Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!


We had a great Christmas as a family. Lynda and Callie were ready to go bright and early. Matt was a little more ready to sleep in (17 and all). Grandma and Grandpa stayed over night and we had Lynda safe goulash and we had a turkey dinner for Christmas day. I have attached some pictures for your enjoyment.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Years from the Taylor's. Call that family member you have not spoken with for a while and wish them Happy Holidays at least! All out allergy friends, please please be safe during this season of parties and goodies flying everywhere. Lynda, Callie & Laurie made Lynda safe sugar cookies while Laurie was off from work. Leave us a comment or e-mail us if you want the recipe. The cousins are coming from California next weekend and we can't wait! Our western Iowa cousins are coming too! Enjoy the season and God Bless.

The Taylor's

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

An Iowa Winter Wonderland




Hello all,

I hope your holiday season is starting out great! The girls are way excited about Christmas and are part of the church pageant this year. They play towns people that come to see baby Jesus being born in the manger. Their singing has been great and they really are not sure how to take the boys who want to upstage them. They are stars don't you know :o)

We had the Taylor Family Christmas this weekend. Sadly due to scheduling Tanya and the Simmer clan were not able to come down for the celebration. Maybe next year we can meet somewhere in the middle. The girls got digital cameras from Grandpa and Grandma this year and are budding photographers and Matt got a radio for his shower and some cash. We had fun and there was food enough for everyone.

Today we are dealing with our first major snowfall of the year. We had our first snow fall a week or so ago and the girls made snow angels. I am posting pics of their play, snow angels and them with Grandma Diane. Have a very Merry Christmas- we will keep posting throughout the holiday season. We are excited to welcome family back from California the weekend after New Years and of course GO HAWKS the Outback Bowl Rocks!

Have a great day.
Sean

Friday, November 28, 2008

A Great Thanksgiving Day!


We started our day off early. Daddy got up at 6am and made breakfast. We had sausages, hash browns and I had my pancakes. The rest of the family had eggs and muffins that grandma and grandpa brought. After we had a great breakfast, daddy and mommy got ready so we could goto grandpa John's house for Thanksgiving dinner. We went and our uncle Jason was there, our cousin Jake and Gracie. And of course grandma Diane. We ate, grandpa make special turkey so I could eat it and special corn, my daddy brought my mashed potatoes too. We had fun, watched football and played. Callie and I did not want to go home, we had so much fun playing the piano and hanging out with our cousins. I have included our Thanksgiving picture with Matt. Hope you all had a joyous Thanksgiving.

Lynda Dee

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving- Time to give back- will you help me!

Hello all,

At the Taylor household we have a lot to be thankful for this year. Barring a total disaster Lynda will not have been in the hospital for an extended stay in over a year (knock on wood) and is generally doing better. We still have our daily challenges but we count our blessings. A friend of mine at the VA hospital in Iowa City sent me this info. I think it would be fitting this time of year to support our troops, because without them we do not have the freedom we enjoy. So I have a challenge for all my friends and supporters out there. Please send a holiday card and a kind word to a recovering solider so they know they are appreciated for their sacrifice. Here is where you send it:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

Just add one card to your holiday cards this year. Think about how you can impact a solider with very little effort. We are sending 3 for starters.

Thank you for your consideration and God Bless America!

The Taylors

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Lynda Turns 6!!



Yesterday we had a 6th birthday party for on Lynda Dee! Wow it has been a long 6 years and flown by all at the same time. Lynda got the modern day Baby Alive that now "Pees and Poops", joy at the Taylor house. We got a great surprise with our friend Jack coming over. Lynda's cousins, grandparents and god parents all were in attendance. The pictures are of Callie with her cousin Anna and Lynda opening her Baby Alive. This morning we were blessed with our first dirty diaper, boy was that a celebration by the young women in the house. Lynda also lost her second top front tooth, so for Christmas she not only wants her two front teeth, but her 3 front teeth. Laurie goes in for knee surgery tomorrow we are hoping she will be in and out tomorrow. Hope all is going well for you today! God Bless

The Taylor's

Halloween Pictures


Hi all,

I know this is a bit late, but I am now posting pics of the girls in their Halloween outfits. Now here is the ironic thing, Laurie got these costumes at goodwill at a great deal for two reason, first they are Disney and good quality costumes and second it is always really really cold. So what was reality this year... you guessed it 71 degrees and sunny so the girls were down to shorts and t-shirts underneath to survive going up and down the street. Enjoy the pictures. This year we determined we could expand Lynda's candy offering to Skittles, Swedish Fish, Dots and Smartees. So fun was had by all. Callie expanded her candy offering to everything else Lynda could not eat. :o)

Sean

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Preparing for Halloween


Well yesterday Callie got to goto the pumpkin patch with her pre-school class. Tomorrow Lynda gets to go. So hopefully more pictures tomorrow. We are really excited about trick or treating as well. Here is a pic of Callie's visit to the pumpkin patch.

