Thank a Veteran

Take the time to say thanks to a veteran today. I am calling my father to thank him for his years of service during Vietnam. I also plan to shake the hand of any servicemen/women that I see today. Living close to an Air Force base, it's a pretty normal occurrence. Our freedom is precious and priceless and we owe it to those who selflessly follow our Commander-in-Chief and put their lives on the line to defend us.

Thank you so much for what you've done and continue to do. You make us proud to be Americans!

Victory--can you smell it?!

I cannot even put it to words (very well, anyway) how very relieved I am that Barack Obama is our President-elect. I know that some of my readers may not agree with me but I whole-heartily believe that Obama will bring the change that is so desperately needed in our country. Unity is coming, not only for our country but with the international community. The American people have come forward and let their voices be known. History has been made. It know matters not what color your skin is or how little experience you have, but rather, your plan for our country and how in tune you are with what the American people need.

YES, WE CAN!

I bite my nails and other things you probably don't care to know...

Judy had this up on her blog and I needed something to do so...here you go, a bunch of stuff you probably could care less about.

The phrases that are in a bold are true….

Appearance:
- I am 5′4 or shorter.
- I think I'm ugly.
- I have many scars.
- I tan easily.
- I wish my hair was a different color.
- I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color
- I have a tattoo.
- I am self-conscious about my appearance.
- I have/ I've had braces.
- I wear glasses. (Or contacts.)
- I'd get/have gotten plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.
- I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.
- I have had more than 2 piercings.
- I have had piercings in places besides my ears.
- I have freckles.

Family/Home Life:
- I've sworn at my parents.
- I've run away from home.
- I've been kicked out of the house.
- My biological parents are together.
- I have a sibling less than one year old.
- I want to have kids someday.
- I have children.
- I've lost a child.

Embarrassment:
- I've slipped out a "LOL" in a spoken conversation.
- Disney movies still make me cry. I love Disney!!
- I've snorted while laughing.
- I've laughed so hard I've cried.
- I've glued my hand to something.
- I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
- I've had my trousers rip in public.

Health:
- I was born with a disease/impairment.
- I've had stitches.
- I've broken a bone.
- I've had my tonsils removed.
- I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
- I've had my wisdom teeth removed.
- I've had serious surgery.
- I've had chicken pox.

Traveling:
- I've driven over 200 miles in one day.
- I've been on a plane.
- I've been to Canada.
- I've been to Niagara Falls.
- I've been to Japan.
- I've been to Europe.
- I've been to Africa.

Experiences:
- I've been lost in my city.
- I've seen a shooting star.
- I've gone out in public in my pajamas.
- I've pushed all the buttons in a lift.
- I've been to a casino.
- I've been skydiving.
- I've gone skinny dipping.
- I've played spin the bottle.
- I've crashed a car.
- I've been skiing.
- I've been in a play.
- I've met someone in person from the Internet.
- I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
- I've seen the Northern Lights.
- I've sat on a roof top at night.
- I've played chicken.
- I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
- I've eaten Sushi.
- I've been snowboarding.

Relationships:
- I'm single.
- I'm in a relationship.
- I'm available.
- I'm engaged.
- I'm married.
- I've gone on a blind date.
- I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
- I have a fear of abandonment.
- I've been divorced.
- I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
- I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.
- I've told someone I didn't love them when I did.
- I've kept something from a past relationship.

Sexuality:
- I've had a crush on someone of the same gender.
- I've kissed a member of the same gender.-
I've had sex with someone of the same gender.
- I've had sex with more than one person at the same time.
- I am a cuddler.
- I've been kissed in the rain.
- I've had sex outdoors.
- I've hugged a stranger.
- I have kissed a stranger.
- I have had sex with a stranger.

Honesty/Crime:
- I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
- I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.
- I have lied to my parents about where I am.
- I am keeping a secret from the world.
- I've cheated while playing a game.
- I've cheated on a test.
- I've driven through a red light.
- I've witnessed a crime.
- I've been in a fist fight.
- I've been arrested.
- I've shoplifted.

