water and ice

Water and Ice is one of our favorite places to visit during the summer. We make weekly, if not, daily trips there. Not only do they sell the best Hawaiian shaved ice but they see Thrifty Ice Cream. Who doesn't love Thrifty Ice Cream?! Although when I get there the shaved ice looks so good I choose that over the Ice Cream.
Another summer favorite is Sonic....OH how we love Sonic!! Lemon Berry Slushes! White Coconut Slushes!! Coke!! mmmmmmmm.
Random fact - I love summer...even in Phoenix!

not the black ones

Scott and Lori are here. We're all having so much fun...as usual. Of course, we've spent time in the pool, sat out under a shady tree, gone to water & ice, Wal-Mart, and Safeway...and the best part...they got to watch me work all morning!! Because there's nothing like hearing me take 800 calls from customers who have left their fiance's ring in the glove box to customers who can't turn in their truck because they're in jail to customers who were locked in their storage facility all night. They just loved listening to it all. Random fact - I love Red Vines...but not the black ones.

in my opinion

I can't believe it...I failed at my own challenge!! I didn't post last night. But I have a good excuse...I was tired!! Exhausted!! practically dead!! I love my job but the hours are taking some getting used to. We're expecting our best friends in town tonight from San Diego. I'll be in dreamland before they get here but they understand. I love them! We have the best times when they are here...we don't stop laughing. Random fact - I grew up in San Diego...on the beach half the time and on a softball field the other half. I love San Diego...go back whenever I can. I have such fond memories of that place. There's no memory like a childhood memory...at least in my opinion.

all for a car

So I worked the 4am to 2:30 shift....it killed me. First off, I didn't get enough sleep last night. I kept waking up thinking I was late for work. And secondly, 10 and a half hours is a long time to be sitting in the same spot. I do like it though. By the time Jarom gets up I'm halfway done with my shift. And I take my lunch right when he gets up. My sitter gets here right before I go back up to my office and it all works out perfectly. At least for today it did. Next week will be easier because the kids will be home to help me when Jarom gets up. I just have to keep telling myself that this is all for a car. Once I get my car, I don't have to work so hard. Random fact for the day - my first car was a Honda Accord...I ran that thing ragged!!

wish me luck

I have to work at 4 am tomorrow!! I know not how I will do this. Thank goodness it is in my own room and I only have to get up 15 minutes early otherwise I'd really be in bad shape getting up any earlier than that. I could kick myself for signing up to work this early. But I did it with my kids in mind. Wish me luck..as this is the first time I log in at 4 am. Random fact - My favorite diet drink is slim fast...mmmmm, stawberries n cream on ice.

only a number

my random fact for the day is this - I love sleeping with my kiddos. It makes me feel "needed" and "loved". And they love to sleep with me too. So it works out great. It just doesn't happen too often...Steve says their getting too old. I say...Age is only a number!! Much too overrated in my book!

in case you were wondering

My parents packed up their car and left yesterday. They decided they needed a little break from us so they headed to Lone Star State. There's something about Texas that I just love. Back when times weren't so tough, I'd go 2 or 3 times a year. The kids and I would load up the car and drive...and drive...and drive. And after 15 hours of nothing but blaring music and singing at the top of our lungs we'd finally reach our destination. And oh, how we loved it. We'd drive by all of our favorite places and talk about times past, we'd eat at our favorite places, and we'd chill. Until the humidity would remind us of why we love Arizona and then we'd hop in the car and come back home. And we all know... There's no place like home!!

Random fact - I was born in San Antonio, Texas....in case you were wondering.

exhausted

seems I'm saying this more and more lately but it must be because it's true...I'm tired!! Exhausted actually. We had a party over here today for my friends son who is graduating. Random fact - I love to look out of my back window and see a yard full of people and pool full of kids for these are great memories in the making for my children.

Corporate America

My 2 week training downtown is officially over. How happy I am that I don't have to wake up so early or get home so late. Truth is, though, that I like the whole Corporate America thing. I think it would be cool to work downtown, live downtown, ride the lightrail everywhere. It's a whole different lifestyle. But even cooler than that, is this...which I wouldn't trade for the world!!
Random fact - I don't have a single pic of all 7 of us dressed up.

