Friday, September 14, 2007

That time of year again..... Puyallup!

Usually we do the opening day of the Puyallup Fair with Derrick's auntie Margeret but this year she was gone, so I carried on the tradition this time with Derrick. He took part of the day off to spend with us. A quick rest under a tree, it was hot out!
This year Dora was there! Last year it was Jimmy Neutron and Josie wouldn't go near him. This year Josie was such a big girl she sat next to Dora!

The start of the rodeo is on the first day, they had a wonderful area set up to learn all about rodeo life, I loved this pic, just look at Josie's rope!


This truly is a remarkable shot, last year Josie wouldn't even go into the horse barn and she is standing by a large bull. John and Josie both walked up and pet the bull too.



John petting a sheep.




Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Heroes

I couldn't help but to write a tribute today to those that lost their lives in the attacks of September 11.

After witnessing the horrors of the attacks, I vowed not to take any days for granted. My security of "living in the US" was taken on that fateful day. But rather to live in fear, I say let's actually LIVE each day. Let's live for someone besides ourselves. Let's reach out and make a difference in other people's lives. Derrick has a wonderful saying of "Righteous Anger" Am I angry about what happened? Heck yes, who wouldn't be? Lives were lost. It is ok to be angry, it is what we call righteous anger.

Righteous – Meeting the standards of what is right and just.
Anger – A feeling of great displeasure or hostility.

Kind of describes the attacks to a tee for me. But what do you do with the Righteous Anger? Everyone has to ask themselves what they will do with the righteous anger they feel or felt regarding the attacks, I for one, do not want to live in fear so I live each day, loving and caring for my family and friends. I strive to do things to make each day truly count. Other people have gone on to start some amazing foundations for those lost on 9/11/01

One such amazing story is of a firefighter who was on his way home after his shift ended the morning 9/11.

When Stephen heard on his scanner that the World Trade Center had been hit, he turned his vehicle around and headed towards the site. When his truck was prohibited from entering the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, typical of him, he raced on foot towards the site with his gear strapped to his back.
He was last seen alive on West and Liberty Streets where he, more than likely, went looking for his Squad, all of whom perished.

He raced approx 3.1 miles from the tunnel to the towers complete with gear on his back! Wow! I can run the 3.1 but I don't know if I want to do it loaded with gear! His family has set up a memorial run to retrace his footsteps (footsteps of a hero) on that fateful day. I would like to go and run the run, it is Sep 30th this year(my cousin is getting married that weekend!) , maybe next year! Truly his family is making a difference by setting up this run and raising $500,000 for a burn foundation. Amazing ! they have turned righteous anger into something very positive!

What will you do with your Righteous Anger?

Monday, September 10, 2007

Crystal Mountain

We went up to Crystal Mountain ski resort a few weekends ago thinking that you could ride on one of the ski lifts... but you can't. So we had fun walking around the resort. I hadn't been up to the resort in years, atleast 15, so it was fun just to hike around a bit.
Climbing up the mountain!

Waiting "in line" at the chair lift.


We did get to sit on the chair though, that was fun!



Thursday, September 06, 2007

Gulu Walk 2007

GuluWalk is focused on being a voice for peace in northern Uganda and a partner in the health, education and future of a generation of children being left behind.


On Saturday, October 20, 2007 I am going to ‘Be an Icon’.
An ‘icon’ is defined as an important and enduring symbol. This is not about status or celebrity. It’s about standing up (and walking) for what’s right. ‘Be an Icon’ and choose to be an important and enduring symbol for the children of northern Uganda.


There is no cost to sign up and walk, this is an event for all.

If you would like to donate money to this cause you can help me to raise money by clicking HERE! Any amount is appreciated($1.00 to $1,000.00 it is tax deductible as well)! THANK YOU!

Can you imagine sending your kids to walk to a safe place everynight? The thought is unimaginable, yet it is still occuring today. Not at the same rates as it was in 2005, but if 100's of kids each night can't sleep in their own homes for fear of being taken from their families, then something should be done. Well the SOMETHING that can be done, is this - raising awareness and hopefully funds to help stop the terror of these children!




Some history on how the Gulu walk came about and some history on the plight of the children ... careful, this may stir you into action.





Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward first heard the stories of the night commuters of northern Uganda in the spring of 2005. They read unbelievable accounts of children — as many as 40,000 — walking from their rural villages into the town of Gulu and other urban centres to sleep in relative safety and avoiding abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) for use in the country’s 20-year civil war. In the midst of this conflict, over 1.7-million people have been displaced, on top of thousands of night commuters. These displaced persons have been forced into abhorrent conditions in camps where hundreds of people are dying every week because of a lack of clean water, food and medical care. The plight of the children sparked the idea for GuluWalk, a 31-day night commute in support of these children. Every evening in July of 2005, Adrian and Kieran walked 12.5 kilometers into downtown Toronto to sleep in front of city hall. At sunrise, after about fours hours sleep, they made the trek home. Both men continued to work full-time and attempted to maintain their usual daily routine, to mimic the lifestyle endured by the Acholi children of northern Uganda. Over the 31 days they walked 775km in 154 hours 18 minutes and 872,739 steps, and there was everything from front-page news to freezing cold nights to face-to-face rat encounters (no, not a typo). Adrian and Kieran walked to tell their story and draw attention to their plight. What started as an attempt by two people to better understand the ordeal of the children of northern Uganda, has now grown into an impassioned worldwide movement for peace.