Pictures from San Diego

How cool is that? I can take pictures with my phone and post them on my blog! Enjoy.

Tif and I taking our "Art Walk" in Little Italy, San Diego. 

Tif sipping coffee on the patio of the Sunshine Deli on the premises of the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

A view from the balcony of our hotel room at the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

Roses the size of my head at the "world famous" Town and Country Resort in San Diego. 

Super-cool flower on vines growing outside of San Diego airport 

Welcome to the 21st century, Joyella!

I am now the proud owner of a mobile phone....I purchased one to ease my anxieties about being so far away from my children during my San Diego trip. Since I can not seem to get a grasp on more than two months into the future, I purchased one of those pre-paid phones...where you have no committments, you just pay for your minutes in advance and then use them...no monthly bill. Being that this is my first mobile phone, isn't it appropos that it is a Virgin Mobile?

Sunny California

I am presently here in San Diego, California at the Navigators Women's Conference....
The weather is gorgeous today, and Tif and I have the afternoon to check out the cool sights. The conference has been a good change of pace for me, however, I miss my little cutie pies sooooo much!

Here is a rundown of the best things from the conference:
1. Delicious food
2. Chocolate desserts at Thursday dinner, Saturday lunch, and Saturday dinner (the other desserts were yummy too--but not chocolate)
3. Kick-boxing class
4. Ditching Plenary session #3 to see "Hitch" with Tif
5. Sunning by the pool
6. Taking the trolley to Little Italy for "Art Walk"
(anyone noticing these aren't directly related to the conference?)
7. Giving myself a mani and pedi-cure and not having it ruined by washing dishes or little children stepping on my toes
8. Babbie's concert
9. Sitting at the only table with the cute sound-tech man at it for the banquet was also a highlight...heehee (there was a 10-1000 ration of men to women)
10. Smelling the humongous roses growing in the gardens around the resort...some roses bigger than my head!

I opted for the Workshops titled: Deepening Intimacy with Christ, Identifying Root Obstacles to Spiritual Renewal and Planning a Personal Retreat. I found that for where I am in my life journey the first two workshops were too heavy...they should have been more accurately titled "Listening Prayer 101: You too can learn how to hear God's voice in seven simple steps" or "Digging into our deep inner pain and laying it on the table for strangers (and God) to see". Okay, I am being a little harsh, I am sure that several (possibly many) women found those workshops very enriching and helpful...I just wasn't one of them. "Planning a Personal Retreat" was a good choice for me, because it is something I have wanted to do for years now...ever since having children. I have a lot of big decisions in front of me and I need to make sure that I make them wisely with God's leading and not my own selfish desires at the forefront.

You spin me round....

I just happened upon my young daughter, whom I call Prettiness (in here), standing on the turntable of the stereo... I couldn't help but be reminded of this old favorite tune by Dead or Alive. If you know it, you will probably be humming it all day....hehe

...You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, right round, round, round.....

joie de vivre

joie de vivre : keen enjoyment of life

This is my goal. I have it pasted on my latest journal cover, to remind me of what I am working towards. The very first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, "What is the chief end of man?" is answered, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I think that in enjoying our God and Creator and trusting in His word we find this joie de vivre.

Taking time to breathe deeply the crisp Spring night air, tilting my head back to marvel at the wonderment of our cosmos helps me to enjoy God, and I suppose that in my enjoyment of Him I give Him glory as well.

Maritime

FIELD TRIP!!!!!!!
Finally, I actually made it to one of our homeschool field trips, and just barely. Still messed up by DST, my children awake at 8am instead of 7am, which makes leaving the house by 9:45 rather tricky. Maybe if I actually used an alarm clock this wouldn't be a problem, but it reminds me too much of my own school days of hitting snooze and sleeping in until the very last minute. At least this way, we can all wake up grumpy together....

We didn't actually make it out the door until closer to 10am and I needed to visit the ATM first. Knowing how parking is downtown, I was cutting it close. But we made it only 5 minutes late (don't ask me how) and then we waited a while before our tour started. It was great fun to go aboard the US Lightship Chesapeake, US Submarine Torsk, US Coast Guard Cutter Taney and visit the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse all part of the Baltimore Maritime Museum. The US Submarine Torsk was by far our favorite. The exterior is painted like a black shark baring its dagger like teeth in front, but I was impressed with how complicated the interior is with guages, levers, knobs, pipes and switches. I especially liked the shiny copper pipes and brass cranks. We were amazed that this 311 foot long vessel contained a crew of 80 men. I have no idea where they all fit. But I pity the sailor who was a lick over 5'5" and 150 lbs (which was probably most of them). The Taney and Chesapeake were much more spacious, K noticed that their beds looked more "comfy" too. I'm not sure how soundly I'd sleep suspended over a sub torpedo.

Spring has Sprung

So glad for the warmer, sunny weather this week. I've been able to wear the kids out in the great outdoors, and they are sleeping so soundly at night. (yay!) I'm having trouble adjusting my own internal clock to daylight savings time, however. I seem to have this problem every Spring since I have become a mother. Losing a precious hour throws me all out of whack as well as the bedtime routine, but I'm sure I'll get used to before it is time to change the clocks again. Why do we do this anyway?

