Bristol and Cameron

Princess Pat

2010-06-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Cameron and his classmates sing the princess pat song at his preschool graduation!

God Of This City

2010-06-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Cameron strums his guitar and sings "God Of This City" (with a little of help!)

Cameron's Heart

2010-06-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love Cameron. This sweet boy's heart is so big. Sometimes He is the one teaching me things. On Saturday night we went to San Francisco with some friends and walked around the warf and pier 39. At the end of the night, we stopped at in-n-out along the warf for dinner. There was a homeless man outside sitting on the ground asking everyone who walked by for money or food. When we got inside in-n-out, Cameron said to me, "mom, maybe we should buy him a hamburger." I was taken aback by the love my child has. So we ordered 1 hamburger to go. When we got it, I asked Cameron if he wanted to give it to the man or if I should, sure enough my bold boy wanted to do it. So we walked outside, and handed it to him. The man said thank you and asked Cameron for his name. After his response, Cameron asked him for his and they exchanged dialogue. After a couple minutes of Cameron chatting with Richard, a different lady brought over another hamburger. Cameron smiled, look at Richard and said "You sure are going to enjoy those two hamburgers." Richard said "I am going to suck them up like a hoover vacuum" and Cameron said "thats weird!" It was precious. We ended up talking to Richard for a while and hearing about his story, his struggles, his addictions, and we prayed for him. Yup, you guessed it Cameron wanted to pray for him too. I am so grateful for Cameron and the love he has for others, without judging, or being scared.

Mexico Trip 2010

2010-03-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday 90 of us are heading South of the Border to Ensenada! I am so excited to get to go for my 2nd year as a leader. I'm sure this trip will be so different, but that is the most amazing part of it. Really seeking after what God wants out of it, and doing His will. Last year was such a blessing for me, and i built some amazing relationships with the hs students. I can't wait to do that again - grow in my current relationships and build new ones! Please pray for us while we are there. Thank you so much!

Cameron Plays The Piano

2010-03-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

Cameron plays a piano and makes up a silly song about playing with boys and girls. it's funny. atleast he is not pounding on the piano! ;)

Wadaliacha

2010-03-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

Cameron sings "wadaliacha"

Cameron's First Time Ice Skating

2010-02-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Katie and I took Cameron ice skating for the first time. He loves hockey, and ice skating, and since we did this, he asks me every day if we are going to go ice skating again! After two times around the rink with help, he was ready to venture off on his own! so talented! In this video he is doing his cute dance moves (of course, i'm egging him on!) I hope you find it as funny as I do! Sorry it's sideways. I don't know how to fix it!

Cameron's Pickle Song with Full Band

2010-02-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

Cameron sings the pickle song along with some other fruits and vegetables, while Micah, Charlie, and Lauren join in!

check out cameron's rock star moves!

Note of Encouragement

2010-02-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

I found this paper at work this week. It is from the fall retreat that I went on with all the Young Adults. Everyone had a piece of paper with their name on it, and people throughout the weekend could write words on the paper. It was such a blessing for me to find this and remember truth about who I am. I am a daughter of The King, and will always cling to His promise for me.

Cameron's Pirate Song

2010-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Cameron decided to make up a song about pirates. In the beginning of the song while singing, he burps so he starts singing excuse me. Then he wants everyone to clap there hands. Performer? I think so! I love him! The last 2 minutes are the best! :)

It's a New Year

2010-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been 2010 for a month and a half already, and I still haven't posted a blog. yes, I know. I have been WAY BEHIND. So, instead of trying to play catchup, I am just going to forget about everything I was going to post and start with this year. I promise to do my best at staying current. A lot of things have happened lately, Cameron turned 4 at the end of January. He is still making up songs, and making me laugh all the time. I'm so blessed. That's it for now - but I'll be blogging soon! :)

Cameron's Message to the Oakland Raiders

2009-11-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Cameron is a true 49er fan! He was making up his own songs in the car and here is his song to the Oakland Raiders. Don't miss this line, "raiders, like to play but they cant catch, their upset and have to go to the locker rooooooom." (sorry that the video is sideways!)

Labor Day Weekend in Yosemite

2009-10-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

For labor day weekend, Marilyn, Autumn, Katie, and myself went to Yosemite. It was beautiful. I had not been in 4 years! I forgot how refreshing it was to be out in nature. The Valley, the Mountains, all breathtaking. We jumped in water, did some hiking, lots of site seeing, lots of laughing, singing, AND BEST OF ALL - RELAXING! Such a blessing! Here are some pics of us girls!

Cameron leads Worship

2009-10-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Cameron leading worship a couple times over the summer.

Diving Board

2009-10-02T14:30:00.001-07:00

Cameron has never been a big fan of swimming. I had him in swim lessons for about 6 months when he was 1 1/2. Then for almost a year, from when he was 2 1/4-3. He was always scared of the water. Finally that changed and he liked the water, but he couldn't learn to swim in his classes. He was an amazing back floater though! ;) So, I took him out of classes for a break. Then in June, he was walking around a swimming pool, and tripped and fell in. We had to jump in to get him since he couldn't swim to the side. SO SCARY! Side note, he was crying, but not because of what happened, he was more upset that his clothes were wet! HAHA! After the incident though, he refused to get near water, it was even a battle for bathtimes. Well, in September, Cameron decided he was no longer scared, he wanted to go swimming, and he wanted to jump off the diving board at PCC! I thought I was hearing things. So, Katie and I took Cameron swimming, and sure enough, he jumped off the diving board without any hesitation! Since he can't swim, we waited under the board, and he jumped into our arms, then helped him swim to the side. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but I am so proud of my brave little man for choosing to push his fear aside and enjoy the water! That weekend, we went swimming 3 times!

Cameron's FIRST day of preschool

2009-10-02T13:39:00.001-07:00

On August 24, Cameron started his very first day of preschool. I was so nervous for him to start, it seemed like such a big step, but of course, I exagerate everything! Jenni, Katie, and my mom were all there to drop him off on his first day. Cameron's entourage. Haha. Since this is a late post, I can give an update about his school. He absolutely loves it. He is thriving. I bring home atleast 3 art projects a day! Cameron is really into art. He is able to write out his full name on his projects now too. Just yesterday he started singing me a song about all the months in a year. He is so smart! The school's focus is curriculum, and it is so obvious when he comes home with all these new concepts and ideas! On top of the school's curriculm they also have these programs for the kids.... everyother monday is music class, every other wednesday is palercize (which is a kids aerobics class), every other thursday they have cosmo jumps, every other friday they have one on one basketball class, and every other friday they have spanish class. AMAZING!

Zing Zang Zoom Circus 2009

2009-10-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me! This is something we did in August, but I have not posted. Shame on me! Katie, and I took Cameron to the Ringling Bros/Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was so fun! There were a lot of acrobats, singers, animals, crazy stuff. It was such a blast. And, before the show, they let you see all of the animals. They also had a bunch of activities on the floor of the venue, and you can walk around and meet all the clowns and participate. I'm so glad we took Cameron. He still talks about the circus!

A Dress

2009-09-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

I put on a sundress to wear this weekend. Cameron wasn't very happy about it.

Cam: "Mom, why are you wearing a dress?"
Me: "Because it's hot outside."
Cam: "You can't wear a dress. You're not going to a wedding, silly goose."
Me: "Well, you can wear dresses if even if you're not going to a wedding."
Cam: "But mom, I don't want you to look beautiful for anyone."

Hahaha, does that mean that only dresses make me beautiful!? I love Cameron!

Handy Manny

2009-09-01T14:15:00.001-07:00

This conversation between Cameron and I happened over the weekend:

Cam: "Mom, why do you have to drive so safe in the car?"
Me: "Because if I drive unsafe I might crash into another car, or another car might crash into us"
Cam: "What would happen if that happened? It would be so so terrible?"
Me: "Yes, it's very dangerous. And then we wouldn't have a car to drive."
Cam: "It would be broken? That's ok mom. We can just call handy manny and he'll come right on over to fix it!"

Oh the logic of 3 year olds! ;)

San Mateo County Fair 2009

2009-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Now that my crazy Cameron loves roller coasters, Katie and I thought it would only be appropriate for us to take him to the San Mateo County Fair! It was in town last weekend and Cameron sure did have a blast! He couldn't get enough of the rollercoasters! Although, all of the "BIG" rides he wanted to go on he couldn't, because he wasn't tall enough. Better luck next time! I'm glad he had to stick to the kids rides! :)

Cameron and I when we first got to the fair.Cameron and I on a rollercoaster!!Cameron really wanted to go on the spinning apple! Those make me SICK!Ladybug Ride!Attempted picture with Katie, Cameron and myself. Sorry Camo! Pig races! The Swiftest Swin off the Line! Who will be the next weiner?

Can't go wrong with a corndog from the fair!

Look at how far Cameron has to lean forward to hold onto the railing! haha!

Waving to us on the rollercoaster! SO Brave!

Happy boy in a PINK airplane!

Cameron's new talent - WINKING!

Raising his hands in the airplane! Woohoo!

We ran into Braeden, and Luke at the fair too!

Elise's Bridal Shower

2009-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love Elise. She makes my heart smile. I met her in 6th grade and we are still friends to this day. It's funny to see how different our lives were when we first met, and now here we are over 10 years later, both in love with Jesus and still in touch! Elise had her bridal shower a couple weeks ago, hosted by Jenny, whom I also met in 6th grade with Elise! :) It was a beautiful shower. I can't believe that Elise will be getting married in January. I think Elise has such a fabulous story and I am always constantly reminded by her that GOD IS SO FAITHFUL AND GOOD! Here are some lovely pictures of the Bride-to-be and a couple others!

Fenton's Creamery

2009-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Fenton's Creamery in Oakland is so delicious! They make all of their own ice cream and have HUGE portions! Fenton's was also featured in the Pixar movie, "Up."

