THE FUNDRAISER WAS AWESOME!

The fundraiser for Luke..."Locks for Luke" was amazing. It started at 7:00 am and one of our rival schools, Servite High School was the first team there (even before our boys from Edison arrived). They came to get their heads shaved and show support. After they were done, they huddled in a circle in the parking lot and prayed for Luke. The Huntington Beach Fire Dept. showed up and shaved their heads. Fox Sports Net was there interviewing and covering the whole event.

What an incredible day...it sure renews your faith in people!


JULLIEN


One of the players with Luke's initial's


Quarterback shaving his long hair


Inside the Salon


Jullien and Teammates


Football team in front of salon and Fire Engine (Jullien's the tall one in navy tank)


Fox Sport Net Interview

More Interviews

Coming Together For A Cause

I have been really stretching and growing lately (the comfort zone thing). I want to make a difference any way I can...which can be a little stressful when you doubt yourself a lot. I decided to sign up to take a dinner to the Gane family (this is HUGE for me). I know most of you think, "What's the big deal?" Well you've never had the displeasure of eating my cooking! Even my own kids HATE my meals. I'm not exaggerating, I'm BAD, I don't enjoy it either. It falls right up there with the laundry category (which my husband does). He refuses to cook though...so everyone gets to suffer.

I make one good dinner, tacos...everyone loves my tacos. Now I'll give you one guess what I'm making for the Gane family...yep, you're right. I'm going to bring chips and salsa and banana splits for desert (this should make them happy...it's a bunch of boys). I'm really starting to see some growth here...Woo Hoo!

Tonight there is going to be a prayer concert for Luke http://lukegane.blogspot.com/
He has started the chemo and is VERY SICK! He will be receiving the bone marrow transplant on Tuesday, Sept. 2 from his ten year old brother. So if you can all keep praying for Luke and his family!!

Tomorrow they will be having a fund-raiser, "Locks for Luke"...they are asking for a $20.00 donation and shaving the boys heads in Luke's honor and to help raise money for the family. If you are interested in donating money please contact, bfisherhb@yahoo.com (I don't have the specific account information)...any amount ($1.00, $5.00, $10.00) every little bit adds up. I will be taking my son there and also taking pictures to post and forward to the family.

I would like to encourage all my blogging friends to come together for a cause...(praying and/or donating)...YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONES LIFE!!

Accepting Changes

Life is constantly changing...just when you think everything is going along smoothly...BAM something happens. I look at all the families in our neighborhood who are financially secure and seem to "have it all." Then I get a slap in the face from one of our friends...while having a conversation about this subject. He said, "My friend had it all, money, nice house, car, toys, perfect little family...then tragedy struck. His daughter is now paralyzed, she is working everyday to try and walk again. The family has good days and bad days. He sees his daughter crying, hurting and praying to be healed. He agonizes over this and says he would give up everything just to see his daughter, playing softball, running, and being a normal teenager again."

My son's friend, Luke Gane's life changed in the matter of one month. He just started chemo for his blood disease. I'm sure his parents would give up everything to have him out on that football field with his team mates, playing the sport he loves. Now he will go through the battle of his life, while his parents stand beside him encouraging, loving and supporting him.

I needed to be reminded of this...our struggles are helping us to grow. I have learned how to be "calm in the midst of the storm." My trials are minor compared to our friends. Find the good in your situation, accept the changes, become who you were meant to be. Every struggle produces growth in your life. Focus on whatever is good, (faith, love, health) whatever it may be. You may not be where you want to be...but you're growing and changing, heading toward where you're supposed to be!

Life changes in an instant...all of our planning, collecting, trying to get bigger and better homes, cars, boats, building bigger barns to put our "stuff" in ...can all be taken in an instant. Things do not matter! Focus on making a difference, reaching out to others, doing what you can with whatever talents and abilities you have (cooking, writing, sharing, volunteering your time, comforting). Accept the changes and use your life experiences to help others. Stop waiting for your problems to be over...you can be the answer to someone's prayers!

