S2L Scrapbook Challenge! August 16-23!

Okay it's not 6 pix, only 5......but it fits almost perfectly. These are pix from Lacy's senior dance recital two years ago last June. I did this "really quickie" layout in order to use the WA from Ginger's House which she specifically sent to me........'cuz she actually forgot to complete the verse to the song with the song title.......oopsie! Thanks Ginger!



Now this one......is for LAST week. Better late than never..........Actually it's also for my Digital Sparks August Theme Challenge too. I truly went 'round and 'round with this. I thought about fading out the willow in the background to give it a more ephemeral effect.....you know, spooky, but I couldn't get the right look and a good digi-friend said she like the full color better anyway! Thanks Marilyn. So, here's another shot of the lake where I grew up. Still love it there and maybe you can tell why.



So, there they are.
Love and Blessings All!
Carla

In Memory of Ben.....and Tom and Dan and James and Carlos and...........

This was Cpl. Ben S. Kopp. I knew him as Ben. He was a good friend of my daughter's. I didn't know that he was born 8 years before my nephew on January 20, 1988. I know he died one day after my daughter's 20th birthday. I didn't know him well, but Lacy did and that's all that's important. He was her friend and I'm mourning. He visited our home a few times. The smile you see is the smile I got to see and I saw it a lot. Can you see the mischieviousness in it? I could. Can you see the pride? I saw that too. He was very proud of what he finally accomplished. He had a tough time in school. He graduated by the skin of his teeth, but the army brought out something incredible in him. He was a Ranger. He was Airborne. And HE WAS PROUD. He was proud of his country and served it willingly. He knew it was risky and accepted that risk, numerous times. One time too many, some might say, but.......well, let's not go there. The other names in my title are the other MN soldiers who were killed in the Middle East during the week of July 12-18, 2009.
I just wanted y'all to see the young man I knew as Ben.
I also want you to take a minute today to...............
hug your child
hug your partner
say a prayer
enjoy the sunshine..........or rain
be grateful
be sincere
be silent
say another prayer
be loud
say thank you
say I love you
say good-bye
say another prayer
for peace
for freedom
for soldiers
for their families
for our families
for our country
and take a look at this..........this is what it's all about.
Whether you believe in the war or not, please, please believe in our men and women serving in the war. Respect them, pray for them, love them as you would your own children. Most of them will return home. Some will not.
God Bless America.



Scrapbook page elements:
Fireworks: Seachell-PD-Element4
WordArt: Ginger's House
Bracket Frame: Latte Dah Designs
Thanks Ladies!