Our Christmas Miracle

Thursday at 9:21 am, I received a text message from my mom telling me that her and my dad were taking my Grandma Velda (my dad's mom) to the Cottonwood hospital since she wasn't feeling very well. The previous Sunday, she had been admitted in the Grangeville hospital for exceptionally high blood pressure. Anyway, the text came a little scrambled but I just figured she would get back to me and explain what she had meant. At 9:24am, my brother Brad called me and told me that my Grandma had passed away. At this time, I was on the other phone with Bradley so they both heard me break down into hysterics and yelling "No!". It was crazy!!! I immediately called my boss, went home and started packing the family up to go to Cottonwood and be with the family. At 9:39, my brother called again and said, "Did you hear, they revived her???" I was at first angry because I thought it was some cruel joke but after calming down, he explained it all to me so, here you go...

When I received my text from Mom, they were on the way from Grangeville to Cottonwood. Both towns are 14 miles apart. As they started going through Fenn (it really only takes a couple seconds to do so), Grandma started complaining that she was getting warm and wanted to take her coat off. They were traveling in her Durango with Dad driving, Grandma in the passenger seat and Mom in the back behind her. That is when Mom sent the jumbled text. She reached forward to help Grandma take off her coat and they said she made a big exhale of air and leaned forward...only being held up by the seat belt and her eyes were wide open. Mom immediately unbuckled and started trying to find a pulse but there was none to be found. She told my dad that she was gone. The next thing was to either get her to the hospital or pull over, call 911 and start CPR. They decided to drive as fast as humanly possible (roughly 115 mph from what I was told), call ahead to 911 and let them know they were coming and see what the outcome would be. After calling 911, my mom called my brother to call the rest of the family and let them know...which, is when I found out...a whole whopping 3 minutes after this happened.

When they pulled into the ER at St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood, a team of nurses, including my mom's best friend Teena, met them at the door. They immediately started CPR and within a minute or so, they said Grandma just opened her eyes and started looking around. She doesn't remember a thing!!! After an EKG and CAT scan, they set her up in a room and fed her lunch!! Can you believe it, within hours of having life-saving CPR done after being without a pulse for about 10 minutes, she was eating lunch!! The doctors aren't sure what exactly caused her to "die" but they are assuming it was from a UTI that made it's way into the bloodstream. My brother Dave and his family as well as my family of 5 came up that afternoon and gathered together to do what a family does. That evening, she had an MRI. The next day, my Aunt Vivian came and visited with her as well.

This morning, when all of us had left to come home (we all had to go back to work), they received the results from the MRI. She has a benign tumor in her brain which they say is pressing against her pituitary gland causing her to have problems with her vision. They are going to keep her until at least Monday since her blood pressure was starting to spike again this morning. It was a whirlwind of a day and quite the crazy couple of days. I am especially happy to know that all those people who care deeply for my Grandma were able to come and give her the support she needed during this crazy time. I guess those Mundt women are pretty darn tough!!! Thanks also to all my friends who called with love and kindness during this ordeal, you will truly be blessed in life because, we all know now that miracles happen everyday!

And Baby Makes Three

My brother-in-law Korry and his wife Taffee have finally had their beautiful baby girl, Jaci Nikol Nielson. She was born December 13th at 8:00am and weighed in at 8lbs 6 oz and was 21" long. She has tons of hair and is absolutely adorable. I can't wait to see her in person!!!

And He Completely Redeems Himself...

Yesterday evening was the annual Costco Kids Christmas Party. For those of you who are not aware of what this is, I will give you a quick rundown. It is basically a party for all children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of Costco employees, put on by our planning committee that is held during the month of December sometime...the only exception, last year when someone thought it would be cool to throw a Halloween party instead...guess I wasn't the only one who was bummed! Anywho, there are usually activities such as cookie decorating, ornament crafting and of course, pizza, dessert and a special visit from Santa. Each kid, if they cooperate, get their picture taken on Santa's lap and then they receive a goodie bag. Everyone also dresses up in their very best Christmas outfits.

This year, a magician was hired to entertain the kids during the last hour that the store was open. We all crammed inside the breakroom and watched the show. The guy was really good. I believe he is a local guy and his name is Christopher Smith. He kept everyone entertained and was hilarious. When the show finally ended and the announcement was made that pizza was being served out in the food court, all the kids and parents rushed out to get in line. A few kids stayed back to see if Mr. Magician Smith would perform a couple more tricks. That's when my son COMPLETELY redeemed himself for knocking over my Christmas tree. He walked up to the magician, reached out, shook his hand and said "Thank You!". I was in awe. I must let everyone know that not a single person told or asked him to do this...it was all his own idea. The coal is now being replaced in his stocking. It's nice to know that some things we are teaching him are sinking in!!! For all those interested, I will post pictures later on of this event.

