The Chosen Child

A Great Way to Celebrate

2010-05-17T06:42:00.011-04:00

Today is our 24th wedding anniversary! Some of our friends at the time we got engaged were doubtful that two such opposite people would last even a few years. But, the commitment we made all those years ago is only strengthened each day. Our personalities are still very much opposite, but our interests and values are very much alike. As an sad aside most of those doubters are now divorced themselves.

This past weekend we had one of the most fun and relaxing weekends in our marriage. We attended our town’s Wine and Craft festival. This just happened to be the 24th annual festival (what a coincidence!) The town shuts down several streets and the craft vendors set up along one street, the wineries are set along Main Street and a food court is erected around the park. While I am not a wine drinker, Rich enjoys a glass of wine. For the price of $15.00 before the event or $20.00 at the gate you receive a commemorative glass to sample the wines from over 20 wineries. They also offer a discounted rate if you purchase wine during the festival. The size of our town swelled to triple its size. The amount of people was amazing!

Back to Zero

After walking..and walking... and walking to see everything we sat down to eat. The seats we chose were right in front of where a band was setting up. Back to Zero was incredible! They played music from when Rich and I were dating and first married, so it was like our own personal concert. Many in the crowd got up to dance—fathers and daughters, grandparents with their grand kids and couples all got out to enjoy the festive family atmosphere. Rich and I decided not to embarrass ourselves, so we just took pictures and rocked out in our seats. We loved it because it was like a big block party. We saw our next door neighbor and her 14-year-old daughter and David saw a teacher from school.

Kids, joining in the festivities

We stayed all day, as my shoulders can attest to the sun that shone on us all day. I wore a hat so my face was spared.

We continued our celebration by going out to lunch yesterday after church. This was a restaurant we had just discovered and hadn’t taken David to yet. They have a wonderful dessert called funnel fries. I could only eat a few after our huge meal, but David—the human disposal—finished them off, after he polished off his lemon meringue pie.

A New Hobby

2010-05-13T07:56:00.004-04:00

We are a family that really gets into our hobbies. When we have a new interest we read up and research it, so that we can enjoy it to the fullest.

Well, Rich and David have found another new hobby—sushi making. While at the bookstore a few weeks ago Rich found a kit that included the tools and DVD on how to make sushi. He couldn't pass it up—on sale and a food he loves! When we lived in Lynchburg our local grocery store sold fresh made raw sushi. However, our local store only sells California rolls. So Rich and David have been going through withdrawal. I, on the other hand, do not like sushi.

We purchased the supplies and Rich and David were off. They had a great time working together to decide what would be in the sushi. It was fun seeing them learn this new skill together. David had to try each componant of the roll as they were making them. They got so into the craft that they had enough left over following dinner to take for their lunches the next day.

David came home the following day and said all the teachers were jealous of the sushi. Everyone was amazed that he and his father made it themselves.

Bathroom Humor

2010-05-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

I said I would be showing David’s bedroom and bathroom. However, he has asked that I not show his room for privacy reasons. Translation: I don’t want to keep my room clean enough to get a picture. The joys of teenagers!

But, I draw the line at keeping his bathroom clean. And he hasn’t objected to showing it off. Of course since it is not for exclusive use I have decorated it to my taste and demand that he maintains my cleanliness standards. So here you are—my purple and peacock room. These are the same decorations we used in our old home, so they may look familiar. They were just cheap masks purchased at a festival that I had framed in shadow boxes. I love the color purple!

Our downstairs half bathroom is very tiny but still deserved a personality of its own. We let our sense of humor shine through and I love to see guests come out chuckling. Many years ago we purchased Mayberry pen drawings. There’s Andy—with a Mayberry sherrif’s badge in the frame. Barney Fife’s picture proudly displays the one bullet that he kept in his shirt pocket. And the one I think is funniest of all—Ernest T. Bass and his rock. So far everyone that has used the bathroom has come out laughing and asking where they could get one.

I have enjoyed having lots of walls and the ability to show a bit of who we are on those walls.

Government Logic

2010-04-19T10:28:00.007-04:00

Having done family research for many years, I of course have used the United States census reports. While the census records can contain errors—misspelled names, incorrect birthdates, or incorrect places of birth—I have found they are invaluable records. A census report was the place I learned that my great-great grandfather was a blacksmith. I have also seen the heart break of high infant mortality rates.

My “free” U.S. Census t-shirt

So when the census report is sent to our home I do not have to be prodded to complete it and return it in a timely fashion. I didn’t like the television ads that had run since February telling us to look for the census reports. So I was a bit annoyed when I received a postcard in the mail stating that I should get my census report the following week. After receiving and sending the report back within two days I was further annoyed to get another postcard reminding me that if I had not returned it, please do so. They should have already received the census back a week before they sent me the letter. Then, while on a visit to the library, I was greeted by a nice young lady who asked if I had returned my census. When I explained I had, she gave me my choice of a t-shirt, hat or pennant. Then while Rich and I were eating lunch last Friday I our doorbell rang. You guessed it, someone coming around asking if we had filled out the census yet.

The money that our government has thrown around on this census is appalling. I saw that the man responsible stated that in the long run this would save money, since they would have to spend less on census takers going door to door (hmm, they still came to my door). I was most appalled when I looked into the tag of my free (haha) t-shirt and found that it was made in ... Nicaragua! Now I’m sure the logic would be that it was less expense to have them made in Nicaragua, but how about you figure in the expense of extending unemployement benefits for American who desperately want a job. The person who made the decision to purchase these t-shirts should be fired!!!

Where my U.S. Census t-shirt was made

Has our government so low an opinion of the American worker that it doesn’'t believe we could do the job as well?

Teen For Hire

2010-04-12T19:37:00.012-04:00

Have you ever wanted to check out cars without the "help" of a car salesperson? I can help you achieve this goal. Hire me and I will talk and annoy your salesperson allowing you time to shop for your dream car. Reasonable rates and guaranteed to work.
—Call David at 1-800-CALL-DAVID

This is just what happened to Rich and David on Saturday. I went to the local library in order to attend a genealogy class leaving my men with several hours to do some male bonding. They spent some of their time checking out the new Camaros at a local car dealership. Rich got a big kick out of the salesperson who eagerly came out to make a sale, retreated back to the showroom door, then went inside the showroom, scurried to the other side of the Corvette on the showroom floor, and ended up hiding behind his cubicle.

Rich was taking pictures of the Camaro while David was asking the salesman lots (and lots) of questions. The man finally went into the office and pretended to make a phone call as David followed him. While David peppered him with questions the man began to cower at his desk. Rich got a big kick out of this!

Looking Forward

2010-04-09T10:41:00.018-04:00

Since my last post I have kept very busy. In February we had so much snowfall that by the time we could venture out to restock food supplies we were also preparing for another storm. I loved the beauty of the pristine falling snow but since I am not a cold weather gal it was from the inside looking out. Everyone was home and we had a great time watching DVDs together. However, it does increase the work load, such as recleaning the entry and downstairs hall floors daily. I love the hardwood floors but the snow made a mess of them. Lots of food fests while watching the movies created more cooking and cleaning up. However, I was able to work on the photo albums that I had fallen way behind on since our move.

Once school got back in session I was back to a full round of IEPs and meetings. Schools begin preparing the next years IEPs in February and March. With David in high school this increases the amount of information and goals that must be met and reviewed.

I really appreciate the school system here and the head of special education. In spite of budget constraints and concerns they have continued the services that David needs. David came home all excited since the school rings were being displayed. He has already picked his out. We went over the packet of ordering information to decide on the ring that would suit him best. I was surprised since I was in high school we didn't oreder our class rings until we were sophmores. It was only after all the paperwork was gone over that I asked David when the order had to be placed. His answer was "I can't order until next year." It had never occured to him that I would not know he couldn't get it yet.

We knew the day was approaching when Rich would have to go into the office more often. After working from home four days a week for the past couple of years we had fallen into a rhythm that worked well for us. In the middle of February he was told everyone in his department would need to be in the office every day. To our knowledge there had been no abuses of the work-from-home privilege, but the new boss claimed that the job could not be done outside the office. With only one car this would create some issues.

We are fortunate that there is a little transit bus that picks up around the corner from our house and it goes to the shopping center where our bank is located, the grocery store and even the bottom of the hill at David's school. It only costs 50 cents each time you get on, so its not expensive. The problem is that it stops only every hour at each stop. It also was extremely cold in February and you couldn't get a whole lot of groceries. But I am very thankful for it. Doing the majority of the grocery shopping on Saturday was not ideal since it was more crowded and took time from the family. We also found Rich driving into the city would cost us quite a bit, the parking alone cost $155.00 a month. So we did some research and found a great solution. There is a commuter bus that picks up within two miles of our home and drops off one block from Rich's office. The cost would be considerably less than what it would cost for him to drive in each day.

Grandma and Mom

The downside is that I now get up at 4:00am and deliver him to the lot by 4:25am and David and I must pick him up in the evening. David needs to get up at 6:30, so I really don't sleep after the drop off. Rich calls us when they are about 10 minutes out so we aren't waiting at the lot for the bus to come in. The downside is that it is harder to work around the meals. I want the food to be hot and fresh, but am never sure what traffic will hold and what time we will eat. Also Rich had been supervising David in the past so I could cook in peace, so David must now either help with the dinner preparations or sit at the table reading. After making some adjustments in what I make and when I pop it in the oven I think I have worked out the kinks.

Last month saw the visit of my mom and my 89-year-old grandmother. My aunt and uncle had decided to move to South Carolina from New York and would need a few weeks to complete the process of moving and getting my grandmother placed in the nursing home near them. So my mother was caring for my grandma during this time. It was wonderful to see her and see that after living in the northeast all her life she was looking forward to moving to the south.

David and Tyler

We also had one of our college friends and his roommate stay with us. They wanted to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D IMAX and we were delighted to open our home to them. The only tickets we could get were at 11:45pm opening night. It was a fun time and an extremely long day—up at 4:00 that morning and up until 3:00 the next morning when we finally rolled into bed. Rich and I are so used to being up early we still woke up at 6:30 in the morning.

When we moved late last summer we stored quite a bit on the back screened-in porch. By the time winter weather came I had unpacked all the inside boxes and more than half of the boxes stored on the porch. However, when the low temperatures came I abandoned the unpacking. Last week the weather turned warm and I have begun my unpacking again. Last weekend I was able to move the remaining boxes enough for us to enjoy eating our meals on the table out there. It has been wonderful and we have eaten most meals this last week out there. I am even setting up plastic containers to hold disposible plates and utensils along with condiments to keep them handy for our meals. Once the boxes are removed I hope to set up a wicker loveseat, table and chair for a place of retreat.

Rich hiding an Easter egg in a tree

Last weekend we also helped our new church with an Easter Egg Hunt they hold each year for the community. It is run by Christine, who did a fantastic job. She plans activities along with the egg hunt. There were prizes and even a meal at the end of the event. Following the event we walked around the town and took pictures. We even stopped on the way home for soft serve ice cream, which we ate before going home to barbecue steaks, hot dogs and tilapia. The perfect end to a perfect day!

Daffodils near our church

What A View!

2010-01-29T13:41:00.036-05:00

The view from our bed last November

A different angle of view from mid-December 2009

The view from our bedroom window - January 31, 2010 at 7:15 am

How would you like to wake up every morning with a different view out your bedroom window? That is exactly what we have and often the view will show drastic changes before we even make it out of bed. As the sun rises over the mountains the changing colors and shifting fog create a show of the glory of God.

Our bed and two Steve Hanks paintings

We positioned our bed so that we could see the best view. We even placed the cushioned lovechest that Rich gave me one year for Christmas right in front of the window. The size of the bedroom is wonderful for our bed—an oversized king size poster bed. The bed is so high that I must use steps to get into it. The size of the bed dwarfed our old bedroom, but it fits nicely into this room. The only issue is that the top knobs of the bed can’t be used without hitting the ceiling. One of the pieces of furniture that would not fit into our previous home was a restored working 1904 Victrola housed in a mahogony cabinet. We found this little treasure early in our marriage and it has been a treasured memory of a romantic weekend excursion.

1904 Victrola with Steve Hanks painting above it

We couldn’t fit the armoire up the stairs, so all the clothes that we had stored in it would need a new home. We have used my lovechest and also two night stands we had before purchasing this bed.

This is the area to the right of the bathroom door

The art work we chose for this room are limited edition prints from our favorite artist—Steve Hanks. His watercolor paintings are so soft, while still so sharply accurate, that many mistake these beautiful pictures as photographs. The paintings just seem so perfect for this house. They are so timeless and unusual that you have to stop and take notice of them. I also have two Steve Hanks prints in my sitting room. I have always felt that the pictures I hang up in our home are a reflection of who we are and what we feel is important.

Cast iron cross on glass-top table under Steve Hanks painting

We have a wonderful and large bathroom attached to our bedroom. It holds a Jacuzzi tub that the whole family has spent long hours enjoying—of course, surrounded by lighted candles. It also has a separate shower for those normal have-to-get-ready-in-a-hurry days. I have placed a bench outside of the shower which is very handy.

The view from this window is the same as from our bed

The beautiful curtains in these rooms were the same that hung in the livingroom in our previous home. They are perfect because they fit the tone of the room, but allow the view to be seen clearly.

Jacuzzi tub and shower (and candles)

Next I hope to show you David’s rooms—his bedroom and “his” bathroom.

Welcome To Our Home

2010-01-21T09:42:00.013-05:00

We had just gotten settled into our home when it was time to decorate it for Christmas. Now that the decorations are down and put away it is time to begin showing it off to all my visitors.

It has been fun, but a bit challenging to find just the right place for everything. Somethings didn’t fit where we had planned to place it, like a large cherry armoire that couldn’t fit up the stairs. But, other items that we had not used in our previous home have now been able to put to good use.

This home allows us to have his and her “playrooms.” My room is upstairs and is right next to our bedroom. I have made it a combination of a sitting room and craft room. It has been very handy over the holidays being able to have all my ribbons and craft materials handy. This room is also right across the hall from David’s bedroom and I can sit on the sofa and keep an eye on him if he is a little too hyper at bedtime.

I wanted to make this a very “girly-girl” room but without the pinks and ruffles. I couldn’t find the perfect curtains, at least in my budget. So I checked out a local fabric shop that carries upholstery fabrics. They just happened to have in the “sale room” bridal lace, which is where I found a length of lace designed for a bridal veil that was beautiful, but very inexensive. It was just the perfect size for the long, narrow windows in the house. I only had to cut the length in two and then sewed a satin ribbon to the top of each length. To the ribbon I sewed thin gossamer ribbons. I then tied the thin ribbons to the cafe rod.

It was so easy and since I already had the ribbon, both windows only cost me the price of the fabric ($15.00). I also purchased small silver frames and printed black and white pictures of us to hang from the rod.

This is a warm and cozy room where I can store my genealogy research, scrapbook supplies, fabric, decorating books and completed photo albums. I can also spread out my materials on the floor while I’m working on a project—and not worry about someone walking on it. This is also my sentimental room since I have some of David’s baby toys in the room—a little wooden rattle, stuffed animals and a wooden hobby horse.

This room was the one I had originally planned as David’s bedroom. However, since it is an old house, the closet was not built at the time the house was. The closet in this room also serves the master bedroom. The double doors of the closet don’t allow for privacy and David decided as a 14-year-old he would much rather have the smaller of the two bedrooms, with the privacy.

Over Christmas this is the room that David slept in. We pulled out his old twin mattress, which is usually stored under his grown up bed. He liked having the doors of the closet open so he could see and hear us at night. He doesn’t like change and this was reassuring to him.

I love my room!

Making a Difference?

2010-01-11T12:55:00.018-05:00

Last week many women posted on their Facebook status message just a color. This was a response to an e-mail that was sent to only women. Many godly women posted their colors, while others chose not to. The color to be posted was the color bra you were wearing at the time. The intention was to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Did it do its job and what were the differing feelings of the women on Facebook?

As to the thoughts of the women on Facebook—it was very interesting. I had many friends who posted their colors, as I did mine. But I did receive two status updates from friends who did not feel this was appropriate. One status read “How does posting your bra color support breast cancer awareness?? Sounds like it’s supporting breast awareness, rather! Let’s think about this ladies—probably something that some man came up with. (And yes, I had to be *that* one that has to say something.)”

It was very interesting to see that at least one male commented under that status message: “thank you for posting this.... i had no idea why my facebook was full of colors. lol” Now, because of her status message update, this young man knows what the status messages were about—so she is the one who made him think of breasts (if, in fact, that is what this exercise caused). If she didn’t feel it appropriate she didn’t need to post her color.

Yes, it did do its job as this report on ABC news will show. For example, during the 24-hour period of these status messages the Susan G. Kolmen breast cancer awareness Facebook page received an almost 2,000-percent increase in internet traffic.

This exercise also was a reminder to me that it has been almost a year since my very first mammogram and I will now need to find a good doctor in our new community to schedule this with. I am very fortunate that neither side of my family has had breast cancer, but that still doesn’t mean it can’t happen to me.

A Winter Wonderland

2009-12-08T12:59:00.014-05:00

We have been very busy with Christmas preparations. As David counts down the days until his school break I have been busy buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the house and preparing for Rich’s parents to visit. Along the way we have spent the weekends enjoying all the activites going on in town.

Two weeks ago we went to the kick-off of the Christmas season. One of the high school’s (not David’s) choir sang at the town’s gazebo. They held a bake sale to raise funds for the choir and they quickly gained David’s business (who cares what school it is, as long as they feed him!) Following the concert we were awaiting the arrival of the mayor when a local police officer came up and started asking all the people around if they knew who had left a gray box there. There were wires attached to the box, but the wires went nowhere. Of course, fearless David went up to the gazebo and started to poke at the box as the officer was examining it. The police officer gingerly took the box away.

The box reappeared again when the town’s publicity director returned with it. It was the switch that would turn on the town’s christmas lights. They had not hooked the box up because they didn’t want to have someone turn on the lights before the mayor arrived!

We stayed to see the lighting of the lights and Rich had a chance to talk to the mayor.

This past Saturday we woke up to the threat of snow. Within minutes the snow began to fall, very small flakes.

I began to make sausage and pancakes in order to rouse David out of bed. He came down stairs right as I was placing the Christmas dishes on the table. He had already spotted the falling snow, only the flakes were larger and falling more quickly. After breakfast and a quick shower I got hot cholocate ready so we could head into town. The scene that we stepped into was like something in a Frank Capra movie. The gazebo with the Christmas tree had Christmas music playing. Families were gathered around, building snowmen and little ones were throwing snowballs at their parents.

The Christmas parade had been cancelled and we weren’t able to ride the horse & carriage, since, due to the snow, it would be dangerous. We took all of it in stride as we just enjoyed the early Christmas gift we had received. I have to admit, the hot chocolote thermoses I had prepared were a welcome source of warmth when we returned to the car.

Our world is still covered in winter white with a call for another winter storm due tonight and an ice storm due tomorrow. I am prepared for the worst, but am hoping that nothing will interfere with David’s field trip. I am a chaperone to the theater where we will see a live performace of “Miracle on 34th Street.” This is a favorite of mine!

The Drive

2009-11-17T15:34:00.016-05:00

One of the beautiful things about our new home is the view. Out of our bedroom window we can see the outline of Skyline drive. So a few weeks ago when it looked like the leaves were at their peak we decided to take a drive. We arrived at the gate shortly after it opened and were very thankful we had.

Heading up the drive we saw so much beauty and variety. The early morning sun created shafts of light that changed in just a matter of moments. The fog on the mountains would move and shift with the swaying of the winds.

We stopped often to take pictures and enjoy the beauty. We stopped on the side of the road to capture the scenery many times. We were not the only ones who did this. It is interesting to see the different types of people—some that drive through as if they are on the autobahn and others (like us) that take their time to enjoy the trip.

When we reached the top of the drive, the fog and the rain made the view impossible to see. But even in this there was great beauty. And when we descended we were treated to yet another beautiful view as the fog and light rain had reached to the lower levels of the drive.

It is a testament to the leaders of our country that they realized the need to preserve the beauty of our nation for future generations.

Blue Plate Special

2009-11-10T15:56:00.009-05:00

I have really enjoyed our new home and the way it makes me feel. I have really gotten into the “farmhouse” mode with lots of home baked breads. I have put my bread machine to good use and have it sitting out on my kitchen counter, instead of in a hard-to-reach cabinet.

Our sliders and fries

Last week I borrowed The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook from the library and have tried some of the recipes (all of them have been wonderful!). One of the breads was hamburger/hot dog buns, since the hamburger buns at the store were a little stale I thought I would give it a try. Now there’s no turning back since the whole family loved them. They also give us the freedom of making just the right size buns for whatever meal we’re having.

Last night I made “sliders” and made buns for the burgers. Following Rich’s surgery several years ago he hasn’t been able to eat anything deep-fried. One of the items he most missed was french fries. So I began making my own fries, coating them in olive oil with some salt and baking them. This has allowed him to enjoy the same sides as the rest of the family. It is also healthier for the whole family.

Hamburger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls
(2 pound loaf)

1-1/4 cups water
1 large egg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
4 cups bread flour
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoon SAF yeast or 2-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for glaze
1-1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Place ingredients (except 1 egg yolk and sesame seeds) in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With a dough knife, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. For the hamburger buns form each portion into tight rounds. For long buns, flatten each portion into oval about 6 inches long and rolling up tightly form a long end to form a cylinder. Place the rolls on the lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Press with your palm to flatten each roll. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Brush the rolls with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of the roll, until lightly browned. Remove the rolls from the sheet with a spatula and let cook completely on a rack. Slice in half horizontally to serve.

