Its GO Time!

WOW! What a fun time hosting my very first silent auction. And for such short notice...I think it was pretty successful with the winning bit coming in at $100. I definitely think the Relay for Life is going to be a permanent fixture in my life and I am already thinking about what I can do next year to raise funds. I definitely see more auctions in my future. With more preparation, there is so much I can do between now and then to create things more "cancer awareness" specific. Since my Dad passed away with Melanoma...who knows...maybe a black ribbon scarf & hat set. We shall see. The wheels in my head are definitely spinning right now.

Today is the Relay for Life and I am super excited about it. We have the kids taken care of (by their sweet Mams) for the night. They are super excited to go spend the night with her and their GG and Papaw. Kevin and I will be able to stay for the whole night at the Relay this year and we are definitely looking forward to being with friends and family as we celebrate those that are still fighting and those that have gone on to be with Jesus.

I definitely had "anxious" sleep last night. Woke up at 2 and couldn't stop thinking about everything I needed to get prepared for the event. Packing, food, making things. This morning I have been working on a sign as our team is hosting the annual Corn Hole event. GOOD TIMES!

The one thing I am REALLY looking forward to tonight is the slideshow and the Luminaria ceremony. I am sure there will be lots of tears shed as I am really missing my Pops right now, but there is a peace that settles in as this ceremony is happening.

Well, thanks to everyone for all their LOVE and SUPPORT as I walk for the 2nd year in the Relay for Life.

RELAY FOR LIFE

Infinity Scarf Auction for Cancer Awareness

THIS AUCTION HAS ENDED!

I am so happy to announce that I have reached my goal of $500 (actually, I have even surpassed that goal thanks to my Aunt Nancy) in efforts to raise funds and awareness for cancer in the Relay for Life that I will be participating in on Saturday, June 15, 2013. THAT'S TOMORROW!!!! I have been racking my brain all week to figure out a way to come up with more funds to go to The American Cancer Society through funds raised doing the Relay. And it came to me EARLY this morning...at 5:30...and I couldn't get back to sleep! So here it is...

I am hosting my first official silent auction!

I have considered selling my creations for quite a while now, but have wrestled with the idea of getting caught up with making things based on the demand of a sale vs. making things for my friends and family because I really enjoy doing that. So this auction brings my heart so much joy because in a sense,  my own personal creation (something I am VERY passionate about) is bringing in a proceed...however, 100% of that proceed is going to something else I am VERY passionate about and that is raising awareness for Cancer Research in the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society.

Last year I walked with my Dad (in honor of him) who was battling it out with stage IV Melanoma and this year I am walking in memory of him as he has gone on to be with his heavenly father on April 29.

So here is how it works, once this blog posts today, this auction will go to mid-night tonight. I will start the bidding at $30. In the comments section below is where you can post your bids. I will check back on the auction at mid-night tonight and the scarf will go to the highest bidder at that time. So along with your bid I will need one or all of the following in order to notify you:

1) Email
2) Facebook ID
3) Twitter ID

Once I have notified you, your bid will be paid by way of my relay for life dash board (where you can also see my bio and the full reason I am walking). ONCE I see your bid post to my relay dashboard in the full amount, I will send the scarf. There are NO REFUNDS and if the full amount isn't posted, I will send the prize to the next highest bidder as I thank you for your donation :-) . So if the bid comes through on my dashboard early enough I can have this scarf in the mail tomorrow morning. So that said, please make sure you check your email, facebook, twitter account for notice and that way I can get your mailing info as soon as possible for your prize.

So for the prize (and I apologize in advance, I am not a photographer...these aren't the greatest pictures):

 A little info about the scarf...its my personal pattern. I named this scarf after my BFF "Christy". All my patterns are named after someone I love. There is a twist in the scarf. So technically it is a mobius and it just adds a little more "character" to the scarf. An infinity scarf can be worn draped long (like the first picture) or doubled up for a bunchy effect. The last picture is just a close up so you get a better idea of how the pattern looks.

So for the winner, if you are a crocheter, as a bonus I am happy to send you the written pattern. Please be sure to follow care instructions as this will shrink in the wash if not handled properly.

