The Mariano Family

For Bibba ;)

2010-09-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Most of you who follow me on Facebook have seen these pics, but if you don't, then you are in for a treat!! My sweet Sethers is now an official soccer star :) But, REALLY, this post is for my sweet grandma, Bibba, who wanted to see pictures of sweet Sethers playing soccer :) She is, obviously, the only one who has been successful at bringing me out of a very long blog hiatus!!! Love you Bibba!!

ready for the BIG GAME!! Isn't he precious ;)

about to get the ball and head for the goal....

goal in site...about to score...regardless of the huge mass of soccer feet in front of the ball!!

GOAL!!! First one ever in a real game!!!

celebrating ;)

team huddle

headed toward goal again...

go Seth, GO!!

Scored right after this ;)

happy boy!

Team pic

Seth and daddy

my little brother Cade, Seth, and his great friend Cullen

Seth, Aiden (not mine ;) another one), and Cullen

Seth and Gimma

Seth and CeCe (my stepmom)

Ken Sheppard (one of Lakan's mentors), Seth, and Pan

And.....last but not least....Aidee-pie. Who cared more about the snowcone than the game! Ha!

Yummy snack & and satisfied soccer star :)

Consistently Inconsistent

2010-05-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

I have decided that there is ONE consistent quality about me, and it is..... that I am........... consistently INCONSISTENT!!! UGHGHGHGGGGHHH! It seems to have overtaken every aspect in my life, from cleaning to exercise to diet to spending time in the Word, etc., etc., etc.!!!! It drives me crazy, but it doesn't seem there is much I am doing to change it......maybe that should change!!?!? HA! Anyway, unfortunately that inconsistency means that my blogs are consistently 1-2 months apart!!! I would like to tell you that I am turning over a new leaf and that I will blog at least once a week, but I it probably won't happen.......because I.......am.....consistently inconsistent!! :)

I have lots to report on since it's been 2 months!! We are all great and just gearing up for summer which is Micah's busiest time of year. We love that he is busy because it means he is getting to do what he loves: teach and lead worship for teens/pre-teens/adults! He is amazing at what he does and the Lord has certainly gifted him with an uncanny ability to help people "catch" what God says through His Word! The downside is that he is gone 5-6 weeks out of the summer :( The boys and I stay busy traveling to visit granparents and spend plenty of time at Micah's parents since they live in San Angelo, but we still miss daddy big time!!

Photography is going GREAT!! You can check out the latest sessions HERE.

Otherwise, here's what else we've been up to:

Date Night: My mom was here the weekend before her birthday, so the boys took her out on a date....

flowers

picking Mamo up for her date

walking her into the restaurant. Cafe Italia. Very tasty!!

This is my great friend Brittany's little girl. They joined us for dinner. I think she and Seth look like brother and sister!!!

EASTER:

the loot...

going after the good stuff

Leave no tree unturned...or is it rock....whatever :)

daddy and the boys (notice aiden being nerdy in the background)

close up of Aidee pulling his pants up high. he thinks it's hilarious!!

Aiden runnin on sugar and adrenaline....

playin a little "carrot bat" baseball

this was sethers in a sugar coma..

poor baby was TIRED!

He wouldn't even take a pic with me....not like him at all

but we got a good Sethers smile out of him!!

Aidee was more interested in his juice box

but I got a smile out of him too!!!

AND mostly, we have been LOVING our trampoline!!!

Super Heroes...UNITE!!

bouncing high

best buds :)

BTW- i took these last shots with my NEW Canon 50D camera! The detail difference is AMAZING!!! Don't you think??

sprinkler fun!!

I am sure there are about a hundred more pics I could share with you, but I suppose this will suffice for now :) Hopefully it won't be too long before my next post.......

A Cowboy & A Snowday

2010-03-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

NOTE***if you follow me on Facebook, these pics are a repeat*** ;)

COWBOY
A week or two ago, Seth's pre-school had a little rodeo and it was absolutely just too cute!! Each class had practiced a grand entry, songs and, some "obstacle" courses! Seth's class was the "Cow Patty" race, in which they carried fake cow patty looking things in a litter box scooper around cones! It was pretty funny, to say the least :) Here are a few pics: (they are kinda out of order...sorry :} )

the cowboy & me

cutest cow hand in the west..

waiting so patiently for the "big race"

grand entry (riding a stick horse)

cow patty race (I apparently was a little late on the trigger, only got the backside)

SNOW
We love the snow & biscuit donuts. See pics:

icing!

huh?

so much snow!!

super fun on the trampoline!!

Lots of stuff.... :)

2010-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Almost 2 months since the last post...whoa! I just realized I never even posted about Christmas or Aiden's birthday!! Now that's pretty bad..... I guess a bulleted list is definitely in order...

*We are all doing pretty good, just trying to STOP passing around little sick germies :( UGGGHHHH! I usually never succumb to whatever sickness the boys have, but this year I have been hit hard. I hate it, because I "don't get sick" if you know what I mean, so to have had strep, a cold, & and ear infection in the last month or so has been rotten!

*I have had a few photography sessions lately (camimarianophotography.blogspot.com), which I absolutely LOVE! I shot a couple of newborn sessions....so fun!! Business is picking up a little, so that is great! I definitely don't have time to be a "full-time" photographer right now, but I just love every minute behind the camera, so I would NOT mind scheduling a few more gigs!! ;) I do have "fashion photo shoot" in March with my friend Janet for her clothing.accessory business Dimples and Dots, and a wedding booked in April. I am definitely looking forward to those :)

Micah is good. He hasn't been traveling as much as he would like this year, and although I know that has been taxing on him, he has been busy filling his uncharacterized "free time" with creatiing lots of graphic design projects and websites. The ministry situation isn't ideal by any means, but it has allowed him to tap into another side of his creative abilities and talents! We just continue to cling to God's faithfulness and provision during this rough patch and we know, without a doubt, that we will be taken care of!!

*The boys are doing GREAT!
......Seth is learning so much and I am amazed at how quickly he picks things up. He just loves to learn and is so proud of himself when he accomplishes something new! We are working on writing his name and he does pretty well on the last 3 letters, but the "S" seems to be giving him some big time trouble, but we will just keep on working! I want to maybe start some basic phonics with him to see how he does with that!! He is still my thoughtful, sweet, compassionate, boy, but is quickly learning the "things" that push his brother's buttons. And boy is he pushing them!!

.......Aiden is, well, still my little fireball! I just love the passion he has in everything, even if his flare for the dramatic side often drives me NUTS!! He turned 3 in January, which I just absolutely cannot believe!! He is our little music man and anytime daddy is playing guitar or checking out music on the web, you can bet Aiden makes a B-line to the office. Micah has recently shown him some Switchfoot music videos and given him a cd of theirs to listen to in his room. He will get out his own electric guitar, strike the musician stance, and jam out to the "Rain Song," as he calls it. It's just too precious to watch his eyes light up and feet start tapping any time music plays!! He is quickly following in the footsteps of his daddy, Kuya (uncle) Bashi, and Ate (aunt) Rachie.

Here are some pics of my handsome boys :) :)

Aiden, Finely, & Seth

my Aidie-pots..( I had to force him to take the pic with me)

Sethers...(no forcing involved for this pic)

enjoying a hot dog at his birthday party

spiderman cake made by Gimma and Rachie

Did I Forget to Mention.....

2009-12-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

SETH TURNED 4!!! Yeppers, my sweet, not-so-baby-anymore, baby turned 4 on Thanksgiving this year!! I seriously cannot believe it. I know we all say this, but it really does just feel like yesterday that we loaded up in the car, headed to Community Hospital, and had Seth Jameson Mariano at 8:36am via C-section. It was so surreal. And now so is having a 4 year old. I just love the little boy he is becoming! He has such a sweet sensitive heart, loves to be a helper, has "almost" perfect manners, & is so incredibly smart! He has the most contagious smile and laugh and rarely exhibits a bad mood (thank the Lord). Most exciting though is that he is really starting to process all of the things he is learning about Jesus. I know it's hard to tell what information is simply regurgitated at this age, but there have been several times that his little heart has just been broken because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. What an amazing feeling it is to see the work of Christ on your child's heart :) We continue to pray that he will fully understand and trust the sacrifice of Jesus.

Anyway.....of course his birthday didn't go by without several parties!! He is pretty lucky to have a holiday birthday because the parties never end!! Two weekends before Thanksgiving, we visited my dad & stepmom and had a small party there. The weekend before Thanksgiving we had a party with Micah's parents, family, & friends. Finally, we had a birthday party on Thanksgiving with my mom, stepdad, & mom's family. Seth loved every minute of it!! Here are some pics of my BIG BOY!!!

the Soccer Party- Cake by Kim & Rachel Mariano

sweet friends :)

The SuperMan Party-

my brother got Seth this HUMONGOUS gun! He couldn't even hold it up by himself but he sure does love it!!

And yes...Aiden got in on the present action too :)

The Birthday song- Courtesy of Mamo (my mom), Aunt Pam, & Aunt Stacy (her sisters).

Seth's reaction: "that was SILLY!!"

seriously...could he be any cuter??

My two "Supermen!!!"

2009-11-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

I realize that I am a little behind with these pics, but they are so darn cute i just had share! Both my precious boys were Superman this year for Halloween. I tried to be a little more creative, but they insisted on Superman, so that's what we did! Here are a few pics:

sweet brothers

My heroes (sigh)!

SUPERMAN!!!!

this was an inflatable slide at our Fall Festival that was actually pretty steep but all the kids seemed to love it....until.......

THIS is what happened when micah tried to send Aiden down by himself...oopsie

our first time to trick or treat door to door- so fun! And somehow they knew exactly what to do....hmmmmmm??!?!

