Midnight= the best time for just about anything

Happy Birthday Mom

2006-09-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom. You would have been 50 today (25th)! Remembering, missing, and loving you always.

Wedding Work

2006-09-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is the wedding I worked on yesterday. It was really amazing. Picture # 1) torchier on the dance floor 2) bridal party table with 2 large centerpieces 3) pastry bar with green orchids in water for stands 4) hanging commanders (flower balls) over dance floor 5) detail of centerpiece toppers (this was my area- we made 36 of these in 2 days) with green hydrangea, cocksomb, dahlias, and 4 dozen roses each 6) hanging commanders and green smilax garlands 7) completed centerpiece, notice glass cylinder with green orchid in water 8) candy favor bar, 20 something different kinds, 100 pounds in total. It was an amazing affair!!

Fall 2006 Schedule

2006-08-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what my school schedul looks like. It's pretty manageable this year, 12 units is just enough to keep me sane this semester. Plus I'm looking forward to seeing some good movies such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's", Hitchcock's "Rear Window", John Wayne in "The Searchers", and Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" just to name a few. Click on the picture to see it bigger.

We love the lake!

2006-07-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

The boys built a rope swing on the top story of the houseboat. Swinging from that high up gives you plenty of time for backflips. Joshua found that out really fast.

2006-07-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

It's pink, it smells like coconut, and it's straight from the 90s... It's Zinka!

2006-07-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Boo-Bear. I met him at the entrance to Shasta Lake Caverns. We really hit it off.

2006-07-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

He's down, but he's smiling. Nothing can stop Josh from going "balls out".

2006-07-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

It's a good feeling. Until water goes every place it's not supposed to be.

2006-07-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yarr, it be Captain Josh. All he needs is an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder. Yo ho ho... and a bottle o' rum!

2006-07-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Kristopher (Josh's bro). And if you're wondering... no, I didn't do a backflip... they're just amazed I haven't fallen yet.

2006-07-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yep, still going. That's Taylor and Stephanie (Josh's sis).

2006-07-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Home sweet home! This is the houseboat we stayed on the whole week. AC and satellite tv and lake water, the perfect escape from the HEAT.

Shasta Lake map

2006-07-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is an area map of Shasta Lake, it's hard to grasp just how large of a lake it is.

Shasta Lake

2006-07-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Shasta Lake, where we'll be in just a couple of days. I'm told it's a HUGE lake, with fingers that could take you a day to travel up. I can't wait!!

We love you Mom!

2006-07-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Gerberias from my aunts.

2006-07-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some beautiful flowers from my dad on the one year of my wonderful mom's passing away.

2005-05-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

El Capitan and Half Dome from the side of the road. The first view is breathtaking.

2005-05-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Vernal Falls is just barely visible from the bridge. The hike gets a bit more challenging after this point.

2005-05-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Vernal Falls, half way up Mist Trail. So much water!

2005-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

The two of us making our way up to the top of Vernal Falls.

2005-05-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

The view from the top makes it worth the effort!

2005-05-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Looking over the falls. Made Dad a little nervous.

2005-05-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, we hiked up that little trail way down there. Those people look like ants.

2005-05-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

That's Upper Yosemite Falls in the background there and a small meadow just across from Curry Village.

Life is like....

2005-04-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

"Life is like a cross-stitch. Most of the time you only see the messy side with all the threads sticking up every which way. But when you turn it over to the other side there's an amazingly precise pattern that says Love."

Life is hard to decipher. I mean, isn't is incredible how it only takes one person to make or break your entire world? Just a few words, caring or hateful, can affect you for days. It's sad that the mean words can leave such a lasting impression (if you let them) but it's a good thing that the understanding and caring ones have the deepest meaning.

It's pouring!

2005-04-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

It's 1:00 in the morning, or 12:00 if you forgot to set your clock ahead, and it's pouring rain outside! And let me tell you... it's good to be alive. So good! Goodnight.

