Happy Birthday Kenzie!!!

Our little princess turns 2 years old today.  We are thankful that this sweet spirit chose us to share her life with.  We have been blessed to have her in our lives and watch her grow and learn all the wonderful things there is about life.  She is beautiful and a energetic.  She is one of the 3 reasons it has been a blessing being a parent.  We thank Heavenly Father each day for bringing to us such a beautiful child.  We love you Kenzie with all of our hearts, Happy Birthday!

Love,

Daddy and Mommy

Merry Christmas!

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

This past Saturday we shared some time with the Sander's family to celebrate Aubrey's birthday. Where do you think we went? But of course, one of our favorite hang outs: Chuck E. Cheese. As always, the kids loved playing games and most of all collecting all those tickets to get a cool prize. Thank you Aubrey for inviting us to hang out with you!

La Duena del Swing

We have a little dancer in the family and she loves El Swing...

Building New Traditions

Both Courtney and I come from families that have yearly traditions. We have kept many of them and continue to share them with our family. However, there's always room to start something new that hopefully our children will continue or inspire them to create new traditions to share with their future families.

Back in May, many of you may remember our posting from our Anniversary. Courtney and I took a romantic gondola ride through Naples, Long Beach. We found out at the end of the ride that all the houses are decorated for the holidays in the peninsula and we could take a ride on a 14 person gondola. So, we made our reservations in July and sure enough the night did not disappoint. 9 of us were all bundled for that cool evening. We had a beautiful clear sky, crisp air and the biggest full moon we have seen in ages. We have decided that this is one tradition we will definitely do every year and hope to share it with those who missed out.

We are big fans of hunting for new houses with cool Christmas setups. Every year Courtney takes nightly trips with the kids and when I am able to join in, we go on long excursions or they show me the new spectacles that they have found. A year ago, Josh Lang who is our home teacher, introduced us to a neighborhood in Yorba Linda. We had such a blast walking around and taking in the Christmas spirit and lights that we decided we needed to go back again. And guess what? After tonight's visit, we will be visiting again.

Dia de las Velitas

Tonight we celebrated Dia de las Velitas with my aunts. It is a traditional holiday celebration in Colombia and we had fun learning and participating in this activity. It seems that there is always something new to learn about Colombian tradition and it is great to have family living here in the states to help pass it on to my children. I looked up the meaning behind this event and have posted it for all to enjoy:  (pics coming soon)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Día de las Velitas (English: Day of the Candles) is one of the most observed traditional holidays of Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7, on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country.

On this day, people place candles and paper lanterns on their windows, balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks and squares, in short, everywhere they can be seen, in honor of the Virgin Mary and her immaculate conception.

BACKGROUND

The celebration of the Day of the Candles dates to 1854. On December 8, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined as dogma the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, published in his constitution Ineffabilis Deus. In anticipation of this decision, people lighted candles and paper lanterns to show their support and belief in this idea, a long-held tradition among them.
In Colombia, as in many places all over the world, this announcement was observed by lighting candles. The Catholic Church of Colombia kept alive the celebration and made an annual tradition of lighting candles the night of December 7.

TRADITIONS

El Día de las Velitas is celebrated in all Colombia, but traditions vary in each region and city.
In the municipality of Quimbaya, in the Department of Quindío the most important cultural event is the Candles and Lanterns Festival (full name in Spanish: Fiesta Nacional del Concurso de Alumbrados con Velas y Faroles), which began in 1982 and is held each year on the 7th and 8th of December. Each of the barrios in the township competes to produce the most spectacular lighting arrangements, and many visitors come from throughout Colombia to admire the displays.
In Bogotá, the Christmas decorations reach their peak on this day; the city, fully decorated, plans late activities for the whole family since most Colombians would be out and about admiring the shows, many streets close to traffic and allow pedestrians to walk freely and stop to admire the light arrangements. Malls, museums, stores, and other public places have extended hours of operation. There are many shows that take place on this night, live nativity scenes, caroling events, among others.
In the Caribbean Region of Colombia, the lighting of candles and lanterns takes place on the early hours of December 8, before sunrise, instead of the night before.

