The Griffith Family

What a weekend...

2010-03-08T06:13:00.004-08:00

I am so glad to see this Monday morning arrive for a start to a brand new week. This past weekend was something else. Cody had his bday party scheduled for Saturday. It was originally planned for the first of Feb but b/c of mother nature dumping 2 feet of snow on us and shutting everything down- we had to re-schedule it. The party was planned at this place with roller skating and laser tag. We opted out to do roller skating b/c I just didn't want to take the chance of some child falling and getting hurt. (A couple of years ago, Jaima fell while ice skating and ended up with 7 stitches in her lip- although it was ice skating- I still get nervous about skating rinks....) So, we signed up for two laser games instead. We go in for our time to play the game. This was my first time to ever play a laser game and I have to admit- it was fun. I was a chicken though and would never move out of my corner. Everyone else was all over the course blasting away. Jaima thought she'd be slick and run down the side of the wall and turn to take me out.... while she was running down the side of a wall- she turned to shoot her laser gun and leaned into the wall for support. There was a screw... not the pointy side out- but the fat flat side pointing out of the wall. She managed to puncture a hole into her arm and create a really ugly sight on her shoulder. I walk out with her and check it out.... and ooo eee... it was nasty!!! I knew immediately it needed stitches. Thank goodness we only had 45 min left to the party- and that 45 min was the time in the party room doing cake and presents. So, I hated to leave and miss out. She was able to sit tightly until the party was over b/f heading over to the ER to have it looked at. After arriving at the ER- they took x-rays and found out that it punctured her muscle as well. After spending what felt like forever at the ER- she ended up with 4 stitches and a really nice bruise on her shoulder.
NOW.... after all this was said and done- the more I think about the incident the more irritated I get. This facility didn't even have a first aid kit on the premises. They handed me a towel from the snack bar- I was in such a panic I didn't even take time to stop and think if it was clean like they claimed for it to be... They didn't even check on us b/f we left the facility- so I think I just might make me a phone call and request I get a refund for the cost of the party- and this wasn't no cheap party- most expensive bday party we've had for either kids in 13 yrs!! I'm not looking to "sue" this place- I am just irate about how they were not only unprepared to treat someone with an injury but their lack of concern after seeing for them self how bad the puncture to her arm was. I think they could've at least offered a discount of some sort!
What a weekend.... like I said- I am so glad this beautiful Monday morning has arrived!

Family Get-a-way!

2010-02-22T06:05:00.005-08:00

Don't we all need one of these every so often? It's nice to go away but then there is so much work involved to get away and once you return. It's all worth it to me though!
We have some friends that we met in Groton, CT. They left Groton and moved to WA state. We moved to WA state too. Then, we left and moved to VA. They moved to VA too. It's so cool how the submarine family is small enough that eventually you always end up somewhere with someone from the past. While we lived in Groton with our friends- John & Casey- they took us up to New Hampshire to a house that John's family owns. We hung out for the weekend, hiked, and enjoyed one another's fellowship. Jamie and John work together in D.C- so John told Jamie that the house was available if we'd like to get-a-way and enjoy it for a weekend. John & Casey couldn't go b/c she was due with her 3rd any day. So, we took off with some other friends and went to New Hampshire. This trip is an 8-9 hour trip. We left Fri around 4:30. BAD MISTAKE living here around the D.C area. We live about 30 miles from D.C- got over to D.C to head north on I-495 and we were at a stand still of traffic. We knew it would be slow but not a dead stand still. Jamie had a "clever idea" to take another route THROUGH D.C. He was wrong. Traffic there was just as bad- not to mention they just received an average of 60 inches of snow. So, that snow made the roads very narrow. It took us what should've been an hour to get through at the most- 3 hours to get north of D.C. It was a nightmare! We came very very close to turning the vehicle around and heading back to Manassas. So, our 8-9 hour trip to NH turned into a 12 hour trip. We arrived in NH at 4:30 Fri morning. We were exhausted!
After finally waking up on Fri- it was nice to see how nicely snuggled back in the woods we were away from the hustle and bustle of life near D.C. All worth what we'd experienced to get away. We geared up to head over to a ski slope not far from where we stayed. Cody and Jaima have never tried snowboarding- so away they go. What an experience.... Jaima was so frustrated that it was kind of funny. She invited a friend along with her that could snow board and bless her heart- she was so patient with Jaima as she lay on her back in the snow mad as ever with that board. After finally getting down the hill- she was done! Turned in her board and got her some skis and enjoyed the rest of the day. Cody- he was good but he thought he could hop on that board and start jumping rails and ramps immediately. Not as easy as he was thinking- so he became frustrated too and jumped on skis after a few attempts at the board. Saturday we woke and drove about an hour away to Sunnapee Ski Resort. It was HUGE! After finally getting equipment and lift tickets- we headed off to the hills to enjoy another day of skiing. Cody wanted to give snowboarding another try. It was like he was a pro, like he'd been doing it for years.... I was so proud! I can't describe how awesome it was to see him do what he was doing on that board. There was a Terrain Park that had huge ramps of snow and rails to grind. They even had a half pipe... so Cody wanted to hit the Terrain Park. He scared me on that board doing all the tricks he could get in. I would ski half way then stop and wait on him to come down so I could capture some shots of him. It wasn't easy. I had to watch out for those crazy maniacs that are flying through the air. So, I couldn't capture all that I wish I could've. I wish you could've been there to see how crazy this boy was on his board! Jaima was a little dare devil as she jumped the built up snow ramps. I never could capture shots of her b/c she was down that hill b/f I could stop and get my camera out. Jamie and his friend- Jeff was off on the black diamonds acting like they had no sense at all. I was glad I didn't get to see him b/c I think I'd have a heart attack after hearing their crazy stories later on. I don't guess he'll ever think he's too old to slow down a lil'bit.
Our family loves to snow ski. It's not a cheap sport but so worth every penny. There's something about being on top of a mountain and seeing a view that's always breath taking.
Our weekend get-a-way was a lot of work but well worth the time away from home. Enjoy the pics....

Lost out there somewhere....

2010-02-17T12:56:00.002-08:00

I haven't posted anything in such a long long time. I miss blogging. It's nice to jump on here and type down a few random things to share with those that are interested in it- that's you or you wouldn't be here- RIGHT? Blogging is fun especially when you know so many different friends all over this country and have family so far away. Great way to keep up.. ya know?
SO, I am back- I'm ready to start back to blogging and keep you up to date with the life of the Griffith Family. We're still "living" we're still "laughing" we're still "loving" and we're still "exploring life one day at a time." So come back if you are interested and keep up as I start this journey once again. Take care- Michele

Paintball...

2009-09-03T05:03:00.005-07:00

Cody was invited to a paintball party and Jaima tagged along. I've never really cared nothing about paintball until I arrived at this place. They were having a paintball tournament. It was the coolest thing to watch. After all the kids got their equipment- the staff leader led us to the field were the kids would play the game. There were two teams- of course Jaima and Cody were not on the same team so you they were out to get eachother... Jaima wasn't the only girl- there was Aiko- the birthday boy's 16 yr old sister. Her and Jaima were on one team- and the lil'boys that they were teamed up with weren't much help so these two girls were up against 5 boys pretty much on their own. I don't think the boys realized how much work it is to sneak up and take someone out in all the gear they had to wear. They looked like soldiers in training. Jaima was pegged once in the foot,three good times on her upper thigh, and one really bad peg on the back. The boy was right up on her when he shot her in the back- stupid but that's the game. (actually- there's usually a rule that you call "safety kill" if you are that close but it was this boys first time and no rules were set.) It brought her to tears. Cody took her out once... I'll share those photos of that victory win. Cody was pegged once... this kid is a pro. Must be all the practice with the Nerf war games they play in the house EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!! That's another whole different post.... Anyway- here are the pics to show off the fun filled day. Enjoy!

This photo is of Cody sneaking up to peg Jaima that's hiding out in one of those houses.
This is the "victory win" here... can you see the excitement he's sharing?...

2009-07-26T11:45:00.002-07:00

This was J's week off at camp. This photo shot above is the only shot I was able to get off the website of her. This shot was captured with a sweet friend of hers from church. Aren't they just too cute- like two peas in a pod. She had a blast but was ready to get home. I missed having her around the house. It's funny how much I realized the help she lends when she's home. She's my helper... not to mention great company to have. Cody and I spent lots of time alone this past week. Jamie was out of town... so it was just me and my "lil'man." Although we missed Jaima and Jamie- it was good to spend time with just the two of us too. Now- we're all back in the house and time to catch up on some laundry... enjoy the pic.

Cody at camp...

2009-07-04T11:31:00.002-07:00

This is Cody while he was at camp... this photo came from the website that allowed me to upload this to my blog. This is the only photo out of 174 that had him in it... I was a little bummed not to see him in more but that's ok- this will do. His week at camp was a success. When we arrived Sat. he came running across the field and jumped into our arms and said he had a blast and wanted to stay another week. It felt good to know that he had a great time to want to stay away for another week. I couldn't do it though... I wanted him at home. I asked if he had all his stuff together to go home. He pointed up to his cabin and there in front sat all his stuff packed up and ready to go. Boy did it stink- thank goodness for color safe bleach and hot water... it all came out clean and smelling good. He made it home with all his things too. Better than I thought this lil' boy would do. I am so proud of him... his first time away from home and he can't wait for camp next year.

Camp...

2009-06-21T11:33:00.003-07:00

this is C's first time to ever experience any kind of camp away from home. We drove him out to bible camp this past Sat... he'll spend one week out there. He kept assuring me that he was going to be fine but what kind of mom would I be if I'd not worried one li'bit about him? 1 full week of 0 communication with him :o( Actually, I can communicate with him through email- yes I ask too..."what kind of camp has Internet?" So, maybe I'll take advantage of technology and shoot him an email throughout the week. I sent stamped addressed envelopes with him and told him to write home if he feels the desire. Who knows if he'll take the time to do so...
I just hope he takes a bath (at least by mid-week.) I had my share of "motherly do's and don'ts... bath's EVERY NIGHT but I was told that would more than likely NOT happen... brush his teeth every night- yea ok whatever I know! I asked him to keep his stuff all together and not to lose any of it... heehee- go ahead and laugh. I might as well join ya b/c I doubt that happens either. My list of do's and don'ts went on and on... so I'm anxious to pick him up on Sat. to see how the week went and what he does and doesn't come home with- how he looks and smells. Most of all I cannot wait to hear how much fun he had and the spiritual growth he experienced. He'll always be my baby... but it's time I admit that he's growing up and I must let go of the control. (Well, maybe just SOME teeny bit of control ;o)

looking back...

2009-06-10T06:35:00.003-07:00

we went on a trip recently to AL to see Jamie's sister graduate from high school- this girl was in our wedding when she was 3 and now she's an adult. Time sure does fly by so fast. When you get up in the morning- the thought that time is flying by doesn't cross the mind. We all know it's true but it never really phases anyone until something like this graduation. What really made me realize is this school project that J had to do for Language Arts. She had to come up with one characteristic trait that best describes herself and come up with memories to share from way back to newborn... which meant I had to step in and help her look back. She had one week out of school to think about this trait to get her thoughts together to present. Her teacher suggested she reflect on the trait... honesty. YES- a good one for Jaima for she dislikes a dishonest person- big or small it is a NO NO to her. But, when we started to reflect back to the earlier years of her life- I couldn't come up with anything. In fact, I shared stories with her how she would lie her way out of getting into my lipstick and nail polish- knowing that it was obvious she was all into that stuff. She even lied that she didn't steal a bottle of bath bubbles from a store when I discovered it spilled in my car as we arrive home from the store where she threw a fit for me to buy the stuff. She even tried to convince me one time that she was not the one who wrote all over the wall with a pencil... need I remind you she was not a big sister yet. You get my point... to this day J is a honest person- my prayers are that she stays that way esp through her next 5 yrs but this trait wouldn't take her back in time. SO, the trait we came up with was adaptable. I would think this would be very appropiate for her considering this child is 12 and moved 10x's in 12 yrs from the south to the north, east to the west. A lot to adapt to for someone so young. While brainstorming for this autobiography- I found myself making a timeline of her last 12 yrs. And WOW... reality set in that God truly blessed us with an angel- oh the memories we've made. We started discussing and writing down the memories from the past of how she's had to adapt to her life changing for the last 12 yrs. This project was so much fun and very much needed for I feel like I put the past in the past and never look back. We find that living life one day at a time works well for our family b/c there has been unexpected change that would be hard to deal with if we had our hearts set on what we wanted to remain forever. I think that's what J has done with her life. If she had it her way- she would remain in one area but b/c she does adapt so well and knows in her heart that God leads her to new and better adventures in her life- she's able to be adaptable to change. We found ourself sitting up until 1 in the morning looking through 100's of photos in this box that I've never took the tape off of since a few moves ago. At first I thought was a weird project but wow- this was the best project ever. It made me realize that life shouldn't be taken for granted. God is good... love the ones your with... the past is something to treasure, the present is a gift, and the future is a dream.

Memorial Day...

2009-05-26T06:30:00.007-07:00

OK... so this is the day after but I've been busy all weekend doing Memorial Day celebrations. I think it would only be appropiate for me to post this pic of My Sailor...

I realize that Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those that have died fighting for our freedom but I can't help but think of those that cont. to do so in some way for the US. Almost 17 yrs it has been since Jamie joined the Navy- who knows what the future holds. If we follow our dreams- he only has 3 left until we join the civilian life. It has been a great 17 yrs... the Navy has taken us many great places, we've made wonderful friendships, and made many memories along the way. Life is good!

So, this weekend we had a picnic out at Camp WAMAVA. This camp is gorgeous... the kids are pumped to go to camp this summer. I captured some great shots of friends having fun out there but the two shots I'm posting are my very own fav...

Sunday we had a cook-out with our neighborhood friends- no photos captured just more memories made.
Monday we drove over to the Shanandoah National Park and hiked 6.5 miles up and down rugged trails with some friends that are neighbors. It was a beautiful day.

What they say...

2009-05-10T13:28:00.003-07:00

...so I'm laying in bed with J lastnight watching something on Animal Planet. She all of a sudden came out with this...
"I wonder why God made a giraffe's neck so long."
I replied "He had to make some animal reach the leaves at the top of trees." Then I asked..."Why did he make a zebra black and white?" and she replied "b/c they're not racist."
Then we were both laughing so hard. I thought that was a good come back.
CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!

Of course I can't just post something w/o a pic...so I went back to dig up a pic of J on the computer and I'm sad to say that I do not have any recent good shots of her so that means a photoshoot is due so be on the lookout- in the meantime... enjoy this pic of J when she was in PRESCHOOL!!!! She was 4 yrs old in this pic... it's hard to believe she's now 12.

I want to ramble... and catch up!

2009-05-06T09:18:00.003-07:00

Here is it May already. I haven't posted in a while. It seems like when I get on here to post that's what I start with. I should post more often but I get on here to check my email, check out Facebook, and look at other blogs.. never my own. So, I'm here to update...
Since we got back from Spring Break- we began ball season. C is playing baseball two days a week, J is playing softball 2 days a week, and Jamie and I are playing on our church softball team sometimes 2 days a week- not to mention double headers each night. SO- guess what the back of my van is stocked with;O)
C is pitching for the first time- he does really well to be so little. Yes, he is the shortest on the team but has got to be the fastest I think. He does really well at playing catcher too. When he's not pitching he's mostly playing short-stop. I do believe he gets that from his dad (and mom.) Jamie plays ss and I did in school but I don't now b/c I am a little more of a chicken playing in-field with the men. If I'm in-field I'll be the catcher...
J just started softball and I missed her first game so I'm excited to get to see her play this weekend. She regrets not trying out for the school's softball team.
Jamie is travelling a lot lately but at least it's not on a submarine out in the middle of who knows where and I get to hear his voice every night. We just celebrated out 16th anniversary on May 1st... he was too sweet and planned a big date for us. It had to be done the weekend b/f b/c I left this past weekend for a get-a-way with some ladies from church. He bought us tickets to a musical show called Ragtime over at the Kennedy Center in DC. He also made reservations at the Rooftop Terrace overlooking the Potomac River and DC. When we arrived at the table- he had a vase of beautiful roses sitting there for me to take home...by the end of the show- he was sneezing, coughing, and achy all over. But, he was such a good husband didn't let it ruin the night- we made it home to enjoy a Frosty on the back deck in the nice midnight weather... He's a great man- I'm blessed and so thankful for him.
I am soooo ready for spring- I think we're going to jump straight to summer weather though. The rain is never-ending. I had enough of that in WA state while we lived there. I'm ready for some good weather.
I'll end with a few pics I've taken lately... I don't have any of J though- I will grab some of her the weekend playing ball.
Enjoy!

