Two Days for Briggs....

On Thursday night we attended a wonderful fundraising dinner for Briggs at Bella's Mexican restaurant. The food was great, and Brenn even got up to sing a few songs. When he sang the song he wrote for Briggs, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. They had a great silent auction (Grandma Sue won a bracelet!), and all of the proceeds went directly to the family. It's truly inspiring to see all of the love and generosity that have been shown to Briggs. Mason brought along our "Team Briggs" buttons that we had made for the relay, and ended up selling them all! We had Emily and Thad make more so he and Quayden could sell them on Saturday. Go Team Briggs!

"A Day For Briggs" was a huge success! When we pulled into the parking lot for the 5k,we were amazed to see the amount of cars. We literally jumped out of the car, put up the trailer for Emma, and ran to the start. It was a little after eight, so the runners had already gone. Bruce, Emma and Colter ran ahead, while Mason, Juss, Sara and I were pretty much dead last. I tried to get Mason to run with me, but he was more interested in checking the ditches for Turtles. After getting him to move faster, we started to pass other groups, and really made pretty good time. While we were walking, the coolest thing happened. A man walked out of his house and asked me "are you walking for that little boy?". When I replied that we were, he handed me twenty dollars and asked me to add it to the donations! Isn't that neat? My heart just swelled with love. What a nice gesture for a child he didn't even know! By the time we were approaching the final lap, Mason was just exhausted. We decided to just cut across to the park and find the family. As we approached the park, I couldn't believe the number of people. The line for breakfast was stretched all the way around the building! We found Bruce and the kids, Grandma and Grandpa and Quayden. We ate some breakfast and visited with some great friends and family. After we were done, Bruce and I set up the table for the kids to sell their "Team Briggs" buttons and balloon animals. My friend Becky is a genius with balloon animals. Seriously. She rivals any party clown! She generously donated her time and made five bags full of for the kids to sell. How nice is that? The boys sat down to sell, and we went to check out the auction. About this time, Joan came running over with tears in her eyes. She and Dave had donated four Denver Bronco's tickets for the auction, and guess what? They sold for almost six hundred dollars!!! She was literally speechless. Thanks so much Erickson family for your generous donation! We spent the rest of the morning visiting with all of the great people who had come out to support Briggs. When Brenn, Sylina and Cambridge showed up, a crowd gathered around them. They were so overwhelmed with the love that the community had shown them. And if there is one thing I have learned from this situation, there is plenty of love in this community. From all walks of life. Different faiths, different circumstance. All comming together to help one little guy heal. In helping with the fundraising, I have met some great people. Some I'm sure will be my friends for life. I'm so grateful for the love that they have shown Brenn, Sylina and the kids. It's truly inspiring. Go Team Briggs! Thanks so much to everyone for comming out and supporting this great cause. Here are some highlights......

Juss, Sara and Emma J cool down after the 5k.

Taylore, Mason and Quayden:Buy a button? How 'bout a balloon animal?

All aboard the "Team Briggs" express!

I lost count of how many times the kids road the train....Maybe seven times???

Who could resist buying something from these cuties?

Later that night, Briggs story was featured on the PCMC telethon. As we sat at watched, I teared up. What a hard, uphill battle little Briggs has had and still has in front of him. He's endured more in a year than many of us do in a lifetime, but still remains strong. Brenn posted these pictures last night. Yes, Briggs is "riding" a trike! They said he might not walk, but look at him now!

Very Busy Weekend!

On the 23rd, we attended a fundraiser for Briggs. The Black Gold Cattle Company holds it's annual "Testicle Festival"(don't ask!!) in Woodruff. This year, they donated all of the proceeds to Briggs. Bruce, Colter, Mason, Grandpa Vern and Grandpa Bob tasted the local delicacy. Yuck! Quayden and I steered clear and just ate the pulled pork sandwiches. Pretty tasty! After dinner, Brenn took the stage. There were quite a few nurses in the audience who drove up all the way from PCMC. They were really looking forward to hearing Brenn sing. Judging from the cheers, they weren't disappointed. When the concert was over, there was a live auction which raised much needed funds for the family. It was a great time for a great cause. Oh, and on the way home we saw a whole buch of deer :)

Mason ate 'em, Quayden didn't!

