Take a Break from Winter - Wordless Wednesday

I thought some of you might need a break from winter and enjoy some shots from Hawaii. Once again I couldn't decide on just one picture. Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday website

WWJP

A friend of mine emailed me this as a joke but didn't want to blog it, calling it too "iffy" to post. I'll post it without commentary, instead, wondering what you think. Let me hear your thoughts.

Image originally posted @ The Wittenburg Door

The Answer to Preventing Crime?

Have you noticed? The BIG story locally: STORM WATCH 2008. Yes, it's raining here in Southern California. It is all that seemed to happen here locally yesterday. News report after news report depicted some poor soul in a raincoat and an umbrella standing near a puddle, each one stating details of water falling from the sky. Observing story after story I noticed a difference in the day's newscasts and I began to wonder...hadn't there been anyone murdered? no drive by shootings? convenience store robberies? high speed police chases? nothing???

Then I wondered some more: Maybe the rain was unifying. Maybe everyone puts down their burdens and comes together in peace and harmony due to the rain. Maybe the Native Americans were on to something with their rain dances. Perhaps they were used for more than desiring rain for their crops. Maybe something as simple as rain is all we need to put an end to crime.

But then I became skeptical. Maybe it's just easier to set up a camera on the corner outside the news station than it is to drive to all the murders, shootings, and robberies while it's raining. And if that's not cynical enough, just watch how people drive. Rain seems to make no difference in the number of idiot drivers out there.

Scenes from the Desert - Wordless Wednesday

Joshua Tree National Park - June 2006
Click on each image for a larger view

Wordless Wednesday website

Hail to the King - Wordless Wednesday

Here is one of my favorite shots from our trip to China. While walking through an old farming village in Nanchang, through gestures I asked this family if I could take their picture. They happily agreed. The family positioned themselves just inside the doorway to their very small living quarters. The boys in China truly are treated like royalty. Keep in mind this was a very poor area. This photograph captures a portion of what I observed as seemingly typical: the boys dressed in the best clothes; the center of attention; allowed to do whatever they want without correction. They seemed so proud of their boy. We can't help but think that our daughter was born in such a village.

Wordless Wednesday

Thank You

Several months ago I made a rather feeble attempt to find out who visits my blog. (Thank you to my four respondents.) Of course most bloggers like to receive comments (hint hint!!!) but since I keep telling myself that I write this blog just to write, get my thoughts out, document, etc., I didn't press the issue. Having tried to put my curiosity behind me, I recently received some indirect verbal responses to my search. I had many pleasant opportunities to get together with people over the 3-week Christmas break. On more than one occasion I was encouraged by what many of you had to say. When I shared some information or a story, some of you said, "Oh ya, I read that on your blog." And others expressed how much you enjoy the pictures I post. And quite a few of you commented on my weight loss post and mentioned how it encouraged you. When I went fishing for comments or commenters, little happened. So I was pleasantly surprised and greatly encouraged by your kind words...especially since I was not seeking them. I'm glad that my writing: a) is coherent enough to keep your attention; b) is interesting enough to keep you coming back; and c) is able to encourage some of you. Hearing from you blessed me for which I offer a heartfelt "Thank You" for your kind words.

Finally Home

I've admitted a few times too many in here about getting teary eyed about certain things. So with no admission of anything of the sort (I have my reputation to maintain...ha ha), I wanted to share a song that, from the first listen, had quite an impact on me. The song is Finally Home by MercyMe. Julianne was surprised because she knows I rarely "hear" the lyrics for some time; she knows I tend listen to the instrumentation above all. But like I said, not this time. As I read in a review, the song is a follow up to I Can Only Imagine written after the passing of singer Bart Millard's father. Posted below are the lyrics followed by a short sample video of the song. Read, listen, and take it in.

Finally Home
by MercyMe

I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck
And tell him that I’ve missed him.
And tell him all about the man that I became
And hope that it pleased him

There’s so much I want to say
There’s so much I want you to know

When I finally make it home
When I finally make it home

Then I’ll gaze upon the throne of the King
Frozen in my steps
And all the questions that I swore I would ask
Words just won’t come yet

So amazed at what I’ve seen
So much more than this old mind can hold

And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear
Voices of the angels

Memories from Texas - Wordless Wednesday

Yummm! Oreo cookie pie!

Has a messy face every looked so cute?

My girls walking off into the sunset. Ok, well at least down the street.

Happy New Year, Y'all

We had the privilege of spending several days with some wonderful friends in Texas. We had a great visit. Since they had moved to Texas while we were in China getting Lily, this was their first opportunity to meet her (all except Marcos who got to meet her on a brief visit back to California.) Lily did really well with the traveling, the late hours, the extended time in her not-so-comfortable car seat, and just being out of her element. Our friend's children did wonderfully with Lily and treated her incredibly well.