This is the vase of flowers I was surprised with at our dinner table our night out...

C sliding home...

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-11T12:48:00.003-07:00

It has been a while since I've posted- when I get online it seems like I hang out on Facebook instead... but I know there are some that like to read our family blog... so here I go.
We left VA on Thurs- headed to Pulaski, TN. Jamie had a weekend planned to hang out with some ol'buddies to turkey hunt. We arrived at his buddies cabin around 4 in the morning on Fri. After dragging myself out of the bed, I left him there for the weekend and headed to Auburn, AL. It has been 3 yrs since we moved from Auburn- so going back was exciting. I was able to stay with my friend- Jackie. Saturday morning I met up with my friend Sterling and her girls for breakfast. I cannot get over how much her girls have grown up- they're so beautiful! It was good catching up with them and allowing time for the kids to catch up too. Later in the day- me and the kids drove to Jasper to mom and dad's. The weather was awesome, everything was in bloom and green. It felt good to be in the south. Sunday afternoon- I had to meet Jamie to get him from his weekend away with the guys. After dinner with Jamie's family- we spent our last night in Jasper b/f making our way up to Gatlinburg, TN on Monday morning... We had a cabin up in the Smokey Mountains. Not only was the cabin beautiful and had a warm feeling to it- the view was beautiful too.
After a great weekend of wonderful weather in AL... we woke up to 1-2 inches of snow Tues morning in Gatlinburg. It was freezing cold but it was so pretty getting to see the white snow covering the mountainside. It didn't stop us as we headed out to putt-putt and ride go-carts. How can we say no to the kids when that's all you see once you enter into Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. It was great to find those activities indoor for us to do b/c I didn't plan for snowy weather. Later in the day- the snow finally went away and the sun came out. After spending our week horse back riding, cruising through the mountains, dinner shows, go carts and putt-putt, mining for gems, shopping, and a day at Dollywood- we are now back in VA ready to get back to the "speedy" life that seems to never go away. While on our trip in Gatlingburg- I came down with the worse sore throat EVER!!!! I should've found me a doc but I didn't want to take time away from the kids having fun. Thank goodness for Motrin b/c I took my fair share of it to be able to hang in there. I have never been to a theme park and made the choice to sit out on rides but this momma didn't care this time. My head was spinning, throat felt like I had swallowed TWO grapefruits, and my body aching all over. Not a good feeling at all. I didn't capture many shots of our trip b/c ... well... I just didn't feel like holding the camera after the way I felt. So I hope you do enjoy what shots I did capture.

What THEY think of me...

2009-03-10T05:34:00.003-07:00

What do YOUR children think about YOU? Ask your kids these questions and see what answers they come up with. It's a very enlightening experience.

March 9, 2009
Jaima- 12
Cody- 9

1. What is something I always say to you?
Jaima- "You look fine-sweety."
Cody- "Do you have any homework?"
2. What makes me happy?
Jaima- "When I do things for you."
Cody- "When daddy brings home flowers."
3. What makes me sad?
Jaima- "When I am disrespectful."
Cody- "When the house isn't clean."
4. How do I make you laugh?
Jaima- "By being silly."
Cody- "Can we just skip that one?" (I must not do anything to make this kid laugh.)
5. What do you think I was like as a child?
Jaima- "I think you were a popular and a hyper girl." (I'd like to know why she thinks I was hyper.)
Cody- "Smart."
6. How old am I?
Jaima- "33"
Cody- "32" (Jaima was correct)
7. How tall am I?
Jaima- "5 foot 6 inches."
Cody- "6 foot" (They were both wrong- I must look taller to them- I'll be sure not to ask them how much I weigh.)
8. What is my favorite thing to do?
Jaima- "Spend time with the family."
Cody- "Take pictures."
9. What do I do when you're not around?
Jaima- "Clean or exercise."
Cody- "photography"
10. If I become famous, what will it be for?
Jaima- "photography"
Cody- "photography"
11. What am I really good at?
Jaima- "Being the best mom in the whole wide world."
Cody- "photography"
12. What am I not really good at?
Jaima- "math"
Cody- "chess"
13. What is my job?
Jaima- "being a mom, teaching preschool, and doing photography sometimes."
Cody- "a teacher"
14. What is my favorite food?
Jaima- "Mexican"
Cody- "ice cream"
15. What makes you proud of me?
Jaima- "being a really good mom and loving my daddy."
Cody- "A lot of things."
16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
Jaima- "Winnie the Pooh- not because he's fluffy but b/c he's caring and sweet."
Cody- "Sandy on Spongebob- b/c she's a girl."
17. What do you and I do together?
Jaima- "go shopping together."
Cody- "watch TV."
18. How are we the same?
Jaima- "A lot- almost everything."
Cody- "our eyes"
19. How are you and I different?
Jaima- "our age."
Cody- "you have longer hair." (If I don't get Cody's hair cut soon- he'll have longer hair.)
20. How do you know that I love you?
Jaima- "by everything you say- do- and give to me."
Cody- "You tuck me in at night."
21. Where is my favorite place to go?
Jaima- "the nail spa."
Cody- "Old Navy"

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2009-03-02T20:03:00.004-08:00

Look what we woke to this morning
It was so pretty. We got out first thing this morning and was out in it all day long. Let me share...
Cody gets up and wants to shovel the driveway... I said "Get out there and go for it!" Then, he ends up at his friends house next door. Jamie then gets up and heads out with us to play around in the snow... Jaima decides that she isn't in the mood. After the "road scrapers" come through to clear the rode- Jamie and I ride over to the Manassas Battlefield to capture some shots. Jaima went along but we left Cody behind with his friend. It was absolutely beautiful. I captured many shots- many of what you might see as the same shot but I was trying different angles- different settings- and then after uploading them, I couldn't pick a favorite so they were all put into the web album. We went on this walk and seen deer... they were so pretty jumping through the snow. The photo of Jamie lying down attempting to make a snow angel WAS NOT meant to look "dirty" if something like that pops into your head. The snow was just that deep and that little pile b/t his legs just happened to pile up there. I couldn't get rid of the photo b/c I thought it was hilarious of him making a snow angel on this narrow walkway. We arrived back to the neighborhood and found Cody and his friend and sister sledding down this huge hill... it was all downhill from there... that's where we spent the rest of our day. It was a blast. The kids (and Jamie) were flying down that hill. Some even "bit the fence." Not sure what was scarier... flying down the hill, jumping off the sled to keep from hitting the fence, or hitting the fence. Jamie took our friends dog for a trip down the big hill too... The green little flag you see in the photos were there so that the kids could see the snow ramp they built at the bottom of the hill. It blended in with the rest of the snow from top of the hill. As you see they get airborne and crash quite a bit. Jaima got a text from a friend to join them up at the church building for some more sledding fun... after enjoying some fun and hot coacoa there with them- we all come back to the hill to add to the excitement.
This slideshow is early morning shots...

This slideshow is THE HILL

This slideshow is at the Manassas Battlefield

This is the slideshow of our friends from church. These photos were taken at the church property and over on the hill in our neighborhood. The sun was setting so it made it very challenging to capture good shots with the white snow and bright sun... but the memories made will last. The kids had so much fun. Enjoy!

Old Friends...

2009-02-23T10:58:00.003-08:00

Recently we had a friend we knew in SC stay with us here in Manassas. She and her family lived next door to us in Ladson, SC. Her sister is one year older than Jaima and they were in-separable while we lived in SC. In fact, when we moved from SC- Jaima's friend named her new "wiener" dog JAIMA... 9 yrs later they still have that dog. Our friend that came to stay with us was Heather- She is all grown up now and lives in Tampa on her own. I cannot believe it b/c the last we seen her she was 16! Her job brought her up to DC for 4 days so she was able to stay with us and commute to DC with Jamie. It was great having her in town and catching up. I cannot get over the fact that she's no longer a teenager and living on her own. Jaima was 2 and 3 and Heather's sister was 4 and 5 when we lived near them. Now, the girls are teenagers well Jaima's almost one and Heather is living all alone. WOW don't I feel really old! This is the fun part about our Navy life...we have been many great places, met some wonderful friends, and continue to stay in touch with those friends even though we may never see each other once again....but then again- you never know when one might call you up and say "hey I'll be in town- can I stay with you..." When Heather arrived on Tues. we also had another friend that lived in the same cul-de-sac call me up and make plans to come to our house for the night as well. She now lives in PA. So to Dawn and Heather... it was so good to see you two and catch. Thanks for visiting with us here in Manassas. Please know our doors are always opened to you to come any time.
Heather bought a new camera while she was here so here are some photos that were taken with it... I have many that she downloaded for me but these are just some that I liked and thought I'd share...

He's the LUCKY one...

2009-02-15T18:21:00.002-08:00

Jaima has begged and begged for a cat. Well, Jamie walked in with a cat yesterday for her. He was a "last chance rescue" cat- he's black- and so we thought the perfect name would be LUCKY! Picture this... the dogs that chase the cat- the cat that chases the hamster- and the chaotic family to add to that. OH and my husband shared with me this past week that I get too up-tight about things in life. The sad part was that I admitted that he's right so with a house full of animals and chaos- I thought that I might as well go and sign myself up for the looney-bin instead of learning to just let things go. Hmmmm....
Here's a pic to go with the post- Lucky is so black you can hardly notice him in the pic.

My shining star...

2009-02-12T05:46:00.003-08:00

I have to share this rewarding moment I experienced this past week...
Jaima is your typical female- UP, DOWN, SIDE to SIDE... she gets pissy, sweet, calming, caring, loving, and yes she even gets PMSy (a new word.)and that's not the same as being PISSY- just to name a few. No matter what the mood she's in- I feel she's always an honest girl and it shines. There's nothing more rewarding to know that no matter what mood she can be in- she'll always remain honest and true. Just this past week I received a letter wrote on a sticky note from her Language Arts teacher. It read...
"Jaima is an excellent student in L.A. Her work is always done, she is honest and fair, and a pleasure to have in class. Mrs. Cafferty."
So I sent this teacher an email and thanked her for letter. She replied back to my email with this...
Your daughter is a testament of your parenting! She is a "shining star" in every respect. Have a wonderful day! Mrs. Cafferty

What a rewarding feeling as a parent! It feels GREAT to know that my daughter is SHINING out there. To know that this teacher- JUST ONE of her 6 teachers that she has all day long took the time to share that info with me. This teacher has 6 or so classes all day long with many different students coming in and out and she cared enough to share what she sees in my daughter.
She's my girl- thank you God for blessing me with such a wonderful gift!

Up to date...

2009-02-05T10:41:00.004-08:00

or maybe a few days behind. Cody celebrated his 9th bday this past week. Since his big party is this Saturday- we really didn't do a lot on his special day. We did celebrate with a small cake that me, myself, and I decorated for him. I was able to capture a shot of him and thought it was too cute- so I had to share. I cannot believe that my BABY is NINE!!!

And check these shots out... I like to watch the sunset in the front of our house. It's peaceful and pretty. These shots were captured through the window of our office. I thought it was pretty with the snow on the ground. It's not like the Hawaiian sunsets we witnessed but it's still pretty and peaceful. So ENJOY

2009-01-27T10:45:00.003-08:00

OK here is the info on our trip to Hawaii...
What a trip. I leave VA and it's FREEZING- literally! We fly 12 hours to Oahu, Hawaii and it's in the upper 70's. We rented a jeep and took the top off. After driving around we found ourself turning the heat on b/c it got a little chilly- weird I know but nothing like riding around with the cool breeze, beautiful views, sun shining, and warmth blowing on us to get rid of the chill. The coast was beautiful as you'll see in the photos. We drove up to North Shore hoping to catch some views of huge waves but there were none... we did capture some shots of turtles sunning on the beach. The resort we stayed in was great. The beaches were calming and the water was crystal blue. Waikiki is way too busy for me and can I say EXPENSIVE!!! Way over rated if you ask me. Jamie was on a business trip so I tagged along with him to Hawaii- so I shouldn't complain too much about Hawaii. What a better way to get to go. We were able to spend two full days together sightseeing and every afternoon watching the sunsets... that was my favorite part of the whole trip. That's why you'll find LOTS of sunset photos. While he was at work I found myself relaxing on the beach. Nothing like Norah Jones on my Ipod, the waves crashing, and sunbathing in the sun. AHHHH!! Can't go to Hawaii w/o going to a luau- that was neat and the food was great. We also enjoyed riding around the US Navy base, visited some friends we know there, and paid a visit to the USS Arizona. That was an eerie feeling standing over that sunken ship knowing those sailors didn't make it out. I'm so thankful my parents were able to drive up from AL to stay with the kids. I missed having them with us. Next time maybe... the trip was great- I have some color now- but we're back to bundling up in frigid cold temps. Today is my birthday and what a great way to celebrate with SNOW, kids home from school, & being lazy! Enjoy the pics and if you have any questions just email me. ALOHA!

Hawaii pics will have to wait... IT'S SNOWING

2009-01-27T08:38:00.003-08:00

I promise I'm working on Hawaii pics but after waking up this morning I had to snap these photos and they came first... I LOVE SNOW and we finally got some. What a great birthday present- white snow and a day home with the kids. We have been out playing and of course grabbing a few shots. I knew this hill in our back yard would be useful one day. The kids are having a blast sliding down it- of course they added the skateboard ramps at the bottom to add a little "weeee" to it. Enjoy!

we're back...

2009-01-26T05:25:00.002-08:00

HAWAII WAS GREAT!! I had to post to say that so come back soon b/c I'll be posting some pics and a link to view lots of them. I have to share the beauty of that place. I captured some awesome shots. I'll share more later b/c I'm off to work now... be sure to COME BACK!!!

Go Jaima...

2009-01-13T09:44:00.005-08:00

That's my girl... in action. This week we wrap up the season with the Middle school JV team but she's started a recreational basketball team that she'll play with until the middle of March. The fun must go on...Enjoy the shots.

Something fun to do...

2009-01-08T19:47:00.003-08:00

I copied this from another blog...some numbers are missing...play if you want! BOLD the ones you've done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band- yes for me only if Guitar Hero World Tour counts...
4. Visited Hawaii- haven't just yet but planning to in 10 days.
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland (I think Disney World counts, too!)
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run/walk a marathon (I have run a 1/2 marathon)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- if temporary counts
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London- not London but I think that DC would count too...
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car- way too many times!
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House- never been in but I've been to it many times
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (class action, not personal)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Catching up once again...

2009-01-05T12:13:00.004-08:00

Wow- time got away. No post the whole month of December- what's up with that? It was either a very short month or I was way too busy. I think "WAY TOO BUSY" would be the correct answer. I started to work the first of December and although I ONLY work 3 days a week for half a day- my days got away from me. Jamie also left for two weeks of December- so I ran around trying to get Christmas shopping done and things ready to travel to AL for the holidays. It was just crazy crazy!!! So crazy that I am so glad December is all over with.
We spent 10 days in AL with family. The kids love AL and want to move there but I don't see that happening any time soon- so every chance we can get we like to get home to spend time there. My mom was admitted into the hospital 2 days b/f Christmas so plans had to be rearranged to celebrate Christmas with her and dad. It was a little depressing for us all but we learned to accept what it was and make the best of it on Christmas day. Then, good news came while I lay in the bed Christmas morning. I was at Jamie's mom's house when mom called to let me know that they were discharging her early and she was going home that day so we had her home for Christmas after all. The kids were a little down that she wasn't able to be at home on Christmas day until I told them she called. So, we rushed home to mom and dads start a Christmas dinner and prepare the day to celebrate. The day turned out great and as Jaima would put it... "prayers were answered." She's still not 100% but she's doing OK... so please keep her in your prayers. We spent time with Jamie's mom and family- his dad and family- and then my family. The weather just wasn't like it should be for Christmas time. Last year we had a white Christmas in WA and knowing that they did again this year was a little hard to swallow since our weather in AL was in the lower 70's!! BUT if we'd not been in AL we'd been in VA where there was no snow either.
SO, we're home now and I'm so glad to get back to "normalcy" if there is such a thing. Cody is starting basketball and Jaima is wrapping it up. Happy 2009 and May God continue to Bless You!
The pics below are photos of my family. These were the only photos I took while I was home for all 10 days so that's all I have to share. Enjoy

Family

2008-12-04T11:57:00.008-08:00

We've had family visiting so I have been MIA...
Jamie's mom, step-dad, sister, & brother flew into town and stayed with us for 5 days. While they were here- we went over to the Pentagon to see the Memorial of 9-11. I've posted a photo of the memorial b/f but just in case you missed that post- here are some brief details... Notice the "whiter" area of the Pentagon- that is the new area built since the crash. The benches come up out of the ground, underneath is a reflecting pool, on the end of each bench is the name of the person that died in the crash. If you stand to read the name with your back to the Pentagon- those are the victims that were on the plane. If you're facing the Pentagon while reading the name- those victims were in the Pentagon. The benches are placed in order from youngest to oldest in rows of the year they were born. I caught a photo of Cody reading a name on the end of a bench with Jamie walking along with him... in uniform- I thought it was "touching" and made me realize how blessed I am after seeing all that passed on that day.
My mom, dad, brother, and his two kids drove up on Tues night... they were here for Thanksgiving. This was my mom's first Thanksgiving AWAY from home. She's always the one making the dinner and serving us on Thanksgiving... she gave that up this year to spend Thanksgiving with us so thanks mom for a great memory!
My brother LOVES history- so he was anxious to get over to DC. My brother was in a really bad accident Labor Day of 07. After many attempts to save his leg- they had to amputate it. After spending 2 months in a trauma unit fighting for his life- and 1 month in rehab getting his strength back- he is up on two feet again. He has a prosthetic leg and is getting around just fine. I'm thankful to still have my brother here with us, I'm thankful he came up to VA to visit, and I'm so happy that he was able to walk around DC- something he's always wanted to do.

