Macias Family

I have a silly son

2010-07-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

We went outside today and I let the kids play with the hose for a while. When we came back in Bubba was soaked and muddy so I took him to the bathroom where I washed his legs. Then I took off his wet shorts and underpants only to find a second pair of underpants. Under that was a third and a fourth pair. Apparently he was so excited about his new underwear that he had to wear them all at once! No picture for obvious reasons :)

There is Hope

2010-06-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Julio started working from home a few weeks ago. We had deposited the paycheck the day before, so I went to the store and bought all sorts of things we haven't been able to afford that many might consider necessity. I got ice cream just for fun and I even let the kids wander through the toy section for a little bit. I was so proud of them when instead of asking for stuff and fussing like they used to they looked and said "Oh I like that one...but I don't need it." I had this wonderful feeling of gratitude and hope. The Lord has always been mindful of us and blessed us. But I realized something about faith and trials. After Julio graduated and we were looking for work for months we were constantly blessed with some little job to pay our immediate bills. This time we felt assured that whatever was around the corner would be a great blessing. However, for more than a month there was no work at all. All the little jobs fell through. It was terrifying for me. I suddenly realized that we were in the same position as many of the prophets and families in the scriptures. That we had to demonstrate faith even when there was no reassurance. Joseph Smith sat in jail for months wondering where the Lord was. Lehi had wait for days or weeks while his sons went to get the plates. And can you imagine how the Apostles must have felt waiting for three days before the Savior was resurrected? Faith is believing even when there are not immediate blessings. If they can go through these huge trials with faith surely I can hang on for a short while. And yesterday I realized my little bit of faith has been rewarded so greatly. We have our material needs plus a little, I have a husband around now who can help me when I need it (I try not to need it), and many little blessings. I could go on but let it suffice to say the Lord is mindful of us all and is willing to bless us.

Eternal Family

2009-11-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends, Alyson, just adopted two handsome little boys and was sealed to them in the temple a little more than a week ago. She already has one little boy so now she is the mother of three crazy boys and will soon add a sweet little baby girl who is destined, I'm sure, to be spoiled, smothered, and overprotected by her brothers. Congrats Al, I am so happy for you and your eternal family.
Kathleen, Alyson, and I are high school friends and college roommates. Two beautiful women and me. But I got the ... umm ... charisma. I love you gals!

Halloween and Bubba's Birthday

2009-11-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Aack!

2009-11-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

Emily has gotten two teeth and has started standing in the last couple weeks! She's also decided she wants to try grown up food like crackers! What happened to my little baby?

New Baby Cousin

2009-10-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Born October 3, 2009 at 6:09 p.m.

Weighing 6 lbs., 11 oz. - 19 3/4"

Robin Danielle Gartner

Proud parents - Matt & Kim Gartner

Proud older brother - Jacob Gartner!!!
Congrats little bro!

The Insanity Continues

2009-07-29T03:46:00.001-07:00

I am at the end of a long line of Dr. appointments. Whew! Julio got insurance through this job and we all needed everything. Tavian needs a cap and some fillings from a fall several months back that I guess did something to his nerves and caused decay, I need glasses (I've needed them for a couple years), we've all needed dentist appointments for a while, Julio has needed new glasses for so long that the lenses on his pop out frequently. Side story: a month or two ago we were at the ward swim party when poor Julio lost the lens in his glasses in the water. A whole bunch of people pitched in and swam around until we found them scratched up and at the deep end of the pool so poor Julio has been walking around for a month with this one really scratched up lens than falls out frequently. It's like a cartoon!

The spanish piano class is going well. Sometimes I speak better than I think and other times much worse. It seriously brings new meaning to the expression "tongue tied" for me!

Julio is leaving for a week to work in Nevada. He networked some computers together for a car auction here in January and the guy liked how he worked so well that he's going to fly him up there and back, pay for his hotel room, and pay him more money per hour this time around. So, the kids and I will be going up to Payson one last time because I can send the kids outside for more than a few minutes without worrying about sunstroke. I'm excited for Payson and nervous because I've never been without Julio for so long.

We're hoping to get Eliana into preschool soon as well. She can write her name pretty well and add and subtract, she's so good at art and I want her to get the same chances as other kids.

Anyway, that's our life right now. Not as exciting as all these trips and vacations I read about from others but we're blessed and we're busy. The Lord has opened the windows and poured out His blessings that's for sure.

Emily's Blessing Day

2009-05-27T21:41:00.001-07:00

Sorry so late in posting these. Emily was blessed on the third, but I couldn't find her pics until today. I sewed her dress and my oh so talented and wonderful sister in law Amy crocheted the pink flower and tatted the pink lace on her dress. You are wonderful Amy! Thank you so much.
We had so many people come but I was so busy this was the only group picture I got. Julio, Emily, Eliana, Phil (Julio's brother).
.
Tell me if you can that I don't have the cutest baby around. I love Emily's smile when her daddy was holding her.

Oh and Eliana took some pictures too on her camera. It's one of those kid cameras so the pictures are low resolution but hillarious. I put them in a slide show if you care to watch. Eliana and her friends Preston and Hunter were taking pictures of each other. I'm glad she thought to get out her camera.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

These are some forwarded email pictures I got.