Next on the weekend agenda, we were going to have the friends over for a water slide party on Sunday. Unfortunately, the weather was awful! We moved the party in, and the kids had fun dancing, playing ping pong, and just goofing around...



To be continued.....

Mother's Day....

On Mother's Day we went to Taggert's Grill. It's a beautiful place to eat. The grounds have Peacocks and Peahens, a beautiful pond with Koi, and a resident kitty running around. The kids loved it! Mason kept running around taking pictures of the peacock. He was hoping that he would show his feathers, and about the time we were ready to leave, he finally did! Now I have about 10 peacock pic's on my camera. Maybe Mason will be a wildlife photographer....We had a wonderful meal, and an equally wonderful dessert. They have a bakery in the restaurant with lots of great cakes and cheesecakes. We chose a chocolate decadent dessert. It was fabulous! After dinner, we went to visit with Grandma Joyce. The kids (and Grandpa and Bruce) played baseball in the yard, while Joyce and I talked. I'm so grateful to be a Mom. My kids mean the world to me, and I could not ask for a better life than I have (well, I would like my Dad back, but that's another story!). Every day I thank the good lord for the blessings I have. Number one is my beautiful children. They inspire me each and everyday. I love you guys and I'm proud when you call me Mommy, Mom and Madre (Colter).

Now for the Moms in my life.....
Here is my beautiful Mom. She is not only a "Mom", but my best friend. I talk to her everyday, and can tell her anything. She is a true example of strength. After my Dad died, I worried about what she would do. In the 40 years they were together, I could count on one hand the times they were apart. I didn't need to worry. She pulled herself up, dusted off, and started a new life. She joined a theater group, a concert group, and even traveled to Europe twice! She's even going again in October. As hard as it is for me to see her go, I'm so proud of her for doing it! I love you Mom. I know I've said it before, but Dad would be so proud! Happy Mother's Day!

*Funny story. When I was in College, I worked full time and had money to burn, so I had a collection of designer bags. My Mom always thought it was so silly to spend so much on a bag. So the Christmas before last, we bought her a really nice Coach bag. She was so overwhelmed and loved it so much, she went down and bought another one! Now every holiday, Dad buys her a new purse. Here she is with her Mother's Day Dooney and Bourke purse....You deserve it Mom!

Here's my wonderful Mother-in-Law Joyce. I am so in awe of her dedication to her family. Since Briggs has been sick, she and Vern have unselfishly taken care Quayden, and now baby Cambridge. Joyce has taken to being the baby's caregiver like a champ. Late night feeding, colic, Dr's appointments, you name it. Joyce has taken it on. It has been anything but easy, but she has done it. All with a genuine caring and love that is truly inspiring. I love you so much Joyce, and I'm so proud of how you've managed to keep it all together. You're a great example to me, and I wanted to say thanks for all that you have done!

Last but certainly not least, here is my awesome Aunt Mardee. She's had a crappy year too, but has never stopped thinking about helping others. While my Uncle Wade was dying, and she was so upset, she made sure to get an Easter dinner for Vern and Joyce. She was worried about them not being able to celebrate Easter in their time of need. Mardee is always thinking about how she can help. She has been invaluable in helping my Mom acclimate to life without my Dad. They do so much together, you'd think they were best friends. They go shopping, to concerts, plays, and even Europe! Mard is the classiest person I know, and I'm so thankful to have her in my life. I was GOING to post a vintage Mardee picture, but I knew she'd kill me. I posted this cute picture instead. Happy Mother's Day Mard!

A Day For Briggs....

Please join us for "A Day For Briggs". It's going to be a fun time and every penny raised goes to Briggs. I hear from a very reliable source that there will be some very cool things in the silent auction. Come early and place your bid! I'm going to walk (of course!), but the athletically inclined can run in the 5K. After you're done, there will be a fabulous breakfast for only $5.00 a person. You can't find a deal like that anywhere! If you have any questions, please contact me and I'll send you in the right direction! THANKS!

* Although Team Briggs for the Relay For Life is full, please come and join us. There will be activities for the whole family. It's a great cause and we want Team Briggs to present $2,000.00 to the American Cancer Society. If you haven't made a donation (every little bit helps!), please do so today.http://main.acsevents.org/goto/teambriggs

*One more very cool thing. Get a "Team Briggs"sticker for your car! They're available for just $10.00 and all proceeds go to Briggs. Let me know if you're interested and I'll hook you up...

