July so far

Isaiah helping Nicky get on his "special" bike

Nicky heading off to the bus and to summer school. Luckily he LOVES school!

Took the boys to Guasti Park for the day and Nick loved this hat..

2 LAZY folks on 4th of July, in which we did nothing American! :(

July so far has been full of working out, BBQ's and hanging with my kids. Since I still have to work, sigh, I have to work hard to fit time in with my kids. Summer is usually my favorite time to play with the boys. We hit the beach, the movies, trails, camping, the River, but we have been off to a slow start.In fact, we really haven't done any of the things I usually fill summer with. Cue "mom guilt" as I feel like such a bad mom. Here are some pics from July so far...

The Shrinking Madrigals

Juan and I have been working really hard at getting thin and healthy. I knew once he "got back into the swing of things" he would be un-stoppable and he has been! He started around 255 and he is now 198! Yikes! I started around aLOT and am LESS..hee heeI have however dropped about 23 inches and about 20 pounds. I would still like to lose another 20pounds but with all the working out, its a little hard to lose "weight".

these things CRACK me up.

Austin (my workout buddy's son) and Isaiah also do CrossFit and they are BEASTS!

Us NOW

Us BEFORE..

Birthdays, Baptisms and Bridal Showers..OH MY!!

the dance floor that I really never even got a chance to dance on..ugh!

$5 martini, not bad

Shanda and I

Kelly Belly and I

June is a big month in our family...Its my birthday month!!! Yippeeeeee!! Although we really did not do anything "special" for my birthday, it was special. I am now officially 29 for the 4th time! Man I'm dreading 30..LOL. the weekend before my birthday I went with some of my oldest (meaning I've known them the longest) girlfriends to celebrate Kelly's Birthday. It started out great with drinks and "dancing" at the The Ranch in Anaheim.We eventually ended up getting kicked out..well 2 people in our party did so we had t follow.Sooooo, after that awkward and really stupid experience we headed to Mr. Fox's in Anaheim and had our own little celebration and even got a little tour of the place.

Kelly taking us behind the scenes

With the "boss" back in the wine cellar

That's a whole lotta candles!

Next..My birthday which was June 4th. If you haven't heard..I still love Crossfit and I'm still working my butt OFF! So on my birthday, I idnt go to dinner, didn't g to cake, I went to Crossfit!

Birthday Donuts from my Daddy..best tradition and best Daddy #winninginthedaddepartment

Bridget got me a crown and a button and some Luna bars (instead of cake) what a sweetie!

Stretching for the bday workout 

That next weekend was my sweet little Butter Bean's 1st Birthday

The Great-Grandmas

Mr. Aiden enjoys his sandcastle cake

Aliyah and did I mention who her GOD-Mother is??? yep, ME!

And party time with my fabulous primo, Sergio!

Later in the month was my only niece's Baptism and we did the whole Baptism thing and of course, the Party!!!!

Jeanetta and I

The Fabulous and funny band

Hey guess what?? Not done yet! My good friend Mary also had a birthday. It was her 50th and her sister's took her by limo and had everyone meet at one of her past "hang-outs". She was SO excited and surprised. They had a great 80's band and we had fun dancing away. Note to self: I like to dance, drive solo next time so I can dance longer!

The month was AWESOME, although I think the hubby was getting annoyed about how much I was gone..LOL

My purpose in Life...

My purpose in life stands a little over 4 feet tall. He has dark blond hair and big green eyes that constantly bobble side to side. His grey glasses frame those sweet eyes and usually sit a little crooked on his nose. His smile is always big and the teeth that stick out in all directions gleam white when he grins - which is often. He has the same ears as his father, which luckily are large because they need to hold not only his glasses, but his cochlear implant as well. His ears, as cute as they are, are nothing more than vessels to hold things, as they don’t work. He never stands still, there is an exaggerated style to his gait and he spends most moments of his life in a state of constant “clap”. Whatever the occasion, it is always clap-worthy and Nicholas is happy to oblige. His back curves and his chest sinks in and he’s so skinny you can count his ribs, yet to me and all who love him, he is the most beautiful boy around. While he does not speak, nor hear , his kisses on my cheeks say the things that I always need to hear the most. He sees the world as it is, full of beauty and innocence and thus has never heard nor said a foul word. Nicholas is imperfect. Nicholas is flawed and Nicholas is by no means the child I expected when I first found out I was pregnant with my third son. He will never drive, live on his own or bring me home grandchildren. Sadly, he would be considered a burden to most and unfit to be here by many. However, Nicholas is perfect to me. His flaws make him unique and special and he has changed me and others by just being here. Nicholas has taught me patience, strength and the power of the human spirit to persevere against all odds. When looking at the world through his eyes I see things in their simplest forms. The joy of bubbles and balloons and how they float in the air. The bright colors of flashing lights and the wonder they bring. The feel of the sand between my toes and the sweet taste of pudding in my mouth. These are things that bring the greatest joy to Nicholas. It is not the latest video game or fastest new bike that brings a smile to his face, but the tickles and kisses from his brothers that make him laugh and giggle with joy. He has struggled through surgeries, therapy of every kind, doctors that shook their heads and offered very little encouragement, stares from rude people, and whispers behind his back. Yet through it all, his sweet smile remains and his spirit is strong, because like us, Nicholas knows that life is something that is precious and no matter what the “quality” of that life is, it will be exactly as God has planned it to be. Nicholas, is my purpose in life and for the rest of my life I will be a testimony to the right of every child to exist, to be and to have the chance to become.  Life is not just for the perfect, the planned and the fortunate, it is also for the imperfect, the flawed and the unplanned. Sometimes it takes a child who is far from perfect to make those around him see the perfection of the world and to be better people. Nicholas, has done this for me and for every person who knows him. He has made us really see ourselves and the world around us and to appreciate what has been given to us. It is my hope that Nicholas may bring a sense of understanding to those around him and that everyone may one day realize how truly beautiful are those with special needs.

