Pampered Chef Fundraiser...Great Holiday Gifts!

Join in the fun - from the comfort of your own home!

It's easy. Just visit my Consultant's Web site to browse the Pampered Chef® catalog and place your order. You can check out the high-quality products that make cooking and entertaining so much easier.

Dear Friends and Family,
As you know, Joshua and Michael have confirmed diagnosis of Mitochondrial Disease Complex I. What this means is that their bodies do not take the food they eat and air they breath and turn it into enough energy for them to sustain life properly. The lack of energy causes major body system dysfunction. We have had to take the boys all over the country seeking care. Insurance companies do not cover the cost of all their needs. The boys see doctors in almost every specialty and we spend many hours getting tests done and sitting in physicians offices. Now that Michael has a diagnosis also, he has to go to the all of the appointments with Joshua and we are in need of a double stroller to do this. It is a wheel chair that is like a double stoller but has more support then a normal double stroller. Walking long distances requires a lot of energy and would take much needed energy from their major organs such as their hearts and brains. This will also allow just one parent to be able to take them to and from appointmens rather then two people having to go to each visit like we do now. This is a life threatening disease and none of the children will ever outgrow this at any point in their lives. Pampered Chef will donate the proceeds from this show to help us purchase the stoller. All you have to do is Shop On-Line and have your order delivered right to your door. Pass this on to all of your friends and family. The more orders, the more help we get! If you or your friends book a show we will also get a larger donation. If you have any questions, please call my Pampered Chef Consultant, Angela, and she'll be happy to help with gift ideas, ordering or any questions you may have. Her number is 609-820-5977. If you would like more info on the disease you can go to www.umdf.org Thanks for all your help. The Garman Family

NOTE: Please place your order prior to my Show closing date: Sun, Dec 13, 2009
Your Pampered Chef® HostNicole Garmanhttp://www.pamperedchef.biz/angelamcooks
Orders Due:Sun, Dec 13, 2009
Host:Nicole Garman
Phone:(609) 914-0185
E-mail:garman_family@yahoo.com

Joshua's grandfather has passed away and asked that donations be made to his trust fund. Since our last post, Joshua's brother Michael has also been diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease. It has been a tough road for all of us but we are so greatful for the many blessings that have touched our lives. Our entire family is saddened by the passing of their grandfather and we are all trying to cope with the loss. We keep updates of the family's day to day lives on the boys care page so please feel free to follow their story. www.caringbridge.org/visit/joshuagarman We want to thank everyone in advance for any donations made to the boys trust fund and all of the condolences that have been sent to our family.

Common Name Price Quantity Total Cost
Red Crape Myrtle Tree 139.99 1 139.99
Purple Butterfly Bush 29.99 3 89.97
Butterfly Bush “Adonis Blue” 29.99 3 89.97
Hummingbird Sweet Pepper Bush 29.99 3 89.97
Red Twig Dogwood 29.99 3 89.97
Red Photinia 29.99 2 59.98
Fragrant Viburnum 29.99 3 89.98
Purple Coneflower 18.99 5 94.95
StellaDora Day Lily 12.99 5 64.95
English Lavender 6.99 5 34.95
Shasta Daisy 8.99 5 44.95
Big Blue Liriope 9.99 5 49.95
Cardinal Flower 8.99 4 35.96
Red Bee Balm 8.99 5 44.95
Oregano 3.99 5 19.95
Black Eyed Susan 18.99 10 189.90
Common Sage 3.99 4 15.96
Lambs Ear 8.99 5 44.95
Lemon Thyme 5.99 10 59.90
Japanese Bloodgrass 12.99 10 129.90

Sponsors Needed

We are looking for people to sponsor a plant in Joshua's garden in memory or honor of someone. The family will be decorating yard stakes with the name of the individual/saying who sponsor plants/shrubs/tree. Our plan is to paint wooden stakes with colorful outdoor paint and allow the boys to decorate around the written wording placed on each stake. The stakes will be about the size of a paint stick. It will give the boys a chance to help with the project and also will remind them over the years how many people cared enough do make this happen for them. You can sponsor a particular plant or just give a donation of any denomination to offset the cost of the plants. As particular plants/shrubs/trees are sponsored I will update and it is a first come first serve basis. If the particular plant is taken we will place funds towards one of a comprable cost. Thank you so much in advance for all of your help with this.

For this project only!!!
Donations/requests can be sent/made out to: The Joshua Garman Special Needs Trust
14 Easlick Avenue
Lumberton, NJ 08048

Please list what plant if you are particular and any names or wording you would like placed on the stake. Please keep in mind there is limited space on each stake. Thank you in advance for making a sick boys wish come true!

