Today's challange is about catchlights. I want you to take a photo(s) of someone with catchlights in their eyes.

Catchlights are the white lights that show up in your subjects eyes. These are created by light reflections. Look at the photo above of Cailey to see what I mean. Catchlights make your photos POP amazingly and add so much. I put another slide show together of a number of photos I have showcasing catchlights in my subjects eyes.

You do not need any special equipment to get this dramatic effect. Natural light sources are many times 100X better. The following is a list of things that can put the catchlights in your subjects eyes;sun, water, sand, window, snow, metal, glass, windows, light colored objects. You set your subject in the path of a reflection.

For the water face your subjects toward the water/lake, etc. For snow the reflection will come from below. Your home windows will produce a great reflection in place your subject facing toward the window.

Believe it or not but my photos with Cailey that have the amazing salmon color glows and great catchlights are photos I took of her while she was playing on the slide. The slide produced these amazing reflections for priceless photos. Many of my photos were catching the lights reflecting off of water, side of the building, there is a couple that the light is actually reflecting off of the white shirt I was wearing and onto my subjects eyes.

I hope I covered most of the info? If you have any questions send me an email or PM.

PS you can check my blog for a photo slide of my photos with catchlights.

Blog Challenge #2......

Today's challenge is quotes. I want you to find a quote that has meaning to you and publish it on your blog. Tell why it is meaningful to you and how it has changed your way of thinking. If at all.

My quote is from Helen Keller (if I recall correctly..been a while). "Well behaved woman rarely make history"

How true is this ladies. Think about it. I have more on this subject but don't have time to finish. I will try to edit it in when I return home.

For now I am headed to Companeros to eat dinner with my family. They are due in town any minute! See you soon

Sooooo here we are the second day of my summer vacation and I am already behind schedule,LOL!!!! Frick!

On our MB as you hip chicas know I said that I would start a daily photography challenge for the month of June and a blog challenge to get me back in the groove of regular posts here and maybe you too.

Well I posted the 6/1 photo challenge on the MB and it is below........
"OK ladies lets get outside and take a close up of a living thing that you normally would pass by. Use your imagination because this can pertain to millions of things! Here is what I saw...there was literally hundreds of them outside. They are all over the branches,etc. Gotta love them though they help keep the skeeters low in count! Post a link to the photo or an actual image on the daily challenge thread in the MB. At the end of the month I will send out some RAK to 1-2 fellow participants. Look below for my photo..."

Here are a few others I took....for both challenges 1) close up of a living subject 2) still life 3)things that sparked my interest

Did you know that by looking at my photos it is a way for you to "see" what I see. Maybe by the end of this months daily photo challenge you will know a bit more about me and how I think, feel, what I see, the meaning of things in my life....many more things...but basically I share with all of you a piece of ME.....Hope you enjoy the ride.

6/2 Daily Photo Challange........
Today I want you to focus on still life. I was limited today because of the rain so i appologize for not getting the interesting shots I was hoping for...but I am going to try for more tomorrow.

There are many things that will fit in this subject field as well. Take a photo of a flower, an interesting stained glass window, clock, message center, stable, home, glass of water, toys, shovel & gloves, OMG the ideas area endless!!

Get creative. I want to see some really interesting photos ladies! I want to shout to everyone that Jen took an AMAZING photo of a cute little frog in her pond...I'll see if I can share the photo tomorrow?! It is the coolest thing! Kudos Jen!

Below you can see one of my many takes on the still life.......I hope to take more photos tomorrow. I will be sure to upload them in this entry as well. Can't wait to see what you all come up with on this one...you had some interesting ones today!! Thanks for playing with me!

Blog Challenge #1

Find something that will spark the interest of your new and old blog readers. Some ideas are the slide shows like I have above, interesting photos & stories, how about a music video. Or create blog challenges.

If your interested in lots of peeps checking your blog(s) join a ring surf..there are numerous ones out there. Or change the look of your blog...give it a face lift.

