We Climbed before the Klimb 4 Kim...

We Climbed before the Klimb 4 Kim...
1997's Climb

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Tonio's Day Out

                    It was a busy day...Tonio told me so.  "Dad, we did a ton of stuff today!"...And we did most of it alone, just he and I.  I tried to remember the last time I only had one of the bambini with me...and couldn't.

                   Cody left first.  Lured by the excitement of a picnic, hiking, etc at Colossal Cave Mountain Park, with Jesus and his family.  They packed a lunch and hit the desert.  It never went over 92 degrees today, making it down right chilly.  Later in the afternoon, he excitedly texted me that they had spotted a coati, known as a tejon in Mexico.  It is a member of the racoon family, but we've never seen one in Tucson.  Kim and I once saw one while camping at lake Patagonia, but not up here.



                   We dropped Autumn off at Angie's house.  Angie gave her a ride to Kim's baby shower, held at the Chuy's on 22nd and Kolb...the very first place Kim and I ate at when we arrived in Tucson...Autumn was so excited to be going and got herself dressed up and did her nails!  She made sure to find out what Lexy, Breanna and Andrea were wearing, so she would choose the right outfit - it was pretty cute!

                 That left Tonio and I.  "What will we do Dad?"  he asked, a little sad, realizing he did not receive an invite with anyone...I asked him what he wanted to do, and told him it was our special day to have fun!  "Really?...Can we see a movie?"...He ended up selecting the Green Lantern as the movie he wanted to see (at the cheap theaters on Kolb and Speedway)..."Can we get a huge bucket of popcorn?  Do they give free refills?  Can I get a bag of candy, too?"...we settled on the large popcorn and did manage to finish it!
                      
                    We both enjoyed the movie, it was good!  As we walked out, I asked Tonio what he wanted to do next..."Can we go to Toys R Us?"  Sure!!  He spent a half hour in the Lego aisle and I let him pick out a small set, telling him it will remind him of our day together.  He was beaming.  We stopped into the Park Mall for a quick look around...then Home Depot for some more portulacas and some other stuff we needed...then Sunflower Market for fruit, which I let Tonio pick out (plums, peaches, cantaloupe and raspberries!).  These kids eat a ton of fruit...I'm not complaining.

                   Finally, it was time to head up to Chuy's to get Autumn from Kim's shower.  As we approached, it began to rain.  There were some incredible strikes of lightning over the Catalina mountains.  We parked and ran into the restaurant, Tonio giggling over how cold the rain was.  And he was just in time for cake!  How convenient...
                  The rain began to get harder.  And harder.  Until it was coming down in biblical proportions!  It beat down on the tin roof at Chuy's, so loud, it made conversation difficult.  We were trapped there for over an hour as the wind blew and the rain crashed down, turning to hail for a time.
              

                 Breanna and Tonio were fascinated by the hail and the 'cats and dogs' that the rain produced.  Kolb was transformed into a river.  I love this picture!
                 Now, to be 'trapped' at Chuy's...well, for me, it was akin to Tonio being 'trapped' at Toys R Us!!  I was enjoying every minute of it!  Especially remembering all of the good times Kim and I had going to this particular location...I love the chips and salsa there!  And the kids were all having a good time, eating cake, watching the rain, etc.  We all got a little wet as we loaded up all of Kim's gifts into several cars.  I pulled Angie's around and came in feeling like someone had doused me with a hose!

                On the way home, I lectured the kids about water safety during monsoon.  Every year, motorists get trapped, and usually, at least once a year, someone drowns.  Two motorists had to be rescued yesterday.  I cut across Irvington, to avoid the lake that appears at Valencia and Kolb and whoosh!!  I hit a huge puddle of water, the kids screamed as our truck was engulfed in a wave!!
              When we got home, we opened up all of the doors...the creosote smelled so good tonight!

              We ended the night with yet another Kimmy favorite - the Wedding Singer.  She loved Drew Barrymore in this one and was an Adam Sandler fan...Tonio, muttered some gibberish, thank you for a great day Dad, before crashing out on the couch...


Love you little buddy...sweet dreams....

