My Fourth of July

Great time, great food, great company! What more can I say?
It seems like it's been forever since we spent 4Th of July together at my sister's house....but we actually only missed one year. Last year.
The weather was absolutely PERFECT for this great American day! I thought for sure my 3 year old granddaughter would freak out once all the noise started, but she was really, really good. She did let us know in the beginning that she was not liking the noise, but after awhile of it, she seemed to get used to it.
There was a TON of food. My sister went a bit overboard I think. She bought something like 5 different types of burger buns, and I believe she said 3 or 4 different types of burger meats!
We had I don't know how many different deserts....oh, and she made this really great guacamole dip.....super HOT! Well, to me anyways. I'm a sissy when it comes to spicy.
My mom brought her famous special angel food cake concoction. Delicioso....muuaah!
Sunshine and Eunique got soaked playing with water balloons, and Sunshine ended up spending the night there.
I love spending time with the family!

My Mommy's New Purse

So....I have a difficult time figuring out every year what to get for my Mom for all the different occasions. I reluctantly decided for her birthday this year to do a DIY project. I knew that she wanted a geisha purse, and she had been looking for one online.
So how difficult could it be for me to throw a geisha on a purse? I'll eat those words! Especially since I've never done anything like that before in my life!
The first thing I had to do was hunt for the perfect purse. My mom is very finicky about her purses. Not too big, not too small, has to have at least one outside pocket, not to mention the fact that if I was going to pull this off I would need a solid colored purse. OK...so the quest begins. Day after day, store after store....until finally I find one that comes closest to what I need.
So what's next? Well, I go and buy some paints for fabric to put a little background for the face and kimono of the geisha because I was going to be using hotfix rhinestones (iron on), and the purse I selected was black. And I couldn't leave it so that the face stayed black, right? I mean, it's a geisha for goodness sake!
Well long story short, during the construction of this project were MANY trials and errors (put stuff on backwards, white paint ended up blue, etc.) . I really should have learned how to do this whole thing first before I actually made something as a GIFT! So one stiff neck and many nerves unrattled later....walah! This is how it ended up. I'M not content with it, but my family has been very encouraging and kind. My mom SEEMED to love it, but she's a great actress! lol...just kidding Mom! (well, not really)
So that is my story of my first time DIY project for my Mommy!

Alayla's 3rd Birthday

It was a fun day watching my baby girl play with the balloons and reluctantly open her presents. She is such a funny little character.
My niece Rayna didn't make it and neither did any of Efren's (Alayla's dad's) family. They R.S.V.P.'d they would be there, and yet never even called or somehow let Efren know that they wouldn't be able to make it. How inconsiderate is that?
So there we were, putting things off, thinking they were going to be there any second now.
Well, needless to say, we didn't let that spoil the time. It was fun times, and we all stuffed ourselves with pizza, salad and cupcakes from the cute cupcake cake that Yvette brought.
There's nothing like being with family.

Father's Day

Father's Day turned out to be a really nice day. Me, my dad and Sunshine went out to eat at BJ's Restaurant Brewery. No, none of us had a brew, but my dad did get a free Father's Day glass compliments of BJ's. Sweeeeet!
We all found the meals tasty, and there was no waiting when we got there. We all left with full tummies.
In fact, that was enough for me for the rest of the day!
It was a very happy day indeed.

Pre-Father's Day Luncheon

It was a great time at Buffet China for our first "Pre-Father's Day" luncheon. All the daddies were given their gifts, and it was a pleasant surprise to see Rayna again. Angie unfortunately couldn't make it. She had an awards ceremony going on for softball. Sorry her mom had to miss that.
I think this is just a first out of many more to follow pre-Father's Day luncheons.
A new tradition is born!

Me and Alayla- The Brats!

What do you think? Like Grandmother, like Granddaughter? We got 'tude.....don't we?

