In Memory

Last night a member of the Border Patrol was shot and murdered. He was working in the Campo, Ca area, but lived in the Imperial Valley and was a reserve police officer for the El Centro police. His name was Robert Rosas. He left behind a wife and two little kids. He was shot several times (I think 6), once in the head. I didn't know Mr. Rosas, but I am so saddened by this. In fact as James was talking to me about it I looked it up on line and then started crying. I know that people are killed all of the time in our country and I don't always cry about each one, but this was seemed to strike home for several reasons. The fact that James works for the Border Patrol seems, for me at least, to cause an instant connection to other B.P. employees and their families (it was/is the same way with the Marines). My heart breaks for his wife and kids. I also think that since it happened close to where we live makes it more meaningful as well. It is easy to say 'it wont happen to me', or 'that wont happen in this area' but it could happen anywhere. Not to mention that I am afraid of something like that happening to my husband. I think about his poor wife and how she now has to cope with raising her kids on her own without her husband and the kids missing out on having their dad in their lives. I can't help but picture what that would be like for me. I am always worried about James, but most days I try to put it out of my head. This is the second B.P. murder that has occurred by where we live since we moved there. After a bit I start to 'forget' and then it happens again. So, I would like to take just a second to remember Robert Rosas, an Imperial Valley resident and a Border Patrol employee whose life was taken away and cut short while protecting our borders. Thank you for your service and to your wife and kids for their sacrifice, although I wish you did not have to make it.

To Tan Or Not To Tan

Me and my wonderful friend Amy. This was after two weeks of not being in the sun. Look how tan I am! I LOVE it! lol

Should I keep tanning? This is a question that I have been pondering. My mom and grams have given me (lovingly, I am sure) lectures and advice to give it up. I made a list of reasons why I want to keep tanning and a list of reason why I should stop (you will notice that I didn't write down reason why I want to stop).

Reasons to keep it up:

1. Tanning camouflages cellulite! (Big time bonus!)

2. I love the look of my skin when it is darker.

3. The tanning oil really makes my skin soft.

4. I look much prettier tan than white.

These are some of the reason to keep tanning. I know, most of these seem quite superficial, however, this is still how I feel.

Reason to quit:

1. Skin cancer runs in my family. My poor grandpa doesn't even have most of one of his ears due to it, and monthly has more cancer zapped off. My dad has had some as well. I really don't want cancer!

2. This is a big one (the cancer should be bigger, but the superficiality comes in to play here). Tanning causes premature aging! I don't want to look ten years older than I am....I really don't want to look as old as I am anyway, but I for sure don't want to look like a beat up old leather mitt!

Really, those are the only two reasons that I am going to give up tanning. So, in answer to my question, no, I should not keep tanning.......I might have to go in to mourning for a bit!

MAD!!!!!!

So, anyone that has read a bit of my blog knows some of the issues that I have had with the El Centro Elementary school district. Did you think it would end? I was hopeful, but obviously completely high in that hope! In May I went in to apply to have Parker and Kylee moved to the school that we live by (Hedrick). They are currently at Sunflower and we thought it would be good to move them for several reasons. I had heard that if we had applied for an intra-district transfer before (moving schools within the district) we would not be able to do it again. I wanted to make sure my kids were all in the same school so I didn't want to registered Kearney and Ireland at Hedrick if there was no way that Parker and Kylee could be transferred. I checked with the district and they told me that you can have them transferred to different schools every year if that was my desire. They also said that there probably would not be a problem. Well, it seems that there is. Today we got the denial letter in the mail letting us know that Parker and Kylee would be staying at Sunflower. They also scratched of Kearney and Ireland's names as going to Hedrick. I guess that way they don't have to admit that I have kids going go two different elementary schools. The twins are still registered at Hedrick, they just put on our papers for Park and Kylee that they were not because they had not started school there yet. Here is the problem. I have passed the date to apply to have the twins transferred to Sunflower! So, again I have kids at two different schools! This is the third year I have had to deal with this stupid school district on such matters! I am about to loose my mind and my temper! Tomorrow I will be calling the district and resolving this (it will be taken care of tomorrow!), but I am so sick of this nonsense!

