It all started with an email....

Hi friends.

I hope that you are all enjoying the warmer weather. I know our family is. We've been to church, shopping, ate lunch, painted some artwork, played Lego's, made chocolate covered strawberries and the kids have been playing outside. They are getting incredibly filthy due to the melting snow but I don't mind. We all need a good dose of fresh air!

I'm ready for SPRING and spring cleaning. I don't know about you but my carpet is the perfect shade of sludge from everyone tracking dirt in from the snow. (My dog is also the perfect shade of sludge). Just a few more weeks. I don't mind snow, however, I don't enjoy it when it lingers for so long you forget what grass looks like.

Anyway, many of you have asked how Miss Carleigh Rae ended up on the news a few days ago so I thought I would take a minute to share her story.

It all started this Christmas when she received an Art Easel and Camera. She started taping herself doing the news everyday, Emmitt would do the sports and Delaney would make the weather maps. She even came up with a name for her program called "The Hasty News Crew."

The night of the blizzard she went outside with daddy to measure how much snow we had gotten and Jeff took a picture of her. She decided to send it in to Gary Lezak of NBC Action News. I will never forget the memory of seeing her in her pj's typing an email to him on the laptop about wanting to be a meteorologist when she grows up.

About an hour later we received an email stating that her picture had been approved for their website. Great. End of story. Carleigh was on the website. NOT!

About one half hour after that we received an email from someone from the station wondering if our camera had video capability. They said "Carleigh, may be a meteorologist sooner than you think." Hmmmm? What were they up to I wondered? We emailed back saying yes of course and then sent our phone number to them. About an hour later (almost 10 pm by this point) we got a call from the station asking us to do four 30 second weather reports for the news in the morning. They told us to have her do whatever she wanted to talk about. So there we were, in our pj's, fixing her hair, writing her script, getting wardrobe ready for her big weather girl debut. She did incredibly well. Very animated and loved every single moment of it. We couldn't believe what we were doing.

We sent the videos in to them and thought that was it. We were done. Right? Nope, they emailed back asking if she would want to get up early and do a phone interview at 7:15. (By this point it was almost 2 a.m.).

We of course said yes and at 6:30 we woke her up and almost immediately they were playing her weather video. Grinning from ear to ear she did her little phone interview and again we thought we were done. Whew. What a great time. Carleigh was on the news. Fun times.

Except.....after the morning news ended they called right back. "Carleigh is a hit, could you do two more reports for the midday news?" What? She was going to be on the news again? Are you kidding me? So, we spent the better party of the morning taping her AGAIN, changing her wardrobe, and coming up with more script for the budding weather girl.

At 11:00 we watched every single minute of the show. Only to realized that they didn't use what we had sent in. What a let down. We told her to be thankful for what she got to do that morning and everything else was just a bonus. What a fun time. End of story. Right? What?

The phone rings again, NBC again. "We're sorry that we didn't get to use Carleigh's weather reports, BUT....would she want to do the news with Gary Lezak tonight for the 6 o'clock show?"

Ummmmm, CHA!

So we found ourselves for the third time in less than 24 hours taping her doing the weather. They wanted us to do it outside due to the lighting but I promise you that every time she started to talk on tape a snow blower would go by, a dog would bark or a car would honk their horn. Ugh. It was -10 wind chill and she and I are outside for TWO HOURS trying to get a one minute report. At one point we were both crying.

Needless to say we decided to come inside, we put the snow totals on the infamous art easel and she finished her report. We sent her video again, called all of our family and friends and waited for the weather at 6 o'clock.

There she was, flashing her smile, saying "Thanks, Gary!" and beaming. To say that this momma was proud would be the understatement of the year. I just kept thanking God that she got to live out a dream of hers at the tender age of 8.


Here are her weather reports. Enjoy!

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/weather/winter/video%3A-8-year-old-aspiring-meteorologist

We tried to turn the situation into a teachable moment and told her that it all started with an email. If' she wouldn't have taken the chance to send a picture of herself to NBC this would have never came about.

Since this happened I've often wondered what dreams I've missed because I didn't take a chance, or a leap of faith.

My prayer for you today is that you are encouraged by the dreams of an 8 year old. Don't miss out on your dreams by simply NOT doing something. DREAM BIG. It's the Lords desire for you. He's waiting to work in you to accomplish more than you could ever ask or think.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power to work withing us, to
accomplish infinitely more than we could ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

Have a great sunshiney day!

Marsha

P.s. The story still isn't over. We got an email the very next day from a new magaize that's coming out in Lees Summit. It gets mailed to over 15, 000 homes. They wanted to use Carleigh as their Star Student and share her fun story. So, be watching for the March issue. The story is done and absolutley adorable. Yeah Carleigh!