Felize Navidad!!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

I am so greatful today. The day after Christmas, the fun and sillyness, food and family all of it is fresh in my mind. While driving home from papa Stan's house yesterday, Adam looks in his mirror as he's driving and see's Kaleb gazing out the window smiling and chuckeling to himself. We asked him what he was laghing about. He said he was just thinking about the other night when he sprayed everyone in the house with spider webbs. After he said that, I got a visual of it and laughed out loud, that was really funny. It was great watching every one open presents, especially the boys, they had alot of enthusiasim.

Sarah, dispite the last week of complications looked really well. The swelling is gone and her scar is healing beautifully as well and she was in good spirit. Robin gave me some good news yesterday too! The kids played for hours, we all talked to Emi on the phone to wish her a Merry Christmas. Mark got his dad a count down to leaving office Bush 2007 calander, this I would have to say just made my day!! Why, you might wounder?!? The fact that Stan is a big Bush fan or "loyalist"(meaning no matter how stupid and contradictory the rep. party may sound you still claim to support them.) and that Mark would get him something with anti-Bush tone I found amusing. Also because I'm not a fan of Bush, never have been, the quotes were hilarius and just remind me of why I dont like him. I'll post a link to the calander site when I get it from Mark.

Anyway, just a few pics. of the wounderful weekend.

Boy Oh Boy!!

What a great weekend! We had Sarah's boys for a sleep over, the first we've had with her boys and it was so much fun to watch them play. There imaginations went wild, Kaleb and Ethan pretend to be animal doctors, good guy bad guy, lately Kaleb has been a scientist. The four of them together pretending was a treat! Of course what's a sleep over at Adam's house if there's no dog pile, well never fear, snuggles and dog piles were the highlight for us.

I actually caught the boys jumping on the beds singing in chorus and found that to be very amusing. Jack was not short on ideas for amusing everyone.

With cup cakes, pizza and a few new friends like my cousins kids Gabriel and Adrian to play with, it was a successfully fun sleep over. All the boys were within the same age groups, Kaleb, Chandler and Gabriel 5 years, Ethan and Jackson 4 years with little Adrian I think 2 or 3. Monica and her family live in Florence and it's great that she can just pop in, I love it. I wish we were closer to Sarah and her kids, even though we don't see them as much as we would like, every time the boys get together it's as if no time had lapsed from the last time they were together. Ethan and Tucker enjoy each other much like they do with Jackson, Charlotte and Moqui enjoy much of the same things as well, but don't see each other as much as I'd like either. With Christmas just around the corner and Emily coming into town I hope we can all get together and celebrate what great kids and family we have.

Make video montages at onetruemedia.com

Today's Solar Radiation Forecast

At 1 a.m. this morning my dad was calling me to give me a heads up on the influx of radiation headed our way today and perhaps days to come. Why 1 a.m., I dont know, but our families well being was sure to be the motivation for the late call. I found an article that was posted from CNN science section, there were other reports from FOX and space.com as well.

SPACE.com
Adjust font size:
(SPACE.com) -- Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess after a major flare erupted on the sun overnight threatening damage to communication systems and power grids while offering up the wonder of Northern Lights.

"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably around mid-day Thursday, Joe Kunches, Lead Forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center, told SPACE.com this afternoon.

The storm is expected to generate aurora or Northern Lights, as far south as the northern United States Thursday night. Astronauts aboard the international space station are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.

Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage, however.

Solar flares send radiation to Earth within minutes. Some are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), clouds of charged particles that arrive in a day or two. This flare unleashed a strong CME that's aimed squarely at Earth.

"It's got all the rights stuff," Kunches said.

However, one crucial component to the storm is unknown: its magnetic orientation. If it lines up a certain way with Earth's magnetic field, then the storm essentially pours into our upper atmosphere. If the alignment is otherwise, the storm can pass by the planet with fewer consequences.

There is also the average day to day risks of to much sun and ultraviolet exposure, like cancer. To read more just type "solar radiation" click on the news part of google and pick a site. Click on images and see all kinds of awesome pictures.

So today avouid direct sun if you can.

Ode To Moqui, she's ONE today!