Or create a blog for a specific topic like Ann...she created a blog dedicated to discuss/learn about journaling. She is a historian by profession and sounds like she knows a thing or two that many of us could take notes on!! Check her out http://witbeforebrevity.blogspot.com/ I personally can't wait for her next entry! I was very moved by her first!!! Thanks Ann!

Schools out for summer! Frick ya!! As My Ms Angel (Angelique) would say, LOL. Sweet!

I am out of here in 5 minutes...the buzz is in the halls. Kids laughing, chatting, and you feel the excitement! I love it!

Principal just announced " one last announcement...HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!"

Cioa!!!!!!!

Put em' up! Not exactly what you want a little 1.5 yr old girl saying, LOL! But when she has 7 older male cousins that want to be by her side any chance they can things like Put em' up seem to "slip" in. And I am one for grabbing the camera and not getting mad....which is why this

<------- photo is here. And may also be why I have literally thousands of photos. This is just one of the hundred photos I have of this adorable baby girl. I love her more than words can decribe. She is the sweetness of our days. She is an Angel sent here in disguise to show us the important things to remember like family, love, growth, nurturing, stopping to smell the dandelions (if your her,LOL), watch bugs crawling on the sidewalk, or sit on the swing and let the wind blow through your hair no matter how old you are or to love and be loved in return but most of all to LIVE life. Every day I see this face of hers, it makes me 100X more blessed than the moment before. Just when I think I couldn't be any more blessed than I already have been.

OK so I visited Ms Raquels blog and found her favorite song which is now my new "favorite song" by Rob Thomas....thanks Raquel ;) Check out... http://www.raquelp.blogspot.com/ and show her some bloggin love!

Thanks for sharing the great song Raquel!


Check it out at the top right of this screen------------------------------------------------>

Does anyone even check here anymore, LOL!! I see I forgot about this ol' thing!!

Frankenstein cake..last nights party...

Jesse and I made this cake last night in about an hours time for my friends Halloween party last night. I know it could have been SO much better had we of planned our time and day better,LOL. But it didn't happen and we were still happy with the end results.
Everyone loved it so much NO one wanted to cut into it and eat!! I said we made it for you all to EAT so darn it cut it!
We still have about half left...the photo doesn't truly show the size of it!! It took two boxes of cake mix to make the towering head and is four layers.
And of course I made the frosting from scratch..I hate bought frosting,ewww!
[url=http://www.thescrapbookstand.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=559]Show me some of your Halloween Photos ladies!! I would love to look at them!![/url]

Dear Journal

OK so a self note...try to be a better friend! Today I called a couple friends I hadn't spoken to in a while. One its been a month and a half since I have called her. The other only the second or third time I have called her in a month and a half.

I went to dinner with one of the friends and her dear daughter. It was very nice! A long over due dinner/visit.

Then there is my Mis Dayami...who is my dear sweet friend that is BEAUTIFUL inside and out!! Who tagged me a while ago...I told her when I got home from work that I would make the entry on my blog...well you guessed it..NO time..and NO entry....I am sorry!

There are many others that I always say that I am going to call, visit,etc but time seems to always run short. We get busy or just forget. Although they are all in my heart I don't show it or say it..and I am sorry chicas!

So I know I don't have much time to do anything...any waking moment is spent working, creating, housework, chores,etc, babysitting for sis...the list goes on and on. But basically the point is that I HAVE NOOOOOOO TIME it seems for anything!!!!

I want to change that...I dunno maybe I need to make some major adjustments in my life...I don't really have a clue yet..and will come up with something. But for now I am simply going to do as I told my friend Dayami I would do...I am sorry it is late sweetie!! But here it is anyhow....

5 Wierd things about ME!

1. I can eat Dove chocolates and drink dr pepper 24/7 and love it! Minus the fat butt I am getting because of it LOL!

2. I have a major food issue...I HATE my food to touch other foods on the plate..getting better but still hate it! You think that is bad....then you'll laugh when I say I do NOT touch raw meat! I will use a thick rubber glove and spatula but NOT my fingers,Eeew! And totally freak when the meat accidentally touches me...I think of meat and get sick, literally! It is disgusting!!!!!!!

