My World... Through My Eyes

Photographing Kids

2008-07-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Photographing kids is definitely the hardest thing ever but I think I have mastered it. How you ask? Well let them be them! I hardly ever pose my kids anymore. Let's face it their attention span is not too great and you get the cheesiest smiles ever. That in my book is not how I want my pictures. So most of my pictures are of my kids being themselves. They are so used to me and my camera that they don't even realize it's there half the time. They continue doing what they are doing... and in turn I get the best candid pictures. Sure it may take a while to get the perfect shot but it's less stressful than me trying to get them to sit still or look at the camera. And the end result, is a photograph of a smiling child or a sad child... full of emotion and personality.

The other day I was walking down the street to our mailbox... literally 10 houses down and the kids came with me. I had my camera and took pictures. They were so happy to be able to walk with me to pick up the mail. Some of my favorite pictures resulted because of this and all are un-posed except the first one.

Excited to be able to join me on my little walk

On the way Diego decided that he wanted to try and carry Alayna on his back. It didn't last long but I caught this one as soon as he turned around.

Here he is trying to help her touch the top of the mailbox... I think they're both too short for that still but it was cute to see them try!

Walking back home... He seriously holds her hand everywhere we go. He freaks out if he doesn't have her in his reach.

I like this picture... they ran ahead of me... and knowing that they can't be too far from me they stopped to wait for me to catch up. I was actually further away but with the great zoom... I looked like I was right in on the action.

Silly Boy!

This was funny. I am all about different levels in my pictures. So I was trying to get a picture of the tree from the ground view and both kids came and squatted down looking into my camera. They seriously couldn't figure out what I was doing. Hence the look on Diego's face... he was so confused. Priceless!

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Later on that Night Jr took us to Westgate to have dinner and walk around. It was a beautiful night. It was really alive since it was a Friday and all.

The fountains at Westgate

Arielle and I

The water dances to music like the Bellagio fountains in Vegas.

My husband enjoying the nice evening

Rainy Days and Sundays

2008-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Have I told you how much I LOVE taking pictures around water? I probably have many many times since this blog was born... or you've probably heard me say it a few dozen times if you know me personally.

Sorry, I can't help it... I do.

Water can give a picture really cool effects. The texture of running water from a faucet or waterfall can look amazing. Or how about the shiny-ness it gives to surfaces. Reflections on water, or the amazing clarity of droplets of water being splashed. The possibilities are endless.

So after Alayna's birthday party it started to storm. Not a little storm... but a full on thunderstorm complete with hail! And of course as soon as the rain died down a little... I couldn't resist making my cousins join me for some pictures in the rain.

So I took my little Sony digital camera because I wasn't gonna risk the new one getting wet... although I bet I would have gotten some awesome pictures. (I need to buy an Umbrella... I'm not sure us Arizonians even know what one looks like) Anywho... We had fun and got soaked in the process. Fun times!

Here they are:

Reason #1 why I love water... Reflections

Reason #2... It makes everything GREEN!

I love the wet look...

Reason #3... It's fun to play in!

Reason #4... Details of little droplets

Silly Little Jess

Reason #5... Beautiful Sunsets

The grass behind our house... all flooded

Reason #6... Mud!

Diego kicked water all over Jessica

Don't worry she got him back...

And as he ran from her... karma came back to get him and he slipped in the puddle

Looking for his chanclas floating away...

So that was that. The only thing that I also love about water pictures that we didn't get to see was... a rainbow! Too bad. It was getting too late. Maybe next time we'll get a storm during the day so we can see one.

Girls Photoshoot Continued

2008-07-19T16:40:00.001-07:00

Ok so I decided just to go ahead and post the rest of the pictures because I have way more to share from different things. So we'll keep with the same theme for today... and change tomorrow.

Here they are... enjoy!

My youngest baby Arielle and her soon0to0be Godmother Rebecca

Haha... she got the hair!

And for once I am on the other side of the camera.

I know it's blurry but I love it so much... I'll fix it somehow... maybe turn it into a sketch or something...

Testing out the scooter Alayna got for her birthday... he has one too don't worry. He doesn't always ride Princess toys.

Girls Photoshoot

2008-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

While my cousins were in town from California this past week, I had to keep them entertained, and Jessica brought up the idea of a photoshoot. I never say no to a chance to use my camera... so of course I was up for it. I haven't really done a photoshoot in a while... mostly just take pictures of whatever the heck we're doing...

