Mixed Nuts: Started with a walk and ended with a snow

Quotes

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." - Helen Keller
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck
You may never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.- Unknown
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow' ~Helen Keller
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."- Dr. Seuss
"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."
"God doesn't give children with disabilities to strong people: He gives them to ordinary, everyday people, then He helps the parents to grow stronger through the journey. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family."Author Unknown
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go – Abraham Lincoln
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein
The journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step
Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale
Where there is great love, there are always miracles - Willa Cather
The Difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
Be the change you want to see in the world
Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big Your God is..........
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it
Fall down seven times - get up eight - unknown
Despite our differences, we sink or swim together
Life may not be the party we expected, but while we are here, we might as well dance
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." -Confucius

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Started with a walk and ended with a snow

This morning, the family was up bright and early for the VisionWalk in Boston. Foundations Fighting Blindness holds visionwalks all over the country each year to raise money for retinal diseases. They are a leading foundation for suppling millions of dollars to people with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardts disease, macular degeneration, and of course, LCA. When we first found out about Finley, we raised money for Foundations Fighting Blindness. They are an amazing organization, and we will always be loyal to them. While we can no longer give them $1000's of dollars, since we have our own foundation to support, we donate to them every year and make this walk. LCA research would not be where it is today without FFB.

We wore our Finley's Fighters shirts, and took Scooby and walked the 5K this morning. It was only about 40 degrees, so we were dressed warm, and walked fast. Scooby was the hit of the day. He had his picture taken so many times, you would have thought our little teddy bear was a doggy celebrity. He was petted and cuddled and picked up so many times that we had a delayed start to the walk, and after the walk, he had the same reaction. He is a cutie.

After the walk, we came home so that Finley and I could go to a playdate. One of her new little buddies in Kindergarten invited her over to play. I stayed with her since this was a new situation, and I am glad I did. The mom is very sweet and we had a great time talking while the girls played. We stayed for a little under two hours, but due to the weather, we had to head home.

Around 3pm, it started to snow. We had originally been told that it was going to start around midnight, so we thought we had the day. Mat and I jumped in the car with the kids and headed off to do a little last minute shopping. We have not been really thinking snow boots and snow clothes because - you know -it is OCTOBER. But alas, we headed to the store for salt and snow boots. We were not alone, apparently, and the stores were cleaned out. We came home empty handed of snow boot for Finley and Cainan (Arlington has a pair from last year that still fits her). It was crazy.

by the time we headed home at 5, the snow was really coming down. It is sad, really. The fall foliage was just getting started, and I think this will be the end of it. We got home and Arlington and the dog wanted to play outside for awhile. Finley ended up putting on an old pair of Arlington's boots and heading out with them. Cainan - always fine with watching from a warm house - stayed inside with us.

We had to drag the girls in after 6 - wet, and happy - promising them they could go out again first thing in the morning. The dog was shivering, but had a good time out there.

Now it is 9:30pm, and it hasn't stopped snowing since 3. The lights have flickered a few times. The snow is very wet, and very heavy, and the winds are whipping around. They went from saying we were getting 1 inch of snow two days ago, to now getting 12 inches. In October.

Tomorrow there is a Halloween parade in our little town. It has been moved indoors, which should be interesting. Disappointing because our Scooby gang will not be allowed to bring their Scooby to the parade. Thanks to snow. In October.

Yay.