Great Strides 2011

Went to the walk for cystic fibrosis yesterday morning. I was unclear on the walk start time though. All I saw online was that it was at 9am so I assumed that meant the walk took place at that time. We got there at about 8:15 and got registered and found out that the walk wasn't going to kick off until around 10am. The bestie had to be back in town to take her son somewhere by 11am so we weren't able to stay. I still had fun though. We went ahead and walked around the track ourselves and took some pictures and just talked and enjoyed the morning. There is another CF event coming up in a few months that I'm considering getting involved in so I'll keep you updated on it. 

Cystic Fibrosis

Today is the last day to sponsor me in the Great Strides walk for Cystic Fibrosis. To the right of my page you will see a button, just click on it and donate. Anything helps, even just one dollar. It all adds up! I hope you will help me in this fight for a cure!

What You Need to Know

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

• clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
• obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

• very salty-tasting skin;
• persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
• frequent lung infections;
• wheezing or shortness of breath;
• poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
• frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

Statistics

• About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
• More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
• More than 45% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
• The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is in the mid-30s.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Since 1955, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been the driving force behind the pursuit of a cure. Thanks to the dedication and financial backing of our supporters--patients, families and friends, clinicians, researchers, volunteers, individual donors, corporations and staff, we are making a difference.

For more information go to WWW.CFF.ORG

Four Things I Dislike About You -Part 1-

We started a new series at church this past weekend. I'm very excited about it. This weeks was about tension. It was a real eye opener. Hope you enjoy. Let me know your thoughts.

Four Things I Dislike About You - Part 1 from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

The Things He Says

Yesterday out of the blue Colt said, "Come on Mom, let's go to the beach! Please Mom, lets go to beach please!" He melts my heart!

source

We've never been before. My husband has gone when he was younger but I've never been. My best friend Colette has been trying to get me to come see the ocean for forever. That is my top thing on my bucket list...to see the ocean! I'll make it there one of these days!

Rooster Days 2011

Looking at the Ferris Wheel

The husband took us to Rooster Days this past Friday night. Its like a super mini-fair. There are rides, games, rude talking clowns, live music, and lots of yummy food. We had a great time. We let Colt play a couple of games and attempted to have him go on a ride.

We paid three dollars to sit on a dog and take a picture before backing out right before she hit the power button. She was nice and gave our tickets back. Thank you! Of course we couldn't use them since he is deathly afraid of rides but we did pass them on to our besties. So then we let him go digging in a pool of blue sand with a kitty litter pooper scooper upper. Oh and the little treasure he had to uncover was just laying on top of the sand. Bummer. We paid five dollars for three digs. She was serious about the three digs. There were like four stations(baby pools) and NOBODY at any of them except Colt. She squatted down and had to help him, he couldn't even do it himself, not that he couldn't but that she wasn't really letting him. You would think she would want him sitting there playing having fun so that maybe some other children would say hey mom I want to do that too. Nope, instead she counted. She literally only let him stick the scooper in three  times. After two times he had had enough of her and wanted to leave. We got an annoying blown up squealing Monkey out of it. It made him happy though. I on the other hand can't promise that the Monkey won't be running away soon. Kidding....kind of. 

So then we went fishing. The kid that ran this one was very nice! We paid five dollars and I think you were only suppose to fish so many times but he didn't bug us. I fished with him for a bit and got a couple of fish and then Jay helped him get a couple more. We quit when we were ready and had a great time. He got a little stuffed puppy dog out of it which he held on to for the rest of the night! 

Back to the digging game.  The reason I was so disappointed with it was because he has been talking about a sandbox for forever now so we he was excited to play in this blue sand. I thought it'd be a great way to see how he would do with it before I go spend money on one. I've been looking at them, I don't know what to get him. He is a big  Dirt + Water = Mud kid so that's been my biggest concern so far.

Do you have a sandbox? If so how do you make sure the kiddos keep the water out of the sand?

