A Golf Charity for Lymphoma - Libby Ryder

On July 24th, 2010 our good friend Libby Ryder was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Libby is 26 and has a beautiful 7 month old baby named Ava Suzanna. She is married to our good friend Justin and they currently live in Chesapeake, Virginia. Justin is on Young Life staff as the Area Director and Libby is a stay at home Mom.

This disease has hit Libby fast. A couple of months ago she had some leg pain. Now she is enduring 6-7 hours of chemotherapy every other Thursday. She is tired and weak and trying to be the best Mom possible so that she can enjoy every moment of her baby. She blogs almost daily. If you would like to read more about her story, I highly suggest you visit her blog: {http://libbyryder.blogspot.com/}

This October 16th, some friends have rallied together and have decided to throw a charity golf outing in Libby's honor. All proceeds from this outing will go directly to Libby and Justin. It's our goal to raise money so that paying medical bills is something they don't have to worry about. We will do that for them.

Shaun and I have the goal to sponsor 5 holes. Each hole sponsor is $200. We want to raise $1000 to put in Libby and Justin's pocket. And with your help, we can do just that! No donation is too small.

Now, don't be confused...I do NOT play golf. But Shaun will be participating and creating foursomes. If you would like to play in this outing, please leave a comment and I will get you his contact info.

If you would like to contribute to sponsoring a hole, PLEASE let me know. The group putting together this outing is not technically a "charity". We are just sisters and brothers in Christ helping our sister that is sick. So, the donations you give will not be tax deductible. If you would like to contribute and help sponsor a hole, please leave a comment and I will get you our address and who to make checks out to. We will be sponsoring each hole with the name TEAM COOK. We can also make arrangements to pick up cash or a check at your convenience.

{Libby Ryder Charity Golf Outing}

Date:
Saturday, October 16, 2010

Location:
Kearney Hills Golf Course 3403 Kearney Rd., Lexington, KY

Times:
7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Registration at Golf Course (same day registration, must come with a foursome)


8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start

1:30 p.m. - ???? p.m. Lunch & Raffles
{Kearney Hills Club House following golf}


Fees: $80 per player. Foursome Scramble Format.
*Proceeds go to Justin and Libby Ryder

Includes: Green fees, cart, lunch

{Sponsorship Opportunities:}
*Proceeds go to Justin and Libby Ryder
Hole Sponsor: $200

birthday

yes - today is my birthday! and i LOVE my birthday. the hubs has been so great - he has given me a birthday week! it's been so wonderful and i've loved it all!

and today i decided to look at some pictures that were taken of me when i was C's age. our birthdays are only 12 days apart. it was so fun and really amazing how much she looks like me.

these 2 were of when we were both under a year and i just love them!

this is my 1st birthday 28 years ago.

and this is why i have always loved my birthday. surrounded by family and love.

thanks for all my wonderful wishes and all the birthday love.

and thank you shauny for my birthday week!

she turned 1

that's right. my baby, the whole reason i started this blog, is now a 1 year old. it's crazy and wonderful and scary all at the same time.

i wanted to post and share a few pictures from her special day.

her birthday was over labor day weekend. if you live in Lexington, you know that saturday the 4th (her actual birthday) was PERFECT weather wise. it was chilly in the morning and once the sun came out the day was perfectly perfect. not hot at all. a slight breeze, and perfect for a cook-out!

i worked really hard at making sure C's actual birthday was a stress-free-super-fun-for-everyone day. shaun and i stayed up late friday night and made sure we had as much ready for the party as possible. on saturday morning we literally just sat around, had coffee and realized that our baby is growing up way too fast.

one of the first things i had decided for C's party was that i wanted to make her cake. and i wanted to make her cake in the shape of a GIANT cupcake. so - i started looking for the pans that are shaped like the top and bottom of a giant cupcake. $35!! errrr--no. so i borrowed one from a friend. it turned out so great and C loved it! it was a real crowd pleaser too. everyone was freaking out about it. i kept explaining how easy it was but everyone was still blown away. it was really funny!

some of the things i did in preperation for her party were fun and perfect little touches for a 1 year olds part. (meaning - she will never remember and never know, but mommy will. so i didn't go overboard, but she still got some special things)

i made a birthday banner.



have you seen these? i don't know exactly where i got the idea, but when i saw them for sale on etsy i knew i could it myself. it was so simple. i didn't take any step-by-step pictures, but it seriously is so easy, you will be able to understand my directions.

supplies:
- computer/printer
- ribbon
- scrapbook paper with designs of choice
- cardstock
- glue stick
- single hole punch
- paper slicer (optional)

1- simply print your statement on your choice of cardstock color. i alternated colors of paper, and wanted at least 2 letters on each page so not to waste paper. so, i just alternated letters. (that parts confusing to explain, but not to do...sorry)
2- once all your letters are printed off, use the paper slicer for clean lines
3- cut your scrapbook paper about 2 inches larger than your letters so you can see the edges
4- glue cardstock letters to scrapbook paper
5- punch a hole in the top two corners on the scrapbook paper
6- string the ribbon through each hole, creating the words.

see - TOO easy!

