Monday, July 30, 2012

Legoland California Trip

                                                  Lego Volvo Family with Christopher
                                                            Volvo is a sponsor

                                                          Driving on Lego Safari
                                                             Harry Potter and Hagrid!



                                                         Getting his Volvo Driver's License
                                                   Fire Helicoptors with Daddy




                                                            I love driving these cars!


                                                    Skipper Boats

                                                           Lego Airplanes




                                                   Star Wars Miniland Awesomeness!

Bob the Builder at his show!
Much more to come stay tuned! 
Chels

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Sacrifice of Adoption

I hope my readers have noticed that I have added an Adoption portion to my Blog.
It is placed on the right and top of every post.

There are two children up for adoption who are staying in a foster family in our neighborhood.
They are siblings and are wonderful kids who need a consistent and caring home environment.

I have recently had so many dear friends struggle with infertility and failed fertility treatments, or surgeries. Similar to the situation I am in.
Some of them have been fortunate enough to place and adopt beautiful children.
However, many of them have not.

I love children deeply and hope that the children in my neighborhood will find a loving family to shelter and love them.

I have been watching some of the videos about children who are placed for adoption.
I can sense a deep sense of sorrow and depression in some, which breaks my heart.
I cannot imagine what they'v had to go through in their young lives.
One boy was asked, "What sorts of activities would you like to do with your family?"
He replied, "It doesn't matter the things I do with them, but that I have a family and that they love me and take care of me." Such a perceptive child and so poignantly compassionate at only 14.

I thought I'd share.

I cannot begin to fathom the emotions which go through the birth mother's heart when she considers the decision to place her child for adoption.
This decision may be the most challenging choice she makes in her life.
I do believe that choosing to place your child is a personal, emotional and religious choice in many cases.
I also believe that putting a child up for adoption to give them a better life than the one you can provide, or are not prepared for currently; is one of the must selfless acts a person can do for their child.

It's not giving them up, it's about love. Really loving your child and wanting the best for them.



Chelsea Merkley

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Happy Independence Day!

I wanted to talk about the History of our Nation today.
To read the Declaration of Independence click this link;
http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/declaration-of-independence/

Respect our Nation's Flag; http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/respect-the-flag/


On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail with this prediction:

Rough Journal of Continental Congress, June 11, 1776, the day Thomas Jefferson began writing the Declaration of Independence. (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
“the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”
Why July 2nd? Why did he not write her another letter, on July 4th, and say he had been premature?
Because it was on July 2, 1776, that the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia voted to approve a resolution for independence from Britain.
On that same day, the Pennsylvania Evening Post published this: “This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.”
So why do we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day?
We do because of a little thing called the Declaration of Independence.
The document was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4th. The first draft of the declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson, who gave it to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin for editing. (You can read about it http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2005/nr05-83.html The National Archives Website) Jefferson then took their version, refined it further and presented it to the Congress.
Scholars don’t even think the document was signed by delegates of the Continental Congress on July 4th.
The huge canvas painting by John Trumbull hanging in the grand Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol depicting the signing of the Declaration is, it turns out, a work of imagination. In his biography of John Adams, historian David McCullough wrote: “No such scene, with all the delegates present, ever occurred at Philadelphia.”
It is now believed that most of the delegates signed it on Aug. 2. That’s when the assistant to the secretary of Congress, Timothy Matlack, produced a clean copy.
John Hancock, who was the president of the Continental Congress, signed first, right in the middle of the area for signatures. The last delegate to sign, according to the National Archives, is believed to be Thomas McKean of Delaware, some time in 1777.
The city of Philadelphia, where the Declaration was signed, waited until July 8 to celebrate, with a parade and the firing of guns. The Continental Army under the leadership of George Washington didn’t learn about it until July 9.
As for the British government in London, well, it didn’t know that the United States had declared independence until Aug. 30.

Questions and Answers about Our Beloved Declaration of Independence:
Have a gread Holiday Week and Weekend! 

Chelsea