Lil' Golfers

Ever since this day, they keep asking to go back....

Jackson is currently saving "his" money to buy his own set of clubs!

Back Off Kids

Seriously, there's not a morning where they don't steal the majority of my Isagenix shake. Jackson prefers the days I use peanut butter, Ryan likes an original shake, and Andi will drink whatever I make. They all come running to me with any cup they could find. I always knew they were weird....

But what took the cake was the day I found Andi eating the ISAGENIX POWDER Ryan had spilled while trying to help me that morning. Sick girl, seriously sick!

Waiting for Papa

Last week my in-laws took the kids for the day. It was a perfect opportunity for me to clean the house and run some errands. We were all very excited for Papa's arrival. The kids waited and waited and ran outside the instant he drove up!

It had been close to a month since he had last seen them and he couldn't get over how much they had all changed. It was a good day by all - them, very productive... me, not so much. Good day :)

Dear Number Four:

Who would have guessed you would be coming to us? I sure didn't. Dad thought maybe, but wasn't too certain on that. We thought Andi was it. But you knew didn't you! You knew you belong to us!

I couldn't believe it when I first started hearing you cry. I swore it was one of the others, then I swore I was going crazy. But you hung around for a few months, making sure I knew it was you.

I remember the day I decided to tell dad about you. I remember having a tough time getting out the words. But I mostly remember your dad's face. I remember his grin. "So, what do you think this means?" he asked. To which I replied, "I think we're supposed to have another one". WHAT!?!? What was I saying? I was so tired. I was so done. But you, you were so strong.

I remember last Christmas when I had to come clean with gramma nette. We were planning on making Christmas Stockings for our family. The plan was based on five stockings. I had to say it out loud - we were going to have another!

That's when we started thinking about when. You know I like to plan, you know I have a reason for everything! It would be too crazy if you came to us between October and February. You have my birthday, then some major holidays, and then Ryan's and Andi's birthdays. So, that meant March was an option, as was April. I mean really, grandpa grandpa's birthday is in April but his birthday celebrations aren't solely mine so we could handle sharing that month. But then there's June, dad's birthday, Father's Day, our wedding anniversary. July brings the Fourth of July, that's not too busy of a month. Same with August, we could handle that.

All this year I still went back and forth. Really, were we really supposed to have another baby? I didn't tell too many people because it was so overwhelming to me. But I remember the day I was on the phone, telling the story of how I came to know you. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. From that point on, there was no doubt in my mind. That doubt and fear was replaced by excitement. I could no longer comfortably say, "we're done!".

I can't say when the time came that I felt ready. I remember how it all went down with Jackson. Your dad was ready to start our family - I, was not. But, I knew I needed to listen to him because I could tell he was speaking from a better place than I. I knew he was more in touch with the bigger picture, than I was. So, for eight months we waited. We waited but I was happy nothing was coming of it. I remember being in the shower one morning and knowing, at that time, that I was ready. I remember the feeling I had and I remember my excitement. The following week, I found out I was pregnant with Jackson.

Ryan. Ryan took his time as well, just a couple months I'd say. We were so ready for him though. We were ready for Jackson to have a sibling. The night Wes, Paige, Shay and Kioa came over for dinner, Paige brought me a test. I knew before I took it. We were all so excited that night! It's funny you know, you're uncle Wes was apart of that night and now, in so many ways, we see him in Ryan Wesley. Even how his little nose produces beads of sweat; life is crazy sometimes.

But Andi, man that girl didn't give me a chance to breathe. Seven weeks after Ryan was born, Andi decided she had to make it here now or never. I think she knew just how much I loathed the idea of getting pregnant again. It's so exhausting and so demanding. So, she was on her way. There was no stopping her! And you know what, people assumed I cried and cried out of fear when I found out about Andi. But I didn't. Again, I knew before I took the test that I was pregnant. I think that helps. But really, we were excited. We were shocked but excited.

But Andi did wear me out. What that girl did to my body, ahhh it is still trying to heal. Really, weight or body image really shouldn't be the reason to not have another child. I am trying to accept that. For I know, each sacrifice is worth it.

When you began letting me know you were coming, I was excited but scared. And that day I was so overwhelmed with your presence, I will never forget. I know you have a purpose. I know you are what we need. I know how valuable you are - and we can't wait to meet you.

