Manuel & Chelsea

The Icky stuff

2009-10-28T14:59:00.006-06:00

Dear Mr. Flu:

We'd like to Thank you for your visit. We have had so much fun while you were here... these are a few our favorite memories;

the 2 hour trip to the after hours clinic at our doctors office, with lots of other sickly coughing children, only to get a giant Q-tip shoved up our noses (seriously GIANT) until we think it touched our brains.

the lovely facemasks which we were so excited to wear,

the search around the valley for some liquid Tamiflu (did you know that even with insurance a box of Tamiflu for adults is about 100.00- yikes), which resulted in not actually locating any,

the chills and the fevers

the stomach aches and all that goes along with that- you get the picture, right

the constant hummmmmm of the washer and dryer running

the headaches (I'm sure the makers of Motrin are raking in the bucks this flu season)

the coughing and stuffy noses

the smell of Lysol from Mom spraying everything in sight- watch out she might accidentally spray you

We'd also like to Thank You from the bottom of our hearts for letting us miss school and everything else for an entire week plus 2 weekends!

We're glad you decided to leave, you have officially worn out your welcome.

P.S. Please don't plan any more visits

P.S.S. Please leave us alone for any major upcoming holiday ie. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years!

Sincerely,

Alex, Eli, David and Avery

This big collection of meds has been residing on my kitchen counter, no need really to even try to put it away. It has been an eventful past 2 weeks, thankfully Manuel and I made it through without getting sick. This is all going back to the medicine closet today- ciao!!!!!

Goodbye September

2009-09-30T23:57:00.007-06:00

and Hello to OctoberNovemberDecember. They seem to speed past me so I'm just going to combine them into 1 word!

So as we bid September farewell here's a quick update...

One last day at the pool before it closed for the summer. The boys are a little sad, they have really enjoyed the Flowrider.

David turned 6 years old on September 7th, we spent the morning relaxing since there was NO SCHOOL and then after wrangling an Iguana (see previous post) we spent the afternoon at Pirate Island Pizza. We had dinner in Smuggler's cave and then the kids played in the arcade forever. Super FUN and it was perfect for David!

We have been enjoying our garden and the tomatoes have been so yummy. It is so nice to be able to walk to the backyard when I need something. This year we grew 3 varieties of peppers, onions, carrots, 3 varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, zuchini, yellow squash and we tried corn (not sure what happened to the corn).

Avery and I flew to Las Vegas to visit my Mom and my brother Spencer for 3 days. Avery broke my camera so I am still waiting for pictures from Mom and Spenc (hint, hint), but we had a great time and Avery especially enjoyed playing with her cousin Colin.

I turned 34 on September 18th. Looking forward to a Great year!

We spent lots of time playing at the park. This is the boys rolling down the hill at Rock Canyon Park in Provo. We have also been enjoying South Fork Park up Provo Canyon.

Eli and David are taking a Hip Hop and Breakdancing class. It is super hilarious and they are really enjoying it. David is loving all the moves & practices standing on his head and spinning around at least every day. Eli is loving it too, but maybe a little more b/c he has some friends in there. It's a good thing! I'll get some pictures as soon as I get a new camera!

I'm off to break out the Halloween decorations- BOO!

A VISITOR

2009-09-23T12:29:00.005-06:00

On Memorial Day which also happened to be David's birthday this year, we had a VISITOR!

I jumped in the shower and as I'm lathering shampoo through my hair I hear yelling and excitement and commotion and "there's an emergency" type of pounding on the bathroom door. So I shut the water off and try to resolve the problem as best I can with a head full of shampoo.
Alex: Mom, I need you RIGHT NOW
Me: What's going on Alex?
Alex: Just hurry MOM
Me: Alex what is the problem, I'm kind of in the shower.... Where is your DAD?
Alex: I don't know where Dad is but you better hurry
Me: Alex can't you.....
Alex: MOM, there is a giant iguana on my window? Can you get out and help me???
Me: (thinking to myself) (An iguana.... he is so joking, if there really is an iguana how do I catch it? Do they bite? Why on earth is there an iguana in UTAH? This kid is such a joker, there are not even lizards in this part of Utah)
Alex: Mom are you coming, nevermind Eli found Dad now!

So I finish my shower and put my bathrobe on.... the house is SILENT. I guess I better go take a peek out the window.
There are about 20 people who live on our street on my front lawn, maybe there really is an iguana! I run back to my room to get dressed so I can go out in the front yard and this is what I see (it's tail is actually about 3 times as long as it's body and it is so strong) .........

Seriously, I wouldn't ever have expected this! What an fun surprise! We found out it had actually escaped from the neighbor's house a few doors down about 6 weeks before this. Thankfully Manuel was able to use his iguana catching skills and get it before it ran away again!

There's never a dull moment around here:) We wouldn't want it any other way!

Sloppy Joe's

2009-08-14T00:12:00.002-06:00

So the other night our ward has the "Annual Ward Picnic, Car Show & Pool Party" at a local park.
I thought just by the title we could find something for each member of my family to enjoy, Who doesn't love a car show anyway! After a disappointing phone call from Manuel telling me that he was going to be home late and would be missing this "high on his priority list" activity, I decided to go at it solo. After all, it's just a ward picnic, car show and pool party, I can do this one by myself.
So after I've parked the car and given the boys the lecture about eating healthy, not touching the food unless your planning on eating it, no smelling things if your not sure about them and only choosing 1 dessert then I let them loose.
I decided to just sit down and save us a spot to sit while they navigated the food table, Avery had stopped at the playground so I could just eat after the boys got their dinner.
Eli arrives at the table first with a cupcake, 3 pieces of cake and a large pile of potato chips in the center. He quickly drops his plate on the table and races back to get a cup of root beer. Upon his return I asked him where his dinner was. "This is my dinner, it's all I like over there" I see the talk in the car really made an impact....
David arrives next, strangely he has the exact same thing as Eli. He sits down very quickly and starts inhaling cake while not making eye contact with me or answering me when I say his name. After several bites of cake he finally looks at me and says "Mom, they have some wierd hamburgers, but not really hamburger thingys over there. I can't eat them or I'll throw up"
Alex then sits by me with a strange look on his face but a much better looking dinner plate, he nods to his plate and says "What is this Mom?"
Oh, the mystery dinner item is a Sloppy Joe.................................................. I said to Alex" You should try it you might like it."
The sweet sister next to me, who has quietly been listening to all of this sits up a little straighter and sticks her head very close to me and in her best speaking voice says " Do you mean to tell me your kids have never had a Sloppy Joe, what on earth do you feed them?"
What on earth do I feed them? I was just wondering if I missed a memo about sloppy joes being a staple in the diet of picky children? I think I'll be revamping my menu to try and acclimate them to the american classic of Sloppy Joes!
Oh and by the way, the car show was a hit- especially with the 5 and under crowd! The pool party was great except everyone was freezing to death. Can anyone tell me why it is so COLD here in Utah in the middle of August??????
Wishing your family lots of fun at your Annual ward picnic this year- I bet your jealous that you didn't get to have a car show too;)

Just a few things I am loving lately...

2009-08-10T01:10:00.005-06:00

Tomato Sandwiches & Corn on the Cob- this is my all time favorite summer food- Thanks to my friend Stephanie for getting me hooked!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake- I never would have thought I could love it as much as real "bad for you" chocolate cake. The kids all love it too- Oh except for Eli, he found a tiny piece of something green in his cake and now he thinks we are secretly putting vegetables in everything-ugghh!!!

Sundance Day Camp- The boys are loving camp up at Sundance! I am loving some quiet time around the house and it's so awesome to have them tired at the end of the day from spending the day up in the mountains. They really keep them busy and my boys never get tired of riding the ski lift up to the top of the mountain- they have had nothing but rave reviews each of the days they have gone.

Glimmer Mist and Distress Inks- I have been really working hard to squeeze some scrapbook time into my schedule and I have been having so much fun playing with these. Maybe I'll get brave and post some of my pages. It really is the coolest stuff!

The slushy store- My kids are loving the slushy store around the corner.

The Lindon Pool and the Flowrider!- Seriously this has saved my sanity this summer. It is clean, easy to keep track of my kiddos and the Flowrider has been a huge hit with Alex, especially. He seriously will stay there for at least 8 hours riding it! I hav some pics so I'll try and get them downloaded so you can see how much fun it it!

Hope you are all enjoying these last few weeks of summer- Yikes, I can't believe school is starting in less than 2 weeks!!!

Washers

2009-06-26T16:44:00.004-06:00

(Okay, still working on Part 2 to my last post, I promise it's coming.)

I will be the first to admit I have a serious love/hate relationship with all things LAUNDRY!

I love to sort the laundry, I hate to pick it up from the floor in what seems like every room, every day!!!

I love it when my laundry room is clean and smells good, but I hate that I have to clean it everyday to keep it that way.

I love having warm, clean smelling clothes fresh out of the dryer, I hate that my washer is continually having issues- serious issues!!!!

I love to fold laundry, I hate putting it away.

I think it's time to eliminate some of my "hates". After reviewing them I think getting a new washer is the one I actually have the most control over and the one I may actually have some success with (previous attemps to have some boys in my home help with picking up said dirty clothes or helping to put away said nicely folded clothes has proved highly unsuccessful!)

