Monday, August 10, 2009

Ride 4 Grace, stamping, and more!!!

What a busy last few days this has been! So much has been going on that I can hardly keep up with things. (I hope to catch up with blogs within the next day or so!)

First I'll share with you what I did on Saturday. My Aunt Nancy is having all of the grandkids put their hand prints (or foot prints for younger kids) on stones for everyone to have. So my mom and I took Kyndra and my niece Audrey to her house to get that done. We didn't make too much of a mess!

What's really neat is that my Aunt Nancy got stamps made of Carleigh's footprint so that she could be on the stones too. I want to say thank you to Streicher's Quickprint in Findlay, OH. Once they learned what the stamps were for they gave my aunt's money back to her and gave her the stamp for free plus an extra one that was rounded. I'm so blessed by their generosity!

So for Carleigh's print I started off with the flat stamp but then moved to the rounded one, as it worked much better.


On Sunday we (Anthony, me, my in-laws and their friends) did the Ride 4 Grace to help raise money for Sufficient Grace Ministries. It was a bike run hosted by Kelly's friend Dave. And guess what!? I got to meet Kelly!! In person!!! SA-WEET! It was so good to finally meet her and give her a great big hug (love you Kelly!). (Just too let you know she is even sweeter in person than she is on her blog. But I bet ya'll figured that anyway.)


It was a hot and sunny day, but I was glad it wasn't raining (like it did on Carleigh's run)! The wind was blowing pretty good, which helped keep things a little bit cooler. And if you're wondering why I'm wearing pants if it's so hot out it's because I didn't want my legs sticking to the seat of the motorcycle.


The ride was great and the route was beautiful. We got up to Perrysburg and stopped at an ice cream place called Mr. Freeze, I believe. Holy cow! They give the biggest portions of ice cream I have ever seen in my life!!! My medium ice cream in a cup was in a large-sized cup plus overflowing! (I got orange twist.) I couldn't even finish it all and it tasted so yummy on such a hot day. We ended the ride in Bowling Green at one guy's house. We got a drink and then headed back to Findlay.

Ok, now to the bad part.......I GOT THE SUNBURN FROM HELL!!! Seriously. When we were on our way out to the church for the ride I was thinking I should've put on some sunscreen and that would've been a bright idea but.....yeah....I didn't and now I am paying for it!! (The picture just does NOT do this sunburn justice. My MIL got it pretty good too!) Poor Carleigh's tattoo is half red. :(


I got a package in the mail today from Mary Ellen and it was quite a surprise! If you remember, Mary Ellen owns Lighthouse Photography and edited Carleigh's NILMDTS pics for me. What I got in the mail was a lovely photo of Carleigh's feet and a small book with edited pictures. They are really, really nice!! Thank you so much Mary Ellen!! You have been so very kind to me! (Sorry poor pic I took it with my phone.)


I want to bring a special little girl to your attention. Her name is Harley Carson. I met her mom Katie (DancingK) through Cafemom. We are in a couple groups together, which includes a group where our daughters were born in the same month. Harley has been diagnosed with Alper's Syndrome. It is is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease of the brain in which there is no cure and is eventually fatal.

I pray for Harley daily and that God would slow the progression of this disease. Right now, Harley's liver is failing and that is not a good thing. I ask that you please pray for Harley, Katie, and Cameron. I also want to make you aware that we are trying to raise money to get a shadowbox for Harley. This is something Katie and Cameron would truly cherish and it costs about $300 to get one. If you feel led to help, please go the Fundable website that is set up and donate.


You can read updates about Harley on her blog, her CaringBridge page, or her Cafemom group.

Carleigh's photo is up on Say It With Flowers in Rory's Garden Part 2. Her flower is the 41st one if I counted correctly. It is a purplish daisy and it's so fitting! Go check out all the beautiful photos of names on flowers.

14 comments:

MommyIvy said...

Wow, you did get a bad burn. I hope that it heals soon. Thank you so much for posting about Harley. I know that Katie and Cameron would really like it!

Lighthouse Photography said...

