Saturday, August 26, 2017

OUR MAN TURNS 29

photo by: Katie Kaneen 

This was the very first photo I ever saw of him. 
Friends were trying to set us up for awhile. When I finally listened, it was a no brainer. This man's heart is full of love, compassion, service, adventure, thrill.

You are the apple of my eye. 
I hope you have a Happy 29th Birthday.

xo, Mand


(When he see's this post he will beg I take it down - just like he removes the framed 11x14" I hang in our home.)

Friday, August 18, 2017

TEE PARTY DETAILS

We are ecstatic to join together as a ShermanArmy! The support we have felt is immeasurable and we can't thank you enough but will try with cookies, smiles, and hugs in person.



Below is some basic information about each party. We apologize for the vagueness of the party details - we just aren't keen on publicly advertising home addresses. Saftey first, ya know. 

Wait, I haven't ordered a shirt yet! No problem, CLICK HERE!



UT Tee Pick-Up Party
The UT party will be held the evening of September 8th in Sandy, UT by Mandie's immediate family (HUGE shout out to Natalie and Nicole - you are both wonderful).

Things to know:
- all of the tees will be as GERM FREE as possible. No one who has CF will be handling the tees.
- it will be outdoors
- light refreshments will be served
- Mandie will NOT be there physically. Sadly she cannot be in two places at once but..
- there will be viewing of the FB Live event happening in AZ where Mandie will be



AZ Tee Party
The AZ party will be held the evening of Septmeber 8th in North Phoenix, AZ by Ric and Mandie's dental school friends.

Things to know:
- all of the tees will be as GERM FREE as possible. No one who has CF will be handling the tees.
- it will be outdoors
- refreshments will be served
- Mandie WILL be at the party
- those in attendance will be part of the FB Live event


We cannot wait to celebrate with all of you - to share in your love and show the strength of the Sherman Army!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

BEHIND "CONQUER ALL"




I wanted to share with you the background of the motto from our 'Mandie Tee's'. To tell you the full story, I need to start a little farther back.

Growing up my family had the motto "No Regrets". This encouraged us to live our life fully, treat everyone with love, and make decisions to be proud of.
 In high school this was my motivation with education, I didn't want to cut my work any short of my best - I knew I wanted grades that would allow me opportunities for excellent Universities and colleges. 
I held those words inside me, because I wanted to treat each individual at my high school as a person, that someone cared about. I didn't want there to be anyone with a memory of me in a negative way, only as a positive experience. (If this was ever not the case, then I have wronged you. Please feel open to contacting me, lets talk.). 
'No Regrets' was the drive in my work outs and trainings for sports - if I operated by this, I knew growth as an athlete would follow. I'd be able to perform and give my best in each game, match or race.  
'No Regrets', worked as encouragement for compliance with my disease, Cystic Fibrosis. I knew I wanted to live a long time, and I was going to have to work for that.

Having a family motto, helped to keep me grounded and things in the correct perspective. As I went off to college, I knew new challenges were ahead of me. I knew I wanted to add another statement to "No Regret's", one that reached my core, yet could still be applied across all aspects of my life. 

As I  found it, I clung to this new  statement from everyday road rage, to taking Chemistry 101 three times. Going through a sad divorce at 23, to being brave and starting over. Hearing I am growing and now raising a miracle child, to a probable cancer diagnosis. Putting my husband through Dental School, to staying compliant on my ever growing daily treatment schedule.

 When I was a freshman in college, I came across a scholarship opportunity that I felt compelled to enter. This has turned out to be more of a blessing than I first realized. During my time compiling all that was required of entry I wrote my first poem. This poem is printed out and hung on my 'Dream Board' still to this day.
(If you'd like to see the video that went with the scholarship, click: HERE.)

From one of these stanza's originated my motto, and the phrase now used on our Mandie Tee's . I wanted to share the full thing with you, as you all join in this journey with me.

“My dream for the future is…”

My dream for the future is…
   To always have a diet that tells me to “eat more”
   To finally fulfill my endless craving of salt
   To help those with more serious challenges than I face

My dream for the future is…
   To still be grateful for each day I live and thankful for every breath I take
   To never forget that each day is a gift
   To love as I have been loved

My dream for the future is…
   To write a thank you card to every doctor that has blessed my life
   To change the life expectancy age of Cystic Fibrosis
   To live, laugh, and love

My dream for the future is…
   To marry the man that loves me for who I am and all that comes with me
   To one day hold a baby and call my own
   To play with my grandchildren

My dream for the future is…
   To graduate from college
   To always create “to do lists”
   To never lose sight of my goals

My dream for the future is…
   To never give up
   To persevere through all life’s adversities
   To conquer all that steps in my way

My dream for the future is…
   To always smile
   To always be spunky
   To be myself no matter what

My dream for the future is…
   To run a marathon
   To complete a triathlon
   To never forget that God has given me all that I have

My dream for the future is…
To live happily ever after


By: Amanda (Mandie) Rudd
Written: Spring 2009


Thank you, for your continued love and support.
Together we fight, and together we continue to Conquer All.