So I'd like washer recommendations, I am looking at the front loading kind that wash LOTS of stuff at once and that can accomodate big fluffy blankets!

Let me know if you have a washer and dryer set that you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!
Happy Weekend to you!!!!

We are still alive!!!!

2009-06-05T20:39:00.011-06:00

Hello everyone!!!! I'm so excited to be back blogging again. It's been 4 months since my last post- I can't believe it!!!

Anyway, I realize that I left ya'll hanging on my last post so here's to an update and hopefully more regular posts from here on out!!!

YES, we did actually move! It was really difficult to leave, we were really enjoying the neighborhood and the ward and the good friends the kids were making. We were not enjoying all the little problems that started showing up in the house. All in all, it worked out to be a blessing for us.

Avery enjoying some chocolate milk on one of the only seats left in the old house!

This is our current house! I say current because this will be a temporary landing spot for us while we look for lots or until we find a house with everything that we are looking for.

David and Avery are getting so big and they are great helpers, they love to help me paint or in this case distress a piece of furniture that has been in the family for a long time.

Avery is getting to be a pro on her scooter, she has loved being able to take it outside and ride up and down the street. She also continues to impress us with her fashion choices- gotta love those snowboots in the spring!!

Our street has a slight incline and Alex and his cousins love to ride down the street on their longboards, scooters, and ripsticks. There is a neighbor dog that isn't so nice that chases them sometimes, but I'm to scared to stay outside and try to get a picture of it- It is scary but really so hilarious!

We sold our old Orem house- we were really happy to get close to what we wanted out of it and are so grateful that we are done taking care of multiple houses!!!!

We celebrated our 14th Anniversary in March- no pictures or fun things because we were all sick! It's okay we look the same as we always do!!!

Alex turned 11 on April 1st. He only wanted an Ipod touch so after he had earned half the money we pitched in the rest and gave it to him for his birthday gift!!!! We wrapped up a fake toy Ipod and gave it to him before he left for school, he was confused but I think he was catching on that there was something more for him. He wanted to eat Filet Mignon at home so we stayed here and had a little celebration. It was fun and he was super excited to get his Ipod Touch!

Eli turned 8 on April 7th. He was a little upset that he didn't get a MP3 player that Alex had convinced him that he "needed", but we got him lots of fun toys and action figures that he loves to play with. He wanted to eat at Brick Oven so we had dinner there and then cake when we got back home.

Manuel's niece had a baby, his name is Joshua and Little Miss Avery is in heaven!!!!!!

Manuel and I went for a weekend to Colorado- shocking, yes I know! It was really fun to have some alone time away from the kids and we loved seeing all our old friends in Louisville. It was raining when we flew in and by mid-afternoon they had started to cancel flights and close roads because of the snow. We made it to our hotel and pretty much had to hang out there for Friday and a good portion of Saturday.

Even with the snow, we wouldn't have missed meeting Trish and Gerry (and Kyle) for dinner. They actually bought dinner for us which was not part of the plan. Now they need to come here so we can treat them to dinner!!! HINT HINT!!! We'd still love to meet you in MOAB, Mapquest says it is 5 hours and 47 minutes from Louisville!!

Thanks again guys it was great to catch up!!!

Okay so I think that catches me up through April so for now we'll leave you with.....

TO BE CONTINUED...................................................

Busy Thoughts!

2009-02-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is busy, but somehow you WONDER WOMEN seem to find time to

download your photos and write fun little posts that I so enjoy reading. So I guess this is a "confessional" of sorts.

I am a blog reader and not the blog writer that I thought I would be.

I just can't find time to do both.

I think updating every month is more my style! Someday:

I'll have a food blog,

I'll workout everyday,

My house will actually stay clean,

I'll have an art studio where I can sit in the sunlight and be creative,

but for right now I am a Mom. That is my main focus and everything else must WAIT!!!!!

I'm still WONDER WOMAN, I just won't be wearing that little outfit anytime soon!!!

So, until I get the "blogging bug" back again, please know that I love to read your blogs and hear about your fabulously exciting lives!

P.S. We are probably moving soon, our house is having structural "issues" that we are not comfortable with so we are probably going to rent somewhere for a little while till we can find another home that we love!!! Call me if you want more details, we haven't told the kids yet so keep it on the down low for a little longer. I'll give you contact info once I know a little more!!!!! UGGGHHH!!!

Catch Up!

2008-12-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have good reasons for not blogging lately, here are a few of them......

Ahh, the deliciousness of this time of year!!!! We have been doing some baking and enjoying all the fun treats and time in the kitchen. The kids are turning into great little sous chefs!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Bread

we sprinkled raw sugar on the top and it gave it a delightful extra layer of goodness!

We have done a few arts and crafts projects- anything to keep the kiddos busy and happy while it's freezing outside!

David and Will and Avery(those are her fingers on the bottom left) having a blast using up all my old Christmas die cuts!
Avery painting a birdhouse that Manuel put together for her. That is serious talent to paint with 2 paintbrushes;)

We have been doing some decorating, these are a few of my favorite projects. Still lots to do but we are making progress!

This makes me smile everytime I look at it!!!!

We spent some time with Grandpa in town over Thanksgiving.

The highlight of the visit was putting fire crackers in the apples in the backyard and blowing them up.

Eli flexed his muscles with Santa!
Alex had a singing performance at the tree lighting ceremony at Zions Bank where Santa made an appearance. All the pictures of Alex had another boys head in the way- sorry Alex!!!

Manuel had a Birthday- He is 41-yikes;). I'd list 41 reasons why I love him but he never reads this so I think I'll just give him 41 kisses instead!!!!
We decorated the tree and listened to Christmas music!!!!!

We have been enjoying our generous helping of snow, every few days!
Snow boot requests have been added to everyone's Christmas lists- Is it too late to make requests??

We have tried to take SEVERAL pictures of the kids for a christmas card, all in various locations, (the couch was a last resort) This one is in the running for the BEST PHOTO!!!!! I'm planning to keep trying so if you see a Christmas card anytime between now and Valentines Day, consider yourself lucky!
We spent 1 evening at David's preschool for the annual holiday concert. Seriously don't let this picture deceive you, this is the only second that he actually sang. I'll try to download the video clips that I have. It is one of the best concerts in Yanguez family history!!!!

Happy Holidays!

Love the Yanguez Family!!!!!

Congratulations!

2008-11-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Congrats are in order for the youngest member of our family... Avery is finally potty trained!

(I am so happy to not have to add diapers to my grocery list anymore!)

Weekends

2008-11-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

There are many Saturdays that get filled up with errands and all the nonsense that life throws at me, but last Saturday was different. We had a LAZY day!!!!! This means no trips to the grocery store, no laundry, no cleaning! What this also means is that I could actually revisit my days before I had children who needed me. This means that DAD is home and he can put out fires, make lunch and holler at the children to put their shoes on and close the door as they bolt for the backyard. This means that my deep yearning to create something or do something crafty may actually be satisfied. Could I really get a project started and finished in one day?

It was a longshot but I was optimistic and willing to give it a try just to please my creative soul.

The old piano in my front room has been begging me to make it pretty again, and I knew I could restore it, if only I could find the time. I guess this is THE TIME!!!

I've mentioned before this piano that my grandma so kindly gave to me. It has a story, like so many things in our lives do. While all its dents and scratches hinted to how long it has been around and to how many behinds have sat on it's bench, I knew it could look better, I knew it could look as good as it sounds. I knew it could be restored to pretty close to what it looked like when my sweet grandma returned from her LDS mission in 1947 and purchased it for $800.00. I knew that it was my turn to add my chapter to this pianos long and wonderful journey. You see, this piano is a treasure to me even though I can't even play it! Someday I WILL play it!

The Bench BEFORE

The Bench AFTER

This is the last corner. The part on the left is already done- so much better!

The above 2 are both AFTER pictures, It looks so awesome that it needed 2 pictures

Laughed so hard... I cried!

2008-11-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

I hope I can re-tell this and have it be as funny as when Manuel told me.

Manuel received a calling during the summer to work with the 12 year old boy scouts. He meets weekly with them and then camping trips once in a while. So the other day Manuel gets an email about a meeting on thursday night that he needs to attend. Well, Thursday night is sort of when he plays basketball and more recently it's also become chess night. So he crossed the chess game off his list and went to the meeting in his clothes for basketball.

He walks into a room full of very serious scouting men and women, they are decked out in more scout paraphenelia than he has ever seen and they seem to be all older than him. He takes a seat and they start talking and presenting people with various neckerchifs (sp) and awards . Two men suddenly stand up and start singing a song something along these lines...

"We are the Owls, we are the Owls" Complete with shoulder movements up and down

"We are the Owls, we are looking for something that we just don't know" At least this is what Manuel is hearing. He said he turned his head sideways and raised his eyebrows.

The men sit down and they keep talking when another set of men stand up and start singing...

"We are the Beavers, We are the Beavers"

"We are the Beavers, we are looking for something that we just don't know"

"What in the world is this" (in Manuel's voice it is so hilarious), He is thinking

So they finish the program and an older gentleman approaches Manuel and asks if he is new here.

