Thelma and Louise Who?!?

My sister Amy is on her way here RIGHT now to jump in my car and get on the road for the long drive to New Mexico. We are gathering with the rest of our family and many extended family to gather and celebrate the life of my Grandpa Sam who recently passed away. My Grandpa Sam was an amazing man and the family that he created with my Mima is filled with love. So i am really looking forward to getting together in loving memory of the man who "started it all".

I am also super SUPER excited to have a 10 hour drive to talk and laugh with my sister KID FREE!! Woooo hooo, road trip!! the snacks are packed, the CDs are picked and all we have is time on the open road to laugh our butts off, sing at the top of our lungs and eat junk food, CUZ WE CAN!!

I am also happy to report that my baby sister Meg is coming home with us for TWO weeks!! yee haw!! its gonna be all about Sister Time!!

I get to see many family members who i haven't seen for a little while but i am most excited to see Scotty and Kristie (my brother and sister in law).

OK you might think this girl is a little too excited about going to a funeral. i KNOW with all my heart that i will see my Grandpa Sam again, i KNOW this. i also know that he is in heaven and is really happy about his family gathering and being with each other. AND i honestly think after watching me and my sisters growing up that he is more than thrilled that we are all really good friends. i love my sisters, its a bond that i cannot fully describe but it am so thankful for them. i love my brothers too...but it's different...these chicks are my girlfriends!!

OK i am OFF...vrooooooooooooooom!!

Lips and Other Silly Stuff

when i was younger i use to think i needed to have the perfect body. i gave up on that dream a long time ago. healthy yes, but i am a girl who has embraced my curves. the superficial things i find myself obsessing over lately are full lips, Victoria Secret model hair and peaches and cream skin. is it too much to ask for the pimples to stop invading my face, i mean seriously, i am 36 for crying out loud. and ummm while i am at it, why didn't' anyone tell me that i had chin hair to look forward to? i mean what is going on?!? its like every once in a while i will find a stray eyebrow no where near the rest of eyebrows...am i the only one in the world dealing with this? i use to have fantastic skin...my teen years were practically flawless. i remember other girls being totally envious of my virtually pimple free complexion. and while i am talking about my teen years, i had my feather going on!!! girls use to stop me and ask how i got my hair so Farrah Faucet perfect!! of course it was the 80's so i led them into the bathroom with my butane "clicker" curling iron and large can of pink aqua net hairspray to demonstrate. there was a time i felt it was my duty, i mean i had fabulous hair, i could let the rest of the world in on my beauty secrets. now my hair is a pile of marabou feathers, its thin and curly in some spots and straight in others and don't even get me started on the gray slowly taking over!! but the thing i seem to be focusing on lately are my lips; especially my top lip. it totally disappears when i smile. my teeth are HUGE, i am thankful they are straight (without the help of braces, thank you very much) but they need a nice set of lips to frame them. i am surfing the net for lip plumpers, collagen injections, i spend time practicing my smile in the mirror trying to keep my toothy grin from taking over my entire face and my top lip from disappearing. i feel like i look like a Muppet...and not a very cute one!

yea i know there are other WAY more important things happening in the world and obviously i have WAY too much time on my hands...and this SERIOUSLY makes me look vain, but these are my thoughts...

can a girl get an Amen on any of this? please tell me i am not alone. what are you vain about? and do not tell me nothing...cuz i will totally pull the BS flag on ya!

Thanks for noticing...

i got a few emails from friends wondering where i have been. my blogging seems to go in waves. life gets busy and there are many days that nothing blog worthy happens.

my Grandpa also passed last week and even though he has not been well for a long time now it hit me harder than i expected it to. i haven't felt like blogging. i know that once i return from his services this weekend i will have some things to blog about, but right now i am kind of just reflecting and being quiet with myself.

