December 20, 2013 is a BIG Day for Praying for Baby Cantrell!

Hi friends! As many of you know, we have been trying to earn and save for the funds for the surgery we need to have a healthy baby (almost $8,000) for over a year. We've saved, penny pinched, created Knotty Wicks Candle & Soap Co., I took to paid blogging, selling Jewelry In Candles candles....you name it, we tried it. Well.....a lot of our hard work has finally begun to pay off. We have an account on the Hero Network.

The Hero Network has graciously offered to provide us with a Text to Donate day to help us raise funds for Baby Cantrell! to participate..Simply text 'WISH' to 80077 on December 20th. Donations are $5, completed from a mobile device. Please ensure you reply 'YES' for your donation to count. The rules are simple and everyone can attend so PLEASE SHARE this event and please invite everyone you know! :) We have ONE day to raise as much as we can so please help us make this go viral! This is a public event, has been shared on multiple news outlets, social media pages and shared via text. PLEASE SHARE AND REPOST THE INFORMATION WITH THE LINK BELOW! Even if you cannot donate, we welcome you to join us in support. Thank you all so much for your support and sharing this event to help us reach our goal! ;)

You can also view our Hero Network account, our activity and ways we have granted others wishes here: http://heronetwork.com/wish/index?id=1511623 *******We have been advised by event coordinators with the Hero Network to share our event link and get the word out as much as possible before our ONE DAY TEXT TO DONATE Event for Baby Cantrell! We have created a Facebook event where everyone can join together for updates, links, even verbiage for posts. ;) Please visit us and join the event at this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/653310661378327/

Image Source: http://ellecandco.com/post/13882583945/love-this-movie

DETAILS AND RULES of Text to Donate: "$5.00 donation to Wish Upon A Hero. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. YOU MUST TEXT 'YES' for your donation to be officially accepted for Baby Cantrell's fundraiser. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 80077 to STOP. Text HELP to 80077 for HELP. Full Terms: mGive.org/T. Privacy Policy"

The Minimum Wage Increase Debate in the U.S.

Hi all! A subject of hot debate right now is the potential to increase The United States Minimum Wage. The President has decided to support a bill to increase the minimum wage here to $10.10 USD per hour from $7.25 USD per hour.

Naturally, a LOT of U.S. citizens, and even those who aren't, have a lot to say about it. Many argue that if we raise the minimum wage, prices for everything will increase. The most heated argument in recent years is over the issue of this potential wage increase. Of course, those with the most to say are the people who make well above the minimum wage and still want to hoard their millions instead of paying for cost of living increases. Some fast food workers have also gone on strike in an effort to have their wages raised to $15 USD per hour. Additionally, a meme (photo) of military workers, gun in hand in a battle zone with the quote by Sarah Palin claiming that our Military makes LESS than minimum wage and people expect to make $15 USD per hour for 'flipping a burger'. Following is my personal opinion on the situation.

IMAGE Source: http://ursulav.deviantart.com/art/Strong-Opinions-52137900

For those who are whining and complaining about raising the minimum wage, you need a reality check. Have YOU tried to support a family on minimum wage? Minimum wage at PART TIME because companies can't 'afford' to offer insurance for full time employees due to Obamacare? I know, your next argument will be that the ones who want a raise should go to college and get better jobs. Let me tell you that I have a college education, a good amount still yet to pay in student loans and am not working in my field. Not even close to my field because there are no openings after having to leave my last position because services were transferred to another county to cut costs. I have friends who live in Canada who are nothing short of astonished at the way the U.S. treats their citizens. In fact, one of my Canadian friends said, "It's really sad. It's almost like the U.S. wants their citizens broke, sick and homeless." I'm not saying pay $15 an hour but a reasonable increase is way past due. I think $10 per hour is reasonable. Do you realize that while the cost of living has increased at a dramatic and consistent rate, minimum wage has increased by pennies on the dollar during all that time? Increasing the minimum wage would also cut down on welfare dependency, thereby decreasing the funds spent on it. Those funds could help with other things this country desperately needs.....like a decent, EFFECTIVE health care system. There is a serious problem when the CEO's of some companies, including a local one here, make over a half million dollars a year PLUS stock options and 'bonuses' so he/she can golf, ski and take vacations; while their employees are struggling to keep food on the table. Many companies don't even offer *small* Christmas bonuses, not necessarily monetary in nature, to the employees who bust hump all year long to keep the CEO's in their million dollar homes and vacations. It's ridiculous. Yes...I saw the post from Sarah Palin about Soldiers making less than minimum wage. What PLANET is that on?? I can tell you, for a fact, as a spouse of a Navy Veteran, it's not this country at least. Stop whining about increasing the minimum wage and do what's right so EVERY family can thrive, not just the ones deemed important by others with their own interests at heart.

