Always Thankful!

It's time for THANKFUL Sunday again!

Today I am Thankful for,

good friends

understanding

My mom's 10pm phone calls, no matter where I am, just to say good night and that she LOVES me.  I LOVE you too mom!  :D

my dad

my brother

my sister

my other brother  ;)

Sisco Puppy

BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS!
Hope and Faith, and watching friends who are being uplifted by their GREAT belief...
My mom's GREAT Faith in candles, and the way she faithfully lights them for people who need them.
prayer circles, and people's eagerness to join them, no matter how far away they are...  in hopes that it will bring peace to others..
Sleeping in until 10:45  WTH I haven't done that in a LONG LONG time... guess I was tired!  :/
books and reading
music
fall nights
driving with the windows down
today I am also VERY thankful for the Angel's who kept red lightning from driving off the road earlier....  yikes...  that was scary!!  ;)
the smell of firewood burning in the neighbors fireplace...
The World Series, and actually getting to watch the game...  uninterrupted!  ;)
phone calls just to say hello! 
respect
This quote I ran across!

Here's to another week gone...  and for another which will soon begin...  here's to hoping we all have a GREAT week ahead!   :)

LOVE!!!

Gaby and I put together a bag of halloween goodies and mailed them to the girls.... we were so excited for them to get their box.... It was nothing big, but their reactions were seriously priceless.... ;) don't mind V's obvious LOVE for candycorn... next time I think I will just send her a box of candy corn in the mail!! ;) Thanks Cousin for taking the videos and sharing them with us!!! :)

Live your life in Harmony!

what a GREAT legacy to leave behind!
Have you ever attended the memorial service of someone's who's life was cut WAAAYYY too short?  of someone who's legacy is something everyone including myself should strive to live by? I did today.  Today I learned a little more of the type of person James was, I already knew he was a great soon-to-be husband, I also already knew he was a great father...  that was all evident in pictures that I've seen, and in the few times that I actually met him....
What I didn't know, was that he actually lived his life in harmony, in harmony with himself, but most importantly in harmony with everyone else....  And he wished everyone else would do the same...  Today I learned that he understood what was important in his life, he understood that his family came first, this guy would do anything for his friends, and he was the first to lend a helping hand...  LIVE YOUR LIFE IN HARMONY is appearantly what he wanted... and he lived it everyday, (at least that's how everyone memorialized him)
"put your energy in what's important to you, YOUR family, YOUR kids, YOUR friends, YOUR life, and spread harmony, spread harmony everywhere you go, instead of worrying about what is going on in everyone else's lives, or why...  THAT is NOT important to YOU!"  (Pastor Dave, about what was important to James, and about what how James lived his life)
You never know when it will be too late...
GREAT LESSON to learn!
What a great way to remember someone,
How we survive is what makes us who we are!
As we stood in the driveway talking today I noticed this awesome
sunset... I shared it with Michael... What a GREAT painting God has painted for us on this day I told him...  I think it means everything is going to be ok....  ;) we both just stared at it, lost in our own thoughts...  I think Pastor Dave heard me, because he nodded his head too...  ;)
 

again, God's painted a beautiful picture for me.... This one reminded me that with Faith comes Hope, and it is only with faith and hope that we are able to continue on our journey....
"If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."
Author Unknown
RIP James...  Thanks for reminding me/us what's important today, and thank you for always greeting me with that great big smile of yours, even though you hardly knew me....  BUT most IMPORTANTLY thank you for loving my friend and her babies the way they deserved to be LOVED...

A Shogun Birthday Celebration!!

Happy Birthay to Me, Rachelle and Sarah!

Yummy sushi!!  :)  and a pineapple drink, I'll be honest...  It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be...

Birthday ice cream sunday with an umbrelly...  YYEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!  :)

...and a pumpkin spice Bundt cake from nothing Bundt cakes...  Thanks Carlie, it was delicious!

...and DeBran made yummy apple pumpkin cupcakes...  these guys were to die for, I think I ate 2... shhhhh...  don't tell anyone!  I wonder if she'll wanna share the recipe with me!!  ;)

....time for a group shot!  :)  Thanks everyone for coming out to help us celebrate...  :)

Happy Birthday again girls...  and next time we really need to take a non creepy eye picture!!  ;)  gotta LOVE a good ol' phone pic!!  ;)

Trust in God..... ALWAYS!

