March Madness

As one of my event fundraisers for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society I am doing a bracket pool for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Do you love college basketball? Do you just watch in March? Do you just root for your school? Do you want to help me raise money to help cure cancer? If you answered yes, to any of these questions please join our TNT Madness bracket pool for your chance to win cold, hard cash and help out a great cause.

To join please email either naodonnell@yahoo.com or rjodonnell@gmail.com, let us know which bracket buy in option you would like to join (#1 - $20 or #2 - $10) and we will email you an invitation to join the TNT Madness group #1 or #2 on CBSsports.com

Sign up and sign in, select your teams, make sure to ENTER your bracket by March 16 , then let the games and banter begin!

We have two different options for you to win.

1. $20 buy in ($10 of which is tax deductible!)

2. $10 buy in ($5 is tax deductible!)

You can pay your entry fee via PayPal through the email address tafrazier@hotmail.com. If you would rather send a check please send us an email and we will send you our address.

There will be two prizes, one for the $20 buy in bracket and one for the $10 buy in bracket. Buy in to both brackets if you want a better chance at winning!

Overall success in the bracket, wins 1/2 the cash and bragging rights! Get your friends to sign up! The more people that enter to play the bigger your prize is when your bracket & team wins!

Check out our Facebook page here

Learning to get back on the bike - for a great cause!

In response to my last post, I just wanted to let you know that I am okay. That was written at the height of a very difficult period for me. Thank you for your support and kind words, in email, comments and phone calls. I've come to realize that I am still grieving and dealing with things that happened to my family that I had absolutely no control over. I was very angry and felt lost for awhile. I have my family. We are together and we are all healthy. I shouldn't ask for more.


Recently, I have tried to come up with a plan. A plan to better myself in the ways of the body, mind and soul. I starting working out and running again. I'm working through the Couch to 5 K plan. Starting small and building. I will be participating in the Madison Shamrock Shuffle, a 5K in March. That will be two weeks before my birthday and will be a huge confidence booster for me.

I have also rejoined a group that I believe in so strongly and that has made a big impact on my life in the last few years. I have signed up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training again. This will be my third endurance with TNT. I did the Nike Women's Marathon in 2007 and the Nike Women's Half Marathon in 2008. Those events and the months leading up to them were absolutely amazing. The people that I met were inspiring and motivating. I felt strong, and empowered. And I will again.
I have committed to raising $4400 to help try to find a cure for blood cancers, $1400 of it by the end of February. While doing this I will be training to compete in a century ride. A 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe on June 6, 2010. Good thing it's called America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride because 100 miles, on a bike, well it's 100 miles! (Oh my sore butt!) So with great scenery, good people all working for the same cause, to find a cure, all while overcoming a little fear of getting back on a bike, I know that I can do this.

I know that finances are tight for many families. So even a donation of $10 or $20 can help me reach my fundraising goal. If you can help donate to a wonderful cause please check out my fundraising website. You can make a secure, tax deductible donation online. If you would rather send a check please look to the website for our address. It will be greatly appreciated. If you have someone that you would like me to train and compete in honor of please let me know.

So stay tuned for news of my figuring out how to balance my family, their adventures, my fundraising and training. There is never a dull moment around here!

Reconnected and It's time to fly

This week has been an absolute whirlwind. I flew to CA for my Dad's service and then got back on Monday. I heard many things about my Dad that I never knew. Two of his friends from the National Guard where there and talked about my Dad as a young man. They have known him since 1963. That was really neat. He was really liked by so many people, for so many different things. It's so strange to think of my Dad's life in so many different "chapters" but that is what hearing everything was like. The service was really nice. I'm so happy that my Mom was there with me. We had some really nice talks with my Dad's wife and my Aunt. It was really healing for me in many ways to be there. The loss of my Dad still really hasn't sunk in and I'm sure it won't for awhile. But I believe that my Dad left us all with a few "gifts." I reconnected with my brother for the first time in years, which would have made my Dad so very happy. I was also able to get in touch with my cousins which was wonderful. Death has a strange way of bringing people together. I just hope that I can really reach out and keep in touch with my family. Because when it comes down to it, that is all that really matters.

And then life goes on. It was so nice to get home to Ryan and the kids. This was the first time I have ever been away from Jake. I missed all of my boys so much. Sean's preschool class took a field trip to the pumpkin patch this week. We had a really fun time. The boys loved petting the kittens, checking out the elk and watching the goats jump on picnic tables. My kids keep me going and smiling and tired too but that's part of the package.



Well, now I am off tomorrow to San Francisco for the Nike Women's Marathon. Is it really happening? Of course. Finally. I have been training since May and I don't know if I ever thought this day would come. I'm nervous, excited and anxious about the race this weekend. I know it's going to be a great time with all of the family and friends that will be there. I'm going to be sore on Sunday but it is going to be so worth it. I reached and exceeded my fundraising goal of $3,800 this week and thank you to every single person to donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on my behalf and thank you to those who watched my kids so I could train, (you know who you are.) Knowing that you all believe in me is going to help me reach the finish line. Thank you, thank you, thank you. See you after the race.