tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83164530087564882752024-03-12T19:32:07.227-06:00And we called her Miranda...A blog begun in honor of our search for children through fostering and adoption...but is now mostly about other stuff.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-6262377356206203492010-12-01T22:33:00.002-07:002011-02-11T09:55:34.649-07:00November<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITJYk53jxZrgGTD4PMmTZEvF7zX2yEG1gFTZidf9g0Ia_gNQXMdcu-fcJsSvfK1PBXf1w9Johnqu_bx1EtFNy_qHfc1G8HxqVnrVFta0tB-y1YUuD64uj3nZfTDNXXinyrJ4_Ez8ZtWjg/s1600/100_8663.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITJYk53jxZrgGTD4PMmTZEvF7zX2yEG1gFTZidf9g0Ia_gNQXMdcu-fcJsSvfK1PBXf1w9Johnqu_bx1EtFNy_qHfc1G8HxqVnrVFta0tB-y1YUuD64uj3nZfTDNXXinyrJ4_Ez8ZtWjg/s400/100_8663.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572301161780432754" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gtud11BlwCv98lmvErEZqgPd8kobdgIE0n1zK7FbCN2DHJT43dcnkChNzpGQY9ltdUUOmcEFyYvrvktrgPLmxIFbNKexwprdCD1W3AnX4T46PBldirLi4VZTE147VG5xvDIREU2UcEeN/s1600/100_8666.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gtud11BlwCv98lmvErEZqgPd8kobdgIE0n1zK7FbCN2DHJT43dcnkChNzpGQY9ltdUUOmcEFyYvrvktrgPLmxIFbNKexwprdCD1W3AnX4T46PBldirLi4VZTE147VG5xvDIREU2UcEeN/s400/100_8666.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572301153295510706" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-48861050309665248232010-11-02T22:31:00.001-06:002011-02-10T22:52:54.810-07:00October<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4d6FJn1B1NsZP4Wfng5UKUwg44FURgETVoWnevoNSivpSfcFA_F_hVyD2yRaetXCGcBrqpK3GN9qIYXGfQNxhsIzHlA-YVtcT9Rhoiq7YDwEAD8EmIZVhE0rJVFe-f5tmDzHyGMLy82cV/s1600/100_8480.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4d6FJn1B1NsZP4Wfng5UKUwg44FURgETVoWnevoNSivpSfcFA_F_hVyD2yRaetXCGcBrqpK3GN9qIYXGfQNxhsIzHlA-YVtcT9Rhoiq7YDwEAD8EmIZVhE0rJVFe-f5tmDzHyGMLy82cV/s400/100_8480.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572297457963760354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchFStpYWicDrM4wo_uZbqMxPVuMqVXzSJj8BX5m_lN_KPZH4juFcBnlaKx2NalhGGvacWSjtUWEJTp60hFIxkZmmuePUw6YlcDf4kkfoc-7mohvS_wnUNfwi_jduSyyaLI9ER0jMAXjK-/s1600/100_8482.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPpKZOAfDktfx1M7S_hxSyjHkYVz-51ZyUdVoJr-AL1BqdNXkM3Ir8pYywl6OZiIfdi38vQW3D3IeHPPBINME0c50o-cIU_grQSs46oOeRnFFv6DmO45Fq42vhWhHM0bTi4-_SaJLBKLq/s400/100_8531.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572297114809666610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8alwkOxEaG2ZLNZxpmPfm521oDmV-mxetcWBr0Odvxm0tl6VRPKet-6ZrGtXo0-Zp_NP4wX1wRioamZcKM-CiruILTeuiZ7xANEg70xJXjTTGRjyU9ytqXmYBBmIEDUpzfS8-qJmVjBoc/s1600/100_8543.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8alwkOxEaG2ZLNZxpmPfm521oDmV-mxetcWBr0Odvxm0tl6VRPKet-6ZrGtXo0-Zp_NP4wX1wRioamZcKM-CiruILTeuiZ7xANEg70xJXjTTGRjyU9ytqXmYBBmIEDUpzfS8-qJmVjBoc/s400/100_8543.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572297104071806546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnDGXGhosdsL3NvWyMYF7zC6bbqTHAzjSukF2ZhaEM2pg12Mx2_Daed42I8F16fx9peGu1J-7jYwo09W-Neceo7CMiwlyqStO9Ic78MJymrSMtae-daZZYUiOofS_ys-5w88AZyjGBrDw/s1600/100_8544.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdKMBZaPCk9hn6Zvv2ZKWEKq-aPH5VNxVUh2FMcYGx_ziE5dj1iVOV0mTJ671i_rGEOKv81ZQSp3b1goKxVPX7hjl6iJjxG2uCG8frY2KgYG4WESo5TuasBL87JscXob7CcjjE4PDUdcv/s400/IMG_1734.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571555644680080930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k9-QxeBwRpgm5J5YYuofmtqIL4o4WwjYCmQdiysqPOlw1G-aHpVvcwL_bV21ihhkpPmQgqN2C7YPpjQS_VLeiyWbeBbfJqzA-qDY17vn5QaVz326G8yjXvp-4HLB_dfF2NzO442o5S1H/s1600/IMG_1753.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k9-QxeBwRpgm5J5YYuofmtqIL4o4WwjYCmQdiysqPOlw1G-aHpVvcwL_bV21ihhkpPmQgqN2C7YPpjQS_VLeiyWbeBbfJqzA-qDY17vn5QaVz326G8yjXvp-4HLB_dfF2NzO442o5S1H/s400/IMG_1753.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571555633915487426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bkbIdiaUq2hYbF-7FQac9c0qFmCJ6hefRHIRBP_Srqvik49D7AXb2cU1gldEstduo0dn81DOA15DCnXs95GXRHGJz1SRe28dind89ntZJy4hABOHAZq_hfQdI3NaNEbsmBiveTHgjJmG/s1600/100_8575.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bkbIdiaUq2hYbF-7FQac9c0qFmCJ6hefRHIRBP_Srqvik49D7AXb2cU1gldEstduo0dn81DOA15DCnXs95GXRHGJz1SRe28dind89ntZJy4hABOHAZq_hfQdI3NaNEbsmBiveTHgjJmG/s400/100_8575.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298712917654018" /></a>Maddie loves to wear pants with drawstrings. She says is a striped zebra and the drawstring is her tail! She doesn't like it when she she can't find any clothes in the drawer with stripes. She's being doing this for months. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9S_tQsZotKWKO4nZK0hY0xzE1m8bNL2vP7jTgdG4KMISousLOmV-NTGI_9fzUkLThKDGM7Q8KuARxHonBrQvwuR-U5BGM28WIi-DBYG3P9eGP0cTfbT90Hrk6NPUCAK2_8vWSlHC2NoP/s1600/100_8577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9S_tQsZotKWKO4nZK0hY0xzE1m8bNL2vP7jTgdG4KMISousLOmV-NTGI_9fzUkLThKDGM7Q8KuARxHonBrQvwuR-U5BGM28WIi-DBYG3P9eGP0cTfbT90Hrk6NPUCAK2_8vWSlHC2NoP/s400/100_8577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298705562204482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5cmr_coRLqNWsA8RZ6BJn1XQ58-wWcWUyymd1zCpjZK3szcdI9sKjc2qwCB8yDBUJqIgcR1Eck0y9xDpyW9nofjN7O5jzsFyWMaEmyFo8_7crlaPEEm6jv7pjIdHvwjgMDg07_G1Xz4I/s1600/100_8599.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5cmr_coRLqNWsA8RZ6BJn1XQ58-wWcWUyymd1zCpjZK3szcdI9sKjc2qwCB8yDBUJqIgcR1Eck0y9xDpyW9nofjN7O5jzsFyWMaEmyFo8_7crlaPEEm6jv7pjIdHvwjgMDg07_G1Xz4I/s400/100_8599.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298700270426258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0f4oxBctLIo3pYzyNfFGHkNOrLCQ6AM3YOSdcICM0RSr39JGPvJNPXm_W1Dj727yi4NhNA5Erb3IUq5vMJ-SuHB27eaUqG_h8KXVr-qMEBJs2YYemsDJI5jgI5C1CA4YAJCvJLherMLU/s1600/100_8608.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0f4oxBctLIo3pYzyNfFGHkNOrLCQ6AM3YOSdcICM0RSr39JGPvJNPXm_W1Dj727yi4NhNA5Erb3IUq5vMJ-SuHB27eaUqG_h8KXVr-qMEBJs2YYemsDJI5jgI5C1CA4YAJCvJLherMLU/s400/100_8608.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298688777507970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IXtWkZR_O7gSjF0JE3VNdfyZn6FXCf7O3IunNBiWzBPxSq0tjGlZruzNwDjKeDBwD8xHk-uRTZyL10S6Lyhxmn38QT8F3jB_Ia46yvagnzg9vABTJhLhPFc0jD4j3Ni43dIy-fnhdGob/s1600/100_8614.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IXtWkZR_O7gSjF0JE3VNdfyZn6FXCf7O3IunNBiWzBPxSq0tjGlZruzNwDjKeDBwD8xHk-uRTZyL10S6Lyhxmn38QT8F3jB_Ia46yvagnzg9vABTJhLhPFc0jD4j3Ni43dIy-fnhdGob/s400/100_8614.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298140503282434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pLCaW-Qko7Qf8wJFVqwgWgjuaqKKHMqG75n94pwYBpLW9CIorLiC1poX0QthSPll3GatpSF55FpAzmFMfOemFk6LP9Jqfur9fkHwOFWPtaljx39DF3vKLjRWSODKLebUKblIXIKP1qjC/s1600/100_8617.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pLCaW-Qko7Qf8wJFVqwgWgjuaqKKHMqG75n94pwYBpLW9CIorLiC1poX0QthSPll3GatpSF55FpAzmFMfOemFk6LP9Jqfur9fkHwOFWPtaljx39DF3vKLjRWSODKLebUKblIXIKP1qjC/s400/100_8617.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298136852414866" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMJ9OMwU84wa8lPQ2bOW0n1UE_r5e3vrhtPGLTnEnf0npeCQCrJkw5Hf9ZNKDwtwroxTJvGVOcjOjFGV244ayIlQ8u7ofDeDb-zh5qL_brlJpJv1HFmE0-iTTzHnUnA8pvvhVmioBsOWy/s1600/100_8620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMJ9OMwU84wa8lPQ2bOW0n1UE_r5e3vrhtPGLTnEnf0npeCQCrJkw5Hf9ZNKDwtwroxTJvGVOcjOjFGV244ayIlQ8u7ofDeDb-zh5qL_brlJpJv1HFmE0-iTTzHnUnA8pvvhVmioBsOWy/s400/100_8620.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298133043697058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6J7mrI0e9Z0vtKxDuOrAniW5auPMcAq5lvush4m-lRXHOz0UjQsay5bn6BT1o1QCO4BtnBN0ZWHCiMMH0hxcEKvZXrT7KS_BzVpet6AOyDe_tnDzV1Q558XA7l8l-QnifizBrr7dNIlf/s1600/100_8622.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6J7mrI0e9Z0vtKxDuOrAniW5auPMcAq5lvush4m-lRXHOz0UjQsay5bn6BT1o1QCO4BtnBN0ZWHCiMMH0hxcEKvZXrT7KS_BzVpet6AOyDe_tnDzV1Q558XA7l8l-QnifizBrr7dNIlf/s400/100_8622.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572298125700487970" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-18133110155064728362010-10-06T20:46:00.001-06:002010-12-10T16:48:14.197-07:00Yellowstone in the Fall<div align="left">We were hooked up with the use of a large lodge in Island Park, near Yellowstone. We invited a bunch of our friends and went at the end of September.<br /><br />There were five different families that went, and afterwards we all shared our photos. Most of the following were <strong>not </strong>taken by me! But I must say, Jenn's camera and photos inspired us to take it up a notch on our pending camera purchase.<br /><br />There are over 80 photos posted below--just couldn't resist! [At least I didn't post all 450!]<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7TLxQBwtm7UI34ojsDJ0aHHLa5aVzukiqaW5u9bzYR3LVK8j20qnqI3uA2QFDsiLGL7RvKBAGxhDb1wPJ40fZmzOwnQDcOkuaFMSfBjpk2AZ9sqXmC8p3uy54Fa4a12Hndp_GbLMM4T/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197953988720962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7TLxQBwtm7UI34ojsDJ0aHHLa5aVzukiqaW5u9bzYR3LVK8j20qnqI3uA2QFDsiLGL7RvKBAGxhDb1wPJ40fZmzOwnQDcOkuaFMSfBjpk2AZ9sqXmC8p3uy54Fa4a12Hndp_GbLMM4T/s400/6.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlSP6JaZI_Jfh-t1KZYO38VbUctL11DzNL43-M8sUztp4pckyteZ1jyRxAo5ReOp_79nLZuYAkE_baC9XBAPJchOxSKQkgaMgvR6CzDa4M3L061qpxydbmbNkTs3SQHK65yaKDO1pM07f/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197378992365938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlSP6JaZI_Jfh-t1KZYO38VbUctL11DzNL43-M8sUztp4pckyteZ1jyRxAo5ReOp_79nLZuYAkE_baC9XBAPJchOxSKQkgaMgvR6CzDa4M3L061qpxydbmbNkTs3SQHK65yaKDO1pM07f/s400/8.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a>Reunion Lodge </p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzqX3Y_WS9Htj704Yzp882uqUIoz6roep1G_Ijq1FbvBQgSaSvy9yrQlX273V4pRbCT0O0hYprul8Nasmdwp4FodTI9jatLk4i5iN10XN0CjlsSGjcumkdabahzzJq43_eeGU1zLvmwBr/s1600/13.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197368701865090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzqX3Y_WS9Htj704Yzp882uqUIoz6roep1G_Ijq1FbvBQgSaSvy9yrQlX273V4pRbCT0O0hYprul8Nasmdwp4FodTI9jatLk4i5iN10XN0CjlsSGjcumkdabahzzJq43_eeGU1zLvmwBr/s400/13.jpg" /></a>Day One of Yellowstone: South Loop<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUtSFr5_KdCJ7f1ZsKcc_1dJoTHt-N3VLbyxky2WN6cDiG8d1x7gWcIvGYo2Lr6Ey3Hp8kKcRgRY8zBVSM0Rpg6LTo1mu4mOkzltJxo9S3BhjnfeyIno17X4vF0m2jSOsCq5HrAP8UgfN/s1600/16.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197358419605474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUtSFr5_KdCJ7f1ZsKcc_1dJoTHt-N3VLbyxky2WN6cDiG8d1x7gWcIvGYo2Lr6Ey3Hp8kKcRgRY8zBVSM0Rpg6LTo1mu4mOkzltJxo9S3BhjnfeyIno17X4vF0m2jSOsCq5HrAP8UgfN/s400/16.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTheER7z-Bj70AD6MylBNmGtj53zSxS9TimF7TjgEJMB0B3xRmkNUiafFU1vAJ7GQ4TTCTazz9SRKlB9eBIz8S3g64aLvhJW_1Lr2pJRIDK6_PzuB5KBX6l8UkXSxJVTJJgIN0ek4J5dBj/s1600/24.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197347913188610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTheER7z-Bj70AD6MylBNmGtj53zSxS9TimF7TjgEJMB0B3xRmkNUiafFU1vAJ7GQ4TTCTazz9SRKlB9eBIz8S3g64aLvhJW_1Lr2pJRIDK6_PzuB5KBX6l8UkXSxJVTJJgIN0ek4J5dBj/s400/24.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKmpd-IWkWkL5IB92bQdqUahsvVqdKwV0-a1fuiDl_Di8bS0iocrBYYK-zlv2_Gxke3gxs-mOLImAnCTUXra9kZuuUGWGxhTa3ToUQ8RpSngzTrxiuYrklADS_QHDargl9HXRuZTv89C2/s1600/30.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197332221316194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKmpd-IWkWkL5IB92bQdqUahsvVqdKwV0-a1fuiDl_Di8bS0iocrBYYK-zlv2_Gxke3gxs-mOLImAnCTUXra9kZuuUGWGxhTa3ToUQ8RpSngzTrxiuYrklADS_QHDargl9HXRuZTv89C2/s400/30.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpacxfeT_IbbBNeLf3NN9KGuhfNqsT9Tci04DHEPkHwIJkjjAcL7MQdcvr7JI2YtULn2HT6mBFMCwfGTCAeOE8c7t5rVW37sDRYPXngEIeHOtcimYFJozjOvIkZx8L9Uv7J4oi2JnOEHCA/s1600/32.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549196316789114802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpacxfeT_IbbBNeLf3NN9KGuhfNqsT9Tci04DHEPkHwIJkjjAcL7MQdcvr7JI2YtULn2HT6mBFMCwfGTCAeOE8c7t5rVW37sDRYPXngEIeHOtcimYFJozjOvIkZx8L9Uv7J4oi2JnOEHCA/s400/32.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKb-3UJWCtk3CD-aS7-ma5dBJ9KvUkPWeYUPU0ziMSUn8tNHqL1GtMO6jGdPXld4e4s5dhv7HoybnxnckTNnV3ijEtpNntrlE8JAGEco5A_nDmHJ3yhzBHsHVI41QEA2gBiEjlE4UG0uv/s1600/53.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197965714882770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg4bPv3b2ICT6TPzBqKZ2JDtpu6sINUrejhwlDMKl-IShFBjh01Y9fI6Z0wTRZ0-lcUcxdiXHGmS_ft-hoymIcYczL66JgdLyaDAc5M2w7C-c3MUas-y25aSWfvUwGubNSQ64NnPsWic8/s400/103.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6X9QHVTBPO5bYP7x7CfMF6Ieu7oxyIhOvJEpB3_87PHT4T588K3HVGkMvaTyL9QT2FovuYiiOdE1x4qw05t6d8SNbKind4kAw4Qr2h8XlckP18cxl0UMyacjYnBYVSbFCt0GhBnTL3XM/s1600/102.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549197957481294594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6X9QHVTBPO5bYP7x7CfMF6Ieu7oxyIhOvJEpB3_87PHT4T588K3HVGkMvaTyL9QT2FovuYiiOdE1x4qw05t6d8SNbKind4kAw4Qr2h8XlckP18cxl0UMyacjYnBYVSbFCt0GhBnTL3XM/s400/102.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBZ5NzkFbL4CoT6d-rE68VoYXVROhHFB0SpQql3-BdMncL3i7KxyBhjqizjZWd71VVQBevOQGVF71QOu5z9pW8wg4VTIozHzKg8Pec8l-fUHPEz7l9Zf6JdP_lZNb9bOxSBOYqamWxz0Z/s1600/106.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549195410344814034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBZ5NzkFbL4CoT6d-rE68VoYXVROhHFB0SpQql3-BdMncL3i7KxyBhjqizjZWd71VVQBevOQGVF71QOu5z9pW8wg4VTIozHzKg8Pec8l-fUHPEz7l9Zf6JdP_lZNb9bOxSBOYqamWxz0Z/s400/106.JPG" /></a>And then a buffalo walks through the site! Like he owned the place! We had only been in the park about an hour and a half at this point, but I could have gone home after this...it was just so amazing and cool. Scary, but awesome to be only thirty or forty feet away from him. He didn't seem to pay much attention to us, thankfully!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWrBsjMg4apMyunhglnYnNHx2GmCONWbbMbUcYJ2fxsznnGQlWP-qdcXwm4f9YkYIuATwNujzW5wx70_pYLrq6X1A2qVfx2CmxaQRESi5Wmk-2nvCYDciKiFWpUtoRaMktawfM-ywJZgT/s1600/107.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549195402041808162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWrBsjMg4apMyunhglnYnNHx2GmCONWbbMbUcYJ2fxsznnGQlWP-qdcXwm4f9YkYIuATwNujzW5wx70_pYLrq6X1A2qVfx2CmxaQRESi5Wmk-2nvCYDciKiFWpUtoRaMktawfM-ywJZgT/s400/107.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfJ1PvcYIitrHZZk4NulbSKoaayiTXaOmjkAQsUR35Ni8vnwENdDLFIRR8MLj2iLOuhGS_X5Kha_8De6Ergc3WkWxiUft_u2LgqDVODO03XUiJMfc_8Roid0oxIUuHlzHknVqSaZ84qQE/s1600/109.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548932421492526994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0gUzIhcbWk5qESxkjHk0IHAIvWICoG0F04i8RmqnZd5VXHIS3saP-2zgMLHNPoLnCCxY7nH5h4tBkb-O4bo7z5-fJpkbJZ8My7pV7fZ-mWxDrlCZiOlb6Udiu3m3iR65kBdZ0OZDsPv1/s400/286.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDVBzzG29Mex8z4w7HTEAfyV6PVPkjnHhfQ6HUrrmDViI-ULtBWzubc3VcafbpdyZGg-r3eU193pPtcz3lMtXTNm1ebm-UzX5yFOsqDOnEVOmavqvFPfiDEXA3NTr9cRNSIrhBDLSgLxN/s1600/295.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548932407728221458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDVBzzG29Mex8z4w7HTEAfyV6PVPkjnHhfQ6HUrrmDViI-ULtBWzubc3VcafbpdyZGg-r3eU193pPtcz3lMtXTNm1ebm-UzX5yFOsqDOnEVOmavqvFPfiDEXA3NTr9cRNSIrhBDLSgLxN/s400/295.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Ou8JqovqgnOaqpYn5EDBFV82yuSq2mdzr88GNVh3eaUzAwFyut23busxquiTaQBt-oD1ISmuaaDlbJfvNk8fwgKfWLtb1b_TkRjilVxBFMekrzUbADGAVXtuUp4hjMOn19NL3y79S1E/s1600/296.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548932406203424418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Ou8JqovqgnOaqpYn5EDBFV82yuSq2mdzr88GNVh3eaUzAwFyut23busxquiTaQBt-oD1ISmuaaDlbJfvNk8fwgKfWLtb1b_TkRjilVxBFMekrzUbADGAVXtuUp4hjMOn19NL3y79S1E/s400/296.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNeih0jQXx1mDr5pCDU11brN8y4v0TMBmxOksYGfpAvkKgXoIVbM0gNs0KMzBubDtdybwAUwx1EQxfe4eGxFownM7SN7vYMqt4gep-x_hnDDJYI1UvsNzAbu6ZgydAAAufJFZHrrzIw6B/s1600/302.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548932404206674610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNeih0jQXx1mDr5pCDU11brN8y4v0TMBmxOksYGfpAvkKgXoIVbM0gNs0KMzBubDtdybwAUwx1EQxfe4eGxFownM7SN7vYMqt4gep-x_hnDDJYI1UvsNzAbu6ZgydAAAufJFZHrrzIw6B/s400/302.JPG" /></a>Day Two in Yellowstone--North Loop. Only one carload of us went this time.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoJRY8ne0E0e3ji9c8cl5y35JVYJLs33BeFhk1f6a1F5TFAaskOikXcz7CkStCGCiD6_qK-Q2X6UyR2epXjvXTZseqQB19Ruoa_WlHIE_rKeBcx6JRsWTj1f6m3bcII5Qh9Ctnlp4uAfk/s1600/303.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548931886716072898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoJRY8ne0E0e3ji9c8cl5y35JVYJLs33BeFhk1f6a1F5TFAaskOikXcz7CkStCGCiD6_qK-Q2X6UyR2epXjvXTZseqQB19Ruoa_WlHIE_rKeBcx6JRsWTj1f6m3bcII5Qh9Ctnlp4uAfk/s400/303.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CcffN1-PYvyevE6hpFODfwCFMq0eQTxeu5kQeUPiQKcGlnnrl7I0gNqaNN6PheuJLEq3wQQB-6HLjlN3mQ2mXz76Zs9ariD7uXlGrGFIdeCOTYosHb4Wk90BL6T0kXP3qxzx5tiq1DiC/s1600/341.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548931881257199506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CcffN1-PYvyevE6hpFODfwCFMq0eQTxeu5kQeUPiQKcGlnnrl7I0gNqaNN6PheuJLEq3wQQB-6HLjlN3mQ2mXz76Zs9ariD7uXlGrGFIdeCOTYosHb4Wk90BL6T0kXP3qxzx5tiq1DiC/s400/341.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsP7BHxVlX8jn5y-c-g-XL_HIGv7Bfd416LBsyfJ04LBOhkEmpS-W1g1VwmHwktU-mjp9Kt0Uc9OnseGkdRMaO4BQev3Mzxxwg7YR3mXAsnQb3t9w9_qbBwA2mYQoRfKt03cYmJ7lwNWHM/s1600/343.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; 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MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548929617795422642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7P1w1p01-Oc4EnHZQgOhDgF4cqgGRuJg_0NuG-TMjYe5PH8KPuPPaXiQfreYbAa_PMBg4F37s7ZrHZvCaw60SePQmP-am8gRpHnRIysJcBCEfN9fJAjE0NU5pDZE-SMnUvVB_X4TZ_XsC/s400/409.