I♥Faces: Week 22

This week is kind of a special week at iheartfaces. Instead of the normal weekly judging, we've been asked to write about a family vacation. This will give a much needed break for those who run the show at iheartfaces and allow all of us who participate the chance to share a little bit about ourselves.

When I read about the theme: "My Story Through Photos: Vacation Edition", I almost decided to back out. I haven't taken an "official" vacation in years. Partly, this has been due to using up all my leave for maternity leave, twelve weeks each for both kids, and taking up leave every time one of the kids become ill. Sure, we've had a little excursions to the Children's Museum, the local zoo, and the like, but not an actual vacation. A real vacation.

I was just going to share one of those excursions, but then decided to share with you that last real vacation I ever took.

Let me take you back to a time when our family was half the size of what it is today. Just Scott and me. No children. No diaper bags to pack. No bottles to prepare. No car seats and strollers.

In fact, this was maybe about a month or two before we found out I was pregnant.

My mother, who was still alive then, lived in Minnesota with my stepdad. She really wanted me to come see her and visit. Living poorly then, we made a road trip out of a long weekend. My mother also wanted me to bring her some of her stuff kept at my dad's house. That's what having a pick-up is good for, right?Scott and I left after working early morning shifts that day. We live in Colorado Springs. We were traveling to Little Canada, Minnesota. That's a long, long, long drive. Scott and I divvied up the driving shifts. I took the trek through Colorado. He'd take the Nebraska bit. I'd take over in Iowa. Then him in Minnesota.By the time we reached Nebraska, the sun had pretty much set. We stopped at a gas station and Scott took over so I could get some rest. No sooner had I fallen asleep that I had awoken to us stopped at a rest stop and Scott was starting to sleep! We had no time to waste. I didn't want to sleep in a rest stop and lose precious time. So, I took over. I drove all night until the sun was starting to come up. I drove almost all the way to Iowa. Scott slept, in and out mostly. I drove. It was a long, long drive. Boring and long. And I was exhausted.Scott took over for the rest of Nebraska and most of Iowa. Either way, we finally made it to Minnesota.
Despite being exhausted, I caught my second wind and we headed out to have some fun (of course, after eating and showering).

Here are a few things we did that weekend.


Visit the Mall of America.
Go skiing/snowboarding. Weird, though. I live in Colorado and up to that point had never gone to any of Colorado's beautiful ski slopes. This was my first time and it was in Minnesota, not Colorado. Self portrait.
Visited a small town near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. In fact, the bridge behind my mother leads into Wisconsin. As you can see from my mother's expression, it was very, very cold.
The weekend was too short. I didn't want to say good-bye to my mother. The next time I saw my mother, we were both pregnant and she was getting ready to move back (my stepdad was preparing to serve a tour in the Middle East).


Our ride back was a bit more fairly spread out. It seemed quicker because much was during daylight hours and our load was lighter (no piles of boxes in the pick-up bed)
As the day faded, I took a picture of a beautiful sunset and surprised it actually turned out well.

10 Years

Ever heard of them? If you're part of the rock scene, then your answer will most likely be a resounding yes. Otherwise, check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/10years. I also added two of their songs to the top of my playlist (Wasteland and Beautiful).


Anyway, why am I writing about this?


Well, last Saturday I took the car in for an oil change (I ended up getting my 15,000 mile service done, too). I took it to the dealership where we bought our car. I've pretty much done that since we bought it brand new two years ago. Well, me and the girlie were waiting for a bit when she got fidgety. So, I decided to walk around the show room floor (on a different level than the shop). It was nice and quiet because it wasn't open yet. In fact, the only light was coming in from outside. Every time I've been to the dealership, they usually have a sign up box for giveaways from a local rock station (94.3 KILO). In fact, during one oil change visit, they happened to be there and I procured some KILO shwag and free pizza. I listen to them all the time in the car. Anyway, I thought I'd enter my name for whatever drawing they had, but I didn't give it a second thought. (Can you tell where this is going?).

