CARRANZA FAMILY

365 challenge

2012-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Week 1 - not too bad, but it has only been one week :) Here are a few pictures of the week.
Jan 1 - Diego and his hot chocolateJan 2 - Diego's new TV chair

Jan 5th - Jordan racing the professor to the top of the ropes - this shot is of them coming down. It was really close I think Jordan had Cristiano worried for a second.
Jan 6 - yes, a picture of a picture - my favorite new app is Instagrams and this day Diego "popped" my plans of having a day off to myself.
Last Jan 7th, who doesn't love the candy isle - though I remember when candy cost .50. I picked the Tootsie Roll in the end --- and skittles.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-12-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every New Year's Eve my husband asks me what my resolution will be for the coming year. I use to think this was a ridiculously lame tradition. BUT - 2 years ago I made a resolution that really changed my views of resolutions and my life.
We had just moved to Yakima after a very rough year for the family. I was struggling in just about every area - I was in survival mode and it was time to live life.
In 2010 I made a resolution, a 3 part resolution to strengthen myself - strengthen my body, mind and spirit. I joined a gym, embraced my new ward and started studying for the GRE. As the year came to a close I was successful in 2 of 3 of my challenges. I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week, my testimony was stronger then it ever has been. -- Still working on the GRE.
As 2011 came I was overly optimistic about a resolution. And throughout this year I learned a lesson - a resolution will not work if it is simply an "I want" and not something that requires work to improve yourself. I will admit my resolution........for those who know me, I love shoes. And so of course it made sense to make a resolution that every month for an entire year I get a new pair of shoes. I learned that not only was this not practical, but I really didn't want to commit to finding a new pair of shoes each month - I was more hoping that the shoes would find me.
So this year, I have thought a lot about what I want to improve in my life. I am still working out regularly, I am still strengthening my testimony and I still love shoes - I just don't have 12 new pairs. I have an interest, maybe even a talent (wishful thinking), and I really want to challenge myself. This year I will be doing the 365 photo challenge - I will take a picture every day of the year. I am not sure if I can commit to posting every day - lets not get too excited.

Mixed Emotions

2011-09-04T21:33:00.001-07:00

And there goes my baby - off to kindergarten.
It was a long and stressful decision - I ended up pulling Diego out of our district, due to the district's poor decision making and put him in a different district.
So far, I have no regrets breaking the mold and in my own small way taking a stand against our district.

Diego has two friends from preschool in his class (twins) and two more friends in another class from preschool.
As you can tell from the picture - the boy is READY!
Diego's personality is independent and carefree. Has has the gift of being able to "go with the flow". On his first day, he would have been more than willing to walk in the school and find his way. I think he liked having mom & dad because in his mind it was all about him. Every time he looked at us of course we were looking at him or taking his picture -- okay, it was all about him ;)
And of course, his one last shot - as he was getting settled into class, and I wanted one more picture. And with that I knew he was going to be fine.
I wish his teacher luck with the coming year - lol!
As for me, I have one week until the preschool starts up. I am busy with lesson prep and classroom arrangements. But I have to say, not having Diego around to "help", I have gotten work done a lot quicker and find myself twittering my thumbs watching the clock to hit 3pm.
Granted - it has only been 2 days.........

Little Chef

2011-06-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is a picture that I will forever cherish.

Ever since Diego was small he has always wanted to be in the kitchen, helping me cook. Even when he was just one years old he would sit up on the counter and watch, holding produce and of course chatting away. He knew the rules - even when someone else came in the kitchen he would make sure to point to the stove and say "hooooot!" ---whether it was on or not.
Now he is 5 and he still likes to be in the kitchen. He is always asking how he can help and if I don't have him doing something he will ask me a dozen different ways of "what can I do."
He wants to own his own restaurant, but first want to work at Bennihana's - his favorite restaurant.
It is memories like this that make me appreciate the little things because too often I am guilty of getting caught up in the moment of getting something on the table.

What is in a shoe?

2011-04-05T20:45:00.001-07:00

I love shoes!
I love quirky shoes, colorful shoes, sexy shoes - I love shoes. I would wear heels with jeans everyday if I wasn't having to chase around Diego and bracing myself for bear hugs and squatting down to get on his level at least a dozen times a day. I am not blaming Diego, before he came along, it was Jordan and now it is an occupational hazard.
Unfortunately, I am not at a point in my life were I can have my own shoe closet, or even a large section of my closet devoted to shoes - but someday.
So I currently live in the middle of nowhere - scarce shopping and food options. All of the stores and restaurants I love are hours away - Bath & Body, Nordstroms, Baja Fresh, Jimmy Johns - we did just get a Khols - but you get my point.
So I have been told many times that I need to shop online, so I have ventured into the cyber world and this is my story.....
I finally go to our new Kohls, I have a $10 off coupon and I want a new pair of shoes! I have been needing a new pair of black heels for almost 6 months now and I found the perfect pair!!! I have Diego with me so I have to make the fitting and purchasing quick. I get home and decide that the shoes are a little bit to big - thus I need a smaller size, but I had just bought their smallest size. I call the store to see if there is anyway to get a smaller size. I am told that when I return the shoes I can use a Kohls kiosk to purchase the right size and shipping would be free. So I take a chance.
PROBLEM #1 with online shopping - I have no patience, that was the longest 7-10 days of my life!!
Finally the day came - I was pulling into our driveway and I see my package - YIPPEEE! Like a child on Christmas I grab my package and immediately open it up to find my order.......
Yes - the photo is what was in my package.....size 10 men's Converse - red - PROBLEM #2.
I was so heartbroken....I have no black heels -it is spring, my boots are going to be retired for the season at any time and I have no black heels - heartbroken.
So of course I call customer service (PROBLEM #3) and talk to a very nice man, though it took quiet a bit of effort to explain what I ordered and what I got.
So we decide on a game plan - I reordered the shoes through the phone and get free shipping again and 20% due to the hassle (thank you). So the next step was to take the shoes to the local Kohls to get a direct refund.....
Again - explaining what I wanted and what I got was a headache. The lady scans the receipt and then the box and it doesn't match - I guess she didn't believe me. So the shipping receipt doesn't show the price of the shoes, but on the box shows the price of my Converse mishap. I tell the nice lady the price of my heels I purchased, yet she has to put in a bar code in the system - so in the end I get a gift card for the price of the returned Converse shoes - $44.00 as opposed to my $28 shoes + the $10 off coupon + 20% off due to the shipping mishap! SCORE!
But I am back to PROBLEM #1 - waiting for my shoes to arrive.
And finally they arrive!!! And this time the right shoe -
And this girl couldn't be happier!

Holly CRAP!

2011-03-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Okay is has been WAY to long since I posted last. In my defense I have had a lot of ideas for posts...but never get around to it. Blame the iPhone (or Julio for getting it for me) - I never use an actual computer anymore.

So this last weekend we got to go to a Jujitsu tournament for Jordan - he took 1st in his weight class and was super stoked.
It scares me sometimes how fast he is growing and changing. Other times there is a lot of pride in the man he is becoming.

Five Fun Facts

2010-12-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER 13th!!

My baby is turning 5, so here are 5 fun facts about the birthday boy.

1) After his nap, Diego goes directly downstairs and gets 2 pop-ices out of the freezer, sits on the couch and enjoys his cold treat while he wakes up - EVERY DAY

2) It is very common to see Diego with only one sock on - he has done this ever since he could pull off a sock (one of my favorite quirks about the boy).

3) Just like his dad - he LOVES to go to the movies. Or just have a movie night at home.

4) With perfect timing and animation, Diego produces one liners seen on movies, shows and music.

5) Diego's favorite color is orange...because it is the color of cheese (no Diego has no preference for cheese - don't question the child's logic)

Family vacation

2010-10-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of our AWESOMELY fun trip to Hawaii in September. We had a great time and really enjoyed experiencing a part of America that is completely different than the Northwest.
Fearless Diego - though everyone else around him can touch, he can't - he either has too much confidence or trusts his dad who is trying to keep up behind him.

