Drive-by Bloggin

So, I am statrting to become one of those bloggers that only blog on holidays.....kind of like those church goers that only go on Christmas and Easter.....what are they called - "Chreasters"  Honestly, I have not blogged b/c my new employer blocks "social sites" even during lunch hours - it's not really a bad thing, but it is the reason for the lack of blogs.  Ok so anyway.  We had a wonderful T-Giving.  Spent the day at my mom's and it was just the 5 of us.  It was very nice b/c it gave me a chance to rest (2 naps~!!) and enjoy the day.  I have been feeling "ok"I have had waves of nausea, last week was pretty bad - doc had to perscribe me phenagren and have had some pretty massive migranes....but thankfully the "nausea cloud" lifted on TGiving day and I was able to wear my stretchy pants and scarf down a bunch of good food.  Here are some pics of our weekend - hope all of yours were as blessed as ours :)  Next - CHRISTMAS!!!
HO HO HO

Thanksgiving morning - going to get bagels with daddy

Me and my Dido

My Thanksgiving outfit(thanks Gma Kathy) with snacks "in-hand"

Mommy and Me, more snacks please~!

Three Generations of  "Red-Heads"

Babi and Dido making Turkey dinner~! yum

Miss Alyson Grace Burkholder

Clippin Black Friday Ads with mommy and the "Aunt Crazies"~!!!!

Happy Halloween

Well, we joined in on the festivities of October 31.  Alyson was a Moo Cow, I was "The Color Purple" and Daniel was Dog the Bounty Hunter~!  Alot of fun was had, Alyson enjoyed answering the door and checking out all of the costumes, I was very surprised that she didn't get scared.  We had a great time, check out some pics below!

Aly practicing her "Moo's"

Aunt Grace - aka Black Swan~!

Daniel and Alyson

Happy Halloween~!

Mom~!  No kisses, ge the door~~!!!!

It all went down-hill from here.....

Red's are back~!

Trick o Treat

Draught

So, I am back....sorry for the lack of posts.  Like I said September/October have been a little rough.  Below are some Pumkin Pics of my little pumkin.  We took her to the United Methodist Pumkin Patch and had a photo session, her attention span lasted for approximatley 3.2 min, but we did manage to get some pretty cute photos.  Enjoy ~!

We have a walker~!

Sorry it has been so long, September has been a rough month, hopefully Ocotber will be a little "nicer"

Alyson 15 months

I don't have any pics to post - but will definitely have some this weekend.

Wanted to give you all an update on Miss Alygator at 15mo. old.  So lets see, we are not walking yet.  We have taken a few unassisted steps from Mommy to Daddy, but we fall into their laps laughing every-time we get close.  If I hold her one hand and walk around with her, she loves that and I now know how it feels walking alongside of someone intoxicated.  :)

She is "talking" like crazy, it of course is all in a foreign language and so funny to watch her facial expressions as she is talking, like she fully understands what she is saying.

She is still SO in love with her daddy.  When I get her from school and open the garage door, she immediately says "dada", when the phone rings at the house, or my cell chimes with a text - she immediately says "dada".  She only says mama when I am feeding her or when I request her to say it.  Oh well, I am in love with dada to - so it's cool.  Other words she is saying......mama, baby, moo

She is infatuated with books.  We started reading to her literally when we brought her home from the hospital and right now she loves to be read to, to turn pages and to interact with her books.  Her favorite books are "Peek a Who" and "Brown Bear" I hope she continues her love for the rest of her life - they are treasures. And on a soap box note - I hope that the technology wave does not take over and they do away with printing books, that would be so sad.

She loves dogs......well fake dogs.  Dogs she sees in books and on t.v.  Real dogs still scare her, except for sweet Lucy, my cousins dog.  Every-time she see's a fake dog, she pants and sticks out her tongue.  I think she might be one for halloween~!  She loves to dance with mommy in the car and she also loves to clap~!  She mimicks everything we do and it is quite entertaining watching her do so.

