Awwww

Okay so I realize I have yet to post my Christmas pictures, they are coming I just need to load them onto the computer.  However, unpacking our office today we found are DVD with our wedding pictures on them.  Awwww, it seems like yesterday, and yet it seems like a lifetime ago.  So I thought I would post a few just for memories sake, and since I wasn't blogging at the time. 

I love that he took a picture of our rings together.  I don't know why, but I just love this pic.  

Okay, so the one of us against the temple wall, there was one where I was actually looking cute, and of course ze's eyes are shut so, Sharida you need to help me switch his eyes from another photo.  I am so grateful for my husband, and to know that we will be together for time and all eternity.  What a blessing that knowledge is, and what peace it brings to me.  I love him more today than I ever thought possible.  

But come on wasn't he a handsome groom.  Look at all that dark hair.  Heheheh, just kidding amor.  I LOVE YOU!

Disappointed

Okay so I just spent my whole day trying to make these appetizers from Brasil for my friend Shanna who is pregnant and craving them, and sadly they did not turn out.  Don't worry that I am so not ready for Christmas haven't even wrapped my gifts yet, or packed up our stuff to stay at my parents tonight (since we don't even have a Christmas tree up heheheh)  I am sorry Shana I really really tried.  I will try again until I get it right.  And I was hoping to have a little Brasilian tradition in our Christmas this year, but oh well maybe next year. Oh wait we will be there next year.  Now I am going to get ready for tonight finally.

Minha Querida Amiga LUCIANA

There are people you meet and as soon as you meet them you know you were meant to meet and be a part of eachothers life.  I feel that way about my friend Luciana, from Brasil.  She was a member in my second area and had recently returned from a mission herself.  We became instant friends and have been friends ever since. It has felt more like sisters ever since.  I just had to say how much I miss her and love her.  Every time I talk to her it feels like she is just next door and I should be able to go see her whenever I want, and that our boys should grow up together.  It is so sad when I have to say good-bye and wonder when we will see eachother again, it has been six years and I hopefully next year it will work out that i can see her.  My prayers are with her through this difficult time she is going through and  I wish I could be there to help her.  LOVE YOU LU!  

Tem pessoas que voce vai a conhecer nessa vida, que quando voce conhece-las voce sabe que era pra voces se conhecerem.   Assim que eu sinto sobre minha amiga Luciana, do Brasil.  Ele era uma membro em minha segunda area, e tinha recentement voltou da missao.  Fizemos amizade no momento que a gente conheceu, se sente mais como irmas do que amigas.  Eu so queria dizer quanto que eu amo ela, e que eu morro de saudades.  Cara vez que eu conversa com ela eu sinto que ela devia estar no meu frente e eu posso ve-la quando eu quiser, e que nossos filhos podiam crescer juntos.  Vai fazer 6 anos que nos nao vemos um ao outro, mas se tudo da certo nos vamos ver ano que vem!!!!!!!   Meus oracaoes estao com voce amiga durante esse epoca da sua vida.  Eu queria estar ai com voce, para ajudar voce.  AMO VOCE LU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  tudo vai melhorar.  

Noticas do Brasil

Just thought I would writ a quick post to let you all know we have been having a blast here and are sad to leave but way excited to go home and see our boys. We arrived last Wednesday and spent two days with his sister and cousins in Sorocaba, then spent the weekend with his dad. It was a great weeked and very relaxing his dad lives in a smaller city and it is very calm and we were able to sleep and enjoy spending time with this dad and ruth. We were lucky enought that the first week was great weather, I even had to borrow a sweatshirt from his cousin one night because it was cold outside. We were also able to spend the night with his grandparents and she was able to teach me how to make some doces. We are now in Sorocaba, getting ready for the wedding tomorrow. We are all excited and it should be a lot of fun. Can´t wait to see everyone, next week when we get home.

Pictures

Okay so I can never get these to load up in the right order, but here are the pictures that we took a couple of weeks ago, sorry it took so long our computer broke so we haven't been able to post for a while.  Thank you so much Sharida and Billy we love the pictures and so does everybody who sees them.  I love the picture of my mom with boys it is just so cute, one of the few we were able to get of Gavin smiling.  There are even more that I haven't posted.  I LOVE THEM ALL!  (well at least the ones that I am not in)  There is a great one of Ze and I kissing over the boys, I just can't get it to load up, but it is by far my favorite.  

I just wanted to say how much I love my husband. I am so excited to be going to Brasil with him in a couple weeks and spend some time together. He is such a great husband and father, and I am so lucky to have him in my life. I am especially lucky to be married to my best friend and someone who everyday makes me laugh. I love you!!!!!

