Today

SERVICE DOG HELP

Asking for help.

I’m looking for a few people with a large number of followers on social media. On Giving Tuesday, I want to let as many people possible know that JJ’s fundraising campaign is an option that day.

Social media can be here on FB, but also blogs, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat, etc…

We appreciate EVERYONE who shares his information but we’re hoping on Tuesday, to maximize the amount of people who see it that day.

I’m not going to determine how large large is for this, so if you think you can help on Tuesday, please let me know 🙂

JJ’s Service Dog Flyer

I’ve had a couple of people ask for something larger to hang in break rooms and such at work. So I made something. Love playing with digital art 🙂

Hope it helps get the word out 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxoxo

As always, JJ’s donation page. Always feel free to help spread the word ❤️

paws4autism.org/jj.html

Service Dog Outing!

I got to hang out with this cutie for a little bit today 🙂

He’s one of the Paws puppies in training to become an Autism Service Dog.

This morning the local crew of paws 4 autism dogs got together for pictures with Santa to help kick off the holiday season ❤️

My Saturdays are usually filled with my two little boys doing therapy (because autism). It was fun to do something different this morning 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxoxo

Service Dog Thank You Cards

Nice people should get thank you cards.

It’s a thing I believe. And I just so happen to like making thank you cards, so this works out for everyone 😀

I’ve had these designed for a while, but finally had time to sit down and put them together. It took a medical intervention to create the time lol. I’m at the sleep clinic with one of my daughters, so I was able to put the cards together while I wait with her. It’s been a LONG sleep study. We’re doing overnight and nap monitoring…I’m pretty sure we’ll head out by evening though 🙂

In the mean time, a dozen cards were finished and my blog updated. They didn’t turn out how I designed them – my printer ran out of blue ink, but I made it work, because I have some people to get these out to 🙂 If you’re one of our donors – THANK YOU SO MUCH! JJ’s so tickled by your willingness to help him. He even cried a little. You guys are making a little boy so very very happy. These cards are for you ❤️

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

And as always, if you feel it in your heart to donate, or if you want to  see more of JJ’s story, here’s the link to our donation page. paws4autism.org/jj.html

 

I Colored…It’s Been a While

I needed to color and I always need thank you cards so I did this today. Combining the two means I was efficient 😉

I found the frog sketch online, but no name with it, so I’m unable to give the credit I’d like to an amazing artist.

I printed it off and colored it using copics and pencils. I put together a digital background and cut the background and the colored frog panel out on my Silhouette then layered them onto a card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Xoxo

Hope

I found this video over the summer and it was a big deciding factor in me reaching out to see if an autism service dog would even be possible for JJ. Nathan’s story was so similar to what JJ’s gone through. The bullying is why JJ’s homeschooled. His anxiety was too high to go back after the summer.

I’ve spent the last FIVE years trying to help him understand that my job is to keep him safe because I love him. I couldn’t send him back to an environment he didn’t feel safe in (because he wasn’t). It breaks my heart that this man had to endure so many years of the bullying like my son has faced.

But Nathan’s dog, Sylvia, gave me hope. Seeing how Nathan’s life turned around, just his over all quality of life skyrocketed, that’s what I want for my son.

With a service dog, JJ should be able to safely go to school again. And because there’s no better mix than kids and dogs, there should be plenty of opportunities for positive peer interaction…for FRIENDS.

The road to raising $18,000 seems long and impossible, but there’s hope and I’m holding on to that.

Thanks for stopping by 🙂

xoxoxo

https://www.paws4autism.org/jj.html —> to read more of JJ’s story or donate

Nathan and Sylvia’s Story

 

JJ’s 8! Donate to Celebrate?

If you’re able to donate, thank you! His online fundraising page is here.

If not, that’s okay too 🙂 Feel free to wish him a happy birthday regardless ❤️

FUNDRAISER ALERT! Puppies Ahead!

