Okay, One More Thing....

Check out who is running with McCain as his VP candidate! Is anyone else shocked at this? I can't help but ask myself, "WHY?!" I'm sure it has nothing to do with her youthful spirit and the fact that she is a woman--certainly not. No, I think McCain chose her because of her two years of experience as Alaska's governor and lack of strength in foreign policy.

I don't care which party you are affiliated with, I don't think the future leaders of our country should just choose people who fit in as "wild cards" on the ballot. Candidates should be chosen for the character, knowledge and experience they don't have singly from nature--like being a female born in the 60's.

I'll probably change my mind... as I am willing to do sometimes, but I can't help but be frustrated with the little knowledge I have of this current event.

And We're Off Again!

Wow, this week went by entirely too fast.

...and we're leaving again tomorrow bright and early for North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Creativity is lacking and there is nothing new to post anyway, so....... goodbye for one week more.

Back On It.

Network of Life-Support

I have to take a break in the fun and exciting photos of our trip to Utah for something I think deserves a prayer and a pondering moment.


Many people in my "web-of-blog-stalking" already have brought this piece of information to their own blogs for others to see, but I feel that it remains primarily in the "Utah/Arizona Blog-o-Sphere"; So, I hope this is informative for those of us who are on the Eastern side and hope that through your blogs, this news (and more importantly, prayers) will spread.

Stephanie Nielson and her husband, Christian, were injured in a small plane crash in Arizona the beginning of this month. I have never met either of them (although I did go to high school with her and her sister,) but I have come to know their family through Stephanie's (NieNie's)blog, NieNie Dialogues.

I know, it sounds silly to say that I have come to care for her family simply through blog-stalking, but she invites everyone in through the blog-window of her life and you can't help but fall in love with the Nielsons. They are a fascinating couple making day-to-day life look like bliss. Just from the way she writes and the photos she posts, she reminds me of June Cleaver, aka Mom of the Year. At first, I have to admit, her blog threw me for a loop when I saw a woman in a vintage dress, high heels and bright red lipstick in the kitchen with an apron on. "What world is this woman living in?" I thought. But I couldn't help but go back a week later.

Over the time I have been reading her blog, I realized that she has her own style, and it's cool, but more importantly, she's just trying to make her children's lives wonderful and full of good memories. She makes events like birthdays and Back to School special with fancy meals, flowers and banners. She inspires creativity in her home and I'm always looking forward to finding out what her next mantle display is... strange as that sounds. I can honestly say that I have thought to myself, "I hope I am a wife/mother/homemaker like her when I grow up...."

So when I read that she and her husband were severely burned and that she will be in a coma for the next few months, I was stunned. With four children and a dog, plus the countless friends and family who are suffering with them, they need much support and countless prayers of faith and hope. I hope by spreading this through all of our blogs, we can demonstrate a "life-support" of strangers that could help buoy a family in need of some good news. Although you may not know Nie nor her husband, please take a moment to send a prayer for two wonderful parents, two examples of faith and good principles, and two quality human beings which the world needs more than ever.

Round One of Pictures

To Start Off:

Thanks to T who first mentioned this blog to me, and Dani, who led me to the link, I have another constant source of entertainment: Seriously, So Blessed... So before I catch up on what we've been up to, I want to say this: I admit that I have written a couple entries worthy of a spot on that blog. (For example: refer to this entry, which I unabashedly will admit to having penned.)

I guess I just have to laugh.

iVamos!

We'Re oFf To UtAh!!!

...maybe I'll blog... maybe I'll not blog...

I'm already looking forward to the 3-hour blog spree I will go on when we get back. To all of our friends who have blogs: don't post anything juicy until I return! ;^)

Last Friday: Beach

Juan didn't have to work last Friday, so we packed up and left for the beach. Since we had never been to an Atlantic beach before, we relied on our GPS to show us the way. Instead of taking us to Rehoboth Beach (our original plan,) we ended up in New Jersey near Cape May. So we rolled with it and went to Wildwood Beach. After a packed lunch of crab sandwiches garnished with sand, we played to our hearts content in the ocean. It was a perfect day for going to the beach-- actually, too perfect. Juan and I got sunburned. I actually don't mind it because I now don't blend in with the white caps in the ocean tide (refer to picture #3... on second thought, don't.) Siena just received a more envious skin color, and dodged the sunburn altogether. We ended the day outing at Cape May's Lighthouse. The East Coast has a different "vibe" than that of, say, Seattle/Victoria. Although the architecture and landscape are similar, it definitely makes you feel more hoity-toity... take what you will from that. Names like "Kennedy", "Martha Stewart", and "Barefoot Contessa" keep running through my mind. I think I prefer the West Coast over the East Coast, but both are fun and hold their own little gems.

(That dragonfly was as big as the palm of my hand and it refused to detach from Juan's swim shorts. He had to walk into the ocean waves to get it off.)

Siena with Papi

Siena with Mommy
ps. "Thank You" to Photoshop.

Breaking Dawn is HERE!

Guess who went to the bookstore at midnight last night for a BOOK... yep, Amber and I are the guilty Edward fans. Okay, I didn't actually buy the book, but the party was fun! We got to Barnes and Noble at about 11:50 pm and didn't get home until about 1:00 in the morning. The store was PACKED, and girls (the majority around the age of 16) were decked out in "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" t-shirts. Every minute of the countdown, there were shrieks of excitement and when they finally counted down to zero, I thought I had lost my hearing. The first girl in line went to pay for the book and as she was handing the money to the cashier, she was shaking like a leaf. It was pretty funny. We started reading it on the way home and I can't wait to finish it. I've just got to think of a really good bribe for Amber so I can borrow her copy when she's done reading it.