0 to 60 in 3-Days

This past weekend I participated in the Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day. Together with my dear friend Charrisa we each walked 60 miles and raised $2300 to benefit Susan G. Komen for The Cure.

It was an amazing experience and I met so many wonderful people along the way. I was really inspired by these two gals who pushed their mom in a wheelchair the entire 60 miles b/c she was too weak from chemo to walk it herself.

One of the most generous stories I hear came from a lady who I was sitting next to in the medic tent getting first aid for some blisters. First - a little background info... In order to participate in the 3-Day you have to raise a minimum of $2300. If the walk dates arrive and you haven't made the goal, you have the option of dropping out or of giving the 3-Day your credit card info and getting 30 days post walk to finish your collection. At the end of the 30 days, whatever you have left gets charged to your card. Now...back to the story...

So the lady was telling me that she was riding on one of the sweep vans and got to talking to the rest of the people on the van about their fundraising. She asked them if they all had met their $2300 required goal and they all had met or exceeded the required amount. Another lady then asked her about her fundraising situation. She told them she was still about $600 short - she said that she had faith that she could meet the goal so she gave them her card number and went ahead and did the walk. The second lady then reached in her backpack and pulled out an envelope full of checks made out to the 3-Day and gave them to the lady that was $600 short. She said that these came in to her after she met her $2300 goal and rather than just exceed her goal by that amount, she brought them to the event hoping to find someone that needed the money to reach their goal. There was over $400 worth of donations in the envelopes. The gal who received the checks said she was so blown away by this woman's foresight and generosity that she could barely get off the van at the next pitstop b/c she was crying so hard.

The other people, stories, events that will stick with me forever are too numerous to share. Let's just say that it was such a wonderful event that even while limping from blisters and sore feet, Charrisa and I went to the 2010 tent to begin registration for that one.

Here are a few pics from the event... 0 to 60 in 3 Days!!!














Walking through Turtle Creek














My prize waiting on me at the finish line!

Happy Halloween...a couple of days late!

I hope that each of you had a safe and fun Halloween this past weekend. My mom and dad were in town and it was really special to spend the week preparing for the big night. We had a costume playdate on Thursday with a few of Camden's friends (a dinosaur, a chicken, Superman and a Halloween cat were all present and accounted for). Camden went as Batman this year and it was hilarious that we would "sing" the Batman music and he would chime in "Mat-man" at the appropriate time.

Friday night our church had their annual fall festival where we, along with about 900 others from the community, enjoyed and chili supper, moon bounces, pony rides, and all sorts of games. Camden started out playing the games and having a great time doing so...then he realized that he would get candy at the end of every game and so he decided it was best to skip all that work and just ask those running the game for the candy...why waste time throwing rings on sticks or beanbags through holes if they're going to give you the candy anyway? :o)

Ryan and I went as the knight in shining armor and the fair maiden...again. I think those costumes have been moved about 5 times and worn every year since college... Perhaps we'll go as something different next year. My dad went as a pirate - he figures if he's going to have a prosthetic leg, might as well put that "peg leg" to some use. :o)

Saturday night we started out just hanging out at home and handing out candy. Then we found out that a house down the street was giving out stuffed animals instead of candy so we decided to leave Oma and Papa at our house on candy detail and we walked Camden down the street for some loot. Once we hit that house, we figured this would be a great way to meet some of our neighbors so we spent about 30 minutes in our cul-de-sac meeting neighbors and loading Camden up with more candy than he's had in his whole life. Too bad most of it's chewy or nutty and he can't have it...oh well, guess I'll have to eat it since he can't.

Unfortunately, most of the pictures we got from the holiday's events are on my parent's camera and I didn't get them before they left to go home. Mom's going to send me a CD of what she's got later. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from our outing to the pumpkin patch. Camden really loved "driving the tractor" and riding in the wagon with his friend, Amanda.

Happy Halloween...a few days late!!!

Account ending in 5394

This week Ryan and I had a first...we became the victims of identity theft. Someone used my debit card number to make a fake card (b/c I still have mine) and spend almost $6,000 at Saks 5th Avenue here in Dallas - at least they have good taste. :o)

Fortunately, if we had to have something bad happen, this is the best bad thing. The thief/thieves don't have any of my personal information like my SS#, DOB, etc. - they just had my debit card number. So while they can't steal my identity and open fraudulent accounts in my name, they still have caused me to lose a lot of patience and a couple nights of good sleep.

We also have total consumer protection from Bank of America so (eventually) all the money and any overdraft fees we've incurred will be put back in our account...but there are lots of hoops to jump through and many, many, many phone calls to make before it's a done deal.

I've spent the last couple of days with a phone in one hand and something to entertain Camden while I am on said phone in the other. Most of the places I've had to call just took my initial info and then said they'd call me back...but usually NOT during nap time b/c that would be too convenient. :o)

So after speaking to about four different departments at the bank, all three credit reporting bureaus, and several departments within the Dallas Police Department, I think I am all done with my calls. Hopefully we'll get our money back sometime early next week.

On a side note...we've been to the pumpkin patch and we'll hit the fall festival at church next week so we'll have some cute pics of Camden for you as soon as we can get them uploaded.

Have a Happy Halloween!!!

Mandy

My sincerest apologies...

I must apologize...of late, I have become a horrible blogger. My posts are few and far between and they almost always promise an uploading of pictures or videos "to follow soon" and yet I never seem to get around to it.

In my defense, I am exhausted from chasing Camden around and growing another person...but really, that's no excuse. Granted, Camden only has one speed...which is run...but still, I need to do a better job of keeping you all updated. So, here's a rundown of all that's been going on with us.

