DEANNA

Dale's 18th Birthday....OMG!!!!

2009-03-04T14:54:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of Dale trying out his new toy....it's his Nikon D40 that he got for his 18th Birthday and he loves it! And I actually was able to keep it a surprise...sheewww! This is a shot of him at a controlled burn with the fire department. Speaking of the fire department....now that he is 18, Dale will become a full member next week! There have only been a small handful of cadet members that hang in there and "graduate" into full members. I am very very proud of him... ;0)

2009 LFD Cadets~Ready for some Action

2009-01-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday LFD had its first control burn for 2009...and look what showed up! This is such an awesome picture...Gerry would be so proud. It warms my heart to see all these kids (yes they will always be kids to me) being active in the LFD and making a difference in our community. I AM VERY PROUD OF THESE CADETS!!!! :0)

Dale's Flock

2009-01-08T18:30:00.001-04:00

Light the Night 2008 TEAM GUMP

2008-11-28T22:07:00.007-04:00

TEAM GUMP 2008! hoooyaaa

HI Katie :)

TEAM GUMP Mascot...Molly

What a great escape!

2008-11-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

Amber and I sitting outside Margaritaville in Cozumel Mexico...waiting for the rest of the crew....

A shot of the pool from the upper deck...the pool was filled with salt water from the Sea and there were two hot tubs at each end. The wild thing was watching the pool water sway from side to side on Tuesday night as the seas were rough and the wind was blowing about 32 mph. Can you say HOLD ON!!!!

Just a few of us after dinner.....we had a blast!

The "Tail" on our ship....this is where the smoke stacks are hidden

In Mexico...that is our ship directly behind us... The Carnival Imagination/The Fun Ship!

Towel animals that were left on our bed everynight.

The Southernmost point of the USA...90 miles from Cuba

Getting ready to leave the Port of Miami for our 4 day cruise

A view from the top deck on the ship as we were leaving Miami. We kept looking for Herachio Cane to drive by in his black hummer. (CSI Miami)

Our ship has come in....lol. This is a view from our hotel in Miami.

I CANT BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!

2008-11-12T23:08:00.002-04:00

Well fine folks....I can't believe that the time has finally arrived. Eight looooong months ago Chris & I planned a cruise and the time hath arrived! Ready for a good laugh...I DONT LIKE BOATS! Well at least I used to hate boats let me splain sumfin' ...

In this strange and unpredictable world, I have come to realized that every night when we go to sleep we will never get today back...so why waste a day? I have learned that the world is not going to come find me, I have to go find the world. I will never experience things unless I give in and try them, even if only once, I MUST TRY...

So in the past year I have done quite a few new things....

learned how to study

learned how to take a test

learned how to pass a test

learned to tolerate a small boat

learned to fish

actually touched a fish

learned to clam

learned to trust again

C.P.R.

...and the list shall continue

Our cruise takes us from Miami, to Key West, to Cozamel Mexico and then the sea for a day...then back to Miami on Friday. I will post pic's really soon.....Love ya's

A Great Day at the Game...With some Great Friends!!

2008-10-20T20:54:00.003-04:00

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

2008-10-15T12:19:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to say "THANK YOU" to all who participated in any way with TEAM GUMP this year! We had a great showing on Saturday night, Oct 11, 2008, at the Light the Night walk in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The Light the Night coordinators actually saved our spot for us this year, they just had great expectations that we would show up in full force AGAIN! Of course we didn't let them down. Ready for this folks....

TEAM GUMP 2008

Total: $7,234.00

WOWZERS=)

2008-09-23T12:37:00.002-04:00

TEAM GUMP 2008 TSHIRTS

2008-08-28T11:19:00.007-04:00

Back of tshirt

Front left chest

We've been working on TEAM GUMP shirts for a while now, and finally have a product! I will let everyone know when they are available. IM SOOOO EXCITED!!!!

Dog days of summer :)

2008-08-15T09:20:00.002-04:00

sad news...

2008-08-03T08:11:00.000-04:00

Ya know...I was just sitting and wondering on Thursday how Matthew, the little boy that was the "highlight" survivor from last years light the night walk, was making out and thinking about his family....and today I found this in the paper! His story had so many links to Gerry it was spooky. He was diagnosed with ALL on Oct 28, 2006...Gerrys 40th birthday. I met him at the kick off meeting about a month before the walk, and when I looked into his eyes, I SAW GERRY looking back at me.....OMG this tugs at my heart really bad :(

Matthew "Matt"James FaulknerAge 2, of Milford, DE, died August 1, 2008 at A.I. duPont Hospital. Service, 11 am Wed., August 6, at Melvin Funeral Home, 15522 S. DuPont Hwy., Harrington where visitation will be Aug. 5 from 6-9 pm.

Just some pics

2008-08-01T17:52:00.002-04:00

Just some shots of the hard work we all put in this summer.
My bike planter....neat huh?
Wanna sit a bit?
Back yard in the hood

Watermelon Season is HERE!!!!!

2008-07-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

Just had to share this photo....1993 our first summer in the house, and Dale was hard at it doing his Farming duties...lol. The more things change, the more they stay the same?

Some pic's...

2008-07-19T16:10:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to share some pic's from recent accomplishments!!!

