14.

Roblox, comic books, playing the guitar, action figures such as Naruto, venom, and Spiderman are among the many things this 14 year old continues to have interest in. And I love it! I love that he still plays with action figures. He even made a little video of Naruto & spidey fighting and it looks so cool. You can see it on my TikTok if you'd like. Although he's a homebody he also loves the city. He loves Cane's. That is his favorite place to eat. It used to be McDonalds but Cane's is his love language now. I can't believe our baby boy is not so baby anymore. He'll always be my baby but first, he will always be my buddy, my sidekick, my true love and major heartbeat! Happy 14th birthday to this kid who always says, "life is pretty good right now." 

 

52.

Not sure when I'll stop blogging about my birthday but 10 days ago on September 24th I turned 52. I won't write too much on here about me because what you see is who I am but I will say this....I am extremely thankful to have lived another year. To continue to have my faith in God and to pray and turn to Him whenever I'm at my lowest. To have healthy children and for them to see that no matter what trials they face; they press on and move on with life just like their mama. Thankful that my relationship with all of them is beautiful and that they still take the time to call me when they can! To have an amazing husband who calls me his "Latina drug" because without me he could never function! LOL! Thankful for his hardworking ethic but most of all for our friendship that continues to grow every day. No matter how old we both get we are a team and we are there for each other. It never gets old. Just aging. LOL! I count my blessings for having the life that I have at this moment and that I am in pretty good health. I have embraced my age with love and acceptance and I LOVE how I look! It is liberating to just not care anymore about how one should look once your over 50. And my words of wisdom to anyone who is aging and feels a little bit of insecurity in going grey to just let it go! Believe me, once you are ready to let go and go grey all they way you'll never want to look back. Just move forward and embrace it!  

51.

I’ve aged 200 years in the past year and I have all the GREY hair to prove it but that’s my life. My Life that’s filled with beautiful moments and trials that make us strong. One thing I’m extremely grateful for is my family. No matter how the day ends up we always end it with love in our hearts. I also want to publicly thank those who sent me birthday wishes. It’s the little things you know! And spending it in Boston with 4/6 of my family was the best! Cheers to surviving the first year in my fifties! 

Noah Turns E L E V E N!

One thing that has been helping us get through quarantine and this pandemic are the celebrations that we have within our family. Our family. Meaning just us. The four of us. Noah turned 11 today and this past weekend we had a little celebration of our own. We ate at one of Noah's favorite burger places and just had simple fun as a family. Since his birthday fell on a school day we ate his cake late and it was the simples birthday ever! It was simple and sweet and that's all he needed. Sure gifts are nice and all but in all honesty he prefers food! He received a few little gifts from family, and even had a singing birthday telegram via telephone from his Tia Maggie. The simple things are what truly matter the most and are what help us appreciate what's important in this life. One doesn't need a big party to know they are loved. One doesn't need many presents to feel secure. All one needs on their special day of birth is lots of love, and munchkins from Dunkin Donuts! Happy birthday chulo!

More photos below>>>

F o r t y - S e v e n !

So today is my 47th birthday, and I have to say that I'm pretty excited to turn 47. 47 just sounds really nice. i feel like you can dish out a little bit of advice to those who are young moms in their 20's, and 30's because I've been there done that with four children, but still take advice from those who are in their 50's, 60's, and 70's whose children have graduated college, gotten married, and are grandmothers, and great-grandmas. 

A Little Letter For My Firstborn Who Turns T W E N T Y - T H R E E Today!

I couldn't let this day end, or got to bed without writing a little something about my oldest daughter Sierra who turned 23 today. I've written numerous posts about her in the past on this blog, and although I've mentioned not writing too much about her because she's pretty much on her own living her own life I can't help but to whisper sweet somethings on this little space of mine on the internet that's specifically meant for her eyes to see, and read. 

Happy Birthday Pa!!

How cool is it that my in-laws have back to back to birthdays! Since I wrote a bit about Sue yesterday I figured I'd add a few words besides "happy birthday" to the man that is a spitting image of his son! I'd be amiss if I didn't have something to share about him, and want to let the world know that he too, is indeed, a great person. 

Happy Birthday To The Coolest Momma-In-Law Ever!

