Whimsical ME

Nyomi's Bday Celebration

We really like to celebrate the kids birthday's here.  I enjoy planning with the kids and making the whole event come into fruition.  Nyomi turned 7 in August but because of several conflicts we scheduled her party for September 10th.

Nyomi has loved The Little Mermaid since she was 2 years-old.  I thought she might eventually switch to another Disney Princess but she has never wavered from her fascination with the red-headed mermaid.  Perhaps, I somehow passed along my LOVE for the ocean through DNA or something ... at least I'd like to take some credit for it.  

This year she wanted to have a Little Mermaid birthday party, but I have a thing for keeping it not so ... um ... cheesy.  We compromised and we decided to have an Under the Sea Celebration with the Little Mermaid inspirations.  Nyomi was quite happy with it and so was I.  

I planned it for a while but didn't get to actually doing anything until the week of.  Thankfully, I have a super talented friend, Jessica who helped me shop, decorate and clean-up.  I'm a lucky gal.

The invite asked our guest to come dressed in their prettiest turquoise and white.  I loved it when all the girls came in wearing such pretty stuff and they all looked fantastic.  I really appreciated the moms going the extra mile in getting their daughters ready.  It made for a cute group shot.

I'm not sure where I got the idea to blow-up balloons and transforming them into fish but it turned out so wonderful.  I purchased the extra large balloons from Party City, felt and some foam (that were already pre-cut into butterflies ... with Jes' good eye she saw that I could cut the butterflies and make them into the fin) from the Dollar store.  I used a circle punch to cut the pupil that coordinated with the fin.  I used double sided tape to adhere the felt and fin to the balloon.  It didn't stay on too well but it served it's purpose of lasting through the party.

The Details:

the food

Sea Shells (mac-n-cheese)

Fish crackers

watermelon (I tried to cut them into stars for starfish but it was more difficult than I thought it would be, so I gave up)

Water to drink

Seaweed

and 

The Little Mermaid playing in the background.

Nyomi's bff's from school

Natalie

Emily

Julia

Our neighbor friend, Amelia.

our cul-de-sac and Jes' daughter Lily.

Dylan didn't fit around the table so he had his special seat on the counter.  He was quite happy with these arrangements.  He said he didn't want to sit with all of the giiiiiiiiirl, yuck.

After lunch ... while some of the girls finished up the other girls that were through with their lunch drew/colored on poster board that was taped to the wall.  Girls LOVE to color and draw!

My beautiful niece, Ella.

Adam told Ella to look for something inside my lens and the other kids heard so they all gathered up behind her and she was quite embarrassed.  I think it's a pretty funny picture.

The Gang.

Goofy Gang.

Musical chairs.

Who's gonna win?

NY - O - MI!

They were so happy that she won and Emma was such a good sport.

Nyomi won ----  Fish Poop!

That was Adam's idea.

The kids thought it was HILARIOUS!!!

Nyomi shared fish poop with the gang.

Dylan was in hysterics about eating fish poop (milk duds).

Stick-the-black-pearl-on-the-sea-shell

Claire won this game and she won ... chocolate covered pearls (Junior Mints).

Opening of the PRESENTS... always very exciting.  Nyomi passed her presents around so the girls could all admire her loot.

The Cake made by Adam and Nyomi.

The Mess.

All of the fish balloons were pulled down and it was super messy.

BUT 

so much fun to celebrate and play.

(thanks to Jes who stayed around to help me clean up)

This Saturday was super busy because aside from throwing this party I also woke up at 1:30am to run 20 miles.  I was tired but somehow I managed to stay awake until 3pm.  

Love my little princess ... so sad to see her grow up ... but so exciting too.

 

Farewell to Glendale

This post is past overdue.

Mainly, because I don't really have the words to adequately express what I feel in my heart and soul.  If you know me well, you know that I'm not very flowery with my vocabulary.  I just say what I need to say in short sentences and try to get my point across with the least amount of words as possible.  I'm very fortunate I have my pictures to go along with my stories sometimes; because for me a picture speaks a whole heck of a lot more than I do (unless we're one-on-one, then I speak too much).

