365 Days of Memories: August 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

I Heart Faces Challenge -- White

*And above all,

watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you,

because secrets are always hidden

in the most unlikely places.

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.*

-- Roald Dahl --

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Fifty-One

*Everytime you wake up ask yourself,

"What good things am I going to do today?"

Remember that when the sun goes down

at the end of the day,

it will take a part of your life with it.*

-- Indian Proverb

Thursday, August 25, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Fifty

Thinking of my family in the Outer Banks right now...

and everyone else in the path of Hurricane Irene.

Stay safe out there everyone!!

Monday, August 22, 2011

I Heart Faces -- Pets :)

Whatchu lookin' at!?

Blue Jay in the Ice Storm

Pretty much everyone in my family has allergies to cats and dogs and other furry friends, and so we've never been able to have true "pets" in the sense of animals that live inside our house and allow us to cuddle with them and sleep in our beds with us. That's okay though! We have TONS of birds and chipmunks and squirrels outside that come to our home every single day for peanuts and bird food and other treats. They are just as much our 'pets' as those that someone buys in a pet store :)

This little guy is one example. He'd been visiting our home a lot as the winter was turning to spring and when the horrible ice storm hit and everything outside was covered in a thick layer of ice, he came and sat there on that bush, staring in the window until my dad went outside and remedied the frozen feeder situation!

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/08/photo-challenge-pet-week/#more-5899

Sunday, August 14, 2011

I Heart Faces -- Beautiful Eyes

Sweet Baby Girl...
Beautiful Eyes.

*I have looked in your eyes with my eyes.
I have put my heart near your heart.*

-- Pope John XXII

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Forty-Seven

*I wanna sleep under a different piece of sky,
I wanna live a little before I die.
I wanna be so close to Heaven I see angels...

Angel carry me, oh so far away,

may my body never touch the ground.
And if I promise you that I'll be back someday,

Will you set me free so I can fly away?

Fly away... fly away...

Fly away... fly away.*

-- Sugarland --

The tragedy in Indiana (link below) is weighing heavily on my mind tonight. I have been to so many concerts and will even be going to a Boyz II Men concert at the Kentucky State Fair on Friday... I know the pure adrenaline and joy that you feel when you get to spend the hours singing and dancing to one of your favorite bands. I simply cannot imagine the fear... the saddness that everyone who was there must have been feeling. Still must be feeling.

But mostly, I watch the videos they show on the news and can only cry, because, it is moments like these, when people are suffering and the world around us seems to be falling apart, that you can truly see the best in people. Watch the videos... the reactions of the crowd to run towards the stage to help instead of away from the pain and mess. To stay there when most would want to get out. To stay and try to do anything possible to ease the suffering.

It truly speaks of human compassion.

My prayers are with everyone involved.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/music/Sugarland__Sara_Bareilles_Express_Grief_Over_Indiana_Stage_Collapse_Tragedy__-_ARTICLE-127687033.html

Friday, August 12, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Forty-Six

Thursday, August 11, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Forty-Five

*Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

Think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the best.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side as long as you are true to the best that is in you!*

-- Christian D. Larson

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

I Heart Faces -- Friendship Challenge :)

*Sometimes being a brother

is even better

than being a Superhero.*

-- Marc Brown

*The highlight of my childhood

was making my brother laugh so hard

that food came out his nose!*

-- Garrison Keillor

I saw that the challenge for this week was "Friendship" and this photo immediately sprang to my mind. It takes me back to the early days of my godchildren's lives when Caydence was born and Connor simply refused to even acknowledge her existence. To the fear we had that he would ever really grow to love his sister and not to be constantly frustrated by her. Frustrated by her every movement and noise. And now... we see from the photo above (and of course from every day life) that we had nothing to worry about at all. The love between these two is what we call "crazy love!" They make each other laugh daily... they make US laugh daily, and they are definitely true friends in every sense of the word.

In this photo Caydee had just sneak attacked her big brother with a kiss and this was the reaction :)

365 Days Take Two -- Day Forty-Four

Can't believe this baby girl is starting Kindergarten in TWO DAYS!!

Or that this Taterhead will be in the SECOND GRADE!

And if I look back now,

that SUMMER seemed to last FOREVER,

and if I had the choice,

yeah, I'd always wanna be there...

Those were the best days of my life!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Forty-Three

Friday, August 5, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Forty-Two

Otherwise titled... "How did I get so far behind?"

*Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity.*

Lindley Karstens