vacation in Tahoe.

Dylan and i spent the weekend in Tahoe. we drove up with my good friend tracey and her daughter haylee. Tracey's in-laws have a beautiful time share vacation resort right on the lake! they treated us to a fun weekend in the sun and i loved every minute of it! The resort had an indoor/outdoor pool. BBQ area and fire pit for making smores or just relaxing. daycare if you need it.. [kidding] but it is an option. we spent all our time with the kids and it was great! 

saturday we went to roundhill beach which is such a nice spot to enjoy the lake! the kids had a blast. the water was super cold, but they didnt mind. once my legs were numb, it actually felt refreshing! cocktails on the beach and tanning was my idea of a good time :) weather is nuts up in the mountains. such a sunny day turned into dark clouds and a hail storm! just as fast as it came, it went and the night was beautiful again! we bbq'd for dinner and the highlight of the trip was roasting marshmallows for our smores!! have you had one lately?! if not, you are missing out. so messy and gooey but oh so good!! 

the kids were water babies all weekend! they stayed in the water for hours!! good luck trying to get them out without tears =/ then if it wasnt the water, it was scooter races or ping pong! never a dull moment with dylan and haylee :) as for tracey and i... lots of girl talk. never gets old!

this weekend made me want to get away more. spending time with your family or good friends is what life is all about. dylan will always remember this weekend and that is what i love. memories that cant ever be taken away from him! he is already asking when we are going back... my response: ASAP! 

thanks to the mexican in us.. we are as brown as can be :) 

im thankful to have such great people in my life. i truly believe that friends are the family we choose!

now its back to reality!

buying on impulse.

an old habit of mine, that im proud to say i've kicked to the curb. i never thought about money as anything more then green paper. when you dont make it, it has no value to you. now that i've been making my own money for some years now, im more aware of its value. i think it was something i needed to learn, the hard way. i know you may be thinking, she always talks about money. can you blame me?! its what makes the world go round. 

buying on impulse was a day to day thing. half the things i would buy had no necessary purpose in my life. now a days, i think before i buy. "do i really need this or do i just want it?" i have to ask myself. for instance, tonight my husband and i have been debating a trip for our anniversary. a couple days in vegas, to spend alone and with his family. of course i've been flight searching for a month now and tonight the prices happen to be SUPER cheap. great.. now im dying to go. on top of that, an email with the lowest rates for a Planet Hollywood room [a hotel i havent stayed at]. seems like tonight, the trip was meant to be :) should we book or stay local and celebrate. i mean, as long as we're together i dont care where we are... it's just that vegas was calling my name EXTRA loud tonight. 

just as I'm about to book the flights, i remember earlier when we were at Safeway doing the dreaded grocery shopping i spotted 3 day hopper passes for Disneyland at a reasonable price. side-note: we saved mucho $$ thanks to my savvy shopping skills I've acquired thanks to extreme couponers ;) i would love to go back to Disneyland, around dylan's birthday. did i just say that outloud?! Disneyland TRUMPS Vegas?! it just may have. i turned to my husband and said, "wait, what about Disneyland?!" doing both, wouldnt be the best idea money wise. i would be stressed about saving for each trip and it would end up ruining one trip or the other. i would much rather focus on one trip at a time. Being with the family at Disneyland is the best. nothing compares and just as my impulse of booking this vegas trip almost took over... i stopped, gathered my thoughts and came to the conclusion, i would much rather take a trip with the kids. i would feel guilty leaving them for vegas and the look on dylan's face when i mention we're going to Disneyland is Priceless :) 

one of these days, we'll be able to do many trips... just not now. im happy with my [our] decision. 

disneyland here we come :)

hitting close to home

i recently finished this book and i must say it has brought new meaning to my life. 

in a nutshell, six year old Alex was in a [what should have been fatal] car accident with his father. Alex had life threatening injuries and wasn't suppose to live past the scene of the accident. his father had minor injuries despite being ejected from his vehicle. Alex had an out of body experience. he tells his story of how god protected him and brought him to heaven, then returned him back to his body where day after day he began to miraculously heal! 

