Growing

Here is "Momo" Moriah at about 6 weeks old.

News I like to hear!!!!

A head with a heart
The CEO of Beth Isreal Hospital in Boston makes a great decision and is backed by the staff.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/12/a_head_with_a_heart/?s_campaign=yahoo

Feb 11 and Facebook...

My goodness time flies.. I would just like to say that the Facebook world is amazing. People I haven't seen since high school are finding me and I am seeing all the kids of long lost friends and a few I don't remember. Isn't it great that we are now all adults and hopefully we can move on from high school drama and just encourage each others choices in life and hopefully help each other become better more responsible humans. I love seeing the kids of those I went to school with. I made the choice not to have kids, but seeing them happy and smiling no matter what roadblocks they encountered makes me smile on the inside. I would love to get together with everyone and their families, A family high school reunion would be great.. anyone with me? Let's plan it! ... Okay maybe I am crazy...

Superbowl....

So sad, why didn't they review that last catch????



I am so proud of the Cards (still a Chargers fan though) they beat all expectations and proved that the deserved to be there. My only wish is to meet Mr. Larry Fitzgerald, he is just such a nice guy and a great interview. I would love to talk to him. He does so much charity in the name of his late mother.

Waiting... for Sister

Moriah R. Dillard

Well My niece has arrived almost three weeks early! She was due on the 20th of February and instead she decided to come yesterday January 30th. The water broke at around 2:30 am and by 8:28 am she was here, all 8.3lbs and 21 inches of her. Her name is initialed after my mom Margot R Dillard, I think that is so cool of Kimmie and Chad to do. There is still some debate Re: her actual middle name Rayn or Regen ( Dutch for Rain). they finally chose Regen!

Jury Duty my Civic Duty

Waking at 5:45am
Leave the house at 7:00am
Reach the parking structure at 7:55am
Take the Shuttle bus to the court house arrive at 8:01am
Check in and sit down 8:15am
First bailiff----52 people, but not me
Break
Watch Night at the Museum
Lunch
3 bailiffs 250 people, but not me.
Wanting to leave 2:30pm
Excused at 4pm
Entertained by a jerk for 2.5 hours ............priceless

History!!!! Awe and Excitement and Wonder

This is amazing, such a dignified man standing before millions speaking the truth and asking for our help. We as a nation must join together and give him a chance, not be easy on him, but give him the tools a respect he needs to get the job done. I know he can do it.

I wish my Mom and Grandma and Uncle and Grand Aunts could be with us to see this, I know they know and they are partying up there too, but the selfish me wants them here so we can talk about it and discuss Michelle and the kids, and what it would be like to be there and how cool it is to see a handsome, suave, intelligent, father and husband as the leader of the United States of America!

Holidays

So I finally went to see Allison, Devin and Baby Sam. On Christmas day I went over to Allison's parents house ( they live near Chad) and took Caleb with me, Allison had not seen Caleb since he was Sam's age. Caleb was a bit put off by Sam's cries, but got over it when he saw all the toys left out from Allison's niece and nephew.

Winter in the AZ !!!

his first winter beenie

#1 Here I am sledding with Caleb, he had a look of confusion and worry on his face.

#2 Caleb is now tall enough to open the doors in the house so, all the handle have been turned so it is harder for him to open them .

# 3&4Caleb is showing his distaste in touching snow(ice) trucked in for the kids of Vistancia,

and him playing in his stroller.

work.....

So I answer phones and do data entry, there are three of us who answer all the calls and send them to who they need to go to. I have always been the receiver of people venting their complaints, for a while I was planning on being a therapist. So at work I hear a lot of stuff about one person in particular so I had been taking notes and when her performance began to affect me I went to my boss who didn't want to listen, so I went to the HR manager who listened and then my boss arranged a meeting for those involved. The person of interest got very defensive when the issue was mentioned and lashed out at me. I am not surprised but, you would think now that the issue was put on the table she would be aware of the problem and fix it the next day..... I was wrong. This issue is still happening and my boss either doesn't believe us or just doesn't want to hear it.... I am sure the saga will continue.

Where does the time go?

So today is December 10th and I have no idea where the year has gone. I have just been living everyday as it comes and I wonder if time flies by as fast for other people.


I just visited my my family in Texas and attended the funeral of the man I considered my grandfather. He was actually my great Uncle but both of my grand fathers passed before I was born so, Mr Ernest Mayfield was it for me. I spent on summer there when I was six years old and never wanted to go back basically because of the way my aunt (his wife) treated my brother and me. My Uncle was my saviour that summer, he is the one that put me in my first official swim lessons which later led to my being a competitive swimmer. He was an avid gardener and I remember pulling lettuce and carrots from the garden for dinner. He was big on family and community and was a basketball coach and a Dad to many children and relatives.

Uncle Ernest you are missed greatly!

More Cakes!!!

I made this cake for Tatum, my neighbors 6th birthday, white cake with strawberries.

These are the cakes I made for my Nephew's first birthday. The big one was red velvet really for Caleb's father and the round one was white cake with almond butter cream.

Cakes

These are the most recent cakes that I have made.
Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing White and Choc swirl with Vanilla/Almond Buttercream

White and Chocolate with Whipped Cream

Babies!!!

Welcome to the world

Sam W Barry

Sam was born Monday the 10Th @ 1:09 pm to Devin and Allison Barry.