Ouch that IS a sunburn!! But what a fun way to get one. Glad you liked the picture package :-)

Ashley said...

Those Pattycakes shadowboxes are AMAZING. I used to do them when I was 18, helping a close family friend with them. Emily and Abbey both got them done at 6wks, however I'm still waiting fr Abbeys. When I get my blog shop going, I'll donate 25% (on top of the already 50% going to NTDs in memory of Carleigh) for her fundraiser. I have a few custom afghan orders already in place, and once I get them done in the next couple weeks, I'll donate them as well.

April said...

Love the stamps of carleigh's feet! What a precious idea and cherishable gift. The stones are a wonderful idea, will you put them in Carleigh's garden?

The sunburn looks awefully painful! It always surprises me how debilitating sunburn can be! Showers are the worst! Because even though the rest of your body is cold - your sunburn is searing!

I am so glad you met Kelly! How wonderful that must have been for the both of you. Looks like the Ride 4 grace was a great success! I am so happy about that.

You had quite an eventful weekend...! Thanks for sharing it all!

Kelly @ Sufficient Grace Ministries said...

Oh...that sunburn...ouch! Thank you so much for coming and bringing your sweet family. Dave would like to make this an annual event and plans to start spreading the word sooner among the CMA and others...hoping to draw more bikers next year. I think Sufficient Grace is going to plan our ice cream social to coincide with next year's run so that we can feed the riders. Then, I can spend a little more time with the sweet folks who participate. I felt really bad that I didn't have more time to spend with you and your family. I hope you will be able to come again next year. It really blessed me...but then again...your friendship and continued support of Sufficient Grace has blessed me in many ways. I love you girl...and you are even more adorable in person.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

My Very Own Angel said...

I am so J that you got to meet Kelly. lol But I am glad you did. One day I hope to meet you both. It sounds like you had a wonderful full weekend. Thank you for giving info on Harley, I will continue to pray for this be slow and with lil pain. Please let me know if/when she joins our angels in Heaven and I will be sure to send her mommy a tshirt. However I truly pray against needed to send her one, in fact I don't want to send any of them out. But..... Sorry about the sun burn, I don't have to worry about that :) but it looks really painful.

Unknown said...

So sweet! Maybe some time when I come to Findlay, you and I can meet up with Kelly too! I am so glad the bike/run went well, and so sorry for the sunburn, ouch!

Caroline said...

Glad things went well for you & your family this past weekend. Glad you got to meet Kelly. I know if I ever come back to Ohio I would like to meet both of you. Your sunburn looks painful. I'm just getting over a bad one myself. Thanx for sharing everything. HUGS :)
Caroline

Melissa said...

I look forward to reading your blog. I have nominated you for a "One lovely blog" award. Be sure to get your badge from my page http://crayoninmydryer.blogspot.com

Trisha Larson said...

Okay, I love your tatoo!

I have NEVER been a tatoo person nor has my husband. We've always said there is nothing that we would want to write on our bodies that we would want to last forever -- Like when we are 90 years old!

But, last year when Steven Curtis Chapman lost his daughter, I heard his family talk about how they all had her name tatooed above their hearts. Ever since then I have been seriously considering doing that. Especially since Nate had a heart defect -- just so symbolic.

Anyway, I'm going to talk to my hubby about it again. I think that it's such a wonderful rememberance.

Carol said...

You have put so much into this post....where do I begin?????? I love the hand and footprints and I too love Kelly!!!! Also the flowers with the names on the petals....priceless!

Emily James said...

I hope your sunburn gets better! The prayer request you wrote for Harley was nice. It's just a testament to how you are always thinking of others first. Just like I have done for your family, I have been praying for Katie, Cameron, and Harley. Both of you ladies are so strong and sweet.

Together We Save said...

Bad sunburn!! ouch!! Love the paintings.

Lucy and Ethel said...

A little delayed here....

Love the stone idea!!! And what a generous gift.

Ouch to the sunburn!!! Yikes. At least it was for a really good cause!

The shadowbox is beautiful. I'm sorry to read about Karley but know you'll do everything you can to ease the road ahead.

Lucy

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