Dec 17, 2012

Are there any words?

I promise my posts will get happier again.  One day.  Until then, it just doesn't seem right to do a typical Hot Mess update with the events that transpired on Friday. 
I'm still in shock....how on Earth did this happen?  I don't even know if this post is going make sense because I have so many feelings since learning the news on Friday afternoon. 

Of course, like most of you, I am completely heartbroken.  Heartbroken for the children who were taken from this world far too early.  Heartbroken for their teachers who won't see those 20 smiling faces in class every single day.  Heartbroken, because I'm sure those teachers are feeling guilty that they couldn't save them.  Heartbroken for the parents.  For the classmates.  For the brothers.  The sisters.  The aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.  Heartbroken that someone had that much hate in their heart to do something like this.  Heartbroken for school teachers and children and parents everywhere. 

The more details that come out, the angrier I become.  Children shot multiple times.  The Westboro Baptist Church (you know, the ones that love to protest military funerals) talking about plans to protest the funerals of the children--because our "wicked" country DESERVED for this to happen.  I don't even think I have words to talk about how furious that makes me.  Angry at the people that want to talk about their anti-gun/pro-gun stance in the wake of the deaths of these 26 people.  I do not care what your gun stance is right now.  These are innocent people that were murdered for absolutely no reason--let's talk about that.  I'm angry at the people that want to take this opportunity to blast the President.  Last time I checked, we were still America.  And we're an America that's hurting right now.....badly.  I could care less if you agree with Obama or voted for him.  He took the time to go to Connecticut to support those grieving families--and even shed a tear, as a father, over the little lives lost.  Go tell someone who cares who you voted for in November. 

Like everyone else, especially all the parents of America, I'm scared.  How do you trust that your child is going to be safe in school ever again?  As terrible as this sounds, we're "prepared" for this when kids enter high school age.  We expect that hormone-ridden teenagers are capable of doing something so terrible to their fellow classmates.  But elementary school children?  We think that school is where our children will be safe.  How can you explain to your child that school is a safe place for them to be?  My child isn't even of school age yet and I'm terrified for her.  My first reaction--beyond shock and sadness--was the thought of homeschooling Avery.  You want to tell people that it will never happen here, that it was an isolated event.  How do you know??  If it happened in a small Connecticut town, who's to say it can't happen in a small (fill in your state) town?  I feel robbed of my sense of security as a parent.  Where can I take my child that this isn't going to happen?  How can I keep her safe until she's an adult?  It all comes down to a simple answer:  I can't.  I can raise Avery with every precaution in the world and she's still going to make her own decisions and live in this horribly evil world.  I can't shelter her forever.  Should I deny her the right to go to school or in public and make friends because I'm terrified of something like this happening to her?  Should I keep her locked away in our home, not letting her experience any of the wonderful things that life has to offer--just because I'm scared?  I know the obvious answer, but it doesn't ease my anxiety or worry one bit.  All I can do is to raise Avery to be cautious of strangers and to listen to her teachers and caregivers in case something like this were to happen.  Then I leave the rest up to my Heavenly Father.  Can you imagine how God felt, knowing that His son was going to face a horrible death someday?  So, I turn to Him.  He's been here.  He's known grief and suffering.  He's known the loss of His child.  He's known death and tragedy.  As much as I want to shake my fists at Him and ask "WHY!!??," I trust that He has a bigger plan for all of us {"For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD." *jeremiah 29:11"}--including the 20 babies that left this world on Friday.  All I can do is pray.  Pray for comfort for all of us, as a nation that has been completely rocked to the core after Friday's events.  Pray that He wraps His arms around the families and the friends of the victims {"He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge." *psalm 91:4}.  I pray that He provides them with comfort and peace {"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. *philippians 4:7}.  I pray that we all find comfort, knowing that those 20 children are playing in the streets of Heaven right now and listening to stories at Jesus' feet {"Let the children come to me.  Don't stop them!  For the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them." *matthew 19:14}. 

I know we've heard it all over and over--don't take this life for granted, hug the ones you love--but one of my favorite quotes sums up how I've felt since Friday:
"Love the people God gave you.
He's going to need them back some day."




Dec 12, 2012

Hot Mama Mon.....err....Wednesday!