The picture below is seemingly a great photo - but the story....I wanted this picture-perfect family photo (don't you think the backdrop is beautiful). As the we are about to have a great photo I tell Jordan to put his hand down, that I want one picture without hand signs - then the other 2 in support of Jordan do the same - I get pissed off and walk out of the photo right as it is taken....Honestly, I hate that it turned out so good

I love this photo - Diego felt so left out as Julio and Jordan would go out surfing. But at the end of the last 2 days, Julio would take Diego out for a few minutes and try to "catch a wave." Diego could not stop smiling when he was out there - what a great dad.
Jordan and Julio enjoyed surfing together - even grandma got out on the waves.
Seriously - a surfer was created...all Jordan wanted to know was what our plans were for the day and when would surfing be involved. (I can't believe how grown up he looks in this photo!)
No need to explain this photo - it is just Diego looking adorable. A lady with a wagon full of birds put one on Diego's shoulder. When ever he looks at this - all he says is "his nails where pocking my skin." But he fought through the pain to gives us a great picture.

Hawaii - and the perfect storm.....

2010-09-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Aloha!
The family went to Hawaii for a late summer vacation! It was a lot of fun - all but my near death experience....

The older boys and grandma were having surf lessons, and I felt that Diego was feeling left out on the beach. So I paid $20 to go out for a 1 hour sail boat ride. The "skipper" told me to stay on the front of the boat, where Diego would have more....fun.
So we set off on our adventure, at first Diego was having a great time, looking through the netting to see the shallow waters.
Things got progressively worse once we hit the "dark water" as Diego said. We started hitting large waves, bouncing around. Diego declared that he wanted to go back to the beach, stating he did not like the "grumpy waves" - neither did I!!!
If you have ever watched the movie The Perfect Storm - that is what Diego and I went through --- don't let the sunny picture of Diego on the net fool you - those waves were deadly.
So we were sitting on netting - bouncing around, I was holding on to Diego, trying to calm him down while trying to stay calm myself, and my failed attempt to keep my camera and Julio's iPhone dry (can't leave valuables on the beach).

At the end of the ordeal - I got this nasty, painful, gruesome injury - rope burn. I propped my elbow on the rope to try and gain stability while saving my young son and the electronics.
I will post more pictures as my mom sends me what is on her camera - as for my camera, I posted its last picture, of Diego innocently sitting on a boat, minutes away from near death....RIP my dear camera, it was a great 9 months that we had.

Jujitsu

2010-08-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

In July Jordan competed in his first Jujitsu tournament and got 2nd place!! Though he tried not to show it, he was very happy and proud of himself.

Diego finally got his Yellow-White belt! He has been working really hard to get a new belt.

I do have to point out however that the little man is only 4 and though he learns the same moves as the older kids (including his brother) he lacks the ability to remember and apply moves while they are practicing on each other. But regardless, he is enjoying this experience and as he gets older he will grasp on to the technique.

This picture is of Diego receiving his new belt from his his professor. He was soooo excited.

Under Construction

2010-08-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Obviously I haven't updated for a while. I don't know when the formatting changed but I am finding it difficult to change my formatting around - so for the time being my Blog is under construction.
Any suggestions on how to undo their template design would be much appreciated.

Battleship

2010-06-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Julio wiped the dust off our Battleship game to play with the boys. Jordan and Julio use to play the game all the time, then when Diego started to get mobile it became impossible to concentrate on a game.

Now Diego is older and learning his letters and numbers - so they gave it a try.

Diego did great on his letters and number and only bumped the board once sending the pegs everywhere - easily fixed surprisingly.

This first picture shows the winner(s) gloating.

Poor Jordan - as always had miss after miss. I think during the hour long game he only sank one ship. Diego on the other hand (with relatively little help from his dad) sank ship after ship.

He does love the game and I have to give him props for continually trying to sink a ship - game after game after game.

This picture illustrates the joy Diego had yelling, "MISS SUCKA!"

Say Cheese!

2010-05-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

I have a new found respect for good photographers!
We spent a good chunk of the afternoon at a local park/creek taking pictures. My mom has been asking for pictures of the boys for some time, and I thought it would be a nice Mother's Day gift to send her a bunch of together and solo pictures for her to chose from....but I only get a few.

To get one with both of the boys even looking at me was a nightmare! Jordan tried - I will give him that, unfortunately he has a tendency of closing his eyes right before the flash (or just when he thinks there will be a flash). Then Diego....I had to keep reminding him to "look up" or "look at me". Then he would close his eyes and grin.
This is one shot that Jordan wasn't expecting. He was fine with pictures with Diego, but he refused to smile - or even look happy solo. So I had to do a lot of surprise shots. This is one - he had just climbed a tree and was marveling at his awesomeness when he looked down at me and SNAP!

This might just go in my all time favorites of Diego. Both of my good shots of the boys solo are completely candid. I know those make the best shots, but I just am not good at catching the "moment". That and they make me feel like I am ruining the fun when I carry my camera everywhere...ugh.

Anyways, here are just a few of the photos - the boys tried, I tried - more practice needed.

Chicken Little

2010-04-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Diego and I had a great time in Utah and Idaho for an extended spring break! Such great family and friends!

Diego's high point was when grandpa decided to buy baby chicks a couple of days before Easter.

In typically Diego class - everyone he tells the story of the chicks to, he always ends it with, "Yeah, in a couple of weeks, grandpa is going to butcher them and eat them." I really don't think he puts the words with reality.

Jordan the tween.....

2010-03-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

I recently took Jordan to a "new client" doctor's appointment (waste of time and money - but it was a "requirement" - to take my money). As enthused as ever, Jordan was staying silent and staring at the wall so the nurse wouldn't talk to him. However, she was doing her job so she tried to strike up a conversation.
Jordan was wearing a Yoda shirt and the nurse asked if he liked Star Wars. He replied "yep" without making eye contact. She proceeded to explain that her husband was a huge Star Wars fan and that he had "the stuff" everywhere in her house. She then asked, "Who is your favorite character?" Jordan responded, "Darth Maul." The nurse stood there for a second and said she had never heard of that character and then we went back to silence.
The second she left the room, Jordan said, "Does she really think that I would be wearing a Star Wars shirt if I didn't like Star Wars? I said Darth Maul just because I knew she didn't know who he was and I wanted her to shut up."

From personal accounts I understand that this will only get worse once the 'teens' set in....
Good thing for my quick and stealthy reflects, I really think this rare photo of the tween says it all.

Feb. '10

2010-02-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

I really don't know why I never take pictures anymore - and thus I feel I can't update my blog because everyone loves pictures.
Anyhoo - we have been somewhat busy since the last post - nothing exciting but still.

Jordan is adjusting great to Middle School! And he is becoming a young man, still very serious, but I know that it is just his personality. Height wise, the top of his head is about to my ear! I know I am short, but still - he is getting so big. We have taken a couple trips to Seattle and he has really enjoyed meeting up with his friend. However, here in Yakima he hasn't rushed to find new peers, sometimes too serious and cautious. His P.E. class has started their basketball unit and he practices his dribbling outside every night, I am hoping it will become an athletic interest for him. He is at the age of video games, and he and his father have taken up Madden - thus that is the majority of the weekends.

Diego is loving preschool and jujitsu, this week he got his first strip on his belt and he was on cloud 9! A couple of weeks ago he got a chest cold and right when I thought it was gone his asthma flared up and we got to make our first trip to the Yakima ER. Everything was fine, it was a matter of getting the "strong stuff" to get his lungs open. All is good now, and once again there are no signs of asthma, just occasionally when he gets sick.

Julio and I are good also, not a lot to report on with us - sometimes it seems we are living for the boys, which for us is fun and exciting. At the beginning of the year we joined a gym and it has been a nice break from "family" to focus on the individual.

At the end of March Diego and I are going to be making a trip to Idaho for a couple of weeks to visit family - it is all Diego talks about. By now I should have learned my lesson to wait until the week of an event to tell a young child anything.

The boy was born for this....

