November PP projects

I have SO MUCH of this kit left! I really wish I had more time for scrapbooking! Wait till you see how cute the December stuff is!!

Another cute prayer.

Honestly, though, could we ever really get enough of this? I don't think so.

Dillon said the dinner prayer over our dutch oven potatoes last night. Here's the jist of it:

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this day.
Thank You for our blessings.
Please bless this food to make us healthy and strong.
Thank You for making our world healthy and safe.
Please bless that no one will litter.
Bless that Santa won't see us do naughty stuff.
Thank you for this most wonderful and beautiful weather.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Simple. To the point - but covering a few very important and relevant issues.

I left my HEART in SF

James was invited to attend the California Academy of Family Physicians conference this weekend in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to get to tag along a little. While he was in meetings I walked all over town, saw the sights and did some shopping! It was so nice. A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY AWESOME MOM FOR WATCHING THE KIDS!! They had so much fun. She really looked tired when we picked them up, though.

Hope you got some sleep mom!!

Here's some photos from the trip. ENJOY :)

Sunset and the Golden Gate bridge.



Alcatraz Island




The sea lions at Fisherman's wharf.





Ghiradelli square- where we had a fabulous dinner at McCormick and Kuletos- a recommendation from James' brother and sister in law. Thanks guys! James was more excited about his steak than anything else we saw that day!





We were so full that we didn't even have any chocolate :( We did buy some for my mom- so maybe she'll share!?

The view from our hotel window. It was really gorgeous just after sun down b/c the bridge was all lit up and the moon was nearly full and very bright.



The Golden Gate bridge!





Sunday as we were sight seeing, who did we run into? Well, see for yourself!!




Pierce Brosnan! The not-so-original, but oh-so-adorable Bond, James Bond. Daniel Craig can't hold a candle to him. There's just no comparison.




I looked like a real winner turning around to take these photos. Hey if you don't like it, don't be famous!! ;0)

The view from our trolley-




What a beautiful city!! We had such an amazing time and it was nice to be reminded how much we enjoy spending time together. There precious little of that these days. We love you kids!! ;)

Post Election Day "weirdness"

Am I the only one who's a complete emotional WRECK today?

The events of the last several months- everything to do with this election and politics etc, have really taken their toll on me. I'm an emotional basket case! I really had no idea I would react the way I have to the outcomes of yesterday. I guess I had some suppressed feelings I wasn't admitting to or something. I also had very little sleep last night.

By 7:00 am this morning there was no more hot water for my shower. Why, you ask? Because, for the second night in a row Annabelle has woken up in a pile of barf! She was really fussy throughout the night and after getting up with her at 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock already, at 6 o'clock when she fussed again, I sent James in- who was about to wake up anyway. I smelled the yuckiness as soon as he opened her bedroom door. We bathed her and James showered too, so by the time she was taken care of and I was ready to wash away the barfy smell, there was no hot water.

So that only added to the "weirdness" I was feeling today. I don't know what else to call it. Lately I've felt like all of a sudden I don't recognize the America I thought I lived in. As much as I know that being politically aware and involved is important, I also think that being ignorant has its benefits! Now when I'm walking at the park and pass a stranger, I wonder, "are they a Democrat? Did they vote to save the chickens but against requiring a minor to inform her parents before getting an abortion?" I can't help but wonder where this nation is headed when I hear all this rhetoric about the "poor cows and hens" but that a 13 year old shouldn't have to tell anyone that she snuck over to some dumpy clinic to have the "oops" of last month taken care of.

I have been somewhat involved in the effort to support proposition 8 here as well. Never in my whole life have I been so scorned or flipped off or yelled at with hateful words than the last few weeks. If these people could see into my heart, they would know that my position on this issue is well informed and 100% hate and prejudice free. Just because the measure passed, doesn't mean that this awfulness is over, either. Today I had the overwhelming feeling that this is the beginning of the beginning.

As for the presidential outcome, I really thought that I would be less affected by it. I respect Barack Obama and think that he will do what he thinks is best for this nation. But, when I saw the defeated look on John McCain's face and others with him, I burst into tears. Over the last 5 1/2 years, James and I feel like we have really gotten to know him. We respect him and his wife and feel like they are hard working true and proud Americans and that Senator McCain really has what it takes to run this great country. I just had no idea that I was so emotionally attached to the idea of him as the commander in chief.

All that being said, it was one of the most beautiful days that I've seen since moving to California. It rained for only the second time in 6 months yesterday. I was drenched by the time I got to my voting booth after waiting in line in the rain for 20 minutes! Today it was cool and fresh and sunny. It was great. That helped my weird emotional situation, I think.