This weekend we are going to Rockport, and I will make sure to take lots of photos so you can see how fast Miss Aly is growing.~!  Stay safe, be cool.

Dusting myself off

"It is not the crtitic who counts,nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled,or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena ; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood ; who strives valiantly who errs and comes short again and again ; who knows the great enthusiasms,the great devotions ,and spends himself in a worthy cause,who at best,knows in the triumph of high achievement ; and who at the worse, at least falls while daring greatly ; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"

Enough about me

So I have noticed that my blog has turned into a novel about me without any photos~!

Here are some latest pics of Miss Alyson, our family & friends - ENJOY!

Miss Aly lovin "The Brooks" stairs 

Best Friends - Happy 30th to me~!

yep, thats right - 30 (sigh)

TWISTER @ Aunt Claire's

A "silly" Question to GOD

I have many questions to ask once I get to the pearly gates, but this one is not a serious as my others.

Friday, before we left for Houston, Daniel and I set a plan into motion.  Daniel goes to the gym until 10:45, I then go right afterwards, get home and then we set out  IH-10 - Houston Bound.

When Daniel left it was around 9:30ish I think.  The house was somewhat a wreck and I have this cute little one year old buzzing around me.  How am I going to get the house in order and keep her amused?  Thank goodness for Toy Story 2 and the exer-saucer.  In the short 1 hour that Daniel was gone, and actually it was more like an hour and half b/c he did not get home until 11:10am.  I managed to gather all of the clothes that had accumulated on our bedroom floor, start a load of laundry, begin to pack for Aly and I and our 1 day trip to Houston, clean the kitchen, unload the dishwasher and then load it back up again, fold a load of clean clothes, feed Alyson lunch, get her down for a nap (which those 2 things were supposed to be Daniel's responsibility) but since he was running late, I went ahead and did them..........

So my silly question is, after accomplishing quite a lot in that one hour and taking care of our one year old, I still had to treck out to the stupid gym and get in 20-30m of cardio/weight lifting in.  I think that if you are a mom and you are doing house chores/taking care of your children, or crazy enough to think - BOTH~! I think you should burn up to triple the amount of calories while doing them.  Do you really think after working a very demanding more than 40-hour work week, taking care of our beautiful daughter, trying to manage our household and spending time with my husband that I want to squeeze in time for the gym.

I will let you all fill in the blank.  Because my answer is a big FAT -
NO~!!!!!!!!!!

The End, I am off my soap box.

On the eve of my 30th

Well, I am one day away from being 30.  I feel like I should go do something - like bunji jumping or sky diving.  Ha - I would never do either.  So I am going to answer some questions from some survey I found online to mark this date in time as 29.  I did cut 5 inches off of my hair today at lunch - that's pretty gutsy!

Name: Jennifer Ruth Burkholder

Age: 29 - !

Race: Whitey

Gender: Girlie

Normal Questions:

Define normal using approximately ten words. 

There is no such thing as normal – so there.

Would you frame someone else if your friend committed murder? Absolutely not

When is killing justified?  When your life is in danger

What do you like most about yourself? 

I think I am funny and I try to be kind to everyone.

What was or is your favorite subject in school? Art

What do you want to do for a career?  Good question…..

Do you support the war in Iraq? 

I support the troops fighting for our freedom and assisting others for theirs

Are you religious? Absolutley

Do you read, watch or listen to the news often? All of the above

Is older always wiser? No, but more experienced in repercussions of actions

Is George W. Bush a good president? Was?  Yes, I believe he was.

If not, does he deserve to be assassinated? Ha – horrible question

Who cares about the rainforest, right? 

Well it’s been awhile, but whenever I waste alot of paper I think about the rain forest.

Are you going to marry your favorite celebrity? Doubt it.

Do you wish you were a celebrity? Absolutely not.

Is body structure a good indicator of personality? Hmm – it does show discipline, but it can also show obsession.  So no, not necessarily.

Is choice of clothing a good indicator of personality? It definitely shows personality, ya I think so.

