Beauty is FOOTBALL!

Desmond gave me this to read - this is a class assignment and will be entering into the Reflections program for the school district. So I am copying this word for word (and Desmond said that parents can not edit it)...so there you go. The topic was: what they think beauty is. Desmond wrote:

Beauty is FOOTBALL!

Have you ever felt the rush of 50+ thousand people cheering you on? The smell of grass or some times turf field? Well I haven't either but I dream of it. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about its football. I know what your probably thinking the sport with all the lunatic fans, but that's part of the game! Everybody screaming at the top of their lungs, banging everything they can that's right the 12th Man! Seahawk turf! Did you know Seattle has the most false starts against the opponent. 95! That's the most false starts in the NFL! Someday I hope that I'll be there with them as a hawk. Seattle has gone to 2 of the last 4 Super bowls (Pittsburg has gone to 7 winning all.) The last two years though injuries have plagued them. I want to be the guy to bring them back I want to be a corner. Like Antoine Winfield (I don't know how to spell his name) but any way he's one of the best corners in the NFL. The second they touch the ball I'll be the one nailing them! The reason I want to be corner is its so energetic I mean like you eye down the QB when all of a sudden he ends the tricky count with a HUT! And he drops back fighting to get the ball away before the pass rush when he throws the ball away with a WOOSH! Then I go into action we both leap as if we were trying to jump to the moon! Then THUD! I feel the cold fleshy ball hit my glove. Now all I need to do is hit the ground and it's a interception! So that is my belief of beauty. FOOTBALL!

Fall time - Desmond

Desmond and I went looking for fall leaves and trees...I think we were a couple weeks late. But we did find a couple trees that were pretty. Desmond was sick during the time when it would have been great to get out there. But we went up to Port Gamble, not much luck there, then scavenger looked around Poulsbo. On our way home we came across the North Kitsap High school and the leaves were such a pretty red. So I thought the branch was low enough that Desmond could pull his whole body up. Well it probably took about 5 minutes with me trying to lift him all these different ways and us just laughing so hard. We were sure that we looked pretty funny to cars passing by with me trying to get him in that tree.

Movie's that I have watched lately

We went to the movies today and saw The Blind Side! What a very touching movie. True story too! I recommend it!!! I would buy this movie when it comes out. Sandra Bullock is great in this movie.
Also I rented The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This a different movie. It was good, they did a good job with make-up on Brad Pitt. The movie showed the viewer a different way to view life from Brad Pitt being born a old man to him getting younger and younger - till he is a little boy. What an imagination some people have!
Seven Pounds - has Will Smith in it. Not what I expected in this movie, but very good, very touching. Will Smith is a good actor anyway so I like most of his movies anyway. You have to pay attention in this movie or you will things.

The guys go to the Seahawk game

Desmond, Art (Pa) and family friend Bob who is up from Texas all went to the Seahawk game today! Great weather and they WON! 41 to 0. Desmond had a blast and can't wipe the smile off of his face. The three of them caught a morning ferry over to Seattle, went to the Seahawk store and Desmond got an update jersey (since his was three years old and getting "small" as Pa puts it) and hat. Desmond chose a Tatupu jersey and I guess the story goes that while walking in to give the "ticket person" their tickets to enter the game this lady points at Desmond and said that he has her son's jersey on. So Tatupu's mom took their tickets. Desmond was in a haze and it didn't register till after walking away who that was. Art said that she had on this hugh diamond ring and it had the number 51 in the middle of the ring (his jersey #). They sat on the end zone. Ate Iver's for dinner on the way home. All three came in and well you can see what they looked like! Too funny!

GERMS

I was reading in one of health magazines that we get an article on GERMS and "what you should know to protect yourself." I started to read the first paragraph to Desmond, then thought I would share with you. Also as a reminder to me later on.
"Ever wonder how you caught that last cold or flu? Think back about three days and consider the possibilities. Perhaps you opened doors, used a public toilet, handled money, saw a friend who was feeling under the weather, endorsed a check with the bank's pen, sliced raw chicken on a cutting board, repotted a plant or changed your cat's little box. And thoughout that day you scratched your nose, rubbed your eyes, and grabbed a quick snack - without washing your hands."
"Flu and cold viruses can travel 3 to 6 feet from a cough or sneeze and live on a surface up to 48 hours."
That last sentence grabbed my attention! How long they can last and how far they can go.
"Flu and cold viruses can live on a surface from a few seconds to 48 hours; E. coli for a few hours to a day; the stomach flu for days or weeks; and hepatitis for weeks or months."
This is just to help educate you and help keep all of us healthy!

Desmond's exotic bug collection

So Desmond started collecting bugs with these. We had a store in the mall that sold these exotic bugs from Asia. They are cool except for the glow in the dark spider that is hanging on the bottom second left, when ever I look into Desmond's room at night I have to not look at the wall that is just outside his door because of that spider. Any one who knows me knows I don't like bugs especially spiders. So this is what started his collection of his own catching of bugs from Oklahoma that he entered in the fair.

Desmond made this holder and designed it himself.