I couldn't let this year go by without wishing my mother in law the happiest of birthdays. I rarely ever write, or even talk about her on this blog, but because she has put up with so much of my bull**it , and has done sooooooooooo much for me, and my family throughout the past 24 years of being her daughter-in-law wanted to express my love and appreciation to her for so many reasons. 

Happy 8th Birthday Noah!!!

I can't believe this day has come. EIGHT! My baby boy is eight! There are so many things I want to write about this wonderful boy. About how a blessing he is for coming into my life at a such an old age. Okay...38 isn't old, but to me it was. He has been a light in his three sister's eyes, and my solace on my dark days. He has a light that shines so bright, and is so good. He's so unique in the loveliest ways.

Our Sweet Sierra Is 22.

Today my oldest daughter turns 22. It's super surreal knowing I have a 22 year old. Maybe it's because I have a young heart, and my brain tells me that I'm not that old. I think of her all the time, and pray many blessings upon her this year with all that is happening in her life! I want her to know how much she is loved in our home. How much her siblings think of her. How much we wish she was closer. We've gotten quite used to her being gone, and I hate that, but she is an adult now, and has her own choices to make. I pray they are always the right ones that are led by God, and that she will always carry that foundation with her wherever she goes. 

Happy Birthday my sweet Sierra! Celebrate 22 with fun and laughter, and hope your year is fabulous! 

The American Girl Place in NYC.

With a new year beginning I have decided to do a little "remodeling" on my blog, and as I was trying to figure out which website to choose to redo my outline, or look, or whatever you want to call it I was going through my iPhoto and found a few hidden gems back when my girls were little. I decided that I wanted to write a throwback post of the first time we visited the American Girl Place in New York. This was such a monumental time in their life, because, hello...it's the American girl store on fifth avenue! 

Before i started my blog, I have always scrapbooked my kids lives. I decided to start a blog a couple of years after Noah was born. I don't know why I hesitated to start a blog, but I'm glad I started it when I did. I began blogging back in 2011 in late January after Lexie and Chelsea turned five, and ten! I can't believe how quickly these years are passing by, and seeing my two younger girls growing up is surreal. Time sure flies when you're having fun, and on this day they had a lot of it! 

Oh my gosh...look how young they are! 

We had never been inside an American Girl store until we moved to Jersey. I wanted to mark this moment in our history because it was our first time, and...we all love dolls!I  have to say that these are the best dolls ever created, and I'm so glad that we gifted them to the girls for their birthdays. I didn't grow up with very much, and this particular American girl doll reminded me of the one I had when I was about six. Her name was Tracy, and I remember always playing with her. Till this day I have always preferred my girls playing with dolls rather than Barbie dolls. 

American girl dolls is the doll to have and I'm just so grateful that we were able to gift them each one. Being that Chelsea was five she opted for a Bitty Baby instead, and we ended up getting her one. Josefina came later.  

I wanted to post a few photos of that special day we spent in New York, and going to the American girl store for the first time. I have to say it was a bit overwhelming, but oh so fun to see all that they had. It was crazy. They practically have everything under the sun. From clothing for your child to match their doll's outfits, furniture, and they even have a salon where you can take your doll to get groomed in case her hair gets tangled, or dried out! It's pretty interesting to have seen this four story doll store! 

We decided to have lunch at the American girl cafe which was so quaint, and cozy. I loved how they decorated the room The only thing I wasn't too pleased about was the fact that I felt as if I didn't get enough to eat for what we paid! We were still hungry afterwards. I still wanted more cookies, and finger sandwiches! Overall, it was great, and what matters is that the girls were pleased, and that they had an amazing time. Such a fun place to take your little girl. 

They were so excited to be holding their dolls while walking around the city. Perks of having a five year old walking around in the middle of winter was that she'd get tired of holding her bitty baby after a while. She eventually got over her orneriness. As a parent you just have to laugh when our kids react this way. She is, has, and will always be my sassy drama queen! 

I will also remember this day because it was the time when the new Alice in Wonderland movie came out. I remember seeing a big advertisement of Johnny Depp as the mad hatter in times square. Here is my family making funny faces, and Jon wearing a mad hatter hat! 

 and this big Johnny Depp we saw in times square! 

