Giving Tuesday

Today is giving Tuesday. What is Giving Tuesday? We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. I've listed just a few organizations that are close to our hearts that are a part of our lives and that have helped our daughter, Hailey, in more ways then one. 

I've talked about all the wonderful events that Make a Wish puts on for the Wish Families. I've told you how much I felt loved and welcome with Hunter's Hope and the research and help they provide to Leukodystrophy families. You read about our stay at Give Kids the World and you see photos weekly of Hailey at horse therapy at Spirit. Who could forget the wonderful birthday cake she was given from Icing Smiles? I really loved the pictures from the Peach Party we attended! Who would have thought that Hailey could smile even bigger when she saw her Frozen shoes? 

I really wanted to go into depth with each one but since I've blogged in detail I feel as if it would be redundant. If you are planning on giving, consider 1 or all of these great organizations that help families and children forget for a moment the cards life has dealt them. They have helped us to #MakeMemories with Hailey and I can't thank them enough!! 

You can follow the links to the donation pages of each organization and you can even donate in Hailey's honor: 

• Make a Wish Southern Nevada
• Give Kids the World
• Hunter's Hope
• Spirit Therapies
• Peach's Neet Feet
• Binkeez for Comfort
• Icing Smilies

Together let's celebrate #GivingTuesday

Spirit Therapies Event- Therapy on Horseback.

This past Saturday we attended a fundraiser for Sprit Therapies. I loved being able to get Hailey all gussied up for the event. She even allowed me to curl her hair! <3 

After I dressed her for the event in her plaid cowgirl shirt she posed for some pictures! 

I'm not crafty enough to make cute hair bows, I leave that to the professionals, but I needed just the right hair accessory for the night so I ventured out of my comfort zone and put this together for the night! I loved it! 

Once at the event Hailey mingled. I think that was her favorite part. Either that or the dancing. She can go up and talk to anyone. I had to learn to talk to people. Hailey was born with this ability. She loves meeting new friends. She used her walker the whole night until it was time to go home. It was passed her bedtime and she was tired! 

Hailey was all about the smiles that night. We got so many great pictures that night. The one below is my absolute favorite!

I was even able to get a picture taken with my favorite little girl. That NEVER gets to happen. I'm always behind the cameras. Sometimes I think people forget that I exist.

There was a great fancy dinner, raffles, silent and live auctions all to benefit Spirit Therapies!

We love being apart of the Spirit Family. When we first started going to Spirit for Hailey, things were very different. Josh had to push Hailey to the ramp because she was not able to walk to or up the ramp. She used to hunch over and she needed support holding her torso up. She used to cry and scream. The weeks went on and slowly things changed. Hailey soon held herself up nice and tall. She was able to hold on with one hand and extend her other arm out. Pretty soon Hailey could ride with both her hands up. Just recently Hailey has been able to walk up the ramp to her horse Pablo with Josh or Ms. Laurie. Hailey was just given the reigns and uses commands like, "Go!" and "Whoa Pablo." She practices her colors, reaching for flags, and laughs and smiles the whole time. We're so glad Hailey gets this great opportunity to participate at Spirit Therapies. Thank you Ms. Laurie for all you do along with the volunteers and people who donate. Without the donations this couldn't be possible.

 If you would like to make a donation you can learn how far your donation can go. It's very easy to also use PayPal to donate! Check this out:

For $50.00 : Saddle Pads & Blankets, Reigns, Muck and Water Buckets, grooming supplies, 1 lesson.
For $100.00 : Fly Masks, Hay wagon, Feed Tub with Grid, 2 lessons
For $250.00 : Sponsor a Horse, Grain for 1 month, bridles, 6 weeks of lessons
For $500.00 : Ferrier Services, Saddle, 12 Weeks of Lessons

You can Sponsor a Horse like Pablo HERE or HERE.
You can Sponsor a Rider like Hailey HERE.
You can be a Hay Angel starting as low as JUST $10 for the Horses HERE.

If you have any questions you can contact Sprit Therapies HERE.  Consider donating to a great place with great people and great horses! You can also LIKE Spirit on Facebook HERE. Tell them Hailey sent you!

Therapy on a Horse

I wrote about the benefits of HippoTherapy previously and how excited I was to get Hailey involved. We have finally been able to have this be a part of Hailey's many therapies. Bright and Early on Saturday mornings we head out about 45 minutes away from our house to go see, "Hailey's Horse." Now I won't lie. At first this was pretty scary for Hailey and me both. They pretty much just throw your kid on a horse and expect it to go well and it did not go well for us. I thought they would introduce her to the horse tell her what she was going to do and so on...but no. That did not happen. So the first lesson had a lot of tears involved but they promised it would get better. I certainly wanted to quit and find another horse therapy place, but Josh kept telling me, "they know what they are doing."

The first 2 lessons were really rough, but then Hailey had her relapse and I was 95% sure we wouldn't be able to participate anymore. They do NOT do tandem riding and Hailey was having such a hard time holding herself up. She spent the whole time crying and laying on the horse. I felt so bad for her. When I asked them to hold her up, they told me that she has to want to do it on her own. That's hard to hear because I wanted to say, "She wants to but SHE ISN'T ABLE TO!" When she did sit up her head kept bobbing around and I kept asking Josh to tell me if this isn't for her, and he kept saying, She'll be fine."

 Last week she did a lot better, but it was so hot out! She did hold herself up 75% better then the week before. She did lay forward a few times and cry, but again her strength isn't there right now. Her head did NOT bob as much as it did last week and we were happy to see that improvement!

We get a week off this week so we won't be able to see Pablo because of the holiday. We will be back the week after and see if things will get even more easier on the both of us! We won't know unless we try.