Old hair, new 'do

So we were at my mom's house yesterday when we came upon one of her old wigs. Yep. She used to wear it back in the early 70s, so she wouldn't have to "do her hair." LOL.

We all had a laugh trying it on... Luke looked especially precious in it. HAHA. And then I tried it on. And I loved it. I think it makes me look like Elsie Flannigan. And I *heart* Elsie. So I decided I needed to keep it. And wear it when I needed to feel extra sassy and creative. So yeah. Don't be surprised if you see me with short black hair sometime. And don't point and laugh like my family does. ;)

My fun hair!


Rick's reaction:


Riley's reaction:


Violet's reaction:


I love my family. :)

Check it out!

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/scrapbookfun/category.ihtml?idx=117 Mine is the second one down. Hey Liane! Can you see yourself? LOL

Thanks to April for the link. :)

Harvest!

We have watermelons in our backyard!


The kids were thrilled to pick the two that were ready today...


Riley loved his so much! He kept thumping it like a drum...


and he didn't want to wait for me to cut it open to eat it!
But he did... and we had it for dessert tonight.
YUM! Nothing like fresh watermelon right from our garden.

Fabulous weekend.

We missed our flight Thursday because we didn't hear our alarm... oops! Of course it was also the one day the kids decided to sleep in as well. No biggie. We got on the next flight, which left an hour later.
We arrived at the house in Kensington about 11 a.m. - just as beautiful as we remembered it. Jan & John left us the keys to their car, and we decided to drive into Berkeley.
Saw Charlie & the Chocolate Factory at the creepiest theatre EVER. Seriously it was straight out of a creepy film. Everyone who worked there was totally Goth. The decor was all old movie posters - in French - The seats were old and small... everything was just very creepy. And that just was the perfect place to see this movie, which I thoroughly enjoyed... so much so, I *must* find myself a pair of those fabulous glasses.
We found the perfect place to have dinner - Rivoli, a small Italian restaurant that we went to ten years ago on our honeymoon. Dinner was lovely and so was the wine - a Pinot Noir labeled "bio-dynamic" from Robert Sinskey Vineyards. The waitress explained that "bio-dynamic" meant that the wine was certified organic (okay, that's cool), and the growers take special care to also be sure the grapes are planted taking into consideration the position of the sun and moon, as well as being sure the fields have other things planted on them. All of it is supposed to somehow contribute to a healthier earth. Um, okay. Alls I know is that it was goooooood wine ;)
Friday we slept in till 10:30. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT!!!!!!!!! TEN THIRTY!!! We haven't done that since our children have been born. What a glorious sleep it was. After taking our time getting ready adn eating a late breakfast/lunch, we decided to drive up to Napa (45 minutes north) and check out the wineries.
Napa was beautiful - the weather was VERY warm and the landscape was gorgeous. We stopped at the visitor's center and got a map of the wineries. Dad told us to pick a good place to have dinner and he would treat (AWESOME!) as our anniversary gift from him. He recommended a few different places, and after making the calls, we got reservations at Chandon for 6 p.m. Oh and of course there was a dress code - business casual. Neither of us were wearing "business casual." We walked over to Mervyn's and each found some great clothes - Rick found a nice embroidered shirt and khakis on the clearance rack, and I found a cute dress with matching cardigan. My dress/cardigan set ended up ringing up at EIGHT DOLLARS! Rick's shirt and pants were 18 altogether - for a total of $26 for two complete outfits. Nice!
By now it was 3:30, so we got a map of the wineries and headed down the street. Lo and behold - up the way we found Robert Sinskey vineyards! We stopped in for a tasting. It was $20 each, or free with a purchase of two bottles of wine each. So we thought we'd try it out. All the wines were wonderful, and we especially loved the Cabernet Franc (mmmmm). We also loved the Chardonnay, too... it was wonderful. It had a lovely, full-bodied flavor without the trademark "buttery" taste that most Chardonnays seem to have (and what I think makes them taste heavy). With each tasting (and we tried eight different kinds) we had a different little appetizer accompaniment, which was wonderful - and it made us understand so much more why certain wines are paired with certain foods.
After leaving Robert Sinskey with four bottles of wine, we went to Robert Mondavi to try and take a tour - but we just missed the last one when we got there. We did a little exploring of our own and checked out the different areas of the winery (though we couldn't go in and see how the wine is actually made, which is what I wanted to do).
By this time it was just after 5 p.m., so we went down to Chandon. The grounds were BEAUTIFUL there. We walked around, exploring the different areas of the place, and we found the restaurant and looked at the menu. There were two options - the Summer Tasting Menu, which was a fixed price for seven courses plus wines to acocmpany each, or the a'la carte menu, which we realized would add up to nearly the price of the Tasting Menu once we added some wine. We opted for the tasting menu, and I am so glad we did. Again - understanding how and why different wines (and in this case, sparkling wines too) combined with different flavors and textures was so amazing. This was really "outside the box" for Rick, who normally eats a pretty traditional menu... and this stuff was anything but traditional. The names of the different courses gave us no clue as to what to expect. We tried everything from raw fish to cold soup to stinky (GROSS!!) cheese, to amazingly wonderfully prepared beef to scrumptious fish to fabulous desserts. And the only thing that was completely unpalatable for us was the cheese. It's called Red Hawk... it looked just like Brie, but it smelled just like the leftover milk at the bottom of the kids sippy cup after it's been left in the car for several days. We tried, bt we just couldn't do it. But the wine was wonderful. Three different sparkling wines, a chardonnay, a pinot (mmmm that pinot was awesome!!), and another sparkling wine with dessert. Awesome!
After dinner, we walked around a bit more, did the deed among some grapevines somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, and then looked for a Starbuck's to have a coffee. We found one that had just closed, so we went next door to Cold Stone Creamery and had chocolate ice cream to top off the night.
After another 45 minute drive, we were back in Kensington and ready for a long night's sleep again.
Saturday we slept in... again! Woohoo!! We spent the majority of the day reading and relaxing and just doing a whole lot of nothing. We went into Berkeley in the afternoon and got a shake and onion rings at a 50s diner and then went to see the movie Crash. Excellent movie. VERY emotionally charged. I was unprepared for a specific scene in the movie - so much so that I ended up completely hysterical in the theatre - crying VERY LOUDLY like an idiot and then spending the next 15 minutes hyperventilating. If you would like to be spared the emotionality of that scene, I am more than willing to prepare you for it with a single sentence. Email me and I will share it with you. It won't ruin the movie for you, I promise. It will just make that moment a little easier to deal with.
We went out to dinner at a place called Jupiter that night - very cool. Very Berkeley. Live music, eating outdoors, funky dressed people. Just fun.
On our way home we stopped at a store and got Jan & John a huge bouquet of flowers, a thank you card, and a bottle of wine, then we filled up the car's tank with gas. That night we put the flowers in a vase on the table, did all the dishes and cleaned up after ourselves, and made the house look just a little better than when we arrived.
About 9:30 we started hearing what we thought was thunder outside - but there was no lightning. We could not figure out for the life of us where the sound was coming from - the skies were all creepy and foggy, and the booms continued. They sounded like a cannon being fired off in the distance... but it was louder than we expected, because it soulded like it was coming from way out in the Bay. It totally reminded us of the Langoliers. Creeeeeeeeeeeeepy. We turned on the TV and there was nothing on the weather channel or the news reports. But we certainly weren't imagining it. And after about 20 minutes, the sounds were done. Just as oddly as they started... After awhile we concluded there must have been a fireworks show after a baseball game that night. Never mind that the game that day was an afternoon game, and never mind that we saw no fireworks. That's just what we decided.
We woke up Sunday about 8 a.m. and called a cab to take us to the BART station so we could go downtown. By the time the cab arrived and we got to the station, got on a train, and at our destination, it was after 10:30 a.m. We dropped off our bags at the Ramada hotel next to the Orpheum Theatre and set off looking for a place to eat.
Rick wanted pancakes.
I didn't care. I just knew that if we wanted breakfast, we needed to have it SOON, before they stopped serving it. We walked through town looking for a good place- but everywhere was either crowded or a cafe. And no pancakes anywhere. I was getting irritated. Rick was getting frustrated. Then we saw it. Lori's Diner. Two spots at the counter, calling our name. And breakfast served till noon.
Rick had pancakes. I had French toast. We drank coffee. We relaxed. That place was HOPPING. We left at about noon and took a cab to Ghirardelli. THE SCARIEST CAB RIDE EVER. I was so sure the brakes were going to go out on that cab as we were flying up and down the hills, it was crazy.
Once we arrived at Ghirardelli, we strolled around the shops, got some shirts for the kids, got some chocolate (60% dark chocolate - not 70%, Liane, but still very VERY good), and just enjoyed the afternoon. We visited the shops at The Cannery and headed toward Pier 39 but we never got there - it was 1:30 and our show was at 2:00. We found a cab and hopped in. Only this time the cab driver took the long, slow way. I swear he hit every single red light possible. The cab fare was DOUBLE what it was last time. And we barely made it to the theatre in time.
The theatre. The play.
WICKED.
It was SUBLIME.
As soon as it was over I wanted to see the whole thing over again. I needed the CD (Rick got it for me!!!) and a pin for my stocking. I wanted a shirt, but we had already spent $35 on a CD and a pin, so I had to hold back on the $35 shirts. I wanted to relish and remember every single moment. Like my favorite line that Fiyero spoke: "Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow." I think that needs to be my signature online ;).
After the play, we got our bags and walked around the city looking for a good place to eat. Unfortunately, we didn't find one that fit our budget or time, until we saw "Lucky O'Doul's Pub and Piano Bar"... perfect! Total comfort food to fill us up till tomorrow and under $10 apiece. After a filling meal, we boarded BART and made our way to the airport.
We got to the airport in plenty of time - and were sitting at our gate with two hours to spare. So I read Harry Potter aloud to Rick to pass the time. He loves it when I read in all my accents, and I enjoyed getting a chance to read some of it again. By the time we were ready to board, we had just finished chapter 21. (no I didn't read that much! We just got through a couple of chapters that night).
Our flight took FOREVER to leave the gate (it was reeeeeeeally foggy), but we finally took off and arrived in Vegas at 12:01 a.m. Jim and Val picked us up and took us to get the kids, who were asleep at Mom & Dad's house.
I think my head hit the pillow just before 2 a.m... and now it's back to reality. :)

