Thank you so much to everyone who supported my holiday card fundraiser! With your help, I am able to send a nice check to my family member to support her cancer treatment. All of your kind words and positive thoughts are certain to help fill her with positive energy in the upcoming months.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2010. I know I am looking forward to the new year with lots of hopes for a very uplifting year. To quote Albert Einstein, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

Holiday Card Update

Thank you so much to everyone for your support of the holiday card fundraiser for a very special person fighting cancer. I've created a few new designs for people and have added them to my post below. There is still time to order your holiday cards, so please consider donating to a very worthy cause and getting a special unique design in return!

Buy a Holiday Card Design and Help a Special Family!

I created several holiday card designs this year and am going to give them to anyone who wants them. All you have to do is make a donation to a fundraiser for a very special family. You will then have a unique holiday card design that you can print where ever you want!

A close relative was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer this summer. Friends and family are gathering together to help raise funds for her treatment and to show this special mom and her family how much we care about them.

My husband went through chemotherapy over the summer for testicular cancer and he is doing well. We want the same outcome for our relative and hope that by raising funds for the treatments we can do a small part to show our support.

So here's the deal...

Donate $20 and I'll add your photo (that you send me) and personalize any card design for you. I'll then send you a high quality image for you to upload to your printer of choice. Or I'll personalize one of the scenic cards for you.

Donate $25 and I'll convert your photo to a lovely black & white image, personalize the card, and send you the high quality image for you to upload to your printer of choice.

You want a one of a kind design? Let me know what you are looking for and for a $250 or greater donation, I'll create it for you.

*NOTE: I have discovered that many places do not allow you to upload your own design for their holiday card specials. So if you would like to print at one of the big box stores all you need to do is print your image as a 4x8 or 5x7 photo and then purchase envelopes on your own.

Another option if you want envelopes included is to print at:

My account at zenfolio.com. I'll upload your customized card design to my account, send you the link and you can order directly from them at cost (I will not receive a profit on this). You can order 4x8 prints, with envelopes for 45 cents each.

-OR-

www.scrapbookpictures.com
www.MPix.com - greeting cards/diy option
Costco - their size for holiday cards with envelopes is 6-1/2"x7" and I can size all of my designs to fit their specifications.

I have ordered from these 3 places many times and have always been pleased with their quality and they have competitive pricing on their prints. I'll send you step-by-step instructions on how to upload a photo at any of these places.

My husband found that www.vistaprint.com allows you to print your own designs as well for a very good price. I've never printed photos there so I'm not sure of the quality but it is certainly another option if you want envelopes included.

Finally, if you don't want to handle the printing aspect yourself, I will print the cards for you and I'll ship them to you. I'll use my pro lab and offer special low pricing for the fundraiser. Contact me for the details and I'll send you a price list.


If you are a photographer and want the layered files to use with your client's images, which are sized to WHCC's guidelines with their templates:

Donate $10 and I'll send you any one layered file, created in Photoshop CS4 and compatible with previous versions

Donate $25 and I'll send you any 3 of the layered files.

Donate $50 and I'll send you any 8 of the layered files.

Of course you may always make a larger donation if you so choose. :-) Please know that you will be helping a very special family as they go through these challenging months.

Positive thoughts and prayers for the mom, dad and their two young children are immensely appreciated!

Donate here by clicking the "Donate" button below. Your donation will go through PayPal, and all monies will be given to this family. I'll contact you after I receive your donation to complete the holiday card customization. Be sure to include a valid email address where you can be reached. If you are ordering the templates only, list which templates you would like in the message box in Paypal. Please allow 3-5 days for delivery of a personalized file; allow 24 hours for delivery of non-personalized/layered files.

Thank you so very much!

Card 1, 4x8"


Card 2, 4x8"


Card 3, 4x8"


Card 4, 4x8"


Card 22, 4x8" (yes, these next few cards are numbered out of order)


Card 23, 4x8"


Card 24, 4x8"


Card 25, 4x8"



Card 5, 5x7"


Card 6, 5x7"


Card 7, 5x7"


Card 8, 5x7"


Card 9, 5x7" Note: If you are ordering the template of this design, it comes will all 3 colors below


Card 10, 5x7"


Card 11, 5x7"


Card 12, 5x7"


Card 13, 5x7"


Card 14, 5x7"


Card 15, 5x7"


Card 16, 5x7"


Card 17, 5x7"


Card 18, 5x7"



Don't do family, kid or pet picture cards? Here are some scenic cards you might be interested in:

Card 19, 5x7"


Card 20, 5x7"


Card 21,5x7"

I want to have a temper tantrum too

Little A turned one last week and had his first temper tantrum that same day. It was so funny to watch and made me laugh out loud - probably the first laugh I had in a while. All 17 pounds of him flung down on the floor, arms and legs spread eagle, and loud cries followed by a "bbbbbbbbbbbbb" vibrating from his pouty lips. I don't recall what ignited the tantrum, but I'm sure it was a very big deal to him.

If only adults could have such tantrums! I know I would really benefit from being able to lose it once in a while. However, that isn't exactly acceptable. But man, this year has really sucked and some primal expression would serve me well. I'm tired of trying to find the meaning in everything, sick of pretending that the glass is half full, going to go loco if I have to put on a facade again that "everything is fine" and I'm SOOOOOOOO over the mantra "it is what it is". I'm in need of a good temper tantrum.

*sob* *sob* *wail* *$%###$%*

Hmm, journaling my tantrum doesn't quite do it for me.