Marine World

2009-08-11T13:23:00.001-07:00

We went to Marine World a few weekends ago. Well, it's actually called Discovery Kingdom now. I had never gone before, but have lived here my whole life! Crazy! It was so much fun. We also have two friends here for the summer as interns from Malawi, Africa, Funa and Christina, and they got to experience it for the first time too. Cameron loved, and I mean, LOVED the rollercoasters. No, not the puny, whimpy ones, but the fast, scary ones! I couldn't believe my little boy (okay, he's growing up but I can't admit it) wanted to taste danger and seek thrills! Here are some fun photos: Cameron with some characters

Cameron with Shouka the whale! Look at Cam's smile! :)

The dolphin show!

Cameron and I on the little kid roller coaster that wasn't crazy enough for him!

Mommy and Camo

Cameron kissing his Shouka stuffed animal that Katie and Charmaine bought him!

The Shouka Whale show!

Katie, Charmaine, and Cameron on his favorite ride, the really really spinny fast one! ugh!

Here they are on the ride again, while it's going, it was spinning so fast and Cameron kept yelling "faster."

My Birthday

2009-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, I was BEYOND blessed this year! I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends who love me and want to celebrate me on my birthday! I had 5 birthday celebrations, only 1 of them I knew about! (FYI - the actual date of my bday was July 13)

On Wednesday July 8: Jenni, Autumn, Katie, and Charmaine put together a surprise birthday party for me at the Latrielle's house (which is where I go everyother Wednesday to learn how to cook.) I was totally surprised and thought it was so fun to be with friends who love me!

(me blowing out the candles on the yummy cake they got me!)

(group shot in the Latrielle's backyard)

On Friday July 10: I got to celebrate my birthday with my family. My dad cooked a delicious dinner and my mom got a cute little strawberry shortcake! I love my family!

(Cameron and I ready for some delicious cake!)

On Saturday July 11: I went out with some friends to The Swingin' Door in San Mateo. The first floor is like a British Pub with karaoke, and the top floor is a dueling piano bar. SERIOUSLY, SO. MUCH. FUN!

(group shot at the dueling pianos)

On Monday July 13: Which was my ACTUAL Birthday, Charmaine took Cameron and I out to dinner at PF Changs in Palo Alto. Such delicious Chinese food!

On Tuesday July 14: I always go to young adult caregroups at Red Morton Park. I still don't know who planned this part, but I was given an awesome birthday cake and everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was such a blast and total surprise!

I'm seriously blown away that I got to celebrate my birthday so many times this year! Hooray for being 22! :)

Lucky

2009-07-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

So this is going to sound cheesy, but it has always been a

"dream" of mine, to be on a walk with a guy and he spots a beautiful flower on our walk and picks it and puts it in my hair. I don't know why, but I think that would be SO AMAZING! haha, i'm laughing at myself as I type this! Well, yesterday, I was on a walk with Cameron, yes, my sweet 3 year old boy, and he stops very abrubtly on our walk and says "hold on one minute, mama" and he walks over to a group of purple flowers growing on the sidewalk, picks one, and says "I picked a flower for you, I love you!" OH MY GOSH! Yes, MY DREAM came true through my 3 year old boy. Much, different then I ever thought it would be, but it happened! I'm so blessed. I love him! Maybe one day, that will happen again! :)

Cousins

2009-06-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

On Sunday for father's day, my whole family enjoyed a quite afternoon at the park with Cameron. He was the only kid at the playground! All of a sudden, I see another little kid at the park, but nobody with him. I'm looking at the boy and thinking that he looks so familiar. Then, it clicks, I was like, I think that looks like Cameron's cousin Sebastian. Sure enough, Daniel, Cameron's uncle, comes to the park with his other son Andres. Sebastian is 4 1/2 and Andres is 8. It was so random. The boys played together so well. I talked to Daniel for an hour! He said they want to be involved in camo's life and the boys always ask how come they don't get to play with their cousin Cameron like they do the rest of their cousins. Isn't that crazy!?!? Such an unplanned meeting for us, but i'm reminded of how present God is in every situation, and it wasn't just coincidence, but a divine appointment set up by God! Plus, crazy that it all happend on fathers day!

Here is a picture of Cameron with Sebastian and Andres. (I think it's so funny that both boys are full Mexican and Cameron is only 1/2 but he is so much darker! haha)

Kaden's 1st Birthday

2009-06-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Kaden turned one already! I can't believe it. Kaden is the son to my sweet friend Melinda who lives in Fresno with her husband Peter and almost 4 year old daughter Kaylie! I posted about Kaden being born here. I cannot believe it has been a full year! I love him so much. Here are some pictures from his 1st bday celebration!

Daddy's Birthday

2009-06-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well, once again, I'm behind here on my blogging! June 12 was my dad's birthday. I love him so much! It was a low key evening with dinner and pineapple upside down cake (my dad's favorite!)

I love my dad's gentle spirit. He is so kind and loving and somehow always makes me feel special! He is so full of energy and can brighten up an room he walks into. He is so fun and always wants to go, go, go. Cameron enjoys doing "projects" with my dad, whether it be gardening, or taking cans out to the recycling. My dad can turn anything into a fun activity.

The way my dad has modeled unconditional love to my mom, my sister, myself, and Cameron is amazing. His patience, understanding, and selflessness blows me away. I'm one lucky girl to have such a special daddy! I love you!

Here's a picture of Cameron and Papa on his birthday! :) (ps - doesn't my dad look great for 59!?)

My Girls

2009-06-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Katie and Lauren came to watch Cameron towards the end of his tennis class. During his class he saw them and yelled hi, then turned to the teacher and said, "Those are my girls." Hahahahaha.

Identity

2009-06-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I listened to this video on my friend Tony's blog.

This line stuck out to me: GOD'S DAUGHTERS NEED TO BE LOVED THE WAY CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH.

I have been processing that line in my head over and over. It reminds me of God's truth, and the value that I have in Jesus.

So often I believe I deserve less, or I am not good enough, or that being disrespected is ok. But those are lies. God holds my identity and His love surpasses it all. I have no need to settle for anything less because I am a daughter of the King.

Nice Summer Treat

2009-06-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

The weather hasn't been great yet, but it's still June, so why not enjoy some delicious ice cream and forget about everything else!?

Tennis

2009-06-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

I went into Peninsula Covenant Community Center the other day to turn in membership information and Cameron saw several tennis rackets hanging on the wall. At that point he decided he wanted to play tennis. I couldn't get it out of his head over the course of several days, so I signed him up for some tennis classes! Yesterday was his first day and it was so precious!

Third Adventure Day

2009-06-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my turn to plan our third adventure day. If you want to read about our second one, read here! At 6:45 am we all climbed into my car and were off.

First Stop: Driving just a short distance to Canada College where we ate a picnic breakfast in the parking lot looking over the beautiful view.

Group shot of us with our bagels.

Second Stop: Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville for some strawberry picking. We got to pick fresh strawberries right off the vines. They were so red and juicy and perfect! They also bake delicious pies there with the berries they grow. We ate a yummy Ollalieberry pie. They had a cute little play area too.

This is the barn where Gizdich Ranch sells their fresh fruit if you choose not to pick it yourself.Jenni, Katie, and Autumn showing off the strawberries they have found!

Lots and lots of strawberries!Cameron and mommy picking strawberries together!We each filled up our own bucket FULL of strawberries and then got some recipe ideas of how we could use all of these berries!

A group shot of all of us with our buckets full of strawberries!

Eating a yummy, yummy, Ollaliberry Pie!

Cameron playing in the hay tunnel that they had at the ranch!

Third Stop: We made our way to Mission San Juan Bautista. The mission was really interesting and they had a lovely flower garden.

This is a shot of the mission from the side. You enter on the left hand side.Jenni and I in the flower garden of Mission San Juan Bautista.

Another shot of the mission. The architecture was crazy.

The cemetery at the mission. It said over 4,000 people were burried here.

Fourth Stop: The Original El Camino Real road. It happens to be placed right behind Mission San Juan Bautista. It was built as a road that connected various colonies of Spain in the Americas.

This is the sign that marked it, and the dirt road in the bottom of the picture is El Camino.

Fifth Stop: The San Andreas Fault Line, which also happens to run right behind the San Juan Bautista Mission.

This is a picture of the sign they have posted about the fault line. They use to have a seismograph that showed the fault constantly moving, but it got damaged.

These fields are sitting directly on the San Andreas Fault.

Sixth Stop: We had lunch in San Juan Bautista at a Mexican restaurant called Dona Esthers. It was recommended to me by a few different people. The food was ok, nothing too exciting, but was still good!

Seventh Stop: Then it was off to San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission in Carmel. While we were there they had a wedding going on. This mission too had a lovely courtyard and flower garden.

This was the entrance into the church part of the mission.

By the time we got to Carmel, Cameron was passed out, and Katie was SOOO excited to get to hold him! :)

This was the backside of the mission, in another courtyard that they had. I thought the buildings were so lovely.

Cameron and I in the gardens of the Carmel mission.

This was one of the windows at the Carmel mission. I just had to take a picture because I thought it was so rustic and beautiful.

Eight Stop: After the mission, we headed to downtown Carmel-By-The-Sea. The downtown is so cute and has a lot of shops. We had fun window shopping and of course, buying some candy from the cottage of sweets!

Jenni posing infront of the cottage with a mossy roof! Katie loved the roofs so much that she decided she wants to live in a town like this!

Cameron and I posing with the San Carlos street sign. We had to be somewhat touristy, and since we live in San Carlos, what could be better!?!

Final Stop: On our way home we had to stop by Yogurtland in Cupertino for some delicious self serve frozen yogurt! Yum!

Clearlake

2009-06-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day Weekend Cameron and I joined some friends in Clearlake. This was our first time there! I'm glad I got to go and spend a long weekend with my sweet friend Alaina, her son Dylan, her fiance Mike, and meet some of their other friends. Our weekend consisted of hanging out on the lake, taking Cameron on his first boatride, bike riding, watching destruction derby at the speedway in lakeport, and so much more. Here are some pictures:

Ralph and Amy (Alaina and Mike's friends who we stayed with) live right in the "keys" of clearlake, so their house was directly on the water. Here is Cameron playing on the dock with a water gun. He and Dylan had fun spraying all of the spiders with water!