Someday I'll Look Back And Laugh...

But today is definitely NOT that day!!! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to display my anger so you'll just have to make do with my exceptional story-telling abilities...

Yesterday afternoon, the kids and I put our Christmas tree up. Usually this is something I do solo but this year, I decided they were old enough to help. Miraculously, it was beautiful and perfect in every way. The kids decided on purple and white decorations this year since we have done red and gold the last several years (if you know me at all, you'll know that I have hundreds of color-themed ornaments). Anyway, we spent a good portion of the afternoon setting it up, decorating it, tweaking it to make it just perfect and then decorating the rest of the house. All of that lasted one beautiful night!!!

Today, we arrived home around 4:00 in the afternoon, plugged the tree in and started to get ready for our evening. I had to make a phone call to my dear friend Anne and decided to step into Jordyn's room to do so...it was a little quieter. No more than a minute later, Jordyn came running in saying, "Um Mom, something happened..." As I looked out through the bedroom door, I noticed my otherwise beautiful living room corner was empty. Stepping into the living room, I realized why....my tree was knocked over on the floor!!!! I have never in my life been so incredibly mad at my children. My friend quickly made her departure from our phone conversation.

It turns out that Jeylin, being the ever-hyper kid that he is, thought that running and jumping on the couch were good things to do....especially since being told to never do that again. The two were bickering about who knocked the tree over but I finally got the truth out...Jeylin had actually kicked it over! I was fuming and both kids were sent to their rooms until I had a substantial amount of time to "cool down".

We, or rather THEY, were lucky though; none of my ornaments broke! That might be due in part to the fact that we no longer have hardwood floors in our living room. Another lucky part, the tree did not fall into Daddy's brand new TV and probably the most lucky aspect of all, it did not fall on Kierra!!!

As I stood the tree up, I realized that not only had it fallen over, it had rolled and so, the ornaments were strewn everywhere as well as glitter and hooks. I set it back up, bagged up all the ornaments that were on the floor and decided to leave it until Bradley came home. Once again, if you know me at all, you'll realize that there was no way I was going to leave my tree looking like that for 3 hours!!! I took all the decorations off, straightened the light strands and redecorated. It took me an hour and I still don't think it looks as perfect as it did but I guess I'll have to live with it.

One final warning to my children this evening...."Don't even so much as BREATHE on my tree or you will both be sent to your rooms!!!" Well, I hope everyone got quite the chuckle...I know Anne and my mother did....but, I guess it will just take me a little bit longer to look back and laugh. Sure wish I would have snapped some pictures though! Here is oneof my "second" finished product...sorry but the camera really doesn't do it any justice at all. I'll try to post better ones later.

Cooking A Turkey According To Jeylin

Jeylin's preschool teacher has each kid tell her how to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving and then she compiles all the responses, types them up and sends them home. Not so good for eating but quite wonderful for a belly full of laughs.

How to Cook a Turkey According to Jeylin...

Go the feed store and get food for your turkey. They eat a lot, like one piece a day, so buy lots. After he eats, bring him into your house, but he will poop and your parents will get mad. When he's in your kitchen, open the oven door, and make him go inside. Turn the oven on super hot. Leave that turkey in the oven for a half hour. When he is all done cooking, take him out of the oven and put him on the table and start eating him. When everyone is done eating him, put all his feathers on and you can put him back in your yard. Keep feeding him and take care of him, and let him in your house sometimes so he doesn't get cold.

Quite the imagination huh?? Here are a couple more of my favorite "not-so-recipes"...

From Claire: First you need to go to Costco and look for a turkey. You should give the lady $3.00 in money. You know, the lady who takes all the money, give her your money and then you can take your turkey home. When you get home, put the turkey on a pan. Pour some oil on that turkey. You will need to sprinkle some cinnamon and some salt. I think my mom cooks it a little like that. Put your turkey in the oven on 600 hot for 10 minutes, that's how my mom always does it. Take it out of the oven and my mom always lets it cool off for 4 minutes. Put some salt and pepper on it and then sit at your table and everybody eats it.