Friday, September 9, 2011

Death Becomes Her

          Not Kimmy, no.  'Death Becomes Her' was one of Kim's favorite movies.  Starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, her two favorite actresses.  A dark comedy, they discover a way to live forever - it's a 'careful what you wish for' lesson...
          Tonight, the bambini and I watched it.  They liked it quite a bit!  I told them, that when this film was made back in 1992, the studios did not just automatically put every movie out for sale on DVD.  Kim and I saw this in the theaters, she loved it and I watched for it to come out on DVD.  It took me five years to find!  I ended up at Sun Coast Video and spent about three times what it was worth...but, for Kim?  It was worth every penny!!  She would belly laugh at parts in this movie!!
   

           I believe we saw nearly every movie that these ladies ever did.  She especially loved 'Overboard', with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and 'Bridges of Madison County' with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.  And some more randomness:




 

            There were new hats waiting for the girls after I picked them up at school!  'Fall' hats...fedoras that have little skeletons around their bands!  Lexy, Autumn and Breanna were delighted with this surprise!!  Andrea recalled, how cute and excited Kim was the day she presented the girls with their pin striped fedoras that they favor.  She called them all over 'Come here girls!', giggling and grinning, pulling them up from the side of her red, Lazy Boy recliner, where she had been hiding them.  We talked about how much fun she had shopping those last couple of days, picking things out for people, like the girls...a blessing...
             These guys have such fun together - we checked out the new Subway and the girls devoured their sandwiches, before we headed home for them to play together, made a little of Kimmy's banana bread, too..They had a great night together.

            Kim, 14 years after working at Ventana Animal Hospital, still so fondly remembered...surprised?  I called this morning on my way into Barnes & Noble...'Hello, I've run out of heart guard for my pup (heart guard is to prevent animals from getting heart worms carried by mosquitoes).  Does Dr. Burrows need to see her for me to get new meds?'  'Well, of course!  What is your last name?'  "Conca.  C. O. N. C. A."  "Wait a minute, I know you.  For you, no appointment necessary, just stop in.  You can do as you please."  Kimmy paving the way.  Thank you Ventana, and a discount to boot.  She just keeps giving...

          And James Blunt sings Tears and Rain...what I am feeling now.

           Well, the bambini want to watch '50 First Dates', another Kimmy favorite, with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.  Kim and Autumn would watch this over and over.  Kim thought Sandler's determination to woo Barrymore reminded her of mine for her...except, I don't suppose I was as amusing...

            The monsoon that blew throughout tonight was fabulous.  The cooling winds and rains reminded us of a beach day...and the smells of the creosote were great.  It only got up to about 99 today.  Break out your hoodies!  We sure got a lot of rain, too, which was so nice...soothing...

           Today, the bambini are all happy...smiling...content...it does my heart good...

             “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away [life is short].” – James 4:14 NKJV

              Love,
                       Dave

PS Irony...I'm reading 'Sleepless' by Charlie Huston...


          

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Our Mother of Sorrows

           It's not Friday...but, things come up.  I will not be able to go to the Mission tomorrow, but felt compelled to get to church.  To pray.  And to light a candle for Kim.  I was late.  For everything, but the good Lord was smiling on me today...
          First, I went into the parish office at Our Mother of Sorrows, where we transferred to after Kimmy passed, so that Angie and her family could help on Sundays if I have to work. I needed to register the bambini for religious education classes, which start Sunday.  The deadline was last Friday, Andrea had warned me, but sometimes it's like I'm walking through waste deep wet concrete...The lady at the desk fixed me with an icy stare when I told her what I needed help with (anybody who grew up Catholic understands the instant guilt trip that we send ourselves on in these situations - this lady sent me speeding first class!).  "I'll get Cindy" she said ominously...Cindy took a look at my paperwork and said "Oh.  You must know my daughter, Chrissy DeBono, who teaches at Cottonwood."  YES!  We love her!  I told her mom.  Everything went well from there!!
          I explained that I wanted to try to get Tonio's little buddy, Monsi in the same class and that she could expect to see Lupe, Monsi's mom, in later today.  Cindy said she would take care of it for us!!
           But, I missed Mass.  I went in anyway, in search of candles and to pray.  The candles are very high tech.  It took me quite awhile to figure out that you just press a button to 'light' one.  They have a nice kneeling bench right there at the base of a statue of Mary holding Jesus and some prayer sheets, which I used.  Then, I made my way over to a group of ladies praying the rosary and 'eaves dropped' praying along with them, for Kimmy.