The best way to travel :)

Seth's Costume Parade at his school

*Bonus Pick:

Aiden. He was laying across the arm of the couch watching a movie and almost fell alseep. I snapped a pic to add to his collection of random sleeping positions. Silly boy!

Am I REALLY 30?????

2009-11-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

HELLO SWEET FRIENDS!!!! So i have been a stranger to the blogging world the last few months, and I have actually started several new posts, but just couldn't figure out how to go about summarizing the previous months...so I just didn't. However, a sweet friend at church who follows my blog, kindly suggested that I at least write a post about turning 30!!! I suppose I agree that hitting a HUGE milestone in my life warrants a post!

Yes, I turned 30 today. Yes, I looked in the mirror today and after spotting a few new "smile lines," I decided I look 30. But, NO, I do not feel 30. I actually still feel about 21!! Even having been married 6 years and having 2 kiddos, I don't picture myself as this mature, responsible, adult. Is this bad? Am I in denial? Will there ever be a moment when I actually feel my age? I hope not ;) Anyway, so far 30 seems to be just fine! I had a great birthday weekend! Friday started with an afternoon of shopping with one of my best friends Kira and my mother-in-law, which was followed by a surprise party at my house thrown by my amazing hubby! Saturday, I got to do a photo shoot for another best friend Hilary and her sweet family, lunch with Kira & Hil at McAlisters (YUMMO), and then a VERY special birthday "date" with all of my boys!

I just have to tell you about my precious date because it was so sweet! While I was getting ready, Micah took the boys to the store to buy flowers and then come and "pick me up" for the date! They were so excited and proud to bring their flowers to mommy! They took turns opening and holding the doors for me, and Seth even paid for dinner! We went to Bonsai Garden, a first experience for the boys, and they were definitely mesmerized. Aiden was loving it until our chef did the big fire display and that was NOT ok for him...sweet boy. Seth was fascinated the whole time and just kept laughing and smiling. The boys both loved the food and they both actually ate broccoli....ON THEIR OWN!!!! Seth grabbed his off his plate and said, "Momma, I LOVE broccoli and I will eat it all because it makes me big and strong!!!" Everyone at our table was pretty impressed (including Micah and I)! When we got in the car to leave Aiden said, "I will like to taked you on that date Mommy!" So fun ;) Last we went to Baker's Street and I ordered my favorite drink, a mudslide, that I absolutely had NO room in my tummy for, but thoroughly enjoyed anyway. What a perfect birthday date! I am so thankful that I have a husband who values chivalry, displays that chivalry, and teaches it to our boys. Way to go babe!!!

Today, my actual birthday, was pretty low key which was nice, but unfortunately little Seth was sick :( It was great to cuddle with him, but I wish it hadn't been at the expense of him not feeling good. I have decided that one of the worst feelings as a momma is when your babies are hurting and there's nothing you can do to make them feel better :( Wouldn't it be great if we all had an instantaneous "make it all better" wand? I certainly think so!! Anyway, here are some pics of my
birthday & some of my "loot!"

German Chocolate Cake made by my mother-in-law :) My favorite!!!

Friday at my surprise party

Micah & the boys picking me up for our date

my boys and my flowers

Aiden at Bonsai (right) covering his head when the fire appeared.

Seth at Bonsai. This is pretty much how he looked the whole time!

Here are most of my goodies :) Flowers, gift cards, money, coffee mug & make-up mirror, $cash$......Thanks so much everyone!!!

No, that's not me in the pic. I wish. Just some skinny model with MY sweet new jacket on!! Micah ordered it for me, but it wasn't in yet.

A Scentsy Candle Warmer from my sweet friend Ashley. i LOVE it!! I put it in our room and I find myself randomly wandering back there just so I can soak in the marvelous scent!!

Kira took me shopping at Hobby Lobby and this is what I got! YAY for 50% off sales and YAY for friends who take you shopping!

This present DEFINITELY wins the funny award. An Obama Card & Fiber. Thanks Justin & Mary. A lot. I am speechless. :) They also got me flowers, so I guess they are kinda off the hook!

All in all, great weekend, great day, FANTASTIC 30th birthday!!!

On Again....Off Again

2009-08-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

I definitely feel like I have a "celebrity" relationship with blogging! Sometimes I am really into it and stay semi-consistent in updates. And then there are the "more than not" times that it just doesn't seem to fit in the priorities...or even the hobbies...or even the I am really bored I should do somethings....
BUT-oh well!! Life goes on none-the-less :)

What's been going on:

Vacation. We headed to Colorado with Micah's family for a week, which was wonderful!! This desesrves an entire post all to itself. That will give me perfect motivation to post again soon :) After Colorado, Micah and I went to Ruidoso for our anniversary trip. SIX years. Wow! Has it really been that long? I guess it's a good thing if you ask that question, right?? Anyway, I will post on that later too.

Schedules. I suppose back to school stuff doesn't technically affect us yet, but we are settling into a completely different schedule from the summer! Instead of Micah being gone during the weeks and home weekends, the trend sort of reverses. We have had LOTS of time together the last few weeks which is FANTASTIC, but hard to get used to! It kind of throws me for a loop, honestly. It's funny how quickly I settle into my own little groove and way of doing things and when that changes I feel a little out of it. For instance, I am not someone who has to be "going" all the time and in fact, if I am not careful, I can be borderline homebody! However, since Micah has been home during the week in the evenings, I keep feeling like we NEED to be doing something. So weird for me!! Our normal schedule usually only allows 2-3 nights home together (counting weekends), so you would think I would be ecstatic just to stay home and enjoy family time every night. But I guess because it's not normal for us, I can't seem to settle into it! Isn't that strange?!!?

Photography. This is something I have done on the side for several years now and I had the opportunity last weekend for several sessions, which was GREAT! I took some pictures for a friend's business, some maternity, and a wedding. I just love photography and it is one of those things that just feels right when I am behind the camera. My preference is to shoot in more relaxed settings and my absolute favorite subjects are children (no offense to the adults...i love you guys too)!! Something about the pure honest emotions you get when you photograph kids just makes my heart pitter patter. Cheesy, I know, but it does ;) Anyway, I have wanted to set up a photography blog for a while now, but hadn't for various reasons, but alas, today.....i did it. It's super plain right now, but the most important decorations are the photos themselves, so it might stay just as it is :) If you like, you can check it out HERE.

Last thing. I was watching my sweet, rambunctious boys run around screaming and chasing ground squirrels and birds unmercifully yesterday at the park and I decided moreso than any other moment in all my years of mommy-hood, that I LOVE being a mom to boys! I would completely be overjoyed if the Lord blesses us with a little girl someday, but for now, all I need are my precious boys!

"The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"

2009-07-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

The GOOD-
OK- so I am trying (apparently not very hard) to cut back on DP in an attempt to lose a few pounds, but tonight I was in SEVERE need of a Dr. Pepper. We were fresh out of them. I had just given the boys a bath and was getting them ready for bed when the craving hit, but I was NOT going to load them in the car at 8:00 for a Sonic run. But I still needed one :) SO....... I texted my "sweet, precious, I knew she was one of my best friends for a reason," to see if she might still be at church (very close to my house), to ask if she'd bring me a DP from the machine there. Well, sweet love!! Not only did she bring a delicious, ice cold can of goodness straight to my doorstep, but she brought a whole case!! Now that, my friends, is true friendship ;) Love you muchas mas KIRA!! And I still would even if you hadn't rushed to my rescue tonight, but I am sure glad you did :)

Kira & Me

The BAD-
*Micah was home for 2 1/2 weeks which was AWESOME!!! He left today for a camp in East Texas and I won't see him til Tuesday....I miss him...this is bad. :(

*I use too much excessive punctuation when I write. I used to be an English teacher. This is bad.

The UGLY-
ME!! As in my attitude....YUCK! Can anyone say, Mommy the GROUCH?!!? Uhhhggghh! I have been so impatient, frustrated, snappy, and grouchy this week. Yeah-the whole week. Little things that aren't usually a big deal to me are driving me nutso, I have very little patience for a certain 3.5 & 2.5 year old, and I am just plain not pleasant :( I don't know what the deal is, but "I do not like it, not one little bit!" It's not fun and I want out of the "funk!" So, for the benefit of my sweet boys and everyone else around me, would you mind just saying a quick prayer for me today? Thanks ;)

Summer Fun

2009-07-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

*WARNING.....due to the fact that I haven't posted in a month, this post is a little LONG and has LOTS of pictures :) *

Oh man! What a crazy summer we are having!! I thought summer was the season when everyone was supposed to slow down and take it easy and I thought we would settle after our trip to the Philippines, but I feel like we have been busier than EVER! Micah has had a very busy summer, which is great because ministry is what he does, but hard because he has been gone from us for virtually 7 weeks (minus a day here and there between camps)! Strangely enough, its gone by fairly fast and its been easier than the past summers that he's been gone, even though its the most he has traveled! Well, for me anyway. Aiden has NOT been very happy about his daddy being gone so much :( In fact, this weekend, he cried for daddy every night! BROKE my heart!! But no worries now, because DADDY IS HOME!! Well, technically he is at my mom's with us, but he is here and that's all that matters! He has a 2 1/2 week break before he has his last camp of the summer...WHOOHOO!

my handsome boys ;) we went fishing at a...ehemmm... "lake" close to my mom's. It was small to say the least! More to come on that story...

Puzzle time with daddy...that's his knee in the corner...apparently i forgot to get a pic with him in it!

