Relay for Life

PS - please feel free to post your stories of friends and family that are or have battled cancer and I will get the info to Laura to make sure a light is lit in their honor during the event - thank you

Hello everyone- As many of you know, my baby brother has just BEAT cancer! It is a miracle and we are so grateful! While he personally will not be participating in Relay for Life this year, his girlfriend will be and he has asked that anyone interested in supporting him, donate to support her instead. Even if we all just donate $5, together we can make a BIG difference!

I am so very grateful for the medical advances that allowed my brother to not only have SURVIVED cancer, but to now be 100% cancer free! I can't imagine what life would be like if we had lost him and know that someone else's donations helped make his survival a reality! Below is the letter written by his girlfriend Laura Fischer, a fellow cancer survivor and one of the angels that helped him through this all, along with a link to her Relay For Life page-

Thank you for looking.

With love,

Bree

--- A message from Laura Fischer

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well. The past year of my life has been eventful to say the least. I started my freshman year of college at Winona State University this fall, and I am on my way to achieving my goal of becoming a pediatric oncology nurse. But starting college was only one part of my life changing year. As you may know, my boyfriend, Brent, was diagnosed with choriocarcinoma in January of last year. He bravely endured four rounds of chemotherapy and a highly invasive surgery, and is now cancer free! Watching Brent bravely fight cancer this past year has taught me so much about courage, positivity, and the importance of loving and supportive family and friends. It has also lit an even greater fire in my heart to see cancer cured in my lifetime. Cancer has affected too many people I know and love. I have watched both my Grandparents, my Aunt Jan, and many friends bravely fight cancer. Unfortunately, cancer will continue to affect people we all know and love. That is why I am asking you to help me continue the fight against cancer.

On April 24 and 25th, I will be participating in the American Cancer Society's signature fundraiser, Relay for Life at Winona State University. I am actively involved in the American Cancer Society's Colleges Against Cancer chapter here on campus, and I am very excited about the upcoming event. I have greatly enjoyed my experiences with Relay for Life in the past and I have great expectations for this year. I am so thankful for the generous support you have shown for my efforts in the past, and I am graciously asking for a tax deductible donation once again. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated. All donations support the American Cancer Society's efforts in funding life saving cancer research, cancer education, early detection and prevention programs, and patient support programs. To make a tax deductible donation to my team, please follow the link to my Relay for Life homepage at the bottom of this email.

Finally I ask you to please reply to this email by sending me the names of all the people you know who have been affected by cancer. Please indicate whether they are still fighting, a survivor, or have lost their courageous battle. I will make sure that there is a luminaria in their honor on the night of relay. If you would like, you may also send a message you would like to have printed on their luminaria.

Thank you so much for your continued support! We will find a cure for cancer! :)

Sincerely,
Laura :)

Click here to visit my personal page.If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09MW?px=8753435&pg=personal&fr_id=15885&fl=en_US&s_tafId=273405

Click here to view the team page for Standing Up to Cancer If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09MW?team_id=371094&pg=team&fr_id=15885&fl=en_US&s_tafId=273405

A Note About Laura and Relay for Life - As written by my father:

The following (preceeding) email is from a young lady who was a tremendous support for Brent as he went through his Cancer treatments.

In addition to being an excellent student she has spent many hours raising money and awareness for Cancer including visiting our Congressman and two Senators in Washington DC explaining the need for Cancer Research Funding. Cancer research is the reason she and Brent are both alive today.

Please visit her website and make a donation if you can.

Thanks, Craig

Our Deepest Fear....

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

When I first read this as a freshman in collage, I was told it was from Nelson Mandela, but I guess I, like many others, was wrong :) Either way, I LOVE it and need to live it!

