Do you have a special place in your heart for Children or Dolphins? Please Help Out!

Will's craniosacral therapist has a new non profit organization called Universal Alliance For Family Health (which I am on the board of now)
Our First Project is to help a little girl named Finnley.
Finnley's whole story can be read at finnleykate.blogspot.com but I will tell you a little bit here.

Diagnosed with brain damage and on life support, newborn Finnley Kate was given only days to live. Powered by prayers and love, Finnley defied all odds, astounded doctors, and is a now a precious 3 1/2 year old girl. While Finnley has survived the odds and overcome many challenges, she has Cerebral Palsy and faces all the challenges that can come with it.

Finnley's mother and therapists work tirelessly to do all they can to help Finnley, but  another miracle is needed to help her get closer to being able to walk, talk, see better, and battle seizures. They now believe this miracle has come.

Finnley has been accepted to participate in a research project where she will swim with a wild pod of dolphins off the coast of Spain this month. The research team has been coming from Germany to work with children from all over the world who suffer with Cerebral Palsy and Autism to this spot in the Atlantic ocean to work with the each winter over the last ten years. They have had great success in helping these children heal within their central nervous systems.

I have created a nice Christmas themed card that has Finnley's picture on the front (pictured above) and on the inside it has her story as appears above on the left-hand side of the card. On the right-hand side it says "A Donation Has Been Made In Your Name To Support Finnley's Opportunity To Swim With Dolphins In The Wild- A Therapeutic Experience That Can Provide Sonar Healing To Her Central Nervous System"

These cards would make a great gift for anyone this Christmas season - for teachers, extended relatives, hairdressers, as stocking stuffers etc. You can make a donation of any size, even $10 would be great. 

If you are able to donate, please contact me (either by email or leave a comment on this blog post)

Checks can be made out to Donations Universal Alliance for Family Health and are Tax Deductible. 

If you are not interested in the card or receipt, donations can easily be made on Finnley's webpage

Thank you for your support. By supporting Finnley you are supporting a miracle.

The String Game of Surprises

So I did something very similar I think for Valentines Day and Westley has been asking for it since. While the boys were napping, I ran a string through our living rooms and kitchen. Along the way there were hidden little presents.
When they woke up they had to follow the string and hunt for the presents (which were in a drawer or the refrigerator, or under a cushion or behind a chair).
They had a fun time with this, again!

Major's Birthday

Major, our Canine Companions for Independence puppy in training turned 1 year old this month. So, the boys and I threw him a little party.
Will made him a party hat, and Westley made a doggy cake with peanut butter and his food
Happy Birthday Major!

Chalk Outlines

I think tracing our bodies was one of my first blog posts, but this time it was extra fun because the boys were old enough to trace with the chalk, and they got to chalk GRANDMA out on the dirty cement :)

Thanks for being a good sport Grandma 

Making Pancakes at Grandmas

Doesn't real need any explanation,
I just really liked this picture

A Karaoke Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we went to my cousin's house. We had a great meal and a great time hanging out, and then a great time with karaoke. Will was especially surprisingly into it. He wasn't so much singing and just making noise, so I don't think I will buy us our own Karaoke machine, but it was fun seeing them all have a good time

5x7 Folded Card

Damask Blessings Christmas Card

Shutterfly Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Embrace Charity Event

I donated a Packed 4 Fun backpack to this blog www.familylifeinlv.com that is hosting a really neat charity event. It is called the Spread the Warmth Giveaway. There are 90 prizes over $3500 in value up for grabs, and you can enter to win by donating $10.
Embrace is a social enterprise that aims to help millions of vulnerable babies in 3rd world countries through a low cost infant warmer.  Unlike traditional incubators that cost up to $20,000, the Embrace Infant Warmer costs 1% of this price.  The device can work with or without electricity, is portable,  safe and intuitive to use.
It is really a great product, and has a great story behind it. It was developed by college students studying engineering. I encourage you to check out their website and watch video clip about it http://embraceglobal.org/


To participate and donate visit http://www.familylifeinlv.com/2011/10/spreadthewarmth-charity-raffle.html
All you have to do is  read through the post - use the Donation Widget to safely enter a credit card donation. Once you donate please fill out the Google Document form below the donation widget to enter the raffle.


Hurry! This event ends 11/12

Just Hanging Around

Kevin has a pull up bar that can attach to a door frame. While he never uses it, the boys and I put it to use. I will hold them up and count for how long they can hold on. Usually on their first times before they get word out, they can make it to the count of 30.

We couldn't remember whose turn was next and both boys were arguing that it was their turn. So Kevin got out a big coin and showed them how one side is heads and one side is tails. They agreed for Westley to be heads and Will tails. We did it to decide the person's turn, but then before each turn they would flip the coin until it was heads or tails to take their turn (with the other standing there rooting his brother on). It was pretty cute. Flipping the coin was an exciting game in itself.