thosewhowait

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Monday, March 30, 2009

no more bugs...

things are kinda quiet at the dewalt residence today.

kids are back in school

ants are all gone

i am doing mounds of laundry

megan is heading to berwick after school today. unfortunately due to after school activities and soccer games i will not be making the trip. meg is going to be the family representative at the spaghetti dinner this evening...she couldn't make the last one because she had to stay home and dad-sit (so i could go). she is looking forward to the trip and seeing everyone. she is a "traveler" and loves to take road trips.

i thought that it would be appropriate for her to be there since she will be the first one to reap the benefits of these fundraisers. she has been accepted into PENN STATE and will start at university park in the fall. tim was SO EXCITED when we found out that she was going to main campus because he knew it had always been a dream of hers to attend there (and i think it was a secret dream of his too).

there was a point after we stopped the chemo that he made a list of things that he wanted to see before he passed away...her getting into PSU was on top of his list. he was so proud of her. there were plenty of legitimate opportunities over these past few years that she could have just given up and gave in to the stress (there was plenty of stress for these teens to handle) but she was a trooper and kept on going strong.

when we get a bit closer to her high school graduation i will dedicate a blog to her and all her accomplishments over the years...she will be thrilled (not)...so don't mention that to her. (our little secret).

well...gotta get back to the laundry.

for those berwickians...enjoy your dinner.

thanks for checking in

tammy

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

myrmecophobia


anyone out there know what that is??? ashley does!!! she woke up this morning with over one hundred ants in bed with her...if she didn't have that phobia before today she certainly has it now.


never a dull moment at the dewalt house.


we think the extensive yard work that was done under their bedroom window has made a few ant colonies very unhappy!!! terminix is coming to exterminate our house (inside and out) in the morning. what a nightmare...but not as bad as the earwig invasion a couple of years ago.


we will all be sleeping with one eye open tonight.


thanks for checking in


tammy


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

busy few days...

for those of you all wondering if we ever got our yard work done...YES WE DID!!! infact, my parents and fred and ashley and i worked most the day in the yard raking and picking up sticks (time for another fire in the pit) and trimming bushes a bit and pulling out a very large cactus plant (and my dad still has the needles in his hand to prove it).

the yard looks great (minus the twelve large bags of leaves laying in the front...what does one do with all those leaves in the spring when you live in susq. twp? will the garbage man take them?)

thanks go out to the "over 70" crowd that can still put in a hard days work!!! i am very grateful...it would have taken me a good week or so to get done what we accomplished in a day.

the update on ashley...toe recovering well.

the update on kelsey...i LOVE high school sports...i HATE high school sports rules and regulations regarding injuries. after one week of intensive physical therapy and the "go-ahead" to practice on monday there was a change of heart after the trainer noticed a touch sensitive area of her ankle bone...so off to the doctor today for x-rays!!!! i know that they have to be careful and look out for the best interest of the kids but i guess i think it would be better if last monday i would have gotten the x-rays and not the following tuesday!!! hopefully there will be no issues and she will be cleared to play soon!!!

spent the day in berwick yesterday...not one of my favorite trips but a necessary one. i stopped by fred's and gave him a lesson on using his e-mail and then we had a really nice lunch. then off to the place that sells "grave markers". the kids and i decided on a head stone for tim's grave and so i went up to order it and get that chore done. nothing too fancy...just plain and simple. kinda weird putting your own name on a head stone...but it is one less thing our kids have to take care of i guess. i am realizing that it is not very cheap to die...infact it is kinda ridiculous how much it cost for "stuff". now i think all i have to do is purchase "my space" in the ground. i have 6 months to buy the space next to tim or who knows who he may have as a neighbor!!!

well...gotta get the kids moving. then kelsey has a 9am doctors appt.

thanks for checking in.

tammy

ps...for all you "berwickians"

check out the spaghetti dinner on monday MARCH 30th at the M.A. (tim's aunt peggy and company has put together a fund raiser dinner for the kids trust fund). i know that you can get tickets or sign up at the body shop if interested.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

[ You all know that i am not computer savy and had to get one of my daughters to help me out. Yet, even they could not figure out how to add an attachment. What you are going to have to do is copy and paste from the original blog or print it out. If you have any problems just make me aware and i will send them through e-mail or snail-mail to you. Thank you. ]

FRIENDS OF TIM DEWALT
MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT


Dear Business Owner and/or Sponsor,

On May 30, 2009 we will be hosting a fundraiser in the form of a golf tournament to raise funds to help Tammy with educational expenses for her three daughters.

