Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

I have been planning Mauricio's Fathers Day for some time now.  You see, since Father's Day always lands on Marco's birthday weekend, Mauricio always gets the short end of the stick.  But NOT this year.  This year, I had done a little pre-planning and was able to ensure that his Father's Day projects were completed and "out of the way" before I began planning Marco's big day.  I want them both to have the best days ever.

So, I decided to make Mauricio a special book called "Love Letters for Papai".  On each page is a picture of him with the boys and a letter... A,B,C, etc.  I think the finished result came out beautiful.  I used Shutterfly and it was so easy to put together and really inexpensive too.  The quality of the book is top notch!  Here's the finished result.

Then we also created customized cards, so the boys could each show dad just how much they love him!

 One card of each of their hands

Marco's hands when opened say, "I Love You"...

and then Jonas' when opened says, "This Much".  
(thank you Pinterest)


And lastly, I interviewed Marco, asking him questions about his Daddy.  His answers were... interesting.  This was the 10th take, more or less, so I was getting a bit frustrated with it.  That's what happens when you've got a (almost) 3 year old with a short attention span.  Enjoy!

Mauricio loved all of his Father's day presents... he was thouroughly surprised and touched.  It made my day just to see how happy he was with it all!  He said that I'll have a hard time topping this one! I'm sure I'll think of something...

I hope all of you had a stellar Father's Day as well! 

Happy {valentines} Mail

Ever since seeing THIS BLOG via Pinterest, I've been dying to send my own "Happy Mail".  I decided that Valentines day would be the perfect unexpected holiday to surprise my friends's daughters with a little love.

This was so fun and inexpensive and I think it really brought a smile to their faces!  Who doesn't love receiving mail?  But add to it a bottle FILLED with fun goodies... now that's awesome!

And, not many people know you can just put stamps on an empty water bottle and toss it in the mail... I know I didn't until reading the Giverslog.  So fun.  Imagine opening your mailbox and finding "happy mail"... ahhh, so exciting!

Here's what I bought.  All from Target dollar bins.
~ Pencils
~ Heart erasers
~ Jelly stickers
~ foamy word stickers (love, hugs, kiss)
~ glittery heart stickers
~ those bracelets that are shaped like things (I forget the name).
~ poms

Then I shoved it all into a water bottle, slapped a cute label on it and *voila*.  We have "happy mail".

I weighed them and they came in at just about 3oz... according to USPS, that's 5 stamps.

All in all, I spent under $10 to make both these gifts and hopefully I made two little ladies very happy on Valentines day.

Did you notice that these gifts are actually from Marco and Jonas?  My little casanovas.  I had nothing to do with it... really.

An Unlikely Superhero

God made a promise to His people that he was going to send them a messiah... someone to save them... a savior... a superhero. 

I'm pretty sure that people back then were thinking more along the lines of this:

The perfect picture of strength, boldness, fearlessness and grit.  He wins in the end. 

Nowadays, we picture saviors and superheros like this:

Untouchable and smokin' hot.  Batman does not lose.

But that's not what God had in mind when He envisioned a Savior for us.  Instead, He sent us this:

A little baby.  Born to a teenage mother.  

A baby was sent to save the world.  

A baby... the perfect picture of innocence, purity and goodness.  

How can a baby do anything?  Much less, save the entire world!  

A baby is the most unlikely superhero the world has ever known!

But isn't that something about the way God works.  He chooses something small and weak to make a big statement about who He is.  If God can make a BABY save us, what CAN'T He do?!  

Unlike a gladiator or Batman, that baby did lose the battle, in the eyes of this world.  

He lost his life so that we might live.  He gave it all for us.  This bloodied man is the perfect picture of sacrifice and love.  He lost, so that we can win.  

Today, make it a point to remember that a little baby was born into the world with only one purpose: 

To die. For you. 

 

It's On the Menu

In the Cuban/Hispanic culture, the "big day" of celebration is today... Noche Buena (or "good night").  It's tradition to have an entire pig roasting for the entire day in what is called La Caja China, (or the Chinese Box)... don't ask me why.

Accompanying the pork, is rice and beans and yuca.  It's goooood... It's our comfort food.  This year, my father is hosting Noche Buena at his house and taking care of all the deliciousness that comes along with it.

Tomorrow, on Christmas Day, my MIL, SIL and I are hosting a Christmas Brunch.  And here's what's on the menu.  (All pics courtesy of Pinterest since we haven't actually cooked anything yet).

Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Casserole 

Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Zucchini Quiche Cups

Waldorf Salad

Baked Ham

Croissants

Biscuits

Flan

Are you drooling yet?!  I totally am!

What traditional yummy foods do YOU serve up each holiday season?!

Thirty Things I'm Thankful For

Thirty?  Why thirty?  Mostly because of the rad alliteration in my title (yes, I'm a nerd), but also because there are 30 days in November.  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I'm thankful for:
1.   My beautiful complete family
2.   Gaining 15 pounds and still being a smokin' hott mama of two
3.   Starbucks Caramel Fraps
4.   My generous in-laws that have allowed us to live in their home rent free
5.   A united family, despite divorce
6.   Rheumatoid Arthritis medication that actually works
7.   Jonas' kind and loving spirit
8.   A warm winter... no snow here, suckas!
9.   Our sleep number bed
10.  My generous and supportive dad
11.  Netflix instant play
12.  Marco's fun-loving and crazy spirit
13.  A great church
14.  My best friend Adele, who lifts me up and holds me accountable
15.  Health insurance
16.  My bloggy friends
17.  Living closer to family
18.  My sexy man that's by my side no matter what
19.  MOPS
20.  My best friend Jen, who knows all my ups and downs and deep dark secrets
21.  Disposable diapers
22.  My amazing mom that gave me her car
23.  Good books
24.  Hot running water
25.  Healthy children
26.  Free cookies at Publix
27.  My best friend Carol, who let's me "mommy vent" and gets it
28.  Mauricio's new job
29.  Delicious Thanksgiving dinner
30.  Jesus' sacrifice for me

Conflicted and Convicted

Halloween.
Christmas.
Easter.

These three holidays pose such difficult quandaries for myself and my household.

With Easter- should we participate in the Easter Bunny?  How about Easter baskets?  Ok, how about just egg hunts?

With Christmas- Santa or no?  How many gifts, if any?  Should we have a tree?

And with Halloween- should we participate?  Dress up?  Trick or Treating or parties?

This is a big dilema.  A big one.

I'll tell you how I feel first of all.  This is where I'm conflicted.  On the one hand, I am a Christian.  I love Jesus.  I want to be pleasing to Him.  I know that these "traditions" are pagan ones and take AWAY from the message of Jesus.  On the other hand, I don't want my kids to be "those weird kids that don't celebrate holidays".  Because we DO celebrate holidays.  We just may not partake in every aspect of that holiday.  And, I want my kids to have fun and make sweet memories.

Here's the problem with what other people see about Christianity... that it strips away all the "fun".  Now, that's not true.  And, just because this is what WE are conflicted and convicted about doesn't mean that I judge YOU for not feeling the same way.  I do not think I am a better Christian or that I love Jesus more than you do.  This has just been laid on my heart and mind and what we have decided is right for our family.

As a child, my parents allowed me to participate in Halloween.  Every year I wore a costume and went Trick or Treating around my neighborhood.  The only restriction on Halloween was that I was not allowed to dress as anything scary or evil.  Basically my parents felt that they were on the safe side of the fence that way.

The way I feel about that "rule" is that it's pretty much getting as close to the fence as I possibly can without actually being on the other side.  And, shouldn't we as Christians not see how close we can get, but rather how FAR we can get from that proverbial "fence"?  That would be more pleasing to God.

Maybe God doesn't care about things like this... maybe He doesn't mind that we dress our babies as pumpkins.  But maybe He does.  And maybe by becoming callous to the TRUE underlying meaning and purpose of Halloween, we're allowing ourselves to become calloused about other things.  If that's ok, then other things should be too.  It becomes easier to put an excuse on it or turn your eyes away.

In Mauricio's household, they did not participate in Halloween at all.  My mother-in-law would hold the kids back from school that day so they weren't seen as the outsiders and she would buy mountains of candy for them to enjoy without having to go door to door.  She would also take them to Fall Festivals to enjoy pumpkin patches and pony rides.  When I asked her about this, her response was so simple, it floored me.  I asked her how the kids felt about being left out and her answer was, "They knew we were Christians".  I was convicted.

I believe that it's easy to do what everyone else is doing.  It's easy to fall into step with the crowd.  It's easy to say "it's all in fun".  But being a Christian means you don't always do the easy thing.

In Romans 12:2 it reads: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect".

