Loud & Proud~M♥nica

Flashback Friday

2012-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

FLASHBACK FRIDAY!!

Me some 20 years ago,my my how time flies!no laughing at my hair!

this one was my sisters wedding in 1987!

LOL!

Not Better Than Me!

2012-01-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

"A person's true colors will always show within time,you may be fooled for the moment,but be patient and see what happens!"anonymous AMEN!

Is it wrong of me to bask in the failings of OTHERS?
The boasters,braggarts,BABBLERS.
How about just a little?? Half a smile?In secret?Too LATE!
Grinning,beaming,smirking, ELATE!
Can't be helped, ESPECIALLY when braggers BOAST,
How much better,supposed smarter,Better educated than MOST!
In the end,we ALL can SEE,
you TRULY are NOT better than ME!
by M.

Baked Potato Soup

2012-01-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

I made this Baked Potato Soup for dinner tonight, it's not only a healthier version but it's

D E L I C I O U S too!

I found the recipe here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/baked-potato-soup.html

VIA Pinterest,which has become my newest addiction!you can find me here http://pinterest.com/MonicaLnP/
heres the RECIPE:
Baked Potato Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 207.6 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carb: 22.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Protein: 11.9 g

2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)
Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Or if you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.
Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon.

Resolutions 2012 Oh Yeah!

2012-01-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

So once again its that time of year to make those RESOLUTIONS, and as I sit here thinking about what I should TRY to promise to Resolute to, I decide to look at my post for 2011's Resolutions to see if I had followed through on those Resolutions, and guess what, I DID!!WOOHOO that's a first for me,LOL
Now before you congratulate me here is what I blogged to promise to do last year:
"This year I didn't make any of my same o'l resolutions I usually make and fail to accomplish,such as lose weight,not drink beer,blah blah,etc.etc.
Instead I am just going to just be me, have lots of fun,enjoy life and laugh even more this year!"
So now you know why I completed my Resolutions and guess what? My Resolutions are going to be the same again for me this year since I did such a swell job last year!!
For 2012 I resolve to just be me,have lots of fun,enjoy life and laugh even more this year!!
okay, okay, I will add one more to my list, one word that I am going to use all year long and that is ORGANIZE, that's it, I am not going to say what,when, where, or how, just ORGANIZE! wish me luck and LOTS OF LUCK to you on yours!

Nutcracker Obsessed?

2012-01-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with Nutcrackers,at least that's what the husband says,I think NOT because if I really was OBSESSED I would have a lot more and I have NEVER paid full price for any of them,even my tallest one,the "butler" nutcracker, which is 43"tall-cost me about 30 buckaroos(retail 199.00)
My "obsession" started when the hubby and I went to a Christmas party at one of his friends house up on Spyglass hill,beautiful home overlooking the entire city, and the homeowner had Nutcrackers EVERYWHERE!huge ones OMG!I could never compete with her collection(maybe one day,if I were rich ;)

OBSESSED humm maybe just a little...

here is my collection:

I prefer the original looking Nutcrackers,the soldiers,but have picked up a ballerina,snowman,Santa,pirate,marine,army,police,rocker,angel,grandma,Frankenstein,golfer,turkey,StPattys,bunny,monkey,a even a pig, all the way to the right behind the penguin.Girls are harder to find and I'm looking for more to add to my collection,so if you see any.....Just don't tell the husband,LOL

Too Much Bad Stuff at a Good Time!

2012-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Anyone else feel the over indulgence from all the celebrating of the holiday season?
I sure as heck do! I managed to GAIN 4 pounds this Holiday season-from Turkey day til today-I weighed myself for myfitnesspal site and was shocked to find I gained weight,okay NOT really shocked, just not HAPPY to SEE the results from all the BAD stuff I ate and DRANK,yes I do know its all MY fault, so back on track AGAIN I go-myfitnesspal is a pretty good site,tracking food,water consumption,exercise and WEIGHT- STICKING to it is one of my Resolutions.
If you want to find me,my user name is Moneeka4

HAPPY NEW YEARs EVE!

2011-12-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HAPPY

May your New Years Eve be full of FAMILY,FRIENDS,LOVE,AND LOTS OF LAUGHTER!I know mine will be, the Hubby has it off and we are having a little Family n Friends shindig at our home to ring in the New Year!WOOHOO

Be safe and see you all NEXT YEAR!!

THANK YOU HUBBY OF MINE!

2011-12-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS has come and gone,it was great,spent with family,celebrating,cherishing the moments we spend together as a family.THANKFUL and BLESSED for all that we receive and are able to give to others.GRATEFUL for my husband and all he does to make sure we have everything we need and all the extras we are able to get. I don't think I say THANK YOU to my husband quite often enough for all that he does for us,his family. I don't work,and haven't had to for the last 10 yrs. We are in no way rich,heck no,but we are comfortable,we have all that we need,want and its all due to the husband and the love of his job!
Our oldest is in college now and these past couple of months have been eye-opening in regards to our bank account and all that it takes to make sure EVERYTHING is taken care of. We don't want our daughter to have the burden of a loan on her when she graduates, the hubby works very hard and we have been paying everything for her up front,made sure she has a car and anything else needed so she doesn't have to worry about anything but school.
Its a little too late for us to start saying we should have started saving when the kids were first born but ITS SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE and anyone reading this and planning to have kids or has kids and want to send their kids to College/University YOU BETTER START SAVING NOW! I tell you I don't know how we have been doing it but we have,or I should say the hubs has!THANK YOU darling hubby of mine!

Ladies only and Bunco!

2011-12-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

Had my annual LADIES ONLY Ornament exchange party this past weekend,had a great time playing, eating, drinking, and LAUGHING,until next year LADIES :)

Glo,Collette,Erlinda,Sasha,Veronica,Michelle,

Susie,Sandra,Andrea,Marie,Lety,Lorene, Elaine,Lorene,Rosie,Estela, Gaby

me,Jessica,Jen and Joanna who didnt get in the pic LOL

we also played Bunco, a game of dice and the prize(s) is $$

with my besties Glo n Collette

Bedroom Makeover

2011-12-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Planning on re-doing our bedroom,it really needs it,right now its pretty basic and blah. Need some suggestions about my color choices.My bedroom is a 15x18-decent size for large footed furniture.Hopefully I will be getting a new bedroom set soon ;) Poster style like this,not sure if I should go with the black or more traditional color of Cherry for this type of bedroom style.

I found the following two pictures that caught my eye, the colors are what I like, since the furniture is going to be dark and heavy looking I thought light airy colors would go better,they are both somewhat similar- but not sure how either one would look with the type of furniture I want.
Which of the two do you think go best with the type/color of the furniture I want??

Any design tips would be greatly appreciated!
I think I am a Traditional, Vintage,countryish/antiquey-(if that even makes sense) kinda gal,but went here to see what my design style was: http://www.casasugar.com/Find-Your-Design-Style-2697364 my style design is"You tend to gravitate toward the traditional. You make sensible design choices when it comes to pattern and materials, but not boring ones. You like things that are not only timeless in style but also long-lasting. You're smart".

HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY!

2011-11-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today is my oldest daughters' birthday!Celebrating it by having a girls night out with friends and family♥ with dinner n drinks :)

THEN....Me holding my daughter,Veronica- just a few days old

and NOW here we are 29yrs later, my daughter Veronica and I, love this girl!

THANK YOU on this VETERAN'S Day

2011-11-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

and a SPECIAL THANK YOU to my Uncle Jesse, and Nephew Mando!

Double Take

2011-11-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

My Aly playing Mannequin

October Happennings

2011-11-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

the 1st of November already!wow can't believe it,where has October gone??
The Month of October was filled with birthdays,baby showers, Halloween and the start of the Holiday season, also known as"the most wonderful time of the year" I do concur!
It started off with my oldest brother Ray, turning 50, we had a little family and friends party for him at our pops, with lots of good food and fun and it gave me the chance to mess with my brother for the entire day, since it being a benchmark number and all-first I was nice and took him out to breakfast, than I teepee'd his truck,wrote him a sentimental poem and got a bunch of signs ragging on his getting older to make him laugh on his special day.Good Family times! Other birthdays we celebrated this month were my grandson Nathan,who turned 7 this year, and my sister Lety.

my brother Ray

my dad and my brothers n sisters

A not so good thing going on in our neighborhood has been burglaries during the daylight hours,we have had 2 so far and thankfully some of the individuals were caught! We started our own little neighborhood watch for our street -Hopefully we won't have any more of these incidents with everyone keeping an extra vigilant eye out and exchanging numbers.

Local elections are coming up,I enjoy being a part of the process and volunteer to help candidates outs when needed but I especially like when my picture is posted as part of the candidates pamphlets and mailed out for the entire city to see-my dad called me to tell me I was a superstar when he received the pamphlet in the mail and saw my picture on it!luv it!

I am still working on my "get healthy" kick and to date have lost 12lbs, but have a ways(weighs?) to go :) I try and workout every day, it makes me feel better-the only thing I hate is I started to develop heel pain from jogging on my treadmill and have to use the elliptical and stationary bike to help heal my heel,also, I caught a cold and that put my workouts on hold for 2 weeks but now that I am better, its back ON!

Great news for my nephew Robbie,who was selected to go to Airborne school,he was 1 of 8 to be picked out of a group of 300-we are super proud of our Bubbies,sadly with this we won't be seeing him again until April of next year!!

Lastly the month ended with Halloween stuff,like getting to wear my many Halloween socks I've collected,a different pair for every day,haha, making crafts,our yearly pumpkin carving party, costume parties,especially getting to wear different costumes,I had 3 costumes this year, which was pure craziness but fun and Trick or Treating, which made me sad because my kids no longer want their mom tagging along :( oh well I can start borrowing my grandbabies I guess :)

me n my viking

my girls as a devil,dead bride n Pocahontas

my son the gangster

my grandbabies as a Princess n a wolf

my oldest daughter n her husband celebrating their wedding anniversary

dressed as a dead bride n groom

here as a pirate n Max as a greaser

my son the Zombie

Aly as a witch,me a Vampiress and Veronica a witch too

my dads house to carve pumpkins

mines a piggy

thanks for stopping by!November surely will be a blast!

Glitter Glitter Everywhere!

2011-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

With Fall brings the start to the holiday season and HOLIDAY DECOR!woohoo!!
I think that's my favorite part of the season,DECORATING.
Anything glittery and I am all over it!
To save the hubs some bucks I make some of my own decorations, I go out to stores, see things I like and try to replicate them, I also like to pick up things from the dollar store and glitter them up a bit, the only thing is I wish I had a place to craft other than in my kitchen,because the glitter is EVERYWHERE and will most likely be around until mid January!LOL
anyBOO here are some items I found and or crafted for HALLOWEEN

coffee can I painted as Frankenstein for a Halloween party,filled w/chocolate dipped marshmallows I also made

my table of finished Halloween decor : a pumpkin/skeletons I glittered,a boo painted pumpkin,flower decor,witch's hat I painted/glittered,witch sign i glittered up,wreath i put together,and clay pots I painted

and check out my chairs in the background with the Halloween covers, which I picked up at the 99cent store and YES for ONLY 99cents each!

all the Halloween decor in/on my cabinet

my front window at night is lit up all Halloweenie too!

here are some of the unfinished items,except for the coffee can, I picked up from the 99cent store before I got my hands on them

Zombies,The Walking Dead

2011-10-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

I hate hate hate Zombies,out of all the scary creatures roaming around during Halloween time ZOMBIES are the ones that just scare the beejeezus out of me,on the other hand the rest of my family does not feel the same way and frankly they all get a kick out of scaring me, walking around groaning and moaning acting like Zombies themselves, oh how I hate that!
and to help matters(or not)There's a new show out on AMC called the "The Walking Dead" that comes on every Sunday night that seems to have captured my families love for Zombies! Its about a Sheriff who wakes up after being in a coma for weeks to find himself alone, and the show tells the story of the weeks and months that follow after the apocalypse,how they survive.From what I do see and from what I am hearing its pretty good! I for one have a hard time watching it, the suspense is just too much for me, I spend most of the time plugging my ears and covering my eyes and badger my family to JUST tell me what happened,I for one would probably get eaten up RIGHT away, too scared to move fast enough,that's for sure! If you do plan on checking the series out please do so WITHOUT little kiddies around!

