July 12th through August 15th Enter Pictures August 16th to September 17th Votes To Determine 5 Finalist Winners Announced By Judges September 23rd

As a parent or a grandparent you probably take your child's or grandchild's art work and display it on your refrigerator or maybe in a frame on the wall. Here is a way to display their artwork for the whole world to see! Scan or take a digital picture of the artwork and enter it into our "Kid's Drawing Contest". Up to 5 entries per person.

Grand Prize For Kid's Drawing Contest

Take your family on a once in a life time vacation to Kauai Hawaii. One night stay free with 5 or more nights booked in this beautiful Kauai vacation home. This home sleeps up to 8 people, so take your family or take along another family to share the cost with friends. This home has everything you would need to enjoy your vacation on this beautiful island. See website for details:Kauai Paradise Vacation Home Retail Value $150.00 PLUS $1OO GIFT GRAND AIR GIFT CARD This entitles the winner to get up to $100 off on their a domestic flight within the USA on all major airlines. Book your flight, rent a car and activities for your trip on our Tears of Joy Video Travel website.

Boost your child’s understanding and application of the six keys of character (the foundation of a leader centric lifestyle) with the Character Coins reward system. These whimsical coins encourage and reinforce character-in-action by offering instant rewards for positive habits, good behavior and goal achievement. System comes complete with 25 coins, Character Keys pocket/wallet reference card, Character Coins-in-Action Guidelines, and a Character-in-Action reusable activity chart.

Retail is $29.99

For additional information, please visit www.CharacterInc.com

Total Prize Value $279.99

Judges

Angie Sternberg Lake Worth, FL Owner and designer of The Diaper Baker, an online company specializing in unique tiered diaper cakes and baby shower gifts. With the desire to throw her daughter the most fabulous baby shower years ago to celebrate Angie's very first grand daughter, Angie created a diaper cake different than any other on the market. After seeing the joy that it brought to her daughter, Angie immediately knew that she wanted to bring that feeling of joy to other expectant mothers. Since then, she's been helping make the miraculous event of parenthood even more memorable with her diaper cake creations. Being very family-oriented, Angie believes that family and children are gifts to cherish. She not only enjoys, but takes great pride in knowing that she can be involved in this joyous event of others through her diaper cakes and newborn specialty gifts.. http://www.TheDiaperBaker.com http://blog.thediaperbaker.com http://shop.thediaperbaker.com

Susan Gumm Encinitas, CA As a gifted artist, Susan was raised in the Pacific Northwest in a quaint town just northeast of Seattle which surrounded with color and amazing beauty to draw out the creative side within her. Her mother being her mentor taught her how to mix her colors before she was school age and gave her the advice “Paint what you see, not what you think you see.” http://artbysusangumm.com http://www.cafepress.com/artbysusan Patricia Garza Tucson, AZ Patricia is a former elementary teacher who turned stay at home mom after the birth of our first son in 2004. Since 2005, Patricia became an online entrepreneur and a mother again to a second son in 2007. After taking almost a year off from business to have another child, Patricia returned to her online passion in 2008 and is ready to connect with other moms and women in business! In November 2007,Patricia launched a successful talk radio show and growing social network for moms as the host of MamasTimeOut.com, a social network and support call in show "for moms of All ages and stages". Patricia is also the editor and founder of Little Bytes Newsletter at http://littlebytesnews.com, a parenting, child development and shopping resource site. Patricia also manages and own Gifts, Party Supplies and More, http://giftspartysuppliesandmore.com, offering a variety of party supplies for all occasions, including gift baskets, stuffed animal kits, personalized products and more!In addition, Patricia owns The Work at Home Business Directory, at http://wahbusinessdirectory.com, offering low cost advertising to home based businesses and direct sales companies. However, due to time constraints, Patricia is taking a hiatus from her talk show, while spending time at home with her two sons and networking online. If you are interested in advertising or purchasing this site please contact her on twitter @littlebytesnews. Enter Your Pictures Now! Read more at www.tearsofjoystories.com

(CNN) -- A federal appeals court has denied Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's request for an expedited hearing on the state's controversial immigration law. Instead, the case has been scheduled for a hearing during the first week in November.