           On my way back out to Cottonwood, to help Casey in Autumn's class, Lupe called.  We had just passed each other (which means I beat her registering Tonio by at least a 1/2 hour!).  I warned her about the desk lady "Avert your eyes!"  But, also let her know about the blessing of having Cindy there to help!!
           I was able to volunteer in Aut's class until around noon and then over to Desert Sky Middle school to meet with principal, Micah Mortensen and office manager, Cindy Petersen (commish of our fantasy league, who refuses to trade me LeSean McCoy!) to discuss plans for Kimmy's dinner next month...thanks for the suggestions to hit Starbucks, Ace, etc - still looking for that $$ sponsor, if anyone has any ideas/contacts!!  But, it is coming along well and should be a nice, family event!

        I picked up the little ones, Cody was staying after to watch the freshman football game (they won!) to see his friend, Jesus play.  Autumn, always starving after school, alerted me that it was Thursday.  Which means Italian Wedding soup at Viro's!!  Vito gave us a behind the scenes tour to show us how he expanded his kitchen and added more ovens.  Autumn and Tonio enjoyed that, especially seeing Rosa making the pastries!  They both devoured their bowls of soup and gelato (watermelon for Aut and straccitella for Tonio).  I stuck to the manicotti.




"fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Love,
 Dave

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Buddy's Grill

                    When I got to Buddy's Grill, around 5, there were Autumn and Tonio, seated quietly, playing games on Casey Ruzena's (Aut's teacher) phone and Ipad...blending in with the other teachers, administrators and district office personnel assembled there for a meeting...Casey is so involved on committees for leadership, meeting planning, etc., not to mention singing in the Vail Choir, taking classes towards her second masters degree AND being about 8 months pregnant!!  And yet, she finds time to help me out and take such good care of the bambini for me!!
                   Thanks to her, I could work my 9 hours at Barnes & Noble - and then I visited 17 business here in Rita Ranch, asking for their help with Kimmy's dinner next month...I pointed out to the owner of Buddy's, that there was a table full of Vail School District employees in his restaurant and that Kim had often asked for his help for various school functions...he came through with a lunch for two gift certificate to be raffled off at her dinner!  I hope to hit another 10 or so tomorrow - do the three of you who still read the blog have any ideas of who might give generously (and thank you for continuing to read!!)... (after helping in Tonio's and Autumn's class - you see why I feel the need to give back???).


                 Meanwhile, Bella has gone off the deep end...

              
She is a gun nut and loves to threaten us all with annihilation! 

And the bambini, well, their cultural evolution continued tonight...

A classic that I picked up today from Barnes & Noble (great half price sale on many DVD's and 40% off Blu Ray!!)

You know, as I've said many times since starting to write Kimmy's blog, we are all faced with tragedy, loss, suffering...and today was no different as we lost a wonderful co-worker at Barnes & Noble to cancer. 
Lynne Moser was a joy to work with.  She had an incredible work ethic.  Always had a smile for everyone.  Worked in our faced paced cafe (we rank in the top 5 busiest Barnes & Noble cafe's in the country!!), and had a kind word for everyone.  She was always busy and positive.  When Kimmy got sick, she was right there with encouraging words. 
    Her daughter, Tiffany, worked with us there in the cafe' for a time, too.  And she had a son.  She was a great mom and loved her family.  She was diagnosed with cancer in November, while Kim was in the hospital fighting (and continuing to make us all smile!).  She was upbeat and positive and had deep faith. I would have liked to tell her, one last time, how special she was to us.  And to ask her to say hi to Kim for me, when she saw her in Heaven...I'm glad she is now cancer free and no longer suffering.

       This morning, in the chaos that ensues when I must get out of the door by 6:00, yet need to wake the bambini...I neglected to pack a lunch.  I nearly skipped it, but, had the fire inspector from hell in my building so decided to walk down to the food court to grab a bite.  I chose Panda Express.  I almost tossed the fortune cookie...almost...