Light display along a river in Medellín

The Merriest Place on Earth

We love Disneyland during the holidays, but we especially love it during Christmas.  The Merriest Place on Earth deserves the name because they definitely go all out to make it a Christmas wonderland.  There were huge decorations, snow on the castle, the Christmas parade and fireworks and to top it off... falling snow.  We shared our day with family and had lots of great shots to share.  The kids favorites would have to be definitely the parade and snow.  If you haven't gone yet, you shouldn't miss Disneyland during this time.

Merry Christmas!

Here's a little bit from our finale to our evening

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is always a busy time for us.  We celebrate with our families and start getting ready for the Christmas.  Before Thanksgiving Day, Courtney and the kids enjoyed sharing a couple of days with the Elisaldez family.  We had fun seeing Bolt and Twilight and visited many parks.  The kids loved buying the Christmas tree this year and so did Ginger.  We have lots of fun stuff planned for this month and can't wait to share it with all of you.

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Birthday Tito!

Today is our Tito's Birthday. We love our Tito and appreciate everything he does for us. We have so many memories of time spent and fun shared that we can't begin to tell you how special he is to our family. We surprised him with a small get together at his house and had some cake and pizza and Guitar Hero. Happy Birthday from Alex, Courtney, McKenna, Noah and McKenzie. We cele


Hoy es el cumpleanos de nuestro Tito. Amamos a nuestro Tito and appreciamos todo lo que hace por nosotros. Tenemos tantas memorias de tiempo pasado que no podemos empezar de explicar como es de especial a nuestra familia. Lo sorprendimos con una junta en su casa y comimos pastel, pizza y jugamos Guitar Hero. Te deseamos un feliz cumpleanos: Alex, Courtney, McKenna, Noah y McKenzie.

Happy Belated Halloween

So after a big break in my blogging because of family events and Guitar Hero World Tour distractions, I am glad to update you on our Halloween venture.  A huge thanks to the Sanders Family for hosting another wonderful party.  It seems that their party grows and grows every year due to the wonderful neighborhood they live in.  We had food, drinks, movies, trick or treating and lots of friends at the party.  It was a beautiful cool night that everyone enjoyed.  Hopefully we can see some of you next year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The Magic Kingdom

Yesterday we took a trip to one of our favorite places on earth.  DISNEYLAND!!!  In celebration of the Elisaldez' Family visit, a large gathering came to the Magic Kingdom.  Filled with food, rides and excitement (including the breaking down of the Peter Pan ride...ALEX!!!), the kids had a great time hanging out with all their cousins.  Enjoy the slideshow!

Don't stop 'til you get enough!

Before we start into the weekend, we'd like to share some fun news:

We have replaced our camera, YEAH!!!

We have decorated our house, ooooh.

Alex got an early birthday present

  

His first ever brand new car

The kids have updated their blogs with their soccer recaps and 

we have a new My Gym Moment... on our sidebar!

Now to the fun the weekend!!!

It all started Friday night with our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights.  A small group consisting of Courtney, Josh, Holly and myself dared to venture into the terror of the night.  I can tell you that watching Courtney and Holly run for their lives from the clowns is a really entertaining and worth the price of admission!!!  I was trying to get some video, but it was just too dark.  This event is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely fun to go with a group of friends if you like to get scared.  BOO!

The next morning after only 5 hours of sleep, we hit the soccer fields to watch the kids play.  Then it was off to share a most wonderful moment with the Renouf family.  Jack's (Jingi) baptism.  Whenever you watch someone get baptized it brings back memories of your special moment.  By the way, Mrs. Renouf is a wonderful host and cook.  Mmmm!!!

The next day we went to Cambel's blessing.  Another time where memories bring flashes of those few precious moments we always must appreciate because they only come once in a lifetime.  There were Montanos, Renoufs, Henaos, Sanders and Mac Isaacs all gathered to celebrate this joyous day.

Also, because Monday was Columbus Day, we have added it to our weekend update.  Candice and Courtney took the kids to the park where they found a wonderful apparatus that no longer exists... most likely because it made you puke your brains out if you were on it too long :o)

The busy weekends just keep coming and coming.  But, what fun we are having!  

Our camera broke!!!