Here is some background on our friend Tim Dewalt and his family:

Timothy S. Dewalt, age 45, went home to be with the Lord on January 9th, 2009 following a three year battle with cancer. Tim, who was always a fierce competitor in sports, exemplified that same fight and courage in his battle against the lymphoma that attacked his body.
Tim and his wife Tammy celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary on November 7th, 2008. In addition
To his wife, he is survived by three teenage daughters: Megan, a senior at Susquehanna High School and twins Ashley and Kelsey, who are sophomores, also attend Susquehanna High School. Megan will be attending
Penn State main campus in the fall, the twins are still considering their options for a college.
His family meant everything to him and one of his last requests was that they would be cared for and looked after.
So in keeping with our promise to him…Friends of Tim Dewalt and Family are sponsoring this golf tournament. All proceeds will go into a dedicated trust fund established for the Dewalt girls.

In order to assist us with meeting our goal we respectfully request that you consider becoming a Hole Sponsor or by donating a prize to our event. To become a Hole Sponsor you will only need to donate ($100.00). For your donation you will have your business name posted at a designated hole and have your business name listed in the dinner program that will be handed out to every one who attends our event. A Prize Sponsor will also be listed in the program.

I am sure you may have heard this story told many different times, all very deserving, but please consider our friend and his family as one of your worthy causes. Tim was more than our friend he was part of our life and our family. You will never get the chance to meet Tim, although I wish you could have he was a remarkable man, but rest assured the money you may donate will forever be held in Tammy’s heart as well as ours. Please consider our request and honor us with your gracious donation. Please make your Gold Sponsorship check out to “The Timothy S. Dewalt Testamentary Trust” and return the enclosed information so that we may honor your company properly at our golf tournament. Thank you for your time and consideration to this worthy cause!

With Sincere Thanks,
John & Dawn Packer

Name of Sponsor/Business:_________________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Type of Sponsorship:_____________________________________________________________
Please have donation/prize sent to us by May 16, 2009.

Send Donations To: 1851 Parkway West, Harrisburg, PA 17112
Questions or Concerns Contact: John Packer @ (717)554-7209 C / (717)652-7698 P
Make Checks Payable To: “The Timothy S. Dewalt Testamentary Trust”









FRIENDS OF TIM DEWALT
MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Date & Time: Saturday, May 30th, 2009 - 1:30 pm start
Place: Deer Valley Golf Course 101 Stoudt Rd. Hummelstown, PA 17036
Format: 18 Hole Four Man Scramble Golf Tournament - Shotgun Start
Purpose: Provide educational funds for the Dewalt girls. Cost: $100 per Golfer and Hole Sponsor - Dinner only $25

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
GOLFER - $100
Includes: Greens fees, cart, lunch at golf course, & dinner following tournament.(We will team you up with a group.)
HOLE SPONSOR - $100
Includes: Your business name displayed on individual signs on the golf course and in the dinner program.(Include information below or attach business card)
SILVER SPONSOR - $750
Includes: All listed above for four golfers, plus commemorative mug.
GOLD SPONSOR - $1000
Includes: All listed above for four golfers, plus.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st through 3rd place. Additional prizes include: hole in one contest, longest drive, closest to pin, pot of gold, and more.

Dinner will be immediately following the tournament at the Golf Course.

Make checks payable to “The Timothy S. Dewalt Testamentary Trust”, all registrations and hole sponsors must be received by May 14, 2009. Mail to: John Packer, 1851 Parkway West, Harrisburg, PA 17112, any questions contact John @ (717)554-7209 or (717)652-7698. Tournament limited to first 124 golfers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Golfer/Sponsor name, address, and telephone number.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
4.______________________________________________________________
HOLE SPONSOR:__________________________________________________

Sponsorship Level(circle one) - GOLD - SILVER - HOLE - Total $_________
Dinner Only($25 per person) - # Attending Total $ _______
Donation Only $ Name:_________________________________________ (name listed in dinner program)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

technology...

is a great thing if one knows how to use it...

