It's All About Family

I had the blessing of having all the children and the sweet little grand girl filling the house.  Similarly I am blessed with the most wonderful husband ever!

My Blessings called Family

The joy of being surrounded by my children and husband is a blessing that I understand because I also know the sorrow of loved ones who are no longer with us.  I would like to take a moment to honor a few, but the list is so much longer than I can post here.

My Mom, who I carry in my heart and miss so very often...

Our Daughter, Julia Jessica Pahl Sept. 14, 2010.  We never got to see your face, but we remember the short life that you had, even if it was in our hearts and not in our arms.

Our little one we never got to see face-to-face December 5, 2005

Jessica, You touched many lives and still do today.  We miss you so very much and treasure those moments when we feel you spirit close.

Marie, I love my sister so very much and can't explain how my life changed when she moved on into the neverworld.  Everyone who ever met her fell instantly in love with her.  She had a smile that was infection and a laugh that was contagious.  Her outlook on life made the world a brighter place, just by being near her.  Too many holidays with out her by our side!

 Grandparents

Grandma and Grandpa Packer.  

Sadly no pictures of Grandma and Grampa Gardner

Dad  

Uncle Ken and Aunt Opal who constructed a large portion of my personal constitution and lit the fire that keeps me forging on when giving up would be so much easier.  

There are so many more!  Gary.  Scott.  Tommy.   Thank you for being a part of our lives even if the time was to short.

Practice!

So I guess with some things you can really see what practice does!  I remember when skateboards were a mode of transportation and not the root of a culture.  My sister had a thick plastic blue one and we had hours and hours of fun with it.   When traveling by foot to town it was great to get to the highway and be able to ride the skateboard.  Today it is a whole different deal!  I can't imagine how many scrapes and bruises come with learning a skill like the people in the video have mastered!  What I do know for sure is that developing a skill like this takes hours, days, weeks, months and perhaps even years of dedicated practice!

News Clip on Bionic Man

Bionic Man.... It's here!

So this isn't that show when you were a kid where the guy could so these super human things and "bionic action" music played.  However, the British are displaying their first fully operational bionic man.  This guy has a realistic looking face, he breathes and he even bleeds!  As with all new technologies there are plenty of awesome applications and a few things that are concerning.  Thoughts?

Bionic Man

Putting Bionic Man Together Time Lapse

News Clip

Heroes

As we walk through our day we encounter everyday heroes around every corner.  We probably don't recognize the greatness of those around us each day.  CNN has a cameo of the top 10 heroes of the year.  I bet there are millions more, but CNN just doesn't know about them all.  For example, one of my favorite heroes is my husband.  He is world changer!  Granted, it is on a very small scale, but there are a handful of kids out there that will have a completely different life because my awesome husband has stepped up to be dad, step-dad and grandpa.  I think that every act of heroism changes the world and makes this a better planet to live on.

To see more heroes watch the video.  You can see each story in completion by clicking the link on the bottom of the screen.

CNN Heroes

Tragic

Justin and I are very sad for the deep loss that our friend Lanny Maetzold is experiencing.  On Tuesday morning (11./19/13) his four children were in a tragic car crash and his 13 year old daughter Katrina lost her life.  His three other children have varying levels of injury and a long recovery ahead of them.  While many of you who read this blog may not know Lanny and his family, most can empathize with the pain and suffering that this family is going through.  Please consider offering prayers and asking others for prayer, sharing their story and donating to the memorial fund.  Most important, remember how fragile life is, love those around you, share a smile and a hug whenever you can and say "I love you", but live in a way that you don't have to because your love is evident!

The Katrina Maetzold Memorial Fund
First National Bank
PO Box 33
Milaca, MN 56353

Fatal Crash in Milaca

Time for a Laugh

We have had some serious topics, so today, it is time for some laughter.  Anyone who has been a part of growing up will appreciate at least one bit in this video.  Enjoy a few minutes, laugh, remember fondly and think of some story that you should be sharing with your children, little sister or brother, or heck even the barista that pours your coffee in the morning.

9 Minutes You Will Never Regret Spending....

I can't imagine how much more happiness I could experience in life if I had a portion of the positivity of Randy Pausch.   My hope is that everyone who watches this video will find a few nuggets of wisdom to hold on to.

Quotes

Family

Over the years I have to say that my greatest joys and my deepest hurts have been brought to me by family.  These are the people that know us the best, love us in spite of that fact, and stand with us through it all.  Sometimes we are hard to love, and sometimes our families are hard to love.  The best part is knowing we are in it together!

The question can become, what is family?  I guess for me family is love and commitment.  The video selection for today has a lot to do with loving when it doesn't even seem reasonable, committing to love even when it is terribly difficult and standing in the gap to do our part to make the world a better place.  I am reminded to love my little angels in a way that doesn't seem reasonable, commit to loving my husband and kids every day, on the days it is easy and the ones where it is not, give of my heart in a way that makes world a better place.

A dose of Inspiration

If you are human.... and I am.... as far as I know....
Well, if you are human it is part of living the day-to-day to focus on your own hardships.  One of my favorite ways to shift my focus is to see the amazing things that other's do and find inspiration.  I hope that you will be inspired too.

Amazing Spray Paint Art

There are many quips about regrets and many a folk think they have some wise things to say about regret.  Well one of the things I have always regretted is not buying one of these on my first trip to NYC.  Every time I have been back to Battery Park I have tried to find the artisan and never had any luck.  I thought perhaps what I had seen was an enigma, but alas I found this video and my hope was renewed.  Someday....

Amazing Spray Paint Art

Dancing Tommy

Dancing Tommy has been an inspiration for countless people around the globe.  His story is an inspiration to me in a very personal way.  My life has been steeped in the waters of addiction, not my own, but of those around me.  Many times in my life I have felt hopeless about the future.  Watching Dancing Tommy's story usually brings tears to my eyes, but it also brings hope and inspiration.  May you too find something wonderful in watching his story.

The Story

The Video

Welcome

This Blog is meant to share what is cool in the world, and sometimes what is not so cool.  In our lives it is too easy to see our own troubles or limited window to the world.  Somewhat by accident, I have developed the habit of looking for what is inspirational, humorous, moving (from both positive and negative view points), fun and just plain interesting.  My hope is that others can find inspiration, motivation and joy by sharing in my discoveries.