Thanks for all the kind words!
I'm glad to have had the chance to be a part of this ceremony the past two years. It's a great program and I encourage every parent to get their children more involved with any form of art. whether dance, drawing, ceramics, music, photography, writing, they are all just another alternative to watching tv and the garbage you see on MTV and so on.
nowadays, a lot of families don't spend enough time together and that's a shame. I encourage parents to have arts and crafts with their kids once a month, or make birthday cards for grandma or grandpa or uncle joe. It's a small step, but it's a fun time for the kids. Plus, you get to spend valuable time with your children which won't always be there once they get older.
Start them off young, and most important show them that it can be fun! there's nothing in the world that could replace spending time with your children because they all drift away into their own futures sooner than you'd like.
on another note. A mother of a friend of mine came up to me after the reception last night (her daughter's drawing won an award) and said "you know my daughters drawing that won? that was actually one of your photos where she got her inspiration from."
i believe it was this photo:
"my favorite place is lakewood stadium"
that was my highlight of the night.
