Busy as a Bee, Happy as can Be!

Yesterday was a great day. I was going, going, going non-stop all day so it was tiring but great nonetheless. The best part is that it rained NON-STOP all day starting around 10:30. I love the rain! It seriously puts me in the best mood. So I went and dropped Robert off at work and then I went to Wal-Mart to try and get the oil changed but the line was like 39.3 miles long. So I decided just to get a little of the shopping I needed done and wait until today to do the oil change. Baily and I ate a quick lunch at the McDonald's inside the Wal-Mart. I've never liked their cheeseburgers but for some reason yesterday it was sooo good. Anyway I got the things I needed and was hurrying to get home to meet my cousin at my house. Of course I got in the slowest line with the slowest cashier. Urghhh... I hate being late! Anyway I finally made it home where my cousin was already waiting. She came over with her kiddos to make me cinnamon rolls. Aren't I so lucky? Not to put you on the spot Becca but I have to talk about you here for a minute. My cousin Becca is the best ever. She's done so much for me and my family and she's one of the most charitable people I know. I totally look up to her as an example of charity and righteousness and I just love her so much. I'm so grateful to have her in my life! Sorry Becca! But anyway the kids had fun playing (Baily was actually totally overdo for a nap and was pretty naughty) and we enjoyed just visiting while Becca made me the best cinnamon rolls ever. She had to leave before I even baked them since I had to go pick up my little brother and sister. But as soon as I got back from picking them up I baked those puppies and we all enjoyed some major ooey, gooey goodness. Seriously... the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. Robert had 2, these things are huge, after he got home from work last night. Thanks so much Becca! I know you all are jealous! Anyway after we had our cinnamon roll snack the kids watched Toy Story while I tried to clean up a little bit. Then I took them and Andre to Barro's for pizza and wings. Yummy! After we got home from Barro's the kids wrote Christmas letters to my mom while I constructed the gingerbread house. We had to let it dry for a while so the kids finished their cards and then we took some Christmas pictures to send to my mom. Aren't they the cutest, sweetest kids? I love them all so much! After the pictures we went to go pick up Robert from work. When we got home Robert ate dinner and we watched part of a holiday classic for our family Home Alone. Then I started the kids on decorating the gingerbread house and I went and put Baily to sleep. She was so tired and fussy and it only took about 10 minutes before she was out cold. I helped the kids finish the gingerbread house(isn't it so cute? They did an awesome job!), and they finished watching Home Alone and crashed. I think they had a lot of fun which makes me so happy. I love my little siblings so much. They are so precious! Yesterday was such a great day!

Bi-Weekly Menu

So this is the last bi-weekly menu before my sweet son arrives. I kept it pretty simple because as you can guess, I'm not feeling up to being Miss Chef lately. I don't know how soon I'll be posting another bi-weekly menu... I'm sure I'll be enjoying lots of meals from the Relief Society and what not. It's good to be Mormon!!
F- Barro's Pizza
Sa- Robert and I's Anniversary Date- Mango's
Su- beef stew, rolls, brownies
M- bbq pork chops, fried potatoes, corn
Tu- spaghetti, garlic bread
W- grilled chicken, baked potatos, veggies
Th- broccoli cheese soup, chicken croissant sandwiches
F- sausage & peppers, french bread
Sa- group dinner date- Ward Christmas Party
Su- lasagne, garlic toast, pumpkin cheesecake bars for VT sisters
M- steak tacos, spanish rice
Tu- baked chicken parmesan
W- out to eat
Th- Bubba's Born!!

Pres. Hinckley Quote

"I am no longer a young man filled with energy and vitality. I am an old man. I'm given to meditation and prayer. I would enjoy sitting in a rocker, swallowing prescriptions, listening to soft music, and contemplating the things of the universe. But such activity offers no challenge and makes no contribution. I wish to be up and doing. I wish to face each day with resolution and purpose. I wish to use every waking hour to give encouragement, to bless those whose burdens are heavy, to build faith and strength of testimony." GBH

Good Times

Yesterday was full of good times. The morning started off with a trip to park day. First of all the weather was perfect... overcast and cool- my favorite! These are some pictures of my cute little girl while we were waiting for our ride to the park. And here are some videos of her singing some of her favorite songs. The spider song got cut short because that's when our ride came.

