M.I.A. Part Deux

I've had my hands full lately with a sick little munchkin. What started out as a little congestion, has turned into a full-blown, snot running, coughing cold. We've missed a lot of fun activities and outings this week, and I'm hoping Bobby will be back to 100% soon, or close to it. Our fourth semester of Kindermusik starts tomorrow, and I'd hate for him to miss it!

I do feel like I totally jinxed myself though with him getting sick. Last week, at a friend's birthday gathering, I was talking with my friend Ginger. We were both impressed with the fact that our kids had only been sick a couple of times since school started last August! Well, Bobby had been sick just twice; her little girl, once. And, of course, he wakes up sick the next morning. Do you feel like you jinx yourself with your kids ever? Ha!

Bob and I did manage to go out of town this weekend though. I'll fill everyone in on a little trip recap, as soon as I have some free time (hopefully today during nap time). As of right now, we're just hanging out upstairs in our "man cave"/media/play room {This room is yet to be defined.}

I hope to catch up with everyone very soon!

The Good... the bad... THE UGLY...

The Good: I absolutely love my new blog design.

the bad: I haven't had much time to update it.

THE UGLY: Who am I kidding? I have no motivation.

The Good: We don't pay for anything on credit.

the bad: My house is utterly bare, and undecorated.

THE UGLY: We've lived in it for 2 years.

The Good: We bought a used (one time) P90x for $50.00!!!

the bad: My whole body is sore.

THE UGLY: The pull-up bar damaged our door jamb.

The Good: Going for a run later today.

the bad: With the stroller.

THE UGLY: I am more likely to walk hills, because of said stroller.

The Good: Our 'hood was just awarded "America's Best Community."

the bad: Our HOA fees increased this year.

THE UGLY: Having to pay the fee in January... right after Christmas. Sheesh.

Want to play along with The Good...the bad...THE UGLY?

Head on over to I.M.T.L.Y and {analyze this} to grab their button!

The Matriarch turns 90

During the holidays, one of our destinations was Miami. My grandmother {Abuela} celebrated her 90th birthday over the New Year's holiday. For those of you that do not know me on a personal level, let me give you a little background information:

I am half-Cuban. My mother is a Cuban exile. She fled Cuba during Fidel Castro's revolution, leaving behind family, and most importantly her own father. Eventually, my mother, her two sisters, and grandmother settled into a completely new life in the States. My grandfather was not so fortunate, and died in Cuba, as a political prisoner.

My grandmother by definition is truly a matriarch. She has managed to hold together a family that was ripped apart due to politics, and oppression. I am amazed at how close knit the family has remained - spanning out through several generations, and distance.

While I feel like my grandmother's life story is not only worthy of a separate post completely, but a book; I will say that she is truly a hero in my eyes. As my brother stated at her party during a toast, our generation has no idea what sacrifice is. Abuela has endured a life full of blessings, but also sacrifice and hurt. Imagine leaving your home behind, without your spouse, and having to start over with your children in a new country? I could not fathom.

However, today; she stands 90 years young, as a woman that many admire. So, I hope and pray that we will all be together again soon, for another milestone birthday. But, most importantly, I pray that we continue to learn from her, stay close to our loved ones; as she has worked so hard for us to do just that.

Abuela - 3 years old

Abuelas as the Bride - 22 years old

Abuela - 24 years old

Family Vacation - 1956

Trip to Spain - 1957 {my mom is girl in the middle}

Abuela with her three daughters - 1975 {my mom is seated in the front}

All of the following photos are courtesy of Enrique Colls.

An attempted photo of Abuela with her 16 great-granchildren.

Abuela with her 9 grandchildren (in birth order, from left to right.)

My sister and her boyfriend, with Bob and me.

My siblings and Abuela.

Abuela's three granddaughters.

Lorraine (SIL), Me, Bob, Stephen (cousin), Ricky (cousin), Ryan (sister's bf), and Kathy (sister).

Abuela and her offspring!

My immediate family.

Abuela with her three daughters. From left to right: Marilu, Sylvia (my mom), and Gloria.

The birthday girl.

The party was held at the Big Five Country Club in Miami. The club represents Cuban tradition, as it is a place in Miami where members of the five original yacht and golf clubs in Havana, Cuba can be a member there too. The party had well over 100 guests which simply gave Abuela or "Lela," the gift of love, happiness, and blessings.

Christmas 2010

{This post is a bit overdue...}

For Christmas this year, we headed over to my in-law's in Peachtree City, GA. We had a wonderful, relaxing time, enjoying ourselves with Bob's family. We spent four nights there - eating, drinking, and being merry!

Bobby played a lot with all of the trains at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They had one going around the Christmas tree, which was pretty fascinating for him.

