Pinewood Derby 2013

 This year Victor had the chance to participate for the last time and Tristan for the first time ever.  We worked really hard on their cars and I think they did a great job.  None of the boys came home with a trophy this year but their attitude towards the whole thing was just wonderful.  I am really proud of my boys. They insisted on doing their decorations on the cars all by themselves and it gave them a sense of accomplishment.  I really enjoy watching them develop skills and making memories at the same time.

 The grey car is Aaton's for the outlaw race.

 This black with crazy designs is Victors and the green at the top is Tristan's

 Getting their cars registered for the race.

 All lined up ready to go.

 Their cars were all in last place in every single race, I did not do a good job with the wheels and they didn't go as fast as the others.

 The family watching the races.

 Here is Victor shaping his car the little ones painting theirs.

 Can you tell he is excited?

Finding Me

A few years back I looked at the mirror and the reflection I saw there was not me, it scared me that I could not see me in there at all.  Maybe the eyes looked the same and the hair, but other than that there was a person that I could not recognize.  I don't know how it happened, I guess we were too busy living life and I forgot to pay attention to me.

I remember when we first got married with Dan and all the things we did together, then Shayna came along and we adjusted to life as parents, one by one each of the kids brought so much happiness and excitement so why then my face did not look the same?  

I honestly can tell that physically I had changed, inside I am still me, maybe a little stronger and a little wiser but still the same old me.

What each pregnancy did to my body is just crazy, I gained almost 60 lbs with my first baby. I did manage to go back down in size and weight and just before I got pregnant with Victor I still looked like me.  After Victor the weight came off easier and faster, it wasn't until I had Tristan that I started to notice the pounds were not coming off easily and some times at all.  I was left with 10 extra pounds that I battled to get off constantly.  After we moved to Utah I just kept putting the weight on, no matter how hard I tried to get skinnier it didn't help.  I guess you can say that I kind of gave up for a while, maybe a couple of years and then I got pregnant with Aaron.  During that pregnancy I had an eye opener, during my visits to the doctor's office they found that I once again had to deal with GD (gestational diabetes) and the doctor stressed out how important it was that I kept active and followed a healthy diet, for the sake of the baby I did and it worked, I only gained 16 lbs with that pregnancy.  My doctor was so proud of me and the fact that they didn't have to prescribe insulin at all.

Fast forward a couple of years and we have our move to Texas, I was 20 lbs over my ideal weight, another 10 lbs that would not go away.  I still did not follow the advice of the doctor then and didn't eat quite as healthy as I should have been, I made some changes to our diet as a family so we didn't intake a lot of meat, I had been doing that for a while anyways.  But I do remember that when we first moved here I was very active, walking every day and maybe a little stressed about finding a house but I thought I was doing better.  Still the weight just kept coming back and gaining more each year.  

I did a few diets, nothing worked, kept walking and using the bike, even got a treadmill and still didn't work.

I gave up again and then Dan and I did a diet together and he lost about 30 lbs, I only lost 10.... to once again gain it all back.

When we finally decided it was time to have another baby I was a little concerned about my health every time I got on the scale, I did get sick as usual (morning sickness is a killer for me) and eventually developed GD again.... I was devastated of course but at the same time I was pushed to follow a healthier diet from that point on.  

Food is probably my biggest weakness.  I cook really good meals and some times I just can''t help myself so having a diet to follow was a very good thing for me a that point.  Since I was already overweight based on my height I really did not want to gain 30 lbs + again, I guess you can say I was grateful to get GT (but not really).

I got sent to a specialist and he really opened my eyes for good this time around. He gave me the facts and explained how important it was that I followed this "diet" to the letter and to keep it with me for the rest of my life, he said to not see it as a diet but as a way of life instead and that right there did it for me.  

Sure it has been a long process and a painful one at that, but I am working on it every day.  Sure I still go out and eat every once in a while but I am more aware of the damage I can do to my body if I don't follow it through.  

So after Kahlan was born I stuck with it, not perfectly but I kept trying, I have to say that the hardest times were when my mom came to visit, with all the great cooking I always managed to get some weight on me.

