Food for thought...

My mom got this email and forwarded it to me... what are your thoughts?...

If you cross the North Korean border illegally you get 12 years hard labor.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely.

If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.

If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed.

If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again.

If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.

If you cross the Mexican borders illegally you will jailed for two years.

If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot.

If you cross the American border illegally you get:

1 - A job

2 - A driver's license

3 - A Social Security card

4 - Welfare

5 - Food stamps

6 - Credit cards

7 - Subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house

8 - Free education

9 - Free health care

10 - A lobbyist in Washington

11 - Billions of dollars in public documents printed in your language

12 - Millions of servicemen and women who are willing to - and do - die for your right to the ways and means of our constitution

13 - And the right to carry the flag of your country - the one you walked out on - while you call America racist and protest that you don't get enough respect.

I hate growing up...

Mostly, I just hate that he is growing up. Fine, all my other brothers and sister went and became/are becoming AD-ults... whatever. I've resigned to that sad fact... but not him!!!

He's just supposed to stay little forever!

He's sure is cute tho' :)

On a happier note:

I found a phone.

I kinda like it (we're only on day 2 here...) It's wayyyyy too much technology for a stinking phone... but at least I like the parts of the phone I use (texting, phone calls and the maps).

And finally...

It's hot.

Phone Frustrations...

Ok, so I've been with T-mobile for 5 years. I've never had a problem with dropped calls, rate changes, added charges, etc. BUT, I'm currently having a problem with their phones...

Initially, I had this gem:

RIP little buddy...

I loved it and miss it actually... but grew to need email access constantly while in school, as well as the ability to look up directions on mapquest at a moments notice (also for school)... so then there was this beauty:

Loved it. It was big and somewhat cumbersome, but I grew very fond of it very quickly.

Unfortunately, the battery died a few weeks ago, so I had three options: 1) get a "used" or "gently used" battery from Wireless Toys... 2) Switch to a new provider/new phone OR, 3) Use my "upgrade/contract renewal" and replace the phone... which was the option I went with. This option led to this 'piece':

It has a great camera, lots of apps, the Android crap, and a keyboard... BUT IT SUCKS. It weighs about 10lbs, is hard to slide open and the texting SUCKS on it... but, I gave it a fair trial. I had 2 weeks to try it out, and yesterday my 2 weeks was up... so I walked myself into the Tmobile store.... and asked them what my options were now...

1) Get the G2 (the slightly older model with no keyboard) or 2) pick a different phone without the apps and google and whatnot... grrr.

I hate change. I do. I hate figuring out new phones/computers/cars, etc. So...naturally, I stuck with the google thing, and got this:

Basically the same thing that I had...except a crappier camera... no keyboard...

And guess what?

I. HATE. IT!!!

What do I do?!? :(

HELP

Thank you Universe...

Veeeeeeeerrryy subtle... :|

Fine. I get it. I'll work on it...

NOTE TO SELF

"We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy..."

I just got this in an email and thought I'd share... :)

Wha...??

I know I dress like a piece of garbage occasionally when running quick errands (you know... to Wal-mart, CVS, the gas station, etc)... but I've now got competition...

That's HOT

Very hot. Case in point:

Gotta love Vegas, no?

For the most part, our 4th of July was pretty typical, except we started ours out by gettin' our hurr' did. Sally&co. came over around 10-ish and we all took turns getting beautiful. While I was waiting for my turn, Matt decided to play with my hair and give me a massage... VERY uncharacteristic... and VERY VERY VERY cute :)

Once Sally left, we all sort-of waited around for Jess to get home (I guess the 4th of July for lifeguards is like the 4th of July for firemen... no one gets the day off).

Once she finally got home, she showed us all her new flip flops:

Cute, no?

Celeste is the grill master, so while we waited for her to rustle us up some grub (hamburgers, hotdogs and a boca-patty for moi), the boys competed in some quality tetherball and us girls enjoyed the show...

Here's what $150 will buy you...

total rip off.

The grub.

More grub.

Once we were fat and fed, we began our family fireworks with none other than the classic colorful-smoke bombs and sparklers...

Real cute Spence.

Eye-Spy.... Jess and Spence :D

Don't mind my boxers, tank, glasses and

no make-up appearance.

(It's the 4th, not Prom...)

Now onto the bigger and better items:

After our cute little fireworks show, we all piled into the Expe. and headed out to Black mountain, where we had an awesome view of Las Vegas and all of the fireworks shows going on throughout the valley.

Such a great day!

Is it weird that one of my favorite things about the 4th of July...happens to be the smell???

Beck and Baby-Boy's night out...

First, we witnessed a SERIOUSLY scary crash on the 2-15, headed towards Chuck-e-cheese,

Then, we played hard... and won harder.

And finally, we saw Toy Story 3.

Spence and his very well mannered friend from soccer, Maxx (yes. two x's)

Now, Matty has a totally different game plan, with regards to arcade-gaming, than most other kids. He's not about "how much fun," ...he's about "how much can I win?!" So he gravitates towards the games he sees spit-out the most tickets to previous occupants. Very funny to watch... :)

Whilst waiting to be able to enter the theater, (we went to the movie opening night and got there quite early, "just in case") this is how Spence entertained himself...

Such a fun night :) I love those (not so) little boys...

We're playin' Basss-ket-balll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAWkElx3N0I

Yeah, now basketball is my favorite sport

I love the way they dribble up and down the court

I keep it so fresh on the microphone

I like no interruption when the game is on

I like slam dunk, to take me to the hoop

My favorite play is the alley-oop

I like the pick-and-roll

I like the give-and-go

In this basketball, Bow Wow, let's go

Glad I got that off my chest...

So, my dad and Reggie coached Matty and Spence's Boys and Girls Club Basketball team this season and it was... quite the experience! I think the boys enjoyed it... but us girls are NERVOUS WRECKS sitting on the sidelines...

Here are a few photos that document this experience:

Spence, Dad and Reggie, watching intently from the sidelines...

Yeah... he's 11... but he's JUST SO LITTLE! <3

Check out Matty's defensive-A-game! :D

Yes. That's Spence, #5. Baby-Bieber... towering over all the other players. Genetics are a funny thing, and this kid has somehow managed to inherit my bean-pole-like physique... amazing, really...

Don't quote me, but I believe the team ended up in either 1st or 2nd place, once all was said and done. I think that dad had more fun than anyone and...though my nerves and heart feel otherwise, I personally hope this was the start of many coaching seasons to come...

Goo...

I got to see this AMAZING band perform live and... wow...

First off, I had never been to the Pearl at the Palms, so that was a very cool experience.

And the star of the show....

I LOVE HIM

Celeste and I went and saw the Goo Goo Dolls a few weeks ago, and...for not thinking I knew many of their songs prior to the show, I was pleasantly surprised with the entire show and had a TON of fun!!

Thanks for a fun sis-night Chesty! :D

LeAnna...

A simple math problem:

Sterilization pouch used for sharpening stones/test sticks

+Your name & SI box # from hygiene school labeled on it

= ...We need to sharpen more.

:P

Have fun in Tennessee!