Mission Monkey Day with Friday Follow

Hello blog-world!  I am participating in what's known around the world as Mission Monkey day!  What is Mission Monkey you ask?  Well, there's this blogger friend of ours known as Pixie Momma, aka Michelle.  Michelle has a little girl, or Monkey as she's known by who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma.  To learn more about it, click here. Monkey is a sweet little 16 month old girl.  She doesn't deserve this.  Nobody deserves this.

But the good news is that Monkey only has Stage 1 (low risk).  The bad news is the medical bills are mounting and the Physical Therapy (starts today) isn't covered by insurance.  Michelle is using the donated money to offset medical bills.  She will donate and unused portion to another family dealing with the same issue.

This is why the blogging universe is banning together like never before to rally around Michelle and Monkey to provide support.  In addition to further entice you to lend your hand, and donate to the cause, we have over 50 items that have been donated.  Many bloggers are hosting these fabulous giveaways and all you need to win one of these items is just one raffle ticket.

Donation pages:
Princess of Sarcasm - http://bit.ly/9nUmBp
The One and Only Oka - http://bit.ly/9KZSOG
SupahMommy - http://bit.ly/bSMrGw
Jenn B Says #1 - http://bit.ly/bYzHAH
Jenn B Says #2 - http://bit.ly/bej01D
Amber - http://bit.ly/cTGq29
Two Little Monkeys - http://bit.ly/cZKjzK
Mommy's Nest - http://bit.ly/9tLjoy
Chief's Hiding From the Kids - http://bit.ly/cfKIiO
Jenny - http://bit.ly/dftIS2
Jana - http://bit.ly/aUKVjM

You may donate any amount of money via PayPal as it's linked directly to Michelle's bank account.  However, in order to be a part of the raffle, this is how that's going to go.  If you donate the following, you get the subsequent number of entries:

• $10 - 2 entries
• $20 - 5 entries
• $30 - 10 entries
• $40 - 15 entries
• $50 - 20 entries
• $75 - 35 entries
• $100 - 50 entries
• $200 - 125 entries

 The raffles for each item will start on or around July 1st.

Click on monkey to donate!

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If you are donating money via PayPal, I need to know who it's coming from.  For example, look at the first picture below.  The link takes to you this screen.  Press the plus sign and then indicate your blog name/blog email address so I can track you accordingly.

And, here's the thing: this could be any of our kids.  Thank you for your time and thank you for your donation.

There are also a few other things going on to celebrate Mission Monkey please visit them all!






Twitter party!
More info can be found here - CASH PRIZES!!!!!!


Kerri over at Kerri's Klutter is donating $1 for each and every linkup she receives for her weekly meme, Comment Love Letters.  In addition, Adrienne is matching Kerri's donation dollar for dollar!  Go and link up and support Mission Monkey!

ZGirl and Travis are participating in a weight loss challenge and they are asking for your sponsorship.  Please visit them and lend your support!

Jenn over at BabyStepsInHighHeels has a challenge where she's going to donate $1 for every comment/new follower from now until the end of May.  Please visit her!

★ Follow Me Fridays Blog Hop ★

Follow and Be Followed Here at Trendy Treehouse! 

Enter your link below &  follow the blogs you love.
It's that simple. Have fun!

  

I am also very excited to share with you....another great blogger at "the girl creative" who has a fun Friday Link Party!"New Friend Friday"We will be linking up together every Friday. So be sure to go by and check out this fun link party!If you would like to share this blog hop, just go to the link below and grab the code

Ian's Monkey Minute

I'm playing along with Ian's Monday Monkey Minute this week. You get to learn a little more about me and this will hopefully generate more support for this little Monkey who needs our prayers and support...








Here are Ian's questions this week... head on over and link up to share your answers too!

Have you ever peed in the shower/bath/pool?
EVER??? Well, yeah. I can't imagine no one has "ever". Now how long ago is another questions... for another day. ;o)

What is your biggest pet peeve?
I have a few but stupid drivers, rude employees at all fast food places who could care less how they screw up your order.

What's the story behind your blog title?
Well, there is a song by Casting Crowns called Lifesong. (You can see the video here on YouTube and you should listen to it, at least once, if you've never heard it.) Some of my favorite lyrics from the song are included in my header... "May the words I say and the things I do, make my Lifesong sing, bring a smile to you." And if you haven't quite got it yet... I hope that each and every day I can love and treat others as God loves us. This blog is My Lifesong... how I live my days, trying to end each one in a way that will bring a smile to His face.

What is your definition of success?
I've always loved this definition of success...

Success:  To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded!  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



If you were famous, what would you want to be famous for?
Well... achieving the above definition of success would be great. But beyond that, if my name was to ever be widely known, I'd like it to be for inspiring and encouraging others to be the best they can be and help them find ways to do that.

Perfect End to a Challenging Week

It's just been one of those weeks. Monday... ALL week long! It's not a good sign when you have to give the Wal-Mart check-out girl some tips/hints on bagging your things. This proved to really test my patience. It was already a long day at the office. And I'd already put off grocery shopping too long "No hun, bagging the 8 gallon trash can isn't necessary, and you can just put some of those paper products down inside the trash can too." :o)

All in all it wasn't a horrible week! Everyday just felt like Monday to  me. But the week ended on a great note. I spent a few hours at my mom's house with my two sisters and my sister-in-law and my niece making some paper craft things from some kits I had purchased. I wanted to have this get-together on May 9th, National Scrapbook Day, but just couldn't get it scheduled. However, the whole month of May is considered National Scrapbook Month, so we just celebrated a little later than most.

