Eagle Project Part 3

I thought I would just share a few of the pictures that President Moreno sent.

Here too is an email we received from President Moreno:

thank you for all your hard work and your big heart on put all this together, we feel pretty bless to know people like you guys but hope we are hopping to be friend forever not only church people, i want this since i was called as a branch president to know this kind of people willingly to help people in Mexico, i was thinking on a few things that we never get and sometimes we think that those things are not important but they are like personal cleaning items (shampoo, soap, toilet paper, toothbrush etc) that can be a HUGE help.

My parents are going back to Rocky Point this weekend and together with their friends we are sending TONS of food and hygiene items. We have decided this will be an ongoing project for us. Hopefully we can teach the people how to fish so they will not always need to be given fish.

Mariachi Festival

After making tamales all day, Sal and I took the kids to the Christmas Mariachi Festival. Sal and I had the best time but I think the kids were ready to leave after the first mariachi group played.

I LOVE mariachi music... I only wish I knew what they were singing about. One day I will have time to take a few Spanish classes, but for now I enjoy the beat and the voices. This year there was an all female mariachi group. Mariachi Reyna de-Los Angeles.

I really enjoyed listening to them, but there is something about the men.... perhaps it is their costumes that I love?? Just kidding.

One of our favorite mariachi group was there.... Mariachi Vargas, we truly could have left after they were done singing. They were the highlight of the night for us.

Sal and I decided that we would not take the kids again. Olivia fell asleep half way through the show, Hayden was playing games on his iTouch most of the night, and Cole screamed, "NO!!" when one of the groups came back for an encore. What can you expect when they don't understand the words to the music either. Maybe we all need Spanish lessons!

Annual Tamale Party

We once again had our annual tamale making party and as usual we had the best time every. Sandra was patient with those of us with babies - we took lots of breaks to nurse and put the down for naps. She said that next time she will bring her doll baby so she can have as many breaks as us. Mason and Slade are great friends and they were good to play on the floor. Mason had a ball pulling Slade's binky out of his mouth too.



Hayden wanted to be the mixer.... here he is mixing our masa, corn, cheese, baking powder, and salt.... of course Nana was close by to make sure Hayden was mixing it correctly.


What would tamale making be without BoSa donuts and Sonic drinks?? Sal, Heather and Jill cut up all the chili's and jalapeno's. I am not sure what I was doing other than taking the pictures..... oh yea, my job was whipping the Crisco and masa. This year we made about 35 dozen green corn tamales and they were the BEST ones we have ever made. We sure missed Manny and him telling us how to do our jobs. Thanks girls for the great time. I can't wait to do them again. Do we dare try them without Sandra's help??

Eagle Project Part 2

As I sit here and type this post, I am VERY aware of all the noises in my house at the moment. The dishwasher is going as is the washer and dryer and I just heard the heat click on. Today I am more aware of the humming of my house because we just had the most wonderful experience in Rocky Point.

This weekend was finally the day that we have waited for. We are delivering all of our donations to the people of Mexico. Granny and Papa and Mitzi and Clark left on Friday with their cars loaded to the brim. We left on Saturday and our Yukon was so full, we almost didn't have room for the kids. We were all worried about getting through the border, but our prayers were answered in that none of us were stopped. We were just waved through and we didn't have to explain or bribe anyone to let our items through.

We met President Moreno and his wife Ismelda at Burger King and after quick introductions we followed him to his house.






He has a beautiful house and we immediately felt warm and welcome there. We were ready to unload the items, but Guillermo (Pres. Moreno) insisted that we sit and eat. Guillermo's mom was also there from Mazatlan and they had made my favorite - posole!! They even had all the fixings - lime, radishes, cabbage, red onion. It was delicious!





We had the best time talking and visiting. We learned so much about the LDS branch and the Moreno's. Here is just some of what we learned:

1. 60% of the members of the branch are unemployed - 60%!! They are mostly construction workers that have no jobs because the building in Rocky Point is at a stand still, due to the lack of tourists. President Moreno said that they do anything they can for money including standing on the street corner washing car windows for money.


2. They have no Bishops storehouse or church welfare programs. They do collect a little bit for fast offering but not nearly enough for their needs.


3. Electricity is VERY expensive in Mexico. Pres. Moreno said he pays between $100 and $200 every month for electricity. The houses have NO heat. If they did their electricity bills would be nearly $700. Their house was cold and we had our coats on the whole time.