3. I have a phobia about hairstylists

4. I don't like to get up before 7am..but manage to get up about 7:10 & out of the door showered, shaved etc, etc by 7:40...7:45 at the absolute latest!

5. I HAVE to use the tanning beds to keep a good looking tan on my bod so I don't look sick all the time...you see the tan hides the sickness look and adds a great healthy glow. Even if I am sick all the time :) Dang girl I should move to Miami with you,LOL Soak up the sun all the time, Ahhh how sweet.

OK so there you have it girl...5 freakishly WIERD things about me, Gotta love it! ROFLOL!!!

Dear Journal (me)

Here is a link to the offender [url=http://www.corr.state.mn.us/level3/offenderdetail.asp?OID=160645]State of MN[/url] previously mentioned. Doesn't seem like much by this but I KNOW some of the extents he has forced upon his victims. And the details not mentioned are what scare me. Especially after the Dru Sjodin case.

I just spoke to a friend of mine who informed me that she was stalked by this guy about 4-5 years ago. And the things she told me about...OMG! Freak about sums it up! Now even more scared.

After the Dru case...not far from here. (Her parents have property here in our town called Dru Estates.) And the freak who killed her. It really scares me abou this guy and his brother. They are NOT afraid to do things in public with people watching,etc. And that really scares me to know what they could do when someone isn't watching!

They say that these types of offenders most times escalate in the scale of offenses. I pray NOT in this case!!

Lord please protect my family and me, all people who will come into contact with this man and his brother. Give them strenght and wisdom..the smarts to get away. Please be with the men always...help them and guide them in the right things to do and give them the strenght to not hurt anyone again!

Love
me

Dear Journal (me)

This is one of my favorite LO's right now! I love the papers from Crate..they are in our kit this month. Stars...love circles and stars...absolute fave! And this photo of my nephew...he was sitting on the back of the paddle boat. Taking a rest from swimming. Just watching all the other kids playing.

I am missing summer already! Today is the first day back to school for all the kids. And my first official day back to work with clients attending school. Been busy already!

Wishing summer would go on forever...dreamer right,LOL! Life must go on!

We are getting October kits in order and gearing up to gear up the November kits to. Seems weird to say that,LOL!

We hope to have the final plans of a September crop set up shortly. And we are going to have monthly contests for guest DT'ers. So much fun. They will get a free kit with their reign in return for creating 4 LO's/projects which ever they desire and active on the MB during their reign. As well as be able to add the GDT to their resume list!

Can't wait for winter CHA in Annaheim. Will hopefully visit my relatives while there as well. They live about 30 minutes away! Can't wait!

Got some great pics of my sister and her 4 girls as well as some more pics over the weekend of simple things I will miss from summer and things I love about summer. Hope to be able to do a LO or two about them sometime in the next few weeks!

Life is crazy. And only beginning with the stress factor again now that work is back in full force. Not to mention the freak getting out of prison! Oh ya...it isn't my stalker getting out of prison it is his level 3 sex offender brother I guess! A whole family of freaks! Just what I need two of them! I am so freaking scared! I will be attending an awareness meeting tomorrow night. And will have lots of questions. I will just keep praying!

Ciao, me

Dear journal...

I found out tonight that my former stalker is moving 2 homes down from me. And I am totally freaking out! He is a convicted sex offender.

I have received a couple calls...been working and haven't been able to return them yet. DH told me tonight that the one call from someone was to inform me of a meeting set one evening in town. It is an awareness meeting to let neighbors know he is moving into the area.

I sat there in shock as he told me.....tears welling up. And an almost instant state of nausea. With million and one thoughts running through my head of "what if's"?

I sit here in tears, scared of what the future holds! Scared to live in fear. Scared to live here. Scared to be scared. So many thoughts. So many fears.