Oh no!  This is disastrous!  Our way of instant gratification is gone!!!  What to do, what to do... hmm, maybe I can try writing :)

So, we never realized how attached we are to our tech stuff, especially me.  Everyone knows that I love electronics.  To play with, use and get creative.  So, with the blog I love having the camera to instantly post pics about our family and what we do.  

However, I figure I love reading about what happens in Little Rieta so why not write up my own little bit.  We can't forget that this was the form of communication before all the fun fancy "toys" came about....

Parents Night Out, Games and Our Poor Lost Bunny

So, what a fun weekend!  Friday night, My Gym held another one of its Parents' Night Outs!  We hold this fun event every few months to let the parents have a chance to go out while we watch their kids and provide dinner and entertainment.  Tonights theme:  Costume Party.  McKenna dressed up in her witches costume and Noah dressed up as Spiderman.  We had pizza, glow sticks, a fog machine and a strobe light to make the party happen for the children.  McKenna being the oldest had a lot of the girls wanting to hang out with her the whole night like a big sister.  It was funny and cute watching this all play out.  Noah and the rest of the superheroes (A white and blue Power Ranger, Batman and Robin and another Spiderman) were busy fighting the evil forces (the Joker and a Ninja).  Of course, those of you who have boys know that this crime fighting sometimes gets a little carried away.  So, of course, all the boys needed a little talk about keeping their body parts to themselves and away from each others faces!!!!  So after some fun games, dancing (we turn off all the lights and made it looked like a rave), dinner and some end of the night cranky kids, we set off home with my two tired sleepy heads, one child who had an 8:30am meet time for her game.

Saturday started off nice and early with McKenna's game starting @ 9:30am.  We saw McKenna shine during the second half.  McKenna has always been a good teammate, never hogging the ball and passing it for great opportunities, but she always seems timid to hold onto the ball when she has the space to run with it.  At half time we had a chat with her about being more aggressive and knowing that sometimes its ok for her to hold onto the ball and not just get rid of it right away.  It seems that something inside her became at ease because we saw a different player out there that second half.  We were so proud of her taking chances and doing things we felt she could do, but never new she could.  She made beautiful passes to her teamates, she dribbled the ball in the open space and attacked with speed, she had a brilliant shining moment where she went around 3 players and dished off to the winger and to highlight it all, she had an assist for one of the goals.  We know she wanted to score, you could see it in her eyes, but today was not going to be that day for her back of the goal victory.  Like every game, we were so proud of her, but today was her day and it was wonderful to see her move the way she did.

Pink Strikers  2

Orange Bang  0

Next came Noah.  What a rough day.  Our little soccer star that scored 4 goals last time was not having his day unlike his sister.  The other team was bigger, faster and just big machines hungry for goals.  We put up a good fight at the beginning but the other team was just wearing us down.  They had one boy who was their goal scorer.  We had a hard time stopping him and yes, our winning streak was over.  Poor Noah got knocked during the game in the head which shut him off completely and he was done.  He told Courtney he did not want to play the rest of the game and just wanted to sit out.  Well I guess we can all expect days like this, but it's always hard when it's your little guy.

Super Smash Bros.  5

Green Lightning  9

It's Sunday, a nice invite by my parents for breakfast and time to pick up our 2 older ones from spending the night at grandmas house.   Today was chore day.  McKenna's favorite day :o)  We come back home to find that one of our bunnies are missing.  Roxie and Marshmallow have been living free in our back yard for the past 2 weeks.  It seems that our dogs can co-habitate with them.  Anyway, after looking in all the possible hiding spots I come to the realization that Marshmallow may have run away and we are going to have to tell Noah if we don't find her by the end of the day.  I went around our backyard looking to see if there was any clue that could lead me in the right direction.  I found a whole under our side fence and saw that it went directly into my neighbors yard.  So I head over to only find that they are still asleep at 11am and they won't answer the door.  So I sneak into their backyard... I look around and see their cat coming out of a hiding place.  I can only think of the worst case senario.  I leave after not finding anything.  "Please don't tell me the cat caught it."  After a couple hours I get this nagging feeling that I need to check with our backside neighbor.  There are no holes that lead into their backyard, but you just never know.  I walk over and ask to go into their backyard.  As soon as I open the door..... there she was!  She was relaxing under a tarp next to the fence.  After much chasing (she did not want to get caught) and a short walk back home, I am glad to say that Marshmallow is alright.  Apparently, she had found a small gap behind our shed into the neighbors yard.  Noah couldn't be happier, nor could I because I know that it would've broken the little guy's heart if she didn't come home.  

