Comparison Chart

This Comparison Chart is my FINAL political post.

I'm eager to get back to the fun family stuff. :-)

But as Americans we have the GREAT privilege of casting our vote for the next leader of our GREAT country. And we should at the very least place an educated vote.

So below you will find a comparison chart for both candidates. There is NO hoopla or persuasion about either. JUST FACTS.

Please take the time to do your research above and beyond this simple (but highly informational) chart and cast your vote for the candidate's platform you MOST STRONGLY support.

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Florida Marriage Protection Amendment: McCain Supports Obama Opposes

Government ban on partial-birth abortions: McCain Supports Obama Opposes

Government funding of organizations that perform abortions: McCain Opposes Obama Undecided

Human Cloning: McCain Opposes Obama Supports

Adding "sexual orientation" to the definition of hate crimes: McCain Opposes Obama Supports

US Senate vote recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration (vote #2006-189): McCain Supports Obama Opposes

Allow parents to use vouchers for school choice: McCain Supports Obama No response

Increase restrictions purchase and possessions of firearms: McCain Opposes Obama Supports

US Senate declaring English as the official language of the US Government (2007-198): McCain Supports Obama Opposes

US Senate votes confirming Samuel Alito for justice of the Supreme Court and John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: McCain Supports Obama Opposes

US Senate vote to permanently repeal the "death tax" (vote 2006-164): McCain Supports Obama Opposes

Flat tax structure: McCain Supports Obama Opposes

143 Days...

Does experience count??

You couldn't get a job at McDonald's and become
district manager after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't become chief of surgery after 143
days of experience of being a surgeon.

You couldn't get a job as a teacher and be the
superintendent after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't join the military and become a
colonel after a 143 days of experience.

You couldn't get a job as a reporter and become
the nightly news anchor after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't get a job as Director of Nursing
after 143 days experience as an RN

BUT....

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a
United State Senator, to the time he announced he was
forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged
143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days
the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143
days of work experience, Obama believed he
was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the
Free World ...

143 days.

We all have to start somewhere. The senate is a good
start, but after 143 days, that's all it is - a start.
AND, strangely, a large sector of the American public
is okay with this and campaigning for him. We wouldn't
accept this in our own line of work, yet some are okay with
this for the President of the United States of America?

Hmmm?

More Politics Anyone?

Friends,

I watched these videos yesterday on my friend Courtney's blog http://storinguptreasuresinheaven.blogspot.com and they litterally brought me to my knees!

There are only a few short days left before this highly controversal election comes to an end.

I would be honored if you took the time to watch these videos.

And please check out Courtney's blog for many more facts, statistics and and of course some colorful opinions from her followers.



This women SURVIVED an abortion!!

Redistribution Of Wealth

Listen Folks, I know everyone is SICK AND TIRED of this election.

But my friend Jack did a "test" of the "redistribution of wealth" yesterday and I am sure you will find his results very interesting.

Please read:

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“Yesterday on my way to lunch at Doe's, I passed one of the homeless guys in that area, with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money." Once in the Doe's my waiter had on a "Obama 08" tee shirt. When the bill came, I decided not to tip the waiter and explained to him while he had given me exceptional service, that his tee shirt made me feel he obviously believes in Senator Obama's plan to redistribute the wealth. I told him I was going to redistribute his tip to someone that I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. He stood there in disbelief and angrily stormed away.I went outside, gave the homeless guy $3 and told him to thank the waiter inside, as I had decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy looked at me in disbelief but seemed grateful. As I got in my truck, I realized this rather unscientific redistribution experiment had left the homeless guy quite happy for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn. Well, I guess this redistribution of wealth is going to take a while to catch on, with those doing the work.”

Jack

Flashback Friday - The Arrival of Baby Chason

It's January 2008....only 9 short months ago:

My sister is very pregnant and calls with news of a "scheduled delivery". This is SO unlike my sister. She is a no meds, no docs, all natural with a mid wife kind of mom.

