I've spent the day going up and down the stairs in our home taking the Fall decor up to the attic and bringing the Christmas decor down. And every step, every trip was full of prayer. 

As Thanksgiving comes to a close and you start making your list for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday shopping, I'm hoping you'll add at least one more item to your list. 

You see, I've been praying over 10 families....some of them I know and love. Some of them I call my dear friends. Some of them I don't know yet, but I will. 

Five years ago, I met a little girl who changed my life and my love for Christ and every Christmas after that. Ellie Kate was a joy. I don't even know how to describe her other than joy. She was anointed. A child of God whose smile could light up any room. Ellie was born with a rare, genetic disorder called NKH. I fell in love with her, got really mad at God, and then discovered a God who loves us unconditionally. 

Ellie's mom, Ryan, is the co-founder of a non-profit organization called Hope Link. It exists to provide support to families with children who have rare, serious, and often undiagnosed conditions. There is even a Hope Link Graduates group now for families who have lost children. We say it's not a group you ever want to be a part of, but it's a huge blessing to these mommas. 

Hope Link is a thriving and growing community. They reach out to other families in the area by delivering care baskets to local hospitals to be delivered to other families with kiddos who have rare conditions and long hospital stays. 

It is community in it's most raw and beautiful form. 

Several years ago, we felt a pull on our hearts to attempt to provide Christmas for several of our Hope Link families. We used our Scentsy team as a launching point to spread the word and pray for gifts. And that year, our dining room was filled with gifts. Donations of love for several of our Hope Link families. Every year since, we have prayed hard and dreamed of great provision for some of these amazing families. 

All our Hope Link families have to battle insurance issues and medicare and in-home nursing and long hospital stays. Unfortunately some of our families even end up at the hospital over Christmas. 

So Christmas is something we do to try to ease the stress of the holidays. It's one way we can bless some truly incredibly families. But it's honestly a little scary. 

We adopted 10 of our Hope Link families this year. We asked each of them to provide us with a simple wish list of 3 items they would like to have. Some of them have a hard time doing it. They fight me on it. They ask if there is another family who could be blessed by it instead of them. 

And I press them. They deserve to be loved like this. They deserve for their stories to be told. 

So this year, we are sponsoring 10 families, 47 people, and over 145 items on our final master wish list. And I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't nervous. I am. It's a big task. 

But I'm also so crazy excited. I can't do this on my own. There's no doubt about that. And when we decide to do big and scary things, we give God the opportunity to show off in big ways. 

So I'm expectant. I'm asking the Lord to bless these families with more than just things this year. I'm trusting that He'll move in some of your hearts. That their stories will grab you and change you. 

So I'm asking this year for a simple task....150 people committed to buying a single gift for a Hope Link family. They're more than just gifts. They truly are pieces of hope delivered to these families at one of the hardest times of the year. Many of these families are facing another Christmas without one of their babies.  

My sweet friends the McLaughlins are one of those families. Ellie Kate went to be with Jesus on December 23rd of 2012. During a time when many of us can look past our own struggles and issues and focus on Christmas and family and Christ, it's hard for them to function without Ellie here. 

So I'm asking for big love this year. I'm asking for more. Give a gift and then ask what else you can do. Volunteer to deliver theses gifts to one of our OKC families. Volunteer to bring them a meal or coffee or just ask how you can help. There is so much more that we can do as the body of Christ to love well those around us who are hurting. In honor of Ellie, we are giving hope this Christmas. 

So how do you help? 

• Share our story. 
• Commit to buying 1 gift via our Hope Link Amazon wishlist. 
• Reach out and ask how you can do even more. Just shoot me an email @ allisondalke@gmail.com. We need help wrapping, delivering, praying, writing cards....there is so much to do. 

Help us give hope this year. Because there is no better gift than the thrill of hope. 

Do Something Wonderful....even if you have to do it scared

I have put off writing this blog post this year because I've let myself get scared. I've let myself stop believing in the generosity of others. I've let myself believe that people are too busy or that no one really cares. I've told myself that we don't have enough time.

Fear can stop you, if you let it. 

But I've decided I'm not in the mood to let fear stop me this year, so I'm going to do it scared. 

We {that would be you and I and all the people we know} have the ability to make a big impact this Christmas as we help provide Christmas for 8 amazing Hope Link families. 

