Wonka's Nuts ROCK!

Need a gift idea? A hostess gift? Something to set out at your holiday party? Check out Wilita Darang Schools' website, www.darangs.com. Wilita sells gourmet Virginia style peanuts in a variety of flavors, including Virginia Crabbers (Chesapeake Bay style seasoning), Adobo (with an Asian flair), and Butter Toffee, to name a few. Her peanuts are cooked as they are ordered to ensure a quality, fresh product. Her products can be ordered via the phone or email. Online ordering is coming soon.

Wilita wants to give a shout out to Christina Wynne Marshall for the great pictures on her website!

Another Fundraising Family Among Us!

Congratulations to Chris Holroyd, a Longwood SPE and husband to Kathleen Manning Holroyd. Chris just ran the NYC marathon, finishing in 5 hours 4 minutes (and leaving Katie Holmes in his dust!). Equally impressive is that the Holroyd family raised $3000 for TeamFOX to aid in Parkinson's research. Way to go, Team Holroyd!!

Now This KD Knows How To FUNDRAISE!!

(not actual cookies!)

Colleen McCrink Margiloff is currently working with a mom she met a few weeks ago whose son is in preschool with her twins, Cate and Jack. Her son, Liam, is currently fighting a type of cancer called Neuroblastoma. Together while sitting on the steps of school they hatched a plan to raise money to pay for the development of a drug that helps children like Liam.

This holiday season, they are selling cookies, made by a renowned cookbook author, for $30/dozen. Almost 100% of the profits are going directly to the fund. The website will be up and ready to take orders as of November 17th. If you are interested, please visit www.cookiesforkidscancer.org . Their goal is to raise $2 million which I'm sure they will reach because get this--THEY HAVE ALREADY RAISED $400,000!

Seriously, Colleen, where do you get your energy??? You go, girlfriend!

Alpha Chapter And Richmond Children's Hospital

Alpha Chapter at the Richmond Children's Hospital

A Kappa Delta channeling her "inner biker chick" at the Teddy Bear Run

Future Kappa Deltas Barit and Hannah (Wendy Baer McMillian and Jennifer Vernon Fulk) enjoy lunch at the hospital

Our youngest Kappa Delta sisters visited the Richmond Children's Hospital on November 3rd for the hospital's Teddy Bear Run. The hospital is still a big charity for Kappa Delta. The girls went on a tour, had lunch, and decorated several of the children's wheel chairs before the motorcycles arrived.

Thanks, Wendy Baer McMillian, for the update and pictures!

Sisters Walking To Beat Breast Cancer!

Congratulations to Colleen McCrink Margiloff and Kathleen Jodoin Gagliardi who participated in the NYC Avon 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer in October. Together they raised $7000 and had such a great time that they are doing it again! This time Kathleen is doing it in Boston and Colleen is spearheading a KD group in DC for May 3-4, 2008. So far Kathleen Manning Holroyd, Denise Dean Hanna, April Rose Miller, Libby Marsh Fox, Laura Jones Carlstrom and Jen Hopkins Tester have signed on. They are working on Dawn Hines Wray and Tracy Wergley Graebener to join them (maybe this will help them decide!). They would love for more people to join them, so if you are interested, Colleen's email address is below. Also, the link to April's personal walk page is below. She would love for you check it out and donate to the cause if you like. (Each of the girls must raise a minimum of $1800 to participate in the walk.)

Above is a picture of Kathleen and Colleen on the George Washington bridge at about mile 20. They are still smiling...impressive!

Colleen Margiloff: cmargiloff@gmail.com

April's website: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2008/WashingtonDC?px=3827517&pg=personal&fr_id=1430

The Feagans Have A Daughter!