SO although this news was shocking it was SO exciting because I actually had time to get there!! I was so caught up in my selfish desire to see my nephew come into this world that I hardly took time to console my sister during this truly traumatic time in her life. (I'm still sorry Steph!)

My mom, my dad (have I ever mentioned just how GREAT they are) and I all hoped on a plane and made our way to PA.

BTW, a little OT side note here - I HATE THE COLD!!!! But God loves me and chooses to bless me over and over in really neat ways. Like, when we arrived in PA in January He kept the temp in the high 60's and low 70's. It was unheard of!! Oh and another side note, FL had record lows the week I was in PA! How Mighty is Our God?!

Ok, back on topic - we get to PA. The weather is beautiful, my niece and nephew are thrilled we are there. We go shopping , eat dinner, my dad starts his nesting immediately - cleaning and fixing every thing he can, my mom can't wait to get the kids all dirty and messy. And my sister and I get caught up as she prepares for her big day. Oh and my brother-in-law, Curtis is in the mix of all this somewhere.

We get up early (5am-ish) and make our way to the hospital. Shortly after arriving my sister is induced and we all eagerly await the arrival of Chason Michael Stumbaugh.

Hours go by, my sisters pain increases tremendously, her breathing becomes short and difficult. The entire morning comes & goes and my sister doesn't dilate AT ALL!! The doc comes in before lunch "just to check on her" and discovers the baby is coming - he is actually coming! And the docs lunch will have to wait!

My sister pushes just a few times and out comes the most beautiful thing I have ever seen....










A happy, healthy, plump baby boy.

This my friends is by far the coolest thing to ever witness and I will cherish that memory for as long as I live!!

Thank you for joining me on another GREAT Flashback!!

Jen loves Brian 4-Ever

I do! I do! After all these years I *still* do!!

Before I get in to all the yummy details I have to explain myself a bit or you all will think I actually love gifts - and not my man.

Here's the thing, I love thoughtfulness and random acts of kindness. It could be anything..like taking a heavy load off my hands, or holding a door open, or remembering an important detail/activity in my life, doing something kind for my children. It's not really about gifts.

In fact, I am HORRIBLE at buying gifts. I try to be creative and think of the "perfect" gift for my love ones but always end up giving a picture frame, a candle or some smelly lotion.

My husband on the other hand is REALLY good at that sort of thing. Like when he sent me to the spa for the day, or when he bought me earrings the day I took my series 7 exam, or when he remembers I love peanut M & M's, or when he brings me back coffee from where ever he's been...

I know, I know, I'm rambling...

Anyway, the other day my husband was on amazon buying himself a new Bible. Because the 12 we have aren't enough. (OOPS, I forgot I was praising this man :-)

So while he was on Amazon he saw something he knew I would love and he bought it. There are no special occasions coming up and he didn't tell me when he did it. He just waited patiently for it to come in the mail. When it did (yesterday) he handed it to me and said I bought you something...

Are you dying to know what it is????

Ok, here you go.

Yep, a book written by Jon & Kate Gosselin. I didn't even know they had a book. But I love them, their show, their family and hope to one day be Kate's friend. :-)

For now, I will just enjoy their book.

Thank you honey for ALWAYS thinking with your heart. I love you.

Working Hard For the Money

Well that might be an exaggeration but I will be working. Not for the money but for a good friend in need of a little get away!

My friend Jill from Boomerang Consignments has entrusted her "baby" Boomerang Consignments to Nicole and I this Thursday 10/23 & Friday 10/24. We'll be working from 10am until 2:45pm both days and we were hoping maybe a few friends would drop in and say hi. You might even find a thing or two that you can't live with out :-)

Boomerang is located at 6538 NW Selvitz Road, Port St. Lucie, FL 34983.

Hope to see you there!

When's Dad's Are In Charge

So I might have mentioned that I was down for the count for a couple of days with a sinus infection. Leaving Daddy in charge...As a result the kids bedtime routine was altered a bit. Instead of a sweet bedtime story followed by bedtime prayers and ending with hugs and kisses and a tuck in - they had an all out war:

Tuesday's Treasures

On October 6, 2008 my in-laws celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary! These pictures above are of them shortly after that magical day.