Alaina and I hanging while the kids played!

Cameron going on a bike ride adventure! He helped Dylan learn how to ride his own bike!

Cameron and myself getting ready to go out to the main lake on the fishing boat!

Cameron and Dylan excited to go superfast on the boat (once it started going fast, they both got scared!)The two of us out on Clearlake!

Cameron and Dylan at the Lakeport Speedway watching the race cars!

At the speedway they had several events of race car driving, at the very end of the night, they sprayed the entire race track with water, then brought out cars for destruction derby, BUT all of the cars had junk boats attached to the back of them, so it was destruction derby with cars and boats! It was crazy with fiberglass flying everywhere! So Funny! The boys loved it!

It was a fun weekend full of new adventures! I'm so grateful for the people I met and how much they blessed us by opening up their home!

Photobooth

2009-05-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, Cameron and I didn't go to a photobooth, but we took some fun pictures last weekend waiting for the Hometown Days Parade to begin. So, here is our improvised version of some photobooth shots! I love him.

Uno, Dos, Tres

2009-05-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Cuatro, Cinco, Seis, Siete, Ocho, Nueve, Diez. Ever since I went to Mexico in April, Cameron has been counting to 10 in spanish. And, he knows all of his colors in spanish too. He just sometimes gets bashful and pretends like he doesn't know how!

Mother's Day

2009-05-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely Mother's Day weekend.

On Saturday I spent the day with my mom. My dad scheduled manicures for my mom, my sister, and myself. It was such a nice treat. Then, for dinner, my dad BBQ'd Prawns and corn. yum. I got my mom tickets to go see Wicked, and we are going this Thursday. I'm excited to take my mommy out on a date! :)

Sunday was just as wonderful. I had a knock on my door in the morning, and when I went to open it, I was surprised to find a bouquet of flowers and cards from sweet friends. That afternoon Jenni, Autumn, Katie, Myself, and Cameron all went to Half Moon Bay and enjoyed a beautiful time at the beach. It was sunny and warm and so perfect. In the evening we all went to church. Wow, was I shocked when Gary (the pastor at PCC) called me up to the front of church. They wanted to recognize me and honor me as being Cameron's mommy. I was given beautiful pink flowers, and a gift bag with candles, chocolates, a gift certificate to a spa, and lots of other goodies. On top of that, Gary read a beautiful note that Jenni wrote. Here it is:

Bristol is such a great mom. She cares for Cameron in so many ways. One of the things I admire about Bristol is how she teaches Cameron. She is constantly teaching him new things, and he is constantly learning and showing off his new knowledge. She teaches him about God, the church, and the Bible. And to go along with that, one of my favorite things about Bristol is that she is such a great affirmer of Cameron. She affirms Cameron's ability to play music, sports, read the Bible, have polite manners, be kind, and most important, to love. Being a very loving person herself, no one should be surprised, but she is making Cameron into a man who loves those around him no matter what. Her deepest desire for Cameron is that he grows up to be a man of God, and it is prevalant in the choices she makes in mothering him. I'm priveleged to watch and know Bristol as a mom.

Love, Jenni

I cried. It was beautiful. My whole day. I love Cameron, God, my friends, my community, and all of the people who are in my life. Thank you God.

Dude, Where's My Car?

2009-05-07T13:45:00.001-07:00

Or, should I say.... What's wrong with my car?

This is my lovely story from yesterday.

I got off work, walked outside to the street and tried opening up the car.

The clicker didn't work.

I got stressed, but figured maybe the battery was dead.

So, I stuck my key into the lock and tried to turn it, wouldn't budge.

I walked all the way around the car, looking for another key insert.

None. Except the trunk.

(I don't know why I thought there might be one on the passenger door. Shows how long it has been since I haven't "automatically" opened up my car.)

Tried sticking the key into the lock on the trunk.

No Budge.

I can't believe I couldn't get into my car.

It was only two spots away from the driveway of my work.

A guy that I work with, Jorge, came over and tried to help me.

No luck.

My boss, Kim, came over and tried to help me.

No luck.

We laughed and joked about how strange it was that my car wasn't opening for me and that we had quite a problem on our hands.

Then, my boss Rob came out, and jokingly said,

"Are you sure that's your car?"

I looked inside and..... IT WASN'T MY CAR!

I had briefly glanced before, saw a carseat in the back and never thought that it might not be my car.

What are the odds that there would be another blue Jetta infront of my work?

I started laughing so hard, I almost peed my pants.

Oh my.

I can't believe I did that.

My car was only 2 cars away from the car I tried to break in to.

No wonder why my keys didn't work.

Wasn't that a good story!?

I Surrender

2009-04-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

I Surrender has to be one of my favorite Kim Walker songs. It's similar to other 'surrender' songs, but the way she sings it, the power, the passion it always makes me want to fall at God's feet and worship Him. Let go of everything and let God take control of my life once again. I always try to surrender ALL OF MY LIFE to God but when things start going smoothly, I begin to start handling things myself, and then sure enough I manage to screw up and need to be reminded of how wonderful God really is and He pieces it all back together for me, yet again. And, that's why I need to let Him, and will let Him be in complete control of my life. I surrender it all to Him. God is worth it. God's love is worth it. My life is worth it because God loves me and has an amazing plan and purpose for me.

There is no love, sweeter than the love You pour on me.
There is no song, sweeter than the song You sing to me.
There is no place, that I would rather be,
Than here at Your feet, laying down everything.

All to You, I surrender,
Everything, every part of me.
All to You, I surrender,
All of my dreams, all of me.

If worship's like perfume, I'll pour mine out on You.
For there is none as deserving of my love like You.
So take my hand and draw me into You,
I want to be swept away, lost in love for You.

I surrender...

No turning back,
I've made up my mind,
I'm giving all of my life this time.

Your love makes it worth it,
Your love makes it worth it all,
Your love makes it worth it all.

McDonalds

2009-04-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

It has been so hot lately. I just want to say McDonalds has amazing hot fudge sundaes for only $1. Such a deal! Yesterday after dinner I took Cameron there for a treat. When I pulled up to the drive through window the guy looked at me, looked at Cameron, and then said, "That's your baby?" I smiled at him and said "Yes." He looked at Cameron again and said to me, "Is he Mexican or what, he looks Mexican." Again, I smiled at him and said, "Yes, he is." So then, the guy asks me, "So, are you married to a Mexican? Where's your husband right now?" I politely answered back "I'm not married" smiled and drove off. It was such a weird conversation. People assume so many things, and I know i'm not the only person in the world with a "broken" family. Actually, I wouldn't say Cameron and I are a broken family because God knew it would be the two of us and I love it that way. But, the whole drive home had me thinking a lot. What if Cameron really understood what the guy was asking about my husband and being married? Would he ask about his dad? How would I handle that situation with Cameron? I guess i'm just not use to these reactions and comments. Any suggestions?

The Power of Sharing

2009-04-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is an article from a Christian Pregnancy Clinic Newsletter
Spring 2009

The Power of Sharing

Tanya was counseling a client named Michelle — who was extremely abortion-minded. She was deathly afraid that her parents, especially her mom, would be against her having the baby. Toward the end of the counseling session, Tanya mentioned the story of another client named Bristol.

Bristol was a young Christian woman — she had a different background from Michelle yet she had been in Michelle’s exact same situation. When Bristol found herself pregnant, her mom pressured her to have an abortion … for months. But Bristol courageously decided to parent. She gave birth to a son, named Cameron, and her mother has completely fallen in love with Cameron. In fact, her parents see Bristol and Cameron all the time now since she lives less than a mile from them.

After Tanya mentioned this story to Michelle, the counseling session ended. Tanya tried to follow up, but couldn’t reach Michelle — unfortunately, she thought, Michelle probably had an abortion.

Several months later a client named Lisa came to _________ and Tanya began counseling her.

Lisa told Tanya, "Oh yeah, I found out about _______ through my friend Michelle. And oh, her baby is so cute!"

Tanya said, "Baby? You mean, Michelle had her baby?"

Lisa said, "Oh yes, a little boy named Mason. He is SO adorable!"

It turns out that Bristol’s story was the turning point for Michelle — it gave Michelle the courage to choose life for her baby and become a parent. And in turn, Michelle’s story gave Lisa the courage to carry to term!

That’s the power of sharing. Bristol’s decision saved not just her child — but two others and transformed three families. And no doubt, God is not finished yet!

How might God use YOU and your ability to SHARE to help save more lives like these in 2009?

One Year

2009-04-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to blog about this on the exact date, but I was gone on the Mexico Trip. Last Tuesday I celebrated ONE FULL YEAR of being single. I know this is a silly thing to blog about but I am really excited about it. Last year at this time my heart was hurting so bad and I was so confused. It took a long time to process everything, but throughout this year I have grown so much more in love with Jesus. Really for the first time understanding that HE is all I need. I have said that before, but never experienced it in such a real way. For so long I desired things outside of God. I have been single for much longer than a year before, but being single didn't prevent me from being promiscuous and kissing boys. haha. But this time, it marks a full year of COMPLETE PURITY and I'm so proud of that. I have realized how worthy I am in God's eyes and that God's plan for a relationship and marriage is so worth living out. As ready as I feel for God to throw something/someone my way, I at the same time, don't want this streak to end because I am enjoying every bit of being focused and in love with ONLY GOD! (well, besides Cameron, family, and friends, but you know what I mean!)

Mexico 2009

2009-04-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's that time. Tomorrow morning us leaders and a group of highschool students are off to do God's work in Ensenada, Mexico. I would appreciate it if you could pray for us and our trip. Here is a guideline for you.

Friday April 3: Driving to Southern California
Pray for: Safety in travels to Southern California, team unity during the drive, and for a contagious & growing excitement in our students!