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_nZzj16NBeaut5JZJE2vEGu6l7z3Og40otxK-7fTQkzGgyFvkH5I-ht7UWmsEllO3p7KL0R3nCdBRMrfkKJedlfmVubPCXfos6p0H6oxPWOuqqFH8CHaJYFdj_4YRVQRsWWcZnizLRMk/s1600/410.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548929611971294754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_nZzj16NBeaut5JZJE2vEGu6l7z3Og40otxK-7fTQkzGgyFvkH5I-ht7UWmsEllO3p7KL0R3nCdBRMrfkKJedlfmVubPCXfos6p0H6oxPWOuqqFH8CHaJYFdj_4YRVQRsWWcZnizLRMk/s400/410.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn68aOnC3Nydt0hV8LEMYWFa0D7mBtevANTScY9JZRWRvGsDfS5Ogv4RVfVAu_pS3ocAMrRU6dXwZztdyUMwrFFJUfx7IlPz_yrULhtdS8ZnxgO9RoVKYfz_rzw2nzQD6hKQ5l53597zCy/s1600/415.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548929603293904962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn68aOnC3Nydt0hV8LEMYWFa0D7mBtevANTScY9JZRWRvGsDfS5Ogv4RVfVAu_pS3ocAMrRU6dXwZztdyUMwrFFJUfx7IlPz_yrULhtdS8ZnxgO9RoVKYfz_rzw2nzQD6hKQ5l53597zCy/s400/415.JPG" /></a></p>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-66670608296787788852010-09-07T17:41:00.003-06:002010-09-07T20:59:26.709-06:00First Day of Preschool<OBJECT id=BLOG_video-88afe026b9272dc6 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="88afe026b9272dc6"></OBJECT><br />Talking to Dad as he's driving home from Maryland. Go Broncos!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-48002320765631152552010-09-06T22:52:00.001-06:002010-09-06T22:58:22.839-06:00Something You Just Don't See Everyday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s7kL5EJS78KPAeHHTx6YzpkOhMhIbGDTOv2ESFPb5ayIAgZ0FgviIo80c5PZMBQ1_RBnq1sc2oXPK7a02xCeRiX_3lUu3wpoPZEgFGxtoRCtjNk2RaTYc3S8_yl0_T6Ffrur_tle_841/s1600/100_8368.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s7kL5EJS78KPAeHHTx6YzpkOhMhIbGDTOv2ESFPb5ayIAgZ0FgviIo80c5PZMBQ1_RBnq1sc2oXPK7a02xCeRiX_3lUu3wpoPZEgFGxtoRCtjNk2RaTYc3S8_yl0_T6Ffrur_tle_841/s400/100_8368.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024379952145458" /></a>Driving home we saw this fun-looking group a few blocks away from our house. Maddie said "Ponys, Mom!!!" We saw them in a place we couldn't easily stop so we went on home, but you can bet I was laughing the whole way.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6F7HTIJrKcNdgCTl_jUsN2R-rREs6W4kC7sOd-gURQzIzCkfCpzy-fxgYPa9EKcYl-A1Z5ICRZSrQSmtUBEnTzS9bEvRn2eVslMXClt_U-MMjkDKz-rxMArow0Is3pcGIKpq29MUiqwC/s1600/100_8367.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6F7HTIJrKcNdgCTl_jUsN2R-rREs6W4kC7sOd-gURQzIzCkfCpzy-fxgYPa9EKcYl-A1Z5ICRZSrQSmtUBEnTzS9bEvRn2eVslMXClt_U-MMjkDKz-rxMArow0Is3pcGIKpq29MUiqwC/s400/100_8367.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024386950930466" /></a>After parking the car we sat on the front step, hoping against hope that this girl would walk her dogs past our house. Wouldn't you know it, luck was on our side that day! [I would claim it was for Maddie, but we all know I was just as excited as she was to get another look.]<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbM0mttRLyXL_bVn6Lkil6rsIibhjTletxRMxk2u5kTtCYHMxMa2b4RB1GmhsAzjhmGuZguDsqzp6s8z6H_PTBRznFAfLC_HQkcIhM4jWgQVtcTyZxFwahKPqMITzRHBxwc9L5_jiby9B/s1600/100_8369.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbM0mttRLyXL_bVn6Lkil6rsIibhjTletxRMxk2u5kTtCYHMxMa2b4RB1GmhsAzjhmGuZguDsqzp6s8z6H_PTBRznFAfLC_HQkcIhM4jWgQVtcTyZxFwahKPqMITzRHBxwc9L5_jiby9B/s400/100_8369.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024371434982482" /></a>When I knowingly asked if she was bringing her dogs home from the fair, she said, no, she just did it for fun. She had entered them in some beauty contest, but they didn't win. Bet they would have if Maddie or I had been judge.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRa8-XWWO1y_D24cv7GX_FE70SCC55kqlM79XD0RmsWwoYu6IETq4h7ZpeuWxGG7d4Oq64cS4HNyEnAepTD2bm8seH_kucjvbcILFhps-1doBrpBz_QJoPor8uVjleCWT5hV1AWLm-4Ts/s1600/100_8371.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRa8-XWWO1y_D24cv7GX_FE70SCC55kqlM79XD0RmsWwoYu6IETq4h7ZpeuWxGG7d4Oq64cS4HNyEnAepTD2bm8seH_kucjvbcILFhps-1doBrpBz_QJoPor8uVjleCWT5hV1AWLm-4Ts/s400/100_8371.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024366959346850" /></a>Questions that crossed my mind as I watched them walk away: Do these poodles think much about what they look like? What do the two black dogs think of it? Are they all just color blind anyway, and don't really care? How far has this girl walked today, and how many people will have stopped her in the end?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BmzJz85c2CnSDswTi0nJmgKkDAp-0tYjz8lPvYQUtY6ADEXLFoZjczezj-QYHeeZiO7hafenIBh0crR5GiWrO_JGaPSfBIvCKLr6hhw7APsE2DINY16JZxN8eLaXHlCIfeJuEMJ9YYCG/s1600/100_8373.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BmzJz85c2CnSDswTi0nJmgKkDAp-0tYjz8lPvYQUtY6ADEXLFoZjczezj-QYHeeZiO7hafenIBh0crR5GiWrO_JGaPSfBIvCKLr6hhw7APsE2DINY16JZxN8eLaXHlCIfeJuEMJ9YYCG/s400/100_8373.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024358300341586" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-83914001459292083362010-08-15T17:45:00.000-06:002010-08-15T17:49:26.068-06:00Trek<A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M-pgAxlhN5ZcJX9u5KyILouwIgu4ljCqKXpqR8NhL1YdLgPThuNwNGlWSUzxHQLgLVAi-Y9WaEhk_L2dfUd-FQlY9eIxlsM1qqUchpZQyNtbusVxzvQiwVjamxzZrZHizeCov7E4-EhZ/s1600/100_8229.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505150247102046306 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M-pgAxlhN5ZcJX9u5KyILouwIgu4ljCqKXpqR8NhL1YdLgPThuNwNGlWSUzxHQLgLVAi-Y9WaEhk_L2dfUd-FQlY9eIxlsM1qqUchpZQyNtbusVxzvQiwVjamxzZrZHizeCov7E4-EhZ/s400/100_8229.JPG"></A> <em>Me and Ray, sopping wet and freezing, somewhere near Sixth Crossing. Remembering Ann and all her various contributions to my pioneer attire, some handmade, some from the Philippines, some both.</em><br /><br />Today marks just over a week since our return from our handcart trek. Wow--what an experience that was!<br /><br />I was on the planning committee to take the youth of our stake on a trek to Martin's Cove, Wyoming (which also included the Sixth Crossing and Rocky Ridge, if you're familiar with that area). We worked on this for months, and it was so strange to have it all be over with after only five days. With all our meetings, thought, prayer and toil, it seemed like it should be more like a two-week event at least!<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_Qc2fV2sIVWaJPa1OQtvuzzh_ZYVproLMn2jSoX0l8xBagVl1rsG06geNxDBReugK1te7B0-SFtpZZkXVTQq3pdddeiSewTfGjBW06E5z2BfX8WTpJ9tgUXy7qW8BJvfIsiPqKhWuMSm/s1600/100_8199.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151076373524530 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_Qc2fV2sIVWaJPa1OQtvuzzh_ZYVproLMn2jSoX0l8xBagVl1rsG06geNxDBReugK1te7B0-SFtpZZkXVTQq3pdddeiSewTfGjBW06E5z2BfX8WTpJ9tgUXy7qW8BJvfIsiPqKhWuMSm/s400/100_8199.JPG"></A> <em>Young Isaac Wardle, was freezing and starving in Martin's Cove in November of 1856. He thought he was at his end. One of the rescuers asked him to go chop down a tree for firewood before he sat down. Isaac didn't want to and eventually had to be physically forced to go do it. Once done, he was sent back twice to chop down more trees. The process ended up invigorating him and saved his life. These are believed to be two of the three tree stumps that still remain.</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzF6wIeRlSkwR2Iy1xivzY1t_QqC0p8bkJnOogTGoE0Y6GAg3Zh5VloFPahgKdsB59p-YaopbC9lT3cHajoudof5kqyZTKG2cCZBlstLB9MFvR_ySK3zgmKCUPnbPQStSgDACl8AN_cJV/s1600/100_8206.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505148383488210690 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzF6wIeRlSkwR2Iy1xivzY1t_QqC0p8bkJnOogTGoE0Y6GAg3Zh5VloFPahgKdsB59p-YaopbC9lT3cHajoudof5kqyZTKG2cCZBlstLB9MFvR_ySK3zgmKCUPnbPQStSgDACl8AN_cJV/s400/100_8206.JPG"></A><em>At statues of the Sacred Crossing of the Sweetwater.</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7qU00cDNF7OG9Qdj3tNjHhoe9VebljnQpGIDf_e5f526lym7tisSTceYtnbRfvjAeOL179EKe5zNCU5N0nt8YLJrbWXtr2K0UCOeD5gBhgjiu-piftM41QMZwqjgKW_nrly-sRff-yaH/s1600/100_8209.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505148392747700802 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7qU00cDNF7OG9Qdj3tNjHhoe9VebljnQpGIDf_e5f526lym7tisSTceYtnbRfvjAeOL179EKe5zNCU5N0nt8YLJrbWXtr2K0UCOeD5gBhgjiu-piftM41QMZwqjgKW_nrly-sRff-yaH/s400/100_8209.JPG"></A> <em>The young men after they carried all the women across the Sweetwater.</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MKX8Vhg55CtcWWM_uW-FkJx_RMYNFJ_KXqKlR8N-t1Tyk2CwZn0SjjYn24QbexkL3KDcFoNhFpiMOfO0Api-03zDivkID01Ukp-gtmPzia2iCaVlhZ43mEbevN-_dv3u-Zw1OgV_GtFd/s1600/100_8211.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505148399412243250 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MKX8Vhg55CtcWWM_uW-FkJx_RMYNFJ_KXqKlR8N-t1Tyk2CwZn0SjjYn24QbexkL3KDcFoNhFpiMOfO0Api-03zDivkID01Ukp-gtmPzia2iCaVlhZ43mEbevN-_dv3u-Zw1OgV_GtFd/s400/100_8211.JPG"></A> <em>Beautiful, isn't it? At least at this time of year.</em><br /><br />For the record, this was actually my fourth (4th) trek--all of which have occurred within the last 13 years of my life (interestingly, none in my youth! Californians don't do treks as much, I think.) So it wasn't too big of a shock to live like a pioneer for a week for me.<br /><br />What was a shock was doing it at age 39, as opposed to being younger the last three times. I have a healthy, new respect for aging--especially if you're a pioneer. It basically stinks. (Well, both literally and figuratively!) There were plenty of people older than me on this trek, and I looked at them and wonder how they did it?? I think I am just really, really, muy out of shape. Apparently walking two miles on my treadmill almost every day for the last two months wasn't quite the preparation I was thinking it would be. I cannot imagine if I hadn't even done that--how much worse shape I would have been in!<br /><br />My previous treks all entailed walking a long way, but this one was 30 miles in three days. The most intense by far. And did I mention I'm 39?! I know, it really isn't that old, but boy did I feel like it this time around.<br /><br />Our last day was a 15 mile walk, and those last three miles were passed by sheer willpower alone. My feet felt like they were on fire, and if I was ever forced to stop for any reason, I would simply buckle to the ground. Tortuous. And to think, the pioneers had to get up again and do that day after day. Oh, the faith.<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk1XPwRsQ_DErnIe9918-Y94t1lqv4kxLTzy6hNEndCLO-vM98aO5exs6nYnCxuc5bG6amYu9IlzjNcDD4qnvHCfY2H3cpTty_356SmEwTXmGUz4c9fuSTWZM8y_ZteSoEsdJdobULpd_/s1600/100_8220.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505148403980930338 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk1XPwRsQ_DErnIe9918-Y94t1lqv4kxLTzy6hNEndCLO-vM98aO5exs6nYnCxuc5bG6amYu9IlzjNcDD4qnvHCfY2H3cpTty_356SmEwTXmGUz4c9fuSTWZM8y_ZteSoEsdJdobULpd_/s400/100_8220.JPG"></A><em>Want to know how hard the wind was blowing at one point? Just look at the flags on the handcart--normally they hang down.</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvG63F9EiRqIJEw_Lnx4zeNvA6tUc3r1Y-8lfBrUFID-8nD4aSsoS5MOR_nwchdUTP3fxlzMrdO_5HpFSFQvg6lD5FbfvjgQiYGewq1gt9lNjQirrNHHhprVTLUHCfdyl4i0p5re05bcL/s1600/100_8232.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505150251260358450 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvG63F9EiRqIJEw_Lnx4zeNvA6tUc3r1Y-8lfBrUFID-8nD4aSsoS5MOR_nwchdUTP3fxlzMrdO_5HpFSFQvg6lD5FbfvjgQiYGewq1gt9lNjQirrNHHhprVTLUHCfdyl4i0p5re05bcL/s400/100_8232.JPG"></A> <em>After the storm.</em><br /><br />Trying to just hold on and move forward, the difficult task that it was, brought to mind a quote I love by Jeffrey R. Holland that really applies to people doing difficult things (treks or otherwise). Just last week in Sunday School we talked about the story about Elisha guiding the king of Israel in the war with Syria. I love when Elisha says to his servant: "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."<br /><br />What a great reminder, that no matter how overwhelmed you might feel in any situation, if you are striving to do what is good and right, the Lord and His hosts will be there with you, helping you.<br /><br />But here is Holland's quote: <EM>“In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see, riding at reckless speed to come to our protection (see 2 Kings 6:16-17). They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.”</EM><br /><br />That is so inpiring to me.<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztzLzHqh-JnP3b9re36vCjAeBFeKbi-aqZiVTnwyjZZq_yklNJhtneh3_1FBgnXpvUsw3J5wwUjtu7C9MaKjzZn0KFXO87x8Zxc17bht8sl_N3boFUwhuaa_q57aKFRZh3bBUnDCz4MXP/s1600/40426_427599878737_658078737_4776498_3513534_n%5B1%5D.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151545465994402 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztzLzHqh-JnP3b9re36vCjAeBFeKbi-aqZiVTnwyjZZq_yklNJhtneh3_1FBgnXpvUsw3J5wwUjtu7C9MaKjzZn0KFXO87x8Zxc17bht8sl_N3boFUwhuaa_q57aKFRZh3bBUnDCz4MXP/s400/40426_427599878737_658078737_4776498_3513534_n%5B1%5D.jpg"></A> <em>There I am in the Harmonica Choir, preparing to perform.</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTr4E-RC7RjJR5jIhlFELhgV7rNrGvwDWu5Fqi0wqp1Dcl2ys-xSz_67fsrCzTrrv3nJG8F4hyXkNDT6L6rwwpMSPa6o1bhZL5de0myNTaEZgVxAYIsZS8QRLm62apFTdgZ1JXdom3x-U/s1600/37771_427599838737_658078737_4776497_562766_n%5B1%5D.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151534284178034 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTr4E-RC7RjJR5jIhlFELhgV7rNrGvwDWu5Fqi0wqp1Dcl2ys-xSz_67fsrCzTrrv3nJG8F4hyXkNDT6L6rwwpMSPa6o1bhZL5de0myNTaEZgVxAYIsZS8QRLm62apFTdgZ1JXdom3x-U/s400/37771_427599838737_658078737_4776497_562766_n%5B1%5D.jpg"></A> <em>Me and the rest of us playing "Come, Come Ye Saints". Incidentally, did you know that it was "My Day" and Flying Pie Pizza the week before the trek? Yep, it was. Maddie and I went in (she plays too), played a few diddies on our harmonicas and got to make free pizzas! Awesome. I've been wanting it to be "My Day" ever since moving here 10 years ago. Finally!</em><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9lJDFsgztx5tcz3E6WqTJE2iEPtlgJwM-xgmDE3tYmPwnnCCIry7a9yiBvoIu-4nnBbScjPhb_xhQxTMHvstVlEN9iRoPKI3G7KtD7dYu5wHDN5S0W4_qT0-kMdS3rOnRot-czvD-szA/s1600/100_8235.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505150260959492642 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9lJDFsgztx5tcz3E6WqTJE2iEPtlgJwM-xgmDE3tYmPwnnCCIry7a9yiBvoIu-4nnBbScjPhb_xhQxTMHvstVlEN9iRoPKI3G7KtD7dYu5wHDN5S0W4_qT0-kMdS3rOnRot-czvD-szA/s400/100_8235.JPG"></A> <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBWS9_ngCiQpJcT1ZjS5hrH7gJEknFhFTy-GgqxlK6iswqPZZHtSKxGsiwNGxXh3LgpnDnA5ZO3BdfeFXT-w1gGMW7SSy2UoiEs_6b2dSd3O4nJkAeYnbP5_qjmZwM6IJu5qUZha6lq-L/s1600/100_8237.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505150264548657602 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBWS9_ngCiQpJcT1ZjS5hrH7gJEknFhFTy-GgqxlK6iswqPZZHtSKxGsiwNGxXh3LgpnDnA5ZO3BdfeFXT-w1gGMW7SSy2UoiEs_6b2dSd3O4nJkAeYnbP5_qjmZwM6IJu5qUZha6lq-L/s400/100_8237.JPG"></A> <em>This is the kid who I overheard saying, "I love hats! They are so awesome! What would I do in Wyoming without my hat??" Yeah, it was pretty hot and sunny at this point of the afternoon.</em><br /><br />Following are some photos of a few mud bogs we went through. Good times.<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_EY079Ljdcx7nqQnGeccVpjVbeFLL0i0800UAYFDogfHMe66vj5vahjDZA9gFb6fkZG74HMTGIhccaRGSTXKj2yxB-Nnh9c68wPj1cfpRi-EkVToc6jKM0IscZtOtDxvKgzVFf9fF5KT/s1600/100_8239.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505150274747972818 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_EY079Ljdcx7nqQnGeccVpjVbeFLL0i0800UAYFDogfHMe66vj5vahjDZA9gFb6fkZG74HMTGIhccaRGSTXKj2yxB-Nnh9c68wPj1cfpRi-EkVToc6jKM0IscZtOtDxvKgzVFf9fF5KT/s400/100_8239.JPG"></A> <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmf3FbUjtNdwuY0LnKbKj4wpy-5-sfjugrxbr0ZlndDj84Se_52i1zgiB40DsZ-eov3PbYPFIH4polZtKiQRa_S7UzfJGakpCLiqBs3eD3-GXTIMZjQL8Xq4OnWO2IT64Z8jiVQXOa_-_/s1600/100_8240.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151044794538562 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmf3FbUjtNdwuY0LnKbKj4wpy-5-sfjugrxbr0ZlndDj84Se_52i1zgiB40DsZ-eov3PbYPFIH4polZtKiQRa_S7UzfJGakpCLiqBs3eD3-GXTIMZjQL8Xq4OnWO2IT64Z8jiVQXOa_-_/s400/100_8240.JPG"></A><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf2PC7V07i6O2U0LnpX09DPrLUxP1v8dccRdHvg5nXyQk51E_GphVbMSnO606IigrLKiK-vrq1jqcWmNxxncHjsTIL0ZU7WH4IjG3TuHg36GUPipf49yFAqVjpkN2V7w8M4u2cA8To_Yj/s1600/100_8241.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151055699392226 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf2PC7V07i6O2U0LnpX09DPrLUxP1v8dccRdHvg5nXyQk51E_GphVbMSnO606IigrLKiK-vrq1jqcWmNxxncHjsTIL0ZU7WH4IjG3TuHg36GUPipf49yFAqVjpkN2V7w8M4u2cA8To_Yj/s400/100_8241.JPG"></A> <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfG_yGoP8-JJEGnj9PYxbeqLLcQi0qeUw0VWLwRhod-q4ftho1Z-fpRBOx8YlmYJPNhjNqNpEjAOqamMszcucxc9oxwbHfBMQZGmaOxdNT2rLyS_1ru-I4rWMlyeuAf-zwdqzbVNLXsrs/s1600/100_8242.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151063031729746 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfG_yGoP8-JJEGnj9PYxbeqLLcQi0qeUw0VWLwRhod-q4ftho1Z-fpRBOx8YlmYJPNhjNqNpEjAOqamMszcucxc9oxwbHfBMQZGmaOxdNT2rLyS_1ru-I4rWMlyeuAf-zwdqzbVNLXsrs/s400/100_8242.JPG"></A><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtS4jKi6kZjhS3zeTyoysAQkzvQqiWuR8zmGxU6ySTi8_Kekh1SnWH4bLuCsVZu_li7t3Cs9QZfzC6VOfxDDl3kvvYanU0G9BQTIC4IDMFU1Psx2xvUC10yFZNjhygrPB_rC2F11a3ScFJ/s1600/100_8243.