Someone is getting fat...

(I mean the baby.)

Pirates of the...

As a home activy we all went to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Ricardo and his wife ( AM's) also came along. The theater was packed, the movie was alright, Nathan really liked it. I confess for me the best part was this:

Simply hot!

Favorites

The other night I could’t sleep, I laid in bed somehow not being able to shut the world off. I thought to myself, I might as well redeem the time so I grabbed my Bible and started reading my favorite Psalms and when I read all those I started reading my favorite chapters. One in particular always moves me when I read it; John 17. It’s a prayer, a prayer in which Jesus intercedes for his disciples and the monumental task that he was leaving them, He not only prays for his disciples but also for those who would be saved because of them, in other words, us. I think is so sweet Jesus would pray for us.

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name… I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one…I in them, and thou in me…and that the world may know that thou hast loved them , as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am…that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them”.

Felicidades Ana

(Angela and Ana in green.)

Ana is one of my little baby sisters. She’s funny, bubbly and spontaneous. She’s sweet and caring and has a heart bigger than it fits in her chest.

Te quiero un montón nena, espero que tengas un año maravilloso lleno de todas las cosas hermosas que te mereces.

Te deseo que cada día que pase sea un paso más en la dirección en la que Él te guíe, que cuando los vientos de la adversidad soplen con fuerza te aferres de la mano de Aquél que nunca soltó la tuya y que así, poco a poco vayas tejiendo con fibras incorrompibles, que aunque no sean palpables no son por ello menos visibles, una vida llena a rebosar del amor inagotable, abundante y eterno del Señor. Te quiero hermanita, un abrazote.

My little bookworms.

The truth is my children love reading stories and looking at books even if they can't read them yet.I wonder if things like reading or traits like that are hereditary or if kids just do it because they see the parents do it so much and they are conditioned by their environment to have a sort of conduct. Just like people that sing, often their kids turn out very talented in that same area, the same goes for artist or actors. Maybe because they've been exposed to it all their lives they grow up liking it, or is it just really in the genes?

I thought my husband read a lot until his dad, my father in law, moved in with us, and I was really surprised that he really, really read a lot. I use to read more and it's still one of the for me, relaxing things I enjoy doing, though I don't really have the time now.

As a teacher the love of reading is one of the best principles I can install on children.
I much rather my kids reading than watching television, the latest doesn't require any effort by your brain and the first definitely stimulates your senses.

As a last thought, balance in quantity and quality is always what makes the difference.

Why?

Benji has oficially started his why stage. If I tell him to do something or I ask for his help and he turns around, looks at me with his big brown eyes, and asks me why?.
His talking is a lot more clear and thankfully I'm no longer the only one that can understand when he talks, poor baby, he would often get frustrated because no one could make out what he was saying. It was a bit of a guessing game. He really wants to talk more but still has some difficulty pronouncing some of the phonics. But progress is progress and I'm sure happy he's making it. As a parent and teacher you realize all your kids are different, they all will eventually learn to talk and learn to ask when they need to use the bathroom, and they all will eventually learn to read, but at their own pace, preasure doesn't help a bit when it comes down to learning to things. You can't compare one of your child's progress with another, just like the Lord doesn't compare your progress against the progress of another one of His Children. Thankfully He takes us where we are at and slowly and patiently shows us the road, much like a parent with his kids.

Sunday.

Jorge and Leti, good friends, invited us for a comida in honor of one of their son's firt communion. So we went to their family's rancho and had some delicious barbacoa and good company while we sat around and talked this girl took care of Ayleen all afternoon for me, she got a bit spoiled and today she wanted me to carry her around all day. One of their in laws is a pilot...he had some awesome stories to tell.

And since we took a picture of just us, rare thing, I decided to post it.

Friends Jorge. Leti and family.

Nate and his compadre.

The boys playing soccer, Alex was a bit scared at the velocity of the ball. Hah!

My dear husband entertaining the girls.

Alex and me.
This tree house was a hit, they went up and down, played in the dirt, jumped...and fell asleep on the floor of the van on the way home. A succesful day I should say.

Look ma, I'm strong.

Isn't she the cutest?.

Alex.

My son Alex is growing so much, I can't believe that in a couple months he's going to be four years old. He's doing really well in school; he's done amazing progress reading in spanish and in learning his numbers. Thanks Angelina for the faithful consisting care you've poured into him.

Alex is going through a new stage in his life, where reality and fantasy are mixing together. He wakes up from nap or in the mornings and he tells me stories of what happened to him, obviously in his dreams. I'm not very sure if he can tell the difference between something that really happened and something that he dreamed about. For instance after my rest day he told me how they had gone to this particular park and very detailed things of what happenend there, I was a little surprised because they don't usually go to that park and decided to double check it after so later on I asked the person that had been with him that afternoon about it, and such thing had never happen. It worries me a little specially because it can quickly become a habit of not saying the truth or lying.
I hope it's a stage he outgrows fast.
I've been questioning the things he tells me lately.
During dinner I had specifically given him instructions to first eat his food and then have the cut up whatermelon that was next to his plate. Next time I looked at his plate I noticed there was at least one piece of the fruit missing. I asked him about it, hopping to not have to discipline him for saying an outright lie. He was very sure and strong on the point that he didn't eat it. So I thought to myself maybe someone else ate it. I asked him once more if he had eaten it. His reply was: "No, mom, I didn't eat it, my teeth did".

pictures

And here are some pics of friends old and new.