Have a safe Halloween!

Lynda Dee-

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Knock on Wood

Lynda's skin has been doing great for about 2 weeks now. Her asthma did kick up but that seems to be calming down now too. Her daycare provider noticed that she could have Trix cereal. I double checked the box and she was right. I never even looked at a box of Trix cereal. I just assumed that it was made from wheat and stayed away from it. So this morning Lynda had her first bowl of Trix cereal. Her first comment to me was "mom this smells like my Glee Gum". Next week both Lynda and Callie will be going on a field trip to a pumpkin patch with the school.

Take care and God bless.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Pumpkin Patch




Well we made our annual trek to the Pumpkin Patch so that Matt, Callie and I could pick up our pumpkins! Callie and I both posed on the little IH tractor they had there. Dad thought the pictures were really cute. We took our time picking out pumpkins and talked with the animals. There were horses and donkeys, chickens, and cows that were eating pumpkins that were smashed in the yard. The weekend prior we went to Pumpkin Fest in Anamosa, IA and Matt climbed up a rock wall. He was way up there. We had fun both weekends. So much fun daddy forgot to post my messages. It is getting really pretty here in Iowa now, we have the leaves changing. We will try to get a nice picture of the color of the fall in Iowa. School is still fun and we have gone to a couple Stormin Pointer games. They have not won yet when we watched, but we had fun anyway. It was home coming and there was girls riding in corvettes. All I have for now. Have a great week.

Lynda Dee

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Great Weekend...

Well I have to tell you I did something I have never done before on Sat. night. I went to a barn dance with Callie, mommy & daddy (Matt was working). Some folks from our church hosted a barn dance, they had horses, a real live band, people wore cowboy (and cowgirl) hats and there was tons of people there. We feed the horses apples from their tree and they ate them up in one bite and the juice came out of their mouths. Callie and I kept laughing. Our buddy Ben was there from next door and so Callie and I took turns dancing with him. We all three did the Cotton Eyed Joe song together. I also danced with daddy and so did Callie. It got a bit late so we had to go after that. The today we went to our cousin Anna's house for her 2nd birthday. What a blast, we went and watched her open presents and then we went with Anna's grandpa Kenton to the park. If you every get the chance, they have a very nice park in Coggon Iowa! I would highly recommend it and I believe that Callie would too. It is cooling down and so are my allergies, I don't seem to be reacting as bad, but my face is still red. We put up holloween decorations today since I kind of look like a Jack-O-Lantern with my 2 missing teeth anyway. We keep meeting families everyday that have challenges with food allergies too! My words to them is keep up the good fight and as my daddy always says "Knowledge is POWER!"

Have a great week everyone and God Bless!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Another Tooth is history.....

Lynda lost another tooth this morning. This time from up top and on the opposite side of her mouth. Mom says she looks like a Jack-O-Lantern! Seems appropriate for the season I guess. We will have to see if the tooth fairy comes to visit tonight.

Have a great Monday all!

The Taylor's

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Trip to the Apple Orchard in Vinton

Callie went to the apple orchard in Vinton on Thursday for a class trip. Lynda remembered having so much fun that we decided to get up this morning and go pick some fresh apples. We had a blast and got some apple cider to bring home. I think most of it is gone already. Lynda and Callie also picked their own favorite apples and bought some dehydrated apples to munch on the way home. I think dad and mom ate most of them. Sounds like they will have some pears ready to pick in Nov so we will be heading back. We also are almost ready to pick the apples off our own tree in the back yard, can't wait for some apple crisp!

Have a great day!

The Taylor's

Video from Food Allergy Awareness Night

Hi all,

I have had a couple requests to share the video I made for the food allergy awareness night. Well here it is, I hope you enjoy! Lynda is doing great. Thanks for all the e-mails and keeping up with the Taylor's.




