A Allie e o Brenton a correrem na praia...

A Allie a pensar

A Allie a olhar para o horizonte...

A Allie e os avos Jones

Tao linda!

Mais tesouros....

hum... what can I do with this?...

I found something...

having fun exploring...

Look at me!! Just a happy little girl!

Aqui esta o Brenton com um mexilhao!!!

We have a writer!!!

She wrote: Allie's Rhyme I was a bug. Then a mug. Then a cat. Then a mat And I sat sat sat. Happy Birthday Mom!

Newsflash! Allie and Brenton Finalists!!!

So, 2 days before we had to fly out we found out that Allie and Brenton were finalists in the Spelling B Contest! I was so sad for not being able to be there. It turned out that they did very well!! They announced third place for Allie but her certificate states 2nd place so we have to go with second place!!! That's right!! And Brenton was on the top 5! We have some smart Kids!!!! Allie really wanted me to be there for her reading as well and have some of the refreshments with her but unfortunately I missed it all. I have always tried to be there for all the things that they are involved in and had I known that all this was going on about a month earlier and I would have made different plans. I did talk to Josh and Shari and they said that they would record their performance on the Spelling B and so I could watch and make a copy later! So that really made me feel better! The hardest part was not to have them give me tons of loves on my Birthday but we have it all planned: during Easter weekend we will throw a birthday party for Adam and I with cake , candles and everything!!! It will be fun! This way we will celebrate with our little ones too! They did great on their Spelling B and I am sooo proud of them!!! They not only were finalists which is a great accomplishment but they also achieved a very good place among the other contestants! Brilliant!!!

Birthday weekend!!

On Friday the 27th of March, Adam and I flew to California and stayed with his parents at Balboa Island for the weekend. Adam and I both have birthdays on March 29th so we wanted to take advantage of a really cool deal that Disneyland is having this year. The theme this year is Birthdays so if you go on your birthday you can go in for free. As exciting as it is I was kind of sad because I was going to miss out on some cool events that Allie and Brenton were going to be part of right on the 27th plus I was having a real hard time not being able to spend time with them on my birthday as I always do! Anyway, it was freezing in Utah when we left and when we landed in California it was heaven! The weather was perfect. My father-in-law picked us up at the airport in Long Beach and then headed to Balboa. We were able to use a golf cart to ride around the island (which is very common there) and on that day we took it on the ferry to the Peninsula to enjoy a lunch on the pier. While we were having lunch we saw 3 dolphins swimming by!! It was so cool! And then a guy who was out there swimming stopped to play with them! Pretty cool! I called the kids and told them all about it! (When I go anywhere without my little ones i always think about what they would say or do if they were right there with me. So I missed them a lot.) After Cathy (my mother-in-law) got off work, his parents took us out to eat for our birthdays at Lucille's! I had never been there before and although I have heard only good things about it I was very hesitant because it is a barbecue place and I don't really like barbecue sauce. Well, let me tell you! That place is now one of my most favorite places to eat! The ribs were just amazingly cooked and the sauce is incredible! Loved it!!! Saturday was a very laid back day! Jimmy, Adam and I hopped on the cart and went to a bakery early in the morning to grab some breakfast to take home. After that, Adam and I went for a walk on the main street of the Island which is where all the cute stores are. His parents joined us a little later and it was a lot of fun. In the afternoon I took the ferry to the peninsula and walked on the beach for quite a while! It was awesome. I stared at that ocean for as long as I could and just enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. The weather was perfect once again. On my way to the ferry boat I grabbed some ice scream and indulged myself! It was like what I used to do back home. Adam and I took another walk around the island and that evening his sisters and brother came over for a barbecue (we had Lucille's barbecue sauce there too!! yummy!!!) at his parents. Amy and Lisa are so much fun and Earl is a crack up! His wife Meagan was working and couldn't join us. Jimmy cooked dinner and it was awesome! After dinner Adam and I took the ferry and went to the Peninsula and walked around. It is so peaceful at night. Sunday rolled around and Happy Birthday to us! The two of us left early and went to Disneyland. We went on several rides that are on our list of favorites but the day before the family tried to convince me to go on this ride that is called Tower of Terror. I have never wanted to go before but I decided to give it a try and oh my goodness!!!! It is AWESOME!!! I wanted to turn right back and go again but the wait with a fast pass was 80 minutes and we needed to be on our flight back by that time. It was always full of people so I suggest that if you want to go on that ride to get a fast pass right when you get to the park. We watched the Alladin show which is always a must and the rafting was so much fun. Soaring over California is just incredible!! We spent the whole day there and I don't think that I have ever had so many strangers wish me a Happy Birthday as I had on this day! When you show your ID at the entrance they give you special looking tickets and a button to wear which says Happy Birthday and has your name written on it so that everyone interacts with you. But the fun part was to see people's reactions when they realized that both Adam and I being married had the exact same birthday. The looks on people's faces were pretty funny! And we got to wish others a Happy Birthday on that day too:) My whole family called as well as several friends and Josh and Shari made sure that Allie and Brenton called to wish us a Happy Birthday and that was awesome! It was a fun weekend, very relaxing and laid back and it was nice to have sometime with just Adam and also to enjoy his family. His parents and siblings always make our stay very comfortable and enjoyable.

