Super Blog Friends, It’s Time to Activate!

Ahh, so all week I’ve been trying to get over here to blog. I am really jonesing to tell you all about my all-expenses paid for trip to Vegas courtesy of Monat. I mean…ME?? In Vegas?? You know that had some hilarious highlights. I don’t drink or gamble, LOLOL!

HOWEVER, last night something more important and much more blog worthy came up, so y’all are gonna have to wait a hot minute for “What happens in Vegas…Jenny Edition.” I promise it will be worth it.

So what could be even MORE important than me bumbling my way through Sin City? Why, a BLOG FRIEND in need, of course.

I first met Natasha Baker through the hilarious Holly Michael (longtime reader of this here train wreck) a few years ago when we all entered (AND LOST, COME ON!!!!) the Erma Bombeck writing contest. Then, I met her in PERSON at the actual Erma conference in 2016. I’ve enjoyed following Natasha’s writing on Dayton Moms Blog and Dayton Magazine, and on Facebook, the adventures of her farming family as they sold one farm, moved to another, and lived in a trailer for a ew months while building their new home. Twin tween boys and a teenage girl + two parents in a small space made for some very funny FB posts!

Natasha and her hard working farmer husband David live in Waynesville, have been married 26 years and have a 16-year-old accomplished ballerina daughter and twin 12-year-old football playing sons. They work super hard to provide for their family.

Recently, I had the wind knocked out of me when Natasha posted an article she had written for the Dayton Moms Blog announcing that, after months of odd incidents and medical tests for David, he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

He is 48.

If this news knocked the wind out of me, imagine how it felt for Natasha, David, and their kids. Life as they knew it is a thing of the past. The new normal is what just weeks ago would have been unimaginable. David can no longer work, and Natasha has had to scale back her own work, resigning as editor of Dayton Magazine to start this new chapter as caregiver. They need to sell their house and their farm and move to a more practical space ASAP.

They need to try and give their kids as “normal” a life as possible and soak up family time together.

Many of Natasha’s friends have asked “WHAT CAN WE DO???” all the while knowing, the practical answer is… “not much.” ANd that kinda sucks. HOWEVER there is ONE thing we can do, and that is support the Bakers financially. David can’t work, Natasha’s had to quit some of her gigs, and they need some help getting over the hump while they sell their home & land.

Honestly I was so relieved when I found out that a friend had set up a GoFundMe for the Bakers. Now we can HELP!!!!

Years and years ago, you all stepped up to provide for my friend E when she was battling cancer. Now I am asking you to step up for the Bakers. They need some “$5 Friends” – friends who are willing to support them, complete strangers, simply because you trust me, the messenger, to tell you they’ve earned it. So I am asking you to hop over to their GoFundMe link and give $5 or more. I’ve given $20 because I would not ask you to do something I was not willing to do a few times over. Their goal is $5000 and I want the Mommin’ It Up crowd to help us SMASH it!! I really hope they go way over because in my opinion it’s not high enough. Let’s crush it!!

While you’re there, read what Natasha has written about David and their situation. I want you to hear the facts of their situation from her, and learn about the man she loves so much.

Feel free to email me with any questions, but what you really need to know is: these are good folks. They have been dealt a hand in life that has been largely full of joy, and they are thankful. But the current hand they are holding is full of some hardship. So let’s start stacking the deck the other way as this next hand unfolds. Thank you, friends, from the bottom of my heart!!