Is choice of friends a good indicator of personality? Yes, most definitely

Are more and more technological advances good for mankind? 

Some and some are not.  Balance is key

Between male and female, which is the weaker gender? 

Neither, both are strong together.

Do you believe in karma or predestiny? Neither

Are you vegetarian? No~!  I love my number 1 with cheese!

Do you get along with your family? Yes, very much so.

When you discover that you are angry, what do you do to calm yourself? 

I don’t often get angry.  I internalize

When you are sad, what do you do to make yourself feel better? Try and fix the problem

Do you need a significant other in your life? 

I love my significant other and cannot imagine my life without him.

Have you ever truly loved? Yes – right now.

Is it okay for you to show weakness? Yes, I am human

Is revenge always the answer when you are wronged?  No, not at all

Is revenge ever the answer? Sometimes it feels good, but it never ends well.

Is everyone like an open book to you?  Ha no, everyone is very mysterious

Do you keep your mouth shut in public for fear of sounding stupid? 

I usually open my mouth 3 or 4 times before I decide to shut it. - Ha

Does your IQ mean much? I don’t think so

I grant you three wishes.  That there is a heaven and all of my loved ones are there waiting for me.   I can eat whatever I want and always stay at my ideal weight.  That my children will live a happy and God-filled life.

This or That

Passiveness or aggression?  I tend to be passive

Clinginess or detachment?  I can be clingy

Flattery or honesty? Flattery - whoops

Passion or reason? Reason

Liberal or conservative? Conservative

To listen or to talk? Both – you have to do both to have a good convo

To discriminate or to be hurt? I tend to be overly sensitive

Friends or lovers? Friends – it’s hard to be lovers when you are 90

Money or fame? This one is hard……..money?

Power or freedom? Freedom

Pain or numbness? Yikes – um, pain, b/c eventually the numbness wares off

Night or day? I’m a night owl

Marilyn Manson or Justin Timberlake? Ha - JT

Pink or Evanescence? Evanescense, ever since Pink did the whole trapeze thing I have become skeptical.

Nine Inch Nails or Blink 182? Whats my name again?

Bowling for Soup or Tool? Uh - Tool

Kittie or Britney Spears? Brit Brit

Ani or Madonna? Vogue – strike a pose

Malice Mizer or F4? who

Escargot or no? Escargot please!

Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom? Captain Jack Sparrow

United States or Canada? USA

Felines or canines? meow

Charlie’s Angels or Kill Bill? Uma

Chicago or The Hours? The Hours

The Lords of the Rings or The Matrices? Lord of the Rings

Summer or winter? Winter

Finding Nemo or Scary Movie 3?  Dorie!!!

Newsweek or Playboy? Newsweek

Renee Zellweger or Angelina Jolie? Both are weird

Buy CD or burn CD? Burn

Linda Bryant

**she would come to my dad's for Thanksgiving, she was always in charge of the sweet potatoes, and she would always burn the tops of the marshmallows.  After awhile, I think she did it on purpose b/c it was one of the things she was known for.**