So it was good to get creative again with posing. I got quite a few pictures but we didn't last long out in the Arizona heat! LOL. Seriously 2 minutes in and we were melting. So we kept it short and sweet and I was actually pleased with the results.

So here's part 1 of the shoot: (I'll post part 2 either later on tonight or tomorrow.)

The Beautiful Miss Jessica

Sisterly Love

One of my favorites from the whole session

Even I joined in on the fun for a bit!

Best Cousins! Rebecca and Me!

Me and Little Jess

A Natural Beauty

Wearing a tutu I made...

We LOVE Hannah Montana!

A Birthday Princess

2008-07-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

I took my creativity to a new level and made this dress for my daughter's birthday party. I was (and still am actually) very proud of myself! No one believed that I had actually made it! And it looked ADORABLE on her!

I have been asked to maybe start making them and selling them. So I am developing a website for kids parties (and other stuff as well). I want to make custom invites and favors and stuff like that. So maybe I will get a little bit of business off of that so I can stay busy for a while. I already have a few orders in the works and some parties that I am working on. And I think I will add these dresses on there too!

My First Princess Dress

I love the back... tied in a sweet bow.

Alayna's Birthday Party

2008-07-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

My Princess Alayna Danae will be 3 tomorrow! Wow does time fly by or what?! So I threw her a magical Princess birthday party on Sunday. It was a WHOLE lot of fun to put together and a lot of work since I made everything myself. But way worth it to see her face in the morning when she woke up and saw our house turned into a princess palace! After all she is THE PRINCESS and I couldn't disappoint her.

These are the wands that I made... which also served as centerpieces when grouped together in their vases.

I made these tins to go into the goodie bags and filled them with all sorts of favors. They were a hit!

A close-up... you can't really tell but thery were all glittery too.

The goodie bags ready to be filled up

The princess table!

Making her grand appearance

If the crown fits...

And the royal guests start to arrive...

Kaylee, Cassidy, Alayna, and Arielle

Precious Little Madison

Alayna, Cassidy, Emma, and Arianna

She got to open one of the gifts from her Ninos early...

And made a costume change mid-party.

Princesses can't wear the same outfit for too long.

The cupcake table!

Especially made just for a Princess!

Happy Birthday to you!

Making a wish and blowing out the candles!

Then it was present time and everyone gathered around

She got TONS of princess stuff... including a Princess scooter which arrived really late.

And a thankful princess handed out her goodie bags to all her lovely guests.

Then everyone decided it was so hot and that swimming would be a great activity!

So here's the Princess with her baby sister... both sporting brand new Ariel bathing suits.

But it quickly got gloomy...

And it forced everyone out of the pool.

And then it stormed outside for a good hour or more. Heavy rain and lots of water! And we even got a 5-10 minute marble sized hail storm! It was CRAZY!

BBQ at Tiffany's House

2008-07-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

So Sunday I was invited to my friend Tiffany's house for a little BBQ and some swimming. The kids of course were all over that idea. After using my new phone that has a GPS on it... I call her Beverly... so we don't get confused... I got there a little late.

See what had happened was... I can input the address of where I want to go and it picks up the location I am at and will tell me how to get there... direction for direction, turn for turn, and street by street. If you know me... you know I have to have EXACT directions on how to get somewhere. I ask Jr for directions to everywhere I go and he has to give me directions without getting on the freeways. I am afraid to drive on the freeway. The 101 N is a piece of cake... but the 10 is a little crazy... although if needed I would get on it. But the I-17 I WILL NOT drive on alone. I have traumatic memories from when I was pregnant with Diego and my mom used to take me to work with her in my 9th month. And EVERY morning we'd get almost killed... or so I say. But really it was bad.

Anywho I am off-track again.