Make video montages at onetruemedia.com

Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Isla Mujeres Mexico

Since we've been back from Mexico allot has happened and I haven't had a chance to share pictures and stories. Thanks to Robins pioneering, I now have a medium.

Enjoy!!


Wanna know what we did in Mexico? Copy

Also as promised the Moqui footage from dec. 6 post.


Dad and Moqui play time.

Sarah

There is no one in the world like Sarah! When Adam and I first started dating and getting serious, he took me to meet Sarah. I was really nervous at first, knowing that the rest of the family would want to know what she thought of me. Also because of their special relationship, it was important to him that she approve. There was something about her friendly eyes smiling and greeting that put me at ease and I knew I could just be myself. We hit it off right away, I remember on my days off I would go to her house with Starbucks non-fat sugar free vanilla lattes to talk and visit with Chandler and her then very baby Jackson (SO cute). I enjoy her humor, even now it's reassuring to me that she can crack jokes about not being paralyzed from the surgery, that's who she is.

I admire her dedication to her children. Life has brought allot of changes the past few years since I've known her and her kids well being is always top priority in every way. She has this demeanor with them that is palpable, to watch her foster and nurture the ideas, questions and imagination of her bright, sensitive, sweet sons so lovingly it's inspiring. She makes you wounder, why haven't I thought of that!?!

The last time I saw Sarah before her surgery was at grandma Donna's birthday party put her arms around me and grabbed my right butt cheek, this made me very happy!! Things didn't have to be serious and scary. My dad when I was very young 3 or so had four brain surgeries, I was helpless then and with Sarah I feel very helpless as well. Again, to hear her voice to see her just being herself makes me feel better. In short I love you Sarah and cherish our friendship.


I took this picture on the beach of Isla Mujeres, Mexico in November. Our thoughts are always with you Sarah.

much to do about nothing

I don't really have much to write about today. Not that there has been a lack of things going on, I have had alot on my mind. All things seem to work themselves out, lingering questions find answers with time. Let's look at perspective maybe for a minute, for me it brings challenges into friendships, relationships within my family, marriage and random social interaction. We all have perspectives that may vary on situations or relationships, but where do these perspectives come from. Well google says:

position: a way of regarding situations or topics etc.; "consider what follows from the positivist view"
the appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer .

It's basically how you see or choose to percieve things from where your standing. Last week I went to a Tibetan Buddhist mediation for the first time. It was not my first interaction with the teacher I had taken two of her classes and received reiki from her four times and I suppose you could say that we were familiar with each other to a degree slightly more than superficially. Anyway, I am comfortable enough in this atmosphere to be myself. There was discussion to good length on Tibetan Buddhism before meditation the perfect rebirth, reincarnation, death, the hot and cold worlds, buddhachitta, monks and the community of Buddhists. Allot to wet the intellectual appetite, but there was a problem. Any time she would compare likeness or differences of Buddhism to Christianity, catholics or Mormons, her eyes would reference me, maybe others who were there that were not Buddhist as well, but because she knew I am Mormon it seemed she would look to me to validate her comparisons or perspective. Well for someone like me who's been a member all her life but has only a little more understanding of the teachings and structure of the church than an active 8 year old. I didn't feel it my place. So I would say nothing, then in comparing monks freely without compensation serving others to organized religion she asked me if bishops, priests or deacons get paid. I hesitated for a moment, was I sure enough to answer this question? So I said no, all the people that I know from church have regular jobs to support themselves, but are called to be of service to those in the community, and they can accept or decline such a calling.

She may have been surprised that in this way there was more a likeness than she thought. In this example I was being looked at as the direct representation of all Mormons and in a way being set apart as different from her based on her experiences of Mormons. Now same night, as we were getting ready to leave a few of us were standing outside talking and the teacher said in reference to a fellow Buddhist who had attended with me that night,"This man is an awesome healer, he just doesn't know it yet or wont admit it." I shook his hand and said something cheesy like maybe some of your awesomeness will rub off on me now. Well of course from where I was standing I thought I was being cute. Well perhaps from her perspective I was being disrespectful and she was quite serious when she said,"..no, really he is, you don't know what he can do!". Well ya, I just met the guy. Anyway, I don't know exactly why I do things like that when I am first meeting people, but I'm slightly uncomfortable with introductions when they are followed by blank stares and silence.