I lost my aunt yesterday morning.  I got the phone call from my dad last night as I was getting home from book club.  I knew what the call was about (dad just doesn't call), she had been battling lung cancer and had actually lived longer than was expected.
When I was little, I felt very close to her.  When I would go and visit my dad on the weekends or during the summer, we would see her a lot.  One reason I loved her so much and felt so close to her was b/c she looked a lot like my mom.  I would miss my mom like crazy when I was with my dad, so having someone resemble her would help me to not miss her so much.  She was a wonderful women, she helped me during a hard time with my dad, she was always a burst of sunshine whenever I saw her, she seemed to love life and love to laugh.  She had a great laugh, one that made her whole body shake.  I never saw her "dressed down", she was always dressed to the nines.  HIGH heels, beautiful clothes, makeup with her signature cat eyes, beautiful auburn hair and tons of jewlery - she was strikingly beautiful.  You could hear her coming with all of her bangle bracelets.  The last time I saw her was at a shower that my dad gave for Alyson, but the time before that, I had not seen her in over 10 years.  When I left Houston at 13, I stayed away pretty much until Daniel and I were engaged.  On one of the visits to Houston, my dad had surprised me and had asked Aunt Linda to stop by.  She walked in through the back door, like she always had (remembering from when I was little) and I was just so happy to see her.  She was beautiful.  White linen pants, all her jewelry, high-heels and thin.  I have always thought I resemble my mom, and I still do, but when I saw Aunt Linda that day, I also saw myself in her.  She had quit smoking for about 10 years, which is just so sad to think that that is still what ended her life too soon.  My grandmommy (her mom) started smoking when she was 18 and died of natural causes in her 80s.  Just strange how things play out.
I am so grateful that I saw her that day when she came by my dad's, I have such a wonderful memory of her and I will always have it for the rest of my life.  I think she would be happy with that.
I will need to look for some pictures I have of her and post them.  One of my favorite photos is of the two of us sitting next to each other and next to me is one of my barbies and we are all imitating the barbies position with  our hands straight up in the air.
With death comes acceptance, and I am glad that she is no longer suffering.  I am glad that she is now with grandmommy and grandaddy up in heaven watching over us.  Please pray for her immediate family especially Uncle Jim (her husband), it would be hard to let go of someone like her, she was a "ray of light".  I spoke to her a couple of months ago, after I had found out her fate and my mom and I wrote her a letter around late June.  I am glad that I did both of those things, I am glad that I could tell her that I loved her and how wonderful I thought she was.  I will miss her alot, but my memories will be what I can think back on.

RiverView 2011

I love it when this picture finally comes out - it is so fun to look at and to explain to everyone who everyone is;  and it is even more amazing to think that we still are missing about 20 more people!

Ok - so here goes the order and explanation - this will be confusing......

TOP MIDDLE, my beautiful grandmother Elaine Koch (her and my grandpa are the ones that started this River tradition)
TOP LEFT - Aunt Betty (daughter of Elaine) and Uncle Jim, Pixie and Ken Koch (son of Elaine), Aunt Carol (daughter of Elaine) and Uncle Larry and Uncle Phil and Aunt Mary (daughter of Elaine).

MIDDLE LEFT - Suzanne, Staci (daughters of Aunt Yvonne), Daniel, Emily, Carrie (daughters of Aunt Betty) Kelly (daughter of Ken)

BOTTOM LEFT - Ben (son of Mary), Jennifer (daughter of Ken), Logan (son of Suzanne), Alyson (daughter of Jennifer), Jacob (son of Suzanne), Mack( son of Kristin), Colton (son of Suzanne), Kristin (daughter of Mary) and Amelia (daughter of Kristin).

MISSING: Joey (son of Mary), Lowell, Aunt Yvonne (daughter of Elaine) and Uncle Bill, Shannon (daughter of Yvonne) & Tim , Alexis, Eric, Cassidy(children on Shannon), Sandra (daughter of Yvonne) &, Rick, Hannah, Claire, Liam (children of Sandra), Doug (son of Yvonne), Sarah, Clint (son of Ken) & Ilona, Nicol, Madeline and Jacqueline( daughters of Clint).

River View 2011

So....to my Grandma, there are her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in the photo.  To "us" there are brothers, sisters, spouses, cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews and children.

SO SO SPECIAL~!

Mai Tai's and Yatzee

Have not written in a while.....I don't have much to say - ha ha!

We are having a nice relaxing weekend at home with really no plans - I like those kind of weekends.  My dad is coming over to hopefully finish the wood floors projects and I think I will try and tackle putting the study back together.  Tonight, I think we will venture our for a good cheap mexican dinner, then tomorrow house work and probably dinner at home and then Sunday, church and we are having some friends over to bbq in the afternoon.  Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Alyson is doing great, she is getting bigger everyday and just so so cute.  I dropped her off at daycare this morning, which typically Daniel does.  The teachers immediately scooped her up and started painting her hands yellow~!!  She then made handprints all over a piece of paper and was laughing the the whole time! So much fun, I am really glad we moved her back to her original daycare.