Well, that was fun.  Until next time.  CIAO!!!

It's Halloween Time at Disneyland

Last Friday, we took our first trip to Halloween Time at Disneyland.  We enjoyed seeing all the beautiful decorations that they display throughout the Magic Kingdom.  The kids really loved visiting Jack the Pumpkin King, the offiial Halloween Tree, the giant size pumpkin that is obviously shaped as Mickey.  Of course, what's halloween time and not letting Courtney take a bite into a caramel apple.  Let the festivities begin!!!

We are ready!!!

Well, we definitely are ready!  What better way to start one of our favorite holidays, than to change the look of our blog.  We are excited for Halloween and can't wait to share what we have going on this month.  If you just take a look at our October events, you will see how busy this month will be.  We have already decorated our house and can't wait till we get our costumes put together.  Don't worry, we won't leave you..... hanging!   Mwahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Be Prepared!!!

I'd like to share an email that was forwarded by our elders quorum president.  It's funny how we don't think of what could really happen to us in dire circumstances.  We sometimes take our nice lives for granted and think that it couldn't happen to us and we are prepared if it does.... but are we???  

Just as I read this email, a few days later we realized how important our water supply was.  The City of Downey's water system had presence of the Total Coliform Bacteria.  It affected us all and required that all residents boil all tap water as precautionary measures.  While it was not as difficult as dealing with a natural disaster, it gave us a taste of what a definite inconvenience feels like.  Never knew how much water we use around the house.

I encourage you to read:

To all my family, good friends and aquatints,
     I hope this email finds everyone  happy and doing well.  My wife's aunt received the following letter from a friend of hers in Texas regarding their experiences with Hurricane Ike. I'm not trying to freak anyone out, but I just felt that I needed to share my thoughts and this letter with you all so that you might understand better what any one of us could face if there is a natural disaster or other problem.
    As far as my thoughts go, there seems to be many more strange things happening in the world than there used to be and I couldn't let this letter just slip past into the abyss of email trash.  I personally have been receiving, almost on a daily basis, weather it be through books, radio, conversations or other sources, the feeling that something big is on the horizon that will affect us all.  I can't tell you what it might be or when it is going to happen, but if you are paying attention to whats going on in the world or even with the economy in the U.S. you have to be able to see that there could be problems soon and we need to be self sufficient.  
    I read in a book the other day that in 1970 there were only about 78 major disasters in the world.  In 2005 there were over 348.  For us in Southern CA, its not a matter of if but when the next big quake will happen.  My brother-in-law is in law enforcement in LA and was in charge of planning and securing major events for the city, such as parades, presidential visits and the like.  He has said on numerous occasions that if there is a disaster in the city there will be no Police, or Fire department to help you and your family.  They will be protecting and securing City buildings and other places that will probably have more damage.  I know in LA county there are only about 9500 police officers, but there are over 12 million people. Those are bad odds for getting assistance during a major disaster.  I'm sharing this with everyone because I'd rather be safe than sorry.  If I'm all prepared and my best friend isn't and something happens, he's going to be asking me, why didn't you tell me you thought something was going to happen.  I don't what to have to say, because I thought you knew.
Well, please read the letter below.  It's pretty amazing what that family has gone through with Ike.
Thanks, and take care,
Cayer

