Where ya been????

Wow. Talk about life getting crazy and not having any time to do anything....even BREATHE.

I had intentions of posting this great blog about my super fun birthday weekend and then I never got around to it. And I had intentions of posting a blog about the Mavericks and their epic win over the Miami Heat and all the fun stuff that we did those last few days. But then I never got around to it.

Basically, I've had a lot of "don't want tos" these past few weeks. I'll try to be better about that in the future!

Nothing new has really happened. We went out of town for my birthday and that was really fun. A lot of fun. And we're going out of town this weekend to float the river in San Marcos. That should be fun too. And then we'll go to New Braunfels in two weeks to float the rivers down there and spend some time with the family. Pretty much summer is my favorite time of year so I'm soaking up as much as I can and just having fun!

Hopefully next week I'll have time to give you some updates on other stuff...and share the details about my twilight zone birthday and this weekend!

Have fun! Wear sunscreen!!!

May you finally be at peace....

It's funny how one picture can make you burst into tears....These pictures however make you cry tears of joy. For my sweet, sweet, friend Preston Drew Haun has found his final resting place in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. His dad promised to take him there, and so he has.

You can read some more about it here...bittersweet that his father posted this on Father's day.

Rest in peace my amazing friend. I miss you every day.

"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."
 

Amazing what people can do when you give them the chance...

Last week, I posted a blog post about wanting to finish funding the well that has been started in my nephew's honor. My friend Janet went above and beyond the call of friendship and posted it on her blog as well as Facebook, Twitter, etc. She even went as far as to challenge people to donate so that she could match their donations. Yes, you read that right, she agreed to MATCH their DONATIONS. Even people she'd never met, she agreed to match what they donated. I know I've gushed about her before, but there are no words to describe what she means to me and how my life has been changed simply by having her in my life. The fact that I can call her a friend is even more meaningful and unbelievable to me.

Today, I asked for an update on the well project and I can happily say that in the past week we've gotten to $1,775!!!! We're so close I'm getting anxious! My jumped when I saw the total because I didn't think we were going to be that close. As I was reviewing the donations, there were two from people that I don't really know. I know who they are because they are Janet's friends, but other than that, my knowledge of them is very very limited. I am speechless. These two women donated more than I could ever imagine possible and did so simply because of their friendship with Janet and the cause. My heart is so full of love and compassion for humanity right now that I might burst into a thousand tears!

I know I sometimes seems pessimistic and judgmental,  but I'm amazed at what humanity can and will do when you give them the chance.


And to steal a page from Janet's blog:
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit." - Nelson Henderson

Lucas Paul Stewart

As almost all of you know by now, my nephew passed away almost two years ago. He unfortunately did not get to take a breath in this world before passing to the next.

In an effort to honor his memory and to provide life-sustaining water for others, I began to work towards funding a well in his name in Uganda through the help of Holden Uganda. You can learn more about Holden Uganda here.

I learned about Holden Uganda through my friend Janet. She had some friends who lost a baby in a tragic way and it hurt my heart because I knew what it felt like to be the Aunt of a child who was lost. She asked for donations and I gladly donated to the cause. I read more about what Holden Uganda is all about and felt compelled to work with them to set up a well in honor of Lucas. Here are some pictures of what the well looks like when it's completed:

This is the well that I helped fund in memory of Kaitlyn Olivia Doss.

I'm about half way to my goal of funding Lucas' well and my friend Janet has taken on a huge charge to match donations, up to $500. You can read her post here.

I know that in the past I've asked you to donate to this thing or that, but please, please, please, consider donating to Lucas' well in honor of my sweet baby nephew. You can help save the lives of so many other children with such a simple gift.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

For P, may he finally find peace

As many of you know, Living for Love and I lost one of our very best friends last year to cancer. He had two wishes when he died, throw an epic party for him and spread his ashes over Prudhoe Bay Alaska.

The epic party is tentatively planned for August. And his dad is embarking on the journey of a lifetime next week to carry Preston to his final resting place. If you're interested, you can follow his blog here.

As I type this out, I have tears in my eyes. One, I wish I could go with his dad or at least be there when he gets there to be with Preston as he is finally laid to rest. And two because it's funny what a year can do to the heart.

I don't feel the same pain that I felt when he first passed. I don't reach for the phone and start dialing his number before I realize that he's not there. But it hurts in a different way now. In that kind of way where you know he's gone and the little slip ups of thinking he's still here to talk to aren't happening anymore. Instead, there's just a giant gaping hole in my heart where Preston once was. And it makes me so sad.

I know he's not suffering anymore and that is more than I could ever ask for. But, I sure do wish it didn't hurt so bad to not have him here. I miss him terribly.

"if you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another"

May David find peace on his journey with Preston. And may his family and friends know that P is finally where he wanted to be.