Sean

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Lynda Lost a Tooth



Well things have been going pretty well with the climate change. We have been trying really hard to keep ahead of the skin thing. School is going well for both the girls and Matt is keeping busy with school and work. This weekend mommy was on a retreat for the girls at church and Lynda lost a tooth! The tooth fairy gave her a dollar at grandma and grandpa's house last night. Hope all is well with everyone, remember your safe food rules as you tail gate and have football parties during the season. Also get ready for Trick or Treat for a cure! We will be asking for your support very soon.

Have a great weekend!

Lynda Dee & Family

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Labor day weekend

Well we had a rough weekend. Lynda is going through her semi annual break out session.  We are not sure what makes her break out in April and late Aug/Sept.  but she is really itchy right now.  They love being outside right now due to the weather being nice but we need to watch her close so we don't end up in the hospital.  Callie is enjoying pre-school and Lynda seems to like Kindergarten so far.  Matt has been keeping busy with work at Mc Donald's and being a senior.  Keep safe and keep cool as we transition into fall (and football!!).

The Taylor's

Friday, August 22, 2008

Lynda's First Day of Kindergarten

Well Mom and I survived Lynda's first day of Kindergarten. This morning was a challenge remembering every little think like say..... LUNCH for her. Yikes. Our new routine makes the mornings a little more hectic with the additional chores what not. Lynda had a great day, she even got to play with her friend Nicole at recess. Next week Callie starts pre-school and Matt has made it though his first week of his senior year. WOW time is flying by. Laurie went and had lunch with Lynda today to check out the new peanut free table there and Lynda did not want her to leave. More to come as we start this new adventure.

Sean

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Grand SLAM at the ballpark!

It was amazing to see the other families affected by food allergies here in Eastern Iowa come out to the ball game last night. I want to say thank you to the Kernel's for pulling this event together! Jessica and I were in close contact all night and niether of us heard of anyone having an reaction while at the game. I also want to say thank you to FAAN for providing pencils, bracelets and documentation to had out to everyone who attended!

Three things that I learned last night were
1. That we really need a FAAN support group chapter here in Iowa.
2. That there is a product called Sun Butter at Wal-Mart for only $3.00. It is a peanut butter substitute. It is made out of sunflower seeds. I will be stopping at Wal-Mart sometime today to read the ingredients to see if this Sun Butter is safe for Lynda to eat.
3.There is one school who is not working with the family as a team to keep their daughter safe.

Lynda had a great time. She wore gloves during the game to protect her from her other allergens. I have already checked out her skin this morning and there does not appear to be any signs of a delayed reaction. Thank you God!

Many people hope that the Kernel's will do this event again next year. We sure hope they do too. I suggested to Jessica to make the Food Allergy Awareness Day the first game of the season. That way the stadium will be still be clean from last game played and from all of the winter snow and spring rains.

Drop Jesssica Fergesen a letter or an e-mail letting her know that you want to see another Food Allergy Awareness Day at the ballpark.

Here is Jessica's contact information:
Community Relations Director
Cedar Rapids Kernels
950 Rockford Rd. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
jfergesen@kernels.com

Thank you to all the families that stopped by to share their stories about their children, friends and co-workers and the challenges. So many said this was the first opportunity for their families to go to a ballgame together. So often we hear that many parents say they feel like they are on an island when dealing with this affliction. Well last night gave us an opportunity to be on the same island for a while!

Have a great (and safe) day. Knowledge is power, so help is keep people informed about food allergies.

The Taylor's

PS Yes the Kernel's did WIN last night :)

Monday, July 28, 2008

Two Great Articles

Hello all ! I hope you are making plans to head out to the Kernels game in Cedar Rapids tomorrow night. Minor League and Major League teams a like are join in this great event to educate and allow children that do not normally get to enjoy our national past time see a professional baseball game! There was a great article today in our local paper (Thanks Cindy) and one recently in Newsweek regarding food allergies. See both articles here:

Cedar Rapids Kernels Article

Newsweek Article

Come enjoy tomorrow nights game! Hopefully we can sell the place out! Let's enjoy a nut free experience at the ball park! See you all there!

The Taylor's

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

....and the Rockets Red Glare!