I'm a little behind.....so shoot me.  The last two nights, I've been covered in head-to-toe glitter---but more on that later.  First, a Hot MAMA update!!

Original weight:  142.5
Last week's weight:  132.8
This week's weight:
Wow.  Turrible picture.

Loss from last week:  1.4 lbs
Overall loss: 11.1 lbs

What worked:  I've cut out a ton of Cokes (actually Pepsi and Dr. Pepper) from my diet.  I've also cut wayyyyyy back on the trips to McDonalds and other various drive thrus.  There for awhile, our life was super stressful, chaotic and our pantry was pretty much empty.  I ate a drive thru meal multiple times a day....so gross.  And so unhealthy.  Instead, I've been getting up earlier so I can have breakfast at home.  I've stocked a drawer at work full of healthy(ish) snacks for when that rumbly in my tummy hits.  And I'm trying harder to make dinners more often.  Things are still stressful and Marty and I aren't always at home together at night, so it's not the easiest thing in the world to do....but I'm trying.  That's what counts, right?

Now, onto the glitter mess.  Because she's been on my mind constantly lately, no blog post would be complete without a plug for little Brooklyn  (read about Brooklyn's story here).  As most of you HOPEFULLY already know, I'm selling bracelets to help raise money for Brooklyn and her parents.  So far, I've reached 224 bracelet orders.  If we give approximately $5 from every bracelet to the family, then we've raised about $1120!  I'm so pumped about that number.  We still have plenty of bracelets to sell.  So, if you haven't bought yours already....what on earth are you waiting for??
The support for this little girl and her parents has been completely amazing so far....and she wasn't even diagnosed a month ago.  There are TONS of fundraisers going around to help raise money to cover medical expenses, travel costs, food, etc.  You can donate meals to Erin and Daniel (Brooklyn's parents) since they've hardly left her side since being admitted to Kosairs (type in Disselkamp for the last name and Brooklyn as the password).  There's a raffle for a 22 Henry rifle (I hope that's right....my gun knowledge is at a negative level) where tickets are just $5 apiece (interested? I can put you in touch with the right people).  Local restaurants are donating a percentage of their profits on specific nights to go to Brooklyn and her family.  A charity auction is in the works.  It's been a truly amazing thing to watch.  I've been humbled and in awe of the outspreading of love and concern...I can't even begin to imagine how Brooklyn's family feels!  Anyhoo!  In addition to the bracelets, I've also got another item to sell:  ornaments!  Not just any old ornament....Minnie Mouse glitter ornaments!  


A big group of us got together the past couple of nights and cranked out a ton of these little beauties.  Then we split them up and are attempting to sell them all.  I have about 30 or so ornaments in my possession.  They're $6 apiece and 100% of the money made is going directly to the family.  Buy one and put it front and center of your Christmas tree.  Then, every time you see it hanging there, it'll remind you to say a prayer for complete healing for this sweet little girl.
SO!  Who wants an ornament?!?!  (or bracelet, or raffle ticket, or tshirt.... :) )

**To keep up with Brooklyn's progress and all fundraisers or events, like Brooklyn's Believers on Facebook! 

Dec 6, 2012

Holy Brooklyn's Bracelets Batman!

You guys are rocking my socks off with these Bracelets 4 Brooklyn orders.  Amazing, really.  As of the time of this post, I have 120 orders.  Break it down for me fellas:  120 bracelets.  $5 from each bracelet. = SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS for Erin, Daniel and Brooklyn.  But here's the deal.  We still have A LOT more to sell.  Sarah and I ordered 200 of each charms.  If we get an order explosion (I really hope so!) and we have more bracelets wanted than that, we can always order more charms.  So order your little heart away.  Did I hear you say you want a bracelet for every person in your family?  Excellent.  :)

Because we've had so many orders, I've had quite a few questions pop up.  I thought I'd do a brand spanking new post about the bracelets and offer more information about them. 

THE BRACELETS:
image via sweet-verbena.blogspot.com
Since our charms are located in China and shipping takes just near forever for them to come over to the United States, we don't have them yet.  And we don't have pictures of completed bracelets for you to see.  But I can promise you that they're going to be really, really close to this picture.  Bracelets are $8.  $5 of each purchase will be going to Brooklyn and another $1 will go to Kosair Children's Hospital (Brooklyn's hospital).