2005-03-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patty's Day! I ordered a mocha this morning and my whipped cream was GREEN! A bit o' Irish cream. Can't get more Irish than that now can ya?

2005-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Remember this pops? That was a good trip, and you boarded like a trooper. What are you doing here? I think he's teaching you how to flap hard enough to get airborn when you get going too fast, instead of doing a face plant. Guess you forgot about that little lesson. HEHE! Love you.

2005-03-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks everybody for thinking good thoughts! And thank you dad for the flowahs.

On the road again

2005-02-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, school WAS cancelled yesterday. And just for the record, Josh's description of what went down is completely accurate. I'm off to Cal Poly today, another horse show, possibly the last one for the semester. Hey, everybody think good thoughts and I may just come home with a blue ribbon ; ) I'm watching a morning news/talk show called "Great Day" and they're featuring a local band playing Dave Matthews ditties, but I can barely stand to listen. The lead singer sounds like a cross between Kermit the frog and Adam Sandler! Well, to all you who are going up to soak in the lucious powder up there this weekend: I hatchu! Have a great time.

2005-02-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

AH! If I wasn't so stuck on winter, I'd be happy that it's almost spring...

2005-02-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

Do you see what having a camera on my phone has done to me? It's like...I have to capture practically every second of life. Here is an AMAZING moment in time frozen exclusively for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure you're all ecstatic to see that my car odometer hit 44,444 miles today! Isn't that extraordinary? Well, maybe not, but thanks anyway for pretending to share in my obsessive revelry.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2005-02-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a good one. Check cupid out, he's so cute.

2005-02-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! My dad will always and forever be my valentine! Thanks Dad, I love you.

2005-02-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for sunsets. This one was last week. I wish I had a better picture of it. It was sooo pink!

2005-02-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

This sunset was unbelievable at Lake Tahoe in December! I'm not sure I've ever seen one so violently full of color.

The Right Perspective

2005-02-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's another daily from "The Power of Praying". This one was exactly what I needed to hear at the time I read it:

If your attitude is one of gratefully searching for God's truth and goodness in any situation, it will change your life. You'll never see things the same way again. No matter what hapens, you'll be able to say, "This was our Lord's doing." It is a matter of trust. It's basically believing that God is good and He desires the best for you. Give God the benefit of your trust and you'll see that you are standing in more light than you ever dreamed possible.

Lord, give me Your perspective today and for my future. Bless me with the ability to understand the bigger picture and to distinguish the valuable from the unimportant (!!!). When something seems to go wrong, help me not to jump to negative conclusions. Enable me to recognize the answers to my own prayers.

Let me trust You, Lord, in all things and for all things. When I look at my life and my circumstances, may I see the good work that You are doing.

God's Promise:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trust in Him!

Psalm 34:8

Finding Power in His Name

2005-02-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you're losing sight of what God has promised you? I felt that way today, maybe more than I ever have. I was so upset over this class I'm taking that I literally felt like my world was being shredded into pieces. So I called my mom, who calmly reminds me that all I have to do is remember to ask God to help me, and that he promises that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". It helps to remember and truly believe that he has something so great in store for me and you both now and forever.

This passage is from a book called "The Power of Praying" by a lady name Stormie Omartian. It's really awesome and it gives me hope everytime I read it. The first part is a little inspiration written in her own words, then she gives a prayer and a passage:

The Word "Jesus" when spoken in love by one who reverences him, has great power in it. Power to save, deliver, heal, provide, protect, and so much more. There is also great power in each one of God's names, and when spken with faith, love, understanding, and reverence, it brings a blessing and increases your faith.

Lord, I thank You that there is power in Your name. Thank You that Jesus has been given "the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:9-10). Thank You that I can reach out and touch You and in turn be touched by the power of Your name.