4. The youth in the branch want desperately to go to the temple in Hermosillo, but to do so they have to rent a bus to drive them the 3 hours. The bus rental is $1000. The youth of his branch had decided to try to earn the money by holding a car wash and a bake sale. Pres. Moreno said this might be possible to raise that much money in the States but in Mexico it is an unattainable goal. People do not have extra money to donate even if they get a car wash or a cake out of it.


5. The kitchens have no hot water. After dinner, we got up and said we would do the dishes. Of course there is not a dishwasher so we were going to wash the dishes by hand. I fiddled with the faucet for a minute and then asked how I could get hot water. Pres. Moreno giggled and said, "welcome to Mexico." At first I thought they were kidding and I looked like the stupid American, but I quickly realized they were not kidding. The water was ICE cold and I was thrilled when Mason started to cry so I didn't have to stick my hands back in the water.

After dinner we brought in all of our donations. We had a TON of stuff. I think we counted over 1000 articles of clothing.

Later as we sat on the couch Guillermo said, "I wish you could just stay and visit. I know you have tired kids, but I would love to just visit." He then invited us back for breakfast the next morning and we accepted.

At the end of the evening I presented President Moreno with a gift. The whole time we were doing Hayden's project, I had the thought... "Our hands are His hands" and the thought kept coming to me that I needed to give something to Guillermo and Ismelda to make them realize that we were just acting on behalf of Heavenly Father in doing and donating all that we had. To be honest, I shrugged off the thought a few times and right before we left, the thought came so strong that I had to run out and get what I needed for the gift. Luckily, I have Kara who did my vinyl at the moment I asked. Here it is:

It is all of our handprints and in Spanish it reads, "Our hands are His hands." As I gave it to Guillermo, he said he was going to cry. Right then and there the Spirit bore witness to me that Guillermo was a man of God, chosen to lead His people at this time and that we are truly His hands on Earth to do the work that He would do if he were here.

As we left that night, my heart was full of love for Ismelda and Guillermo and the people of Mexico. I felt as though we had not done enough. My wonderful Sal said, "Ali, don't think of it that way. We need to realize that we can do MORE." And we will.

Here is our family with Ismelda, Guillermo and Guillermo's Mom!

Only in AZ......

do we blog about the weather. Last night it rained and this morning we have FOG!! The kids LOVED it and it was such a nice change!

Hayden's Eagle Project - Part 1

It has been quite a while since I blogged last. We have been up to our eyeballs with Hayden's Eagle Project.

When Hayden turned 11 and went into the Boy Scout program the first thing he did was go through the book to see how soon he could earn his Eagle. He said, "Mom, I want to get my Eagle on my 13th birthday." He has worked hard and he will realize his goal in Feb. 2011.

As he thought about projects and what he could do, he asked what Cam and Colby had done for their projects. Colby didn't do one and Cam did his project in Rocky Point or Puerto Penasco Mexico. Hayden decided that he wanted to do his project for the people of Rocky Point as well.

It took a while for us to find a contact in Mexico. Granny works for the Church and she was able to give us the number to the temple president in Hermosillo, Mexico. I called and spoke to Sister Young. She gave me the number for her nephew who lives in Rocky Point. Hayden called him and got the number to one of the counselors in the branch presidency who happens to be the brother of the branch president. We then FINALLY got in touch with President Guillermo Moreno. He spokes very good English and he and Hayden were able to talk about his project and what kinds of things the people in Mexico need.

It was determined that the people were most in need of winter items. For example, sheets, blankets, winter clothes as well as dresses and white shirts and ties to attend church. He also asked if we could collect frozen turkeys. A turkey in Mexico costs between $50 and $70 EACH!!

Hayden was SO excited to get started. Unfortunately, we had a difficult time getting his project approved. Hayden had to jump through many hoops and convince many people that Mexico is a safe place and that we would not be in any danger by going. Hayden was told on more than one occasion that this would be a "difficult project" and perhaps he should "simplify it". Hayden was determined and would not change what he wanted to do. After nearly a month, Hayden finally received the sign off to begin. Granny printed nearly 1000 flyers and Hayden and his friends and fellow Scouts passed them out to everyone in our neighborhood as well as members of our ward.

We set it up to collect the donated items 2 weeks later. When November 20th came, I thought for sure we would be OVERWHELMED with the amount of donated items. That day, we picked up 3 bags and one turkey. To say that Hayden was disappointed is an understatement. He worried about how he would fulfil his promise to President Moreno with just 3 bags and 1 turkey. We assured him that we would have enough and would find a way to get the necessary items. We sent out emails and asked our family to clean out their closets for the necessary items. I emailed family and friends out of state and asked for donations. Hayden received over $100 in donations and he used that money to purchase items from Wal-Mart and Goodwill. Little by little, donations showed up. When it was all said and done he collected 1058 articles of clothing including blankets, sheets, ties etc and 8 turkeys.

