My Best Shot Monday - #3

I love watching the all of the new growth emerge in all aspects of spring.

30 Day Dance Challenge

My good friend Cynthia [my mom's best friend] is hosting a 30 Day Dance Challenge starting this Tuesday! 

I'm in! Are you?

Spring Swap Package

So I sent out the package for the spring swap a few days ago [but didn't take pictures before i sent it, oops!] and when I opened my front door this morning, look what was waiting for me!

I quickly tore it open and found a cute spring card,

an adorable magic expandable washcloth that says "Bee Happy",

and a great red bag that's perfect for summer!

[And anyone who knows me, knows that I collect bags =) ]

Thanks Brandy!

Friday Favorites - #4

Happy Friday!

My Friday Favorites this week are very exciting as yesterday we added two new members to our family. 

But First, my favorite post..

Big Box 2.0 - Nothing beats the excitement of opening a package... though this package is special, as it costs a few thousand dollars and it lets an adorable 9-year-old easily communicate with the outside world.. and it's Hot Pink!

So onto our now bigger family...My mom saw these beautiful canaries in the pet store back in February when we were looking to get me fish. She has wanted one since and because the one she wanted needed a friend [haha, of course!] we ended up with two! As of yesterday, two adorable canaries now reside as the newest members of our family.

[I apologize for the not so great shots, I had to stick the lens in the hole of the birdcage and try to snap it quickly as they don't sit still for long.]

Meet Monet and Thiebauld [pronounced T-bow] after my mom's two favorite artists.

Monet

Thiebauld

They've quickly become friends.

Just for the record, we officially have a zoo. Two cats, two fish, two birds and a dog.

I've also decided to post pictures of my two fish as I realized I havn't done that yet. 

This is Aphrodite [named after the Greek goddess of love] and Juno [named after the Roman goddess of woman in marriage, who the Romans created Valentine's day in honor of]. 

Aphrodite

Juno

[I love his little red fin. (Which can be seen if you click on the picture to enlarge it)]

Hope your week was filled with good times!

Thursday Thirteen #3

Banner Compliments of Samulli

I figured that since it's now officially Springtime, I'd post 13 of my favorite flowers. [In no particular order.]

So here goes...

13 Of My Favorite Flowers

1. Orchids

2. Bird of Paradise

3. Stargazer Lilies

4. Sunflowers

5. Sweet Alyssum

6. Snap Dragons

7. Honeysuckle

8. Morning Glories

9. Lavender

10. California Golden Poppies

11. Gardenias

12. Lily of the Valley

13. Roses 

My parents love gardening. In the back yard of the house I grew up in, we had around 10 rose bushes. These were huge, beautiful bushes that lasted a good 10 years [maybe more, but that's when we moved] in every color imaginable of perfect, long-stemmed Roses. My dad loved these bushes and devoted part of each day tending to them to keep them healthy. When Spring rolled around, we'd have such an abundance of Roses that we'd have many bouquets all around the house all the time and would still have the bushes look as though nothing had been taken from them. I also brought a Rose to my teachers almost every day for the entirety of my elementary school life.

Now every time I see a Rose, it takes me back to the simplicity of my childhood and watching my dad in the garden.

On a completely different subject, some of you asked why I was in the ER the other night. I've had an ongoing migraine for 2 months solid. One long strange migraine behind one eye thats also causing me to see black spots. I ended up in the ER as it was getting unbearable and was greatly affecting my balance to the point where I couldn't stand or walk a straight line. So after sitting in the waiting room for 3 and a half hours I was hooked up and pumped with medication and then sent home. [And then woke up and the migraine was back...UGH]

No doctor has been able to give me a reason for it yet [from my primary doctor all the way to the neurologist] but at least I'm able to have a bit more of my balance back.

