Spencer Flooding

Spencer has had significant flooding recently with all of the rain. My mom and dad both are from Spencer, so I figured family members that keep up with my blog but live out of state would be interested in seeing some photos.

This first photo shows the fairgrounds in the middle-left and in the background you can see the bridge we crossed to go out to the country to Grandma and Grandpa Woodcock's house.



The second photo is from the opposite angle of the first photo. The bridge is to the left and the fairgrounds are at the top.



The last photo is looking towards the east with 46 comes into town from the bottom. The high school is the buidling at the bottom of the photo. In the upper-right portion of the photo you can see where the river normally flows in the channel between the trees.

The Flood of 2008

Our county, as well as several other throughout Indiana, have been flooded by extremely heavy rains. Martinsville is one of the communities that was hit particularly hard. Janay and I were not affected since we live in a high area of town. Thank God none of our families homes were destroyed either. Janay's sister's house and her brother's house (they live down the street from each other) were very close to taking on water. Their crawlspaces were filled with water, but compared to many residents they are very fortunate. Janay's parents and her Grandma live in the same neighborhood as her sister and brother, but they live a couple streets down and apparently are on higher ground because they weren't affected. Mom lives across the highway from them and the water came up her street a little, but never reached her house. The bank branch she works at didn't fare as well and had about 6" of water throughout.

This first photo shows mom's bank and the surrounding area. The large building to the right is K-mart which had the same water damage as the bank.



This aerial view is from the opposite angle the previous photo showed. It shows the bank as well as the approximate location of mom's house. In the center-right of the photo is the local Chevrolet dealership. Every vehicle there is under water.


This photo shows the road to the neighborhood where Janay's family lives. The building in the lower-right with the blue roof is South Elementary School.



This last photo shows the same area as the previous photo, but from a different angle. The elementary school is just out of the picture to the lower-left. The neighborhood at the bottom left is where Janay's family lives.

Maybe My Motocross Career Isn't Over

The heck with being able to walk 100%.......gimme my bike back!!

Six Degrees of Separation

Most of you probably know about the theory of Six Degrees of Separation. In short, it basically says that we are only six people away from knowing everyone on the earth. I've always wondered how true it could possibly be. A recent life experience has me thinking it could be possible.

Janay and I met a wonderful couple on our recent cruise, Rick and Cindy. We first encountered Rick and Cindy at the hotel during our precruise stay. Our paths crosses a couple of times getting on and off the elevators. At that time we only exchanged smiles and polite "hellos".

The first day on the ship Janay and I were relaxing at a table by the pool when we saw familiar faces walk by. They glanced our way and came over and introduced themselves as Rcik and Cindy. Turns out they lived south of Bloomington which isn't very far from us. We are on a ship with over 2,000 people and the first couple we meet are our "neighbors". What are the chances of that? Then we find out they are both Christians as well. I soon realized we didn't meet these people by chance. God is not into coincidences.

We spoke to Rick and Cindy several times throughout the cruise. Janay and I talked about having dinner with them one night, but we never finalized plans with them. The last day came and we never saw them again. We thought maybe they would be on the same flight home, but they weren't. The only things we knew about them were their first names, they lived south of Bloomington, he was a counselor at a church in Bloomington and Cindy worked for a hospital in Bedford. Janay and I were kicking ourselves for not getting their contact info. Once we were home I tried searching the internet with the little info that I had, but my search came up empty.

Little did we know that Rick and Cindy were thinking the same thing. Rick was talking to the secretary at his church about us, telling her about this fabulous couple (ok, maybe I like to embellish) from Martinsville they met on the cruise. Rick's advantage over me was that he remembered the name of our church. When he told the secretary the name of the church she said her sister attended our church as well as a friend of hers. She e-mailed her friend who soon replied back that she did know us, confirmed that we are indeed a fabulous couple :) and told them our last name. Armed with my first and last name, Rick searched the internet and struck gold.

