Personal Development Strategies To Help Boost Confidence And ...

Low self-esteem, together with a lack of confidence, can have a dramatically negative impact on a person?s life. Individuals without self-confidence often settle for less than ideal lives. If you are unhappy with your current life and feel that your self-esteem could use a good boost, this is the perfect article for your. Improving your confidence and self-esteem is an extremely important aspect of personal development. An improved self-esteem will play a large role in helping you attain the life you want and achieve all of your dreams. Take action to improve your confidence.

Sit down and write a list of all of the good things about yourself. Write down everything that you like about who you are. Big or small characteristics do not matter, simply write down everything positive that you can think of about who you are as a person. People who lack confidence in themselves and live with a low self-esteem, usually spend a great deal of time and mentally energy focusing on everything that is wrong with them. Instead of fixating on your faults, by recognizing all of your positive traits you can improve the way that you feel about yourself. Listing everything that you like about yourself is the first step toward improved self-esteem.

After you write down the things you like about yourself, get out another sheet of paper so you can create a new list. For this new list, write down the things you want to change about yourself and your life. Making positive changes will improve your self-esteem and confidence, but in order to change, you must recognize your faults and be completely honest with yourself.

Write down specific goals that you want to achieve. If you are overweight, your goal may be to lose 20 pounds. If you are shy, your goal may be to start up a conversation with a stranger every day. If you are unhappy with your job, your goal could be to start taking college classes in a new field. Try not to be too vague with your goals. Having a goal of being happy is too general and will not help you to improve yourself.

Each time you reach one of your goals, you should experience a boost in self-esteem. Make sure to pat yourself on the back and feel good about what you have accomplished. Give yourself praise for accomplishing something that you worked hard for.

While you are working on personal development, you need to think positively. This is easier said than done, but you must turn off the negative thoughts in your head that are telling you that you are not good enough. If a negative thought creeps into your head, counter it by reminding yourself of a goal that you recently accomplished, or a positive character trait that you possess.

Improving self-esteem is difficult and takes plenty of hard work and effort, but it can be done. Follow the advice in this article, believe in yourself and, no matter what, never give up!

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Craigslist to Popular Apartment-Finding Site: Cease and Desist

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How McDonald's food stylists work their magic

By msnbc.com staff

UPDATED 7 p.m. EDT: What, you think David Beckham really looks like that when he wakes up too?

?My (insert fast food favorite) never looks like it does in the ad? has almost achieved cat status on the Internet. McDonald?s Canada either has found a nice way to jump on the bandwagon or actually is a company that believes in corporate transparency. Or some combination of the two.

In the video below, Hope Bagozzi, director of marketing for McDonald?s Canada, walks through a hamburger photo shoot. Aside from her repeated awesome pronunciation of ?about? (full disclosure: we love Canadians), the video is notable for its complete demystification of the process -- from the ... er ... fluffing of pickles to the Photoshopping of bun imperfections at the end.

The two-day-old video has more than 2 million views on YouTube, so obviously people care (or are hungry). It was a response to a question submitted to the few-weeks-old "Our Food" section on McDonald's Canada's web site.?Also pretty cool is the president of the company answering "Why is the food at McDonald's so cheap?"?We're still waiting on their reply to "What is in the sauce that is on the Big Mac?"

Sorry Yanks, due to differences in the menus on different sides of the border, Americans can't ask.

As for McDonalds U.S., "That is solely a McDonald's Candada effort. There are no (similar) plans on our end," for a video, Julie Pottebaum of McDonald's U.S. said.

Thanks to?ViralViralVideos?for pointing it out.?

More money and business news:

Follow msnbc.com business on Twitter and Facebook

?