Jaima started her basketball games at school... they're doing well and she loves it. Jamie will be leaving for Japan and Korea soon. He'll be back just in time for the holidays. I started a new job working part time as a preschool teacher for a 4 yr old class... it's fun- something I love to do. Just catching up... enjoy the pics.

2008-11-20T16:44:00.003-08:00

wow- i haven't posted anything in a while. Not sure what I've been doing lately. So this post is just a random of things I want to share...
FIRST... Jaima turned 12 yrs old on Wed. I cannot believe that she's 12- next year I'll have a TEENAGER!!! OMGoodness!! Well, I tucked her into bed the night b/f her bday and she made the comment that it didn't even feel like her bday b/c we haven't made any plans to celebrate in any kind of way. YES- we have celebrated her bday every single year with a party- sometimes multiple parties- SPOILED BRAT!!! Anyway, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a last minute planner. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS that helped me pull off a last minute bday party for Jaima. I got on the phone at noon and started making plans to have pizza and cake b/f bible study. There were about 30 people that came to celebrate her bday. It was awesome- and she was so surprised. Here are some pics-

Next, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS to Jaima for making the JV basketball team at her school- go Jaima! go Jaima! She pract everyday until 5- so here we go back to BUSY BUSY BUSY schedules once again. Games start the first of Dec- it's going to be so cool watching her play ball for the school- instead of a rec league. I'm so proud of her!!

Also- I'm here to announce that Cody won MVP for defensive player for his football team. We didn't go to the awards ceremony- but he found out from a friend at school one day. I called to verify it- and SURE ENOUGH we have a MVP player! go Cody! go Cody!

And last... I cannot believe that it's time for the holidays. The weather is just right too. It's COLLLLDDDD!!! We've even gotten a few snow flurries- bring it on- I love the snow. Family will be visiting us for the next 10 days- Jamie's mom- stepdad- sister and brother fly in and stay until Tues. My mom, dad, niece, and nephew will be here on Tues night- Sun week. Hopefully my brother and his wife will be travelling with them. Yes it's going to be a full house for a little over a week but I cannot wait!
Jamie leaves for a long trip in Dec- so guess who will be doing the Christmas shopping this year? He will return just in time to head to AL for the holidays.
Time seems to be getting away- OH then there are Christmas cards that I'm getting ready to create and mail out for the season.
2009 is just around the corner!

A hike up OLD RAG!

2008-11-10T16:50:00.004-08:00

"Really Awesome God- I'll explain just hang on and let me start here...
Jaima went on this hike about a month ago with the youth group to OLD RAG MOUNTAIN. She came home all excited and with some awesome photos that I posted on here recently. When I shared with her on Sunday that Jamie and I were going on a hike to Old Rag Mountain with some friends- she was soooo excited for us!!! We took off after we got them off to school. The drive was just beautiful with the fall foliage- farms to die for- and just the site of NOOOOOOOOOOO CITY LIFE felt so good. We arrive at the mountain and start the 6-7 mile hike up. I won't lie- it was a challenge for me but NOPE I would not admit one bit that I needed a rest- now I won't say I didn't moan and groan. We stop at the open overlook views to take it all in- bright yellow and orange foliage every where. We reach what is called the "rock scramble" area... it was just awesome the walkway through all these humungo boulders (yes I just made up that word!) Actually, it wasn't a WALKWAY- we had to climb and use muscles we never knew we had. Mission accomplished- then we cont. our trip to the summit- once we reached the top... it was just breathtaking! Words cannot describe the beauty of what we seen. We took it all in- grabbed some photo shots- then headed down. As we were coming down, we wondered just how do they come up with a name for a mountain? After getting to the summit- taking it all in- it is obvious why this mountain is called Old RAG Mountain.. Rag standing for Really Awesome God! It's days like these- views like we seen- birds soaring in the sky- that make you stop and realize just how AWESOME God is!! Thanks Alecia and Daryl for asking us to go on this hike... it was AWESOME!!!
Click on the small photo below to get to the option to view the slideshow in a larger window. Bump up the seconds that the photos rotate to 5 and sit back and enjoy the beauty of OLD RAG MOUNTAIN.

Old Rag VA 2008

Sunset

2008-11-09T13:59:00.003-08:00

I'm sitting here in the office on the computer. I get up to go get ready to head back to the church building for night-time service and noticed the beautiful sunset right out in front of our house. We don't have window coverings on our office window and this window is really huge so the office was lit up in an orange color. I called Jamie in to see the sunset with me so of course I captured one of us at sunset... ahhhh! I couldn't help but grab my camera to capture the beauty- of the sunset that is... just sharing a small taste of the beauty God gives us daily... enjoy!

Sharing some fall memories...

2008-11-02T13:09:00.010-08:00

Today we took a hike down Bull Run Trail located right here in Manassas, VA. It was gorgeous and just the right weather to enjoy this fall day. While hiking along the river, we stopped to fish.

Jaima walked right up on a black snake. We also enjoyed a nice picnic beside the river. After the picnic, I found myself lying there with my eyes shut listening to the sound of the wind blowing, the creek flowing, birds chirping, leaves falling, the kids climbing trees & skipping rocks- all while laughing and having a good'ol time... it was music to my ears.

On Sat. we took a trip over to DC to visit the National Zoo. They have this rope that the orangutans can roam throughout the park. It was neat to watch them dangle over our heads. The pandas were so cute. The weather was perfect.

On Fri. The kids went trick or treating- then we ended our night hanging around our fire pit with some neighbors sipping hot chocolate, eating Brunswick stew, and roasting marshmallows until late.

These are some fall photos I was able to capture over the weekend... thought I'd share-

Happy Halloween...

2008-10-31T05:46:00.004-07:00

I thought I'd dig through my files and find some shots of the kids when they were younger...
This is Halloween 2005-
and this is Halloween 2002.

When you think it's all over...

2008-10-28T05:50:00.003-07:00

It's not- Yesterday a coach from one of the other ankle biter teams called. He asked if Cody would be interrested in playing in the bowl games scheduled for the next 3 weeks. He liked how Cody played football and wanted him to join them in the bowl games. So, I talked with Cody and he said he wanted to play. Here we go- another three weeks of practice and games.

It's over...

2008-10-26T17:43:00.004-07:00

FOOTBALL IS OVER................. WOOHOO!!! It has been fun this season but so time consuming. But, then again- what sport isn't time consuming. Our last game was on Saturday. The forecast was 100% rain, temps in the 50's with the wind blowing 10-15 mph. NOPE they did not cancell our what was suppose to be our last home game with the cheerleaders FINALLY- they made arrangements for us to meet the opposing team at their home field b/c they have a turf field and playing conditions on that field would be great (do ya hear my sarcasm here?) I wonder who didn't stop to think about the monsoon that was predicted for the day. We arrive- get out and what an experience. These little boys are playing in pouring down rain- ok maybe not DOWN but SIDEWAYS b/c the wind was strong. It didn't take long and they were soaked from head to toe... parents all walked around stiffened b/c their clothes were dripping. My blue jeans were soaked so bad that it was dripping into my waterproof boots- making them NOT WATERPROOF any longer. My ski coat was dripping at the cuffs and my shirt I had on was stretching out b/c it was getting wet as well. OH and an umbrella was no good. You wouldn't believe how many were already stacked into the garbage from the previous games that attempted to use them. WHAT A MISERABLE DAY- and I won't even go into how the turn out for the game was- not sure what was worse- the weather or the game? We will be enjoying at least two weeks of down time b/f soccer season starts...

Football pics of Cody...

2008-10-21T18:06:00.002-07:00

what's a mom to do?

2008-10-21T12:57:00.002-07:00

I go up to Cody's school to help out today and get the opportunity to eat lunch with him. I have to say that I just don't know what to do to get the kid to eat anything that isn't loaded in sugar... here is what he had for lunch-
*a huge container of yogurt- it had 32g of sugar in it!
*a container as big as his yogurt of frozen flavored ice- can you only imagine the sugar grams in that one...
*a serving of mixed fruit- loaded in sugar as well
*sliced apples with cinnamon yogurt flavored dip
*an oats and honey granola bar...
OH and instead of milk- he was allowed fruit juice!
Now don't get me wrong- I realize it could be worse. They give the kids options but shouldn't they be made to get one item from each food category? (A meat, vegetable, bread, fruit... and so on.)
Yes I could pack his lunch but that would be a sandwich and chips everyday- pb&j b/c he will not eat any other sandwiches.
SO, help me out- any ideas on how to get this kids to put something else into his mouth BESIDES sugar?

Sunday drive...

2008-10-20T08:26:00.002-07:00

After church- we hopped in the van and headed northwest. First stop was an orchard farm. There were a whole'lotta apple trees and a huge pumpkin patch that we had to take a hike out to. The kids found them a pumpkin- ok maybe 5 pumpkins and some small ghords- then we made our way back to the car. I didn't take my camera on the hike but after arriving in the pumpkin patch- I wish I had. The pumpkin patch was in this field surrounded by beautiful colored trees. Not to mention the memory I could have captured of the kids hiking back with 5 pumpkins in their arms- needless to say that Jamie and I ended up with some in our arms b/f the hike was over.
Back into the van and off to the next farm. We came upon this farm with lots of chickens- 800 to be exact. The kids have never been really close to chickens so here we were surrounded by many chickens. They got to go into the chicken coup and pick out their own eggs. There were also turkeys- yes they raise turkey's on this farm then sell them for Thanksgiving Day- they were all already sold and awaiting their day for delivery. Poor things had no clue what lied ahead for them as they stroll around on that farm. It was a nice-brisk fall day. We made our way back home with 5 pumpkins and some small ghords- the pics I did capture are from the animal farm. Hope you enjoy.

Old Rag Mountain...

2008-10-13T18:13:00.004-07:00

This past Saturday- Jaima went with the youth group on an 8 mile hiking trip. I'm showing off the photos she captured.... I think we have another photographer in the family. I have to say I was quite impressed with what she captured. Not to mention she has quite the muscles... be sure to notice her holding up the huge rock in one of the photos. Also notice in one of the pics- the snake. The hike had it's fair share of rock scrambles and beautiful ledges with panoramic views. The elevation was a 2,510ft gain. The location was in the Shenandoah National Park here in VA. Just thought I'd share her adventure with you...enjoy the slideshow.

Dr. appnt's...

2008-10-10T19:56:00.002-07:00

I can't stand to go to the doctor. Well,IF I had a good doctor's clinic to visit- I might would. First of all... this clinic we are assigned to here in VA is in a shopping center in what looks like use to be either a grocery or furniture store. It seems like everyone in there are contract workers and DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH all that well. I never know if the girl taking my vitals is a LPN or RN. They act like they have no clue how to convert the weight measurement on the scales, read a blood pressure cuff correctly, and did I say- DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH? ok- I know I should calm down here. It was just one of those days. I hear some of my friends say this same clinic is good and never had a bad experience but NO- NOT ME_ NOT YET_ and I don't think EVER will experience anything good about going over there. My visit today was b/c I have this really bad pain in my neck and right shoulder. I feel like sometimes my rotary cuff is going out on me. My neck always feels like I slept on it wrong- some days it is so painful I take a muscle relaxer then I can't take care of my kids so I'd rather be in pain. Then it puts me in a bad mood if I don't take the muscle relaxer. Anyway- back to my appnt experience today. I go into the room. Sit in the chair. Patiently wait. Then, in walks a doc and she sits straight down in a chair in front of a computer with her back to me. She starts asking me what brings me in for the day. I start explaining- not once did she look at me, examine me, or NOTHING. She asked a few questions WHILE she's typing- I answer as she continues to type. I tell her that my shoulder hurts me more when I sit in front of the computer with my arm up on the desk using the mouse... DING DONG- that must have been it b/c she finally looked at me and said "well that's your problem." That's all she said. She felt like b/c I deal with the pain and play softball that it's nothing serious enough to do any kind of x-rays. BUT she ended up sending me over to x-rays but only after she made it a point to say that I really didn't need the x-ray b/c she didn't think anything was wrong. You all may agree but it takes a lot for me to make an appnt in the first place and all I wanted to know was what was the cause of the pain. Needless to say that first thing Monday morn- I am off to search for a new clinic and doc for me and the kids.

time gets away...

2008-10-05T13:07:00.002-07:00

or does it? I can't really say that I've been up to much of anything but then again- I find myself running around with my head cut off all the time. We're still doing football 3 days a week with ballgames every Sat. morning and still getting clobbered but HEY we're having a blast watching those boys play their heart out. They're so young. There are 13 on the team- one 4th grader, 2 3rd graders, and the rest are in the 2nd. Just about every single one of them is playing football for the first time ever. We show up to games and the other team is every bit of a head taller than everyone on our team. Our jaws drop thinking those kids can't be the same age as our kids are... Cody is doing great and is determined to get a touchdown b/f the season is over... we shall see.
Jaima starts indoor soccer soon, now Cody has decided he wants to play so the chaos will cont. through the winter. I feel like I have enough equipment in the back of my van to open my own sporting good store.
Jamie and I are still playing softball every Fri for the church. It's so much fun to fellowship with our new church family. They are great people.
Fall is in the air- VA is great- and the holidays will soon be here to spend with our family in AL. I miss them so much. This is my favorite time of the year. It just seems like this time of the year snuck up on me. I think about next year and it's so nice knowing that we aren't planning a move. I feel like we've been doing that for the last 3 yrs... so nice knowing we might can actually plan a few weeks in AL for the summer time to do nothing but CHILL with family. I like going home for the holidays but they're so rushed and it feels like we really don't get to visit.
Remember- our doors are always open. We love to have company. I hear many say they'll come see us and never do- so start making those plans to come visit with us...
I'm done rambling... just thought I'd catch up.

Catching up...

2008-09-22T05:07:00.007-07:00

This is me and Amy in front of the Pentagon. The area behind us is the area that was hit by the airplane on 9-11. This is an example of how the benches at the 9-11 Memorial are made. Each bench represents each person that died on that day. On the end of the bench is a name. If you are standing in front of the name to read it and your facing the Pentagon- that person perished in the Pentagon. If you stand and read the name and face away from the Pentagon- that person perished in the plane. The benches are in order from youngest to oldest. The youngest was 3. There were 5 children (age 11) that were on a trip from this area headed to CA for a field trip. They are all grouped together- then there's a huge gap to the next age and then it goes on up to the oldest which was 71. Under the benches is a reflecting pool. At night- it lights up. More info on the memorial can be found on the internet- you should search and read more about it. This photo is a pic of the 9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon.

It's been a week since I posted so I'm here to catch up.
My long time friend of 24 yrs flew into town to stay with me for a week. Her son- which is the same age as Jaima- had an educational event for a week with a group here in DC. He stayed at the hotel with that group so we were CHILDLESS (until mine came home in the afternoon from school.) We hopped on the metro once day and made a trip into DC. Two of the days- we were able to go into DC with Jamie. He went off to work as we hopped on the metro from Crystal City to tour DC. One day he took us on a tour of the Pentagon. It was neat- then we went out to the 9-11 Memorial that just opened up at the Pentagon. It was very moving. The memorial was designed with lots in detail. I'll share info on that later... It has been so long since we've been able to visit with eachother. It seems like when I go home I have all my family to visit in such a short time- so we never get to spend time together. I was so thankful we got the opportunity to visit for a whole week. Thanks AMY for coming up to see me!