.   Dear Friends: Just to let you know that the Rittman's are doing well. We have a 6'x6' hole in our roof, no electricity or running water, Trees down everywhere. However, because we listened to the counsel of our Prophet we are prepared. In fact it seems to me that it's only the members of the church who seem to be calm, prepared, and helping one another with trees in roofs, flooding, etc.  There is a POD or Point of Distrubution in Tomball where we live.There you get water and ice IF you have enough fuel to wait in the 3 hour lines. We don't have to do that because we have 3 full water barrels, 75 juice bottles filled with water, and our pool which is dirty but we use it to flush. It is very difficult to get gas. Police guard the stations when fuel is delivered and you might wait half a day to get up to the pump just to have them say, "Too bad, we are  out".  I am grateful that we have a generator. We run it 4 hours a day to keep our fridge and light. I am grateful that we have had fuel for it. You can't even by gas containers as they are rationed. We can only by bread once a week and limited to 2 loaves at a time. Water is rationed by the case at the grocery store. 3 cases per family.   The Atm machines do not have power. For the past 6 months I have stashed small bills away because I have had such a feeling of foreboding. We have cash because of that.LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT. Get cash in small bills because the stores can't make change and credit and debit cards often don't work. I had to pay 5 dollars more for an item because they couldn't make change for me. PHONES ONLY WORK OCCASIONALY. Believe it or not...I have not had a bath in 4 days, Today was the first day I got to wash my hair with pool water. I have n't fixed my hair in a week!!! It just doesn't matter anymore.  We can not do laundry because we don't have water. So, we wear our clothes until they are literally disgusting.When we do finally get water we will have to boil it since it is contaminated. I am grateful for my parents. When we got low on generator fuel they drove 45 minutes to help us. They filled up thier cans and brought us 10 gallons of fuel which kept us going until this morning at 6:oo am when we finally found some gas. A prepared Family and a loving extened family is the key to survival and making it through right now. I know that my parents would drive to the end of the earth to help me and it's nice knowing they are there. I know that I would do the same for my children. I want all of you to know that I have such a testimony of following the counsel of our living prophet. There really is safety and peace in your heart if you are prepared. Please get your generators, 5 gas cans full of gas, canned goods, baby items, baby wipes to bathe,  and all the water you can store...even if you have to trip on it in your home. Have your lanterns, crank flashlights, tarps, rope, etc.. ready to go because you never know when it will be your turn to endure the test. It's overwhelming, but it's going to be ok eventually. I have a home, I have food, I have water, because i listened to the counsel of the prophet. PLease make sure you do the same. It's time to have your life in order. Tomorrow may be too late. Jyl

Aftewards he received a response from his mom in Arizona

we had a storm that I have never experienced before.....anywhere.  I was on my computer & knew we were probably in for a monsoon that night & the wind was blowing & I really wasn't thinking much about it.  Then I noticed I was hearing a noise that sounded like rolling thunder that didn't stop rolling.  Kinda like a plane going overhead too.  Brian happen to go outside before I was really listening & when he came in he said there was the weirdest thing going on outside with the lightning.  He said it was like a great light show.  I really didn't think much about it, but the constant roar became more of an issue in my mind & I got to thinking that people have said that a tornado sounded like a freight train when it was coming & thought that was sort of what it sounded like, so I got up & opened the front door and Holy Crap...it was unbelievable.  There were hundreds of strikes of lightening all at the same time.  The wind was blowing really hard & the roar was unbelieveable, I had visions of windows breaking & the roof blowing off.  Then we got a downpour of huge hail.  They said in some areas it was quarter size.  It sounded like golfballs were hitting the roof. I did get scared.  I thought we were having a tornado or the sky was falling.  I turned on the tv to get the news.  The winds were approx. 85 mph & right when I turned it on they announced that we had had over 1100 lightning strikes in the past 5 minutes.   No news about a tornado, so I guess the roar was just the constant thunder from all the lightning.  It looked like a spectacular fireworks show...I have never seen anything like it & alot of people that have lived here a long time said the same thing.  Like any of our great monsoons, it only lasted about an hour here & then it was over & moved on...thank u Lord.  The storm blew down & snapped big trees in half along with power poles in some areas.

Baby Cambel Arrives

 Weighing in at 7lbs. 19in, on September 18 @ 3:25am, Cambel was delivered into this world and we cannot be happier for his arrival here with us.  Of course, Courtney took some pictures and if you haven't already received emails from the girls, we give you:

Our Visit with Baby Cambel

Futbol - Week 2 and me without my camera!!!

Well the kids had a day, let me tell you!  Of course, I forgot the camera!  Noah had 4 goals and McKenna had a nail biter.  I'm a horrible parent :o(  I will not forget my camera next week, I will not forget my camera next week, I will not forget my camera next week...