Koi at Clear Creek Nursery

So I have been wanting to go the the Clear Creek Nursery for some time now...and Desmond and I went one Sunday evening right before they were closing. So we weren't able to stay long. But you get to feed their koi fish, which they were out of food at the moment when we went - we were really bummed. But in the pictures you can see that they are used to being fed. The fish follow you were ever you are to get fed. Then Desmond was able to pet them too! They are hugh! Very neat to see. Desmond is also taking lessons form Grandma Linda on keeping his eyes closed for pictures! :)_

Julie and I

I never get pictures of Julie and I since I am always taking the pictures....so I had my mom take a picture of Julie and I at a recent wedding a couple weekends ago. We need to get more pictures taken together!

Ribbons from the Fair

Desmond did an excellent job on his fair project! He got first place and a "special judges award"! It was just great to see his face light up to see those ribbons.

House Fire - Live

The After Math

Here are pictures of the after math of our neighbors house fire! I don't think I will ever forget it. The noise of the fire, the "bomb" sounds going off and the smell. My legs were shaking while standing out there watching this house go up in flame. I think I will never look out my bedroom window the same ever at night. My first glimps was me looking out my bedroom window and seeing orange flames shooting up in the air. And sorry to all my neighbor who saw me in my PJ's...

Also do you see the metal garage door...I don't. That was a hot fire.

Desmond putting his bug collection together

Desmond went on a road trip with my parents pretty much the whole month of July. He soon realized that there is a lot of bugs in the mid west. So what does a 10 year old boy do...he starts collecting them. He started mounting them with pins to a cardboard piece, then put them in a tupperware container...well by the time he got home and the lid on the whole time, the smell was enough to knock us over. So I got the idea that we should wear masks...that didn't even help the smell. So Desmond really struggled with putting his bug collection together, but he did a great job!

Look for our entries in the Kitsap County Fair....

Desmond and I entered for the first time items in this years Kitsap County Fair. So look for Desmond's bug collection in the craft/ hobby section - he has it titled "My Bugs of Oklahoma". It's in a wooden display case that has glass on top.

Then I entered one of my photos...it's in the color/ nature section. I just love this one. I wished I would have known that you can enter more than one if it's in the same section for free. Well next year look for more.

Sunflower cupcakes

So one of my cousins introduced me to this really cool cook book- it's all about cupcakes....it's called Hello Cupcake! Now you have to say it right: Hellllooooo cupcake! :) She had made the corn on the cob cupcakes out of the book and it really looked like real corn on the cob. So I had to get the book and try it out. Really cute ideas on different type of cupcakes.

Breaking into my car?!

Desmond asked for my car keys to get something out of the trunk...guess where he left the keys. It wasn't till we were ready to go that we figured it out. Uncle Brandon and Pa spent 1/2 an hour trying to break into my car to unlock it. Desmond, Lisa and I laughing all the way through it.

Moose?!

Poor kid, he has to get into these really stupid postions for me to get a picture! What ever works! :)

Ian

I found this about a month ago, it was taken probably 3 years ago of Ian, Desmond's friend. We didn't know Ian at the time, I clipped it because I know Alan in the picture. But I found it the other day and gave it to Desmond to look at. I picked it up and said "That's Ian!" I was so shocked that I know both of them!!!

Fun with Ian

Ian from basketball and Desmond got together at Ian's grandparents house last weekend. It was not very warm that day, but the boys enjoyed each other. The pool was 75 degrees Ian said, but they both found comfort in the hot tub, that was 90 degrees. Desmond had a great time there.

I had a great time getting to know his grandparents.

Finished with Baseball...yeah!

Well Desmond finished out his baseball season on Thursday night. It was a very good season. Glad to be done with it though. My house and yard is telling me that. But he had a good pitching arm this year and much more arm strength!

Brothers

We got together with Desmond's youngest brother - Alexander "Zander". I needed to get a picture and his hand print for Pa's father's day gift. It turned out really cute. I got Desmond's hand print on one corner of the matt and then Zander's hand print on the other side. Good picture for the middle...which was hard to get a toddler to sit still long enough to snap a picture.

Didn't take a picture of the final product, but here is a picture of Zander and Desmond. The picture of Zander pointing - I had to get his attention, so I told him that Pa was inside the camera...well he had to get up and look at my camera for Pa and then sat back down and pointed. Then the other one is his "I'm so cute" face for the camera.

Memorial Day at Tahoma National Cemetery

If you had asked me my definiation of Memorial day 3 years ago I would have said "Three day weekend" or "Camping". Ask me now and I would say it's honoring our fallen military. That what Memorial Day is...remembering those that have fallen fighting for our country. Why are you free to think the way we do...our Military fight for our freedom...but at a cost.

For all those Military fighters....you have fallen, but are not forgotten. Someone is not dead unless they are forgotten.

Weekend adventures

Desmond and I headed out on Saturday to enjoy the beautiful sun and nice warm weather. We went to Seabeck and I enjoyed watching the eagles feast at low tide. Desmond enjoyed throwing rocks...boys will still be boys.

I only need a higher power camera zoom...hand me downs are welcome :)