Getting Ready to Ski!

Cayden was the proud recipient of a Bogus Basin scholarship which will give him the opportunity to experience the wonderful sport of skiing this winter. The scholarship includes season lease equipment, a season pass, and 4 half-day session lessons! Shortly after receiving the letter confirming the scholarship, we headed down to the Bogus Basin office to select his gear. Mike at Black Diamond Sports picked out some primo-quality skis, boots and poles for Cayden, as well as a shiny, good-as-new helmet. Then we came back to my house and he tried it all on. He is so excited! I will spend some time with Cayden in December teaching him and introducing him to skiing. Then he'll join a class with other students in January.
Thank you to Bogus Basin and to all the donors to the organization for making a dream come true for this little boy.

More Photos by Cayden

What a beautiful Fall season this has been! Cayden and I took a bike ride on the greenbelt, to Kathryn Albertson Park. I have a little tripod I let him attach to my smaller camera. Again, he took some awesome photos. Here is the link again to Flickr where you can view his photos. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgmouser/

Cayden and the China Dolls

Tonight Cayden joined me for dinner at the home of some friends for a 'reunion' of all the families I met in China in August 2006. Four families currently live in Southeast Boise, and they all were in China at the same time that I was there (helping other friends bring home their second daughter from China). Cayden does a great just joining in with all the kids. Isn't he handsome?

Big Brothers/Big Sisters BBQ

Cayden and his whole family attended the Big Brothers/Big Sisters BBQ tonight at Municipal Park in Boise. What fun it was to see how much fun he has with all of his siblings, especially his brother Anthony. Look at the clever way they figured out how to win the three-legged race!

All the kids received backpacks filled with school supplies. The little boys were saying "eewwww" when they thought that the small yellow packages of kleenex were feminine hygeine products! How funny!

Butterfly Exhibit

The wonderful Butterfly Exhibit comes to Zoo Boise each summer. Cayden and I got there mid-morning and not all the butterflies were awake yet. But it still was a lot of fun. The close-up of the butterflies was shot by Cayden.

Superhero Night at Hawk's Stadium

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Idaho hosted a gathering at a Boise Hawk's game tonight. The theme was Superheros, and Cayden was a hero in my eyes, batting like a champ in the batting cage (with his Spiderman outfit on). He actually connected the ball with the bat more times than many of the other boys that were twice his size!

Thunder Mtn. Train

Today Cayden and I joined some friends for a ride on the Thunder Mtn. Line in Cascade, Idaho. It was a VERY hot day, and finding shelter from the heat was difficult. But train rides are the BEST!

Cayden the Photographer

Cayden - Age 7

Read the story below, and then use this link to view some awesome photos... all taken by Cayden! (Cayden came up with the titles for each photo too!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgmouser/

Thanks for your support!

I'm Surrounded by Boys!!!

My life has always been surrounded by boys. I have three older brothers, and my only child, a son, has grown up into a fine young man. No sisters, and no daughters for me. When I signed up to become a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, I envisioned myself being matched with a little girl - baking cookies, sewing, etc. And then I was told about Cayden - a sweet, considerate 6 year old boy, who needed a “Big”. I quickly agreed to the match, thinking that since I am so experienced at doing ‘boy’ activities, why stop now? Cayden and I have only been together since March of this year, but it’s like I’ve know him forever. At a recent BBBS event, someone asked me if he was my son or my “Little”. I took that as a compliment, since it meant that we appear to be very comfortable with each other.


I always take my camera along on our outings, and I quickly share the prints with Cayden. His Mom displays appreciation for this by putting the pictures in a scrapbook as soon as possible. Photography is a hobby of mine, and I don’t typically let young children handle my cameras. But, I knew Cayden could be trusted. So, during our recent visits, I handed the camera to him and told him to shoot whatever he wants. His eyes lit up as he started looking at his surroundings with a totally different perspective. That is what is so wonderful about photography, it truly helps makes you aware of, and appreciate, everything that’s around you. Cayden has quickly learned the functions of the camera, and when composing a photo, he announces to me that he is going to “zoom in” and “focus” on a certain subject, or he’ll tell me just how he positioned the subject in the frame. After reviewing his pictures, it appears that he has a natural eye for photography. His ability to place some objects in the foreground, his use of diagonal lines, and his natural tendency to follow the “Rule of Thirds” has amazed me. Okay, so some of the brilliant composition is accidental due to camera movement during the shutter release. But, I still think he’s a natural!


Ah…the world as seen through the eyes of a child. It’s a perspective that we all should step back and enjoy once in awhile. To me, these are award winning photos because they were shot by my “Little”. These are not images that we, as boring-old adults, would shoot (for example, shots taken from inside the car while we drive down Fairview Avenue). Instead, we worry too much about whether or not our subjects are still saying “cheese” by the time the darn digital flash goes off. Each of Cayden’s images reflects a moment in time that was frozen by a little boy’s ability to recognize the beauty of his surroundings. What fun it is to watch him as he positions the camera, carefully presses the button, and then lets out an exuberant shout of “I got it!”. These are moments in time that I shall treasure forever.