the 3rd decade

i'm 30.

if it supposed to feel any different, it hasn't hit me yet.

i like to be 30.

i feel i am a lady. like you could take me seriously now :D

last night was the first saturday evan didn't have to work since christmas, so i went out with the girls!

i was so excited. i had a good plan... but it was even better than i had anticipated.

we went to dinner to earl's.

(they have my favorite: grilled prawn tacos)

we missed a bunch of girls, but these are those who came

(from the left front to back)

Norma ( the rs president in my ward), charo ( the wife of the 1st counselor in the bishopric)

cristina (from mexico) carolina (from colombia) tarina (she's carmen's friend's mother), ivonne (from the spanish pre-school group) and me.

my friends were such good sport, they belted out the happy b-day song for me.

i did make a wish :D

and the chocolate sticky something piece of heaven... was just that.... a piece of heaven ;D

then the fun part...

a class of polynesian dance!

it was super fun, super fun.... like i want to do it again!

beautiful blanche, the instructor

it was great.

i am so happy i did this.

we all had so much fun.

it had been a while since i laughed like that.

so next year... i gotta start thinking about it!

Fine Dining at Grouse Mountain

we had talked about waiting for spring break to do something special for our anniversary so i wasn't expecting to go out.

but my dear hubby surprised me with reservations at "the observatory", a super nice place on the top of grouse mountain.

the kids were at jordan and tracy's for a sleep over so we had all evening for ourselves.

it was dark when we got there so the air lift to the top was scary for me.

but the view of vancouver with the lights was amazing.

i love living here.

the restaurant was so fancy.

we didn't look bad ourselves ;p

and the food...

oooh, the food.

i forgot to take a picture of the appetizzers: sea scallops with an octopus carpaccio,

and venison carpaccio.

our entrees:

elk for evan

mine:

organic filet mignon (L) with bison rib (R)

we were so full we didn't get dessert, but they gave us these :D

after dinner i got to go see him play with his fraternity hockey team.

i love to watch him play.

i am probably his biggest fan, but he's the best one on the ice :P

happy anniversary to us, my love.

it is always great to be in your company... you make me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth. you see the best in me and bring out the best in me.

i love you, forever.

Celebrate, celebrate!

it is a day to celebrate.

7 years.

the best 7 years of my life.

7 years ago i married the man of my dreams.

7 years ago my first child was conceived.

7 years later it couldn't be better.

i love him more and more each day.

we have the most beautiful children inside and out.

i feel the luckiest woman on earth.

i wouldn't say these 7 years have been a bliss.

but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

and we're definetely stronger.

stronger in our love for each other,

stronger in the commitment to each other,

stronger in our determination to be the best for each other.

i love the person he's helped me to become,

i love the dreams he's helping me to achieve...

and i love that life feels amazing by his side.

to us, my love!

happy anniversary!

7 down , eternity to go :D

fiesta

they had a party for all the kids in nursery, as a celebration for their b-days.

and there we were.

the whole clan.

And if you wonder.... no isabel didn't cut her hair... i did :S

we had so much fun playing games.

zarahemla: i won for the first time in my life!

and this one is good: pick a cereal box from the floor with your mouth without touching the floor.

after every round you make it shorter and shorter until all is left is a piece of cardboard.

it was garreth and who made it.

i didn't think i had it in me ;D

so our visit with the leonard's was a blast.

now we just wish we lived closer.

we already miss them.

we headed out to logan.

we got there at 1am.

tha's the time we get places, ok?

slaovica made amazing waffles for b-fast and her signature spaguetti for dinner.

we went to walk around the logan temple.

so beautiful.... i even enjoyed the walk despite the freezing cold!

that night i went to visit irene.

ssooooooo exciting to see her.

it was a short visit, but i am glad i did it.

i couldn;t be 2 hours away and not see her.

i was so happy to meet diego, and so was carmen and isabel ( evan stayed with the guys)

it was great to see amaya, though short :( and isabel, of course!

i love that family!

