Darren LeBlanc

I had it in my head that I was going to record an acoustic version of a traditional christmas carol for you all tonight….but since its 2:49am and I’m just finishing everything else I had to do, I don’t think we are getting to recording a song.

Anyway, I’m not feeling particularly articulate tonight. I’m just worn out overall and falling asleep here. I want to say Merry Christmas to all of you though. I really am so appreciative of the love and support many of you have shown me and my family. You are paramount to God’s continued encouragement and peace in my life. Thank you.

Before i go, I wanted to leave a couple images. Here are a couple from our 4yr anniversary (june 2007).

And one more. This is one of my favorite images ever. Misty was a great mom. I do miss her a ton.

Ok, so that’s it for now. I really hope you all have wonderful days today.

This year Olivia was much more of a help than she was last year. She loves “helpin”. 

The blue fish on the bottom there is Rainbow Fish. He is the character from the story we used to read every night at bath time.

Olivia the pig is a favorite character of ours. Unfortunately, the real Olivia broke the arm of miss pig last year. This year, with a fresh coat of crazy glue the pig is flying high (at least high enough that she can’t be reached by two year old hands)

Misty used to have cute teacher stuff all around. Mostly gifts people would get her. She was a great teacher…and yes, even people that weren’t married to her thought that :)

Misty and my first Christmas married was 2003…this was our ornament. It’s on the tree this year.

I got a gift today. It was a little reminder about the purpose of our benevolence; a refresher in why we serve people.

I was driving to Phoenix to catch my flight when I pulled off to grab a coffee. There was a guy on the exit ramp that had a sign with something about him having lupus and needing food. I of course ignored him as most Americans do and went to get my delicious Starbucks coffee that I paid $4 for. Something got to me though and I decided to stop in the place next door to get a gift card for food. I put $50 on a card and decided to drive back and give it to him. So I make this illegal move on the road to get over to where this guy is standing and I confidently get out of the car. My eyes meeting his, we both walk toward each other. I, full of my own self virtue, hand him this card and explain what it is while in my mind, I’m patting myself on the back.

His response took me. He barely said thank you and turned and walked back to his position. Wait, aren’t I this great person for doing this nice thing? Shouldn’t he be so appreciative? Well, his response was exactly what I needed. It didn’t in any way shape or form make me feel good. I had no big thank you…not even an indication that this guy was going to use this. I was taken aback, but only for a moment. As I got into my car I realized what a gift this awkward man had given me. I had somehow slipped into thinking I was great for doing exactly what I ought to do. I had begun drinking my own bathwater…like I was something special.  Now, there are times that I do really give just for giving sake. Times that I want nothing more than to make someone happy…for their sake, not mine. But today, it felt like I may have missed the mark with my intention.

The Bible says that I should serve this guy as if I’m doing it to Jesus himself. That is what I’m supposed to do. This is not something above and beyondthat deserves a pat on the back. I’m not at all suggesting that everywhere you go you are supposed to give a gift card to every needy person you see. I really can’t say what we are individually supposed to do…only that we need to be sensitive to what our individual role is in the big picture. So, if we can serve in our towns soup kitchen this season, we should do it. If we can make a turkey for the family next door, we should do it. If we can shovel the elderly couple’s driveway, we should do it. We should do it because we should do it, not because it feels good.

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PS…thanks SOOO much to Richie and Chris for letting me stay at their place one night last week. I needed a break and it was perfect. Click the picture below to visit the gallery. I put captions on many of the images as well. It was a terribly overcast day, so I didnt get any shots that really captured the beauty of the landscapes. I guess I’ll just have to go back :)

And sorry for so few posts this week. Work was rough and I didn’t have much left at 12am when I’d get back from dinner!

I do try to be a peacemaker. At times the strength of my opinions stirs the pot a bit, but I hope you all know that the goal is never dissension. If I have opinions on a certain teachers yoke, it is likely that you will hear it. You can then formulate your own opinion of the situation and go on with life.  We will never all agree. But I am launched into a place of influence here and I don’t take that lightly. I consider my words carefully and refrain from saying much that comes into my mind simply because I don’t have enough time to think it through. I would like to leave my 1 line about Mr. Osteen and my subsequent post on judging for just a couple days. I want to gather thoughts and respond to some of the specific comments in a way that will hopefully bring clarity rather than any misunderstanding.

