TAG your it...

as a kid we have all played TAG...i actually used to like the game, but now as an adult i have developed a HUGE DISLIKE for the game.

WHY? it seems as if the dewalt family has developed their own version of the game and it is a little different than you and i played as a kid. it seems to have been going on for years and years and you may have already figured out the it involves the C-word.

YES...we have once again been hit with the CANCER BUG.

for years now we have been hit with various types of cancer...although the true names are much more complicated i have chosen to use the more simpler terminology...from lymphoma cancer to breast cancer to prostate cancer to throat cancer to skin cancer to colon cancer...we have had it all.

it comes and HITS one family then TAG it moves on to another one then another...NOW it is back again.

As many of you know, tim's cousin had cancer as a child and since then has gone on to graduate from PSU...go lions...awesome accomplishment BUT now he has to face another round of ick. i got the news that he was diagnosed with COLON CANCER a few days after his team won the memorial golf tournament.

anyone besides me getting SICK of this stuff?

just a side note: i classified this young man as a relative but in reality he is so much more than that...tim would have considered him one of his best friends-not his little cousin. my girls consider him a good friend, biggest braves fan they know and the king of the bean bag toss!!! and i have watched this little bald-headed boy grow up into the most amazing young man and have been so proud of him all the way.

SO...WITH ALL THAT SAID A PRAYER REQUEST IS BEING LAUNCHED ONCE AGAIN FROM THIS BLOG...

i absolutely believe that prayer is what gave me 3 EXTRA years with tim and i absolutely believe that prayer is what is going to give this 25 year old the strength and courage he needs to beat this thing and get on with his life...and bring an end to this game of TAG

so please take a moment right now and say a prayer for CRAIG

a song that has been on my mind lately speaks so loudly about faith...

here are a few of the lyrics:

...anyone can feel the ache

you think it's more than you can take

but you're stronger-stronger than you know

don't give up now

the sun will soon be shining

gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining

I'VE SEEN DREAMS THAT MOVE A MOUNTAIN

HOPE THAT DOESN'T EVER END

EVEN WHEN THE SKY IS FALLING

I'VE SEEN MIRACLES JUST HAPPEN

SILENT PRAYERS GET ANSWERED

BROKEN HEARTS BECOME BRAND NEW

THAT'S WHAT FAITH CAN DO

it doesn't matter what you've heard-impossible is not a word

its just a reason for someone not to try

everyones scared to death when they take that step

out onto the water

it will be alright

life is so much more than what your eyes are seeing

you'll find your way

if you keep believing

thanks for checking in

tammy

701

that is a lot of times to say THANKS FOR CHECKING IN...but i really mean it. i know that i don't get a lot of comments on the blog but i sure do get a lot of grief if i mention stopping it.

things are kinda quiet right now so this blog update is going to be short and sweet. besides the finale of "24" is on tonight and that is pure uninterrupted family time...we are all hooked. the first year tim was sick he loved to come home after chemo treatments and watch whole seasons of 24...that is how we all got started watching it and we have been fans ever since.

thanks for checking in

tammy

help me say thanks...

GOLD SPONSORS

pepsi-chesapeake
pepsi-harrisburg
pepsi-philadelphia
dr pepper
academy chiropractic center

SILVER SPONSORS

pepsi-scranton
carol packer

HOLE SPONSORS

L & N beverage
butter krust baking co
schreckengaust associates, CPA
rinehimer's body shop
glad tidings assembly of god
parkway farms
susquehanna valley harley-davidson
pepsi-williamsport
pain free institute
erin plummer
fred dewalt
weis markets
mione family design and remodeling co.
reclamere
the tire mart
our daily bread catering
american dental care
his heart tabernacle
TFT financial, inc
conners auto body shop
pepsi-wilkes-barre
fresh-n-quik
james and kathy swope
FC intreiri construction co
ed and andrea burda
turkey hill mini markets

PRIZE DONATIONS

tina weaver, longaberger consultant
lio's pizza shop
red lobster
weis markets
pepsi
colonial lounge
bean quisine
dr pepper
peachtree restaurant
crossroads cafe
olive garden
cd pizza
italian delight
syline family restaurant
stauffers of kissel hill
mike and emily simmers
tractor supply
advanced skin care
murphy's automotive
red robin
rider insurance co
wilsbach distributors

THEN ON TOP OF ALL THAT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO SENT IN CASH DONATIONS...AMAZING!!!