This weekend we are still working so if you are free please stop by!

URGENT Help Needed!!!

We just got a phone call that Make a Wish is having the house dropped off on TUESDAY!!! We were told we would have a weeks notice but that is not the case so we are seriously hurting for help this weekend. As of right now I have only 3 people who have offered to help. I am not above begging at this point! Many of the people who have offered to come and help on several occasions or with a certain project, have backed out or not returned to do the job they said they would. My father is usually great for projects like this but he is off serving our country in the middle east as we speak and will not be returning for several weeks. Here is a list of the projects we need to accomplish this weekend and if you can help PLEASE email me back or call us so I know how much help we truly do have. We will have food and drink for all of those willing to show up.

Finish cutting up tree branches
Put Fencing In/finish removing old fence
Level house area
Run electrical
put down weed deterrent tarp
cover area with crushed stone
Level play area for swingset
lay down weed deter tarp
take down old swingset
take down trampoline

These are litterally the basics of the project and I may be missing some. This is going to have to be a rain or shine kind of thing(as long as it is not pouring or lightning) at the very least for the playhouse area. After that there is a list for the patio/therapy garden/pond areas that will need work along with mulching all of the spaces. Hugh and I are going out this afternoon to tie up loose ends and grab anything we may need. Hugh will also be out there working tonight after we are back from the errand part of it all. I know it seems like a lot but really if we get some solid help it will not take as much as we think. Thanks in advance for your help!

Nicole and Hugh Garman
609-354-2947 cell
609-914-0185 home

Help Needed This Weekend

We are in need of as many helping hands as we can get this weekend from 9-5 on both days. Our goal is to get a minimum of 6-8 people consistently on both days if possible. If you can only do an hour or two that is fine too. We were unable to get all the work we had hoped done this weekend. With an estimated delivery date of Joshua's playhouse from Make a Wish coming up in the next week, we really need all the help we can get. The township did give us the permit for the house without any cost to us, which was a huge blessing. THe other big blessing came whne Hugh went to pick up the swingset. A gentleman offered to put the set together for us at no cost after finding out what we were doing. We have to get both areas cleaned up and leveled ready for both sets to be placed. The fencing also has to be put up. There are tons of other projects that we will also need help with once we have accomplished these tasks listed.

I'm currently trying to find a person who does electrical that can run an electrical line to the play house so we can put air conditioning in it for Joshua. Any people handy with carpentry type work are also needed to finish the inside of the playhouse once it is here since Make a Wish could not do that. We are also still looking for good prices on supplies such as shrubs, perennials, mulch, soil, gravel, paving stones, and pond supplies. If you have any contacts in this area please let us know. Our resources are limited but we do not expect anything for free and are willing to work with people.

Please let me know if you can help, and if not, and you know someone who can then that is great too! Thank you all in advance for your help with this project, it truly means the world to us all!

Hi everyone,

This weekend was pretty much a wash out. We did get some help from the boys old ped, Ken, who came with his son, Rhys, and dug out some stumps. Hugh and my exhusband took down the tree in the back. Jack finally got me an initial game plan this week and it looks great!!! There is a lot of work to be done and we hope to have a list of projects and break down of supplies that we will need shortly. Even without that, we still have tons of things that need to be done. Over the next few weeks we will have work parties on Sat and Sun from 9am-5pm If you can stop by to help please let me know. This week we have to get to working on the fence and working on preping the spot for Joshua's play house. Make a Wish said that it will be done much earlier then anticipated and will be here in the next two to three weeks.

I am looking for someone who does electrical work outdoors. We need to run a line to where the house is sice it will come with electrical wiring in it so that we can put an air conditioner in it for Joshua. He gets overheated quickly during hot days so we figured this was a great way to give him the freedome to be outdoors and still keep him safe medically. We are surely on limited resources so if the person is willing to help out at a reduced rate that would be wonderful, we will provide all supplies needed. There is enough ampage since our house was recently upgraded, it is just getting the line ran. Please feel free to get a hold of us to discuss this further if you know someone.
We are also in need of someone who is good at carpentry once the house is in. It is coming with the electrical finished but no walls will be in place and we need to do this on our own. Make a Wish does not do that sort of thing. Hugh has some experience with this but is better at following directions when it comes to this sort of thing rather then heading a project like this.
There will eventually be a need for shrubbery, perennials, pond supplies, mulch, playground mulch, and patio bricks. If you have contacts in any of these areas please let me know also.

The more help we can get the better! Once we are done with the fence and playhouse space we will be putting together a playset. Other projects will follow such as planting and brick laying. I will keep updates on Joshua's web pages so please keep checking it to see progress. I will try and take pictures as the job progresses and post them also. We are quite excited and cannot wait to see the boys faces!!! Thank you in advance for all your help!!!