Drugs/Alcohol:
- I've consumed alcohol.
- I smoke cigarettes.
- I smoke pot.
- I regularly drink.
- I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.
- I've taken cough medicine when i wasn't sick.
- I've done hard drugs.
- I've been addicted to an illegal substance.
- I can't swallow pills.
- I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.

Mental health:
- I have been diagnosed with depression.
- I shut others out when I'm depressed.
- I take anti-depressants.
- I have had an eating disorder.
- I've slept an entire day when I didn't need it.
- I've hurt myself on purpose.
- I'm addicted to self harm.
- I've woken up crying.

Death:
- I'm afraid of dying.
- I hate funerals.
- I've seen someone dying.
- I have attempted suicide.
- Someone close to me has attempted suicide.
- Someone close to me has committed suicide.

Random:
- I can sing well.
- I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
- I open up to others too easily.
- I watch the news.
- I don't kill bugs.
- I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.
- I swear regularly.
- I am a morning person.
- I paid for my mobile phone ring tone.
- I'm a snob about grammar.
- I am a sports fanatic.
- I play with my hair.
- I have/had "x"s in my screen name.
- I love being neat.
- I love Spam.
- I've copied more than 30 CD's in a day.
- I don't know how to shoot a gun.
- I am in love with love.
- I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
- I laugh at my own jokes.
- I eat fast food weekly.
- I believe in ghosts.
- I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
- I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
- I am really ticklish.
- I love white chocolate.
- I bite my nails.
- I play video games.
- I'm good at remembering faces.
- I'm good at remembering names.
- I'm good at remembering dates.
- I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Proud New Owner

Check out my group on Cafe Mom!

The Hot Seat

When the owner of my most favorite group on CafeMom stepped down and picked me to take over the ownership, I was flattered...she picked me! This was the very first group I joined when I found CafeMom and it remains my most visited group even today. We are a very intimate group of about 20. The group is called the Hot Seat and what we do is pick one mom from our group to be in the Hot Seat and everyone can ask her questions on anything and the MOTW (Mom Of The Week) has to answer them. We also have games and QOTD (Questions of the Day). It's just a fun, no stress, no drama group. Now that you've heard my plug, please won't you visit and join us?!

One of those *cough, cough* blonde moments...

I mean no insults to my fair haired friends but, do you remember my mild protest to the limitations of my "new" blog? Well, today, I was bored and decided to look amongst the widgets on Blogger and what did I find, after scrolling almost to the bottom of the list on the first page? A widget that allows you to add ANY html/Javascript code to your blog. So, *drum roll* I was able to add back my cool Flickr badge, Library Thing list of my recent reads and my Weather Pixie! It was one of those "duh-o" moments, for sure and I couldn't be happier about it! I may add back my buttons from my favorite sites, or I may let the new blog roll do it's job. Either way, I'm now a firm believer in the goodness of converting my blog--heck yeah!

Check it out, doesn't it looks so much snazzier?

I'm a Doris, I like to help...

You Are a Doris!

You are a Doris -- "I must help others."

Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.


• * Share fun times with me.


• * Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.


• * Let me know that I am important and special to you.


• * Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

• * Reassure me that I am interesting to you.


• * Reassure me often that you love me.


• * Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Doris

• * being able to relate easily to people and to make friends


• * knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better


• * being generous, caring, and warm


• * being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings


• * being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Doris

• * not being able to say no


• * having low self-esteem


• * feeling drained from overdoing for others


• * not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish


• * criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should


• * being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them


• * working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Dorises as Children Often

• * are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism


• * try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding


• * are outwardly compliant


• * are popular or try to be popular with other children


• * act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention


• * are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Dorises), or quiet and shy (the more introverted Dorises)

Dorises as Parents

• * are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)


• * are often playful with their children


• * wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"


• * can become fiercely protective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

It's all my fault

Proof that each and every vote can make a difference. My old college roommate sent this to me and I got a laugh, hope you do too.