Getting ready for Easter

I know I'm a little early, but I wanted to design some cool quote/signs of all different kinds so while I was up waiting to get tired after midnight last night I created this one.... I not sure it qualifies as cool, but it's a start :)

Nummy Num Num

So Baby P has hit a few more landmarks, at least when it comes to communication! Sat. she started saying Please! Ok, it sounds more like Bees, but you get the idea! She also started saying Yummy about a week ago whenever she gets hungry. How did she learn to say yummy? Well, my mom got her this great play cube that she bought because of the Spanish features - she thought it would be cute, especailly since her mommy speaks Spanish, if lil P picked up a few words as well! Well, she for sure has learned a few words, though I'm sure they're not the ones my mom was thinking! Instead we get "Yummy, Nummy, Nummy..." repeated loud and fast whenever she wants food! Its actually pretty cute... most of the time ;)

She also holds conversations either with you or by herself or with the cell phone ALL of the time! She's such a little chatter-box! And a ham too! Whenever there's someone new around, as long as she's at home, she reaches out for them, flirts with them, makes noises to get them to look at her... it's hillarious :) If we're away from home, she's a little shyer, at least for the first few minutes. After that, well, you get the idea!

I love my little turkey! She's such a sweatheart - and cheeseball to boot! Maybe she got some of my wisconsin flare after all! ;)

Dino-Day!

Yesterday we took a trip to the dino museum and celebrated T-dog's birthday! Happy 4 years, big boy!

This vid isnt anything amazing, but I thought the kiddos were fun to watch :)

Look at those mus-kles!

More of my nut :D

These are from 3-12-09 - Just a few more photos of my baby being a goof!

This one's got opinions! Especially at Dinner Time!

Just taking a few minutes with parenting magazine - She's got to figure out how to raise us right, you know!

Packing

For those of you who don't know, PB&J will soon be moving! Our house will be closed on soon and it looks like we might actually have a shot at getting the house we've been waiting for since Dec!! Last Sat little sicky girl decided to "help" as I was sorting and packing some of her clothes. As you can see, she was a BIG help! (not :)

You may also notice that there are a lot of Saturday photos :D Well, after breaking my other little camera, Joe finally found a "slickdeal" on a cannon powershot, which arrived last Fri (yeah!) I absolutly LOVE my big cannon, but i just can't whip it out all the time, so Thanks Joe for my new little camera! Hurrah for Digital and cameras small enough to fit in my pocket! :D

Banana Face!

Now that she's not as sick, she's been eatting breakfast like a pro! One of her favorites is Banana which she delicatly eats, until its small enough to JUST squeeze in her mouth, then POP! Well, you can see the result! This was yeserday morning :D

You know, cuz I ALWAYS cuddle with a caterpiller on my head...

while I'm sick and watching the lead up to March Maddness... don't You?!

Priya is a phone ADDICT! This is from last Saturday while she was sick- TODAY she sent her first text! Her aunt Deann felt honored to be the first recipient!

dec 19th, 2008-I am SO behind!

This was taken at the Morgan home before Christmas and Emily's Wedding - Notice the excitement - we couldn't believe how she was walking! Now she walks everywhere like a pro! Who said she was allowed to grow up!

That's IT!

Here's a blog entry I started a while ago... I'm not going to finish it right now - just post as is and hopefully add more details and a few birthday details later on -here goes!
---

I don't care if I have the time or am in the "mood"~ I'm BLOGGING! Why the passion? Because my baby has been walking for 2 weeks now and I haven't said a WORD! (Facebook Status unincluded) Since I don't keep a journal very well, if I don't record it here, it doesn't usually get recorded - sad I know! But all the more urgent need to blog! PLUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE TURNED ONE~!! How lame am I that I haven't even recorded about my most precious child's first birthday!!





So here it is! Well, Part 1 at least :D





On Monday the 9th of Feb (Kenna's Birthday - love you Kenna!) Priya started taking her first REAL steps! i mean, she's tried in the past, but these were real honest to goodness steps! On Wednesday (or was it tuesday?) I was in the kitchen and all of a sudden I turned around and there she was! For a week or so she went on like that, usually only taking a couple little steps, with a few longer stretches mixed in. Then a couple days ago the stretches got longer and longer and more and more frequent! But the craziest stuff was just in the last few days, as she began taking off into the middle of the room with no hand-holds or things to catch her self on in sight!