Para a mae

Ola Mae! Olha, vou manter este blog em Ingles mas tambem vou escrevendo em Portugues para que tu, minha maezinha do ceu, vas seguindo o que se vai passando! Que o sol inunde esta sala!! Ahahaha! O resto do pessoal sabe Ingles por isso fica tudo fixe! Muitos beijinhos!!

Look at this cute silly face!

So today I was finally able to find some time to visit my own blog!! Goodness! I am on my lunch hour so I will be able to write a little. Last Thursday was a day that started very sad but it ended on a good note because I was able to stay distracted. Early morning my mom called from Portugal to give me some really sad news. A friend of mine growing up passed away suddenly. Apparently he collapsed while playing soccer. A lot of memories came to mind and once again I was reminded of how fragile life is, of how quick things can change and of how little power we have over certain things in this life. Later on that same Thursday Shari, Draycin, Cael, Allie , Brenton and I had dinner together at my place. I worked until 6 and then we met up. The kids were so excited to play together in Allie's and Brenton's rooms. Draycin got to ride Allie's horsie and it was fun to just see his big smile. As expected, I talked my head off and of course we ate dinner late! The kids were starving by this time except Cael who has an available "food" source anytime he desires!!! He did get excited about the pineapple juice!... He is a cutie! I hope everyone had a good time and enjoyed the food (as much as possible!). I'm glad they were able to come over and hang out. It was fun! We'll have to do it again! Well, I better go back to my normal duties at work. This morning I helped pregnant women, this afternoon it's time for shots, but not just any type of shots! Kindergarten shots!!!!! And trust me, the kids are the easiest part! "Talk" to you later!!

Trip to Portugal

Today I'm trying to update you on some of the many things that have happened in the last few months so you will notice that I've posted quite a few today alone. Back in September I went to Portugal to spend about 10 days with my family. I missed being home so much. I would have loved to have taken Allie and Brenton with me but the tickets were off the charts. Needless to say that after you bear children your family only wants you to show up if you bring the children along, otherwise... hahahah!! This time I told my family that they would have to just get over it and enjoy only me!:) After spending about 24 hours traveling I was finally in Portugal! I always get emotional as the plane flies over the Atlantic Ocean and gets close enough to the coast to where I can see the houses and the neighborhoods and I know that I'm back home. My family was waiting for me and it was so nice to hug them again. We drove to Coimbra which is situated about 2 hours north of Lisbon and although I was exhausted I just stared at everything, just trying to cease the moment as much as possible. That same night I had the chance to go to Eliana's Bachelorette party and hung out with some of my old time friends. It was so nice! We talked about old crazy things we used to do and laughed our heads off! The week went by fast but with a lot going on. Hanging out with my mom was so great. Just to spend time with her was worth everything. It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you have experienced this too, that when I go home I feel like I'm still a little girl. I feel protected, spoiled, taken care of and my worries are definitely minimized. I spent time with my brothers, sisters in law and nephew and wished I had more of it everyday. And then the food!!! Oh my goodness! How I missed my mom's cooking! I love Portuguese food! The soups, fresh fish and shrimp, not to mention the bread, the pastries and of course the CHOCOLATE!!!! We get a lot of Swiss chocolate there which is my ultimate favorite!!!! Needless to say that I was in Heaven!! The icing on the cake would be to have my little ones there. Allie and Brenton really enjoyed everyone there when I took them with me in 2006 and always have lots of questions about the language itself. They always pray in Portuguese and for Avo Tina. They are so sweet. We went to several different places and visited several castles. We also went to the Mosteiro da Batalha and to the beach in Figueira da Foz and that brought back so many fun memories of so many incredible summers. My last day there was spent at Eliana's wedding. The weather was perfect and it was so much fun! I got to see all of my friends that since have been married are pretty much spread everywhere between Spain and Portugal. So if it wasn't for the wedding I wouldn't have been able to see everyone at the same time! What a treat! I really had a good time and then it was time to fly back. Goodbyes are so hard... and it seems like they get harder every time I go there. The trip back was very exhausting and I learned never to travel with US airways again!!! Finally got home safe and sound and headed to work the very next morning.

My little boy is growing up!!!!

And so it happen!.... The day after we arrived from California we had a surprise! Brenton's first tooth fell out!!! It had been loose since the 16th of February and it was a matter of time but it came out sooner than I was expecting. Brenton was every excited of course but I must confess that as much as I enjoy all these milestones my heart also has a hard time adjusting to the changes that slowly are distancing us from their childhood! But it is part of growing up and that is life!

Newsflash!!

So, you would think that on a wedding the spotlight would belong to the Bride and Groom and even more so to the Bride, well let me tell you..:) Allie and Brenton definitely stole that from them!!! They were so cute and hilarious! Brenton decided to take upon himself the role of professional photographer and he actually did a great job! Definitely competition for the one who was there as the real photographer! Brenton went around with aunt Lisa's i Phone and went to town!! Now Brenton is famous and the cool part of all this is that he was completely oblivious to the impact he was having on everyone! He was not even trying to show off!!!! Allie on the other hand in a very subtle way but also oblivious to how much people were observing her, made a positive impact as well. She danced and twirled around and around and when it was time for the girls to line up to catch the bouquet there was Allie ready to go! And guess what? She grabbed the bouquet!!! She was sooo happy! Her cute little cheeks were blushed as everyone clapped and cheered for her! And then she got to take pretty pictures with the Bride. They were the little stars of the night!