Bunco

Went to Bunco tonight...SO fun!! We laughed so hard all night long. And now, I want to be a cop for the lightrail system. Random fact-I've been in 3 bunco groups in my life...this one is definitely my favorite!.

softball

Tonight I'm tired...I'm really tired. So my random fact is this...My favorite sport is softball. I love it. I love to play it and I love to watch it.

missed the freak show

I fell asleep on the lightrail this morning...it was some of the best sleep I've gotten in 2 weeks. So I thought, I should try that again on the way home...and I did. And I liked it!! Now I know where to go when I want some good rest. Either that, or I'm just so exhausted any sleep feels good right now. I don't know why I'm so tired though. I've been going to bed before 11 every night. I do get up to pee every hour on the hour but then I fall right back to sleep. Maybe it's uninterrupted sleep that I need. Who knows. I did miss the daily lightrail freak show but that's okay. There were no bags under these eyes. And the freaks will still be there tomorrow. Random fact for the day...I love my sleep!!

Nickname

I copied my random fact for the night, due to lack of sleep and braincells. It is an idea from my friend Jolene...what's your nickname...and I have a few. My parents, uncles, aunts and grandparents call me Mija (sounds like me-ha), By brothers, cousins, best friends and anyone who knew me under the age of 18 call me Juls, and sometimes my little brother lets the past catch up to him and he calls me Jubes. My kids call me Mom, my hubby calls me Woman, babe, and in his cell phone I'm "mi carino" which I'm not sure what that means. Oh, and my church family calls me Sister Wright. I think that's it. I love them all and answer to them all so feel free to call me whatever you want. As long as it's not bad.

schmucks

Some of my nieces and nephews think I am so mean!! Which totally cracks me up because I think I am such a softee when it comes to kids. Hubby and I have such different ways of dealing with them. My kids totally know what they can get away with when it comes to me. And they know they can't get away with anything when it comes to hubby. Whatever hubby asks of them always gets done...immediately!! However, whatever I ask of them always gets done too. The difference is that when they're done doing it for dad everyones in a bad mood because they got in trouble for trying to schmooze their way out of it. When they're done doing things for me, they're always laughing because I take their schmoozing lightly. I joke with them and tell them what schmucks they are and what they look like when they're mad and pouting. For the most part we have fun. Don't get me wrong, hubby has fun with them too, but after the chores are done. I don't know what even got me thinking of this...other than the fact that I found some photos that one of the schmucks (Jarom) got ahold of in my computer. And thought to myself that even when they're bad...they're so stinkin funny!! Take a look at his handy artwork. Here we've got a beautiful sunset. Taken when we were traveling from Tx to Az one March evening. Apparently, Jarom found it a little boring in it's original state and added his own touch...Next we've got one of my favorite pictures, the legs of the family, including my niece and nephew. Again, another added touch from Jarom...this time a little more agressively. This last one though, has me wondering if we need to put the boy in therapy. Here was a beautiful full body shot of him from this past Christmas. Dressed in his little Christmas suit looking as cute as all get up. Obviously, he didn't like the suit as much as we did. Look at that...you can't see any of him!! Now that I think about it, I wonder if one of those older ones helped...this is too good to have been done all by himself...Little brats. Random fact for the day...I love kids! I really love kids.

time

It's funny how time flies. One day you're looking your newborn baby in the eyes wondering how you could ever love something so much and the next you're seeing him off to college. It feels like just yesterday we moved into where we are now yet here we are 2 years later. Jarom's no longer a baby, Josh now has a baby, Stephs in Jr high, Justin's almost 16 and Jared's in the double digits!! I want them to be little again. But they're not. I want to live in my old house again. But I don't. And so, time will keep ticking...and my babies will keep growing. Justin will leave on his mission only 3 years, then Jared, then Jarom. And slowly they'll move out. Until it's just Steve and I...
random fact - I hate time. It makes things go by so fast!

in no certain order

I love DVR. It ensures I can watch whatever I want whenever I want. In our house, there are a few shows that are set to record the series...faithfully! They are, in no certain order, NCIS, Dateline, 20/20, Young and the Restless, American Idol, and Undercover Boss. I've been getting up at 5am all week. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow (Saturday)? Other than sleeping in, I'm watching all the shows I missed this week!! I can't wait!
random fact - I LOVE Dateline!!