IMAGE Source: Businessinsider.com

~~~~~~As you can see, I'm less than pleased with the current wage here in the U.S. and the debate about whether to raise it. I'm absolutely disgusted by Sarah Palin's blatant LIE to further her own agenda. I have friends who cannot provide a Christmas for their families because they can't afford it. I'm not talking about a small fortune in Christmas gifts and an extravagant dinner with a ski trip to Aspen. I'm talking about a decent meal and a Christmas tree..to help get into the spirit. I realize that is not what Christmas is about and so do they but would you like to see the heartbreak on their faces as they try to explain to their families that Christmas will not happen this year? Would you like to see their children's faces as they try to explain, without breaking into tears themselves, why Santa won't visit their homes? All of this happens in homes around America as CEO's are jetting off to other countries for Christmas vacation holidays. Maybe the working class should trade places with the CEO's for a day and see what happens to the wages in this Country after that day. It likely won't happen but it's something to ponder. So long for now, K

Jewelry In Candles!

Hi Friends!

I have recently become a rep for Jewelry in Candles! Jewelry in Candles gives you a choice! Choose your candle scent, *your* size in ring, a necklace or earrings! How great is that?! Jewelry that fits YOU in the scent you choose! Visit our website, have a peek and place your order today to ensure delivery before the holidays at the link right there ~~>! https://www.jewelryincandles.com/store/khrysticantrell

SOURCE of PHOTO: http://worlegifts.com/BabyFundPotOfDreams

My commissions from these sales will still be credited to our surgical fund! If you are interested in candles but are not interested in the jewelry, we also have a new site with a small selection of candles, ornaments and gift cookie mixes too! You can find that site here: http://knottywickscandles.weebly.com/

Our Most Recent Loss on Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day.

Hi friends. Today, October 15, 2013, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

We always extend our greatest sympathies to families learning to live with loss and keep them in our prayers but even more so today. Not only is this intensely personal for us but with our loss yesterday, today has even greater meaning. There is NO loss like that of a child and while we know that no words ease the pain, we are TRULY sorry for each and every loss. A parent should *never*, under any circumstance, have to feel the soul-piercing agony of burying their child. We hope that, some day, there will be technology to save pregnancies and babies who are not considered viable today. If you know someone struggling with loss, PLEASE do *NOT* tell them to get over it, move on or that it was for the best. We never get over this loss and feeling this grief is NEVER the best for anyone. If you cannot find the words to offer comfort or just don't know what to say, simply tell the grieving parent/s that you're sorry for their loss and understand that they need time to accept their 'new' lives. No words can offer a grieving family comfort but knowing that you care *DOES*. It helps them to know that you don't minimize their sense of loss and that they're baby is not dismissed or forgotten.

I was struggling with whether to even post this but decided I should since our followers are a part of our lives now, good and bad. On the 12th, we had a positive pregnancy test and confirmation. We only told close family and those on our private pages for many reasons but of the many, one was the fear that things might not go well as they have before. After a doctor's appointment, something was just not right. It was confirmed late last night that we lost our baby. We knew the reality of this but were praying for the best anyway. In light of this, we have decided to close Knotty Wicks and turn inward for a while. We need to focus on healing from this loss and, eventually, make plans to continue save for the surgery. It was *not* an easy decision nor one we take lightly. It is just that we have come to the point where Knotty Wicks seems to be a LOT more work than I can handle right now, with work, family life, the site and product expenses are making profit VERY difficult and the sole purpose for Knotty Wicks was to earn the funds for the surgery. We are leaving our fund raiser, found here: http://celebrateplus.com/event_detail.php?eve_id=432 , up for the moment and will continue to share here and on our Cantrell Family Fund Raiser page on Facebook periodically. Thank you all so much for your support, prayers, positive energy and well-wishes as we tried to make this work. We genuinely appreciate each and every one of you.

Someone on a social media site mentioned that we probably lost babies because of Karma because I was rude to her at some (unknown but I'll take her word for it) point. I assured her that if I, of all people, was rude to her, it was because she must've really been doing something horrible. I also advised her that this isn't Karma. This isn't about attention. Someone else implied that I made this post seem very traumatic. Well...to me, loss is traumatic as a whole. When I say, "Heal from this loss", I mean that we need to accept it and decide what our future plans look like. Apparently, that was lost on some people. I do know that the majority of you understood what I meant. If you would like to lite a candle in memory of the babies gone far too soon and support of those who remain, please feel free to comment here or on our Facebook page with your image. I will post every comment for those purposes today. Thank you all. Much love and hugs. So long for now. George and Khrysti

Featured with the highest rank?!

Hi friends!! We posted a fund raiser event, in addition to Knotty Wicks, on a site called Celebrate Plus. A few weeks ago, I received an email from the owner of the site who asked for certain details and advised that he was featuring our post!! Below, is a copy of the original post by CP staff. ;)

Celebrate Plus shared a link. October 8 Khrysti & George have been trying for four years to have a baby. They need a surgery to have that baby. You can help: http://ow.ly/pCmlx