By participating in Halloween, I am conforming to the world.  If I participated even though my GUT is telling me not to, I'd be conforming.  I believe that God has transformed my mind and I am able to discern what is good and acceptable and right and perfect and true.  Of course I think my kids would be stinkin' adorable all dressed up.  I've been dying to paint a moustache on Marco!  But the bottom line is I should be more concerned with what HE thinks than what my friends think, or how cute it'll be or if they'll have fun.

I know this is the right choice for my family.  I also know that it comes at a price.  And I know that although it's easy to veto Halloween now, it wont be so easy when the kids are older and aware of what all their friends are doing.  I know.  But it has been decided.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  In all of our decisions.  Even the not-so-fun ones.

So now you're thinking I've gotta be all or nothing.  If I'm saying "no" to Halloween, I've gotta say "no" to Christmas and Easter too... and you'd be correct, but that's a topic for another day.

Party Animal

As promised, here's a post about my brothers wedding with far more pictures than I'm sure you care to see.

On December 30, my little brother, Migue got hitched!  He has been with his (then) girlfriend for over 3 years... and I take all the credit.  If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have even noticed one another.

It all started at Bernardo and Victoria's wedding, in early 2007.  I asked Alaina what was up with the guys in her life and she gave me a typical answer, "Guys are retarded".  To which I replied, "Not all, have you seen my brother lately?"  Migue and Alaina had known each other as children at our church, but it had been years since they'd seen one another because our then church split and our families went their separate ways.  So I re-introduced them.  Later, on our way to the reception, I asked Migue what he thought of her. He said, "She's cute and nice, but really young right?"  He thought she was still in high school!  I corrected his mistake and told him he had BETTER talk to her at the reception.  I warned him that if he didn't talk to her, I was going to tell his MOTHER!  This got his butt in gear, and he spent most of the reception trying to find out more about her.  The rest... it's history.  But as you can clearly see, it's all because of me! hah!

 Marco was invited to "walk" the wedding, where he and this cutie little girl were supposed to ride down the aisle in a beautiful wagon.  Unfortunately, there were several melt downs prior to the wedding so they 86'ed the wagon and had the babies carried down instead.  Marco is usually a very confidant kid who rarely cries, but when he sees other children crying, he thinks there must be a reason to be scared, and then he cries as well.  It's a snowball effect.


The ceremony was long because it was translated from English to Spanish.  And once again, how do we keep our toddler entertained, quiet and seated for an hour and a half?  FOOD!  Marco stuffed his face with cookies throughout the ENTIRE ceremony.  He even shared with his cousins, Sophia and Kevin.  Moms of toddlers, always be prepared with snacks... for your child and everyone else's as well.

I was supposed to sing at the wedding, and was so upset that I was unable to.  Because I had pneumonia and had not been treated yet, I could not breathe.  I tried singing, but simply could not catch my breath.  It was a little ridiculous.  "Our God (breath) is an awesome (breath) God (breath) He reigns (breath)"...you get the picture.

The reception was absolutely beautiful.  The decorations were gorgeous, the speeches were lovely and the dances made me cry.  Everything had been calm and serene, until the music started.  Marco. Went. Nuts.

What can I say, I guess I just have a little party animal on my hands. (He gets that from MY side of the family... for sure). As soon as the music began to play, he started bouncing in his high chair and wanting down.  He practically jumped out of the chair in order to get on the dance floor.  He doesn't mess around.

At first he was dancing with Papai.  But that didn't last.  Marco wanted freedom, he wanted to fly solo, he wanted to be a star!

 So we let him go.  And he went.  He was dancing in the middle of the crowd.  Not at all worried about anyone trampling him... in fact, they'd better watch out for him!

 His dance reminded me of Flash Dance, "He's a maniac, maaaaniac on the floor... and he's dancing like he's never danced before".
He would move his feet really fast and then when the beat would shift, he'd pick up one foot and slowly plant it down.

My boy's got moves! 

He was absolutely fascinated by the disco lights and spent a good portion of his dancing chasing them and trying to step on them.  At one point, he tried to catch the lights reflecting off of the brides dress.  He fell on her dress and had an interesting time getting back up.  She didn't even notice!

Even Jonas got to dance with his Abo Cesar!

Overall, the wedding was a hit!  Everything was beautiful and everyone had so much fun.  But I don't think anyone had more fun than my party animal, Marco!

Christmas in Miami

This should have been posted weeks ago, but I'm a bit behind gathering the pictures.  I'm a super unorganized mom, and forgot to take my camera on vacation ::hits forehead::, so I had to rely on other people giving me pictures, which took a while.