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505151068806941906 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtS4jKi6kZjhS3zeTyoysAQkzvQqiWuR8zmGxU6ySTi8_Kekh1SnWH4bLuCsVZu_li7t3Cs9QZfzC6VOfxDDl3kvvYanU0G9BQTIC4IDMFU1Psx2xvUC10yFZNjhygrPB_rC2F11a3ScFJ/s400/100_8243.JPG"></A> <br /><br />So highlights of our trek for me would include:<br /><br />*Ray agreeing to go and actually enjoying it!<br />*Driving out to Wyoming with Ray and Sue Johnson instead of on a bus.<br />*The Spirit I felt in those historic locations.<br />*Our reenactment of the Sacred Crossing of the Sweetwater.<br />*Coming to understand that Wyoming, despite its never-ending plains and sagebrush, is incredibly beautiful. At least in August.<br />*Gaining a respect for Wyoming weather. As we had heard, storms come on quickly and powerfully. Next time I will plan accordingly. We were hit by several major thunderstorms which wreaked havoc on our campground. Think: tornado!<br />*Getting to know the members of our stake and enjoying working with them<br />*Crossing through some huge mud bogs with the handcarts.<br />*Talking with Ray about how great it would be to serve a mission out there when we're older. Ray was sold when he watched one of the missionaries walk 50 yards from his house to the river to fish!<br /><br />I know from personal experience that often when people go on treks and are excited to share about it...others often don't share that same enthusiasm. I completely undertand. If I had not been a part of the planning of this trek and been there myself, I might possibly be bored. So if you are still reading this, bless you. And if not, I totally get it.<br /><br />But I would like to share something powerful that I got out of this, something beyond just the highlights. Studying the lives and experiences of the pioneers as we have, I have gained much from their faith. With some of them it feels as if I have come to know them. Francis Webster, a member of the Martin Handcart Company in 1856, and someone who I love, said something that I find life changing.<br /><br />The setting was in a Sunday School class in Cedar City, many years after the famous trek of 1856. Some sharp criticism of the church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the Plains with no more supplies or protection than a hand cart caravan afforded.<br /><br />Francis Webster, an old man by that time, sat in the corner sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.<br /><br />He said in substance, <em>"I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved.<br /><br />"Mistake to send the Hand Cart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that Company and my wife was in it... We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that Company utter a word of criticism? ...<strong>Every one of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.</strong><br /><br />"I have pulled my hand cart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said I can go only that far and there I must give up for I cannot pull the load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the Angels of God were there.<br /><br />"Was I sorry that I chose to come by hand cart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. <strong>The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Hand Cart Company</strong>."</em><br /><br />His words strike a chord with me every time I read them--the beauty of thinking about how we do come better acquainted with God in our extremities. The things we endure--trials, troubles, afflictions, illness, sorrow, death--all the yucky, horrible, sad stuff--they are all a part of the price we pay to come to know God. There is purpose, somehow, to it all.<br /><br />So in that light, hard things really aren't as bad as they might seem. The good that comes from the difficult (whether our choice or not), particularly in the way they bring us closer to the Lord, makes it worth it. It makes it a small price to pay, when you really think about it.<br /><br />So what price will I pay? How about you?Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-71147540673431099982010-05-16T23:00:00.002-06:002010-05-16T23:07:39.724-06:00Look Who's ThreeThis post is a long-overdue response to Megan S's request for me to post recent pics of Maddie. I've been a little busy and haven't captured my sweet girl's growth over the months.<br /><br />I left out as many pictures as I could for this post, but sorry--there's a lot! It's just that 1)she's way too cute, and 2)this is for posterity's sake after all. So I gotta. Please enjoy. (I sure have!)<br /><br /><STRONG>December 22</STRONG> -- We created a friend out back. He stayed for weeks. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRTaiV-4Y3G6RXHkoEm8KnRkcxjZXVT9z7BpsjGLlSf_-6n5mzxTF1CFLzQKR5_7w9rvnmRVt_14Iff9icEpMneRQx1lXR1X1eQzrbs5UaOuVfT-GrX3_AKZlZv7k8R3DvTKcSSEppNva/s1600/100_7424.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471724198677772274 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRTaiV-4Y3G6RXHkoEm8KnRkcxjZXVT9z7BpsjGLlSf_-6n5mzxTF1CFLzQKR5_7w9rvnmRVt_14Iff9icEpMneRQx1lXR1X1eQzrbs5UaOuVfT-GrX3_AKZlZv7k8R3DvTKcSSEppNva/s400/100_7424.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2VNBB-6zaal191glLPCst3t9Sr4gqIt6nFYUCEAe8a1o2SHBNvXsmwG1XKMkvbXIsceBuBSceuI1ctN1eJumg4mUCb5yWlrbhhqOKP7WYhS1xyc9mxin2jg4cT30IfK0QK4dWnCIumsx/s1600/100_7417.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471724198140184482 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2VNBB-6zaal191glLPCst3t9Sr4gqIt6nFYUCEAe8a1o2SHBNvXsmwG1XKMkvbXIsceBuBSceuI1ctN1eJumg4mUCb5yWlrbhhqOKP7WYhS1xyc9mxin2jg4cT30IfK0QK4dWnCIumsx/s400/100_7417.JPG"></A> <STRONG>December 25</STRONG> -- Look what Grandpa Ed and Grandma Norma gave Maddie for Christmas! Go Broncos! <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx13aUuExpGxtqRccS_Ff4uwvOl3Ia2-RZiExl38l4RvfytbE1US6V4PTkIc1LuLSf8vDz-irycWuWcSTNp1COEDvDr2Iki-thNrMb0USnEcpz8mBBBbfyiPjTjyJHNlVStpZ_c3jPQRn0/s1600/100_7606.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471724185992349170 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx13aUuExpGxtqRccS_Ff4uwvOl3Ia2-RZiExl38l4RvfytbE1US6V4PTkIc1LuLSf8vDz-irycWuWcSTNp1COEDvDr2Iki-thNrMb0USnEcpz8mBBBbfyiPjTjyJHNlVStpZ_c3jPQRn0/s400/100_7606.JPG"></A> <STRONG>January 15 </STRONG>-- True to my word, we began potty training on January 1st. It has been as rough as I expected (but no doubt it was probably that rough BECAUSE I expected it to be). Accidents seem to be increasing in frequency, so exactly last Wednesday, out of sheer desperation, I started the "Potty Pill Program". I hate the concept of buying a kid with candy, but boy is it working. WHY did I fight it?? My favorite part of the rules (and the reason I think this program actually works) is that she gets one potty pill (M&M or jelly bean) every time she goes in the potty. But if she goes in her pants, me or Ray get TWO potty pills. She hasn't had an accident yet on this new program! She's always been sort of territorial with her food. I guess I finally found her Achilles heel...and should have tried this much sooner. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gZyoHk-lZmo9OJGZAwDTXNnGjf6LBs-PlbVDwOoJmk2t-oAym3r8NMYN7W2evr9lt6UkR-n0OfJM1qAG_E9LQJmtlkJHurkeI8oySK9mEFoy9v_7Hn8yQgrctJp-4LeFBrYk8FPSMkLS/s1600/100_7624-cropped.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472076018470321426 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gZyoHk-lZmo9OJGZAwDTXNnGjf6LBs-PlbVDwOoJmk2t-oAym3r8NMYN7W2evr9lt6UkR-n0OfJM1qAG_E9LQJmtlkJHurkeI8oySK9mEFoy9v_7Hn8yQgrctJp-4LeFBrYk8FPSMkLS/s400/100_7624-cropped.jpg"></A> <STRONG>February 4</STRONG> -- Maddie has the best curls which makes for a fantastic pony tail(s). <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5Ei1iadA2CCUwbYbe4B4qGSznH2fy0fBhZyvowcgGIAG-wH83GTpTLRb8q4Y_NWUws-FH3H5SzVmEdG3zj5YmWxf_u9SgwIaEdLadERN_A3h7S6Z8RtAfLhq_X6Ldi3X878noQ-Uzn10/s1600/100_7693.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471723342892541922 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5Ei1iadA2CCUwbYbe4B4qGSznH2fy0fBhZyvowcgGIAG-wH83GTpTLRb8q4Y_NWUws-FH3H5SzVmEdG3zj5YmWxf_u9SgwIaEdLadERN_A3h7S6Z8RtAfLhq_X6Ldi3X878noQ-Uzn10/s400/100_7693.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59gpytH1XCmI-3-BsWSXTqW-WPgOkhXBwMh_tN74M3qVHJnc5iMdP6pXec65d5iR95L46mIlaSbU2L9FTAum1CAjvysjn-jMq3xiI-6nOTyspeJNj2Cffo9Qgwtsdh-NQ6YTD9CM4hjtI/s1600/100_7704-crop.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 192px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471723335467454434 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59gpytH1XCmI-3-BsWSXTqW-WPgOkhXBwMh_tN74M3qVHJnc5iMdP6pXec65d5iR95L46mIlaSbU2L9FTAum1CAjvysjn-jMq3xiI-6nOTyspeJNj2Cffo9Qgwtsdh-NQ6YTD9CM4hjtI/s400/100_7704-crop.jpg"></A> <STRONG>February 11</STRONG> -- Maddie in my pioneer-wear. I am currently helping to plan yet ANOTHER handcart trek. This time for the stake. I am also the tambourinist in the trek band (so cool) AND Maddie and I are learning the harmonica. Let me say that is one of the LEAST annoying instruments I've ever heard a kid playing. She sounded good from the first time she blew in it. Looking for a fun, non-annoying instrument to get a kid? Get a harmonica. I promise, you won't regret it. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOxfA38lJhd0Ybh2JVvB19hv8gulgj2P_o_mO5KCiYR5BkG_uXH9bxePPtrDV-iS06s05yq6ckXvMiNNJpq1rbBEJ49gI9q9QWBFG2kY0zPjnPnFiNdHuWdu7pn3fpjJCsdgUN_dFHrn2/s1600/100_7717-cropped.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 208px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471723318477913554 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOxfA38lJhd0Ybh2JVvB19hv8gulgj2P_o_mO5KCiYR5BkG_uXH9bxePPtrDV-iS06s05yq6ckXvMiNNJpq1rbBEJ49gI9q9QWBFG2kY0zPjnPnFiNdHuWdu7pn3fpjJCsdgUN_dFHrn2/s400/100_7717-cropped.jpg"></A> <STRONG>February 17 </STRONG>-- So pinkish. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1n_0cde3Ztznt-xnQqoPdzEBfVXpeSQ18L7Z8ovmc7uxrZ44-HVdnz42P0xFbsr4iYfruvVtGtLTOhhr9xkEFVo2KWSKz9gy0ph1Lfn09s7YlZaZRT5LA-j6KlNNvmVkg4LB8DUICHeU/s1600/100_7720-cropped.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471723312883586210 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1n_0cde3Ztznt-xnQqoPdzEBfVXpeSQ18L7Z8ovmc7uxrZ44-HVdnz42P0xFbsr4iYfruvVtGtLTOhhr9xkEFVo2KWSKz9gy0ph1Lfn09s7YlZaZRT5LA-j6KlNNvmVkg4LB8DUICHeU/s400/100_7720-cropped.jpg"></A> <STRONG>February 22</STRONG> -- And yellowish. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4qCW-qOL1qWyQIGRZQvZzmEg49bHt4FhTHZbNWSuB9NgSCychWSXEw-17mdIciIc9Vmj095BIKFeCWNQM5kaOXoqIC2rj8jl8KRHovoBG3cuhYb1_5YWjRE8ANiN0mTPtwCzOMtEqfDa/s1600/100_7734.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471722705257025122 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4qCW-qOL1qWyQIGRZQvZzmEg49bHt4FhTHZbNWSuB9NgSCychWSXEw-17mdIciIc9Vmj095BIKFeCWNQM5kaOXoqIC2rj8jl8KRHovoBG3cuhYb1_5YWjRE8ANiN0mTPtwCzOMtEqfDa/s400/100_7734.JPG"></A> <STRONG>February 28</STRONG> -- Could be the best bed-head I've ever seen. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQj7twv7IubIVB8Gi3vFS4tfZWvcpVesJjWW16vldtBMooTPILj7s157T2eLv9R2z32FqEXOJ8m7df8v26p1KauITUAKe3VoWBlnV6bsHFW3YGOOXXNR_1vzAV_58g3fVro70ZJZivGtcY/s1600/100_7739.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471722696639464978 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQj7twv7IubIVB8Gi3vFS4tfZWvcpVesJjWW16vldtBMooTPILj7s157T2eLv9R2z32FqEXOJ8m7df8v26p1KauITUAKe3VoWBlnV6bsHFW3YGOOXXNR_1vzAV_58g3fVro70ZJZivGtcY/s400/100_7739.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yfInBa3LNG9kSLmUCJa_hpr7Ns5R23v-ilYLNi36nm2moiNneHV1wcouECPL9pC48vm9FZfcgDE5kDvyf7llgMFGAqDNtkdDEpuEyIXlV-xkBQMqoUQzOUTVbvpbFl6TOz5orIsyn1Z-/s1600/100_7740.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472080656447349042 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yfInBa3LNG9kSLmUCJa_hpr7Ns5R23v-ilYLNi36nm2moiNneHV1wcouECPL9pC48vm9FZfcgDE5kDvyf7llgMFGAqDNtkdDEpuEyIXlV-xkBQMqoUQzOUTVbvpbFl6TOz5orIsyn1Z-/s400/100_7740.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunLF0vnIEYhyphenhyphen-WuZF684F8CoCUEvM_uLkAbk4cJrXcNj7AQxn32wq9mEoThyphenhyphenovm6Ldovk6QSwgBR9DlizTdmwa008zIHl8HZrkQqypWHA3ppGo-HCsiK61_gLRRMm0DjS5oN1-9vhSEpC/s1600/100_7744.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471722690559824754 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunLF0vnIEYhyphenhyphen-WuZF684F8CoCUEvM_uLkAbk4cJrXcNj7AQxn32wq9mEoThyphenhyphenovm6Ldovk6QSwgBR9DlizTdmwa008zIHl8HZrkQqypWHA3ppGo-HCsiK61_gLRRMm0DjS5oN1-9vhSEpC/s400/100_7744.JPG"></A> <STRONG>March 20</STRONG> -- Maddie with her friend Andrew. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUQdQ3jscOSRRoYqvsydTbu0BkYfBS_2n5HrDxWK0wsmaWUEUPfcRYzGnIsWqb1eKVUbhQkDOrTdfo4Rt6wADaK0WPESukYaBn2-bElfloAc_Tjs07I43x-Yd96e9L7bHSXPjkoJlg9GW/s1600/100_7750.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471722683433856082 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUQdQ3jscOSRRoYqvsydTbu0BkYfBS_2n5HrDxWK0wsmaWUEUPfcRYzGnIsWqb1eKVUbhQkDOrTdfo4Rt6wADaK0WPESukYaBn2-bElfloAc_Tjs07I43x-Yd96e9L7bHSXPjkoJlg9GW/s400/100_7750.JPG"></A> Andrew's mom Kara and little brother Matthew. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL8SdoQben088gsYBlsqS8GIAF2UgHYrt1NqRjAsel9ieda-_dz0H0ZGyDfBqt6C54ep5rFkNzgvO1AM6k7x2NMCOcHLPTongmYSjIz6XC1Q0ZZTDHyp-lyAMTIJi6f-buwyHI3a7HqQJ/s1600/Kara+and+Matthew.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471720514564931330 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL8SdoQben088gsYBlsqS8GIAF2UgHYrt1NqRjAsel9ieda-_dz0H0ZGyDfBqt6C54ep5rFkNzgvO1AM6k7x2NMCOcHLPTongmYSjIz6XC1Q0ZZTDHyp-lyAMTIJi6f-buwyHI3a7HqQJ/s400/Kara+and+Matthew.jpg"></A> <STRONG>March 22 </STRONG>-- Maddie and friend William. William's mom gave birth to a new baby brother, so we got to have a sleepover. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HydWaecDcw0bs7LG0ba9PIw8V2r2U9oiCBDpyPqyaMZVYGzbVBSwKsDNc-0I_dbFBCG4mq410VfL58bsQdtXrWx4q5h8qmCwEt40tv3rn2q8WHMvfPTiFZqeWD-n_MhDrLGm1gVAYipt/s1600/100_7760.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471721584136206418 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HydWaecDcw0bs7LG0ba9PIw8V2r2U9oiCBDpyPqyaMZVYGzbVBSwKsDNc-0I_dbFBCG4mq410VfL58bsQdtXrWx4q5h8qmCwEt40tv3rn2q8WHMvfPTiFZqeWD-n_MhDrLGm1gVAYipt/s400/100_7760.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNElZ5HCk7N4XCeUVz8ioTgLKBFDocCTSRtrBtrCA9X1G1dguRkc_P0MLL1q8ZyZN_bqNihDKE9t8w1-LKJt56WJPuuBg1cSV_CiXMZCcuIPAzZjp58NicF5YEeqj_sP7WM1GVpjnWD0l/s1600/100_7764.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471721575195036386 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNElZ5HCk7N4XCeUVz8ioTgLKBFDocCTSRtrBtrCA9X1G1dguRkc_P0MLL1q8ZyZN_bqNihDKE9t8w1-LKJt56WJPuuBg1cSV_CiXMZCcuIPAzZjp58NicF5YEeqj_sP7WM1GVpjnWD0l/s400/100_7764.JPG"></A> They were so cute together, brushing their teeth, etc. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHEdArDZVncAyVxNl1wwdGidwwTMDw-gByL8YN-YmDKw_tZ3UItQReB4MAJ6uSjU1rUaaktQwIdwFkwUaqAA0DUtoLBdAHofAEhh2nlk5EhSMgRGJdBqQAkpOb9Yg6oGbWbJMF5MAIXuv/s1600/100_7766-cropped.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471721568617110690 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHEdArDZVncAyVxNl1wwdGidwwTMDw-gByL8YN-YmDKw_tZ3UItQReB4MAJ6uSjU1rUaaktQwIdwFkwUaqAA0DUtoLBdAHofAEhh2nlk5EhSMgRGJdBqQAkpOb9Yg6oGbWbJMF5MAIXuv/s400/100_7766-cropped.jpg"></A> <STRONG>March 24</STRONG> -- Love these pics. Love her outfit. Love her personality! <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdFr8HK_87MywvWF_tnXkoQkXk3YOTW9Z0eBH4GMbbANrm6pNiC26DMSZaGkHt-yGzVgLnmEihSpyruCYu5_JRTQHjDex0BHGHNHfCxS2u1Qc0dR5i3DEDoPcnGGs3PIHnCaqYcHJlnSd/s1600/100_7771.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471721559915520274 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdFr8HK_87MywvWF_tnXkoQkXk3YOTW9Z0eBH4GMbbANrm6pNiC26DMSZaGkHt-yGzVgLnmEihSpyruCYu5_JRTQHjDex0BHGHNHfCxS2u1Qc0dR5i3DEDoPcnGGs3PIHnCaqYcHJlnSd/s400/100_7771.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QbD5476fW0_XH85CadOTQ_ROjNoZ1q9eJQENwDCD35k-i_NLChlOiY_rNpjJehMQsTTlpR8X5E0X7mjFOfKlzuSehpXrJKq_4d_4B46fskgEqqvC_HrNHnbAbpnqsNLFrvNZiZi8UGUG/s1600/100_7772.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471721555819009426 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QbD5476fW0_XH85CadOTQ_ROjNoZ1q9eJQENwDCD35k-i_NLChlOiY_rNpjJehMQsTTlpR8X5E0X7mjFOfKlzuSehpXrJKq_4d_4B46fskgEqqvC_HrNHnbAbpnqsNLFrvNZiZi8UGUG/s400/100_7772.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj7TEEOz7IZMTOLl8a2m-DcHKjDmnl0cAtDeuK2di8h8la1aIf3lN1cUGuMOn6zIVuty3m64ZMZFP5cjcDpwLUwmisthqg-HwZkHlPd-LkMjOMq_FBiXq0C8W10jc9wnXMLZrz7P7Ro47/s1600/100_7774.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471720542225379954 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj7TEEOz7IZMTOLl8a2m-DcHKjDmnl0cAtDeuK2di8h8la1aIf3lN1cUGuMOn6zIVuty3m64ZMZFP5cjcDpwLUwmisthqg-HwZkHlPd-LkMjOMq_FBiXq0C8W10jc9wnXMLZrz7P7Ro47/s400/100_7774.JPG"></A> <STRONG>April 2</STRONG> -- Making Italian Braid Cookies with Emmy and Susan Filkins. I was enchanted until we had to frost the cookies that we had just spent all that time braiding! Totally hides the beautiful art! But still fun. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl76KGnhIB6gI_ZL8QGnpbz3zrBcpPR49qN4o7G97kyyL6T9ZYLthdxFplZEK-kAdTCTarQ-JUFzb9kfh6c6V9PePuMDmxfsBdz0YTFyt3KBcls-pRQgk6bNGn2RejFbgK2hyX3sbRiaP/s1600/100_7779.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471720534247630658 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl76KGnhIB6gI_ZL8QGnpbz3zrBcpPR49qN4o7G97kyyL6T9ZYLthdxFplZEK-kAdTCTarQ-JUFzb9kfh6c6V9PePuMDmxfsBdz0YTFyt3KBcls-pRQgk6bNGn2RejFbgK2hyX3sbRiaP/s400/100_7779.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrgfknYs_E53_IhlXmo-G0wtlW5AxuMMf4oNr_f8rCRYz_rnUxjzeKZVLh5NfUuOSl5CuPoncNvmcK95B9BrDXMlevz5-t09lGOOMczhF4FDhtjdjpO4PtJjsmW0ILktBT9rmwfsRE7A7/s1600/100_7782.