We Need Storms

I was told that a friend of mine was going through a difficult time. A time that no one ever wants to go through or think about; a husband losing sight of Life.

I have been festering, all afternoon, over an issue. When the phone rang, I was on my way to losing it. (It was a random festering issue.)

When the person on the other line told of the storm my friend was going through, my heart ached.

I know what going through a storm feels like. My mind began writing an email.

Hi friend, I would say "I'm praying" but I know how trivial that sounds coming from a person not in your shoes. Kind of sounds so petty to tell a person, "I'm praying" and then go about eating that last peace of candy in the fridge.

So here is what I will say. I am praying, but I'm praying specifically. I liked when people said they were being specific with their prayers. Made me feel like I was taken seriously. So I am praying that when you heart wants to scream, you will scream to the Lord. When you want to walk because it hurts to run that you will run to the Lord. When you don't know what to say, God will provide the words to your children. When you lay in bed, Christ will lay with you. And when you go to the door, he is there and you guys will be the wiser because of the tears.

Then I began thinking of my own storm that passed a while back. My mind bounced to the rain and how important it is. How life on Earth requires a drink. Then I paralleled the two.

If it never rains on Earth, nothing will ever grow except the weeds that drown out the earths beauty. If it never rains in our life, our fruit will never grow and we will have nothing to share with others.

We need the storms.....

Protect Your Pics UPDATE

(Someone pointed out the flaw to this... The ability to left click to enlarge the picture AND then right click to save is still there. So, because I don't want to give you false protection hope, I did some searching. I found a blog that gives instructions how to to eliminate the left clicking feature. Read her post and you will be able to decide for yourself if you want to do what she says. I probably will considering my viewership is not that of PW. If you have a question, just leave a comment and I'll respond.)

I heard a story recently... A woman found out her son's photo was on Craigslist in the classifieds section! And she didn't put him there!

Someone stole her picture from her blog and put it on the website saying he was for sale! Freaky!! Make you want to vomit in something freaky.

So I googled, "how to protect your photos on your blog"

Second option was a blog. She had a link and instructions on how to do just that; protect your pics.

Here is the website link. (to get the code)

Once you have the code. Click on 'customize' at the top right of your blog. Then click 'Add a Gadget.' Select 'HTML/JavaScript.' In the content box, paste your code. Now it's there. You need to DELETE the part that looks like below.

============================================================Script: Basic No-Right-Click ScriptFunctions: Blocks right-click on mouse and shows alert boxBrowsers: NS & IE 4.0 & later; degrades gracefullyAuthor: etLux============================================================
Put the following script in the head of your page:

Now you can make it say something funny when people try to copy your pictures. Try copying one of mine, you'll see what I wrote.

The part that looks like this:

// Set the message for the alert boxam = "This function is disabled!";

If you delete "This function is disabled!" You can type whatever you want within the quotes.

Happy protecting.

Door Holder

In Chloe's class the teacher has different 'jobs' the children take turns doing. For instance, there is a line leader, an end of the line person and a door holder.

I picked them up from school one day, got them out of Mini. Chloe headed straight for the house and opened the storm door. She said, "I door holder mom." I didn't understand her at first and only knew what she was saying because I had overheard her teacher tell a child, "You are door holder, hold the door for us."

So now, Chloe is the all time Door Holder for the family. But the term is something that has made me able to put a name to task we often get caught doing.... keep reading.

Have you ever walked through a closed door, and on your way out realized there are people behind you? Possibly a woman pushing a stroller, a man talking on his phone, a child or just anyone who decided to leave milliseconds after you and chose the very same door as you to walk through?

Have you ever walked through the door only to swing yourself behind it and hold it for all the people leaving behind you?

When I was at the Walk MS event, I got caught in a precarious situation.

I walked out the door, mind you there were 5 other doors, and everyone seemed to follow me out the door I chose.

So I swung myself behind it, willing to be a little late for the start of the walk, so I could hold the door for the woman pushing the extra large stroller. Now that I think about it that woman might have been with me, but that doesn't matter. I still held the door because strollers and doors are not friends. The doors like strollers for lunch. I think it's the children they are after, but I digress.

So the stroller pusher walks through,"Thanks," she says and smiles. "Yep," I offer with a smile back.

Then the weirdest thing happened. I got stuck! I became door holder!

A fat man walked through, "Thanks," he said while putting his sticker on his chest. His tone was giddy like I enjoyed standing behind that door holding it for his very capable fat self.

Then an all too capable woman ventured over the threshold and another woman and a younger girl and then another 'gentlemen.' He walked passed, "Thank ya."

