The Christianville Spirit: The Fun of Journaling

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

May 4, 2011- TCS # 248

So, Late the other night, I was going through the stuff I had put in a Pizza Box I had decorated, back in Middle School as part of a little project I had to do, when I found a journal from back when I was in 7th Grade. You See, I have this box that I made in the 7th Grade that I call My “History Box” that has things that pertain from My First Job to Elementary School. I put some of the projects that I did and of Course, a Journal that I wrote in for an English Class in the 7th Grade. This English Class was actually, one of my favorite classes because I got to write in my journal, about a question I had to answer and what I thought about it or sometimes, what our teacher Mrs. Daniels called “Free Write” meaning you could write about anything you wanted, and if you wanted to share what you wrote, you were more than welcome to. Journaling in that class was soo fun that I would get excited to walk in to class, look at the board, and see what the topic of the day was. Of Course, the “Free Write” were the ones that I loved. but, Anyway, I decided to read the things I wrote because I was curious again about what was going on with me at that time. I also wanted to see if I wrote on September 11, 2001 but, I remembered that I was in 7th Grade a year earlier. So, I just kept reading and I found what I wrote that I was thankful for, and I chuckled at it because some of them I mentioned I don’t mention Today, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not thankful for it. Like for example I was(and still am) thankful for God. Other things I was Thankful for was Mac and Cheese, because then it was all I ate. Of Course, I was thankful for Nice Teachers, Friends, and Family. I was also thankful for The Weather, States, Georgia, Countries, Cities, Myself, Texas, and Dallas. Next, I was also Thankful for Living and Living in The United States. Also, I was thankful for My old Dog Sophie, our former-cat Honey, and many other things. Another thing that got My Attention were the places that I was interested in. Like I was interested in the following places:

• Houston (because My Half-Sister Hope lives There)
• Jackson and Hattiesburg, MS (I think because of one of My Teachers and it’s way south of Christianville)
• Atlanta(Because Family lives there)
• and, finally Paris, France(Because apparently at the time, I really wanted to go there)

The Final Thing I wrote about was about a new show on The Weather Channel (which I loved at the time and still love) called Atmospheres and how I really liked it. At the time, it was one of My Favorite Shows besides those on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. All in all, Journaling is something that is fun to do but, even more fun to look back and read later.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Life is truly a Wonderful Journey, full of Journaling.

The Christianville Spirit: Forgive The People

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

April 27, 2011- TCS # 247

So, Let me ask you a question. If the World Ended Tomorrow, Next Week, or in a Couple Weeks, Are you on Forgiving Ties with The People who did you wrong. In other words, Have you forgiven anyone who wronged you like Parents, Grandparents, Friends, and Ex-Boy/Girlfriends? Well, with all the negativity going on in the world, one would think that the world is coming to an end and it probably is. But, My Friends I’m not trying to scare you about the end but, I do think that whether the world’s ending or not, we should Forgive people to least have good ties with people who Wronged. Now, The word “Forgiving”, a lot of people assume that it also means Forgetting but, that’s not true. I mean, if your willing to forget then that’s ok too. However, the point is to Forgive. Also, You can Forgive someone but, not forget what they did and if so you can still be angry with them. But, that’s your choice. Now, of course I’m sure your wondering how to Forgive. One way is that you just have to let go of what they did and think, “I Forgive Them” in Your Heart. Another way to do it is also talking to that person directly and tell them first what they did to make you upset at them(without accusing them) and then, end with “But, I Forgive You”. Now, whatever they may say afterword can be either Positive or Negative. So, It’s beyond me. Now, as for Me, I’m not one to Confront people so, I would go with the first suggestion. All in all, We all people we need to Forgive. So, give it a try.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Try to Forgive someone for what they did.

The Christianville Spirit: Born This Way

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

April 20, 2011- TCS # 246

So, Do you remember when I shortly mentioned about something called “Spread the Word to End the Word”? Well, This Week I’m going to go into detail about it. It is a Program called Spread the Word to End the Word that was created by the CEO of the Special Olympics, Timothy Shriver. Now, What word do they want to end, The ultra-dissing word of people with Special Needs, the R-Word as I call it or to be precise (excuse me for My Language) Retard or Retarded. Most people use this word as “That’s [so]Retarded” or “Your[so]Retarded”. Anyway, You get what I’m saying. On the website for this campaign, www.r-word.org they list how hurtful this word is, along with as they refer to as “Cheers and Jeers”. Cheers meaning people who support this campaign and who think we should end the “R-word” like Me and several others including Johnny Knoxville and Stephen Colbert just to name a few and Jeers meaning the people who still haven’t stopped using the word. Anyway, I’m so thankful to this campaign to stop using the “R-Word” because it hurts me when people say it whether it’s toward me or not. And, as they say it’s hurtful to Special Needs People if you use it in front of them or not. The funny thing is, is that the word “Retarded” or “Retard” back when it was first used wasn’t really directed at Special Needs People, it is supposed to mean making an object smaller such as Meat or Bread. Then, some hater must have saw someone with Special Needs, thought of the word, and then it spread like wildfire. Anyway, I’m proud to have this program protecting me and I am pledged to be a part of it. By the way, if you want to Pledge, go to www.r-word.org, Read all about it and Pledge. On a side note, Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way” inspires me because I was “Born This Way”, to be Special to Everyone and God himself. All in All, I am happy to have Special Needs and Share my Love and Knowledge to everyone.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Be Special in your own way because YOU were Born This Way.

The Christianville Spirit: Celebrate Life

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

April 13, 2011- TCS # 245

So, This Week from Yesterday to The 17th is a celebrative and bittersweet time for Us in the Smith Family. You See, Over the past couple years, dear great family members of The Smith Family have passed away during this week. The strange thing though is that they died 2 days apart but, in different years. I know that our dear family members have passed because we have a Calendar that we’ve had for years that mentions everyone that we know’s Birthdays so, My Mom, Michael, and I don’t forget. Also, though we put the dates that our family members pass away so, that we can remember them too. To make it sound less sad on our calendar, We address the date as their “Homecoming”. Their “Homecoming” by the way means that on that day they went home to Heaven. Anyway, I’ll show you how strange it is of how our family members passed away 2 days apart in different years. First, Grandma Mimi who was as I referred to as “The Healthiest Person in The Smith Family” because she never got sick and she was quite a strong women. Though she passed on April 11, 2010. My Great Grandma Mimi who I refer to as “Grandma Mimi” lived through everything from The Depression to World War 2. After 2 days comes Uncle Doc’s Homecoming on April 14, 2007. Now, Uncle Doc was married to Aunt Ginny, Popi’s Sister and lived in San Antonio. So, Sometimes we would go visit Aunt Ginny and Uncle Doc before or after we visited My Dad. I think I remember that we even visited Uncle Doc before I had my Eye Surgery. He was a great Physician, Uncle, and Father. Finally, 2 Days later from that is Popi’s Homecoming on April 17, 2008. Popi was an awesome dad to My Mom in her early years and a great husband to Grandma Honey, as I mentioned last week. Popi was very funny and very smart. So, as you can see April isn’t the greatest month for all of us in The Smith Family but, we remember to celebrate their lives. About a year ago, We planted a Tree in our backyard that We named our “Life Tree” to Celebrate our life and others. All in all, Life should be Celebrated, Living and Dead.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Cherish The Family Members you have.