To those who have sacrificed for our country and freedom...Thank you! I have not forgotten. And to my own family members serving in the military, you are in my thoughts and prayers today especially. May God keep you safe.
Check out this article about real war heroes from the entertainment industry.

Tavian Update

2009-05-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Bubba's swelling is down on his face considerably. He still doesn't make all his facial expressions perfectly but for the most part it is better. His bloodwork showed no infection and the doctor said it probably wasn't an allergic reaction, but there is some fluid in his ear on the one side and he appears to have a virus so that's probably what affected his face on the one side. I amazed at how fast he's getting better. I was really scared.

Tavian

2009-05-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm worried about my Bubba right now. Yesterday morning he woke up with a swollen right cheek. I thought at first it was a bruise because he had been up fussing for a while the night before and we didn't know why. I thought maybe he bumped something in the dark. But it wasn't tender and I couldn't find any bruise or cuts inside his mouth. So when it looked a little worse this morning I took him to the doctor, hoping he'd laugh at me for being a silly overreacting mom and tell me it's just a bruise. The doctor ordered a blood test to check for infection, but he has no fever. He said it could be a food allergy but he hasn't eaten anything new or unusual for several days. The other possibility the doctor is looking at is Bell's Palsy, which is a temporary paralysis of face muscles on one side of the face for a few weeks or months. I questioned that too because I had Bell's Palsy and it paralyzed the entire side of my face and this is just the middle part, but apparently the nerve on the side of your face that swells and causes the paralysis divides into three branches so it is possible to just get it in on one third of one side of your face. Anyways, it's probably no big deal and I'm probably over worrying, but I wanted to ask for your prayers that he'll be okay.

Family Photos (As good as it gets)

2009-05-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we had a family photo taken so we went to the temple with my brother and sister in law and took some pictures for mom for mother's day. I made the matching tops for me and Eliana and Emily's dress, but wouldn'tcha know I forgot to do my hair. hahaha. Oh well. I guess I'm not perfect yet!

Emily Hair Day

2009-04-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Because of Julio's genes all our kids start out life with a mohawk. So the other day with Emily I decided to try and make it girly with hairspray and my fingers. Even if the hair looks silly isn't she adorable? Oh and we're having her blessed this Sunday so I've been working on a dress for her and will hopefully have some more adorable pictures to show soon.

My Bubba

2009-04-26T17:13:00.001-07:00

I realized something when looking at this last months photos....

My son may be just a little bit silly!

Too Much Time and No Energy

2009-04-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

We've all been taking turns here with the flu. Poor Bubba had the worst of it. His fever finally broke at like 3 this morning. I am done with mine and since that means late nights up with kids I get a lot of quiet time at random moments for reading (the one positive side when everyone gets sick is that they sleep more.) I read the funniest statistic ever in this article about sun care with babies and thought I'd share it. "23% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18 according to the national Safety Council." At first I was alarmed. Then I started thinking isn't the life expectancy here in America like 75 years? That was the last I heard. So I calculated it (not hard). 18 is 24% of 75. So the statistic is that by the time your life is nearly one fourth over you will have had nearly one fourth of your sun exposure. That's like saying "Most people will have a dozen flowers by the time they have bought 12 of them." What would we do without statistics? Thanks for letting me share.

My Bro Ben

2009-04-24T23:19:00.001-07:00

(Left to right: Dad, Ben, Jon)

I just realized I had not posted this picture. Jon and Dad went to visit Ben before Jon left for the MTC. They got this picture taken. I don't get to see Ben very often so I love having this picture. For those of you who know him, he is doing well. He's been taking college business courses, getting A's, the best in most of his classes, and he's been moved to a dorm area. I'm so proud of my brother and his never quit attitude that has enabled him to work so hard and improve himself.

Mom Stories

2009-04-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

I think in some ways I underestimated how much more work a third child would be. Bless you mothers who have more for having that fourth one. haha I mean I had thought about the fact that there would always be a kid walking even when we had the double stroller and that there would be no room between carseats for books or toys on long trips. I knew naps would be trickier and schedules more complicated. But I never anticipated situations like this...I am nursing my baby to sleep while one child keeps trying to climb on my lap and no matter what I say I can't convince him to stop, meanwhile in the kitchen the other is helping herself to the brownies I baked making them look like a small animal attacked them. Or how about this one? The kids have been outside playing with the hose so you tell them we're going inside to take a bath and clean off the mud. One child strips and gets in the tub calling impatiently for you to turn the water on which you can't do because the other made so much noise coming in he woke up the baby who is screaming hysterically while you chase him trying to get him away from the furniture that he has already muddied up. Or while you bathe one child the other decides to test fire their squirt gun (which she's not supposed to be playing with) on the couch, the carpet and the sleeping baby who wakes up cold and wet. Or how about this... Eliana wakes up in the middle of the night with a nightmare and as you calm her Emily wakes up from the noise and on a side note you notice that Tavian has once again rolled out of his bed and onto the floor where you have to remember to not step on him until you can move him because even though moving him right now might be easier he'll probably wake up with all the noise and then you'll have three crying kids and you are oh so aware that you have more kids now than you have hands. Does it seem like there's someone bored, crying, or getting into something twice as much with three than with two? How does a mother of ten do it without an octupus assistant? hahaha Please tell me somebody else has stories like this too.
P.S. These are not all from one day, but they are all about my kids.