3 pounds

I decided to weigh myself on Monday at work. After stepping off of the scale I vowed never to let Coke touch my lips again. I have since been eating broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and Coke Zero for lunch. I switched my breakfast to a yogurt and a banana. So today I was walking by the scale again. I decided to see if it made a difference yet...it did. I lost 3 pounds!! Random fact...I miss my Coke.

tattoos

When I was 19 years old, I drove to my parents house one Saturday night, sat down at the table with them and advised them that I would be getting a tattoo. A floral band around my ankle. Probably some small daisies or maybe even plumeria but it would be around my ankle for sure!They had just gotten home from a party and so Dad was a little tipsy. Just to set things straight my parents don't drink anymore. But when they did, Dad was always very serious and a little emotional when it came to me. So when his only daughter told him that she was about to tattoo herself, lets just say, he didn't take it well. He was so sad. A few minutes later, as mom and I were still sitting there talking to eachother I looked to the end of the table and there sat dad...just shook his head, stared down at the ground and said "she's gettin' a tattoo"...totally oblivious to the fact that I was sitting right there at the table with him. Well, I have always and still do look for approval from my parents. There's not much I do without first consulting with them. So, when Daddy made it completely clear that he was not okay with this, I dropped it. Random fact for the day...I don't have any tattoos.

for the birds

I've been taking the light rail into downtown lately. Get up at 5, leave home by 6, get to the light rail by 6:40, get downtown by 7:40 and do it all again after work. I get off at 2:15, get on the light rail at 2:30, back into Mesa at 3:20, and home right before 4. Anyways, spending all of this time on the light rail has taught me one thing...there are some serious freaks in this world!! Random fact for the day I hate getting up early!! 5am is for the birds!!

Beck

My friend Becky from Tx came to town this weekend. I was so happy to see her!! We hadn't seen each other in 19 years!! and it was like we picked up right where we left off. That's how friendships should be...don't you agree? Anyways, we talked, ate, laughed, ate again, laughed so hard, and then...We. Did. Zumba!! O-my-goodness!!! I've have never seen anyones hips move so fast in my life!! This girl can dance! She even had my hubby sitting on the bed in a trance...just watching her hips. And I can't blame him...it was like nothing I'd ever seen. She's an instructor so I was expecting greatness but not like that!! Anyways, we had a great visit.
Random fact: my family drinks out of pickle jars....which is one of the reasons we laughed so hard! Here she is modeling my fine china..Thanks for coming Beck...can't wait til next time!!

Breakfast in bed

What a wonderful Mothers Day!! I got to spend it with My own beautiful mother and my 2 mother in laws. We BBQ'd chicken and baby back ribs....sooooo yummy!! I got lots of wonderful gifts from various people but I have to say that my favorite thing was breakfast in bed. My daughter got up extra early to make me breakfast and serve it to me in bed. The menu consisted of PopTarts (golden toasted) and Iced Milk...breakfast of champs!! I love it!

random "me" fact for the day...Frosted Strawberry PopTarts are my fav!!

tomatoes

Steph and I have been growing some tomatoes this year...along with some cilantro and some habanero peppers. We've never planted anything edible before. Every year I do a garden but it is a floral garden. So this has been new to us and to be honest, we have done no research. We just brought it home, watered it and loved it. We noticed some green, grape sized growths on our tomato plant recently...lo and behold, a few days later, they started turning red. How happy were we!! SOOOO happy.So happy, Stephs eyes began to look like little tomatoes to me.

random fact..I love tomatoes!! Especially little ones that I can just pop right into my mouth!