Brewer had wanted public oral arguments in the case for mid-September. The Justice Department had urged a slower schedule, and the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed in a brief order issued Friday evening.

Arizona filed its appeal Thursday, asking the court to lift U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's preliminary injunction on the immigration law.

The parts of the law that took effect Thursday include a ban on so-called "sanctuary cities" -- municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants.

The judge also allowed a provision in the law that makes it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic. The parts of the law dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants also withstood the first legal test.

State Sen. Russell Pearce, author of the law, said he foresaw a protracted legal fight from the beginning.

"I wrote it to go to the Supreme Court," he said before the ruling came down. "I'm begging for that fistfight at the Supreme Court. We will win in a 5-4 decision and finally settle this problem."

He added, "My message to the judge, is uphold the Constitution. Uphold states' rights. This is a battle of epic proportions. This is the states versus the central government."

See more at www.cnn.com

OK  I know that we make fun of the Post Office a lot and this is Fun Friday   but this is a very touching story. This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the   US postal service.. Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note: Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God Read more at amplify.com

A Reality Show Where Islam Is the Biggest Star

Participants in the “Imam Muda” reality TV show waited to hear the results of an elimination round in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More Photos »

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Bright studio spotlights illuminated the faces of four nervous young men, arms linked as they anxiously awaited their fate. Cameramen stood poised, ready to capture the climactic moment. Finally, the chief judge broke the suspense.

The competition is called “Imam Muda,” or “Young Leader” — a Malaysian venture into religious-themed reality TV.

The basic premise may replicate that of reality shows like “American Idol” around the globe, but here, inside an auditorium at one of Kuala Lumpur’s largest mosques, are notable variations on the tried-and-true formula.

The prize pool, too, offers a clear indication of the detour the show takes from the usual reality show script. Cash and a new car are up for grabs, but the winner will also be offered a job as an imam, or religious leader, a scholarship to study in Saudi Arabia and an all-expenses-paid pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

The show, which debuted in May with 10 contestants — whittled down from more than a thousand applicants with backgrounds ranging from banking to farming — has built an impressive following among young Malaysians. It is the most-watched show ever on Astro Oasis, a Muslim lifestyle cable channel, and its Facebook page has more than 50,000 fans.

Viewership is expected to soar on Friday, when the winner will be announced in a live broadcast from a convention hall. The two finalists have spent recent days in their hometowns, giving sermons and organizing community events. During the finale, they will be required to debate religious and news topics, as well as recite passages from the Koran.

Some political commentators say the show’s popularity reflects the increasing Islamization of this Muslim-majority nation of 28 million. The program’s creators, who are already planning a second season, say they are trying to provide an entertaining way of making Islam more relevant to the lives of the young and extending the role of religious leaders beyond the mosque.

A collaboration between Astro Oasis and a regional government’s Islamic affairs department, the show requires the contestants, ages 18 to 27, to master and demonstrate the duties of an imam through both practical and theoretical activities. In addition to preparing unclaimed corpses for burial, a task that some contestants said was particularly memorable, the men have also had to counsel wayward teenagers, console elderly people abandoned by their children and display their skills in reciting parts of the Koran.

Izelan Basar, the show’s creator and Astro Oasis’s channel manager, said his aim was to find a way to make Islam more appealing to young people.

“In every religion, the toughest challenge is to attract the youth,” he said, noting that most of the country’s imams were older men.

While an imam’s main duties include delivering Friday sermons and leading prayers, Mr. Izelan said that contestants were also coached for the show in public speaking, suitable dress, how to talk with children, even how to hold their cutlery, as well as studying the Koran.

The judge each week is Hasan Mahmood al-Hafiz, a former national grand imam. He says he is looking for someone with a strong grasp of Islam, but also general knowledge and communication skills, “strong morality” and open-mindedness. There is a shortage of young men with the qualities to make a good imam, he said, something he hopes the show will help change.

On Friday, the show’s fans will discover whether Hizbur Rahman bin Omar Zuhdi, 27, or Asyraf bin Mohammad Ridzuan, 26, will be named Malaysia’s first “Imam Muda.” Mr. Hizbur, a religion schoolteacher, said he hoped to “use ‘Imam Muda’ as a platform to become a model for teenagers and the community.”