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Palestinians push Nativity church as Heritage site

In this Friday, Dec. 24, 2010 file photo, a cross is seen backdropped by the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during a Christmas parade in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention with an unwelcome bid by the Palestinians to use their muscle as the newest members of the U.N.'s cultural arm and obtain World Heritage status for the iconic Christian site (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi, File)

In this Friday, Dec. 24, 2010 file photo, a cross is seen backdropped by the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, during a Christmas parade in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention with an unwelcome bid by the Palestinians to use their muscle as the newest members of the U.N.'s cultural arm and obtain World Heritage status for the iconic Christian site (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi, File)

FILE - In this 1947 file photo the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine, occupied by British soldiers and mechanized units, is seen fortified with sandbags and trucks, circa 1947. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention with an unwelcome bid by the Palestinians to use their muscle as the newest members of the U.N.'s cultural arm and obtain World Heritage status for the iconic Christian site.(AP Photo/James Mills)

FILE - In this Tuesday Dec. 13, 2011 file photo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers his speech, after the Palestinian flag raising ceremony, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Palestinian Authority was admitted as a member of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in an October vote that prompted the U.S. to cut off funds to the agency. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention with an unwelcome bid by the Palestinians to use their muscle as the newest members of the U.N.'s cultural arm and obtain World Heritage status for the iconic Christian site.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)

(AP) ? The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention, with a bid by the Palestinians to use their position as the newest members of the U.N.'s cultural arm to obtain World Heritage status for the iconic Christian site ? and perhaps boost their own campaign for legitimacy.

The effort by the Palestinian Authority, like its overall efforts for global recognition for an independent Palestinian state, is drawing resistance. And it may fail at the World Heritage Committee meeting that starts Sunday.

An experts committee has turned down the emergency bid to quickly confer on the Church of the Nativity, and its pilgrimage route, the status as an endangered World Heritage site, saying the application needs more work. Even custodians of the holy site, the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches are opposed, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

The church ? which drew some 2 million visitors last year and parts of which are 1,500 years old ? stands above the grotto that Christians believe was the birthplace of Jesus. The Palestinians' application asks for recognition as a site of "outstanding universal value" urgently in need of attention.

There is concern by the United States and others that the Bethlehem holy site and the integrity of the World Heritage process risk falling victim to the politics that for decades have torn the region asunder, with the Palestinians using their foothold in the U.N. system to grab symbolic recognition of their elusive bid for statehood in a long-disputed land.

The World Heritage candidacy of the Church of the Nativity and the pilgrimage route is one way for the Palestinians to prove they are responsible stewards of the site which draws tourists the world over. Above all, it is part of a broader attempt by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to seek international recognition for a state of Palestine after its controversial backdoor entry into the U.N. system.

Negotiations with Israel on the terms of a Palestinian state have been frozen since 2008, mainly because Abbas and Israel's hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have failed to reach enough common ground for meaningful talks.

Meantime, Abbas has tried to create new leverage, including with a quest for U.N. membership for a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the territories Israel occupied in 1967. The U.N. bid has been stalled for months, but Abbas hopes to garner recognition for Palestine wherever possible, including with a nod from UNESCO for Bethlehem.

Angry at Palestinian membership in UNESCO, the United States pulled its $80 million in annual dues ? 22 percent of the overall budget ? from the Paris-based organization after the October vote that made the Palestinians the 195th member.

Bucking the bad feedback, the Palestinians refused to follow UNESCO custom and withdraw the candidacy ? as the French did with their emergency bid for the Chauvet cave, with its hundreds of prehistoric drawings, when it got a negative recommendation from the experts.

The Palestinians now risk losing face at the World Heritage Committee meeting from Sunday until July 6 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, when 33 sites from around the world will be considered for the coveted World Heritage status.

A surprise thumbs up could feed rancor and rivalries in a volatile region, within the church itself and perhaps at the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Already, the Palestinian ambassador to UNESCO, Elias Sanbar, has denounced a "persistent campaign of rumors" at the organization.

Protecting the cultures of the world is among UNESCO's core missions and there is little doubt the Church of the Nativity ? with a longstanding problem of leaks from the roof ? is in need of repair. A program administered by the Palestinians is already in progress.

Located in the Israeli-controlled West Bank, it is managed by three churches, each jealous of its role as custodian of the site, defined under an agreement dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

With a big measure of diplomacy, the leaders of the Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian churches rebuffed the Palestinian proposal, politely reserving judgment on its reasons.

