Lucy (Martineau) Proulx Memorial

Lucy's memorial is set for Saturday 10/31 at the Silver Fern (formerly Hullabaloo's) on Pleasant St in Claremont starting at noon.

The Calender is up for sale!!!!

Link to Cafe Press

Taylor is on the first page!!!! The calenders are 18.99 and the proceeds are going to Sammy's Friends to help the group become a non profit. If you missed my info post before... Sammy's Friends is an online support group for children effected by limb differences and their families.

Shrine On Springfield Blog

I've started....or at least am in the process of starting.... a blog for Shrine On Springfield, which if you don't already know is our fundraiser for Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield Mass. There isn't a whole lot there yet but I figured I'd get that set up on its own so people looking for that are there and people looking for me and my little munchkins can find us here. There still will be stuff posted of C&M that's on SOS but it will be less than there was this past summer.

Shrine On Springfield

A prosthetic that can feel

Full Article

Don't Use Planet Aid Yellow Boxes

I donated a bunch of clothing and shoes to the Mason's Clothe the Children project, baby blankets and newborn outfits to Valley Regional Hospital (where both my girls and I were born) and food to our local food shelf this week (I'm in super un-clutter mode...and want to give back at the same time). During my struggle with my closet and shelves, I attempted to rally up some more donations from others. When I met up with a girl in Claremont to pick up her contribution for the clothes drive she told me she was glad I found a legitamit charity because she had dropped off a bunch of clothes to the Planet Aid box and was told that the clothes deposited in them where just shreded. She was the second person to tell me something "not right" about the Yellow Boxes. Another person told me the Planet Aid people were selling them to fatten their own wallets. I was pretty annoyed by this idea since last month I brought 6 contractor bags full of coats, backpacks, shoes, clothes, whatever and deposited it into a Yellow Box. So I decided to check it out when I got home.... it isn't good. The short of it is.....don't bring anything to the Planet Aid yellow boxes. Look for a legitimate charity locally.... there are many!


http://cbs3.com/investigations/I..Team.CBS.2.309677.html

http://www.7dvt.com/2008/planet-aid-help-poor-or-charitable-pandora-s-box

http://organizer.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/thinking-outside-the-yellow-box/

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/investigative/051209_fox_5_investigation_planet_aid

Where's my peak foliage?

I took this Saturday morning while the girls and I rode the Green Mountain Flyer (one of Jeremy's trains) up to Chester

Where's the color I'd like to know? You have to check out these pics to understand my whining....... this is what it looks like where I'll be living at this time next year

Another tidbit

Taylor got in to the Sammy's Friends calender!!!! As soon as they're available I'll let you know. Proceeds from sales will go to Sammy's Friends to help them become a non profit. Sammy's Friends is a support group on yahoo for kids and families affected by limb deficiencies... (Link to Sammy's Friends) ...which by the way is the "theme" of the calender... a bunch of gorgeous kids and their little bits:) I believe the calender will be available on Cafe Press but I'll let you know for sure as soon as I do....you can purchase other Sammy's Friends items if you'd like by clicking this link here (their Cafe Press site) Cafe press has millions of other groups and designs and STUFF that you may like to check out too.

Waaaaaay too much again

I received an email a couple weeks ago from Ashtyn's school about the Mason's doing a "Clothes for Children" clothing drive for local less fortunate children. Well, they are in for some overloading. I went through the clothes up in my attic...and filled up 2 totes of clothes to give. Then proceeded through what was piling up all over the kids' room and filled another tote of donatables. Then it was on to the basement and closet....hmmm.... I think I need a bulldozer.


My bed is somewhere underneath this mountain of clothing. I just wish they wanted clothing of all sizes not just newborn to 9-10 year old.

I just emailed the Mason (Ashtyn's teacher's father) about how much I have for them and am awaiting an oh-my-god type response. I have 6 totes full right now and I haven't found my bed yet (which I need to do before Jeremy gets home from working up in Newport on Wednesday) and I have a huge bag full of newborn footed onsie outfits, blankets and newborn hats for the hospital..... oh man. And I still have sooooooo much stuff left to go through... and in all honesty I'm totally keeping stuff I can't part with yet....first Christmas dresses and the like..... but I'm trying to be better. Its awesome that my kids are provided for so well, but I feel bad that we are so fortunate and completely spoiled. Its so hard for me to not be a pack rat....its in my blood. My mom and aunt Kathy have perfected it. They have more stuff in their houses than you'd find in 50 "normal" houses..... but they display everything perfectly and beautifully and its always dusted and spotless... and then theres my house...... more clothing than you'd find in the mall, more furniture than the biggest antique store on the planet.....enough toys, ride ons, bouncy seats and what have you for 5 kids (in all fairness its because I have at least 5 kids at my house almost all the time) and my house is itty bitty. At least too itty bitty for me....a normal person would be fine but me and my brood...not so much. Anyway the point of my rambling..... I set out to thin out and thanks to the Mason's having this clothing drive, I finally am allowing myself to thin out a bit.

iGive : Raise money for International Child Amputee Network, every time you search the web.

iGive : Raise money for International Child Amputee Network, every time you search the web.

Click on this link before you do your online shopping or searches for shopping goodness.... whenever you buy something from overstock, amazon, ebay, etc part of your sale will be donated to I-CAN... It only takes a second to register.... help out a good cause by doing something you are going to do anyway

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Dad-In-Law's 50th birthday party pics

Just a warning or whatever.... the butt shots and cleavage shots (they are covered by clothing) are from Travis taking my camera.....and all the middle fingers are either Travis or Sam being "awesome"... there are around 270 pictures and I don't have time to go through all of them....so you may see quite a few dumb pics...sorry.... there are a few not posted due to my own reasons..... sometimes I'm nice :) .... your welcome Uncle John ;)



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Gate Splits Border Community, Unites It In Disdain - News Story - WPTZ Plattsburgh

Gate Splits Border Community, Unites It In Disdain - News Story - WPTZ Plattsburgh

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Our new home.......in progress

Pictures 1-5 our of our driveway....wicked frickin wide....I guess its like 40 feet.. I kind of hope that's a major exaggeration






This ones looking towards our stream..... which is currently full of trees.....