My Poor Stomach!

For the last few days there has been a sickness going on in our family. Kylee, Kearney and Ireland were throwing up all over the place. For two nights I got no sleep staying up with them as the took turns throwing up. It was SO NOT FUN!!!!! My poor dad got sick as did my sister, Jayci. I felt bad for all of them, but then yesterday I really felt bad for them. I got the same thing! I felt like dying!!!!! The thing is, we (Jayci and I) had promised to take our kids to the Davis County Rec Center. I so did not want to go. I just wanted to lay on the couch and be miserable. However, I did not want to listen to my kids cry about it for days and I wanted to spend some time with Jayci. So, as grumpy as I was (I have learned that I am very grumpy and have no patience when I am sick) I loaded up the kids and headed up north. We got there and the kids were having a great time. I, however, could not seem to sit still. I kept moving and fidgeting to try and feel better. It didn't work. Jayci suggested we go over and get a sprite to see if it would settle my stomach. We walked over to the concession stand and I had Jayci get my drink while I walked quickly to the bathroom. I didn't run because I was afraid that it would make me throw up faster. I finally made it to the women's locker room (I almost went in to the men's) and barely made it in to the stalls. Now, I was not planning on this detour, so I did not have shoes on. YUCK! That alone would have made me throw up. It was disgusting! It gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

So, I finished emptying my stomach and headed back out to our spot on the grass. I tried drinking some soda to help settle my stomach and about 20 minutes later I was leaning over the grass getting rid of all the soda that had entered my stomach. It was so embarrassing! Some guy came over while I was kneeling and heaving to see if I was okay. Another lady brought me over her ice water to keep. Thanks lady! It was a lifesaver. Thank goodness I had not eaten anything. Yuck! So, Jayci and I went in to the pool to help cool me off. It seemed to make me feel a bit better while I was in it. After a bit we decided to take the kids home, so we rounded most of them and our gear up. We went inside to get the rest of them. While there Jayci and her little girl and some of my kids decided to go down the slide one more time. While sitting there waiting I knew another round was coming. I had Kylee stay by my purse and ran to go to the bathroom. There was no way that I was going to make it, so I stopped by a garbage can. While I was in the process of being sick (it was major projectile vomiting) two stupid teenage boys walked past and said, in quite derisive voices, "NICE!". I so wanted to turn my head to the left and throw up on their legs. In fact, as I write this, I wish that I had done that! Can you imagine how great that would have been?! haha Okay, so now you can see the not so nice part of me. But hey, I didn't do it (although I really wish that I had) so that is the nice part of me!

Now, in case you are worrying about me, don't. I am feeling much better today. In fact, I am so good I am going to head off to a shrimp boil tonight! So glad I was sick yesterday and not today! Shrimp, crab and spice, here I come!

Good Friends

Don't you just love how friendships last, even if you don't see (or talk) to each other for long periods of time? I spent some time (7 hours with some) last night with a group of women that I love dearly. Before I moved to El Centro this group of women gave me my 'girl time' each month. I loved getting together and talking about nothing and everything. Since I have been in El Centro for the last two years I have missed out on this each month (except for the two each year that I am able to make it to in the summer) and truly do miss it. Last night felt like I hadn't missed any and just picked up where I left off. I LOVED it! I love that friendships don't end. I also love being a woman and having that woman time. So, thanks ladies! I can't wait to see you all again!

America

Seeing as how today is the 4th of July, I would just like to say how proud I am to be an American. What a wonderful and truly blessed country we (those of you who reside here as well) live in. I honestly believe that the Lord has blessed our land and gave guidance to our founding fathers. I am grateful to the brave men and women of the military from now down to the beginning of our country who have given their lives and time to fight for our freedoms. I am grateful that we are free to believe differently from one another and have the rights to express our beliefs, whether it be religious, political or any other kind of beliefs. I am so grateful that I was born here and will die here (hopefully not for a loooooong time!) and am able to raise my kids here. I know that there are people from other countries every day trying to come here, legally and illegally, to get the same blessings and freedoms that I have just because I was born here. I am so grateful for what I have. God Bless America!