Anyway.

I write for my children;  to help them learn about what I see in them, to give them a glimpse into our journey, to help them get to know me better, to make them see how cool I really am and to remember the good times.  For these reasons I'll share a little about my childhood.

My mom doesn't like to talk about anything that makes her feel uncomfortable or makes her the bad guy.  I don't believe that there should be anything that should make you feel these things.   It makes me sad to know that there are parts of her that I will never know.  I don't want the same for my own kids.

I can't be completely brutally honest in this good 'ol blog because I feel like I want to keep this blog positive, but sometimes you'll see my other side emerge, like now ... but pstttt, I have a journal kids (that you are more than welcome to read when you are in your 20's ... haha).   

Sooooo

I grew up in Los Angeles.

I grew up poor (what I call States poor, because we had shelter, food, clothes and love).

I grew up in a single-parent household.

My mother was strong and she did what she could to teach us right.

In my first home, we had roaches and mice.

It was dangerous.

It was scary at night.

Regardless, I had fun because I was a child.

BUT

I also

 had dreams.

I would day-dream that I would one day drive a car (my mom didn't drive so we took the bus everywhere).

I dreamt of one day owning a home with stairs because I saw that the rich kids on TV all had stairs in their homes (and now I have one).

I knew I would get an education.

I knew that I had to be strong to end the cycle.

I knew that I couldn't give up.

I knew my mom would help me get there.

AND

It was all up to me.

It's all about the choices we make.

I made a lot of wrong choices, but I learned to make the right ones.  So, yes, I give myself some credit too.

This is where I grew up from teeny-tiny to the end of 5th grade.  I will never forget the castle!  I would imagine that I was someone really, really important that was fortunate to live in a castle and I was very proud of that fact, even if it was all in my tiny imagination.  Our apartment was the one in the upper right hand corner.  My best friend growing up lived below me.  Her father would grab his broom and bang up stairs whenever we got too loud.  What I learned from my BFFs father was that smoking was really bad for the body because he had to have an oxygen tank.  I loved having that big window out in the front.  My brother and I would play on that tiny metal balcony in front of our window ... oh, and I loved having that bigger balcony to our right (your left).  We had lots of fun there for sure.

Our apartment was a studio apartment.  It had a closet large enough to fit a twin bed.  I remember sleeping on the floor a lot.  I remember having lots of people with us all of the time too ... my mother liked to help people that came from another country until they could get ready to be on their own.  So our home was always busy, but very fun.  Our "studio" apartment, had a kitchen that was big enough to fit a small table to fit 2 chairs (from what I remember) then we had 1 bathroom and the living area that was almost always also the bedroom.

Good times!

 

The stairs.

I remember getting spanked because I didn't want to go up.

Hallway to our apartment.  When we had the big earthquake in the early 90's I was stuck in this hallway.  The building was moving so much that I couldn't walk.

My mom standing out side of our apartment.  Right across from us lived my "mamita" ... my other mom ... she took care of us when we were little.  I still remember the music she listened too and the bus rides we would take to downtown where she would buy us something from the store, the food she cooked and would make us finish ... but most of all I remember how much she loved us. But,  I also remember when she committed suicide.  It still makes me so sad.  I miss her.  

Our backyard.

One day my brother and I had rock fight with some crazy boys from another neighborhood.  I got hit on my forehead and blood was everywhere, I still have the scar to prove it.  No more rock fights, EVER!

I was terrified of the laundry room when I was young.  From what I remember it was super dark (some of us would hide there when we played hide-n-seek) and the place made some scary sounds.  I always thought evil things happened there, so going down the stairs this day brought back those fears ...

but to my surprise ... it was bright and NOT scary at all.

Not anymore that is.

The neighborhood.

Then

We MOVED!

to Glendale!!

I'm so glad.

I'm so proud of my mom for the courage to move to a new place where we didn't know anyone and we were far away from our family ... but that gave us more hope in the future.  Glendale was safer for us.  Glendale was quiet (back then) and it provided a wonderful High School, unlike the one from Los Angeles.