It is a beautiful HOT July Friday, stay cool and be safe :)

-On a side note-
I got home yesterday after picking up Aly from school, got her dinner ready.  She ate around 6:30, then I stripped her down and plopped her in the tub.  She was fed and bathed by 7pm.  I felt quite accomplished and had to pat myself on that back for a minute.  Don't worry, I probably wont be able to do that again for another month.......but when you have nights like those, you have to do some congratulating!!

My Faults

It kinda sucks to know what your faults are and to continue to do them.  It has been pointed out to me more times lately by myself what these faults are and I seriously want to take care of them.

First steps - admitting my faults.  Since I was a child I has always been fast to do anything, its not like I think I am in a race or anything; it's just that I catch on to what is asked of me and I just do it.  This brings up another fault of mine.  Because I am fast in getting things done, I also miss out on the important details.  It's like that assignment that we all got in 3rd grade where the first sentence says to write a paragraph about your first pet and then the second sentence says instead of writing a paragraph make bullet points and draw a picture.  What I would do is read the first sentence, write the paragraph about my first pet, be the first to turn it in; but receive an "F".  My last fault (ha - not really I have many more, but these are the 3 that are "raising their ugly heads")  I tend to be sensitive and can take things personally in business.  This is not to say that I cannot handle constructive criticism, because I can.  What I tend to do is take ownership in everything that I do and when something doesn't pan out that I have worked on, I get my feelings hurt.  There is more that goes into this fault, but it is hard to describe exactly what I take personally and what makes me sensitive.  I am such a complicated person.  (ha-ha) aren't we all ~!

So.........since I so badly want to work on these faults, today I have the opportunity to begin to correct them.  The third one will be a little harder to correct b/c it is more of a "deep rooted" fault.  On to the next "assignment", I am going to slow down, read, ask questions, make notes/lists and hopefully try each day to continue to correct them.  My main challenge will be on "D-Day" when no matter what happens, something always goes wrong.  I am under the pressure of a deadline and I start to make stupid mistakes.  I think i just need to be aware of the "D-Day" crazy's and make sure to especially take my time and cover all of the bases to not miss anything or make mistakes.  OH~!  There is another one of my faults, I expect perfection from myself and when I make mistakes, especially careless ones I put on the "punching gloves" and get in the ring.

So - HAPPY FRIDAY, have a great weekend.  Wish me luck on striking out a few "faults" of mine :)

Not Guilty

Amazing, I am in shock.  Not much more to say about that.

Here are some pics from the weekend.  We had a wonderful time in Dallas with Brim, Aylin and Tyler and then also up in the Fort Worth area celebrating Daniel's mom and aunt's bday.  I am tired and our house is somewhat of a mess.  It is always a trade off when you go on weekend vacations b/c when you get home you have piles of laundry and I feel like I am always playing "catch-up".  This weekend we will be celebrating Daniel's sisters bday.  End of July and early August are always our "expensive" months :)

Our Little Lady and her long legs~!

Swimmin in the pool and blowin zurburts!

Just on a side note, to let you in on the lives of Daniel and I, I feel the need to talk to you about the shows that we record and like to watch on t.v.  This is just an insight into our world b/c I feel it is interesting.

I am glad that Daniel and I share our views on what we like to watch and what is appropriate for us to watch.  We used to watch one show on HBO and the first season was good, but as we got into the 2nd and 3rd, we decided as a couple that it was not something that we should be watching.  Bad examples for us to be "de-sensitized" to.  So what we watch now as a couple.......Deadliest Catch, we love this show - it definatley has some language, but I guess you have to take it with context.  Do you expect a crab fisherman to not have a potty mouth?  I don't think so.  Ice Road Truckers, the first couple of seasons were really good......these past 2 have been ok, but we like to watch it.   House Hunters International, 1 for the scenery and 2 b/c we like to guess which house "they" choose and see if we are right or not.  My show that I am watching now is Without a Trace.  I am big into detective, mystery, law, police shows; don't know why, but I have always loved them.....and I think I have a mini obsession with Jack Malone, the main character.  I love his raspy low voice.  (ha)  Daniel's shows that he likes to watch and I will watch with him or retire to our room to read my book are: Swords (Sword fishing show), Whale Wars (Hippies trying to prevent Japanese fishermen from illegally killing whales for profit), Swamp Loggers (some backwoods people (think Deliverance) that "fish" for logs for profit, and AxMen (same as Swamp Loggers, but on land).  So there is an insight into our world.  No Jersey Shore, 16 & pregnant, Housewives of Orange County..........