Matthew's Graduation

Tuesday night we went to Peter's son's graduation at Santa Monica College. Peter got off early from work that day.We left at 3:00 and got there at 4:00 when gates opened. It didn't start until 6pm, but luckily I had bought some sunflower seeds from the lunch truck parked by the bleachers to occupy me whilst I waited.
There were a handful of elderly people sitting in front of us. They had balloons that kept hitting everyone in the face....including me! It took everything inside of me not to take the safety pin I had in my purse and NOT pop it! I kept thinking, "No, Belinda. That's mean. Remember...karma...karma.....".
All in all, it was a great time and ended up being a very beautiful day. I love to see Peter light up when his kids are around him. He doesn't get to see them much, so it's a big treat for him. And the occasion made it that much more special. Peter's ex wife was pleasant as usual, as was Matthew's girlfriend.
We made it home at 9:30pm.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

• In the pics: Peter, Sunshine and yours truly. Matthew, Peter's grandson Ethan and Matthew's girlfriend Jaquie. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Peter's other son Randall (Ethan's father).
  

My Mom

My mom is in the hospital again. I wish that they would just once and for all figure out what the heck is wrong with her. She's been going through this for at least 8 years that I know of.
Luckily it isn't as bad as the last time she went to the hospital, when this "thing" she has,  made her kidneys begin to fail.
This time was dehydration with a very high potassium level. She has been sick with her usual onset of symptoms since Tuesday. Hopefully she'll be out of the hospital within the next couple of days.

UPDATE

My mom is doing great! Just like nothing ever happened!

A Family Visit

My visit with Nicole yesterday was very....interesting, for lack of a better word. I arrived at the Japanese restaurant (Tokyo Lobby) right before she pulled into the driveway. When I saw her park, and getting off the car, I rushed to meet up with her before going into the restaurant. Needless to say, I locked my keys in the car. I was very angry with myself at first, but then thought, "No big deal...I'll just call AAA". Well, once we went in and got seated, I realized that I had just changed my wallet that morning.....did I have my AAA card? Of course not. If Murphy's Law can in any way find a way into a situation in MY life, it will! OK, well I ended up calling my dad and he kindly called AAA and sent them over to me. Thank you Daddy!!
We had a great visit even though it was short. This was actually the second time I met her children, but they were so small the first time. It was at her baby shower years and years ago. So, it was really nice getting to know them. Fantastic kids!
As we leave and are saying our goodbyes outside in the parking lot, my cousin Tony shows up. What's he doing here? And so late? Nicole says she forgot to call him to let him know that the time was changed from 1:00pm to 11:30am! Aye, aye, aye! Poor Tony. Well, we did get to chat for a bit in the parking lot, and he gave me his email to keep in touch.....so all was not lost.
Then, I'm driving up Azusa Ave. towards home and I'm going at LEAST 40 mph, when this tiny dog runs right in front of my car! He was taking leaps like a jackrabbit does. I thought, " No! No. No! I can't hit this dog!". I pushed on the brakes and thought for sure I wouldn't be able to stop my car. I mean, when I first saw the dog it was about a foot in front of my car on the driver side headed towards the passenger side! I only got a quick glimpse of this tiny little thing, and it just disappeared in a second. I didn't feel a thump, but there's just no way I could have missed him. Along the right of the street was a row of bushes which I saw had sudden substantial movement. As if something had gotten thrown in them......ahhhh....whew! It had to be the little doggie jumping into them. I felt soooo relieved!
Well, that was my adventurous morning, and everything had a bright side to it!

Our Wedding Vows

I've been thinking about our wedding vows a lot lately. I think I decided in the very beginning that we would have our own....or at least incorporate some of our own wording. Those thoughts immediately made my mind flash back to wedding ceremonies I myself have been to. And from what I can remember, it's always been very difficult to hear the bride and groom. So.....did they not have a microphone? Are microphones only for the pastor? Or did I not hear them because there was only one mic pointing at the pastor? Should we have our own mic? So many questions! But I figure if we say our own vows, I want people to hear us loud and clear. I don't want them to hear meek little mumbles, but at the same time I don't want to stand there, mic in hand, saying my vows to an audience as if I were reciting Shakespeare in a play. So how do we look into each others eyes, professing our love to one another loud enough for everyone to hear clearly? AND not look awkward?
I still have to meet with the pastor at the church we'll be getting married at, but that won't be until about this time next year. That's when I'll be able to discuss the whole microphone thing with him. So until then, I guess I'm stuck with just working on the wording.....which I do every so often in my head, but then forget the brilliant things that I thought of. I really need to start jotting them down.

Drivers Beware!

