Finally: Christmas Eve & Christmas

For as long as I can remember my Dad's side of the family has celebrated Nochebuena. The last time we were able to celebrate it with everyone was in 2006 when I was pregnant with Azure.

The menu usually consists of pork roast, yucca, mojo, rice, black beans and fried plantains. This is a tradition that I hope to continue on with my children as it is one of my favorite Cuban traditions. That and have them all take Salsa lessons :)

We usually draw names and open gifts after dinner. Sometimes we have sung Christmas songs and read out of Luke 2. Since my brother in law, Angel, has joined our family we have been singing a lot more since he brings and plays the guitar. Thank you Angel! I really wish I would have taken pics of the food.

Azure is pretending she's playing the guitar in the bottom right corner.

Looking through the kaleidoscope with both eyes closed. Classic.

Only Jen and I are looking at the camera. Nice.

When we got back to my parents house my mom, Azure, Charles, and I got to do one of our Christmas Eve traditions of listening to the song "Toyland/Sleep well little children" by the Christmas tree with all the lights off.

We started Christmas morning off eating latkes and waiting for the kids to wake up. We never told Azure that Santa was giving her presents. We told her Mommy & Daddy were and Nana & Papa and other people but, not Santa. She still thoroughly enjoyed it all.

 I love Charlie's expressions in these pics!

 I tried to get a cute Christmas jammies pic in front of the tree. This was the best I could do.

 And another one by the fireplace.

 Vince's 1st Christmas

 Our stockings :)

Following our Christmas tradition, the 4 of us, along with Natalee and Angel went to a nursing home to sing on Christmas Day. Last year we went to a Hospice and went around to different rooms and sang to people individually. This year, they were all gathered together in their front lobby waiting for us. And we were about 15 mins late so we felt kinda bad.

I have to say that singing there was the BEST part of Christmas day. As we sang of the Savior's birth (as a family + extended fam no less) and looked into the eyes of those sweet old folks, the spirit burned in my heart that this was a tradition we definitely need to keep. And we should do it more often than once a year on Christmas. I could tell it meant so much to them. 

Afterwards we spent some time with my Nana & Papa and sang with them too which was great.

And what Christmas would be complete without playing a superfun board game while snacking on delicious Christmas goodies?! So glad Talls was down to play Ticket to Ride. One of our top faves for sure. Especially when I beat Charlie savagely :)

Then the next day we started our l o n g cross country road trip back to Savannah. It took us a week, stopping to see family though. 

Oh, Azure!

We have been trying to get Azure to stop sucking her thumb since a little before her 3rd birthday. To no avail. When we tell her to take her thumb out, she says, "But, I will cry!" or "But, I LOVE to suck my fumb!" Indeed, she does.

So, much in fact that she regularly asks Heavenly Father in prayer to bless her "fumbs". (She has trouble making the "th" sound). I can't help but, chuckle quietly at this sincere request.

A couple nights ago Charles put hot sauce on her thumb. She screamed and screamed. I assured her that the act of him putting it on her thumb was not going to hurt. As soon as he finished she ran to the bathroom to wash it off with soap and water and soon after her thumb was once again in her mouth.

Just now I told her that Daddy was going to have to put it on again if she didn't stop to which she replied, "No way! Mommy, you throw that hot sauce away now!" I kinda of laughed and said that it was Daddy's so we weren't going to throw it away. Then she said, "Well, I'll just wash it off."

Apparently this method doesn't work :)

Update

Living in Tucson, AZ or Winston-Salem, NC are no longer options for us. We weren't offered interviews there. But, we were offered interviews in Tampa, Albuquerque, and here in Savannah. So, those are the current options.

All 4 of us will go down to Tampa next weekend for the interview and to check it out! I'm excited! Truth be told, that's my first choice.

Charles really likes the program in Abq the best. I don't jump at the idea of living in the barren desert. But, they do have a temple there. And that is really important to me.

Or we could also stay here another year. We're not too keen on that.

I know that wherever we go, that's the place the Lord wants us to be. Having faith in that is so comforting. So, the poll has been changed. Please vote again :)

Camarillo, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Ventura Trip

We had been planning a trip up to Ventura, Solvang, Santa Barbara and Camarillo since August. Charles had never been up that way and I was excited for him to see "the more country side" of So Cal. Unfortunately, the weekend we decided to go, was the weekend of torrential rain and flooding for So Cal. The week before it was 80 degrees so I was excited about the prospect of laying out at the beach since we'd be right on the coast. The sad reality was that we drove all the up PCH from Manhattan Beach to Camarillo without hardly seeing the ocean, 15 feet away, because it was so cloudy and gray.

And the next day was even worse (weather wise). We drove up to Solvang on a windy, mountain road overlooking the majestic ocean. Some parts of it looked like Hawaii, seriously (Malibu). I could see it in my mind's eye how absolutely gorgeous the view was. But, in reality all we saw was a big gray, foggy cloud. I think I cried a single tear. We decided that maybe in 10-15 yrs we'll go back to Santa Barbara and celebrate our anniversary at a bed and breakfast.

This is what it would have looked like.

On Nov. 1 our Bishop extended a challenge to our ward to read the 4 gospels in the New Testament by Christmas. Since we were a little behind we listened to the whole book of Luke and most of John while driving the 350 mile weekend trip. I recommend listening to the scriptures every once in awhile. It gives a different perspective than reading it yourself.  Hearing about Christ's life and ministry as we drove in the rain, softened the disappointment of the weather.

We were grateful to have eaten at Cafe Rio and The Cheesecake Factory while on the trip. (Yay again for Cafe Rio CA locations!) Both delicious, though The Cheesecake Factory was a little pricey for the quality of food, I thought.