Chillin with daddy in the recliner ;)

Anyway, the boys and I have stayed busy too, swimming, playing, running around, entertaining my little brother (10 yrs old) and doing some traveling of our own! We had a blast with Micah in Brownwood at youth camp! The boys and I loved getting to take a special trip with daddy to an event!
Funny story...I told the boys that we were going to get to go to camp with daddy for a few days and they were so excited, but Seth, the literal child he is, processed it as "camping!" So he thought we were going to sleep in our sleeping bags in a tent and that we were going to fish! It just cracked me up, because he has only been fishing once with Micah 2 summers ago, we didn't even own fishing poles, and we have never been on a camping trip. I am not sure where he learned what camping meant, but boy was he ready :) He was so excited about fishing and was telling everyone that we got to go to the "campout" with daddy and that he was gonna fish!! We are so blessed to have thoughtful and caring parents...Micah's dad, who the boys call "Pan," went to Academy and bought both the boys fishing poles (quite nice ones, might I add!!) Pan gave them to the boys Sunday after church and Seth was so excited he held the package all the way to Brownwood and even fell asleep with it in his hands :)

Thats a straw in his mouth in case you were wondering.....
Aiden was just as excited about his fishing pole, but he was more interested in hitting Seth with it, so I had to take it away for the time being!

THEN, on Monday afternoon after being SO patient, Seth got to go fishing with Micah on the lake at the camp. Unfortunately, Aiden had to have a nap, so he didn't get to go with them :( But he was perfectly happy to hang out with Mommy in the air conditioned room! When Micah was getting the fishing pole ready, you would have thought it was Christmas morning! Seth was absolutely precious because he was so excited he just kept talking and talking and talking about fishing! Micah brought some "sausage"" bait we had left over from lunch at Underwoods BBQ in Brownwood and the perch LOVED it!! Seth caught several and even held one of them before they threw it back in the water :) I am so proud of my little guy and I KNOW his daddy is too :)

getting the fishing pole ready..

Seth with a catch!

proud of that fishing pole

another "getting ready" pic

We left the camp Tuesday morning, spent one night at home, then headed to my mom's house for the rest of the week :) We love hangin out at Mamo's!!

wild man!

sandbox fun :)

yay for cupcakes

wanna bite?

push-ups + cartoons= the best life ever!

sno-cone goodness

look at mine!

hanging out at the pool

is this livin it up or what?

big boy swimmer ;) Maybe next summer we will work on losing those floaties!

Last but not least...MORE FISHING!!
We went to a very small lake about 20 minutes from my mom's house today. When we got there Micah said, "This is a lake? More like a pond.." and my mom said, "You Texans have to have everything big!" HAHA. Yes mom....we do!! So we follow Micah down to the water and IMMEDIATELY two beautiful white geese make their way over to us. I, of course, think they are cute and are just coming over to say hi, but as soon as Micah turned his back, they snuck over and tried to get our bait!! HAHA! So my everso courageous husband gently shoo'd them away and said "those silly geese...tryin to get my bait...haha!" Are you kidding me?? NO HE DID NOT DO THAT!! He yelled, "get out of here," and bowed up to them (as if in a fight with another human being)! When they retreated he called out after them, "that's right suckers!!" Oh man, I was totally cracking up! The beautiful geese scattered off a few feet away, but it wasn't long before they made their way back. BUT this time they B-lined straight for Aiden's little leg!!! The wonderful photographer that I am, I was taking pics and couldn't get there fast enough, but our of the corner of my eye Super-Daddy whacks the goose with a fishing pole! The goose hissed, Micah hissed back, the goose retreated, (for good this time) and Micah, in his moment of goose-defeat glory, shouted another, "whats up sucker...that's right!!" Micah the goose-slayer....my hero!! ;)

checking out a weed, er, I mean flower he picked for me

where are the fish? We didn't catch anything :(

Aiden resorted to relaxing in the shade :)

Me and the Sether J...

Me and the Pot-Pie :)

Aiden takin a break on the dock with my beautiful momma

Dad...i think the fish are over there....

how much longer do I have to pretend to fish? Can I have a snack?

such a pro

the infamous geese....

This boy is somethin else!

2009-06-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

So my sweet little Aidie-pots is quite the character and lately he has been CRACKING me up because he will fall asleep just about ANYWHERE when he is ready for his nap! He must be making up for his whole first year of crying and no sleeping. Well....actually, he still does the crying (especially when dadda is gone-this summer's been rough), but the sleeping has improved 100%. He no longer fights sleep nor only remains asleep for short moments at a time, but will fall asleep at the blink of an eye and stay that way for a long time...praise the Lord!! I can't tell you how many times I have left him awake one minute looked back the next minute and he was conked out :) Gotta love him. Precious boy!!

Anyway, here are a few pics of him "sleeping:"

asleep on our bed. i dunno if he was propping himself up with his arm?!!?

This has to be the funniest!! we were eating lunch, he got down from his chair, put his head on his "nite-nites" and seconds later was out!! He stayed that way for at least a few minutes until his legs started to give way and we decided to forsake our laughing moment to put him in bed :)

Same naptime- after Micah moved him to his room, this is how he ended up :) Crazy boy...

He was on the couch watching "toons", his diaper was off, ready to be changed before naptime, when my mom and I got distracted talking...it got REALLY quiet, and this is what we found....HA!!

Couldn't leave Seth out! He stuck his head between the cushions and fell asleep this way!!

It's a Love-Hate Relationship, but first....

2009-06-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from the trip (I finally loaded them on my computer)!!

Scenery on the way to the province where Lakan's uncle lives. I took this pic from the "window" of the jeepney while we were driving :) Not too bad, eh?

This might seem weird, but this is actually a pic at a cemetery and that building is one of those "enclosed graves." I can't remember what they are called..help me out Ryan D! You know, the coffin isn't buried under ground, rather just freestanding in the building?? Anyway, I thought it was VERY interesting, that some people actually live in those (as their home) because they are to be responsible for being the caretaker of their deceased loved one's resting place. Apparently, it's more efficient to just live in the building than it is to travel there to care for it. As we drove by, you could see house decor and furniture!! Isn't that so interesting?

here is Micah in front of a Jeepney. This was our main means of transportation while we were there.

This was INSIDE the mall we went to in Manilla!! Super cool and Super nice :)

Me and the Rachie girl! Best sis-in-law a girl could ask for!

One of the favorite dessert of most Filipinos- Halo Halo. Yummy Yummy! Its a mixture of ice cream, gummies, coconut, and something crunchy in coconut milk (I think?!?!).

The Micah Mariano Band- :) playing at the concert in Cagayan de Oro. Micah (lead), Boshi (keys), John Bautista(drums), and Rachie (viola).

my hottie rockstar hubby ;)

check out that banner....enough said!

Lakan's uncle that saved him from the flood.

This is where Lakan grew up before the flood. I am not sure which house was his, maybe the middle section? Anyway, you get the idea :)

Here is my hottie hubby again! i totally think he could pass as an Arab sheik or some sort of Arab royalty!! We did decide it might not be best to sport this look in the airport security lines though ;)

Me and the Sweet Rachie again by the beach in Cagayan

HELLO!! Is this sunset amazing or what? The mercy and magnificence of God, the Creator, totally just hit me in this moment....

Can you tell which part of the trip this is? Welcome home.....
Funny..i actually took this picture when we were getting our bags after going through Customs, and APPARENTLY, you aren't allowed to take pictures in that area, as I quickly learned when the guard arrived promptly at my side when he saw the flash...oopsie! Thank goodness he was nice enough to let me keep my camera!!

And now our "Feature Presentation"
I:
*LOVE a clean house...HATE doing the cleaning!!

*LOVE when my hubby comes home from a trip...HATE that he has to be gone :)

*LOVE clear skin....HATE that I have never really had it!!

*LOVE wearing comfy clothes all the time...HATE that as a result, I am not very trendy.

*LOVE the idea of organization.....HATE that I am not organized at all. It's frustrating.

*LOVE junk food and snacking......HATE that it doesn't help my weight loss goals :(

*LOVE the way I feel after working out..........HATE that I won't actually do it consistently, which also consequently does not help my weight loss goals!

*LOVE Circle E candles.......HATE that I only get to buy one 2 or 3 times a year :(

*LOVE when all the laundry is done(or at least the clean laundry put away).....HATE that that NEVER EVER EVER happens at my house.

*LOVE Dr. Pepper..........HATE when it's flat or not ice cold!

*LOVE having a tan.....HATE that I am pasty white right now, especially compared to my dark skinned boys :)

*LOVE knowing that God is absolutely sovereign......HATE not understanding why he created chiggers that seem to derive great pleasure from attacking MY legs!

*LOVE napping....HATE the grogginess that follows!

*LOVE watching my sweet boys grow up.....HATE that they won't be my "babies" forever!

*****thats all I have for now ;) Anyone else have a love/hate relationship you wanna share?****

Jetlag Anyone???

2009-06-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! So first of all, I just realized that I completely meant to blog about going to the Philippines before I left, but don't ya know I didn't get to it....oopsie! And then I "planned" to blog right away when we got home, but that didn't happen either! I will blame it on jet lag :) That stuff is a KILLER!! I couldn't figure out what time it was for about 2 weeks! Sheesh! I don't know what my excuse is for the other few weeks?!? Ummmm- how bout......ummmm......nope, I got nothin. Anyone else have an excuse for me?

