Be nice Brandy

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

2009-06-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

I always counted myself as a Michael Jackson fan. Nothing too extreme. I didn’t have any collectibles, never went to a concert, not even a concert performed by an impersonator. Nevertheless, I was in awe of his many talents.

When I first heard he was hospitalized I logged onto TMZ (don’t judge, Harvey’s a lawyer). I was worried but glad to see he was at the hospital. Not even a few minutes later it was being said he had passed. I googled like crazy. I couldn’t believe it. Then I logged onto CNN.

:( It was true. MJ had passed. I was in disbelief. He was so young! Middle age was 25, 25! My heart still aches for the babies he leaves behind.

We’re adults. We understand that death is part of life but not them. They’re too young to have to process something so heavy as death.

On my way to pick up Cameron I turned on the radio. Listening to song after song, callers sharing their own stories & realize my own I began to cry. He was truly an icon & I’m glad he gave us hope, joy & inspiration through his music.

~ Captain EO. I rocked that t-shirt.

~ Watching Thriller with Jeremy & pretending not to freak out when he turned into a Werewolf. Then screaming out, “Don’t go in there!!!” as she entered the house.

~ Watching Thriller behind the screens over & over again.

~ His album “Invincible” takes me back to the beginning of my relationship with Paul. He played it on one of our very first dates. It was the very first cd I “borrowed” & quickly claimed as my own.

~ During my pregnancy Paul sang, “The Love You Save” by the Jackson 5 to Cameron. He often kicked while Paul sang.

~ One our last visit to Cali (while I was pregnant) my Nina & Paul sang “The Love You Save” to get Cameron moving. It was so much fun to hear them sing, my Nina clapping along & just feel the love through music. We all cried. It was a wonderful moment.

Thank you Michael. I hope there’s more moments where we remember the good you’ve done in the short time you were here.

The Love You Save

The Jackson 5

J5: stop! nanana! you’d better save it!

Stop, stop, stop, you’d better save it!

Michael: when we played tag in grade school

You wanted to be it.

But chasing boys was just a fad

You crossed your heart you’d quit.

When we grew up you traded

Your promise for my ring

Now just like back to grade school

You’re doing the same old thing!

Chorus:Stop! the love you save may be your own!

Darling, take it slow

Or someday you’ll be all alone.

You’d better stop the love you save may be your own!

Darling, look both ways before you cross me

You’re headed for the danger zone.

Michael: I’m the one who loves you!

I’m the one you need!

Jermaine: those other guys will put you down

As soon as they succeed!

Michael: they’ll ruin your reputation!

They’ll label you a flirt!

Jermaine: the way they talk about you

They’ll turn your name to dirt, oh!

Michael: Isaac said he kissed you

Beneath the apple tree

When benjie held your hand he felt

E-lec-tri-ci-tee!

When alexander called you

He said he rang your chimes.

Christopher discovered

You’re way ahead of your times!

J5: slow down.Slow down.Slow down.Slow down.

Michael:S is for save it

T is for take it slow

O is for oh, no!

P is for please, please, don’t go!

Jermaine: the love you save may be your own...

Michael: some day you may be all alone...

Jermaine: stop it!Michael: save it, girl!

Jermaine: or someday you’ll be all alone.

Michael: you’d better stop! the love you save may be your own!

Jermaine: please, pleaseOr some day, some day baby,

You’ll be all alone

Those other guys will put you down as soon as they succeed.

Michael: stop! the love you save may be your own...

He can't have what?

2009-02-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

You have got to be kidding me.

So today was Cameron’s two month check up. For the past week or so I’ve been anxious for this day. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the shots, how I would react to the shots, searched online on what to expect (examines) I even asked friend & made up a list of questions to ask Dr. Chiles. But nothing, nothing could have prepared me for what happened today.
First off, Cameron is wonderfully fine. His head circumference is 39.1 (25% average), 23 ¼ inches long (little above 50%) & 11.5 lbs (50% mr. chunka cheese). He was a bit upset when they injected the first shot but he cried the most 20 mins into the appt when hunger stroke. Again, adorable, growing, perfect, chunka cheese, my love.

First we met with Dr. Chiles who assessed Cameron & answered my very few, itty bitty questions. Then he stared going over the vaccines Cameron would receive that day. Dtap (Diptheria, Tetanus & Acellular Petussis), Hepatitis B which included HIB (haemophilus Influenza Type B) & IPV (inactivated Polio Vaccine). Then he began to disclose that “routinely” they would also administer Prevnar (Pneumococcal 7-Valent Conjugate Vaccine) & Rotavirus (live oral vaccine) however due to the rising cost of these vaccines insurance companies were no longer covering the cost & the supply is limited so the only patient that is being offered are government assisted patients. He would advise parents to take their children to clinics to recieve the two but they haven't been available since Dec. '08.

What.the.fuck.

I know Medical is beyond distorted right now. That’s one of the many reasons that American (including myself) voted for President Obama in hopes of a brighter future for not only ourselves but our children. But I had no idea, no idea, how nearly next to impossible it is to receive medical insurance regardless whether you pay for it (monthly) or not.

After I delivered Cameron, Paul & I went into a whirlwind of questions of how we would chose insurance. Sure, you’re probably thinking “wouldn’t you have this completed before having the baby?” but please keep in mind, Cameron was due January 14th & born December 27th. SURPRISE!

Thankfully the hospital sent in a kind staff member who helped us apply for DES. At the time we didn’t quite understand or listen correctly. We were informed Access is a form of insurance for children only. The amount paid per month varied because they went off of your income.
Which turns out is a bunch of b.s. DES is a government aided program for lower incomed familes. Which is great. That’s fantastic for people who truly, honestly need help. We however are not a lower income family which of course meant that we were not approved. We were also not approved for food stamps or W.I.C. (wtf?! She did not tell us we were applying for that either). I would also like to add that the reason I found out we were denied, I called their main office to see the status on our application (which we were suppose to receive a week prior) because I was concerned that Cameron was sick. They then informed me we were denied (uh thanks) & they forwarded our information to Access. I was told to contact Access, explain that my child was sick so they would “speed” up the paper work.

I called Access only to find out that:
1. They never received our paperwork.

2. We made too much.

3. Cameron would have to go 3 months (What.the.fuck) 3 months without insurance before they would even review our paperwork.

For the first 30 days my insurance covered Cameron. What a wonderful blessing for us. We were able to go straight to Dr. Chiles office for an immediate follow up visit days after he was born & he was able to get his One month check up. Well, that was a huge DENIED stamp in the eyes of ACCESS. The Customer service rep that I was on the phone with explained that if I applied for Access while I was pregnant I would have been automatically approved (how or why is beyond me). So I asked word for word, “so if I would have taken advantage of the system , dropped my insurance even though I could afford it…..my son would have medical insurance today.”

Yes.

She answered yes.

WHAT.THE.FUCK.

I cried. I couldn’t talk to her because all I heard was my baby didn’t have insurance. He was sick & I didn’t know what to do. I went online that day & started searching for medical coverage. The monthly payments were insane. INSANE! We couldn’t add him to our policy because our monthly went up almost $400 & it didn’t look too much better elsewhere. Then we found a plan that we “kinda” like & thought hey we’ll just use this one until we can find another. Not only did we not love the plan but it wouldn’t start until 30 days after our application. Oh my god, this was a nightmare. I finally found HumanOne. Their coverage was perfect, affordable & it had Dr. Chiles in their network. The cherry on top was they would start his insurance after his 2 month check up. WOO HOO! This might sound ludicrous to those who don’t have to go through this bullshit but it was like angels singing. My baby was getting insurance!

I ended up taking him to the Dr. when I suspected he was sick (ended up having a cold that cleared up a few days after our appt). We just had to pay out of pocket. Which didn’t turn out so bad considering the bill was $45 & our co-pay is $35 (sick, I know).

Since day one we’ve had nothing but trouble with insurance. So to be in the dr.’s office & hear him say my child would not receive two vaccines I panicked. No. There’s no way he’s going without. I’ve been through too much shit trying to find insurance & going through hell when he was sick & not knowing where to take him to get checked. To much shit, this was not happening. My head was spinning as he went over why we weren’t getting the vaccines & I just interrupted mid-sentence “we’re paying ourselves, we don’t have insurance, we’re paying ourselves. Does that mean we can get it?”

It did mean we could get them. All at once I was relieved & felt sick to my stomach. What the hell was going on? What about the other children with insurance? They’re not getting the vaccines. What’s going to happen with them? I mean, they give out these vaccines for a reason. There’s a disease, a preventative is found & administered to avoid disease. It all felt like a movie.

I Am Legend.

I cried when the people who were “denied” screamed for mercy after being scanned as “contaminated”.

Now, I am one of those screaming people.

Where are you Christmas?

2008-12-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

I literally heard this song for the first time the other day.....& cried.

It may not have been the first time I heard the song but it definitely hit home. I've known since October that we wouldn't be able to drive out to Cali for the holidays. I guess in the back of my mind I thought family would drive out to us but in reality that would be insane. So here we are, 8 days away from Christmas & not only did we leave our decorations in Paul’s car (which is currently in Cali) but along w/all the decorations we left behind our stockings. :( As pathetic as these little things may seem they sure do take a toll.

Thankfully the holiday spirit finally got a hold of me, shook me like a rag doll until I realized how truly blessed I am.

My family & friends are healthy.

We have a warm home to go to.

My brother is on leave & home for the holidays.

My dogs give the best "welcome home!!! where the heck have you been?! did you know I can do this *dances in the air, throws toy across the living room, runs from one room to the next?!!!!!* reaction that anyone could ask for.

We have a stable job. Yes, our hours have been cut but it can always be worse.

& the best part of all? This time next year we'll be celebrating with Cameron.

Yes, that last thought should always come to mind when I'm feeling down but I'm human & I have my weak moments.

For the past couple of years Paul & I have gone to see the infamous Christmas display in Rancho Cucamonga with my two younger cousins, Kira & Jacob. This would be the first year w/out seeing these two faces Ooo & drool over every hot chocolate, churro, tamale, blinking santa sold at every other house.

We were always mistaken for their parents but we are far luckier than my aunt & uncle. We spoiled them rotten, dropped them off w/a sugar high & at the end of the night we’re the good guys. ;)

So this year we went to Tempe Lake to see a boat show. It was fun to see how people decorated their boats & even some canoes with Christmas lights. But what really caught my attention were the children. They were having so much fun. It was truly bittersweet. I caught myself wishing Kira & Jacob could have been there but knowing that's going to be my little Cameron next year made me smile.

Since I found out I was pregnant I've been writing in a journal for Cameron. A few days after Thanksgiving I wrote that the complex we’re staying at put a flyer on our door asking for toy donations for their Toy for Tots drive. I thought that this would be a nice tradition to start & in the following years Cameron can chose the gift to give him a better understanding of the true meaning of Christmas. So this year we picked out a Littlest Pet Shop……thing. I don’t know much about the “rooms” or editions. I just know Paul’s niece loves them so I figured we couldn’t go wrong. Even though it was nice to participate I would have liked to know who the toy went to. Hopefully whoever she is enjoys her little pets.

Then after work last night we went to the local mall. Weird how we haven’t been to a mall since moving out here (a crime I tell ya). On a quest for new shoes for Mr. Paul we passed by a booth for The Salvation Army. Beside the booth were two Christmas trees adorned with tags labeled Christmas Angels. Each tag had a childs name, age, sex, clothing sizes & a short list of toys they’d like to receive. I can’t remember my age but when I was younger my mom use to receive assistance from the Salvation Army. Mainly for food but I couldn’t help reliving those moments we would drive down to pick up our boxes of donated food. As odd as it may seem I don’t know the last time I thought about those times.

I knew I wanted to pick a name. The people who donated to our family didn’t know us. Without those giving hearts who knows what we would have done for Thanksgiving dinner or dinner of any kind for that matter.

It didn’t take much but reading aloud a child & their wants to Paul before he was on board too. Since we already gave a toy that was girl appropriate we decided we would search for a boy. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were there for over an hour. It was really overwhelming reading each card & trying to decide who we would pick. I mean really? Who are we to say that this child is more in need than the next? I don’t’ know why but every once in awhile we would read a list out loud & either laugh (they’re so darn cute) or say aww (ok the aww was more me but Paul would politely smile). After our long search Paul finally found our boy. He’s a 9 year old boy named Manuel. His list of toy wants included race car or Lego’s, or other building toys or games.

He had me at Lego’s.

My cousin use to have this travel case full of Lego’s & whenever I would go down to visit I made a bee line straight to the case. I built for hours & I don’t know if my mom couldn’t afford Lego’s or because my brothers were so much younger & might choke on them but I never got Lego’s. The appreciation for them went farther than playing with my cousins. K-mart at the time had a Lego’s play station where the parents left their kids to build while they shopped. Needless to say shopping at K-mart was a huge highlight of my childhood. Not only because of the Lego’s but because I always went with my grandma.

Since we left with the “ornament” I catch myself thinking about Manuel & wondering what he looks like. How does he dress? Would he want a sweater too? A new pair of jeans? I mean toys are a must but what about a tee saying “I love legos!” hee hee ok that may be a bit too much.

Times are hard right now. Paul & I have been bargain shopping & even gave each other a budget this year. But we didn’t hesitate to do with out or stretch our dollars even further for this little boy.

Even though the pamphlets state that “you’re an angel to these children” Manuel is truly my angel. Thank you Manuel for bringing the true meaning of Christmas back into my heart & thank you to the Salvation Army for giving me the opportunity to bring Christmas into Manuel’s home. We look forward to searching for a name again next year with Cameron. :)

Not quite sure what to title this...

2008-12-08T09:10:00.001-08:00

In my head I always think, " oh I should really blog about this moment" especially with the move, holidays & all around getting ready/bigger for Cameron to arrive excitement.

This wasn't necessarily an exciting moment & I really didn't put much thought into blogging about it during the time, but to be perfectly honest, I cant' stop reliving this past Friday. Now, before I go on I want to make it's perfectly clear that I'm doing great & Cameron is a healthy bouncing, kicking, jabbing, hiccuping baby boy in my tummy.

This past Friday was my appt. with (whom I love) Dr. Jarem. I made it for first thing in the morning.

Pros: It's easier to get errands done.

Cons: I have to get up early on my day off.

Since I (of course) got up late we arrived a bit late which meant no breakfast. So as soon as we walked out the door Cameron was kicking me non-stop to protest. I made the mistake of peeing before leaving so by the time we were at the drs. I had to somehow produce a decent amount of pee. So I sat & sat & sat on the toilet la, la, la, streaming rivers, gushing waterfalls none of these images were helping me. Then I heard a noise coming from another room. It sounded like laughter.

So my thoughts trailed off because I thought, "awww they're probably in the u/s room looking at their baby!" which instantly made me think of our latest u/s & how Cameron looked so peaceful & perfect. That little brat wouldn't move his hands for us! I can't wait until our next u/s. I won't eat breakfast because he will not stop moving!.......then my train of thoughts were broken by another sound.

Crying.

Crying? No....no, more like wailing. What the heck? Then it hit me......they were never laughing. She's crying.....echoes of her cries stabbed me every time & finally I just left the bathroom & went out to the waiting room. I sat there for about 3 seconds before turning to Paul & asking about the other young couple that was waiting before us.

Did they just go in?

Did they leave?

He didn't notice & asked why. By that time I was crying. I couldn't hold it in anymore & I could barely talk. "Someone lost their baby." It was haunting to say these words. "Some girl kept crying & asking what did she do wrong....." Just typing out what happened that day makes it hard to breathe.

I dont' really see myself as a naive. I know these things happen. Why? Now, that much I don't know. I"m a nervous/paranoid/will think the worst for every situation type of person. At every appt. I hold my breathe until they find the heartbeat & I get nervous before every u/s but I never once thought that this could truly be a place where mom & dads to be might just found out they've lost their baby. Not that it's full of rainbows & butterflys but it was an illusion that I had. Whenever we waited for our names to be called I just saw round bellies & smiles.

As we were called by the nurse to come into our room she kept asking if I was ok. I didn't really want to talk about what I heard or discuss what the girl was going through so I said I was fine & made a joke about Cameron (eh I joke when uncomfortable). As we sat in our room & waited we heard her crying & asking again & again what did she do wrong.

I wanted to give her a hug. To tell her it wasn't her fault. To tell her that I hope she finds peace soon. To magically say what she needed to hear to make this horrible moment in her life disappear. But try as I might I'd never be able to do that for her. I even thought about writing her a note....But what would that do? I can't bring back her baby. I can't make the drs. perform a miracle or ease her heart.

I never saw or met the girl before we left. But I've carried her with me since that day. I've thought about her when looking at Christmas lights (Christmas won't be the same for her), looking at pregnant woman on the street, walking into Cameron's room (she could toss or hid her baby's things but would that help?), even joking w/Paul about responses from strangers about Cameron's name (it's a long story) was bitter sweet because well, at least we were still fortunate to be asked.

Every cramp, every tired moment, every hot flash, every sore body part.......no matter how bad it may seem at the end of the day I am blessed. I am blessed to be a part of these discomforts & with every "hello" kick I receive from Cameron I know that I will never look into his eyes & think he wasn't worth every part of it.

Even though we never met I will never forget her & will pray that when she's ready realizes she did nothing wrong.

Christmas survey

2008-11-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

I should probably blog this after Thanksgiving...eh.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper if I'm being nice. Bags if I'm being lazy.

2. Real tree or Artificial? After Pauls "allergy" mysteriously disappeared we went from fake to real.

3. When do you put up the tree? I'd say 2 weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? When our floor is covered w/dead needles.

5. Do you like eggnog? Ew no.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember singing "I've got the power!" after opening my TMNT Nintendo video game.

7. Hardest person to buy for? So far this year I'd have to say my Uncle Paul & Nino.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Lol I'd rather not say.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I will stop dead in my tracks when The Christmas Story is playing.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I get that "oh shit" moment & realize Christmas is right around the corner.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? That's so evil. I should have. Hee hee

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Aw man. I'm going to miss being home. L

16. Lights on the tree? Yup.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I like a lot of them.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yup.

