Andrew Alpaugh Blast From the Past

"Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate." ~ William Arthur Ward ~

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Linked by : Cold Fury and Don Surber . Thanks!

"Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting."

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't know something For it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations Because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge Because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you're tired and weary Because it means you've made a difference. It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings. ~ Author Unknown ~

Today we celebrated Bryson's 2nd birthday with a party at the Pavilion by the Cannon Station. We had one of the hottest days of the summer thus far! At least there were a few breezes once in a while. While we were thrilled with the way his Elmo cake looked we can all agree it did not taste as good as it looked! Very disappointed to say the least but oh-well! Live and learn. It did look spectacular- I'll give it that. We all rode the train, (even my 78 yr. old grandmother). It was a great time with family. He got to have all 3 grandmothers at one time to love on! Thanks to all our family for being there with us to make it special for him. He loved and enjoyed having you all there. Check out the pictures on our web album or click HERE.

we were blessed with our sweet baby boy Bryson. We love him dearly and are so very thankful to God for giving us another little one in our family. He is by far our most strong willed child- ha! ha! We didn't think it got any worse than Emily. Definitely a challenge sometimes but we have our good times too! :o) He has amazed us with his ability to learn new things. I never would have thought at this time last year that by this time this year he would be able to not only say all his letters but recognize them as well and tell us what sound they make. He also knows all the shapes and colors and can count to 14. He can spell his name and we're working on how to spell mommy. He absolutely loves music and one of his favorite songs to do is 5 little monkeys swinging in a tree. He also loves Elmo and Blues Clues. :o) It has been an exciting year and we look forward to what's in store for the "terrible" 2's! We love you sweet boy! We celebrated his birthday by taking h...