An attitude of Gratitude

This morning as I chased my kids around trying to get them ready to go to the park, I began to feel frustrated. They were both running a muck and I was thinking, "Give me a break! I am just trying to do something fun for you!" Once we got to the park with our neighborhood friends, we had fun sliding, swinging and visiting. We were all by the swings when AJ wondered across the playground to a picnic table where my friend Meagan's nieces were sitting. Before I knew it, he had climbed up on the bench and fallen right off the other side smacking his head on the pavement and on a bolt that was sticking out of the table leg. I rushed over, saw the blood running down his neck, said a swear and grabbed him. We decided I should take him up to Instacare to get it checked out and make sure he wasn't going to have any head trauma. Long story short, the blood flow slowed, AJ got two staples in his head and we both survived. AJ was so brave. He didn't cry or fight at all. The doctor and nurse were impressed with how well behaved he was.
This afternoon when I put the kids down for a nap I worked for a while and then looked at some blogs. I read some sad stuff that people are going through. Later this evening as I reflected on my day I realized how blessed I am that the worst thing I had to worry about today was some blood and two staples that AJ hasn't even noticed. I thought about how blessed we are to have great family, friends and neighbors who are always there for us. Without my friends with me at the park to help out, I probably would have freaked and cried, but they were calm so I was calmish. Then Meagan came and picked up Allie from the Instacare and what a blessing that was to not have to chase her and worry about what to do if AJ had been worse off. I have a fabulous husband and the two most beautiful and fun children in the world. I have parents who would literally do anything for us and the list goes on. I am grateful for this life and all my blessing. I am grateful that we made it through our first "serious" injury and that I get to spend each day trying to keep up with the two most wonderful blessing in the world.

I love concerts

Last Saturday Alberto and I went to Vegas to see our 3rd Keith Urban concert. In case you don't know it, he is my favorite! As always, the show was AWESOME!! I think it was my favorite one yet. Alberto got us floor seats, which I was afraid I wouldn't like, but ended up loving because the energy level was really high, plus we got see him up close when he came out to a smaller stage in the back of the floor seating, which also happened at the other two concerts, but this time I was like max 20 feet away and there were moments I swear he was singing to me. He sang 4 songs out on this little stage, just him and a guitar. It was worth the money we paid just for that part of the show.
He is such a great entertainer and I love all his songs. I never get sick of his music or feel like his songs are "overplayed" and the best part is that my kiddos love him as much as I do. Alberto says I have brain washed them...Every time we get in the car they ask for "beat bing", which translates to "Sweet Thing", the first release off his newest album. I know that the kids love this song because before the CD was released I would find the song on the internet or rewind it over and over on CMT and dance with the kids. It makes me happy to know they have made the connection between that song and dancing with mommy and daddy.
I always tell people whether you like country music or not, you'd like his concerts. His guitar playing skills are crazy and he never just does a song, he always changes it up or adds some over the top guitar solo, I love it.
I think the reason I like to go to concerts so much is that when it is good, like this one, you can't help but have fun. Everyone is dancing and singing and at times the crowd is singing louder than the preformer. The best part is that Alberto had just as much fun. He yells and dances around and sings with me and pushes me out into the aisles to try and touch Keith and then drags me through the crowd so I can see him up close. Alberto is the best concert buddy.
Our view of the main stage from our seats
View of the small stage from our seats

We ran around so we were standing right in front of the little stage. It was neat to be so close. I was giddy like a school girl.
On Wednesday we went to Lady Antebellum right here in sunny St. George. It was hot, as is to be expected outside in July, but I thought the music was great, even the opening act. I was disappointed in the crowd though. We sat on the grass (equivalent to floor seating) fairly close to the stage, but the whole time people were up and down and just sort of blah. I guess I am still living in my Keith Urban lala land, but I think Lady Antebellum is a really great band and I imagine they will be a big deal before too long, so I guess I expected people to be more excited. O well it was still fun to be able to see two great shows in one week with the best husband ever!