 

Lets Play Catch Up

Park Play Date

We went to the park a couple of weeks ago. Colton had a lot of fun playing with his best friend Gabe. They haven't been able to play together much lately because everyone seems to be sick every other week so they were very happy to see each other. After the park my awesome bestie took my son home with her so I could go home and relax and get ready for our Mommy Date Night! How great is that? I was able to take my time and even managed to get both legs shaved!! Come on, doesn't every mom have those moments where she gets out of the shower in a hurry and realizes she only shaved one leg? Yeah, no? Hmmm.....lets move on....

Mommy Date Night

Mommy Date Night was a success! We went to Olive Garden and enjoyed some delicious food and great conversation. It was so much more relaxing and enjoyable than Bunco ever was. I don't think I ever mentioned that WE ALL quit bunco together did I? Yeah it just wasn't working out. I really enjoyed playing and I had fun but there was some stress and drama that I didn't care for. I'm not the ringleader I promise. :)

Anyways so now we have a monthly Mommy Date Night to look forward to instead and I think we are all equally excited about it! Some of the other ladies that were in bunco were awesome and its sad I won't see them much anymore but hopefully we'll stay in contact and then there are a couple that it was more of a take out the trash thing. Good Riddance! I'm sure they are all great people but we aren't all going to mesh well and that's fine, Wish them all the best in life! 

Mother's Day

We had our Mother's Day service at COTM on Saturday night. It was a great service. See post below on how that went. AWESOME! 

Mother's Day morning I woke up not feeling very well. I always seem to get sick on or around Mother's Day. Boo. We still had a great day though. I was fixing to make breakfast when I was told to go to my room by my three year old. So off I went with my cup of coffee. Before too long the search and rescue team came looking for me and surprised me with some goodies. I was given two sweet cards that of course made me tear up and then I was given a gift bag from my favorite place - James Avery. I figured it was a charm for my bracelet but was surprised with something I've waited my whole life to get. A swivel heart locket. I have wanted a locket since I was a little girl and I've never really gotten one. I've bought myself cheap little ones here and there but never a real locket and now I have the greatest one ever. I absolutely love it. My husband wants me to take it in to get engraved but I don't want to be a part from it for two weeks so I haven't done it yet. He keeps bugging me about it though so I guess I'll check into it this week. I just don't know what to put on it. Do I put my initials or my sons? My husband thinks I should put Coltons. I like that but then there is that part of me that thinks well what if I have another child? Put their initials on the other side. A third child? Ha who are we kidding.....lets just keep praying for a second child. Anyways so after we all got ready we decided to go to breakfast and Colton decided he wanted the Star(Carl Jrs). So off we went for a breakfast sandwich. It was really nice. We ate and then we all played on the indoor playground. We were the only ones there so we didn't get any dirty looks when my husband went down the huge twirl slide. :)  We had a good day. We went to dinner later on and just enjoyed the day together. 

Mother's Day 2011 -COTM-

Mother’s Day 2011 from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

This was such an amazing service. Joe McGee was awesome as always. I hope you'll watch and enjoy! Something happened during praise & worship for me. I was hurting, my heart was breaking and then we sang You Hold Me Now by Hillsong. We've sung this song many of times but something about this time just tugged on my heart, I felt like I was being embraced and then I just let it all go. I got teary eyed and lifted my hands in praise and gave it all to God. I've had a feeling of relief ever since.

Why Jesus Went to Heaven -COTM-

Why Jesus Went to Heaven from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

A Merry Heart ... By Megan Alexander

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!

A Merry Heart ... by Megan Alexander

Sometimes family is really all you need. This was reinforced to me when my Mother shared a story a few days ago about her mother, my Grandma. You see, when my Grandma was a very young girl, around age 10, she was diagnosed with polio. This meant long hospital stays, extremely limited interaction with children her own age and lonely days staring out the window from her hospital bed. In those days, with polio, they felt keeping the children very subdued and quiet was best, and this particular hospital was as drab as can be. It was also during the time of the Depression, which meant money was tight and life was tough. Day in and day out, she was given the best medicine and treatment, but she wasn’t thriving and recovering. Daily visits from adult doctors and specialists is not exactly stimulating for a young girl. Her health was so poor, at one point, a Catholic Priest had administered the "last rites" at her bedside.