Take a Second to Laugh!

Joe sent this to me -When my Dad saw it he said "I think those who look at this and enjoy it with a mirthful attitude have a definite sadistic side to their nature.I can’t wait to show it to Mom!"

PS - She loved it ;)

My little "Carrie Underwood"!

My dad called her Dale Evans, the wife of Roy Rogers, but I'm an American Idol girls so Carrie Underwood it is! She is ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with microphones ever since we got Rock Band! So Joe pulled out our Karaoke machine the other day and she has been singing away! Well, more like moaning the same crazy note over and over, playing with different volume levels! What a little nut!

Kisses!!

So my crazy little child will squeeze the guts out of her stuffed bear, smother other kids with loves and kisses, but REFUSES to kiss mommy and daddy! Until yesterday! Right after Joe came home from work he was holding her and I was just standing there, feeling tired and a bit sad, when all of a sudden she LUNGED at me, planning a Big One right on me! Later in the night she gave kisses to me, Joe and even our friend Katie! Even later in the night she repeatedly rested her head on me, giving me loves! I could get used to this!

Out with the old...

For those who missed it, this is the old header - I just love this cutie little girl!

In With The NEW!

So, this is the new photo on the top of the blog... what do ya think?

WHOOPS!

I changed the backdrop by accident and can't go back, so if the blog looks funny, please humor me while I change things up a bit! :D It'll hopefully be oh so adorable again in a few minutes! (or hours - we'll see! :)

Back from NY ...Live ... its....

The Masons! Of course, I didn't realize till after that there is not a SINGLE picture of the 4 of us, just our kids! HAHA - well, good thing they're cute!

One of our most recent adventures was when we had Dave and Heather over last Sunday for dinner. We LOVED having them over and just wish there'd been time to see them more while they were here! As it was, out of a whole month, we were only able to get together with them the one time :(

Funny story about the Masons I love to tell - they met AFTER Joe and I were engaged, but got married BEFORE us! Dave would have actually been Joe's best man, except he'd already taken off too much time for his own wedding! Plus they actually met because of an engagement dinner my sister had for joe and I - there's much more to the story but that will have to be for another time! One more D&H mason quirk-they're TOTALLY against fast weddings!! Even though their own came in July after meeting in Feb - go figure! However, after 4.5 years and 1 baby, they are going strong!

We love you guys and can't wait to see you again!

Welcome!

To those of you who have never been here before, WELCOME!! To those of you who have, Welcome Back! The last few months have been a stressful whirlwind of activity, dotted with joyful times with friends and family! Let me summarize:

As for the "stress"... I don't know that I EVER want to run a Christmas photo special again! At least, not the way we did! HAHA - I had fun taking photos of tons of friends and family, though! It was awesome to get to know people better through their photo shoots! However, it was just a few too many too close to Christmas. Anyone up for Christmas cards in July?! ;)

Then we come to the friends and families! It all began with a BEAUTIFUL wedding in Washington, (congrats Nate and Emily!), followed by an early Christmas with the Heatons. After that, we had a nice quite Christmas at home and with the current "utah" Lemkes, then the big throwdown Christmas when my parents, big sister with her kids and little brother and his girlfriend! After that was a week of family dinners, parties, indoor skydiving and other adventures, including "hanging out" as only the Lemke's can - which of course includes more food than can possibly be eaten! Hopefully we'll have some photos up soon!

Well, once again, WELCOME! It's been a crazy ride, but I'm glad to be back with the blogging world! For all of those we've seen recently, we love you and miss you already!! For those we haven't... well, hopefully we'll see you soon!! You all make us who we are and for that we're grateful (well, most of the time! ;) just kidding!

Thanks for sharing in our adventures!

Love, PB&J :D