2010-01-17T20:42:00.001-08:00

We knew upon arrival to Yakima that Diego needed some activities during the winter months and when we saw a "Brazilian Jujitsu" sign a few miles down the road we knew Diego was meant to be a student.

As shown in the picture, Diego is this serious during most of his lessons, he thinks he is the coolest thing that has ever came along. His one issue is that he has to partner up with another 4 year old - a girl. It is too cute, while sparring he will throw her down, but won't 'finish' her off by pinning her. Below is one of his first classes where he got to spar with another boy, who was 7.

And it was during this sparring that Diego was giving the nickname, Spit Fire.

Yakima

2009-12-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

So after a crazy month - I don't want to be reminded of the details - we are settling into our new home in Yakima. I have a good feeling about this location, regardless of how long it will be 'home.' Yakima reminds me of were I grew up, a much slower pace; which after 2009 is much needed.

As for Seattle - we will truly miss all of the wonderful people we have come to know and hope that we will stay in touch with everyone, moving never gets any easier in this perspective.

A handsome day.....

2009-12-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

(Requested by Torrie)
What has happened to my little baby? He thinks he is a man!! I know he is days away from 4, but I need a picture of my handsome baby for this post.

I set up a play date for Diego to visit his friend London. I soon realized it was no ordinary play "date" when that morning Diego demanded he had to take a shower; "I have to condition my hair, it has to be shiny." After a 30 minute long shower Diego got out and simply asked me how he smelled. He got dressed in his specific "handsome" shirt - green, long sleeved shirt with a cartoon gorilla on the front. I asked Diego if London was his girlfriend, he looked at me irritated and said, "No, don't ask me again." (Love the attitude!)

This really is not unusual behavior for Diego, he has always been a little vain. He styles his hair on any important event (keep in mind he has a buzz). He has a set of "handsome" shirts he keeps separated from his regular shirts. Don't get me wrong he is a handsome boy (not biased at all!) but coupled with his interest in girls, vocally noting "pretty" girls, lets me know that as the years go by, Julio and I will have our hands full.

First day of school

2009-10-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yes - that is my baby Diego walking down the halls to his first day for Preschool.

His class is at the High School so it is a long hallway and he thinks that he is the coolest kid in the school.

Diego goes to school 4 days a week for just an hour and a half. Most days he is too excited and preoccupied with activities to even say good-bye to me.

A day in the life...

2009-08-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end, as it does we decided to spend the last few days in Yakima. The boys and I had a great time, particularly riding bikes. Diego has been hesitant through the process but he has really done great.

Yesterday we decided to go on a long bike ride on the Yakima Greenway, I admit I pushed the limits and we traveled too far, but the purpose of this blog is to give you a peek of the day in the life with boys, not just any boys, but my boys....

We are at the end of our trail. Just one more small hill and we would be at the parking lot and overpass of the interstate. Diego declares he has to pee, I have my roller blades on so I thought it would be easier to have Jordan help his brother.

They stayed close to the path (the interstate is just to the left of us) as there is not a lot of coverage. Just as little Diego begins, Jordan looks up and sees the path's water man approaching on his golf cart. Jordan instantly walks away, hands up, panicking. Poor Diego has committed and can't stop and is frantically trying to adjust his pants to no avail, thus is spraying straight up in the air and yes, drenching himself....

As I assess the situation I am rather amused. Jordan, walking away pretending nothing is happening, when clearly there was drama. Diego, focused more on yelling at Jordan than dealing with his current dilemma. Lastly, the mother trying to side step to the boy to help in whatever way I could, but in the end was too late, the damage was done.

As we regrouped and finished our adventure I explained to Jordan that this friendly old man understood the urgent needs of a 3 year old, and that casually peeing in the bushes was absolutely fine. However, I am almost certain as this man approached the scene of chaos he was thinking 'crazy', ' redneck', 'ghetto' - take your pick.

Memories of summer - to me, it will be a funny memory to look back on. However, the psychology in me wonders what kind of therapy will be needed. :)

Family Getaway

2009-08-14T22:18:00.001-07:00

It has been a couple of weeks since we got back from our trip to Montana/Idaho. Here is a few pictures of our awesome time spent with family.

These first pictures need a little detail - Diego loves "The Bee Movie" and when he found out that his Aunt Melissa's brother was a bee keeper, Diego had to meet him! It was all he could talk about on our 10 hour drive. When we got to there Diego said, "I thought he would be a little boy."
Brian "the bee keeper" was great and knew his stuff, answering all our questions and showing us everything! The pictures below show each of the boys in the bee suit.

We also went fishing as a small stream that was loaded with small fish. Everyone caught something - including Diego, with some help from his uncle.

We also went to the state fair while we were in Montana. The boys had a great time - Diego got frustrated that he couldn't ride all of the big rides with the boys, but he did get on a few --- questionable if he made all the height requirements. In the picture below, you can't see the boys, but my little Diego is in the red cart spinning around very fast. At one point the cart stopped and began to go backwards. Julio said that the whole time Diego was yelling, "I'm going to die!"

I will post more photos soon from our time in Idaho - water skiing!

Summer trip to Idaho

2009-07-24T20:30:00.001-07:00

We are preparing for our summer trip to Idaho. It is always a great opportunity for the boys to get a sense of where I grew up. We are hoping to fish, go huckleberry picking, water ski and visit with our family.

This picture is taken last year - Diego with "papa" and Jim (the horse). I am not sure if this really is Jim, at some point there was a Jim, thus to Diego every horse is named 'Jim.'

Great memories! Diego adores his grandpa. Trucks, backhoes, horses - that is how to win over a 3 year old.

We are going to be spending the first half of the trip in Montana visiting my brother and his awesome family. Then we will go north, to my hometown of Rigby. The most important aspect of the trip - I plan on having a tiger's blood shaved ice in my hand everyday (possible all day). I have confirmed the hours and we will not set out for our days until they are open and the order has been taken. Only those close to me know how serious I am....

Battle at Target

2009-07-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Not to be mistaken with the Battle of Toys R Us.
This is Diego's favorite past time - only at stores. As you can see he takes up the width of an isle so we must first shut down the the isle so there are no human causality's.

Seriously, we were looking at a summer activity packet for Jordan and within minutes the battle was set up - the kid know he has to act fast.

Ah, Friday night entertainment.

Where have I been!

2009-06-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness - over a month has gone by. I only have my FB to blame. I knew it would happen - as soon as I get online, FB is top priority and I get lost.

Well, operation Yakima is in full swing - so far so good-ish. Of course it is hard - I kind of like Julio. Jordan got out of school last week and the plan is for him to spend some weeks in Yakima with his dad. In short Mom vs. Diego.
Julio is loving the rez, and this new challenge is perfect for him - it draws on all of his strengths.

As for me, I am no longer working graves (obviously impossible) so I am on the prowl for a new gig. Actually I had been looking for a while, but now I am serious - anywho - I am ready to take the next step in my "career".....

Everything is still up in the air for our future - we love our life here in Seattle and we are (after 3 years) settling into our location. However, it is hard to be far apart and this could turn from interm to long-term.

I will do better with up keep -- didn't I say that last time.

Yakima

2009-05-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

It has happened so fast.
I am still trying to let things settle in.
Trying to make a plan.
Thinking what is right.

Ready or not Julio starts his new job on Monday - in Yakima. Whether we will follow and when is still undecided.

I want to wib!

2009-05-04T17:57:00.001-07:00

I can't remember how the conversation started, but "I want to wib!" was the beginning of a down ward spiral to a 3 year old in need of a nap.

We were in the car, and as usual Diego with his non-stop talking came upon the statement that he does not want to die (I do not want to explain the drawn out conversation that lead to the statement, again the child just likes to hear his voice). I stated that everyone has to die, but when we die we get to go to heaven - simple enough. Also, explaining how bodies get old and eventually stop working. Tying to keep it basic.....below is the drama that followed.

"I don't want to die, I want to wib!" Diego sobbed uncontrollably, I could not make out his words. I tired to explain that he has a long time to live, he has to get old before he dies. This caused more tears of "I don't want grandpa to die! I miss him!" I reminded him of heaven while trying to concentrate on the delightful I-405 traffic. Diego was not feeling "heben." A solid 10 minutes of tears, crying "I want to wib, mama!"