Xx, M


Tuesday, August 8, 2017

THE REVEAL



Okay, today is the 'big reveal' - what is inside the box?!
Thank you everyone for your patience as we were rookies pulling something like this off. I hope we don't fail anyone by saying, 'no, it's not a baby', 'no, we are not moving back to Utah', and 'no, there is no solid plan to take over the world, yet'. But, I hope you will be just as excited as I was when my incredible friend, Lindsay, approached me with her idea. She has been so good to me and I've invited her take over and share everything in her own words.


I lay awake as the minutes ticked on, late into the night. The world around me was in quiet slumber as I forced my lungs to maximum capacity, then squeezed out all the air, and tried again. What would it be like to have 60 percent lung capacity? What about 36 percent?
My thoughts were troubled.
Mandie had mentioned her mother-in-law was coming to town and, in nosey fashion, I wondered, why? It wasn't spring break for our student-husbands. It wasn't anyone's birthday, as far as I knew. Easter was coming; did that warrant a flight across the country?
Deep breath in. Push it all out. How had I never realized the power of my lungs? How had I never thought about my ability to breathe like this? I had always taken breathing for granted.
Then I played the worst case scenario game. A game, my close friends know I'm good at, and has given us some good laughs.
As the sun rose, I forced myself to wait for a decent hour to ask; because if you're going to be nosey, you should at least wait until a normal hour of the day.
'Mandie, is your mother-in-law coming because you're headed into the hospital for two weeks, again?'
When she replied, 'no' a rush of emotion came over me, and I realized how much I truly care about this girl. 

I first met Mandie at an end of the quarter party held for our student-husbands. She opened a fizzy bottle of soda in the grass so my child wouldn't have to wait, and later, as her baby lay asleep in her arms, I overheard her say, 'this makes it all worth it'. I had no idea the depth of those words. I had no idea I was looking at someone fighting a terminal illness.  I had no idea I was taking breathing for granted. I had no idea what Cystic Fibrosis (CF) was. 

I have since learned, CF is a progressive genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. In people with CF, a defective gene causes a thick, buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps bacteria leading to infections, extensive lung damage, and eventually, respiratory failure. In the pancreas, the mucus prevents the realease of digestive enzymes that allow the body to break down food and absorb vital nutrients.

For Mandie this means an average life expectancy of 36 years. Days filled with lots of hand sanitizer in attempts to avoid any illness. A handful of medications taken before each meal (that she can down all at once!). Unpredicted time spent in the hospital - always in two week bursts, never less. Doing treatments daily and sometimes throughout the night, that include wearing a vibrating vest to shake loose built up mucus. Numerous doctor appointments, and stops at the pharmacy. Daily exercises to push herself to stay as physically strong as possible to keep up the fight. And a great amount of courage. 

When I first met Mandie, I had no idea her daily battle with this terminal illness because she doesn't let CF define her. It is part of her life, but not her. Mandie is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, and a friend. She has completed multiple half marathons and a sprint triathlon. She has traveled to four of the seven continents. She feels at home at basketball games and plans to rock the soccer mom scene. She is rarely without candy, and her favorite color is gray. 
Mandie is an individual.
She is an individual who strives to conquer all that steps in her way.
In recent years she has conquered bringing a miracle baby into this world; not an easy feat for a CF individual. Conquered sending her parents across the world on an LDS Mission; saying goodbye to her mom, just as she, herself became a mom. Conquered moving to a new state; supporting her husband's dreams. Conquered finding a new CF team; twice, as the first did not fit well. The list goes on - all while fighting this terminal illness and putting her trust in Christ.
Mandie let's the light of Christ shine through her as she conquers. She knows that He set the example and conquered all, that she may as well. 
Mandie is not Cystic Fibrosis. Mandie is a Christ-loving individual who, conquers all.

It was in those late night hours, breathing deeply and playing worst case scenario, a dream was born. In the moment Mandie said, 'no hospital stay' the dream grew legs and ran. And today it is with great honor, I announce the dream come reality - 
The Mandie Tee:


With Mandie's permission and input, I teamed up with Elkhorn Embroidery - a small family owned shop - who worked to create a t-shirt to share in Mandie's motto, and ability. A tee that allows us, as ShermanArmy supporters, to join in her journey to conquer all. 
AND after learning more about Mandie and her journey, Elkhorn Embroidery has graciously offered to donate ALL profits from each t-shirt purchase to assist with the Sherman family's medical expenses.

The Mandie Tee is a screenprinted, tri-blend crew neck that comes in all sizes! To order your Mandie Tee, to show support and ease the financial burden of medical costs follow this link and fill out this order form:





Wait there's MORE:
In honor of Mandie's upcoming birthday we decided to take The Mandie Tee one step further and host a TEE PARTY in Phoenix, AZ and a Mandie Tee Pick-Up party in Sandy, UT. Held the night of Septemeber 8th!
If you would like to join in the fun, be sure to use the code: AZPARTY (for the AZ Tee Party) or UTPARTY (for the Utah party).
For both party locations you will receive FREE shipping (as you will receive your tee at the party) and an invite with party details. 
The ORDER DEADLINE FOR THE PARTY is August 18th - so hurry, hurry.


I am honored to be a part of this, and hope you are, too. Now let's show this girl some support and wear the Mandie Tee! 



SITE DESIGN BY RYLEE BLAKE DESIGNS