So I input the address and off I go. Beverly telling me where I needed to go. So I am almost getting to her community and Beverly says... "Turn Left on West Crowne King Rd and then turn right"... so I turn left and proceed to make a quick right. Then Beverly says... "Go .4 miles and then turn right on INSERT NAME OF STREET HERE (cuz I don't really remember)" So I do as I am told... and all the while I am noticing that there are hardly any houses up yet. Very few... and some being built still. So I keep driving. And again I hear Beverly... "You are now off track" ... WHAT?! NO! So I start to pull over to the side. And she says, "Location not found" Nooooooo! You can't do this to me Beverly I yell!(Meanwhile Diego is worried in the backseat at his Mother yelling at her cell phone... you know he's only 5... he doesn't quite understand." Well luckily my new phone also gets my emails and Tiff had emailed me the directions to her house anyway but it was too much to read while trying to drive... so as I was about to close out Beverly and open up my email... she says, "Location Found. You are back on track. GPS signal was low. Turn left on Riverside Ave. and the location is on your Left." PHEW!!! So I got there! All in one piece.

It was quite the adventure though.

Here are some pics:

The Hostess with the Mostess!

Arielle and I getting ready to swim

Tired after a long swim in the HOT sun!

Diego and Alayna

Diego is such a GREAT big brother and is ALWAYS taking care of his little sisters. Here he is with Miss Arielle... the little Mermaid.

Tiffany had the cutest little decorations and signs in her backyard... and the brand new pool was so pretty!

Ahhh so refreshing!

My Crazy Alayna

These adorable pinwheels were lining the lawn area of her yard.

Before we left... Alayna took this picture of Tiff and her doggie Bruiser!

Thanks Tiff! The food was awesome. Those Kabobs were so freaking good. And the cookies were definately heaven! We had a great time.

Some 4th of July Pics

2008-07-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well I can't find the cord to download the pictures from my Sony Digital Camera... so therefore I only have about 12 pictures on the Panasonic camera. Until I can find the cord or download my pics somehow... here's a bit of what I have.

Ducky, Alayna, and Diego all ready to go swimming at my Brother's House

He thinks he's cool

My Girls Swimming

The Melo Grandkids: Tallynna, Arielle, Diego, Alayna, Ducky, Brianna, Juanito

Diego and Alayna waiting for fireworks.

Unfortunately due to wind the fireworks show was cancelled. We didn't get to see any! Boo! Maybe next year!

Cuz I had a bad day...

2008-07-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was having a terrible day. I wasn't feeling good. I was tired. And on top of that I learned just how mean people can be and how even though they know NOTHING about you... they can try to make you feel worse about yourself or your situation. I don't care to go into details. Jr and I discussed it and I am over it. (He's an awesome listener sometimes.) And when I am feeling sad or mad or frustrated he ALWAYS says, "Hey... SMILE ey?"

So in the afternoon I am still feeling kinda mad... and I decide that I am hungry and I am gonna make me a plate of nachos. And while my mind is racing a million miles a minute... I can hear Jr in my head saying... "Smile ey!" So I laugh to myself and finish preparing my food. And low and behold what do I have staring at me from the middle of my plate?

A SMILE!

Sure made me feel better... Someone must have thought I needed it! God works in mysterious ways. And apparently I wasn't looking hard enough.

Arianna's Baptism

2008-06-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Junior and I got to baptize my best friend's daughter Arianna. I speak for both of us when I say we were extremely honored to be picked. We both LOVE Arianna to death and look at her as if she is one of our own children. Jazmine is my best friend and also the Godmother of my son Diego, so I was so happy that she chose me to be Arianna's Nina.

So it was a very great day. She was the ONLY baby being baptized yesterday. Usually they do up to 20 babies and sometimes more but this month only one baby was signed up so we got a very personal and intimate ceremony . It was actually really nice!

Also it was cool because she was baptized in the church where I had my quinceañera 8 years ago! The church looks totally different because back then the alter was a stage that had a cross hanging over it and that was about it. There was a podium and a chair... but nothing else. Now it's really very beautiful!

So here are some of my favorites... unedited:

It was WAY too hot to dress her beforehand so we waited until we got to church to dress her.

There's the beautiful dress we bought her!

Nino, Arianna, and Nina

Jr stealing a moment with Arielle before we started.

Hanging around

4 Generations

Me and my Goddaughter

Arianna being blessed by the Deacon

We are now officially proud Godparents

Jazmine, Junior, Arianna, Me, and Andrew

The Parents

Me and Arielle

She's such a goober now!

My Family

Update and Father's Day Pics

2008-06-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

I have a new layout! Yipee! I was getting tired of just the black. I worked on it all day yesterday. I still have more to add but for now this makes me happy. And I switched from a 2 column to a three column and that took some work. Now if I could figure out how to get the ugly border off from around my title I would be even happier... I am working on it though...

