A Page Straight From Wellington....The Magazine
The November 2009 Issue
Yours Truly on Stage at the recent Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Event. Contrary to the painful look on my face, I was having the time of my life! I think this makes 3 months in a row for an appearance in this shiny magazine and a few times in The Town Crier Newspaper. We received tremendous support from the local media...it made all the difference in the way the Community rallied around this wonderful event.
Life has quieted down (sort of, kind of, well...almost) since the MSABC Walk is over. We still have a few events before the year is over, yet nothing like the intensity we were flying at for most of September and October. (Click on the photo to enlarge the details.)

Thanks for indulging me in yet, another post on the event that has been the center of my life for the bulk of 2008.

It is my hope and prayer that my daughters and grand daughters only know of Breast Cancer as something that "used to affect" women.

Do you personally know someone with Breast Cancer?

Or someone who has had Breast Cancer and is a Survivor?

I am simply amazed at how many women (aside from those I have met while working on MSABC) I personally know who have fought or are fighting the battle against Breast Cancer. I am inspired by those who conquer this disease with medicine, prayer, miracles, and incredible attitutudes.

Perspective and Choosing Between Good and Good
Some Fridays I say ahhh....hooray for the Weekend!
Others I say... AAAGGGHHHHH...the weeked is here...I can't wait until it is over!

Today I am saying the later of the two....this weekend will be FULL. Just plain packed full. Speaking of packing, time to pack up everyone (not Mr. Riley) and head North to Orlando.
Ron and I will be conducting our first Regional LDS Singles Event in Orlando tomorrow (a Temple Day, A Mixer Luncheon at a local Hotel, and a 2009 Planning Session)
The Bonus...we are bringing the girls with us and we get to see my parents (and of course, get to attend the Temple)

Sunday brings ever favoriteThe Primary Children's Program in Sacrament Meeting with yours truly coordinating the Thank You Cupcakes and snacks afterwards. (No I don't have a Primary Calling...just remember what it's like on that day for those leaders after being a Primary President TWICE. I am happy to remove that load from these leaders who have worked so hard) Whoa...I just realized....this is Katherines LAST Primary Program.

Sunday afternoon, it is our Wrap Up Event for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. We give out the awards, announce the final amounts collected, recruit helpers for the 2009 Walk, say some nice words, get our photos in the Newspaper again.......the whole drill.

All of this with the PTA Carnival in one week and yours truly, the Chairperson of the Basket Auction, is fielding Concerns from 90 Room Moms. Oh were the calls and e-mails flowing on tap yesterday!Putting out fires all over Room-Mom-Land is worth a blog post alone!

I know the weekend could be even more packed...it really is behind the scenes....we have said NO to that many more GOOD events (Birthday Parties, Primary Practice and Party, Carnival, Out to Dinner with Friends, not to mention to luxury of accomplishing a task or cleaning my garage)

Choosing between Good and Good is something I face almost every day. I am not alone in having to make these choices. Every individual and family is faced with full schedules and calendars.I do know that not every GOOD event deserves my time and energy. I have to weigh the cost/benefit of each GOOD choice placed in front of me and choose well for myself and my family. Sometimes the best choice is to just stay home (which is what I am craving right now)

Maybe...just maybe next week, I will be able to clear a path through my house...in between School Carnival duties, Bring Your Parent To School Day, Breathing, Megan's Chorus Performance, Orthodontist Appointments, Hair Appointment, and more (that is just what I can think of as the words flow from my fingers)

Meanwhile, I had confirmation that I am still sane....very sane....I have heard it said that a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind....No worries here if there is even a hint of truth to that saying! And if the condition of your office counts.....I should be charging for my SANE PERSPECTIVE! I thought about snapping a photo, but you would think I staged it...yes it is that bad.

Do you have weekends that are too busy?

Do you have to choose between good and good often?

Do you crave to stay home?

Is your Desk Clean or Messy?

Good Tired....

4:30am came early today!

Have you ever worked so hard in one day that you are beyond

tired? Adjectives escape me as I search for an accurate

description of the way I feel tonight.

I am so Tired...even my HAIR hurts.

It is a good tired...a wonderful tired!

Yours truly during the Opening Program. I recognized The

Sponsors and introduced our MSABC Chair.