        "You will overcome difficult times"

        With the good folks that I am blessed to have surrounding the bambini and I?  I know I can!

           Love,
               Dave

PS  As if to confirm this, I opened up email just now and Vito sent me this:

 Layman's language 10 commandments! Great reading and very
> thought provoking......
>
>
>
>
>
> Someone has written these beautiful words. Must read and try to understand
> the deep meaning of it. They are like the ten commandments to follow in
> life all the time.
>
> 1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but
> it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.
>
> 2] So why is a car's WINDSHIELD so large and the rear view mirror so
> small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and

> Move on.
>
> 3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes
> years to write.
>
> 4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will
> not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.
>
> 5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a
> Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a
Base
> of Gold!
>
> 6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from
> above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!
>
> 7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when
> GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
>
> 8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than
> losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"
>
> 9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and
> sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for

> you.
>
> 10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today
> ’s PEACE. If you really enjoy this, please pass to others. It may brighten
> someones day... 

Waiting for the Sun

          February, 25, 2004

                     " Today is my Dad's Birthday.  We are all remembering the wonderful Dad, friend and person he was to everyone.  We went to the Mission this evening to light candles in Mary's Chapel and to say a prayer (thank you Dave for your loving words) for him.  Cody had 'Rodeo Day" at school and Autumn, Tonio and I saw the white bird overhead as we watched the festivities.  Autumn said a prayer to 'Granpop' and blew a kiss to the sky...She's a sweet little honey.  Tonio lightened the mood of the day by waving for the first time : )  Dave ended the day by getting me a special Italian dove charm for my bracelet.  We are planning to go to the rodeo parade this weekend with Andrea and her kids.  Dad will forever remain in our hearts..."  Ripped from Kimmy's journal...

                     This photo does not do the majesticness of this sunset justice...it was an incredible visage of light splitting the darkness...reminding me of Kim, keeping me in the light...and away from the dark...sometimes we stumble...sometimes the darkness covers us like a blanket...and we wait, for the dawn and the sun to rise, and kiss the day, with warmth and light...and hope.
                     We were blessed to share a meal with Lupe and Manny tonight...Autumn and Antonio are so comfortable with them (Cody was picked up and taken care of by Monique and Joe and he got all of his homework done with Jesus!!)...Lupe made a special meal, using black chili, indigenous to the region in Mexico where her family is from...it was incredible...we talked about humanity...and the struggles in Mexico...and cancer...that it is bullshit, and how many more loved ones it is currently affecting...and, in that moment, I slipped from the edge that Kim had protected me from...

                     Have you ever looked inside  the dying eyes of someone you loved?  And realized that that there is no denying the existence of God??

                     

Monday, September 5, 2011

Mother Teresa

          Today, back in 1997, Mother Teresa passed away, having lived a fulfilling life helping others...

           For me, it was a day of reflection...I thought (and thanked God) for all of the lives Kim touched during her journey...at church - the blood drives, the pancake breakfasts, delivering the gifts to the altar, singing in the choir...at school - one of the things I heard most often when helping Kim at school in her position of Volunteer Coordinator, was that she was her own best volunteer...tirelessly working on school projects, fundraisers, helping stabilize PTA, sporting events, supporting teachers, book fairs - I can't name them all.  And somehow, still finding time to volunteer at Cottonwood. Delivering meals to the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas, helping with carnivals and musicals. I loved her work with Head Sprout, the federal reading program designed to help kids not only learn to read better, but to comprehend what they read.  The joy on her students faces as they raced up to her "Mrs. Conca, Mrs. Conca!!!  I made my A.R. goal!!", and the reciprocating tears of joy on Kim's face as she received the child with a hug and a heart felt "I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you!!".  And how other teachers would tell me how much they loved having Kim on campus and that she would help with anything, no matter how big, how small or how difficult the job...Of course, the "Smiles Grown Here Garden" that she wanted for the children...we still cannot just walk past it...it pulls our eyes to it, as if Kim herself where standing there saying 'hi' to us...we stand near it, and Tonio and Autumn lovingly pull weeds and miscellaneous debris from it...The students loved her dearly...
          Her work in the community, especially with the homeless...she never failed to see Jesus' face in their tired, forlorn faces...the lunches she would pack for them, cold drinks she would bring them, clothes too...sunscreen...but, I bet, the thing that they appreciated most of all, was her bright smile, the way she would look them in the eye and say something to them to make their day...We used to work the C.A.R.E. Fair each year at Pueblo High School on the south side and Kim would literally change the course of hundreds of people's day each year, as she packed them goody bags, provided information, a hug for the nino's and a smile for the parents...
          "Do everything with love..."

