SHrINE ON SPRINGFIELD

Some how, no one knew or informed us of Springfield having their alumni parade at the same exact day, same exact time, starting at the same exact location as our walk for Shriners. I was really kinda mad about not knowing due to the fact there were some Shriners at the parade!! That, and the fact that a couple of walkers drove down from Burlington to join us and couldn't find us due to NBC's parking lot being full of floats! And the traffic detour crew weren't going to let our water guy return to our location when he returned from the store. Aside from all the headaches and hassles and changes in plans, we pulled it off. The weather was awesome! And we all walked and sweat and sweat some more and then headed back to Ron and Sue's for a celebratory cookout and refreshing swim in the pool. And we raised a decent amount for a very quickly thrown together event. And no help what-so-ever from any of the sources I had sought out for publicity...... you know who you are....and if you don't, you will...... All the things that worked against us this year were good though. It has shown me things I need to plan for and take into consideration for next year. I'm still hemming and hawing about a motorcycle run this year but I'll have to see how things go still..... that might take a lot more preparation than I can give. So far, we collected $1392 and some change...(2 donations were done online....and are basically separate from our collections...but I am still counting them due to they were because of our SOS fundraiser). This collection is potentially incomplete at this time as we have a few people who have asked to still give a donation, but were unable to do so by Friday, and since I'm not going to Shriners until July 8th, I told those people to just get it to me by the 7th, so I'm hoping they come through. I also have a 50 gallon trash bag full to the spilling point of nickel cans that I still have to recycle and will be adding that money to the pot. And we also received a lot of "goods" donations. Between the stickers, the banner and the shirts, that was about 500 dollars worth of stuff. And Ron and Sue spent a ton on food for our post-walk party. We also collected about 6-7 pounds of soda can tabs!!!! That's an insane amount of tabs. I am sad we only collect $1400, but considering we just did another charity drive 8 weeks ago and this one was planned and pulled off in 5 weeks, I'm definitely thrilled we were able to collect what we did. I may have also stumbled upon a corporate sponser for SHC too. There is a company near me that is looking for a new charitable organization to donate to....we are currently looking into it and I'm hoping for the best. I will keep everyone updated as I learn more. Thank you to everyone who walked, everyone who donated and thank you Shriners Hospital for Children.

Taylor's Shriners Fundraiser Update

Saturday is almost here!!!!!

This is the email update I sent out to the people I have add's for.... for all of you I don't have....here it is.......

Mother nature is a crazy creature. The weather forecast was saying 86+ for Saturday and totally gorgeous, now its 79 with a chance of thunder showers. So I'm not really sure what to expect at this point..... if its nice out Sue has volunteered her backyard for a cookout and swimming....... I have 5 pack-n-plays if needed for kiddo's as I know naptime might cause some issues with a post walk gathering...but I can't change the weather so if its cruddy then....I don't know. I guess I'd say if anyone is interested,bring some swimables and towels just in case it is nice. I also have a little blow up pool for the little ones. If anyone has any ideas for a backup gathering if the weather is not in our favor, please share it. Please keep your fingers crossed that the weather stays nice on Saturday. And thank you all for helping with this fundraiser. It really means a lot.

One project down, five thousand to go

Jeremy and Ron finished our wall of shakes!!!! Finally, after 3 years of looking at tyvek and/or clapboard, its done...... with the exception of stain. Julie and ryan came down for weekend and the 6 of us had a cookout with my dad and Linda and went to Terry's to go fishing for the afternoon. If was nice, and then rainy, and then nice, and then sweltering hot and finished off nice again.
Mother nature is a crazy one!



Jeremy, Julie and Ryan finally got to see Dad's new tree house he built "for the kids" which is code for himself. I have dubbed it the "New Cabin". For those who don't know.....when we lived across the road from his current location (he'll never leave the general location of where he is...EVER) he built this awesome little cabin just in the tree line on the corner of our driving range. And when he moved I thought for sure he'd have found some way to lift it and drag it across the road to his new house. Sadly he left it, and so this is his replacement for it.


The tree goes through it, it has 2 floors, a tons of windows and doors, a rope and bucket pulley system, a fireman's pole and you can enter via rope or stairs, which flip up to keep others out, if your feeling antisocial. It is so awesome! I don't think my dad will ever hear the end of it.....my sister and I are totally mad at him for not building us something like it when we were little. Don't get me wrong, Julie ahd her cute little Alice in Wonderland house, but what did I want with that thing? I was 9 when he built it. I had to crouch down to get in the door. I didn't want a little girl house, I wanted a tree house!

Milestones

Little Taylor can pull herself up now to standing. She hasn't figured out the whole taking steps part but she's getting there. She can also crawl the "proper" way a bit. She still prefers her butt scoot though. Her sixth tooth is still making her crazy. Its as if its stuck. It broke through but hasn't come out anymore.... its been a few weeks.....evil teeth. Miss Ashtyn decided that my removal of her trapeeze bar wasn't going to stop her from doing her "exercises" as she call it. She saw some 9 year old do a flip with the swings and wanted to try. The big kid told her she couldn't do it cause she was still a baby.... wrong answer, Miss Muffet came home and did it on her first try. That's all the time I've got right now, hopefully I have something entertaining to share after my 2 party apperiances today.