Hayden had the Scouts come help him sort, fold and organize all of the items. I was surprised to see the boys trying on the clothes and being silly. Here are just a few of the pictures we took.



All of the items are ready to go to Rocky Point this weekend. We can't wait.

Mason's first quading trip.....

One thing I do love about winter in Arizona is the chance to get the quads out and go riding in the desert. This past weekend, we took the kids out for a short ride. We went to the track where is was easy enough for Olivia to ride on her own quad. She loved being able to ride by herself and she didn't like sharing with Ellie, but she was fine to give rides as long as she could steer.


Hayden is forever the helping big brother and would run to help Olivia when she was ready to start her quad.



This was Mason's first official ride in the desert. When he was born last year we were just wrapping up Little League and then it got too hot to ride. We didn't even ride at the cabin last summer. Mason loved being outside, but what he loved most of all was the cookies and chips. I can't imagine why he is in the 90th percentile for his weight.


I can't even remember what he has in his mouth here, but this is the BEST picture ever!!



Mason was so happy just to sit with Mom or Dad and it was nice for us to just be able to hang out and chat while the big kids rode.





I can't wait to have a weekend where we can go on the trails. Our life has been absolutely consumed with Hayden's Eagle project, which is a good thing, but a weekend to just enjoy the desert would be fun too.

Olivia FINALLY turns 5!

A few weeks ago, my beautiful Olivia turned 5. Since her two favorite friends had their birthdays in July and September, Olivia couldn't wait for her birthday to finally come. I am SO thankful that Heavenly Father blessed us with a girl. There is ALWAYS drama, but what should I expect from a princess like Olivia. Here are some funny things about Olivia:

Much to her brothers chagrin, LOVES Justin Beiber. Although Olivia thinks the words to this song are Damon, Damon, Damon not Baby, Baby, Baby.....


Today Olivia said the funniest thing. As we were getting in the car she said, "Mom, you're glittering."

Me: "I'm what Olivia?"

Olivia: "Glittering..... see this paper you left on the ground?" LOL





Olivia LOVES Barbies and this is how she sleeps every night:



Olivia LOVES her baby brother Mason.... she is almost smothering, but she loves to be the mommy and take care of him.






Last weekend we went to the nursery to pick out some new plants and a Mexican man was helping us. He spoke with an accent and Olivia said, "Mom, why does that guy speak Spanish?"

Me: "Because he is Mexican just like you."

Olivia: "Mom, I am NOT a Mexican. See my skin?? It is getting whiter!"

I tried to convince her, but I was unsuccessful. One day she will be thankful for her Mexican heritage or maybe just the nice tanned skin! ;o)

Two last things, she says she is not going to baptized nor will she grow up and have to have braces. Gotta LOVE having older brothers!!

Stupid Grace!!

As I was looking through my pictures today I found this picture and this blog entry from June.... it is too perfect not to post.

We bring Grace in the house during the hot afternoons and here is how I found her today.....



She had jumped in the basket full of CLEAN clothes. Notice her bed right next to the laundry basket!! I honestly could have KILLED her!!

A Time and A Season

Last week Sal and I were suppose to go with friend's to Charlotte, NC to a NASCAR race. We had planned this trip for 4 months and I was SO looking forward to going. You know me and trips.... I am ready and willing to go anywhere I have never been before. I was looking forward to no kids, sleep, and alone time with Sal.

However, as the trip got closer and closer, I started to stress about leaving a nursing baby for 5 days. Of course everyone said "Mason will be fine. He will get hungry enough to take a bottle." But everytime I would think about leaving, I would feel anxious and uneasy. One day I was rocking Mason to sleep, the house was quiet and I was thinking about how I could make this trip work. I thought of everything under the sun and then a thought came to my mind.... "A time and a season, Alicia". That was it, but I knew EXACTLY what it meant. It was my "season" to be at home with Mason, to be the Mom and I needed to cancel our part of the trip no matter what the cost. There will be other "seasons" for me to sleep, be without kids, and alone with Sal.