I hope you all had a great 4th! We were able to get up early on Friday morning and head to Independence Iowa for their parade (with a name like that how can it not be totally awesome!). We had a blast, the parade was over an hour long and they had fire trucks, squirt gun fights, water balloons and cool stuff to have. Callie got a lot of candy, I got a Pioneer hat, UNI t-shirt and a 4H t-shirt. Callie & I got necklaces too! Then we went to the riverside park and had lunch. Matt had a pulled pork sandwich with hot bbq sauce and Callie and I went to the kids fun zone. We did not stay too long cause Matt had to get back to work. All in all really fun time. Then that night we went to grandma & grandpa meyer's house. They live really close to where the fire works are shot off and we got to fall asleep in our bed there, got woke up for the fire works (which were awesome) and then crash back again. We also spent time in the afternoon swimming in their pool where they live. Callie and I both jumped off the side into daddy and mommy's arms. We also both went under the water. I can't wait to go back. Mom was sick most of the weekend with the flood flu so we got to spend a bunch of time with Dad! Hope all is well. God bless and pray for all the kids with food allergies.

Lynda Dee

PS don't forget allergy night at the ball park for the CR Kernels July 29th!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Skin Infection

We been busy taking Lynda to the doctor since Thursday of last week. She has a skin infection. The first antibiotic she was put on is resistant to the infection, so we are on another antibiotic. Sean is taking her back to the doctor today because this new antibiotic does not seem to be helping either.

Lynda is at grandma's house today. Callie went along so they could play with each other. They took their new squirt guns. Look out grandma you are going to get wet.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Things are starting to Dry Out

Hello all, sorry for the long absence- here is the update from Iowa. We have had intermitent access the the internet due to a host of reasons. Our house faired very well compared to what you all have seen on the national news. A bit of water in the basement, but nothing hard to handle (did not even cover 1/4th of our basement). Lynda has had some struggles as you might guys will all the toxins and whatnot in the air. Her skin is very red and she has been fighting off an infection for the better part of a week. Laurie & I have gone into over protection mode with her since her peds unit is still closed due to the flooding. Dad lost both his boats and we are very saddened by this, it was a great escape for him and we enjoyed watching fireworks from down on the river. We drove down trying to find a friends house in the area near where the boats were docked and it was horrific. We could not even bring ourselves to take pictures it was so bad. If you can and have the means, please do donate to the red cross. If you would like to give to our local red cross chapter for flood relief, please click here!

As a family we count our blessings. All our family members are safe, all our homes made it and god blessed us all for being Iowans!

Have a great day.

Sean

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Do we need to build an Arc?


It has been a historic event as they have been saying on the national news. In 1993 we had 19.5 feet, in 1923 the all time high of 20.5 and we are currently at 29.8 and we have not crested yet. They are shooting out estimates of 33-37 feet! Many businesses in downtown CR are wet up over the top door frame, the picture of the City Hall for CR is normally on an Island and the water is 20-30 feet below, not it is trying to go through the front door. Crest for us is supposed to happen tomorrow sometime maybe Sat. On top of that we get storm after storm. Levy breaches, people are being mandatory evacuated and in some cases have to get their entire lives in 1/2 and hour. There are approx 6000 households no including businesses that are totaled by the flood and that is just in CR.
There are a couple towns that are 100% evacuated- Palo, IA & Vinton IA just to name a couple. God bless all the folks that have been devastated. Dad's boat is hanging on to it's dock by a thread, but we just go word on the news that the first house boat at his marina has broken loose and is heading down the river. They have also lost a bridge loaded with rail cars earlier today and the only road north and south that is still open is I-380 and it has been open and closed several times today. We have a mandatory curfew 9PM to 5AM and they have instituted marshal law. The National Guard and local authorities are patrolling. So far we have been able to keep the water in our basement at bay by digging trenches around our house. Pray for no more rain.

Have a great day.
Sean

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Rain rain go away!


Well here we go again, more rain. I can't go outside and run and play. My skin is doing pretty good, but it is a bit bumpy. I did not have to do wet wraps tonight :) Yesterday we got to go over to grandpa John's to swim and celebrate our cousin Landon's 2nd Birthday. It was great everyone else had ice cream and cake and I had a snow cone my mommy made me. We got just a ton of rain today something like 8 inches in an hour. The whole back yard was flooded and dad said this was worse that 93 whatever that means. We drove downtown Center Point and saw some trees down and also a street closed because a creek had taken over it. The tornado sirens went off (Callie and I don't like those at all) and we had to go down in the basement for awhile. Matt was working at McDonald's and had to go into the bathroom until they had the all clear. I guess there was a small tornado about 10 miles north of us. Everyone was ok here!

Hope you all had a blessed weekend-
That's it for now!
Lynda Dee!

Monday, June 2, 2008

I spoke to soon

Lynda woke up Sunday morning with her face red and swollen again :(
Back to wet wrapping.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Gage is in the newspaper!