Anyway, for those of you who didn't know, I had the most fortunate opportunity to go the Philippines for two weeks with the entire Mariano Family (minus the boys who stayed with my momma & grandmomma- THANK YOU)! It was amazing! Micah's dad grew up in Manilla, so we were all able to meet his family-sister, brothers, neices, & nephews- and some of his high school friends. We LOVE his family! They all got up at 3:30am to make sure they were at the airport to welcome us...talk about sacrifice! They were all so hospitable and made every effort to make sure we were well fed :) One of my favorite moments was when we got to meet Lakan's uncle who saved his family from a terrible flood when they were very young; Lakan was 5. His uncle, who happened to not go into work that day and who happened to be a great swimmer and only swimmer in the family, found a garden hose and would tie it from one house to another. Then he would take each member of the family one by one until they all reached that house and then do it all over again until the family was safe from the flood. WOW! It was precious to watch my father-in-law interact with his uncle. I felt honored to have been there. It was a bit of an experience traveling there as we rented a jeepney (see pics) so we could all ride together. Unfortunately, we hit some MAJOR traffic the ENTIRE way to the province and it took us 4 hours for what should have been less than a 2 hour drive. This was one of the few times I was thankful that a certain 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old were not with us ;) Anyhoo- it was completely worth the trip and such a blessing to watch Lakan reunite with the man who saved his life. He said several times, "If he had not saved us, none of us would be here. God used him to save our family." Isn't it wonderful how God ordains every event in our lives! Very cool.

We spent about a week in Manilla, then flew to Cagayan de Oro (another island). Did you know that the Philippines is made up of over 7000 islands!?!?! I bet Ashley Honea does! Cagayan was much more rural than Manilla, which I happened to love. There were still a lot of people and CRAZY drivers, but it seemed much more "hometown" to me than the humongous city of Manilla. Micah did a concert in Cagayan to help raise funds for a new building. His brother, sister, and a friend of ours also played with him. I think we were all surprised at how much work and how big the event would be; there were probably about 500ish (maybe more) that attended the concert! They even advertised it on the radio...I always knew my hubby was a super star :) The people from the church were amazing and went to every length to make sure we were all taken care of ;) Ya'll are awesome!!

I must say that one of my favorite highlights of the trip was getting to meet with some people from the Philippines that our church partners with. Unfortunately, I cannot divulge much information via internet for security reasons :( But they were all incredibly amazing people and I am completely humbled by their faith and dedication to the Lord! I will tell you that I "thought" I knew what it meant to claim that Christ is sufficient and that I "count all things loss for the sake of knowing" Him, but good night nurse if God didn't open my eyes!!! These people literally risk their lives to share the good news of Christ and they consider it pure joy ;) And here I am scared to invite the sweet little old man that lives across from us (not you Ryan...you are to our right ;) ) to church!! HELLO!!?!? Anyway, it was a blessing in every way shape and form!

I don't have my pictures on my computer yet, surprise....but if you are on Facebook, you can check them out on my profile via my mother-in-law's photo album. I will work on posting some on here as well!

Hope all of you are doing great! I have missed keeping up with all of you ;)

Look at these CUTIES!!

2009-05-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

Just some pics of the boys for this post :) No marathon stories for now ;) I know, I know...you are all so upset...hehehe!

ummmmm, yes, he does think he is this cool!

sunglasses, friends, and fun! (the other little one is Jackson Moore)

ok- seriously, does he not have the greatest smile in the world?

sweet boys :)

my little camera ham!!

Remember the story in my last post about waking up cranky from his nap? He did it again, but his time I captured it with my camera for some serious blackmail someday!!

Rough life for the cranky-pots!!!

A little funny....

2009-04-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend I ended up taking Seth on Saturday to the Shannon Pediactric Clinic because his little tonsils were crazy swollen and I didn't get him in to our pedi on Friday. Anyway, Dr. Wehner was on call and I am so glad because he was wonderful!! So Seth did super great and even opened his mouth nice and big so the dr. could see his throat without having to gag him with that oversized popsicle stick! BTW- does that thing have an official medical name?!?! By the time is was all over, Seth hadn't cried once...remarkable, I thought for a 3 year old with tonsilitis. Well, actually it was some other "itis," but I don't remember the name, so tonsilitis will have to do for now...heheehe! Okay, so we were in the car driving home and I was asking Seth if he liked Dr. Wehner and he said, "yes." So I said, "He was VERY nice wasn't he?" To which Seth replied, "Yes mommy he was VERY nice.....AND shiny!" HA! Trying not to bust out laughing I asked him why he thought the dr. was shiny and all he said was, "because he was so nice." So I don't know what he was trying to say... but it sure was funny :)

And Mr. Aidie-pots, as we like to call him, is quite the little crack up as well!! He has a memory like a steel-trap door (whatever that means) and doesn't let anyone forget anything!! He can remember the smallest little details about the most random things and times! The other day I was cleaning out some toys and I found a ball that he immediately picked up and said, "member dis ball mama? daddy bought it for me at Sarge's house (my dad) and we frew (threw) it down the stairs? member?" Yes I did remember, and the crazy thing is that the last time we were at my dad's was for Thanksgiving!!! UM, yeah- he remembers that silly little ball from like 5 months ago!! He can remember just about anyone after he meets them one time, and randomly recites scenes from movies! Yesterday, he woke up from his nap SUPER cranky and after trying every trick known to man to appease him, I finally put him on the floor and said, "go for it....throw that fit!" Which seemed to work because he almost immediately stopped crying and began telling me about the "big bad bird" in Horton Hears a Hoo. We haven't even watched that movie in weeks but he told me word for word all about it!! Crazy kid! I just love him!! He is too smart and too cute for his own good and for my patience ;)

Oh yeah, and one last thing. My husband is so amazing and tells me all the time that I am beautiful (even though I beg to differ), but he has also been telling the boys at random times to come over and tell me the same thing. It is the sweetest thing! Anyway, they both will come up to me and say it now without being prompted, and Seth definitely gets it right and says, "mommy, you are beautiful!" And I say, "Thank you sweet boy, and you are so handsome!" He just smiles! And then sweet Aiden, will come over and say, "mommy, I love you..... I so beautiful!" :) I totally get what he is saying, but it's just so funny! Especially with his little personality! Of course I tell him that, yes, he is beautiful!! Can you imagine him pulling that line on some gorgeous girl someday? Hey there...I noticed you from across the room...and I just have to tell you that......I am so beautiful!! HHAHAHA! Bet he won't score a date off that line :)

Here are a few pics. Kinda random for this post, but I forgot that I took them and wanted to post them :) The cute chunky monkey is Corban (one of my best friend's little boy). The boys LOVE him!!! So sweet...it almost makes me want another baby....almost.

no baby corban here...just MY baby :)

HOLY SCHMOLEY GUACAMOLE!!!..Has it REALLY been over a month?

2009-04-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Yowser!! I knew I hadn't blogged in a while, but I didn't realize it had been so long...eeeek! Anyhoo...things are great with us! We finally finished the kitchen, minus a few detail things, so that has been a relief! We ended up painting our cabinets black which I WAS NOT sure about at first, but I am so happy I listened to my hubby :)

On to Easter...(It's a little long, but worth the read...I think ;) )
We had an amazing Easter! God is so good and gracious and merciful! I have the most precious story about Seth that actually happened the week before Easter:

Since it was Palm Sunday, Micah wanted to do something really different and focused on the Cross. He and the rest of the staff did an INCREDIBLE job pointing us to the Cross on that Sunday morning! Seth happened to be in the service with me for just a little bit, which was strange in itself because he usually still stays in the nursery. Anyway, the mood was very low key, the lights were down, there were 2 projectors flashing images of the cross and Micah led worship solo (without the praise team). At first I was a little concerned the images of the cross might be a little too much for Seth, but he just asked me who/what they were and I tried my best to explain to him about Jesus dying on the cross. We have had lots of conversations about Jesus so there were some reminders and some new insights :) Anyway, after 15 minutes or so, he was ready to go back to the nursery to play with his buddies, so I took him half expecting a question or two about our conversation in "big church," but there weren't any. No big deal. After church, when we were going back into the sanctuary Seth saw the cross in the entry way and here is how the conversation follows....

Seth: Mom, that's the cross!
Me: Yep that's right buddy.
Seth: That's where Jesus died...
Me: (taken back) that's right sweetie
Seth: (a somber look comes over his face) WHAAAAAAAA (this is full blown crying!!!!)
Me: (concerned) Honey...what's the matter??
Seth: (Still wailing) MOMMY!! I didn't want Jesus to die!!! (more wailing)
Me: Seth...it's okay baby! It's okay to be sad, but there's good news!! Jesus is alive today because God made him alive again!!
Seth: (STILL sobbing uncontrollably) I didn't want Jesus to die.....
Me: (grasping for any ounce of wisdom I may have stored up) Seth, baby, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay (is all I managed to squeak out!)
At this point Seth and I are both bawling now and sitting on the ground in the back of the sanctuary and have conglomerated quite an audience.... and I finally got my bearings and went through the gospel as best I could with a sobbing 3 year old in my lap :)

Me: Seth, when we trust Jesus as the ONE who died to take away all the bad things we do, then He lives in us!! Isn't that great!?!
Seth: (crying..yep..still) He doesn't live in me...He lives in YOU!!!! (more wailing)
Me: (wailing..just kiddin, but the tears were definitely flowing...finally decided to leave it at that for now and just love on my sweet burdened little boy)
*sidenote****where was Aiden in all of this?? Running around alerting everyone it was time to go to the Pizza House (Double Daves)....HAHAHAHA...precious little Aidie-Pie :) ******

We both eventually collected ourselves, and Seth ran to the front of the church to tell Micah about Jesus and the cross. While we were in the back, Micah heard Seth crying and thought he was in trouble, so when Seth got to his daddy, he started crying again and said, "Daddy...I didn't want Jesus to die on the cross..." to which Micah replied,"You got in trouble for throwing ROCKS?!?!" HA!! Anyway, Seth said it again and as I was walking up, saw both Seth and daddy crying now! Don't ya know I just lost it all over again!!! Man.....talk about heart wrenching! We had just spent an hour or so of intensely focusing on the Cross...just the Cross...the Sacrifice...the Despair our Savior endured for the namesake of His father....the Place where the entirety of sin was heaved on his body so we could be set free....and then our 3 year old comes in, sees the cross, and is completely devastated at the idea of it all. And when I say devastated, I mean devastated. Seth was so completely broken and sincerely troubled about the death of Jesus and God truly allowed me to see true, raw, emotion through my own son. Whoa buddy! Seth, although we talk about it, hasn't had a lifetime of "hearing" about the Cross year after year, and he certainly hadn't developed any sort of callousness toward it. But, rather, in that moment, he understood death and he understood that a man died for him, and he was instantly consumed by grief. I honestly had to ask myself if I have ever been overcome with grief because Jesus died for me!?!? Had I ever truly considered the Sacrifice before I considered the Resurrection? I can tell ya that I was forced to do some major reflection of my heart and I came to the conclusion that yes, obviously I have considered those things. I don't see how it's possible not to consider them upon salvation. But I think God allowed me a precious gift that Palm Sunday through Seth Jameson...a precious moment with my son as he began to realize the events of the crucifixion...and a precious moment to truthfully consider the LOVE he bestowed on me through HIS OWN SON on the Cross!