DH told me that the man is getting let out of jail and the county will have this meeting very soon. I have yet to talk to any of my friends or co-workers to see what he did to be in jail again? If it was another sex offense, another woman he stalked or worse yet....OMG! Or something else? I will find out for certain and soon!

I wondered the other day why I hadn't seen the vehicle around town in a while!!! I was so thankful for that! And had just figured that it was over! And that he took the visits from the deputies seriously and wasn't going to stalk me again.

OMG I am so scared! No one deserves this fear. No one deserves to have some freak do this type of thing to them!

Love,

me

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Life sometimes just absolutely sucks....insert lots of cuss words..that I just cannot bring myself to say but am thinking them!!!!

Everything it seems that can happen seems to happen at times you are just not prepared for it! And I hate that!! I try my best to keep spirits up but sometimes like right now I just want to scream at the top of my longs for the world to hear or cry my eyes out till I swim in a river of my tears!

Life it seems is unfair to those who deserve so much better than they have...and many things are given to those who do not cherish it or take it for granted! If you KWIM?! Lives are taken away...others are given life. Children are robbed of parents due to trajic incidences and go on through life...while wives struggle without their soul mates!

OMG I am sorry but I am just having a REALLY bad day...and needed to really do some venting! Seems as though I just have been so distant from anyone and everyone lately!


I would love to share but just can't! I will hang in there!! But if you are reading this.....PLEASE don't forget to tell your loved ones how much you care for them!! Live each day as though it were your last...as we never know when that will be?!

That is something that I haven't been doing and I hate myself for it! Gotta go back work...wishing I had 10 minutes to read Miss Melody's Blog...for some major uplifting...but no time! Imagine that......

OK so to make this easier...I have had ALOT of new emails requesting the French Fry container pattern. So here it is....simply click on the link http://forget-me-not-gifts.com/FrenchFryContainer.pdf

For some reason blogger won't let me upload a picture of my fry box...so here is a link to see what I made.....http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&threadid=1548753&pg=1

BLOG CHALLENGE #4

OK so I have to admit...I thought that I would be able to do this every day,ROFLOL! What was I thinking? OMG what a struggle! Sorry ladies!!! I heart you for sticking it out with me...I know a number of you said you liked the daily challenge but I just cannot do it :( Sorry!

So I will try a weekly challenge! I will TRY to do the challenges on Mondays just like the Monday LO of the day, Coffee Chat, and sketch challenge on the site!

I thought summer would bring tons of extra time considering I am not working as much, or so I thought?! Ugh...seems as though it is busier if you can believe that I could get any crazier?!

OK so for todays challenge I want you all to blog about a personal story or something like that! Something very near and dear to your heart that will help others understand the type of person that you are?!

OK for me;
I am a 33 year old wife and mother to 2DS. I am just like many others out there. I struggle with everyday things...just searching for a little time to grasp a moment here and there as life seems to be buzzing past.
I am a simple person I think?! DH has other ideas of that,LOL! Simple little things make me happy! As I sit here in my scrap room looking out one of the windows overlooking my vegetable garden with a few apple trees off to the right of it. To the left sits my flower garden. Then behind the vegetable garden fence I see the path leeding into the wooded acres. The trees are are swaying slightly in the wind. I hear the birds chirping...hmm could it be baby birds? You see just above this very window I am looking out of sits a bird nest. I see momma bird flyin and out everytime I sit here. This make me happy. It is a simple little scene. But it warms my heart and lifts my soul to see such beauty in nature.
You see this scene is one of those moments that you "stop to smell the roses" type of thing, you know! We all must do it! We cannot let life drift away from us or bring us down!!

OK here is another one for you;
So for the summer time I work at my cousins sweet little italian restraunt in Dorset, MN the restraunt capital of the world (seriously it is search it if you don't believe me!). Here I work a few days a week to kill some of the summer time while I wait for my professioal job to start back up in the fall.
Here I also meet so many people on a daily basis. Many people that I have grown to love!

