A DEVASTATING LOSS

yes, the devastating loss i'm referring to is the packers loss a few weeks ago. there will be no super bowl for the mighty pack this year. i really don't care all that much, but eric is heartbroken. (and yes, that's the term he used) he said that if we weren't going to a super bowl party, that he probably wouldn't even watch the game. (we may need to look in to therapy for him!)i took some pics of zaida in her packers cheerleading uniform for eric's birthday, although in retrospect it may not have been the best idea. oh well, there's always next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!

last saturday it was eric's birthday. i had class, so he was home with zaida for most of the day. even though i only have 7 more weekends to go... i still hate missing an entire friday night and all day saturday! (enough about me)

on the weekends i always get up with zaida between 6-7, and eric gets up no earlier than 8. i had all his gifts ready, but was going to wrap them on saturday morning since i knew he would be asleep and i could just wrap them without having to be sneaky. well guess who shows up at 6:15 downstairs!?! yep, he decided (on the one morning i wanted him to sleep) to get up. :) fortunately i'm sneaky enough to still be able to wrap his gifts without him knowing.

he had a great day with zaida, and i got out of class by 3:00. my parents came down to watch zaida so that we could go out for dinner. we went to OUTBACK, a favorite of both of ours. you just can't beat that bloomin' onion! after that we went to the mall to just shop a little. eric got a new coat since the one he had would no longer zip, and we both got a few things at AEROPOSTALE. we had such an enjoyable evening!

i am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. he is kind and thoughtful, has a good sense of humor, and loves his family. i could go on & on... but zaida just woke up, and off to get her. happy birthday eric!

THE GREAT DEBATERS

last night for class we went to the movie THE GREAT DEBATERS. it's a HARPO movie starring denzel washington... so you know it's going to be good. we went to see it to fill an assignment where we reviewed a movie with a diversity theme. it was absolutely worth every penny of the $9 that it costs to go to a movie!

there was a line in the movie that i just loved--

do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do

isn't that the truth!?!

it was a powerful movie, with a great message. i would highly recommend it!!

THE LITTLE OLD MAN

i have no idea why i thought of this little old man the other day, but i did. i was just thinking about the church eric and i went to in orlando-- church in the son--. we always went in the same door to the sanctuary(the first one on the right in the pic), and there was this little old man who was always greeting at that door. once he knew you, he always gave you hugs. (well, not eric) he was always a friendly face and i always enjoyed saying, "good morning," to him. that's just proof that you never know how your kindness affects others!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

yesterday was allison's birthday... happy birthday sis! i couldn't ask for a better friend in the world. i think it is rare that two sisters are as close as we are. is it often that sisters CHOOSE to share a bedroom? that's right- there were times that we chose to share a bedroom rather than have our own.

she has been so much help when it comes to parenting, especially in the beginning when I was just learning how to be a mom. she is such an awesome parent, I have yet to meet a 22 month old with as many manners as Afton.

i am lucky to call her my sister, and even luckier to call her my friend!!

ANA'S STORY

i just finished the book ANA'S STORY by Jenna Bush. It is a narrative non-fiction story about a young woman that Jenna met through her work with UNICEF. i really enjoyed reading this story, it was a reminder of how blessed my life has been. more importantly it reminds me to reach out to others in any way, shape, or form possible. the great thing about this book, is that the proceeds go directly to UNICEF and helping out individuals like Ana. the last 50 pages or so are filled with resources on how YOU can make a difference, as well as information about AIDS and abuse.

book info...

she's seventeen.
she's been abused.
she has a child.

and she's HIV positive.

she is Ana, and this is her story. it begins the day she is born infected with HIV, transmitted from her young mother. now she barely remembers her mama, who died when Ana was only three. from then on, Ana's childhood becomes a blur of faint memories and secrets- secrets about her illness and about the abuse she endures.

Ana's journey is a long one. shuffled from home to home, she rarely finds safety or love. and then she meets a boy. Berto is one of the only people Ana trusts with all her secrets. that trust puts Ana on a path to breaking the silence that has harmed her and leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

SHOPPING @ IKEA

it's no mystery that eric and i love ikea... where else can you get cool stuff that is so cheap!?! yes, of course there is the assembly portion of the product, but that generally doesn't affect me. :) we stopped at ikea in minneapolis on our way back from wausau, and had (yet another) awesome experience. here are the reasons...

1. family friendly parking- yes, you can park right up by the handicapped parking if you've got kiddos in tow

2. no crowds- it was yucky outside, so the crowds were minimal. you could actually walk without potentially losing the person you were shopping with, or fear that you would be swept upstream with the sea of people never to be seen again

3. family bathroom with a recliner- i could nurse zaida in a comfie chair in a locked private room

4. COOL STUFF- how ridiculous is this... we bought zaida a comforter/sheet set for a twin bed. the kid is 8 months old!! in our defense, it was only $12... that's like almost just giving it away.

shop ikea!