Family Day

We spent this Sunday riding down to Mt. Scott in the Wichita Wildlife Refugee. We have been there before, but I think my grandchildren really enjoy it. Mike and Lloyd took the motorcycles and the kids took turns riding there. They had so much fun.

I am not sure what they enjoy the most. It seems that every time we go it is cool and WINDY... wow.. But we ended up with a great day. They even enjoy the visitor center. It seems that we see something new every time we go. This time the Buffalo and Long Horn Cattle were out and more visible.

Six of the grandchildren came with us. Two of the girls were missing. It never seems like we can get them all together. but with Anna being 15 going on 35...we don't see very much of her and our poor Katie girl broke her arm on Christmas Day and she didn't need to be climbing around on the rocks or riding the motorcycle. Of course if she had been there, we wouldn't be able to stop her. It is also a challenge when 4 of our boys are autistic. We never know when we plan an outing how it will end. When you try to cater to our kids, a melt down can make the day miserable...but on the other hand, when it all comes together, it is beautiful. We had one of those days on Sunday.

Noah is non verbal which means he doesn't use words. However his actions and the sounds he makes lets us know whether or not he is having a good day. He had a wonderful day. It was really awesome. As he gets older, you can see that he is learning more everyday on how to communicate with us. And the more he learns, the easier his life becomes and ours in turn....

He smiled all day long. This picture of him and his dad sitting on the top of the rocks, shows him completely relaxed. The sun reflecting in the sky, bouncing off the rocks seems to be showing Angel beams bouncing off his smile.  

Of course we had our Lilly Girl with us and she was telling us what to do all day long.Took her baby with us to the top...

Brody wouldn't ride on the motorcycle with Dad or Papa because neither wore their Overhauls. It seems that Brody doesn't feel safe unless he can use the straps to hold on to. He had a great time at the Visitor center.

Ashton was convinced that the top of Mt. Scott had dinosaur footprints in the rocks. He was measuring up to the "dinosaur track"

And then we have the two older boys..Cousins they are, but also best friends. Listening to their conversations can be enlightening to say the least. Both are high functioning Autistic. Now they are at the age that they really don't want people to know. I am so proud of what they accomplish everyday. We had some conversations on how those Texas Long Horns got to Oklahoma.

Here is a pic of Anna and Katie the ones we had to leave behind on Sunday. Although Katie did not want to miss it...well on the other hand, sometimes Anna just doesn't have time. I so understand..but sometimes I wish she could come and enjoy our outings. She just doesn't know how much we miss her.

Although my daughter and the two girls were missing, we had a great day. We are not always so lucky to have days like this. With our boys disabilities, it is hard to find activities that are fun and sensory friendly. This day, God blessed us with his love and the Angels were looking down on us.

Teen Drinking

 Today I was thinking that I had to find something else to write about. I didn't have anything interesting to say. And then all of a sudden I started commenting on one of my girl's Face Book Post, and I realized I needed more room. Thank you Sabrina.

She posted this " Teen Drinking is Very Bad , YO I have a fake id though"  Of course I couldn't leave this one alone. I love her way too much to keep my mouth shut. So Sabrina, this is for you and all of my other kids that have come through my life these past few years. Keep in mind that even though I am of a more interesting age, I started out just like you and I have made my own bad choices.  For me, I was very lucky that the consequences of my bad choices did not cost me what they could have.

This statement is so true, Teen Drinking is Very Bad. But do you know why?  I mean I could go on and on about all the bad things that could happen to you. All the consequences of the actions that it could lead to. And I could just tell you how stupid you are for doing it.

I am not even going to pretend that I know if you do or don't...if you have tried or not...because I don't. Just for fun, I am going to pretend that I do know and you have made the choice to drink at some of these parties that I keep hearing about. This is sort of the scenario I imagine is happening. And this is the story I am telling of you and your friends.