PICS COMING

I am so excited, our friends Sharida and Billy were kind enough to go and take pictures of our family on Saturday. They turned out soooo cute!! We took them at the Union Station and I can't wait to post them for you all to see. Thank you Billy and Sharida we loved them, and are so grateful for you to have taken time out of your weekend to do them for us.

You Belong in 1984

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

A Scary What?

 Listen closely to see if you can hear what he is saying.  I am such a horrible mother.

Halloween

Well, Halloween this year did not start out as well as last year.  I practically had to threaten the boys with time out if they did not put on their costumes.  Gavin woke up from his nap in a horrible mood and it didn't go away until he figured out what trick or treating was all about.  

We went trick or treating this year with the Rothdeutsches.  Since we are moving we figured this would be one of the last chances.  They had so much fun together, Ze and Jeff took the kids out trick or treating and they did well until the end when a kid dressed up as a clown freaked them all out.  It was a great night all in all.  

"Punkin" Patch.

Well, I convinced Ze to go to the pumpkin patch, however we didn't end up actually going to the patch.  Go figure, we were a little late and decided just to do the courtyard area at Black Island Farms which eneded up being the better thing I think.  Since the kids were not interested in pumpkins at all!  Drake LOVED it all.  He especially loved all the slides.  Him and I went down I don't know how many times.  It was a great workout climbing up to the top.  He loved the big one.  Gavin on the other hand only liked the "train"  he went on about twenty times. Thus, the reason that there is only a photo of Gavin on the train and no where else.  And freaked out when we had to leave.  I wish I could have captured his face when we first went, he turned around and looked at me with the biggest smile and just shook he was so excited.  It was a lot of fun, my cousin Jenny was in town from Minnesota so it was a total family affair with her, my sister,  my aunt Patti, and my cousin Sarah.  We had a blast, and so did the kids.  

We're Moving-Yes really we are

Well, it has been a long and crazy year for us. As many of you know we have been in limbo for this past year between California and here. Ze spent the better part of the year going back and forth between there and here working, while we tried to decide where we should live. We thought we had reached a decision once, at the beginning of summer, to move to Cali, spent the summer there and put the house up for sale. Then, we (okay, mostly Ze) thought that maybe we should stay here after some things happened so we took our house off and he was offered a job managing and starting a division of a compnay here. We felt, that it was a pretty sure thing, however this last week things fell through and it turned out it was not going to work. So after much prayer, talking, crying (on my part) we knew it was the right thing to move to California. And so we are packing the house and selling things that we won't need there, it is bittersweet, but part of life.

It seems, that our best laid plans are always changing, and the Lord continues to guide our paths. I am going to miss all of my friends here and so will my boys. I think Drake will need therapy without Zoe, Ryker, and Kanon. And I think I will need it without them too. LOL But, most of all I will miss my family, and when I say family I mean most of all my Mom. For many of you, okay all of you here. YOU know how hard of a relationship we had while I was growing up, but now she is my best friend, and I won't know what to do without having her close to hang out with everyday. Mom, I love you and will miss you most of all. I also, what everyone to know how sure we are that this is the right thing, and that I truly feel this is the Lord's desire for us and have felt this since we first talked of moving back. To all of you in Fresno, I can't wait to see you again!!!!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Brothers we will be!!!!!!

As hard as it was to have them so close together, I am SO GRATEFUL, it happened that way.   They have so much fun together and are so close.  I hope that always stays and they grow up to be best friends like my sister and I.  That isn't to say they don't fight because Oh, they do.  But they are always there for eachother watching out.  Drake is very protective of Gavin, and Gavin follows Drake everywhere and imitates everything he does.  It is so much fun to watch them together.  And neither one can fall asleep at night with out holding the others hand or be at least touching to know they are there for eachother.  The one of Drake holding Gavin, just happened the other day, because Gavin was upset and Drake wanted to hold him to make him feel better, and when we asked Gav if he wanted to Drake to hold him he said "okay"  So cute.  I love my BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drake-My Blue Eyed Boy

Okay, so Drake is getting so big and old!!  He carrys on conversations with me and is starting to think he is the Dad or Mom.  The latest thing he says to me when I tell him he can't do something, is " No talka back to me mom"  Or if I don't do what he wants he tells me I have to go to time out.  Aren't kids a great self reflection.  But, I am loving this age, he is overall listening better to me and understanding that his choices lead to either good or bad consequences.  And he loves to help me cook, especially cookies.  He loves to make peanut butter ones so he can smash them with the fork.   His latest craze his a show called HI-5.  They sing and dance to different songs based around different themes.  It is fun to watch him sing the songs and dance along with them.  (only if he knows I am not watching)  He is also remembering them later.  He LOVES LOVES LOVES going to church and nursery, and tells me all about what he did and loves to sing the songs.  As much as I am loving this stage it makes me sad to know he will grow out of it soon, and just keep getting older.  I wish i could just freeze him at this age.  (when he is potty trained in a few weeks of course) 