I would like to talk about today.

I went to see a guest speaker at a church tonight – a church that I had not been to in a while.  I was so welcomed by folks there and I actually got a chance to meet some people that I didn’t really know…people that read here everyday.  It got me thinking about some things that I really want to get up here but I’ve been slacking off. So in the next two weeks, I’m will make a couple special posts:

I want to share
 - some music that was close to misty’s heart
 - the first round of her scripture cards (finally!)
- video postcard tutorial (have to go to AZ again next week - I’ll give step by step instructions for those of you who are technically challenged, but would love to do that)

Tonight though, I’m thinking about my lovely lady. Most of the day is too busy to think much about it, but I do miss her each night. Olivia does too. Speaking of Olivia, as I was tucking her in just now, I told her that mommy would have been proud of her today because she was so good. She sat quietly through the entire church service. She knew what I was talking about. “Mommy proud of me”, “I miss mommy”.  I was missing her too…So I went into my pictures and I found one that you probably haven’t seen. It was 6 weeks ago, yesterday. It was our last picture together…it was the day she died. She was beautiful…even her last day here.

Goodnight Misty.
I’m going to bed.
Wish you were here.

I went to be cute and put Obama’s initials in the subject line and when I realized what I had typed I got a little chuckle out of it. For those of you who are gearing up to type me a note about respecting our leaders, please just settle down…I’m not at all in Barack-Banging mode tonight.

I hope you all (for your own edification) voted based on the right information. It’s hard to really be “in the know” when we get such skew biased information from our primary info providers (i.e. the television).  I hope that you looked at Character, not just professed religion. I hope you looked at Ability, not just color of skin. I hope you looked at Policy, rather than just propaganda. I can’t tell you how many people I personally know that are voting for McCain because Sarah Palin professes to be a Christian or that are voting for Barack Obama solely because he is black. I find both to be a  reckless use of our voting privilege.

Regardless of how you voted, tonight is certainly a monumental occasion. For the first time our country has elected a black president. I’m excited about that part of this. It’s wonderful to see such a strong symbol that we truly have come so far from the injustices of the mid 20th century. I’m not saying the election went the way I’d have liked it to, but there certainly are positive aspects to focus on. Now, it’s time we all focus on praying for our leadership and keeping our focus on God, not our human leaders…no matter how lofty their position.

No comments for today. The last thing I want is a political debate after the election is over!! I have very much to say about all the comments from the last couple days, but I’ll get to that tomorrow. If you didn’t read, check out the last couple days…good discussion.

NOTE:  I’m not saying Sarah Palin isn’t really a follower of Christ, just that we need to look past someone’s words. Her life should peak more loudly than her professed church attendance.

Lastly, here are some pictures from Violet’s 2 year birthday party.

Olivia has personality just running through her veins…just like her mother. So things always have to be done up. For her first haircut, she appropriately has her personal stylist, Heather, escort her to the beach for a little snip and photoshoot. Thanks to Miss Yvonne for the lovely images and organizing the extrvaganza…and thanks to Heather for getting my daughter hooked on lollipops (and for the cut). 

Then today I decided to doll her up for church. I made her sit on my lap as I took the curling iron to her hair to flip out the bottom (after conservatively applying a bit of product to the tips, of course…haha). She likes it cause that was the way mommy often did her hair :)

You can click on either of the pictures to go to the gallery. Do me favor and leave me a comment with the number of your favorite (this one would be #5 cause it’s “5 of 15″) . I am going to submit one to the baby gap contest. Vote today though cause I have to submit it by the 22nd. (I didn’t get a lot of smiles…she is NOT very easy to photograph anymore.)

PS…It’s back to the daily grind for me tomorrow. I’m thrilled that Olivia has such a wonderful group of people to hang with her when I’m at work (my mom, Misty’s mom and our best friend Ann) . I’m pretty sure I’m gonna miss her during the day though. Now, I just have to find a job that pays the same and lets me stay home :)

Here are a handful of the 1750 shots Shannon and I took at thier wedding a few months back. I know its a little late but…hey, I’ve been a little preoccupied :)

Click on the Image to visit the gallery.

