First of all- thank you to everyone who attended my "birthday party" on facebook, and anyone that popped in to read my mom's last blog entry, and for the comments. :) Also, thank you to my momma for taking the time to be so thoughtful and putting a smile on my face by doing those things. Although I was away from everyone on my birthday, I really didn't feel alone at all. I felt so much love from you all and my "team" everywhere!
So the big day is almost here- I will be honest, I am a big ball of nervous and anxious today..but I am trying with all I've got to be productive. lol . Matt and I will leave tomorrow to head to Pittsburgh..that is, if Mother Nature cooperates. Of course Maryland would decide to get it's snow storm now, when we have to travel. ha! So some prayers for safe travels would be greatly appreciated. :) Then the real fun begins. The hospital will call sometime Wednesday to let me know what time surgery is on Thursday. Yikes. I know the end result will completely be worth it, but I DREAD the idea of being back in the hospital. Something about shots, the oh-so-comfortable hospital beds, and the 2am wake ups from nurses needing your vitals just doesn't really do it for me. However, I am looking forward to the fact that I should have about the same group of nurses as I did last time, which is a huge relief- they were nothing short of amazing. :)
According to Dr. Medich, this surgery should not be nearly as intense as the first surgery. His words exactly were, last time I felt like I was hit by a train, this time I should only feel like I got hit by a truck. Agh- we're supposed to find comfort in that?? haha. But it gets better- then he goes on to tell me I will feel like someone is stabbing me in the stomach with a knife- but that will be controlled with pain meds. Now I could be wrong here, as I have never been stabbed before, but I can't imagine that is a pleasant feeling either?? The good news is that, if all goes as planned and my body cooperates, I should only be in the hospital for about 3 days. Yay!! From what I can understand, there will be about 2 weeks following the surgery that things will be really rough, but after that things should start to improve. So going with that frame of mind, I should be doing okay by the time the Team Meghan fundraiser rolls around at the end of this month..at the very least I want to attend for whatever time I can handle to see all of you that have been supporting us every step of this journey!
I am sure one of the family members will be keeping tabs on this place after surgery to give y'all some updates...they are better at coming up with interesting updates anyway! haha. Hope everybody is having a great week..thank you in advance for all the prayers this week/weekend..and here's to kicking butt and closing this chapter. Love you all!
~God Bless
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Happy Birthday Dear..It's YOUR party!
Happy birthday to you! I am trying to have a party for you but it is a little difficult when you live in a different state! I tried to create an event on facebook and invite ppl to post on here for you today but..you know my computer skills! Please don't think you are all alone and no one cares if the party is a bust and nobody comes. I can't believe everything we have been through in the last year and how unexpected a good bit of it was. Maybe sometimes it isn't good to know EVERYTHING the future holds. But I have seen more good than bad and look forward to what the next year will bring for you. I have always looked forward to each new stage as you grew and maybe that is why as the years past that I didn't seem to have as many negative feelings/sadness for the parts left behind that some parents do. Although not much compares to small hands and dirty faces or sweet sleeping smiles and damp ringlets.
This year I have seen you develop into a strong young woman that brings with it the knowledge that now can definitely quit worrying about who will take care of me when I am old. I feel confident that as changes continue to come in your life, you will be able to meet them head-on, overcoming the obstacles that life often brings with it's joys. So happy birthday and even if it's "your party" don't cry..just stay in your pjs, eat bon-bons and watch soaps all day if you want! Love you.
This year I have seen you develop into a strong young woman that brings with it the knowledge that now can definitely quit worrying about who will take care of me when I am old. I feel confident that as changes continue to come in your life, you will be able to meet them head-on, overcoming the obstacles that life often brings with it's joys. So happy birthday and even if it's "your party" don't cry..just stay in your pjs, eat bon-bons and watch soaps all day if you want! Love you.
Friday, February 22, 2013
And the craziness begins..
So these next few months are going to be super crazy- BUT I have it in my mind it's going to be a good kind of crazy, and I'm sticking with that. A positive frame of mind is half the battle, right? So chemo is officially done- yay! No Mo Chemo, at least if I have any say in the matter! All the blood work looks great, CT scans came back clean..which basically translates to a break from the oncologist's office for about three months. :) Don't get me wrong, there is still an incredibly long road ahead of me; surgery, check ups/blood work/scans every 3 months, Genetics counseling, etc.....however. I think this is an awesome first step in the right direction, and I'm going to take it and run with it right now. God is so good, and certainly heard all of your prayers- thank you. :)
Also on the medical side of things- Matt and I made the trip to Pittsburgh to meet with my surgeon at UPMC to see if everything looks okay for surgery- after a very long day, and a ridiculously fun test (I wish you could sense my sarcasm through a computer...lol) Dr. Medich said all looks great, and surgery is a go for March 7th. He's basically told me to prepare for roughly two weeks of hell after the surgery, but after that things should start looking up. The way I'm calculating things, that should put me right in the right time frame to see all of you that are able to attend the benefit. :) As and added bonus, we made the trip to Waynesburg the night before our appointment so we didn't have to wake up QUITE so early on Wednesday, and we were able to see Aunt Linda, Katrina, and Uncle Greg, my momma and my grandpa Tom...always a plus! Our families have been such a huge support for us through all this, and I know I am very fortunate to have that as many people don't, they are certainly something I thank God for everyday. It was especially important to me to see my grandpa as he is fighting his own battle with cancer right now- if you could, please keep him in prayer. He's stubborn as the day is long, and I have complete confidence he can continue to fight, he just needs a bit of help right now. Thank you! :)
The weekend before our trip to Pittsburgh, my dad and Nancy made it down to visit. We had a great time! Matt and I met up with them in the Inner Harbor, and we had a delicious dinner by the water (yes, I'm still a fat kid that loves food at heart. lol), and then made it back to our house where dad helped me build a makeshift garden at our place. I'm posting a picture my dad and I took by the harbor..completely terrible pic of me (it was FREEZING), but it's proof that my dad does travel sometimes. haha.
So it'll be birthday celebration next week, then time to prep for surgery. Then a little bit of recovery time, then Matt's family is coming to visit for a bit, then we'll be back up to Ridgway for Easter/Team Meghan benefit. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends! :) Also, quite a few people have asked how they can donate to the benefit, if they aren't able to attend/don't wish to buy tickets...to resolve that issue we have created a website where you can donate pretty easily.. if you are interested, just let me or my dad know and we'll get the website out to you.
I can't believe I almost forgot one of the most exciting parts of my life the past couple weeks..I'm going to be an aunt again!!! :) I can't wait! I love my nieces and nephew to pieces, and one more will just be all the better.
Hope you all are doing well and have a great day...God bless you all!
Also on the medical side of things- Matt and I made the trip to Pittsburgh to meet with my surgeon at UPMC to see if everything looks okay for surgery- after a very long day, and a ridiculously fun test (I wish you could sense my sarcasm through a computer...lol) Dr. Medich said all looks great, and surgery is a go for March 7th. He's basically told me to prepare for roughly two weeks of hell after the surgery, but after that things should start looking up. The way I'm calculating things, that should put me right in the right time frame to see all of you that are able to attend the benefit. :) As and added bonus, we made the trip to Waynesburg the night before our appointment so we didn't have to wake up QUITE so early on Wednesday, and we were able to see Aunt Linda, Katrina, and Uncle Greg, my momma and my grandpa Tom...always a plus! Our families have been such a huge support for us through all this, and I know I am very fortunate to have that as many people don't, they are certainly something I thank God for everyday. It was especially important to me to see my grandpa as he is fighting his own battle with cancer right now- if you could, please keep him in prayer. He's stubborn as the day is long, and I have complete confidence he can continue to fight, he just needs a bit of help right now. Thank you! :)
The weekend before our trip to Pittsburgh, my dad and Nancy made it down to visit. We had a great time! Matt and I met up with them in the Inner Harbor, and we had a delicious dinner by the water (yes, I'm still a fat kid that loves food at heart. lol), and then made it back to our house where dad helped me build a makeshift garden at our place. I'm posting a picture my dad and I took by the harbor..completely terrible pic of me (it was FREEZING), but it's proof that my dad does travel sometimes. haha.