Alex surprised everyone when he awoke from his coma with stories of heaven, Jesus, angels and the devil. God worked in mysterious ways for Alex and his family. Alex continued to have spiritual encounters that nobody could explain. as a parent of a six year old now, i couldnt imagine going through what alex's father went through. seeing your child in so much pain, seeing him lifeless and not knowing if he was going to survive is unthinkable. having to live with the fact that i was driving when the accident occured, all of the guilt i would endure for the rest of my life would be so hard. i would want to switch places with my kid! this story hit close to home. you think you are a good driver, but most of the time its the other person you have to look out for!

i am not a huge religious person, but after reading this book it made me realize how strong the power of prayer is. if you feel you have nothing else, you will always have your faith. in the toughest of times, i believe if you believe in a higher power and that you have angels to protect you no matter what, things will be okay. the way alex described heaven, it made me feel good about having to go there after this life on earth. the life we live now is hard, heaven seems so easy :) what a treat right?! 

with all of the stresses I've had lately and in the past year, its reassuring to think that in the end it will always work out. most things aren't as important when you think of what happened to Alex. it puts events in life in perspective. the day i watched my friend get hit by a car was the worst day ever. i catch myself wondering how it was that i didn't get hit myself. i was on the outside closest to the truck. we were walking together, or so i thought. what a difference a split second makes. i live with the guilt that she was injured and i wasn't. i can only believe that my guardian angel had been there that morning and wrapped their arms around me, to protect me from being hit. sounds crazy, but its how i looked at the situation and after reading this book, i know its possible.

Alex is now 12 years old. he has made some miraculous steps to recovery. it was such an amazing story he and his father told. he is definitely a special kid who's time wasnt up yet!

life is too short. love the ones you love. make sure they know it. your life can change in an instant.

click here to read more about ALEX

Going, Going... GONE!!

today was a great day for our family...

we witnessed our son [my stepson] hit his FIRST home-run!! it was game 2 of his double header down in beautiful San Carlos. the sun was shining, the field was amazing and Andrew was up to bat! Andrew is a power hitter, he's got a lot of heart & skill when he plays! when the ball hit the bat, my husband jumped up and the stands went wild!! in little league tournaments, cones are placed on the field to represent a "fence." that ball cleared the cones and we all knew it. Andrew rounded first base, on his way to second and looked over at his dad [he thought it was a ground roll double] but his dad, LOUD and CLEAR told him "HOMERUN DREW, come on home!!" the look on his face was priceless... he's not the fastest kid, but it didnt matter cause he could take his sweet time around the bases! it was such a cool feeling to see him so proud and hitting each base while the rest of his team came out of the dugout to greet him at home plate!! they were jumping, yelling, slapping high fives!! he was a hero to his team, it was so awesome!! he was given the ball as a keepsake, his auntie dated the ball so he will never forget that game :)

the Pacifica Heat won their first game tonight, but didnt end up winning this game. they put up a good fight and made a lot of great plays.. the highlight was definitely Andrew's Home Run! my husband was so excited, it was like he hit the home-run himself! he is a very proud dad tonight and i must say im a proud stepmom! dylan, of course couldnt wait to see the ball and tell his big bro "good job!" he looks up to him and im sure they will still be talking about this game when they grow up and have kids of there own...

i repeat...

today was a great day!

proud dad and his son

little bro so proud of his big bro

it could always be worse, right?!

today was one of those days where everything that ive ever worried about consumed me all at once. its not like i didnt have these same issues yesterday and im sure to have them tomorrow. i guess it makes a difference when you have something to take your mind off of what stresses you. i finally got my hair done... something ive been wanting for months now. my hair hasnt gotten any TLC since the wedding. it was well deserved and i love the outcome. [its the little things].

im notorious for being a worry wart. its in my blood. im on anxiety meds but soon to be off of them. i dont like medicine. i dont even take advil. i like my insides to be pure. im hoping to ween myself off of my medicine and praying that all goes well. [its all in my head].

