So, I have been extremely delinquent lately on this blog, but I mean it when I say it has been really crazy. We had two out-of-town visitors this summer, Narissa and my mom along with cousin Aaron. Edwin went to Ecuador to provide pro bono healthcare services through Operation Rainbow, and I successfully completed a ten-week internship at the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco. Just a couple of weeks till I have to go back for interviews, and the kids go back to start school, but until then . . . we are officially on vacation! We are making the rounds around Texas starting Saturday evening, and I am spending some quality time with friends and family. I will post some pictures from our summer adventures here. You will see sweaters and jackets in some of them, but do not be deceived. They WERE taken during the summer.


Narissa and I, practically freezing in July, at the Golden Gate Bridge


The Carousel at Golden Gate Park


Antonio and Ev at the Fake Sea at Golden Gate Park


Narissa and Antonio sliding down the huge, cement slide


Here we are waiting for the shuttle at the famous Kite Festival in Berkeley.


"Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height . . ."





See you soon!

Edwin was out of town this weekend so we spent some time exploring the San Francisco Zoo. Here are some pictures from our adventure. Edwin got to see the U.S. Open in San Diego, so that was great and he came back in time for a relaxing Father's Day evening! Yes, it was cold enough for sweatshirts because of the fog. Gotta luv it!

The 1L year ended with a bang. A couple of days before my last exam, SLLSA (Stanford Latino Law Students Association) hosted a Cinco de Mayo festival. It made me feel right at home. The day of my final exam, property, was actually Cinco de Mayo, so afterward, I celebrated my birthday. I went to lunch with classmates, for drinks with Edwin, then dinner at a great Cuban restaurant with Edwin and the kids. That evening, Edwin and I got a babysitter and we had drinks with friends to tell everyone bye and ring in my second 30th birthday. Here's some pictures from the action-packed weekend.



Here's the Cinco de Mayo festival!



My SLLSA friends. (Many, fellow Texans)



Ballet Folklorico dancers. I didn't catch a picture of the random people who decided to join them, thank goodness.



Antonio hitting the pinata.



Evelyn, revved on lots of pinata candy.



Ahhh, the yummy Cuban restaurant.



And, the boys.

I am so happy the year is over. I have a few weeks of break before I start my summer job, so I am relaxing a little bit and trying to get back parts of my normal life.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

I travelled to Arizona with eight other Stanford Law students this spring break to visit the Arizona-Mexico border, visit with several groups in the state, and observe the court proceedings in Tucson. Nothing could have prepared me for the shocking experience. In Arizona alone, 52 bodies have been recovered in the desert this year. This does not represent the total number of deaths because the desert and its animals and its intense heat consumes bodies that will never be discovered. To see a detailed description of all the remnants/people found, see http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=34. People are crossing the Arizona border through the desert and also through the New Mexico desert. The desert is unforgiving but they seek a life better than their own, to support their families and they are willing to give their life for a way to better the situation for their family back home. Some are crossing to meet with family members who are here in the United States. We started our journey in Douglas, Arizona. Our guide, Ray Ibarra, a SLS alum and a local to the community and activist for the cause, led us through his backyard which opens to the border of Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Mexico. In the five minutes we were there, we were questioned by agents patrolling the area. Later that day, we crossed to visit a Migrant Center which focuses on giving accurate information to migrants about the perils of the journey, and also provides resources to those migrants who are deported backed to Mexico and "dumped" on the border with no clothes, food, water, money, or anything to really make it back to their homes. After our visit in Agua Prieta and Douglas, we went on to visit with the Tucson group, No More Deaths, and we participated in short training session on the organization, signed our release forms, then headed to camp in the desert where we planned to assist migrants by setting out water and food packs along the trails and to participate, if possible, in legal observation of border patrol taking migrants into custody. After setting up camp, in the evening before it got dark, we saw a group crossing in the distance and we yelled offering food and water but they kept on moving. The next day we visited a "dump site" where the coyotes (migrant leaders/guides) make the migrants drop all of their belongings before the final leg of the journey. The humanity of the items and the sacred remnants of a life tossed aside was emotionally draining. Draining even more, was the hike through the trails of the desert over rocky paths, that were perilous and hot. There were many times I almost twisted an ankle and two of our fellow classmates had to pull out cactus needles from their legs. We hiked in the broad daylight. The migrants, however, hike during the night and it is difficult to see. Any misstep or health condition or mere exhaustion or dehydration can cause one to be left behind by the migrant group facing capture, exposure to the unforgiving desert, or death. We also observed border patrol taking a group of migrants into custody. The migrants while in custody, usually a three to four day experience and even longer sometimes, get nothing to eat in custody other than water and some peanut butter crackers. When they appear in court to be processed, they appear in the clothes they wore for the crossing and when they were detained. When they are dumped back on the Mexican side of the border, they have nothing but the clothes on their back. You may think these migrants deserve their fate, by their choice and the risk they take, but I have not addressed the atrocities occurring against undocumented residents of this country that have established lives and communities in the United States. That subject brings me to our visit in the city of Phoenix. In Phoenix, Sherriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies along with fervent minutemen have escalated actions against undocumented residents of the city. The day labor center in Phoenix used to thrive with 100 or more day laborers and dozens of employers. Now it is barren and the only day laborers are the few brave men and women brave enough to stand up to the minutemen that protest the site every day. Local employers have been scared off. Additionally, the situation in Phoenix is affecting the education of children. 560 Students district-wide do not attend school out of fear of either being picked up themselves or fear that their parents will be pulled over or taken into custody while taking them to school. Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies regularly set up incident command centers, a draw for the media and local protesters, to round up folks they have pulled over for broken winshields and the like. Arpaio has been accused by the local community of racial profiling in his patrols and the local mayor does not support Arpaio's actions. From there, we journeyed on to Tucson, where we me with a group called Coalicion de Derechos Humanos. The trip ended with a late evening vigil for all those who have died, a visit to the day laborer center and a protest against Sheriff Arpaio in Phoenix. It was a very eye-opening spring break.