July Fun

On July 3rd we went to the Splash pad on Main Street to celebrate our friend Isaac's 2nd birthday! The kids love playing in the water and especially had fun playing with Isaac. I love the picture of the all the big kids (minus Emily's boys) sitting on the step. Angie and Jarred got pizza for everyone and of course my food lover, AJ, spent the entire time walking around picking up peoples leftovers and eating them. He had a scrap of pizza in his hand prettey much the whole time. We enjoyed this opportunity to get together with our friends and I got so many cute pictures of the kids!

On the 4th of July we started our day by going to the Hurricane City Park with our neighbors Tara and Colter and their kids Ayla and Max. There were lots of fun games and even races for each of the different age groups. We tried to get our 3 toddlers to race, but with all the adults crowded around trying to "help" we couldn't get them in line. It was still cute though. Later that day, we headed over to my parents to hang out and have a bbq. Angie and Jarred brought Isaac and Ava over and the 3 "big" kids played in the pool and we ate some yummy food. I think the best part was when we were taking the husks off the corn and Angie's corn cob had a worm on it. She screamed and flicked the corn sending the worm flying through the air and onto my mom's shirt. We were all squealing for a second. It was funny. After we bbq-ed and relaxed a bit, we headed to our traditional spot at Dixie College to watch fireworks. This is my favorite thing about the 4th of July. Lots of our family friends come and we visit. We have been going there since I was little so it is special to me. I was excited to have the kids awake for fireworks and although they watched them, they weren't too interested. I was glad they weren't scared though.

These are just a few silly things Allie and AJ have been doing lately. The other day I was changing sheets on their cribs and they both thought it was so fun to pretend they were sleeping in their cribs without the sheet.
We have some foamy shapes that the kids love to dump out and spread all over, but usually that is all they do with them and then Alberto and/or I end up cleaning them up over and over. Yesterday though, Allie woke up from her nap and was playing with the shapes and after a while came up to me with the stack she is holding in the picture and said "Samich". At first I was confused, then I realized she was showing me that she had made a sandwich with the shapes. It was cute because she used two big shapes and put a bunch of little ones in between. What a smartie, right! I was trying to take a cute picture of Allie and her "samich", but she thought I was going to take it from her so she kept running away. At the same time I was telling her "smile" (my kids don't get the concept of smiling for a picture) so I tried "show me your teeth", hence the crazy photo of her teeth.
Lately, I have let them have a popsicle when we are playing outside on hot days. It think it is so funny to watch them make faces as they attempt to eat them. Last night AJ was being so cute feeding Allie his popsicle and then later he dropped it, so the two of them attempted to put the popsicle back on the stick.

Last week we made a spontanious trip to SLC to see our Glauco, Camila, Wes and Alberto's mom and step-dad. It was a short trip and the kids did not sleep much at all, in fact none of us slept much, but it was fun. The first day we shopped, ate a HUGE lunch at McGrath's Fish House and then let the kids play at the Gateway splash pad. After that we went back to Glauco and Camila's and relaxed and had a delicious Brazilian dinner. The next day Camila took me to the greatest store that had the best deals. Later we drove to Sandy and took the kids to an aquarium. They really enjoyed it. AJ slept through the first half and Allie touched a snake. They both were very curious about the Rays, but refused to touch them. Later we went to lunch with Alberto's mom and stepdad and then back to the apartment to visit. Right before we came into town, Glauco bought a brand new, big flat screen TV. On the second day we were there, Allie found a pen and when none of us were paying attention drew all over the screen. I about died when I saw what she was doing. I was seriously starting to sweat, but luckily Alberto got it all off with a lot of scrubing. That was a close one! Anyway, we had a fun visit!

The other morning I was in my room with the kids folding clothes. AJ had disappeared so I came to the living room to look for him and found him sitting in the rocking chair. He had put a blanket over his lap and was looking at a book. He is so dang cute! I was taking his picture and I said, "read the book", so he held up his book and pretended to read. This age is so fun!