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471720521439698722 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrgfknYs_E53_IhlXmo-G0wtlW5AxuMMf4oNr_f8rCRYz_rnUxjzeKZVLh5NfUuOSl5CuPoncNvmcK95B9BrDXMlevz5-t09lGOOMczhF4FDhtjdjpO4PtJjsmW0ILktBT9rmwfsRE7A7/s400/100_7782.JPG"></A> <STRONG>April 4</STRONG> -- Easter <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ44_cXSYyeIbn8v4Az_YBaia1vfbaG5d_W9zbmc3Q5PznIoPpQ81n-BczlSjcnPhupUYBQTdYWWpYgTBvug9YUNtZvMlcseCAX_m9A1Ivdgoe7hdnHNyqpaw92-5_mLWLwxXfxEdOiLpX/s1600/100_7815.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471720507116645810 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ44_cXSYyeIbn8v4Az_YBaia1vfbaG5d_W9zbmc3Q5PznIoPpQ81n-BczlSjcnPhupUYBQTdYWWpYgTBvug9YUNtZvMlcseCAX_m9A1Ivdgoe7hdnHNyqpaw92-5_mLWLwxXfxEdOiLpX/s400/100_7815.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o6tbifvvb97QRXwwTZJTu6G44WgbBXAEaYwJu1t1PVHZN7Sb1WIEOOxzs7QA3B8j8t5PTNo1ddZy7kmrS0MLaA2tu-60OJQgNUAjs8DM6kdMA3o5T0oj4O6cVQz8GquyhRRyiHUdqKNP/s1600/100_7825.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471719481985292930 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o6tbifvvb97QRXwwTZJTu6G44WgbBXAEaYwJu1t1PVHZN7Sb1WIEOOxzs7QA3B8j8t5PTNo1ddZy7kmrS0MLaA2tu-60OJQgNUAjs8DM6kdMA3o5T0oj4O6cVQz8GquyhRRyiHUdqKNP/s400/100_7825.JPG"></A> Check out the cool, completely edible Easter bonnet that Gwen made. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YsMD_z_ymJELDIK2t8zXTsov6q81-ay6KxKDUn-twkZWH9bCw4yt7h-Ae455q06NwiDs34erKvcFBZ-lF14tqRdR8rhbknlzvHeW71BhUreuj28rMAwQdUHmI-UPr5RxZxDtXkEpoj-x/s1600/100_7832.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471719473358324898 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YsMD_z_ymJELDIK2t8zXTsov6q81-ay6KxKDUn-twkZWH9bCw4yt7h-Ae455q06NwiDs34erKvcFBZ-lF14tqRdR8rhbknlzvHeW71BhUreuj28rMAwQdUHmI-UPr5RxZxDtXkEpoj-x/s400/100_7832.JPG"></A> <STRONG>April 13</STRONG> -- Playgroup Birthday Party for April birthdays <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5l4WhnczU_Hy4LMEjZKcu1UYSBcsd5XVzgp2uQBqIexk8wxD8u0UWSJ-VIoIbj1uSdv2Z_EcLb1sfqc5OUECNXOeBQdznR9CoXPk0qV2muf7a_vGWIKIG0ktP5W8smLpV3sNhQBS0sNd/s1600/100_7836-lightened.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471719465140977122 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5l4WhnczU_Hy4LMEjZKcu1UYSBcsd5XVzgp2uQBqIexk8wxD8u0UWSJ-VIoIbj1uSdv2Z_EcLb1sfqc5OUECNXOeBQdznR9CoXPk0qV2muf7a_vGWIKIG0ktP5W8smLpV3sNhQBS0sNd/s400/100_7836-lightened.jpg"></A> <STRONG>April 22</STRONG> -- Maddie's actual 3rd Birthday. Played with her friend, Lizzie, in the morning. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjgGMNBzlVEA7fF5ILxB1MfcFUJ1__2H_yp22x35orwVLaGqmM59wyIS-mfnUe8Q-b1C598nzGAqieu4utIaX22_IoL67adVVeqGkwRCCfuJh3GWBKmzCHIkwuqM7_XEu2KiF0TeV181o/s1600/100_7881.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471719455189621682 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjgGMNBzlVEA7fF5ILxB1MfcFUJ1__2H_yp22x35orwVLaGqmM59wyIS-mfnUe8Q-b1C598nzGAqieu4utIaX22_IoL67adVVeqGkwRCCfuJh3GWBKmzCHIkwuqM7_XEu2KiF0TeV181o/s400/100_7881.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBilYPbaTPPlGFSp8wgV7j7-3ctoa3ro7bwI7AJD1EOb6L34tGpdQT1XeAHezJtnOaTIIuldt_MFDpWwhNBx8vY8wDB05DkEh2szGo5ON6xmEnzQ6fRow1YXVjhD2vJCUudfL4tT7j6WBA/s1600/100_7896.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471719451195822290 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBilYPbaTPPlGFSp8wgV7j7-3ctoa3ro7bwI7AJD1EOb6L34tGpdQT1XeAHezJtnOaTIIuldt_MFDpWwhNBx8vY8wDB05DkEh2szGo5ON6xmEnzQ6fRow1YXVjhD2vJCUudfL4tT7j6WBA/s400/100_7896.JPG"></A> And ate good stuff at Dairy Queen in the evening with Mom. Dad was out of town. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlPyLNKiqyLCQpeXC-Dvp5wKCcQEdO27XeZNZJzlmM3uxNsSmyQwhvE6aFEajeyIGwlgwcJsKHKUw4CEq4xxTDircDkaFC9zmtrYhUJC-_RYe_xWegT9TvcpxdiNA6q0bgxTMWWMJNnhf/s1600/100_7897.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471718493673759634 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlPyLNKiqyLCQpeXC-Dvp5wKCcQEdO27XeZNZJzlmM3uxNsSmyQwhvE6aFEajeyIGwlgwcJsKHKUw4CEq4xxTDircDkaFC9zmtrYhUJC-_RYe_xWegT9TvcpxdiNA6q0bgxTMWWMJNnhf/s400/100_7897.JPG"></A> <STRONG>May 6</STRONG> -- Representation of the plethora of vehicles Maddie can choose from to ride. She's Daddy's Girl for sure. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmXIGKD0DIeWRqdpw6lah4dCiM-ySeP1rWETHdVIW1xLDY2D_MclVm22f3ECrsuqkRJlAs5fKDBFYgdCELnRmjfb0ojY6Z_7LEESld5U04fMXUZwClCH3XsszcwzUyelwJyNzInf7ymKU/s1600/100_7947.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471718483527592274 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmXIGKD0DIeWRqdpw6lah4dCiM-ySeP1rWETHdVIW1xLDY2D_MclVm22f3ECrsuqkRJlAs5fKDBFYgdCELnRmjfb0ojY6Z_7LEESld5U04fMXUZwClCH3XsszcwzUyelwJyNzInf7ymKU/s400/100_7947.JPG"></A> <STRONG>May 8</STRONG> -- Helping Dad out in the shop. <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3nz8A9QlaHHFPNzlg5dyut8ufV6i1341b23sMIkcq9x1kBhOob5pG_MgywI4RsVSNkVsXcHNOfhp8V5YbgzZHFvM5M7WJ36_8a8ENt1r7NfJYj6ChUUxnfuvLyHEoQNFC07N5Gs_3lW8/s1600/100_7954.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471718475306507410 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3nz8A9QlaHHFPNzlg5dyut8ufV6i1341b23sMIkcq9x1kBhOob5pG_MgywI4RsVSNkVsXcHNOfhp8V5YbgzZHFvM5M7WJ36_8a8ENt1r7NfJYj6ChUUxnfuvLyHEoQNFC07N5Gs_3lW8/s400/100_7954.JPG"></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk-qaK2zthgz38pO65-EiebNfG_K7CBh8r3Z62DlqaTSyuuPg9eGTuEzjDEP4-qITwWucUkBLyhu0VP7Cl6vdS3E3W4uu6l_-RK8wEbmCysrJ14D_lSGMs8PdzeZHlqKWrXwwwUQI-Wrd/s1600/100_7960.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471718470463614130 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk-qaK2zthgz38pO65-EiebNfG_K7CBh8r3Z62DlqaTSyuuPg9eGTuEzjDEP4-qITwWucUkBLyhu0VP7Cl6vdS3E3W4uu6l_-RK8wEbmCysrJ14D_lSGMs8PdzeZHlqKWrXwwwUQI-Wrd/s400/100_7960.JPG"></A> <STRONG>May 10</STRONG> -- I just love her boots. That's all. That and the downed vehicles on the far side of the deck! <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3uU9_jK4A0vXuxmPqMnf74m1arRF_Ym87lwd3Atu1dY3y81IdlJr0wow4mrUMz3j-LsEGRi0NDaFVCT0jnPPwJ7dSk9fpHbeHQoGOEV3ZY0SG73tVojxwQOwtieyMHefwMFj_QessKI2/s1600/100_7969.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471718462186191058 border=0 alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3uU9_jK4A0vXuxmPqMnf74m1arRF_Ym87lwd3Atu1dY3y81IdlJr0wow4mrUMz3j-LsEGRi0NDaFVCT0jnPPwJ7dSk9fpHbeHQoGOEV3ZY0SG73tVojxwQOwtieyMHefwMFj_QessKI2/s400/100_7969.JPG"></A>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-23385673580293981342010-05-12T15:30:00.000-06:002010-05-12T15:39:55.255-06:00Mother's Weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuchyphenhyphenrFf_tbwV0Y-5qSs8Ha0osyPVt_cV_08BTqR0LDSfNy6tVXM9QlcRYw4605mDoDZ7umQCJCriP7vFku0KIMiA3ib_0wuLT0R7NhsauBhWTXcHz6SdxHLChIwqXuCgQwUPd0fHc1o2G/s1600/100_7598.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuchyphenhyphenrFf_tbwV0Y-5qSs8Ha0osyPVt_cV_08BTqR0LDSfNy6tVXM9QlcRYw4605mDoDZ7umQCJCriP7vFku0KIMiA3ib_0wuLT0R7NhsauBhWTXcHz6SdxHLChIwqXuCgQwUPd0fHc1o2G/s400/100_7598.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470494554826495618" /></a><em>[Ray and Maddie on Christmas Day, 2009]</em><br /><br />Ray. He's great. He came home Friday after work and said, "Instead of Mother's Day, how about having Mother's Weekend instead? Why limit it to just one day?"<br /><br />??? (Whoah--where did that come from? But um, OK!)<br /><br />So from Friday night on Ray put his ideas and opinions on the shelf and I made the decisions. We could do whatever I wanted for the most part and dictate what Ray did with his free time. Problem is, I often freeze up when such freedom comes to me. I SO can't think on the spot, and I even had a whole weekend to do so!<br /><br />And sometimes I can be just too practical. Why did I feel like I had to keep getting things done? I wished I had taken him up on his spontaneous idea to go camping that night. I wished I had thought to have him take me on a shopping spree. Why didn't I ask to have 5 hours straight--off--away--by myself?! I don't know for sure.<br /><br />I still teamed with him in the cooking and in caring for our child, etc. But I just gotta say how great it was that I got the whole weekend and not just the day to be guilt-free and have and do whatever I wanted. It's sure nice to feel spoiled sometimes, and get to brag about it. Lucky me!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-9904134849114186312010-02-02T01:36:00.001-07:002010-02-02T17:33:58.265-07:00Happy Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp6TpiMUc-RqUNsZsxU40iuYkwEu3IW_Yy5c6zUGN3Ai_aluDEbGyT9trMmHcQ735JLJLE7cqGazClKH4rlPnJlkEr8QlRHrkwMyiLo3zwxvr8ZWsronNcD-xnndbyx4PjHc7eUTROQeK/s1600-h/100_7680-c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp6TpiMUc-RqUNsZsxU40iuYkwEu3IW_Yy5c6zUGN3Ai_aluDEbGyT9trMmHcQ735JLJLE7cqGazClKH4rlPnJlkEr8QlRHrkwMyiLo3zwxvr8ZWsronNcD-xnndbyx4PjHc7eUTROQeK/s400/100_7680-c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559272047111842" /></a><br />I've stayed up so late that I have welcomed in Groundhog's Day. Wonder what he'll see this year? And long live that movie, too. Classic.<br /><br />But that's not what this post is about.<br /><br />Today was so Happy because some friends of my brothers welcomed home two beautiful children from Haiti. For over two years, Jody and Judie have been going to an orphanage there to visit the two children they were planning to adopt--8 year-old Cynsha and her 9 year-old brother Hendrick. The family has been learning Creole for the past year and a half, as the kids know little English.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZcEzdrxlVLzzILvITXad6GWHcezxb8rMOrooOEDAHtdVbJ-vkFQ6mUrnsXfreF_52rEnzekCTECXYF6DenqKeTDFPYVJ9ddir8pSTwRdmN2WbRRuWHpT5NQ0B2YOQ3tW1Rc1avC6wzuW/s1600-h/100_7679-c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZcEzdrxlVLzzILvITXad6GWHcezxb8rMOrooOEDAHtdVbJ-vkFQ6mUrnsXfreF_52rEnzekCTECXYF6DenqKeTDFPYVJ9ddir8pSTwRdmN2WbRRuWHpT5NQ0B2YOQ3tW1Rc1avC6wzuW/s400/100_7679-c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433559265357311666" /></a><br />From what I understand, Jody and Judie had completed and complied with all necessary paperwork and anything else that was required on their part. So they were just waiting to wrap up the final steps of the process that were slow due to bureaucratic policies. They weren't sure when they were ever going to get their children home, but they had hope.<br /><br />Amazingly their miracle came...in the form of a massive, devastating earthquake. It's incredible to me that amidst the powerful and terrible destruction of a country such as this, such beauty can come. And does. God moves in mysterious ways. And oh how He has blessed these two children and this family.<br /><br />While not direct friends of Jody and Judie, I was way too excited for them to not go to the airport. OK, sure, I'm just a little jealous too! But mostly just excited for them all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTr2der0KH_72nqUmLtJytRsqc_Aug6hF-6XsyvqvCA0Fs9A_lVfRSm9ePXnuez-vYmfcV_6D3cYHklgtYjt6-fr6kbAlQfDi5GuNGVwkg0ObVL_yUzZkIgKxK_UP4p08RD_mMtFc1MMy/s1600-h/100_7686.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTr2der0KH_72nqUmLtJytRsqc_Aug6hF-6XsyvqvCA0Fs9A_lVfRSm9ePXnuez-vYmfcV_6D3cYHklgtYjt6-fr6kbAlQfDi5GuNGVwkg0ObVL_yUzZkIgKxK_UP4p08RD_mMtFc1MMy/s400/100_7686.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433557621859921954" /></a><br />The family had four children, three boys and a girl. The girl is so excited to have a sister, and they are less than a year apart. There is a 10 year-old boy in the family who is so excited to have a brother now who is close to his age as well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALkzSKeNYuok_ca4JSwhaYZzxaTHPEfGZNEwgP38yCOEoRJ4YdcsuM4GGszdMNusopfnKxkWtb5zoGyA4ny1lBaCjyjvD5S8J4N1Hig75MosxB_Cch8C6qC2yiIRXN87expsIzOKSyDTY/s1600-h/100_7685.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALkzSKeNYuok_ca4JSwhaYZzxaTHPEfGZNEwgP38yCOEoRJ4YdcsuM4GGszdMNusopfnKxkWtb5zoGyA4ny1lBaCjyjvD5S8J4N1Hig75MosxB_Cch8C6qC2yiIRXN87expsIzOKSyDTY/s400/100_7685.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433557618894056898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCduDgxuWSSzOCYC3ubkbmcdQW4W7r57uDXoAueYgSmkoyzNmLN3wK9-Gpe4eUcdjfmS2X7nl0KLfkMD7iqMdZeoca_8pxYhBfphio_rryt_2p8gHGXUbSWL7MaUoKMGbhl3qteV2fqsmb/s1600-h/100_7676.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCduDgxuWSSzOCYC3ubkbmcdQW4W7r57uDXoAueYgSmkoyzNmLN3wK9-Gpe4eUcdjfmS2X7nl0KLfkMD7iqMdZeoca_8pxYhBfphio_rryt_2p8gHGXUbSWL7MaUoKMGbhl3qteV2fqsmb/s400/100_7676.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433808255451836898" /></a><br />Jody and Judie already have such a strong bond with the kids and is amazing to see. Judie is the one in the photo above in hot pink.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qwHSwwx0VGwccwkbyOWnX8AxR7So5yrTD3MPcfKql6L7Ju_OR5nnyNR9Zq-x2OBvDyyG2Gm5FCr5jk9kgV7c6aSucNXOkcdvNPdJxwAmfW3dtQeqzm_3W2FThGYJBzN4ZqBGX9zNjuC4/s1600-h/100_7682.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qwHSwwx0VGwccwkbyOWnX8AxR7So5yrTD3MPcfKql6L7Ju_OR5nnyNR9Zq-x2OBvDyyG2Gm5FCr5jk9kgV7c6aSucNXOkcdvNPdJxwAmfW3dtQeqzm_3W2FThGYJBzN4ZqBGX9zNjuC4/s400/100_7682.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433557603060295378" /></a><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="234" id="mbox_player_7a97dab41016ebc2f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Dmotionbox%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a97dab41016ebc2f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Dmotionbox%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a97dab41016ebc2f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="234" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a97dab41016ebc2f5"></embed></object><br />My video footage of the family. Hear Jody speaking Creole like a native (or so it sounded to me!) Awesome.<br /><br />Jody started a blog about their experience five days ago, so check it out <a href="http://adoptingdad.wordpress.com/">here </a>if you want to read more about their story. Amazing miracles occurred.<br /><br />And here's the <a href="http://www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp?s=11916195">news article </a>to read about it. You can click on the left to see the video coverage. Somehow Maddie and I ended up there, which I wasn't wanting to happen! (Well, at least not me anyway. It's fun to see Maddie.) But anyway, who cares. What a Happy, Happy Day!!!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-51768206398587668562009-12-23T23:25:00.000-07:002009-12-23T23:29:54.440-07:00Santa Who?I've never given much thought to Santa Claus. I mean, he's nice enough, I guess, but I <EM>just </EM>personally don't get into the guy. Growing up, my mom would always have one gift for us from Santa on Christmas, but we all knew it was from her. I don't remember believing in Santa OR learning that he was not real. I don't even have any Christmas decor depicting Santa.<br /><br />So you can imagine my surprise when Madeline really took to the guy this year. I don't know where she learned so much about him, but suddenly she's pointing to Santa here and Santa there. And, sure enough, he's EVERYWHERE! I had been wondering a few months ago if we should do the whole Santa thing with Maddie, but had been leaning towards <EM>not</EM>. Until now. I guess Maddie made the decision for me.<br /><br />Her latest thing has been learning the song "Santa Claus is Coming To Town". So when I received the gift of the Andrea Bocelli "White Christmas" CD a few weeks ago, Maddie made me repeat that song over and over again. I'll admit the song has grown on me, but especially when Maddie sings along with it, or on her own.<br /><br />Following are three (very cute) renditions of the song by Maddie, in five-day increments.<br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-59e9ae76d107a0b9 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="59e9ae76d107a0b9"></OBJECT><br /><em>This first clip is 2:21 long. </em> <br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-45d40b961ce20546 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="45d40b961ce20546"></OBJECT><br /><em>This one's short--:39. Please note where she acts out the "sleeping" part at :20. Also note the "Santa Claus is coming by"--she made it rhyme when she shortened the song. Clever!</em><br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-c5b0e638fcacf9d7 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="c5b0e638fcacf9d7"></OBJECT><br /><em>This one's 2:41. I have to explain that Maddie <em>insisted </em>I film her singing this song along with Andrea on the CD. I really just wanted her to eat her breakfast. So when you hear me insisting, know that I was not trying to do a Jonbenet sort of thing--it really was her idea.<br /><br />Favorite parts are at :47 when she excuses herself, and 2:18 when she finally gets her yogurt back and then proceeds to fold her arms to wait for the prayer. I love that this is caught on video, because it could be the first time she's wanted to eat but patiently folded her arms instead! I love it.<br /><br />Also, I didn't get through the entire song, but at the end Andrea asks the children's chorus "Who's coming?" and then they sing "Santa Claus...". Maddie lately says, "Mommy, who's coming?" and waits for me to sing "Santa Claus...". So cute.</em><br /><br />I'll take this occasion to admit that I have stooped to using Maddie's new-found knowledge against her. About three times now I've found myself saying things like, "Maddie, you'd better not cry: Santa Claus is coming to town!" or "Maddie, he's going to find out who's naughty or nice...!" Bribery. Works every time, too.<br /><br />One time, soon after she first learned the song, out of the blue Maddie said "Mama, I'm not bad." And of course I freak out inside, saying "Of course you're not bad, Maddie", all the while thinking "Where did she get THAT??!!" And then a week later it clicked..."He knows if you've been bad or good..." Sheesh.