This is our drinking water.....scary huh




I believe this one is where our hosue is supposed to be going.... I wasn't there to take the pictures so I'm a bit lost looking at them..... it all looks like dirt and trees to me.

For anyone wondering about Ryan.....

FYI, anyone who doesn't know the whole story, and no I'm not sharing it, Ryan is my brother-in-law. I'm just sharing what is available online. This situation sucks and Ryan is probably the last person in the world who deserves this. He was being the good guy and is getting screwed because of it. Ryan and Julie, we're all praying for you.

From fosters.com

Man charged in fatal wants blood alcohol data barred

By BEA LEWIS
bwheel@metrocast.net


Thursday, August 27, 2009
The lawyer for an Alton man charged with killing a passenger in a 2008 drunken driving crash is attempting to have blood evidence barred from court.

Ryan J. Sell, 27, of 33 School St., Alton, has been charged with negligent homicide, Driving While Intoxicated and two counts of aggravated DWI in connection with the Sept. 26, 2008, single-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of Robert H. Richie.

Sell was allegedly driving a 1982 Suburban on Avery Hill Road shortly before 11:30 p.m. when he missed the Y-shaped turn onto Alton Mountain Road in heavy fog and drove headlong into a culvert.

Alton fire rescue personnel performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation on Richie at the scene but were unable to revive him. He was pronounced death at Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro a short time later.

Sell's attorney, Mark Sisti, has argued that Alton police did not have probable cause to arrest his client or to take his blood.

Sell sustained a head injury in the crash and police noted an egg-sized bump on his left forehead but still asked him to perform sobriety tests. Those tests, which Sell reportedly failed, resulted in police asking him to take a portable breath test, the results of which they used to arrest him.

Sisti argued in court documents that the preliminary breath test should be inadmissible because it amounted to unreasonable search and seizure. Sisti further claims police arrested Sell before they had probable cause and that the preliminary results of field sobriety tests must be thrown out since Sell was suffering from a head injury when police administered a horizontal gaze nystagmus test and a one-legged stand test.

Police testified that his eyes were jumpy consistent with someone who was intoxicated and that he lost his balance, raised his arms and put his foot down three times during the one-legged stand test.

Belknap County Attorney Jim Carroll has argued that the blood was taken properly under exigent circumstances and should be admissible in court.

A final pretrial hearing is set for Sept. 9. Jury selection is scheduled for Sept. 28. Sell remains free on $75,000 personal recognizance bail on the condition he not drive. He was also ordered to sign a waiver of extradition, which would allow him to be brought back to Laconia without further court hearing if he were to flee to avoid prosecution.

What trip to Holland?

So my husband was checking out some stuff online and randomly asked "when's this trip to Holland?" Apparently he was snoopin' around to see if I had written anything he may be interested in on here. I had to think for a minute about what on earth he was talking about....and I realized I mentioned it in my happy birthday to Taylor post. Well, for all of you questioning my vacation plans, Holland is not an actual trip I will be taking soon....the whole 'Holland trip' thing is a story basically on having a kid with a 'disability'...or in Taylor's case 'difference'......and even though I do not by any means think Taylor's "disabled " (and I really really hate that term....so warning: do not ever say that word to me! EVER!!!) anyway, the story fits. Check it out if you would like to know what I'm talking about...... Welcome to Holland

Chaotic as always

I have been so busy lately I feel like I don't have the time to breathe. Between trying to get my house up for sale, dealing with my high school reunion stuff, taking care of 8 kids, my own family stuff, birthday parties, Ashtyn's school fundraising stuff, class meetings, jeep meetings, loading-driving-unloading-carrying dowstairs-and stacking 4 tons of pellets so we don't freeze to death this winter, child care workshops, random charity things I'm working on and my fundraiser for Shriners Hospital..... I'm pooped. So for all of you who are disappointed I haven't put up any birthday pictures yet, here's a small glimpse of it and the rest of last week.

Our last "almost warm" day..... Taylor and Ashtyn decided that mud in your hair is "fun".......oh yeah, it tastes good too???


We went out to eat (Jeremy the girls and myself) as a family!!!!! And had dinner at Athen's (our favorite local pizza place) for Taylor's birthday. On our way home Jeremy stopped at his parents to say hi only to find out the cake I smelt cooking earlier was made special for Taylor, so we all went in for some monster cherry chocolate cake. Taylor liked the cherries more than anything and I think she was a bit disappointed that there were no cherries on the cake I made for her.


Auntie Julie, Ashtyn, Taylor and me before the party


I think this balloon, from Zane and "Uncle" Travis, was Taylor's favorite present... she still won't leave it alone.


Taylor half way through the party.....she was so tired she laid down to eat her birthday cake


Taylor and Ashtyn have been fighting to see who can spend the most time on the hobby horse "Grammy and Grampa" picked up for the girls.....and me(....I'm the one that wanted it....but obviously for them to have fun on)

Notice my stupid window is STILL broken.....as if my to-do list wasn't long enough, there's something else I forgot about.

And last but not least.... Ashtyn "allowed" me to take a picture of her...... She found out that food coloring doesn't taste as cool as it looks..... and its not the food coloring that makes frosting sweet....