Saturday April 4: Driving into Mexico
Pray for: Safety in travels to Mexico, a flawless border crossing for all our vehicles, and a quick and easy settlement into Base Camp Rancho El Refugion. Pray for safety in the base camps and with traveling as we drive to and from our base camps daily.

Sunday April 5: Day 1 at Ministry Sites
Pray for: A good first day in Ensenada with: good communication with our local pastors, a solid start to work projects, for local believers to work alongside us, the Mexican children and effective children's ministry programs, confidence for our students and an encouraging first day of Sports Ministry.

Monday April 6: Day 2 at Ministry Sites
Pray for: Strength and endurance on work projects, an effective VBS ministry, active Sports ministry, life changing ministry in San Luis for the Skate Ministry Team, and for God to speak to and through our Students; that students hearts for Mexican kids would grow rapidly, and for good rest at night, especially for adult leaders.

Tuesday April 7: Day 3 at Minsitry Sites
Pray for: God to be speaking to our students through our camps speaker, strong friendships to develop amoung our students, endurance for our translators and for our students to begin to encourage/love one another like never before. Also, good rest at night & strength during the day.

Wednesday April 8: Day 4 at Ministry Sites
Pray for:God's heart for the poor and needy to be revealed in new ways, true community amongst our team, boldness for our students to share Christ with new friends, safety on the work sites, and for Mexican children and villagers to come to Christ. Pray also for any of our students who do not know Christ to accept Him as their Saviour. Continued strength and endurance for our translators.

Thursday April 9: Final Day at Ministry Sites
Pray for: Possible basketball outreach at the local prison, for God to use our students in BIG ways during our last day at our sites, for healthy closure to relationships in our villages, and for God to reveal specific calls on students' lives.

Friday April 10: Driving back to Southern California
Pray for: Safety in travels back across the border, a fun afternoon in Coronado (with possible baptisms), a powerful debrief/process time at Rolling Hills Covenant, and for students to commit to holiness, caring for the poor, and other lasting changes upon returning home.

Saturday April 11: Driving back to PCC
Pray for: Safety in travels, unity and fun during the drive, happy reunions and transformed attitueds with parents, siblings, and families! Also please pray that the unity and momentum our youth group gains from Mexico would remain strong upon coming home!

PCC Mexico Team 2009:
Students: Jordan Denecour, Hannah Denecour, Sarah Singh, Samuel Dahlin, Rachele Constantini, Lisa Weishaar, Emily Ryan, Jack Miclean, Megan James, Samuel Sandquist, Hannah Gaddini, Jessica Morey, Kaila Manca, Graham Garvin, Savannah Connor, Nathaniel Elia, Cody Kaufman, Jake Wilkerson, Kate Miclean, Natalie Johnson, Hana Girardot, Spencer Ryan, Hanna Sandquist, Kelsey Ulrich, Katie Johnson, Monika Skinner, Gabriel Skinner, Emily Burns, Jordan Spradling, Levi Portillo, Michelle Quezada, Spencer Lewis, "Junior" Lupian
Leaders: Chelsea Ford, Carlos DeVitis, Slim Wilton, Russ Llewellyn, Chris Llewellyn, Doug Ryan, Joy Ryan, Rocky Giovannetti, David Portillo, Charlie Kenny, Kayla Marriucci, Stefan Johnson, Jenni Ingram, Ron Dahlin, Paco Lopez, Tim Worthington, Shelly Worthington, Bristol Connor, Michele Perez, Israel Soler

Spring

2009-03-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here. The weather is starting to get warmer and I love seeing bright beautiful flowers! Here are the flowers in my parents from yard. I want to start reflecting and capturing nature more. God's beauty can be seen through so many things!

I Choose

2009-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

I choose to praise you

I choose to love you

I choose to serve you

I choose to worship you

I choose to run to you

I choose to cry to you

I choose to speak to you

I choose to listen to you

I choose you, sweet Jesus.

<><

How can anyone deny our God that is so mighty, and great, and powerful, and so full of love, and mercy, and grace!?

First Semester Spanish Love Song

2009-03-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Carlos showed this video at our Mexico meeting last Sunday. It made me laugh! Hope you enjoy it!

Provision

2009-03-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

I always find myself doubting how BIG God really is! I try to take financial struggles (and many others) on by myself, forgetting to give it all to God. Well, once again, God has provided for me. I'm so blessed and encouraged! Finances have always been hard for me, but especially hard now that I am losing hours at work. When I get worried, I try to remind myself that God knows and will always provide for me, but, let's be honest, it's hard to let that go sometimes. Here is a great verse of truth, Matthew 6:25-33. This is a note that I found in my mailbox yesterday. I don't know who it is from, but I want to thank you so much.

Zoo Trip

2009-03-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Katie, Cameron, and I went on a fun adventure to the zoo. Cameron had so much fun seeing the animals and playing. Here are some pictures. Happy Cameron watching the Giraffe!Katie and I.
Cameron brushing the goat. He wasn't scared of them! This picture makes me laugh!
Us on a lion.
Hugging the elephant!

Cameron Sings - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2009-03-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Second Adventure Day

2009-03-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

So, as a bible study, we decided to start planning Adventure Days. We originally thought it would be once a month, but it seems like we have spread it out to be every few months! One person plans a full day adventure and keeps it a secret from the rest of us. February 21st was Katie's day to plan! We all hopped in her car at 6:30 am and we were off.....

First stop: Driving over beautiful 84 to Ano Nuevo State Reserve where we ate a picnic breakfast. Then, it was time to go hiking to see the Elephant Seals.

Picture of Autumn, Katie, me, and Cameron beginning our hike to the Elephant Seals!

Katie took this picture of the Elephant Seals fighting. I would not want to be an Elephant Seal. Especially a girl Elephant Seal, they spend their life mating, getting pregnant, having a baby, molting, mating, getting pregnant, molting......ugh!Cameron drawing in the sand as we all watched the Elephant Seals.Group shot on our hike back to Katie's car!

Second Stop: A Kiwi farm! We found a Kiwi farm along Highway 1 and decided to check it out. We hiked over to the Kiwi trees and filled a bucket to take home!

Cameron pulling our wagon and bucket to go pick the kiwis!Yum! Kiwi's right off of the tree!The kiwi bucket we filled.Successful trip at the Kiwi farm!

Third Stop: Swanton Berry Farms on Highway 1. It's a cute little farmstand where they grow their own strawberries, and sell homemade jams, pies, shortcakes, and lots of other goodies! We went and sampled their jams and ate a picnic lunch that Katie packed.

Fourth Stop: Natural Bridges State Beach where we went and looked for Monarch Butterflies. We also listened in on a class all about tide pools and the different creatures you will find in them!

Katie, Cameron, Jenni, and Autumn looking for the butterflies.

Sweet Cameron.

Final Stop: Marianne's Ice Cream in Santa Cruz for a yummy treat!

It was a very fun day! Thanks Katie for planning it! Next adventure day... will be planned by me or Autumn! Get READY!

Crush

2009-02-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking of this subject very much recently. Is having a crush healthy or unhealthy? What even defines a crush? In the past, I would always find myself thinking of a guy and I could never get him out of my head! I'm grateful now, that I truly understand the character of Jesus, I grasp that He is all I need. It took me a really long time to get here. For the longest time I didn't even have a boy (I mean man!) pop into my head. I was completely content with the fact that God was not only my father, and brother, but also my lover. I didn't need to "crush" on anyone because I was only focused on Christ. Well, what happens when all of a sudden, you start noticing someone and think they're attractive, and wonder "what if?" Is that ok? I don't think it's wrong to think people are attractive. But what happens, when you start attaching false hopes to that person because you're smitten over them? I don't think that is ok. Where do you draw a line? I'm glad that I have been able to discern that line, but I'm just wondering what some other opinions are on this topic? Silly Crushes!

Really!?!

2009-02-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

I just got a voicemail from Laurie at First Resort. First Resort is a christian pregnancy clinic that I went to right when I found out I was pregnant. First Resort asked my mom, Cameron, and me to tell our story on a video that they would show to people that would walk through their doors. (Of course, there were many other stories on the video too.) We filmed it when Cameron was only a few months old. Anyways, Laurie left me a message today saying that a young lady had gone into the center for some advice, counseling, and watched the video. Many months later they found out she kept the baby, because of OUR STORY! I guess I never realized what an impact it could be, but I'm so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to bless people because God is a Sovereign God! I get to call her back when I get off work today, and she is hoping that I can meet this woman over lunch! I would love that. I'm so stoked on God right now. I am so blessed by the decision I made with Cameron, and I couldn't imagine my life any other way! I will blog about this more later! :)

PRAISE GOD!

Peaceful

2009-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Jenni Ingram took this picture of Cameron. I love it. We were at "The Abbey" in Santa Cruz. Cameron looks so peaceful. What if we all were that peaceful about knowing God is in control of our lives and surrendering it to him?

Mothers Know Best

2009-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

This obviously doesn't pertain to my life, because my situation is different, but I read this and still got a good chuckle!

Mom was out and Dad was in charge. Two and a half year old Tiffany was playing with one of her favorite toys, her tea set. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when cute little Tiffany brought him a tiny tea cup filled with water. After several "cups of tea" and lots of praise for such yummy tea, Mom came home. Dad said, “Honey, wait right here and watch what Tiffany is doing. It’s the cutest thing.” Mom waited and sure enough, Tiffany came down the hall with another cup of tea for Daddy and she watched him playfully drink it all up.Then Mom said, “Did it ever occur to you that the only place that Tiffany can reach to get water is the toilet?” …Mothers know!

Wicked

2009-02-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

Tuesday night I went with a group of friends to go see Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. It was amazing. I heard such great things about it from friends who had seen it before, so I knew I wanted to check it out. Wicked is the prequel to the movie "The Wizard Of Oz." I don't want to blow any details but there are definitely lots of twists and secrets in Wicked. It made me question a lot of my opinions and impressions I had from the movie and I am really excited to watch it now with a completely different perspective.

