Phun with Photoshop!

At William's swim banquet last month, I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the kids by the river since it was such a pretty site. I finally got around to playing with them in photoshop tonight, I got a few good ones! Caden was not cooperative, so I have a lot of him squirming and making faces, but thankfully the older two cooperated for the most part. They are quite used to my photo shoots and have perfected the "fake smile" over the years. Caden will learn in due time. ;)

Doesn't it figure that the ONE picture where Caden is looking at the camera with a pleasant look on his face... Madison is picking at tree bark. Nonetheless, it was still one of my favorites, and shows Madison's daydreamer side, a nice candid of her.

A letter from the teacher....

Last night William reported that I was supposed to email his science teacher.

Uh oh.

Okay, I really wasn't too nervous. If it was something bad, they'd call me, right? Right?????

So here's the email I got back today. I knew I had a good kid, but it's so nice to see other's recognizing it as well. I'm very proud of my boy.

Angela,

Thank you for emailing me...I just wanted to touch base with you as I have been overwhelmingly impressed by William! He does a phenomenal job both in class discussions and in labs. He has really shown a great concern for others and I appreciate the knowledge he brings into my class.
So with that...I want to thank you!

Have a wonderful day and please let me know if there is ever a question or concern!

Mrs. Science Teacher

Here's a picture of William on the first day of school. He hardly put up with it, and refused to let me take a picture of him getting on the bus. He thought that it would embarass him now that he's in Middle School. Silly boy ;) (no I wouldn't really do that to him, but it's fun teasing him).

Remembering Mom...

21 years... that's a long time. My 21st birthday was bittersweet for me because it meant that I had now lived more years without my mom than I did with her.

Now, yet another year has passed and my mother has been gone for 21 years.

Lucy Cuen Bradford passed away from colon cancer at the age of 50, on Septmember 20th, 1986. I was 10 years old at the time.

My mother was beautiful, and I will always remember her that way. There's just no way to describe the effect that she had on my life, though my time with her was much too short.

The following is a video of my mom. I'm the little one with her most of the time.





The following is from http://www.coloncancerfoundation.org/anyage.htm

Please Know the risk factors of developing colon cancer.

They include:

• A personal history of colorectal polyps, previously treated colorectal cancer, or inflammatory bowel disease

• Race : African Americans are more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to get colorectal cancer

• Being physically inactive

• Eating a diet high in fat (especially from red meat)

• Obesity

• Smoking

• Alcohol use

• Eating a diet low in fruits and vegetables

• Having a family history of colorectal cancers, certain other cancers, and benign colon polyps (Fewer than 10% of colorectal cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations.)

If you experience any stomach discomfort, bleeding in your stool, or sudden weight loss, please contact your physician today.If you are not confident that your doctor is providing you with the correct information, or is not investigating the possibility of colon cancer immediately get a second opinion DEMAND THE PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND CARE. It’s you and your loved one’s lives at stake!

Caden got a HUMMER for his Birthday!!!

Yesterday was Caden's 2nd birthday AND the first day of school, and we had a good day. He had his 2 year visit yesterday (along with a burn check, everything's good!). He's 29 lbs, 1 oz, and 38 1/4 inches long. Tall boy! I was looking at baby pictures of him and he doesn't even look like the same kiddo, he's so tall and lean now!

We had a small party for him last night (just our family). Daddy surprised him with a hummer ride on toy, he LOVES IT! He screamed and cried when we finally dragged him away from it to have his birthday cake. I made him a jello poke cake and that was a hit too (once he got over being pulled from his truck).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADEN!!!

Our Day at the State Fair

We did our annual visit to the "Great Minnesota Get-together" yesterday and had a blast! Caden was in good spirits until he needed another dose of ibuprofen in the afternoon, but otherwise really enjoyed himself!

I think he liked looking at the baby animals the best, there were some baby ducks and chicks that he just went nuts over. He also really enjoyed cheese curds (I know, not a good thing but I HOPE a couple don't clog his arteries so soon!).

I've copied some pics below from our day :). Cade's burns are doing REALLY well. It's a major pain to re-dress them each day, but they're healing well. The deep one on his upper thigh is still bleeding a lot, but the other ones have stopped bleeding and the new pink skin is already forming. phew... We go to the doctor again on Tuesday (his birthday!) for a followup and to do his two year well child visit.

Here's some pictures from our day, the big kids had fun too! (Editors Note: The reason why this post was Caden centered was because I shamefully copied my post off of my September 2005 baby list).







Don't you wish YOU had a pickle hat??







At the BIG SLIDE: