Fundraiser = success

Yesterday was one of the largest fundraisers the Dream Factory will have this year. Ron Dougan, an amazing volunteer, more or less single handedly put together this event, raising thousands of dollars that will grant dreams for critically and chronically ill children in Northwest Missouri. Tammy Cochran was the star of the show, and she was amazing – not to mention sweet as can be to the dream kids at the concert.

A few pics:

The amazing Ron, who coordinated this concertTammy meets Travis, one of our dream kids.

Opening act BP Willie

Tammy and guitarist

Future dream child and the bike he won at the concert.

To learn more about the Dream Factory and the amazing things it does, visit: http://www.dreamfactoryinc.org/

To donate to our chapter in Northwest Missouri, visit: http://www.dreamfactoryinc.org/ (site under construction)

Strategic planning, Super Bowl and sappiness

The Super Bowl is tomorrow, which can really only mean one thing – delicious snacks and hilarious ads. Oh, and I suppose a football game as well.

We have pulled pork sliders on the menu for tomorrow, complete with slowcooked brown sugar coated pork, coleslaw, bread and butter pickles and cheese all on hot rolls. Yum. I think the food is enough to make me forget that the Vikings didn’t make the Super Bowl.

Today started off with the first of many Northwest Missouri Dream Factory strategic planning meetings. I have the honor of leading the strategic planning meetings, and later writing the plan as well as the marketing plan. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help establish the objectives for this fantastic charity, and it is exciting to think what the future may hold for our organization. My main goal is to increase awareness of our group and raise our profile in Northwest Missouri. Check out our Facebook fan page here, and read about dream child Hayden here.

Tonight, my sweet husband kept me company as I worked on craft projects in the kitchen. (More on this later) He put music on his iPhone and we began to boogie across the hardwood floors. When the project was finished, we chilled on the couch and watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which has to be one of my new favorite movies. The animation is incredible, and this movie is one of those great kids movies that is written with enough intelligence to be good for adults, too. Lazy Saturdays are my favorite. We’re still just hanging on the couch, watching the Eukanuba National Championship and squealing over the cute dogs. (Come on, Cairn Terrier!)

It never ceases to amaze me how well Matt and I mesh together, despite having very different personalities. We are coming up on our 2-year anniversary, and it feels like we got married yesterday, and like we’ve been married forever at the same time. I am so thankful for my goofy husband who willingly goes to craft stores with me, who loves animated movies as much as I do, and who is always up for a spontaneous dance-off.

So , in honor of the love of my life, one of my favorite poems:

A VALEDICTION FORBIDDING MOURNING.
by John Donne

AS virtuous men pass mildly away,
And whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
“Now his breath goes,” and some say, “No.”

So let us melt, and make no noise,                                       5
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move ;
‘Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.

Moving of th’ earth brings harms and fears ;
Men reckon what it did, and meant ;                              10
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers’ love
—Whose soul is sense—cannot admit
Of absence, ’cause it doth remove                                     15
The thing which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,
That ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assurèd of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.                           20

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so                                          25
As stiff twin compasses are two ;
Thy soul, the fix’d foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if th’ other do.

And though it in the centre sit,
Yet, when the other far doth roam,                                30
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
Like th’ other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,                                    35
And makes me end where I begun.

Dream Factory concert!

The Dream Factory of Northwest Missouri is sponsoring an awesome concert, where all proceeds will go to benefit dreams for critically and chronically ill children. See a famous country singer for an affordable price, and know that all of your money is going to a great cause. What more could you want?