THAT all being said, since you miss me...i will post! i got this meme from my friend SWC over at Idon'tWantATitle

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?
1. Produce: this time of year Fuji apples...YUM!
2. Bakery: whole wheat bagels
3. Meat: salmon or chicken
4. Frozen: broccoli (the best frozen veggie in the world!)
5. Dairy: yogurt

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. underwear
2. denim mini
3. tee shirt

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Seriously
2. ummm lemme think about it
3. sure, knock yourself out kid
4. wow, nice job!!
5. i love you

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. laughing with my family
2. hugging and kissing my family
3. talking on the phone with my family

We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?
1. Reading
2. surfing the net
3. watch TV shows i DVRed
4. talk on the phone
5. cereal for dinner...most def!

We are going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?
1. Penguins
2. Monkeys
3. Giraffes

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Oprah's Favorite Things (That would be soooo fun!!) - OOh, yeah....that would be really cool.
2. Ellen
3. Dr. Phil
4. Three and a Half Men

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Rocky Road
2. peanut butter chocolate
3. world class chocolate

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. lip gloss
2. gum
3. tissues
4. pink sequined coin purse
5. note pad

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?
1. mom
2. actress
3. decorator
4. that person that travels all over the world rating, hotels, spas and cruise lines

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Just tell the truth, who you are is good enough.
2. No one is really talking about you as much as you think.
3. Be brave, don't worry about what other people think, go for it!!!
4. Don't try so hard. You're pretty like able just the way you are.

Wordless Wednesday

Watch her catch them HERE it's a good 2 minute giggle. Your kids will love it!

More WordlessWednesday

HERE too

I Love You MORE..

Jordan and i have this game we play, i am sure you have heard of it, called the "i love you more than...". This is how a recent round of the game went...

Jordan: i love you more than there are fish in the ocean
Me: i love you more than there are stars in the sky
Jordan: i love you more than there are sands on the beach
Me: i love you more than there are leaves on the trees
Jordan: (thinks for a minute) but its Fall
Me: (laughing) Oh, OK i love you more than there are leaves on the trees AND on the ground
Jordan: whoa that's a lot

Yes, yes it is. and more than that even...it's a love that cannot be quantified. but for now i love that she is thinking about it...good stuff!

Thankful

the week is just going to get busier so i thought i would take a minute now to express some of what i am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

I am Thankful for my family. i feel so blessed to have grown up in the home that i grew up in with loving and supportive parents. they never missed a play or musical (or anything else for tha matter) i was in and often worked hard making sets and selling tickets so they could be a part of my success. my parents were my biggest fans and taught us love, comapssions, kindness and humor among many other values. i also have really fantastic siblings who are a love a support to me. i love my family and i love how anytime we get together is a good time. i am also thankful that they have lovingly welcomed Paul and Jordan into our family...it feels like they have always been there too.

I am Thankful for my husband, Paul. he is everything i never even knew i wanted in a man and more. he has sacrificed so much in order to provide Jordan and i with a wonderfully enriched life. he loves me more than i have ever been loved before and is a wonderful example of unconditional love. he does many small things for me daily that remind me how lucky and blessed i am to have such a wonderful man in my life. his is also a really good daddy to our little girl.

I am thankful for my daughter Jordan. she amazes me daily with the love she shows me. she has added a new line to her prayers over the last few weeks that makes me smile, "and please bless HolleeAnn for taking such awesome care of me". i love hearing her conversations with our Father in Heaven, pure love. she makes me laugh, keeps me guessing and makes me grateful everyday that i have her to mother and love.

I am Thankful for my fabulous in laws. i realize how rare it is to have a mother in law who you love and get along with. my mother in law is one of my favorite people. she and my father in law are such a beautiful example of happily ever after. the way they are together is so....i have no words, its just fun to watch. my father in law is a really good man and the two of them together crack me up. i have said before that they are pretty much my favorite people to spend time with and i really mean that. they are also wonderful grandparents to Jordan and make me want more babies all the more, just so they can know the love of these two amazing people.

I am Thankful for my home. i tend to complain a lot about the things that are wrong with it. projects that are unfinished cause me much grief and stress. but it would be a whole lot worse if i were complaining that the duct tape holding together my cardboard box home wasn't sticking. i realize there are many people who do not have homes and i am thankful that i do.