This last time I begged her to not get mad at me about not letting her cook but I really have a hard time saying no to her food, it is comfort foo at its best. It was really hard for her but she understood (most of the time)

Anyways, after my surgery I promised myself that I would take care, better care of myself. My chances of getting Diabetes type 2 now are at 75% more than anyone else, because I am Latina and because I had GD with 3 out of 5 pregnancies.  I know that I posted about this a a while back but I really don't want to deal with insulin for the rest of my life and I am on a battle to reverse that 75% 

Well my hard work has finally payed off.  I did have a diet that I followed for 15 days last year and it helped me get rid of the stubborn 10 lbs post Kahlan, with a lot of work I got to a point where I felt that a little more helped was needed and so I joined a gym, not paying lots of money for it and I only go twice a week but WOW!!!!!! it has made the whole difference.  I have lost inches off my waist, thighs and arms.  It doesn't really show that much but I can feel it and see it myself.  Even Dan told me the other night that he saw the change.  I mean, my pants are so loose and comfortable.  I literally have to wear a belt to make them stay.  I have been able to dig clothes out of my closet that I had not been able to wear for the  last 4 years.

I am building muscle more than anything and haven't lost a lot of weight in this last month but I love the results so far, I am reshaping my body and I found my waist again!!!  I still have lots of work to do and planning on doing a big reveal around June, I will take some pics to show the difference and hoping that even if I only lose 10 lbs more, I will feel better about myself.  

I started to look at the mirror again with a little smile on my face I think I can see me a little bit in there.

Here are some pics from about 2 years ago and even a few months ago and some pics from now.  My favorite is the one with the dress I wore to Tristan's baptism back in September, it is probably my favorite dress and I wasn't able to get past the second whole on my belt, I put it on today and I was able to go down to the 4th whole, how cool is that?

 The picture above is from October 2011, I was still nursing Kahlan at the time, hence the big boobs :) The picture below was taken today as you can see the top is a little bit more loose. This was the heaviest I had been my whole life without being pregnant. I have lost 28-30 lbs to this day.

 This is what inspired me to write about this today, look at the two pics below, same skirt and top but you can fit my whole fist in the skirt.  So embarrased to say but the skirt is a size 12.... yeah it was getting bad.

 Awesome!!

 This pic above was taken last year in October too, my favorite dress because it used to hidd my fatness.  Two pics below show how much better the dress looks on me, there is a waist in there.

 Cool!

 I had not been able to fit into a size 8 skirt in years, this skirt right here is a size 6, yes a size 6!!!

And here is my favorite picture of today, this top I wore for the last time some time in 2009, why do I remember that?  Because it was one of my favorite tops ever and I could not button it up at all.  My bra size went down from 36 to 34 and that is a big difference.  

I am not close to my goal but so far I like the results and hope that with this post I have a way to remind myself of my ultimate goal which is to have a healthier body all the way around.  I can already see the difference in my energy level, it used to be at zero but now I feel like I want to go go go all the time.  Rarely take naps and love getting my gym clothes on.  Keep going me, I CAN DO IT!!!!

Our Christmas last year!!

Wow this is a very overdue post....
We had lots of fun for Christmas, we had the Javier family come over for a while for dinner and some games, a present exchange for the kids and after they left we had our annual Christmas Pageant.  Having 5 kids makes it more fun.  It was very nice and quiet for us and my mom was still here which was nice too.
Next morning we woke up to see what Santa brought to us.
The kids were way excited about all their presents and I think we are finally getting good a picking presents for them or should I say Santa is doing a better job.

 Having dinner, both Mexican and Guatemalan tamales.

 My mom and Shayna.                  My mom and me!!!

 The kids with their presents, Victor asked for three things only and got exactly what he wanted, he was super excited.

 Give Tristan Legos and he will be a happy boy.

 Crafts, markers, books and of course a tablet, that's enough for her.

 My boy Aaron, eh loved everything and specially his Nerf gun.

Kahlan got lots of baby stuff, she is such a great little mommy and she loved it all.

My crazy life!!!