He Said What?

2009-11-06T10:10:00.006-05:00

Our family is one of the dying breeds of families that eat each breakfast and dinner together at the diningroom table. Many families will do family devotions at this time, but we save ours for bedtime. David’s mind tends to be too active at dinnertime for concentrating on God’s Word. So at dinner we use the time to have family discussions and this has lead to some funny moments recently.

Following a bite, David recently began to sputter and cough. Once he was able to talk again he told us the food went down his “sarcophagus” the wrong way. Maybe this is a result of our bedtime devotions of Romans 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips, but it brought gales of laughs to the table that night.

Just this weekend David went to play with a friend and at dinner that night Rich asked a very manly question, “what does his father do?” Of course, Rich’s question was meant to find out what job the other father had. But, David—in true kid fashion—responded with, “He smokes.” You guessed it, another round of laughter.

I treasure these moments since I know that they will not last forever. I also feel sorry for families that are not able or willing to come together for these moments.

I thought I would share David’s school picture with all of you. The tie was his idea. But, in true David fashion, he was all excited to have picture day, but when it was time to take the pictures he decided he wasn’t going to have his taken. Luckily, I was there and told him he had no choice, he was going to get his taken.

As a photographer I am very concerned about the copyrights of photographs. Many of my own photographs and Rich’s have been used without permission or credit for the purpose the image was intended for. So, let me state: I do have copyright permission from Lifetouch Studios to reproduce this school image and use the image on my blog.

Five Little Pumpkins

2009-11-04T08:36:00.011-05:00

David’s class did a wonderful job on their play “Five Little Pumpkins.” David hid safely out of sight so that he could be like a professional narrator. He spoke loudly and slowly—the loudly wasn’t a concern but speaking slowly was. Not only did the preschool children like the play, but the students who care for them seemed to really like the play also. The cookies and s’more treats were a big hit, so much so that I returned home with an empty plate.

Skyline High School pumpkin

We stayed so that we could have lunch with David and he really enjoyed us being there. I must say that school lunches have changed so much since we were in school. You had those large plastic trays and you might have had a choice between two different entrees, but that was about it. David’s school has a Café and their options are amazing. You can choose between fresh made pizza, burgers, custom made subs, chicken sandwiches and much more. No longer are students required to choose between milk and chocolate milk—how about a smoothie? The prices are very reasonable and the food was very tasty.

David, preparing to give his lines

David’s teacher did a great job. The class had run a fund raiser in which the class of 12 students made over 500 cupcakes and put on a play, all in the same week. The class has a life skills class, so the cupcakes were a part of the cooking and kitchen cleaning section.

Ms. Jones, David’s teacher is wonderful! So many teachers have looked for ways to get David out of their classroom when they encounter his issues, but Ms. Jones has spent her energy on ways to help David succeed in her class. She has the same mindset that we have, David has to learn these skills in order to succeed in life and passing him around and to the next level will not serve him well in life.

Bite Size S’mores

2009-10-30T08:32:00.008-04:00

This morning we are heading for David’s school to watch his class perform a play for the little children in the Child Development Center attached to the school. I had never heard of a Child Development Center in a high school until I was photographing preschoolers for a living. Basically, it is a class that is more vocational in nature. The high school students have this class for multiple years and are taught the stages and care for young children. I have been very impressed with the Centers that I was involved with during my photography days.

But, this is a very big event for us since the last play David took part in was nine years ago. His history in The Theater was one that could best be premiered on America’s Funniest Videos. In preschool, the entire four-year class dressed up as little angels. David looked so sweet and innocent in his halo, clutching his beloved teddy.

It went downhill from there. The class got up to sing as the older classes were telling the birth of Jesus and our little “angel” began his death scene. Now, this scene will always be considered as one of the most dramatic in the history of all school plays—even though it was not part of the script. And in case you didn’t catch his first death he continued to replay it through out the entire pageant. When we asked him why he did it we got a four-year-old’s response of “I didn’t want people watching me.”

That sure did the trick.

The next year the casting of the pageant was done to better suit David. Instead of performing the poem with his class he was given the part of “little boy on Christmas morning.” He played this part very well, since the part was for him to play with toys under the Christmas tree during the entire play. He didn’t play one death scene!

So, when we got our invitation to this play—that David forgot to tell us about—we jumped at the chance. It is about five little pumpkins and David is the narrator and will be behind the curtain.

The teacher has also invited the parents to a time of refreshments following the program. Since I have been without my college kids that I used to cook for I decided to make some treats to take with us. I was trying to come up with an unusual finger food dessert and came up with hand held s’mores. It was so easy and required little clean up and would be great to make with even little children.

I took a large marshmallow, dipped into heated up Baker’s dipping chocolate and then into graham cracker crumbs. After putting them on a plate to dry I took a spoon and drizzled chocolate over the tops of them. To add a twist I decided to make caramel ones. I dipped a marshmallow in caramel, then Heath toffee bits and then drizzled the caramel over the tops. I loved the autumn colors of the finished dessert and the fact that there is little clean up! The only thing I had to keep an eye on was keeping my fingers clean of the chocolate or caramel when moving the marshmallows around since I didn’t want the smudged prints to get on the marshmallows.

Since this is David’s first year of not going out to get candy on Halloween we have made little goodie boxes of candy for the students in his class.

Festival of Leaves

2009-10-27T13:40:00.011-04:00

A couple weeks ago our town held its annual Festival of Leaves. It is a wonderful time of the community getting together for a good time. The Historic Society began this as a fund raiser and a way for the community to learn about the history of the area. The local museums are open and you can explore them free of charge! Can’t beat the price and it is a great way for kids to learn history—hands on.

We began the day walking down Main Street—that was closed for the day. There were vendors that sold a variety of wares down several streets.

David was very excited about the parade when he saw his high school’s marching band. He didn’t know any of the kids, but loved that they were there. It truly was a community parade, with car after car carrying the local “Festival of Leaves” beauty queens. The local cancer camp for children had a truck loaded down with the kids throwing candy into the crowd. Local churches and politicians had a good showing. Since the area is so rich with history from the civil war there were soldiers and their ladies in the parade.

We visited the local museums and David was thrilled when he got to pick up real cannon balls. Even though they were the smallest in size they were very heavy. The small musuem held so much history that I was amazed. A piece of rope that hanged Abolitionist John Brown was on display.

We toured Belle Boyd’s simple home. Belle was a Confederate spy who provided valuable information to Generals Turner Ashby and “Stonewall” Jackson. General Jackson made her a captain and honorary aide-de-camp on his staff.

She was later betrayed by her lover and was arrested on July 29, 1862.

I had packed a picnic lunch, but we supplemented it with baked goods from one of the local vendors.

This will become one of our must-do events each year!

Not A Typical Day at the Zoo

2009-10-09T13:05:00.012-04:00

Last Saturday we were allowed behind the gates of a very unusual zoo. The Smithsonian's National Zoo has a research center just about four miles from our home and each time we have passed the large imposing gates I have had the urge to be able to see what is kept within them. Last weekend they held their annual Autumn Conservation Festival which is the only two days each year the gates are open to the public.

Red pandas

It was very well attended and had lots of fun, educational an tasty booths. I had spent the last day cooking and baking so that we would have a wonderful fall picnic. The atmosphere was very family-friendly with kids of all ages seeing animals that they have never seen. The grounds of the center are so beautiful with well-cared-for lawns and beautiful buildings. I have always loved that the Smithsonians have such beautiful buildings. It would be very easy for the buildings at the research center to be strictly utilitarian. But the buildings give you the feel that you are at an old vineyard in the wine country of Italy.

North American bison

We had our very first look at the Red Panda; they must not like mornings because they just relaxed the first time we watched them. When we saw them again late in the day they were putting on quite a show as the chased and tumbled over each other. The center had information sheets about the animals so that people could become more informed about what they were seeing. These beautiful mammals used to thrive in Asia's mountains feeding on the bamboo forests. But over the last 50 years the population has declined over 40% making them an endangered species.

David, the teen, is always hungry so he was ready for our picnic lunch almost as soon as we got there. We had sausage and apple hand pies, maple and oatmeal cookies with apple cider. We had cookies left over and gave them to a parking attendant that was having a hard time with a screaming woman who didn't like where she had to park at. While Rich and I finished our meal David collected some of the beautiful fall leaves that fell from the tree we were eating under.

Clouded leopard cub

We climbed up a long winding hill to see the Bison. These big animals were not afraid of the people who came up to their fence. They would come over to the fence to get some grass to eat then retreat to the top of the hill. After laying in the grass for a few minutes they would lumber back down the hill to get more grass. The sheer size of the Bison didn't intimidate David who tried to slip his hand through the fence. The Bison were just a couple inches from us and I kept thinking about how thunderous the ground must of shaken when they were able to roam free in the early years of our nation.

The walking was taking its toll on Rich so I got some water from the hospitality tent. The coordinator came to check on Rich a few minutes later and this gave us the chance to hear some of the future plans. They are hoping to advertise better next year and hope to open up the center more then just the 2 days each year.

David and his horse friend

Our last stop was at the clouded leopard cubs. Here we had to stand in line for a few minutes, but they were well worth the wait. These two little cubs rolled, tumbled and chewed at each other in play.

We saw lots of different animals in between, but these were the highlights—except for David who had to be pulled from the horse. As David was talking to the horse he sneezed on David—gross! But, for David it was cool.

School Daze

2009-10-05T11:01:00.015-04:00

Well, I spoke too soon on my last blog post. The school situation lasted exactly 2 days—yes 2 days. The school that was to work perfectly for David turned out to not be so perfect after all. The problem is David has some rough edges, but is not a tough kid. In fact he is very immature for his age. So when he got to a school that held 18-year-olds that have spent most of their lives fending for themselves, we all began to worry about his safety. The school recognized this the first day so they made some changes on the second day and found they could not give him the safe environment that he would need. So we were back to Square One.

We were then set up to check out another school setting within the district. On first look we had some major concerns, but during and after the meeting we knew this was not the setting that David would succeed in. Some of my concerns dealt with issues that I could not use to keep David from attending this school. One of those issues was the very liberal bent of the teachers. Since it is a small school they don’t have P.E. every day, but one of the days they did have it they picked up trash at the park and when they got back to school they sorted through it to create “art” work about how we are destroying the earth. This is not what I would consider Physical Education. The teacher whose class David would be in didn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of David being there. This, again, I could not use as a reason to keep him from attending there. So at 4:00 am I was on the Virginia Department of Education website to research a way to keep David from attending.

Our front door

The first line of defense was a safety issue. The school is on Main Street and just a few feet from a road that has traffic speeding by all day. The school is set in an old home that is need of repair—the railings on the front porch can’t be leaned on because they are so loose. There is about a five-foot drop from the porch.

My second reason was the educational aspect of the school. No true Physical Education course means no diploma. Also the school hours were 9:00 to 3:00, however due to busing issues the students are picked up between 1:30 and 2:00 which is shorter than the hours required by the Virginia Department of Education. This school also takes one extra Teacher Work Day a month, which means the students are not able to attend the amount of days required by the state.

When I mentioned all these issues with the head of special education it became obvious that something very individualized would need to be done for David. So the request for a one-on-one behavioral specialist that was denied originally—“that is not an option”—would now be requested by the school. David would get a one-on-one and return back into the original high school he began the school year at!

But, as you can imagine this process has taken quite a bit of time and wrangling. So, for the last three weeks David has been attending the second of the three schools after school hours for two hours a day. That meant I was chauffeuring him back and forth each day and he was home for the majority of the day. We have also been in meetings almost daily with a variety of county workers.

Milkman doorbell (outside of door)

This morning we were up bright and early to have another meeting before school began. This meeting was attended by his new one-on-one and David’s school schedule was adjusted to give him a truly individualized school plan. He will attend History in a classroom setting. He will then have P.E. every day (to meet those VA Dept. of Ed. requirements) with a small class. He will have a Life Skills class (they are teaching budgeting right now) and for his math class he will work with a computer teacher and his one-on-one and will be taught on the computer. David works well on the computer and finds it much more quick-paced and enjoys the challange. We have even worked out him joining a club or two during the half hour he gets to school before classes begin (flex time).

We are very happy that we were able to work out all these issues and finally get David back to school. David was more than ready to go back to school and likes his one-on-one.

Milkman doorbell (inside of door)

During all this we had a bit of a health scare for David when I found a lump in his left breast. Since we don’t know a lot of his birth parents’ medical history we were a bit concerned. We had him checked out and though we must watch for any changes we are told it’s not uncommon at his age to develop this.

I promised to show you our new home and haven’t forgotten, I just haven’t gotten any work done lately with David home and all the meetings and paperwork we have done. But I thought I would share a glimpse of our “milkman’s doorbell” from our side porch. It has the sound of an old-fashioned bike bell. Also our front door has so much character that I just love it. We have decorated our front porch with pumpkins and garlands of fall leaves. We even had someone stop in the street in front of our house the other day to get a good look at it.

We have not found a church yet, though we have visited a couple. But we are not in any hurry to commit to one church. We are checking out the options and waiting to see where God would have us to become a part of.

My Head In The Clouds

2009-09-13T13:36:00.015-04:00

My boys

I always forget how time consuming it is to get David the services he needs in school. There have been 12 days of school and I have been at the school 14 times. Now this doesn’t even include enrolling him and the back-to-school night, just the school getting to know David’s issues. Even though each school system is supposed to take the IEP from the previous district and implement it until they can evaluate and write a new one, I have found that the new district tends to throw out all services and then works them back into place. Which has been the reason for my many visits. I found it very interesting that the director of special education for the county came to our first meeting. He is a pleasant man and I feel he does have a heart for kids that are in danger of slipping through the cracks. He has started a new program and David will be one of 20 students that are intelligent but, due to circumstances, are likely to not graduate.

I am still working on boxes in between my school visits, but have a long way to go. I still have not found the sheets for our bed. We are using the sheets we used before our last redecorating of the room. So we have green and rose sheets in a blue and burgundy room. Not pretty, but it works.

I am also having to replace our window treatments since our old windows were wide and squat. Our new home has tall and thin windows so none of our curtains work.

We took Labor Day off and spent the day visiting a few of the vineyards that lie minutes from our home. But, yesterday was truly a family fun day. The local airport held its 2nd annual Balloon and Air Show Extravangana.

Our home

We were up and out early in order so we wouldn’t miss any of the day. When we got there we headed to check out the airplane rides. We quickly walked away when we saw the price—$95.00 per person for a 15-minute ride. But, as we were leaving the area a couple of airplane pilots drove over and asked the reason for not taking the ride. We explained that it was way out of our price range. So we were offered a ride in their Piper Cub for $30.00 for 25 minutes. That sounded much better and since David hadn’t ridden in a plane since he was small we jumped at the chance. That is until David chickened out, so I took the ride myself.

I got some great pictures of our home, David’s school, the local little league park and the town from the air. As soon as the plane took off David had a change of heart. So when we got back it was back in the air for me again. The pilot was great and very in-tune with what we wanted. He flew us over our home and on my first ride we did some G-force producing turns and flew sideways. However, when David was on board it was a few dips and that was good enough for David. The pilot even offered for David to take the controls, but David was a bit too nervous for that. Later in the day David realized what a chance he had missed. But now the flying bug has hit him and he wants flying lessons with the pilot (who is also an instructor).

Wing walker hanging from the wing

A bit later in the day we saw the Flying Circus and were amazed by their skill and daring. They could catch balloons that had been let go below as they flew past them. The formations were done with such ease and skill that you could be fooled into thinking it would be easy to do. But, the most amazing part of their show was the wing walker. We watched as he got out of the plane and walked on the wing, sat on the wing, dangled upside down from the wing and then climbed to the top wing and after getting strapped into place the plane flew upside down and loops. David turned to us and said “You would never let me do that.” Rich responded with “I bet his mother never gave him permission to do it either.”

We had a wonderful day, but were all exhausted by the time we dragged ourselves home. We were one of the first ones there and stayed most of the day. The only other activity left was another balloon launch, but the skies looked like it could rain so we called it a day.

We have several other great events that take place in town within the next month. I love that we live within 10 minutes of some great events and places. I will have to schedule carefully so we don’t miss any.

Exploring Town

2009-08-30T14:40:00.011-04:00

All our possessions are moved and many boxes are unpacked and the items put away. David is enrolled in high school and has begun attending his new school. Rich has gone back to work and life is beginning to get back to some sense of order. Of course, I still haven’t found some of our everyday possessions, so we are eating off our good china.

Our new favorite butcher shop

With all the changes I have been able to discover some gems around town. I saw a little locally owned butcher shop and had to laugh at the name, “Two Fat Butchers.” The name got my interest, but the price, quality, and selection got my business. David was with me for my first visit and he was fascinated by watching the butcher hack up a turkey. He had lots of questions and the butcher patiently answered them all. I spent less than I would have at the grocery store and got better quality. We are eating well.

David watches the turkey’s demise

We also live close enough to a local Mexican restaurant that we are able to walk to. When the subject turns to restaurants the first one named by everyone is Jalisco and we found this out one of our first mornings in our new home. Between 10:30 and 11:00 am we can smell the wonderful aroma wafting up the hill to our home. Every Thursday their entire lunch menu is on sale for $4.99 and with the amount of food they give you it’s enough for 2 to 3 meals. So the last two weeks I didn’t have to make dinner on Thursday night.

My first lunch at Jalisco

I also took David on a walk to the park and found a garden center that has a fruit and vegetable store. We have had some wonderful corn and potatoes. As you can tell we are not spending a lot at the grocery store.

When I can find the walls behind all the boxes I will give you a tour of our new home.

Thunderstorms of Blessings

2009-08-11T09:40:00.005-04:00

Throughout the spring and summer we have felt like we were driving in a blinding, windy thunderstorm. The kind where you slow your car down because you can’t see past a few feet in front of you and the wind tosses the car from side to side.

This week we are in another thunderstorm, only this one appears to be a lovely sunny, summertime storm. The kind where you can still see the sun shining through the clouds and it just makes you want to dance in the rain.

Since we are moving to a home with brand new appliances we will no longer need our washer and dryer (which are several years old). I don’t like to waste and storing them wlll only deteriorate them until they can’t be used by anyone. So we asked our current landlord if the new tenants would need them and were told, “no, they have their own.” So I gave Rich the number to call a used appliance store to see about selling them for a few dollars and getting them to pick them up. He received no answer. We then talked about the homeless shelter and wondered if they could use them as a donation. They were very interested and will send a truck out for them this week. I love that win-win!

Later in the evening I went to reserve the truck we will need for Saturday and found that it was half the price for us to rent it than it would have been last month. It’s the same size truck and from the same company but since it is the middle of the month and they are running a promotion we are getting a great deal.

Rich’s parents also talked to a pastor in the town we are moving to and they are going to arrange for men at the church to be at our new home and help unload the truck. This allows us to ask our friends here to just help us load the truck.

We are also having one last meal here tomorrow night with our kids.

Also, thank you all for your continued prayers.

Trust and Obey

2009-08-10T06:28:00.004-04:00

Last night one of the evening hymns was “Trust and Obey.” Listening to the words of this hymn brought tears to my eyes as I thought over the last several months of our lives. It has truly been a journey of trusting and leaning on God. Sometimes it was a hit and miss on whether we were obeying since we were sometimes unsure of the direction God wanted us to go.

As of my last post we were looking to make a cute little cottage our new home. God had other plans. The owners’ neice decided she wanted it, so we had to continue looking. We found a beautiful, secluded bungalow. We waited as three siblings decided which offer they would take. Two and a half weeks later we found it wasn’t us. We then found and even more beautiful home in the mountains, but after being on the market for 6 days there were five other applications ahead of us, so we lost another home. Remember, we live three hours away from where we will be living, so the almost weekly trips to find homes has been taking its toll. When we decided to still put a bid in on the mountain home (the one with five other bids already pending), we looked at other homes. Just that morning (last Friday) a 1940 farmhouse had been put on the market. No sign was even up in the yard. The house had just been renovated and had a dishwasher!!

We had planned to purchase a home, but because there was less than two weeks before we must be out, we went for a lease and applied for the mountain home and the farmhouse. Both homes were hoping to sell after the lease is up so that was a plus for us.

Our next step was to commit to God that whichever house was offered, if any, we would accept. Both houses are beautiful and each had their own advantages (and dishwashers). We didn’t expect an answer until today or tomorrow, but our agony ended on Saturday night.

Home, Sweet Home

Our new home is the 1940 farmhouse. It has the original wood floors and the house retains the original charm, but the bathrooms have just been redone—with a master bathroom soaking tub and the kitchen has just been renovated with all new cabinets and apliances—did I mention there’s a dishwasher?

We will sign the papers on Thursday morning and move on Saturday. That gives us a few days in case we have a bit more to do in our current home.

During this time I woke up one morning feeling ready to dive into packing. David had been waking up before 6am each morning and he was sleeping well. But within an hour I was having some severe back pains. At one point I thought I would pass out and knew it was time to tell Rich to wake up David and take me to the doctor’s. As the pain moved from high in my back to lower in my front I thought it sounded like a kidney stone. I had never had one, but, yep, that was it.