Dad and I were in Palm Springs celebrating our anniversary. I knew I was pregnant before then, it just wasn't yet confirmed, but I knew. I remember lying in the pool listening to every girl name mentioned. They all sounded cute to me. Are you a girl? Hmmm, how weird will be if you're not :) (Lately, dad has been thinking you're a boy.)

Then after we had returned, I went out to see Eclipse, and during the entire movie, all I could think about was going to the store afterwards and buying a pregnancy test. Because I knew! That night, I woke up your dad to tell him the news. He was excited!

Jackson wants you out now. Partly because you make my belly hurt and he doesn't like that. I don't either but I have been blessed with a supportive family and with supportive friends. I don't know how I would do it without them.

This week for example, Papa came to pick up your siblings so he and gramma nette could watch them for the day. I had the entire day to get so much stuff done. I sat on the couch. That night, grandma shopping came over and washed and folded all our laundry and then cleaned up the house. Again, I sat on the couch. The next day, because I didn't get to put all the clothes away, your dad came home from work and cooked dinner, brought it to me in bed (homemade tacos, beans, and fideo) and then worked with your siblings to finish putting away all the clothes. Meanwhile, I have received supportive texts, emails, calls and a package in the mail from good friends. Invitations to go out or to have my kids watched. You see, you are coming to a very loving environment. But again, I'm sure you already know that :)

So Baby Number Four, I can't believe you're coming to us, but I'm excited you are. I can't wait to see all you do and to see the love your siblings will offer you. But do me a favor, let me clean the house before you come home, ok?

The Aquatic Center - FINALLY

12pm-5pm... REALLY?? Could there be a worse time period?

Oh how we love the Aquatic Center, but oh how I love naps MORE! Now only do I love the peace that naps bring, I love the avoidance of major meltdowns. So I am known for one of "those" moms, the kind that wants to keep their kids on a schedule. This unfortunately has kept us from enjoying the Aquatic Center. A place a truly adore. Great prices, great fun!

Giselle sent me a text late one night asking if we were free the next day. Uh yeah, we were free, but was I willing? Not so much. Have I mentioned how tired and sick I am?

But, when I got her text the next morning, it just so happened ALL THREE KIDS went down for an early nap - yes, EARLY... 10:30am. WHAT? I know!

The cool thing meant this would make us free in the afternoon; oh how rare!

When they all woke up at 12:20pm, I had a decision to make. Stay on the couch and try to take care of them until Andrew got home, OR, suck it up and quickly load everyone into the car.

Well, I called the center and they only had 428 people in the pool and they allow 500. I thought, perfect, we'll walk right in - LET'S GO!

We went. And we waited. For a half hour. In line.

BUT, once we were in, IT WAS SO WORTH IT. I got a bit sick after sitting in the sun for an hour or so, but it was ok. The kids were happily entertained as was I!

I so hope we can go again - Jackson asks to go almost everyday! So... there's my goal; to go to the Aquatic Center ONE MORE TIME this Summer!

Where Nothing Else Mattered

Sitting on the beach in Malibu, there's no need to feel sick, sad, stressed, nervous, insecure, worried, or tired because you are sitting in paradise. Hanging out with Giselle and the kids on my favorite beach was by far the best day I have had in a while. The time simply flew by because we were so relaxed. I'm telling you, we have to strike it rich so we can retire on the beach - ahhh, my dream!

The kids had so much fun running around and not dying from heat. This was the hottest week we have had and so it was heavenly escaping to the ocean air of 92 degrees. Honestly, there were times I was cold. Imagine that.

I couldn't believe how much the boys enjoyed the water. There was simply no stopping them. They went in so far, a few times they were taken out by the waves. They are getting so brave and I love it.

Giselle took very good care of me! She went to get me a coke and she played with my kids when I had no desire of bending over. She truly is an amazing friend. Who would have thought.... our relationship began so randomly but I am grateful for it always!

My little girl has been so tired these days. Hmmm, maybe it has something to do with wanting to come into our bed every night and then wanting to wake up with dad every morning? Whatever it is, it made her actually nap on my lap. Amazing. Mind you, this was after she was taken out by a wave - taken out and rolled over three or four times. Oops.

I almost cancelled this adventure because I was struggling to find the energy to get out of the house. I am so glad I didn't - it truly was an amazing day, one tough to beat!