This couple has lived their vows. They have loved in richer and poorer, loved in sickness and in health. Loved when it was hard to like. Through it all they raised 7 amazing children. They have 19 beautiful grandchildren. And they live one rich and very full life!!

Over the years they have been a huge influence on me personally, on my marriage to their son and on our family.

It is a privilege and honor to be their daughter-in-law.

And that is why today they are my Tuesday Treasure.

Mom and Dad Garcia, I love you, I thank you, I admire you!

Thankful Monday

This post almost didn't make it today...I've been bedridden literally for 3 days. Thankfully I got my act together today and found my way to the docs...Hopefully the meds will kick in soon and I'll be on my feet again in no time.

Anyway, doing this Thankful post is really important to me and I have MANY things to be thankful for so with out further ado:

1. DOCTORS: I try to be a die hard but man am I glad to know they are there when I swallow my pride and admit I need their assistance!
2. My parents: The last 3 days were REALLY hard!! I truly could not get out of bed. My mom picked my kids up from school on Friday and kept them until bedtime. She collected my girls again on Saturday afternoon and kept them through Sunday evening. BTW, my dad is just as sick as me (maybe worse) yet they still insisted they keep the kids so I could rest. Parents, My Parents are truly a blessing!!
3. For my man! He may have harassed me the ENTIRE time I was in bed and teased me about not wanting to clean the garage BUT he stepped up. He did homework with the kids. Made them french toast for dinner treated them to Burger King and McDonald's. They had a grand time while I was down for the count.
4. Ah, and my forever loyal friend Nicole. She has just taken my girls to their baton class. Because although I'm out of bed and able to type I could be down and out without warning at anytime. What an embarrassment that would be! Nicole thank you for ALWAYS being there!!
5. Meds. Oh I'm so THANKFUL for meds. I can't wait for them to kick and to feel normal again!

I have many more but they'll have to wait until next Monday :-)

Please remember to leave a comment and share the things you are thankful for!

Flashback Friday - Sadie Surgery - Part 1

It's November 29, 2004 - Sadie and Ethan had been home just 3 short months. We were still VERY new to this thing called parenting and our daughter needed MAJOR surgery to repair her cleft palate!









Here she is with daddy just moments after surgery. Both are completely wiped out!













ALL her meals came through this syringe - for 2 weeks!!










After snuggling and eating she was bored stiff. She begged us to walk the hospitals floors. The docs and nurses were wildly impressed. Here she is just hours after her surgery.










Notice the arm bands - those were to keep her from putting her fingers in her mouth. And look closely at her face - you will notice the string on her left cheek. They sewed her poor tongue down :-(

The first surgery was only a partial closure of her cleft palate. Later in 2006 we made our way to Shands Medical Center were she had the remainder of her cleft repaired. (BTW, if ANYONE has a child with a cleft I HIGHLY recommend this hospital and our surgeon. Both are truly magnificent!)

I don't want to give too much of another Flashback away though - so stay tuned :-)

Happy Friday all.

The Growing Garcia's Were Tagged

My sister mommysjoyoflife.blogspot.com tagged my kids.

She's asked me to post 6 random things about each of them and then tag their friends when done...

So here goes:

Madison:

1. Madison's nick name is Hollywood. Those of you who know her know why :-)

2. She is VERY in touch with her emotions!

3. She is VERY girlie. She does not like to get dirty or sweat!

4. When she grows up she wants to be a mom to 5 girls. The only "boy" will be the daddy - a direct quote :-)

5. Her favorite color is pink.

6. Her favorite food is mac & cheese

Ethan:

1. Ethan is strong.
2. He is a hard worker.
3. He is most confident & comfortable when he is needed, depended on and feels utilized.
4. He is loyal.
5. He is tender hearted, kind and a true gentleman.
6. He loves being with his dad!