Nikki and Hugh
www.caringbridge.org/visit/joshuagarman
www.joshuagarman.blogspot.com

In Need of a Few Men/Women

Hi guys,I am looking for some help this weekend. We are in the process of preping the yard in order to make Joshua's Wish come true. Recently he was approved for the Make a Wish foundation. Unfortunately they could not help with making his wish of a backyard make over come true because they "don't do that sort of wish". They will provide him with a play house but we have been blessed to have some people from our church step up to help Hugh and I make Joshua's full wish come true. Right now we are still compiling a list of items and time that we will need help getting but right now we are looking for help this weekend to replace our old hazardous fence and remove a tree/shrub stumps. Please let me know if you are available and what time. All of this is weather permitting of course. We will have lots of food and drinks ready for those who are willing to pitch in. We really do need to get a move on the prep work end of it since Joshua's house will be delivered in 4-6 weeks. We will have to level and lay down some sort of foundation. Once it is here we will have to finish the interior and also run electricity to the house itself so he can play outside on days like today. Giving him this wish of a backyard make oveer/park will mean more to our little guy then you can even immagine. He cannot go to normal parks due to the fact that they are just difficult to him and very hard for him to tollerate the energy levels needed to play on them. He is the child who LOVES the outdoors and yet cannot go out since our yard has not been able to meet his needs. We are also looking to get a playset for him in the near future which we will also need help with. Many of the supplies we will look to see if we can get donations for but anything above our means will require a fundraiser. This is also very important for Joshua not only as a wish but also from a medical standpoint. He does not get therapy becuase much of it just runs him down. Having these sorts of things available to him in his own backyard will make that process less stressful on his little body. When he has had to much he can just return to the house to cool off or just relax. The mental therapy that will be brought to him from the tranquilty of the outdoors is something that will just be immeasurable to him. This means so much to us, his parents, to make this a reality instead of just his "Wish". If you know of anyone who may be able to help in any way please let me know also. There will be a great need for plants and other yard supplies. As time goes on I will keep people posted as to what we need and how they may give of their time in case you cannot help this weekend at any point. I will keep updates on his web pages www.caringbridge.org/visit/joshuagarman and www.joshuagarman.blogspot.com If you cannot help with time or supplies but would like to help out with a donation, they can be made directly to his trust fund which is listed on his web pages also. If you cannot pull that information please feel free to email me directly for that information. Please pass this email along to anyone who may be interested in helping out. Thank you all so much in advance for your help in making Joshua's wish come true!Love, Nikki and Hugh

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Joshua's benefit night was a huge success! Our final profit was less then we had at his first fundraiser but with the economy in the shape it is, we were not surprised. This was our first dinner and it went off beautifully. Our hall wound up being small just because of the amount of donations we had!!! We had over 125 donations to raffle off. Everyone we have talked to had such a blast and hope we do another one!

I'm sorry we did not post sooner then this but our family lost both of my grandparents and we were close to them. Joshua also went in for surgery. None of you have gone unforgotten and we truly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.

Our family cannot thank everyone enough for all their help and donations. Please keep an eye out on upcoming fundraisers/awareness events for our family on this page.

Please check below for pictures from the night!!!

Tickets/Prizes

Just a note to let everyone know that tickets are selling fast. We have several pushes out to the papers and radio stations this coming week so we can get this to be a sold out event. I would not suggest waiting until that night to purchase tickets because they may be gone. Anyone who sends in checks this coming week, will be held at the door due to mail lag time.

November 17 , 2008 will begin the will hold at the door tickets.

Don't loose your chance to attend this event because it is going to be great!
We have some great raffle items and will also hold a live auction for some of the items. Her is a brief list of some of the items that will be at the event! There is something for everyone and more rolling in each day.

Eagles tickets
Star Wars Memorabilia
Fliers signed Hockey Puck and Stick
Jeff Gordon Car Framed Picture
Over 40 Great Baskets/Prizes
Lots of Gift Certificates to Local Vendors

Eagles Tickets Donated

For those attending the benefit. We have had 2 tickets donated for the Thanksgiving Day Eagles home game. We will be doing a seperate auction for the tickets and some of the other higher ticket items that have been donated for the benefit. I wanted to let people know these items are up for grabs because they are for a certain date and time shortly after the event.

Need Help

We are in need of the following items to be donated to help with the deferment of cost. If you can donate any please email me as soon as possible so I can take it off the list of items needed. Sorry this comes later then anticipated but my grandmother passed away this week and we miss her terribly. She is watching down on all of us and we know she is in a better place and she promissed me she would watch over Joshua. Thank you in advance for all your support and prayers! These are the items we are in need of.