20. Angel on the treetop, star or…? Star.

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Well usually it goes Christmas Eve-Eve for Paul & I to open gifts. Christmas Eve w/brothers & Christmas w/family.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Trying to find the "perfect" gift.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is red with silver but I don't really have a favorite. My aunt collects santa claus ornaments. It looks nice but that would freak me out.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? :( Paul is stuck w/my cooking this year. Poor Paul.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A glider w/ottoman.

26. Most favorite Christmas Tradition? Opening presents on Christmas eve-eve & eve. I really like baking & going to see the lights. But I don't know if those are traditions.

Shy?

2008-11-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

How can my child be shy?

So far his personality has resembled more of his daddy. First with my weird meat cravings (where I come close to slapping anyone who questions them) & super sweet tooth (I could go months with out a sweet & now I substitute meals with a huge bowl of ice cream) so why, why my dear sweet child do you take on a characteristic that is the complete opposite of your daddy?

Shy? Oh no. He's stubborn.

Stubborn just like his mother. Greeeeeeat...

On Friday we had another appt. with our new Dr. Jarem. She's a sweetheart. Answered all our questions even if the answers weren't what I wanted to hear (no driving home for Christmas boo!) & informed us that Cameron is healthy with a new due date of January 14th.

We were pleasantly surprised when the ultra sound tech told us we would be able to view Cameron via 3D. Unfortunately 99% of the time he was covering his face. :(

This is his profile....hidden w/his hands.

But for that 1% we were able to see his gorgeous face. :)

If you're a bit lost. No worries. :) Here's a little map that might help you out.

In the picture he's sucking but we were able to see his lips later on. They're really full just like mommy & daddys! It was so much fun seeing a part of us already visibly a part of Cameron.

Even though we won't be able to go "home" for Christmas I can already see that he's worth it.

I'm alive!

2008-11-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

& have been reborn as an Arizonian.

We're still settling in our new place. Most boxes are unpacked it's all about the organizing & decorating now.

Since we arrived we've:

*Found a fab new place to eat Carrabba's. It's Italian & the tomato soup (which is not the name off the menu) is to die for.

**Had our first appt. w/our new OBGYN. The staff was very inviting, informative & they even gave us a gift diaper bag full of pamplets regarding care for the baby, ourselves & the hospital we've chosen, prenatal pills, formula & coupons. It was really sweet.

***Took & have been taking the poops to Cosmo Park every Friday. So far it's been a hit! Oscar loves running up the obstacle course & Sadie loves finding people who are willing to play catch w/her. We recently found out that Cosmo park is named for Gilbert's first police dog, Cosmo van Blitsaerd.

****I had my first melt down on Friday. It was bound to happen. :p

*****The day after our Internet was up & running I decided to do this to our laptop. :(

******With all the extra time I have w/out being on the Internet I made this sweet find. :)

But at the end of the day.......I'm a California girl at heart. :)

Tick, tick, tick goes the clock

2008-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

When I found out that I was pregnant there were enough questions, concerns, emotions to figure out. Then came the doozy....I had to find a new Dr.

I cried over finding a new Dr. I've had the same Dr. since before I met Paul & now I had to start fresh. Then to top if off I only had two Drs to chose from....after I stopped crying on the phone w/my provider I finally decided on Dr. Samudio.

She has been nothing but heaven sent. Not only does she answer all of our questions/concerns but when we talk to her it's more like spending time with a close friend or family then a Dr. Throughout my pregnancy Paul missed one appt. & she made it clear that was a no-no. ;) I think that made us closer to her. Just knowing that she cared enough to be honest with us & help us in any way she could. She even snuck us in for an extra ultrasound to see our Cameron & hugged us on each visit.

I'll miss a lot when we leave Cali but Dr. Samudio will always be in my top 5. She even requested that we keep in touch (as if she got rid of us that quickly!) & wanted to stay in the know about Cameron.

It's that time of year again...

2008-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Petsmart last night for the pet costume contest.

I'm lame & didn't take pictures of the other contestants because:

1. We have a camcorder now.

2. Sadie would not stop whimpering for her ball.

3. Oscar would stop walking every 2 seconds because the sleeves on his costume were too long.

4. Let's be honest. The other animals weren't nearly as cute as our babies.

Enjoy the pics!

Happy Howl-o-ween from Sadie

And the rest of the Jackson crew

P.s. Yes that's a picture of a picture. Bite me.

Jeremy & Nikita

2008-10-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday Jeremy & Nikita renewed their vows. Last year after returning from his first tour to Iraq they eloped on May 31, 2007. Needless to say I wasn't too thrilled about missing my brothers own wedding (court or not). :(

I was beyond happy when they not only announced they would marry at The Flamingo in Las Vegas but I was asked to be a part of the bridal party as well. Over the past few years I've had a chance to get to know Nikita & we became closer after his second tour. It was fun helping & being a part of the planning. A dress was finally agreed on for the bridal party & I ordered it online 2 sizes bigger than what I normally wore pre-pregnancy. All I have to say is thank goodness the wedding was NOW. I thought I'd have to take it in.....nope my belly took up all the room it could.

You couldn't tell but she was nervous. :)

Thankfully we were able to convince her daddy to take off his darn blue tooth.

Gorgeous.

They did a great job picking the color blue.

Picture perfect.

Not only was it an honor to be asked but I had the best seat in the house. As my brother recited his vows I could see how much he truly loves Nikita.

They make a wonderful couple & compliment each other really well. It's fun to see people you're close to grow not only as individuals but as a couple.

First dance

The Power Of Love by Celine Dion

I bawled like a baby. Now when I hear this song I get teary eyed.

Paul was nice enough to step in as Galvan's girlfriend (who couldn't make it).

Cameron started moving around. He wanted all eyes on the belly.

Handsome

For fun, we gave them big balla' cups that said Bride & Groom in Rhinestones.

Aunt Rachel kept her cup up for about 5 mins after the toast. hee hee

The Army has made him too serious.

My beautiful grandma

Before

After.

They weren't very nice. ;)

Jeremy put in a special request for Paul & Ramirez to battle in a dance off.

I don't know what's more funnier (yes that's a word).

That they did it or that Jeremy requested it. Either way it got the party started!

It all happened to fast I didn't get a shot of Paul pretending to pee like a dog on Ramirez's leg.

After the wedding we headed to the strip. I've never watched the Bellagio water show. It's actually pretty nice. :)

We saw this......

But the store was closed & I couldn't get it for Cameron. :(
Next time...

My snuggler

2008-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

If you know me, then you know that the word love doesn't begin to describe how I feel about my dogs.

So when they take over our social skills (it's horrible when you know the names of other dogs & refer to the owners as "Max's mom"), want a Kong or need their bellies rubbed it's no surprise that they go to their mommy.

Oscar was the first addition to our family & he took full advantage (still does). The first night with us Paul let him on the bed. Little did he know that Oscar would find himself right at home in the middle of us, under the covers, laying sideways & any other position that pleased him. :/

He's a great snuggler & when I bought my snoogle pillow I didn't realize I'd have to fight for it.

Kat these pics are for you.

Then a few hours later he found himself back comfortably......in my pillow. :/

Disclaimer: We were washing our sheets & pillow cases.....we don't go for the hospital look.

Good times, good times

2008-10-10T11:42:00.001-07:00

Even through the stress of moving, packing & mentally preparing for what's to come with the baby & our move out of state it helps to reflect on how I've been very blessed these last few weeks.

September 17th I received a text message from my sister in law Nikita:

He came home early this morning!!!!

My brother Jeremy was finally home. We weren't expecting him until the 27th so this was an awesome surprise. This was his second tour of Iraq & I still can't comprehend how he made it mentally through his first. I've heard & watched documentaries on soldiers who come back not quite the "same" & deal with drinking & drug addictions to fight off the stress of being over seas.

I didn't know what to expect the first time he made it home but after a few days back into the states I finally got to talk & see him. He seemed ok. Not 100% ok but ok in the sense that he wasn't picking up a bottle or pills. He talked a lot. About what he saw, what he did & had to do. The stories seem to horrific to be real but they were & here my (at the time) 19 year old brother was retelling everything he went through.

Now back from his second tour he's changed.......but honestly for the better. He seems more mature, more sure of himself & not afraid to crack a smile or joke around. :)

Nikita set up a surprise welcome home party for that Saturday but he found out the night before. :( Oh well, I'm sure it was still a nice surprise that she put the time & thought into putting everything together.

As we drove onto the base we were flooded with welcome home banners.

Since Jeremy found out that people were coming over he bought a grill & Bar-B-Que chicken, ribs & veggie dogs for me. :) They were delicious!

It was nice to catch up with each other & just spend quality time. Quality time meaning kicking ass in Pictionary. Seriously, who draws a broom that looks like it was made out of hot dog links?

Nikita & Jeremy will be renewing their vows later this month. My cousin Joseph who joined the Army last year was on his first tour in Iraq. He surprised everybody by coming home early to celebrate his 21st b-day in the states & be a part of the wedding. :)

Happy thoughts all around.

Don't forget me :(

2008-10-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove out to Arizona. I've never been to Mesa & to be honest the only experience I've had with Arizona is Quartzite. Omg we all know how much I LOVE that place.

So needless to say I wasn't expecting too much. I tried not to expect anything so I wouldn't be too disappointed. I am definitely the pessimistic one in our relationship & even though I love Paul sometimes his "everything is sugar & spice & will work out in the end" speeches get a bit old. Especially when I'd rather wallow in self pity.

So early Saturday morning we got up, dressed, packed & kissed the poochies good-bye & told them to wish us luck. I think they might have wished more for themselves because what can I say? Arizona was pretty awesome.

On the drive there we saw a lot of this:

Now you can only play count the cactus for so long. :/

Thankfully the drive wasn't that bad. I drove from Cali to Quartzite & Paul drove the rest of the way (only 4 1/2 hrs. total, not too shabby). As soon as he hit civilization I noticed one thing right off the bat.

The freeway was bare....bare & free of any tagging!

I really wish I took pics but believe me I looked. Nothing on the ramps, street lights, stop signs....nothing. I didn't want to jinx anything so just kept an eye out. Little did I know Paul was noticing the same thing. If there's anything I hate is the awful look & aura of tagging. It's pointless & a disturbing reminder that there's a bunch of dumb asses in the area.

As we drove further into Az I noticed that the traffic was a lot calmer. There were cars on the road but no one was in a hurry, cutting in & out of lanes or riding our ass.

So far so good.

The city we'll be working out of is Mesa but we looked in the city of Gilbert (two exits away) for a place to live. As soon as we exited Power Rd. into Gilbert we were warmly welcomed by a huge sign glowing Super Target. If you know me, you know my love for Target. There was a grand opening for a 76 gas station. Full of free food, drinks, snacks, a jumper & a wall for rock climbing set up for kids to run around & play.

Just as I was settling down & getting rid of some anxiety the real pressure started.

Apartment hunting. BLAH! So after the first place I was already burnt (we arrived close to 1pm) & wanted to grab a bite to eat. New York Pizza Dept. was highly recommended & not a far drive so we headed out.

Cute right?

As soon as we went inside I noticed only one other family eating there. Maybe, they don't pick up until late afternoon? So I went to the bathroom to wash up & I'm not sure what hit me but I realized that this is it. When we go out to eat it's just going to be Paul & I. My aunt won't be waiting or meeting us anywhere. I won't be able to solve the child menu puzzles with my cousins & I can't grab sushi with Diana every time I'm sad.

I thought I was fine but reality hitting me out of nowhere really shook things.

So, I walked back to our table, sat down & cried. Paul held me & just reminded me of all the opportunities moving would give us & Cameron. I know he's right. I know this is the right thing to do. But moving still hurts my heart.

Before leaving the waitress gave us a welcome packet.

It was full of goodies. Menu, coupons & free dessert voucher. I don't know if she felt bad for us or was just truly nice but it did put a better light on the situation.

We went to a few more places. I didn't love any of them. Paul was still stuck on the first place which I liked but didn't love. Before leaving to Az I googled dog parks in Az & found Cosmo Park.

Wow! It was better than we imagined.

Full of dogs (most dog parks that we've been to have 5 or less) it had a man made lake for dogs to swim in or play fetch. There was even a ramp so the dogs could run off of it & jump into the water.
Obstacles through out the park to run over, under & through.

I couldn't help but get excited & look forward to bringing Oscar & Sadie back.

An Amphitheatre. Paul already envisioned Shakespeare being played. :)

There was even a kid area which I'm sure we'll visit plenty with Cameron.

To top it all off the restrooms were sparkling clean with no tagging! As you can see this "no tagging" feature is huge with me. When I asked an employee at one of the apt. complexes if they have somebody come out & paint over tagging she replied with, "what's tagging?" I had to explain that it's graffiti. She said, "we don't have that problem in Az." Music to my ears. Now I'm not naive. I'm sure it's somewhere but in the full two days we were there I didn't see it once.

But it's nice to know that if I do see some at Cosmo park there's a number I can call.

Oh, & I will. :)

We finally found (the last place we visited before heading home) an apt. I LOVE in an area that compliments our needs. But I'll save the stories & pics for another post.

WOO HOO!

2008-10-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

Maybe the whole "pregnancy brain" myth is true. I swear before I got pregnant I thought that cravings were made up so people could pig out & not hear a peep about it. Then I ate meat...

Now this! My darn cord that connects from my camera to the computer was...........in my top desk drawer at work.

Oy.

My wonderful friend Noel. She was kind enough to not only drive down from San Diego for the big day but she came down early so we could have some alone time & catch up.

My awesome diaper cake. Diana is so creative. ;)
That little bundle of joy is my Cooper. He helped me become less paranoid about becoming a good mommy. He cried, I swaddled & we fell in love.
I am not a fan of carrot cake but my god that was a bomb cake!

My little helper for the day. He was in charge of keeping the guest entertained. Ummmm, I'm thinking of an object & it starts with M.

My brother attempting to guess the baby food.

Little did he know Paul picked out hard ones! Turkey with peas & chicken. Who the heck would guess that?

The fabulous Diana. Who took the time to plan the best baby shower. :)

xoxoxoxooxo

The power of technology

2008-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago I met one of my very favorite people. We didn't go to school together, meet through mutual friend or even through our significant others. Of all places, we met online.

While planning for my wedding I went to local online boards to seek help with wedding dilemmas & comic relief from wedding planning.Best of all I made it through my wedding day with out regret, kept 99% of my sanity & met Jenn.

We hit it off right away. Sharing quotes from Superbad, embracing each others twisted way of thinking & eventually swapping email addresses. Little did I know at the time that we would not only keep in contact but become closer than I am with most people in my life.

The day I found out we were expecting she was the 4th person I told. I couldn't wait to tell her & of course she guessed it off the bat. She knows me better than most & when my days are bad she knows how to cheer me up & when they're good she knows how to bring me down (jk). If you're lucky enough to have a friend where you can say one word & they know exactly where the conversation is heading or how you're feeling than that itself says how special the friendship is between you two.

Now, it's her time to shine. I was lucky enough to attend her bridal shower. It was wonderful to see her so happy on her special day(aren't bridal parties better when they're for you?). Pretty soon she'll be marrying her best friend. I've never met her fiance but through chit chat oddly enough he reminds me of my Paul (which wouldn't be the first thing/person/thought we have in common). Through stories I can tell he compliments Jenn & is lucky to have snagged her. They compliment each other & idiosyncrasies that I don't have to wish them luck, just the very best for years to come.

*boop*

My Sadie

2008-10-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's been so wonderful having you in our life.

4 years ago today we went to the Moreno Valley Shelter to visit "Lady". Lady turned out to be a schizo little rat dog that couldn't sit still if her life depended on it.

I pushed Paul on going down to visit you & when we arrived I freaked out. You weren't my ideal dog or playmate for Oscar.

As we were about to leave to "think" about it the lovely ladies who worked at the shelter told us your story.

No wonder why you were so paranoid. After being picked up off the street several times & returned to your previous owner, only to have them turn bring you back weeks later to be euthanized. No deadly diseases or illnesses just a person who wasn't ready to be a dog owner picked you out of the litter.

Watching you & your personality grow I can't believe what life was before we had your crazy, licking, ball loving, cuddle bug.

Happy 4th Birthday Sadie!

xoxoxo

Cameron's baby shower :)

2008-10-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was our very first baby shower. I haven't been to many baby showers but I knew the gist of it. Food, games, gifts & cake! It's so different when it's thrown for you.

Plus to top it off it was a mix of boys & girls so it was nice to have Paul there to join in the fun.

Through out the whole day I would find myself overwhelmed with emotion. Not only was it a day about Cameron but it was a day full of old & new friends. My bestie Diana was sweet enough to put everything together.

My little hippy in the background. :)

This was her first time throwing a baby shower & I think she did a fantastic job!

The food was delicious,

the games were funny (spanking smurfs) & fun (taste testing the baby food) & it wasn't too terribly hot. I recorded most of the party to Cameron's disk but my friend Jeanie recorded as well. She filled a full 60 mins of the party. It was great going home & watching a few days later.

We had a blast & a gal couldn't ask for better friends. :)

I wish I had more photos to post, but I don't. :( I'm afraid I either lost my camera/computer connection cord or we packed it. Either way I'm heading to Best Buy this weekend & will post more pics soon!

6 months & 2 days

2008-09-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's still so surreal that:

~I have a human being living & growing inside of me.

~~Paul & I are going to be parents the end of this year or beginning of next.

~~~Cameron will be born in AZ like his daddy.

