Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

 All of our stuff is in storage, still, as our original move in day was sometime in late November.  SO, we helped Abuela get her Holiday Pretties up :)

 

The kids had fun placing ornaments on the tree and "helping" with the lights.  

It was a fun time getting the decorations up.  Its been hard to "feel" that Christmas Spirit at our temporary home.  Not having a tree and the Nativity out and having friends/family over.  But this definitely helped get that feeling we all want at this time of year.   

We had seven parties to attend the week just before Christmas and I didn't take ANY pictures.  Still kicking myself because of it.  We had a party at my Mom and that was nice to see friends from the old ward and some family.  Leah had a Christmas Party at our house, I did get some of those pics, I just have to find them. 

We had the years Trevino/Hunter party at Hidden Valley, where just the adults go.  This year Al asked everyone to tell about our families, which was sorta funny since we are all family :)  Diane's two kids are their and their married children.  When it was our turn to "introduce" ourselves Dave announced that we are expecting our fifth!  There was complete silence in the room... it was a BIG JOKE!  Otis is the cherry on top, we need nothing else on our "perfect sunday" :) 

We had the Uboldi Christmas party at my moms.  I need to get the pics from Maria to get those on here. 

Then we had Trevino Christmas Eve.  The cousins all exchange gifts and that is always fun.  Grandpa and Diane also give the kids their presents that night.  Its always fun to be with them as we laugh a lot.  It has become tradition to have Deer Valley Chilli, YUM!  I have never made it, but it is delicious!!!! I made rolls for that night (also super yummy!)

That same night we went to Mike and Mary's Christmas Eve Party.  Mary is my dads sister and she has stayed close to us. They like to spoil our kids and us.  We SO appreciate their generosity and thoughtfulness.  It was fun to munch and chit chat a bit.  We also so Abuelo that night, I can't remember the last time I saw him or even worse the kids. 

THEN, our last party was Christmas morning at Al and Diane's house.  We have brunch EVERY Christmas morning and it is one of my favorite traditions.  Diane got the kids yet another present and the kids love showing what Santa brought them. 

It was a long pre-Christmas week and we were exhausted, but it was SO much fun.  Filled with laughter and love everywhere.  Our gift to ourselves was a nice Christmas nap :)

Big Al Turns 71!!! (picture overload)

Al turned 71yrs young last Sunday.  On Saturday they, Diane and Al, had a VERY fun party planned at a "bowling alley."  It was a blast!!!!!  Most of Al's kids were there and most of Diane's family as well.  The kids bowled like there was not tomorrow and so did some of the adults, which resulted in some very sore arms the following day :)

Al and Diane.... 

 Most of the grandkids.  Note Milli, not wanting to be in the picture, at all! 

Bowling pics form the rear... the best "form" goes to Dave Pearce, seen bottom left. 

left to right: Me, Bob, Dave T., Jake, Abuela, Sean and Dave P.  

Bowling pics from the front.  

Again, I think best bowling face goes to Dave Pearce or Al.  LOVE IT!!!

left to right: Sean & Alex, Dave T., Sarah, Todd (Diane's son, he is just awesome! and a new grandpa!!!), Todd and Mackay, Sean M. & Chole, Karalee & Alex, Gary, Me, Gary (again), Birthday Boy and Dave P.

Cutie Pies.  I just love these two!!!

Max, Megs and Jake.  Max was so funny this evening.  He was singing Beiber (sp? don't even care to look it up) and was actually pretty good and was cute to take our jokes.  These "older" cousins are super cute with the younger ones.  I love Jake's crazy face in this picture too.  

Maddie and Leah.  Later in the evening they were playing bar tenders with Jake.  

Lots of opened soda cans, ooooops!  But they had fun.  :) 

Emily with her chubbers, Riley.  He is a cute "little" tank! 

My cutie pie, Otapotamous and Abuela.

Milli was so good all night.  She was just pleased as could be playing with balloons and "coloring" on the bowling score sheet.  Plus, she was just so happy.  LOVE HER!!!!! 

This was such a fun party!  We all really enjoyed it!!! But of course, the best part was celebrating Al.  It was his b-day after all and we love him.  :)  He is a sweet grandpa.... Happy Day to Al!!!!

Realizations

This weekend we had Trevino's over, at least a few of them.  I attempted to recreate Karen's very delicious lasagna.  First of all, Lasagna is, in itself, a labor of love.  Lasagna takes time!  We don't eat lasagna very often at our house, because somebody doesn't like the texture/taste of ground beef (or turkey for that matter). 

My realization was that I cannot re-create Karen's very delicious lasagna, even with the recipe in hand.... it looks much better than it tasted, see?

 I also realized that I love Dave's family.  I already knew that, but after what seemed like forever since seeing them it was just GREAT to see them and be with them!  Plus, how cute are Al and Otis together!??!  I think just adorable!