six o'clock in the morning

I have to get up...
Rick and I are flying to San Francisco tomorrow for our tenth anniversary trip.
I'm glad he still likes me now that he's had ten years of living with me.
Sometimes I don't think *I* would put up with me ;)

We'll be back laaaaaaaaate Sunday night. So Monday I will be back in the swing of things... hopefully then I can work on the photos from the Rebecca Project (trying to get them into a manageable size for viewing, etc) and get some posted for you all.

Have a great weekend! Don't have too much fun without me! Okay, well you can have fun... cause I will be having fun, too! ;)

My heart (part three)

Click here to read the beginning of the story.

Click here to read part two.

DAY THREE.

God can do amazing things in three days - but can he get all of us mere mortals to work together to finish Sandy's house? We sure hoped so.

The morning started at 8:00 for me - I actually slept well last night - my dreams were smattered with images of us getting work done around the house, but nothing like the night before. When I arrived at the house, Tish had just gotten there, too. We started by clearing out the living room so that we could get furniture in there. All the food and drink would be consumed in the newly cleaned, painted, and repaired kitchen. Yaro the locksmith came shortly thereafter and hung the microwave above the stove. We swept, mopped, and cleaned up the area in the living room where the couch was going, and by that time a good crowd had arrived, ready for the final day of our own extreme makeover. We joined hands and prayed and got right to work. A few of us brought the sectional sofa pieces in from the garage, and we put them together in the living room.

Jenn helped me hang up the curtain rod in front of Rebecca's closet - we got her a fabulous beaded curtain that looked just great hanging in front of the brand new closet system. Ken arrived to do the cabinets in Rebecca's room (YAY!) and started right away on that task outside under the gazebo.

We needed to assemble Rebecca's bed - and Allen the Handy Guy helped so much with bolting the whole thing together. There was a bit of a fiasco with the nuts and bolts, but it all came together just fine and Rebecca's bed was up. We made a human train and brought up all the boxes of dialysis solution and stored it under the bed - all the rarely used stuff went way to the back, and we were able to fit 24 boxes of her everyday solution under there as well. Once all that was done, we put the box spring and mattress on her bed and it was ready for sheets and comforter... and FINALLY I felt like we were making progress in Rebecca's room.

Wendie kicked us all out so she could surprise us with the bedding and canopy, and 15 minutes later, we walked into a princess room. It was incredible. Wendie's mom Dorothy had sewn all the pillows, comforter, bedskirt, and canopy... and she did such an amazing job. I had never in my life seen a bed this gorgeous for a young girl.

The outside painting got done - and it was beautiful. We needed more rock for the landscaping in the yard (twelve tons, apparently, was not enough), and it was delivered. Then we used that big truck to load up all the rest of the trash that we had accumulated since Saturday (carpeting, etc).

By noon we were kicking into high gear - doors needed to be hung, painting needed to be touched up, and decorative touches needed to be added. Yaro the Locksmith provided brand new, top of the line, doorknobs and locks for the whole house. Every room was coming together.

Mike & Wendie Castillo spent much of the day in Jesse's room, turning it into a real musician's haven... they got some really cool vontage posters, funky hooks for hanging guitars - they even mounted an old guitar TO THE WALL as a window valance! It was done first, and as soon as it got finished we criscrossed teh doorway with "caution tape" so no one would go in it. We did the same with Ben's room, Sandy's room, the bathroom, and the living room.

As we waited for Rebecca's room to be ready for decorating (Ken was working on it with Mike G.), Jen and I made a decision to use the fabric we were planning on putting in Rebecca's room as a valance and instead make a curtain for a cabinet in the hallway. Our original plan was to hang doors, but we ran out of time and materials. And this way we could stack more of Rebecca's boxes in there without worrying about them not fitting exactly, since a fabric curtain is a bit more forgiving with its space than doors. We headed downstairs and began sewing a simple curtain, which turned out great - we hung it on a dowel that went through two pretty, tuscan-style sconces.

Chris Rogers, who had been helping Ray paint outside, came in and touched up the walls and ceiling of the stairwell, which had never been properly touched up from the last paint job. That alone made it look beautiful in that area.

A whole cleaning crew was in the house vacuuming, scrubbing, polishing, and cleaning. Pedro the Window Guy cleaned all the windows, then hung around doing any last minute thing he could do to help. Everyone was pitching in to get this house DONE.

Finally, at 3 p.m., Rebecca's cabinets were finished. Wendie and I went in the room and organized all the medical supplies, gauzes, pads, sharps, sharps disposal, and miscellaneous materials. When the cabinets were closed, everything was hidden - but opened, it was just like a doctor's office cabinet in there. Her dialysis machine was going right next to the bed, with a new mini-fridge underneath for all her medications that needed to be refrigerated. The shelves up above housed her beanie baby collection and cute little knick-knacks. Leslie and Cheryl made cute framed photos of their little group of friends, and Karen came in the room and hung them up (after she was done hanging the cabinets in the boy's bathroom) .

Rebecca's room looked amazing. My only regret was that we couldn't put the wonderful lamps that Linda had decorated in the room. When Mike & Ken installed the cabinets, they forgot to cut the holes for the plug, and by that time we were simply out of time. Mike and Ken do have to come back sometime during the week and install the wall mount for the huge TV/DVD player they got for Rebecca, so hopefully they will be able to also cut the plug holes at that time.

It was now 4 p.m. Rebecca and Sandy were due home in half an hour. The house was done. The rooms were done. The yard was done. The gazebo looked gorgeous. The trees, plants, and rocks were wonderful. Everything had come together. Dina's sister bought fresh flowers for each of the rooms, filled vases, and placed them all over for a little bit of brightness. All that was left to be done was to do one last minute trash run and light candles.

Leslie and Morgan and Taylor made signs to welcome back the family, and a rather large crowd was gathered out front. We took some group photos and last minute shots of the finished house, and then we prayed one last time in a huge circle out front. God spoke His word to us out there:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phillipians 1:6

We couldn't have done this entire project without the support, prayers, and collaborative effort of people who cared for this family the way God commanded us to do. And after everything we did, we were waiting outside for Sandy and Rebecca to arrive. Unbelievable!

They arrived at 4:30 - Pastor Chad filmed the whole reveal. It was amazing. The whole crowd was in the street, blocking the road just past their driveway as they came in. Our little WELL group was by the front door with Ben. When the car pulled into the street, everyone cheered for them, and when they pulled into the driveway, it was amazing. To see their faces after all our hard work made everything just perfect. Rebecca's eyes were as wide as saucers - Sandy got out of the car and started crying right away. It was so overwhelming and emotional.