So, here we are, just less than a week later, I was going about my normal evening routine. I just put the kids to bed, when I saw I had a voicemail. I checked it out and my jaw began to drop as I began to hear Sid Black from KILO on my voicemail. He said they pulled my name from McCloskey Motors entry box and that I won a pair of tickets to go see (you guessed it) 10 Years!

No flippin' way! I freaked. I called the number back promptly afraid I lost my chance. He had just called less than three minutes ago. I got through. I never get through when calling to radio stations (not that I do it often). Well, I can't say never. Once, I won tickets to see The Lion King on IMAX.

Anyway, I just about freaked out. I couldn't believe it. I really couldn't believe it.

Now, I know that 10 Years isn't the biggest name out there, but they have some great songs and I've been listening to a few others and so far they're great! And how am I going to pass up this rare opportunity to go out with Scott, sans children, and go to a concert.

I'm so excited, I can't wait. I won't be able to concentrate at work tomorrow!

I'll have a report this weekend.

An unwelcomed visitor...

About two weeks ago, we got a visit from someone with the Department of Human Services. It was about the kids. I think ever parent's heat just about stops when something like this happens.

Let me rewind just a bit....

Earlier in the week, my mother-in-law was visited by DHS because of some anonymous complaint. a child, about four or five years of age, was seen playing in the apartment complex playground by himself and later was climbing the patio fence to his grandparents' apartment because he was locked out. The address they told DHS was my mother-in-law's. The date of the complaint was around April 30th.

Issue one: Our children haven't been over to Grandma's in over six weeks.
Issue two: Our son, who is 3 1/2 albeit tall for his age, cannot climb the fence that surrounds her patio. It is way too tall and there aren't any footholds (meaning someone would have to jump to grab a hold of the ledge, then climb over).
Issue three: It wasn't even at our home.

After questioning her, they got our phone and address. Then they called Scott. Scott didn't take the news lightly that we were to be visited by DHS so they could inspect our home, see our children, check to make sure they had beds, and ask us questions. The visit was scheduled for a Friday (Scott's day off) for 10:00am.

Although, I knew that we would be fine I still worried. I still conjured images in my head of someone taking my sweet babies away. I decided to take the day off to make sure things went smoothly.

Fast forward to the visit...

We had cleaned our home from top to bottom. Everything as a neat and tidy as it could be. We didn't want to risk anything. We may have gone a bit overboard with cleaning, but hey, the house was clean.

10:00am came and went and no sign of the lady from DHS. Scott called a little after to find out what was going on. She was running a late. An emergency came up. He immediately gave her a hard time for not giving us a call. She said we could reschedule if we had things to do. He told her that he didn't want to reschedule and that he didn't appreciate having to wait around for her on his day off.

She finally showed up at about 10:45am. Forty-five minutes late. She stood in our doorway. Asked the kids birthdays and correct spelling of their names, glanced at the kids and said that's it. That's it!?? She made us worry, expect an inspection of our home, a laundry list of questions, and that's it? We didn't know whether or not we should have been glad that she didn't take our kids away or angry that she put us through all that. What a waste of our time and our tax dollars.

Scott called her after she had left asking her for her supervisor's contact information. She immediately got defensive saying things like, "it didn't seem like you wanted me there" and "you're trying to get me in trouble". Scott wanted to find out why they had to come to our home for an unfounded complaint made at a different home. He also wanted to let them know about being made to wait.

Scott finally got the number and spoke to her supervisor. She explained that it is actually part of their code to follow up at the child's primary residence as well. It was just to merely see if they were living in hospitable conditions (meaning the place isn't trashed and filthy and unsafe). The social worker should have let us know she was running late. And Scott did let her know of her attitude on the phone when he asked for her supervisor's number.

I am glad that all turned out well. I am not happy, though, that the situation ever happened.

A Mother's Day Tribute

Let me tell you about a mother.