The Christianville Spirit: True Love Lasts Forever(The Story of Jeanette and Warren)

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

April 6, 2011- TCS # 244

Every now and then, I really like to read Romantic Stories of people who have found their Soulmate or “Best Friend” as many others call it. I love reading how they met and how they felt when they saw each other, How it felt for them to have Love at First Sight and finally, What’s it like having them around now. Now, as we know or should know Our Soulmate isn’t perfect, as the story that I’m going to tell you about. They may have a flaw in looks, behavior (like in my case, Clearing My Throat or being a Control-freak), or a different “Money System” than you we’ll call it; and, by “Money System” I mean something like he likes to Save and She spends her heart out. Anyway, back to the story. Well, it turns that believe it or not, there is a Soulmate Story in The Smith Family and it stars the 2 Favorite People of The Smith Family, Popi and Grandma Honey. Now, because this is an original love story we’re going to address them by their real names, Warren (Popi) and Jeanette (Grandma Honey). Anyway, Warren and Jeanette met in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1959. They met at a friend’s party and they became friends. They hung out together all the time and before long, they were as they refer to as “Best Friends” because then there wasn’t such a word as “Soulmates”. Anyway, before long they decided to get married and have kids, Bruce, Craig, Julie (My Mom), and Brian all within a couple years of each other. As the kids grew up in Elementary School, they moved to Auburn, Maine for a better life. Because Ann Arbor wasn’t as safe as it used to be and there was less crime in Auburn. Of Course, we know that Jeanette had a program for Expectant Teenage Mothers in Auburn, Everyone loved her and she touched many lives. After they lived in Maine for a while, they decided to move back to Toledo. This time they lived on the Eastside of Toledo and My Mom had to ride the bus to get to her school because it was the only good school in the area and it was on the West Side. The great thing about these two soulmates or “Best Friends” is that they knew how to work together to be great parents with 4 Kids. Their Life centered on their 4 children. They loved each other very much. But, the sad part of the story is that many times they were two very different people who did and still love each other very much. But, those they chose to divorce instead of argue. However, They continued to date each other after the divorce because they enjoyed each other and still loved each other. A Couple Years Later, Warren married someone else and Life took Jeanette to Atlanta, Georgia. Now, Although Warren was married to someone else, He and Jeanette still enjoyed conversations with each other. The woman who Warren was married to was jealous of their relationship and tried to push them away from each other. So, this story ends with Warren in the final moments of his life on the phone with Jeanette talking to each other. And, Warren’s last words to Jeanette were “I Love You” and Jeanette’s last words to him were “I Love You”. So, this shows that although he was married to someone else, he did still love his Soulmate, “Best Friend”, and True Love, Jeanette. All in all, the moral to our family’s love story is that it’s actually true what they say, True Love does last forever even a thousand miles away.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Everyone has a True Love is made just for them and it can last forever.

The Christianville Spirit: Our Friend, Max

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

March 30, 2011- TCS # 243

You Know, There are times in Life when you come to the realization of what Friends you have or what Friends you associate with. It’s where the term “You know who your Real Friends are” came from. But, sometimes living your life in all it’s glory or horror, depending on how you see it; You forget 2 things when you come to this realization. The first, of course is We forget just how long we’ve been friends with that person. You See, because of the many events that happen inside of Our Lives like Personal Events and Outside of Our Lives like the things that happen in The News that we need to keep an eye on. The second thing is that We forget are some of the times that we had with this person and not to mention, just how good our friends are. The reason for this is because again with the many events in our lives, a significant event such as a Movie Night, although it happened maybe 2 weeks ago, it feels like it was a Million, Trillion Years Ago. Anyway, I’m actually directing this more toward My Mom and I’s friend Max. and, this is where my realization about her came in. You See, My Mom, Max, and I have been friends for 9 Years, having Movie Nights, “Cook-Ins”(considering she is an awesome cook), and we even took her the My Possibilities ‘ Chocolate Fest, we’ll call it. She even came to My Brother’s Surprise Party for his 16th Birthday. Also, She threw My Mom a Birthday Party several years ago at her house. Now, if your wondering about the “Cook Ins”, Max is a person that doesn’t really like to get out of her house so, we have the opposite of a Cook-Out in her kitchen and no, we don’t use a grill inside. Now, of course this friendship doesn’t go without Max and I rubbing the wrong way. You See, in a twist of events Max and I are both Control Freaks meaning that either of us have to have control and hold the rope. The most times this comes is when watching TV and trying to figure out the entertainment system. Now, I know that because of that I can’t touch the remote unless she says I can. Because after all, I wouldn’t want her to touch the remote at My House. But, anyway, moving on. Max is a really good friend to have because she is one of those that’ll stay by My Mom and I’s sides through any crisis. Here’s an example of why she’s such a good friend, Last Weekend we had a Movie Night which we always watch a funny movie and she got me a book with a Wall Chart about World History all the way from Adam and Eve to 1994, two years before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. It is Awesome. All in All, Max is an awesome friend and I know that she’ll be there for both of us.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. When You have an Awesome Friend. Keep Them and Cherish Them Forever!

The Christianville Spirit: TCS Series; My Television Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

March 23, 2011- TCS # 242

Ok, Everyone. This is the 6th and final installment of The Christianville Spirit Series, ‘My Heros’. As I mentioned last week that I’m going to write about my Television Heros this week. Now, I define “Television Heros” as I do with Movie Heros, they are the people that I crush on, they are significant to me, and I idolize them. So, without further a due this is The Christianville Spirit Series, ‘My Heros’. So, My first hero I am a big fan of on TV; She has had several shows on The Travel Channel including Great Hotels, Girl Meets Hawaii, Great Vacation Homes, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to Great Weekends. Her Name is Samantha Brown. Samantha is very well known on The Travel Channel and since last year, she has been on The Travel Channel for ten years. Anyway, Samantha is My Hero because she has done many things and gone many places that I hope to go to. Another reason she is My Hero is because on TV she seems fearless even though at times she can be fearful like the fact that she hates being in the Water and on the show, Passport to Latin America in Mexico, she put on a helmet over her head then went under water and did what they call “Snub-a Diving”. Also on Passport to Europe, she rode down a hill in a Zorb Ball in Switzerland. The final reason she is my hero is she is an Awesome Person and she goes to many lengths to produce the shows she has been on. My second Hero or in this case, Heros are 4 Young Guys from a show that I’ve mentioned quite a few times. The show is called The Buried Life, this show started in January 2010 and it is based on one question, “What do you want to do before you die?”. Anyway, This is actually the first reason why these 4 Young Guys are My Hero. Because they brought up a question that many are uncomfortable to Ask or even Answer because it scares them a little. Now, the next Reason that they are My Hero is because along with doing things on their lists and they talk to people where they visit and that find out what they(the people, the guys of The Buried Life ask) want to do before they die. Often times, The guys of The Show help the person they asked complete something that the person wants to do. The final reason they are My Hero is because they are Wonderful People and often very funny on the show. My 3rd “Television Hero” is someone that you may not know. She is a star is Disney Channel on shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, Another Cinderella Story, Princess Protection Program, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, and Ramona and Beezus. Her Name is Selena Gomez, she is one of my favorite stars on Disney Channel and yes, she is someone that I crush on as well. Anyway, Selena is My Hero because She is very funny on TV and she makes me laugh. The next reason why She is My Hero is because She is Down-to-earth like Sandra Bullock and I love that quality in a person. The final reason, Selena is My Hero is because she is an awesome person and very funny. My final Hero is someone who was on Disney Channel when I was a kid, she was on shows and movies like Lizzie McGuire, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Casper Meets Wendy, and Cheaper by The Dozen 1 and 2. Her Name is Hilary Duff, She is a star that I grew up with. In fact, after I started watching Lizzie McGuire, I slowed down watching Nickelodeon and started watching Disney Channel. Anyway, Hilary is My Hero because like I mentioned above, I grew up watching her shows and she was a funny person to watch. The Second reason why she is My Hero is because on her show, Lizzie McGuire she went though Everything from Heartbreak to finally falling in love with Gordo, her best friend that had been crushing on her character, Lizzie since the beginning of The Show. The Final reason she is My Hero is because she is an Awesome Person and Very Funny. All in all, That gives you a taste of the people who are My Heros and The people that I idolize.

Thanks for reading The Christianville Spirit. If someone that you know is Your Hero, Tell Them. It’ll warm their Heart.

Because Today is My Mom’s 50th Birthday, I’m dedicating This Newsletter to Her. Because like I mentioned a couple weeks ago, She is My Hero too.

The Christianville Spirit: TCS Series; My Movie Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

March 16, 2011- TCS # 141

Ok, Everyone, it’s time for the 5th Installment of The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. So, in this “Fan and Fun” Section of this series, we’ve covered the Weather Reporters. Now, we have Movies and Television which will be this week and next week. In This week’s Installment, I’m going to tell you about Movie Heros. So, without further a due this is The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. Now, the term “Movie Heros” to Me means the people I idolize and maybe have crushes on. So, My first “Movie Hero” is someone has certainly been through a lot to get where she is today. Her Name is Sandra Bullock, She has starred in Many Movies including Speed, While You Were Sleeping, The Proposal, The Lake House, and The Blind Side; Just to name a few. Anyway, Sandra Bullock isn’t only one of my crushes but, She is My Hero. Sandra is My Hero because she made it through an awful divorce and the nasty tabloids still the wonderful person she is. Another Reason she is My Hero is because she has dealt with a lot of Negative Things because of the way People treat her, I believe that she is the most well-known star which makes her so awesome. The Next Reason why she is My Hero is because she is so simple about everything or also what you’d call “Down-to-Earth” and not to mention she has also been in many Romantic Comedies which are My Favorite genre of Movie. The Final reason why she is My Hero is because she is the Awesome Person that she is and she has remained that way through all the stuff. My Next “Movie Hero” is a person also who I’m crushing on who has starred in Movies like The Ringer, 27 Dresses, and Knocked Up. Not only that but, she was starred in TV Shows as well like Grey’s Anatomy. Her Name is Katherine Heigl. Anyway, Katherine is My Hero because like every celebrity, she has to deal with all the Rumors and Tabloids in the world. Like for example, She was Criticized for leaving Grey’s Anatomy and People were upset about it. When I found out that she was going to go off the show, I was very curious how they were going to get her off the show. Anyway, Another Reason she is My Hero is because she is part of a Program called Best Friends Animal Society which saves Dogs for “High-Kill Animal Shelters” and that is really awesome to me. The final reason she is My Hero is because she is an awesome person. All in all, We all have Movie Heros, Idols, and Crushes.

As a Side Note, on March 11, New Hampshire state legislator Martin Harty said that he suggests sending ‘Retarded’ to Siberia. This is Reported from Spread the Word to End the Word website

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Let’s work together to end the “R-Word” which is very hurtful.

The Christianville Spirit: TCS Series; My Weather Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

March 9, 2011- TCS # 240

Now that we’ve covered the Heros of all my 3 Families and Personal Heros. Now, We’re going to have a little fun. These next couple people in the next installments of this series are going to be what I call “Fan and Fun Heros”. So, for this 4th installment of The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”, I’m going to tell you about my “Weather Heros”. so, without further a due, this is The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. Now, I know you’re wondering what in the world I mean by “Weather Heros”. I define “Weather Heros” as the heros that are Weather Reporters that have to report on all the weather out there. From Hurricanes to Tornados, they do it all. Anyway, this first Weather Hero is someone from the channel that I idolize, The Weather Channel. Now, as you’ve known forever that I have been wanting to work at The Weather Channel for a while and this guy is an awesome reason why. His name is Jim Cantore, he is the most known Weatherman on The Weather Channel. In fact, Jim Cantore is so well known that if you live in let’s just say Florida or elsewhere, it’s an “Oh Schnikies!” Moment because everyone knows that when Jim Cantore shows up in your town, you know somethings coming and you know it’s bad. Anyway, Jim Cantore is My Hero because he reports in EVERYTHING, He reports in Hurricanes, Tornados, and Blizzards. Not only that but, he does it so well and yes, he’s even funny about it at times. Another Reason he is My Hero is because he has a show on The Weather Channel called Cantore Stories which shows the cultures of The US and sometimes he goes to great lengths to shoot video where he goes. One time, he survived the bitter cold in Barrow, Alaska and also, on a boat in Louisiana with Alligators below him. Finally, the last reason he is My Hero is because he is an awesome and funny guy who does a lot of hard work in the weather. My next Hero is another person at The Weather Channel who is beginning to be well known. Her Name is Stephanie Abrams, Stephanie has been at The Weather Channel for I think, 2 Years. She became famous with her show, Abrams and Bettes and now, her shows, Wake up with Al and Your Weather Today with Abrams and Bettes. Anyway, Stephanie is My Hero because She is really funny sometimes when she does the weather. Another Reason why she is My Hero is because she has became very successful in the past 2 Years that she’s been on The Weather Channel and she is now very admired by everyone. The final reason why she is My Hero is because she is a sweet and funny person. All in all, It doesn’t have to be a Family Member or Friend to be your hero, It can also be a Weather Person.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Speak Up! Let your heros know who they are.