Isnt' she the cutest?! Sorry I'm just a proud momma! So anyway we had fun at the park. Baily loves being around all the kids and I love the social hour. It was so cute... little Ty was acting like her big brother and was so sweet and protective over her. After we left the park I went back with Malissa to her casa and then we met some other friends from the ward for lunch at Del Taco. They have a really nice play area there and the kids had a blast playing in there. It was so nice to be out for a couple of hours and have some adult conversation. I would never want to go back to working full time during the day but I do miss the social interaction aspect of working sometimes. After we got dropped off Baily and I took a nice nap. I'm really digging this napping thing. I should do it more often! After Robert got home from work (he gets off early on Thursdays) we went and got some food at Whataburger, came home and ate and then it was time to put the lights up outside. It was nice and crisp but not cold and it was a fun time. I made some of our favorite hot chocolate- Abuelita's. It's Mexican hot chocolate and it's the very best. And I also made some fresh, warm cookies to dip in the hot chocolate. Baily loved her treat even though I kinda tricked her and just put chocolate milk in a mug so she thought she was having hot chocolate. I wasn't in the mood for dealing with an owie in her mouth. But it was good times putting up the lights and enjoying this holiday treat. I truly do have so much to be thankful for!

La Vida es Bella

This is the best movie!

A Bright New Day

I woke up today feeling a sense of newness... a desire to make today better- to feel better about myself today. I felt the joy of having a bright new day to spend however I wanted. I love feeling like that- like I have control over how I feel and act. In actuality I always have that power but I don't always feel it. Nothing too exciting happened this morning other than the usual routine stuff. Robert was supposed to get a ride to work from his brother but, unsurprisingly, his brother totally blew him off so he had to get a ride from his Tio Armando. And I planned on going to a lunch at a friend's house that's moving out of town but it fell through I guess. So Baily and I just hung out and got stuff done around the house. After my nephew Bryan got home from school he and Baily helped me make cookies for Bryan to take to his teachers and for us to eat. We made my very favorite kind... oatmeal chocolate chip with walnuts. Yum! The dough is the best part. They had fun adding all the many ingredients. During this process we also finished up the indoor Christmas decorations. It was nice telling the kids about the nativity pieces and how the baby Jesus, "Shesus" as Baily says, is the whole reason we celebrate Chritmas. Baily was reverent when she placed the baby Jesus in the nativity scenes. It was so sweet. And as you can see, we still need to get Joaquin's stocking up... that's why there's an empty spot waiting for his stocking. I was able to finally pick up our van at the dealership around 5:30. I was so relieved that it was nothing major... a hole in the emissions hose that they replaced. Whew! There was really nothing extraordinary about today but it was a bright new day and I feel good about how I spent my time today.
virtue, scriptures

Enriched

I felt like Oscar the Grouch yesterday. Baily woke up in a very grumpy mood and all the way back from dropping off Robert at work she cried. It was very annoying and tiring. And then after I dropped off Robert I had to take our new van back to the dealership to get checked out since the check engine light came on. I was annoyed at that and when I was told I couldn't wait for it, but had to drop it off probably for overnight I was even more annoyed. That meant I had to find a ride to drop off the van, a ride to Enrichment and Robert had to find a way to get home from work. Urghh... After I got home I was cleaning and finishing up laundry and then I got the mail. I was excited to get the December Ensign and Friend. I started flipping through and got caught on the first article, the First Presidency message. It was by Pres. Hinckley which was exciting since lately when it's been his turn to do the message it's just been a plethora (sp?) of quotes. Those are nice but it was exciting to see a new article he wrote. The article was called "These, Our Little Ones." It was so good and it really gave me an enlightened perspective about my calling and blessing of being a mother. I felt so guilty for being annoyed with my little one and I just felt a strong desire and motivation to be a much better mother. Here are some of my favorite parts of the article.

"President Brigham Young (1801–77) once said: 'A child loves the smiles of its mother, but hates her frowns. I tell the mothers not to allow the children to indulge in evils, but at the same time to treat them with mildness.' He further stated, 'Bring up your children in the love and fear of the Lord; study their dispositions and their temperaments, and deal with them accordingly, never allowing yourself to correct them in the heat of passion; teach them to love you rather than to fear you.' Of course, there is need for discipline with families. But discipline with severity, discipline with cruelty, inevitably leads not to correction but rather to resentment and bitterness. It cures nothing and only aggravates the problem. It is self-defeating. The Lord, in setting forth the spirit of governance in His Church, has also set forth the spirit of governance in the home in these great words of revelation:
'No power or influence can or ought to be maintained … , only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; …
'Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
'That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death” (D&C 121:41, 43–44

"Behold your little ones, and teach them. I need not remind you that your example will do more than anything else in impressing upon their minds a pattern of life.