I spouted under my breath, "I'm not intentionally holding it for you because I enjoy being courteous, I'm stuck here! Hold your own door! I am not hear to be every ones 'door holder!'"

I told Matt, "I'm so glad you are a gentlemen. Had you seen a woman stuck behind a door like I was I know you would have relieved her of her duties."

Ok, so go forth and be door holders.

Tenting With Child

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of events.

Matt and I are never busy. We are the 'stay at home on Saturdays, take naps on Sundays' kind of folk. So when we do get busy, we do it right.

Our 7th anniversary was on the 12th of October. "What did we do?" Nothing. We ordered carry out from Chili's. Because we are cheap, we usually only get their Paradise Pie, BUT since it was our anniversary, we ordered a full meal! Watch Out!

We had plans to drop the kids off at school and go have a cup of coffee together before he headed off to work. Those plans were thwarted when his boss scheduled a meeting.

It was fine though. My 30th birthday is in January, so we are planning on doing it up right.

This past weekend was the 3rd annual Knox Family Reunion. Everyone gathered at my in-laws for food and fun.

Since their house does not easily sleep 23 bodies, the dads and kids that were old enough, slept in tents.

Did Chloe sleep in a tent?

Yes she did until around 6:30 am!

Did she sleep in the tent on the second night? No, her mommy said no. Matt and I slept in the tent on the second night. Well, I say sleep. Matt slept like a rock and I? I listened to the squeaking donkey, the train, which by the way can still be heard for about 15 minutes after passing through town. I listened to what sounded like possibly a screech owl and the coyotes and dogs having a bark war? Oh and when the rain started I listened to it. But what was really nice, was the neighbors dog barking in rhythm for 30 minutes. I asked Matt if he heard anything during the night. He said, "Only you asking me, 'Did you hear that?'"

I just wanted to put a name to the noises, that's all.

Say WHAT? Update Numero Dos

(As of 10/15/09 we raised $1,223,00!!! I am humbled.)
(As of 10/14/09 we raised $1,123.00!!! Are you serious?)

These are the faces of my friends and family.

These lovely faces got out of the house on a lazy Sunday when the weather was screaming, "Stay inside in your jammies and be lazy and watch football and drink warm beverages and eat cake and junk and put your hand in your pants!"


That last part only applies to the men and boys in the group.


What you don't see is the money I raised and the people that donated to the National MS Society on behalf of me.


My original goal was $300. But because people are crazy generous I met that in a few days. So I upped the goal to $500 and because people are extra crazy generous I met that PLUS two hundred & seventy smackaroos!!


The amount of $720 is what I raised, it does not include what my team raised on their own. Some money hasn't been tallied because checks were written, BUT so far we raised $983!!!!

Let me say that again $983!!!

WHAT? I said, NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE DOLLARS CASH MONEY!!


Once the money is counted that Matt raised on his own we will have raised over $1000

Let me write that out like I am writing a check to NMSS.
(click on the link to see our team and the other teams.)

One thousand dollars and 00/100--------

Holy Cow! You people are awesome.


So far, my team, Megan's Mates are in the lead in the most money raised!!

I'm just so thankful and humbled and appreciative. It was so nice to go back to UCO, walk the grounds and reminice of times gone by. I have some wonderful wonderful memories there. It was nice to create a new memory that didn't cost an enrollment fee or a parking ticket.


It is important to point out one person who went all out for our team... Cole H. If you look in the picture, kind of in the middle, is a little boy dressed like a pirate. Get it? Megan's Mates.. Pirate.

Also, thanks to Ben for snapping the picture for us! He is part of the team!


Next year, there will be team shirts.
Be ready for that.

Picture Post

Here are some pictures to last you until I return from my Walk MS event. These are the photog's pics and my aunties.



Her cutie pie ness, hurts me to the core.

These Asics Were Made For Walking

Tomorrow is the big day. I report for walking duty at 1:30 pm in Edmond on the campus of my alma mater, UCO. I will report alongside my friends and family.

I will put my asics to good use tomorrow at 2:00pm. I will actually let them take a walk. They haven't been on a walk in a while; since November 2008.

Tomorrow I will make those of you who are standing behind me with your donations proud. Tomorrow my friends and family will make me proud to know them.
Tomorrow I will walk for me and for those who fight the same fight.
Tomorrow I will attempt to find some warm clothes that are worthy of wearing outside of the house. (I'm really nervous about that. Please do not send "What Not To Wear" as I will be wearing things they frown upon.)
Tomorrow my family will do our first Walk MS event. I hope they find a cure so you guys can save your money!! haha
Tomorrow I will walk and be so so proud of all of my friends and my family.

I have been so blown away by your generosity that I am speechless.

Thank you!