The Christianville Spirit: TCS Series; My Personal Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

March 2, 2011- TCS #239

So, in this series ‘My Heros’, I’ve so far covered the heros from all my 3 Families. But, My Readers, we have another pair of heros and these come from Friends and Personal Heros. You See, Without these people I wouldn’t have learned the lessons I know today. So, without a due is The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. Now, this person is very special to me in many ways. This Person was the one who made My Childhood so great. His name is Jeff Barsi (Otherwise known as “Mr. Jeff”). My Mom met him weeks after we first moved to Plano from San Antonio. After getting to know all of us better, We decided to live with him at his house after funny enough we had only been living in Plano for a couple months. Anyway, Mr. Jeff though at times very stern about the house rules and manners (which at that time, there were times when I didn’t like when he was stern) is in a way a reason why he is My Hero because I learned a lot from him. Like for example, he was very big about not walking in the house with your shoes on because considering that it was My Brother and I, his kids Jeffery, Elizabeth(or Izzy as I call her), and Alex. Added to that The Herrick Girls (who would hang out with us during the day), My Mom, and Mr. Jeff, we had to make sure that it didn’t happen because the carpet would be really muddy if we hadn’t. Anyway, even today whenever I walk into someone’s house I take my shoes off as soon as possible. Another Reason, Mr. Jeff is My Hero is because he made my childhood so much fun. His house was connected to 4 Yards without fences that we could run from one end to the other without running into a fence. Not only that but, he also built us a Trampoline to jump on and on the Trampoline, My “Butt Busters” were born. By the way, My “Butt Busters” were when all of us would jump and I would land on my butt and everyone would go flying and that was something that even pleased My Brother. Then, of course there was The Lake House up in the country about 2 Hours northwest from Plano. Up there, our lake house was on a smaller lake and we had a dock that we would jump off or fish from (which My Brother, Jeffery, and Mr. Jeff would do a lot). Not only that but, We also had a Go Cart that we all could drive around the yard and the field across the street and that was really fun. Finally the last reason he is My Hero is because he took great care of not only My Mom but, all of us as well and I think I would have had a boring childhood without Him. My next hero is My Best Friend, Steven. Steven and I have been friends since the 10th Grade in High School. We were very good friends and supporting each other through everything. In fact, at one time My Mom and Mrs. Vandeneyekel decided to hold us back a grade to improve our social skills. So, Steven and I came up with a name for it, we called 10.5 Grade because it was a repeat of 10th Grade. Anyway, Steven is My Hero because he was there for me in both as we affectionately called the “Ali Days” and “Madison Days” and, yes even the “All Karleen Days”. Another Reason that he is My Hero is because there were times that he was the only really good friend I had when the others decided to not want to be around. The last reason, he is My Hero is because we had a close friendship and we could tell each other everything. We always end our conversations with “I Love You like a Brother”. All in all, Heros come in my forms, whether their Family, Friends, Celebrities, or Random People.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Do you have someone that you “Love like a Brother or Sister”

Go to www.r-word.org and sign the pledge because Today is “Spread the Word to End The Word” Day

The Christianville Spirit: TCS Series; My PTLS Family Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

February 23, 2011- TCS # 238

As I’ve told you many times I have 3 Families, My Immediate Family (My Mom, My Brother, and My Dad), The Smith Family (Grandma Honey, Uncle Bruce, Gram, Callie...) and, then of course there’s my wonderful PTLS Family that has grown over the years. Now, as all of you know my back history, 10 years ago there wasn’t a such thing as “My PTLS Family” or let alone my special needs having a name. I mean back then, it was known as dup.17p11.2 but, I addressed it as a “Duplication of Chromosome 17” and people would have no idea what it was. Nowadays, People know a lot more of what it is. Now, if let’s say My Mom or Dr. Potocki asked me if it were possible to pick a hero of this newfound “PTLS Family” 10 Years ago, I couldn’t answer it because not many families were around. Now, I can answer that. So, without further a a due, This is The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. Now, I’m not a person who likes to pick favorites and making others feel bad about themselves. So, This Person that I’m going to mention is my favorite in a way but, also she is a hero to me. Her name is Samantha Pennington(or as I call her Samantha and Aunt Samantha). Samantha in a way helped create the birth of our PTLS Gathering in Atlanta. You See, considering that she lived nearby in Nashville and I was going to Atlanta for my birthday I figured that My Mom and I should bring her down to Atlanta to meet me. Now, Samantha not knowing what would come out of it, told families on Facebook about it. After that, within 24 Hours there were families from across the country who wanted to come to Atlanta to meet me. As a result, there were several families who came as far away as Wisconsin to meet me and that is why she is My Hero. My Other Heros of My PTLS Family are Mrs. Griffin and Mrs. Pulley because they have been there to support me.

My Next Hero are the doctors that My Special Needs are named after, Dr. Potocki and Dr. Lupski. These two doctors are My Hero because first, They were the people that even started to research this. In fact, without them PTLS wouldn’t be named or there wouldn’t be a such well known thing as PTLS. The second reason that they are My Hero is because they gave my special needs a Name when before it was just dup.17p11.2. Back then, My Mom jokingly would “Christian Syndrome” while she waited for it to be named. Now, it’s awesome have a name and it’s called Potocki-Lupski Syndrome. All in All, All the PTLS Parents of PTLS Kids are Heros to me and their Kids for all they do.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Be a Hero to someone in Your Life.

The Christianville Spirit:TCS Series; My Family Heros

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

February 16, 2011- TCS # 237

Did you know that The Very People that You talk to Every Year, Every Month, Every Day, and Every Second could be what you would consider a Hero? Don’t be afraid to admit it, we all have a Hero or Heros in our lives whether they’re people that we idolize on TV and Personally or people who literally saved our lives. So, I’ve been thinking for a while about writing a series on it but, I had other writings on my schedule like The Super Bowl or Winter Storms. So, finally I’m going to write a series about Heros. I’m going to call it “My Heros”. So, without further a-due, This is The Christianville Spirit Series, “My Heros”. For the first installment of this series, I’m going to tell you about My Family Heros. The first Family Hero is My ever so awesome Mom. My Mom is my hero for many reasons, like she is my hero because obviously she’s my mother. Another Reason would be because she took the time to raise me to be the person I am today and after I got diagnosed with Potocki-Lupski Syndrome, she was there to understand or at least try to understand me, luckily though she was a Nurse so, she knew what was happening. Anyway, another reason and this is a big one is that she is the lead parent for the support of MY Special Needs to other families that have My Special Needs. Also, on many occasions, My Mom and I go a little drives to places because I love to look at the Road Signs and Drive on New Roads. Of Course, the final reason that My Mom is my hero is because she takes very great care of Me and My Brother and let’s not forget she’s a Single Mom. For now at the moment because of her fractured arm, She addresses herself as a “Single Mom with a Single Arm”. Anyway, My Second Family Hero is my awesome Uncle Bruce. He is My Hero for a couple reasons, the first one is that he is a great Father Figure to look up to between Myself and His own Kids. Another Reason he is my hero is because of something he has, In the Smith Family I call it the “Smith Charm” or as others call it the “Smith Blessing and/or Smith Curse”. Anyway, this “Smith Charm” of course as I mentioned above makes him a great father figure, has great manners, and of course is very humorous. The next reason he is my hero is that when we’re around him, he takes good care of all of us including My Mom. All in all, Have you though about who your Hero or Heros are?

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. We all need Heros to keep us alive.