Well, this was supposed to be a post about the great news of a log-in date for Jeff and Denise Braswell Feagans and their family. As posted earlier, Jeff and Denise are on the road to adopting a little girl from China. A log-in date is a big milestone as it marks the date in which China receives and logs in a family's application for adoption. Once this happens, the family is officially in the waiting phase to receive a referral of a child. The Feagans' LID was July 17, 2007. What makes this news more than just about their LID is that they received a referral sooner than they were expecting! On October 8th they saw for the first time pictures of their beautiful daughter, Gou Si Zhong, to be named Maggie Mae Si Zhong. They hope to be traveling in early spring 2008 to bring her back home. Check out the beautiful pictures above, including one of Maggie's room. Is it girly, or what?! Congratulations, Denise and family!

You can keep up with the Feagans' journey (I check her blog everyday!) at Journey to Maggie Mae.

Oh, one more thing...if you were planning on sending in fabric squares for Maggie's 100 Good Wishes Quilt, please do so as soon as possible. Denise would like to have it finished before Maggie gets home. Details about the quilt are here.

Thanks from the Lowmans

Lisa Nicklas Lowman's husband, Stace, is recovering from a botched appendectomy surgery. He was in the hospital for 19 days and gave the family quite a scare. He is now finally back to work full time as of this past week. Lisa and her family are very grateful for the concern and support shown to them and thankful for their local KD Girls. A big holla goes out to Susan Powers, Christina Wynne Marshall, Nicole Laningham Fountain, Shannon Christensen Rose, and Judy Flanagan Milby!

Baby News

The Hanna boys and little Courtney

Ava Miller Riolo

Delaney Patricia Collins

Momma Karen and baby Jake Petery

Congratulations and welcome to these KD families and new babies:

Michael and Denise Dean Hanna, along with big brothers Connor, Caleb, and Colby, welcomed sister Courtney Danielle way back on July 20th! Will this little girl ever be able to have a boyfriend with dad and three big brothers looking over her?!!!

Mike and Stephanie Miller Riolo and big sisters McKenna and Hannah welcomed Ava Miller on September 15th. Stephanie reports that McKenna and Hannah love their little sister!

James and Patty Schneider Collins welcomed daughter Delaney Patricia on September 17th. She joins big brother Mason.

Jonathan and Tracy Wergley Graebener welcomed their second son, Andrew "Drew" Ryan on October 14th. His big brother is Dylan. Little Drew was born 7 weeks early at a wee 4 pounds 12 ounces and 17.5 inches long! He spent a little time in the NICU but is now home and all is well! In other great non-baby related news, Jonathan just got back from a 15 month tour in Iraq. Welcome home, Jonathan!

Joel and Karen Groome Petery welcomed their first, son Jacob "Jake" Freeman on October 23rd.

And in the "Expecting" Department...

Paul and Mandy Mylum Lawler are happily expecting baby #3 on April 26th. Elena wants to have the baby sleep with her but will not feed him/her because she doesn't "have big boobies like you, mommy" and Jack is completely unaware that his "baby of the family" days are quickly coming to an end!

Tom and Lori McGee Eggleston are expecting their second in April, also. Their first, daugher Mallory, is 22 months now.

Derek and Wendy Baer McMillian are expecting baby #2 in May. Big sis-to-be Barit thinks it's a girl and also thinks she has a baby in her tummy, too!

Decade of the 90's Reunion

Calling all Kappa Delta graduates of the 90's!!! Longwood is doing it again... Over the weekend of April 18-20, 2008, LU graduates from the classes 1990-1999 will descend upon the campus for a great weekend of reunion activities. Please know, this event is not just for those years; anyone can attend so if you are on the edge ('88, '89, '00, '01) or you just want to go, mark it on your calendar. Sisters Jennie Giang Wools, Colleen McCrink Margiloff, and Kathleen Manning Holroyd are on the reunion committee. Their email addresses are below, so if you have any questions, drop them a line! Also, you can get more information from the Longwood Alumni website .

I'm putting out a challenge...can the KD's of the 90's TOP THE KD'S OF THE 80'S in attendance??? We made a HUGE impression this past April. Can we do it again next April??