Happy 4th

2008-07-02T15:45:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-02T12:46:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday America!

happy birthday chris

2008-06-26T13:45:00.001-04:00

Light the Night 2008

2008-06-26T09:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.active.com/donate/ltnWilmin1/deanna

Sad day :^(

2008-06-17T15:37:00.003-04:00

A sad day in Sussex County, DE! This morning there was a fatal accident near Angola, Sussex Co., DE. The accident involved one ambulance which was carrying two EMT's, one Sussex County paramedic, and one patient. Two people were killed in the accident, the paramedic Stephanie Callaway, and the patient.

For those of you in the Brown family, the paramedic was the girl that took Alex and Stephanie's wedding pictures. This is such a sad story, at the young age of 31, she had two small boys at home.

Please pray for all the people involved in this horrific accident. It has left a huge bruse on the hearts of all the EMS/Fire personnel in the entire State.

Thanks, be safe out there....ttfn Deanna

Please pray for these families...

2008-06-12T10:54:00.006-04:00

I am adding a new blog page to my list of favorites that I check EVERYDAY...This page is about a christian family that proves that love and faith will concour all.

As you see...in my last post I added some photos from Cory in Texas. He is doing something that he has talked about for years, traveling with a crew that does custom harvesting. HE LOVES TO FARM!!!!!!!!!

When he left for this venture in his life, I had some very strong mixed emotions....Cory is so much like Gerry, I can see Gerry doing this same thing, hitting the road to see what life has to offer him at the ripe old age of 20. I am so excited for Cory to "see whats on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay" and be young and single and have no committments tying him down.

I was sad to see him go as well, he has been such a super kid (he will always be a kid to me) in helping out around the farm, and being a big brother figure to Dale through these past years. The hard part was letting him go after loosing Gerry. It is so ironic that he has the same work ethic and silly personality that Gerry had, as well as his love for tractors, racecars, hunting, fire company and FAMILY. He is a big part of what keeps Gerrys spirit ALIVE!!!!

Portrait of Cory at Gerry's funeral service.

For those of you that don't know Cory, you are missing out on one SPECTACULAR young man! He would do and give anything for the people that he loves, and for those he doesn't even know as well. He was always there, even through the toughest times, to comfort me, Dale, Wayne & Maralene, Gerry & Carol, Rob and the kids. I will never forget the hug he gave me the night Gerry passed away. It was like he didn't want to let go....and he still hasn't!!!

The hurt in his heart from loosing Gerry was so deep that it compelleld him to start a team to raise funds for the Light the Night campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. But...there was more to his purpose, his sister Britnay had just gone through a battle againt Lymphomia and he wanted to honor her as well. So...TEAM GUMP was formed and boy did it make an impact. Our TEAM was the top fund raiser for the Rehoboth walk, raising over $7,000!!! And we are bound and determined to top that this year as well; however, Cory will not be with us because he won't be back until late November. So we are gonna show him that we can push on and make him proud of us!!!

Team Gump 2007

Now...back to my first paragraph...my new addition to my blog list:

After only being gone for 4-5 days, Cory was involved in a terrible accident with the semi he was driving while working in Texas. The other vehicle involved, and his semi, caught fire and the men in the pickup were hurt badly. This blog page was formed by their family and is a God send. We all know how greatful we were when we had the same opportunity to share Gerry's progress while at Rehab! Please pray for these families and Cory, and his family as well. We all know what prayer can do for all of us, and we have seen the Mountains that can be moved!!!

With that said...I am asking all my friends and family, as well as TEAM GUMP members to pledge $10 towards the Benefit Auction that has been organized to help these families. This is what Cory and Gerry would do, right? How bout' it? Get up with me on my cell phone (302) 236-7944 or email (deanna815@verizon.net) to make arrangements, or you can log on to the blog page (http://www.prayfortreyandtyler.blogspot.com/) and make a contribution there as well. Either way, we need to support these families and show them that they have support from DELAWARE too! Thanks so much...

Much love to all & HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!! TTFN Deanna

Pictures from Heaven,,,

2008-05-30T13:44:00.004-04:00

Our friend Cory sent this picture straight from Texas. He is working for a Harvesting Group that travels the mid-west to do custom harvesting. I truly love these pictures...

I Caught the BIG ONE!!! hehehe

2008-05-30T10:47:00.002-04:00

my first fish...EVER!!!!!!!! Haha...We went fishing at the Inlet on Sunday May 25, along with the Pennsylvania Navy, and I caught my first fish. I was sooooo excited, I have NEVER been fishing in a boat before, actually I have never been to fond of boats, but I am learning and trying new stuff all the time. Life is short!!!

Meet Sam, he had the cooler all to himself, LOL. He was a blue fish (teeth and all), but now he is crab bait.

sycamoregump

2008-04-07T22:30:00.001-04:00

I DID IT!!!!! I PASSED!!!

2008-03-30T18:57:00.004-04:00

Well folks, I finally finished my EMT class, and I am proud to say that I am now a NATIONAL REGISTERED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN-BASIC.

I have completed my classes, did my practicals and passed my National Exam on the very first try. WOW!! I can't believe I have achieved this goal...Now it's time to move on to the next endeavor, whatever that may be?

Thanks for all your support and encouragement.

Happy New Year

2008-01-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

Wow, the first full week of January has come and gone, already!!!! Things are going pretty good here on Sycamore Road. I am still taking my EMT class and Dale is getting geared up for Lacrosse to start in a few weeks!