Is it me, or is anyone else noticing the increase in sitings of police officers parked off to the side, just waiting to pounce on that speeding motorist? I've also seen many motorists already pulled over, obviously getting a ticket from their local law enforcement.
Don't get me wrong....I'm not complaining. I think it's great. Especially around the schools. I'm just wondering, why now? Is it the economy? Are they being sent out to make money for their cities? Is it my imagination? Or is it something even scarier? Are these police officers fabricating for money?
Let me tell you a story. I'll start with some background. My fiance leaves an hour before his shift starts every day. He gets up at 4am whether he starts at 6am or 8am....it really doesn't matter. His work is a 20 minute drive on an average day. I asked him why he leaves an hour early, when work is only 20 minutes away. He says he doesn't like to rush, and wants to cruise into work without being flustered, and he likes to allow for some extra minutes just in case there's an accident or detour. OK...makes sense. So I asked him why he needs to get up at 4am every morning. He basically gave the same reason, doesn't want to rush, and wants to sit and enjoy the morning with his coffee. And he's been like this since I've known him....next month we'll have been together for 8 years.
So, why am I telling you all this and what does this have to do with my blog? Well, a couple of days ago, my fiance was driving to work and got pulled over. He was a block away from his work, and was 30 minutes early from starting his shift. The officer told him he was speeding, and my fiance told him he must be mistaken. Of course, the officer held his course. This was in a 35 mph zone, and the officer told him he was clocked at 59 mph!!!! OK, something else you must know about my fiance: I don't think I've EVER seen him speed! He borders on granny driving. There have been MANY times that we were on a 40 mph street, and I actually have had to tell him to speed up a little! He's never gone over 65 on the freeway, even if it was completely free of cars in front of him. So for this officer to say that he was going 59 in a 35 zone is completely insane! I could see if he said 40....or even 45. But come on, 59??? That's double what he should have been at. And this is a street with dips, bumps and railroad tracks. I know my man, and know that this number is wrong. He had absolutely no reason to speed one block away from his work, 30 minutes before his shift was to start.
So where does that leave us? It leaves me wondering if the economy is so bad that our law enforcement is ready to do whatever it takes to make some money for their quotas. Hmmmm......scary thought.
Well, needless to say, my fiance wants to fight this. Does he have a chance against "the man"?

UPDATE: He went to court and the cop didn't show.....DISMISSED! YAY!

Shooting For a $3,000 Wedding

Peter and I have been planning our wedding since the start of April of this year (2009), and we knew from the beginning that we did not want to spend a lot of money. Money that we don't have. I lost my job of 8 years just 5 days before Christmas (2008) due to the economy, and am still currently unemployed. Money is just so tight, and to be completely honest, if not for wanting so much for our family to share in the joy of our most special day, we would probably have just run off somewhere by ourselves to get married. But having the people we love there is very important to us. So now we're faced with how to keep from going into debt to accomplish this.
I jumped into researching all sorts of things related to weddings on the internet. I found out that the average wedding in the U.S. is from $15,000 to $25,000! I can't even begin to imagine spending that much! So I picked a doable number......$3,000. This will not include our wardrobe. It will be for everything but. Now whether or not we will meet that is something else. I'm researching everything myself and making a lot of the stuff myself. As you can see on my previous blog, I already bought my dress. I also got my shoes, crinoline, veil, tiara, garter, table covers, table centerpieces, favors, paper for invites, paper for programs, thank you cards, place cards, buffet plates, cake plates, plastic cups (wine, champagne, drink), plastic eating utensils, napkins, balloons, reception decorations, guest book & pen, printed pics for display and frames, wedding banner, pew bows & clips, petals, unity candle & holder, candles, and basically all other table decor. This "unemployed" status is definitely paying off in this way. I've been able to get lots accomplished that I would not have been able to if I were working a full time job.
I don't know exactly how much I've spent so far. I am keeping track, but just haven't added everything up yet. In a future blog I will give my itemized totals. Cross your fingers for me! I already know the most expensive thing will be the food for the reception. I have started investigating that, but will look further into it when the date is a bit closer.
Unfortunately, because of budget and size of hall, we will have to exclude many from the wedding. My immediate family alone (Mom, Dads, Brother, Sister and their families, Daughters and their families) is 19 people. And Peter's family is humongous! So yeah, cutting is inevitable. Our max is about 80 guests.
Well, that's all for now. My shopping time has recently come to a halt, seeing as the only things really left are food and drinks, reception hall, dress alterations, grooms clothes, brides bouquet, DJ, photographer, fresh flowers, cake, disposable cameras (which only have a shelf life of 6-12 months), and security (mandatory for the hall I'm renting). So all of this will come later....closer to the wedding. Time for me to find a job now, huh?

