KETCHUP WITH US - #36 - 10 Minutes in Words and Pictures

 

No pressure.  I've got 10 minutes to write about whatever crosses my mind for this installment of Ketchup with Us.  Michele and Mel have given what just might be one of the most interesting ones yet.  This has already taken up 2 of my allotted minutes so I better get cracking... On your mark, get set, GO!

This reminds me of my brother Mark.  Why? Well, because my adorable 3 year old says, "Uncle Mark, Get Set, GO!" when he plays with his cars or just before he starts running around like a maniac. As Mel can attest, Joe Joe does not sit still.

Speaking of my brother Mark, he JUST got married earlier this year. Yay!

We were so excited for him (we still are, of course) and couldn't wait to be part of it.  Liv was going to be the flower girl and Joe-Joe the ring bearer.  The trip to NY to see all of my family was to be the icing on the cake.  Unfortunately, we had to miss the big event because my poor girl ended up in the hospital with mono.  Once she got settled in to her private room, she had a great time and LOVED the food (and the attention from the nurses.)

Keeping a 7 year old calm and quiet is not an easy task, but lucky for us, the weather made it unbearable to go outside so she had no choice.

So, the kids were cooped up in the house for what seemed like weeks on end and we kept busy with art projects and learning to "juggle."

Fortunately, it actually seemed to bring them closer together, which may be the only good thing about how brutally cold the winter has been.  A cute video would be here but none of my computers are working...

It was so cold that one of our goats tried to come IN the house.

When we finally did get to spend some time outside, they were so excited to tromp in the snow, make snow angels and, well, just be outside.  Unfortunately, I can't get these super cute pictures of the kids to upload, so here is a cat wearing a sombrero.

And we're outta time...

 

A Very Special Christmas Greeting - Ketchup With Us #31

'Ketchup With Us' - Prompt #31

Those creative geniuses Michele and Mel are at it again. Just in time for Christmas, these two thoughtful ladies are asking us to send someone a special holiday message. In their own words:

Send someone holiday greetings.

(WHO? Anyone! Friend, family, person you've never met. HOW? Make a video, hold a sign and snap a pic or just write a special message.)

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Our special Christmas message is for  Joe Sung Min's amazing foster family, the Choi's: Omma (Mom), Appa (Dad), Halmeoni (Grandmother) and his two noonas (big sisters) and his little foster brother the Choi's adopted. I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to meet this incredible family in Korea, to eat in their home as we celebrated Joe Sung Min's birthday.  You will always be a part of our lives and a very important part of Joe Sung Min's life story.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our family to yours!

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Greeting #1 (The Safe Picture)

I *really* hope this sign says that he loves them and wishes them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Or something similar. We love you!

Greeting #2 (The Unpredictable Video)

Just the two of us ... our annual girls' trip.

Each fall, as I travel to different Buddy Walk events, I am fortunate to have an amazing little travel companion/partner in crime. At 7.5 years old, Liv has been going to Walks with me since, well, she could walk.  We've lost track of the actual number she has been to, but we think this year was #13. She is a regular at Walks in Ohio: Cleveland, Boardman, Cincinatti and Columbus, and last year, she joined me in Tulsa.  This year, I brought her to what may be her most memorable Buddy Walk ever: Jacksonville Beach.

Between staying in a hotel right on the ocean, having carnival rides, a bungee jump AND the Walk ON the beach, I knew she would be in heaven.  And I was right.  We were in Florida for 4 nights and despite the poor girl being sick with a cold/upper respiratory infection  (we had to make an unscheduled stop to an Urgent Care) we had a wonderful time collecting shells, visiting with my amazing friends from the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville (Liv met lots of fun people and got to hang with some cool kids (with and without Down syndrome) which made it an even more enjoyable and meaningful trip.) 

Without any further ado, our trip in pictures:

Thursday:

Breakfast of champions. Don't hate. It was early.

Liv's "artistic" photo from 10,000 feet

Finally... hitting the beach

Savoring the moment

A love letter to the beach (I originally thought it was for me.) WRONG!

Sand art: our hotel, the ocean and the sun. Brilliant!

Miss adventurous was determined to have crab legs for dinner. Success!

Friday:

Sunrise from our hotel room

Early morning shell hunt. Found a jelly fish!

At the St Augustine Alligator Farm - an albino alligator

When in Rome (or St. Augustine) ... you gotta hold a 'gator

Hamming it up with Princess

Feeding time!

Someone was hungry and extra ferocious

Excited to see the "Golden Tomb" from history

Her 2nd favorite part of the day; watching a python swallow a rat. Crazy kid.

Gator wrestling.

Saturday:

A girl (or girls) could get used to this view in the morning

Professional shell collector

Volunteers hard at work setting up for the Buddy Walk

Ready to get our Walk on!

Miss Joni and Penelope before the Pirate ship ride started. Smiles weren't so big when the ride was over. Phew!

Liv and her new friend Penelope. They had so much fun together in Jacksonville!

Liv made a flamingo, "Jackie" at the Buddy Walk.

Whee! A bungee!

A fly-over plane promoting the Buddy Walk. How cool!

Buddy Walk on the beach!

Miss P frolicking

Liv and Miss P. How cute!

Miss Debbie, DSAJ's Executive Director. So honored to recognize them as being the 2012 Buddy Walk of the year! I have enjoyed working with her the past 11 years!

Sunday: 

We saw a heron from our hotel room and hurried down to check it out

A close up of the great blue heron.

So excited to find a conch shell this morning!

Mr. Timmy and Chad's collection of shark and megolodon teeth. Cool! And Miss Jennie gave Liv two sand dollars from her collection. How exciting!

Our last sunrise on the beach. So beautiful!

Catching a few zzzz's on the flight home

SURPRISE! My luggage was inspected!