* The Lengachers * Matt Sherri Ayrika Drew Madison: June 2009

So Brooke and I were thinking one day how much fun it would be to have a summer bash party and a going away party around the pool with the people that mean the most to us. After we return home from Haiti Brooke is taking off again for 8 weeks=(What am I going to do without my best friend for a whole summer again, I mean last summer she left me for China now a camp couselor. I am so proud of the things God is putting in her life at such a perfect time. It finally happened last Sunday afternoon about 10 girls showed up with food and bathing suits. God granted us a beautiful day to play corn-hole, lay out and for those that water temp don't matter swim. The water was only about 60 something due to the cold nights we have been having. Oh yeah and the day I sent out the invitations our pool heater exploded.. So it was so cold but after laying out and getting all hot it felt wonderful!! Unfortuntaly some girls could not come and they were greatly missed, but there will be more. I am so glad God has put each one of these girls in my life, I officially feel like I belong somewhere in this place we call life. I didn't officially know these girls till we started college, funny thing they went to BR and I went to ND hung out with the same people just never really got to know them in HS. Man I should have!! I have so much fun with them now, and we share so many memories in the short amount of time we have been friends.Thank you girls!! Here are some pictures from our party, enjoy!!

All of us enjoyin the sunshine!!

We Love Each Other and Our Hippie Friend Brooke!!

ROOMIES 2009=) So Excited

The Love of My Life

The "LOOK CUTE" Picture

Okay so we officially got the key to our house for next year and it is looking so cute already. Our landlord Jerry is amazing, he let us paint the house how we wanted so Ericka and I got busy this past week and painted the kitchen and laundry room and the trim. We decided on a minty green for those two rooms, a tan for living room, rose colored for the bathroom and each one of us is painting a new color in our bedrooms. Our house is going to be AMAZING!!

Okay well Haiti Mission Trip 2009 is hours away. We are leaving New Hope Chrisitian Church at 11 pm Sunday night, I mean we are talking hours/days no longer weeks/months. Time has flown by I just hope we are all prepared to see what God has in store for us. I can't wait to go but I always have a hard time leaving just for the fear of something happening back at home. Thank you all though who have prayed for this trip to happen and for the donations I have recieved. Love you all!!

Take Care

Have you ever looked back on the previous years and wonder why some things happened or why other things didn’t happen instead? Well on June 2, 2009 is one of the days I wish wouldn’t have occurred. A former graduate at North Daviess fought the battle of leukemia through her junior and senior year until she couldn’t fight any longer. On June 2 Shay Elyssa Fischer had passed to go be with her Lord and Savior.

It was a long hard process for Shay and surrounding family and friends, we knew the day was coming we just was not prepared to deal with another classmates death. As we helped raise money and go on random visits to Riley Children’s Hospital we continued to grow closer as a class because the last classmate was taken without any warning, Rebecca Arnold-Ellis.

Shay was a fighter that was not willing to give up until the last couple months before her death. Shay was diagnosed with leukemia in the spring of 2007. She was missed greatly during the months she was gone from school, lucky her in a way to be able to miss school and not deal with the senior year drama. She unfortunately had to miss our senior year prom but the people that meant the most to her decided to take a little mini prom the day after to visit her. Her date Daniel Worford went and took her beautiful flowers, the nurses even set up a special room with decorations and music for the fellow friends to dance around and enjoy the atmosphere. Shay was blessed she got to wear her beautiful prom dress, got her hair done and even took professional pictures to remember the day. Shay got to walk through graduation ceremony with us as a class. It was such a happy time as a class to sit down and remember the times we shared together the good and the bad. As I sit here to write this blog entry my heart hurts.

My heart hurts for many reasons, one I never told Shay how much of an inspiration she was to me or others, I would randomly text her and she would be so full of life and joy even in the pain her cancer was causing. What a blessing it was to have her in my life for the short time she was allowed. Another reason no one but God knew when her final day was going to be and for that I am blessed but in a way sadden because no one got to say their good byes but maybe that was what God thought Shay could handle and the people around her. Personally saying good bye for the last time is a difficult thing to do whereas the person being taken is very difficult but you don’t have the time where you know she/he is not going to make it to live the next couple hours.
Over the last year a lot of smiles, a lot of laughs and a lot of tears have been shed in the moments when Shay is brought up into conversation. Shay truly was an inspiration to have in your life; she inspired those that met her just once or the ones who weren’t so lucky to ever meet her.

Her mom had set up a sight for people to read kind of like BlogSpot but CaringBridge it was the neatest things, we could write comments, look at pictures, read what Shay was doing that day. Shelley kept us updated on every possible way or the frequent text messages we would get saying what she had accomplished that particular day. Shelley is a wonderful person and realizes now why Shay was the way she was- beautiful, kind, loving and most important God loving.
Shay you are greatly missed by many and loved by all. You were a blessing and I am so glad I can say I will see you again!

Shay Elyssa Fischer

Blessings do occur in the lives of many on a day-to-day basis and I am so glad they do. The Senior Class of 2007 has three wonderful students that will never be forgotten. Who would have thought by the age of 20 you would have lost one classmate let alone three. It has been a hard couple years for us but in many ways it has helped us realize we need to live for the day because who knows when our last is coming. Thank you Jesus for showing our class you are real and you do know our futures and when it will end.

Another important person in the life of so many people is little Andon Knepp. As I was walking through the cemetery at Berea I noticed his grave and my heart went out to Ryan Chelsa and Brycen and for the family around them. I pray God is with you and take care of your family. I pray that through this difficult time you can find healing and love through the people around you. I love you!