We had beautiful weather! After a week of rain most every

day, it got cool and absolutely gorgeous for our big event.If you ask most of the children in attendance, those who

got to ride in golf carts said that was their favorite part.

Here I am with Katherine and Megan, who, loved the

golf cart privileges that came along with the

"Our Mom Is Working Her Tail Off" territory!

Here is Lacy, one of the Young Women from Church. I was so

proud of the girls from Church who volunteered. They

have such great attitudes and know how to roll up their

sleeves and work, work, work!

They are headed out to place signs along the walking path.

Here is Gigi, another one of The Young Women from Church.

We really did do more than ride around in Golf Carts...

We worked hard and played hard!

And just like that......all the months and months of planning and

preparation came together for an amazing event!

Hooray for The American Cancer Society,

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

in The Western Communities of Palm Beach County!

Serving on The Executive Committee for this event

was an amazing experience!

The people I worked with on the Committee and in

The Community were incredible!

Now....my regularly scheduled life needs

me to tune back in and pick up the pieces

(read...deep clean the house and hit the gym

consistently...oh, and maybe take a nap!)

Meanwhile....tomorrow is Stake Conference and in the

afternoon, we are hosting an Open House for a Young Man

who will be serving in the Columbia Bogota Mission this week.

The nap will have to wait until Monday.....

It's Here...

Walk Day is tomorrow!

Interpret that as... I will not sleep for the next Two Days...

at least, not for any length of time..

or with too much deep R.E.M sleep

I am just too darn excited!

I just found out my speaking part of the

program is much more in depth than I thought.

(Lots of thank yous to shout out!)

That part I can handle...I am

generally comfortable speaking in front of a crowd...

it is just that I am speaking with local celeb DJs,

Mo and Sally of 105.5 and a few others.

They will bring so much fun to the program!

Today...it is just watching all the puzzle piece come

together after months and months of planning!

I love seeing a plan come together!

If you are attending the Walk...arrive early...avoid

parking messes and lines at Registration...

better yet..make sure you are registered on-line

HERE.

Read Previous Post before reading this one.....

Miracle Added On...

No sooner than I had hit "publish post" on the post below and

another Miracle occurred...

There was a logistics challenge with the fruit for 800 people..

the glitch was on my end...not the Produce Vendors...

If the Fruit is delivered to the Walk Site on Friday afternoon...

how do we keep it Fresh and Cold

let alone... this reality..

how to keep it away from the critters certain to be

attracted to the draw of fresh fruit during the night?

We have an on-site security guard all night long....however..

babysitting Fruit for 800 people was not in his contract.

What to do.....

We could store the fruit at a grocery store

(my original hook up source..guess which one..it begins with an A)

in their cooler and

then send a few vehicles over at 5-6am on Saturday to shuttle

the boxes of fruit over to the walk site....

(read...project for Ron because I will be tied up at the Walk Site at that point...

hopefully, not literally tied up in astraight jacket)

I could store in in my living room....Turn the air down LOW

What to do....

I had to solve this logistics challenge TODAY...THIS MORNING

Then my phone rang.....

It was the Produce Vendor

(I love this guy..not because of his

generosity, but because he is so kind and real...just one of those

incredibly NICE people. The kind of person you just feel better

after speaking with, no matter what they say)

He said...I would prefer to deliver the fruit first thing Saturday Morning

between 5 and 6am....My driver will be in that area for another delivery.

What could I say????

No kidding....

Prayers Answered, Logistics Challenge Solved, and

The Miracles are pouring in before I even shower this morning....

It's not me...I am just an instrument to make this come together.

Daily Miracles...

Every day, I am awed by acts of kindness and generosity.

Here is one example of a Miracle....

I walked in to a local business in hopes of getting a discount

on a few platters of fruit and/or vegetables for the MSABC

Walk Participants...

We have a small budget...most everything is donated, however,

some of the food, we expect to pay for,

but hope to get some sort of discount if we purchase in volume,

advertise for the vendor, etc.

TEN MINUTES and ONE PHONE CALL LATER....

The Store Manager has a local Produce Vendor offering to donate

enough fruit for 800 Walkers.

My jaw was on the ground....I was moved to tears, humbled, and

very grateful....I know it was a MIRACLE and an answer to my

prayers.

