My thought for the day!

Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people's thinking.

Don't let the noise of other's opinion drowned out your own inner voice.

Most imporant, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

--Steve Jobs

Day on the Lake 2009

This past weekend, Jenna, Larry, Rob, Bradley, Sarah, Hunter and I were priviledged to volunteer at The Day on the Lake. Jill is part of the organization behind the Day on the Lake. Friday and Saturday, people with disabilities were invited to Bartlett Lake to waterski, jetski, canoe, fish and just ride on a boat. It was such a wonderful experience to see the smiles that were plastered from ear to ear on everyone! It was such an uplifting experience. It really helped the kids (and us too!) see how blessed they were and how much they (we) take for granted. It was exhausting but so much fun!!
The weather was great! Only a couple of sprinkles on Sat. Wonderful people! Warm hearts and loving souls! I spent Friday on the speed boat taking pictures of the skiiers! What a wonderful sight! Splashing water, smiles and the signals to go faster and faster! I don't think most of them could get enough! The teams were great too! Each ski boat had 2 jetski's and 2 perimeter boats plus the pontoon boat that brings the participants to the boat. On each of the jetski's there were 2 riders, these are who jump into the water to help steady the person on the ski, give the signal to go and help them aboard the pontoon boat once the ride is over. These were awesome people! There were 2 teams out with skiiers!

On Saturday I stayed on the dock an got pictures of the jet ski's. This way cool too! They would ride the jetski up on a dock so that it was stable. Then they would lift the participant onto the jetski. They would either be infront of the rider or if necessary a third person would ride on the back sandwiching the participant between them. I took pictures of one teenage girl who was grinning from ear to ear, not sure what she was happier about, the jetski ride or holding on to the jetski driver! Her Mom told me she requested this particular driver! TEENAGERS!! LOL. Rob and Bradley manned the fishing boat, Jenna helped at the registration and on the fishing boat, Larry did the water intake and he did some of the lifting participants onto the jetski's. I have to admit I was a bit jealous of all of them, they got to get to know most of the people there and heard their stories, I on the other hand was just a bystander. I was itching to put down my camera really do something useful! Until I was quietly reminded that the photographs I was taking were priceless!! Thanks Jill! I needed that one!

Here are just a few of the smiles!

Happy Birthday GIRLS!!!

May 27th must be a pretty special day to have 3 wonderful women share their birthday!
Happy Birthday to Teresa, Monica and Sarah!! You three are special women in my life and I want to let you know how much you mean to me by wishing you a wonderful birthday! Each one of you has a special place in our hearts!
Hope all your wishes, dreams and desires are fulfilled! Have a wonderful Day with lots of wonderful surprises!!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear, Teresa, Monica and Sarah!!!
Happy Birthday to you!!!!


And MANY MANY MORE!!!

Love,
Jodie and Jenna

Schools out for SUMMER!!!!

"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!"
Dr. Seuss


At 3:40 p.m. it was official! Jenna is out of school for the summer. She is also now offically a FRESHMAN in high school! She is so excited and hyper. Where did the time go? It is hard to believe it has already been a whole school year since we arrived in Mesa!
Today is Josh's graduation too! So he is done with high school and ready to move on to bigger and better things!
Congratulations to both of them!!

Happy Belated Birthday Jill!!

I hang my head in shame! I was so busy I forgot to post a Happy Birthday to my sister! Shame Shame Shame on me!!! I did congratulate her on her birthday so I didn't really forget! We celebrated last night with a wonderful steak dinner and cake! Well Sissy I hope you had a wonderful day!! We sure enjoyed seeing you open your gifts!
Happy Birthday to a wonderful woman, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend. We love you and hope you had a wonderful day!

Love,
Jenna, James, Dad, Mom, Larry and Jodie

Happy 15th Birthday Jenna!!!

Today is a very special girls 15th birthday! She is a wonderful daughter, a terrific sister, a helpful cousin and an all around great kid! Of course I am biased but she is pretty terrific!! Hope you have a wonderful birthday! May you get all you wish for when you blow out your birthday candles! I know that it is going to be a bittersweet day without your daddy and brother here to help you celebrate. We will do our best to make it a special day for you!

You are a wonderful, helpful and caring person and I am so proud to be your MOM!!!

Love you always and forever baby!!!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Jenna,

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Jenna's Butterflies

For Christmas, Jenna got a butterfly garden. All you had to do is send in for the catepillars. So we did right away and never got them. So I called and found out they never had received our order and got them shipped right away. During spring break we got the package. In side was a plastic cup with 5 tiny catepillars inside. We put them on the shelf and checked on them a couple times a day. In the begining there wasn't much to see, the didn't move alot. But after about 2 days they were double in size and moving around. They grew and grew! When they decided it was time to change. They were at least 10 times the size they were when they arrived. They change so fast! One minute they were catepillars the next they were safe and snug in their crysalis. The whole process from start to butterfly took 3 weeks. They ate and ate for the first week and the second week they hung in their crysalis and changed, the last week they were butterflies. We kept them a bit longer than we would have liked because of the cold nights. We released them yesterday. Emmalee and Jenna got a kick out of watching them grow and change.

Here are a few pictures :

the first day:

5 days later
6/7 days later (3 of the 5 are in crysalis)


Hanging out in the habitat.

the first butterfly emerges

now it is time to let them goEmmalee got to hold one firstBye bye butterfly!!