"In our opinion, we do not think it opportune to deal with this request that the Basilica and its entire complex be included in the list of World Heritage sites, due to different considerations," read a letter to Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas signed by the three leaders. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

Among other things, a World Heritage designation raises fears that the delicate arrangement of custodianship might be disturbed. Fights among priests using broomsticks have been known to break out in the past over a perception that boundaries are being overstepped.

"When it comes to the Church of the Nativity, no one can interfere," said Yousef Daher of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem. "They (the Palestinian Authority) figured it wrong." He called the Palestinian bid a "surprising request."

"A church is a church, it shouldn't become a world heritage. It's a sacred place and its ownership is not for anyone," Daher said.

The Palestinian emergency application cites lack of regular restoration on the church due to the political situation since 1967 when Israel occupied the territories and difficulties procuring equipment because of lack of free movement imposed by Israeli forces.

Though Israel captured the West Bank, it turned much of Bethlehem over to the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s.

The U.S. State Department did not hide its disapproval of the Palestinians' emergency bid.

"We are disappointed by the Palestinians' intention to push through an emergency inscription against the recommendation of UNESCO's own experts and without thoroughly consulting all stakeholders," a statement said. It made clear that Washington's objection stems from the rush job that an emergency candidacy implies and which prevents a full review including by those with a stake in the outcome.

"We hope the Committee will act responsibly as good stewards of the World Heritage Convention, rather than allowing yet another U.N. forum to become a victim of politicization," the U.S. statement said. "The site is sacred to all Christians."

An experts report, conducted for UNESCO by the Rome-based International Council on Monuments and Sites, which reviews all applications, concluded that the Palestinians failed to show that damage or dangers to the Church of the Nativity "make its condition an emergency that needs to be addressed ... for immediate action necessary for the survival of the property."

It suggests the application be resubmitted under normal procedures with fuller detail. That takes about 18 months, meaning it could be re-nominated in 2014.

"Palestinians are continuing with their bid, and they are still hopeful and optimistic that they will succeed," said Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib. He declined to elaborate.

The Palestinian delegation to UNESCO refused any comment until after the Saint Petersburg meeting. However, a letter circulating among delegations suggested a plot was afoot.

In a letter, Ambassador Sanbar denounced a campaign of pressure against the bid from "those who do not want to see Palestine exercise its legitimate rights."

The June 11 letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, included what is purported to be a statement of support for Palestinian leader Abbas signed in type by the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox leaders, noting the Armenian was absent.

That letter "gave some delegations the impression that the churches had changed their opinion and were no longer opposed to the inscription," said one UNESCO official. "Was it designed for that purpose? I don't know."

The official asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity surrounding the Palestinian bid.

Despite fears by some that Palestinian backers on the committee will win the church the emergency designation as an endangered World Heritage site, others say it would be highly unusual for the voting committee to ignore the experts' negative recommendation.

"The committee is a sovereign body. Experts are there to give expert advice that is usually taken on board," said UNESCO spokeswoman Sue Williams.

Win or lose, the Palestinians are looking to putting their mark on other sites under their purview, including historic Bethlehem.

That gets a green light from the custodial churches at the Nativity ? as long as the church itself stays off limits.

___

Dalia Nammari in Jerusalem and Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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/R E P E A T - Ham Radio All Talk in Times of Crisis/

/R E P E A T - Ham Radio All Talk in Times of Crisis/

TORONTO, June 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Despite the prevalence of the Internet,
Amateur Radio has never failed as a lifeline during times of crisis. To
demonstrate this capability, the Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club
(aka CenTor) is conducting an Amateur Radio emergency preparedness
exercise on June 23 - 24, 2012, which will be open to the public.

Often called "ham radio", Amateur Radio is a non-commercial radio
service, which allows licensed operators to use various types of radio
communications equipment to communicate with one another, both locally
and around the globe, for both public service and recreational
purposes.? Amateur Radio operators, often referred to as "hams", are
federally licensed by Industry Canada and are allowed to use specially
allocated radio frequencies to carry out their operations. Hams come
from all walks of life and are located all over the world.

