![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/AnnColorWeb.jpg\")
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As you know, the picture Ann submitted was a black and white but I thought I would use the opportunity to try my hand at first coloring a black and white and THEN painting it.???? I assume though that Ann wanted the picture painted in black and white since that is what she submitted so here is the bw version with the same blue selective colors as in the original.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/Ann_bw.jpg\")
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And here was the picture Ann submitted just for reference:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/pc\/01.jpg\")
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Hope you like this Ann!?? :)???? Just let me know which version of the painting you want printed – color or black and white selective.<\/p>\n
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Ann was kind enough to email me the story behind the above picture as well as send a frontal picture of her sweet kids.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jimanddoni.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/Ann_Kids.jpg\")
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From Ann…..<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Our son in the wheelchair ??? Jack, was born with a congenital muscular dystrophy and has been ventilator dependent since he was 4 months old.?? We lived in St. Louis when Jack was born (having moved from Phoenix to St. Louis in 1996 so that our oldest daughter, who is deaf, could attend one of the best oral schools for the deaf in St. Louis). After having child number four in 2002, we moved back home to Arizona so I could be near my family again.?? Because Jack is a medically complicated kid, we continue to travel to St. Louis every year to see all his doctors at St. Louis Children???s Hospital.?? We must use our vacation time from work to make the week long trips to St. Louis every year (we travel by car because of all Jack???s equipment) and, therefore, don???t have much vacation time left over for fun family trips.?? After a very involved and complicated spinal fusion surgery in 2006, we decided that we needed to take a year off from making the trip back to St. Louis. <\/em><\/p>\n The picture I submitted was taken in 2007, on our first family vacation in over five years.???? The location is the beach of the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island.?? I had in my mind???s eye the picture I wanted of my kids. It was quite the challenge to get Jack???s wheelchair down to the water???s edge.?? We borrowed a sand wheelchair from the lifeguard station to get Jack down there, then carried his (very heavy) wheelchair to the surf?? – then transferred him. I kept telling my husband ??? as he was unhappily lugging the wheelchair – that it really was going to be worth it. I was really fortunate to capture the moment I had envisioned! <\/em><\/p>\n Jack???s siblings in the picture are his sisters, Hilary and Mary and his younger brother Eric. <\/em><\/p>\n I???ve been following Doni???s blog for many years, having found the link from another micro-preemie???s blog.?? I admire and respect Doni???s strong faith and convictions and, as I told Doni, I believe that we can all learn something from every person who touches our lives ??? even if it???s only a ???cyber-touch???.?? Thank you Doni for the amazing gift of painting my picture and thanks to all of your readers for their very nice comments. <\/em><\/p>\n