Handsome Guy...

Joel and I knew each other for a while before we started dating. He was a regular in our office when he worked for Bleu and we traveled in the same circles. I always loved seeing him - it seemed like we could really talk to each other - not just idle chatter. That may have been because I ALWAYS got lost in his eyes. They have a very captivating quality - where you just...can't...bear...to look away from them. Honestly, maybe we didn't really talk about much of anything - maybe I was just briefly hypnotized. Maybe I'm STILL hypnotized. Who knows. Okay - now I'm rambling...

The point of all this is that one of the first "intentional communication" I got from Joel was an emailed photo after he cut all his hair off a few years back. I got a before and an after pic. And I remember thinking "WOW." Don't get me wrong, I always think "wow" when I think of my husband...but he looked soooooo different in the after photo. 

I came home today to a freshly "clipped" Joel. I got the same butterflies and flushed cheeks. He is ALWAYS handsome to me...(I usually use the phrase "hot" in mockery of Paris Hilton) but..."WOW" 

Happy Birthday

Sweet, sweet Sammers & 'Melia...We love you so much. You have changed all our lives. You really are little miracles. Happy 1st Birthday    - Love, Uncle Bub and Aunt Birdie. 

Welcome...

Willy Vedder Canada. You surprised us all - or most of us. We thought you'd be a girl. But your mama knew the whole time. She knew you were all boy. You kicked enough to try and convince the rest of us, but we just passed it off as inherited dancing genes. It doesn't matter now. You are little brother...Willy V...WC...or as D calls you, Wiwy. You'll have lots of nicknames. 

You have lots of love around you - and always will. Welcome. We love you already. 

Teaser #1 Revealed...

Dear Friends and Family,

This year, I'll be participating in a very special event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day. We'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

I say “we” because I am part of a team consisting of more than 15 gals who have committed to do the same thing. We are the Red Dirt Rockettes and we want to make a difference. Many of you have been so generous to donate to other causes I have walked for (Breast Cancer Research through a different foundation and MS Research). I am participating a walk again because we STILL don’t have a cure…therefore I we STILL need your support.

I've agreed to raise at least $2,200 in donations. I know I can raise even more than that, and have set my personal goal at $5000. So I need your help. Keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I'll have to train. 

You can donate online at http://08.the3day.org/goto/RobinSchoepf. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.

According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, more than 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. That’s why I’m walking so far...to do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

April Showers

It's starting to turn green here. I keep thinking back to last spring and summer and all the rain. We thought we lost one of the old trees here at the house. I never knew that a tree would shut down from too much water. I guess growing up in Amarillo, we never experienced much of that - trees OR too much water. I watched her (I refer to all our trees as "her") everyday, waiting to see if she would recover from the monsoons of 07. Almost overnight she went from bare limbs to limbs full of green healthy leaves. I guess she knew best when to shut down to save herself. 

I think we are a lot like that, but only some of us recognize it. We know what it takes to keep ourselves healthy - both mentally and physically. Sometimes it takes "shutting down" to save ourselves. It's amazing how we blossom after exercising a bit of self-nurturing.