i know ive said it before but finances are a daily stress. we could be worse off and im thankful we arnt but i stress because we are not were i would like us to be. is anyone ever at that point?! i catch myself saying, "i want, i want, i want." and for the majority of my life.. i received. [only child syndrome] now as an adult, you have to work hard for what you want. nothing in life is free.. not even happiness. and if you beg to differ, ill call your bluff. sure if i never had anything i would never have the urge to want and my happiness would be free. we live in this world where people can have the best of the best. believe me, daydreaming is a lot better then reality but daydreaming wont get me anywhere.

today ive wanted to grab the nearest pillow and SCREAM at the top of my lungs! im overwhelmed with life. i want to believe that [god] has a wonderful purpose for my life. i just dont see it all yet... patience is my worst trait. i will be honest, i have none. i have been blessed with a great life and family thus far, i just think im in a rut these days. when i look at the big picture i can see that im being dramatic and things arnt as bad as i think they are. someone, somewhere has it way worse then me so i should be thankful and i am. i want a quick solution to my rut, but i dont know what that would be. i'd say shopping :) but that isnt in the "saving" agenda!

hopefully a good nights sleep with my husband [who i know will never leave my side thru "thick and thin"] right beside me will do the trick.. if not i see a large glass of wine in tomorrow nights future!!

money!

everyone has heard the saying, "money doesn't grow on trees!"

but boy don't i wish it did. i would be the best gardener in town if all i had to do was love and nurture my garden full of money tree's :) 

my parents use to say it to me, and now as a mother myself i find myself saying the same statement to my kid! he thinks my red ATM card has endless funds on it. whenever he wants something he tells me just to get my red card. i wish it were loaded like he thinks it is. oh to be young and naive again!

money is a HUGE part of my life. everyone's life right?! it controls us, consumes us and is the deciding factor of how your life will be. if you beg to differ then you must not have ever had any money. the people who say, "money doesn't buy happiness" must not know where to shop!! i know when i buy things, even groceries i feel good! i like to buy for others, ever since having a kid i love to buy for him rather then myself. I've come a long way from being a shopaholic. my husband can vouch for that.. only child, living with my parents i was the definition of spoiled [well taken care of]. i use to shop all the time. my closet would be filled with things that i never even wore. i still find some things with the tags on it. i didn't care what i bought, i would just buy it. i had no financial responsibilities so it was easy to do. 

well my life has done a complete 360. with the economy, my husband being laid off i felt the need to change and i think its been for the best. you don't realize how you CAN survive without all the material things. don't get me wrong, a treat here and there is healthy but in excess it isn't. I've learned to back off the shopping, only get what i need and use what i already have. i have other responsibilities, other goals i want to meet rather then blowing it all on nothing to show for. 

i catch myself daydreaming about winning the lotto! wouldn't that be nice, we could have anything we wanted. its ironic to me that we spend our lives stressed out about making ends meet only to die in the end. might as well enjoy what we have now! i have many things in my life that money cant buy and i treasure those things the most but the one thing i always hope for is to for once, "be ahead." not just "getting by." I'm sure if we were millionaires we'd still have some kind of problem. wouldn't be about money though... 

are the rich even happy?!

my husband and i have started a list of things we want for our family.

we have to save, save, save he says.

ugh, I'm so not the patient person to save =/

but this is why i married my opposite :)

he is very determined and this makes me confident that we will reach our goals. I'm sure then, we'll just continue to want something more, but for now I'm just happy for our good health and loving family<3

damn, i wish that i could just go into the backyard and start picking off my tree today!!

i cant wait for the movie!

so tonight i have finished my first novel in a long time, the Help.

it was an amazing book. at first, it was hard to get into because it is narrated in a southern accent. it takes some getting use to but once you get going i found it pretty easy and i couldnt imagine reading this book in any other way. i felt like i was taken back to the 1960's each time i started reading. white families had all the money and black woman tended to these families on top of taking care of their own husbands and children once they got back home at the end of the day. i admire the help. i dont think the white people could function without them around. it made me happy when i would read that some white people did truly care about their "help" and the families they had back at home. even if they didnt want their other friends to know about it they still treated their "help" with the respect that i think everyone deserves. 