The scarf is made with shadow lace yarn (2 hanks)
color: Nocturne Heather
Fiber Content: 100% Merino Wool

Yarn Weight: Lace

Knitting Gauge: Lace Weight

Yards: 440yds

Grams: 50g

Put Up: hank

Care: Hand Wash/Dry Flat

 (this yarn can be purchased at Knitpicks)

Don't forget to come check out my bio on my relay for life dash board: RELAY FOR LIFE

Now LET THE BIDDING BEGIN......

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous travel photo album at Shutterfly.com.

Back in mid-June I did my very first Relay for Life with the majority of my family (and some friends) in honor of my Dad and in memory of my Aunt Susan. It was such an amazing event. I took lots of pictures and put them into this book that I made on Shutterfly.com.

Be Near Me Now

So about 2 months ago I bought the book: When God and Cancer Meet and until today I just couldn't bring myself to even open it.  I kept picking it up, looking at the cover and then putting it down again.  The fear of cancer has had a very strong hold on me...strong enough that I couldn't bring myself to read "true stories of hope and healing". In my eyes, cancer and hope/healing didn't go together.  But today, I put my daughter down for her afternoon nap and I sat down (trying to do no TV during the days right now) and it was actually QUIET.  As much as I always try and escape noise and chaos, I don't ever seem to settle into "quiet" very well.  I get antsy with "quiet".  So I sit down and this book just so happens to be right in front of me...staring at me..."open me".  I got a very unsettling feeling in my stomach...a very familiar, unsettling feeling...anxiety!  So I just said a little prayer: God, please be near me now.  Let me feel your presence as I open this book. PLEASE, let me feel you near me.  Please comfort me and settle my fears and anxieties about cancer. 


And so I opened the book and began to read. Just reading the introduction had me in tears. After today's reading,
#1 I know I want to keep reading this book to the very end.
#2 I MUST have a box of tissue handy each time I open it and 
#3 I can't forget to pray before.


Aunt Susan died of cancer some years ago and it really scarred me and my memories of her and of cancer.  It was a life altering event for me.  I watched as she got sicker and sicker with this disease. I spent my afternoons after cosmetology school in the hospice center with her. I remember the very last day I spent with her, she was having trouble breathing and even staying awake long enough to finish a sentence as she was trying very hard to have a conversation with me.  I kept telling her I loved her and to just rest and that it was "OK", we'll talk later.  I remember leaving her room that day and slumping down outside of her door, just crying and begging for God to please just take her and please don't let her suffer anymore.  I still remember the look on my mom and sister, Sara's face as I opened my apartment door on my birthday and inside knowing what they were going to tell me, while walking away from them screaming NO!  At the same time my phone was ringing and it was my Dad. It kind of felt like everything was spinning out of control around me. My Dad ALWAYS knows just what to say and just how to say it so that it goes to the very fibers of your being. Like he's telling you everything is going to be OK and you just believe it will be because he said so. Even though the pain your feeling is more than you can bear. He told me to think of it as a birthday gift from the Lord because Aunt Susan was no longer suffering, but was finally at COMPLETE peace and with her heavenly Father.  Every time I think of my aunt Susan and how much I miss her, I remember those words my dad spoke to me and then I see her face...no sadness, no pain, no tears, just joy and complete peace.


When Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma back in June, I felt as if someone was ripping my guts out.  I felt like I had just had the wind knocked out of me.  I was gasping for air, but couldn't find it. How could this happen to HIM? I remembered instantly (what I tried for years to forget) how sick Aunt Susan was and how much pain she was in and how much medicine she was on to help her cope with the pain and I was begging God to NOT do this to my Dad. I didn't want to see another person I loved go through what my aunt had gone through, especially my dad.  I thought, its just to much, God.  I can't bear to watch this...again. And yet, for whatever reason, my Dad has had to endure all the hardships of this cancer and the meds...the weight loss, appetite loss, mouth soars, hair loss, vision loss, memory loss, hearing loss, soars all over his body, nausea, coughing up junk, tiredness, fatigue, chills (etc.).  One of the medicines he is taking now for the melanoma actually has a side affect of skin cancer.  Really?!?! Isn't that what started this whole mess to begin with?!?! He just had a mole on his face biopsied that came back positive and so now he will endure ANOTHER surgery, having already had the Gama knife as well as radiation on his brain.  He gets bad news repeatedly, and then a little glimmer of hope with good news and then slammed again with bad news. And yet, he still FIGHTS. He has never wavered in his faith or his will to live...to survive.  He still trusts the Lord and has even told us (his kids and wife) that the Lord told him in the beginning this was going to be for us.  Well, what does that mean? How is this FOR us? What are we supposed to get from watching our dad suffer this way? Some days I feel like "I get it" and some days I just don't have a clue what God is trying to show us and I feel lost and ashamed that I feel the way I feel while my Dad continues to stay strong and unwavering, even in the sickest, most physically painful, trying times of his life.