We went to Miami from December 24- Jan 3, during which time we were bombarded with festivities, meals, plans and obligations.  It was both fun and exhausting.

 Flying with a toddler and an infant is something straight out of a horror film.  How do you keep a toddler entertained and seated for an hour and a half?  FOOD!  Marco was stuffed full of cookies, pringles, and juice for a complete hour and a half! Even with that glorious entertainment, he was still climbing the walls.  Jonas did pretty well.  He slept a little and cried a little, but it wasn't too bad.  Thankfully, the airline gave us a 3 seater for the 4 of us to share.  Even though Marco is a lap-child still, he was able to have his own seat, which made our lives a whole lot easier.

We flew in to Punta Gorda, and spent a few hours with my family in Naples before heading to Miami.  My grandparents have a farm behind their house with a chicken coop and horse stalls.  Marco LOVED it!  (Once again, I'm a dork and didn't take a single picture of Marco's cuteness).  He figured out that he could corner the chickens and then run after them.  The chickens, of course, were terrified at this and began flapping and running around... Marco thought this was hilarious.  He chased the chickens for a while and then went to go pet the horses.

When we finally got to Miami, there were a ton of people waiting for us at my in-laws house.  Being "Noche Buena", we were expecting a late night party with lots of food, friends and family.

The next day was Christmas and we headed over to my dads house for our annual Christmas morning breakfast.  We got to see my whole family, and Marco and Jonas got more presents and clothes than we could even count.  By the end of the day, Marco was practically begging for a nap!

 As if Noche Buena and Christmas aren't enough, but the next day was my birthday!  I turned 28 this year.  I can't believe I'm almost 30... eeeeekkkk.  After church we went to a super yummy restaurant (can't remember the name) at the Falls for brunch.  I even had a mimosa!  Mirella bought me the most enormous and delicious cake ever... it was a kalua cake with vanilla filling and chocolate ganache frosting.  Can you say "yum"?

Mauricio kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday, and whenever I'm asked that question, I come up with a blank.  I really don't know what I want.  I'm just a content person, I guess... LOL.  All I really wanted was to have a nice date out with my husband.  So, Mau researched a restaurant and took us to an all organic Italian place on the beach; Escopazzo.  This wasn't your typical "spaghetti and meatballs" Italian place.  As you can see from my picture, I was eating lamb and root veggies.  I loved this place because it was very intimate and romantic... there were only 12 tables in the room!  After our fine dining experience, we drove up and down the beach streets and spent some time talking and holding hands.  Unfortunately it was too cold to walk, but the drive was just what we needed.

The next few days were rather exhausting for me.  Little did I know that I had developed a pneumonia that was wearing me out.  I couldn't make it through the day without a nap and I swore I would never feel better again.  But, I persevered.  There were things to do... people to see!

 Marco got to play with his cousin, Andres, for the first time ever.  They had seen each other on rare occasions, but had never had the opportunity to play together.  Andres is a very sweet and soft natured boy... the opposite of Marco.  Marco kinda beat up on him a bit, as he often does, but in the end I think they became fast friends.

We also celebrated the marriage of my brother, Miguel, to his lovely wife, Alaina.  (This event deserves it's own post with TONS of pictures... look out for it next). 

The day after the wedding, I woke up and told Mau to take me to the hospital immediately.  I knew I had pneumonia and was just waiting for the wedding to be over with to deal with it.  They admitted me to the hospital and I was there for 2 nights... including New Years Eve.  I saw the ball drop from my hospital bed... Happy New Year! 

Thankfully, I knew my boys were being well taken care of and were having loads of fun playing with their grandparents.

We didn't think we were going to make it out in time to catch our flight.  Our flight was leaving from Punta Gorda on Monday morning, and on Sunday evening, I was begging the doctors to release me from the hospital!  Every time they got close to releasing me, something would happen that would delay it.  We were almost in panic mode!  Finally, at 10pm on Sunday night they let me go.  We had to wake up at the crack of dawn on Monday to drive the 3 hours to Punta Gorda to catch our flight... but we made it!

Our vacation was 10 full, packed, exciting and exhausting days.  Once we got home, we realized that what we really needed was a vacation from our vacation.  Whew.

Thank You, Jesus

This is my Thanksgiving Day post.  A little late, I know... but you don't mind, do you?