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-41752394637125077832009-11-01T00:30:00.000-06:002009-11-01T01:32:44.910-06:00Who's Who & What's What<div>Did anyone else have a Who's Who in their Junior High Yearbook? You know--like Best Hair, Best Smile, Best Personality, Biggest Flirts? I did. (I'm just now wondering, as I look back on my 8th Grade Year, who it was that decided Who was Who, and what they based it upon?)<br /><br />I just got back from a trip to the Bay Area, and in honor of the Monte Vista 20 Year Reunion--the main purpose of the trip--and Memory Lane, I will document my trip in Who's Who and What's What.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Best Addition to our trip:</strong></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0By7vQEvvWIsVjWtoplvxfZBBwiflMx6wEGsExmr-Ydtv0UpEvu3zZXlTTcY1tK4KdbjJoYl5LKDriCGudEuV7Nv_DbmzgFszYYLDnYO6CK8jN9SaJYBDVwSL0OCChM89PwH918Q-iRML/s1600-h/100_7080.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398255096889713826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0By7vQEvvWIsVjWtoplvxfZBBwiflMx6wEGsExmr-Ydtv0UpEvu3zZXlTTcY1tK4KdbjJoYl5LKDriCGudEuV7Nv_DbmzgFszYYLDnYO6CK8jN9SaJYBDVwSL0OCChM89PwH918Q-iRML/s400/100_7080.JPG" /></a>Aunt Caroline. She decided to come right before we left and joined up with us in Reno.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Cutest Passenger:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_h1Q-wfNX6dmZkAL_B1q_wBqDKFRZcdV39bwZ840eCVN1MAbY9iG9QqLDraVIirTSo0NTt4CfRpd-76QNg8Cuhyphenhyphen6gdjXTwx6ztvO66kvSMyQ-ny8Be771mqI6P80bZbPESLBfPJC0AY2/s1600-h/100_7065.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398259611859113250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_h1Q-wfNX6dmZkAL_B1q_wBqDKFRZcdV39bwZ840eCVN1MAbY9iG9QqLDraVIirTSo0NTt4CfRpd-76QNg8Cuhyphenhyphen6gdjXTwx6ztvO66kvSMyQ-ny8Be771mqI6P80bZbPESLBfPJC0AY2/s400/100_7065.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Madeline </span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Biggest Sport:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTQE29eqYpAI8i20aSqIEcPVHA48ugbzD9t4HX2ddINDL3FuQ1_kE85lG_fb8bQeKpKr8vk7fq9gZ4rTrzXKjC5fccEtwxRZyap4Y_XO54o8F2yywbIA60l0TYMf61wiPKZwHvvAZ6vXp/s1600-h/100_6991.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398250434157782722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTQE29eqYpAI8i20aSqIEcPVHA48ugbzD9t4HX2ddINDL3FuQ1_kE85lG_fb8bQeKpKr8vk7fq9gZ4rTrzXKjC5fccEtwxRZyap4Y_XO54o8F2yywbIA60l0TYMf61wiPKZwHvvAZ6vXp/s400/100_6991.JPG" /></a>My Mom, travelling when she wasn't feeling the best. So glad she came!<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Best Co-Driver:</span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_4ptdZMUX5xOPEq_hABHQQEbTfXtIelELkr56Ou2pXEaNRIGuhKg17Nzi3XUo8AVIGltOzHfou4pOuIG0lyH8lj556u2WgGvc77PyLMiHiJ53LfSrkRXNfN4bdtP5QmBUCK2dDNJiCRZ/s1600-h/100_7012-no+red+eye.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398250426042685122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_4ptdZMUX5xOPEq_hABHQQEbTfXtIelELkr56Ou2pXEaNRIGuhKg17Nzi3XUo8AVIGltOzHfou4pOuIG0lyH8lj556u2WgGvc77PyLMiHiJ53LfSrkRXNfN4bdtP5QmBUCK2dDNJiCRZ/s400/100_7012-no+red+eye.jpg" /></a>Wendy. OK, she was the only co-driver. But still!<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Best Eyes:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdICzmfkyNeISctXB85nystjHnbRaKw4JBs8iOIZQR-2Splf8Qka7Hp_O2sUidJCHzjC7CCNX6XmkC45g6gzkwlNVVY_ydRzqgo7tOrH33LSIKCjQhz3Po0NOnxh53B5QrYhoENE_79LZd/s1600-h/100_7032-cropped.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398256850779047234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdICzmfkyNeISctXB85nystjHnbRaKw4JBs8iOIZQR-2Splf8Qka7Hp_O2sUidJCHzjC7CCNX6XmkC45g6gzkwlNVVY_ydRzqgo7tOrH33LSIKCjQhz3Po0NOnxh53B5QrYhoENE_79LZd/s400/100_7032-cropped.jpg" /></a>Maddie and Maria<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:large;">Best Photo Sequence of Cutest Passenger:</span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToQKXVmL4w8zQNQLvYtcCO_0yB259fFnV5br5As8SSx6Pz5z_g8C9U9j0RgoAaKwYhIs4HHidZ3Jd3CrTBGMVIqMwB289eN_FmtimWoWr_KLa1kUWYcNjaUSvepJGmpgNfjNyf_qJqQlz/s1600-h/100_7014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398250437646942178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToQKXVmL4w8zQNQLvYtcCO_0yB259fFnV5br5As8SSx6Pz5z_g8C9U9j0RgoAaKwYhIs4HHidZ3Jd3CrTBGMVIqMwB289eN_FmtimWoWr_KLa1kUWYcNjaUSvepJGmpgNfjNyf_qJqQlz/s400/100_7014.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74kP7qxn-9L_6s-vV_3Imcidzx7J_wFWDhCeV_6dFUrVfavoJQL41xE851H3v21fXNrxAHZJuYsfNGiHOckLAjMWdVYviN5yxAREdTt69c0nTP8pmwmgP-FMhEZJttIlwfjq3RB3KlfPa/s1600-h/100_7016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398252581520958738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74kP7qxn-9L_6s-vV_3Imcidzx7J_wFWDhCeV_6dFUrVfavoJQL41xE851H3v21fXNrxAHZJuYsfNGiHOckLAjMWdVYviN5yxAREdTt69c0nTP8pmwmgP-FMhEZJttIlwfjq3RB3KlfPa/s400/100_7016.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomfdhFQJwDHpVV7-8PrHf7rPq1Dn-OSpOyeGtC7UHITUFqvoUCWcJMNH5GSx6Yi1QI9TAarEAXoYZitdDP_-49q2lzLn9H5E_-KcVcx-oCCSd8-A0AAcdsfLk-KMQ8TaQMd-3vHf_YYUs/s1600-h/100_7017.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398252585953465842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomfdhFQJwDHpVV7-8PrHf7rPq1Dn-OSpOyeGtC7UHITUFqvoUCWcJMNH5GSx6Yi1QI9TAarEAXoYZitdDP_-49q2lzLn9H5E_-KcVcx-oCCSd8-A0AAcdsfLk-KMQ8TaQMd-3vHf_YYUs/s400/100_7017.JPG" /></a>(This last pic is really to die for.)<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Best Beach Picture:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHtZO_NErvY9HANNlLF0SyCGSghSXi35Oi8U-vzZbtUtoT5A9FvhuVZSeflKv2MrgBGgyrqa0lV2C6C_ENw5CNIEuZi6F92xrO2LnVrlWdzXVZKD3Yg-8IBZSBgSOxTbprx99BIaG9xZi/s1600-h/100_6967.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398250423565138114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHtZO_NErvY9HANNlLF0SyCGSghSXi35Oi8U-vzZbtUtoT5A9FvhuVZSeflKv2MrgBGgyrqa0lV2C6C_ENw5CNIEuZi6F92xrO2LnVrlWdzXVZKD3Yg-8IBZSBgSOxTbprx99BIaG9xZi/s400/100_6967.JPG" /></a>Muir Beach<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje1HmeORZbS4Rzz2NjYw6YxjUOvHfBeIVW5F7BAVDdCQcfThyX2fKY0n_WADNupWfmCIcPPAi7R_tFv3ayeQydC8j8Cx7qZpo7daul1LwOcmdyEtgFj8xq-nz54GT4CLPDzRnO6f-cOVy/s1600-h/100_6980.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje1HmeORZbS4Rzz2NjYw6YxjUOvHfBeIVW5F7BAVDdCQcfThyX2fKY0n_WADNupWfmCIcPPAi7R_tFv3ayeQydC8j8Cx7qZpo7daul1LwOcmdyEtgFj8xq-nz54GT4CLPDzRnO6f-cOVy/s400/100_6980.JPG" vr="true" /></a><br />Runner up Best Beach Pic.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Best Oldest Friends I saw:</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK7CJuU-78dBMjn8gvMx_oq9FnWaZQo4JYOjTKIYkqm_9SmTkwpepi90B_llpFjd_6NjshA3mIo0IyyIUOKPLsIMNzmry8Vp2DJgc39ynwR8U5jC9_g0Zo6z4TCqMYxLnwLTd7flG6Ab7/s1600-h/100_7027-antiqued.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398252598025627986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK7CJuU-78dBMjn8gvMx_oq9FnWaZQo4JYOjTKIYkqm_9SmTkwpepi90B_llpFjd_6NjshA3mIo0IyyIUOKPLsIMNzmry8Vp2DJgc39ynwR8U5jC9_g0Zo6z4TCqMYxLnwLTd7flG6Ab7/s400/100_7027-antiqued.jpg" /></a>Valerie and Joanna. (Just don't look at this pic of me! Yuck. I had to antique it to help it.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Best Instant Friends:</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfHWvKcXuxkdGa8MaZ1fGuZPYwqVs3E5EdUEo5CzyiUvb0yH0u6Me2qsnpGcQag8wZEN4KYZv75GcLsAEDFongUcJVLK_k329n4foffBhuAtOBGOjX9zuS8a6lHCuEToLqKQTTYBkyJQx/s1600-h/100_7021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398252595726689794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfHWvKcXuxkdGa8MaZ1fGuZPYwqVs3E5EdUEo5CzyiUvb0yH0u6Me2qsnpGcQag8wZEN4KYZv75GcLsAEDFongUcJVLK_k329n4foffBhuAtOBGOjX9zuS8a6lHCuEToLqKQTTYBkyJQx/s400/100_7021.JPG" /></a>Maria and Maddie<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Most Fun Cousin who joined us for the day:</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjXS9p6vs4iWHgtK2sK3aOMkUb6Oq2_USwLTT_pNsZNJG2lK2NhRuHaxiiUxqMITTybQq6E38PKy7JNEYlE_6Qfu3u1N1VVHtaIdhJOlSkElB74qnBttPAQ-sZrRykB1ZtvRUbHZVHkwI/s1600-h/100_7056.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253944205904722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjXS9p6vs4iWHgtK2sK3aOMkUb6Oq2_USwLTT_pNsZNJG2lK2NhRuHaxiiUxqMITTybQq6E38PKy7JNEYlE_6Qfu3u1N1VVHtaIdhJOlSkElB74qnBttPAQ-sZrRykB1ZtvRUbHZVHkwI/s400/100_7056.JPG" /></a>Romney (black shirt)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Funniest & Scariest Memory:</strong></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhP1F1aLsn_CrvEi5PdU2yCpM98dkS3MAFXbH9DxTQ1mk8nh4sU5HeRpOE7INWHvGz9bzJtCy8RreeIEM-Lvla95MPYMtZntQ4oYv6C2-79DD5Nghj1o-GXtDMy-TXlFyvi49SeqwBnQ1/s1600-h/100_7043.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253931876606754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhP1F1aLsn_CrvEi5PdU2yCpM98dkS3MAFXbH9DxTQ1mk8nh4sU5HeRpOE7INWHvGz9bzJtCy8RreeIEM-Lvla95MPYMtZntQ4oYv6C2-79DD5Nghj1o-GXtDMy-TXlFyvi49SeqwBnQ1/s400/100_7043.JPG" /></a>1125 Nielson Street. Albany. Visiting the house my mom and aunt grew up in from ages 0-10, and being taken on a tour of the inside by the current residents. We saw every room!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGfSLlvsNkvYMXZuf0mkP32KAyUkof7EWi3k9GUmAOJ5GVhJVz9wEsk4spD-ArN_PafEl0aP7kmG47cn9cRz8VbsE4vgSKIfTlwKPM59kLaeivGN-qyp5CclIog2x7ltwu4deufLuYh32/s1600-h/100_7052.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253937553215490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGfSLlvsNkvYMXZuf0mkP32KAyUkof7EWi3k9GUmAOJ5GVhJVz9wEsk4spD-ArN_PafEl0aP7kmG47cn9cRz8VbsE4vgSKIfTlwKPM59kLaeivGN-qyp5CclIog2x7ltwu4deufLuYh32/s400/100_7052.JPG" /></a>Driving up Marin Street to the top of the Berkeley hills. And I mean, The Top. So scary. Here we are at 15 The Crescent. (Don't try to leave out the "The". I've tried.) Again, we toured.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Best Joiner of Reunion Festivities at my coaxing:</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UWArmxc9wX4kK9MJfB8ayQnrVpUStbz1MCl11SM43GePG0x8cQXBbpexza5KQO8F7asJFIDsQ6P__8OkhGbQ3QA2nUqSy308dcp6wfATk1ySqMC37iDLm9BktymQjvTJNg2tRyM4TWpb/s1600-h/100_7067-cropped.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398623038504921314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UWArmxc9wX4kK9MJfB8ayQnrVpUStbz1MCl11SM43GePG0x8cQXBbpexza5KQO8F7asJFIDsQ6P__8OkhGbQ3QA2nUqSy308dcp6wfATk1ySqMC37iDLm9BktymQjvTJNg2tRyM4TWpb/s400/100_7067-cropped.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtl4l-Z-pwgvzHAltb16NBlpdA8rDpNi_9AC0VhNpthJ0v5Vyku6lBAnhUOvNBdodg32oU3tPdAKfVkVfjPqfcRlnEmUL4BE9H6r3zj_CP3oaCu_D35oqvAwXzONVovnjpfs5COVyo8KXh/s1600-h/100_7068-cropped.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 299px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398623041111996082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtl4l-Z-pwgvzHAltb16NBlpdA8rDpNi_9AC0VhNpthJ0v5Vyku6lBAnhUOvNBdodg32oU3tPdAKfVkVfjPqfcRlnEmUL4BE9H6r3zj_CP3oaCu_D35oqvAwXzONVovnjpfs5COVyo8KXh/s400/100_7068-cropped.jpg" /></a>Sheri (middle). So glad she came.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Best Part of the Reunion:</strong></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K0t2c7cRf9uO5GZSOBZwtqg7pU9siOmPZHlCtePmphXvPOkRrmOX0Qjfv1xlBJWtdplO61N48GgB9vCc7WXkNdJywlxxf4tmWpMqvipkwzJSN4-ij-aoDf27wG0Qr2sYKQKTbU_qraJJ/s1600-h/100_7077-cropped.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398624655614939474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K0t2c7cRf9uO5GZSOBZwtqg7pU9siOmPZHlCtePmphXvPOkRrmOX0Qjfv1xlBJWtdplO61N48GgB9vCc7WXkNdJywlxxf4tmWpMqvipkwzJSN4-ij-aoDf27wG0Qr2sYKQKTbU_qraJJ/s400/100_7077-cropped.jpg" /></a>Being responsible for gathering this many Stone Valley School alumni at the reunion and getting a picture. Who cares about high school? For me, the best part was seeing all these people who I went to school with from 2nd--8th grade!!! They are the ones I remember and love the most.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Most Adaptable:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhBfGEgbNWMxHr9FbFJyZzdUh5uSg6g66MbxBA6mLfc9FAJw_leqZmWlfbVqjsneAN-vvAefI1iBFyhaHdq4XTO_VtO-VUKVxWh4ZL1W2X1Z67_nq0SBO6zlXhAYDNXe_qP4JUCqlz_IB/s1600-h/Greenbombs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhBfGEgbNWMxHr9FbFJyZzdUh5uSg6g66MbxBA6mLfc9FAJw_leqZmWlfbVqjsneAN-vvAefI1iBFyhaHdq4XTO_VtO-VUKVxWh4ZL1W2X1Z67_nq0SBO6zlXhAYDNXe_qP4JUCqlz_IB/s400/Greenbombs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399030454559367938" /></a>Greenbomb family. (Pictured here: Celia and Pam. Read funny story behind this pic I stole<a href="http://groundhogdaywithceliafae.blogspot.com/2009/10/shame-1.html"> here</a>.) We tried and tried to find a time to visit these folks, but kept changing things on them. They agreed to us coming by for a bit one afternoon. AND even served us the dessert they were going to give us that night, right then at 3:45! It was so yummy too! Thank you, Pam!<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Best Hostesses:</span> </b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rAyO0_Eiv6tu1UKn0Cl8G_Sq-0Sn8aIIhOf0rhbgyEatBRCADApAt3FhFy10RnNVVblNdkQ32Hc_EWdn_OgpXx9seBwQD4W51E0gW0aJmVmCJPBDDlleOkFdw1AEd8-jIQoSd1KkI5_I/s1600-h/100_7089.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398255437300116290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rAyO0_Eiv6tu1UKn0Cl8G_Sq-0Sn8aIIhOf0rhbgyEatBRCADApAt3FhFy10RnNVVblNdkQ32Hc_EWdn_OgpXx9seBwQD4W51E0gW0aJmVmCJPBDDlleOkFdw1AEd8-jIQoSd1KkI5_I/s400/100_7089.JPG" /></a>Anne, Kim and Maria<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Best Smile:</span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAnpDF2B4ECp7_3q8fpRnKnfbfFHzcGKEmvR56JzOmW_jHCgqv6DifuVmlMQNdiMCrcViQB0PxU4gRbAX-cB80p4RwvbFE0Nt6vaQNPa9tpf28UmVoRYsFlSvMPuc02MpoqSHqFfNp3-n/s1600-h/100_7083.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398255098793166530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAnpDF2B4ECp7_3q8fpRnKnfbfFHzcGKEmvR56JzOmW_jHCgqv6DifuVmlMQNdiMCrcViQB0PxU4gRbAX-cB80p4RwvbFE0Nt6vaQNPa9tpf28UmVoRYsFlSvMPuc02MpoqSHqFfNp3-n/s400/100_7083.JPG" /></a>Carma Gaggero (far right)<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size:large;">Zaniest Uncle Visited:</span> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgs-if7FpX1AkQe2EqJqmBKMt5DkjiVLqsWL2eiUyUbEhKqaywsiAjb59pKsnWYKKl0KSySZe8gUNsKCU4cdlPkGtB5xErODxQHfqYU1DrCTjlaT4h7I9-0yp32sxWb8DFSwt-MUnfp90O/s1600-h/100_7095.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398255444565670626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgs-if7FpX1AkQe2EqJqmBKMt5DkjiVLqsWL2eiUyUbEhKqaywsiAjb59pKsnWYKKl0KSySZe8gUNsKCU4cdlPkGtB5xErODxQHfqYU1DrCTjlaT4h7I9-0yp32sxWb8DFSwt-MUnfp90O/s400/100_7095.JPG" /></a>Uncle Gus</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-57595904087193175162009-10-13T15:00:00.000-06:002009-10-13T15:01:29.917-06:00Just Because<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCpZhQHMUuxS5trw1ERBKmx5YHnKGW6SMfr3nuPgg7yGq2EwBjRXG1JvPvZAd8JfgTLTkmrWRv4zfSJlqEm53lyPB6RI4lgs4Wfxbh8McKUQS0QOkT8L5aSzFNqG2EUgYWqUYpuKFyDiI/s1600-h/Ray.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185220639983707010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCpZhQHMUuxS5trw1ERBKmx5YHnKGW6SMfr3nuPgg7yGq2EwBjRXG1JvPvZAd8JfgTLTkmrWRv4zfSJlqEm53lyPB6RI4lgs4Wfxbh8McKUQS0QOkT8L5aSzFNqG2EUgYWqUYpuKFyDiI/s320/Ray.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Ever want to post on your blog, but don't feel like writing that day? Check your "Drafts" file...you just might find an unpublished post there! For some reason I wrote this a year and a half ago and never published it. Shame on me! I made a few edits, and here you go.</em><br /><br />I have such a great husband. He's gone for a week to North Carolina, and since I'm missing him, I thought I would blog about him. I met Ray at the point in my life when I had finally given up on dating or meeting anyone. We were actually set up by his mom, which is pretty cool! He has a smart mom!<br /><br />Ray is smart too. In fact, he graduated from high school when he was 14 years old!<br /><br />Ray is very giving. He lets me have my way the majority of the time.<br /><br />Ray is an incredible father. He adores his "little girl", and its obvious that she feels exactly the same way. They are so fun to watch together. Just as long as he doesn't try to tell her "no"! :)<br /><br />Ray loves cars: reading about them, talking about, figuring out what's wrong with them, pointing them out and identifying them. Seriously, he'll see a car approaching from the other direction about a half mile away and can tell me the year and make--especially with the older cars. He would love to buy me my dream car, if only I had one! Sadly, he couldn't have married someone less interested in cars! But because of Ray, I have a much better appreciation for, and knowledge of, cars.<br /><br />Ray is very responsible and dedicated. In the seven years that we've been married he's taken maybe three sick days off from work. Maybe. Could be two.<br /><br />Ray has the wonderful ability to balance me out. Sometimes when I get really upset or anxious, he has the natural ability to just relax and help me find whatever I lost or figure out a solution to whatever my dilemma may be. Last month the diamond in my wedding ring got caught and fell out of while doing laundry. I looked for it in a panic, gently shaking each piece of clothing whilst staring warily at the thousands of holes on the inside of the washer. It was the first time I ever wished for a bigger diamond--one that couldn't fall through! I couldn't find it, so I finally told Ray. He came down and calmly looked through each article (no shaking) and spyed the little rock tucked under a fold of my t-shirt.