Romans 1:17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

THE NERD AND THE MOUTH!

We have some great friends...they weren't going to be using their San Diego Charger Football tickets last night so they gave them to us (4 of them). We took another couple with us...we were going to take our two youngest boys, but they had practice and if they missed they wouldn't be able to play in their next games...coaches are tough!

We were warned about some guys that have season tickets just next to our friends...they get a little drunk and rowdy. WOW...they forgot to warn us about the scrawny, pasty white, beady eyed, beak nosed, nerdy guy directly above me!!

When we sat down he was already hammered. He gave my husband an attitude when he asked the guys sitting next to nerd boy to hand him his water that was a row below them (we tried to switch seats for a while). He said, "Are you kiddin me dude, it's ****** two rows down?" I froze for a minute thinking, "Oh no, he's going to knock this guy out and we will be kicked out!" To my surprise, he ignored him and the big guy (who my husband had asked) handed him the water, "No problem bro." My husband just stared down nerd boy and didn't say anything!! Can you imagine the change in my quick tempered, Italian hot head! Since getting baptized...he has been getting soooo much better. He would NEVER take anything from anyone, EVER! When nerd boy turned around, my husband did make a little gesture with his foot, like he was going to kick him upside his head, but he didn't (PROGRESS) LOL!

We had to eventually move back down just below him when people came. I have NEVER heard anyone so obnoxious in my whole life. "What's the matter with you guys? You're idiots..make a tackle? C'mon San Diego you suck! TACKLE...TACKLE...TACKLE! What, who was that thrown to, the guy in the parking lot? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!" I thought I got a break from his non stop screaming when the cheerleaders came out, I was wrong. "GOOD JOB HOOKERS! HOOKERS...THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE!" Then everyone started doing the wave, what can he possibly come up with to scream about now? "What's the matter with you San Diegans...STAND UP...YOU SUCK!" Everytime the wave came around he would repeat the same thing like a broken record!!!!

The lady next to me finally looked up and said, "You are ridiculous!" "SIT DOWN B****!" he shouted back. Then on the Jumbo Tron they showed a football player saying, "Remember to drink responsibly, your behavior effects those around you." He stands up and yells, "TOO LATE M***** F*****!" The cops came and stood watching him...he calmed down a little but still kept shouting stuff. The game was coming to an end so the lady next to me left, the moron looks at his friends and yells, "I'm glad that B**** is finally leaving...she's bugging me!" W H A T...I just started laughing, I couldn't believe he was serious!! Are we on Candid Camera or something??!!?? After a while the four of us were just laughing because it was unbelievable. He had absolutely no filter...whatever he thought came out of his mouth!

Oh yeah...the football game...we won by one point 18-17! It's pretty bad when you get so distracted that you forget to watch the game. We got to the car and were sitting for about an hour...not moving. So I started shouting, "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU IDIOTS...MOVE YOUR CARS! WHO BUILT THIS STUPID STADIUM WITH ONLY TWO EXITS ANYWAY?" Just kidding...I didn't...but it went through my head! LOL!

Hawaii Game Results

Well my son played his game last night in Maui...it started at 7:00 p.m. their time, 10:00 p.m. our time. We had a friend call us every quarter to give us the update and play by play. Since we couldn't go I wanted to make sure I felt like I was there. The first call we received was 14-0 us. Next update was 21-10, the 10 points was scored by a fumble and interception. The defense (my son plays safety) did not allow any points...YAY!!! After the second call they asked if I still wanted them to call when it was over because it would be 1:00 a.m. our time. Are you kidding me? Do you think I could wait all night for the final score! LOL! I just told him, "Yeah, I never sleep anyways so I will be up."

