Merry Christmas!!

I love Christmas! The family and I have had a ball decorating the house, wrapping presents, listening to holiday music, and making festive treats. Last weekend Ida and Pete spent Saturday with us watching holiday movies and making cookies. Ida has this really fun recipe where she creates Christmas cookies with different colored dough. They are delicious! The kids had fun creating with her. It was like playing with "edible" playdough. We had a fun visit with them. This weekend my aunt and her family will come and decorate more cookies with us for our annual "cookie decorating" party. We are excited to see them. Next week we are off to Utah to see family! I can't wait! I miss them so much. I know T and A are excited to see their friends and extended family again. Hopefully we'll get some ski time in while we're there. R and I will also be celebrating our 11 year anniversary. Crazy!!!! I can't believe. We're like an old married couple now. Well, I know this sounds cliche, but I truly feel blessed this year. We moved to paradise, basically. We couldn't ask for a better place to raise our kids. Everything we want or need is right here. All except for our family in Utah, of course. We love our church here! The families are amazing. There's so much love and spirit in this ward. I personally feel inspired by so many of the women here. They are so talented. I have so much to learn from them. R has a great job with lots of promise and opportunity. And most importantly, He loves it!!! And I love my job as a mother of two very special children. I'm also blessed to be able to earn a living part time as well. I teach aerobic classes at three clubs in the area as well as dance classes at T's gym. My bootcamp business is also thriving, and it's so exciting to these women getting healthier and stronger. I often go to work thinking, I can't believe I get paid to do this!! T and A go to a wonderful school where their teachers are amazing. I'm so grateful for that. They are really being challenged and pushed. A recently finished soccer and is now attending my Wednesday night kids hip hop class. He loves it! And I love having him there. He also continues to be our little comedian at home. T will be moving up in the next month or so to team level gymnastics. We are very excited for her. This is something she really loves, and she is so good at it. She will have the opportunity to learn from two coaches who were past olympians, one a silver medalist in the 2004 Athens games. Hey, I'm just impressed that she can do 10 pull-ups and I can't even do one! I am so grateful for the blessings the Lord has showered upon my family this year. I hope that all of you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! We love and appreciate you all!

End of the Season

Sorry I haven't posted pictures for a while. My camera was broken, so I had to send it to Sony to get fixed. It was kind of a bummer because I didn't have a camera for the pumpkin patch trip, our church Halloween party, or trick or treating. So if any of my "local" friends have pictures (of my kids) from any of these events I'd appreciate some copies. Thanks! A's soccer season is officially over and here's their last day team picture. Unfortunately, I don't have a professional one because we were at Disneyland when they were taken. So this is the best I can do until next year. Featured are A's coaches, including his dad, and his teammates Kyle, Preston, Christopher, and Colby. It was a fun season, but I'm glad to have my Saturdays back. Now A wants to pursue breakdancing. That should be interesting!:) I think he'd actually be good at it. We'll see. T is going to be bumped up to team any day, so I'll probably wait for that and then get A signed up. Love you all!!

Thank you all!!

A, T, and I went waving signs for "Yes on prop 8" the other day. About 45 minutes into it, A had a nasty fall off of a wall close by and landed on his face. I didn't see it happen, but someone else did and brought my boy to me. He was gushing blood from his mouth and nose. I thought for sure he had suffered major trauma to his poor little face. His nose looked broken and I wasn't sure if he had suffered a concussion or injury to his mouth. Many people gathered to assist, and then Cathy Arbuckle offered to drive us to urgent care. Thank you so much Cathy!!! T stayed with my visiting teacher Kerrie Edwards and played with her girls. T had a lot of fun too. Thanks Kerrie!! At urgent care A was in a lot of pain and wouldn't stop crying. The bleeding had stopped, but the doctor was unable to examine him properly because A was so upset and didn't want to be touched. R met up later and we both told A he could pick out a toy at Target if he could quiet down for the doctor. Almost immediately he stopped crying. After a little while his spirits lifted and the nurse took him in to get x-rays. We thought for sure his nose was broken. It just didn't look right. Fortunately, the doctor said it wasn't broken and sent us home with a prescription of motrin. Two days later, A is doing fine. He couldn't play soccer today, but we still went to the game to cheer his teammates on. His nose is still black and blue and swollen, but I think he'll be fine. Thank you all who have kept him in your thoughts and prayers. We received many kind phone calls and emails from people in the ward. Thank you Corine Malloy for the goodies you brought over. A has felt very loved. I've felt so touched by the many guardian angels in this ward family. Thank you sooo very much!!!