I am Thankful for my health. even though my body does not seem to want to cooperate in making a child, but i am healthy and able bodied and for this i am grateful (but i still want it to get its act together on the baby making thing...i mean really!).

I am Thankful for friends. i am thankful for the friends i have made through blogging. i am thankful for the friends who i have known and loved most of my life. i am thankful for the friends my daughter has brought into our family. its so cool to become friends with your kid's friend's mom, isn't it? i am so thankful for those people in my life.

I am Thankful for this beautiful country we live in. i am thankful to the men and women who fight daily for our freedoms. i am thankful for the sacrifices their families make in order to make it possible for them to go where they are needed. i know sometimes the government gets goofy in its decisions but it could be a whole lot worse (really, just ask the people living in 3rd world countries) and i would not want to live anywhere but here in America, this land that i love!

I am Thankful for my relationship with my Father in Heaven. He is with me always and i feel His love all around me. i am thankful for the many blessings He has brought to my life. He knows me and He loves me. He knows my trials and my burdens and i know He also knows my efforts and blesses me for them.

and last but most def not least....

I am Thankful for the people who read our little blog here. the people who root for us, laugh with us, cry with us and keep us in their prayers. we are so so so so sooooooooo very grateful!

have a wonderful Thanksgiving y'all may the Lord bless your family this holiday season and always.

I Carry...

The PROMPT this week is "I Carry". when i started thinking about what i carry with me everyday i immediately thought of my purse, my cell phone, my keys...etc. then i started thinking about what i REALLY carry with me EVERYDAY! something that i have carried with me for as long as i can remember. something i carried with me as a child, through my teen years, my other marriages and still carry with me today, everyday, always. i carry a wish. i carry a wish and a prayer. i carry a wish, prayer and a hope. i carry a wish, prayer, hope and deep longing for something i have yet to have but have always wanted and feel more ready for it now than ever before. i carry a wish, prayer, hope and deep longing for a child of my own.

for as long as i can remember i have wanted to grow up and be a mom. i have spent a good long time feeling sad that circumstances, bad marriages and horrible timing made it next to impossible for me to feel OK about bringing a child into the world. not really the world in general but "my world". i have had two failed marriages. my first marriage was set up to fail from day one. i was 19 he was 31 and had a daughter from a previous marriage who i tried to mother as best i could. but i was just a kid myself, and he was terribly abusive and controlling. it took me 7 years to finally face the fact that this was not a good place for me and that i needed out. i think it was mostly pride that kept me there, my parents had tried to talk me out of the marriage in the first place. my second marriage ended because of his mental illness and the problems that came with being married to someone with those kinds of issues. i didn't want a divorce, i knew what a really bad marriage looked like, i felt like i could stick with him through his illness and didn't feel like giving up. he had other ideas, he needed to get well and didn't feel like he could do that married. i realize now that he gave me a gift to find my happily ever after. i have found that in Paul, i never knew such a wonderful man existed. he is everything i never even knew i wanted and needed in a husband and more.

now that i have a happy healthy marriage with Paul i have taken that wish i have carried with me for soooooo many years and i am using that wish on every penny tossed in a fountain, every dandelion blown, every falling star and every single birthday candle. i carry a wish, prayer, hope and deep longing for a child of my own.

i have a beautiful daughter, Jordan, that my husband Paul brought with him to our marriage. she is mine, i love her and mother her like she came from me...and sometimes, most times i forget that she is not my biological child. she needs me and i need her. you might be interested to know that she also carries a wish and she to uses that wish on every penny tossed in a fountain, every dandelion blown, every falling star and every single birthday candle for a sibling. actually she is the one who first told me she was using all her "wishes for a brother or sister, or both, or twins". i decided that was a pretty good idea and started using my wishes the same way, faithfully. Jordan is a wonderful little girl and i would love to make her wish come true.

i realize in a very special way my wishes were not all in vain, since Jordan is in my life and i am able to mother her and feel like she is mine. i know with all my heart that she and i are a match made in heaven. but i also feel just as deeply that there are more little match made in heaven angels waiting to come home, to me. as long as i feel that in my heart of hearts i will carry this wish with me. my wish, prayer, hope and deep longing for a child of my own.

i wish i may, i wish i might, have the wish i wish tonight...

for more Sunday Scribblings go HERE

OH Happy Day!!