After major pain killers I was sent to the hospital for more tests. It finally passed that night but I remained loopy the rest of the day. For the next several days nothing got done as I was exhausted. A week later the doctor had me come in for more tests and found that my iron level was half what it should be—no wonder I have felt drained by early afternoon. Some tests to find out the reason for low iron have resulted in no answers, so after the move I will need to have more tests done. But, they have ruled out some serious causes.

We have also had a harder time with David due to all the unexpected change of daily plans. When he began to think of a house as our new home we would have to tell him we weren’t sure and this would upset him. He doesn’t do well with change and was trying to wrap his mind around the changes. We also wanted to get into a house in enough time so his summer wasn’t totally wasted. School starts a week and a half after our move.

Rich’s parents came to visit yesterday and were very thoughtful and understanding about the upheaval in our home right now. They just took us out to lunch and decided not to spend the night.

This has also been a time when new friendships have been forged and, unfortunely, some other friendships have been severed. It’s times like these when you find out who your real friends are.

It had been a real time of testing. As we have gone through these trials I think of Job and realize how blessed we truly are. This has been a time when David has seen us rely on God’s timing and provision. Even last night when he fell off his bike and gashed the same knee he messed up in March he asked me “what is God trying to teach me?”

So thank you for all your prayers and please continue to remember us over the next week. There is much to do and little time, but we are excited about the changes.

God's Laughing

2009-06-23T20:36:00.006-04:00

I have often heard the saying “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Well, two weeks ago I told of my plans to get so much done before David got out of school for the summer and God began laughing before the day was out.

First, on Monday two weeks ago as I was speeding through to get some heavy duty packing done I got a call from the school. David was acting up and I needed to pick him up from school—he was suspended for the remainder of that day and the next three days. I could just hear light laughter.

Then, at ten o’clock that same day our nephew called. He announced his engagement to a wonderful girl in late March. The wedding was held the end of May. We had not been able to attend since it was in Manilla, the Philippines. So they had just gotten back in the states that day and would like to visit on their way to New Jersey.

Sure, when would they be going through? Tuesday night and they would be here in time for dinner—the next night. So the meal I had planned and purchased food for would not be enough to serve two extra people and the guest sheets were all packed up. Tuesday began with a revised meal list and a trip to the store. When I got home I washed David’s sheets and had to scrounge for a top sheet since David never liked having one—it was packed also. David has a habit of using pillow cases for toy bags and there never seems to be any on his pillows. So I had to strip our pillows of their pillow cases and wash the whole lot. Then I fixed the meal and waited and waited.

At 6 pm I called their cell and found they would be another two hours at least. They had gotten a late start and gotten lost. So we ate and I sent David to bed in our room on his old mattress with mismatched coverings. Our guests arrived a little after 8:30 and after eating and opening our wedding gifts to them it was almost bed time. This was the first time we had met the bride and we are so glad our nephew has chosen a wonderful bride.

Wednesday we were up bright and early. We waited on our guests to rise...and waited...and waited. Finally our nephew was up and went for a walk while I began making breakfast. I’m not sure if we had breakfast or brunch since it was after 10 when everyone was up and ready to eat. Shortly after breakfast the happy couple had to leave for New Jersey and I began the kitchen clean up. I was right on time to fix lunch and begin dinner for our Wednesday night kids.

I could just hear God’s laughter as we made plans to go into work with Rich the next day and then Friday was filled with calling doctors and hospitals about why they were billing us and not the insurance company for David’s bike accident. They claim they hadn’t received our insurance information. We had given it all to them at the emergency room and they had never passed it along to the doctor’s billing agency.

Somewhere along the way I had a birthday. One of our good friends, Peg, made me bananna pudding and we went to see the matinee of Night at the Museum 2 – Battle of the Smithsonian. It was a wonderful movie and I think I enjoyed it even more than the first movie. Of course, we have seen the sights from the movie first hand and it was fun to see how they incorporated the Washington, DC, Smithsonians into the movie.

That weekend David developed a bad rash on his back—a heat rash and all last week we had to keep him in and bathed in cold water to get rid of it. David does not like to stay inside so this was a constant battle to watch over him.

So for two weeks very little packing has been done. We have also not received our approval and the cottage is still not on the market. I have left messages for the lady handling our approval and she has not been in. So we are at a stand-still and waiting on God.

This week I have been able to work on packing and our kids are out of town so I won’t have to cook for them. Rich has been very busy with work and even though he doesn’t work on Sundays, he had to this past Sunday morning.

I know that David is feeling as if he wants to just get over this whole moving business and on to our new home. He talks about it constantly and the last two weeks he has not gone to sleep until hours after his bedtime.

When he asks us about the move and when it will finally happen we just tell him we don’t know, but God does. It’s all in His hands and we are doing what we can to be prepared—packing, calling about the approval, and keeping in touch with the real estate agent. But, we are not in control and this is a good lesson for David to see lived out.

I can still hear the faint sound of God’s laughter.

I am encouraged by all of you who are sending prayers and thoughts our way. Please pray that we can be an example to David by trusting in God.

P.S. I had a little chuckle myself just now. As I was saving this post, the internet went out on my computer. Luckily, I had saved it just a few minutes before so not much had to be rewritten.

The Unwelcomed Guest

2009-06-08T12:52:00.016-04:00

We have been very busy getting ready for our move, which is the reason I have not been blogging. I have gotten questions about the move and will try to give the information now.

We have not found a house yet, but we should see a home that we think will work this week since it is not due on the market for a few more days. It is a cottage that seems to fit our needs and the agent thinks is perfect for us. She will call us a few days before it goes on the market so we get first crack at it. Unfortunately, it is about 3 hours away from where we live now, so we will have to change our church home. We will miss our "kids" so much, but have been blessed that some have stayed here over the summer and we are still able to see them until our move. It is also a good time to change schools since David will have to move to high school anyway.

I have been working hard at trying to get the basement packed and everything brought upstairs before David’s summer vacation from school begins. Today is his last full day of school and then he has three half days before he is a high schooler. I don’t want his whole summer about packing and unpacking.

So last night I went downstairs to do a little more work after David went to bed. As I walked down the hall I thought David was playing a trick on me. There was a long black snake lying on the floor and it was so still I knew it had to be a toy. I still wasn’t sure since at one time he had a snake that looked like it but David couldn’t find it for years.

When I got a photography background to bring back up I saw the “toy’s” head and upper body crawling up the wall. This was NOT a toy. The stairs were on the opposite side of the snake and I didn’t want to yell for Rich since I knew David wasn’t yet asleep. So I got something to place between me and the snake and s-l-o-w-l-y made my way past him.

I got upstairs and told Rich I needed his help—that there was a snake in the basement. I think I sounded calmer then I felt since he asked me “a snake?”

My brave husband took a shovel and I grabbed a box so we could try to get the snake out of the house without killing it—my husband’s idea, since my attitude is that the snake had invaded my territory so he deserved to die. I know they always say never kill a black snake because they’re “good snakes.” Is there such as good think as a good snake? Yes, I know they kill rodents but since Roger, our pet rabbit, is a rodent I wasn’t going to let the snake stay. I also didn’t want to reach into a box and get bit.

I grabbed a camera and took a picture before we tried the box trick—it didn’t work. Then we did the shovel trick, you know the one where you whack him into as many pieces as it takes to kill him. That trick worked, of course that way did create a fair amount of blood. We left the snake on the basement floor until this morning so that David could see it. We were very lucky that David fell asleep during the killing of the intruder.

I checked online to see what we could do to prevent any more of his family visiting our home and found that moth balls drive them away, which I can understand. So in order to protect Roger I have placed moth balls at the bottom of the basement steps, at the top and outside all the doors. I am very glad so much of the work downstairs has already been done, since I will be on the lookout for more unwelcome guests.

D-Day Remembrance

2009-06-06T13:35:00.013-04:00

Today marks the 65th anniversary of Operation Overlord or what is commonly known as D-Day. The planning of this massive operation included military from the allied forces and the landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men. By the end of the operation, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead.

These numbers are mind boggling and can easily become just numbers if we aren’t careful. We are very fortunate that we live very close to the National D-Day Memorial and our visits there have brought home the true meaning of the cost involved.

The memorial has been built to give you a sense of what it was like to be on one of the beaches. There are sculptures of the men as they fought and died trying to manuever across the beach and up the cliffs in order to fight the enemy. Expecting an attack on the beaches, the Germans had built hedgehogs—structures whose sole purpose was to rip apart the bottom of boats if they attempted to reach the beach. The allies were aware of their presence due to the air recons they had been doing. So they were able to avoid these traps by arriving when the water was at low tide.

The memorial is a beautiful tribute to all those who fought for the freedom of others. It is also a reminder that as a nation we have a proud tradition of fighting for the rights of others. But I think it is also important to remember that we were not the sole defenders of this fight.

I thank all those men and women around the world who fought off evil so that we can remain free.

More Amazing Pictures

2009-05-25T07:45:00.018-04:00

Since I didn't get any of the birthday boy’s pictures up yesterday I am going to treat you to double the pictures today. It is funny because David doesn’t take a lot of pictures. When we have gone places and spent the entire day, Rich and I will take hundreds of pictures and David will only get about ten. But as you can see—his ten are beautiful.

When we went to Joe and Abigail’s wedding last year David took more then his usual number of pictures. He was waiting for “The Kiss,” and once that happened and he had taken the picture, that was the last picture he took for the day. But we arrived at the church early and David was able to get this beautiful picture of the church empty. He went up to the balcony to take this picture and the lighting is wonderful.

Shortly before the beginning of the ceremony he was made to sit in the pew and he leaned over the side of the pew to get this picture of the votive candle that lined the aisle.

The next two pictures were taken on his eighth grade field trip. Following the official tours we were given free time and of course his desire was to see the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The first is one of my favorite pictures he has taken.

David loves architecture. When he was in first grade he told us he wanted to be an architect until he found out they aren’t the ones that bulldozed the old buildings before they built their vision. In some of his pictures you can see his love of the buildings and their details. This was also taken on his field trip to Washington. Can you guess what building this is?

It’s Arlington House that stands proudly behind the Tomb of the Unknowns. These last three are all from Mount Vernon. You have to admit if I hadn’t told you, you would never have known. You can just see the top of an outer building in the bottom of the first one.

This ornamentation was on a wall in the garden.

This last picture shows different point of view. While visitors are not allowed to photograph the inside of Mount Vernon’s mansion, they are allowed to photograph inside the out buildings. The tour begins inside the kitchen and David is probably the only person who has ever photographed this view at Mount Vernon. Can you guess what it is?

It’s the view looking up from the inside of the fireplace! He stood inside the huge fireplace as the guide explained the rules and gave us a brief history of the building. Rich and I were on the other side of the room (since we are not big fans of standing in fireplaces) and I had to giggle when I saw the flash of light.

When David opened his portfolio that contained these and a few more of his pictures he loved it. It made him realize that his work is good and will let him show it off to others.

Exploring the World

2009-05-23T09:06:00.010-04:00

David loves to do close up and unusual pictures. It is interesting to see him get just inches away from a fruit or vegetable and then see the results.
The first three are from our local community market.

This last one is from the garden at Mount Vernon. It is funny watching the faces of other tourist as they happily snap away at the house and outer buildings when they spot David taking 10 minutes kneeling in the dirt to get just the shot he wants of a carrot top.

Budding Photographer

2009-05-22T07:00:00.014-04:00

This weekend David will be fourteen years old! I can’t believe how fast he has grown since I still feel like it was last week that we brought him home from the hospital during a terrible thunder storm.

Last year we had a huge birthday party so this year it will be a family celebration. This has always been our plan since I don’t think it is necessary to have a big event each year. What with the packing and house hunting it would have been hard anyway.

One of the gifts we bought him was a Kodak photo album. I had fun making a portfolio of the many wonderful pictures he has taken over the last several years. He has an eye for it and is very creative.

I decided that over the long weekend, each day I would post a few of the pictures I included in his album. I hope you enjoy his work as much as we do.

This picture was taken at Stratford Hall. We had just crossed a bridge and David snapped this one. He was only about seven and was (OK is) in perpetual motion. The effect was one that gives a covered bridge look.

This was one of the many ponds at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The water is so calm and the captured reflection of the clouds and the trees is just perfect in the picture.

David is so observant that he sees things that the rest of us miss. He saw this little lizard sunning himself at his Grandparents’ house.

ROTC Commissioning

2009-05-12T14:49:00.005-04:00

One of our regular Wednesday night guests asked us to photograph the ROTC commissioning service at his college. Rich and I were honored to take part in this exciting event. We arrived before 9:00 am and didn't leave until 2:00 pm. We arrived early in order to watch the practice and know where we would need to be during the service.

I have to say that interacting with these fine young men and women gives me hope for our future. We sometimes get so use to seeing young men with their pants pulled down to their knees and being answered by "yeah" instead of "yes." But the young men and women at this event were so polite and respectful it shows that there is hope that manners are indeed not dead. They have been trained and drilled with the characteristics that will serve them and our nation well.

So congratulations to all the wonderful men and women that have been commissioned and are ready to serve our nation. I pray that God will watch over and protect them.

Life In The Fast Lane

2009-05-07T11:11:00.011-04:00

Just when I think things will start to calm down they explode! My well laid out plans lie around the ground in bits and pieces. But, yes, even this is well within the plans of God. I may be caught off guard but He never is. This is very important for us to remember right now.

When we moved to where we are living now it was not planned. David needed to be hospitalized for what was to be 9 months and turned into 18 months. So our original plan was for me to be in the area for only a short time. During this time we were able to rent a home and fall in love with our new city. Rich stayed at our old home during the week and only came here on the weekends. Then unexpectedly he was given permission to work from our new home except for one day a week. Such a blessing! So we got rid of the other home we were renting. This occurred just before the fall of the economy, which resulted in Rich losing about 40% of his income due to no overtime. But with tightening of our belts we would be fine.

Now about two weeks ago our landlords have informed us that they have a new use for the home we have been renting and we would need to move. Part of our rent was paid by web site designing for them that Rich did. They have requested that we be out by the end of July so we have been very busy.

Our first question is what is God's will. Are we to stay in our new city or does He want us to move somewhere else? Rich's work now would like to see him more often so we are looking closer to his work. Luckily, Rich won't need to go in every day. But, David needs to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When we do travel into a heavily populated area you can actually see David becoming more aggressive and agitated.

So we have been doing some online house-hunting and last weekend went to an area that would fit the bill. We found a house that was perfect in our opinion, but not in God's, since when we scheduled to see it we were told it is already sold. So please pray as we seek God's will in this area.

One of the benefits of the area we are looking for is that it is close to my parents. We stayed with them and David and my Dad really enjoyed being together. I can't even begin to tell you how much of a blessing this is. When David was small there was a severe break in my relationship with my Dad since he wouldn't accept David as his grandson. My Dad had always been very prejudiced and the fact that David is bi-racial was a real issue with him.

In order to help with finances I applied for Disability for David through Social Security. Yesterday I spent three and a half hours filling out all the paperwork online—including all doctors and tests that David has received and school information. When I had the actually interview this morning I was told that it sounds that, yes, he would qualify as disabled, but since he is a child he doesn't qualify due to Rich's income. What really upsets me is that they take the family income and only deduct the amount you pay in insurance. They don't deduct any amount of money that you pay out of pocket for medical needs for the child. That means that if a family made $50,000 a year and medical expenses are $45,000. the child is not eligible. David's expenses are not that high, but at $350.00 out of pocket a month for meds and that his issues prevent me from working, the check really is needed.

This amount also doesn't include the additional medical expenses due to his frontal lobe damage that results in his impulsive behavior—such as his fractured knee in March. It also is very shortsighted since when David was hospitalized for the 18 months the amount of his medical care was just over $500,000.00. When I hear that the Gitmo detainees may be getting a government check when they are sent to the US [news here and here] this makes it hard to swallow that we are denied.

But, I know it is all in God's hands and these events have helped us teach David that we must all trust Him. We have also explained that "And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose." This means to His glory and that doesn't mean the new house will be bigger or nicer then the one we currently live in, but we need to be more concerned to seek the glory of God. We are looking at purchasing and not renting and this is actually a great time to buy.

A Century Old Mystery

2009-04-29T13:12:00.009-04:00

First, I am so sorry I have been absent for so long. With having to recite Proverbs in order for David to write out his sentences, his suspension and spring break along with other stuff I have had very little time to read or write blogs. Also slowing me down is lack of sleep due to seasonal allergies and the meds that help me make it through the day without sneezing my head off.

During one of the middle of the night can't-breathe-or-think nights I did a quick search on Ancestry.com. Imagine my surprise when I solved a century old mystery!
When I began my family research before David was born my great uncle Russ wrote me a letter explaining that his father Stephen was born in 1888 and gave me the names of his parents, but that was all that was known about that side of the family.

Stephen's parents split and his mother took him to live with her father. His mother then went to another state, married and started another family. That was the last that any of us heard from Stephen's mother or father. It is quite a sad tale.

My search pulled up two family trees. One was a tree I have seen before through Stephen's wife and found it very faulty since there are no sources cited and there are many errors. One such error is a man that died in 1862 and the next life event listed for him shows his baptism in 1979. I certainly hope that he was not exhumed in order to baptize him.

The second record solved not only my own mystery but also the mystery for another person. In 1968, Stephen's father's daughter-in-law wrote a letter. This letter interviewed a minister that knew the father well and the family history. Stephen's father had four families—the first two marriages ended when the wives died and were laid to rest next to each other. The third marriage was to Stephen's mother and a quote from the statement caught my interest:

The third time Isaac married Ollie from Appalachia, VA. She loved horseback riding and took no interest in housekeeping, nor in rearing the children of the former wives. He was a man of great farming interests and logging—delivered the logs down the Clinch River into Chattanooga, TN. Therefore, when their only child, Stephen, was very small he was sent back to her parents' home in Wise County, VA. No communication was made between her and the Williams family ever again. They never knew the son she reared.

Stephen's father would then go on to marry happily again.

I immediately wrote to the other family tree holder. His mother would have been my grandfather's cousin. She is in her 80s and she can't wait to meet us. She had given up hope of ever finding out what happened to Stephen and his family. I am glad that I could answer her questions.

In another quirk of fate, Stephen worked in a coal mine that they also had other family members work at over time. They had just been to that exact coal mine last month on a research trip.

The Foolish Little Man

2009-04-14T18:32:00.004-04:00

Last week I shared how David was having to write sentences in order to get him to listen better. His listening has gotten a bit better, but his behavior is still not up to what it should be.

Even though this is spring break we can't let this area slide and let him just have fun so I have changed what he is to write. Last week it was directions, but this week I began him at Proverbs 1:2. He must listen then write down what I say. I am quoting just a section of the verse, but at the end of the passage he must read back to me what he wrote. This has caused him some concern as he can't always read what he wrote. If it is wrong he must rewrite the verse.

Since so much of Proverbs deals with the wise versus the foolish man I thought that would be the perfect place to begin. As we are going along I am explaining what the verse means so that he also gets the concept.

It is not the spring break that I had envisioned. I had planned on taking him to the Y's pool but since he busted his knee I can't do that. It has been rainy and not so nice outside, but since we do need the rain I'm not complaining.

A Lesson in Listening

2009-04-09T12:11:00.005-04:00

David is in trouble at school again! He has a three-day suspension. I could almost see it coming, but it wasn’t until today (the second day of the suspension) that I think I know why he’s having such a problem. He isn’t listening. I gave him several easy chores with one- or two-step directives to complete. However, I found that either the steps were not followed in the order I gave them or they were skipped altogether.

So we went over the chore directives and I explained what he didn’t do correctly. David thinks that when he is told that he is to clean out the grill he knows how, because he wants to do it his way. The problem is that when he is finished, his way is not correct. A case in point is when he was to clean out the grill and cover it from our weekend barbecue. He cleaned it out and left the bag of ashes on the grill, the lid left up and the cover on the ground. All these issues had been addressed with the directions. But his mind shuts off after he gets the general concept. This is happening in the classroom when he is given work and then doesn’t listen to hear what the directions are. He then gets upset and angry when the adult tells him he hasn’t gotten it right.

Even though many tell me this is a normal stage in a teen’s life David takes everything to extreme. So I usually have to take my correction to the extreme also to get the point across. After verbally talking to him about the issue and what needs to be done, it has continued. I am now having him sit down every hour with a notebook and I will give him 10 directives. David will have to write exactly what I say without me repeating it. If he missed it, I will say it one more time and he must rewrite it. David really doesn’t like to write so this is also helping with his handwriting skills. I have explained that this exercise in listening will continue until he can consistantly follow the directions we give him the very first time.

This will seriously cut into his fun time until he begins to listen.

The Capitol

2009-04-07T21:46:00.018-04:00

The Capitol Building with cherry trees

We arrived at the Capital building and had just a few minutes before our tour began. We began the tour with a film that explained the history of the building and the laws that were passed to change the course of our nation.

One of the statues in the Capitol Building

We had a wonderful tour guide who escorted us through the public areas of the building. The beauty of the building can not be described. There was a purpose and meaning behind all the craftmanship that is displayed. The kids were amazed by the fact that the mural on the ceiling was done with the ceiling in place and the artist had to paint from scaffolding. The painting is of George Washington surrounded by 13 maidens. The sheer weight of the dome as we stood directly under it caused some worried looks—8,909,200 pounds of cast iron. With all this work ceing done long before the mammoth construction trucks we have today.

