website

Okay Party People. For those of you that care my new site has launched. Still tweaking and fine tuning a few things but for the most part I have quit obsessing and decided I was done being sick and staying up until the weeeeeee hours of the night. So this is what I've got. The other site is just a place for cool stuff and I'll attempt to post some useful/fun photo stuff. I'm also really excited for The "Dinner Diva Dawn" to share some of her fab cooking tips and recipes on that site. Heaven knows my family could sure use some good home cook-N more than once a week (if they're lucky). Let me know if any one else wants to help or comes across cool finds to share on the site. (the pictures below are the links)

Quinn's Eagle Project

I'm so proud of my cousin Quinn. This is such and awesome project, inspired by my little brother Sam who most of you know is in a wheelchair himself due to a near drowning accident. I don't think anyone in my family let alone Sam can imagine what life would be like for him if he didn't have his wheelchair. Just $45 will build one wheelchair. Such a small amount for such an amazing gift. I hope you will pass this along, link it to your blogs, post it to your blogs or send an email to others you know and help Quinn reach his goal and more importantly help give others the gift of mobility.

His original email to me is posted below.

Hi…My name is Quinn and I am a 15 year old future Eagle Scout trying to make a difference in this world and I need your help.

My cousin, Sam, is confined to a wheelchair, and I wanted my Eagle Scout service project to help the disabled. Over 100 million people around the world have lost the ability to walk and are too poor to afford wheelchairs. Life is hard enough being disabled, but much harder if you have to drag yourself around the ground; so for my Eagle Scout service project I have partnered with an organization called Free Wheelchair Mission. Free Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization committed to providing mobility to the disabled poor in developing countries. Their founder designed and developed a low cost wheelchair with a total cost of only $45 and that includes shipping.

My goal is to send an entire shipping container of 550 wheelchairs to one of the 60 countries Free Wheelchair Mission partners with. In addition, my parents and I plan to travel with Free Wheelchair Mission to help assemble and distribute the chairs and see first hand the difference you and I can make in the lives of 550 people. I’ve never done anything like this before and I really need you and/or your company to help me raise $25,000 in total. You would also help me tremendously if you forward this email to people in your contact list.

Please watch two VERY short video news clips…one about my specific project (attached to this email) AND another by CBS Evening News that shows some amazing video footage of the disabled people around the world benefiting from this great effort (see CBS video; click here www.freewheelchairmission.org – use Internet Explorer)

I’m asking for your help in giving the gift of mobility to the disabled poor. There are two ways to donate…by check or credit card

Please send checks payable to Free Wheelchair Mission and in the memo section put Quinn’s Eagle Project and mail to:
Free Wheelchair MissionP.O. Box 513538Los Angeles, CA 90051-3538.

Credit Card: Go to the website www.freewheelchairmission.org . Under the “donate” section please make sure to apply the donation to Quinn’s Eagle Scout Project.


If you can donate please send me an email to mhtml:%7B19BE15DF-DDFC-4764-99F1-D9721A64FFA9%7Dmid://00000417/!x-usc:mailto:quinn@civicstone.com so that I can send you follow-up emails on our progress, including the trip next year.

Thank you in advance,
Quinn

Bitter Bitter....Bitter Bitter

When I was growing up if anyone in our family started sulking, pouting, tantrum throwing, whining or anything of the such my parents would promptly start singing "Bitter, Bitter, Bitter, Bitter" To the tune of Bula Bula (and I guess unless your an Eliason or an Allen you probably don't know the tune to Bula Bula) So anyway, sometimes I do it to my boys, because that is what we do right? Pass our cruel family traditions down from one generation to the next. Max HATES it! So I should probably stop doing it, but it is SOOOO cute/funny when he puts his big head straight down into his tiny hands on the floor like "Shut up Mom that isn't helping." Just so you all don't think I'm a complete meany....I always pick him right up and proceed to tickle and kiss his chubby little belly.

Babysitting??

There was a time whenever I would go somewhere and needed to leave the kid(s) Ted would ask...."So do you need me to babysit?" Finally, one day....in my sweetest voice EVER I said..."honey, it's not called babysitting when you're the PARENT! I don't "babysit" the kids 5 days a week while you go to work you know." So anyway....we cleared that up real fast ;) I had a wedding today so Ted and the boys headed to the Olympic Park to watch the ski jumpers and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Turk. I'd say besides the Dr. Pepper .....he did a great job "parenting" today. I'm sad I missed out on all the fun! The video is pretty cool. These guys are amazing!

Let's try this again....

Today was Jack's "first" day of preschool. Trying to make myself feel better from the Monday mishap....He had blue pancakes and chocolate milk. His teachers first impression will be my sugar high child...nice.

loved this sequence

btw...Jack's eyes were closed in EVERY picture I took this morning.

First Day of School

Well today was Jack's first day of preschool. Wish that I had a cute picture of him, but that would entail getting ready, dressed and attending your first day of school. ALL of which he did NOT do because.... his mom has a leak in her brain. So instead I thought I would take a picture of him being edified watching cartoons. Looks like Wednesday will actually be his "FIRST" day of preschool. (in my defense our carpool friends forgot too.)

I need some help

I'm trying to decide on some new colors for my website and branding. I'm sick of the current pink and gray. These are some new colors that I like. The problem is I need to pick just one. What are your favorites? Give me your #1 and #2 picks.

Green & Blue

Teal & Red
Orange & Pink

Blue & Brown

Black & White (little red)

Jim Rome "What is UP"

So I have a confession.....I find Jim Rome's voice EXTREMELY easy on the ears. With that said, Ted usually TiVo's "Jim Rome is Burning" and as we fold laundry at night we watch it, well it's more like.... He watches...I listen. Most of the sports stuff I'm not really even interested in....but the voice...yes the voice ;) So tonight when Jimmy usually stops by our bedroom I was a little disappointed to hear some other dude filling in and got busy doing something else around the house. That is until I hear Ted cracking up, so of course I rush in to see what all the Hoop La was about. I have to admit... even though it wasn't Jim I did find what Adam Corolla had to say right on (and VERY funny).

Remember him?

Oh yeah, I had this baby and his name is Max....I feel like Max gets a little neglected in the blog posting sometimes. He has been such a fun baby and I can't believe he is already 9mo! Guess I better get my butt in gear since the "I just had a baby." Excuse isn't really working anymore. Being on Death's Door this week sure helped with shedding some lbs. Feeling better now though. A shot in my booty yesterday at the doctors seemed to do the trick!
I give him the "Fohawk" cuz he has the craziest hair that sticks out everywhere. I think the kid uses more product then I do :)

Luke Skywalker

Jack was quite excited to learn that his 2nd cousins were going to be in town and ready to play. He was even more excited when I told him that Luke was coming. His jaw dropped and he said "Luke Skywalker?" I didn't think it would really do any harm so I told him "yeah, Luke Skywalker." Unfortunately, when the "REAL" Luke showed up and Jack said "you, Luke Skywalker?" Luke very adamantly replied "NO, I AM LUKE DRISCOLL." Jack looked at me a little disappointed but once we pulled out the swords and light sabers for them to play with all was well.
Thanks guys it was fun seeing everyone!