September 11, 2001

So many times, I have listened to my mom talk about where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated or when Elvis died. or when the Vietnam war started and ended. History that forever changed her world.

As a young child, I experienced the Challenger explode in space. There we were -6th graders - watching the shuttle take off into space on live TV in the classroom. Space exploration, and especially one launching the first ever teacher, into space was big news and a great educational opportunity. We all sat there with our lives forever changed about space exploration as that shuttle exploded into pieces. You could hear a pin drop. Teachers ran out of and into rooms, there were tears shed and children in awe of an American tragedy. I didn't quite grasp the concept of emotion shed then but the incident forever changed how I felt about the "coolness" of space exploration. NOTE: These are emotions I felt as a child. I was scared to think about space and what existed beyond our Earth. I was frightened to get on an airplane for years.

As an adult, September 11, 2001, forever will touch my heart. A young mother, just taking her eldest to preschool for her first full week (Labor Day week was a short 1 day class). As I was getting her hair into pigtails, my cell phone rang. My husband Lance was on the other end. He was driving semi (not sure to where, minor details didn't stick with me) and had heard other drivers talking over the CB radio about an airplane striking the World Trade Center. "Turn on the news, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center". I turned on the TV to watch the destruction and immediately felt a slight wave of emotion come over me. Those poor people. At this point, I had no reason but to think it was all just an accident. I watched as the camera noticed another plane strike the second tower. I saw people jumping from the top floors to their death. Immediate tears and frightening, I couldn't understand how one plane had accidentally crashed but now two? What in world is going on, I remember that thought so clearly.

I grabbed Hannah, her backpack and Gracie's little toddler hand and hurried them into their carseats to get going for school. The radios were all news coverage of the World Trade Center. As I pulled up in front of the preschool, I looked at Hannah, walked her in and gave her a huge hug. Something in me told me to hug her hard that day. Gracie and I headed to Target...I over heard talk of a secure air space and that all planes were told to land immediately and at the current time no planes should be in the air. I looked up traveling down US150 and there was a plane. I screamed, I remember it so vividly. I was afraid and wanted to run back home. I heard the newsman say that a plane was on radar headed for the Pentagon and one appeared to be headed to Washington DC. I remember tears, I remember thinking that life as we knew it was about to end. I remember holding my baby girl in my arms minutes earlier and wondering if I was going to be there for her again. Serious thoughts that I think probably crossed many people's mind that day. Seven years later, I still get teared up thinking about 9-11. I thank God for the firefighters and police officers and loving citizens of this great country who gave their lives that day to save others and protect this country. To those passengers who fought the terrorists and won, but ultimately lost, you are my heroes. To the dispatchers who fought so hard to get help to a place in such turmoil. To the police officers and firefighters who saved others, who tried but couldn't get them saved and to those who gave their lives, thank you. To the people of this country that to this day, still stand together tall and proud, hands entwined and shed tears when they hear the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America or Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning......thank you. We are Americans and we are strong. We are Americans and we will survive.

And to our military who continues to fight so that the rest of us may enjoy the freedoms of this country each and every minute of the day. May God Bless You Richly. Amen.

Ad Inspiration

My scrapbook page - Our "staycation" to Lost Island Waterpark

My ad inspiration - A Carnival Cruise Lines Ad!

As a blog challenge through my local scrapbook store, Scrapaganza, I created the layout above. Just some Bazzill papers, Blue Stickles, Prima, Fancy Pants overlay, Cricut used for the words and a White Signo pen. Pretty fun and challenging.....not to mention that I found tons of inspiration for future layouts in all of those non-scrapbooking magazines.

Trick or Treat.....

A little Halloween altering going on today. This was a green frame I picked up in the $1 section at Target. A little paper and ribbon, voila! I am so ready for Halloween this year.

Fall Festival 2008

We drove into Orion over the weekend to attend the 2008 Orion Fall Festival. I grew up in Orion and graduated from Orion schools. It's almost a class reunion of sorts seeing all my old classmates and their children in the park. Here are some of our favorite memories from the weekend...tractor pulls, candy in the hay, minnow races and face paiting were just a few.

Hope you all have a fabulous Labor Day Weekend. Drive Safe. Be Safe.

