Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?

I really don't like any pictures of myself, I think that they are all horrible and always find every single detail that makes me look bad.  But I love this picture and yes I know it is not a picture of just me, I am pretty sure that it would not had turned out good it if was just me.
This picture was from exactly 10 years ago, it is the perfect picture of my little family back then but if you look closely Shayna was in tears and about to cry again (one of her uncles was trying to make her smile).  I think that I look really happy in that picture and I am still skinny back then, my smile is not huge like it always is and I put some make up on so I don't look too bad.  I just love it and in the last 10 years there has not been another picture that I like with me in it.

Day 20: Nicknames

First off, I am not going to share what Dan and I call each other because we think that's kind of personal :) We do have nicknames for out kids though and they are kind of unique.

Shayna is boogy because when she was a baby she was so noisy she sounded like a caveman baby and it all started with us saying "ooga booga" then we shortened it to boogy and has been around ever since. Funny thing is that all the boys are "boogos" and one day Aaron asked me "Are we going to go get the boogos from school?"...
Shayna is also known as "Nena" because that is how Victor used to say her name when he was little.

Victor, used to be boogo boy and Vito because Shayna could not say Victor the right way.  He hates it now by the way.

Tristan is Titi, once again because Victor could not say Tristan... it is still around and he doesn't like it that much but I can't help myself.  We also used different versions of Titi like Twister, Twisty, Twity Boy, Twixter, Twito... the list goes on and on and on.

Aaron is "Bebi", he was our baby for the longest time up until Kahlan was born and I can't stop calling him that, he has requested several time to call him Aaron, of course I do that in public but at home I still call him my Bebi.  He is also known as Aaronboonie, White boy and my second favorite is "My Boy".

Kahlan is still in the process of finding her nickname, so far we have been calling her "Wiggy Wiggy", KB or Baby Girly... not sure what will be the final one but I am sure we will figure it out soon.

When I was little they used to call me "Flaca" because I was so skinny and that is what it means... I used to hate it.

Day 19: Something you miss

Are you kidding me?  I miss GUATEMALA.  It is so weird to think that when I left my home it was all about how exciting my new life was going to be, how cool it was going to be on my own without my mom supervising every single aspect of my life... literally.  I never thought that being away from home was going to make so sad and miss every single thin from back there.  What I miss the most some days is the smells, for example when it rains you can smell the first few drops of rain touching the dirt and that smell is something you don't get to experience here, it is so different.  I miss the smell of the food they cook at the market, it makes you so hungry that you can't help getting something to eat while shopping.  I miss getting on the bus to go places or walking all over the place like the church of my friend's house.  I miss hanging out with my cousins every once in a while and their families.  I miss sitting on the roof petting Pooky (my dog) and making him fall asleep on my lap.  I miss the church dances I used to go to, having so much with friends and dancing all night long.  I miss going to the "Tiendita" (little store) right around the corner from  house to buy my favorite chips and my Coke.  I miss freshly baked bread so crunchy on the outside and so soft on the inside that almost melts in your mouth and getting tortillas from the ladies across the street.  I miss the noisy firecrackers they blow up at 5 am to let you know it is some body's birthday and also the home made hot chocolate my mom used to make me for my birthday so I could eat it with sweet bread.  Believe or not I miss taking a shower in my bathroom, sometimes there was no running water so we had to use a little bucket to pour water over us :)  I miss my mom cooking, sure she cooks here but the ingredients are way better back home, everything is so fresh.  I miss the "licuados" they are kind of like milk shakes but they are done with fresh fruit and so yummy.  There are so many things that I miss and took for granted when I was there, it will never be same but I sure wish I could go back in time and enjoy it more the last few days I was there.

Free Juice!!!

 
Hey friends and family if you would like to get this new juice for free go to this website www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots  I just did and they will be sending me some free juice in the mail soon.

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

I have many, but El Charro a Mexican place back in VA would probably take first place.  It is sooo good and when we have the chance to go back and visit we make it a priority, yes a PRIORITY to go eat there.  There is no other place like it anywhere else.  Here in Houston we love going to Los Vega, another Mexican place, it is pretty good and probably the best one around here because it is very authentic.  We recently discovered a new place, Zios.   We went there after attempting going to Olive Garden one day and it was full.  This place is amazing and we really do love it.  Back home in Guatemala and if I am lucky to find one here in the States, is Pollo Campero.  Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken but better, I am lucky to have a husband that loves it too.

