I've been tagged!

I've been tagged! Yes, you heard me right...Carrie over at Martin Manor Happenings tagged me to blog about what was happening 2 years ago today. I usually graciously bow out of these type of things, but out of curiosity I decided to go and take a peek at what pictures I had taken at this time two years ago. It just so happens that what was going on 2 years ago is also going on today. This is a subject very near an dear to my heart so I guess I am just going to have to bite the bullet and play along!

Not sure if you have ever checked the right side bar of my blog, but if you have, you may have noticed this button.

If so, hopefully you have clicked on it to see what it is all about.

If not, here is your time to read about one of the coolest foundations there is! Click away my friends!

So, where am I going with this story you ask? Well, my dear friend Suzi and I came across Jake's Caringbridge site while he was still battling Stage IV Hepatoblastoma, a very rare liver cancer. I won't go into the entire story (especially since you can read to your hearts content about it on the foundation site and the Caringbridge one) but to say the least we both became very attached to a family we had never even met before. Jake was forever healed and entered Heaven's gates on Oct 5th, 2006. Merely 2 months later his parents ended up winning 3.4 million dollars (YES, you heard me right...3.4 MILLION) on a progressive slot machine. Wowzers, Huh. With their winnings, the started the Jake Owen Raborn Foundation in his name and their mission is to help families with children battling pediatric cancer.

In June of 2007 they held the first annual "Shake 4 Jake" which is a fundraiser for the JOR Foundation. Since Suzi and I were so attached to the family and had a great desire to meet them in person (until then we had only exchanged e-mails with a few members of the family) so we flew down to West Monroe, Louisiana for a long weekend to help out with the "Shake."

Jakes Aunt "Mo" Melanie (you'll have to go check out Mo's blog!) took Suzi and I around the town and we had the opportunity to go to a crawfish boil. That was SO COOL! I love seafood, and it was just really neat to experience a local tradition.

The big event actually took place on June 30, 2007 and the entire evening was completely magical and extremely emotional. This is what you saw when you entered the front doors of the convention center.

Isn't that big "Believe" sign just awesome. That was Jake's family's motto throughout his battle. Cool, huh!

And this was the entrance to where all the shakin' went down!

Oh, and Green was Jake's favorite color too!

Let me say, Jake's family sure does have awesome taste for decorations. I had never been to Hobby Lobby before and since being introduced to it on our trip, I now understand why Melanie and Staci (check out Staci's blog too!) are so enamored with the place!

They had a silent auction, along with and actual live auction and these were just a few of the prizes you can win buy.

These are a bunch of the girls settin' up the silent auction. Far left is Jake's Aunt Bonnie, far right is Staci's best friend Veronica (that chick is a HOOT) and Staci is on the right in the black shirt.

That is Mo holding the balloons and you'll have to excuse me but I can not for the life of me remember everyone else's names. We met so many people that weekend my head was spinning.

Here's Mo and her hubby, Todd.

I managed to get a picture with Staci when she finally had a chance to sit down and take a break. We were both pregnant at the same time and our girls are only about a month apart. Pretty cool! She is such a sweetie!

And this is Don, Jake's sweetheart of a Daddy.

Oh, and here is me with PawPaw (Jake's Grandpa) and his wife Crawford.

This is some more of the "troops" taking a much deserved break later in the evening. Notice all of the GREEN. So cool!

This here is Jin Jin, Jake's Grandma and also Melanie and Staci's Mama. I can not say enough good about this lady. She met us at the airport (never having met us, mind you) and immediately offered us the keys to her brand new SUV to use for pretty much our entire stay! Well, we did get to drive Mo's Hummer for a day and a half too! Then Jin Jin brought us to her house to show us around and even showed us where the key was if we wanted to stop by any time! What a nice, nice lady.

Here is Jin Jin and Denise. Denise is another one of "us" (those who followed the web site but had never met the family in person) and she drove from CANADA! Yep, you heard me right. She even travelled further than us, and in a car all by herself, much less. What an angel she is too!

Me, Denise and Suzi having a blast together at the "Shake." Like my big Buddha baby belly? I wasn't due till Oct and some guy walked up to me and said I looked to be as far along as his wife who was 8 months prego...NICE! He ain't seen nothin'. I was twice that size when I delivered!

I am willing to bet I will have a bounty out on my head after sharing these last two pictures. The party really started hoppin' and good ol' Mo pulled a few tricks out of her hat...

...literally!