~~~~Bill won't be here physically to meet Cameron.

~~~~~We were so blessed to not have to worry about TTC (trying to conceive).

I'm very aware that getting pregnant isn't so easy. With closely knowing couples that were going through heartache TTC that I felt guilty spreading the news that we were expecting. After announcing to family/friends that I had never known to have problems revealed stories of children they lost or TTC woes that it made me again so thankful for my Cameron.

I always thought that I would never be ready to have children. My past is full of issues revolving my non-exist father & mother who treated me more like a mother figure than a daughter. That I had a fear of never being "good enough" for my future children.

I always joked that we would wait to have kids when I was ready but truly never knew when that day would come. Even while taking our vows our pastor (Uncle Jeff) had Paul recite "mother of my children" & I flashed & mouthed the #2 to our friends. The topic was always touchy with me but I never ever, ever said NO to having kids. I always said, "When GOD wants us to have kids.....we will."

Back in March I started feeling moody, tired & the pushing point was a flutter feeling in my abdomen. I went to the Dr. & explained my symptoms. He first ran a urine pregnancy test.

Negative.

I remember how insistent he was that the test was wrong I just "had" to be pregnant. So they drew my blood & tested for pregnancy. The results would be in a couple of days later.

A COUPLE OF DAY?! Within those couple of days I stalked baby boards & googled my symptoms. I kept reading "you could be pregnant if" over & over. Was I? I could have screamed from the wait then to top it off the day the results were suppose to come in......they didn't. :/ wtf? So instead of waiting around I called a friend & we met up for dinner......after dinner we picked up a home pregnancy test.

The plan was to do it in the store but I couldn't bring myself to find out whether I was preggo in Target. I love you Target but uh, no.

So I started driving home. Before going inside I wrote inside a card I bought for Paul saying how much I love him & that no matter what we went through in life I couldn't see a better person standing by my side than him(he didn't know I had the at home test or that the Dr. thought I was pregnant).

So I went inside, peed on the stick........negative.

That was a moment in life I'll forget. Visions of us having a baby quickly vanished & were instead replaced with "what does this mean? does this mean we can't have kids?" Within in those few days I would catch myself smiling at the thought of us being parents & I knew with what was a thought I'd push far back into my mind a vision that I had a taste of what could be & wanted to make it into a reality.

I still gave him the card & told him about the Dr's visit. I cried & he held me all while reminding me that we'll have children soon just not so soon. The next day I went in to see the Dr. only to hear the blood work was negative. I still cry when thinking of that moment. My Dr. suggested that my birth control (Nuva ring) had too much estrogen for my body & wanted to take me off for a month. I've been on birth control since the age of 19 so he suggested we use condoms so my body could "rest".

The symptoms went away & we went on with life.

~Traded in my truck for a more an 08 Toyota Matrix. It was more family friendly & better on gas so the decision seemed reasonable.

~~I traded in my long locks for a short bob.

~~~Started running daily & climbing the trail by our house (in hopes to participate in a marathon).

Then the symptoms started again. This time felt worse. I thought that I was low on protein (which, if you're a vegetarian people will explain that you need to eat meat for protein & that if you don't you'll get sick). Holy crap they were right! So, I started mixing protein power w/my smoothies, snacking on protein bars & ate beans. BLECH. :P Finally, I was so tired daily that Paul started to worry & I made a Dr's appt. I saw my female Dr. Zapht. I love her. She's always so sweet & full of knowledge. She's also a veggie head so when I told her my concern she said that I was getting enough protein but I might be anemic. First she wanted to start with a pregnancy test. I didn't put any thought into the test. I peed in the cup & went back to the patient room. If the thought tried to sneak into my head I would push it away. The wait was only a couple of minutes but I was already falling to sleep. Literally. When the Dr. walked inside the room I was in a bit of a daze. She was all smiles & said, "well we know why you've been feeling this way." Being half asleep I said, "Oh good! What is it?"

I was pregnant.

In between sobs I kept repeating, "Paul is going to be so happy". I was shaking & couldn't believe something that I thought was so far out of my reach was now my beautiful reality.

My pregnancy so far hasn't been too rocky. I was tired in the beginning but that passed. I broke out in really bad eczema, that passed as well. Now, it's more about Cameron & picturing his beautiful face, waiting to hear his laugh & show him the world.

So now here we are, 6 months & 2 days later.

Veggie Head

2008-09-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

I couldn't pin point the exact date I was officially a vegetarian. Over time I eliminated certain foods from my diet due to my picky ways. If I had a hamburger it had to be beyond well done it was burnt. Chicken was only good if it were a strip (deep fried) basically I didn't want to see red or veins.

My downfall started off w/under cooked meat. I had it quite a few times in a row. A co-worker suggested we go to the infamous KFC for lunch & never really gone I agreed. If I only knew...years later I'm well aware of the mistreatment of their animals not only through caging but pumping them w/steroids to get them fatter quicker. Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't stop eating meat for the sake of saving a life. On that particular day the meat was so undercooked I couldn't stand looking at another piece of chicken or beef w/out gagging. I ate fish for awhile but even that proved to be devastating. Nothing worse than mooshy salmon. :(

Fast forward to 4 years later & I still (try) to avoid meat. I say try because even though I didn't believe cravings through prenancy my Cameron is proving that old wives tale to be very true. I've had meat three times during the last 6 months. :/

Try as I might to fight the cravings I never make Paul do without. There's quite a few veggie products he loves veggie burgers, soy sausage & veggie corn dogs but my man loves the real deal. So, usually when either one of us cooks there's always a dish with or without meat to please both our taste.

Probably my 2nd or 3rd month into my pregnancy I noticed there were certain foods that I could no longer stomach that were a staple in my diet. To put it short anything fried, cheese (in large quantity, meaning no cheese sandwich from Togos) or fast food Cameron is not a fan of. It's really not so bad. I've been eating healthier (a lot of fruits) & I cook a lot more at home.

Last night I prepared one of our favorite veggie pasta dishes. This recipe introduced us to Snow Peas & honestly I can't believe it took me so long! They're beyond delicious & add a nice snap to the pasta. I found the original recipe off of Eden Organic Pasta Company's website. I don't follow the recipe exactly. For one, I don't use their pasta but I do use bow tie. It's thin enough to add taste but not take away from other flavors. I substitute Feta cheese for Parmesan & last but not least I add pine nuts. Overall it's a wonderful & easy recipe. Plus there's always extra for lunch!

For Paul's main dish I marinaded Salmon the night before. I rubbed (yup, massaged the poor lifeless thing) with fresh lemon juice, sea salt & lemon pepper. Before popping it in the oven I cut a few slits through out the top & poured the juice mixture to add more flavor. By the time I was finished w/the pasta the fish was nice & flaky.

Here's a few snapshots (camera phone :/) of last nights dinner.

Say what you need to say

2008-09-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Every time I hear this song by John Mayer I can't help but sing along. I never really paid too much attention to the lyrics, I just love his voice.

With the anniversary of 9/11 & being in a somber mood I listened more & sang less.

Take all of your wasted honor.

Every little past frustration.

Take all of your so called problems, Better put 'em in quotations.

Say what you need to say (x8)

Walkin' like a one man army,

Fightin' with the shadows in your head.

Livin' up the same old moment Knowin' you'd be better off instead If you could only...

Say what you need to say (x8)

Have no fear for givin' in.

Have no fear for giving over.

You better know that in the end It's better to say too much,

than never to say what you need to say again.

Even if your hands are shaking,

And your faith is broken.

Even as the eyes are closin',

Do it with a heart wide open.

Say what you need to say (x7)

Say what you need to,

Say what you need to...

There's an old saying (which I do not know word for word) but the essence is it only takes one rock to start a trickle. Beyond corny, I agree, but for the moment it's eerily close to the truth.

Little did I know that the call I made to my mother (who lived in L.a. at the time) warning her to take my brothers out of school (due to alerts that L.A. was next) that my little brother would now be a Military man.

He's out on his second tour right now. Jeremy pictured far right

Jeremy pictured far left

Thankfully, he's scheduled to come home this month on the 27th.

I don't have much to say. I don't know how to make his life easier, to ease the pain around the world or to even make sense about a tragedy that still hurts as if it happened this very morning but sometimes just remembering & honoring those who passed is doing far more than any words ever could.

We finally met Cameron Joaquin Jackson

2008-08-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe it.

My appointment was yesterday at 10am. I took the whole day off in anticipation. My plan was to get ready & leave the house before 9:30 so I could drink my water & not have to worry about breaking a sweat in my bouncy car. Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way.

9:38 Still at home. Running around looking for camcorder, keys (mental note: they're in the bathroom), cell phone. WHERE THE HELL IS MY CELL PHONE?!

10 seconds later....

Cellphone rings!

Paul: I'm on my way to the dr's office.

Brandy: Uh-huh yeah...

Paul: Did you get my text?

Brandy: Wha? What are you talking about? Frantically making the dogs a treat

Paul: Because you didn't reply...

Brandy: WHAT?! No, no I didn't. I mean I couldn't find my cell. I mean ok, ok I'm on the verge of throwing up from being so damn nervous. I have to leave right now!

9:41 I close front door.......& as I hear it click I realize. I never went back for my keys. :(

So shortly afterward Paul picked me up & we were on our merry way. Merry as in I was chugging down bottle after bottle of water while trying not to throw up.

We finally arrive at the dr's office & as I go check in Paul stays behind in the car to let the camcorder charge. Yes be jealous. Our awesome car comes complete w/a 12v line. It's as if they had me & my camera/camcorder that's always dead in mind when they designed that beauty. :)

After I checked in Paul & I documented the day to Baby J. I assured him that yes his mommy is a dope that does tend to lock herself out of the house or other bizarre quirks especially when I'm nervous. After the mini interview we were off to our appt.

Holy cow I thought I was going to explode w/excitement & pee. Thankfully I kept it all together & we went off w/our U/S technician. Her name was Lori. Before we started the u/s we introduced her to baby J via camcorder & then the real excitement began. We saw our baby J!

It's so crazy. It felt as though only last week he was this big:

& now we were seeing actual arms, legs & mouth!

It took her awhile to determine if it was a baby boy or girl. He started off sound asleep facing toward the camera. :/ Stubborn like his mama. No bueno.

With a few pushes on my belly he plopped around long enough for us to see the goods. Well, long enough for Lori to see the goods. It all happened so fast I'm glad she was use to these situations.

If it looks like a huge blur to you......well, welcome to the club. If I really put my imagination to is I think I see a pee pee but for the most part I see a bunch of ink blots. :/ After the quick crotch shot he would only give us a side view. Which was fine by us. It was so surreal to see him waving & sucking away (I think he was eating the fruit leather I ate a few mins before our appt.) :)

Then he decided he had enough of our shenanigan's

..........& kicked me.

I didn't feel the kick but holy cow with a foot that huge how could I not right? After I expressed how huge I thought his foot was I expected Lori to say, "no, no that's normal." but instead she answered, "WHOA THAT IT IS BIG!" ha ha our little giraffe.

A few more shots later & our appt. was over. We stayed for a bit & chatted w/Lori. Her only child leaves for college this year. :( She was rather upset about it & said to enjoy our baby while we can because it all flys by so fast. Even though I know it's all true I can't wait for it to begin. :)

Lori gave Paul a little celebration gift.

I swear he still carries it around with him. Ok maybe not "carries" it but I know it's on his desk at work. ;)

We can't wait to meet & hold you Cameron!

Big hugs & kisses!

But I lika da fried foods :(

2008-08-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you've never watched/heard of Over the Hedge that joke made no sense to you. :p

For the past month or so my taste buds have taken a turn for the worse. Or so I thought. I can't stand the taste of fried foods (mainly Red Robins awesome garlic fries boo hoo) & to top it off I can't eat alot. Alot meaning a normal portion. Now if I were on a diet this would be awesome but I'm not & having to decide what meal I can enjoy within 3 bites isn't my idea of a good time.

So lately I've been looking (please read: not willing to take the time to cook) healthy alternatives has been rather draining. Until this past weekend. After reading a recent post from my fellow veggie head Angelina posted this drool worthy recipe. Every since I stopped eating meat (5 years ago) one of the dishes I missed the most was a Flauta. After quickly becoming a member to Vegetarian Times I began searching & printing out various recipes. I decided that the Penne with pasta & vegetables recipe would make a perfect side dish. Paul loves to cook so it was nice having help in the kitchen. Especially since I'm a whiner when it gets too hot. :p

The only change I made was I added lemon pepper to the pasta. I love lemon pepper. I add it to everything, it's the yin to my yang. Paul doesn't understand the obsession but agreed it added a nice flavor to the mix. What I loved most about the entire meal was that it was healthy and my stomach didn't hurt afterward! Yay! For the time being (there's no commitment since I don't know how far my love for cheese goes) but I want to omit cheese as much as possible from my diet. I think that will help my stomach problems go away & heck meals are great w/out the fatty goodness!

The pasta was not only awesome the night of but it also made a wonderful potato salad the next day! I'm not a fan of leftovers but even I grabbed bowl for lunch. :)

Baby J rates this delicious dish worthy of 2 karate style kicks!

Sidenote: I suck. I forgot the computer plug for my camera. :( I'll have to upload pics another time. But by all means check out the linkys!

I love my grandma

2008-08-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

As far back as I can remember I've always adored my Grandma. We hit a rough patch in my early teens, that went deeper than rebellion, but at the end of the day she's always been there for me.

I've always been grandmas favorite. Even though most people say, "oh I love you all the same" that wasn't the case for me. Grandma let it know when I was a baby that I was her favorite grandchild & I've even been donned with the nickname Precious. Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you but I'm the only grandchild w/a nickname. This of course has also made other family members loathe me a little but eh. I'll take my grandmas love any day.

I remember her telling me to, "put on your walking shoes!" which meant we were going out for a day of glorious shopping (see! blame her for my shopaholic ways), singing On The Road Again when we headed out to visit family & playing 4 corner king. Ah, those were the care free days.

Even though I haven't blogged about it most of my family/friends know that Paul & I will be moving to Mesa, Az. Yes, it's far & yes it's crazy but since we started dating Paul & I would always talk about how we felt California wasn't the right place (for us) to raise children & how we're sick of the hussle & bussle that's the heart of California. We've talked seriously about moving to Phoenix, Az (where he was born & raised for 4 years) & Denver, Co. When our company approached us (after announcing the closing of our store location) they would like for us to move out & work at the Mesa, Az location.

This decision was not made overnight nor was it easy. I avoided this talk like the plague & when Paul finally sat me down for a real discussion I fought like a bat out of hell. In the end our decision came down to moving & taking the opportunity that's been given to us.

This past Wednesday I met my Aunt Rachel & her two younger children Kira & Jacob at a skating rink. The bonus was getting to see my Grandma. She lives in L.A. so our visits aren't as often as I'd like. :(

We were sitting at a small table talking about the latest family drama (yes, my family is special) & going through magazines when she pointed out a small article for me to read.

The article read, the best way to reduce stress is through a heart felt hug. Not only does it reduce stress but it also feels good!

As I read the last part out loud my grandma wrapped her arms around me & gave a tight squeeze. Thinking about it now I want to cry but at the moment I laughed & said, "aww thank you! I needed that!" Don't you just love how grandmas just know how to make everything all better? :)

I love my grandma.

Happy Anniversary Handsome

2008-07-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

A year ago today we invited our closest friends & family to be a part of the happiest day of our lives. Sounds corny but revisiting that day has brought nothing but smiles & laughter over every step of the way. I can't wait to celebrate the next 100 years full of memories that make us laugh & cringe at how our crazy tendencies complement each other.

I had a special delivery for Pauly at work. A bouquet of the same type of flowers we used for our wedding day: red Gerber Daisies.

Even boys love getting flowers. :)

Sadie is famous!

2008-07-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

This month we received our monthly newsletter from the San Bernardino Humane Society.

Guess who graced the cover?

Our little superstar :)

Can't wait for walk-a-thon 09!

Nothing was said directly about Sadie however, there was a wonderful portion of the article I should share:

Pledge raisers, you accomplished more this year than ever before!

Thank you to all that helped us exceed our goal of $500 ;)

3 more days...

2008-06-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

Until my bestie Julia comes to Cali!!!

I still can't believe she's coming down. Plane tickets being ridiculous & her hectic job schedule (government jobs aren't always what they're cracked up to be). She's tried planning trips before but they've always fallen through. When she first left to Denver I was the first to visit. I believe 99.9% of the trip Julia drove me around town to show how wonderful & safe Denver would be for us & our family when we decided to have a child. :p I'm a Cali girl so that was a no go. But I did fall in love with the art & clean air. Not only could you feel the difference but you could see blue in the sky! crazy. After that trip she drove down for the wedding. That time frame was beyond chaotic. I loved having her in town but hated not being able to make time for a beach trip or quick dash to downtown L.A.. Being the greatest bestie a friend could ever have she was truly god sent. She was supportive & helped in any & every way she could. I couldn't have asked for more. :) Her last attempt out was nipped in the bud (a day before she was going to order plane tickets!) when her company decided to send her out to D.C. for some training. :p

So needless to say when she asked if coming down 4th of July weekend I didn't get my hopes up. But OH EM GEE she's flying in on Thursday! I can't wait to see her. We're dedicating her trip to quality time full of weird jokes, gabbing, reminiscing of old times & checking everything off of our "Julia's must!" list. :)

Bakers

Mexican Food

Beach

Citywear

Fireworks

Bakers

We use to spend all the time together even if it was a quick run to Target for a "Ugh I have nothing I need a new shirt!" pit stop! Including quick changes in the car making sure no one was peeking & running off to Bakers for a quesadilla MmmMmmm...

Julia moving was truly hard. I know it was hard for her leaving her church, friends & where she grew up but it was hard to know she wouldn't be there (physically). We've remained the best of friends even with the distance but at times it's hard to not wallow a little that she's not around. Still to this day we'll joke around & say to meet each other at Target or how about a quick trip to the beach?! So even though we can't do it all the time it's nice to know for 4 days (some shorter than others) we'll be able to re-live in a bubble where she lives back in Cali. :)

Here's to enjoying every moment, laugh & trip to every little hole in the wall mexican restaurant & picking up every last seashell! I can't wait to see you Juuuuuuuuliiiiaaaa I miss you & can't wait to check, check, check!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Pills suck!

2008-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've never been good at taking pills.

