Greeting Followers!

Since you all have kids, grandkids, friends with kids or know kids, I would like to invite you to fully check out our website. This week marks the 1 year anniversary of losing Joshua to the choking game. My family is doing all that we can to spread awareness for the Choking Game. We have helped get this started around the world. If you haven’t browsed through our site, we ask that you do so to educate yourselves on this. It is real and happening everywhere. Help us by spreading the word about the choking game, you could save a life.

Here is an e-mail that a friend of mine sent me, it is because of this exact reason why we continue to keep this website going.

“I wanted to share something with you that I thought you would like to know. I recently switched jobs to a rehabilitation facility where I work with kids who suffer from alcohol and drug addiction. One of the kids had a marking on his body that appeared to be a suicide attempt. He and I talked about it and it was brought to my attention that he used the choking game as a way to get high. We talked about how this can lead to death and I went on your website and printed off a lot of information about the choking game. He did a project on it and actually wants to present it to other kids so they can know about the dangerous outcomes of the game because he had no idea. I hate that you had to suffer the loss of your little brother but your story reaches out to people and young kids who have never met you (: You may have saved this kids life with your choking game awareness.”

Blessings to all!

♥ Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Leo Engle Family

A note to our followers-

We have been without Joshua for 52 weeks, and Wednesday it will be a year! We miss him more every day. We have been re-reading the messages that people sent a year ago and can’t believe how amazing some people are! Tonight is going to be hard, and everything is going to flashback on us, I’m sure. There are too many people to thank individually, but we want you all to know that your kind words and prayers have been felt this last year, and we appreciate it! ♥ And we thank God for the strength to continue to get through this.

Joshua Leo Engle, 13, died in an accident in his home Monday, November 21, 2011.

Joshua is survived by his mom and dad, Wendi and Chad; sisters and brothers, KeriGlenn, Jessi, Josi, Kisandra “Ani” and Chad Joseph “CJ”; his grandparents, Marilyn and Glenn Waterhouse, Sandy Bucklin and Gary Engle; his aunts and uncles, Cheri and Glenn Waterhouse, Jody and Jon Karns, Brian Engle and Gary Engle; as well as many cousins.

Joshua attended Bondurant-Farrar Middle School, where he was on the Honor Roll and involved in football and wrestling for many years with the Blue Jays and community teams. Josh also loved singing in chorus, playing his guitar and drawing, which he did everywhere. Joshua was involved with 4-H showing livestock. He was very involved in church and participated in many community service projects in Bondurant. Everyone that met Josh will tell you how he always had a smile on his face with his long eyelashes and baby blue eyes, always cheering everyone up and encouraging friends and family to be their best. He will be dearly missed by all.

Contributions can be made at any of the Legacy Banks in Altoona, Bondurant, Clive or Mitchellville, IA to
“Joshua Engle Memorial Fund.”

The family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and kind words. They are very appreciated.

Blessings to everyone and have a great Thanksgiving!

♥Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Engle Family

Hello followers, family and friends of Joshua-

On Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30PM at the Bondurant-Farrar football field we will be setting off sky lanterns in honor of Joshua.

This is open to anyone that wishes to come. If you knew Joshua, are touched by his story, or just feel like coming, please feel free to do so. We are welcoming everyone!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at:  wildfarmkids@aol.com

Hope to see you Tuesday! God Bless!

♥ Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Leo Engle Family

Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30PM

Greetings Followers!

Tis the season to talk about being thankful. Though we should be thankful every day, this is the season where it is most talked about.

Today I was asked, “What are you most thankful for?” This should be easy, right? I thought about this for about three seconds before I started rambling off everything that I am thankful for.

Here is what I am most thankful for:

I am very thankful for my family. Last year on November 21st, my little brother, Joshua, died. This completely changed my family and I’s lives forever. We have come closer as a family, continued to rely on our faith, and make sure we share Joshua’s story to everyone we know, and even to some people that we don’t know. We would like to remind everyone to always say, “I love you” to your family, and cherish the time that you have with them.