Mad TV Bob Newhart Skit - Mo Collins - Stop it

The Hour which I first Believe

This is the next book that I will be reading, and I am chomping at the bit to receive it.  I keep checking my mail and front door step like it's Christmas or something!  I don't want to start another book b/c I am afraid it will come and I will have to set that book aside.  So I have been forced to read the invigorating Toddler 411, Toddlerwise and What to expect the second year.  It is interesting and I do enjoy reading about what is to come with Alyson.....except for the temper tantrums.  I was at the doc's office today and there was a little girl around 2 who was screaming at her mother in the waiting room; I had to think......what would I do in that situation.  You can't do what the books tell you to do, which is get up and leave.  Some say to ignore them, but then you have the "on-lookers" like aren't you going to control your child......., not sure what I would have done.  It is one of my fears and I know it is coming, I will let you know how I do.

So what else is new......our wood floors are ALMOST done, sheesh it has taken forever.  I went to Macy's today to look at the chairs we are possibly getting, I love them - very "me".  The college leather couch of Daniel's does not quite go with them, so hopefully that thing will be out of the house sooner rather than later.  Tonight we pack and hopefully get on the road at a decent hour tomorrow.  We are staying with friends and then heading up North where Daniel's grandparents live to celebrate the 4th and his mom's bday.  Should be a good time, I will take pictures!

About an hour ago I dropped off a piece of my portfolio to be entered into a design awards competition.  I am up against a lot of good entries, but I was told I was the first to drop anything off, that counts for something right!!  I am nervous and of course would really like to win, but I'm just not sure. 
Oh well, it is good to enter and I get to go to a fancy gala no matter who wins.

Hope everyone has a happy 4th - BE SAFE~!!

Why can't a mouse eat a streetcar??? Why o Why o Why

Have you ever heard this song?  It's by Anne Murray, I used to listen to her songs when I was little and now Alyson listens to them to.  There is a song, titled.  "Why, Why, Why"  This is how I feel at the moment.  There are things in life that I just cannot make sense of.  What is GOD trying to teach "us", what is his ultimate plan and why can it be so hurtful along the way of finding out............

This coming weekend we are going to Dallas to visit some great friends we have not seen in awhile and also to celebrate Daniel's mom's birthday - July 4th.  Such a cool date to be born!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Friday

It's Friday and I am ready for the weekend.

I finished my book last night, The Art of Racing in the Rain.  It was very good and I am looking forward to this Tuesday to attend my first book group.

This week has been a little rough for me, it is always hard to come back from a fun filled weekend to a jam packed week.  Needless to say, I am looking forward to some downtime.

Tonight, we have movie night with Daniel's sisters.  I want to watch "The Fisher King", but I think Daniel will shoot me down for something "cooler".  Tomorrow I think we might go shop for a love seat to complete our living room, then we are having some friends over for dinner.  Sunday, we might have some out of town guests drop by for a visit, but Sunday is pretty much open.  I am looking for to a relaxing weekend.

Tired with a chance of Fog

We are back and I am in a fog.  I will write more about our River View trip later this week.  We had a wonderful time and cannot wait till next year.  Pics are attached :)

to excited to sleep

I feel like those kids in that Disney commercial, when they are going to bed the night before they leave for Disney World.  Yes, I know it is just camping and I know that the water level is going to be crappy and I know that it is going to be amazingly HOT.  BUT - I am still so excited.  I love going to the Frio with my family.  We have such a great time and it is just something that I look forward to every year.  I do not think I am alone in my excitement, seeing that I have received numerous text messages from my cousins counting down the days :)

I will make sure to take lots of pics.  