"The story is told that in ancient Rome a group of women were, with vanity, showing their jewels one to another. Among them was Cornelia, the mother of two boys. One of the women said to her, “And where are your jewels?” To which Cornelia responded, pointing to her sons, “These are my jewels.” Under her tutelage and walking after the virtues of her life, they grew to become Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus—the Gracchi, as they were called—two of the most persuasive and effective reformers in Roman history. For as long as they are remembered and spoken of, the mother who reared them after the manner of her own life will be remembered and spoken of with praise also.

Here's the link for the talk if you want to read the whole thing. It was really great! Isn't my "little one" so precious?!

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e77141dc0d186110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=true

So after I read the talk I was feeling better and not as grouchy or annoyed. I actually got really emotional and weepy. I actually watched tv yesterday (I've pretty much given up tv) since I had a free minute while we were eating lunch. It was the Rachael Ray show and she was doing a special on this guy who adopted 3 boys under the age of 6 and how great of a dad he was and how hard it was for him. They ended up giving him tons of stuff and it was just so sweet. I love stories like that. My friend and her family gave me and Baily a ride to our special Christmas Enrichment night. Baily was excited to play in nursery and be with all her little friends. She has quite the social circle. It was decorated really pretty and there was a fancy ham dinner. The theme was Miracles. After the fabulous dinner there was a guest speaker (can't remember her name:( ) and she talked about the miracles that happened in her life after the death of her husband when they were 36 and she was pregnant with their 5th child. It was a really great, spiritually uplifting talk. After she spoke they showed a power point presentation with all the Relief Society sisters in our ward put to beautiful music. Talk about a sob fest! Everyone was crying. The Spirit was so strong and you could feel the love we have for each other as a ward and as sisters as each face was showed. It was one of the best Enrichment nights I've ever been to. I'm so grateful for my ward and for my membership in Relief Society. I truly felt enriched and grateful when I went to bed last night.

Home Alone: Montage of Traps!!!

My favorite is when he gets shot in the nards! Bwaa ha ha ha! I love this movie!

Re: A Cingular Christmas Story

Classic!

I'm booked!

LOL!!

Elf the movie

I love this movie!

O Christmas Tree!

Today was busy and tiring but great. I had a ton of laundry and cleaning to do after that long vacation weekend. I had to drop off Robert at work and then me and the Bug had to go to Wal-Mart to get more laundry soap (I swear those new 2x concentrate run out 2x faster... I think they're a rip off!) and milk and stuff. Then I was busy all day trying to entertain my whiny grumpy girl and clean and do laundry and all that fun stuff. Baily was talking non-stop today and I'm sure I would have probably been grumpy anyhow, but I would have given anything for 5 minutes of quiet. Well I actually did get a little quiet when she took her nap but it wasn't enough. The girl never stops talking! Anyway after Andre got home from school I had him help me run some errands. I had to deliver some Enrichment invitations so I drove around and he got out and actually delivered him. I was so grateful for his help... I was so tired today. After we delivered them all we went to Home Depot and got our Christmas tree. Baily was so excited about our tree. She kept talking to it. We came home and I stayed busy making dinner and working on laundry until it was time to go pick up Robert from work. When we got home he ate dinner and then it was FHE... tree decorating time. We wanted to put up the lights outside and do all the other decorations as well as the tree but it was way too late. We'll just have to finish tomorrow. But our tree is up and decorated and the Christmas spirit in our house is on fire! Baily had a lot of fun with it this year... she only broke one ball and I broke one as well. Not bad, not bad. She wasn't that into it at first but after a few "pitty, pitty" sugar cookies and seeing how fun it was to help she was all into it. I think it looks great and we had a fun time as a family with this fun Christmas tradition. The rest of the Christmas decorating will be done tomorrow. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

Oh and since I'm pretty sure Beau's never gonna do another post on his blog and I'm sure the rest of the family wants to see his fiance's ring, I'll post a picture for you. Isn't it beautiful? Ooooh... I'm so excited!!