<br /><br />I've always been amazed at Ray's ability to pick out the perfect card. You might not think that's a talent, but it is. He somehow always seems to find the card that goes right along with our lives at the moment. And the card either always makes me either laugh or cry (the good kind). Always!<br /><br />I love Ray.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-75260006450197828102009-09-15T16:58:00.001-06:002009-09-15T17:00:36.635-06:00Clueless (me)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BAHk2vW82MCdIFFlqVyg4UrEevLCC_hMxtJ3m_E0f4bsQNMcIcnNFebl-4gsD-rwv3cfcnTwDFgw4JxeodDLm1mEumpYh5AJEqCyC95BXHqqU6FILXIPLDMNZcnK3Y-0JxdvMRQQ96JS/s1600-h/100_6827.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BAHk2vW82MCdIFFlqVyg4UrEevLCC_hMxtJ3m_E0f4bsQNMcIcnNFebl-4gsD-rwv3cfcnTwDFgw4JxeodDLm1mEumpYh5AJEqCyC95BXHqqU6FILXIPLDMNZcnK3Y-0JxdvMRQQ96JS/s400/100_6827.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381831823422811666" /></a><br />Yesterday, as I began to make dinner Maddie decided it was time to pull over her little chair to the kitchen sink so she could play in the water. Seeing that this would never do, and feeling justified because Maddie had not watched TV much lately, I asked her if she would like to watch a show.<br /><br />"Tubbies!!!" she screamed and off we went to start it.<br /><br />A few minutes later, Maddie came into the kitchen. "Where Tubbies go, Mommy?" And she looked genuinely confused. Well, so was I. I could still hear the music and sounds of the show in the background, so I was pretty sure they were right there on TV where we had left them. But she asked again.<br /><br />"Where did the Tubbies go?" I asked as I began wondering if we had some sort of stuffed-Tubbie-character that I had forgotten about. But no. So I told her I didn't know.<br /><br />Not a second after Maddie asked me yet again where all the Tubbies had gone, I heard the robotic lady's voice in the background on TV ask "Where have all the Teletubbies gone?" Then Maddie screamed euphorically and ran back to the TV, as they apparently had been found.<br /><br />How fun that was for me to be drawn into her play like that. I was so impressed, because I'm pretty sure she was pretending about not knowing where they'd gone. This was <em>not </em>her first time watching this video, after all.<br /><br />About 10 minutes later Maddie invited me to come watch her show with her. I told her I would in a bit, as soon as I got dinner simmering--but before I could make it in there Ray came home. Maddie then invited him to come watch Tubbies with her, which he promptly did.<br /><br />The experts say you're supposed to watch TV with your kids if you must allow them watch it at all. So glad that Ray is covering that task for the both of us, and knows what our child is watching.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-83497078603381696492009-08-18T22:43:00.000-06:002009-08-18T22:44:54.366-06:00What Goes Around...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm91cqAbt_TnoEyVCpCCZ36zTyjLfdrU2FzgG1a29sIphGsgpxmHXzkMdEyksY1wpL6uwnOaZG1X8TApc2rSC0b-ysolsXYwDvwk_hBsFJsN8DEL9FR6oNWpg8ptxbc8L0WbMWFljqPrA/s1600-h/Lynette+w+5+kids.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm91cqAbt_TnoEyVCpCCZ36zTyjLfdrU2FzgG1a29sIphGsgpxmHXzkMdEyksY1wpL6uwnOaZG1X8TApc2rSC0b-ysolsXYwDvwk_hBsFJsN8DEL9FR6oNWpg8ptxbc8L0WbMWFljqPrA/s400/Lynette+w+5+kids.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371531057614446546" /></a><em>Unrelated photo of my mom with her five kiddos. I thought our unplanned matchability was uncanny!</em><br /><br />I was talking to my mom the other day, can't remember about what. Anyway, she started to tell me about how to do something or other, and I said, "I know, Mom. I Goog**d it." And then I made this stupid little joke about how we don't need our parents anymore...we have Goog**. To which we both laughed. It was a JOKE, folks!<br /><br />Yesterday I took Maddie to the park and while there a bee stung her on the finger! How dare it! I don't care if she <em>was </em>attempting to pick it up!!! Anyway, as I was carrying her home my mom called. After she told my why she called, I told her Maddie had just gotten stung, and what was it I was supposed to do for bee stings again?<br /><br />She asked my dad, who said something about pure clay. Only my dad keeps something like "pure clay" lying around the house. So I asked her what else...and my mom said she didn't know for sure--"just look it up on the internet"!<br /><br />Uuuuh...OK!!!<br /><br />Don't think I don't realize that I brought that upon myself!<br /><br />------------------------<br /><br /><em>Maddie is fine, is apparently <strong>not </strong>allergic to bee stings (thank goodness!), and only one bee lost its life in connection to this post.</em>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-23127223176734672162009-07-27T15:55:00.000-06:002009-07-27T15:59:55.547-06:00A First<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwZtISjqn_U5RsWmzMICM_-eiJmwnuWBHSlFCHXLEJAmTEzTAiiol5sTpiA-TVwM9AeJCcNmHkRuYjowwGaTvtZoq4doU8KifQI3AgBr6xymxDzgd-E5RPk38Z4XQMZ4QIPP-JYo8V9km/s1600-h/Organ+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwZtISjqn_U5RsWmzMICM_-eiJmwnuWBHSlFCHXLEJAmTEzTAiiol5sTpiA-TVwM9AeJCcNmHkRuYjowwGaTvtZoq4doU8KifQI3AgBr6xymxDzgd-E5RPk38Z4XQMZ4QIPP-JYo8V9km/s400/Organ+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362895525346429346" /></a><br />After a few years of wondering, yesterday was my big chance. I accompanied the congregation on the organ during Sacrament Meeting at <a href="http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/">church</a>. It was so fun! I was just subbing, but would readily do it in the future if asked. What a cool thing. I sent sweet thoughts to friends who have accompanied in the past (that's you, <a href="http://reedsincebu.blogspot.com/">Ann</a> and <a href="http://kshammond.blogspot.com/">Suzi</a>!) and feel like I'm in your club now. The organ players club.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsDhI9CT4P1lgjU80l7K_pYrlm4FH0Zj4tBPcYFII5kmzs7bVrmfJo5mNKHcB5EH9N25NGbwL4WXdxS9vezf49BJIFXTa8aomG4SZ8Adysz7TUGzhGrXaI7DET1yOiBzCVy1S3F-mQ9IF/s1600-h/Organ+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 135px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsDhI9CT4P1lgjU80l7K_pYrlm4FH0Zj4tBPcYFII5kmzs7bVrmfJo5mNKHcB5EH9N25NGbwL4WXdxS9vezf49BJIFXTa8aomG4SZ8Adysz7TUGzhGrXaI7DET1yOiBzCVy1S3F-mQ9IF/s400/Organ+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362897239263498402" /></a><br />You might think I didn't know how to play the organ! Well, I don't! <br />A few weeks ago our current ward organist, Jenn, invited anyone interested to come have a lesson. So I went on Thursday night and she showed me the ropes, and while there she asked if I would sub for her on Sunday! I felt a bit duped, thinking I had just come for a lesson, but she explained that she had someone else lined up to sub but they were no longer able to. And she had asked about four others already who couldn't do it. So I hesitantly accepted.<br /><br />Here's the secret. I learned that our Church has a deal with an organ company that sets it so that at the push of a few buttons, you can play the organ pretty much like a piano (but it still sounds like the organ)! So you don't have to worry about foot pedals or anything. You just push the Bass Coupler button and a few others and VOILA! It's AWESOME! It's such a beautiful, powerful and versatile instrument, and now even rookies like me can play, much to the chagrin of real organ players no doubt! But we all start somewhere, right?? <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPvxbx7CcSODI2KwyaQRd7awKNS9cZFwyggJjDxdPxEzy_wOXy7y6zhckuw2RTqJ44c_4cY1P9kRJOlpcl1WHw0GjpabfXHRoRzV8YsW4s4C40apexqCdlK9wXVSD8oG6ajQfJKe-1YjH/s1600-h/Organ+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 105px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPvxbx7CcSODI2KwyaQRd7awKNS9cZFwyggJjDxdPxEzy_wOXy7y6zhckuw2RTqJ44c_4cY1P9kRJOlpcl1WHw0GjpabfXHRoRzV8YsW4s4C40apexqCdlK9wXVSD8oG6ajQfJKe-1YjH/s400/Organ+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362897246371318770" /></a><a href="http://kshammond.blogspot.com/"></a>With my new "skill", I wonder if I might someday play this organ! There's always hope! Ha ha.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-16562067696891353012009-07-24T16:45:00.001-06:002009-07-24T16:58:44.085-06:00CousinliciousThe much awaited event that happens annually is the Was' fam reunion. Four of the five of us kids and our parents live locally, so we eagerly await the visit of our other brother, Ben, his wife Tasha, and their three kids, who come from the other side of the Rockies. We are always overjoyed to be graced with their presence each summer, and we fill up every spare moment of the week with something or other.<br /><br />Tennis-playing was big, especially now that Ben has practically gone pro! Getting together to eat and talk is a standard.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ij2KeTZgUh_A6iyfugMGvGGL16QdKgdgywW3QQfVxIAoW8K7oeUFCaC3xsEsjP8Wy1vOw8alygxwTc3zioyAZhoXwGKRdOMFHWjX29s6fnqGjl1LxisU7POOSie06HZ0b55ADHzzVkL6/s1600-h/102_6434.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ij2KeTZgUh_A6iyfugMGvGGL16QdKgdgywW3QQfVxIAoW8K7oeUFCaC3xsEsjP8Wy1vOw8alygxwTc3zioyAZhoXwGKRdOMFHWjX29s6fnqGjl1LxisU7POOSie06HZ0b55ADHzzVkL6/s400/102_6434.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358785922780483970" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAgbG0pJUxNq0x6NIZNlgfDi-MB09OwV36bZFy7auwmZ8JiicSF7McUQwK-IpjY6M20MDGdSqlqSzbkRTZUiwsxxe4l_oZJdwTCzQXQNATKBBm80kl5r-RvTy8IT6YhgTlng4H5hFwLZC/s1600-h/102_6435.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAgbG0pJUxNq0x6NIZNlgfDi-MB09OwV36bZFy7auwmZ8JiicSF7McUQwK-IpjY6M20MDGdSqlqSzbkRTZUiwsxxe4l_oZJdwTCzQXQNATKBBm80kl5r-RvTy8IT6YhgTlng4H5hFwLZC/s400/102_6435.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358785952427433586" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGKTyzB_WpM_kq-LwAUSHNhZXI54lJmPThzs3aZkQZSszcGoXCRZ6DquKB9zG1WWGxbePwB8p5hP6HioTpAhT7-mAsAq5cyCVZTqdU3XpnPBnGWjZCAIzUbWg7TtShEBrlURKZ7lUt6D_/s1600-h/102_6436.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGKTyzB_WpM_kq-LwAUSHNhZXI54lJmPThzs3aZkQZSszcGoXCRZ6DquKB9zG1WWGxbePwB8p5hP6HioTpAhT7-mAsAq5cyCVZTqdU3XpnPBnGWjZCAIzUbWg7TtShEBrlURKZ7lUt6D_/s400/102_6436.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358785972335175874" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZuL7XWu4yx1h0_Q0AZq2Lioi9Z_aH6v1sEK2NyKvzVmUgcu4r-5mHHnpoUWMmlUYhqQmWMUXF5N0iLI46mwbWYiA9mlCVigGXgR1maZqAVQO9CfydwzZTdRwyS54ibS3HJzQE8l8RZU/s1600-h/102_6440.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZuL7XWu4yx1h0_Q0AZq2Lioi9Z_aH6v1sEK2NyKvzVmUgcu4r-5mHHnpoUWMmlUYhqQmWMUXF5N0iLI46mwbWYiA9mlCVigGXgR1maZqAVQO9CfydwzZTdRwyS54ibS3HJzQE8l8RZU/s400/102_6440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358785964994949202" /></a>We always celebrate the kids who have summer birthdays.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqp8Hdek1oLTNt2LiyZzfN1xaUGwLvSoV1rGxxtdwx-bV5FCRZ91SRVVjkYGubNYL9jWCHrzaL_WqrtA8nDtzHLwGapnoM2O4PSK6USFAIdLJXulLBAXrQbsH_k4ucD5hN7JjcXmet-CC/s1600-h/102_6443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqp8Hdek1oLTNt2LiyZzfN1xaUGwLvSoV1rGxxtdwx-bV5FCRZ91SRVVjkYGubNYL9jWCHrzaL_WqrtA8nDtzHLwGapnoM2O4PSK6USFAIdLJXulLBAXrQbsH_k4ucD5hN7JjcXmet-CC/s400/102_6443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358786956731881250" /></a>Here are Sophie, Maddie and Rachel enjoying dinner. We go to a different house or location for dinner every night.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDndo9SclG4xAg-JOiZbBgahQm4h-V_9p3qjXbXRAZMBSupjqr0iv7W6WzjOgaZHO6yu3QvXM0F6ClpcrOVcFX9wFBM101O86RoDJe4kyYFOiQjck_1XuWU9nN_2xgvpIKiJwHgJOa-2y/s1600-h/102_6445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDndo9SclG4xAg-JOiZbBgahQm4h-V_9p3qjXbXRAZMBSupjqr0iv7W6WzjOgaZHO6yu3QvXM0F6ClpcrOVcFX9wFBM101O86RoDJe4kyYFOiQjck_1XuWU9nN_2xgvpIKiJwHgJOa-2y/s400/102_6445.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358786971268687810" /></a>Kids outnumber adults now, so they are required to form lines, lest we get overwhelmed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf0AcJxG8i2xtgjA6mkqIYwbN3ZOgU0RWJ3_5jGNzOGS7fAbhJr28DkSeDbwkYPvKeXqISewC95z0u5Uewb4Dpf8iaLiHBmeA0KRZiLd-iGO4D6moZ_p9O3kpJYlpCBXMUjTkDMwSHAMZ/s1600-h/102_6447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf0AcJxG8i2xtgjA6mkqIYwbN3ZOgU0RWJ3_5jGNzOGS7fAbhJr28DkSeDbwkYPvKeXqISewC95z0u5Uewb4Dpf8iaLiHBmeA0KRZiLd-iGO4D6moZ_p9O3kpJYlpCBXMUjTkDMwSHAMZ/s400/102_6447.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358786974837387650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrL162b4qpg16tSW6ijAXv5tR4TElDCc0zfqb7Pt44NSd-divhIilPI7Hu8CbuIlRzPT_rrFrl5RjFTUSM3j3fq-c9N26etDC72ezuKgmiDSKN9Qf7QVlt66L4s7zTKU51u9Ise_IA5DK/s1600-h/102_6448.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrL162b4qpg16tSW6ijAXv5tR4TElDCc0zfqb7Pt44NSd-divhIilPI7Hu8CbuIlRzPT_rrFrl5RjFTUSM3j3fq-c9N26etDC72ezuKgmiDSKN9Qf7QVlt66L4s7zTKU51u9Ise_IA5DK/s400/102_6448.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358786983211228962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NhWLdsY37SaAIeOqYSAy58gh1n3f9Ze_BR4WWlGYJN-z1V6jUviCeCUduVQIrq1PsGMEboC6_wfTPwOZX0B4tMXwjpg331tA4Z3Wt3Cu_VY0ybqkDNlfZhVzRH__flcQalSrXKOCmeCJ/s1600-h/102_6449.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NhWLdsY37SaAIeOqYSAy58gh1n3f9Ze_BR4WWlGYJN-z1V6jUviCeCUduVQIrq1PsGMEboC6_wfTPwOZX0B4tMXwjpg331tA4Z3Wt3Cu_VY0ybqkDNlfZhVzRH__flcQalSrXKOCmeCJ/s400/102_6449.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358786996238412066" /></a>The adults-only dinner at Rotella's was nice, and it only took 2 babysitters for all the kids!<br /><br />Next year we plan to start having a Girl's Night Out as well on one of the nights. Not sure why we didn't think of that this year!<br /><br />Good times.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-22793953454348344062009-07-15T14:15:00.003-06:002009-07-15T14:19:12.107-06:00Sticker Power<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ9wbKkYmwLCLf7R38UVdScH8VUwCN4Cjx7w2HdZ8JonQ12S24CXI-uTRs6Pt9GHLdD95L9zrtbZ1dg2Gs63dEdkLAnqT3JDj5z_vPfjrCblTd1u0Bxeoos2gGztB5sYThfm0lHnQJWR_/s1600-h/100_6427.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ9wbKkYmwLCLf7R38UVdScH8VUwCN4Cjx7w2HdZ8JonQ12S24CXI-uTRs6Pt9GHLdD95L9zrtbZ1dg2Gs63dEdkLAnqT3JDj5z_vPfjrCblTd1u0Bxeoos2gGztB5sYThfm0lHnQJWR_/s400/100_6427.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358783598259099682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZMTGzCVsjY5brac6pv8tM-Om7DxtiGfjYk_R8Zxcis9qavzp78z9LRplAWL6AIxoix_9WTSNLF7-4gR5K5-C3e6v7b3Su1ROB6LHiizpVVD2OvlfIW2XUszVrIHEdbT7u0QDbF6nmMCP/s1600-h/100_6432.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZMTGzCVsjY5brac6pv8tM-Om7DxtiGfjYk_R8Zxcis9qavzp78z9LRplAWL6AIxoix_9WTSNLF7-4gR5K5-C3e6v7b3Su1ROB6LHiizpVVD2OvlfIW2XUszVrIHEdbT7u0QDbF6nmMCP/s400/100_6432.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358783608193709362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67ai6bywsjlWzzpQIuGEr67REWJe4w7gLyEzkuRGtNvdDsXq7aMd1dmp9lUmjyPJnETjtDdSfHeYX0m692aVvHHtOgp07USmaKVXOfgVDD1YnghjZ6sOu1Pmkd7Tgr6DW-1xTXkFAgYuf/s1600-h/100_6425.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67ai6bywsjlWzzpQIuGEr67REWJe4w7gLyEzkuRGtNvdDsXq7aMd1dmp9lUmjyPJnETjtDdSfHeYX0m692aVvHHtOgp07USmaKVXOfgVDD1YnghjZ6sOu1Pmkd7Tgr6DW-1xTXkFAgYuf/s400/100_6425.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358783581198750402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIktCt3Nn4xmprxO8rEIfHBL_CfDSWBdnmdZXkr1mpECOdYMe0uz5yooEmWhBLkJGMPLSvzOEEK9G4YEPn4oFzidgUGQUJlE9Ngqko8ehWotzmICP0fbcDPbMm-jHb3YiTJ0Ynz_vYB9X/s1600-h/100_6424.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIktCt3Nn4xmprxO8rEIfHBL_CfDSWBdnmdZXkr1mpECOdYMe0uz5yooEmWhBLkJGMPLSvzOEEK9G4YEPn4oFzidgUGQUJlE9Ngqko8ehWotzmICP0fbcDPbMm-jHb3YiTJ0Ynz_vYB9X/s400/100_6424.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358783566577873938" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-16324631452380668532009-07-15T14:05:00.001-06:002009-07-15T14:08:25.989-06:00Life Is GoodWe went to Ray's friend Jason's wedding this past weekend in McCall. It was held right on Payette Lake and we had ourselves a good time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi374H5AGyI69itfkSNi8oQePe7fm7txByl_s-hsd6Ig_BzeF-UYe6iTmeGattN47-foJQT0Gx-q9lqXXLpKKCgZMk19iqhvxSlZ7nwYRNOE9wA0ZwoqB_pSZRC5DESOsVZa0g803YP9nrT/s1600-h/Rainbow+over+lake.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi374H5AGyI69itfkSNi8oQePe7fm7txByl_s-hsd6Ig_BzeF-UYe6iTmeGattN47-foJQT0Gx-q9lqXXLpKKCgZMk19iqhvxSlZ7nwYRNOE9wA0ZwoqB_pSZRC5DESOsVZa0g803YP9nrT/s400/Rainbow+over+lake.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358779183700755506" /></a>This rainbow was more vibrant than any I have seen in awhile.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdmgnrWLyKXW4Tm-QCpafjjyVwwRKnHGRey0dbuzjtd1O3eV0XuTEGciC8YFfiDw2I5l3dWaHZsqUmdL0P8YBpropGcuU8UUVV3-uC6PhGZb0kMrssObWXXNAHmnZ___KHcibzrH5WVty/s1600-h/Kristen+%26+Jason+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdmgnrWLyKXW4Tm-QCpafjjyVwwRKnHGRey0dbuzjtd1O3eV0XuTEGciC8YFfiDw2I5l3dWaHZsqUmdL0P8YBpropGcuU8UUVV3-uC6PhGZb0kMrssObWXXNAHmnZ___KHcibzrH5WVty/s400/Kristen+%26+Jason+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358779161749770594" /></a>Blurry, but cute.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-xot81XPalNpdoKd1WDQUNIb2TkcovsiMvBI-HcGAiQfM1I7Ym41pEv2SV5DKwe9pGUCNOyteMF1bqMhq-YSjJb90RIQlmLmMl0GbRw5rFm35BqL6xL2hfD06UlqleoPNa3xV58Oggz1/s1600-h/Mmm+cake+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-xot81XPalNpdoKd1WDQUNIb2TkcovsiMvBI-HcGAiQfM1I7Ym41pEv2SV5DKwe9pGUCNOyteMF1bqMhq-YSjJb90RIQlmLmMl0GbRw5rFm35BqL6xL2hfD06UlqleoPNa3xV58Oggz1/s400/Mmm+cake+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358779192665693922" /></a>Here's Maddie really enjoying herself!