Oh Fer Cryin' Out Loud

The one in the red is Jimmy - my son who'll be 18 in December. The one in grey is Stephen - this was taken at his 16th birthday party on 6/14/08.

The head behind is one of the boys friends - Travis.

Oh it's going to quick... too quick!

I live each day in the moment, but I swear time has hit WARP 9!

Oh please slooooow... please.

James is signing up for the Marines and will be leaving about June of next year. Stephen is signing up for Air Force and I'll have him until June of 2010.

Oh please slooooooow.... pleeeeease.

This is the two - Stephen on the Left and Jimmy on the right... this was taken in 2002.... This is how I still see them.

 


Here's another one... taken in 1997...  Again, Stephen on the left, James on the right...

oh lordy

Here's my Search and Rescue partner! He's getting so big! He's in at 51lbs last week and is so derned smart! :)

We are at training tomorrow morning again, he's doing very well.

:)

Have a great 4th and a great Friday!

Mon

This is my daddy. :) Taken in 2002. Going through old pics for a moment... just thought I'd show you Papa.

He lives in Texas right now and I miss him mucho.

He was the one that taught me to give to others. No matter what.

I love you Papa, and miss you...

Mon

Well....

I've had so many things happen in my life since late 2004 that to be very honest, I haven't felt balanced at all.

Adjusting to married life has been a bit difficult for me to be very honest.  I'm so used to my independence - not with dating others, but just doing what I want when I want.

Like for instance, working in the yard at night.  Sounds easy enough, but I'd always feel so guilty when I wasn't inside the house making sure my husband was okay.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's from my prior marriage when I was really young.  I was only doing what my husband would do... you know?

So I've been cutting the cord so to speak.  I joined SAR (search and rescue) and that's my time (and my puppy's!), I'm planning trips without the hubby... just me and the kids, like we used to.  I've been out in the yard listening to the frogs and crickets while planting and replanting... these are parts of who I am.

I enjoy travelling.  I enjoy the outdoors.  I enjoy my children.  I enjoy my hubby, but we do get to keep who we are as individuals.  I even GLADLY pushed him into buying his newest vehicle - a 1972 Gran Torino and he's been at the shop working on it quite a bit.  YEAH!  He's stopped that for years and years and has finally pulled that part of him back up.  I'm SO glad!

I have missed who I am and have been slowly but surely working to get myself back.  I'm a wife, mother, business owner, sister, daughter, granddaughter, neice, friend, acquaintance, neighbor, volunteer - but underneath all of that, I'm Monica. 

I've missed Monica.

Hugs to all of you.

~Monica~ 

... married but still free ...

Hey there,

I never thought I'd take a pic of a gasoline station - but hey, thought I'd document before we go over $6.00/gallon.........

ARRRRRRRGHHHHGHGHGHHGHH

Where the heck is my Electric Car?! I want one............ I think.

A Frustrated Monica

During the San Rafeal Art Street Painting Festival - there were children coloring on the street with chalk. When then were done, some were quite messy. But still beautiful.

This little ballerina didn't mind the chalk on her little hands and feet at all and decided it would be just as nice to dance.

I did ask her momma if I could take this photo for my blog - she was kind enough to share her ballerina with me and with you.

Oh to be young.

While we were at the Art Festival yesterday I caught a few photos that I'd like to share specially.  Although I took so many that you'll probobly be sick of them after awhile ( hee hee ) these are some I wanted to share.

This tree has a single red rose in full bloom under it, although I'm not going to show you that, I will show you the *marker* that is under the tree. 

Homelessness is prevelant everywhere it seems.  Some cities allow it, some - like where I live, the homeless are chased out so that it doesn't become a *problem*. 

This lady was sitting in the lawn area at the festival just watching people. 

I went to her and had a cigarette with her and talked to her for some time.  She was a very sweet and very interesting lady!  For whatever reasons she ended up without a home.  She told me of her sons, her life, and her outlook on life.  She is a very special spirit to be sure.  I was glad to have met her.

The day was outstanding, the people and scenery were amazing, and my company - my dear husband - couldn't have been more perfect.

Love and Light,

~Monica~

Today Daniel had a surprise for me.  He and I went to the San Rafael Youth in Arts Italian Street Painting Festival.  It was beyond beautiful today in San Rafael and the art was breathtaking. 

The artists "painted" with chalk.  I'm so amazed at the amount of creativity in one place, and I swear I could have taken a billion more photos.  As it stands, there are over 400 from my day.  I will show some from the Art Festival. 

Amazing.  There are more on my Flickr account.  There are WAY too many right now to upload, but I thought I'd give you an idea.  :)

Festival Painter

Beautiful Face - Chalk Painted

Street Paining

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Wikipedia marriage is:

"Marriage is a personal union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is called a wedding and the status created is sometimes called wedlock."

According to Monica, marriage is:

"An agreement by two people (no, I DON'T care if it's same sex fer cryin' out loud!  that dispute is getting old to me... sheesh):

• combine assets,
• allow the other full access to your heart (yes, even the potential to hurt one another),
• publicly announce you are taken (jeeze, this one was like putting out an announcement in the paper - or maybe we should have),
• to love the other one - even when you are angrier than a bull getting messed with by a guy with a red blanket,
• to not leave or announce DIVORCE 'cause you just can't take it anymore
• to respect eachother's lives (yes, we actually DO still have our own lives)
• to deal with the other's families, even if you aren't sure why they do what they do (not my hubbies family ofcourse)

to learn, to love, through sickness and health - 'till death do us part kinda thing"

So, after having our 2 year wedding anniversary I can say we've done all of the above. 

What is a marriage that works?  To me, it's one you keep working on.

I was married once before, so was he.  His lasted longer than mine... mine lasted all of 6 years.  Enough time to have my beautiful children and thank my ex-husband for the time I had with him.  It wasn't a pretty breakup, but very quiet - we just gave up.

Daniel and I work hard sometimes on our marriage.  He came in to a family - me and three children.  I took on him and his son.  He is a neat freak, I'm messier than all heck.  He is a perfectionist with money... me?  Well... I have some and my kids are fed and I was always able to pay the bills and keep what I had, that's all that mattered to me.

We are so different in so many ways.  SO many ways.  I talk to my ex-boyfriend once in awhile, he talks to his ex-wife almost daily.  His ex-girlfriend reads my blog, my ex-boyfriend reads my MySpace. 

He is a great provider, a wonderful step-father, and great other things.  :)

So what do I feel today that's different than when he and I first started this relationship?  I feel secure, happy, and at peace. 

There are days when both of us wonder "what next?". 

Today we just get to *be*.

I love my husband and am glad we fought so hard to be together.  We each left people with broken hearts to come together.  They just weren't the ones we were to share our lives with. 

According to Monica ~ Marriage:  A Union of Two Spirits that Chose to Come Together In This Life to Learn with Eachother 

~Monica~