Due to Bad Air Quality, We Decided to Skip the FAAN Walk

Today turned out to be very different than I thought it would be. As fires raged all around us and the air got increasingly thick with smoke and ash, we decided that we should not participate in the FAAN walk. It was heart breaking for us, as we have put in so much time and effort. But we were amongst the top five fundraisers in all of Southern California, thanks to many of our friends and family who gave so generously. We are beyond appreciative especially considering these tough economic times. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I had prepared some muffins to hand out to our fellow team members along with these handy dandy purple t-shirts. Now I have a platter of wheat-free pomegranate ginger muffins and a ton of personalized shirts with "Team Ella" on them. I guess there are worse things that could happen. The muffins, by the way, are my own recipe which I will post later.

To distract Ella from the disappointment of not being able to spend the day at the beach, I decided to take her to see Madagascar 2. Who knew that a kid would like eating popcorn, Junior Mints, and gummy bears while washing it all down with fruit punch? It is the American way, after all and this three year old was more than happy to oblige! We had lunch after the movie at Souplantation. It was shocking to me how crowded this place was. In fact, these types of places seem so busy now that the economy is in the gutter. At least Ella now has lots of company as she gobbles down her salad and bowl of soup!

I am trying to keep things light here, but I feel the need to take a moment to mention how grateful we are to all of those who are out there fighting these horrible fires. And my heart is heavy knowing that so many people are suffering tonight from the loss of their homes. If any of you out there need assistance, please e-mail me and I will do what I can to help you out! My prayers are with all of you...