the following morning we had french toasts.... i told you! at least 200 extra pounds! :D

we said our good byes and headed to idaho.

snow, snow,and more snow!

all the way there i thought about the pioneers.

can you believe someone would go through terrible winters, carrying their dead babies and keep going?

can you believe there are people with such faith?

it's amazing to me.

pocatello is the coldest place i've ever been to.

it was so exciting to see tania... the anticipation was killing me, couldn't hold the tears.

it is too bad we couldn't stay longer.

it was so nice to be with her.

we visited eric's grandparents. grandma candy... candy is what you get when you go see her.

she is such a sweet heart.

we put the kids to bed and we played some good old tabu.

it was fun.

the next day.... on the road.

evan drove all the time like a champ.

my back killed me for a week.

it seems that we've recovered now.

everything back to normal.

glad to be home :D

but can't wait to go down for a visit again :D

Christmas eve was the only day i cooked.

we got a 12lbs prime rib roast, mashed potatoes, candied carrots and ceasar salad... so yummy!

christmas eve we had turkey... amazing.

the day was so nice we got in the swimming pool.

the water was freezing though... but the kids didn't seem to care.

it was fun :D

we went out to get presents on the 23rd and somebody stole our evan's wallet from my bag.

what a pain!

we had $250 bucks in cash. we were hoping that they will get the cash and turn it in.... but no!

they mashed out our two credit cards that we were using for this trip.

annoying!

we weren't mad though.

everything was so good.

we were so blessed.

we were having so much fun.

this wasn't going to ruin it.

and it didn't.

we went to visit elder wallace. he was our first zone leader and evan lived with him in his fist flat.

he was so nice. like he always was.

he is probably my favorite zl.

we also saw sister adams. she was in the mtc with evan and she was so fun so of course we were friends

in the mission.

we went to the acquarium and to the zoo.

we went out to eat to olive garden, to pizza hut, to filiberto's, to five guys...

i feel i put 200 lbs in this trip.

evan took me out to costa vida fro my b-day and he made me breakfast in bed....

second time in almost 7 years of marriage!

he got me three pair of earings too... that i LOVE!

i wasn't expecting anything. he already got me a new blow dryer and difusor and hair products...

i also had got a LOT of clinique stuff... so i feel like i didn't need to get anything else.

he was really good ;P

enough is enough

time to write about our christmas trip, right??

before i forget, anyway.

here it goes:

we left the day that evan finished his last exam.

i was the one left to pack, prepare everything and leave the house decent.

we drove to pick him up and left from there.

he drove all the way from 3-12, where we stopped at a hotel to sleep.

it was freezing cold, we passed a blizzard in washington but it wasn't too bad. i just didn't like it because it was at night and between the darkness and the snow storm it was impossible to see anything.

at the hotel, the kids were asleep so we moved luggage in, and came back to carry evan and isabel in.

carmen woke up and when we went back to get her she was standing by our car crying. she thought we had left her. it was heartbreaking. she was so confused.

once in the bedroom i went to the bathroom and she opened her eyes and when she didn't see me started crying again: where is mommy where is mommy!

bless her. i can't imagine how she must have felt. she was so scared.

the following morning, back in the car at 7am.

driving though oregon we got a speeding ticket.

almost $400...that we are NOT going to pay.... ridiculous!

all our way there we had fast food.... i was saturated from hamburgers....couldn't stand the smell of them anymore.... i got salads after the second.

evan drove like a champion all the time. except the two hours i drove through BORING nevada. lame!

we could see the lights from las vegas from almost 200 miles away.

we had to stop by.

evan had to try in-n-out burgers.

we got to mesa at 1am... to the wrong house....ooops!

we had to phone them and get the right address.

right to bed...wedding was the next morning.

amazingly enough everybody was ready on time.

the sealing was beautiful. i liked the sealer. he was this cute old man. he kept calling garreth, garth... it was funny. well... we called him garth for the rest of our visit!:P

the temple in mesa is beautiful

i like it a lot.

it is in the middle of town and it is incredible.