For two years now I have waited on a couple I would say that is in their early 60's that honestly I do not know how I can go a week without talking with them! Oh before I forget I must tell you they speak another language, a language I do NOT know! They are amazing! They honestly are. They are the kindest most caring people I have met in a LONG time! They are very sincere and I just love them!
Two weeks ago they made me cry out of joy, happiness. I am getting tears just thinking about it. The day prior I was chatting with them about the wife's hobbies...they are a retired couple. He was formerly the head of a American Sign Language School. She I believe worked in the school as well, but not positive. So they have taken up hobbies...she is into cross stitching. I said NO way can I do that! I am a scrap booker...she looked at me with amazement and said I scrap to! OMG so cool! I told them what I do in the industry,etc they were amazed with me...so I said that I would bring in a album for them to see what type of scrapping I do the next day.
So I brought in 4 albums as I couldn't decide which one at 6am that morn,LOL! They LOVED them! When they were done eating they sat for an hour looking at the albums...reading the journaling,etc. I would check on them now and again..and they would make comments about my DH and DS's,etc.
I went to the table one last time and the husband said many kind words to me that made me cry! He told me he could tell that I was a very wise and extremely intelligent person. That I was a very kind and generous soul and I was amazing, I was not only beautiful on the outside but beautiful on the inside. He said my wife scraps events YOU scrap life, feelings and moments, that is amazing! OMG I cried. There were other words said from them to me and me to them.
This couple has amazed me! I so wish that I could speak even more to them! As I mentioned I do not speak their language. I try and am slowly picking up bits and pieces here and there but not enough! You see this couple is deaf. They read lips and we are able to speak.
They have made me realize a few things. I have always known that I try to treat everyone the same no matter who they are or what there abilities are. I do not think of them or look at them in a any different light if they have something different than I. This couple is a prime example.
They are an amazing couple! They brighten my day just by seeing them walk in. They brighten my day when we chat. They brighten my day with a smile!
So many times in life we let things stand in our way of things. For this couple being deaf has not stood in the way of life, of who they are and how they treat others. To me they are someone to look up to and to admire!

Honestly you meet the most wonderful people in the least expected places. Its up to you to make a difference. Always remember to be yourself, be genuine. You never know who's heart you will touch. So come on ladies make this day a meaningful one!!

SKETCH CHALLENGE in the stand! I started a new weekly challenge. The rules are you create a LO using this sketch for you chance to win.

The weekly winners will get a sketch made from a LO in their gallery. And that sketch will be the next weeks challenge sketch. so on and so on.

You could even have your sketch featured in the newsletter. Each week you can upload as many LO's as you wish to the gallery and place a link in the http://thescrapbookstand.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3469 <--Is a link to the sketch challenge threaad.
http://www.thescrapbookstand.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2579&cat=550<--Is a link to sketch challenge gallery.
Have fun with this! I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!

Blog Challenge day 3.

OK today tell us about your life...do you have a daily routine or is it total chaos?! This will aslo help to know you a bit more :)

Me
mine is different depending on the day! I never have the same routine and I hate that! Winter/spring/fall is best for me,lol....then we're on a schedule! up at 7am off to work at 7:45 work till 3 pick up boys head home. Check site. Supper. Chores. Site. Clean. Bed!

OK the above mentioned schedule really seems like it isn't hectic...but it is! I work the Truancy, the site, Mother, Wife OMG there is so much more!

Summer...Anyhow we do the usual eat, clean, chores, on the site, work, on the site, clean, eat, try to have fun somewhere in between that stuff,LOL! Summer is never it seems a set schedule of waking up, eating,etc.

I know during the summer we usually eat a MUCH later supper though. Especially when we are on the lake. It is nothing for us to eat dinner at 8-9pm...keep in mind we are not having breakfast until 10-11..which sets everything back!

OK gotta run! Oh and did I mention today is my Birthday!!!!!! Happy Birthday to me!

Day two Blog Challenge. Yesterday my friend Vanessa and I went to get our hair done then out to dinner. It was a great afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

I have only known Vanessa for about a year or so. And it was great being able to get to know her a bit more! We work together and of course you really can't get to know someone while your trying to get your job done...at least not very well,LOL.