From Abby: Get in your car and drive to the Wal Mart store. Get one of those pushy carts and push it until you find the turkey. It will be by the clothes place. The turkey will be so big it will be 30 pounds. Put him in your cart. Give the lady $30.00 and take him to your car and put him inside. You should drive home right away so he won't melt and make a mess in your car. When its cold, cook him but don't put any stuff on him cause it would be icky because Walmart already put tomatoes on him. You put in the microwave for just 1 minute otherwise he will burn and turn black and icky. Take him out of the oven with an oven glove. Cut him all into pieces and put some pieces on lots of plates and all of your family can eat him and they will say "Mmm Mmmm Mmmm Yummy in my tummy".

Oh the imagination of 4 year olds!!! I'll have to try and find Jordyn's renditions and post those later. Hope you all got a good laugh and may you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Now That's Self-Control

I would like for all of you to meet our fiesty cat, Maddie....

Now before I reveal to you the other pictures on this post, I would like to give you a little bit of her history. In September of 2007, the kids and I made a weekend trip to Grangeville to visit my family...no big deal, we do that often. One of those days, we needed to tend to my Grandmother's cows. Since I was 7 months pregnant and had the two young kids with me, we mostly just tagged along and watched everyone else round them up. At my Grandmother's barn, there are quite literally hundreds of barn cats. She feeds and waters them but for the most part, they are all completely wild. She had told us that in August one of the cats had kittens and we decided to show them to the kids. We completely expected them all to run away, which, they all did except for one (you see where I'm going with this)?? Well anyway, Grandma told us that little "Maddie" (she wasn't named yet) was abandoned by her Mom, thus resulting in us leaving from Grangeville with a tiny kitten. On her first visit to the vet, they determined she was around 4 weeks old and she weighed a-not-so-astonishingly 9 oz!!! We fed her well and now, as you can see from above, she's HUGE...without ever having to lift a paw!!

So to get me to the point of this story. The other day I tried to sneak some pictures of Jeylin kicking around the football in the back yard but when I went to the window, I could see him crouched down talking to Maddie. After careful observation, I realized he was giving her directions for getting this....

That's right, we had a mouse in our back yard and our crazy cat, didn't have the slightest idea what in the world to do with it. Somehow, it was either injured or sick because it just wasn't acting normally and walked around in circles a lot. At one point, Maddie got bored, walked away and laid down in the grass. After a little struggle (our grass was really long), the little mouse made it's way over to Maddie and oddly enough, started climbing on her. She jumped and ran away...it was the most hilarious thing EVER!!! My thinking is that the mouse was either blind or he really did have a death wish...of course then again, he might just know that Maddie was raised as an indoor cat. However, who would have thought that my chubby, crazy cat could have this much self control????

P.S. For anyone who cares, the mouse did die but not by the hands, or rather claws, of our Maddie. Good thing because I really think the thing was sick...hey, maybe he was on a "suicide mission"?!?!?!?!

Birthday Party Pictures...Long Overdue

I promised you all pictures of the birthday party and FINALLY, here they are!!! As you could tell from the invitation I posted earlier, there wasn't much a theme really. I mainly just stuck with the color scheme and polka-dot theory and went with that. All in all, it was a great day! We had to push her party back to 3:00 to allow for some out-of-towners to make it and quite honestly, I was glad because it gave me more time to prepare.

We were blessed by the appearances of Nana & Papa Mundt, Nana & Papa Nielson, Great-Aunt Marie, Uncle Brad, Uncle Dave & Aunt Brandy, Jaycee & Jake, Wendy Kaschmitter and three of her kids, Ellie, Thomas and Sara, and Alaina, Tristan & Natalie Simons. After the party, my parents, two brothers, sister-in-law and my niece and her boyfriend all stayed and we ordered Fazzaris pizza and the UFC match on Pay Per View. It was a great get together!!

I would like to thank everyone who came and those who sent cards and well-wishes along. I still can't believe she's a year old but I guess I'll have to get used to it. Until next year everyone...

For My Little Birthday Girl

Wow, what an incredibly FAST year we have had. I honestly can't believe that my baby girl is one today. I have been sooo close to crying today that I'm not sure I'm even going to make it through this post. If only they could stay this little forever.

