**** Vancouver******

I have to tell you what I did over in Vancouver last weekend.
We spend Friday night talking about wedding arrangements, looking in internet and in magazines for some ideas on hair, wedding favors, invitations... dresses, making the guests lists and what not.
We rented a movie but it was like over midnight when we finally went to sleep so we didn't watch it.
Evan was sleeping on a mattress on the floor, but he moves so much he slept on the floor practically all night. When I moved him with us in bed his face was a bit cold from the floor... bless his heart!
Once he was in bed with us he didn't let us sleep for much longer.
That morning we went to try on wedding dresses...there is no pictures of that...you'll have to wait for the surprise I guess. But I really like the first one she tried on...we'll see... no decisions made yet.Then we went to the ferry to pick up Carmen and Evan and from there Evan and I went on to a day for ourselves.
First we walked around downtown Vancouver and stopped at ALDO... and that was it! I bought some nice shoes!!! and some earrings...(like I don't have enough!). We also found a good deal on some dress shoes for Evan...so he didn't feel left out.
Then we went to have lunch to a cute little Japanese place and had some good SUSHI!
Ok...I love sushi!! I'm totally hooked now... since I was convinced to try it out...It is all I want! Seriously! I'm always in the mood for sushi! And the more I eat it the more I like it..and all that raw stuff is growing on me... Anyway...that sushi was so good!
By the time we were done...it was snowing!! So all my plans to have a nice photo session at Port Place were ruined!
It was freezing but we managed to take a couple pictures :D




Then we went to the IMAX to watch U2 3D...



and it was AMAZING!!! I cried!
It is the best next thing to being there...I would say it is even better because you don't have to be close to sweaty people... except you don't see them in person.
They are such a powerful band... I love Bono... he is so talented in his writing. He says things from the heart and that is where his power comes from.
After that we went to Joe Forte's for dinner...

I didn't have the best experience. Actually it was very frustrating... but oh,well! .... It was part of or anniversary celebration and I didn't want it to make me grumpy for the rest of the night... but I will not go there ever again.
What made it all better was our stop by the chocolate factory... we bought some tiger bombs and a caramel, white chocolate with sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon coating apple... that happened to be free because the Mexican that was helping us forgot to charge us for it and when we told him he was like: "Oh...just take it!"... score! It was super good!
Anyway... we made it to the 9 o'clock ferry. Tania was there waiting for us. The kids had so much fun with her... Carmen wants to go on the ferry and see Tania every day now.
We got home... the babe was asleep, but Carmen gave me some trouble. Evan went to play ice hockey... again! He wouldn't miss it for the world.
And I was up till late trying to figure out the musical number for Sunday's ward conference. I finally found a song, downloaded the accompaniment and sang along with it over and over again till I finally learned it. It is called "WHOLE AGAIN"... very simple, very pretty, very touching. Anything that is about the cleansing effect of the Atonement just amazes me and moves me in such a special way, so I hoped it would touch hearts as I sang it for the members that day.
And it didn't go bad. I always freak out about my pronunciation and that, but it is true that what I only have to worry about it is about singing with the Spirit... and he carries the message...with no accent!!
Later that night we learned about the passing of our dear prophet... a great man left this mortal sphere... I surely miss him already. He means a lot to me.
He is the prophet that dedicated the temple in Spain... and I was singing just behind him. I remember him looking back at me and at the rest of the choir. I remember the spirit that I felt when he got to the temple grounds on the day of the ground breaking. He is the one that sent me on my mission to England...the country where he had served years before me.
Special teachings we've received from him... but I know that as I loved him, I'll love the next one and I will receive great teachings from him as well... the things of God that I need to know to find happiness in my life. So I look forward to sustaining our new Prophet!!

Presidente Hinckley

I don't know how people heard about this before even being on the Churches website...but he died today.
Sad for all of us ...we lose who has been an amazing prophet... the one that has made such an impact on me.
I imagine the new one will have as great of an impression as President Hinckley.
For now..I'm happy for him... he is reunited with his beloved wife... I bet he missed her terribly...and he dies ready to meet his Maker, with the peace of knowing he did his work and he did it well!
I love president Hinckley...hope to keep all his wise counsels and teachings... and most of all... I hope to get where he is.

Weekend in Vancouver

I'm catching the 3 o'clock ferry to Vancouver to spend the weekend there.
Tania wants to go and try on wedding dresses and tomorrow Evan will join me so we'll do something fun while Tania spends the day with her sobrinos!

Vancouver, BC the province is amazing, eh???
COME VISIT!!

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

AND I CANNOT HIDE IT!!!

My parents are coming to spend Chritmas with us in Canada!!!
They already have the tickets....
They get here on Nov 12th and they will leave on January 6th...
I can't wait to see them!!
These are gonna be Felices Navidades!

When I'm not watching....

