Mercy Me/David Crowder

Last night my parents treated Caleb & I to a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl........Mercy Me & David Crowder! Caleb & I had never been to the bowl before and it was so beautiful! Check out the photos.....we had FRONT ROW seats. :-) Thanks mom & dad!!!

We tried so hard to get a picture with my dad looking normal...... :-) Sorry dad I posted them all!

Smile Dad!!!!

Now this was a view from the top of the theater, but yes, like I said, we sat in front row! :-)

Me & Mom :-)

David Crowder & Band

Yes that is a Guitar Hero guitar.....yes he played it for a song!

AND NOW FOR MERCY ME :-) Their light show was really awesome and they had words and video playing behind them :)

This was us after. "OH MY GOSH! That was Awesome!"

Afterwards my parents took us to a great Mexican restaurant on State Street, after 10 at night, warm night (rare for around here!) and sitting on the patio. Drinking Mojitos and having Halibut Siviche and Shrimp Empaladas (I Think that's what they are called) and Nachos....YUM!!!

Again thanks mom & dad for a great night!!!

Something is Fishy....

Hello Again :)

Next time you get a pedicure, think of this story...

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your feet in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away. Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the Washington D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far. "This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary. Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish.

They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries. But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn't know if customers would like the idea. "I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "

Customers were quickly hooked.

Tracy Roberts, 33, heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers. "I'd been an athlete all my life, so I've always had calluses on my feet. This was the first time somebody got rid of my calluses completely," she said. 'Feels like your foot's asleep'First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: "It kind of feels like your foot's asleep," she said.

The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind. Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time. Dennis Arnold, a podiatrist who four years ago established the International Pedicure Association, said he had never heard of the treatment and doubts it will become widespread.

"I think most people would be afraid of it," he said. Customer Patsy Fisher, 42, admitted she was nervous as she prepared for her first fish pedicure. But her apprehension dissolved into laughter after she put her feet in the tank and the fish swarmed to her toes. It's a little ticklish, actually," she said.

Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available — including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off. Next up: full-body fish treatments?In addition to offering pedicures, Ho hopes to establish a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises and is evaluating a full-body fish treatment that, among other things, could treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.

Ho spent a year and about $40,000 getting the pedicures up and running, with a few hiccups along the way. State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health department — which does regulate pools — required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer. The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish. "It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.

What do you think, would you let fish nibble at your feet????

Talula Does The Hula (From Hawaii)

Today I found this article online, on http://www.foxnews.com/ - check it out......Can you beleive this?

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it. Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.

Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said. The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.

"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court. In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.

Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.

New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.

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So what do you all think? In today's culture, the desire for unusual names seems driven by celebrities. With names like Apple, Moses, Inspektor Gadet, Knox.....(YES those are all very real names celebrity children) you start to wonder if parents are naming their children with their own best interest in mind or the childs? Some people may think it's just a name, but a name is important! Children are mean and harsh and can make fun of a child for any reason, so why would you want to increase the chances by giving such an unusual name?

Dinner

Hi Everyone!

So tonight's dinner was a recipe I've made once before and had a good experience, so I thought I'd give it a whirl again. It's VERY easy with just a few cheap ingredients.

- 2/3 cup Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing (I used about a cup for more serving sizes & I like a lot of sauce)

- Crushed Corn Flakes (again, about a cup or so)

- A few tablespoons of dill (I did not use fresh dill and it was still yummy)

- 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt & pepper

- Chopped up scallions (just a few sprigs)

- And of course the chicken, I just used about 5 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (They are a life saver & I always have them in my fridge!)

Then you mix up the dijon, scallion, salt/pepper, and dill in one bowl and put aside a portion to use as serving sauce afterwards. Put the corn flakes (Crushed) in another dish, then you just put the chicken in the sauce, then in the corn flakes, and place in shallow greased dish. (I use Pam).

The oven needs to be at 425 degrees, then you bake about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Use the sauce you set aside as a serving sauce when you are ready to eat!

As a side dish, I just sauteed up some sweet potatoes with garlic salt, pepper, and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil....) and they are yummy!

So, WHALLAH.....Here it is :)

I ALSO whipped up some muffins........but as you can see below, there wasn't much involved. I love Krustees Fat Free Muffins!!! :-)

Survey

Okay - so I'm still bored today so I'm posting a survey. I probably could have found a better one but oh well, it's the first one I found. I also deleted 1/2 the questions because they were really stupid and it was getting too long....
So, read on if you like :)

Who were you with last night around 9:00pm?
- I was at home, on the computer, and watching T.V. (Yes I know, my life is so exciting....) by myself.

When's the last time you cried?
- I don't remember, I guess that is good!

What is one thing you would love to happen tomorrow?
- That I would not have to go to work and spend the whole day with my husband

Do you bite your fingernails?
- Nope

Do you like Mexican food?
- Yes, so much!

Do you watch a lot of tv?
- Yes, too much

Have you ever snuck out of your house?
- Not that I recall

Are you hungry?
- Yes but that is probably just because I'm bored

Do you like your mom or your dad more?
- Both equally!

Are you tanned?
- Somewhat since I was just on vacation at the lake all week!

What are you looking forward to in the next month?
- Caleb's morning shifts starting in August

Is your current hair color your natural hair color?
- Kind of

Do you live with both of your parents?
- Nope, I live with my husband :)

Do you think too much or too little?
- I over analyze everything....

How many hours did you sleep last night?
- About 7

Does anyone call you babe?
- Yes, my hubby

What was the highlight of this week?
- Nothing yet

Did you kiss or hug anyone today?
- My hubby when he was in bed when I was leaving for work

What was the last reason you went to the doctor for?
- Check Up

Who will you see the most this weekend besides family?
- No One - everyone I see this weekend will be family, even my church family

Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now?
- Well, yes!

