Love! Love! Love!

I am so loving our custom illustrated picture done by Katie Moon! She is so talented and made my family even more beautiful then I could have possibly imagined! I had heard about Katie and oohmoon through Lindsay Teague Moreno and when I saw hers, I knew I had to have one too! I really wanted to just capture time right now and freeze it! My girls are at the perfect ages right now and I know it a couple of years our family will be changing! Weegie is a junior, Speedy is almost in high school and Squiggler will be in Kindergarten!

Katie did a fantastic job capturing our family and our love for each other! The girls love it and so does my honey! I have big plans for this picture in our house! Thanks Katie and to my mom for helping me get this! It's my birthday/Christmas/lots of presents for the next year gift! LOL! I also feel so Blessed and fortunate because Katie will no longer be doing these types of illustrations. So glad I met her before she stopped! God is good all the time!

Family Field Trip!

 Today we decided to go on a Family Field trip before we all have to go back to school next week. My honey decided we should go see the USS IOWA. We got a great deal on a family pass and decided to go today! It was an absolutely gorgeous day here in Southern California! We headed out early this morning and made it to Long Beach in record time!

We were able to tour the entire boat and learn a lot about Navy ships and they way the Sailors live.  Weegie and Speedy really enjoyed it and took a lot of pictures. Squiggler didn't enjoy it as much, so I didn't get as many pictures since I was watching her so much.  It was a great way to spend the day as a family. There were quiet a few people there and the boat has only been there for a few months. They are hoping to pick up on attendance. Afterwards we went to eat lunch at Ports O Call at a restraunt that one of my honey's friends recommended.  We were very hungry at this time and the food was absolutely scrumptious and they gave big portions.  We all shared everyone's meal.  This may sound crazy, but that is one thing I love about my little family, we always share our food and taste everyone's meal. It's a great way to taste a lot of different food.  (I have cousins that do not share food and so I'm glad we do.)

We walked around a bit and Squiggler wanted to ride on the little rides they had.  I love the outfit she is wearing! She is such a fashionista! Hello Kitty, Leopard, boots and shades! What more could a girl ask for?

 I love my life!

Happy New Year!

Well 2013 is here and we had a nice New Year Eve where my honey cooked dinner, we stayed up watching movies and the ball drop! Squiggler fell asleep at 11:40 so she didn't make it to see the New Year! Today we had a nice day at home watching movies again, eating menudo for breakfast and a great ham dinner. It was a great ending, great beginning to 2013! Loved it! This is a little questionnaire I borrowed from Sophia Corbridge that she does every year. I did it 3 years ago, but hadn't done it since then. It was interesting to see what had stayed the same and what had changed!

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before? Took my daughter to see 4 musicals in downtown Los Angeles and took my other daughter to two concerts by myself! I'm kind of a scaredy cat and don't like to go places by myself  (especially in the dark) but I did it and had a lot of fun too!
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I actually don't make resolutions, but I do try to have a good life and be a good person, but that is a given not a resolution.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No one in my family, but my hairdresser had a baby boy in October and she named him Lennon.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No one close to me, but family of some of my friends.
5. What countries did you visit? Canada! First time I have ever been out of the country! In May my daughter, Speedy and I went to Canada with her singing group. It was a great trip!
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? Spend time with my best friend or at least plan to spend time with each other.  I feel bad that we live so close to each other and rarely spend time together. I know she is really busy, but I want to make it a point to try to get together monthly. We have been BFF's since we were 8!
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Two dates come to mind. The first is November 6th, Election night! I my goodness! Never has an election had such a big impact on me! The second is December 14, 2012. The day of the Sandy Hook School shootings. It was a sad day in America and as a teacher it will forever be etched in my brain.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Being a mom to 3 beautiful girls that are completely different. I love my girls so much and I am so happy of the relationships we have developed! I hope we are always close and they can always feel that they can come to me. My second was the letter I received from Mrs. Drew at the end of the school year! I will cherish that letter forever and always strive to be that teacher for my students,
9. What was your biggest failure? Not being organized! I have always have had problems with this, but I need to just get it together already! 
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No! Thank you God!
11. What was the best thing you bought? I bought a purple coat last January and I love it! Best purchase I have made in a long time and great price!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My girls earn this honor again! Weegie is just such a great girl and I am so proud of her work  in our church, the great friend she is to her friends and that she would protect her little sisters from anything.  Speedy for her hard work and dedication in school, in her singing and the great big sister she is to Squiggler and the relationship she has with Weegie. Squiggler is doing so well and is such a great listener at pre-school and in dance class! She loves her little sisters and is so friendly to everyone!
13. Where did most of your money go? To my girls! Between school and lessons they require a good amount of money, but I know it is all worth it!
14. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting my donorschoose projects funded and being able to give my students access to technology!
15. What song will always remind you of 2012? Gangham Style! That guy is all over the place and it is a crack up to see my student's dancing to that song.
16. What do you wish you'd done more of? Remembering to keep God first and to say my daily rosary completely.
17. What do you wish you'd done less of? Spending time on the computer. LOL! I get so many great ideas from Pinterest that I don't even have time to use them all!
18. How did you spend Christmas? With my beautiful family! We had a wonderful morning and then went to my brother in laws and had a wonderful rest of the day there.  Christmas this year was just wonderful and no drama! Loved it!
19. Did you fall in love in 2012? Yes with my wonderful hubby, my beautiful daughters and my awesome class of Kindergarteners.
20. What was your favorite TV program? Say Yes to the Dress and Gray’s Anantomy. (This has not changed in 3 years!) I also like Once Upon A Time and Private Practice. (Benjamin Bratt is my eye candy!)
21. What was the best book you read this year? I really like The Next Best Thing. I'm not sure why, but I wanted it to go on and not end.
22. What was your greatest musical discovery? I learned to really love Pitbull.
23. What did you want and get for Christmas? I got the prettiest necklace from my girls! I love it!
24. What was your favorite film of this year? Argo. I loved it and thought Ben Affleck was very good in it. (I don't see many movies actually.)
25. What did you do on your birthday? I was sick with a terrible cold, my cousin Joe was in the hospital having emergency surgery for a brain tumor and so it wasn't quiet what I had hoped for. My wish came true and my cousin came through the surgery and is doing well. His tumor is cancerous and he will have to go through chemo, but he is doing very well! Praise God!
26. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Nothing really! I have a great life and it is so full of Blessings! My honey would like it if we won the lotto, but I remind him we are so very rich already!
27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? I have no fashion concepts! I wear what it easy and comfortable because I teach Kindergarten. I like to dress up 3 times a week and always wear jeans on Friday with my Kindergarten shirt!
28. What kept you sane? My Faith!
29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ellen De Generes. She is still my favorite celebrity and I wish I had time to watch her show. I fancy Benjamin Bratt! (Swoon!)
30. What political issue stirred you the most? Proposition 30 and 32! We won, we won! My honey and I went to sleep not knowing the outcome and when we woke up we were worried to check. I saw the results and wanted to cry! I think I did!
31. Who did you miss? My cousin Chris.  I saw him once in July, but I haven't seen or heard from him since then even though other family members have. 
32. Who was the best new person (people) you met? I love having lunch daily with my friends Jen and Martha. This is the first year we have had lunch together and so we are really getting to know one another. They are awesome ladies!
33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012: Count your Blessings daily! Always try to see the bright side of things and remember there is nothing that you and God can't handle together!
34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: Shine bright, tonight, you and I, we're beautiful like diamond in the sky! (That's Squiggler's song!) My personal pick is Oh How He Loves Us. (Weegie sings this everynight during her prayers.)