The Meerbergen holidays!

I have a lot more pictures but I wanted to get something up since I haven't blogged in a long time! We have wonderful holidays with the kids!

Thanksgiving was just the 5 of us. Lindsay's boyfriend,Justin, joined us from Nashville. All the kids cooked a dish and we had a very relaxing and nice Thanksgiving!

Christmas, we had to wait to get the kids so we celebrated on Christmas with Tamara and her boyfriend,Mo. Then the kids came up on Saturday night and we had our own Christmas morning on Sunday! Alicia and John came to visit us on Sunday,too!

We didn't have much but we are extremely blessed for having such a great kids and each other!

New Years Eve was spent in Old Sacramento with 3 teenagers!

Megan, Lindsay's friend, came and spent the weekend and New Year's Eve with us!

Lots of people, great fireworks, lots of laughing!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Jury duty

I was called to jury duty in March. I got picked to be on a jury. I spent 6 weeks in the halls of the Superior Court of Sacramento. Now, I mean in the halls!!!

Let me explain...

I was picked to be on jury for this trial then we found out that there were 2 defendants and there would be 2 juries. So we had to wait another week before we even started the trial. Then we started the trial and we spent more time in the hall then actually in session. They had more motions, side bars,delays,change of court attendants and changing of jury's because there were aspects of the case that we couldn't hear about the other defendant.

It was 3 weeks before we actually sat in session and heard from witness' and experts. I now understand way our court cases are so backed up!

I have to say that I am glad I got to experience the process. I was never bored even when the computer expert was on the stand explaining how people post on craigslist and how the computer records everything and you really can't delete anything.

The case was for the pimping and pandering of a minor,sex with a minor, and child pornography. Needless to say, I saw pictures of things I never wanted to see. Our defendant was a 29 year old man, the other defendant was a woman. They had 3 charges together then each had separate charges that only pertained to them.

We convicted on 3 of his charges,pimping,pandering and child pornography. We were hung on the sex with a minor, 11 to 1. The 1, was a man who did not like the fact that the only evidence they had on the sex charge was her word. There wasn't any corroborating evidence to it but he just was not willing to put all the evidence from every thing else and come to the conclusion that it happened. So we mistrial ed on that 1 charge. He is going to prison anyway.

Justice was served in this case because they was no question to the guilt of either of the defendants. They lived off of a 15 year girl who turned tricks to put money in their pockets.

Disgusting!

I was proud to do my jury duty intelligently and without prejudice. I weighed all of the evidence and came to the proper conclusion.

I don't have to do it again for 2 years!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

This day has such a different meaning for me than it used to.

It was always the day I thanked my mother for

putting up with me and teaching me

all the things I needed to know to become the person I am today.

I still thank her for every thing she taught me even though we lost her a few years ago.

I miss her more and more now that I have become a step-mom. I wish there were times when I could call her and ask her what to do.

She really was my guiding light. She taught how to be kind and think of people before I thought of myself. She taught how to stand up for myself,which she did very well, if I say so myself! lol!

I miss you Mom with all my heart!

This is my second Mother's Day as a step-mom and if anyone had told me that I would love these kids as if they were mine own, I don't think I would have believed them!

I have such incredible, intelligent, vivacious, funny,

wonderful step kids!

They all have such different personalities! They have opinions and say what they feel and Mark and I encourage it. We listen and I actually think they listen to what we say.

Well, okay at least once in awhile!

I am so lucky! I love you all!

If they love me half as much as I do them, I am the luckiest step-mom in the world!

I have to give a shout out to my sisters who are all

great mothers!

I have to thank them for letting me practice on their kids so I was, sort of, prepared to take on teenagers right away! I love being the favorite aunt to all their kids!

They are 3 incredible women and I love you all! You have done wonderful jobs with all your kids!

I also want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my friends who I think are incredible women! Some of them have children, Danielle,Shauna,Sherry H,Cindy,

some of them are dog moms,Sherry P.,Tammy,Trish,Conna & Mary.

I love you all!

I wish Happy Mother's Day to all my nieces who are wonderful

mothers in their own right!

You,too, Brooke! You will be great!

Happy Mother's Day to you, Michelle! (Mark's sister) I know

you are an awesome mother and an awesome sister-in-law to me!

Thanks for letting me vent on you! Love you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aparagus Festival in Stockton

We had so much fun! We love going to the festival! There is always thousands of people there and the weather was beautiful and the streets full of fun!

We went last year for the first time. I had seen it on T.V. for several years and had always wanted to go. I finally got my chance. I talked the kids into, what we call, "out the the box weekend". This is when the kids and me and Mark have to try new things with out griping about trying it. There can be no eye rolls or faces pulled. We have to at least try something once.

We went, we ate asparagus and the kids loved it!