If you are planning on attending, send me your name (include your maiden name) and I will keep a running list!

Jennie Wools j_wools@yahoo.com
Colleen Margiloff cmargiloff@gmail.com
Kathleen Holroyd kcholroyd@gmail.com

Movin' On Up

The following sisters have new addresses:

Allison Ryan is moving to the Fan (an area in Richmond) over Thanksgiving weekend. If you are in town, she will be living right near the nightlife!!! Perfect for crashing!!!

103 N. Auburn Avenue Richmond, VA 23221

Jason and Angela Kocher Rimington and their boys, Noah and Tanner, have moved. Jason is back in the Coast Guard and their first assignment is in Puerto Rico! Jason is heading up the TAFT (Technical Assistance Field Team) for the Caribbean which means that he oversees the Coast Guards of eight island nations in the region. Angela wants everyone to know that we are all welcome to come and visit!! "Road" trip, anyone???

500 Carr 177

Unit V-3 (Box 128)

Bayamon, PR 00959
*Angela's cell phone is their number as of now.

Dan and April Rose Miller have a new address:

1220 Pacels Way
Chesapeake, VA 23322

Homecoming Princess

Now this is really scary...we are old enough to have daughters who are homecoming princesses!!! Areina Bruce Hensley's daughter, Jordan, was named Homecoming Princess at her school! Congratulations, Jordan.

Halloween Pictures 2007!

Scary, silly, and downright cute!! Get a load of these KD Kids!!

Alex as a vampire (Nicole Laningham Fountain)

Cousins Tyler as a pirate and Matthew as a superhero
(Lisa McIntyre Carter and Jennifer McIntyre Geller)

Mason as a Knight in shining armor (Patty Schneider Collins)

Ava as a fairy princess (Patty Schneider Collins)

Mallory as a kangaroo (Lori McGee Eggleston)

Barit as a parrot (Wendy Baer McMillian)

Jack as a skunk (Mandy Mylum Lawler)

Elena as Ariel, the Little Mermaid (Mandy Mylum Lawler)

Taylor, Ally, and Mitchell (Shannon Christensen Rose)

Gabe as Elvis (Denise Braswell Feagans)

Chad as JAWS (Areina Bruce Hensley)

Another Entrepreneurial Sister!

Lori McGee Eggleston has started her own business of making gift items for babies, children, and "big kids". Her business is called Stripes and Polka Dots and her fantastic website is up and running! Lori is offering a special to all Kappa Deltas who order from her by the end of September: 10% off of your total order (use coupon code KD).


Lori, best of luck with your new business. You'll be hearing from me!!!

Rest In Peace

Condolences go to Joyce Trent and her family as they mourn the passing of Joyce's husband, Jim. Jim had been battling cancer for some time and passed away on August 6th. For those wishing to send Joyce a card, her address is:

24832 Prince Edward Highway
Rice, VA 23966

The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Rice Volunteer Fire Department
PO Box 67
Rice, VA 23966

or

Pisgah Baptist Church Renovation Fund
PO Box 86
Rice, VA 23966

100 Good Wishes For Maggie Mae

To keep Denise Braswell Feagans and her family busy while they wait through the process of adopting their daughter from China, they are working on a project. A tradition exists in the northern part of China to welcome a baby with a Bai Jia Bei (a 100 good wishes quilt) and the Feagans are starting one for Maggie Mae. You can check out Denise's 100 Good Wishes Quilt website explaining the tradition and giving instructions as to how you can contribute to the square. It is a wonderful idea and I'm sure it is going to be a beautiful quilt and scrapbook containing the wishes for Maggie Mae.

Kathleen Makes a Race for a Cure!

Kathleen Jodoin Gagliardi will be walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer starting on October 6th and ending on the 7th. This is a 39.3 mile walk!! She is walking in honor of a friend of hers who is courageously battling breast cancer now. Kathleen has reached her goal set by Avon of raising $1800 but of course would love to raise as much money as possible to help find a cure for breast cancer. To keep up with her fundraising efforts and to read her story about her friend, Lisa, check out her website . Click on "donate", then "New York", and then enter Kathleen's name.

