Turning 40

I feel like it was
JUST yesterday that I turned 10
JUST yesterday that I had my first crush and heartbreak
JUST yesterday that I was a high school freshman
JUST yesterday that I graduated from college and moved to Denver
JUST yesterday that I got married
JUST yesterday that I had my babies
JUST yesterday that I started my career
JUST yesterday that I started to figure things out
And here I am today, with all this experience, and more. Feeling like 40 years is a long time, and yet I feel so young.

Here's to many tomorrows that are as good as the yesterdays.

Good Morning

The boys are in the workout room picking up their tinker toys and I can hear them playing and singing "We are the Champions...... Of the world!!" What amazing boys I have.

Tomorrow is Alden's 11th birthday party. We're going to Merced to a Rollerrink. Should be fun! Jackson had a Basketball party at CSU Stanislaus last month. Was a nice spot to have it, in the student rec center's small gym. The kids had a blast and were contained in one big room.

I'm thankful

Here are Alden and Jackson's top things they are grateful for...

From Jackson...
1. Shelter
2. Food
3. Family
4. Toys
5. Trees
6. School
7. clothes
8. animals
9. ancestors
10.Army


From Alden...
1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Jackson
4. food
5. a home
6. jobs
7. hobby stores
8. rockets
9. cars
10.plans
11. Army
12. Air Force
13. Marines
14. and Nerf Guns

Happy Thanksgiving!

Death Valley

Here's one of the programs I am raising money for... Dr. Ida Bowers is an amazing professor at CSU Stanislaus. She just retired actually. Hope you enjoy it.

Life After Death Valley from young mr. arvizu on Vimeo.

Thanks!

Just want to thank my family members and friends and several community members of Raymond for helping us clean up our house and get it ready for the new tenants. John went back there for almost two weeks and received lots of help from Patrick, my Mom, Charlie, Amy, Troy & Tracy, Brian, The Higleys, my Dad, Tammy and Josh.

To all of you who lent us tools, vehicles, fed John good food and drink, donated your time and advice (yes, there are ways to get bunny urine off concrete), scrubbed, painted, washed and made trips to good will and the dump, rescued abandonded animals----thank you!!!

It's so nice to be part of a community (even though we don't live there now) where people pull together to help you out and support you. Thank you everyone!!! We feel so blessed to have family and friends like you.

xoxoxox

Surround Yourself with Positive People

At my 20th High School Class Reunion, I enjoyed reconnecting with many of my classmates. We talked about old times and caught up on what our lives are like today. One of the people I enjoyed chatting with, was Rich Mcgarvey and his wife. In high school, I sat next to Rich in Mr. Strout's literature class. Rich is the reason I passed the unit on the Tale of Two Cities. Didn't read one word of it.

These days Rich is a prison guard. I figure he hears a lot of sad stories at work. I also figure that these stories, heard over and over again, could make a person lose a little faith in mankind. I also figure that one of the reasons I have such a positive outlook in life, is because of the work I do... Constantly I hear hopeful, heartwarming stories about the people who beat the odds, who make it in life, stories about people who grow up to give back to the communities that they tried so desperately to escape.

After talking with Rich, I decided to post a hopeful story on my blog once a month or so, and share them with him and others. If nothing else, I hope these stories offer a little balance to the bad news all of us hear so often.

Here's the first story...http://www.break.com/index/autisticbball.html
Please help me find these stories by sharing links.
Enjoy.

My Little Boy is Not So Little

Alden is in Maine right now. He went back with Mom, four days ago. It's soo weird to see his pictures on facebook, knowing that they were not taken with me. He looks so old to me!

He's having a BLAST thanks to his Mamie and Aunty. So far, there has been skateboarding and scootering at the skate park, swimming in the ocean, Harry Potter movie, playing with friends at Walter's house, laying bricks with Grampy, rides in the 'campervertable' and who knows what else!

Jackson and I are going on Wed. Can't wait!