I did it!!

OK, I know I was supposed to take longer to study for this test, but with our plans to adopt I felt the need to hurry up and get it over with. I've been studying pretty hardcore for a while and felt prepared to take my personal training exam on Saturday. It was soooo hard!!! I really had to know the stuff. It took a couple hours to take and I thought for sure I had failed it. But, as luck would have it, I passed! I know there's so much more to learn in terms of excercise science, but I think I have a good foundation to build upon. I've also started a bootcamp business with a friend of mine. I'm really excited about this opportunity and blessed to be able to do something that I absolutely love that really helps improve a person's quality of life. We start our first 7 week session the first week in November. We'll run it 3 days a week. Mandy and I thought of starting after Christmas, but we chose to get the ball rolling now, especially during this very "dangerous" holiday season ahead!!! I've also got some potential FBI clientelle as well. I have a reputation for "kicking the crap out of people," so I'm sure that's what they're after. I do have a website but don't feel quite brave enough to put it on my blog. Sorry. Anyway, thank you all for your love and encouraging words in the last blog. We are very excited and nervous about this adoption. Tomorrow is our first official meeting with our social worker. I'll keep you updated!!

Disneyland Trip

Just wanted to share a few photos of our recent Disneyland/California Adventure Park trip. We went with our cousins Fred and Kristen Garcia and their son "little" Roman. Such a fun time and the first for us going to the California park. Their rides were pretty fun, especially the Scream roller coaster ride. Very smooth. And of course what made the trip special was going with family members we adore!!!!

Huh????

Seriously, why am I doing this to myself? I've decided to pursue certification through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) to become a personal trainer. It seems like the best move right now in my fitness "career" since A just started morning kindergarten, and I have a few extra hours in the morning to study. I will spend the next few months reading and studying and then take the exam. The task of learning all this material about the human body is pretty daunting: the Cardiorespiratory, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems; biomechanics, phsyiology, kinseology, etc. etc.!!!! Not only do I have to memorize almost every bone, muscle, nerve, and tissue, I have to know how they function and how they all relate to the body's movement. I am seriously braindead when it comes to anything scientific. So this will be a challenge indeed. Case in point: first day of study I read the first paragraph of the first chapter and then promptly feel asleep for two hours! Hah! Back to the good old college days of doing homework on your bed and getting nothing accomplished. However, it was the best nap I've had in a very long time.:) But seriously, I've wanted to do personal training for a while. Unlike group fitness, which I'm currently enjoying, I will be able to work one on one with someone who wants to improve their physical health or level of fitness. I would like to train the general population as well as athletes. What would be awesome is if I could train some of the gymnasts at my daughter's gym. The owner and I have discussed some possibilities, so that's pretty exciting, Anyway, this exam I hear is pretty tough, so hopefully I'll be able to pass it on the first try. Wish me luck!

A's first soccer game

A and his team the Cougars had their first soccer game today. It was blistering hot, over 100 degrees! Those poor little dudes played for almost an hour and were dripping with sweat. Sadly, I hear that the weather here doesn't start cooling off until the end of the season. What torture we put our poor kids through. They're playing in the hot sun while most of the parents are sitting in the shade watching. Yes, I'm guilty. R, the team's assistant coach, kept A cool mostly by squirting water on his head. But he was exhausted after about 30 minutes and didn't want to play anymore. A played well today even though he hasn't quite caught the competitive spirit yet. Honestly, he could care less who has the ball and is mostly just content running with his friends back and forth across the field. Pretty funny, but maybe not so much with the coach...and some of the team parents.:) We bought him his own size 3 ball today so we could have some family scrimages at the park close to our house. He's still so new at this sport, so hopefully this will help him become a little more confident kicking the ball during a game. Anyway, we loved watching him today; he looks just so dang cute in his uniform. A is also pictured at the top with one of his best buds Kyle. They go to kindergarten together and play almost every day. We love Kyle!!!

