Happy B-day MOM (Abuela)!!!

Happy b-day mom. We love you, and we are so happy to have been born to you. You have always been such a wonderful example of selflessness, compassion, love, dedication, patience, happiness, etc. We wish you the very best this coming year in your life. You are a WONDERFUL person and deserve ONLY the best.

Ten Things TOMI loves about you:

1. I love your mimos...they´re the best
2. I love how you spoil me rotten whenever you have the chance :D
3. I love your willingness to learn new things
4. I love your sense of respect for those who live different lifestyles than yours
5. I love that we can talk about anything
6. I love that you care for everyone of your children sooo much (even if it takes away some sleep)
7. I love your generosity
8. I love that you are such a trooper in the face of adversity
9. I love your jokes, jokes, jokes
10. I love how still at my 27 years of age, you still want to know at what time I´m getting home...; )

Mamita hermosa, que Dios te siga bendiciendo mucho mas este nuevo año...I LOVE YOU MORE!!!!!!!

Ten Things I LOVE about you:

1. I love your fashion sense and ability to look SO good even at your young age ;)
2. I love it when you translate your jokes into english, that makes me laugh.
3. I love that you are so forgiving and quick to forget.
4. I love your support and encouragement to me as a mother, daughter, wife and person.
5. I love you for ALWAYS making me feel that I am SO important to you and that you always value my opinion.
6. I love how hard you work to make US so happy
7. I love that you are always willing to babysit my kids, even when we ask at last minute, just so we can have time as a couple.
8. I love that you have taught me so much about babies and being a good wife.
9. I love that you love our Savior and have a strong testimony of his sacrifice, life and example.
10. I love that you are always there for me and I can honestly say you are one of my best friends. I also love going out with you with the kids and with out.

Happy b-day mom I love you and I feel so lucky and blessed to have you as my mother and as an abuela to my kids. You are the BEST!

Ten Things ESTEBAN loves about you:

1. I love your cooking.
2. I love that you always watch my kids.
3. I love that you help us with templates.
4. I like it when you come to my house to watch a movie and fall asleep.
5. I love it when you come to have mate at my house.
6. I love your ability to include every detail when telling stories.
7. I love your fighting spirit even when things are going wrong.
8. I love it when we go to your house and you have to introduce everybody to everybody :D
9. I love it when before you leave my house you have to help me clean the kitchen.
10. I love it that you are so critical of movies.

I love you mom, happy b-day!

Ten Things MARCOS loves about you:

1. I love your sense of humor.
2. I love that you are service oriented.
3. I love that you love us and all our kids.
4. I love that you are a good cook.
5. I love that you are spiritual and that you never give up.
6. I love that you love your family and are willing to do anything for them
7. I love that you try to be happy no matter what.
8. I love that you are a loyal friend.
9. I love that you are super clean.
10. I love that you are patient with all of us.

Te quiero mucho ma! Espero que tus suenos se hagan realidad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DEAR MOM! We love you and think you are great. We wish you the very best! FELIZ CUMPLE.... y un million tirones de orejas. BESOS susones para vos!

First Day of School

The day has finally come. I have been anxiously awaiting this day for the last few weeks of the summer. I am torn between being so happy to have some hours of peace and quiet while Leah is at school and the other two taking naps AND a bit sad that my baby is a big girl now. I knew Leah wouldn't be nervous or scared, rather REALLY excited (that is an Uboldi trait). She woke up early and got ready right way, then for the rest of the morning I heard "is it time to go to school yet?"... NO!!! When it was finally time to head up to school, she couldn't get to the car fast enough. I am excited to have Mrs. Wallace for her teacher, we have heard great things about her teaching and we know she is a great lady (since she is in our ward). I look forward to what she will be learning this year and how she will be progressing.

