Sometimes Things Just Come Together

I honestly thought today was going to be horrible. One of those days where nothing goes the way you want it to and you can't do anything right. 

I woke up with a horrible migraine and was running late to work because of it.

It's a Monday.

'Nuff said right?

I am working on planning a fundraiser for my friend Julie from high school who this summer had her first baby. A week later, as she was learning the ropes of motherhood, she began to have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in her lung), and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, they did a CT scan and, very unexpectedly, discovered a mass in her lung.

Over the next two weeks, she saw some specialists and had a bronchoscopy and biopsy done. Finally, after a month and a half of worry since they first found the mass, she was given the diagnosis of lung cancer. She has a very rare type of tumor called a lung carcinoid.

I know from personal experience how fast medical bills can add up and how stressful they can be. She has enough to worry about with being a mom that if I can ease just a little of that stress, I will do whatever I can to help.

So I started working on planning something for November. And no ideas were coming. I have been thinking and thinking for the past week of what I can do. Finally the idea came to me. Christmas is coming up on us fast. I work in a toy store where we will be hosting the event. Santa Claus! Its perfect! I posted on Facebook asking if anyone knew of a Santa who would be willing to help out at a fundraiser. My friend posted a link to a fb page of a guy who plays Santa locally. I messaged him and he was unable to help, but suggested a friend of his who might be able to. Guess what? He agreed instantly. I thought this was going to take days to find a Santa who was available in November to give of his time to help with this.

So November 16th Santa Claus will be taking pictures with kids at my work for a donation. He will also be doing a special story time before hand that will cost a couple dollars to get into. All money will go to Julie and her little family to pay all her medical bills.

I am also working getting together a few baskets from local companies to raffle off. So if you have a small locally owned company and would like to donate let me know! Anything helps!

It may not seem like much but I am so grateful today about how smoothly this is all coming together!

Starting Over

I have been wanting to start blogging again. But I wanted to start over completely. From scratch. I have been trying to come up with the "perfect" blog name for a couple months now. Every time I would finally think of one, it was taken. But today  I finally found a title I love. Love Outside The Lines. I was listening to a new song by country singer Megan James, a beautiful song about not holding back and dreaming big. Dreaming in cotton candy skies. (More about that later). 

 I thought for sure this would be one that was already taken. But yay for me it was available. I am really excited about this. I wanted a blog title that meant something. That was inspiring. Even if it was only that way to me. I'm not a great writer, I know this. This is something more just for me. To blog about what inspires me, and if I just happen to inspire someone else along the way, I'd be okay with that. :) 

So I hope you will follow me as a navigate the ups and downs of this thing we call life!