"Uh, yeah I'm new here" says Manuel

The old man says" Well welcome to the Brotherhood of the Beaver" he moves his face a little closer to Manuel and he puts his 2 front teeth out and makes a beaver noise.

"OMG, I have to get out of here" Manuel says to himself

He excuses himself to use the bathroom and puts those basketball shoes to good use as he BOLTS out of the church.

Whew!!! A deep sigh of relief and a fear that he won't soon forget..... The Brotherhood of the Beaver!!!!!

Autumn Fun

2008-11-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

It's definitely a busy time of year, but OH SO FUN!!!

This is our trip to the Corn Maze at Thanksgiving Point. We went a few days before Halloween and it was pleasantly on the warm side. Yes, I know Avery's hair is a mess, she took out her barettes!

Alex, Eli and JT trying to decide which way to go.

My cousin Ben got married the day before Halloween so Avery and I went to the reception at Wheeler Farm, it was good to see family that we don't see too often. But the best part was

when sweet little Thomas actually asked Avery to dance. She was a little unsure at first but they got it down! Such a cute little moment!

Halloween!!!!!

I don't know what else to say, we had a fabulous night. We had MUMMIES for dinner and the older boys went trick or treating (before I got the camera out) with their friends from the neighborhood and their cousins. They scored BIG in the candy dept, which I have since had to hide from them, oops I mean myself;).

This is my "Pottery Barn catalog" photo from Halloween. They seriously are so cute at this age!!

We have been raking leaves, they are

NEVER-ENDING around here! But the kids have had NEVER-ENDING fun hiding in them. They love to play "Ghosts in the Graveyard"! (This is a VERY small sampling of all the leaves!)

I did some Fall-ish decorating! I know it's funny for those of you who have been to my house. I have hardly decorated the regular parts of my house (I really am working on it, just indecisive and BUSY), but the leaves falling outside made me want to celebrate the season and put some of my holiday decor out where it could actually be enjoyed.

My goal is to have made some serious decorating "headway" before the end of this month. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Have a Fabulous week, I think we only have 2 1/2 weeks to Thanksgiving!!!

Happy x3

2008-10-27T00:30:00.001-06:00

I believe we have done it. I actually found a sport that ALL three of my boys are loving!!!!!!

Yes, I signed them up for Wrestling at the local THROWDOWN gym.

This is a 1 month introduction course and if they like it they can go on and do competition.

I personally thought we'd be a soccer, baseball, football, basketball family, but they are having so much fun. So I'll trade sitting on the sidelines of a soccerfield for the soft cushy mat at the gym if they are having fun!!!! David is a natural- he's super fast and he's strong, he's still trying to get used to wierd little boys grabbing his legs but he's a pro.

Eli, well he is out for blood or anything else he can get. He is STRONG and determined to take down anyone that gets in his way. I am thinking he is picturing more WWF style, since he grabbed his partner's shirt and just started swinging him in circles. A little bit of instruction from the coach and he's headed in the right direction now!

David and his partner, this looks more like Karate but they are supposed to be practicing their squatting- I think it's called a stance? I'll have to work on my terminology;)

Alex is doing a more advanced version of what the younger kids are doing. He's a little shy and still getting all the rules down but he's doing awesome. He's also really strong and his long legs are an advantage to him. This is his summary of his first week. "It's really fun but you have to get used to grabbing people in wierd places and putting your head in wierd places and then hoping your opponent doesn't FART!" I thought that was hilarious!!!! Oh, how I love a 10 year old boys!!!!

Lastly, I just had to include this picture! I realized that wrestling is not a sport that is easy to photograph, this "photo shoot" made me seriously question any photographic ability that I may have had! 70% of my pictures look like this one below and the other 30% are the ones above and several pictures of peoples backs, butts, ears & legs. I don't start out trying to get a coach's butt in my photo but they always move before my camera actually takes the picture and now I have some really "precious" pictures that are begging to be deleted from my camera!

Anyway, have a happy week and we'll keep you updated on our little wrestling experience!!!!

Zion National Park

2008-10-23T16:45:00.000-06:00

Last Weekend the kids had some time off from school so we took a little weekend trip and headed to Southern Utah. Spencer and Erica came up from Las Vegas, Mom and Uncle Paul came up from Las Vegas and Phoenix, Dad and Georgeanne drove all the way from Albuquerque and Keegan and Katey came from Orem. We missed Noelle and Bree and their families but maybe they can make it next time

The scenery was spectacular at Zion National Park

I decided that while camping would not be my first choice for a family activity it was a fabulous little dose of bonding time. The kids really enjoyed being able to do whatever they wanted. They had a really good time with their cousin and hanging out with aunts and uncles and grandparents. They consumed record amounts of marshmallows and carved record numbers of sticks with their assortment of pocket knifes. They got to go to sleep without taking a shower. They totally loved the tent and Eli even got to sleep in Tryston's tent with him on the last night.

They spent lots of time chasing lizards and Alex actually caught this little guy. Gotta love the dirty hands here! There was no shortage of dirt on this little adventure.

Eli and David were good helpers to scout out wood for the fires. I love this sweet little moment of TEAMWORK!!!!

River and Rocks equals lots of fun, I know you can't see their faces but I loved this picture!

Avery was so proud that she found a walking stick- it was perfect for her and just her size!

I can't believe my kids are so big, and I can't believe Tryston snuck into this picture.

Thanks everyone for a Wonderful Weekend!

Weekend Goodies

2008-10-13T11:57:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share a few goodies from our weekend!

Friday:
*I am the proud owner of a Honda Odyssey. My husband has been testing my vehicle patience since he sold my Excursion a few weeks ago. I am now a minivan driver BY CHOICE, I can finally say it without shuttering. After test driving several cars and factoring in the cost of gas, the size of my family and my sheer dislike for parking GIANT cars in small parking spaces I fell in love with the Honda Odyssey. Yes, it's a milestone for me to be a minivan driver but I'll carry the title proudly!!!!

*I went to lunch with some of the ladies in our cul-de-sac, Thanks Jill for the delish food!

*Manuel's friends and family joined us for a fabulous cookout, we thought we'd send summer off with burgers and dogs on the grill, guacamole and chips and a generous supply of "Death by chocolate".

Saturday:
*We woke up late since it was dark and rainy/hailing/snowing outside. It was heavenly to sleep in!!!!!!

*We cranked up the heater for some of that yummy first use of the heater smell! It was fun for it to be cold! Yes I like it cold until about February when I'm tired of all the work it takes to go out of the house.

*Manuel went and ran some errands while we cleaned up the house, which went fairly quickly and smooth.

*We made cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa- the best on a cold day!

*I caught up on some work in the office while Manuel set up the tent in the front room to be sure the whole family would fit in it for our camping trip this weekend. We have differing opinions on the sleeping arrangements with some preferring to be sleeping sardine style while others of us prefer our space while sleeping. Either way, it was fun to set the tent up inside the house.

Sunday:
*Woohoo, we made it to church ON TIME, even in the snow. We are pretty proud of ourselves;)

*After church we cozied up in our warmest jammies and fluffiest socks and layed around.

*Manuel's Mom had lunch ready for us after church, she must have been reading my mind b/c I was not in a cooking mood!

*I did a little bit of scrapbooking!

*Since we had a late, big lunch we had scones for dinner, More deliciousness for the cold weekend. Okay not so delicious for my figure, I'll get back to working out this week.

*After scones and showers we watched Nanny Mcphee and I painted Avery's toes and fingers.

I'll take a weekend like this anytime, bring on the cold stormy days!

Yanguez- well represented

2008-10-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

Manuel got his 15 seconds of fame today.

While we were at the Temple dedication in Panama Carole Mikita (KSL 5 news) stopped Manuel and his brother Isaac for an interview. They were happy to share their feelings but secretly they were super pumped that they "might" be on TV.

The other day we found out the special for the Panama Temple would air after conference on Sunday. We watched it and loved that we were able to recognize many places and lots of friends of Manuel's and new friends we had met while we were there.

Manuel's niece Stefy was shown in the video practicing for their dance which they performed at that cultural celebration.

Stefy is just under the left side of the screen with a blue skirt on

Manuel and Isaac BOTH had their comments included in the special. We were cheering and it was super fun to see their names on TV and have them represent the Yanguez family!

I guess it takes little to entertain us, but it was such a fun experience and to be able to share it with others is just icing on the cake.

(sorry I couldn't find any footage of the special on the internet, so I suppose you'll just have to trust me if you didn't get to see it)

Better Days

2008-10-03T00:15:00.000-06:00

Today was a much better day

(THANKFULLY)!

I realized today that the positives outweigh the negatives. Here are a few of my favorite positives

*Crying feels good once in a while- even if your big

*My husband is so much better at solving teacher problems than I am and that school bully might actually leave Alex alone after getting a talkin' to from maybe the tallest guy he's ever met.

*Pizza Hut pasta is a lifesaver on nights when hornets attack.

*There is a beautiful mountain that I can see from my front porch and it is covered with colors of fall.

*A phone call from an old friend just when I needed to talk is a true blessing (Thanks Trish).

*Halloween decorations are slowly creeping up in my yard and in the house and it feels good to be welcoming the holidays.