On Friday, November 16th, I went in for my 39 week appointment. My family had been struggling for quite a while with my Grandfather's health and several other issues that I asked my doctor if she wouldn't mind inducing me so that I could be with them just in case something happened and, I didn't want to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital...Kierra was due on Black Friday of 2007. Anyway, my doctor told me that I was able for induction being at 39 weeks and she was scheduled to be on-call the following day and I could do it then if I wanted. I was so incredibly excited...until I got home and then the nervousness sunk in. This would be my first induction. Brad and I weighed our options and talked about everything. We liked that we would be able to get our house in order, get someone to watch the kids, call in for Brad's time off from work and be completely rested before the BIG arrival and so, we called the doctor and scheduled the appointment for the following morning, November 17th at 6:00am. Beforehand, the doctor had given me all the possible details, including the fact that I might not start pushing for 12 hours after the administering of the medication...but, oh well I thought. We called all our family members, made the arrangements for the other two kids, cleaned the house, packed our bags, called and told work and then settled in for a very needed yet uneasy night of sleep.

I'll spare you all of the "hospital" details but, we were finally blessed with the fifth member of our family, Kierra Lee Nielson, at 3:29pm on November 17, 2007. She weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 1.5 oz and was 21" long.

She was soooo adorable, of course, which newborn baby's mother doesn't think that?? Right away, she was a mellow baby and yes, she even slept through the night the first night in the hospital!!! We couldn't believe it...unfortunately, that trait did not last very long. She has since been our mellow child, and people are honestly shocked if they ever hear her cry. Let me reassure all of you folks though, she does have a good set of lungs on her! We've been through so much with her the past year and rather than bore you with the "in-type" version, we'll guide you through it in pictures.

Those pictures pretty much get you caught up to the date I started my blog. I may have some more but would have to search through my box of CDs in order to find all of them. I'll post Birthday party pictures on another post. Well, I guess there is just one more thing to say...

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

Where has the time gone...

It's hard to believe that in just two short days time, our little Kierra will be turning one!!! This year has flown by and honestly, I'm not ready for Monday to come. To me, she only feels 6 months old!! Anyway, today we are having her birthday party. I'll post more pictures from today on Monday but I thought I'd show you all the invitation for today's bash!! I was searching through blogs one day out of complete boredom and found this as the invitation for her daughter's first birthday. Since I didn't have a theme in mind, I decided to "steal" hers and viola, the party started taking shape. I had to recreate the invitation in Photoshop so it is a little different than the one I found but I still love it!! Well, look for more updates on Monday!!

Eight Years Ago Today...

Eight years ago today, Bradley and I were married. It was a very blessed and beautiful day. It's hard to believe it's been that long but look at how many changes our little family has gone through. I'm not sure how many people read this but I would like to thank each and every person who was a part of our special day, especially my parents for making it happen.

Mr. & Mrs. Bradley N. Nielson

Our First Kiss

Our Wedding Party

Maid-of-Honor

Dawn Allen, friend of the bride

Bridesmaid

Brandy Garrett, sister-in-law of the bride

Bridesmaid

Liesbeth Garrett, friend of the bride

Bridesmaid

Jodi Nielson, sister of the groom

Junior Bridesmaid

Jaycee Garrett, niece of the bride

Flower Girl

Shaundee Garrett, niece of the bride

Best Man

Korry Nielson, brother of the groom

Groomsman

Kasey Nielson, brother of the groom

Groomsman

Pat Laney, friend of the groom

Groomsman

Brad Mundt, brother of the bride

Ring Bearer

Christopher Garrett, friend of the bride

Pianist

Marsha Lance, friend of the bride

Vocalist

Jaycee Garrett, niece of the bride

Miss Kierra & the Blue Stamper

One of the downfalls of having a wonderful Halloween Bash which gives kids the choice of many different prizes (this was after we wiped her down a bit)...

The product of a mini blue stamper & Kierra's ever-loving "hand-to-mouth" motion!

Halloween 2008

Witches, goblins, ghosts and more...

Left us with candy galore!!!

This was Kierra's first Halloween and we had a blast!!! Not only that wonderful milestone but also, Jordyn did not dress up as a princess this year, talk about drastic changes in the Nielson household!

Our Halloween started on Thursday the 30th with the Halloween Bash at the kids' school. This is done every year and it is fantabulous!!! The gym is open for a two hour block and it offers so very much. Kids of all ages as well as parents and this year, grandparents (wink, wink) dress up and celebrate. You buy tickets at the door at a wonderful 5 for $1.00 price (proceeds went to the youth group) and scattered all over the gym are games for the kids to play. You receive prizes for participation and even better prizes if you succeed at the game's purpose. There is also a cake walk. Father Tom is a very talented man. He once worked in a flower shop with I believe a family member and he learned to make gorgeous gift baskets, flower arrangements and somewhere along the line, picked up baking and decorating cakes and such. I guess when you plan to live your life in celibacy, you have to know how to feed yourself and why not go all out. Anyway, there is a cake walk at this Halloween Bash and Father Tom makes all the cakes for the prizes. The first year we went he had a cupcake walk and there were over 100 fanciful decorated cupcakes to give out...they were amazing. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that.