We shared this 3 bedroom home with 2 other families.  It felt like we had moved into a mansion!  It even had our own parking spaces.  But it didn't last long ... there was one family we were having issues with so we moved to a house around the corner.

And this is the house that I lived in from 7th to when I graduated High School.

Oh MY gosh.

Those purple steps weren't purple when I lived there.  

The memories with friends, boy-friends, neighbors.  Sneaking out at night to just hang out with friends.  Getting in trouble.  Girl talks. Hot summer days because we didn't have air-conditioning.  Just plain awesome memories here.

Then when I went away to college my mom moved next door to save $ on rent.

And this is the house my kids know to be Abuelita's home.  The home Nyomi calls her favorite because it doesn't have any stairs!  (full circle moment right there!)

Adam came to this home to visit me back in 2000 ... the day he met my brother and my mom for the first time.  The hot summer days we spent here visiting with the kids and the cold winter days ... because this house has HORRIBLE insulation.  This is the home my mom had to say good-bye to and BOY WAS SHE SAAAAAAAD to leave her home -- Glendale.

I will also miss driving home and getting off the freeway and right away see my High School.

I had an awesome High School experience.  Well, as awesome as I'd like to remember it as, because I remember the positive.  I had FUN!  Lots and lots of FUN!

I met some of my very best friends here.

I hope that my kids have an awesome High School experience, but I also hope that they can move past it.  It's good to remember those experiences with the realization that that was a different time in your life.

Some fun pictures I was able to get of my High School.

This was my hang out spot during my Sophmore and part of Junior year.

Hang out spot during my Senior year.

Other random hangout spots.

The choir room.

The bleachers, to check out the cute football players.

 

I guess our class donated this bench.  Doesn't look old at all, that means I must still be young!!  haha!

Time capsule.

When do they open these?

I was a Nitro, a Dynamiter ... what kinda mascot is that you ask?  I don't know.  lol

Saying hello to my friend Jenny and her family.  So glad I have somewhere to stay if I ever need a place to stay during the summer and I wanna be in Glendale!  Otherwise, we'll just stay with my brother.

Eating dinner with my cousins and her super smart daughters.

My cousin Rebecca and her husband and daughter ... saying good-bye to my mom.

Closing the door on her home in Glendale.

Saying good-bye to the neighbors, Laura and Stella ... known them since I was 11 years old!!

My mom's good friend who she'd go to Church and to dinner with on Saturdays.

AND 

During this weekend, I had a mini-reunion with some locals from my Junior High.  It was amazing to see some people I had NOT seen in over 13 years!  And some that I had just seen last month :)

Holy 4th Birthday Batman!

I tried to make some cute scrapbooked birthday invites using my friends Cricut but I didn't have the patience.  I had planned to use the Cricut to cut out paper dolls dressed as Batman, but it took me 3 hours just to cut out some dolls, capes, cat ears & knight helmets (to make Batmans face mask) and I still had to cut out plenty of other things .... so I gave up and did what I do best .... take pictures of my kids and make digital cards!

Dylan told me that he wanted to have a BOYS only birthday party.  He was very clear that he didn't want any girls.  Oh boy!  I got a friend to come play with Nyomi upstairs but they managed to sneak into the party.  And then another girl managed to sneak into the party too when she saw Nyomi.  Luckily, Dylan was too busy having fun to care or even say anything about it and I'm so glad!

We had a special guest come to the party too!  We were sooooo lucky to have Aunt Baylee dress up as Batman.  We found Adam's mask and emblem from the last time he dressed up and we made her a cape from a trash bag we had in our pantry.  Dylan thought it was so cool!

Adam made the Batman cake this year.  Yummy!

Batman read a book to the kids.

My friend Wendy from High School and baby Nadya! 

My nephews who had a lot to say about the story that was read to them.

Such a very fun group of kids!

Batman musical chairs. 

(we had a Batman song playing)

Batman says.

Batman pinata.