What I find most humorous about this story is after his nap (again in the car) he said, "Heben is good, me no die right now, but heben is for families." How sweet - and yes how simple of a conversation. There was a great lesson learned today, wait until after nap time to have in depth conversations with a 3 year old.

Down by the shore

2009-04-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend we braved the rain and headed to Alki beach to do a little crab hunting.

We have yet to take Diego on such an adventure (something Jordan and I did daily the summer before Diego was born) and I now feel guilty, we had such a great time.

We don't actually "hunt" the crab, it is a term Jordan uses. We simply walk along the shore looking for fun little sea creatures. Jordan found everything this time, while I lead an apprehensive little Diego who was anticipating danger.

Jordan found 4 crab and 3 star fish. He also showed Diego how to "harass" sea cucumbers. As you can see in the photo the star fish are really big. Diego was sure they would attack and while I was taking the picture of Jordan, Diego was yelling in fear that his brother was going to die. Needless to say, Diego did not touch the star fish. So after the star fish episode we found some sticks to use to poke things with.
Jordan found a great ledge were we found 2 crabs, one was a little more calm and smaller than the other. That was the one Diego messed around with, and warmed up to. Finally getting the courage to touch it with his stick.
It was a great day - and it reminded me how great of a child I have - I have two great children - but Jordan was great - his goal was to find a crab for Diego, show Diego that nothing was going to hurt him. Up to this point 7.5 years of an age difference doesn't make a difference, they have a great relationship. All attributed to Jordan.

Winter Break

2009-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it was almost 2 months ago - but the video is worth it.
In February we went to Idaho during Jordan's mid-winter break. Jordan had talked about snowboarding in the past so I thought this was a great time to take him (thanks mom for making it happen!) - we got him a private lesson (really cheap) and while he was up on the slope we took Diego on the bunny hill.
As you can see Diego did awesome!

Jordan did great as well, but I did not get any video of his great moves. When Diego got tired Grandpa came and picked up Diego; and Grandma and I went down the hill a couple of times with Jordan. I reaffirmed that I am not the skiing/snowboarding type, but it was fun to be there with Jordan watching him learn something new.
The rest of our snow experience was sledding down grandma & grandpa Bradshaw's butte - which was another great memory I will have with my boys.

Choices

2009-03-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting is happening with us right now - which I have decided is a very good thing, after the week that I have had. I have 2 health children, a loving husband - life is not bad.

As most of you know I work in a rehab center for women, what is awesome about the center is that women may bring their children or have the opportunity to be reunited with their children because they are in recovery.

I won't get into the drawn out details from all sides that lead up to the decision, but in sum a woman was being discharged thus loosing her two children.
I have had the opportunity to have a good relationship with the woman and her children. I have listened to her story, everything dealing with her life and recovery, but then on a professional level I know her file, I know her progress.

Because of the situation we felt it was needed to do extra checks on this woman during the night and be on high alert in case she tried to leave with the kids. The task seemed simple enough, after the first check I realized it was not a simple task. At each check, until 3 a.m., the woman was in her room sitting near her children, just staring at them, caressing them, even holding them while they slept. It was heart breaking, knowing she had made so much progress, but nothing close to a healthy home that her children deserved and need.
Finally having to wake her up at 5 a.m. so that she wouldn't be late for the court appointment. Standing in the doorway and watching while she kissed her children one more time - possibly never seeing them again. All because of the choices she had made and continues to make.

That day, I held Diego closer, stared at Jordan longer (it did freak him out), appreciated my family, my life more. Even having to think about kissing my children one last time......too much.

I have done a lot of reflecting - how lucky I have been. It is not a stretch to say that anyone could make similar choices - bad choices. I have met such a variety of women at the center, it is not fair to say that it is only a certain kind of people who make such awful decisions that lead to self-destruction. I am not solely speaking of substance abuse.
I am not without making bad choices - what I am saying is that I have been lucky and blessed that life has gone so well.

Ah life....

2009-02-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

There are no pictures this go around -- you should be happy I am updating!!
The mystery of Poo was revealed...err we found him and I have a guess of what happened. About 2 weeks after the disappearance I accepted that he was not coming back so I cleaned out his bowl. As I poured the water and rocks into the sink, I saw something black and mushy. I asked Julio to do his husband/fatherly duty and scoop 'it' out and put it in the garbage without any eyes watching. Poor Poo was under the rocks, I think he swam under and got stuck - and died. I still can't find him in the picture I took, and poor Diego searched that bowl.

Anyways, on to current events. I am getting ready to take a trip to Idaho. The boys and I will be enjoying the cold from the 12th to the 22nd. For me it is a much needed break from work and life in general. Diego is excited to see Grandpa (and I am sure Grandma) and Jordan is just happy to get a week out of school (mid-winter break).
As for Julio, he will be staying home :(, working and looking for better employment (partially forced - love this economy!).

We are doing great and still kickin' up in Seattle, life is busy and gets the most of me, hence the outdated blogs. Eventually I will post a picture of the boys -- maybe by Jordan's graduation date :)

HMM....where is Po?

2009-01-02T13:41:00.001-08:00

For Diego's birthday we bought him a small fish bowl with a gold fish, named Nemo. I specificlly found a gold fish that was orange and white because we all knew it was going to be Nemo. It lasted almost 3 weeks, and one morning we woke up to him floating belly up. I assumed 2 things 1) I should have cleaned the bowl (suppose to be done every10 days) and 2) I am out another 26 cents.
The more I thought about it I decided to get a fighting fish, they require less cleaning and last forever. Diego picked out (with mom's help) the most beautiful fighting fish. The fins were so long that they curled. The fish was blue with the tips of his tail turning red - beautiful!This is what we came home to this afternoon. At first I thought that Po (from Kung Fu Panda) was in the rocks where he likes to sleep. But there is nothing.....
There is no sign of a struggle, I assume there would be water splashed everywhere. I am of course talking about Daisy, my loving cat. I would have never thought that she was capable of such an act. Not that she is too kind - we all know that she mean and heartless. I just didn't think that she had the skills - plus she has no claws! I had witnessed her drinking Nemo's water, and even batting at the glass. Again I assumed she lacked the skills and desire of reaching her paw in the water.
There is not evidence - no splashed water and no fish...yet!
Newest fear - where is the fish? I can only assume it was Daisy - the cat spends 20 hours a day on my bed, 3 hours under my bed and the remaining hour sneaking around the house...I only hope she ate it - I do not want Diego finding his fish dead somewhere - but even more so I really do not want to find a fish in my bed - I just cleaned the sheets!

Tis' the Season

2008-11-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

I promised the boys that this year we would take full advantage of the Holidays. Camera or no.....so you get the cell phone images once again.

We started the day with a monorail trip to the Seattle Center to go ice skating and watching the electric toy trains.

We met Julio for lunch then headed down to Pike's for some light shopping.

Jordan say the Obama figure and wanted to get it -- he settled for a picture. The picture is a little akward because I was trying to get W Bush out - must he mess everything up?!?!

At the end of the day we met back up with Julio (working) to go home. I had to take this picture because Diego's hair is too wild. I am seeing how long I can get away with growing it out. We have never had a child with longer hair....I am starting to see why.
Don't mind Jordan's 'gang' flash - he was trying to put his hands up to be silly and that is how the picture came out....kids!

Carnival

2008-11-20T01:52:00.000-08:00

So the school carnival is over!
In August I volunteered to chair our school's carnival with the unbelievable help of an amazing committee, we put everything together for our Nov. 14th date! The event is new to the school, so we started from scratch.
We had a great turn out - it was a little too over crowded for me, but that can be adjusted for next year's date.
So that is where I have been for the last 2 months - any spare time was spent planning. So for now I am working still and gearing up for Christmas......do the tasks ever lessen?

DIY time

2008-10-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

My mom came up to visit last week and it seems that our custom is to take on a project.

