Sandra Cantu

http://www.helpfindmychild.net/sandra-cantu


This is way too close to home. I pray they find this little girl and bring her home safely.

Speaking of Wal-mart

My Indiana Wal-mart buddy called me tonight to wish me a belated birthday! I feel so bad because I have been so busy that I haven't been calling my friends, but so many of them either called or emailed me for my birthday!

My Montana buddy that I have known since elementary school emailed to wish me a happy birthday. I wrote back and thanked him. A few minutes after hitting send on the email, I realized that his birthday was last week! What a terrible friend I am! I totally spaced it.

Thanks to everybody who wrote or called. It really does mean a lot to me. I'm sorry I am such a lame friend that I forget birthdays!
'

Judy Blume

I remember being somewhere near Suzi's age and reading a book called "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret."

Well, missy has a book report that she hasn't started reading a book yet. She forgot her library card, so I decided to just grab her a book while we were out today. We got a couple actually. I saw this Judy Blume book and remember I loved it.

Well, Suzi was showing Daddy all her goodies that she got today. She said, oh, yeah. My books. This one is for my book report, and mom picked these out. Maybe she's going to read them, too. I said, well, one of those books I read when I was about your age.

She said, dang! That must be a really old book!


WHATEVER (eyeroll)

I still mean everything I just posted about her before this one tho!

I miss Wal-mart!

I know people gripe about Wal-mart. The lines are long, never enough cashiers. I used to be one of those people who would gripe.

Then I moved to California. I didn't know what I had til it was gone! haha

We don't have Wal-marts in every city. It took me FOREVER to find a super Wal-mart, or redneck heaven as I call it :) Just for the record, there is one that is about 30 miles away and one about 55 or so miles away. That's where we go for date nights! haha YES, I am kidding.

I know of 3 somewhat nearby Wal-marts, 2 within about 15 or so miles. But these are the VERY OLD ones. No groceries. Very small building. I know when we lived in San Ramon, they fought to keep super Wal-mart away.

Well, I had looked everywhere for a bathroom towel that had a ligthouse motife. Guess where I found it today! And do you know how long it has been since I have had cinnamon flavored dental floss? I have had to use some nasty berry mint kind FOREVER because nobody around here carries cinnamon. But Wally world does! Woooo HOOOOOO! Life is so good!

Can you tell we spent hours at redneck heaven today? Now I know what to do when real estate has me all wound up!

And while I am talking about how wonderful life is, my feet are so happy to be wearing sandals again! It's the little things in life!! haha

I know I shouldn't broadcast this too loudly!

But I have the coolest kiddos. They are all very fine young people! My boy got me some roses yesterday and some chocolate. My girlie made me some cards. My boys also treated me to ice cream last night.

Today, He-man, Suzi and I all went to the Mongolian BBQ place for lunch. George was off to skateboard. He's been cooped up for 9 weeks :) After that, He-man drove home, and Suzi and I went to the mall and Wal-mart. It was glorious! Do you know how long it's been since I just moseyed through a Wal-mart? I got some new towels for our guests that are coming. I got some new pillows for me because I am neurotic about new pillows. Suzi wanted some lotion, so we got some tanning stuff to try. She needed some unmentionables. Yes, I am still in disbelief!

Anyway, then we hit the mall. I of course was depressed cuz I couldn't find anything I like. Which is not unusual. Every birthday I get money, and every birthday I can't find stuff I want!!!!

Suzi on the other hand....

She got jeans, shirts, some flats, a jacket from Aeropostale, and some lotions and stuff. Girlfriend made out like a bandit. She went a little nuts in Aeropostale tho. I bought the jacket, but she wanted a bazillion other things. She promised to pay me back when we got home....which she did. So Granny, you'll be happy to know, one of your Christmas or birthday monies for Suzi went towards clothing!

Now, here's the part I shouldn't be broadcasting. I could have spent hours and hours and hours and hours in that mall. I was having a blast with my little girl who isn't so little anymore. I had a little bit of a rough patch a few months ago when I realized my little baby boy is going to be graduating soon. I am a little melancholy now knowing that my little baby girl is growing up so so so fast! But how wonderful to have such a wonderful young lady to shop with! I definitely needed a little downtime. I can't think of anybody better to spend it with!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

Congratulations!!!!!!!

One of my dearest friends found out today she's on her way to a new job in Las Vegas! I am so proud of her and if anybody deserves this, she does! Congratulations, girl!

Now, hurry up and get settled because I have never been to Vegas :)

I gotta say, there's a little bit more of a draw to come see you in Vegas than in Alabama! haha

This concludes today's tour!

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

I know, these guys don't start out too pretty!



But the finished product is SOOOO YUMMY!



And look at my mountain in the background! In case I haven't mentioned it before. This is most definitely my favorite time of year!!!

Humor me! I like these guys!

This picture is a little more indicative of their size. They're pretty small. They share these holes with ground squirrels.



These are zoomed in with my fantastic CANON camera. If you're in the market, Canon cameras are the bomb! (stay away from Sony, just trust me on this!)



The sunlight kind of washed this one out.



Yes, I went back at 2 different times today. I just love watching them!



This one looks HUGE but it's because of the zoom. They're really pretty small!

Downtown

I'm sorry. I know this pic is blurry, but look at all these yellow and orange flowers! This is just an empty field right before you turn to go on the downtown street. Now, don't blink!