Fundraising Ideas

2011-10-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

My sons middle school plans a trip for the 8th graders to fly to the east coast for 1 week,a educational trip where they get to tour historical sites in Boston,New York,Gettysburg, and Washington,DC and we have to raise $2295.00 to get him there,NOT an easy task when we have our daughter attending college at the same time! We've encouraged all of our children to go on this trip when its their year, its a once in a lifetime opportunity for them and we are lucky the school gives them the opportunity to do this. Our son will be the 3rd child we have sent on this trip,my oldest daughter went back in 1997 and the trip cost $995, our 2nd daughters trip in 2007 cost us $2000,and this year we get to do it all again, I am not going to say its our last time to send anyone, because tho my son is our youngest,I still have grandchildren that attend the same schools and hopefully this opportunity will still be around for them.
I am looking for ideas on what or how to do fundraisers to help my son go on his schools East Coast/Washington DC trip during Spring break 2012.The travel agency has it set up so that we can make payments every month,which does help ,and the school helps us by doing group fundraisers, but I would like to do some fundraising on my own. So far I do plan on having a breakfast/brunch fundraiser here at my home and maybe selling crafts, but I need more ideas for FUNDRAISERS,so if you have any ideas on what I should do for FUNDRAISING please share,any and all tips would be greatly appreciated! THANK YOU!

No Electricity Day

2011-09-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday SCE(our electric co)worked on the lines in our area for the entire day, so from 8AM to 8:30 PM they shut off our electricity-they did warn us via US Postal about a month beforehand so we would be prepared. I told the kids(the hubby had to work,lucky him)that we would take that day as a test for when something,like an EARTHQUAKE, were to happen we would know what we needed to get by,BE PREPARED.
The girls and I went to the store the day before and bought things we thought we would need to get us through the day:water, chips, bread, snacks things like that,not thinking of anything else like LIGHT for when it gets dark.LOL
ANYWAYS,now don't laugh, but sometimes I get those derr moments that can't be helped, but that day I planned on getting up extra early to shower BEFORE the electricity was turned off,instead I woke up late and jumped in the shower and hurried up because I THOUGHT the water wasn't all that hot and oh my, how are the kids going to shower if there isn't any hot water for them, so I rushed through my shower with lukewarm water, got dressed and went and told the girls that when they took showers not to take too long because the water wasn't that hot.HAHAHA.After both my girls took showers they said "mom there was plenty of HOT water,what were you talking about?Me"well the electricity was off" them"MOM doesn't the water run on GAS? Me oh yeah,humm maybe I didn't let the water warm up before jumping in DUHHHH!
After a couple of hours of being home and getting irritated that every time I walked into a room I flicked on the light switch and nothing happened, we decided to head to Walmart,you know we had to be bored to go there, especially on a Saturday, in the afternoon, we walk in and the girls and I are noticing that it's kind of dark in Walmart,and yes its packed, come to find out they were running on generators because their electricity was shut off and they didn't know why(apparently SCE forget to tell the local shopping center)and after we where there for a couple of minutes they ended up closing the store because their generators turned off,the whole shopping area was eventually closed due to no electricity, thank god we didn't really need anything-or so I thought!
We went back home, decided it was time for a late lunch and made sandwiches for me and my daughter,my other daughter wanted beans warmed with cheese,the microwave would have been our first choice,but you know,so we decided to use the stove,which is gas(that I did know) but that little flicker thing isn't, and would take matches to light it(at least we had those handy),and me being the mom HAD TO DO IT, lighting that thing was scary, pOoFf ! But FIRST we had to open the can of beans, so we pulled out our ELECTRIC can opener,yeah, looked at each other and said now what?LUCKY for us we camp and our camping stuff was still here and not packed in our pop up like it normally is, so guess what we had,yup a manual can opener,yay!! We ate, played cards,read, talked and the girls even did my hair using sponge rollers, we hung out with each other as much as we could handle,there is only so much to do before you or they get bored. I have to say that NOW I really understand the meaning to the saying" before TV people were having lots of babies"!LOL
As evening approached my sister saved us by taking us out to dinner,first I called to make sure they had electricity,they did. As we came home we noticed how dark it was getting, and blasphemy, ANOTHER thing we hadn't prepared for, came into the house and went on a mad scramble to find items to make light : candles, matches, flashlights, batteries,camping lanterns-even with all that NOTHING compares to light from a 100watt light bulb-all we could do was watch a movie on my tiny battery operated dvd player,which ran out after about 1/2hr because I FORGOT to charge it, played more cards,read, which I couldn't because my eyes suck and need good light, and wait for the electricity to turn back on.
We learned quite a few things from our 13 hours sans electricity:
GAS and Electricity are not the same.
In a real emergency heading to your local stores probably isn't a good idea,if you don't have electricity they most likely wont either.
Manual can opener, candles, matches,flashlights,BATTERIES,lanterns are great to have handy,in a EASY to find place.
Candles are a good source of light BUT they can't be placed just anywhere-flames start fires and the wax is HOT!
Keep electronic devices FULLY charged at all times!
The Refrigerator/Freezer will keep everything cold if you DON'T open it.
I prefer the man to be home when an emergency were to every happen BUT I know in his line of work it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY : (
Make sure your neighbors know whats going on;my neighbors called me after about 5hrs of no electricity to ask if mine was out cause their was??HELLO did you not get the NOTICE??apparently they didnt get it,but I filled them in.
Lastly SPONGE ROLLERS are so out of date, POUFFY hair is so out of style-i forget i had them on and when my sis called to say she was here to pick us up we had to hurry and take them out, the girls were laughing but I still went to dinner with my hair all crazy!

More Than Enough Time

2011-09-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I really need to get my butt moving and play catch up on all the great blogs I follow, don't know why I haven't, it's not like I don't have time!
Here's what I do daily: wake up at 6am-lay in bed reading or Nooking, stretch(Dr.Oz's version to help stave off the old age)haha, climb out of bed at 7-drink water,get dressed,etc etc. then have a cup of coffee, watch some TV, the news, more stretching(this time the normal kind)drink more water get ready to go out to exercise in our garage, the hubs has it all set up with an elliptical, treadmill,stationary bike,weights,bow flex thingy,etc. I am out there for about an hour, maybe more-by now its about 11:00-11:30am, then I do some cleaning, shower, get ready and make food for me and the hubs.We eat,catch up on our favorite Soap, yes I said WE,lol. Finish with all that and clean up AGAIN, make more food for the hubs to take to work for dinner and dinner for the kids, I would say that its probably only like 2pm by then. Pack up the hubs food send him off to work ,wait for all my kids to come home-they come home by 3-5pm-make sure they do all they need to: Snack,homework,eat,their daily chores and THAT'S IT~I have the rest of the day free, well, until bedtime then I go around picking up,making sure there's not a big mess for the morning. I really don't do much and there are plenty of hours in there where I can get on the computer and do my bloggy stuff but I don't! I think its because for me I am a total morning person and like to do everything in the morning and when I get on the computer to play catch up in the morning, before I know it the hours have just zipped by and nothing else has gotten done!aghhh Totally throws me off when I don't do my normal everyday schedule, I become a nut case and can't do anything else for the rest of the day until I do what I have to to get back in sync!I know sounds crazy but oh well that's me :) So for this week I am going to try something new and blog in the evening!WOW what a great idea! why the heck didnt I think of that before,well because I am a nut case and its not that simple(at least for me)HAHA so hopefull I can finally CATCH UP on all my blog reading and commenting♥

Never Forget!

2011-09-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

"Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended.” “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail,” George W. Bush 2011

10 years ago I remember my husband calling me from work a little after 6am, telling me to turn the news on,something about New York,a plane,fire.Watching in awe as they kept replaying the moment after the first plane hit the 1st tower,listening to the news people try to comprehend it themselves,and then SCREAMING when the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower, covering my mouth in disbelief, crying for all those innocent people, scared shitless,wondering what/who, would we be next here in California? Calling my husband, who was working at the time, begging him to come home to keep us safe, him saying he couldn't leave work, keep the kids home from school,not to worry,everything was ok,and trying to make me understand he had a duty to do,promises to keep,other people to keep safe.

I can't even imagine what all those family and friends left behind in New York,from the planes, the Pentagon,went through,go through, feel-their bravery,and even today, on this 10th Anniversary, how hard it must be to see it all again,relive that horrible day, but having the courage to talk about their loved ones,keeping their memory alive,reminding us of their love,faces,their bravery, so that

WE NEVER FORGET!

our flag

http://attacked911.tripod.com/

1st photo taken from kburnsdarling.hubpages.com

Disgusting Behaviour

2011-09-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Needed to vent,some things just need to be said!I apologize if anyone is offended by the photo but read on and you will understand why I posted it.

Every family has problems,no family is perfect,(I know mine isn't) unfortunately for my husband he has to be reminded of this quite often by the childish behaviour and the hatred some harbor towards him every time we visit HIS parents home. The portraits of any of us,ESPECIALLY of my husband that are hung in that home are defaced,written on or moved and replaced with other's photos.Today hubby went over and the first thing he saw was someone had marred his picture with a derogatory word that really shouldn't be used by anyone. Even more disgusting is when you have LEO's,want to be nurses and teachers that are suppose to be role models but prefer instead to use such hateful words/acts is beyond DISGUSTING!

Let's Do This!

2011-09-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

WE DO THIS!

Let's do this! My Uncle-a Veteran of the Vietnam War, shared this with me and wanted me to share with my readers:

We have a little less than a week to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America.

THE PROGRAM:
On Sunday, September 11th, 2011, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this tenth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.
In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.
Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.
Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.
Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America!
"FREEDOM IS NOT FREE"

My nephew,who is also a Army Ranger Veteran, gave each of our family households Flags to put up and we are adding a memorial banner for the 9-11 anniversary.

Ode to Beer

2011-09-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

My Ode to beer:

Dear Beer,because of you and my over INDULGING,

my short body is now BULGING!

Apparently you're not HEALTHY,

and you tend to make me get more MOUTHY!

I don't know when to say ENOUGH,

and am tired of looking like FLUFF!

I know its not only because of YOU

that soon I may need a MOOMOO,

but drinking just ONE,

is simply no FUN!

My willpowers WEAK,

but I must work on my PHYSIQUE

So I'll try not to CRY

but for now its GOODBYE!

monica

Good Bye August

2011-09-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

"When summer opens, I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good bye to August and HELLO to September!