soon i am going to have my kids show me how to add an attachment to the blog and you will all be invited to participate in a GOLF TOURNAMENT and/or DINNER on May 30th in the Harrisburg/Hershey area. (all the proceeds are going to go to the girls education fund established in a trust through tim's will)

right now i am looking at all the details here and you are all out there...bummer that i can't figure out how to get here to there. (feeling very old tonight).

i do know that "they" are looking for sponsors to advertise on different golf holes.
i do know that "they" are looking for donations of prizes to be given out at the tournament.
i do know that "they" are looking for golfers to participate in the fun (and they do have fun).
i do know that "they" are looking for non-golfers to participate in the dinner afterwards. (that would be me ever since the golf cart "incident").

the tournament is called FRIENDS OF TIM DEWALT MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT.

SOON i will be attaching the documents that better explain the event and a brief summary of why "they" are putting this together.

mark the date and stay tuned...

on a little side note-not too much going on here-just the usual...

kelsey sprained her ankle at soccer practice and is wearing a brace and doing physical therapy everyday after school and had to miss her scrimmage on tuesday. hopefully we will see some major improvement soon since the regular season starts next thursday.

ashley dis-located (then re-located--thanks kp) her toe and we headed off to a doctor today for x-rays and an excuse to get out of gym class for a couple of days. hard to believe that such a little tiny toe could cause so much discomfort and pain.

like i said...just the usual

thanks for checking in.

tammy

Monday, March 16, 2009

a nice day off...

i think i am getting a slight case of spring fever...i enjoyed today (even with a little rain). another soccer scrimmage tuesday night and next week the official season begins.

not too much going on...fred is back from florida and had a great time. caught a couple of spring training games...and a little bit of disney stuff. visited with relatives and decided that after all this time it is really not all that bad to fly!!!

this weekend if the weather stays decent i think we are going to have a "clean-up" day in the dewalt yard. between the windy days and the left over leaves and the squirrels the yard is quite a mess...my parents are coming down and fred is going to help out. i told each of the kids they need to put in their time too (maybe i will bribe them with another s'more night).

things are going pretty well...the kids are doing good (a little sprained ankle on kelsey tonight-hopefully it will be ok for the game tomorrow). school is trudging along...i think i am about as ready as they are for this school year to be over...although the thought of having my eldest graduate makes me feel very old.

well...getting late and i have some more stuff to get done tonight.

thanks for checking in

tammy

Thursday, March 12, 2009

short update

i am working a bit more than usual so i don't really have too much to chat about. but i do have a HUGE prayer request...as you are all aware megan is getting ready to say good-bye to her high school career and head on out to penn state. we are in the midst of tons of paper work and she has been working on applying for financial aid scholarships...writing essay after essay after essay. (better her than me...i still don't have my thank you cards done).

today we received a letter from penn state stating that she is eligible to apply for a "special" scholarship offered to students who have recently lost a parent and can show financial need...it is a HUGE scholarship and she only has a short time to pull all the information they need. PRAY that she finds the right words to put in her essay and that she finds favor with the committee that decides who deserves the scholarship. Pray that i can find the right words also because i too have to send in an essay (sorta) explaining our situation and how this scholarship would benefit our family.

it is hard to describe how much of a blessing this would be to us right now.

thanks for checking in

tammy

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

kinda quite....

i hear that it is going to be in the 40's today...with a chance of rain. perfect day for the kids first "official" soccer scrimmage. this is such a goofy sports season...the weather is so wacky during the girls soccer season. we usually need blankets, sun tan lotion and umbrella's all on stand-by.

fred is enjoying some fun in the sun. he took a much needed break and went to florida for a week. pray that he has a great time. i wasn't sure that he would go since this was a pre-planned spring training trip that tim and his dad were going to take...i am so glad he decided to go anyway-tim would have wanted him to still go. tim definately got his love of baseball from his dad.

yesterday was the 9th and i did much better this month. it seems weird that it has been two months already. on many days it seems as though i was just talking to him. just about everyone i talk to says that there is hardly a day that goes by that they do not think of him...i can make it about a minute or so without thinking about him-sometimes.

have a wonderful day.

thanks for checking in

tammy

Saturday, March 07, 2009

9pm and still in the 60's

can't pass up on an opportunity like this...drag out the fire pit and grab the marshmellows...we are having s'mores. megan is on a road trip to WVU and so it is just me and the twins and about 14 of their friends. lots of laughter and lots of kids and lots of chocolate.