So I've been really busy lately... hence the lack of posts. First, I baptize my Goddaughter tomorrow so I've been busy with that all week. I should go back to my regular blogging after tomorrow. Second, all of our computers in this house or messed up in one way or another (still). My laptop won't turn on AT ALL. My Dad's will turn on but won't connect to the internet AT ALL. And the family computer will connect to the internet... but none of the icons are showing up or the bar on the bottom where the start button is. So we cannot access any folders or programs unless I plug in my external memory and open it up using the internet. Very frustrating... thus making it harder for me to access any pictures or anything to post.

Also I am planning Alayna's Birthday party and DIYing mostly everything... so that's keeping my busy too... in between running around and taking care of the kids.

But I promise I'll get back to normal because I have a lot of pictures to share.

Speaking of Pictures... I do have these from Father's Day to share. They aren't edited so because I have a new camera to play with and haven't quite gotten around to figuring out all the setting... they are a little overexposed it looks like. But anywho... here they are:

Arielle's First Time in the Pool
And surprisingly... she LOVED it... not one cry.
Daddy loves his baby girl
Mama's Boy - Juanito and Jen
Tallynna, Diego, and Brianna
My precious nephew Juanito
My brother who adores his niece Arielle
The kids were put into time out for not following pool rules. And Juan thought he'd punish them more by splashing them. Meanie!

Jr and the Little Mermaid
What are they all planning over there... they look to mischievious!
So tired after a long day...
Me and my Princess Alayna (Picture taken by Brianna)
Diego Ray Lightning McQueen

SYTYCD Top 18

2008-06-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Ok tonight was kinda ok for me. It wasn't as exciting like last week where I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. And this week I found myself wanting to doze off.

So here's the order in which I liked the dances:

1.) Courtney & Gev
This dance was so pretty it gave me chills. Maybe Courtney was a little more aggressive than Gev... but I really liked it. It was raw.

2.) Kaytee & Joshua
Again.. they are awesome! The only reason it's not at number one is because although it was great at fast and right on... I just like the emotion in the contemporary routine.

3.) Chelsi & Mark
The are oddly perfect! I really enjoy watching them... they are consistent.

4.) Kherington & Twitch
I really liked the performance! It was pretty and Twitch is just impressing the heck out of me! Wow he was good. I knew he would have potential. Beautiful dance.

5.) Chelsea & Thayne
I didn't get the dance at all. It was ok I guess but nothing impressive. They did the routine and will get by. Both are great dancers.

6.) Kourtni & Matt
As much as I like Kourtni, she seems to be struggling! And Matt is still an awkward dancer to me.

7.) Comfort & Chris
Both of them needed to put forth more effort. I was disappointed that Comfort didn't rock it!

8.) Jessica & Will
Will is very good. But Jessica just bugs me now... I don't really care for her or her routines. She drags will down definately though.

9.) Susie & Marquis
They suck... enough said. Marquis is a very good technical dancer but neither of them are good enough.

So you see who I think should be bottom 3 couples... but as for who should go?
That's hard... it's a toss up.

Girl: Susie
Guy: Marquis but I wouldn't be sad if Chris left.

What about you?

RIP Little Buddy

2008-06-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

I didn't want to add this to my previous post only because it was a little off topic but it's still part of the awful Friday the 13th that I had.

I get a phone call from my cousin Rebecca in California last night. Her pet guinea pig Henry died. She's had him for a few years and has always been attached to him. I've never seen someone love their pet as much as Rebecca loved Henry. She goes on to tell me that they thought he was depressed because he wasn't acting like himself... and so they took him to the vet. Turns out Henry was actually a she... and that she had developed a tumor that spread and wouldn't be making it through.

She was crying. And after the night I had I could totally feel for her. I am so sorry this had to happen.

So Becca... if you're reading... I am sorry about Henry. We all loved him. The way he squeaked every time you came around... the way he squeaked when he heard the fridge open up, and how good of a pet he was. And cute too by the way.

And Henry... I hope you have a plethora of lettuce up there in guinea pig heaven!