Hope Link is a non-profit organization that is incredibly special to me. I was shaken up and changed in the most amazing way by a little girl named Ellie Kate (whose birthday was this week!). Ellie was a gift to my soul. She never spoke a word to me but she changed the words in my heart. She helped me understand Christ's love in a way I didn't know was possible. 

Whether you can buy 1 gift or 100, we would love your support. Will you share with your friends, with your families, with your co-workers or teams? Will you challenge them to help us fulfill this giant list? We would be so grateful.
Please have all gifts sent to:

  

She taught me about love and sacrifice; eternity and hope. And I am forever grateful for that. Ellie is no longer here on this earth. But her influence and the influence of her family lives on for all to see. 

Ellie's mom, Ryan Elizabeth, started a non-profit organization with a good friend of hers, Amy, that provides support and hope to families who have children with rare, serious or undiagnosed conditions. 

These families are selfless, inspiring, and filled with joy. Many of our Hope Link families have buried children. And most of them have not only a child with special needs, but also typical children too.  Most of these families spend extended periods of time in the hospital every year, often multiple times a year and many battle medical debt, insane insurance issues, and are in a constant search for medical equipment that they need for their children. 

These unique families need all the hope and love the world can show them, and that's what we hope to do this Christmas. 

I know you have a budget and a plan to stick to. I get it. So do we, but there is something you can do. We've created a Hope Link Amazon wish list this year. Each of our nominated families (8 all together) sent in their wish lists, and we complied them into one big dream list! 

OR if you're feeling brave, we would love for you to adopt a family and shop specifically for that family. You'll be able to learn about the family and their special needs child and even make the delivery drop off if you live in the OKC area, if you want to.

We are strong together, and we can do great things when we're united....won't you join us and give hope to a few families who so desperately need it this Christmas? Will you help me do something wonderful this year? 

To buy a gift from our Hope Link Wishlist now or to share with others, go to our Amazon Hope Link Wish List. 

Hope Link OKC

c/o Allison Dalke 

23020 Lauren Lane

Edmond, OK 73025 

Scentsy and Velata Goodies

Oh good gracious....it's been busy around here. And I think I like it that way...mostly. I have to be careful not to overbook myself and most importantly, make sure that I'm spending time with my hot hubby and taking quiet time for myself. 

There's a chance I overbooked myself this week. We are making lunch tomorrow for the 15 employees at our foster care center and hosting our Last Chance/First Glance open house on Thursday. We're pretty excited, and I may have gone overboard on the free goodies I'm taking them. I really, really like to spoil people. 

Here are the 15 bags I've been working on for the past couple days.....{there is a very chance that these bags will be very similar to the freebies my Last Chance/First Glance attendees will receive for stopping by.} 

Each gift bag has a catalog sack on the inside with free samples from both Scentsy and Velata, and a personal letter inside each one. 

I made Landry Liquid and Washer Whiff samples tonight, and they turned out so cute! I found plastic test tubes on amazon that I used for the laundry liquid. 

I also included a new Fall and Winter catalog, a Harvest collection flyer, a September monthly flyer, and a couple wax samples. 

For Velata goodies, I added one of our Artisian Rub samples, a recipe card (to match the rub), and a dark chocolate sample along with a current catalog. 

I'm thinking those are some pretty amazing freebies, but our case worker (and all her friends) definitely deserve it. 

I thought you might like to see what I've been up to. I'll let you know how lunch goes tomorrow. It should be lots of fun. 

Giving Hope

Oh my goodness it's been quiet here for so long! Brian may have started a rumor that I'm not writing here because I'm writing a book. And while, it's true that I absolutely am going to write a book, I haven't started yet. 

I do have this deep desire to write though. It's definitely a desire of my soul, and I feel it beginning again. 

Anyhooo....

Did you know that April 24th is National Pay it Forward day!? What if we did something big and blessed a lot of people between now and then? Sounds good to me. 

If you know my story at all, you know that several years ago, my heart was captured by a little girl named Ellie Kate. Ellie suffered from a rare and serious condition called NKH. You can read more about NKH here. You can read more about how Ellie Kate impacted my life here. 

Ellie's momma, Ryan, along with her friend, Amy, are the co-founders of an incredible organization called Hope Link. Hope Link's mission is to connect mother's who have children with rare or undiagnosed disorders while providing encouragement, hope, and support through fellowship and prayer. 