GAVIN-My Browned Eyed Boy

Okay, so these are just random pics, I was going uploading our Memory Card onto the computer and decided I needed to post some pics of the boys, for those of you who don't see them very often.   These were my favorites!!!  Let's see the one below is of gavin who climed up onto his windo seal so he could listen to the music, and change the CD.   The one with pacifier is just one I loved because you can see those big brown eyes, and KNOW he is thinking up something!!!!  And Last, but not least the HAT!!!  Yes this is how Gavin came to me one morning wearing this hat my mom had bought me in Italy with a big box of ceral, woke me up and said " i wan cere al please."   Gavin is very into wearing hats, and sunglasses when he is out.  And know he has added a little backpack.  Though, I still need a picutre of that  I JUST LOVE his personality and his expressions.  If only i could be quick enough or have the camera when he is doing them.

Minnesota

So over the first weekend in September, I went to Minnesota for a baby shower for my cousin Rachel. It was so much fun to all be together again. Rachel lives in Seattle, and my other two cousins, Jenny and Marcee live in Minnesota, along with my aunts and grandpa. We decided to meet there because that is where we were always all together. It was just so much fun, we haven't all been together with just the girls in a long time. Marcee's baby is so cute you can see him in the photo kinda. I am so gratefuly for my cousins and the friendship that we share. I will get more pics up later, and we just can't wait to meet Journey when she is born.

Grateful

Well, I am in California right now to visit my mother-in-law and friends. I ended coming a few days earlier, because someone from our old ward passed away and I felt like I should come for the funeral. Brother Clinton was one of the sweetest, funniest person, and was full of life. Ze and I moved in to our old ward when we were newlyweds and we always commented how we hoped we would be like Bro and Sis Clinton when we were older or even a few years down the road. They showed such love and devotion to one another. In the funeral today everyone spoke of his love for Sis. Clinton and what an example it was.

It made me think of how grateful I am for Ze and for all that he does for our family. He is so kind and patient, and works so hard for to provide us with the wonderful life that we have. I am especially grateful for his love for me and for his patience. My mom has always said since the first time she met Ze that she feels he was made just for me. That he is so perfect for me in the way he loves and supports me and most importantly puts up with me, that she believes he was made just to be with me. I have to say that I agree, because I don't know of anyone else who would love me so unconditionally, and greatley. I love you Ze, thanks for all that you do and for all the love and support you have given me. I am so grateful for the strong priesthood holder you are and the example you are setting for our children. I have been so blessed with you in my life. I LOVE YOU!

Drake's Haircut

Okay so Drake was needing a haircut, i(t was long because I wait so long to go because I have to physically hold him down when he gets it) anyway, Ze was home with them one night and decided that maybe he could cut his hair at least the sideburns. So when I came home he said, "oh by the way I cut drake's hair, he was in the tub and was so calm and let me do at least the sideburns." I thought okay that can't be too bad, just a little bit so they weren't so long. Then I asked "well what scissors did you use?' remembering that I had moved them since he had left for California and wondered how he found them. He said "oh the ones from the kitchen." yeah the ones from my knife set that have a sereded edge on them and curved ends. So when Drake woke up I freaked out. HE HAD A MULLET!!! a total full on mullet. I had to call my friend Tisha to come over on a Sunday morning and fix it. There was no way I was taking him to church looking like this.

Hello this side looks like a total 1980's mullet where the stepped the sides!
Thankfully the end result looked pretty good, especially once I washed it and put some hair stuff in it. Thanks Tisha for saving us that morning!!!!! What would we do without you? And now Dad has been banned from playing with scissors.

WHAT A MESS!!!!!

So I obviously I need a lock on my pantry, or maybe a locked room for my kids while I get ready in the morning. This is almost a daily occurence. While I am getting ready in the morning, drying my hair and can't hear what is going on, my kids make huge meses! Somebody please help me!!

Okay one more from Brasil

Okay I know, I said that I was done posting from Brasil, BUT , I was looking through my pictures and I found these of Ze and his uncle doing churrasco. Um yeah, we ate this like every day it is soooooo Good. And his uncle without his church was also an everyday thing along with the rest of the brasilians......