So it'll be birthday celebration next week, then time to prep for surgery. Then a little bit of recovery time, then Matt's family is coming to visit for a bit, then we'll be back up to Ridgway for Easter/Team Meghan benefit. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends! :) Also, quite a few people have asked how they can donate to the benefit, if they aren't able to attend/don't wish to buy tickets...to resolve that issue we have created a website where you can donate pretty easily.. if you are interested, just let me or my dad know and we'll get the website out to you.
I can't believe I almost forgot one of the most exciting parts of my life the past couple weeks..I'm going to be an aunt again!!! :) I can't wait! I love my nieces and nephew to pieces, and one more will just be all the better.
Hope you all are doing well and have a great day...God bless you all!
Monday, February 4, 2013
You go Girl!!
I just wanted to share that I am so proud of you for continuing to share on your blog. Life gets so busy that I haven't even thought about it in quite awhile. It is somewhat strange to be facing the end of this trial in your life. The year has went by, with so many changes that it seems both a lifetime away from where we started to actually hard to believe it is time for the "beginning of the end" of it all. Although I am sure it seems longer to you since you are the one dealing physically along with emotionally and mentally.
But I have been impressed with your strength and faith throughout this battle and am still amazed at times with how you have coped and grown as you have traveled through this valley. Keep in mind..it's just over that next hill, around the bend and then you will be ready to take on the world again!!
But I have been impressed with your strength and faith throughout this battle and am still amazed at times with how you have coped and grown as you have traveled through this valley. Keep in mind..it's just over that next hill, around the bend and then you will be ready to take on the world again!!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Final Chemo Day!
So it's quickly approaching..my last chemo treatment! I am scheduled for #12 on Monday, and I can't wait to get it over with!! Although we will probably be pretty tired after staying up for the Super Bowl Sunday. :) As nice as my nurses have been throughout all this, it'll be great to not have to see them again!! I know I have been asking you all for prayers throughout this journey, but I'd like to ask you if you have a spare moment this weekend, or Monday to send up a prayer specifically for the last treatment to go uneventfully- AND for my blood work to show that the cancer has taken a hike and is out of my system. It would really mean a lot to me, thank you!
After Monday, we have a pretty calm month- which I intend to spend the whole month celebrating..there are two major events, chemo is over and my birthday is at the end of the month. What more of a an excuse could a girl want?! Other than celebrating, we also have a few medical events coming up this month. On the 13th, we meet with the genetics doctor again, Dr. Giardiello, again to go over the results of the gene test. Matt and I met with him last month so he could basically go over all the specifics related to FAP, the genetic disease they suspect I have, and to do blood tests to identify the specific mutation within my genes. Then, on the 20th we will travel back up to Pittsburgh to meet with Dr. Medich at UPMC to see if all is a go for my next surgery. To be honest, I was somewhat putting off posting about this, merely because I didn't want to get ahead of myself and jinx any hopes of the surgery being able to take place. But after a lot of thought, I realized it has been all the love, support, and prayers from all of you that have got me this far in my journey, so how could it not make sense to include you all in this event, in a time that I can definitely use all the prayers and support! Dr. Medich will run a few tests, make sure everything has recovered from the last surgery and chemo, and then if all looks well we will be scheduled to see him again March 7th for surgery. This surgery *should* be a lot less uneventful, and a good bit less recovery than the last one. Although, as anyone in my family can tell you, for some reason when it comes to hospitals/surgeries, I seem to like to stick around a few extra days, so I am hoping that is not the case with this one! Regardless, whatever recovery may entail, my goal is to be recovered and well enough to see all of you at the Team Meghan benefit on the 31st.
I hope all is well with all of you. As always, thank you for all of your continued love, support, and prayers- keep them coming!! We could not do any of this without all of you..