What a stinkin' hoot she is! Too bad I didn't really get to cut loose or I very well could have been up on that table myself! The rest of the family is just as fun. I am really bummed that I haven't been able to go back since the 1st year. It has expanded to have added a golf tourney and a kids carnival during the day. Maybe next year I will pack up the kids and we can all head down to partake in one of the coolest events I can think of!

This truly was a trip I will never forget. It was very emotional but also so very rewarding. I couldn't belive in it more if I tried!

Now, it's my turn to tag four other bloggers asking them this same question - What were you doing 2 years ago this very day? (or at least as close as you can get) Share some photos and your memories of that day 2 years ago...where in the world has the time gone?

I am tagging:

Melanie @ mojoy

Staci @ not to be outdone

Julie @ krumreipics

Melissa @ home is where your story begins

Silly Slang

One of the things I am going to miss most about my children being just that...children, is the funny (and I do mean fun-E!) stuff that comes out of their mouths. A few months back, I think I shared a story about what Grant calls those great big, HUGE, wood peckers. You know the ones. The ones that look like this fella...

Okay, if you don't remember he refers to them as "P-Willy-Winkle wood pickers" aka Pileated woodpeckers.

A couple of weeks back we were in the kitchen making breakfast and all of the sudden we heard a huge "thud" against the window. I figured it was a bird (what else would it be...duhh me!) so Grant and I ran over to the window to see this...

Holey-mackinoli! Not one, but TWO P-Willy-Winkle woodpickers! How stinkin' cool is that!?! I ran and grabbed my camera before the one that hit the window came to it's senses and flew off. The tree that they were perched on was merely 10 feet from the window! I love living "in the country." How many of you can say you see the rare sighting of the P-Willy-Winkle woodpicker????
On to some more silly slang. Any idea what this little feller is?

Nope, not a mushroom you silly! Here's one more shot at a little different angle...

Have you guessed it yet?

Why, it is none other than a "chair nut." You know, those little pieces of wood that are used to cover up the screws on a piece of furniture. A "chair nut." I guess Grant wasn't too far off cause I don't for the life of me know what else to call them so "chair nut" it is!

My poor little Mr. Man wasn't feeling too hot last night. He said his tummy hurt around 8 pm and then ended up throwing up. I laid down with him for the rest of the evening and then he was up again at 3 and 5 with the sickies again. Luckily with Mama's cat-like reflexes in the dark, we were able to avoid any necessary clean up if you know what I mean! Sorry, maybe too much information but then again my husband says he thinks I enjoy talking about poop way too much. For those of you who have children at or around the potty training stage, you know that there is no way to avoid the subject of poop coming up in every day conversation.

Duke stayed home with the kids today and wouldn't you know it...no more puking. For the most part he felt pretty good, just a little tired.

Speaking of tired...these last two pictures were taken two weekends ago at "nap time." What a way to nap...on Mom and Dad's bed all kicked back with a "chocolate sandwich" (aka: Nutella on a hot dog bun...yummy!) and a sippy of "white milk."

You know...as opposed to not-white milk!

Here's hoping no one else in the family gets the sickies. We have a big weekend planned. This weekend is "Spunktacular Days" Yep, you heard me right. That is the name of our little town's summer festival. In the morning, pending everyone is feeling well, I am planning on bringing the kids up to the turtle races, minnow races, petting zoo, inflatables etc. and then Daddy and I will bring them up to the parade at 7 and hopefully the will be able to stay awake to see the fireworks this year!

p.s. GO FIGURE...spell check didn't like "Spunktacular" What does spell check know anyway!

I ♥ Faces - Week 23 "Sepia Toned"

Yeah! After a week "off" I ♥ Faces is back with one of the best themes yet! I am in ♥ with sepia toned pictures. I just love the richness and warmth that the brownish-goldish-reddish tone (if that even makes sense!) gives to pictures. I had a really difficult time picking which pictures to use. So here goes...

My "kids" entry is a picture of little Marli Marie, my friends Sheila and Rob's 3 1/2 month old daughter. What a little sweetie!


My "adults" entry is a picture of our great friends, Keith and Kris. This picture was taken at the wedding I practiced shooting at, back in April. Lots more practice is needed, but I really like how this picture turned out. So soft and sweet. Bet you'd never guess they both ride custom motorcycles...would ya'! Yep, even Kris! Biker chicks rule!

Make sure to head over to I ♥ Faces by clicking on the button below and take a peek at all of the other rich, warm brownish-goldish-reddish pictures!