The Dixon family

Please remember this family, who are dear friends, in your prayers this week. Mike is nearing the end of his life's journey, and it's a heartbreaking time for those of us who here who love him. His young wife, and baby, as well as their parents and siblings, appreciate our prayers for their peace and comfort, while they see their loved one struggle. Mike has absolute peace that he is at this point, and his faith is an amazing thing to read of here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mikedixon

Pray for Kate

Relay for Life Wrap-Up

Thank you so much for your support as I participated in the West Shelby County Relay for Life. It was an amazing event, filled with emotion. I walked in honor of my Mom, who has been cancer free for several years now, and in memory of a precious little girl, Cassidy, who our church family just lost in March. A story was done on the Schuttingas, and in the photo with it, you'll see me holding Elijah in the middle of the background behind the Schuttingas.

If you've never joined a Walk for Life, I highly recommend it. It was a beautiful occasion to focus on life, and how valuable it it - worth fighting for. Your financial support was so helpful, and I exceeded my goal of personally raising $200. More than 300 walkers participated in the event. A total of 34 teams raised over $60,000. Our Shelby Crossings team raised the most money at this Relay also! I appreciate your gift so very much.

http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2009/may/14/family-walks-memory-daughter-sister/

Relay for Life

I was so excited to be able to participate in a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society this weekend. Our church had a team who did the Relay for Life, and numerous other friends came out to support us. Our Shelby Crossings team raised the most of all teams there, and because some great guys spent the night and walked while the rest of us were home with our kiddos, we also were recognized with the most folks still on the track at 5 a.m.! I walked in honor of my Mom, who has been cancer free now for a couple of years, and in memory of precious Cassidy. She was the youngest ever survivor in past years at this same walk, and it was very sad to be there without her last night. She has inspired and motivated so many through her short 4 years on earth. A song sung at her memorial service that summed up her life was "This Little Light of Mine." The children participating with our group all received shirts with this on it. It was amazingly touching, and I'm so thankful I was able to do a little raise funds for research for this awful disease. Seeing the children especially, just enjoy life last night, was a great reminder to live every moment we have. Thank you to all you who supported me financially, and prayed for this event! (You can click on the collage to see the photos better. The kids all have their Cassi shirts on).

Relay for Life

This year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer", and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. In my family, my mom was the one who was diagnosed, and through surgery and treatment God has restored her health and she is well today. We have all been touched by cancer in some way ... and we all have the power to make a difference. That's why I have chosen to fight back right here in my own community by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®.

I want to invite you to join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation in support of my efforts. Further down in this message is a link to my personal Relay For Life® web page where you can make an online contribution. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and provides hope. You can also sign up to join my team and learn more about Relay and how it's changing lives.

Relay For Life® brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. This fun-filled, overnight event empowers everyone to help fight cancer by raising money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission.

Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back.

For state fundraising notices and the American Cancer Society's Privacy Policy, please paste the following link into your browser: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SU/su_0.asp.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Please pray for Cassi

Please pray for the Schuttinga family. Cassidy and her family are dear friends of ours at church. Cassi will be 4 years old this month, and she has fought with cancer almost constantly, since she was diagnosed at 11 weeks old. This darling little girl is brave and full of life, even as she battles daily. Please pray for their continued peace and patience, since barring a miracle, they are preparing for this final stage of the journey. You can read Cassi's story here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cassidy

The new summer look

After about 2 years of growing my hair out, the day finally arrived. I've been rather impatiently growing it out to donate for Pantene's program, Beautiful Lengths, which is similar to Locks of Love, though the hair they get is primarily made into wigs donated to women who are chemo patients. With my Mom's cancer struggle last year, this was a cause dear to my heart.

So, today at noon, I went in to get Annette (the girl who cuts it) to look at it, and she said she thought it was time, so we went for it! She teased that if I was much further along in my pregnancy she'd be worried I was just hormonal and ready for something drastic, but we've talked about this for months now, and she knew I was serious. She said that she thought it's thick and healthy enough that they could use mine for 3 wigs. :-) So, 8-9" worth of my hair will soon be on its way to Pantene. Thanks to my Mom for encouraging me to do this, and for my sweet kids and hubby who cheered and took pictures while I sat there, not quite as brave as I wanted to be. We all like the new 'do. It's short, and is curlier than ever, but feels so great, just in time for summer!