You are out with your friends and although you never have before, tonight your boyfriend made you really angry because he was making eyes at another girl and you found her text on his phone.
You get to the party and everyone is having fun. Some one asks you if you want a drink...maybe they are playing a drinking game and you say no at first, but you are mad at your boyfriend....so you think that it will be okay if you just have one. After all you are tired of always being the "goodie two shoes". And because you have never done this before, 1 glass of  "punch" makes you giggle and laugh like nothing else. And everything is so funny...Why not have another? By this time, you are really having a great time...everyone is laughing with you or AT YOU...but you didn't notice that......It had gotten very warm and maybe you .....take off that long sleeve t-shirt that you are wearing over a tank....And that really cute bad boy is paying attention to you....

Who are you at the party with? Are they drinking to???While you are losing control, who are you trusting to keep you out of trouble. Because right now girls...guess what...you are no longer in control of what is happening to you. How does that feel? Oh right, you don't know how that feels, because you can't even feel your lips right now...and you are still having fun...I am not going to lie to you and try and tell you that it feels bad...because right now it doesn't...Not yet.... And that really cute bad boy is probably kissing you on the neck and laughing and encouraging you to have another glass of "punch"...And your really getting warm now...and you might take off that tank...and all of the "friends" there are encouraging you to do just that. Especially that really cute bad boy...NOW, Who has your back...because now you have lost your control completely. You have numbed out the person you are and now there is no one standing in your way to "fun"...Or A really bad CHOICE...For instance... Who Drove you there? and how are you going to get home... Oh, maybe it is that really cute bad boy...because by now he is in "LOVE" with you...There are many scenarios that can happen now...and guess what...It doesn't really matter which one I write about, because you have lost control and it isn't up to you anymore. Who has your back? hmmm Well since this is my pretend story, your best friend that you came with only drank 2 glasses of "punch" but it was her first time also...So she is going to drive you home. But you are not ready to go home yet and so she decides to leave you here. She takes your other best friend home with her...He has had twice as much to drink and is throwing up and someone throws him in the car. He didn't have control over that either, because he was passed out. His choice and control was gone. ...Remember that really cute bad boy...well he promised to have your back because now your drinking your 3rd glass of "punch" and he really "LOVES" you now.... And by now you are getting so warm, and can't really stand up, so this really cute bad boy takes you inside where you can lie down until you feel better. Oh don't forget your warm, so he helps you take off some more of your clothes. By now you also "LOVE" him and well I think you know what comes next. Is this your first time? Well if he didn't use a condom, you won't get pregnant will you...because it is only your first time....HAHAHAHA....WRONG...hmmmm But you have no say so right now because you trusted some one else to have your back and gave away your control.... Well let's hope this is the end of this...This really cute bad boy never used a condom in his life and let's just say this isn't his 1st or even his 20th time..He is that really really cute sexy bad boy...Wonder what disease he might have..OH right you gave up all control, so you can't even ask the question or demand that he wear a condom or even have control enough to say NO! So you end the night puking up your guts and then you WAKE up with a STRANGER....So you get up wondering what happened, because you can't remember....WHAT? where is your friends... So you get up look in the mirror at the person you don't even know, because...For the past 12 hours, you have no idea what that person in the mirror has been doing. You can't  even find your phone, and what about your friends and your parents.... OH GOD...I am going to die...NO you won't, you might wish you were dead...but you won't die over this....Unless that really cute bad boy STRANGER has a disease... Where are your friends? Well since this is my party..so to speak ...let me tell you what happened.. Your best friend who only had 2 glasses of "punch", well she drove herself home...And your other friend well remember, he got sick and passed out and they threw him in her car....Well they were driving home and She didn't stop at the stop sign because she was changing the music on the radio so she could party on the way home, and she hit a truck and well, the good news, she is in the hospital, with a broken leg and arm...the bad news, your other friend was laying in the seat without a seat belt. He went through the windshield and another car hit him and he is in the morgue....As for you...you could have HIV, Hep C or just be pregnant at 16. You go ahead and choose...because I doubt you are going to worry about any of that until you bury your friend.  And the one that is in the hospital...she may have to serve some time in jail...of course everyday for the rest of her life she will live with the fact that she killed her friend. I don't how you see this story ending..of course, I could have gotten it all wrong, you got drunk for the first time, started throwing up and your parents were called. All three of you got home safely and the worst that happened was a huge hangover and maybe being grounded for the rest of your life...or maybe a month...I know that you are all just kids...well I guess I should say YOUNG..I read on Face Book just the other day that being Young is not an excuse to be an idiot...hmmmm... I am not trying to scare you. You have to decide what choices you make. But when you are drinking, you cannot make good choices.

