Our New Friend, May

This is May. She has lived in Guilford, CT he whole life. She is 98 years old and has soft skin, beautiful blue eyes, and the sweetest voice you have ever heard. Christen and I are so excited to become friends with her. There is a program in Guilford called "Friendly Visiting" that connects people wanting a friendly visit each week with volunteers. Christen and I have been waiting for the perfect friend since about February and at last, we have found May. May has been telling everyone that she is getting a brand new granddaughter and couldn't wait to meet Christen. First I met with May and then the three of us got together this past Tuesday. May offered us tea and Christen got to have ginger ale out of a beautiful stemmed glass. What a nice visit we had. May is one of 7 children in her family and the second born. She is the only one still living. Her sister just died last March at the age of 101! We spent over an hour with May and the time went by so fast. Christen didn't want to leave. We love her!

Christen and May

A Visit with Alison

I just want to say that we were quite blessed this week with a short, but sweet visit from Alison. As she was saying good bye to the kids she asked me to snap a couple of pictures. As you can see (if you look close) Montana wanted to have a little snack while no one was looking! Alison felt a tug on her roast beef sandwich and we all busted out laughing!

We also learned that Alison's mother wrote a book in the Nancy Drew Series. . .#128. Christen reads about one Nancy Drew book per day right now. She loves them!

Christen and the Roast Beef Thief!

(sound like a Nancy Drew Title)

"Her Story"

Christen's Brownie Troop hosted a great event at our Community Center as part of the requirement for "Bridging Up" to become Junior Girl Scouts.

They called it "Her Story".

Each girl invited a a guest. They asked their guests to share their stories about their lives and what lead them to do the things that they were doing now that were important to them. Christen asked me to share the story of my life and what lead me to my love of photography and children. I was quite touched and yet, I wasn't sure what to talk about that would be interesting to the girls. Then I got to thinking. . .we are each writing our story every day. As the authors of our own stories we have to decide how we want our story to read. The girls are at such an impressionable age right now so I wanted to say something that they might actually remember and call upon in their life if needed. I shared the story of my childhood. I told them about my seizure disorder and how that affected my life, how it made me feel so different. I told them how I was called names and how I would cry sometimes. I just wanted to be like everyone else, healthy. I wanted to be liked and accepted for who I was. Little did I know then that "My Story" was being written. I shared a few stories with the girls. One thing that I told them was that through all of the less than perfect and really quite awful times in my life one thing always remained perfect. . .and that was the love and support that I received from both of my parents. God chose them quite specifically to be my parents. He chose well. Even when there was really nothing that they could do to change my circumstances they always would listen to me, cry with me, and in the end they would inspire me to go on. They helped me to just put one foot in front of the other and go on. They always told me that they thought I was great and they thought that I had a lot to offer and they thought I would do great things in my life. Eventually, something great did happen. We met a doctor that changed everything for me and for my whole family. I stopped having seizures at night and had a "normal" life. I couldn't believe it when I would wake up in the morning and feel good. . .and rested! Life was good. I think that I saw beauty in things that most people my age might not have even noticed. . .sweet, little things. . . simple things. I think that is why today I see beautiful things when I look through the lens of my camera. The lens through which I see life, love, happiness, beauty, sadness, tears, triumph, and struggle. We all have a lens through which we see. Open it up all the way so you don't miss a thing. . .our stories are being written every day. . .every minute.

How will our stories read one day?
On my honor, I will try, to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.


Christen and Ms. Schofield.