THE CHARMS:

We have two charm options for you to choose from.  Believe (because we're Brooklyn's Believers!!) and Minnie Mouse (because Brooklyn is a huge Minnie fan....girl after my own heart).  The Believe charms ONLY COME IN THE COLOR PICTURED--BRONZE.  Minnie can be BLACK, SILVER OR BRONZE (PICTURED). 

THE COLORS:


For the "string" on your bracelet, we have MULTIPLE options to chose from.  Refer to the list below:

Pink--breast cancer               Purple--pancreatic cancer
Gray--brain cancer                Aqua--ovarian/cervical cancer
Brown--lung cancer               Orange--Leukemia
Light blue--prostate               Black--melanoma
Yellow--childhood                 Royal blue--colon
Kelly green--kidney               White--bone
Lime green--Lymphoma         Lavender--all other cancers
We also have a black cord material and brown leather material for the bracelets.

Now, just because I have the colors listed next to the cancers they represent, doesn't mean you have to choose them based on that.  If you're a UK fan and you want a royal blue color, but don't know anyone with colon cancer, go for it.  If your favorite color is kelly green, pick that one.  We're not picky.

FAQs:

1.  Our charms have been ordered, like I mentioned, from China.  We have been promised a 10 day to 2 week delivery, but you guys know how shipping is--it's never guaranteed.  Because of that, we cannot promise a bracelet for you by Christmas.  If you're buying this bracelet as a Christmas gift, shoot me an email (dpgaddie@gmail.com) and I can make you up a pretty little gift certificate or something for your recipient to let them know that they have an awesome bracelet on the way very soon.  That being said, I'm going to try my hardest to get these to you AS SOON as I get them.  That's why I'm taking pre-orders.  Anyone that has ordered a bracelet is down on a list that I keep with me.  If you've ordered a lime green believe bracelet, I have your order and your string will already be cut to size and ready for me to attach the charm when it comes in.  Pre-ordering is going to guarantee that you get your bracelet sooner.  If you wait until they come in, I may have 150 pre-orders ahead of you that's going to take priority before I can get to yours.  Moral of the story:  Pre-order peoples!!

2.  Also because our charms haven't been shipped from China, we aren't taking payments until we receive the charms in our grubby little hands.  Can you guys imagine what a headache it would be if we took all 120 of your payments and then there was an issue with the charms/shipping and we had to return ALL 120 orders back??  Shew.  So, we're going to wait.  You do have two options for payment.  We have an Etsy account set up--- http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bracelets4Brooklyn .  If you want to pay online via PayPal, please let me know whenever you order.  When your bracelet is completed, I will notify you and I will make a reserved listing for you with your specific order details and total.  I made a sample on our Etsy page so you can see what it'll look like.  The listing will say "RESERVED LISTING FOR JANE DOE."  Only click on the listing that has your name, obviously.  If you're not comfortable with paying online, we will also be accepting CASH ONLY by mail.  No checks please.  When purchasing, let me know if you want to pay cash and I will send you my address for the cash to be sent. 

3.  We can do child sized bracelets as well.  Just specify when ordering if you want this option. 

SO!  To wrap everything up......to order: send me a Facebook message, call me, text me, put a comment on this blog post, email me (dpgaddie@gmail.com), whatever is convenient for you. 
When ordering, please include the following information: 
  • Which charm you would like (believe or Minnie)
  • If Minnie, tell me what color (black, silver or bronze)
  • What kind or color cord you want
  • How many you'd like to order (50?  Great!!)
  • How you plan to pay (PayPal or cash)
  • Your address if you would like your bracelet to be shipped to you
I know this post was very fact-filled, but on an emotional level.....thank you.  Thank you for ordering a bracelet.  It may not be the most well-made or prettiest thing in the world.  But a big chunk of your money is going to a BABY fighting cancer.  You're showing human compassion and love for Brooklyn and her parents.  And I think that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. 

Dec 4, 2012

Hot Mess, Brooklyn and Where I've Been

**NOTE: If you're visiting this post to order a Bracelet 4 Brooklyn, scroll down to the bottom and check out the charms, bracelets and colors offered.**

I've been absent from blogging lately.  I apologize.  I needed a break recently to focus on family issues and get myself out of a pretty serious funk I was in.  But I'm back--I've missed you people!  As a result of taking a much needed break, I have a lot of making up to do here on the blog.  So buckle up and hang on! 