This little guy stole everyone's heart!

Since we had some time after presents we had Batman Limbo.

Ragnar 2011

I ran Ragnar this year ... not trained or motivated, but I did it and it was so much fun!  The run was in February but I have been slow in uploading the pictures that I have taken recently.  I'm forgetting details of the fun relay.  I belong to East Valley Runners (EVR) and a friend of mine invited me to be part of their group.  I still need to loose baby weight, so I decided that perhaps this would be the motivation, but it wasn't ... ugh.  But, I was able to finish my 16.1 miles in an avg 10 min/mi pace.  Met some really great people in my van too.

My funny, goody friend Jerry.

Glad I didn't have this BLISTER!  After I saw Tim's I couldn't complain about mine :)

My injuries ... taped up knees and taped blisters.

I'm on the hunt for motivation ... SOOOOOO ... I'm thinking of running another marathon :)

My Warrior Friend Lizz

My Warrior-Friend Lizz.

 

I have a friend from junior high with whom, through the wonders of Facebook, I have had the privilege to become reacquainted.  What I have learned about her via emails, IMs, posts, and even face-to-face over the past year has inspired me.  

Lizz was diagnosed with Lupus 15 years ago.  For those not familiar with this disease, it is an autoimmune disease of unknown origin (likely caused in part by genetics) meaning the immune system cannot distinguish between harmful viruses, bacteria, etc. and healthy tissues.  The result is that the antibodies of those with Lupus attack that person’s body causing illness and even damaging organs.  This is a very scary disease.

For Lizz it must have been especially frightening, as her sister had also been diagnosed with Lupus and saw how it can truly take over one’s life.  It causes weight gain, serious mood swings as it affects hormones (Lupus has been coined “the emotional disease”), sickness and fatigue to name a few of the possible symptoms.  It has the potential to completely take over a person’s life, causing severe depression.

In Lizz’s case, her Lupus reached a point where she was treated with Chemotherapy.  Eventually she underwent a kidney transplant. 

Knowing what was coming, having seen her sister suffer from this disease, Lizz made a brave decision: she decided to attack the disease as opposed to allowing it to take over her life.  When she had to undergo chemotherapy and notice her hair beginning to fall out, she decided to shave her head.  That way Lupus and chemo didn’t make her lose her hair, she chose to remove it (I love it).  As difficult as it was at times, she stayed positive despite the mood swings, the sick feelings, and the fatigue.

She was told (and it makes sense) she would not live normal life – no school, no work, relationships would be difficult etc.  In other words, this disease was going to drastically limit her life in everyway possible.

 

That was 15 yrs ago.

 

Since then she went to school, had a wonderful career and even got married to a wonderful, patient man who has joined her in her struggle, supporting her through the toughest of times (even the super emotional ones).

She has also been supported by wonderful friends.  Eventually she needed a kidney transplant and her best friend donated one to her.  Unfortunately, and very recently, her body rejected the transplant, and it had to be removed.  This has forced her to be put on dialysis – yet another very difficult trial.

She has gone through so much and has handled it in such a positive manner, I can only hope and pray she can face this trial as she has this disease over the past 15 years.

Lizz contacted me about taking some pictures of her and her husband, but right before I was to visit she informed me that she was probably going to cancel because the medications that were supposed to be helping her keep her transplanted kidney were making her extremely puffy and sick.  She did what she could to keep the puffiness down and in her true warrior way decided to go through with the photo-shoot and brought along her warrior sister, boyfriend and daughters.

Despite what she was going through, Lizz and her family spent an afternoon with me posing for pictures and having a good time.  To say that I had a such a wonderful experience seeing her again after all of these years AND meeting her family was AWESOME -- would be an understatement.  I felt that this has been one of my favorite photo-shoots because I felt creative, inspired and BLESSED. While she has repeated over and over that she doesn’t feel beautiful, the pictures do not lie.  Lizz, even in one of your most difficult years, you are stunning.

