Family…Feelings

Where to start…always the difficult part…to begin…where to begin?

 Well I just learned a few minutes ago that one of my little brothers, George will be heading to Iraq in a few months. He is stationed in New York (Army), has a little girl that will be turning two next month. I guess my feelings are confused about the whole thing. Patriotic or protective…I don’t know? Ever since I can remember, my brother has always loved pretending to be a soldier…the boy would pretend to make bombs and fires…ok real fires! My parents have a picture of him with a soldier hat when he was little, that picture is as clear as the light of day in my mind. My prayers go out to you brother that the Lord may keep you safe on your journey. I can’t wait to see you guys in May.

 My baby brother, John just became a father again to a precious little boy…a whopping 7lbs and 14 oz. How life can change at the drop of a hat. That boy, has the biggest guardian angel a human can have. You’d be here forever if I wrote the many stories of all his close encounters! He sure is something else, but I still love him. I remember as a little boy, he made my teenage life miserable….that annoying brother of mine..haha!

My younger sister who is a twin, Toni, lives in Colorado…well just found out this month that she and newlywed hubby are expecting…YEAH! I really wish we would have grown up together, but in retrospect it turned out for the best. Nonetheless, she’s my lil sis and I love her like we did grow up together. I hope that in the years to come we will become closer. Even though miles seperate us, the same blood flows through our veins and yes…I am having her cravings!!! haha! When I first became pregnant with Solomon she had a dream I had had a little boy with lots of hair! Thats too crazy!

My other sister, Tiffany, who is Toni’s twin, is an exact replica of my biological mother. She has water in her brain and has to be cared for all the time. God bless my aunt Gloria and uncle Bob for raising her. They love her so much, they sure do have all the patience in the world. God bless them. I do know that love has surely kept her alive past her life expectancy. She is truly a miracle.

I also have three older sisters, Priscilla, Rosemary and Judy. They are part of who I am today regardless of all circumstances in the past. Three different women, three different lives. Priscilla is the prayer warrior. Rosemary is the hospitable one. Judy is the one you better not piss off…hehe…j/k! I love her the same. She’s a fighter. She is stationed in Hawaii (Coastguard) and just had her fifth child, a beautiful little girl who I have not had the pleasure in meeting just yet, just seen pictures.

Those are my brothers and sisters…I really had no idea where I was gonna go with this blog…..whata ya know, it turned out pretty meaningful.

-eLaiNe

Wow how time flies when your HAVING FUN!!!

So where to begin….hmmm…well this weekend was great. Isaac, I and the boys went out and took Easter pics. Our new city has so much beautiful scenery. Everywhere you went you knew it was Spring Break, everywhere is jam-packed. We are all in our Easter-springy wear and the weather is super nice. My parents and Isaac’s parents will be in SA for Easter, so fun….always love their company. I know the boys are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

So we also went to this event in downtown called Luminaria….so so fun. So many lights, original food and so much entertainment. They had artists doing their work right there, from spray paint to glass-blowing, a laser light show, fireworks and so much more. There were also concerts going on, DJ’s blasting away with their music and live poetry readings. So I just love our new home…..always family-friendly. I know Solomon loved it. Here are some pics from our family night.

Well thats it for now.

-eLaiNe

Yipee! My Benjamin is potty trained!!!

I am so proud of my two year old. It only took 1 week to potty train him. It just takes lots of patience and repetition. It sure paid off. So nice not having to buy anymore diapers. He is so good about letting me know he needs to go. He is talking a lot more…full sentences. It is truly amazing to see how much he has grown. He is so smart…that little boy of mine. Thank you Lord for such a beautiful addition to our family. He will do great things one day…I just know it. I’m so proud of my little rugrat!

Christmas

We sure did have a blast on Christmas eve/Christmas Day. I and the kiddos baked cookies and decorated them for Santa. We even threw reindeer oats in our frontyard…because of course that is what they eat. The best part ever is when Solomon ran upstairs up to our room and screamed, “Mama, dada, Santa came!” That was so precious. The boys and my neices opened all their presents and of course I took lots of pics…priceless. We then got packed and headed out to Corpus to visit both sides of the family. We arrived at My in-laws where the kids opened more gifts. We enjoyed a dinner of arroz con pollo…yum. Then we headed out to view cool Christmas lights. We returned where my mother-in-law had warm chocolate ready for us. The next day we headed out to my mom and dads where of course the kids opened more gifts…and whata ya know…more food. Forget the calories! We had some awesome posole…oh so good if you’ve never had it. Talk about feeling like a balloon. I wouldn’t have changed a thing, no regrets. I know we have all put on some pounds! New Year Resolution….LOSE WEIGHT….of course! Above are some pics of our Christmas. Enjoy, from our family to yours.