To read about our family’s journey, and to see what we have done, check out the tabs on our site!!

Blessings,

♥ Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Leo Engle Family

10-11-12, not only is this the day of National Choking Game Awareness, but also the ages you should talk to kids about the choking game. It is estimated that 75% of kids know about the game, but 40% think it is harmless.

We ask that you take this day to spread awareness about the “game” that has taken the lives of so many kids around the world, including Joshua.

The goal is to educate parents and caregivers, giving them the right information that we didn’t have, to prevent their child from ever attempting this, and to see the warning signs.

The choking game is not new, but communities have suffered the deaths of amazing youth as a result of this activity. Parents haven’t heard of it, and don’t think their children know something they don’t. It is starting to boost in popularity as a solo venture. It is especially lethal, and is responsible for a large number of deaths in our youth. As many as 250-1,000 children die each year playing some variant of the choking game.

Tracking the exact number of deaths is difficult because so many cases are reported as teen suicides, but here are some stirring statistics that should make us push the pause button.

**87% of fatal cases involved a lone participant

**70% of choking game injury or deaths happen in the child’s bedroom

**60% of choking game injury or deaths happen when a parent is home

Typically this “game” involves children ages 9-16, although younger and older adolescents have been involved too.

Our website has many links that are updated regularly. We must put an end to this “game” that is taking the lives of so many of our loved ones. Go to the take action tab and see what you can do to help us advocate the awareness.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at wildfarmkids@aol.com

Blessings to All,

♥ Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Leo Engle Family

It has been 10 months, and we have something amazing to share, thanks to Joshua’s teammates!

Seeing pictures of Joshua’s friends playing football together and not seeing number 54 on the field is hard. Playing football was something he loved to do. He would go on and on about certain plays that were “his plays” and he would get so excited about telling us stories about practice and games.

Joshua’s team is taking a sign that says “Playing 2012 in Memory of #54”. When I first saw a picture of the team holding this sign I couldn’t hold back tears. They were tears not only of sadness, but also tears of joy. The proud sister moment happened there. They “retired” Joshua’s football jersey and gave it to our family. It is an awesome thing of his to have.

We would like to wish the team the best of luck on their 2012 football season, and the rest of their seasons to come. Joshua would want you boys to play hard and win big. You will always have a cheerleader watching down and wishing you the best. We appreciate what you are doing. Good luck!

God Bless,

♥ Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Leo Engle Family

Thank-you to everyone who has helped sponsor me in Meals From The Heartland! I successfully met my goal and I will be packaging meals today! I am so excited to give my time to help others in need.

I encourage anyone who would like to involve themselves in events like this to do so. It is truly amazing to see the difference that we can make in the lives of others. It is an awesome feeling.

Joshua has done Meals From The Heartland the past few years, so I will continue to do this in memory of him. He loved doing this, and I’m not even sure if he knew the impact he made on not only my life, but the lives of others in the world. As I sit at my desk today looking at his beautiful smile and think about his loving heart, it takes all that I have to not fall apart. I think about all of the things he is never going to get to do, but then think about all of the accomplishments he achieved while only being here for a little over 13 years.

The empty feeling that I have in my heart can never be replaced, but I know that in everything I do, he is always with me. He has taught me so much about finding the good in everyone, searching for happiness and making diamonds out of rocks. When people ask me about him, it is still hard to get the strength speak, but somehow I find it in me to share everything about him. Fighting back the tears and going through each day is still hard, and I know it always will be. It’s not something I will ever get over, but just get through.

I miss everything about him and still swear I hear his voice. He knows just when I need a visit, and lets me know that everything. For anyone who has ever had to deal with this emptiness, I know it is truly the worst feeling in the world. The only thing that I can tell anyone is to believe in God and know that someday we will all be together again. Something that I always told him was, “The power of prayer is an amazing thing”. I find that more and more true every day.

Keep doing your part and be a blessing to someone today.

God Bless,

♥Wild Farm Kids & Joshua Engle Family