words can not begin to express how our family feels about this event that is held each year for the girls college fund. all we can do is say thanks and pray that someday you will be blessed the way that we have been blessed. what an awesome feeling. (tim always said we would be ok...he assured me that GOD would provide all our needs and that i shouldn't ever worry...so i thank GOD and i thank you on this 700th post of this blog)

thanks for checking in

tammy

and the answer is...

another extremely successful golf tournament...a memorial tournament held each year to help finance the dewalt girls higher education. amazing.

over $14,000.

the best way for me to express my feelings is to let you read what john and dawn wrote:

on behalf of the dewalt family, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped to make this years event another success.

we are so grateful for the support of family, friends, and even from those who did not have the privilege of knowing tim or his amazing family.

tammy, megan, kelsey and ashley have been blessed by your overwhelming generousity and to simply say thank you does not seem to fully express their appreciation.

we hope you have enjoyed a great day of golfing, spending time with old friends and maybe even making some new ones.

finally, the continued support from tim's extended family of pepsi continues to amaze and uplift us. without whom this benefit would not have been such a huge success, a big thank you goes out to tim's former boss ed burda for all his help in organizing this event.

thanks again to all who gave in any way to support this event and aid in our being able to continue to bless those whom tim cherished the most, his wife and daughters.

john and dawn packer

***and how do i even begin to say thanks to john and dawn...the coordinators of this event***

tomorrow i would like to list all the hole sponsors and prize donors...i think it would be really awesome if you could say thanks to the folks who supported us by supporting them. many of them are business's in the area.

thanks for checking in

tammy

OVER 14,000

A. the number of empty soda cans and empty water bottles found in the yard after the b-day party.

B. the number of dollars that were raised for the girls college fund at the golf tournament this past weekend.

C. the number of golf balls that were lost in the woods and/or water this weekend at the golf tournament.

D. the number of times i think about and miss tim each day.


tune in tomorrow to find out which is the correct answer.

(may be more than one answer)

thanks for checking in

tammy

i can only imagine...

i can only imagine what you are thinking looking at that picture...

lets just say that it was the best way to express the way i am feeling on this sunday evening, may 16th, 2010.

the twins birthday is today. they are 17...wow!!!

a few days ago twin #1 came up to me and asked if she could have a b-day party at the house. i of course asked for details and she assured me that if she could just invite 20 friends over for burgers and hot dogs on the grill and a bon-fire it would be just perfect...didn't sound too bad.

then a couple of hours later twin #2 came up to me and asked if she could have a b-day party at the house. same time and same location and same menu but she needed her OWN 20 friends to invite...now it is getting scary.

was this a set up or what???

so here i am...a chaperone at my own home with approximately 48 kids outside playing bean bag toss, volleyball, bouncing on the trampoline, grilling burgers, making s'mores, eating cake (s), listening to something gross they call music.

the kids have actually been REALLY good...a few cake icing battles and lots of flying ice from the coolers, one kid sat on a roasted marshmallow and one needed some minor first aid...but overall it wasn't bad at all.

they all have to be gone by 10pm but then we have to clean up...but no worries...i just finished my third cup of coffee. meg and a friend were here for support and security if needed.

stay tuned...later this week i will fill you in on the details of the golf outing we had yesterday...it was awesome. (it would be better to wait until i come off my caffeine high)

thanks for checking in

tammy

bad day?

you ever have one of those days approaching that you are so NOT looking forward to?

recently i had one of those days...i was "the chosen one" at work to be assigned to run a new instrument the FIRST day that it went LIVE.

sounds simple enough when i say it like that but i was not overly thrilled with the responsibility. in fact i couldn't find ANYONE who wanted to trade me positions for that day and the closer we got to that day the more uptight i was getting. i knew that i was probably in the bottom 30% of techs that actually had experience in that department and was a bit confused as to WHY they would have picked me for the job. come to find out there was a "meeting" of the minds and i was chosen based on "chillness" rather than "competence"...talk about putting pressure on a person.

i was voted less likely to have a nervous breakdown on LIVE day...oh goody.

so how does one prepare for a day like this?

some use drugs...

some prefer adult beverages...

some just jump in and "go for it"...

i was becoming more and more tense the closer we got to the day...i even talked to the kids about it and my AP. (yes, i do tend to EAT when i stress)

the boss's did a great job of surrounding me with GREAT techs for support but in addition to that let me show you how i was able to get through this day with flying colors:

(these are actual text messages)

me: pray that i can stay calm and in control today. big day and high expectations on the job.