 

Liz, thank you for allowing me the privilege of taking pictures of you and your family.  I know it was not easy.  I pray that you are blessed with a new kidney, with strength to see this through with a positive attitude and with a continued faith in God and miracles.  You are, truly, beautiful.

I will always admire your strength sweet friend. 

To learn more about Lupus, please visit: http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html

 

Lizz, sweet husband and sweet daughter.

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

This is LOVE.

 

our first ugly sweater party

We decided to have an ugly Christmas sweater/White Elephant gift exchange party for Adam's co-workers and family.  I cut out snowflakes and shopped for our UGLY sweaters.

It was fun to have our first ADULT party!

Here are some fun photos.

exchanging gifts was FUN!

We picked numbers and went in order and we were allowed one steal.

My brother-inlaw went first and he ended up with this!  No one wanted to steal that from him... but he tried to persuade.

This Popcorn machine ended up being the BIG HIT!  I think it got stolen 3xs!!

Someone brought laxatives. LOL!!! This was so funny.

AND

she ended up with the Popcorn machine.  It turned out to be better to go last.

April ended up with Backstreet Boys, which turned out to be a gift she had given her sister a Christmas or so ago! haha!

We played 2 games.  We played a charades type of game ... AND ... a jelly bean game.  The little box of jelly beans (which is found in the candy isle at Target) comes with good/disgusting jelly beans and you don't know what you are gonna get ... LIKE ... peach or barf!

Mike kept getting some nasty ones ... LIKE ... barf, rotten egg and something else.  haha!

GREAT party!

Happy THANKSgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with my friends and family in California.  We've made a family decision NOT to travel during Christmas anymore because it is so stressful AND we really enjoy spending the month of December home with our own traditions.

HOWEVER

the other 11 months of the year we are free to TRAVEL!

So, we decided to take the drive with our family of 5 and visit so. Ca.

The kids were easy to travel with as usual.  AND the hubby behaved too ... LOL!

We ate a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with some family friends, same ones we ate with last year.  The kids had fun running around with the other children.  AND the adults had fun conversations while we waited for the feast.  Adam had to go out and search for a pacifier for Nadya ... since we had lost her beloved earlier on our trip.  Luckily, he found one that has NOW become her favorite.

These are some of my brother's best friends that are like MY brothers too.  I've known then since they were in Elementary school!

Dylan LOVES pumpkin pie!  Last year he tried it for the first time and was in LOVE.  Early in the morning he'd whisper in our ears, "Pum-kin pieeeeeeeee?", cause he wanted it for breakfast.

We ate 2x at our favorite place ... PANERA!

We went to our local park where there is always a group of old men playing games and chatting.

We tried to go to PORTO's on this day, but it was closed ... so instead we went to Goodwill and bought the kids a couple of books!

We went bowling with friends!

I even did some karaoke.  I don't know HOW the heck I sang in front of people in High School and now I'm petrified of singing in front of drunk people!

It was a little chilly at my mom's so Nyomi found things to keep her warm.

We finally made it to Porto's and it did NOT disappoint.  Apparently, people travel really far to come to these restaurants.  BUT, I had lived in Glendale for so many years and had NEVER tried it.  Where have I been?

So, we tried their breakfast ... and ... then Adam came the next day and got some Potato balls and some pastries.  Really delish!!!

Sweet Nadya and uncle Oscar.

And on our last night we spent the night with my good friend Tony and his GF.  Oh man, it was FUN but it was late!  We stayed until 3am and we had to travel home the next day!  But, it was definitely worth it ... that's for sure.

it's HAPPEN-ing!

Well, well, well...

I'm looking back today, realizing I didn't blog about some special things that happened these past months.  

1.  My 10th year anniversary celebration

Adam and I commissioned my mom to come stay with the kids for a short weekend so that Adam and I could enjoy a little stay-cation in Scottsdale, AZ.  We stayed in a really nice hotel (the Westin) and we enjoyed eating, shopping, movies, eating and hiking.  It was nice to be close enough to the kids and not worry AND it was extra nice NOT to have to drive or take a plane somewhere and spend a day traveling.  I'm a believer in stay-cations NOW!

