Friday, July 30, 2010

Faith Rewarded

Think much of My servants of old. How Abraham believed the promise (when as yet he had no child) that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.

How Moses led the Children of Israel through the desert, sure that, at last, they would gain the Promised Land.

Down through the ages there have always been those who obeyed, not seeing but believing, and their faith was rewarded. So shall it be even with you.

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What is impossible for us is easily achievable by God if our faith allows it. God never fails to tell me exactly what he wants to tell me. I opened my "God Calling" book and this is what he said to me. He wants full trust from John and I. Not half of it but all of it. He has come through for us giving us our marriage back and on top of that becoming, at last, parents. Not seeing but believing.

-Sandra.

Stuff

At least this guy has priorities!

I'm glad Men kept us in our place!


Good thing they thought about the big people! Idiots!


Another good reason why I don't like pork meat.


John is too smart to try this line on me!


Geez! Go for the prettiest Cancer Stick and you'll be a hit!

Cancer? No way! Take two packs of Camels and call me in the morning.
 
Yummi! I bet when John sees this pic, he will rush to try this "awesome" recipe!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Speech

This is the speech that I would have liked to have given at my father's funeral but didn't:

My Father and I had a very difficult relationship. My Father and I had trouble understanding each other. My Father and I had false expectations on each other.

As my husband reminds me from time to time: Hurt people, hurt people. In other words, If you are hurt you are very likely to hurt other people in return. This is what my Father and I did to each other.

While he was laying in his hospital bed, I prayed to God to heal my Father so that I could have a second chance with him. As I watched him take his last breath, my hope of a renewed relationship died with him. I am a basket full of mixed emotions at this time.

The few opportunities that my Father and I connected were very special to me. I just never told him how special those moments together were for me.

I will remember the good things about my Father and I will learn from his weaknesses and fears.

Father, at this time I want to tell you that I loved you with all my heart but I was afraid you would not understand my love for you. I was afraid of your rejection. I fear being vulnerable to you.

I tried my best to be a good daughter for you many times over, and I judge I came up short.

I now ask myself, "what could I have done different?" Accept him for who he was and expect nothing in return from him but himself.

For everyone in this room that is having trouble with a parent(s) I say, don't take too long to make amends, you might come to regret it. My Father and I took too long to forgive and accept each other and now all I'm left with is a broken heart and guilt.

-Sandra.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Courage to Be Bored


I know someone who is constanly saying "I'm bored." So, I know this article rings true.

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Kids and Video Screens

A new study reveals just how addicted our kids are to video devices.

If I asked you what your teenage children are doing right now, you might not know. But the New York Times and the Kaiser Family Foundation have a pretty good idea.

According to a recent Kaiser study, if your teenager is awake and isn’t in school, he or she is staring at a screen a smart-phone, a computer, or watching television.

The authors claimed to have been “shocked” by the results.
Kaiser’s researchers interviewed more than 2,000 kids between the ages of eight and eighteen. They found that, on average, the participants in the study spent seven and one-half hours a day using these devices! What’s more, that figure understates the amount of time American kids devote to consuming media and other related activities.

For instance, it does not include time spent actually talking on these smart-phones or sending and receiving messages. That adds another one and a half hours to the total. When you add time spent doing several media-related things at once, that is multi-tasking, American kids spend the equivalent of eleven hours a day tethered to an electronic device.

The authors were “stunned” because they believed that media consumption among kids had already maxed out when they last measured it in 2005. What didn’t take into account, either then or now, is what drives the heavy usage: dread of being bored.

As one 14-year-old told the Times, “I feel like my days would be boring without” my smart phone. It’s not only him. As New Testament scholar Ben Witherington recently wrote, smart-phones “are seen as the cure for boredom.”

This “boredom” is “in most cases...the state of mind of those who lack imagination and therefore require all kinds of stimuli to prevent them from losing interest in things, and even in life.” That’s why people, adults as well as kids, are “constantly fiddling with their cellphone.” The alternative to all this fiddling is being alone with your own thoughts, which terrifies people used to the constant stimulation provided by our media-saturated culture.

Happily, parents can help their kids to avoid this trap. The Kaiser study found that parents can make rules limiting this kind of mindless media consumption and that their children will follow them. It won’t be easy but, then again, swimming against the cultural tide never is.

Speaking of swimming against the tide, even more important than rules and limits is teaching our children that we don’t need constant stimulation. On the contrary, being quiet and still is an essential part of the Christian life. We are told “be still” so that we may learn who God is. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.