This summer has just zipped on by, the kids are all back in school, the husband celebrated his 42nd birthday and once again I find myself pondering what to do. This time I am not going to list all the things I want to do or should do(since in my previous posts I have and failed to do,again and again)so I am going to try a different tactic and JUST DO IT!I hope! So if I do manage to complete the things I need to do I will post about them,if I don't well then I guess you'll know either way!ha ha

As I said the kids are back in school, Alyssa started college on Monday and she LOVES it!She enjoys her classes,and is having a good time getting to know the layout of the college and all that she can do while she is between classes, like go to study hall,workout in the gym or visit the Library-which she calls me about all the time saying"mom you have to come see the Library,you will just love it"(we tend to hang out at our city Library quite often), also fortunately for her we have a cousin who is a Professor at the college, so if Aly needs to go somewhere between classes she can go hang out in her office. Aly even found friends she can car pool with, which, with the cost of gas, is going to be a big help.So glad she is having a good 1st week experience!
Maxene and Jacob both started school on Wednesday and are happy(YEAH RIGHT) to be back,learning new stuff, seeing all their old friends and making new ones!
I can finally enjoy the quiet and cleanliness of my house while the kids are all gone to school-Now, to just make good use of my time is another matter!we'll see what I conquer,wish me luck!

p.s heres some pics I took of the kids on their first day back to school:

Aly tried to just say goodbye and leave but I caught her as she was going out the door!

Maxene,started her Junior year

Jacob is now an 8th grader

my grandson Nathan is a 2nd grader

and I can't forget Ava,since all the kids were in school we had a special treat and went out to breakfast,gotta love that hair!(her mom's fault)LOL

And finally the hubs celebrated his 42nd birthday the last day of August, and as usual with his schedule he had to work on his actual birth day so on the weekend before hand we celebrated,lucky duck had more then one celebration, first with my family dinner n a football game, then with us and his parents,dinner at his favorite restaurant and his momma made him his favorite Lemon Meringue pie, it was delicious!

Robbie Basic Training

2011-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

My nephew Robbie graduated from basic training this past week,he looks so handsome and lean,he lost 50lbs!!,maybe i should go there ; ),haha,yeah right I wouldn't be able to hang thats for sure! He said it was very hard but he was happy just to have his phone back so he can be reconnected with the rest of the world, and so he can get on FB,now we don't have to miss a minute of his craziness LOL!
We are so PROUD of him,love you lots Robbie,be safe!

Robbie and his momma!

FAMILY REUNION 2011

2011-08-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again for our annual Family Reunion, a whole year of planning and bam,8 hrs later,its over!(but oh how my aching feet and raspy voice are so happy that its over : ) !!

This year we had a Hawaiian Luau theme at our usual park,the weather was perfect,not too hot-we usually have the reunion at the beginning of the month but due to various other commitments we had to move it out a couple of weeks which left us feeling a little off kilter and we thought the attendance wasnt going to be that great but we were surprised we ended up with a awesome turnout! YAY!We played games; had a water balloon toss,3 legged race,hula hoop contest, limbo'd, ate lots of food,had a exotic salsa contest, made snowcones,had a hot dog machine going all day, hit a pinata,played volleyball,a craft table where everyone decorated a hat, raffled off/gave away many prizes and re-connected with family members we hadn't seen in a while,which is the whole reason for the event. This is our 3rd reunion that I have planned,getting everything and everyone together, it is A LOT of work! Every year the attendance is growing bigger and bigger!!The 1st year was under a 100 family members,last year we had up to 100 people show up and this year I think we hit the 120 mark!(people come and go all day and by the time we take the group pic not everyone is in it) WOWZA! THANK Goodness for my helpers,I appreciate all they do to make sure the event goes semi-smooth(a little crazy never hurt anyone right?) with plenty of food,activities,decorations,prizes and anything else needed for everyone to enjoy the day.UNTIL NEXT YEAR FAMILIA!

A couple of pics for your enjoyment!

the set up

my daughter Alyssa working the raffle ticket table

my grandaughter Ava Hula Hooping

Veronica & Sasha

Jacob,Nathan,Mario coloring hats

water balloon toss

Gabby n the pineapple pinata

all the kids lining up to hit the pinata

judging the salsas

salsa contestants Esperanza,Graciela,Veronica,Tere and the Winner Ace

my Uncle Efren,Aunt Yolanda,Uncle Jesse,Tia Esperanza

Aunt Yolanda and the gift basket she won

Hula Hooping

getting ready to do the 3-legged race

lunchtime

Ava n Grandma

the popo Jesse n Greg getting ready to man the bbq's

lunchtime

bbq'ing

more lunchers

Can't Comment ARGhhh

2011-08-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Funny thing, I found that I can post comments on Blogs via my phone IE with no problem but when I try via my computer on those same blogs it won't let me!

I've done EVERYTHING(I think)cleaned my cookies,browser,unchecked this unchecked that, and still have problems leaving comments on certain Blogs I follow! so very frustrating!

I am ready to do this:

Camping on the Beach 2011

2011-08-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

We love going to San Diego and go every year, whether it be staying in a hotel,camping in our pop-up or roughing it by staying on the beach in tents. This month we had planned on going down to Old Town San Diego and staying in a hotel, visiting Sea World, but considering we had already been down just this past April and visited the humongous San Diego Zoo and Old Town,we decided to go camping instead.We love camping and had the great fortune,(and I would say a better offer) of being invited to go camping for a couple of days with our Marine friends, Joey, a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant, his wife Annie,and their family, on Del Mar Beach Resort in San Diego. This stretch of the beach is situated on Camp Pendleton and only current and retired members of our Armed Forces and their families are allowed to use it for camping, it has everything you can think of and need,Cabanas, showers,giant movie screen for movie night,food stands,bars,music,a stage,etc.

So my family, along with with 2 of my sisters and their families,plus our friends camped on the beach. We had a RV, put up tents,had lots of food to bbq and eat,roasted marshmallows on a fire pit, played volleyball, did lots of swimming, digging up sand crabs,danced,sang, and just sat around snacking,drinking,laughing and talking, it was FANTASTIC!We even got to see a Surf competition between the West Cst and East Cst Marines,and yay the West Coast Marines won!Ooh-rah!

It was nice, at night lying in bed listening to the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore,or watching the beautiful Sunset, I tried to get up early enough to catch a Sunrise but never managed to! I will say the weather was very deceiving, sometimes sunny sometimes overcast and it even rained on our last day,but never cold! I came home so sunburned and believe me I slathered on that sunscreen and even wore a hat but still managed to come home burnt, all of us did and I think we even brought home so much sand we could make our own beach here at the house,LOL!! We had a great time and can't wait for them to make plans for our next trip!

heres a couple of pics from our trip,enjoy!

Palm Springs 2011

2011-07-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs seemed to be our mini vaca destination this year,

first the hubs and I went and celebrated 21 yrs of togetherness ♥

then our kids joined us for some family time

the kids enjoying the pool,it was a nice 95 degrees

getting ready to eat dinner

walking Palm Springs strip,the weather was perfect

my daughter has a thing for anything Elvis,heres his star on the strip

soaking up those Mineral Springs

we saw the Windmills on our drive,they remind me of Aliens and kinda scare me,they are HUGE up close-a little fact: used as alternative sources of energy, wind turbine generators are a type of windmill that produces electricity by harnessing the wind

then for my niece's birthday we had a girls weekend in Palm Springs, its something we do every year and have the best time,girls Only!We had so much fun going shopping at the outlets,eating out,pool parties,the spa,dancing and just hanging out by the pool relaxing in our rented cabana.

3 of my sisters,Susie,Irene,Lety and me

my daughter Veronica and the birthday girl Sasha

We stayed at a nice Spa hotel, the beds were sooooo comfortable!

we stopped on the way to check out the the Aerial Tram and boy was it hot out there @114 DEGREES,it went to the top of the mountain-way TOO high for me!

acting silly

the cabana had misters,felt so good in the godawful heat!

til next year!

Rawr Rawr Rawr!!

2011-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

Aly,Jacob and Max running from the Dinosaur!RAWR

Aliens and Thankful(s) Thursday

2011-07-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

I am THANKFUL that on the Fourth of July our home or anyone else's did not catch fire from all the illegal fireworks that people seem to enjoy setting off,even with all the risk involved!
THANKFUL for neighbors being home and keeping an eye out.
We spent the 4th around the corner from our home at my sisters,she lives 10 houses away from me, another thing I am THANKFUL for.
As we are watching all the kids light the fireworks my nephew spots like maybe 4 or 5 objects way up high,flickering, and we are all looking at them like what the heck is that, its not a firework because those explode and light up and that's the end of it, this object was lit and floating.
all the pictures were taken with my cell phone,so they are not the best.

So we are watching it get closer and then we get what it is, its a sky lantern,you know like in the movie Tangled.We are watching this large square shaped thing,floating high in the sky getting closer and closer and then go down,
i put a arrow on the left hand side pointing to it

and still lit, I am shouting THAT LOOKS LIKE IT LANDED BY OUR HOUSE! right then, my neighbor calls to say something on fire landed in our backyard!! So we come running home and sure enough there is this thing on top of our canopy/gazebo.

We take it down and find this

an ALIEN and it is STILL LIT!

they used a wick to keep it lit(like the wicks on tiki torches dipped in oil)We are so very THANKFUL it didn't catch the canopy on fire or that it didn't land on our roof, or anyone elses too high up to reach and put out,who knows what would have happened.
My neighbor couldn't go in our backyard because of our ferocious dog but they said if they would have seen fire they would have, and not until we actually picked it up did we notice that it was still lit.CRAZINESS!
I called the police, well first I called the hubs and he told me to call our local police, and told the dispatcher a ALIEN landed in my backyard, I explained what I found and they sent someone out, I do have to say they came fast, I am THANKFUL for their quick response, and this was the first one they ever saw, they were NOT amazed that IDIOT people would release these into a city crowded with houses!
I love the reason for celebrating the 4th but HATE HATE HATE that people light ILLEGAL fireworks!My husband had to work that night, I am so very THANKFUL he loves and does his job well and comes home safe every morning, and he said seeing kids with hands blown off,burns,or losing an eye because their parents think its ok to have those type of fireworks,was really sad and disgusting.
Other then that we had a great day with family n friends, bbq'ing, dancing, eating, laughing and keeping cool in the pool.
Hope you all had a uneventful,safe and sane 4th!

A Doggy Celebration

2011-07-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

My youngest sister ADORES her Sadie

miss Sadie had a birthday party

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY Sadie

a special doggy cake

goody bags for her doggy friends & cupcakes for the humans

a couple of her doggy friends n their moms

Tank n Sasha

CeeCee n Lety

a fun time had by all!

4th of July Quiz

2011-07-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

I gave my husband this test and he passed with flying colors, as for me, lets just say I guessed ALOT, at least I did know the ACTUAL reason we celebrate the 4th,and no its not just for the bbq'ing/partying!!

Test your History,see how much you know about the reason we actually celebrate the 4th-
no cheating,the answers are at the end of the quiz.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
•George Washington

•Thomas Jefferson

•Abraham Lincoln

•John Adams

How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?
•10

•115

•56

•78

Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
•Boston

•Philadelphia

•New York

•Washington

These are the first words of the Declaration of Independence:
•When in the course of human events...

•Four score and seven years ago...

•We have nothing to fear but fear itself....

•The Congress shall make no law...