These mommas spend most of their days in and out of appointments and therapies. They live lives that most of us can't even imagine. They are solely devoted to their babies and children. I have never seen a more selfless group of women. Their courage and tenacity has inspired me. They have helped me to understand that fear is only a real thing if you allow it to be. These women are the definition of Hope. They are the hope for their families and their children. They are advocates, fighters, doers. They are women of prayer who serve each other selflessly. 

Hope Link exists to bring them hope. Many of these mommas have babies in heaven and they continue to be a part of the Hope Link family....serving, giving, supporting. 

But today, as we anticipate National Pay it Forward day, I'm asking you to give them a little bit of hope. We are creating a Giving Circle. It's a circle of people who all believe that moms and families who have children with rare or undiagnosed disorders, should have a safe place, a group of people who support and love them. 

You can join our circle, with a $10 recurring monthly donation. Join our circle here.

You can read more about Hope Link and what your $10 donation will contribute to by clicking here. 

Thanks for loving these families. They truly deserve it. 

Let's Send Taylor to Kenya

I'm honored to introduce you today to a precious little girl who has a true heart for the Lord. Taylor is 17 years old and will be taking a mission trip to Kenya this year. 

This is her story in her words:

God works intricately with his creation. He allows events to take place, brings people into our lives, and takes us places we couldn’t ever imagine. And it’s all to his glory. Have you watched to see his hand working in your life lately?

There was a young girl in Kenya who was given a wonderful opportunity to come to America. This young girl went to school and graduated from university, but this was not all that God had in store for her life. She took this opportunity to return back to her homeland of Kenya to extend love and purpose and a future to the people. This woman’s name is Beatrice. She now has a ministry, Maisha International. The hand of God was working, and continues to work, in this woman’s life. And it’s all to his glory.

While Beatrice was attending school in America she babysat my brother and I. I remember many times that she would come to our home. We would watch The Lion King while she braided my hair, just like her’s, and I would ask her when she could take me to Africa. She always told me that if it was in God’s plan we would go together. I’m so happy to say that God has provided clear direction that Kenya is where I’m suppose to be this summer! Little did I know that a prayer offered to God out of my young heart so many years ago would come to fulfillment. And I get to experience this with my childhood African sister!

I look forward to sharing the love that has penetrated my heart with others half way around the world. I feel truly honored that God would choose me to be used as his vessel. I am open to whatever He has for this trip. Likewise, I’m open to whatever He has for my future.

This will be the summer between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. His hand has always been intricately working in my life and this is yet another example of his greatness. God has created a whole world filled with new people and places to experience. I want to travel to the ends of the earth to tell people about my savior. I pray that there will be many more opportunities in my future to experience new places and to share the light that is within me for his glory.

Thank you so much for your time and I hope you will join me in prayer and support. Please pray for myself, and the team that I will be traveling with. Pray those with whom we will share, that their hearts will be ready to accept the gift of salvation. Please pray for Kenya.

Her heart shines so brightly through her words. I hope you would consider helping Taylor get to Kenya. There are multiple ways you can help.

1. Go to my Scentsy website by clicking here and shop from Taylor's fundraiser. A large portion of your order total will go directly towards funding Taylor's, trip. 
2. Give online directly to Maisha International by going to http://www.maishainternational.org/ and fill in the field to direct donation with Taylor Dickinson Mission Trip. 
3. Mail a check to: Maisha International, P.O. Box 570, Oklahoma City, OK 73101 Add Taylor Dickinson Mission Trip on the memo line of the check.
4. Pray. 

Thank you in advance for supporting Taylor as she follows the lead of the Holy Spirit to serve in Kenya. Oh if we could all have the courage and strength that Taylor does! 

Hope for the Holidays

There are dozens of them. Dozens of families a part of an incredible community, raising children with rare, serious, or undiagnosed disorders. Most people pray for happy, healthy children. Not everyone gets the healthy part. Thus, life is different for these families. 

Incredible, inspiring, humbling....just a few words to describe our Hope Link families. They are a part of a community that no one necessarily desires to be apart of, but they are a part of it. It is the most beautiful community I have ever laid eyes on, and I am honored to have seen small, intimate glimpses of it. 

Sometimes I feel like I'll never be able to do enough. I'll never be able to help enough, serve enough, give enough to this amazing community. And other times I know that anything and everything helps. 