I had the most amazing award bestowed upon me by a very dear and special friend on New Years Eve morning. My friend Tara submitted my name to our favorite local radion station, Froggy 99.9 for their "Everyday Hero" award. They present this award once a week to local folks that are making a difference in this crazy world. Well, they picked me and I was presented with a very nice award, a Best Buy gift card and dinner for 4 at Jimmys Grille in Bridgeville. WHAT AN HONOR!

I am not a hero by an stretch of the imagination...but it was very humbling to know that my efforts are paying off. Tara is a member of TEAM GUMP and walked with us at the Light the Night Walk. She is a member of the Seaford Vol Fire Company and works part time at Laurel Fire Co as an EMT. She has been a huge help to me with my EMT studies and a breath of fresh air on any given day. All that and she is only 19 years old. WOW! Hopefully I can effect some others just like her. See, its Gerry's spirit that keeps me going, and I know he is very proud of me!!!!

Well gotta go, ttfn Love Deanna

My hero hard at it!!!

2007-12-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

Station 81 had a chicken house fire on Monday afternoon that was dispatched just as Dale was arriving home from school. The fire was at an old abandoned chicken house just across the field from our house. Dale is the one in the red fire gear. I AM SOOOOO PROUD OF MY CADET FIREFIGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dale got his first deer!! Wooohooooo yippiieeeee

2007-11-28T16:43:00.000-04:00

Dale shot his first buck on Saturday, November 17th....he was soooooo excited. I sure hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!! Dont stress too much in the next few weeks, remember Christmas comes this time EVERY YEAR! LOL

Finally...its here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-14T11:30:00.001-04:00

I had a welcome surprise Tuesday evening. I was a little ahead of schedule in heading to the LFD Auxiliary meeting, so I decided to stop by to visit Gerry. I was greeted by the head stone that has been in the works for six months now. WOW!!! It is amazingly beautiful, and well worth the wait.

A little history on the design of the stone:

I was looking for something unique (like Gerry) to define the story of his life. Everything on this stone has traces of Gerry all through them. He designed our house and did all the interior work. He dreamed and designed his shop, which houses the fire trucks. He purchased the tractor when we finally moved home from Baltimore after the initial treatments. That is his truck that he always parked in the driveway, and it drove me nuts because we had two garages he could have parked inside. And the two trees over by the shop we planted as a family on Fathers Day in 2003, to mark our new beginning and second chance at life together. Now the flag pole was an impulse purchase that he and Tim just had to have at the Firemans Expo in Harrisburg a few years back. Now, if you look really close, double click on the image to zoom in, you can see the metal barn star on the front of the house, as well as the chicken coop and rocking chair.

At the top of the stone are two logos that were a very integeral part of Gerry. The one on the left is the logo for H. Wayne Givens & Sons, which is our farming operation. This partnership was started by Gerry and Wayne in 1997. On the left is the logo designed by the Laurel Fire Department that is displayed on the shop and a sign out in front of the Sycamore Road Sub-Station. The members are extremely proud of this logo, as am I!

I hope you enjoy this picture and can stop by to see it in real life...who would think that something so sad could bring soooo much joy to me...finally!!!!!!!!

Love Deanna

P.S. I still miss him every day =^(

Just checkin' in....

2007-11-08T11:37:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since I posted on here so here goes.....I started EMT class last month...I LOVE IT!!!! The class has proven to be all that I expected, a little challanging sometimes, but that is what I need right now! I am doing this for several reasons, the most important one is to payback some good deeds that have been bestowed upon me thru the past several years. I would not be able to function this very day without the help and support of my LFD family. Also, I needed to prove to myself that I can do things that are outside of the box from where my life has taken me over the past 40 years. Yeah believe it or not I AM 40!!

On October 13 our family and friends participated in the Light the Night walk...our TEAM GUMP was the 1 fundraisers for the Rehoboth Walk. This is amazing, we raised over $7,100 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are the #1 fundraising team for the Rehoboth Walk. Next year we are setting our goal for at least $ 10,000 and hope to bust that all to pieces!!! My my, Gerry would be so proud of all the people that contributed to this event, it has brought so many of us together for a united cause..we are an awesome TEAM.

Nightmare Productions had a banner year with the Nightmare at Twilley Center this year. I didn't get down to Salisbury to play as much as I wanted, but they had a good time without me, again!!!! A portion of the proceeds will go to the Salisbury YMCA and the American Cancer Society! The haunt this year was awesome, and it had Gerry's little touches all over the place. The SCREAM TEAM will be back next year, ready to scare the yell out of you!!!It was overwhelming to watch the "kids" take on some big roles at the Haunted House this year. We have watched them grow up, from the days when they were 5 or 6 falling asleep in a make shift coffin, or in a dirt pit. Some might call that child neglect, we call it bonding time and it has produced some amazing young adults. Watching Dale carry on at the HH was most pleasing. He has become everything I would ever dream of....he has taught me alot!!!!! What a brat though, he still picks on me everyday, I don't know where he gets that from...

The holiday season is coming up fast, this year will be different for our family; however, we are thankful that we have each other to lean on and look forward to remembering Gerry through it all!!!!Well thats all for now.....ttfn!!!!Deanna

Light the Night Walk 2007!

2007-10-15T11:10:00.001-04:00

Wow!!! We had a great time at our first annual Light the Night walk for TEAM GUMP! We have about 35 walkers for TEAM GUMP and our TEAM raised over $6,600. Not too bad for the first year, huh? We are going to start planning for next years walk after the holidays are over, so look for us to start bugging you about some fundraisers in January!! Gonna attach some pic's...thanks to Ryan Whittington for his spiderman stunts in getting such good shots!! Enjoy, we sure did....