I started thinking about real life too. How often do people judge me and come up with opinions on me without knowing me and my story? Or, how often do I do that someone else? It made me realize how sticky "surface" impressions can be. So often, we see people happy on the outside, but they are hurting deep down and don't want people to know. The great thing about God, is that he knows our hearts. We can't pretend for him.

Before we went in to see the show, we stopped and had some dinner at a Carl's Jr. that was a block away from the theatre. While we were eating a lady came up and started yelling and cussing at us. We did nothing to provoke her, and she kept calling us, "....bleep.... dot-commers." I guess she assumed that's what we were based off of the way we were dressed for the show. It breaks my heart that people have such hostility towards others. It also brings me back to the point of first impressions and how important it is as followers of Christ, to do our best at glorifying God through any situation, and realizing that not everyone knows who you really are on the inside.

Cameron's Third Birthday

2009-02-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't given a recap of Cameron's birthday party.

It was absolutely AMAZING! Over 50+ people (adults and kids) came to celebrate Cameron. It is so encouraging for me to have so many friends that support and love him.

It was an airplaned themed party with wooden airplanes for the kids to paint on as well as other games like "pin the pilot on the plane." Autumn, Katie, and Jenni helped me with every single aspect of the party, and I could not have done it without them!

The whole thought of Cameron being three years old absolutely blows me away. It feels like just yesterday that I was 17 and finding out I was pregnant. I can assure you, my life is absolutely amazing, and I would never have it any other way. Cameron is a complete blessing. God is so sovereign and works in such amazing ways.

Three years ago, my friends put on a baby shower for me at my parents house, and it was definitely a tough time. My parents hadn't completely come to grips with the fact that I had just had a baby, and they still weren't quite supportive. NOW, Three years later, my friends and I had a birthday party for Cameron celebrating him and my parents were there celebrating him right by my side! They can't imagine their life without this precious boy. I am constantly reminded of God's grace and how truly amazing it is.

Cameron is such an important part of community with all of my friends, and I love that. I love that Cameron continues to touch peoples lives when he is only three years old! And what a great story he is going to get to tell!

Here are some pictures from the party. Enjoy!

Different

2009-01-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

As a bible study, we each pick a word that we want to represent us for the coming season. It can be a word that describes something we want to grow in, or learn more about, or just live and act out in our everyday lives.

For the fall/winter my word was Rooted. I really feel like I have grown so much in my relationship with God, and have truly begun to understand his character.

My word for this season is Different. I want to be different, look different, act different, live different. I feel so often that even though I'm a follower of Jesus, I blend in. I look just like a normal nice person. It's not a bad thing to look like that, but how are people going to know I have a personal relationship with Jesus if there is nothing different about me. Ultimately I want people to know that a relationship with Jesus can change them too. I want to be BOLD this season, and hoping that it won't just be for this season, but it will be carried out for the rest of my life. I hope to be more prayerful and intentional about initiating prayer with people often. Not just with my friends or in community, but where it's different - on the street, in the store, with people who don't know God and do not believe in His miracles.

So often I find myself questioning God, wondering if he really is present in the plan for my life. Is he really there if I don't always feel him? YES!

I was reading Romans 8 and was convicted in so many ways. Here is on part that struck me, but the WHOLE chapter is amazing.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn amone many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him him for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face dealth all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It talks about what could seperate us from the love of Christ - trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword?

There are people that are suffering through things like this everyday and still choose to follow Jesus. I feel so convicted by that. The things I think are difficult, and question God about, are nothing in comparison.

I believe God is a loving, caring God, that still works miracles. I pray that through me being different, It will help people see how God can intercede in any situation!

Purple Duck

2009-01-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Cameron dreamed of a purple duck last night.

That's what he told me.

It played in an orange airplane and on the playground too.

And to talk, it would say "quack Cameron quack"

Oh, the lovely minds of three year olds.

Today

2009-01-20T21:19:00.001-08:00

Cameron is THREE today.

I can't believe it.

Time does fly.

I'm so blessed.

God's grace is amazing.

I will definitely blog about it more.

San Francisco Adventure Day

2009-01-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we went on an adventure day in San Francisco. Stefanie's dream was to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, and to ride a Trolley, so guess what.... We did it! :) Here are some fun photos. And, Cameron walked across the GG Bridge and back, almost all on his own. I only had to carry him a few times. I was so impressed!

Slinky

2009-01-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

Katie and Christal taught Cameron how to "really" play with a slinky. Now, every day when we get home he asks if we can go play on the stairs in the apartment. Here are some pictures from the first day he learned. He says the slinky looks like a worm!

Christmas

2009-01-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about Christmas. It was a wonderful day. I tried to be really intentional about telling Cameron what Christmas really is all about. Not about Santa, but about Jesus and giving to others. He was very excited to know it was Jesus' birthday. All day long he kept singing "Happy Birthday." I must say, my kid is a cutie. He is almost 3, and this year was such a fun age for Christmas time. He really got in the spirit. Here are some pictures from our Christmas.

Christmas Eve after story time!
Cameron with his new guitar! He plays lefty!Oh my gosh! Socks in my stocking!So excited on Christmas morning!

A Couple More Cameron Comments

2008-12-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Cameron did not want to take his nap. So, this is what he told me.

"Mom, my tummy so full from sleeping, I need to get up."

He knows when he is finished eating, to say his tummy is full, but I guess he thought this excuse could work for nap time too!

Also, last night Cameron said he wanted to marry me. So random.

"Mommy, I want to marry you. I go get my dancing shoes and you get a pretty white dress."

I started laughing so hard. I have no clue where he gets these ideas.

I love him so much.

God Made It For Target

2008-12-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ha ha.

Another Cameron conversation for you.

My friend came over last week and complimented Cameron on his new shoes. This was his response. "Thank you. Mama bought it for me from Target. God made it for Target." (Ps - I didn't buy the shoes from Target!)

Then, he wanted to show her all of his movies. He took them out one at a time.
"This is Wiggles. Mama bought it for me from Target. God made it for Target."
"This is Little People. Mama bought it from Target. God made it for Target."
"This is Elmo. Mama bought it for me from Target. God made it for Target."

And he continued to say that about all of his movies! It's so strange. I'm not sure why he decided to say they were all from Target, because only the Elmo DVD was! And, I very rarely shop at Target, so I was quite surprised that he knew the name of it. Also, where did he get the concept that God made everything, but he made it all for Target?

I think it's cute. That he is understanding that God is the creator of everything, but I guess I am going to need to start explaining to him that God created us as people, and gave all of us different talents, so we could use our skills and make the movies. Hmmm.... what to do?

I still think my son is precious! :)

Choking

2008-12-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

How could I have forgotten to write about this?

Last Friday, Cameron and I went with some friends for pizza at Mountain Mikes in Redwood City. Cameron was playing some of the arcade games with the other kids, and I guess he won a hard candy from one of the machines. Of course, without asking, he decided to eat it. Next thing I know, one of the girls comes running over to our table and yelling, "I think he's choking." Of course, I thought it was some kind of exageration, but sure enough I go over to him and he can't breathe and is gasping. HOLY CRAP. I picked him up and starting hitting his back. I remembered the training I learned when I was in highschool about how to help a choking baby. It's different than an adult. I was tearing up as I was doing it, and seriously, the entire restaurant was staring at us. I was so scared for Cameron, but I knew I had to stay calm and collected. I was doing all of this over a garbage can in the main room, but decided to start walking towards the bathroom continuing to hit his back. Then, BAM, out it came. An entire Yellow piece of Candy. It was HUGE! I had tears, Cameron had tears.

Then, get this, once he stopped crying and I was holding him, he turned to me, and said, "Mom, I want another one now." ABSOLUTELY NOT! haha. Why are kids like that? Something that just made them cry and scared both him and I, and he wants another one? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Bottom line, he is ok now, but man, it was scary!

Elf Yourself

2008-12-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've been elfed. In fact, my whole bible study has. Jenni, Katie, Autumn, Cameron, and myself!

It's fun. You can see the video at this link below until January 15th. So check it out NOW! :)

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/MAmZHqBlvcJueyykkiAE

Cameron Can Fix It

2008-12-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

well, well, well.

Cameron wants to be a handy man. maybe. sometimes. Like Handy Manny or Bob the Builder.

I made Cameron wear a beanie today, because it was so cold. He did not like that at all. He isn't really a big hat fan, unless its a baseball hat and he's wearing the appropriate jersey to match. He doesn't like wearing jackets either.

I haven't had the pilot light in my heater turned on. I have a plugged in heater in my bedroom that I turn on at night.

I told Cameron he had to wear his jacket inside because it was cold. He didn't like that idea, so he told me he would fix the heater for me.

This was our conversation:

Me: Cameron, it's cold and you cannot take your jacket off.
Cameron: Why, mama?
Me: Because the heater is not turned on.
Cameron: Why, mama?
Me: Because, um, it's broken.
Cameron: I will fix it for you.
Me: Oh, really?
Cameron: Yeah, mama. I'm so good.
Me: Ok, how are you going to do that?
Cameron: With tools mama. I have them.
Me: Wow.
Cameron: Yeah, I have my hammer. And, um, my wrench and screwdriver. I will hit it really hard. Like this. (he takes his hand and pounds it on the wall like he is knocking)
Me: If you hit it hard enough it will fix the heater?
Cameron: Yes. I told you so.

This is toddler logic! The conversation cracked me up though. Gosh, I love him.

Planned Parenthood Gift Certificates?

2008-12-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

I read about this on my friend Leanne's blog, and decided to research it a bit more. I can't believe this. Planned Parenthoods in Indiana are selling gift certificates this holiday season. There are no restrictions on the certificates so they can be used for anything INCLUDING ABORTION. I feel sick just thinking of the thought. I know, my view on this is very conservative, and maybe people think it's a great idea because it's important to have health care, and if you can't afford a regular check up, this could help. But, come one. Let's bless those people in other ways. Not by giving them a certificate to help fund their abortion.

What are your thoughts on this?

Help With Cameron

2008-12-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends! :)

I'm stuck in a bit of a jam.