George Washington and maidens - the Capitol Dome

As I gazed around the rooms we passed through it brought a deep sense of pride in being an American. It also made me wonder what the building would look like if it were designed today. Would we have spent so much time and effort on conveying who we are and ensuring the building would be survive for many generations?

David in front of the Capitol Building

After the tour we walked past the Supreme Court and we had around an hour and a half to see the sights on our own. Of course, David wanted to head over to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. This is always David's favorite place to visit when he is in Washington.

One of the Capitol Building skylights

The bus ride back was very long, in fact we arrive back at the school an hour and a half late.

Boys on the Bus

2009-04-06T16:13:00.015-04:00

After a very hectic week of doctor’s appointments—three to be exact—babysitting, house cleaning and prep for our field trip we were ready to roll. We were glad that David’s doctor said he no longer needed to be on crutches. His bedroom lamp was a casualty of a crutch gone astray. The gaping hole in his knee will still take several weeks to heal over. Of course it doesn’t help that he keeps sliding on his knees and reopening the wound. So he had an all-clear for his field trip.

Robert E. Lee House at Arlington Cemetery

So Friday morning I headed out in the pre-dawn hours at the back of a bus filled with 75 thirteen year-old BOYS. There were just two other moms on the bus and they sat in the first rows away from the fray. We had a total of 300 eighth graders heading to see the nation’s capital—two buses of girls and two buses of boys. You wanna bet the person who organized the bus arrangements was on a girls’ bus.

I was amazed at the number of kids who had MP3 players and cell phones, but few had an actual camera. The kids borrowed and tossed their expensive electronics with no regard to how much their parents had spent on them. I allowed David to use my MP3 player on the drive up. Yes, I have one, and no, he doesn’t. He had one and can’t find it so until he can save up the money he will not be receiving another one. The music kept David quiet and content for a good part of the trip. When we got very close he started his seat jumping and I was left all alone.

One of the guards at
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

We arrived at Arlington Cemetery and began the long uphill trek to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was a rough walk because David flips from walking slowly to an almost outright jog up the hill. We stood and watched as the soldiers placed a wreath at the tomb. Years ago there was much more gun twirling than they had on this visit. We were very sad to not see the guns being thrown from one soldier to the other in such crisp movements. But David was impressed anyway.

On our way back down to meet the bus David was running to catch up with a friend. I had just yelled “don’t run” when, splat! David had gone off the sidewalk and slipped in the mud. It had been raining lightly all morning. When David got up his school uniform was a mess—the shirttail, both sleeves, pants and my backpack were covered in a wet mushy mess. Luckily one of the teachers chaperoning the trip was kind enough to loan David an extra shirt he had brought. Of course, this made David stand out since he was the only student not in his school uniform. Only my son!

Cherry blossoms

All boys on board and we headed to the Capital building. The drive over was beautiful. This was the day before the Cherry Blossom Festival and the trees were in full bloom. If you don’t know the history of these unusual trees, it really is interesting, Three thousand flowering cherry trees were a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo in 1912 honoring the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan. In 1981 Washington was able to repay the Japanese kindness when cuttings from our trees were sent to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood.

I will share our experience at the Capital tomorrow.

Where Did My Time Go?

2009-03-26T20:02:00.003-04:00

First let me thank everyone for their prayers. David is doing pretty well. Tomorrow is his orthopedic appointment and we will see how well he is healing. Rich plays doctor every night and changes David's bandage while I play surgical nurse and prepare all the needed supplies and pass them to him during the procedure.

David has used this situation to his full advantage. His "invalid" status is pulled out whenever he wants to get away with something—"I can't pick up my dirty clothes because of my crutches." Of course, his crutches weren't a problem when he wanted to pick up a toy just a minute before. Yesterday as he was ready to go to school I caught him carrying his crutches while running trying to get a toy out of the house before I caught him. I caught him and made him put it away.

I am amazed at how much time is taken up with caring for him. I drive him to and from school everyday. Going to get his medicine and bandages and cleaning the wound every night takes up more of our day. Then there are the added chores like taking out the trash that must be done.

David tried to do a lot more playing tonight and is feeling the effects. His knee is not doing as well tonight. This is a lesson I knew he would need to learn by experience.

I am hoping that tomorrow the doctor will say he is progressing well since his field trip is at the end of next week. After all the fighting with the school I am hoping he can still go. Next week will be very busy for us—two doctors appointments, the ladies Bible study, the kids coming over on Wednesday and the field trip so we will need strength to get through it.

The Perfect Weekend

2009-03-23T15:25:00.005-04:00

I had it all planned. Rich and I were sitting by the firepit and getting ready to throw some steaks on the grill while David was riding his bike. The temperature was a bit on the chilly side so the pit was a welcome addition to our enjoyment.

Then it happened&emdash;we watched as David took a corner too sharply and CRASH. He looked down at his knee and the screaming started. Rich ran for David while I ran into the house to get a towel to wrap up his leg. Before I made it outside I heard Rich say "It's real bad. We need to go to the hospital." Not what any parent wants to hear. Then the screaming really began. David was pleading and begging with us not to take him to the hospital. When we explained we had to, he asked that we make sure they didn't give him stitches.

Abigail, dressing David's wound

The staff at the hospital was wonderful, even with a full waiting room. It seemed like everyone in town had gone out for enjoyment and came back with an injury. They talked calmly, but honestly with David. When we finally got to see a nurse and she saw the injury, she explained she thought there wasn't enough skin left to sew up the wound. But that would be decided by the doctor. David was very happy!

Before he would let the doctor see his wound he said "In my opinion there isn't enough to sew up. There isn't any flap to pull together. In my opinion it just needs to be cleaned." The doctor took this in good humor since she was so sure David had spoken out his years of medical school training. She agreed there wasn't a need for stitches, but that she wanted X-rays taken to make sure there wasn't a fracture. She was right since he chipped off a piece of his knee. This along with the open wound makes an infection a major concern. So David is supposed to stay off his leg and rest for a week. We are to change the bandages every 24 hours and see the orthopedic doctor at the end of the week.

After just under eight hours we finally made it home and crawled into bed around 2:00 am. We did head out to the local coffee shop on Saturday morning and read while we relaxed.

We called our dear friend Abigail, who is a Registered Nurse, to change his bandage on Sunday. She has graciously offered to come over and change them for us, but we are going to try to take care of it ourselves (O.K. Rich will). It will be a tough week as we try to keep David content and off his leg. But, we are very thankful it wasn't worse.

Field Trip Update

2009-03-19T13:47:00.002-04:00

After getting the information on the field trip for the eighth grade field trip in the morning, I was upset by the lack of thought or consideration shown to the special education kids. My anger grew as I received a note from the school stating that due to David's issues I would need to attend also. Along with the $50.00 for David I would need to pay $50.00 for myself if David was to attend.

I called and spoke with the vice principal and was told David wasn't being targeted since the others in his class were told their parents would need to attend if the child was going. She understood that coming up with $100.00 in cash overnight was difficult and she would speak to the principal and the teacher in charge the next day.

Yesterday I waited for the phone call and finally at 11:00 I called. Both the principal and teacher in charge were out sick. So, it should be alright if we wait until the next day and settle the situation then. My question was - would waiting the extra day prevent David from attending since we were told the paperwork and money was due that day. I was told "it shouldn't be a problem." But I couldn't get a firm answer that he would be included if we waited for an answer.

So I showed up at school at 12:40 to eat lunch with David and turn in David's paperwork and his money. I was quite surprised to see the (reportedly sick) principal there. Apparently, he had come in at noon so I was able to speak to him. It was settled that David would attend and I would go to oversee and could pay my fee sometime before the end of the school year. So David will be able to attend.

My concern goes beyond just David. I know that this situation is going to prevent some of the other kids in his class from experiencing the normal childhood experience of a field trip.

An Outstanding Teacher

2009-03-17T13:23:00.004-04:00

We received a phone call from David's English teacher this morning. She had two things she needed to talk to me about. As she was telling me how much David has improved over the last five weeks my mind was dreading what the second thing would be. This was the course for many of my discussions with teachers—the "but...." that would follow. I was very glad to hear that he was progressing well in her class without his one-on-one aide.

The second thing was not a but!! During the morning television announcements they reminded the eighth graders that the money and permission slips for their field trip to Washington, DC, needs to be turned in tomorrow. The problem is that no one in her eighth grade homeroom knew anything about it. All these kids are in special education classes and the information for the field trip had not been given to the special education history teacher. The history teacher that is charge of the field trip is out sick today and no one know where the paperwork is. The teacher who called only knows that the papers and $50.00 in cash are due tomorrow.

I will be taking David to school tomorrow in order to talk to the teacher in charge. I want to make sure all the paperwork is completed properly and that the cash is received and a receipt given. I don't want an excuse down the road that prevents David from attending. I don't know if this was just an oversight or an intentional slight to the special ed classes. I will also be speaking to the office about this issue so that it doesn't happen to others in the future.

I am very happy that David's homeroom teacher has looked out for her students. She has always gone above and beyond what is in her "job description." She has a loving heart and a level head. His one-on-one has also agreed to go on the field trip with David. These individuals are a big reason that David is doing so well.

It really upsets me that the kids who are in special education are often forgotten. This has happened before. One year after buying a yearbook and waiting months for it we found that even though David's picture was taken it wasn't in the yearbook. I went to the parent who was in charge and questioned her. They had forgotten to add the special ed classes. I demanded our money back and then asked her how she would feel if her child were left out. I reminded her that just because they had issues didn't mean that the parents loved them less or that they shouldn't be included in a school-wide publication.

Spring Is In The Air

2009-03-12T15:03:00.006-04:00

After last weeks snow storm and freezing weather it appeared that spring was not ready to appear. But this week we were able to eat outside one evening and the flowers are raising their heads out of the ground. I love the colors and beauty as the world awakens after the long sleep of winter.

However, the spring in the air plays havoc with my allergies. I have tried lots of different prescription and non-prescription meds to combat them. Unfortunately none have seemed to work for me. Even the doctors have commented that there is nothing more that they can try. So for the last several nights I have slept on the sofa with my head propped up. Not a very comfortable way to get a good nights sleep! But at least I can breathe and not keep poor Rich up all night with my coughing and sneezing.

This also means that the last several days I have had to drag myself from chore to chore because of my lack of sleep. I also keep trying meds to reduce the effects of allergies, which makes me very tired.

Our friends Joe and Abigail called to see if they could come over for dinner last night. We had already issued an open-ended invitation to them so it didn't create any problems. We had such a wonderful time of fellowship and this was the first night that Isabella came over. She was wide-eyed and David had such a fun time showing her his inventions. Now, remember Isabella is not quite 3 months old.

David was thrilled that they came over since our other "kids" are all on spring break. David waits outside for our guests to come and often walks the pretty girls back out after dinner. So the unexpected guests made David's night.

Making Do

2009-03-05T20:26:00.006-05:00

In this economy, most of us are looking for ways to use everything we can. So often when we think of leftovers it is with dread that we reheat them and serve to our loved ones. Sometimes I will use leftovers for lunch the next day, but at other times I will freeze them for later use.

About a month ago I froze a quart size container of homemade spaghetti sauce, alas too little to make a meal and too much to just toss out. So I pulled it out along with some tart sized pastry shells that I already had in the freezer. I baked the shells according to the directions just long enough to brown them, then scooped the spaghetti sauce into the shells and continued to bake. After the sauce was heated through I sprinkled some shredded cheese on top and left them just long enough to melt the cheese.

The response from my family was a request that I make this again in the future. It was so easy to make and required very little in the amount of pots and pans needed. David even asked that I keep the last uneaten one for him to eat tomorrow. So, leftovers don't have to be boring or ho-hum because with a little creativity it can be a blessing for both your pocketbook and the time spent in the kitchen.

Snow Day

2009-03-02T11:11:00.004-05:00

The sky has opened up and dumped loads of snow onto us. We have gotten used to not having much snow since the mountains tend to block the storms from hitting us hard. Yesterday evening we received rain and snow but by the time we went to bed everything just looked wet and cold with no white covering. The schools called last night (yes, there is an automated system that calls parents to let us know) telling us that there would be no school today. We didn't inform David of this because he would have been up at 4 a.m. to take advantage of extra play time.

But during the night I woke up several times due to brightness that was streaming into our room. Looking out this morning I was amazed at the total coverage of snow on everything. It is so beautiful!

The Best Dessert

2009-02-27T13:13:00.010-05:00

Sorry, couldn't get a picture before
it was all gone.

I still remember the first time I ever had white chocolate. We were visiting my relatives in upstate New York during Easter. My cousins’ Easter baskets contained white chocolate bunnies. I was given a bite and have been sold on it ever since.

So when I found a recipe for dessert bars that uses white chocolate I had to give it a try. I made them Wednesday night when our college students came over and boy were they glad. I heard “this is the best dessert I have ever had” and “this is amazing.” One of the students even asked if we had enough for him to take a piece home.

So I thought I would share the recipe.

White Chocolate Bars

2 cups	all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp.	salt
1 cup	unsalted butter, softened
1 cup	firmly packed light brown sugar
1	large egg, room temperature
1 tsp.	vanilla extract
1 cup	chopped pecans
2	4-ounce Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes in pre-heated oven.
Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan. In a small bowl combine the flour and salt. In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour mixture and mix thouroughly. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Sprinkle half of the roasted pecans on top of the mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.
After removing the bars from the oven, break chocolate bars into chips and sprinkle on top while bars are still warm. Let stand for 5 minutes then spread the chocolate in a thin layer. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top.

Allow the bars to cool before cutting and serving.

The Name Game

2009-02-25T15:07:00.008-05:00

When we prepared to become parents we spent so much time trying to come up with a name that we wanted our child to go through life with. We tried first names with middles names and checked them out with our last name. We were very lucky that we agreed without any wrangling or having to compromise.

Druthelia?

As I have been doing family research and having to go page by page in the census between 1870 and 1930 I have found many trends. Some names still sound very pretty, but have fallen out of style. While others that were very common are no longer used and with good reason. I ran across the name Druthelia and in the same county I found it six times.

We are very fortunate as the parents of one son not to have to worry about what a daughter’s name could become when she marries. How would you like to have to go through your married life as Kitty Peed (Cape Coral, Florida) or Vaseline Love (Jackson, Tennessee)?

Kitty Peed?

What I can’t understand is a parent’s desire to be creative without thinking that being attached to a silly name can lead to ridicule. Would you buy shoes from Noway Near White of Columbus, Ohio? Like it isn’t hard enough being the youngest of twenty-two children did they really have to name the poor child Pepsi Cola Atom-Bomb Washington?

If you want to check out some more unfortunate and odd names you need to check out this site.

Have fun and be thankful your parents weren’t so weird after all.

An Abuse of Power?

2009-02-24T12:09:00.005-05:00

Yesterday at breakfast David was very ornery. Nothing was going to make him happy—not even homemade blueberry muffins. So at the breakfast table I tried to explain that his attitude wasn’t going to make for a great day at school. He then told me that he was mad at me because I was mean to him, just because I was the parent and was allowed to.

Hmmm, now what was this about? So after asking him about his statement I found out he felt that I was abusing my power because I made him clean his room, hang up his coat after coming back in and take off his tennis shoes when he came in from playing in the mud. I have no idea how he can imagine these common courtesies of life could ever be considered abusive.

So, I decided to teach him a little lesson about what Mom really does. I explained that he would have to plan, make, and clean up his own meal last night. I would cook the meal I had already planned and take care of Rich’s and my meal, but he was on his own. I also explained that since his room is a mess with K'Nex and Legos all over the floor, I would not be putting his laundry away. So if he wanted warm cloths in the morning he would need to put them away himself.

David began his meal prep as for an adventure, “I don’t mind, this will be fun.” It only became an issue when the food was cooking and I made him clean the items he had used in preparing his meal. The cleaning wasn’t any fun.

During the meal Rich told David he needed to eat with his fork, since David was using his fingers instead of the fork. That’'s when David whined, "then I’ll have to wash the fork!" This from the same child that in the last week had to change from using a fork to using a spoon and then back to a new fork—all duringone meal.

Following the meal he was not a happy son as he was made to clean up the pan, cup, plate and fork he used.

I am happy to say this morning’s breakfast was a much happier event for us. When we talked about the situation from yesterday I explained that he only had to take care of himself for one meal on one day. Think about what I must do when I cook for three people, three times a day and it’s every day. He looked shocked as I said this and asked “three meals?” Since he is at school he never thought about the fact that Mom and Dad still eat lunch even when he’s not here.

The room is still not clean, but the cooking, cleaning and taking trash out took a lot of his time last evening, more then he ever thought it would.

A Lovely Weekend

2009-02-17T14:45:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday was Valentine's Day and I had the day planned for my sweethearts. The night before, I had given my men their gifts—a nice bottle of wine and a movie for my hubby while David got a stuffed dog and beautiful crystal drinking glass. David loves to drink out of our fancy crystal and since he isn't always so graceful this was also a gift for us. I received a book on genealogy and a glass pitcher.

The next morning we headed out early to deliver David to Saturday school (once again.) Rich and I then headed to the local market where they were holding the "Chocolate Challenge." Local people could enter different types of chocolate for looks and taste and there were lots of chocolate venders that we were able to purchase from. We bought a few goodies for each other and some close friends. We then headed over to a great coffee shop across the street. Rich and I had breakfast and had lots of time together before picking David up.

David and me at the restaurant

After getting David we headed for lunch at a wonderful restaurant next to train tracks, just the type of place to interest David. Once again he ordered calamari and you would think he hadn't eaten in a month. There were several trips out to the porch for him as trains would go by.

The best part of the day came next and was a live play at his future high school. The nationally aclaimed drama department was putting on "Disney's Beauty and the Beast." We had heard lots of good comments about the drama department and so when I had to plunk down $10.00 a piece for a high school play I was a bit worried. But, I thought with so many school systems that have cut all their art programs due to budget problems this is one way to keep a program going.

After lunch we headed to the school a full 45 minutes before the program was to begin. When we got there we were surprised to see that the parking lot was already almost completely full. The auditorium was beautiful and very large, but was quickly filling up. There was not only a center stage and orchestra pit, but also a small stage on both sides of the main stage. Luckily we got a place up close and sat back to wait for the show to begin.

The stage settings and costumes were amazing! Everything looked so professional. The acting and singing was wonderful and the kids weren't even fazed when a prop that was to go off stage became detached from the piece that was to drag it off stage. This resulted in a wishing well right in the middle of the beasts castle. The kids acted around it and when Belle walked off stage at the end of the scene she just pushed it off.

It proved to be well worth the price of the tickets and we hope to attend more of these productions in the future. David was shocked that the kids who acted, played in the orchestra, made the sets and costumes were only a few years older then he is. He has already expressed an interest in working on the props in next year's production.
By the time we got home we were all exhausted and ready for an early bedtime.

A Few Nuts in The Family Tree

2009-02-13T20:31:00.005-05:00

As I continue my research into my family tree I have found some really interesting people. Some I am directly descended from and others I share ancestors with. One nut in the family tree was an early-day Jim Bakker.

Mary Stallard was born in Virginia on November 13, 1862. She fell in love with Ben Purnell, a traveling preacher. She and Ben eloped, her family was against the marriage and sent her brother to bring the bride back home. She convinced her brother she would kill herself if she had to return home. So instead of going home she began her life beside Ben traveling town to town holding camp meetings.

In 1903, twenty three years into their marriage Ben created “The House of David.” The members believed that Ben was the voice of the seventh angel written of in Revelation. They began their “ministry” in Brian, Ohio, but were run off due to a law forbidding cults. They then went to Benton Harbor, Michigan, and began a colony that was known for its beauty and majesty.

Members were required to give all their worldly possessions to Ben, but also to become vegetarians, grow their hair and beards, abstain from tobacco, alcohol and even sex—including married couples. The members also had to work at building, farming or religious training. The community sold homemade jellies and jams.

Their self-sustained amusement park attracted over 200,000 a year during its hey-day. The community also sent out a baseball team, a basketball team, and a band.
The “House of David” grew quickly and at one time there were several thousand members in America, England, Canada, and Australia. But the roof began to fall in and by 1927 Ben had embezzled more than three million dollars and began another cult. Mary ran Ben off. The United States government declared it a monopoly . The holdings were broken up and the workers were to receive a salary. This resulted in a name change to “Mary’s House of David.”

The official line is that Ben Purnell died during this time and was buried in Michigan. However, family history tells that a gardener was buried in his coffin and that Ben died in Argentina.

This story caught my attention and I just had to check some of it out and even found an article about the cult in Time magazine from June 17, 1966. You might also want to click on the websites for “House of David” and “Mary's House of David.” They are very interesting reads. The information from the family’s perspective, and what enlightened me about this story, is titled "The Addingtons of Virginia" and was researched by two very thorough ladies—Nancy Clark Brown and Rhoda Roberson.

Mount Vernon

2009-02-12T13:38:00.009-05:00

This past weekend Rich had to be in Northern Virginia for work, so a day trip was in order. Even though we had lived close to Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington’s home, we had never taken David there. Both Rich and I had taken school trips to visit this historic house. One of my school trips even included a boat ride up the Potomac to the house. One of the reasons we never took David was that as a historic landmark with much of the original furnishings it is not a good place for a child that needs to touch everything.