The football game didn't go too well so we got CLOBBERED AGAIN! I have photos of the game but not to share this time. I have to get a video uploaded so you can see Cody in action-

The weather has been so nice- fall has arrived.

Clobbered...

2008-09-14T10:21:00.007-07:00

but what really matters is that it was a great first time experience- I'm talking football. Yes, Cody had his first football game on Sat. It was not a typical football day. It felt like the temp reached 100 on the sidelines. I'm sure the boys felt like it was hotter with the scorching heat. Football is suppose to be in the brisk-cool days of fall. You'd think it was the middle of summer after Sat.
The team has practiced and practiced play after play but they just forgot it all on Sat. They let the opponents run all over them- really they ran all over our boys. Thank goodness there were no injuries worse than some banged up elbows. The football field they played on was hard as a rock with patches of grass- what do you expect when you get clobbered to the ground? Cody did really well- with the exception of one fumble. I'm sharing some pics. Enjoy and of course this is only the beginning- there will be more to come.

Cody running the ball...
this tackle was at the one yard line... Go Cody- Go Cody!!!

although we lost- they ran through the tunnel of parents with pride.

Getting down to business...

2008-09-08T13:47:00.002-07:00

So for many years I have said that once the Navy stopped moving our family around so often I would finally start my photography business up once again. Well, I feel like that time has come. We will be staying put here in the Northern VA area for a while- (I type that with my fingers crossed b/c ANYTHING can happen.) Which means- Michele Griffith Photography is open for business. OK- so I haven't created a cool website like I'd like to have to advertise but blogger will work just fine for me. To the left of this post you will find my photography blog link. Click and go check it out. This is a huge step for me. When I had a business in Auburn- it all started b/c my great dear friend shared what photos I took of her beautiful children- and the next thing I knew I was doing many more photoshoots. This time- I'm seeking anyone and everyone to book a photo session with me as soon as possible. If you are interrested after checking out my photography blog- Please contact me to schedule your photosession. OH and yes it will soon be time to do those Christmas pics and cards- I do that too- more info to come soon.

Lost and found...

2008-09-04T04:36:00.002-07:00

J's critter got loose! Yes, I had this little mouse looking thing running around my house. We looked everywhere for it- all day long. Then, as Jamie goes in to tuck C in- it goes running across his bedroom floor. You should've seen us trying to catch that fast rodent... thank goodness we did and thank goodness it was found. She's now safe in her little home once again... we still wonder how it got out of the cage. We'll never know.

Random things to share...

2008-09-02T07:32:00.004-07:00

I have more than one thing to share about so I thought I'd wrap it all up in one post... Summer is coming to an end- WOOHOO! I love fall. The weather is getting cooler, the kids go back to school, sport season starts- which means I'm very busy running around but I love it. Love-love fall!

This past weekend we went "tent" camping out at Westmoreland State Park here in VA. This park was located on the shores of the Potomac River. It took us about 2hrs to get there. It was a gorgeous park. It seemed like all we ever did was eat but when we weren't eating... we went on a hike, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. They had this beach called Fossil Beach. We had to hike about half a mile to get to this beach but boy was it gorgeous once we arrived. It was b/t two cliffs. We walked the beach and sifted for fossils and shark teeth... we were able to collect a few things like sea glass, shark teeth, fossilized bones, and some other fossil like things... It was a great weekend get-away. I'm sharing a web album of our weekend memories. We went with some friends that live in our neighborhood... that's who you'll see in the photos as well.

SCHOOL STARTS.... I cannot believe it's time but WOOHOO! I can't believe that Jaima is in middle school now. This is the first year the kids aren't in the same school. Jamie and I realized that it will be the last time they are in the same school until Jaima is a senior in HS!!!! Which means until then- I'll be tag teaming b/t 2 different schools. I'll share pics of their first day off to school.

Jaima has been wanting me to share a pic of her new little creature... so you'll find a pic of "IT" as well. Her name is Cotton and OH MY is she noisy!!

So, I'm home alone now all day long- preparing for the chaos in the afternoons... homework, dinner preparation's, practices for sports... fun fun fun!

Just wrapping up what The Griffith's are up to...

J's recent get-a-way...

2008-08-26T08:28:00.005-07:00

Jaima just recently spent 10 days in CT with one of her bestfriends. They stayed really busy while she was there. They made a trip to NYC, had a pool party with some old friends, enjoyed some time at the beach with friends, and enjoyed a day at the salon getting a pedicure. She was pooped by the time she returned home from her trip. She asked me to share the pics she took here on the blog... so enjoy her photos.
J's friend she spent 10 days with...
This is the "naked cowboy" performing on the streets of NYC.
This is the group of friends Jaima had when we lived in CT.

This was her trip to get pedicure's and manicure's...

Football...

2008-08-19T13:32:00.004-07:00

Thought I'd share a few shots of Cody at football pract. I've not been able to capture a whole lot- but I plan to share more action shots later... the season has only just begun- so YES there will be plenty more football shots. This is Cody's first year at tackle. The coach has him playing running-back. He said that Cody is one of the fastest on the team and he needed him to run the ball. Well, that's great and all but that just means the other team will be chasing the ball and eventually he's going to get tackled when he runs the ball- so that means my little man will end up at the bottom of a pile of boys. I have to remind you that Cody isn't big at all- a whopping 52 lbs- so say a prayer with me that he remains safe this football season. I was nervous in the beginning and always said that my boy wouldn't play football. NO I cannot believe that I would say that considering I was a cheerleader on the sidelines for 10 1/2 yrs. I'm excited about the season- so is Jamie- I have to remind him to stay calm from the sideline. I might even have to tie his arms, he gets really excited needless to say. Well- here are the pics. Enjoy

Cody is the one out front in both of these images...

Our beach trip to AL...

2008-08-14T13:39:00.002-07:00

Just thought I'd share some shots I was able to quickly grab on the beach of the kids, Jamie's sister (some w/her boyfriend,) and Jamie's brother... The beach was nice and we loved our 3 day stay with his mom and step-dad. It has been so long since we've seen white beaches. We had perfect weather. Enjoy the slideshow...

I think I'll ramble...

2008-07-27T19:41:00.003-07:00

What a great weekend it has been.
Fri.afternoon rolled around and it was time to head off to the softball game. C has three of his friends in the basement playing the PS2. So, I go down about 30 min b/f we have to be at this game to round them up and send them all home. The next thing I hear is "hey can P go? What about A? Do you care if JD does too?" So, low and behold-I am rushing out the door with three extra boys for the night and not just to go to the game- it turned into a sleep over about 10 min b/f we had to be out the door for this game. After being at the ballgame for 2 and half hours and celebrating with ice cream afterwards- we get home at 1130pm. While eating ice cream- J ask "mom can H spend the night with me?" I'm a sucker- I'm telling ya... so of course I say YES. We come home with 4boys and 2 girls... I LOVE MY VAN!!!!!!!!!!!! I send the 4 boys to the basement and the 2 girls up to J's bedroom. Needless to say I didn't get to sleep until after midnight.
Sat.. I wake up and the boys are too cute all passed out like they never moved from in front of the PS2 all night long. I cook pancakes, bacon, and french toast. After closing down the kitchen- I go out to work in the yard. Jamie works on the deck. He got all the decking on top done- so now we can actually use our back doors. OHHH the BBQ parties we'll have on that deck.... we love BBQ's!

SUNDAY- God is great. I'm so thankful for all he blesses me with. My husband loves me unconditionally and we love the church. One great reason to rejoice and smile- ok maybe that's 2. After worship- we discover that WE ARE CHILDLESS!!!!!! C goes his way with a friend from church and so does J. It was nice to be with Jamie ALONE for the day. We haven't had that in such a long time. We went to eat lunch with some friends from church- then we went hot tub shopping... can't wait to get that either to enjoy. We arrived home long enough to get some "Sunday rest" b/f heading back up to the church for more worship. I meet up with the kids- and once again see how happy they are to have the friends that they have met and spent the day with. God is so good for blessing my children with wonderful friends... friends that love God too. C's friend from church is a new Christain and WOW this is one sweet boy. He's such a great example for my little man... J's friends are all too sweet and cute too. Being around her and her friends bring back so many memories of my childhood days- hanging with my girlfriends. I'm not sure if we were such the drama queens as J and her friends are... tooooo cute!!!! Once again I hear after church tonight- "mom, do you care if the girls spend the night tonight?" I ask- "what girls?" then she names them off... so yes- 3 more plus her... can't help to say nothing more but YES. So, here we are tonight at home. This time the girls are in the basement and Cody is zonked out here on my bed curled up next to me. I ponder- do I move him into his bed or snuggle right up next to him and cherish it while it last. Yes- b/f too long he'll be too grown to want to lay next to me at all.
So, there you have it.... my rambling for the night. OH how I love God, my family, and my life.

My new little photographer...

2008-07-22T14:09:00.004-07:00

These were taken by Jaima. She seen the idea on the internet and tried it herself...and "WALA" so check them out....how cool is she?

Link to pics of our home

2008-07-22T13:55:00.002-07:00

OK... so I'm a procrastinator! Here are the photos of the house... they're even editted. Click on the pic below. It will re-direct you to my picassa web album. View them as a slideshow. More of the outside to come later... we're working out there right now.
Take care...

What's UP?

2008-07-20T12:45:00.006-07:00

Well besides staying inside b/c of the heat or making a trip over to the pool- we're still playing softball and this time I have pics to share compliments of a dedicated fan. The season ended on Fri. night but tournaments are coming up. I've had a great time playing with this group of new friends. OH and yes I have finally realized that my body is no longer a young one. I also realized that I definately have to stretch, I can't run as fast as I use to, and I can't last as long as I'd like while playing sports... although I do nothing in the field but stand there since NO balls come my way but thank goodness b/c I would prefer for them NOT to come my way. It's a blast... I wish the season wasn't coming to an end.

ALSO... check out the progress of our deck. Jamie has been working on it for about 3 weeks now. Yes, he's out in the steamy-hot heat working his tail off. I've tried getting him to take it slow but he's insisting on getting it done. I just keep taking the water out by the jug-fulls to keep him hydrated. We can't wait for it to be done so we can enjoy the afternoons out together.

OH... check out the nice pretty "strawberry" on Jamie's leg. That was from a pretty play he pulled off playing short-stop at the game on Fri. It's the worst "strawberry" I've ever seen.

So- that's pretty much IT... that's about all we've been up to. Just thought I'd share some photos... enjoy.

What do you do when...

2008-07-11T06:46:00.003-07:00

you have the pickiest eater in the whole wide world. At least that's the way I feel. My little man just will not eat but certain things. I've had many people tell me "make him eat what's put in front of him- starve him he'll eat eventually- set rules-" and the list goes on and on. I admit he loves sweets and he'll give new sweets a try so I've really buckled down on his sweets and will not allow him to have them unless he eats some real food. This is really getting under my skin- it's all I think about come lunch and dinner. I didn't mention breakfast b/c he loves breakfast... although I think breakfast isn't the healthiest unless you bake the good'ol bacon, eggs, and biscuits with gravy... well this is the 21st century and who gets up and cooks that every morning... so he has cereal, pancakes, bacon, toast, fruit, and a pop-tart when we're on the go first thing in the morning. He will not eat eggs... and yes he's tried them and knows he doesn't like them. He takes vitamins but he's just so skinny and looks like he's getting skinnier... yes it's summer time and the kid doesn't stop going from morning to night but what do I do to put some meat on his bones? Any ideas out there you'd like to share.

Still have it?

2008-07-09T04:56:00.003-07:00

so we're settled and back into the swing of things... REALLY back into the "swing" of things...
Jamie has been playing softball with the church league and now they've recruited me. It has been so long since I've played but they needed players b/c most of the others were either injured of out of town. I get all pumped to play- even go out on Mon afternoon to hit a few balls with Jamie and the kids. I did very well considering I haven't played in over 10 yrs... Then lo'& behold- I try to sneak down into the basement to scare Cody while he's playing his PS and I slip on the stairs and I'm positive I broke my toe. BUT I was still determined to play softball. I took Motrin and even put some Bengay on it b/f the game. It actually worked during the game but as soon as I took my shoes off- my toe was purple. I guess that's what I get for trying to scare my little man... but he's always trying to scare me in the house so that's why I tried getting him.
The softball game was fun. I did make it around the bases quite a few times. I played in the right field hoping none would come to that side and what do ya know... just about every player they had were lefty's so the odds were there for me to get a pop fly... but nope not one single one. Boy- was I lucky! Now I'm pumped for the next game on Fri... I hope they need me again. I'm ready for it. 32 and still got it... well maybe just some- I blame it on the HURT TOE!
Have a good one...

Happy Birthday!

2008-07-01T07:11:00.002-07:00

So ok- I'm a day late to post it but yesterday was Jamie's birthday. He is now 36. He loves ice cream so we went with an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Chocolate Mint... and mmmm mmmmm it was good. C loves ice cream too- in fact if I'd let him that's all he'd ever eat. But, since Sunday he has been running a high fever and complaining with his throat... so lastnight when we get ready to have ice cream cake- and HE PASSED on his piece... Jamie and I both looked at eachother and said at the same time... "the kid is definately sick." So, you'll see in the photo C doesn't look like he feels so good. But, I grabbed a not-so-hot shot of Jamie with the kids on his 36th birthday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Seeing God answer prayers...

2008-06-23T20:29:00.004-07:00

Jamie has gone back to work and the kids are settling in. C has 4-6 boys his age in the neighborhood that he stays outside all day with or inside playing the PS... he's in Heaven. I'm really thankful b/c that was one of my many prayers I had for the kids as we made our move. We went to worship on Sunday for the first time. It was great. Everyone was so welcoming. J found out that she will be a part of the youth group so she's very excited. In fact, I was handed a calendar of events for the summer. They have devos every Sunday night after worship- so she stayed for that lastnight and met 6 girls that are her age. They also started a girls bible study on Mondays for the summer. She went today and really enjoyed it. She met up with the same girls and even met some more. She was saying by this afternoon that she couldn't wait until Wed night to see the friends she met today. They have movie, putt-putt, and ice cream on Thurs. So yes-her calendar is marked up already for the summer. This is going to be great for her spiritual growth- she was baptized last Dec. and it seems like she focuses everyday to be the Christain God wants her to be. It truly is a blessing- God does answer prayers.
As for myself...I've been unpacking and unpacking and unpacking! The boxes are all out of the house finally, furniture situated, and rooms together- well some of them- the ones we use at least. I'm working on refinishing some furniture for my guest rooms- so that's a work in progress. I also thought I'd paint my breakfast table and that has been a mess but I can't wait to get it finished. It seems like it's all coming together. I've started hanging things on the walls and even curtains. I did actually dust some today. I had to- I couldn't stand it any longer. I usually don't do any kind of cleaning in my house until I'm all settled and do it all at once. The house was cleaned b/f our stuff arrived but I have no clue why I had that done b/c it was a mess come the day after the boxes were brought in. I'm looking forward to having it clean once again. I should get pictures posted soon for those of you requesting to see some. We're also waiting on approval to start our deck and fence in our yard. It's an HOA thing. Pain in the butt but I'm so thankful we have an HOA...
Today I was in J's room and she has this large window across the back of the house- there was a deer standing there- it was so cute. It felt good seeing that deer b/c I thought we wouldn't have any opportunities to see wildlife where we live. We actually seen 3 today.

Well, it looks like we're hanging around VA for the 4th so if anyone is willing and able to come visit... give us a ring or email us- we'd love to have ya.

SO now I'm off to bed- just wanted to post. Until next time...

Just stopping in...

2008-06-15T20:31:00.003-07:00

to say that we're still buried in boxes. Our stuff arrived on Sat.& we've been going non-stop at unpacking and getting organized once again. It's getting done but slowly. Sorry the last post was so long. So many have emailed me saying they enjoyed it but yes I know it was like reading a book. Thanks to those that were interrested in reading it. If you haven't and want to- it's the post before this one...
C has met some boys in the neighborhood that are his age... he's in HEAVEN and one happy little boy. J still hasn't met any girls but I know she will not have any problem meeting them- she's mostly been in the house helping me so she hasn't had the opportunity to meet any. Just wanted to drop in and say that we're here just busy busy! Love to all

One last post of our trip...