Cameron's daycare is closed on Monday December 22, Tuesday December 23, and Wednesday December 24, however, I still have to work. I am looking to see if anyone would be able to watch Cameron those days.

If so, can you please let me know what day/days would work for you? Since I still have to pay his daycare for the time off, since it's her vacation, I don't have much extra money to pay, but am wondering if you would be willing to do it for no cost, or very low cost?

I work from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, which means I would need you from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. You can watch him at my place, your place, whatever is easiest, and you can also have his carseat so you can go places.

Thanks so much for reading this!
I'm grateful for all you!

Christmas Tree Hunt

2008-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, we went with my family to the Christmas tree lot in Half Moon Bay. I think it was Santa's Tree Farm. This was the first year Cameron was not scared of the "characters". Enjoy the cute pictures!

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

They played this video at church on Sunday. Its also on my friend Tony's blog. http://tonys2cents.blogspot.com

What stands out to you in this video? Are you convicted? What are your feelings?

Adventure Day

2008-12-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, I decided to go on a little adventure with Cameron to Half Moon Bay. We went to Lemos Farm. Here are some cute pictures of our fun day.

How Great is Our God

2008-11-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Cameron singing and playing "How Great Is Our God" with Autumn. I think towards the end of this he got a little distracted! haha. Still cute though.

Jesus and Pies

2008-11-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

Baking pies and a relationship with Jesus according to a 2 1/2 year old.

Tuesday Night before going to sleep I told Cameron that we would be baking pies on Wednesday with some friends for the Thanksgiving lunch at PCC on Thursday. This was our conversation:

Me: Cameron, tomorrow, we are going to bake some pies for Thanksgiving. Do you think that is a good idea?

Cameron: Yeah, Mama, Jesus likes pies too. I think so.

Me: Oh, really?

Cameron: Yeah, his favorite. I want to give Jesus pies.

Me: That's very nice of you Cameron. How is that going to work?

Cameron: Mama, I want fly in an airplane and give him pies. I love him. He likes pies.

That was the conversation. I thought it was too precious not to share! :)

I Am And You Are...

2008-11-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

I was going through some old paperwork at work this morning when I came across this silly paper I made a long time ago.

It was a wonderful reminder for me to take a step back and remember the TRUTH of who I am in Christ. Not who I try to make myself be.

You are also these things... and if you're a guy, well, you are prince instead :) haha

Brian Schwartz - Strikeforce Destruction

2008-11-20T14:37:00.001-08:00

My friend and old teacher Brian Schwartz is fighting at the HP Pavilion THIS FRIDAY November 21st! Everyone should try to go. It will be a great fight.

Here is why this fight tomorrow is such a big deal. He decided to give MMA a shot last November, broke his hand and lost. His first loss EVER. Well, Brian has trained and has challenged the exact same guy for a rematch. This is the article:

Schwartz Charges Back To The Cage With Vengeance In Mind
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nearly a year after a broken hand spoiled his attempt to make a splash debut in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), an undaunted and undefeated world kickboxing champion, Brian “The Mad Stork” Schwartz, will return to the cage to revisit his initial showdown with Lemont Davis.“I’ve been working really hard to get back to where I was and I’m finally there and ready to go,” said the 34-year-old Schwartz, who sustained a broken left hand almost right out of the gates on November 16, 2007, when he threw a straight punch that glanced off the top of Davis’ head. The injury minimized Schwartz’s effectiveness and allowed Davis to take the fight to the ground several times. Davis, also a seasoned kickboxer and competitor in Chuck Norris’ World Combat League (WCL), was unable to advance his position on the ground, but was declared the winner by way of judges’ decision after three rounds of action.The injury he sustained forced Schwartz to don a cast for two months, after which he slowly began to re-engage in strength training and road work. “I think I underestimated the game and thought I was too fast for those guys to wrestle me down to the ground. I’m committed to keeping this fight standing and, if I had to guess by the way he was unable to submit me the first time around, I would think he’s committed to standing too.” Schwartz’s MMA debut came two years after his final kickboxing conquest, a fifth round KO of Michael Corleone in San Jose on October 21, 2005. The bout was originally slated to be Schwartz’s last. It wasn’t long, though, before the 6’3” native of Foster City felt the urge to re-enter organized combat, this time under a set of rules that could force him to scrap on the canvas as well as on his feet.While grappling has become more routine since he took his first roll around on the mats, striking will always be Schwartz’s forte. A student of Tae Kwon Do since the age of five, Schwartz went on to join the professional Sport Karate circuit and, later, became one of the most dominant superstars in full-contact rules kickboxing, a hybrid sport combining Karate and western boxing. Schwartz finally realized his longtime dream on November 12, 2004 when he captured the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) World Super Middleweight Full-Contact Kickboxing Championship by earning a 12 round unanimous judges’ decision over four-time kickboxing champion, Tom “The Bee” Bottone, at San Jose’s Civic Auditorium.

Here is a little bit of his background: I started my professional career in martial arts after receiving my black belt at the age of 15. My martial arts career is highlighted by 6 World Championships in Sport Karate and a spot on the U.S. National Team. After retiring from karate, I went on to pursue a career in professional kickboxing. After 16 bouts and victories, I won the ISKA World Super Middleweight Title. I retired from kickboxing in 2005 undefeated, with a record of 18-0 w/11KO's. I am now training for the big kickboxing comeback in November 2008

Stay

2008-11-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Stay by Valeri Lopez

I met her last weekend at the young adults fall retreat, and let me tell you, she is amazing. She is such a sweetheart, and has such a huge heart. Oh yeah, her music is great too!

Here is a video of her playing my favorite song Stay.

I look at this song in two different ways. First, I think it's a great song to represent God's relationship with us. It reminds me that God will always love me, regardless of choices I make. If I fall, God will catch me. He will always remain. I think it's such a great reminder.

I also think its a great song to represent marriage. Maybe I have high hopes, but I hope that I would be able to say these things to my husband, and he could do the same to me. I pray that God will bless me with an amazing man of God that will truly protect me, care for me, and love me unconditionally.

Here are the lyrics:

Here is my heart
Keep it safe, it's the only one I got
Here is my life
In your hands do I place
Just hold on tight

And this life can be cruel
But I'll try
And I think we can make it
If we try

If I fall will you catch me and say
You will always remain
If I do something strange
Will you stay

Will you stay

Now is the time
Are you sure or afraid
Do you feel fine
I feel so safe
When I look in your eyes
and I hear you say

That this life will be cruel
But we will try
I believe we can make it
If we try

If you fall I will catch you and say
I will always remain
If you do something strange
I will stay

I will stay

If you fall I will catch you and say
I will always remain
If you do something strange
I will stay

I will love you forever
I will stay
I will love you forever
I will stay
I will love you forever
I will stay
I will love you forever

I will stay

What do you think of the song?

ps - you should check Valeri out and support her!!

www.myspace.com/valerilopez

The Power Of Your Name

2008-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

We sang this song at the young adults retreat last weekend. I love this song.

The Power Of Your Name - by Lincoln Brewster

Surely children were not made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be

Let your kingdom come
Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what you saw

Let your kingdom come
Here in my heart

Chorus:

I will live
To carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be your hands and your feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let your kingdom come
Lord break this heart

Jesus your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus your name
Holds everything I need

This song made me do a lot of crying, a lot of praying, a lot of processing.

The second line made me cry. "And fathers were not made to leave." When I sing the song I think of God and how he will always be my father and will never abandon me. However, I also thought of Cameron and started crying. I started feeling like a failure. A failure that I got pregnant in the first place, a failure that he doesn't have an 'earthly' father, and I haven't provided that for him, and a failure that I was gone on the retreat for the weekend and not with Cameron. Those are lies! God's truth is that he loves Cameron and myself unconditionally and he has an amazing plan for our lives.

Ok, I was going to list all of the lines that convicted me, or moved me in some way, but I realized, I would then be re-typing the entire song! Overall, I felt really moved to be active in my faith. Be a light for Jesus. I feel like I am a good person, but that doesn't mean I'm doing anything extraordinary. People see me and see that I am kind, but they don't necessarily see Jesus in me. At first glance, someone wouldn't be able to tell the difference between me knowing Jesus, and some other nice person, that is doing good, but doesn't know Christ. Does that make sense? So i feel like I need to do more. I want people to see me as salt and light. Not just another nice face. I feel convicted that we need to go and share the good news of Jesus. God is big enough and can move and conquer in great ways!

My heart broke when singing this song, thinking of all the unsaved. Thinking of all the abandoned children. Thinking of all the victims of human trafficking and slave trade. Thinking of all the lost and opressed. It's a sad world. But God's name HOLDS EVERYTHING WE NEED.

How did this song convict or move you?

Late Halloween Post

2008-11-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

So, I realized I never did a post about Halloween. It was Cameron's 3rd Halloween. I can't believe it! He was a cute Giant's player this year. He had a lot of fun celebrating at his daycare, and then went trick or treating to some of my friends houses. My heart was breaking throughout the night when we would see horrible, scary decorations. Why do people put those out when they know little kids are going to come by and be scared? Do they think they are "cool" with those decorations? What kind of image is that portraying for all the young children?

Here are some cute pictures of Cameron throughout the day...

Sharks Win Again

2008-10-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Went to the San Jose Sharks game last night against the Detroit Red Wings. It was a highly anticipated game. The Red Wings knocked the Sharks out of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and the Sharks new head coach is Detroit's old assistant coach!

We watched the Sharks warm up on the ice and I took a picture of this guy because I didn't recognize his name. It turns out, his name is Jamie McGinn. He is a rookie this year, and this past Tuesday was his first NHL game! And, last night, Thursday, he scored his FIRST GOAL! He also had an assist! Such a good game for him. I thought he looked young, checked it out today and he is only 20 years old. Amazing!

Good picture of Jeremy Roenick. I heard he is retiring after this year.

Picture of Chris and I. I got the tickets as his birthday gift.

Picture of the Sharks beating the Red Wings :)

I knew the Davidson's would be at the game, but I forgot my phone at home and couldn't get in touch with them. It turned out, they were sitting in the exact same section as us and only one row below us and a few seats over! We got to ride the train home together!