Stop by to see the BLUE RIBBON PROJECT!

2007-09-21T13:59:00.001-04:00

Allison's fair project is on display at The Hen House! She has given the scrap book page to me, as well as donated all her ribbon money that she won to the Light the Night Walk. What a special young lady she is, I enjoy her company!!! THANKS HONEY!!

OK....I'm bored!!!

2007-09-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

So what happens when I get bored? You get pictures!!!!! Here are some recent photos that I have neglected to share, enjoy........

Special Friends

2007-09-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we were fortunate enough to have our special friends visit from Annapolis Md. Lou and Charolette have been a very important part of our crazy life over the past five years. Lou and Gerry became very much connected during Gerrys first treatment in 2002. You see, Lou had the same dasturdly ALL that Gerry had, and they were only diagnosed two weeks apart. Therefore, that meant that they were headed down the same path of unknown's together! What a great source of encouragement and love we have gained from them. It was a treat to have their company.....

TEAM GUMP!!!! On a mission.....

2007-09-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

Team Gump is on a mission.....We attended a Light the Night Team Meeting on 9/11...Our team is #1 in fundraising so far for the Rehoboth Walk.....Thanks so much for all of your donations....we are gonna meet out goal....no doubt in my mind! I am soooo proud of what these KIDS are doing for the L&LS. They are amazing and devoted....now you know what an impact Gerry had on all of them.....Britney is our Team Captain....she is such a good spokesperson for this cause....she has been there, done that, and has an attitude like no other about life and her purpose in life! The event takes place on Saturday October 13, and starts at the North end of the Boardwalk....Opening ceremonies start at 7pm and the walk begins soon after at twilight...it is gonna be an amazing site...come on out and watch us and cheer us on.

The Team Gump T-shirts are in....they are simply beautiful....get one while supplies last...just send an email or give one of us a call....the cost is $20, with ALL proceeds going towards our Team goal......Thanks so much for all of your support....we are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends... TTFN DD

Gone to another state!

2007-09-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

Hi folks!!! I have to apologize for the delay in posting...I have been in another state for the last couple of weeks.....the state of Confussion!!! It is so bad there that they dont even have a zip code. lol

The next couple of months are gonna be very emotional for me......I have alot of hurdles to get over and I am not looking forward to the ups and downs that they will bring! But....Im gonna give it my all, I'm not about to go backwards now!!!!

The weather is amazing!!! I love to open the windows and let all the germs and worries blow away. I had to break out a pair of sweat pants and sweat shirt last night.....that is the ultimate comfy for me....

I'm gonna post a couple of pictures that I have been holding on to.....enjoy!!!

TTFN DD

Being silly...

2007-08-28T11:15:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share these photos with you...we had a pretty depressing day on Saturday... a dear friend of the family, Louis Breeding, joined the flock of angels watching over us...his daughter, Linda, is my very close friend. When we got home I wanted a picture of Dale and I together so we put Mom to work...of course we could not behave ourselves...so what you see is what you get...my poor mother deserves an award...lol

Love to all...D

The mirror shot was taken while we were waiting to go to the cemetary...man was it hot...only cooled down to 103 when we started moving!!!!!!!

Team Gump

2007-08-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

Cory and Ryan have been hard at work designing the shirt for our Team! They have done a fabulous job don't you think? The shirts will be available as a fund raiser towards out team goal. Thanks guys...I will let everyone know when the shirts come in...stay tuned!

Finally

2007-08-24T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, its me...I am finally taking the time to do an update. I had a very busy week last week, I figured that I will only turn 40 once, so there was no need to just celebrate it for a day, so I spent the whole week celebrating!!

I have some great pictures...Tim took some at my surprise bday party at the Browns, and I have some at the Old Mill with the Givens family and friends. I had so much fun! I want to thank everyone for making this such a special time for me...was kind of dreading it to be honest, not sure which emotion was gonna take over...but, my family and friends have never let me down before and they proved once again how lucky I am to have each one of them!!! Thank you everyone, I love you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will add the pictures later, I am at the wrong computer right now.

Dale has finished work for the summer, starts school next Monday. Can you believe that he will be a Jr this year. He is still as ornery as ever! He was chasing me thru the house the other night, picking at me and pinching my butt...then Mom came out of her room with a fly swatter and straighten us both out, lol.

Well, there is another Angel looking down on us...Another great friend of mine had to say goodbye to her dad this week. Linda has been my friend since..forever. She is such a great older (haha) sister to me. Pop Pop Louis will be missed very much, but he has suffered long enouogh and we know that he is up in heaven cheering on the O's...

Just a reminder, only 4 months til' christmas!!! Love ya, DD

Stay tuned...

2007-08-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

I promise I will post pictures soon, I have been busy celebrating my Bday all week, is that fun or WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Love ya d

A great day with family

2007-08-08T06:10:00.001-04:00

I had the best day ever yesterday. I went to Aimee's house, in Warrington PA, with Gerry & Carol to see the whole fam damily (haha). We had so much fun, from the moment we hit the road. What a great group of folks. I needed yesterday, really bad!!!