i obviously wasn't raised in these times, but i can tell you if my mom had some other woman [no matter what her color was] care for me from birth to my teenage years, how could i not love that woman like she was my actual mom?! that bond is unbreakable. i believe racism is taught not inherited. these innocent babies dont know any different. if someone loves on them and cares about them, they are only going to love them back. i couldnt go about my day knowing that someone else was taking over my duties of being a mom. that is what motherhood is all about! every parent needs help, but raising a child is my responsibility :)

i think writing a book to express how the "help" felt about working for the white people was so brave. even for the white girl who had the initial idea. going against her parents beliefs, losing friends, becoming an outcast in her home town all for the sake of doing what she loves to do, writing and hoping for change. maybe some of them women needed to hear how they treated their "help." maybe it would eventually open their eyes up to something new. 

the way some of the white people treated their "help" made me angry. i cant see how one race could think that they are superior over another. its sick to me. did they not realize that the "help" are who made their own life easier. never having to cook, clean, do laundry and most importantly tend to their children.  black women back then never got the credit they deserved. i cant imagine how hard it was to live, then. im thankful, life isnt like this now. i know there are still some forms of racism, but it's a choice now. not a way of life. i wont surround myself with that nonsense. 

“Be kind to people for everyone is fighting their own battle”

i loved everything about this book. i loved the characters. each and everyone of them. i felt like i got to know each of them and who they really are. i was attached to them by the end. i couldnt wait to finish the story, but when it was over i was sad. i cant wait to see this movie, once it comes out next month. to see the book come to life on the big screen is gonna be great!!

happy birthday to me

today is my 28th birthday! 

i couldnt wait to be 16 so i could drive!

[i got my license 3 days after my birthday, passed with a score of 98]

i couldnt wait to be 18, cause then i was an "adult!"

[always hearing from your parents, you can do whatever you want once you turn 18!]

gosh, sometimes i swear 18 seemed like it took forever to get to.

i couldnt wait to be 21!

[not to be able to drink, i did that after 18, but because i knew i only had 2 more months of being prego!]

carrying around a 9 lb kid was rough!!

i couldnt wait to be 25!

[something about that age just felt good!]

i remember celebrating in vegas :)

now after 25 it all seems to be a blur. the years keep coming and going. i cant recall what i did for my birthdays after that?! it seems like once you have a kid, your own birthdays are out the door [same goes for christmas] take today for example. we go to target and dylan is looking for a toy. its okay though. i dont need gifts [even though i've been spoiled with many this birthday] i feel like i already have it all. great family, great husband, great friends and happy life... everything else is just a bonus that im blessed to have! my mom took me out to lunch and i came home to flowers, balloons and a pink ihome for my ipod... score! its been a great day minus the clouds! my body didnt need anymore sun, so i guess its a good thing!

here's 28 random facts you [may] or may [not] know about me:

1. i write in all lowercase letters. i dont like uppercase letters.

2. i need to have my phone on me at all times. if it dies i feel like im detached from the world.

3. i dont like to sleep with pillows but i do have a special blanket.

4. i like to read books, i dont care for video games.

5. im addicted to reality tv.

6. i cant take shots of patron like i use to.

7. my brother is 16 years older then me.

8. i met my husband [again] at the holy cow & the rest is history.

9. i love diet coke!

10. im a sweatshirt & uggs kinda girl.

11. i dont like to step foot in the ocean.

12. arnold palmer is my [other] drink of choice.

13. my parents are one of few couples that are still together [29 years]

14. my son has made me the person i am today! 

15. i need to use a loufa in the shower,

16. im blind without my contacts/glasses.

17. i take wayyy too many pictures but i love them.

18. i am always cold, no matter the weather.

19. i could shop everyday if i had the money to. it would never get old.

20. i will not stay home alone at night, im a chicken.

