Friday, May 30, 2008

The next Survivor Series...I am all for it...



THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.There is no fast food.Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week. Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right To be called Mother!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Natalies Field trip to the ZOO...

Anna and I were chaparones for Natalies Class Field trip to the Zoo. The time was short but well spent. We really had a great time...


She really doesn't look like a gorilla...Not that she doesn't live like one.
Kinda made me miss Florida...
To this day, I still remember asking my mother for a monkey instead of a baby brother...Why, oh why, does nobody listen to the innocent words of a child???
The true meaning of Bird bath...
King of the Jungle...ok, Denver.
Meaning of Bear rug...

Monday, May 26, 2008

So I took them to Fort Logan Cemetary in Colorado.

It was extremely emotional to see all the infants, buried with their fathers and mothers. Not too long ago, a NILMDTS baby girl was given full burial honors here.
This place was extremely overwhelming. I'm sure that there are larger memorial parks, but for central Colorado, I was amazed, and touched.
As Anna was walking by, she noticed that the flag had fallen over for this soldier. My sweet Anna, set it upright again. I think the girls understand now, the reasoning for Memorial Day.

The meaning of Memorial Day...

Today my children Anna and Natalie asked me about Memorial Day. They asked me if it was about remembering Maddux. I told them, no. This was about remembering soldiers that died for our freedom and our country. And we don't need a 'day' just to remember Maddux. He is with us everyday.
So, we went to the computer and googled The Meaning of Memorial Day...Here it is, in case you too, have forgotten.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too,
the Poppy red
That grows on fields
where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

My cute find...


I found this sign at a thrift store. I added my own butterfly,
and hung outside our front door.
Cute, huh?

New house colors

I have always liked green...with a brown roof, I think this would look nice.
Maybe tint the green, with just alittle gray...
I will not change my front door, so the colors have to go with this.
Maybe the white with alittle more gray?
hhmmm.
Cider is the color to the left, has alittle more redder tone
than the cedar to the right. Not wild about the cedar.
Trying to figure out the color we want to stain our house.
Not fun.

We are officially the parents of a freshman in highschool.

And we are very proud of our son Chase.
Just gotta do something about that hair...
Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.8443
Outstanding Achievement in Language Arts
Outstanding Achievement in Social Studies
Outstanding Achievement in Science

Pampered pooch...

Ya think Jeter couldn't handle the sun while Nat and I were planting?

To everything there is a season...

Tiny hands in the dirt...
Nat planted just about everything...
Like my new bucket? I can't bring myself to put dirt into it...
I found these cast iron pots at a thrift store...
They go beautifully with the old trike.

And a time for every purpose, under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die.
A time to plant, a time to reap.
A time to kill, a time to heal.
A time to laugh, a time to weep.
click my playlist below to play the song by The Byrds...

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Sandy Puc' guide to Children's Portrait Photography


Sandy Puc' is an author. I told you all along time ago, that this woman is amazing. What I wasn't expecting from her book, was to see Maddux's and my image in there are her talk of the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation. Beautiful.

NILMDTS Photographer Recruiting Video

Here I am awarding Tasha the Volunteer of the Month award for May.
She even designed it...but she didn't know it at the time...
CLICK DVD TO PLAY VIDEO

My friend Tasha Nicholls from Simply Yours Creations just finished the Photographer recruiting dvd for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This woman is amazing. I had the privelege of meeting her this past weekend in Denver for NILMDTS's first Certified Training Session. She has been with the organization now for over two years. She has also just finished the updates for the photographer recruitment cards, the brochures and business cards. She is the one who makes all my personal cards for Maddux's remembrance, and also my holiday cards. She is such a blessing to so many of us, photographers and parents. She was also named NILMDTS Volunteer of the Month for May! Just wanted to give her a shout out and say, you ROCK girlfriend!!! Oh, and all she does for the foundation, she does for free. She is a true volunteer. Gives from her heart. Thank you Tasha!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Anna's Abstract


Another Original to add to my growing collection. Let me tell you...Every time one of my children presents me with the work they have done, I truly can't describe the feeling. If you know me, I have a Chase Original of Mona Lisa at home. This Abstract ranks right up there...Can't wait to have this framed and on the wall. Look at these colors and lines...WOW!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Anna's Awards



Anna received two awards today at school. The first was for Academic Achievement in sixth grade reading. The second was the Silver Award for GPA ~ 3.9286. Let me tell you how she missed her 4.0...She missed a Choir Concert in the second trimester. The music teacher gave her make up work, and she received her only B in Middle School. Sucks, huh?

Replacements...

The internet has replaced personal relationships. Once there was a time, when you had to physically interact with a person to have a relationship. To build that relationship...Now you can just sit in your comfortable chair, have a cup of coffee and pull up your email or a personal blog, and VOILA...you are connected. You feel like you are a part of that person or persons life. You feel like you belong. But you don't. You are looking through a one way mirror. You can see us, but we can't see you. It is still only one sided. You feel like you really are at a cheer competition, or a school play. You have a front row seat to the baseball game. You saw her blow out her birthday candles. You can watch them grow up. You feel like your not missing a thing. But you are. What would happen, if it all went away?

I show you what I want you to see. You see only what you want to know. There is so much more.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The smaller photographer...

SERIOUSLY?



I am dreaming. Somebody pinch me...