So one of the reason why I haven't been able to keep up with my blog lately is because I have a new job.... at home.... babysitting.  I had been looking to do something like that since we moved here but somehow the opportunities were scarce and I really wanted to feel like I was doing something to help out Dan and feel productive.  I know that I have tons of things to do around here so it's not like I get bored but still I like feeling like I am helping the family.

So a friend from church mentioned to me about this opportunity and I went for it.  It really sounded like a good thing, 3 days out of the week, two little boys, just perfect.  Having time in between is great because I still get to do my shopping or just chill and spend time with my baby girl. 

So far it has worked more or less,  the only thing about this whole thing is that I asked for too little money hoping they would go with me and not looking anywhere else, well now I realize that was dumb.... she said we would talk again in the Spring and see how things go so I am crossing my fingers that it will work.

The kids are great, the baby is a year old and a very good baby when he is not sick, takes long naps and likes me a lot, Kahlan on the other hand has to fight for the spotlight and mama's attention which she definitely has but when I am feeding him she gets really jealous.  The older boy who is 4 can be a little bit of a challenge some times when I ask him to clean up after himself or eat his lunch, he is a great eater but sometimes he hates the food the mom brings him.

The other thing that I have an issue with is time for pick up, I was told she would come pick them up at 3:30 or 4 a the latest, either her or the husband have great hours because she is a school teacher and I guess his job is flexible... well that was how it worked out the first week but then it has been like 5 o'clock almost everyday which can delay be quite a bit, dinner gets delayed, homework doesn't get done before Dan gets home and I get a little grouchy because an extra hour or two with a tired baby can feel longer than that.  

I am grateful for the chance that I have to contribute to the household but I need to have a talk with them and see if we can either make it closer to what we agreed on at the beginning or them giving me a little raise. They have to know that they have it really good with me :)  

Anyways I have been so busy with this new thing that I just don't have time to sew like I used to, or work on other projects, even Shayna can see it and asks me when am I going to go back to work on crafts and stuff. Anyways I know we will get the hang of it, we always do but I will try to update my blog more often, at least once a week so I can post pics of my kids and the things they are doing, they are so good at school and we are just missing so much that needs to be on here, so keep checking  in, I might take advantage of Spring break to update!!!

People are stupid!

This is one of Dan's favorite phrases of all time, every time I complain about something somebody says or does he tells me "When are you going to realize that people are stupid?"  Of course that is a generalization and he by no means is trying to say that all people we come in contact with or know are stupid, just some....
I have been talking to a couple of friends about a personal problem that is bugging me to no end, Dan advises me to let it go and move on and of course I want to move on, I can't stand the feeling of being annoyed at somebody or at the situation.  What this situation came to do for me is that I think I am truly a sensitive person (probably using the wrong word here).  I give too much of myself and even though I don't really expect anything back it is just amazing to see how much people can take and take from you and you don't realize it until it is too late.  I am moving on, trying at least and it is hard but in the end it will be alright.
You know I always thought that when a person opens up their heart and stands before as they are that they would see that and appreciate it and if they took the time to understand you and really be there for you but unless you are family I guess you can't really do that.  Some times even family members act that way too.
So this is just for me, so when in the future I look back on this tough time in my life I can remember that even though it was hard it was also a great time in my life, I am so blessed to have met so many people already, of course you can't take your best friends with you wherever you go and the experiences that you live with them will be in your mind for ever and that can't get taken from you.  I am thankful to my Heavenly Father because  even in the little things he teaches me a lesson and that is that no matter what we must love everyone and show humility which some times is so hard to do.  This will pass and I will be OK.

Trip to the ER with the princess.