Top of Utah Half Marathon

Me (still with my headphones on, dork), Tim Fowler and Ashley Talbot


Yesterday I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon along with Ashley and Tim. It was, to me, a great accomplishment seeing as though I have NEVER ran that far and I have never been this physically active after having my other two kids. I was overwhelmed with emotion at mile 2, but I knew I still had a loooong way to go so I composed myself. I really couldn't believe that I was in a race. The course was really beautiful, well the first half. Running down the canyon was just amazing, seeing all those people from very fit to not fit at all (like me), jiggling their way to the finish line (like me). Training was really hard, especially with three little kids and one that really requires so much of my time. I must say I couldn't have done it with out the encouragement of my family and friends. Running with Ashley, Maricela and Tim was extremely helpful and motivating. I have become closer to them just though this experience. Through the race I kept imagining my family waiting for me at the finish line. When I finally could see their faces and BIG smiles... for ME. I still am over come with emotion when I think about it. It was wonderful to feel that support from them. It felt a bit unreal. I finished in about 2:22, My goal was to finish in 2:30 so I am pleased with myself. Now I can REALLY say I am a "runner" and it feels great. I feel the same as Ashley does, we are here to help each other accomplish goals and to be happy and supportive of each other once we accomplish them. I have to say I am SO thankful for those that believed in me. I look forward to when I can run a full marathon, perhaps the Salt Lake Marathon in 2009 with Tim. Now, I know I can do it. My goal is to continue to run and improve my time. If I can do it so can ANYBODY!

Precious Moments

Milli and Kylie (my niece). They are ten weeks apart. We had to take the opportunity and take pictures of these precious girls. Milli, still clueless as to what is going on around her and Kylie always so quick to smile. They were being so cute when all of the sudden...

They were holding hands. It was so precious! Babies are so sweet, that goes with out saying. Perhaps this is just showing us what they will be like in a few years. I just love it!

Yet, Another Day at the Zoo

Since school is around the corner (YEAH!) we went to the zoo for one last time, we had a great time as usual. The Hoogle Zoo has really made some nice changes and its not as sad to go there as it used to be. Anyway, we went to the Bird Show, for the first time, and that was really neat. They had a bald eagle that flew around and some other really cool birds that I can't remember their name. They also had a cockatoo that has three feathers on the top of his head and my mom and I decided that if Milli was to be a bird she would be a cockatoo, since she has those 3 crazy hair on the top of her head(HAHAHAA). The kids rode the merry-go-round and they climbed on the animal statues and the elephant. When we got up to the Asian Land (?) there was a cheetah that was VERY active. The cheetah was walking back and forth by the window. It was a bit scary but also really cool to be SO close to such an amazing animal. Leah thought it was pretty cool. Mylo and Nicholas thought it was cool so long as they weren't too close to the window. The white alligator will soon return home, so it was cool to see it one last time. Its fun to see all those animals time and time again. We had a great time!


Alex as smiley as always, Mylo and Leah on the merry-go-round, Milli as happy as can be and Leah and her new BFF, the Cheetah.


We learned that the Rhino's name is Princess so we HAD to take a picture with her.

Grateful for Friends

I often look to others for help or ideas on how to make my life easier to deal with. I feel that often we (I) don't thank my friends enough for all the things they do for me. I have been blessed with many friends that I can spend hours on the phone with, others that I can learn a ton from, and others that are living the gospel to the fullest and I am grateful for their examples. They are encouraging when I am feeling low, they are encouraging when I am trying to loose weight, the are encouraging when I am down and struggling with my kids. My friends help me to deal with the struggles I am dealing with. I look to them for parenting advice and help. Friends are there to see you through rough times, reaching your goals, they see you through happy times. Most of all they make me feel comfortable. Today, I got to spend time with one of my friends who I admire and always look to for some parenting skills. I am often impressed with her. Its great to have someone to look up to. Ultimately, I want to be a great mother. I want to teach my children to be responsible, trusting, loving adults. For now, that has seemed like an unachievable goal. I am glad to know that the Lord puts people in our lives to help us and see that IT IS possible. I am also grateful for the example that the women that surround me are to me, of living the gospel, of relying on the Lord for help. I really need to stop and look around to see how I am so blessed. Lately it has been hard to see that. I am not sure what has been making me feel less than "normal" lately but the out today made me realize that I CAN be a good mother. In short I am grateful for friends. We can all learn from each other.