Memorable Wednesday

It began as every other morning; early rising, easy breakfast, quick shower, long bath - and then something new happened.

I came back into my bathroom to find Jackson had taken the kids out of the bath. Ok, so this has been done before. But what hasn't been done was the make shift toilet. Apparently Ryan had to pee and for once, wasn't willing to simply pee on the floor. No, he found a bowl they were using in the bath, and he made that his toilet. Yes, for the first time, he urinated in something other than a diaper, a bath, or the floor. Does this mean he wants to potty train?

After our exciting discovery, I got the kids ready for another movie day. Annette offered to meet me there and I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have help. I was so out of it and so it was great to have company. When I had to use the restroom, I didn't have to take all three out of the theater. It's wasn't all me and it was awesome. The kids really did love having her there too. It had been a while since they last saw grandma nette, so they were especially excited.

And the funny thing is the previous week, Jackson told me, "we should leave our food at home so we can buy the food here". Well, grandma did it, she bought them popcorn. So fun! It was great to finally have company again!

Quirky

Don't you wish you could record ALL of your children's quirky behaviors?? I DO! When people tell me I am going to miss these days, these are the bizarre things I think of. I think of the things that make me laugh, the things that make all the bad moments of that day GO AWAY! The things that make you want to forgive the kids for every annoying thing they did that day. I love their quirky behavior!

Jackson swimming with a helmet and Ryan trying to scream "To Infinity and Beyond" before he makes his lap around the pool.

Andi climbing in with her diaper and therefore creating a bootylicious look.

Jackson deciding it's not kind to kill the ants so instead he traps them under his toys.

Fun with Friends

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Saturday we were blessed with time with great friends. That day went from wonderful to awful real quick! I got so sick from lunch, I didn't know if I would be able to continue with the rest of our day.

But I made it. I had the chance to take Jackson to Jordan's birthday party. It was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoy watching Jackson grow up and form relationships with good people outside our home. It's an amazing thing watching your child interact with others and do so in a positive manner. Of course it's frustrating when you see them behave in ways you'd rather them not :) But let's dwell on the good moments!!
It was a great party surrounded by great friends. Jackson and I each had a wonderful time and great conversation with friends.

Then Monday we went to Lauren's house to swim with Lauren and Laurel and the Evan's children. My kids chose to play with all the "new" toys instead of swimming much, but that was fine by me because I was then able to just relax. Really, I was spoiled. It was a splendid morning that offered great relief and yummy food :)

Of Course

Me: "Hey, why are your hands in your underwear?"
Jackson: "Because, I don't have pockets!"
DUH!

Is This What It Takes

For a few weeks now, I have NOT been sleeping. My body hurts, I'm too hot or too cold, I'm falling off the bed, I am waking up numerous times.... my bed is simply not meant for FOUR PEOPLE - ok, two of them are little, but they sleep like giants!!! Seriously, Jackson comes in on his own I don't even know when and he brings his pillow and blanket. Then Andi screams, usually somewhere before or after 2am, and no long is pacified with a bottle. Nope, she wants to come cuddle with her daddy. Awww cute right; NOPE, I'm exhausted!!

So here's the plan - from now on, I am going to repeat EVERYTHING we did yesterday.

It began with the sudden realization that it wasn't like every other day. We didn't have time to lounge, we needed to be at Chuck E Cheese's by 9AM - Shoot, not going to happen. But I will say, 9:20am isn't too shabby.

We played for two hours. Jackson and Ryan put close to half their tokens in this bubble popping game so when they got bored, I got stuck playing the game. Shoot, I wasn't going to let those tokens and possible tickets go to waste. The bummer was, the max amount of tickets you could win each round was THREE! What a waste.

Anyway, the remainder of the time Andi went around checking things out. She would come back to me and hang out, and then take off again. But what won Andi and Ryan's heart was... SKEEBALL! Yes, one of my favorites too. Or at least it used to be when I was good.

They had fun throwing the balls with Elijah and walking the balls up to the holes and dropping them in there. The problem is they didn't drop them in the "high paying" holes. I have to teach those kids to cheat better.

Jackson enjoyed running around and getting his tickets - hmm, where does he get that from. He and Ethan played MANY rounds of this water game, something with shooting the water at the bulls eye. They were cute and their races were so neck to neck it was awesome watching.