I have thought alot about this over the past week and although it isn't always easy, it is MY season to be the MOM. It is MY season to eat cold dinners because the kids are hungry and need a fork, a drink, a napkin, seconds please. It is MY season to help with Algebra while making dinner and keeping a cross baby happy. It is MY season to drive kids to Scouts, football, dance, cross country, school. It is MY season to fall asleep 2 seconds after I crawl into bed, to shower at noon (or later), to brush my teeth after eating lunch, to never wear make-up or have my hair curled (except maybe on Sundays). It is MY season and one day, it will all be over and I will cry because the house is quiet and I have an unlimited amount of time to myself. Until then I will try to enjoy every aspect of the journey and realized just how BLESSED I truly am for being chosen to be the MOM!

Where has the time gone??

I can't believe it is the middle of September and I have not blogged in 2 months. Honestly, I debated whether I was going to even continue with the blog.... no one REALLY reads this... do they? Then I remembered why I started this blog in the first place. It was to FORCE me to take more pictures of my life... more pictures of the kids, more picture of the memories we are making together as a family, more pictures that we will one day laugh at!! Get ready for a LONG post...here is my attempt to remember the past 2 months.......

A Diagnosis -
I have debated whether to write about this, but I feel as though blogs are sometimes all about the good things in life and not the honest, hard times that we all face. Perhaps I should have buried this at the very end with hopes that you would have lost interest before reading it. However, I have decided to put it first since it has been a life changer for me. Maybe, just maybe, my story will help you. It isn't something that I want to shout from the rooftops, but it is something LOTS of women deal with silently... I know, I did for months. Postpartum Depression. I don't even remember the night that it all happened..... it just DID. I was having creme brulee with my BFF's one minute and the next I was having a breakdown....it was what I had been fighting for months... the tears, the guilty feelings, the anger, the DENIAL!! I am THANKFUL for friends who understood where I was and what I needed to do to HELP myself. I appreciated hearing their stories of emotional struggles and of their encouragement that it all could be fixed if I just asked for help! I came home that night and I sobbed and sobbed to Sal. I told him how I was feeling and he was SHOCKED!! I had been that good at "wearing the mask" that even he didn't see it. The next morning I mad an appointment to see my doctor and cried the ENTIRE visit!! She recommended that I speak to a THERAPIST!! What a SHRINK?? ME?? REALLY!! I was desperate and I did it... I called and it was the BEST thing I have done for myself in a REALLY long time. I met with her and I cried the whole time. She reassured me that what I was feeling was NORMAL and it was something that could be fixed. I came to find out that an unplanned pregnancy and advanced maternal age are BIG, HUGE flashing red lights when it came to PPD! We talked through my tears about my feelings..... "How do you feel about this" and "How do you feel about that?" It was the first time I had vocalized all that had been in my head for MONTHS! Long story, even longer.... I was prescribed "happy pills" as I call them.... Doctors and pharmacists call them Zoloft. I felt different right away.... I wasn't happy and giddy and jumping for joy, but I had a coping feeling..... I just felt like I could cope with life as it came. I was no longer angry and hostile, I could go a whole day without crying or feeling on the verge of tears every minute. I felt as though "I was back"... the me I could hardly remember. The kind, patient, loving mother who wouldn't LOOK for things to nag about. Now 2 months have gone by and I have learned so much about myself. I have taken off the "mask" and I hope to never have to put it back on!

Mason's New Accessory -
Mason has been my child that has done the complete opposite of all my other kids. I thought I had this whole mothering thing down, but man was I wrong!! It was apparent early on that Mason is his own boss!! Sal and I have tried to "make" him take a pacifier and a bottle.... he just screams. We have tried to get him to cry himself to sleep.... he screams louder! AND we have tried to get him to sleep in any position other than on his back. ALL to no avail!! SO it was no surprise when the back of his head was flat at 2 months old. We tried the tummy time - he screamed, we tried chiropractors - that worked somewhat, we tried rolled up blankets behind his back - he could wiggle enough to get back on his back. One night I put him to sleep and 5 minutes later he was screaming in his bed.... I ran in to see what was wrong, and he had rolled to his tummy and was not happy about it. I rolled him over and he calmed right down and went to sleep. I say all this because last month Mason was fitted for a cranial band to reshape his flat head.

Our doctor said it was totally optional, but that is like saying braces or dermatologists are are optional for teenagers. We KNEW we had to do whatever necessary to fix his head. The band is quite expensive and not covered by insurance, but we HAD to do it. Mason's band has been on for nearly 4 weeks now and we are seeing great progress. We have to drive into Phoenix once a week to have the band adjusted, but we are thankful this was an option for us. During my weekly drives I have thought, "What if we had moved to Salt Lake? How would I be able to drive once a week to Las Vegas (the closest Cranial Technologies office) to have the adjustments made?" As much as I am DONE with Arizona, I know why we are here. I am thankful that Heavenly Father has once again made me realize that, for now, I need to be content being in Arizona. Thanks to Kara McDowell and Kim Waskiewicz for their help in decorating Mason's band!