Here we go....This is my bathroom, it is small and ugly. When we first bought the house the broken glass grouted to the walls gave the house character. After a while however, I realized I didn't like Diego touching the wall fearing he would cut himself. It was impossible to clean and there was an organized attempt to be unorganized leading to grouped coloring that stood out - to us at least.

So on every wall except in the shower was similar to the picture.

Here is our helper during demolition.

Diego got to watch a lot of cartoons during the week and was very patience with the process.

Here is the 98% finished product. There is just detail work left to do.

Once again - with my mom we kicked butt.

Mom, thanks for coming and visiting and helping me take on this project, love you.

Choices...

2008-10-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

As Halloween is approaching I am trying to stay ahead of the game and getting costumes ready. No, I am not the kind to make the boys their costumes, call it lazy, untalented, or uncreative - I just don't and really never plan to.

So Jordan knows what he wants to be, as usual an unpopular choice - Legalos from Lord of the Rings. We recently let him watch the chronicles - new characters to him, the rest of the world...a little old. I might try and talk him into something else but he is usually set in his ways.

Diego on the other hand....he has his mind made up, "Handy Manny that is what I want to be....and I be wolverine (X-men) and I bam you 'caues I be Kung Fu Panda!" Ah, yes all in the same breathe. I explain that he can only be one, so he picks one. We talk about Halloween and within minutes he changes his mind! Oh, what to do, if I stay ahead of the game by halloween I know he will expecting something else.

I do have to say I love Diego's age, he can make his own choices and explain why the decison makes sense to him.

I will keep you all posted!

Yummy!

2008-09-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

I love things that make life easier! Jordan had requested a few lunchables for school. 3 days out of the week I do not get home until 8 a.m. so he has to choose between a hot lunch or making his own lunch. So lunchables is a good emergency lunch for him. Well, as I was picking them up I saw that they have lunchables for toddlers and decided to let Diego a pack (they come in 2s).
As alway he was leary about something so different than his typical requested soup or PB (no jelly!). He loved them!
My one thought is that I think they are too small for him - I love the bite size chunks, but Diego enjoys his food. So as long as I serve him his lunchable with additional sides he is satisfied. It would also make a good on the go snack.

Also, here is a picture of the boys - no I do not have a camera yet - but a cell camera is just as good, as long as you pay no attention to the fuzzyness.

All is good!

2008-09-13T01:12:00.001-07:00

I know it has been too long since I blogged last! I still don't have a camera so I feel guilty puting up a blog with no decor.
Anywho, alot has been going on with us. School has started for Jordan and he is enjoying it. At times during the first week he was a little stressed, but he seems to be getting comfortable with the new setting. I have started a new job - call me crazy but I am working a graveyard shift at a women's rehab. center. I have really enjoyed it.
So after work I go to sleep while Diego goes to a babysitter's for a few hours. At first Diego was not adjusting well, I was a little worried about him. Now, less than a month later he is disappointed when doesn't get to go - huge kudos to Torrie!
As for Julio - he is plugging away at work and trying to get involved as much as possible in the foster care community. Earlier in the week he was invited to D.C. to briefly speak at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Conference.

End of Summer Chaos

2008-08-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just as summer break began, it is now coming to an end. And with that comes chaos while preparing for a new schedule.

Just as I seem to be getting a grasp on summer it is time for a shuffle and I feel behind in all that needs to be done.

The boys and I have just got back from a great trip to Idaho for a family reunion in West Yellowstone. It is always great to see family and have the boys get to know where I come from.

I will try to remember to post pictures later, when I get any. My camera is officially broken - I made sure of it. So until I get a new one I will be posting some random shots of our summer.

2016 Olympics or bust!

2008-08-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

This spring we went swimming and Jordan got enough courage to try and dive. Some teenagers began diving and doing tricks off the board. When Jordan saw this his jaw dropped, they made it look easy and fun.

Joining the dive team this summer, Jordan had no idea how to dive; this weekend he has his final competition. Jordan competes in the "pre-competition" (beginning dive) and has placed first in every meet (he doesn't have many competitors).

In the video he is practicing his back dive, the 1st dive is not too good, the 2nd is the best and the 3rd is good. (Obviously there are at least 5 min. lapses between the dives)
It has been fun to watch him develop another talent, which we are hoping he continues to enjoy. His biggest weakness is jumping (no surprise to us) he just can't get the height. His strengths - no fear, hands down! He is not afraid to hit that water, so he is willing to try any dive.

Now when we go swimming Jordan goes to the board and stays there the whole time.

So my camera is officially broken so I used my cell phone - not the best picture.

Kodak Moment

2008-08-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

So Jordan had a dive meet this weekend and I wanted to film one of his dives to post - since I have been doing a really bad job at posting lately.
Jordan is really having fun with the dive team and is doing really good considering on day one he had never dived before.
We get to the meet.....and in my typical fashion I drop my camera, on the wet cement floor. I couldn't understand why it didn't work - I drop it all the time and it is fine.....right.

So the whole meet I am bumbed about my camera, I kept messing with it- because I am such an expert on cameras. The meet is over and awards are being handed out and I try to turn on my camera - and it works perfect! The Kodak moment would then be me throwing the camera into the pool while cursing around children. But you all know me better than that.....meaning I didn't respond that way.

Maybe next week I will have a better 'opportunity' getting that perfect diving moment.

As for us we are getting ready to head to a family reunion/vacation to Idaho - camera will be in tow.

It has been too long! But it is worth it.......

2008-07-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

It has been way to long since I posted any news on us! What a summer - it seems like we are always busy with not a lot going on.
The boys are in swim lessons and both love it! Jordan is also part of a dive team, we are thinking it might be a regular summer activity. Not only is Jordan spending time in the pool - he also has guitar lessons once a week.
As for Diego, we are waiting for the school year to begin an activity. Last year he was in tumble classes which he loved, but now that he is a little older there are other things that he could do - I will keep you 'posted'.

Since I don't have much to say I am leaving you with an awesome recipe!

Nacho S'mores

Break graham crackers into sections and spread on plate/pan. Then sprinkle mini marshmallows and chocolate chips over them and place under broiler until marshmallows are brown.

A great treat when you can't use a campfire.

YES Camille, I am mindful of the Ponytail Challenge --- a girl has to get some chocolate to stay sane!

A Carranza 4th

2008-07-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

For the 4th we first went to a baseball game. Diego has been telling us for weeks that he "needs" to go to a game. We got there early to try to get a picture with the Moose - which has eluded us every game thus far.
Diego has two stuffed Moose that he sleeps with and associates baseball with the Moose so we needed a picture.
Diego was excited...talked non-stop about the awesome Moose, it was finally time to meet the Moose....he froze, he paniced, at one point he started to cry. But you would never tell by the picture.
You may ask yourself - "Where is Jordan in the picture?" Like I said we got there early, and the team was having batting practice, Jordan stayed behind in hopes that a ball would come his way.

After the game we went home and laid low, and in the evening we went to the movies - Wall E. We didn't feel like doing the whole firework thing - and the boys never turn down a movie. Our rating of Wall E -- over rated. It was good, but not as good as the reviews say. Even Diego out of no where commented that next time we go to Kung Fu Panda.

June 26th

2008-06-26T08:36:00.001-07:00

It has been 10 years since we were married - can you believe it!

1) House
2) Boys
3) Moves (To Pocatello, to Provo, to Seattle)
4) Degrees
5) Wedding rings Julio has had
6) Jobs
7) Pets (3 cats - currently 1, 2 dogs, 1 crab - flushed, and fish - also flushed)
8) E.R. trips
9) Baseball games
10) Fabulous years!

20 things that make me SMILE!

2008-06-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you Jessica - I wasn't going to do this, then I started to think of all the things that make me smile - now I have to do it!