Rated: PG-13 for some mild, brief language, watch at your own risk.

Click here to see what I'm talking about.

The best part, you can customize the video and send to your family and friends.

I'm a winner, a winner, a winner...

I actually won something recently on CafeMom! They randomly select members to be part of an influencer program. Simply put, these moms are chosen to receive products for free, test them out and then write about their experiences for other CafeMom-ers to read. In the past, I have won two Playskool toy contests, but this time, I didn't have to do anything and was chosen to receive a free 20-page 8x8 photo book (that's about a $50 value folks)from Shutterfly! I have never used Shutterfly or any site like it, so I was a bit intimidated, after all, I'm not crafty in the slightest. So, imagine my joy to find out that not only was Shutterfly so simple to use, they even recommended cute page layouts for me. I have to admit that I never thought I'd finish because just when I thought I liked a layout or a page background, I'd click around and find something else that I liked even more. Shutterfly is not for the indecisive--haha! I finally finished my book yesterday and am very pleased with the results. It should be here by Halloween and I cannot wait to see it. The finished product will be the real test. If I like it, I can see many more books being created in the future. For $40 or so, I figure they would make great presents for grandparents. Plus, Shutterfly is always offering up great savings, including, at times, free prints, free photo books and percent off coupons. You know me, I love a great deal! If you haven't already, check out the site, it's so much fun & addicting. Oh yeah, I highly recommend joining Cafe Mom too, not just for the giveaways but for the community.

**I had to take down the link for my completed book because I read somewhere that anyone can print a book once they have the access link--scary thought--so, if you'd like to see it, please comment, and I'll send you the link via email.**

Change, it's good right?

I finally bit the bullet and converted my blog to the new customized (read: XML) template. It was a pain in the butt to get everything transferred over, but I have to admit that I'm in love with the widget option and the ability to easily change the layout of the page.
Some of the new changes that you'll see:

1. Obviously, a totally new "skin". It was time for a change and I finally realized why those spiffy layouts from pyzam.com weren't working, so I was stuck with Blogger's limited options.

2. A much-improved blog roll list. It's very click-able and alphabetized for your convenience. Check out my frequent reads, they are just great.

3. A new look to my Flickr "badge". Technically, it's not from Flickr anymore but rather an application created for use among Blogger's widgets. Granted, it's not as pretty as Flickr's create-a-badge, but it gets the job done. Now, if someone wants to rewrite the Flickr badge code into XML for me, I'd be more than happy to use Flickr's. In the meantime, you'll see 6 of the new photos on my account and clicking on one photo will still take you to my photostream on Flickr...so, it's all good.

4. Bye bye Weather Pixie and hello Weather.com widget. I will miss my mountain pixie but, at the end of the day, the weather is the weather.

5. My "About Me" profile is displayed on the page now so you'll get to read a bit about me, not that you didn't already know it, and see my cool signature picture.

Have fun looking around and be sure to drop me a comment and let me know what you think. Hopefully, my hard work paid off.

It's Gray Area

A quick update following Cara's neurologist visit on Tuesday (10/7/08).
We met with Dr. Maddox to review the radiologist's finding from the MRI. Initially, the MRI was ordered to check for any abnormalities which could explain Cara's speech delay as well as to check for any fibromas which would indicated neurofibromatosis. The report was very positive! The radiologist found no lesions, tumors or blockages in Cara's brain. He reported that her ventricles had decreased in size though the left was still a bit larger than the right, showing that she does, indeed, have hydrocephalus. There was some scar tissue around her shunt, but that was to be expected. The only "helpful" thing that we discovered from the report was that Cara has a very thin corpus callosum, the large bundle of nerves (essentially) that separate the two hemispheres of the brain. The corpus callosum allows both sides to communicate with each other and the thicker it is, the better the communication due to the more nerves that exist. If it is thinner than normal, there is a potential for communciation between the left & right sides of the brain to be slowed. This could(there is no way to be 100% certain) explain Cara's speech delay.
So, while we breathed a big sigh of relief after hearing the mostly positive report, we are still left to wonder what is truly causing Cara's lack of speech and also, if she does indeed have neurofibromatosis. For now, we will continue with her speech therapy and also stick with our appointment to see a genetic counseling team in December. It will be their job to decide where we go from here.