The trees are starting to show the fuzzy yellow-green haze and pollen is beginning to accumulate on my car. It is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. this weekend, and I may actually attend, that is still to be decided... but oh, those cherry trees are gorgeous this time of year.

Spring chicken

I ain't no spring chicken, but spending an afternoon with my aunts and great aunts sure makes me feel like one. No one believed that I had three children (thinking I look way too young), of course some of them are losing their sight and their minds. You know you're in the company of old people when you have the same conversation repeatedly with the same person. But I enjoyed it, they are dear ladies, and since I have no living grandparents, it's the closest I've got. I only see most of these women once a year, and it is pretty much the same each year, but it helps me to connect to my past, my heritage, my bloodlines. What a different world they grew up in! I wish I could remember more of their stories. Perhaps my mother, the writer, will document some of our family history before she begins to forget it too. I hope so.

I can't talk...

No, really I can't talk. My voice left me tonight. It has been fading all day, getting raspier and raspier, I just can't win with this virus! I couldn't even sing Adelweis to the Artist or Six little ducks to the Stuntman when I tucked them in. Oh, well. If you want to talk with me, better email instead.

Went on a "hot date" with the two most handsome guys I know. Okay, I took my sons to see Robots on Monday night, and we had a lovely time, fun movie, by the way. I think I enjoyed the humor more than they did, but it was great "eye-candy" and the soundtrack is excellent.

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

It's been raining for days and days, not constantly, but consistently it has been damp and cold. It is great sleeping, tea-drinking, and feeling blue weather. I think I am coming down with a cold. Sniff. Yuck. I wonder why it is that my mood seems to reflect the weather, perhaps this is so for most people? When I am stuck in-doors due to inclement weather, I want to sleep and "veg", and when it is sunny and bright outside I am motivated and energized. I really need to do some big-time Spring cleaning. The clutter is beginning to take over and I can no longer see the surfaces of my desk, microwave, dishwasher, dresser, and kitchen table. My closet needs an overhaul and I need to determine where and how to store the kids out-of-season clothes. The boys room has been in a constant state of disarray. I would love to have an indoor yard sale and get rid of some of their junky toys. There are heaping piles of laundry to wash, fold and put away. Ironically, if it were sunny, I would feel like tackling all of these tasks, but it is not. I did however, muster enough gumption to sift through L's baby clothes for my expectant sister-in-law while K and D played educational computer games. (I now have four pregnant sister-in-laws! I already have 13 nieces and nephews plus 4 (no multiples are expected) makes 17!) It pours down rain as I sit and type, and instead of getting dressed and getting to work, I am fighting the impulse to climb back into bed and get lost in slumber.

Good Friday and Tree

It seems weird to me that today, Good Friday and the birthday of my beloved friend whom I call "Tree" are today. Christ died on a tree, and today Tree was born. I would wish her a happy birthday, but I know it isn't so I will only say, "Tree, I love you, and I am sending my squeezes and will bring the markers and paper tomorrow."

More Spiders and shopping

There have been more gross, disgusting, humongo spiders in my house. Last night, I had the boys almost asleep and was about to go to bed myself (I've been quite run-down) when I spied a huge arachnid by my coffee table. I let out a stifled scream, because as I started to shriek, I remembered that the boys were practically asleeep. Well, they perked right up when they heard me, and wanted to see the nasty beast before I sucked him up into the amazing vaccuumous Oreck. ( I am so thankful for the long attatchements.) All the excitement rejuvenated me a little, but I still turned in earlier than usual.

Rumor has it that a Borders is coming to Timonium/Lutherville. I am quite excited by this prospect, as we don't have a decent bookstore north of Towson. I just paid homage to the great OLD NAVY which has just recently appeared in town too. Now I don't need to drive 20 minutes to get to there- it is almost walking distance (depends on the day and the shoes) from my home. There may even be another mega bookstore coming to the new shopping center in Hunt Valley as well as many other shopping opportunities. It will be one of those fake small-town-like malls, all outdoors, but it is a big improvement to the run-down has-been of a mall that was there before it. Ahh, suburbia, (cough, cough).

What I believe

No, I don't believe in the Easter Bunny, but had that Hip hop Easter B. sent to me by a friend and thought it was too cute to keep to myself. We, as a family, don't get much into the hype of the holidays, but I do like to do something a little different on the days that are significant in my faith. This week is Holy Week, and it is called such because it is the week leading up to (as we recognize it in the church calendar) the death and ressurection of Christ. At Bible study tonight, again my beliefs were challenged about Christ actually descending into Hell. I had to look it up, and I found that I, and not he who spoke otherwise was right, at least from a reformed point of view. This is what I believe in a nutshell:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell. [See Calvin]

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

The Easter Bunny Cometh

This was way too cute and funky to not pass on: www.grayace.com/dex/bunny.html check it out, and crank up the volume. Hoppy Easter!

Prettiness et moi