A precious gift

I just a received a special gift from my dear friend, Malia! I was pleasantly surprised to fin a special angel that was passed down to her from her dear frend prior to the birth of her son. She was inspired to pass on the blessing to me, as I continue my pregnancy and prepare for the birth of my son.

My son... that's still so hard to fathom!! I'm going to be a mother! And Troy is going to be a dad! I have no doubt that we'll be loving parents, I just hope and pray that we direct our son's life to be a servant of God, as Troy and I are.

Malia was very poetic in her words (she's always had a way with words, which is why she's such a great blogger) and her words brought tears to my eyes. Must be the hormones, since I'm not the emotional type. LOL

Malia and I met through camp many, many, MANY years ago. Eventhough we live so far away, she is still one of my most cherished friends. Our anniversaries are one week apart, and if it weren't for that, we would've been in each other's weddings. It's ironic that the gift comes this week, as I happened to notice that this is the first week of camp at WaMaVa.

My dear sweet friend thought of me and I will uphold the tradition after my son is born, but passing it on to another cherished soul!

Thank you so much, Malia! You mean so much to me!!!

New CA Driving Laws - effective 7/1/07

Not sure if it's just in CA, but all over that this will take into effect, but here's a few things to consider. The Police Dept will be on serious lookout!! Just wanted to make you aware!!!

New Driving Fines for 2007

1. Carpool lane - 1st time $1068.50 starting 7/1/07 (The $271 postedon the highway is old). Don't do it again because 2nd time is going to bedouble. 3rd time triple, and 4th time license suspended.
I see this alot when we're driving in the San Jose/San Francisco area. We don't have car pool lanes around Fresno.

2. Incorrect lane change - $380. Don't cross the lane on solid lines or intersections.
This happens all the time around here, too many people in a hurry and will pass on anything. Very dangerous and stupid on our country roads. Unfortunately, there's never a cop around to bust them when it happens.

3. Block intersection - $485
Too many people trying to get through the intersection during rush hour or conjested times. What people will do just to not sit at a red light.

4. Driving on the shoulder - $450

5. Cell phone use in the construction zone. - Double fine as of 07/01/07. Cell phone use must be "hands free" while driving. (Also see # 9)

6. Passengers over 18 not in their seatbelts - both passengers and drivers get tickets .

7. Speeders can only drive 3 miles above the limit.
Oh, come on!! This one is a bit ridiculous!! 3 miles over?? That's being a bit nit-picky in my opinion. The buffer is usually 5-10 mph over. I think that's good enough.

8. DUI = JAIL (Stays on your driving record for 10 years!)
Yah baby!! They need serious jail time!! And a fine, and counseling, and rehab, and AA. Anything to get them to realize that driving while intoxicated (even a buzz) is dangerous and stupid! This one is a hot-button for me.

9. As of 07/01/07 cell phone use must be "hands free" while driving. Ticket is $285. They will be looking for this like crazy - easy money for police department.
I agree that cell phone use can distract a driver while driving (especially on the freeway) but a fine of $285 is a bit much. I know the police dept will start raking in the money of this one, as just about everyone I pass by coming & going from work is on their cell. Us Californian's can't seem to live without our cell phones. I do put myself in that category as well, but I am not nearly as hooked to my cell as some people are. It is my only way of communication, and is a good tool... but MUST we be on it 24/7??? Believe it or not I even see people at church that have their hands-free ear-pieces in during service. And many of the young people texting during service instead of listening.

10. Ok, I'm adding one more that SHOULD be a law!!
I think there should be a fine for motorcycles that 'share the lane' with cars. This is when a motorcycle driver feels the need to rush past all of the cars in between lanes. I've heard it is actually lawful to do this if the traffic is not moving, but it's dangerous and a pet-peave of mine. I have seen many motorcycles speed past even as we're moving. I can understand if traffic is backed up, and we're all at a standstill but when it's the normal flow of busy traffic, they need to wait like the rest of us. :-) Just my thoughts.

Ok, I've vented. I feel better now! :-)

Happy Father's Day to the new daddy

Although he doesn't see this, I wanted to express my deepest Happy Father's Day to my dearest husband. This is his first father's day with our expectant child.

Ironically, both this weekend and Mother's Day weekend, we spent together in Santa Cruz (just off the Central CA coast for those not familiar with CA). Eventhough I am technically a mother now, I don't feel the real job begins til next year.

I know how excited Troy is to become a daddy and how long we've been waiting for this so I wish him the happiest Father's Day. Next year will be quite a year!

Passing of a pastor's wife

Billy Graham's Wife, Ruth dies at 87.

