am so tickled that my NAMESAKES made it to Kate safely!

I hope they like them!

Thanks, God, for the gifts you have given me so that I can bless others in Your Name!

I hate to do this...

It's late. I am sooooo beat. I will fill you in tomorrow on my wonderful WOMAN OF PURPOSE!

RUDOLPH'S ROUND-UP!

You are all the most incredible people on the planet! Why isn't the news filled with more of this kind of story? If the world is filled with so many selfless loving people, why is the news loaded with the CRAP people do? You all need to be on the news!

But you all need to stop patting ME on the back! That is just ridiculous. You all stepped up to the plate and almost before you finished reading my post!

I PAT YOU ALL ON THE BACK!

So, you are all patiently waiting for the announcement of PLAN B!

PLAN B has been affectionately named...

RUDOLPH'S ROUND-UP!

I am going to let Mimi hi-jack my blog and tell you all about it! I wish you could HEAR her, she has a cute Texas-French accent! LOL!

Take it away, Meems!

"Well, I want to do a "Cyber Raffle " this time , with one big prize which would include a couple of Juju things , a couple of wristbands , maybe a cancer sucks shirt ( I will figure it all out) then a couple of smaller prizes. I could sell "tickets " thru paypal or $$ in snailmail , like one for $5 and 3 for $10 . Then on a set date do the drawings online , make a video of the boys drawing the winning names. This should raise more money . And it will be for Team Larson. Call it "RUDOLPH'S ROUND-UP!" I dunno... The kids have so many toys (Peggy's and mine!!) that I thought we can still be part of their Xmas and raise enough money for them to maybe go see a show or get a nice meal delivered to their home... Just ideas...Oh and if anyone would be interested in donating a couple of prizes it would be awesome!"

So, there you go! So far she has some great prizes donated:

Creative Memories Fall Kit

Inspirational Necklace

Lap Quilt

Child's Cancer Bracelet

NAMESAKES of COURSE!

Earrings

Cookbooks

Photographs

Fresh water pearl bracelet

and much much more!!

If you would like to donate a prize for RUDOLPH'S ROUND-UP please email Mimi @ myriamtx@yahoo.com

She is hoping to have all the prizes mailed to her so she can distribute them as the winners are chosen! Easy for YOU! Just mail it to Mimi and you are DONE! Easy enough, right!

I feel so honored to be associated with so many AMAZING people! YAY ME!

The main thing I ask is that everynight when your head hits your pillow you pray for sweet Coleman and the Larson family! EVERY night! PLEASE!

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I am off to meet Kate in the morning! Will have pictures for you tomorrow! Will be giving her 8 NAMESAKES for her kiddos! I hope she likes them! Dawn and Mimi have told me that they have bail money scraped together incase Kate calls security on a CRAZED CRAFTY WOMAN wearing a "Kate's MY BFF" T-shirt approaches her with a large gift bag! Relax girls! I am going to be sweaty calm and fidgetting collected!

Until tomorrow! Goodnight AMAZING PEEPS!

Somethin' else...

Head over HERE (then click on Four Diamonds Fund, then click on 2008 Holiday Cards) to order your HOLIDAY CARDS all the while making a donation to The Four Diamonds Fund which is solely for CHILDHOOD CANCER! All the artwork on these cards was done by children being treated for cancer @ Penn State Hershey! And while you are at it....check out PENN STATE'S DANCE MARATHON. My sorority was a part of this event my senior year! It is a 48 hour dance marathon, there are teams and you get sponsors, etc. The 47th hour they bring out the kids! The cancer kids! And they dance with the team that personally sponsored them! Last year THON raised $6,615,318.04 for the kids! You can even hold a mini-thon in your community! Check it out! OK...now I feel better! JOHN DEERE may not help but YOU CAN! And this is just ONE way! I hope the 2,000 people who clicked over to here today, come back and see some options and get involved again! Thank you soooo much to all of you who wrote in to JOHN DEERE! Don't stop the momentum! Plan a Mini-Thon! Donate! Buy your holiday cards!

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

THE BAD NEWS: The Director of Public Relations from JOHN DEERE emailed me today with this response: Thank you for taking the time to contact John Deere. Although it is always difficult to learn about the struggles of a young person with serious illness, we were encouraged by the information available describing the strong spirit of Coleman Larson. Deere provides millions of dollars annually through corporate donations and the John Deere Foundation to non-profit organizations that address world hunger, community betterment and education. Each year, John Deere is asked by hundreds of worthy organizations and individuals to help their cause. While it is clear that nearly each request is worthy, we must decline many of the opportunities. Our charitable-giving guidelines do not allow donations to individuals or to organizations in honor of an individual. In addition, our guidelines do not provide financial support to health care research. Through our considerable tax contributions annually, we believe we help support significant government-funded medical research that someday might find a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases. We appreciate the well-intended effort to initiate company support for this family and we hope you understand how our guidelines simply do not allow Deere to assist in this way. We encourage you to help where you can and we will remain hopeful for a positive outcome. I know, I know. You just threw your keyboard across the room and you are pacing and mumbling in a tone that makes your family members back away. ....KEEP READING.... Let's just re-group. Put on a new attitude and move on. There is something out there that can be done for TEAM LARSON! I have always said, "Out of every negative comes a positive." We may not always SEE it right away but at some point you can almost always look back and say, "Ooohhhhh, that's why..." So, JOHN DEERE saying no just means we had to get them out of the way so the REAL idea/event/inspiration can get to us quicker! And Mimi is already in the planning stages of Plan B! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT send emails to JOHN DEERE telling them ....well, saying the words you are thinking right now...let's be growED ups :) and move on...FOR COLEMAN! THE GOOD NEWS: Curt McCormick from WWW.CURESEARCH.COM contacted me also today! He was very excited about what we are trying to do and will be doing what he can to point us in the right direction when we DO (I said WHEN, not IF) find a company that will support Childhood Cancer and donate in COLEMAN'S name! Check out the CURESEARCH blog tomorrow - I think you will like what you see. This was Curt's email: Michelle, What a great idea! This is Curt McCormick from CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. I saw this on Google alerts, and just had to write in.I'd like to feature your blog today on our CureSearch blog. I hope this helps you with the John Deere initiative, and helps direct more people to sites like yours, which are so innovative and thoughtful regarding curing childhood cancer.You can check out the CureSearch site at http://curesearchnccf.blogspot.com/...and PLEASE KNOW what an inspiration you are to us. Folks in the childhood cancer community are so wonderful. We know who we work for at CureSearch, for you and for all these kids!Congratulations and good luck with your idea. Email me offline if you want to talk more. Best regards, Curt McCormick So, let's keep plugging away! Let's keep smiling! And don't stop PRAYING...FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!