This weekend we are hosting a giant, multi-vendor, Hope Link fundraiser at our home. Over 15 vendors, Christmas music, cider, hot cocoa, Christmas cookies and a warm cozy fire...plus, each vendor has generously donated a door prize. 

Hope Link will be here with information about their incredible organization with a prayer bowl for you to pick a name of a Hope Link child to pray for over the coming weeks. 

I hope you can join us. If you live in the Oklahoma City area, we would love for you to join us. Saturday, November 23rd 10am-3pm. For more information, contact me directly via email at allisondalke@gmail.com. 

The unexplainable gift of joy

I'll never forget the 1st Christmas. Our dining room was literally filled to the top with wrapped gifts. A ladder, a dollhouse, a new pair of shoes, new coffee cups....some things were as simple as crayons and coloring books, but they were all gifts meant to bless the lives of a dozen families. 

They live lives that no one wishes for.....lives that no one thinks they will personally ever have to live. All of these families were blessed with special needs children.....most of them have rare, serious, even undiagnosed disorders. Many of these families have buried children. 

We decided to provide Christmas for them. Our entire Scentsy organization came together sending gift cards, presents, personal notes....all to make Christmas for these families feel over the top. 

And it was. I have never had more joy in my heart than I did they day we loaded up vehicle after vehicle with presents to be delivered. 

And we're doing it again. Hope Link {the local non-profit organization that supports families of children with rare, serious or undiagnosed disorders} has grown in the past few years. This year they decided to nominate families within their organization that would benefit from being adopted this Christmas. 

Theys agreed on 10 families. So 10 families it is. 

There have been many of you who have asked about helping this year. I can tell you that it is the greatest joy to buy for one of these families. I thought that we would be a blessing to them that 1st year, and I'm sure that we were, but the incredible joy that came from giving was unmatchable. They blessed us so much. 

So here is where you come in. We are looking for individuals, families, organizations, whomever, to partner with us to provide an incredible Christmas for 10 of our amazing Hope Link families. 

There are lots of ways you can help: 

1. Adopt an entire family. We asked each family member to list 3 things he or she would want/need/or wear. We are hoping to fill all 3 items for all family members. If you would like to adopt an entire family, you could partner with your family, friends, co-workers, etc to provide Christmas for your family. 
2. Adopt a person. This would entail purchasing the 3 things from one person's wish list. 
3. Donate money or gift cards. Our ultimate goal is to provide a Visa gift card and a grocery store gift card in addition to the items requested. Anything you can give helps us make this happen. 

If you are interested in helping one of our special needs families this year, please send me an email at allisondalke@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for giving. I promise, you'll find more joy in it than you ever could have imagined. Will you join us this year? We'd love for you to be a part of such joy. 

Serve Moore {Part 2}

Today is part 2 of our Serve Moore story. I went to Moore with a couple friends yesterday to serve. We had a crazy day despite our original un-crazy plans. You can read Part 1 here.

After pulling up to the Mormon church, we decide to go ahead and walk in. They said they needed volunteers, so here we were. We walked into a gym that was full of supplies, a few adult volunteers, and a couple dozen teenagers in yellow t-shirts eating pizza. We explain that we called the number on the sign, and that we're here to help with whatever needs to be done.

They looked at us like we are absolutely crazy when we said we were there to serve.

It turns out that they didn't want us to "move" a tarp. They wanted us to take a tarp and put it on a roof. We are 3 women. Probably not going to happen.

So I asked if there was anything else we could do to help. It appeared to me that they had a serious volunteer system set-up....surely they could find something for us to do.

They took us to the "command center" where a lady told Donetta that she would need to put a t-shirt on (she was wearing a tank top). Then we were lectured for 10 minutes about how inappropriately we were dressed for a disaster situation, and right as I am having some serious words with the holy spirit about why we are still standing there when there is work to be done, Jami looks at me and whispers, "We're supposed to be here."

As it turns out, the one nice guy in the room, a 70-year-old man named Warren, had a special forces key chain hanging out of his back pocket. It was from the same unit that Jami's husband just came from. Okay Lord. You're in charge.

So we stuck around while they looked for something for us to do.

It was eventually decided that we would go to 6th street with our friend Warren to cut down a tree.

After getting geared up with gloves, water, and bright yellow Helping Hands t-shirts, we headed out to chainsaw a tree. Warren wanted one of us to ride with him, and the other 2 to follow behind. I looked at Jami like "this is your thing, you go with him." (Aren't I an awesome friend?)

