"SHE'S CRAFTY" (well, kind of)

My Mom is really into making jewelry, last June when we were in Oregon for my nieces graduation she taught me how to make bracelets. I've always wanted to be "crafty" but the only thing I ever really got into was scrapbooking (and I'm not even very good at that). A few years back I got into doing those "no sew" fleece blankets which was fun, but that faded after awhile. It's hard because my Mom makes jewelry, embroiders, ect... and my Mother-In-Law is this incredible quilter (and both cook and bake really good too!), and then theres me who doesn't even cook never mind make things. So I've decided that no matter how "easy" or "small" my creativeness might be I'm going to start being a little more "crafty". I'm going to start making my "no sew" fleece blankets again, maybe start making jewelry, and continue to get better at scrapbooking, I might even start to cook!

here's a couple of bracelets my Mom has made...

and here's the bracelets I made...

not too shabby huh?

Buddy Walk 2008

Baby Ace!

On Sunday November 2, 2008 I will be participating in the Buddy Walk at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Buddy Walk is to help raise money to support the thousands of people living in the United States with down syndrome.
Last January I was waiting on an e-mail from my friend Tana to let me know how her Dr.'s appointment went and to find out the sex of her baby. When I finally received her e-mail it said she was having a BOY (which was great news since she already had a little girl). Her e-mail went on to say that the baby had down syndrome. My heart sank.
I've known Tana since Jr. High, and she's always been a "tough cookie" so I wasn't surprised when she took the news of her baby having down syndrome with a grain of salt. She said "I'm not going to love him any less, he's my baby. Theres nothing I can do about it". Tana went on to prepare for the birth of her son which came on May 31, 2008. Tana & her husband Eli named their little boy Ace Rambo Lopez. On November 2nd we will be walking for baby Ace...

Ace and his big sister Alexa

About the walk (from the DSAOC website)
The Buddy Walk was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Today, the Buddy Walk program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups, schools and other organizations and individuals.
Over the past thirteen years, the Buddy Walk program has grown from 17 walks to more than 275 expected in 2008 across the country and around the world. Last year alone, 250,000 people participated in a Buddy Walk! They raised more than $9.5 million to benefit national education, research and advocacy initiatives, as well as local programs. These funds enable NDSS and local groups to offer services that support and enhance the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
The Buddy Walk is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. It is a wonderful, heart-warming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down Syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join a Buddy Walk in your local community!

to make a pledge please go to the link below, thank you.
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=280501&lis=1&kntae280501=545F213DB9B441AF9D1E54F757FC6ADB&supId=229463304#

"My country is better than your country"

I've never really been one to sit and watch the Olympics or get overly excited about them, but this time I've watched quite a bit of them (because of my husband) and I must say "My country ROCKS!". I've always been proud that I'm an American but after watching this years Olympic games I'm so honored to be part of a country that has so much pride & sportsmanship! My favorite athlete is Shawn Johnson, she's so fun to watch, always has a smile on her face, and finally got the gold medal she so much deserved! And Michael Phelps isn't so bad either ; )

Go team U.S.A!

God Bless America!!!

Pismo 2008 continued...

This trip was one of the best riding trips we've taken. We had so much fun! The weather was perfect, the riding was great, and the people we went with were a blast! We left Thursday morning and came home Sunday night, a nice long weekend. Thursday night we all celebrated Kyle's birthday while sitting around the campfire. Kim (Kyle's sister) had made him a birthday cake to take with us camping (which saved me some time not having to bake a cake right before we left, "thanks Kim!"). Then we celebrated all the other July & August birthdays with "birthday jello shots" with candles in them hahahahaha (gotta love Vicki). There was also three 3 year olds and one 7 year old camping with us and they were awesome, they were very well behaved and had so much fun. Saturday night was the best though, I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time - "Nelson you crack me up!"

"thanks everybody for a great weekend, can't wait to go quading on some moguls again"

Pismo Beach, CA.

Julie & Jessica
Julie & Kyle
"me" riding the bowl
Kyle riding the bowl

Becky's having a BOY & Amy's having a GIRL!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am still friends with my two "best buddies" I grew up with, Becky & Amy. The three of us have known each other since we were 4 years old, we grew up on the same street and went to school together most of our lives. Last month I "blogged" about Becky being pregnant, well she found out she's having a BOY!!! a few weeks before we found out Becky was having a baby Amy announced she was pregnant, and yesterday I found out she's having a GIRL!!! this is Amy's second child, she has a 12 year old son named Bradley, so finding out she's having a little girl this time was super exciting!

"Congratulations girls, I am so excited for you both"

Pismo 2008

here's a little preview of our Pismo trip last weekend. More to come...

Kyle's birthday started a little early...

Kyle will turn 30 years old tomorrow (August 7th). But we started his birthday celebration a little early. Last night we went over to our friends Casey & Jen's for dinner, then I surprised Kyle with his birthday present ( a 50" plasma TV)!!! After the "surprise" we went swimming and sat in Casey & Jen's spa for the rest of the evening (it was so relaxing!).
Today Kyle is going to the Angel game with our brother-in-law JT, my work gave me tickets for front row behind home plate (they are awesome seats!).
Tomorrow is Kyle's "actual" birthday and we are leaving for 4 days to go camping and riding up at Pismo Beach sand dunes. We can't wait! It's going to be so nice to get away for a little while, and it's usually a lot cooler at Pismo so it will be a nice break from the heat. Plus we'll get to ride our dirt bike and quad (what we love doing!) all weekend.
Not too bad for a 30th birthday celebration huh?!?!

Happy Birthday Kyle, I Love You!!!

When we were driving home last night Kyle said that he felt bad besacuse he didn't do very much for my birthday, and then I go and buy him a 50" TV. But I explained to him that he gave me the money to spend the day at the spa with my friends (which was just what I wanted), then I told him that I wanted to do something "special" for him because he works so hard all year and puts in soooo much overtime at work so that we can have a beautiful home and a wonderful life! If anyone deserves it - Kyle does, he is amazing! I couldn't ask for a better husband.

"So thank you babe for everything, you derserve much more than a TV. I love you with all of my heart. I hope you have a wonderful birthday!"

4 things...

4 random things I like about my husband:
1) his patience
2) his work ethic
3) his love of animals
4) the importance of family & friends

4 jobs I've had:
1) hostess at Black Angus
2) preschool teacher
3) infant/toddler caregiver
4) customer service/billing

4 movies I could watch over and over:
1) Dirty Dancing
2) P.S. I Love You
3) Son-In-Law
4) Catch & Release

4 of my favorite TV shows:
1) Law & Order: SVU
2) Cold Case
3) Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood
4) Re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond

4 places I've been:
1) Cancun, Mexico
2) Maui, Hawaii
3) Canada
4) Scotland

4 places I'd like to visit:
1) Bahamas
2) Fiji
3) New York City
4) Walt Disney World

4 of my favorite foods:
1) roast beef with mashed potatoes & gravy
2) homemade tacos
3) chicken strips & fries with ranch dressing
4) baby back ribs

4 things I'm looking forward to this year:
1) hopefully getting pregnant!
2) the birth of my friends babies
3) visiting my parents
4) going on vacation

4 things I like about myself:
1) my sensitivity
2) my love of children
3) my loyalty to family & friends
4) my love animals