Let's see what JOHN DEERE can do!

**(scroll down and read previous post about TEAM LARSON if you haven't visited in a couple days! They need you now more than ever!)

Alright readers...here is the plan, after speaking with Lori H (one of my readers), Christina M (a friend from church) and Mimi, like SHE needs an introduction (carepage: JuliansWorld) :) we have collectively agreed that although it would be great to bombard TEAM LARSON with oodles and oodles of John Deere merchandise for Christmas, what would make the biggest impact would be this:

LET'S SEE IF JOHN DEERE WILL CONSIDER MAKING A LARGE (like their combines-large) DONATION TO WWW.CURESEARCH.ORG in COLEMAN'S NAME!

FOLLOW THIS LINK and make your voice heard, for Coleman! DO IT NOW! Go tell them how Coleman has touched your life, tell them how you cry for him, tell them how they can help by donating to WWW.CURESEARCH.ORG in his name. Leave the carepage.com link and ColemanScott page name for them to read about him! Then, leave a comment here that you "did the duty" and we will keep track of how many of you pitched in for Coleman!! Now.....FORWARD THIS to everyone you know!! Let's see if we can crash their site! (just kidding) Let's just strive for filling their mailbox! :) Thanks and may you be DOUBLY BLESSED for all you do in spreading the word! Above all PLEASE PRAY FOR TEAM LARSON! WE LOVE YOU TEAM LARSON!

Something BIG for Coleman...

Don't click on anything else on the internet until you read about my precious little friend, Coleman Larson. And, if you have ANY connections to the "powers that be" at John Deere, I emplore you to contact them and see what they can do. PRAY! PLEASE! We all have one BIG contact in Heaven...call on Him. Pray for a miracle! If you do NOTHING else...just pray! Coleman Larson is 4, he will be 5 in early December. His twin Caden has been a trooper for the last 2 1/2 years that Coleman has been fighting a beast known as Medulloblastoma... BRAIN CANCER! Together they are TEAM LARSON! Coleman has endurred brain surgery, chemo, radiation, CT scans by the dozen, MRIs that he no longer has to be sedated for...he is a pro, multiple lines, port-a-caths, a stem cell harvest and transplant and two relapses. His fight is getting harder and there are less and less options for him. How can a doctor look into these eyes and say, "We are out of options."?

I am on a personal mission to bring the BIGGEST SMILE ever to this little face. His beautiful Mama, Peggy, gets some HUGE smiles out of him and so does his Daddy, Scott, and brother, Caden...but if we all come together and see what we can do...I think we can beat them all!

Coleman and his family are in IOWA. But they are "regulars" at the Ronald McDonald house in NYC. I need YOU, those of you who kept reading even though tears are streaming down your face, to help me come up with an idea, give me a connection to make this Christmas one Coleman and Caden will never forget! THE BESTEST EV-A! Cause if TEAM LARSON has taught me ANYTHING it's to NE-VA DIV UP!

Coleman and Caden will tell you exactly what they think of Cancer if you ask.

I did.

This is what they said:

Coleman explains, “It’s hard to be hooked up to a pole all day when it’s a sun-shiny day, ann be in your hos-pita woom all day when yoa don’t wanna be there ann wish ya tould be outside in-said, but NO, ya tan’t. I wish that no more tids would det tancer, tuz it's tewwible to haffa do all-a the suff what ya dotta do. If no more tids dot it, then we tould all yust be no-mal wif no more pokes."

Coleman’s twin Caden chimed in and gave his two cents, “Cancer is the worse day of my wife (life) because you don’t getta pway wif your brudder when ya weally want to. Sometimes the hospital is fun …if ya aren’t froe-in up wike Coleman does sometimes. I wish that no tids ever det tancer, so they tan haff fun all-a their days until they be daddies."

WON'T YOU HELP ME DO SOMETHING?! PLEASE?! DON'T TURN AWAY.

LEAVE YOUR IDEAS, CONTACT ME, FORWARD THIS LINK TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. COLEMAN NEEDS YOU NOW! Thanks for hangin' in there and loving Coleman already!

For more info on Coleman Larson and his family, go to http://www.carepages.com/ and register (it's FREE and takes seconds). Click on Visit and type in ColemanScott (all one word). Be prepared to fall in love. This is ONE AMAZING FAMILY!!!!!