So much to tell y'all! {and a giveaway!!}

 There has been so much going on with our sweet Bubba that I have gotten behind on my updates.

1st thing I wanted to make sure I shared with you... it's pretty exciting y'all! Over at I Hear Faces they announced the top ten most memorable photos of 2011. Guess who was picked for one of those photos! It was this picture that Hubs snapped of me cuddling Bubba after one of his surgeries. So, technically I did not take the picture, all though I did edit it. So, I will give HUBS a shout out for this one! He is so proud of his "Major award"! Can I just tell you that I am tempted to go and find a leg lamp to bring home to him. He won't let me forget about his "MAJOR AWARD".  ;-)

2nd There is an amazing new magazine coming out soon, The Sandbucket. They were holding a photography contest focused on talent.  All of the photographs that were entered were AMAZING!! So, when I found out that our photograph won I was pretty excited! The e-mail letting me know that our photography had one could not have come on a better day.... Bubba was sick and we had been in the doctors most of that day. Bubba had some HUGE supporters on FB. :)This is the image that I entered and what I wrote with it.

When I started going through my photographs I naturally went to the ones of my daughter dancing first. That would be the obvious choice, right? As I sat here and gave it more thought I decided to go a different way with my entry. I have a feeling that most entries will be of obvious, beautiful, and even difficult talents, well, not mine. When my, 11 year old, son was born we were told that he would never walk, talk, or do much of anything in his, what they believed to be, short life. I watched as my sweet little baby fought to learn every basic skill that comes naturally to most. He did not even start sitting up on his own until he was three years old. I remember crying as I placed my little boy in a shopping cart seat for the first time. Something as simple as holding his head up, sitting without help, or swallowing were quickly becoming amazing new talents in our home. We cheered each time a new skill was learned and were amazed at his constant desire to prove the doctors wrong despite all of the many obstacles that life placed before him. I will never forget the day that I turned down the long, cold hallway at Collin’s school to see my son doing the unthinkable; he was taking a few steps. I stood there with tears in my eyes as his teacher helped him to show off his newly learned talent. Later that year he was honored by our school district for being “the most inspirational’ student. As they described his difficult life I watched my inspiration walk across the stage in his little tux as he showed off not only his huge smile but his new found talent, walking. Everyone in the room clapped with tears in their eyes. He was shaky and only managed to take a few steps but he made it to John Wooden, where he got his award. It was an amazing day for this mother. I was able to see my child honored for his talents, a day I thought would never come. I knew that he would not play a musical instrument, sport, or be in academic decathlons, so I had pushed those hopes back, way back. It wasn’t until that night, as a very pregnant mommy with our second child, I heard my sweet little boy being honored for his strength, amazing attitude, and ability to never give up. I realized in that moment that he might not play football, sing, or play chess but the talents that God has blessed him with are much greater.

So, here is the awesome giveaway!!! The wonderful and creative team at The Sandbucket asked me if would like to hold a giveaway on my blog. Of course I said YES! Seriously, check out The Sandbucket, you are going to LOVE it! There are so many wonderful articles, tips on photography, your home, wardrobe... yup, pretty much everything! Oh, and if that wasn't enough to get you excited about it.... Bubba's picture is being featured in their first issue!!!!! So, here's how to enter to win a FREE digital copy of The Sandbucket!!

1) Head on over to The Sandbucket take a look around and come back and leave a comment about one thing you love about their website.

2) Leave a comment sharing one of the talents that you have been blessed with.

 3) Head on over to The Sandbucket's Facebook page and "Like" them and then come back and leave a comment letting me know.

I will randomly select a winner on wednesday Feb. 1st. Good luck!!!!

Photographs and a Conversation

Let me start my post off tonight with a conversation between Regan and I. Last night she came to me and asked me "Mommy when did you know Bubba was a handicaper?" {She calls those with a disability handicapers because she thinks it sounds prettier.} I was surprised by her question and then explained "I found out that Bubba was a handicaper when he was a baby around 9 months old." Regan thought for a second and came back with "where you so sad when they told you?" "Well Regan... yes I was sad. I didn't know what Bubba's life was going to be like or how hard it would be." Regan then asked "Did you cry Mommy?" and I answered honestly by telling her that I did cry. "Mommy {pause} did they not tell you that he would be like a real person... you know that even though he was a handicaper he would still smile and laugh??" By this point I had tears in my eyes "No Regan they did not explain those things to Mommy they only told me scary things but Bubba proved them wrong." Regan laughed and said "Yea Mommy they didn't know that handicapers like Disneyland did they??"  Oh, I LOVE that girl!!!

On to the photographs..... sometimes when I need a little inspiration I like to go to a fun spot. It is like the perfect movie prop house. Today I went there and spent an hour taking in all of the beautiful things and snapping away. It was the perfect photo therapy that I needed. Tomorrow Bubba and I will be at the hospital....... this was a nice escape befor the stress.

Hands on fun

is having their weekly contest.... I decided to enter.
This week's theme is "Hands on Fun"
Here is my entry of my two little sweeties having some hands on fun together!