As i posted yesterday we had to put our little puppy Zoey up for adoption. we saw her on the website of the place we took her last night. this afternoon we went to look at her and she was no longer listed with the adoption agency. so i sent an email asking if she had been placed...this is the letter i got back.

"She has been adopted but because she has not been spayed yet she is unable to leave until Wednesday, November 21 (her surgery is on Monday). She will be living with a Folsom family who is very nice. They seem to be a perfect match and Zoey seemed to like them very much. They lost their dog a few months ago, the dog had been their 10 yr old son's bed mate since he was 2 yrs old. They were looking specifically for a dog use to sleeping and being indoors with the family. When we introduced them to Zoey they fell in love. Because we had a home for Zoey we were able to get her in to be spayed right away, the family is paying for it. Zoey is a wonderful little pup, and we feel like this family is a perfect match for her. You might also be interested in knowing that the mother is a trained Veterinarian"

i feel sooooooo much better. i have been crying off and on for the last few days first trying to make the right decision and then wondering if we had indeed done the right thing.

this adoption place for dogs is the most amazing place i have ever been to. the fact that they care for animals, are nonprofit and no kill, and took the time to address my email (with details) is amazing. this was the hardest decision i have ever had to make regarding a pet that i love so much. i am happy that Zoey is going to a good home.

i miss her...a lot. and the tears are still falling, but i feel such relief knowing she has a home.

Sad Day...really sad!

today Paul and i had to take our beautiful little puppy Zoey to an animal adoption center (non-profit, no kill). we REALLY struggled with the decision to let our beloved puppy go. Zoey has been acting out aggressively lately and the final straw was when she bit a guest of ours. the thoughts of it happening again were keeping me awake nights. i was in full panic every time we had someone over to our home and nightmares of her REALLY hurting someone (especially a child) left us no choice but to find another home for her. the place we took her to is lovely, the people are kind and we are 100% sure that our little sweetie will find a new home quickly. i mean really...just look at this face!!

i can't stop crying.

Wordless Wednesday

i love that she is 12 and STILL asks her daddy to come build a train track!
MoreWordlessWednesdayPics

AWESOME!!! THANKS

got me another award y'all!! AndThenThereWereSix gave it to me. i swear i feel like my blog awards are the Emmys and Oscars i was suppose to be getting all these years, so i would like to start by thanking the academy. i also want to thank my family for providing me with all this wonderful bloggy material, without you i would have nothing to write about...i mean besides myself who i love to write about but seem to be running out of material on. i also want to thank my brother Scotty , if it weren't for you i would never have started blogging; you are a total inspiration and i hope to be as funny and well written as you are some day (hey a girl can dream right?). i would also like to thank my sister Meg she writes the funniest stuff on her blog and inspires me daily with all her perfectness (i make up words, feel free to use it). finally i would like to thank the many fans, of TheVasquez3 Blog, who faithfully READ and COMMENT here...you are all awesome and i would especially like to point out the blogs i read faithfully too...they are listed to the right, check them out!

i pass this award on to the following people for all their bloggy goodness. Scotty , Meg , Meredith , Emilie , daringyoungmom , happilyshovelingwaterwithapitchfork , mascowbell , suchsimplepleasures , SWC , lyricsofmylife , pantsoptional and sheri . pass on the Splat my friends!!