After Monday, we have a pretty calm month- which I intend to spend the whole month celebrating..there are two major events, chemo is over and my birthday is at the end of the month. What more of a an excuse could a girl want?! Other than celebrating, we also have a few medical events coming up this month. On the 13th, we meet with the genetics doctor again, Dr. Giardiello, again to go over the results of the gene test. Matt and I met with him last month so he could basically go over all the specifics related to FAP, the genetic disease they suspect I have, and to do blood tests to identify the specific mutation within my genes. Then, on the 20th we will travel back up to Pittsburgh to meet with Dr. Medich at UPMC to see if all is a go for my next surgery. To be honest, I was somewhat putting off posting about this, merely because I didn't want to get ahead of myself and jinx any hopes of the surgery being able to take place. But after a lot of thought, I realized it has been all the love, support, and prayers from all of you that have got me this far in my journey, so how could it not make sense to include you all in this event, in a time that I can definitely use all the prayers and support! Dr. Medich will run a few tests, make sure everything has recovered from the last surgery and chemo, and then if all looks well we will be scheduled to see him again March 7th for surgery. This surgery *should* be a lot less uneventful, and a good bit less recovery than the last one. Although, as anyone in my family can tell you, for some reason when it comes to hospitals/surgeries, I seem to like to stick around a few extra days, so I am hoping that is not the case with this one! Regardless, whatever recovery may entail, my goal is to be recovered and well enough to see all of you at the Team Meghan benefit on the 31st.
I hope all is well with all of you. As always, thank you for all of your continued love, support, and prayers- keep them coming!! We could not do any of this without all of you..
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| Just wanted to share this- It's a scripture that has been really helpful for me to remember during this trial, and really it can apply to all of us with the many things life throws at us. :) |
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Team Meghan Benefit
Just a quick update on some more information we have on the Team Meghan benefit we are having on March 31st. I apologize for those of you that have Facebook, and have already seen this, just trying to do my best to keep everyone up to date. There are several people selling tickets at this point. If you would like to purchase a ticket, please feel free to contact me, my dad, or my brother, Jamie Cobaugh. Most likely we will be able to point you in the best direction. :) Tickets are selling for $10/ea. and enter you for the chance to win some really great prizes! In addition to the prizes listed on the tickets, there are also going to be door prizes given away that day. Just today Tammy E. Photography donated a photography session. Awesome!! Posted below are the pictures I have so far of the prizes listed on the ticket. Please let me know if any of you have any additional questions, and as always, thank you for your support! Hope to see you all there.
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| Team Meghan mugs handcrafted by Geno Boni, with some amazing penmanship by Samatha Carson! |
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| $250 gift certificate for Summt Motel. Yum! |
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| $500 Gift Certificate donated by Paint My World Designs by Nancy Tomaski. Her work is breathtaking! |
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| Thank you, Tammy! :) |
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| Stainless Steel Muzzle Loader Rifle generously donated by Ralph Dussia |
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| Vera Bradley travel set donated by South Street Botanical Designs |
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| Who couldn't use a good mani/pedi? "Pampering Package" donated by the wonderful ladies at Hello Beautiful. |
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Years! :)
I hope everyone had a very happy New Years! Here's hoping 2013 brings a year full of health, happiness and peace to us all. Our New Years was bittersweet. Matt and I managed to make it back from our holiday travels in time for treatment #10, unfortunately my white blood count didn't want to cooperate and was a tad low, so treatment was delayed until next week. :( Similar to the last delay I had, I was pretty bummed out, but in all honesty it was most likely a blessing in disguise because between getting in so late Sunday night and all the traveling we did leading up to Monday, I was exhausted, so I can only imagine how tired I would have been had we done the treatment. So we are spending this week seeing how much my body will raise the white blood count on it's own, and we will try again for treatment #10 next Monday. Any thoughts and prayers you can send our way would be greatly appreciated! That was our negative side of the holiday, but on a positive note, my cousin Katrina and her boyfriend came down for a surprise visit. That was awesome news!! :) I love that girly, and her visit was long overdue...hadn't had a chance to catch up with her in person since June, and since that was in the hospital and I don't remember most conversations, it doesn't count. lol. On top of that, we all went over to Lisa's and spent the night eating lots of yummy food and hanging out with most of the Kelly crew! :)
Before I get into the rambling about the events of our Christmas travels, I need to take a minute to dote on my loving husband for a minute. As I mentioned earlier, this was the first Christmas Matt and I have spent together and we were both looking forward to it quite a bit. A few days before we left for our travels, Matt surprised me with having my favorite flower, lilies, delivered to the house! :) I don't care how old you are, or how much you want to "claim" to not like flowers...getting a surprise flower delivery puts a smile on anyone's face! He also surprised me with a beautiful bracelet for a Christmas present..all the while putting up with my frantic, crazy, tactics I had while rushing all around the past week or so. lol .. It truly still amazes me that I am lucky enough to be married to such a thoughtful, patient, and understanding man. I can't say enough about how much his love and support helps me.