We went to the FAO Schwartz and they had a blast on the big piano. I'm pretty bummed that they closed the store last summer, but hopefully something will be replaced in that corner of the city that'll be fun for tourists. Luckily we took advantage of spending endless hours at that store every time we'd visit the city! FAO soldier man...you will be missed! 

Here we are at Rockefeller center. It's so fun watching the skaters, and the girls were wanting to ice skate, but it was getting late, and had to head back. So much to do in this magical city! If you're wondering where Noah was, he was sound asleep pretty much the entire time! Such a good baby he was. I wish I would have gotten him out at the time he was awake to capture a few shots with him on this particular day, but oh well. 

It's just so hard to believe that these pics were taken five years ago! I love the fact that Chelsea still loves to play with her dolls. Lexie has Ruthie in her closet, and every now and then will take her out to make sure she's well preserved. She took really good care of her, and will sometimes let Chelsea play with her. It's so sweet to watch Chelsea play with her dolls. Noah will hover sometimes, and pretend to be the big brother to the bitty baby. He's so sweet, and treats the dolls like princesses, but then after a while will grow weary of girl drama, and go back to playing with his legos, transformers, and his star wars figurines. 

These memories are so precious to me, and I'm so happy that I have always taken the time to think of my girls. They don't ask for a lot, and are always thankful for the gifts they receive. 

Sure do miss their youth sometimes, but I'm so excited to watch them grow up, and prosper. Learn to discover, explore, and experience more in this world! 

Happy Birthday, Noah Michael.

So two months have passed since this kid entered the world of kindergarten and I have to say that I am so proud of him. He is doing great academically, has learned how to count up to 100, and can even write a letter with his name! I will always remember his first day of school too. Waiting for the bus on his first day was nerve wracking, and I thought to myself...should I drive him to school, and walk him to his classroom, or should I let him experience independency, and ride the bus. I then realized that I cannot hang on to him now, or forever. I cannot baby him, or coddle him, and as much as I want to hold his hand every moment of each day I choose not to. I have to trust my way of teaching him in knowing that he will turn out to be a wonderful gentleman. I'm so glad I chose the latter because it has taught him to be brave and fearless. 

When it was time for me to pick him up at the bus stop on his first day with his sister there was nothing but laughter, and a smile. A smile, and a huge so hug indicating that he was happy, and thankful that I chose for him to take the bus into school on his first day. His reaction, and the words he uttered when he got off the bus, "the bus was so much fun mom. I like the bus!" I attest that to teaching him how to be brave, and having seen three sisters taking the bus since he was a baby made it easier for him to ride it. I have learned that if our younger kids observe their older siblings when it comes to any issue handled with courage that they themselves will learn from their example, and not be afraid. But if they see them timid, and shy they too will learn to be that way. Same goes for us parents. Teaching our children true principles is crucial in todays world, and they watch our every move. All children are different, and luckily this little guy has been a fearless little fella since the day he was born. That is except when it comes to barking dogs, and spiders.

So thankful for this boy coming into this little world of ours, and to bring nothing but joy, and goofiness into our home. It has brought nothing but smiling faces, and I see the joy in his eyes as he wakes up, sees his family, and gets ready for school. It's almost as if he's asking the world to bring on life. It's kind of scary, but so bittersweet. 

Yeah...I think six is going to be another great year for him! 

Happy Birthday little man! 

CELEBRATING 44.

My birthday this year felt somewhat different. Good, but different. With Sierra out west, and the rest of the kids at school, and with Jon no longer having days off during the week my birthday felt like any other day. And it was okay. Sure Jon could have requested to take this day off, but because he's only been with UPS for a little over a year doesn't want to take advantage of the company. And in all honesty I'd rather have him save those days for our children's activities/recitals as opposed to my birthday. We can always celebrate it over the weekend, and that's exactly what we did. 

So on the actual day of my birthday, and on Friday I had two great friends take me to lunch, and it was fun. I thought I was going to be home all alone all day on my birthday, but it turned out that I wasn't. I also helped a friend in need and serving her was something that I wanted to do as opposed to staying home feeling lonesome. 

Then this past Saturday, the kids finally baked me a cake. They have been so busy with school, and after school activities, and with Jon coming home late every night they just couldn't seem to fit it in their schedule. They didn't want me to make it either. Perhaps it's because they feel I'm not that great of a baker which they're probably right, but at any rate they baked me cake and had a fun time spreading chocolate frosting (my fave) all over it. And added sparklers for good measure. They sang happy birthday to me and it was the most sweetest thing I ever heard. I just love my family.