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to

We are actually really excited about having the Browns from Virginia visit us next month.  They have 5 kids too and they are pretty much the same age as ours, I can't wait to see the cousins playing together and having fun when they are here.  I am looking forward to a night out just the sister's in law some time when they are here, I know the three of us can have some fun without the kids and hubbies.
We are also having my mother in law come to stay with us for a couple of days next week, she will get to meet our new baby and that is always exciting.

Day 16: Dream house

One thing that I will always remember from when I was a little girl was the dream house my dad wanted to build for us, it was a big two story house with a balcony that would wrap around the entire second floor, it had lots of windows and a nice big roof.  If I could build this house it would be done somewhere where there are lots of trees to have a nice view from the windows.  I would love stain glass windows and high ceilings with exposed beams.  It would have a room for the girls and one for the boys and then a separate play room with a big TV so we can all watch movies and play games, nice comfy couches and a ping pong table (I love ping pong).  The kitchen would be big and spacious with a nice big pantry (glass pocket door) and a butler's pantry too.  I would love a breakfast room with a bay window and a separate formal dining room for guests and big family meals.  The kitchen would also have a nice island and a place for my kiddos to sit around and do their homework while I am cleaning or cooking (yeah right).  There would be a bathroom for my girls and a separate bathroom for my boys.  A guest room with their own bathroom and of course out master bedroom that would probably take about half of the second floor with french doors that would take us to a nice little place of our own to have breakfast or just sit and read a book (Dan would be doing most of the reading).  My ideal master bedroom would have a nice sitting area surrounded by bookshelves and pictures of the kids on the walls, the bathroom would have a nice garden bathtub (big enough for two), a separate shower and it MUST have two sinks so Dan can have his messy side and I can have my messy side too :)  There would be a nice walk in closet (twice the size of the one we currently have and I consider that one pretty big already).  Dan would have his own office decorated the way he wants it, he can finally display his sword collection and the kids would not be allowed to go in there for their own safety.  My office would basically be a craft/sewing room for me.  There has to be a sitting room to receive the VIP (visiting teachers and such).  There would be a sun room to enjoy the summer time without melting and a pool in the back yard.  We would have plenty of space to have a dog and for the kids to run around and play. On the outside I can picture a nice deck also wrapped around the entire house and having benches and rocking chairs to sit on, lots of flowers pots and the siding would be white with black shutters.  Wooden floors through out the entire house and nice tile in the bathrooms.  There would be an entry way big enough to have nice bench for the guests to sit and leave muddy shoes,we could have like a nice hidden closet there to leave the backpacks and coats.  Dan has told me how he would love to have one of those nice drive ways  that has a way in and out so it can be easy to get in and out and last but not least a big Magnolia tree in the front and a Willow tree in the back yard. Chances are we will never have it but that is my dream house, I can just picture it now.

Day 15: Bible verse

2 Corinthians 12: 10

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I found this scripture for my mom years ago when she was having a hard time with life and us kids... she liked it so much that she put up on the wall in the dining room and it always reminded her and me that trials just makes us stronger.  That has been the story of my life.  I think that the fact that there was a lot of suffering in my life from a young age it helped to mature faster than any other kid my age, it let me see the world for what it really is.  I know my trials are nothing compared to others but when it happens to you then it feels like it is the worst thing ever.  I feel really blessed with my life, I am a tough cookie an sure I break down every once in a while but the most important things is to keep going forward no matter what comes your way.  The Lord will always provide a way.

Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?