Happy B-day Marcos!!!!

Today is my brother, Marcos' B-day. He turns 34! WOW, he is getting old. I just love this guy. He is such a wonderful person, always so kind and always so interested in how others are and who they are.


(I know this is a funny picture of him but, right now, its the best I have)

Here are 10 things I love about him.

1. He ALWAYS wants to show his affection to others
2. He is a great and loving father.
3. He has the BIGGEST heart.
4. He loves his family
5. I love his smile, its beautiful
6. I love how he dances and sings "mi negra tomasa"
7. I love that he can talk to ANYBODY about ANYTHING.
8. I love that he LOVES his country so much and talks about it a lot.
9. I love his passion for whatever he is into, be it soccer, guitar, his family or even the church.
10. I LOVE that he is my brother and a great example. I want to be more like him in the caring loving way... he is just WONDERFUL!!!!

I also love how much he loves my kids. He always wants them to give him hugs and kisses. Marcos, I wish you the very BEST for this new year in your life. You are just awesome.

Ward Campout

Before arriving at the camp site we went "boating" on Nakaya's boat. It was a great time as I was able to assist in some first aid with Tiffany's foot. Ok, I really didn't do anything other than try to figure out what was in there. I love that kind of thing. Anyway, boating was fun. The kids had a great time and got to go tubing for the first time. I haven't wake boarded in a long time and was able to get up on my first try. The next day I was super sore. It was a great time! Thanks to Nakaya's for the invite and fun times. We will miss them while they are gone to Law School.

This was our first camping experience with our kids. It was a learning experience to say the least. Apparently I was not thinking when I forgot to pack a change of clothes for myself, different outfits for the kids, their sippy-cups (which they need at night for water) and FLASHLIGHTS! I don't know what I was thinking or where my mind was when I was packing. Anyway, we got through it with help from some in the ward (Fowler's lent us the best light ever). We only have a 2 man tent so Dave slept in the tent with Leah and Mylo and I slept in the back of the van with Milli. We should have brought another little tent but whatever, we have learned from this experience.

The next day I went running with Tim Fowler and my trainer (Ashley - just kidding she is not my trainer but she should be.) We ran 10 miles. That is the most I have EVER ran and it was really hard. All in hopes of finishing my first half marathon on the 23rd. It was a great run but I was beat and I had to go to the bathroom so bad I didn't know what I was going to do.

The camp out was a great time to mingle with some in the ward. I look forward to our next camping experience with the kids.

Tagged... Six Quirks

I got tagged by my friend Crissy (who just became a mom a few hours ago, for the first time!!!! I am so excited for her!!!!)

I am supposed to share six quirks about me and tag six people. I tag Megan T., Maricela, Carrie, Maria, Amy and Lisa. This is tough to think of six quirky things I do...They don't seem quirky to me.

1. I have two stacks of bowls (12 bowls total) and there always has to be an even number of bowls in each stack.

2. I need to have the dishes in the dishwasher be organized or it drives me nuts when I have to put them away. Also the sippy-cup valves need to be grouped according to type of valve on the side of the sink until they are dry.

3. I can't stand dirty dinner dishes on the counter, they need to be in the sink separated into correct/organized piles. Large dishes on the bottom with smaller dishes on top and utensils either on the side or in a glass filled with water, face down.

4. When putting groceries on the cashier belt thingy, all like items need to be together, in hopes that they will be bagged in the correct bag... this rarely happens.

5. I don't like it when the volume on the T.V. reads above 10,(there is not reason for it to be louder, unless we are watching a movie).