The kits I'd previously done and posted here were made by everyone else. I was able to guide them through the steps quicker. We added extra pages to the Recipe Ring so that everyone had twice as many recipes pages. They turned out even better than before with some extra embellishments to the front covers.

We made a new kit too that I hadn't made before. It was an  adorable mini album. I can't wait to put some more of these together with the supplies I have to use as gifts, give-aways, or donations to a great cause. :o) Here are a few shots of some of my favorite pages from the mini album.

This album has the prettiest shades of pink, blue, green, teal, beige. It is perfect for small photos or memorabilia. Or just wrote your notes of love or appreciation on the blank pages.

My sisters got away before the camera came out. I think they had flash-backs from being forced into photos last week on Mother's Day. :o)  I did get a couple pictures though of my mother and my sister-in-law, Amber and niece, Nicole as they worked on their projects.

.  I hope you all had as great a weekend as I did and are ready for another great week ahead!

Mother's Day & Memories

It seems like everyone is doing a blog post about Mother's Day. Those of us who still have our mothers here to spend the day with are so blessed. I can't imagine not having her.

We spent some time with mom today. My sisters were both there with their families. Being the scrapbooker and blogger that I am, I insisted on pictures. Here is a group photo taken today at mom's with my sisters and I standing behind mom.

 Pictured are my older sister, Bev, my younger sister, Sonya and myself

with our mother.

I love the time we spend together. You can usually find mom with me every weekend when I have to make my routine trip the ever-growing Wal-Mart list... which it seems is never completed.

We shared some memories today. One I had forgotten that my little sister, Sonya told. We were discussing "whippins"... remember, we're country people in Kentucky. Some people spank their kids. Parents in Kentucky (if they have to and still believe in it) WHIP their kids. My younger sister and I were trying to recall getting one of these whippins. I can't recall a single one. Honest! I was a good kid!! Either that or I was beat half to death and have blocked those memories from my brain completely to keep myself from expensive therapy sessions.

My little sister did come up with a memory though. She remembers the time we BOTH got one for the same time. I still didn't recall it when she told this story but I'm sure it must have happened. When we were little... I don't think Sonya had even started school yet... my dad had built the house we lived in and it was still not completely finished. We took our baths next door at my Granny's house. "Next" didn't mean 20 feet from our front door. "Next door" was down a LONG dirt driveway that ran beside my granny's pond and across the road to her house. So my mom left us there to get our baths while she walked to our house. I was the older one and evidently capable but that wasn't enough for Sonya. She wasn't staying with only ME to walk her home and it was getting dark fast! So she rushed through a quick bath, probably only hitting highlights. I was FORCED to do the same to get her safely home since she wasn't waiting for me. Sonya recalls us BOTH getting a whippin' because mom was SURE we couldn't have both bathed that fast! And I'm sure she would have been right. I don't remember any of that. :o)

But I will always remember the beautiful person my mother has always been, and has taught me to be. I get my strong emotional side from her. Thank you mom for teaching me to love with my whole heart, and to laugh deeply when something is funny. Thank you for teaching me that it's okay to cry when I hurt. And thank you for being the best Christian mother anyone could have and for teaching me the importance of prayer, faith, unconditional love, trust and forgiveness. I love you mom!

As we were leaving mom's today I grabbed my camera and snapped this pic

of mom standing in front of her climbing rose bush.

Losing it... 1 at a time

It's going to be all about me now...

Well, maybe not just about me. But I need to focus on something besides school for the long anticipated SUMMER BREAK! I have submitted my last assignment, taken my last quiz. I have 2 Finals to take by Tuesday then I'm putting the books away! ... until Fall Semester of course. :o)


But in the meantime, I'm ready to focus on getting up of the couch and moving, instead of coming home from work... where I have a desk job at a Home Health Care agency.... and sitting again a good part of the evening either reading a new chapter, working on a new assignment, or taking the weekly quiz. And all this for TWO classes! That equals a LOT of immobility, let me tell ya!


I have lost a lot over the last few years and still have some more I want to lose. I didn't put it on overnight and it's not coming off that quickly either. My weight does not depress me. I've NEVER been happier than I am right now in my life. I have a wonderful, supportive family. We're close and I love them all dearly. I have the most loving husband in the world and he's quick to compliment me often. He makes me feel good about myself. But...

He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.  ~Arabic Proverb

I want to be around a LONG time to enjoy life. I already have a diagnosis of Degenerative Disc Disease (thank you extra pounds and genes from my father). I wake up every morning with back pain. And all the sitting I do throughout the day at work, then more of it each evening (thank you need-to-work-for-insurance and school) cause me pain off and on throughout the day and evening. Too long in one position makes me stiff and immobile almost. I'm in constant need of a back-popping (or a "snap job" as my hubby likes to call it) to loosen me up. I also have a VERY high percentage of diabetes in my mother's family. It hasn't hit me yet and I hope to prevent it from ever finding a home in my body.

Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy.  ~Author Unknown

So May 1st... beginning of a new month... is the perfect time for me to focus on the positive. To take it 1 step... and 1 lb at a time... to a healthier me!