Who will you trust enough to be in control of your life when you are not? When you choose to drink or do drugs, you are trusting the alcohol or drug to be in control for you. Whether you think it is okay to drink or not, Do you really want to relinquish the control you have and let someone or something else make the choices when You will be the one to suffer the consequences. Are you willing to let someone else play Russian Roulette with your life? Because that is what you are doing. I love you all and just want you to have all your hopes and dreams come true. Right now, you haven't even lived long enough to know what all your dreams are going to be. Someday you will find someone to share your life with and you will have children and then you will have new dreams...so please don't let bad choices take away all that can be or might be. I want to share with you something I wrote for Anna on her 13th birthday. This is what I hope for all the kids that come through my life.

"You hope that every choice she makes will be the perfect one. You know that the odds are against that. So you hope that the bad choices she makes will have just enough consequences. ..just enough to affect her life in a positive way. Just enough to give her the wisdom to NOT make them again."

My 100th Post

I was looking at my stats on my blog and realized I had 99 post. I can't remember writing 100 blogs, but I will go with this. They might be counting the ones I wrote for the mobile phone company as well. But just for fun, I am going with this is my 100th.

So what do you write about on such a memorable blog. Well, I think I will write about my one obsession of the past few years. The Twilight Saga. I know that it didn't really begin as a saga and for me, it almost didn't happen at all. A brief recount of how it all started for me. Twilight, my granddaughter who was in the 7th grade was reading it. Vampires? Yuck! All the kids in school were reading it, teachers were reading it. Well not me, I don't read about Vampires... And so the summer came and my friend brought me the first two books. She said "Read these, you won't believe how good they are. They aren't what you think they are." Well because I had pushed some of my favorite books on her, I had to at least try. I really didn't know anything about them. I had no idea that there was a movie out either. Was I living in a cave? The first book did start out a little slow and I struggled to make it through the first few chapters ....and then almost like I 'Imprinted' lol on this book. I was hooked. I could not wait to read the second. I was staying up all night reading. It had been a long time since that had happened. Then I read "New Moon". Oh my I cried through the whole book. I couldn't wait to read "Eclipse". And then I wouldn't read "Breaking Dawn" until I was sure that Edward wasn't leaving again. This all happened the summer between the time they filmed "New Moon" and "Eclipse". So if you didn't live in the Twilight world, you still didn't realize what a big deal it was. I read all 4 books before I watched the first movie. Really, I was able to read the books with a fresh unbiased mindset.

Now when I first saw "Twilight" I cried and complained and compared the the two. Book against movie. I was not satisfied with the movie...And yet I watched more than a few times. Waited not so patiently for the release of "New Moon"... And again, I complained and compared the Two...Book-Movie. Was not satisfied. I promise. If you  don't believe me, ask anyone who knows me. Then the same with "Eclipse"... They just didn't capture what I read and loved from the books....We had to wait over a year for "Breaking Dawn prt 1" to come out.

I haven't written about this yet. I loved it. Finally what we had waited for..it finally happened. The words in the book on the big Screen. Was it exactly the way it happened in the book. NO, but it was close enough there are no complaints. I have read the reviews, and I think the bad reviews came from the people who didn't read the books. Reading the books, you knew and got more meaning from this movie. If you didn't read the books and felt lost...well pick up the book and you will see what I mean.