“The benefit of this program — fame — is an asset to attract youngsters to live the religion,” he said.

Mr. Izelan, who said he had fielded inquiries from television stations in Turkey and Egypt about producing similar shows, seems genuinely taken aback by the success of “Imam Muda.” Read more at www.nytimes.com

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican prosecutors say guards at a prison let inmates out and lent them guns to massacre 17 people at a party, then allowed them to return to their cells. Sunday's announcement from the federal attorney general's office represents a shocking revelation about the July 18 shooting in the northern city of Torreon, where the victims included women and children.

Read more at www.usatoday.com

Mexico: Guards let inmates out, lent guns for massacre

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some major health insurance companies have stopped issuing certain types of policies for children, an unintended consequence of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law, state officials said Friday. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said in his state UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children individually. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said a couple of local insurers in her state have done likewise. The administration reacted sharply to the insurance pullback. "We're disappointed that a small number of insurance companies are taking this unwarranted and unnecessary step," said Jessica Santillo, a spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services department. Starting later this year, the health care overhaul law requires insurers to accept children regardless of medical problems -- a major early benefit of the complex legislation. Insurers are worried that parents will wait until kids get sick to sign them up, saddling the companies with unpredictable costs. The major types of coverage for children -- employer plans and government programs -- are not be affected by the disruption. But a subset of policies -- those that cover children as individuals -- may run into problems. Even so, insurers are not canceling children's coverage already issued, but refusing to write new policies.

"Our plans are very concerned about this," said Alissa Fox, a top Washington lobbyist for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. "If the law says that insurers have to take you any time, any place, some people will see that as an opportunity to wait until their children get sick to buy coverage."

To get around the problem, insurance companies and state insurance commissioners are pressing the federal government to require an open enrollment period for the guaranteed children's coverage.

Parents could only get the guaranteed coverage during a designated month each year, or if the family went through a major change, such as a divorce or a parent losing their job. Open enrollment periods are standard for most employer health plans, and some government programs.

State insurance commissioners have brought the problem to the attention of the Obama administration. "We are attempting to convince (federal officials) that this is a serious enough concern to work with (insurers) to give them some relief," Holland said.

Final regulations for the new children's coverage are due before Sept. 23. The requirement to cover kids with pre-existing medical problems will apply to new plans starting after that date. Read more at finance.yahoo.com

Infant is returned to blind couple after state places her in protective custody

Erika Johnson will never be able to see her baby, Mikaela.

But for 57 days she couldn’t keep her newborn close, smell her baby’s breath, feel her downy hair.

The state took away her 2-day-old infant into protective custody — because Johnson and Mikaela’s father are both blind.

No allegations of abuse, just a fear that the new parents would be unable to care for the child.

“We never got the chance to be parents,” she said. “We had to prove that we could.”

On Tuesday, Johnson still couldn’t stop crying, although Mikaela was back in her arms.

Tuesday, she and Blake Sinnett knew their baby was finally coming home to their Independence apartment, but an adjudication hearing was scheduled for the afternoon on whether the state would stay involved in the rearing of the baby. Then from a morning phone call to their attorney, they learned that the state was dismissing their case.

Fifty-seven days after she was born, Mikaela Sinnett was home for the first time Tuesday with her parents, Erika Johnson and Blake Sinnett of Independence. State officials had worried they were unable to care for her.

“Every minute that has passed that this family wasn’t together is a tragedy. A legal tragedy and a moral one, too,” said Amy Coopman, their attorney. “How do you get 57 days back?”

Arleasha Mays, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Social Services, said privacy laws prohibited her from speaking about specific cases. But she added, “The only time we recommend a child be removed is if it’s in imminent danger.”

For almost two months she and Sinnett could visit their baby only two or three times a week, for just an hour at a time, with a foster parent monitoring.

“Disability does not equal inability,” she said.

Representatives of the sightless community agreed that people were well-meaning but blinded by ignorance.

Mikaela was born May 21 at Centerpoint Medical Center of Independence. The doctors let Sinnett “see” her birth by feeling the crowning of her head.