AP: will do

Kelsey: i will be :) good luck. love you!!!

Ashley: k!! good luck. love u

Ashley: hey. i hope ur day was good. thot about you a lot!!!! love u

funny how you can go into a VERY STRESSFUL situation when you know that there are people out there loving you and praying for you and everything seems OK.

i ended up having a fantastic day...it was exhausting but i remained calm and did my job and we survived LIVE DAY without a hitch!!!

i have tim to thank for that...he was such a prayer guy. he would want to pray over every little thing and every big thing. each morning we would pray together before he went into work. he taught the kids to pray over little things and to pray over big things. very cool to know your 17 and 19 year olds are praying for you (and will admit it). very cool.

thanks for checking in

tammy

ashley's turn

this is john...also not cardboard.

kelsey's turn

his name is Nate...he is not cardboard

another...

they actually look like they like each other...

stay tuned...boys are coming

some pictures...

this is one of my favorites...

each day this week i will try to post another prom photo

enjoy...

thanks for checking in

tammy

BIG WEEKEND...

as you can see...we are WELCOMING HOME our college student today.

i am getting ready to head out to PSU to pack up megan and bring her home. i think we both have mixed feelings about this event. she is sad to be ending her FRESHMAN experience...which she found totally amazing. she is excited to be getting a break from all the studying (yes...she claims to have done some studying while she was out there). she will be glad to get her own room back. she is sad that she has to start work (so she can afford to go back to PSU in the fall). she is glad to not to have to wear shower shoes in the bathroom.

i am thrilled that she is coming home but i am not assuming this is going to be an easy adjustment for anyone in this house. for the last 9 months or so one of the twins have been sleeping in megs room so that means they have to co-exist again (scary). the bathroom routine has been working rather well with the three of us and now we are adding another teenager to the mix. (scarier). but we have talked about the transition and we are ready to give it our best shot. the twins actually admitted that they have missed meg and are ready for her to come home...(scariest thing yet).

pray for us today...moving day can be stressful and if i get there and the elevator is not working i may not survive the day...we are moving her OFF the 8th floor. i wonder how far those windows open?

so...today i drive out to PSU to pack up megans stuff

tonight we unpack megans stuff

tonight the twins pick up their prom dresses

tonight the twins get their nails-all 40 of them-beautified-$$

tonight i have to WORK overnight

tomorrow the twins get their hair beautified-what exactly is an up-do?

tomorrow the twins get picked up in a limo and have multiple photo shoots

tomorrow the twins attend their junior prom

tomorrow night i have to WORK overnight

sunday i collapse.

keep praying...like i said this is a big weekend.

thanks for checking in

tammy

PS...anyone still planning on attending the golf tournament and/or the dinner next saturday (may 15th)? if you haven't had a chance to send in your stuff...PLEASE let me or john know ASAP so we can add your name to the list. you can e-mail me at tammydewalt@comcast.net

hope to see you there.

living in the city...

although we technically live in harrisburg...i consider our location to be a bit more on the outskirts of the "city" BUT never did i expect to see the "critters" that we have encountered here.

for many years we have encountered "issues" with an overpopulation of those creepy four-legged critters called CATS. (and i thought bunnies were bad...these cats are baby making machines)

for many years we have encountered "issues" with an overpopulation of those creepy rodent looking things called SQUIRRELS. every morning i look out my back window and see them sitting on my garbage cans eating pizza, steak, corn on the cob...whatever we had for supper the night before they are eating for breakfast. they have eaten their way through the garbage cans and most the neighborhood considers them "evil"

for many years we have encountered "issues" with the occasional SKUNK...i think every neighborhood goes through phases with them

BUT we have added a new critter to our WATCH LIST...this critter just about gave me a heart attack as i almost stepped on it as i was leaving my house for work yesterday.

As you can see from the picture...this creepy critter did not come alone...i am not sure but i believe that my new addition to the neighborhood is running an orphanage. there were AT LEAST 5 maybe 6 babies on her back...EW!!!

a part of me wanted to feel sorry for her because someday they will all be teenagers at the same time...but mostly i wanted them to go away...far far away. any suggestions for getting rid of this family?

thanks for checking in

tammy