God's Promise:

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10

I'm going to do something right now that I never thought about doing with this little space of mine. Posting prayer requests seems like an awesome way of reaching out. If you've got one, just leave it here, and I'll be sure to pray for you, no matter how little it is.

I'll start with my own. God bless you if you feel led to pray.

This request is for my mom who's had ovarian cancer going on 5 years now and has been through 3 different chemotherapy treatments. She's currently in treatment now and the drug doesn't appear to be doing it's job. We need God to open up a new route of treatment, something that's going to be aggressive. She's got a great doctor, so maybe pray for his wisdom in treatment options too. In general it's time for something new, a "God-send" so to speak. Thanks so much, I know He will be faithful to answer our prayers.

2005-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

This beanie was made for my Aunt Nita. She's the one who first taught me to knit! Without her I just wouldn't be the same knitter I am today. Thank you!

2005-02-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

BIRTHDAY ANGIE!

Statue honors fallen heroes

2005-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

When he was forced to fashion statues of Saddam Hussein on horseback, the Iraqi sculptor, Kalat, had no idea that someday he would melt them down to create a memorial for American Soldiers.

The two original statues -- which adorned a gate at the palace complex where 4th Infantry Division’s headquarters group is located -- were removed with explosives in early July, said 1st Sgt. Mark Anderson, Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

The statues were cut into pieces by the 555th Engineer Group and shipped to Kalat who reshaped the chunks of bronze into a likeness of an American Soldier. A small girl comforts the Soldier as he mourns a fallen comrade.

The likeness was fashioned from a photograph of 1st Sgt. Glen Simpson, the former HHC first sergeant, who knelt for a picture that has become an immortal portrait in bronze, said Command Sgt. Maj. Chuck Fuss, 4th Inf. Div. command sergeant major.

Kalat spent several months sculpting and casting the statue. “Though he created the original statues of Saddam along with another artist, he created the 4th Infantry Division memorial through his own design,” Anderson said.

The sculpture is based on a scene many in Iraq have witnessed in one form or another. A Soldier kneels before a memorial of boots, rifle and helmet - his forehead resting in the hollow of his hand. Behind and to his right stands a small Iraqi girl with her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder.

The statue evokes emotion. The girl was added to the statue to remind people of why the sacrifice was made, Fuss said. “It’s about freedom for this country, but it’s also about the children who will grow up in a free society,” he said.

Sitting in a former palace of Saddam now, the statue will soon be shuttled to Fort Hood, where it will become part of a larger memorial project at the 4th Inf. Div. museum.

Fuss and Anderson credited the Soldiers’ generosity and Simpson’s vision for the lasting gift that, in the end, remembers fallen comrades.“I think this is the best way we can honor their families and their memories,” Fuss said.

“Really that’s what it’s for - a tribute to all the Soldiers over here who lost their lives,” Anderson said. “They will never be forgotten and they will always be heroes in our eyes.”

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 6, 2004)

2005-02-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Life captured in bronze.

2005-02-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Iraqi sculptor Kalat examines the statue of an American Soldier made from melting down bronze statues of Saddam Hussein.

Only if you're REALLY bored!

2005-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know.... Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to digest a piece of celery than the celery has to begin with. I'll bet most anorexics know that little tid bit already....

So if you'd like to fill your brain with more useless information like the one above you can. Haha, okay I got this web site off the back of a bathroom stall door. Check it out: it's entertaining if you want to kill an hour or so... http://dogman0.tripod.com/useless.html

Enjoy!

Doobie Doo!

2005-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Well I had a great time at Cal Poly this weekend. Did a lot, saw a lot, loved a lot! LOL I love you Suzichoo. Amelia and I had a good time driving together (we didn't see too much of each other outside of that), and had an adventure before we had even left! Between the rain, the defective windshield wipers and the foggy windows it was crazy. Suzi and I had a good time, I'm glad I'm part of your family. The weather was incredible: clear, crisp, and blue. And now I'm home, and getting ready for an incredible week! COS concert choir is leaving Tuesday for the ACDA national convention. Ooh it's gonna be so fun! Two peformances on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and Disneyland on Friday.