Which all of this got me to thinking. How well do your friends KNOW you? Honestly? I would hope that mine know me well. But I have also heard in the past from a friend here and there (example) as we are eating and they say "I had NO idea you liked that?" And I think gosh where have you been? This is my favorite dish,LOL!

I have known so many people throughout my life thus far. And it dawned on me that I to do not know as much about them as I had wished to know...I mean after all aren't your friends supposed to know everything about you? Best friends that is?! Right? Boy I guess I must be doing something wrong then?

OK so for some of you who want to get to know eachother a bit more I have put together a questionaire for you to copy and paste onto your blogs as your next challenge. This should help us get to know you and me a bit more.

Oh BTW make sure to leave comments when you visit all the blogs.....its nice to read them now and then KWIM?! So anytime I stop by a blog I try to post a comment, small or large depends on the content! Oh also it enables others to just click on your name and take us stright to your blog to leave you comments!;)

1. How old are you? 33 tomorrow (22nd)
2. How many kids do you have if any? 2
3. Are you married, single, divorced, widow, SO Married
4. What is your occupation? Truancy Coordinator, Freelance Designer, Business Owner of www.thescrapbookstand.com
5. What are your passions? Scrap, Scrap, SCRAP! Photography and my family!
6. Are you a dreamer or a dream seeker? I am a dream seeker! Trying to make my dreams become reality!
7. Are you happy with the way you life has turned out? Yes I am. Although I like thousands of others would like to change things in the past to make life easier for today and the future. But I also realize that is not a possibility so I try harder for the future!
8. Are you a scrapper and if so how many hours a week do you scrap? Ugh this just makes me sick! I am a scrapper obviously. But I do not get near enough time to scrap any more! I hate that. It is my therapy and to not scrap is to not live. I must scrap in order to remain sane, happy, etc. I am going to change that very soon! Then I hope to scrap every day again! Maybe will have to get some challenges going on the site?
9. What do you want to do before you die? Travel to Italy. I dream of going there. Scrap every photo I have ever taken or been given so that my family has a beautiful lasting legacy.
10. What is your favorite food? watermellon
11. What is the food you hate the most? seafood,yuck!
12. What is the most embarassing thing that has ever happened to you? Hmmm well? I guess that would have to be something like while on the lakeboating, jet skiing,etc in the bikini...and well being a bit exposed. Not the entire @#($*# but close enough to make me want to just shrivel up and die under a rock,lol!
13. What is the happiest day of your life thus far? The day my children were born!
14. Are you a neat freak? Or a dirty house cleaner? I like to say I am a neat freak..but I never have enough hours in the day to be totally spotless. But it drives me insane to have the house look dirty, dirty clothes on the floor, dishes on the counter,etc. Would be great if I had others in the house that helped with out being a pain in the ars to do it. To bad I never had girls! LOL
15. What is the worst thing you have ever done? LOL OK I know I have prolly done much worse things in my life but this is what popped into my head....when I was little my parents never allowed us to have their soda. I recall days I would "fake" sick to be home all day. I would have several bottles of soda...the one day my Mother made an entire pan of fresh caramel rolls...so after eating about half of them and several cokes later I truly was feeling ill!! My Mother came home and almost made me go to school after seeing the rolls half gone...she said if you are well enough to eat them you are well enough to go to school....ROFLOL. I never did go in but I sure didn't make the mistake twice.

Today marks the first day of my blog challenge on www.thescrapbookstand.com I am excited for this daily challenge because as you look at my past posts...I really have been so busy to update daily. I want that to change.

Imiss being able to check back at my entries. As many know you forget things if they are not written down sometimes...I am one of those types of people...I have freakin notes EVERY where it seems,LOL!

Well the first challenge is to write about your favorite family memory and include a photo(s). So here is my photo. Not a good one but the best we could get having a stranger take our pic,lol! Either way it is nice to have this pic! We have VERY few photos with all 4 of us together.

