When Lost: Stay where you are and wait to be found.

Moments Like This

I was young, I was told
I should follow my dreams
From my worst broken heart
To a world that just seems to move on
Dance with the wind, now she's gone

I've been down on my luck
Yeah I've fallen from grace
I've had beautiful eyes
stare me right in the face and move on
Dance with the wind, now she's gone

No need to talk about it
Like it won't happen
Cause the chances are that it will

And moments like this will bring you down
Moments like this will bring you around
Moments like this will make you strong
Now that they're gone, now they're gone

No more searching for signs, for a song I can sing
Now I'm living my life like a bird on a wing
Movin' on...
Dance with the wind, feeling strong

No need to talk about it
Like it won't happen
Cause the chances are that it will

Try not to talk about it
Just get it started
Don't waste your time standing still

And moments like this will bring you down
Moments like this will bring you around
Moments like this will make you strong
Now that they're gone, now they're gone

If it don't kill you, it makes you strong
If it don't kill you, it makes you strong
If it don't kill you, it makes you strong
If it don't kill you, it makes you strong

Clayton Bryce

My baby brother was born today! I was asleep when it happened, but when I woke up he was already here and ready to play. He's got mad skills just like his big sister and brother! And he takes forever to get dressed just like me! I helped Mommy and Daddy take care of him all day and I showed them things they needa know like changin his diaper and stuff. Daddy was scared of Clayton's diaper and ran away! He's so fluffy!

Daddy and I cooked Brains & Eyeballs for dinner while Mommy rested. I put the butter and garlic on the Anti-Vampire Toast and Daddy let me put the pan in the oven all by myself! I helped him watch the brains boil and I set the table too. It was a yummy dinner even though Mommy made me eat salad >.>

After dinner we went shopping and got Clayton a nice green crib. Maybe green will be his favorite color just like Keirsten! Or maybe blue just like me. Or pink like Daddy! Juuuust kidding.... heeheehee! We got everything set up and then we introduced Clayton to his first game of Greedy. He totally won. Daddy was rolling his dice for him cause he's only a baby, but it still counts! Daddy thinked he won and we let him think so to be nice. He did do all the work, after all.

I love my family... <3

Summer Camp Wrap-Up

 Another camp gone... sigh. It was a great one though. I tend to be very aloof at camp, going off on my own and exploring, surfing solo, getting some R&R. It's nice to make new friends but that's not usually my intent at camp. I'm more likely to do arts and crafts than cabin wars, I'm not the greatest cabinmate when it comes to bringing in the trophies, but I figure.. we all pay to go to camp, we should all get to enjoy it in our own way.


 This camp was special because my whole family was with me, and we spent alot of good quality time together. I think about last winter camp when I met them, it seems like a hundred years ago. I knew when I met them that they were special. But I never imagined that the road would wind through such curious curves, and I would actually end up being theirs. Camp this year gave me a feeling of such serene affirmation, as though everything is as perfect as imperfection will allow.

I have always loved some good cliff diving, and I spent a whole afternoon cliff diving by myself! It felt great. I practiced all sorts of flips, and I worked on making my cannonball splash bigger. The only hard part was having to climb back up the mountain after every dive!

My sister Keirsten and I ended up on the bottom of the ocean one day (no idea how >.>) and we came across an odd thing.. someone put tons and tons of beach balls on the ocean floor! They were everywhere. I thought they looked neat but I guess it was supposed to be a prank! Keirsten and I played with them and rolled them all over until Daddy came and finded us. He thought WE did it! Nope!

I liked hanging out with my parents while they did their events. Mommy let me help her decorate a neat set-up for a pillow fight, but nobody came! It was okay though because we got to hang out together. Daddy did this awesome Egyptian Bumper Cars thing that was lots of fun. I ran the maze backwards \o/

I went to the Camp Formal with my birthsister Jordyn. It was a beautiful dance and everyone dressed up so pretty. I took tons of pictures of us dancing and I think they're some of my best dance photos. It's hard to catch a good shot when you're trying to do awesome dance moves.

One of the funnest parts of camp was doing the talent show with Daddy and Keirsten. We decided to surprise Mommy with something silly, so we all dressed up like MJ and danced together to Smooth Criminal. And we were totally smooth! Mommy was SO surprised and everybody clapped tons!

Although Jill surprised us all at the last minute with another night of camp, Mommy and Daddy were tired after a long week so we went home anyway. We relaxed and laid together, talking and just enjoying each other. Being with them like that makes me think about how lucky I am. Every kid who knows them loves them, they are the best parents in the world and they could have had any little boy they wanted, but out of all the boys in the world they chose me. I am so proud to be their son.

Relay For Life

RFL is such a great part of camp. I think it's one thing that always makes summer camp the best camp of all the seasons. There's a stronger spirit at summer camp, and I think more connection and camaraderie as we are all called upon to be heroes together. We face the fear and the pain and the unknown, with courage and drive and hope. And we raise lots of monies to help find a cure.

