Free fundraising thermometer

Our Hearts Desire

"And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matthew 21:22

It's official. The Wilder Fertility Fund has been filed with the State of Florida and we are officially raising money for fertility treatments. Yes, that thermometer shows we have a LONG way to go. The $20,000 mark is in anticipation of two rounds of IVF. There may be alternative treatments we can peruse along the way that may be less expensive, such as Chinese medicine alternatives with acupuncture. At this point we are moving forward with the plan to attempt IVF when we have raised enough. The Lord may open another door before then. This is all in HIS hands.

Just to clarify too for those of you new to Craig and my plan for this fund, all monies raised and/or donated are going into a NON interest bearing account in the name of Wilder Fertility Fund. Those monies will be strictly monitored and accounted for. If you should feel led to donate to our journey, please know that you will be added to a list and will receive quarterly updates on our status and a record will be kept of your donation. The reason we are so adamant about doing this is that if for some reason we find ourselves unable to continue on this journey, we want to have an accounting of the funds so that the monies can all be returned to the person who donated and returned from the Fund. The quarterly accounting of funds raised will be included in a newsletter from Craig and I. All donations will be kept private, we will only list a total of what has been raised to date or for that quarter.

Well that's just a quick update. I'm excited to get to brainstorming on fundraisers. I have one in the words that I got from a friend. I can't wait to share it with you!

Wilder Fertility Fund

Well, it is official. Craig and I have ventured out and started our "fund" to raise money for alternative options in achieving pregnancy. I say alternative options instead of simply IVF (in vitro fertilization) because there are many things we may be able to do to achieve pregnancy and ultimately a child of our own without having to go the route of IVF. We are prepared at this point to do whatever it takes to achieve a child of our own and starting the Wilder Fertility Fund is our first step.

IVF ranges in costs but will more than likely be in the range of $11,000 to $14,000 per cycle. Wow is right!

Other options we may be able to try along the way are acupuncture treatments (pricey but often effective and not nearly the cost of IVF), or using a health/lifestyle coach to work with me individually for six months to attempt holistic measures (again pricey but no where near IVF costs).

Our journey begins and we hope that if the Lord leads you to contribute to our journey, you will. Be assured that any funds contributed to our journey will be accounted for in a specific account in the name of Wilder Fertility Fund and used solely for fertility treatments. If you feel led to and do contribute, you will be added to our newsletter list and will receive a quarterly newsletter giving you an update on our journey and an accounting of funds!

Saying goodbye was the worst!

So, I had to make a heartbreaking decision last week. It was time for Star to go to doggie heaven. My precious, sweet, loving, loyal, little four-legged daughter had reached the end of her days here and I couldn't stand watching her struggle through her days any longer.

Star came into our lives as a four year old. Craig and I had just gotten married in April and we got her in August of 2001. Neighbor friends of his parents were getting rid of her due to their adult daughter and her family moving back in. They loved Star dearly but needed to make room and wanted to give her to a good home. Craig took me over to "look" at her and we took her home that day.

She became my shadow, my playmate, my constant faithful companion and the sweetest dog anyone could ever dream of owning. Craig and I loved her from the day we got her and have so many wonderful memories of our precious chocolate lab with her infectious personality, crazy love of the water and her orange toy and her loyalty.

In her final months she had developed a thyroid disorder and was taking medicine and she was having trouble getting around. In her final days, she just couldn't get her back end up anymore without help and we made the heartbreaking decision to end her suffering and let her go to doggie heaven in dignity.

RIP, sweet girl.

Breast Cancer 3-Day!

I'm doing it!!! Check back for updates!

Cherish the Memories!

I've only run in the Gasparilla three times. This year made the third. What's special to me is that I've always run it with my dad. The first time was when I was 7 years old, then again at 20 and this year at 30. My dad is 60 this year and decided two days prior that he wanted to run the 5k with me. This is a man that battled cancer and won! He stays active and takes great care of himself, but hasn't kept up with running because it bothers his knees. You would never know he was 60 by looking at him and on race day, you would never have known he hasn't been running lately!



We ran the 5k and we had a ball. The first mile we had to dodge people walking and blocking the path of the runners but we had fun with it. It was such a great day with him and those are the memories I'll cherish always. He kept pace with me the whole time and we finished at just over 31 minutes. I think that's a pretty good time for myself, but it's an even better time for him since he hadn't trained at all.



He was tired and sore after we finished but he told me that he's going to train for next year and wants to run it again with me. He says we have to shoot for 27 minutes or less! Ok Dad, it's a date!

What a month it's been!

Well, it's been quite a busy month for me. I officially entered my prime when I turned 30. Craig planned a little get together for me at Kafe Kokopelli's in Dade City. It was a wonderful evening with friends and family. A special thanks to all that came out to celebrate with me.