Jami agrees to drive with Warren, Donetta jumps in with me, and off we go to 6th street.

When we arrive at the address where the tree is supposed to stand, there is clearly no tree at all. We all double check the address, the family name on the sheet, and the area.....yep, right address, right family, no tree.

Okay Lord. Whatcha doin' here? We're ready and willing to help and have done very little "helping" so far.

Warren thought we should drive around looking for another tree to cut down instead of heading back to the church, so that's what we did.

And after 15 blocks, and a phone call to our church, we decided it was time to part ways with our new friend Warren.

Warren didn't need our help today, but I am choosing to believe that the Lord wanted us to walk into that church and meet Warren. I may not ever understand why, but I still believe that the Lord clearly led us there.

Jami jumped back in our car, and we got a return call from our church. We called saying we were looking for a place to help, and the secretary at our church said a woman had called not 5 minutes earlier asking for help.

She called us back to tell us that Brenda and her friend Jill needed help. We were given an address. Finally, a real chance to help!

We had a  tough time finding the home. When there aren't any street signs, it's hard to know when to turn right. Thanks to the trusty GPS, we managed to find Brenda and Jill.

The home was standing. There was no roof. And the inside was filled with insulation. My mind still can't comprehend it. It's one thing to see homes leveled (and so many are!), but when you see a home standing, you think it should be okay. But they're not.

Brenda and Jill had loaded all they could salvage into the back of a pick-up truck. As it turns out, they too needed help re-tarping what was left of the roof. We couldn't do that. But we were able to encourage them. And we convinced Jill to let us go to the storage until with her to unload the truck full of their remaining belongings.

And just like that, our day in Moore was over.

And there was part of me that was really frustrated with the Lord. I don't spend every morning in prayer over a specific thing. But I spent yesterday morning in prayer. All morning. Asking the Lord to lead us, to let us make an impact, to allow us to make a difference.

I drove away from Moore feeling like we had done very little, but I can't deny for a moment that the Lord clearly led us to each place we found ourselves at.

So instead of being frustrated, I started to see the bigger picture. I started asking myself why He would want me to meet the people we met, experience the things we experienced and see the things we saw.

And after a day to process it all, I learned that what I often see and envision as my perfect plan is very rarely what God has in mind for us.

I saw us helping a family, and serving a family, and being able to minister to and encourage a family. I saw us getting our hands dirty, sweating, possibly crying.

But I didn't see the day of dead ends and rabbit trails coming. I had a plan when we left the house and it was clear and it was exactly what I thought we should be doing.

My idea of the day was obviously not what the Lord had in mind. I was reminded that my plans and my ideas are not always His plans and His ideas.

I also learned that us serving one day was not going to be enough. I knew that, but I needed to be reminded. I needed to know that this was going to be a long process of clean-up and re-building.

And more than anything, I learned that the Lord's plan is always, always better than mine, more thought out than mine, and more kingdom minded than mine.

And even though yesterday looked nothing like what I thought it would, I know He guided the day and our actions and our words. What appeared to be a day of very little being accomplished, may have been more accomplishing than we'll ever know.

Resting in His perfect plan tonight.....

Coming tomorrow.....
Much Ado About You Planner winners have been drawn and will be announced tomorrow!
Plus, our NYC re-cap.

Don't forget about our Online Summer Bible Study. We would love for you to join us.

Serve Moore {Part 1}

I had an ideal picture of how today was going to go. I thought we would drive down to Moore, be the hands and feet of Christ, serve a specific family, and serve well.

Our plans were slightly thwarted when it was raining this morning. They pulled most of the crews off of street clean-up because of the rain. {Street clean-up was our original plan.}

So I reached out to our church. There was an opportunity for us to serve as ambassadors for families who lost everything in the tornadoes as they met with multiple agencies throughout the day. The problem was they wanted us to commit to more time than we could spend.

I called my friends who live in Moore hoping they could point me in the right direction. We were hoping to work directly with a family.

I was waiting for my friend, Jami to arrive from Kansas City. She drove down specifically for us to spend the day in Moore, and my friend Donetta was going to meet us there as well. I spent the morning praying that the Lord would use us to reach the right people in the right places.

And then I got a call from my friend, Nina who lives in Moore. She said she knew where we could serve. There was a lady from her bank who lost her home. Her children attended Briarwood elementary which was demolished by the tornado. She said they were moving today and they could use the help. I told her that we had been praying about a family that we could simply serve. And Nina assured me that she thought this was it for sure.

