I'm Back!

We moved into our new house the day after Thanksgiving and only this week did I get connected to the internet. I don't have time to write a lot right now . . . but hopefully soon. Things have been really busy with Christmas, right? Only two more day--woo-hoo! By the way, the snow here is terrible. Where are all the sunny days I remember?

Alisa's "Dance" Class

Alisa just had parent's day at dance class. It is a little class she takes at a local studio . . . they call the class "two much fun" and, of course, it's for 2 year olds. Every week she goes and they put on various costumes and dance to music. It's different costumes every week! She is going to miss dance class . . . she asks to go all the time. At the end of each class they have a little tea party. Who thought of this!? Someone who has a two year old girl, for sure.

I am the worst photographer and I was having a particularly bad day, especially because half of Alisa's dancing is full on sprinting. So I didn't get the greatest pictures but you get the idea. I want to remember this forever.

Huh!?

The other day, I came home after a lunch and the kids swimming suits were out drying. Huh!? Isn't it the middle of November? Apparently, Diego was fixing a sprinkler head and you know what that leads to . . . .

I didn't think it was really that warm but I guess in was warm ENOUGH.

Moving Update

Whew--moving is a lot of work! We have found a house to rent near Thanksgiving Pointe in Lehi. We will be moving on Thanksgiving day so if anyone is around, come help us unload boxes. . . . or beds, or couches, or bookcases. Diego starts work on Monday and I will be down here by my lonesome until Thanksgiving. I'm tough though, right?

Diego is such a busy bee--he has packed up half the house already and now I am afraid that he is going to pack too much and I won't have anything to live off of. Nicolas asked for a game yesterday and it was GONE. Bless his heart, I have only personally packed one box. Maybe I'm just lazier than him.

Here are a couple of pictures of the house. Maybe it's not much to look at but there's a pool down a little path in the backyard.





So, now I need:

• a preschool
• a pediatrician
• an OB/GYN
• a moving truck
• a renter--Does anyone know anyone who wants to rent a cute house in St. George?

If you have anything that can help me, please let me know.

Gooseberry Mesa

The other day, Diego decided to bike the famous Gooseberry Mesa one more time before we move. Diego has been into biking quite a bit while we've lived here--even going up to 4 times a week. It is one of the perks of living next to the wilderness; we don't have to drive far to get to amazing scenery and trails. However, this particular trail is over an hour drive away, half of it on dirt roads.

Here are a few pictures he took. He was by himself.

Unfortunately, after taking these pictures, he got lost and ending up turning a 12 mile bike ride into 22 miles. (He knows, he had the Garmin.) Four and a half hours later . . . .

Hot Halloween

It was another shorts and t-shirt Halloween. I mean, Diego went trick-or-treating with the kids in shorts and flip-flops and wasn't even remotely cold. However, the ninja and giraffe princess were sweating to death underneath it all. It's so strange being in such a warm place. Of course, the weather has changed and now it is freezing outside.

Incidentally, I am a little bit worried about how my perception of the weather has changed since living in this warm climate. Like, when I say, "freezing," it means it is 60 degrees and you might want a jacket. It wouldn't be a problem if we weren't moving to a colder place but I am seriously a little bit frightened of the cold now. I am afraid that I won't know how to cope with it or something. I know it doesn't make any sense seeing as how I have lived 99% of my life in Utah County but you just forget. For example, my sister in law was telling me that she never buys those pretty black patent shoes for her girls because the shoes have no traction and make them slip on the ice. Ice? I never would have thought of that.

I wonder if my ski coat will fit over my huge belly this winter?

Pumpkin Patch

Here are a couple of pictures of when we went to the pumpkin patch with Grandma. The kids really liked picking out their own pumpkin. We decided not to do the pumpkin maze/trail this year and I sort of missed that but things were just chaotic that day.

We're Moving!

As many of you know, we have been looking for a new employment opportunity. We have searched far and wide and really wanted to stay in our current location. However, Diego has found a great job on the Wasatch Front. We are happy to be moving closer to family but now we have to go through the hassle of moving. Aaaargh. I am sort of hoping that since we have only lived in our current house for a year, that putting everything back into boxes will be easy . . . it feels like we really just unpacked them. I don't have an exact timeframe but I am thinking that we will move sometime in November.

Happy Birthday Nicolas!

Nicolas turned 5 this week and in an effort to redeem myself from last year's downer birthday, I really tried to make his day special. So, I made a few little extra efforts.


First, I made this poster and put it above our fireplace for when he woke up. I also made a special doorway to his bedroom. If forgot to get a picture of it but it was basically a shower curtain cut into strips with writing on it. Every time he went into his room, he would pass through the curtain. He thought that was kind of neat.

