OUR TRIP TO OAK GLEN....

After church this morning, we decided to take a trip up the hill to Oak Glen. J and K have never been to the snow. They had a blast! J's jeans were totally soaked and he was freezing by the time we left. He rolled around in the snow and rolled down little hills and they both made snow angels. E helped them make a snowman and afterwards, they destroyed it! We all had alot of fun and YES...it was REALLY cold there. It was actually snowing at times and I had never been somewhere before where the

snow was falling. It was so neat.

I took lots of pics as usual and I have started my a new blog for my pictures only! Here's my link:

http://titispics.blogspot.com/

We stopped for a bite to eat on our way back and then stopped in at my mom's so the kids could say hi to their dad and have one last snowball fight with him with the snow we brought home!

My Mom Got Me A NEW BALL!!!!

Lexi was in need of a new soccer ball. As you can see....This one has been through the ringer. (Well, it's really only her playin' ball with it) I tried to toss this old soccer ball in our trash container this last weekend and she whimpered and cried at the brown trash receptacle until I took it out for her. So, in an effort to indefinetly rid this now dental floss, as I call it, I bought her a new soccer ball today. Keep in mind, she is totally enjoying it, but the floss is still here...just in case of a withdraw. I will kepp ya'll inform of her progress. (every time I think about this particular subject, I go back to that movie Summer School....where his dog had that toy thing that he threw in the ocean and it didn't come backashore til the end of the movie when they fell in love....Anyone remember that movie? !!!

My Hard Workin Man.....

Trying to get our backyard ready for a 'possible' reception, E has dug out a couple or few unnecessary trees and bushes. We found that they were much harder than expected. The last one he did, (last night) had major roots that caused more work and also the outcome of the replacement of not only OUR shovel, but two of our neighbors as well. YEP, he broke 3 shovels last night in attempt to remove this huge mess of a 'tree gone bad' ! Our backyard looks much better already and I'm beginning to think that we may be able to accomadate our guests for our reception in June! He has been working so hard lately, cast and all!

Here's a Corona for ya BABE!!!

Could I ask for anything more? This week/month has been hard enough and he just keeps standing by me and putting up with my attitude and my everything else that goes along with me and all the stuff that he deals with regularly. (Don't get me rong, I deal with him all the time too! :)

He too this last month or so, he has gone through some stuff....

His first 2 episodes of wisdom teeth being removed (yes, stitches, antiboitics and all) fracturing his hand during his softball game (which is one of 'HIS' hobbies every week) He also has been playing poker on Sat nites with Steve and friends and they enjoy that too! It is nice for our guys to have things they enjy doing that are normal, ya know what I mean? I've known many women that are not so lucky.

Love you babe!

10 YEARS AGO TODAY...........

I was posting these exact MISSING signs of my brother Sean all over the Riverside area. Asking permission inside local stores and such to post this sign in their window or door. Yes, I still have a copy of the one that I made a decade ago and I scanned it today to post along with a couple pictures I have of him in a collage in my hallway. The last time I saw him alive was the early morning of March 6, 1996. I knew something was wrong when he did not come home that evening. Police and Sheriff informed me at this time that there was nothing they could do as he was an adult. He was 22 and could take care of himself in hte outside world.

Almost 1 month later, on April 3, 1996 his decaying body was found by a bee keeper n Chino Hills only able to be identified by a fingerprint. My dad confirmed that it was him when he went to the coroner's office and identified him through photos and his remains.

(wow, this is harder than I thought it would be)

He was murdered by a so called 'friend' that terrible night of March 6, 1996 at his friends home here in the Riverside area. This so-called friend of his was a drug addict asnd has lived his life in and out of prison. (My brother, Sean had never been in trouble with the law when this happened to him) The story through courtroom testimony and witnesses confirmed that this 'friend' struck him in the back of his head with a weight bar and repeated this until he did not move. He then wrapped him in tarps and tied him with rope, drug him into his garage, where he kept him for almost 3 days and then dumped him in Chino Hills with some trash and animal feces that he had. When he dumped his body in hills, he shot him in the chest with a gun.

Almost another month went by before the police and sheriff's department really got involved and found and arrested this 'friend' that killed him. He is currently serving a life sentence on a 3rd strike offense (2nd degree murder) 45 to life with out the possibility of parole.

The court proceedings were darn near 3 years long and has taken a permanent mark on especially my mom and myself as we were asked to take the stand during the trial.

I miss him everyday and wonder how it would be if he were still here today. We were not even two years apart and were best friends!

Here he is at approxiately 5 years of age........

(1979)

And here is as we remember him the most... Happy and having fun....

Age 22 - January 1996

Sean, I love and miss you everyday. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you.

S . K. C. July 14, 1973~March 6, 1996

A Few Things To Post.....

WOW! I started OUR first draft of a guest list this evening. I figured that is where I need to begin. We are planning our wedding in June and we are not having an actual wedding ceremony, but we are planning a big reception. I am trying to figure out whether or not our back yard is big enough and 'Can it be ready in four months'? There is so much too consider and I do not want to make myself crazy doing all the planning. Ya know what I mean? (I know, thats inevitable, right?) We pretty much have our cook ( thanks to Ron, James dad, he cooked for their wedding too) Really good food! We need to get together with him so we can make sure he's even available and to discuss the menu, which is going to mostly be buffet-hawaii style. I'm starting to get a bit nervous. I just don't see how in less than 4 months, we can have a graduation party (Becca is graduating high school the beginning of June and then our wedding reception shortly after....) It just seems like too much this year....What to do.....What to do?????