After getting over the initial shok of actually having front yard landscaping and a painted house, Sandy was ready to go inside her home. But the door was locked... and Ben handed her the brand new keys to her brand new house. Sandy and Rebecca got to go in first, with the few of us from the WELL group behind her to see the reactions. They toured the downstairs... everyone was crying... they went upstairs and saw the boys' rooms - and there was more crying... and then Sandy went in her bedroom. It was no longer a bedroom. It was now her sanctuary. Sandy's room was a Tuscan garden retreat. Her bed was beautifully decorated - she had new window treatments, flowers everywhere, a TV to watch, and her treadmill- which she always wanted in her room - now had plenty of space to be used. It was the essence of pretty. It was perfect for Sandy. She kept crying saying, "But I thought this was supposed to be for Rebecca!!" and little did she know, it was. This whole house project was for Rebecca. She will have a cleaner, safer environment full of all the positive energy that this new home can provide, a relaxing retreat for Mom so she can unwind from the stresses of the day, and really a place that can be called a "HOME" now.

But we weren't done yet. The best was yet to come... Rebecca's Room. The room that started it all. The room that will bring joy, sweetness, and happiness to this wonderful little girl who deserves to have a healthy life. Her own little "Moroccan Bright" retreat. When she opened the door, you should have seen her face... it was priceless. Her queen size, four poster bed, HUGE, piled high with pillows, and all her most favorite, important possessions now on display instead of in boxes... as she walked through her little room (it's only 10x10), she peeked into the cabinets to see all her supplies right there at the ready, but hidden out of sight so it looks like the bedroom of any ordinary teenager. She peeked under her bed and saw all her dialysis solutions hidden away, too... not piled into the hallway like they were before. This was the room of a regular girl. With a GIANT television. And a really awesome closet. And space for everything she loves and wants. She didn't want to leave.

We finally came back downstairs to show Sandy her new kitchen - complete with a new set of dishes, silverware, and glassware. A fireplace with a mantle. A microwave. The door to the garage that has a doorknob - and locks! And a landscaped backyard, where nearly everyone who had a hand in the project waited to greet the two of them with open arms.

What an absolutely perfect ending to a weekend filled with everything that goes into a project like this and then some. A project started by a few moms who wanted to make a little girl feel special. We had our moments of chaos and drama, but just like a wedding where everything goes wrong, but in the end they still get married... in the end they still have a beautiful home, a lovely home... and a smile on their faces.

And so do we.

My Heart (part 2)

Click here to read the first part of this story.

DAY TWO.
I arrived at the house just before 7 a.m. and Ben and Jesse were already up and working on clearing out more stuff. This was going to be a huge, long day. I went upstairs to Rebecca's room so that I could get her closet painted. California Closets had donated the labor and materials to give Rebecca a new closet system, and they were arriving at 10 a.m. - so I knew that was a priority. As I was painting, I could hear more and more people arriving - people ready and willing to lend a hand and do some good for this family.

I soon had help in Rebecca's room when Jen arrived, and the closet was done in no time. We painted it a fabulous teal blue, and also painted a wall in her room the same color. It looked so cool to have two of the walls done. I had bought this paint on a whim a month ago, thinking it would look good in Rebecca's room, and I was so excited to see just how perfect it looked. Leslie and Cheryl, Rebecca's friends, soon came in to help Jen with the painting, and they started on the other walls in the room - a gorgeous apricot color that looked amazing with the blue.

At 8:30 a.m. the house was hopping with help, and we took a moment to stop, hold hands, and pray for the day and all that we were to accomplish. It was exactly what we all needed. Within moments, the truck with all the landscaping materials had arrived. Volunteers were outside shoveling the pea gravel from the front yard onto the street to be hauled away. The closet guy arrived at 9 a.m., just as we were removing the tape from the freshly painted walls - PERFECT timing! Each room inside was abuzz with activity, and the outside was full of people digging holes for plants and trees, unloading rock, loading up trash, and more.

Ben came up to me to tell me that his mom and sister needed fancy clothes for the show they were going to see tonight (someone donated tickets!) - Le Reve at the Wynn hotel - but they didn't bring any, and could someone get their clothes to the Tuscany sometime?? Ack. I was sure it would happen, I wasn't exactly sure how, though.

As the clock turned to 10 a.m. the house was in full upheaval. Every room was being painted, repaired, or cleaned. Bellies were full - Diana Barnes arranged for food to be donated all weekend as we were working. Last night was barbecue beef sandwiches with salad, fruit, cookies, and brownies, and this morning was fruit, pastries, muffins, and juices.

At about 10:30, a pickup truck from Republic Services pulled up (were they thinking the trash would fit in the back of his truck?), and when he saw the pile of trash we needed removed, he called a big truck to come get it. They would be arriving in half an hour. Woohoo!! The trash would be gone - which would be another big morale boost for the group - we would be seeing progress yet again.

Meanwhile, someone got on the phone to a friend in the carpet business and the carpet company said they would donate new carpet for the whole upstairs of the house (downstairs is all tile) if we had an installer to come do it. With one phone call, we found Craig at our church, who lays carpet for a living. He said he would absolutely do it, and he would be at the house within the hour to see what needed to be done.

This threw a big curveball into our plans - now we needed to unload the entire second story of the house so that carpet could go down in the bedrooms, stairway, and hallway! But we would have new carpet, and it would be done TONIGHT! We couldn't resist the challenge.

Craig arrived and assessed the situation, with a promise to return at 5 p.m. to start the carpeting process. WOW!!! What a blessing - these carpets were a huge undertaking, and we knew that cleaning them would not do much to make them look as good as we hoped. But new carpet - no one was expecting that. What a blessing!

Next, Ray at our church found out about what we were doing. He's a professional painter and he offered to spray the entire exterior of the house. We needed him so much!! We had the paint and the tools, but no one to do the work, as the guys that originally offered to do it were stuck inside on other projects. The house was going to get painted, too!!

Republic Services arrived with their big truck and the outside group turned their focus to getting the trash into the truck. The trash guys were awesome - once they heard about our project and what we were doing, they were even more jazzed to help. After loading the entire truck with all the trash (I couldn't believe it all fit in there!!), they offered to take the pea gravel, too! Everyone started shoveling the rock into the back of the truck... We wouldn't have to find someone to haul it away anymore! As the group was about two thirds done with the rock, though, the hydraulics went out on the compactor in the truck... And we wouldn't be able to get any more in there. Not to worry, though - the Republic Services guys were so great. They put in a call to get someone out to repair the truck so they could get the rest of the rock, and in the meantime they stayed and helped out around the yard! Both of them were Christians, and after talking to Ben, they prayed with him - for his family, for the project, for healing for Rebecca... It was so cool. They said that they weren't even supposed to be doing trash pickups - they work at the main building, and had always wanted to drive the big truck, so the two of them volunteered to make this run. Both of them were pretty sure it was all part of the Divine Plan. I had to agree.

Twelve tons of rock were dropped off in the driveway, and the workers started moving it around the yard where it needed to go. It was blazing hot all around us, and the humidity was creeping up again. Jenn Gomez bought cases and cases of waters for everyone, and we had coolers full of ice stationed all around for anyone that needed it (and we all did!!). I brought several bottles of sunblock for everyone to use, too, so no one would get burned in the 110 degree heat.

Rick had been at the house all morning, too, installing tile around the fireplace and a new vinyl floor in the boys' bathroom upstairs. The kids were at the church - Bristi Gomez offered to watch them in the nursery so that we could both be at the house working.

At 12:30 lunch arrived... Sandwiches, more fruit, chips, cookies, and veggies. I knew I had to get the kids and get them down for naps, so I grabbed a couple of sandwiches and treats for them. Just as I was about to walk out the door, my friend Adrienne arrived. She wanted to help out because she knew what Rebecca was going through. She just had a kidney transplant a few years ago, and had been through all the same dialysis treatments Rebecca is receiving now. I showed her around the house and what we were doing, and she was ready to help with anything we needed to do. And I knew the perfect thing - she could take the clothes to Rebecca and Sandy's hotel room! She did it cheerfully, and that weight was taken off our shoulders.

I left and got the kids from church, brought them to my parents house where I swam with the kids and tried to take a nap. Riley fell asleep, but Violet didn't, so I couldn't sleep. I did lie down for awhile, which, combined with the swim in the pool, made me feel much better.