Easter

2009-04-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

This Easter, along with a basket full of treats, I tried to share with my children the true meaning of Easter and what the Savior did for us all. I don't know how much they understand, but I know Eliana understands a little because when we talk about how Jesus Christ died she gets a little teary eyed and how He came back alive she gets a big smile. We're blessed to be so close to the temple that even though we didn't attend the whole pageant at the temple we could hear it every night and we walked over and watched them rehearse a few times. What a great feeling to hear "I know He lives!" ringing through our bedroom window every night until Easter. I know He lives. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that because of the sacrifice he made we can all return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven. I know that He paid for our sins. He is our Savior, Redeemer, our Brother, and a perfect example for us to follow. We may meet with persecution, indifference, and people rolling their eyes at us, but I pray I never lose the courage to share my testimony of Him. I have been pondering part of the Lectures on Faith that says "such is the weakness of man, an such his frailties, that he is liable to sin continually, and if God were not long suffering, and full of compassion, gracious and merciful and of a forgiving disposition, man would be cut off from before him ... but by man's believing that God is full of compassion and forgiveness, long suffering and slow to anger, he can exercise faith in him and overcome doubt, so as to be exceedingly strong." How do we overcome that doubt? By understanding that God is forgiving and through the atonement of Jesus Christ. As the apostles have said "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." (The Living Christ April 2000) I loved the testimony Elder Jeffrey Holland shared this last General Conference.

As I attended church yesterday and spoke with my brother Jonathan today (on a plane layover in Dallas from the MTC to Mexico) I felt humbled and resolved to do better at the important things and spend less time on the fluff. We are blessed to be a part of a great work!

Julio's Job

2009-04-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Julio got a job finally! Yay! He's doing tech support for a web hosting company called IPower. It's the end of his first week and I am so relieved. He was doing commission only sales for a short while but it paid almost nothing and he was gone for really long hours. This new job has an hourly wage we can live off of and he can earn commission on top of it for any sales he makes. Plus it's a lot closer to home, he could ride the lightrail if he needed to and he has an early schedule so I have backup in the afternoons with the kids. My mom and dad lent us their van for a while so I have a vehicle to use while Julio's gone. The Lord has really looked after us the last 6 months while Julio's been trying to find work. I feel really blessed. I mean we're not going to be rich by any means, but to not be wondering where the money to pay our bills will come from is a huge blessing. I know a lot of people are losing jobs and being laid off, but I feel really at peace that the Lord will continue to look after us like he always has.
Oh and the last two days I have been picking, washing, and juicing the mulberries from our front yard. One of our neighbors came and laid out a whole bunch of paper and we shook almost three gallons of berries out of the tree. They make a horrible mess every year, turning the pavement black and tracking into the house. So this year we picked them and I'm making syrup out of them. It's very time consuming because the berries are so small there are like 500 gazillion of them, but not bad tasting and it contributes to our food storage. It makes me realize everything that seems to be a curse can be turned into a blessing with enough effort.
Also, I have some pictures of the kids I want to post. I just need to find the camera. So hopefully you'll see them tomorrow. Emily is getting so big and she's started smiling and cooing. Aren't babies so much fun?

My Daughter's Faith

2009-03-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

Eliana asked me a few days ago why we can't see Heavenly Father. So I tried to make it simple and said we lived with Heavenly Father before and we'll live with Him again but when we're here on earth we need to show Him we can behave even without seeing Him. So then she said something like "but how can I see Him now?" and I told her we don't see Him but He sees us and we can talk to Him by praying and He gives us scriptures as His way of talking to us. I was feeling pretty proud of myself thinking I had explained it pretty well. That night when she said her prayer she said something like "Heavenly Father I miss you and I want you to come visit me. I'll save a spot by me on the couch and you can sit and watch me play my VSmile." Out of the mouths of babes!

Eliana's Birthday / Jon's Farewell

2009-02-19T22:31:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick catchup on the last two weeks in random order. Eliana's 4th birthday was on the 7th and she got a brand new Dora the Explorer bicycle. Above is Tavian riding her old tricycle. You can imagine what a tight squeeze it was for her to ride. And below is Eliana on her new bike showing off for Grandpa. She was so scared the first time she rode it, but now she loves it.
I took this picture last Sunday. I didn't take Emily to church because she's so little still, but I couldn't resist the urge to dress her up and take some pictures. She looks so much like Eliana did when she was a baby.
My brother Jonathan left for the MTC on the 11th. He was going to try to visit us each individually so we made it easier by all gathering at our apartment. We had doughnuts and pictures before he left. My parents are converts so these are all the missionaries so far from my family (my brothers Jason, Matthew, baby Jacob is just cute, Jonathan, my handsome Julio and of course me.)