Another Mans Trash = Another Womans Treasure

As I was driving home from school with the girls this afternoon, I drove by my cousin's house and saw this sitting at the end of his driveway. It appeared to be set out for junk....but knowing how many antique lovers I have in my family I thought......hmmm, maybe he set it out for someone to come and pick up. As I looked at it, I could envision it stripped to its original wood and stained to use in my scrapbook room. NOTE: The top photo is actually a photo of the piece upside down, so use your imaginations. The large cubes showcasing my albums and the small openings for paper storage and such. It even has a little desk edge that i knew would hold my cricut and big bite. I was in love! I called my mom to see if she knew what he was doing with it....she didn't. Darn it. She said you'll just have to call him and ask. So I did, thinking if he was selling it, he'd want a couple hundred bucks for it. David called me back and I asked him what he was doing with that primitive mail sorter table and he said "Jamie is supposed to pick it up today with his trailer and burn it".....NO! I had waited an hour and a half to call......what if it was gone?!?!? Well, lo and behold, as fate would have it.......it was still there. I asked him how much he wanted for it and he said "take it". NO WAY!!!! I saved it from its death via cremation and all it cost me was gas $$$... :o) I will begin tomorrow stripping it and when I am done, Lance will have to replace one leg (so technically it will be an upgraded primitive antique) and I will showcase it in my scraproom! We'll see how long it takes me to post it new.........isn't it so true, one mans trash is another mans treasure..........WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"Who Let the Dogs Out?" Who Who Who Who....

Three weeks ago, my older sister Jen was reading meters in the small town she lives in when she was viciously attacked by a 4year old boxer. Jen was approaching the backyard of a residence when she stepped just inside the opening in the fence and the dog took off and ripped into her lower right thigh, making two large, deep wounds to the area. Wounds which required transport via ambulance due to the extent of the wound and a total of 12 stiches. There were two tears, one approx 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep. The second approx 1.25 inches wide and 1 inch deep. The dog was leashed, but had access to the entire perimeter of the yard and beyond the fence. That's a long leash!!! Now, while on the ride to the hospital, the volunteer ambulance service in her town was requested back at the house to tend to the police officer who had arrived to secure the dog and take a report. He was bitten in the hand! The owners were home and apparently have no control of the dog's behavior or aggressiveness. The dog was not up to date on shots. Initially, the owner said the dog was current, then said it was 4 years behind (so never, ever had had shots) and then about 6 months behind. Come to find out the dog has bit 4 times over 2 years and attacked 7 times in two years. I have always been leery of the "vicious dog" law, because I always have believed it should only be used in extreme cases. Like this,where the dog has no structure of discipline and is aggressive inside and outside of the home. I feel bad that someone could lose a family pet, but I would never keep a family pet if it had bit/attacked to that extent. It just isn't worth it for someone to get killed over it.....and that can happen.

So I guess my question is, what would you do? My sister has started a petition to deem the dog vicious and have it euthanized. Even at 37 years old, she is now very wary of large dogs, even the nice ones. It's something that will probably stick with her forever. Thoughts, comments, suggestions.............and as always, if I failed to explain something well, just ask! :o)

First Day of School = one sad mommy

For years, I knew it was coming. It loomed like a gray cloud in the back of my head. The first day of Kindergarten for my baby girl. I anticipated such joy at seeing her reach one of the biggest milestones in her mere five years of life with just a touch of mellowness on my end since she is the baby and the last to leave the nest. The day started off great, all the girls woke up minus crabbiness (musta been first day excitement times ten) and ready to eat a healthy breakfast and get on the bus. I took "first day of school" pics of all three of them seperately and together. The bus came, more excitement bubbled at the seams, and off they were.

I came in, sat down and had a Coke (my morning coffee) and a slice of toast. Checked email and then got ready to head in to school to meet them getting off of the bus. Took all three girls to their respective classrooms and got the "first day in my new classroom" shots. I met my sister hobbling on her crutches (dog bite, long story that I will post about later this week) and we walked down to Kindergarten hall. While passing Avery's classroom, I noticed a few mommy's in tears in the hallway and thought "hmmmm, okay" not really getting why they were teared up. I mean, this is supposed to be a happy time, right? I drove home thinking about those ladies and how that whole sadness just wasn't me. lol! Then, I picked up the mail and walked in the back door and I just kind of stood there in the kitchen. It hit me....my baby is all grown up and here I am alone. Tears began to flow and the more I tried to stop them, the more forceful they came. She's my baby. I haven't been "alone" in ten years....some little person has always been here. I finally came to realize they weren't tears of weakness, they were proud and sad mommy tears. Happy and sad all together is normal right? Riiiiiiggggggghhhhhhhhhht........

Here are my happy thoughts as Avery starts Kindergarten:

I wish you a lifetime of learning. A love of words and numbers. A love of reading and physical education. I hope you run with the wind beneath your wings and I hope you fly to places you never imagined. I hope you make lifelong friends and learn that is is a priviledge to be a friend. Show your friends you love and respect them. Honor your teachers. Listen and obey them. They will nurture you with their love of teaching. Nurture them back with your love of learning. And, always remember, mommy loves you with all her heart.