Good Thing I was not driving when I spoke to the Produce Vendor

on the phone....you would have found my car in a canal at the side

of the road....hopefully, with me NOT in it.

There are so many lives touched by these acts of kindness and

generosity. I am grateful to be a blip on the radar screen.

Oh...and the Businesses....anonymous.

A.W.O.L

From The Blogosphere

With Good Reason....

This Saturday, the months and months of hard work

are coming together. Working on this event has been

an amazing experience . Serving on The Executive Committee

for MSABC has given me such a view of the absolute goodness in

people right here in my own backyard as well as those from

far away. Each day, someone makes a donation, tells a story,

offers a service, etc. that touches my heart.

It is humbling to have offers come on a daily basis

from people who are struggling with tight resources,

yet they open their hearts.

Until this weekend is over, blogging will be sporadic and light to

non-existent.

I still have not shared my most recent answer to prayers.

It brought one of those

"This-only-happens-to-Shauna-experiences"

The prayer was answered as a result of my participation

in

A PINK CHRISTMAS

Presented by Kristi from Everything Is Pink

She may tell part of my story before I post about it.

I will say this...

I am thankful I met Kristi via the Blogosphere who was featured on

Design Mom sharing the idea of GOOD MAIL that she got from the

original Good Mail Queen, Jill.

The Blogging World is amazing and such a force for good!

Cut A Thon

Making Strides Against

Breast Cancer

Thank you to Visions Hair Salon of Wellington

for graciously hosting a Cut A Thon to raise funds for our

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

Tom, the owner, and all the stylists,

came in on their day off to help this cause.

The salon was booked all day long

and there were several 'walk-ins' and new clients.

Hair Cuts and Blow Drys were offered for a

donation to MSABC. Many of the stylists even donated their

tips for the entire day.

Almost $3,000 was raised in a few short hours.

Amazing things happen when a community pulls together

for a great cause.

Here is Katherine doing her part to help. It was the ideal

time for a Back To School haircut.

I am enjoying working on this MSABC event with so

many incredible people in my community.

Thank you, everyone!

Happy St Patricks Day

Happy St Patrick's Day

Today is one of those Mondays when I woke up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. The weekend was so packed!

Yesterday, we had Ward Conference

(more on that later)
The messages were excellent in every meeting.

Later in the evening we had Young Men and Young Women Meetings, and Bishops Youth Council topped off with an excellent Youth Fireside. Yes, I have written or stated this a thousand times..... The Young Men and Young Women in my Ward are INCREDIBLE, absolutely INCREDIBLE!

Saturday I went to Orlando for a MSABC University... What is MSABC, you ask? It is The American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer annual fundraising event. I attended the University for the 2008 Training. I am serving on the Executive Board for MSABC in The Western Palm Beach County Area (you will read about it many times this year) I am passionate about fighting and finding a cure for Breast Cancer. The Training was over the top fun and informative!

Friday was Katherine's Birthday Celebration (I do not have one photo as I misplaced my camera!) Ron found it in the exact place I had looked 10 times! Duh! Thank you, dear! Thankfully, Ron was home to record it on DVD. The funny thing is, I could post photos from last year, and, except for the people, they would be almost identical. I just recycled last year's party with the St Patrick's Day theme, Search For The Pot of Gold, etc. Click on the links for photos from last year and some St Patricks Day Ideas. More on last year's party here

Because of being gone on Saturday and hosting Katherine's party during my favorite Friday afternoon exercise class, I did not get enough exercise this weekend. That is the true reason I felt like a truck hit me this Monday morning. It is a great lesson to me as to how important it is to get right back to the gym when I have a few days away.

Preparing for Andrew's return on Thursday has me flying high. I am so darn excited to see him!!!! Thank goodness Ron found my camera! I would be hyperventilating right now thinking about not having a camera at the Miami Airport on Thursday!!!!! I keep trying to imaging the gammut of emotions he is experiencing every minute of his last few days in Peru!

Being St Patricks Day, and one who loves celebrations.... I am still planning my green dinner for this evening.... fairly simple to do when so many vegetables are green! With 2 weeks to go for my weigh in, I will bypass the Corned Beef this year. Cabbage, yes, Corned Beef, not this year!

Happy St Patricks Day! Whatever you do... make it fun, make it memorable, and make it GREEN!