The last call came in at 12:45 a.m...my son had blocked a punt and made some great tackles...Safety is a scary position, your the last person to stop them from making a touchdown. Which means they either LOVE you or HATE you. As a mom in the stands...you just pray your son doesn't make a mistake, the comments you hear make you want to throw blows defending your son. This is the world of football at one of the best football schools in the state...competitive not only on the field, but in the stands too! It pays off though...WE WON 43-10!! GO CHARGERS!!!

Handling Disappointments

I received an e-mail today from a writer for FIRST MAGAZINE. I have been working with her for a couple of weeks about using a true story I wrote for their magazine. She actually contacted me out of the blue after reading my story on a website. I was really excited, and after she continued to contact me asking for more information etc...to present the story to her editors, I began to get very hopeful. Today I received an email saying that they wont be able to use my story...I was really disappointed! I always wanted to have something I've written published...I'm not disciplined enough to finish a book, so the little short stories I do have been my only opportunity.

For most of my life I would always focus on the negative, then if something good happened I would be pleasantly surprised. I HATED to be let down...which was the case most of my life. I have changed a lot in the last couple of years. I now look at disappointments as opportunities! Once I got over the initial feelings of sadness that they didn't want my story...I thought, now maybe I can make a book out of this. It's a very touching and encouraging story and should be told. I believe things happen for a reason...I just have to trust and know that my life, (the good and the bad) is pushing me toward Heavenly Father's perfect plan for me...it's about faith, trust and most of all PATIENCE!

Still Alive and Kickin'

I feel like I haven't posted in FOREVER! Like I said, "I'VE BEEN SWAMPED!" My middle son, Jullien is in Hawaii for their first Varsity game (boo hoo for me, yes I cried cuz I wanted to be there). He left on Monday...game's on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. I talked to him yesterday and he said he's having fun, but it was CRAZY hot...they are not used to heat above 80. Then they went to some cliffs and the boys started jumping off a 50 foot cliff into the ocean. All my boys and me are afraid of heights...soooo I asked, "What did you do?" He said, "I was the last one left standing up there and everyone was yelling at me to jump. I backed away from the edge and took a running leap off the cliff." How does that saying go, "If your friends told you to jump off a cliff would you?" I now know the answer...LOL! He said he was so scared and felt like he was falling FOREVER!! He even did it a second time...peer pressure...football players can't be wooseys!!

Elijah had his scrimmage game, he played running back, quarterback and linebacker, they won! Anyways, that's why I haven't posted in a while, I was editing the pictures and putting them into an album to send out to all the parents. The things I get myself into...it's VERY time consuming, but a few of the parents said, "THANK YOU, WE LOVE THEM!" I guess it's worth it. The more I practice the better I get, right?

Our church had a picnic so I took my camera and took some pictures...I wasn't very happy with the way they turned out, now I don't want to forward it to them because they will think, "Thanks but no thanks! Why is it that the pictures that you really want to turn out good, look terrible? I'll send it to them and attach a few pictures of other shots i've taken that were good, just to let them know that I don't always take such terrible pictures! Oh well, guess you can't get better unless you make mistakes.

Here's a link to my Football album...just click "View Now" and then you can play a slideshow because there's A LOT of pictures, we are in all white...those are just practice jersey's (it was the first scrimmage) our real uniforms are Green Bay Packer colors...
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=988211219305792075/l=414448221/g=121510574/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

PRAY FOR LUKE GANE!

I blogged a little bit about a player on my son's High School Football team who had a bloody nose that wouldn't stop. He went to the Dr.'s and found out he has Aplastic Anemia ( a rare blood disease).

He now will be starting chemotherapy and eventually receive a bone marrow transplant from one of his brothers (both twins were a match). The team will be leaving to go play a football game in Hawaii on Monday, which Luke was supposed to be playing in also. He will start treatments on Tuesday, so I am asking all of my Blogging friends to please pray for him, stop by his Blog...http://lukegane.blogspot.com/ leave him a message of encouragement and hope as he begins his battle. They have posted pictures, messages, information explaining this disease that can strike at anytime and his daily progress reports.