But when lunch time and nap time rolled around, they were done. Everyone had left except for Brooke and I so we headed up to the counter and "cashed" in for amazing prizes. Yes, those tootsie rolls kept my hungry children content for a whole five minutes.

Last night I was tired and just needed a break. We had wanted to go visit the Snow's, well mainly baby Snow, but just couldn't get things together. It had been a long week! So Andrew took the kids to the bank and I hung out for about an hour. Again, I baked. Who am I? I made cupcakes and artichokes. I didn't feel like dinner so I figured artichokes would be easy and they'd be ready in an hour when they all returned.

It went down just like that. They got back and Andrew made them some nuggets. My artichokes were ready just as they were finishing their nuggets. I sat down at the table - BIG MISTAKE! I was attacked - well my artichoke was attacked. First Jackson, then Ryan, then Andi climbed over the table and joined us all. Thieves!

But this morning at 5:47am, I was forced out of my bed because I was being sandwiched by Jackson and Andrew. Now this may sound like a problem, but 5:47am, that's SO late. I was impressed. No screaming Andi. I had slept from 10pm-5:47am. INSANE!!!!!! I didn't even sleep that long when Andrew and I went to Palm Springs.

But here's the catch.... we had plans to go to the Temple this morning. This required taking the kids to Acton by 8am. Which meant, no sleeping in - OF COURSE the kids got that memo and actually slept in this morning. It always happens that way.
BUT, everything worked out and it was a wonderful morning and a great lunch. A much, much needed date.

**Where are they today?

Jackson - four years old @39lbs

Ryan Wesley - 2.5 years old @ 29lbs

Andi - 18 months old @ 22lbs

Domesticated

As the kids often do, they each requested a banana. Half were in a state where not one of my kids would eat the banana, the others were just right. I thought to myself, "Hmm, when Andrew gets home, I should have him make some banana bread". Why not, I'm too busy right, I am taking care of the kids, cleaning, grading; wait, I'm not grading. I'm not as busy as I once was. Wait, that banana bread sounds good RIGHT NOW!
After all my inner dialogue, I got my butt over to the computer and looked up a recipe for banana bread. PIECE OF CAKE - there it was. Within an hour, my kids were all stoked that we had fresh banana bread.
"Mom, banana bread is my favorite" said Jackson.

The next day I decided to take this homemaker status a little further. I cleaned my house top to bottom. I can't tell you how long it has been since every single room has had a thorough cleaning. Ewww, how sick is that? Don't get me wrong, I have cleaned and have kept the house clean, but I'm talking scrubbed and santized top to bottom. Andrew was pretty blown away when he got home.

The best part was Jackson and the babies, more so Jackson, helped out. For some reason, Jackson cleans like crazy when I tell him I have to vacuum. Why? I have no clue. This is the only time he doesn't need help or need someone to show him how to do it.

"Mom, don't vacuum us up ok? Don't come in our room until it's all clean!". Fine by me! When I got permission to enter their room, everything was put away and they were all standing by Ryan's bed, waiting for me to load them in there before I began my part!

Girl's Night - Eclipse

My plan was to get everyone together for ECLIPSE but as always, it was tough getting everyone together on one night. I planned on going with the majority which at first was going to be Friday night. Well yesterday I found out I probably wouldn't be able to go Friday night so I went with the other option; TUESDAY NIGHT. The cool thing about this was I could see it sooner - wahoo. I have been dying to see it but seeing New Moon the first week it was out taught us that if you go the first week, you go with many screaming teenagers. So instead, Michalle and I walked into the theater last night, about fifteen minutes before it began, to find Tina sitting all alone - YES, the plan worked; an empty theater. Sure, some people showed up eventually, but we actually got to enjoy the movie.

And enjoy it I did. Although let's be honest, for my weak stomach, I preferred reading about the killings instead of watching the poor people suffer, but that's just me. Overall, it was awesome as always and Jacob - Hmmmmm!!!

So, thanks for letting me crash last night ladies - it was a good night!

Jackson's Advice to Andi

don't be snakey
don't do bad things
don't take pictures done
don't take people's binoculors
don't be snakey... two times
don't cry
don't be grouchy
don't take crayons.


HEY! NO CRYING - I said that on my list!

Happy 234th Birthday

Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all!By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.