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YKjzis7gOznyHvolReZ_Rldw4PY3kmEOKLX2bK9BMT7u5cE82rzd0znHpw9U1Kj3BBL07LAG-wOegELdPoBr2zYz-KIeKUsAQiH_ir90jifm4N7fnS-BAVHH1_emuosiJvLSfsO8bhrO/s1600-h/Fam+pic+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YKjzis7gOznyHvolReZ_Rldw4PY3kmEOKLX2bK9BMT7u5cE82rzd0znHpw9U1Kj3BBL07LAG-wOegELdPoBr2zYz-KIeKUsAQiH_ir90jifm4N7fnS-BAVHH1_emuosiJvLSfsO8bhrO/s400/Fam+pic+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358779156514701026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S_rAUPG9cljV7A1HwsfvxzpotyxpVlidS04AV8YE0N-MomUUxi9nqPCGgM-jEcIntl6ba-INmbuVNzm5HPWQldF_Q3LypA1KW3XoW_Bs7buF2-bPYfkpPJegM3iQ7rwRl5YATqW6ViIF/s1600-h/Fam+pic+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S_rAUPG9cljV7A1HwsfvxzpotyxpVlidS04AV8YE0N-MomUUxi9nqPCGgM-jEcIntl6ba-INmbuVNzm5HPWQldF_Q3LypA1KW3XoW_Bs7buF2-bPYfkpPJegM3iQ7rwRl5YATqW6ViIF/s400/Fam+pic+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358779151091979650" /></a>Our happy little family.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-16976099449759381192009-07-08T08:15:00.000-06:002009-07-08T08:37:57.845-06:00MillsHer name is Camilla. She commonly goes by "Millie". My aunts re-nicknamed her "Milla". And I call her "Mills". She says we can call her whatever we want, and that's what we all do.<br /><br />She's my niece (Ray's sister's daughter) who came to stay for two weeks, and basically became my family's mascot. Everybody loves her, and she loves everybody. She is wild and crazy and fun. She went back to St. George, and a light seemed to go out here. We all miss her and can't wait until she comes back next summer.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_bZxh4XMuDZkCRwZcP3Q0WBNjE0TLYLDkK9HI-MfSkwCO95N3ijD6MNQoNBs1Cn_omriERJM4S1qo5Jt7hNlhyphenhyphenuH9Ddfmy9uCCCERPK3P6QELPblRHG4ysvb7_GvQRh-aAFImSQfFPcb/s1600-h/3+amigos+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_bZxh4XMuDZkCRwZcP3Q0WBNjE0TLYLDkK9HI-MfSkwCO95N3ijD6MNQoNBs1Cn_omriERJM4S1qo5Jt7hNlhyphenhyphenuH9Ddfmy9uCCCERPK3P6QELPblRHG4ysvb7_GvQRh-aAFImSQfFPcb/s400/3+amigos+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355455089136346258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJMSknENq6DVLQ3QrOd_HwZF7yi8xaZCt_RrzaJWuvGTsYsuT0991hEPwW7h5Gwt4ocFTocE8ncI__6h_xF82IpWvI3iMbkE90JS8rvqQUXElT5GQWDvSM8zKpceWt43To5KTnZUmRAe5/s1600-h/3+amigos+3-flipped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJMSknENq6DVLQ3QrOd_HwZF7yi8xaZCt_RrzaJWuvGTsYsuT0991hEPwW7h5Gwt4ocFTocE8ncI__6h_xF82IpWvI3iMbkE90JS8rvqQUXElT5GQWDvSM8zKpceWt43To5KTnZUmRAe5/s400/3+amigos+3-flipped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355458324453461138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmMdD2u0vg0nUintUPJKZWGv4yrEMdNQqjYQVWhvmALAxeJ3VpeiFlKGmNF0LtQNN1T2H-3btZFeSsYt2-89NJUpyTDk-h9fFLm9CaKtDp3LpYf094X1GaCmUouc-4AwqI-gjZhokOPoe/s1600-h/3+amigos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmMdD2u0vg0nUintUPJKZWGv4yrEMdNQqjYQVWhvmALAxeJ3VpeiFlKGmNF0LtQNN1T2H-3btZFeSsYt2-89NJUpyTDk-h9fFLm9CaKtDp3LpYf094X1GaCmUouc-4AwqI-gjZhokOPoe/s400/3+amigos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355455089941652882" /></a>She became good friends with my nephews (on my side) Graye and Sam. As you can see.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBbFhzguXnz3PkEDjxJe_Xgry5vARpjMEFo012gBN0TgXZNVeDXAx1lo_K-mCbPECpDgWvJqL5lI0wCefJbb1uzyOYzhNuXfKqmRFbAdetDouvrW_xKJ4yo9uCMh7tRX58aAwHwA5S-2g/s1600-h/100_6312.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBbFhzguXnz3PkEDjxJe_Xgry5vARpjMEFo012gBN0TgXZNVeDXAx1lo_K-mCbPECpDgWvJqL5lI0wCefJbb1uzyOYzhNuXfKqmRFbAdetDouvrW_xKJ4yo9uCMh7tRX58aAwHwA5S-2g/s400/100_6312.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355459526678483122" /></a>She did Maddie's hair all cute and stuff. Then Maddie tried to do her doll's hair the same way.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2Of9882H-ZftGlpiQvdNOwXBHmAL5KVlU6Bh2cQ1d5a9S9k1NfiXrv_5F161lqoLVOybLO6wEm0qkBIPmEfaL1Gb7KbFkNN534mVjvBBq6yUmYsy95Zx8leb7pTSl0DsagRTEWIh74QK/s1600-h/100_6317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2Of9882H-ZftGlpiQvdNOwXBHmAL5KVlU6Bh2cQ1d5a9S9k1NfiXrv_5F161lqoLVOybLO6wEm0qkBIPmEfaL1Gb7KbFkNN534mVjvBBq6yUmYsy95Zx8leb7pTSl0DsagRTEWIh74QK/s400/100_6317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355449862938705170" /></a>Maddie, Ray and I love her tons. Come back, Mills! Come back!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-7260275146068262052009-07-06T14:20:00.000-06:002009-07-06T14:21:05.799-06:00How Can You NOT?How can you NOT plant a garden? It's so fun to live off your own land, and it's not that hard to do, and it's organic! I've only been gardening for about 4 years, but it has been rewarding.<br /><br />Take strawberries, for instance. You only have to plant some once and then they multiply for you. If you are thinking about planting some, choose the ever-bearing so you'll get fruit all summer long. I didn't do that and wish I had.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPo2Z4mq1DGn3VSAqGRPVL4zEueOkcBuD7rlDdodUEqg0pUPP3Yv5GOrHFmSG2hKJ0PS-kRNnDSzW2F-HSlHnsUAwjJvyZ2f1de60KzA6de9peC8lJkhTQl-PovEzeqxejRND2vJgpVw4/s1600-h/100_6259-cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPo2Z4mq1DGn3VSAqGRPVL4zEueOkcBuD7rlDdodUEqg0pUPP3Yv5GOrHFmSG2hKJ0PS-kRNnDSzW2F-HSlHnsUAwjJvyZ2f1de60KzA6de9peC8lJkhTQl-PovEzeqxejRND2vJgpVw4/s400/100_6259-cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348773453076212082" /></a>Behold one of the harvests I reaped this year. There's nothing like walking out into your backyard and going to pick a snack. Here's the backyard snacking schedule I look forward to each year:<br /><br />April & May: Sugar Snap Peas<br />May & June: Strawberries<br />June & July: Raspberries<br />July through October: Tomatoes<br /><br />That's not counting all the other great veggies I like to plant: lettuce, onions, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, etc. This year I am growing chamomile (see below), and while I don't plan to make tea with it, I do enjoy the flowers whose petals fold down rather than up at night. It's so cute to me for some reason.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3gkLQ46BrjGh2ZBJR0u112e4WAttAVl05lRBdtcShyqn_JnJUPMhdrMUJzNOYNGA54tMDFlyB8XdoIKd1tBRCUSw8cnw1JDcL9EZpBV9Rx8vF1U52YgcLLw7DdT1vgVhvZUled4wA8v1/s1600-h/100_6274-cropped+with+arrow.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3gkLQ46BrjGh2ZBJR0u112e4WAttAVl05lRBdtcShyqn_JnJUPMhdrMUJzNOYNGA54tMDFlyB8XdoIKd1tBRCUSw8cnw1JDcL9EZpBV9Rx8vF1U52YgcLLw7DdT1vgVhvZUled4wA8v1/s400/100_6274-cropped+with+arrow.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355442721746537138" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8DBCqKx86-SRXveyT2GwwM7hUPOJhVbYmiQM7av3GoF0A4Wcg8MA0FP0S2rG2G5r3_tgzcE518KmPwZlYLrmD5vWSjsV8Yu3s1gfPrtcXgL4gzAjHisq79BcqgdEM0OzmZmHo66uq7XA/s1600-h/100_6271.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8DBCqKx86-SRXveyT2GwwM7hUPOJhVbYmiQM7av3GoF0A4Wcg8MA0FP0S2rG2G5r3_tgzcE518KmPwZlYLrmD5vWSjsV8Yu3s1gfPrtcXgL4gzAjHisq79BcqgdEM0OzmZmHo66uq7XA/s400/100_6271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348775680052243730" /></a>If you run out of sunny spots in your yard in which to plant, get creative. Ray cut this hole into our deck, filled it with dirt for me, and VOILA! It now contains a bunch of tomato plants. I overplanted, because I am a new gardener and never really know which ones will make it. Besides, Maddie walks around and eats all the tomatoes she can find--whether or not they're ripe. So we need lots.<br /><br />[In case you wondered about our deck, it is old and decaying, and we have been thinking about ripping it out for several years now. For now, though, it beats building another garden box! Next year I'm going to have Ray cut out another garden strip in the deck for me! This year we hope to get a little sandbox area cut out for Maddie in the deck as well. :)]Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-82170198478886850792009-06-15T15:30:00.001-06:002009-06-15T15:39:03.759-06:00Behind The Bamboo Screens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufAc1XPnjPF8eRtHH7OWC08I6VYNDmrCC732nTNeC27DQOAcCd2yv40R4fPisQ79YD8h1_jJZ7uBaTiYaARBg9YIaN91TcHfwJtDEsl383JwdhT8D6pw3o_VDYT4FqRFosltebcF5qimJ/s1600-h/100_6155.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufAc1XPnjPF8eRtHH7OWC08I6VYNDmrCC732nTNeC27DQOAcCd2yv40R4fPisQ79YD8h1_jJZ7uBaTiYaARBg9YIaN91TcHfwJtDEsl383JwdhT8D6pw3o_VDYT4FqRFosltebcF5qimJ/s400/100_6155.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347660074425615458" /></a><em>Our upstairs privacy screen</em><br /><br />Six weeks ago we welcomed some new house guests to live in our basement. In telling my friends about it, I at first started the subject by saying that we have some "basement dwellers". But after one friend replied, "Oh no--carpenter ants?" and another--"Rats?", I finally just started saying that we had the missionaries living in our basement!<br /><br />We were a bit hesitant, for a number of reasons, to have the missionaries live here. But upon hearing that they could get <em>no one else </em>to house them, we tentatively agreed to give it a try and see how it went. Apparently this mission saves $15,000/month by having members house the missionaries instead of renting apartments.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAiUUNF0_Jj-4pcN1ZRsAACeqIyRDplwvvBlyPvl6SVgExXpNrWT5AfB4sQW9Ny9JiX_RqT0KDG2sfrEi-w1T1n68Uvsa5NRCddXKn_CqTC9leGhEJJAQgQqGQxkNMNlqrT-0CLX6S5yb/s1600-h/100_6149.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAiUUNF0_Jj-4pcN1ZRsAACeqIyRDplwvvBlyPvl6SVgExXpNrWT5AfB4sQW9Ny9JiX_RqT0KDG2sfrEi-w1T1n68Uvsa5NRCddXKn_CqTC9leGhEJJAQgQqGQxkNMNlqrT-0CLX6S5yb/s400/100_6149.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347660068675677010" /></a><em>Our downstairs privacy screen</em><br /><br />With the help of the above-pictured privacy screen we have basically divided off the basement and have given them a little over half of it. There is a very small kitchenette downstairs that they use, so the only thing we really share is the laundry room. It has actually turned out to be OK and not as terrible as I had pictured. They do have to enter the house through our back kitchen door, but otherwise we don't see them much with the help of the privacy screens. They are very nice elders, conscientious, and have been considerate of the fact that they are living in our home. We feel like they have been a blessing to our household.<br /><br />I did laugh when I heard, about two weeks ago, that the stake president was concerned about them living here due to our relatively young age. Um, hello! What do you think I was saying the whole time that tentative plans were being made for them to live here: aren't we too young??? The bishop and the mission president didn't think so, so now they are trying to find somewhere else for them to live. We will miss them when they go--whenever that is. I'll bet it takes them awhile to find them a home.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJM56QGGAottMZ9_Mvn01yU1YuXIDbWtZEllIpl1ZmoEQvwlueq-df7gudl3GFVLFTbTuRoISbsGj7ewQGSJhqq4RwotYounNcY4GVw9t4AlitkIxvGxIj2Dkg97Nj3d5K2v_SeYuuTEKf/s1600-h/100_6153-edited.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJM56QGGAottMZ9_Mvn01yU1YuXIDbWtZEllIpl1ZmoEQvwlueq-df7gudl3GFVLFTbTuRoISbsGj7ewQGSJhqq4RwotYounNcY4GVw9t4AlitkIxvGxIj2Dkg97Nj3d5K2v_SeYuuTEKf/s400/100_6153-edited.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347666888499777954" /></a><br />The elder on the right is being transferred, so we'll see who our next "basement dweller" will be tomorrow.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-25535654756774963142009-05-29T21:15:00.000-06:002009-05-29T21:15:00.607-06:00Baby Bouncies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrGiznxo3V21jprMrE2D1YKxPG-Tger2W3GogHoo1V2HBiCQb3sRl0XrgsLj8cZbXk2M0Y4ah82EErPwObeHstjYMKjaUUUKcZ__di6vRSmVXmVyChZz2bD5CqdGEncfzLerF387vPX5y/s1600-h/kickball.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 86px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrGiznxo3V21jprMrE2D1YKxPG-Tger2W3GogHoo1V2HBiCQb3sRl0XrgsLj8cZbXk2M0Y4ah82EErPwObeHstjYMKjaUUUKcZ__di6vRSmVXmVyChZz2bD5CqdGEncfzLerF387vPX5y/s400/kickball.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341094343880262690" /></a><br />On Memorial Day our family got the idea to play a game of Kickball. The full feeling of nostalgia did not come over me until I heard Spencer call this out on the first serve of the game: "Ollie, do you want baby bouncies?" Then, of course, I could not stop laughing the rest of the game. How is it that I once found that phrase so normal and commonplace?!<br /><br />Apparently kickball has made a comeback with those of us who once enjoyed it so thoroughly on the playground. Check out <a href="http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2004/04/21/Sports/The-Games.We.Played-2423012.shtml">this great article </a>on kickball and other sports of yore (dodgeball, whiffle ball, four square).<br /><br />Next I need to Google the bars, because I would like to know if kids are still doing these tricks: Cherry Drop, Lemon Drop, and Dead Man's Drop. I was so good at those. I'll never forget mastering the Dead Man's Drop from the high bar! What a feeling!<br /><br />Ch. Baby bouncies! That is just too cute.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-9997490596167866292009-05-28T22:05:00.001-06:002009-05-28T22:07:50.396-06:00My 15 Minutes of Fame<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PsiOlCVYaZEIt0k7gnUCOrmJp7RSftTFYS3aijw2Bjr6UFxx7kZui4gfELT4hkIFtTx3LOMJULiNpuzni2Y6Y5zBEuQRB5DxzsGgrVOWLxY6H4d457bafHyXj2W0anAxk-aQQeHzZkGC/s1600-h/Glee.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 105px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PsiOlCVYaZEIt0k7gnUCOrmJp7RSftTFYS3aijw2Bjr6UFxx7kZui4gfELT4hkIFtTx3LOMJULiNpuzni2Y6Y5zBEuQRB5DxzsGgrVOWLxY6H4d457bafHyXj2W0anAxk-aQQeHzZkGC/s400/Glee.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341017370124860386" /></a><br />I am happy to say that at this point in my life I don't have many regrets. I mean, heck, I do a lot of things wrong, but as far as the major things I've done in my life, I'm pretty happy about it.<br /><br />Except one thing. I regret being SO SHY in my youth. My shyness held me back from doing a lot of things.<br /><br />While watching the pilot show "Glee" last week, I got to thinking...and wishing I had done more in high school, specifically in trying to be in plays and/or musicals and other similar types of things. It just seems so fun to me. Thanks to <a href="http://groundhogdaywithceliafae.blogspot.com/">Celia</a>, who talked me into trying out to be in the high school choir, I do have the choir experience and joy under my belt. Did anyone else watch "Glee" and think this too--that you wished you had been in the Glee Club?<br /><br />How funny that only eight days later my Big Chance came along. My friends, Ed and Norma, gave me some spare tickets to the Off Broadway musical "Putnam County Spelling Bee", and so three friends and I went last night.<br /><br />Let me say first off that if there was a such a thing as a rating for a musical, this one would have been an 'R'. Just a word to the wise. And boy were there agendas and sub-agendas written into the script of this show! Whoah. But I digress. Back to my fame.<br /><br />So when we entered in the lobby there was a booth that said something about "Do you like to spell?" and "Be a part of the show!" Well--both applied naturally, so I went and inquired. After talking to the girl I decided it probably wasn't for me.<br /><br />After our group meandered about a bit, we were heading to our seats when this guy came up to us and asked us if we wouldn't like to be a part of the show, as guest spellers in the spelling bee? We all declined, but I think the guy could read the semi-longingness in my eyes for a bit of spelling <em>and </em>stage time, so he pushed it. He also made it seem like he really needed people. (Later I found out that they had about 20 interested applicants!) In the end, I relented, signed up, and was chosen (and notified, before the show began) to be one of the four guest participants. It's weird how I knew they were going to pick me and wasn't surprised at all when my name was called. My time had come.<br /><br />They took the four of us to this room and coached us on what was going to happen and what we were supposed to do (go up when they called us, follow the cue of the actors, ask for a definition of the word we were to spell, ask them to use it in a sentence, have fun--basically be an audience member and contestant, but up on the stage).<br /><br />It was at that point that I began to feel some alarm, wondering what had I done, and how was I going to get through it?? After she flew through the instructions, I asked our acquainter that if we happened to spell our words correctly, then we might possibly be on stage for the entire performance? "Yes. And don't intentionally misspell a simple word like 'dog'. We've seen that and its not funny!" Gulp. Then they sent us to our seats to wait for the show to begin. About five minutes into it they were going to call us up from the audience.<br /><br />When I walked into the center, I was relieved to see that it was only about half full. But there were still A LOT of people in there. I just Googled it and the Morrison Center has a seating capacity of 2000. So that means I was on stage last night in front of about a thousand people. And let me tell you, I just was not prepared for it at all. Wanting to do something like that while you're watching someone on TV is a whole lot different than the real thing, I learned.