Great. The plan became to go help Karen and her family with their move.

So we went to Lowe's to pick up gloves and tupperware containers so we could help them pick up what could be salvaged from their home.

We show up at the rent house where they are moving, thinking that they were going to take us to the destroyed house to help. We knock on the door, introduce ourselves, and see Karen, her husband, a set of grandparents, and 2 kids sitting on the floor in an empty duplex.

Karen explains to us that they have already salvaged what they could at their home as she points to 3 tupperware containers of leftover belongings. Insurance has provided them a rental home, rental furniture, and everything they need for the time being. They were waiting on furniture to be delivered and literally had nothing for us to do.

Karen didn't need our help today. I don't know why we ended up on her doorstep. But I believe that the Lord wanted us there for some reason. For whatever reason, The Lord clearly led us to her.

And that is where the journey began......

So Jami and I continued to pray. Lord, lead us where you want us to go.

Karen told us that we should drive towards Briarwood and that there would be plenty of families there to help.

So we did that. And as we drove towards the place where Briarwood Elementary School once stood, we got our first view of the devastation. They say the pictures and the video of the damage don't really allow you to understand it, and I agree.

My mind is still trying to process all of it. When you see it in the flesh, your mind literally can't comprehend such devastation and destruction. And it goes on and on and on. It's incredibly overwhelming.

So we started looking for people who might need help.

Jami spotted a women in a blue shirt with blonde hair....that's how we identified her. She was working at a home that was still standing but would obviously have to be demolished.

We initially drove past her, but ended up turning around to see if we could help her.

We pulled into the driveway, and Jami jumped out of the car. From my vantage point, I could see Jami introduce herself, and explain why we're in her driveway, and then I saw the lady in the blue shirt with the blonde hair smile.

And as my mind was still trying to process the immense devastation around us, I watched a woman who lost her home simply smile.

And I continued to pray. Lord, if this is where we can serve, allow us to be a great service to this woman.

And then I saw the woman start pointing down the street. Jami walked back towards the Jeep, and told me that we were going to 7-Eleven.

The woman in the blue shirt with the blonde hair didn't need our help. They had already been through their home and salvaged what they could. But she informed us that there were people who were much worse off....."just go to 7-Eleven, and I'm sure you'll find someone to help there."

The woman in the blue shirt with the blonde hair didn't need our help today, but we felt led to her for some reason. I don't know if she needed to see us, or if I simply needed to see her smile before I completely broke down. I'm trusting that that is where the Lord wanted us.

So we drove.....further into the horror of it all, towards 7-Eleven just as the woman in the blue shirt instructed us to.

About that time my friend Nina calls asking about Karen. I fill her in on how Karen didn't need us  after all, and we're looking for more families who need help.

As I'm talking to Nina, Jami sees a sign in the ground at 7-Eleven with the word Volunteering and a phone number. She called the number, and before I knew it, we were headed towards a church on Santa Fe.

We don't know where we're going. All we have is an address and the information that they need someone to transport a tarp.

We pull into the parking lot of this church, and I realize that we are at a Mormon church. And I'm baffled at how we ended up here. (Even though I know we were clearly led here.....Karen says go to Briarwood.....woman in the blue shirt says go to 7-Eleven.....sign at 7-Eleven says call this number....lady on the other end of the phone says come to this address....and then we're at the Mormon church).

Okay, Lord. You led us here. Continue to lead us.

To be continued tomorrow......

Music for a Mission

Wow it feels weird to log on here. It's been over a week. And honestly, it's been nice.

We've been going to bed early. Getting into the routine of having a kiddo in kindergarten. Brian's been cooking a lot. I've been reading before bed....it's been nice.

I told Brian the other day that I've been missing this. I'm missing getting into my own head and processing what's going on. Plus, I feel like I've missed some important moments....like the 1st day of kindergarten. I need this to remember.

I guess I'm thinking that I need to schedule a time at least 3 days a week to sit and write. I feel like I need it. I've got to get in the habit of doing it in the morning and not at the end of the day when I'm exhausted.

Anyways, I say all that to tell you that I want you to come over tomorrow night!

Yeah, I'm dead serious. If you live in the OKC area, you are invited. : )

My sister is organizing a backyard benefit to raise money for our friend, Whittney Coby to go to Haiti on a mission trip.