*I have three handsome boys and a beautiful little girl who are healthy and vibrant and love me even though I'm far from perfect.

* I have a Heavenly Father who constantly reassures me that I am loved and doing the right things even when they are hard and overwhelming.

Realized

2008-10-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

Today I realized a few things:

Teachers can make you cry even if you are the parent- my son's teacher, with the best of intentions I'm sure of, asked me if I had ever considered putting him on medication. He would rather daydream than do his math and his handwriting. Can I blame him, he's a 7 year old boy? Truth be told I'd rather be daydreaming than doing half the monotonous things I have to do everyday too.

Kids are meaner than I remember- I've never wanted to home school my kids, but I can see why some people do it. The kids these days are just brutally mean and can make a 10 year old feel so horrible! I wish I could go to school and just fix everything and we aren't even to junior high yet.

Treasure hunts and hornets don't mix- Okay I already knew nothing mixes with hornets but apparently my boys had to find this out the hard way. So I'm boohoo-ing to my neighbor about my school woes and I hear the "something is really wrong" scream. So we run back home and find David and Eli with multiple hornet stings. I guess they found a "pack of hornets" (Eli's explanation) and the hornets started attacking them. David got stung on the face, head and ankle and Eli got stung on the head. Oh such an awful end to the treasure hunting. I doped them up on Benadryl and Motrin and hopefully it will be a distant memory in the morning.

Ohhh, the hard lessons of life!

Smarty Pants

2008-09-30T08:08:00.000-06:00

Kids- Happily playing outside on the deck with the train table that Manuel brought from the old house

David- "Choo, choo, get out of my way"
Will- "Choo, Choo no you get out of my way"
Avery- oh so qiuetly stealing pieces of the train track or train and throwing them off the deck
David- "Moooooom, Avery is throwing our trains off the deck, Moooooom"
Mom- "Avery pick up the trains that you threw off the deck"
Avery- big smile with her head cocked to one side and her hands behind her back
Mom- "Avery, you have to pick up the toys that you threw off the deck"
Avery- arms in the air "But, MOOOM, I'm LITTLE"
Mom- "Avery, Please go and pick up the trains"
Avery- sits on the chair on the deck " But, I'll just go to TIME OUT"
Mom- bite my lip so she doesn't see my smile and back to the dishes, I guess if she's putting herself in timeout and I'm laughing then we can pick up the trains later:)

Finally 5 Years Old

2008-09-17T14:05:00.000-06:00

David actually turned 5 on September 7th. Even though I'm a lot behind, he still deserves a little birthday spotlight on the family blog!

David has been waiting to turn 5 for what seems like forever, most of his friends are already five and he has had to wait. He also missed the cutoff for Kindergarten so he will do preschool for 1 more year. He was a little sad about not going to school with one of his best buds, William, but he has quickly forgotten about it. David is a simple guy, he pretty much goes along with whatever is happening, he loves to wrestle and be tickled and he is an awesomely fast runner! David loves to eat croissants and chocolate milk, hot cocoa at any time of the year and basically anything else with chocolate involved. (wonder where he got that from;))

This was his choice for his Birthday Breakfast, OJ-complete with a fancy cup, courtesy of Mom- Scrambled "eggys" and cinnamon rolls. Delish!

David got a new bike and lots of fun Ben 10 toys, books, hulk toys and a fun new pillow to read in bed with.
I have to explain "the cake". Usually cakes are more interesting at our house but this year David requested a Ben 10 cake. Not a problem you might say except for the fact that David doesn't care much for cake. After a little brainstorming I decided that he would much rather eat brownies or cookies. So I made a brownie cookie bar combination complete with several Ben 10 aliens and some green sugar sprinkles. Alex helped me with the aliens and Eli doused the completed project with the green sugar. Brownies, cookies and ice cream- score in my book!!!!

We Love you and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!!!!!

Starry night and a Piano (& Cello)

2008-09-15T20:21:00.000-06:00

Manuel and I don't go on dates nearly as much as we should, partly because we get tired of just going to dinner and partly because it's soooo much work to even get out of the house. But, I was really itching to have some much needed quiet time with my handsome hubby. You know where you don't really have to talk about everything that's happening but you just need to reconnect and remember how it was before we had 4 aliens invade our lives:)
So, I was perusing the Thanksgiving Point webpage wishing I had signed up for a cooking class that would offer me some escape from the current chaos and I fell upon their calendar. Hmmmmm, an outdoor concert sounded like a FABULOUS plan. So I bought the tickets, penciled in a DATE NIGHT over our adult session of Stake Conference (it felt a little like the few times I actually ditched a class at school- hehehe) arranged a babysitter, gathered up my favorite warmest blankets and started imagining a peaceful evening listening to none other than Jon Schmidt on the piano!!!

It turned out that it was even better than I had imagined! The night was crisp and the stars were out, there was a waterfall behind the outdoor "stage" and it was so peaceful to cuddle with my WARM, drop dead gorgeous, sweet polo-smelling husband. We didn't really have to talk about much but it was exactly the kind of time we needed together. Jon Schmidt was incredible and really funny and their was a hilarious guy playing the cello.
We'll mark this down as one of our best dates and make a mental note to go again next year! Happy dating and I hope your husband smells as good as mine does;)

Lots to SMILE about

2008-09-03T20:53:00.000-06:00

Even though school has started and there is a hint of autumn in the air we haven't let summer go quite yet. Here are few fun things we have had going on this past week.

We went for a drive on Sunday afternoon and couldn't resist playing in the COLD water up Provo canyon!

Thank goodness for Crocs- This is Eli and David braving the icy water, Alex wouldn't let me take his picture;(

My sweet Grandma had her piano shipped to me!!!!!Hallelujah!!!! I have longed for a piano since I was a little girl and even though I'm going to be 33 here soon I am determined to learn to play it! Yeah it has been well used and could use a little cosmetic work but it sounds so beautiful and it makes my heart so happy when one of the kids sits down and starts playing like I did when I was little!!!! Thanks so much Grandma!

Yummy------ Strawberry jam, okay so it's only freezer jam but Alex and I think it's the best!!!! Especially on pancakes and french toast!!!!

Manuel's sister Doris and her family surprised us for a weekend visit. It was fun to hang out with them. Avery loved listening to Bryan's music. Sorry I didn't get more pictures of the rest of the family!

Ahhh a bit of nostalgia... this swing used to hang on a big tree in front of my Great Grandma Beck's house in Tooele. Avery is such a DOLL and I'm so proud that my camera got such a good shot. David is anti-picture boy so I tricked him. He couldn't get off the swing fast enough to duck out of this picture, he sure is a handsome little rascal!

Avery discovered how SOFT a rose petal is!

Grandpa came to visit and surprisingly enough got the kids to stand in a picture. David won't look at the camera, but at least he is there!;)

More Panama pictures- CLICK "VIEW ALL IMAGES"

2008-08-21T10:20:00.000-06:00

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Pictures

2008-08-20T23:43:00.000-06:00

These are some of my favorites from over 400 pictures. We are so happy to share them with everyone- it truly was the most spectacular 3 weeks of all of our lives. We feel so blessed to be able to have the time together as a family and are Grateful that we have been given the means to be able to make this happen!!!!

Pictures Soon!

2008-08-18T23:35:00.001-06:00

I promise pictures are coming soon, my computer was having issues trying to download over 400 pictures but it's finally done. There are so many of them now I need to put a few of them into a slide show. Give me a few more days and I will have them done.

School started today...... Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Now I have less fighting children to referee for half of the day and hopefully when they come home they will have missed each other and will find it in their sweet little hearts to be kind and nice to each other. Okay- let me dream for a moment!!!!! Okay hopefully when they are big they will be kind and nice to each other... that's not to much to hope for, is it?

I was super excited this year to not have to get up super early to drive them to their old school, they are going to a school right close to home, but I still have to drive them. Anyway, we left early today to get them there before 9:15- track 2 start time- since we missed the open house the other night. Alex teacher informs me that is in fact on track 1 and should be arriving at 8:00 am. What, you must be joking right. So I go up to the office to "clear" up this confusion and find out that there are no 2nd grade classes with track 2 openings so they have to put us on Track 1. Oh no, all my little visions of sleeping in and not having to get up early have just gone out the window. I know, poor me, I'll actually have to be on a better schedule. This means not only do the boys have to get to bed on time, but Manuel and I have to go to bed a little earlier. We are such night owls, we'll have to see how this goes. It is almost midnight so I'd better get to bed!
Goodnight!

Long Overdue....Sorry

2008-08-10T22:05:00.000-06:00

Okay, so why would I want to blog when I could be sitting on the beach.........So I have asked myself this question and although my desire to share our adventures has crossed my mind, it just hasn´t won out over sitting on the beach or hanging out with my hubby and kids. Believe it or not the few times that I have wanted to blog the internet was down, plus I forgot the USB cable to my camera so I can´t post any pics for you to enjoy.
So setting all this aside, the kids are knocked out and it is too dark to be outside and we didn´t swim today so I´m not dead tired so I´ll give you some highlights of the past few weeks.

The boys caught 82 oysters the other day with Manuel. We thought we wanted to cook them but the boys felt bad killing them and none of us, except Katie and Isaac, like to eat them. They thought that was super fun and had a healthy competition going, I think Alex won.

