Leap with Me

I put this on my personal blog, but I want to share it with my family too! Leap with me!


A Leap is much more than a hop
You can start where you are, it's not a jump from the top.
Leaping makes others want to leap too
I have a Leap Day challenge or two!
Figure out something that you want to do
Then take that leap to make it happen for you.

OK Boys and Girls.........Let's Leap!
I have decided that I'm going to celebrate this Leap Day by challenging myself .....and all of my blog peeps..... to find a way to LEAP OUT of your comfortable life and dare yourself to take that next step!

Put some thought into this.... I thought I didn't know what my leap was - - But I wanted it to be something worthy of a once every 4 year event.....

I've been writing this post for about an hour now, and I have my leap....

Committing to actually Opening a photography studio and leaving the power industry by 2010. By the time next leap day comes, I will have my studio, and will be no longer captive to the whims of management for my livelihood.

This is a scary leap, the power industry has been good income, and I make more money than most people in my circle. It's been a source of self-esteem for me, and has helped me to realize that I am intelligent and able to lead others. But, I am at the mercy of management who are constantly finding ways to get 'high value employees' out of the organization by outsourcing, and if my job here leaves and we are still so dependent on my income from there, we will be forced to move.

Owning a studio will free me in some ways, but confine me in others. However, If I want to do my business properly, I must take it out of my mobile home.

It's a Leap, and kind of frightening today. What's your leap going to be?

Happy Leap Day!

Yes I'm still alive

Well Hello to all of you. I thought I would write just in case some of you were starting to think that I had disappeared. No such luck as of yet. Life is just nutso as usual. I can't believe it has already been a week since Cheri and all the rest were here. I have been working at putting my house back together and then I had a bunch of company over for Friday night. We have such a great group of friends. It is always INTERESTING when we get together. Of course I ate way too much food, but thankfully I think I laughed all the calories away. Tonight was the Mystery dinner for our young couples class. I enjoyed stirring up trouble throughout the evening. I'm glad to be home now and hopefully I will be in bed very soon. Thanks for checking in and I will see you all very soon I'm sure. Love ya!!!

Stuff, Stuff, Stuff- 2

STUFF!!!!!!

Here are the promised pictures of the STUFF, boxes and boxes of STUFF! Elizabeth organized all the boxes, by what is in them. The ones we didn't open anyway. Everyone was sooo much help! There is still much more to do- like a BIG garage sale!! I think you get the picture.

Love Cheri

Little Girls, Big Boys

Bethany looks so much like Beth that it's startling to me. At first when I asked if I could take her photo she said "NO!"

I said "How about if I take a few, and if you don't like them I'll delete them?"
"hmmm... ok"
We didn't delete any....
Emily I think has decided now that I am OK. I'm glad...Everyone else likes me.

She and Bethany played and played, and I had such memories of being a girl, and cartwheels, and just being silly for no reason.

Scott showed me his guitar prowess, and is quite accomplished. He doesn't have any photos of himself playing guitar, so he was happy I took a few.

Since they run everyday together, the buff dudes gave me a photo op of their run.


I loved seeing all the folks, I still can't believe I can just drive over there.

Stuff, Stuff, Stuff, Stuff, Stuff!

The truck arrived today, and with it a kind of strange nostalgia, worry, claustrophobia, and for sure overwhelmedness.

Beth and Destinee showed up too, and they worked their heads off! By the time we were out of there, they had organized all the boxes in the basement, moved tons of stuff everywhere, and helped unpack, sort, decide and stow a ton of stuff.
The china hutch holds ALL the Polish Pottery, Good China, Wedding China, those little party plate things and still has a little room left over!

Beloved Strawberry things, not seen for these many years, have taken their rightful place. During the day, so many wonderful photos of all the kids as newborns, babies, toddlers, and kids came out of their boxes and back into the light. A certain completeness was definitely in the air.

Sure, she was overwhelmed, and I must say IT'S A LOT OF STUFF!, but its yours and all of your history.

Toss what you can, keep what you like, and don't sweat it. You are finally HOME again.

:) Love Love!

Last Day of Spirit Week

My hair was already gray. These kids turned my hair green.
Natalie won a prize today for the one of the best costumes in her class.

I had to do it

His little cheerful note just sent me into orbit. You all got copied so that there would be NO question, manipulation or confusion about what was said.

It was PG-13 for the sake of all readers, had it just gone to him alone, it would have probably been....oh..... edgier.

If I have offended anyone, I do apologize.

Cara

More Sprit Day Pictures

Natalie and Grandma

Most of our class plus a few extra twins.
Two High School kids I thought you might enjoy seeing. They are Nathan Vestle and Daniel Cunning.

Spirit Week Poster

These are the future Cheerleaders and the future Basketball players of AFB.

The cutest little Eagle yet!

Impulsive affection from across the sea.

Cara, thank you so much for making this blog for us. It's so great to be connected this way to you all 8000 miles away. Cheri, seeing you in these pictures makes me so anxious to see you in person. I love you both very much.

Christy

Cousins

Today we went to a Boy Scout camp in Mt. Vernon where Katie and some of her JROTC friends did a Orienteering course. Anyway we hung out with Beth and the kids while Katie ran her course. It took her about 1 hr 20 min. Group photo
Waiting for Katie
She Finished!!!!
Katie and the boys!!!!!
After she was done we went to lunch and then to the mall and Target. We had a nice day!!!

Snow Day

Hailey is as wide as she is tall in her snow outfit.
Rachel is cute in any outfit!
Natalie is not standing on the ground. It is deep out there.
Natalie and her snowman. Carrot nose and sucker eyes finish her work.