April always makes me reflect a little more than usual. This photo was taken at our Evening of Hope Gala in Durham on April 1st and really captures a ton of emotion for me. This is a photo of the in memory and in honor placards.
You see in the forefront of the photo the placard that honors All Lung Cancer Survivors. In the background are other placards but one that you can see particularly well, is one in memory of Don Gill. My daddy.
This photo makes me think of the past and the future. He is the inspiration for this career choice...always in the background... but all the lung cancer survivors are the reason why I keep going and keep fighting for the cause. These survivors are a rare thing to come by - and they are now my family and my friends -they continue to inspire me every day. I do this job so that there are more survivors. I want to one day to have more survivor placards on this table than in memory placards. We are getting there... The Evening of Hope, by the way raised over $44,000!
Three years ago today Bo & I had our first date.
We met in the UPS store I frequented for work. His bosses always teased him that he should ask me out.... finally he "My Space messaged me" - Really? I hadn't been on MySpace since who knows when.. .over a year at that point. After a few exchanged messages we went out to Village Draft House and have been together ever since.
Little did I know three years later I would be marrying my best friend. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him! <3
From our first memorial day trip together! - Three years later getting married memorial day weekend!
I am not a big fan of St. Patty's day. I do wear my green, will drink a green beer but I feel as if it is the cursed day for me... not so much here lately but experiences of the past remind me of things that happened a few years ago... so excuse my 'blues' this day!
Bad St. Patty's Day #1:
5 am on 3.17.2005 I get a call that my mother has taken my father to the hospital. He was undergoing treatment for lung cancer at the time and had developed pneumonia. He walked into the ER - couldn't breathe. They stabilized him to transport him to UNC. My mom went the 2 miles home to grab some clothes and when she returned he was coding and they had to put a breathing tube in. He did get the breathing tube out but it was the 'beginning of the end'. He passed away a month later on April 16.
Bad St. Patty's Day #2
3.17.2006
Well it was more of a bad weekend really. Friday I go home to see my grandparents who were in from GA. They took my grandfather to the hospital with severe stomach pains. Ended up just being kidney stones but the hospital was the last place I wanted to be a year later. The next day I had a trip planned with some girlfriends. Coming home we got into an accident and I wrecked.. no... totaled my new Volvo. talk about unlucky!
No major accidents since then so i hope i don't jinx my good luck...
Today I will toast my green beer to my father and my old Volvo. Rest in Peace! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
That's right, you heard it from me..we are not giving out wedding favors! No cookies, mints, M&Ms, Almonds, Koozies or Hershey kisses... Instead Bo and I are going to donate to two organizations that are near and dear to our hearts in honor of all our guests.
What two organizations you ask...?
Well the first should be obvious... the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership. Although I work for this organization it is very personal and something I am passionate about. And just know 84 cents per dollar goes to research, awareness and education programs so I wont be funding my own salary, I promise! The Mission of this organization is to decrease deaths due to lung cancer and help patients live longer and better through research, awareness and advocacy.
The second organization we are donating to is the National MS Society - most likely the Eastern NC chapter. Bo's grandmother has MS and I have a family member and friend with it as well. The Society's mission is to mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS.
I would encourage anyone who wants to also donate in honor of our wedding to do so at the links above! They are both great organizations that do a lot of good!
So although you aren't receiving a real favor I am really excited about how we are going to display this! I ordered 'mini' cards with our engagement photos on one side and a little explanation on the other! I plan to make them like little bookmarks.. so you wont walk away empty handed. Check out Moo.com for an example of these mini cards.. they are great for photographers. I'm really excited for them to come in! And they were VERY affordable! http://us.moo.com/
110 days!!!
:-)
If you get offended easily - maybe you shouldn't read this... but it's my blog and these are my feelings and opinions. :-)
While I am the first to admit that I am the biggest Facebook addict... if I learn of another close friends or family member's pregnancy or engagement, hospitalization via Facebook I am going to go insane! No really!
Two recent observations about facebook:
1. I think society has gotten so impersonal and honestly tells too much of their business on facebook. If you don't want the whole world poking in your business, asking questions and being up your butt then don't put it out there for people to see. If you do want people in your business... well that is your own deal...
Yes I post comments, status updates very commonly but I am very aware of what I am putting out there and how it can effect other people. My rule - keep it generic (ie you don't need to know when I have a crappy day, Bo and are fighting or every time something goes bad in my life - if I want you to know i will tell you.) -
2. Let people tell their OWN news first....a don't post a "CONGRATS I'm so excited for you two" if the person has not updated their own status first....Is it sad you have to tell people... "Please don't post this on facebook?"
Situation A. My LOVELY cousin Amber is having a BABBBYYYY! Luckily she called and told me before it was posted it all over facebook.
Situation B. My cousin ASHLEY RAND is engaged to ROSS!! High School Sweethearts - adorable couple and so happy for them! Ashley's brother Brian announced to the world - the same night- that they are engaged. Now cousin being engaged -- At least give them a night or two to tell the family - I mean it's one thing to get a call from my mother or grandmother and not directly from Ashley in this case - Ashley and I are close but there's a lot of frickin' cousins on that side. I didn't want to find out on FACEBOOK!
Situation C. My bestest friend since 2nd grade got engaged! I am so happy for her but I accidentally found out through a posting (not hers - someone posted on her wall) - it was done in pure excitement a mere 1 hour after they got engaged. While I am SUPER excited and was the next on the call list after her mother and brother - Facebook got to me sooner. And by no means does it take away the excitement I have for her and her fiancée but I just had a different vision of how I would learn my best friend is marrying the love of her life!
Situation D. My own engagement - I love you Jenna Perry... but she did let the cat out of the bag a little earlier than I wanted. I had been on the phone all day and Jenna in her over excited state (which i loved btw) wrote congrats on my wall and then started to get more texts...Sorry for those who thought you deserved a phone call.. people got too excited and well I had been on the phone all day. Most people did know but there were still a few on my list to call...
So here is the moral of the post:
Stop telling me personal intimate details of your life... and please let people post their own big news on facebook or the internet or other social media websites.