"I'll be back again next year (at Garner State Park) I'll be back again next year (at Garner State Park)"

In the western part of Texas, 90 miles from San Antone

"There is a place I go each summer, when I get the urge to rome.  I stand out by the highway; if I couldn't get a ride, I'd walk to GARNER STATE PARK."

Alyson (3 weeks old) at the Frio

Ha! sorry, 2 more days and we are off to the Frio~!  I am so so excited, we do this as a family every year and it is so much fun.  My dad's family started the tradition practically before my dad was born.  My Grandma and Grandpa would camp with some their friends at Garner around the 4th of July, but as it became more popular we moved to River View.  I have some great and funny memories of that place and it is always fun to reminiscence with my cousins.  We now "camp" (it's not really camping anymore) at Frio Acres, a lodge that is very nice with a/c, running water, no bugs holding up that bathrooms, and plasma t.v.'s.  Like I said, it's not camping.  BUT still so much fun.  We took Alyson last year when she was 3 weeks old, this year will be lots of fun now that she is older and can enjoy playing with her "set" of cousins.

Alyson goes for her well-baby check up tomorrow.  Her 1 year old check up and it always makes me nervous when I know she is going to get shots.  You hear so much in the news now about shots and kids and it possibly being linked to autism or something else, and it is just something that I fear whenever she gets them.  I have to trust in GOD that they are the best thing for her and that she will be ok. 

So, I decided to compromise with mother nature.  6:30pm in June trying to run 3-5 miles was just not going to work out.  I cannot believe we are reaching 100 degrees and it is only early June, scary to think what August is going to be like.  Anyway, I have joined my mom's walking group.  They meet every morning at 6:45 and walk around 4miles; I met up with them for the first time this morning, it was a lot of fun and a good work-out.  Got back home around 7ish, Alyson was dressed and ready for school.  I helped Daniel get out the door and then got ready for the day, on my way to work I felt great; very accomplished!!

Have a great Tuesday ALL.

a fragile life

Daniel and I have an immense amount to be thankful for.  My thoughts are heavy on our dear friends right now, and I pray for God's Will during the whole process they are enduring.  It is so hard to pray for God's Will, b/c what I really want is what our friends most greatly desire.  I am selfish and want to pray for what they want b/c I can feel how badly their hearts yurn.  BUT honestly, what I want mostly from God during this time, is for them to be protected.  For their hearts to be protected and their minds to rest in Him, knowing that He has their best interests at heart.  Calm their minds and protect their hearts for the next 2 weeks.

This book that I am reading right now is a great example of how fragile our lives are and how fragile life is.  I am at a section in the book where the main character is experiencing heart wrenching grief and then he get's a second blow.  Something that would make me want to curl up into a ball and stay there until everything went away.  BUT, he is fighting for the life of his daughter, her upbringing and how she will now be raised; and like I said, when your child is the one that is determining your decision, it is a no brainier on what you do and how hard you fight.

Which brings me to another item that is heavy on my mind for some reason, and I have to not watch it b/c it will somewhat "consume me".  This trial that is going on right now about the mother that is being tried for killing her daughter haunts me.  I think before I had Aly, I would have just briefly thought of how sad it was.  But now that I have been gifted with my beautiful daughter, that I have held her in my arms the days she was born, to last night while drinking her bottle.  I cannot imagine what that woman is being tried for doing.  This little girl, who's whole world is Daniel and I; she trusts us to love her, protect her and provide for her; how is what was done to that precious girl even fathomable?

OK - I have to move on from this somber section........

On a lighter note ;), I will post some pictures of Alyson's first birthday, as well as some pics from our recent beach trip.  Thanks so much for the beautiful photography Haley, A. Amie and Mitch.  Daniel and I seriously need to look into a NICE camera~!!

Happy Monday