Lynda is doing much better. She was able to go to school with out wet wraps on Thursday.

Now our friend Gage is in the Ottumwa Courier newspaper select this link to see the story:
Click Here

Courtney said in our weekly e-mails that people are now contacting her to help with a fundraiser to get Gage to National Jewish. This is very exciting news!

God is wonderful!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Wet wraps

Lynda's skin has decided to flare we have been wet wrapping every night. Today she went to school in wet wraps. She was not very excited about this at all. Her face is our biggest concern, it is red and it is swollen. We do wet wrap her face at night. We will most likely have to start wet wrapping her face during the day.

Last night brought back many memories that I hoped I would never have to live again. Lynda did not want to get into the bath tub, because she knew that the water would burn her skin. She was crying and and screaming no mommy it will burn, then she started frantically scratching her legs, arms, and stomach.

When someone has eczema there are many little cuts and scraps that we can see and many that we can not see. The water will get into those openings and it will burn or sting.

I remembered that Beth Ann at National Jewish gave Lynda a squirt bottle and said you can squirt me with one hand, while I hold the other hand. That way Lynda would not be able to scratch at her skin and cause any more damage, and it would allow her to calm down and let the water heal her skin.

After our 20 minute bath, it was time to get lotioned up and wet wraps on. Then to the rocking chair we go to sing songs, wrapped in a warm blanket from the dryer.

She fell asleep and did not wake until morning.

I hope and pray that this latest flare will pass quickly. Our biggest fear is that she will pick up a skin infection while at school or daycare. We love our friends at the hospital but we do not want to see them anytime soon.

If you are living with someone or know someone who has eczema remember that we must provide them compassion because they must take one day at a time, and sometimes we must take every hour or every minute at a time we just can't control what our bodies are going to do when it comes in contact with a eczema trigger.

Monday, May 12, 2008

New Story on Local Toddler with Food Allergies


Yesterday someone was kind enough to alert us to a story on KWWL News 7 about a toddler in Cedar Falls dealing with food allergies and they did a very nice story on this family. Check out the story on the KWWL website HERE! It was a well done story and resonated home with us here at Taylor central. We are very glad to see these issues get more and more attention. Knowledge is power and may save a life! Laurie met today with representatives at the Cedar Rapids Kernels to talk about the upcoming allergy free game (They will not be selling any peanuts at the game on April 29th!) We hope you all go out and support them for this wonderful event. A special thank you to the Kernels for making this event safer for those with food allergies! Hope you are all having a great week.

The Taylor's

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Spring is here! Well sort of.......

According to the calendar is it spring (and Callie's nose) and the pollen is flying. The temperature is not though, it was a very cold and rainy mothers day here is Iowa. The forecast is for rain for the next week and we are hoping for some dry weather. We are planting a Lynda friendly garden this year so we can maximize our food dollar during the summer. Matt has been been doing ok with his allergies this spring so far and Lynda has kept herself out of the hospital (knock on wood). We painted the girls room Pink & Purple upon request of the occupants of said room. Lynda is also graduating from Pre-School this week! Her teacher says she is doing well and we are preparing the kindergarten staff for what they are in for. We did a dry run in April with a visit day and they had a big list of things they need to make sure they are covered for. Matt has decided to continue with football next fall so Friday nights will be fun at our house. And Maybe a bonfire or two after the varsity games come Sept. Iowa has a bill going to the house and senate on how to handle kids with food allergies when they are in the care of the school. It is very similar to the Sabrina's law passed in Canada. We are very excited about the prospect of this passing. Have a great week everyone. We love hearing from you all!

The Taylor's

Monday, April 28, 2008

Sad News- Local Child Dies from Food Allergies

In the Gazette on Saturday there was an article about a local Cedar Rapids boy who died while in the care of a daycare provider. It happened earlier this year and it was recently discovered he died due to allergies to wheat. We are sending out special prayers for this family and a warning for those that have children with food allergies to be diligent. Never think you are being over protective. In this case the daycare provider was working with the parents and it sounds like the wheat was undisclosed on some food she fed him. He was only 18 months old. God Bless this little soul and remember if this happens once it has happened too many times.


Hope you all have a great week! Pray for the family as they deal with their loss.

