Welcome everyone!! It's that time again for Fabulous Foto Friday! If you weren't here last week, that's alright! My philosophy is "the more the merrier"!! So, I would love for you to join in :o)
So, here are the rules:
1. Post a special picture that you took during the week. If you have more than one that you want to post, that would be great also. It can be any kind of picture (i.e. funny, silly, weird, artsy, fun, whatever).
2. Write about what the picture is about and what it means to you.
3. Come back later today and sign your name on Mr. Linky to share, so we all can make our way to your blog and see your wonderful picture(s).
4. Be sure to comment on the person above you. If you want to comment on more than one person, I'd love that and I'm sure they would too! The more comments, the better :o)
I look forward to seeing what everyone has come up with to share!!
1.) If I sent you four hundred dollars today what is ONE thing you would spend it on and why. ps I want my change.
2.) What are your kids talking about?
3.) Tell us about a local news story that's all the buzz right now in your neck of the woods.
4.) Share some blogging advice.
5.) Tell us about that time at the playground when that thing happened.(thanks to Heather at Chasing Butterfly's who unknowingly inspired this last prompt)
I decided to go with.....#3.
The Murder of Sandra Cantu
I'm sure everyone has heard about this. Yes, this is happening near me and being a parent of a daughter, it broke my heart to see the flyer's of this little girl and to see this on the news on a daily basis. I was praying this little girl would be brought home safely to her family and unfortunately, it didn't happen that way. I honestly can't imagine what her parent's are going through and hope to never have to.
Then the fact that this woman, Melissa Huckaby who is a mother, who's daughter played with Sandra and was also a Sunday school teacher would do something so horrible to a child. What kind of person would do something like this? The fact that she is a mother herself, just doesn't make sense to me.
My husband and I have talked about this and what may or could have happened. We have thought that since Sandra and Melissa's daughter played together all the time, perhaps the two girls had gotten into a recent "tiff" (since the daughter wasn't there the day of the murder) and we all know how some of us mom's (including me) get protective of their kids. However, most of us mom's would NEVER do something like this. This is just horrible and mind boggling. To think Sandra's parents probably trusted this woman, knowing the two girls played all the time at each others house.
This is just another reason why I will not let my child play out in the front without my presence. Why I have a hard time trusting other people with my child and why I do not plan on allowing my child to stay the night at one of her friend's house that I am not friend's with the parent. This is a proven fact that the people you may think you know, you just may not.
Well, what do you all think? Do you love it? I sure do!! And can you believe that I won this?! That's right. I had gone over to SITS (click here to see my name in lights! Okay, so maybe not that grand but grand enough, I must say!!!!!) over a week ago and thought I would enter their fabulous giveaway for a lovely blog design by Shabby Creations. Once entered, I completely forgot about it as I get carried away in every day life until some lovely bloggers stopped by to congratulate me. Can you just say, I was completely surprised and delighted too!!
I went to all the trouble of having me, my hubby & daughter get our picture taken over my parent's house because again, their backyard is a gardeners dream and I figured I could get a fantastic picture there just for my new, shiny and sparkly new layout! I even got a new signature. How great is that?!
Thanks SITS and Shabby Creations for hosting and giving away such a fabulous giveaway......and picking ME!! ;0)
***Warning: Minor graphic detail towards end of story.***
Now that Diane had moved into her own apartment, she was acting like a single girl. She was only separated from her husband but she continued to see Jim. She even allowed her step-daughter, Wendy to move in with her. Why Wendy's dad allowed that is beyond me.
Diane and Jim were a new couple now. My mom started to see less of her. She still came around the house, just not as often. In fact, the apartment she moved into was in the same neighborhood as our house. Wendy and I would even walk home together after school. Later on, Diane allowed Wendy's boyfriend to move in with them. Wendy was only 16 yrs old. That lead to her dropping out of school, mid 11th grade (my 12th grade). Highly unacceptable in my book, even back then.
They stayed in that apartment for a few years and then Wendy ended up moving in with her boyfriend while Diane moved into another apartment in town, less than a mile away. Once I turned 20, I ended up moving in the same apartment complex with my boyfriend (husband now). I would go over Diane's house to visit too. Her and I would watch movies or just sit around and chat. She was even there when me and my man would get into an argument. I remember him and I got into it around Christmas time and he knocked over the Christmas tree and I called Diane all upset so she came over and helped me grab some things and I went back with her to her place.
I'm not sure how much time went by but she ended up moving in with Jim out in Fremont. They got a place together too once she got money from her parent's will. Once she moved out there, we rarely saw her. My mom and I would always talk cause Diane would call my mom and discuss the fights her and Jim would get into. They were always physical. I also remember one time I was over Wendy's place visiting and she told me how Diane and Jim get into one of their fights and that she had a black eye. Diane even told Wendy that "he will be the death of me". We tried to talk to her and help and reason with her. She "loved" him. She wouldn't leave.
