Sausage Sizzle for Challenge

Hi everyone

I would like to say a massive thanks to all the chooks (and husbands and sons) who pulled together a wonderful day on Saturday where we raised just over $700 for Challenge - supporting kids with cancer through a really successful sausage sizzle...amazing...i dont think any of us imagined how many snags people can eat! At one stage we went through nearly 50 snags in 5 mins...it was incredible!

So thanks to all of our friends who came down to give us a hand (and eat our snags!)...it really was a great few hours to raise money for a wonderful cause!

Speaking of causes...the time has come again for Worlds Greatest Shave! Pete and i have not committed to a shave this year (because last years was so huge!)...but we have set up a memorial page for those of you who would like to donate to a wonderful cause in melon's memory. I think we will do it on an annual basis as it makes it easier for those who want to donate yearly, we can do it through that website, specifically for the Leukaemia Foundation.

For those that got to know Jenny Breheny (guru from Leukaemia Foundation-Gippsland), she and hubby dave are expecting their first baby which is super exciting for them...so we will have to make the most out of using her wonderful expertise in fundraising! As i said, we are not shaving this year, but we certainly invite people to join "Melonhead" if you would like to run your own shave/wax, or donate in memory of melon...if you are interested, just go to:

www.worldsgreatestshave.com, search Jodie Simpson and you should find us no problem. If you are keen to join, just let me know via melon's email eli-simpson@hotmail.com and we can hook you up.

Anyways..best go for now...would just like to say a massive thanks to everyone for their continued support, and we will be in touch again soon.

Happy australia day

luv and hugs

the simpsons

xox

Just a moment

Hi everyone

Ive had an amazing afternoon. Pete and i donated blood (pete's first time..you will have to ask him about it)! and when i got back to work, i played my ipod while doing some stuff. I have over 380songs on it and was amazed to hear melon's song "Somewhere over the rainbow" playing within the first couple of songs. I sat still, looked at a couple of photos on the wall and just remembered. I composed myself, then bugger me, a couple of my other fave songs came on (which i like to remember eli)..."Last day on earth" by Kate Miller-Hiedke, and "Watch over me" by bernard fanning...straight after each other...i giggled and wondered what melon was doing up there...THEN, Beyonce came on with "If I was a boy" (A song i downloaded in memory of Nicholas Timms), and a few songs later, "Dream Catch Me" and 2 more songs later "Amazing" by Alex Lloyd - songs that were played at little Alex Preston's funeral. All of this happened within an hour. I drove home and the first song that played when i walked in was "Birds and the Bees", something Eli loved because of the music...(thankfully not the words!)...By this stage i was truly amazed and felt that all the boys were up there giggling at me as i was trying to comprehend what was going on with my ipod...the thing was on shuffle and i hadnt heard those songs for at least 3-4 weeks...cheeky little buggers!

The best thing - well, for today at least, is that i could listen to these songs with a smile rather than sadness for the first time...as they say, perhaps one step forward. There may be steps back, but its nice to feel that there is just a little hint of forward every now and then.

All of our children are so deeply missed, every day. Words cant explain the emptiness one feels. All we can do is just try to learn to live with it.

So, to all our kids...we salute you!

love and hugs

the simpsons

xox

We are back!

Hi everyone

once again, so sorry for not writing for a while, but pete and i have been on a bit of leave which has been really nice. After a very busy start with just 'stuff', we were finally able to kick up our heels and head to WA to see our relatives over there. Thanks to mum (WAMMA) for having us and to Robyn and Linds who also had us over for a night. It was great to catch up with you all. We visited new norcia, york, freo jail (at night) and did a bit of shopping. Its a great place to visit and we look forward to catching up with you all again soon!

Christmas was obviously difficult once again. While we set up our lights, we didnt do a tree again. I guess the right time will come, its just what we want for now.

We had a lovely opportunity to remember our only christmas with Eli at a memorial run by Silver Lining Funerals. We saw a grab in the paper which said that they were going to open up the chapel to families and friends of loved ones lost so we took the opportunity to go. It was an amazing service and the gang handed out a lovely little christmas 'tag' so families could hang them on their tree. I dont think i stopped crying from the moment i stepped into the chapel to the time i left. Very very moving and something pete and i could do to help us through this time. So to Tom, Dale, Pete, Rachel and the rest of the gang at Silver Lining Funerals, thanks for the opportunity, it was exactly what we needed.

The other 'tradition' pete and i have continued is that we will buy a gift for a little boy for the 'wishing tree' at KMART. we did it last year, and i must admit its bloody hard. We wandered around the toys and thought, geez, melon would have liked this...but i guess its something we will continue to do in the hope we make a 2 year old boys life a little brighter...

