"ReMoved"

Watch and cry and ponder. This is a beautiful although very heart wrenching tough to watch short film. It is just how life is for many children, for many families.

http://vimeo.com/73172036


"We made ReMoved with the desire that it would be used to serve in bringing awareness, encourage, and be useful in foster parent training, and raising up foster parents. .

If you would like to use the film for any of these reasons, the answer is yes.
If you need a downloadable version, you can download it here:
vimeo.com/ondemand/removed

Originally created for the 168 Film Festival, ReMoved follows the emotional story through the eyes of a young girl taken from her home and placed into foster care.

After winning Best Film and Audience Choice at the 168 Film Festival, as well as winning Best Film at the Enfoque Film Festival and being an official selection at the Santa Barbara Independent Film Festival, we're extremely excited to share ReMoved online.

"It would be impossible to fully understand the life and emotions of a child going through the foster care system, but this short narrative film portrays that saga in a poetic light, with brushes of fear, anger, sadness, and a tiny bit of hope." -Santa Barbara Independent

This short film wouldn't be possible without the help of some of my incredible friends.

First, my wife, who schemed this project up with me, and was willing to do me the huge favor of writing and producing it. Without her partnership, this would not have happened, and definitely would not have been such a fun process. We were inspired to create this film while in foster parent training.

And then of course Tony Cruz. I asked him early on if he'd be willing to tackle this with me. I wasn't sure if I was really going to pursue it unless he said yes. He graciously agreed and was, to me, a huge source of confidence in knowing this project would turn out well. He and i discussed everything during the pre-production, and i counted on his creative mind to keep me on the right path. He even persuaded another key creative on the project, Greg Pickard, to join us. On Set Tony was my right hand man. On set, if I just wasn't feeling it, I had the trust in him to be able to just hand the scene off to him and know he would make it work. And he stepped in plenty of times when i just needed a break, or a separate perspective. Some of the best moments in the film are of his doing. Go check him out at tonycruz.co

We were very fortunate with Abby White, the young actress. Without her we wouldn't have a film.
Her parents were so amazing as well. I don't think they anticipated how much involvement it would take on their end, but they stuck with it the whole way. Abby's dad, Andy White from Good Times Guitar, even recorded Abby's Voice Over for us in his studio.

check out the Behind The Scenes video: vimeo.com/67901616"

Catch up

Much needed, indeed. Needless to say that life is going 100 miles an hour fast and I'm barely meeting its daily demands. As important as those might be, the memories we make as a sum of the small moments we live, are still as precious and important and need to be captured.  Our sweet Gracie is asleep and Ella is spending some quality time with daddy so here I am.

Last Friday we celebrated Gracie's third month birthday as it's been our family tradition since Ella was born. It was very special, with lots of yummy food, a delicious Duff Goldman recipe 'zebra' cake, and wonderful company, Shu, Andrea, and Shu's parents.

She was cooing here, adorably sweet she seems to love to do that most on the changing table. :)

The birthday girl letting out a big YAWNN!!

Hi little darling!

I love this one! Look at those eyes!

Happy big sister!

The night couldn't be complete without a pretty awesome jump rope demo by Ella. She's quiet good at this!

Then there was celebrating Texas day a few days back at school (and work, and pretty much everywhere around here! You see, the big Houston Rodeo kicked off!)

E-haw!!!

Then there was March 1st, Martisor!!

 Oh, the lovely and delicious cake (an inside view.)

Baby hanging at the barn.

And dreaming some sweet dreams!!

Fuzzy haired sweetie-pie right after bath!

Asleep on momma.

At play with sissy. Ella made this cute paper doll for her and she held it for quite a while!!

Then there was open house at school and I got to be impressed and wowed by my daughter's amazing research, presentation, and technology skills. These children are simply outstanding!

Understanding and using technology at such an early age are great feats!

Her research projects was on Michael Phelps.

We are so proud of you, baby!!!

And there's our other sweetheart again!

Now loving her bouncy seat

She brightens our lives with her sweet smile. Mornings are wonderful, just to watch her stretch and smile the first thing she does when she wakes up.

She started coo-ing more and more and it melts our hearts to see her talk to us. I am privileged to most of her sweet talking and I am so grateful for this special gift.

The girls before bedtime. They share a "secret" hobby: they love to watch TV. Ha-ha!!

On a little field trip at mommy's office. The future of PROS!! :)

Hanging at mommy's desk. I love these three adorable people!

And my precious smart girls!!

On the walkway

We visited daddy's office too a couple of weeks back. Ella loved helping daddy unpack some boxes and settle into his new executive office, and grace his board with a horse drawing, haha!! :)

So proud of you, papa!

Gazing out into the future (the short or long-term one, no one knows.)

A few more thoughts on this precious child I get to hold and love every day not knowing what's going to happen next week or the week after that. (That is I guess, the "curse" of being a foster parent, living with uncertainty.) At the suggestion of the state caseworker, I once in a while send pictures of Gracie to her to share with the bio mother thinking that she must be missing her and would like to "see" her outside of the three hour visit on Mondays in the CPS office. Although I do not doubt everyone's good intentions and desire for these children's safety and happiness, sometimes it feels like it is just their job. Some look at her pictures and see just a really cute baby. I thought why she is so much more special: she is not just a really cute baby, beautiful in fact, to us. She is a daughter of our Heavenly Father, beautiful and worthy in every way, with great potential, and great future granted love and safety and security are hers in a good family environment. She is precious in His eyes just as my other daughter, Ella is. That is what keeps my faith and conviction strong that He will look after her and will not abandon her to the system, or to the mercy of life. 

And now, on a lighter note, look who got glasses??!!!! And how smart she looks in them!! (I really wish she didn't have to, but I am grateful for how nicely she took all this and pray that she'll get used to wearing them.)