The Treatment Room

For those of you who don't know, Bria has started her own business called the Treatment Room. She has earned a Master certification in this field and offers many treatments from waxing to facials and pedicures. Anyway, in the past I have been hesitant to have her do much for me because after all who wants to make their friend work when you barely have time to just hang out anymore. However, this evening Bria gave me a facial including a light chemical peel and my usual waxing and I tell you what, my skins feels AMAZING! I don't remember a time when my face felt so light and fresh! The experience was very relaxing, just like being in a spa. I realized tonight just how much Bria enjoys what she does and how much she loves to make other people happy and feel good about themselves.
If you are in need of any of these services or just want to do something relaxing, you should check out her blog for the treatment room. Thanks again Bria!

Cedar Mountain

Last Saturday, Alberto had the day off, so we decided to head up to Cedar Mountain for a picnic and a break from the heat. It was such a fun day and the weather was a dream come true. "Uncle Bad" came with us too. First we went to Navajo Lake and had lunch then we threw rocks in the lake and let the kids explore the shore for a while. Later, we drove up to see if our friends were at their cabin, but since they weren't we decided to head over to Cedar Breaks where we walked around a bit. I felt very nervous, sick at times, at Cedar Breaks with the kids near those huge drop offs, but we held them tight and made it through with nothing to worry about. Once it was time to go home, we drove down the other side of the mountain through Brianhead. It was a fun day and we got some great shots of the kids. I am really glad because we never had their 18 mth pictures done and I think I got some worthy of enlarging and framing.
P.S. Two scrapbook pages in one day, way to go me. Thanks for the ideas Tara and Meagan.

Father's Day

This year for Father's Day I decided we should give Alberto a new wedding ring, since he recently lost his at work. It was fun to pick out something different than the one he had before and Alberto really likes the new one.
We had a good breakfast and then after church and naps, we headed to my parent's house to visit and have dinner, as we do most Sundays. Allie and AJ love going to see "Nana and Papa" and "Uncle Bad" and were especially happy this day, since they hadn't seen them for over a week.
Anyone who knows Alberto, knows that he is the nicest guy around and a great daddy and husband. We all adore him and apreciate all the hard work he does and the energy and happiness he brings into our home.

Summer Fun

The other day Allie and AJ had fun helping us pull weeds, water plants and mow the yard. They love to play outside and in the past few weeks we have had some great weather. They tried to ride the lawn mower,played in the dirt and visited the next door neighbors statues.



We also went to Zion this past weekend with a few of our neighbors. I didn't take my camera into Zion because we had to ride the shuttles and I didn't feel like hauling it around. I did get a few pictures of the kid running around once we got back into Springdale and had lunch. Zion was really fun and the kids did great getting on and off the shuttles and riding in the stroller on our little hike.

Way to Go!!

Today Alberto found out that he passed his NCLEX! This is the test that you have to pass to get your RN license. It has been a rough road getting through this test and we are all so proud of Alberto! This morning Alberto was getting ready for work and decided to check online and see if they posted his score. The kids and I were still in bed as Alberto leaves for work at 5:30 am. Imagine my surprise as I suddenly sense the light flip on and here the sound of Alberto rushing into my bedroom and proceed to jump up and down yelling, "I passed my test! I passed my test! I can't believe I passed my test!" It was alarming and exciting all at once. Alberto was shaking like a leaf. This really is a big deal for our family! We are also excited that he won't have to spend the bulk of his free time studying! Ways to go honey! We are so lucky to have such a great daddy in our home!

Concert anyone?

I am pretty sure none of my friends like country music, but just in case... Lady Antebellum is coming to St. George on July 22 at the Sun Bowl. I really like them and I think it would be fun to go. Does anyone want to go with us? Tickets are $22 and kids under 10 are free so even if you don't have a sitter, they can come. Let me know if you want to join us.
Alberto is taking me to Keith Urban on July 18th in Vegas!!! His concerts are the best and I am so excited to go. I LOVE concerts!

Welcome Back!

Yesterday my little brother Brad returned home from his mission in Tacoma Washington. We are all so excited to have Brad back home and grateful for the wonderful experience he had on his mission. Below are some pictures from the airport. It was very exciting and emotional. This was also the first time for Allie and AJ to meet their Uncle Brad. Allie was a little shy, but AJ was excited to show Brad the planes. Brad came home with another missionary who lives around here and so his family was all at the airport too.