If At First You Don't Succeed, Ice, Ice Again!

As usual, my crew did it differently.  :)  It was not the plan to be different, but we seem to love living in the Land of Doing It Our Way... so we did.

Take 1 is what I thought would be the entire deal.  Click below to see my FIRST Ice Bucket Challenge.

THE ORIGINAL CHALLENGE<<CLICK THE BACK BUTTON AFTER WATCHING TO RETURN TO BLOG>>

Okay.... so, you'll notice you didn't actual SEE the water hit my head.

Yeah, I know.

We did catch THIS clip at the end, though.

THE RESULT OF CHALLENGE #1<<CLICK THE BACK BUTTON AFTER WATCHING TO RETURN TO BLOG>>

That, however, is CLEARLY not enough.

I mean, I could have just stepped out of the shower, changed clothes, and posed with the laughing/shocked look outside so as to make you THINK I did the challenge.  I mean, it could happen.  Right? :)

My hair is wet, though!  See?

So, my son Drake decided it was time to do HIS challenge.

DRAKE's ICE WATER CHALLENGE - Take 1<<CLICK THE BACK BUTTON AFTER WATCHING TO RETURN TO BLOG>>

He did his challenge in memory of our family friend, Joe Smith, who battled ALS so bravely in his time here on earth, and in honor of our precious friend and his beautiful bride, Martha Smith.

We love you, Ms. Martha, and will be donating to Team Gleason (http://www.teamgleason.org/donate/) to put the freeze on ALS forever!  I've researched this group because of a friend's participation with them.  They are SERIOUS about taking ALS down (and they do not participate in embryonic stem cell research- that's a big deal for us).
If you don't have a favorite ALS group, yet, friends, take a look at what they are doing.

So, back to my alleged UNFINISHED challenge....  I'm not a quitter.

Here ya go... the final ice bucket challenge for me.

My ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE FINALE :) <<CLICK THE BACK BUTTON AFTER WATCHING TO RETURN TO BLOG>>


AND Drake did ONE MORE CHALLENGE, but it contains a surprise announcement in it for OCTOBER.  SO, you need to stay tuned! (How to do that?  Subscribe to this blog - look to the right and enter your email to follow.  We'll post his brother's video AND the announcement here soon!)

Okay, so our challenges are done... and we'll leave you with this.

People who have health challenges and disabilities deal with them daily.  It's not a one day focus.  It's not something that trends in their life like it does on Twitter or pops here and there as a minor inconvenience.  It's real... and it's ever-present.

So in addition to the awareness (which is like AIR for them- trust me, I know), I challenge you to lift them up in prayer.  Lift them up to the healing healing power of God Almighty and ask Him to take us toward a cure as He walks with them through ALS.

Other things to do?

Support caretakers with tangible reaching out... do the yard, bring their trash from the curb, take dinner, do the laundry... just LOVE them in ways that they can see and feel.  It matters, friends.  It really, really does.

Pick up the phone.  Call them.  Send a note of encouragement in the mail.  Just remember them.

Most of all?  Let them talk about it.  The need to be seen is very real.  It's like oxygen. Sometimes people just need to know that they are seen, remembered, and loved... that they matter beyond the scope of the disease that has overwhelmed their hearts and lives.

So, to the ALS community, we SEE you.  We love you.  We remember... today and every day.

PS.  Meet our dog Cocoa.  She's a sweet dog.  Quite the joiner.  This is the last attempt at an Ice Bucket Challenge.

And for you animal lovers out there, don't worry... I totally intervened.

Cocoa will just be writing a check. :)

WHO DO WE CHALLENGE?  We challenge the DYSLEXIA community to step out and join this fight.

Dyslexia friends?  We choose the friends and fans of Roundtable Solutions and Decoding Dyslexia Alabama.

You're up, guys and gals!

ChristieAitken@gmail.com , 2014

http://www.ChristieAitken.blogspot.com

http://www.MyOilGirl.com 

Twitter: @ChristieAitken 

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