My mother.

This will be the third Mother's Day without her.

The first Mother's Day missed with her granddaughter.

My mother, just like everyone else in the world, was not perfect. But she was my mother. And I miss her.

A little over three years ago, she passed away. My son was only about two months old. My baby sister was just a few weeks old.

I cherish the moments I had with her - the good and the bad ones. I cherish the fact that I got to spend almost twenty-three years of my life with her.

I am sadden by the fact that my sister only got to spend the first three weeks of her life with my mother. I am sadden that my sister won't get to have moments just as I had. I could picture her doing all these things with her (hoping to do them better with her than with my brother and I - even though I believe she did the best job she could). She would be braiding her hair. Putting her in countless number of dresses and taking as many pictures as she could. She would be singing and dancing with her. My sister would be missing out on some of the important moments that mother and daughter share.

I am also sadden by the fact that my children are without their "Lola". They won't ever hear her infectious laughter. They won't ever get to listen to her sweet lullabies. They won't ever get to be smothered by her hugs and kisses.

I am happy that she got to enjoy being a grandmother, even for just a short amount of time. I am happy that she got to at least see my sister before passing away. I am happy to have had her for my mom.


Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there!

My mother with Tristan (he was under a month old in this picture)
Me and my baby sister - she was about seven to eight months old here.My baby sister at her third birthday

26 years ago

I came into this crazy world. Yes, today is my birthday. Nothing thrilling. I don't dread it, yet I don't get all excited.

Tristan had a weekend of screaming every time he tried to go number 2, so instead of going to school he stayed with us. We took him to the doctor's and he was prescribed a laxative. Yay. Since we were on that end of town, we met up with my dad for lunch at Red Robin. Of course, I was subjected to the usual ritual of complete strangers singing an off rendition of happy birthday while I attempted to avoid stares from other patrons.

Other than lunch, not much else to report. My mother-in-law got me a really cool gift that I opened last weekend. A tote for my sewing machine (kind of like a suitcase on wheels but for a sewing machine) and a tackle organizer tote (I like to put notions in those lure and bait cases). Scott didn't get anything for me (except roses two days ago) because I spent my birthday money on a personal trainer almost two months ago (well worth it, I think).

Anyway, that's about it. Nothing special, just another day. Oh, and I got to take a nap in the middle of the day (peaceful, bliss - since both kids napped at the same time).

I'm still here...kind of...

Okay, so I haven't posted in a while. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I've just been pretty busy since starting work. I went to work, then Christmas, then more work, then New Year's. The time flew by quickly.

Well, I don't have much time now. I'm extremely tired and just decided to put up some pics and fix my blog so that I'm not stuck in winter wonderland forever.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's. Hopefully, sometime this week, I can post about ours. In the meantime, I'll just keep posting pics and such of the kiddos.

Yay! A banner!

So, I haven't posted in a few days because I've been working on my banner. I've been almost obsessing over it. I got new "Photoshop"-like software that I had to learn how to use. I've never used Photoshop, nor any other program like it. The closest I've come to using photo-editing software (besides Paint) is Microsoft Publisher. However, Publisher has nothing compared to these programs.

Anyway, I've been spending what time I have to myself (and while feeding the baby), learning about this program. Layers, Vectors, and all sorts of tools. At first, it was difficult to figure out what everything did, how to manipulate different layers, and get everything the way I wanted it to be. Once I got the hang of things, it was smooth sailing (except for when my pc locked and I had to restart the whole thing).

Well, now that I have a banner that goes with my new title, I can now go back to blogging. :P
Not like much has been going on. Melayna takes up most of my time with feeding. Tristan is being a pain in the butt - his behavior has gotten much, much worse (Terrible two's anyone?). Tomorrow is clean up and catch up day for me and Scott. He's got Friday's and Saturday's off, but this Saturday he's going to be at a friends house most of the day. So, tomorrow - no games, no WoW (that's World of Warcraft for you non-gamers), no goofing off (except with Tristan), and so on. Just clean-up, laundry, organizing, and sorting what we don't need. Maybe we'll break out the rug cleaner. As much as it is drag to have to clean, I'm looking forward to it. I feel like I'm living in a pig pen (just kidding - it isn't that bad in here - just disorganized and in need of some tidying).