Neuroscientists tell us that many, if not most, of our most creative and productive moments come when we step back from all the stimulation and let our minds be free. In other words, what many people call “boredom” is good for us in ways that the constantly-stimulated can’t begin to imagine.

We’re not talking about letting our minds wander just anywhere. What we’re told to do is invest our life in a relationship with Christ. In His word, in prayer, and in meditation.
Unplugging and stepping back for some time alone with God is yet another reason for us to unplug our kids and ourselves and risk being bored. For all the right reasons.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Beer and Cemetery


While I was sitting down visiting my Father's burial place this weekend, about 15 feet away from me, I hear this "pop" sound. I turned around and saw this guy with an 81 Cowboys Jersey, a baseball cap and holding a large can of beer on his left hand. Classy!
He saw me and knelled down. I guess people show grief in different ways!
The burial site this guy was standing in front of belongs to an entire family who passed on the same day. The husband, the wife, a baby (I would say she looked 6 months old) and a pre-teen. How do I know? Their pictures were on the the grave stone. Very sad. I figured a car accident, etc.
Visiting the cemetery this weekend left me emotionally drained. I pray it gets better. I have a lot more to say to my dad. I am looking for peace and understanding. Peace and acceptance.

-Sandra.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Five on Friday - Tired

1. What were the circumstances surrounding your last all-nighter? Catching up on recorded programs or watching a movie than runs pretty long.

2. What’s your favorite stay-awake-and-alert food or drink? Wine, of course or any alcoholic drinks.

3. What are you most likely to be doing when you’re up in the late, late hours of the night? checking on my girls before I head to bed, making sure the dogs bed is made up and ready for them to settle before they go to sleep, I know, I'm weird! But I feel they also need to feel comfortable in their bed, try to finish handmade crafts....then 11:30pm hits and I need to take a shower then at times midnight hits and I really need to get to bed!

4. In what way does your personality change when you are sleep-deprived? Do not talk to me, do not touch me, do not yell, or scream, you may look at me and speak very softly and pad me in the back very gently and kindly walk me to bed. Ask John for more examples.

5. If you get home extremely tired and extremely hungry, which need are you most likely to satisfy first? I would sleep first, eat later!

Have a restful weekend! Sandra.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Seaman Girls

This picture was taken in a nano second when both of them were looking right at the camera. Got to be fast or you'll miss beautiful pictures like this! Here's Raquel standing in her Playpen holding on to dear life, I think.

Thanks Patti for saving the day, again! I forgot my camera. We got to do this again! When the weather is over 100 degrees, you want to hit the pool.

Billy, my Chihuahua. I love him. LOVE HIM!

Again: I LOVE HIM!!!

Here's Raquel dancing to La Vaca Lola. Translation: A Cow named Lola. You can hear Sofia sing the song in the background.


Sofia making Raquel laugh.

Giggle, Giggle, Quack

My awesome friend Judy got us tickets to go see this play at the Dallas Children's Theather this past weekend. This play is adapted from the same book tittle. Very funny and the songs are very catchy. If you are in Dallas or if this play comes to your hometown do take your kids they will enjoy it! Sofia gave her standing ovation at the end of the play right at the middle of the stairs and everyone noticed! It was too cute!
Sofia having fun before the play.
The cow or as Sofia called it, La Vaca Lechera. Translation: The Milky Cow. There is this Spanish song we sing call, "La Vaca Lechera." She loves the song and she only got close to the cow when she was signing our poster. She didn't get close to the Duck or the pig or the chicken. Only the Cow.

Sofia playing with Nate, Judy's nephew.

Movies We Watch

Movie: The Wolfman

Starring Benicio Del Toro as the Wolfman and Anthony Hopkins as the father. This movie reminded me again why I stopped watching scary movies. Because they are scary and I spend half the time with my eyes covered and asking John to tell me what's going on because I'm too scared to watch!

The guy who plays Agent Smith in the Matrix movies stars as the Detective trying to solve who the Wolfman is...or are! I decided not to have too many great expectations prior to watching it and I was correct, this movie did not leave me with a "Wow." This movie felt a little flat somewhere...The Wolfman graphics were great but the story line was somewhat flat.

All in all, we give a C+, the plus goes for the graphic effects..oh and the full moon! Definitely not for kids!


Movie: Gosford Park

This movie came out back in 2001! I was planning a wedding so I didn't see it and that is my excuse! A Young Clive Owens plays a servant.

This English movie drama is set in 1932 and it illustrates the fine line dividing the master-servant social structure and how often that line is crossed and in some cases sleeping with each other.

