Jim Deakin: In person

Most of my readers know that I am passionate about politics and the health of our great country. The senate elections currently underway have been very interesting and very important, especially during this time in history

While I respect Senator McCain for the long time service and sacrifice he has contributed to this country, and I enjoyed J.D. Hayworth's radio talk show, neither of these men hold true to the conservative values I feel are so important. I never would have thought that I would give a "no-name candidate" a chance, but after watching the debates on Friday and Saturday night, a driving force inside of me insisted that I find out more about the "other guy", as labeled by KFYI's Barry Young. Following the debate on Friday night, I was completely disgusted with McCain and Hayworth slamming one another, while Deakin sat there appearing uncomfortable and unable to put a full sentence together without falling over his words. I was so discouraged...then, the Saturday night debate in Tucson invigorated my hope for the outcome of this election! Jim Deakin answered each question with a level of ease that was missing the night before. His answers were intelligent and made sense. In the meantime, McCain and Hayworth continued to sling mud at one another and put on quite a show!

I recently began writing for Examiner.com and thought I would ask Mr. Deakin for an interview to learn more about him and help to inform others as well. I extended the same invitation to J.D. Hayworth and John McCain and I am still waiting for their response. Mr. Deakin, on the other hand, agreed to an in person interview. Remember, all I knew of this candidate was what I saw on the debates...I had never met him before and only knew that there was another guy running. I had heard of rumors regarding another candidate taking votes away from Hayworth and even heard that Deakin was actually working undercover for the McCain campaign to make sure Hayworth lost. How ridiculous! I never did believe those falsehoods.

 I met Jim and his wife Adonia at Barnes and Noble at Tempe Marketplace and spent about half an hour with the couple. He is a very warm man with a great personality and a lot of courage to put himself and his family out there for public scrutiny. He is a pro-life Christian conservative disgusted with the direction of our country and concerned for his children and now, his grandchildren. The couple recently had their first grandbaby and they are thrilled! Adonia is a very "real" woman, no acting here. She is just as passionate as her husband about bringing change to our country. Her phone rang off the hook because she was taking all of the campaign calls because with the campaign's budget, they are unable to hire any help. The entire campaign is run by volunteers.

A refreshing breath of fresh air in the political scene, most likely because he is untainted by politics as usual! Exactly what we need in Washington to represent the people! Dare we take a chance on this man with no political record to speak of? How fed up are we the people?

So, you are probably wondering by now, what exactly does he stand for? Small government and everything that comes with it. You can read more about where he stands politically and find the link to donate to his campaign at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-57251-Chandler-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m7d22-Jim-Deakin-Who-is-this-political-newcomer.

Hailey's South Africa Trip

I have been thinking about how I could write about Hailey's mission trip considering I am not the one who went to South Africa. I thought about it and came up with the perfect solution...you will hear from Hailey herself. She came back and wrote a letter to people who supported her both financially and prayerfully.

So, in her own words...

"Thank you so much for your support as I ventured to South Africa this summer. My trip was filled with so many memories and new friends. I gained so much knowledge about different cultures, people, and most importantly God.


In the beginning of the trip I did not know why I was there, and then I realized what a privilege it was to have God use me this summer. This was truly a once in a life time opportunity as people from all over the world were there in attendance of the FIFA World Cup.

We spent most of our days in the slums of South Africa in a town named Diepsloot. I cannot even begin to explain the level of poverty that plastered this area. There was sewage running through the dirt roads, kids running around barefoot begging for water, and the stench was nearly unbearable. These people craved love more than anything.

Over 600 lives were saved during a three week time period. Their hearts are so open and they only want someone to talk to. Over the course of my trip my day out on ministry consisted of ministering to adults and for the kids we reviewed a lesson and played songs for them to play, dance, and praise to. The children were also given opportunities to accept Jesus into their lives and many did so.

The group I was with was also given the opportunity to go on a safari. I saw elephants, zebras, and I got to pet a baby lion. After the safari, a dinner was hosted for us on the mountain in the middle of South Africa!

The whole trip was a great experience and I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to go. Thank you for making yourself a part of my adventure."

Potty Training!

No, not Luca! My goal is by age three we will have that conquered! This story is about Nora, who we affectionately refer to as TiTi.
I have shared before that TiTi had a habit of having a bowel movement almost every time she took a bath. This meant for a very clean bathtub because I had to sanitize it just about daily. She has cooled off and no longer is this a habit of hers, but we almost had an incident today.
She and Luca were taking a bath together, splashing and playing away, when she took the stance and made the face.

(Yes, that is the look)

I panicked because I knew if I didn't do something, Luca was going to completely freak out! Wouldn't you?
Anyhow, I saw the expression on her face, grabbed her and sat her down on the potty, dripping wet! She did her thing, got lots of praises and back into the bath tub she went.

(Luca loves to help shampoo Nora's hair)

Ah, such sweet moments...

Keeping Sane in the Arizona Heat

I think I have found a safe haven for the Arizona summer heat. Today, Alessandro and I loaded up the kids and went over to the City of Chandler Aquatic Center. We lathered up with sunscreen and set out to spend the first half of the day in the water. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical of the whole public pool thing because I tend to try to stay away from them. My past experiences with water parks and public pools have left much to be desired. In my mind, they are dirty and smelly. Alessandro, however, loves the idea of spending the day in the water for a minimal cost to us, so I decided to be a good sport and try it.
To my surprise, the aquatic center was not only clean, but so much fun! Although the temperature outside was over 100 degrees, we all stayed cool whether we were floating in the lazy river, going down waterslides, playing in the splash pad area or just sitting in the shallow water. The kids had a blast and the only time there was any crying or fit throwing was when we told Luca it was time to leave.
We may have to make this a weekly event during the hot months. It felt like we were on vacation!

I wish I had photos to post, but Hailey has the camera in South Africa. I did take a couple of pictures with my phone, but have not yet figured out how to upload those photos. I will add them later.