You know when you laugh so much that your lungs hurt, that was me. We picked up Mom Mom Brown and delivered her so she could visit for a couple of days, what a sweet lady. Her face lite up when she saw the great grandchildren, now she has her hands full for the next couple of day. Katie and Robbie are such great kids, they were quite the entertainers. They are great medicine for what ale's you. I could sit and watch them for hours. And the babies, WOW, they are perfect.

Of course, Aunt Carol kept the family in stitches telling her "stories" and trying to recruit a business partner. By the way, I had a dream about cupcakes last night, now I will have to bake some, thanks Aunt Carol.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-08T06:06:00.001-04:00

Monkey in the middle

Happy Birthday Dad Brown!

2007-08-07T06:50:00.001-04:00

Getting Spoiled...

2007-08-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

I am bustin' with excitement. Previously, I shared the photos and info about my friends finishing the sidewalk. Well...Saturday night at the stock car races another friend, Tim Shockley, advised me that he and his dad (Davis) are going to redo my front yard in a couple of weeks. I was floored! Tim's mom (Nancy) is my boss at FSIA, she has been a wonderful leaning post for me for the past 14 years. You know when you need to talk to someone who will just listen, and then give you the truth, weather you like it or not...that's her. I bet she is behind this whole deal, along with some other of my peeps, uucchhuumm Walker's.

The love and support that my family and friends have show to us is unmeasurable! Every day I am reminded of how much they care, and I immediately look up and thank God and his right hand angel for looking after me! I can see him now, taking his hat off and scratching his head with it, can't you...

Friday was four months since Gerry went to be with the Lord. He is the lucky one if you ask me! The suffering ended for him, but the thought of suffering without him is what buckles my knees.

Well, I gotta cut this short, I need to blow my nose and dry my face. I LOVE ALL OF YOU!

TTFN DD

P.S. Check out Krissy new blog page, now I can see Michael grow up as well. Thanks Krissy & Mike.

I have passed the half way point!!

2007-08-05T00:53:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to Thank everyone and let you know that I have passed the half way point of my goal for the Light the Night Walk!!!

Pic from Sugarland Concert

2007-08-04T13:35:00.000-04:00

THANKS TIM!!!!!!!!!!!

Hubby #2 took us to see Sugarland (aint he sweet, no pun) this is Stephanie, Pat & Me. I am pretty sure Pat & I were up to something, you can tell by the look on our faces. We had a blast!

is there any snow in the forecast

2007-08-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

I know this photo is blurrrrrry but it was HOT and I wanted to prove it!!!

Happy National Girlfriends Day

2007-08-02T01:46:00.000-04:00

A day late, but HAPPY NATIONAL GIRLFRIENDS DAY! My "girlfriend" Linda treated us to dinner last night for National Girlfriends Day. Heck, we will find any excuse to eat. REMINDER ... only 13 shopping days til' my bday. LMBO TTFN DD

2007-08-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone~Just wanted to drop a quick line to let you know things are going pretty good. No new drama happening here, just enjoying all the pictures Aimee & Ashlynne are sharing with us. Whats up Stef? I see a trip to PA in the near future, gotta see those babies! Katie & Robbie are growing up so fast. Was that Aunt Carol dancin'? Looks like we need to do the town together, haha.

Took a trip to the Old Mill with Mark, Penny & Heather on Saturday night. I think Jeff (the owner and good friend) put us in the corner on purpose. I guess our reputation proceeded us. By the way, Mark drank more than half his share of the pitcher:^). What a BLAST! I treasure these nights out, its gettin' old sittin' at home "gettin old".

Tim bought all his women tickets to see Sugarland at the fair on Friday night. Bless his heart, he had four women to escort around, he deserves a medal. The show was awesome! The really neat thing that happened before the concert was the live satellite feed from Fort Dix in NJ. They broadcast the 153 MP stationed out of Delaware City, it was soooooooo cool because they had a section for the families of these men and women. The interesting part was that the Captain of the unit is from Laurel, and is a member of my church. We had a special send off for him at church, and several of the leaders of the church headed up a fund drive to purchase phone cards for the troops, and they have more projects planned for this fall. Also, one of our town Police officers is in that unit, who's dad is in the fire department...so that meant alot to me, it was a special feeling of PRIDE to be a part of this event. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Watermelons are rolling down the road in full force. Just love to see those chopped up buses. I can still see Gerry's brain turning trying to figure what else they could rig up to get more melons to the packing shed. Dad is driving the dully now, it looks so natural to see it parked at the shop and packing shed, and up and down the road. I know he has a special back seat driver:#)

Well, gotta earn my pay, lunch is over. TTFN DD

MY SIDEWALK IS DONE!!!!

2007-07-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

Well, the guys have done it again. This week they came by and finished my sidewalk out in front of the house:#) I am so lucky to have such great/caring friends that look after us. Gerry started the sidewalk either last year, or the year before. Of course everything else always came first...you know the rest of the story.

I want to thanks Keith, Alvin, Tim & Dale for all their hard work. Oh Zach and Justin were there the other night as well. THANKS GUYS! I LOVE YA!!!!!!

Raised my Goal for Light the Night Walk!

2007-07-21T12:32:00.000-04:00

In only 1 1/2 days I was just a little short of my first goal of $500. Now, I have raised it to $1,500, lets see what I can do with that? Team Gump is gonna have a strong showing. I went to the fair last night with my in-laws and we had a nice evening. Good grief that is a lot of walking, but I needed it. I have added a few pictures of Allison's Salute Entry. There was some pretty good stuff there, and i must say that her's was tops. Good job honey!

Blue Ribbon Project

2007-07-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

"We are so happy ! Allison's Salute to Heros Project received a Blue Ribbon/Excellent Exhibit Awards at the Del. State Fair."

This is an e-mail I just received from our friend Mike Lowe with Laurel Fire Department. He and Wendy have an angel of a daughter Allison Lowe. During Gerry's illness, Allison came to visit him at Johns Hopkins, and even baked him chocolate chip cookies when he came home. They provided several dinners for us, and Allison was always there to deliver. Since she is a "firehouse brat" Gerry always took the opportunity to "pick" on her during her frequent visits to the firehouse. Allison's Salute project is on display at the Del. State Fair in the Ice Arena Building.

Please stop by to check it out, be prepared, it will bring tears to your eyes!

I will post some pictures later, I plan to attend the fair this weekend.

Love D

Light the Night Walk - In Memory of Gerry "Gump" Brown

2007-07-20T00:21:00.000-04:00

Please visit my Light The Night homepage. http://www.active.com/donate/ltnWilmin1/2122_mamagump

"Team Gump has been created by a very special group of friends. They are going all out to raise funds to support the causes of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. When they told me what they were doing, I just shook with excitement!! I will keep you posted on the fundraisers that they are planning. (t-shirts, stickers, etc.) You know me, PLAN is a four-letter word in my vocabulary, so I will leave that up to them. Since I have had amazing support in just my first two days of fundraising, I have increased my goal from $500 to $1500. Thanks for all you do for me and my family, which very much includes my friends! Check out the webpage..."

Although Gerry lost his battle to ALL this year, our family and friends are making it our mission to keep his spirit alive! Gerry's main concern when he was diagnosed with leukemia was to help others in the future. He was very vocal about the fact that he was given a second chance because someone else made a donation and gave their time to support funding and research.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of patients battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.
The Society funds lifesaving cancer research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and many other types of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants that have prolonged and enhanced the lives of patients. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue have already begun to provide drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.
But more research is critically needed:
Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every ten minutes, someone dies.
Leukemia causes more deaths among children than any other cancer
More than 20,000 Americans died from lymphoma in 2006
Please make a donation to support my Light The Night Walk and help save lives. Be sure to check my Web site frequently to see my progress, and again, thanks for your support!
http://www.active.com/donate/ltnWilmin1/2122_mamagump

OMG - Not another post!

2007-07-16T21:41:00.000-04:00

Well, now that I am home from work, I have more time to share the things I have been so wrapped up in for the past couple of months, which have been an emotional roller coaster.

I bought a vehicle all by myself. Can you believe that I will be 40 next month, and I have never applied for anything on my own? I was scared to death. But...I did it, and I love my truck.

In June, one of my VBF's Cindy had to say goodbye to her dad. What a dear sweet man! He was such a hoot, always had a story to share, and I could sit and listen to him for hours. He worshiped the ground his little girl walked on, what a great relationship for a father and daughter to have!

Then, one of my other VBF's Pat took me away on a three day road trip to her hometown of Blue Jay, WV. Oh my, what a great escape. We had a blast. We were in no hurry to get anywhere. Pat has such a great loving family, they made me feel right at home, and the shopping was wonderful. We tried to hit every discount store within 50 miles, plus we hit a Wal-Mart in every state we passed thru. I can't wait to go back to God's country, which I am planning on doing over Labor Day weekend.

Then came the 4th of July. The Laurel Chamber of Commerce decided to dedicate the 4th of July Parade in Gerry's memory. He was very involved in the organization of the parades that took place in Laurel over the past several years. What a tribute. The fire company had a great showing, and there were eleven different fire companies in the parade to honor Gerry. We are so thankful for all that the fire company and local community members have done for our family. I feel so at ease knowing that Gerry's memory and legacy will live on in this community, actually I feel it everyday. The picture of Cindy, Pat and I was from the parade, at the judges stand. Dale and I sponsored a trophy in Gerry's memory for the Best Appearing Fire Company, which was awarded to our neighbors just to the north, Blades Vol. Fire Co.

On Friday the 13th, another VBF Linda, made a dreaded trip across the bay with me to Johns Hopkins. That is where my neurologist is, and it was time for my six month check up for my MS. My doctor was very pleased with my MRI results. There are no new lesions on my brain or c-spine, and one of the lesions I have has shrunk. Also, I had a very good visit with some of "Gerry's Girls" on 5C. The emotions going into that building were overwhelming! Just the smell of the building, which was not a bad smell, made my stomach turn. The sense of being an outsider was a whole new feeling as well. For so many days, and months, I felt like I owned that building, it was our "home" and we have a lot of family still there. This is just another chapter in my life that I am completing, but it will be one of the major rocks that I lean on to get us thru the future!!!!

Unfortunatley, last week was a very sad week. On Monday, Pop Pop Brown lost his battle to cancer. What a wonderful, strong man he symbolized. Aunt Carol put it very well during the service, he knew everything. I could see alot of him in my Gerry. Strong minded, and spoke up for what he thought was right. It is such a comforting feeling to know that now he and Gerry can watch over all of us with their great wisdom and love. The funeral service was on Saturday, which was bitter sweet. It was sad to say goodbye to Pop Pop, and to see Mom Mom so tired; however, it also was a time of celebration, and an oportunity to talk with family that we don't get to see often enough. Gerry's cousin Mike was so right in saying that families need to get together twice a year with happy intentions, not just to say goodbye to another family member. I agree, my family does not get together often enough either, it is time for some change!