I realized that Milli is one of the cutest little things in this house and she could NOT stop talking about her cousins coming over!  It was so fun to see them play together so nicely, it makes for a great evening together....

I realized that I am a mean mom for feeding Otis this not-so-delicious baby food.  Have you ever tried the green beans or green peas!?!?  YUCK!  I tried it by accident and I hope it NEVER happens again!  Poor Otis, but I will continue to feed it to him.

I realized that this VERY simple salad of a bunch of spinach, tomatoes, onions and strawberries with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan and a drizzle of Raspberry Vinaigrette should always be part of my day, YUM!

I realized that $10 of tomatillos and jalapenos will bring a lot of joy to that someone who does not like the texture of ground beef (aka. Dave).  That and some chips :) 

 

I realized how happy a full basket of fresh fruit makes me.  Its so colorful and yummy and healthy and pretty and best of all the kids love it as much as I do.  

And best of all I realized that as much as I see this face I DO NOT get tired of it one bit!  Every time I pulled out the camera to snap some pics of our little man he would pull this and blow in and out of his nose. I just love it!  

Jazz Date

Al invited to go with him for a "date", that's what he called it and I loved it! We went to dinner and then a great Jazz game.  It was really nice!!!  I enjoyed my time with Al.  It was like the good ol' days, where we would talk about lots of things and he was that guys that I really enjoy.  He is a great guy and I'm glad I got to spend time with him.  I could tell he needed to talk and vent a bit and I am glad I was able to be there for him.  (That sounds, overly boastful, but he really did need to vent... so its the truth :)) He has been there for us in the past and we will forever be grateful for him..... Anyway, back to the date.  It was really fun!  Al has great seats, fourth row, that it felt like we were really close to the action.  We did, however, have a loud lady behind us, who knew EVERY players name and EVERY refs name and was able to keep up on EVERY call and it did get VERY annoying, but we laughed about it :)

THANK YOU AL FOR  A GREAT NIGHT, away from the daily routine of dinner, bath, reading and kids bedtime.  Lets do it again, SOON!

Grandpa Claus and Diann

Grandpa and Diann came to visit us Monday night.  They brought over some goodies, hot cocoa for the kids in some cute mugs and a "Where's Waldo" Christmas book.  Great entertainment!  Thank you Al and Diann!!!!  You guys are cute in your outfits, the kids loved it.

Al and Dianne

Al and Dianne
sealed
July 31st, 2009

This picture was taken after the temple ceremony.
Later for the reception Al wore a tux and Dianne a beautiful wedding dress.

After our very fun time at Sun Valley with the Trevino Family we came home to see Al get married and sealed to Dianne. They have been dating a very short time but they "are in love". They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple where family witnessed their union and commitment to each other. Al is an amazing man and we love him for everything he has ever done for us. Dianne is very different from Karen and although we don't know her very well yet, she seems like a great lady. Al can't say enough about her. We pray that Al and Dianne are happy, forever!

A little bit of background on Dianne. She has two children, Todd and Dana. She was a cosmetologist. She has been single for over 40 years. She is very witty and will not let Al put anything past her. He has met his match with Dianne :) . She is a very active lady, she walks a lot and can still do the splits! She loves ballet and I believe that she used to dance ballet. She likes to look pretty and get all dolled up, she enjoys cooking and being with the family.

This was not an easy day for us. The day left me thinking about Karen and what she is up to. I also reflected on my own marriage with Dave and the day we got married. The commitment we have made with each other and how this has affect our kids. It was great to meet Dianne's family and it was so nice to see all of Al's brothers and sisters. Its amazing how the temple binds us together. Its hard to know how things will pan out with everything.... my feelings are unclear with all of it.

After the temple we had lunch with the family. They had a great BIG reception that evening and it was so nice to see how loved Al and Dianne are. We love Al and always will. Karen will never be replaced but we welcome Dianne to the family. I hope we can all be happy and our family can stay united.

Father's Day

We had a lovely day on Father's Day, well at least Dave did :)

We started our day with making breakfast for Dave, this was Leah's idea. I had planned on making breakfast burritos but Leah said we should make dad his favorite bowl of cereal... hey, no problem! Cereal it is! We greeted Dave with some presents for Father's Day. We gave him a new shirt and tie for church AND a card, I know, we spoiled him (wink, wink)

Dave with Milli, Mylo and Leah early Father's day morning

We love Dave! He is a great father to our little kids. He is stern when he needs to be stern. He is a good listener. He is a good and hard worker. He is loving and caring. He is huggable. He is a good example. He is fun. He is encouraging with our goals. He is a great provider. He is just perfect for us! We love him and feel blessed to have him in our family and for all he does to help us live out our dreams. After these last (almost) seven years of seeing Dave with the kids, its still gives me butterflies to see him having a tender moment with the kids. There is nothing more precious than seeing a father care for his kids and teach them so many wonderful things... I am so glad when daddy (Dave) comes home, GLAD AS I CAN BE!!!