We're going to have live music, worship, and a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting Whittney's trip. We also have tanks to sell. $20 each with all profit helping to fund Whitt's trip in September.

That's my handsome brother-in-law so wonderfully modeling the tanks....you know you want one.

We have some great auction items put together for you to bid on that I know you'll love! Plus, it'll be a night of great friends and music.

So what do you think? 

Come on over tomorrow night and hang with us in the backyard. Bring a lawn chair and some bug spray : ). All ages are welcome. We'd love to have you! 7:00-9:00

If you don't live in the area or can't make it tomorrow night but would like to donate to Whittney's mission trip to Haiti, you can do so by going clicking here. 

If you need our address, please email me at allisondalke@gmail.com. 

We hope you can join us for a night of music and celebration in the Dalke backyard from 7:00-9:00 on Sunday, August 26th. 

The Hope Link Care Basket Project

I have only once ever walked into a Children's ICU with my own child. And by the grace of God, we were only there for 24 hours, but it felt like the longest 24 hours of my life.

Having a very sick child must be like your worst nightmares coming true. It's always been my biggest fear....what if something happened to my babies?

And luckily I have never had to walk that path besides that 1 day when Luke was just a few days old.

But there are families who occupy the rooms of children's hospitals every day and every night. There are children in ICU with their parents sitting in the chair next to the bed simply waiting.

Often times these families don't know that they're being admitted for a serious stay at the hospital until they're admitted. It happens fast. It's not like they had bags packed ready to move into the ICU. No one waits for that to happen.

Luckily, I know some amazing moms who have unfortunately spent far too much time in the rooms of children's hospitals who decided that they could do something to comfort families in their times of greatest need.

Ryan McLaughlin and Amy Haas, the creators of the non-profit organization Hope Link, came up with an incredible project that we need your help with.

The Care Basket Project is designed to support and pamper families who are admitted into children's hospitals or children's ICU halls with sick kiddos for long term stays.

A Care Basket is very much what it sounds like. It's a basket meant to care for these families while they're in the hospital caring for their children.

But this is a mighty, mighty project and you can help. (And I promise, there just may be something in it for you just keep reading.)

I know you've heard the saying Many hands make light work. That's the idea behind this post. Hope Link needs lots of "things" to make this Care Basket Project a success, but with lots of us helping, the work won't be hard.

Here are some of the items needed for Care Baskets:

To occupy children while in the hospital (ages 5 and under)

• coloring books and crayons
• books
• music 
• dvds
• small toys
• bubbles 
• stickers
• temporary tattoos, etc

For older children: 

• dvds
• books 
• journals
• disposable cameras
• tissue (kleenex)
• toiletry items
• snacks in individual packages, etc

For the parents:

• gift cards (Sonic, McDonalds, Starbucks, etc)
• tissue (Kleenex)
• toiletry items
• lotions 
• journals
• devotionals (simple)
• bottled water 
• snacks in individual packages
• and anything else you think would make them feel special
• Bags or baskets to put all these items in

Here is what you can do to help.....

Find an item above that you have easy access to, and donate! 

Here's what I'm thinking.....

Are you a Scentsy consultant? Donate a few Layers by Scentsy items that you purchase with your free and half price hostess rewards. What about a Scentsy buddy or baby buddy for the kids? Scent circles, scent paks, hand sanitizers, and room sprays are also perfect additions to these Care Baskets. 

Are you a Perfectly Posh consultant? Donate anything from your catalog to help these moms feel special and pampered! 

www.perfectlyposh.us/roy/

Are you a Thirty-One Gifts or Initials Inc. consultant? Donate a bag or tote for us to fill up with goodies for these families. 

http://www.myinitials-inc.com/MerryLynn/

http://www.mythirtyone.com/kerritapp/

Do you sell Usborne books? The kids occupying these hospital rooms would light up over a few new books. We'd love for you to donate some. 

http://www.wonderlandbooks.me/

Are you a Discovery Toys consultant? These kiddos would be blessed by some of your smaller toys to keep them occupied. 

Are you a Couponer? Donate some of those extra toiletry items you collect as you bulk buy. Or snacks in individual packages....that would be fantastic! 

Are you a mom who goes to the grocery store every week? Stop by the travel aisle and pick up a few extra items to add to our Care Baskets. Or pick up a magazine that you think a mom might like to flip through while sitting in the hospital. 