When I got back to the house at 3:30, I could not believe the changes in the house. In three short hours all the plants were installed, at least six tons of rock were moved from the driveway to various parts of the yard, and while I was gone all the furniture from upstairs had been hauled downstairs and out of the house - and all the old carpeting was outside, too.

Unfortunately, because Rebecca's bedroom had wood floors, it became the room where all the heavy upstairs furniture had to stay during the carpet install... Which meant I could not get in there and do ANY decorating. Also, the person that had agreed to make a built in cabinet for Rebecca's room had not arrived yet, and no one could get a hold of him. I wasn't sure if it would be happening. And that was the whole reason we were doing this project at all! The carpet guy did promise he would finish everything tonight, so the good thing was that we would have all day tomorrow to do her room.

The boys' rooms got painted - Jesse got two new bright red walls, and Ben got a coffee colored top half of the wall to complement the green on the bottom. Sandy's bathroom was coming along beautifully, too. The bathroom was repainted a Tuscan faux finish on the walls and the cabinets. The boys bathroom was going to be painted white, and we painted their cabinets a bright orange to go with the very bright and fun towels we got (white with colorful circles embroidered across them). The baseboards in the whole house got painted, too. What a difference.... With still so much to do!

Craig the Carpet Guy came at 5 p.m. just as promised and started right away in Sandy's room. Ray the Painter Guy got going doing the exterior paint on the back of the house. Dinner arrived at 6 p.m. - pasta with meatballs, salad, rolls, and chocolate cake for dessert!

Finally at about 8 pm the carpenter that was going to make the built-in for Rebecca arrived. He took measurements of the walls and I told him what needed to be done with the dialysis machine, shelves, and refrigerator cabinet, and he said he was going to go out and get the materials right away so he could start building it, and he would be back Sunday morning.

We repaired and stained all the kitchen cabinets, removed all the interior doors and gave them a fresh coat of paint, painted Rebecca's bed and several other pieces of furniture, and continued on the yard well into the night. As each room was done being carpeted, we vacuumed the floor and brought furniture back in - Sandy's room got a brand new beautiful dresser set donated from Diana. The carpet was done in Jesse's room about 10 p.m. so Rebecca's room finally got unloaded by about 11 p.m. and we were able to start getting a few things back into there and organized.

Oh! I forgot to mention the NEW COUCH the family got, too... Linda, who was working in Sandy's room, mentioned that her mother had just bought a beautiful, tan sectional with two recliners, but she didn't like the way it looked in her house, so she was getting rid of it. A BRAND NEW $2500 SECTIONAL. Donated. It's sitting in the garage (now that it's all cleaned out there was plenty of room!) and ready to go into the living room on Sunday.

I left the house at about 12:30 a.m. and Tish was still painting the railings, Leslie was working on touch ups and details, and Craig had just finished Ben's room. Ray had done most of the outside of the house - he just needed to do the sides of the house and the trim, which he would finish Sunday. My body was so tired and sore, and there was still so much to be done. But I had to remember how far we had come and how many blessings we had already received.

Terry Powell reminded me that God does His best work in three days - He can make this happen. The song that kept running through my head as I was driving home was an old worship song that says:

Lord, we have come
To this house
Where we love to sing Your praises
We lift our hearts
and our hands
to the King of all the ages

Hear us, Lord, we pray
Come, Jesus, come
Come fill this place

Meet us here
Meet us here, Lord
We are few
But we are strong
When You surround us...

Meet us here
Meet us here, Lord.
As we gather in Your name,
Meet us here.

God was meeting us there. He was using us to do an amazing thing.
Deuteronomy 10:18 says He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow. And that is what we are doing here. Rebecca is fatherless. Sandy was left a virtual widow when her husband left her and took everything they had. And God has used us to help them.

One more day to go... I can't wait to tell you how it all ends!

(continued soon.....)

My heart

Is so full right now....

I just spent the last three days doing something I never would have imagined possible.
I should have known... with God all things are possible!

To properly explain what happened this weekend, I need to go back to the beginning. For me, this was a couple months ago. I belong to a small group called "WELL - Women Embracing Life and the Lord" that meets every Wednesday. We get together at my aunt Tish's house, the kids all go upstairs to the playroom with a babysitter, and the moms have some time together to just talk, become friends, and enjoy each other's company. Our group decided that we would do some sort of community service project during the summer months, and one of the group members suggested we do a room makeover for the girl who does our babysitting. Her name is Rebecca and she currently has no kidneys. She is on dialysis for twelve hours a day, and is stuck in her room for that whole time. On a mattress and box spring that is sitting on the floor. Not a week prior, Rick and I had found a great price on a king sized mattress and went ahead and bought it... Wondering what on earth we could do with a perfectly good queen-sized 4 poster bed. And now I knew. We would be giving it to Rebecca.

The collective wheels in our group started turning... We learned she really likes that whole Moroccan look, so we used that as our inspiration. Soon it evolved into a "Moroccan Brights" theme... aqua, pink, gold, yellow, red, purple, jewels, beads, and anything with funky tassels, ribbons, and trim. We scheduled a couple of "work days" at Tish's house and we made some pillows, funky lampshades, and other great stuff. Things were coming along - I found some fabulous paint colors, Wendie's mom offered to sew all the bedding and pillows, and donations started trickling in.

Then, about a month before our scheduled project date, stuff started pouring in. Someone wanted to donate landscaping products for the yard. Someone else was willing to paint the entire outside of the house. A carpenter wanted to create a built-in cabinet for Rebecca's room. Cash started coming in. One of the ladies in our group, Jen, had a gazebo to donate. I had patio furniture.

Next thing we knew, this was turning into more than just Rebecca's room... This was going to be a whole house makeover. The most amazing thing about this is that Sandy, Rebecca's mom, really has been wanting and needing help with the house. Her husband divorced her three and a half years ago and life for Sandy has never been the same. She had to start from scratch, buying all her furniture from garage sales and working long hours trying to make ends meet. The house was falling by the wayside, because there was just no time or money to put into repairing it. If we could give her a fresh exterior, new landscaping, and some minor interior repairs, Sandy could maybe feel like her house was a home again.

Our first task was to get mom and daughter out of the house for the weekend. Vicki, one of the ladies in the group, made some phone calls... And next thing we knew, Rebecca and Sandy were going to have a free weekend at the Tuscany Suites, including all meals. And her husband Mike was coordinating all the stuff with the house. We could start work on Friday at 2 p.m. and we would have until about 6 p.m. Sunday.

With one week to go, Vista Paint donated 20 gallons of paint... Republic Services offered to make a special trash pickup for us... More money came in... We got Rebecca and Sandy spa treatments at the Venetian... Lowe's donated $250 in materials for the project, and CornerStone church donated the money to buy nice window blinds for the entire house. Volunteers left and right were offering to help through simple word of mouth. It was looking not only plausible, but possible. We would be doing an Extreme Home Makeover of our own... No Ty, no ABC crews, no Sears sponsorships. Just people with heart who were willing to donate their time or money to such a worthy family. Rebecca and Sandy had no idea what was coming for them, and neither did we.

The first crew arrived on Friday at 2 p.m., and after gathering together for a word of prayer over the house and the family and our project, we began the daunting task of cleaning out the house, starting with the garage. The single car garage was full - floor to ceiling, front to back, with things that were going to be sold someday at a garage sale. We emptied the entire thing, and with the guidance of Ben, separated the items into a "donation" pile and a "trash" pile. Then we went through the house and did the same thing. Sandy and Rebecca left the house at noon, and until we arrived at 2 p.m. Ben had been placing labels on every piece of furniture - green meant it could go, red meant it had to stay. We were able to take out about half the furniture. The entire front yard was covered, five feet deep, in stuff that would no longer be in the house. This sparked an impromptu garage sale, as neighbors were coming by and offering cash for some of the items in the yard. We made over $100 that we were able to put right back into the decor of the house!

Rain was threatening all day - the forecast was for thunderstorms and wind and rain. But God is so good. He protected us.

Several people started to work in the yard, taking out weeds and trash that had accumulated back there. The backward had never been landscaped, so it was a blank canvas waiting for its masterpiece. Sheila designed the layout of the yard, and her vision was going to be wonderful.

A cleaning crew began working right away on the kitchen. They scrubbed, scraped, soaked, and swept that room until it shone. But there was much that needed to be done in there... Several cabinet doors were broken. The oven hood needed to be removed to make room for the built-in microwave.

