Goals 2012

There are so many good books I want to read! If I can get them from the library on audio that would be great because I can listen in the car, doing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, getting the kids clothes put out and on trips to cincy and walking on my treadmill, which my husband recently fixed for me. Yeah!
However sometimes it's cheaper to get the book and some things aren't available on audio. Other times I need the book because I have to go back and look at stuff or somethings are so great I just HAVE to write them down.
Here’s my list:
12 Books and/or Audiobooks I Plan to Listen to in 2012
January — Weird, Beards Bread
February — One Thousand Gifts, The dietfailure, The naked Truth by Phoenix Gilman.
March — Never Say Diet In defense of Food
April — What Happens When women say Yes to God,  Captivating
May — Unglued, The Circle Maker
June — A confident Heart
July — Bringing up kids without tearing them down
August — Jesus the one and Only
September — Free Choice
October — Raising Boys
November — Sugar Nation
December —
As I finish each of these, I’ll post my thoughts on them. Do you have any recomendations for great reads?

Sugar Blues Update

I am on my 3rd day without white sugar. I just read an encouraging post from Lysa TerKeurst's Blog, http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/12/made-to-crave-fun-giveaway/?#comment-162970. I am encouraged by everything she wrote but one thing was this; changes need to be made and making those changes in the quietness of our pantry when no one else is looking"

Yes, it's a quite journey, that will be never be over and will consist of many small choices every day. I am praying for my girlfriend too. We are bothe trying to get healthy and lose some weight.

Oh and I found another reason to lose weight to add to my personal list;
Losing tummy weight will help with my back pain. Imagine 10 lbs off the belly, which is what I think I have. It will help my posture and overall back pain. I have a friend in Colombia. She is about 46 and has arthritis so bad she can't lift her arms higher than her shoulders. She is in so much pain daily that she has to take very strong medicine. The medicine eventually "wears" off and she has to find a different one. It is a really bad disease. I would not consider her overweight. She is maybe 5'6'' and about 140 lbs. Says one of the best things she can do is lose weight. I believe her because she is a doctor, in fact one of the best pediatric nuerologist in Colombia, South America. Losing weight will lessen the load on her joints and help her to be in less pain. So it's good for your body to not have to carry extra weight.

Fructose: Is It Safe?

Fructose: Is It Safe?

The Sugar Blues

Here are my personal reasons for ditching white sugar and artificial sugar;
1) Mood-Experts say sugar makes PMS worse, so I am predicting cutting out sugar will help lift my overall mood
2) Less Colds and other aliments- I read that sugar suppresses our immune system by inhibiting the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacterial and viral invaders.
3) Prevent Diabetes-My dad's pancreas doesn't even work anymore. He has to give himself a shot of insuln to lower his blood sugar. I do not want to be doing that. If diet and exercise can reverse diabetes, It can prevent it!
4) Lower cholestorol. It is currently 225. My doctor says it needs to get down.
5) Look better-Sugar causes you to age faster. I figure it is a lot cheaper to give up sweets than to spend 100's of dollars on anti-winkle cream!

Here are more of my reasons in order of importance. These are fairly typical of most people, so I put them in a seperate category:

1) Lose weight- specifically in my belly. It is SO huge and I am so sick of it.
2) Feel better -see above #1
3) Get healthy- sugar causes your teeth to rot

So I have all my reasons. Now I need to find my strength. I can't do it on my own, but God willing I will overcome my sugar addiction.

Guilt

How can you not love that face? I do love that face, more than anything. That's why I feel so bad when i am anything but a perfect mommy to him. I feel bad for not reading him a 3rd bedtime story when he asks for another one as I am putting him to bed. I feel guilty for working full time and being away from him. I feel bad when I getting irritated with him and it shows in my voice, or voice my scream. I feel guilty for cleaning and cooking instead of playing with him. I am sad when he asks me to play puzzle with him, but I am in the middle of dinner.

Disney World with a 2 year old

Well I believe I might have said last year that I would not travel again until Gabe was 5 years old. I forgot, but now that we are on vacation I remember again. I feel sad for him that I am writing this, it makes him sound like a bad boy, but he is not. He is a very good boy, sweet boy and smart boy. It's just he's 2, so it's a little more work.

Well we are having a good time in Disney World. I was really worried that I would get stressed or something which would spiral in to grumpy or a down right breakdown.

Breakdown happened on day #2. Reasons: Mommy went to bed at 2am, it was the day before mommy started her period, daughter gave mommy attitude, mommy was tired of potty breaks every hour, and the straw that broke the camels back; Gabe wanted his pants all the way off when sitting on the toilet to go potty and mommy really didn't feel like taking them all the off and then back on again for the 5th time that day. So I yelled and said forget it, had a total meldown basically and went to my husband ready to hand over my darlings. Ignacio took over. I had a moment. And the best part was Ignacio prayed for me in a little huddle with the kids right there in the park. THAT was really wonderful!

So I went back to the hotel early that day, got my sleep and had a MUCH better day today. Yeah for sleep!