Sadie:

1. Sadie LOVES Jesus.
2. She loves to share her faith and Jesus' love for ALL people.
3. She loves unconditionally and forgives easily.
4. She LOVES to eat.
5. Her favorite color is purple.
6. She is HAPPY!

Now the Growing Garcia's tag:

1. All the Rockstars
2.The Clark's
3. Issy
4. Ancewicz Gang
5. Drew & Aiden

Thankful Monday

Monday's are traditionally dreaded days...So in light of that and in light of ALL that is going on today (economy, personal life, politics, etc) I'm starting a new tradition of listing a few things that I am thankful for. I will do this each Monday and it is my hope that if you are a blogger you too will do a THANKFUL post and if your a reader I hope you'll leave a comment sharing all that you are thankful for.

So here goes...

I am THANKFUL for:

1. My kids and their health. With the exception of seasonal colds and Sadie's speech (due to her repaired cleft palate) all of my children are healthy!
2. That my children have grandparents and GREAT grandparents. A bunch of aunts & uncles and more cousins than I can count. We are a large and tight nit family.
3. For my husbands job. He may be doing more traveling than usual but he has a job. A good job with a great company, an amazing boss and truly dedicated employees.
4. That I live in FL. It may be the hottest state but I LOVE IT!
5. For my kids school. My kids are ALOUD to share their faith, grow in the Lord and read His word in school! A true privilege.
6. That gas prices are going down. And for the fact that they were high. It caused me to prioritize and to use my gas, time & money more wisely.
7. For my son Ethan's tender heart and gentleman's spirit a rare character trait and one I most admire.
8. For the opportunity to be a mom. Some think that you loose part of your identity when you become a mom. I believe I found mine!
9. For my family and friends as close as family. You folks have ALWAYS been there for me. Rejoicing in the good times and cheering me on through the difficult times.
10. That my mom and dad live close and that Brian's parents live with us 1/2 of the year. This is one the things I am most thankful!

I'm only doing 10 so I have more for next Monday.

Be Happy!

Good Bye Nana & Pepe

My grandparents (the kids GREAT grandparents) are on their way back to New Hampshire after 3 wonderful weeks here with us.

We had a fabulous visit and as always as I was sad to see them go.

They are the youngest "old" people I have ever known. My Pepe will be 80 in a few weeks and my Nana turned 73 this past summer.

They are so fun, hip and FULL of life.

I cherish their visits and am SO thankful for all the memories!!

Happy Birthday Coral

Today is my niece's 5th birthday. Isn't she adorable?!

Coral, we are sending you a GREAT BIG hug and lots of of love for your birthday! May it be as happy, special and sweet as you :-)

We love and miss you bunches.

Shoe Drive

Brian and I were invited to participate in a shoe drive for an orphanage in Ethiopia.

Most of the children there are 6 and up but there are a few younger and they are in desperate need of shoes. If you have any boys or girls shoes that are new or gently used (preferably sneakers) we would love to send them over. Just let me know and I will make arrangements to get them from you.

Also, if you know anyone else that might want to participate feel free to send this on.

Many thanks in advance for your consideration.

P.S. Payless is running their buy one get one half off thru this weekend. So if you need any shoes... maybe you would consider picking up an extra pair. I'm going to take my kids to pick out a pair for the children. I love these tangible ways to help my kids understand how fortunate they are. : )

I HATE TOYS

I'm sorry, I know that is a rather harsh declaration but it's true! I HATE TOYS!!!

I have just spent a day and 1/2 cleaning my sons room and in the process I have filled a huge rubber maid bin with unwanted toys. They are outta here....

The sad part is my son will NEVER know that they are gone. His room just looks neat and orderly -and you can't tell a thing is missing. Every basket, every self and every bin is still full of toys...

Brian and I are kind of old fashioned in the sense that we don't shower our kids with a bunch of unnecessities (or so we thought). We like the good old kind of fun were you play hard outside, run and yell and build forts. Inside we play board games and cards or snuggle up to a movie...who needs toys?

