Dad and Kids bonding!

I'm so thankful for all the wonderful things my husband do for me and for the kids. He is the best daddy in the world (I know every wife says that) .
Once a week Chris takes the kids out for some "daddy and kids alone time" that means NO MOM and the kids enjoy it so much!
Sometimes they go to kangaroo zoo and sometimes they go to Chuck E. Cheese's.




I love my hubby!

Tio Devin and Tia Lashell!!

Devin Ti dwell is the missionary who baptized my husband almost 4 years ago. He live in Provo and we are sooooooo thankful for his friendship. He is married now and have a beautiful baby boy, Asher.

They visited us last night and we had supper together. They are so sweet, we love them. The kids call them "Tio Devin and Tia Lashell" and "primo Asher".

Thanks Davin and Lashell we love to spend time with you and you guys are a blessing in our life!

LOVE YOU!

The kids love them so much that when they left Chris cried for half an hour.

Hermanitos!!!!

It was so great to see Rand and Chris being brothers and take care of their sister and specially it was amazing see them as uncles!! My Father in law Victor was so happy to see his kids together and to have 3 of his 4 grandchildren here in his lap watching TV! That meant the world for him

Stephen is such a sweet boy and so polite and smart!!! WOW seriously! GOOD JOB Kari and Randy!

Lil' Chris learned so much from him and I learned a lot too from Kari!

Thanks Mona!

VEGAS BABY!!!!

We needed to bring Kari to Vegas of course!! Now we had a perfect excuse to go plus we really needed vacations.
We decided to spend three days there but we had so much fun that ended up staying one more day!
I did some research online about what hotel we should stayed and I found this wonderful hotel new on the area and with really really good reviews from previews guests: South Point Hotel. Well I was afraid that we were going to get there and find something completely different of the pictures of their website....SURPRISE...... it was even better! We loved it! The rooms were huge(500 sf) and everything so fancy and new (the rooms also) they have Bath and Body Works Toiletries an awesome view from our room and great pool and jacuzzi.The casino amazing and the buffet even better. But what was the best part??? The price. Incredibly affordable for the luxury you get.

view from our room

We had a lot of fun... everything there is amazing; the pirates show at the TI, the lions at the MGM, the volcano explosion at the Mirage and my favorite: The fountain show at the Bellagio. and many other places that we visited. There are so many things to do... in four days we didn't finish all we had planned.

The kids loved the pool and the weather were perfect.

This was one of my favorite vacations and I'm sure the kids will remember it forever!

I just wish we had taken better pictures! But anyway we'll visit again!

Karina's Visit

Chris' sister came to visit us from Canada, what a blast!!! She came with her son Stephen who is 7 ( he'll be 8 in a couple of weeks). I love Karina she is one of the funniest persons I've known and she is a wonderful mother and a great wife, I really admire her so much!

The kids had being counting the days and literally crossing the days on the calendar.
Randy ( Karina's husband) drove from Kingston to Syracuse, NY and there Kari and Stephen flew to Salt Lake.Unfortunately Randy couldn't come with them, but I'm sure next time he'll come over. That was a long trip, they got here around 10 a.m a great time to spend the day together updating each family with the latest news.

We were super exited; but my Father in law was completely emotional, they hadn't see each other for 3 years.
Here are some pics from the moment we pick them up at the airport.

Chris' Awie!

Monday night we were ready to take the kid to bed.. We aske the kids to go upstairs to brush their teeth and pray and my poor little booger run through the livingroom and stumble rigth next to the couch falling and bumping his head ( HARD) on the bottom part of the couch wich is made of wood, He hit his head so hard that he started to throw up, Like most of you mom's know that is not a good thing after a head injury! SO we just run to the ER it was 10:15 p.m and Abby was so tired she was ready to go to bed. In that momment we tough Who can come and stay with her?? Well it was late and we did not wanted to botter our friends so, I tough maybe I'lll stay here with her and Christian will take Lil' chris to the hospital, but Chris wanted both of us with him ( he was crying so hard!!!) so we called the McDonalds and they say we could leave Abby with them.>> They are so nice ( they had helped us so much in so many ways!!! THANK YOU Cindy and Dennis).

In the ER the Doctors said that it was better to screan the brain to make sure it wasn't damaged so They did a CT Scan. Chris was so good!! Following the directions of the nurse and really quite and nice!

I was proud of him!! HAHAHA all the doctors and nurses were complimenting Chris for being a great boy!

Any way... The results of the tests were normal but they found a Sinus infection.

