One of my best friends is the CEO of Alpha Supported Living Services.  It’s an amazing nonprofit agency providing supported living and group home services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in homes in King County.

To say I admire all that he does would be an extreme understatement.

One of the fun ways to support him and the agency is their annual benefit dinner.  It’s always a beautiful moving evening that leaves you not only thankful that your children are healthy (as selfish as that sounds), but also so relieved to know that there is an amazing place that will truly care for them if they need it in some special way.  Also, having been to other events involving their clients, it makes you realize just how special each and every one of these individuals is.  That even if they are lacking in certain developmental ways, they make up for it in others.  And don’t get me started on the parents.  Wow, is all I have to say.  Wow.  I find myself complaining about daily parental struggles, but the love that all these parents have in their heart and the patience they’ve had to develop.  Admirable to say the least!

It’s so hard to pick and choose who you donate your money and time to.  Every story that you hear tugs at your heart!  I think we all chose things that have meaning to us in some way.  I’ve always donated to things that involve children (young and old).  Even when having them was not even close to being on my radar.  I could go on and on, but in case you want to know more about Alpha, you can do so here.

SO…in a rare occurrence on this blog, I’m in a dress, I actually have make up on, AND my hair is not in a bun SIMULTANEOUSLY!  All that happened literally 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave, so there was no time to set up the tripod and do my usual self timer shots.  My parents came over to hang with the kids, and my mom was nice enough to run out and take these pictures really quick 🙂 Patiently watching…Ok, in reality, she was just running up and down my neighbors hill in front and in back of me haha 😉 My new favorite picture of me and Maya! Then at the 5 minute mark, the Huz came outside.  I asked if he would take a few pictures, and almost fainted on the spot when he agreed! LOVE!!! Now, sadly one of the boys was working and the other was playing video games.  Guess that means we get to do another real family shoot for our holiday card!! 🙂

And then of course, I had to get a few more of just the Peanut.On me…

There are a lot of reasons I take a majority of our posts myself with the self timer and tripod.  I’ve talked about my control issues before a few times ;).  One of the nice things, is that I know when the picture is being taken.  Although, one of the funniest things about when someone else takes the pictures, is the outtakes!  The look on my face on the left??  And, on the right, I was trying to figure out how to show off the cool sleeves.  THAT was not the correct way haha!