Some Fun Pics

Some of this pics are from the beginning of December, Jake's football banquet and party, Jake's christmas party at school and gingerbread house, and of course Christmas. Hope you enjoy.

Long Update...lots going on!

This has been a very busy ane crazy time...and not much of it has to do with the holiday season. My mother in law has been visiting since November 19th and Emily has grown a rather nice size spanish vocabulary as a result of it. I had been subsitute teaching during the month of December since Emily can be with her grandma. It was rather wonderful to go back into the classroom and enjoy teaching without the stress of having my own class and all the added responsiblity! Gus has been working around the clock...well not really but it feels like it. Jake has had his moments in school but over all has been a pretty good kid. Jonathan as well. He has of course made some teenage decisions hastily that make me insane but overall he has been calming down a lot better and talking slower. The boys just left yesterday to spend Christmas with their father and his family. They are over the top excited to be there. Jake has seen his dad a handful of times this year for very short, I mean VERY short visits, so he was most excited! Two whole weeks! I, on the other hand, am sad. Not just because I have to share them for the holidays, but because after the holidays Jonathan will continue to stay with his father and try school there. I feel like I am being selfless in this move as Jonathan WANTS to live with his dad. What 14 yr old boy doesn't need his dad, but I am broken that I feel like I have failed. Gus told me that I couldn't give Jonathan what he needed because what he needed was his father...and make clearly I am not him at all. I know that this is a trial to see if he does better but never in a million years would I have thought that my fist born, or any of my children for that matter, would leave me in childhood or be seperated from their siblings. I am rather tearful and sad. What a sacrfice my son has endured for the failings of his parents. I wish ever party knew how impactful their decisons were on him. Ok, so before this turns ugly let me give you good news.
Gus and I are expecting our second child this July. July 4th to be exact although I think it will be at the end of June. We are excited that Emily will be a big sister and this little one will be the caboose. Hear me now, no more babies! The factory will be closing! Out of business! Aside from all of this, and let me tell you it's a lot! Things are going well. We had a fun Thanksgiving and are gearing up for Christmas. Be blessed this holiday and upcoming New Year!

Getting To Know You During the Holidays!

Here is an email I received that I thought would be a fun blog post. Thanks Laura!


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? I like real but pine needles and baby don't mix!
3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? After the Epiphany
5. Do you like eggnog? not really
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Favorite...hard...my kitchen, my dolls, my skates, my clothes...I liked them all...ohhh maybe the tiny tv my dad gave me.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Gus
8. Easiest person to buy for? the boys
9. Do you have a nativity scene? somewhere
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably socks
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pork!
16. Lights on the tree? white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Staying home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Excess traffic
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? gold, red
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Pork, black beans and rice, mojo, Cuban bread, plantains, and it is always on Christmas Eve
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? $ to decorate with!

Your turn to respond! Cut and paste all the questions and change the answers! Can't wait to see everyone's posts.

Fun Foto Friday!

Another fun post .....fun foto Friday. Post a pic or two...doesn't have to be anything specfic. Just fun!

Here is Emily...my little Linus. She walks everywhere with her blankie and thumb....awe!

The Five List

Again my blogger friend Denise has these great writing assignments and this one looks so fun. Thanks Denise for having such an awesome blog!

Five Things On My To Do List
1. Get Jonathan up and to school
2. Go grocery shopping
3. Go to Jake's Thanksgiving lunch today
4. Never ending laundry
5. Returns at Old Navy, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond

Five Things I Like To Snack On
1. Popcorn
2. Chex Trail Mix
3. Red apple slices
4. Chips
5. Wheat Thins

Five Things I Would Do If I Was A Millionaire
1. Pay off everything
2. Upgrade our home- MOVE
3. Invest
4. College funds and trusts
5. Pay off my family's debts

Five Places I Have Lived
1. Louisiana
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Hawaii
5. There is no five...yet.

Five People I am Tagging....

Tag your it....it's your turn to blog about your fives.

1. Jackie
2. Adriana
3. Amanda
4. Diana
5. Laura-your blog is sleeping...time to wake it up!:)

Thankful Tuesday

OK...so a blogger friend, Denise, has given me an assignment to write about ten things I am thankful for...she did hers about her husband and I too will follow suite.
For my husband....