Dale is doing very well. He is busy working full time this summer with the U of D Ag Studies. He is also very busy with the Fire Company Cadet program. He has turned into a young man, and I did'nt get the chance to see it, kids change so fast. Gerry has left his mark on Dale in many ways, oh boy!! He can start to talk and if I close my eyes, I swear that Gerry is sitting there talking. I think he was cloned, instead of conceived, haha!! I am so proud of who he has become, he bought a pool table at an auction a few weeks ago, so now we are gonna become pool sharks. That is a joke, huh?

Well, I have bent your ear long enough. I promise to keep this blog updated more often. Enjoy the pix's. Love ya, D

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...I know it has been awhile!

2007-07-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say hi, and let you all know that I am still around! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, it sure has gotten hot!! Dale and I are both busy with work this summer, he is working for U of D through their Ag Program. Hopefully we can get away for a weekend sometime soon, before school starts back. I am posting some new pictures for all to enjoy, of course you won't see too many pictures of Dale, he is camara shy, just like his dad, huh? I promise to update more often. TTFN Love D

LAX Awards

2007-05-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

Last night we attended the Lax Awards Banquet at STHS. It was nice to see all the guys get recognition for such a wonderful season. The seniors were excited and hoping to move on to the All-State game so they can play one more game with their competators.

Dale received the Sportmanship Trophy from Coach Stewart. It was an emotional night for us, it was hard to do this event without Gerry there to enjoy the accomplishments of our son. Gerry was so proud of Dale, no matter what he was involved in, his dad always encouraged him to give it his all. It became a big part of my therapy to go to the games and do some cheering and yelling. Man, I can't wait until football starts now, although yelling at home is not quite the same, huh?

Last weekend, Dale, Cory & Barry went to the UD/UMBC lax game. While they were there watching the 2nd game of the day, I was online ordering them tx's to the semi-final round at M&T Stadium/Ravens Stadium this Saturday. They are ready to do some tailgating, and girl watching too. (Checkout the photo of the girls in front of them) I am torn between who wins, since UD plays Johns Hopkins. I guess it doesn't matter, they both deserve to win.

Oh yeah, Dale got a job with the UD Sub-station in Georgetown. He actually started on Tuesday after school. What an opportunity for him to work with this group of people. Not sure which area he will be in, but it will have alot to do with farm work, gardening, and experimental crops and such.

Nuff about us, how is everyone doing? It has finally turned to spring, my head and eyes can attest to that. Take care, love ya lots. DD

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2007-05-13T19:08:00.001-04:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Another week gone by...

2007-05-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that it is Friday again. What a busy week we had. Dale had away Lacrosse games at Newark on Tuesday, and Dover on Wednesday. They won both games. The JV team finished the season 9-2! Look out next year, there is gonna be some butt kickin' goin' on!!!! Dale and I went to the Old Mill last night to celebrate the end of the season. Man those crabs were good, small but had a good taste.

I took a mental health day from work on Tuesday, I was due! I needed to run some errands and get myself ready for the trip to Newark to watch Dale play. I still have those days when I am not sure which direction I am supposed to go in...luckily they are getting fewer as we go along, but it sure does hurt like hell. Of course, now is the time for all the farmer's to be out in the fields, and all I can smell is fresh dirt everytime I go outside. That is a hard pill to swallow, it makes me feel very lonely and sad.

Today is Mom's birthday, she is 61!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know what I am gonna focus on now that lacrosse if over for the season. That has kept me just as busy as Dale. Oh well, something will come up, no doubt?

I hope everyone has a great weekend, even though it is supposed to rain:(

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!!!

I Ate Toooooo Much

2007-05-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

Well, another week has passed. Nancy & I went to Millsboro today for lunch at the DQ. You know me, I don't like to eat much, haha. So...I ordered a banana cream pie blizzard with my burger and fries. IT WAS DELICIOIUS!!!!! A treat well deserved I must add. Dale has had a busy week with lacrosse.

Wednesday they played against Sussex Central and won 18-0. It was bitter sweat because his coach from last year coaches at SC now. It was nice to talk with him after the game. I watched him as the game went on, and I could tell that he has an impact on the players from SC. Those kids were getting their butts kicked, and they didn't act like a bunch of babies, they kept on playing, and as for their coach, he never lost his cool, he very calmly coached from the side lines. What an amazing person he is, he was a big part of Dale staying involved with lacrosse last year. I sure do miss seeing him.

Thursday the JV lacrosse team traveled to Berlin to play Worcester Prep. They (ST) lost 7-4. That actually is not a bad scored considering that part of the JV team plays for Varsity as well, and they beat our Varsity last Monday 19-0! Oh well, cant win them all. This Saturday they play St. Elizabeth at ST at noon. Hopefully it will be a pretty day, and we can have a good game.

My friend, Marla, and I are going to see Ronnie Milsap on Saturday night in Salisbury. It's a GNO (girls night out). When we were young, and not so fat, we would listen to Ronnie Milsap as we rode around Laurel in the bright yellow daisy. Daisy was an old DP&L meter reading truck her dad bought at an auction. We had so much fun in that old thing. That is what we were riding in the night I met Gerry. Memories................................

Well, I gotta look like I am working, love to all, have a great weekend.

