22nd Wedding Anniversary

 Last week Darrell and I celebrated our 22nd Anniversary!  It does not seem possible that it's been that long, especially considering we dated for 4 years before we married.  I love him more today than ever before!  I always know he has my back and supports me in all that I do.  We spent the weekend at Mission Inn, as we have several times in the past.  It is so beautiful and serene.

 We LOVE the restaurant right across the street called Mario's Place.  Darrell had pork, veal, and lamb tortellini.

 The grounds and buildings at Mission Inn are breathtaking!  Each time we go, we find something new.

Here's to 22 more years!  I LOVE YOU DARRELL!!

Luncheon With Some of my Favorite Students

 I invited 3 of my very special former Students to my house with their kiddos...I adore all of them SOOOO much and loved having them for lunch and to swim!  Above is Emily and Camilla dancing on the pool deck!

 Here's a group shot of the 3 ladies and MOST of the kids.  I made Chinese Chicken Salad for the adults and they liked it...none of them had ever tried it before!

 This is Eugenia and her 3 beautiful kids.  Lizette doesn't look too happy, but I think she was just tired from ALL of the swimming!

 This is Laura and Camilla...SO cute!

 One of the girls made Barbie a swimming pool...I just love little girls!

 Myself with Graciela.  Graciela was in my class for 5 years, even before her youngest 2 were born.  I feel like she is more like family, and she is such a terrific Mommy!

 A great photo of Eugenia and Laura...such great Mommy's!!

 Emily...I want to kiss her cheeks!

 Ashley is Graciela's oldest daughter and is going into 7th grade.  She started coming to my parenting class when she was 4 years old!

 Daniel LOVED swimming...and the watermelon!

 Camila wasn't too sure about the pool float!

 Cute, cute cute!

 A group shot!

 Carly and Emily...they loved Chloe!

A photo of all the kiddos and myself.  I am excited to see what the future holds for all of these kiddos!! We had a beautiful afternoon of food, fun, and swimming!!

Lizette and Diana...My Girlies!

This is Liz and Diana...they are 2 of the little girls who were in my class a couple of years ago and I have kept up with their lives since moving schools.  When they first came to my class they had never left their Mama, so they screamed when my aide and I had to take over so Eugenia (Mama) went to English class!  It was one of the most extreme cases of separation anxiety I had ever witnessed.  Diana was under a year and Liz was not even 2, now they are 3 and 4 years old.  They are SO DELIGHTFUL...I had so much fun spending the morning with them!  They are bi-lingual, so they teach me some Spanish and I hopefully help them with their English!  They have an older brother who was getting fitted for hearing aides, so Mama let the girls come to my house for a few hours.

 They love strawberries...

 AND we made a lot of art creations.  See that little red thing, it is a new type of hole punch and I loved it.  I am going to go get several for my classroom.

 Diana is just starting to get her pincher grip down and is doing excellent!

 Liz can write almost the entire alphabet and she has mastered the art of heart-making!  Looks at those gorgeous eyes...WOW!!

 The girls wanted to try using my camera, so Liz took a picture of Diana, Chloe (mid-yawn), and I.

 Diana took a self-portrait...cutey-pie!

And then she took a picture of her sister!

I truly adore these kiddos and their Mama.  I hope that they are learning from me each time I see them because I know I am learning frome them!  Thanks Eugenia, for sharing the girls with me!

Wordless Wednesday #57 ~ San Pasqual Reservation Fire Academy

Wilma Josephine McClanahan

The picture above is a beautiful family in my Parenting class...they are awesome!  Josephine is "the MOMMY."  She is now in heaven and this little girl, Brooklyn and her brother and sister will live on this Earth without her.  It is SO unfair...but they are SO blessed to have had her for their Mommy for a short period of time.  Josephine loved, and I mean REALLY LOVED her kiddos!  She brought them to my class nearly every day in spite of having radiation treatments and Drs. appointments and feeling crappy.  The kiddos were ALWAYS her main concern.  I am honored that I can call Jo my friend and that I got to spend so much time with her.  She loved life and lived it to the max.  I will learn from her, I will try harder, I will make time for my friends and family, and I will love Brooklyn and tell her how special her Mommy was.  Thanks Josephine for the memories...thanks for sharing your family with me...thanks for teaching me SO MUCH!!  May you REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND!!

Chloe and Molly

 Chloe making herself comfy among Nathans stuffed animals...

Nathan with "the girls" at the top of the stairs...

So, from the girl who would never really wanted a dog (nevermind 2!) I sure do love having them here with us!  Especially when my Fibro is acting up and I spend a lot of time at home in bed and laying on the couch!  They are my little buddies...

Breakfast with my "GIRLS"

 I had the pleasure of having breakfast with some of the awesome Mommy's that were in my parenting class last year.  Actually, 2 of them have been in my classes for 5 years!  They keep following me from school to school, and I keep welcoming them into my class!!  I really feel like they are a part of my family, more than my students.  Kelly, in the picture above, has been with me since BEFORE her birth!  She has a darling big sister!

 Diana was with me starting when she was just a couple of months old!  She would scream and cry.  NOW, she is 3 years old and SO smart and articulate...in English and Spanish!  She didn't feel 100% today...poor baby!

 Camilla is a gorgeous baby just like her Mama.  I could kiss her and eat her up!

I adore, cherish, and respect these ladies.  They are here in this country and are doing great and learning the language, and none of them have ANY family here.  They are brave and strong!  I am so lucky to have them as a huge part of my life!!