Best Place for Boys!

Nebraska is pretty much the best place for little boys. They run around doing boy things having their days and nights full of dirt, frogs, adventure, and bugs! Even better it doesn't start getting dark until 9:30 so to top it off late bed times too. Needless to say, my two little guys were in heaven. While in Heaven on Earth or ask most call it Nebraska guns were made out of sticks. Hundreds of frogs were caught. Some frogs were large.

Some frogs were small.

We made it home with 9 frogs. I thought most would die but all 9 lived! We bought a home and bugs and the boys loved them. Damon and I weren't excited to spend over $5 a week on bugs but it only lasted a week before the poor little guys died.

Days were spent running around with cousins and playing by the North Platte River.

Best of all one 3 year old little boy learned how to drive a car! He was proud as he drove in between those lonely roads around the corn fields.

Life couldn't be better for little boys then on the farm and in the wild. Having adventures with cousins and carefree summer days.

The Forgotten Children

Sometimes while out shopping I find something I cannot live without. Something perfect I must have. Last week while shopping I found this amazing red cabinet I thought I needed so desperately. Instead I realized it was time to buy Damon's ticket to Guatemala for his annual trip in November to place more children into school through Brite Blue. I started to feel sorry for myself and the cabinet I would have to wait to purchase. How quickly I forget how blessed I have been until I started looking through pictures of past trips and guilt quickly came over me! These children are amazing!

As another school year has drawn to a close and we have had the joy of reflecting upon the many successes of our Foundation. During this last year we successfully enrolled many kids into school. These beautiful children have grown in ways completely unimaginable a few months and years ago. We have had the awesome pleasure to watch these children grown and learn the basic skills of reading, writing and math. Many of them are now using computers which were donated to the school and sending emails.
Damon lived among these children for 2 years and grew to love them. One girl left a major impact on him and his partners this young girls name is, Jessica. They worked with her father for months. They visited her home and had dinner with her family until her father was killed in 1999 over a small plot of land he owned. Jessica was left with her mother to work and find food to survive. Years past and Jessica grew but the 3 Americans never forgot her. They always wanted to help her but never knew how until they all finished college, got jobs and realized the only way out of poverty was through education. It was then their hearts came together with a firm belief of One child. One Mind. One chance. Making a difference in this world one child at a time.

It seams like yesterday Damon started this foundation with close friends. We wondered if their efforts would be worth the sacrifice. Damon and his friends each give up vacation time from work, buy plane tickets and hotel rooms, spend hours arranging the many children's schedules, conference with teachers, review progress reports, fundraise, and sponsor multiple children through school all because they want to make a difference in this world one child at a time and the sacrifice seems little when you look at the rewards of each child.

I can go around my house with AC, hot water, and electricity to cook our dinners. These mom's are worried about food for their children not the next vacation to take or if we have cute enough clothes for the new school year.

Since Brite Blue has been formed there have been tears of joy and hope from these parents. The kids get uniforms for school, backpacks and supplies, hot meals, and the chance to learn all tuition free because the Foundation pays for their education from the many generous donations received. The amazing part of Brite Blue is the sacrifice Damon, Matt, and Mike make to ensure all of the money goes right to the kids. How many non profit organizations do that? This little guy, Christian, has traded in his machete in the field for a backpack at school. He wants to be a police officer like Damon. He still cuts wood for the fire as you can see, but he does this after his homework is finished!

These children can act as children and have fun learning. The Brite Blue foundation has reached out to some of the poorest children on earth. These children have been loved by these men and have been given the unimaginable gift of education free of charge. They now study in the finest private school in the area. Their happiness cannot adequately be described.

Without Brite Blue they would be stuck in poverty without an education.
In Guatemala education is usually for the privileged. Public education isn't really an option because the teachers don't show up for class most of the time! Many kids need to help the family so they aren't able to go to school. A year tuition for many families is almost their yearly wage so they cannot afford the $500 it takes for a year of tuition. I'm proud of Damon and his friends because now these promising children can be the first to go to school in their families and graduate to become the people they have always dreamed of being.
I know I'm a teacher and love seeing the joy on a child's face as they learn but there is something more magical knowing that these children are learning from my sacrifice, our sacrifice. I'm proud of Damon, Matt, and Mike for making that difference and give others the opportunity to make a difference one child at a time. Without them I wouldn't have ever thought of these children. I would have continued to live in my bubble worrying about my red cabinet, vacations, and if I should cook dinner or just go out. I have hope in my heart for these dear children that are no longer forgotten.

I would look so cute....

I think this would be a perfect fit on our long bike rides! Click on the picture to see how you can win one!

Next stop, Colorado!

It seems we haven't been home long enough this summer for me to even keep up on my blog! Once we get home from one trip I unpack, do laundry, clean the house, all just to repack and leave again! Way back in July we had a major road trip and went from Utah to Colorado and it was amazingly beautiful. We met up with Damon's family and had a blast in the mountains in a cabin all together having fun with family. Shane loves the adventures of the outdoors. Packing binoculars to search for animals and always on a hunt for something with his cousins.