I remember the day vividly. It was late afternoon. February 10, 1998. My mom called me and first thing she said or actually asked, through tears, was "guess who died?" I don't know why I knew instantly. I don't know how I knew. I just don't know but instantly I began to cry and said "Diane" and my mom replied "yes". I broke down. She couldn't be gone. She was too young. She just celebrated her 40th birthday a month earlier. WHY???? I had so many questions. How? When? What happened???? My mom explained that her and Jim had gone to a local bowling alley in Fremont with some friends. They were all high too. Something about one of Diane's friend's rings that Diane wanted to wear. Jim got mad. They left arguing. Diane's friend tried to get her to stay with them but she wouldn't stay. They continued their argument while they drove home. The story has always been completely unclear but what I've been told was, Jim pushed Diane out of the van, the big old school kind. When she got pushed out, she fell. He backed up and ran her over. Drove forward and then went back over her again. Getting her chest and head. Cops came and he went to jail briefly but then was released based on that it was an accident?? Horse****! THAT doesn't sound like an accident to me.
When the funeral came, Valentine's Day, it was a very emotional day, as expected. They had a room where we were able to view Diane but because everyone knows how I am about death, they advised me not to go. That I wouldn't be able to handle it. To remember her the way I last saw her, so I didn't go in. My mom, my brother, Wendy went in. They said it didn't even look like her.
I think about Diane all the time. I dream about her all the time. That she is alive, with us. It's been 11 years and I still have a hard time with it. I wanted her to meet my daughter. Of all the deaths I've experienced, this has proven to be the hardest. I miss her!! I love her!! I hope she has gone to heaven so that I can see her again one day. One thing that I think of is, she always valued my opinion. She would always ask other people, "What does Kimmy think?" That holds a special place in my heart. She holds a special place in my heart.
Every time I listen to Sade's "Maureen", I think of Diane because Diane liked Sade. I dedicate this song to Diane.
It's that time again for Fabulous Foto Friday! I hope you all will join in. If you like taking pictures, then this is just the thing for you. Check here for the rules.
This week, since I didn't have a chance to go out and take pictures, I thought I would go back in time a bit. Break out the albums and take a walk down memory lane. So what I'm about to share with you are pictures of my cutie pie when she was much younger but still just as cute as ever :o)
Goofy & Noodle at Disneyland 2005
Disneyland 2005
LOL!! Too funny! Just being silly, as usual!
Snoozing! Aww....and she still looks like that when she sleep. So sweet!
My cutie pie's 3rd birthday!
My cutie pie on Halloween 2003 or 2004? Can't remember.
Okay, now it's your turn! If you already did yours, enter your name below in Mr. Linky so everyone can stop by and see what you have to share. Thanks for joining!!!!
Welcome everyone!! It's that time again for Fabulous Foto Friday! If you weren't here last week, that's alright! My philosophy is "the more the merrier"!! So, I would love for you to join in :o)
So, here are the rules:
1. Post a special picture that you took during the week. If you have more than one that you want to post, that would be great also. It can be any kind of picture (i.e. funny, silly, weird, artsy, fun, whatever).
2. Write about what the picture is about and what it means to you.
3. Come back in a few hours and sign your name on Mr. Linky to share, so we all can make our way to your blog and see your wonderful picture(s).
4. Be sure to comment on the person above you. If you want to comment on more than one person, I'd love that and I'm sure they would too! The more comments, the better :o)
I look forward to seeing what everyone has come up with to share!!
Growing up at home, Diane was always coming over our house to visit. She was a regular part of our life. I mean, I considered Diane to be like a second mom to me. She was even there when my parent's would always get into their arguments which would lead us to go over to her house. And since I was best friend's with Wendy, I would stay the night over there all the time.
Every Sunday, my mom, Diane, Wendy and I would go to church. My parent's owned a Jeep Cherokee, you know, the ones that were 4 doors. They still make them, just newer version. It was 4-wheel drive. The four of us, after church and in our Sunday's best, would go to this one spot in our town and go 4-wheeling. It was truly a BLAST!! I can't imagine what people thought when they saw us cause the spot we would go was literally right off of a regular street. It wasn't like we would go to a normal 4-wheeling spot. This was just a man-made spot off the street. lol
Then one time the four of us went to see Back to the Future at the theatres. That same week, my mom and Diane went to see it an additional 5 more times after work.
Oh, yes....one Christmas, Diane was over and my mom, me and Diane were in the living room while my dad was watching TV in the family room. We were being loud and my dad yelled at us. We couldn't stop laughing. He even got mad cause we were laughing about it. We felt like a bunch of little kids. I was. Well, not real little. I was a teenager at that time.
When I was 16 yrs old and learning how to drive, Diane took me out in her Jeep. The regular kind with 2 doors. It was a stick shift. I had never tried driving one of those and it showed. I just couldn't get the hang of it. Diane was so cool about it. Laid back and didn't make me feel stupid either. (Note: We own a Mustang which is a stick shift, so I now know how to drive one. In fact, this was the car I learned in! lol)
As time went on, Diane and my mom continued working together. They started their own business, "Quality Plus Us". They worked on construction sites for brand new homes and would clean out the homes and clean all the windows. Make them ready for sale for when people came to look at the model homes. When they were working at one site, Diane met this guy, Jim. My mom didn't like him from the get go. He was arrogant and did drugs. Diane found him rough and charming. Mind you, she was married too. After time with hanging out with Jim, She started doing the things Jim did. It changed her. It changed her so much that she left her husband for this guy and then asked my mom if she would give up her portion of the work so she can have the work cause she was now living on her own in an apartment. This is when everything changed.
