Happy Birthday to my PawPaw

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite people in this world. Well, actually, it's safe to say that he IS my favorite person in the world! My PawPaw. He turned the big 8-0! I wish I could be with him to celebrate today, but this damn pacific ocean keeps getting in my way!!!

But since I can't go hang out with him and pig out on cake, I decided to write a little blog about him on his special day.

Some of my fondest memories of him were when he let me tag along with him to his classroom and laboratory at the university where he taught classes. I remember the smell of formaldehyde as I walked around looking at all of his fascinating creatures he had frozen. He would tell me the names of all the different species of insects he had in his office.

Another fond memory was when him, my MawMaw and myself would have long, drawnout, heated games of Scrabble! He would use all of these long, extravagent and foreign words and beat us every time. But MawMaw and I wised up and got the official scrabble dictionary so he wouldnt have these unfair advantages over us!

I think my favorite memory of my PawPaw was when I would stay with them in the summers, and he would come wake me up about 4:30 in the morning on Saturdays to go riding with him. We always went the same place: popeyes, to get a box of their mouthwatering blueberry biscuits. And then we would stop by the gas station , he would get a coffee and I would get a chocolate milk. The whole ride I would talk his head off about my trivial concerns of youth, and he would always listen. It was me and PawPaw time. I miss those drives.

Now, I'm older, I live so far away that Im rarely able to see any of my family at all. But what I would give to see my PawPaw again.....

I love you PawPaw, I hope you know that. Happy Birthday to you! And many, many more!

Twilight

Ok..so I know I'm probably the LAST person in the free world to have read this book. I know it came out a while ago...but hey, at least I finally jumped on the 'Twilight' band wagon!
I just finished the final chapter of this book a few nights ago. It took me about 2 work shifts to finish it. And let me tell ya.....it was soooo hard to put down! I felt like I was almost having an affair with Edward Cullen myself! HAHA kidding....I've got my "Edward" already :)
The book is a love story about a girl named Bella and a vampire named Edward. The writer weaves an intricate blanket of emotions tying the two star-crossed lovers together; exposing only Bella's emotions to the reader. Two lovers who, living completely different lives, try exhaustingly to be together.
I can't go any further into detail for fear that I might give the story away! This one is definitely a page turner, and I am thirsting for more....I just got my hands on the sequel, "New Moon", and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Another HC original

Here is a B&W I took of some tree branches at the beach on MCBH:

Steven Spieldberg's "Taken"

"Taken" by Steven Spieldberg is a mini series about a couple of families who come into contact with creatures from the great beyond. It stretches over several generations, starting out in 1947, weaving a web of events that intertwine them together, even though they are miles and miles apart from each other.

I just watched the first part of the series last night, and I must say, I'm already hooked. It was hard not to pop in the next dvd to continue the journey with the characters. My favorite character, so far, is Jacob Clarke. He is the son of Sally Clarke and a visitor who happened to wander onto her farm one day.

If you're into sci-fi, or outerspace, or aliens, this is definitely a good pick for you! It was recommended to me by my dad Dennis, in fact he gave my husband and I this dvd set, which I thought was so sweet!

A moment of silence for 9/11

Today is a solemn day in American history. Many innocent people lost their lives on this day seven years ago. Some became victims, some became villains; and many became heroes. Unfortunately, the number of victims from this tragic incident is still growing due to the casualties of war that was brought on by this day.

And yet America has forgotten. They have forgotten that we are a country still at war due to the events of this day. They have forgotten the soldiers and civilians who keep the fight off of our land and keep our freedoms in tact. The soldiers and civilians, though, have not forgotten you. They wake up every single day in Iraq, hearing explosions and gunfire, fighting off insurgents, helping the innocent people of Iraq reclaim their land. All before you reach for your morning cup of coffee.

Im not asking you to go strap on a pair of boots and a gun to fight the good fight. All I'm asking is that you remember. Give them, the victims and the heroes, a moment of silence today. And every day. And when you see a soldier or meet a civilian who has gone over there to serve, a simple "Thank You" will do.

Black and White

Lately, I've really been into photography. My favorite pictures to look at seem to be black and white photos. So, I've decided to start adding my own B&W creations to my blog for all to see :)

Here is my first:

A samoan wedding

Heidi was invited to a traditional samoan wedding ceremony on the sunday before Labor Day. She didn't want to go alone so I went with her to keep her company. Shockingly the ceremony was much like any American wedding I've seen, minus the mats they kneeled on and the dresses the bridal party wore.

It couldn't have been a prettier day, though, and it was nice to see a couple vowing to each other and becoming one :)