Chris was asking the Doctor if he could see the "Brain Pictures" and when the Doctor showed him the images Chris was all puzzle and said:"It's that my brain???_ Are those things.. all of my ideas???" He asked, and the nurse and the doctor stared to laugh!!!

We are so thankful he was fine, but we were scared! Now he is taking an antibiotic for his sinus infection But he is so SAD today cuz he wanted to go to preschool so bad!! and the Doctor said that he should stay at home for at lease 5 days!

You can see purple all around his eye and front!

Play Date!!!

We had a BLAST! We really had a lot of fun having Emma, jack and Luke over for play day!


We had Pizza for lunch and Emma baked cookies for dessert ( we miss her cookies so much she make the best cookies in the world!, when we lived in the duplex she baked all the time and shared with us!)

I love this picture! You can tell the cookies were a huge Succes!

I told Chris that Emma, Jack and Luke were comming over to play and since he woke up this morning he is been asking: Mom is Emma here yet? and around 10:30 He sat on the window waiting for them!

Chris was so happy to have a boy to share his cars and Trucks with! and Abby was so fascinated by Baby Luke she was asking if she could hold him ,,, and I sat her next to me and I let her hold Luke ( i was holding him too ) Baby Luke look bigger than Abby! LOL

They played tag and pick-a-boo,cars and more! The 3 kids were sad when it was time to go! But We'll get together soon!

Here they are Hiding behing the couch!

Thanks Emma you made our day!

Abby´s First Haircut!

Finally!! We went to the hair salon today, Abby needed a haircut so bad! Her bangs were too long and her fine hair was just too messy. She was so good! The lady who cut her hair was really nice and sweet and Abby love the whole experience!!! I really like her new hairstyle; I have to say it was inspired by my dear supervisor at work Mary Kate who have a similar haircut!
Here ...some pics The before and after LOL
I know its not the best picture of my girl!! but its the onlyone showing her hair in a regular day before the haircut.:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!

Hello everybody!! sorry I haven't post in forever. We've being bussy, but I'll try to resume the last 2 months.

Thanksgiving: We had Lunch with a wonderful family from the ward: The McDonals, they are just such loving people, they new that we don't have family here so they invited us for lunch,That made my week! because i felt so much love and being around their family made me remember the hollidays with my family. Any way .. after that, we had dinner at home with Will and Marce and their kids, they are costaricans too and they don't have family around neither so we got together and that was fun Will is just hilarious, and we had a wonderful time! The kids play and play and play all night long!

Next morning we went to see Santa arriving to the mall in a helicopter, the kids where amazed by how cool and modern santa is getting! LOL It was freezing! { I still have a hard time during winter, my body miss 75 degrees all year COSTA RICAAAAAA BUAHHHH! :( }

After watching Santa arriving ( that was it) at the mall we went inside and had Ice Cream and walked around( I love to see the decorations in the stores! )Then we went home for a nap! We had a lot of fun!Christmas Eve: In Costa Rica we celebrate Christmas Eve and not Christmas Morning so we tried to do the same this year. We invite Will and Marce over and have a yummy yummy dinner and dance salsa and merengue and talked and laugh a lot waiting for midnight. At midnight ( the kids were still awake playing and running around) we gather around the christmas tree and brought Baby Jesus to the nativity set and we said a prayer and then the kids got their presents. When I was growing up ( in CR of course) our parents never tough us about Santa and I'll dare to say that Santa Clause is not a Costarican tradition, at least not when I was growing up maybe now ( because of the comercialization and the opening of american companies and stores in my country).... SO our parents tough us that baby Jesus brings the presents when he is born and that with the presents he brought the most important of all gifts: Salvation to the world!.

But living in USA... is almost imposible to tell that to the kids because Santa Clause is everywhere and no mater what...they believe in santa( because they are 4 and 2 ) So we went with the santa version of christmas this year and probably will keep it! But we also try to keep in their minds that is Jesus' birthday.

We had a really great christmas, I think this is the first year that I don't get depresed by the holidays ( YAYYYY) cause every year for the last 7 years I got Homesick SOOOOO BAD!

Thanks to all of our friends that care about us and that love us so much!!

Santa gave Abby her first bike and the rescue pack ( she is obsesed with Diego) , to Chris Ben 10 alien creation set ( Chris loves this show and some days he is not Chris ...he is Ben Tennyson..), and some cars.

Santa was really really generous this year to Chris and I, he gave us a new car. ( It's not new but is new for us LOL) a Mitsubishi Montero 2002 limited edition:

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS MAMITA !!!!!!