1. I forget to take them.

2. I'm a gagger.

I've come to find out being preggo doesn't make pill taking any easier. I'm usually nauseous & brushing my teeth w/out gagging has become a victory in itself. Since I found out I was with child my doctor immediately put me on Prenatal & Calcium pills. I'm a vegetarian (even though this baby is trying to turn my taste buds elsewhere) so since I don't drink milk she advised I take 1000 mg of calcium. Not too bad but that equals 2 pills. Then to top it off my prenatal pills stink. I don't know what that smell is but it makes me want to hurl. At first it reminded me of vanilla (which I love) but it was a weird rotting vanilla smell. Now it's turned into the stench of death. As if taking these 3 lovely pills wasn't enough I added Fish Oil to the mix. My friend took it while pregnant with her first baby. He's been tested by the Preschool he attends & has been said to have remarkable memory & is gifted in many other aspects. Say no more! I'm sold! Not that her personal experience guarantees a gifted child but hey it can't hurt. :)

Aren't they abnormaly large?! BLECH!

My lovely husband supports me so much. He's been my little cheerleader & yells out, "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" as I gag & try to swallow the juice I just threw back up into my mouth. Isn't that a delicious thought to process?

His constant support is rather sweet. :) This past week he even offered to take the pills with me. I thought he was joking so I agreed & handed him 4 pills. Together we chugged away & I was smitten. How he loves me & I love him so. :) Just for the record the fish oil pill was the worst for Pauly. For me the nasty stench of prenatal takes the cake every time!

Two down one to go!

2008-06-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

My middle brother Phillip graduated on Thursday from Pioneer High. I can't believe that they're growing up so fast. *tear* Actually, I did cry alot at the graduation. I cried when they started to walk & we weren't seated yet (this is a happy post so I won't go further into why that happened). I cried when I thought I saw Phillip. I cried when I saw Richard playing the intro song. How cool is that? My brother was graduating AND my other brother was performing their graduation music? Too cool.

My two strong men!

I called Phillip & asked him what he wanted for graduation. Yes, I'm ghetto like that. I'd rather get you what you want unless you spark a huge hint or I get all creative. None of these wonderful things happened (at the moment) so I had to make the call. What did he ask for you wonder? A Wii? A card full of cash? Oh no, no he wanted boxers. Yes, boxers. Stocking stuffer I understand but grad present? OMG. Ok, my little orphan I'll get you boxers. Hee hee I bought him only the best.

While Paul & I were going through the racks I saw an Ipod case.

*Light of awesome gift goes off*

Oooo! I'll get him an Ipod Nano! He's never had one. About a year ago he found one on the public bus & within that day was approached by some punks (with a knife no less) threatening his life for a stupid Ipod.

*sigh* Ahhh the ghetto thug life.

After the ceremony we made a mad dash out to the field. It took us quite awhile to find the graduate but when we did we were all full of happy tears. Congrats Phillip!!! We're all so proud. :)

This was a sweet moment. Of course I had to interrupt with my flash. Paul was giving him a manly pep talk filled with tears. :) You're #1 in our books Phillip & we're so proud of what you've already accomplished. All our love & support!

Thankfully he doesn't live in the ghetto neighborhood any longer. So I though an Ipod would be a surprise he would love. :)
And believe it or not..........he did :)

xoxoxoxo

Introducing Baby J!

2008-06-18T11:16:00.001-07:00

Today was our 2nd appt. At the first one they ran a bunch of test. Blood, urine & pap. It was a very informative appt. but at the same time it was all very scary & new. Dr. Samudio has been phenomenal. She took the time to answer all our questions (whether they were silly or not) & even cracked a few jokes. By the end of our appt. I felt more at ease & couldn't wait to return.

Little did I know how nerve wracking the 2nd visit would be. I'm a very nervous person to begin with so it wasn't too uncommon for me to freak out a little. I just wanted to hear the heartbeat. I knew once I heard my baby everything would be fabulous.

And it was :)

On our way to the doctors office we began our first (of many) dvds for Baby J. We told him/her how much we loved him/her & how excited we were for this day & many days to come. :) It was a nice ice breaker before arriving to her office. We waited a short bit & then I was called in for another urine test & to check my . As soon as Dr. Samudio came into the office she remembered us. YAY! I'm sure she has many patients so you never know. She went over all my test (100% perfect), confirmed I'm 10 weeks pregnant w/a due date of January 6th & I finally learned my blood type. O positive. How I went 26 years never knowing this bit of personal information is beyond me.

After our quick update she said we were going to listen to the baby J's heart & next month we would get an ultrasound. I'm sure it didn't take long to find but WOW it felt like forever until we heard it. Baby J's perfect little heartbeat. I didn't cry but I could feel the relieve come over my whole body. We're having a baby!!!!

After the heartbeat she said, "let's do an ultrasound now!" YAY again! I was kind of sad when she said we'd have to wait but now we didn't. :) So we went to the next room, started up the camcorder & saw the cutest mini baby ever. Baby J was bouncing around like a gymnast! It all felt so surreal but very calming all at once. I can't describe it but after our appt. I started to cry.

We're having a baby. :)

So the larger version came out very blurry :/

The baby's head is on the left with his/her little arms crossing over. I swear w/all my might that I can make out an eye & little nose. Paul said I'm crazy but I'm the mama so I can see these crucial details!!!

My little hunter

2008-06-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Oscar is a Dachshund through & through. Not only does he love to dig & is a stubborn little sh*t but he loves to "hunt". Before bringing him home our Uncle said he caught quite a few mice from the bushes. EW. I think it's more curiosity than wanting to kill. In the past he's caught a bird. It was the weirdest moment. A little baby bird was just hopping on the grass & Oscar put his paw over his little wing. He sniffed the birdie, lifted his paw & let it fly free. It was so sweet. Another huge Dachshund trait is their huge sniffer. I swear he loves to smell anything & everything. When I bring home new clothes he wants to sniff each & every piece. I wouldn't doubt if his goal is to one day snuggle w/a cat. We've yet to find a cat that will let him do this. I don't understand why. He has such a loving non-intimidating face. :)

We use to live by a huge empty lot that rabbits use to home in. Oscar loved going by the lot & staring at his prey err friends. I would name each animal & insect he saw so he would become familiar w/the words. Funny enough fly became the first common word. We would leave the patio door open so he could lay in the sun while we were off at work. Leaving the door wide open would let in a few flies. It was sick. So I decided to let him exercise his hunting abilities & say, "go get the fly!" & Oscar would run around the house looking for his kill. Funny enough after awhile we stopped getting flies & even until this day we rarely get any. Oh but when we do Oscar is ready.

When I came home yesterday I opened up the patio. Which let in a huge, HUGE fly. I didn't say anything because Oscar & Sadie were panting from our long (ok it was like 5 mins.) walk in the heat. The fly was on the glass door & kept buzzing so Sadie ran to the door & Oscar followed. The only noise to follow were two loud *BAM* *BAM* which was Oscar slamming his nose against the door.

Poor fly never had a chance.

Oscar on the other hand couldn't have been prouder of his kill!

Good job Pop!

On a side note: I let the fly out after taking the pics. He was a little stunned but alive & well. :) I'm sure he's off to tell his fly buddies the fly killing machine rumors are true.

Yay he loved it!

2008-06-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was Pauly's first Fathers Day. Even though Baby J hasn't arrived he's very proud of taking care of me & keeping up w/around the house. I have to say that Paul is the absolute best. When I first met Paul I loved how attentive & respectful he was to me. He'd open doors, get me a plate of food (gasp! the man serving the woman!) & even cooks. He cooks people! Thank you GOD for sending me a good man. :) Even before we found out I was preggo & was going through my weird sleeping phase (oh wait I'm still there :/) he would clean the house, take the dogs out & help out in any other way he could. I know he's going to make a terrific father & teach our baby EVERYTHING about sports. Oh help me.........touchdown? That's good? I thought that was illegal if you were underage? Oh my I have so much to learn.

The morning started off w/presents! I bought him The Expectant Father. He's been reading my pregnancy books so I thought one directed toward the daddy might help him understand why I'm psycho & cry all the time. :)

I was really excited to see his reaction of the photo w/his daddy but I didn't realize he'd be so shocked. After pulling away the wrapping he started to cry. :( awwwwwwwww it was so sweet. Oscar was so worried about his daddy he jumped up to give him lovings (lots of kisses). After awhile he finally just sat & stared at the picture. It's amazing how pictures can do that to you. You just want to stare & take in every little detail. Which of course he did. We talked about Bill, how cute baby pauly was & how much hair brother Jeff had. hee hee The ride also made some changes. It was all very nice & interesting to see his reaction & our reaction to the picture together. :)

After opening up gifts Paul made pancakes. MmmmmMmmmm I've never been a big fan of breakfast. It's always grossed me out. Apparently Baby J loves breakfast! Every morning I have to have either cereal, bagel, pancakes, you name it I want it. Doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary but a read meal before 11 a.m. is unheard of. The new craze is hash browns. Oh the glory of the fried potato. Mmmmmm

Then it was off to Barstow! Good lordy that was a long & HOT drive. We haven't been out there for so long I forgot about the miles & miles of desert scenery. We finally approached the cemetery which was actually pretty busy w/visitors. The last time I had been there was right after his headstone was placed. So that tells you quite a long time ago. I've mentioned to Paul that we should go visit but Bill was the first person (family-wise & that he was very close to) to have pass away. That's seems so un-real, lucky & truly sad all in one. So he wasn't too keen about visiting the cemetery. When we first arrived it was really sad because well it's a cemetery & two his headstone was covered in weeds & just looked a mess. :( Nobody had been there in awhile & you could tell. So what did we do? We headed to Wal-mart for gardening tools & a special surprise for Bill.

Pinwheels just ooze w/happiness don't you agree? It was nice to spend time w/Paul & "talk" to Bill. I told him since we made him look pretty he had to watch over Baby J. Deal? Deal ;)

Can't wait to visit soon Bill!

xoxoxoxo

Oh happy day!

2008-06-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

First a recap on my b-day celebrations! My b-day weekend rocked! On Friday I had lunch w/a few of my absolute favorite people. :)

Then afterward my bestie Diana & I went to watch a little indy film. Not sure if you heard of it. It was opening day for Sex in the City. :) Call it what you want (hormones, being a sissy la) but I bawled my eyes out. From beginning (yes just hearing the music made me cry) to the wonderful end. I pictured myself in those same situations & just knew that I'd have someone to help me thought it all. I love being surrounded by wonderful & loving people. Even if some of them don't hug. ;)

The next day Paul had a surprise in store. What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! We spent the day at the most wonderful place on earth Disneyland!!! Knowing that Paul chose this as a surprise truly shows how much he loves & adores (yes adores) me. Paul LOVES Magic Mountain & I LOVE Disneyland. We're both ehh about going to each others favorite park. Come to think of it since I'm preggo I can't go to M.M. for quite some time. oh darn...

Going to Disneyland while you're preggo certainly changes things up. We weren't able to go on rides that we normally do but at the same time we saw a few shows (the Tiki room & both parade showings) that we sometimes miss out on. The other change was I actually stared ALOT at all the kiddies & their parents. We spotted the good, the bad & the insanely cute. :) Paul said that every year we're taking our baby so that they knows all about Disneyland. Make my heart melt! Of course I'd love to come every year! Omg we're slowly turning into that insane couple that brings their newborn to Disneyland! FINALLY! hee hee

Here's a few pictures we took that day. :)

The ducks & various other birds are not camera shy. They walked up to anybody willing to share a fry! Must be that magical sugar goodness :)

Then shortly after we headed to City Hall to pick up my Birthday badge (hearing employees scream HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDY! Is the best!). On my way out of City Hall we saw Pluto. We were walking up to take a picture but he began to walk off :( I shoved my b-day badge in his snout & pleaded, "but Pluto it's my berfday!" Thankfully I got a hug AND a pic. Unfortunately Paul didn't get to pose in time. Hee hee this is my favorite picture by far.

On top of that we went on the kiddie rides (boo! Storybook land was closed :P). As we were waiting in line for Alice in Wonderland Paul told me that when he was younger he went on this w/this daddy. Bill passed away 2 years ago from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). As strange as it might sound I'm glad he passed away. He's finally at peace. He was not himself & he was slowly disappearing before our eyes. There were times he would pretend to be sleeping to avoid our visits. To see someone you love so much in that type of pain & not have any control is horrible. Everyday we miss him more & more but at the same time it's comforting to know he's in heaven playing cards & enjoying a pain free afterlife. I know because of this man my Pauly is going to be a terrific father. We're going to share the stories of what a wonderful father, grandfather, friend & above all person he was to everyone that crossed his path. He treated me like a daughter & for that I'll always be grateful. :) After Paul told me that story I knew I had to get ahold of that picture!

As with every visit we arrived early for Fantasmic! & waited around for the firework Dreams Do Come True show. They just (or at least since I've last been) redid the whole firework show. It's amazing now! The music & all the colors are so fun. I loved every minute of it! Then afterward we window shopped & headed home. It was a wonderful birthday weekend.

To top it all off it gave me a good start to a future gift. Little did I know at that time it would be a perfect Fathers Day gift to Paul. Oh happy day!

We love & miss you Bill!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

I love Target & Target loves ME

2008-06-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Where else can you go intending to buy shaving cream but leave with 20 other items you didn't realize you couldn't live without?!

Ahhh the glory of Target. On my lunchbreak today I have to visit the Redlands location to refill my prenatal pills. Since the refill would take 30 mins I decided to "walk" around. First stop was the shampoo aisle "wait, I think I really need conditioner!" then I headed to the card section. I always stop at the card section just to see what's new & who I can send it to. It's usually my bestie Julia but on this occasion I began to look for Pauly. Fathers day is this weekend & I already have a gift set in mind (future blog to come). As I read over each card I felt as though a blank card would be a better choice. That way I could fill it will all the gushy I love you's & sentimental you're going to be a great daddy to our baby as I wanted! So I left the fathers day aisle & found this card.

Jackpot! Not only does it have the infamous giraffe but it was blank inside & out. So I was about to leave the card aisle when I was stopped by a survey representative. She was super nice & said it would only take a few mins so I didn't mind. We gabbed about our significant other & I told her why I was purchasing this card & why I felt it was perfect (giraffe duh). Then at the end of the survey I received a $10 Target giftcard! Oh happy day!

Who says shopping is a waste of time? ;) Probably a man :p

Prenatal Pills $9.00
Awesome Card $2.99
Granola Bars $2.04
Conditioner $1.99
Sunny D $2.44
Deposit (boo!) $0.40
Skintimate $1.89

Getting paid for finding the perfect first fathers day card : PRICELESS

You can't see too clearly but the giraffe is full of peach fuzzes. :)

Save a life & adopt :)

2008-06-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've never really been one to push adoption onto anybody. However, I will plant the seed. I'll offer websites & my own personal experiences in hopes that this will help them decide w/adoption rather than through a petstore &/or breeder. But as with any situation there's not only one clear answer. Wherever you decide to adopt or buy your next animal the root of your decision should involve love. You're not only going to receive the love & loyalty from your pet but you're also going to have to put alot of work, time & love into your new relationship. Sometimes this plan isn't fully thought out & the animal doesn't "fit" the family lifestyle or in the case of Oscar he wasn't the right fit (size) for my two younger cousins. They weren't aware of bountries & didn't fully understand that you couldn't be as rough due to his back. Thankfully my aunt was able to rehome him & didn't have to abandon or return him to the shelter. :) Happy endings for all.

On Saturday morning Paul & I went out to look at a few houses. First of all house hunting while preggo is no bueno. This was the 4th house of the day & I was already spent at 10am. Paul & our realtor Monica were inside the house & I decided to head out front to check out the full view. As I was standing outside I saw a small white dog out of the corner of my eye. Paul calls me the Dog Whisperess because of my ability to get dogs to trust me right away. Now, please keep in mind not ALL dogs trust me. I've met two dogs through my finance days that just wanted nothing to do w/me. But since they weren't in the middle of the street or homeless I didn't mind. Since this poopie was around the corner I knew if I went straight toward them they'd run away. So I made little noises & called him over gently while laying on the sidewalk. Yes there I was laying on the sidewalk babbling like an insane person. Thankfully he came over. Oh my what a sight! He's a white Maltese only a few years old. His teeth were pretty white but he was a mess! His eyes were closed shut w/gunk, since his hair was so long he had peed all over his coat & mattes galore! He trusted me enough so I could pick him up & inspect to see if he had a collar. He did! The only identification on the poop was an AVID chip. I called AVID & was informed that the chip was never registered :( but they were able to tell me he was adopted out of San Bernardino Humane Society. Oscars hometown! So I called them promptly & they took my information & released the only phone number listed along w/a name. No luck. :( Not only was the area code 714 (we were in Colton at the time) but the line was disconnected. I'm sure there was a reason why he had been loose for so long & why there was a leash tied around his hair (which can only be done if he was left tied up somewhere & he finally got loose) but at the end of the day he was malnourished & abandoned. Unfortunately with so many people loosing their homes right now it's very common for pets to be left behind. Common & heartbreaking. :(

By this time Paul already saw me w/the poopie cleaning off his gunky eyes (GAG), clipping his long bangs back w/my hair clippy so he can see & declared me crazy. :p Since, getting our new car (horrible blogger confession :( I didn't announce our new car. We bought a black sand pearl 2008 Toyota Matrix about a week before I found out we were having a baby. Coincidence or did my inner mommy know? You be the judge.) Our new car is wonderful & the gas mileage is to die for. I miss my truck but our new set of wheels is baby friendly. :) Since swapping vehicles I haven't gone through the bag o' stuff from my truck. Which included an extra dog leash. Yes, I carry an extra leash for such occasions. I also carry a water bowl but that was in the same bag. :( So I wrapped him up in our Disneyland throw blanket & kept him on my lap. He was amazing in the car! He loved hanging his head out the window & having the ac blow on his face. I tried giving him water out of a cup but for whatever reason he wanted no part of it. So I kept putting water in my hand & letting him lick it up. At some point the poor pooch got nervous & peed all over my lap :/ All I have to say it THANK GOODNESS it didn't get on the car & I'm really glad I grabbed the blanket when I did! Off we went to look at a few more homes & Moxie (courtesy of Paul) enjoyed the ride. Finally I called a co-worker who expressed interest in a Maltese. He already had a female & wanted a friend for her. Little did I know friend meant hump mate. No, no Moxie was fixed. All animals that come out of the shelter are (thankfully) spayed or neutered. So that was out. After having Carmen stay w/us for a few weeks our landlord wasn't too happy about the new addition so we couldn't take Moxie home. Honestly, I wanted him to get cleaned up & looked at asap. Since I knew we couldn't afford this right now I contacted Tanya's Inc. Tanya is amazing. I use to volunteer on the weekend for her adoption days at Petco in Redlands, Ca. It was the best experience. Week after week the rescues found a new home & it was always uplifting. In turn during those days Paul would receive several picture text Oooing & Aaahing over the newest arrival. :) Soon the responses of "aww isn't she cute?" turned into "NO BRANDY". well I never....