My God, there is just so much to be immensely thankful for this year.  I'm thankful that Mauricio has a job that allows me to stay home and care for our sons.  I'm thankful that we are staying above water, even on one salary.  I'm thankful that Marco has grown so much and is now walking, talking (sorta) and acting like a big boy.  I'm thankful for getting pregnant and having a successful (albeit early) delivery.  I'm thankful that now with Jonas, our family is complete.

God is so good to us.  There are countless proofs that He loves us and has the best plan for us... in my life alone.  I always feel that He is guiding us.  When I feel the dead end is just in sight, he paves a different road for us to follow.  For example... when we were living in Orlando and talking about getting pregnant, the first time, Mau had yet to find a job.  We were so anxious that we'd have a baby without him having a job.  Then out of the blue, Carol calls to say there's a job opening in Greenville (last place on Earth we ever thought we'd end up).  Did you know that Mau started his job on the very same day I found out I was pregnant?!  Coincidental?... No, that's a God Plan... and a GOOD ONE! There are so many (I mean, SOOOO many) other examples I could give you on how His plans have put us where we are today and have been unbelievable blessings in our lives.

I'm so thankful that God is always on our team and giving us blessings beyond our understanding.
"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose"  Romans 8:28


And Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the ultimate sacrifice... Your life in place of ours.  Now, as a parent, John 3:16 brings on a whole new meaning.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not parish but have eternal life".  John 3:16


I don't know about you, but there is NO WAY I would give up one of my sons... and I have two!  I don't care the reason... the answer is a resounding "NO"!   I'll kill you all for my sons... every last one of ya!  But, isn't God selfless?  He gave up his ONE... his PERFECT one.  For us.  And we are so not worthy.  But that's how much he loves us... amazing.

So, during this time of Christmas crazies, let us remember not just that the baby Jesus was born, but who he became and what he did for each of us.

My 1st Official Mother's Day

I am a firm believer that most, nearly ALL holidays have been created to generate massive amounts of money and play off of people's emotions.  For this very reason, we celebrate only our birthday's and anniversary.  That's right... you read correctly, no Christmas, no Easter, no Halloween, and no Valentines Day (gasp!).  And no, we aren't Jehova's Witnesses.  So, pretty much we celebrate Christmas with family but do not dwell on gifts; Easter is not about the bunny who lays eggs (what?) or baskets of chocolate; Halloween is not recognized at all; Valentines Day... don't get me started on THAT Halmark Holiday!  Oh, and spare me, I already know our children are going to have horrible childhoods and will be deprived of wonderful memories... yeah, so?
But, sometimes it's hard to play by my own rules.  Call me hypocritical.  I really wanted to be recognized this Mother's Day, being that it was my first ever!  But, by recognition, I do not mean that I need a store bought present or some fabulously expensive piece of jewelry, (although, I can't lie, I wouldn't return a fabulous piece of jewelry!)  I had the PERFECT Mother's Day, in the company of my beautiful baby boy and amazing husband.
Mauricio let me sleep in till 10:30, at which time, he came in to the room with Marco and a beautiful picture frame of Marco and myself.  On the bottom it said "First Mother's Day, May 9, 2010" and he got Marco to sign it!! His FIRST signature!!  This was a complete surprise for me.  I had no idea he had put that together and I loved how thoughtful it was!
So, then I told Mauricio that I had a massive hankerin' for breakfast foods... eggs, waffles, bacon, and loads of syrup.  And, how can he say no to the pregnant mother of his child(ren) on Mother's Day?  So, we all got dressed and went in search for the best breakfast.  Unfortunately, we weren't using our heads. Greenville, 11:30 on a Sunday on Mother's Day?  GOOD LUCK!  Seriously, we drove around for an HOUR looking for a place that had less than an hour's wait.  Finally, after driving so long, Marco was cranky, so we went back home and Mauricio made me some waffles.  Hey, it was better than NO waffles!
Later on we went to Anne and Mo's house for a Mother's Day lunch, where we were with some of our friends.  We had a nice time hanging out there and got to eat a wonderful meal.  We were able to leave Marco, and go to the movies with our friends to see Iron Man 2.  Yep, I left my baby on Mother's Day!  But, we never get to go out and do "grown up things", so I didn't feel bad leaving him for a few hours.  The best part... I got to have a whole bag of popcorn... ALL to MYSELF!  How awesome!
What is the "perfect" day?  It certainly isn't driving around for an hour while hungry, or not being able to see and spend time with my OWN Mommy.  So, ok, it wasn't the text book "perfect" Mother's Day... but spending the day with my baby (minus 2 hours) and my husband... that's pretty perfect!