All's Well

We are home from Cara's MRI and she is back to her normal self--playing and eating. In fact, she woke from the anesthesia very quickly and just as quickly consumed two bananas and two packages of animal cookies. She was starving, having gone without anything but apple juice since 9pm last night!

The follow-up with neurosurgery went well also. We saw one of our favorite nurse practitioners, Jenn, and she reset Cara's shunt setting. It went from 1.0 to 2.5 due to the magnetism of the MRI machine! That's going from having her value open quite a bit to having it almost all the way closed. Heck, when I was in the room while Cara was going under sedation, the machine grabbed onto the medal in my ID tag and tried to strangle me! What really amazed me was that Jenn could both check her shunt setting and adjust it without even having to touch her shunt! The wonders of modern medicine.

We also learned that Cara's head circumference has decreased in size to 51cm and we're down to the 98% from over 100% prior to the shunt...very good news! Jenn also said that her ventricles looked good, both have decreased in size since her last MRI in July of last year. All is well, shunt-wise. We will continue to count our blessing for every day that goes by without a malfunction with her shunt.

We will hear from neurology tomorrow as to what the radiologist confirmed from the scan. Watch for another update soon.

A Big Day

Today, Cara has her MRI at Children's Hospital to check for any structural problems *read: tumors or other growths* in her brain. We are leaving shortly as we have to be there an hour ahead of schedule for sedation. I'm really hoping that they will give her an oral sedative and not through an IV and that they will let us hold her until she drifts off. It's much peaceful of a transition that way, I think.

Right after the MRI, we have an appointment with neurosurgery to reset her programmable shunt. Due to the magnetism of the MRI, it is suspected that her set will de-program itself and will need to be reset. Thankfully, this is so very simple. There's a device that they "attach" to her shunt from outside of her head and it will set the shunt back to the correct setting, no invasive surgery needed!

All in all, we expect to be out of hospital and on our way home around 4-4:30 this afternoon. Once again, I am asking...if you pray, please do so; cross fingers and toes if that's more your cup of tea. Whatever it is you do for good luck, please think of Cara while you do it. I will update everyone later. This should be a very smooth procedure and Cara is an old champ! :)

All About Ben

Judy had this test of sorts up on her blog. It's all about your spouse or significant other. Let's see how well I know my husband of almost 8 years...

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? Family Guy, football, CNN.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Italian or a vinaigrette. Sometimes, he'll surprise me and order a salad as a main course.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Melon--how can you NOT like melon?!

4. You go out to a bar. What does he order? Fat Tire or Coors but, he doesn't drink much.

5. Where did he go to high school? John Glenn High School

6. What size shoe does he wear? 13-14 depending.

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Music & DVDs. He has an impressive collection already.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? The sweet onion chicken teriayki sub from Subway.

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could? Spaghetti, without a doubt.

10. What is his favorite cereal? He doesn't normally eat cereal, but I know he likes corn flakes and corn checks.

11. What would he never wear? Anything other than polo shirts! LoL Seriously though, that's about all I can get him to wear. I need to nominate him for What Not to Wear on TLC.

12. What is his favorite sports team? Football-Steelers or Broncos; Basketball-Pistons; Hockey-Red Wings (it's fun in our house because I'm an Avs fan); Baseball-Yankees.

13. Who will he vote for? Let's just say that we're blue.

14. Who is his best friend? Besides, me?! Geoff & Jason but he's horrible about keeping in touch with them.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Nag, I tend to get on his case if I don't like what he's doing or I need him to so something.

16. How many states has he lived in? Three--New York state, Michigan & Colorado.

17.What is his heritage? Easy--African American. He's a first-gen American-born. His parents both grew up in Ghana.