This picture was taken last year while pregnant with my wonderful baby girl. You can say things have changed since then.  Where do I start?  Oh yea, how about what a pain in the butt I must have been for my whole family.  Last year around this time I was laying down in bed mostly all day long while my poor kids were downstairs trying to survive on their own.  They ate cereal most of the time because the smell of food cooking would just make me run to the bathroom to throw up.  If I was not in bed I was for sure pucking out my insides.  I was pretty much miserable.  I was so excited to be pregnant again and was really looking forward to enjoy the last one like never before, little did I know that my plans were not exactly going to go they way I wanted them.  Why I wonder so many times, why must I go through all the trials with my pregnancy?  Why now?  Is it my age?  I honestly still can't figure it out.  I am not THAT old but I think age definitely helped a little bit.  I was always tired and there was no desire to do anything, it was a miserable time for sure.  The only thing that kept me from curling up into a ball and just die was the hope to see my little one some day and I am really happy that she is here with us, worth every pain and suffering.  I really feel bad mostly for those around me.  Seriously, I was so moody and grouchy, my husband must love me very much to put up with me.
Things have definitely changed so much around here.  I used to think that I had everything under control and I was a pro at being a mom with my 4 kids.  All the plans that I made still have not been accomplished.  I will get better with time I know that but I know that I can do better for me and my family.  It has only been 4 months since Kahlan joined this family but we'll make it.  Little by little I can see myself pulling it together.  I just have to not expect so much of me and learn to rely on others that are willing to help, I am not a super woman that's for sure.  I guess we are constantly changing and that is a good thing, I suppose that if we were to remain in the same situation we would never move forward right?  I mean, I hope that by this time next year I have learned from my mistakes and changed a little bit more, for the better of course.  Hoping to get my figure back some time in the future too :)

Day 13: Goals

Something I have been struggling for the past few years.  I used to be so good at setting goals and accomplishing them but that really doesn't happen anymore since life gets in the way.  I mean, there are some general long term goals that have been set and we are currently working on them but my problem is the little goals for even today. 
I guess I can write a list of goals that need to be accomplished right away and maybe by writing them they will get done by the time I am done with the challenge.

This are seriously over due:

1.  Organize and clean my laundry room (again)
2.  Organize and clean the office.
3.  Organize my kitchen cupboards because ever since the kids started to help out with dishes, they put everything in the wrong place so it is very chaotic right now.
4.  Get rid of the mountains of clothes that are currently residing in my room again.
5.  Set a schedule for myself so I can accomplish all these things because otherwise it will never get done.
6.  Last but not least, finish at least one of my sewing projects because they have been sitting there for a long time now.

If I do finish them I will be posting pictures as proof that I did it and hopefully I will get more excited about the rest of my goals that I did not write down.

Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without

I guess that would be my wallet, I freak out just thinking that I will get pulled over by a cop and I wont have my driver's license with me, so I always double check.  I am constantly changing my diaper bags or purses so I HAVE to double check that I have it in there.  The second thing would be my cell phone of course, would not want to be stranded somewhere without being able to call some one for help. 

Day 11: Favorite tv shows

So I know this challenge has been a little bit of challenge for me :)  Weekends are dedicated to my family so I don't really have the time to sit down and write on my blog and also being sick Friday didn't help that much.  We'll see how this week goes.

I love watching TV and there are some good shows out there.  Once again I will write my top 10 most favorite shows.

1.  American Idol, I was actually really happy to see it this year because there were a lot of good people with great voices in the show and it seemed like they got rid of the people I didn't like at the beginning. 
2.  ER is one of my all time favorite TV shows.
3.  Party of 5 is a show we are currently watching with Dan and it can get really annoying but most of time it's kind of interesting, I used to watch this show back home years ago.
4.  Friends, when we used to live with my in laws years ago my brother in law Jason and his wife lived there too and this was Tashia's favorite show... after watching a few episodes I got hooked.   A couple of years ago Dan bought the complete collection and we watched all together for the first time.   Too funny.
5. Lost, I just loved wondering what the next episode was going to be like... it kept me on my toes.
6.  The Ghost Whisperer.  It was a really great show, loved the idea to be able to help people on the other side but it also got creepy every once in a while.
7.  The Good Wife is one of the shows we are currently watching, I love it that this woman is taking control of her life and is letting no one, including her mother in law mess with her.  Love it!!
8.  Chuck, is funny funny funny.  I also like the actor so it is very enjoyable to sit down and watch it.
9.  19 kids and Counting.  I can't get enough of that show, I love how they get along and everybody pitches in to help one another. 
10. Gray's Anatomy, well I already wrote about that one :)

Day 10: Something you're afraid of

I am basically afraid of heights but just thinking about roller coasters makes my hands sweaty.  I hate getting on airplanes because I get that same feeling in my tummy when you are on a roller coaster ride, the up and down motion just creeps me out.  I had never been on a roller coaster until Dan took me to Kings Dominion back in VA about 13 years ago.  There was this nice looking boat and that was the first ride we went on, the park had just opened so I had no idea what the ride was like.  It started to go back and forth many times and then it started to get higher and higher, it would have been just fine then but the boat all of the sudden went all the way up and stayed there and there was me upside down thinking I was going to die right then... needless to say I was terrified.  Dan then took me to almost every single roller coaster at the park and I didn't want him to feel I was not fun so I went but I really did not enjoy it and ever since it really takes a lot to make me get on one of those.  I just can't handle them.  I have to admit that I have cried before and there is even a video of it... embarrassing.