Here are some pics of the kids and different activities we did with them.

Carla, she's the cutest, I knew her from last year's retreat, she followed me everywhere and spend most of the time with the baby.

This was a simple but cute project. Picture frames.

Coloring and ilustrating their verses.



We took this book with different designs of paper airplanes. The boys loved it. I organized a little competition of which one was the fastest airplane. The boy with the orange shirt won.



This is the classes and inspirations took place.

The Retreat.

I got back today from the National Retreat, it was hosted in Uruapan, Mich. A bit over a hundred people attended. It was not the usuall retreat, the classed were about deeper topics and were very annointed. A lot of Active Members gave their testimonies and shared what the Lord has done and is doing in their lives. I was very happy to be able to go, even though I helped with the kids most of the time, during class time, that was fun too. Ayleen was entertainment number one with the little kids they all wanted to carry her and push the stroller. She loved all the attention and behaved real well the whole time. There was also a wedding, Perla and Danny got married, so sweeeeeet!!..dressing up for the occasion was fun...dancing after was even funner. Lots of personal witnessing. Also got to see old friends, which was great, and made some new friends including a certain individual that never talked to me in the past because according to him I looked "stuck up"...really folks I m nice. Pictures coming up tomorrow.

Gabe

Congratulations to a person that’s…

outstanding

considerate

amazing

bright

funny

charming

kind

fascinating

authentic

pleasant

ingenious

innovative

Trustworthy

handsome

happy

fantastic

friendly

superb

sexy

extraordinary

creative

thoughtful

wonderful

smart

spontaneous

sweet

interesting

nice

generous

…. And that’s 29 good reasons to whish you a Happy 29^th Birthday

…. You are a lot more then that but it’s getting long!

I hope you have and awesome birthday. I’m blessed to know such a great friend like you, I can hardly describe the amount of happiness that I whish you for this new coming year. I know the Lord has many specials things reserved for you. We love you!.

Very Naked.

Participants in fetal position.
Around the people are the clothes.

I don't usually get into news so much, but I thought this was original, interesting and unique.

Zocalo, Mexico City.
On the morning on the 6th, Sunday, 18000 people got naked to have their picture taken by famous New Your artist Spencer Tunick, beating all previous record on the amount of people that joined in on the event.

Among the cities that have participated in Tunick's instalations are:
# Mexico City - 18000(2007)
# Barcelona, Spain - 7000 (2003)
# Sao Paulo, Brasil - 4000
# Cleveland, United States - 2700 (2004)
# Brujas, Bélgium - 2000 (2005)
# Buffalo, New York - 1800 (2004)
# Newcastle, United Kingdom - 1700(2005)
# Caracas, Venezuela - 1500 (2006)
# San Sebastián, Spain - 1200 (2006)
# United Nations- 30 (1994)

One of the homes AM participated, he said that aside from being really cold (it was 6 am) it was awesome!!.

I'm two months old.

Baby is two months old, she's a darling little thing. All smiles and a little bit of spit up.

She's quite happy most of the time and recently discovered she only gets atention and food when she cries loud. She's a fast learner, ha!
Here are some pictures, I'm thinking of posting some baby pictures every month... she's changing so much.

Resolutions

I think this week I've only posted once, if even. It usually is because you don't have any thing to say or share with the world. I think everyone has something to share, I just haven't said much because I've been busy, quite busy. By the time I'm free, it's usually late and all I want to do is go to bed.
Life, these past couple of weeks, has been filled with meetings, school, babies and kids.
I have, however, made a few resolutions that I hope I can turn around and make habits of, and not just nice thoughts of things I would like to do or would be nice if they worked out sometime in the abstract future. I know they are just going to make me more busy, but then again, I like being busy.
My first resolution is going to sound a little wrong , since it's something I should have been doing but haven't, which is to work out. I use to work out , really I did, a long time ago.. well... before I started having kids. I was very faithful to do it everyday, but in the last few years it was what usually went out the window first, it become the ''if I have time" thing and slowly but surely it wasn't happening... in the beginning with a little nagging thought of how I should be exercising and later with no guilt thought at all... I know it sounds bad ...but that's how it went.

I 've been doing exercise for two weeks now, and this is even sadder, the first week I wasn't able to do a full sit up..and, believe me, I tried.. I could only get up half way, a crunch, I concluded I had no lower stomach muscles left, last week I was able to do 3 full sit ups, yay!!... I know, pathetic progress but progress none the less.

My second resolution is to learn how to drive, I really, really want to learn how to drive, there's something wrong about having two cars in the garage and having to go places by taxi or bus.

My third resolution is to educate myself in using Photoshop... I don't think is that complicated but it does take time, time is usually my enemy when it comes to doing new things, just because I don't know where to fit it in.
I'll stop talking about my self now.. since my hubby is begging me to use the computer. Till next time.

It's the little things...

...that make life so wonderful.

I will always admire someone that can draw a portrait on the street in such a short time and still capture the essence of a person.



Feeling vain ... and a little foolish!.


Nate, shoes and PDA.


Ayleen and I.


Ayleen, 7 weeks old.


Hot chocolate and PDA.


Simple pleasures of life.