When I found Carmen I didn't call Tanya because I knew she couldn't take her in. Unfortunately the truth is smaller dogs are easier to adopt out. So luckily for Moxie not only was he super sweet (a little nervous) but he's a perfect lap dog. Plus he doesn't beg! Oh my a street dog that doesn't beg? Crazy. We stopped off at a gas station & picked him up a hot dog. Not the healthiest option but our only one. I was amazed how well behaved he was as I hand fed him. So patient. So after his snack we were off to Phelan! I've never been out to her house before so it was an interesting ride. After about 10 mins on a dirt road we found her house. :) Right away she gave Moxie eye cream, vaccinations, a snack & new name Boo boo. He was really nervous when we left but I know he's going to find a new home guaranteed! That's the beauty of no kill shelters. No matter how long it takes you'll live w/Tanya until your new family arrives. Unfortunately at shelters animals either have a week to find a home or if there's no room they are destroyed that day. :( Please no matter where you decide to get your new family member remember that you made the decision to bring them into your life. Pets are intended to bring you joy & sometimes companionship that you're lacking. :)

I swear he has two eyes! :) I guess he was winking for both photo shots. Boo Boo hasn't been listed as a new adoptable pet but check out the babies that are available today. They can't wait to be a part of someones loving family :) Sometimes she has goats! :) Just in case that's you're thing.

Thank you for sponsoring Team Jackson!

2008-06-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yes the walk was awhile back but lets face it. I'm a horrible blogger. I'm more obsessed about reading other blogs & sleeping. But don't fret! I intend on recapping every big moment that's passed. :)

First up the walk a thon! With the help of online, mail in & in person donations we raised $563!!! We even donated more while at the event. :) Thank you to everybody! Every little bit helps & I know the animals appreciate all you've done. All proceeds will go toward cruelty investigations & humane education. Here's a quick peek of all the goodies the poops received for our donation plus a few souvenirs we bought as well. :) Now onto our eventful day! The poops loved every minute of it.
Oscar even met the most beautiful doggie ever!

Then it was walk time! We joined all the other participants & joined in a group prayer to bless the field. It was really corny, touching, moving all in one. There's were a few people that cried over lost animals. It was really cool to be a part of this moment.

Did you say they're giving away treats at the finish line?!

We walked & ran 4 laps! The dogs kept up & even enjoyed the run. :) I didn't since I wore sandals. :/ I'll be sure to wear vans next year.

Here's a shot of the "biggest dog" contestants. My camera died right after so I didn't get a shot of the smallest or best dress. :( Oscar was the best digger! Unfortunately they weren't giving out awards for such a talent.

Thankfully we found an outlet & charged it in time for Sadies 15 mins of fame!

She was so happy she couldn't keep her eyes open! hee hee I love this picture. Look at the proud daddy. :)
Our champ!
It was so much fun & I can't wait to join again next year. Hopefully we can raise over $600!

Don't be fooled the poops were happy to be a part of this event but they were definitely glad to be home!

Seriously...

2008-05-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

My co-workers ROCK!
I'm so glad I left sales. *num, num, num*

Happy Early Birthday To Me!

2008-05-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

What's better than celebrating your b-day? Celebrating it early! I was wonderfully surprised today with these beauties.

What's even better than celebrating your birthday early? Celebrating your birthday with the wonderful news that you're going to have a baby.

Another super cute & sweet early birthday present. :)

YAY! We just found out 2 weeks ago that we're having a baby in early January. The news is still overwhelming & exciting. Our friends & family are beyond excited & supportive. The latest debate is who will be the nina & nino. :) It's super cute. So that is the reason why I've been a super blogger slacker. I've been so consumed with.........well pathetically sleep. I sleep more than the poops & that's pathetic.

Here's to getting old & loving every minute of it!

my baaaaaabyyy!!!

2008-05-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

*dramatic moment over*

Well I guess baby is kinda pushing it considering Oscar will turn the big 5 on May 18! But He'll always be my baby. I've had dogs growing up but Oscar is my first "real" dog. Yes, I spoil him rotten but that's my prerogative.

Intro Bobby Brown

Along with alot of love, attention, long walks & lots of treats I also shower him w/crazy concern. Once Paul took him out for a late walk & he came back home w/a bloody paw. I instantly freaked out & rushed him to the vet. It was already after hours so I paid $40 extra for a home visit. Turns out his pretty little paws weren't use to hard pavement & it sliced them open. Poor baaabyyy!

Endless love.

I've always felt a little weary with our Vet. He was always "rough" with Oscar & Sadie. Never once said hi to them or take the time to get along w/them. Sounds funny but that's a huge plus. Who wants to see somebody they're afraid of? On each visit Oscar & Sadie would tremble the moment I opened the vet door & Sadie would growl at Dr. Sid. The last straw was Molly's initial visit. She was nervous but a very good patient. Instead of taking the time to calm her nerves Dr. Sid was harsh & even pulled on her leash when she didn't instantly follow me outside the office.

PISSED THE HELL OUT OF ME!

So I remembered awhile back our friend recommended his vet & decided to take a chance. Thank goodness we did! This past Sunday I noticed a bump on the outside of his left ear. I made a trip to the new Vet but they were closed for the weekend. :( So I called on Monday & made an appt.

The vet was really nice & gentle with Oscar. She inspected his bumps (he now has 4) & said it could be an allergic reaction to a fly or another bug bite. He's to take medication for the next two weeks. If it doesn't improve within the two weeks OR if it worsen within the next couple of days we have to take him back for a biopsy. :(

Of course I'm hoping for the best & that it is just an allergic reaction but there's the horror in having to wait.

Thank you for reading & understanding I'm a HUGE crazy dog lover that tends to freak out before it's necessary.

How cute is this face?!

The best things come in 3

2008-05-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

I love my brothers. They each have their quirky personality & personal goals. I love that they're becoming their own person but a bit sad that the little boys I use to read bedtime stories & run around w/super soakers (ok maybe we still do that) are turning into men. There's nothing I wouldn't do or haven't done for each of them. The youngest of the 3 marvels me with his passion for music. He started off in band knowing nothing about any instrument but the name Trombone. Now he's first chair Trombone player & on the honor band. Last night I received a phone call full off good exciting news from Richard.

R : Guess where we're playing?

B : Ummmmm Disneyland? (oh wait he already played there)

R : No the STAPLES CENTER!

B : Holy crap WHAT?! The Staples Center that's huge!

P : For the Playoffs?!

B : Holy crap for the Lakers?!

R : *basting in all his glory* YEAH!

How exciting! His goal for tonight is getting Kobe to sign his Trombone. Keep your fingers crossed! He's such a successful young man & I'm so proud.

Congratulations Richard I love you!

The time has come

2008-04-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

To make the big cut! Ever since I was a little girl (no lie) I've wanted short hair w/bangs. My mother had other plans. Her plans included long locks full of knots & LONG showers consisting of rinse & repeat. UGH. I've always had a love/hate relationship with my hair. I loved the curls but hated the process. I have to scrunch, towel scrunch, dry, hairspray, scrunch, towel scrunch, dry, hairspray. You get the idea. So after a long 25 years........the deed is done.

After cutting the first 10" lock there was no turning back. I've had many different responses some good some WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO?!!! hee hee but most importantly Paul absolutely went ga ga over the new look (Choowwww!). To tell you the truth I was thrilled with the process & end product! It's lighter & a completely different look. I love, love, love it!

Snip, Snip

2008-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Long weekends

2008-04-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but this weekend felt extra long & I loved it! Even though it's part of the weekday Thursday after work we decided (ok I decided but then I help Paul decided he wanted to as well) hike up the mountain trail near our condo. I didn't take a pic of the actual mountain (ok really big hill) but you get the idea.

There's our condo! Well....if you squint really hard. :p

You can see the 210 freeway to the left.

On Friday we relaxed & cleaned the house. I love the smell of a clean house.

Then Saturday I headed out to the beach w/Diana (BFF!) to Balboa beach. Paul stayed home & played sports w/the boys. Crazy boys running in the sun. We went where our toes could dig into the sand. The weather was perfect!

Then on Sunday Paul & I went swimming. :) The water was freezing! We decided the best way to get over the shock...was to jump in. :/ It wasn't so bad after my internal organs started working again. After swimming a few laps the water turned warm & it was really nice. The day was super hot so a cool dip was just what we needed. Afterward we head to PinkBerry. I've heard so much (yays & nays) about the place we decided to check it out for ourselves. WOW. The line was out the door so it was obviously the trendy thing to do. I loved all the gadgets along the wall which, were also for sale. I played w/each one as we waited. When it was finally our turn we realized we had no idea what we wanted. :p Our cashier was really nice & patient w/us newbies. Paul had Original with Kiwis, Strawberries & chocolate chips & I finally decided on a original/green tea swirl with granola, Fruity Pebbles (they're after my own heart) & rice cake bits formed into a marshmallow goodness.

I checked online & they're not listed but believe you me they were FAB. Despite the sticky tables & neglected bathroom I can't wait for our next visit. I particularly loved that it stayed cold & kept it's form until the very last bite. Mmmm! Paul liked it but isn't sitting at the edge of his seat for another trip. Then we went off to Target to blow $100 plus on wonderful nothings that we never knew we wanted until we arrived at Target. :p The magic of the red clearance tag! If you're a sucker like myself never look at the original listed price. It's usually .50-.75 cents more :/ Oh well! A sale is a sale!

Lovely weekend. :)

Ta Da!

2008-03-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

As promised here's a picture of our new dinette table. We love, love, love it! Let me show you a before picture.
The poops love the camera :)

Upgrade? Good! Yay, no more having guest sit at the table as we stand (yes we've done that :p). In addition to our new table we've become more willing (& excited!) to host dinners & invite friends/family over for no reason what so ever. Sounds so silly but for whatever reason knowing that we have the room has given us a boost of confidence in hosting. Since the arrival of our new table we've had several guest over (for no special occasion other than to eat & hang out), Paul b-day dinner & we also started off Movie Night. Once a month Movie Night will be held by & the host decides on the dinner & the movie of choice. The guest are not allowed to know or have any say so in the movie. It pretty fun. Well to be fair we hosted the first of many but it was awesome watching my Aunt squirm through the first hour & a 1/2 of Superbad. hee hee! Our original choice was American Gangster but my uncle started talking about SB & how he always wanted to see it. Who were we to deny him this pleasure?! :D :D

Please don't feel sorry for her. Her halo falls every now & again. After the movie ended I asked if she enjoyed the movie. Her response?

"It was like a bad smell....I just had to get use to it."

HA! I love my Aunt. She's (along w/my uncle) will be hosting next movie night. Hopefully she isn't too evil w/her selection. ;)

Side note : In addition to our new table we picked up a few throw pillows. They matched our comforter perfectly & I really loved the Giraffe inspired pattern. :)

Yes I know our headboard is horrific. New bedroom furniture is next on the list!

Molly update

2008-03-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Molly is now Carmen :)

Carmen found a wonderful place to call home w/Fernando & his son Fernando Jr. They love her to pieces & she fits in quite nicely. She follows Nanos around the house & is a wonderful playmate & can keep up with all his mischievous plotting. hee heeSince Paul & Fernando are really close friends we see her quite often (yay!). She was even at Pauls party living it up & making sure our carpets were clean (especially by the kids table). :)

Post full o'pics!

2008-03-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the post below Paul LOVED & was super excited to drive in his tagged b-day car. hee hee :)

Last night was faaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbbbbb! Richard decorated the house & filled all the goodie bags.

Good job Richard!

We had a full house (our house isn't that big) full of friends, family & dogs! :) My Aunt was so excited to come over that she was early! That was a shocking moment for us all. She's NEVER early. Can you feel the love people?

Onto the party!

Party Pooper :/My tacos were a big hit (yay!). I made Mexican rice (ugh I can't make that for the life of me blah!) & my mac 'n' cheese. Paul LOVES my mac 'n' cheese (thanks jenn!). Everybody hung out talked, laughed, yelled at the dogs for surrounding the kids table. :/ & ate & ate & ate & then laughed some more after Paul revealed Dianas gift. HA! :D

Richards awesome find :D

*tear* *tear* His first Blu-Ray movie for his new Blu-Ray Dvd player thingy :/

He made out like a bandit!

The night ended with goody bags, American Idol worthy singing & yummy, yummy ice cream cake.

Happy Birthday Pauly Wally!

Fun!

2008-03-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Aww he's my little protector. :)

Have some fun & try it yourself. :)

Happy 29th Birthday Baby!

2008-03-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yes it's that time of year again.

Oooo it's going to be your b-day soon!

Yeah...

So baby what do you want?"

I don't know.

Ok, if you could have anything what would it be?"

YOU! & I have you so I don't want anything

pinches Pauls nipple

STOP IT! Seriously what do you want?!

Ummmm I don't know.

Clothes? Cds? Dvd? What?!

I don't know. I know don't get me anything.

Fine. I won't.

Ok good

STOP IT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!!!!!!!!

*Paul runs away to avoid twisting of the nipple*

How do I resist the urge to sing gleefully?

One of the many reasons why I adore Paul, he's so laid back. One of the reasons why I want to strangle him? He's so laid back. I love my Paul.

Anywho, he made a strong demand for NO GIFTS! "Brandy I got my LCD Plasma that's my gift" oh blah, blah blah. So I had to be sneaky, sneaky. I kicked him out of the car after work & left with my youngest brother Richard for our adventure. :D

Last night was a blast. We had a huge list compiled with goody bags, candy, favors, decorations, balloons, presents, some HOT Stacy Adams dress shoes (what?! they're from the poopies), food, food & more food! An ice cream cake was on that list but we couldn't find one. :( I'll look again tonight. :) Oops! Scratch that. My aunt just called & the ever so delicious Mint Chocolate ice cream w/chocolate cake will be ready at 2pm today. :)

We're having a few close friends & family over for dinner. Yes, I am cooking. Don't hate. So far I haven't killed anybody & our guest last weekend loved my food. So, aw crap hopefully I didn't jinxed myself. :p

While we're at work Richard is going to set up the decorations & fill the goody bags. I think we're more excited about the b-day party than Paul! To be fair he doesn't know what we were out doing last night. Let's just say it involved a quick dash to Rite-Aid & a bottle of white shoe polish. Hee hee the employees kept staring. :D

I'll upload pics soon of Pauls reaction (he loved it) of the car decoartions & the party itself.

I had a quick return to ROSS while on our adventure & Richard found a really nice dress top for Paul. I had to fight back the tears when he offered to pay for it himself! Oh my he's growing up so fast. *tear* *tear*

Happy 29th Birthday Baby!

Not for the easily offended : Part 2

2008-03-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

In our Visual Language & Culture class we learned about 4 different religions, Western Christianity, Islamic, Hinduism & Buddhism. We had to use at least two religions to represent & then find a way to contrast our religions of choice.

I chose Western Christianity & Hinduism.

The left side represents Western Christianity & the right represents Hinduism.
Starting from the bottom up, I chose a red pot to represent love. I feel that when we're born we're filled w/love & innocence from there we grow & begin to chose our own path, meaning Religion. As we grow we decide who we are & what religion, if any, that compliments our morals.
The images are hanging from balance beams. Ganesh is a Hindu god. Hindu use bright colors & drape gold, jewels, fruit juice, goat milk the list goes on, to show respect for their gods. If they see an image in the middle of nowhere they will walk up to the image & wave so the god can "see" them & help them reach afterlife. It's quite impressive.
I chose to surround Ganesh with glitter to represent the "glowing" effect from receiving such high praise. Ganesh even though oversized he is balanced on his tray & the ropes that are holding him up are made of gold.

Now onto Western Christianity.

To begin I made the "rope" represent the crown that Jesus wore during his crucifixion. As the Jews did to Jesus, society mocks Christianity in every day life. The balance plate is made from an Easter egg. Inside the egg is a Christmas tree & the bark of the tree is a Cross. In my eyes Christianity has become a glorified Hallmark holiday that reflects on all that has to do w/money & greed rather than faith. So society puts more effort & "faith" into Easter eggs & chopped down tress to adore with jewels & gold to pronounce that we're praising & celebrating the birth of Jesus. When in fact, we're keeping with our greed tendencies & put all effort into outdoing one another & buying materialistic items to show our love for one another. With all this negative energy Western Christianity is unbalanced & struggles to hold together pure faith. So rather than shining with positive energy the religion is consumed with dingy yellow to pronounce its fading faith.

Wherever the wind takes us...

2008-03-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

That is, if the wind was named Miah. :/ Last week after presenting our sacred/profane piece our instructor Miah reviled that we would be visiting Downtown Art Walk & also announced that there would be a New Years celebration in Chinatown so essentially we could walk right over after the exhibit. Cool beans. Not only was I really excited about going out of school for class but I planned to bring Paul to experience the celebration with me.

Oh the experience we shared.

First off. Downtown Art Walk is the second Thursday of every month. So for a split second Paul freaked thinking he was stuck in class with us. Hee hee. Thankfully Miah had a back up plan. The plan was to visit the Murakami exhibit at Moca. Sweet! I was informed of the exhibit by Leslie & wanted to visit before the exhibit came to an end. Yay! Maybe the turn in plans wasn't so bad after all. So off we went (via Redline) to downtown. Walked a few blocks & arrived at Moca within 30 mins. Niiice. Now as we entered the exhibit I started taking in piece by piece. I'm one of those people that can't/won't pre-judge. You can go on & on about how you love/hate something/someone but I won't take anything into consideration of how it's/they are going to make me feel. In the end I didn't love nor did I hate the artwork. In my own humble opinion the artwork is overrated. It is unique, I'll give it that much. Unfortunately, for myself the uniqueness begins to drown in Murakami's repetitiveness. Not all pieces fell victim to this display. One of my particular favorites...