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

This picture was taken the day I turned 21, my best friend Sandra Urbina was pregnant back then with their third baby, I loved her babies so much.  She was my very best friend in the whole wide world.  She is 6 years older than I am but she still took me in and used to hang out with me all the time.  We met shortly before she got married to a friend from my ward and I instantly liked her.  She was a great example to me, a great leader in the Young Women's  program and always had great advice for me.  I recently reconnected with her through Facebook and it was so cool to be able to talk to her again and her babies are no longer babies.  One of them is about to go on his mission some time next year.  We lost contact years ago since I lost her address but now we can stay connected for ever and I really hope that we can see each other someday.

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

We don't travel that much because it is expensive and since Dan is in school it is hard to find time to go anywhere.  But last year we had a great time driving down to Corpus Christy and San Antonio. I took some pictures of thing that I liked and never had a chance to post so I will do that on here.

Day 7: Favorite movies

I love movies so it is really hard to pick but here are my top ten all time most favorite movies:

1.  Braveheart.  I can honestly say that I have seen this movie more than 20 times, yes I know is rated R but it is a really great love story.  It makes me laugh and cry big time.
2. Pride and Prejudice (BBC version).  It is long but it is so romantic and it reminds me of Dan and me.
3. Mulan.  Yes I love kids movies too.  I love this movie because Mulan is such an inspiration for women, she is a true hero and it shows that women can do anything they put their minds to.
4. Harry Potter series, absolutely love them.
5. ET, a classic.
6. A Walk in the Clouds.  Another romantic movie and you get an idea of what is like growing up as a Latino.
7. Fools Rush In.  I just love this movie, it's funny for personal reasons.  Dan and I can relate to some extent.
8. First Knight
9. Princess Bride
10 Robinhood.

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy

This sticky note was place on my entertainment center by Tristan a couple of weeks ago.  When I first saw it I got annoyed that once again my kids had been playing with my things and that they were making the entertainment center look messier than usual, but it wasn't until I read it that I decided to leave it there until it falls.  I can't get rid of it, that boy sure loves his mommy and she loves him "all the way to the moon and back" (like I always tell him).  So when I am sitting on the couch watching TV I can always see my sticky note that remind me how much I love being a mom.

Day 5: A song to match your mood

Day 4: Your parents

I think this is kind of hard since I don't have a lot of info on my dad.  I recently asked family members to provide me with old stories about him growing up and this is what they shared with me so far. Vctor Manuel Gonzalez Soler, born some time in November 1950 (there is some confusion as to the real birth date).  He was the youngest of 13 kids as I recently found out through some family members.  He was the baby of the family so of course he got spoiled rotten.  He loved to sing, play soccer, riding his motorcycle and to build things.  He did not like school that much but was a very smart guy.  At the age of 16 he moved to Boston to live with friends and that is how he learned some English.  Went back home and worked with his dad for a while building machines for his family business, a saw mill.  After a while he started his own company building very complex machinery including big mixers for bakeries and he even got recognized by the president of Guatemala at that moment (around 1970's) for his mixers.. it was a big deal.  He had a very successful business and just when things were starting to get better he found out he was dying of cancer at the age of 31.  He died 7 months later just after turning 32.