After about an hour into the party, Trunk-or-Treat starts in the parking lot. Parents pull their vehicles into the parking lot, decorate them up (there is a contest) and then distribute goodies to the "trunk-or-treaters". It really is nice not having to trudge door-to-door on an incredibly packed street. This year, they had a costume contest and Little Miss Kierra won her age group...when you see the pictures, you'll see why. My mom and I dressed up this year when we took the kids. She was St. Rita (fitting since she is named Rita) and I dressed up as a witch or according to some, dressed down...either way, it was fun!!

Halloween night, Brad and I took the kids to downtown Clarkston to go to the area businesses and scavenge for candy. They block off all of 6th Street and you just have a great time going from one place to the next in search of the mother load. We were about 3/4 of the way done and it started down pouring but that left us with a beautiful rainbow to enjoy! We decided we had had enough and spent the rest of the night seeing my Aunt and Brad's parents. All in all, it was a very fun holiday. So, without much further ado, I give to you our crazy bunch...

Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Sale

Hello everyone! It's that time of year for us...you know, the never-ending fundraisers!! We started our Cookie Dough Sale today and order forms and money are due November 4th. This fundraiser is going towards Holy Family School's general fund which helps pay teacher salaries, buy supplies and help with other bills the school has.

We are offering the "Original" gourmet cookie dough and other outstanding delectables from Otis Spunkmeyer and Red Apple fundraising families. The Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough comes pre-formed for your convenience and packaged in a resealable tub. All Otis Spunkmeyer products may be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

The ease of preparation makes these perfect for afternoon snacks, holidays and just when you need a little bit of comfort. There are 12 irresistible flavors to choose from and each tub makes about 36 delicious cookies however, I have known people to cut them in half and therefore make 72. We are also offering thaw and serve brownies and gourmet pretzels. Each tub is $15.00.

CHOCOLATE CHIP

Loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips

PEANUT BUTTER

Creamy smooth peanut butter for a moist, chewy cookie

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT

Macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips

CARNIVAL

Our signature chocolate chip cookie with milk chocolate candy coated pieces

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

A unique blend of strawberries, cranberries and white confectionery chips

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK

Milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips

BUTTER SUGAR

Sweet creamy butter makes this a classic

CRANBERRY OATMEAL

Plump, juicy cranberry bits with chewy oatmeal, sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon

WHOLE GRAIN CHOCOLATE CHIP

Less than 30% calories from fat, less than 10% calories from saturated fat & less than 30% sugar

OATMEAL RAISIN

Bursting with plump juicy raisins

NEW CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP

A chewy chocolate cookie mixed with mounds of white and semi-sweet chocolate chunks

NEW CHOCOLATE & PINK

Chocolate cookie loaded with pink candy-coated chocolate pieces.

Purchases of this cookie help to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

ORIGINAL BROWNIE

These fudgy, dense chocolate brownies are topped with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Specialty chips are melted throughout the batter to create an extra-moist brownie. Comes frozen, just thaw and serve!

GOURMET PRETZELS

Comes frozen with salt and cinnamon packets. Just bake & serve. Makes 12!

You may purchase any of these items through me by sending me a message or giving me a call. All money must be submitted to be so that I may have it it to the school no later than November 4th. If you are interested in purchasing on-line, that is also available. To order online, follow these simple directions in order to credit Holy Family with your purchase...

ON-LINE SHOPPING

Please click Here to purchase items that contribute to our fund raising efforts.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

You're Invited!!!

Please join me at my Josie~Girl Bowtique bow party.

Josie~Girl Bowtique specializes in custom handmade hairbows and accessories. At my party, you can shop from a huge selection of pre-made hair barrettes, boutique quality hairbows, headbands and other accessories for girls of all ages.

I encourage you to bring outfits to match-up with the hairbows and accessories that will be on hand. If a pre-made bow or barrette is not available, we can create a custom order just for you at the same price.

Please join my friends and I, for a fun time of mixing and matching ribbons and bows for that special girl in your life. Bows and barrettes can be purchased on-site and customorders will be handmade and delivered or shipped to you in 3 weeks or less.