When I'm sitting at the computer, happily writting my blog... this is what my children are doing.
Carmen's way of manifesting her creativity by putting her fishy crackers in a bed of body lotion... but she couldn't really explain to me what she did... does art have any explanation though???

And Evan playing also with food...but this one is clever... he eats most of it and then he plays with it!!!


I think I should pay more attention to my kids, really:D

Surprise, Surprise!!!

I was in charge this year to organize our "treat" for our anniversary so I made plans for us to go to a spa on Saturday... but I still wanted to do something nice for Evan on our day...so I called Bethany up and asked her directions in how to make a super yummie cheesecake...so I did it... my first time...and soooo good!

Es mi aniversario!!! 4 Anyos!
La verdad es q no me lo creo...


Hemos vivido muchas experiencias q hubieran separado a muchos, pero a nosotros nos han unido y hecho mas fuertes.
Vivido lo pasado puedo decir con confianza q seguimos la admonicion de Pablo: " Todo lo creemos, todo lo esperamos; hemos sufrido muchas cosas, y esperamos sufrir todas las cosas"
No hay nada mas bello o virtuoso a lo q aspirar q a un HOGAR ETERNO.
Asi q hoy celebro 4 anyos de grandes hazanyas... grandes milagros. Quizas el mundo no lo mire asi....a su vista no hemos logrado mucho... no tenemos nuestra propia casa, ni siquiera tenemos nuestro propio coche ( es de la empresa), hay muchas cosas q no tenemos, lugares q nunca hemos visitado... Evan nunca me dio un anillo de compromiso...pero me ha dado unas joyas de hijos!
En el poco tiempo q llevo casada se han abierto mis ojos a lo q realmente es importante en la vida. Mi familia y mi lugar como esposa y madre es de transcendencia eterna.
Me siento privilegiada de estar unida a Evan por toda la eternidad, a el, y a mis hijos.
Llevo 4 anyos de camino recorrido y esperemos q mucho mas por recorrer.
Juntos y con Dios lo podemos alcanzar todas nuestras metas.

Vancouver Trip

I've been missing becuase I went to Vanoucver for the weekedn. We planned on getting the 5 ferry but Evan didn't get home from work untill 9... and he had to go and pick up our new couch that night so we stayed at home that night and took the 10'30 ferry the next morning.
I took some pictures of the kids at the play area on the ferry...

Carmen posing


Evan posing




At the front of the ferry

Chilling...


When we got there we had to wait for Jordan to come and pick us up, so we had something to eat at subway.
We went straight to the pool where we met with Tracy and the girls. It was fun and Carmen is a bit more confident now, but she won't go under water. Evan is really brave and he does it no problem.
Then we went for some doughnuts at Tim Horton's....I know!!!! Krispykreams, hello?? But you know Tracy... she pretty much dictated everything we did. Evan said that she ruined our trip to surrey and that was the phrase of the weekend!
Then I went shopping for our big dinner of Sunday with Tracy while the guys stayed to watch the hockey game. Came home had dinner put the kids to bed and we had our session on the game "Sequence". This time it was really frustrating. Tracy and I only won once out of 7! Plus Evan and I can't play against each other in competitive games...we always end up arguing!
The Sunday was crazy...trying to get ready but Church was amazing!

This is Evan ...had a blast in nursery!


Jordan was called as a Bishop...
that was the whole reason for us to be there. He is going to do great! Plus Tracy is the perfect "Bishop's wife".
Evan was baptized in that same chapel and told me stories about his primary years there...and we also drove by a couple of the houses they used to live in those years.
We were going to have the dinner at Church but a family from the ward offered to open their house to have it there. And the house was huge!!! And so nice! And they were precious people!!! Dinner was great but we bought too much roast! Oh well... it was delicious!
We were supposed to get a ferry that night but we stayed another night instead!
For some reason my stomach was feeling really well so I spend all night and morning in pain...but by 1 or 2 I was so hungry I couldn't wait for food any longer... and we had Taco del mar...which totally hit the spot and didn't hurt my belly after all.
We hanged out at the mall...


... looked for mattresses and bed frames ( we want to get new ones)... and had some ice cream. We then had to rush to get the 5 ferry...but didn't make it so we left on the 7 ferry but it was 20 min late and due to strong winds and what not.... a trip of an hour and a half became a 3 hour one. Carmen and I got sea sick... I've never been in a ship that rocked so hard side to side. It was horrible and a bit scary...water splashing on the windows, not being able to stand... and it was freezing!!!! The doors were broken and couldn't be shut! It was great!
Anyway...we made it home...HOME SWEET HOME!
The kids were so ready for bed and so was I!....So today holidays are over and we are back to normal. Hopefully we'll buy our bed today and I'm getting contacts. I'll need them for my new gym. I'm training to fight from February. Not that I'll fight but just training for it. Anyway...that's another story!

TiaTania...is that you????