I decided I wanted to do something with C's monthly pictures so we could all get a glimpse at just how quickly she has changed over the past year. this project was a cute touch and even easier than the banner.

supplies:
- twine
- clothes pins (i found really small colorful ones at Michael's)
- colored cardstock
- glue stick
- pictures

1- cut cardstock into rectangles slightly bigger than your picture
2- glue pictures to cardstock
3- clotheline pictures to twine



soooo easy and everyone LOVED it!

i also wanted to do something with pictures for the center pieces. i bought some mason jars and ribbon at Michael's. C's room is yellow and pink, so i went with yellow and pink ribbons. i just hot glued the ribbons around the jars and added a little bow in the front. then, i got some of those floral arrangment card holders (free from Michael's) and using the same concept as above with the montly pictures, stuck them in the mason jars full of flowers. the pictures i decided to use were from the day C was born. a small touch, but they really meant a lot to me.

we had an amazing day. it was so wonderful to have so many friends and family that love caroline so much that they came in out of town or sacrificed a beautiful saturday afternoon to watch a 1 year old smash into cake and learn how to open presents. we are truly blessed and i'm so thankful for all the support we have.

to my baby- mommy and daddy love you so much. i don't think you will be able to understand our love for you until you have babies of your own. i know that's how it was for me. you are the most precious thing in our lives right now. we wake up each morning to your beautiful face and can't wait to kiss it. you have been such a wonderful light in our lives this past year. you are loved more everyday and we are so honored to be your parents. you will never remember the day your were born, but i promise you baby, we will never forget. love you will all my heart. ~mommy

picky sticky

i'm a bad blogger....

Ok - moving on.

i've recently had a lot of people ask where i got C's onesies for her monthly pictures:



well, i'm here to share that they are not onesies. that's right, they are stickers. re-usable stickers at that!

check out {picky sticky's website} and browse their super cute selection of picky sticky stickers. i didn't realize these existed until C was 6 months old. this is what i used to do:



and this was the next month:

i love how the pictures turned out from there on out. i continued to lay her down next to her bear, but was also able to get some cute shots of her playing in her room.

i'll always know how old she was by the sticker on her shirt. and it's so great that they are re-usable. picky sticky has tons of designs to choose from for boys or girls. they also have neutral designs, and designs for a mommy's growing belly. such a great idea that i'm so glad i finally stumbled upon.

a great gift idea too! enjoy!

wedding bells

meet lizzie and trey

she's my cuz and one of my favorite people in the whole world

he's...growing on me...;)

they are awesome and so happy and so perfect for each other. and this weekend they are getting hitched! YEAH!!

i'm taking some time off work this week to hang out with them and help with last minute wedding details. my plan this week will consist of whatever the bride needs. and hopefully a lot of this



i hope to have some fun pictures to share next week. this will be the first wedding caroline gets to come too. her gran jan bought her a super sweet dress and i know she will look just precious.

i always have so much fun with my cousins. i only have a younger brother, so i've always been thankful and feel really feel blessed that i have these two amazing cousins that have always been like sisters to me. i'm so honored to stand up with lizzie this weekend and support her and trey as they enter into marriage.


pray for clear skies and cool summer air this week/weekend. everything is outside. a shower, the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. we don't need any mothers-of-the-bride flipping out on us! =)

have a good week blogland!

DIY chalkboard

i thought i would share a little craft i did about a month or so ago. shaun and i are always trying to cook at home more, and we always say that we just need to sit down and make a menu. well, i looked around our kitchen and noticed that we don't have anything hanging on our walls. we bought our house knowing that we were going to gut and re-do the kitchen as soon as possible. i haven't decorated in there at all. i don't want to spend money on stuff that possibly won't work in our new kitchen. so, out walls are bare and it's very boring in there.

so, i thought i would add a little something to the wall the would be functional but also cool and kind of like art.

how about a chalkboard for a menu? great.

i went to a local 2nd hand store called Restore and bought an big, old ugly picture frame for i think $15.

i already had some green paint, so i just painted the frame. it's an awesome color. the bathroom in our old house is this color and i'm thinking about using it in our kitchen/dining room once it's finished. it's tansy by sherwin williams.

while the frame was drying i painted the back panel (the mdf part that had the hooks on it for hanging on the wall) with chalkboard paint. i got the chalkboard paint at Home Depot for $11. it's tintable and i decided on the dark brown color. i think it was called espresso.


the directions for the chalkboard paint said to let it sit for 3 days before using. then "condition" the board by rubbing the chalk sideways over the whole board. i'm not really sure what this does, but i did it.

Once everything was dry, i attached the painted mdf back to the painted frame and hung in the kitchen.



we have used it as a menu and for weekend to do lists. i was very pleased how it came out and it was pretty easy. once C gets older, she is definitely getting one for her room.

enjoy!

i'll listen

life has been different lately. i've been wanting to blog, and i have things to blog about (i've been getting a little crafty), but things have been so different lately, i haven't been able to work blogging in.

i've gained some perspective lately. this whole "this would never happen to someone i know" perspective that i walk around with has been shattered. for the past month and a half, God has shown me that no one is the exception. and that life and love and everything in between is a gift. and now i know that that could happen to them, and i know that that could happen to me.

i've taken for granted my husband and my baby and my life. but i've had my eyes opened so big this past month that all i can think about now is how wonderful they are. and how much i love them. and how thankful i am for them. and how that no one is immune to divorce or cancer or hurt or devastation.

i want to blame the devil. i want to tell him to get out of my life and my friends lives and stop wrecking everything. "you are hurting people i love and that makes me hurt. leave them alone!"

but then the people that bring me back to reality are the people who are hurting. they are glorifying God through their circumstances. they are finding blessings in times of despair. i am in awe. we have nothing without God. we don't have health or love or joy. we have nothing. we can pretend and try to live without Him, but he is what brings the good things in life. and unfortunately the bad things too.

what is going on? what are you doing God? i trust and know that you have a greater plan and that you know what you're doing, but why? why are these things happening?

you can tell me, i'll listen...