I had some important talks last night and I'm grateful for a loving God that want's best for me. It was a good night of talking, laughing, cheering and closure.

Monday Night Adventure

2008-10-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Jenni, Katie, Autumn, and myself went on an adventure Monday night. We were suppose to go on a "ghost tour" of San Francisco, but due to our schedules, we couldn't make it. But, DO NOT WORRY, Jenni planned a fun night in the city for us anyways.

It was an amazing time of laughter, prayer, story telling, and dancing. I'm so blessed. Here is a little recap of our night.

We drove around with Katie's driving trying to find a parking spot. Finally found one right next to a mortuary and pretty street light, so we decided to take our picture with the street light! That weird gray thing at the bottom is the top of Katie's car!

We went to Golden Boy Pizza in Northbeach. It was super crowded. We ordered our pizza to go, so we could eat it at Coit Tower.

This is me, being strange as usual, pretending to be a pizza deliverer! :)

When we got to Coit Tower, Katie and Autumn had some fun dancing.

I'm not exactly sure what we were doing here, but this picture makes laugh!

We went into the "special door" at Ghirardelli and guess what... you get free samples of chocolate!

Then, as we were waiting for our ice cream sundaes, we had to be "touristy" and get our picture taken with the Ghirardelli sign in the background. This is next to the chocolate machines inside. FYI - did you know those chocolate machines are only "for show"? All the chocolate they make with those machines is old chocolate they will not use.

Lastly, a nice picture of Jenni and I eating the banana split on the ride home!

Such a fun Monday night!

Top 10 Cameron Phrases

2008-10-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

1. What you doin' mommy? (He asks this every 5 minutes!)

2. Mommy, I want be happy together.

3. I want snuggle you.

4. That's so siwwy, goofy! (siwwy=silly)

5. I too little. (He uses this line when he doesn't want to do something. ie: doesn't want to go to the park, doesn't want to get in his carseat, doesn't want to go say hi to someone, etc!)

6. I too busy. (He uses this line also, when he doesn't want to do something. ie: talk on the phone, play a game, eat dinner, etc!)

7. Two more minutes, mama. (He has no concept of time, but when he is really wrapped up in something he asks for two more minutes, and when its time to clean up he gets upset and says he asked for two minutes, even though realisticly he played it for an additional 10 minutes!)

8. I all done.

9. I want attack you. (uh - oh! He has been watching too much hockey and wants to attack like they do on the ice!_

10. I gotta go pee. (Hooray! Cameron is potty trained and ask by himself to go! Sometimes he asks to go even when he doesn't need to, but we are getting better about this!)

Future Motorcyle Rider

2008-10-16T10:25:00.001-07:00

I don't have much to blog about, so in the meantime I posted a few cute pictures of Cameron on Ben's motorcycle!

(Late) 2 1/2 Year Old Checkup

2008-09-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

This cute boy, Cameron Scott Connor had his 2 1/2 year old checkup appointment yesterday! He turned 2 1/2 in July, but yesterday was the soonest he could get in. This blog, really has no point or purpose, but I wanted to share something that surprised me. At the appointments they always check their height, weight, and head circumfrence and then tell you what percentile they fall into. I never thought Cameron was short, or overweight.... however, apparantly he is! haha! He fell into only the 30th percentile for height, and the 75th percentile for weight! ok ok, if he is in the percentile, he is ok, but I thought it was funny.

Big Boy Swim Lessons

2008-09-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

Cameron has moved on up with his swim lessons! For the last few months we have been doing 'mommy and me' swim class. That class is for kids 3 and under and a parent goes in the water with them, sings silly songs, play the hokey pokey, etc! He did such a great job in that class, that he has been moved up to 1A! This means I don't have to go in the water with him anymore. I took some pictures, but they didn't come out very well. Tomorrow will be his second class. Hooray for Cameron!!

Cameron's First 49er Game

2008-09-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Pre-game!!

I love him soooo much!!

TOUCHDOWN 49ers!!

Oh no... the 49ers fumbled AGAIN!!

Learning from Papa!!

On Sunday Cameron experienced his first 49er game! Yes, they lost to Arizona. For a while I thought they had a chance to win but they made so many silly mistakes. My family has had season tickets to the niners for about 28 years. I have grown up following them and will remain a faithful fan always. Cameron loves watching football at home, but he was pretty scared at the game. He cried and said it was too loud and scary. Oh well, maybe next year he will enjoy it more! Regardless, I'm glad he got to experience his first live football game!

49er faithful! :)

Concert Craziness

2008-09-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

JASON REEVES!!

TYRONE WELLS!!

THE GROUP AT CAFE DU NORD TO SEE JASON AND TYRONE!!

MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD!!

OZOMATLI!!

GNARLS BARKLEY!!

SHINGO AND I AT THE SLOW FOOD ROCKS CONCERT!!

Last weekend was filled with music! I loved it. I love live shows, but I rarely find myself going to concerts.

On Thursday, August 28, a few of us girls wento to Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. It was such a cute little venue/lounge. All dimmed in red lights with a bar and small restaurant that served good french fries! :) I had heard of Jason Reeves once before because he use to do a lot of music with Colbie Caillat. I enjoyed his songs a lot. Then it was time for Tyrone. Jenni and I ended up being in the front row. It was so much fun.

On Saturday, August 30th, my friend Shingo took me to the Slow Food Rocks concert in San Francisco. I have known Shingo for 13 years! It's so crazy, he use to be one of my Tae Kwon Do/Kickboxing teachers, but now we're wonderful friends! I was so glad he invited me to go. Medeski Martin and Wood played first. The band consists of one drummer, one bassist (he played both electric and stand up bass) and a keyboarder. (Is keyboarder a real word?) The music was amazing. I have never seen people get so into their music and their instrument! After them, The New Pornographers played. I didn't take any pictures of them, and actually didn't really listen because I was too busy eating lunch! Following them was Ozomatli. They are an awesome band that is latin influenced with a little bit of hip hop, pop, cumbea, etc. They put on such a neat show. Shingo and I ended up being in the first row and Shingo even got to shake a few of their hands as they headed into the crowd to do their last song! Finally, up last was Gnarls Barkley. I didn't stay for much of their performance, but from what I did see they did great. It was such a fun day.

I have such an appreciation for concerts. I can't wait to go to more!

Dinner With A Perfect Stranger

2008-09-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

I meant to blog about this book when I finished it. It's wonderful. I suggest reading it! :) This book made me fall even more in love with Jesus and allowed me to understand more of His character!

Cameron puts on a show #2 (The Apple Song)

2008-08-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is the better video of the two! Cameron sings the "apple" song, I believe, and he even points to who he is singing to! I think its crazy that he makes up his own songs. I mean, its jibber jabber, he isn't really saying words, but I think its precious! :)

Do I have a musician on my hands? What do you think?

Cameron puts on a show #1

2008-08-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

We all know Cameron loves music and instruments.... so he decided to put on a show for some friends. He grabbed Sam Dahlin's ukulele from Hawaii, a toy sword or whatever you want to call it, and rocked out!!!

There is another video to come!!

Joy

2008-08-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

At care groups Wednesday we sang the song "You Are My King" by Chris Tomlin. One line really stuck out to me.

"It's my JOY to honor you, in all I do"

I felt so convicted singing that line. Joy. Sometimes I get frustrated with the tasks God puts in front of me. Or, the situations I put myself in, and choose not to glorify God. But what if I always was Joyful to serve and honor God.

It doesn't say, I'm honoring you because you said I should. It doesn't say, I'm honoring you, because I'm suppose to. It doesn't say, I'm honoring you, even though I don't want to. IT SAYS I'm honoring you because you fill me with joy.

I am realizing I need to not look at God's truth as a burden, or something I have a hard time obeying, but something I should be grateful for. God has picked me as his precious child and there is a reason He wants me to honor him.

You Are My King - Chris Tomlin

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well
Your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?
That you, my king. would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
Its my joy to honor you
In all I do
I honor you

You are my king
You are my king
Jesus, You are my king
Jesus, You are my king

Let It Go

2008-08-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to write this post for weeks now. Man, where does the time go!

Over the last 4 months I have gone through such a hard but amazing process. A process of brokenness, growing, and healing. As much as it hurt, I am thankful I experienced it all. Every emotion. It took me so long to finally be able to "let go" of things and move on. Over the last month and half I finally was able to do that. It has been such a rejuvenating feeling. It's so great to know that God can teach me things and move in me whenever He wants to! :) About 2 weeks ago I got the new Andrea Hamilton CD and have been listening to it on repeat! There is one track on the cd called "Let It Go," and the first time I heard it I felt so affirmed by the lyrics. I felt like she was singing about my last four months and finally affirming me in the decision I made over the last 5 weeks. I know God has something amazing in store for me!

These are the lyrics:

Remember how we got started*
Empty handed but open hearted*
Arms wide nothing to hide nothing to prove*
We weren't scared of anything*
Stepping out and jumping in*
To whatever our hearts wanted to do*
Then what happened, I gave it all I had*
Why did it hurt me so bad*
Oh just let it go*
Somehow we got stranded*
Wounded, misunderstanding*
and love hardly feels inviting anymore*
The past got buried in pride*
It's hard to hold but easy to hide*
and I can tell it's weighing on my soul*
Is it worth it, when I take a look inside*
all the heartache I find*
Oh just let it go*
Oh just let it go*
It's safe between the walls we build*
Tall with stones and anger filled*
But it's lonely and it's cold*
Oh just let it go*
Oh just let it go*
You were told a lie, let it go*
Tired of trying, let it go*
You're worried about tomorrow, let it go*
Full of pain and sorrow, let it go*
If you're angry about the past, love that didn't last*
Dreams that died too fast, let it go*
Oh just let it go*

God is constantly teaching me lessons and humbling me. I love knowing that I have such a wonderful Savior on my side who is willing to listen to me cry, and be mad and angry, and yet God has such a divine plan for me and He can't wait until I walk in His path to find it and give praises to Him!