<br /><br />They called our four names from the audience (one of us was an eight year-old girl) and we all went up there and got mixed in with the six actors that were fellow Bee participants. And then we spent some time up there. They called up some of the actors to the microphone to spell, then some of us, and so on. I was placed, of course, on the front row of bleachers between two actors, and sat there wishing I had chosen to shave my legs that morning!<br /><br />So then they called my name, and my one slip-on shoe sort of fell off my foot as I approached the microphone, due to the fact that even my feet were sweating. Oh geez. I recovered it pretty well though. So then he asked me to spell "jihad". I did my part, spelled it correctly and was sent back to my seat on the bleachers. I just felt so awkward the whole time.<br /><br />At one point the actors were singing a song and they had the three of us remaining audience-member-contestants hold hands and jump up and down while the actors spun around us in a circle! After that they had us sit back down on the bleachers and whispered to us to hold on because they were going to spin the bleachers around.<br /><br />I tried to smile, enjoy myself, and look natural the whole time, but I was dying to get off that stage. The next time they called me up to spell the word "zuzu" (I actually don't know the correct spelling--or if that's even a real word), which I intentionally spelled "zoozoo" figuring that HAD to be wrong. They dinged me and sent me off the stage with a juice box in hand, and my time was up. I went back to my seat in the audience.<br /><br />I still can't believe I did it. My friends said it made the show a whole lot more enjoyable for them, having someone they knew up there, so that was something to feel good about. But the moral of the story is this: I have no desire, interest, or ability to be on stage or perform in front of people in any way. And if I ever get that Bee in my bonnet again (pun intended), I hope and pray that I will remember this post. And that's what my 15 minutes of fame taught me. Thank you very much.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv-bXhOK_VYfYJHTir2PtMXY0GZFIaz0DZve9nLUHuuDz3ATgZ6wnvR5FUcJBny6NugSgR-ktkqbtmRcGSjjRZDpV3WT7bZz_B2IKIIodsHy2IVWnmYQUsecgm2QWVTO-CNc2PGpol9yP/s1600-h/Bee.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv-bXhOK_VYfYJHTir2PtMXY0GZFIaz0DZve9nLUHuuDz3ATgZ6wnvR5FUcJBny6NugSgR-ktkqbtmRcGSjjRZDpV3WT7bZz_B2IKIIodsHy2IVWnmYQUsecgm2QWVTO-CNc2PGpol9yP/s400/Bee.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341017375426385858" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-73937141941840741312009-04-22T23:45:00.000-06:002009-04-22T23:46:35.858-06:00"Happy Two You"<A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Kmw2qx885tg40RCz4maZNbnou0nDLisAYGZSroDRl46HIZDqt7Vzjjkm7VkD-793OJ7icp6L59lpPEcCJujBoP0JdIEkFXtieO7zJs57Pk8_okBsvL4yJRZT4IBoTEP-Ym3hvEin_nr9/s1600-h/happy+2nd.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327721057468198034 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 131px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 117px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Kmw2qx885tg40RCz4maZNbnou0nDLisAYGZSroDRl46HIZDqt7Vzjjkm7VkD-793OJ7icp6L59lpPEcCJujBoP0JdIEkFXtieO7zJs57Pk8_okBsvL4yJRZT4IBoTEP-Ym3hvEin_nr9/s400/happy+2nd.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtDpSCoIGYdYOLe07SVds38zoSsUJwcU1Cm1t5YIX6VVno5MsS-kiWj3xpmVBVFK-Y-inQ581JpBL6lHoKnBx0ORuxtx-klCcWhVsL96Ahchn5tu-tu1br7THE2CAfD0iRN68F6VOLPn1/s1600-h/100_5993.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327719807354762082 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtDpSCoIGYdYOLe07SVds38zoSsUJwcU1Cm1t5YIX6VVno5MsS-kiWj3xpmVBVFK-Y-inQ581JpBL6lHoKnBx0ORuxtx-klCcWhVsL96Ahchn5tu-tu1br7THE2CAfD0iRN68F6VOLPn1/s400/100_5993.JPG" border=0></A> The title to this post is Madeline's version of the Happy Birthday song. We have a lot of spring birthdays among our friends and family, so she has really gotten to know this song and sings it all the time around the house. Today, finally, it was sung for her.<br /><br />As one of her gifts, I decided that I would allow her to do every she possibly wanted today (within reason). Maddie always wants to do so much that on an average day we really just can't fit it all in. Well, today we did a lot, and we had fun. <br /><br />This was the first birthday we got to celebrate with Maddie as her parents, and it felt good. We will see her birth mother this weekend, and we had a big family celebration on Sunday (see video clips at the end), but today it was just the three of us.<br /><br />When Ray got home from work we decided to pick up some food and picnic at a park. <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKo1YGPA78awkPmfaamQC_oOcKEfOblzthrYMziI1Y2xK6_hmvZu_0h44QpfLRXkzjel8iZGMfdvIaj6R1hlGn2xX5F76eueCMCLpZUNrCtiady_MwtzV6mfzp07YpSbZYreVYZllhSPT/s1600-h/100_5976.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327741823997492914 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKo1YGPA78awkPmfaamQC_oOcKEfOblzthrYMziI1Y2xK6_hmvZu_0h44QpfLRXkzjel8iZGMfdvIaj6R1hlGn2xX5F76eueCMCLpZUNrCtiady_MwtzV6mfzp07YpSbZYreVYZllhSPT/s400/100_5976.JPG" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CXZTV7WYhC5gP3D7KGhLGGW72S5VVOAtD3Ts4qlireF7oMaDjkCUht2Fc0wXsTBzffCaEIB4h8oM7flOq1EXnmajNPtB7POaPTJDtQEJ8A-P3W5wGWrMt6AxX7_sbP-2fqY5FNUqaaJS/s1600-h/100_5978.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327719794851465298 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CXZTV7WYhC5gP3D7KGhLGGW72S5VVOAtD3Ts4qlireF7oMaDjkCUht2Fc0wXsTBzffCaEIB4h8oM7flOq1EXnmajNPtB7POaPTJDtQEJ8A-P3W5wGWrMt6AxX7_sbP-2fqY5FNUqaaJS/s400/100_5978.JPG" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2w6SevwVmvjqDap1JffVks7oHqOlRujpCuqOCnlk4xjRB_kmo0J8EVKBm3aWOGgyCjlsB22mhT_FLVucQ7vg736zqBsZQ7KBvrPAqI7sNvO1AIVsFSkuwt6LDl3EjYBhUEZrAAlgphIx/s1600-h/100_5979.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327719801930738594 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2w6SevwVmvjqDap1JffVks7oHqOlRujpCuqOCnlk4xjRB_kmo0J8EVKBm3aWOGgyCjlsB22mhT_FLVucQ7vg736zqBsZQ7KBvrPAqI7sNvO1AIVsFSkuwt6LDl3EjYBhUEZrAAlgphIx/s400/100_5979.JPG" border=0></A><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnPPxU-LBfrfgESsFGoG7zfUZZEA4dmOgNgpdhDvi_33_DFXm4dy6Vxl0Z32gcDyPm8XIyiHke-b-JsrcfswgviHOuxHPRaYzlWHFCEXjUq3uOk_2QmZuVKAMzCGpwM5geJhGQnJq_-VZ/s1600-h/100_5980.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327719810218721186 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnPPxU-LBfrfgESsFGoG7zfUZZEA4dmOgNgpdhDvi_33_DFXm4dy6Vxl0Z32gcDyPm8XIyiHke-b-JsrcfswgviHOuxHPRaYzlWHFCEXjUq3uOk_2QmZuVKAMzCGpwM5geJhGQnJq_-VZ/s400/100_5980.JPG" border=0></A>And here she waits in anticipation for the balloons we then went and got for her at the dollar store.<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k79XaXrmW7_OJhgwsviIrO067PXIiEZYVnsVn7g_zGQvNz-OEt6PSBvqtKIod0mSRG5dqG8m_jWJOKxYhNdbyzlDnhXFBq3ahyphenhyphenhaFgiOILvjqhvqi3vzLh_sN4mCVyy6vFIb6N7Sz1s1/s1600-h/100_5983.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327744522202335074 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 355px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k79XaXrmW7_OJhgwsviIrO067PXIiEZYVnsVn7g_zGQvNz-OEt6PSBvqtKIod0mSRG5dqG8m_jWJOKxYhNdbyzlDnhXFBq3ahyphenhyphenhaFgiOILvjqhvqi3vzLh_sN4mCVyy6vFIb6N7Sz1s1/s400/100_5983.JPG" border=0></A>I opted for the cute green balloon with flowers, so of course Ray had to get her a second one of his choosing! I think so far she has played with them equally!<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdLYcBxq01ocIdJK0GeJaxS7jnDcs9k4ZFioMXU1LAU7dPbCyQcyaiQXkAt3fSvm633AAdLR3CS_jK9YTHEAk-IOKcCHrjbuL1vubAwUkEyI-QBVKSkCoGM1cnILzYO7tH7wBgEVKCKVH/s1600-h/100_5984-cropped.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327746137498059618 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdLYcBxq01ocIdJK0GeJaxS7jnDcs9k4ZFioMXU1LAU7dPbCyQcyaiQXkAt3fSvm633AAdLR3CS_jK9YTHEAk-IOKcCHrjbuL1vubAwUkEyI-QBVKSkCoGM1cnILzYO7tH7wBgEVKCKVH/s400/100_5984-cropped.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWenuEYhPPgAoGqAnOJpGrTs_adPBdf_p_cNhbiCOhWv9VMZ6gZ4-guyWYke8Msir71VSOFNNSmspaoUJlcwlST06fTnzY0kvx7LrXvFFY6oyLL4RRe7WIMxgzCxmr9YcNctLjJloxEEdS/s1600-h/100_5985.JPG"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327740214044779058 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWenuEYhPPgAoGqAnOJpGrTs_adPBdf_p_cNhbiCOhWv9VMZ6gZ4-guyWYke8Msir71VSOFNNSmspaoUJlcwlST06fTnzY0kvx7LrXvFFY6oyLL4RRe7WIMxgzCxmr9YcNctLjJloxEEdS/s400/100_5985.JPG" border=0></A>Chillin like a villian once we got back home. It was a fun and low-key day, which I loved!<br /><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-590ef0aade2d6117 height=266 width=320 contentId="590ef0aade2d6117"></OBJECT><br />Maddie blowing out her candles.<br /><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-51410a44419e84fa height=266 width=320 contentId="51410a44419e84fa"></OBJECT><br />Just some of her 38?ish cousins celebrating with her.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316453008756488275.post-5494174282615951922009-04-16T23:00:00.001-06:002009-04-16T23:13:45.651-06:00Happy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TPUVz_JuyAvpwICSuq6B6eSakRX-bDQ0bdNncupT4nklOyM2KIn4CCOzdxlF1DtX8JA7dx-jNEInbnZ2sIly4uqb1pE06vDhhJ3Gtq5wPTTBGh00Wr_9dUlRqe869jzEB2jd2oruh35x/s1600-h/Courntey+%26+Dave+Wasden+1973.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325514228642715778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 391px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TPUVz_JuyAvpwICSuq6B6eSakRX-bDQ0bdNncupT4nklOyM2KIn4CCOzdxlF1DtX8JA7dx-jNEInbnZ2sIly4uqb1pE06vDhhJ3Gtq5wPTTBGh00Wr_9dUlRqe869jzEB2jd2oruh35x/s400/Courntey+%26+Dave+Wasden+1973.jpg" border="0" /></a>36 years ago. Age 2.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZmu9JBot3nfaBlr6EhImiQb0dawFlJYtOIhbCa7WZf49CZy0j0vj3cXljk-2MOrG_Uco6Om_-XIZtx_mtbbqc0t5fm_VYj9woVu2dItWFLxW_1E6lv2T-XhsPUZnDDTZL_4HnySX5AZo/s1600-h/100_5772-cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325506398265457778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZmu9JBot3nfaBlr6EhImiQb0dawFlJYtOIhbCa7WZf49CZy0j0vj3cXljk-2MOrG_Uco6Om_-XIZtx_mtbbqc0t5fm_VYj9woVu2dItWFLxW_1E6lv2T-XhsPUZnDDTZL_4HnySX5AZo/s400/100_5772-cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a>Now. Age 38.<br /><br />I had a happy birthday yesterday. (This picture is actually from my mom's birthday a few weeks previous, but I couldn't be looking happier, so I used it. Leave it to me to explain <em>everything</em>.) Anyway, though it is difficult to be only two years away from the big 4-0, I'm trying to look at the bright side. I mean, hey, look at all the wisdom that comes with age!! (Yeah.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMlu8CSh3EvQGEHpkmDG3ApX3Atmix_7y2q1g1Al7aVfiXW4VpHu44_JUH0KhyphenhyphenbLHfzvhgupv_FHfeV2DK6hhVzMnyU2zXtZcbJ1b4okw3kI7H9rlW4XFAB7dnwz5FSQa_QGFQJkobtZX/s1600-h/FB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325508023218791794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 118px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 44px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMlu8CSh3EvQGEHpkmDG3ApX3Atmix_7y2q1g1Al7aVfiXW4VpHu44_JUH0KhyphenhyphenbLHfzvhgupv_FHfeV2DK6hhVzMnyU2zXtZcbJ1b4okw3kI7H9rlW4XFAB7dnwz5FSQa_QGFQJkobtZX/s400/FB.jpg" border="0" /></a>Anyway, I was happy because of all the well-wishers. If you want to feel popular and loved, join Facebook and enter your birthday. I don't know how many Happy Birthdays I got via fb, but I felt remembered and loved! I don't think I've wished one person Happy Birthday on fb yet, so I need to get on that!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_9VWNiPn2aIwBZBNi8dQRClnE8OL4t9U2RvmrkWD99vAi9fN3WjCAg81VAsldhe3wIjJRJ4qruS-nhXHLqqUtnwPlK0OSX6IdqmqMhkpvY6gTHGY_4-tWNDUDD4UWXd4-YpC5MRYHsAi/s1600-h/100_5490-cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325443185795801826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_9VWNiPn2aIwBZBNi8dQRClnE8OL4t9U2RvmrkWD99vAi9fN3WjCAg81VAsldhe3wIjJRJ4qruS-nhXHLqqUtnwPlK0OSX6IdqmqMhkpvY6gTHGY_4-tWNDUDD4UWXd4-YpC5MRYHsAi/s400/100_5490-cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was happy when my friend, Tracy, called me up the night before and asked if she could watch Maddie for me on my birthday for as long as I wanted. (Tracy really gets it.) Incidentally, I was sad when Maddie woke up with a runny nose because, a) she was sick :( and b) I could no longer take her to Tracy's, lest her baby get our germs! But in the end, we ended having a lot of fun playing of course. As always!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2zZEhYwmor_rFDTwN2X39S1Vw9byRWWj3z0k3o9GnMU6Nh5t9NUcCDbyV1ml9JLhOAqmRGXGGvYr4YFy4_Lr1iwWVfvo6fPHYIo9oaGOlwNNnKmDv5cGymd16-b4OrlE8cs8j0SjItVY/s1600-h/100_5502-cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 343px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2zZEhYwmor_rFDTwN2X39S1Vw9byRWWj3z0k3o9GnMU6Nh5t9NUcCDbyV1ml9JLhOAqmRGXGGvYr4YFy4_Lr1iwWVfvo6fPHYIo9oaGOlwNNnKmDv5cGymd16-b4OrlE8cs8j0SjItVY/s400/100_5502-cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325521958016863426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHjbT3AZm9LaclcF7lDR7QYW8bHUpKgWKz1gHwIZNfk7Q_oNOeGooSqMYF-cY62npATCne4OAtfI0dEz-F_-fGNrPNiSZqXo3NnSZI_xF6cpW8tZV-d0z6-TQgZn0bewSt_adapu4FL9_/s1600-h/100_5951-brighter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325511556280227890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHjbT3AZm9LaclcF7lDR7QYW8bHUpKgWKz1gHwIZNfk7Q_oNOeGooSqMYF-cY62npATCne4OAtfI0dEz-F_-fGNrPNiSZqXo3NnSZI_xF6cpW8tZV-d0z6-TQgZn0bewSt_adapu4FL9_/s400/100_5951-brighter.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was happy when my beloved came home early from work (a rare occurence) and brought me this beautiful bouquet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5RT-UDwXsajmGjyClZyqYNjJ01OGSkMs9I_3b9znjxgKJEPTnfBcgzRtOwYepMXjhRNuzrlyvtKjxCoW4tjaaMq-iH9OGFzDQFA7oe08ShiD-4gBIV5-JH6C44DfPZ9t9WvFuoNMZj4b/s1600-h/100_5727.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325514222409958802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5RT-UDwXsajmGjyClZyqYNjJ01OGSkMs9I_3b9znjxgKJEPTnfBcgzRtOwYepMXjhRNuzrlyvtKjxCoW4tjaaMq-iH9OGFzDQFA7oe08ShiD-4gBIV5-JH6C44DfPZ9t9WvFuoNMZj4b/s400/100_5727.JPG" border="0" /></a>I was happy when Melissa (top middle) still wanted to watch Maddie in the afternoon, even with the runny nose.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kCKeWzEXXx42EQqums1sZyShQ35vyatedtE_w33vq4dU2kvN9cWHOs7QwiJRDz9ei3oFMAm1FeCB59fwdccIdWPLmvG38igyvJBgePUhcXMw2s0OSzJa2EYCAciV3K9gOfoNHeOUgMY4/s1600-h/Knowing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325441988437925090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 86px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kCKeWzEXXx42EQqums1sZyShQ35vyatedtE_w33vq4dU2kvN9cWHOs7QwiJRDz9ei3oFMAm1FeCB59fwdccIdWPLmvG38igyvJBgePUhcXMw2s0OSzJa2EYCAciV3K9gOfoNHeOUgMY4/s400/Knowing.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was happy again when Ray took me to see a movie. I <em>wasn't </em>happy when my choice of films turned out not-so-great. Ray had predicted it (how does he always know??), but it was my birthday after all...my (lousy) choice.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSzaXNQFunBaxjnpocNaqXMsSs2m2hF8eFPpNueBbz-jcbCWABZ4HUwKkul2cVflFYdPP9tH_IsM90G4fxWyKnzaXAbwvpRD8Xvh33DOI_ECNjtx1779p3VdDHxL8i-mfUFCze7bxqa98/s1600-h/Tucanos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325441985083610434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSzaXNQFunBaxjnpocNaqXMsSs2m2hF8eFPpNueBbz-jcbCWABZ4HUwKkul2cVflFYdPP9tH_IsM90G4fxWyKnzaXAbwvpRD8Xvh33DOI_ECNjtx1779p3VdDHxL8i-mfUFCze7bxqa98/s400/Tucanos.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was so happy when we went to try this new Brazilian restaurant, Tucanos. It was so good. It actually made up for the movie and then some. It's fun and different, you've got CHOICES, and it's just plain tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwbZoyqwkesnrP8w_pBf39fUi3mhn5K_mdUogBGY6faKu6U7t72qjrmCDJnqNWrv0ljWOoB2WC4Y1q6OPcdaFCzjhW62WsPUKkoTGoMiDDlTbaMeqlUm7fIazen53J_QeC19rn3Jttv3q/s1600-h/100_5911-cropped.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325501099343248738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 271px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwbZoyqwkesnrP8w_pBf39fUi3mhn5K_mdUogBGY6faKu6U7t72qjrmCDJnqNWrv0ljWOoB2WC4Y1q6OPcdaFCzjhW62WsPUKkoTGoMiDDlTbaMeqlUm7fIazen53J_QeC19rn3Jttv3q/s400/100_5911-cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzwWxjKLpD2x7gtnRtmlCWhNwLY2J_47QqRS13oPFCtHFdxgfQ4S1dm3i_jkKlFcyEtG-nu88MbZwSagxqjNsRbJCvQAmu19hfewc0PPZrzsdqLvi1dT5yv-ke_Cqhm6g5K3nNF6Muxco/s1600-h/100_5924.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325501116550886450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzwWxjKLpD2x7gtnRtmlCWhNwLY2J_47QqRS13oPFCtHFdxgfQ4S1dm3i_jkKlFcyEtG-nu88MbZwSagxqjNsRbJCvQAmu19hfewc0PPZrzsdqLvi1dT5yv-ke_Cqhm6g5K3nNF6Muxco/s400/100_5924.JPG" border="0" /></a>And now a word about tulips. They make me so happy. How fortunate I am that I was born right around the time that they bloom every year. It's like nature's birthday gift to me every April. They are such a beautiful, noble and still flower. Clean, simple lines. Short-living, but while they live they really pack a punch to my soul. They are a gift from God to the world, these flowers.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15346279148635349497noreply@blogger.com4