^^^ We then had dinner at the Rustic Grille which was actually pretty good. We'd never tried it before, but I heard it was good. I had a burger and fries, and it was really tasty! ^^^ 

Fall is definitely in the air with the leaves changing in color, and seeing fall decorations in the stores gave me an itch to finally put my fall wreath out as well as buying some mums for my little porch because let's face it...my porch needs a little help in the decorating department. We spotted this cute little spot out in the country which was surrounded by mums, corn stalks, and veggies that were still in season.The kids helped me pick out a couple of mums, and then afterwards I took a picture of them goofing around. Good thing the owner obliged to their silliness, and allowed us to take as many pictures as we want, and anywhere we wantted! I only took one.) I can tell that they love this season, and the smile on their faces proves that they do! 

I'm so grateful for my family, and for all the effort they made in making my day special. In spite of their busyness with school, and work I feel their love through their cards. I always look forward to the kids making me cards, and this year Lexie wrote me a letter. I love how she put the time in her busy schedule to sit down and put pen to paper to write down the most loving words, and to also strengthen me with her words. I love that Noah wrapped one of his Hess trucks in a Ziploc bag, and shouted "happy birthday mom! Open your present." I just love it. And as always with Sierra out west I love  it when she posts a photo of us wishing me a happy birthday through social media Also...FaceTime is a miracle!! 

Yes. I'm in love with my life, and I'm extremely grateful for all those who took a moment to think of me. Receiving not one, but two edible fruit arrangements was also interesting, but most of all awesome! See...I told you my birthday was different this year! My dear friend from Texas, and my in-laws from out west sent one to me. I have never tried one, and now I can say that I have. It was delicious, and nice to have eaten something healthy for once! It's all gone now with the help of my family, and once again I'm so grateful for their thoughtfulness. 

I also want to thank all my Facebook friends who sent me birthday wishes online via social networking. Although Facebook may be getting a bit old for some I don't think I'll delete my account. It's so nice to see friends I've known for half my life, and since childhood wishing me a "happy birthday." Those two words can sure mean a lot to someone, and they most definitely meant the world to me. 

I look forward to another year of living with my sweet family, and I'm thrilled to see what 44 has in store for me. 

Happy Monday! 

HAPPY 20TH SIERRA!

When I received a snapchat from Sierra to let me know she received our packages this past Saturday I called, and asked her if she wanted to open them now, or on her official birthday which is today. We both decided since Monday was going to be a busy day for her working, and having a family bbq with friends that she should open them now. We face timed the "mini-birthday" party,  and as she was opening the package the first thing she grabbed was the card we sent. She opened it, sat still for a minute while reading it, and then said, "Can y'all believe you have a 20 year old!!" While I was sitting there in total denial,  Jon's answer was, "yes I do,  I feel old!" LOL! 

Although I embrace my age there are days when I feel young, and energized (having a five year old in your 40's will do that to you). I look forward to Sierra's future, and all that she wants to accomplish. She has some awesome goals, and is very ambitious. She wants to raise the bar with her passion for music, and for her love for God to not just be stagnant, and mediocre, but to increase to the highest of honorable love. And although she wants to be a mom someday she has dreams of being a musician, and inspiring others through her words whether it's through music, or teaching. 

One thing for sure is that this daughter of mine is the greatest. Throughout all the decisions she has made up until now with her schooling, and all that she has endured in the first two years after graduating high school, she has done just that...ENDURED. No matter what life has thrown at her she has managed to overcome all opposition, and stand strong in her beliefs. Knowing that she had to make decisions on her own, and even though some may not have been the greatest she ended up learning from them, and growing into a much stronger spiritual daughter of God. Reading this sweet story also helped my perspective on mothering an adult from long distance, and toddler at the same time!

And because of her example, and standing strong in her faith tells me that I did something right. That all the things she was taught in the church were not just words, but the truth. And she knows that now more than ever.

She knows she's of great worth, and knows why she is living her life in this dispensation. Whatever she decides to do in the next two years we will support her all the way. 