I would have loved breakfast for mother's day... or any day for that matter.
He really did enjoy it.

Abuelo with Gabi, Leah, Mylo and Mason

We don't get to see my dad very often so when we do I like to take a picture. This is a bitter sweet time for me. In one hand I love my dad and he was a great dad when i was young. He always provided and was always giving to us and those around him. He was a good example of being a worthy priesthood holder. He was always a gentleman to my mom... In the OTHER hand, his recent actions still hurt me, deeply. Life is so different, it will never be what it was supposed to be. He is missing out on so much! I hate to admit that I really don't know him. He came by on Friday to see Milli and we gave him gift. I didn't call him on Father's day, I just didn't want to cry... at times I still feel like I need to let the hurt out but its just easier not to talk about it. I still love my dad... I just really miss the person I knew to be him.

Grandpa Al with Mish

On a happier note, Al is very present in our lives. As of late I have been able to get to know him so much more. The man is busy and a social butterfly (Dave did not acquire this trait). He always has done so much for us. He is SO generous. I always laugh a lot when I am around him. He has taken the place of my dad when he hasn't been there. He is really fun and a good grandpa. He doesn't just give the kids everything they ask for to show them that he loves them, rather he shows them with affection. He deserves to be happy. It makes us happy to see him so happy. He is a great guy and deserves great things.

Happy Father's Day to three special fathers in our lives.
We love you!!!

Phantom

A week ago (after the zoo) I went to watch Phantom with Al and my sisters-in-law, Amy and Karalee. We met up for dinner prior to the show and it was really nice. Al is one lucky guy to have all of us out in one night. Perhaps he likes to kill three birds with one stone :) Truly, the company was wonderful. Phantom, not to be confused with Phantom of the Opera, was really good. It was basically the play with out some of the original music. It was more of the background of the Phantom of the Opera. It was was really good, very moving. I love going out with my in-laws. I think it just brings us closer together. Thanks to Al for taking us and giving me a break from my "job".

Happy Day to Al!!!

Al had his 69th birthday this week and tonight we got to celebrate. We had a delicious dinner and a delicious desert (hahaa... I made the desert so of course I think it was pretty good). Looking at the picture above I can only imagine Al had a great day as well. All but one of his grand kids lives in Utah now and having them all here must be very nice for him (it is for us). I can't say enough about how much we love Grandpa Al. He is a fun, loving, easy to talk to, at times strict (wink, wink) grandpa, who loves his grand kids and shows it. He is affectionate with them and loves the little babies. He is a great laugh and we certainly love to be part of his family. Al always makes me laugh, sometimes to the point of tears or embarrassment. Needless to say we have a great time with him.

WE LOOOOOVE YOU AL!
More than we can ever express or even let you know.
You are wonderful to all of us. XXX's and OOO's

For future reference: One of Al's favorite deserts is German Chocolate Cake, the one Karen used to make, so I gave it a go. All from scratch, just to make him happy, well it wasn't good enough. Of course Karen's was better, well turns out she makes her cake from a box and he could careless about the cake, he just wanted the frosting! Next time that is ALL he is getting... Frosting. (I know he appreciated my efforts, after all its the thought that counts, right?)

GooOOOO Utes!!!

Tonight was the last Utah Gymnastics meet of the season. When we got there tonight there was about ten thousand red lights lighting the stadium, it was so cool. I have been thinking about how this season has been so different from seasons past. The first meet of the season was hard. I wasn't sure how it would be. Not having Karen to bump into during the fun music and getting her to give me that little grin was missed, riding the elevator down and up was missed and seeing Karen get excited about a great routine was missed as well. But, at the same time, every time we would sing the National Anthem I would get teary eyed thinking of (1) how blessed I am to live in this country (2) thinking of Karen and I at one of the Winter Olympics Medal ceremony, we were both balling like babies, it has new meaning to me.

Here are some things I have really enjoyed during the season (in no particular order):

1. The Utah Gymnasts are freaking amazing and I want to have a rock hard body just like them in the near future (far fetched idea/dream, I know but I can dream, right?)
2. I am competitive and I really enjoy a good competition.
3. I like the music and the beats and every time a good song comes on I would bump into Al in sync with the music (I am sure he loved it ;))
4. I have gotten to hang out with Al a ton and had some REALLY great laughs with him. He is hilarious and I just love him.
5. It has been fun to see the looks on people's faces when they see us together, I am sure they are thinking "WOW! Check out that old guy with that hottie. Man, he is one lucky guy!" [hahaaaaa "jokes man, jokes" (like Melissa would say)]
6. After (almost) each routine Al would tell me what he thought the score would be and he was almost right every time.
7. Candied Almonds.
8. Wearing RED proudly, along with everyone else. GOOOOO UTES!
9. Seeing Nastia Lukin, 2008 US Olympic Gymnast, about 4 feet away from me.
10. Getting some time away to do something I love doing.

This season has been fun to share with Al. I am looking forward to the next season.