My youngest brother, Josh got out yesterday, ( the father of J & K that I am raising) He looks really good (as usual) and I really hope he can do better this time around. He will be staying mostly be staying with our mom which I hope works out Ok for a while......( We will see, I will pray everyday) Anyways, the kids were so excited to see him when he came in the door last night, it almost brings tears to your eyes.....They spent the evening playing and going throught all the letters and pictures I had sent to him and finally they fell asleep.

And lastly.... I have been tucking a few extra dollars here and there, and I am tempted to go buy myslef a new camera. Yep, I think I deserve it but I still have a guilty side of me saying...'Oh you could use that money towards your reception or your daughters graduation....But then again, this extra $ is $ I set aside for, well, for wahtever we need it for I guess. I should just keep saving it up in my hiding spot and I'm sure something will come up, more important than a NEW camera FOR ME and I will be glad I saved it.....

Any how, it's getting late and Heather and I are getting up early tomorrow for church, so I will talk to ya'll agian soon...Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

HNT....

I had to post this one for my HNT this week. I was going through some of my pic folders recently and found this one. This is James, my brother in law- he really is posing for this snapshot but isn't a classic!

(with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, talking on the cell, holding a 40 and there's an energy drink can on the counter!)

I LOVE THIS PIC!

(I havn't been feeling very well this week so I haven't been snapping pics or blogging much)

J got to go to the truck races with his Papa and his mom Friday night so E and I took K to Castle Park for rides and games! She is crazy, she would have tried all the rides if she were tall enough. We had fun and she was out by the time we got home. E even won a season pass for getting the highest score for the night on the ghost buster ride they went on together!
Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

CASTLE PARK FUN! 

HNT......Ouch!

My HNT for this week contists of my poor little 'ring toe' ~as opposed to 'ring finger' :) ~ I smashed this SAME toe and broke it years and years ago, and it has always been shorter than than he other one and it has always looked a little funny....Well, I did it again, it hurt SO DAMN BAD when I did it again the other day and the next day it was all bruised up and it's even shorter now than before. How many times can you break the same darn toe, I say???? (as you can see, when I smashed it, every bit of my pink polish was instantly removed!)

Top Guys On Idol!

The Top 12 Guys!

My top 3 from the guys:

#1-Taylor-he is awesome all around! great performer!

#2-Kevin-(young & not the best looking but isn't it about the good voice!)

#3-Ace (needs some practice, he'll get better!)

My Top 3 Girls On Idol.....

American Idol 2006 Top 12 girls from Tues night......

My top 3 are:

#1-Katharine

#2 Paris

#3 Lisa

Actually Lisa & Paris are both really good, and being so young still, they'll make it no matter what now!

Anybody else got favorites!!!

HNT

K and cousin C ~ Dec of 2005

And here they are almost 1 year earlier in 04

Look how they have grown!

HHNT!

Our Valentine's Date

We went to dinner on Monday night to avoid the crowds and because Tuesdays are really busy for us, K has dance and E has his softball games. We went to the California Pizza Kitchen, E has been wanting to go there. It was really nice to get out by OURSELVES. I got my present too! Isn't it BEAUTIFUL? He actaully picked it out too!

Thanks babe, I love you! (it's the one on my ring finger)

P.S. Last night at E's game, he went to catch a ball and fell and broke his hand. I got a call after midnight (his game didn't start until 10pm) and he was at the hospital. He will be getting his cast put on in a few days. I tell ya, he is done for this season for sure!

Here's the newest addition to our family....His name is QuikSilver and the kids love him. He is really sweet and very cute!

Couple of things to post....

First, Jeremy's first crash on his chopper. OUCH! He was riding with his friend who was behind him and he turned to look back at him and crashed into a parked car.... He split his finger opened and instantly bruised his two fingers, busted his lip opened and bruised his chin and his elbows were scrapped and full of asphault. Thanks goodness for helmets. This last pic is after he was bandaged up and sleeping Wednesday night.

And secondly: Last night after dinner he called me into his room to because he wanted to show me something..."TiTi, TiTi come here", he shouted. I walked in to find this on the floor, and he said I made this for you! How cute is that...He spelled out 'I Love You' using his matchbox cars for me!

HNT!

I had to save this one for today...these are the shoes Becca wore last Saturday night for her mid-winter dance! Yeah, look at the shoes people!!! Not the sexy legs! hehehe!

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY FUN!!!

YEAH PITTSBURGH!!

Steve and Heather hosted their first SuperBowl Party this year!!!! It was absolutely great. Everyone who came brought something and there was so much food, it was impossible to try everything. A few options for appetizers included: little smokies in BBQ sauce, nacho cheese or fresh homemade salsa with torilla chips, ceviche on a cripsy corn tortilla, seven layer dip with Scoops and more. Then on the grill came burgers, chicken, hot links and more.........Add the food along with the Corona + limes = GOOD TIMES! The guys enjoyed playing horseshoes in the back and the kids took turns in the trampoline. We had too have the older kids take turns with the little ones, cause the little ones must have their turn by themselves so they do not get trampled over! As you can see in my pics here, they had fun!

I think we have started a new yearly tradition, haven't we Heather and Steve?

Mid-Winter Senior Dance......

Here's my baby getting ready for Arlington High School's Mid-Winter Dance...... (she's going solo with the girls this year!)

she is so beautiful and I am so proud of her!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had To Post This Pic!

My friend Kelli did this one for me. She did some others- one I will never post, it's disgusting.... She is having too much fun with this photo program she has!!! Thanks Kelli!

HNT- (my first one!)

Ok, here it goes... I decided on V's BEAUTIFUL SMILE (that she better not hide anymore)

She got her braces off last night and when she said that her teeth felt naked- I said OMG, I'm going to do my first HNT about your naked teeth!!!