6. I have a breathing pattern as I run.. "in in, out out".

Farewell Poopy Squatz!

Tomi, aka Poopy Squatz, has returned home to Columbia. We had a great time with her. Tomi is a great aunt and the kids adore her. Every morning Leah and Mylo would ask if Poopy Squatz was coming over...For now they will have many fun memories of Tomi, until her next visit. We just hope its sooner rather than later.



For a last time together as a family we all went to the Mandarin. It was our first time there and it was DELICIOUS. We are so grateful that she was able to spend so much time up here with us. We will miss Tomi terribly!

Oatmeal-Nut Cookie

These are Dave's favorite cookies. He said "If I could only have five foods for the rest of my life it would be these cookies, Lime Tostitos, JackLinks Pepper Beef Jerky, Diet Mt. Dew and Lava Flows". He has asked me for these cookies for a long time now so since I am in a baking mood I made them.

These cookies are relatively healthy, supper yummy and easy to make.


Oatmeal-Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 1/2 cup walnuts (or whatever nuts you like)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchmant paper. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat sugars and butter until creamy. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping the bowl. Stir in walnuts.
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and ENJOY.

"Darn" Salad Dressing

We really like eating salads, especially during the summer. Its an easy way of getting lots of yummy veggies all in one meal and it also helps me loose that baby weight ( I have WAYS to go).

The name of this salad dressing came from my mother-in-law. She was getting so tired of making it that one day she said, "Damn Salad Dressing" as she was making it. It was really funny since she is not one to talk that way. Anyway, we really like this dressing and it makes salads so YUMMY! Hope you like it too.


"Darn" Salad Dressing:

In a jar mix:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
10 drops Tabasco sauce

I generally make double the recipe and add a lot more pepper than it calls for. Its very easy and really good. I also like to "spice up" my salad by adding fresh basil.

Sun Valley 2008

For the last three years we have been going to Sun Valley Idaho with Dave's family. It has been a treat and something all the grandkids look forward too. Dave's parents, Al and Karen, Dave's brother Bob and his family (Amy, Max, Jake and Ryan), Dave's sisters Carmen, who lives in London, Karalee and her family (Sean, Nicholas and Alex), Sarah and her family (Dave, Megan and Maddison) and of course US, were all able to go. It was really a fantastic time up there. First we kicked off the festivities with the Spudman. It was an exciting time (even though I was unable to physically be there to watch them cross the finish line). When the Spudman was all one we headed up to Sun Valley were "we" rent two condos and just hang out.


Some of the fun things we did year:


* Went to Red Fish Lake (above). It was BEAUTIFUL (the weather that day not so much). Its shallow for quite a ways and the kids loved to "explore" and try to catch some fish with the nets Aunt Amy purchased. Uncle Bob brought his "duckie" so a few of them rode on that. It was just beautiful.

* The pool, of course. Most of the kids love the water and have a great time playing together. The three older cousins, Max, Meggie and Jake, are all really good swimmers so they had some "relay" races with Uncle Dave P. and Uncle Sean. Dave P. showed us his "cork screw" swim style... you have to see it to understand.

* Played games, which is always fun. I enjoy playing card games with them, even though I hardly ever win. However, it is always fun to beat Al (which I did, once) since he plays all the time.

* Wii was a new adventure for us this year up there and we all had a great time playing Wii Sports, especially Dave T. Dave also took his Xbox so several of them had a great time playing Call of Duty late into the night.

* We are a lot of yummy food. Aunt Sarah puts the menu together and cook for everybody. I helped just a little and I have a great time hanging out with her.


* Watching the kids all play so nicely together is always one of the best parts of the trip for me. Family ties them together. They all rode their bikes all over the condos and had a great time. A few of them went ice skating (never again for my kids, its a ripoff), it was fun to watch them.


* The last day we all take family pictures by one of the many ponds. Its a great opportunity and helps us remember how our families are all growing.