The other thing we would like to acknowledge is the life of Olivia. Olivia lost her battle with cancer on the 5th January 2009 at the age of 17. I met her mum Rhonda at the Challenge weekend in October and she (like all parents who have lost children) is just so inspiring. Rhonda has recently helped the 'chooks' with making some purses to sell at the markets, so thanks Rhonda for sharing your skills and your time at this trying time. Olivia will always be with you no matter where you are and will ALWAYS be loved and remembered.

Speaking of Challenge, the chooks are aiming to have a sausage sizzle out the front of Safeway in Bairnsdale on the 23 January 2010. More details to follow, but every cent raised will go to challenge. So come along and share a snag and a giggle and donate to a great cause. If you are interested in seeing what Challenge is all about, just head to their website www.challenge.org.au. They helped us out heaps while we were in hospital, and we will never forget the great work they do to help families that have kids with cancer.

The other thing pete and i are going to do is sign up for the Worlds Greatest Shave again (although we are not shaving heads!)...it will just be an opportunity for you to donate some money which will be in Eli's memory. We are not going to go hard this year...we need a rest to be honest! Maybe some collection boxes at strategic points, and if you feel inspired, we would encourage you to have a morning tea at your work places etc. to raise some money for the Leukaemia Foundation!

The last thing the chooks have been busily working on is our Angel Ball...we have set a date for the 24th July 2010 and it will be held at the Bairnsdale RSL again. More details to follow, but last year was an absolute HOOT! We are having a christmas in July theme, and of course, will be having our competition for 'best angel wings'...so start planning now! All money raised will be donated to AngelFlight.

If you would like ANY further information on anything, please contact me on Eli-Simpson@hotmail.com

Its been another really trying time for pete and i, like i guess all parents who have lost their little ones probably experience. It really doesnt get easier. There are reminders around you every single day of what you have lost and what you would do to have it all back. Having a healthy child is truly a priviledge. Embrace your kids with love and kisses and give all of them an extra hug from us!

We were given this poem from some good friends of ours - thanks liz and paul...

I thought of you with love today

but that is nothing new

I thought of you yesterday

and days before that too

I think of you in silence

I often speak your name

All I have are memories

and your picture in a frame

Your memory is my keepsake

with which I'll never part

your spirit lives within me,

forever in my heart.

Please, keep these poems coming. I collect them and write them in a journal which i keep about Eli. They mean the world to us and its lovely that you think of the Simpson family.

Lets hope 2010 is a brighter year for ALL of us.

luv and hugs

the simpsons

xoxox

Christmas time is nearly upon us

Hi everyone...

our first post for december...time really flies doesnt it...and we are facing our second christmas without melon...no, this gig DOES NOT get any easier...

the other thing i would like to acknowledge is little Nicholas's 1st year anniversary. We shared a room with Nick on various occasions and got to know his mum and dad just as eli got really sick for the last time. Nicholas passed away on December 7th. What a courageous little boy and another amazing family to be touched by cancer. His mum and dad have been very busy and set up a foundation in Nicholas's memory. They recently held a golf day and raised an amazing $30,000 for research. Another really positive story out of a heartbreaking situation...well done you guys...

For those who would like to 'meet' nick and his gorgeous mum Belinda and dad Michael, click on the following link...http://cid-c003958b709310ec.profile.live.com/?sa=47730156. 

There really is some fantastic work being undertaken by many families who have been touched by cancer...so next time someone rattles a tin, sells raffle tickets, sets up a sausage sizzle etc, please dig deep because the volunteer work done by these families is extraordinary. Everyone deserves a medal i reckon!

anyways..i will remove my soap box. 

Quick update on melon's cottage...we have planted our grass, but pete is convinced the 'ants' knicked off with the grass seed! its very patchy, and kinda cute really!! LOL...definitely not at mowing stage yet! We are hoping to have the tin on the front fence over the weekend which is exciting...then i reckon we are proud to say we have done as much as we physically can on the cottage...i think over the next 12 months we will starting building our supplies for when we move out of here...i was hoping to get a bit of a collection of kids dvd's, and some games for the house so if the weather is bad, at least families have something to do...so if anyone has some old games kicking around that need a home, let me know...i will arrange to pick them up and take them off your hands!

Anyhoo...will go for now...will touch base again soon...

luv and hugs (and have a great weekend)

the simpsons

xox

Updated photos from Kelli's run in the US

Hi guys

it was bought to my attention that the pics didnt download properly, so i think i have it right now!

Please have a look under the "october" month so you can meet kelli...

we have been in touch and Kelli has produced a DVD of her experience. She also asked if she could have a photo of Eli to put in it. We were so honoured, and cant wait to see the final product. As you will remember, Kelli walked a marathon in memory of her dad 'frank'. What an amazing job she did...and what a wonderful thing to do in her dad's memory.