Sunday night and I am minding my own business doing the dishes when I noticed Kahlan pulling a chair so she can sit on it, turned around and the next thing I hear is a loud noise and Kahlan standing there crying in the chair on top of her foot.  At first glance I just saw what I always see, a kid crying who needed my immediate attention so I went to pick her up and she was just screaming really loud, more than usual.  I could not console her so Dan came to the rescue and when he did then I was able to see the bigger picture.  Shayna came to touch her foot and kiss it but soon started to scream as well saying that there was blood on her sock.  I will spare you the details but you can imagine everyone crying and screaming at the same time and we only freaked her out even more.  In our defense we have never seen so much blood come out of a little foot at once, she was hysterical and the only one who was calmed was Dan.
I don't like taking my kids to the ER because my fear is that they will be OK and the doctors will just send us home making us feel like we wasted their time.
So he foot would not stop bleeding and we decided it was necessary to go, Shayna came with me and it took us about 10 minutes to get there, she was still bleeding and there were 20 people in front of us so we knew it would take a while.  The nurse that the triage didn't even take a look just gave us the bracelet and made us wait for about 2 hours.  By the tame they called her name her foot had stopped bleeding and the ER doctor or whatever she was, said she wasn't even going to touch it....
It was the most frustrating trip to the ER so far, we spent about 3 hours there and they didn't even cleaned the toe or anything to asses the situation.  I was told to take her home and just clean her foot and wait until the nail came off, honestly the toe looked really bad but I had never dealt with a situation like that before, it was our first toe injury in the family.
So we came home, cleaned her toe as best as we could, as best as she could let us.... the whole time she kept saying "no mas" which means "no more" and asked me to cover it so she could not see it.
She is all better now, the nail actually fell a couple of weeks ago and now she is growing a new one but she still hates looking at it and wants to keep her socks on 24/7
She actually did really well for her first experience at the ER and hopefully she wont have to go back for a very long time.  This experience just made us realize how much we all love that little devil, she is the cutest, smartest baby ever and has stolen our hearts for ever, all her siblings cried for her that night and were so sad to see her in pain, I have never seen such a thing in the family before, they truly love her.
Here is a pic I took with my cell phone that night and a picture of the toe nail the day it came loose.

Kahlan's Birthday!!

I can't believe my baby is two... I know I know I always say that but really, where did time go?  She of course had no clue it was her birthday just super excited to see so many presents just for her.  I made her a cake and we got her all Minnie Mouse presents since she in love with anything Minnie and she loved it.

Of course we didn't have a big party, it was just us and it was really special but a little rushed. Victor had a Scout thing going on Saturday afternoon (her birthday was Sunday but we celebrated on Saturday) and Tristan had a birthday party so  we decided last minute to celebrate before everyone left and had lunch with her, then opened presents and then had cake.  I wrote something on FB about Kahlan that describes what she is into right now and I am going to re post it here so I can remember later on...

Happy Birthday to my sweet loving baby girl who is no longer a baby but a happy toddler full of energy and smiles. At two years old she is a pro at running and barely falling down while doing so, she can go up and down the stairs all by herself taking one step at a time, eats all by herself and loves to sit at the big table not the highchair (she has officially claimed my seat next to dad), loves to "lolor" on books, walls, clothes and pretty much anything else. She is so proud of herself for finally being able to say "daddy" so clearly and she loves him, she can jump for real and had been trying to master it for a couple of months now, she is a busy little big, big talker and a great sleeper. She gets into everything literally.... she is a Mickey and Minnie mouse lover, great dancer and knows how to move her hips :) We feel so blessed for having her around and can't imagine what things she will come up with tomorrow :)

I just love being her mom and am really grateful to be able to teach her and love her here on earth.  I should add that she is currently enjoying pencils and crayons... basically whatever leaves a mark on her skin or any surfaces she will find and use, I have so many marks on the wall, furniture, my watch, clothes, the carpet did I mention the walls?  Yes she loves doing that I am trying to be super patient and also grateful for the magic eraser :)  One day I am sure I will look at my sparkly clean walls and wish she could still come and draw on them so for now I am just enjoying her as much as I can!!
Happy birthday my sweet angel!!!

 The boys helped me decorate with balloons and I made the table look like a big bow...

 Her hand painted cake which turned out better than expected, I ma not giving up on this technique yet.

She loves having her picture taken and says cheese every time she sees me with the camera.

 She looked so happy with her stuff.

 Yaya got her a purse of her own.

 She got a place mat and a matching cup (which she already broke)

 Kahlan and the cake, she surprised us at how well she blew out the candles all on her own.

 She loved her cake too.

 My pretty little girl and the last pic is of the cake and what happens when you leave it unattended for a while...