Since then, Micah and I have had lots of conversations with sweet Seth about Jesus, his death, and resurrection. He now "knows" that three days after Jesus died, God made Him alive again and that he lives in heaven with God and also in our hearts. Although I definitely don't think he has made the all the connections, I do believe that God is already softening his heart to the gospel (obviously..)! I can't tell you what an honor it is to be used of God in your own child's life. I am thankful, more than ever now, for the blessing of children and my responsibility as a mother to nurture their need for a Savior!!

"Pretty Much" Done...and other stuff

2009-03-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of my kitchen updates yet???

OKAY!! So we are pretty much finished with the counter top minus a few little details here and there!! Whoohooo! I am working on putting everything back together, but we have now decided that we want to paint the cabinets and kitchen walls :) I know...we are crazy!! I definitely HAVE NOT cooked a meal in over a month and I can't say that I have missed it that much....hehehe! Anyway...here are a few pics of the "pretty much" finished counter with sink, R.O. system (thanks Kim and Lakan!), and super sleek faucet with a pull down sprayer!!

Other stuff:
We brought the family Wii home from Kim and Lakan's house the other night and have been having SO much fun!! The boys love Mario Kart!! Of course Micah and I have the remotes that are connected and the boys have other ones, but they think they are playing too! It is so funny to listen to them tell their cars to GO!! Seth "wins" every time and definitely says "you like that punk? huh? HUH?" Wonder where he heard that...hmmmm...MICAH!! And Aiden usually finds something else to do before the race is over ;) Apparently....I am TERRIBLE at Mario Kart! I remember playing in college and I don't think I was too bad, but I definitely finished LAST in EVERY single race during a 45 minute span the other night!!! REALLY?!?! That just kills the competitive spirit in me! I can usually pick things up pretty quick, but I CANNOT seem to grasp the concept of directing a fictional character through a ridiculous course; some of which, i might add, are stinkin tough! My husband, of course, wins every single race and just laughs when I come in dead last! Sometimes I don't even get to finish the race because I am so far behind and all the other cars finish......jeeeeez!! I am sorta decent at bowling, but not good enough to beat Micah yet ;) That day will come, oh yes, I will be victorious...even if i have to sabotage him!! Anyway, we have had some great family fun! Here are a few pics...

sweet sethers :)

love this boy!!

flyin high..jumping from the chair to the ottoman!

goofin off

daddy winning at Mario Kart (even with Aiden on his lap!!)

And one more thing...
We visited my sweet friend Jenn Moore a few weeks ago :) She and her husband, Myles, moved to Belton and I do miss her a whole bunch!! I took the boys up there and we stayed for a few days. So much fun! The first night we tried to put all three boys (Seth-3, Aiden-2, and Jackson-2) to sleep in Jackson's room on a pallet...we gave up about 10:45!! It was a nice try :) I am sure Myles was cracking up because at any given time it was likely that one or all of the boys were in time out!! HA! My boys just love Gym(what they call her) and Jackson!! I kinda do too :)

jackson was so sweet to share his favorite Cars chair..they all squished in there :)

bathtub fun!

story time with Gym....

Almost There :)

2009-03-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

After A LOT of work this weekend (done mainly by my hubby..have i mentioned how proud I am of him??), we are getting super close to finishing the kitchen! It has definitely taken us over a month to do this renovation!! Although, we were talking about hours actually spent on the project thus far and it only adds up to about a week and a half!!! How does that happen?? Oh yeah...I have a husband with a crazy schedule and 2 meddling boys that want to "help" mommy and daddy!! Anyway, we can now see the end in site and are thinking we MIGHT have everything back together by Wednesday IF (and that's a big one) the plumber can come and put the sink/r.o. system/dishwasher in. So, it could be Wednesday or it could be next week!! Anyway, here are a few pics of the "progress."

Just a reminder of the "before"

it's even worse than I remember!!

And "after"

new tile!! Yahoo! don't mind the splotchy white spots...those are spacers..we still have to grout!!

Micah installed lights under the cabinets..super cool!!

here's a view of our new opening from the kitchen to the living room...

Just a few more things and we'll be DONE!!!

ON ANOTHER NOTE:
My momma came this weekend!! So much fun :) She is actually staying until Tuesday and that made the boys extremely happy! She always brings the boys "prizes" when she comes and this time Micah and I got one too! She brought Micah this salsa that a local grocery store makes in Artesia (where I'm from); it's super yummy! And she got me this purse:

Isn't it SOOOOO cute!! I have had the same purse since Seth was born (sad, I know), which was one she actually bought me!! I just either haven't found one I liked enough when I had the money or found one I loved and didn't have the money!!! Anyway, my mom is so thoughtful to bring this special prize for me! She found it at a little specialty shop in Seminole. She also got me some fun shirts from the same store as well. She's a spoiler for sure...but I don't mind ;) Anyway, she is GREAT and we are so happy to have her here!!! Thanks Mamo!!

Still Here!!

2009-03-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hey sweet friends!! We have been busy!!! I have been out of town and we have been TRYING to finish the kitchen....and by we I actually mean Micah!! He has been AMAZING and has been working SO hard!! We are finally in the tiling stage....hopefully I will get around to loading the pics from my camera tomorrow so I can show ya an update. I would do it tonight, but then I actually have to get up from my comfy seat on the couch next to my hubby, find that white cord I always misplace, load the pics from the camera, and upload them on a post and write brief captions for them. I am not feeling that ambitious ;) MAYBE (fingers crossed) we will have a functional kitchen by the end of this weekend...the hot pockets and microwave meals are NOT so much helping to my weight loss goals!! Plus I am not working out, so that doesn't help either! Shoot Dang! Why is it so stinkin hard to get to the gym!?!? Maybe because I stay up til midnight or later every night and am thus too tired the next morning...hmmmm...could it be!?!?!?

Anyway, pics to come soon of the kitchen and a fun trip to see one of my sweetest friends, Jenn and one of the boys favorite friends, Jackson ;)

Updates!!

2009-02-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

Update # 1: Reagan
Reagan is doing MUCH better and hopefully, if her fever doesn't come back, they will get to come home tomorrow!!! The latest diagnosis was that she got some form of the flu, thus causing her congestion/coughing/fever.

Update #2: The Kitchen!!
We are FINALLY making some progress on our renovations. We started almost 2 weeks ago and were sort of in a holding pattern because we were waiting on the guy who did our plumbing to help us cut a hole between the wall that separates the living room and kitchen. Originally the plan was for him to come yesterday (Saturday) so we waited a whole week (basically) thinking we couldn't do anything else until that was done. So Saturday morning came, Micah called, and the guy said he couldn't make it!! Which he also did the first time he was supposed to come do the plumbing work. Great!! Thanks a lot!! He is a great guy, we totally appreciate his help, and I know they are busy, but seriously, if you know you are busy and think you might not make it, then just say I might not make it! Enough of this false hope business!! Anyway, it really ended up being a blessing in disguise because Micah decided to just do it on his own. Now I must say that I completely thought this was not such a great idea at first, because he hadn't done it before. I had this wretched picture of what our "opening" might look like, but there was no stopping him! He came in with that determined look on his face and I was NOT about to stand in his way ...no matter what the outcome ;) I do have to say that I am SO proud of him!! He just got right to work and it looks great so far, granted we still have to sheet rock the bottom, trim it out, and paint it before it's all done! Now we can start on the counter, which ideally was supposed to be done by now..hehehe!! I am not naive enough to think that we are home free with no more problems, but we are at least making progress!! Whoohooo! Very soon my bathtub dish washing days are soon over!! Funny story about that:

So I have been keeping my dish scrubber in the bathroom by the tub for easier access. Yesterday, I was getting Seth dressed and then I walked into the bathroom to find Mr. Aiden Matthew with the DISH scrubber in hand just going to town scrubbing the TOILET!! I said, "Aiden Matthew...no sir! The toilet is nasty, we do not play in it!! YUCK!" To which he replied, Mommy! I help wash dishes!! AHAHAHAHHA I totally cracked up ;) And trashed the contaminated scrubber. I can only hope this was the first time he attempted to "help" me wash dishes!!! The NEW scrubber is now hidden from the mischievous hands of the little squirt!

Here are some pics: It really kinda looks like a disaster zone, and it is, but we are so excited!

The wall that separates the kitchen/living room...before...

