145

Gift bags that is. As of today at about 2 pm, we will have delivered 145 gift bags in MJ's name through MJ's Memories and Project Sweet Peas.  In just nine short months. I feel very blessed that we have had so much support and commitment from family and friends. It is because of all of the support that we have been able to donate these gift bags and will continue to donate these gift bags. We have delivered bags to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, KS, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO (where MJ lived and died), and we have sent five gift bags via mail to various people through our Gift Bag Request. Two days ago I sent out two bags to a family that had twin boys. And that was hard, knowing that they will more then likely bring their two boys home with them. But I am so glad knowing that I can do this in MJ's name, and keep his memory and his spirit alive.

This afternoon we head back to Children's Mercy to deliver 20 more bags. It's always hard going back there. I have feelings of dread and anxiety as we walk back into the hospital where my son died. I am just glad that we don't have to go up to the NICU. We deliver the bags to volunteer services, and it makes it just a little easier. I hope that I never have to walk into another NICU again.

So thank you to everyone who has donated, voted for us in the Pepsi Refresh Project, or simply gave us words of encouragement. When we started this project in October, just two and a half short months after we lost MJ, I never thought we would bring it to the scale that we have it today. I mean, I wanted to. I wanted to do something truly amazing and honor my son at the same time. And I think that we have, and then some.

Our next donation is planned for the end of August, in honor of the day that MJ died: August 29. On that day we are hosting a Butterfly and Balloon Rememberence Release in honor of him and all of the angel babies that have gone too soon. A Butterfly and Balloon (with your personal message) will be released that day on behalf of you (if you cannot come to the actual event) for a $10 donation to MJ's Memories. I am really excited about the Butterfly and Balloon Release, I think that it will be an amazing, yet very hard day, at the same time. Hard because it will mark one year without my son. And amazing because I can look back and think about how awesome his life was and everything that we have done in his memory.