Fun at El Dorado Park in Long Beach

It was a good time at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. We met up with Yvette, Efren and Alayla. The first thing we did was get on the little train ride they have there. Short ride, but the nice cool breeze felt really good.
We walked around the lake...well, half of one of the many lakes they have there. We stopped and played on the kiddie playgrounds, climbed trees and messed with the wildlife. Alayla even ran into one of her little friends she goes to daycare with.
After walking around for a few hours we got on the paddle boats/aqua bikes. Now that was really fun! It was a perfect day for it.
That park has got to be the biggest park I've ever come across! We only saw about an eighth of the place. I'd like to go back and check out the nature trail they have there.
Yes, I definitely must go back someday.

When Crystal Meth Hits Home

Hopefully you'll never know anyone close to you who will get involved in this horrible drug. Unfortunately, chances are that you will.
It's a heartbreaking thing to watch someone who is so beautiful, so vivacious, and with so much promise
deteriorate into a person you no longer recognize. Your heart bleeds as your mind wonders how something like this could happen. The person that stands before you now was once ahead in their class, intellectually beyond their years, and seemingly sane and quite rational. So what happened? This thing known as meth has had such devastating effects on so many people both young and old alike. It grabs ahold of them and doesn't let go.
I've had several people quite close to me get involved with this drug. Some have cleaned up and gone back, and some just never stop. I'm hoping as time passes that one in particular never goes back, and the other stops now before it's too late.
So to all out there who have had a loved one involved in meth, my prayers are with you and your loved one.

Pics from: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/olive/view_gallery.ata?g_id=2927

Visit With Margaret for Mother's Day

We've traveled to visit you
In this place where you lay.
To tell you we miss you
And to be with you for Mother's Day.

Memories flood through us
As we gaze on your stone.
We bask in the sunlight
And know we're not alone.

Your spirit is with us
Wherever we are
Distance can't take that
No matter how far.

We love you MOM

Pre-Mother's Day Luncheon

We had a great time at our "mother's" get together at Hometown Buffet. The only mother missing was Sunshine's mom, Yvonne (my daughter). She's living in Arizona now, so we miss her often at our family get togethers.
The food was pretty good. We got there a little after 11:00, so had our choice of breakfast or lunch. I opted for lunch, and had chicken and enchiladas for my main dish. For dessert I did my usual.....brownie pieces on the bottom with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with oreo cookie crumbs. Mmmmmmmmmm. Yes, I really pigged out. Didn't need to eat dinner after that! (Of course, I didn't list all the things I ate in between!)
This is our third year meeting the day before Mother's Day(non-consecutively). I believe this is going to become a new ritual for us and it actually works out really great for everyone.
Happy Mother's Day!

Bittersweet Mother's Day.........

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and that day can be a very sad time for many. I'm very fortunate that my mother is around for me to be able to celebrate this day with. My fiance on the other hand is not so lucky. This will be his first Mother's day without his mom. I know it's going to be very tough for him.....
Last year for Mother's Day, we got our two moms together at our house for a barbecue. It was the first (and only time) they had met. Peter's mom had just been diagnosed with cancer a few months before and was going through aggressive radiation and chemo. We lost her in August 2009.
We miss her so much, and that missing just escalates to new heights on days like these.
We love you Margaret, and we know that you are still with us in spirit and memory.

Albert and Isaac

I'm looking for my grandsons Albert and Isaac. Their last name was Belmontez before being adopted in Utah by a doctor and his family. The doctor had 3 children of his own at that time.
Albert's birthday is Feb. 2, 1997. Isaac's is October 13, 1998.
I tried to write the agency twice to forward letters and pictures to their new family, and asked them to contact me to at least let me know how they were doing.....but no response. I'll post a picture soon of them.....if anyone knows them, can you let them know that their grandma and Sunshine love them, remember them well, and miss them tremendously. There is no doubt in my mind that one day we will see them again. I was going to wait until they were 18.....thinking there was a better chance of finding them then. But then I thought there's no better time than the present. It's always worth a shot.
So please......anyone........I'd greatly appreciate it.