Big boy Seth helping daddy! He is so proud!

this was all making me SO nervous!

view from the kitchen to living room (kinda)! It will be GREAT when it's all done :)

all done with demo of the wall! Micah worked on framing the space that will be open, but I didn't take a pic.

Reagan Grace

2009-02-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

Would you pray for this sweet little girl?

For those of you who might not know, this is Reagan Stephenson. She had a heart transplant one year ago (Febuary 15). She has recovered remarkably and is just as precious as she could be!! Anyway, she had her 1 year biopsy of her heart yesterday to check the heart and make sure it is functioning as it should. All looked well until her heart rate sky rocketed and her fever spiked very high. They think she had a reaction from them going up her coronary arteries or a sinus infection or both. The doctors are currently keeping her admitted in the hospital until her heart rate is regulated and fever is down. She seems to be doing a little better, so hopefully, this is just a minor setback, but with all the complications of heart transplants and the fragile state of them, it has the potential to be a big problem. Stacy, her mom, is staying there with her and, as you can imagine, is really upset/stressed/scared/tired/etc. Rex, her dad, is heading back to San Angelo today because he needs to be back at work and home with Reagan's brothers and sister. If you would just say a quick little prayer (or long...if you like!) for Reagan and her family, I know it will be a great blessing! I will keep updating as I hear anything new :) Thanks so much!!

A few things...

2009-02-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

RECIPE: Here is the recipe for the "almost PF Changs" lettuce wraps I made recently! I didn't follow it exactly and had to improvise on a few ingredients, but for the most part it was easy and tasted GREAT!!

Special Sauce

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard powder (see Tidbits)
2 teaspoons water
1 to 3 teaspoons garlic chili paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 cup minced water chestnuts
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)

4 to 5 sliced iceberg lettuce cups

1. Make the special sauce (for spooning over your lettuce wraps) by dissolving the 1/4 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve the lettuce wraps. Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the Chinese hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually you will add your desired measurement of Chinese mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over your lettuce wraps. In the restaurant chain, skilled master craftsmen prepare the sauce at your table the same way, depending on your desired heat level. We'll talk more about that later.
2. To prepare the filling for your lettuce wraps, bring 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Sauté the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan to cool. Keep the oil in the pan and keep the pan hot.
3. As the chicken cools be sure your water chestnuts and mushrooms have been minced to about the size of small peas.
4. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
5. When you can handle the chicken, hack it up with a sharp knife so that no piece is bigger than a dime. With the wok or pan still on high heat, add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chicken, garlic, water chestnuts and black mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and sauté the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it onto into a dish lined with a bed of fried rice noodles (maifun).
6. Serve chicken with a side of lettuce cups. Make these lettuce cups by slicing the top off of a head of iceberg lettuce right through the middle of the head. Pull your lettuce cups off of the outside of this slice.
7. Make the special sauce at the table by adding your desired number of mustard and chili sauce to the special sauce blend: 1 teaspoon mustard and chili sauce for mild, 2 teaspoons each for medium and 3 teaspoons of each for hot. Stir well.

Tidbits: Follow the directions on the package for frying the maifun (rice sticks) -- usually by pouring 2 inches of vegetable oil into a pan and heating to around 400 degrees. Add maifun, a little at a time, and when it floats to the top remove it to a paper towel. This expansive crisping process is actually quite exciting. Rather than powdered Chinese hot mustard, you can instead use the kind that comes already prepared in the bottle so that you don't have to add water. Your choice.

KITCHEN: We are on hold until Saturday :( We are knocking part of our wall between the kitchen and living room out to create a window/opening and the guy can't come til then. I am super excited about the window, but a little frustrated about the longevity that this project is requiring! I KNEW it would happen that way, so I don't know why it's frustrating, but it is!!! Oh well!!

DISAPPOINTED: Anyone else completely saddened by American Idol last night?? For one...I am not a fan of the new format....too confusing! And second...I guess the top three from the first group will be EASY to choose. I never really understood a lot of times when the judges talked about song choice, but boy did I ever understand it last night!! Too bad, because I think there were some super talented singers in that group :( BTW- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Danny G. (the last one to perform last night)!! He's my fav!

KIDDOS: I love these boys!! They are such a sweet blessing in my life and teach me so much about myself daily!

FINALLY...pics of Demo!!

2009-02-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

I finally found my little white cord.....right where I left it...in my computer case...go figure!! Who would have actually thought to look "there??!!" I guess I am so bad at misplacing things that it never occurred to me that it might be in the last place I left it :) Anyhow..... below the post are the pictures of the demolition of our pale, yellow, 1950's honeycomb tile!! Honestly, I was kinda sad to see it go... NOT REALLY!! I hated it!! We are waiting on the plumber to take care of some things tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to start putting everything back together soon. I know it will be worth it, but I am soooooo ready for a meal other than a sandwich and looking forward to NOT washing the boys sippy cups and other random dishes in the bath tub :) Funny story about all the sandwiches we have been having:

So we have had A LOT of sandwiches lately, because...well our kitchen is technically in non-working order and that's just what you eat! Anyway, so the other night (I think it was day 4 of demo, which translates to 6/7 sandwiches) Micah and I had the "what do you want for dinner" discussion. Here is our dialog:

Micah- "What's the plan for dinner?"
Me- "Well, lets see....hmmm...we can do sandwiches, sandwiches, or get take out."
Micah- (pause) "I tell you what beautiful (that's what he calls me), we can do sandwiches but we can embelish them!"
Me- (thinking-oh yummy, something different!) "Embelish them? Like with what Babe?"
Micah- (no joke-this was his reply) "With Chips!!!"
Me- "hahahahahahahhahahahhahahhahhaa, REALLY? Hahahahahahahaha!"

Ok- really, I thought this was too funny! I am still chuckling thinking about it! If we think that adding chips to our sandwich meal is an "embelishment" then we need to get out more!! Are chips not the #1 side dish for a sandwich? Anyway- gotta love my hubby for trying to make something "blah" seem exceptional!! LOVE HIM!

Demo Pics:

Before...

Micah actually chipped these off about 2 years ago b/c we thought we might redo the counter top then...never seemed to get back around to it!!

no turning back now!

I don't know if you can tell, but there was this chicken wire stuff that was mortared to the backing that was mortared to the tile...ummm...NOT easy to get off!!

First "war" wound! It was right on the elbow bone and we wouldn't get it to stop bleeding, so I put a gauze pad under a band-aid and then secured it with painters tape!! Shoulda taken a pic of that!!

After about an hour, Micah finally got a big chunk pried off!

bye bye yellow tile!

"is that a sink full of counter top?" Yes Sir!

Our friend Ryan came over to take part in the festivities!

This is the last pic I took, but it doesn't look like this now, ALL the stuff is cleared out, so it's a little neater than that ;)

More pics to come as we make progress!

Love Notes...

2009-02-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know, my husband and one of our closest friends Ryan Dalgliesh
have created a Love and Romance conference which originated from Ryan's book Love Notes. Our church hosted one of these conferences this past weekend and it was amazing! Micah led worship, Ryan preached about God's biblical design for love and marriage. I definitely don't brag on my husband enough, but he is amazing at what he does and both of these men have an incredible understanding of the Word and a passion to make it known! I was incredibly convicted about so many areas in my life that are lacking! I could list them all, but we'd be here ALL night ;) If you really wanna know all about it and have a few spare hours... I would love to share it with you! Or maybe when I am feeling "lengthy," I will dedicate a post just to that :) Anyway, the conference was super fantastic and I would completely recommend Ryan's book and/or the conference to anyone who desires to love like Christ intended us to love! In addition to "recommending"....... Love Notes now has a blog that you can check out here with practical applications and challenges for your marriage on a weekly basis! Awesome!!

That's all for now!! I will hopefully post soon with some pics of the DEMO on our kitchen counter.....if I can find my "little white cord that lets me put pics on my computer!" Anyone seen it????

5 Things....

2009-02-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

1. I love my husband!! He is a total and complete blessing...even if we aren't always on the same page ;0)

2. Tonight was one of those nights that I realized how much I love being a mom! Of course I always love being a mom, but sometimes it just hits ya in moments you don't expect and it's an overwhelming flood of emotion! Does this happen to anyone else?

3. Has anyone else noticed a decline in Texas driver courtesy? Does anyone not remember the "Golden Rules" of moving over to the shoulder so someone can pass or more importantly...waving/flashers as a sign of thanks to someone who pulls over to the shoulder so you can pass? Am I the ONLY one who still holds to these at any level of importance?

4. I made "almost" PF Changs lettuce wraps last night......YUMMY!! They were actually pretty similar except I couldn't quite get the special dipping sauce right, so I will have to work on that ;) Or just "borrow" some from the restaurant next time I am there....hehehe

5. There is NOTHING like the first sip of an ice cold Dr. Pepper! It has the ability to make all my troubles disappear- at least for a few seconds anyway!!

TAG-O_RAMA!

2009-01-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

I got tagged by my sweet friend Janet!! It's a first for me ;) And WHO KNEW it would be so complicated ;) You are supposed to pick the 4th picture from your 4th folder in your pictures. EASY, right!?!? I thought so until I got started. My 4th folder under my "pictures" application happens to be my IPHOTO library that houses ALL of my pictures. Once you click on that folder the pictures are organized by the year/month/day they were taken. So, once you click the "year" folder, you choose a "month" folder, then the "day" folder, THEN choose a picture!! Should still be simple, right?! I will just stick with the 4th theme and choose the 4th folder until I get to the pictures, then choose the 4th one! UMMMMMM- oh no..not so simple!