This post was originally written on 8.Feb.08. Obviously I didn't really care for the exhibit since I didn't even bother to finish my thoughts. However during our finals tonight one of the fellow adventurers shared his own re-creation of our night together. Even though we didn't join in the Chinese New Year festivities we had fun together & created a bond. These are the moments where you think to yourself, "my life is good."

Ahhhhhhh...

2008-03-20T14:50:00.001-07:00

The smell of finals is in the air...

I love surprises!

2008-03-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ok not the, "I'm really a man" type of surprise. My love is more geared toward, "I was thinking of you" moments. I had one yesterday & again today! My wonderful-awesome-thankgodIcamebacktoservice manager called me into his office after lunch & said, "I got you something."

YAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love, love, love colorful & bright post its! Color has the power to instantly but you in a good or gloomy mood & when I see yellow.......it makes me gloomy. At least in the boring Canary color Post-It has going on. :p Blah! Blah! Blah! The person in charge of ordering office supplies took it upon herself to save the company a few dollars by adding dull to our work space. BLAH! But in his own little way my mgr. said DAMN THE MAN! & showered me w/bright post-it goodness. :D Not only are they excessively bright they're also POP up Post-Its! I feel like royalty. :D I'm so happy by his act of thoughtfulness (yes that's a word) & the bright neon green post-its on my desk. :D

Then again today I was pleasantly surprised! I'm not a huge fan of sweets. Candy, ice cream (BLAH!), sweet or chocolate I can usually pass. Then there's Girl Scout cookies. Again, not a big fan. I can appreciate the thin mints but that's about as far as I'll go. Until a trip to St. Bros. w/Paul we had exactly $4 cash & I noticed a new cookie. They're called Thanks-A-Lot. Too cute. Plus they looked yummy. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh they were SOOOOO yummy! We ate the whole box before going home. :/ I'm not a huge fan of chocolate so the thin layer was perfect! Unfortunately I haven't seen a Girl Scout since then & believe you me I'VE LOOKED! So today Paul came up to me & started telling me about a customer he helped & she asked if he liked Girl Scout Cookies. Omg how perfect!!! Thankfully my loving & thoughtful husband thought of little ol' me. :D

Asante Pauly Wally!

Thanks Sher!

2008-03-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

The rules are as follows:1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.

Sherthebear

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.

Craziness starring me :

1. When we were younger I explained to my brothers how people got a bloody nose. I revealed that a small man lived all the way inside. He cleaned out their mocos & if they picked their nose they would kill him.

2. The earliest memory I can recall from childhood is a day at pre-school. We had to sit at a HUGE round table to eat lunch. I remember the table took up the whole room. It was pretty awesome.

3. I'm the only girl & the oldest (lord help me). Since being the only girl was the only thing I had going for me I told my mom that if she had another girl I'd wait until the baby fell asleep & shave her head.

4. I'm a vegetarian but I wear leather. I've stopped buying leather goods but still own quite a few products w/leather & other materials. I tend to freak out when I use my designer purses. I've cried once when using a purse made out of snake skin. I've also cried while using egg to bake cookies.

5. I have to stop at the dollar bin inside Tar-jay. Seriously, it's an addiction. Paul will dance & sing to distract me......so far it's worked once.

6. I hate cucumbers.

7. In grade school I use to pretend (w/friends of course) that I had the same powers as Evie from Out Of This World. Along w/stopping time we wore fancy dresses to make ourselves feel emperor to the other students.

Fake Friday

2008-02-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

While watching Good Day L.A. this morning Jullian made a remark about Leap Year. "Today shouldn't even be happening" little did she know how I was thinking the same thing.

Please GOD watch over my brother & give him the strength to make it through each day.

xoxoxoxo

No Name has a name!

2008-02-22T11:28:00.001-08:00

It was kinda fun calling out "No Name". However it's official please meet Molly Mae.

I added the Mae part for no apparent reason & I haven't a clue where the name Molly came from nevertheless: Molly Mae. Please keep in mind whether we keep her or not has not been "decided". At least not out loud. :) We took Molly to visit Dr. Sid yesterday. Everybody loved her! She was offered treats & lots of love. One of the nurses claimed that no dog has every eaten the healthy all bran-no taste nasty treats they had on hand. Well Molly didn't mind! She's still adjusting to eating everyday & wouldn't dare passing up a treat. During out visit she was really cautious around other people. I don't think she's every been around a crowd or maybe even inside a building. It was odd to see her so nervous around strangers. The first day I met her & called out she came so willingly. Molly was the perfect patient to Dr. Sid. She didn't growl or cry (which I can't say for the other two poopies who despise Dr. Sid). Matter of fact she didn't cry in the car either. Sadie will whine for days (which is rather annoying) but Molly just plopped down & rested up. We discovered she's 10 months to about a year & has a strong resemblance of an American Pit Bull Terrier. It was nice to finally know what breed she may be linked too. Pit Bull was a given but there was a hint of some other breed & it happen to be Terrier. After receiving two shots, two meds & a bag of Prescription Diet i/d dog food. Molly Mae weighed in at 28 lbs. We gave the Dr. a stool sample & have a return visit in one week. She's "horribly malnourished" as stated by Dr. Sid & this food will help fill her out. Surprisingly when we arrived home Molly wanted nothing to do w/the new food & Sadie gobbled it right up. Sadie rarely eats out of a dog dish so it was a nice surprise that she enjoyed the food & I didn't just waste my money. :/ Molly will learn to appreciate it. At least until she reaches normal weight. How dare she become picky! After our visit we made a quick run to Pet Smart for a collar & leash. She's been using Oscars old one & kinda looked like a boy. :/ Again, she was greeted with praises & compliments. After a few minutes of walking around she grew tired. It's so sad that she gets lethargic so quickly. We hurried home & relaxed in front of the T.V. after a few hours it was time for bed. She's been so good about sleeping in the crate we decided to let her sleep outside last night. I'm not sure how this decision was made but she slept on the side of the bed........with "daddy" lying next to her. Again! The decision has not been made whether we're keeping Molly Mae or not.

After only having her for a few days it's so funny to see her learn & adapt so quickly. She's learned to roll the food ball aroundcatch a tennis ball (after watching Sadiekins) & she's even begun taking sniff lessons from Oscar. Good job Molly Mae!

Get it papa!

Queen of random

2008-02-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

I never knew this about myself. Recently my bff(!) Jenn pointed this out to me. Not willing to believe I repeated the comment to Paul & it was confirmed......I'm hopelessly random. Now, I'm still not quite sure what this means. Am I random or just spontaneous? Let's take last night for instance. The "plan" was to finish my taxes (which I've been putting off because I'm incredibly lazy) & study for a test. Well at least the tax part was taken care of.

We live inside a gated community. Our condo is located right by the entrance gate so we're pretty much within 10 ft of the public park & the main street. While walking toward our place I noticed a dog (who I will refer to as No Name) in the middle of the road poking her nose through some trash. I initially freaked out not only because she was in the middle of the road but because a truck was heading straight toward her! So I walked (I've realized w/each stray I meet that running only provokes fear) so I briskly walked over to No Name & calmly w/a sweet voice called out to her. Thankfully she was very trusting. So trusting in fact she fell into my lap & dug her nose in between my arm. It was so touching! My heart melt when I realized how skinny she'd become. You could see all of her bones. :( I quickly took off my coat & wrapped it around her body. It was so sad. A few cars driving outside the complex stopped & asked a few questions, "was she the one in the fight? was she with the other dogs?" I had no clue. At that time I didn't even see any dogs. I had Paul go inside to get a collar & a leash (we have extras through out the house because I'm a compulsive shopper). I carried all the way to the front portion of our condo. To avoid any conflict I wanted her to meet Sadie & Oscar on common ground. As soon as they showed interest in one another we praised & gave out treats. No Name gobbled them right up! After the intro we decided to take them inside. Oddly enough she didn't understand what stairs were or how to get up them. So I placed a treat on each step & she climbed right up!Once inside I gave her a bowl of dry food. Poor thing was so hungry! I placed my hand inside to bowl to see her reaction & thankfully she just ate around it. Not sure of her background I wanted to make sure she wasn't aggressive. The other poopies even walked around the bowl while she was eating & nothing. YAY!

After praising her good behavior we gave No Name a quick tour of her new home, don't tell Paul I said that ;).

Look at that floppy ear!

Her gorgeous eyes :)

Next, we headed to the bathroom for a much needed bath. Getting her inside the bath was fun. :/ She stiffened & tried to escape. So since she was determined to fly out of the tub.......I joined her. :) It was pathetically sad when she began to push her nose through the crack of the shower doors & started to climb up the wall to avoid getting wet.

Notice all the dirty water!

She can't even believe all that dirt was on her!

After a nice hot bath we dried her w/a towel fresh from the dryer. Oscar & Sadie love this part. After washing all the gunk & dirt off of her coat you can see just how beautiful & shiny her true coat can be! Then afterward Paul took all three out for a walk. While they were away I made a quick dash to PetSmart to pick up a crate. If we learned anything from potty training Sadie it's you should always crate train them. That was not a easy or cheap lesson to learn. Plus the crate also acts as a "den" which can help calm any feeling of insecurity w/their surroundings.

Our first night with No Name was actually pretty easy. She realized begging for human food was wrong & not to go inside the kitchen.

She laid at our feet during American Idol & went into her crate w/out (much) hesitation. She's a real sweetheart & I'm really glad she found us. Since I have class tonight Paul is taking her to meet Dr. Sid to make sure she's healthy (besides malnourished), fixed & to check if she has a chip. I cannot express how well behaved No Name is around us & our poopies. She didn't mind my touching her feet & she loves Paul. I was really excited that she didn't fear men. Alot of strays unfortunately have that common fear. I'll be sure to keep you updated on No Name. We're still up in the air about whether or not she's going to stay w/us. First step is taking her to the vet & we'll go from there.

She seems to fit in rather nicely don't you think? :)

The calm before the storm...

2008-02-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend was jam packed full of family time & emotion. Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home. Subconsciously I believe this was intentional. I've been avoiding the emotional roller coaster that's waiting for me once Jeremy leaves to Iraq. On his last tour I went crazy. Sounds incredibly stupid since I'm not the one over seas but it's still hard to be so far away & not being able to help him. My brothers are more like my children so I guess that's why I take the time away & the horrific circumstances so hard to deal with. I'm incredibly blessed to have him home. Especially since we had a scare that he might not be coming home as planned. Due in April but extended until July we moved our wedding date & prayed for his safe return home. Luckily, we were surprised when he arrived home in May. He actually surprised me at work & I remember it like it was yesterday. I hugged him so hard he probably couldn't breathe! I was crying, laughing & shaking so hard that my customer probably thought I was crazy. But here we are again. He was home for so long & it was fun while it lasted & honestly all the time in the world wouldn't be long enough.

So blah, blah, blah these are the exact thoughts I've been trying to avoid. Onto my story of random shhhhhhhhittttttaaaaa.

Prior to the weekend events I had to make a quick stop to Barnes & Noble for Jeremys going away present. While celebrating Phillips birthday Jeremy would not stop talking about & quoting the ever famous Superbad movie. So I began my search for the movie script. Not only did I find the script but Superbad : The Illustrated Book included alot of extras: interviews, pictures on & off screen a special section including certain uhh drawings. It was beyond perfect. Then on my way back to my car I saw this gem.

It was incredibly windy this past weekend so I'm sure it flew off of some ones ear. How sad for that person. I wonder if it belonged to somebody that doesn't normally wear earrings & they took this as a sign to never wear earrings again or if they were a gift from an ex lover or they were a gift from a recent love that they weren't sure whether they should stay with or not & hello! this was obviously a sign to leave that cheating bastard. Ahhhhh imagination is a wonderful getaway. So until fate brings the previous owner & I together the feather has a new home.

Afterward I stopped by my favorite store. Glorious Marshalls. I can always find crap I don't need but want desperately. Friday was no exception. After finding out the wallet I requested from Karma was no longer available I found a fab substitute.

Thanks Karma.

xoxoxo

Teller 2

2008-02-15T09:53:00.001-08:00

Design Process :

The background is black poster board.

I drew the mouth & cut out the outside spiral pieces from Bristol paper.

The hands were magazine cut outs.

The teeth were outlined with yellow sewing thread.

The lips & teeth were painted with Acrylic.

Thought Process :

When the project was presented to the class I knew immediately that I wanted to have a smile that formed into a droop. The original concept included blocked images of "flesh" with hands. All cut outs from magazines. After compiling the blocked images I quickly realized I hated that idea. The original thought for my mouth included a cut out of foil to represent the flash that comes from super shiny teeth. We didn't have any foil so that idea got nixed. The lips were going to be pulled down with thread but then I realized that didn't fully represent my full thought process. So that's how I came up with the end product.

I truly loved my color theory class. I took it over a year ago & still to this day (almost every day) I use the meaning of colors & their communication with one another to it's full extent.

Red : Love

White : Purity

Yellow : Happiness

Green : Growth

Purple : Frustration

Sacred/Profane Aspects :

This piece represents how I feel the world see's me. The smile is both sacred & profane. Sacred because I can gain trust from strangers & it helps people open up to me. The profane aspect is that at times it can be fake. If I'm caught with out a smile there's something terribly wrong. So to avoid constant questions I instead hid behind my smile. My smile allows people to ask & take advantage of me. That's where the title comes into place. Teller 2. So much is asked from me that there are no thoughts of "asking" & the deliberate use of telling me to do task falls off the tongue so easily that it begins to sound more as Teller 2 then Tell.Her.To. The droop that my smile trickles down to shows my hidden feelings of sadness. Through helping others deal with their problems & help make their life easier I loose myself. The swirling pieces in the background represent how I see myself. A swirly mess lost in a world of "want". The hands are others taking pieces of myself to call their own. Taking my life & making it about theirs.

Even though this is obviously a troubled piece that's where the importance of color meaning comes into play. As you can see the red is very dominant. This is because my love for my family is very important to me. My family is my life & I wouldn't have it any other way. The purple represents my frustration over being taken advantage of again & again. The green shows growth. I am determined to overcome this handicap of always saying yes. Over time & triumph I will make time for myself & my needs without feeling guilty. The white represents my morals. No matter how much people pull at me & tell me to do task for them I'll never go against my morals. As I was growing up it was assumed that I would be a high school drop out, have kids before marriage & live off of welfare. I was adamant to not let these negative thoughts pull me down. That's where the yellow comes into play. I truly am a happy person. I love life & I'm truly blessed to have the opportunities' that have been given to me & able to share it all with my family. Last but not least the gift to have met & spend the rest of my life with Paul makes me smile uncontrollably.

Final Grade : B+

In the end I'm happy with my piece & the grade I received. How can you grade art? It just seems impossible. However, I could critique it for hours on end.

I would love to hear your thoughts & critiques (good or bad) regarding

Teller 2.

<3 <3 <3

2008-02-14T08:22:00.001-08:00

There's something so elegant about receiving a single rose.

Happy Valentines Day!

YAY!

2008-02-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

Awesome finds all around!

The lovely giraffe pendant I ordered from Etsy yesterday has been shipped.

I bet it'll go perfect with my new pumps.

I.am.Tired

2008-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

I’m not just tired I am effin tired. My eyes burn & my legs are sore. I am far from my crazy club-hopin days where I got home at 4 in the morning just to wake up for work at 6. Amazingly enough I always felt refreshed. Those days are LONG gone.

This semester I signed up for two night classes one on Wednesday & one on Thursday. Each class is scheduled 6-10pm. If I’m lucky & leave on time I’ll make it home a little after 11. The traffic is non-exist going to school & home so essentially it’s the perfect schedule. I just need to adjust to the long hours. I’m rambling. I do that.

Anywho, so yesterday our class had a planned trip to The Way We Wore. Along with the trip a scheduled appt to meet with Doris Raymond was arranged. Fabulous woman. Fabulous. If you ever, ever have the pleasure to meet Doris I hope that your experience is as exhilarating as my own. Through her stories of triumph & failure I was able to share a speckle of her amazing journey. She is beyond humble & willing, so willing to answer all questions. If she doesn’t know the answer she knows the person who can help you & is so full of knowledge. Book smart & knowledge through life lessons. I truly cannot say enough about her. The experience was one in a lifetime. The only way you can meet Doris is through an appointment. Appointments are hard to come by & we were very fortunate that she made the time to meet with our class. Not only did she take the time for class but after all the other students left (a little before 8 pm) Rachel (another student) & I stayed to ask more questions & pick her brain. Doris stayed with us until 9:30, until 9:30! Needless to say after gabbing with Rachel afterward I didn't get home until after midnight :/ Anywho, back to the fab Doris!

She did not once complain about our extended visit & encouraged our questions & thoughts. She allowed us to go into her “closet” which is where clients are taken to pick through the best of the best. The room was filled top to bottom of clothes, accessories, magazines ranging from Vogue to Montgomery Ward. It was gold. Pure.Gold. Going over books, websites, designers, places she’d been oh! The list goes on & on. I am just so thankful. Plus I had the pleasure of being able to afford some of the precious items she’d found.

As you can see even the poops have good taste. I bought the red knit cap, pearl necklace w/the lovely ruby accent & heart throbbing vintage Salvador Sapena pumps for under $140. That's what I really loved about her shop. Most items were really affordable. The layout of the store really has the consumer in mind. All items found on the lower level are reasonably priced. But, wow. The top floor.......I was among the greats. YSL, Chanel, Louis, Dolce & Gabbana half the names I didn't even know how to pronounce! How she finds these delicious treasure is truly beyond me. She explained a lot of it was through trial & error (bidding on pieces through auction). One of the many amazing stories she shared was one of Sonia Delaunay. While scouting out other vintage shops she came across an original (!) Sonia Delaunay hat & scarf. At the time she just had a hunch of it maybe, being a Sonia Delaunay original but wasn’t too sure. So instead of passing up the opportunity she bought the pieces for one hundred & fifty dollars. I cannot stress that amount enough. ONE HUNDRED AND-okay you get the point. Anywho, come to find out they were true originals. Sonias son send Doris a certificate of authenticity. Now, with this authenticity her items are worth more than you can imagine. But it's more than the worth. Having an original is priceless! To be known as an owner to an original piece is mindboggling.

