Monday, March 29, 2010

Anniversary





So we are coming up on 2 years. And this weekend we are having a little getaway. It is really exciting. One reason is that I had nothing to do with the planning. Great husband...check. Another reason is that my Easter weekend and his long weekend fell on our anniversary. Five blissful days off ...check.

It also happens to be his birthday. Yes, he will never forget our anniversary which is great. Until I realized that his one day that is his own he now shares our anniversary with. And it is a little overshadowed by the anniversary. So I am working on something for his birthday. Make it all about him...since he was so willing to share his day.

We have been together almost 6 years this April. So I just thought I would share a few pictures of us.
1.) Our First Valentine's Day as a married couple.
2.) At church he made an ACTS Retreat.
3.) We were still dating.
4.) Garden of the Gods in Colorado.

5.) Our Wedding Day.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Things "My" Kids Say......


So I don't have kids of my own but I have the world's greatest nieces & nephews. These kids are the greatest. I know, I am bias and I can admit that. But they are the best and make my life so much fun.

I am their aunt, their Tia, their big sister and their Nena. I look at each of these little faces and can see their amazing personalities. So now I am just reminiscing on things they have said:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had just been married for a few months and my sister and niece came to help me pack my stuff. And you know the feeling when you are on the ball and time just gets away from you and the next thing you know its 3pm and you haven't eaten anything. So we decide to send my husband (JD) to pick up something. And the conversation goes like this...(give or take a bit)....
JD: What do you feel like eating?
Nena: I really can't think right now....Pick a place and I will tell you what I want.
JD
: Sonic, Rosa's,..hmm..
Aly
(4yrs old): McDonald's!!!
JD
: NO, NO....not McDonald's...
Aly
(Shaking her head): Hmmm....JD no sabes lo que te estas perdiendo!! Translation....hmmm JD you don't know what you are missing...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have taught all if not most of them to answer to the question, "Quien te quiere mucho?" Translation: "Who loves you more?" And the answer is "Nena!!" But not Ryan. Ryan is a mama's boy and his answer is always, "Mama!!" He wants it his way... so I found another way around it.
Ryan: Love you Nena.
Nena: No......I love you.
Ryan
: Nooooo........I love you Nena.
Nena
: No....I love you more.
Ryan
: Noooooooo....I luuuuvvv you more Nena.
Nena
: Okay....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stefan is a mess. And I say that with pride. We all lived together for several months like a great big extended family (before I got married). Me not being use to kids or other people ... I will admit it was a little getting use to. But the fact that I had moments like this was worth it.

Aly: (Crying for whatever reason).
Stefan
: Aly is such a baby.
Aly
: I'm not a baby!!!

This bantering went back and forth for a while. Then came the infamous Sunday. The family went to church and my little Stefan decided he wanted to talk. Which was usually okay because they usually sat in the cry-room. But this Sunday they were sitting right smack dab in the middle of the congregation. And in Catholic churches you have a crucifix at the alter. So the conversation goes somewhat like this:

Mom: Stefan you need to be quiet.
Stefan
: Why?
Mom
: You are making "Diosito" (God) sad.
Stefan: (
looks up to the alter & says) Why?
Mom
: Because you are not listening.
Stefan
: (Quiets down and looks up at the crucifix).....hmmm........You're such a baby!!
Classic!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was home visiting my mom & dad. My nieces Mikki & Milli live down the road from my parents. Well this particular weekend my other nieces and nephews were visiting too. Mikki's parents don't like her eating too many sweets, which at Lita'a(short for guelita~grandma) house is near impossible.

Well I had all of them brush their teeth and lay down for bed...while getting ready to go to bed myself I hear something in the kitchen. Mikki in the cookie jar. Of course I say no and she goes to my mom to cry about how mean Nena is.

Mikki: Nena is mean ... she doesn't like me.
Lita
: No Mikki...Nena te quire (Nena loves you).
Mikki
: Lita...no quiero que Nena venga a mi rancho...she is mean.
Translation
: Grandma I don't want Nena coming to my farm anymore... she is mean.