One day, her older brother and sister decided to sneak some brand new baby kittens into her hospital room. Their cat Fitzy had just had babies, and the cute kittens were small enough to put in a basket. Upon entering her room, my mother says they quietly took off the lid and showed my Grandma the sweet little kittens and let her cuddle with them. Her mother, my Great Grandmother, observed my Grandma’s mood instantly lift. Her eyes sparkled and she squealed with delight at the cute kitties! Her whole demeanor changed and she came to life.

My Great Grandma took all this in and made a decision that day. She decided that my Grandma would heal much better at home. She promptly checked my Grandma out of the hospital and brought her home with her family. My Grandma did gradually recover, among the love and warmth of her family. You know what Proverbs 17 says “ A merry heart does good like a medicine.” Also, I can imagine that she healed emotionally and physically and spiritually as well and that combined strength wouldn't have been possible in the hospital alone.

When they left that day, the hospital instructed my Great Grandmother to massage my Grandma’s legs everyday, something she promised the hospital she would do, and she did. My Grandma was one of the few people we know who did not have a limp or shortened leg due to polio. And perhaps most importantly, the entire family was always praying for my Grandma.

I’m not saying that medicine is bad or not necessary. But there is no cure quite like the warmth of your family. Its like milk, it simply does a body good. As a pregnant Mom about to give birth to a baby boy, I am inspired to provide this same love to my child. May he feel the same warm love from his family that my Grandma felt from her’s.

And in this same way, we are called sons and daughters of God. Galatians 4:1-7
“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

God claims you and I as his children. This is a wonderful gift and identity that is good for our heart and soul, and something that is more powerful than all the medicine in the world.
 
Megan Alexander can be seen nightly as a television correspondent for the top rated news magazine show “Inside Edition”.  She also appears on the CNN program “Showbiz Tonight”. She especially enjoys reporting on stories with a heart. She graduated from Westmont College with a degree in Political Science. She loves speaking to youth and works with Girls Inc and National American Miss. She and her husband reside in the New York City area and attend Redeemer Church of Manhattan. For more on Megan, go to www.meganalexander.com. Megan’s mother, Mary, resides in Seattle and provided insight into this essay.

3 DIY Mother's Day Gifts that Celebrate Family By Beth Engelman

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!

3 DIY Mother’s Day Gifts that Celebrate Family By Beth Engelman

This Mother’s Day, celebrate family with this crafty games the whole family can enjoy.  

Block Photo Puzzle
Not only does this 6-sided photo puzzle provide hours of family fun, but it’s also a great way to reuse favorite family photos.

Materials:
•    9 - Wooden Blocks (Use old alphabet blocks)
•    6 - 8 x 10 Photograph Prints or Colored Copies
•    Ruler
•    Scissors
•    Mod Podge and Paintbrush

Directions:
1.  Arrange blocks in a square and measure the length and width of the square.
2. Measure and cut print to the exact same size as the 9-block square.
3. Place blocks in a square on top of print. Position blocks so they’re lined up neatly and as close together as possible.
4. Trace and cut the outline of each block.
5. Glue print pieces to blocks using Mod Podge. Set aside to dry and then seal with 1-2 top layers of Mod Podge.
6. Repeat process until all 6 sides of the blocks are covered with different photographs.
Thank you to the creative folks at www.photojojo.com for sharing this idea!

 “Go Fish with the Family” Card Game
This gift is perfect for Moms who like card games. Another bonus?  There’s always room to “grow” the deck.

Materials:
•    Camera
•    Double stick tape, or a glue stick
•    Several pieces of cardstock (one color)
•    Scissors

Directions:
1.    Take pictures of each family member and develop the pictures in duplicates (3x5 or 4x6 is fine, just make sure all the pictures are the same size).
2.    Turn the pictures into playing cards by gluing or taping a piece of card-stock to the backside of each picture.
3.    Game ideas include “Go Fishing with the Family” which is similar to “Go Fish” but, instead of matching numbers, the object is to collect matching pairs of photos. “Memory” is another fun game to play.  Place the cards face down in a grid and try to find matching pairs of photos.

Family Bingo
In my house, Bingo is always a big hit because regardless of age or skill level, everyone has the same chance to win.  However this version is extra special because the playing boards are populated with pictures of family members.