Ok, so with that said here comes the complicated part: when I went to my "4th" folder (IPHOTO library), there were ONLY TWO folders...2008/2009...NO 4th folder!!! AHHHH what do I do? Which one to choose? How about the 2nd one, to at least keep the "formula" in the evens category. I clicked on the 2009 folder and surprise...hello Cam..only ONE folder! DUH- it's January 2009!! So now my whole strategy had been really been thwarted! I really needed my friend Ryan Dalgliesh to help me out since he has an uncanny talent for all things patterned and numbered!! So I thought, "okay, I am a big girl, I can handle this...I will just have to settle with folder number one (2008) and then get back on track with everything 4th from there!"

2008 folder. Done. 4th month-April. Done. 4th day I loaded pictures- April 10th. Done. WHOOHOO, I was cooking on all cylinders now!! Only one more 4th and I am good to go to upload the pic and post my blog...then, guess what?? ONLY THREE pictures!!! I believe the pattern is out to get me and that I may be pattern challenged ;) SOOOOOOO- 30 minutes later...here is my 3RD picture, from my FOURTH folder, from my FOURTH folder, from my FIRST folder, from my FOURTH folder!!! Anyone still reading....... me either!!!

It's Aiden- last April, riding cowboy on our precious chocolate lab Finley ;) Can you BELIEVE how short Aiden's hair is?!?! Almost doesn't look like him!

I TAG:
Anyone who wants to follow MY formula ;)

2 In A Row!!!

2009-01-28T15:57:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! Two consecutive blogs...I am on a roll! Heehee ;) I actually completely forgot about some pictures from Aiden's actual birthday! We went to Mr. Gatti's (a pizza place with games)! The boys love it!! It's actually pretty funny: Seth runs around the whole time trying to find the game that is most "worthy" of his tokens and usually ends up not spending ANY of them (penny pincher!) and Aiden can't seem to spend his tokens fast enough!! Anyway, we had a blast and here are some pics of that as well as a few I took yesterday. I swear my boys are the cutest in America ;)

Oh yeah...I also realized that my friend Janet tagged me...like a week or so ago...so I will post that one later!

My sweet boys:

Absentee Blogger....

2009-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have officially become an absentee blogger! I honestly thought I would do really well at blogging on a semi-consistent basis or at least every few days...but life happens, kids get sick, the laundry pile takes over the house, etc. and somehow the fact that I haven't posted in WEEKS doesn't seem like the highest priority. Oh well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later! I suppose I will ditch the pressure to be an avid blogger and post when I post ;)

With that said, here are some pictures of Aiden's 2nd birthday party that I promised forever ago! We did a rock band theme because Aiden is our "music child!" He is constantly drumming with anything that closely resembles a drumstick, singing with daddy, or jamming to the radio!! Once again my super talented friend Kari did invites and Rachel (who we swear needs to get a job with Ace of Cakes) made the cake!! My mom found some inflatable guitars and other music instruments for party favors that the kids AND adults loved!! We had lots of fun!

Aiden with his guitar cake!

Aiden and daddy

partaking in sheer bliss!!

opening the "loot"

playing inflatable guitar

FUNNY!!!!

2009-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

For those of you who really know Aiden and his funny little personality...this story will not surprise you! This weekend, we had his 2nd birthday party (pics to come soon), so my mom and step-dad were in town and my mom took the boys to Target. Somehow they came home without several bags of toys, which was a miracle! Anyway, in the midst of shopping, Seth needed to go potty. My mom was by herself, so of course Aiden had to be in there too! While Seth was going potty, Aiden was peeping underneath the stalls...typical of little ones. However, when my mom told him to get back in their stall because there was a lady next to them, he promptly began singing the song, "I see your hiney, it's white and shiny!!!!!" HHAHAHAHAHAAA I asked my mom what the lady did and my mom said she didn't know...they booked it out of there before she could get out of the stall!!! Oh man! What a character ;) I need to start posting more of the boys stories....some of them are hilarious!

Marathon Christmas= Marathon Post ;)

2009-01-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

So seems like I should have at least added a new post once during the holidays, but I get so distracted viewing everyone else's blogs that by the time I get back to mine...I am exhausted!! Anyone else have this problem? Maybe i should post first, then browse :)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and time with family (everyone seems to have from the bolgs i have read!)!! I indeed had a wonderful time, but let me tell you that I am SO GLAD to be home! So far, this Christmas, I spent a total of 1 1/2 days actually at home. Crazy, I know! We started off the week before Christmas in Artesia at my mom's house, then came home Christmas Eve, had Christmas day at home/in-laws, left the next day for Clovis, NM with Micah's fam (sans Micah- he was at a winter retreat), traveled to my grandparents on Saturday (they live close to Clovis), then made a trip back to Artesia with my mom so I could help her pack (they are moving to a diff. house)and FINALLY Christmas Eve, my mom took us halfway to meet Micah and we headed home sweet home! Then we had one whole day with Micah before he left on Friday to speak at a college retreat....you see why I call it "Mariano Madness??" Anyway, minus a few "episodes" here and there, and with all the traveling and shuffling, the boys have done great and have loved time with family. They got to spend some special time with my grandparents, Bibbi and PaPa, who I just absolutely adore! The boys warmed up right away and Aiden loved that PaPa set up a basketball rim for him on the door! We got him one for Christmas and he loves that thing more than any other presents...even the aquarium.

Santa brought the boys lots of fun things and an aquarium was one of them. Seth absolutely loves them and actually said at one point, "I love them and they love me!" So sweet!! He is a big helper already by feeding them and making sure to check the temperature of the tank! Aiden of course is oblivious to the fact that fish now exist in our home and I haven't decided if that is a good or bad thing yet. They also got those huge Kota Triceratops Dinos from Santa at my mom's house and their very first tricycles from Micah's parents...did they rake it in or what?? Poor things have a very messed up view of Santa now, they think he visits everywhere they travel and in fact when we got back to my mom's last Sunday, Seth asked where his presents were...uh oh! Anyway, sorry for the marathon post and here are some pics!

My grandma- Bibbi

Seth in his knight costume

Aiden, playing guitar....of course!

dinosaur sleeping bags...aren't they fun!?

"The Dino's"

our family...micah, me, my mom, Seth, my stepdad, Aiden, my brother, his girlfriend, her son. (Apparently Micah and I are the only ones that heard my aunt, who was taking the pic, say strike a pose!!!)

Aiden jumping with PaPa (my grampa)

Seth on his new bike...Aiden in the background on his tricycle.

P.S.- FINALLY on Christmas Day, I got to hold sweet little Corban! Oh man, he is just the cutest thing and he even smiled at me (I knew I was his favorite)!! I just love that little guy ;) By the way, he is doing SO great!

A Little of This and That.....

2008-12-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

First, an update on Corban...Most of you who are keeping up via facebook know that Corban, Momma, and Daddy are HOME in San Angelo!! And now those of you who didn't know...do! Just a few days ago, they weren't sure they would make it home before Christmas, but once they removed all his tubes and he started eating from a bottle, he flourished! So much so, that it amazed the doctors and nurses who say that a baby with this condition has never done as well as Corban has! Praise God and glory be only to Him who healed that sweet baby boy!! Anyway, they are home now and finally able to enjoy their little one round the clock!! He is absolutely beautiful!!! For some reason I am having trouble posting a picture of him, so I will work on that!

On to other things...
I haven't really updated on MY family in awhile ;) We are all great! We are visiting my mom's this weekend to have Christmas here and with my extended family...always a blast! The boys love it here and it is always so relaxing for Micah and I! My brother, his fiance (Anna), and her little boy are here today and I am super excited about hanging out with them! Anna's son is just a little older than Seth, so they are having a blast! They are even letting Aiden in on all the fun! They also brought their 2 dogs so it's been a full house with 6 adults, 3 little boys under the age of 4, and 5 dogs!!! It definitely reminds me of Christmas time at my grandmas when I was little because there were all the adults plus 11 cousins! I always wondered why the adults always kept "urging" us to play outside and now I think I finally understand. I just absolutely love Christmas with all of it's nostalgic memories and traditions. But of course most of all I cherish the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior who was given to us in the form of an infant and grew into the man who gave his very life for our salvation!

Not much else has really taken the spotlight in our family! Micah has been home most of December, which is great for us spending family time, but not so good as ministry is what Micah loves and so it's been a long month for him. He actually leaves the day after Christmas for a Winter Retreat at HEB camp, and that is always a highlight for him! I, on the other hand, am left with the aftermath of Christmas which is not so much a highlight for me!! Oh well! The spring looks a lot more promising and Micah's already got 3 events in January! Yahoo!

By the way, earlier this month Dennis Trujillo took our family photos and he did an INCREDIBLE job! Here are just a few....

Surgery Was a Success!

2008-12-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Sweet little Corban's surgery was successful!!! They were able to attach the trachea to the esophagus!!! Recovery will take about 2-4 weeks! Ryan and Kira and Corban will be here in San Antonio until he can go home. Ryan and Kira have a room at the Ronald McDonald house starting tonight until they can come home!!! Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray for baby Corban as he heals and Ryan & Kira as they still have to be away from the comfort of their home!

Here is a video of the precious boy!

Praying for Baby Connel

2008-12-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Most of you probably already know, but in case you don't, one of my best friends- Kira Connel- had an incredibly precious baby boy named John "Corban" Connel on Dec. 5. He is a healthy almost 9 pound, 21 inch cutie! However, right after he was born, they detected a problem and later determined that there was a problem with his esophagus. They immediately air lifted him to San Antonio to Methodist Children's hospital. There they determined more specifically that he has a separation somewhere between his esophagus and trachea. Basically this means that food cannot directly reach his tummy and air leaks into the tummy as well; I think the technical term is called fistula. He is in surgery RIGHT now (7:30am, dec. 8) and the doctor was pretty confident he could stretch the tissue to connect the separation. Obviously, this is the most desired outcome, but they will not know for sure until they get in there and see how much they have to work with. If they are successful with the attachment, they will place a tube through the mouth to the tummy so he can be fed, until the esophagus heals. The recovery is roughly 2-4 weeks and Kira, Ryan, & Corban will stay in San Antonio during that time. If they are not able to attach it, then they will have to wait for Corban to grow some and will have to stay here 3-4 months. Please pray for sweet Corban, Ryan, and Kira! I know they will appreciate your prayers immensely! I will post an update later this afternoon with details from the surgery :)

Sorry I don't have any pics of him...i will work on that!