Nice...to be booted out from the farm. The next morning I made sure I explained to her dad, my brother what had happened. So my brother ask Mikki what had happened....and of course I chime in...
Nena: Mikki was mad at me , papi
Papi
: Mikki? At you?
Nena
: Yeah she crossed her arms and looked at me like this (and I do my imitation).
Papi
: Mikki where you mad at Nena?
Mikki
(with arms crossed): No, papi....I was just cold....see like this...I am not mad...
Oh.....Right!! Remember....arms crossed can mean more than being mad.


I will share more later.......this is just the beginning.......I plan on writing more of them down.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Plans

So I have come to the realization that I do not like change. I guess to make it more clear... I do not like change that I can foresee coming that is messing with my plan. A little insight for you...I am a planner. I plan things, I prepare, I try to find the best outlook, option, whatever. It is who I am. I don't know what life will be like in 5, 10, or even 15 years but I have a general plan. If something pops into the plan that was not created by me...I freak out. I am stressed and can' t see past the fact that this is not my plan.

The crazy thing is that I have always considered myself a "go with the flow" type person. But now I think that only applies to very small day to day occurrences. Large life changing events cause me to want to jump up and down and stomp my feet. I turn into a 3 year old. There are only certain people I even feel comfortable talking to about it but today it is just me and my words.

I am a dreamer. And I guess I get attached to my dreams. So anything that can possibly change it is a struggle for me. One gets comfortable with the life you lead that the uncertain is not easy to face. And it is not like I haven't experienced this feeling before and apparently I have managed to adjust. This time just feels like there is so much more at stack.

So Saturday I will meet with an amazing women that I love and adore. Usually those words describe my mom but this person is like my second mom. I need some clarity, someone to talk it out with, and some time to explain my mixed emotions. It is going to be great.......I am just sure of it.

So here is to future plans and stomping my feet at change.

I realize that one Saturday will not fix it but maybe I can talk it out enough to make it all make sense and have someone else understand my hesitation on change.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Lessons Learned.......


Do you ever have those moments where you can't help but to reflect back on everything? I took a road trip with my friend, Missy...and road trips call for long conversations about life. I went to my friends' daughter's birthday party and spent 10hrs in a car having great conversations with my college roommate.

Anyways, to the point. I had some time to reflect on so many things. Our road trip lead to some serious reminiscing. And I guess I would say one of the things I can't get out of my head was the lessons learned from all the experiences I had in college. See each time we talked, laughed, questioned the relationships, moments or times in college we would go back to ....the lessons learned.

After reminiscing and laughing on whatever topic.....one of us would ask the other..."And the lesson learned there was ?" And it always seemed to have taught us something.

So if I could tell my twenty-something self
anything
it would be this:
(And I just did the Top 10...maybe later I will reveal others)

1. Just because you are young doesn't mean you will live forever, so take care of yourself.

2. Boys never change....so find your true friends because your true friends will grow with you forever and love you even when you (or they) can't stand you.

3. Work out and learn to love it.....


4. Takes lots of pictures......one day you might need a good laugh.


5. Your mom/parents aren't that bad...and one day you will realize that.


6. Each boy you date will bring you a lesson........so learn from it because when the right one comes around you will be able to appreciate him that much more.


7. You will meet your best friends at this time...and they will change you for the better.


8. Enjoy all the moments with your family...one day you will wish you had more time with them.


9. Your heart will get broken more than once...but you will find love......so enjoy being single.....it will happen.


10. This is the best time of your life and you won't know it till later......so live it, enjoy it, and breath it all in ....

Not that I would have listened then. What matters now...is that I know it now. Funny how we can only see the blessings in retrospect.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Hmmmm .....Awkward

So this is my first blog. I feel a bit out of place. And I know if my brother had anything to say he would tell me not to start this blog this way but ...How do you start? I really don't know the proper way to begin so .... Here I Am.

I almost feel like I should state my intentions.....my purpose. And to be perfectly honest I don't know what that is yet. I wanted to start this... not so much that I wanted to put my self out there or that I felt I had something to say but as a way to reflect on the day to day occurrences in my life......that any other way I would fail to notice.

So Stay Posted.......I might just surprise you.