What I've always wanted

My mother took me out for a much needed pedicure yesterday. Back when we weren't poor, this was something I was able to do quite often...like every 2 to 3 weeks. Now, it's something I do only in my dreams. It had been almost 2 years since my last one so when mama suggested it, I gladly accepted. One of my favorite things about getting a pedicure is picking out the color. Not that it ever changes but I like reading the names of the OPI colors. They're so...random. One of my all time fav colors is one called "I'm not really a waitress red", I wore that one for like a year straight. Then there's "that's an el of a color!" which, too, is very pretty and quite addicting. That one accompanied me for about 6 months. My new fav, which I have at home and is the only one I use..I even took it with me yesterday is "What I've always wanted". You can't tell by the pic but it's somewhat shimmery and the shimmer is like a gold tinted shimmer....hard to explain....but it truly is what I've always wanted! So thanks mom! Love ya! And my feet love ya too.

the midwest

Today was another really busy day. And tonight is another really sleepy night. So I will give you 1, only 1, random fact and then go to bed. I once hitch-hiked across the midwest...Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. I truly am lucky to be alive!

bugs

busy day....so tired...my random fact for the day is simple...I hate bugs! Not only do I hate them but am deathly afraid of them. I do believe that someone must have tortured me with them as a child for this fear I have is not normal.

average

I am 5'5 and my shoe size is an 8 which according to answerbag is average for both. Guess average isn't so bad after all. I could be 4'9 with size 11 feet. Now that would be bad.

A - 36

My friend Jolene has decided to take the challenge. And she's doing quite well I might add. Anyways, she has decided to do the ABC's of me to take up for 26 days of her month...smart thinking. Although I will not do the whole alphabet with her, I will copy her today...and a few more times this month...Maybe. So today, she is on A for Age...what?! I have to reveal my age!! Who the heck cares?! It's only a number, right? Well, obviously, Jolene cares. So for Jolene, and the rest of the inquiring minds who just have to know...It's 36...I'm 36 years old!! Born on a Tuesday evening in March in San Antonio, Texas. And you? How old might you be?

I love it

This morning we slept in, which felt so good. We usually wake up promptly at 7:30 for church and leave here at 8:45 but this morning at 5am when my head was pounding like nothing I've ever felt before, I decided to sleep in and miss church. Something I already regreat doing. Why? Because I always feel so guilty missing church. I feel like I'm not setting a good example for my children. Anyways, we got up at about 9:30, I showered, and Steph made breakfast. Then we decided, who knows why, that we would watch Rocky. And when it was over, we decided we would watch Rocky 2, and before I knew it, we had watched all 5 Rockys'. Which brings me to my random fact for the day. In case any of you didn't already know this. I love to fight. Isn't that horrible? I do. Of course, I wouldn't just walk up and pick a fight with someone but let me tell you, I sure wouldn't back down if someone challenged me. I know now that I'm a bit older and a lot heavier I would probably get my butt kicked but I'd still love it. I also know that it's not a Christlike thing to do and no lady who wants to be called a lady should ever do it which is why I haven't gotten into a fight in quite a few years. Would still talk the trash though. A horrible thing I know. But none-the-less, a random fact you didn't know about me before.

The month of me

I know facebook has been out for awhile but for the most part I think most of us didn't become as addicted as we are until recently...like in the past year recent. For myself, at least, this addiction to Facebook has really affected my enthusiasm for and attitude towards blogging. For starters, I think more people are on facebook so the minute they log on, they can see what you have written. With blogging, you have to hope they remember you have one and check it to see what you have to say for that day. And don't ask me why but most people don't tend to comment on blogger. You write something on facebook and everyone comments. So, for the most part...I think people are just facebooking a little more and blogging a little less. I, for sure, know that I have slacked waaaayyy too much when it comes to blogging. SO in an effort to keep up with the blogging community, I have thought of a challenge for us all. It is for those of us who "never know what to write about" or "don't think anyone wants to hear what I have to say". We will call it "the month of me". Everyday in the month of May we have to write one random thing about ourselves. If all you want to say is that you love onions, then that's all you have to say. BUT you have to do it every day to win the challenge. I'll start. K?
I love Dove products!! I use their shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, mousse, hairspray, EVERYTHING!! It all just smells soooo good. What's your brand of preference when it comes to the shower? C'mon peeps...you can do this. Oh and the grand prize...A giftcard...for one of my many mentions this month...but I can't tell you what....yet!