I think it finally hit me today....  again God called another one of his children home...  and again it was someone I knew, not very well, but what I knew of him was enough...  I got home from work on monday and after thinking about it all day, the unfairness of it all, the why's, it finally hit me...  the reality of what happened was fresh in my mind. The similarities to something I had gone thru a few years before...  I think it finally ended up being too much, so I ended up walking to the front yard, JUST BECAUSE, I needed to think, I needed to sort it out in my head, I needed to be alone with God, I needed reassurance! I needed "understanding" just then I noticed the most BEAUTIFUL sunset sky...  I sat in the driveway trying to put together my thoughts and the events of the 24 hours before....  I also talked to God, and asked Larry to welcome James home...  I'm pretty sure they're up there getting along just fine...  :)  I also reflected on my sisters strength, and Bee's strenght...  It's always amazing to me how strong we become when tragedy strikes...   how we're able to gather strength from above to be supportive understanding and helpful... 

Today I was sad, I was sad for a friend who's life just came to a traumatic stop, for a little while, someone who's life just took on a completely different direction. I was sad for the kids that were left behind, I was also sad for the parents, friends and anyone else who was left behind to pick up the pieces, to understand why things like these happen...

As I did that, I took in the most AMAZING almost soul cleansing sunset...

...and slowly I became hopeful, hopeful that no matter how devastating this was to a family, it was within God's plan.  Why I have no idea, I may never know (today 10/29, was the service, and Bernadette said the same thing....)  I was also hopeful that this family will make it thru, Bernadette is seriously one of the STRONGEST, most POSITIVE people I know!

In the midst of my talking to God, I took the picture below...  and I swear, it looks like there's an Angel flying in the clouds...  :)

...and then my phone went off...  it was Jaime, she had sent a picture and all it said was " a little glimpse of Heaven" Oh how right she was....  isn't her picture beautiful? 

Bee is someone I have known forever, she's been around so long, she's practically part of the family! when my sister got the call, I prayed for the best, although in my heart I think I knew, and my heart hurt, my heart hurt for someone who deserves nothing but the best...  I couldn't stop thinking about it/them, I was mad, mad that life could be so unfair... I prayed for her, the kids, and mostly for my sister...  I prayed for God to give her the strength she would need to be there for her Best Friend, it's hard, I know, I've been there....

God gives us a sunset everyday that reminds us of the awesome beauty in His creation and shows His unconditional love for you and me.

"Beyond the sunset God

waits for you and me."
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.- From a headstone in Ireland

Giving Thanks!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Birthday week/month finally came to a stop today...  I'm a little late giving thanks only because the week ended in a way that I wished had been different! 

I had an AMAZING week and I have my family and friends to thank for that! 

I also treated myself to a massage during the week, and I got my hair did, and there may have been a little shopping spree!!  ;)  Not a big one...  we all know shopping isn't really my forte!!! 

Somewhere in there, there was a facial too...  How could I turn down a facial that contained pumpkin enzymes???  haha!!  I know, I have sucker written ALL over my forehead!  :)

I had many a birthday wish...  on the phone, thru txt, on facebook, and there was even a birthday song thru skype!!  ;) 

Oh and as is customary, I got a call from my grandma in Guatemala at 4am...  it never fais, EVEN when I was in college she would call that early....  haha!  I'd blame it on the time change, but I'm not sure that's it anymore!!  ;)

Thank you everyone for making me feel special all week! 

My sister and Mike made me the most DELICIOUS DINNER, and my dad drove a LONG distance to pick me up a yummy birthday cake...  Thanks mom for sending him out there!!  ;)

Then there was a B-day BBQ specially for me...  it contained all of my favorite foods...  YUMMM...  :)

...And I can't forget about the Disneyland birthday celebration..  we went, rode a few rides, walked around, shopped some, mentioned the fact that it felt weird without the kids and then came home!  ;)

Thanks again everyone...  you all did a terrific job making me feel special ALL WEEK!!!  :)

Life's Short. Live Passionately! :)

I took this picture a few weeks ago on my way to work!  I am seriously proud of this picture...  Honestly I have NO IDEA why???  Maybe it's because I feel like I captured what God was trying to tell me PERFECTLY!  ;)

It came at the perfect time too!!  ;)   Oh how I LOVE the pictures God paints for me, so that I may understand what he is trying to tell me!!  ;)

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."  :)
 -- Albert Einstein

.....and with a little "editing"!  ;)

Life's short. Live passionately!♥
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be ALIVE, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love-then make the day count!"
~ Steve Maraboli

Birthday Weekend!!