Blanca Isabel Garcia Noriega de Gonzalez born on August 7 1953.  Second to youngest in a family of 9.  She was raised in the Catholic faith and was a very good child.  Went to school but didn't like it either and after attending a secretarial school for a year decided to quit and go to work.  Worked as a shoe sales person and learned to speak Catalan (a dialect from Spain) since the owners were from Spain. Met my dad when she was about 21 and got married shortly after.  They got married against the wishes of my dad's family and he had to lie saying she was pregnant and it was the right thing to do.  Later on my mom found out the whole family was expecting her to start showing and she had no idea what they were talking about.
My dad wrote the story of how they met and how my mom changed his life for good.  He was a little bit lost in the world trying all sorts of things then he met my mom who was a saint and didn't even like drinking so he changed his ways.  They got married at a courthouse but my dad decided not to get married at a catholic church because he thought that one day they might find a different faith and convert and it was better to wait.
Sure enough a few years later he let the missionaries into his home and wanted to get baptized right there on the spot.  I think he had to wait  a week or so, my mom was pregnant at the moment and was not sure about the whole thing but she did it anyways.
About 3 years later my parents made the decision to get married in the LDS Temple and the closest one at the time was the Arizona temple.  They had to sell their fridge to be able to buy bus tickets and took my older brother Nefi and me on a long 15 day trip.  I think some how my dad had a feeling he was not going to make it very far in this life.
I was blessed with great parents, I barely knew my dad but I do have some good memories of him.  My mom had a hard life raising her three kids and I really don't know how she kept it together for so long, sacrificing her entire life for her kids.  I will for ever be grateful for their example and the good teaching.  My dad was loved by many and I literally was stopped by strangers that would let me know of his good deeds before he passed away. 

I have to say that my mom is a great woman and taught me how to be a good wife, she probably wasn't the best mother in the world growing up but I so understand now how hard it is to deal with the little people.  She didn't have a lot of money so she took cake decorating classes and after she graduated she started her own business selling cakes, she was very good at it and very creative.  She sold most of her cakes to Burger King for their birthday parties.  That is how she was able to afford clothing, food and a place for us to live.  She has always loved cooking and even took some cooking classes to expand her knowledge.  It was great trying out new meals every week.  She loved going to the church and learning new crafts, she loved to keep a clean house.  I did not get to see my mom for 6 long years, it was a tough time.  She was diagnosed with cancer and being so far away from her and not being able to get out of the country was the hardest thing to deal with but we were so blessed to get a second chance and after a blessing performed by my youngest brother she went into remission.  Til this day the doctors can't explain what happened but we know.  We are blessed to have her around for much longer and she has been a great grandmother to my kids.

I Hyde was born of goodly parents.

Day 3

Day 03- A habit that you wish you did not have and a picture of the cast from your favorite TV show

I am following a 30 day challenge that I found online but a friend of mine has one going on that is different so I am choosing to go with a different option for today because I did not like the one on mine...
It is hard to decide what habit of mine I don't like, there are so many to choose from.  I yell too much... it comes with the culture I guess.  I hate it hate it hate it.  I can't help it, all of the sudden there I am yelling.  I need to remind myself that yelling is not good.

And my current favorite TV show it Grey's Anatomy.  They are all very interesting characters, my favorite was George but he died and now I am not sure who I like best.  I don't think Dr. Mac Dreamy is really that cute and Meredith is kind of annoying.  I love Dr shows and this is one can be pretty good if you can get past the hot and steamy sex moments (that we tend to fast forward).  The show reminds me that life is pretty fragile and we should really try to be at peace with each other and enjoy life to the fullest (not in a worldly way of course). 

Day 2... Meaning behind your blog name.

Mi (My) Vida (Life) Loca (Crazy)

Correct translation would be "My Crazy Life".  I decided to give my blog this name at a time in life when things were a little bit crazy and believe me it got "crazier".  We have a pretty unpredictable life, we move when we want to, we sell our houses and give cars away, we have kids when people think we shouldn't have any, we get the kids in the car and drive just because, we look for an specific store chain and make it a goal to find all the locations in the area, we buy brand new lawn mowers but we buy cars on the side of the road, we go swimming with the kids but none of them know how to, like I said before I left country and family behind to live my own life, when our first baby was born we left the hospital 25 hours later exactly 15 minutes after the new year started. I used to go with Dan to work and he would drop me off at the Mall so I could spend the whole day there and wait for him to have lunch at the food court and when he left again I would take my baby with me to the movie theater and watch a couple of movies.  We used to go shopping in the middle of night and take our baby with us because that was the only time Dan was home and I didn't drive at the moment, we got a lot of looks from people letting us know how they disapproved.  We love playing video games with our kids and will spend a whole day (mostly with Shayna and Victor) playing until we beat the game but we do stop for potty brakes and to eat.  We are a bunch of shy people so we don't have very many friends and we keep to ourselves.  I could list more things but I think these reasons makes us crazy enough... hence Mi Vida Loca.  It might be a crazy life but is OUR life.