He also had his Thomas Trains to keep him company too.

Santa made good on his promise, and treated our family with some new toys! {We were pretty good in 2010, ya know...}

Bobby's "big" gift, came from Grandma and Grandpa. They bought him his first Power Wheels toy. And, it just so happened to be Thomas the Train!

I love Bobby's face, as he sees his Thomas for the first time.

Bob got Lego's version of the Seattle Space Needle to play with... along with an iPad. Sometimes I feel like he's married to the iPad, and not me! Ha! I know the newness of it will wear off eventually. He's just a techie!

We were also able to also visit with the Weatherby's. Lonnie, the husband, grew up in Tacoma with Bob and his sister, Jo. He, his wife, and their daughter were able to join in the festivities on Christmas day. They live in the A-T-L.

Here's a cute shot of Bobby and Livi in Grandpa's studio. Aren't they to die for?

Here are just a few more family shots...

Overall, we had a great time! It was a Christmas to remember!

{all photos courtesy of Bob's dad}

{Taken from his website, which is why the first few are grainy. I couldn't figure out how to resize them without the graininess.}

Ice, Ice Baby

Holy Batman! It's been a L.A.Z.Y day in my world today. The "big" snowstorm of 2011 was nothing too exciting here. We got a dusting of snow (if you even want to call it that) and a lot of ice. It started snowing last night, and I thought for sure we'd wake up with a few inches. Honestly, the weather app on my phone said to expect 2-4 inches. Was someone smoking crack at the Weather Channel? It just sucks to be stuck inside all day, all because of ice. I, at least wish we could've had snow to play in. Thankfully, we are heading to our neighbors' house to watch the big BCS Championship game after dinner. We are all going a bit stir crazy! And, this may be the only time I say this - but,

War Eagle!

Welcome Weekend Wander!

Happy Weekend Y'all!

I'm linking up with For the Love of Blog's Weekend Wander today.

What is everyone doing this weekend? We are expecting snow tomorrow afternoon, into Monday! I'm excited to get out and play in it! As for the rest of the weekend... I think it'll be pretty low-key. We'll most likely hit Costco today (love that place!). I'm going to try and gather up some old stuff to donate too. It's a new year, which means, time to declutter! We'll probably head to church tomorrow morning, and then lunch at PF Chang's with some new friends. That is... if the weather is ok!

By the way, we rented Dinner for Schmucks last night. Ugh. What a waste of time!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Back at It... with a New Look!

Hello friends!

Notice anything different? My blog has been revamped! I love the new look! Shannon of Persnickety Pages {& More} has been a busy bee. I was uber impressed with the first design she did, and am now even happier. How is that possible?!? I think it goes without saying that Shannon truly is persnickety when it comes to her designs. She always, always, always goes above and beyond.

Bobby's turning two in April, and I am already trying to think of a theme for his party. I am leaning towards Thomas the Train, because let's face it... he's obsessed. Anyhow, I will also be turning to Shannon to design his birthday invitation. Did you hear that Shannon? You're hired!

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Onto other things...

My laundry pile is slowly starting to dwindle after our return home. And, I also completely counted the days we were gone. It wasn't 9, it was 11! Geez. My brain is fried. Thankfully though, life is returning to normal. We arrived home from our trip Monday night. On Tuesday, I went for a run with Bobby that morning, and just enjoyed getting the exercise. I feel like I've been a fat, junk-eating sloth since Halloween. After a long nap, I headed out to Publix for a big grocery shopping trip. Yesterday was spent with our normal morning trip to the library for story time. We then both headed home and crashed. It finally caught up to me. We both slept, and slept, and slept. Needless to say, it was well worth it, and needed. After a refreshing night out with some friends for dinner, I feel like a new woman today! I love seeing my family during the holidays, but I always feel so disconnected from my friends. It was great to catch up!

I'll be doing some trip, party, and holiday recaps over the next few days. I hope to not bore you all too much - but, I must document this stuff for our family!

Stay tuned... and, thank you again Shannon for the make-over!

Whew...

It has been quite the whirlwind of travels for us lately. We swung Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami in 9 days. I am swamped with laundry, errands, and getting our house back in order.

So, until all of that is done (hopefully today!), I will be neglecting my little ol' blog for a wee bit longer. Plus, I think Bobby is short-changing me on his nap today, and taking a shorter one than usual. I can hear that little guy on the monitor stirring in his crib.

I can't wait to update everyone on our Christmas, New Year's, travels, and my grandmother's 90th birthday party.

Plus...

With a New Year, comes a new look - and, I can't wait to show it off! {Soon enough.}

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season, and I hope to catch up with everyone soon.