So thanks for the concern and yes, I'm fine. =]

[Edit: P.S. All of the picture's sources can be found by clicking on them]

My Best Wordless Wednesday Morning

I've decided to do "My Best Shot Monday" way early Wednesday morning as Monday night [last night] I was in the ER and I have not had the energy to post anything since then. [I've also been so loopy that I don't think it would have been possible..heh] 

So here's a quick mix of "My Best Shot Monday" and "Wordless Wednesday".

Have a good night!

The R-Word

Every day I come across this word. It's become an overused word in many people in our society's everyday vocabulary. I'll simply be having a conversation and people around me will speak it. Every time I hear it, I shudder. 

Retard.

I have had the immense pleasure in my life to come across some beautiful people with disabilities. From Autism to Down Syndrome to Cerebral Palsy these are people who seem to shine even brighter than the average person. 

These people work incredibly hard to get by in their lives and deal with much of society looking down on them, the people facing more discrimination than most of us will in our lives, treating them as though they don't understand.

They Do.

These people deserve respect as much as the next person. They understand so much more than many give them credit for. They're doing what we're all are, trying to succeed in life.

There is no reason to treat others with disrespect. None at all. And when the "R-word" is uttered, that respect gets thrown straight out the window.

So I'm taking a stand along with so many others. 

To End The "R-Word".

People fear what they don't understand. So many use this word unknowing to how they're affecting someone, may it be friend, family or the person with a disability.

So we need to educate.

This word has no use other than as a medical diagnosis. We don't go around calling people by their medical diagnosis'. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've never heard someone called Diabetes, have you?

Spread The Word To End The Word.

I'll leave you with the motto of the Special Olympics [in which all the athletes have disabilities],

"Let me win but if I can not win let me be brave in the attempt"

Friday Favorites - #3 And An Award!

Happy Friday!!

Now for the things that got me through this week:

Favorite Post:

What My Kids Think of Me at The Polka Dot Daisy

Favorite Food:

POM Pomegranate Peach Passion White Iced Tea

Yummy!

Favorite Show:

Big Love

Big Love is a show that my sister, mom and I get together every Sunday night to watch. There was a big uproar over this past episode as the show showed a sacred ceremony. 

There were many people upset about this and I completely understand why. 

But I [coming from a non-Mormon household] loved seeing how beautiful this ceremony was. The three of us [my sister, mom and I] were all teary-eyed while watching it. [As a side note, I was raised by a mother who got teased growing up that she could "cry over soapbox commercials" heh]I feel privileged to be given the [Hollywood-ized] chance to see something so special to this group of people. 

Favorite Times:

-I've spent the entire week on the lookout for things to use for the Spring Swap I'm participating in. I still have to box it all up and get it sent out by Wednesday. I've had so much fun with it.

-This past weekend I went on a trip to Carmel, CA for "Family Christmas" [yes, I know it's March]. Family Christmas is a group of Families that have been getting together for over 30 years and most grew up together. It's wonderful to watch the group evolve as the kids I grew up with are now getting married and having kids. There are now three generations in the group. And this past gathering we found out that 2 of the women [that married into the family within the last 3 years] are pregnant! So exciting!

I feel honored to have received this award from the amazing Tanielle over at The Polka Dot Daisy! She's got the most adorable kids and her blog is where I go when I need my daily dose of laughter.

The rules of this award are to tell seven things I love and pass it on to seven bloggers I love.

Things I love:

1. Dancing

2. Flowers

3. Fairies

4. Rainbows

5. My Camera

6. Traveling

7. New Experiences

Bloggers I love:

1. Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes

2. Kacey at Ella Grace With The Pretty Face

3. Kele at Giles Family Of 5

4. Heather at Little Wonders

5. Kerri at Messes and Mudpies

6. Jennifer at Moix Madness

7. Melanie at Giving Without Spending

Thursday Thirteen #2

Banner created by Samulli

I'm not sure how this week has gone by so fast but it is indeed once again Thursday.

So here are my Thursday 13.