Gabe is usually the first one up and he always comes to my side of the bed and waits/asks for me to pull him up, which I do. He will lay next to me and I put my arm around him and we dose off. Luna comes later, usually Ignacio is already up so she climbs up on the other side of me, I put my arm around her and she cuddles up to me. So there I lay on my bed, half asleep with a child laying on either side of me, cuddled up against me. It feels wonderful and I think "how wonderful it is to be a mommy"

Fall is in the air

Fall is always bittersweet for me. Bitter because it means summer is over and the winter is coming but sweet because the trees are beautiful and the weather is nice. It is a pretty season, but I am always sad to see the summer go.

Our Fall began with an annual church camping trip. Encounter church has brought me so much joy. I love this kind, loving and supportive community.

Here is my cute Gabriel. I began working full time (30 hours) in September and I miss him so much! I miss my Luna too, but she has to go to school, so even if I wanted to be with her more during the day I couldn't because she is at school from 9-3:45. Oh how I want more time with them! I was looking forward to a nice weekend of just being with them and not rushing to finish eating, get dressed, get in car, go, go, go.

Well I was so happy that I didn't have to rush the children around and make them stop playing so we can go to school, daycare, jazzercise or soccer practice. They got to play what they wanted without interruption, the downside was Ignacio and I were so busy cleaning the house and making meals for the week that we spent very little time playing with them.

On Saturday night, I was like, "what is the point of working like dogs during the week and then there is not even time on the weekend to enjoy family?". Ignacio said that was why he was so interested in moving to Latin America. There, the middle class families can afford to have maids and cooks without breaking the bank.

I love other countries, but I love my family, friends and church too. If we move, it will be fine and I will try like Paul says to be content whatever my circumstances are;

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4 11-13

I am so content right now with our church that I don't want to move. Why mess up a good thing, right? I worry that I will not feel encouraged without the loving support of Encounter. I believe in community and God even speaks of it's importance. Then on the other hand I know that God's word provides plenty and the bible cna be taken anywhere, then I read those words I feel couragous and think, WOW! how cool to be able to do that. Maybe I can do it! But wait, I can't do it on my own. Thank God because a second after feeling couragous I began to get a little overwhelmed already.

So Fall is here and although I feel I am saying goodbye to a lively party (the summer) and entering a empty house (the winter) I can be content in whatever situation, if I lean on the Lord.

I Wany Candy!

 My Gigi's (great grandma) favorite candy was gum drops. I remember that my Grandma would always bring some when we went to visit her in her apartment and then later when she was in the nursing home.

My Uncle Steve's favorite candy was swedish fish. I remember he always bought some when we went to visit him.

My Dad likes licorice.

I like lemon heads. But my favorite is Air Heads.
Luna's favorite (today) is sour gummy worms.

What is your all time favorite candy?

10 of my Goals this month

Personal Goals

1. Exercise Monday and Wed mornings
2. Get coffee or a drink with a girlfried

Marriage Goals

3. Go salsa dancing

Mothering Goals

4. Begin bedtime early and take time to read 2 stories to children with enthusiasm

Home management goals

5. Hang paintings in bathroom
6. Hang art piece above stairs
7. Paint kickboards and door frames
8. Paint front door
9. Get carpets cleaned
10. Cut and weed wack grass
11. Mulch side yard and garden beds (next month)

A prayer Jounal?

A great blog I read mentioned writting down her prayers in a email.. See her blog below.

I can teach my child!: A Lesson Learned: E-mailing God: "I recently started e-mailing God. Before you get the whole e-mail scene with Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty in your mind...just hear me out. ..."

Let's see how this would work out for me.
Dear God,
Heal Myriam off her cancer. Give her peace.
Have mercy on my grandmother's soul
Help me to have more energy to get the house work done and play with my children and excersice, prepare great Jazzercise classes and practice my sets.
I pray for contentment in my life as a mom and wife.
Help me to honor you with my finances and pay off my debt and build wealth so I can give me.
I pray for wisdom and revelation to know you better.
Help me to trust in you, worry less, but also make good choices.
I pray also that my friends who are going through deaths and the family or marriage problems and divorce feel comforted by your love.
Thank you for my hard working husband, his job and that he is a great father. Thank you for my 3 awesome sisters, great dad, beautiful children, good health, great church community.
Thank you for my job, Jazzercise, my nieces and inlaws, good childcare and most of all your son and your love.
Amen

What would your list look like? Would it even have an end?

For my nieces..

Many of you will be in high school soon, I though of you as I read this article written by my favorite radio talk show host and I wanted to share it.





On Hell, by Brant Hansen

Finding the "one"

Sometime in 2001 I had a conversation with my youngest sister, Jessi, about boys and relationship and finding the "one". She said to me, "have you ever written down on paper what you want in a guy?" Her question intriged me and I thought it would be interesting to do. So I wrote;
intelligent (bachelors degree)
good dancer
good sense of humor
sensitive
motivated
likes to travel
career driven
honest
Catholic

I stuck the paper in my pocket and didn't think about it again until almost 2 years later when I was engaged to Ignacio. The note just popped in my head and I thought about Ignacio's qualities and it was so similar it was more than wierd. It was like fate or something. I remember having it to look at and compare and it was really amazing. Oh how I wish I still had that paper but I don't..must of lost it or something..in fact the list above is the best I could get from my memory.

