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.

Catching up the rest of the Family trip to Arizona

Okay, I am going to knock this out in one post because I realized that with all I have going on in life (a strong-willed 2 1/2 year old son, a 1 year old daughter, and a 16 year old daughter going to South Africa for a mission trip this summer...it would be a miracle if I finished blogging this trip by the end of the year. So, now that I have a few minutes, I am going to tell the rest of the trip right now.

Sunday, April 4th was Easter, so we took Sal, Jo and the boys to church with us and then we went to the Arizona Grand Resort.
We had plans to stay there overnight and boy, was I in for a surprise. I really should have known that it was probably not the best idea considering the ages of my kids. Trying to wrestle with their schedules and demands while trying to relax and enjoy myself and relax was really just a contradiction! Crazy times...once we got settled in the room for the night, we got everybody ready for bed. There were two queen beds and a pull out couch, where Hailey and her friend Taylor slept. Luca must have been teething because he woke up about every hour screaming and consequently, Nora woke as well. The original plan was to wake up and go to breakfast with the family, hang out by the pool and then take the kids home for their naps while everybody else went to hike Camelback. Needless to say, all I could think about was getting home, so when I woke up at 6:30 or so, I frantically began to pack bags and get everybody loaded up in the car because all I could think about was getting home and that is exactly what I did. The resort was amazing as long as you weren't there with 2 babies and no hired help! So, everybody else hiked the mountain and had a great time. When they got back, we all showered and got ready for our adult night out. Hailey babysat the kids and we were able to go out for dinner, and let me tell you, did I ever need the kid break! I love my babies, but I needed a few hours to rejuvenate. Culinary Dropout was our choice for dinner and it was delicious.

The next morning, Tuesday, we got up and made our way out to the Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium and picked up Lebanese food for dinner from 16th Street Bakery. Sal originally suggested that I make Lebanese food for dinner and all I could do was laugh! I said that I would buy dinner, but if they wanted me sane, making it was out of the question! The food was delicious, but I am not sure the boys were very excited about the cuisine. They were pretty good sports about it though. Mellow night at home...very nice.

Wednesday was the day of departure, so we drove out to Kierland, shopped around a little, ate lunch, and drove around Arcadia. Good byes are always sad to me. Sal, Jo and the boys had to go home and we were really going to miss having all of that action in the house. I do love a full house!

Hailey's Adventure Begins

So, Hailey left for her Global Expeditions Mission Trip today. She is in Dallas for training at the Teen Mania Headquarters, then off to South Africa on Thursday. We got all of the packing done by Thursday, so rather than spending her last night here scrambling to gather the last few things, we were able to just spend time as a family. It was so nice. It consisted of ordering pizza from Basha's grocery store and just spending time in the backyard with the entire family and Hailey's good friend Paige. It was so nice.

We woke up early this morning to get to the airport and my friend Hannah, who has 2 little ones of her own, came by to stay with my kids so that I wouldn't have to wake them and drag them with us to the airport. Good for them and very good for us! This isn't the first time Hannah has made my life easier!
I can't tell you about all of the financial miracles we have experienced in the past month and a half. Not only did she make the half-way mark deadline, which was just under $2000, in only 10 days, but she raised the rest of it way before the deadline! Then, as with everything, there are always unaccounted for costs that you don't factor in when planning a trip like this...supplies (you should have seen the list from GE!), immunizations, spending money, etc. I found myself a bit stressed out about the spending money part of the whole thing and the surprise we got from American Airlines regarding the fact that checked baggage is no longer included in the fare. Not even one bag! Then I realized that if God had brought us this far, why would He stop now? Well, He didn't! I wasn't really surprised. He provided financial gifts through so many people who were willing to forgo the tax deduction and give the money directly to Hailey for checking baggage, spending and supplies. Thanks to all of you who contributed to make this trip happen for Hailey.
So, let me just briefly talk about the packing list from GE. It was so long! There were specific weight instructions too and I thought there was no way it was going to happen. We put our heads together and figured things out. She took a Dallas bag, that will stay in one of the team leaders dorm rooms while they are in S. Africa and then another bag that will go with her to S. Africa. Her American Airline flight allows 50 lbs per bag and the international flight, Air France, allows 70 lbs. This will allow her to make a transfer of a few necessary items along with the required 2 tubs of peanut butter and 2 squeeze bottles of jelly! The peanut butter and jelly alone weighed 10 pounds! One carry on and her personal item (her backpack) and she was set!
I am so excited for her to be a part of something so incredible...I believe that God is going to grow her through this experience and that she will touch the lives of many, making lifelong friends and memories in the process.

Surprisingly enough, I don't really feel anxious or nervous...I will miss her, of course, but all in all, I feel peace about what she is about to embark on.

Mother's Day

I know I am late in writing this, but I have had so much going on and am now playing catch up. Mother's Day was fabulous this year.

Alessandro takes over on Mother's Day every year and won't let me lift a finger, unless I have to! I don't cook, do dishes, laundry or any other form of "housework". He tries to completely take over where the kids are concerned, but naturally, there are some things that only a mommy can do (nurse)!

Dro usually has to work on Sundays, but he traded shifts with someone so that he could spend the day with us.

After a fantastic church service, Alessandro took over the kids and Hailey and I got to go out for lunch, just the two of us. We went to Oregano's and had delicious salads! I don't get much time alone with Hailey these days, so my time at lunch with her was definitely a highlight!

Once we got home, the kids were still napping, so Alessandro insisted that I nap too. It felt so good! The kids woke up and played outside in the water for a while.

When playtime was over, bath-time commenced. We put Nora to bed at about 7:00 p.m. and Hailey took responsibility for Luca. She fed him and put him to bed so that Alessandro could take me out to dinner. We went to my favorite restaurant, True Food Kitchen where I had the delicious Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, Local Arugula, Beets, Pomegranate, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, followed by a Banana's Foster Milkshake from Zen Burger and a walk around the Biltmore. Truly Amazing!

The only thing missing this mother's day, was spending it with my mom...I really wish she lived close by.

Thank you for a fantastic Mother's Day! I am so thankful for the family God has so generously blessed me with!