This ad is not for Hillary or Obama. It is not the national election, nor is it really even important to your daily life. I recently ran for a few board positions within Stanford Law School. I ran for Co-President of the Criminal Law Society and lost that election. Patricia and my statement was very entertaining and informative. It had a Law and Order theme to it. It was almost good enough to win us the election but not quite. Nevertheless, we are still on the executive board for next year and I am excited. Additionally, I ran for Mentoring Coordinator of the Women of Stanford Law School and won. Yay! I ran against two talented, bright girls, so I felt really honored by the win. I have lots of plans for these positions. These positions will give me an opportunity to interact, build relationships and build networks with my fellow classmates, upperclassmen and underclassmen. This is important, particularly since I am not carousing at the bars each week at bar review, or visiting friends for house parties on a weekly basis either. I can also put my lately much unused project management, leadership, and people skills to good use. I am pumped! I am trying to walk the thin line between fulfillment and overcommitment. I'll let you know how it works out.

So, the good news is that I have a summer job. The bad news is that I will not be in Texas over the summer. With the cost of the trip, the fact that I'm not getting paid, but just living off fellowship money, and our desire to stay together as a family over the summer, we have opted for the California job. I will be enjoying the 70-degree weather which has already kicked in, but of course, will be missing all of you. Like any difficult decision, it is bittersweet.

Antonio's school put on a musical play this year, "Living on a Rock!" Antonio was a rocking volcano. We all went to Michael's to score supplies for the costume and Edwin and Antonio did a great job crafting a pseudo-volcanic suit and an awesome electric guitar.

The first show was Thursday night and the second show was Friday night with a cast party to follow. By mid-show Friday night, the guitar was just short of broken, but that didn't stop Antonio from rocking out on it. We bought the video but had some technical difficulties posting it, so until you can see it in person, you'll have to make-do with the pics. Here's a few:











Last but not least, here are Antonio's groupies, Evelyn and I. We were very enthusiastic during the whole musical. I really gotta hand it to Evelyn on that one, since it was her second show.

I think Edwin was serving pizza at the cast party by this point.

Although the rumor circulating that grades would not be out until March or April, which seemed totally absurd, the truth was actually destined for the end of January. Alas, the Stanford Law School 1L's have their grades. As far as I know, no one has lept off any tall buildings or has left law school to go into the priesthood or anything, but there have been some controversies. Apparently, this year has been plagued with very low grades and unprecedented failing grades or close to failing in the classes. As for me, I would characterize my grades as "solid but not stellar" or in Texas-speak "fair to middlin'." When it all comes down to it, with the forced curve, mandatory mean, etc., I fall in the very slightly below par/average student. All things considered, given my age, killed brain cells, family responsibilities and the fact that I know I gave it my absolute best shot, 100% effort, I am okay with where I stand.

I did best in the classes I enjoyed, not necessarily the ones I prepared for more. Such is life.

The best news is that I survived it and did fairly well, and when I say fairly well I mean more of the fairly and less of the well. ;)

Thanks for all the support and well wishes.

Andrea


I don't know, you be the judge. Do I look more at peace in the first semester or the second?


First Semester


Second Semester

Maybe just slightly older and more weathered in the second. :))