So there's quite a bit to update about our holiday travels...I will try not to make it too confusing, but no promises. haha. We made it to Pennsylvania without running into any snow storms, and fortunately for me, I was able to see quite a few people in just a few short days! I made a stop down at Hello Beautiful, where the amazing ladies took the day to pamper me..I got a kick ass pedicure and a new hair do finally! Matt and I were able to meet up with Brandy Raubenstrach, her adorable girls, and a surprise visit from her mom,. Moe as well!! Nothing like a day of pedicures and Godfather sandwhich from Aiello's to make a girl feel good. :) We stopped over to catch up with our friends at Fox Township, and were lucky enough to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and good Christmas stories with our first grade friends over there. (Awesome to see everyone, but really made me remember how much I miss teaching/being in the schools. :(...I'm determined to make it back someday.) Finally, Katie Burkhouse, Brittany Roof, and Cyndi Burkett all took time out of their day to stop by for a visit. It was great just to spend a few hours chatting and catching up with them! I'm pretty sure this was the first time I was able to see friends AND family white I was home, and it was so nice. Thank you all!
Aside from all those visits, we were also blessed to spend some quality time with our families. We had a wonderful Christmas at both my mom's and my dad's, spending lots of time catching up with my brothers and their families, as well as many cousins and my aunt and uncle (also a long overdue visit!)...all the while, surviving the snow that decided to come while we were there. It was so much fun seeing the little ones really enjoying Christmas this year!
Next we made our trip out to Indiana. A whole other bunch of good times! I'd say this visit was the most overdue. It really had been quite awhile since we were in Indiana, and we were both happy to be able to make it out there to see everyone. We were able to spend time catching up with Matt's parents, his brothers and their families, cousins, aunts and uncles. I even had the chance to meet one of his aunts I hadn't met yet! We both enjoyed playing with our niece and nephew out there that are growing up way too fast!! Matt and his brothers enjoyed a night at the IU basketball game and had a blast, while us girls went to get our nails done. (I know....not my favorite sport by any means, but it made him happy so that's what matters...BTW- I also want to note I was able to keep my mouth shut for over a month and keep this a surprise..that's a huge feat for me. lol) ..He also managed to hurt his ankle while playing basketball with his brother *turns out he can't keep up with the young bucks quite as well as he thought..haha*. I'm attaching a picture of the phenomenal cake that Matt's cousins Mallery and Macy let me help them with. These girls are seriously like the next up and coming cake bosses! They made a 4 layer cake for our Christmas dinner, and included all the bells and whistles you could imagine. The cake was delicious, but I think the process of making it was the most fun! :)
Although the holidays can be hectic, it really is truly worth it all when everyone is able to take time to slow down and really enjoy all the wonderful people we have in our lives, and enjoy how blessed we all are. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!
Aside from all the Christmas happenings, we were also able to work on and iron out some details for our upcoming fundraiser. After devoting much of their time and effort to this, my dad and brothers have created a fundraiser event that will take place in March. If any of you are interested, I am going to list some basic information about the event, as well as attaching a picture of the tickets we will be using. If you have any additional questions, or would like to help in anyway, please feel free to contact me, my dad, or my brother Jamie. Before I get any further, I also want to thank everyone who has already helped with this; South Street Botanical Designs, River Valley Surplus, Hello Beautiful, Paint My World, Gene Boni with Appalachian Arts, and all of you that are already helping us by selling tickets on our behalf.
So here's the basic info in a nutshell. We are having a raffle fundraiser, as well as giving away some door prizes on March 31st, at the Summit Motel. Tickets are being sold for $10/ea, and you have the chance to win some really amazing prizes. If you live out of town, or will not be able to attend that day, do not worry. Prizes won will be able to be shipped. I think that covers almost everything, but as I mentioned earlier, feel free to ask if you have any questions!
As always, thank you all for your love and support! Hope you all are doing well, and we are wishing you all a very happy and blessed New Year!