Check out the josie~girl Bowtique website and blog for information on styles, colors, ribbons and upcoming events. For those of you who live out-of-town and cannot attend but would still like to purchase items, let me know and we'll get you accomodated!!!

http://www.josiegirlbowtique.etsy.com

http://www.josiegirlbowtique.blogspot.com

Looking forward to seeing you!

Date: October 25, 2008

Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Place: 1548 5th Street; Clarkston, WA

Hostess: Brandi Nielson

RSVP Please: 509-758-2676

Don’t forget to bring a friend or neighbor!!!

Holy Family Annual Bazaar & Turkey Dinner

It's that time of year again. Get ready for this year's Bazaar and Turkey Dinner for Holy Family School & Parish. Come enjoy the best turkey dinner in the valley, stick around for the wonderful raffle drawings and don't forget the Game Rooms including the cake walk sponsored by the PTA.
So come join us for good eats, good fun & great company, October 26th from 11am-5pm in the Holy Family School Gym.

For those of you who aren't aware of how the Bazaar raffle works, here you go. Each ticket is $1 and puts you in the drawing to win one of 27 grand prizes!! For those of you who live out of town, winner need not be present to win! The drawing will be held following the turkey dinner around 5:15pm. Anyone interested in purchasing a ticket, please let me know. If out-of-towners would like to purchase them, simply tell me how many you would like, I will tell you your ticket stub numbers, mail me your money and I'll return your stubs to you. It's simple, easy and is supporting a good cause!

Here is the list of the 27 grand prizes....trust me folks, these are GREAT!!!

1. $2,500 CASH
2. A PIZZA A MONTH FOR A YEAR FROM FAZZARI'S FINEST
3. $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM FUCHS FLOWERS
4. $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM SCHURMAN'S HARDWARE
5. GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR PENDLETON THROW FROM LEE MORRIS COMPANY
6. $500 GROCERY CERTIFICATE TO CLARKSTON HEIGHTS FOOD CITY
7. QUILT STAND AND AFGHAN
8. $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM HAY'S PRODUCE
9. $400 CASH
10. AFGHAN
11. $25 SAVINGS ACCOUNT FROM THE LEWISTON CATHOLIC CREDIT UNION
12. $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM CLARKSTON HEIGHTS FOOD CITY
13. $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM RICK'S FAMILY FOODS
14. $300 GIFT CARD FROM HOME DEPOT
15. $100 CASH
16. $ALL SPORTS SEASON PASS FROM LCSC
17. $300 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM SKELTON'S CARPET ONE
18. 20#'s SAUSAGE
19. $100 CASH
20. $100 CERTIFICATE FOR SCRIP (If you would like to know more about this, email me)
21. $200 GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR HAY'S PRODUCE
22. $400 GAS CARD
23. $100 CASH
24. $250 CASH
25. $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM EARLY BIRD SUPPLY
26. $125 GAS CARD
27. $150 CASH

Remember, if any of you are interested in attending or purchasing tickets, please let me know. Admission for the dinner is $9 for adults, $5 for grades K-8 and Pre-school age and younger are free.

For those of you wondering what SCRIP is, this is a WONDERFUL fundraising program which costs you no more out of pocket than you would normally spend on everyday purchases such as groceries and gas. In cooperation with hundred's of nationwide businesses, the SCRIP program allows you the opportunity to purchase gift cards from these businesses and they donate a percentage of your purchase to our school. For example, when I am heading to Albertson's to buy groceries, I pick up a $100 Gift Card from the school for $100 and then Albertson's donates 4% of that back to Holy Family. This is incredibly easy to do and also think about your Christmas list this year!! Gift cards make great stocking stuffers so why not give back to our school when you purchase them!! For anyone interested, let me know and I will send you more information.

Thanks to each and every one of you! It's with your support that we are able to keep this wonderful learning environment open for our children.

Kierra's First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Where we live, we are fortunate enough to have a nearby produce farm. Every fall, they open their pumpkin patch to the public and invite all to share in a wonderful opening day of celebrations, fun and games. This year, we skipped all the busy times and opted to go for a little quiet time since it was Kierra's first trip. It was nice since besides one other family, we were the only people there. The kids had a blast in the "straw" fort and they absolutely LOVE picking out the largest pumpkins they can find and of course, who can go to the pumpkin patch without grabbing a nice cup of their own freshly-made apple cider??? It was a wonderful family afternoon. I've posted some wonderful pictures of the event as Kierra was happy as can be with all the new things to discover. Happy Fall everyone!!

WILSON-BANNER RANCH

OCTOBER 12, 2008