Where does the time go???

With everything Roger and I have going on, time for blogging has been difficult lately. Being busy doesn't even begin to explain it. Things are definitely gearing up with Romp n' Roll's move to Mechanicsville. So far, so good. Everything seems to be running on schedule and in line with only a few minor glitches here and there (all manageable). It's still a LOT of work. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if we didn't have things moving smoothly.

For those who haven't heard, we will be closing the Virginia Center location on May 9th and using that next week to move our equipment and any remaining furniture over to the new site. Those of you who offered trucks: that's when we'll need 'em. We'll be contacting you. We are slated to open for business in the new location on May 17th. Mark you calendars and cross your fingers.

The CJSTUF Benefit Concert at RMC was last night. I didn't make it until near the end. It was kind of a small crowd BUT they raised over $450 for us. Thanks to Mu Phi Epsilon and all the musicians for their work on this endeavor.

Today and tomorrow is the Kid Stuff Yard Sale at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. You can get more info about it in the last blog post but if you're in the market for any maternity, baby, or kid stuff, head over there tomorrow morning. Proceeds benefit many local charities, including CJSTUF.

Slightly further down the horizon is the Moms Club Used Book Sale on May 6th. This will be at Romp n' Roll (right before we move!) from 3-7 PM. If you're a book lover like I am, you will want to check it out. They will have books for all ages plus some videos and other media.

Not long after that is the Chick-Fil-A Cow Drop. Have you bought your tickets yet? If not, you can stop by Chick-Fil-A at Virginia Center any time. You do NOT have to be present at the Cow Drop event on May 8th to claim your prize, but if you DO come out to the Hanover Airport, you're in for a treat. The event is always family friendly and fun. There is more information about the Cow Drop on our website.

Speaking of which....if you haven't heard or seen, we have a newly remodeled and relaunched website for the foundation. Included on the site is the new video, updated information about our fundraisers and events, as well as the applications for our financial assistance grants. I think we've worked out all the bugs and broken links, but if you find anything amiss, just drop me or Roger a line.

If you know of any families served by VCU Children's Medical Center (MCV), please let them know that our applications for the first round of grants are due (postmarked by) May 1st. We want to give away $5000 by June 1st so spread the word. The application process is very simple (only two pages and no financial information is required).

Future developments with the website will include the CJSTUF merchandise area (CJ STUFF...), ways to hook into our volunteer database, and more. Stay tuned! Big thanks to Jay and Ruth Campbell at Jade Enterprises for all their support in hosting our server and developing the website.

In family news, my parents are coming for a 3-week visit starting next week. We are very excited to see them and in true fashion, we will put them to work straight away on long-delayed home projects and help with the romp n' roll move. We never cease to appreciate their generosity and their talents! Hopefully they will get to relax a little too.

Before we know it, Roger and I will be heading out to Denver for his niece Cerissa's wedding at the end of May. We are very excited for her and Patrick although Roger has a very hard time realizing that his niece is all grown up. This might be our only "vacation" for a while so we are definitely looking forward to it from that perspective as well.

Ok, I'll end this now because...guess what? I've got more work to do!

Happy Weekend, everyone.