The day after my birthday I jumped on a plane with my Dad and flew to NC for my cousin Haley's wedding. It was a fast trip but I'm so glad that I went. Haley and Josh has a beautiful wedding and she was a gorgeous bride! Walking into the room where she was waiting for the ceremony brought tears to my eyes. She was just so beautiful and so excited! The reception was great! Her and my aunt did an amazing job of pulling together a fabulous wedding is a very short amount of time. It was really fun getting to go with my dad too. We had a good time. I cherish times like that with him! It was nice seeing my aunt and uncle too and getting to spend some time with my other cousin, Lacy.

My friend, Michelle, welcomed her second baby, a little girl, into the world. Of course I missed the big day being in NC. She had a great delivery and baby Brook is healthy and just beautiful. She has this little tiny head that is full of black hair!!!! She's like a little doll and I'm so thankful that Michelle and Brook are doing well. I was able to go over and meet her when I got back and she is precious! Congratulations, Michelle and Justin. Her son, Ethan, is quite smitten with his baby sister too!

Michelle also turned 30 this month. She and I are only a few days apart and had always talked about having a huge joint 30th birthday party. Well, Brook kind of fixed that plan for us...not that we mind! I kind of felt bad that Michelle didn't get to have a big bash for her 30th so my friend Gena and I decided to have a belated 30th celebration for her. We got her mom and husband in on the deal and surprised her at Vallartas. She was shocked! It was a wonderul evening and we are so glad she got a special day!

My brother and his wife went on a quick trip to Georgia this past weekend and asked me to watch the girls! My first overnight babysitting job with them. They were perfect angels. No issues and I couldn't have had a better time with them. Thanks Joby and Heather for trusting me with your little blessings. It's a weekend I will not soon forget. Although they missed mommy and daddy like crazy, they enjoyed their time with Aunt Lydia and Uncle Craig.

Well, that sums up some of the highlights for January. I'll soon have more to add as I have another overnight babysitting job coming up tomorrow for a friend. It will be her first time leaving him overnight with ANYONE. I feel honored that she picked me and will have a blast with him! We'll see if she doesn't back out though...LOL!

Blessings!

Been awhile...

Boy, I guess I haven't had much to say this year...LOL! I just read the one and only blog I posted and I had JUST turned 29 and now here I sit, about to turn the BIG 3-0 that I had been talking about! I must say that I feel the same about it as I did the last time I blogged. I'm ready! Bring on the 30's!

Craig and I have had a very busy year between all of our hobbies and family. I'll try to bring you up to speed...

We have some precious little ones in our lives between our nieces and nephew and then all of our friends with kids. That is always fun. Our very good friends Jimmy and Darlene welcomed their long awaited baby boy, Jay, in February. They had been in our boat for awhile, longing for a child of their own, and it was wonderful to see them welcome that precious gift. Our good friends Gena and Brian welcomed their third child, Carson, in July. He's just as precious a gift as the other two they have and such a cutie!!! They do make beautiful babies! Between all of the kids in our lives I think Craig and I will stay busy spoiling them until we are blessed with our own.

Hunting season was a huge success with the boys each harvesting nice bucks and your truely getting a nice 9-point myself. I don't mind saying that I'm glad hunting season is coming to an end though...it's always nice to get Craig back for a few months until it starts all over again.

My Dad has stayed healthy and thriving and we could not be more thankful for that. He goes regularly for check-ups and we all keep our fingers crossed that they never tell us the cancer has come back. I remain thankful for every day he stays healthy and cancer free.

My Mom has had a great year and a not so great year...is that even possible? She has lost over 70 pounds and looks and feels great! I'm so very proud of her and it's inspired me to stay healthy and eat better. She did tear her miniscus and had to have knee surgery. She also found out she has two genetic mutations in her heart. They had been causing blackouts. She had a defibrillator installed and did amazing with that surgery. We all were advised to be tested for the mutations and turns out my sister and I each have one of the two my mom has. Luckily for us it is the less severe of the two and we should be fine taking a bata blocker for the rest of our lives. Last but not least, my mom had to have another neck surgery...the week before Christmas. Two bulgind discs in her neck to be repaired. They had to make an 8 inch incision in the back of her neck/scalp. She did wonderful with the surgery even though she is still in a lot of pain. She grins through it and handles it like a pro. Her faith is strong through the many health issues she faces and it's a testament to her relationship with the Lord!

We took our 2nd Annual Trip to Tennessee with Haley and Josh and had a wonderful time. Lots of quality time with my cousin. Haley recently got engaged and is also expecting her first child the end of July! So many exciting things to happen for her and Josh in 2009!

The year would not be complete without our traditional Key West trip for the Sportsman Mini Lobster season. It was nice trip. Great weather, fishing, snorkeling, lobstering and hanginoug out with the Peterson Clan at the island.

So far that's our 2008 in a nutshell. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends and so blessed beyond measure. In these economic times, we are thankful for the things we are blessed with and for trust in our Heavenly Father.

Hopefully we will have some exciting updates for you in 2009!