I don't know how, but we got SUCKERED!!! Just wanting to be that fun, loving and giving parent...we caved. Yeah, it's true. Against our better judgement we bought a toy or two.

Then we had those grandparents contribute to the cause, oh and of course the friends who couldn't resist, and let's not forget the aunts and uncles...

Friends, I am here to say, it's a conspiracy!! Seriously, it's a plot against ALL unsuspecting mothers. Be warned! The toys multiply- they take over your house, your children, and if you are not careful YOUR LIFE!!!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Will you stand with me in the fight against toys?

Oh and if you are NOT with me - the BIG BLUE RUBBERMAID CONTAINER FULL OF TOYS (mentioned above) WILL PROMPTLY BE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU!

Flashback - Livin' the dream

(flashback idea borrowed from http://storinguptreasuresinheaven.blogspot.com/)

...it was September 2003. Brain I were just about to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and we were DINKS (double income no kids). I had my series 7 and was thriving in my career at a well known investment advisory firm. Brian was peaking in his career as well. We were traveling, eating out, spending time on our boat.We had a cute townhouse sitting on a pretty pond with a jaw dropping LOW mortgage payment of just $400 a month -including taxes and insurance. We had a fantastic dog, 2 cats and we were indeed living the dream...only it wasn't our dream!

We wanted more...SO MUCH MORE....we wanted in kids!

So we sold the cute townhouse and the boat, we built a home and in July 2004 I resigned from my potentially prosperous career, hopped on a planed, traveled 1/2 away around the world and became mommy to two of the most amazing children. Sadie and Ethan enriched, challenged and changed our life in SO many ways - for the better.

In 2006 we were once again living the dream...

We were happily married, in a comfortable home, I was a SAHM and drove a minivan. We had the "perfect" family 1 boy, 1 girl and a dog...What more could we want you ask? Well another child of course.

So in August of 2006 we added to our family again. A beautiful little girl named Madison...

Today our life is busy, sometimes chaotic even, usually loud, a little messy, a lot of fun, NEVER dull and if you ask me we are LIVING THE DREAM!

Thank you Courtney for inviting me to take this flashback. I wouldn't change a thing!!

Win WIn Situation

Ok Friends:

So you know I (it's suppossed to be the kids but let's face it, its REALLY me) collect box box tops as a school project.

I don't know why but it brings me a strange joy to paste those little guys on cute papers and submit them on behalf of my children...

Well now my girls are selling raffle tickets for their baton class.

Stay with me here...I have a point and I'm not going to ask you for money.

If you haven't learned by now I'm VERY competitive. I like (no, I LOVE to win) and now I (I mean my kids) have a chance to win twice.. BUT what's better is YOU have a chance to win too.

And not some little win but a big $300 win...

See here's the plan:All you folks out there that throw away the box tops that come on your Kleenex, betty crocker, pampers, hefty, ziplock, chex mix, and oh SO many more products now just need to give them to me and in return I will purchase 1 baton raffle ticket in your name and you will then be entered into a drawing worth $300 and many runner up prizes like gift baskets filled with stuff you can't live without.

Of course this IS a win win situation so I have to share what's in it for us. Should the girls sell the most raffle tickets they could win a baton bag, team uniform and a team jacket. And if their class happens collects the most box tops they could win an ice cream party. The stakes here friends are pretty high.

So please consider teaming up with me (I mean the Growing Garcia's) and let's claim victory in these competitions.

Happy 50th Bithday Mom

Today is my moms 50th birthday. Honest to goodness I think I am going to being to be older than this lady one day...It is truly a scary thought! She is younger and has more stamina and energy than not just me but my 3 kids (who by the way are only 5, 5 and 6).

My dad & I threw her quite the bash in honor of the worthy milestone. And below are LOTS of pictures.

Mom, you are my BEST friend...my most cherished and deeply loved confidant. May you have the happiest of birthday's! I love you.