Dino-MIte!!

2008-11-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we had Seth's 3rd birthday party and it was a blast! Love is not a strong enough word for how he feels about dinosaurs, so needless to say...we had a dino party! My super talented chef extraordinaire mother-in-law made a volcano cake and my super creative sister-in-law decorated the cake! Thank goodness, because originally I thought for some strange reason that I could pull it off (having never made a cake like that in my life)...I guess it looked doable because Sandra Lee from the Food Network made it seem effortless ;) I must start reminding myself that those people are professionals! Anyway, the cake was complete with "smoke" via Micah, rubber gloves, & dry ice; it was spectacular!! (Pics are below, of course!) We also braved the infamous pinata, which made us all nervous as 2-4 year olds swung aimlessly with bat in hand!! Luckily, no one was injured and when big boy Micah had his turn with the pinata, everyone scrambled to grab the goods!
Seth did an amazing job sharing all of his toys and taking turns with everyone except...his brother...go figure ;) I can't believe he is 3 already...where does the time go? I am so lucky to have such a wonderful, exciting, full-of-life Sethers and he is such a blessing to us all!

Much thanks goes to my momma for supplying all the fun dino party favors and all who helped me scramble around at the last minute to get everything ready! And a super super thanks to Mrs. Kari Perritte who is the master of invitations! I will see if I can post a copy of one later (i'm too tired to figure it out right now ;) )

One of THOSE Days...

2008-11-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

I had "One of THOSE" days today...and by that I mean, not a good one :( You know, one of those days you definitely wake up on the wrong side of the bed and then everything seems on the wrong side after that?!?! Those days that you wish would start over...a million times?? Those days when your only sanity comes from the grace and mercy of the Lord sneaking in and calming your soul??! You know....those days??

Both the boys woke up cranky today, and oh man...did it continue! Everything was a larger than life issue today, with meltdown after meltdown over the most ridiculous things...like blocks being the wrong color and cars not going down the track fast enough! So of course, the big issues of sharing and being nice, were off the charts today!! I seriously started to question my parenting abilities when ROUND 4 of time outs happened before 10am!! It was CRAZY today...neither one of them would even be still long enough to listen to "instruction" let alone obey it!! AHHHHHGHGHGHG! By the time I finally got one semi-seated in time out, the other one was into some sort of mischief and by the time I dealt with that, the "time-outed" one was up and into something else!! Poor Micah, he was sick & trying to rest in the midst of screaming, crying, and the constant sound of my stern voice! I think I even stuck my head in the bedroom once on the verge of some major tears and said, "I am a TERRIBLE mother!!" Of course, he sweetly encouraged me and assured me that I wasn't...but it didn't matter at that point, ya know? My children wouldn't heed to one word I said and couldn't be reasoned with in any form or fashion! I even had to "drag" them to time out (most of the time, they reluctantly go, but at least they go!) Anyway, I felt like a complete failure as a mom and disciplinarian today...big bummer! One bright spot of the day- I kept my friend's little girl today and she was absolutely wonderful and well behaved! Now that I think about it, maybe she was just in shock from all the hooplah with the boys...she was probably scared to death!! Sorry little one!! Oh well- tomorrow is a new day! Right???

Could you imagine these 2 could ever act in such a way?!?!

Happy Birthday To Me....Can I Please Have a CHI!! (sing title with birthday tune ;) )

2008-11-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

I don't usually consider myself one that has to have all the "top" brands in hair care and actually I tend to error on the opposite side of that end getting whichever brand is on sale! Anyway, I have naturally curly hair, so if I want it straight I have to do all the work to get it that way :( Some of you are in the same boat with me!! Since I started using a flat iron to straighten my hair, I just picked one of the mid price range irons, which worked perfectly fine until....my hair stylist used the real deal and my hair looked pliable and shiny rather than dry and brittle! It's kinda like settling for Mr. Pibb or Dr. Thunder until you drink Dr. Pepper and are suddenly enlightened to the greatest thing on earth! Ok- maybe not the GREATEST...but pretty close! Anyway, from then on, I was severly frustrated and disappointed that I could not get the same results with my own flat iron and knew I had to have a CHI. However, I also knew that they were slightly outrageous in price, so I jokingly hinted here and there to Micah that it would be a great present for birthday or Christmas. I thought I might have a shot in the dark at scoring it for a Christmas present, but figured my chances were next to none getting it for my birthday.

On Thursday, I picked the boys up from Kid's Day Out, and stopped back by our house so Micah could tell the boys good-bye. When I walked in the door to grab a few things there was a wrapped box on the table from Micah. Honestly, I am not even sure what he said, I was so excited to open it! I "think" I may have glanced at him for a nod of approval to open, then I ripped into the package. I started on the wrong end, so as I shredded the paper, I wasn't completely positive, but..yep...it was a CHI!!! I definitely did not think it would happen for my birthday because they are so expensive, but I should have known better! Micah tends to be sneaky like that, pulling things off without me knowing anything (sometime I will have to write about our engagement story)! But, certainly he did pull it off and now my hair routine has been revolutionized!!! I don't know if you've thought about upgrading, but it is TOTALLY worth it!!

Thanks Babe...I love you! (Not just because you got me a CHI, I would love you just as much if you hadn't, but it sure adds to my motivation...hehehee).

Counting in Spanish & Naming Dinosaurs

2008-11-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here's my first try of video posting! Aiden is counting in Spanish & Seth is naming dinosaurs ;)

Movie Night

2008-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Usually, because Micah travels so much on weekends, we try to have "date night" once a week. I am blessed to have wonderful in-laws and the amazing Trujillo family who keep the boys for us, making date night possible! Anyway, a few weeks ago we were ALL tired, so we decided to have a family date night! We have been doing this a lot more often and I have loved it! So, we ate dinner at home, unrushed (which is rare) and then we "let" the boys pick out a movie. Really it was more of Micah and I convincing the boys which movie they wanted (anyone ever do that?) ! While we were at the store getting the movie, the boys got to pick one treat each to have for the movie...I got to pick one too- thanks babe!! I just knew that both the boys would pick something chocolate, but Micah wanted G-2 so we went to that aisle first. Seth saw the Capri Suns and immediately began making his request known...of course Aiden chimed in because if big brother wants it, he must need it too!! We told them that if they chose the juice boxes, they couldn't get anything else, which I figured would be huge battle when we got to the candy aisle. Seth did pick out a candy bar, but I must say that I was quite surprised when the boys remained faithful to their juice box selection when given the "ultimatum" of one or the other! Seth was so cute, because he insisted that HE get to carry the Capri Sun box to the cashier and he did a pretty good job, minus a few drops...those things are heavy!!! Anyway, we got home, made some popcorn, broke out the juice boxes and settled in for our movie ;) It was such a treat! Here's a pic of all my boys on the couch enjoying the flick!!

Poster Child

2008-11-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Aiden, unlike his older brother, will eat just about anything you put in front of him! Micah and I have actually dubbed him "Rusty" from Brad Pitt's character in the Oceans movies, because almost every time you see "Rusty" in the movie, he is eating something...such is the same for our sweet Aiden! Again, also UNLIKE his older brother, Aiden throws caution to the wind when it comes to staying clean and actually has quite the knack for creating a mess! So, anyway, I recently discovered that Aiden loves the Chef-Boyardee "noodles" as he calls them. I think Marinara Explosion In A Can is a much more suitable name, but no one really consulted me before they made the final decision...oh well!!! Needless to say, we did have a marinara explosion at our dinner table the other night and I think Aiden should definitely be the "new face" of Chef-Boyardee!

No mess here! Nice and neat....noodles only!

INCREDIBLE DASH x 2!!

2008-10-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Since the boys are obsessed with the incredibles, Mamo (my mom) got BOTH the boys Incredibles' costumes for Halloween. Let me just tell you....they are quite hilarious! They have loved them from the moment they saw them and are immediately transformed into super-heroes when they put them on! They have been more than delighted to wear them around the house, to school for costume day, the YMCA carnival, and will once again wear them tonight at our church fall festival! Here are a few pics of my "heroes!"

2008-10-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
I thought i would finally give blogging a try! To be honest, I have been a little scared of the whole idea because most of my friends have these immaculate, super-cute, creative blogs with all the lights, bells, and whistles and I thought......"There's no way I can keep up with all that!" But I have decided that even if my blog is the plainest of plain and dullest of dull, at least I can say I have one! Plus, it will give me a chance to journal and share some of our Mariano Madness with family and friends. I chose Mariano Madness, because, well...honestly...it was the first thing that popped in my head. At first I thought maybe I was a creative genius, but then I snapped back into reality and realized it was simply that three boys (four, if you count our beloved dog Finley, and of course we do) are constantly running amuck throughout the house with me frantically flailing behind trying to make sense of it all!!! ;) Okay, so it's really not that crazy, but sometimes it sure feels like it!!! I do love to write, so maybe I will find some sort of solace and sanity hiding in this blog somewhere! For now, since it is 12:00am, I will leave you with anticipation of stories to come......and a few pictures of the illustrious Mariano boys!