She sewed the first American flag:
•Barbara Fritchie

•Martha Washington

•Victoria Woodhull

•Betsy Ross

What was Paul Revere's role in American History?
•First American President

•British Army Officer

•Wrote the Star Spangled Banner

•Warned the Americans that the British were coming

This was Paul Revere's occupation:
•Blacksmith

•Baker

•Silversmith

•Candlemaker

The Fourth of July holiday celebrates the proclamation of:
•American independence from Great Britain

•British independence from America

•Chinese independence from Great Britain

•No taxation without representation

Where can you go to view the original Declaration of Independence?
•Independence Hall in Philadelphia

•The Oval Office at the White House

•The National Archives Center in Washington D.C.

•Brooklyn Museum in New York

Who was the King of England during the Revolutionary War?
•George II

•Charles II

•George III

•Henry VII

What year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
•1772

•1777

•1776

•2001

here are the ANSWERS:
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson

How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?
56

Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Philadelphia

These are the first words of the Declaration of Independence:
When in the course of human events...

She sewed the first American flag:
Betsy Ross

What was Paul Revere's role in American History?
Warned the Americans that the British were coming

This was Paul Revere's occupation:
Silversmith

The Fourth of July holiday celebrates the proclamation of:
American independence from Great Britain

Where can you go to view the original Declaration of Independence?
The National Archives Center in Washington D.C.

Who was the King of England during the Revolutionary War?
George III

What year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
1776

I found this quiz here http://www.imom.com/seasonal/4th-of-july/fourth-of-july-quiz/

Independence Day also known as 4th of July is the birthday of the United States of America. It is celebrated on July 4th each year in the United States. It is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress - July 4, 1776. The day they announced to the world that the 13 colonies no longer belonged to Great Britain. Independence Day was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
for more fun facts:http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/beacon4god/july4.html

Poppin' 4th of July Margaritas

2011-07-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am making these Pop Rock coated Watermelon cocktails for our 4th of July pool/barbeque

Seedless Watermelon
1/2 lime
6 oz Tequila
3 oz triple sec
1 tbsp Sugar
Ice
Pop Rocks
Cut up Watermelon. Liquify in a blender ,until you have about 16 oz. Add lime,Tequla,Triple Sec,Sugar(add more sugar if not sweet enough)Blend.
You can either add ice to make a slushy Margartia or leave out the ice and enjoy them like I do on the rocks(poured over a glass of ice) Taste and add more sugar if watermelon is not sweet enough.
Serve in a margarita glass with a Pop Rock coated rim(dip rim of glass in lime juice, roll in Pop Rocks)
Enjoy!
Makes enough for 2
Please drink responsibly and PLEASE DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!!

CrAzY GrAnDpA

2011-06-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

My 3 yr.old grandbaby Ava,painted this watercolor portrait of her Grandpa Bald(as she calls him)

"He's looking all crazy"is the name of her portrait

she even captured the green of his eyes!

heres the lil artist at work

Fathers Day Gift Dad Gave Us!

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Another busy weekend spent with family and friends, and I wouldn't want it any other way!Though I am finding that by Monday I am beat and usually spend the day being lazy!OH well : ) It is well worth it!

Sunday was Fathers day,the kids spoiled their daddy,made him a huge breakfast, gave him a game for the Xbox and some clothes, then we went to my pops for a bbq.

We did the usual bbq'ing of Carne asada,hotlinks and all the sides to go with,for dessert we had pies and a Tres Leches cake (brought by our surprise guest) ,yummy! We were having a nice time stuffing our faces and laughing, when these people came in and we are all looking at them like who are you? but wondering why the heck they resemble my pop,come to find out its my dads relatives from Mazatlan,Mx and some that live in the next city over from where we live now.Relatives we didn't know about until yesterday!My dad brought them in and introduced us,it was like we knew them,they were very nice and huggable(I'm a hugger).

We never really knew much about my dads family because he left Mexico when he was very young and since my mom had lots of family we saw all the time, I guess we never really thought about it, or I least I didnt.I mean we did know he had family because as a little kid I remember going to Mexico to see his Doña and he had a brother,(who passed away) but we stopped going after the woman who raised him passed away.So for the last couple of years we have been finding out about my dads family history, like that he did have parents but his dad died when our dad was young,and that his father comes from a family of a very famous Groupo, Banda-musicians from Sinaloa,and his mom remarried and that's when my dad left the home, that he has half sisters,like 6-who have been looking for him and finally managed to track him down. My dad had been talking to them about visiting when he found out some of his cousins were coming for a month to Cali so my dad invited them over to SURPRISE us on Fathers day.IT WAS THE BEST!I mean we are the ones who are suppose to give him gifts but he didnt want us to give him anything,he just wanted us to spend the day with him and meet his family.My dad was so happy, he was beaming that estabamos tan amigables(we were so friendly) and made his family feel so welcome.I cant believe how much they look alike and to know that some of them live so close is AWESOME!! They invited all 30 of us to go next year to their hometown of Mazatlan to meet the rest of the family and to take our dad so he can be reunited with his sisters and the rest of the Family,apparently there are lots and lots, I cant wait and hope that we do go or at least that my dad goes.I love finding out about our family history and look forward to getting to know them better and seeing all the pictures they have and just talking!FAMILY is great and the more the merrier I say!

Andres,Mari, Juven, Jose Luis, Luis and Francisco

That was our Father's Day, full of joy and love and Familia!

On Saturday my Grand baby Ava had her 3rd birthday party,my daughter enjoys going all out when it comes to the baby's invites,outfit,decorating,goodies and even making the cake herself,this years theme was Minnie Mouse.

the bday girl and her momma(polka dot tulle skirt made by momma)

the invite

Ava biting into her cake

the table of goodies n cake (all made by her mommy)

the bday girl n grandma

so many people showed up it was crazy!

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

The greatest gift I ever had

Came from God; I call him Dad!

~Author Unknown

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to my pop and husband, thee BESTEST daddy's in the whole wide world!

2011 National Day of Prayer

2011-06-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today is National Day of Prayer for Law Enforcement, PLEASE take a moment to say a Prayer for our LEO's working the streets, that they are kept safe while at work and return home safe and sound to their families.

For more information Please go to:

http://www.wivesbehindthebadge.org/events/2011-national-day-of-prayer/

Thank You God!

Class of 2011

2011-06-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy who'll decide where to go.

~Dr. Seuss

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Our daughter is now a High School Graduate and we could not be any PROUDER! Alyssa is a great kid and we know that anything she sets her mind to she will accomplish!

receiving her Diploma

As we watched her pass us in the procession we could not help but beam with pride,shout her name and try not to cry all at the same time.After she received her Diploma,and along with the rest of her Senior class,move her Tassel, recite the Alma Mater we met her in the back, hug,kissed and cried, I can't believe its over, honestly it went by too fast!I love this girl!

her dad putting her Lei on(symbolizes good luck)

Daniel(my nephew)& Aly CONGRATS

Proud parents!!

speech speech by the grads

Celebration dinner w/some of my family

Aly n dad,no words needed

my daughters and me

some of the cousins wanted to pose for a pic

it was a trick!they just wanted to make faces!

I LOVE MY FAMILY

We had so many of our friends also having ceremonies of one type or another the same day, some with 8th graders Promotion ceremony(the school doesn't like the use of the word GRADUATE,apparently some will think that is as far as you have to go,YEAH REALLY) and 5th graders being Promoted to the 6th grade,so it was ONE BUSY DAY! But for us our day was mainly about our daughter, you don't realize how much there is left to do to get them there until its upon you, but THANK GOD our daughter is one of those kids that just seem to be able to get things done with no problem or help! As I said before we are SUPER PROUD of her!Now we can finally RELAX, Its been a heck of a ride ( sometimes smooth, sometimes not) 2 down 2 to go!

Today Is Graduation day!!

2011-06-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

My my how time has flown by!My daughter graduates from high school TODAY,wowza, so I am OFF,got lots to do, see you all on my next post!!

hope you all have a fantabulous day!

Click!

2011-06-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

SHIT!! is what I said after my husband hung up on me last night...

You know, SOMETIMES I just can't help getting all pissy when my husband hangs up on me!!I had something important(I thought is was important) to share with him last night and in the middle of me talking, he cuts me off "gotta go can't talk" CLICK!!!aghhhhh
I know there are some of you out there that know what I am talking about,no explanation needed,LOL
Then he forgets to call me back and when I asked him this morning why he didn't call me back, he says "he DIDN'T know he was suppose to call me back!" WTF!! I had something IMPORTANT to say, ok I am lying I didn't,it was nothing VITAL, and plus he's lucky I even remembered why I called him in the first place.DAMN I hate that he knows me that well!

I know I am supposed to know better, or understand but sometimes I DON'T so there! : )

This is the Internet After ALL!

2011-06-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

PLEASE try to remember this is the Internet,also known as the WORLD WIDE WEB, where anyone can make up shit if they choose to, and REALLY the only way to know the truth is if you're PERSONALLY involved. You really don't know who is who and what is what, whats true or not,there are 2 sides to every story,I just choose NOT to share the stupidity,immaturity and actions of those that want the world to know how dysfunctional their family(s) are, I find it rather embarrassing. I THANK GOD everyday for my family and that is ENOUGH!

Distinguished

2011-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS to our Alyssa on receiving a "DISTINGUISHED" on her Senior Project Presentation and for the medals she earned! WAY TO GO!!!

I Know Why I Have Such Great Kids!

2011-06-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

The other day someone asked me why I had such great kids and I answered "I have no idea, I don't know why they are the way they are, especially since I wasnt umm so well behaved( I didnt finish school because I had a baby), and my friend that was sitting with me said "Monica, don't sell yourself short you are a GOOD parent, both Greg and yourself are doing a fine job, that’s why you have such great kids" and she said I needed to stop saying I didn’t know why. WELL THANK YOU MY FRIEND! So from now on I will no longer say I don’t know why! I mean I totally understand where people are coming from when they ask me, I did run around with the wrong crowd in my teen years,and I think people expect(ed) my kids to turn out the same way I did. THANK GOD they didn’t! People believe that I should be getting some sort of payback for the way I acted through my kids but NOPE, knock on wood, so far so good. They AREN'T PERFECT and have gotten into trouble but nothing ever major, well except for my son who in the 4th grade had an incident at school with a kid who sadly had psycho parents and who thought FIGHTING was ok, they even put out there not so kind words about my son for not knowing how to fight, SHEESH, but thankfully the school knew-so that turned out good. As the saying "you are a PRODUCT of YOUR parents" or "Your kids are a reflection of you" goes, I believe it is SO true. All my children have succeeded in having healthy happy relationships with their peers,Teachers, and other Adults through the years; they have never ever missed out on a function or event at school because of their behavior or actions.When they did get into trouble for grades or what have you, we made sure to discipline them. Our tactic has been to take away the things they love or enjoy doing the most, for a certain amount of time or not let them participate in functions they may want to attend, and so far it has worked. One time our Maxene lost her cell phone for a whole month because of her grades, so from then on she tries her hardest to not have that happen ever again! We don't think hitting or spanking our kids is a form of discipline. I'm not going to lie and say I NEVER spanked them because I have, the hubby on the other hand has NEVER spanked our kids, he says as a child he was spanked and for him it’s a bad childhood memory that he doesn’t want our kids to have. I am in no way saying he was abused or beaten just that like my mother did, and I am sure others have,in the older days spanking/hitting were allowed. I have heard that there are people out there who discipline their kids by pulling their ears, kicking them in the ass, or making them stand facing a wall with their noses touching the wall whilst keeping a coin in place so they wont move,AS PUNISHMENT!! I mean really that sounds like torture and abuse to me, doesn’t it sound like that to you?? My parents had 7 kids and my dad didn’t hit/spank us but my mom, ooOOhhHH! Nowadays her form of punishment probably would be considered abuse, she would spank us HARD, or pinch us,especially while we were in Church, and I know I deserved a lot more discipline as a teen.
Thinking about this topic and what my friend had to say got me thinking about my 4 kids and what they have done so far in life,and yes maybe even bragging, the oldest is married,stay at home momma with 2 babies and a good hard working husband, the second to the oldest is graduating from school this year and was accepted to a 4yr college-one that she REALLY REALLY wanted to get in to and will be Double Majoring in Chemistry/Health Education. My third child has struggled her whole school life with school and hating it but has managed to get decent grades,we think she does it on purpose because when she really puts her mind to it she does great, and has even made up her mind about what she plans to do after she graduates in 2 years. My son, and the youngest, does great and hopefully continues to, he received one of the highest Test scores in our schools district for Language Arts,and scores extemely high on all his test(s) and has always known to behave and respect school and the Teachers; he says he plans on joining our Armed Forces when he graduates. (I don't think so!)So far I do have to say I am blessed, blessed to have such great support from my husband,my family and for our kids being the way they are today, I hope it continues until they are all grown, out on their own,and I will try my hardest to make sure it does! So if anyone says ”why are your kids so good” I am going to say “BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOOD PARENTS!”