The house we rented has been great. There is a pool in the yard and as soon as the grass ends there are stairs to the sand below. It´s really fun to have the ocean for a backyard, and it is actually fairly loud so it´s really neat to hear the waves crashing against the sand. I hope we will be able to leave here, I think there may have to be some beach property in this families future.

The kids are getting to know Manuel´s side of the family better, they have come to the house to spend time so we have had lots of fun swimming, eating and playing with cousins and aunts and uncles.

We spent a weekend at the Pearl Islands', for all you Survivor fans they filmed a season there. We stayed at Contadora Island but there are 7 islands in total so they had the Survivor people on a different island. The support crews would come to the resort everyday to eat so that was sort of neat. They are filming a new show to air in Central America and another on to air in Israel. We met a lady from Colombia that had just been voted off so it was fun to talk to her.
While we were there we swam, drank lots of Pina Coladas, swam some more, ate way too much food, found an eel, rode a boat out to see some whales and visit an uninhabited island, collected lots of shells, found lots of crabs and found a baby octopus.
The whales were the absolute coolest experience we could have had, I´ll go into more detail after we get home but they seemed like prehistoric creatures coming up out of the water. It was such a fun privilege to share those times with my kids.

We visited the Panama Canal and watched a ship go through the locks, really a neat thing to watch even though it was raining like crazy.

We took the kids to the Open House for the temple, it has the biggest chandelier I have ever seen and the boys were so amazed at what the inside of the temple looks like. Manuel and Isaac went to the dedication today and had some really powerful experiences there, we had babysitting issues so I stayed back with the kids. Carole Mikita was there for KSL news and she interviewed them so they thought that was pretty fun.

This week we are visiting the Atlantic Ocean, which is much more clear than the Pacific. This is actually my favorite beach that we are going to where the kids can see all the colorful fish, no whales here but plenty of new fun stuff to check out.

I´m sure I´ve missed some things so when we get home and download all the pictures I´ll post those and do some elaborating. We miss everyone and are anxious to come home but at the same time feel like we could stay here for a long time. See you all soon!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHH......... The Beach!!!!!

2008-07-09T22:00:00.000-06:00

The countdown is on.......We leave for Panama in 12 days!!!!!!!!

I can't believe how fast our trip is coming, Coming fast enough that none of us can stop talking about it. Everything right now is somehow related to this trip- dinner conversations, to do lists, shopping, the mood in our home is just overall a little lighter and filled with excitement.

Ohhh, the nice soft grass!!!!

2008-07-02T22:43:00.000-06:00

It is quite a chore to get all 4 of the kids to sit still to take a picture, add in there the fact that Alex is "too big" for pictures and the end result is typically the sides of at least 1 or more of the kids heads. So I decided to trick them into laying on the super soft grass at the park to see who could find a bird or an airplane first. It worked like a charm and I actually got a super cute shot. I think this is our new favorite pose so don't be surprised if you see more of these.

Camera Time

2008-06-24T00:56:00.000-06:00

So this is the camera I finally decided on..... It's a Nikon Coolpix S600.!!!

I didn't really want a big bulky camera but I needed something faster than the Kodak one we had that mysteriously disappeared! I still need to play with it and figure out all the fun things it does but we went to the park tonight and took some fun pictures(I'll post some later- sorry).

It's pretty fast and it lets you get super close up for being an itty bitty digital! Now, I will probably need another week to download the software onto my computer since Manuel is at Scout Camp ALL week and I'm playing the single parenting game, but I'm super excited to be able to take pics again.

Hopefully this will get me out of my blogging rut........I just couldn't justify blogging without pictures.

"I'm Bored"

2008-06-23T23:56:00.000-06:00

Okay, is it possible to be this BORED this early in the summer. I promised myself that we were going to have a fun summer packed with activities and we've done well but now on the days that we don't go anywhere you'd think the world was coming to an end!!! Seriously, we do have things to do around the house, we do need days to relax and Avery doesn't have the endurance of a 10 year old so we can't always be gone.

So today Alex was BORED, the other kids had managed to invent some game on the trampoline and were playing so good.

Alex- "mom, it's so boring outside"
Mom- "alex, I can't imagine that there is nothing for you to do outside"
Alex- "no mom there is NOTHING to do outside"
Mom- "go climb a tree, go swing in the hammock, play basketball, just go outside"
Alex- "but it's too hot and all that stuff is boring"

So this is our conversation at least several times every day. Were we this bad when we were growing up? If so, I apologize to my parents for the torture I put them through!

So I've decided to put a whole bunch of little pieces of paper in a "BORED JAR", the next time they pull the bored card, I'm going to let them choose something out of my jar, some of them are fun and some not so fun (clean out your closet, take out any trash in the house etc. etc).

SO..... wish me luck!!!!

P.S. I'm open to new ideas from any of you other moms, with BORED children!!!!

The little white house

2008-06-12T23:59:00.000-06:00

Back in September 2006, Manuel got this bright idea that it would be fun to "flip" a house. We had looked at a few houses "for fun" but just never jumped on any of them. Really, we weren't even sure if we could qualify for another house because we were self-employed and still had some debt from starting our business. But, Manuel loves to look at houses and "dream" about all the things he could change and fix to make them beautiful. So after months of casually throwing the idea around we actually decided to get pre-qualified, but for me it was more to tell Manuel that we couldn't buy another house and he could stop looking anytime. So when the loan officer at the bank gave us the green light, I was shocked and actually scared that this may all actually happen! It really was a dream of Manuel's so I started going with him to look at properties, we came accross this little white house and we both liked it(as much as one can like a house that is in serious disrepair and seriously dirty/ gross inside), it was on a corner lot and really needed a lot of help and it was really close to our house. Just what Manuel was looking for- a house he could rescue!!!! So we found out it was going into foreclosure only 10 days after we looked at it, which meant we had to make some decisions super fast! So after some intense praying and a miracle worker loan officer we were buying another house. YIKES!!!!!!!

This is a semi-before picture of the front room, there was nasty carpet in here that they tore up before I was even allowed in the house.
This is the after picture of the family room.
This is the before picture of the kitchen
This is the picture after Manuel worked his magic. He truly is amazing!!!!!!! At the beginning of this process we thought it was only going to take a couple of months. About a month after we bought it, I got really sick with that Staph infection which slowed Manuel's progress down, we decided to take it slowly and just figure things out as we went along. It was a rough year and a half of paying an extra mortgage and utitlities and renovating costs, but we just made it work. Now, a year and a half after our purchase we have finally SOLD it. We feel so blessed to have been able to pay off ALL our debt and even were able to squeeze enough out to buy our airplane tickets to take our family to Panama to see the temple be dedicated. We truly feel blessed and grateful that things worked out the way they did!!!!

Are you kidding me???

2008-05-14T23:05:00.001-06:00

OMG!!!! I just had to share this with all of you! Okay so after I stopped laughing I started to imagine one of my children ( the smaller versions, of course) actually strapped to a bathroom wall... More laughing!!! Then I started wondering what the weight limits are for this contraption- Can I strap David to a bathroom wall... More laughing!!! Okay so maybe I could use it for Avery, but what if David takes off and I have to go chasing him down. Should I unhook the kid who is harnessed to the bathroom stall or just leave them dangling there while I chase my older child out of the bathroom???? HMMMM Not sure what to do?

I'm all about being a germ-a-phob, believe me I try to avoid public restrooms at all costs, but really I think this is taking it a bit far. I think I'll take my chances and save my $40.00 for several cases of germ-X!!!!!!

Pioneers

2008-05-11T22:21:00.000-06:00

The 4th graders at Alex's school had the opportunity to live a day in the life of the pioneers. They provided 10 handcarts for the 4th graders to make their journey from the school to "Strong Hollow". (This is actually a teachers property that is very wooded and feels like a campground in the middle of the forest.) I think the whole journey was a little over 3 miles, each person was allowed a small bag with their belongings and everyone had to dress in pioneer clothing. Our group consisted of 4 boys, 3 girls and 4 parents. Along the way we had checkpoints that we had to pass through, we were allowed to stop and "hunt= beef jerky", we were told all the men in our company were injured and they had to ride in the handcart (only 3 of them fit so we put 1 of them on crutches) and the last checkpoint our youngest member had fallen ill and had to ride in the handcart.

Then at Strong Hollow, the kids got to learn how to make butter, spin wool, build a structure out of stone, make pioneer toys and dolls, make candles and learn how to play a game of ax throwing- yes AXES!!!! We ate a soup and cornbread meal with dutch oven cobbler for dessert. It was an amazing experience, it was especially fun to go and spend the day with Alex and see him get a taste of a very different life than he is used to. My butt muscles are still recovering from the experience, but it was really a neat day!!!

Sweet Surprises

2008-04-29T17:23:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late posting this but I just had to tell you about my Sunday. I woke up soooo tired, and I was sort of dreading the day- church by myself, sunday rules- so no friends to keep the kids busy and I was desperately missing Manuel. The kids were missing him too- it's just not the same when he's out of town.