2008-06-12T05:51:00.006-07:00

A photo of our new home

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Tf6dV4hA This is the link to the slideshow.
Let me know if it doesn't work for you. You can also click on the full screen mode in the sidebar post and it will open up full screen for you to watch.
The link to all of my photoshows can be found here including our trip from east to west last Aug at www.photoshow.com/members/michelegphotography

This is going to be long so sit back and enjoy as you keep reading, feel free to close out the screen here but I hope you come back, or just forget reading this and thanks for at least visiting our family blog…
Where do I start- so many have asked what happened to me the week b/f our move … you can read up on that post by clicking in the previous post section to the side for the month of MAY titled- "What a week."
Since then, I have been feeling just fine- like NOTHING ever happened to my lung. The doc gave me the go ahead with my everyday life the Fri. b/f we left WA.
So, the packers show up for 3 days to pack and on the 4th day they loaded- thank you so much to all of those that stopped in to help. Jamie was unable to be around for the week so it was nice having you all. The house was empty by Fri afternoon and Jaima and I get busy cleaning. We had to pick Jamie up at the airport at midnight on the 30th- by the time we got home from Seattle- we got little sleep b/f waking up on Sat. to start cleaning more. Thank goodness we just rented when we arrived in WA last Aug- b/c I’m positive we’d still have a house on the market right now. Our day was full with activities. Jamie had her last soccer game and Cody finished up his baseball season. We zoomed over to the church building where the members had us a going away party. We enjoyed the celebration-thanks to all at CK for a great memory! You became our family in such a short time. We attended worship on Sun. morning- had one last Sun. lunch with a large group b/f heading out of town
… and here is where our journey across the US begins….
Sun June 1st- We head S towards Mount St. Helens. It was quite a drive up to the observation deck from the interstate. It was overcast but we thought we’d give it a try. We made it maybe 3000 ft up then turned around. It was like driving in Heaven so we headed back down to a nearby town to stay the night. We get up on Mon. (June 2nd) and decide the weather was just way too overcast to attempt the drive back up the mountain- so we didn’t get to see Mount St. Helens :0(
We drive about 2-3 hours south to I-84. This is a scenic Hwy in OR along the Columbia River/Gorge. (The Lewis and Clark trail.) This was an absolutely gorgeous drive all along the river. We stopped at a waterfall called Multnomah Falls. It’s the second largest in the country. It was right off the side of the interstate- so if you’re ever driving by and notice this enormous waterfall- I’d stop b/c it’s worth a quick hike up to stand underneath it. We snap a few shots and off we are to Boise, ID. This was our destination for the night… no certain reason, it was just far enough to drive for one day.
Tue June 3rd. We make our way towards Yellowstone National Park for the night but on our way we decide to take a scenic route- it was in the middle of NOWHERE but thank goodness my navigation system b/c it found our way back to the interstate after about a 3-4 hour scenic drive out of the way. SO WORTH IT THOUGH!!!! I caught some great shots of some rolling hillsides. I even captured a pic of the kids and Jamie trying to rock climb as we made a pit stop. My toes stayed curled just about the whole time b/c of the drop-off cliff sides not to mention- Jamie would pretend he was Geff Gordon as he hugged every curve. I was so thankful to see the interstate once again. We were making our way down the interstate just enjoying the flat rolling hills and then all of a sudden there was this huge deep canyon. We make a quick exit to go check it out. It was like the earth just split- we parked and walked over to it. I did all I could to walk out onto the steel bridge they built over this canyon- I really want to see the Grand Canyon but I have prepare myself for it after experiencing this canyon… I was able to capture some photos but I had to get off that thing. Of course the kids and Jamie made fun of me but I DON”T CARE- it was scary! Back into the car still headed towards YNP but then we come up on Shoshone Falls in ID. We made our way out to the falls. I was able to capture some great shots there as well. It was worth the short drive out. We finally arrive at YNP b/f dark. We stayed in a cabin inside the park. It was very rustic but made it fun and adventurous. We arrived at the cabin with snow on the groud-lots of it and then woke up to an inch of it on Wed. It melted quick as we ventured out for the day…
Wed June 4th. The weather was yucky but it didn’t stop us from riding around in the park. We rode the mountainside sightseeing all we could… we were able to see so many different kinds of wildlife. I’ve mentioned what all we seen in the prev. post so I’ll just mention the most memorable here… the wolf, coyote’s, bear w/ cubs, and moose were the best. I’ve never seen a moose or a grizzly bear- well actually I’ve never see a wolf or coyote as close up as I did either (unless they were all in a zoo-) so seeing these animals in the wild was AMAZING. My photos aren’t the best b/c you have to realize- 1. I’m in a moving vehicle 2. The weather was horrible to photo in 3. The animals were so far away so I had to use my zoom lense w/o a tripod. BUT I CAPTURED SOME GREAT MEMORIES. I hope you enjoy looking at them- it was something we’ll never forget! After a long day of sightseeing and shopping- we made our way out of the eastern entrance of YNP to stay the night in another rustic cabin. Just outside of the entrance is a place called Pahaska Resort… (When I say “RESORT” don’t think of this fancy place you might get in Mexico- remember this is WY and it’s the west.) We loved it. The cabin was cute and had a great view of a mountain behind us. We enjoyed a good night of rest.
Thurs June 5th. We venture back into YNP. This was our last day b/f getting back to the trip to the east. As we are getting into the park- Bison had traffic held up as they take their time walking up the middle of the road. Those things are HUGE! We had great weather which meant we had to get out of the van and do the geysers since we couldn’t on Wed b/c of the rain. We enjoyed many different geysers all around. We didn’t so much enjoy the smell of rotten eggs though. I felt like my lungs were getting poisoned. If you have no clue of what I’m talking about- then I’ll save my info and let you discover it for yourself when you plan your trip to YNP b/c YNP is A MUST DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We hung around for Old Faithful and captured some shots of that. Notice in the photos how one side of the photo is blue from the sky and the other is white- that white side is of course is the fountain blowing in the wind. The geysers of the bright colored ones are REALLY that bold/bright/&beautiful.
After enjoying two and half days of YNP- shopping too much, eating a lot, and put many extra miles on the van riding around inside… we head back out the eastern entrance on our way to Cody, WY for the night… on our way we stop in to go horseback riding at this ranch at the Pahaska Resort. We took an hour ride up the side of a mountain and along a river. We each had our own horse as we follow this guide. We climb this really steep mountain and stop to take in the beauty as we reached the topside. We sat and watched a grizzly bear play around in the distance. We had the guide capture a shot of us all on top of the mountain on our horses. It is probably my favorite photo ever b/c it was a memory I know we’ll always remember. I couldn’t tell you how many times the kids have said that was the best part of all the trip… so the photo is priceless! We start our 60 (or so) mile drive towards Cody- this is where we want to retire and live. We loved the beautiful countryside as we drive along the hwy. The shots I got are NOTHING compared to what it was really like being there. We saw a rainbow so pay close attention to those shots. I had to capture a shot of the CODY sign as we enter the town… go figure. I couldn’t talk Cody into getting out and getting in the pict. We reached our cabin at sunset- but then seen that the rodeo was starting in town so we drove down to the rodeo and enjoyed a few hours sitting on the bleachers wrapped in blankets watching cowboys and cowgirls do their thing… we’ve been to many rodeos- in fact Jamie has rode a bull or two but there’s nothing like seeing a rodeo in the west! We got back to our cabin and realized that our cabin needed sheets for the bunks so we headed out to WM- YES Cody does have a WM Supercenter. We bought some cheap sheets for the bunks and headed off to bed.
Fri June 6th. We head for Keystone, SD. It’s about 3 to 400 miles. We get there b/f the sun sets and decide to go onto the Crazy Horse Monument. I absolutely was amazed by this enormous monument. You have to go online and read about this thing. It is just jaw dropping. The facts about this monument are unbelievable- and they truly are if you can stand there and stare at this huge mountain being carved and imagine the facts as you look at it. Search FACTS ABOUT CRAZY HORSE MONUMENT and go to town reading all you can about this mountain. They’ve been working on this mountain for years and years and years- since b/f I was born and and it’s going on and on and on and will long after I’m gone too…. GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!
We get to Keystone to rest for the night.
Sat. June 7th. We wake up- made our way up to Mount Rushmore. It was so neat the first time I seen this monument but after seeing Crazy Horse the day b/f it’s a little disappointing. You have to get underneath this monument- it’s an amazing view. The photos available are taken from underneath the monument. It’s an amazing monument as well- worth visiting too if you are in the area. It was our second time visiting the park- we stopped by on our way from east to west last Aug. We left Mt. Rushmore and started driving- and drove and drove and drove…….. Jamie insisted on driving until we reached Manassas, VA- OUR FINAL DESTINATION. He drove over 1700 miles- well I drove about 4 hours of that- I kept insisting we stop for the night but he won that battle. He just proved to me that he was more stubborn than I was. I say that b/c I’d been on the phone with his mom earlier and she said to be sure to make him stop for the night. I told her that he was a stubborn man but I’m more stubborn than he and I would win that battle- HE WON! We drove through the most awesome lightening storm. You have to realize that it doesn’t lighten in WA that often- in fact I haven’t seen lighten since last July. So, this was definitely a light show.
After driving close to 3500 miles total- we finally arrived in Manassas, VA Sunday June 8th in the late evening. It was so good to be HOME! We went from having temps in the upper 50’s down to the 30’s and arriving to a scorching 100 degree heat wave. It hung around for 2 days but now it’s finally nice to go outside.
We have been sleeping on an air mattress since Sun… our stuff will not arrive until this Sat. It went into storage b/c we weren’t here when the driver arrived with it- they immediately put it into storage. It was a good thing b/c we have been working like crazy to get the house painted. It’s much easier to paint when it’s empty. It’s a brand new home that was all white so it needed color. We have lots and lots to get done but we’re so excited and can’t wait to get back to some normalcy in our life. It seems like FOREVER since we’ve had that. I can’t wait to start having meals ready at night (yes I’m sick of eating out!) my husband come home to me at the end of the day, sit outside with the kids and not have a single thing on my list that I need to get to for the day. Last July- I made the trip from CT to WA w/o Jamie- thank God for my parents- they were there to help. Back then- by motto was “one day at a time.” I even found this bracelet that read the exact words on it that I wore often. That was just how I took life. I still lived by that motto but it kind of wore off as life was as normal as normal could be there for a while in WA until Jamie moved off to VA back in Feb. So living w/o him for 3 months has been a huge test on love. My friend Amy in Jasper sent me a bracelet that reads “love is patient, love is kind, love bears all things.” I wear that now b/c love is what has got our family through what all we’ve experienced in the last year. The LOVE that many has shown us in just a short time, the LOVE we have for each other to hang in there, and most of all the LOVE we have for GOD. He has been our rock! It hasn’t been easy but we’ve pulled through and now here we are back on the east coast- closer to our family in AL, planning to stay put for a while in one place, and getting back to LIVING, LOVING, and LAUGHING as we continue to journey through life together.
Sorry this is soooooooooo long. I told you it would be- so if you made it this far- THANKS a BILLION for showing your love. Hope you enjoy the photos. If you have a question about one- let me know. Email us we love to hear from you.
Love to all and miss those far away. Keep us in your prayers as we find a new church family, make new friends, and start a new journey

We're finally HOME!!!

2008-06-09T16:42:00.002-07:00

We're here but still no internet. We take advantage of Panera Bread's FREE internet service. So, that's where we are at the moment- catching up on email, our bank accounts, and thought I'd post here to catch you all up.
Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse were awesome... more details to come on Crazy Horse when I can sit and think about the details I want to share. It's the most amazing thing I have ever seen and I want to be sure to share facts about that Monument. GO SEE IT!!! We left SD on Sat. morning and kept driving until we reached Manassas, VA on mid afternoon Sun. Jamie insisted on us driving non-stop- so that's what we did. He drove all of it but maybe 4 hours of it. We arrived to scorching temps of 100 at least. We haven't felt temps that hot since we left Auburn, AL in 2006. When we've made a visit to AL to see family it was in the winter so we will have to get use to those temps once again.
We have been painting... got one room done and decided that it was a job for a professional so yes we have hired a painter... There's still a lot we want to do to our new home. We still do not have our stuff...it will be delivered on Sat. we are sleeping on air matresses and will make one more visit to the laundry mat.
We miss the temps in WA but not the rain... too bad we can't "order" what temps we would like to have- this heat is for the birds!
The kids are bored to death and miss the friends back in WA. They play in the sprinklers while we water our grass... there are lots of kids in the neighborhood but we just haven't ventured out b/c of the heat.
I can't wait to share ALL my photos with ya. I have them ready just need internet to upload them here... so please do check back by the end of the week. I should have it all ready to share here by Fri.
Hope all is doing well. Please email us and stay in touch. We're expecting some company this fall... you know who you are- so we can't wait to see ya.
Love to all... more to come later...jamie-michele-and kids.

Trip to the east cont...

2008-06-06T19:43:00.006-07:00

Links to all photoshows are not up and running just yet... I have so many to share-and no time to get them ready except when we stop to sleep- it takes time to get them ready for the internet. Please do keep checking back. Here are just a few photos to share for now ...sometimes you can click on images to see a larger view...

This is Shoshone Falls in ID.
This is a moose!!!!

SO we finally have internet once again. Where do I start? This post will probably be long b/c I have a lot to share...
We left Boise, ID and headed for the western entrance to Yellowstone on Tues. On our way we were able to stop at Shoshone Falls National Park in ID... near Twin Falls. After about 500 miles we finally arrived at the western entrance of Yellowstone where we had a cabin for the night inside the park. NO TV, NO INTERNET, and NO CELL SERVICE! Rustic?-I would say so!!! It was COLD. We weren't expecting snow or even for it to be cold but yes there was snow on the ground and they were expecting 1 inch by Wed morning and snow throughout the day on Wed. We thought we were doomed b/c of the weather but we woke up to a beautiful Wed. and had an experience we'll never forget. We drove in the park for miles and miles. We looked the mountain sides over searching for wildlife. There were bison, deer, and elk where everywhere, 2 wolves walking down the road which were kind of scary but so cool. We seen a moose that was hiding herself in the marshy river BUT HEY I was able to capture a shot and you can somewhat make her out in the photo. A coyote was walking across a field then about 5 pups ran over to her... it was so adorable. We seen mountain goats, big horn sheep, and pronghorn antelope. We were driving down the road and came up to a very heavily congested area of people- which usually means there's wildlife around- and sure enough you would've thought Paris Hilton was sitting there with all the paparazzi's perched on the side of the hill. We'd just made the comment that we had just about seen it all except a black bear and a grizzly and BINGO... there she was-a black bear with her two cubs playing around. I was able to play paparazzi as well and capture some shots. OH was it a challenge to capture this moment with my camera- but I caught some worth keeping. What a great experience it was watching them perform for us. Then, we head on up the road into the higher mountains and on a mountain-side was a grizzly bear with a cub walking around. Of course we stopped and captured that moment too. Those photos were better b/c the lighting was perfect. It was just awesome seeing all this wildlife in one day. The snow would come and go throughout the day but not enough that it would ruin our adventure out. At the highest elevation the snow was still really deep on the groud and it was absolutely gorgeous. The temps weren't too frigid- which was great since we didn't come prepared for snowy weather. After we wrapped up our first full day in YNP-we drove out the eastern entrance and stayed in another cabin for the night. Again- NO TV, NO INTERNET, and NO CELL SERVICE. But that's ok b/c we spent a lot of time together as a family playing games, chit-chatting, and the beds were very comfortable. Day 2 (Thurs) we drove back into YNP to visit the geysers. It was neat as well... the kids and I seen all of them last Aug when we made our move from CT to WA with my parents... but Jamie hasn't seen them so we made sure he got that opportunity. He was excited and thought they were neat but I really think the wildlife we seen was more entertaining for him... you know Jamie. After another long day spent inside YNP-we left YNP and headed back to the cabin at the eastern entrance and made plans to go horseback riding... That's a post all by itself considering this was the best part ever so far of our trip- that's what the kids said anyway! We took an hour trip out on these horses. We all had our own horses and a guide with us. We went up to this mountain top with an awesome overlook. We got to see a grizzly playing off on a hillside and deer all over the place. It was great!!! I'm going to make a seperate link for those photos b/c I took so many. After our horseback adventure we headed off to Cody, WY for the night. It was about an hour and a half drive through some of the best scenery we'd seen yet... we've definately found our retirement spot for the future... again- we stayed in a cabin but this time we DID have cable TV but NO CELL SERVICE, NO BATHROOM AT ALL, and we had to go buy some sheets for the bunks to sleep on. I forgot to pack them but thank goodness WM was in Cody b/c I'd not seen one in at least 500 miles and at least for two days. After arriving in Cody, we checked into our third cabin for the week. It was so neat and cute. Cody has a rodeo every night so we went to the rodeo lastnight. Our C was able to get in the arena with cows...it was something they did with the kids. The first two kids to get the ribbon off of the cow wins. I didn't take my camera in the rodeo- so I'm sorry I can't share the memories of that one... no my little C didn't get a ribbon.
WOW!!! is just about the only word I can really say so far about our trip. I had the best time with my parents last Aug. when we made this same trip to the west from the east. I'm so thankful I've had this opportunity once again with my husband and two kids to experience it with him. It has been a great adventure and one we'll always remember. After driving through the beautiful countryside of the Rockies we've just about decided where we want to retire. The scenery is just breathless. You have to go see for yourself if you never have. The photos aren't worth half of what it really is like to drive through the wonderful countryside that we've seen in the last three days. So, start planning your trip to this part of this beautiful country- you will love it!