The Christianville Spirit: Super Bowl Week Historic Monster Storm- Part 2

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

February 9, 2011- TCS # 236

So, After I told you about our freezing cold weather in Last Week’s Newsletter we had another surprise in the weather. Now, this one we knew about but, we didn’t know it would be that bad. It happened on late Thursday Night into Friday Morning. So, While My Mom was sleeping in Her Room, I was in the Living Room, watching YouTube Videos to fulfill My Fascination about Norway and Scandinavia when My Mom got up and walked into the Living Room because she saw it snowing outside. You See, Pete Delkus, the Weather Man that we watch on TV told us that it was going to Snow anywhere from 1-3 Inches of Snow on top of the Ice we had on Tuesday and it was going to start around 10:30 or so. Anyway, My Mom went to the window in the kitchen and was surprised by how much had fallen. There was already 3 Inches on the ground at 1:30AM and I didn’t know that it had snowed that much since 10:30 (when I watched the weather and they said it was in The Dallas Area). Anyway, on Friday when I got up I found out that it had snowed 6 Inches on top of the Ice we had. Now, of course My Mom knew all about this but, she wasn’t ready for what was about to happen. You See, with My Mom after being in the house since Tuesday, she had a little “Cabin Fever” meaning she HAD to got outside. So, She figured that she would take a short walk to the trash can the take the trash out. Now, keep in the mind that the trash can is only a few steps away and you can take the trash out and get back within less than minute. So, anyway My Mom was confident after she had made it to the trash can and she was on her way back when, of course, she slipped on the ice/snow, and landed on her most used hand, Her Right Wrist. Now, she says she was lucky because the snow cushioned her fall. So, after a day of her hand swelling, My Mom and I spent Friday Night at The Doctor’s Office and Saturday, The day BEFORE the Grand Super Bowl Sunday of Dallas, she found out that her wrist was broken. However, it’s not entirely broken, It was a “Hairline Fracture”. So, now she has to learn how to use her one left hand to do things. Now, If you’re wondering about the Super Bowl, I have to say that the halftime show was really awesome and it was really awesome knowing that The Super Bowl was here in Dallas. However, It’s pretty funny now around My House because it’s funny to watch My Mom try to do things like Open Jars, Cook, Use Scissors, and do Daily Activities. However, I was able to take a walk in the snow and not fall. Along The Walk, I stopped to say hello to one of our neighbors and I talked about the two Historic Snow Storms we had( The All-Star Historic and Super Bowl Week Historic) and how we always have freak snow storms before or during big events and he responded with “Then, We need to stop having Big Events!”. All in all, Obviously, We in Dallas can’t have a Super Bowl or other big event in the winter without having a Freak Historic Snow Storm.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. When it Snows outside, Be Careful Outside.

The Christianville Spirit: Super Bowl Week Historic Monster Storm

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

February 2, 2011- TCS # 235

So, Get this, The weather here in Dallas on Monday was nice weather. Sunny, Warm, and In the 60’s. A day later, Yesterday the Highs were only in the Teens and here’s the kicker, The Wind Chills were anywhere between the Single Digits and BELOW ZERO. Yes, You heard it Right! You See, it’s actually part of this Monster Storm that is moving from Texas while dumping Snow and Ice all over from Here in Dallas, Through Chicago, Toledo, Upstate New York, and of course New England which has already seen enough snow. This “Monster Storm” that I’ll call the “The Super Bowl Week Historic Monster Storm” is as ongoing on the news as the chaos happening in Egypt. In fact, I heard that this “Super Bowl Storm” was so bad that today, it has paralyzed traffic on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. But, the thing is that FEMA warned the whole country and areas that were going to be hit about it. As for here, in Dallas, As I write this, I check my Weather Channel App on My Ipod and It says that it’s 20 Degrees, Winds at 12 MPH, and Wind Chill is at 8 Degrees. Now, last night, the Weather Man that we watch, Pete Delkus said that the Wind Chill was going to be Negative 14(-14) degrees or 14 Degrees BELOW ZERO. By The way, Pete Delkus also says that it’s going to be colder tonight. You know though, the funny part is that here in Dallas, it’s Super Bowl Week with Super Bowl being THIS SUNDAY and hundreds of people including the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town. Though, No Offense to them but, I think they brought this weather here and They were coming looking for Springy Weather since we live in Texas. But, Texas Weather can get crazy in February whether it’s an El Nino year or La Nina Year and this year is La Nina, meaning dry and warmer. All in all, That is what it’s like here in Dallas, IT’S COLD!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Enjoy Your Super Bowl Week and If you’re coming to Dallas for The Super Bowl, Dallas would love to have Ya’! Just bring some Warm Weather with You!

The Christianville Spirit: My Colorful Mind's Question

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

January 26, 2011- TCS # 234

So, Lately in My Mind or as I now refer to as “My Colorful Mind” comes up with out-of-nowhere questions to ask people about. You See, Every now and then, My “Colorful Mind” comes up with Questions relating to “What If ?”, “If this was the situation, what would you do?”, and other questions that interest me. You See, My Out-of-Nowhere Questions do come but, very rarely; It usually only comes when I’m in a really good conversation. But, Recently I’ve been coming up with Questions to ask My PTLS Family like “If You could have Lunch with anyone, living or dead, Who would it be and Why?” and most recently “If Your Life was a TV Show, What kind of Show would be and What would be the Name of it”. the second question, surprisingly got the most responses which based on the last question I asked, I didn’t think that many people would answer. Most of My PTLS Family said theirs was either a Comedy or Comedy-Drama. The main reason why I asked this question is because I wanted to use my imagination to imagine a real-life TV Show about their lives and watch it to see what it was like. You See, I’m a visual learner and I have a unique Imagination. So, with a Name to the show and the Type of show, I can imagine watching it on TV and liking watching a Comedy about Someone’s life relating to PTLS. Now, as for Me, I would probably have a Comedy like Boy Meets World But, I would call it “When Christian Meets World.” So, If Your Life was a Movie, What kind would it be(Comedy, Comedy-Drama, Drama, Sy-Fy, Action, Horror, or Documentary) and, What would it be called? All in all, We all see our lives as a Movie at some point in own life, Close Your Eyes and Imagine what it would be like.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. With Your Imagination, anything is possible