Love ya, DD TTFN

TGIF

2007-04-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

WooooHooooo! It's Friday, finally. I'm going to get my hair did tonight. Gonna try something new, I think? I'm not sure how much they can do to make it any different, other than buzz it all off and start over. Oh well, we will see:@)

I sure will be glad when this weather decides what it is gonna do! My head is killing me. Can you believe that next week is the beginning of May? I feel like I have been stuck in a bubble somewhere. No need to complain though, right!

Love to all, have a great weekend...TTFN

Happy Wednesday

2007-04-25T20:47:00.000-04:00

Today I went to Milford to watch Sussex Tech and Milford play lacrosse. ST JV won 9-2 and Varsity lost 7-4. It was a little chilly, but it was nice to watch Dale play the entire game. His coach had a lot of compliments to say about Dale after the game. Of course, my head got all swolt up again! We went to Dad & Carol's for dinner afterwards, spaghetti and salad, that hit the spot.

My favorite group is singing on American Idol, Rascal Flatts. They sing with such emotion! I hope you know that I sound just like them when I am driving down the road:@)

Oh, by the way, I did catch the shrimp on Saturday night. We had a blast. Thanks Linda & Craig.

Gotta go, lova ya DD

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!

2007-04-22T20:18:00.000-04:00

Man o' man it sure was purty out today. The temperature gauge read 86 when I picked Dale up from the firehouse tonight at 5:00. Didn't do much outside today though, I usually fool myself the first NICE day of spring and over do it, sunburn, back aches, etc. So I decided to stay inside with the windows open, and clean Dale's room. OH MY LORD!!!

My wonderful neighbors came over tonight to plant the trees I bought yesterday. They look georgous! (The trees are pretty too) Tim is a good digger if I don't say so myself.

Speaking of trees, there was a beautiful picture of a tree on the front of our bulletin from church today, the caption read...

"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still."

That pretty much says it all, huh? I hope everyone is still growing, I know I grow and learn something everyday. Standing still will only cause us pain and lots of grief. Here's to a great weekend.

TTFN DD

What a beautiful day!!!

2007-04-21T16:41:00.000-04:00

Well, the weather has finally broke, there is actually a blue sky up there. Dale is on his way home from fire school, I bet he is pooped. Pat and I went to Jeff's Greenhouse today and I bought two trees. One is a Pink Dogwood, dogwoods were Gerry's favorite. He would see them growing wild in the woods, and want to dig every single one up. But, just like many other things, we were either coming or going, so there was never time to do such a thing. I think I will plant it in the back yard, where the deck and back porch meet. THere is an empty spot there, so it should fit perfect. The other tree it a tree named after me " Crab Apple" I'm not sure of where it will go, but I am gonna recruit some help on that one.

I also purchased a beautiful planter with a geranium, vinca ivy, and some other stuff. I took it the the cemetary, it looked so darn drab out there, so I spruced it up. Gerry is probably fussing at me now because he knows that someone will have to water it, and cut grass around it. I will try to download the picture I took at the cemetary for those of you that can not visit on a regular basis. I am working with Ed on the stone, so hopefully we can have something done by the beginning of the summer.

Getting ready for tonights outing with the bunch. They certainly are taking good care of me and Dale. Hopefully I will catch the shrimp this time.

Have a great evening, talk at ya tomorrow. Oh for those of you that are wondering what TTFN stands for...Tah Tah For Now!!!!

Love dd

Survived another week!!

2007-04-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

Well, I made it! I survived another week on this wonderful planet. Work was good for me, it actually gave me a chance to listen to other people's (customers) problems. The girls were great, I missed them sooooo much. The guys on the other hand, well...just kidding, I work with the greatest group of people in the world.

It was actually fun at work today, mung'us girls ate lunch together, and I think I busted a lung from laughing so much. Of course, I was the main one cracking jokes. I can't help it, some people are just so darn stupid, they deserve to be talked about. It is unreal what people will say and do out in the public?!?!

Dale is back to fire school tomorrow and Sunday. I plan, yes I used that word, to work outside tomorrow. Pat and I are gonna see what we can dig up out in the north forty.

Mom and I took a trip to Salisbury tonight, it didn't take long to realize that I was not missing anything down there either.

I am a bit sad this evening though. I went up town to visit the old man, and do you know that some one has removed a stepping stone from Gerry's site already! I just placed it there last Friday evening! It was a beautiful stone that a good friend gave to me. HOW SAD!!! I am not surprised; however, I am quite disappointed.

Tomorrow is Bryan Blocker's 19th birthday. We are gonna celebrate at the Japanesse Steak House in Salisbury. That will be a hoot! Also, I want to wish Aunt Carol a very special "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" this Sunday April 22.

Well, I need to get some beauty sleep. Lord knows I sure do need it. Talk at ya later.

TTFN Love DD

Trying something new

2007-04-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

Hello folks! Since I am having "posting withdrawl" after closing the CarePage, I decided to create a blog so we can still keep up with each other.

Things are going pretty good on Sycamore Road, same ole, same ole. I returned to work on Monday, and Dale has been extremely busy with school, lacrosse, fire school and fire calls.

My friend Melody took me, and her daughter Britnay, to Baltimore last night to see Taylor Hicks (American Idol winner last year). It was awesome!! I enjoyed the night out, but was pretty beat when I got home. Oh well, we gotta live a little now and then.

I will be loading pictures and other stuff soon...as soon as I figure this gizmo out that is:)

TTFN DD