I told you this post would be long. Hope you have enjoyed reading and catching up with our trip to the east. I want to share photos but Oh MY do I have soooo many to share. I am working on them as I travel. I have to resize them for the internet so that's why I can't just come here and post them---it's a lot of work to get them ready. ONE draw back to digital. We love comments b/c WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. If you don't want to comment- email us. We have arrived in Keystone, SD... today we made a visit to the Crazy Horse Monument and plan to visit Mt. Rushmore tomorrow... so stay tuned for more to come. I'm so anxious to share about the Crazy Horse Monument- it is really something so keep checking in for more updates to come...

We miss everyone from the east coast to the west. We also miss our family in the south- Christmas was too long ago- so start planning your trip to VA b/c we'll be in our new HOME soon! Love to you all! Michele-Jamie and kids.....
PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR LINKS TO THE PHOTOSHOWS IN THE FUTURE... near future- b/c I've almost got them ready. Just seeing double tonight so I'm off to bed.

as we journey to the east...

2008-06-02T22:59:00.007-07:00

Mt. Hood.
It has been a long day in the car but Oh my what a gorgeous ride it was. Here's what we have seen so far...
1.... well we never made it up to Mount St. Helens this morning. The weather just didn't permit it. It was way too overcast and wasn't worth the 45 min drive up and then back- not to mention it was going out of our way...
2.... we made it to Multnomah Falls. For all of you that live in Silverdale/Bremerton, WA- you've got to drive down to this waterfall. It's absolutely gorgeous not to mention there are many other waterfalls to visit as well. We just didn't make it to the other ones. (Photo included)
3.... we made the journey along the Columbia River on the Oregon state side. Beautiful drive. I was able to capture a great shot (besides getting the power lines in the shot) of Mt. Hood. We also got a glimpse of Mt. Rainier- sorry no photo. We stopped at a Port-o-potty on the side of the road (we just couldn't wait any longer and there was NOTHING else around but little bushes.) While we stretched our legs the kids (and Jamie) attempted to go mountain climbing... just kidding- they just found some steep rocks to climb around on. (photo included) OH the dogs attempted that climb too.
4.... we made a last minute decision at Baker City, OR to journey up to Hell's Canyon National Park. We thought it would just be about an hour or two out of the way but it ended up being around 3 total hours out of our way b/f making our way back to the interstate so we could arrive at our destination in Boise, ID. The detour was soooo worth it. The mountains were breathtaking. My toes stayed curled as Jamie thought he'd hug every curve around the mountain-side. We seen some mountain goats... but it happened so fast that I couldn't capture a shot. BUT- we did stop on the side of the road and perched our bottoms as we watched an Eagle sit in a tree beside a river. It was relaxing as we sat and listened to the river flow and nature chirp all around. (photo of Eagle and some of the scenery included)This road was not travelled by many so we were able to literally sit on the side of the road.
5... We have arrived in Boise, ID to rest.

Our plans for tomorrow are to get to Yellowstone. OH and guess what?!!? It is suppose to rain and snow for the next 3 days while we are there. YES SNOW! It's going to be interresting! Stay tune... Maybe the weather channel is WRONG.
Well... keep checking in. I won't promise I'll have internet for the next 3 nights b/c we're going to be in a cabin in the middle of Yellowstone.
Take care and enjoy the photos...
Photos of Multnomah Falls, OR

The rock climbers...
An Eagle and a view of the ride through Hells Canyon National Park.

Saying good-bye...

2008-06-01T21:05:00.002-07:00

or as I should put it like my friend put it to me today in a card..."See you later alligator!"
It wasn't easy leaving Silverdale. Our church family was just amazing and they will be greatly missed as we journey east. We weren't even in the area a year and it felt it was longer than we've been any where else. After church we joined many at Olive Garden b/f getting on the road.
SO.... our first stop for the night is at the Mount St. Helens area. We actually attempted to drive up to the observatory area but after reaching 2000ft. elevation it was so white with fog we turned around... we are in a hotel tonight and plan to attempt a visit back to the mountain in the morning b/f heading down to the Columbia River Gorge along the Oregon and WA state border. There we plan to make a short stop Multnomah Falls...
SO... stay tune- MORE TO COME as we journey east. (that is IF we stop where there is internet at night...)
Love to all ;o)

One More Week...

2008-05-25T16:29:00.003-07:00

until we have to say Good-bye once again. It seems like we just said good-bye- wait a minute- we did not even a year ago yet! The time here in WA has gone by so fast. So much has happened in such a short time. The packers come Tues-Thurs. Then, they put it all on the truck to head east on Fri. We plan to leave the west coast on Sun. The house is a chaotic mess... YES it really is for those of you that always say that my house is clean. It's dusty and the floors are about to drive me crazy but what good does it do when we're getting the house ready to pack up. I pretty much keep the bathrooms clean... I cannot stand a dirty bathroom- NOPE that toilet has to be clean!
Pics are off the walls, rugs are washed and rolled up, and I'm the first to admit that when I have the packers pack my stuff- I totally have OCD when it comes to organizing to pack it up. All my framed photos and artwork has to all be piled against a wall together, all my artificial greenery, baskets, black iron work, candle holders of all sorts, photo books, blankets, curtains and rods, hmmm what else... oh and the candles if they say that they'll sneak them in there. Most packing companies won't ship candles. But, yes I like for it all to be packed and labeled together. Makes it easy on the other side. Speaking of unpacking on the other side. When I was discharged from the hospital on Tues. I was told no heavy lifting or streneous activities for 6 weeks... I really have to have a talk with the Doc on Fri when I go in for my check up. How do they expect me NOT to lift a finger?
Anyway- I've loved living here in WA. I never in my life would have ever thought I'd get the opportunity to live in the west... I miss the south but MAN this western environment will be something I will remember forever. I'm thankful to be able to live in such a beautiful place even if it was for less than one year. It was worth the trip from the east to the west last Aug and now we get the oppportunity from the west back to the east. I cannot wait for this family road trip. We are going to have a blast and see some beautiful country side. I'll be sharing it here on the blog- so keep checking in...
Maybe my next post will be to give an official Good bye to WA... until then- please keep our family in your prayers.

What a week...

2008-05-22T15:17:00.002-07:00

Couldn't decide if I wanted to post anything about this week or not... but since I do consider this blog like my journal then how could I not...
It all started Monday morning: For the last 2-3 weeks I've woke up every morning to bright sunny days and the first thing that goes through my mind is "wow- how bright it is." I get this sudden urge to go take a fast pace walk or try to run. I just want to get out. The temps have been just perfect. Well, this past Monday morning was a little different. I woke up really tired. I dreaded to fold the 2 piles of laundry I had in my bedroom but I sat down and did that. Then, I felt dizzy- sick at my stomach-my chest was hurting. I went to the computer to upload some pics and all of a sudden pain out of nowhere hit me in my chest, neck, back, & left arm. I began to get really scared and looked up sypmtoms of a heart attack online. What I read scared me even more b/c I had every single symptom. So, I called my mom to share it with her- I guess to see if I was crazy for thinking that I was having a heart attack. I told mom I was going to call my friend Erin- she's an RN and thought she'd help me with deciding what I should do. I couldn't get her at first so I called my mom back. The pain got worse and I told mom I had to let her go and do something. I called Erin back and she answered her phone... she said that I should go to the ER and said she'd come get me but I was still hesitant on what I really wanted. I felt like a complete idiot. I said I'd call her back. I called my mom back to let her know I got in touch with Erin and she would come get me but for a minute I got to feeling better. I was able to go down the stairs- I had the idea to unlock my front door just in case. The pain kept getting worse and then I got really scared. I told her that I was calling Erin back to come get me to go to the ER. She was on her way but then I called her back and said that I couldn't wait. I couldn't breathe- I was in so much pain and scared to death. I really thought I was having a heart attack. I felt like an idiot to call 911 but I knew it was necessary. I told her I was going to call 911. From there on... it seemed like the world was going at slow pace. I laid on my bed on the phone with the dispatcher as EMT's were on their way. Jamie beeped in... I wasn't sure if he knew- I had a feeling my mom had called and left him a voicemail- or someone did- I've not asked him. He was on an airplane on his way to CT during this time so I knew not to call him. I told him that I was on the line with 911 and I felt like I was having a heart attack. By that time I heard the firetrucks and ambulance coming over the hill. I let him go- went back to the dispatcher to let her know they were at the house. B/f I knew it about 6 or so EMT workers were in my bedroom surrounding me asking me all kinds of questions... again- I was scared and was probably panicking. I kept begging them not to let me fall asleep b/c I felt so tired. I was shaking worse than I ever have. I couldn't control it. All sorts of things kept going through my head and I just kept begging them not to let me go to sleep. Erin had arrived at the house but the EMT workers wouldn't let her in the house so she stood outside waiting. It felt like it took forever to get to that hospital. That EMT worker kept asking me over and over the same questions. I didn't hesitate to answer the best I could- considering I felt like I couldn't breathe. One question he asked and I have no clue why but I couldn't think of the answer to save my life.... He asked me if I had kids. I remember telling him I had two. He asked their age- and I remember getting their ages mixed up. Then, after realizing it- I corrected myself. He told me he had an 8 yr old boy and he played baseball and asked if mine did. He asked me what team did C play for- this is when I think I panicked for sure b/c I couldn't remember the name of C's baseball team that he played for. I could see his black shirt in my head but couldn't make out the name on the front in my head- it was all blurry. All the photos I've taken kept flipping through my head but I still couldn't think of his team name. I thought something was wrong with me. I told him not to put me to sleep that I needed to call my husband and talk to my kids. I arrived at the hospital and they immediately starting working on me. They treated me as a heart attack patient but I remember hearing them through the curtain that I was too young to be having a heart attack. Of course I agreed but my grand-dad died at an early age with a heart attack, my dad has had a heart attack, my grandmother has had heart problems... so I was sure enough a candidate for heart problems. After the many test and an x-ray, they came in to tell me that I had a partially collapsed lung. The area the lung was collapsed was my upper left lung under my heart. No wonder I felt like I was having a heart attack. I was admitted for the night. An oxygen mask was placed on my face and said that it was important that I keep it one all night to get my lung to inflate. I asked if the oxygen didn't work what would be the next thing to do- they said I'd have to have surgery and insert a chest tube. I was not having surgery- especially w/o my husband by my side. I stayed over night- had many test run- about 4 x-rays and every x-ray showed my lung getting better the more oxygen I took in. I was discharged and sent home the next day. What an adventure- well maybe not so much an adventure but one hell of a scare! I will no longer feel like an idiot when I think I should call 911 again.
My strict orders when I left was no heavy lifting or excerting myself for 6 weeks------ HELLO I'm moving in one week. What do they expect out of me? I laughed when they said that but I HEAR what they are saying and I will have plenty of help so I will learn to use it.
Although I'm home and feeling fine now- Jamie scheduled a flight home so tonight he'll be coming in. The packers come Tues so we (ok- HE) has a lot to get done b/f then. He flies back to VA on Tues. Closes on our house on Wed. then flies back to WA on Fri the 30th. We leave WA on the 1st or 2nd of June.
I want to say Thank you to Erin for being there for me and the kids. Thank you for putting your daily plans on hault to be there for me- it meant a lot to me, Jamie, and the kids! You are an awesome friend- and I love you girl. I'm going to miss ya when I go. Thank you to those that were their to be by my side while I was in the hospital for a such a short time. Thank you all for the prayers b/c I was scared and didn't want surgery and that was the prayer I asked for.
J left for a camp on Wed so she's enjoying her time away- I hope. I was suppose to be there with her as a counselor but that changed. Jamie will be home tonight and C and I will be going to a baseball game. I think I'll skip the photography part tonight... not feeling up to it.

Well, there you have it. The story of my week.

Loving baseball season...

2008-05-19T09:57:00.003-07:00

We're about to wrap up the baseball season... and I have to say that "shooting" this season has been a lot of fun. I love to capture action shots of the team. This past Sat. the temps were in the 90's and it had not rained in days so the field was really dusty. As you see in the photos- It was bright, hot, and DIRTY! Click on the photo below to view the slideshow in a web gallery slideshow. Enjoy!

I found them...here they are...

2008-05-15T21:14:00.001-07:00

WOOHOO! I am so happy with myself. I've sat here trying and trying to recover the lost photo files that I accidentally deleted and I did it! I did it! Click on the photo below to take you to the gallery to view them larger. Enjoy.

I totally screwed up...

2008-05-14T22:42:00.002-07:00

I've been reading up on how to perfect my photography. Yes, I am a perfectionists when it comes to my photography work. I've always been my worst critic. I see good but the worse is always what I notice first. SO, I went out two weeks ago and found this book by Bryan Peterson... Understanding Digital Photography. It's a great book- I must admit. I have now started shooting ALL my photos in RAW format... (for those that know what I mean when I say RAW- GREAT! If you have no clue- sorry it's just too much to explain here...) anyway- I highly recommend it to all you DSLR shooters out there that know what I'm talking about when I say shoot in RAW format. It is amazing!
I went to C's baseball game with all new techniques I wanted to use that I'd learned from this book. I came home and uploaded all the photos- 70 something!. I post precessed all the keepers and prepared them in a jpeg file format to upload for the web to share here with you all. I was using Picassa. Well, this is where I screwed up... I opened Picassa- found my folder with my new images (jpegs and RAW files) and thought I was creating a new folder in Picassa. After reading about Picassa- it doesn't create folders... it just SCANS your hard drive folders and makes them look all organized in Picassa... When I thought I was creating this new folder in Picassa I seen that I had both RAW and jpeg files there. I didn't want to remove the RAW files so I just deleted all the images. Remember I thought I'd created a new folder in Picassa for these images. It wasn't until I went to my hard drive to create a new folder to copy my jpeg files into for Picassa and realized that I'd deleted all the images from my hard drive. Yes, I deleted all the files on my hard drive thinking I was just deleting a newly created folder in Picassa. These files aren't on my hard drive in my pc either... these are on an external hard drive that I use just for my photos. I have about 8000 and still adding daily- so an external hard drive is despreately needed. I'm frantically searching a way to get back those files I deleted from my external hard drive. I looked in my recycle bin but they're nowhere to be found.. unless they're right there in front of me...
This isn't the worse that's ever happened to me though- I have once lost every single photo that I've ever had on my hard drive- that's what prompted me to get an external drive. This great friend in Auburn was able to recover every single photo. How he did it- I have no clue but to this day I could still kiss that man on the forehead...
Could this happen to me today b/c I FINALLY got a little "sassy" about my work and bragged about how good I am to a friend when she called me up today? What's wrong with finally finding a little pride in my work? Like I said I am my worse critic so it takes a lot for me to say... "I'm good!" These photos are the bomb too... I caught shots of the plays like I've always dreamed... FROZEN IN TIME! I want my images back! So, anyone that had a desire to read all of this post know how they can help me now? I still haven't gotten those files back...

Mother's Day...