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind of cake? Hmm, this one I'm not sure about. I *think* he'd prefer brownies.

19. Did he play sports in high school? Nope, he was a nerd on the knowledge bowl team. He tried out for football, but didn't make the cut.

20. What could he spend hours doing? Programming on his laptop or playing old school games on our Wii.

21. Does he belong to any men's organizations? Other than fraternal alumni? Not really, he's part of the computer ministry at our church, but that's not just men.

(I just read my answers back to Ben and I'm proud to say that I got them all write, even the cake one! Go me!)

Craving Some Culture?

Tomorrow is Museum Day 2008 sponsored by the Smithsonian Magazine, didn't you know? If you click here, you can find a list of participating museums and even print off a free admission for yourself & a guest. It's only good for tomorrow, Saturday, but if you're looking to squeeze in a bit of culture or even some place free to take the family, this is your ticket.

I was surprised to see that a few of the "lesser known" museums (or not) were on the list for Colorado. If the weather is decent, I plan on packing up the girls and heading to the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Go out, breathe in some culture!

Momma could use a new bag!

Could you use a new, free handbag? I know that I could, even though I'm not the type who has a gazillion of them stored in the closet for each occasion. I've had mine for about 2 years now and well, it's time for a change. Judy alerted me to this contest over at Handbag Planet. They are launching their new website soon and in honor of this, are giving away a brand spanking new handbag every hour for 24 hours! It's 100% FREE! No shipping, no credit card needed, nada. So, set your browser to Handbag Planet and register to win! You'd be crazy to turn down FREE!

Ikea's Coming, Ikea's Coming!

I'm so psyched! Sometime, in the not-so-distant future, Colorado is going to get it's first Ikea store just down I-25 from us in Centennial, CO! I've been admiring Ikea's stuff from afar (online) as I haven't had the fortune to be able to travel to Phoenix or the Salt Lake City suburbs, home to the closest two stores, nor do I want to order online and pay crazy shipping costs. I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can go and just browse, eat at their bistro and make a day out of it. Since an opening target date hasn't been set, who knows how long I'll be waiting, but at least it's coming!

Evidence that people are still thinking

Jerry Seinfeld - "A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."

With that in mind...here is what I'm currently fueling my thinking brain with--

The Freedom Writers' Diary
I saw the movie with Hilary Swank, and was intrigued by the story, so I'm now reading the book.

Friday Night Knitting Club
I heard a brief plug for this book on a web cast for New York's public library. It's also been listed as a book club favorite and a staff pick at our local branch library. So far, I'm liking it. I'm only a few pages into the book but am getting a glimpse at the lives of each of the characters. It should prove to be a "soul warming" read.

Finally, The Godmother This book is spunky, smart-alec British chick lit and since I just love me some Sophie Kinsella (The Shopaholic series), I'm laughing out loud with this one too. Although, I occasionally have to wrack my brain to figure out what a snoot or a bugaloo is, it's a light and hilarious read thus far.

Usually, I have a couple of serious reads and one laugh-my-bum-off light read but, it just so happened that more of my chick lit picks happened to become available from my hold list these last few weeks. What can I say, I can use an off-the-wall, another realm story to take me away from reality from time to time. Then, we I need something to pick me up out of my mommy-brain-mush days, I'll read something that gets me thinking. It's a good balance, in my opinion.

What are you all reading these days?

Does it pay?