The goods don't stop there. Through all her well sought out items Doris is very well known through the fashion industry. A list clients are constantly buying & "borrowing" items helping her name become well known & business thrive on word of mouth.

Photos were not permitted but I tried to take a few w/my camera phone. The pictures do not do her items justice nor does the website. So after the exhileratng high of meeting with Doris & drolling over her treasures I quickly hit the low of my high. Now, here I am at work trying to keep my eyes open.

Just one more trip…..I swear I can stop anytime.

Then again, there's always Tar-jay to hold back the urges...

Hello Lover...

2008-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

Happy 18th Birthday Phillip!

2008-02-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday the world celebrated Phillips big day via SuperBowl. :) Thankfully his mgr was super cool & gave him the day off (yay!). The night before Paul & I went out w/some family members to Chevys. Throughout dinner we heard hollers all around for b-day celebrations. The employees sing & give out little mini desserts. Best of all, they make the b-day boy/girl wear a sombrero. Hee, hee. Oh yeah, we were taking Phillip there for his b-day. We met up w/Phillip his girlfriend Rena, Jeremy & Nikita in West Covina. The place was DEAD. Plus our waiter sucked but it gave us a key conversation peice. Hee, hee yes I'm evil. Onto the gifts! We bought Phillip a stack of Scratchers. He won $54! Lucky duck. Along with the $54 he also rec'd an itch for gambling. Oops. Jeremy splurged & bought him a really nice tie, dress socks & dress shirt. Not too shabby for turning 18. ;) It's no car but hey......Love is priceless.

Awwwwwwww love at 18 ;)

Not for the easily offended

2008-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

This semester I enrolled into Visual Arts & Culture. So far it's been an interesting debate about art in general. This past week we discussed : Chris Ofilis The Holy Virgin Mary & Andres Serranos Piss Christ. Don't click on the link just yet...

Chris Ofilis The Holy Virgin Mary

Andres Serranos Piss Christ

The discussion started based off the image alone. Without going into detail as to how the image was created and/or the artist intent we were asked if we viewed it as sacred or profane. It was interesting to hear various observations & after knowing how each image was created some views were retracted. I'd love to hear (before reading each article) how you view each image.

Assigned for this weeks homework we were asked to created an art piece (any visual of our choice) to display what we found to be profane & sacred about ourselves. I took (cell phone) pictures from beginning to start of my own piece. I have to admit as the project came along I changed my visual more than twice. A better picture with my digital camera will be posted shortly but as an exercise for myself I'd like to expose my creation before explaining my intentions.

Randomness galore

2008-01-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

1. Clean out desk CHECK!

2. Clean out computer files CHECK!

Karma loves me!

2008-01-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Despite the name changing drama there was also another happy reason to change my name.

Tada! It's our fab wedding present from Paul's brother & our sis-in-law.

We headed out to Anaheim to check out our brick. We've been so busy with the holidays that we haven't had time (yes I know I haven't blogged about Christmas either!) but w/my new work schedule we planned on going to Disneyland for our Anniversary. The weather however had other plans for us. Since it was raining so hard back at home we decided to visit downtown Disney check out our brick & grab a bite to eat. So we headed out & arrived at 3 pm. Well to our surprise the weather was perfect! It wasn't raining & on top of that it wasn't even cold!

For Christmas Paul bought me an annual pass. It was basically a gift card for Disneyland so if I lost it there would be no way to trace it. After asking an employee how to validate my card he said to go inside. Go inside? Really? I don't have to pay? So I walked through the front gates & couldn't stop smiling. I've always loved Disneyland. We use to go for my birthday when I was a child so it always brings back happy, fun filled memories. Now "the plan" was to validate my card, get lost in the crowd & wait for Paul inside :D Luckily it was easier than I thought. They didn't care whether I stayed inside or not but I still felt a tad guilty. That was before buying a blanket for $35 & a pair of sandals for $14 (please note the 4" heel boots that are NOT made for walking). Not only was the weather perfect (no rain) but we were just in time for the Christmas parade. Karma loves me. :) There was hardly anybody at the park & we walked onto every ride! The longest we waited for was 15 mins for Finding Nemo. There we met a lovely couple that had just celebrated their 60th anniversary! They go to Disneyland every Saturday to Swing dance at the Carnation Cafe. Before going on Finding Nemo we stopped for a bite to eat at Tomorrow Land & was approached by an employee. She wanted us to be her special guest! I've never had this done before so wasn't too sure what was going to happen. We ended up getting VIP treatment & was served our lunch on a fancy table. Well fancier than sitting at a cold bench. Complete with cloth napkins straws that changed color & mini bottles of mustard, ketchup & mayonnaise. It was really interesting seeing the expressions on people walking by. We heard a few people say, "reserved?" as they walked by. It was a really cool experience.

They even gave us funnel cake for desert!

Afterwards we walked around & enjoyed the Christmas lights. Disney does a fantastic job recreating that Christmas feeling! After Pirates we waited for Fantasmic! to start. While waiting we met 3 girls that were visiting from Oregon. It was their 5th day in a row visiting Disneyland! We usually have to get to the seating area an hour & a half to get "good seats" only to be squished in by late comers. Thankfully since the park wasn't that full we sat comfortably & even started the WAVE while waiting. Getting a few hundred people to participate took a few tries but it was definitely worth it in the end. Afterwards the Christmas themed fireworks began then following immediately was "snow". The snow turned out to be soap bubbles but it was still fun. We walked around a bit, bought a new pin to commemorate the day & headed home. I was really happy to spend the time with Paul & it was nice to pretend it was Christmas all over again :)

Finally!

2008-01-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

So with my new work schedule (Friday & Saturday off) I was able to head out to DMV & Social Security to change my name. Ok, maybe because I'm a pansy to begin with but nobody, nobody warned me about the anxiety I'd begin to feel. I switched my maiden name to my middle so it wasn't a drastic change but sitting there waiting for them to call my number I began to feel really anxious & nervous. I've had the same name for 25 years & within a day I was going to leave with a new identity. Did I mention I'm also dramatic?

Despite the emotional roller coaster I also realized that my new signature is alot better than my last & the look on Pauls face, after showing him my paperwork, was worth all the grief :) Now off to make lots of babies :p

Happy Anniversary to us :)

2008-01-03T16:47:00.001-08:00

Paul & I have been together for 6 years today. :)

6 Years!!!

We've been through so much together & I couldn't imagine having anybody stand by my side through the good times & the bad other than him. He makes me stronger, will stand by my side & doesn't have a problem telling me when I'm wrong. When I've had a bad day he knows how to put a smile on my face. Most people may think this is a given with relationships but before Paul I never thought I'd want/need somebody in my life. Now, knowing & falling in love with Paul, I don't know what I'd do with out him. It sounds really corny, I know but before meeting Paul I was in a really bad relationship. So bad that when it was finally over I was so relieved I didn't want to date anybody & didn't feel as though I was good enough to love or knew how to love somebody in return.

Then I met Paul.

Most people say I love you but I tell Paul,

"You're my reward."

To Jenn

2008-01-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

With Love

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T14:14:00.001-08:00

Now this isn't going to be a post about some random NY resolution that I won't keep for more than a day but some randomness that occurred just 2 days into the New Year.

While walking to my car this morning I found a Guess? checkbook wallet near my car. I picked it up, threw it inside my Michael Kors purse, started the car & headed to work. Now completely swamped at work w/annoying co-workers that are either lazy or complain too damn much (or a bit of both) I completely forgot about the lost checkbook wallet.

During lunch I went into my fab purse & there it was.....just begging me to open it.

So I did.

Oh my. It's so interesting to go through things that aren't yours. Yes, that's right. I love going through random belongings. Medicine cabinets beware.

So to those of you that enjoy the same bizarre randomness that some call their own treasures, enjoy.

*Please note this is not an actual picture of the wallet I found. A recreated version has been displayed to protect the innocent.

I finally found a contact number for Ms. Guess? & found out (even though her ID states otherwise) she actually lives in our complex. I'm returning the found items.......but until then here's a glimpse into her life wrapped up in a 7.5" x 5.5" x 0.5" checkbook wallet.

1. Identification Card (she was born in 84 & still doesn't have a drives license)

2. Member cards galore! Blockbuster, Bebe, ClubBev!, Styles 4 Less

3. Random business cards : Verizon, Trashy Lingerie, Light & Adult Entertainment ranging from limo services to Adult services, Make-up artist (should I give her Jens number?) quite a few djs & an attorney.

4. One dollar bill & 4 pennies

5. Receipts smashed into the side pocket :

L.T. Entertainment $1200.00

CVS Pharmacy $ 3.12

Chevron 50.00

Subway 8.78

Motel 6 54.49

T-Mobile 200.00

Finding a way to contact the owner..........Priceless.

Seriously if good karma isn't a great way to ring in the New Year I don't know what is! Hopefully Karma rewards me with a new wallet I've had my eye on for at least a month now. :)

Here's to a fab New Year!

5 more days!

2007-12-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Only 5 more days until Christmas. Geez louise, on top of the fact that I only have my mother & two presents for Paul down I'm stuck in wonderful Quartzsite, Az. Blech. The fact that there's a cold named Quartzsite Crud should be description enough! But let me recap on our lovely trip out to Sacramento :) Before Pauls mother moved from Barstow to Sacramento we would spend Christmas Eve, eve at her house. Now that's she's made the move out to live closer to Jen (sil), Jeff (bil) & the girls. So, off to Sacramento we go! We flew out. I hate, hate flying. It freaks me out. So bad that I get really clammy & have to talk to myself to avoid screaming & running up & down the aisle. :/ It's really quite pitiful.

Jen, Myself
Camille & Alexis

Pauly & Jeff

It was nice to see everybody. It's really weird to have family so far away! I'm huge on spending time w/family. I hate to miss any type of event. Which, happens often since my work schedule is so wacky. So here we were spending time w/loved ones but I had a constant thought stuck in the back of my mind.

Would I be ok living out here?

Paul threw his hat into the ring when a position for Parts Mgr was opened in Davis, Ca. The mgr there now put in his two weeks. He's older & wants to start his retirement. The fab part of his decision is he wants Paul to replace him. When Paul called (he was at the Davis store) & told me Al's decision I instantly cried. Ok, so yeah I'm a huge cry baby but I couldn't help it! I was so proud of Paul. He works so hard. He deserves this. So why am I freaking out? Bottom line : I'd miss my family terribly. The upside is we won't be too far away. Paul already knows this move would be hard on me & even though we don't know a definite answer he's been really supportive. Which is why, I would move in a heart beat.

So back to our visit! We landed pretty late Thursday night so the girls were already in bed. On Friday, Jen & I headed out to the wineries. Mmm the wineries. It's not every day I get buzzed before lunch! After visiting a few (or a handful) of wineries we headed out to lunch. Jen & Jeff are members at a local winery & can visit every Friday for free lunch. Not only was it free, but it was delicious! I had a fab cranberry, white grape salad w/lots of yummy fresh bread. Jen had the same salad w/meat pasta on the side. I have wonderful pics but of course they're at home. Where I'm not :( Later that night we had "our" Christmas. Judi & her boyfriend (:p) came over to open presents w/the rest of us. I finally got my bluetooth! Now this may not be exciting to you but I've been traveling alot & holding a phone up for 4 hrs straight is NOT fun.

On Saturday we were a bunch of bums. After watching I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry we headed out to Leatherby's. It's was so delicious. I had Bart's Black & Tan (substitute vanilla ice cream w/vanilla frozen yogurt). If you're ever in the area check it out! Each glass is overflowing w/chocolate or caramel syrup & the whip cream is so fluffy! Yum!
Afterwards, we headed back home & played a Cleopatra. Now I usually hesitate to play w/Jeff. Both Jeff & Paul are highly competitive & dealing w/inpatient people makes me cranky. But I obliged & it was actually quite fun & there was very little bickering. Which made me a happy camper. :) Even though I never won :/ Afterwards, we watched Jackass the movie. Seriously, watch it. It was so hilarious to see what crazy stunt they attempted (& succeeded) to do. My favorite was Mouse Trap.

On our last day :( Sunday we went out w/Judi & Steve (:p) blah, blah, Elephant Bar, blah, blah, met Judi's neighbor who was actually quite charming, blah, blah then they drove us to the airport & we headed home!

We arrived home on Sunday (!) & I drove out to Quartzsite on Monday morning :( So I've been stuck here since! I hate it. I hate that I'm so far away from home & the highlight of my day consists of watching TMZ. It's horrible & I hate it.

At least I did hate it.

Today we had our Christmas luncheon. Now, normally I dread luncheons. I usually end up eating bread & chips. However our chef remembered that I was a veggie head & made side dishes especially for me.

I feel so loved & stuffed! I guess, I don't hate Quartzsite. Maybe dislike is a better choice of word. However, please do not for one second think I'm not ready & looking forward to getting the heck out of here! :)

Did you know?

2007-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

What the word FAMILY means?

Father And Mother I Love You

Now I don't know if this is true but I thought it was pretty interesting. I'm so glad to be done w/school (at least this semester) to spend some quality time w/my wonderful family. Mainly Paul. I've been so busy w/finals & traveling for work that we haven't had too much time together. This past Sunday I took a break from final projects & wrote out all our Christmas cards. Paul met w/our photographer earlier this week (finally!) & picked up our pro pics. They came out fantastic! I'll be sure to share some pics soon but until then here's a quick peek at our Christmas cards & a glimpse of a final project for my fashion illustration class. Enjoy!

I love the way they came out!

Sooo a little insight into one of my final projects. For my fashion illustration class we had a choice of lingerie, gown or swimsuit line. I obviously chose to create a swimsuit line. We had to create the line & include an inspiration board along w/fabric swatches. I had a fab time w/this project! I was especially excited when I found my last fabric swatch. I swear you wouldn't think it would be so hard to find white velvet but it was! I ended going out to Joanns in Montclair! But I had to pass by on my way to school so it wasn't terribly bad. Besides they give their fabric samples out for free! I usually pay 30 cents a piece!

My teacher enjoyed my line so much she asked me to create a croquis board! It's basically a colored version w/sketched models. I can't wait to get started & receive the extra credit (of course).

Since I lacked in the blogging dept.

2007-11-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

Let me catch you up, picture style!

& on that yummy note I'm off to lunch.

Is that snow?!

2007-11-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

Nah, this is California. In California we celebrate 90+ degree weather during the holidays. Unless you live in the mountains then you get snowed in. Not sure what's the better option. My fab friend Robyn asked people to post their favorite holiday memory. Wonderful idea. I didn't realize I had a favorite memory until the question was asked. Immediately I thought of last year. But first here's an insight on my twisted family. It's a Montiel tradition to make My grandma (yes MY grandma) cry at every birthday, mothers day, Christmas basically any event that has to do with presents or cards the person to make my grandma cry (to the point where she can't talk) is crowned the "winner". Please note, I did label us as a twisted family. However, we don't go out of our way.

My grandma deserves it all.

Nobody really goes "out of their way" to outdo one another but it's always nice to see who/what touches my grandma to the extent of crying. Which most of the time is a card. Oh how my grandma loves cards. :) My grandma has a hard childhood which consisted of foster & orphan homes so she truly does appreciate any little gesture. I won a few years back with an awesome pair of concert tickets to Tony Bennett. Score Grandma! Now with that in mind we really don't attempt this with one another. That all changed last year...

As always my brothers Phillip Richard (Jeremy :( was away in Iraq) & my mom came over to spend Christmas Eve with Paul & I. We always open our presents on Christmas Eve. Everybody sits around in a circle & we take turns opening our gifts. I really hate it when everybody opens their gifts all at once. You miss the reaction! I'm all about the reaction. So as always Paul played Santa & handed Richard one of his gifts.

Myself, Richard & Phillip

Now Richard is beyond amazing. He truly is & I'm not just saying that because he's my brother. Well, not solely. He has so many amazing qualities. He's not selfish. In fact it goes beyond not selfish. He's very practical. If he doesn't "need" it he doesn't want it. Silly boy. It's like pulling teeth when asking him what he wants or if he wants anything at a store. He just shyly smiles & declines. So that of course makes me crazy. To add Richard has other amazing qualities. He plays the trombone (which by the way he taught himself to do) how, you ask. Well when he joined band the instructer asked what instrument he wanted to play & Richard chose the trombone. Why, the trombone? Because it was the only instrument he knew the name to. :/ Now he plays trombone solos. He also enjoys everything & anything that has to do with Science & Math. Once we were on our way to the Aquarium & he calculated how fast I needed to go in order for us to get there in a hour (98 mph). Crazy boy. To top off his obsessions is good ol' Zelda. Zelda has been in our family since the old school Nintendo system. Richard use to watch us play & when it came time for his turn he use to play with the controller upside down. I'm tellin' ya. The kid has talent. Ok I'm losing focus. So he has endless love for Zelda & all it's magical glory.

So every time a new Zelda game is released Paul & I faithfully visit the nearest game store & purchase it for Richard. So back to my favorite Christmas memory. Last year we were taking turns opening gifts & it was Richards turn. We wrapped the game inside a box so he had no clue that the game was inside. As soon as he realized it was the "new" Zelda he looked up with tears in his eyes & wrapped his arms around me & said, "oh wow THANK YOU!" It made everybody else tear up & comment on how touched he was at our gift! It was such an amazing moment.

Ahhhhh, the Montiel tradition lives on.

I can't wait to see what this year brings ;)

Christmas, Christmas time is heeeereeeee

2007-11-21T14:39:00.001-08:00

I'm so over Thanksgiving. Ever since I became a veggie head it hasn't been the same. The only food that keeps me happy are the croissants. Truly sad. Besides they're already playing Christmas tunes on the radio so I'm obviously not alone on this one. Then to top it off my sub-conscious told me it was Christmas time through my homework.