For Johnson, hearing Mikaela’s whimpers was a thrill. The little human inside her all these months, the one who hiccupped and burped, who kicked and moved, especially at night, was now a real person whom she loved more than anything else she’d ever imagined.

In her overnight bag was Mikaela’s special homecoming outfit, a green romper from Johnson’s mother, with matching bottoms and a baby bow.

Questions arose within hours of Mikaela’s birth, after Johnson’s clumsy first attempts at breast-feeding — something many new mothers experience.

A lactation nurse noticed that Mikaela’s nostrils were covered by Johnson’s breast. Johnson felt that something was wrong and switched her baby to her other side, but not before Mikaela turned blue.

That’s when the concerned nurse wrote on a chart: “The child is without proper custody, support or care due to both of parents being blind and they do not have specialized training to assist them.”

Her words set into motion the state mechanisms intended to protect children from physical or sexual abuse, unsanitary conditions, neglect or absence of basic needs being met.

A social worker from the state came by Johnson’s hospital room and asked her questions: How could she take her baby’s temperature? Johnson answered: with our talking thermometer. How will you take her to a doctor if she gets sick? Johnson’s reply: If it were an emergency, they’d call an ambulance. For a regular doctor’s appointment, they’d call a cab or ride a bus.

But it wasn’t enough for the social worker, who told Johnson she would need 24-hour care by a sighted person at their apartment.

Johnson said they couldn’t afford it, didn’t need it.

“I needed help as a new parent, but not as a blind parent,” Johnson said.

She recalled the social worker saying: “ ‘Look, because you guys are blind, I don’t feel like you can adequately take care of her.’ And she left.”

The day of Johnson’s discharge, another social worker delivered the news to the couple that Mikaela was not going home with them. The parents returned the next day to visit Mikaela before she left the hospital, but they were barred from holding her.

“All we could do was touch her arm or leg,” Johnson said.

The couple began making calls. Gary Wunder, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, had trouble believing it at first.

“I needed to verify their whole story,” he recalled. “We had to do due diligence. … I found the couple to be intelligent and responsible.

He notified Kansas City chapter president Shelia Wright, who visited the 24-year-olds. Hearing about the empty crib, the baby clothes, Wright recalled, “I felt as helpless as I’ve ever felt in my life.

“I hurt so bad for them. This is unforgivable.”

They rallied other associations for the blind nationwide. More than 100 people at a national convention in Dallas volunteered to travel to Kansas City to protest and testify, both as blind parents and as the sighted children of blind parents. (Mikaela has normal sight.)

They also hired Coopman, who watched the young couple with their baby girl on Tuesday.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping tears. “But this should not have happened.”

“Whether a couple is visually impaired or deaf or in a wheelchair, the state should not keep them from their children,” she said.

Now breast-feeding is a lost option. And the beautiful newborn clothes hanging in the closet went unworn, because their baby was growing bigger in the arms of someone else.

The couple said they had tried to prove themselves to the sighted community since their early years. Sinnett rode his bicycle on the street with the help of a safety gadget. Johnson graduated from high school with honors. But all the challenges they’ve endured over the years shrink compared to the responsibility of caring for 10 pounds of squirming baby girl.

Johnson cuddled Mikaela. Gave her a bottle. Patted her back until she burped. Mikaela gave a tiny smile.

In their 24 years, the couple said, they’ve both endured prejudice from others. They don’t want any other blind parent to suffer the same obstacle they did.

Fifty-seven days are too precious to lose.

“I’m a forgiving person,” Johnson said, but she’s resentful that people assumed she was incapable.

The Kansas City Star

By LEE HILL KAVANAUGH Read more at www.kansascity.com

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So far this year, 23 children have lost their lives in hot cars. Eleven of them were accidentally left in the vehicles by their parents or caregivers, and 12 were playing in cars and got trapped. Here are their stories.