I was reading this post on one of my favorite blogs--Goody Blog--a product of the wonderful staff at Parents Magazine. It got me thinking, about how we reward people, in general, for good work. CEO's get very cushy bonuses, hourly employees get raises and things of that nature. So, is it a bad idea to reward our children for their good work in school the same way. What I mean is, is it a good idea to pay kids for good report cards?
Parents on Goody Blog pointed out the pros and the cons. I, personally, happen to think that paying children for grades can take away from the pure joy of learning, unless that concept is somehow embedded in another way. Learning should be fun and not something that you have to bribe your children to do. But, on the flip side of the coin, I can see how money (or toys, books, what have you) can be a motivating factor, especially for older kids. And, I've had weak parenting moments where I've bribed my girls to behave on a long car ride with new Crayola Wonder books or snacks. Bribery is sometimes necessary. I can only hope that my daughters' education continues to spark and hold their natural curiosity and interest so that bribery isn't necessary.
In my household, growing up, we were expected to try our best, giving our all to every subject & every assignment. As long as my parents knew that we were doing the best that we could do and making improvement every marking period, we were not expected to get straight A's, nor were we rewarded for them, beyond my parents' love and praise. For me, that was enough. I worked hard and did well for myself, my own sense of accomplishment. I longed for positive feedback from my teacher, that was award enough for me.
It is my sincere hope that these same principles are being instilled in Caitlin as we begin the educational journey with her. She may roll her eyes when I make her re-do a line of "K"s because they are not up to par, but I know that she wants to get that sticker or smiley face of a job well done from her teacher as well as a "good job" from me. I think it is an essential of good parenting that will teach a good work ethic in our children. That it is important to do a good job, regardless of whether we can expect something, in a physical form, for our efforts. One should be proud of their work, and that alone, should be enough to encourage future work of the same, or better, caliber.
I hope that we never have to resort to paying our children for grades, but I have to say, I will most likely resort to anything that will keep my kinds motivated and loving to learn. But, I have to wonder, can you pay a child to love learning?

Anyone care to chip in their two cents?

Blog Love!

I received this wonderful and much appreciated award from my dear blogging friend Judy. I am so thrilled to be chosen and hopefully, expand Mountain Chronicles' readership.

In order to accept this award, here are the steps--

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. **I can't do this, as I don't have enough people to nominate--yet! I did the best that I could**

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.


So here are the 3 very worthy blogs that I to whom I have chosen to pass on this award:

Lauren @ How Bourgeois. Lauren & her husband Jon have a wonderful hodge-podge of a blog filled with just about everything you can imagine including adorable pictures of their handsome (and smart) little man, Noah. Lauren & I have been IRL friends since we both worked together at a busy Metro Detroit library.

Vidya @ Mamameo. Vidya and I both have kiddos with hydrocephalus but she is also extremely crafty and insightful. I am blessed to count her amongst my friends!

Sarah @ Violet's Journey. Sarah was the first person that I "met" when we found out about Cara's diagnosis. Although she lives many oceans away in "the land down under", she has been beyond supportive and helpful. Her blog details her sweet daughter Violet's journey with hydrocephalus and all that goes with it.

Congratulations you guys! Now, it's your turn to share the fame.

Hydrocephalus Walk-Denver 2008

We were priveledged to be able to participate in the Hydrocephalus Association's benefit walk in Highlands Ranch today. It was a beautiful day (in the low 70's) to get out and walk for a good cause. I would guess that there were over 100 people there and, all together, we raised $15,000 to benefit research for hydrocephalus! So, a big shout out to those that helped us raise the funds that we did. I told you, every little bit would help! On a side bar--it is sad though, that less than $2 million is provided yearly from the federal government for a condition that effects 2 out of every 1,000 people (especially children).

We met up with our good friends Vidya, Aaron & Solan at the site and then walked the 2.5 miles around a beautiful park and wetlands area with stunning views of the foothills. It was nice to get some exercise and catch up on the happenings in our lives. Ben was the "Daddy engine" and pulled about #120 worth of children for the duration of the walk. He was one pooped out pup when we finally made it back home.

After the walk, we chowed down on some wonderful hot dogs and fixings and let the kids play in the awesome playground and pond (where we, of course, had to feed the ducks hot dog buns) at Redstone Park. Vidya managed to collect quite a few names of families interested in starting a support group, so we are excited to get something going! All in all, it was a wonderful day!

Click here for some pictures of the day. I will have more once a CD comes from the walk's photographer who took several family pictures of us and lots of the events at the walk.