Carmen's been waiting anxiously for Tania to come home. So bless her heart, the morning after she got back from Idaho, got in the ferry and came to visit.
She came with presents....our little celebration of the Spanish tradition for the "Wise Men Day".
My mom also sent as a package that got here yesterday but I hid it right away so we could open it with Tania.
So Carmen got a baby from grandma and another( cooler one :D) from Tania. Her favorite....a game of Dora " I spy" that was a hit...anything Dora really. A puzzle of the map of Spain (seriously...hehehe. So young and learning geography!). A couple of T-shirts from Italy.... where Patri went on her honeymoon. A princess thing full of chocolates... and a bunch of other stuff. The baby got cool thing too....like a racing car, dinosaurs little trucks.... next year's Halloween costume: Chulapo....a typical male outfit from Madrid. He is going to be so cute! Like that year I dressed Carmen in a flamenco dress. And more stuff too. ( I just can't remember).
I got a necklace, a t-shirt, a pair of earings...and Tania brought me a lotion form Victoria 's Secret, the book " I am a mother"( so far I'm loving it) and a pair of earings she made herself!.
We had a good time...we talked and talked...we did some research for her wedding stuff.... she is already getting nervous!!!

My Turn

Me toco enfermarme..... Estuve toda la noche sin poder dormir, dando vueltas y vueltas.
A las 7 o asi me tuve q levantar a darle el biberon al nene y sabia q en cualquier momento me venia. Y asi fue..... me vinieron a la memoria todas esas mananas cuando estaba embarazada q vomitaba y vomitaba. Hubiera jurado q estaba embarazada otra vez de no haber sido q tb me dio por abajo.... no voy a dar detalles...pero estuve super mala.

It was my turn to get sick... Alll night tossing and turnig untill Evan woke up and I had to give him his bottle, then I knew I was going to be sick...and I was!.
For a moment I thought I could be pregnant untill it came out through the other... you know, I'm not goint to give details....but I was so sick.

Por la manana al irse Evan a trabajar pense q no iba a poder yo sola con los ninyos...cada vez q me hacian levantarme ( ya fuera para cambiar pannales, para darles de comer, para darles papel para pintar...podian pedir mas cosas justo cuando estaba tan mal??) iba directa al banyo!
Mi marido tan preocupado por dejarme asi llamo a mi suegra para pedirla si podia librarme de Carmen unas horas... y me vinieron de lujo. El nene se durmio la siesta y al poco vino a recoger a Carmen asi q me tire a dormir dos horas y pico, y luego vino mi vecina Catherine ( q tiene una bebe de 7 meses o quizas 8) a llevarse a Evan con ella... Ah! y me trajo sopita de pollo calentita. Asi q tuve otra hora para descansar yo solita.
Evan me trajo Ginger Ale y empece a beber eso y me sento genial. Todavia tengo malestar en el estomago y el cuerpo adolorido de tanto vomitar.... pero ya por lo menos me puedo mover sin sentir nauseas.

When Evan left for work that morning I thought I wasn't going to make it with the two babes all day on my own. Every time I stood up I had to go straight to the toilet.
Evan was so worried about me that he called his mom to come to my rescue, and she came and took Carmen for a few hours. The baby was sleeping but when he woke up Catherine came to get him and brought me warm soup.
Evan brought me Ginger Ale and that was really good.
I still have a bit of pain in my stomack, and my bosy hurrts from pucking...but at least I can move without feeling nausea.

Todo esto para decir q q agradecida estoy por la ayuda q se me brindo. Hay buena gente en el mundo, gente q se preocupa por los demas... q solo tienes q decir q estas mal para q no les importe dar un poco de si mismos para q puedas sentirte mejor.
Si no hubiera recibido ninguna ayuda ayer, se q todavia estaria fatal... un poco significo mucho. Hay un dicho en ingles q aprendi en mi mision: "Oh the little more and how much it is, and the little less and worlds away".

Pues eso... q aunque pensemos q no es nada...es un mundo para aquel q recibe nuestra ayuda.
Pensaba q q manera de empezar el anyo...con dolor... pero q gran leccion! En momentos como estos entiendo por que Dios dice q todas nuestras pruebas seran para nuestro bien.
Espero q yo pueda ser asi este anyo. Q pueda aprovechar cada oportunidad q se me presente de dar servicio y aliviar al necesitado.

All of this to say How grateful I am for the help that was offered me.
Ther is good people in this world, people that worry about others... you just have to say you don't feel good and they don't think twice of giving a little bit of themselves for you to feel better.
If I had had no help yesterday I know that I would still be sick. A little went a long way!

A quote I learned on my mission: "Oh the little more and how much it is, and the little less and worlds away".
Even tough we might think that it is not much what we can do for others... it means the world for that person we are helping.
I thought...What a way to start the new year...with pain... but what a great lesson!
In moments like this I understand why the Lord says that all our trials and sufferings will be for our good.
I hope I can be like this this year.. That I will take any opportunity that comes my way to give service to others and to give comfort to the needy.