2008-05-11T14:52:00.005-07:00

I'm spoiled I admit... well ok I'll call it "BLESSED." God has blessed me with two beautiful children, I'm so thankful to be called "MOM." I wouldn't trade it for the anything in the world. My kids have been kind to me on this Mother's Day... Jamie had flowers sitting at my front door bright and early on Friday morning. They were beautiful and had this cute charm hanging off of them reading..."World's Favorite Mom." The kids couldn't wait to give me the cards they had for me... in fact they started in wanting to give them to me at the beginning of last week. How cute is that? J made this cute card with these words...
Dear mom,
You are the answers to my questions. I love you alot. Thank you for everything you have done. You are a piece of my heart and everyting else in my life. I thank God everyday. You are the best ever. Hope you have the best Mother's Day. I'll always love you. Happy Mother's Day.
Love your daughter, J````

C wrote me a poem. (well it's the typical "roses are red" poem) but it's sweet...
this is just as he wrote it...
Mom poam
Roses are red, Viotes are blue Suger is sweet just like you!! Love C```

They made me the cutest 2 pair of earrings out of some beads. I love them... They also made me dinner lastnight. It was breakfast. They always want to flip the pancakes when we do have them for dinner and I never let them so I thought I'd let them take over the kitchen and flip away... check out the slideshow to the right or go here http://picasaweb.google.com/rjdmgriffith/MyMotherSDayTreat2008 to check them out. (you'll have to copy/paste it)
I love my children, my life, my husband, and my God. Hope you all have a blessed Mother's Day...

On TWO feet...

2008-05-09T22:18:00.005-07:00

So this is a post dedicated to my brother. Most of you all [that read my blog] know that he was in a bad motorcycle accident last Sept. He spent almost three months in the hospital... most of that time in the Trauma ICU. By the grace of God- he's still with us today b/c he really shouldn't be according to the docs. It's been a challenge for him since his return home. He's having a difficult time getting his prosthetic leg to fit comfortably. After he received his leg back in Dec. he refused to wear it due to some other problems he was having. I think he got discouraged and took some time off from trying. He was also trying to get the other complications taken care of. In the meantime, he's been using crutches or is in his wheelchair. But, recently he got his butt[ocks] back up to this prosthetic clinic to try once again. I'm not sure how it's going since his return but I was glad to see this pic sent to J today via email from my niece- EM [his daughter]. She played hookie from school today to go with him to the clinic along with my mom. She snapped this photo of him walking with his prosthetic leg. I had to share with all of you. I'm hoping that if he ends up seeing this he doesn't mind. I'm so proud of him. I pray daily for him. I pray for him to have courage so he'll keep pushing himself and for him to have faith to be strong. Although he he does get discouraged with the prosthetic leg- it still doesn't stop him from doing most of what he wants to do... he may realize that he can't do ALL that he did b/f the accident but he's for sure back on the baseball field with his son- it may not be like he wants to be out there with him but he STILL gets out there and that makes me proud of him.
I sure do get to missing my brother. I wish I lived closer to him so we could spend more time together and we could be there for eachother. Somedays I feel like he doesn't realize how much I love and miss him- miss being near him.
There were so many last Sept praying for him and once again- THANK YOU! I believe in prayers and ask you to keep praying for him.

That Ol'place...

2008-05-08T09:30:00.003-07:00

Lately I've been chatting with my uncle back in AL. We were talking about my grandparents and remembering old memories of where they use to live. Last week him, my other uncles, and my mom made a trip down to the cemetary where my grandparents are buried. They cleaned up the grave sites for decoration day that's held every Mother's Day. Near this cemetary is where my grandparents use to live. After leaving the cemetary they drove by the ol'place to see what it was like. My grandparents lived a long happy life- a total of 70 yrs b/f my pawpaw passed away. He was 94 when he died and my mawmaw died 6 yrs later at the age of 95. They ended up moving from this ol'place next to my uncle's b/c of their age and health. From what mom and my uncle described this place is like now- brings tears and chills to me. You see- there were many many memories made there. Many memories I can play over and over in my head. I can still hear the conversations with my grandparents I had while spending time with them. We (my sister, brother, and I) ran the countryside at this ol'place and spent many nights with them. The smell of bacon in the morning, pawpaw poking the fire and spitting in his ash bucket. I'd pick handfulls of mawmaws beautiful flowers in the yard and the sound of the old clock ticking as I drift off to sleep at night. Those were the good'ol days. I miss my grandparents. They were great people and spoilded me rotten. I'm posting some photos- these photos are photos I took of old photos I had so the quality isn't the best. Enjoy...
This is a pic of me on my mawmaw's lap and my pawpaw admiring me at Christmas...

These are photos of my grandparents in front of their home...

This is pic of my grandparents in front of just one of the many azaleas my mawmaw was so good at growing...

And this is a photo of my two most favorite woman in my life...

You know you're a mom...

2008-05-06T12:38:00.002-07:00

of a little boy when you are doing laundry and out of the dryer comes sunflower seeds tumbling onto the floor. Yes, my little man will fill the back pocket of his ball pants with sunflower seeds.Gotta love those little boys!

4 weeks and counting...

2008-05-03T23:07:00.003-07:00

I cannot express how ready I am to be back in the same house with my husband. Living apart is for the birds. I'm tired of having conversations on the phone, I'm tired of having to say "hello, good-bye,and I love you" over the phone. I just want to touch his face to say those things. I'm tired of doing things all alone with the kids. I'm tired of hanging out with friends and their families w/o Jamie. Don't get me wrong...What would I do w/o them? It's the only way I'm keeping sane- my kids keeping me busy and hanging out with our wonderful Christain friends. I stop and ask myself "WHY did I not just go with him to VA when he left here back on March?" But... once again I remind meself that it was best to keep the kids here in school. Bless their hearts they've transferred schools so many times.
I'm going to miss our friends here. They're like family. I was posting on one's blog earlier that I finally realize why God sent our family way over here to the west coast [even if it was for a short time]... it was to be able to add MORE wonderful friends to our list of friends we have met and left already. Our family has been blessed beyond and He only keeps blessing us over and over again. He has plans for our family in VA and I cannot wait to get there to find out what they are. These 4 weeks cannot past by fast enough...

15 Years!

2008-05-01T10:06:00.004-07:00

15 reasons why I love my husband...

1. He's the most amazing man on earth
2. He never gives up on me by encouraging me everyday of my life
3. He's not perfect
4. He'll do whatever it takes to make me happy
5. He loves to be with me all the time
6. He's the best dad in the whole wide world
7. He gives the best hugs in the world
8. He has a HUGE heart
9. He'll do whatever he can possibly do for me and MORE
10. He fills my life full of joy
11. He's more in love with me today than he was the day we got married
12. He loves God more than he loves me
13. He wants to spend FOREVER and EVER with me
14. He makes me feel beautiful inside and out
15. He is my soulmate forever

Of course I could keep going on and on but I stop at 15 b/c today that is the special number. We have been married for 15 yrs TODAY. It only keeps getting better and I keep falling in love with him over and over again.
He sent a special delivery to me this morning since we cannnot spend this day together. Thank you sweetheart for the last 15 yrs. I look forward to 15 more and FOREVER more after that.
I love you

Bed time...

2008-04-22T22:07:00.004-07:00

I go in and here's how it goes...
Me..."I love you little man."
C...."I love you too mom- you're the best momma in the world."
Me..."You're the best little boy in the whole wide world."
C...."That's the way I was meant to be."
Me..."Do you know why?"
C...."No why?"
Me..."Because I prayed 8 years ago, I've prayed everyday since then, and I'll forever more keep praying."
C...."I pray for you too momma."

OH and yesterday morning I woke up to "look mom- I lost my tooth." Barely having my eyes open I say "cool let me see." He holds it up with pride- it has been a while since he's lost his last. The day goes by- nothing more said. I go in to tuck the kids into bed but they'd been in bed for a while so they were just about asleep but I still hug and kiss them. I whisper to C..."did you put your tooth under your pillow?" Remember he's almost asleep- but manages to mumble out "mom- there's no such thing as the tooth fairy." (Hear the sarcasm I share here)
I couldn't help but laugh and kiss him on the forehead.

AHHHHH isn't life just grand?!? I love my life, my husband, and my kids- most of all I love my GOD- he keeps blessing me over and over and over again.

God Is So Good...

2008-04-22T09:13:00.009-07:00

A group of us from our congregation drove 3 car loads of kids down to Oregon over the weekend to participate in LTC. (Leadership Training for Christ.) One of the events was song leading and so C made the choice to do this event. He did so well that he was asked to lead his song at the ceremony on Sat. night. Everyone that was at this convention joined together in this big nice theater for this ceremony.... here my 8 yr old (that's never been on a stage in his life, room dark and the spot light is on him) led his song as the room full of adults and children sung God Is So Good... I had to share the video. Talking about one proud MAMMA!

6 weeks and 3 days...

2008-04-15T23:10:00.004-07:00

I'm tired of living apart from my honey. This is torture. I'd much rather him be somewhere under the sea far far away than living on the other side of the country from me. Don't get me wrong I love to be able to hear his voice 3-4, 5 ok maybe even 6 times a day but I just want to hold him in my arms the more I talk to him. I wouldn't be able to do that if he was far far away under the sea. So, I'm thinking I should thank my lucky stars. He's doing some cool stuff this week. He's at the Capital Building- met up with some "top dogs" and sat in on a hearing about Homeland Security. He's told me why he's there this week instead at his job but it's all political stuff and it goes in one ear and out the other. I felt so bad for him today when he told me that he missed the VRE to get home by 2 minutes. He had to sit there 30 more minutes waiting on the next one to come. I told him it won't be the last time that happens to him.
C had a baseball game this afternoon and OMgoodness- it was so cold. Way too cold! I'm sick of cold! I'm sick of rain...even the mist is driving me crazy. I want to dress like it's spring- I felt stupid pulling out sweaters, wool socks, my heavy ski coat, AND GLOVES!!!! GO AWAY WINTER... SPRING WHERE ARE YOU? Oh and when I get to VA and start complaining b/c it's too dang hot... please do remind me of what I'm whining about now with this weather here in WA. If it's going to be cold I'd rather it be snowing like crazy, a fire going in the fireplace, and soup on the stove. Rain is just too brittle when it's cold out.
Lately, I've been working on a new website. I'll post the link when I'm through with the site... it's going to be a lot like the last website I had a while back. It's a work in progress so stay tune. I'm motivated to start my photography business when I get settled in VA. I want the website so when I meet new people I can direct them straight to the website to see what I have to offer with my business.
Back to missing my honey... 6 weeks and 3 more days of it- keep us in your prayers.
Until later... Michele

Swing batter batter!

2008-04-13T14:41:00.003-07:00

C had his first baseball game on Sat. It was a great day for it. For a minute I was thinking we were back in Auburn with the nice warm temps we had. It was hot, the kids were lethargic, and the sunscreen came out... well it should have if I would have had any with me b/c we went home with a farmers tan and red noses. It was just a tease though... today it's back to that good'ol "liquid sunshine" as I've heard it called here in WA and cool air. Where oh where is spring around here? My little C-man is a good ballplayer... it's fun watching them play. Sharing a few pics from the game of him. Enjoy!

Our new home...

2008-04-07T18:35:00.003-07:00

We'll soon be joining Jamie in VA in our new construction home. I'm so excited b/c 1) it feels like forever since we've owned a home and not rented, 2)it's new and noone else has lived in it, 3)I can't stand being apart from Jamie so OF COURSE I'm excited and anxious to get to VA. It's in a cute neighborhood. I like neighborhoods but this one is a little tighter than I'd like but that's what you get in the DC/metro area that we'll be living in. There are no properties with at least an acre sized lot... UNLESS Jamie had to travel over an hour one way to work everyday. That wasn't something we wanted to deal with for the next 3-5 yrs while we are in VA. The house is around 3300sqft. 4BR 2 and 1 half bath. Full basement with a 5BR and full bath. So, we'll have plenty of room for friends and family to visit... DC is fun- so much to do- and it's free to tour most of the attractions in the DC area! Keep us in your prayers as time gets near for our move back to the east...

Snapshots Easter morning...

2008-03-23T16:08:00.003-07:00

So this Easter my kids had no desire to dye eggs... much less hunt and hide them. THANK GOD- b/c I'm so over that. Instead- we built a bunny house made of nothing but SUGAR!Check out the photos of the house posted below. This post- I'm sharing some photos taken this morning. Enjoy!

"HOPPY" EASTER!

2008-03-22T22:29:00.004-07:00

Boys Basketball 2008

2008-03-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

Move over Norah Jones...

2008-03-12T23:05:00.003-07:00

Ok I admit I love to listen to Norah Jones and imagine I am on the beach with the white shears blowing in the wind through a beach house with the warm sunshine shining through... of course while I'm laying in my honey's arms- what other place to be than in his arms. Well, I have just found a new set of songs that I can listen to especially while holding him close to me. The songs are in my playlist at the bottom of this blog. Click and launch the playlist alone and enjoy listening to her songs I added to the list.
Could this mean that I'm really missing some WARM sunshine?
Could this mean that I'm really missing the beach?
Could this mean that I'm really REALLY missing my honey being so far away from me?
OH how I long for all of these...

What makes me smile...

2008-03-04T16:41:00.003-08:00

Many things do but when Jamie walked in the door with these flowers- I smiled. I act like he never gives me flowers- he does and is good at it but there's just so much going on lately that these lifted me. OK on to why I needed the lifting...
1. We (me and the kids) said good-bye to Jamie this morning. He moved to DC. We will move there the last of May but he had to go on b/c work started for him there at the Pentagon. I plan to stay here and let the kids finish up school.
2. My small doggy weighing in at only 4lbs fell on the stairs and broke her back leg. Took her to the vet today and was informed it was indeed broke and needed surgery ASAP. So, that was hard to make that decision financially and emotionally... She will need lots of TLC over the next few weeks- oh yes something else to pile on my plate. I'm changing her name to "goldie" (not really b/c we like her real name.) That is indeed what she is now since we have so much invested in this tiny pup- "a chunck of gold."
3. I love to help and volunteer for things especially when it comes to photography. A friend of mine asked me to shoot her daughters wedding on the 20th of this month... so I'm staying up all hours of the night learning all I can about wedding photography-I'm learning nothing I didn't already know- but it makes me feel good to keep reading. OH and I'm also doing her invitations... excited but it's something else on I've got to do.
4. We're wrapping up basketball season... only to start spring sports next week.
OHHHH and guess what I just bought me another new lense and rented one to try out for the next 3 wks. OH yes I am soooo excited! Hope you enjoy the flowers.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-02-29T23:36:00.001-08:00

One year of blogging...

2008-02-26T22:17:00.002-08:00

WOW how time has flew by since my first post on this blog. That was on Feb 24, 2007- well here it is Feb 26, 2008. I have to admit that I enjoy using this blog. I get many comments on our family blog from family and friends. I plan to keep it up and look forward to the rest of the year. I encourage you start one today if you haven't! It's no different than journaliing life on paper... give it a try! Happy Blogging!

Basketball shots w/ new lense...

2008-02-26T15:19:00.004-08:00

I've been waiting on this lense to come b/c I know I can capture good shots with it... so off to J's ballgame lastnight excited to use it. I get in the gym and b/c it was being played in an elementary school I should've gotten the hint that the gym would be smaller than the normal Jr. High gyms we've been playing in... well I didn't get that hint and drove on down to the gym with this ONLY lense on me....
I get into this gym and we are literally sitting with our knees right at the court line... some of you might think that this is the best position to be in when shooting sports- well it is if you don't have the only lense I had with me. It was the 85mm lense. I TOTALLY needed my 50mm for this gym but NO I was so excited to be able to get to use this new lense. Well, I could only capture shots close up and none of the team in action so here is what I caught. These are grainy b/c I did bump up my ISO. I can tell it's going to be a great lense once I can use it in a Jr. High gym...one to where I am UP ON BLEACHERS with enough distance b/t me and the game! The kids both have games Wed night so I'll get another opportunity to use the lense... I'll be carrying BOTH the 85 and the 50 this time. Enjoy.

Sharing a pic...

2008-02-24T16:24:00.002-08:00

and you'll see why I don't call myself a professional photographer. I will be the first to admit that this is a horrible pic BUT I love photoshop b/c with just a little "playing" around with a photo and you have a masterpiece. Ok... well I can call it a masterpiece if I wish. I have trying to achieve shooting photos at a basketball game but with the lighting and the lack of good lense- it's just impossible to get good photos. I did just replace the lense that I had stolen back in Nov. so hopefully next week I will be able to capture some good gymnasium photos of the kids playing basketball with my new lense. I'll share those later. Just thought I'd share this one for now. Enjoy

Need your feedback...

2008-02-17T12:06:00.003-08:00

for those of you that like to read my blog... give me your feedback please. I added a playlist of songs. Is it disturbing or do ya like it? Let me know so I'll know what I should do.
Thanks.

More snow ski pics...

2008-02-15T18:55:00.002-08:00

but these are from our trip to Snoqualmie that I posted back on Jan. 28. Go look for that post. I only had photos of our van when we were through with the day but a great friend of mine that went with us was brave enough to get her camera out at the slopes in the BLIZZARD... so now I can share some of those pics. This pic was taken around 3ish... Enjoy!

