Mar 9, 2009

Payton's 1st Birthday!

I'm a little late on this post, almost a week! Payton celebrated her 1st birthday last Tuesday, March 3rd. We had a birthday party for her the Friday before. Our close friend, Becca, has the same birthday as Payton (but she turned 28!), so we had a joint party. Becca was a good sport for playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey and having cupcakes! :) Payton checking out a new dress from Marta and the boys.
"Aunt" Becca and Payton celebrating their birthdays together!
Yummy cake! She loved it!
Oops, was anybody watching her? Notice the flame still going? She couldn't wait to dig in.
The party crew: Xavier, Faith, Diego, Aunt Becca and Preston....I think Payton was too busy trying to walk somewhere!
What a difference a year makes! I had a wonderful, enjoyable pregnancy with Payton. A not so wonderful delivery (it was super fast but I felt EVERYTHING!). A rough beginning with a baby girl who wanted to be constantly held. And then, things started smoothing out. We started understanding each other and settling in to our new lives as a family of four.
What a wonderful year it has been! Payton is a sweet, sweet baby girl. She is very sensitive (not sure where she gets that from) and very oppionated! She has an attitude...she'll throw her head on the floor when she doesn't get her way. She smiles and laughs alot, sleeps great, and LOVES her brother and dog, Maverick!
She has brought so much added joy to our family! We love you so much Payton!
Be sure to check out the other new posts below! I was busy catching up today! :)

I'm Famous!

I was on the Channel 11 news at 10 pm last weekend! I'm famous! How did that happen? Well, long story short. I'm taking a professional development class throughout this year and the head of this organization had to come into my classroom to make sure I was using the materials. After observing, she asked if the CH 11 News could come in and do a report....appearantly they had called her and said they were looking for a classroom teaching democracy. We were teaching the Preamble to the Constitution so I guess that's what they were looking for.
Here is the link to the newscast. I was having a HORRIBLE HAIR DAY and don't think I did well at all, but oh well. I guess I won't be waiting by the phone for Hollywood to call anytime soon! :)

http://www.ktva.com/video?bcpid=1641243975&bclid=1632695727&bctid=15044589001

Fur Rondy

Each year at the end of February, first of March, Anchorage hosts the Fur Rondy events. Basically, it's lots of crazy things happening all around town for a couple of weeks to make the winter pass by more quickly! THere's a big parade down town, running with the Reindeer (seriously!) Frostbite Footrace (5K downtown), a carnival, snow sculptures, and lots of other little events. Most importantly though, it marks the start of the Iditarod!
We try to participate in some Fur Rondy activities every year. This year, we took the kids to the carnival and to see the snow sculptures. Preston and I also did the Frostbite Footrace with the other 5th grade teachers and some of our students. Here are a few highlights!
Chuga, chuga choo-choo. Darron actually had fun on this little train. It only went in a rectangle but it went fast and looked like it was going to come off the tracks with every corner!
Of course we had to play a game! Yep, only in Alaska can you go to a carnival where you have to wear your snow gear or you'll freeze!! Actually, we still froze....

Can't you tell she was having a blast watching her brother play games and ride the rides?


Preston and Mommy and the finish line of the Frostbite Footrace!




Preston worked hard to complete this 5K race! All he cared about was the hot chocolate at the finish line! :)




Mar 3, 2009

Who Do the Courts Protect Anyways?

Yesterday was a very stressful, enlightening day for me. I was asked to appear in Federal Court to give a statement against a guy who shot at us....well, sorta. It all started almost a year ago.



My girlfriends and I meet each Tuesday night for a time of Bible Study and prayer. However, the week of April 10, 2008 we decided to meet on a Thursday night because of scheduling conflicts. Boy, was that a mistake! As we were studying about spiritual warfare and how Satan works to keep us away from growing closer to the Lord, we heard what sounded like a gun shot. We kinda paused and looked at each other as we heard it again. Just as we were trying to figure out if that actually was gun shots, fireworks, or a car back-firing, we heard two more shots. The last shot hit the house we were at (owned by two of my single girlfriends). It was super loud and the house shook! Obviously, we all ducked to the floor in terror, not sure of what was going on. I had Payton, barely a month old, in my arms and my girlfriend had her 6 month old in her arms. After laying on the floor and calling 911, Marta and I decided to run upstairs with the crying babies so we weren't by any windows or exterior walls. A couple of minutes later, the police showed up down the street, blocked the street, and hot shotguns pulled on a house. They arrested a guy and then came to get our statements. They informed us the bullet went through the exterior wall upstairs. As we went to look, the bullet had come all the way through the wall and lodged in a mattress that was laying on the floor. If the bullet had been about 6 ft lower it would have definatley hit one of us girls. It was truely a terrifying night.



Well, we hadn't heard anything else of this case until last week. Turns out, the guy was already a felon (had three previous records of being in possesion of a weapon or misconduct with a weapon) and was found guilty in Dec. of being a felon in possession of a weapon. The Federal Proesecuting Attorneys asked us if we would come in a give a statement at his sentencing of how this experience was terrifying and how it has affected us. They were hoping our statements would help convice the judge to give him the maximum time allotted for this crime.



So, we met with the attorney and ATF Investigator yesterday, and then went to court in the afternoon. We found out during our meeting that this guy has some mental health issues and is very paranoid. Appearantly he's into the "gangsta wrap scene" and he was shooting at a car driving past his house. He said they were reaching for a gun so he shot at them and it accidentaly hit our house...bad aim I guess! The court experience itself was very intimidating because his wife, sister, mom and dad were all sitting just down the row from us! And let me tell you, he was a scrawny white guy, but I know his black wife could take me without even trying!



We each gave our statements and an hour later, the judge pretty much let the guy have it for being so stupid. He acknowledged that he needed help for his mental health issues, but he found him competent enough to make the choice to NOT be around firearams and to not shoot at people...he explained that's what the police are for! :)

Here's the kicker for me. The guy received the maximum penalty...41 months (3 1/2 years) in a federal prison (they don't allow parole in fed. prisons) followed by 3 years of supervised parole. What the heck? 3 1/2 years is the MAXIMUM for someone who has THREE previous records and now this?? When the police searched his house, they found the gun his used, plus a stolen shotgun and an "oozie" behind the washing machine. He was charged with only being in "possession" of the gun he shot with because of lack of evidence to prove he was in "possession" of the other two guns. Hello.....does anyone else find that disheartening?? The other guns were at HIS house, being hidden behind a washing machine, and he KNEW they were there....yet they can't call that being in possession? Oh my goodness! If he had been found in possession of the other two guns, the MINIMUM prison sentence would have STARTED at 92 months....does anyone else see a problem with this?

I have lost some faith in our judicial system. How many times should a person be allowed to misuse a weapon before they are locked up for more than 3 1/2 years? He (and the community) have been lucky in the past....how many more "lucky" situations do there need to be?

I am just so thankful the Lord was protecting my friends, my daughter, and myself when he decided to be so wreckless and stupid! I hope it's a long 3 1/2 years for him!