The favorite memory is when we recently took the kids to Seaworld. OMG if you have not been to Seaworld you MUST go! It is my favorite place...amazing! I was sad that we had only planned to have one day there! So we were there literally the entire day that they were open. I know we still missed some things, but maybe another time!

We all had such a great time. There is honestly nothing better than being able to fully enjoy each other and enjoy what you are doing! It was a perfect day. I was able to get alot of good photos. That I have yet had the time to scrap (hate that) but I hope to some day!

We watched a couple of the shows...our favorite was the Clyde and Seamore (?) show...OMG it was so good we watched it 2x that day,LOL! We were (some what) bummed that we couldn't go up in the needle tower (not sure what its called) to see the entire seaworld. I am afraid of heights so I was OK with not being able to go due to the wind. OMG it was freaky looking up at it and seeing it literally swaying in the wind, Ackkk! LOL!

The weather was perfect. Warm with a slight breeze to stay the perfect temp! The day was perfect! The kids loved the sharks, whales, polar bears and dolphins. We all wanted to swim with the dolphins and feed the sharks but we couldn't find the area they were in. Honestly I do not know how we would have had the time to do them anyhow,LOL!

What a day...my knee did pretty good. Which was great because it allowed me to walk alot with a mediocre amount of swelling and bruising. And just a bit of limping. THe next day was hell though! Really bad as I think I pushed my self toooo much, I had bruising from the thigh to the calf area and swelling, major swelling. But I was able to fully enjoy the day at Seaworld!

OMG I almost forgot the McCracken ride,LOL....I cannot go on rides because I barf! So Jon and the boys went on it while I held everything waiting to snap some shots. Of which never came...dang camera batteries went dead! Argh! Anyhow we bought the photos that the cameras take, you know the ones they have mounted on certain areas of the ride. ROFLOL well we got the best photo ever from them. Jesse my poor jess man cannot handle rides to well either. But dad said you just have to try it cause I know you will love it. Well he enjoyed part of it but the photo says it all.......that He was scared to death! OMG the look on this poor childs face...people were walking past the photo area cracking joke about "this" photo and we look over to see that it was our jess man! Oh he felt so horrible...he didn't want to tell dad that he felt like barfing because he knew dad was so proud of him for going. And he didn't want to let him down. But he came to me and said "Mom I really didn't like the ride all that well and I really feel like throwing up" Oh my jessman I said...I am so proud of you! I told him to just keep breathing and think of something else and soon enough your mind will be off of barfing. He tried his best and did very well. ONly once in a while for the next 2hrs I had to ask are you ok. He never did upchuck thank goodness. but I am still so proud of him for going on the ride and staring fear in the face and saying I can DO it!

Ahhhh what a day,lol! I love every memory of it! There is so many more but I am sure you don't care to read a book,LOL! So for now ciao

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!

OMG it has been forever it seems since I have made an entry! So much has gone on in the last month..where to even begin?

Well school is out for me..and summer vacation is here! I was so ready for a break from my Truancy position! A few short months ago I was actually ready to resign.....NO don't be shocked I say I am DONE every year around feb/march/april....because that to me is the busiest time of year. And the most emotionally drainging!!

I get to the point when I get sick of hearing the same stuff over and over. To have my job or any job in this field or directly related you MUST have some thick skin and a hardened hart I have been told. OMG I want to flip out on people when they tell me that!!! What the hell!

If I had a hardened heart how could I be any good at my job? Honestly? How could I? I CANNOT BE!!!!!!!! Some of my clients have raised themselves for years, have druggy parents who spend their life focused on drugs and their next fix instead of their children, kids who are neglected, abused-physically, verbally and sexually by their parents, family or family friends. Clients who are emotionally beyond my reach (and that kills me), clients who have or have had parents in jail or prison, many who are or have thought that they were or have been preggo and lost their babies both by man and by nature.

Many clients who just want someone to love them, show that they are worthy, someone to count on. SOMEONE!!! You all have NO idea how this kills me! I literally have tears right now this very second I am typing!!!!!!

