NEW BLOG FOR DALLON!!

I've started a new blog just for our fundraising for Dallon. There is a link to it on the sidebar to the right of this page. The address is http://4pawsfordallon.blogspot.com . I decided it would be easiest to have a separate page for that stuff, then I can use it for our flyers and things too. Please feel free to share his new blog with anyone you want, forward it to anyone, and when you tell people about what is going on, they can refer to it for more information.

THANKS for all you do for us!

Visiting Grandparents

We had an opportunity to take a short road trip to visit Chris' grandparents on March 4th and 5th. Grandma Ruth has been in hospise care at her home for a couple of months now. When we arrived at her house the first evening, Chris walked up to the screen door, looked in and immediately asked if she was ok because she was sitting on the floor! He went right in, she just calmly told him that she was just "sitting" there. Then she said she had fallen, and had been just "sitting" there for at least a half hour--probably longer. She made it sound like it was no big deal, happens all the time, "I just sit here till someone comes and helps me back up." Our visit with her was very nice. She is so positive, and her attitude is wonderful. She is a joy to be around, you can't help but have a smile on your face when you're around her!

Dallon warmed right up to grandma right when we got there. He sat right next to her on the couch and showed her his video game system he got for Christmas.

Jace was a little harder to convince to even hold still; he was off checking out the 'breakables' as soon as we walked in. The boys went out to play in the back yard, and I had some great photo opportunities. Yes he is actually trying to taste that puddle! But with the reflection, and how darn cute he is, I had to just let him do it so I could take the picture.
After a short visit with grandma, we went with Chris' Aunt Chris (yes very confusing, too many Chrises) to dinner where our Chris won a stuffed donkey from one of the machines in the restaraunt lobby ($2 into it and he had it!); $10 later we gave up on getting something for both boys!
The next morning we visited grandma for a few more minutes before heading back to Portland.
We stopped at Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Bill's (Tunstall) on our way through Portland. We had a very nice visit and lunch.

Jace loved Grandpa's baseball collection!

Dallon enjoyed listening to Grandma play the piano.

Don't they make a cute couple.

We headed home that evening, having had a wonderful couple of days visiting grandparents, and great-grandparents! Hopefully we'll get to do it again.

Forms and Brochure

I put links to the donation form for Dallon, and the brochure we made up for him on the side panel of the blog. They're under "4 Paws Links." When you go to print them, go to "File" and then print preview (make sure it is set on Landscape for the brochure), and then adjust the margins so that the image takes up the whole page (with the brochure, it won't fold correctly unless it takes up the whole page). Print them and give them to businesses or individuals you think would be interested in making a donation.

THANKS AGAIN!

Cowboy Day

It's been a long time since I've added pictures of the boys to the blog. So I went outside with them this afternoon and we had a great time taking pictures and practicing being cowboys. Dallon was "yee-haw"ing and praising himself on his awesome ropin' skills.

The boys were quite a team (as long as Jace wasn't mad!) and they played well with the same "steer" for quite a while. I got them each a hat and a rope, and they loved it!
Now this is what I call team roping--except I think the heeler usually puts his sippy cup down before the event.
Dallon did a great job winding up for his throw...he's seen it done plenty of times.
Jace tried and tried to throw the rope, but he just whipped the poor thing over and over. Still hanging on to that sippy.
Dallon decided to do some bull riding. He even took his hat off and said yee-haw.
I took a few pictures for our press release and advertising for our fund-raising.
Jace wouldn't leave the house without his blanket and sippy cup. He eventually dropped the blankie, but held onto that sippy the whole time.
Dallon loves the camera, and can be such a ham. He likes looking at his pictures on the camera screen, so he'll try to make it really interesting.
Jace looked so grown up in this picture. I can't believe he'll be 2 in March!

Fund-Raising Begins!

We have begun the exciting task of fund-raising for 4 Paws. The way it works is we work as volunteers to fund-raise the designated amount for 4 Paws that qualifies us for a dog to be placed with us. The total we raise for 4 Paws is $13,000. All donations made to 4 Paws are tax deductible charitable contributions, and you will receive a receipt from them in the mail for your records.

If you want to make a donation in Dallon's name to 4 Paws, click on the form in this post and print it (make sure to preview before you print so you can adjust it to fit on one page), write a check to 4 Paws with "In honor of Dallon Arvidson" in the memo line, and mail it to:
4 Paws for Ability
253 Dayton Ave
Xenia, OH 45385

If you have any suggestions of donation opportunities for us, please let us know! We are open for suggestions. Just please remember that the initial fund-raising effort is for 4 Paws and not for Dallon individually. After we have raised the amount for 4 Paws, we will be doing additional fund raisers for our traveling expenses (flights and a 2 week stay in Ohio) and if anyone wants to contribute more than that, they can donate gift cards to Petsmart (we have one nearby) for food and other supplies for the dog (like a crate, leashes, toys, bowls, brushes, etc). Anything in excess that we raise for our other fund-raising efforts we will donate to 4 Paws for another deserving family! We have a press release available we will be sending to local newspapers. We'll keep everyone informed about our fund-raising efforts as we go! THANKS