Josh took me to the Doobie Brothers concert tonight in Visalia. It was such a rush. HAHA those guys rock! Every song was pretty much my first time hearing it (minus a few that I recognized), but it was still so great. We rocked, we moshed, we....had a ball. I think the whole town just might be a better place because of it.

Okay well I've got to get some SLEEP. Goodnight all!

HOORAY you're back!

2005-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'd like to begin by extending my thanks for reading what I have to write today (YOU ROCK) I hope you find it puis interessante.... (at least a little interesting) Sunday was awesome since we got to frolic in the snow all day. I had begun having withdrawls after two weeks without it... Kelly, Josh and I took a trip up to SS where we met Bry, Will, and their sistas. It was one of the best days, if not the best, yet this season for me. Unfortunately, come Monday, school reared it's ugly black head once again. Except this time it used a tic-tac, because Psych was like a breath of fresh air! You are so right, Aud, Ms. Knox is amazing. I never knew I could get so excited about a class.... This one is different, it's gonna be AWEsome. Especially since it sounds like everything we'll learn in that class will be applicable to our own lives and personalities.

K, anybody who thinks they wanna take a stab at this go for it! You can leave a guess in the comments section. This is a little writing assignment for my Philosophy class, we're supposed to describe an object as simply as possible:

This object has the appearance of life, though it's no longer living. Its colors melt together dryly from head to tip. Thin dusty curls of fuchsia seep softly into muted yellow. Long ridges of pallid green drain into scarred red wood. There is a short twist of green wire around its neck, which has served its purpose in keeping the object erect and is no longer needed. Everything about this object's appearance is dainty and fragile. Every feature is rigid and crisp.

What is it?

2005-01-21T23:45:00.000-08:00

Yay, my girls! Love you, both.

2005-01-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

I just finished this one. And I thought, "Hmmm, who would this look good on?" Then it came to me. Carine!!! That gorgeous dark haired Egyptian. She looks beautiful in purple. YAY

2005-01-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

I don't actually have permission from the creator to post this photo. But I'm doing it anyways. If you don't see it in the days to come, then you'll know I was caught and received a hefty fine. HAHA. I just couldn't resist...

2005-01-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Josh's. You like me?

2005-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

So, school has sprung. It sprang too fast; I wish it would coil itself up again and hide in the darkest corner of my mind again for another month! Math worries me, Philosophy gives me squirmy feelings in my tummy, autocad wears on my nerves. Maybe when Psychology presents itself next Monday I'll have a better outlook on the whole situation. One good thing, I've got a friendly face (J) in Precalculus. One bad thing, I'm finding out just how terribly un-math-minded I am. Ms. Wheeler had us take a "pretest" to see where we stand. Read on if you need a pick me up... I scored a 13 out of 40 (32%). Granted I didn't burn up too many braincells trying since it wouldn't affect my grade no matter how I scored, but golly.... Be patient Josh. However one thing that's sure to make me happy: Suzi's coming back tomorrow to get Laddie, yay! I'm excited, and doubly so because it's finally the end of the week! YEsssssssss. That's all for now. Love ya!

2005-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is our silly dog, Rusty. I taught him to balance a milkbone on his nose and keep it there till I say "okay". Sometimes he gets impatient.

2005-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

I love this picture of him! He was bringing the ball back to me after I threw it, but it looks like it's not even in his mouth. RAWR he looks like a lion.

