Luz - 8 months
-so sweet! she was just sick this last week (fever, coughing, stuffy nose) and it was a pretty miserable situation for a few days. However, the first day she started feeling better she kept nuzzling and kissing me! I feel like she was saying "thank you" for having been so patient and caring those long days (and nights, especially nights) while she was sick. She does the big mouth wide open, lean towards your face kind of kisses. I love them. And she's so pleased with herself after kissing me that she jumps up and down and smiles. Double cute.
-she crawls/gets around really well. She has started sitting up too, from like a leaning on her side kind of thing to actually sitting up.
-she likes chewing on cords, just like my other kids did at her age.
Bela - 2.5 years
-obsessed with painting/art (doing her own, not looking at it in a museum...)
-loved farms and farm animals (there's a carwash in Lehi called the "wash barn" or something and when Bela sees it she always says, "EIEIO pees?" (aka, "Can we go to the farm please?")
-into Paw Patrol and Trolls
Dulce - 5 years
-turned 5!! She seems older now too. We had a mostly family party at the aquarium which was so fun (and easy for the parents!). We also did a girl friends gingerbread house/piñata/craft party at our house the day of her bday.
-really into science still - rocks, space, etc.
-annoyed when any gift or surprise thing I buy her ends up being clothing.
-like water beads, orbeez, beados, beados teeneez, etc
-likes watching Spirit (cartoon horse show/movie)
-she just knows how to read all of a sudden too! We tried reading lessons twice in the last year which went well for about.... two lessons. So I kinda just gave up (what's the point in FORCING her to LOVE reading as much as I do?) I knew she knew all the letters' sounds and stuff, but it's so fun to just hear her read words she sees, or read little books we have. She's growing up!
Mario
They just formed a brand new Spanish ward (congregation) in our city, and Mario was asked to be in the bishopric. He'll be away from home more as he serves others, but I'm actually super pumped because I really missed the Spanish ward! A couple of months ago we switched from the Spanish ward (15 mins and like 5 stakes away; it had big boundaries) to the English ward that was two blocks from our house. And now we're switching again. So lots of changes.
He is still doing well at Xactware and his second job (teaching Web Development). He's excited for warmer weather (though he will need to wait a few more months...) so he can get back to golfing.
He's really just an excellent husband and father. Patient, organized, loving, fun. A good partner. I married up for sure!
Corinne
Not a lot new with my life... as usual! But good. I got to go with a good friend on Saturday to see a musical and that was really fun. I'd love to get season tickets to the Hale Center theater one year.
We all really enjoyed having my parents here in December and Mario's family (parents and two sisters) here for Christmas and New Years. Mario and I got to go on lots of dates <3 We would LOVE to have family close by.
I've been reading some quotes and talks by President Monson, the prophet of the LDS church, who just passed away. There's a talk from 2009 I liked a lot and below are some excerpts from it:
"Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out, “Is there no balm in Gilead?”7
"We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes."
"I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.9"
"My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers."
My heart aches when I read about Yemen, Libya, and many other places in the news recently. I wish I could make an impact in those places. But what we do in our own sphere of influence can make a big difference as well. I hope we can all have a service-oriented year, where ever we are, and by whomever we are surrounded.
--Olivia, I hope all my grammar errors and misspellings from this non-edited post didn't make you cringe too much ;)