I was part of the team in Rebecca's room. We cleared out all her stuff, then taped and primed her walls to get them ready for the paint, which had to go on first thing Saturday morning.

Little crews of 2-3 took it upon themselves to clear out different rooms and areas, cleaning and prepping walls.

A couple of ladies went into Sandy's room and really felt like God was leading them to turn it into a sanctuary for Sandy. They spent the entire time cleaning, painting, and beautifying the entire room... They rearranged, cleaned, and got window treatments. This included the bathroom, which received a faux finish on the walls and cabinets and new, beautiful decor.

Ben and Jesse (Rebecca's other brother) worked on their own rooms, cleaning them out, clearing out stuff that needed it, and getting them ready for paint.

As volunteers arrived, we delegated different areas for them to be, and everyone happily obliged. It was amazing. Debi was our "runner" girl, and she made at least 50 trips to Home Depot and Lowe's in the three days we worked, picking up whatever anyone needed, and always with a smile and cheerful attitude.

Friday was a long day, and it was easy to see that we had made a ton of progress. When I left at 11 p.m. the donation pile was gone and the trash was stacked in the street so that the pea gravel could be removed from the front yard the next morning. But there was so much yet to be done. The interior rooms all needed painting, Rebecca's room needed new paint and so much more. More cabinet doors needed repair. Lights needed replacing. The sprinkler system in the yard hadn't been installed yet. We had no rock, no trees, and no shrubs yet, either. As I was getting into the car, rain began to fall. The rain that was kept at bay all day started to fall, right when I needed it the most. Thank you, Jesus!

With a promise to be back at 7 a.m., I went home Friday night, exhausted. I dreamed this project. And when I woke up Saturday morning, I felt like I had been working all night, too.

(to be continued....)

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

My friend Melissa Dahir gave me the bestest birthday time ever. Thirty fabulous things to do when I turned thirty. When she asked what I wanted, I told her that as long as it involved alcohol, getting carded, and famous people, it would be perfect. And, well, it was ;). Here is just a sampling of that fantabulous time...


The envelope, from which I drew various cards that had the activity we had to do...

First card I drew was for an appetizer at TGIFriday's ...



We had the buffalo wings and I chose my next card: a shot of something alcoholic and yummy!! So I chose the Lemon Drop shot. After I got carded (YESSSS!!!) it went down very nicely ;)



Then I chose a card: Pick a birthday present!!! My favorite one of all was the soundtrack to 13 going on 30!! How fabulous!!



Then the waiters surprised us with free dessert! Woohooooo!!!



My next card was to go play a speed round of mini-golf... so off to Scandia!



I won... the score was 27.5 to 28 (I was awarded half a shot cause my ball, which went DOWN THE RIGHT HOLE, ended up in the wrong place. Plus it was my birthday so that was allowed ;))

Next it was time for dinner - I drew "Quizno's Subs"... turkey-bacon-guacamole, here I come!



Then I drew the card for a yummy drink from Starbucks Coffee... so we went through the drive through with the cranky lady...



Next I drew "swing on the swings in the park" so we headed down to the park for some swinging fun!



Then back in the car.... I drew "drink something fruity and alcoholic" and I decided at our next food destination I would have a margarita.



To the destination I drew next... the fountains at Bellagio!! My favorite place!!



It was time to pick a dessert - it was after 10 p.m.... I chose "Leatherby's Ice Cream" but they had already closed... so I chose another - the Cheesecake Factory!! Woohooo!! We took the secret way into the Forum Shops and had a yummy chocolate mousse cheesecake for dessert... after our margarita of course ;)



And then I drew ANOTHER shot of something yummy and alcoholic! So Melissa dared me to have a tequila shot. Sure!! I can handle that!!













Mmmmm... that was goooood!

The next card was "call someone you love" and I had just gotten off the phone with Rick and it was pretty late, so I called Melissa. She got a giggle when her phone rang ;)



Then I had to put a max bet in a slot machine... so we went back into the Forum and found the nearest slots...



We lost that money pretty fast!! But all was not lost!! I drew my next birthday present!!! A GIANT TAPE DISPENSER!!!!



My final card was ANOTHER shot of something alcoholic!! So we dicided to go to the TI and see what we could get at the Tangerine night club (we had free passes to get in). When we got there, the bouncer saw us in line, asked if we were locals,a dn let us cut ahead of EVERYONE and get to the front!! And while we were at the front, we saw a sign saying RUN DMC is having a concert inside TONIGHT!!! And sure enough, he was!!!!!!!

We went inside and had our tequila shots .... hooooeeeeeeey they were strong! And it was packed wall to wall with people who had very grope-y hands LOL. Here's one photo of us.... imagine us surrounded in all directions with drunk people.



We stayed for about 30 minutes, but it was just not "us" - everywhere we turned around we couldn't make eye contact with anyone (that would mean we were interested in them - ack!!), so we wove our way out the door... and who should we meet just outside, all to ourselves???

THAT IS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! Mr. RUN DMC!!!!!!!



And that, my friends and family, was the end to my best birthday celebration EVER. :)

Done

with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Need to go and think about it some more...

can't....post....now

in the midst of Harry Potter Book 6......

still need to update on:

my 30th birthday
my job situation
my kids
my hubby
how i broke the doorknob off my parents' back door
and other such nonsense

promise....soon..... hopefully the book will be done tonight!! :)

"I wanna be a dinosaur, Mommy."

Um, okay, Riley... sure.
He brings over his dinosaur costume and asks me to help him put it on. As I was zipping it up, I asked him why he wanted to be a dinosaur today.

"So I can scare people. RAWWWWWWWR."

Welcome to Chicago!

I can't believe I didn't share my "Welcome to Chicago" story!!

And that one is too good to miss.... LOL. I have retold it many a time since that Thursday night when I experienced it. But it's always good for a laugh, especially now that I am alive and all.

So when I arrived in Chicago on Thursday, I got to my hotel and unpacked, then I decided to head over to the convention center to help the girls from Michael Miller set up. We worked pretty hard for several hours. At 11:30, I decided it was time for me to go - I needed to get a good night's sleep, and there were still a few layouts and projects I wanted to put together for the following morning at the booth, which meant I had to come early.

I told them I was going, and they asked if I was sure I'd be okay - after all, it was late and I was in Chicago. "Don't worry!" I told them. "I'm just going to go right out front and take a cab back to the hotel. I'll be fine!"

I left the convention center and there was nary a cab in sight. I went to the roadside to hail a cab, but to no avail. None would stop for me. Argh. So I crossed the street to where a couple hotels were, figuring I could at least get the front desk to call me a cab. But there was one waiting right out front, so I got to take it! Woohoo!

The cab driver was very nice... He gave me his card and told me to call him personally if I ever needed a ride around town. Um, okay. haha. His cell phone kept ringing... I am pretty sure it was the theme from The Godfather playing... and he talked to all the callers in Italian.

Just as I was musing over whether my cabbie was in the Italian Mafia, I noticed my hotel right up ahead, about 500 yards.

And that was when it happened. This black car with two well dressed men in their early 30s pulled out in front of the cab, causing the cabbie to slam on his brakes and sending me (who was not belted cause, well, there were no belts) catapulting forward. We nearly hit these guys.

As I was gathering my bearings (and belongings, which didn't remain on the seat next to me), the cabbie rolled down his window and was yelling at the other driver.

"What the f&$% are you doing? I was driving here!!"
And the other man replied "A$$%!*#! You almost hit me! F*%&$in idiot!"
Lots of yelling and cursing happening here - oh and spitting. This guy spit on the cab driver. This riled him up something fierce, and the cabbie, who by the way was not at fault at all, replied in more expletives, this time upsetting the other driver so much he got out of his car and came over to the DRIVER'S SIDE and was trying to open the door and START A FIGHT with the cab driver. Meanwhile I was trying to make myself as small as possible in the backseat, my eyes as wide as saucers.

Finally the cabbie pulled away and started driving again. He apologized to me, telling me it wasn't his fault and people in Chicago aren't normally like this. Just as he was saying this, however, the men pulled up next to us in their car and started yelling again. Apparently they weren't done.

The cabbie slammed on his brakes again, causing me to catapult, again. More yelling and cursing and threats. I was expecting one of the two to brandish a gun at any moment, and I just crouched in the backseat and was praying for my life, wondering if I could safely climb out of the backseat of the cab and make it to my hotel at midnight in Chicago.

