Kaytlin at Nana’s house last week…

Joanie, the one and only DaGoddess, has generously offered herself and her talents to the very worthy cause Operation: Love Reunited as a photographer.

This program is very important to both military personnel leaving their families as well as those left behind. I’ll let Joanie tell you in her own words why she became involved:

Why? Why would I even attempt this if I don’t have the money? Well, for one simple reason: for every family watching someone get on a boat or a plane and heading off to the unknown, they don’t know if there will be someone coming back or not. But they will have the memories of the session. The deployed will have their beautiful faces to keep him or her company when they are frightened, when they feel there’s no hope. It’s worth asking for help from you to give them that. I can do the photography. I can capture those memories. I can print and assemble and mail the albums off as long as I have your help. And I can be here if someone finds themselves in need of a shoulder to cry on. That’s what I can do. And I’m also going to include in every album a thank you note signed by me and in honor of those who have donated to make this possible.

Anticipated expenses per family session are $15. If I shoot 25 families each time, that’s 50 families at $15/each and that comes in at $750 outlie for me. I don’t have it.

Joanie is asking for our help in getting this done for our military and their families and there is no better cause! She can do the work, but our donations will make possible the albums going with the deployed and their families.

I’ve donated one of the Wishes & Dreams paper album kit along with a tape runner - everything needed to complete an album - for a drawing!

With shipping, the retail cost of the package is 34.54. Everyone making a donation is eligible and will be entered into the drawing for this great gift!

• 1 Paper Album with 6 white pages/12 sides
• 14 sheets of double-sided printed papers
• 12 double-sided photo mats
• 1 sheet of epoxy stickers
• 1 sheet of die-cut shapes
• 1 sheet of clear Title Stickers
• 1 envelope
• Idea sheet to complete an entire paper album

Features

• Has a circle-shaped window centered on the album cover to display a decorative page or photo
• A foil star design is printed on the cover
• The overall size is approximately 6.5 x 6.5 inches

Create the perfect mini paper album with the Wishes & Dreams Paper Album Kit. Makes a great gift as is or quickly assembles with photos using the coordinated, pre-cut decorative accessories.
All the pieces to create a beautifully accessorized album are provided in the kit.

$2 from the sale of each Wishes & Dream Paper Album Kit will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

All © Creative Memories

This album is small enough to fit in a purse or backpack, but large enough to hold 15 precious pages of pictures and words.

There’s no better cause, no better way to show your support for our troops and their families and no better time to become involved!

Click here to make a donation and be entered in the drawing. You won’t be sorry!

Thank you!!

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn’t worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

The rest is under the fold.

…especially around Easter…

Youngest Amber at the park with hubby!

Miss Beatrice, The church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married.

She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cute glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.

The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

‘Miss Beatrice’, he said, ‘I wonder if you would tell me about this?’
pointing to the bowl.

‘Oh, yes,’ she replied, ‘Isn’t it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven’t had the flu all winter?’

A planned trip to the Zoo turns into a day at the park instead. What a great choice where old friends and new, both young and old got to hang out for a beautiful day. After playing in the sand and sun or chatting up the old times, we all headed out to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner (which is almost an hour drive for most).

A very memorable day to be had by all of us moms, just take a look at these pictures Hilary took. You can see just how much fun the kids had and adults enjoyed themselves.

Click for larger images…

For those of us who have kids…

The Price of Children

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn’t so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don’t have children if you want to be ‘rich.’ Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

* First step,
* First word,
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren! It’s the best investment you’ll ever make!

A priceless and so true email that was forwarded to me by Marlene. I hold hands with an applesauce or yogurt covered hand though. LOL Thank you for sharing.

Amber giving me a kiss! Taken at CB Smith park in Broward county!