Anyway, we made breakfast and then I asked the boys to play and be good so I could shower and get ready for church. Typically this request would be ignored and my entire shower I would be refereeing (sp) arguments and so on. To my surprise my shower was pleasant and quiet. Can you beleive it- I still can't. They were in their room playing and being so sweet and kind to each other- So started my fabulous little surprises. They all got dressed and brushed teeth without to much stress.

Then as I'm leaving for church my sweet hubby calls and says he is coming home- just for 2 days- but I'll take whatever I can get. He had some projects get rescheduled so he decided to head home. Such a FABULOUS surprise.

At church I was sitting in nursery, wondering why on earth this is where I should be, feeling isolated and out of place when Sister Hughes comes in and says I'm here so that someone can go to Relief Society today, since I was the only not holding a crying child they told me to go ahead and go. What a blessing, I so needed a break and some spiritual food! The lesson was just what I needed to hear titled "Good, Better, Best" from a conference talk in October by Dallin H. Oaks. Small I know, but a little surprise for my soul.

After dinner, Manuel took the kids to visit Mari and I had a little bit of time to myself. I was so grateful that a day that I was not looking forward to ended up to be SO SWEET!!!!

Scrap Happy

2008-04-19T11:28:00.000-06:00

For those of you who know me well, you know that I love to scrapbook... Now that we are in our new house I have a space that I can work on them and really nobody interrupts me. So when my sister Breeann emailed me and asked me if I wanted to BRAVE the Scrapbook Expo with her, I was really excited. Yesterday we braved the crazy, obsessed scrapaholics with all their luggage looking rolling carts in tow. We purposely got there a little after it opened to avoid all the crazed women who show up at midnight before the show even opens. We probably only made it through 3/4 of the show but judging by the photo below our husbands are more than happy that we missed some of the stores. I must say there are some serious bargains to be had and I did plenty of damage! Thanks Bree for the invite, it was really fun!

These are one of my favorite finds, I'm so excited to use them. They are puzzle pieces, some with chipboard letters in and some are small pieces with patterns printed on them. They came in a packet wth matching paper and some extra embellishments and ribbon for only $4.00!!!! I also found velvet paper and tons of cute embellishments. I was so excited that last night I couldn't sleep so I scrapbooked until 1:00 am. A little tired today but it was worth it!

So excited...

2008-04-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

Yeah- the weather is so Gorgeous today. The kids have been playing outside and it is so FABULOUS to just sit on the deck and watch the kids enjoy the yard! We are really enjoying the surprises that we have been finding in our new yard. There are lots of flowers that have bloomed that are so much fun. Avery discovered some new flowers outside yesterday and came and found me to show me "Avery's flowers". There are a few trees that are just starting to bloom and I can't wait to see the whole tree in bloom! It is really rejuvenating to see everything waking up from the winter, this year I have enjoyed it more than ever!
A few things happening this week:
* Eli went to see the allergist on Friday and we found out he is allergic to TONS of stuff outside, we knew he had issues but I had no idea there were so many things affecting him. Obviously the cats, dogs and horses were really reactive, but the outside stuff was alos really high. Soooo... he will start allergy shots this week. It will take a while but hopefully the boy will see some marked improvement in his breathing, sneezing and congestion.
* It is Spring Break- no more waking up early, driving back and forth etc. etc.
We are going to RELAX and ride bikes in the canyon, we actually have some nice weather through the week. One day we are going to the Aquarium and one day we are going to visit the Clark Planetarium.
* I found a fun cookbook that I have wanted for a while, it is Angel Shannon's "Stick of Butter" cookbook. She is frequently on Good Things Utah and I like how easy she makes everything look. So when I started looking through her cookbook I was super excited. I have wanted a new cookbook- tired of my current ones- and loved some of her recipes. So if the kids will cooperate and let me try some new recipes we should have a fun week. I don't get to bake new things much and I truly miss the creative time I used to spend in the kitchen. So we'll see how much I can actually get done this week!

Enjoy your week and get out there and enjoy the sunshine with your family or make some yummy treats with the ninos!!!!!

Boys and Birthdays

2008-04-13T14:53:00.000-06:00

I forgot to enter a little something about Alex and Eli since they both just had birthdays.

Alex is 10 now and quickly getting much taller. I think this will be the year that he actually gets taller than me. Alex is a fun kid and definitely the practical joker in the family. He has really seemed to grow since we moved here. He is loving the big yard, he can go and play ball when he's upset with his brothers, he has made some good friends- Maddie and J.T., and his cousins are so close now that they often walk over to play (that is really fun) he is actually so busy all the time. We decided not to do big birthday parties this year so we just had dinner here at home- Alex's favorite- Navajo Tacos and instead of traditional birthday cake he requested Strawberry Shortcake! He got a new bike and a new outfit this year and Maddie and J.T. and Christian and Rodrigo came over to eat cake with us. We love you, Alex- Thanks for all the times that you make us laugh.

Eli is 7 now, I can;t believe he will be getting baptized next year. He has also really sprouted up this year, I noticed all his winter pants are getting too short for him. He has changed a lot the past year, looking more like a bigger boy this year. With that he's also started acting a bit more like a bigger boy- he still has his super sweet side but he's also gotten a little stubborn side now.

Eli also got a new bike and few toys for his birthday, he wanted Indy and a few of his friends to come over for cake but it was family night and it was also snowing so we decided to keep it a family birthday party with Christian and Rodrigo here, Daira was also here from Ohio so she and Abuelita joined us for dinner- Eli requested Hamburgers (yes we were grilling in the snow, BRRRR) and had a Spiderman cake and chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream. We love you, Eli- Thanks for all your help and your hugs are the best.

Thanks Grandpa Randy for the Toys R Us gift cards and Thanks Grandma Barbara for the Target gift cards!!!

No pictures till I find the camera

2008-04-06T22:09:00.001-06:00

I've decided that I need a camera with a GPS locator on it... We are always losing it!!! Maybe I am always losing it, I have too many things to juggle, the video camera, the digital camera- for emailing pics and then my trusty old camera that I still love to use because it takes pictures fast!

So since the digital camera has taken a vacation- I am using only my old camera for the moment.
I am sad that it's gone, but you know everything happens for a reason- Let's see the first thought that comes to my head is ummmm... Chelsea needs a new digital camera- can I request one that doesn't have what seems to feel like a 30 second delay after I push the button! Yay!!!

After I develop the pics on the old school camera I'll get a disc with them and then I can upload photos of the kids and whatever we have missed. No worries, the kids should all look about the same as the last pictures!

Let me know if any of you have a great digital camera!!
Bye

Yuck!!!!

2008-03-29T23:40:00.000-06:00

Ummm... What's been going on at our house this past week. Well some of us are recovering from a nasty cold. Alex and Eli are counting the days till their birthdays. We had a good Easter weekend with Spencer and Erica up visiting from Las Vegas, an awesome Easter Egg hunt in the backyard after Easter dinner. We really just hung out and relaxed except for our Park City excurison. We had a brilliant plan to go on a "sleigh ride". I had envisioned each family on their own sleigh dashing through the snow. Not even close- we were all jam packed onto a sleigh and the horses were going really slow, it was very windy and thus arcticly cold. Eli and Erica both have allergies and upon climbing off the sleigh Eli starts turning red and thus the itching and the swelling of the eyes begins. Of course, I have no Childrens Benadryl with me so by the time we make it to the Park City Walmart, he is screaming and rubbing his eyes like crazy. There is horse hair all over the blankets and his coat and it is just a DISASTER!!! We all stopped at Bajio to eat and Manuel sat in the car with Eli, holding him from rubbing the eyes till the Benadryl kicks in!!!! That was a really "special" experience.
With all that behind us, I thought nothing else could happen... Boy was I wrong!!! Mr David the puker, gagger kid in the family has been having issues. Check out our new neighbors blog and read the entry titled " A kid named "Ralph" http://www.cluffco.blogspot.com/ . Really honestly he threw up at my neighbors house- what a great idea to puke at the neighbors house who we've only known for a few weeks. Anyway, this just started his puking issues for the week. He was playing hide and seek and was hiding in the bathroom closet with Eli. Eli comes bolting out yelling that he threw up in the bathroom closet. When asked Why David, Why? Because Eli's breath stinks. Ugghhh!!! He found a snake in the yard and was holding it, and started throwing up b/c the snake was stinky (In his defense, my sister said it really was stinky) He threw up in my room because he didn't like how Avery was chewing her gum- Ridiculous. And tonight well we took him and the boys to see National Treasure 2 and he puked at the movie theater because he didn't like the smell. Hello it smells like buttered popcorn!!!! This is out of control- maybe this warrants a trip to the pediatrician. Yikes I keep thinking of all the places he might throw up and it is mortifying!!!! We should just stay home and never go anywhere;(
We'll look forward to a new week and hope for the best!!!!

Long Awaited...

2008-03-16T16:22:00.001-06:00

Panama City, Panama Temple

When the groundbreaking for this temple happened in October, 2005 we never imagined it would take so long to complete. We were so excited a couple of days ago when I received an email with the Open House dates and the Dedication Date. The open house is July 11th-26th, 2008 and the Dedication is August 10, 2008. This is the rainy season in Panama, but we are thinking about packing up all the kids and taking them on a trip of a lifetime. I guess I better get cracking on the kids passports and all that good stuff!!!!!! We are excited to see the people in Panama benefit from having a temple so close- it is a blessing to be able to attend the temple!!!!