Hannah Montana

Jordan REALLY wants to go see Hannah Montana in concert. we went to buy tickets the day they went on sale and found they sold out in 30 minutes...SOLD OUT...Hannah Montana, yes really. so we went on line looking for people selling their tickets, sure they always go for a little more than retail, but we love our kid, she wants to go, so we check it all out...ummm $750 for good seats and $450 for the crappy ones. NO THANK YOU...it's Hannah Montana!! so i tell Jordan that we tried but we cant spend that kind of money for a concert. she totally understands, really she is 100% behind us on the decision not to spend Daddy's retirement, or take out a loan for a concert.

so we are driving one day and a commercial for a contest to WIN Hannah Montana tickets comes over the radio. YES, i think. that is what i will do, i will get out there and enter every possible contest to win the tickets...after all i love my little girl, i could at least try, right? so get to work online entering every radio station contest (even the ones in nearby states, cuz i am not afraid of a road trip...in fact i love a good road trip).

Jordan knows i am in all these contests, she also knows the chances are slim but she thinks i am very cool that i have us entered (and hey i like that she thinks i am cool)! i tell her about this one contest that i am not feeling like i want to enter...here is the conversation:

Me: hey i heard about another contest for Hannah Montana tickets
Jordan: cool did you enter?
Me: i wanted to talk to you about it first, to see if you think i should.
Jordan: ok
Me: they are asking mom's to shave their heads for tickets.
Jordan: (jaw to the floor) really?
Me: yea, do you think i should do it?
Jordan: let's make daddy do it, he is a boy and if his head gets cold he can wear a beanie!
Me: no they just want girls to do it, cuz its a bigger deal.
Jordan: nah, let's skip this one.
Me: (relieved) yea good idea

so far we haven't won any of the contests. but i think my cool points for trying will last for a little while...at least until The Cheetah Girls begin their tour...

On Empty? Already?

i am running out of Blog ideas. i am going to cruise some of my favorite blogs for a little inspiration tomorrow, i just don't know what to write about. i was seriously going to try and blog everyday in November. i got tagged again, by my new friend SWC , but i am just not random enough to come up with 7 MORE random things about myself. i know those of you who really know me are surprised that i am turning down an opportunity to talk about my favorite subject (myself) but really i can't think of anything...anything that i haven't already mentioned.

so, yeah tomorrow i will be looking to y'all for some ideas on what to blog about. in the meantime if you have any suggestions i would really really REALLY love to hear them...i am pretty open to your ideas.

to hold you over here is a pic of me and my goofy little girl (ok i am the goofy one, but you can't see the bunny ears she is shooting on me!)we were on the ferry to San Francisco..my goodness i love her!

A Word of Advice...

Before leaving the house to drop your child off at school, take a moment and get dressed. Don’t say to yourself, “self, the school is just a few blocks away, why get dressed when you are just going to come home and shower?” instead tell yourself, “self, you could end up in a little fender bender and may indeed need to get out of the car, better put some clothes on, yes that includes a bra.”

So yea today was just a little bit of an embarrassing life lesson for me. I dropped Jordan off at school this morning and watched her walk for a little while, thinking…”aww she is looking so cute today” and as I went to drive out of the ‘drop off zone’ I felt a little tap from behind. “Oh no” I think, “not today, today I am wearing a 10 yr old (at least) yellow nightgown with stars and moons on it, slippers, MAJOR bed-head, no make up (thank goodness I shaved my legs last night) and no bra!! AAAAhhhh NOT TODAY!” what should I do? I am NOT getting out! The nice gentleman in the suit gets out and says, “I am so sorry about that, I just wasn’t paying attention and started to roll. There is no damage to your car and mine is just the headlight and a little scratch.” (panic panic..has he noticed I am in my nightgown?) “oh um OK, then no biggie” I say. He looks at me and says, “You can come look there really isn’t any damage to your car.” “Oh umm OK, nah I trust you, it’s OK” (panic panic…please don’t ask me to get out of the car…pleeeeease!!) “Really ma’am your husband would probably want you to at least check.” (Oh NO he did’nt..this is MY car, my beautiful Durango that my husband bought ME for my birthday…don’t tell me what My husband would want me to do!!) but instead I said, “oh um OK, hee hee I am in my nightgown, uh embarrassing, hee hee” and he just steps back to allow me to open the door and get out!! So in parent DROP OFF zone traffic I get out of my car and walk around to the back and look… "yep you are right no damage, um OK have a nice day” I say heading back to the safety of my car. And 3, THREE cars drive by and roll down their windows to shout out words of wisdom and unsolicited advice, “it always happens on the one day you don’t get dressed” and “uh oh, that’s embarrassing” and “oh no poor yoooou” ....UGH. why why WHY??? why today...?