If you read the last post, you know that Ryan and I spent a Camden-free week in Germany at the beginning of September. Here's a link to the Picasa album of those pictures. I haven't had the chance to go in and write a description for each picture...but they basically follow this timeline - trip to Neuschwanstein, pictures from around Germany - including our bike ride through the city, the day trip to Austria where I got to see the gardens and the cemetery used in "The Sound of Music", and our very emotional morning spend at Dachau - the concentration camp used to train Nazi soldiers and others working at various concentration camps throughout during WWII.

Germany2009

After returning from Germany, but not before recuperating, we headed to LasVegas. This time Camden went along for the trip. It was a lot of fun. He really enjoyed all of the animitronic statues at Caesar's Palace and the animals in Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage. It's where the white tigers and other animals "live" when they aren't performing. He liked the tigers, but he was much more interested in the emus...which he kept calling doggies. :o) Actually, one of his most favorite parts of the trip was waiting for Daddy to get done with his training classes...b/c the training center was right next door to the airport and we sat and watched the planes take off and land less than 100 yards from the car. The other favorite part was pushing the elevator button and riding it to hear it beep at every level. Both of these things we could've done here in Dallas...oh, well. Here's a link to see the handful of pictures we took during that trip.

LasVegas2009

In addition to traveling, Camden and I are also staying busy with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) where I am serving as Hospitality Coordinator this year. We've also got play dates for everything from going to the Pumpkin Patch to playing at the play place at the mall. I'm also involved in a Bible Study and I have launched my own Southern Living at Home business which has done well in it's first month or so. Ryan's busy researching, working on treatment plans for patients and writing a grant.

On top of everything else, we're also preparing for the arrival of our new little one. Camden loves to be around the babies at MOPS and at church so hopefully he'll adjust well to the addition. Millie still doesn't know what to think about Camden so I'm not sure how she'll do with another one around. She's not a big fan of him when he's trying to use her as a pillow to lay on the floor, but she loves him to pieces when he's eating b/c if there's something he doesn't like, he knows she'll eat it for him. They're sneaky those two...gotta watch 'em.

Here's the first picture we have of the new baby. We'll find out the gender at my next ultrasound on November 13th. I promise to post things between now and then, but you'll definitely want to check back then to find out the big news.















We don't have much in the way of travel for a while, but we'll be entertaining guests throughout the month of October and then I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of 3 days during the first weekend of November...so I'm sure there'll be lots of things to post and I PROMISE, I'll do that sooner rather than later.

Sprichst du englisch?

One of the many German phrases I've learned to say since getting here last Saturday, "do you speak English?"

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to Rosetta Stone some German before landing this past weekend, but luckily, many people here speak English rather well. There was a taxi driver that wasn't quite sure where we were trying to go, but he gave his best attempt English and we did at German and we got to our destination no problems.

I've learned please, thank you, you're welcome, etc...but the other big phrase I've learned since getting here, "Wo ist die Toilette, bitte?" As a pregnant gal, you probably need to know how to say "where is the bathroom" in just about every language. :o)

We just wanted to share a couple of pics from our travels so far. We've mostly been in Munich but we did venture about 2 hours out of the city by train to Neuschwanstein which was the castle of Crazy King Ludwig II. It's the castle that Walt Disney modeled Cinderella's castle at Disney after. It was undergoing some exterior renovation/construction so it's hard to see what it would look like uncovered from all the scaffolding...but his backup castle down the hill a way was pretty impressive too.

We're doing a bike ride through the English garden and a day trip to Salzburg, Austria (so that I can sing Do-Re-Mi on the steps of that building where it was filmed in Sound of Music) later on this week so check back later for more pictures.

It's now after 11 p.m. here so I'll just leave you with Gute Nacht!!!













The beautiful Germany countryside












Neuschwanstein














The "backup castle"

Animals and Announcements...

Camden's learned lots of new animal sounds so we thought we'd make a short little video of him demonstrating them for you. The pig's kinda hard to hear...but it's hysterical. He tries to snort but can't figure out how to "suck in" to make the sound so it ends up being more like he trying to "hak a lugi" instead.

So listen carefully for the animal sounds...and for his other demonstration of what he knows that you might not...


Camden Knows What's There... from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

When Mommy's Not Looking...

A couple of days ago I was laid out on the couch watching HGTV...I mean busy folding laundry while the tv played in the background...when I heard this strange noise coming from the kitchen. For those of you that haven't been to our home, the kitchen and the family room are open to each other with just a bar height counter between them. So, normally if someone's in the kitchen, you can see them...unless that someone is only about 2 1/2 feet tall.

I wait, thinking the noise was the fridge or the dishwasher and then I hear it again. I also hear Camden in the kitchen but I don't think much of it. We have all of the "off limits" cabinets locked up tight and the rest I don't mind if he explores and plays with the pots and pans or the measuring cups. But nothing I can think of that he can get to would be making the sound that I am hearing.

My curiosity finally got the better of me so I laid down my laundry and walked around the edge of the bar to see this...


















Evidently I had gotten the refrigerator door closed just far enough that the alarm didn't sound but not closed enough that it sealed tightly. Camden opened the door and promptly found the Reddi-Wip and proceeded to make himself a snack.

Now some of you are probably wondering where he even got the idea to squirt it directly in his mouth...that would be my fault. And I guess it's also my fault for not getting the fridge door shut all the way. And since I already had two strikes against my winning the "mother of the year" title, I decide not to take the can from him, but to get him to do it a little longer so that I could get a good picture to share with all of you.

And since it's been a while since my last posting, here are some other pics from our summer for you to enjoy!!!

Camden jumping to Daddy in the "big pool"

















Sliding down the slide #473

















How we kill time while drying off before leaving...
Mmmm, Rainbow Pops

















I LOVE GOING TO THE POOL!!!