We had deep fried asparagus, we had tri-tip asparagus sandwiches, we had frozen fruit on a stick, etc. etc.etc.

This year was no different! We had a great time! Weather was perfect! And... we had some wonderful friends meet us there. John and Sue McBrayer (see pics) came and hung out with us!

We went to the sea lion encounter, we ate asparagus,we watched Tyson the skate boarding dog,we ate asparagus, we watch the Sky dogs, we ate asparagus, we check out all the incredible artists and crafters

and

WE ATE ASPARAGUS!

We can't wait until next year!!

Next up...the Garlic festival in Gilroy! Get the breathe mints!

EASTER WEEKEND WITH THE KIDS!

YOU GOTTA LOVE THEM! I THINK!

" I am a dog lover"

Those of you who know me are well aware of this fact. Now, to clarify, I do not looovve my dogs!

I AM NOT one of those weird dog lover's who dress their dog, carry their dog in a purse or wear their dog as an accessory! LOL!

I love my dog because there is unconditional love! No expectations! They just want to be loved.

All's they need is food, water and love! (kinda like a man,lol!) And they are happy!

So now I am going to gush a little about my lovable "puppies"!

This is my son, Moqui!

My baby boy! He has been through soooo much with me and love's me anyway. Has never judged when I was stupid, has always loved me when I was stupid, has always followed me no matter where I even when I was being stupid!

I got him from a Golden retriever rescue in Paradise, Utah in 2002. I took my neice, Alexis, and my mother with me to check out a couple of dogs. The ones I was looking weren't there any more so she brought out Moqui instead. I think it took me all of 10 seconds to know he belonged to me.

It was probably the fastest adoption they had ever had.

On the way home, he immediately sat on Alexis in the car. That's how we found out he was a 100 lbs. lap dog!

He is 8 years old now and looking a little bit his age. He is a little neurotic and "NO" he is not on Prozac like my bro-in-law, Poncho, loves to say!lol!

I call him my son because I have never had one of my own!

Duke, my step dog!

I married into this one, he is half great dane, half labrador. Beautiful dog, so loving and full of life! He is big! He keeps us on our toes! He is a great watch dog!

Big enough to scare the neighbors we want scared! Hee! Hee!

Tamara, my oldest step-daughter found him in a rescue in Chico and called Mark, Lindsay and Nick and said "I found you a puppy!" Backstory....Mark loves Great danes... so Tam thought Duke was a perfect choice, not as big as a great dane but he needed a home

and the kids wanted a dog. Perfect match!

Okay now you are going to think we are really crazy!!!

This is Brutus!

Yes, we got a full size Great Dane! I know, I know! You think we are nuts, and maybe we are but look at that face! Ya gotta luv it!

He too, is a rescue dog. We get e-mails from the Great dane rescue of Northern California and he popped up one day. His is 4 years old, fully house trained, VERY gentle, listens better than both Moqui and Duke. He was a special case because he had been given up in southern California by a family with littles kids who tortured him. Also, they found out he had cancer. He had a lump removed from his throat.

He is cancer free right now. They were willing to adopt him out with out any adoption fee because of the possibility of future medical costs, so it made it hard to say no to him. He was free...Mark really wanted him...the rest is history!

My mom would have loved this!!

"Blogging"

"a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer "

So what do I blog about? I have been trying to rack my brain trying to decide what to talk about. I have a thousand different things to say but are they appropriate to talk about in an open forum. I have followed Lindsey, my neice's blog, for a long time and have always wanted to feel the way she does blogging. Having the passion she has about her thoughts and feelings. She is so intelligent and accomplished and I admire her immensely. Luv you, girlie!

I guess I should first talk about how my life has changed just in the last 2 years.

There it is!

That was the day my life really changed! September 15,2007!

I got married again! I gained 4 kids and another dog on that day! I really can't believe the change in my heart that has occurred!

I had been divorced for 15 years and pretty much had decided I was not going to get married again. I had dated but never felt that any of them were, for a lack of a better term, good enough for me. I had become very set in my ways and didn't feel the need to change for someone just to get married. I was prepared to go on that way and take care of myself. I have a great but challenging (sometimes) family but I knew I would never be alone.

Then Mark....

I had known him since I started working for Poncho, my bro-in-law at the car dealership, about 6 years ago. We had our moments, he has more opinions than me, if that is possible!

NO COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY! LOL!

Then one day on January 16, 2007, my mom's birthday, I was having a really bad day. I was missing my mom terribly that day, she had just passed away in November. He saw me crying and ask what was up. I told him and he said "well, let's go out for dinner and celebrate your mom's birthday" I was kinda shocked because he never had asked me out before. I said yes and he was great! The rest is basically history! There are a few more details! I will share later!