Friday the 13th is Awful

2008-06-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

So I wake up yesterday morning and I realize it's Friday the 13th. Wow. Cool. I hadn't even noticed it before then. So I get ready to start my day. I feed and bathe all three kids, myself, and make sure my husband gets ready for work and are out of the house by 10am. It was gonna be a good day since I had a play date at my friend Lindsay's house with some girls from our playgroup... or so I thought...

I get to Lindsay's house at 11:00, right on time, and I am the first one there. Cool. I am never early anywhere I go! So the kids are playing and having a good time and us mom's are sitting around talking. I get a phone call from my mother in law and it goes a little something like this...

Me: Hello
MIL: Hey how are you doing is everything fine? (Sounding kinda anxious and worried)
Me: Yes everything is ok... (sounding kinda confused by her tone) Why?

Then I tell myself... I am on the phone with my Mother in Law... she's a strange creature. Her and I don't get along much anymore (we used to up until a year ago when I got married) and she never calls me... So we continue...

MIL: Is Jr at work?
Me: Yes I dropped him off a couple of hours ago... why?
MIL: Where are you at?
Me: I came to my friend Lindsay's house for a play date with a group of moms and all of our kids. WHY?

Can you sense that I am still not fully understanding why I am even on the phone with this lady?!

MIL: And the kids? How are they?
Me: They're fine. They're playing. And they've been good.
MIL: Oh ok... well God bless you guys and I love you.

Ok totally weird.

So I am left with a weird feeling after talking to her. Her and I don't have the best relationship. Long Story. But it stems back from the fact that she can't stand me, or my mom, and although she pretends to... she can't stand my sister either. My sister and I are both married to her two youngest sons (which drives her crazy that we "took" them from her (as she puts it) and we all used to live here at MY mom's house. Although my sister and her husband are now in their own house, Jr and I are still here at my mom's. And nothing drives her more crazy than to see her son depending and putting his trust into any other female... whether it be me (his wife) or my mom (his mother in law).

It's no secret that we've had our share of problems with money and what not. Most are from bad choices we made when we were younger... but a lot of it is just pure bad luck. Because no matter how hard we try to fix our situation... as soon as something starts to look up for us... we're quickly reminded how much our life can suck.

So she does everything in her power to kick us when we're down. And she hates the fact the my parents are the complete opposite and no matter what problems we face they help us out. She HATES it! But come on... I am not begging for support here... we truly have had a hard time. I personally thank God everyday for my parents. They love me and my family... and without them I certainly don't know what we'd do. I don't like to seem like I hate her... because in reality I don't. She's a nice and sweet person some of the time... but pretty much ever since I have known her she makes Jr feel like he's a screw up... like he's not good enough... and like he's not worthy of her love. (This all from his own mouth... and also from the confirmation of seeing it happen first hand.)

So back to my story. So since we only have one car... I dropped Jr off at work in the morning and drove to Lindsay's house. I left her house a little before 4pm and Jr didn't get out of work until 7pm. So to kill time I decide to go to my BFF Jazmine's house so that I wouldn't have to drive all the way back home before going to pick him back up. It was a hot day and gas is $4 a gallon! So I hang there for a while and then leave again to pick up my husband and get home after a long day. As I am turning into the parking lot the car makes a funny noise and sounds like the engine had stopped but the car was still on. I thought maybe it was because the AC was on full blast. So I quickly shut off the AC completely... we were already there after all. And continue to accelerate a little and the car goes back to sounding normal. It freaks me out a little bit especially since I have my 3 kids in the backseat. So I see a parking spot right in the front and quickly pull in and park. When I am parking the car slightly jolts like if I had pressed on the breaks but I hadn't. So I park it... shut off the car quickly and text Jr that I am outside.

He comes out not even 5 minutes later and I tell him that his car just started making funny noises as I was turning into the parking lot. He turns the car on to see what what I am talking about (of course laughing at me because I know nothing about cars and can only describe things by showing him visuals and adding sound effects)... he sees that something is definitely wrong and turns off the car... all the while repeating a profanity over and over. I remind him that the kids are awake in the backseat and the slight overuse of the "F" word is not a good idea. He lifts the hood and says, the car overheated and it sound like you blew the engine or the gaskets. I stand there semi confused because he's speaking in a foreign language and staring at him to see if he by chance would translate what he just said into terms that maybe I could understand. Well he doesn't and I watch him unscrewing this cap that he says is to the part that holds the water... and after a few minutes of trying to get it unscrewed the cap blows off shooting some green-tinged water all over the place like Old Faithful. Luckily I had already been standing far enough back that nothing happened to me... but my husband was splashed with this hot, icky water. After completely scaring the living daylights outta me and making me scream... I run to get my kids out of the car for fear that it may just explode... not likely of it happening but hey... that's what I thought.