UM... found this line of dishes and stuff called JULISKA!  I loved it all!!!!!

AND

2.  I saw some very special people on my trips to California this Fall

This is Lily ... I met her in Sacramento, when we lived there over 5 years ago.  We've remained friends through the years with the help of our blogs, Skype, Facebook and email.  She was in the hospital for some needed bed rest cause her little baby girl wanted to come early.  On our way to Glendale during Thanksgiving, I remember her and decided to take a little detour to visit.  It was great to see her after all of these years.  Last I saw her was when she was living in Puerto Rico and I was able to visit her ... which was 5 years ago ... too long. 

This is Lizz ... and she was a good friend when I was in Junior High (8th grade).  WOW!  I have so much to say about her AND her amazing strength.  I will be doing a post dedicated to her really soon.  BUT, I just wanted to say that I'm thankful for Facebook for bringing us back together!

This is Tony and his girl Myra.  I've known Tony since I was in 7th grade!  He's always been a good friend to me.  I remember playing some basketball together ... and talking LOTS!  It was so nice to meet his other half on this trip.  He does amazing art work ... and I will be commissioning his work really soon AND then I'll show YOU!

This is my cousin's (Mario) beautiful daughter

 because of some un-forseen circumstances,  now she's living with my Cousin Flora and she will be adopting her.  For the little short while that I was with her ... she was GREAT and so obedient!  I can't wait to watch her grow.

My uncle and aunt ... that I've grown up with ... they are my Favorite!

This is my friend Connie!  I've known her in Junior High and then became really good friends in High School.  We got in A LOT of trouble together.  It was so much fun to connect again.  She's getting married soon and she's EXTREMELY in LOVE.

My JENNIE ... enough said :)  LOVE her to pieces.

 

Saw some other friends but I was horrible with taking pictures.  But, LOVE them all.  We haven't changed that much ... except for the wrinkles and the wisdom, but all of those things were earned!

I'll have to get to THANKSGIVING for tomorrow.

 

Nyomi's Friends

We are currently having a fun-tastic playdate at our home.  They are sharing their Halloween candy at the moment ... that is after their reading time and after their silly puppet show.

They are growing up too fast.  Much too too fast.

Dylan was throwing a light tantrum, but he got over it and they had a puppet show to their audience of dolls and stuffed animals.

Iron Girl 10 mi run

I raced (not really) my first in the year!

Felt so good to get back out there and pound my thoughts away.

It is seriously a great outlet for me that many can't understand.

It is my time to think, sweat, meditate, breathe, plan and motivate.

I LOVE, LOVE the running community:  They are super nice, helpful and positive.

Becky P.

has become a great friend.  She is one of the other attorney wife's and she's from Michigan with a sweet accent (that she probably doesn't realize that she has).  She made me aware of the Iron Girl and shared a wonderful coupon that slashed the price in half ... so I couldn't pass up the great opportunity.  I also thought that a race would keep me motivated to run, but BOY was I wrong.  My longest distance before this race was 3.5 miles.

Miraculously, I felt mentally prepared for this run ... so much so, that I didn't fear the distance at all.  Perhaps, I can attribute the elation to post-partum bliss or something (haha).  During the run my heart and lungs felt awesome but my knees and hip flexors started to feel it at mile 7.  Thankfully, I have a massage therapist husband that was able to heal me.

I had so much fun running with Becky until we separated.  The other girls were too far up ahead to catch up.  I'm excited for the next races ... not sure what they are yet, but I know they will manage to slip into my life, for good reason.

The 

START!

action shot.

a lady offered to shoot a picture of us running but then I dropped my phone, which always gets dropped and she took a picture of that ... gotta love it!

We look GOOD for finishing a 10 miler with barely any training.

Natalie must of looked thirsty cause the waitress just left her the pitcher. haha!

The breakfast of champions; eggs, ham, potatoes, sausage and protein pancakes.  I want to go back to this place, it was DELICIOUS! 

The girls with their cool phones.

Amy must of been typing something naughty.  You be the judge. :)