Just playin around with Picasa

Playing around with my pictures in the Picasa program. There's a button to "blog" a specific picture you're working on. I thought it was cool and decided to try it!

So this is just me playing around, instead of cooking or cleaning or scrapping! I guess I've got to get to work at some point during my weekend, but I just want to play for now! 

I just love these guys!

I just love these guys. As crazy as they make me and as frustrated I get with them, I wouldn't trade them for the world.

They make me smile, laugh and *literally* spew Diet Pepsi out of my nose with some of the things they come up with.

Thugs & Gangstas they are not, they are wonderful teenage boys. Nerds & goofballs who still hang out with their mother on weekends, who are rapidly growing up.

I don't know what the future holds for these guys but I know with all my soul awesome things are in store.

I love them with all my heart. Each one of them holds pieces of my heart and without just one of them I would be crushed.

Here's to a five day weekend filled with fireworks, fun, baseball and of course these wild and crazy boys!

Father's day...just a bit late :)

This picture was taken on Father's day. I gave Willy a little album from the boys, "What I've learned from my Father" it turned out really nice. I loved Andrew's entry, his stated "I learned that if you really love someone you will give them your last bite of food" LOL

Yep my husband really loves me, he'll give me the last bite of whatever he's eating, if I want or even look at it! NOT me! You can ask me for a bite at anytime while I'm eating something, just don't ask me for my LAST bite, ESPECIALLY my bacon or chocolate!!! Yep, he's a keeper :)

I'm teaching!

I'm so excited to be teaching this class! Since we're going to the "Happiest Place on Earth" in November this is the perfect project to get me in the Mickey mood!

The pictures really don't show the entire project but it's a paper bag album with a couple of tag inserts and places for memoribilia. I think I'm going to make one for Alex so he can take pictures and get his very own autographs, I think he'll love it. The other boys just might be too cool to carry one of these around the park, but hey, you never know :)

Last time we went to Disneyland I had all the boys waving at everyone while we rode the train around the park, it was pretty funny! Who can resist waving to crowds while riding in a train? You're never too cool for that!

Lara

It was so much fun having my friends over to scrap! We went outside to get some pictures and this is one of the wonderful captures I got!

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Lara! Can't wait to scrap it :)

SAFE!

Just thought I'd start posting pictures, since I seem to take at least 300 per week! This is one of my favorites from Sunday's double header. He was sooo safe, the catcher didn't even have the ball in his glove, it was ten feet in front of him.

Who will you meet in heaven?

Have you read the book “The five people you meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom? Well, if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s a quick read but very powerful. It makes you understand that there is nothing insignificant about your life, it all matters.

Working in the position I am in, and also my life work (as a partner in my husband’s ministry) I often come across people who are in need and many who are hurting, especially the teenagers I work with. Something got me thinking lately, about a person who made an impact on my life, though I’m sure she had no idea how much she meant to me. I don’t even remember her name, but I can still see her face. Believe it or not, it was the lunch lady in Jr. High School.

I was an extremely sad person when I was younger. I was dealing with the slow, agonizing death of my mother and really had no friends to help or to reach out to me. I remember everyday as I walked through the lunch line this woman would ask me how I was doing. She’d ask me how my mother was doing, but I have no recollection of how or when I told her about my mom. She never failed to smile at me, and I remember her even putting an extra “goodie” or two on my tray several times a week. For some reason I’ve been thinking of her and the impact she had on my life. She didn’t speak with me at any other time, and really our exchange was just about a minute, at the very most. This woman made such an impact on my life that 25 years later, I still remember her face and the genuine concern in her voice. I’m sure I’ll meet her in heaven one day and tell her how much she mattered to me. That without her smile, her kind words and the prayers I’m sure she uttered for me and my family I wouldn’t be who I am today.

I know it sounds like a bit much, to put so much value on the “insignificant” or the “little things” in our lives, but I truly believe that when all the “little things” in our lives are added up, they will far outweigh the “big things”.

Having said and thought of all of this I have come to the conclusion that I want to be one of many peoples’ “five”. I want to make an impact in the little things. I want, twenty five years from now, for people to look over their lives and remember that lady with the curly hair who smiled at them when they were down. I want to be the memory of a hand that reached out to help, even if they don’t remember the face that comes with that hand. I want to be the voice that comforts, even if it’s for a moment. I don’t care about having a specific reward or having my name remembered. I just want all the little things I do to add up to meeting great numbers in heaven. I just want to matter.

and even more ramblings

Aaah, the last day of school! It means summer’s here, lazy days and fun filled nights. Oh wait, not! I’m working summer school! I know I know, I just have to get through next week and I think I’ll be ok.

All in all my boys had a great school year. It’s amazing how resilient my kids are. We’ve gone through a lot since last August. Andrew having lots of health problems and having surgery and Willy having some major health problems, I really thought I was going to loose him.

The boys took it all in stride, Andrew never made excuses not to do his work, even when he couldn’t see to read and had difficulty hearing. The older ones did great. Ben’s first year in high school was wonderful. He kept ahead of the class and brought home great grades. I think this was the toughest year in Little Willy’s life, lots of stress and a very heavy academic class schedule, SAT’s, AP exams, and he did wonderfully. He wasn’t pleased with his SAT scores but I thought he did ok, right in the middle range. He pressures himself enough without me having to add to it.

I can’t wait for tomorrow! I’ve been looking forward to croppin with my friends for over a month now! I’m gonna break out the food (on the house of course) pull out the tables and we’re gonna have a BLAST. The boys will be gone at baseball and we’re gonna giggle, laugh and whatever else we wanna do, because we can!

I guess I should figure out how to post pictures huh? Make my blog a little more appealing to the eyes J TTFN

Ramblings........

OK, we’ve met with Alex’ teacher and principal and they were both very supportive and proactive in this big step. They already have a teacher in mind and have thought about putting safeguards in place to cover any “holes” that he might have next year by being doubly promoted.

I’m confident that this is the right decision for him and am actually very happy. The kiddo has had his nose stuck in the 1st book of the “series of unfortunate events” and has even taken it to his brother’s ball games!

I’ve really got to learn how to post pictures here, because I’ve taken some really cool shots of the boys lately.

Andrew’s medication is being increased. I’m apprehensive but I know it’s for his own good. He’s on a very low dose of a Chemotherapy drug and now we need to start inject able medication instead of pill form. He’ll be taking the shots once a week. He knows and his only fear is that I’M GIVING HIM the shots. He says he’d rather do it himself! LOL Geesh, you’d think I’d have something against him the way he’s acting huh?

I don’t get a summer!!! I’m working summer school so my last day of work isn’t until July 27th!! I’ll have Friday’s off though, that’ll be nice.