Materials:
•    Color Coordinated Game Boards (download here)
•    Images of Family Members (use photographs, drawings or clip art)
•    Bingo Markers (pennies, pebbles or buttons)
•    Glue and Scissors

Directions:
1.    Create the game boards:  Download and print desired number of game-boards. Remember each player gets a different game board.
2.    Color-copy and paste images of family members onto each game board.  Remember to paste one person per square and make each board slightly different.
3.    Make “call-out cards” by writing the name of each family member in yellow, green, blue, purple and pink (which coordinates with the colors on the board)
4.    To Play: Game play is similar to traditional Bingo except the caller will randomly select a call-out card and then read the color and person.  For example, “Blue, Grandma Mary” means there is a picture of Grandma Mary in a blue square.  Just like Bingo, the first person to get 5 in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) wins!

Beth Engelman is a columnist for the Sun Times News Group’s Pioneer Press. Her column “Mommy on a Shoestring,” appears in over 30 local papers around Chicago area as well as on the Sun-times website where you can also view her Mommy on a Shoestring video series. She is also a regular on “You and Me this Morning” on WCIU and is frequent contributor for WGN America’s Midday News at Noon.  Recently, Beth was chosen by a celebrity panel from NBC Universal and iVillage to become one of 15 national  “mom” correspondents for NBC’s popular website, www.ivillage.com (over 3 million visitors a day) where she reports on issues that affect moms, families and communities such as bullying, divorce and weight loss.  For more information visit Beth at www.mommyonashoestring.com

From Impatiently Wishing:
I can't wait to try these. They look like a lot of fun.

Easter 2011

Easter 2011 from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Pearl Pins by Margaret McSweeney

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!

PEARL PINS by Margaret McSweeney

At age 49, I am a mom without a mom. This deep longing for my mother continues to surprise me. During milestone moments, I imagine phone conversations with her.

“Can you believe that Melissa is graduating from high school in June? I’m so glad you will be flying to Chicago to be here with us.” 

“Wasn’t that a fun family dinner we all had last weekend to celebrate Katie’s ‘sweet sixteen?’ I am so glad you could join us.”

“Isn’t this exciting? I just got a new book contract. Will you please edit my manuscript before I send it in?”

Sadly, this will be my eighth Mother’s Day to spend without my mother. She has missed some poignant milestones in my life and in the lives of my daughters. Both Melissa and Katie were very young when she died so they don’t have a full reservoir of memories about Grandmommy Rhea. However, they do have the legacy of faith that she helped instill in them as toddlers. She loved to send Veggie Tales tapes, Children’s Bibles and devotional books. 

Melissa and Katie were blessed to have Nana, (Dave’s mother) around for much longer. Nana passed away two years ago. A few years before Nana died, she gave me a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant made from her wedding ring along with a pair of diamond earrings. She asked me to give these special gifts to Melissa and Katie for their sixteenth birthdays. Even though Nana wasn’t around to celebrate, my daughters were so happy to receive such special keepsakes from her. Hugs from heaven.

Last week on Katie’s 16th birthday, I discovered an unexpected blessing that had been tucked away in a cardboard container of my mother’s things. A jewelry box with three pearl pins! I gave one to Melissa as a belated 16th birthday gift, and I presented one to Katie for her 16th birthday. This Mother’s Day, I will wear my mother’s pearl pin as a tangible reminder that a mother’s love (and a grandmother’s love) is an everlasting gift from God.  

Finding these gifts made me think about what I might leave for my own daughters someday. It isn’t the external value of the gift that matters, but rather the love that it represents.

Is there a special gift or letter that you would like to leave your children?

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs.  After earning a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David.  Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother’s Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over eight years. For more information, find Margaret at www.pearlgirls.info and www.kitchenchat.info. 



From Impatiently Wishing....
What a beautiful story. I often think about what if something happens to me, what do I want to leave for my son. My biggest thing is I want him to know who I am. I started writing him letters when I first found out I was pregnant. I have them compiled in a journal now so they are in order. I also have a book that has prompts and questions for me to answer that tells him everything he would ever need/want to know about me. From family history, my likes/dislikes, what my childhood home was like, and so on.