Her "future will truly be as bright as her faith" if she continues to be the way she is. Bubbly, cheerful, forgiving, kind, and loving.  I am so grateful that the words "have courage and be kind" never left my daughter's mind, and I pray that she will continue to teach that to her future posterity when the time comes. 

Happy birthday mamas, and have a fabulous day! You deserve every good deed that comes your way!

xoxo

momma bear

Ho Ho Ho!! It's The Hubs Birthday!

One thing Jon could never get out of during the holidays was playing Santa at his old, old job. He started working for Rent-A-Center  soon after Sierra was born, and lasted there for ten years! The first year he began his boss asked him to play Santa and ever since he's always asked, and of course Jon would oblige. I blame it on his height, and jolly personality. Of course they had to add a pillow underneath to make him more real, and rounder. I remember taking Sierra every single year to go see "Santa" at his work, and she was one smart cookie. She knew that underneath that red suit and fake beard was her father. Once she turned three she knew it! There was no longer fooling her. Every child knows who their dad is, and I don't think it helped her believe in Santa too heavily after that. Luckily when we transferred to Texas there was more than one tall guy working in the new store, and his new boss asked someone else to play Santa. That was somewhat a relief and a nice break for Jon. It was then when Sierra realized that Santa was real because her dad was no longer hiding underneath the beard, and that it was someone else. 

Looking at this oldie of a photo brings back the fondest of memories, and there are times when I miss those days. Life was so much simpler back then. The girls were little, innocent, stress and drama free. I always looked forward to Jon playing Santa at his job. It always brought out the calmness in me, the kid in him, and giggles of happiness in the girls. His Ho, Ho, ho's were on cue and the sporadic lines that incurred at the store were unreal. Not as long as what you see in a mall setting, but seeing how sweet he was with the kids was a reminder as to why I married him. He was perfect for it, and underneath that red outfit was a holly jolly person. Not only was he good at his old job...he was also the perfect Santa. 

Although there is no more role playing Santa at his workplace he'll always remember his Santa days with Rent-A-Center. He'll always remember it because the last weekend before Christmas is also his birthday.

Today he turns 44 & he still has that jolly personality. Always in good spirits, and has a good attitude with getting up there in age. He is a hard worker, kind, compassionate, talkative, great with kids, patient, and  thoughtful. All these attributes are similar to Santa Clause which makes sense in why they always picked him to play good ol' St. Nick. 

Happy birthday Jon!! May you never forget your days as Santa and to always relive the moments of feeling like a little kid again! 

And a happy weekend to all!! 

Welcoming October With A Birthday Recap.

I'd be remiss if I didn't document a "birthday recap" of the day I had with my husband on my birthday so here it goes...

Because it fell on a Wednesday, and the fact that my 'sitter' (Lexie) stayed after school until 8pm we couldn't actually have a date night. Soooooo we ended up having a simple lunch date at Smashburger with our everloving four year old son, and luckily we did because hey...he captured a pretty good picture of us, and even though it took him four takes on my iPhone to get it right the last one was a charm. 

Date nights whether done in the morning, noon, or night are all good. I personally don't care what time of day I have them as long as we have them. Because we had a couple of dates alone during September to make up for my birthday I was okay with our little man tagging along on my special day. If it wasn't for him he wouldn't have taken this cute photo, and he wouldn't have had a smashburger because this was his first time having it. 

The burgers here are pretty tasty, and because it was my birthday I got a milkshake for free! As you can see from  this post Oreo cookie milkshakes are my fave!!

Going apple picking afterwards, and having my dear friend Maggie surprise me with baked ziti that evening was a perfect end to my 43rd birthday. Flowers sent to me from my daughter out west and my sister in Texas along with cards from dear friends I've known half of my life made my entire year!! I always feel so blessed to have so many think of me on my birthday via snail mail, and social networking. I am lucky to have a husband who is thoughtful, knows how to keep surprises, and is simple when it comes to days like this. It's not about the material things of the world that make a birthday special (although it is nice to receive nice things), but what matters to me is the simplicity that I receive from a loved one. Celebrating a special day with simplicity, love, and family is what's most important in a special gathering. Not everyone gets to have a cake, or even receives a birthday, card and I am extremely grateful for those efforts done from friends and family for every thought, gift, and card I receive on special occasions. This birthday flew by so quickly, and here we are in October waiting to explode with all things pumpkin. 