Sgt.1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry MEDAL OF HONOR

2011-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

I can always tell when my nephew has something that is weighing on his mind, you can tell by the look in his eyes that there is something he wants to share-when you meet and talk to my nephew he comes off a little cold, rarely smiles,with a super dry/dark sense of humor, but deep deep inside he is very loving and soft, and when he smiles it is BEAUTIFUL, this doesnt come easy to him, sharing his feelings, but when something really touches his heart he will let you know. On Thursday he shared the story of his fellow Ranger, Sgt.1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry, the Medal of Honor Sgt.1st Class Petry is to receive,(he will be the second living Medal of Honor Recipient from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan) and the heroic act of saving his squad from a grenade, a grenade Sgt.1st Class Petry picked up and threw to keep the rest of the squad safe whilst getting his hand blown off. You can read his story here Wounded 75th Ranger to Receive Medal Of Honor

My nephew,Mando, ever so proud of his brothers in camouflauge, my nephew ever so HONORED to have served with this AMERICAN HERO, Sgt.1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry.THANK YOU to Sgt. Petry and to all of our Men and Women who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces.

picture taken from ShadowSpear Special Operations website

Sorry!

2011-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

BUT

For some reason I am UNABLE to

on SOME of the

I follow

JUST so YOU know I AM

I don't know whats going on with blogger but on some blogs when I go to comment it will ask me to sign in again and again and wont let me leave a comment,very frustrating because I do read my followers blogs and those who leave me comments I be sure to read and leave(try)comments back!hopefully this problem gets fixed ASAP so I can leave comments!

Showcase

2011-05-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts back I wrote about my daughter and her Senior project,receiving a DISTINGUISHED and still having to go through the second part of the grading process which was presenting her report, along with a powerpoint to be read in front of a panel, Well I am happy to announce that she was selected by her Teacher to give her presentation in front of a "Distinguished" panel of judges called Showcase, which in this panel included the Mayor,other city administrators and the Principal of the school. Alyssa did a awesome job explaining her project on AIDS/HIV Awareness and had great answers for the questions given to her at the end of her presentation.The panel had nothing but nice things to say about Alyssa and we should be very very proud of her, which we are, I even got teary eyed at the end because of how proud of her I am. Alyssa starts college this fall and is Double Majoring in Chemistry and Health Education and hopes to become a Forensic Scientist. Becoming a Forensic Scientist has been Alyssa's lifelong ambition since elementary school and she has never wavered from that choice. GOOD JOB Alyssa, we are SUPER PROUD OF YOU and know there is more to come!WE LOVE YOU!!

THANKFUL Thursday

2011-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

As the end of National Police week nears, PLEASE take a moment to remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty,their families,friends and departments and also be sure to THANK those in your lives that are LEO's and if you see a cop out n about be sure to THANK them too!

My Birthday

2011-05-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today is my BiRtHdAy woohooo! Even though getting older sucks I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my BIRTHDAY and am ever so THANKFUL to have one because that means I am still ALIVE,THANK YOU GOD!!The husband was so sweet this morning, he brought me flowers,my favorite candy and a funny card, this after working a double shift all night.Sadly he has to work today so my family and friends are taking me to dinner and Sunday I will celebrate it with the hubby and kids.I FEEL THE LOVE♥ "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional."

Jacob at Thirteen

2011-05-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our son and my baby : ( became a TEENAGER this past weekend.

Jacob turned 13 on Saturday and in lieu of a party all he really REALLY really wanted was a XBox 360 slim w/Kinect, he has been wanting it FOREVER and because he is such a great kid and has NEVER given us any problems at school or home,so far,THANK GOD(knocking on wood) I am not saying he is perfect because there is no such thing and he does have his moments but overall he is a good kid, we decided he has earned it and gave it to him.

On his special day his momma made him his special breakfast,we gave him his present and took him out to dinner.

at Red Robin his favorite place

I can't belive how quickly time has just flown by, from being a our chubby little newborn, who was so blond that people thought I was his nanny and not his mom!LOL

getting Baptized

his 1st Christmas

celebrating his 1st Birthday

being able to ride a scooter at 2-I remember people driving by would stop and say "hey how old is he?"because he was so little and rode it like a pro!

from learning to read and ummm other things at the same time :)

his 1st day of Kindergarten

to becoming an Uncle at 6

and having to deal with three older sisters who love to boss him around but who better watch out because he is growing taller and TALLER everyday,

to today a Teen at Thirteen!

him and his pops playing the kinect

Alyssa the Senior

2011-05-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Senior year is just zipping on by for my daughter and for us as well. This past Friday our daughter Alyssa came home from school with AWESOME news,she received a "Distinguished" on her Senior project for the first part of the grading process. Her project research paper was about HIV, she has been working on this since the beginning of the school year. Actually the school starts preparing them when they are Juniors so they know whats coming and have no excuse for failing(in order to graduate this project must be completed by the last week of April).They first have it read by a panel for grading, then they have to present it, along with a powerpoint presentation, for another grade. A Distinguished is the highest award given and the only one where they also also get a medal(s) to pin on their Senior robes.We are super duper proud of our Alyssa and can't wait to see what she gets on her presentation part.GOOD LUCK Alyssa!

Senior Prom was also this past weekend and here is our Alyssa and her date Victor

It was an exciting all-day of getting ready and having our family,as well as her dates,friends and all our neighbors come over to see her off! She went on a party bus with about 50 other kids so we knew she would be safe coming and going.Fun Fun
here she is with her best friend Alyssa,her dress looks pink in this pic but its actually like a coral

Heres the inside of the bus

What is it Wednesday

2011-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

the husband took this photo with his cellphone,I think it looks like a painting

(its our kids underwater at night in the hotel pool)

here they are swimming

Spring Break

2011-04-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Spring break is here for the kids, a whole week of sleeping in, eating all day and watching TV, NOT! They wish thats all they could do but nope we have plans. First we are going to spend it Prom dress shopping for my 2nd to the oldest daughter Alyssa, we have actually been shopping for the last 2 weeks with no luck, so Monday, we,about 7 of us,(a couple of her friends are also going for their Prom dresses) are loading up the Tahoe and heading out to the dress stores and aren't coming home empty handed,it should be fun.
Sadly we also have a Rosary and a Funeral to attend for my great Tia Elisa,RIP-she is the one who introduced my dad and mom and is the last of the 10 from my great grandfathers children and will be missed.
Then we are off on a mini vacation!woohoo cant wait for that, we are trying to squeeze in as much family time before our Aly graduates because we know once she is done with school she is going to be too busy getting ready for college. These past couple of months have been so busy with her Senior year, turning 18,dances,senior events,getting her drivers license,quitting softball,(Need a whole other post about that,Thank God for my family and friends and all the support they have given her with her decision,they have been fantastic),looking for a car and all the other fun stuff to come.phewwww Dont even want to get into how many of our family members are attending the graduation,my nephew is also graduating from the same school and so everyone wants to go!
Finally to end Spring break we will be spending Easter at my daddy-O's. My brothers put themselves in charge of BBQ'ing and providing the main dish,we girls have to do the sides, and all the inlaws have to bring the beverages. Even though we dont have many little kids in the family,the older kids,teens, will still partake in the Easter egg hunt. Its funny and gets a little crazy!Every year we make something crafty, and the best or creative wins a prize,and good prizes too,like gift cards to restaurants or to Tarjay.This year we have to make a Easter pin or some type of bunny ears, one year we had to decorate an egg and I made mine into a pink piggy with bunny ears and I won!! We've done hats,easter baskets and even home made mini pinatas! Makes for an interesting time!LOL

What are your plans for Spring break??

Peter and the Wolf

2011-04-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen Disneys Peter and the Wolf ?? Its a short cartoon/musical story by Sergei Prokofiewa, if you havent PLEASE click on the link and check it out,believe me you will LOVE IT!
Finding this on Youtube brings back fond childhood memories of being in elementary school on one of those rainy days when we had to spend recess in the cafeteria watching movies.I love the music and the the narrator's voice is so captivating.Sadly its only on VHS, and I am IMPATIENTLY waiting for it to come out on DVD so I can snap it up!ENJOY!

Familia

2011-04-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

For this years family reunion,my mothers side of the family, one of my cousins,Gabby, is working on our family tree and hopefully presenting it at our reunion in August. I enjoy learning about our family history and can't wait to see what comes about.We have a huge, huge family,my mother,MaLuisa, comes from a family of 7 brothers and sisters,her father,Alberto, comes from a family of 10 brothers and sisters-who all have lots and lots of children and so on and so on. Facebook has made finding relatives and sharing so much easier, I love communicating and swapping information with all those relatives that live in other countries!ITS FABULOUS!!Heres a couple of pictures one of my relatives shared with me via facebook(wish I had dates,but I'm working on it)
My Great grandparents Romalda Puente & Jose(their daughter Rosita is in the center)

My grandparents Altagracia Murillo and Alberto Puente

my parents MariaLuisa & Ramon 1958(in a wedding,before they were married)

Gregory & Monica(the hubs and I)2010

Robbie

2011-04-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my nephew Robbie's birthday!!woohoo HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBBIE!! On top of today being his birthday, his mom,my older sister, just told us her 22 yr old son, Robbie, has signed up and leaves for our Armed Forces, more aptly Army Ranger, as a medic, in June! AGHHHhhh We were asked to PLEASE- NOT- try to talk him out of it nor say anything negative, he has made up his mind,is going regardless of what we say and all he wants is our support, he will get it albeit, grudgingly,if you happened to read any of my previous posts about my other nephew,Mando, who was,wait scratch that, IS a Army Ranger you would understand. I will say that Robbie is a BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE young man,this choice of his scares me,ESPECIALLY after knowing whats to come,I mean really knowing whats to come!! My nephew Mando(who is a HERO) told us all we should not be negative Nancy's,or say anything disrespectful about our Armed forces, he for one would never ever in any way say anything disgraceful/disrespectful towards our Armed forces, even after all that he has gone through, and has been Robbie's biggest supporter,encouraging him to go.I am quite surprised that this is happening,this comes as a complete surprise to ME, us,my family, a total jaw dropper!.Anyways what can I do,say, to change his mind, NOTHING!! I know what I can do, PRAY, once Robbie is gone there will not be a day I won't think of him and offer a little prayer to be safe, that he returns home safe and sound. I do know if my mom was here she would be having a SHIT FIT and with that thought, when Robbie is ready to leave I shall make sure to whisper words that I know my mom would, give him a little smack on the back of his head, that way he will know his grandma is keeping an eye on him, and remind him his grandma is with him on his venture and will keep him safe.WE WILL ALL be praying to God to PLEASE keep an eye on our Robbie for us.