I pretty much laughed my butt off the whole 2 minute drive home…I have a love/hate relationship with life lessons where I look like a total jack ass…but whateveah.

I miss Summer...already.

Fall is most def my favorite season; the changing leaves, the smell of fires burning in fireplaces, the family traditions that begin. BUT i really do miss how easy it was to plan weekends in the summer or how we didn't have to plan ANYTHING...all we had to do was call up a friend (or they would just show up), send the kids outside to the pool...YAY for cannonball contests! AND this time change has me buggy...DARK by 5:30pm...boooooo!

yep i miss summer...already!

WOW...an AWARD...awesome!!

LOOK!!! we received an award...like 3 hours after my Paul posts on our blog we get an award!! AWESOME!

so i guess i would like to start by thanking Karen for bestowing such a lovely award. i am seriously excited about this, mostly because blogging has become a huge outlet for me, and the friends i have made here bring me a lot of joy! i don't care what anyone says bloggy friends are real friends too. blogging started as a way to brag about my adorable kid and my amazingly wonderful husband AND a way to stay connected with my family who live far away. it has become so so so so much more to me...i really can't explain it. those of you who blog can most likely relate. thanks again Karen...really...thanks!

so i would like to pass this award on to a few people whose blogs i really enjoy reading.

my new friends... Sheri at PantsOptional , Kellan at OnTheUpside , NobodyCalledToday . And my sister Meg here and her cute friend Sheena LittleJibsons ...both of these girls are those perfect little mommies that make you say "awww" and gag all at the same time, you know the ones i am talking about...but i ain't hatin! lol

Guest Blogger Paul (HolleeAnn's man)

Sorry fans of TheVasquez3 blog, but today we have a guest blogger; Me Paul, HolleeAnn's husband. My sister in law Meg tagged me. After finding out what exactly that means I went to work on my 7 random facts. I also found that we had been tagged before and there was a spot left open for my participation. You can find that post HERE and see that after a few months I finally left my contribution. HolleeAnn is the one who keeps our blog up to date, and she does a really good job of it, and I like being able to just pass on the web address whenever anyone asks how our family is.

My seven random things

1. I love documentary TV. I can watch The History Channel, Discovery and TLC for hours. Some of my favorites are; Mythbusters, Survivor Man, The Last One Standing and any of the many shows about gangs and prisons.
2. I am a master of frozen pizza art. As you can see pepperoni and cheese make a great canvass for expressing your feelings, mainly happy and sad but whatever works. Every other emotion beyond those are pretty much like the extraneous colors created by Crayola. Like burnt magenta is a real color…puh-lease

3. I have been known to wash my hands for no apparent reason. There are times when at the most random time I will get up from whatever I am doing just to wash my hands. Of course to me it is not random. When my hands feel dirty they need to be clean. Not a whole lot to explain about that one.

4. Although born a natural brunette I look great as a red head, especially when braided in pig tails.


5. I love taco trucks. They are wonderful purveyors of fine, authentic Mexican food. Not only is the name “roach coach” unfair, it is inaccurate. I have never seen a roach living in or around the taco truck.

6. Guns ‘n Roses is the best band ever. They freakin’ rock man!


7. I am a better person because of my wife. I think I have always been a pretty good person. I get a long with people easily and I like the majority of my co-workers. HolleeAnn has helped me become an active father and an attentive son and brother. I have no doubt that with her by my side our future together is very bright. Regardless of bumps in the road we have a lot to look forward to while enjoying our life together now.

OK so that was cool and everything, but I think I will continue leaving the blogging to HolleeAnn, since she does it so well. And because after reading comments and stuff (many from people I do not know) she seems to have a fan club, who, like me, prefer reading her stuff.