Treading Water vs. Floating Along

     Life really is about perspective.  One day I might look at this pile of laundry and think - HELP!  On another day, if I am rested and fed and have taken a moment to be grateful, I can look at this same heaping pile of laundry as a way for me to bring blessings to my family.  Motherhood is full of small moments that, when looked upon it the right way add up to big memories.

 

 

Like my days at home with Ava.  Sometimes she just goes out in the backyard and plays and talks to pretend playmates, and pours rocks all over the cool deck, and stares at the birds and just looks so innocent and sweet and happy.  And I soak it in.

 

 

 

Or Paolo will pull out the domino set and play quietly on the kitchen floor and then come get me from whatever I am doing and tell me I have to come look and see what he has done and I will say I am busy and then remember that I need to stop sometimes just to look and then...........I LOVE MOM!

 

 

I want to remember the way Diego has ALWAYS played while watching any sporting event on TV - and he still does.  Our stuffed football gets thrown around as he makes diving catches onto the couch.  Or during hockey he and Paolo will have knee hockey tournaments while the TV games go on.  I wish I had pictures of this.

 

 

 

Or Jules and Elise - getting so grown up and helpful.  Learning how to cook and bake.  I know I will remember how they fight and irritate each other like true sisters but I will also remember all the little games they play peacefully together - making lockers in the living room furniture or pretending they are on Food Network or Four Weddings. 

 

It is so easy for me to feel like I am just treading water - barely getting done what needs to be done, struggling to find time to spend with the kids, going to bed with my list unchecked.  But treading water is exhausting and it doesn't really get you anywhere.  I want to learn to submerge myself in the water and float along where life sends me.  I want to look at the days blessings and not the inevitable stresses that come along.  I would like to do a little less treading and a little more floating.

 





Birthday Season

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

  I really hate to do this but for the sake of getting caught up with this blog I am going to do one big
birthday post.  Things kick into high gear around here this time of year.  It all begins with our Anniversary on the 18th then we have Diego's birthday, Halloween, Elise's birthday and Ava's birthday - all within the span of about 3 weeks!  Mark and I got to spend a couple days in San Diego for our 15th anniversary.  We had a great time and it was so relaxing.  Then we came home and got busy.....

 

 

Diego turned 14 this year and I just can't believe he will be going on to high school next year.  He had a few friends over - school friends, neighborhood firends, "almost" cousins - and they slept out back in the tent.  They stayed up late playing poker and did not even hear the neighborhood girls that were TPing us that night!  I should have taken some pictures but I know there will be plenty more opportunities.

 

Elise turned 9 this year and she wanted tacos and enchiladas - good taste.  We always gather with family for dinner and then the kids don the birthday hat and open gifts. 

 

 

Elise, you are growing into such a beautiful, confident girl and we love you!

 

 

And then there is miss pink - Ava turned 3......already!  Time goes so fast.  Here is her birthday oufit, complete with pink cowboy boots.  She had a pink cake and goody bags filled with pink candy.

 

 

 

When our birthday season is done I always hope and pray that each child knows how much they are loved, how special they are and how our family would just not be the same without them.  We love you fall babies :)

 

 



Labor Day

 

Some friends of ours invited us to their family cabin over Labor Day weekend.  It was in a part of the state that we do not travel to often and it was BEAUTIFUL!

 

 

The cabin was right next to a creek and the kids had a blast fishing, hiking, playing football, riding on the Rhinos, making s'mores and just enjoying the outdoors.

 

 

I was really taken with how beautiful the whole area was.  It almost felt like we were in another state - and it really helped remind me that I do live in a beautiful place.

 

 

 

Back to School Again

 

Here we go again - back to school.  This is sure to be a memorable year.  Diego is in 8th grade (how did that happen?), Jules is officially a junior high student, Elise will be making her First Communion and Confirmation and Paolo will be navigating through 1st grade.  When summer comes to an end, I definitely long for the structure of the school year.  It is nice to have some moments when the house is quiet and I can feel like I am accomplishing the daily tasks of a household.  I know that every school year has it's challenges, successes and failures and even though I am not working out of a textbook, I am learning right along with them.

 

 

Elise just looks so grown up.

 

 

I would like to think this is Jules' way of saying "7th gade, no problem".  6th grade was a little rough so we are hoping and praying for a better year.