Well, the kids wrote their tidbits so don't miss out!!!

First day of School

It is that time of year again when we pack up our school bags the night before, rise up nice and early and join all the other migrating ants to that place called, "La Escuela."  Yes, there's nothing better than getting your children ready for a day of learning....  (whisper)  "McKenna, it's time to wake up."  (yawn) "I don't want to go to school."  Yes, that's the spirit!!!

McKenna is now starting 5th grade and Noah pre-K.  We are excited for both of them because this year it is all about preparing to move up to the bigger world.  Of course, what would first day of school be like if there weren't any pictures to be taken :)

Soccer games, practices, roadshow and more!

Talk about a busy schedule!  The kids have their week all jam packed with so many things going on this month that there is barely time to breathe.  I'm sure many of you have this type of hectic schedule once school starts and we hope that it all get in order by the end of this month.  

McKenna and Noah had their first games this past weekend and are gearing up for week 2.  Both came home with victories and we're excited to put on their team uniforms to represent their teams.  Check out their pages for more details...

Roadshow is this month for the Downey Stake and both Laurie and Courtney have been hard at work.  We know how good Laurie is at putting on presentations and she has not spared any great ideas.  They are busy teaching dances and songs twice a week now and can't to see the results from their hard work next Wednesday evening.  We should have some fun pics to share with everybody next week.  Until next update, Au Revoir!!!

AYSO Picture Day

Well it has finally come... the start of soccer season for McKenna and Noah.  Today was picture day and of course it had to be like 100 degrees while we waited for both their groups to get their team pictures taken.  Although it was hot, the kids had a chance to do some fun activities and hang out with their teammates.  Next week the kids have their first games, so make sure to visit their blogs to stay updated on how their teams are doing.  In the meantime here are some fun pictures from today...

Noah and team banner

Kenzie wearing England jersey

McKenna with team banner

Mommy and Kenzie enjoying the hot sun

Awww, how cute!

McKenna and teammate

I don't know if I can make it to the top

The joy of working with children...

When you work at My Gym, there is always a good laugh to be had...


Last Thursday during one of my classes, which just happened to be the last one of the day, I had a very interesting experience. We were in the middle of class and my role was to be an assistant for this particular one. We have an activity called Parent Share where we give each child an object and they manipulate it with direction given by the instructor. This week it was Polyspots... a very thin piece of circular vinyl that you can roll up like a duck mouth, a burrito, taco or even a telescope. "Let's look for the teachers." So, they get the opportunity to look for each teacher and I'm usually last because I'm known to do really bizarre or over the top stuff(which the kids just eat up). So they find the first instructor... she's hanging like a monkey from the ropes and I look around and decide, "Ooh I'll cannonball into the ball pit and pretend I'm swimming." Great idea! So, my turn comes up... "Ooh where's Alex? Oh there he is! Oh no! He just jumped into the ballpit!"

A simple fun silly thing that the kids get a kick out of and continue on with their Parent Share not aware of what just happened to Alex in the ballpit... so, what really happened? I jumped in cannonball style and proceeded to swim... hmm, my knee felt something cold... I stood up and felt my sock quickly become damp.... AAAAAHHHHHH, SOMEONE PEED IN THE BALLPIT!!! I immediately jumped out and found that my sock was drenched and my right leg from the edge of shorts to my sock was wet with pee. DISGROSSTING!!! Of course the other instructors knew exactly what happened just by my reaction and were having the best laugh of that day! So, the rest of the class we're trying to figure out... who the heck pee'd in the ballpit and their parent neglected to tell us? We never found out.

So, the moral of the story is....

Alex will no longer be jumping in the ballpit for you just never know when a kid will pee and his/her parent will neglects to inform you...

So if anyone has had something like this happen, let us hear your funny story!

Endless Summer

So tis the end of our summer, but what fun we had.  We did some cool things that we will have to trounce next summer.  But we leave you with the last few fun activities we did and we now start and go into our busy fall schedule of school, soccer and the holidays...

See ya'll next summer!!!

BEACH PARTY!!!

A heads up to all family members!  We are having our annual beach party on Saturday, August 30th.  We will be at Bolsa Chica state beach.  We will have more information as we get closer.  Please stay tuned.  Please let us know if you are planning on coming...