I know I cannot save the world. I know that I cannot save every child I work with. I know that not everyone wants to be saved. I know that I cannot always reach every child I work with or come into contact with. I know that I as one person cannot. But I know that me, ME as ONE person can make a difference! Even if it is in only one childs life. It is worth all that I do! All the hell that I put myself through. It is worth the emotional upset!

So on this REALLY bad day, the day that I had a case of a child and Mother who just disappeared into thin air..many hours and days of searching, calls, etc I was told by someone (state job) that there really isn't anything that you can do...just wait to see if you hear anything. WHAT?!?! OMG I hate that! NO I don't want to wait! I want you to act NOW. Do something NOW! This really bad day was actually weeks later...about 3 to be percise. I had all this build up of emotional crap because I felt as though I am not good enough in my job...I cannot locate this Child and his Mother..and I was ready to give up!!!

So I sit in my office typing up my resignation. When all of a sudden from out of no where this person appears sitting in the chair in front of my desk saying "Well hello there stranger, how are you? I wanted for so long to stop and talk to you. I wanted to thank you for all that you do. I want to thank you for making a difference in MY life" She continued to tell me that my job and the work I do is very important. She also said that even though I may have not been able to help her immediately then....that I have helped her in years after I worked with her (insert more HUGE tears here)...that she is so grateful for all of that I do for all the kids I work with and all that I did for her because I CARE!!!!!!!! Did you hear that she said I care! I cared for her! I still care for her and each and every child I have ever worked with. She proceeded to tell me that she did have a child shortly after I dismissed her case...she did get her GED (I had that court ordered), but that she is doing well! She is a single mom who is attending college classes and working full time making almost 2x minimum wage and is trying to make a difference with her life and her childs life. She said I knew I could do it because you told me I could! You believed in me when no one else did she said, ugh can you believe it she let me make a difference in her life..she let me in long enough to teach her a few small things that would make a HUGE impact on her life!

At that point....she is still in my office and still talking about her beautiful baby and all the glorious reasons why it is such a great thing to be a Mother that I looked to my puter screen, glanced at the resignation. My mind drifted for a few seconds...thinking of this is why, this is why I do the job, this is why I care, and this is why I try...I hear her voice still speaking and I try to not show how emotional this is really making me! I try extremely hard to not cry in front of her. I try so hard! I wanted to just scream out my emotions...it was so difficult not to cry...I just smiled at her. At that moment she stopped smiling as if she knew what I was thinking...like she was reading my mind literally as I thought...and she smiled as she tilted her head as to say...I know! And at that very moment we just sat there smiling at each other feeling so complete until I looked down and saw my puter screen one last time. Within a split second I reached for the puter mouse and clicked the X. When the screen came up asking me do I want to save the new file...I looked at her smiled again and thanked her SO much for coming to tell me these things that she has NO idea how much it means to me to hear her say those wonderful things and I clicked DO NOT SAVE!!!

Then she was gone. As I sit there I felt so good. I just sat there thinking of one million and one things every second when I notice a teacher walk by my door..who turned back and was staring at me...he asked "everything ok?" and I say with a smile "yes, yes everything is ok, it couldn't be any better"

It is so hard! But to have one person come forth and tell me that I have made a difference makes it all worth it! And for now I will try my best to enjoy the vacation I have. Because I know that in 6mos I will be right back in the emotional hoopla of saying "why do I do this?" to only recall this very moment, this very conversation I had with this young Mother and to think to myself I know why!

Well if you all are still reading this I am amazed! LOL honestly I am amazed that you could listen to my long story! If you are still reading this you must be as caring as I! Why do you ask would I know you are as caring? Because this is not what alot of people want to hear..only the people who care and who try to make a difference would continue to read this! So with that said THANK YOU!!!! Thank you for caring!

Just remember that you NEVER know who you will make a difference in! So never give up trying. Never give up your compassion, efforts thoughts words and prayers because YOU can make a diffenece!!!