An Award For Me......Aaaauuwww Shucks

Wow, Jeff over at Big Dawg Tales has awarded me with the “Blogger Reflection Award”. I don’t know what to say. Wait a minute; I do know what to say. It just so happens that I prepared a little something; here it goes: I would like to thank the Academy…..wait, that’s not it. Here it is: My fellow Americans, I did not inhale……nope, where the hell did I put that speech. Sorry folks, I know it’s around here somewhere. Is this it…..Eggs, Milk, Bread………., Robin, what did you do with my speech? Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wing it.

Let me start out by saying that there is nothing else that I would rather be doing today than having the pressure of writing a post and thinking about not one, not two, but five other blogs that I read whom are deserving of this award. All kidding aside, this is an award that “should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy...of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

Jeff, thank you for allowing me to bend your ear from time to time, off blog. Jeff is President and CEO of Janus Development Services, Inc. Janus is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “provide individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities the opportunity to participate and contribute within the community through training, education, and the development of social skills.” One great job.

That said, Jeff ranks high on my list of people who are a positive influence to me, my family and to all humanity. Jeff is one of the few fathers who have a blog in which he writes about his experience of raising a child with Down Syndrome. His son Nash and wife Jan (Mauzys Musings)are an inspiration to my family and I hope that all who stumble across this post can take a few minutes to visit them on their respected blogs.

This is what Jeff had to say about me:

Brother B at " Down Syndrome Life" . B. Strong also happens to be a father of a daughter with Down syndrome. B. has been a strong source of belief and reason in a world so filled with neither these days. As I have traveled with him down this road less traveled I consider him a friend I have not yet met in person but hope to soon.

I'm going to assume that you can't award the same blog twice. So before I start I want to hand out two honorary "Blogger Reflection Awards"; one to Kim at ramblings of the bearded one and the other to Jeff at Big Dawg Tales. Thanks for being who you are.

Now, my five winners for the “Blogger Reflection Award” in no particular order go to:

1. Robin my wife at Beloved Life - I can’t say enough about my wife. Robin has been the keystone in my life for the past 11 years; my one true love and best friend. Her determination and strength to make certain that the world is a better place for our children places her deep into my heart.

1. When things are feeling blue I know that I can visit Tara Marie at Emma Sage Tara enjoys telling life’s stories through pictures of her daughter Emma Sage, her friends and family. I feel as if I go on a mini-vacation every time I visit. Thank you.

1. Emily Elizabeth at Lovely and Amazing is another blog that interprets life through photos. The little tidbits Emily adds on her Friday posts seem to always place a smile on my face.

1. Noelle at Jaden's Journal : Noelle should be a lobbyist for the Down Syndrome community. Noelle is a mother of two. Her youngest, Jaden was born with Down Syndrome and has been the driving force for her on her latest mission. Go visit Noelle. Oh, she designs and makes beautiful jewelry too.

1. Archie at Lilienna one of the few dads who blogs about having a child who happens to have Down Syndrome is starting a support group in his community. He is deserving of this award not only because he is a blogging dad and starting a DS support group, but because his daughter Lilienna wears glasses just like my Amanda and I’m a sucker for that sort of thing.

There you have it folks. Now follow the directions below and you to will be given the responsibility of choosing 5 bloggers for this award.

1. Copy this post.
2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they’ve been given the award.
5. Place the award icon on your site (I will get that soon)

Thoughts

As a child I remember summer being a time when waking up in the morning began with the overwhelming excitement of “Yes, I have 2 ½ months of freedom. This will be the best summer ever”. My mother made sure that my days were filled with activities such as camp, the zoo, the amusement park and just about everything else that would keep me and my friends out of the house. Summer was fun in our home, really fun. The only issue with being so busy was that my 2 ½ months of freedom quickly became only five days, and the excitement of getting out of bed now required effort.

As adults engulfed in our hectic lives we should still be waking up every morning with the excitement we had as children on the first day of summer break. If for any reason we find our selves yearning for the weekend on a Monday morning, maybe it’s time to think about where we are and what we need to be doing to bring back the Summers of long ago.

My Excuses For Not Posting In Awhile

I knew my readers had more important things to do than read my blog and I didn’t want to be a distraction.

I forgot my username and password.

Some aliens from outer space borrowed me so they could study how the human brain worked. They were very disappointed with their specimen.

I loaned my only computer to a friend, and he suddenly moved away.

I've been waiting in line for the past 3 weeks for my iPhone (not).

I was kidnapped by terrorists and they only just let me go. They too were dissapointed.

I gave up blogging for Lent. (I’m Jewish and have no idea what this means)

I own a Dell.

Actually I have zero excuses. I just needed to take a break.


Have a happy July 4th weekday(end…….dammit).

If you live abroad, have a great Wednesday.