Relaxing in St. George

So we decided that after the family reunion, we actually didn't really get to relax much.  There was so much fun going on, we needed to take a vacation from our vacation.  So, we headed back to the Homestead, took my parents and just hung out.  We had some good food, did lots of swimming (Noah learned how to swim on his own), had some ice cream and visited Zion.  We love visiting Utah and can't wait till the next time we are able to go.  Maybe a trip up during winter or perhaps another trip as far as Ogden (of course, stopping to visit family on the way).  

We'll just have to wait and see.

An interesting find inside the Homestead pool

Imagine being stung by this...

What A Weekend!!!

What a fun-filled weekend we had.  Our summer continues to be non-stop fun!  

Felicitaciones a Juan y Vivianna!!!  

1 Aug 2008

El viernes pasado tuvimos la oportunidad de ver nuestro primo casarse con su eterno amor.  Los Henaos les deseamos una vida llena de amor y felicidad!!!  Claro que ellos no fueron los unicos que se divirtieron...

(Turn off music at bottom for video)

On Saturday, we visited Avennly for her birthday.  Happy Birthday Avennly!!!  We didn't take pictures, but we did lots of swimming, eating pizza and cake and singing!

Lastly, the Henao family had their annual mini reunion.  It was great to see everyone get together!  We went down to Doheny State Park, had some great food (including my dad and mom's ever tasty carne asada), rode our bikes and had some beach time...

What's even better.... summer's not over yet, we still have lots of activities planned for August!

Shake, Rattle and Roll...

So, how many of you were jolted today???  Well, it definitely was an interesting event for many of us especially for the little ones who have never experienced an earthquake.  If you get a chance, ask Courtney her experience... it's pretty funny :)

In times like this when you're child asks you, "I'm afraid of going to sleep because of the earthquake,"  I am glad that I have a strong testament of our Heavenly Father.  I know it's hard for a child to understand that He will be watching over us when these things happen, but it definitely is a teaching opportunity that should be taken advantage of.  

Not only is this a great chance for you to talk to your child about why these things happen, but it also an important reminder to see if you are prepared: both physically and spiritually.  We know that when disasters happen, no matter how small, our faith is tested.  We can each be shaken up in different ways and no matter what comes crashing down we must remember to never let our foundation crumble.  We know that our foundation starts with a firm belief in our Father in Heaven and the rest is built upon that.  However, if that foundation has cracks, expect that it will be difficult to hold the rest of that structure up when the next rattling event happens.  But, fear not, we can always retro fit that structure through prayer, reading your scriptures and solidifying your testimony.    

With that comes the physical preparedness... are we ready when a natural disaster hits?  Is our storage "center" up to date?  I know we are behind on what we should have prepared and today was definitely a reminder to get our family up to par.  If you haven't started it's never too late because you never know what's going to sneak up on you next.

Here are some good tips on what to do when an earthquake hits:

• If you're indoors, stay there. Get under -- and hold onto --a desk or table, or stand against an interior wall. Stay clear of exterior walls, glass, heavy furniture, fireplaces and appliances. The kitchen is a particularly dangerous spot. If you're in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator. 
   

• If you're outside, get into the open. Stay clear of buildings, power lines or anything else that could fall on you. 
   

• If you're driving, move the car out of traffic and stop. Avoid parking under or on bridges or overpasses. Try to get clear of trees, light posts, signs and power lines. When you resume driving, watch out for road hazards. 
   

• If you're in a mountainous area, beware of the potential for landslides. Likewise, if you're near the ocean, be aware that tsunamis are associated with large earthquakes. Get to high ground. 
   

• If you're in a crowded public place, avoid panicking and do not rush for the exit. Stay low and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.

  
  

  For some more interesting information I pasted the link where I copied the information above.  If anything, read the earthquake myths section which is pretty interesting.
  

  
  

  http://www.consrv.ca.gov:80/index/Earthquakes/Pages/qh_earthquakes_what.aspx
  

  
  

  
  

Happy Birthday Courtney

Today Marks Courtney's 28th Birthday!!!

Let's Wish Her A Good One and Many More!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!