Next we made cupcake for his school class and he had his favorite friend over to play. Then, he took the cupcakes to school where he was the "special leader" for the day.

After he came home, he watched a "library movie" and then had dinner. He chose hamburgers and hot dogs. I wanted to gag but since it was his birthday, we made them anyway. (I have a hard time with meet when I'm pregnant.)

Then he opened his presents and we sang happy birthday.








We gave him some legos and hot wheels tricks tracks. For some reason he really thinks hot wheels are cool. But they have to be hot wheels brand.




These are the cupcakes we made for his school class. I didn't want to make two cakes so we used them to sing happy birthday to him too.






After dinner we went to this new park a little ways from our house. It is a very unique beautiful park.









Did I do good making a special birthday? I tell you, I was exhausted by the end. I know I'm a wimp but I was wiped out.

Where have all the blankets gone?

We lost 'em! Alisa is undeniably attached to her pink fuzzy blankies and she likes them specifically because they are pink and soft. They have to be pink. When she started developing this strong attachment to the pink fuzzy blankie (more than a year ago) I went out and bought a second one so that we would have two. Whew, I thought I was covered. About two months ago, one mysteriously went missing. I didn't look too much but I sort of thought it would just turn up in the daily shuffle. It hasn't.

Two days ago the second one went missing. Just like that. I never let her take the blankie outside because it is so precious. It seems to always be underfoot because she drags it everywhere. So how could it be missing? I've looked EVERYWHERE I could think of. Our house isn't that big--kitchen, family room, couple of bedrooms. It just poofed. I'm baffled.

Alisa hasn't had a nap in two days. That's how vital those pink blankies are to her, I guess. Any ideas where they could be? Here's what I've come up with.

1. A big brother threw them over the fence
2. A house elf took them for his horde
3. A robber entered our home and understood the incredible value of the blankie
4. They got balled up and shoved in an unused drawer
5. They disintegrated from overuse

I am seriously contemplating going and buying a third one.

We Went to Cancun!

For the first time in my parenting life, I left my children to go on a vacation with my husband. Call me a sap but it is REALLY hard for me to leave my children for long periods of time. I mean really, can anyone make breakfast so lovingly as me? (This is a delusion that I choose to perpetuate so that I feel useful.) So for 8 days my children stayed with grandparents while Diego and I traveled in Mexico. As for the children, I think they had more fun than they've had since Disneyland.

And as for me, I had fun too. It is just so blasted hot there! It was definitely Mexico . . . people trying to swindle you, some really trashy neighborhoods, spanish, everyone wanting tips, etc. But really, you can't find too much to complain about on a vacation to Cancun. It's beautiful--just like pictures. So get ready for my own barrage of pictures. Only . . . be forgiving with the swim suit photos; I am 4 1/2 months pregnant.


This is the only picture we have of the beach at our hotel. We loved just hanging out reading and doing crossword puzzles.


This is the first Mayan city we visited. It is named Tulum and is the only one they know of that is on the ocean. I'm telling you, it was so hot there that I thought my hair would fall out.


Tulum


Tulum


Tulum--after looking at the ruins, we were able to go swim in the beach below to cool off and check out the ruins from the water (as the Spanish invaders would have seen it.)


Diego on the ferry over to Isla Mujeres.


Diego in the water at Isla Mujeres. This little island was maybe our least favorite place we visited. But it seemed to be a place where a lot of locals went for a day trip.


Our second Mayan city, Chichen Itza. This was the most massive set of ruins I have ever seen. Much bigger than anything I ever saw in Israel (althought granted this was probably created in 400 AD and nothing was ever built over it.) It is just a huge city. There were so many carved stones and rocks that they didn't even know where they all went and were piled up in piles and people were just sitting on them. Strange place. Once again, it was really, really hot. I had to sit down every so often because I thought I was going to faint.

This is the tallest/biggest building in the complex. Of course, the temple. I think this is the side that was restored.


Chichen Itza--you can see the jungle creeping in in the background.



Chichen-Itza--we took so many pictures that I wasn't even sure what to post.


Chichen Itza


Chichen Itza--check out those carvings


Chichen Itza--this is the astronomy tower. You know, how the Mayans were really big into astronomy and calendaring.


This is a shot of the bay at Akumal where we snorkeled and swam with sea turtles. There were really a lot of them (I was skeptical that we would really see them as advertised.) We also saw a stingray, lots of colorful fish and some coral. It wasn't the prettiest reef but the turtles made up for it.

Well, those are some of the highlights. We didn't take pictures of everything but it sure seemed like a lot. Thanks to our parents for helping us with this trip. Who knows when we will be able to do something like this again.