WHY BOTHER WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE?

Okay, where to begin? Let’s see, when you become a parent theres no point in trying to save face! Let me let you in on what I mean here.

Today we had our family day…Isaac and I took the boys out to a movie, bought them their favorite snacks, bought them clothes, even bought them little nicknacks from the machine. So how do we get repayed? I’m not complaining, trust me on this one…I’m actually laughing so hard my stomach hurts.

Incident #1 

First off, little Solomon, our 4 year old really needs to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times! We are at a restuarant finally eating when Solomon shouts he is desperately needing to go #2, at this point he’s holding himself running around in circles. At that same time, Isaac had stepped out to use the bathroom. And you moms know what I’m talking about….I have an almost 2 year old who I am dreading on taking to the bathroom along with my 4 year old. I text Isaac to hurry up, he comes rushing out…didn’t even get to use the bathroom. So I take Solomon in…few minutes later he is relieved. We go back to our table and Isaac proceeds back to the bathroom this time to take care of his business when Solomon as loud as he can be, shouts, “WHY IS DADDA GOING TO THE BATHROOM AGAIN!” How embarassing is that?

Incident #2 

Next stop, we are @ Barnes and Noble…yes we bought the boys books also. Solomon of course needs to go to the bathroom, but I don’t mind this much because I need to change Benji’s diaper. So there we are in the bathroom, when some lady lets out gas…(sorry…gross!)…Solomon again in his super loud voice says, “That wasn’t me mamma!” Then to add insult to injury he says, “Hey whats that smell, mamma why does it stink?” OMG! At this point I am silently laughing, trying my hardest to not let out a peep!

Incident #3

So we are at a resturant, the only available table was seated next to the bar. A man walks in and immediately seats himself at the bar. Solomon as loud as can be says, “Hey look dadda its a pirate….argh, LOOK DADDA THE PIRATE….LOOK MAMMA THE PIRATE…LOOK..LOOK!!” It turns out the man had a patch over his eye. OMG!

Incident #4

So again we’re at a restuarant…yes again a very public place! We are seated at a table enjoying our food when a man is slowly wheeled into the restuarant. He is waiting in the middle of our aisle while a worker accomodates enough space. Solomon is staring intensly at this point, not sure of what I should say or if I should say anything at all! Then yes here comes the defining moment. Solomon as loud as can be says, “Ha Ha, look dadda his leg is funny…why is his leg funny…ha ha?” The man was missing both his legs. OMG!

Incident #5

Alright, this one takes the cake by far! Why are these always restuarant/bathroom incidents???? So Solomon needs to go to the bathroom and again we are @ a nice restuarant. Isaac gladly takes him. A few minutes later Isaac comes back so red, so embarassed and says, “I will never take this child to the bathroom again!” Isaac tells me, Solomon had used #2, so as he was wiping him, Solomon says (again very loud), “Owww…hey thats hurts, what are you doing to my butt….oww that burns!” Isaac made it a point to say, “This is for the record, I am wiping my son’s butt just in case anyone is out there!” OMG!

So there you have it, no pride!

It’s Thanksgiving…..& your invited to my home :)

I know I know it came and went, but come reminisce with me……. 

It’s Thanksgiving morning, 12:00 a.m. to be exact and I am still awake cleaning the remnents of cookie dough and sprinkles that the kids have left behind on the kitchen island. The kids are all fast asleep and I am placing the last batch of cream-of-tarter cookies into the oven. My sister-in-law is prepping the banana bread, Isaac is cleaning upstairs and Michael is nowhere to be found. My feet ache yet I am determined to have all desserts prepared for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Oh darn, I almost forgot the apple-butter pumpkin pie in the oven, a delicious recipe from good’ole Southern girl, Paula Deen (food network channel).

A few minutes pass and I realize I don’t have enough of the spice I will use for my rub on the turkey. Isaac and Micheal head out to HEB to pick up more…so sweet! They return with Taco Cabana…crazy, you can’t send those two out without having an agenda of their own! I quickly begin toasting the blend of spices as the recipe specifically calls for and then onto the blender it goes. I am beginning to get worried…”will it be good, was this a dumb idea to try and take on the big bird myself?” Ok, enough of the paranoid talk….gotta get the regular pumpkin pie out of the oven. Denise is now onto her pecan pies. I am finally done (2:00 a.m.)…at least for now. Time to go get some rest…at least what I can get.