WE LOVE YOU ROBBIE!!!

Lovin Netflix

2011-04-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I am so loving Netflix! I am finding so many "old" movies that I watched as a little girl like Johhn Socko and His Flying Robot,which I totally loved and brings back so many memories of watching tv with our mom and all my brothers and sisters♥

Battle of the Gargantuas, I totally forgot how ugly they were,or how the bad one(green one)ate people and he would just spit their clothes out!too funny! I know this is dating me and many of you have probably never even heard of these movies,but you have to give them a try!they are clean ,cheesy movies that you can share with your kids,like I do with mine and they LOVE them as much as I do.

Ode to Billy Joe, watching this now as a adult I TOTALLY get it,the movie makes so much more sense to me then when I watched it back in the late 70's

I remember watching movies with Martin Sheen when he was a HOT young man like in Sweet Hostage with Linda Blair.

There are so many movies I want to find and YAY for the internet helping me out with the names of movies I can't remember! My mom loved watching tv (I think it even helped her learn english.)We,my siblings and I,apparently all picked up that same love of movies and whenever we are all together we talk about what movies we have found and what we remember about them and try to figure out the name and will even go home and call each other once we remember.

I cant wait to see what other movies I find on Netflix!

Easy Burritos

2011-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Our Doc told us we need to cut down on our salt intake so I've been working on making HEALTHIER substitutes for the foods I usually cook for my family,mainly all the Mexican dishes I tend to make.
I found this easy, tasty recipe on our health insurance newsletter and thought it would be a great start to help us get on the right, HEALTHY track.I usually make Burritos with lots of beans,beef,shredded cheese,sour cream and taco sauce,so full of fat and other bad stuff!

Burritos 4 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups cooked black beans,(I used canned organic-they have less sodium)mashed with 1tsp canola oil

2 Tbsp chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
4 corn or flour tortillas
1/2 cup low sodium salsa
4 tbsp plain non fat yogurt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Mix beans w/onion and tomatoes,
to make tortillas pliable and ready for the beans,onion and tomato mixture you can either warm tortillas via the microwave between 2 slightly damp paper towels on high for 15 seconds or like I do I put them on the stove burner for like 10 seconds each side.
portion each tortilla with the bean mixture,roll/fold up into a burrito-spoon salsa over each burrito and you can microwave on high for an additional 15 sec. if you choose I put the salsa inside-then top with yogurt and cilantro
I doubled everything since there is 5 of us and the hubby tends to eat a little more then the rest of us :) ENJOY

Way to Keep an Eye out

2011-04-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Having neighbors you get along with is GREAT, but having neighbors who also keep an eye out on your house is AWESOME!My neighbor came over the other day to tell us that she saw a man standing across the street from our house with a "yellow" notepad,writing something down-she just so happen to look out her front window and saw him standing there and thought what the heck is that man doing?So she says she ran out of her house to ours,not even closing her door, rang our doorbell(we weren't home)and turned around and stared the man down,until he left walking down the street,she gave us a decription and assured us it wasnt like a cholo or anything,LOL-just an ordinary looking guy.So her and I are chitchatting about who it could have been and my husband(the ohsowiseone)tells her ARE YOU CRAZY!You came out here by yourself,left your house wide open to anyone to walk in,and more specifically What would you have done if he came up to you???Of course we just looked at him and kept on chitcatting.But 2 days later thinking about it my husband was right,all those what if's, and she probably thought my hubby would just handle it since he is the PoPo,unfortunately he wasnt home.So today when I see my neighbor I will be sure to tell her call our CITY POLICE, thats what they're here for RIGHT???Anyways we are glad we have such great neighbors : ) and thanks for keeping an eye out for us!
p.s-oh and the guy turned out to be one of those people that paint your house number on the curb,my neighbors saw him again and asked him what he was doing! LOL

RIP Pepper

2011-03-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

"Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. " (Mark Twain

The hardest thing ever is saying goodbye to a family pet that has been around as long as one of our kids
:( Pepper was more then just a pet she was and is a part of our family, Pepper was a loyal,loving dog, she was our protector,and whenever the hubs had to go to work she did a great job of making sure our home felt safe and protected ALWAYS.Pepper is in doggie heaven now running around and chasing her squeaky toy like she use to and now protecting my mom and the rest of our family that she has joined,we promise to take care of Wyatt for you!WE LOVE YOU Pepper and will miss you FOREVER♥

Pepper as a puppy

Our Joe Dirt

2011-03-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Needed a smile today and found one in looking at this:

my grandbaby Ava

Aly at 18

2011-03-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

our Aly B is on the left w/her bf since kinder Aly T!

Saturday my 2nd to the oldest daughter turned 18! We had a family n friends gathering at our home with a bonfire,smores,pizzas,sphagetti salad(homemade) and cupcakes. All the youngins hung outside and us so called "old" folk hung out inside. It was a good time and the start to all the up coming events for our soon to be high school graduate!

rainbow cupcakes her older sis made her

P.S the hubs just bought me a new computer so now I can finally catch up on everone's blogs and comment!

Spring is Coming!

2011-03-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

You can always tell that Spring is right around the corner when softballl starts, and todays weather is totally fitting,we are having a nice 82 degrees with a slight breeze,perfect! Both my girls are on their high school Varsity team, one is a outfielder and the other is the manager.I think I get just as excited as they do because I really enjoy watching them play, this also means I have to stock my home with lots of snacks,food and drinks for the softball girls that come home with my girls during the season.GIRLS ROCK!GOOD LUCK CHIEFS!

Call Me a Sissy

2011-02-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

My brother is currently working in Milwaukee,WI and boy is he freezing his butt off, he has been sending me pictures of this weather he says he is slowly getting use to(not really), and that we are a bunch of sissies,sorry brother, but I will take our 63 degree winter weather to those below 30's you've been having to deal with ANY DAY!

in this one he asked if I could see the snow falling.

My brother also said he wants to go outside and play in the snow,but thinks everyone will look at him weird and know he is a outsider,not that they can't tell from ALL the snow gear he wears!LOL

Being from Cali we are not acclimated to "real" winter weather, to us anything in the 40's is freezing-or so I think, and I'm pretty sure other Californians will agree.

I for one have NEVER seen or touched snow and don't see how people living in real 4 season weather can get used to such cold, dreary weather for so long!Burrrrrrr

NOW this is a crisp clear BLUE sky!

I took this picture today coming back from the mall

my nephew Mario n my son JB in what we call Cali winter clothes

Friday Funny MEN

2011-02-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

My Uncle sent me the following via email as one of those chainmails you're suppose to send to all your friends,which I never do, I hate receiving and usually never bother reading,but this one was funny enough I had to share it here on my blog.oh he had ps'd that none of this was true.LOL enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One day my housework-challenged husband decided

to wash his Sweatshirt..

Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room,

he shouted to me, 'What setting do I use on thewashing machine?'

'It depends,' I replied.

'What does it say on your shirt?'

He yelled back, ' OHIO STATE !'

And they say

blondes are dumb....

----------------------------------------------------------------

A couple is lying

in bed. The man says,

'I am going to make

you the happiest woman in the world...'

The woman replies,

'I'll miss you.......

----------------------------

'It's just too hot to wear clothes today,'

Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, 'honey, what do you think the

neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?'

'Probably that I married you for your money,' she replied.

-------------------------------------------

Q: What do you

call an intelligent, good looking, sensitive man?

A: A rumor

-------------------------------------------

Dear Lord,

I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;

Love to forgive him;

and Patience for his moods.

Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength,

I'll beat him to death.

AMEN

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Why do little boys whine?

A: They are practicing to be

men.

--------------------------------------------------

Q: What does it

mean when a man is in your bed gasping

for breath and calling your name?

A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough.

------------------------------------------

Q: Why do men whistle when they

are sitting on the toilet?

A: It helps them remember which end to wipe..

-------------------------------------------

Q: How do you

keep your husband from reading your e-mail?

A: Rename the

email folder 'Instruction Manuals'

Wordless Wednesday JB

2011-02-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

Our handsome 12yr old son Jacob♥soon to be a teenager

Weight to Go!Week 6

2011-02-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

Morning and HAPPY BELATED VALENTINE's♥♥!
Here it is Monday week 6-wait today is Tuesday,oops missed a day probably because the kids didn't have school and that throws me off, any how, today is TUESDAY beginning of WEEK 6-and I managed to lose 2 WHOLE POUNDS!!Yay for me but.... sadly none of that was due to EXERCISE! I have/had a darn cold for the past week and wasn't able to exercise nor eat a whole lot(apparently,even though I felt like I stuffed my face on Valentine's day), either way I am on schedule.So good for me♥
Hope you all had a healthy HAPPY Valentine's day♥

Weigh to GO!!

2011-02-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight,because by then your body and your fat are really good friends"~author unkonwn

Sticking to my "get healthier" journey is hard work,but I am managing to do it.I have stuck to doing a workout no less then 40minutes daily( I heard for women over the age of 40 we need to do at least 60min a day 7 days a week)at least 5 out of the 7 days of Cardio done either with workouts on my Treadmill, my Wii Zumba or jogging with my girls : ) and 20 min every other day of free weights or my Wii Biggest Loser workout.I feel so much better after working out but just getting myself to do it,ughhhh!
I loathe working out,I find that if I don't work out first thing in the morning then forget it, I just don't have the umph to get me going after dinner and if I don't manage to sqeeze in my workout I just put that down as my "rest"day.
I am also changing my food habits,I should say trying to change my food habits-one of my fellow pw's introduced us to her "Paleo" diet that she is following and I am giving it a try.The most challenging part is getting the kids to eat what I want to eat, I know once they go with the program it will make it easier for me to stay focused and get to where I need to.
My goal is to lose at least 1lb a week for 23 weeks and this is the beginning of week 5 and I am ahead by 1lb-WOOHOO may not sound like a lot but after losing 25lbs and sadly regaining most of it back any loss of weight I will be super happy about :) Here in Cali the weather has been nice, thankfully not as cold as the East- bare arms and shorts weather is looming and I don't want to have to cover up,so hopefully I can stick to this and get where I need to be comfortable with myself then I can work on another setting a bigger weight loss goal.
Unfortuantely as I was writing this I managed to catch a cold and didnt get to work out for the rest of the week,I guess I will just have to work double next week!
A question for anyone in my age range of over 40, being older I find my metabolism is slow as a turtle,like me, what do you use to boost your metabolism? and for the rest of you any other tips regarding weight loss or dieting would be greatly appreciated.
thanks ♥

Go Red Wear Red

2011-02-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Friday is Go Red for women, WEAR RED

to show your support for the the fight against heart disease, this largely preventable disease is the #1 killer of women.I have my pin do you have yours??

For more info: goredforwomenAHA

Worrywart?