The goal: Make these children and families feel special and pampered during a very hard time. 

Over the next two weeks, we are going to see just how many Care Baskets we can create. Beginning today and ending on Wednesday, June 12th, we'll be collecting as many items as we can to create wonderful Care Baskets for families enduring stays in children's hospitals or ICU waiting rooms. 

To participate, share this with your friends, family and anyone you know who would like to help out. Then simply send your items postmarked by Wednesday, June 13th, to the address below. Also, comment on this blog post and let me know what you're sending and why you felt moved to donate. 

Hope Link Care Baskets

c/o Allison Dalke

1805 Lancaster Circle 

Edmond, OK 73012 

I can't wait to see how we many baskets we can put together. 

Oh and one more thing....do you ever feel like you need a little pampering? Well, donate to our Care Basket Project and then comment below, and you'll automatically be entered into a random drawing to win the ultimate summer survival tote. Also, make sure you click the blue Join This Site button on the left side so you'll know when you're announced as the winner. 

If you're the lucky winner, you'll receive everything pictured below (sorry for the awful pic...I took it with my phone). The winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 20th, from the comments posted below once we have received all donated items. Remember, items being donated need to be postmarked no later than Wednesday, June 13th. 

a Shop-A-Haul-It Scout bag (perfect for the beach or the pool!) 

an Ice, Ice Baby insulated Scout bag (for your cool summer drinks)

a Tote-All Package I.D. (and phone) carrier by Scout

a double walled insulated drink cup 

a paperback copy of Janet Evanovich's entertaining book, Explosive Eighteen. 

a pocket bible 

an iota chic journal 

a copy of Southern Living June 2012

eos lemon drop lip balm 

a 2 pack of Burt's Bees Replenishing lip balm 

vapur the anti-bottle (foldable, freezable, reusable, water bottle) 

So what do you think? Are you in? Can you help? 

I know that we can't do everything, but we can each do something. Please share this project with anyone and everyone you know. 

And thank you in advance for helping in any way that you can. 

.....day 292 of a year of writing.....

Helping AvaGrace

One of our favorite places to play and unplug is at the fun and creative Unpluggits in Edmond, Oklahoma.

With your daily admission, you get free paint and play all day long. Plus, you can choose extra crafts to complete for an additional fee.

On May 25th, Unpluggits is hosting a fundrasier for the beautiful AvaGrace.

Avagrace (aka "AvaCake") is a beautiful and fun-loving seven year old girl with lots of love in her home from her brothers, sisters, and parents. She's had seizures since she was five months old, but they started becoming more frequent and severe around the age of four. Then last year, it got even worse. She's been diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a catastrophic form of Epilepsy that causes mental retardation. Fortunately, she has medical insurance which covers a lot, but not all of the cost of her surgeries and medication. Plus, insurance doesn't cover her medical equipment like helmets and special beds made for little girls who have seizures.

Half of the sales at Unpluggits will go towards Avagrace's medical expenses on May 25th. If you're thinking of  doing a craft, May 25th might be the day to do it. Face painting and carnival games will also be part of the fun! Included will be a Cupcake Walk with cupcakes provided by Heavenly Cakes. Yummm.....I do believe that walking in a cake walk burns off any calories that might be consumed.

       Dad's Deployment Day

As if Mom doesn't have enough on her plate, Dad's busy serving our country overseas for six months.  In spite of their extra burdens and sacrifices, Avagrace and her family keep smiling with a sense of humor. You can tell this family knows how to count their blessings! Let's help them count even more blessings and make this a special day!

I personally know AvaGrace's mom and dad thanks to the incredible organization Hope Link OKC that Brian and I are involved in. Hope Link is a local non-profit organization that connects mothers who have children with rare or undiagnosed disorders while providing encouragement, hope, and support through fellowship and prayer.

My kiddos and I will be at Unpluggits on Friday, May 25th having a wonderful time playing and crafting all in honor of AvaGrace and the Spencer family. Will you join us? Why not? 

Unpluggits is the perfect place for you and your kiddos to unplug on a hot summer's day. 

If you aren't local to the Oklahoma City area or you'd simply like to make a donation to the Spencer family's medical bills, please contact me directly at allisondalke@gmail.com for donation information. 

Thank you in advance for your support of this incredible family. Remember, anything you can contribute will make a difference to this family. 

.....day 278 of a year of writing.....