Island Park Weekend....

We spent last weekend at the Nix family cabin in Island Park. We left the kids. Whew! I can actually do this! The second time we've left them. Bruce and I drove up on Friday night and had a great adult conversation (a big deal when you're with a toddler all day). It's so nice to be able to reconnect with your husband. I was really excited to see the Tetons, but when we got to Rexburg, it was dusk and kind of overcast. Still, you could just barely see the tips of the peaks. An awesome site! Grand Teton National Park is one of my favorite places in the world, and I think it's cool that you can see them in the distance when you drive to IP. We reminisced about all the fun times we've had in Island Park while we were driving up the canyon. Even in the dark it was beautiful. When we finally arrived at the cabin, everyone was in the hot tub. Bruce and I changed into our suits and jumped in. Really. There was snow on the ground and it was cold! The next day we piled into the Land Rover (yes, we all fit!) and ventured up to West Yellowstone via the Hebgen lake loop. As we drove past Quake lake, I was telling everyone about a childhood memory of mine. I was pretty young. Maybe twelve? Anyway, this particular time the whole Wayment family rented a motor home and we headed off to Yellowstone. I have so many fun memories of that trip.... We decided to go home via the Montana way and we visited Quake Lake. Now as a child I was extremely sensitive. I couldn't stand to hear sirens or visit hospitals. If someone was hurt, I was a wreak! I mention this because Quake Lake totally freaked me out. We stopped at the visitor center and took the road trip where you visit all of the "rescue sites" where there are plaques to tell what went on after the quake. I was traumatised! So, I was telling everyone about this one that had affected me so much as a kid. It told the story of how this women (maybe she was blind?), was lead to safety by her dog. Let's just say it caused lots of laughing and Lassie references! I thought it was a cool story and I wonder what ever happened to the women? What about the dog? Did he get a medal? She should write a book. Maybe she did. I'll have to Google it. Anyhow, it was a really beautiful and fun ride. When we got to West Yellowstone, SURPRISE! Almost the whole town was closed! My friend Aimee had warned me, so the running joke was "Dang Aimee! You jinxed us!". We finally found a burger joint that was open and had a nice lunch. After we ate, we walked around the nearly closed town. I wanted to pick up some souvenirs for the kids, but the only gift shop open didn't really have anything. Oh well. Surely they we getting plenty spoiled by Gma, Jeni and Nikki. When we got back to the cabin, we watched The Thing, Beerfest (really!), and, my favorite, Slumdog Millionaire. It was a great show. I cried (of course!).My friend April Cornell is a clothing designer. She lives in India part of the year and has started a foundation called "The Giving World". Check it out here:http://www.givingworldfoundation.org/. I was defiantly thinking about the people she helps during the show. I feel so blessed. We have so much, and these poor kids are on their own. It was an eye opener, but very good. The next day we woke up to a beautiful site, Snow! While we were vegging on the couch, Angie made a comment." This is the last snow we'll witness this year". I hope she's right, even though it was very peaceful. We loaded up, and off to the town of Ashton for breakfast. It snowed all the way down the canyon, so I knew I wouldn't see my beloved Tetons. Sure enough, no visibility from Ashton. Oh well. We'll see them for sure this summer. When we got home, the kids were happy to see us. Mason had even bought ME a souvenir, a lizard figurine from Rainbow Gardens! How cute is that? Thanks so much Jon & Darci for use of the cabin. We had a great time. Oh and Angie, thanks for the Salted Nut Roll. I still haven't eaten it yet......

*BTW....Team Briggs is almost full! We have (so far) 22 people signed up to walk & almost $400.00 in donations. Thanks so much! I can't tell you how much it means to me to have so many people comment and call. Briggs is one special little guy, and he needs all the support he can get. It's truly overwhelming to face Cancer, but hopefully we can eradicate this awful disease in our lifetime. The link for the relay is in the post below. If you have any questions, email or Facebook me (or you could comment here). Thanks again!

The BFF's.....

The guys....

The BFF's in their awesome "Goodie, Goodie Bon Bon" slippers courtesy of Angie....