the reception was at a beautiful place. very romantic.

reminded us a little bit of the place where my sis got married in spain.

the dance was super fun, and my kids danced like there was no tomorrow.

isabel of course, loooooved they played justin bieber!! and evan showed everyone his break dancing moves.

there i met with the sister missionary that my trainee trained after i left dewsbury.... so that makes her my granddaughter :D

she is a good girl... it made us think of all the good, pretty girls out there that are not married.

shame.

it made us think, too, on how easy we had it.

we were really blessed to find each other.

as the happy couple, evan held carmen up and told garreth:

"this is the result of my wedding night, buddy!"

good one, ev!

but, hey! it could happen, right?

the whole visit there was really good.

the kids had a 3 year old, and the twins were a year and a half

and they entertained each other pretty good.

the leonards were amazing... i love them to pieces.

wish we could live closer.

Resolution numero UNO

You should know that in our house we NEVER eat dinner at a decent time.

I NEVER have dinner ready when my hubby comes home ( untill of course he comes home at 8'30, then yes, it is ready).

We ALWAYS go to bed super late because of that.

So this year.... it is not going to happen ANYMORE.

My resolution #1.- Dinner at 6pm. In fact, to be more specific: Have dinner ready by 5.

And also eat healthier. More veggies, more colorful meals.

And a bit less boring-more of the same kind of meals.

So far this week: Accomplished!

Tonight:

Caesar Salad ( I have a thing for Caesar Salads lately, and I make a wicked one, if I say so myself :P)
And BBQ chicken, bacon, spinach, mushroom, bell peppers Pizza.

Yummy!

things i need to write down

last night little evan woke up vomiting on his bed.

had to deal with the whole ordeal.

isabel sleeps with us... so it is impossible to have a good night of sleep around here.

plus my back still hurts from sitting in a car for all those hours.

but this morning was as perfect as it could be.

i got mad once already and it is only 10'30.

i have accomplished many things i am happy about.

but... i haven't written anything about my Christmas vacation yet... and you'll have to wait till later.

I will now say that:

1.-after i don't know how long without my patriarchal blessing i decided to order a copy online and i got it today!

I cried a lot.

what a blessing.

i had forgotten about very especific directions and realized that there are so many things that i was told that are totally right!

i love it.

2.- laura has finished doing our family pictures.

i loooved them.

i am ready for another one ;P

if you want to see the pictures click here

3.- i am going to the dentist for the first time since before my mission.

hopefully to get my wisdom teeth out and hopefully to get braces.

4.- evan and isabel are crazy justin bieber fans.

there is a huge case of bieber fever in my house.

isabel even sings "baby, baby" to go to sleep.

5.- we were listening to the soundtrack of the new narnya movie and carrie underwwod was singing ( amazing! i love her!) and carmen said: " she is such a good singer, mom... so are you!"

she is cute like that.

6.- evan is in this stage where he gets in time out, he gets mad and says he doens't love you anymore and he says: you're out of the herd! and you're fired!

anyway... i thought he was in his room and when i go to get him out of time out, he is not there.

he left the house, and i found him down our street on the tricycle! not impressed.

he wanted to do something but because he had said he didn't love me, i told him he couldn't do it. so he was like: "nevermind, i love you..."

and he can't get out of time out until he loves me again, so he soon stops screaming and crying to say he loves me and everything is back to normal.

he is such a monster!!!!!

7.- we are getting the money from school so soon i am getting soo excited for my retail therapy spree.

8.- i am loving my haircut. it is actually more appealing to do my hair now everyday :D

9.- it is my anniversary in a few days... 7 years!!!!!!

10.-my house is still a mess... today i'll unpack the suitcases... promise!

2011

Dear New Year...

I am excited.

I love you all new and blank and ready for everything i want to put in you.... plus anything that comes as surprises ( preferably the nice kind, but I know the not nice kind will come, of course....but bring it! I am ready for those too).

I want to be better.

I want to use you better.

I promise.

This is going to be a good one :D

Love

Me