1. I am thankful that you are full of determination...otherwise I would never have met you....you did chase me (now it is a matter of public record!)

2. I am thankful that you are so stinkin smart....about most things. It has helped you become successful. You are a great provider! Don't be fooled though....you still don't know everything...and everything can't always be proven.

3. I am thankful for the amazing beautiful daughter you have given me. Never in a lifetime did I think I would have been blessed with a daughter!

4. I am thankful that you like the finer things in life! I love that you want to travel and shop too.

5. I am thankful that you are a home body. I love that you want to be with me instead of going out with the guys.

6. I am thankful for our ice cream breaks. I am glad you have a sweet tooth.

7. I am thankful that you love music and want it on in the house. I hate when it is quite.

8. I am thankful that you put up with my emotional moments and know that I love my kids to a fault sometimes.

9. I am thankful that we got married on the beach and skipped the big to do!

10. I am thankful for you!

The Newest Purchase

Gus' newest purchase the Canon Rebel xti 10.1...so excited for him and scared for me...how will I ever learn to use this right? Hopefully there will be pics to post soon.

What is going on?

*Sigh* The camera has magically broken...not sure if I left it on but when we took it out the top off the camera looked kinda melted. Good thing Black Friday is coming....and now the built in microwave is not working. I guess we are shopping this weekend as it seems like it will cost more to fix than to replace. Why do they charge these outragous labor fees by the hour?

Poor little Emily is teething something aweful too. She is cutting her four first molars and her four incisors....poor thing with a low grade fever, chin rash, and runny nose.

The Kids

Here is one shot of our last photo session. If only I could get all of them to look at the same time!

Long Weekend leading into long week....

Quick recap
Friday
lunch playdate with Dixie and Ian
Host neighborhood Halloween party with Monica
Went to parents house so they could see the kids and stopped into their neighborhood party
Trick or Treat

Saturday
Football playoffs-lost
Went into Atlanta-Centinneal Olympic Park, CNN, CocaCola
Out to dinner

Sunday
Time change-YAY!!!
Church
Emily had pics made wearing Ivy's tutus
Out to eat with friends at Mango's

Monday
Running around to get subsitute paperwork in
Fingerprinting at the court house
Back to drop off more paperwork

Today
VOTE!!!!

Here is the important stuff....the pics!

Emily walking at the football game!

Walking and Talking

On Friday we had Jake's fall festival. Our silent auction basket sold for over $40 and was one of the higher baskets. Yeah! Jake won a dinner out with his teacher and classmate along with all the other 3rd grade teachers and their winning students. He got his hair spray painted just in time to wear it to their game on Saturday. They played New Hope and won.

Emily has finally let loose and is walking. She took her first steps around 11 1/2 months and not until this past week has she actually attempted to walk. Saturday she walked all over the football field while Jake had his game. Check out the video. She is also turned into a chatty little girl too. She has the sweetest voice.

Happy Birthday Jake!

So this weekend was fun and busy! Starting Friday....Jake's 9th birthday party. I had three boys from school come over to spend the night. The night was dedicated to video games. The boys pretty much played games, switched games, watched each other play games, talked about games....then break for pizza. They ate like champs! Then back to games, and more games, and one boy falls asleep on his own at 8:30. How nice! Then on to the tower ice cream cake....presents...and finally settling down for a movie and sleeping. Not bad! They were all great minus the use of the word crap over and over. Here are some pics from the event!





On Saturday, after the boys left, Jake and Jonathan went with their dad for the weekend. It was Jake's homecoming football game and they won 42-0! Go bears! I know they went to ChuckeCheese and out to eat...other than that it was just dad time. Gus and I took the opportunity to go to a Venezuelan restaurant for arepas! Yummy! They were so good. We also went to the Mall of Georgia and watched Eagle Eye on Imax. The movie's story like is a little over the top. Entertaining but over the top. Emily came with us and did great.

Sunday was Jake's actually birthday. He got home around 3. My mom came over for cookie cake and we went to Fudruckers at Jacob's request. Overall, he had a great birthday!

The Week in Review

Ok, so I have been busy and not able to get on and post. Hopefully the update will explain my crazy weekend and week so far. On to last weekend....

Saturday~ Jake had a football game that was in the middle of nowhere. Well not really, it was in Hiram. Hiram is a country town west of Marietta. Not sure how they are even in our league. Regardless, it was a less than desirable field, with concrete steps for seats, a grass field yet dirt lawn for spectators and just run down. This should have been a country team with nothing to do but play football. They should have been fantastic! We won 33-0. It was a spanking! After the game I ran some errands and then it was dinner and bedtime. That day was a bit of a blur.


Sunday~ Church at 8am! Actually 7:30. I had a meeting before mass about Jacob being introduced to the church and the OCIC program. He had to led into the church behind the alter boys and was so nervous. He wasn't sure where to go, what to do, so in a very stiff, my hands are in my pocket don't look at me style, he did great! Father Bailey preceded over the mass. Now, Father Bailey is known as Father Crunk on the radio. He is so down to earth and with the times. Totally not your holier than thou priest who isn't aware of real life. During mass Jake recieved a cross and bible. He was very excited. So, in two years he will be a confirmed Catholic.
After mass, we had biscuits and donuts in the hall at church. Again, Jake was so excited! Later that day we had a party to go to. We went to meet some other Venezuelans here at a party for their son's 1st birthday. It was nice to be in the mix with good food, lots of kids, music, and dominos. Emily had no issues. She was in her elemnet. Crawling from room to room socializing. She even stood at the coffee table eating snacks. Too funny. Later that night we went to one of our favorite restuarants for dinner. The boys were being goofy and loud....of course. Jonathan ran into a friend he hadn't seen in almost a year, and was like, "dude, what's up!" Yeah...14 years old.




Monday~ Emily and I went to Northpoint to meet Dixie and Ian and have lunch. These two little ones are so funny. They try to talk to each other and even rode on the carasouel together. I am so grateful for my good friend Dixie! Later that night was Jake's religious ed class.


Tuesday~ Cleaning and football practice! Only one month left!

Yesterday~ My mom came over and watched my nephew Paxton here. She helped me make masitas de puero. It was pretty much a normal day except for more cooking ans Emily had a playmate. She even snuck into my room where Paxton was suppose to be sleeping. There she was standing at the playpen chatting away. I think they were plotting an escape plan. Jonathan had religious ed tonight too. Gus loved dinner....it was a great night for him. Pork...ice cream. Lucky guy. He asked me what I wanted to buy, like I was plotting my own plan. Hmmmm?


Today~ Well I have a basket to put together for the silent auction at Jake's school. I also am planning on heading over to perimeter for lunch with Gus and for Emily to have some daddy time. Hopefully I can get out of the house within the next two hours. Oh, and there is football practice tonight too.

Overall, busy week...more to come....Jake's birthday party tomorrow, homecoming Saturday, and birthday Sunday!

A lil' pumpkin for our pumpkin

Sunday we went to Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville for Ian's 1st birthday party. It was a nice mountain drive and took us a little over an hour to get there. Emily ate a cheeseburger from the grill. She shoveled that burger in her mouth. Daddy gave Emily her first shoulder ride. She would squeal when the wind would blow in her face. They had a playground next to their pavilion. We had to play! She also squealed in the bucket swings. Really, who doesn't love swings? She loved them. She also went down the slides too. She didn't look at all like a baby today. :( She will be 13 months this week. She is a toddler. We hiked a portion of a trail leading to the base of the waterfalls. Emily looked the view from the backpack carrier. She fits perfectly in it.

At the bottom of the mountain was Burt's Pumpkin Patch. It was a sea of pumpkins. Big honking huge pumpkins and teeny tiny baby pumpkins that fit perfectly in the hands of a 1 yr old. Here are some pictures of Emily enjoying the farm. We loved seeing her in it! She got her pumpkin and I picked out our family pumpkin too.

Warriors stomping all over everyone....

*Sigh*....another year and another loss. Those warriors win ever game. Seriously. That is football country out there and slightly frightening how indoctrinated these boys and girls are.

I think this might be Jake's last year of football for a while. We need a break. Jake needs to try other things and he isn't as gung ho as he has been in the past. We are moving on the basketball right after football. Doziers play basketball....let's hope Jake's height will help him. Did I mention that he is 4'8? How time flies. He is going to be 9 in less than 3 weeks. *sigh*

Emily hanging out at the game...