It's that time again...

Soccer season is upon us again. I love this time of year - it's so fun to watch the kids play! And the weather is starting to get nicer too :) All is well in my little soccer world.

Had a nice week and weekend too... I laughed harder than I have in as long as I can remember one night over something Jim's son said... I almost had to pull the car over I was laughing and crying so hard! I love that - wish I could do it more often!!!! Saw a couple of movies with Jim(The Women and Traitor - both were very good - Traitor is a thriller that was a little disturbing, but entertaining and The Women of course is a total chick flick - Jim's such a great sport- he'll see anything with me). One more week until Nights in Rodanthe comes out - I'm soooo excited ;)

One of the young men at our church is getting ready to head off on a mission to Uganda - for two years!!! It's exciting and scary at the same time. I remember when I went to Europe for the summer when I was 21; I was homesick starting the first night. I was up half the night talking to the front desk clerk at the hotel - he settled me down enough to stay, but I still shaved a couple weeks off the end of my trip. I can't imagine being away from home for 2 years at that time in my life. It's such an amazing sacrifice that these young men make. I know they all grow in so many ways while they're gone, but its got to be hard to get there mentally and adapt to a new environment without all the comforts of home. It's so wonderful that they do so much teaching and so much learning and then come back all ready for life!

September 11....

I can't believe its been 7 years since that horrible day. I remember it so clearly. I never watched the news and was feeling very uninformed, so just that week I decided that I was going to get with the program and start watching the news in the mornings - and that's when it all happened I saw it all right from the start and then it just kept getting worse. I couldn't believe it and still can't believe how much hate and destruction there is in the world. I had been here in the desert for about almost a year and my mom was still alive and living up north, so I called her right away as I always did when something bad happened - just looking for some kind of comfort. She didn't have much to say. What could she say?
It's so incomprehensible; yet amazing how so many people came together to help loved ones and strangers alike and how the states were so completely united by such a terrible tragedy. It was wonderful to see so much good in so many people. What can you say? - God Bless the USA!!!

Funny how love changes....

I can't tell you how many great people I work with at my new job. I don't recall ever working somewhere where everyone got along so well. And there are a handful of people who are around my age, so there's a lot of flashing back going on - today it started out with someone belting out a lyric from an old Foreigner song which got me taking a stroll down memory lane to my first big star love Billy Idol - I can't even tell you what a junkie I was. I had every album (yes, album) and pins, bumper stickers, t-shirts, scarves - you name it... and I remember (yes, I actually remember some stuff - especially when its tied to music - and most of the songs on my blog have specific memoires attached - which is so fun for me :) anyway, I remmber sneaking off to Oakland to see him in concert with my girlfriends when I was 16(that would be the equivalent of sneaking off to LA from the desert)- and we snuck back stage and he walked right past us - I was shocked to see what a tiny little thing he was...but no love lost - it was definitely the highlight of my year!!!! I look back now and he looks a little angry in most of the photos (this one's not bad) - I guess that's the Rebel part - must have been what I loved about him???


Now a days and as far back in my adult life as I can recall - its Richard Gere (yes, I know he's a little different - but I can't help it)... and here I am star struck again - he has a new movie coming out with Diana Lane (who I also love!!!) "Nights in Rodanthe" - I'm so excited about it I even read the book and I'm soooooo not a reader - I really try to be, but I just can't ever get into anything - which I'm finding isn't such a bad thing, as I loved this book so much that I neglected just about everyone and everything just so I could hurry and finish it up. So that's it...new times, new loves... I cannot wait for the movie!!!

Back to school

Okay - here are the kids this morning - the first day of school! Sarah's first year in middle school, Shawn's last. They were both very excited to get to school and were out the door before 7!

Shawn even offered to make sure Sarah got her new schedule and to show her around to her classes, but after she got her schedule, she ventured off by herself - and made it to all her classes on time... Success! They both had a great first day :)

And I had a great day at work too - and went to a baby shower this evening which was fun - lots of cute gifts, nice people and great food. I really need to get out more. I met this great gal there who told me that she birthed both of her babies at home!!!! She told me she used some Bradley Method and it was fabulous. Its amazing what the mind can do when trained properly! Where the heck was she when I was in my childbearing years? I went to Lamaze... Lamaze shamaz I tell you... it all went out the window when I was in labor... I remember when one of our classes was a trip to the Labor & Delivery department and there was this woman screaming at the top of her lungs and I just thought - keep it down in there lady - you're freaking us out - and our teacher assured us that we could avoid that kind of situation by being educated and following our plan. YA RIGHT - that was soooooo me!

QUESTION: Does anyone know why Shawn's eyes are red in this picture and Sarah's aren't? His eyes are always red in pictures but I just figured it was me - but why aren't hers red if its the same lighting, camera, etc?