Remember how I said there’d be fundraisers?

There’s going to be fundraisers!

I posted the other day’s blog on FB and you guys are phenomenal! Thank you for helping in whatever way you can, we really appreciate it.

So! Here’s our first fundraiser 😀

My sister and her husband breed rottweilers and they’re donating the sales of their Pick of the Litter to JJ’s fundraising campaign. You can check out some pics of their dogs, and the first litter (there’s some big boys in there) on FB – they’re 2Hartz Rottweilers

Click here for their online ad rottie pups, for more contact info.

And of course JJ’s fundraising site: www.paws4autism.org/jj.html 

Once again, feel free (and encouraged) to share this ❤️

That Time I BEGGED Because I Needed Help

I have a shirt for my 3yo son that says: Autism is fun most days. Today may not be that day.

If you’ve been around my blog for a bit, you know that my two youngest children are autistic.

You probably also know we have seven kids.

I bet you can make an educated guess that I’m tired. If I had the energy, I’d make a shirt for myself that said: Running on Fumes and Grace, because that’s how I see my life. It’s hard, I’m tired, but I know it could be worse and I’m grateful that it’s not 🙂

That being said, I need your help.

Because of the autism, my 7yo is homeschooled. The school struggled to keep him safe from bullying because we never knew which child would take a swing at my son on any given day. There’s more to his story, and there’s a link provided further down.

I want him to be able to live his fullest life and I want him to feel safe doing it. So I reached out to an organization that trains dogs specifically for autistic children and we were approved.

This is really exciting, but scary. For me, this dog symbolizes hope. Hope for safety. For better days. For experiences like his neurotypical peers. For friends and positive peer interactions. For me, as a mom, it symbolizes hope for nights we get to have better sleep. Days we have less anxiety. Freedom for both us, because honestly, we overwhelm each other some days.

But it’s scary, because service dog’s aren’t cheap. Like way not cheap. And I see this hope just sitting there on the horizon with a wagging tail and bright eager eyes…and what if I lose it because I can’t find a way to come up with the money? Somedays, the hope of that dog – whichever dog it is – is what pushes me forward and keeps me going.

So this is where I start begging. First – I freaking LOVE this organization. They’ve done their best to make autism service dogs a possibility for ANYONE. They work on a pay it forward mentality. Whichever dog my son matches with, has already been paid for by someone else’s fundraising. The fundraising we do, pays for the next dog for another family who is in desperate need of hope. The organization itself is all volunteer run to help keep the costs of the service dogs down as much as possible. That being said, we still need to fundraise…$18,000.

I cry a little each time I say or write that number. In the beginning, I didn’t know how we were going to do that, but I took a leap of faith. Now, as we’re getting into it, things are starting to come together and kind people are stepping forward to help. I believe I’m living inside a miracle as I watch this unfold. It’s “magical” to watch.

So I’m asking you guys (begging) if you can help us out.

Interested?

Here’s how you can help.

1. Share this post. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
2. Straight donation (remember, donations are tax deductible) to his fundraising page here. 
3. To help the organization continue moving forward, sponsors for events, and yearly sponsors/partners for the organization are a necessity – that’s what helps defray their costs. You can check that out here and download the sponsor packet if you’re interested – Just let me know 🙂 One of the things I love about their set up, is that the fundraising isn’t straight cash. Getting involved and helping get needs met for the organization (like finding sponsors and partners) gives us credit toward the fundraising goal reducing the amount of cash we have to raise.
4. Stay tuned! We have fundraising opportunities in the works. We have an exciting raffle we’re trying to put together, personalized gift opportunities, and more. As those things get finalized, I’ll post them here – so PLEASE share those as well.
5. One of the ideas the organization has talked about is an organized charity motorcycle ride that benefits Paws4Autism. If this is something you can help with, please let me know 🙂 Like I said, if I can help them, it helps me ❤

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

xoxo