So enjoy the pics!

Pete and i started to put up our chrissy lights today...Pete was very very lucky as he fell off the roof and onto the ladder. Thankfully he used the guttering to kind of break his fall, but he definitely had a ripper few bruises and will no doubt be extremely sore. Poor bugger! 

We wont 'officially' unveil them until thursday, so we are excited about that...good to have all the little kids stop and have a look!

we have been travelling ok...busy like normal, but good. Pete has made the 'frame' for the fence out the front, and we bought in a big load of topsoil so we are hoping to grow a bit of grass out the front. Just hope it sprouts soon!

We also have sold our farm and our cows...but the new owners have allowed us to continue to have our campsite so we can keep an eye on melons tree. I think we will definitely use it, and we will still see the cows when we go up there...all in preparation of building our new house, so we can get out of here and open up Melon's cottage...thats the main aim really! 

Nothing else to report really...pretty quiet. Gearing up for the chrissy season, and just hoping that all the families we know just do the best they can. All of these 'anniversaries' are just not the same anymore...we are there in spirit, but perhaps just not there with our hearts. Time will tell if this gig is set to get any easier...but at this stage, would definitely have to say we will just have to wait and see.

Anyways...best go and start plugging in some lights.

Enjoy the pic's of Kelli's walk, and will touch base again soon.

luv and hugs

the simpsons

x0x

Our first year without you

Hi everyone

Well, what a bloody day. Who knew how hard this year would be. To say that it has been easy would be a big porky-pie. It has taken us a very long time to be able to think about eli and not have tears (and on some days we still do, and no doubt will continue to do so). Someone said to us you dont get 'over' losing a child...you just learn to live with it. I remember holding eli just after he died and said to Dr Karin, 'how does ANYONE move past this'..'how does life go on'. Well, it just does. Sometimes we get so angry with the world and scream can we just stop for one day to remember our loved ones. Can we just not get so caught up and sweat the small stuff? But we know that this is life, and we need to adjust the best we can to what we have been given. 

Today we have been very quiet. We spent time with melon and cried a million tears. Pete has been working on the cottage and as he says, "its 'melon's house' - its an easy place to be". We will go on the walk i used to walk with eli in the pram to get the little bugger to sleep. Its been a very peaceful day and even as i write this, the tears are flowing.

We also planted 4 callistamons behind the back fence. As pete says "one for each of the boys"...Chad, Eli, Nick and now Alex. 

Its going to sound weird but in so many ways we have been blessed knowing these boys. We are still learning from their memories every day. Their strength - to be able to take their medicines, needles and pain without fear, their bravery - to be so brave in the face of death, to listen to their favourite stories and watch their favourite dvd's, and their courage - to just be who they are. 

We dont know why these things happen, but to dwell on it would be a massive step back. We still have our lives, and Eli in many ways will continue to have a huge part in it. He is our son. He is a grandson, a great-grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a mate to many. 

So melon...this is for you

Our big melon.

one year has passed but it feels like an eternity. We miss you every single day. We miss your tummy laughs, your raspberries and your beautiful smiles. 

If we could have a lifetime wish

A dream that would come true

We'd pray to God with all our hearts

for yesterday and you

A thousand words cant bring you back

We know because we have tried

And neither will a million tears

We know because we've cried

You left behind our broken hearts

And happy memories too

We never wanted memories though

we only wanted you.

We miss you bubba and love you with all our hearts

Our hearts are boxes filled with beautiful memories of a life that has been taken from us too soon. Time will tell why we were given this hand, but geez we are going to give it a fair crack to make it better for others who are walking in these shoes.

luv and hugs

the simpsons

xox

Some photos for you!

Hi guys

im sorry its been a while...sometimes there are just no words to describe how we feel, so we dont!

Ive attached a few photos of our last couple of months. You will have to forgive me because ive just got a new phone and its taken me a very long time to work the thing out!

We have just held our first market stall today to raise some money for our charities...it went really well and i think we are stoked at the support. Our next foray into the 'market' world will be at Paynesville on the 8th December. So if you are around town, feel free to call by and say gidday to the girls...and perhaps buy a little bit of stuff as well if it tickles your fancy!

Eli's 1st year anniversary on the 16 November...it will be a tough gig but as we keep saying, we are not alone!

enjoy the photos...

luv and hugs

the simpsons

xox

Samia, Rhonda & Margaret on our Challenge Retreat...thanks again challenge!

What a gorgeous view from the Trevor Barker House at Torquay!

Some of the purses we have made that sold like HOTCAKEs...

A sample of chrissy cards

And again!