Momma and Sisters' Visit

My mom and sisters visited for a few days this past week. Before the real fun began they were real troopers and attended several of my aerobic classes, pretty much back to back. Now that's showin' the love. Thanks ladies! I know it was rough, but it was fun to have you there seeing what I love to do. Mom, Leah, and Emilie also attended Asher's soccer practice, with his Dad as coach, and Tatiana's gymnastics. Auntie Em and her kids also payed us a visit late one night. That was fun just hanging out and acting like goof balls. On Thursday the kids took a day off from school and we went to the beach in Santa Monica for 4 hours. Later in the afternoon we visited the LA temple and then drove down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and ate dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen close by. Sadly, no celeb sightings. Maybe next time. We had a great time and wish they could have stayed longer. We love you mom and girlies!:)

Kids first day of school

We had a great summer, lots of swimming at the pool, trips to the beach, and a fun and relaxing summer vacation in Idaho. The kids have now started school again on August 13th. Yes, it seems a bit early, but in our school system it all balances out. We have a 3 week Christmas break and 2 week Spring break. So it's all good!! Here are some photos of the kids on their first day of school. I can't believe A is in kindergarten and T is in 4th grade! It was weird to drop them off and go home with no children. But, I've managed to fill my time so far. No rest in sight. I'm still teaching aerobics and tutoring, so that keeps me quite busy. Happy "almost" Fall to you all!

With friends in Malibu

Today, the kids and I and some friends enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach in Malibu. The weather was beautiful and the water was clear and not too cold. The kids played with their friends, and I also enjoyed "playing" with my friends...and their scrumptious little babies.:) It was very relaxing, and I even took a dip with T. A and his little buddies Berlyn and Kyle found several sand crabs; T learned to body board for the first time with Sydney; We saw several dolphins close to shore; The Malibu lifeguards (who look like actors from Baywatch by the way) kept busy rescuing a few stranded swimmers; That was pretty exciting for all of us. Both my kids tanned very nicely, and I acquired my usual sunburn on top of my pasty white skin. Yay for me!

Family trip to Santa Monica

My First Born is Nine!!

T celebrated her 9th birthday yesterday. It was of course bittersweet for me because although she's growing into a beautiful young lady, she 's growing up way too fast! In a couple years she'll be a teenager!!! It seems like just yesterday I was holding my perfect little baby girl in the hospital. Where has the time gone? Anyway, we had the best day yesterday celebrating as a family. R took the day off and we just swam, shopped, saw WALL-E, and hung out with a few friends. Very low key, but so much fun. T enjoyed every minute of it. I had to teach a couple classes in the morning, but R and the kids rode their bikes to the mall and shopped a bit until I met up with them later. We then had lunch and saw Disney's WALL-E (which I highly recommend). After the movie, T went to gymnastics for 3 hours after which we picked her up and went to eat Kentucky fried chicken and swim with friends at our community pool. We then closed a perfect day with Strawberry shortcake and a few more gifts. Happy Birthday my beautiful girl.

Family Updates

Sorry, I don't have a picture to attach with this one. Our computer is not cooperating these days. But, please read on! There's lots to tell. T was just accepted on to the gymnastics pre-team at her gym. It's quite an honor because several of the athletes here are olympic medalists. This is the premier gym in the Valley and very well respected. T was evaluated by the owner of the gym and olympic athlete Chris Waller and then offered a spot on the team. It's a great opportunity, and I think T will learn many valuable life lessons with this experience. Plus, she's already getting so strong! She did 6 pull-ups on the bar the other day!!! I can't even do one. She woke up this morning and told me her whole body was sore from the previous day's three hour practice. But, she was happy because she loves what she does.
A recently completed private swimming lessons with a fabulous instructor here. He learned to swim on the second lesson! In fact, he was doing canon balls into the deep end at our pool and swimming all over by the 3rd lesson! Needless to say, I won't have to worry so much about him every day this summer when we're at the pool. He's also learning to ride his bike without training wheels. Daddy of course is taking that one.
R loves his job!!!! That's all I can say about that...Sorry!:)
I currently teach at two clubs in the area and love it. One is just 5 minutes away, which is great since gas is over $4.00/gallon! I also might be working part-time as an instructor at a tutoring center for Honors students preparing for college and SATS. But salary is still under negotiation, so I'll let you know how that pans out.
Overall, we love it here. I think we're here to stay for a while. What a relief that is, since we've been on the move our whole married life. Keep in touch you fabulous people!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's been so busy for me the past month, so sorry this is coming late. Happy Mother's day (belated) to all the wonderful mothers I know. I know this sounds pretty cliche, but I have learned so much from each of you; How to be a honorable woman, wife, and mother. Thank you! So you're probably wondering why I posted a "bike" as my picture for the day. This is my mother's day present from R. What a thoughtful and sweet gift; I've wanted a beach cruiser (with a basket:)) since we moved here. Even though we live about an hour from the beach we are blessed to live in a suburb filled with many scenic bike trails. And of course with the occasional trips to the O.C. I'm sure our bikes will be in tow. We've truly been enjoying the past two months living here. I promise I'll post in the next week to give you all the Garcia updates! Take care and love you all!!!