'

Or you'll miss our downtown :)

Actually, it's a little bigger than this, and one day I'll get more pics. My one office is around the corner here. I just LOVE where I live!

My office

Isn't it cute? This is the side view. One of these days I'll get a front view. Before I worked here, I always passed by and said, I would LOVE to see inside that place. It's really a cool place too. There's room after room after room. I usually sit on the right side of that stained glass window.



These are just out underneath that window. I'm not quite sure what they are, but I like them!




And I really like how the yellow contrasted against the red barn here.

See? I really do have a middle child!

And the boy can EAT! He finished this thing all but about 2 bites. This was called the coffin at the diner we went to.

I was on my way home from my field trips and work and George calls me.

He said, we're going to Diggers. I hadn't heard of the place so of course I asked a ton of questions. He said, it's a burger joint, wanna go?

It was about 4:45 and I didn't know where hubs was. I thought, hmmmm, it's not often my kids ask me to go eat with them (unless they need money :) )

So I said, yeah, I want to go. Wait for me. I'll be there in 5.

So, lo and behold, hubs pulled in right behind me. So we made it a family dinner at the diner!

George had the "coffin." I had a burger smothered in jalapenos (I know that surprises everybody) The 2 ginormous kids had curly cheese fries. And then Mr. Conservative had a tuna salad sandwich. He did end up smothering that in jalapenos too.

I still kind of like my kids and have fun with them.....even though they probably did invite me along so I would pay for it! :)

YAAAAAAY

They're BAAAACK!


Isn't this the most gorgeous scene?



I just love spring! It was 70 degrees today, and I actually broke a sweat in the car :)



I think this winter was excessively long for me. (I know, you guys in Michigan are hating on me right now!) I think it was because I just couldn't wait for this time of year again. I am already planning on getting a freezer so I can freeze up some of the fruits and veggies this year.

Field trip!

And I do mean fields :) I thought you might like to see some vineyards before they go crazy and have grapes hanging all over them!



It was a gorgeous day today!

I may not get as many pics anymore

But I'm still in awe of how beautiful it is here! This pic is a pic of the western sky last night from the middle of my street.



This pic was taken immediately after at the BEAUTIFUL full moon we had. Of course the camera didn't capture what my eyes saw, but you get the idea. We were on our way home before this pic and the moon just looked HUGE. By the time I got the camera out, it looked a lot different.



I'm going to try to get blossom pictures today!

The price of children

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the
first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth
to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about
price shock!

That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is: don't have children if
you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how
your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets
and collect spray painted noodlewreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in
clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to
be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice
cream regardless.


You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* First step,
* First word
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree,
and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match..

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the
power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a
broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without
limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is
quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!!
It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!!

We lost a few of our good friends from our company :(

This is definitely not how they chose, but who knows, their choice was about as random as this, in my opinion!

LETTER FROM THE BOSS.....

As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact
that Barack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government
fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases,
our prices would have to increase by about 10%.

But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal
state of the economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees
instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are
family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.

So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lot and found six
'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these
folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to
approach this problem. They voted for change, and I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

Speaking of the brat...

Now that wrestling is over, he's playing around again with the whole facial hair thing. I'll try to get a pic of him too. I don't want to say whether I like it or not because you know how that goes, but one of these days, he won't want to look 10 years older :) Hopefully...

I don't have a super cute lifeguard anymore!

I have TWO!!!

Congrats to my baby boy for becoming a certified lifeguard. It sure didn't sound like an easy task to me. And he's really not into tests that much. He said all the "work" part was easy, but the test wasn't!!

But he passed, and that's all that matters. He was pretty happy last night, and he was even online TYPING out his application. He filled one out by hand a week or so ago, but he typed it out and printed it last night. He's going to do great, and I am really very proud of him!

I remember last year when He-man walked around with his whistle around his neck all the time. In fact, I think his is still on his key ring which is on a lanyard from the whistle.

I really am trying to get a pic. It's not the easiest thing to do around here. I am trying to get it done while he's still got some color to him. He and He-man were out in the sun all weekend, and they look great! Mom, on the other hand, looks like she should reside in the north pole....with the polar bears :) YES, I am jealous! And He-man rubs it in any time he gets near me! The brat!

George's first day at school...

That's the way he described his first day of lifeguard certification.

He said that's all the boring rules and junk you learn about when you first go to school. He had to do some swim test things that I am sure he passed with flying colors. All my kiddos are fish! And he's also getting certified for CPR. I'm really proud of him.

He got a YELLOW whistle! haha

I'll try to sneak a pic soon.

What if I stop feeding them now?

Will they go back to being precious little babies?

My He-man's wrestling is all over. Hopefully he'll continue to stay involved and maybe help coach next year. I am definitely going to miss watching him. He ended up losing his match on Saturday 10-8 in overtime :( I didn't want his day to end, but I was still VERY proud of him. He's definitely grown up a lot over this season.

He starts back at the pool in mid March, and George is taking the lifeguard certification class this weekend. Although George says he doesn't know how to take care of himself, how's he going to save someone's life! I think he'll do great!

And little Suzi just isn't so little anymore. Her best friend is having to get rid of a poodle for some reason or another. They are plotting and scheming on how the dog can live HERE. That way it won't be so hard on Jocelyn. Every time I say, no, Suzi says, we'll just give her a little more time to think about it!

Is there a fast track for the making of an attorney?? I think she could be practicing in a year :)