Steger

Pajamas on inside out Ice cube flushed away Spoon under my pillow White crayon expertly placed in the freezer Stacking coins as high as can be, upon the windowsill Enjoying a treat of ice cream oh so sweet Dancing, dancing dancing the night away Eyes to the sky, it's hazy in just a certain way The smell can only mean one thing Rituals of hope and expectation  Early in the morning the call rings in Go back to bed, I hear the voice say Today is a SNOW DAY!       

Sylvia Mendez was born on June 7,1936. She was at the core of the Mendez vs. Westminster civil rights case where it was ruled that children of Hispanic heritage could not be segregated and was deemed unconstitutional.  Sylvia's father was from Mexico and her mother was from Puerto Rico. When Sylvia was a young child her family moved to Orange County California and her parents tried to enroll her and her siblings into the Westminster elementary school. However, they were turned away and told they would have to attend the elementary school specifically for Mexican Americans. Her father attempted to follow protocol first approaching the principal and then the county school board, but was still not allowed to enroll his children at Westminster so he continued to take legal action against the school. They fought beside other families who also agreed their children should not be segregated and even stated it was detrimental to them because they were not able to learn English at the Mexic...

So much wrapped up in one embrace Time spent on assignments, struggles along the way.  Never giving up on you to see you get to today.  No tears falling from either face, we're too happy to finally have made it through.  You and I together son, that's what he had to do!  Thank you for all the trials, tribulations, celebrations and even the strife.  I'm so very proud of your accomplishments and to see what is ahead in life.  Never forget this moment, I hold it so dear Live life to the fullest, without any fear I'll continue with you down the path,  but walk alongside instead  of leading ahead. Embracing all that is yet to come with a twinkle in my eye as I look to the future and try not to cry.

Allow me to turn back the time about 20 years and tell you my love story of how my husband and I were married TWICE!  I met my now husband when I was fourteen years old! As all young childhood sweethearts tend to do, we thought we'd be together forever. Many of the adults and peers in our lives determined we were naive and essentially crazy to think this would happen, we were determined to prove them wrong! Fast forward seven years there we were still crazy in love, getting ready to be married, before my husband, Patrick shipped out for an Army assignment.  Due to the fact that he was shipping out and we wanted to be married before he left we decided to have a small intimate wedding with our pastor presiding. Our parents, siblings and one close friend were all that were in attendance. This ceremony was just to make it official.  I had already been planning a formal wedding, chosen a venue, ordered the invitations as well as found a photographer, picked out flowers and man...