CHD AWARENESS WALK

Our support group, Amazing Little Hearts, hosted our first CHD Awareness Walk this year.  We had a great turn out for our first foray into this type of fundraiser.  I was busy so didn't get a ton of pics.  Thanks to Gretchen for sharing some of hers!

Tressa, the owner of Tressavent Photography, was onsite to capture some images as the walk was happening.  As she was about to leave, she asked me if I wanted her to take a picture of me and Grace together.  These are the result of that simple question.  I can not get over how she captured the sparkle in Grace's eye.  I couldn't believe how she was able to "get" Gracie's personality.  I LOVE these pictures.

This one is my absolute favorite!

SEPTEMBER 2014 WRAP UP

Some September highlights........

I baked my first angel food cake.... (it still tasted delicious!)

Grace got some cheer bows...she loves them!

Bennett's team won Summer 2 Indoor League....not bad for a rec team.

More mishaps with heat....this happened in the dishwasher.

She is growing up way too fast!!

Love taking pictures of her feet....and the way she wears her shoes!!

Seriously??  These eyelashes!!

THE AMAZING GRACE

Every day, I look at my child and think, "I am so lucky."  In this life that we didn't choose, we know many people who aren't so lucky.  Their children earned their angel wings much too soon.  One of these families has used their loss to do something amazing.  Chloe Duyck was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.  Unfortunately, she lost her battle at a very young age.  Her parents have created a foundation that is dedicated to providing funding for research.  Did you know that Congenital Heart Defects are the number one birth defect?  Did you know that the American Heart Association allocates less than one penny of every dollar donated to pediatric research?  Ridiculous, isn't it??

This is the one statistic that continually blows my mind.  

In the United States, twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD.

Yeah....let that sink in for a bit...
  
This year, I have decided to participate in a fundraiser for The Chloe Dyuck Foundation.  I really try to not ask others to give a lot of money.  But this group does so much in the way of research...and they have directly affected our families at our hospital.  

If everyone that reads my blog, receives an email, or is my FaceBook friend would donated $5...can you imagine how much money we could raise??  We would be raising this money for a wonderful cause!!  Oh...and the team that raises the most money wins a trip to Disney World.  

Would you please consider donating to this wonderful cause??

www.crowdrise.com/TheAmazingGrace

MAGGIE'S BIRTHDAY

I can not believe that my baby is 3.  She has grown so fast.  She adds so much to our life.  Maggie was hysterical and incredibly full of personality.  I am so grateful that God chose me to be her mom.  

MAW FASHION SHOW

I have said many times how much I love Make-a-Wish.  We jump on any opportunity that comes along to give back.  Grace was asked to be a model in a fashion show featuring Loren Franco Designs.  She was so excited to work the runway!!

Ready to be pampered

Getting her make-up done

Being interviewed

Ready to model

She is always ready with a pose

Being interviewed...and her practice walk along the runway

Grace and her heart buddy, A.  Grace LOVES her.

Getting some modeling lessons

Here she is strutting her stuff....

DELICIOUS WISHES

We got to take part in Make-a-Wish Delicious Wishes this year for the first time.   It was so much fun!  We got a phone call over the summer that Grace was in the advertisement for the event.  The ad ran in a magazine in Fort Worth.  So cool!!

Bennett and Grace were asked to sell raffle tickets.  They took their job very seriously!  And, of course, Maggie had to get in on the action!

Ticket sales were kind of slow at the beginning of the night so Bennett started working on his sales pitch.  He was telling everyone that he would dance for them if they would buy a ticket.

Bennett had some art work in the silent auction.  We made these boots this summer at an art party.  He is so artistic!  I love it.  I don't know the final bid, but he was at $132 when we left.

Grace was asked to present her art work to Head Chef Eric Hunter of Fire Oak Grill.  He told her that he would hang it in his restaurant...so now she is begging to go eat there!  :)

Lauren works in the MAW office in Fort Worth.  My children (especially Grace) adore her!!  We are always excited when we get to see her.

I can't say enough how much we love Make-a-Wish.  We are so thankful to be part of such an amazing organization!

THE GIRLS' BIRTHDAY

September brings birthday fun for both girls.  Grace turned 7.

We had a doll made for Grace as her present.  The mom that makes these dolls lost her baby to CHD.  We sent in all of Grace's scars and she made a doll that has matching scars to Grace.  Grace loves it!

Maggie turned 3.

The girls have been willing to share a birthday party while they are still young.  We had their party at ASI Gymnastics and it was AWESOME!!  Our party hosts were fantastic!!

The birthday cake

The birthday cake when we got it home

The birthday cake after it was rebuilt