No particular order -

1) Sunny warm days
2) Diego cuddling on my shoulder
3) Foot rubs
4) A clean house
5) The first snow fall of the season
6) Seeing Jordan walking/coming home from school
7) Food - that I don't cook or clean up
8) Diego's funky clustered together toes (long story)
9) Unexpected calls from friends and family
10) Compliments from Julio
11) Seeing Jordan's patience and love for Diego (It takes a lot some days)
12) Coming home from a trip to a clean house
13) Diego saying, "Mom you (my) best friend"
14) Tulips
15) Going through the boy's baby books
16) Julio coming home from work
17) Diego's silly walks - sideways walk, football stance "ready, set, go"(runs 3 ft. repeat), squat walk - to name a few.
18) The beginning my favorite movie "You've got mail"
19) Newly mowed/trimmed/raked yard
20) Seeing other's new blog postings!

There you go - "Those are a few of my favorite things."

Alright I'm tagging my girl Cher (I know you are busy with new little Sara) and Torrie (you know why :)) it will do you both some good!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIO!

2008-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

THE BIG 28!! HE IS AN OLD MAN!! - Just kidding, he is taking it pretty hard; to him 30 is over the hill.

I love you - old man! ;)

Full House

2008-06-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

I took about 50 pictures of the boys - Jordan was a little irritated. I did get a few good ones of just the boys, but adding 2 dogs and things quickly went down hill!

Well, a few posts ago I introduced Papi to our family. At times I am still wondering 'what was I thinking - 2 dogs!'

Not long after the post Papi had a fluke accident and fractured the top of his femur/hip! He tried to jump up on the dog house with VooDoo and fell oddly on the cement pad. So he has been on bed rest for almost 10 weeks!
Both he and I have been troopers, fortunately he is a lazy hound, unfortunately he is an active puppy. A lot of his training has had to be put on hold, but he is well behaved and still very affectionate.

He is 6 months old and is about an inch away from being the same size as VooDoo (who is full grown), he is going to be big!

Rain, rain go away.

2008-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

So it is June - these are the months why we live in Seattle! Most people don't know this about Seattle but there is little to no rain during the summer months - everyone's grass turns brown - drought!
But not this month, we have had so much rain I am sick of it! I have even put Julio on notice - if I don't get some months of sun - if the weather here really does stay like this (i.e. global warming) we will be moving soon!

Everyday I check the 10 day forecast and there are sunny days coming - YIPPEE. I have to check daily just to keep my hopes up for sunny days. So sad.
I can handle the winter rain - crazy as it sounds I love it, but I need sun! Most of all I need to send the boys outside! We had great weather and the boys were outside all the time - then it was ripped from them - tragic!

I don't have too much more to say -- I will post a more positive blog in the coming days - I just needed to rant.

The big 10!!

2008-06-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Jordan has hit the double digits! I can't believe how old he is, I feel young until I think about Jordan - then I feel old.
For his big day we took him and a couple friends kayaking - one of Jordan's favorite things to do. Though the weather was overcast and jackets needed it was a great day. Julio and I got in "too deep" traveling further than our bodies should have. We kayaked all the way to the Downtown cove on Lake Union, we passed plenty of boats and saw a handful of sea planes take off and land. The Space Needle and skyline was an amazing backdrop.
Since Jordan was born around Memorial Weekend, we always have problems with travel plans on end of school activities. But this year was the big 10 so we celebrated from Friday to Monday. Everything the boy wanted he got, and the best part for me - he is very considerate and asks in moderation.
As for presents he got Mario Kart on the Wii and a guitar. I am not sure when the lessons will begin, but needless to say that will be an adventure.

I can't say enough how proud I am of Jordan - he really is turning into an individual with great character. This last Saturday we went to a baseball game. At the end, a man who sat next to Jordan leaned over to me and said, "You have an outstanding son, so polite and well behaved - well done."
As for the pictures - the first one is self-explanatory, the second one is a group picture with his friends on our trip and the last one is the game we went to this weekend (Los Marineros won on Salute to Latin American Beisbol Day).

To my mom

2008-05-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

I know it is not Mother's Day, but with such great weather I have been doing a lot of yard work, and it has made me think of my mom.
Last June my mom came up to visit us for a week and as guilty as I feel, I put her to work. We did tons of yard work and by the end of her visit I no longer felt like the yard was someone else's. As we began simple clean up, I would mention something I liked or disliked about the yard/garden and before I knew it my mom was gathering the necessary tools and giving orders. We made drastic changes that made great memories.

One particular thing we did was cut down a dieing pine tree that was next to my front window, leaving a large gap in the garden. My mom hinted at going to the nursery to buy a "grandma tree" but we never got the time. After she left and I continued the yard work I found a beautiful Rhododendron bush that blooms salon pink. I decided to get it out of the shadows of larger bushes and plant it in the gap. It is now in full bloom and every time I look at it I think of my mom. (Picture above)

Since starting a family and buying a home I find myself fixing, adding, or changing a lot things that I really don't have experience with. I credit my confidence to my mom, I have never seen her hesitate to do a job on her own. It is great to work hard and have a great finished product.

During her visit some of the things we did; we pushed back and trimmed over grown bushes, adding a 2 ft. width to my yard and opening it up (made a big difference), we filled in an old garden patch and planted grass. One of the most painstaking projects was to lay a brick path connecting all of the previous paths (the old owners thought it was a good idea to spread tiny little rocks to fill in gaps instead of finishing the paths).
To put it bluntly we kicked ass! And we did it by ourselves - thanks mom!

We are still here!

2008-05-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Not only have I not updated the blog for a while, I also haven't had a chance to get online for several days.

So this is a "catch you up" post.

In March Jordan spent 2 Saturday's testing for a "highly capable" program the that district offers. About a week ago we got the news that Jordan did pass the test.

Some of the details about the test: students had 5 scores from various tests and three of the scores had to be in the 93 percentile of the nation. Jordan's highest score was reading and he was in the 98 percentile.
About the program: next year Jordan will be in 5th grade, however his curriculum will be at a 6th grade level. Fortunately, our current school is were the program is located so he will have his same friends and be only a block from home.
This is something Jordan really wanted and he worked so hard for the test. So to tell him we took him out to his favorite restaurant (one we never go to) - Benihana's. He was so excited, we are so proud of that boy!!!

We are now planning out his 10th birthday...yes I said 10!!! Double Digits!!! We are hoping to make it big for him -- hopefully pictures will follow.

As for Julio, on May 7th, he was a keynote speaker at a charity breakfast for the Center for Children & Youth Justice (http://www.ccyj.org/index.html).Though I couldn't attend - I have heard from several friends that he did awesome.
He was honored to be asked to speak for such a cause.

'J2DAO' is now at a sports law conference in San Fransisco until Saturday. Part of the conference includes a Giants game - I am sure he is "working hard" while he is there.

Next is Diego, not much going on with him just the terrible, terrible, terrible two's. I still adore his personality - but sometimes it can be too strong. I have finally stopped him from saying "I hate" (don't know where he got that from). I no longer have to tell him he has a bad attitude, he tells me he does. Ah, little Diego - that is completely a different blog.

I don't have any new pictures - or themed pictures so I inserted one of Diego...don't let the sweetness fool you.

One sided

2008-04-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

Not a lot going on with us - but as I will always say; no new news is good news!

But I thought I would share something that always makes me smile...and then I try to psycholigize* the rational of my child.
It is very common to see Diego running, sitting, sleeping with only one sock on his foot. He does not do this everyday, but at least several times a week.
At first I thought that the boy was just too lazy to take off the second sock, or that he just forgot the second. But then the more I think about it, the more perplexing it is. Diego can be very finicky about things being done right. He is also very picky about is clothes, tags have to be cut, neck holes have to be wide, etc.

He does not have a preference to one foot or the other. I have asked him why he does this, but a two year old is often vague on details. I do not bring any more attention to the one sock, thinking he might be doing it to be funny, yet he still walks around with one sock on as if all is normal.

I always conclude that it is just Diego being himself - and it really shouldn't surprise me or make me question him - that is just what he does.
He is going through a very grumpy, whining, and just frustrating time - so it always eases the day when I see him sporting this unique trend.