The alarm sounds, it is 9:30 a.m. Time to rise and shine! The outside temperature has dropped significantly, God you sure know how to bring in the holiday and warm my heart. I am feeling confident. No one else is awake in the home, so I quickly run to the kitchen and begin peeling the sweet potatoes to boil. I get the defrosted turkey out of the refrigerator….Denise and Isaac join me. Denise slices the veggies as I prepare the chicken stock for the gravy. We’re moving now….all four burners are going and the turkey is now being stuffed with lemons and rosemary. Isaac pours the olive oil and I embed the special blend of spices onto the bird. Oh what a site! I run to my room to freshen up…guests will be here shortly. Three hours later its done…WHAT!!! No way, grandma would not approve or believe! All credit is given to the special blend which formed a nice crust and maintained the juices.

12:00 p.m. and I hear Isaac calling, “You’re parents are here.” I run down the stairs, take a quick look at everything. The house smells of fall spices, the freshener is of apple pie, the living room is neat and not to metion the aroma of a suculant turkey. As I open the door I am greeted not just by my parents baring gifts for the kiddos but also by my nephew James and Isaac’s cousins, Abel and Roxanne. Wow…perfect timing. Hugs and kisses are exchanged and we all walk in anxiously to celebrate together. We are later joined by my in-laws, who made it in the nick of time. Picture time….enjoy

 I was a happy camper as I heard many compliments on how delicious the food was. This was by far one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I will never forget. More family joined us later on that evening. Everything went so smoothly, everyone ate, laughed and asked for seconds. Oh Thank you Lord for family, food and fun.

I’m making the Turkey!! Ahhh!

Hello Thanksgiving!

For the very first time I will be making the BIRD…well I will have many helpful hands. I took it upon myself to find a five star recipe. I am making my own rub and will be stuffing the bird with many aromatic ingredients…yum. For the past couple of years Isaac has been the one to deep-fry the turkey…..oh so yummy if you haven’t had it that way. I am excited but at the same time scared out of my mind. When I cook anything the golden words I long to hear are, “Man this is so good!” I just hope it is delicious and that it will be my newfound traditional recipe. I also love to make pumpkin pies and going on 6-year tradition of sweet potato casserole. I absolutely love Thanksgiving & I’d hate to ruin it. I don’t think I’ll actually ruin it but I guess thats my nightmare right now! My parents will be back in town helping to celebrate the Holiday. Then of course the tradition continues on Turkey-day…..buying a Christmas tree and decorating the home. Oh so fun! The kids are excited…..I am so giddy….woo-hoo! Can’t wait. I am multi-tasking at the moment, typing and watching the Food Network channel around the clock. I don’t know if you know this, but I aspire to be the best chef in my home. I really wouldn’t mind going back to school for culinary arts….that may be in the near future…who knows. Okay thats it for now, talking about all this food makes me hungry….gotta get some grub!

Busy Weekend

Wow….I can’t believe the weekend came and went and now we are nearing yet another weekend! Not to mention Thanksgiving is right around the corner…..AHHHH!!! Time to pull out the recipes and make the grocery list and clean and decorate the house and …….I’m already exhausted! Well my parents  came into town and so did my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. My nephew also visted this weekend. Lots and lots of traffic in the house, I loved it. Its always nice to have family over.

Oh yes, and President Bush was here in SA visiting BAMC, or known as Brooke Army Medical Center. Isaac and I were on our way home, when we heard on the radio that Bush had arrived, a few seconds later my sister-in-law calls and says, “Air Force One has landed!” We happened to be passing the airport at that very second and lo-&-behold…..there is AIR FORCE 1…..Isaac took a quick snap, we got the tail end of it. Go to Isaac’s blog  and check it out.

 As I had mentioned previously in another post, my dad is a veteran. He was in the Korean war. My dad was honored at Solomon’s school for Veteran’s Day. It was so nice. My neice, Olivia is in the choir, their songs of tribute were beautiful. All the veterans were seated in the front while family members sat behind them for support. My dad had to stand and state when he was a part of the Navy and for how long. I really enjoyed this ceremony. The principal did a really good job at explaining to the kids of the importance and respect we should all bear towards our past and present soldiers. Here are a couple of pics of my dad at the ceremony.