Le doy gracias a Dios por la maravillosa madre que eligio para mi! Soy bendecida de mil maneras pero mi madrecita es la mayor alegria y la mayor bendicion en mi vida por que gracias a ella estoy donde estoy y soy lo que soy!
Mi mama es una mujer extraordinaria y ha sido un ejemplo de superacion y de fortaleza para mi. Me ha ensenado a ser mujer a ser mama, a cocinar jiji a ser hermana a ser buena esposa a ser paciente y gracias a ella hoy dia soy lo que soy!
Mami ha sacado adelante a sus 4 hijos sola, sin un hombre que la apoye ni economicamente ni moral ni espiritualmente.
Mami ha tenido el apoyo de su mami ( tita) y de sus hermanas en momentos dificiles y gracias a ellas tambien por tanta ayuda.
Mami ha sido bendecida de mil maneras en estos 55 anitos!
Sus 4 hijos somos buenas personas ( modestia aparte) y esto gracias a ella!!
Mami ha sido una exelente hermana y una extraordinaria hija siempre apoyando a sus hermanos en momentos duros y luchando por demostrarles su amor y apoyo,Como tia me atrevo a decir que una de las tias favoritas de la familia jijiji siempre incondicional con sus sobrinos sin ningun tipo de diferencia con ninguno de ellos!
Mami tuvo una ninez muy dificil pero no fue un problema para que ella nos diera un exelente ejemplo de superacion y de lucha! Mami ha posdido superar muchas cosas dificiles en la vida que yo misma me cuestiono si yo tendria la fuerza para superar lo que ella ha podido!
Dios le ha dado muchas virtudes y talentos pero el mayor de todos ha sido el talento de amar y de ser mama.
Mami:
yo hablo por todos tus hijos hoy cuando te digo que estamos muy orgullosos de ti y agradecidos por tantisimos sacrificios que nisiquiera se pueden escribir aqui porque no alcanzarian las palabras, tu has sacrificado desde tu juventud hasta tu propia persona, tu propia felicidad como mujer con tal de que tus hijos no les faltara nada!
Y como exelente madre que eres siempre te preocupaste por nuestro bienestar fisico y emocional y has llorado muchas lagrimas de " cortar cebolla" ( esos nos decias para que no nos preocuparamos) para protejernos de muchos dolores que tu solita tragaste por nosotros!
Nos has defendido de mil peligros y de millones de cosas desde un nino que nos golpeo con una bola hasta de profesores injustos! siempre has puesto tu cara por nosotros y todavia lo haces!! Sigues sufriendo cuando nosotros sufrimos- te alegras cuando nosotros estamos alegres y se que estas muy orgullosa de nosotros porque siempre nos lo haces saber.
Y ahora como abuelita has demostrado que ese increible amor que uno no creia posible de que existiera algo mayor...ha crecido y amas a tus nietos tanto como a tus hijos! y ellos lo saben.
Mami... El amor que sentimos tus hijos por ti no se puede explicar y no es de este mundo: Es un amor eterno que va mas alla de la distancia y del tiempo y hasta de la muerte porque este amor es por la eternidad!!!
Gracias...mil gracias por dedicar tu vida entera a ser mama y a formarnos y apoyarnos en nuestras buenas decisiones y gracias por estar siempre ahi para levantarnos cuando hemos fallado y cuando hemos tomado malas decisiones. SE ( y hablo por mis hermanos tambien) que siempre contamos contigo y quiero decirte mamita en tu cumpleanos que tu tambien cuentas con nosotros SIEMPRE!!!
TE AMAMOS INFINITAMENTE,
Tus Hijos

Abby's Moods

From left to right: Mad-Happy
Sad-Surprised

THE MANY FACES OF CHRIS!

Happy Sad
Scared Surprised

KARATE KID!!

Here are some pics of Chris with his Karate Clothes!!
(TITA:Just because you asked me to.lol:)
I'm so thankful for this karate classes because he is more focus and definitely help him with discipline.Plus he can count in Korean to!!So by now he can count until 10 in Spanish, Korean and English ( til' 100 in English) I'm proud of him!

happy hallowen!

This year we really really enjoyed Halloween... because the kids are big enough to understand whats going on. And big enough to choose their costumes ( Abby not so much yet ).

Abby was a pumpkin and Chris was Optimus Prime from the transformers

Christian was a vampire and I was Little red riding hood ( not so little lol) I know pretty random but.. Who cares if you are having so much fun with Friends and family!

Our Friends Will and Marcela and their kids joined us for the day and we had a wonderful night.

Abby and Chris were so happy that they really really mean it when they said : "happy Halloween" to the people.

I think this is my favorite Holiday ( maybe because we don't celebrate it in Costa Rica so its new and different for us as adults..)