Another example is when Adam gets angry with one of the kids and calls them something mean like stupid shit. He sees whatever it is in that moment that they did as warranting that reaction. This to me is always intolerable and is one of the few things we argue about. Of course we are all guilty of doing this maybe once or twice in heat of anger. Maybe it's a female thing, but I always tend to think of what problems my kid is going to face in the future, a year from now or ten if he thinks he's a stupid shit. Further more, I believe that if every time my son did something displeasing to me I told him he was stupid, in no time he would believe it and perhaps act it, because he looks to me to validate who he is at 4 years old. Now I've gone into something deeper than just perspective, but if when you look at a child and you only perceive a child you do that PERSON a disservice, every time. They are future adults and caregivers of our society, humanity, and mother earth and more often then not we learn from them. I am not saying that Adam uses stupid as pet names for our kids, but I do feel very strongly about name calling.

I didn't like being looked at as though I knew nothing about other religions or philosophy. I don't like being stereotyped, how others perceive us can sometimes be hurtful if we chose to allow it. How we perceive ourselves can be crucial to our continuous growth and development and with a good self image who really cares what anyone else thinks they see. I guess with kids in bed, husband passed out early and time in front of the computer, I actuallay do have plenty to write about. If you read this whole post you must have extra time on your hands to!

Daddy's Girl!

There is nothing like seeing first hand the love between a father and a daughter. Adam came into my life when my boys Kaleb and Ethan were very small. It took time for them to know each other and to know what is expected of one another in their individual relationships. For instance, Kaleb hated being tossed up for the longest time he would screech and scream every time. Now Adam and Kaleb have unique tosses, like the spiddy toss. Adam throwing Kaleb as high as possible with a half twist and Kaleb shoot web from his hands mid air. Ethan always went for the tossing, I guess he was young enough and trusting enough that it didn't phase him.

Adam as far as I have known him and according to everyone who knows him, has always loved babies. So when Moqui came along his first little baby, the love affair began. From day three he was balancing her with one hand, not long after he was tossing, twisting and balancing her and now she is a pro! Another trait Adam passed on to our little cherub, snuggling! Adam's mom showed me a letter he wrote her when he was five or six, apologizing for misbehaving, "I'm sorry. Now can we snuggle". Truly he is the best snuggles I've ever had the pleasure to encounter aside from Moqui. She doesn't have to be always on the go doing something, although she has her days. Most of the time she'll just slug in my lap, or lay her body and head on my chest and look up at me with her big toothy smile. It's awesome!

These are from last night. We took viedo that was hilarious. I'll post it when I figure out how.

This was the moon in Coolidge last night as well

Micila's meaning

This is the first time I have ever ventured into anything more advanced or technical than an email, with photo attachments. Very exciting! Ever since my sister in-law's started blogging, Emily and Robin, I've kept up to date with them almost everyday. Sometimes it's easier to write things, than to say them out loud. Anyway, it is my intention to share ideas, experiences, opinions and open myself totally with out restraint.

So to begin, the name Micila was a nick name given to me by my grandpa Brookshire, James or Jim is what he goes by. Ever since I can remember he has lovingly and adoringly called me Micila. With a tumultuous childhood, like so many of my brothers and sisters, (you will see that I refer to all of mankind as such as we are all one) my grandfather has been my biggest fan and supporter since the day I was born. Even at my worst and most ugly of stages, he has loved me unconditionally. It is threw this experience that I found love and compassion for all mankind, and the delicate cycles of life that we all share and that tie us at our very essence to our infinite mother, earth.

My grandfather has always been stricken with poor health, having to do with his heart and chronic bronchitis. With each incident that occurs, I turn into a sniveling baby. My husband can attest to this, recently my grandfather was hospitalized because of the bronchitis and medications. Of course I reverted to child whose world was turning inside out. A little mellow dramatic I admit, that's just how it is with that silly old man.

My daughter Moqui and my grandparents, Jim and JoAnn.

Well that's it for now. I don't want to bore anyone with my sentiments. I am positive that others hold someone in their lives just as dearly. I've seen Robin play tag allot with her fellow blogger. Given this being my first time and not knowing how to do that yet, if you find this and are able and willing on this topic, I'm all ears.