*Psychologize is a valid word in the "Dictionary of Bridget"

8...harder than I thought

2008-04-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

8 Things that I am passionate about:

*My husband
*Jordan
*Diego
*Our home (not our house, but our home)
*My family
*Understanding others
*Education
*Chocolate

8 things I want to do before I die:

*Have a passport - that has been stamped!
*Remodel our house - or build one
*Be able to shop for myself - anytime, any price
*Have a career that will make a difference
*Have a big close family, filled with grandkids
*Julio and I retire and have the time of our lives doing whatever
*Be an expert in the garden
*Get a graduate degree

8 Things that I often say:

*No
*Love me!
*Whatever
*I will go postal!
*Who do I love? (to Diego - he lists all the people we know)
*Are you serious?
*Crap
*I said No

8 Things that I have learned this past year:

*Life never gets easier
*Houses are not 'perfect' - some people just do better jobs of hiding problems than others.
*I love being home
*Write things down!
*Life does go too fast -I am reminded everytime I think of my boys.
*If you wash your floors, there will be a massive spill/mess with hours.
*Stay close to your loved ones - everything else will get worked out
*You can't get through the days without relying on the Lord

8 Things I must do to feel good each day:

*Sleep until 7
*Makeup and hair
*Get out of my pajamas
*Have an agenda for the day
*Be with my family
*Think positive
*Open the curtains
*Laugh

8 things that attract me to my best friends:

*Sense of humor
*Loving
*Positive
*Accept me for me
*Compassionate
*Forgiving
*Not judgmental
*Understanding

8 people I think should do Crazy 8's:
If you don't have a blog -- send an e-mail!

*Nicole
*Camille
*Melissa
*Leisha (mom)
*Torie
*Jessica
*Julio :)
*Jordan :)

My (Bridget's) family

2008-04-21T14:29:00.001-07:00

While in Idaho we had some family photos - here is my family (minus my husband and my sister's husband)!

Here is a photo of my parents and siblings. Nicole is my older sister and Josh is my little brother.

Who? Julio

2008-04-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

The link below is to an article about the latest happenings with Julio.

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?NS=1&idx=95990&cat1=news

He is really excited about the appointment, and getting involved in foster care.

Tease me not!

2008-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

What a weekend!
Friday was a beautiful day, we had our energy and appetites back - plus the weather was great!
Saturday was better than Friday!! We were all feeling great and it was in the 70s -- HOLLA!!!! Time to play!

Yes, we even pulled out the sprinkler! While the boys were running in the water, I was busy doing spring yard work. I decided last year that I love to work in the yard, I am not saying I am good at it - but I enjoy it.
At the end of the day the boys were exhausted and I had a slight sunburn - WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Oh how quickly things change.
When I woke up Sunday I felt more tired than usual, so when Jordan and Julio got up I laid back down and woke up around 11 - feeling sick again! That was nothing -- during lunch Diego was whining - which lately is very normal - he said he was going to throw up, I thought he just didn't want to eat his lunch. So after much drama, I decided it was nap time - I told Diego to go tell everyone "night-night". On his way to dad he threw up all over the rug - it then became clear that he too was still feeling sick.

As I was cleaning up "the mess" I found it amusing that our home has hardwood floors, maybe 20% is covered with rugs, and Diego threw up on the one rug that can't simply be thrown in the washer.

So on Monday Diego and I took it easy -- well Diego took it easy I disinfected the house. As for the weather -- rain and mid 40s :(

Welcome home

2008-04-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

We are back! -- a few days have passed.
It was a great trip and we all had a lot of fun.
I will not leave you guessing -- Did Diego get sick? Almost - so close, but the good news is that it wasn't from asthma, he got a bug (is that really good news?). Sunday evening he got sick and had a hard time keeping anything down. And on Monday night I also got sick, so our flight home was less than pleasurable. I don't know what I would have without Jordan - he took care of us on that flight - what a little man!
I have to give a shout out to my wonderful friend Cher - every time we visit (no matter where they live) Diego throws up, and this was no exception -- thanks for putting up with us, and cleaning up this time.

We are all doing better and almost back to normal.

Here is our trip --
On the first day Grandma had to work, so Grandpa entertained up by letting the boys play in the dirt. Yes - the picture shows just Jordan at the controls.

On Thursday we stayed the night at Nicole's house (my sister). They still have 3 ft. of snow left, the two older boys stayed out for hours. In this picture the boys are playing around a trampoline frame - to give you an idea of the depth.

While the boys were outside - I was inside holding Madison, what a sweet little thing!

She is such a good baby - hardly made a noise - even with all the noise going on around her.

After our trip to Wyoming we all met back up at my mom's house for the weekend. My brother and his wonderful family came down from Montana to spend a few days. It was such a great family reunion!!! This is a picture of Melissa and Clara (almost walking) - good luck getting a picture of my brother.

Clara is going through stranger anxiety; but I have to brag - she let me hold her a couple of times and we played a lot. She is at such a fun stage, with such a great spirit.

On Monday before we headed to Utah (to catch our Tuesday morning flight) - we stopped by my my uncle's fire station and had a tour -- Diego was in awe, up close with a "good guy"

There are a lot of activities I left out - but all in all we had a great trip, I didn't realize I was 'home sick' until I got there, but by the weekend I was 'home sick' for my own home - fun how that works.

Thanks mom for all that you do - you really are the greatest!

Spring Break

2008-03-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

It all started in July, when my sister announced she was having a baby. As the excitement grew (and my sister) the questions of a trip to see the baby came. By January my mom was nagging, by February she was begging. Baby Madison arrived mid-February and luckily my mom was preoccupied - but it didn't last.

March came - spring break around the corner - and I got the phone call. "Southwest is having a special, I am buying the tickets so you might as well pick the times because you are coming." So on Tuesday Jordan, Diego and myself are headed to the airport (wish me luck!). Julio will be staying home to take care of the dogs - and because there are no "spring breaks" in the real world.

The boys and I are very excited for the trip! We get to not only see baby Madison, but we also get to see my little niece that I have only met once (She will be 1 in June!). Now the cute babies are not the only reason I am excited - I miss my family and friends and am looking forward to seeing everyone - and holding and playing with the babies! :)

The looming question of our trip is how will little Diego be feeling? Since moving to Seattle every plane trip to Idaho (or Utah) has resulted in Diego constantly throwing up. We now believe that we have the problem pinpointed to asthma.
Because we travel to a higher elevation the air is thinner, making it harder to breathe. This is our first trip since being diagnosed, and I am prepared - I hope.

I really hope he does good, Diego is the most excited about this trip. He always talks about grandpa's house, grandpa's horses, grandpa's tracker. He tells his big stories about what him and grandpa are going to do. However, I am interested to see if he is going to be as outgoing with grandpa as he says. Usually he becomes a sick, shy, little mama's boy when we visit. But he is two now and is not afraid to inform anyone one that he is a big boy.

Jordan's feeling about this trip makes me proud - a boy after his mom's heart. He has been talking about the different restaurants and food he expects to eat will we are there. Though we have found great places to eat since our move - there are a few places that can't be replaced.

I will post highlights of the trip next week -- be prepared to see babies!

Release the Hounds!

2008-03-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we drove to Montana to pick up a puppy. Yes, what were we thinking is right! 1) To drive 6 hours to Montana and 6 hours back and 2) to get a second hound.

We learned after we got VooDoo (our redbone coonhound) that hounds really do need companionship. VooDoo is about 2 years old now, and we decided to start looking for a Black and Tan Coonhound. In theory to make life easier with/for VooDoo.

We were hoping to adopt a dog that could help VooDoo get a boost of confidence - or if all else just give her a leader to follow. VooDoo is very shy and obedient; she almost carries a sense of properness to her. She is a sweetheart and we thought that she would welcome a new friend.

Enter puppy-

The owner had named him Traveler, however Diego just couldn't get the name (and we weren't fans) so we have been playing with different names and we have decided his name will be 'Papi'. We mentioned the name once and Diego never forgot and even started calling him "me Papi".
Day One -

We didn't want VooDoo to feel like the puppy was getting all the love, so we gave her a chew bone to eat on her bed. The next thing we knew - Papi took VooDoo's bone and her bed. We had to decide whether or not to intervene .