This doesn't look as scary as it was in real life! When Damon told me to come take a picture I didn't want to climb up this rock but then when I got up there and saw my death could be just a step away and my baby was up there, SCARY! However, it was a breathtaking view.

We were staying in Estes Park but one day took a day trip up to Rock Mountain National Park. We went up the highest paved road in the U.S. to 12,000 feet! We were up in the clouds we were so high!

Mountain men! Damon and Josh about the conquer the world.

Trevor was so proud of himself climbing up where the big kids climbed. Poor thing never does too well in the mountains of Colorado. Altitude sickness once again but this time I had the right meds and plugged up that little toosh!

I couldn't believe it but we were in July and there was snow, glaciers that never melt. Damon and I hiked up to the top and with that high altitude I thought I was about to die! My heart never did jump out of my chest but it sure felt like it!

Trevor had fun playing in the snow and throwing rocks with Mommy and Grandma.

Shane adores his big boy cousins. He follows them around and they teach him the ropes of how to be a big boy with being adventurous and not too cautious like he normally is! Uncle Joey brought the fishing poles and we had a blast fishing even though we didn't catch much.

We had a blast in Colorado. The kids couldn't believe it was over and time to get in the car again and head out to Nebraska!

Back to Reality

After another year of leave I'm back to work and I beginning to wonder why the time had to go so quickly. I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed my kids. I enjoyed no deadlines or tests. No alarm clocks and no dressing up. It was a good year but this coming year will be a good year too. I'm glad to have a job and a job that is perfect for me and my little family. Last March the time had come to decide if I would resign or begin working again. With budget cuts and lack of funds the district wouldn't approve any shared contracts so it seemed if I went back to work it would be full time. The thought of working full time made me sick but the thought of giving up a good job in such uncertain economic times seemed foolish too. We went along with going back to work and magically a part time position was created at my old school and a perfect position it is. I'm an "interventionist" which means I help the low kindergarten kids with letter recognition and sound. It couldn't be more perfect and I'm happy to be back.

The first week back is always the hardest but the best too. New supplies, new lists, new hopes for a great year. I love it! My office isn't anywhere near being ready but that is ok because Shane and I don't start school until September 14 because we are track 1. Shane and I will go to school together and I get to work in his class daily. It's perfect even though I'll have to set that alarm again, get dressed up each day, administer tests, and be back to work!

First Stop, Utah!

It seems we haven't stopped and have been home all summer. We have been in and out all summer long and now I'm sad to see summer end. Way back on July 18 we started our Road Trip 2009 as soon as Damon got home form work and headed up to Utah. We made it to Ogden and woke up the next morning to meet our sweetest new niece, Daphne Lanae. She is as sweet as she is darling. The calmest little baby I have seen and full of beautiful smiles. It was nice being with family and great friends on her blessing day. I didn't take many pictures just ones of the beautiful little girls. I hadn't seen Clarie since she was a baby and she is the cutest little one year old ever! Look at those blue eyes.

Our trip to Utah was short, just one day. We didn't get to visit with all the family and friends that we like to so I told Damon we better go up again soon! We had to get on the road to start another party Nebraska style! This was the start of many nights in a hotel with boys trying to sleep in crazy places!

And many meals at the one and only McDonalds!

Next stop, Colorado for some fun in the mountains with our Young cousins!

Missing her like crazy!

Life goes too fast. I hadn't see Lanae for a year and when I did see her last it was just for a few short days. I get to see my other two sisters so much I don't have a chance to miss them. I missed Lanae so so so bad! There is something about the time we get to spend together. We just get each other. Within hours of seeing her I almost fall over from laughing so hard in Walmart. All she has to do is hold up a certain candy bar and say "remember" and I get it so much that the laughter makes me almost pee my pants. No one in this world can make me laugh like her yet after 10 days together this is the only picture we have together! How is that possible? Lanae and I are only 14 short months apart. We shared a room together until I was 12 and always shared everything. Growing up we were always creating or doing something together and always having a blast doing whatever it was we did! I hate living so far away from each other but I cherish each trip we get to be together. I love that our kids know how to have fun and be silly together too. We spent hours in the car driving from Indio seeing Cyndi's baby born (more on that later), to Ventura, to Santa Barbara, EVERYWHERE! While listening to the workout mix on the ipod while driving one day I'm Bringing Sexy Back came blasting through the speakers and I had to tell our darling children to listen because it's a song about their mommies! They thought it was so funny watching their mommies dance away in the car and requested it each time we were driving anywhere and always squealing with laughter throughout the entire song.

Now that we are back home and settled back to life I already miss those 4 girls! My car is quiet on trips to Target and nobody is fighting over who gets to sit where. No stops for ice cream and only 1 voice screams out the "word of the day!" Before leaving Sadie asked me when I would invite her to my house. I told her any time she wants and now I'm thinking and hoping it's sooner rather then later because her Tricia Lynn (she calls me in the same sweet tone as her mommy) is already missing her like crazy! So please visit soon Sadie Lois and bring your cute mommy and sisters too!