     My Dad introducing himself     

    Grandpa Aparicio & the boys

The next day the whole family enjoyed an evening at Pico De Gallo, an amazing Mexican restuarant. Mmmm…..mmmm…good is all I have to say. Here are some more pics of our fun night.

 Say Cheese!       My mom and dad     

   My dad           Isaac and Jakob       

My parents will be back for Thanksgiving…yippee! Aside from celebrating Turkey Day, Denise, Michael, Isaac and I are looking forward to hitting up the stores for Black Friday! Hopefully we’ll SURVIVE and accomplish all of our Christmas shopping that night!!! Well thats all for now, love you all.

Saturday Morning

It’s Saturday morning, 8:30 a.m. to be exact and what am I doing up!!!! I should be in bed resting, sleeping in….but no here I am…blogging! I had every intension of sleeping in, however my little rugrats joined Isaac and I in bed way too early. So now the sounds I hear are Spongebob Squarepants and my wonderful husband’s snoring…..ahhhh how nice. So I choose to blog.

Last night Isaac made his famous hotwings…oh so tasty! I made some pasta and Denise added her delicious deviled eggs. By the way, this is an awesome combination. We watched the SPURS game…..well everybody else did. I was feeling ill yet again…so I found myself isolating myself upstairs and watching the George Lopez show on nick @ night. Then it was the boys bedtime, so I joined them in their room. Benji requested I sing the Wheels on the Bus, he loves that song. He sounds so cute, he does his happy dance, stops and makes it a point to sing the last phrase of the song…..he looks towards the ceiling and sings in a high pitch. He’s so adorable, he’s definately attached to my hip. Solomon loves the IF YOUR HAPPY and YOU KNOW IT song. He by the way is going great in school, he loves it, which I am very greatful for. He has his friends that he occassionally will talk to me about. In fact his teacher’s exact words were, “Oh no I had to break that group up!” I thought that was too funny. His teacher is our age (Isaac and I), he’s pretty cool, very easy to talk to.

I also just wanted to take some time to thank my loving husband for all he does. Thank you for letting me sleep those 4 hours during the day when I was feeling ill. Thank you for tending to me in any little thing that I needed. Most of all thank you for all that you do. I seriously would not know what to do without you. Even though I don’t say it as often as I should, “I love you and appreciate all that you do on a daily basis for our family.” Also thank-you for being a wonderful daddy. I see the boys faces light up when you wrestle with them or just run around the house with them playing hide-n-seek. Thank-you, thank-you. I love you.

Tomorrow is my birthday…I can’t believe it, I think it just snuck up on me this year…not to mention Thanksgiving is like in two-three weeks!!!! What!!! Another year flying by? Were the years always going by this fast, or this only an adult thing? None-the-less I am excited this time of year is here, I just wish the time could drag out these last two months. I hate to prepare and prepare and then like a lightening strike it is gone! No, I wish that I have lots of quality time with my family. That’s what it is all about. Well I hope that your Holidays are warm and blessed. We have two cold fronts coming our way, so snuggle up to your loved ones with a cup of hot chocolate and watch a Holiday movie. Love you all.

GO SPURS GO!!!!

Ok so like I had to make this my title!!! You don’t know the SPURS until you’ve lived in SA, so the saying goes. It’s so true, man this city goes all out, its an official holiday every time the SPURS play. I have to say I’m loving it!!! Solomon went nuts watching them play for his first time. He and his cousins had little Spurs fans, they would scream and raise them high everytime the SPURS scored. Isaac and I are side by side working on our computers, I of course blogging, he is web surfing and watching the game. SPURS just won…yeah, 106 to 97 was the score.

Well we have been a busy bunch. This past weekend my mother-in-law, Ofie came into town with Michael’s mom, Bunnie. It was fun. We woke up early Saturday, had a good breakfast and then headed out to a local pumpkin patch with the kiddos. Here are some pics, enjoy.

Alright so I am a picture freak…oh-well! After a fun time at the pumpkin patch we headed out to do the tourists thing with the fam. Visit Isaac’s blog to see the sPoOky pics of the Spanish governor’s palace in downtown SA. Thought it would be fun considering Halloween is right around the corner.

Later that night we went shopping for last minute costume items…so fun. Can’t wait! I will post more pics of our Halloween fun. That’s it for now.