Compassionate Friends

Don't forget to LIGHT your candles THIS SUNDAY!



Worldwide Candle Lighting:
The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting®, held annually the second Sunday in December, this year December 14, unites family and friends around the globe as they light candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, creating a virtual wave of light, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor the memories of children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the Worldwide Candle Lighting, a gift from TCF to the bereavement community, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died, but will never be forgotten.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting started in the United States in 1997 as a small Internet observance but has since swelled in numbers as word has spread throughout the world of the remembrance.


TTTS World Awareness Day:

THANKS to those of you that spread the word last week for the first annual TTTS Awareness Day. This day was an international mobilization effort created by The Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation to increase awareness of the #1 problem facing multiples. TTTS is a disease of the placenta that effects identical twin preganancies. We lost our Angel Baby Christopher to TTTS. IF you know of an expecting mom of twins (or other multiples) PLEASE let them know about TTTS and it's foundation in order to become better educated.
http://www.tttsfoundation.org/

A visit from Tía Gladys

Tía Gladys (our aunt from Guatemala) came to Ohio to help us cheer on the Buckeyes to another win against Michigan and of course to spend family time during Thanksgiving weekend.









The day before Thanksgiving the kids, my Tía Gladys and I went out to lunch with Grandad. It has been years since my dad and my tía had visited with one another. It was a sweet reunion.







Alyssa thinks she is in charge of her brothers and her cousins....



The kids taking turns saying our Thanksgiving family prayer









Great job kids! Mima better make the prayer longer because in about two years Alyssa will need something to read!

Gracias Tía por venir a visitarnos. Estuvimos muy feliz. Te quiero siempre! Besos y abrazos a todos!

Annual Pumpkin Patch

Searching for a pumpkin...





Nice...



That's a little better...

Brady's Year

Brady has had a GREAT start to middle school.

Off to his FIRST dance!



Brady was awarded Student of the Month for his team for the month of October. Mrs. Snively, one of his teachers said the following during the award ceremony(which is also stated on the back of his certificate:

With the theme of respect in mind Team 605 chose Brady Jackson as our October Citizen of the Month. Brady is a definite role model to his peers and classmates. He is always polite and respectful to teachers and is equally respectful to other students, even those he does not know well. Brady is also actively involved in Boy Scouts and works hard to help others as evidenced with a summer project to bring school supplies to needy children in Guatemala. We hope that Brady’s care, compassion, and respect for others continues to grow as these are attributes that we wish all of our students could possess.



Hey Brady...can you at least act a little excited...



Two weeks later, Brady was the first boy scout awarded a Certificate of Excellence Spriit of Scouting Award from the Delaware County Simon Kenton Council. The Spirit of Scouting recognized Brady for his outstanding work in helping to gather and deliver school supplies to Orphan Outreach in Guatemalafor the backpack project he did this past summer. See the the site below to read the story again:

http://www.orphanoutreach.com/news/2008/0902-Brady/index.html





Mr. and Mrs. Ross with Brady (his scout leaders)



WAY TO GO BRADY! WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE GREAT YOUNG MAN YOU ARE BECOMING!!

Trick or Treat

Cole and Alysaa 'trying' out their costumes about a week before Halloween. They are pretty good at their characters. I love how Alyssa has matched her shoes with her cast!






Trick or Treat night, the Jacksons joined us (yep, another Jackson family...no relation though). The whole Jackson family dressed up! Brady enjoyed having people 'pull his finger' with a fart machine....typical!!





Lots of candy....actually we still have some left.

Pretty in Pink...and Purple

I guess this is the result of having two older brothers...... After playing with Brady, jumping off the couch and having him catch her the FIRST three time...the fourth time, Brady was done playing and he dodged the jump.... Which is why kids should NEVER jump on or off furniture!!!!



One week later a much better cast that was supposed to be water proof. She kept the cast on for about four weeks. With the cast on, you would have never noticed she even had an injury. She 'injured' the boys several times with the cast while using it as a weapon...that a girl!!

More football pics

Cole finished the football season earning a really cool irredescent trophy! Next year, Cole will be sporting football pads. My baby boy better start eating some more to add a little more padding to all 52 pounds of him!