Look into my eyes.

Look into my eyes.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Emotions are calming down

I have taken today to calm and refocus.  (MAP Testing)  I have been blessed with wonderful friends and surprised by people who cares about me and my safety.  As many of you know Friday night I was very emotional and overwhelmed.  To have total strangers come to the event and show support for someone  they do not know is amazing.  There are so many people who helped me make the event a success that I hate to name them for fear of forgetting someone.  All I have to say is that TEACHERS ARE AMAZING!

I am done with 2 events and have 3 more to go.

1. AVON fundraising
2. MNEA RA raffles
3. Dine to Donate May 16th at TEXAS ROADHOUSE  (mark your calendars for a lunch date)

I will be posting the AVON information later this week.  There are special items and the women who are helping me are donating the proceeds to SDWR in my name.

I will be purchasing  (if I can't get one donated) an IPad Mini for the MNEA RA.  I am also putting a huge liquor bucket/wagon together.  All tickets will be 6 for $20.  There will be one type of ticket but two buckets so you will be able to split your tickets in half.  The ticket for the liquor and IPad will be pulled on Saturday so that the winner of the liquor can celebrate with 300 of his/her friends. 

I will be finalizing my last payment for my DAD on the last day of school.  I will continue to fund raise in order to help cover the cost.  I just cannot wait much longer.  I need a DAD soon.

Thanks!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Drum Roll Please

Thank you for all of your support. 

I have a finally tally for the event last night...

$5,567

So that makes my grand total...

$10,880

  

I am so overwhelmed

Last night was wonderful.  I have lots of thoughts that I will be writing about later this weekend but the down and dirty is that I am at $10,000.  My friends helped me raise $4,817.  There are no words to describe how loved I feel right now.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!


Thank you to all of the cat-sitters last night.  I had a very happy kitty last night.




Saturday, March 21, 2015

A Productive Break

So all the baskets are wrapped and looking great!  I have more than 30 baskets, 5-10 silent auctions, and we will have mystery balloons for sale.  Purchase a  # balloon and win a prize that is worth between $10- $70.  You are guaranteed to win every time.  

Thank you to all the local businesses that have helped to make the dinner a success.  
 American Carnival Mart -Party Land
Main Street Market
Three Dog Bakery 
Flower Petaler 
Thistle and Clover 
On Target 
Brunswick 
Texas Roadhouse
Schlafly Brewery
Blumenhoff Winery
Yuppy Puppy 
Happy Tails 
3 Kings 
Sparadise Nails 
Shamrocks 
Pretzel Boys 
The Tavern 
Rich & Charlies
Global Quesadilla Company
The Bug Store
O.K. Hatchery Feed & Garden Store 
King Pin Bowling
McArthur's Bakery
Food Service Center
Missouri Candle & Wax Company 
The Tan Company
Dobbs
AVON

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Another Eventful Day

Yesterday was spent selling tickets to my MNEA Family and checking out the event hall.  I had a long list of things to buy for the party and I have to admit it was fun shopping today.  I also made many batches of dog treats.  They are easy to make but take 40 mins. to bake.  This is when I wish had a convention oven.  But the house smells good and the bags are weighed and tagged. 

Wednesday will be a long day.  In the morning I will be going over the dinner details with wonderful cook and then wrapping baskets.  Several good women are coming to the Graham Headquarters to help finish baskets and I'm sure it will be a good time.  If you are available to help out for a few hours let me know.  I have to finish typing up the descriptions of the baskets and silent auction items.  We have great prizes and gifts for everyone.  The generosity of businesses and people have been overwhelming. 

I'm also working on making two baskets for the MNEA RA in April.  I will also have an AVON fundraising event going on in April.  I will be posting the new fliers after the dinner event.  It will be easy to buy product and I will make sure the delivery is fast and simple no matter where you live in Missouri.  I love a good road trip north and south.  If I get the funds there may also be a Ipad mini to raffle off at the RA.  I will asking my friends to help man a table (off of the RA floor) to sell tickets during breaks.  So be prepared to say yes to me when I ask for your selling help.  LOL

My goal is to contact SDWR by the end of May with the all of the money.  If you are thinking about donating or paying with a credit card please see if your company has a matching donation program.  This will double your generous donation and help even more. 

Cosmo is doing great and is loving the warm weather.  Every time I open the door he attempts to run out of the house. When he starts running you don't notice the new gate.  He is a fast little guy. 

I am in need of help setting up and cleaning up at the event.  If you can come around 3:30  or stay after to help put tables away it would be great.  

- setting up tables and chairs
-unloading and setting up baskets and gifts
-unloading food and setting it up
-setting up the kids activities
-decorating the hall
 
The goal is to have very little clean up except for trash and moving tables and chairs.  Everything will be disposable so that things will go quickly.

I know a rambled tonight and I'm sorry but I can't sleep and my brain is jumbled. 