Birthday Boy!

A turns 5!!!

Today A celebrates his big #5 birthday. It's bittersweet for mom because he's my baby and it's been hard to let him grow up. Time has definitely flown by, but we have cherished every moment with our little dude. He continues to be a very active, curious, busy, and charismatic little guy. Today we celebrated with extended family: Joseph and Kathryn and Aunt Emilie, Eric, Stephen, and Ashley. We spent a few hours at the pool, then barbecued in our backyard, and partied with Asher. What a great day. And how happy and blessed we are to have such a special boy in our lives. Happy Birthday!!!

We're finally here!

California is awesome! When we arrived it was 69 degrees, sunny, and beautiful. Where we live is simply breathtaking. The community is masterplanned so there are bike trails interwoven throughout all the neighborhoods. You can pretty much get anywhere on a bike trail: schools, parks, shopping, library, etc. Which is good since gas is almost $4 a gallon! Anyway, I can walk T to school every day, and the gym I hope to teach at is like 2 minutes away. We also have pools and hot tubs all over our community we can use. Honestly, I have a feeling that we're never going to want to leave here. Of course Roman's career will dictate where we'll be in the future. We could very well end up in the D.C. area in the next couple of years. But, wherever we end up it will be an adventure as long as we're close as a family. So now I'm busy unpacking the house and got T registered for school yesterday. Next week will be decision time for T's future in gymnastics. They are VERY competitive here in California. In Utah T would be ready for competition level 5. Here she's probably a competitive level 4. But the committment and financial responsibilities are HUGE! I'm not so worried about the financial committment as I am the time she'll have to invest. I'm talking 12 hours a week to start, manadatory meets, mostly on Sundays. It'll only get worse as she progresses along. Anyway, I wish there was a gym here that could teach her skills without competing on Sundays, but there aren't. I have a few ideas up my sleeve. I'll keep you posted. As far as A is concerned. I'm not enrolling him in preschool for the last two months we're here. For two days a week, it's almost $300 bucks in some places! I may regret my decision especially on those days A drives me to banging my head against the wall. I'll just have to be creative I guess. Quality time with Mom. Should be interesting....

Beautiful T shines!

T and I played two pieces together for her recital last Thursday evening. She did awesome, even though I messed up a few notes. Sadly, I haven't been keeping up on my piano skills. I played competitively as a child and then quit at age 14 to pursue dance. Yes, I regret it a bit but meanwhile discovered a love of dancing. Anyway, I hope T can stick with it. She seems to really enjoy piano, and it's an additional plus that her teacher is her grandma!

We're moving back to Cali!

We will be moving back to CA the end of March. We're looking forward to being close to R once again. It's been too long!! In the next few weeks I'll send our new address via email or postage to everyone. Please come and visit us anytime. We would absolutely love it.

California trip

Putting that boy to work. Washing daddy's car on a sunny warm California winter day.
Snuggle time with grandma Ida.


No lie. The Crabcooker truly has the best seafood! And the best clam chowder. It's our family tradition to eat here whenever we're in town. R introduced me to this place when we were dating. So we definitely have history here.
Kids and I waiting to eat some delicious food at the Crabcooker in Newport Beach.
Daddy and kids on a windy day at the Newport pier.

Fun in the sun at Huntington Beach. I just get a little crazy when I visit the O.C. Sadly, I returned to Utah the same shade of pale as when I arrived. Oh well. What can ya do?