21 MeMoRiEs!

Sunday, August 1st was my birthday. I'm 21! Wahoo!! Finally I'm catching up to Shem's age. No, I'm not happy to be aging, but there is a difference when I'm age 20 saying my husband is 28 as opposed to being age 21 saying the same thing. No, I didn't go out and do the traditional 21st birthday celebration, BUT my celebration was better...Mommy style!

Shem made my birthday a fun one minus the fact that we were doing lots of last minute things for leaving town the next day. I was full of thanks on this particular birthday, acknowleding the fact that I'm a mother and wife to a wonderful daughter and husband. It's so fun being a mommy! My gift to me was spending time with Maycee...one of my most favorite things to do!

Shem decided to make me banana pancakes for breakfast! Yum! And when I came downstairs to the kitchen, I was greeted with flowers and cards from both Shem and my in-laws! :)

Later on we had a small celebration at my parents with imitation Tia Rosa salmon tacos and funfetti cupcakes for desert! The best part of the day was being surrounded by family. There's no better gift than having loving family.

The next day, we were off to California for our 1 year anniversary...leaving Maycee behind. Our trip was a blast and we got tons of pictures on our new camera! That post is coming, it will be a big one!

This kiss is for my hunny...I love you! Thank you for loving me in return no matter what.

All Settled In

Yes, we are all done moving...big sigh of relief. It is so nice knowing that we accomplished so much and we are on our way to a better life. Although leaving our home was not what we wanted, we know that it was the right thing to do at this time. Now Shem and I both have an opportunity to focus on school and being better parents with no distractions that come with having our own home. We are so fortunate to have Shem's parents take our family in and help us for the time being. So far it's been a lot of fun. It's great having a built-in babysitter. That helps with the stresses that come up each day.

Shem is preparing to start full time at MCC in a few weeks, and I'm preparing for getting state certification for my nursing assistant training I received a year ago. Life has kept me so busy this past year that I never was never able to get or even focus on my certification til now. I am expecting it to be fairly easy, but remembering all that I learned will be the hard part. Luckily I have all the materials that are needed to achieve my goal.

Maycee is such a sweetie pie. Those who are around her know what I mean. She is so good to Shem and I. She's been so good with the change of a new home and being passed back and forth to all the adults in the household. I will admit that I wish I were the only one who cared for her 100% of the time, but I thinks it's beneficial for both her and me to have time apart from one another. It makes Shem and I so happy to see her smile and socialize with the people we encounter. We're so glad she likes to be sociable. She hears ALL THE TIME, "you're so cute", "oh what a sweetheart". You get the picture. I'm confident the reactions she gets from people adds to how outgoing she is. It's so fun.

AND...She's sitting up so well and eating wonderfully. She loves her rice cereal. I'm anticipating her reaction to baby food. She'll be pulling the spoon toward her out of my hand, I'm sure of it. In less than two weeks, she will be 6 months and ready for a change in diet. Time flies!

Hope you enjoyed the update. More words and pictures to come.

Painting and MOVING!

Shem and I have been re-painting a bedroom and bathroom in his parents house because next week we are moving in. We both knew this day would come and I'm wondering to myself WHY! Why did we wait to start painting the week before? It seems like we are overwhelmed with things to do.

Here's our list:

-build a dollie for the piano...Move the piano
-Get a storage unit
-fill the unit with misc. items from his parents household and our own
-Finish packing the house
-Sort out storage vs. keep items.
-Once house is packed...clean it!
-Pack the garage
-Give away items
-Bring leftovers to D.I.
-Move our 2 fridges
-Sell our washer/dryer
-Fix the hallway cabinets
-Replace kitchen faucet

I'm sure there is more. Yes, these are coming to my mind as I'm writing. And all of these things HAVE to be done by July 22nd. So, technically we have 2 weeks but we can only move next weekend. Wow, this is overwheming! I'm venting and thought others could relate. Moving sure is a stressful thing. That's a given. The funny thing is we've been packing the house for the last two months and it's no where near being even a third done! So anyone can conclude that Shem and I are procrastinators. Haha, we're working on it!

Family Photos

Many firsts for us this July 4th! It was our first as a married couple and first as a family and baby's first fourth! So fun and so exciting! With the help of Grandma Wanlass entertaining Maycee, Nana Couch got some shots that day of the family to update our photos.

Someday we will have really nice professional photos. For now, I attempt to edit the way I'd imagine someone more experienced might. I'm confident that I will only get better, so some of these may look really amateur. That's ok. Practice makes perfect, huh?

{If anyone is wondering how I edit my photos, I do it on http://www.picnik.com/. (That's where our header was edited) It's free and so easy. http://fotoflexer.com/is good, too, but the picnik website seems to have more options for certain things. I also edit with Adobe Photoshop CS3, but that's SO complex and it's intended for the professional photographers. If anyone knows where to take classes for APS CS3, please let me know. I'm a little out of the loop when it comes to finding classes for that sort of thing. }

What Our Country Means to Me

Last night, July 3rd, we had the opportunity to go to the Arizona Celebration of Freedom in Downtown Mesa. It was full of people and had tons of programs going on to remind people the meaning and significance of Independence Day. There was also a fireworks display ending the night. Grandma Wanlass (Barbara), Sharee, Shem, Maycee and I all went. We made it in time to hear "The Story of 1776". With the Heritage Festival Choir singing some inspiring patriotic songs and Dr. Earl Taylor speaking, it was a perfect way to remind us of the greatness of our nation. Dr. Taylor spoke beautifully about the Declaration of Independence. He also shared some interesting stories and insights about the birth and signing of the document. One story in particular is one that is generally not told in American history. It's possible it is because of its spiritual nature. I looked for it online and found that there are debates on it as a myth. With the knowledge and faith I posses, I believe that this story is true. The signing of the Declaration of Indepence by those 56 signers was not coincidental and it needed to take place in order for our country to be what it is today. The story of the unknown speaker is this:

"...On July 4, 1776, in the old State House in Philadelphia, a group of patriotic men were gathered for the solemn purpose of proclaiming the liberty of the American colonies. From the letters of Thomas Jefferson which are preserved in the Library of Congress, I have been able to gather considerable data concerning this portentous session.In reconstructing the scene, it is well to remember that if the Revolutionary War failed every man who had signed the parchment then lying on the table would be subject to the penalty of death for high treason. It should also be remembered that the delegates representing the various colonies were not entirely of one mind as to the policies which should dominate the new nation.There were several speeches. In the balcony patriotic citizens crowded all available space and listened attentively to the proceedings. Jefferson expressed himself with great vigor; and John Adams, of Boston, spoke and with great strength. The Philadelphia printer, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, quiet and calm as usual, spoke his mind with well chosen words. The delegates hovered between sympathy and uncertainty as the long hours of the summer day crept by, for life is sweet when there is danger of losing it. The lower doors were locked and a guard was posted to prevent interruption.According to Jefferson, it was late in the afternoon before the delegates gathered their courage to the sticking point. The talk was about axes, scaffolds, and the gibbet, when suddenly a strong, bold voice sounded-

"Gibbet! They may stretch our necks on all the gibbets in the land; they may turn every rock into a scaffold; every tree into a gallows; every horne into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die! They may pour our blood on a thousand scaffolds, and yet from every drop that dyes the axe a new champion of freedom will spring into birth! The British King may blot out the stars of God from the sky, but he cannot blot out His words written on that parchment there. The works of God may perish: His words never! The words of this declaration will live in the world long after our bones are dust. To the mechanic in his workshop they will speak hope: to the slave in the mines freedom: but to the coward kings, these words will speak in tones of warning they cannot choose but hear ...Sign that parchment! Sign, if the next moment the gibbet's rope is about your neck! Sign, if the next minute this hall rings with the clash of falling axes! Sign, by all your hopes in life or death, as men, as husbands, as fathers, brothers, sign your names to the parchment, or be accursed forever! Sign, and not only for yourselves, but for all ages, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever. Nay, do not start and whisper with surprise! It is truth, your own hearts witness it: God proclaims it. Look at this strange band of exiles and outcasts, suddenly transformed into a people; a handful of men, weak in arms, but mighty in God-like faith; nay, look at your recent achievements, your Bunker Hill, your Lexington, and then tell me, if you can, that God has not given America to be free! It is not given to our poor human intellect to climb to the skies, and to pierce the Council of the Almighty One. But methinks I stand among the awful clouds which veil the brightness of Jehovah's throne. Methinks I see the recording Angel come trembling up to that throne and speak his dread message. 'Father, the old world is baptized in blood. Father, look with one glance of Thine eternal eye, and behold evermore that terrible sight, man trodden beneath the oppressor's feet, nations lost in blood, murder, and superstition, walking hand in hand over the graves of the victims, and not a single voice of hope to man!' He stands there, the Angel, trembling with the record of human guilt. But hark! The voice of God speaks from out the awful cloud: 'Let there be light again! Tell my people, the poor and oppressed, to go out from the old world, from oppression and blood, and build My altar in the new.' As I live, my friends, I believe that to be His voice! Yes, were my soul trembling on the verge of eternity, were this hand freezing in death, were this voice choking in the last struggle, I would still, with the last impulse of that soul, with the last wave of that hand, with the last gasp of that voice, implore you to remember this truth-God has given America to be free! Yes, as I sank into the gloomy shadows of the grave, with my last faint whisper I would beg you to sign that parchment for the sake of those millions whose very breath is now hushed in intense expectation as they look up to you for the awful words: 'You are free.''

The unknown speaker fell exhausted into his seat. The delegates, carried away by his enthusiasm, rushed forward. John Hancock scarcely had time to pen his bold signature before the quill was grasped by another. It was done.The delegates turned to express their gratitude to the unknown speaker for his eloquent words.He was not there.Who was this strange man, who seemed to speak with a divine authority, whose solemn words gave courage to the doubters and sealed the destiny of the new nation? Unfortunately, no one knows.His name is not recorded; none of those present knew him; or if they did, not one acknowledged the acquaintance.How he had entered into the locked and guarded room is not told, nor is there any record of the manner of his departure.No one claimed to have seen him before, and there is no mention of him after this single episode.Only his imperishable speech bears witness to his presence.There are many interesting implications in his words. He . speaks of the 'rights of man,' although Thomas Paine's book by that name was not published until thirteen years later.He mentions the all-seeing eye of God which was afterwards to appear on the reverse of the Great Seal of the new nation. In all, there is much to indicate that the unknown speaker was one of the agents of the secret Order, guarding and directing the destiny of America..."

{This excerpt was taken from "The Unknown Who Swayed the Signers of the Declaration of Independence" from the page: http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=1199.0;wap2}

I had heard this story before somewhere, not sure where, but it was familiar to me. I wonder what those men were thinking and how they felt at the time of this speech. Obviously it was compelling enough to get them to sign. I am filled with gratitude toward our founding fathers and the many men who practiced great courage in turning the land into a free one. I am grateful, as well, for the men who try so desperately to maintain those beliefs of our early politicians. And lastley, I am grateful for my parents. My mom in particular has taught and shared with me over the years what our country means. Time and time again I have heard her testimony of our land. Thank you, mom. I am always filled with pride and today it is fuller than ever to know that I am free to choose my destiny. Isn't it such a blessings as U.S. citizens to be able to pursue educations and careers according to our desires? I love it. I love this nation!