Suddenly the guy from the black car said, "You wanna be that way? We'll see about that!" and he peeled out ahead of us. I watched as he drove several hundred feet, peeled into a 180 degree turn, and started SPEEDING TOWARD US. IN OUR LANE OF TRAFFIC. I ducked and prayed and hoped to God this guy cared more about his own fancy car than revenge.

And I guess that was the case... cause at the last second he swerved and missed us - by inches - shouted a few more expletives, and drove off.

I couldn't help the tears by this point, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating, not sure where I could get enough air into my lungs. When we got to the hotel (which was just steps ahead at this point), the cabbie apologized profusely to me, asking me to please not cry, and telling me to please not pay for the cab ride because it shouldn't have happened like that. I could barely get out of the car and into the hotel, and didn't stop crying until I took a good, hot shower.

But, hey - now I know how to get a free cab ride in Chicago!! ;)

(and did anyone else have flashbacks of Adventures in Babysitting while I was telling the story? Cause I did!)

So Much Fun

at CHA!
Here are a few photos....


Julie and I at dinner - we went to a pizza place


Me at the booth - the theme was turquoise and white


What we did all day - We directed the make & Takes. Here's Ursula showing several store owners how to assemble cute fabric paper purses. Isn't our booth adorable?


Us in our matching skirts... left to right: Ursula, Brenda, Christine, me, and Salvina


Brenda caught us off-guard while joking around in the booth. Ursula, Kathy (the owner), Christine (the head of the scrapbooking division), and me


Ursula and me at dinner with members of the Two Peas in a Bucket Pub Board


At the Pubster dinner with fellow CK Honorable Mention winners


Hanging out in a friend's suite late one night - drank a few too many Mike's Hard drinks and severely paid for it the following morning... LOL
On the floor in front: Laurie, Miley, and Renee
Second row: Jessie, Erica, Jeniece, Shannon (standing in back), Sara, Alison (posing), Rachel, and Kelly


The trip was all a blur - we stayed up far too late every night and got up far too early every morning. There were so many people to meet, see, visit, and contact, and so little time. I made several great contacts... nothing set in stone, but a couple of good things going on career-wise for me, I think! Still looking for the right company to turn my ideas into a product line, but I have solid leads!

I came home to a million and six dealines, so I am pretty buried. Hopefully I can come up for air soon.....
It's all good, though :)

Off to Chicago!

Going to CHA - should be a grand time. :)

I still have to finish packing, organizing my portfolio stuff, and putting together the things I have made (and still have yet to make) as samples for Michael Miller Memories. Believe it or not, I am actually ahead of schedule for where I thought I would be, though... so that is good ;).

Looking forward to reading some Harry Potter on the plane... but once I land it will be go go go go go go go go go till Sunday night. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Logo

How rad is this? I used the scanned pendant and made a logo.
I think this should be on my new business cards... :)

Dude.

My sister Liane is so rad. Here's why...


The small one is a pendant made of solid silver. The large copper one is a business card holder. They are so freaking rad I can hardly STAND it! I was trying to come up with a cool "signature" - or some sort of logo that I can put on my pages and my sketches were surprisingly similar to these! It's crazy how we are so on the same wavelength. Anyway, this is by far the coolest, most special thing I received for my birthday... so I *had* to share :)

The big three-oh

I am THIRTY today! I can't believe it. I am out of my twenties and officially an ADULT now. Anything stupid that I do now cannot be attributed to "my crazy twenties" and just has to be my own fault... HA!!

I am, surprisingly, not traumatized by this change. I am at a good point in my life - I am happily married with two gorgeous kids and a nice home, I feel like my artistic career is taking off, and I am happy with who I am right now. Life is good!!

We're heading up to the mountains today for a family birthday party... the kids are gonna have a great time, and I just love the cool, refreshing mountain air. Rick, the kids, and I are going up a little early to grab a good spot, and I am taking my Harry Potter book. Hopefully I will actually get to READ it a little today ;).

The kids got me a postal scale for my birthday... LOL... really I wanted it! Now I don't have to lug them down to the post office when mailing my packages to the various magazines. I can just weigh them at home and print postage from USPS.com, and leave them for the mail lady to pick up. Wheeee!

And speaking of magazines, good stuff in the works for me... can't wait to share with you all the stuff I have been working on!!!

If I were a knitter,

I would *so* be going to Martha's Poncho Show!!

Pray

for London.

Just for the sake of creating

Thought I needed a little reminder that I was, indeed, an artist. So I made a little painting for myself. Journaling reads: Then she decides it's time to just do it - there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just paint - the brush moves along the canvas with fluid motion and soon it has a mind of its own. And she realizes, yet again, that this is truly what she loves. The hours speed by and yet time has stopped. When you do what you love, nothing else matters, until the sun rises beyond the window panes and with the sun comes the stirring of children and so the paint must be put away until another day. Sooner next time. I PROMISE.

you know what today needs?

More cowbell.

creative juices

were flowing about this time last night. Liane was over and we were scrapooking. I was helping her create a gift for her friend Anna, who is getting married next month. We made Anna a really great little album as well as an address book. It was Liane's first time scrapping, but she totally fell into the groove so quickly. I love her creative mind - she totally gets me. We think so much alike. It is very cool. We were in such a rhythm last night we didn't stop scrapping until 3:30 a.m. - yes you read that correctly! It was CRAZY!!! She ended up staying over and sleeping on the couch cause I didn't want her driving home at such a freaky hour. Then this morning when we both got up, we finished the projects, made a card, and even decorated a gift bag. Anna's gift ROCKS the house. I can't wait to hear how she reacts to it. I know she's gonna completely love it more than anything. She has to - cause I love it so much!

We went to Papa & Mama Lali's for a family get together for the 4th. Fun and games - we did a water balloon toss with the kids. Riley loved making the balloons pop. We swam in the pool (of course) and Violet had a great time pretending that Shark Boy and Lava Girl were there, too. Rick and I orchestrated a little "treasure hunt" for the kids, too... Violet had to first find the treasure map, and then she and Riley followed it all over the yard until they found the spot in the ground with the "X" on it - and that is where Violet dug up the buried treasure - glow bracelets to wear while we watched fireworks! Dad barbecued burgers for dinner, mom made and apple pie from apples that grew in the backyard, and we all enjoyed watching the fireworks from the end of the cul-de-sac. It was a perfect end to a super holiday weekend. The only thing better would have been if Tinty, Luke, and Carl were here to spend it with us ;)

p.s. happy belated anniversary, Tinty & Luke! The first (and toughest!) year is behind you!! All good stuff from here on out! Wheeeeeeee!

Wants

1. More hours in the day so I can read Harry Potter
2. This book: Living Out Loud
3. For my ideas that are stewing in my brain to spill out in a creatively genius way
4. A chance to write a book
5. More hours in the day so I can write a book
6. To move to Portland
7. To know whether a move to Portland is really the right thing to do
8. For decisions to be easy
9. That cool glass melting beadmaking torch kit from Aardvark
10. More hours in the day so I can make beads
11. This book too
12. Patience. And can I have that now, please??

Deadlines

All sorts of projects going on...
Finished my Memory Makers projects. Whew. Those were a weight off my shoulders.
Need to package them & mail them.
Need to work on CHA stuff for Michael Miller.
Need to scan/print my portfolio layouts so I can bring something SMALL to share and not my big ole binder.
Need to get my design ideas in a presentable way.
Need (NEED) to fold laundry from the 8 loads I did when we came back from vacation. They are currently in baskets for each person... but they are getting pretty wrinkly that way. LOL
Need to work on more layouts for Memory Makers Masters Book. I have completed 4 of the 17 I need to do. Lots more to work on.
Need to re-read the Harry Potter books so that I can be ready for Book 6, which comes out in less than 3 weeks. Just gotta keep plugging away.
Need to work on Riley's swimming skills... he's finally hit a breakthrough and loves going underwater now. We have to start really focusing on perfecting his kicking skills and his ability to get himself to the side of the pool safely when he goes in. Liane's been a great teacher so far.
Oh and still need to lose 25 pounds ;)

5 years ago

yesterday, I gave birth to my first child - a daughter. After struggling with an ectopic pregnancy and unexplained infertility, my dream of becoming a mother had finally come true.

And through all the
smiling
crying
nursing
barfing
cooing
pooping
cuddling
late nights
crawling
standing
walking
talking
running
climbing
playing
napping
teething
bathing
learning
sharing
growing
maturing
that has happened in the last five years of *my* life,
I am so thankful.