The Taylor's

Friday, April 25, 2008

You can sure tell it is Pollen Season


This week has been a rough one. Callie has the hardest time during this time of year if you can believe it. She has been a continuing flow of snot (gross) due to her allergies. We have been doing her nose washes and that has helped a ton. Lynda is a bit red but nothing compared to last year at this time.
Matt seems to be suffering a bit this year too. There is so much rain here that we have had to resort to rain boots and rain coats. Dad has to goto Salt Lake City next weekend for a conference. Matt has to get his hand worked on, he has a bump the doctor has to fix. We really can't wait for the farmers markets to start up again so we can get fresh produce every week. We also like getting balloon animals from the guy there too.
Last weekend Mommy taught another little girl and her mom how to wet wrap her eczema. She is from a near by town as well. There are several kids around here that are like me with either food allergies or eczema. Last week we also had an earthquake in the midwest and some felt it here. I thought that territory was reserved for California where my aunt, uncle and cousins live. Matt went to prom and his pictures came back great! Keep an eye out for future updates. The scooters were a present from the easter bunny (since we don't get candy and all).

Lynda Dee

Sunday, April 13, 2008

It's Sunday- Weekly Recap

Hope all are doing well. Lynda had a bout with Walking Pneumonia that was diagnosed on Thursday. So home we stayed and got some antibiotics to help us get better. She still has red spot where she broke out around her eyes. It kind of makes her look like she is wearing a racoon costume. So by Friday afternoon she was back to bouncing off the walls and driving mom crazy! Callie as been doing well and getting ready to goto preschool next year. In the last 2 weeks we have had kindergarten roundup and preschool roundup. We are pretty roundup at this point. Callie & I went to the PTO spring carnival and found out on the way home that tornado sirens are pretty loud. Ya got to love Iowa spring weather. In the last couple weeks we have had 2" of snow and tornado touch downs (south of here about 30 mi), high winds, rain and more rain. We are excited about the coming we as we are supposed to have a dry out period and reach 70 degrees. :) Matt had to have his toe worked on for an ingrown toenail this week and it hurt to have it dug out. He has had to have this process done several times, but this time was the most painful (and he has a high tolerance of pain). He is at Chrystalsys this weekend for church. We will see how he does with 3 strait days with no cell phones, no TV, no video games or computers. I hope he does not come back in a catatonic state (ha). Lynda sent in her annual request to the governor for a proclamation for National Food Allergy Awareness in May and we got it back in the mail Thursday! Thanks Gov. Culver for your support!

Hope all is well with you and yours
The Taylor's

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Living and Learning Together

FAAN has announced the dates for this years Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) for the week of May 11th to the 17th. If you need ideas on how to celebrate this week or help on ideas on how to bring awareness to your community, visit FAAN's website for more details (Or click here).

I am sure we will be cooking up some fun for Lynda's weekly activities. Post a comment and let us know if you have activities planned!

Have a great week!

The Taylor's

New FAAN Poster


Download your copy of the poster here!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Gage is in the hospital


Our friend Gage is currently admitted to the Mayo Clinic for a skin infection. His mom is hoping that they will do some allergy testing or refer her to National Jewish.
She mentioned some hospital in Wisconsin that has a similiar program as National Jewish. Once she has more information she will pass it on to me and I will pass it on to others.
This family needs our thoughts and prayers right now.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Sometimes Second Place is great!


Tonight was the season finale of the Celebrity Apprentice. Unfortunately Trace did not win, but he did make parents and family members of kids with food allergies proud. He brought this important issue to the forefront of national attention. If you missed the great video talking about FAAN last night check it out here. It sounded like things I have said or Laurie has said a million times. It also gives us hope that we should not give up this fight. Trace is also donating all the proceed of the iTunes downloads of his #1 country hit You're Gonna Miss This to FAAN, so if you are a country music FAAN (pun on purpose) then please consider downloading this track and supporting kids with food allergies. Even if you are not, download it as a gift to someone else. Laurie and I are supporting a move to get Sabrina's Law passed in Iowa, we are going to need a lot of help and support. I am warning you now I am going to be asking for letters and calls to our leaders and I may be looking for help to raise money as we have a couple kids here in Iowa that need help with their trip to National Jewish. Does anyone know Donald Trump, I would like to ask him for a couple donations.....