Today, as I was reading this book (When God and Cancer Meet), I felt His presence near me and this is what I read:


      I can't tell you how, when, or where God will bring a blessing through your trial of suffering. But I can tell you why - because His word promises He will.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (NASB). 
     God will bring blessing through your trial because you matter greatly to Him and He longs to show you that. He may bless you with physical healing, or He may bless you by healing you emotionally of some deep-seated hurts. He may bless you spiritually with the joy of knowing Him in a way you never have before. Or He may bless others through you in unimaginable ways.
     My blessing from cancer is certainly not the one I sought, but because God knows me and loves me, He knew how to bless me.
     ...God wants to bring blessing through your cancer experience: you just need to let Him decide the blessing.


Lynn Eib may never read my blog, but those words she wrote in her book (about 10 years ago) were meant for me...today! If I just find a way to rest in him and if I continue to lay this at his feet and not let it grip me or rule my "world", I will gain HIS blessing in it and find peace in Him through this process. If I have learned nothing else through this process or through the many other trials in life, I know for sure I have learned that God's word is FULL of promises, just for me (and you) and that is why it is so important to remain IN HIS WORD! So that we remember His promises to us AND so that we can remind Him of His promises as we pray and cry out to Him.


My Dad's Cancer Journal

Lynn Eib's Story

When God and Cancer Meet

Sleepy Time Pooh!

So I guess now is a good time to BLOG, since I haven't done so in FOREVER! There are lots of babies coming this summer. Some to friends and at least one to family. So I have been a busy bee lately making little goodies. My latest finished product has taken me a lot longer than I originally anticipated, which became frustrating for me. However, I am quite pleased with the finished product and I can't wait to give this to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who are due to have their very first little bundle-O-joy within the next week.

Like I said, USUALLY it doesn’t take this long for me to finish a project, but I was working on other projects in between so that I wouldn’t get bored with this particular pattern. I love the look of it. Its a very simple stitch. Its so pretty, but its so monotonous. The middle is somewhat like a bobble stitch, then around that main part I just added a few rows of DC’s in the different colors.

The inspiration for this blanket came from the border for the nursery (seen in the last picture), so to match that I just made simple DC granny squares to put around the border of the blanket. I found a really cute flannel at JoAnn’s that had all the pooh characters taking a nap, which just seemed fitting. So of course, I had to get it and sew it on.

I’m pretty pleased with how the blanket turned out…However, I am still needing to really work on my sewing skills. I guess its true what they say…practice makes perfect.

Yummy Cupcake

Niagara Falls into Yarn

I'm really not much of a blogger, but I think this past weekend is something worth a mention. There were so many fabulous memories and all shared with one of my bestest buds!

For several months my husband was trying to help me plan some "get-away" time for just me. A time to get away from it all (kids, house, hubby, dog, cat, etc.) and catch up on some much needed rest and have some "me-time". It seemed like nothing was really coming together. Nothing sounded quit right for me and as much as I wanted to get away, I was nervous about being "alone". Thats when Gege came to the rescue! Nothing quite like a bestie with the same passion (obsession) as yours. YARN - CROCHET - YARN - HOOKS - YARN and OH! Did I mention YARN???

Gege had been wanting to go to Canada forever and up until now, had not had the opportunity. I didn't care where we went, as long as it didn't involve changing any diapers, listening to whining, cooking any meals or listening to any animals chasing each-other through the house. She discovered a couple places online that she wanted to go to...YARN places! So this began our trip planning...and the feeding frenzy that IS our obsession. For the next couple weeks we planned and plotted out our trip all centering around going to a couple yarn stores/factories and napping...and a little extra here and there.