No photos for this entry. I haven't had the opportunity to photograph anything in a while. Yet another reason (in the long list of many reasons) I want to have a temper tantrum too.

The most special day...

One year ago today this little angel entered my life. And it was forever changed, for the better. He is sunshine and joy and happiness and pure love. He is remarkable beyond words and the most amazing little boy. He is forever my baby and my heart. He is pure and good and everything I never knew I needed or wanted. I love him so incredibly much. I thank God every single day for blessing me and my family with this little angel.

Thank you to the Heavens and happy, happy, birthday little A.

A Trail of Evidence

Scene of the crime....


Hot on the tail of the culprit...


I think I'm onto something...


GOTCHA!!!


hmm, I don't believe she cares!

*oh the life of a 4 year old!*

Once In A While

These two are like oil and water...they are constantly bickering, getting under each other's skin, and just not getting along. The typical pain/pest sibling relationship, I suppose. But once in a while (maybe the day after a full moon) they have a bit more tolerance for one another, and dare I say a bit more affection toward one another. These are the moments that makes a mommy's heart smile. I'm glad I get to see these moments once in a while.



(Ok...to be honest...if I look closely I can see that miss M is really holding onto J's arm and J's hand is clenched in a fist so he doesn't really have to hold her hand. But I'm choosing to put on my mommy goggles and see the love between them anyway. :-) )

Sunflowers for Wishes

Amazing sight to see over 14 acres of sunflowers in their full glory, proudly stretching up to the heavens. Even more amazing are the generous owners of Buttonwood Farm, who donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these gorgeous flowers to the Connecticut Make a Wish foundation. Making difference for so many children...one flower, one smile, one thoughtful moment at a time. And certainly one precious gift for all of us.

A Little Reminder For Myself

Best 89 cent investment ever

Yes, bubbles! They offer hours (well at least a good 20-30 minutes at a sitting) of entertainment and thrill. They bring smiles to little faces and giggles fill the air. They scream childhood and summertime. And thank goodness they are cheap, because the bottles are constantly knocked over and refills are frequent! But it is certainly the best 89 cents ever spent (times 10 for the number of bubble bottles I seem to buy every month)!

A Smile A Day

keeps the crabbies away. Well, maybe not really, but this little one is such a happy, laid back, carefree, awesome little boy. He is so friendly and happy and makes my heart sing. When I do get crabby, it just takes one glance in his direction for my heart to warm up and melt.

Chemo sucks

I suppose that about sums it up.

Not only does it take an enormous physical and mental toll on my husband, who just completed his first 5 days of his first cycle (there are 3 more cycles to go), but it is emotionally hard on the whole family. It pains all of us to see him struggle with the side effects of these drugs. I know he and I both underestimated what these drugs will do to his body as we've been a bit shocked at how much it takes out of him. I so wish there was something, anything, that I could do to make this easier on him. Feeling helpless sucks. My children especially are not immune to the effects of the chemo drugs on his body and spirit. I once thought I could shelter them from it, but I just can't. They see their dad tired and unable to eat or do much. They see my worry and concern for his health. They hear my irritable tone much too frequently lately; irritable from my insomnia and emotional stress. But I hope they also see that he is doing everything he can to cure himself of this disease and will persevere and triumph.

It is so ironic that these "biohazards" that are breaking his body down, wearing him out, and draining him completely, are the very things that are going to save his life so that he can once again have strength and vigor for years to come. Ultimately, they will make him an even better father than he already is and help all of us better appreciate the true meaning of life.

But still, chemo sucks.





And to end with a happier note, little miss M was in a sweet mood at one point last week. :-)

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

That is the theme for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event. Every year, groups of people work together to raise money for cancer research and funds to support those undergoing cancer treatment. They create teams, collect donations, and walk around a football field track all night. The evening kicks off with a "survivor" lap, where cancer survivors walk the first lap while everyone stands and applauds them, celebrating their success in fighting this disease. This is followed by the survivor and caregivers lap. After this, everyone joins in and walks around the track, continuously, all night long. As night falls, hundreds of luminaries are lit up to honor and remember all those who are fighting and surviving, as well as those who have passed on. The goal of Relay for Life is to raise awareness and money so that one day no one will ever have to hear the devastating words "you have cancer".

We were late to the game this year and didn't have enough time to put together a team. So my husband signed up to walk the survivor lap and raise money as an individual. Amazingly, in just a few short days, generous family and friends donated $1400 to the American Cancer Society on his behalf! We feel so blessed to have people that care for us and want to support Ken's efforts.

When it came time for the event to kick off I was filled with a multitude of emotions. I planned on supporting my husband and honoring all those who have been touched by cancer but I didn't really know what to expect. I certainly didn't expect to be so emotional. It was quite strange for me to see my husband put on the purple shirt signifying that he is a "survivor". Then for me to wear the "caregiver" pin was overwhelming. I've been by Ken's side throughout this journey, holding onto his hand as tight as I can and trying to be strong for him and our family. I've listened to the doctors, read the research, and planned for the treatments and recovery. But something about a purple shirt and some pins made it suddenly feel too real and raw. Being surrounded by so many other people who have walked this journey, were still standing strong and fighting back, was surreal.

So we joined in with others this night to celebrate the fact that Ken's cancer is highly curable, remember Ken's parents who lost their battles with cancer, and most definitely to fight back. We'll be fighting all summer long, and for many years after that so that this disease can be conquered.



As evening fell, we were blessed with this beautiful glow from the heavens.