2011-01-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

With all that's been going on in the news regarding all the shootings and our Law Enforcement is it normal for me to feel so anxious when my husband goes off to work? I mean come on after all HE is the one that is going out there, risking his life while I stay at home, SAFE. I thought after 11 yrs of being a PW it wouldn't affect me the way it is, that I would be somewhat hardened by it by now, but NO, I know that these past few days I have not been doing what I normally do. I have found myself checking my phone more, and the other night I was planning on having a glass of wine with my dinner but then I thought what happens if something happens and I need to leave,as it is I can barely drive sober and even with 1 drink there is no way I would drive so I didn't have any wine. I even thought about his emergency contacts and how my daughter changed her number and we need to change that. Is this normal??

I asked my husband what they were saying about all of this at his work and he really didn't want to talk about it and just said they sent emails out about it but he didn't seem all that worried about it. I didn't want to push it and MAKE him worried. Nor do I want to talk to him about the way I am feeling because I don't want him to worry about me worry about him while he is at work.Does that even make sense?

Are you, my fellow police wives feeling the way way I am? Am I overreacting,being a WORRYWART for nothing?What are you doing to help feel more secure or at least know what to do just in case, are you prepared?

PRAYING AND SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS TO ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT MEN & WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES

Weightloss Funnies

2011-01-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

As I continue on my journey to my "healthier phase" beginning of week 3 of 23 and down 3 lbs,woohoo, thought I'd share some funnies. I for one can use a little laughter right now especially with all the ugliness going on out there within the LEO community.
Stay safe

this is my newest saying:
I'm not overweight. I'm just nine inches too short."
~Shelley Winters

this is what my scale does....lol

and finally a funny little poem I found:

Twas The Month After Christmas

Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house

Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste.

All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!

When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese

And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt

And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---

I said to myself, as I only can

"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,

Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished

Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.

I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,

I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---

But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.

Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet

by Anonymous

Congrats!

2011-01-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS to my daughter Alyssa for making her high school's Varsity softball team!woohoo! This being her Senior year of high school, keeping her grades up, busy with her youth committee, volunteering, getting ready for college and other important school stuff she has going on its been a tough year so far and now Softball, aye, aye! But we know she can do it! Good job Aly-we are SUPER proud of you and all that you have accomplished.WE LOVE YOU!

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a fabulous start to the new year!
Though its already the 4th of January here's to having a healthy,happy,safe and fun year and may you accomplish all that you plan to resolve in the coming months,or not, but have fun doing it!
This year I didn't make any of my same o'l resolutions I usually make and fail to accomplish,such as lose weight,not drink beer,blah blah,etc.etc.
Instead I am just going to just be me, have lots of fun,enjoy life and laugh even more this year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!FELIZ ANO NUEVO!

I hate that place!

2010-12-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter called me and said "MOM we need to go to grandma's grave and decorate it for Christmas" ,me ok ok. I was happy,or so I pretended to be, to go shopping for a tree and decorations and imagining how pretty we were going to decorate her grave,because my mom was all about bling bling we wanted it to look festive so we went with gold and red and I was happy my daughter thought of it and then we got to the cemetery. I was thinking what the fuck am I doing here I hate this fucken place,my mom's dead,what an ugly reminder! We get there, get out of the car,my daughter,my grandbaby Ava and I,mind you she is only 3, so I grab her little hand and explain to her to not walk on the gravemarkers or that she cant touch all the decorations because they are not ours and we walk up to my moms headstone and my daughter starts cleaning it, then she has to go to the car to get something to make holes with,she wants to stick these candy canes in the ground to hang garland. My grandbaby is walking around looking at all the decorations on the other graves,not touching,she sees a stray cat and decides to follow it, its a small cemetery so she really cant go anywhere, so I bend down to finish the cleaning and the tears start coming,me trying to hide it from my daughter, you see its been 8 yrs since my mom has been gone and you would think it would be easier,but its not,I miss our mom,even more so during these Holidays, and even now I sit here crying, typing.

So I'm on my knees trying to clean the gravestone or whatever the hell you call that thing,tears running down my face,trying to dig holes in the hard dirt and my grandbaby comes over to me and wraps her little arms around me and says"gramma you ok,you ok gramma" trying to look at me with those puppy eyes,patting my back the whole time and me trying not to cry or let her see my tears but she knew,she felt my sadness and came running over to hug me.I love that kid.She makes it better.but I still hate that place.

So now its Christmas day, we are all at my pops,sitting around the table,talking about our mom, how we miss her and how unfair it is that she is not there and before you know it we are all crying.My sister gets to talking about how she went to the cemetery by herself to put Christmas flowers and how nice the Christmas tree was we had put up and that she couldnt get her boys to go with her,they told her why do we have to go there,GRANDMA doesnt even want to be there!and we LAUGH,laugh so hard because only our Bubbies would come up with those straightforward words that convey exactly what we all know.

The Best Parts of the Holidays

2010-12-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING-Giving THANKS

Nathan giving us a smile

         grandmaFrankie, me and Laura,my hubbys
                      "other"Moms

Ava n Greatgrandpa L

my sister Estela

my SIL Anthony being silly

Ava n Auntie Aly

Ramon being silly with his hairdo n shorts

it's CHRISTMAS!Love my tree and the snowman topper
I made

my kids after opening presents-jb lovin his electric guitar

Brothers, we have the best

my sisters Lety n Susie,laughing as usual

my Sis Irene and her baby Sadie

Cousinship

sharing a special moment, remembering our momma

my grandbaby Ava having fun opening all her presents

Ava n grandma

Mando-my nephew n our hero

my brother Ray-he be my #1 brother

my pop-his kids come first-best pop in the world!

my baby bro Ruben-see the eyes,haha

my baby boy Jacob

my mini me Max

my oldest daughter and my #1 Veronica

my Aly bestest kid in the whole wide world

my hubby,we are GRATEFUL for the love of our family

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making. ~Leigh Hunt

Merry Christmas to all of my blog readers, may your holiday be spent creating happy lasting memories with those you love and even those you don't ; )

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

and yes I said MERRY Christmas! <[:{)
Be safe♥

the Emporium at KBF

2010-12-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

love love love the Emporium at Knotts Berry Farm when they have it decorated for Christmas! Every year they have a theme for the main trees and this year it was for snowboarders,as for myself I would much rather have an old fashioned decorated tree like all the rest that were in the store,so beautiful!

Knotts Berry Farm giant Christmas tree you can walk through before entering the park

Right now its Law Enforcement n Firemen Recognition until the 19th of December which means 2 people get in free and 15 bucks up to 6 people thereafter.We didnt get on the rides,just not my thing,plus I really think Knotts needs to update its rides and park-they are offering the season pass for 59 bucks-but I dont think its worth it, we go enough in these 2 mths to last us a year!lol(plus our Disneyland passes are way better and SO worth it)

my hubby w/the giant sized snowmen I want!

The hubby and I spent the day walking around all the shops and craft booths at KBF,so many things to see but the Christmas trees and all the holiday decor are my favorite!We also stopped and ate at Pink's,I had a plain hotdog and the hubs had the Knotts dog,which had saurkraut,onions,bacon,relish and sourcream,then we did some shopping.I picked up a couple of cute sparkly decorations.great day spent with my love♥

Take a Moment

2010-12-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last week we attended a funeral of a good friend, and tonight once again,another viewing, tears flowing inside much like the rain falling on the roof of the Church outside.10 years we may think is a long time but to lose someone after only 10 wonderful years of marriage is too short of a time.Both Men too young to be laid to rest, leaving behind so many to ponder why why why!Angry with God,not wanting to be,and yet praying to God to take care of them now.No words can truely comfort those left behind, being there, hugging them,for that one moment, that ONE MOMENT, hopefully helps.
Take a moment..show those you LOVE how much you really LOVE them EVERYDAY before its too late.

"There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go."

MY Sweet SIXTEEN year old!

2010-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter Maxene,turned her "Sweet Sixteen" in November,in place of a party all she wanted was the newest Ipod(which she received),but my family would have none of that,how could we NOT have her a party??!! is what we heard everytime someone would ask what we were doing, so we ended up throwing her a family n friends surpise party in our home.We had pizzas and I made a big o'pot of caldo de pollo,since it was a rainy day. Maxene is really a "sweet" girl and fully lives up to that name,she is a total girly girl and loves the color pink♥

cake n cupcakes made by her older sis Noni

amigas from school

opening her presents

with her mama

dancing

she also had another bday celebration at the inlaws,more presents!grandma and her sis Aly made her scones!yummm

Since last I posted...

2010-11-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

I think I finally got over my addiction to my computer thus I rarely blog. Today is Monday so I decided it would be a good start to the week to post a little update....
Today I am going to try and finish decorating my house, I started the tree but I have been moving like a turtle on getting it done,I bought all new decorations last year for this year and can't wait to get them all up on the tree.I love the HOLIDAYS!!
I was having some health issues I had to deal with, a lack of energy and napping so much, and at any time,were getting way way out of hand, I was afraid I might have that sleeping thing, Narcolepsy, but thank god NO!I found out I was anemic, which I finally have under control and THANKFULLY no more un-called for napping! Then I had to deal with reactive hypoglycemia and learning what I can and can't eat, hopefully this will not only make me healthier but help me lose weight too especially since I am finally getting my energy back and exercising once again!! YAY
Its been really cold lately, 35 degrees at night and in the early morning, and for us Californians thats COLD! Yesterday it was a crisp 64 degrees but with the wind it felt way colder! The weather forcasts another "Sunny" day today at 64 degrees,sorry but anything under 70 and I am freezing!Yes a sissy I am :)
We went to Disneyland before the Holiday rush to check out the Christmas decorations, walking throught the park makes you feel so warm and Christmasy. Sleeping Beauty's Castle is so beautiful when the lights are turned on at dusk, and It's a Small World with the glorious light show that happens to the outside of the ride while (fake)snow is falling, is just magnificent!!Really the beauty of it just can't be put into words or be seen via a picture, you must see it in person to get how pretty it really is.We are going as much as we can before the Holidays end just to take in all of the Holiday decor and enjoy the feeling of Christmas.♥
I can't believe how fast time is going by,Thanksgiving zipped by and here we are 27 days away from Christmas! I had the hubby put up our Christmas lights a couple of days before Thanksgiving since he would be at work for the days following,I love how the house looks all glowing and homey,not overdone, just right,not like a carnival with a bunch of lights and gadgets strewn about!(must be the OCD in me)
In the beginning of November My daughter Alyssa was in a Fashion show held by the Abigail Barraza
Foundation to help promote awareness for the fight against breast cancer.My daughter looked so beautiful and grownup,with her hair and makeup all done up, strutting down the runway. She also is volunteering at an AIDS clinic as part of her high school Senior project and made pamphlets to hand out for this weeks World AIDs Day at her school.We can't believe she graduates from high school and will be leaving us for college this year.I know its going to be hard letting her spread her wings but it needs to be done, so everyone keeps telling me. :(
Thanksgiving was great,as always. Sadly the husband had to work :( but his momma and sis were nice enough to save him a plate,especially the stuffing, that is his favorite part of the meal that only his mom can make and which he enjoyed the day after. Every year the kids and I go to my pops, its a madhouse!We all go early in the afternoon and dont leave until midnight,the whole day is spent eating,sometimes argueing, laughing,talking and even crying. Its a good time spent with those we love,we see each other all the time,us brothers and sisters, and that is one of the things I am THANKFUL for,my FAMILY and the bond we have. This year our brothers cooked the 3 Turkeys,and all the girls had to do the sides,and a Ham, all the food was delicious!We go through the Black Friday ads and see who is going where,play cards and then do our Kris Kringle name exchange,because there are so many of us we pick names to exchange gifts,I can't wait to see who picked my name and what I get this year!!We made our Christmas eve and Christmas day menus,gotta be prepared,so many mouths to feed ... I hope everyone had a nice THANKSGIVING as well.
and we can't forget about the TAMALE making that we do every year at this time.
Which we did :) all the girls got together at my pops this past weekend and got to work.We made about 15 dozen green chili chicken n cheese and red chili pork Tamales but thats not even enough,we ate about 5 dozen that night, people hear we are making them and start stopping by to get a taste.Yummy Yummy.So in the coming weeks we will be getting together again to make more and keeping it a secret.so shhhhhhh
Its going to be a busy December,We have funerals to attend, Doc,who was a good friend and mentor to my husband passed away last week and the husband of a co-worker of my husbands,also from the city, passed away unexpectedly this week. So sad and very very unexpected, cherish those you love, because you never know.
The hubby,kids and I, along with the rest of the hubbys dept have voluteered to help decorate the home of a fallen Deputy for his children this week and look forward to sharing the experience with our kids.We also have my hubbys Christmas party, can't wait,they give away the best prizes,The city's Tree lighting ceremony this weekend and I volunteered to work our city's Santa Float again which starts this weekend at the Tree lighting,WOOHOO, and I have my annual Christmas party at my home that I need to plan for and I still have lots of Christmas shopping to do!LOVE IT!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

KBF

2010-11-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

We took the grandbaby, Ava, to Knotts Berry Farm for Veterans week and she had a blast!After every ride she would say that was AMAZING!When the Merry go Round started she grabbed onto her grandpa's hand and told him "I got you grandpa" it was so cute

Ava loved all the rides and went on them several times,I barely could handle getting on them once,made me too dizzy, so grandpa had to!