"Amateur Radio plays a very important role in the communications
capabilities of our modern society", said Peter Dale, President,
CenTor, and licensed Amateur Radio operator with the call sign of
VE3EYI. "Not only does it facilitate communications during times of
emergency or natural disaster, it is also a lot of fun and a great way
to learn about electronics and wireless communications, especially for
young people", Dale added.

The emergency preparedness exercise being put on by CenTor will be part
of an annual event called "Field Day". During this event, hams all over
North America will be setting-up emergency stations in public places
and communicating with one another over a 24-hour period for points as
part of a large North American emergency preparedness contest.

Anyone interested in learning about Amateur Radio and its capabilities
is encouraged to attend.

EVENT DETAILS

When

Start: June 23, 2012 @ 8:00am

End: June 24, 2012 @ 2:00pm

Where

Revera Leaside Retirement Living

10 William Morgan Drive, Toronto, ON

The station will be set up on the lawn behind the building and is
accessible from the West parking lot. A visitor reception desk will be
set-up at the station to receive guests.

Who

Members of the public are encouraged to attend this event to see what
Amateur Radio is all about.

For more information about CenTor, please refer to the following website
at http://www.va3cta.net

SOURCE Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club

Image with caption: "Amateur Radio operators John Evelyn, VA3JE (left) and Ian Shaw, VE3IJS (right) during Field Day, June 2010. Photo courtesy of Ward Kennedy, VE3WGK (CNW Group/Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120621_C9423_PHOTO_EN_15177.jpg

Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club

CONTACT: Don Trynor, VA3XFT
Public Relations Coordinator
Central Toronto Amateur Radio Club
Tel: 416-262-7911
Email:?trynor@gmail.com

-------
Profile: intent

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Spotlight is on Ohio's low-profile Portman

WEST UNION, Ohio (AP) ? You can almost imagine Mitt Romney checking the boxes in pondering whether Ohio Sen. Rob Portman might be a good running mate.

Experienced, steady Washington hand? Check. Represents key swing state? Check. Respected across the Republican Party? Check.

Well-known? No. Charismatic? Hmm.

In a year when being perceived as bland proved not to be a hindrance in capturing the GOP presidential nomination ? the cautious Romney team probably prefers reliability over a propensity to "go rogue" a la Sarah Palin ? Portman has emerged as someone often talked about in Republican circles as a strong vice presidential choice.

For starters, he has a varied, impressive resume:

?Elected seven times to the House.

?Held two Cabinet-level posts as U.S. trade representative and White House budget director in George W. Bush's administration. That also could be a downside; the Bush administration remains unpopular in opinion polls.

?Elected to the Senate two years ago with 59 percent of the vote in a state Romney absolutely has to win in November.

Probably as much as anyone, Portman would meet what presidential nominees always say is the top criterion for a vice president: ability to take over should something happen to the president.

"He knows the personalities. He knows the players. They know him. They trust him," said GOP lobbyist Jack Howard, like Portman a veteran of both Bush administrations. "Given the scale and nature of the problems that are going to have to be addressed not only on opening day of a Romney administration but during a transition ? in terms of all the issues a lame duck may or may not deal with ? Portman's a guy who you want as your wingman."

What Portman lacks is a high national profile.

He's made recent forays into North and South Carolina and Pennsylvania on behalf of Romney but has shunned appearances on the Sunday talk shows.

Portman put in hundreds of hours last year on what he recently called "the not-so-super committee" tasked with cutting deficits. The panel failed, but through it Portman cemented relationships with top Democrats like Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

Recently more pedestrian fare has been on his plate: bills to combat invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes and to create a commemorative coin to support the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

"That's my job," said Portman. "I'm going to keep doing it. I'm not trying to make waves nationally."

Romney has said little about the vice presidential vetting taking place in his campaign, and Portman ? like others who've been mentioned as potentials ? professes that he doesn't expect to get asked and is happy where he is.

