Make a Wish Dream Car Show

Benjamin Franklin once said "doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves." What an amazing "something" this car show was! A total of $13000 was raised for the Make a Wish foundation. Melanie Hansel (Mrs. KS International 2008) and I had the blessing of meeting Kaylen, the Make a Wish child for the event. He is is 11 and was diagnosed with leukemia --what an amazing young man! (Kaylen, you are in our prayers). We also distributed trophies to over 35 fabulous cars! I feel very grateful to have gotten to be a part of this amazing experience!

Tag--You're it!

Jennifer Stehlar, Mrs. NY American Beauty tagged me so now I'm passing the torch. This is a fun way for others to get to know some "quirky" things about me. Here goes:

Rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you

2. Mention the rules on your blog

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

My six unspectacular quirks:

1. I have an "evenness" thing LOL If one hand gets wet, I have to get the other one wet too or I feel uneven. LOL (My sister and Mom know just what I'm talking about).

2. I just learned how to use an Ipod (thanks to my 14 year old son)

3. I follow a very predictable bedtime routine (brush teeth, wash face, read books to babies, tuck them in, crawl into bed, watch Bones, House, or Stargate Atlantis with hubby, fall asleep).

4. I am a sci-fi nerd! LOL I love Stargate, Star Wars. Ok...I never got into Star Trek.

5. I am Mom to 5 and step mom to 2...my house is always a mess and there are always dirty clothes!

6. I am, unfortunately, not a domestic goddess. When my son was in 3rd grade, his class had a Mother's day tea. They were putting together recipe books as gifts. When I arrived for the party, another Mom came up to me and said, "Tyler has raved about your world famous brownies. I can't wait to get the recipe!" I had to laugh. My response..."Betty Crocker boxed mix!"

Those I've tagged:

Jennifer Stehlar:

http://stehlar.blogspot.com/2008/06/tag-you-it-ive-been-tagged-by-sister.html

Rachel Murphy:

http://mrsks2008.blogspot.com

Laine Berry

www.takingwellnesstoheart.blogspot.com

Kellie Hierholzer

www.kellihierholzer.com/#

Pete Rohleder

www.peterohleder.com

Melanie Hansel

www.mrsksint2008.blogspot.com

Boys & Girls Club kickoff

I attended the Boys & Girls Club of South Central KS summer kickoff on June 9th. What an amazing organization! There were approximately 250 children in attendance. The Club focuses on youth development and work force training (thanks to the $2.5 million  grant funded through the Knight Foundation!). 

I've had the privilege of working with this organization over the past year and truly believe the activities and mentoring children experience here positively impacts their lives. I am proud to be part of such a worthwhile organization! 

Send off party for Miss KS (MAO)

 What fun! I attended a send-off party for Jennifer (Miss Butler County) and Emily (Miss Augusta) this week. Erin Houston, Miss KS Teen United States 2007 was also in attendance. The girls modeled their wardrobe for the Miss KS pageant (being held in Pratt next week), demonstrated their talent, and completed an on-stage interview question. 

What was so inspiring was to see the local support these gals have. The mayor was there, as well as several other key constituents. These girls truly have the backing of their community! Good luck you two!

Better Speech and Hearing Month

May is Better Speech & Hearing month sponsored by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

If you or your child doesn't already have a portable music player or something similar, chances are that you will purchase one soon.. It's great that we can enjoy music through advances in audio technology, but at what price? With the increasing popularity of MP3 players, millions of adults and children across the U.S. are at a newfound risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Listening to headphones at high volumes for extended periods of time can directly result in lifelong hearing loss. The loss may occur painlessly and gradually over time and – this is important! – Noise-Induced Hearing Loss often goes unnoticed until it's too late.

More than half of high school students in the U.S. report having at least one symptom of hearing loss according to a 2006 poll commissioned by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. But it's not too late to curtail further hearing loss entirely in younger kids who are just starting to use portable music players and similar devices. It's critical that children learn good listening habits, and that parents set guidelines for headphone usage, monitor noise levels, and watch for warning signs of hearing loss. Here are three simple steps you can take to protect your children's – and your own – hearing.

1. Keep the volume down. A good guide is half volume.

2. Limit listening time. Give your hearing "quiet breaks."

3. Upgrade your earbuds, which sit inside the ear, and frequently come with the purchase of a portable music player, to earphones that fit outside the ear and block out unwanted sound. You can also upgrade to earphones that fit snugly into the ear canal and do the same thing.

Susan G. Komen For the Cure

Did you know that over 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2008? An estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer. 

My involvement with Susan G. Komen For the Cure stems back 10 years. My grandmother, aunt, and mother are all breast cancer survivors. Every year, the entire family walks in the Race for the Cure to support increased fiscal resources for breast cancer research and increased awareness. I am also on the education committee and volunteer regularly to disseminate information regarding breast cancer screening, treatment, and resources.

I've included a link to the donations page. Together, we can beat this disease. My goal is to work steadfastly to increase awareness and funding so that by the time my children become concerned about their own breast health, we not only have a cure for breast cancer, but also a way to prevent it.

Chisholm Trail Days, Caldwell, KS

From 1883 to 1887, the end of the Chisholm Trail was in Caldwell, KS. Annually, citizens in Caldwell celebrate their rich history with their Chisholm Trail days. My family and I were guests this year and had a wonderful time! The children loved the gunfight show and I fired the gun for the starting of the annual relay race. I also had a guest role in the theater production "Wild Women or Gentle Tamers: Women of the Wild West." For this role, I dawned a saloon girl costume and had a few lines! It was fun! A line from the play reminded me of what a powerful role women have in society. We are wives, mothers, friends, sisters, employees, employers, and many other. Each one of us will leave our mark on history!