By MIKE BAKER
Associated Press Writer

MONTREAT, N.C. (AP) -- Ruth Graham, who surrendered dreams of missionary work in Tibet to marry a suitor who became the world's most renowned evangelist, died Thursday. She was 87. Graham died at 5:05 p.m. at her home at Little Piney Cove, surrounded by her husband and all five of their children, said a statement released by Larry Ross, Billy Graham's spokesman.
"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.
"I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together. We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."
Ruth Graham had been bedridden for months with degenerative osteoarthritis of the back and neck - the result of a serious fall from a tree in 1974 while fixing a swing for grandchildren - and underwent treatment for pneumonia two weeks ago. At her request, and in consultation with her family, she had stopped receiving nutrients through a feeding tube for the last few days, Ross said.
A public memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Montreat Conference Center. A private interment service will be held the next day in Charlotte.
As Mrs. Billy Graham, Ruth Graham could lay claim to being the first lady of evangelical Protestantism, but neither exploited that unique status nor lusted for the limelight.
Behind the scenes, however, she was considered her husband's closest confidant during his spectacular global career - one rivaled only by her father, L. Nelson Bell, until his death in 1973.
"She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn't right or heard something that she felt wasn't as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that," said her son, Franklin, who is now the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
"Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father."
Bell, a missionary doctor, headed the Presbyterian hospital in Qingjiang, China, that had been founded by the father of author Pearl Buck. Ruth grew up there and spent three high school years in what's now North Korea.
"What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself - dependence on God in every circumstance, love for his word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile," said the Grahams' youngest daughter, also named Ruth.
Despite her reluctance to be a public personality herself, Ruth Graham met many of the powerful and famous through her husband - who was a spiritual adviser to presidents for decades. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush called her a "remarkable woman of faith" who "inspired people around the world with her humor, intelligence, elegance, and kindness."
She met Billy Graham at Wheaton College in Illinois. He recalled in 1997 memoirs, "If I had not been smitten with love at first sight of Ruth Bell I would certainly have been the exception. Many of the men at Wheaton thought she was stunning."
Billy Graham courted her, managing to coax her away from the foreign missions calling and into marriage after both graduated in 1943. In 1945, after a brief stint pastoring a suburban Chicago congregation, he became a roving speaker for the fledgling Youth for Christ organization.
From that point onward she had to endure her husband's frequent absences, remarking, "I'd rather have a little of Bill than a lot of any other man."
Ruth Graham moved the couple into her parents' home in Montreat, where they had relocated after fleeing wartime China. She stayed in western North Carolina mountain town the rest of her life.
The young couple later bought their own house across the street from the Bells. Then in 1956, needing protection from gawkers, the Grahams moved into Little Piney Cove, a comfortably rustic mountainside home she designed using logs from abandoned cabins. It became Billy's retreat between evangelistic forays.
Though the wife of a famous Baptist minister, the independent-minded Ruth Graham declined to undergo baptism by immersion and remained a loyal, lifelong Presbyterian. When in Montreat, a town built around a Presbyterian conference center, Billy Graham would attend the local Presbyterian church where his wife often taught the college-age Sunday School class.
Due to her husband's travels, she bore major responsibility for raising the couple's five children: Franklin (William Franklin III), Nelson, Virginia, Anne and Ruth.
Ruth Graham was the author or co-author of 14 books, including collections of poetry and the autobiographical scrapbook "Footprints of a Pilgrim."
In 1996, the Grahams were each awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for "outstanding and lasting contributions to morality, racial equality, family, philanthropy, and religion."
Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell began her writing career with a Ruth Graham biography that depicted many deeds of personal charity. Cornwell said as a youth in Montreat she thought Ruth Graham "was the loveliest, kindest person ever born. I still do."
She helped establish the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center in Asheville, and the Billy Graham Training Center near Montreat.
Ruth Graham will be buried at the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte - a source of apparent discord within the family last year. This week, Billy Graham said he and Ruth had decided "after much prayer and discussion" they would be laid to rest at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the library's prayer garden.

Today is the day

UPDATE: IT'S A BOY!

Today is the day that I find out if I'm having a boy or girl. I'm kinda nervous, and excited all in one. It's starting to really hit me that I'm going to be a mom, and my stomach grows bigger and I start feeling the changes going on within me. This is a defining moment.

It's been really sweet (and sometimes annoying) to see how excited Troy is. He's really look forward today and has been on me constantly to eat better, make sure I drink enough water and get a lot of rest, etc. He's going to make a good daddy, although it will be a growth experience for the both of us. I think especially for him.

Troy and I have been working on the baby's room and still have so much to do. We've made some headway getting all the junk out. Have gone through momory lane with old pictures, and momentos of our youth. I came across camp pictures that really took me back. Some really good memories!!

After this afternoon, we start really getting into gear turning our 'storage' room into a fine looking baby's room. We're going with a Disney theme for the room. Baby Disney for a boy (with more blues and browns) and Disney Princess for a girl (with more pinks).

Now, if we could decide on a name. I have a few ideas but nothing conclusive yet - as long as it begins with a T. Middle names are already decided, just trying to figure out a good first name.

For a boy: Tyler, Trey (although too close to 'Troy') Tristan, Trent, Trevor
For a girl: Talia, Taylor, Tricia, Tia

What are your thoughts?

Vanishing Act

From USA Today. Looking at items from the past 25 years that have seemed to vanish. I thought it was cute.