21. i can count the number of friends i have on one hand.

22. i always think the worst of a scenario.

23. i cant live without my flat iron.

24. i dont eat red meat, it takes too long to chew.

25. i've been shaving my arms since HS, bad habit that i cant just stop. hairy arms are not cute!

26. my toes always need to be polished, chipped color is gross!

27. if i dont know you, i will be super quiet and shy. i just dont open up to anyone.

28. i have to wear socks to bed.

and one for good luck:

i have a mild case of OCD. okay, who am i kidding. a more then mild case ;) 

back to enjoying the last few hours of my birthday!

Birthday Weekend @ the lake

Birthday Twins

this past weekend, my friends and i did a couples trip to the lake! the special occasion was to celebrate mine and Vanessa's birthday... we are some[what] birthday twins, her birthday being the 9th and mine on the 11th. i haven't been to Berryessa in yearssss. i really thought my lake days were over, but this weekend has sparked my interest to take future trips to lake and bring the kids too. everyone needs an adult trip but i sure did miss the kids. i had such a great time. Vanessa and her family opened up their home to us and allowed us to have the best weekend yet. good food, good drinks and good company!! i think its safe to say that we got a little outta control Friday night ;) we were kinda excited to be there and the mixture of alcohol sure wasn't the best idea. i was drinking like i thought i was 18 again!! thank god for a camera. i almost forgot some of the funniest moments of the night.

love her.

friends<3

saturday morning came and i was in rare form. nothing a mimosa cant cure. we spent the day on the boat! congrats to keith and jessica on their new toy! we were lake virgins together :) note to self: practice driving a boat first before you start pulling people from the back! it can be stressful! oh and always have a stocked cooler. more is better. i could have stayed on the lake till the moon came out. it was so nice outside. the water was warm, which was great! i attempted to wake board, uh yeah NO. i was not born to do water sports. its a fact. 

"martha" is at it again

best[est] friend ever.

later on that night, tracey and the other girlies had a whole bday party planned for vanessa and i. we were banned from the house while the magic was happening. when we got to go in i was truly speechless. the effort they put into making it a great birthday was priceless. we had a pink flamingo/margarita party!! cupcakes made by my lovely mama. which were delish!! blow up flamingo's, presents galore, rice crispy treats, birthday baskets with matching tiara's for the birthday girls! it was great... i felt so loved. i have such great friends in my life. new and old, im happy to call them my friends. we have such a great time together, and there is never a dull moment... well saturday night wasnt as wild as friday night, but i think the sun drained us all. i was exhausted. being pampered is tough!! 

the girls

the guys

i cant wait to do the same for tracey's birthday. she deserves just the same... thanks again for such a nice weekend. i cant wait to do it again. my body is nice and golden brown :)

and thanks to my husband.. just for being you.

NOT GUILTY

"Casey Anthony, the Florida mother accused of killing her two-year-old child with chloroform and duct tape, was acquitted on Tuesday of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child."

my reaction:

SHOCKED!

hearing today's news turned my stomach into knots. my jaw dropped when i read the first headline about Casey Anthony being acquitted! i haven't followed the case religiously but i did have a good idea of what was going on. the trial has been pretty lengthy. im no forensic detective but in my opinion, I'd say she did it! so many lies after lies. even her parents are a little off. if it was an "accident" then why did they try and make it look like a murder?! accidents happen. why spend all this time in court if she supposedly did drown in their backyard pool?! her trunk smelled like a decomposing body but it passed for rotting garbage, huh?! she used a chemical to drug her daughter so she could party. how did a jury not find this crazy girl at fault?! 

me once being a young mom, who also raised my newborn/toddler under the same roof as my parents, it strikes me as odd that her own parents didn't catch on to it quicker that something was "really wrong" when they hadn't seen their grandchild in a month. if i didn't come home with dylan after i got off of "work" one time, the first question i would be asked is "where is dylan?" even before a hello from them! to come up with so many lies as to where my kid is would get old, real fast! were her parents that stupid? my parents knew where dylan was everyday, knew the person who cared for him, knew where that person lived, etc. why were her parents so [un]involved in their grandchild's life?! 