Janay and I met Rick and Cindy for lunch in Bloomington and renewed our friendship. I have no doubt we will be friends and maintain contact for a long time. I believe God brings people in and out of our lives for a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is obvious, other times it isn't. Rick and Cindy are a wonderful couple and we both look forward to getting to know them better.

Yes, this is a tiny example of Six Degrees of Seperation, but I think you see the correlation. I think the internet has made this theory even more believable. It has made this big world a little smaller. Thanks for finding us Rick!

10,000 Visitors

Today the photo gallery with my burn photos had it's 10,000th hit. I have had everything from burn victims and physical therapy students to teachers and doctors contact me about my photos. Some have asked for permission to use the photos in presentations, while others have let me know they found them searching the internet for information because a friend or family member was burned. By simply documenting my burn journey through photography I have been able to help others. The internet is a powerful tool that makes this huge world a little smaller. We all go through difficult things in life, but even in those difficult things we can find some good if we look hard enough.

Burn Photos

Making Up for Lost Time

We had so much fun on our last cruise, we said what the heck and decided to do it again! I even managed to talk my mom and my aunt into going with us.

November 16th we will be leaving Tampa for a 7-day tour of the Western Carribean aboard the MS Veendam. We chose Holland America again because of the wonderful experience we had on the last cruise. The ship visits the ports on the map below.


We went back and forth deciding whether we should go or not and I finally said we are going. The funny thing is that I was the one who was hesitant about going on the first one and now I'm the one wanting to go again! I can't wait to get back on a ship and relax. Going with my mom and aunt will only add to the fun. Neither of them have been on a long cruise before, so it will be enjoyable watching them take it all in.

Let the countdown begin!

May 2008

Quiet around here, huh? Maybe I'm suffering a little bit of post vacation blues. It's tough to come back to the real world after the wonderful vacation we had. I see another cruise in our near future.

The photography business has been slow, but that is typical for this time of the year. Last week I did two sessions, a newborn session (one of my favorite types of photography) and a session with a two year old. Both sessions went well and the parents were pleased. Having parents love the photos of their children is often as rewarding as any monetary gains. I suppose that's what got me into photography to begin with....having others enjoy what I see. The attached photos are examples from both sessions.

It's easy to bogged down in the business aspect of photography. I received a letter from the Indiana Department of Revenue in March stating that I owed over $5000 in past due sales tax. I wish I owed that much in sale tax because that would mean I had of $80,000 in sales. To be honest, it soured me to the whole idea of continuing my photography business. Here I am, trying to run my business honestly, collecting and paying all taxes owed and they send me this letter. I literally felt ill when I read it. Janay reminded me that God is in control and not to worry about it. As usual, she was right. To make a long story short, my sales tax was payed in full but they never received the sales tax form I mailed in. Fortunately I had a copy of the form I mailed and it was resolved. Of course it took two months to get an official answer from IN Dept of Rev. The joys of small business. Anyone know a good accountant?

Two Years Ago.....

Mowing season is upon us, so it's time for my deep thinking to begin. While doing laps around the yard this evening I realized that today is the two year anniversary of my burn. On one hand it seems like it was yesterday, on the other it seems like it has been much longer. At that time I had no idea what a long recovery I was in store for. It has been a journey filled with tears, both tears of joy and tears of pain.

I suppose it is appropriate that last week Janay and I went on our "healing cruise". Our original plan was to go on a cruise to celebrate our 10 year anniversary in August of 2006. Dealing with the burn put a stop to those plans, so we planned on vacationing once my leg healed. The cruise was awesome....so much so that we are ready to go again. It was so nice to float away with my best friend, not having a care in the world. For one week, our world outside of that boat didn't exist. That's the first time in quite a while either of us have been able to experience that feeling. We are back in the real world now, but we are refreshed and ready for what's ahead.

Texas Traffic Stop

I got a good laugh watching this so I thought I would share. The "Benny Hill" music is perfect.

So.......