Ava was afraid of the characters they had walking around,especially Snoopy but not the statues they have around the park,she was fascinated by the statues and made me take pictures of her with them,too funny!

Look How Far We've Come...

2010-11-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

Some old ads someone emailed me,can you even imagine having these kind of ads nowadays!!LOL

VETERANS DAY

2010-11-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick

This is how we show Birthday love♥ IN our Neighborhood!

2010-11-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

It was my neighbors birthday today so we decided it would be fun to tp her car,LOL

Student of the Month

2010-11-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

My son was chosen as Student of the Month at his middle school(aka Jr.High for all you oldsters like me)
We are so proud of him,he's a great kid!

Thank you God for all of our children!

HALLOWEEN 2010

2010-11-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!We had a busy funfilled weekend spent with family and friends, hope you all had a great weekend as well :) We had our annual pumpkin carving party at my pops, I made pozole dinner for everyone,we went to Disneyland, pigged out at Lucilles,got together at the neighbors for Halloween and finally TRICK or TREATED. This was my husbands 1st Halloween off since 2002, and even though our girls said they were too old to go Trick or Treating this year they did go for their daddy to make up for all the times he missed out on!

my guys-Greg n Jake

the kids talking over what to carve

Veronica,Max,Aly n my grandson Nate

my girls Veronica n Max

carving pumpkins

greg,mine,jake,aly,anyssa,max,veronica's Pumpkins

max chopping onions

pozole

my pop

my sisters,Susie n Lety

at Disneyland

Max n Aly Halloween at Disneyland(u see their pop in the background behind Max,I didnt even see him)

Lucilles yummy BBQ

Red Velvet cake

Joe,Jimmy,Greg,Jake-getting ready to Trick or Treat

Crystal,Janelle,Marla,Katie,Brittany,me(neighbors)

getting ready to go Trick or Treating

til next year!

Halloween Funnies

2010-10-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about the cannibal who was expelled from school?
He was buttering up his teacher.

Did you hear about the guy that lost his left arm and leg in a car crash?
He's all right now.

Have you seen Quasimodo?
I have a hunch he's back!

How can you tell that a vampire likes baseball?
He turns into a bat every night.

How can you tell when a vampire has been in a bakery?
All the jelly has been sucked out of the jelly doughnuts.

How do you fix a jack-o-lantern?
With a pumpkin patch.

How does a girl vampire flirt?
She bats her eyes.

What did mama cannibal said to baby cannibal when he told her that he really liked his grandfather?
"Would you like another piece?"

What did the cannibal do when he saw an "All you can eat" restaurant?
He had two waiters and a busboy.

What did the french fries dress up as for Halloween?
Masked potatoes.

What did the little ghost have in his rock collection?
Tombstones.

What did the mother ghost say to the baby ghost?
"Don't spook until you're spooken to."

What did the skeleton say to the bartender?
I'd like a beer and a mop!

What did the skeleton say while riding his Harley?
I'm bone to be wild.

What do baby ghosts wear on their feet?
Boo-ties

What do ghosts and goblins drink on Halloween?
Ghoul-aid.

What do ghosts put on top of an ice cream sundae?
Whipped scream.

What do ghosts serve for dessert?
I Scream.

What do little ghosts drink?
Evaporated milk.

What do sea monsters eat for lunch?
Fish and ships.

What do witches put on their hair?
Scare spray.

What do you call a ghost in a torn sheet?
A holy terror.

What do you call a ghost with a broken leg?
Hoblin Goblin.

What do you call a little monster's parents?
Mummy and deady.

What do you call a monster with no neck?
The Lost Neck Monster.

What do you call a roomful of ghosts?
A bunch of boo-boos.

What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?
A sand witch.

What do you call dead cows that come back to life?
Zombeef.

What do you do with a green monster?
Wait until it ripens.

What do you get when you cross a black cat with a lemon.
A sour-puss.

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frostbite.

What do you get when you cross Bambi with a ghost?
Bamboo.

What do you get when you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its radius?
Pumpkin pi.

What do you give a skeleton for Valentine's Day?
Bone-bones in a heart shaped box.

What does a skeleton orders at a restaurant?
Spare ribs.

What game do ghost like to play?
Peek-a-Boo.

What goes "Ha-ha-ha . . . THUD!"
A monster laughing his head off

What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog?
He is mist.

What happens when a ghost haunts a theater?
The actors get stage fright.

What instrument do skeletons play?
Trom-BONE.

What is a cannibal's favorite type of TV show?
A celebrity roast.

What is a ghost's favorite desert?
Iced Screams.

What is a ghost's favorite oatmeal?
SCREAM of Wheat.

What is a vampire's favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving.

What is a witch's favorite subject in school?
Spelling.

What is as sharp as a vampires fang?
His other fang.

What is Beethoven doing in his coffin right now?
Decomposing.

What is Dracula's favorite kind of dog?
A blood hound.

What is the tallest building in Transylvania?
The Vampire State Building.

What kind of key opens a casket?
A skeleton key

brought to you by:http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/jkscary.html

My Daughters Bridal Shower & Rehearsal

2010-10-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

My daughter was married this past weekend,(I will post about it later when I have more time) but first I wanted to share her Bridal shower, which was a blast! Her maid of Honor, Sasha, did a great job of making sure we had plenty of yummy food, drinks and had some fun games, like making a wedding dress out of tp,pass the cucumber, pin the junk on the hunk, we laughed oh so much, especially when you have all the moms trying to pass a cucumber,lol. I have more pics but those I can't share ;)

the cake for the Bridal party

the maid of honor,who did a fab job on everything!

Sasha,Jen,Anne,Veronica,Erlinda,Michelle,Elaine

Mil Sandra,Veronica,Mom

the cake was yummy as well as pretty

toilet paper wedding dress game

uhoh bad girls!!

Then the rehearsal, which was held the night before the big event at the Estate, withTamra, the on site coordinator, who was a big help, making sure everyone knew when and what to do, and she gave us great tips that would make the day of the actual event run even smoother. After the rehearsal everyone came to our home for dinner and drinks, and go over everything to make sure we had it all and done.√√ √ but no matter what you are never ever fully prepared.LOL

the Rehearsal

Facebook

2010-10-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Do you have a facebook? I do and I TOTALLY LOVE IT!!!! well mostly love it,there are good and bad parts to it.I do like that it is way more private than myspace or my blog,I also have a twitter,which is now private too but only because I was being stalked,otherwise it wouldnt be,on Twitter I only post my status and stupid things,randomness-no pics because I put enough on my blog or fb and isnt that enough?
In reality FB is not ALL private,you can still see my picture,but everything else is pretty much private or as private as I think I can make it. Like I've said before NOTHING you post on the WORLD WIDE WEB is really private! There has been so much in the news lately about people being fired over the things/photos they are posting, you can't be to sure of who's on the other end of that computer, it just may be someone spying on you :( ScArY the web has made it TOO easy to share things that you wouldn't want shared or things that you don't think can hurt you, but watch out, one day it may come and bite you on the ass!!You really should be leary of what your posting,DON'T EVER FORGET THAT!
BUT... I love that on Facebook I am finding relatives that live near and far, even new ones I wasn't aware of, and that we are all sharing photos of those who are no longer with us. Right now everyone is working on our family tree and the pictures from the family in Mexico being shared are fantastic, yes Mexico,how cool and easy is that!EASY PEASY! I am also finding old friends, ex-coworkers and lots of my childhood friends,who just so happen to love sharing pictures of our youth,which I don't mind because I was a cute kid,LOL! I even found my ex-boss, Nita, she was my boss for 12 years, awesome,loving,caring people,her and her sister Bonnie, who is no longer with us, I loved working for her, she was a great boss and I learned so much from her. She looks fab in her fb pics and I can't wait to catch up.
I also like that if you don't want to have certain someone(s) find you on facebook you can block that person,(in your privacy settings)bad part is they can block you too and even worse if they block you first then you cant block them, like my stalker, who unfortunately blocked me first, I found out only by chance that IT was unblocking me at ITS convenience,one night I could see ITS ugly face and I was like WTF how come I am seeing IT all of a sudden and thought,aha, IT must have unblocked me so I blocked IT, now IT can't unblock and block me at ITS leisure because I blocked IT PERMANENTLY! tada(excuse my little tangent)
anyways, So there are good and bad with having a facebook,what do you like or dislike about facebook? Do you share your facebook with just anyone? I don't, I don't want EVERYONE knowing my whole name,do you?
I know I post pics and our first names but from all that I posted have you figured out my last name, where I live?have you found my facebook?(not counting those I email privately)How do you feel about Facebook?

October Madness

2010-10-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Omg this month is going to be a busy one!There has already been 5 Birthday parties,homecoming game,an Alumni gathering and yeah and this is only the 3rd week!I still have a bridal shower,my daughters wedding, my sisters 50th birthday party,Disneyland Trick or Treat,Knotts Scary Farm,my Tia's 60th bday party,Halloween party(s),Movie nite,October Fest and who knows what else may come our way!

I am not complaining I totally love how busy we are and look forward to EVERYTHING we have going on,can't wait!!! and next month aye madre, I love the upcoming Holidays and all that will be going on,WOOHOO I am so

oh and I have some great news about me that I am just not ready to share,soon soon and the hubby,well he just received another promotion and that too will be shared!

oh and this.....

thought I'd throw that in and make you laugh!

Monster Folklore

2010-10-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

•Signs of a werewolf are a unibrow, hair palms, tattoos, and a long middle finger.

•Vampires are mythical beings who defy death by sucking the blood of humans.

•In 1962, the Count Dracula Society was founded.

•To this day, there are vampire clubs and societies with people claiming to be real vampires.

•There really are so-called vampire bats, but they're not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds.

•Many people still believe that gargoyles were created by medieval architects and stone carvers to ward off evil spirits.

info from:http://www.halloween-website.com/