Friday: my Birthday!  :)

It was a terrific day..  full of birthday wishes...  and yummy food!  :)  I met the girls for lunch, and then went back to work.  :)  Gaby and Mike made a DELICIOUS dinner in honor of me!!  :)  the food was so yummy that I had to share...  ;)  some day I will figure out how to make the pictures into collages, until then, you get to enjoy them, one by one!!  ;)

My yummy birthday steak!  :)

The salad was just as good as it looked on the picture!  ;)

mmmmm.....  :)

haha!!  YES!  I was excited!  ;)

...and there was wine!  ;)

...and this guy came to the party!!  ;)  isn't he so cute??  ;)

...after dinner, the boys watched TV, and I guess I took a nap!  ;)  that dumb couch gets me EVERY time! 

my mom played with Sisco!

awwww.... :)

My dad traveled far to get me a cake...  and let me tell you it was well worth it!  I LOVED it!  it was definitely tasty!  ;)

Happy Birthday to me, with my Skype friends!  ;)  It's not the same without them!!  ;)

Happy Birthday to me!  ;)

This was seriously the BEST card EVER!!  :)  They had Sisco sign it for me with his paw...  can you see it?  it was super cute!  I LOVED it...  The things dog owners will do!!  haha!!  :)  Thank You Mike for helping to get the perfect signature!  LOVE YOU GUYS!  :)

a family shot...  my brother had to miss out because of work, but he was here in spirit!!  :) We still need to teach Sisco how to pose for our family pictures!  ;)

mom, and her girls!  :)

Thank you guys for everything, everything was deliciously tasty!  :)

Saturday: Birthday BBQ

Thank you! Jessica, Jaime, Melissa, Bobby, Chris, Ella, Lukey, Owen, Brody, Jakey Boy, and Miss Layla for celebrating with me today, the day was GREAT, the food was DELICIOUSLY TASTY, and the company was WONDERFUL!!!  :)  Love you guys!!  :)

The girls!  :)

Ella made goody bags for everyone including me...  the birthday girl!  ;)  she made a moose hand puppet! 

...and Jack-o-lanterns!  there were also butterflies, and other jack-o-lanterns in there too!  :0  thank you ELLA BELLA!  I LOVED your goody bag...  :)

Pretty decorations!  :)  and a perfect day for a BBQ!

mmmm...  The "treat" table....  Jessica made banana cookies and pumpkin bread!!  YUMM!!!  those are a few of my favorites..  and look at those yummy caramel apples too!  :)

They all got together and cooked all of my favorite foods, and I say all, because the boys helped too!  ;)   and we were ready to eat!!  :) tri-tip, corn on the cobb, salad, fruit

...and twice baked potatoes...  :D  I was super excited to see these guys!  ;)

and pasta salad, and pistachio salad, and rolls, and I'm sure there was more stuff I missed...   ;)

...and Melissa made these super tasty apple turnover fritter things that I LOVED....  they are probably my new favorite thing to eat for breakfast!  ;)

Happy Birthday to me!!  :)

Thank you again guys...  Everything was GREAT!  :)  you guys seriously made my day!!  :) xoxoxo

Sunday: Birthday celebration at D-land!

It has become a birthday tradition, Gaby and I go to the Happiest Place on Earth to celebrate our birthdays...  it's sorta like our sister day!!  ;)

I have no idea how we've never ran into this before, but we did today...  they had a special Dia de los Muertos display...  ummm...  ok...  ;) 

Dia de Los Muertos, is a holiday celebrated around the world in many hispanic cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

we had to get our picture taken with the skeleton band!!  ;)

Then we moved on to Jack Skelion and the Haunted Mansion!  ;) 

The Haunted Mansion was all ready for Christmas it looks like!!  ;)

Haha!  Gaby bought me a birthday cupcake...  EVERYONE needs a Disneyland birthday cupcake!  ;)

I LOVE Halloween time at Disneyland, I think it's because it means that the holiday's are just around the corner...  and THAT is definitely my favorite time of the  year!!  :)

...and of course we needed the "Traditional" Mickey pumpkin pic!  :)

...and we spotted another perfect picture spot...  WHAT is it with me and pumpkins??  ;)

We decided to call it a day a little early after a few rides...  then we shopped on main street for a bit, picked up a little something for the girls, and decided to go on our way...  we couldn't leave without one of these though...  An Irish Creme frap from Haagen Daaz....  AAAAHHHHMMMMAAAAZZZZIIINNGGGG!  and a great way to end the day!  ;)

Thank you sister...  Disneyland was fun!  :0  Now lets go hit the Michael's sale, and see what other shopping we can do!!  ;)

....And just like that...  Birthday weekend came to an end...  Thanks again to everyone who helped make it as special and fun as it was!!  :)