I don't know about you all, but I need to get myself walking or running!!! GO FUNDRAISING GIRLS!!!

Rachel Runs for Lukemia and Lymphoma

The race to cure lukemia and lymphoma continues with the help of Rachel Burke Cocquyt. Rachel will be running her first marathon on October 21st to benefit The Lukemia and Lymphoma Society. Along with some other very special people in Rachel's life, she will be running in memory of Brendan Lackey, Tom and Paula Geib Lackey's son who died from lukemia in May.

To donate to Rachel's cause and help her achieve her goal of raising $3750, check out her website .

Remembering Brendan Lackey

Lisa McIntyre Carter ('99) has sponsored a friend, Katie Carr, for an upcoming Marine Corp Marathon in the fall. Katie's team will be running and raising money for the Lymphoma and Lukemia Society. All of the money raised will go directly towards research for these diseases. Lisa has made a donation in Brendan Lackey's name and Katie has named him as an honorary teammate. Lisa says in an email, "I do not know [Paula and her family] but she is still a sister of mine and my heart goes out to them. God bless." You may want to check out Katie's marathon website.

Our sisters continue to amaze and inspire me!

And Maggie Mae Makes Seven...

Wonderful news from Denise Braswell Feagans and her family: Jeff, Denise, and their four boys, Garrett, Mitch, Gabe, and Nate are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. They began the journey in February and are documenting the process on their blog. Check out www.journeytomaggiemae.blogspot.com . The application is a long one, including much paperwork, several homestudies, and physicals and tests for the family, to name a few things they have to do.

Denise, we can't wait to hear more about this experience, especially when you and your daughter are finally brought together!

Sleepless Nights For These Sisters...

Wishing these families six consective hours of sleep...!

Kevin and Tracy Smith Cronin welcomed John Kasey on October 5, 2006. Kasey is hanging out with the hearts in the picture above.

Jason and Angela Kocher Rimington, along with big brother Noah, welcomed Tanner Raub on March 14th. Angela has her hands full--the boys are 1 1/2 years apart!! Mommy is holding Tanner in the picture above.

Rick and Kim Mraz Fontana, along with big brother Nathan, welcomed Noah John on May 4th. Congratulations!!

Joel and Karen Groome Petery are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child, a baby boy. Karen is due October 17th.

This seems to be the year of the BOY. How about some KD Legacies???!

New Address

Mike and Shannon Christensen Rose and their family have a new home. A new job has taken them to:

42 Anthony Drive
Londonderry, NH 03053

Their new number will be on the KD contact list to be sent out soon.

Rest In Peace, Brendan

It is with sorrow that I post this news to our blog. Brendan Lackey, son of Tom and Paula Geib Lackey, passed away on May 11th in the early afternoon. Brendan had lukemia. The following is a bit of an email that Tom sent:

[The morning of Brendan's passing] his Tae-Kwon Do school presented him with an Honorary 1st Degree Black Belt. He was so proud to receive it, he took it with him to clinic to show his primary doctor. He had the belt with him when he passed away. He had just arrived at the clinic and was with many people that love him very much. He was very calm, comfortable, and happy to be where he was when he died. It was almost as if he had written this ending.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to:

Growing Hope
PO Box 151
Fairfax Station, VA 22039

Tom and Paula's address is:

104 Oakcrest Manor Drive
Leesburg, VA 20176

Many thanks goes to Nicole Laningham Fountain for spearheading a fundraising campaign to raise some money for the Lackeys. Nikki, who is a Senior Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics, was able to send the family a check for $365! She sent the check and a card with the names of everyone who ordered Mary Kay products in Brendan's name.

Tom and Paula, Tara and Erin, our thoughts and prayers are with your family as you deal with the passing of your son and brother. Please know that your Kappa Delta sisters love you all very much!