Happy Grandparents Day

2008-03-16T16:06:00.000-06:00

Grandparent's Day was last Friday at Alex and Eli's school. Since their other Grandparents live out of state, Abuelita was the only one who could go and visit their classes. They had lots of fun and Abuelita got to share stories of when she was their age. We had to translate for her but the kids were very interested in her story and Alex and Eli really enjoyed having her there. Thanks Abuelita, we love you!

Ouch!

2008-03-09T19:06:00.000-06:00

Last week (2-28-08) Little Miss Avery fell in our bathroom and hit her head on a tile step. David was climbing in and out of the bathtub and of course she must keep up with him. She had to get 2 staples in her little head since the cut was so deep. It was really scary but she was a trooper! She was so cute, while we waited in the InstaCare waiting room she saw my lip gloss in my purse (she is a lip gloss fiend), so after she motioned for it I gave it to her. She held it so tight while we were at InstaCare and then until she was home and had fallen asleep. It is in her had in this picture but she has it so close to her that you can't see it very well. Anyway she didn't want me take nay pictures of her head so this is her after seeing the doctor. Last Friday (3/7/08), they took her staples out. She did so good and didn't even cry at all. She got to go and get a Doughnut with David because she was so brave!

Happy Days!

2008-02-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! We actually survived the move and week 1 of disorganization and chaos! We are slowly digging out, but still wondering where a few things are. It is quite a fun surprise to find things that we have been looking for ie. Avery's shoes. I know she had them before we moved and I could only find 1 of 3 different pairs of shoes. I needed them for church today so our mission yesterday was to find them. Of course they were in a box that somehow didn't get labeled and was thus residing in the garage. Yeah for finding things that are lost- now only if we could locate my wedding rings that have ben lost for over a year now. I'm still holding out hope that they are somewhere in my office, which we will be moving this week!

Anyway, we are loving the new house! I'll send out "official" change of address notes as soon as I get a little more together. Until then if your in the area please stop by, just consider yourself warned if the house is upside down!!! I'll send pictures soon- really I will!!!!!
New address:
1571 North 250 East
Orem, UT 84057

No picture today!!

2008-02-01T18:04:00.001-07:00

Okay, so usually I like to post pictures of the kids for all our friends and family to see. Today is different, for a few reasons, but mostly because we are all sick! Really, no one wants to see pictures of us from this week or last week and at this rate probably the coming week. Can we ever get better?? I see a ray of hope every few days when one of the kids seems to be a little happier, but then someone gets something else. We THANKFULLY have had only minimal throwing up, but the tummy aches, fevers, coughing till your eyes feel as though they may fly right out of your face and your stomach muscles ache, exhaustion, earaches- I think you understand, It is just brutal! To go along with this we are just buried by all the things we have going on at the moment. (Yes, most of them are self inflicted so no sympathy for this part;)

*Moving Day is coming fast- I keep telling myself that Ihave more time to pack, but it's FEB 1st, that is 2 weeks until I'm supposed to be ready to leave this house!!! YIKES!!

*Manuel is travelling- this is Manuel's crazy work time of the year, so tomorrow he ships out for Idaho and Montana. I absolutely hate him travelling at this time of year. Please keep him in your prayers!!!

*House preparations- we have to sell the house and that means Manuel needs to finish the million projects that he has started and never finished over the years. Since he's out of town and I am packing us, this will probably have to wait.

*Taxes, yes it's that lovely exciting time of the year. Exciting and stressfull all rolled together.

I'm sure there is more going on but that feels like enough for the moment. Although I'm stressed (TKS for listening), I also feel oh so blessed. I have a wonderful family, an absolutely phenomenal husband, we are so excited about the new house. We look forward to whatever life brings to us and are grateful to know those people who have shaped and influenced us.

Sweet Sunday Mornings

2008-01-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to having church at 1:00 in the afternoon, but mostly because I could sleep in and not have to shave my legs on Saturday night. I could also cook a decent breakfast and maybe have the kitchen cleaned up before I ran out the door still trying to put on my heels or my earrings. One thing that I didn't realize is that Sunday mornings feel sort of sacred. Avery and David both slept in today (rare occurrence- yes I know) and when they did wake up it was freezing outside, David joined Avery for a little snuggle on the couch (of course he must have his leapfrog in hand) but sitting close together with a blankie, a few stuffed animals well isn't that what childhood memories are made of! Anyway I'm loving the Sunday morning time, no cartoons, some Sunday music, a little extra sleep and a good hot breakfast- yeah baby!

Silly boys!

2008-01-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

These boys are such a riot!!!! Alex is usually first to duck out of any photo sessions so I was happy he decided to join his brothers as they modeled their costumes and showed off their muscles. Eli and David have decided to dive back into the Halloween box and found some of their costumes and honestly I have to pry the costumes off them at bathtime each night. David even wore his out on a "date" with Mommy the other night. Eli's zipper is broken and he still insists on wearing it. I actually found him a spider man costume that fits him better and has a zipper so while he was wearing it I threw away the Thing costume he is wearing inthe picture. It served him well during it's time here but all good things must come to an end!

Birthday Girl!!!

2008-01-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Miss Avery!!!!! Ahhh, what a bittersweet day... our little girl is 2 now! So we are loving the hilarious little girly things she does, we love her kisses and hugs, we love when she scolds the boys right after we get upset with them, Her Dad swears he hates it, but we even love when she climbs in our bed at 6:00 am and when we realize she's there she softly strokes our cheek, we love watching her clomp around the house in my high heels and play in my lipstick. With all of that said we are not sure we are ready for what comes in this little package. We have only had a few glimpses of her sassy side but let it be known we are not sure we are ready. She is sooooo INDEPENDENT!!!!! We are so excited to see what the next year brings, yes we are buckling our seatbelts but ready for the ride!!!!
Avery modeling her necklace, bracelet and ring collection from Aunt Bree and Uncle TJ, complete with chocolate ice cream all over her face and shirt.
For just a few hours on Avery's birthday it was surprisingly warm outside, she enjoyed running around and playing outside before the storm blew in later that day!

No more pictures and Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

I tried to get a picture of Avery's cutest little outfit that she wore on New Year's Eve. This was the look she gave me- she does not like to have her picture taken. I'll have to try again next time she wears it, it really is that cute! Anyway, Hope you all had a Happy New Year!!! I suppose one of our goals for the coming year will be to somehow convince her that the camera is her friend!!!

Santa's helper

2007-12-26T22:47:00.001-07:00

With all the hustle and bustle of Christmas I had forgotten about this picture. It is just sooooo cute I had to share. I found Eli asleep a few nights before Christmas with his Santa hat on, complete with some drool off the side of his bed!!!! This boy is just the cutest thing ever- I wish he wouldn't grow up so fast!!! Merry Christmas!

Mullett Maintenance

2007-12-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Avery got her first haircut on Tuesday, Dec. 18th.

I was so scared to cut her "baby hair", but really it was getting out of control!!!! She wasn't really sure what to think but at least she didn't scream! Thanks Cherisse!

The last picture is the "AFTER". She was more interested in the candy can- get that?- than posing for me, so I'll have to send along some better after photos. She really looks so much cuter now with her little bob!

Happy Birthday Manuel!

2007-12-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh............. I can't believe my husband is 40!!! What an awesome man I am married to! He's always so humble and doesn't like anyone to fuss over him, but just for a moment let's cut the humble stuff because I would like to brag for a moment- we will have plenty of time to be humble later!

These are a few of my favorite things about MANUEL.....

1. Hello, he is drop dead gorgeous- don't tell him I think so, don't want to boost the ego too much!

2. He is tied with my Dad for the "Hardest Working Man"- I'm dead serious his work ethic is amazing. He never stops and even when he's traveling or outside in the cold he just keeps going without ever complaining!

3. PATIENT, CALM, EASYGOING- That sums it up right there!!!!

4. He always pitches in around the house- that is worth gold to me.

5. Functions exceptionally well on 6 hours of sleep!!!! This is truly an admirable quality since I need at least 8 hours even to think straight!

6. He loves to PLAY, he is still a kid at heart and I love that he plays so much with the kids. They really look forward to when he's home so they can wrestle and chase him. They won't admit it but they even love it when he gets out the Gorilla costume!

7. He loves me no matter WHAT!

8. He loves winter and the snow especially!

9. He is very generous and always puts others before himself. He really values the time he gets to spend doing things to help other people!

10. He loves carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting- If your wondering why the cake in his picture has a mound of Whipped Creamin the middle that is why. His birthday request was "real" homemade carrot cake WITHOUT icing. Sooooo Funny!!!!

I love you honey and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays together! Thanks for everything!!!!! XOXOXOXO

BABY NO MORE...