Items:
Soda
Cups
Forks/Knives/Spoons
Cake plates
Baked Goods for dessert
Ice
Coffee
Salt/Pepper

Less Then A Month To Go

We are now back from Houston, TX. The trip itself was a success and it looks as if we will have to return every 3-6 months depending on what Joshua will need to have done. There will be lots of new tests to be done. We are still not sure if Michael will have to return with us. He had to have some additional lab work done while we were there. Should those labs come back with issues it looks like we will also probably be taking a trip to Atlanta, GA to the diagnostic facility down there.

It is now just one day shy of a month to go until the benefit. PLEASE get those ticket requests in ASAP. We need to have a good idea of how many people will be in attendance. If you have items for the auction we are asking that you have them to us by the weekend prior. That would be November 15 and 16th. If you can hand out fliers please let me know so that I can make sure that you have them or a copy of the PDF format so you can print it from your PC. In the next day or two I will be posting a list of items that we could still use to be donated for decorations/tableware.

THANK YOU ALL!!!! Please help make this a success.

Off To Houston...Send Those Ticket Requests In

Hi everyone, we are leaving for Houston, TX tomorrow for a doctors appointment for Joshua and to also see if his other two brothers have this disease also. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel.

Start sending in those ticket requests. It would be wonderful to know that we had a lot sold by the time we came home. These trips are quite expensive for us and run our credit cards to their max. It is not only the travel costs but it is also the medical expenses too.

If you would like updates about our trip please check out Joshua's Health page. There is a link at the top right of this page. I will be updating there regulartly about his health and our trips to doctors and facilities.

Thank You All In Advance!!! You are the ones who make this all possible and are helping us to keep our son healthy so he can be a little boy.

Auction Items

A friend of mine has been gracious enough to handle all of the auction items for me. She has done this before for my friend Dani whos son won his battle with Mito in May and is now an angel in heaven. Tracy will be helping with total coordination of the benefit and working on things while we are away. Should you need to get a hold of anyone while we are gone please contact her.

If you have baskets or auction items please contact Tracy. Of course if you see me and want to give them to me I will gladly get them to her. We leave for Houston a week from today but efforts to make this a success need to continue here on the home front. Her Contact information and instructions are as follows:

Tracy Gennett
89 Kettlebrook Drive
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
PH# 856-778-5529
email: ycartlin34@aol.com

Special Instructions for Donations:

Raffle baskets should come with list of items included in the baskets.

Baskets unwrapped are ok, but should include the basket itself along w/ the items.

Item's not needing a basket or single item donations can be dropped off in a bag or original packaging to help with final wrapping and showcasing of items on the auction table.

Gift Certificats and individual items are welcome!

If you have any large items or big ticket items please let us know ASAP so we can make arrangements to have them handled properly.

Need Ticket Sales

Please start getting those ticket requests in if you plan on attending the event. We really need to get these tickets sold ASAP to start help with the cost of the event and know we are moving in the right direction. Please pass the word around about the event and help us to sell all the tickets...It would be wonderful if we could make this a sold out event!!! We are already almost into the middle of the month. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Here is the recent press release and article written by Yahoo. WOW...they picked it up...please take the time to read it!

Press Release URL - http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1384304.htm (please feel free to pass on this url)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20080926/bs_prweb/prweb1384304_1 - yahoo has picked up the story

If you search under Google News - keyword 'mitochondrial disease' you will also find it.

Need For Donations

Currently we are in need of donations for the auction. We will take anything that is new. It does not have to be a complete basket, it can just be a single item. We will put things together for those who are unable to donate a full basket. We can also use baskets or other items to create baskets...tins, bowls, and other fillable items are also welcome.


The following are theme baskets that we have items for but still could use other donations to complete these baskets:

Car Basket
Sports Fan Basket
Bath Supply Basket
Liquor Basket
Fall Harvest Basket
Snow Day Sled



Suggestions for Other Baskets or items:

Baby Girl Basket
Chocolate Lovers Basket
Christmas Basket
Family Night Basket
Girls Night Out
Wedding Basket
Romance Basket
Gift Certificates

Items Donated/Completed:


Set of Luggage
Saco Watch
Pearls
Barbeque Set
Crafters Basket
Birthday Party Basket
Smores Basket
Memories Basket
Young Readers Basket
Christian Basket
Family Movie Night
Beach Picnic Bag
TV Mount
Zibra Wall Hanging
Pedicure Basket
Coffee Basket
Tanning Salon Gift Bag
Baby Boy Basket
Quilter Basket
Chip and Dip Bowl
Veggie Tales Basket
Scrapbooker Basket
Bakers Basket