This was the first time my kids got to play in the snow. We were lucky enough that it snowed the weekend we went up to Payson for Eliana's birthday and Jonathan's last talk before he left for the mission.
Eliana blowing out her candles with cousins Alex and Landon watching. Aunt Kim was so sweet to make it for her. Kim's birthday was Superbowl Sunday so Eliana and I made her a cake while the boys glued themselves to the tube and then she made a cake for Eliana for her birthday. It said "Happy Happy Birthday Eliana Dear." What a sweetheart!
Also, I've started looking for a job. Hopefully Julio finds something soon, but in the meantime if I can contribute in some way I'll feel much better. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

2009-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the adorable, the tiny, the amazing

Emily Rebecca Macias!

On Monday I had a Dr. appointment for an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. They were able to verify it was a girl and that she was getting pretty big (Dr. Lindstrom thought maybe 9lbs) Since Tavian was an emergency c-section at 9lbs 5oz we agreed 9lbs was cutting it too close and scheduled a c-section for Tuesday morning 7am (way too early for me). She was born at 7:40 am weighing 9lbs 8oz!! She was 19.5 inches long. Boy am I glad I had a c-section! I never would have been able to push her out. Julio says its because I eat too much junk food, but I only gained 15 lbs this pregnancy and Dr. Lindstrom says I just have big kids so of course I side with the doctor. I mean after all he is the professional.

We delivered at Banner Desert. All of our children have been born there and I love it! The nurses are so nice and everyone really takes care of you. My Mom stayed with me the first night and Julio stayed the other two nights. They took turns taking care of the kids at home and me and Emily at the hospital. The kids I think have decided to keep little miss Emily. Eliana already has a nickname for Emily, SweetPea, and we've all already taken to calling her that. Tavian I think was a little worried at first but has already started showering her with kisses. We also got flowers, gifts, and visits from my dad, my brothers and sisters-in-law, my mother-in-law, and Laurissa. Thank you all for loving us so much!

Anyway, we just got home from the hospital today. They said I could stay until tomorrow, but my brother Jon is leaving next week on his mission and is speaking in Payson on Sunday so I wanted to hurry home for that. Also, Eliana's birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to be home with her to celbrate. She's turning four and we found a bike we could afford brand new. She loves her little tricycle but she's had it more that 2 years and she's way too big for it now. I want to be there to see her face when she gets this new one. As soon as it calms down a little I will post more pics. Also I am a little intimidated at having 3 now and welcome advice from those who are already there.

What's Up With This Baby?!?

2009-01-30T15:24:00.001-08:00

The night before last I started having contractions about ten minutes apart. The Dr. said to go to the hospital when they got to ten minutes apart so when it was almost an hour of contractions I said "One more and I'm going to the hospital." So of course it was a half hour before the next contraction. I decided to go to sleep and was awakened every hour or so with a killer contraction. Early in the morning, more close contractions, so I called my mom to let her know I think I'm going into labor. She drove all the way down here and they stopped yet again! Yesterday I had more contractions in the afternoon and evening like every 20 minutes.... sigh....not close enough. So here I sit today thinking "What's up with this baby?" On the bright side when I went to my last appointment on Tuesday they told me I was dilated to a 2 and they're going to do an ultrasound on Monday to make sure the baby's not too big to deliver. If it's too big, c-section. So, one way or another this will be over soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I really don't want another c-section. I'm so excited to hold my little baby, though, so as long as she's healthy that's the most important thing.

I'm 31!

2009-01-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

That's right. 31 years ago my mom went through excruciating pain to bring me into this world. 10 years ago tomorrow I left on my mission. 13 years ago I turned 18 and left for college 7 months after that. 15 years ago I was old enough to date and drive. I'm old enough to be the mother of any of the girls in my activities days group. And I was realizing that in some cultures girls get married in their early teens so there are grandmothers out there that are my age! Not only that but the next big birthday celebration won't be until I'm like 50 and that's only a big deal because your life is half over. P.S. I'm laughing as I type this. I love having my birthday at this age because I still get special privileges like Julio took the kids outside so I could have some quiet time and he changed Bubba's stinky diaper, not to mention I don't have to cook dinner and I get cake and ice cream. And lots of calls from friends and family. I've been bombarded with love today. Overall, not a bad deal at all. In fact it's great! Hope you all are well as well.

Good News

2009-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

Julio got a temp job networking computers and being the on site tech support for the network. It's only for a week but it's great pay and we're excited that this blessing has come our way. Woohoo! And I have less than four weeks before this little baby comes out! So the time for long walks, cherry pie, (and any other wive's tale that I've heard gets your body working toward labor) is fast approaching! If anyone needs any heavy furniture moved let me know and I'm there!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma

2009-01-14T12:21:00.001-08:00

My grandma just turned 80 years old and we had a big family party. Family came from all sides of the country to celebrate with her. We had everyone send us video clips of themselves wishing her happy birthday and Mom, Grandpa, Uncle Craig and Aunt Alison pooled together every picture they had of Grandma and they had Julio make a video presentation for her. He put a lot of time and thought into it and the end result was a beautiful video that made a lot of people cry. I don't have any pictures of the party yet but will post them when I do. It was great to see everyone and to let Grandma know just how much she has touched all of our lives. She went to so many of our games and recitals and church things like baptisms and missionary farewells even though she's not of the same faith. And she was an adorable little girl! We love you Grandma and hope you had a wonderful birthday.