Not the best start - the day was rainy so we were stuck inside, VooDoo avoiding Papi - Papi pestering VooDoo. But finally there was a brief break in the weather and everyone went outside(YIPPEE!). It wasn't long before they were running around together and VooDoo was even taking the lead! Later that night, when the boys had gone to bed, the pups wrestled around on the floor. When it is play time VooDoo loves Papi, during quiet time she wants nothing to do with him.

So far Papi seems a little stubborn, very affectionate, and a good learner. He will be 4 months on Wednesday -- he is going to be a big guy!
I will give you an update and send more pictures as we get to know him better and everything settles down.
WISH US LUCK!!

*Please keep in mind that it is really hard to take a good picture of a puppy -- it is pretty much impossible to take a picture of 2 dogs - when they are playing in the with 2 boys.

"Tag"

2008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Camille, we have been tagged. It is a good thing because I haven't posted for a while and I need to let everyone know we are still alive.
Note: I have changed some of the questions.

What is his name?
Julio (now) - Vince (then), long story short, same person different name - one that is more...him.

How long have you been together?
11 1/2 together - 9 1/2 years married

How long did you date?
1 and a half years

How old is he?
27 -what can I say, I like younger men (by 3 months)!

Who is taller?
Julio's license says 5'6, and if you talk to him he will say 5'8, the truth we see eye to eye at 5'4.

Who can sing better?
Either one of us could be on American Idol. At the beginning of the season where they make fun of people.

Who is smarter?
Julio - but to my defense I have been in toddler mode for 2 years, not a lot of adult conversations. I have a better memory and navigation skills.

Who does the laundry?
I do, and lately Jordan is helping. I like to keep up on laundry, Julio would put it off until there was nothing left to wear - I am not saying he is a procrastinator...it is a little worse than that.

Who is the first to give a kiss or hug?
Julio, he jumped the gun on our first encounter. But uncharacteristically of me, I am responsible for the second. Great memories.

Who pays the bills?
Me, have I mentioned Julio procrastinates?

Who mows the lawn?
I do -- it is my yard, I love gardening - I am still learning but it's a great release.

Who cooks dinner?
Me - seriously for everyone's health - me.

Who drives?
Both - I am a really bad back seat driver so Julio doesn't like to drive with me. When we travel we are a great team. Julio Drives and I navigate -- if only I could get my rights and left right, luckily Julio knows my directions.

Who is more stubborn?
Julio by far, with Diego a close second.

Who asked who out first?
I would assume Julio. We lived an hour apart (long distance) so we communicated through old fashion letters. After three months of just writing our work/school schedules opened up for a New Years date.

Who is more sentimental?
I would have to say Julio. If we remember the special dates - Julio. He is much more thoughtful on a daily basis too.

Favorite type of T.V. shows?
Julio is sports, sports and reality. I have been disappointed with the current comedies so I have fallen back on reality - Top Chef, America's next top model, American Idol, Survivor, etc.

Who has more social skills and can read the other like a hawk?
I have both. Julio can turn on his social skills, but lets be honest it is a struggle and reading people in general - not his forte.

Who has more siblings?
I do, unfortunately Julio doesn't have much of a family outside of us.

Who wears the pants?
It depends on the area/issue. For the most part we share, I run the household and Julio runs everything else.

Enjoy and I would like to "tag" Cher and Nicole!

Jordan + Math = AMAZING!

2008-03-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to Jordan - Congratulations for placing 9th among all 4th graders in the district participating in Math Olympiads!

Among other activities, Jordan has been in a "math club" called Math Olympiads since the beginning of the school year and Saturday was the district compitition.

Jordan -- you are awesome, you took on academic challenges and didn't give up. Keep being who you are - because it is amazing to watch you grow!

Super Star!

2008-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Always a new surprise with little Diego!

We took Jordan to the Dentist, and to get Diego comfortable with future appointments he went in the back with Jordan to watch. Before I knew it he was in the "big chair" asking for glasses. Not long after that he was opening his mouth wide for a cleaning of his own!!

Both boys have great looking teeth and no cavities - yipee.

Update on Julio -- AkA J-2-da-O
While we were having new adventures at the dentist, Julio was soaking up the sun in Las Vegas at a tribal convention. Though he was only there for a day I think it was a nice get away, he has been working a lot lately.

Also, Julio has recently been given a great opportunity to be a part of an organization called the Mockingbird Society (http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/) as a board member. It is a great way for Julio to get involved with something he feels strongly about - foster care.

Welcome Madison!

2008-02-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Please check out my sister's link (Nicole Goe), to see pictures of my new niece Madison Erica Goe! Congratulations Nicole, she is so cute!!!

Is that the sun?

2008-02-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

We have had such beautiful sunny weather lately! So the boys have been spending a lot of time outside and I have been trying to start on the spring gardening - oh how I have missed my yard! We have had a boost of energy with the weather - though it won't last we are enjoying it.

The picture of the boys is from last summer, but it is so cute I couldn't pass it up.

Last week Jordan had a day off so we went to the Pacific Science Center. The boys had a great time.

Diego thought the dinosaurs were real and when Jordan got close for the picture Diego cried, yelling "Jojo move - eat you!" How he loves his brother!
Every so many months the center brings in a new focus to the exhibits. "Matter matters" was the theme while we were there - Jordan loves science so the hands on experiments entertained him for hours. Diego's favorite was the boa constrictors and butterflies (really anything that moved).

Diego

2008-02-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

Diego has been such a great addition to our family!
Here is a recent picture of Diego holding our cat 'Daisy'. I can't say that Daisy enjoys the attention from Diego, but she is just a grumpy old cat that is mad at the world.
At first impression Diego seems very shy, but once he gets comfortable this 2 year olds corky and unique personality always makes life interesting.

10 things to know about Diego

10) He is very well behaved - but he catches our loopholes.
9) Jordan is his best friend - cooler than dad.
8) He is a boys' boy - fearless, thinks he is bigger than he is.
7) Diego will make you smile while not even knowing you are watching
6) He loves to help cook
5) Diego looks just like Jordan at 2 (hard to tell the pictures apart)
4) He is a part-time toddler, full-time funny boy
3) Diego is potty trained! It was too easy, just shows he is always full of surprises!!!!
2) Diego is loud, not just sometime - all the time!
1) He is still a mama's boy!

Jordan on ESPN

2008-02-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a highlight of our 2007 year!
In November we went to Las Vegas to watch UNC play in a regional tournament. It was an amazing experience for Julio and Jordan. They sat front row, behind Dickie - V and after the game Jordan shook Roy Williams hand and congratulated the players on their win.
If you are wondering about the hair - we had to bleach it twice to later add the baby blue color. After the game he got a regular buzz cut.

Update on Jordan

2008-02-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

We moved to Shoreline about 18 months ago and have really enjoyed our time. I think Jordan the most.
Jordan is in the 4th grade and is excelling! He enjoys school and has a fantastic teacher that is always challenging him in some way.
This fall Jordan played full contact football. We saw a new side of our growing boy. He hit hard and was one of the favorite players - because of his effort, always giving 110%, no matter the size of the opponent. It was so exciting and we are hoping he plays again next season.
Most of his days involve school and homework, he loves to read and play outside (weather permitting). He recently complained that there are not enough hours in the day to do all that he wants to.
This past year he has changed so much, he is really maturing and becoming an outstanding young man (I feel old!). We are proud parents if you can't tell.

10 things to know about Jordan!

10) He has a Redboone Coon hound named "Voodoo"
9) He is very patient with his brother
8) He has a very serious personality but
7) A great sense of humor
6) He is developing strong leadership qualities
5) Favorite food - potstickers
4) He is athletic
3) He loves to kayak
2) His hobby is collecting football cards with his dad
1) He will be turning double digits on May 23rd

Catch up

2008-02-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to enter the "blog" world!
I figure since I am so infrequent with my e-mails and we live so far away - maybe this will be a good way to keep in touch with everyone.

Warning - beware of the spelling!