I think that Stephenie Meyer being a co-producer, had a lot to do with the way the movie was written. The book is split into 3 parts. Bella's, Jacob's and then Bella's. Jacob's book was written in his POV. Most of this was in his head and speaking to the wolves with their Wolfy Mind Thingy....So showing this in the movie was hard, but I think they did a very good job with it. While they showed Jacob growing and his agony, they didn't show the humor. There was a lot of that in the book. Jacob dealing with the agony of loving Bella and hating the Cullens and Bella for what was happening. There was the way Jacob felt and dealt with Edward and Rosalie.  There was a new understanding for Carlisle, Esme and Alice.

In the book, the pack never showed up to destroy Bella or Renesme. There was not a fight. Leah leaving her pack and standing with Jacob even though she too hated the Cullens. The reason why they hated the Cullens. I just don't think the movie showed all of these elements.

However, those that read the books just once probably didn't get all of that out of them either. I did say obsession, Right? And we had our own little Book Club here....I couldn't suffer all this obsession alone, could I? No, my daughter and daughter in law also suffered with me. We have read and reread, and analyzed and watched the movies. We probably know more about the characters than Stephenie does. Well of course that is not true, but it could be. I would love for her to come and analyze them with us. She might learn something about her vampires...Just kidding.

Well I should have warned you all that this was going to be long. However I haven't written about my obsession in a very long time and didn't know that I was until my fingers started typing. The "Breaking Dawn Prt 1" DVD will be out on February 11, 2012. I can't wait to watch it over and over so I can complain and compare. Book and Movie..

REPEAT Life with Cindy: Things To Do Before I am 18 or Before I Die

I was reading this post and at the end, I found my resolution for 2011. Basically I was talking about not sabotaging my life with Self Fulfilling Prophecies. Well, I have to say that in 2011, I did some things I am proud of. I went back to work full time in a job I love. I took a test to be a HQ Para and I passed with 479 points out of 480. I am smarter than I thought. I took a class to finish the process. So I think I am on my way to NOT sabotaging my life with negative Self Fulfilling Prophecies, but with positive ones instead. I hope I have learned something this year and I hope that next year I will continue that path. So here it is one more time, my Bucket List...and by the way, I think I probably have a few more items to add..just not right now.
Life with Cindy: Things To Do Before I am 18 or Before I Die: My 14 year old Granddaughter posted this statement or question on Facebook. Well of course I answered it. It went something like this.... I ...

3rd Day of the Year

I promised myself that I would try and write on my Blog more often, a goal of no less than once a week. Hopefully in a good week I will write seven. But knowing me, I feel I should lean to the lesser side and hopefully it will be one promise I can keep.

Not knowing exactly what to write, I wrote the date. Now then thoughts started flowing on the year 2012. We have heard through the years different ideas and dates of the end of time. They always get a lot of  publicity and then never pan out, thank goodness. But if you believe what the Bible says about men not knowing when the end of time will be, you know that if someone is predicting it, it isn't happening.

From what I understand, the Mayans had several calendars. One of these ended on Dec 21, 2012. Now the Mayans didn't say that this was the last day of earth, however this calendar just ended. People that sell movies and books used some imagination to put together this idea. And being normal gullible folks, we want to believe the biggest and most epic scary things that people write.

But you know, just pretend that it is true. Would you live your life differently if you knew we only had 353 more days to live. What would you do? Would you change your lifestyle at all. Would you love more, laugh longer, dance like there is no tomorrow, all those things that make a song. I would like to say the answer is no, that this is the way I live my life. I would be lying. So for 2012, I think I will try this philosophy. It surely can't make my life any worse. I might find out some things about me I didn't know. Maybe I will get an idea for a book. That would be awesome.

I am going to think about this for a little while, and come back and share some of my thoughts on what changes I will be making. Share this idea with your friends. Maybe we will learn more about ourselves and find the importance of living life like it was our last day on earth.