Why May is CRAZY

In the month of May.. there are birthdays and first Communions and Mothers Day and and and and...

Andrew, Jeremiah and Nicholas all got their First Communion and Juan and I, as the catechism teachers finished (silent YEAH).

Andrew Celebrated his 10th Birthday..How did that happen???

I don't know how to rotate this..LOL roll with it.

My Sweet niece came over and I took tons of pics of her...check her out in her cute dress glory.

So much more happened, but this is all the energy I have to finish this. Stay tuned for more pics!

So I joined a CULT...

Source: earn1.dances.it via Janice on Pinterest

Seriously..I am addicted! It really is no surprise since I love to workout and I love to be beat down in said workout. I simply will not workout hard enough on my own and I crave the competition! My friend Bridget and I started in March and made a commitment to go at least 2 times a week and to make the time for ourselves. Between the two of us we have 9 kids, so this is no easy feat. We started off going 2 times a week and dying and now we have been going 3 times a week and actually get grumpy when we aren't there..well at least I do. Sometimes as women and mothers we have to MAKE the time for ourselves because no one else will. After doing it for over 2 months I can say that I now really find that being STRONG is the new Sexy and that I feel AWESOME!

Since starting we have "tricked" my brother into joining..as you can see by our picture after a really tough workout.. and Bridget's son Austin is also going...and kicking our butts! I feel like I have found my groove and my new workout forever..or at least until September and School and Football start :(

Source: katie74k.tumblr.com via fallon on Pinterest

and even though I almost always feel like the girl above..I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!

Exercise and other stuff...

So, I have been working out..hard...really hard and I'm definitely starting to see the results. Things have tightened up and lifted and I'm proud to say that I am now the proud owner of not 2 but only 1 butt. Yes, I'm serious, the top butt is gone and in its place is a smaller, lower booty. Since March 4, I have probably done something like 4,000,000 squats and push-ups and bear crawls but its worth it. Funny thing is, now that I'm exercising I'm ADDICTED!!! Seriously, addicted like "if I don't go to CrossFit I will eat my young!" addicted. Crossfit is mommy's happy place and heck, it's better than a bar?? right?? In fact, with all this energy I feel like wonder Woman!

Source: valentinovamp.com via Monika on Pinterest

Okay, well maybe not Wonder Woman, but close! the Energy I have is out of this world! So one night after an extremely tough workout, I came home and decided to paint the bathroom because I wanted a teal bathroom. I blame Pinterest.

Came out pretty good huh??? So back to the point. My workout partner is Bridget and she really keeps me in line and on track. Between the two of us we have 9 kids and we still manage to get there and get it done every week!

Last night we had a really tough workout and we were able to run 2 miles, looking like rockstars I'm sure!

Source: bit.ly via Bert on Pinterest

So that is probably how we really looked! So that's all! Here is a pic of me now and hopefully in the next picture I'll be skinnier and stronger!

A Trip up North...

So my cousins Tammy and Hannah came into town a few weeks ago and we decided to take a road trip up North. California is such a beautiful state and I really wanted them to see it all coast to coast.
We took off early Wednesday morning and made our first stop in Solvang. the day could not have been more perfect. Sunny skies that were bright blue and the greenest rolling hills ever.We stopped there to eat and walk around.



Nicholas tried his first rootbeer in a bottle, which he loved and I had an amazing french dip sandwich.
After Solvang, we proceeded up to Monterrey where we stayed in a little hotel with a pool. Kids love pools!


The next day we headed to the aquarium. LOVED it. It was so cool and Isaiah said it was the best spot!



After the Aquarium, we headed over to Bubba Gumps to get some grub..

and for me and my cousin to get a good drink! We needed it!
We were supposed to go to my uncle's house that night but since that was canceled we figured we would head to San Fran for the day since it was only 100 miles away..We quickly booked a hotel (a crappy one) and went on our merry way. Once there we explored and checked out the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from afar. Can't say I'm a fan of San Fran. Too busy, too many people!



After we ran screaming...I mean left..San Fran we headed back home via HWY 1 along the coast. The drive was breathtaking but added a few hours to our commute home. But, I can check driving the coast home off my bucket list.




It was a great trip and even better with my cousins and brother and sister-in-law.