            And so, it was, that we set out this weekend to do just that...


                     Here are some neat gateways at San Xavier that I took pictures of Friday morning at Mass...I carefully dusted Kim's photo on Mary's altar (although, the husband/wife cleaning team do such a good job, that it isn't really necessary...just comforting) and lit candles for her.  The San Xavier school children attend this Mass, and I just love the intro that the sisters give them, as they teach them about different parts of the Mass before it begins, and, each week, prior to the start of Mass, the very last thing they review, without fail, is not to squeeze each other's hands too hard when exchanging the sign of peace!!  Everyone cracks up during this exercise.  I wish they'd let me tape it for you...
               I already told you about running steps and why at St. Joseph's...Lexy and Autumn got together later for a sleep over - we all went to our old neighbor's and friend, the Petersen's for the annual Vail Girl's fantasy football draft.  Cindy, the commissioner, was kind enough to ask me to play Kimmy's team this year for her, the Broad Street Bullies.  Kim named her team this in honor of the Philadelphia Flyer's great teams in the mid to late '70's. 
                Several years ago, I realized that the fantasy football draft was a night away from my family, and I decided that I didn't need to play anymore.  Then, Cindy told Kim she was starting a league and that I could help facilitate the draft...we could both be there!  And, she always welcomed the bambini.  Kim really enjoyed playing, and every Sunday, she'd ask "OK, are any of my guys playing in this game?"  It really got her involved in the whole league and what was going on...and was fun for both of us.  This year, Cindy's husband, Mickey, facilitated the draft so that I could pick Kim's team.  The food was great and I remembered previous drafts, where Kim would try to ask me questions during the proceedings, on who to pick and who not to.  She was so energized and looked great in my McNabb jersey!
              
             The girls rented the Prom, a Disney film and stayed up late, well, not late for them, 1:30ish - they've stayed up until 5:00 a.m. before!!  And, in the morning, I dug deep for my inner-Kim and made them pancakes, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns for breakfast.  Cody had slept over at his buddy, Jesus' house, so I had the normal three bambini that morning.   The kids played video games, watched more movies, Tonio helped me with yardwork...until they were hungry again - so I grilled them burgers, dogs and corn on the cob...
               ...then, to the movies to see The Zookeeper, starring Kevin James.  We met Angie, Andrea and Breanna there - it kept the kids laughing the whole time (funnier than Mall Cop and being shown at the cheap theaters now!).  We all went to Applebees and met Angie's youngest daughter, Kim and her kids for dinner.  Applebees
             

                            
                         Speaking of 'bonus'...my friend, Karen, found Tastyklairs while at the beach in New Jersey!!  She sent us a six pack - they are every bit as good as I remember them from high school!  I'd buy one of these for Kim at Pott's hot dog shop on our walk home from school...

               Sunday morning, I snapped this sideways shot of some bleary eyed bambini as we sat in church at Our Mother of Sorrows...afterward, we had breakfast at Viro's and Rosa and Vito were able to sit with us and help fill our bellies...
                      Followed by swimming (we waited an hour before we swam so the sharks wouldn't eat us) at Janene's with Angie and Kim and her kids...It was as hot as the surface of the sun Sunday, and the cooling waters of the pool were just what we needed!  That's Tonio springing off the dive!  It is hard to believe he just learned how to swim six months ago...
                     The evening was gorgeous, so I took the kids on a bike ride, Cody's buddy Alex joining us...
                