On top of the world...

2008-02-13T14:33:00.006-08:00

at least that's the way it felt when Jamie and I were able to get away ALONE and go snow skiing. We left the kids with the Russell family- great friends of ours here in WA- and then we headed over to Crystal Mountain ski resort to stay the night on Mon. We woke Tues and drove over to the ski resort to enjoy a day of skiing. It was the best conditions you could ask for. It's the largest in the Northwest. I believe it too b/c this place was huge. In the last week they received at least 10 feet of snow on top of what was already there for the season. The roads and parking lots were piled high with snow. I was able to capture some photos of the scenery around. The climb on the lift to the Summit went from 4,400 up to 7,012. Once at the Summit you could see all of the Cascade Mountains and then over to the Olympic Mountains. Mt. Rainier was RIGHT THERE next to the Summit so to see that next to us felt like we were one top of the world. I know there are higher mountains than Mt. Rainier but this chick has never experienced that so this was really on top of the world to me. The weather was so perfect that we ate at some picnic tables at the top of the Summit surrounded by piles of snow with a scenery to die for. Check out my photos... hope you enjoy. The view behind the photo of myself is of Mt. Rainier. The clouds covered most of it. The photos are NOTHING compared to what this was really like to be there in person.

Dancing with Cinderella...

2008-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jamie is on a date with Cinderella... It's the Daddy-Daughter Date Night. He took her out to dinner and then joined some friends from church at the dance. She looked so pretty and grown up. This was the conversation with my son after he shouted "Let's party!" when they walked out the door....
Me.... "what do you want to do now?"
c..... "well what I want to do you wouldn't want to do."
Me.... "well what is it?"
c..... "Play the dart war game."
Me.... "Well, ok- let's go."
It was fun- we geared up with the chest plates on and our dart guns in hand. We turned off all the lights in the house and hid from eachother as we quietly try to find eachother. Whoever shoots the other and gets a dart to stick to a target on the chest plate scores. I have to say that it wasn't easy hiding b/c we had THREE chihuahua's chasing us around and barking at us with the guns as we creep around. It was a give-a-way. As I was dodging a dart I ran smack into the corner of the door frame and bruised my arm really bad and turned my ankle over so that game came to an end.......... BUT IT WAS FUN and I think I surprised the heck out of C when I said I would play this game with him. LIVING LAUGHING AND LOVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe he's 8?!!

2008-02-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, on Sat. my little man turned 8. He had his party at the ice center here in Bremerton. He was so good out there on that ice... the last time we went ice skating was in Stowe, VT back around Thanksgiving of 06. He got on the ice then and he was scared and even cried with anger b/c he couldn't get it... it wasn't long though and he was doing great. As soon as he got it though we had to leave b/c J "bit the ice" and so we had to rush to the ER about 40 mins away to get stitches in her lower lip. C just cried and cried b/c he was finally doing well and we say... "well we have to go." So, when he said he wanted to have his bday party at the ice center- I just cringe b/c of what we went through the last time we were on the ice. NO injuries though and he had a blast. Time just seems to be flying since the kids are no longer babies. They keep us young and busy... wait- did I say YOUNG- huh whatever- they are kicking my butt with all the extra activities and school that I have to keep up with. I wouldn't have it any other way. I was so sick over the weekend so yes I am late posting this message. I did all I could to hang in there for his birthday but you know how us mommies are... nothing seems to hold us back when we have to keep going. SO THIS IS A BIG'OL HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH TO MY LITTLE MAN! I LOVE YOU!

Snow, Snow, go away!

2008-01-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

We went to Snoqualmie Pass to snow ski on Sat with friends... on our way I seen an elk just chillin on the side of the interstate.. weirdest thing. I wish I had my camera and grabbed a shot but too bad. It was snowing so much while we were there. The mountain soon became full of powdered snow. We got out to our van and found that it was pretty much buried. I love my van though... that baby got out of the snow with NO FUSS at all. Thought I'd share the photos. No photos while we were skiing b/c the snow was coming down so hard so I didn't dare get my camera out in that mess but I was able to capture some shots once we got back to the van. My friend Shar- that went with us shot some pics of us at the bottom of the slopes when we called it quits but she has those photos. I'll share those once she gets them sent over to me. Hope you enjoy.

Thanking God for clear days....

2008-01-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Especially when you live in Washington state. It's never dry here that's for sure. Let me explain how last minute decision makers we are... Yesterday was a holiday- you all know that- no school and Jamie doesn't have to work. We- of course slept in until about 10ish... I got ready to run to the mall after lunch. Well, the whole family decided to go so off we go until we get to the end of the road we live off of and notice what a clear day it is. Immediately I'm oohing and ahhing over the gorgeous snow capped mountains all around us. We may be lucky to see the Olympic Mountains located to the west of us but to see Seattle with all the Cascade Mountains behind it, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier crystal clear in the winter is a blessing! I immediately said "forget the mall- turn the van around, let's go grab our snow/winter gear, and head down to Mt. Rainier." I was so excited- let me just tell you. Visiting Mt. Rainier b/f I left this area was definately on my list but I thought that would have to be later this spring time. It's so frigid cold and hardly ever clear to visit in the winter time...anyway it takes us around 2hrs to get there and oh my goodness. Words can't describe the beauty. I posted a few photos to pop out there at ya but the rest you'll have to click on the link and go watch the slideshow of all 68. This mountain is about 100 miles away from our home. 14,100something feet above sea level,and around 20something glaciers all around it. The roads were ok once we got into the park but you'll see in the slideshow the amount of snow on the side of the road. Check out the photo of the road sign and the height of the snow compared to it. The kids enjoyed playing on this huge snow pile/hill. The wind was so strong and air frigid AND Oh my goodness- we got to see the sunset so check those photos out! I hope you enjoy watching the slideshow... just click on the link to the right named Mt. Rainier, WA Enjoy...

Me and my brother...

2008-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

This is a pic of me with my brother. He despises the camera- as you can see- but I'm one lucky girl to be able to get this shot so I'm proud of it. He's 5 yrs older than I am (which btw-I'll be 32 this month.) For those of you that do not know... he was in a really bad motorcycle wreck on Labor Day. He's a walking miracle. The doctors don't have an explanation as to why he didn't die b/f he got to the ER in the helicopter. Along with many other injuries- his aorta shattered and he was bleeding internally. By the power of prayer- God was listening and wasn't ready for him. It was a long journey- especially for mom- while he lay there in the hospital for those months. Most of that was while he was unconscious and in the trauma unit. I'm so thankful for all those prayers b/c he is here. I love him so much. He still has a long journey ahead after loosing his leg but he's tough and will survive and overcome all obstacles. Just wanted to share this photo b/c like I said....I am so proud of it.

Any American Idol fans out there?

2008-01-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

I am just dying... are there really people out there that are brave enough to make a complete idiot out of themselves? Alright for real... I know that was wrong of me but COME ON PEOPLE... GET REAL!

So, besides watching AI tonight- I have been really lazy at posting to my blog. I just don't get on the pc as much as I use to. Long enough to check the email and oh yea... now that we know for sure we are moving in the near future- I admit to house hunting already again. It seems like I just did this task about hmmm let me think back... not even a year ago yet. Yes, I said house hunting. Since Jamie was medically discharged from the wonderful submarine sea-life- there are NO jobs here for him to continue to stay here and work. Stinks-YES but that's life and part of the Navy. Needless to say we are counting the years down to retire and FINALLY plant some roots and stay put hopefully forever. Looks like we are going to be heading back to the east coast. More than likely the DC area or back to Connecticut. I will take either. I would rather have CT but I think we'll enjoy the life in and around DC for a while. Still loving WA BUT... BUT... the rain is getting a bit OLD!!! My kids love to be outside and they just can't seem to do that around here. The back porch is covered in moss which means it's slippery like slime and the sidewalk in the front is turning GREEN as well. At least things still have color around here unlike what we're use to in the south and even the northeast area. The grass is as green as can be and the trees never turn... they're CONIFERS.
It was odd for a few days- it was as green as green could be in the front yard and then there was this one small ball of snow still left from the snow last week. It was a weird site. I guess you could say that I've done my posting...
just no photos :( I just can't seem to get that camera out lately. I'll try and get better. Smiles and God Bless!

Inspired to move forward...

2008-01-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

with my photography by sharing here on my blog instead of paying to have a website that I NEVER use any more. I use to have a lot of photoshoots but since I can't seem to stay put in one particular place- it gets really hard to pursue a business and work on building up a group of clients. I found it worthless to pay for a website and worrying about always changing my location. It won't be too much longer and I hope to get a studio, a permanant website, photoshoots lined up... and so on with that future dream.... anyway- I get this idea of sharing my photography here through my blog from a great friend that just blows me away with her interresting life she shares and wonderful talent she's been blessed with by capturing "life" through her lense as well. You know who you are... so thank you for inspiring me. I just wished we lived closer so we could shoot together. Anyway- bare with me for I have lots to learn about putting this together and posting photos to it. Give me feedback- the good and bad!
Just thought I'd also add this... not too long ago we were out doing out family Christmas photo at a local park here near our home. I had all my camera equipment with me in my van but only took my tripod and camera out with me. I set up and realized that I needed to switch my camera with another one I had in the van... as soon as I walked away from the van a man broke my passenger window and decided he'd swipe us clean... well almost- the dork left the kids Nintendo DS's in the seat. YES he grabbed every bit of my camera equipment in the backseat... all I had was my older dslr camera, the lense that was attached to it, and the tripod. To make a long story short... he was chased and as he was running he was throwing things... yes my camera bag one of them. So, the trooper knocked on my door holding a very muddy/dirty black camera bag with my newest dslr camera, what lense was attached to it and nothing more... needless to say about 2000 dollars worth of lense GONE!!!! I was so sick... like insurance is really going to reimburse me the full amount it's going to cost me to replace those lense. Every since then- I have to say that I've not really had a desire to shoot but my goal is to get back to it. I blame it on the weather here as well for it's always gray and gloomy... I still love it but I can't wait till the spring time- that is IF we are still living here.
OH BTW... the link to my photographs will soon be available as soon as I figure it all out.
Take care

Twas the night b/f Christmas....

2007-12-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

as I tuck my 11 yr old daughter into bed, I go in to discover her a little teary eyed and I asked her what's the matter....
She said, "mom- I want to believe in Santa- I really do but I think I'm just too old." She then asked, "would you tell me and don't lie to me?" Well- hello?!!? I have to admit this talk was harder than the SEX talk! Don't ask me why... maybe it's b/c it would finally make it official that she really is growing up. I sit there and chat on and ask her why does it matter if I tell her there really isn't a Santa Clause... she kept saying that it just doesn't make sense- b/c reindeer don't fly and she said that she just can't believe that one. She continues to cry and I ask her would it make her Christmas any different if I told her there wasn't no Santa Clause... and she said no that Christmas is a time to share and be thankful and that's how she wanted to look at Christmas......... so then of course I had no choice but to to be honest since she did ask me not to lie. She got a kick out of the stories I shared as she asked how we pulled it off every year we spent Christmas many miles away from our own home. She grabbed my neck and squeezed me tight and said "mom- you're the best- thank you and I do love you." I just held her tighter and cried as she continued to cry... only this time- the tears were tears of joy. She felt relieved. She even admitted that she could finally fall asleep better the night b/f Christmas. I had to of course ask her not to ruin this for her brother or anyone else out there... and I honestly believe she knows better. I had to share this moment b/c for one-I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW and two- it was the sweetest moment spent with her! That's how I felt when I had the SEX talk with her. Now some of you may laugh at this and think why do you still pretend to be Santa... or why even do it in the first place- well it's just the way I was brought up and it's fun. The joy on their face on Christmas morning.. the preperation the night b/f with the letter, milk, cookies, and carrots makes them happy... they'll one day do the same with their children and understand the joy it brings to a mom and dad.
.. now I must sign off and start wrapping away...Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!!!!

Merry Christmas...

2007-12-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

WOW it's been a while...

2007-12-16T21:50:00.001-08:00

since I have blogged anything. In fact- looking at my last post it was right after we made our move to WA. Well, here it is almost a new year and I want to get back to this blog more often. I love to blog...it's neat. I'll also start sharing links to the side of my post to some photo snapshots. Just click on each link and check out the many photos you can view. Be sure to hit the back button to get back to the blog page. It has been an interresting few months since my last post. I was busy unpacking the whole first part of Sept... then Labor Day I got a phone call that my brother was in a really bad motorcycle wreck and it seemed like my blogging day came to a halt b/c I literrally didn't have anything else in my life to talk about BUT those many days I was praying and begging you all to pray for him to pull through while he lay there in the Trauma Unit at UAB. Jamie was deployed during this period so I was an emotional wreck. My brother is home now and doing well and SO IS JAMIE... he was not suppose to be home until the end of Jan. but he was sent back from deployment due to some medical reasons... and just recently he was medically submarine disqualified. We are hanging out here in WA still until the end of Feb for sure. All I can pray for now is for God to make some miracle to happen that whatever job it is now that Jamie will be doing will keep us here in WA.... I love it here. I really really do! Even the rain is beautiful. I've caught myself having a sense of cabin fever once- even felt down and depressed but IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT is what I finally decided. I got my Christmas cards out... shopping almost complete... and can't wait for Christmas morning. We will be waking up in our own home and having Christmas here with just us two and the kids. It's cool BUT I am going to miss waking up at my mom and dads Christmas morning. We will be flying home on the 28th to stay for a week... so it's not like we aren't going to spend time with them for the holidays... just not Christmas morning.
Well.... I told you I love to blog. I love to talk so a perfect place to get it all out. Have a Happy Holiday and stay safe.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

Looks like we made it...

2007-08-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

A little late on posting here. We've been here a week now. It was a gorgeous trip across the US. Most of you got my "novel" about our trip over. I just can't express enough how beautiful that drive through South Dakota and Wyoming was. I have to say that even Washington is beautiful. I believe we're going to enjoy our time living out west. Our "stuff" came so yes I will be buried in boxes for the next week or so. I am one of those that has to have it unpacked and organized by week 2 BUT with Jamie being gone I'm just not sure this time. ONE DAY AT A TIME and we shall see. It's a little overwhelming but I'm tough and can handle it...have been so far. Check out the links to the albums of our trip out if you'd like to see them again. Take care you all...I must get some shut eye.

Are we there yet?

2007-08-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

Wow...this trip is so long. So far around 2800 miles and about 900 more to go. We are having a good trip and loving the scenery here in the west. We made it to Cody, WY Tues night,checked into a room and was advised that the eastern entrance to Yellowstone was closed due to forest fires. We had a cabin until Fri night not 3 miles from that entrance SO that completely changed everything I had planned for us in Yellowstone. I was lucky to get my refund for the cabin and we moved towards the northeastern entrance. It took us 1hour 30min to get to that entrance from Cody. We got into the park and I tell you what-if you've not made a trip to the west then it should be on your list of things to do b/f you die. There aren't enough words to describe the beautiful scenery that we have drove through for the last 3days. Even the wonderful pics I have captured do no justice at all. Speaking of pics...I know I've had a lot of friends and family anxious to see them but I have to be honest with you I'm just as anxious to share them but by the time I check into a room at night it's so late. I get online long enough to see if Jamie has emailed me and then shoot him one. That's why I haven't posted any more since the last. I want to share them b/c they are awesome. We've seen so many different kinds of wildlife and you know me...UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. I got the best shot of an bull elk with one heck of a rack on his head. I always joke Jamie that his deer head isn't going on my walls but man I think I'd have to let something like that go on the wall if he got that kind of rack. Can't wait to share them with you all. When I have them ready you know I'll let you all know. We made it to this town in MT right b/f the Idaho line. Our eyeballs were saying "rest me!" We got off and of course what do ya know...there are forest fires up the interstate and all the families in the area were evacuated. Where to? This town so finding a hotel was not easy. I've had this trip planned with reservations all the way up to this Sat night when we were suppose to be leaving Yellowstone headed for Spokane, WA so NO I didn't plan on stopping at an exit where there were very little availability on this Thurs night-AND we can't just check into any hotel b/c we have two dogs. Well, please do keep checking back with this blog and I'll give more details of our trip to Yellowstone and the beautiful trip through the Rockies when I can share with the pics. Thanks to all of our friends and family who are keeping us in prayer. I'm running low on energy but I'm gonna make it. "One day at a time!" I have a bracelet with that saying on it and that's exactly how I live my life. Off to rest my eyeballs...goodnight!