~John Dickinson

For years and years and years we have watched the fireworks from the front lawn of the Palmdale Stake Center. This year, there were none. So when we got invited to join some friends at Stevenson Ranch, we knew it was just what we needed. I have always said that my friends are like family to me, they mean so much; so what better way to spend a holiday than with friends and with actual family.

We were SO exhausted from the weekend, that we weren't up for a picnic. After church, we went home, had dinner and then packed up. This put us to Stevenson Ranch (the park I lived near while in college) closer to 7PM I think. It was a great atmosphere; festive!

The kids really did have fun dancing, playing and eating!

The only downfall, it got real cold, real fast! I forgot jackets for the boys and myself, but luckily I brought blankets.

There were some great coversations, one-liners, and even a brave 2 week old. Or I should say brave parents of a two week old. Seriously Becky and Ben were so amazing to come out.

The boys loved the show. Well, Jackson loved the show; especially the green ones! Ryan wasn't stoked but with his ears covered, I think he enjoyed it enough. Andi on the other hand, fell asleep in my mom's arms. Can you believe it? That's how beat we all were. She caved :)
That night something tragic happened in Valencia. From what I understand, a car hit five pedestrians killing one of them. It's so sad how things can change so dramatically in an instant. Again, I have been reminded to appreciate all I have in my life; especially the people!

Yesterday, my dad, grandpa, brother, and Andrew all headed out to play golf. This left me with the kids. OH BOY - Andi was on one all morning. She seriously screamed or was upset from the time she got up until I could finally get her to sleep at 11:30am. The boys, luckily, were SO good. They played blocks and legos TOGETHER, PEACEFULLY!

After naps, my mom, abuelita, the kids and I went to Walmart to get random necessities. We wandered, then hung out here, and eventually met up with the boys for dinner. It was a nice ending to a chaotic but wonderful weekend.

We will miss my grandparents as always, we will miss being on vacation, we will miss time with my family, we will miss the time with friends - but it's time to get back to the norm. Today I took the kids to the movies again and they were tougher today than the previous weeks. Andi fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep the entire time I chatted with Laurel. And Ryan took a nap from 1-4:15 - tired kids!
So... here's to getting back on track and getting the rest we all need. But I am forever grateful for an absolutely perfect weekend.

Boulder City, NV Getaway

Last year the Evan's invited us to spend this Fourth of July in Boulder City, NV. At the time we didn't think it would work out and we were pretty bummed about that too. But, things change and sometimes timing works in a way you wouldn't expect! Just last week we booked our hotel for an unexpected vacation. We couldn't stay the entire time the Evan's and Ball's were staying, but the two nights was just what we needed.

THURSDAY before we left, my grandparents arrived here! So, we all went to lunch before Andrew, the kids and I headed out to Boulder City. The kids were so excited to see Juana and Ito - the Sat. before this Jackson randomly asked me about them. He had been missing them. And how cute is Ryan reading while I changed his diaper - already like his dad.

Our journey wasn't too bad - the kids fell asleep for a good part of it. BUT, three hours into the drive, Andi started getting fussy. Luckily, it wasn't anything that couldn't be handled by some Veggie Sticks. We were ALL so EXCITED when we saw Lake Mead. The kids were going crazy!!

We arrived at about 6PM, just in time for dinner. Everyone was already in town eating, so we decided that instead of loading up the kids again, that we would eat at the buffet in the hotel; afterall, the kids were all free! It wasn't fantastic, but hey, I've never been a fan of buffets. But, for the price of $0 times 3, I'll take it!

We ate, and went right back to our room. The kids were beat! So, we got everyone settled and put the day to rest because we knew the next day would be exhausting!

Ryan and Jackson were in the same bed. I put the couch next to them so Ryan wouldn't roll off the bed. Around 10PM, Jackson made his way to the couch. Then in the middle of the night, I found Ryan there. Around 1:30AM, I just had to get a picture of them cuddling.

The next morning, Friday morning, we had breakfast in our room. The kids were stoked that we actually bought the Costco muffins - they NEVER get these. But, I felt awful for housekeeping. Can I just say, it's amazing coming home after a long day and having all the sheets changed and the floors vaccumed; I mean seriously, that would be a perk I'd take!

We are early risers and we have very routined mornings, so we were ready to go a little sooner than the rest. It was fine though because we were able to relax and just hang out and prepare the kids for the boat. Off we were and I wish I could have recorded their comments all the way over there. I think Ryan was the most excited as he saw all the boats. Andi copied everything he said! It was seriously gorgeous out there!