The Christianville Spirit: The Opportunity at Collin College

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

January 19, 2011- TCS # 233

So, A couple weeks ago, Before the start of 2011, One Day When My Mom came home she informed me that her boss at the Community College she teaches at, Collin County Community College now known as “Collin College” had offered a chance for Me to Volunteer for the Grand Reopening of the campus she teaches at. You see, Months ago, Collin College decided to make renovations of the Campus Building that’s been there a while. So, they decided to change it up a little which ended up being really cool. Anyway, they offered me to be a Tour Guide for this Open House which was 2 Saturdays ago, to show people what they’ve done to change it. Now, I didn’t get to be a Tour Guide because the person would have to read off a script and I had to really know the whole place. Anyway, so instead I got to be a Greeter instead which was really cool because I took it upon Myself to also personally escort people to some of the classes that they were having during this open house along with demonstration classes on things. A lot of the times I escorted people to their classes, When they told me where they wanted to go, I would put my finger on the card I had in hand to mark it so, I would remember where I was going even though I knew where they were going. So, A couple of times I would Talk to other people or the person I was escorting and My darn Short-Memory came in and I had to ask the person again just so I would remember. In fact, at one point it happened and I joked with one of other people on The Elevator, I said, “Short Memory; What are You going do?!?”. Also, another highlight was that I got to walk past what was My Favorite Room because it was a Hospital Lab or as I called a “Mock Hospital”. The reason I called it that is because it looked like a hospital, complete with Hospital Beds with dummies on it as Patients and a Scrub Room like the ones people use to wash their hands before surgery like in Grey’s Anatomy. Here’s something that My Mom pointed out to Me after we left. Apparently during my duties, when things were calming down, The President of Collin College was talking to the Collin College Officer about being at the NCAA Championship Game in Frisco in which Vice-president Biden was there and the officer missed it. The President of The College, The Officer, and I were laughing about what he missed and how The College President was having a good time with eating the great food and sitting NEXT TO V.P Biden at The Game. I told The President that the officer didn’t show up because as I put it, “There are a lot of Crazy People out there that need to be Policed”. Anyway, as People started leaving the Open House they did something that surprised me. As they were walking by, the people that I escorted Thanked Me which to me was really awesome. Along with the people, some of the staff, and head of Continuing Education thanked me as well. All in all, It was really awesome to Greet People and take them to their classes because it made me feel like I did my job really well, I impacted them in that way, and I was accepted.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Give someone with Special Needs a job that they are good at and Their performance will surprise you.

The Christianville Spirit: The Devil Words

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

January 12, 2011-TCS # 232

So, I know many of You are always wondering about what’s life is like for someone who has PTLS, let alone being the one of the oldest and fourth in the world being diagnosed at the time I was diagnosed. Well, I can say that having PTLS(or Potocki-Lupski Syndrome) as with anything, has it’s Perks and Disadvantages. Like for instance, being Happy most of the time, seeing the world with Roses, and being more Special than People with other special needs or “Normals” because PTLs is rare. But, there are disadvantages, like what We’ll call “Devil Words” like the R-Word and the one I’m going to tell you about, the words “Can’t”(as in I can’t, You can’t, We can’t) and “Why can’t”(like Why Can’t He/She do this?). You See, the word “Can’t” and “Why Can’t” are as hurtful to Me as The R-Word. These words hurt me because of their meaning and they demean the fact that I’m unique and they degrade me. Not only that but, it puts one more thing on my list of things I can’t do, which I hardly touch but, it does happen. Like here’s a common one, the fact that“I can’t” Drive and not because I literally can’t Drive, I’m sure I could but, My reaction time is very slow and I love to look at the Road Signs. So, that would make me dangerous on The Road and added to that I wouldn’t be able to guess what the other drivers are going to do. So, around my age, that darn 2nd “Devil Word” comes in, “Why can’t You(or Him) Drive?”. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love to teach people about Me and The Uniqueness I have but, I would rather people not ask in that fashion because it degrades me and everything I stand for. I don’t mind people asking me if I have Special Needs, but If they assume that means “I Can’t” do anything then, it bothers me. I might have different abilities but, we all do things in our own things and some things better than others, Like My strength is Geography. So, give everyone a chance. All in all, Try to stop using the word “Can’t” for yourself and others, it might be you just don’t want to.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Give Can a Chance!

The Christianville Spirit: Happy New Year 2011

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

January 5, 2011- TCS # 231

Hello, Everyone and Welcome Back to another year of Touching, Inspiring, and Thought Provoking Newsletters. But, first; Happy New Year And Welcome to 2011! I believe that 2011 will be an awesome year for all of You and us here at The Christianville Spirit. So, to Start off This Year, I’m going to tell you about something that I heard about and My View on it. So, I found out on CNN Newsroom that there are several ministries that studied the bible and it’s numbers and did all the math from Noah’s Time to now. They figured out that Jesus was coming some time in May 2011. So, I was curious about what that date was So, I knew in advance about it. Well, They found out that this year, 2011, has been 7 Thousand Years since Noah’s Great Flood when God warned Noah of “The Ending Times”, In the Bible in it states that “One Day is as A Thousand Years” which brings us to this year. These Ministries also applied Biblical Number and Math Equations to back up this theory that The Rapture will happen on May 21, 2011 and the World will be Destroyed on October 21, 2011.

It is interesting to Me to hear and read about how they came up with this theory. It also brings many questions to Me, like, Why Now?, How is it going to happen?, and What will Heaven look like?, will it be easy to get around(because Everyone has there own Personal Heaven), Will I still have Special Needs? and other questions generally about Heaven. So, here’s what I think. I Believe that Jesus will come in the middle of The Night and I will Magically Wake up in the house of My Dreams in Heaven. The House will be a Beautiful Log Home surrounded by Tall Trees, Many Highways full of Road Signs, and Heaven is Interconnected by Highways and Roads to other’s “Personal Heavens”. So, as to Why Now? And Why in 2011 of all years? is because although God is in our hearts and all around us, In my literal mind, I see him as a Real Person living a Large Mansion full of Happy Angels and he can watches us through a Large Globe (like a Snow Globe). So, with saying that, I think He misses Us being with Him in Heaven So, he sends his son, Jesus, down here to get us and bring us home. Would I have Special Needs?, Only here on Earth are people seen with Special Needs but, God sees us as his perfect angels here on Earth to help open people’s eyes to The World. So, I will be the same person in heaven as here.

All in All, Have You ever thought of what your “Personal Heaven” is like?

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. I hope You have an AWESOME 2011!

The Christianville Spirit: Christian's Year-In-Review 2010

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Inspires You

December 29, 2010- TCS # 230

Ok, Everyone, it’s that Time of Year again, New Years and A Tradition that I’ve been doing for 3 Years here at The Christianville Spirit. You See, In 2007 as My Newsletter grew I decided that I would join in to one of my favorite things to watch on New Year’s Eve, The Year-In-Reviews. I decided to start writing Year-In-Reviews because first of all it was my last newsletter of the year and it seems appropriate. Also, I think it’s fun to refresh your memory of the Year’s Past before the New Year. Anyway, this is My Year-In-Review that I like to call, “Christian’s Year-In-Review”. So, without further a due, this is “Christian’s Year-In-Review 2010”. Now, 2010 was in many ways A crazy year, both in Good Ways and in Bad Ways. There were quite a bit of Awesome Things that happened this year that I won’t forget. So, as with every year, we begin in January 2010, the beginning of the 2010’s Decade. On January 20, I saw a Commercial for the now hit MTV Show, The Buried Life. Now, for those of you who don’t know what this show is about, It’s about 4 Young Guys who made a list of 100 things that they wanted to do before they die and along with doing their things, They also helped others with what was on their list. Also in January, to everyone’s shock was the famous Haiti Earthquake that rocked what is said to be one of the World’s Poorest Countries. I didn’t really know that Haiti got earthquakes because it was in the Caribbean but, it is along the fault line of The North American and Caribbean Plate. On January 28, I got my echocardiogram which I was both excited and nervous about but, it was really cool because I got to see “The Very Thing that Keeps My Alive”. In February, It was very snowy both here in Plano and Other Places. The first snowstorm that happened on the night of February 5 going into February 6 that I actually can’t believe I didn’t write about was the famous snowstorm that Weather Forecasters called “Snowmageddon”. Also, some people called it “The Blizzard of 2010”. Anyway, there are 2 reasons why they called it that. Because first off it hit an area (Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia) that doesn’t get that much snow as often as New York City or Boston. To make it worse, the next week another blizzard or as they call a “Nor’Easter” hit the same area that the last one did. In Fact, with this “Snowmageddon” Series, it broke many cities‘ Snowiest Winter on Record. So, here are the cities and their new records:

• Philadelphia, PA with 78 Inches
• Baltimore, MD with 77 Inches
• Washington DC with 56 Inches
• Wilmington, DE with 72 Inches
• Atlantic City, NJ with 58 Inches

So, as you can tell it Snowed A LOT in that Area. Actually, that is not the only place it snowed a lot because on February 10, it snowed 9 to 12 Inches in Dallas during what I called “The All-Star Historic Snow Storm”. Anyway, in March, My Brother and I went to Myerson Symphony Center to go see the Dallas Symphony Orchestra because My Brother was taking a Music Appreciation Class and he had to go see a musical performance for his class. Anyway, on March 31, I wrote about The Economist's Democracy Index in My Newsletter because I was interested about The European Union and To see how each Country stands. Now, April, Unfortunately was a Sad Month for a lot of People like on April 7, Sandra Bullock got divorced. On April 20, was believe it or not, the beginning of the BP Oil Spill which lasted all the way till‘ August. Also and I’m deeply sorry to Grandma honey for this but, in this month, Our Healthful Great Grandma Mimi passed away and she will be missed by all! On a lighter note, near the end of April, as a way of preparing for My 200th Newsletter, I started writing my “All Thanks to You” Series. On May 26, I wrote my 200th Newsletter. It was a Big Accomplishment for me because I had written 200 Newsletters. Meanwhile, during this Big Event was when My Mom was having her Kidney Stone Attacks which was very hard for me to deal with. Now, June was a mainly quiet month, the only events to mention was the Painful Allergy Test on June 7 and us preparing to head to Atlanta for The PTLS Birthday Party/Gathering. July was also a quiet month like June. Now, August was an awesome month because during the week of My Birthday, we decided to have a mix of a PTLS Gathering and My Birthday Party. It was so awesome that so many members of My PTLS Family came from across the country to see me and all be inspired by Each other. Also, during the week, I got to go to Amicalola Falls State Park and see the Southern End of The Appalachian Trail which was really awesome. I would say though that going to Atlanta was the best birthday ever. The awesome month of August was followed by another awesome month, September. Near the end of September, My Mom and I got to crew for the Plano Hot Air Balloon Festival which was Amazing and Awesome. Also, the best part is that they’ve invited us to crew for the festival next year. On October 6, was when The United States Government heard about terrorists in Europe so, The State Department issued a Travel Warning in Europe which worried me a little because Europe is my favorite part of the world. On October 20, I finished reading the book, AWOL On The Appalachian Trail that I got during “PTLS Birthday Week”, The book was really good to read and very interesting. On November 16-20 was the 5th annual Christian’s Best Friends Festival which introduced the most new friends of any Best Friends’ Festival so far. For Thanksgiving, I went to visit The Smith Family in Atlanta which was really cool because My Uncle Bruce built a Zip Line in his backyard for my cousins. Finally, in December I got to drive through Deerfield(The Neighborhood with all the Christmas Lights) with My Brother. So, I got extra time with My Brother. So, To end the year I will tell you that I got the most awesome gift for Christmas, A REAL Sleigh Bell from Santa’s Sleigh. Yes, you heard it right, a REAL SLEIGH BELL from Santa. Also, It came with a note that said the following, “Christian, Thank You for continuing to believe in Me. Keep My Spirit alive in Your Heart and in those you touch every day. Merry Christmas! St. Nicholas(Santa)”. So, all in all, This was a great year and I hope next year will be even better.

(For the Last Time in 2010)

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Be Sure to be back here for another year of Touching and Inspiring Articles. Thanks for Believing in The Sprit of Christianville!

The Christianville Spirit: The Meaning of Christmas and Why We Have It

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Inspires You

December 22, 2010- TCS # 229

So, My Readers, let me ask you a Question? What does Christmas mean to you and Why do you think we have it? Is it about Presents and Santa Claus? Maybe. Is it about the Birth of Jesus Christ? I say, absolutely! but, that’s yours to decide. You See, that big question, “What is the meaning of Christmas and Why we have it?” is in many ways, A hard question to answer. The truth is, we sometimes forget the meaning of Christmas because of our busy lives and trying to get shopping done by Christmas Day. So, what is the meaning? Well, it has many meanings to different people. For Kids, it means Santa Claus is coming to Town and they have to be on their best behavior because as we’ve heard before, He’s Watching. For Adults it’s more about shopping for presents and, the stress of making enough money for it. and, for some, funny enough, the stress of finding a Parking Spot. But, In My View, in a way, it’s about Presents but, it’s more about Santa Claus‘ Spirit of Giving, hence the reason we believe in him. Also and Majorly, It’s about Jesus Christ’s Birth because without him there wouldn’t be a Christmas. In Fact, Christmas‘ technical name is Christ’s Mass, only they shortened it with erasing the extra S off Christ and the S of Mass. But, here’s the thing, there’s one thing missing in the meaning of Christmas, Family. Now, the reason behind that one thing missing, is that in a Cold and Below Freezing Winter, Christmas is the only day by which you are Warm, and I don’t mean “Warm” like the heating on the A/C. I mean feeling the warmth of being with, near, or just knowing You are in the hearts of Your Family. When Baby Jesus was born, He was loved by his parents and those who came to see him from afar and Every Year we celebrate his Birthday with Love and Family. If you want to know how warm I am during Christmas, I’m Extra Warm, because I have my 3 Families; My Immediate, The Smith Family, and PTLS Family. All in all here, Christmas is about Love, Family’s Warmth, and Giving.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Merry Christmas to all from The Christianville Spirit!

The Christianville Spirit: Time with My Brother

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Inspires You

December 15, 2010- TCS # 228

So, Every Christmas here in Plano, My Family(My Mom, My Brother, and I) have several traditions that we do. Of Course, One of them is going to the Special Friends Christmas Dinner but, this one I’m going to mention has been a tradition for several years and one that many Plano Families do. You See, there is a neighborhood in Plano called Deerfield where they have house after house decorated with Christmas Lights that we drive by. Anyway, My Mom has working one night and asked My Brother to take me through it. Now, My Mom and I usually go through it and My Brother either doesn’t get to go or doesn’t really want to go. My Brother was sweet enough to take me through the neighborhood. Another thing I like to do while we drive through Deerfield is listen to Christmas Music because I believe that you have to listen to Christmas Music when looking at Christmas Lights; I guess you can add that to my list of Preferences. Let’s just say that the only time that My Brother and I listened to Christmas Music was when we were passing some houses that had Syndicated Christmas Lights which had you listen to a Radio Station. But, at least My Brother tried it for a little while. It was really awesome to go with My Brother and spent time with him. The best house that we saw was a Syndicated house that had 4 Rings that would light up in circles, according to My Brother, that also was his favorite house.