......I've been on vacation from the blog for a month now. No reason....just felt like being quiet. My nephew Jesse has been on my mind quite a bit lately. March 10th was the two-year anniversary of his death. Death is never easy, but when it happens to someone so young and under such tragic circumstances it makes it that much harder.

Jesse had just turned one when Janay and I started dating. For some reason he was petrified of my black Reebok shoes. Needless to say, I exploited that fear every chance I got. He even went through a phase where he would scream if he saw my picture at Janay's parents house. They would have to put my picture face down when he was there. At some point he got over the fear of my shoes and my picture and actually came to like "Uncle Matt". Good ol' Uncle Matt even taught him how to make "face prints" in the sandbox. I still remember the smile on his face when he came up spitting sand after his first face print....and the scowl on Janay's mom's face when she found out :)

Jesse.....thanks for the memories.....I hope you are making face prints in Heaven.

Surely.....Surely.....

My blogging has been limited lately. I'll blame it on the winter weather that has kept me inside and my job that has had me working long hours.

The title of this entry will make sense once you watch this video. I know many of you have seen it, but it makes me smile every time I watch it.

Formal Sprockett

I stumbled upon this photo of Sprockett sporting his new tie. Surprisingly, he didn't mind it too much.

Calm After the Storm

The storm was gone almost as soon as it arrived. I doubt if it lasted 10 minutes. Hail, rain and high winds pounded the house. I had just arrived home and was fixing something to eat. The lights flickered so I thought I should find a flashlight. As soon as I found the flashlight, the microwave beeped signaling that my baked potato was done and then everything went dark. Little did I know that we wouldn't have power again for 32 hours. Janay called me the next day at work to let me know our fence was damaged and a large spruce tree was uprooted. The fence is easily repairable. Loosing an old tree stinks :( It could have been worse.

We take electricity for granted. Flip a switch and the light comes on. Turn up the thermostat and get more heat. We are spoiled.....and I'm thankful for it.

Drug Problem

I had a good friend (thanks Dave!) send me this the other day. Though I can't honestly say I experienced all of these things as a child, I certainly agree the point it makes.

Speechless.....and Smiling

If you are like me, you go through life trying to do the right thing and often wonder if you make a difference or even if people notice. I've never been good at receiving compliments, so the blog entry at the link below left me speechless.

Blog

Mug Shots.....with a Purpose.

You are probably wondering why I would post such somber looking photos of us. The photos you see above will be used for our passports we need for the cruise we are planning! That's right.....Matt and Janay finally get a vacation. On Saturday, April 12th we will be flying to Ft. Lauderdale. We will stay in a hotel one night before boarding the ms Westerdam and sailing off to the Carribean for six days. I don't know exactly where all it will take us, but I don't really care. I'm looking forward to going, but I get more joy seeing how excited Janay is. The last couple years have not been easy. Saying she deserves this vacation is an understatement. Let the countdown begin!

I hope we don't encounter any natives in the Carribean and return with shrunken heads. It might be an improvement on this melon head of mine.

The Roller Coaster Called Life

My busy life has returned. That partially explains the lack of new entries on the blog, but I'll also blame it on lack of inspiration. I've been feeling a little funky lately. I have no real reason to feel down because everything is going great. My leg has healed. I got a promotion at work. I'm married to the best woman in the world. So what's the problem?

Since my spinal cord injury, spring has always been a difficult season. Nice weather arrives only for me to once again come to the realization that I can't do the outdoor activities that I enjoyed pre-injury. I have my short pity party and move on. It doesn't last long, but it comes every spring.

I've had those same feelings and I think I know why. I've been battling this burn for so long and now it's finally healed, but that same realization that I'm still disabled kicks in. I don't know if I expected to make headline news and fireworks to go off once I was healed or what. It's difficult to explain.

I hope this post doesn't sound like I'm ungrateful or have sunken into some deep, dark depression. I'm just pouring out what's in my heart and believe it will help shake off the funk. Life is full of ups and downs, physically and emotionally. As long as God continues riding with me, I'm cool.

Office Woes

Fellow office workers.....we've all felt like this.

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

Merry Christmas everyone!