And we were grateful that Angela and Robert let us stay with them for 2 nights. We had fun playing Rock Band with them at night after our rainy travels.

Solvang

We also made a special trip to Ventura to see Charles' Aunt Betty and Uncle Wayne who are the Mission Presidents of the Ventura Mission.

And on the way home we made one last stop to see a friend of Charles' from high school in Simi Valley. All in all, a good trip, despite the rain.

When we arrived home Charles and I were able to attend Lessons & Carols, a musical Christmas fireside that the Jurupa Stake puts on every year. I haven't been since maybe before or right after my mission, so it was fabulous to go this year. I have fond memories of singing in the stake choir in high school for this fireside. It was especially nice that my parents watched Azure and Vince so Charles and I could go alone and really focus on the music. Music really makes the Christmas season for me.

Christmas Festivities #4

What's Christmas without baking? Azure helped Daddy make some brownies to bring to Eddie & Melissa's.

We had a girl's night where my mom, sister, and I made these sugar cookies. The dough was delicious, however it was way too soft to roll out, so I ended up adding 5 more cups of flour which kind of diluted the flavor. But, frosted with whipped cream cream frosting, it was fabulous. We also watched Little Women while Charles and Angel had a boy's night out bowling and playing pool. Little Women continues to be one of my all time favorite movies and I plan on watching it every Christmas season and making cookies with my little woman (or women if we have more girls).

One of my favorite quotes from the movie is after Meg's coming out party (where she dresses inappropriately and drinks to get attention) when the mother is sitting with Meg and Jo on the bed just talking and says,

"If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that's all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But, what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind; your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are the things I cherish so in you. I so wish that I could give my girls a more just world. I know you'll make it a better place."

I look forward to such conversations with my own girl(s).

Gulino Family visit

We got to see a lot of family and friends being in CA for 2 months. We were able to have lunch with all of my Papa's siblings and their families, something I haven't done in years. It's amazing the things you take for granted. After all these years I learned that my great uncle was born in Sicily and didn't come to the US until he was 20, hardly knowing any English and marrying my Great Aunt Jeannie soon after, when she was 15! She didn't know any Italian, so that must have been interesting.

 My Aunt Jeannie also had the ingenious idea to let Vince suck on an ice cream cone. It kept him occupied for about 20 mins. Seeing these pics has reminded me to buy some as teething "biscuits" for him.

I realized you really have to ask specific questions from "old" people if you want to learn about your family history. I love it, it's all so interesting! My nana told me that Jeannie once asked her to tell her father-in-law who was visiting from Sicily, that didn't know any English, to please not use her records as a serving plate for the homemade pizzas. Hilarious!

Also, please vote on our poll to the right just for fun to see where we'll be headed to in June.

Perspective

Not gonna lie. Last week was somewhat of a hard week. Vince has done a complete 180 on us. (Though, the last few days have been better.) Azure has even said, "We have the wrong baby." Indeed. I've thought the same thing. 

I hope it was just an irritable teething bout and that he will return to his happy-go-lucky, chill, calm, peaceful self soon.

I, myself have felt quite irritable and annoyed through this and it's been aggravated by other things that I won't mention. Sometimes, I have the feeling, 'I can't take this anymore. When is it going to end?' I'm grateful for the Holy Ghost that whispers peace to me in those moments where I realize I'm being overly dramatic.

I am also grateful for apostles who give amazing talks. I listened to Elder Christofferson's address from the CES fireside last Sunday and instantly felt more peace. Especially from this story he recounted:

His mother went through painful radiation treatments in what would now be considered primitive medical conditions. Her mother taught her something that helped her to take one day, or one thing at a time. She said she was so sick and weak that one day she said to her mother,

"Oh, mother. I can't stand having 16 more of those treatments."
"Can you go today?"
"Yes."
"Well, honey, that's all you have to do today."

O, Christmas Tree (Christmas Festivities #3)

We listened to our favorite Christmas album and drank hot chocolate as we decorated the tree. As is customary, Azure's request for drinking hot chocolate is followed by, "Just a little bit, so I won't pee in my bed." Her hot chocolate consumption is extremely limited around the hour of bedtime.

1 yr ago today...

...I was 39 weeks pregnant. (Little did I know that I would be pregnant for 2 more weeks, plus 2 days!) It was 80 degrees and we went to Tybee. And I never posted these pics. So, here they are a year later. Happy MLK Day!

 Can't believe how big this girl has gotten in a year.

Awesome blue crab man

Christmas Festivities #2

On Dec. 2 we went to downtown Riverside to see the lights at the Mission Inn. When Charles came home with me for Thanksgiving 2005, we went and saw the lights together so it was fun to go back 5 yrs later with 2 kids. They didn't let us walk around the rooms like they did back then though.

We also got to spend a few days at Aunt Karlene's while Charles had his Midyear meeting in Anaheim.

 This is by far one of my favorite pics ever. It is so classic!

I love Vince's expressions.

Since we had no plans to go to Disneyland being in Anaheim and all, we decided to at least go to Downtown Disney. Azure thought we were at Disneyland and we didn't have to pay or stand in lines, so it was a win-win.

Christmas Festivities #1

Wow. This post is 3 weeks in the making. Better late than never. We had some fun Christmas festivities while in CA.

After our family photo shoot in Culver City and a quick visit to my friend Emily's house (the photographer) we went and saw the LA Temple lights. It's been a long time since we were there. Their new visitor center is awesome.

In light of a General Conference talk a few years back, I made sure to have Azure touch the temple.

"Even our young children have been encouraged to visit the temple grounds and touch the temple. President Thomas S. Monson once counseled, “As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us."