So we loaded the boys and kids onto the boat, and then Nicole, Laurel and I drove the cars over to our beach area so we could set up camp. It was perfect.

Because Andi and Ryan haven't been on a boat before, I wanted to go with them to see it all for the first time. The boys were planning on taking the kids, but I tagged along. I missed some relaxing girl time on the boat, but I had to see my kids' experience first hand.

After all the kids took the first ride, my family of five jumped on the raft. After first they didn't know what to expect. Jackson made sure to tell Cory to not go too fast. They were ok at first, but as soon as we picked up speed, we had screaming kids. I think Ryan was too stunned at this point to do anything. Andi wasn't bad, just like, "What the crap?". Jackson was hysterical though.

It was so nice being out of the lake, so wonderful! But when lunch came around, the kids were also stoked to play in all the mud. Seriously, they all LOVED it!


After lunch we ALL got back on the boat - it was awesome. The girls all took the babies on a little ride. For this one, Andi kept saying, "Weee!!!". She LOVED it.

One of the greatest parts of this trip was our kids are the same ages as the others. It was great because everyone totally got it when the kids were at their limits. The kids needed to same things at the same time. So when my kids were done being out the first day, so were everyone else's. It was perfect.

That night we went back to the room, showered and changed for dinner. Ryan rested as much as he could before we went out. We went through the drive-thru of Panda Express and then over to McDonald's to play and relax. It was a perfect hang-out for all the kids. It got us out of the 112 degree weather and the kids were still entertained without destroying anything!

That night we all slept pretty heavily :)

Saturday morning the kids were excited to get going. Luckily they did sleep in a little longer, but this made us a bit late in checking out. They were all out of bed by 7:30, but after showers and all, that wasn't early enough. And it didn't help that Andi made a mess on the carpet. A mess that she just so happened to blame Andrew for! She was pretty disgusted with dad for what he did :)

But when we got to the beach, things were ready to go and we all headed out on the boat. Our kids were pretty sleepy, Andi even fell asleep on me. Mind you, it couldn't have been any later that 10:30am at this point.

Cory took the kids on some tube rides, but we spent some more time at Hoover Dam so we could relax and swim. It was awesome watching Jackson hang out on the back of the boat. And Andi, she wanted to swim so badly. Watching their comfort go up was wonderful!!! Very promising for future adventures.

It again time to get our kids used to the raft. We got Andrew on there and all three kids, but Jackson quickly jumped off. Ryan was hysterical this time. I think that was mainly due to the fact he was very sleepy.


After watching the babies go, Jackson decided to be a little brave. So, he went with Andrew. He covered his eyes for most of the ride - granted, he HATES water in his eyes and it was a bit windy, but still, he was being lame. Haha. But really, we were so excited he tried it again and we know it will only get better from here.

Gunner and Jackson put on a great water show; spectacular :)

Meltdowns began around 1PM and we all knew it was time to get back to the beach. This was right after a few of the kids and Andrew got chucked from the raft - OH MY GOSH it was high :)

So back on the beach we had lunch. At this point, my kids were beat. They hadn't had real sleep or naps for two days and so Andrew and I had a choice to make. We were leaving Saturday so we could either try to make the best of it and fight with them to try to hang out until that evening, or we could pack up then, know they would sleep, and get home by dinner. We chose to head out. I am weak, I can't handle all three losing it. So, we said our sad good-byes and headed home.

This trip was seriously amazing and we are so grateful that we were able to go afterall. We can't wait to do it again and we thank the Evan's for a fabulous time. The Ball's were amazing too! We couldn't believe we were only there a couple days - it felt like we were a world away from all our stresses. It was fabulous and much needed!!!! WAHOO!!

And considering my parent's house is on our way home, we stopped for dinner. My mom made homemade carne asada and a fruit salsa - very yummy. I'd say that's a pretty good ending to a fabulous trip.

The Clock

*Another great forward - thanks Karla.

God doesn ' t give you the people you want; He gives you the people you NEED... to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.


One Flaw In Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.....
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in..
They stand up to injustice.
They don ' t take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They ' ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.
Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Think...

THINK There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.
He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'
This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life Is a Gift
Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat..
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven..
Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around..