Small but Mighty

I wish I had the determination of this turtle.

It's Still Healed!

I had to shout that out once again. I liked logging on to my blog and seeing "It's Healed!!" posted at the top.

I wish I had something fun to post, but there's nothing too new to report. I suppose I need to carry a pen and paper with me because several times I've had a thought pop into my head that would make a good blog entry, only to forget what it was when I had the opportunity to write a new entry.

Christmas has once again snuck up on me. It's time to visit with family, reflect on the past year and share some good laughs. This past year has been challenging, but through it all Janay and I have had some great laughs. Laughter helped us get through. Don't get me wrong, we've both cried many tears too, but God has put a joy in our hearts that only He is capable of. Have Fun this Christmas season and laugh with those you love.

This photo is from Christmas with Janay's family in 1994. I'm not sure anyone else laughed when this photo was developed, but I sure did.

It's Healed!!

The blog entry you've all been waiting for and the one I've been wanting to post for a long time.....my leg has finally healed! I had a visit with the doctor yesterday and he confirmed what we already knew and said he didn't want to see me for 6 months.

It has been a long 20 months, but God has been with us all along and has finally seen this to completion like we have believed He would all along. Simply saying thank you to everyone for all of the prayers and support doesn't seem like enough, but it's all I can do....Thank You!

Though we may never know exactly why God has allowed Janay and I to go through this, we trust Him have stood on Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We've been presented with opportunities to witness to others, not always with our words, but many times with our actions. We pray that we've been able to make a difference along the way.

Finally, thank you to my wife, Janay, for always encouraging me and helping me to see the end when it seemed like there was no end in sight.

The burn journey is over.......the end.

Christmas Card Photos

Since I have an entry with the outtakes I thought I should show the photo that made the final cut. Then the brilliant idea popped into my head to show all the photos from past Christmas'. That forced me to think back to when we did our first one (the only one with the cats) and then actually find a copy of it. Janay managed to find it and we think the year was 1998. We didn't take a Christmas picture again until 2004. We sent two cards that year, one with a picture we took in the summer and one with a picture we took in the fall. That was the year I discovered Photoshop, hence the heavily edited photos. You might want to put your sunglasses on to view the photos because our white teeth might blind you.

1998


2004 - Summer Photo


2004 - Fall Photo


2005


2006


2007

Christmas Card Outtakes

Our annual Christmas photo is always interesting. Not the final product, but the actual production and effort involved to get one good picture of us. It's an interesting combination of fun, tension, laughter, frustration and love. Since we don't have children, we always want to get our cats in the picture. We've been successful once out of six years trying......and that was because my mom took the picture. Enjoy the 2007 outtakes.

I'm behind the camera setting things up. Sara, the boss of the house, decides to join the fun and show her best side.

Sara decides to behave and pose with Janay.....

Ummm.....nice focus

Try again.....

.....and again.....

.....maybe that bottle of wine would have been better after the shoot....

.....definitely should have waited.....

.....falling off the stool and unintentionally flipping the bird.....next.....

.....Sprockett's ready to go back in for treats.....

.....maybe a new location will help.....note Sara still wanting to join the party.....

.....make up your own caption for this one because I don't have a clue what was happening.....

.....that's one painful looking pucker.....

.....looks like Janay is begging for treats.....

.....and finally, this one just missed the final cut.....

So there you have it.....Christmas Photo 2007 Outtakes. No people or animals were harmed and no wine was consumed. I can't wait to see what 2008 brings.

Are We There yet?

I'm not talking about arriving at our vacation destination. I'm talking about my leg being healed. It's sooo close, but it's still a little crusty so I can't say it's healed yet. I go to see the doctor at Wishard next Monday and I'm actually looking forward to going so he can see it. I think my leg has been almost as frustrating for him as it has Janay and I......almost.

Kelli Pickler

When Kelli Pickler was on American Idol I remember thinking this girl sure is "playing dumb" to fit the blonde sterotype. After watching this video, you decide if it's an act.