I worked with Allison for just over a year, I enjoyed our break and lunch chats and her openness to other views and opinions. She is truly the most loving person I have ever met. Devin is so sweet to Allison and now he can be a doting dad.

Simply Amazing !!!!

My 78 year old grandmother is so very proud to be alive to see this American Dream come to fruition. She has already purchased her ticket to D.C for the inauguration of Barack Obama. I personally am still numb, I pray that he follows his path and doesn't get caught up with the red tape of congress and the house. I pray that some radical freak doesn't attempt to take his life. This is America we are suppose to accept all people, He is not Muslim, he loved his grandmother and who cares what color his skin is, so many people pay to get to the color he is. He is a son, a friend, a father and a husband, the kind of man a woman could stand by and be proud of. Now men have a roll model other than hip hop artists, and athletes, and can be motivated by the possibility that yes! You can even be the President of the United States.

Halloween 08

Halloween 08. I went to a party that was themed 20's-40's. I was Rosie the Riviter, Michelle a Flapper and Toya a Gangsta. we had a good time at the Hotel San Carlos in Downtown Phx. The hotel was very old(classic) and supposedly haunted. The suites were named after old hollywood stars ie Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Jean Harlow and the party was on the 3 level pool deck. Not too bad for a random night.

On the move !!!

With my new flip camera I made this video of my nephew. He will be One on the 21st of this month. He actually started walking this past weekend.

Makes you say yep!!!!

So I was looking for silly shirts and bumper stickers at http://www.cafepress.com/ and I found a few sayings that I like.

The CHRISTIAN RIGHT is often NEITHER,

If you judge people, you have no time to love them. -- Mother Teresa

Satan is a big fat doodiehead!

If you hate ANYONE, you're not a CHRISTIAN!

Jesus loves you but I'm his favorite.

Do you really think Jesus would be a Republican?????

I support the separation of CHURCH and HATE!

Stop using Jesus as an excuse for being a narrow minded A**hole. *** favorite***

You cannot love your enemies and bomb them simultaneously.

San Ramon with the Aurelios.

Me, Zachary and Marino Zack is a rambunctious, and all boy. He loves Star Wars and Swords. I had more sword fights than I have in my lifetime, with him. He didn't care if I had a sword and he had a light saber he just attacked me. Zack is going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween and he wore his costume to the pumpkin patch, and machete swatted everything he could with sound effects.

Gabriella and Marino. Gabby is a devil/ angel type all weekend she would go from sweet and coy to loud whiny and crying. I think it is being two aka the terrible two's. She would speak to me but not let me pick her up or help her out of her car seat not even push the grocery cart. She played very well with Marino and vice verse, they liked playing in the backyard together.


Our Pumpkins from my first pumpkin patch!

We always purchased our pumpkins from the grocery store. The place we went to was in Livermore and it had a petting Zoo and an old western town with a jail and a saloon. Tons of pumpkins from very small to award winning. The kids were so happy to be in the dust bowl of a field and running through the maze and eating popcorn and icees. I on the other hand was a bit uncomfortable, I was planning for cooler weather being that I was in Nor Cal but no, it was about 88 degrees and I was in jeans and a button down shirt and flip flops so I was hot sweaty and with dirty feet. I know I sound like I was complaining but really I had a good time seeing all the kids happy.

My trip to San Ramon CA, to see David and Tanya. David and I have known each other since being in our mothers' wombs. Our older brothers went to the same pre school where David's mom worked and my mom dropped Chad off and picked him up until one day my dad picked him up and Karen David's mom was terrified because of my dad all 6 foot 6 of him was coming into her classroom and she freaked out. Chad saved her the call to the police (dad was the police) because he ran to him yelling daddy. Ever since then Karen and Jim and Mom and Dad have been friends.
Friday I got into town and Tanya still had to work a couple of hours so I watched TV and read my book. Then we went and had a Mani- Pedi and picked up the kids. Later Tanya's sister and family and a family friend an her daughter came over for a cookout. Man was I over whelmed, six kids a dog 6 adults and the TV, radio, and beer.. wow I had to sit outside with the two guys at the grill to get away from it all a couple of times. Tanya joked that she may have given me a reason for a tubal ligation. Saturday we hung around the house most of the morning then went to the mall I found some really cute shoes at Nordstrom( I was trying to avoid that store) but they were only $59.

Later we all took naps and got ready to go out( just the adults) They arranged to have a baby sitter. We were going to Sha Boom, but we could not get in because David had on tennis shoes. Who knew there would be a dress code in San Ramon. So we went to Outlaws (sports bar) and had a few drinks and chatted up the evening and the waitress. She and Tanya bonded over baby and breast feeding stories. Dave and I reminisced about the early years. We then went to have dinner AT 9:30 @ a great Italian restaurant I cannot think of the name. We sat outside under the heat lamps and chatted about anything an everything. I had a great time. We had to be home before eleven to get the babysitter home. Sunday Tanya Gabby and I went grocery shopping then we all went to the pumpkin patch after Gabby through a fit because she didn't like her Abby Cadabby costume she just wanted to carry the wand, which she wasn't allowed without the whole costume.

We went to the patch and came home and ordered Z pizza (I love that pizza) and carved our pumpkins. Tanya and my pumpkins came out the best but we have to give big ups to David for letting Zack carve and carve and carve more. The three wolves howling in front of the moon turned into 1 tooth in front of the moon.

All in all I had a great time, other than my dad falling asleep and picking me up at the airport 45 min after I landed.