it really saddens me that Casey's last resort to not wanting to be a mom was murder. poor Caylee didn't ask to come into this world! if Casey didn't wanna be a mom, im sure there are hundreds of other parents that would have gladly taken Caylee in a minute! all those people who try and try to have a baby and cant, and this girl is fortunate to have a baby but takes her innocent life away from her because it interferes with "moms" party life! that disgusts me! 

her smiles and smirks are what kill me the most! 

she is laughing at the jury who was stupid enough to acquit her.

now she is a free woman! where is the justice for Caylee?! [non]existent!

i understand the facts and the evidence aspect. maybe the prosecution dropped the ball. maybe the defense had been helped by the lack of evidence by the prosecution?! i understand that there was no DNA linking Casey to the scene of the crime but what about the truth of the matter, does that count?! her lawyer said, "i saved a life!" once the verdict had been read. referring to Casey, but what about Caylee's life. who saved her?! i don't think the defense cared one bit about Caylee right along with her lame mom. it was all about winning this case, ANY way they could. popping bottles in a bar, immediately following the verdict was real classy on their part =/

so now what?! Casey will most likely be out of jail this thursday. does she go back to live with her mom and dad after accusing her dad of sexually molesting her?! that seems a little awkward to me. her parents didn't even hug her or embrace her after the verdict was read. they quietly left the courthouse, almost as if they were thinking, "damn!" don't you think if they were genuinely happy about their daughter being proven innocent they would have shown some sort of emotion that they were happy... nope, nothing. makes you think even more that their daughter was guilty or this family is a bunch of wackos and they deserve each other?!

again, as a mom it really hits home. yeah, my kid drives me nuts. yeah, i wish my name wasn't "mom" some days [cause you hear it over and over and over again]. yeah, it sucked to get up for 3am feedings when i had been out with my friends earlier, BUT when i chose to have my son, i made a lifelong commitment to be his MOM no matter what! i adjusted my life to fit him not the other way around! i love my son so much, he brings me joy everyday [even on not so good days]. i would never want to see him in pain or in harm's way, looks like this is the difference between me and Casey. she is gonna wish she were still in jail cause the Real World is SO not a fan of her!!

and in the words of Nancy Grace:

"the devil is dancing tonight!"

R.I.P

little angel

p.s. what im thankful for

i almost forgot. sunday is when i reflect on what i am thankful for in the week that has just passed. 

im thankful my nonnie is coming home tomorrow. this means she is healthy enough to be home again, which is great news. like i said before, she is a fighter. one of the strongest people i know!

im also thankful for my health, my sons health too. a little girl came into my work and her Right leg had been amputated when she was a baby. she acts as if nothing is different about her and i loved it. she kicked her shoes off, she ran around, just acting like a normal 8 yr old kid. im so thankful that my son has his great health and no serious medical issues. not sure how i would handle something like that. i've been blessed with a great child :)

im also thankful for my mini shopping spree. it kept me sane. its nice to treat yourself, your kids and your husband once in awhile... we all deserved it.  

life is good. no complaints.

Blackberry Farm 2011

today, my mom, dad, Dylan and i all went to Blackberry Farm. a nice little get away to warm weather [even though the hometown temp was shockingly high too]. my parents  have been taking me here since i was in diapers. i remember waking up real early so we could get down there, get our area blanketed off and score the closet BBQ pit to the pool. they use to have a baby pool that had like a foot of water, but since the renovation they have done away with that one. now there are two pools. one that is just the right size for my kid to play around in. he can actually touch the bottom from one end to the other. this is the pool with the cool water slide. dylan has just ONE more inch to grow so that he can finally go down it. i don't know what is up with all these height charts. he passed for 48" in Disneyland, but here he doesn't and at the carnival we went to a couple weeks ago he wasn't tall enough for a certain ride either... weird. maybe Disneyland favors short people ;) either way, i hope within the next 2 1/2 months he grows that inch cause he's having his birthday party here and he has got to be able to go down the slide by then!!