these were the nights that tim loved. he loved when the kids would have their friends over and he could hear them having a good time. (we were those weird parents who would rather have a little mess and know where the kids are and what they are doing then have quiet and order).

ashley and i decided that today tim would have made us go walk the river walk...we are constantly talking about what dad would be doing or what dad would be thinking. i think this is a good thing...the memories are so fresh. i like when the kids think about their dad and comment on stuff like that. mostly they make me smile now (before any little thing would make me cry...i think i am getting a little better).

this morning kelsey had her first scrimmage. it was a beautiful day to sit out at a soccer game.

time to go add some more wood to the fire and make myself a nice lightly toasted marshmellow. some kids are at the fire and some are watching a comedy and some are watching a scary movie...i just sit in the middle of the house and crack up and all the sounds. some are laughing and some are screaming and the guys are making fun at the girls and some are just hanging out chatting at the fire...nice evening.

gotta go

thanks for checking in

tammy

Thursday, March 05, 2009

looks like spring is coming...

...just in time for those "outside spring sports". i have the chairs (and the blankets) all packed up in the van for high school sports. kelsey has her first scrimmage already next week. it is going to be a busy season...kelsey plays soccer. ashley is doing frisbee football. one "significant other" plays baseball. one "significant other" runs track.

...looks like if you are looking for anyone in the dewalt household you may want to start at a school. it is the season of power bars and fruit snacks and cold damp wet games and mapquest and fast food. i am actually looking forward to it...it has been a long winter for me. i am ready to get outside for a bit.

...for all those who notice the time that i blog...yes it is 3am. i have been having some difficulty sleeping lately. tonight i lay awake thinking about and praying for my newest addition to the family. my nephew and his wife had a little boy-their second. congrats. (love the new age computer stuff-we got pictures already-awesome little guy). i think about what the spring soccer season will be like without tim around. i will miss looking over and seeing "the guys" all huddled around discussing the game and the refs and the chicken corn soup. i will miss looking over at tim and saying "what in the world was that call for"?? i will miss tim finding kelsey after the game to give her a hug and no matter how the game went tell her that she was awesome and that she played a great game. i will miss tim.

...keep praying. i work in a few hours so i should go.

...thanks for checking in.

tammy

Monday, March 02, 2009

another windy day...

looks like the heavy snow missed us again (bummer).

there are 4 very unique and different individuals living in this house...each one of us seem to be dealing with the stress of tim's death differently. i say "stress" perhaps because that is the best way that i can describe it (other than the loneliness for me-i don't think i realized how much time we actually did spend together).

the personality differences make it hard for me to totally know what is going on inside all those heads...pray for them. i know that there is a time that must pass where we are going to have rough times...i am finding myself that i am having a lot more emotional times this last week than i have had in the first few weeks. i think that sometimes there is such an adrenaline rush or something that gets you through the early days and then everything starts to settle and reality kick in. (i am not a huge fan of reality these days).

megan is so busy being a SENIOR and loving it. she works and she has yearbook and she has school work and she has college stuff and she is VERY SOCIAL. i think being busy is good.

kelsey is so busy being an ATHLETE and loving it. she has indoor field hockey (about 4-6 hours a week) and outdoor soccer (10-12 hours a week) and fits in a little skiing plus school work and a boyfriend and julia (my 4th daughter). i think that is insane.

ashley and i are not so busy right now and i think between her and i we are having the most difficult time dealing with tim being gone. last week was a rough week. keep praying for this family. even though it was hard when tim was around and sick at least we had something concrete to focus on. now there is such an emptiness.

ashley needs to find a hobby or something. she is joining the ultimate frisbee club at school in the spring plus we are looking into maybe getting her involved in some other kind of class-maybe kick boxing? i think that would be a good release for her...keep praying.

i still have my long list of things to get done...but the motivation is just not there. i know that i need to take my time and things will all come together but i am not a fan of "not being in control" of these feeling and emotions...keep praying. pray especially for me to have the WISDOM to know what to do in situations with the girls. pray for me to have the SENSITIVITY to recognize when they are struggling. in any "normal" household three hormonal teenage daughters can be rough to interpret but in our situation i need PRAYER and lots of it.

enjoy march...i guess they say when it comes in like a lion it will go out as a lamb??? time will tell.

thanks for checking in

tammy.