2005-01-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

This is me at the Davis Show. My horse's name is Sweetie, she would stick out her tongue and let it flop around, too bad she's not doing it in this picture! Sorry about all the dust particles, our camera is ridiculous, gosh... Anyways Sweetie got me a 4th place out of 8 riders. Thanks, girl you were great. (Talking to Sweetie)

2005-01-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

So the snow is perfect right now! And for the first time in weeks it's not stormy. And where am I? Stuck, in a rut, in VISALIA, yuck-o. O, to be there, to take in the fresh air and marvel at the beautiful snow, what I wouldn't give. HAHA ok now I'm just being a goober. But I will be there soon, I'll do whatever it takes. In the meanwhile, COS had a concert on Tuesday with Long Beach State, and Willamette (Will-am-it) University. We sounded surprisingly, okay from what other people said, so that's good news. The other choirs were, of course, fabulous, if not a little boring (in my opinion). Long Beach did a good spiritual, "Ain't Got Time to Die" with a great solo. And Williamette did a Bach piece, which I could live without hearing again. Hehe, maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate. This weekend I'm heading up to UCD for a horseshow. Brrr... rainy and cold. It won't be so bad though because it's only a single, which means it starts later and finishes earlier. Whoopee, that makes me happy. Too bad I've only ridden twice in 2 months now. In other news, Suzi's going to Tahoe (lucky bunny), and Will and Josh spent TWO nights, and TWO days up at the hill! Ah, my misery never ends. If you have any other experiences to add insult to injury, let me know. I'll add it to my list of self-pity... School starts in less that a week. Strangely, I'm sort of looking forward to it. Okay, that's all. Did you actually read all that? I hope you feel informed now, hehe.

2005-01-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Finally a beanie for me! And now I'm open for requests... I've become quite fast at making them, I can whip one of these babies out in like a day or 2.

Help Support Prayer!

2005-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Michael Newdow, the atheist whose attack on our Pledge of Allegiance reached the Supreme Court, is at it again. This time he has filed suit in federal court to strike prayer from Inauguration Day!

To counter his destructive actions, Faith and Action has just launched a national "Inauguration Prayer" petition to rally 250,000 believers who support prayer at the Inauguration. Plus, to demonstrate the power of prayer, Faith and Action has also made it possible for citizens to send a personal prayer to President Bush.

Click here to sign the petition and send your own prayer: Faith & Action

In addition to delivering 250,000 petitions to the Inauguration Prayer Committee, Faith and Action will personally present thousands of personalized prayer cards to a key official of the President's administration during a prayer service at their ministry center on Capitol Hill the morning of the Inauguration! This is a great way for believers to both stand against these kinds of outrageous attacks on our religious rights and prayerfully support our President these next four years! Thanks for taking action with me.

2005-01-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

This one's my mom's now. Pretty soon I'll make one for myself hahaha.

2005-01-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

This one I made for my dad. Not too bad, except YOU can't see the entire thing!

2005-01-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

This is one of my first, I made it for Suzi for Christmas. I think I like it the best.

2005-01-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

Past 36 hours was a blast! WOOooo, there was snow like you wouldn't believe up at the summit. Josh, Bry, Will and I had an incredible time riding and ended up staying at the cabin for the night, which we expected would be a sore subject with the parents but turned out to be not-such-a-big-deal. They trust us and of course we were good kids. Got back tonight around 6 and went to see the Pointless concert at the Neighborhood. I had no idea it would be so much fun. Maybe when I figure out how to play music on this crazy website I'll put one of their songs on it, so ya'll can hear.

2005-01-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Snowboarding today!! Let you know how it goes when I get home. Pray for safe journey

2004-12-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well Josh and I made it up to the summit, unfortunately the power decided to take a break. It was super snowy but the powder was unbelievable and would have been great at the top. Regardless, we had a great time just enjoying the scenery and snow. The drive home was BEAutiful, incredible, sensational. No rain a tall once we hit Fresno and to welcome us home in Visalia the biggest, most complete rainbow I've ever seen across the whole city. God is so AWEsome, he reminds us that in the midst or turmoil, whether it's rain, tsunami, or death... he's there looking over us, loving us with his beauty. THANKS God!

Tonight is New Years Eve! Happy New Year!!