We were very fortunate since last week was very cold we weren't sure how long we would tour the grounds. But, the weather was beautiful with the bluest sky and just the right temperature for a light jacket.

David standing in George’s fireplace

Mount Vernon is unusual in that it never left the Washington family until a group of ladies in the early 1800s formed a group and purchased the property for $200,000.00. The ladies felt the house should remain as it was during our first president’s years in residence. The ladies were very fortunate that at the time of George Washington’s death there was a complete inventory of everything in the house, down to the smallest item. So most of the pieces in the home were in use during the Revolutionary War and the years of Washington’s presidency. The house remained open for tours during the Civil War and many soldiers on both sides passed through the house, but they were required to lay down their arms first.

David's picture up the inside of the fireplace

You know David. His favorite part of the trip was playing in the yard next to the river. His second favorite activity of the day was eating at the Mount Vernon Inn. There is a food court at the complex with pizzas and burgers, but we went for atmosphere. The Mount Vernon Inn specializes in Colonial-era food and is served by workers in period costumes. The portions were so large that we decided to save half to take home in order to save room for dessert. Since we were at George’s house I had to order a cherry pie to honor him. Yes, I know the chopping down of the cherry tree is not a true story, but I still couldn’t resist. David ate his whole meal, Rich’'s potatoes, his dessert, half of my cherry pie and half of Rich’s chocolate cake.

This is a must-see place for anyone in the area.

A Failure to Communicate

2009-02-10T10:05:00.006-05:00

Sunday night when David was putting his toys away (O.K. throwing his toys into a container in the closet) the bucket broke. This resulted in the cry "I can't finish my room because the bucket is broken." Oh so very convenient.

Yesterday morning I went out to Target to get more containers in different sizes for his toys. So last night I made David clean out his entire closet and place the different toys in their own containers with lids. So all the Legos went in one container, the K'Nex in another, and so it went. This made him overjoyed. (Ok, I'm being a bit sarcastic.) The job he got out of the day before because of the abuse in putting his things away resulted in an entire evening of cleaning. After two and a half hours he called to me “Mom, I'm finally finished.”

When I arrived in his room for the inspection you can imagine my surprise when the sight that greeted me included clothes on the floor toys stacked in the corner and papers just shoved onto his bookshelf. This is not my idea of clean, but he claims he didn't see what the problem was. When I calmly told him “Honey, this is not clean” he told Rich I was being really mean because I called him “Honey.” He even told Rich I didn't understand how hard it is because even the kitchen doesn’t get this dirty.

Rich explained the reason it doesn’t is that I am constantly working at it to prevent a massive problem for our family. I will say the toys in the containers in the closet were done very well and that was clean. But there was more work to do.

He did have to clean the rest of the room and finished just minutes before bedtime. I am hoping this process will show him he will only delay and increase his work when it’s not done correctly right away.

I Don't Like That

2009-02-04T10:16:00.007-05:00

When David was a baby there was only one thing he wouldn't eat—pears. Everything else was devoured. As a toddler he would eat everything in sight. When we ate out with several of my cousins and their families when he was just 15 months old he ate all his food and half of everyone else’s at the table.

When he became about five years old he would go through spurts where he only wanted to eat one thing at every meal. For about a week it would be hot dogs then he would refuse to eat them because he didn't like them. Then it was scrambled eggs, then ... well you get the gist. At around this time he convinced himself he didn't like anything with barbecue sauce on it, it couldn't even touch the rest of his food or he would refuse to eat it. If I made ribs, his had to be cooked separately without any sauce.

Just a few months ago after cooking a dinner with one set of chicken with barbecue sauce it and another without he decided he wanted the chicken with the sauce—aargh! I explained that he would need to eat the chicken that was made for him. This of course only made him want the chicken with sauce even more. So I let him use the leftover sauce on his. That did it. “I love barbecue sauce,” was the new refrain. He even laughed over his long refusal to eat anything with barbecue sauce.

This past weekend I made ribs and Rich and I had to fight to get any of the ribs before David scarfed them down. He even requested that I save three of the ribs so he could take them to school the next day for lunch.

The Times They Have Changed

2009-01-30T11:37:00.003-05:00

Last week I shared that I had picked up my family’s genealogy research. I am very fortunate to have many clues of our past, since my relatives tend live long. Even in the 1800’s they tended to live into their late 60s or even into their 80s. My relatives have also pretty much stayed in the same areas for generations. So far I can trace my family before the War of Northern Aggression (or to some of you the Civil War.)

In my quest for documentation I have been requesting copies from the court clerks and state offices. I have found that while the state archives have copies of much of the documentation the county clerks or local historical societies actually hold the originals. I have also found that the local sources have a much more reasonable rate for a certified copy of these documents. Can you imagine a relative’s 1850’s marriage record for $2.50? While the state archives will charge $10.00 or more just to see if they retain a copy. If they don’t you have just lost your money.

Not only do the documents I receive hold a key to my family’s personal history I have been given a glimpse into our country’s history. For instance, the current argument about seperation of church and state and the mind of the founding fathers. Just yesterday I received an official marriage license from Hawkins County in the state of Tennessee. The date of the marriage license is September 13, 1887, and begins with To any Minister of the Gospel, having the care of Souls, or Justice of the Peaces for said county-GREETING. Yes, that’s right—to a minister of the Gospel, not to a minister of the Koran or any other religous writing.

Wikipedia defines gospel as:

"In Christianity, a gospel (from Old English, "good news") is generally one of the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. The four canonical texts are the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke, and Gospel of John, probably written between 65 and 100 AD. They appear to have been originally untitled; they were quoted anonymously in the first half of the second century (ie 100 - 150) but the names by which they are currently known appear suddenly around the year 180.

While Merriam-Webster defines it as:

often capitalized: the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation bcapitalized : one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ; also : a similar apocryphal book : an interpretation of the Christian message
capitalized : a selection from one of the New Testament Gospels
the message or teachings of a religious teacher
something accepted or promoted as infallible truth or as a guiding principle or doctrine
gospel music

While the Merriam-Webster definition does show that gospel can be used as teachings of a religious teacher the times it is capialized is when in reference to Christianity. Even the certificate for my grandparents who married in New York it states Be it known that on the 17th day of July in the Year of our Lord 1936.

It appears that the further I go back in time the more I find these references to our Christian heritage and not less. Many of the early records that the state archives hold are family Bibles and church records.

Even if the documents weren’t relatives, I would be fascinated with the language and formality of the documents. I am also amazed that the forms are filled out in such a cavalier fashion. The wedding license for one groom lists his name as M.M. Horner. It is only through his daughter’s death certificate do I find that his name was Milton. In another wedding license I find the name of the groom’s father is spelled incorrectly while the official certificate lists Dunkin it should be Duncan. Sometimes my grandmother’s maiden name is listed as Reese and at other times as Reece.

It’s a great big puzzle and I love seeing if the puzzle pieces fit. It can be very frustrating when the pieces don’t fit, but when that missing piece is found it is wonderful. With all the available information on the internet there’s no better time to begin a search for your past.

Getting Ready for the Game

2009-01-28T15:26:00.020-05:00

Our church gets together to "watch" the Super Bowl. I say watch, but it tends to be more of glancing at the game. Just enough watching in order to know who's ahead. In fact, one young man the year before last got very upset because there was "too much noise" and people weren't watching the game. The guy went home around half time when he realized he was the only one who had to listen to every word the commentator had to say. The fun of a Super Bowl party is just getting together with friends and even good natured cheering for opposing teams.

Everyone brings food and all evening people go back and grab a bit more to eat. There is usually so much food that the table is covered in crock pots and desserts.

I usually take my tostados. It's a wonderful and easy dish that reheats well. The only problem is that it's so good none ever makes it home.

Tostadas

· 3 lbs ground beef, browned
· 3 large cans refried beans
· 3 envelopes taco seasoning mix
· 2 8oz. cans tomato sauce
· 1-1/2 cups water
· shredded cheese
· Scoops tortillas

Combine the ground beef, refried beans, taco seasoning, tomato sauce and water in a slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on low for several hours.

Use the scoops as spoons and top with the shredded cheese.

So if you're looking for a great football meal this is it!

Finally Snow

2009-01-26T15:12:00.003-05:00

This morning we finally got more then five minutes of flurries. This snow fall lasted just over an hour. Since there was no school today, due to teacher work day, David happily ran outside to play in the snow.

I thought we might have snow last night since our deer family came out early in the evening looking for food. Yes, not only have we brought Roger the rabbit into our home, now we have a family of four deer that explore our backyard for food. When it was really cold last week we found the family within a few feet of our back door. That is when we started to put apples on the back patio every few days. Yesterday when I peeked outside around 4:00 pm I saw the deer were already eating their dinner.

A turkey is roasting in the oven and after dinner we will sit by the fire and enjoy a good movie. I just wish that "Fireproof" was out today instead of tomorrow!

A View Of The Past

2009-01-21T13:27:00.008-05:00

Last week while on Facebook I found my high school best friend, Cindy. We spent the next hour IMing to catch up with each other since our marriages. I found it funny that our personal hobbies have gone along the same path. She was using her day off to research her family history.

About twenty years ago I began researching my family's history. I loved not just discovering the dates of my forefathers lives but also getting glimpses into their personal world. One of my great great grandfathers was a blacksmith. I found two ancestors that had been murdered.

My quest into my family's past brought me closer to my Great uncle Russ. Uncle Russ was the family keeper of history before me and he was very glad to be able to pass along the past into my hands. He wrote me letters that included names and dates but he also gave me a priceless gift of personal stories.

Rich and I took our video recorder and spent a week with Russ and his wonderful wife Nell. During this week Russ couldn't wait to tell his personal memories on tape for future generations. Russ knew that when he died all the stories would have gone with him if we hadn't begun this project.

My great-great grandfather, John Russell Hamilton

The stories were wonderful of days gone by, days of when coal was king and our family lived and worked in the Virginia coal mines. Russ even drove us through the mine town and showed us where my father lived and told us about how the miners lived.

He told of his grandfather's body being laid out in the livingroom with the bullet holes in his chest after he was murdered. Russ did not have vital records or documentation, but the information he passed along was very valuable. Russ had many dates that I have been able to document. I have even acquired a copy of the trial from the man that murdered my great-great grandfather. In 1996 Russ passed away and I am so thankful that my project brought me closer to this special man. Russ lived just long enough to meet our David that had been born just the month before Russ' death.

With David coming into our lives I placed my genealogy research away. I had reached a point that made it neccesaary to invest more time in order to dig deeper. But the time was no longer available with a baby, then active toddler, then child to raise.

My great grandmother, Lexie Hamilton

Over the last year I thought many times "I would love to pick my research back up again." After my conversation with Cindy I finally pulled out my research.

In the intervening years I had received some more information from my grandfather that I would love to delve into. I pulled out my research over the weekend and made my first foray into ancestry.com and usgenweb.org. Oh my, what a different world it has become! With just a little bit of work I was able to obtain information that years ago would have required a trip to the local courthouse at the other end of the state, then hours spent pouring over dusty old books.

One of the documents that I found this weekend gave me a bit of info that helps back up a family story. I had been told that one great grandfather died from drinking a Coke. The story goes that in the days when Coke contained cocaine my great grandfather worked in a grocery store and during a break drank a coke and died of a heartattack due to the cocaine. When I received his death certificate the cause of death was unknown. I was amazed that a healthy 34 year old man dying unexpectedly would not be a cause to investigate. But, I was able to locate his WW1 draft registration card listing his job as working at Harden grocery store.

Not evidence, but I thought it was interesting. I also found others working on the same branches of the family tree that I am. However, I have found that many don't use proper sources to back up their research. I also found several that have wrong dates because of their lack of sources. I know demanding documentation causes my work to take longer and makes it harder to do, but it also makes me happy to know that my work is accurate.

I look at this research for not just my own enjoyment, but as a legacy for future generations.

Exciting Meeting

2009-01-16T15:36:00.006-05:00

Last night we braved the freezing weather to attend the high school guidance meeting. We were the first to arrive so I got to speak to the head of guidance from the high school. I spoke with David's current counselor about my concerns for a late-in-the-day physical education class. This was a mistake that had occured last year when P.E. was the second class of the day. They couldn't understand why after second period David was so hyper and had problems calming down. They felt maybe a change in meds was in order. But when I brought up the fact that second period was gym—that was no big surprise for me.

This year gym was scheduled for sixth period which has increased his abibly to make it through the day. The head of guidance at the high school let me know that when David receives his schedule, if I am not happy with the time that Physical Education is scheduled she will be happy to change it with just a phone call.

The meeting started a little late and I was surprised to see that only about 25 parents were in attendance. As the meeting went on more parents showed up, but still a poor showing.

My first question is "Can I go to high school too?" The programs they offer at David's future school are amazing. The school is nationally known for it's drama department with classes in acting, dance, playwriting, directing, theatre design and costuming. A large music program, architectural drawing, and auto body. Some of the more amazing courses are dental careers, medical assistant, and emergency medical technician. Two of the electives David is interested in are Culinary Arts and Video and Media Technology. Lots of AP and dual credit courses are available (credits that count for high school and college).

Most of the parents' questions dealt with how to schedule my child with the hardest classes to get them into the best college. I was happy to hear the counselors say that the students need to take the classes that will challenge the student, but it was better for them to achieve an A or B in a lower class then to receive a C or D in a higher class. They encouraged the parents to not over schedule their children. They encouraged the parents to include some enjoyment in the schedule, that colleges wanted to see a student that is well-rounded.

My concern is more about getting David into classes that earn him a diploma and grades that give him the option of getting into college. I also want him to explore in high school a class that can teach him a skill that is marketable. Many would say this is not a very high expectation but with David's issues this is more than many would expect of him.

The schools are closed today not for snow but because of the extreme cold here. I know many from the great north will laugh at this. The high today has been 21 degrees with a low of 9 degrees this morning. In our area this is unheard of so our cars and buses are not up to handling this.

High School Already?

2009-01-15T11:27:00.004-05:00

Shortly before school broke for the Christmas break the eight grade students brought home papers preparing parents for High School. Yes, I think as David's parent I am less prepared than David is for the upcoming changes.

I think our school system is better at preparing the students for their futures than mine was as I entered high school. I remember that we had a field trip to the high school in order to become familiar with it but that was about all. I don't remember any career assessments or meetings with counselors to schedule our classes.

You could always request a meeting with a counselor, but it wasn't necessary. When it was time to schedule, they gave us a list of the classes that were required and the remainder could be filled in as we saw fit. Then they set up tables in an auditorium and we went from table to table to try to get all the classes scheduled. Sometimes we would have to start all over when we found that a mandatory class was all filled up in the only spot we had left on our schedule.

David—almost a high schooler

Tonight the parents of eight graders are being encouraged to attend a Parent Program with Guidance counselors from the high school. So guess where I'll be tonight.
In March the school will hold a Career Fair during school hours.

But, so much changes in the years from middle school until graduation in our world it can be hard for a student to know what jobs will be even around in when it's time to enter the work force. This became clear when we spoke with our friend Ryan last night. Much of his classes deal with finances. With the economy in the shape it's in and the government entering as business partners in much of the banking and auto industries, are the principles he has learned going to be practiced in the future?

It is reasurring that David's future isn't held in my hands, but in the hands of our Creator.

No Power To Me

2009-01-10T09:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the day started with such promise. The house was clean and all I needed to do was grocery shop for next week and two loads of laundry to have everything done.

That's when it all went horribly wrong. I got back from shopping to find that the school had called and David was having a bad day. This included him turning in a library book with the cover ripped off. He then explained that I had done it and it wasn't his fault. Only, when he went to school the book was perfectly intact.

The librarian called and told us that we would need to pay for it. He later admitted that he had been horseplaying on the bus and had been kicking the book which resulted in the cover being torn off. But, this really made me look bad with the librarian.

Then a short while later the house shook and the lights flickered. Then all power went out—no lights, no phone and no internet. We looked outside and there are wires down across our small road. We looked down the road and saw an RL Carriers truck had pulled down the overhead wires and the wires were stuck in between his cab and trailer.

Since Rich was working on a big time sensitive project, we headed to Panera's to hook up on their wi-fi, only their network was down also. So on to the church for a wi-fi hookup for Rich.

I went home to wait on the power and was pleasantly surprised that they came on shortly after I got home.

Already we have had a visitor from the phone company since our neighbor's phone was out due to the down lines. They were looking for an eye witness so they would know who was responsible for the damage. Luckily I had sent Rich out with his camera and he took pictures of the truck and the damage it caused.

Needless to say I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. But, I have to admit it makes an interesting story.

I Love Gadgets

2009-01-08T18:11:00.006-05:00

I am a kitchen gadget collector. I am in heaven when I can roam a Williams Sonoma store undisturbed. I drool over the gadgets I see when I browse the newest cooking magazine.

So you can imagine my delight when I received a mandoline (not the musical instrument) slicer for Christmas. It came in my kitchen red color so it just proved that it was meant to be mine. It's made by Kitchen Aid and is very sturdy while being easy to use and easy to clean. It came with three different plates for slicing and adjusts to different widths.

My new mandoline

I have used my mandoline at least five times so far. Since Rich can't eat anything that is deep fried, it allows me to make home fries or chips that he can enjoy. After slicing the potatoes I coat them in olive oil and salt before baking them.

Before receiving my mandoline I use to slice the potatoes by hand and it took so much longer and the slices were uneven. This sometimes created an issue with getting all the fries cooked evenly. My homefries were a commonly requested item from our college students on Wednesday nights so I spent quite a bit of time in preparing the fries.
The fries are so much better then any frozen fries and are way less expensive. A little more overall work but so worth it.

Thinking Ahead

2009-01-07T13:39:00.009-05:00

I admit it, I am a planner. I love to give to others but our budget doesn't always allow for everything I would love to do. So with a bit of planning and organizing I am able to do more.

This year I wanted to give a small thank you to David's teachers. I know that teaching isn't an easy job and want the teachers to know that they are appreciated.

But, as a middle school student David changes classes and has multiple teachers, along with the school nurse that gives him meds each day and his one-on-one specialist there are lots of people to thank. It was so much easier when he was in elementary school and only had one teacher!

So after thinking and searching for a nice, but inexpensive way to thank each of the people who touch David's life every day I finally found it. Betty Crocker's web site had a recipe for Cookie Cutter Fudge. The recipe was quick, easy and cheap. The idea is to make the fudge in the cookie cutters then remove the cutters before giving the fudge. I decided to keep the fudge in the cutter since it would keep the fudge in better shape as David went through the day delivering his gift. It also made the gifts a little nicer without too much of a cost.

I used the recipe right from their site, but I imagine any good recipe would work. They were so well received that when I found beautful cooper cookie cutters at Kroger this morning I snatched them up for next year. They are normally $2.99 each, but I got them at only .75 each!

This would also work well for Valentine's Day in little heart shaped cutters so I thought I would pass along the idea now.

Betty Crocker's Cookie Cutter Fudge

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Betty Crocker^® white or red decorator icing (in 4.25-ounce tube), if desired
Candies, if desired

Place each of six 3x1/2-inch mitten-shaped cookie cutters, or other cookie cutters in a simple shape, on 5-inch square of foil. Seal foil tightly around outside of each cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet. Lightly spray cookie cutters with cooking spray.

In 4-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, milk and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are almost melted. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture into cookie cutter molds, filling to tops of molds. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until firm. Decorate with icing and candies.

Carefully remove foil. Gently press fudge out of molds to serve.

Taking His Job Seriously

2009-01-05T08:37:00.007-05:00

With my in-laws visiting for Christmas we planned to show them many sites around town. We wanted to show them the reasons we enjoy our town so much.

On the Saturday following Christmas we began the day at the community market. We went to a coffee shop and used book store.

We then headed to the old cemetery. There were over 600 wreathes layed on graves by Wreaths Across America. The wreaths are placed by volunteers on the headstones of our nation's fallen heroes. It was a beautiful site with the starkness of winter and the beautiful greenery of the wreathes. We were not alone at the cemetery, we must have seen at least 15 to 20 other visitors. I had planned the day with a picnic basket already packed in the car, so we pulled it out and enjoyed it on the hill overlooking the decorated graves. As we were enjoying our turkey sandwiches I saw a sight that sent me into a fit of laughter.

I had grown up hearing the postal service saying "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." But we saw a mailman that went even beyond this motto. Around the bend at the cemetery came a mail truck. I just had to get this image of him delivering Christmas bills to the dead. Now how many take their job that seriously? Ok, I know he was really just delivering to the on site museum but I still found it very funny.

Happy 2009

2009-01-01T17:15:00.005-05:00

Today begins a new year and I haven't quite caught up with last year yet.
We had Rich's parents visiting over Christmas and between the before-visit prep, the visit, and the clean-up following the visit I have had very little time to even sit down—let alone blog.

Their visit prompted me to completely unpack every single box that still remained from our move. I also cleaned the house and basement (where all the boxes were stored) from top to bottom. Then the decorating and planning of meals all before the visit had be exhausted before they even got here.

They arrived a few hours earlier then expected, just as I was finishing the final touches in the kitchen. Since it was Christmas Eve, I then had dinner to prepare and we all went to the candlelight worship service.

Christmas morning came bright and early with David waking us up at 5 in the morning. With the gift opening, cooking and cleaning I was on my feet all day.
After Christmas we took the opportunity to show Rich's parents around the town that we have fallen in love with. Since this was only their second visit to our home, their first visit just one month after moving to our new town, we took them to all the neat little places we have discovered.