we bring blankets and towels and more blankets, just so we can have a nice area to relax in. this way you won't get weirdo's who are all up on you and in your personal space =/ but of course our plan had failed. here come 10 old ladies, 8 umbrellas, loud voices, one piece bathing suits with the dress attached to them all yapping about where each of them bought their umbrella from or what store their granny bathing suit came from, ugh!! so much for that. it looked like we were sitting next to an outdoor cafe with all those damn umbrellas! you think thats bad... then there is the WHOLE lawn to sit on and who creeps right past the old ladies and behind us to stay?! an Asian family. i am by all means not racist but I'm trying to read my book "the help" [which is based on a story in the south]. do you know how hard it is to read a southern language book when you've got a mother yelling at her 5yr old son in Chinese?! pretty hard. so much for reading. i think i got a chapter in, but other then our annoying neighbors our morning started off great. 

the sun was shining, already 80 degrees by 11 a.m. we were in and out of the pool, back to the blankets to relax and the breeze was just right!! operation, get-your-tan-on was in full effect!! i love being Mexican, my skin always looks golden brown after basking in the sun :) it was so nice to just be outside finally. this change of weather is just what i needed. dylan loves this place, he isn't out of the water for more then 5 minutes at a time. the kid is a fish! thank god for my dad, who doesn't mind being in the water with him practically all day. its cool to think that now i can bring dylan here after all these years of my parents bringing me. Blackberry Farm is so nice. it doesn't take long to get here and the prices you cant beat! good idea mom, I'm glad we got to spend the 3rd of July here!! i need to get my friends and kids together so we can make a trip down there.

on our way home, we took the coast highway. when we came around the mountain, the site at the beach was insane! Linda Mar Beach looked like the Jersey Shore, no joke! you couldn't even see the sand! people must have came from all over. its' funny, i drive by the beach everyday and never go there. sometimes i drive by and don't even look that way and some people come cross country just to see the waves. i do take for granted my beautiful coastal city :) i promise to enjoy the good parts of it more often.

tomorrow the fun continues...
2nd annual backyard BBQ & fireworks, i cant wait!! some people are a little anxious though, i can already here the bombs!!

i love the 4th of July <3

july ALREADY, time flies.

how is this year already half way over?! i swear we were just celebrating New Years and now its about to be my birthday [again]! the year started off horribly with the accident i witnessed involving my good friend. i swear it was as if time stood still. almost like a dream [or nightmare] that just wouldnt end. now 5 months later, i can actually say everything is falling into place and life is back on track. what an [un]necessary bump in the road. she is walking and recovering so well. i am impressed with how amazing she is!

first grade is over for dylan. on to second grade. which is crazy, i still remember him starting kindergarten. the last two school years flew by. my husband finally went back to work. i was so happy for him. he is a great worker bee and deserved a job again. not sure he would have made it through another summer with the kids ;) the littlest one of the bunch, AJ, turned one this year. i remember when we couldnt wait for him to be born [cause we had lots to do] and now his first birthday has come and gone.

i've gotten closer to a few girls. when things happen in life, it really opens your eyes up to who matters and who never did. i enjoy being around good people. the kind of people who reciprocate a friendship! wine tasting was a blast and everytime we get together, its just plain ol' fun. no drama.

now comes the fun time of year. summer, nice weather, the 4th of july and then one week later my 21st birthday... plus 7 =/ what happened to all the years?! after 25 is all blur. does anyone else feel the same way. im looking forward to august. my ONE year anniversary <3 that definitely went by fast. it doesnt even seem like a year. the much anticipated VEGAS trip for tracey's 30th. i cannot wait. its gonna be great!! then my son's 7th birthday, what happened to my baby?! and lastly, the holidays are gonna be here before we know it!

i must say 2011 started off rough but it has done a 360 and im looking forward to the rest of it :) so many fun things planned. great family, great friends.. nuff said.

i hope everyone has a great weekend!