Nesting Nesting Nesting

2009-01-07T14:39:00.001-08:00

That's what I've been doing....nesting! Like crazy! I got out the baby clothes this week, washed them and set them up in their drawer. We set up the baby swing in the corner and put the baby toys in a box underneath. We got a board for across the top bed of the bunk bed and Julio screwed it in place so Eliana can sleep up there without rolling off in the middle of the night. She's slept up there for the last four nights and Tavian finally decided to sleep on the bottom bunk bed for the last two nights. So now the crib is open for the next one. I've been cleaning out closets and corners, you know, all the the places where a little pile can gather and trying to get rid of as much excess as possible. We organized the embarrassing corner in our room where our food storage and Julio's computer stuff are. I've been shampooing the carpet today and needed a break for my back, otherwise I'd still be cleaning like crazy! Anyways, hope everyone had a great New Year's. We had a quiet evening at home watching a movie and eating ice cream and popcorn. It's one of the great things about having toddlers that we can make treats and watch a new movie and suddenly it's a party - Woohoo!

Happy Anniversary

2008-12-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

Five years ago I married the most handsome guy the world has ever seen. And tonight we went out for a nice little dinner and remembered all sorts of funny things from when we were dating and earlier in our marriage. I remember thinking he was too cute to not be stuck up. Lucky for me, Alyson made me go with her to say hi to him and I quickly realized what a nice guy and what a catch he really was. We were friends for almost a year before we started dating. And dating Julio was so much fun! We've had even more fun since we've been married and I've realized many times since then how lucky I am. Julio, you are my best friend, the most talented and motivated artist I know, a great spiritual leader for our family, the hardest worker, a loving and attentive father, a great example for our children, my perfect match, the funnerest person ever, rediculously smart, and the hottest guy I know! I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm thankful and I'll keep you. Happy Anniversary Babe!

A Time of Miracles

2008-12-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, my husband has been searching for work for the last few months. He's had several good interviews and several responses to the effect that companies are cutting back on the number of people they're hiring. It has definitely been a test of my faith. I am fortunate to have a husband who fixes computers, designs websites and logos and business cards, and knows how to network computers together as well as the 2d and 3d animation he's been studying. Because he has so many talents and skills we've been able to survive on side jobs that have often miraculously come his way. The other day I was driving home thinking about how blessed we've been to be able to survive so far and how worried I felt about paying this next month's bills. I said a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for all he's already done. I said "I know you've already given us so many miracles but we need one more." A few minutes after I got home, yet another person called looking for Julio to do some work for him and it will work out to be a little more that what we need. I don't tell this to get anyone's sympathy because I don't feel like it's a trial anymore. I want anyone who reads this to know that God answers prayers and looks out for our needs. I know it. He has blessed us time after time. We have seen so many miracles these last few months that it's been truly humbling. And what a blessing to have it happen at Christmas time. I hope we all remember at this time of year that the reason we're all going crazy shopping and running to parties and wrapping presents is because a little more than 2000 years ago God blessed us to have His Son among us. We can't bake Him a birthday cake or wrap a present for Him. All we can do is give the gift of loving others. I think that's why we give gifts, donate for those less fortunate, and gather together with friends and family. And isn't it amazing that this time of year seems to bring out the best in most of us? I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that you will be as blessed as we have been.

Alma 7
"9 But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—^aRepent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God ^bcometh upon the face of the earth.

10 And behold, he shall be ^aborn of Mary, at ^bJerusalem which is the ^cland of our forefathers, she being a ^dvirgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and ^econceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities."

Toddler Antics

2008-11-22T10:01:00.001-08:00

My children crack me up. This morning Eliana had a friend come over to play. Since both my kids feel a need to pull out every toy and throw them on the floor before breakfast I suggested to her that she clean up her room before her friend arrives. To my surprise, when I got out of the shower I looked in the room and all the toys were gone from the floor. "Wow" I thought "She did it!" About a half an hour later, Tavian went to climb in his crib and this is what we found.
She had thrown half of the toys in his crib and the other half were shoved behind the door. I had to laugh.
And yesterday Tavian made me laugh too. While we were outside I decided to mow the lawn. (We have a push lawn mower so no loud noises or fast blades that could cut fingers off or send rocks flying at children's heads. It's nice for me because Julio is often so busy he can't do it and I don't want to leave the kids in the house for an hour while I mow). Tavian likes to "help" me push it around the yard and usually I'll push the outer parts of the handle while he pushes the inner parts of the handle. Well, apparently he decided he's big enough to do it on his own because after crossing the yard twice, he wanted to do the third row without me touching the lawnmower. He tried with all his might and the thing didn't budge an inch. So I stepped in and started pushing with him. He got mad and pushed my hands away so I let him try again. After a while I stepped in again to push with him and this time he got so mad he stormed off into the house and refused to come out to play. I laughed so hard my sides hurt. He has to do everything on his own lately, which means I find chairs scooted over to the shelves or sink and anything I do for him like pull up his pants, he has to slide them down and pull them up again himself.