Our guests have now all gone home and the clean-up has begun. Our livingroom still shows signs of hurricane K'Nex that are left over from Christmas morning. The decorations are still up and probably won't be packed up until David is back in school.

Even with clean-up still in progress I feel very blessed today sitting next to the fire with my handsome men beside me. My prayer is that I remember to feel as blessed and content every day this year as I do tonight.

School Pictures

2008-12-18T06:18:00.004-05:00

In kindergarten I had been absent from school for several days due to illness. On the day of my return I had school pictures. My mom had not been made aware that pictures were to be taken so no special care was made with my appearance. And after having been home for several days I imagine she was just glad to have me out of the house.

Original portrait

When they called our class it was during play time (yes in those days they let the kids play in kindergarten. See how old I am.) So I went with the class and had my picture taken. Only when the pictures came back did we see that the cheap chain necklace that I had on during playing house was still on. My hair was sticking out all over the place and my collar was not straight.

This experience had a massive effect on my attitude about the images I captured for the little children I would photograph. I didn't want anyone else to have a photo like the one I had as a memory of kindergarten.

When David had his picture taken in October I did not go to oversee it. I know he has a great smile and don't want to be a hovering mom. Later I wished I had. The photographer didn't order the package I paid for. She also didn't take a very good picture of David. She had him lean forward so his shoulders were all hunched over. His eyes were also not as open as they should be. I had the pictures retaken because of the problems and this time I took him to school and oversaw the process.

The retake

Even though this photographer had the student before him lean forward I told David to sit up straight. The smile was great and the eyes were more natural. David fussed about sitting up straight because it didn't feel good. He actually has good posture and this has not been a problem before. We have finally received the retakes and when I showed David both pictures side by side he said "boy my shoulders sure look bad" to the first picture.

I am glad that the company now sells CDs of the images with a release, which I purchased, so that I can legally show you the images.

Christmas Pageant

2008-12-17T13:01:00.007-05:00

Sunday evening our church put on a Christmas pageant that involved our adult choir and the children in the church. Rich sang in the choir so I took pictures from the balcony.

The children in their costumes were so adorable. I was so glad that they allowed all the children who wished to participate to be involved. Even our pastor's seven-month-old daughter was able to be a little lamb. The only problem with this was that the slightly older lambs wanted to play with her instead of paying attention to the music and the play going on around them.

Having been a children's photographer for six years I love to watch children. It was so much fun to watch the children's antics as the adults sang Christmas carols behind them. They began making faces, using their shepherds crooks to "capture" their friends and our pastor's young son checking the bottom of his shoe. We had two little lambs that must have realized that sheep don't wear shoes so they decided to remove their own.

The choir and children did a wonderful job. Many of our church members brought unsaved family members to watch the pageant. It was a great outreach with light snacks served in the fellowship hall after the program.

The church had so many people who worked hard on the program. They also stayed late into the night Saturday in order to return the sanctuary and hall back to order following Saturday's wedding.

For Everything There Is A Season

2008-12-16T17:19:00.010-05:00

Today the verses that my heart keeps returning to are Ecclesiastes 3:1&2.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.

Early this afternoon we received the news that our friends Joe and Abigail were the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl they have named Isabella. Joe's sister is so proud to be an auntie. This was the expected due date so she didn't disappoint those of us who couldn't wait to meet her.

As we began making plans to visit the happy family I received a phone call less than an hour later from my mother that my grandfather had passed away late last night.

This was exactly two weeks after her original call that they didn't expect him to make it through the day. He began to rally and they thought he would pull through with talk of even going to a nursing home. Over the last two weeks this cycle repeated several times.

My grandfather was always the strong silent type and he will be greatly missed. He also instilled within me a strong desire to learn about my Dutch heritage. Over 30 years ago he gave me a small silver charm that was shaped like a wooden shoe. When he purchased this token he told me he wanted me to have it so that when he was gone I could look at it and remember him. I still have this beautiful reminder of him and of our heritage, but I also am reminded of him as I sit at our kitchen table and look on the picture that always hung over their kitchen table. I also have the little cast iron stove above my sink that I played with at their house as a reminder. Grandpa's lack of a stable family growing up made him really treasure the family that he and Grandma had.

I was really glad to be able to rejoice with Joe and Abigail later at the hospital. Both sets of Baby Isabella's grandparents arrived from other states following the birth in order to meet and help the beautiful little princess.

This new little life has healed my heart just a little.

Tm and Melissa Ice- A Winter Wedding

2008-12-15T13:03:00.010-05:00

This past weekend we attended the wedding of a couple in our church. Tim and Melissa have dated for several years and on Saturday we were honored to be a part of their commitment to each other.

David and I sat up in the church balcony in order to be able to see better and get good pictures. Rich played bass before and during the ceremony so I was glad for my escort. After getting up to the balcony and getting settled, my escort, David, abandoned me. Our friend Abigail had decided to join us upstairs since her husband would be playing guitar and sing during the service. So David went and sat next to her.

The church was beautifully decorated in a very Christmas way. There were five trees on the platform with white twinkling lights and pointsettas lined the outer edge. Large red ornaments and hurricane lamps brightened the window sills.
Melissa was a beautiful bride. She wore a very elegant gown and the bridesmaids dresses were beautiful.

The couple incorporated their families well into different aspects of the service. Melissa has a large extended family that live in the area and we have gotten to know them well.

The reception was held at a renovated old building downtown. The building has a wonderful sweeping staircase at the rear of the building that the couple entered through. The wedding cake was made by our friend Stacy, who also acted as the wedding coordinator. We enjoyed fellowshiping with some good friends during the reception.

The couple will see many changes in the next few months. First their marriage then in the new year Tim will begin his career in the military as a chaplain.

A Virginia Christmas

2008-12-09T07:59:00.005-05:00

Everyone who know me knows I love Christmas. Sunday we traveled back in time with our friends Joe and Abigail. A local historic site, Point of Honor, held it's 26th Annual Christmas Open House. Point of Honor is a home that is being restored to the period of 1815 to 1830 when Dr. George Cabell and his wife owned the home.

The museum staff and the volunteers of the Lynchburg Museum System did a wonderful job. They were so wonderful and informative to all the visitors. The carriage house was used as a hospitality house with warm cider, hot cholocate, and cookies served to the guests while a harpist played. There was a fire pit outside the carriage house that was so inviting.

The house was open and decorated as it would have been for a Twelfth Night Ball supper. The decorations were mostly greenery from the local woods which would have been typical in the Federal period. The table in the diningroom held food dishes that were made following recipes dating back into the late 18th century. In the parlor was a trio that played (harp, flute, hammered dulcimer, guitar) and sang while we sat in chairs arranged around the room.

After leaving the house we headed to the cook house. Upon entering it there was a conversation going on about slavery. The visitor was really into the slavery issue and the abuses of the system. He was questioning the director of the Museum. After the visitors group left and we were able to enter, David enjoyed hearing about the food that the workers had made for the day. He even asked who would get to eat the food since the event was almost over. One of the worker jokingly asked if he wanted to eat the stuffed fish with the heads still intact. They were quite shocked when my thirteen-year-old jumped at the chance because he loves fish. They then explained that due to health codes and regulations they were not allowed to offer the guests the food. One of the workers at the cookhouse works for the museum system to help education systems access the museum. She was wonderful while talking to David and has offered her help with any research he may need for school. She gave me her card and said she would be glad to speak to his history class.

We headed over to the carriage house and got more cider, hot chocolate and cookies. Poor Abigail is just over a week from her due date but she was a real trooper. I am so glad that we have friends that share our love of history and exploring different time periods.

Snow and Soup

2008-12-08T11:39:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday was FREEZING! I am a beach kind of woman and would prefer to stay inside next to a warm fire throughout the entire winter. But, this past weekend we visited several friends and a bookstore—even though it was so cold out.

Our friend Mrs. Walker is elderly and can't go out with this cold weather so we had not seen her in several weeks. So we headed over to her house with her Christmas present (which we got on vacation). This was a boost to both Mrs Walker and her daughter Peg. Peg is Mrs. Walker caregiver and I know it must get lonely at times. Mrs. Walker loved the handmade pillow we gave her for Christmas. I figure when you're in your 80s, why not open it early and enjoy as long as you can.

David catching snow flakes
on his tongue

We arrived back home just in time for snow to begin falling and falling. I know that an inch isn't a whole lot but just having snow at all is unusual for this time of year. I had pulled out the leftover turkey bits from Thanksgiving to make soup. David and Rich were very thankful for the warm soup that was ready when they finally came back inside from playing football in the falling snow.

I didn't have a recipe for the soup—I just made it up as I went. But, David even went back for seconds.

Kim's Turkey Noodle Soup

about 3 to 5 lbs left over turkey
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon chopped onions
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 bay leaves
1 package wide egg noodles

I cooked the turkey, salt, pepper, chopped onions and bay leaves in the chicken broth for about an hour and a half. I then chopped the celery and carrots and cooked them along with four cups of water for about a half hour. Then I took out the bay leaves and added the egg noodles. I cooked until it was tender.

Soups ready!

It was really easy, cheap and warmed our insides. What more can you ask for?

A Grand Announcement

2008-12-05T13:36:00.004-05:00

Wednesday when David returned home from school he made a grand announcement: "I think I'll write a book about my life." This is a very funny announcement coming from a thirteen year old. When we asked him why he said he has led an interesting life and thinks other kids would like to read about it. He says the book will be about him from the time he was one until now. I guess he was bored when he was a baby.

I am thankful that David has reached the point in his life where he can recognize that not all children have such wide experiences. I was also a bit shocked that he didn't think his life was boring—a common feeling for a thirteen year old.

Yes, he has done and seen many things that most kids have never done. He has gone to professional baseball games and at Camden Yards Stadium our family was the guest of the Orioles. We were given free hats, food and tickets. We have seen the Titanic Exhibit and seen actual items taken from the bottom of the ocean. We have gone to Dollywood, Kings Dominion and all the Disney parks in Florida. We have gone to NASA, the Smithsonians and even seen the president's helicopter land on the White House lawn. David has even been in the pages of a magazine three times.

The best part of all of this was that we did these as a family unit. There was a mother and father to share these memories with. When we grow up we think all families live like ours but he has really been realizing more each day that this is not the case.

So we may have a budding writer in our family.

The Best Has Been

2008-12-02T17:29:00.007-05:00

Grow old along with me
the best is yet to be.
—Robert Browning (1812-1889)

This poem often comes into my mind when I think of my grandparents. For 72 years they have loved each other and grown old side by side. However, today after growing old together my grandmother heard the hard news that this may be their last day together. Even in the nursing home they have shared a room.

Though I will miss my grandfather and cherish the wonderful memories we have shared, I can't imagine the pain my grandmother is going through. Much of her adult life shes has been lovingly "mothering" her husband. My grandfather was raised not by his family, but by a single woman. His own family had too many children to care for so Mrs. Bogart took him in. This was in an age when things were not as legally tracked as they are now. His birth certificate contains his birth name, but by the time he was 21 his marriage certificate states his last name as Bogart. When I questioned him many years ago about it I found that there was no legal paperwork that went through a court for this change. My grandmother never held a job outside the home and often scolded my grandfather when he ate too much sugar or didn't take as much care with his health. This meet a deep need in my grandfather to be mothered, but also my grandmother loved doing it. They have always called each other "mommy" and "daddy," something Rich and I also do.

My grandparents celebrated their 50^th anniversary the year I got married. At that time I just couldn't imagine being married that long. Now after 22 years it isn't quite as hard to imagine. The only question in my mind is will we be old enough to be married that long.

What's A Gift Worth?

2008-11-30T07:14:00.007-05:00

The morning of Black Friday my husband had the news on and of course they interviewed a man who was out shopping about how the economy is affecting his buying. He explained that he was shopping pretty much like he did last year, however he thought more people were shopping for just what they needed, "like TVs and clothes." I looked at my husband and said "Need? since when is a TV a need?"

Then later in the day we heard of the many stores where there was bodily harm and even death. One of the harmed was a pregnant woman and the death was an employee that was opening the doors of a Wal-Mart. [Newsday | New York Daily News] My first thought was why would a pregnant woman continue to stay in a situation where there were hundreds and even thousands of people who were jostling and pushing for a chance to get ahead? Did she actually think that when the doors opened the crowds would get polite and walk calmly and politely into the store?

The employee was trampled to death and the shoppers continued to force their way over his dying body—even with emergency medical personnel working on him. When they tried to close the doors of the store due to this tragedy the shoppers refused to leave. They yelled that they had invested too much time waiting to be sent home without their purchases.

My heart and prayers go out to the family of the man who lost his life. I imagine they will never look at Thanksgiving or Christmas in the same way.

David and me at the park

I know that retailers and the media use Black Friday as an indicator of how holiday spending will go. But, with their limited time and limited available items at the great prices the stores are in part responsible for the situations. They must start taking measures to insure crowd control. Two years ago we went to a local store and the crowds were kept in a line. When the opening time came, the security would only allow a certain amount of people in at a time. At no time was there an unsafe or out-of-control feeling. Shoppers must also start using common sense that when a situation begins to look unsafe, it's not worth the risk.

So, for many, I guess the answer is nothing is worth more then a good buy. I was glad that we spent Black Friday not in a store, but in bed followed by a family trip to the park. We returned home to hot turkey sandwiches and a movie while cuddling in the livingroom.

Keeping Busy

2008-11-26T17:46:00.012-05:00

David is off from school for five days so my concern was to keep him busy during this time. David tends to make poor choices when he is left to his own devices.

David's latch-hook craft

So I came up with crafts that I purchased months ago on major sales and stashed away until this weekend. One of the items I had purchased was a hooked rug that you make into a stuffed dog. I remember making hooked rug pillows when I was his age and knew how easy they can be to learn—also not a lot of clean up.

I pulled it out this morning only to find that the kit didn't include the tool. So off to the store we went and found that everyone else in town was out shopping.

Turkey pasta

This has proved to be a great activity for him, it requires lots of body control and focus since this kit doesn't have the pattern imprinted on the canvas. David must count and keep track of the pattern. This also will require lots of time that he can spend on it over the next few days.

I also purchased a little unpainted wooden train that he has begun to paint. This will satisfy his desire for instant gratification. He is actually taking a little more time and effort than I expected.

Several weeks ago I found turkey shaped pasta. This evening I made dinner and we all loved the early start on Thanksgiving.

Entering His Gates

2008-11-25T10:17:00.007-05:00

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"
—Psalm 100:4

This is a verse that has been entering my mind in the last few weeks and this past Sunday was read aloud in our church.

The first time this verse came to my mind was the day after Halloween when I saw no decorations for Thanksgiving. After searching through four stores I found that, other than paper plates and cups, there were no decorations available for sale. But the employees were very busy putting out Christmas decorations.

Has Thanksgiving just become the big foodfest that kicks off Christmas? Unfortunely, for our nation I believe it has. But I believe that this year more then ever we need to return to the thankfulness that the pilgrims had when our country was in its infancy.

As we are all tightening our belts, we need to pull together. There are those around us who are in real need and we may be able to supply some of that need with a joyful heart. If the Native Americans had not shared with the pilgrims they would not have survived. If the same situation was today I wonder what the result would have been.

David, carving the Thanksgiving turkey

As we all go around the next few days preparing our homes and kitchens are we preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving. I found that last night as I got into my bed I was truly more thankful for the clean sheets and warm blankets on my bed. Yes, I wash the sheets weekly, but have never thought about how fortunate I am for them. Yes, I would have a list of things I am thankful for, but had not thought so much of the little things in life that I take for granted. I am looking at my blessings more as we go through these hard economic times.

Lost in Childhood

2008-11-21T04:31:00.005-05:00

"If you stand still outside you can hear it... Winter's footsteps, the sound of falling leaves"

Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

Last year David raked all the leaves together, not because we asked, but because he wanted to lose himself in them. I love to see the falling leaves and the scurring animals preparing for winter are all around us.

Bridal Blessings

2008-11-18T08:43:00.006-05:00

Cupcake Station

Last night I attended a bridal shower for one of the young ladies at church. The shower was planned by Abigail, Stacy and Leslie. Instead of a traditional cake or cupcakes they went with a "cupcake station." This was so well done and creative and allowed the guests their choice of what they wanted on their cupcake. There were unfrosted vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, which you could then put vanilla or chocolate frosting on. Then they had raspberry sauce, chocolate sprinkles, or M&Ms that could be added as a topping. It was fun watching everyone make their cupcake a little different.

Since this was an evening shower the room's lights were turned down and candles lit the event. Lots of pink and black balloons scattered the floor, pink and black plates and napkins and pink punch kept the theme colors of the evening. Abigail's computer played music while we enjoyed the food brought by the ladies of the church.

Even Joe, Abigail's husband, had a hand in the evening's event. Joe had interviewed the groom with questions about their first dates, likes and dislikes of the bride, and where they see themselves in five years. One of the young ladies in the church asked the bride the same questions and following the bride's answers the video of the groom's answers played. This created quite a few laughs as the answers sometimes were exact and others were totally different.

Instead of the traditional devotion, verses were read followed by prayers for the couple. Abigail also brought out our responsiblilty to the couple in holding them accountable and also teaching the bride how to be a godly wife.

Lunch Date

2008-11-14T13:51:00.003-05:00

This morning David asked if I would meet him at school to have lunch with him. I told him I would try to make it—this is run-errands-and-shopping day. David knows this means I will make every effort to be there and it's not just a "if I feel like it then I will" attitude. I sent him in with his lunch just in case something weird and unexpected came up.

Rich and I were both able to meet him and bring him a warm McDonald's lunch, with a McFlurry. I have always found it very interesting that often parents assume that their middle school age children wouldn't want to be seen with their parents. But, many of David's classmates all through middle school have expressed the desire that their parents would bring them lunch. I think it gives them a feeling of being cherished and loved.

I know we received many envious looks from his classmates today and some comments from his friends asked what did we bring them. I also heard one stuents say she wished her parents would bring her lunch.

I always make sure I spiff up for our lunches. I want to make sure he continues to want us to join him. It also lets him know that we wouldn't want to embarrass him and that taking the extra effort in looking good for him is important to us.

Since elementary school I have made it a practice of trying to have lunch with him occasionally. I have found this gives me great contact with school staff and his fellow students. Today we were able to clarify a situation about tardies with one of his teachers and David that kept it from being a meeting. This lets the teachers know we are keeping track of what is going on and both David and the teacher were able to hear the other person's side and express their own view of the problem.

We also found out that school pictures were to be sent home today. David hadn't received his so I checked with his teacher. She hadn't received it and no one had any idea where it was. After checking the master list we found that even though our check was cashed, no pictures were ordered. After calling the company I found that no order was placed. But after explaining that I did fill out the form correctly (I used to work for this company and know the form well.) Then the customer service person said it was because the paperwork was messed up at the school. I know the school just gives the students a card and the order is given to the photographer. So when it comes down to it the error was due to the photography company. Now it will take until Nov. 28th (6 weeks after the portrait was taken) before we will get the portraits. Oh, that will also be after portrait make-up day. So the school is going to have his picture re-taken on make-up day just in case the original photographer is as bad at taking pictures as they were with the paperwork. If I had not been at the school we wouldn't even have known until next week.

Going in to David's school when he was in second grade also allowed school staff to feel comfortable in expressing their own concern to me about his teacher. I had several staff members who told me that they felt the teacher was being unfair to all his students and took outside pressures out on his students. This just confirmed what I had long suspected and I was then able to continue to pressure the school into getting a new teacher for him.

When David was in elementary school I was helping another mom navigate through the IEP and special education process. When I asked her middle school-aged daughter if she would like her mother to have lunch with her she jumped at the chance for her mom to join her. Unfortunely that stay-at-home mom never did go in to have lunch with her daughter.

Prayers For Players

2008-11-10T08:30:00.005-05:00

(left to right) Luke, Caleb, David

This past weekend my mother- and father-in-law visited our nephew Caleb at Bryan College. While there, they went to watch his rugby game along with a friend of his. Following the game Caleb and his friend returned to the college with my in-laws. The rugby van that Caleb was to be riding in collided, headlong, with a speeding vehicle, both cars were destroyed, but the guys lived. The players were air-vaced to the hospital.

While as a family we are rejoicing that Caleb was not in the van we are still praying for the injured in both vehicles.

Please pray for the passengers and their family members in both vehicles and also the student body at Bryan.

Mom's Advice

2008-11-07T11:44:00.007-05:00

While planning Abigail's baby shower I wanted to follow the Biblical mandate that older women are to teach the younger women. I decided to ask each mother who attended the shower to think over the next week about the one piece of advice they wished that someone had told them. I wanted to give them enough time to think about the advice they would be giving this first-time mother and not something off the top of their heads.

I have received a few and am working (okay, bugging) the rest of the ladies to fill out the "I wish someone had told me..." form I had made to build this unique booklet. But the forms that have been filled out are wonderful so I thought I would share some of their advice.

From the mother of one child—

I wish that someone had told me "never doubt that you are able to parent this child that God gave you. Take the advice that works for you. If you try something and it doesn't work throw it out and move on. It might have worked for another mom and child, but that doesn't mean it will work for you."

From the mother of two adult children—

I wish that someone had told me (and I'm sure they did!) However, it just took a few years and experience to realize the truth that God is in control all the time even in the "not so good days." He allows problems—trials of all types, like fevers, ear aches and crying babies that makes us more grateful for the "better times" and more empathetic to others with problems."