He took note, however, when both Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, an Obama campaign co-chairman, talked recently about how Portman's ties to George W. Bush's administration could be used against him.

"Interesting; I guess they're worried," Portman told reporters.

"He's a very conservative guy with good manners," Strickland said of Portman. "That causes some people to think he's more moderate than he is."

Portman recently made a six-day trip to Israel ? he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ? Jordan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Asked while headed home if the trip's purpose was to burnish his foreign policy credentials, Portman said it had been planned for some time but was kept quiet for security reasons. He also noted he is on the Senate Armed Services Committee and its subcommittee on emerging global threats.

"This was part of my responsibilities as senator," he told reporters on a conference call.

Portman was an early Romney backer, endorsing him nearly two months before Ohio's March 6 primary, then crisscrossing the state on his behalf. Romney edged Rick Santorum in the pivotal showdown.

Ohio, with 18 electoral votes, will be a key state again in November. No Republican has ever been elected without winning Ohio. Recent polls suggest Romney and President Barack Obama are deadlocked in the state.

Other than giving Romney a boost in Ohio, Portman's potential help to the ticket nationally is questionable.

"You have to be a really close observer of politics to know Rob Portman," said Merle Black, an Emory University political scientist. "He's someone who would have to be introduced to the rest of the country."

Portman says Romney has the upper hand on economic issues, from jobs to tackling the debt and deficits. He has cautioned Republicans not to get detoured by issues such as gay marriage, which he opposes.

"As Bill Clinton used to say, 'It's the economy, stupid,'" Portman said, sitting in his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck during a recent campaign swing through his old House district, which runs along the border with Kentucky.

He shows off his Spanish and explains he learned it as a youth spending summers as a ranch hand in Texas, sleeping in bunkhouses with Mexican cowboys. "I know a lot of bad words," he said.

A prep-schooled Ivy Leaguer ? he has a bachelor's from Dartmouth ? who became worth millions through family businesses, practicing law and investments, Portman was dubbed "Prince Rob" by an opponent in his first congressional race in 1993. Strong support in the eastern Cincinnati suburbs lifted him to victory in the Republican primary with little help from rural voters, but he learned Appalachian lingo and worked on building connections in the economically struggling five counties to the east.

Far from the Washington Beltway, people say with pride they're in the Bible Belt. Portman fits in. He's a former Sunday school teacher, a supporter of local efforts to display the Ten Commandments in public places and an avid hunter.

During a stop at the at the 207-year-old Olde Wayside Inn on West Union's Main Street, Portman acted out for supporters gathered around dining tables how a friend slowly pointed the .20-gauge shotgun Portman lent him and then bagged a pheasant. The crowd chuckled.

"He's someone you can count on," said Ron Baker, a businessman in the Ohio River city of Portsmouth. "He's easy to talk to, and he listens."

To the Rev. Peterson Mingo, pastor of the Christ Temple Baptist Church in urban Cincinnati, Portman does things for people without seeking anything in return.

Mingo, an ex-con who's lost five brothers to violent crime, met Portman more than a decade ago when he questioned the then-congressman about the "Coalition for a Drug-Free Cincinnati" Portman had started. Portman invited him to join the coalition's board. What followed was years of brainstorming sessions, church visits, family picnics and favors. Portman arranged for buses from his own church to be used by Mingo's church to take youths to summer camp.

"He is real high on my list in terms of people I love and trust," Mingo said.

Friends who know Portman as a witty outdoorsman, a skilled and daring kayaker and adventurer who's paddled down the Rio Grande and China's Yangtze River are irked when he's described as "boring."

"I don't take it too seriously; maybe I should," Portman said of the label, then added an answer that fit the description. "I really try to focus on my job as a senator and doing the best I can."