It really was a great time. Can't wait to do it next year! Thanks to Al and Karen for a great time!!!!


These are some cute pictures of Leah at Red Fish Lake. The water was pretty cold but she didn't care. She loved it!


Mylo looking so cute at the "beach". He played in the sand almost the whole time there, only to look up a few times to say "cheeeese".


(I know I went a little crazy with the collages... hope you like them anyway)

Tagged...

3 Joys: my family, reaching/completing my goals, laying on the beach

3 fears: earthquakes, loosing a child, THE DARK!

3 goals: be a good mom that has patience and teaches my kids all that is good, run a marathon, finish the B of M.

3 obsessions: I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but... reality T.V., blogging, not staying home (my mother-in-law said I am not a stay at home mom, because I am always going out... totally true!)

3 random facts: I was a certified nail technician in FL, I love hair and I want to go to beauty school, I LOVE LOVE to dance to spanish music like merengue and salsa.

3 tags: Adriel, Melissa, Wendy

Spudman 2008

Dave and a few of his family members (Carmen, Karalee, Sean, Sarah and Dave P.) did the Spudman Triathlon on July 26. After much training they were all able to complete it. I am so proud of all of them. Dave trained a lot and although I was unable to be at the finish line I am impressed with this great accomplishment. You can read more about Dave's experience on LionsEastingBananas.com.


Sarah, Karalee and Carmen (holding her award). WAY TO GO LADIES!!!

Dave's sister, Carmen, got "Most Inspirational" award. She was in the run part of the race when someone came up to her and told her she was the most inspirational. How cool is that? I was "inspired" by her and by all. I hope to join them next year. Way to go to all of them!!! (I wish I had a picture of all of them together...)

Happy B-day to ME!!!!

We have been out of town, with Dave's family, for the last week. It was a great trip, a detailed post soon to come. We arrived home last night and I was greeted by a SUPER clean house, Thank you Tomat for that awesome awesome gift. Also I was greeted with this fun sign on my drive way. (I couldn't see it until this morning).



What a great idea, Thanks Tiff!

The truth is that we didn't do anything exciting for my b-day... we just drove home for like 10 hours! We stopped several times for potty breaks, a LOOOONG lunch, feeding Milli and best of all a tour of the New Twin Falls Temple. The kids got to go in and that was really neat.

10 Things we love about our MOM!

Happy B-day to our MOM, Lau! Hope you had a great day.

10 Things Dave loves about Lau:

1. I love the way you look at me.
2. I love your Oatmeal Cookies.
3. I love how you make the kids look so cute.
4. I love the way you try to include everyone.
5. I love your beautiful eyes, smile and hair.
6. I love your delicious meals... most of the time.
7. I love your skinny chicken legs.
8. I love you for helping us make time to spend together as a family.
9. I love that you get excited to see me come home.
10. I love you for allowing me to have time for me and my friends.

10 Things Leah loves about mom:

1. I love it when you talk to your friends.
2. I love it when you laugh.
3. I love it when you "be so nice".
4. I love it when you act funny.
5. I love it when you let me do my make-up.
6. I love it when you let me eat sprinkles.
7. I love it when we go on walks.
8. I love it when we watch fireworks.
9. I love it when you help ME make banana bread.
10. I love it when you let me have friends over.

10 Things Mylo loves about mom:

1. I love your brown eyes, cause they are just like mine.
2. I love it when you read to me.
3. I love it when you make me look cool.
4. I love it when you blow kisses to me.
5. I love it when you give me juice.
6. I love you because you give me hugs and kisses.
7. I love it when you let me have bubble baths.
8. I love it when we make cookies together.
9. I love it when you take me to the park.
10. I love it when you give a mo hawk.

10 Things Milli loves about mom:

1. I love mommy's
2. M
3. I
4. L
5. K
6. and
7. L
8. O
9. V
10. E