School has started!!
So this year I have a 7th grader (Hayden), a 3rd grader (Cole), and a preschooler (Olivia). The first semester is almost over and all the kids are doing exceptionally well. Hayden is in middle school and he is taking all honors classes. When progress reports came home he had a 4.2 GPA. He loves pre-algebra and I am LOVING helping him with it. Algebra was always my favorite subject! Hayden has also joined the running club at school and he will soon try out for the cross country team. He must have Mitzi's blood - I HATE running! Cole is extremely smart! He is getting all A's and B's and will be on the honor roll this quarter. Cole, for the first time, has a male teacher and he likes the change. He is diligent in his homework and gets it done first thing. Cole will begin flag football this month and he is looking forward to the cooler weather so the rugby club can begin at school. Olivia started preschool with Mrs. Mary and she feels so BIG. She goes 4 times a week for 3 hours. I look forward to picking her up and hearing all about her day. Liv looks forward to Tuesdays when she gets to take her lunch to school. She also LOVES Wednesdays because they always cook something yummy. I love quiet mornings, after the kids have gone to school, when Mason and I get to be alone. It is just him and me, and I can snuggle and laugh and play with him without having to share.

Life is good at our house! I hope it is at your too!

Granny's new Horse - Buster

My mom has wanted a horse for the cabin for a long time and now she finally has one. His name is Buster..... Sal had wanted other names such as Purina, Elmer's, or About-to-be-glue, but imagine.... no one wanted those names. (Of course Sal was just kidding with those names, so please no animal rights comments please.)

Anyway, the kids were so excited to see and ride Buster. Being the city folks that we are, they had no clue about anything horse related. Granny had to teach them about not walking behind them or why Buster had to wear a mask and even about Buster's long boy part!! It was pretty funny!!

Hayden worked on and finished his Horsemanship Merit Badge and enjoyed every minute of being on the horse. Even Olivia and Cole rode Buster and begged to ride again.

I think Granny just might turn these kids into country kids after all!!

The Greatest Invention since I last had a baby!!

THE BUMBO!! Where was this when I had my other kids?? Mason loves to sit in it and play with the kids.... here he is playing Blackjack with Hayd and Cole.

Where does the time go?

Today Mason is 3 months old. Somedays it seems as though we have had him forever and other days it seems like he was just born.

Some things about Mason:

• He STILL loves his swing! He sleeps there during the day
  and in his crib at night.
• He still will NOT take a bottle or a pacifier! There have been a FEW cases
  where he will take a bottle but NEVER the pacifier!
• He has slept through the night 3 times so far.
  Otherwise he is usually up once.
• He is an early riser - usually with the sun.
  Not good in Arizona in the summer!
• He likes to be in bed by 7:30pm.
• He loves the sound of World Cup vuvuzelas!
  We have watched every game so far.
  Go Spain & Germany!
• His brothers and sister adore him and can make him laugh!
• Most importantly - He is a MAMA'S BOY
  and I wouldn't have it any other way!

  

Olivia loses her first tooth

Today we had Sandra & Manny, Tamar, Michael & kids and Mitzi over for a BBQ. As we were eating our corn on the cob Olivia said her tooth was hurting. It has been loose for a couple of weeks, but when I wiggled it this time, it was barely hanging on. I decided to pull it out right then and there at the dinner table. 2 pulls was all it took and it was out. Liv thought it was funny until she saw the blood. Oh boy, did she start to cry and cry and cry. What did I expect? She is our DRAMA QUEEN!! We had her bite on some paper towel, but she didn't quiet down until the bleeding stopped.

Cole quickly got her a box to put her tooth in and Nana asked Liv if her Fairy Godmother would come tonight. We all had a good laugh about that one. I guess it has been too long since Sal and Tamar lost their teeth. We started talking about the Tooth Fairy coming to take her tooth and leave some money. Liv quickly said, "I don't want any money. I want to show my friends my tooth." I tried to tell her that the Tooth Fairy would leave her tooth if she wanted it, but she was adamant that the tooth would not go under her pillow!

She had to call Granny and Papa at the cabin to tell them all about it and even they couldn't convince her to put it under her pillow.