Times have changed for Michael Jackson (No. 24 below) and vinyl records (No. 5) since he released Thriller 25 years ago. Today, we look back at 25 years of other changes in our lives. Some things are still around (No. 4), some not (No. 6).

1 Indoor smoking
The workplace once had clouds of secondhand smoke and first-rate smokers. You could even puff away in the rear of jets. Attitudes have changed, forcing smokers outside, rain or shine.

2 Service stations
It's easier to find chips and a hot dog than free air or somebody to clean your windshield as service has transformed into convenience shopping and self-serve fill-ups. Want fries with that?

3 The Soviet threat
The United States' Cold War rival ended with the stroke of a pen in December 1991. The "evil empire" was undone by internal changes, the desire for independence by its satellites and economic pressures.


4 Typewriters
The computer keyboard on your desk used to be a thundering, hulking device. The electric model sank the manual, only to be trumped by a revolution in technology that continues to this day.

5 Vinyl records
Music used to be big. Literally. Before palm-sized CDs took over, songs were embedded in vinyl platters the size of hubcaps. And then there were 8-tracks and cassettes. But that's another story.

6 New Coke
Introduced in 1985 as a replacement for Coca-Cola's flagship brand, New Coke is considered one of marketing's all-time duds. New Coke evolved into Coca-Cola II before being discontinued in 2002.

7 Carbon paper
If you worked with typewriters, you're familiar with the flimsy, filthy filament. To make copies, you'd need a sheet of this purplish-looking stuff. Type "good riddance." In triplicate.

8 Betamax
Betamax was the most popular video format in the early 1980s. By the end of the decade, VHS was king. What happened? Some say Betamax's limited recording time was the culprit.

9 Phone booths
Don't tug on Superman's cape — especially when he's been trying to find a place to ditch his Clark Kent duds. The bulky boxes with a phone inside have gone away for the most part. Sorry, Clark.

10 Leaded gasoline
The EPA phased out leaded gas in the mid-1990s, citing threats to the environment and public health. Lead was blended into gasoline to boost octane levels and enhance engine performance.

11 Rotary dial phones
Imagine your cellphone, only stationary and way bulkier, with a numbered wheel that you had to spin seven to 10 times or more, depending on your call being local or long distance. Oy.

12 Videos on MTV
Before reality shows and the like filled its airtime, MTV forged its identity with wall-to-wall videos and the veejays who loved them. OK, who misses 1984's 99 Luftballoons by Nena? Anyone?

13 Baltimore Colts
One of the NFL's cornerstones ended its stay in Baltimore with a whimper in 1984, hitting the road for Indianapolis. The Colts' Marching Band lived on, even after the Ravens took the field, till 1998.

14 Oldsmobiles
The last Olds rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, signaling a shift in the U.S. auto marketplace and marking the end of a renowned brand. Also deceased: Plymouth (2001) and AMC (1987).

15 Civility
It can be rough out there — whether on TV, radio, the Web or at sporting arenas. Today’s discourse has plenty of “dis,” and it can be pretty “coarse,” too. And whatever happened to thank-you notes? We could go on.

16 'American Bandstand'
The TV dance show, a sensation in Philadelphia in the 1950s before going national on ABC, survived countless shifts in musical tastes. Bandstand ended its run in 1989.

17 Beverage pull tabs
Once, to open a beverage can, you'd pull a metal ring from a can, creating a tiny blade you'd rediscover walking barefoot. Tabs that stay attached to the can did away with pull-tabs.

18 West African black rhino
At 12 feet long and 3,000 pounds, the rhino might appear indestructible. Last summer, it was "tentatively declared as extinct" by the World Conservation Union. Blame illegal poaching.

19 Hand-crank car windows
Before your car was controlled by electronics, you could get a brisk workout just opening the window for a little air. No fingertip controls here, thank you. Crank, two, three. Repeat.

20 Home run kings
Roger Maris got a record and an asterisk in 1961 when he passed Babe Ruth's season record. He's been passed by Mark McGwire (70) in 1998 and Barry Bonds (73) in 2001. More asterisks to come?

21 Hair bands
The music: bad. The hair: worse. In the late '80s and early '90s, the mix was magical for bands such as Poison, Ratt and Cinderella. Some continue to tour, testing the endurance of leather pants.

22 The afternoon newspaper
Remember the kid on the bike who never quite reached the porch with your afternoon daily? He moved on, as did lifestyles and the media world. City afternoons became lonelier for newspaper readers.

23 Transistor radios
Before iPods, the handheld music-delivery system of choice was the transistor radio. The transistor tuned in to whatever your local radio station was dishing out. It's the very definition of "quaint."

24 Michael Jackson

The Jackson 5's lead singer evolved into, well, the "King of Pop," selling gazillion of copies of 1982's Thriller. Sales slowed as various accusations and trials came. Today, he is believed to reside in Bahrain.

25 Checker cabs
The iconic yellow Marathon cab — you know, like the ones in the movie Taxi Driver — stopped being produced in the early 1980s. The last Checker cab in New York City was retired in 1999. So it goes.