From the mother of two toddlers—

I wish that someone had told me "what a huge responsibility parenting is. How hard it is to discipline those cute faces. How much of a blessing and how funny kids are. That taking care of me and my marriage makes me such a better mom."

From the mother of two school age children—

I wish that someone had told me "to put my baby on a schedule (a flexible one; not extremely rigid). Babies love routines and they sleep through the night a lot faster on a schedule! Also, enjoy every moment and don't worry about every little thing- it goes by too fast."

From the mother of two school-aged children—

I wish that someone had told me "to take time to love your child now. They will never be this little again. Take lots of pictures monthly to look at the changes that are going on daily in their lives. Put a calender where you change your baby to write down all the milestones for that day and when you want to transfer the information to your baby book you can do it on your schedule."

I think this baby advice book actually took seed in my brain many years ago at the grocery store. While I was behind a young mother in line at the check-out the cashier told her that the cereal she was purchasing on WIC (federal funding for women, infants and children that are in need) was not covered. The young mother explained that she needed it since the doctor had told her that her baby was ready for cereal. The problem was that the doctor assumed that she would understand that it was baby cereal and not Life cereal, Frosted Flakes or Special K. The cashier just told her no it wasn't covered and removed it from the order. David was just five at that time and I felt my heart go out to this mother that had no older mom to help her through the path of parenthood. I had the cashier hold my order aside and took the mother to the baby aisle and explained what she needed and the need to either purchase larger hole nipples or use the old nipples and cut a small cross slit in the top.

I can't wait to gather up some more advice and bind the booklet for the birth of Abigail's little one. I thought these were great pieces of advice and felt they should be shared.

Election hopes

2008-11-04T12:17:00.002-05:00

The Bedford Boys

2008-11-03T11:49:00.018-05:00

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
—George Santayana

As we face the election of a new president tomorrow it is very fitting that we take a look at the past. This past weekend we went to the National D-Day Memorial and found a memorial to the men and women of not only our nation, but of many nations that we fought with against evil. The people who fought this war and the people who supported them paid a very heavy price for freedom, perhaps higher that what our soldiers have paid in our war against terrorism.

"The Final Tribute"

The decisive battle that would end Hitler's dream of Nazi domination came at a great cost. The war turned on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The military operation was named Overlord and would entail more than 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and more than 150,000 service men. The men would have to disembark from plywood boats holding 30–50 soldiers and then cross beaches with no cover for 200 yards before receiving any protection, while carrying up to eighty pounds of equipment. When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. But, the cost could have been so much greater.

First, if nothing had been done due to fear of the cost (both financially or in terms of human cost), and second, if our military leaders had not planned properly or not worked together.

Fallen Bedford soldier
with his Bible

The Nazis had prepared for an invasion on these very beaches by building metal structures (called hedgehogs)that at high tide would be unseen and would rip through the hull of the allied ships preventing them from reaching the beach. However, the allies had seen these booby traps from the air and instead landed at low tide in order to avoid the traps.

The memorial is so well thought out and so visually impactful that it sent chills up my spine. The bronze statues have a symbolic purpose. One was of a Bedford soldier who had died on the beach with his Bible by his side. The Bible had slipped out of his pack and was found on the beach some time later.

"Sacrifice" falling from the wall

"Scaling the Wall" is so lifelike that you feel that by touching the soldiers they will come to life. You can look right into the eyes of one of the soldiers as he scales the top of the wall (symbolizing Valor). One soldier on the wall has made the ultimate sacrifice (symbolizing Sacrifice, as he falls from the wall), and there are two others who are helping each other to make it over the wall (symbolizing Fidelity). There is a garden that pays tribute to the generals who worked together and planned this monumental military maneuver.

We took advantange of the memorial's cart tours in order to get a grasp on the events that occured that day long ago. I think our guide, Michael, thought the goal was to get us through as quickly as possible. We passed one other tour and a few times we thought we were going to tip over when taking a sharp corner. But we were able to learn and David's interest was maintained.

Even though the memorial is called the National D-Day memorial it receives no federal funding. Ok, I know that sounds amazing since everything and everyone else gets funded my our tax dollars. The memorial is built and maintained by admission prices, tours, the gift shop and private donations. I was pleasantly surprised that the admission price was just $5.00 per person, most private museums are much more pricey.

Bedford, Virginia, seems like a very unlikely place to build a National Memorial. It is not located on any major highway in the area, so it is not likely to get the normal vacation stop-off. But there is a very good reason that Bedford was chosen as the location for the memorial. You see, at the end of the day on June 6, 1944, nineteen of the soldiers from Bedford were dead and two more would die later in the Normandy campaign. Since the population of Bedford was just 3,200 they received proportionally more losses then any other community in our nation.

A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.
—George Santayana

This memorial is a reminder that even today we must fight evil that threatens the world. We have neighbors and loved ones who are in harms way as we enjoy the freedoms that are maintained at a high cost.

That Meal Was Gross!

2008-10-30T13:15:00.012-04:00

Apple cider with
frozen cider hands and gummy eyeballs

We decided to make a meal for our Wednesday night kids that would reflect our warped sense of humor. The kids asked before taking any of the food since they weren't sure what the food was and it looked so gross.

Bleeding heart brie

Everyone loved it! We placed creepy spiders all over the counter and table and a skull held vials of bats blood (o.k. it was really ketchup darkened with food coloring). We floated gummi eyeballs and ice severed hands inside the cider filled punch bowl.

Body parts salad

I made a pork mummy, a phyllo-wrapped pork tenderloin. We had a bleeding heart brie cheese with cherry preserves wrapped in dough.

Our body parts salad was black cherry gelatin with cherries and oranges. I wrapped breadsticks around hotdogs and made them look like mummies.

Mummy pork tenderloin

A taco salad stared back at us as we proceeded to eat it. We finished off the meal with bat and bug topped cupcakes.

These evenings with our Wednesday night kids is so wonderful. We get to keep up with what is going on with them and at the same time make sure they are getting a good home-cooked meal at least once a week.

Taco salad with sour cream eyeballs

Skull with vials of bat's blood

Skewered mummy hotdogs

Mary Liz "Lizzie Borden" chowing down

Treat Bags

2008-10-29T13:19:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I made up trick-or-treat bags to pass out to the kiddies on Friday. We don't have any neighbors with little kids so I invite friends to bring their little ones to come by anytime on Halloween day. I had so much fun making and giving out these bags last year I decided to repeat it this year.

Treat bags

I got the idea last year from Martha Stewart's magazine and saw the bag kits in the craft store this year. Even though the kits were available in the store I found that making my own were alot less expensive.

Each treat takes two lunch bags, a piece of raffia, a stick and candy for inside the bag. The first bag I just fringed the top about 2 inches. I placed the candy in this bag. I then took the second bag and fringed all the way down to the base of the bag (not cutting into the bottom of the bag.) I took the first bag and placed it into the second bag. Gathering up the fringe of the second bag, I placed the stick and tied it all with a piece of raffia.

Between the price of the bags and raffia I paid only a couple of dollars to make 20 treat bags. The sticks I gathered from our yard. Since it has been very windy this week there was no shortage of twigs and small sticks. The kits in the store made up only 10 mini bags for $9.99. The sticks also were just too perfect and straight looking, almost like a pencil. My larger bags also let me put a little more candy in each bag

The kids loved the bags last year and they look so festive right inside our door. This also prevents my boys from eating all the candy that is meant to be given out on Halloween night.

By Any Other Name

2008-10-28T14:49:00.008-04:00

As we approach Halloween I am always intrigued by the changes that have occurred since I was a child. Growing up everyone in our neighborhood and church went trick-or-treating. There was no question that the next day at lunch everyone would have a lunchbox full of sweets.

Then when I was in elementary school the candy of a few became laced with drugs and razor blades. Then many schools began to create safe festivals to make sure we were safe. This not only allowed us to dress up, receive candy but also to play fun games on this night.

So much had changed when my own son was born. Christians no longer stayed home to pass out candy to their neighbors. They no longer sent out their children to their neighbors. No, the lights on many Christian homes were dark.

The reason? Because "we don't believe in Halloween" was the answer I received. They didn't want to participate so they brought all their candy and dressed their kids up and headed to church for their "Fall Festival." When I began to question some of the other mothers that gave me this answer asking what the difference was, I was told "the kids don't dress up as Satan or a witch." What, you couldn't dress them as something nice to go out into their neighborhood?

David and his pumpkins

It became glaringly obvious that we were out of step with many of the church officials at my son's preschool (where I was their secretary) when the guest speaker at chapel was preaching against Halloween to the preschool and elementary school kids. The speaker explained to the kids that the carving of pumpkins was always evil. It was acceptable to paint or put stickers on a pumpkin at any other time of the year, just not at Halloween. He explained that people only carved evil images into pumpkins. He also said that his kids and grand kids were allowed to dress up in costumes any day but on Halloween night. Of course, he didn't believe that dressing up as Biblical characters was a costume. So the fall festivals were acceptable.

When the speaker asked if there were any questions my little four-year-old David stood up and told him he was wrong. We had carved pumpkins, but they had "David's House" and nice things. He also told him he was going to dress up as "Bear In The Big Blue House" and he was going to visit our neighbors. David also told the speaker that his mom said he could go out so there was nothing wrong with it. This little speech from the mouth of my babe left the speaker speechless.

Scarecrow David

When David was only 17 months old and we dressed him up as a cowboy, chaps and all, he would take the candy from each neighbor and then sit down on their front steps and talk to them as he enjoyed their treat. It took us about two hours to go to 8 houses, but not only did we enjoy ourselves but the neighbors got a chuckle out of it.

I can respect it if someone truly doesn't believe in Halloween and doesn't participate in any way. One of my friends told me this week that they never participated in Halloween, but that her parents also refused to allow them to attend the fall festival at church. This is consistent with their belief and I can understand and would never question that belief. However, a rose by any other name is still a rose and getting candy while dressed in costumes during the end of October is still Halloween.

I had fun as a kid dressing up and roaming the neighborhood. I even dressed up one year as a witch. And guess what? I never did have any interest in witchcraft or magic. Yes, nowadays we have to be more careful with what houses we allow our kids to visit. But I was more than willing to watch carefully over David's trick-or-treating. This year he is a teenager and will not be getting dressed up or going out, but I am glad we made the choice we did.

A New IDEA

2008-10-27T12:52:00.013-04:00

David and me looking over one of the three rivers

This weekend our family plans were rained out. We had planned on an outdoor family day before the weather turns too cold. Rain was to come as of Friday, so we thought it might be a bit wet, but had not planned on downpours. So we stayed in and I made cold weather food—baked potato soup and pulled pork sandwiches.

Saturday David woke up in the wee hours of the morning (like 3am) and was up for many hours. We all finally got a few more hours of sleep but it was almost 9:30 before David finally rolled out of bed.

Old train station entrance (next to our hotel)

So as Rich and I tried to be quiet, he turned on FOXNews. They began to cover a speech that Sarah Palin was making in Pittsburg about special needs children. I listened with great interest since this is a topic close to my heart. I felt that since her son had not hit the school issues her understanding of special needs parenting would be limited. However, after listening to her speech I think she has surrounded herself with many others, including her sister, who have been able to express the issues that arise from parenting these children.

One of the points she made in her speech is the need for the federal IDEA funding to follow the child, no matter where they move to. We found this to be a major consideration in our family. We actually receive less services in our new home then we did in our old home. And of the services David is receiving, we have fought hard to get every one of them.

Nighttime view of the skyline
taken from the Dusquesne Incline

In our last community the services were readily offered before we needed to ask for them. Many would then wonder why we would move. After coming to the new community we maintained two houses to determine which area would be best for our family. While the old school system had great services for our son that was where the benefits ended. The mental health care was not sufficient for children and the city environment caused David to become more aggressive. We also had less of a support system.

There was nothing we could do about the health care or aggressive environment of living in Northern Virginia. But I knew we had a better chance of fighting a school system to get David services.

We are very glad for our decision since David is growing and accomplishing more then anyone ever thought he would. If David's funding had followed him we could be receiving more services then he currently receives.

David and me at a pizza restaurant

Sarah Palin also addressed the additional concern for long term needs of these children. While all parents have concerns for their children, there is often the concern for lifetime care and services that special needs children may require. We as David's parents are training him in the skills that can help him hold down a job, provide for his needs and sustain a relationship. But we are also preparing for the eventuality that he may always be under our care. However, we have been told by many "professionals" that this is a hope that is unlikely to occur. One doctor even told us, after an eight hour comprehensive testing session, that children with David's issues were either dead or in jail by the time they were twenty. I told this man to never call again, since I refused to just accept his diagnosis.

It was funny that Gov. Palin's speech happened to be in Pittsburg. Several years ago I attended adoption workshops in Pittsburg and was even able to bring my family for this workweek-long event. This past week as I was purging boxes I found the pictures of that week.

I have included Gov. Palin's speech in its entirety below.

Palin's Speech on Children with Special Needs
By Sarah Palin, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Thank you all very much. I appreciate the hospitality of the people of Pittsburgh, and I'm grateful to all the groups who have joined us here today. The Woodlands Foundation, the Down Syndrome Center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Autism-link, the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh: Thank you for coming today. And, above all, thank you for the great work you do for the light and love you bring into so many lives.

John McCain and I have talked about the missions he'd like me to focus on should I become vice president, and our nation's energy independence and government reform are among them. But there is another mission that's especially close to my heart, and that is to help families of children with special needs. And today, we'll talk about three policy proposals that are going to help us fulfill our country's commitment to these children: more choices for parents, fully funding IDEA, and efforts to reform and refocus.

Too often, even in our own day, children with special needs have been set apart and excluded. Too often, state and federal laws add to their challenges, instead of removing barriers and opening new paths of opportunity. Too often, they are made to feel that there is no place for them in the life of our country, that they don't count or have nothing to contribute. This attitude is a grave disservice to these beautiful children, to their families, and to our country -- and I will work to change it.

One of the most wonderful experiences in this campaign has been to see all the families of children with special needs who come out to rallies and events just like this. We have a bond there. We know that children with special needs inspire a special love. You bring your sons and daughters with you, because you are proud of them, as I am of my son.

My little fella sleeps during most of these rallies, even when they get pretty rowdy. He would be amazed to know how many folks come out to see him instead of me.

When I learned that Trig would have special needs, honestly, I had to prepare my heart. At first I was scared, and Todd and I had to ask for strength and understanding. I did a lot of praying for that understanding, and strength, and to see purpose.

And what's been confirmed in me is every child has something to contribute to the world, if we give them that chance. You know that there are the world's standards of perfection, and then there are God's, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God, and dear to Him for their own sake. And the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable.

As for our baby boy, Trig, for Todd and me he is only more precious because he is vulnerable. In some ways, I think we stand to learn more from him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, we don't feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.

Of course, many other families are much further along a similar path -- including my best friend who happens to be my sister, Heather, and her 13-year old son Karcher, who has autism. Heather and I have worked on this for over a decade. Heather is an advocate for children with autism in Alaska. And as governor, I've succeeded in securing additional funding and assistance for students with special needs. By 2011, I will have tripled the funding available to these students.

Heather and I have been blessed with a large, strong family network. Our family helps make sure that Trig and Karcher have what they need. But not everyone is lucky enough to have that strong network of support. And the experiences of those millions of Americans point the way to better policy in the care of children with special needs.

One of the most common experiences is the struggle of parents to find the best and earliest care for their children. The law requires our public schools to serve children with special needs, but often the results fall far short of the service they need. Even worse, parents are left with no other options, except for the few families that can afford private instruction or therapy.

Many of you parents here have been through the drill: You sit down with teachers and counselors to work out the IEP—an individual education plan for your child. The school may be trying its best, but they're overstretched. They may keep telling you that your child is "progressing well," and no extra services are required. They keep telling you that—but you know better.

You know that your children are not getting all of the help they need, at a time when they need it most. The parents of children with special needs ask themselves every day if they are doing enough, if they are doing right by their sons and daughters. And when our public school system fails to render help and equal opportunity—and even prevents parents from seeking it elsewhere that is unacceptable.

In a McCain-Palin administration, we will put the educational choices for special needs children in the right hands their parents'. Under reforms that I will lead as vice president, the parents and caretakers of children with physical or mental disabilities will be able to send that boy or girl to the school of their choice—public or private.

Under our reforms, federal funding for every special needs child will follow that child. Some states have begun to apply this principle already, as in Florida's McKay Scholarship program. That program allows for choices and a quality of education that should be available to parents in every state, for every child with special needs. This process should be uncomplicated, quick, and effective -- because early education can make all the difference. No barriers of bureaucracy should stand in the way of serving children with special needs.

That's why John and I will direct the Department of Education to clarify the statute administratively. We'll make explicit that when state funds are portable, federal funds are fully portable. We're going to make sure parents have choices and children receive the education they deserve.

Even the best public school teacher or administrator cannot rightfully take the place of a parent in making these choices. The schools feel responsible for the education of many children, but a parent alone is responsible for the life of each child. And in the case of parents of children with disabilities, there are enough challenges as it is, and our children will face more than enough closed doors along the way. When our sons and daughters need better education, more specialized training, and more individual attention, the doors of opportunity should be open.

Like John McCain, I am a believer in providing more school choice for families. The responsibility for the welfare of children rests ultimately with mothers and fathers, and the power to choose should be theirs as well. But this larger debate of public policy should not be permitted to hinder the progress of special-needs students. Where their lives, futures, and happiness are at stake, we should have no agenda except to ease the path they are on. And the best way to do that is to give their parents options.

In a McCain-Palin administration, we will also fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. To his great credit, it was President Gerald Ford who signed the legislation that became the IDEA—establishing new standards of respect and inclusion for young Americans with disabilities. From that day to this, however, the federal government's obligations under the IDEA have not been adequately met. And portions of IDEA funding have actually decreased since 2005.

This is a matter of how we prioritize the money that we spend. We've got a three trillion dollar budget, and Congress spends some 18 billion dollars a year on earmarks for political pet projects. That's more than the shortfall to fully fund the IDEA. And where does a lot of that earmark money end up? It goes to projects having little or nothing to do with the public good -- things like fruit fly research in Paris, France, or a public policy center named for the guy who got the earmark. In our administration, we're going to reform and refocus. We're going to get our federal priorities straight, and fulfill our country's commitment to give every child opportunity and hope in life.

For many parents of children with disabilities, the most valuable thing of all is information. Early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference. That's why we're going to strengthen NIH. We're going to work on long-term cures, and in the short-term, we're going to work on giving these families better information.

Once a condition is known, parents need the best and latest information on what to expect and how to respond. This service is also provided for under the IDEA. And we will make sure that every family has a place to go for support and medical guidance. The existing programs and community centers focus on school-age children -- overlooking the need for assistance before school-age.

But it would make a lot more sense for these centers to focus as well on infants and toddlers. This is not only a critical stage for diagnosis; it can also be a crucial time to prepare the family for all that may lie ahead. Families need to know what treatments are most effective, and where they are available, what costs they will face, and where aid can be found, and where they can turn for the advice and support of others in their situation. As Todd and I and Heather know, there's no substitute for the friendship of those who have been where we are now.

The IDEA is also intended to serve teens and young adults with special needs. And here, too, there is an opportunity to reform and extend the reach of federal support under the IDEA. By modernizing a current law, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, we can better serve students with disabilities in our high schools and community colleges. This will require reform by the states as well. Just as the federal government expects proven results in the progress of other students, we must require results as well in the achievements of students with disabilities. And the result we will expect is simple: that every special-needs student be given a chance to learn the skills to work, and enjoy the freedom to live independently if that is their choice.

As families across America know, the care of special-needs children requires long-term planning, and especially financial planning. A common practice among these families is to establish financial trusts. These are known as special needs trusts, covering years of medical and other costs, and for parents they bring invaluable comfort.

Understandably, then, many families with special-needs children or dependent adults are concerned that our opponent in this election plans to raise taxes on precisely those kinds of financial arrangements. They fear that Senator Obama's tax increase will have serious and harmful consequences—and they are right. The burden that his plan would impose upon these families is just one more example of how many plans can be disrupted, how many futures can be placed at risk, and how many people can suffer when the power to tax is misused.

Our opponent has an ideological commitment to higher taxes. And though he makes adjustments on his tax plan pronouncements seemingly by the day, his commitment to increase taxes remains the same. John McCain and I have just the opposite commitment. We intend to lower taxes, promote growth, and protect the earnings and savings of American families.

Not long ago, I spent some time at a place in Cleveland called the Michael T. George Center, a beautiful home for adults with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. I met Michael George, too, a boy of five with Down Syndrome. Michael is a healthy, sweet, joy-filled little man—and I saw in him all the things I wish for Trig in just a few years.

Michael's parents, Tony and Kris George, are advocates for children with special needs in their community. They are thinking far ahead, in their own boy's life and in the lives of others. They named the center after their son. It's a public-private partnership. This welcoming place—and so many others like it—shows the good heart of America. They are places of hope. They are the works of people who believe that every life matters, everyone has something to contribute, and every child should have things to look forward to, and achievements to point to with pride and joy. As many of you know better than I, it can be a hard path, and yet all the more joyful and productive when the barriers are overcome.

John McCain and I have a vision in which every child is loved and cherished, and that is the spirit I want to bring to Washington. To the families and caregivers of special-needs children all across this country, I do have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. And I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.