Well, I hope you like my banner. I put lots and lots of work into it. Least to say, I'm very proud of my work. My friend, who is my website expert (she rocks at HTML) helped me with figuring out the photo editing program and making the site look a bit more organized (my new banner messed things up a bit). So, Dani, thanks a bunch! I couldn't have done this without you! She keeps joking with me that I should start my own craft store. Apparently she thinks I have talent with making cards and other little crafty goods. I just always had fun with it. It may be an idea to ponder. In the meantime, I'll just keep having fun with whatever I do. :)

Title change...

Okay, so I change my blog title once again. Sorry for the confusion, but it is hard to find a good title and stick with it. Anyway, let me explain my title...

Part one: Butterfly Kisses. Have you ever heard the song before? It is by Bob Carlisle. I put it on my player in the sidebar if you'd like to listen to it. It is a sweet song about a daddy and how lucky he is to have his little girl. The song captures the essence of having a daughter and how absolutely wonderful it is. While my daughter has been around for only two weeks (I can't believe it), she has been absolutely amazing. I can only imagine the joy she will continue to bring us and the day she gives us our "butterfly kisses". (I have the lyrics typed out below, in case you were interested). By the way, I cry when I listen to the song, so if you cry easily - you have been forewarned. It mostly makes me think of me and my dad, and how lucky I am to have him. I hope that this little girl and her daddy have the same love for each other as she grows up.

Part two: Elephant Parades. Now that I have something to describe our daughter in the title, I needed something perfect for Tristan. When I think of Tristan and what he loves, the first thought that comes to mind is elephants. My boy has an obsession over these pachyderms. He has a bunch of elephant figurines and stuffed animals. His favorite shows/movies: Dumbo, Jungle Book (favorite part is the marching elephants), Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (Mama Mirabelle just happens to be an elephant). Whenever we play with Play-Doh or draw on his Magnadoodle, he always asks us to make him an elephant. And recently, he's been able to recreate elephants in both mediums. But why "Elephant Parades"? Tristan will take out his animals, including his elephants, and line them up along the floor like a train or parade. He always leads the "parade" with his elephants. I know it sounds funny, but I think it captures him well. I know that someday he'll move on to something new, but we'll always remember his obsession over these animals.

So there you have it! Now I am working on a new picture for my title bar. I'm getting used to a new photo editing program, so I'm not sure when I'll be finished with it. I may require assistance from my friend who knows this program much better than I do.

As mentioned earlier, here are the lyrics to Butterfly Kisses, Bob Carlisle:

There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven and she's Daddy's little girl
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life
Oh, but most of all for..

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
"Walk beside the pony Daddy, it's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny Daddy but I sure tried"
Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every morning and butterfly kisses at night

Sweet sixteen today
And she's lookin' like her mamma a little more every day
One part woman, the other part girl
To perfume and make-up, from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world
But I remember...

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
You know how much I love you Daddy
But if you don't mind I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time
Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right
To deserve her love every morning and butterfly kisses at night

Oh the precious times
Oh, like the wind the years go by
Precious butterfly
Spread your wings and fly

She'll change her name today
and she'll make a promise and I'll give her away
Standing in the bride room just staring at her
She asked me what I'm thinking and I said "I'm not sure,
I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl"
And she leaned over...and gave me...

Butterfly kisses with her mamma there
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
"Walk me down the aisle Daddy, it's just about time
Does my wedding gown look pretty Daddy? Daddy don't cry"
Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right
To deserve her love every morning and butterfly kisses

I couldn't ask God for more
Man, this is what love is
I know I've gotta let her go, but I'll always remember
Every hug in the morning and butterfly kisses at night

A new way of talking...