Have a great Friday-
Pray it Forward :)

All our love,

The Taylor's

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Bravo Bravo!!!! The leg is broken


Matt's theatrical debut was wonderful. He is a great job in his part at Peter and did his dramatic monologue flawlessly.  Considering how much he has been working lately at his new job I am surprised he was able to stand up there in the dark without falling asleep.  It was a great night and a Good Friday service like I have never participated in. It was very cool and moving.  Ask me about it, I will fill you in.  Lynda and Callie did a great job watching Matt without screaming and shrilling at the top of their lungs that he was on stage.  We had a great Easter morning and we went to church and had a great time (except for Matt, he had to work again this morning at 6 am, new guy and low on the totem pole).  Grandma and Grandpa Meyer were supposed to come up today, but Grandpa has the flu, so they stayed home.  We delivered some food down there for them and I think they were glad to have an Easter dinner even if it was not together.  Well it is time for me to go up and heat up the leftovers from lunch for dinner.  I hope all had a great day.

All our love,
The Taylor's

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Mommy Day

Well the girls were not feeling well today so they stayed home with Mom. They are feeling better now, it is the end of the winter everyone at school is in some stage of sick. We have a friend named Jesse that needs your prayers right now. He is at National Jewish (in the same room I was in) and he is also having to be in isolation due to MRSA. He has a site like ours and I want everyone who reads this to visit his site and leave him and his mom words of encouragement and prayers like you did for me. They are having a tough time and Tammy is mom is doing it on her own, no breaks. We were very happy to see that he got to goto the zoo this weekend.
Jesse's site:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessehepker

Send him and his mom notes of encouragement and prayers!

Pray it forward!

Lynda Dee, Callie, Matt, Laurie and Sean

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Would you like Fries with that ???


Yep Matt has landed his very first job. He starts orientation at McDonald's tomorrow night. He will be making food and working up front etc. He is extremely excited about the potential to make money and maybe even get a car! He is doing GREAT in school. His grades are good and he has been participating in Track and the church play on Good Friday. So it you happen to be in center point, you may want to check out the McDonald's and maybe a familiar face will be serving you or preparing that Big Mac!


Callie and I are excited about the fact we may get some Happy Meal toys.

Have a great week!

Lynda Dee

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Mommy is Home!

Mommy got back from a Trade Show in Arizona, she was gone all last week. She must be good at trading because she brought Callie and I back a whole bunch of cool stuff. We got bags, balls, big money and my favorite a pen. Our friend Jesse from a town close to Center Point is heading to National Jewish next week with his Mom. I am so excited for him to meet Beth Ann and all the staff there. Pray for him and his mom for safe travel and that the doctors will be able to help him like they did me. Jesse if you are reading this, make sure you tell them to show you where the prize closet is. :) Enjoy your time in Denver it is soo cool. I also got to meet my grandpa and grandma's new Shih Tzu puppies. There are 2 and they are both black and nameless at this time. I could only see them from a distance, but I know there is a boy and a girl. Suggestions welcome for names. Callie and I have been practicing our best Hanna Montana impressions. Our new favorite song is the best of both worlds. Matt spent part of his day at drivers ed learning how to drive. Matt has a new hair due that he has been working on, we can not always see his eyes, dad says he looks like the shaggy da. Have a great week, we will catch up with you again soon!!

Lynda Dee XOXOXO

Friday, February 29, 2008

Miracle Flights

A friend of ours is also going to National Jewish in March. They found a website assisted them in their air travel to Denver. Please take a moment to review their website. Children that have food allergies have an extreme risk of having an allergic reaction while in flight since the airlines can not control the food or drink that the passengers bring on board with them. Miracle Flights allows families a safer way to travel with their children to National Jewish.
I have created a link on the right hand side of this page for Miracle Flights.
God Bless

Sunday, February 10, 2008

FAAN-tastic


Hi all, I don't know how many of you are Apprentice fans, but on this season's celebrity version country singer Trace Adkins has designated his charity as FAAN (the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network). We use FAAN every day and their Be a PAL program is what I am using to hand out wrist bands and pencils at our valentines party at school to help bring education to our classroom and hopefully the kids in my class will show their parents and tell them about what they learned at the party. Please root for Trace as he does the project leader role and wins money and awareness for FAAN. Trace has a daughter with food allergies just like me! Have a happy and safe valentine's day and keep warm!

Hugs & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Saturday, February 9, 2008

14.5" of SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Well Tuesday was a big day here in Iowa. We got 14.5" of snow in one day. We are pretty close to our winter total record and Friday night we are supposed to get some more. We will be at Grandma & Grandpa's house that night. Callie, Matt & I are getting ready for Valentine's day! Daddy found some conversation hearts from Brach that are safe for me. It's my new favorite treat. I gave mommy & daddy one that says "I LUV U". The picture is of me eating snow out of the back yard and Callie is trying to swing. Matt was out trying to shovel and snow blow the driveway for about the 5th time that day. Mommy & Daddy ended up having to work from home that day due to the weather.