I've been tagged!

2008-11-20T20:48:00.000-08:00

Chances are that if you're reading this you've been tagged. Okay so let me think if there are 7 random or weird facts about me...

1. I have been to more than half of the states in the US but only really lived in AZ.

2. I love reading a good story, so much so that when I get really involved in a book I don't cook, I don't sleep and I don't know what my kids are doing.

3. I have the worst memory in the world, except when it comes to movies, where I can remember things in ridiculous detail (a completely useless talent).

4. I am the cheapest person in the world. I can make a homemade pepperoni pizza for about $2.

5. My favorite pastimes are sewing, doing yardwork, and cooking.

6. I am a firm believer in the power of procrastination. I've been known to put off finishing chores for days. (I was tagged days ago and put it off for this long.)

7. I love all those dances most people hate like the macarena, the chicken dance, YMCA, line dances, etc.
I think I only blog with 7 people so if you're reading this and want to do it I tag you.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving also.

Another Pregnancy Update

2008-11-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well I'm as big as a house and still have 3 months to go. The baby is great, growing right on schedule as far as size is concerned. When they did an ultrasound a few weeks ago the ultrasound lady said it looks like a girl but because the legs are crossed she can't tell for sure. So we really don't know yet but we will. Tavian was an emergency c-section because he was so large (9lbs5oz) he couldn't get out the other way so they said they'll do an ultrasound on this one a week or two before the due date to see if it's a big baby too and if so we'll c-section this one too. So I got one more chance to find out before the baby's born. We're doing well. I'm too bulky to do some things now but working on staying in shape and make room for another baby. In other news Julio has been doing design work and websites and tutoring and of course searching every day for a job. He's finally got an offer for a job starting in December and hopefully will find something in his field soon after that. This is a tough economy to be looking for work but we both know the Lord has always blessed us to meet our needs and will do it again.

Pictures from Halloween

2008-11-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is one of the only pictures of Tavian I got in his Halloween costume because he fell asleep 15 minutes after the ward Halloween party started and the ones from Halloween night didn't turn out. He refuse to wear his hood but he was Winnie the Pooh which he loved.
Here's princess Eliana. She had enough fun to make up for what Tavian missed, getting her face painted, doing the cakewalk, fishing for treats, running around with the other princesses and of course trunk or treating.

I thought this picture was so cute. Eliana and I had a talk about modesty this week because she likes to get undressed or wear her pants so low her belly hangs out. So here she is making sure her shorts are high enough. It was hard not to laugh because she was trying to pull them even higher so her belly wouldn't hang out. What a good girl huh?

Happy Birthday Tavian!

2008-10-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

My little Bubba is not a baby anymore! Tavian turned two on Tuesday. It was such a good day for him and so nice that we all were able to be together. He's such a big part of our family I can't remember what it was like before him. He has the softest touch and the sweetest most sharing personality I've ever seen. He has a constant smile on his face and is always pushing himself to do more and better. This last Sunday I offered my hand to help him out of the car and he almost took it, then with a determined look on his face pushed my hand away, said "Take away me momma" and got himself out. I love my little Tavie! We all worked together to make it a special day for him.
Eliana and I got up first thing in the morning and blew up a whole bunch of balloons. The above picture is Tavian right after he woke up. He has such a fun loving nature and with all the squeals you'd think we had just given him the best most amazing gift ever.
Grandma and Grandpa came in the afternoon with lunch and presents. Here's Tavian opening up one from Mom and Daddy. He had so many presents he got distracted by the first ones and didn't want to open the last ones. That was great for Eliana though because she "helped" him by opening the last one.
Eliana loved Tavian's gifts as much as he did and the two of them made noise the rest of the day on all Tavie's new toys. These are music playing maracas. He also got a keyboard and a play guitar so you can imagine the joyful noises that exuded from our home!
Even Grandpa took a turn jamming on the new keyboard.
Tavian didn't want to blow out the candle himself so we all helped him with that. This was my first attempt at a character cake so I am pretty proud of it.
And here's proof on Bubba's face that he enjoyed the cake. He and Grandpa are great buddies. Thanks so much Mom and Dad for helping make Bubba's day a special one.

Ben and kids

2008-10-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know my brother Ben, this is him with his kids, Alex and Landon from this last month when Mom and Dad visited him. We don't get to see him very often so it's nice to know he's well.

Fish Fumbles

2008-10-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Eliana had a goldfish that died a couple weeks ago. It was so sad for her that I got the kids some more goldfish about a week ago. They were so excited Tavian was practically screaming "Fishies! Fishies!" and Eliana was very particular about which fishes she got and she had to carry it herself to the front of the store and paid for it with her own coins. We came home and I let them put rocks and seashells in the tank. We named them and then Eliana took pictures of the fishies. Here's one (cropped of course).Our one goldfish lived for a year in a one gallon tank so I figured 4 goldfish would be fine in a 10 gallon tank. All but one died so I bought 3 more and they all died leaving just the one again. Some lady at Petco told me that you need 10 gallons of water per goldfish. It must be true because the same thing happened a year ago when I bought the 10 gallon tank. I was so bugged when the goldfish kept dying that I put the one goldfish in a one gallon tank and it lived there for a year. I thought I had a bully fish, but apparently not because several goldfish have died this time too and just one is alive. In other words, even though you can buy the fish for 12 cents each you have to spend a small fortune on the tank and equipment to go with it if you want more than one goldfish. Crazy huh? Thanks for letting me share.