.

...in front of groups.

Today I had an interesting experience. One that I've been looking forward to (and somewhat dreading) for a while. At my work, personal, educational, and professional growth is a plus - and pretty much a requirement if you want to be promoted. Recently, a few of our managers have shown interest in a public speaking group called Toastmasters. After getting authorization, they set out to create a new chapter of Toastmasters, primarily for those who are employees where I work, but not limited to it. An email introducing the concept and inviting employees to a kick-off meeting was sent in early February. I happily replied.

Okay, so what is Toastmasters? While I don't know all the details, it is a group aimed at gathering individuals who like to become better at (and possibly overcome the fear of) public speaking. The group is very organized with officers like the "ah" counter and grammar official.

Today was our first meeting - our kick-off event. Today, I became a charter member - well, I still have to turn in my information sheet (we ran out of time). The meetings are structured, there is an aim to learn and improve, and its an all out good time.

While completely nervous, I went out on a limb to volunteer to do an impromptu speech. I had two minutes to talk about passion. So, what did I ramble on about for 1 minute 55 seconds according to the person timing our speeches? Blogs! I said that it is a new passion of mine. I should have said sharing my experiences and life with others using the internet. This is more truthful, since I only just started this blog but I've been on other sites like Friendster, Flickr, Windows Live Spaces, Yahoo! 360, LiveJournal, YouTube, and so on. I love this internet craze to reach out to people you don't know and somehow connect. I love reading others' experiences. I love seeing how much talent (whether useful or not) is out there. It is amazing how much the people in this world open up their hearts and souls for others to read, watch, hear, and experience. Immersing myself in this culture, while slow, has been awesome. I can share my little, almost mundane experiences with my cousins and other family halfway around the world. They can see pictures of my son growing up and I can see pictures of them. The internet has giving us a less expensive means of communicating and reaching out to one another - despite being half a world away. Wow, I wish I said that in my speech - too bad it was only two minutes and impromptu. Anyway, enough about blogging. If you're reading this you are either one of the very privileged (or should I say, cursed?) people I've shared this with or you've accidently stumbled upon it while searching around for interesting blogs to read. And if you are the latter, reading about the art of blogging and how wonderful it is will undoubtedly lead you astray to the next uninteresting blog you may stumble upon. For those of you with whom I've shared this blog with, it may just be one entry you could do without. Either way, you've gotten to this point and made your decision - either keep reading or wish you never laid eyes upon this site.

Well, I forgot to use the word plethora in my speech. Apparently, the grammar checker person does more than check your grammar usage in your speech. And if she were reading this, she might have a thing or two to say. The grammar checker (I cannot remember the official title of this role) also comes up with the word of the day. Today's word: plethora. It means abundant, plentiful, many. If possible, it is wise to use this word. It isn't a requirement, but using it always gets you extra brownie points. The "ah" checker will count (and click out loud using a pet training clicker) every time you have a pointless "ah", "um", "and", "so", etc. Apparently, I did very well. I was the closest within the prescribed time limit. But as far as interestingness and structure go, I wasn't quite up there.

Our most notable speech was given by our only speaker (the impromptu speeches don't count). He did an icebreaker speech. It is a three to five minute speech introducing yourself to the audience. Our speaker was amazing. He turned his fairly average, unexciting life into something the whole audience became immersed in. His sense of humor gave his speech pizazz. He knew how to make his audience laugh and give them time to let laugh it out. He had structure and he had the ability to capture his audience. It was absolutely phenomenal.

At the meeting's conclusion, I myself concluded that continuing this journey of public speaking would be a great one. I can learn much about myself, as well as others within the group. We can better ourselves and help each other to become better. I like the idea of growing and learning. This experience will be enriching and I cannot wait until next time.

For more information on Toastmasters, please visit: www.toastmasters.org.

To be continued...