This RFL was very personal for me, because it was my first RFL since losing a loved one to cancer. I was unable to attend last year's RFL because it just happened to fall on the same day as my loved one's birthday, and her birthday was a fundraiser for her treatment. It was a beautiful night, we were all so joyful and I'll never forget holding her, dancing with her amidst our friends. Three months later, she was gone.

This year, when I got to RFL I arrived alone. I wanted to run one lap of the track by myself, to honor my loved one, and I did so. Along the way I caught up with Kenzie and we went some of the way together, and that was okay too.

There were lots of neat sites at RFL this year. On my solo lap I explored one woman's journey through cancer from diagnosis to recovery, and it was laid out through a beautiful waterway journey. I couldn't get the boat the work for me at the entrance, so I jumped in and swam the whole way. It was a little more effort but it was worth it. I was so overcome by this site, that I forgot to take pictures there. I did take some at another favorite site though, which was a tiny fairy forest. I loved sitting next to the little bitty houses cause I look like a giant!

When I was finished my solo lap, I caught up with Mommy and followed her around the track with a group of kids. Our family met up at the Purple Tears site and had a little rest between Theme Hours. My favorite theme hour was the fantasy one. I was a elf and Keir was a fairy and Mommy was a carebear, and I know this won't be surprising but, Daddy was a giant penguin. Yep. Of course. What else would he be?

Everyone tries to stay up all night long for RFL, but most of us fall asleep at some point. I got tired and fell asleep next to Mommy on a giant alphabet block. I was so tired, I slept right through the closing ceremony the next morning!

Camp Fun

My family and I (and pretty much everyone I know) are at summer camp this week! It's been lots of fun so far even tho I ain't done much cept relax, but that's good cause I don't do it often.

I totally love that both my parents are camp counselors, and our family gets to do camp stuff together! My sister Keirsten's such a happy kid, even if I feel grumpy she makes me smile. It's great that the four of us are "stuck" at camp cause we can snag extra time with each other! I know it's not true to the nature of camp (making new friends, conquering new horizons, etc), but I've been to camp before. I've had the classic camp experience. What I haven't had at any camp in the past, is a functional family at home. So for me, this camp is Family Camp.

We all went to the beach together the other day, really for Mommy to take some nice family portraits, but while she was settin up her equipment I snagged a few snapshots of the rest of us playing in the water!

 Daddy's out too deep! o.o;

Okay, maybe not too deep! ^.^;

That's all for now! I haven't taken nearly enough photos, but there's never a shortage of camp photos by the time camp is over, so no worries!

The 4th In Review

This was the best Independence Day so far! It started out with Lola Kenzie and I hanging being cute decorations for Jill in a float contest. I stayed on the float some, but I also ran around alot cause I had a horn, a flag, firecrackers, and even a new scooter.

By the time my Mom got there, I was already hyper 'n stuff! I ran across the field and climbed to the the top of a giant memorial where Kyia was, and we watched some fireworks. I dint even notice her chasing after me and she said, Joshy dint you hear me call you? Nope! Hehehe!

This was the first holiday spent with my adoptive parents, and we had a great time. We went to a park first to see some fireworks, but it was very crowded and there were people setting off color bombs and it was laggy, soooo we went home and watched fireworks on the roof! I thought we were just sittin on a blanket but, it turned out to be a magic carpet :O! We flew around and got real close to the fireworks. It was awesome!

 Later we hadda go to this other contest, but I was already tired and dint wanna build, so I hung out and watched. I ended up fallin asleep in a chair I think, then I remember my parents taking me home and putting me to bed. Yay! Hope everyone had a Happy Fourth.

Dani Jo

I miss you too. I know that sounds weird since this is by my own insistence. But sometimes what you need, isn't the same as what you want. What I want is to not have any issues with anything, or anyone at all. What I need is to deal with my issues however I can. Please note, that I said my issues. It's not really about you, or any specific thing you did or did not do. It was an accumulation of events. I caved under my own frustrations.

It got to a point where I was just mad at you all the time. It was poisoning me. It was hurting you. It wasn't fair to either of us and as hard as this is, this distance.. it is a lesser hurt than if I were to confess everything that's happened in the last seven months that I bottled up inside. You don't deserve my anger, no matter what you do. My feelings are my responsibility, and I'm the kinda guy who needs time alone with his feelings. Push me and I turn to stone. It's not easy, but it's me.

You drive me crazy, little girl. You always have. I don't know why I'm so affected by you. In RL, I drove my older brother to the point of rage on a daily basis. His solution was to beat the hell out of me, and come up with clever ways to hurt me with his words. His actions haunted him as an adult; guilt over the damage that was done. It took him a long time to forgive himself. It took me a long time, too. Recently I've wondered if this was how he felt. Being the oldest is tough. So is being the youngest.

Just don't give up
I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in
I won't let you down
It messed me up

Need a second to breathe
Just keep coming around
Hey, whataya want from me
Whataya want from me

Yeah, it's plain to see
That baby you're beautiful
And there's nothing wrong with you
It's me, I'm a freak
But thanks for loving me
Cause you're doing it perfectly

There might have been a time
When I would let you step away
I wouldn't even try but I think
You could save my life

Just don't give up on me
I won't let you down
No, I won't let you down