In other news, Olivia decided that instead of a nap she was going to sneak the balmex again and paint all over her sheets, feet and hands. I must say, the amusement I have found in the past in such instances was significantly diminished.  Later the dumb squirrel further decimated my pumpkin. And lastly, Liv and I both missed mommy today a bit. Only a few more days and its already a month since she died. That feels weird.

The gallery is complete. There are 60 images for your viewing pleasure :)
Check it out HERE
I’ll make some prints of the favorites available in the near future.

And yes, I am intending to change those pray for misty banners…just haven’t gotten to it yet.

In losing a loved one, a person often steps through the widely recognized stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Of course not everyone does this the same, but there is a bit of research that supports the idea that most of us hit these stages in one way or another.

I’d like to submit that there are really 6 stages. The missing stage is Retail Therapy.

First coined in the 80’s by a writer of the Chicago Tribune, Retail Therapy is the act of buying things to make yourself feel better about your situation. Researchers at Melbourne University have advocated its classification as a psychological disorder called oniomania or compulsive shopping disorder. Unfortunately, at present, this remains unclassified and millions of Americans will continue to suffer.

I spoke with a friend today that has recently had 2 very difficult times in his family. Those difficult times are directly proportional to the amount of plasma TVs he has in his home (2, both recently acquired – each within weeks of a traumatic event). For me though, its not TVs…it’s camera gear. Sometimes, music gear…but lately, its all about the camera. It’s an investment though right? I mean, I do get paid to shoot events and weddings and stuff. 

While there are many different styles of Retail Therapy, there are two core tenets that never change. 

1. It has to be now. – The last few days have had me biting my nails practically to the cuticle. Every good camera shop within a days drive from me is owned and operated by Jewish families. The recent observance of Rosh Hashanna has left me without a store to even buy online from for days. Today, was the first day they opened…and I of course made the trek to NYC because there was no way I could wait for shipping.
2. Whatever the product of choice, when asked how much you spent, the only appropriate response is always “more than I should have.”

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Seriously though, I did pick up a new lens today. A sigma 10-20mm ultra wide angle zoom. It is definitely something that I need for events and weddings, but the timeliness of the purchase is hardly quincidental. Liv and I met up with Misty’s mom and sister today as well as the Pottigers – we all did a little apple picking at a local orchard. It was fun. Click the image below to see the gallery shot with the new lens. That’s all for today…my brain doesn’t have the stamina to stay up and write anything meaningful tonight (its 2am).

By noon, Misty had been feeling pretty good (and didn’t have her recently-become-normal morning seizure) so we decided to hop in the mini-van and head out to the Delaware Water Gap with Misty’s parents. Couple interesting stories:

1) After a seizure often times a patient is disoriented. With everything that is going on in her brain, sometimes Misty does some “funny” things. After her first surgery years ago, she tried eating off a knife (thanks to her dad for quickly stopping that one). Today, we were at Arby’s for lunch and she insisted on trying to drink the cup of BBQ sauce…and then the ketchup. It’s weird…90% of what she does, she knows exactly whats going on, but every once in a while she gets mixed up. Usually with things like that: drinking sauce instead of dipping, trying to eat bacon with a fork rather than her hands, and other such trivialities. I’m praying that Misty has all her understanding restored.

2) While we were at the Delaware Water Gap we decided to just drive around (Misty doesn’t get out of the car really, so its the best thing we can usually do). While we were looking for a scenic road we stumbled upon a friendly black bear. He was not the small guy that we had leaning on our car at the safari…this guy was big. He was walking through someones yard just having a stroll. I caught a couple pictures of him drinking from a stream just below the street (I was about 25-30ft away standing outside the van on a tiny bridge). After such an encounter we decided we deserved a good chocolate with cherry ice gelato from Rita’s. The drive home was a little restless for miss olivia, so we stopped at the petting zoo as well (I’m pretty sure she loves animals more than she loves me).

All in all it was a fabulous day. She is doing a little better than yesterday and we went the whole day without a seizure. I’m hoping to continue this trend.

P.S. – Thanks to those of you who leave comments or send emails for Misty. I read many of them to her each day. Encouragement is a daily battle so your words are appreciated. Thanks.

Click below to check out some pictures from today: