Elf on the Shelf

This is the first year we have started "The Elf On The Shelf" with the boys. 

If you are not familiar with it, the general idea is the Elf on the Shelf is Santa's helper that is sent to your home around the beginning of December. You read the Elf on the Shelf book and the family then names the elf, which the boys named ours, "Elfie". He watches the kids and flies back to the North Pole every night to tell Santa if they are naughty or nice. In the morning, the boys have fun finding where he is hiding and what the Elf may have gotten himself into.
The Elf is not supposed to be touched or else he will lose his magic.

When you have kids in the house there is such excitement this time of the year. It is really quite contagious and we all really got into it with them.

We have an elf and I LOVE this new family tradition!!!

Our 2012 Family Christmas Card

* Family Fun and Photos at Sea World *

This year we decided to crop our own family pictures for our christmas card. With our busy schedule and Robert working out of town these past few weeks we could not make our days work with the photographer.

We spent a whole day at Sea World for their christmas celebration and the boys saw these neat trees wrapped in colorful lights and ran straight to them, so I decided to grab my camera and take some pictures.

- the picture of Robert and me was taken infront of our fireplace

-the picture on the back of the card was taken right before the boys were going to bed

 

Every year I seem to have this great image of what our family picture/s will look like and every year our pictures come out to be something way different but always a whole lot better.

A picture for Maga & Papo

This year my sister and I decided to have the grandkids give

their grandma (maga) and grandpa (papo) 
a picture of them for Christmas.

 

After several takes I was finally able to get a cute pose of them.

 

 

Diego ~ Karlita ~ Joaquin

Diego 3rd Birthday

Today is Diego's 3rd Birthday !!!!

I can't believe that just 3 years ago he became part of our family and added so much more happiness and love into our life's.

 

Robert had a business trip in Fredericksburg, Tx today

so Diego and I decided to join him for a short road trip.

 

{Since Joaquin is in kinder all day, he stayed in school and "Maga" waited for him after school}

 

While Robert was in his meeting, Diego and I had some alone time

and we visited the Fredericksburg Library.

 

 

 Diego is into Thomas the Train right now and enjoys reading

books that include

Thomas, Percy, Bertie, Ben, Charlie, Diesel, Edward, Henry or Sir Topham Hatt.

After Robert's meeting and after reading books and touring the library

we had lunch at the famous Fredericksburg Brewery. 

 

 

 Dear Diego,

 

I am your PARENT, you are my CHILD

I am your QUIET PLACE, you are my WILD

 

I am your CALM FACE, you are my GIGGLE

I am your WAIT, you are my WIGGLE

 

I am your DINNER, you are my CHOCOLATE CAKE

I am your BEDTIME, you are my WIDE AWAKE

 

I am your LULLABY, you are my PEEKABOO

I am your GOODNIGHT KISS, you are my I LOVE YOU

 

Happy 3rd Birthday, son....

Mommy

 

No More Diapers

No more diapers for Diego! We are officially a "no diaper" house and it feels fantastic!!

It took him only a week to practice and get the the whole potty traning down.

YAH! We are so proud of him!

Home Renovation

We purchased our home in March and have been under renovation for a couple of months now.

Here is a sneak peak of the changes going on in our home.

We are currently living with my mom patiently waiting

for our home to be complete and livable.

 

Since the exterior looks pretty good there's not much for us to do other than a few little tweaks like planting flowers and maybe adding some outdoor decorations for now.

 

 

 We are SO CLOSE. All we have remaining are some things such as the back splash, the range hood and a hanging slider door to separate our kitchen from our laundry/computer room. And then we are DONE WITH THE KITCHEN (with the construction part, at least)! I have a little decorating to do but we are so happy with the way it turned out. I have yet to look at the before and after images in the same place so here we go….

These are the pictures that were on the MLS listing:

 

Robert was ready to break down the kitchen cabinets. He was however not looking forward to removing the ceiling popcorn.

 

 

The 2 chandeliers were removed and recess lights were installed. The ceramic floor tile was also removed. Where the old kitchen eat in space use to be we decided to build a new pantry and add a peninsula to it. I could totally see our kids gathered around there and enjoying many meals together, doing home work or just having it as a hang out space.

 

 

The new pantry space.

 

 

The cabinets finally arrive and the installers are quick

at getting the kitchen complete.

 

 

 

The appliances arrive and the stove was moved from the back wall

to the center of the kitchen.

 

I'm LOVING the new microwave in the new peninsula island.

 

 

 

 Here is the finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am ABSOLUTELY loving my new turquoise pantry door.