For day one we planned on getting to Canada, getting settled in our room and then having about a half a day to see the sights...well, the main sight, being the Niagara Falls. I mean, we were RIGHT there. But instead we got a little TO settled into our room and we both passed out on our nice cozy beds and the the comfiest pillows you could ever imagine. I know for me, that pillow had been calling my name for at least several months. We woke up a little after dinner time, ordered some nasty pizza and headed out for a little stroll. We thought we could walk all the way to the falls, but yeah, that just didn't happen. The falls were a little farther from our hotel than we expected and my gimpy leg wasn't allowing it. So we opted for plan B, take a couple pictures of the scenery and head back to the hotel to get ready for a LATE movie. Ok, the movie was only at 10:30, but for me being a SAHM and having early risers in the morning, I'm not use to being out past 9ish anymore...this was late. Naughty even! We saw the movie The Other Guys and OH MY GOODNESS! What a funny movie. I laughed the whole all the way through. I was quite impressed with Mark W.'s comedic acting skeelz! I didn't know he had it in him...not to mention, he IS rather "easy on the eyes".

On Friday we began our journey into Listowel, Ontario, Canada. What a beautiful drive. We drove through (what we think was) a rather large Menonite farming community. I just am so drawn to (fascinated) their way of life. I love seeing all the beautiful farms and the horse drawn carriages and the "simple-ness" of it all. I often wonder how they do it with all the fast paced technology of today. I always find that it really relaxes me to drive through communities like this...sets a mood of peace over my being. Which was probably very timely considering the frenzy that was just ar

ound the corner.

We FINALLY made it to the tent sale at the Yarn Factory Outlet and my heart started racing and I was getting butterflies in my stomach. I started thinking, does my husband really realize what he has sent me off to? When we walked in there was a woman at the front asking if we needed a "shopping bag" and obviously, both Gege and I said YES! We were then handed a 30 gallon trash bag. I actually started to worry about Gege...well, more about her husband upon her return from this trip. As I was standing there trying to process what was happening, I turned and looked and there was no more Gege. I lost her before I even started. This place was awesome. Huge boxes FULL of yarn. It was actually overwhelming. I didn't know where to even begin. After a couple hours there, filling up our bags and wiping the drool from our face, we paid for our "booty" and headed into town because we had passed a used book store that I wanted to go to. One of my goals was to go to a used book store to look for some pattern books. Once we got there, the guy told use they actually had a booth set up at the tent sale. OMG! We had completely missed it because we had completely zeroed in on the yarn and didn't see ANYTHING else. So e went BACK to the tent, found the books and I actually found a treasure of a crochet pattern book. I am already working on a vest that I found in the book. Can't wait to wear it this fall.

So after the frenzy, we were completely exhausted. We headed back into Toronto for the next two nights. We decided to have a fabulous dinner at a Greek restaurant that night and get back to our crochet.

On Saturday, we went into the city of Toronto to Queen Street. Makes me think of Georgetown, DC (Gege thought NY). This place gave me serious anxiety. Very closed in and TONS of people and chaos everywhere. We parked our car and headed into what I would like to refer to as "yarn heaven". A place called Romni Wools. What the WHAT?!?!?! I have never seen anything like this. Every single nook and cranny was stacked with Yarn. And not just the yarn you see at like JoAnn's or A.C. Moore (nothing agaist those places), but this stuff was different and colorful and all kinds of textures. It was amazing. And we had only scratched the surface, they also had a BASEMENT of overstock, discount and discontinued yarn. What the WHAT the WHAT?!?!?! I found some super fun yarns down there and Gege even got a fun tutorial from two fabulous, silly ladies on spinning. I LOVED this place. Lucky for our hubbies its a 10 hour drive for us...LOL. Otherwise I'd be in there everyday.

On Sunday we knew it was time to head home and we only had one more stop to make before our trip could be considered "complete"...Niagara Falls. We drove around on the Canada side trying to find parking for at least an hour before we decided it would have to be something done on the States side. So we began our LONG, tedious journey of crossing the border. Parking in NY (surprisingly) was much easier and it was only a short walk to the falls. The view completely took my breath away. I have never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. We took lots of pictures and some video because the sound is so amazing too. And a sweet couple took a picture of Gege and I next tot he falls...a perfect keepsake of a perfect vacation get away.

So I have been home for almost a week now and I am still not down from my high from that trip. My hubby has already ok'ed for me to make this an annual event. So Gege, I can't wait for our next adventure together. Love you girl. I couldn't have asked for a better travel buddy!