Enjoy your weather and remember that it is way better than ICE and no power like last year.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lynda Dee

XO XO XO XO

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Craft Mainia

Well Tuesday night became craft night. When it's cold outside, you can't run around and there is nothing else to do then glue stuff. So that is exactly what Callie and I decided to do. We glued paper to Popsicles sticks and other useful household items... or we just made a really huge mess with creativity! It has been really cold here in Iowa. Negative temps are the norm, we even had a little bit of a blizzard. It took a long time for dad to get home that night. My skin is doing really well, my eyes are a little red. I think everyone's skin is a bit dry due to the cold and lack of moisture in the air. Callie and I have been practicing our cheers for the next CPU basketball game, taking baths and impatiently waiting for the day we can play outside and swing again. Monday we got a warm day (45) and we played outside for a bit, now we are wanting winter OVER! Matt has started drivers ed, but due to the weather he has not been able to drive yet. bummer. Have a great week and keep warm and safe...

Lynda Dee

Thursday, January 24, 2008

It's a cold day in........IOWA!

Well we call woke up today to EXTREME frigid temps. -19 degrees out this morning. I am coming off a cold that is already causing my skin to flare (mostly in my face) but now it is important more than ever to keep my skin moisturized (YOUR TOO!). Callie has been missing me at daycare because I had to stay with grandma while I had a temperature (100+ by the way). But now I am back to being energized and ready to go. Going back to school today and trying to keep warm as most Iowans are trying to do today. Keep your cards and letters coming, we love to hear from you.

All my love
Lynda Dee

Monday, January 14, 2008

I'm on an island and I feel like I am all alone......


I will tell you I have heard this statement from parents of children that suffer from food allergies. It was very ironic, Laurie and I had a very rare opportunity to go out for dinner just us last sat. night and we happen to be talking to a family with 4 kids. The mother was holding a adorable little boy and she stated they were out celebrating his 1st birthday. He smiled at me and I said boy are you going to have fun smashing cake all over you! Not so his mother informed me, he is allergic to milk, rice, wheat & eggs.... WOW did we ever strike up a conversation, come to fine out the poor little guy has eczema as well. We talked about our trip to National Jewish and all we learned and gave her our number to contact us with questions. At that moment I realized that I have uttered and heard those 12 words so many times over the last 5 yrs. From the mother from Kenya we met in Denver to our friends in Vinton to the folks heading to National Jewish in March from New Jersey. The lord does work in mysterious ways. I am so glad we decided to go to Red Lobster and spoil ourselves a bit, and we had the opportunity to meet this family with their new challenges just presenting themselves. Happy Birthday big guy, I hope you grow out of all those allergies.


Well I say the island has been discovered and we are starting to put up condo's. We will figure this out and give our children a voice. Anyone wanting to help us pass Sabrina's law, let us know, we could use the help.

Sean

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

January Thaw

This weekend was pretty crazy! We had 3-4" of snow on the ground, then pow 45 degrees out side and mud puddles everywhere. Callie, Nicole and I played outside as much as we could. Matt & Dad spent a bunch of time breaking up the huge ice chunks that were still on the driveway and not melting so fast. Then it started to snow yesterday so the spring time weather is now gone. The driveway was so soft that dad's car sunk into the driveway and Matt had to help him push it out. Just fair warning Matt starts drivers ed here shortly so watch it when you are driving in Center Point (ha ha). Hope all of you are enjoying your winter. We got exciting news that one of our food allergy friends is going to National Jewish in March. Keep an eye out, we will be posting info to write your congressman to support Sabrina's Law! We want to get it passed in Iowa, if you want to help, let us know and send us your e-mail address so we can add you to the list.

Hugs & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year!


I am really looking forward to 2008. We had fun ringing in the new year with our friends. The neibhors came over to "party" and we made it until about 11:30. Happy new years anyway. As the new year comes I am making the following resolutions:
  • Stay out of the hospital as much as possible
  • Continue to help other kids with food allergies and eczema
  • look fabulous in my new ear rings (me and Callie got our ears pierced)
  • finish up preschool and go to kindergarten next fall
  • to turn 6
  • be normal
Well that is all I can think of now, I hope you all have a great 2008 and thank you to everyone who helped me with my adventurous year in 2007, it sure ended better than it started.

Hugs and kisses
Lynda Dee