Check out Andrea Hamilton's music too! Its amazing!
www.myspace.com/andreahamiltonmusic
www.andreahamiltononline.com

POTTY TRAINED!!!

2008-07-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this post is all about pee and poop - don't think i'm weird!! :)

Whoo Hoo!!! It's official (I think) that Cameron is potty trained. Its been about 2 weeks since we started trying. First, it was an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon he wore his underwear.... and there were definitely some accidents. Thankfully no major ones. All the other moms at daycare are trying to work on potty training with their kids too. Unfortunately, they have all had to clean up dirty poop underwear!! haha, but Cameron has not blessed me with that gift yet! Hopefully he never does! For the last 3 days he has gone all day long in big boy underwear. NO MORE DIAPERS! Cameron first started calling his underwear panties... I put an end to that one quickly, and was trying to teach him the word underwear, but a boy at his daycare started calling his underwear chonies, and cameron got hooked on that name. So Cameron will say he is wearing his big boy chonies. He is excited every time he goes because he gets a goody. He has started getting tricky though, he will go to the bathroom, get a goody, and then say he has to go again right after.... and sure enough he does! and he wants a second goody. That tricky boy. Do it all in one sitting! HAHAHA. Enough about my lovely post! I've posted some akward pictures that I'm sure Cameron will be so embarrassed when he gets older. Maybe I should be embarrassed I took them! :)

Learning How To Bend

2008-07-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm still learning how to pray
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust

I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend

I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand

OK, so I don't necessarily understand the "learning how to bend" part of the lyrics but I have been in love with this song since it came out. Yes, it is a COUNTRY song, and its sung by Gary Allan.

I love that I am constantly reminded how good God is. Whether it be hanging out with people and having good conversations, or listening to a song that has thought provoking lyrics.

This song always makes me think. I get so frustrated with God sometimes. I don't understand why He does the things He does. Why He puts people in your life and rips them away. Why He makes us learn the hard way sometimes. But, God does so many great things too. And everytime I hear that last verse I am reminded that I don't need to know why God does what He does. I need to be content in Him and TRUST God. I need to be able to comprehend that God does have a bigger plan.

I love knowing that truth. And of course, I always need the little reminders when I forget!

God is SOOO Good! :)

Question Time

2008-07-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

SOOOO... I knew the time would come that Cameron would start asking "daddy" questions but I don't think I was really expecting it to happen NOW! I mean, he has always been pretty aware of other kids dads, especially at daycare since dads come to pick up his friends but it never made him think or wonder why he didnt have one. The other day he started asking for his dad, and crying because he wanted his daddy. SO RANDOM! I knew from the beginning it would be a sticky situation but I could explain it to him, although I dont think at 2 he can really comprehend any explanation I give him. I'm not writing this for any reason in particular, but I wanted to share the last part of this story. This morning I tried waking him up so I could get him ready and we could leave for the morning. When I did, he started crying, and guess what he asked said!? "I want my daddy now, no mommy no. Go away" HAHAHA oh man. I continued waking him up and started getting him dressed and decided to pursue a conversation with him about it. I asked him why he wanted his dad and who was that? because obviously he has never met him. His response was. My Daddy is CHURCH! I thought that was so cute. Atleast he is kinda getting the concept that God is his father. God fathers the fatherless :) I want to thank all of the awesome men in community that are coming around Cameron and loving on him. I'm so grateful for you guys helping me raise him into a man of Christ. He needs you men and will continue to need you. Thanks so much!

sorry, that was a weird post!

Kaden Michael

2008-06-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

I meant to blog about this a while ago, but my internet at home wasn't working. My sweet friend Melinda had her precious baby boy on Wednesday June 11 at 3:54 pm. He was 8 lbs 9 oz, 21 1/2" long and his name is Kaden Michael Dodson. Now, Kaylie is officially a BIG sister! :) I drove down to Fresno last monday after work and visited with all of them. It was a quick, exhausting trip, but I am so glad I did it. I cannot wait to see Kaylie and Kaden continue to grow into the wonderful kids they are! Cameron had a great time on the visit. We got to go visit their daddy at the firestation and he shared his scooter with Kaylie! Enjoy the pictures! PS-Doesn't Melinda look great in these pictures considering, she had a baby 5 days earlier! MILF! :)

The Modern Fairy Tale...

2008-06-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Nikki for sending me this. It gave me a much needed laugh today.
ps - sorry for the bad word at the end! haha

This is the fairy tale that should have been read to us when we were little:

Once upon a time

~~~~~~~~

in a land far away,

~~~~~~~~

a beautiful, independent,

self-assured princess

~~~~~~~~

happened upon a frog as she sat

contemplating ecological issues

on the shores of an unpolluted pond

in a verdant meadow near her castle.

~~~~~~~~

The frog hopped into the princess' lap

and said: ' Elegant Lady,

I was once a handsome prince,

until an evil witch cast a spell upon me.

~~~~~~~~

One kiss from you, however,

and I will turn back

into the dapper, young prince that I am

~~~~~~~~

and then, my sweet, we can marry

~~~~~~~~

and set up housekeeping in your castle

~~~~~~~~

with my mother,

~~~~~~~~

where you can prepare my meals,

~~~~~~~~

clean my clothes, bear my children,

~~~~~~~~

and forever feel

grateful and happy doing so. '

~~~~~~~~

That night,

~~~~~~~~

as the princess dined sumptuously

~~~~~~~~

on lightly sauteed frog legs

~~~~~~~~

seasoned in a white wine

~~~~~~~

and onion cream sauce,

~~~~~~~~

she chuckled and thought to herself:

~~~~~~~~

I don't fuckin think so.

I finally get it!

2008-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I went to my cousin Amy's wedding in Texas. It was a beautiful wedding. I love weddings and I have so many friends getting married. Well, my cousin Amy and Anthony just got back from their honeymoon and her "new" husbands status on facebook this morning was... "Anthony Hilbers is finally married to the woman of his dreams!" Isn't that sweet? I read that and of course I gushed and was so happy and excited for Amy. And what an awesome guy to say that and really, genuinely feel that! After I soaked it in, I got sad for myself. I get so selfish sometimes. Of course, I started wondering if any man would really ever feel that way for me, or am I going to be single forever... blah blah blah. BUT, as I was driving after work to go pick up Cameron, I was praying and noticed how beautiful the hills looked, and then BAM all of a sudden I got it. I realized that God looks at me just like that. God loves me just as much, even more! Not only is God my Father, and my brother, but He is my lover, my romancer. God pursues me. He loves me. Unconditionally. I feel so content and happy and free. How has it taken me so long to understand who God really and truly is!? I feel and see God in such a different way. Its amazing.

Here is a verse from the Song "Beautiful" by Bethany Dillon

You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful

Also, here is an awesome verse

Psalm 59:17
O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

How Great

2008-05-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, I was driving in my car on my way to meet my friend Alaina and her son Dylan. I had just changed cd's in the car and put in the Chris Tomlin cd I bought about a month ago. I was just driving along paying attention to the road when all of a sudden I heard Cameron start singing along to the song playing! I couldn't believe what I heard. I started the song over, and sure enough he was singing the chorus of the song everytime it came on. He was singing, "great our God, great our God" incase you are unsure, he was singing to the song "How Great i and has Our God!" Isn't that so precious! I started laughing so hard. I even had to take a picture at a red light because I thought it was so darn cute. What a sweet boy. It made me realize too, what a sponge he is. Cameron really pays attention to everything and notices much more that I realize he does. I'm such a blessed mommy.
.

Fear

2008-05-20T19:44:00.001-07:00

So, I tend to find myself being fearful of things and stressed over things. Generally, they end up being silly, but sometimes legit.

Today I found myself in so many odd situations that made me fearful. At work the main stone machine stopped working and the manufacturer of the machine is in Italy with no shops in the US. It was so stressful all morning long. It doesn't help that my boss handles his anger and frustration by yelling. I sat at my desk basically ducking behind the printer all morning. It would have probably looked funny. Thankfully, by early afternoon they got the machine running without having to fly someone out from Italy! :) Sometimes at work I have to make bad phone calls, for example, a job is running behind and we can't install as soon as they had anticipated, or calling people and asking for overdue payments. I know it is only a job, but I always tend to get fearful because I hate being the "bad guy."

Also, today, I got a text message from someone who wanted to talk. Now, usually that isnt a bad thing, but after receiving the message I got really fearful and nervous. What is wrong with me today?

I then began thinking how silly I am. Just last night in bible study we finished reading through Galations. Some of the background from Galations was Acts 13 and 14, so we read through that too. One verse specifically stood out to me when I was thinking of fear today.

Acts 14:19-20
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and walked back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

Isn't that crazy that Paul, after being stoned and left for dead, ended up walking back into the city?

That is so cool that he trusts so much in God, that he was not fearful.

We also ended up going through Psalm 112 last night, and again, it talks about fear.

Psalm 112:7-8
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

And finally, we just finished Galations, and have decided to start studying Ephesians this week. Well, it just so happens that in Ephesians it gives an awesome verse to help me in my "talk"

Ephesians 4:2-3
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Do you think all of that is coincidence? Or God awesomeness?
I think God awesomeness :)

God is constantly teaching me and reminding me to trust in him and not have fear. With God on my side, what do I have to fear? We will all still experience hurt and sadness im sure, but God is always with us.

It also reminds me of this really cool Chris Tomlin Song
"On Our Side"

Everyone around the world
Hear the joyful sound
See the heavens open up
Hear the music coming down
Nothing's gonna separate us from the Father's love
I can't help but celebrate
'Cause we're not alone

If God is on our side
Who can be against us?
If God is on our side
We won't be afraid
Though the mountains may fall
And the sky will crumble
There ain't nothin' gonna stand in our way

Come on down to the riverside
Wash it all away
Leave behind your troubled mind
For an uncloudy day
Nothing's gonna separate us from the Father's love
I can't help but celebrate
'Cause we're not alone