So we call my mom to come get us since she was just getting off of work and worked near there. We sit and wait for her (outside of the car) and I see Jr's mind racing a mile a minute. That's how he gets when something happens. He stresses about and it and it's all he can think about. So I of course start feeling really bad. He sees my face and asks what's wrong. I ask him, "Are you mad that I broke your car? I didn't mean it. I don't know what to do if a car overheats... and if you don't want me driving it anymore I understand. It's probably gonna cost a lot to fix it huh?" And he says to me, "Don't worry it's not your fault. I didn't check it to make sure it was running good enough for you to drive it. It's gonna cost us a lot but we'll figure it out." Of course I feel so sad because Jr does everything he can to make sure me and his kids are always taken care of and happy and it hurts me to see the disappointment in his face. Not towards me, but towards that fact that he struggles so much, after all he just started working 3 weeks ago (after more than 6 months of not having a steady job, moving to Tucson and then having to move back, etc)... and things can't just be good... they only get worse.

My mom finally arrives, it didn't take her very long, and we decide that the kids and I will go home with her and Jr will attempt to drive the car to his mom's house to see if we could keep in there for 2 days until Jr could figure out what we need to do to fix it.

After we get home I call him to make sure he made it to his mom's ok. He sounds upset.

He tells me that his mom picks a fight with him and tells him that his car is broken because of his own fault. That he never does anything right... that he sucks at life... and no she isn't gonna let him keep the car there... and she's not helping him with anything so not to even ask. He tells her that he doesn't want her help with fixing the car but that all he wants was to keep the car there until tomorrow (his day off) when he could go back and try to fix it. She then goes on to say that maybe if his wife (meaning me of course) wasn't such a horrible mother it would have never happened. (What that meant or had anything to do with the car is beyond me but she likes to start drama... it's her nature) This makes him furious that he drags me into the conversation (because he knows how many times she's talked bad about me to my face and I stood there and took it out of respect for her being his mother) and he asks why she's saying that. She said that I am a bad mother because when she called me earlier in the day I was at my friend's house... and that I shouldn't be focused on taking the kids over to other people's houses and be more focused on making sure the kids are going to their Dr. appointments. What this meant... again... beyond me. My kids all go to their doctor regularly... they are all up to date on their shots. Diego has an appointment next month for his physical since he is starting kindergarten, Alayna has her yearly well-check in September, and Arielle is only 2 months but is current on her shots and is doing perfectly fine. So when I hear this I am outraged at the fact that she is being mean over something that doesn't even make sense. I am not a perfect mother but I do my best everyday to do what's right for my kids and for someone like her to say that I am unfit is ridiculous. She doesn't know what kind of parent I am when she only sees me like once a month. And my parenting skills or lack of, have nothing to do with the car overheating.

Jr gets home and my mom and I are waiting for him in the computer room. (yes he did drive the car all the way home like that) He immediately breaks down into tears. I have NEVER in the 4 years we've been together seen him cry. I didn't know what to do but throw my arms around him and tell him over and over that he doesn't need to focus or stress over negativity... and know that he has a wife and 3 kids who love him more than anything. Seeing those tears roll down his cheeks and onto his dirty muscle shirt brought tears to my eyes as well ( I am tearing up just thinking about it again)... but I contained my emotions because I didn't want him to feel even worse. I am not sure what my mom was feeling at the moment but she did tell him... "I may only be your mother-in-law but I love you too". That definitely brought tears to my eyes. That was an emotional moment for me because 4 years ago she couldn't even stand Jr. And now she's the only one who is there for Jr and I. (Along with my daddy of course).

So it was a tough night for us. We went to bed early. Well earlier than usual because 11pm is not early.

