Paperback vs Technology

When Kindles and other readers started coming out, I stood by my bookshelf and declared "there's nothing like paperback!" - even though I didn't own a reader. The feel of a paperback (I don't like hardbacks) between your hands, turning the page and dog earing the corners to mark your spot - nothing like that.

But, I got Kindle for iphone a year or so ago and I read one book on it. Just one. It wasn't enjoyable, There was no page turning. So, I went back to buying paperbacks. Glorious $15 paperbacks that I loved looking at on my shelf waiting to be read over and over.

A few weeks ago, I got an iPad mini and downloaded the Kindle app - giving it another try. The first book I put on there was Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure. I loved it. No, there was no paper, no dog earing, no pretty book on the shelf. But there was convenience. I had an electronic bookshelf in my small purse. I could make the words bigger - I need this now that I'm getting older, you know thirty-one. Glorius Kindle had a new fan and I quickly forgot about my stand for paperback.

And the cool thing? I usually get my books for free. Thanks to publisher specials. Now that I love!

Greatest thing Dad's ever done...

Today is Father's Day. A day when boys, girls, men and women celebrate the special Dad's in their lives. I can't let today go by and not tell you about my Dad.

My Dad is often misunderstood. He has a dry sense of humor and people don't often get him - I relate to him in this because I have the same sense of humor. Dry with a load of sarcasm thrown in. There is nothing worse then someone that doesn't get just how awesome your parent is or what an amazing person they are. Not everyone gets it and that's ok. But I want to shed light into the person I call Dad.

Not every little girl has memories of their Dads, let alone memories like mine. When I dig back into my brains memory system, I remember seeing my Dad do things that I thought every Dad did. I was blessed in the fact that when I was little, we never went without. By the time I came along into the family, my Dad had a successful business. So I enjoyed many things that I took for granted because it was just all I knew. But even with all this, my favorite memories of my Dad weren't the camping trips, luxury weeks in Tahoe or on the coast or the fine restaurants he would take us to after a long day fishing because he'd say, " I want you to be well-rounded". It wasn't the new cars or the stable home, never moving from house to house. What I loved most about my Dad was watching him with homeless people that he would find and give them food and a bible study. It was the church bus he bought so he could pile my siblings and I in each Sunday morning to pick up the bus kids for Sunday School. It was knowing my Dad was out the door every weekday morning before 5am and headed to the church to pray. Without fail. These are the things that impacted my life and really made me into the person I am today. These things made me strive to be better, to measure faithfulness by him. 

My Dad is not perfect. Far from it. But if there was one thing that my Dad's life would tell you, he knows how to overcome. His life has not been easy. As a human being. As a father. But one thing remains, he always has found his way back to the foundation that he built for our family. A foundation that has withstood many trials and heartache. Many joys. He, along with my mom, built our family on God. Made Him the chief cornerstone. 

This the greatest thing He has ever done and will ever do. Because of this, I serve God today and will do so for as long as I am on this earth. 

Thank you, Dad. For all you did and continue to do.

Do you recognize me?

Hello Daily Bee!
It's me, Deb. Yes, I know it's been over a year and that wasn't even a long visit, but I have missed you. Truly. For real. No joke. My trusty friend. We go way back. Too far back for me to desert you. I've thought about changing your name, deleting you all together because, we'll, let's face it - you were my listening ear for a lot of the good, the bad and the ugly. A lot can change in a friendship as long as ours. A lot. But I thought about it long and hard and figured, new readers would appreciate our old conversations if they ever dug around. So, let's get reacquainted now. I'm no longer that twenty-something that wrote about little things here and there. Now I'm the thirty-something that will write about... well, little things here and there.

Hello again. 

Little Sweethearts - *JAM*GIRL

This past weekend I had a very special event that I've been working on for the past couple of months. I am the kids ministry director at my church, *JAM*KIDZ. I recently formed a group for our little girls and this past weekend we had our first event - "Covered*by*love".

Everything had to do with love! Perfect month for it. I made heart shaped sandwiches, we had a little candy table and we had a "make your own hair accessory" table.

Fun day with a great lesson geared towards these little girls ages.

I loved every minute of it.

She said goodbye to her 20's

This may be the most belated post ever, but I've been wanting to document special events on my blog and this is one of them.

On February 5th my sis-in-law, Sonia, said goodbye to her 20's and hello to her 30's. we celebrated with a birthday dinner on her actual birthday at CPK, quick and a bit hectic since we all had a meeting to attend that night.

Two days later, we gathered together and my mom and I cooked some of Sonia's favorite foods.

-Stuffed mushrooms (one bite if pure creamy, salty, cheesy goodness - pic below)
-Veggie medley (seriously the best, sweet, salty - corn, bell peppers, onion, sugar)
-Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
-Chicken Cordon Bleu' (My mom has been making this for years, one of her most requested foods. It's am-a-zing)
-Red Velvet Cake and cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting (chocolate, creamy goodness! I tried a new frosting recipe and loved it!)

I'm not far behind Sonia in saying hello to my 30's :( but I'm so glad she's gone before me, makes it a little less scary. lol

HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday to my sis! I love her!

Flu it better not be you!

Paranoid. Germ phobia. I did to the right thing and got my flu shot on Friday. Left with my band aid on my shoulder and my arm feeling like it was about to fall off, but I was ready to face the flu season.

The flu was ready for me, apparently. Woke up this morning, Saturday with sickness. Went along with my day, errands here and there and by afternoon it really hit me.

I'm still hoping its just a bad cold. That this fever is just a few hours thing. I'm hoping.

Take it from me, being a germ phobic and thinking I'm some flu superhero is all nice. But I'm not feeling it tonight.

Here's to another season. I'm still hoping.

The World of Parks & Recreation

I've never seen the show. But today I found out that they were filming a few miles away from my house and without thinking, I jumped in the car and drove towards the spot - The Orange Circle.

As I drove up, I thought that they most likely had the area around it closed off. But they didn't! This was a chance to get an up close look at a TV set.

As I circled the circle, I had my phone camera ready and was snapping away like a crazy paparazzi.

I didn't get to see the stars, actually I wouldn't know who they were if I did. Maybe just the blonde, Amy Pohler.

I was a bit starstruck just seeing the gaffers and cameras.

Who knows, maybe I'll be seen doing a drive by with my phone in hand? :)

A special night

The big 4-0 Anniversary celebration for mom and dad was one of the best yet. I rambled on about not being about to do a big party / banquet but this little gathering of our immediate family (not all with my Sister, her hubby and their son not here) at one of the parents favorite restaurants was perfect. I even talked everyone in to getting a group picture (it was like gathering toddlers with the way the men were trying to skip it). Afterwards we went back to the house and we had a special thing planned with my sister, her hubby and their son FaceTiming in. Lots of tears, it was perfect and exactly what my family is about. Close knit, emotional and heartfelt. That's us.

We served cake and sat around having a good ok' time - the night could not have been better for two of the most amazing people on this earth.

"The older I get, the less time I want to spend with the part of the human race I didn't marry." - Robert Brault

40 Years is a Big Deal

Today marks my parents 40th Anniversary. What a milestone. How many people can say that nowadays? Not many.

They met at a Catholic hospital in Pasadena, CA in their early 20's, she found him annoying and he thought he was the cream of the crop :). They fell in love and through ups and downs stuck together. They married, a few years later married. Here they are today, examples of love and overcoming tough times, hardships in life . Good times always outweighed the bad and they shared all this with their kids.

Now five kids, three kid-in-laws and two granddaughters later - they're celebrating this milestone.

I love them. Happy Anniversary to my beautiful parents.