2007-12-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

In the back of my mind, I know Avery will be 2 in a few weeks but when I downloaded these 2 pictures from my camera it was a big reality check!!! Her little personality has blossomed so much over the past month and along with that she has developed her own sense of fashion!!! She really is a riot, she loves to layer tons of clothes on top of whatever she is wearing. She sort of reminds me of "Punky Brewster", yes I know that dates me but it's true!
She is very independent and makes sure we all know she's in charge! I tried to give her carrots the other day and she pushed her plate back at me and said "I don't want dat!!!!" She also has developed a new hobby... We call it crib jumping. I don't seem to remember the boys climbing out of their cribs till much later. A few weeks ago Avery got into my makeup bag And I was so upset that I needed a minute to cool off and to clean up her damage so I put her in her crib. Not even a minute later she comes sauntering- Literally- out of her room with the biggest grin on her face. She tasted the feel of freedom and has not forgotten it! Every night at least once she gets out of her crib and comes and climbs into our bed. I even found her heading down to the boys room at 3:00 am a few nights ago. It is quite an adventure!!!!!!

Felize Dia de Madre

2007-12-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have no idea if my Spanish is right but I'm sure you understand. Today is Mother's day in Panama!!!!!! Okay so I don't get to celebrate 2 mother's days every year- I WISH- but Manuel did let me sleep in till I woke up at 10:15 am. And at this point in life that is like being on vacation!!!! So with more sleep than I've had in years I was ready to go today. We decided to do some things for Manuel's Mom today. She is so incredibly patient and she treats me as well as she treats her own daughters so we definitely owe her! She went to Salt Lake for the day and we went to her house and cleaned and painted and bought her a Christmas tree. We still have to go and help her decorate it but it was fun and with all the snow today the feeling of Christmas was certainly in the air. I think we must have got 8-10 inches of snow today and it was so FUN!!!!!!!!
Anyway, Happy Mother's Day, Mama- We love you and are so grateful for everything you bring to our lives!!!!!!

Justice League and other Funnies;)

2007-11-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, these kids are just hilarious!!!! David is learning the Pledge of Allegiance in preschool and he was super excited to recite it to me. So he gets in the car and starts belting it out and at the end where it says "...with liberty and justice for all" he adds his own words. According to David, it says "...with Liberty and Justice League for all". Can I just tell you I almost had to pull the car over. I have to admit though that I feel a little guilty because when he finished he asked me if he said it right and I actually told him "Yes", but just because it was so cute- I had to hear him say it again!
His second little comedic moment happened with Manuel the other day. Manuel was downstairs working and David went with him. When Manuel started working he said "Oh no David we forgot to bring the radio, we don't have any music." David very confidently starts repeating the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle................ and I use the word repeating literally. So Manuel starts dancing a little while holding back his need to laugh. David was absolutely serious and kept repeating his little song.
Avery is going to be 2 in January and it is just so incredible how smart these little people are. She has been saying HOLA for a long time, but just recently has started trying new words in spanish. She says gracias, and Como estas and escuela. She has a few little songs that she sings one is in Spanish but she loves to sing Twinkle twinkle little star. Of course it sounds like she is speaking another language except for the last word she always gets ...SKY. She has the tune down perfectly and actually changes her pitch of her voice while she is "singing". She is such a joy right now and is so entertaining when we are driving and she sees Christmas lights, she just starts screaming in her loudest highest screech LIGHTS, LIGHTS!!!! Complete with feet kicking and arms flailing, the best part is that she does it at every house with lights. It never gets old!!!!!

Family Picture Day!!!!

2007-11-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's a sneak peak at some of the pictures from our "Family Photo Day". I won't post anymore till I decide which ones are going into our Christmas cards this year, but I just couldn't wait to post the kids pics. I must say the boys are so HANDSOME!!!! I totally fell in love with this picture. Big Thanks to our Photographer and Friend Shannon for actually getting them to sit in one place and all cooperate (no bunny ears, hitting, or eyes closed).
So, Avery is another story......... She wouldn't wear her bow in her her and she wouldn't smile in very many of the family photos, but when she was off on her own sitting on Shannon's stool she was happy as can be!!!! You gotta love the road rash on her nose- the day before pictures she was running and did a face plant onto the asphalt. Should I have it photo- shopped or just leave it for her to see when she is older??? I'm thinking we may just leave it- it is pretty funny!!!!

Happy Haunting!!!!

2007-11-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween- yes I know it's a week late!!!! My computer was having some issues so it took me a little longer to get these posted. Anyway this is the only place you'll see a "family Halloween photo" and especially with all of us dressed up!!!! It was a great day- we took the kids to the "trunk or treat" at the church and were so grateful that the weather was so nice. It makes the whole process so much more enjoyable when you don't have to wear thermals under your costumes:) Alex and Eli insisted on getting more candy so Manuel stayed at home with David and Avery and I scoured the neighborhood for the best houses to get the most candy. They had a great time!!!!!!! There's nothing more fun than reliving your own childhood!!!!
Avery is dressed up as a kitty, but the little ears she was supposed to wear on her head didn't even last a minute. She was not too sure about the whole day UNTIL she started seeing the CANDYYYYYYY!!!! This was the "deer in the headlights" look since her mouth is full of candy and she has some in her hand.

This was supposed to be David's costume but just before his Halloween party at school he decided he didn't want to wear it. If you'll notice in the Family pic he is wearing the same costume that he wore last year- The Flame!!! He looks so THRILLED! Alex was "Death Rider" and Eli was a Ninja!!!

To CARVE or PAINT the pumpkin?????

2007-11-07T14:28:00.001-07:00

We thought we could just get by with painting the pumpkins this year, but of course Alex and Eli wanted to use a knife and carve theirs. So we opted for painting for the little kids and carving for the older boys. As you can see... I'm not sure which was the best choice. The kids got equally messy, they all had lots of fun and they had to meet with the soap either for their arms or their entire body (Avery). Nilette helped dig out all the insides, which was a first and possible a last for her:)

100% GIRL!!!!!

2007-10-21T22:42:00.000-06:00

Didn't ever have to put my makeup away from the boys- they were never interested in it (Thank Goodness). Now with a girl it's a whole different ball game! This was Sunday morning... Avery was ready for church and I had just gone into my room to finish getting dressed. She was so cute when I found her- she just let out a great big scream and a giggle. I personally love the lipstick and blush at the same time trick. She's even better than Mommy!!!!

Enjoying a nice fall evening-2007

2007-10-21T19:33:00.000-06:00

Avery and her shoes! She's an addict- these are her dress up shoes but if she can't find these she always manages to find another pair. And David stole her toy to pose for pictures- yes I warned him it was pink but he said if he held it like a bat it ddn't matter what color it was;)
Eli and David took a break from " leaf wrestling" to let me take a picture of them.

Alex is learning to ride the Longboard- he's not much for pictures so we had to get one a little far away. I think we'll have to get him his own longboard for next summer. He was really having a good time riding on our newly paved, smooth road!

Just a few more photos and then I'm done :)

2007-10-19T22:45:00.000-06:00

More photos from Moab

2007-10-19T22:37:00.001-06:00

Our family trip to MOAB- So FUN!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, so were not really the camping type of family. Manuel isn't a big fan of trying to fit in a sleeping bag and I'm not a big fan of the bugs and mosquitos and not taking a shower. So, we were looking for a place to go where the kids could run free, get dirty and be "kids" and where we could actually sit and relax and enjoy some comforts of home! Well we are excited to report that we actually found a place where everyone is happy!This Lodge is right on the Colorado River. Once we arrived in Moab and started our way down the canyon it became clear that our van wasn't any match for the Jeep trails that would eventually lead us to the Lodge. We decided to turn around and head back to Moab to call the Lodge for them to come pick us up. Since it was getting dark and we couldn't get a hold of the caretaker at the lodge we decided to stay in a hotel the first night. We were so lucky, with some assistance from Bree over the phone we finally located one of the last rooms availabe in the entire town of Moab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The kids were excited to be out of the car and we all went swimming before heading to bed. Alex and Rich (Alex's best friend) ended up sleeping on the floor but we promised them it would be worth it once we made it to the Lodge. In the morning we reached the caretaker, Bill at the Lodge and he came down to get all of us. Once the kids got to the lodge they were soooo excited! The boys had their own room with 2 sets of bunk beds and they just started running everywhere chasing lizards, checking out the ATV's, hiking up the hill to the Hogan- from the outside it blends in with the rocks, looks like a big boulder with a door on the front, the Navajo indians helped build it and it was very warm and cozy inside.

This is Alex, David, Eli and Rich at the "Wind caves" or "The Grotto". We had to ride the ATV's(FUN, FUN, FUN) to the Wind caves and I must say it was one of the coolest places I've ever hiked. There are caves and caverns and little narrow passage-ways that lead to more caves. It was a little chilly at first but as we spent a little time there and the sun came out more it started to warm up. We took lots of pictures, explored everywhere, found lots of lizards and even a wild rabbit and a RATTLESNAKE!!!! Alex was the first to spot it, but we all got to see it as it hid under the shade of a boulder!!! Really neat!!!! The kids hiked down to the river, got lots of rides on the ATV's, hiked the rocks and played in the Red Sand till there was no more daylight!
Family picture at the Wind Caves
This was the morning that we had to leave, So Sad- we could have easily stayed much longer. The kids were pretty excited because instead of driving down the mountain for 45 minutes we arranged for the kids and Chelsea to get on a jet boat on the river and the Jet boat took them into the city. Manuel drove down with Bill and all our luggage and met us in Moab. What an awesome family vacation. We'll definitely be back again soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!