And now that I have had time to clear my head I sit here with pure frustration and anger that his mother could be so mean. I know that's how she is. She belittles all her children, plays favorites with them, and turns them against once another... and as if that wasn't bad enough... she disowns them at the drop of a hat. It makes me very sad that a woman can be like this to her own children. And makes it even worse when it starts to affect the one person who means the most to me (along with my children of course)... the person who has sacrificed so much to make me happy. I hold nothing against her but I don't think that I could ever look at her the same way again. Sure down the road he might forget all about this (he's got a good heart and always does) and decide to reconcile with his mother... but she's caused so much damage to him in his life (all from when he was growing up) that I can't see past this. She can hate me all she wants. She can think the worst things about me, and I can just brush it off because there always has been/and will continue to be people who don't like me. But how can she hate her own flesh and blood?

Goodbye Rayven and Jaime

2008-06-13T01:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a chance to gather my thoughts on elimination while watching the whole show again with my Daddy who was catching up from being in Mexico for 2 weeks. And I concluded that the women are definately the stronger dancers this season. None of the men jump out at me and say WOW! They're all good I am not gonna lie... but I am not swayed in any male's direction as of yet.

So I thought ok bottom three couples would be: Matt & Kourtni, Jaime & Rayven, and Marquis & Susie... yes I know Jessica & Will messed up royally... but they would be spared. Ok this was soooo not the case and Marquis & Susie were safe? This boggles my mind!!

My votes to leave were Rayven and Matt. Rayven is good but just doesn't have the IT factor for me... I think she's a great dancer, I just didn't really like her. And Matt... I'll say it again... he's awkward! There's just something funky about him. But of course he stays because he's the only one remotely tall enough to dance with Kourtni. I don't think Jaime should have been eliminated. This makes me sad. I really liked him and don't think they gave him enough credit.

So until next week...

SYTYCD Top 20

2008-06-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

OK so I am so happy to finally be able to start watching this show. I've kinda watched the auditions but not fully. Pieces here and there. But once the competition starts I have to watch. So I am kinda taking a page from my Daddy's Blog and doing a weekly SYTYCD post. I will post my opinions and critiques... which I wrote down before I even heard the judges because I don't want to be swayed by them.

These are my opinions on the show: In ranking order from most favorite to least favorite and NOT in order of appearance... (And excuse my overuse of Awesome, Cute, and anything along those lines because I will probably use it)

1. Katee & Joshua's Hip Hop -- HOLY CRAP!!!! Awesome. Ok guys, c'mon after 4 seasons of watching this show, I have to say this was the SINGLE BEST Hip-Hop routine ever. It actually moved me on an emotional and spiritual level. The choreography, the chemistry, the vulnerability, Wow. Katee was definitely the performer and Joshua complimented were the amazing technique. For me, this was perfection, and should rank on some of the best of the series. I was as stunned as Nigel. I completely loved the ending with the exchange of the shirt. Brilliant. Katee just left a sour taste in my mouth after the last show and when I heard they were doing Hip Hop I knew Joshua would do good since he's a popper... but Katee actually left me feeling pleasantly surprised.

2. Chelsie H & Mark's -- I love Mia Michaels. She creates such beautiful pieces and has proven to be awesome time and time again. This was beautiful. She blows me away. I love the balance between beautiful contemporary ballet and kinda quirky. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

3. Kherington and Twitch's Broadway -- Or should I say Twitchington? Both of them are really very good! I was rooting for Twitch since he just missed his chance last year. I thought he might have a hard time with Broadway but he did awesome. he was totally in character and rocked it. Kherington is just a natural. She's so cute. They totally remind me of Musa and Natalie from last year who I loved to death too! These two will go far.

4. Chelsea T. and Thayne's Cha-Cha -- It was HOT! Definitely Hot Tamale Train status! Thayne reminds me a lot of Benji! And Chelsea is absolutely stunning! Wow what a great body. The whole dance was great. Lots of energy. Since I have nothing to complain about then I will just say she does need to move her hips a little more for a cha cha. It wasn't enough hip action for me. But it was great!

5. Comfort and Chris's Jive -- Aside from far too much personality overriding technique, I felt this was actually a pretty good routine. It certainly showed Comfort was no "slouch" in the showmanship department. She surprised me because she is a hip hop dancer. Now while I think Chris is not a tree, and I do predict he'd be the boy most likely leaving the competition this week, he really has to bring it, because he is liable to be easily lost in the crowd.

6. Kourtni and Matt's Jazz -- I gotta say this was a little better than the judges said. The choreography was cool. I liked the routine itself. Matt is too gigantic to be up there doing the jive and maybe that's part of the problem. Kourtni is a way good dancer though! I think he kinda brought her down.