Happy birthday, Violet :)

A Lady Azusa Story

When I was a little girl, my grandmother Abu would tell me stories of the most beautiful mermaid in the ocean named Lady Azusa. I loved those stories so much, and I so miss them. Abu is 82 years old right now, and she doesn't tell her stories anymore. But tonight at dinnertime, I believe that Abu somehow shared her spirit with me. I do not know where this story came from, other than straight from the heart of Abu. So thank you, dear Abu, for sharing your gift with me. I will use it wisely, and I will carry on your tradition.

Lady Azusa's Message

Once there was a beautiful little girl named Violet. She was visiting the beach with her family. One night, as the moon was full in the sky above, she took a walk along the beach. She saw a lot of shells, and some of them sparkled a little bit in the moonlight. Just then, a few steps ahead of her, she saw a shell that shone and sparkled like nothing she had ever seen. Violet picked it up and a few sparkles fell from the shell.

She knew this shell was special – even magical – and she held it to her ear. At first, all she could hear was the whooooosh of the ocean. But then suddenly, Violet heard something else – a quiet voice that whispered to her,

“Hello! This is a special shell that has been sent to you from Lady Azusa, Queen of all the Sea. She would like you to come right to this spot on the beach tomorrow morning at sunrise, and there will be a special messenger waiting to take you to see the Queen.”

Violet’s eyes widened, for she knew that this was a very special message that she must heed. She ran back to her house as fast as her little feet could carry her, in the door and up the steps to the bedroom where her daddy was sleeping.

“Daddy!” she cried, “I just got a message from Lady Azusa! She told me I had to meet her tomorrow morning at sunrise on the beach!”

Violet’s daddy was a bit skeptical, because although he had heard stories of Lady Azusa, he didn’t know she really existed. But he agreed to take her to the shore the following morning, and they set their alarm for very early so they could be there at sunrise.

The next morning as Violet and her daddy walked hand in hand to the beach, they came upon a strange sight. There, right in the spot where Violet found the sparkly seashell, a dolphin – with a crown on his head – waited to greet them in the water right where the ocean met the sand.

“You must be girl who received Lady Azusa’s message,” said the Dolphin with a very regal voice. “I am here to take you to meet her.”

Violet looked at her daddy and back at the dolphin. Her daddy nodded at her and said she could go. “I’ll wait for you here, sweetie,” he told her.

Violet stepped up to the dolphin, which looked long and low at her down his snout and said, “Can you breeeeeeeeathe underwater, young lady?”

“No,” Violet replied with a concerned look on her face.

“Then place my crown upon your head, and you will be able to breathe underwater so that you may visit with The Queen.” Violet picked up the crown. It sparkled as soon as she touched it, and as she put it on her head it glowed a soft purple. “Now climb onto my back and we will swim through the sea and the waves to her castle.”

Violet carefully climbed onto the back of the dolphin and held onto his dorsal fin. He turned toward the sea and flipped his tail and into the waves they went. He dove down, down, down into the salty ocean. Violet was afraid at first… she had been holding her breath and needed to breathe soon – would the crown really work? Could she really breathe underwater? She knew she couldn’t hold on any longer – she had to take a breath – she opened her mouth and GULPED! And she could breathe!! Under the water! She looked around with a huge grin as they passed coral gardens and schools of fish and kelp beds as they went deeper and deeper in the sea. The deeper they went, the more sparkly the water became. It shimmered and glowed all around them.

Violet and the dolphin rounded a rocky corner and suddenly she saw the most beautiful sight ever – Lady Azusa’s castle. It rose up from the sandy bottom of the ocean with blue-violet spires that glimmered like jewels. The dolphin let Violet off his back right at the door of the castle. She swam up to the huge door and pulled the sapphire blue knocker out from it. The knock was a loud, hollow sound that echoed in the castle.

The castle door opened slowly, and at first Violet didn’t see anyone there. Then she looked down and saw a little red crab. It was Sebastian, the crab from The Little Mermaid! “Lady Azusa is expecting you,” he said with a smile. “Follow me.” With those words, Sebastian skittered along the floor of the castle to The Queen’s reception room as Violet followed close behind.

As they entered the beautiful hall adorned with sea flowers of all kinds, Violet caught a glimpse of the most beautiful lady she had ever seen in her life. Lady Azusa had a long pink tail that shimmered as it moved through the water. Her hair was long and golden and wavy and it moved as the current moved around her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a lovely smile. “Violet!” she cried. “Thank you so much for coming to see me! I am so very happy to see you!” and she swam over to Violet and gave her a big, long hug.

Lady Azusa took Violet by the hand and showed her to a fluffy flower chair. They sat together and Lady Azusa smiled as she spoke. “Violet… I am so glad you got my message on the beach. I was hoping you would find it! Do you know why I asked you to come down here to meet me?”

“No,” said Violet as she shook her head.

“I asked you to meet me because I have a very important task for you. Do you think you can help me?” Lady Azusa asked Violet.

“Of course!” Violet said enthusiastically.

“Well, Violet, I don’t know if you noticed – but the ocean has been getting very dirty. People are leaving their trash on the beach and they are dropping it off their boats into the water. This trash is hurting the fish and dolphins, and it is making the ocean unclean and unsafe for all of us. I am asking you – dear Violet – to help me by picking up any trash you see when you are walking along the beach. If you did this, it could be the start of something very special for all of us, both on land and in the sea. We could once again have clean, sparkling water for all of us. The beaches wouldn’t be cluttered with trash from visitors, and it would be a safe place for you to play and make sand castles. We want to keep everything clean and beautiful, the way God made it. Do you think you can be my helper and clean up the beach for me?”

Violet said she would. And she would tell all her friends and family to do the same.

“Thank you, sweet child,” Lady Azusa said. “And I have a gift for you. It is a Mussel Shell Amulet, and it will remind you of what I told you. The back side is rough and dirty – just like the ocean and beach will look if no one takes care of it. But if you turn it over, it is smooth and shiny, like the sparking water of the sea. This will remind you that if everyone does their part to take care of our world, we will all have a sparkly, shiny place to live.” Violet humbly accepted her gift from Lady Azusa, who placed it around her neck.

“I do not want to keep you from your daddy too long, but please join me for a little Mermaid Tea before you have to return to land,” said The Queen, and Violet of course said she would. They dined and snacked for a short while, and then Violet knew she must go. With another hug, Lady Azusa bid her new friend Violet farewell.

Violet climbed onto the dolphin and they swam back to the surface together. When they broke through the water, she saw her daddy waiting for her on the shore. Violet took the crown from her head and placed it back on the dolphin’s head. “Thank you for my wonderful ride, Sir Dolphin. I shall never forget it!” she told him, and waved as he returned to the water.

Violet ran toward her daddy and showed him her gift from Lady Azusa. The necklace sparkled even more out in the sun. She told her daddy how she now has a task when she is on the beach. If she ever sees trash, she is to pick it up and put it in the trash bins, so that the oceans and the beaches are clean and sparkly for people, mermaids, and all the creatures of the sea.

And with that, the two of them walked along the shore, picking up things to put in the trash cans, so that Lady Azusa’s dream of a beautiful shore would come true.

The end.
Copyright 2005
By Jessie Baldwin

Leaving in a few hours

for a much-needed family vacation to the beach and Disneyland! Can't wait to come back and tell you all about it.

Today Melinda and Luke arrived and we had a little open house/party for them at Mom & Dad's. Even Matt got to come over and hang out for awhile! I was pretty excited about that, since I was completely convinced that he hated us.

Anyway, we'll be back on the 26th. Talk to you all then!!! :)

I found the perfect Father's Day gift!!

Just think... sitting out front of your trailer in this puppy while cleaning and cocking your guns and spitting your chew into the old coffee can... I can see it now... LOL

Happy Birthday, Rick!

32 Years....woooooooooooo!
We had a great time at Spring Mountain Ranch last night watching Seussical. No cake for Rick, though. His request was "brownies... made by Liane." :)

Just made plans

for our 10th anniversary trip.

No, it's not to Europe, like we originally planned a few years ago.
No, it's not to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, like we planned a few months ago.
And, though we really wish we could go there, it's also not to New Zealand.

