WTC Tallest Building in New York

Yes! EarthCam released a time lapse video showing construction of the World Trade Center from 2004-2012.




via...andrew sullivan

a look back.....January

I have missed posting so many family happenings in the last few months. It's time for me to catch up. First up our visit to see Danielle and Tom in their new home in Santa Barbara. They are loving it there after being in Washington DC for several years. They are both California kids and after dealing with a few "snowcations" they are so are glad to be back home. We couldn't wait to visit them in their new place. Some highlights from our trip.

Our first stop was in Ventura at the Seward Village. They have the most delicious fish tacos.

We were lucky to find a great deal on a VRBO for 110 dollars a night. We had a deck off our room overlooking the ocean with this gorgeous view!

After checking in we went over to see Danielle and Tom's place. They are just a couple of blocks from the beach and have a cozy little home with wood floors and lots of charm.

Love these pics of them on the mantle of their house.

After touring their home they took us to a Mexican restaurant close to their home.

The next day they took us on a tour of the local wineries and vineyards.

Wine tasting, beautiful scenery, Chocolate Merlot sauce dipped in sweets made for a perfect day!

After all the decadence of the day, they took us to eat at Jane's, a favorite place of theirs in town.

The next morning we ate at Crush Cafe a favorite breakfast spot in Santa Barbara.

We grabbed a few delicious cupcakes for the trip home and were so happy knowing we could come back for a visit anytime now that they are only a few hours away!

Girls and Noah

Brittany told me the funniest story about Noah when I was talking to her tonight. They were at the park and Noah saw two little girls about 6 years old {he will be 4 in June} He walked over and started talking to them. When he was done he walked back to Brittany and said "Mom those girls are so cute!! Then he told her "That was so awesome"  Brittany said she couldn't stop laughing. It is so interesting when you have children. You always imagine them in a certain way. Then you see they have their own little personalities that might be completely different from you. It is so exciting getting to know who they are and watch them grow up!

Emeri 8 & 9 month photos

A few weeks before Valentines Day Emeri turned 8 months old ♥

Then came her 9 month photo a few weeks before St. Patricks Day. Time is whipping by 

and she is up for her 10 month photo already!    

why was this a crime?

There is a heartbreaking article in the Washington Post by Gene Weingarten on a child that was accidentally left in a hot car and died. This and other horrible accidents happen with children every year and he reminds us that it could have been us. When this story came out there was a lot of ugliness by people saying things like the mother should be locked up and forgotten or she doesn't deserve to live. I so agree with his explanation below of people's hate-filled and judgmental comments.

 "If the ugliness seems puzzling to you, it doesn't to psychologists who have examined this phenomenon. It’s a form of denial, they say: Deep down, people understand that all lives are fragile, that we are all capable of momentary mistakes or misjudgments that could destroy us. We don’t want to face this terrifying fact. So we must convince ourselves that the people to whom it happens are unlike us. To sustain our delusion of safety, we must make them monsters."

show hope

This is such a moving video! It is the story of Issac who has Spina Bifida and the wonderful couple that adopted him.  Show Hope is a charity that cares for orphans and provides adoption aid.

via: flythroughourwindow

charities

Girls celebrating their new nets which will ensure the single most effective way to 

prevent malaria is available to them.

The last few days there has been a huge firestorm over the Kony 2012 campaign about children in Uganda {you can read about it here}. A huge learning curve to understand all the issues. The positive part is, this whole controversy led me to do some searching and I found one of the top rated charities that will save the lives of a lot more African children with our donations. Humanitarians all agree that the most effective way to save lives in Africa is by stopping Malaria. Last year alone it caused 665,000 deaths, mostly African children. Against Malaria Foundation gives 100% of your money to buy the Malaria Nets that have been proven over and over again to save lives. Also to find out about other charities you are interested in it was recommended that you check the site Give Well. It does a rigorous review process to determine the most effective ones. Ironically this is all happening while my daughter Danielle is traveling to guess where.....Uganda! She started her trips to Africa as an exchange student when she was 19 and did her graduate work in African studies also. She works with governments in using financial aid effectively to improve the lives of their people. Can't wait to get her opinion on all this when she gets home. Lastly, but most important I wanted to listen to the what the African people have to say about all this. I learned the most from reading their thoughts on this controversy. The idea they keep coming back too is community based organizations are the most effective so the people have a say in improving their own lives.

source: here

photo: here