7. Rayven & Jaime's Hip Hop -- I have to give them credit for being the very first number of the whole entire season let alone the show. It was pretty good and I think Hip was right to start the show off with tons of energy. I don't have anything special to say about the dance in particular but I do have to give props to Jamie, which the judges didn't seem to at all. He popped, locked, and funked like the best of them. This guy has a lot of energy and is very versatile, and it's too bad the judges didn't see that. The routine itself wasn't that bad, it just wasn't particularly memorable.

8. Courtney and Gev's Disco -- I thought I was watching the same show as Nigel. While he and I agreed about the best routine of the night, I have to say I COMPLETELY disagree with him on this one, and I'm sure America will too. Disco is about personality and lifts. He focused too much on the details of the technique and less of what the couple actually brought. Those two have a great partnership, one of the few couplings whose personalities both shine, and I agree with Mary and Dan on this one. Nigel was WAAAYYYY too harsh. He did almost drop her more than once but the routine was fast and hard. Technically they are not all the way up to par... but it's the 1st week. Cut them a break!

9. Jessica and William's Tango -- Hmm, I greatly disagree with Mary on this one. How can she be saying that Jessica had major technical issues then proclaim them the couple to beat? Do not get that. It was hugely overrated. Yeah, Jessica is pretty good... and I like her a lot, but the character tonight and the technique were not right. YOU DO NOT SMILE GLEEFULLY IN A TANGO! William was good too, but he needs to show more personality I think. I think they could do SOOOO much better.

10. Marquis and Susie -- Its the waltz. Its boring. It was messed up. The only good part of the routine was that Susie actually demonstrated shes more than just a Shakira wannabe. I think she could improve some more. I give her points for effort though. Marquis, WHY WERE THE COMPLIMENTING HIM! I wanted to scream at the judges because he nearly stumbled on his pirouettes and was on the verge of dropping Susie in multiple lifts. Yet they praise him. Wow....just no. This routine gets my lowest score because of so many obvious mistakes that were made.

So that's it. All in all a great kick off show! It's very hard because I didn't completely dislike anyone.
My votes for who to leave?

Guy: Matt or Marquis
Girl: Rayven

Who are your favorites and not-so favorites?

Jenni's Baby Shower

2008-06-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to my friend Jenni's Baby Shower. It was thrown by her sister and she did an amazing job! From the decor, to the food, to the fun... it was a beautiful party. And Jenni got a butt load of gifts! Little Tristan has everything he needs and wants already!

Of course I took my camera... and I took a few pictures (because I was busy with Arielle), but unfortunately never noticed that I had it in the wrong setting. Boo! My pictures don't look so nice so I had to edit them a little and I am still not at all satisfied with them. It makes me sad. But here they are:

They had a jungle theme since little Tristan's room will have the same theme. I personally love it because it was the same theme I was planning on having if Arielle had been a boy.

Such and awesome diaper cake! I love it.

We got to leave advice for Jenni and it was put into this cute leopard box!

We mingled for a while and then it was time to start opening presents. She had sooo many that they were opened in intervals, in between games and such.

What a cute idea to set her up a nice place to open gifts. I do this at my kids parties but it never turns out right.

What did I get her? Among some clothes... I decided to make her a scrapbook. It took me over a week to put it altogether. All she has to do now is fill it with pictures of Tristan! I loved making it for her and I hope she enjoys it. Plus all of the knotties sent me advice and well wishes for her which I included in the book.

Then it was on to some games...

Lisa and Chelz smelling dirty diapers! Don't worry it was just chocolate...

Lindsay's turn
It's hard to tell what chocolate they are... so they had to discuss their opinions.

Jenni taking a hard look at the diaper. Get used to it... some weird things come out of babies... I know this.

Lisa

And Tiffany won! Yeah!

I was almost kid free. My mom took Diego and Alayna to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda and I just had to worry about Arielle. She did so good! And even napped for a while.

Mommy and Arielle

Then it was time for cupcakes!

They even matched the theme complete with zebra striped liners.

Here's Jenni and her sister who hosted the shower.

And here are the knotties!

I can't believe how much we've gone through girls... engagements, wedding, and now babies! This is our 2nd baby shower together. (The first was mine for Arielle) And we'll probably have many more soon!