My Favorite 13 Places [Thus Far]

1. My Godparent's Farm

My godparents live on a farm [around 13 acres] in the state of Washington. The farm was passed down to my godmother by her grandmother. My godfather built a beautiful house on the property from the ground up. It's such an incredibly peaceful place. I've spent some of my favorite memories there from hiking to pick blackberries with my godfather to making mayonaise from scratch with my godmother.

2. Scotland

Four years ago I took a trip to Scotland with my family. We visited many castles and got the chance to stay at a beautiful B&B on Loch Locky. Loch Locky is one of the homes of large unknown sea creatures at 11 miles long and 500 feet deep. Surrounded by green hills it's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Edinburgh is also one of the most unique places I've been with a city street and being able to just turn and see rolling hills and a castle.

3. The Outer Banks of North Carolina

I spent part of my summer there last year with 3 of my best friends and through the lightning storms and climbing to the top of the Currituk Lighthouse to trudging through the heavy white sand I had a wonderful time.

4. Capitola, California

Capitola is a beach town in California in the Santa Cruz mountains. My childhood consisted of many weekends with my dad driving up into the hills and spending the day at the beach with our ice cream and homemade waffle cones in hand.

5. Carmel, California

My dad lived in Carmel numerous times during his childhood. My mom and dad got married and had their first house in Carmel as well. It's a magical place where the ocean is always a vibrant color and sparkles in the sun. 

6. Lake Tahoe

If you've ever been to Lake Tahoe you know the beauty. I'm honored to be able to say that I got the chance to live there for 4 years of my life. While I'm not a winter sports person I love the snow and the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning with the feeling of being in a snow globe.

7. Hawaii

While I'm not a fan of the humid weather I'm a fan of the culture. Luaus are amazing with the food, dancing and fire. I'm also fascinated with the cooking of the pig in the ground [though I don't eat it.]

8. London, England

I grew up as the younger sister of an actress. I've acted as well for quite a bit of my life but I've found I much prefer to be behind the scenes or in the audience. I especially love musicals. I first went to london when I was 9 years old and loved getting lost in the world of The Lion King, Chicago, Fame and numerous other shows. I've gone back a couple of times since then and have found that the wonderful world of the stage is still there. 

9. San Francisco, California

I grew up in the Bay Area and have always enjoyed going to Giant's games. I remember spending one of my one-digit birthdays in San Francisco at the teddy bear factory with my mom as my sister was in drama classes. I also think it's amazing to walk down the street and see the extreme diversity of people. 

10. Ireland

Simply stated, I've never seen a place so incredibly green and full of life.

11. Caribbean Islands

As a photographer I love to shoot hundreds of pictures when I go to new places. [Thank you digital technology!] I've realized when reviewing my pictures [from every trip in the Caribbean] that all of the photos turned out wonderfully. The setting really doesn't allow for a bad picture. And the most colorful sunsets I've ever seen.

12. France

While I haven't been back to France since I was 9, I still remember the architecture. From the Arch de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower, looking to the sky the structures were massive [once again it may be because of my size at the time] and detailed.

13. Home

I've been blessed to have had the chance to travel as much as I have. I've also lived in numerous different houses up until this point. But no place I have ever been compares to sitting around a table with the people that mean the most to me in the place I call home.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For years as I was growing up I always looked forward to St. Patrick's Day.

One year at school, a page of math problems led us to find a pot of gold in the bush, another year we followed green leprechaun prints all over the school that had us digging in the sandbox for the key to the treasure chest.

I'd come home to find my room and the house upside down and in shambles. It always ended up with finding quarters around our room, a pack of starburst on top of the television or hershey kisses decorating the bed. 

Though my family is past that, this day always brings back wonderful memories. 

Don't forget to wear your green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I Love You More Than..Swaps!

This is my version of "I love you more than ______."

It's an interesting site and some quite fun answers of what people really feel love is.

Click on my heart to visit their website. 

Today was the day to send out the package for April Shower's Craft Swap!

I sent mine out to Kristinia aka Loving Heart Mommy.

I'm really excited to see if she likes it!

This is a sneak peak of most of the package's contents.