One thing for sure...we are ready for all things fall, and we are excited! 

How about you? Any fun plans for this weekend besides watching General conference? This truly is the beginning of a fun and "party" season! 

Happy weekend! 

Celebrating Forty Three in New York City.

Ever since I moved to Jersey six years ago Maggie & I have attempted to keep our yearly tradition of attending the temple on or around our birthday week. It took a while for us to make this goal, and even though there have been a  year or two since my moving up here that we skipped & had lunch locally instead we always got back on our feet, and reminded ourselves to just go! This year our birthdays fell on a week where the temple in our district was closed for cleaning. Well...luckily we have the Manhattan Temple (which in my opinion should be our temple district because it's a lot closer) to serve in, and have fun afterwards in this magical city we Texan gals have grown to love. 

Attending the temple in New York is always so interesting. Interesting because once you enter through the doors all the sounds of the city dissipate, and the only sound you hear are the voices of the people that are inside the temple, and the beating of your own heart....and then all you feel is peace.  

Once we stepped foot outside the temple the noise returned, and it was okay. We love this city! We walked around the upper west side, snooped inside a couple of shops, filled our stomachs with lunch at The Smith restaurant, and after walking a few more blocks down Columbus avenue we  parked ourselves on a brownstone stoop and enjoyed our delicious cookies from one of the best bakeries in town...Levain Bakery! 

Because we were enjoying the city so much I didn't take too many pictures. However, I did manage to capture the beauty of the temple from a few different angles...

^^^ Beautiful shot of the Angel Moroni at the top of the Manhattan temple ^^^

and some photos of the yummy lunch I had...

 ^^^ If you plan on ordering the hamburger make sure you come hungry because it's a good size burger! I didn't get to finish it all.  ^^^

^^^ The hot potato chips, and blue cheese dressing was soooooo good! My husband was jealous when I told him about it, because anything blue cheese is his favorite!! ^^^

Can't forget to document these delicious cookies as well...

Days like this are always at the top of my "life list". They are categorized under "the best days of my life".  Attending the temple with my one of my very best friends is the next best thing to attending it with my husband. I thought a lot about my hubby while inside the temple as well as my family members, but at the same time am grateful to have gone with my dear friend, and to have a girls day out! We all need those don't we? It was so much fun, and we both said to ourselves the next time we go we may just have to spend an entire weekend here so that we don't rush ourselves driving back to Jersey. Knowing this girl for 23 years seems surreal because on some days it feels as if I met her yesterday. I never thought that I would end up living in the same area as Maggie, and because of her I was taught of all the do's and don'ts of Jersey (I also learned a lot of them on my own too!) 

Thank you Maggie for all that you did for me on my special day, and for driving us into the city we love! You truly are a gem in my life!

Here's to 43 years, and to looking forward to many more trips like this! 

'the cake'

This past week has been so busy with the girls having extracurricular activities after school including a free trip to the Franklin Institute that we neglected to do 'the cake' on the 'day of' their birthday. So last night we officially had their small celebration with 'the cake' & it was quiet & fun. It was especially funny when we began singing happy birthday to Chelsea because the number nine began falling down. I couldn't help but to laugh...LOUD! You can watch that that video here.

I had been debating on having two separate cakes for the girls this year, but Jon was like, "that's too much cake honey", & I agreed. 

When Chelsea was in her toddler years we'd always buy her a 2 inch round cake & make one for Lexie. Now that their older we've either made cupcakes for Chelsea & a cake for Lexie. This year we made one whole cake for the both of them. We individually sang 'happy birthday' to Lexie & Chelsea & then switched the candles. It was less stressful, there was less baking, & it worked out nicely. You know I'm glad...because when I found this note on my blender from Chelsea that morning it made me happy to know that they both love dark chocolate icing. 

And mandatory pictures of their reaction when they saw their cake.

For those of you who have twins or kids with the same birthdays how do you celebrate? Do you make them individual cakes or just bag it & take them out to dinner where the waiters sing 'happy birthday' to them & hand them a dish of ice cream. Or like me...make one cake for the two of them? 

Pray tell...it's interesting to hear how others celebrate when kids have the same birthday. 

All I know is that I'm grateful for having girls who are easy going when it came to 'the cake'. 

And they seemed very pleased.

The end.