My teacher had to point out the design was suppose to focus on plaid. What can I say? I LOVE shoes. Plus it really completes the outfit if I do say so myself. ;)

Update your blog already...

2007-11-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

Yes I'm lazy.

What's really sad is that I know I'm really lazy. Not just in the blogging aspect but in my everyday life. I will literally do everything at the last minute. Clean, call people, run errands you name it I'll avoid doing it. :) Take for example : my laundry. Ahhh, how I loathe washing clothes. Just the thought of having to do laundry makes me wanna sit in front of the t.v. & veg out. Last night a miracle occurred & not only did I make dinner (spaghetti) but I also did two full loads of laundry. While sorting out clothes I realized the last time I washed was before our cruise in August. Oops.

Yaaaaaaay!

2007-10-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Paul is finally home *insert cheesy smile* I stopped by Tar-Jay before heading to the airport to surprise him with Transformers....little did I know he had a few surprises for me :)

First off he bought me a new book. YAY! It's Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons. The novel opens with, "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy." I love how he knows me so well. I'm super excited to read it tomorrow at work. Then the Crème de la Crème, he brought home our personalized Disneyland brick replica. Double YAY! This was our wedding gift from Pauls brother, his wife & two nieces. My now brother, sister-in-law & nieces :) Apparently his brother had it for quite some time but never mailed it out :/ Oh well, que sera, sera. The point is we have it now. Here's a few snapshots of it, in all it's glory. I can't wait to see the real deal installed at Disneyland next month.

Our mini bricks new home is on our coat rack. The porcelain statue was given to us by my awesome brother Richard a few years back for Christmas . He said it was us. :) Yay! I love you Richard MUAH!

The Countdown Begins

2007-10-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Paul comes home tomorrow night. Wooo Hooo! I know. I'm a sissy la but hey that's me. I'd love to join a self defense class & learn the tricks of the trade on how to keep predators away. Not that I'm the most desirable person in the world but I do have a constant fear of being raped and/or killed. Horrific I know but it's true. So until I actually do something about my fear I'll continue to double check the locks & surround myself w/awesome friends & family :)

Diana came over on Tuesday to keep me company. It was nice to sit around & talk about boys, music, huge cups, our kids (ha!) & completely udder nonsense. The plan was to cook dinner & hang out.........well at least we hung out ;) We originally wanted to make Miso Soup. Some things.......you should really leave to the professionals. We bought the premade packets from St. Bros. Boil water & add contents. Easy right?

Well first off the water wouldn't boil. Why? Because we didn't have the stove on. hee hee Then apparently we added too much water & it tasted like water w/tofu & large leaves floating around :( As Paul would say, "it's ok baby! it's going to taste good. Mmm I can't wait to eat it!" Oh well. Thankfully we had a back up plan & made Mozzarella raviolis w/veggie rolls. Mmm soooo yummy. After admitting our defeat & giving Diana a cup that wasn't meant for a giant (don't spill!) we just enjoyed each others company. Oh & the poopies loved having Diana there :) The challenge of somebody not willingly petting their cute little head gets them every time. hee hee. So here's to good food, good company & knowing that you have awesome bffs makes Paul-less nights more bearable. MUAH! love ya Diana.......but not in a weird lesbo way. Don't touch my ass. :/

note to self....

2007-10-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

#1

Do not watch The Womens Murder Club when Pauls out of town

#2

Eating dinner alone sucks

#3

Do not eat a Snickers bar for dinner :(

4 of a kind beats a Full House

2007-10-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Four Jobs I Have Had in My Life
(1) Neigborhood baby-sitter
(2) Customer Relations at Ross *gag*
(3) Opposing Counsel Clerk
(4) Finance Ass oops I mean asst.

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
(1) Anything w/Julia Roberts
(2) Pulp Fiction
(3) Beaches
(4) Superbad

Four TV Shows I Like to Watch
(1) Greys
(2) The Soup
(3) Kimora : Life in the fab lane
(4) Private Practice

Four Places I Have Vacationed
(1) Vivaaaaaaaaaaa Las Vegas
(2) Catalina Island
(3) Santa Barbara
(4) Ensenada

Four of My Favorite Dishes
(1) Miso soup
(2) Fake sushi
(3) Portobello mushroom sandwich
(4) Pauls creative dish of the night ;) Ooo! or his awesome oatmeal.

Four Websites I Visit Daily
(1) The Knot/Nest
(2) Myspace
(3) Blogger.com
(4) Mmmm goes Gmail count?

Four Places I Would Rather Be
(1) In Pauls arms
(2) In Pauls arms
(3) In Pauls arms
(4) In Pauls arms....i'm officially freaking out :( thank you for diana for being an awesome friend :)

Four Bloggers I Am Tagging
(1) Brenda tagged everybody :(
(2) Ok non bloggers
(3) Juuuulllliaaaaaaaa
(4) Diana :D

Dedicated to Juuuuliiiiiaaaaaa

2007-10-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

65%

you should blog about my blog that talks about how i'm addicted to blogging & how I encourage (nice huh?) you to start your own blog to talk about how you didn't want to blog but you're blogging 'cause you love me :D

Happy 3rd Berfday Sadiekins!!!

2007-10-15T19:27:00.001-07:00

Ok, so technically Sadies birthday was on Oct. 3rd but I've been busy/lazy about updating my blog spot & OH! the updates I have to share!!!! But this is about Sadie not my awesome dates nights w/Paul, the hummingbird that flew into our condo or my adventures back to school.

So I'm a crazy dog person & I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Sadies birthday is actually the first day we brought her home & welcomed her & all the craziness (anti-social skills, pooping in the house, clawing at the bedroom door & lifting up the carpet because she wanted inside & who can forget....her chewing on my fav pair of Roxy moccasin style sandals among other shoes that I left out *breath brandy breath*) but through it all we welcomed, embraced & nurtured every part that was our Sadiekins w/open loving & very forgiving arms. She was already a year old when we first met her at the Moreno Valley Dog Shelter. She was an ugly little thing. On Pet Harbor she was listed as a long haired doxie but in person she was a rat w/a Mohawk. Then to top it off she was crazy. She was beyond paranoid & wouldn't sit in our lap for more than 2 seconds before running off in fear that we were going to touch her. So with that in mind we were getting ready to leave & I was actually the one who was hesitant. What if she didn't get along w/Oscar? What if she wasn't the "one"? What if she'd always be crazy & wouldn't let us touch her? So off we went to think it over......well almost. The employees asked us what we thought & we were honest. So they respected our decision........yeah right. Instead they told us Sadies horrible story. Sadie had been picked up by the pound TWICE before. She was picked up in the alley way & the owner picked up each time. Well this was Sadies third visit to the shelter. Her owner brought her in to be euthanized.

:( Don't cry. This story has a happy ending full of treats, doggy dates at the park, ball playing, beach trips, snuggling nights & loads of doggie kisses......

oh & a drawer full of doggy clothes ;)

Who could NOT super puffy heart love this face?!

Anywho, so the owners explained that their complex mgr found out they had her & pets were not allowed. So there they were.....dropping her off to be killed. Instead the employees at the shelter saw nothing wrong w/Lady (her previous name) so they put her up for adoption. The day after the picture was posted I logged onto Pet Harbor & searched doxies & ta da! Found soon-to-be Sadie :D In all fairness her face does resemble a doxie so I can see why they listed her as one. So we signed the papers, had her groomed (no more Mohawk or ticks/fleas) & took a trip to Petsmart. :D

Now here we are 2 years later celebrating the love, joy & craziness she's brought into our lives.

Wait a min....IIIIII don't have to wear the hat next...do I?!!!

As you can see Oscar & Sadie are best buds :D awwwwww can you feel the love?

Balls!!!!!!!!! Balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, balls!!!

Mommy don't you know I'd rather PLAY w/the balls?!!!!

Was there life before the poopies? Ehh who cares ;)

I can totally love her better!!!

2007-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

So where we live it's really easy to look into each other patio. Of course this is weird & invades privacy but sometimes it's hard not to look....especially when there's a crying poopy :(

Awhile back I was walking by & saw the cutest black puppy wagging her tail & yearning for attention. At the time I figured she was put outside to take a poop (since there wasn't a dog house) but day after day I realized she was always out there to greet me. Then I soon noticed that she was out there all the time. It never failed in the morning I would leave for work, she was there. I'd come home from work, she was there. Eventually I added her to my list of pups (what?) that I'd give treats to before leaving for work. Just so you know, she love bananas wrapped in bacon. So eventually I met her (Mercedes, but to be fair she looks more like a Chloe so we'll call her Chloe) owner. I told her how I was greeted every morning by Chloe & how friendly she seemed. Unfortunatly, Chloe was sick :( She had a skin disease that her vet didn't know how to treat & suggested that her owner put her down. Of course, this devistated her owner & I immediately offered information on our awesome vet, Dr. Sid. He's based out of Loma Linda & is very well known for going above & beyond for his patients. He's even performed surgeries w/out charging the owner if they couldn't afford to pay. He's awesome. Just not very personable but that's a story for another day. This story is about Chloe. So about a week passed & I saw Chloe's owner again. Turns out she only had Scabies, which is easily treatable & curable! Thank you Dr. Sid!!!! So Chloe had to take her medication daily & since Scabies if very contagious she had to be left outside for about a month or so until she was completely healed.

Fast forward to today. Chloe had an awesome recovery the medication worked right away & she was healed within a month! However, she still spends her days & nights out on the patio :( I do have to add that she now has a dog house but that can only protect her for so long. Every morning I'm on the verge of tears & anger. How could they let this poor pooch stay outside when it's over 100 degrees & when it's raining w/high winds? I know not everybody cares for their animals the same (yes Paul, I know) but I do know that animals should not be left outside when the weather is terrible. So I've been on a quest...yes a quest to somehow rescue her from living among her own feces & instead smother her w/love & long walks. My ice breaker was a bag of pig ears. I bought them for Oscar & Sadie but they were so over that. Apparently my dogs have turned into prissy little things that refused to put Ugh pig ears in their mouth. So my plan was to offer the pig ears to the owner & then slyly ask if I could take her on a walk. That way, even if it was only for an hour, she could have a bit of freedom. :D

So this morning (after day dreaming about my master plan & how I'd bring her home & bathe her since she probably smells like poopy) I got the poopies ready, grabbed the pig ears & we headed out. Of course they were full of excitement since we were GOING FOR A WALK! I walked straight over to their house knocked on their door........& was greeted by her boyfriend. Uh ok, I wasn't prepared for this curve ball. I stuttered, handed over the bag & muttered something along the lines of um yeah, ok, yeah, uh-huh, you don't know me I know your wife, pigs ears, my dogs, no likie, ok bye.

Yeah....that didn't go as planned. So I felt defeated. Ok fine. Today wasn't the day that I'd rescue little Chloe. So I started to walk away & noticed that the whole patio was cleared & cleaned. The patio chair & plants were put on top of the patio table......along w/Chloe's food & water bowl!

:( OMG now she doesn't have water?! I really didn't know what to do. So many times I debated w/myself whether I should call Animal Control to report the owners but could never bring myself to do it. But now here I am standing there freaking out deep down inside. So I decided to think about what I should do via walking the dogs. After walking Oscar & Sadie around for about 5 mins I decided to head back & in hopes of not looking like a total nut would just ask if I could take her along for our walk. That way I could take her home & give her water. YEAH! That would be my new plan.

"don't freak out, don't freak out. I'm sure this isn't weird. Would you feel weird if somebody asked to walk your dogs? well yeah but this is different. I don't let my dogs hang out in their own feces & take away their water."

Ok after about 10 mins of that nonsense running through my head I finally knocked on the door......& ta da! It's the girl I know. Thank god! I'm sure her husband thinks I'm a nut. So I apologize for being weird (ha!) & explained I was going for a walk w/my dog &....she instantly knew where I was going & she was like, "oh! you want to take her?" THANK GOD! "yeah! if you don't mind." well in fact she didn't mind & she actually asked if she could come w/us. Sweet! Now I can see if I can sway her to give Chloe to me. Hmmm....

But that' not what happened. Instead I found out she's a really great owner & really loves Mercedes. She's just busy (which I understand) & she's been trying to train Mercedes not to pee in the house (hello white carpet) & not chew on her hair clips. :/ Come down to it she can't be trusted alone which of course most puppies can't be left alone so I told her everything we did for our dogs. Crate training, Petsmart training, long walks to burn off their energy & alot of discipline. After a long walk & talking endlessly about our dogs, family, movies, neighbors you name it we talked about it we decided to meet up more often for walk dates :) So I'm really happy to report that Mercedes is actually in a really nice, loving home. But she has to earn the right to be in the house by potty training & discipline classes. I really hope she (Carmela) begins class soon so Mercedes can hang out w/the rest of the family. Here's to many more positive visits, walk dates & hopefully she can learn not to try dominating my dogs by jumping on their back. Hmm Oscar didn't like that :/ Oh well. Oh & you know I'll post a pic as soon as I get one ;)Then you can fall in love w/this adorable this crazy, loving, will lie down in the middle of a walk if she's tired poopy like I have.

Until then enjoy some pictures of my precious poochies :D

Now onto my next rescue......la la la

How do I love thee....

2007-09-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

No not you......my husband *enter obnoxious girly laugh here*

With our busy work/gym schedules & with school right around the corner Paul & I decided to have a "date" night. Usually during the weekend we're so busy meeting up w/friends & family that we don't really make time for us. When it is just the two of us hanging out we're stuck in front of the t.v. or meeting at the market to shop for groceries. Ahh how romantic. Ha! So "date night" has now begun. :

The "rules" are simple. We swap weeks, we have to do WHATEVER the other person plans & it can be planned for any day/night.

I started off date night & I have to say it pretty much rocked. After work this past Saturday we met up at B.J.s for dinner. Since I started working out I've been craving their buffalo chicken pizza nix the chicken, just had to throw that out there. Anywho, the pizza had nothing on the awesome conversations we had & how sweet it was to get lost in our own little world. During dinner our attention turned to the table next to us. There were two couples that sat by us w/their babies. The babies were probably 8 months to a year & it was really interesting to see how each parent reacted to their cries & how they "showed" them off. While observing (ok staring) at the couples Paul said, "I can't wait until that's us" aww it made my heart melt. It's funny because that's one of the many reasons why I first became intrigued w/Paul. On our first date I noticed a bracelet hanging from his rear view mirror that said "Paul Rules"......I later found out that he volunteered at a kid camp & one of the campers made it for him. How could I not love this guy? But don't worry this baby making machine won't be in order until at least 2 years.

Afterward we drove to Redlands & went to Golden Spoon (!). Little did I know by picking GS it would spark alot of memories. Way back when Paul & I use to work by that location (before GS existed) & met at Wal-Mart located directly across the street. Stories of when we first met, dated & alot of crazy adventures we've had together. So there we were enjoying our lo cal frozen yogurt laughing & thinking how crazy these past 5 just flew by.

Wango Tango : June 15, 2002

After eating our yummy yogurt (note to self : do not order the graham cookie crumbs...they taste like sand :/) we headed home. It was funny how something as small as the idea of a "date night" brought us closer & helped us enjoy each others company w/out the stress of where should we go? What should we eat? What do you want? What do I want? The simple rules of our date night made it easy to just go out knowing the night was already planned out. Awhile back a mentor of mine let me in on the secrets to a good marriage :

1.) Never go to bed angry.

2.) Never give your car to one another w/out gas. (sounds weird but so true!)

3.) Never leave the house w/out knowing where you want to eat dinner.

After hearing #3 I had to laugh out loud because Paul & I have, on more than on occasion (ok almost every time) get frustrated w/each other over dinner plans. It was explained to me that the woman should always choose. Sound silly? Well his voice of reason was that it's a mans natural instinct to take care of his wife & make her happy. Whatever she wants to, whatever food she wants to eat if it'll make her happy then he's more than happy to do it. That's why you see men do things they don't want to do but if it'll make her happy.....he'll do it for her. So true. How many guys do you know that will iron his wife's clothes, bring you white chocolate macadamia cookies "just because" & walk the dogs before leaving work, even though she leaves an hour after him? Not many. But I know of one & that's enough for me.

July 30, 2007

Ahh, how beautiful. Through the craving of buffalo pizza, frozen yogurt & starting off date night in the end the night was filled w/laughter, love & wonderful memories. It's true. It's the little gestures that go a long way. Hmm can't wait to see what Paul has planned. ;)

Be nice Brandy

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

He can't have what?

Where are you Christmas?

Not quite sure what to title this...

Christmas survey

Shy?

I'm alive!

Tick, tick, tick goes the clock

It's that time of year again...

Jeremy & Nikita

My snuggler

Good times, good times

Don't forget me :(

WOO HOO!

The power of technology

My Sadie

Cameron's baby shower :)

6 months & 2 days

Veggie Head

Say what you need to say

We finally met Cameron Joaquin Jackson

But I lika da fried foods :(

I love my grandma

Happy Anniversary Handsome

Sadie is famous!

3 more days...

Pills suck!

Two down one to go!

Introducing Baby J!

My little hunter

Yay he loved it!

Oh happy day!

I love Target & Target loves ME

Save a life & adopt :)

Thank you for sponsoring Team Jackson!

Seriously...

Happy Early Birthday To Me!

my baaaaaabyyy!!!

The best things come in 3

The time has come

Snip, Snip

Long weekends

Ta Da!

Molly update

Post full o'pics!

Fun!

Happy 29th Birthday Baby!

Not for the easily offended : Part 2

Wherever the wind takes us...

Ahhhhhhh...

I love surprises!

Thanks Sher!

Fake Friday

No Name has a name!

Queen of random

The calm before the storm...

Teller 2

<3 <3 <3

YAY!

I.am.Tired

Hello Lover...

Happy 18th Birthday Phillip!

Not for the easily offended

Randomness galore

Karma loves me!

Finally!

Happy Anniversary to us :)

To Jenn

Happy New Year!

5 more days!

Did you know?

Since I lacked in the blogging dept.

Is that snow?!

Christmas, Christmas time is heeeereeeee

Update your blog already...

Yaaaaaaay!

Archive

The Countdown Begins

note to self....