                       
                        We saw a rainbow over the Rincon's...
                          Alex and Cody soak in the view...Cody's snapping a photo at the same time as me...
                 The sun setting in the west was brilliant...Tonio swore it was Mama saying 'hi'!
                  We ended our night with the Jason Statham/Brad Pitt classic 'Snatch'...Cody and I making it well past midnight (in fact, Mary, I believe I was still awake when you posted your comment!!  Thank you : ) )
                
                   Today, we did some more swimming at Janene's...it was a beautiful day, slightly overcast and much cooler than it has been over the last couple of weeks...Angie, Andrea, Janene, Kristie (in from N.M.) and Kim and all of their kids were there - poor Brad and Janene, had just made it down the mountain from camping in time to entertain us all! The children's laughter, as they played in the pool was fantastic...let me see if I can name the multitudes...Cody, Brendon,Andres,Autumn, Lexy, Mariah,Tonio,Trinity,Breanna,Bryson,Richie,Kason and Micah. There were squirt guns, fun noodles, buckets, basketballs and many acrobatic flips and dives off of the diving board!!

                  As it got dark, we tried to fit in a walk through the desert with Bella...just the five of us...Tonio pointed out how there was a beautiful peach/pink spot of clouds over the Santa Rita's and I used this as an opportunity to remind them of all of the good we have in our life...the family, the friends, each other and, of course, the memories...

                      Love,
                                Dave
                

Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Night in Italy for Kim

      Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of days...I was torn between reporting on the bambini and our runnings, while working on projects for Kimberly's Foundation...and decided to let you know about the first of the fall fundraisers.
     
       First, let me back track to Friday, when I found myself running the 5 flights of stairs, at St. Joseph's, to the floor that Kim lived on, and to see the caring souls that took care of her...

   

          I ran the five flights in flip flops...my new, comfy ones by Reef...twice, because once just did not seem good enough today.  I had just met with John Gimmler and Nancy Kirk (who administers Kim's fund for me through Carondelet).  John is in the fund raising business, too.  Nancy thought I might be interested in his latest project.  A chapel.  At St. Joseph's. 
          The current chapel is on the fifth floor.  I spent a lot of time there, when Kim would drift off into an uneasy sleep.  First, I'd run stairs.  Then I'd pray.  Most times, I'd be praying while I ran, too.  The chapel is about the size of two hospital rooms, with folding chairs in it.  It served the purpose that I needed it to serve, yet, I found myself thinking, on more than one occasion, that I missed the old chapel that they used to have.  It was torn down back in 2005 for hospital expansion into neurology, a much needed wing.  But, prior to being able to build a new chapel, the economy went south...
          I can see the need for a chapel.  The hospital workers agree, as do the patients.  You need a place to regroup, re energize, etc.
          Also, many years ago, Kim asked me 'what would you do if you hit the lottery today?'...I told her that I'd build a church, on the piece of land just south of the wash that runs behind Cottonwood elementary.  She liked that idea...and added that we could build a school to go along with it...so when John and Nancy asked if I'd like to get involved in utilizing the funds from the fall fundraisers for Kimberly's Foundation, I said 'yes!'.  They showed me the plans.  The chapel will be uniquely shaped and outside, there will be soothing gardens with benches.  I'll add some as I get files that I can attach.
          Of course, Kim will be remembered there, at some level, depending on how much I can raise...and that is where my energy will be focused over the next several months (if anyone has ideas on how to raise large chunks of money, or works for companies that donate to non-profit foundations, let me know!!)...

           Fundraiser #1 will be on Saturday, October 22nd from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Desert Sky Middle School.  There will be a movie for the children.  Jumping castles, too.  And Viro's Italian Bakery will be catering the event!!  Lasagna, chicken marsala, salad, bread, dessert, drinks, etc...I hope to have tickets on sale at Cottonwood, Desert Sky, Desert Willow and Rincon Vista (and you can get them from me, too of course). A family night out, A Night in Italy for Kim, for $15.00 ($6.00 for a spaghetti and meatball dinner for kids!).  We are looking for sponsors to help with costs - and will create a placemat and posters for sponsor recognition.  It will be a fun night, right here in our community!

            You know Kim gave so much to our schools, our church and our community...I feel driven to keep her alive, through her foundation, that will help so many here in Tucson...

            Love,
                   Dave