March 8: Payton McKinnon, 17 months old, of Fort Myers, Fla. Payton's father picked her up from daycare for a doctor's appointment early in the morning and returned to work at 11:09 AM, at which point he accidentally left Payton in the vehicle. When he left work shortly after 3 PM, he discovered his mistake. Source

June 27: Zipporah Johnson, 21 months old, of Phoenix, Ariz. Zipporah's parents had gone to church with their six children and traveled in two vehicles, one of which was a minivan. The father accidentally forgot to bring Zipporah inside from the backseat of the minivan. Source

July 11: Anthony Michael Hickey, 18 months old, of Rockport, Tex. The family was visiting the child's great-grandmother when Anthony went missing. He was later found unresponsive in the family SUV. Source

July 13: Jaden Carpenter, 3 years old, of Chandler, Ariz. Jaden slipped out of the house and got into the car when his mom was studying. He was discovered dead less than thirty minutes later. Source

July 14 - Jahzel Pinon, 2 years old, of Albuquerque, N.Mex.  Jahzel's mother accidentally left her behind in the car when she took her 4-year-old to an appointment. She said that she forgot the child was in the vehicle. Source

June 19: Holland Judy, 5 months old, of Lexington, Ky. The infant's mother, a single mom with three other children, accidentally left the baby in the car in the driveway of the family's duplex. Source

According to Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Cars, a national nonprofit group that advocates for child safety, roughly 36 infants and children die annually in the U.S. due to being trapped in hot cars.

As mentioned above, TWELVE children have died in 2010 after playing in vehicles. It's imperative to keep car doors locked at all times -- and to keep keys out of the reach of children. Often, boys go into cars to push buttons and play with the wheel like they see their parents do, says Fennell. "A lot of times, they get unlucky and the doors are locked," she told AZ Central. "Or the heat overtakes them and they pass out."

Eleven kids so far in 2010 were forgotten in vehicles. Of these cases, four children were forgotten by their mothers, three by their fathers, one by both mother and father, two by family friends and one by a great-grandmother.

Fennell says these accidents have little to do with how good a parent is, and everything to do with how a memory functions -- or doesn't function. "In the early '90s, these cases were rare," she says. "But then, in the mid-'90s, front-passenger airbags were installed in cars and there was a huge campaign to get kids to move to the backseat. An unintended consequence of this was kids dying of hyperthermia in cars -- because children were out of sight, out of mind."

How could someone forget their child? "Everyone thinks these parents are bad or strung out on drugs, but parents who've lost their kids in these types of accidents include pediatricians, doctors, school principals, lawyers and NASA engineers," says Fennell. "For the most part, these are highly educated, extremely loving and doting parents."

She says that the biggest mistake parents can make is thinking that this cannot happen to them. "That's what these parents probably thought, too," she says.

In many of the cases, the forgotten children are under the age of 1 and are sitting in rear-facing car seats. Their parents are not sleeping much -- which comes into play. "And in an overwhelming majority of cases, there has been a change in routine," Fennell adds.

Here, Fennell shares three ways to help prevent these deadly accidents: Read more at www.momlogic.com

The Broadway-themed evening is presented as part of the White House's "In Performance" concert series. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the 7 PM concert that will be filmed for an Oct. 20 broadcast on PBS.

The President is scheduled to introduce the evening that boasts performances by Lane (Guys & Dolls, The Addams Family), McDonald (Ragtime, Master Class), Pinkins (Caroline, or Change, Jelly's Last Jam) and songwriter Hamlisch (A Chorus Line, Sweet Smell of Success) as well as Idina Menzel (Wicked), Brian d'Arcy James (Next to Normal), Chad Kimball (Memphis) and Karen Olivo (West Side Story). Also performing is young actress Assata Alston and the Joy of Motion Dance Center ensemble.

The Obamas have made three visits to Broadway in the past year, taking in performances of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Memphis and The Addams Family. The White House also featured Memphis star Montego Glover as part of "America Celebrates July 4th at Ford's Theatre," which was chaired by the First Lady, and also included performances by Laura Michelle Kelly, Gavin Lee and the Broadway company of Mary Poppins and Dick Dan Dyke. In April, the cast of "Glee," including Tony nominees Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, performed during the annual Easter Egg Roll.

"A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House" will air on PBS at 9 PM on Oct. 20. The 60-minute concert is produced by WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Margo Lion, Ltd. and 101 Productions.

Tony Award winners Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Tonya Pinkins and Marvin Hamlisch are part of "A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House" July 19 in Washington, DC. Read more at www.playbill.com