Before I get into the rambling about the events of our Christmas travels, I need to take a minute to dote on my loving husband for a minute. As I mentioned earlier, this was the first Christmas Matt and I have spent together and we were both looking forward to it quite a bit. A few days before we left for our travels, Matt surprised me with having my favorite flower, lilies, delivered to the house! :) I don't care how old you are, or how much you want to "claim" to not like flowers...getting a surprise flower delivery puts a smile on anyone's face! He also surprised me with a beautiful bracelet for a Christmas present..all the while putting up with my frantic, crazy, tactics I had while rushing all around the past week or so. lol .. It truly still amazes me that I am lucky enough to be married to such a thoughtful, patient, and understanding man. I can't say enough about how much his love and support helps me.
So there's quite a bit to update about our holiday travels...I will try not to make it too confusing, but no promises. haha. We made it to Pennsylvania without running into any snow storms, and fortunately for me, I was able to see quite a few people in just a few short days! I made a stop down at Hello Beautiful, where the amazing ladies took the day to pamper me..I got a kick ass pedicure and a new hair do finally! Matt and I were able to meet up with Brandy Raubenstrach, her adorable girls, and a surprise visit from her mom,. Moe as well!! Nothing like a day of pedicures and Godfather sandwhich from Aiello's to make a girl feel good. :) We stopped over to catch up with our friends at Fox Township, and were lucky enough to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and good Christmas stories with our first grade friends over there. (Awesome to see everyone, but really made me remember how much I miss teaching/being in the schools. :(...I'm determined to make it back someday.) Finally, Katie Burkhouse, Brittany Roof, and Cyndi Burkett all took time out of their day to stop by for a visit. It was great just to spend a few hours chatting and catching up with them! I'm pretty sure this was the first time I was able to see friends AND family white I was home, and it was so nice. Thank you all!
Aside from all those visits, we were also blessed to spend some quality time with our families. We had a wonderful Christmas at both my mom's and my dad's, spending lots of time catching up with my brothers and their families, as well as many cousins and my aunt and uncle (also a long overdue visit!)...all the while, surviving the snow that decided to come while we were there. It was so much fun seeing the little ones really enjoying Christmas this year!
Next we made our trip out to Indiana. A whole other bunch of good times! I'd say this visit was the most overdue. It really had been quite awhile since we were in Indiana, and we were both happy to be able to make it out there to see everyone. We were able to spend time catching up with Matt's parents, his brothers and their families, cousins, aunts and uncles. I even had the chance to meet one of his aunts I hadn't met yet! We both enjoyed playing with our niece and nephew out there that are growing up way too fast!! Matt and his brothers enjoyed a night at the IU basketball game and had a blast, while us girls went to get our nails done. (I know....not my favorite sport by any means, but it made him happy so that's what matters...BTW- I also want to note I was able to keep my mouth shut for over a month and keep this a surprise..that's a huge feat for me. lol) ..He also managed to hurt his ankle while playing basketball with his brother *turns out he can't keep up with the young bucks quite as well as he thought..haha*. I'm attaching a picture of the phenomenal cake that Matt's cousins Mallery and Macy let me help them with. These girls are seriously like the next up and coming cake bosses! They made a 4 layer cake for our Christmas dinner, and included all the bells and whistles you could imagine. The cake was delicious, but I think the process of making it was the most fun! :)
Although the holidays can be hectic, it really is truly worth it all when everyone is able to take time to slow down and really enjoy all the wonderful people we have in our lives, and enjoy how blessed we all are. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!
Aside from all the Christmas happenings, we were also able to work on and iron out some details for our upcoming fundraiser. After devoting much of their time and effort to this, my dad and brothers have created a fundraiser event that will take place in March. If any of you are interested, I am going to list some basic information about the event, as well as attaching a picture of the tickets we will be using. If you have any additional questions, or would like to help in anyway, please feel free to contact me, my dad, or my brother Jamie. Before I get any further, I also want to thank everyone who has already helped with this; South Street Botanical Designs, River Valley Surplus, Hello Beautiful, Paint My World, Gene Boni with Appalachian Arts, and all of you that are already helping us by selling tickets on our behalf.
As always, thank you all for your love and support! Hope you all are doing well, and we are wishing you all a very happy and blessed New Year!
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