 

 

STRONG.....

 

 

......but SWEET.

 

 

Ava may not be heading off to school yet but she is ready for just about anything.  Here she is showing off her "silverwares".

 

My goal for the school year is to be ready and prepared when the kids come home - ready to help with homework, listen to problems, give them time to play.  I want to let go a little more with my older kids and help them learn accountability.  I want to stop every once in awhile and just enjoy this milestone year.  Before I know it they won't be all at the same place anymore!  The thought makes my heart jump :)

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Honey!  You are a wonderful husband, an awesome Dad, a dedicated firefighter, a blossoming businessman, a fantastic commish, a faithful son, a devoted brother and friend, a fun, happy person who makes our house a fun, happy place.  We love you!

More Summer Fun

A sweet ending to our summer - Disneyland!

 

 

There is something so magical about Disneyland - at any age.  We have not been since Paolo was a baby.

 

 

Ava looks a little unsure!  This reminds me of a picture we have with Mary Poppins when Jules was a baby.  Same face :)

 

The only teacup I can handle - one that doesn't move!  What a sweet cup of tea.

 

It was fun to hang out with Bryce - or Brycey as he is known to Ava.

 

I think I took a picture of every princess that went by.  It was so fun to watch Ava's face because she is so in to princesses right now.  This is Mark's favorite :)

 

 

I could not resist a picture of the chimney sweeps.  Diego used to watch Mary Poppins and do the entire dance of "Step In Time".  I have it on video somewhere and maybe someday I will find it and insert it here.

 

I really enjoyed the time I had with Ava when the others did some bigger kid rides.  She would have been content to ride the Merry-go-round and the Dumbo ride all day.

 

 

Mark's Dad and Lorraine were so helpful all day - sittting back with kids that were too small, saving seats for the parade and even taking kids back to the hotel that wanted to leave early (you know who you are Diego!).  It was every bit the fun, exciting, exhausting day we expected.  Thank you Tata Joe!

 

After Disneyland we decided to head south to San Diego for a couple of days.  We surprised the kids with the news about the boat. 

 

 

 

They made themselves comfortable right away!

 

Sunset Cruise.

 



 

 

We got to see some old friends.....

 

The Gomez family was staying on Mission Beach so we got to spend some time with them.  They are just like family.  The kids played and played and played.

I don't get many photo opps with this cool cat anymore.  He was missing having his big cousins with him at the beach. 

 



 

I guess this was the best I got with Elise!

 

I love goggle shots.  She wanted to wear them while she played in the sand - love it.

 

Looking so grown up.

 

It was nice to have a little trip with just our family.  We are so blessed to have cousins or friends around when we go out of town, but I think it is good to take time with just us.  On the day we were leaving, Mark was getting the boat all cleaned up so I had the kids off the dock and out of the way.  They spent a good hour perfecting this....

 

 

Now if I can just photoshop Ava in there :)

 

 

 

Sweet Lucia!

 

LUCIA MARIE GONZALES

July 31, 2012

 

 

We are sooo excited to have our first cousin on the Gonzales side. She is tiny and sweet and beautiful and we love her so much already!

 

 



Let the Good Times Roll

So I think we have officially spent over a month total up at the cabin this summer - what an amazing blessing!  I think our trips up there this summer are over so I thought I would do a post to wrap up the good times we had.

Egg Roulette with cousins

An afternoon at Summit Gymnastics - thank you Jay and Karen!

A Little Tennis....

Enjoying simple pleasures - cool air and green grass.

A day at the pool complete with ice cream cones.

Ever since she took a photography class at art camp last summer, Elise has loved to take pictures of flowers.  I love that she has a sense of natural beauty and she really does take some good pictures!



We love when those afternoon storms build up.

It was so nice to spend time with our sweet God daughter - Maren James. 

Homemade 4th of July shirts and decorations - neither came out as planned but we had fun shopping with Grandma and making them!

It worked out for me to have some friends up there too.  My parents are so generous to give up a few days so we can have the place to ourselves.  The Pagones came for a night which was so nice because we do not get to see them very often any more.

And our annual cabin time with the Fahrendorfs!  I am always amazed at how well the kids get along and just how silly they can be.  I hope as they get older that we can still do this.

 

 

 

Amazing that all these kids come from just two families!  I love it.