Correction to Previous Post

2008-10-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is where the Leon Mexico Mission is and where my bro will be serving.

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Jonathan's Mission Call

2008-10-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Jonathan received his mission call to the Leon, Mexico Mission. It's on the peninsula on the west side of Mexico. We're so excited for him! That means of course that he has to learn spanish, which makes me laugh because he can't put two words together to make sense in spanish. Julio and I were laughing to tears one time because he was pretending to speak spanish by just putting a bunch of words together. I've put a map of Leon on the blog if you're curious where it is. CONGRATULATIONS JONATHAN!! I'm so proud of my big little bro!

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Congratulations Julio!

2008-09-25T22:53:00.001-07:00

We made it! Julio graduated tonight with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Animation. Doesn't he look handsome? I'm so proud of him. He's worked so hard to achieve this and now it's finally here. He'll probably end up sleeping for a week now to catch up on what he's missed out on the last several weeks.

We took a moment to pose for pictures. Thank goodness the ceremony was only an hour. You can tell from Bubba's face that was about as much as he could handle.

Here's Julio with his family. His brother David (left) and Mom (middle) drove all the way from California to be here. We are so glad to have them here! And Julio's older brother Phil is on the right with his family.

We went to dinner at Macayo's afterwards. I am stuffed and likely to remain so for a while. Too much good food.

And of course Eliana the ham cheering her daddy on and making sure I get it on film.

Julio Graduates Next Week!!

2008-09-17T20:20:00.001-07:00

MySpace Countdowns

Happy Birthday Uncle Jon & Grandpa!

2008-09-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

We went up to Payson this last weekend because Uncle Jon turned 20 and was ordained on Sunday and Grandpa turned __. Grandpa wasn't there on Saturday because he was taking Alex and Landon to visit Ben, their dad. The kids were so excited to pick out a cake and sing "Happy Birthday". They both are still singing periodically through the day "Happy Birthday Unca Gon" (Tavian can't pronounce his j's yet).

Grandpa opening his presents. The plastic bag is standard wrap for Gartner men.

Can't wait to see that face on a mission!

Jon and Matt, Cardinal fans to the core!

The kids loved playing outside in the cool weather. I just wish they would have smiled bigger! j/k

Rainy Night

2008-09-11T09:54:00.001-07:00

Last night it rained like crazy for about half an hour and then stopped. The kids were a little squirrelly so I asked them if they wanted to go outside and watch the rain. Of course it was only moments before watching became splashing. We all went out and got soaked!
The weather was nice and warm and lightning was pretty far away so I figured why not let them have fun for a little bit. I don't think I've ever heard so many delighted squeals from the kids.
And this is a dress I made for Eliana that I thought turned out cute. I love WalMart craft dept because it makes sewing cheaper than buying second hand. Notice her body language. Eliana was doing a hairflip for me. What a ham!

Weekend in Payson

2008-09-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went up to my parents' house in Payson to give Julio some quiet and a chance to really focus on his homework. It was fun for us too!Eliana caught up on a whole bunch of rest. In fact both the kids ran around outside so much that they slept real good every night.
Tavian's on the right. He's chillin with his cousins Landon and Alex. They were all so excited to be around each other. They loved it! We don't get to see them that often, but they go up to Grandma and Grandpa's quite a lot, so they showed Eliana and Tavian all the fun stuff to do.
I helped mow the back yard. Mom and Dad have a fun lawnmower to drive. Notice that I now look like I'm getting fat. In another month or so it will probably be obvious that I'm pregnant and I won't get so many awkward looks like "Do I ask?" We watched movies, went to the park, went on walks, and had dinner outside a few times because the weather is so nice there. It was nice to visit and take a break from part of the everyday stresses that come with being at home.

Pregnancy Update

2008-08-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

How's my pregnancy? Just fine. Nothing really exciting to report. I'm past the sick part so I've been catching up on all the cleaning I got behind on the last three months. I was telling Mom this and she said I'm nesting. I think it's way too early for that. I'm almost four months along. They won't even check for the gender of the baby for another month.
Oh and I have my appetite back plus some. I snack all day. It's nice to be able to eat cheese again (for those who don't know, cheese is to me what chocolate is to most girls). I have my next appointment in a week.
Also I've started getting up in the middle of the night or waking up really early and not being able to go back to sleep. It seems kind of early for that too but I haven't been reading my What to Expect book as faithfully as I did the first time. I skim through each chapter for review. I think it's really true that with each child you get more lax. With Eliana I read the book every day and after she was born I always had a diaper bag loaded with diapers, wipes, clothes, blankies, pacifiers, etc. With Tavian I just make sure I have a diaper, wipes, and something to clean messes shoved in my purse. This one might be lucky if I have a diaper for him (hahaha)!