This morning I received this email!

Hello Khrysti, I am attaching a report that shows that the post about your campaign was the more popular and with the most clicks this past week. Unfortunately it hasn't translated to actual donations, but we ail keep insisting. Have a great weekend, __ Nelson

Needless to say, we are THRILLED about this! Below is our post from other social media. We haven't received any donations yet but the owner of Celebrate Plus is not giving up and we aren't either! ;) If you would, PLEASE share the post provided below to get the word out there about our story and our fund raising efforts. Thank you all SO much for your continued support, prayers and love!!

Hi all! This post, our story, ranked the HIGHEST on the Celebrate Plus site for traffic after we were featured! That didnt bring any donations or new orders yet, but the owner of CP isnt giving up so we arent giving up hope. PLEASE SHARE THIS! TY all so much for your support. Khrysti & George have been trying for four years to have a baby. They need a surgery to have that baby. You can help: http://ow.ly/pCmlx

The Goodies!!

Hi friends!! I was planning on posting this yesterday but really didn't feel like it after speaking with the friend I mentioned in "THE SIGNS" blog entry. Sooo...I wanted to share some of the new and exciting things we have added to Knotty Wicks and Destined for Heaven Memorials. Many of these items make thoughtful gifts for upcoming holidays, anniversaries and just as a token to show someone you care.

As many of you know, Knotty Wicks/Destined for Heaven was founded to help us fund the surgery I need so that we can have a healthy baby. ALL of the proceeds from sales are credited to that surgical account. The surgery I need is *not* covered by insurance so we have to pay cash for it. Anyway....below are the items for sale that are now posted on the site, located here: http://www.knottywickscandles.net/Products

Personalized Ornaments These ornaments are a perfectly clear bulb impressed with your favorite image or name of your loved one and tied with a little bow. The year 2013 is impressed on the reverse. Please place your order today to ensure delivery by December! Should you have any questions, please just let us know!

Cake/Holiday Cookies in a Jar We offer all natural cake and cookie mixes ready to mix and bake. Prepared by classically trained chef, George!

Infant Loss/Miscarriage Cards Set of 2 cards with your choice of personalized condolences for families suffering the loss of a child, infant or pregnancy.

Memorial Silicon Bracelet Our memorial silicon bracelets are available in regular or Halo/Wings Memorial. OK friends, so those are the most recent additions to the site. Please keep in mind that we do custom orders and if there is something you really want to have made, all you have to do is ask. ;) We are also offering pillar candles with your special poem, verse or loved ones photo/info impressed into the wax. Pics will be up shortly for those items. Thank you so much for following our journey and showing your support as we strive to reach our goal! So long for now, friends! Khrysti

The Signs!

Hi friends! Last night I was discussing a very serious situation with a friend of mine. Her family is trying to cope with the tragic passing of her newborn grandson. Though we have discussed this precious angel's passing MANY times before, tears were flooding my face as we discussed how this sweet baby's passing has affected her entire family. I really wanted to tell her that everything would be ok and that, some day soon, this would all be a horrible, distant memory. That's what I WANTED to say. What I had to say was quite different and it broke my heart to tell her so. I could hear the pain in her written words, I could see the hope fading and the comfort she found in some things being thrown to oblivion. I didn't sleep last night as I thought about my friend, her family and their situation. I'm tremendously touched by the strength and support they show for one another.

As the evening wore on and turned to early morning, another friend joined us and we tried to brainstorm, give comfort and be honest about what we thought the next step could be for this family. Somewhere toward the end of this several hour conversation, the subject of signs came up. Signs from our loved ones who are no longer on this earthly plain with us but who still send us messages to let us know they are ok. We were discussing how genuinely we pray for signs from our angels but often feel that our pleadings fall on deaf ears.

SOURCE: firstmiddlelast.com

I could see myself *almost* 13 years ago in my big, empty house all alone, cuddled up in bed, pillow soaked with tears desperately begging Hunter to show me some sort of sign, any sign at all, that he was safe, warm and happy. As the days turned into weeks, weeks to months...there were no signs. There was just emptiness and loneliness instead. It was like living in a dark, cold, bottomless pit. As my friends and I were discussing signs, I mentioned that I had been begging and pleading for signs for so long that I was missing them. The times when Hunter's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer music box would begin to play on it's own, the occasions when I felt as if there was someone there with me in an otherwise empty house, the instance when the 'Bright Yellow Savior' (Look to the right to locate this post.) suddenly appeared on the counter in my kitchen, the wreckless decision to drive through a solid red-light at an intersection when there was NO other traffic on the road there in mid-day. Those things WERE my signs. They were the signs that my precious boy was always with me no matter my location, was watching over me and was not only protecting me but others as well because I was too deep in my own grief to think clearly. Of course, some of those choices I deeply regret and am eternally thankful that I didn't hurt anyone else that words can't capture it. Sometimes, in order to see the signs from our loved ones, we need to stop looking and see that which is right in front of us.

So long for now, my friends. Hugs and love always! Khrysti