Headbands for a CURE!!!

These are headbands that I am making for Relay 4 Life. All funds will be donated to the American Cancer Society. They are $3 each and can be made in any color combination you want! They tie behind your head for a comfortable fit! Just let me know the colors that you want. They can be up to 4 different colors too!
If you are local around my area, you are welcome to pick up your headbands. They can be mailed to you too.  1 Headband is $1 more and  2-3 headbands for $2 more to cover postage.
Again all the proceeds will go the Relay For Life (except cost to cover postage)!! Wear something stylish and help a good cause!

Here are a few pictures to help you see what they are. Any questions please let me know!!

All the colors you can choose from. I add to this so if there is NOT a color you see that you want I am sure I can get it or already have it.

Several of the headbands that are already made and read to go!

 

Again headbands can be made any colors you want or to match your school colors!

Fit nicely around the head and can be worn with short hair or hair in a pony tail.

Can also do fun things with the rest of the head band. This one is braided after the knot.

 

If you are interested you can contact me on here or email me at mdkoehn@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting a  good cause.

New BLOG!!!

So this blog got a make over today! It use to tell about my families lives on here but I have found a better way to reach more people and raise money for a good cause!
As you read, several people I know have battled cancer. Some of them are still with us today and some lost their battle. BUT the war is not over by far. We are still fighting to find that cure. This weekend I participated in my 10th Relay for Life. We need to step up our game people until people no longer hear " You have cancer". That is what I am hoping this blog does. At Relay I make headbands and bracelets to raise money for the American Cancer Society for research to find a cure for all cancers.
I am now bringing that to you! I am going to use this blog to take orders on those headbands and bracelets so we can raise not only money but awareness as well!
I will post pictures and information about the headbands/bracelets soon! Any questions please let me know!!

Live, Love, Laugh

Michele

Holiday Festival 2012

This year we had our first Holiday Festival in Herington. Hunter was in the parade and they also performed a few songs at the community building. He told us at the beginning he was not singing. And he didn't! We did get him on the float. It was a throw him on and run type of escape but hey he stayed on there. Below are the pictures from that night.~ ENJOY

Their float was call Santa's Workshop

They are cute little elves aren't they??

This was him thinking about me leaving because I started to walk away.

Very dark I know but he is on the there!

The boys waiting for Santa!

Wyatt telling Santa what he wants for Christmas!

Santa asked him if he has been good this year! Look at that face. No he has been good mom an dad told him so.

Hunter telling Santa what he wants. Everything Bubba wanted and a fire truck!

My boys are growing up too fast!

Thanksgiving Story

Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglas' of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.

No More Lying

This past Saturday finally I could quit lying to my husband. I have been planning a surprise birthday party for him for 3 months!! It was tricky since he is always around when I can work on things. I have done a lot of it at school during free time and keeping everything at school. I had done a great job until a week left and wow was it hard not to tell him. Everything that came out of his mouth challenged me in keeping my secret. We had what he was going to do set in stone and he was always wanting to change it!! Finally the day was here and I had told so many lies to keep it from him they were starting to get confused LOL. But the day was finally here. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. He called me and told me he lost him wedding ring for the 3rd time. He also lost the 3 wheeler in the pond and had to fish it out. He was going to be late meeting my dad for golf- the windiest day ever of course. Then my father called me and told me his truck broke down. I was about to go crazy. We went full force ahead. The moment came to get him to walk past the place where the party was. He had caught me in another lie---- phew made it past that one. We went for a walk since it was so nice out and............ SURPRISE!! He didn't know what was going on!! It was a great night with family and friends! Could not have been more perfect for sure.

Take a Moment

Do you know this kid? No.... me neither but I read about him tonight in the newspaper. He is an 8th grader in Stillwater Ok. He killed himself recently. Can you guess why? Bullying. Killing himself was the only way out, so he thought. Kids are killing themselves due to being bullying at school. This is something that has plagued me for some time now. It really hits home with me because I have been there. I hope this does not step on toes but if that is what it takes to open eyes then I am willing to take that risk. Be mad at me, delete me from your friends whatever... It has got to stop.

I was in junior high. I started to develop earlier than the other kids in my grade. I am talking to acne, PMS, the pill, my body was starting to change and yes I started to get boobs. I was teased every day from guys and girls. People I thought were my friends. I was called all kinds of names- pizza face, weird girl, pimp girl ( because of the acne) and some I have totally pushed out of my head. Every day it was something new and what had I done..... nothing. At 12 or 13 that is hard to handle. They say words don't hurt... trust me they do! I tried everything to fit in and for them to like me. Nothing ever worked; it just seemed to make it worse. I got to that low point of wanting to give up wanting to run away and make it all stop. Suicide did cross my mind- but was it worth it. For me no, because I had a support system. My mom who taught me and continued to teach me that it didn't matter what others thought because they were not the ones to make me who I was. She taught me to be strong and to love myself for who I was. I also had 3 friends that stood by me no matter what was said or done to me. Even with the support of my mom, Katie, Sarah, and Hannah it was still hard to not listen to those voices telling me who they thought I was. Without those people in my life- I would have not made it.
 In 8th grade after 2 years of dealing with the bullying, my family decided to move. Although leaving my 3 friends would be tough, it was a new start for me! No one knew me and this was my chance to be me. After 4 years of high school and 4 more years in college. I graduated with honors and my degree to do exactly what I set out to do since kindergarten. I was going to fulfill my dream of being a teacher and reaching kids. Those girls and guys who lived to make my life miserable- I have no idea where they are or what they are doing. Nor do I care. I am doing what I want with my life and doing quite well.  Again I succeeded in life.
So here is my chance to reach out to everyone else. It has happened to me so please DO NOT think it does not happen.I teach first grade and it happens in my classroom. This is something we can change if we stop and take the time to talk about it! Please sit down with someone and talk to them it might save their life!

Once in a Blue Moon

This weekend mom and I are doing our first 5K together! I know crazy right. We are totally excited because it is for the Susan G Komen foundation. We do not have a team or anything we are just going to experience it and next year we will know what we are doing! The one thing we forgot to check was the time the race started! 7:45 AM- really who gets up that early to run- NOT THIS LADY LOL. Anyways we are doing it and dragging our families out to see it as well. It is going to be an early cold morning but hopefully it will be fun to celebrate Mom's 10 years in remission in November. So wish us luck!