I wish today was over

I'm in such a garbage mood today. There has been so much pollen in the air lately that now I can barely breathe out my nose. My throat is killing me and my head is just throbbing. I feel like I've been run over by a dump truck. And on top of the crud feeling, everyone seems to want to hit, or I should day SMASH my buttons. Everyone wants to pull the pity me crap and I just want to smack them. Guess what, my life isn't rosie either. I spend my days trying to keep myself from sinking in my pool of manure. I'm trying to make sure my kids are happy and fed. Taking care of everyone else's kids with not much appreciation showed. Trying to help who I can when I can. Dealing with the never-ending stupid wedding invitations that show up every day. Everyone seems to want to plan my entire summer for me so I can't get anything I need to do done, let alone just sit and do nothing for an hour. Every weekend {since April 11 and not ending} until September 26, is booked. I've got something I'm supposed to do or attend. Every weekend. Something. Wedding, birthday, wedding, wedding, fix camp, wedding. Last I checked I had no friends...... okay so I have like 5.... and all of them except for Sara are married already. Why am I being bombarded with wedding invitations. Chances are pretty good, if I can afford the gas to drive to your wedding, that's all I got for you... I showed up. And considering the fact you are going to (over) pay for me to eat at your wedding, my gift of my appearance isn't going to cover the meal you are going to offer me. I can't swing $100 or whatever for every wedding. I just can't. And I would already feel like a jerk only giving you $100 because chances are very good, the meal was more than that for the 2 of us. So it's still cost you money for me to show up. Girr. Is it tomorrow yet?

Back at the homestead

We made it home. Hours before I would have liked to but.... you'll have that I guess. I was so delighted to have a flushing toilet at camp..... well now I'm scared of it. Not the toilet, or the very nice hot, hot, super hot shower its located next to, it is the unfathomably HUGE spider that has made the "bathroom" his home. The picture is pretty blurry since I cropped it and keep in mind I was no where near the thing when I took the pictures of it. I want to crawl out of my skin just thinking about that nasty monster. Bleck!

The original picture of mr nasty spider is in the slide show. Some of the pictures are probably dumb, Ashytn was using the camera a bit, but whatever. I have to round up the kids so that's all i got for you right now.

I'm outta here!!!!

I'm all packed up, the kids' stuff too. I need to make a salad and wait for "D" to get picked up. 8 hours to go. Camp here I come. I wish I was already gone. I hate waiting until Friday night to get there. I just want to be there now. Even if its raining, my dirtbike and ATV are there waiting for me. I'm actually going to get to go in the woods with my bike for once. I've had the damn thing for 4 years and never been able to ride it anywhere besides the driveway or back yard....booo.... but I'll be sure to ride until it hurts (which won't take long I fear) and then I've got my Grizzly to fall back on. And a pig roast Saturday. Can I leave yet? Please.

SHrINE ON update

The support and donations are coming at us like wild fire. Some shirts and car stickers have been donated. The monetary donations are still coming strong and I'm dying to know what everyone has raised so far but I want to wait until the end so you all have to wait too......We've got tons of soda tabs....although I found out it takes a whole lot more than I thought to make 1 pound.... a coffee can full.... holy crap!!! And the word is getting out there. I've uploaded the flier to a few local news channels and I just wrote in to the local paper. So hopefully we get some feed back from them. I have a bunch more local businesses to talk to and hopefully I get some donations from them. This is such a good cause.....I wish I had realized what the Shriners did for people before I needed them to help my little girl....I would have started this years ago. I'm just so happy people are willing to help. Thank you everyone who has or is continuing to help us with this wonderful cause.

Embryology Study Offers Clues To Birth Defects

Embryology Study Offers Clues To Birth Defects

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Different Springfield Shriners Petition Link

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-springfield-shriners-hospital.html

Possible closure of six free Shriners hospitals scares parents

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Another day, a better outlook

I'm impatiently awaiting next Friday. I want to run until I can't run anymore. I can not wait to get my butt up north and be surrounded by trees, trees, more trees, and no route 12. Yes, I'm talking about CAMP! It will be a short visit but well worth the 2 1/2 hour drive. I'm so giddy to sit my tushy on the new FLUSHING toilet. GOOD BYE OUTHOUSE!!!!! Just to be out of town for a few days.... I'm salivating... I'm so excited. No computer. No phone. Just the kids (and only MINE), some family, friends and atv's. and S'mores. Campfires. A pig roast. I need a vacation and I totally need camp ASAP.

Aside from my camp adventure excitement. Shrine On Springfield collections are still rolling in. I still have really no idea what to expect at the walk, which makes me nervous but in all actuality, it doesn't matter to me how many people show, I know I'll be there, and I know what I've collected for Shriners so far, and I'm beyond thrilled to be able to hand it over to them and know that I did what I could and it helped...even if only a little, it still helped. And next year, I will try harder and bigger and better.

Other fundraisers for Shriners

Click here for their site



And here's a bunch more

More adventures in the land of Chaos and Mayhem

How I find time to sleep I'll never know. I have been so busy the last few weeks I feel like I'm spinning. Between my kids and kids that aren't mine, helping out with Gram (she had her hip replacement surgery Monday, all went well and she's going to rehab on Friday.. I believe) trying to get our Shriners fundraiser up and running, helping out at Travis' house, and Brad and Gloria's house, 7 pets... only one is mine, and trying to make my house not look like a tsunami went threw it.... I should be grey or bald. And the overwhelming weekend suckage that comes with summer...ugh! I have something going on every single weekend from now until September.... and I only have one weekend currently left in September that I'm not already "booked". I also had my second, third and forth Stupid-person run in with Taylor. All in one day. "What's wrong with her arm?" Nothing, she only has one hand. "Oh... well at least she still looks alright" FO! Um blood pressure medicine...STAT. I know it is bound to happen but give me a break. Its days like those I wish she had her naughty onsie on. I hate stupid people. GRRRRR! More later when the "cranky" leaves my brain