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Dan Sewell can be contacted at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

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The Gospel of Rutba: New Book Chronicles An Unlikely Good Samaritan In War Torn Iraq

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Selling fish to pet store? ? AskMez | AskMez - Battysslaronda95's blog

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Boy, 6, dies of wounds after Texas hotel shooting

This photo provided by Laredo, Texas, Police shows Demond Bluntson, 36, who was charged Wednesday, June 20, 2012, with capital murder. Police say Bluntson shot and killed his 21-month-old son Davian and shot and wounded 6-year-old Jaydin in a Laredo hotel room on Tuesday. Authorities say Jaydin died Wednesday and Bluntson could face more charges in El Campo, some 200 miles away, where police believe he killed his girlfriend, the boys? mother, before leaving for Laredo. (AP Photo/Laredo Police)

This photo provided by Laredo, Texas, Police shows Demond Bluntson, 36, who was charged Wednesday, June 20, 2012, with capital murder. Police say Bluntson shot and killed his 21-month-old son Davian and shot and wounded 6-year-old Jaydin in a Laredo hotel room on Tuesday. Authorities say Jaydin died Wednesday and Bluntson could face more charges in El Campo, some 200 miles away, where police believe he killed his girlfriend, the boys? mother, before leaving for Laredo. (AP Photo/Laredo Police)

This undated image provided by the Laredo Police shows Brandy Cerny, mother of two young boys who were found shot in a hotel room Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in Laredo, Texas. Cerny's boyfriend, Demond Bluntson, 36, was charged Wednesday, June 20, 2012 with capital murder and aggravated assault in Laredo where police say he fatally 21-month-old son Davian, his son with Cerny, and critically injured her other son, six-year-old Jaydin. Blunston could face yet more charges in El Campo, some 200 miles away, where police believe he killed Cerny and dumped her body at a property in El Campo where his father lives. (AP Photo/Laredo Police)

(AP) ? A 6-year-old boy has died after authorities say he was shot by his mother's boyfriend at a South Texas hotel in an attack that also killed his 1-year-old half-brother, a family member said Thursday.

Jaydin Thompson's great-aunt Dianne Cerny said the boy was taken off life support and died Wednesday evening. Cerny has been speaking on behalf of the family since the boys were shot Tuesday, the same day their mother's body was found hidden in a shack in their hometown.

Jaydin's 21-month-old half-brother, Davian Bluntson, died in the shooting in the Laredo hotel. Demond Bluntson, the younger boy's father, is charged with capital murder and aggravated assault in the attack. Laredo Police spokesman Joe Baeza said the assault charge likely will be upgraded after Jaydin's death.

Bluntson, 36, is being held on $2.5 million bond and could face yet more charges in El Campo where police believe he killed his 28-year-old girlfriend Brandy Cerny ? the boys' mother ? and dumped her body at a property where his father lives.

El Campo police Chief Stanphill said a preliminary autopsy determined Cerny likely died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Cerny and her sons were last seen in church Sunday in El Campo. Dianne Cerny said Davian loved playing and exploring, and described Jaydin as being just like his mother.

"He always had an arm around someone, especially his mom and little brother, and he was always laughing and smiling and loving life," she said Thursday. She said Jaydin's family had decided to donate the boy's tissue.

Brandy Cerny's father reported her missing Monday morning after she did not show up for work. El Campo police called their counterparts in Laredo the next day to check on a lead that the family had checked into a Laredo Holiday Inn.

Laredo police said they later determined only Bluntson and the boys had checked in. Officers knocked on their room door about midday Tuesday and immediately heard several gunshots.

Police say when they entered the room, they found Bluntson had shot and killed Davian and wounded Jaydin. Their mother's body was found hours later, in a green shack hidden among trees behind a small house and a mobile home, on an El Campo property where Bluntson's father lived.

Brandy Cerny's family described her as a compassionate and hard-working woman who had earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and was pursuing a master's.

"Brandy worked tirelessly as a single mother to give her sons every opportunity this world had to offer," Dianne Cerny said.

Dianne Cerny said her niece had ended her relationship with Bluntson, but there was "hardly a time when you saw Brandy without her precious sons."

"Our hearts are forever broken and we as a family speak out against domestic violence and ask that anyone who feels threatened seek the necessary help to break free," she said. "Brandy was in the process of breaking free."

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Associated Press writer Diana Heidgerd in Dallas contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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