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Long Nights

The last three nights have been very long.  My sugar levels are whacky and I think it is due to stress.  With sugar levels being off I'm up every 1 1/2 hours to check my levels.  So I'm not sleeping.  I am hoping that my levels are leveling off and Monday will be a good day.  Since I'm trying to keep hydrated all I'm doing is peeing any way so checking my sugar levels are not a big deal.

I'm am so exited about the ticket sales.  Having to print more tickets is a good thing.  If you would like to help out that evening please let me know.  I am in need of help doing the following:
-selling 50/50 tickets
-selling raffle tickets
-serving food
-selling beer/wine
-clean up
-set up

If you want to help let me know.

thanks

Monday, March 9, 2015

Some baskets that are ready

A GREAT HARLEY DAVIDSON BASKET

 
MARTINI'S ANYONE


PURINA DOGGIE FUN!

GIANT CUPCAKES, PANS, CAKE COVER
MARCH 27TH
DOORS OPEN AT 5:00
FOOD WILL BE SERVED TILL 7:00 ish.
LIVE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG.

SILENT AUCTIONS, RAFFLES, 50/50, ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS, AND MUCH MORE!



DON'T FORGET TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!!!  WE ONLY HAVE ROOM FOR 150 PEOPLE SO DO NOT BE LEFT OUT.

Friday, March 6, 2015

It's a short list


crock pot bags
crock pot meals or spices
lake toys
plastic wine glasses
board books
cat toys
picnic items
lemonade and tea for the dinner
cigars
balloons-  we have the balloons but they need to be            blown up (we won't have time to do it at the event) 


Thank you for your help
 

Cosmo's Spot: Another Weekend of Fund Raising

Cosmo's Spot: Another Weekend of Fund Raising: The good news is we have a lot of donations.  No more are needed.  Baskets are being arranged and thank goodness for the Graham Headquarters...

Another Weekend of Fund Raising

The good news is we have a lot of donations.  No more are needed.  Baskets are being arranged and thank goodness for the Graham Headquarters!  I think I will start living at their house.  I could not be doing any of this without my adoptive family. 

Dinner last night was great.  Hearing about life with a DAD was eye opening.  The safety factor will be great for me and my parents.  Hearing about other people's stories and experiences was interesting.  Looking at my house............ I'm worried.  My housekeeping skills will need to change.  Apparently labs like to eat things (anything) and sometimes when they are anxious about their humans it makes them want to eat/chew even more.  So a huge house cleaning and donation drop off will need to happen. 

Thank you for all of your help in this adventure of raising money.  It has made me to be more patient and accepting of others.  My friends have surrounded me and others have left me by the side of the road.  Still others have come into my life and are helping me.  I grew up being part of an organized religion but rejected the rules as I grew up.  I am finding myself realizing that my belief in something higher than myself is still there but being part of an organized religion may not be for me.  I do not want to feel betrayed when parts of my own beliefs cannot fit into a "religion". 

Sorry if my ideas do not fit into yours but that could be why people say never talk about religion at parties. 

Back to the Pasta Dinner........
         I need to sell a lot more tickets.  If you know for sure you are coming please let me know before Spring Break.  I want to hold tickets for you.  Remember that you can pay for them using the direct donation link      http://sdwr.donordrive.com/campaign/cosmic
 I will get an email from the group and you can leave a message and let me know that your donation is for the dinner.  

I am trying to figure out how to take credit cards at the event.  I will be experimenting with my phone and finding out if the hall has Internet.  You can always write checks at for dinner tickets/ raffles/50-50 and other fund things.  Checks will be made out to SDWR and I will have tax letters there for you.  

Some of you have asked about meeting any current SDWR families.  The Bate's will be at the event with Kai, Brad's DAD.  They have been very open with me and without Tiffany's help I would be lost in learning about DAD's.   

A short shopping list will get posted.  These are little things to fill out the baskets.  If you are able to help let me know.


Love to all who are helping.

Lori and Cosmo (he's asleep under the laptop)

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Yesterday a very kind person donated items for the baskets.  Thank you Kathy!
 
I went to a great new salon in Chic in O'Fallon.  I have a new fresh color and hair cut.  The shop is wonderful and the service was great.  Thank you Carol for introducing me to your daughter in-law.  
 
But of course I had to spend time promoting the event.  I found out that car dealerships have funds set aside to support events. Also Best Buy will send employees to events. If you or someone you know works at a dealer or at a BB store please let me know.  

SDWR is filing for a KOHLS grant to help me.  Please check out the donation page. Many companies will match employee's donations. 

I will have tax letters at the event so that your donations can be deductible.  If you want to write a check to SDWR that night I will submit the checks for tax donations.  

I am still needing the following the items.
 
large sturdy baskets
crockpot bags
crockpot meals
lake toys
plastic wine and beer glasses for use around the pool
board books
cat toys
Jelly Belly lg. bag
M & M lg. bag
picnic items
canned pumpkin
wheat flour
peanut butter
cigars