Thank you all, and God bless you."

Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, is the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Satisfaction Guaranteed, Yeah Right!

2008-10-24T13:36:00.006-04:00

If you've read my blog for any length of time you know that we normally make our own pizza. Last week we made the mistake of ordering pizza from Papa John's. I should have known better since the previous two times we ordered from them the pizza was late and cold. But, I guess hope springs eternal.

But, last Friday we ordered online at 4:30 when we received our e-mail confirmation it stated that we should expect deliver in 30-40 minutes. After an hour I called the location and after waiting on hold for 8 minutes (yes, I timed it) I was informed by the employee the e-mail time means nothing. I was also informed that the pizzas had already left and would be here in just a couple minutes. Since the restaurant is less then 2 miles away the pizza should not be cold. About 5 minutes later the pizzas finally arrived. I was all for sending them back unpaid since they were lukewarm to cold. Rich was all for just heating them up. But, after paying the delivery guy and heating them up the pizzas still tasted bad. So out of our two large pizzas we didn't even eat three slices. The rest was thrown into the trash.

I then went onto the Papa John's web site and found this statement. "At Papa John's, we believe better ingredients make a better pizza. If your pizza doesn't meet the quality standards you expect from Papa John's, we'd like to know." So I filled out the customer feedback form and fully expected some kind of answer.

Since the e-mail was sent last Friday night I knew it would take a few days to get an answer. But as of now the only communication from Papa John's is an e-mail "Your Papa John's Pizza Offer Has Arrived!" Needless to say this is going right into my trash box and I have sent another feedback form requesting that I be removed from their list. Now I know that it isn't just a local issue, but the lack of customer care stems from the corporate level.

So as you can imagine we are not ordering in pizza tonight.

Thanks For The Memories

2008-10-21T10:19:00.007-04:00

Now that summer is over I have more time since David is in school I have resumed unpacking boxes we have stored. I am finding junk that should have been thrown out instead of moved, hence a trip to the dump yesterday. But along with the junk there are also items that bring back wonderful memories.

One of the items I found was an ImageCD that Rich had made with a few of David's baby pictures. So much has changed since these images were made that Rich had to convert them to JPEG for me. But, the pictures are wonderful.

One of the pictures shows David and his half-birth sister. We had invited David's birth-mother and birth-sister shortly before Christmas to give them Christmas gifts. In one of the pictures his half-sister is kissing him on his head. It was such a sweet moment and I am glad that we have it on CD.

I love the picture of David looking out the back door. He was just learning to stand and you can see his death grip on the pane molding on the door. Don't you just love all those black ringlets that covered his head? This used to cause a real problem, since everyone thought he was such a cute GIRL.

Chili Weather

2008-10-20T13:38:00.010-04:00

This weekend the weather took a turn to the chilly side. This was perfect timing since our friends Doug and Elaine have a chili-fest at their home each fall. We really missed last year, since it had to be canceled due to Elaine's mother's health. Rich has been scouring the internet for a recipe to make sure his was the hottest at the event. Rich began cooking his brew the night before the event and let it meld overnight. I made an apple dump cake to take and share.

Doug and Elaine own a beautiful home in the country so there is lots of room for the kids to play. With a minimum of 50 guests there is a variety of chili types. Everything from very mild to heart-stopping hot. The kitchen table is laden with a variety of desserts and the drinks are served on the enclosed porch. The livingroom was even set up with a table for additional seating.

Upon getting to the house, families quickly separate. The men head for the field for a game of football, the kids head to the fort, swing and riding toys, and the ladies head indoors for catching up with what has gone on in each other's lives and inspecting the desserts for quality assurance.

One of our college students' moms was visiting for the weekend and was amazed at the quantity of chili-filled crock pots. There were at least 11 pots of chili that I was able to count. There were cookies, cakes and a ton of brownies for the sweet tooth. Elaine had fresh, hot bread for the dinner.

The fellowship at this event is wonderful. At church people tend to sit with friends within their own age group, but not so with this event. Everybody mingled and I got to talk to many people on a deeper level then I have ever gotten to in the past.

Doug pulled out the tractor and hooked up the hay wagon to give several hayrides. David loved it; he even rode twice. We saw many married couples cuddling with each other. Later there was a bonfire, we missed this to make sure David got to bed in time since church was the following morning.

The next morning we found out that one couple even got engaged that evening. Congratulations Lisa and David!!

Ducky Decorations

2008-10-16T10:09:00.013-04:00

Earlier this week Janet expressed the desire to see more of the baby shower decorations from Abigail's shower. So, here are some of what I did to make the theme of an old-fashioned childhood shown throughout the room.

I used my big galvanized tub as a wash basin. I hooked a baby washcloth and baby hooded towel into the handles to keep them in place. I placed two regular-sized rubber ducks in front to reinforce the theme. I also used baby receiving blankets as table scarfs on this table and the refreshment table. In total I used a pack of 5 receiving blankets on the tables. I had planned to give Abigail the towel and washcloth as gifts, but she received so many I thought I would keep them (in case the baby needs a bath at my house.)

I rummaged through the Little Golden Books I collected for David when he was little. I used to check out second-hand stores and found wonderful classics in good shape for just a few cents each. Even though David progressed out of these many years ago, I have kept them for visiting friends with kids. After Stacy and I decided on a duck cake I found this great oversized duck at the local new/used bookstore. It also will be great to keep in the basket I keep in my living room for visiting babies and toddlers.

While in Tennessee I found a Dick and Jane book that I bought for the baby. Once again, another gift I was able to use in the shower decorations. I saw the pirate duck and thought it would be a cute twist on the theme. This also became a gift since when you float it in the bathtub the bottom checks the temperature of the water, making sure it's not too hot for the baby.

My large building block was from my photography days and came in handy to lift the cake up and let it shine as the work of art that it was. You can also see the punch bowl and tub in the background. Also the receiving blankets protect the white table cloth that belongs to the church. Since Abigail didn't receive any receiving blankets I sent several home with her.

You can see the mini ducks floating in my punch bowl. My punch bowl and the unique cups I ordered with it always gets many compliments for their uniqueness. It always looks elegant and expensive since most think it's silver. My secret: my husband and I bought it in Williamsburg shortly after we were married, but it's pewter and not silver. This keeps it from needing constant polishing, in fact I only wash and store and when I use it next all I have to do is wash it out again. The only downside is that it's a softer metal so more care must be taken. But we were able to purchase the punch bowl, without monogram, ladle and 12 cups for less then we would have paid for a silver punch bowl.

For both of the baby showers I threw this summer it was fun to be able to use the gifts as a part of the decorations. The guest of honor and I had fun going around the room to collect her gifts. This also let me adjust to give what the new moms needed, instead of a baby towel I was able to give receiving blankets that had not been given to the new mom.

The Drama of Creation

2008-10-14T13:20:00.011-04:00

The beginning of Natural Bridge's
"The Drama of Creation"

During our visit to Natural Bridge we were able to see the "Drama of Creation." Because Natural Bridge is still privately owned, they have continued a tradition that began on May 22, 1927, when United States President Calvin Coolidge pressed the button that inaugurated the night illumination of the bridge. The program combines some of the greatest symphonic compositions with an impressive lighting system and Bible readings that walk you through the Biblical account of creation.

There are chairs set out each night for the viewers to watch the drama in comfort from both sides of the bridge. As the sun begins to set the bridge itself becomes the stage for this wonderful show.

The following morning we headed to the caverns. Even though it was July, it became very cold as we made our way down into the cavern. The slow draining of water has sculped rooms and still continues at about an inch every 125 years.

The tour was a 45-minute journey that took us 34 stories into the earth. Even though we took the tour with several other families from the adoption weekend, David (and the other children) didn't have to be reminded to stay close. I think the cold and darkness of the cavern gave them a natural caution while we were in there.

This was a wonderful opportunity to see the marvels and variety of what God has created for our enjoyment. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to take the time to see these wonders.

Natural Bridge

2008-10-13T06:37:00.002-04:00

Three years ago we attended an adoptive family retreat. This was put on by a faith-based agency that helps adoptive families with extra support. There were three long-weekend conferences that were put on that summer. Two were located at 4-H camps, but the one we chose was located at Natural Bridge, Virginia.

It was fun to spend the weekend with 15 other families whose family's included at least one adoptive child. The retreats were free for the families, but the accommodations were wonderful. The families came from all over the state—some with only adoptive children and some with biological and adoptive children. The children ranged in age from 18 all the way down to 2. Adoption tied us all together in a unique way.

David playing in the Natural Bridge pool

The hotel, a wonderful Colonial-style building, stands stately with a spectaculer mountain view. We shared all our meals in the dining room there and attended several sessions that dealt with adoption. We could tell the building had been added to over the many years, but that only increased its charm. The conference attendees were all housed in cottages across the road from the hotel. The cottages provided a little more privacy than the busy-ness of the hotel.

There is an old swimming pool that guests can visit located beneath the gift store. It became the gathering place for the families following the sessions put on by the agency that hosted the weekend. It was fun to watch all these kids having a great time together. During the meals, there was much table-hopping as children joined other families to sit with their new friends.

The Natural Bridge

If you have never been to Natural Bridge, Virginia, you are missing one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The bridge is 215 feet tall and 90 feet wide.

The bridge has a very impressive history: George Washington surveyed the site for Lord Fairfax in 1750. There are still landmarks of the work he did there and on the wall of the bridge he carved his initials. In 1754 Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land that included the Natural Bridge from King George III of England for 20shillings.

The retreat also included free tickets to the Bridge, the Drama of Creation held at the bridge, and the caverns. I will be sharing the Drama of Creation with you later this week.

A Great Success

2008-10-12T18:20:00.006-04:00

Our baby bottle fundraiser is over and God has really blessed it. Last year we collected $410⁰⁰ so I kept our goal low. But as week after week God's people continued to back this ministry, I carried loads of change to the bank to be counted. The cashiers were very supportive and encouraging with these weekly trips.

The grand total that I was able to turn over to the church this morning was $1,074²⁷. That's two and a half times the amount that was raised last year!

Fall Gathering

2008-10-10T09:00:00.006-04:00

This past weekend several ladies in church organized a "Fall Gathering" for the ladies of the church. It was a great time to get to sit and chat with others, without the kids to distract us.

The room was decorated with the fall harvest theme and they did a wonderful job. We had a craft that followed the fall theme. Even the non-crafters had fun and did a great job. We made bows and tied together wheat and artificial leaves to make a table decoration.

Kelly explains the craft

We also were made to pick a piece of paper from a bowl. Whatever color the paper was (all fall colors) that group that chose the same color got together to ask the questions listed on the paper. It was a way to get to know each other on a more personel level. Questions such as "How did your husband propose" or "What one item would you want with you if you were on a deserted island."

The food was wonderful and creative. There was even a door prize—which I won. I received a beautiful mum plant.

One of the nicest aspects of the evening was that when I got home I didn't have to worry about what to make for my boys for dinner. My thoughtful husband had already made their dinner and they were eating.

How Many Cows Are In Your Herd?

2008-10-08T14:05:00.005-04:00

My cousin sent this to me:

A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.

The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, 'If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?'

Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, 'Sure, Why not?'

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with e-mail on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, 'You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves.'

'That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves,' says Bud.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Cowboy Bud (okay, Cowboy David)
Then Bud says to the young man, 'Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?'

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, 'Okay, why not?'

'You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government', says Bud.

'Wow! That's correct,' says the yuppie, 'but how did you guess that?'

'No guessing required' answered the cowboy. 'You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew,to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about cows...this is a herd of sheep. Now, give me back my dog.

Fireproof

2008-10-06T11:22:00.009-04:00

This past Saturday evening we went to see "Fireproof." This was written and produced by the same church that made "Facing The Giants", Sherwood Baptisit Church When we began to watch "Facing The Giants" the acting showed signs that it was produced by nonprofessional actors. However, the characters and story line pulled us in and before we knew it we completely forgot the acting. The budget for the 2006 hit was only $100,000, not exactly a Hollywood budget. But many in Hollywood became envious of the $10 million the movie made in the theaters and the additional $12.5 million from DVD sales.

Actor Kirk Cameron (from Growing Pains fame) saw "Facing The Giants" and knew he wanted to be involved with Sherwood's next film. After calling he was required to audition nine scenes to gain a part in "Fireproof." He has stated it is his most challenging part—both physically and emotionally—of his career. He and his wife Chelsea Noble married in 1991 and have six children. In this movie his wife plays a small part, but you would never know it. Kirk has made a decision to never kiss another women—off or on screen. So when he must kiss his on-screen wife in Fireproof, there is a little movie magic. The scene is done with back lighting and Chelsea is actually standing in, dressed as the wife.

"Fireproof" had a cast and crew of over 1,200, of which all were volunteers. The budget this time was $500,000⁰⁰, a large jump from their last endeavor.

This is an incredible movie! Every married couple should see this TOGETHER! Even though the movie is about a couple that is facing the end of their marriage, it is a reminder that all marriages need constant care. But be warned—BRING TISSUES. You will need them. This is a movie that was enhanced by watching it in the theater. The sense of fellowship can be felt as fellow viewers have the same response to the scenes. Believe it or not the audience of strangers left the theatre in a more caring mood to each other just by sharing this time together. This isn't just a story about how to love your spouse, but it is so much more.

The couple in the movie is about the end their seven-year marriage when the husband's father issues a dare to his son. He dares his son to hold off on divorce for 40 days and sends him a book with a challenge to be completed each of those 40 days. In our instant gratification society, he can't understand why after 4 days it's not working. It is only part way through the dare that he stops going through the motions and begins to work at the challenge.

There are so many parts of this movie I would love to share with you, but I don't want to ruin any part of it. The movie reminds us that fireproof doesn't mean you won't go through fires, just that you are able to withstand the fires you will go through.

Finally Some Results

2008-10-03T16:37:00.004-04:00

After six weeks of school David finally got a one-on-one that was supposed to begin on the first day of school. This time we have a male one-on-one and it will be interesting to see how things work out.

I met this week with a representative of the agency that is providing the service. I feel they are more prepared for this type of work than the last agency was. Much of the last agency's work was intense home therapy, which we were not in need of.

The new one-on-one began yesterday and David was testing all the limits so it was a little bit of a rough start. But, today was a very smooth day. I went in to school during the last class today in order to meet him. I wanted him to get his feet wet before asking if he had any questions.

I have now sent a letter to the school department that provides the funding for the one-on-one services to request that they award no new contracts to the old agency. Since the old agency hasn't been able to provide the services of existing contracts they don't need to pursue any new contracts.

Helping Others

2008-10-03T16:32:00.004-04:00

One more week to go on our Liberty Godparent fundraiser. We are almost at double our last year's giving total of $410.00. As of last week we have raised $743⁰¹.

It is amazing what one little church can do through God's power.

Just Ducky

2008-10-01T21:09:00.004-04:00

Saturday was Rich's day. But, Sunday was my friend Abigail's day. I had the honor of throwing her a baby shower. Since Abigail likes old fashioned toys I thought that would make a good theme for her shower. I used lots of rubber ducks, Little Golden Books, a Dick and Jane book and a large building block for decorations.

Abigail's cake

Our friend Stacy was wonderful enough to make one of her amazing cake creations. Dots and Ducks made the cake fun and festive. I made the punch and floated tiny little ducks as a fun surprise. Once again I used my huge galvanized bucket to hold cans of soda and water, but this time I decorated it as a bathtub. Little ducks in front with a washcloth and hooded towel laid across the top gave it a different twist.

Since we don't know weather she's having a baby boy or girl most stayed away from clothes. She received lots of bathtime items, diapers and wipes. Some clothes, a couple blankets and several books rounded out the gifts.

The devotion was given by one of ladies and she spoke about the importance of laughter in motherhood. One of Abigail's bridesmaids led the games. She had Abigail try a new jar of baby food after opening a few gifts. Abigail has decided she doesn't like baby food.

Abigail's reaction to her baby food

I gave all the ladies a form asking them what piece of advice they wished someone had told them. As an example, mine was that "I wish someone had told me that I am capable to parent the child that God gave me. There are days when as mothers we question our own ability to parent our children. Take the advice of others and if it works, great. If it does not, toss it out and move on." I am allowing the ladies a week to complete these forms and return them to me. I plan on making them into a booklet for Abigail.

Abigail is such a wonderful and thoughtful person that she brought me some beautiful flowers and a card tonight to thank me for the shower.

Celebration Saturday

2008-09-30T08:13:00.011-04:00

Saturday was my husband's birthday so we took him on an adventure. We began the day at a local winery. We have visited other wineries but this one made fruit wines. While he tasted a few wines, David played with the farm dog and I checked out the pumpkins, jams and jellies. It was foggy on the mountain and a bit on the wet side so we could not go out and pick any apples.

We then headed down to the small town of Bedford to Centerfest. They close several blocks in the town and have live entertainment, food stands, crafts, safety demonstrations, food stands (oh, did I already mention them?), kid's crafts, kid's games and, oh yeah, food stands. The food was really good with lots of choices. We had lots of fun and David was able to sit in a go-cart from a local college, they even started it for him. He was invited inside the police car's driver seat and the officer turned on the lights. Rich loved taking pictures at this unique event. We bought David a rubber band gun with a target and he was in heaven.

On the way to Centerfest David must have been thinking of Rich's birthday because he asked us, "since you guys were so old when God gave me to you are you going to die before my friends' parents?" How's that for making you feel good on your birthday? We told him it wasn't that we were so old as much as he was so active that would send us to an early grave. Really, we told him that heredity and taking care of yourself would help determine how long we would live.

When we got home we had to hurry in order to get ready for our dinner reservations at a local steakhouse. Rich and I weren't that hungry since we had lunch at the Centerfest. But this worked out well since David ate his food, half of Rich's and part of mine.

For Rich's gift we got a fire pit. Rich has been wanting one for a while and I thought it would be a perfect gift. David is always so excited about gift-giving that we had to give Rich the gift a couple days early so that David wouldn't spill the beans.

Many friends sent cards and we are so thankful for the many wonderful friends that we have.

Real People's Lives

2008-09-26T13:54:00.005-04:00

As the politicians fight in Washington about how best to get our country out of the mess that they helped to create, we wait to see what it will cost us. Some of them, I think, are trying to look out for the best interest of the citizens. But, as others try to add on money for the pet projects that the lobbies are paying them to endorse it makes my blood boil. They were elected by the people to look out for us, not to get rich off our misery.

The many politicians who have taken lobbyists' money to help finance the mess should be made to deposit that money into the government coffers. This would help reduce the amount we would need to pay as working Americans. The bigwigs that have run their companies into the ground should lose all their retirement and bonuses. After all, many retired people are holding their breath to see if their money will be there for them after trusting these people.

Even in our home we are waiting to see what the future holds. My husband was in his DC office this week and saw first hand many of his fellow employees turn in their computers and walk out the door after being laid off. Over 900 employees in this country alone were laid off at his company this week. His company's top clients included Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman, and, you guessed it, AIG.

He received the dreaded e-mail saying that more lay offs are coming due to the economy. More than 10,000 are expected to be let go over the next week or so. Because of the division he is in, we are hopeful he won't be one of them.

As we go through this I wonder where non-Christians get any peace. I know that all I have comes from God and I am in His hands. Now, as I have learned in life that doesn't mean that there aren't hard times ahead or that Rich won't lose his job. I just know that there is a reason and God is in control.

Goal Reached!

2008-09-23T12:49:00.005-04:00

Today I took this week's baby bottles to have the change counted in order to update our Liberty Godparent fundraising total. Our church still has two weeks left before the campaign ends and we have surpassed last year's total and also this year's goal. We had hoped to raise $500⁰⁰ ($90 more than last year's total)—and we have now reached $629⁴⁰, with two more weeks to go!

I had several people approach me on Sunday to say they have bottles that they are still filling. We had one family that took their children out into their neighborhood and filled their bottles that way. With four children they were able to do a great job. From the older members to the youngest, everyone has gotten behind this project.

Just Like Cinderella

2008-09-22T12:13:00.007-04:00

This weekend we stayed close to home and went down to the city market. We arrived late so many vendors were packing up, but I think this may have helped get me a great deal on a pumpkin.

My Cinderella Pumpkin

I found Cinderella's pumpkin and it's beautiful! Cinderella is an ornamental novelty pumpkin. Deeply ridged, exceptionally flattened. Thick, sweet flesh is moist and custard like. Ours weighs in at 39.8 pounds. I only paid $10.00 for this little gem. I had never seen a pumpkin like it. It now sits proudly on our front porch to greet our visitors.

We thought about heading to one of our favorite places for lunch, but decided to try a new place. We had seen this cute little place sitting on the edge of the river many times and always said "We really need to check it out. It looks so interesting." Well, we finally did try it. "Texas Inn" is open 24 hours a day and is only closed on Sundays.

David & me in front of The Texas Inn

We had to wait a minute while other customers left to get three stools together at the counter. There is only a counter and no booths or other seating. There were two waitresses that served the counter and you got to watch the cook make your meal. The lunch menu is very basic with hot dogs, burgers, westerns and variations on these items.

David ordered three chili dogs, Rich had a cheesy western and a "funny" which is a hot dog bun without the dog but with all the fixin's. I ordered two hit dogs, only had one and a half (David had the other half.) I also ordered an orange cake which all three of us shared. I was amazed at how well the waitresses kept track of all the people at the counter.