While in Texas we got to spend time with other friends as well. On New Year's Eve we got to visit with Robin and Travis, a couple that was in our travel group to China. They traveled with their son Samuel to get their daughter, Lucy. It was a wonderful reunion. They are such a wonderful family. I wish we planned more time to spend with them.

We were able to ring in the new year with more friends from back home. Manny and Julie invited all of us to their home to celebrate the new year. I could not believe Lily stayed up until midnight. She was having a blast with all the kids. Once again, all the kids were absolutely wonderful with her. Outside of spending time with Marcos, Angela, and the kids, I had three things on my list of things-to-do-in-Texas:

1. Buy Lily and myself a pair of cowboy boots (Julianne already has a few pairs)
   
2. Visit Robin and Travis
3. Get a piece of pecan pie from The Old Pecan Street Cafe

Lily and I got the boots and we got to see Robin and Travis so I figured two outta three ain't bad! I planned on getting myself black boots but ended up with these instead. Lily got an adorable pair of pink boots. Here are some shots from our trip:

Us in front of Lake Travis

Lily on the hanging swing

Lily and Reagan playing

Lily and Gabriella

Travis, Lucy, Samuel, and Robin

Lucy, Robin, and Lily

The two Spidermen (Julian and Jordan)

Reagan and her daddy playing

Reagan looking as cute as can be

Game time

Fun above Lake Travis

The condos Marcos is building

The site of the future Fernandez home

Pretty Kitty - Wordless Wednesday

My favorite picture of our cat Caly. She was the best cat.

The Perfect Christmas Morning - Wordless Wednesday

Lily's first Christmas with us. Watching mother and daughter together - it doesn't get any better than this. A precious moment for this husband and father.

Wordless Wednesday - Atop the Great Wall of China

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Update
As I took a closer look at this picture, I thought the color, slight as it is, takes away from the picture. So I converted it to black and white. I'm leaving the original up but wanted this one up even if just for comparison.

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Original post

Something about this young boy looking out from this high vantage point amongst the vastness of China told me I needed to take this picture. It's among my favorites (of the non-Lily shots that is) from our trip. Taken July 07.

Not So Wordless Wednesday

Up until today, I've not participated in all the activities out there in the blogosphere. Since I love love love photography, I decided to start contributing to the Wordless Wednesday posts that I've seen on other blogs I've come across. Although my first post is a picture that is not recent, it is one I have enjoyed revisiting. I took this at a little bed n breakfast we visited a few weeks shy of a year ago in Ojai. It was one of our many "last getaways" before we got Lily due to the much longer than anticipated wait. Now that we have her, we'll have to be sure to make time for such pleasant occasions. I'll try to follow the rules on future Wordless Wednesday posts! Enjoy

Tis the Season

I love Christmas. Everything about it. And we have been looking forward to this Christmas for several years now. Each of the past few Christmases, we have said that this would be our last without Lily, only to have to wait another year for her referral. Well, as EVERYONE knows by now, that is in the past and our beautiful baby girl is finally with us. This indeed is a Christmas long waited for.

We so enjoy the season and for so many reasons.

Music.
I always insist that Christmas music NOT be played until Thanksgiving and that it end my New Year's Day. I never win. (I don't really mind but please don't tell Julianne.) I love the old stuff I grew up on: Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Frank, & Dean. I've included some on my playlist so turn up your speakers. Of course I had to add Brian Setzer's Jingle Bells. And I'd be kicked out of the house if Amy were not part of the mix!

Holiday Decor
We love to decorate. This year was a treat as we had a little tree trimming party. The above pictures show the finished product as well as some of our new lawn additions.

Family and Friends
Since Julianne's father passed, we have been hosting Christmas Day. We love preparing the meal and opening our house to family and friends. Look for many pictures to be posted after Christmas Day.

Shopping
Yes, because of the ease of internet shopping, I enjoy Christmas shopping once again. No lines. No rude drivers. Just click click click and hope it arrives on time. How easy is that?

The Reason for the Season
Above all the previously mentioned, the greatest part of Christmas is its true meaning: The celebration of the birth of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So many of us can easily stress out during this time of year. Even though I love the season, I admit it can be stressful for me too. But all that fades when I'm able to focus on what God has done for us. God sent to us His Son, to live the perfect, sinless life that we could not. But He was not only sent to live, but to die in our place so that we might have life and restored fellowship with God. Nothing in us was deserving of such a gift. But it is with much gratitude that I receive His gift of grace. Pray that we always keep this foremost in our thoughts and actions during this wonderful season. And even more that we teach this to our daughter.