For our tenth anniversary, we will be revisiting our honeymoon destination - San Francisco, CA. And it will be so much fun! We will be staying at the McKnight's house and traveling by BART into town. And on Sunday, we will be seeing WICKED at the Orpheum Theatre! It will be perfect - relatively inexpensive (no hotel costs), relaxing (no kids - woooo!), and romantic (who doesn't love the San Francisco skyline?).

So - you could say we ARE going on a second honeymoon! How fun for us! :)

Bob & Tiffany... the engagement

Have I mentioned yet how great it is that Bob had the waitress take pictures of the whole thing? I am just so dang happy ;). Here are a couple of great ones :)


"Tiff, will you marry me?"


"YES!"


The ring fits beautifully :)


Aren't they cute?

Bob did it!!

He & Tiff are engaged. They called and shared the news. Tiff said it was like in a movie. They even got photos!! (Go BOB!!) After ordering their dinner, Bob excused himself to go to the restroom... but really it was to secretly talk to the waitress into coming over to take photos of the process. So after his "potty break," he sat down with Tiff. When the waitress came back to ask if everything was okay, Bob suggested that they get a photo of them on their date. Waitress gets the camera, the two of them pose arm in arm and Bob says, "Wait - this isn't right..." and turns to Tiff, gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She cried and said yes and everyone around them clapped and cheered! They kissed and hugged and they have a TON of great photos of the engagement. She was so cute telling me the story, too... she was COMPLETELY caught off guard, and has been floating on air ever since. They couldn't even eat their dinner, they were both so giddy. I can't wait to see the pics (Tiff said they got a LOT of great ones). They are coming over for dinner tomorrow - I am gonna see if I can download the photos and put a few up here :)

There she is again!

Right on the FRONT PAGE of the Memory Makers website! :)

Photos

of the kids...


Riley playing outside


Violet at graduation


Violet being... Violet ;)

ONE

Together.

Check it out HERE.
Imagine if for a moment we dropped our pretenses and political ideologies, and instead banded together to make a difference. Imagine the impact. Looks like a few people are already thinking about it. This could be big.

Thanks, Ali, for the link.

Three more days...

till Rick's brother Bob proposes to Tiffany. (ooooh don't tell!!)
I am trying to figure out how I can sneak onto the balcony at Mon Ami Gabi and hide amongst the topiaries to take candid shots of the moment when he asks her to marry him. He's so cute. He's been calling me a few times to ask about stuff... what kind of ring to get her... where would be a good place to propose... I can't wait to hear the story. I wish I could see it too :)

THis commercial is just rad

Talk Talk

Saw it while browsing through Design*Sponge.

Enjoy!!

More Summer Reading...

I recently finished a book called A Dedication by John Zaiss. Excellent, inspiring read for anyone who has been a student or a teacher, been a teenager or has teenagers. It's a story of frendship and redemption and overcoming tragedy. Just wonderful. Cried for hours. Apparently I need a cry once in awhile.

Check it out at Amazon, read all the reviews, and get it if you wish. You will be glad you did.

Alicia's Story

Alicia is a dear friend of Stephanie DeJarnett, Val's red-headed step child ;), and she is going through cancer right now.

Read her story. It's a 7-part feature, running in the San Francisco Chronicle all this week.
http://www.sfgate.com/alicia/

If you get a chance, read the comments, too. Very inspiring. I have been crying for the last half hour.

Changed my settings

So if you aren't on blogger you can still post a comment! Apparently there are a few of you out there! Please stop in and say hi! I'd love to know who's out there reading my ramblings! :)

Argh. Sam's Club Photo.

Don't get me wrong. I have always loved Sam's Club 1 hour photo. I have used it since before Violet was born. I have had at least one roll developed there every week for the past 5 years. That's THOUSANDS of dollars on prints, reprints, enlargements, and film.

And they've always been great. I've had a couple of minor mishaps here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.

Until now.

I am mad. And not just angry. But a little crazy, too.
(Don't worry, Tint. They didn't lose your negatives.)

I have been working on my sister's wedding album. I've already finished a smaller, 40 page, 9x9 album of photos from the wedding and reception, but I wanted to do a formal album for her, too. Like Mom has... with all the 8x10s of the best shots from the day. I picked out 26 great photos. I took the STACK of negatives, all clearly marked, to Sam's on Friday, and told them to give me 8x12s of all of them. (I do this cause I didn't want THEM deciding where I wanted my 8x10s cropped. It's just easier to get the 8x12 and crop it myself, and it's the same price) The manager wasn't there, just one of the worker ladies. But they all know me and they know what I expect of them. No problem, they'll be done by 6 p.m. YAY!

Valerie picked them up for me and paid for them. 55 bucks.

I saw Val on Saturday and she gave me my photos. I opened up the package. I notice a couple of dust specks on the first couple - great. I'll need to get those re-done. Then a photo of them was backward - like the lady put the negative in the machine wrong. I was starting to get annoyed. THEN I GOT PISSED. The photo of the two of them at the waterfall was COVERED in dust specks - like all across their faces!! Gimme a break! You would have failed photo 101 for that! And that was when I turned to the family photos at the bottom of the stack. ALL 6 OF THEM had a pair of huge scratch lines running the length of the negatives - across the people's faces and bodies. This was not a dust speck. This was total negligence on behalf of the lady who ran the negatives through the machine. She did NOT make sure it was clean and free of debris before she sent the negatives through and she damaged them.

(Melinda, don't panic. This *can* be fixed with a little help of a REAL photo finisher - whom we know - and some photoshop techniques. I promise!!)

So my plans of working on the album at Saturday's all day crop were thwarted.

I called Verna, the assistant manager, right away. She first apologized for not doing the negatives herself. Then she tried to tell me it wasn't the machine at all, that it might have been my negatives... I told her that it was most definitely the machine. We had the negatives processed by our PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER at Ritz Camera. They were fine till we had them run through the machines here.

So here's what I think happened. I know I used the negatives in question as my example to her for what I needed done. So they were likely on the top of the stack. She started ruining them through and printing the photos, probably getting through the first 6 before the prints started coming out. When she stopped to check on the prints, she noticed the scratches and realized her mistake. By now it was too late, but she cleaned the machine and tried to reprint them anyway - to no avail. Then she pulled out the next negative strip (the one with Melinda and Luke) and was so concerned about the cleaning of the machine that she didn't bother to blow off the negative which is why it ended up covered in dust specks. Finally, she started on the next roll and vowed to get it right... cleaning the machine, but in doing so likely got specks of crap on her gloves so when she handled the negatives, even though she cleaned them, they ended up with specks on different spots of the photo. As these photos came out, since the specks weren't obvious (on people's faces), she breathed a sigh of relief and kept on printing, thinking that what she was doing was fine, and hoping (for some odd reason) that I wouldn't notice what she did. She was trying to get these done quickly for me, and she got careless.

This is why I think this happened:

1. I know their policy of cleaning the machine, because I have dealt with scratched negatives in the past.
2. When I confronted her today, she was VERY defensive - overly defensive - saying it wasn't possible for the negatives to be scratched because she followed all the procedures.
3. When I showed her that it was clearly a problem with that roll and those specific strips, she had no clear answer for me.
4. Like I mentioned before - It is likely she got careless because I asked her to do them in 6 hours instead of overnight.
5. I didn't wait for the manager to just do it. I trusted this clerk, and she's not the brightest bulb in the bunch.

I returned the photos (all of them) and got my money back. I will be speaking to the photo manager and Sam's Club general manager on Wednesday (they are off until then), and I will be requesting that Sam's Club pay for the photo finishing fees it will take to restore the damaged negatives from this roll. I will also get the other photos printed at a photo finishing lab so that I know that they will be handled correctly, although I won't make Sam's pay for that (unless the specks were actually damage and not just dust particles). I don't want to get anyone fired, or anything like that. But I *do* want to be sure that they find out what is causing their machine to scratch negatives (which only happens when I ask them to reprint 8x12s). But I think I am totally justified in making Sam's Club pay to fix the ones that were ruined by their machine and their negligence.

Preschool Graduation

Violet graduated from preschool last week... their little ceremony was so hysterically cute. They sang little songs (and Violet of course put in her own dance moves). The kids wore little paper mortarboard caps and went up to the podium to receive their little "diplomas" and tell the group what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Some kids said they wanted to be firefighters. Or police officers. Or artists. Or Engineers.

Not Violet.
She wants to be a CHEERLEADER when she grows up.
Nice. LOL

At least, on the scale of "what these 4 and 5 year olds want to be," she was a little higher than her classmate who declared he wanted to be "a lion named Simba."