2008-08-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

It's finally cool enough to go outside and not burn your feet! This is one of my favorite times of year because it's not so hot that water doesn't cool you down and not too cold for water playtime.

I asked Eliana to smile and she said no she wanted to make a different face. She comes by it honestly. I was a little poser too.

What a handsome boy Tavian is!

Quilt 1

Also I'm making some crib size quilts and want to get some input on these two layouts. They are both works in progress right now. I'm going to try and sell them, so any ideas or improvements would be appreciated. I thought I would make a yellow pillow with a heart or some shape quilted on the front to match with each one.

Quilt 2

Julio's Latest Work

2008-08-12T20:59:00.001-07:00

This is how I usually see Julio, nothing but a profile at his computer working hard.
This is of course how I like to see him, but this week I got to see the fruits of some of his labor. He's been working so hard and has just finished a new animation that I think is awesome! He's going to post it on his website www.greydominion.com . It's for a class but also for a friend who has a website selling fight gear. The logo is a gorilla and he animated it in 3D. Check it out if you get a chance. Because this is midterm week Julio has all sorts of assignments that will probably appear on his website in about a week. I just wanted to take a chance to brag on my man because I think he's so talented!

Craft Time

2008-08-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend we got crafty because of a great sale at Michael's. It's amazing how good kids are when they have something new to keep their attention. Here's Eliana, princess of the mermaid kingdom (she got the title from Dora the Explorer) with her crown...

And here's prince Tavian, the Frog Prince (apparently the upside down prince). His crown lasted about an hour before it got it's first tear.

A day or so later we painted these little bags. Both my kids love having something to hold their "treasures" which are usually rocks, leaves, uneaten fruit snacks or broken crayon bits.
Eliana has also taken up calling me Rabbit, she's Winnie the Pooh, Tavian is Piglet, and Dad is Tigger. It got me thinking how fitting the names are for each of us. Dad's the fun one that bounces in for a little fun then leaves, Tavian is the littlest one, Eliana is just like Pooh Bear, but then why am I like Rabbit? He's not much fun. He's always cleaning and worrying and telling everyone else what not to do. Hmmm. Should I be worried or does that mean I'm being a good Mom? I'm not sure.

OB Visit

2008-07-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

My visit to the OB today went well. It took a while to hear the heartbeat but only because the baby was moving like crazy. Linda, the nurse at my Dr. Office, said it's okay that I've lost a little weight and that I'll probably gain 10 lbs in a month or two and make up for it. Boy am I excited for that! Not really. But a healthy little fetus is all I can ask for right now. I'll save my no stretch mark and easy labor prayers for a little later in the pregnancy. Here's a quote from this months visiting teaching message that I thought was great.
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Our bodies are sacred. They were created in the image of God. They are marvelous, the crowning creation of Deity. No camera has ever matched the wonder of the human eye. No pump was ever built that could run so long and carry such heavy duty as the human heart. The ear and the brain constitute a miracle. … These, with others of our parts and organs, represent the divine, omnipotent genius of God” (“Be Ye Clean,” Ensign, May 1996, 48).
Isn't it great that we get to be a part of creating these little miracles? Do you ever think to yourself "How did my body make this?"

Finally not Sick

2008-07-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I've actually been not sick or draggy! For 3 or 4 weeks I had morning sickness every afternoon (I know I'm late on everything else, why not wait until the afternoon to get my "morning sickness"?) But now maybe I'm past that part. I have my 12 week appointment with my OB tomorrow. Hopefully all will go well with that.
Mom came and visited us yesterday while Dad did one of his interviews for his private investigations business. We had a good time visiting while watching the kids play in the pool. It's nice to have grownup talk every now and then. I don't get much grownup talk time with Julio because he has so much homework this quarter. Only 8 weeks until Julio graduates though, 7 weeks until his work has to be all complete. So it's a very short wait for him to finish and then hopefully he'll get a job really fast and we'll be rolling in the dough soon!(hahaha)

2008-07-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Every day Bubba has to play the "racing game" on the computer. If you look closely the car is upside down. That's because he only knows how to go forward and backward so as soon as he hits a curve that's what happens.
Here's Eliana playing one of her favorite games, pretending to be a puppy. She'll play fetch, beg for treats, bark and crawl around the whole house. I refuse to put her on a leash, though. I don't know where she got it but she loves playing pretend. If she's not a puppy she's a kitty, Spiderman, or a mom.

Tavian Naptime

2008-07-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Tavian manages to get himself into the strangest places for naptime. As you can see he emptied out his toy box, climbed in, and fell asleep face down on the floor. This one is from a couple of days ago but we also have pictures of him asleep while sitting up, asleep in his high chair, and asleep with his front half hanging off the bed. I don't know how he does it.

Late Night Lipgloss

2008-07-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last night we put Eliana and Tavian to bed and then went to our room for some time together. A little while later we heard a noise and knew one of the kids was out of the bedroom. This is what we found. Eliana was in the bathroom with lipgloss all over her and none left in her lipgloss ring which had been full just moments earlier. She was staring at herself in the mirror. She just couldn't resist using it all I guess. I hope this isn't an indicator of how she'll put makeup on in high school. After the picture we wiped her clean and sent her back to bed.