The Secret to Weight Loss

Me on 4/28/07

11/18/07

I'm asked all the time, "How did you do it? What is your secret? What diet are you on? Are you following a particular plan?" And even, "Did you have the surgery?" So, how did I go from 315 pounds (or 306 - the difference being different scales, time of day, clothed vs. unclothed) to 193.8 in such a short time? I'll share my "secret" with you. I'll break it into five parts. All must work in unison. Ready? Here they are:

• Motivation
• Diet
• Exercise
• Consistency
• Discipline.

How many of your looks of anticipation were just turned to frowns with an audible, "Oh, that's your secret?" Some of you probably thought, "Ya, ya, I've heard all that before." or "I can't do that." I completely understand. That was me. But the truth is, there is no miracle pill or quick fix. It is work. It does take time. It takes something to motivate you to start. In all seriousness, that was the hardest part for me. Once I got there, losing the weight was easy. No, I'm not kidding. Easy.

Motivation
For those of you that know me or have been reading my blog for awhile, you know my motivation. A health scare and becoming a father kicked me in the seat of my pants made me take action. Yours need not be so drastic. Just wanting to feel better, look better, or be healthy should be motivation enough.

Diet
I'm fortunate that I don't get bored with eating the same thing over and over. My diet has been more restrictive than it will need to be for most of you. Since my health scare had to do with diabetes, in addition to watching portion size and fat intake, I also had to watch carbs which means I greatly reduced or eliminated things like bread, rice, and potatoes. Most of you won't have to eliminate such foods, just watch your portion size. Here's a sample of a day's meal plan. With all meals, I use little to no oil. If you are wanting to lose weight, I suggest at least one meeting with a nutritionist to set up a meal plan based on your calorie-per-day needs.

Breakfast
1/3 cup of oatmeal with Splenda and cinnamon
Coffee with Splenda and Coffee-mate

Snack
CarbMaster yogurt (from Ralphs)

Lunch
Chicken breast (with salsa or mustard/balsamic mixture or seasonings-no butter or oil)
Vegetables-enough to cover half the plate
Fruit (on occasion-only because of having to watch the extra carbs)

Snack
CarbMaster yogurt or half cucumber or sliced tomato

Dinner
Baked tilapia with salsa or seasonings (no butter or oil)
Vegetables-enough to cover half the plate
1/4 cup brown rice (smaller portion only because of the affect on my blood sugar)

Dessert
1/4 cup (before popping) air popped popcorn with I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray, Splenda, and cinnamon...YUM

I recommend keeping a food log to keep track of what you eat for two reasons.

1. It will help you see how much you really are eating. This was eye opening for me when I had been thinking, "I don't really eat that much."
2. If you know you'll have to write down something that shouldn't be there, there's a chance you won't eat it.

Exercise
I started by just walking during my lunch break. I then went to the gym and began using the treadmill. When I began at the gym, I did one hour at about 3.0 mph and a 5% incline. I worked up to 3.6 mph at a 15% incline. Now, I walk 10 minutes at the same settings, then run 5 minutes at 5.7 mph at a 2% incline and repeat that three more times to fill the hour. I've also added bicycling to my routine. I exercise 5 to 7 days per week.

Consistency
The above have to become lifestyle change for me. I've lost weight before. Even though I have more weight to lose, I can't say, "I'm done" when I get there. I MUST continue eating well and exercising in order to maintain.

Discipline
The motivation and consistency have helped me stay disciplined. As I mentioned, this has been easy up until recently. Only within the last two weeks have I felt temptation and have yielded a few times. On several occasions I have found myself overeating and eating things I should not eat. But I catch myself and make sure to work out as soon as possible. I have hit my first real plateau, which I knew would come. I put a few pounds back on but have since lost them over the past two weeks. This has actually been encouraging to me because in the past, I had not recovered until far too late.

I still have anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds to go. The hard part for me, based on past experience, is after that. The maintenance. The lifelong goal of staying healthy. The allowing myself to eat within moderation. To be able to eat certain things occasionally and sparingly rather than finding myself sitting in front of the TV going through a pint of Ben and Jerry's night after night. (Yes, I did that.)

I hope this was at least informative, and hopefully helpful too.

Lilybug in the Pumpkin Patch

We had been wanting to take Lily to a pumpkin patch but never got around to it. Pessimistic me thought we wouldn't find anything two weekends after Halloween because the Christmas tree lots are popping up everywhere. I was pleasantly proven wrong. We went to Underwood Family Farm in Moorpark and wow did they have pumpkins. But to our surprise, they also had animals. Lily showed minimal interest in them. She looked at them, made a little noise, and was ready to move on. I think her favorite part was riding on my shoulders...especially when I jumped up and down. I'm not sure how excited she was about the pumpkins, but she sure looks cute!