1.  Hot Mess Update. 
      I can't remember my last hot mess update.  Several weeks ago.  I weighed myself again yesterday to start back on my hot mama journey. 
Original weight:  142.5 lbs
Last time I blogged:  132.2
This week:
Difference from last weigh in:  +0.6 lbs.
Overall loss: 9.7 lbs.
I'm okay with this.  Keep in mind, Thanksgiving happened over this time frame.  I participated in THREE Thanksgiving dinners.  I'm okay with a 0.6 pound gain. 

2.  BRACELETS 4 BROOKLYN:  Have you read Brooklyn's story?  If you're my Facebook friend, I'm sure I'm driving you crazy with "Brooklyn's Believer's" posts.....and I hope I am.  That means that I'm getting the word out and you're seeing it over and over.  Maybe you're seeing it enough and will be lead to take action and donate to the family.  I've donated $20 from my last paycheck....and I hope to do more with each paycheck Marty and I receive.  In addition, my friend Sarah and I are doing a fundraiser.  We're going to make and sell bracelets with a large portion of the proceeds going to Brooklyn and her parents.  But, like every good idea I usually have, we've hit a snag.  We've found the perfect charms to make these bracelets with.....perfect, I'm telling you.....but the seller is located in China.  So?  Shipping from China over Etsy takes 2-5 WEEKS.  WEEKS people.  If we don't get charms until 5 weeks from now, Christmas is over.  People might lose interest and not be as willing to buy whenever our charms finally come in.  Luckily, I've found a seller that promises I'll get the shipment in 10 days to 2 weeks.  This doesn't make my control freak self happy, but what are you gonna do?  So, I'm going to post a little sneaky peeky here on the blog and gauge interest.  No, I don't have a picture of what your bracelet will look like, but I can give you a pretty darn good idea.  If you're interested in buying a bracelet, shoot me an email, a blog comment, a Facebook message, a text and let me or Sarah know that you want one.  Ready for a peek??
Here's the charms (you can choose one bracelet or both!):

Let me explain the charms.  The family has started a group--"Brooklyn's Believers"--to let the family know that they aren't alone and there's a large group of people out there that believe that they can make it through this difficult time.  Hence, the believe charm. 
Second, Brooklyn's Believers have their own "logo."  Brooklyn is a Minnie Mouse lover.  So, Minnie Mouse charms make perfect sense. 
The Believe charms only come in that color.  I apologize for anyone that doesn't like bronze (I'm telling you...these charms were difficult little boogers to track down).  The Minnie charms can be either bronze (pictured), silver or black. 
Finally, because we don't have any bracelets made, I can't show you what the exact bracelet will look like.  But I can tell you they're going to be reallllllllllly similiar to this:


Your bracelet can be done in a wide variety of colors.  We have all the "cancer colors":
Pink---breast cancer              Purple---pancreatic
Gray--brain                           Aqua--ovarian/cervical
Brown--lung                         Orange--Leukemia
Light blue--prostate              Black--melanoma
Yellow--childhood                Royal blue--colon
Kelly green--kidney              White--bone
Lime green--Lymphoma       Lavender--all other cancers

You may be wearing this bracelet for Brooklyn, but maybe you want a "believe" charm with a royal blue ribbon because you know someone fighting colon cancer.  Or maybe you just like the color kelly green and think it'll match a lot of your outfits...we're not picky!  Don't see a color you want here?  Message one of us and we'll make it happen.  I also have thick leather cording for a more fashionable look if you don't want a colored bracelet.  We're selling these for $8 apiece.  A large portion will go to Brooklyn and $1 of each sale will go to Kosair Children's Hospital where Brooklyn and her family are staying (also the same hospital that cared for my little sister when she was born---another story for another time). 
So, who wants a bracelet???

3.  Finally, if you're in the Etown area on Thursday, stop by Mr. Gattis.  They're donating 20% of their profits to Brooklyn.  But you HAVE to have this flyer for your meal to count towards the donation for Brooklyn.  Stop by, eat some pizza, play some Skee ball and give some money to Brooklyn. 


Pin It

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...