Do you drink tea?
- Yucky

Have you ever wanted something you couldn't have?
- Yeah, all the time, more clothes, new car, money, not working, lol

What's the number one thing you want in life right now?
- I am content with the overall happenings in my life. I really wanted to spend more time with my husband & I finally get it :)

What are you listening to?
- Jeremy Camp and the printer at my work

Last missed call?
- Monica

Last person you talked on the phone with?
- Caleb

What was the first thing you did when you woke up today?
- Thought about how much I hate getting up in the morning for work

Do you have a best friend?
- Yes!

Who do you blame for your bad mood today?
- My job.

Do you care of what people think of you?
- Who doesn't? We can all say 'I don't care' but everyone cares to a certain extent.

Who was the last person you took a picture with?
- My family at the lake

Last person you went to the movies with?
- I have no idea. Most likely Caleb...

Today, would you rather go back a week or go forward a week?
- Back because then I'd be on vacation still!

What is your middle name?
- Christine

What is your current mood?
- Very Very Very bored & Irritated

If you could go back in time and change something, would you?
- I don't think so

Ever had a near death experience?
- Nope

Is there something you do a lot?
- This is a dumb question, everyone does SOMETHING a lot just depends on what. I shower a lot, brush my teeth a lot, etc.... :)

Angry at anyone?
- Nope

Where will you be 12 hours from now?
- Sleeping

Have you ever been to a tanning bed?
- Yes

Is it easy for others to make you feel awkward?
- Sometimes

What is your favorite movie?
- Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (Oldie but a Goodie!)

T.V. Shows

Just a FEW of my favs. I didn't watch nearly as much T.V. before TiVo was invented!!!! I can't wait for the new Fall Lineup to start and I can get back to my shows :)

Tatoos

So, after many years of Caleb wanting a tatoo, and several designs later, he has settled on his pick and made his appointment to get his first ink....he is going to Copper Coffin in Santa Maria to someone that comes highly recommended. Caleb has already gone to the shop several times to meet with the artist and modify his design so that he can get the best result. He is getting the tatoo on his forearm.....I think on his left arm.

He is going to get a bible verse, found in Galations 6:17, which says (along the lines) "Therefore, let no one cause me harm, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus". I know some people think that tatoos are bad or whatever, but I think that if you are going to get something on your body, it better represent who you are as a person. Our faith in our Lord is #1 in our life, so what better for him to get then a verse talking about our Lord? I'm excited for him, and I will of course post pictures when it's completed. His appointment is for August 16th.....I'll keep you posted!

All this talk about Caleb getting a tatoo just sparks my interest in getting one too! I've always played around with the idea...but never really committed to it. Mainly because I couldn't decide on a spot that wouldn't bother me 30 years from now, and also I couldn't decide on what I'd permenantly want on my body! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm going to for sure get one now....however I'm closer now than I was a few years ago. I think I would get something either representing my faith or my relationship with my husband. Right now I have a friend who is drawing me up a few different ideas to include a gerbera daisy (my wedding flower), 7/16/05 (wedding date) and a modern, somewhat abstract monogram of "C", "B", and "T" for Caleb and Becky Tammar :) The location I've settled on for now is the center of my back. I picked there because it would only really show in a bathing suit or a dress w/ a low cut back, so I could have the option of covering it up if I ever wanted to.

Hmmmmmm

Yeah I dont know, but I'll for sure post it if I decide to get one!

Vacation Week at the Lake

On one of our hike explorations :)


Layout out at the Lake

Us in front of the Cabin

July 12th through July 19th my family embarked on a week long vacation at Hume Lake. For those of you who don't know where this is, look it up, it's beautiful! It is located in the Sequoia National Forest, near Kings Canyon outside of Fresno County.

My family consisted of Caleb & I, my parents, my mom's parents and my dad's parents. So, I had both of my sets of grandparents and my parents under 1 roof for a week! Despite the craziness that comes with packing, everything ended up being a blast.

We have to take everything with us to the cabin, including all toiletries, our own food to cook our meals, towels, and everything! And it was very important to throw the trash away in the designated bins or else the bears could get it! I'm not a big fan of bears....

A big adventure of the week was going repelling down a 100 foot cliff inside Kings Canyon! It was like nothing I'd ever experienced. Was I scared? HECK YES! However I wouldn't change it for the world. Me, Caleb & my dad were the brave ones of the group. Check out the pictures!

Starting my decent, oh man was I scared!

Caleb lookin' like a pro!

The rest of the week consisted of kayaking, swimming, laying out, a lot of hiking through the forest and to the big Sequoia Trees in Grant's Grove and Redwood Canyon. Caleb spent a lot of time exloring trails on his new mountain bike and boy did he love breaking that bike in! My grandpa's, my dad and Caleb went fishing one morning and caught 13 trout!!! The next morning my dad fried the trout up with some eggs and potatoes and that was the yummiest breakfast. Fresh fried fish, the whole fish! YUM :)

We spent lots of time playing games, and just hanging out by the lake. The first few days were warm but with Thunderstorms and Lightening! It turned out to be a good thing though because it cleared out all of the smoke that was in the canyon.

We also spent our 3 year wedding anniversary at the Lake on Wednesday July 16th. I can't beleive 3 years already! Caleb bought me a beautiful new leather bound Bible (mine was pretty old!) and he is getting his long awaited Tatoo in August that will count as my present to him.

Now we are back to the real world at work and in overcast Santa Maria weather. :-( Ah life in the central coast. Nothing is quiet like being out in the fresh mountain air, I miss it! There's always next year!

I'll post more pictures of vacation later.....keep checking back!