Another day, My Brother and I spent a full day together. First, we went to Five Guys Burgers for lunch, then, we went to go to the movie to see Due Date, which was a hilarious movie. After that, we did some Christmas Shopping and then, finally we had dinner with My Mom at a pizza place called Goodfellas. All in all, I had a fun time with My Brother.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Spend time with Your Siblings.

The Christianville Spirit: The Special Friends Christmas Dinner

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Inspires You

December 8, 2010- TCS# 227

So, This past Monday Night, My Mom and I went to an event that is a tradition of us. You See, This Event called the “Special Friends Christmas Dinner”, A Christmas Dinner for People with Special Needs that they have at one of the churches here in Plano. The Church just happens to be one of the biggest in Plano, In fact, we call it “Six Flags Over Jesus”, it’s that big. Anyway, This church has a Special Needs Ministry and to honor them, they put on a Dinner for members, friends, family, and anyone else who wants to come. So, after dinner, My Mom and I are walking to the car, summarizing the fun time we had and right when we walk toward the Car, She says “How do you feel when your around them?” and, by Them, she means people of Various Special Needs. So, for this week’s newsletter, I’m going to write how I feel around what I’ll called “The Various Special Needs” Group. So, I look at it at it in 2 ways. Firstly, It’s really awesome to hang out with all people with Special Needs, Various or PTLS because they are sometimes at the same level and sometimes Maturity then you. In a way, They understand You, The Person not what you have. As with what I’ll call “Normals”, They concentrate on what you have instead of the person themselves. Now, My 2nd view is different because it deals with me having PTLS or as I formally address it, “My Rareness”. In that format, You feel lonely because there’s no one in that has PTLS in My Area. Now, Don’t get Me wrong, I like hanging out with People with Special Needs and I don’t focus on what they have. But, when it does come to that, It’s hard to relate to them because they go through different things than You. and, we PTLSers go through our own thing. The only Special Need that PTLS has a tie with is Autism and that can give you more or less information. So, in other words, in a room full of people of Autism and Down Syndrome, I feel like I’m the only Rare one there which is both a good thing and bad thing. Now, with PTLSers you can relate in alot of ways to what they’re going though which is the same things that you are. The only difference is their health and behavior on what I’ll call the “Moderate-Severity Level” because some people with PTLS can widely range from Moderate which means not as many health issues and not as hyper to Severe which means more health issues like Heart Issues or having more of a hard time Talking. Now, Parents, My Intention here is not to scare you, I’m teaching about it. Anyway, when it comes to seeing or meeting people with PTLS is at first very awkward because it’s like meeting someone who looks exactly like You and Has the same thing as You. So, after you get over the awkwardness, then you connect with each other. Now, I have to say it’s a little lonely here in Dallas because no one around here has PTLS or let alone is my age. The only person nearby is in Houston and is older than Me with not only PTLS but, CMT. So, all in all here, that’s how I feel about the difference between “Various Special Needs” and PTLSers. Now, if you feel the same way about this, Please don’t count out those with Various Special Needs because otherwise you won’t have anyone to relate to.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Remember when around People with Special Needs. It’s not about what they have, it’s about who they are.

The Christianville Spirit: My Thanksgiving and What I'm Thankful For

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Inspires You

December 1, 2010- TCS # 226

As many of you heard, I went to Atlanta for thanksgiving and I couldn’t do a Newsletter. So, to make up for it, I’m going to tell you about my Thanksgiving Trip to Atlanta. It’s started early Tuesday Morning with My Mom and I driving to Atlanta; Along the way, there is a place in a town called Canton which is about 45 Minutes east of Dallas and they sell something special, Fried Pies. Well, for the first time I finally got one and it was good. You see, I had been thinking about getting a Fried Pie several times driving between Dallas and Atlanta but, either it was too early in the morning for Me(because my stomach is still waking up), the fact that I’m in the car because I’m not always the cleanest of eaters and Fried Pies isn’t car food, or other reasons. Whenever I wouldn’t get one in the morning, I’d try to get one on the way back but, by that time My Mom and I are tired and ready to get home. So, anyway this time I finally got one, I got a Pulled Pork Fried Pie and Apple Fried Pie. The Pulled Pork Pie was good but, got too spicy to eat. And, of course the Apple was really good but, really messy. Anyway, when we finally got to Atlanta it was exciting and it was awesome knowing that I got to sleep in My favorite Room at My Grandma Honey’s House, Her Sunroom or as I call it “The Treehouse”. I call it “The Treehouse” because there are a lot of tall trees that surround it. on Wednesday, which is my “Newsletter Day”, We began the day going to Grandma Honey’s Favorite Hangout where Everyone knows her name and got to see our good friend, Georgette. After that, My Mom and I got Pedicures, but My Mom’s is different than mine. I love the way mine is because I sit in a chair that massages my back, I get my feet and legs rubbed, and my feet afterwords felt very soft. Also, we prepared and got the things we needed for Thanksgiving Dinner, We also hung out at My Uncle Bruce’s House. On Thanksgiving Day, My cousin Gram and I had a sleepover at Grandma Honey’s House so, that we could watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition for me on Thanksgiving that I love and can’t go a Thanksgiving without because the end to me is the beginning of The Holiday Season, My Favorite Time of Year. After we watched some of the parade, we drove to Uncle Bruce’s House again because that’s where we were having Thanksgiving Dinner. The day itself was much fun because I got to play with My Cousins. We got to jump on the trampoline, go to the park, and play in the treehouse that Uncle Bruce built. Now, Thanksgiving Dinner was really good and Uncle Bruce made the turkey so juicy, it was the best turkey I ever had. On Friday, we played some more and the most awesome thing happened. My Uncle Bruce built a Zip Line in his backyard and after it was done, we got to ride on it. It was my first time riding on a Zip Line and it was Awesome. After all that excitement, we went back to Grandma Honey’s House and one more night in “The Treehouse” then, we headed back home. So, now The Most Important Part, What I’m Thankful for. I’m Thankful for the following things..

• My Mom and The Things she does for me
• My PTLS Family
• All the PTLS Family Members that came all the way to Atlanta for the PTLS Gathering and My Birthday
• My Friends and Family
• The Balloonists who let me join in and crew for The Hot Air Balloon Festival
• My Readers and Subscribers
• The Roof over My Head
• Food and Water
• Air Conditioning(since people in other countries don’t get A/C)
• and, Finally, God

All in all, It was an awesome Thanksgiving Holiday and I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reading The Christianville Spirit. I am Thankful for Everything and Everyone that I have around Me, Thank You All!