I call this movie "Gossip Park" If the master wanted to know something about the relative all they had to do was to send their servant to find out through the relatives servant. Very intriguing story lines, at times, I didn't know who was who, I got a little tangled up, I thank subtitles or I would have been really lost with all the different plots in this movie. Ending was excellent. Totally recommend this movie. Not for kids! or pre-teens.

A+

Ashtma


Asthma Patients Could Get Breath of Fresh Air.

Researchers at UT Southwestern are on the verge of a breakthrough that could make inhalers and steroid shots a thing of the past.

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I CAN'T WAIT!!! I love Texas but the dry weather is killing me! When we visit tropical places my Ashtma disappears! I have told John that we need to move i.e, Hawaii...but he says no every time. Then I say, Costa Rica, he says, maybe. There is hope!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Five on Friday - No Way! No Way!

1. Who lets you have your way more than you should? John. Of course.

2. According to the cliche, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but what’s the way to yours? A gift card to my favorite stores!

3. What’s something that should have been put away but hasn’t been? My baby #2 weight.

4. When did you last weigh yourself? UGH! At my doctor's appointment this week. at least I still weight the same.

5. What do the cops in the donut shop say? A new batch of donuts just came out of the oven, do not pass go, do not collect $200...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Washington Redskins Marketing Video



I couldn't help but laugh at this!!! OH aren't we SKEERED!!!! At the end of the video you hear people chanting "We want Dallas!" WHATEVER!!! YOU ARE SO GOING TO GET SOME OF DALLAS!!! and for the record, we play them first!!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Spain - The World Cup Champion - 2010

Spain beat the Netherlands in overtime 1-0 to become the 8th country to call themselves World Cup Champions. They had their ups and downs but came out the clear winner.

Now, onto 2014 Brazil! And this December FIFA will decide if the USA will get to host the 2018 games. Can't wait!

Felicidades Espana!

Sofia, Patti and Prada!

Sofia: I really like your glasses Patti...would you like to try my Gymboree glasses!?


Sofia: So cool!!! I look cool, mami! Get me one of these!


Sofia: Patti, you look amazing in my Gymboree glasses, you are welcome to keep them!
Sofia: No, I'm not kidding either!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Movies we watched

Here it goes. If you don't care to read, please move on to reading something more interesting.

Movie: Alice in Wonderland

Starring Johnny Depp who plays the Mad Hatter was fantastic playing the Hatter. John and I did agree that this Tim Burton version of Wonderland is pretty different from the Disney movie version, so we think is a continuation of the Alice in Wonderland story and takes her as she comes back to Wonderland as an older girl. In this version, everyone in Wonderland talks about Alice being there before, but Alice does not remember anything or does she? Now, I remember the original Alice wore only one dress, whether she grew tall or very short the dress never changed, but in this version every time she got small or tall her dress changed. They were very cute outfits but why so many!? Just saying!

Anne Hattaway is very funny as the White Queen, although her English accent was not as good as Johnny Depp's. Not that mine is any good, heck, mine is not good at all!

We loved this version and watched it twice! Not for small children there is a mean Dragon and is very scary for young kids, I would say is OK for 13 year olds. We give it a 4 out of 5 Stars!


Movie: The Illusionist

If you like magicians this is a movie you should watch. "Nothing is what it seems." Really!? Well, this movie got us fooled! We were so into it that at the end of the movie, we were asking, "well, how did he do that!?" DUH! is a movie!

Edward Norton (The Hulk) is the Illusionist who performs magical acts every night and the towns people are in awe with him. Yes, there is romance between him and Jessica Biel, she plays the Duchess in love with him who is to marry the Prince. They love each other so much they planned to scape together until tragic hits one of them, or does it!!!??? The town's Sheriff is under pressure to arrest the Illusionist under grounds of fraud. Then the Illusionist starts calling spirits! YIKES!

Both John and I enjoyed the entire movie, but we wished the ending was just a tad different, but overall we were wondering how he did all those tricks!? We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was just a movie! 3.5 out of 5. Not a kid movie.

*I still think Edward Norton was best as Hulk than Eric Bana.

-Sandra.

Five on Friday - Fairy Tale

1. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the knight in shining armor? Mr. Darcy!


2. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the evil villain? PMS

3. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the loyal, comedic sidekick? Patricia, my best friend. She makes me laugh all the time!

4. In the fairy tale of your life, what comes right after “Once upon a time…?" UGH! I hate this once upon a time stuff.


5. In the fairy tale of your life, who is the fairy godmother? A Visa Black Card.