But it doesn't matter I have something better, the real thing, everynight in my bed.
My media naranja.........

Happy Mothers Day

To my Grandma who cared for me and loved me, when my own mother didn't.... I love you forever. I pray God blesses you for how you saved me... What would have become of me without you?

Jessi, my little sis (another big blessing in my life, she is always there for me) , and Grandma at Denny and Debbi's house. My angels.

30 years old

I just got back from a 24hour trip to cincinnati. Ignacio and I packed up the kids to head to cincinnati on Saturday afternoon right after a hail storm. We went to celebrate my little sister, Jessi''s 30th birthday.

Let me tell you about this amazing sister. She is so together and kind and generous. She is like the mother. She is probably the most responsible and rational of the four of us. Personally she has been a great friend to me. We talk several times a week and I often call her with my problems. We also have a ton in common, so that's great to keep us close.

First we went to a comedy club, thanks to my wondeful niece who volunteered to babysit all of the kids. She is amazing, only 13 and she can handle all that responsibility (5 kids 5 and under!) Can't wait till I get her for an entire month! We have plans for her to stay with us for the month of July and we are going to speak only spanish in the house, do like an immersion experience for her. Maybe throw in Colombian food too. After the comedy club we acted crazy at a bar, then headed home. We couldn't stay out too late Jessi has a nursing baby afterall.

This is a picture of Me, Jessi and Tori. I really enjoyed being with everyone that was present. Tori is a really neat person and it was great to see her after such a long time. You see Tori grew up across the street from Jessi and I. Her mom, a wonderful person, took us under her wing and was like a mom to us, even taking Jessi and I on vacation with her family. Seeing this picture reminds me of our trips to Michigan. I am grateful for such an amazing sister. I love her to death and I thank my God for her. I am also grateful for Tori and her family's presence in my life. Good people.

The following day, Sunday, Jessi hosted a grill out to continue the celebration of her birthday. Another great day with good people. My cousin Denny came with his beautiful wife and FIVE children. I was so amazed at how sweet and kind and including her children were with my children. Their 2 boys and my other cousin's son Noah, played so much with Gabe. In fact he was like the center of attention. He would touch them and then they would act like he pushed them really hard and they would fall down and they all cracked up. Once while playing Gabe fell and they were so quick to help him up. 6pm rolled around and Ignacio said it was time to go, I was sad to leave. How lucky I am to have so much family and how so truly blessed I am to know so many great people and to be able to call them my friends and family.

A good day

It's a good morning when I can change the diaper of a crying, screaming, kicking, toddler without losing my temper or hurting my back. Actually the struggle begins with just taking off his clothes. He begins to cry when I try to take off his pijamas. He physically holds to his buttons and zippers and sleeves and it's really hard to pry him off so I can undress him.

This morning gabriel was not only doing all of the above but he also pulls the new diaper off that I am trying to put on or he puts his hands down to block me from attaching the sides. I then quickly snap his onsie on at the bottom before he pulls off the diaper. Well today during the entire process I just keep saying I can do it I can do it, kinda of in a way like it was a game or something. You see Luna is there and she observes everything, so I am glad I showed her a positive way to deal with a difficult situation. In the end I said, "Yeah mommy did it"

Tips for traveling with a 2 year old

DON'T DO IT






Just kidding:) I do not regret our 30 day trip to Colombia with my 22 month old and 5 year old. Although there were several times I said I would never do it again and twice I almost bought an early plane ticket home. Let me highlight a few happenings;
-Gabriel threw up all over my husband, Ignacio, on the plane ride to Miami.
-He threw a temper tantrum on the flight to Colombia, in which his shoe fell off and he threw it and it hit a sleeping man in the head.
-Knocked over the christmas tree in one house where we stayed
-knocked over a huge flower vase filled with water at another house where we stayed.
-Countless fits and crying spells
-In short in was a lot of work, but he's 2 and we both had prepared ourselves for this and I think that's how we were able to make it through the trip without being miserable.

Now the amazing and enjoyable things about this trip are too many to list, by I name a few;
-Luna and Gabe spoke and practiced a ton of spanish.
-Luna expercienced another culture and will remember this tip.
-spent time with some wonderful friends and families (I charish these relationships)
-Saw some really beautiful sites and country side.
-Ignacio and I grew up a lot, learned a lot about ourselves, life, other people etc. In short the trip was character building. (as cheezy as it sounds)
-realized how freaking nice we have it and how spoiled and childish we are.
-Were given priceless parenting advice. Our good friend pointed out something we were doing, that if continued could effect our gabriel in a very negtive way. I am SO grateful for this, in fact it is worth the entire trip.