SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2022

IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG TIME SINCE I WROTE IN HERE. KEEPING TRACK OF A TODDLER IS WAY HARDER THEN IT USED TO BE (I'M FEELING OLD). SO WE ARE JUST GOING TO WRITE IN THIS EACH QUARTER, JOURNALING TAKES TIME. SEPTEMBER MARK ENJOYED HIS 36TH BIRTHDAY AND WE CELEBRATED OUR 13TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. I HAD BEEN PLAYING GOLF WITH MARK IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, SO FOR HIS BIRTHDAY WE PLAYED A ROUND OF GOLF TOGETHER. I DON'T THINK THAT IS ORIGINALLY WHAT HE'D PLANNED TO DO, BUT HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO INVITE ME TO PLAY. WE SURE DO LOVE MARK. HE IS SO PATIENT, FUNNY, AMBITIOUS AND HARD WORKING. AND HE SHOWS HIS FAMILY LOVE BY ACTION. NOT A MAN OF A LOT OF WORDS, BUT YOU KNOW HE WILL ALWAYS SHOW UP TO LOVE AND SUPPORT US. HE'S PRETTY DANG SPECIAL. ANNIVERSARY WE WENT TO TUCSON AND MARK AND I HIKED OUR FAVORITE SPOTS AT SABINO CANYON AND ATE YUMMY MEXICAN FOOD. PERFECT FOR US, ATHLETICS AND FOOD, IT'S US. OCTOBER WE WENT TO UTAH FOR FALL BREAK TO SPEND TIME WITH OUR UTAH FAMILIES AND CELEBRATE MY SISTERS 50TH BIRTHDAY. WE HAD LOTS OF FUN GOING TO THE HAUNTED FORREST, PUMPKIN PATCHES AND VISITING SUNDANCE TO SEE ALL THE AMAZING FALL LEAVES. SO BEAUTIFUL. NANITA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS A LOT OF FUN AND I HAD FUN PLANNING IT. THEME WAS 'THAT'S SO 70'S' AND WE ALL HAD TO DRESS 70'S STYLE. WE DANCED DISCO AND PLAYED 'AMONG US IN REAL LIFE', IT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND I'M GLAD MY SISTER COULD BE CELEBRATED AS WE LOVE HER SO MUCH. SHE IS ALWAYS SO THOUGHTFUL, AND SHOWS SO MUCH LOVE TO US, THE LEAST WE COULD DO WAS THROW HER A BIG BASH. ON OUR WAY TO UTAH, WE STAYED IN ST. GEORGE FOR LILY TO COMPETE IN HER FIRST EVER LIFTING MEET. SHE DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB! HER FIRST SNATCH SHE DROPPED, THOSE JITTERS ARE FOR REAL! AFTER THAT SHE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE AND ENDED UP LIFTING A 24KG SNATCH AND A 29KG CLEAN JERK. CAN'T BELIEVE SHE HAD ONLY BEEN DOING THIS FOR TWO MONTHS AND KILLED IT! HER COACH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND ENCOURAGING, AND SHE FEELS SHE HAS FOUND HER SPORT. SHE ENDED UP WINNING GOLD FOR HEAVIEST LIFT U11 FOR ALL MOUNTAIN SOUTH REGION. GO LILY! HALLOWEEN WAS PRETTY CHILL FOR US THIS YEAR. WE WENT TO TUCSON FOR TRUNK OR TREAT, FUN TO SEE SOME OF OUR FRIENDS AND MY TIA RAQUEL WAS VISITING FROM CHILE. THEN WE HAD FUN TRICK OR TREATING ON HALLOWEEN AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THE MIDDLE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DOES A GREAT JOB KEEPING IT FUN AND SPOOKY. I LOVE FUN PEOPLE. LILY WAS A LITE OF STICK MAN, JACOB WAS PURPLE FROM RAINBOW FRIENDS AND MARK AND I AND NACHITO WERE THE INCREDIBLES. NACHO LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE JACK JACK! I'D PLANNED HIS COSTUME BACK IN JUNE, AND IT WAS PERFECT. WE ALSO WENT TO OUR FIRST SUNS GAME AS A FAMILY. NACHO WAS NOT HAVING THE PRE-GAME COURTSIDE PRACTICE WE GOT TO WATCH, IT WAS JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE AND I THINK HE GOT OVERWHELMED. HE AND I SPENT SOME TIME IN A STAIRWELL UNTIL HE CALMED DOWN. ONCE THE GAME STARTED, HE WAS ALL GOOD AND WE ALL HAD FUN. NOVEMBER WAS THANKSGIVING.THE MARSHALL FAMILY JOINED US IN TUCSON AND AMMAS. WE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH FAMILY THE NEXT DAY GOING TO THE U OF A VS ASU GAME. WE SAT IN THE STUDENT SECTION. THE CATS WON AND MARK, THE KIDS AND BEN RUSHED THE FIELD WITH THE OTHER FANS. TRADITIONS ARE GREAT. lILY AND JACOB PLAYED FOR THE JUNIOR SUNS THIS YEAR FOR BASKETBALL. LILY PLAYED COMPETETIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HER TEAM DID AMAMZING. THEY ENDED UP GETTING TO PLAY AT THE PHEONIX SUNS ARENA AND WON SOUTHEAST CHAMPIONS. I KNOW I SAY THIS OFTEN. BUT LILY IS TRULY AMAZING. HER SKILL SET WAS NOT AS ADVANCED AS HER ALL BOY TEAM, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP HER. EVERY PRACTICE I'D ASK HER IF SHE REALLY WANTED TO CONTINUE OR FOR US TO FIND HER AN ALL GIRL LOW KEY TEAM. SHE'D ALWAYS SAY NO AND THAT SHE WAS LEARNING SO MUCH. I AM SO PROUD OF HER FOR NOT LETTING INTEMIDATION BE SOMETHING THAT HOLDS HER BACK. SHE ALWAYS WANTS TO PROVE SHE CAN RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS, AND SHE ALWAYS SUCCEEDS! SHE IS SO SURE OF HERSELF IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES. I PRAY THAT NEVER CHANGES, CAUSE SHE IS TRULY ONE IN A MILLION. dECEMBER WE STARTED OUT WITH JACOBS FIRST SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. HE HAD A THE LONGEST SPEAKING PART IN THE PROGRAM BECAUSE ACCORDING TO HIS TEACHERS 'HE IS SO ARTICULATE.',HE DID AN AMAZING JOB WITH HIS LINES, REMEMBERED ALL THREE OF THEM WITH EASE, YOU'D THOUGHT THEY WERE WRITTEN BY HIM! HE IS SO AWESOME AND ALWAYS EXCELS AND THE THINGS HE SETS HIS MIND TOO. WE WENT TO ENCHANT IN SCOTTSDALE AZ. IT WAS A LIGHT MAZE AND FESTIVAL PUT ON BY THE HALLMARK CHANNEL. IT WAS WHERE REPUBLIC SERVICES WAS HAVING THEIR COMPANY CHRISTMAS PARTY. WE WENT INTO THE LIGHT MAZE, VISITED WITH A TOTALY LEGIT SANTA AND BEST OF ALL SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT ICE SKATING ON A BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR ICESKATING RINK. THE KIDS LOVE ICE SKATING, JACOB BY THE END OF THE NIGHT WAS A PRO AND LILY WAS STARTING TO GET THE HANG OF IT BUT HAD A FEW PRETTY BIG FALLS SO WAS MORE CAUCIOUS AFTER THAT. WE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME AND FULLY PLAN TO RETURN NEXT YEAR IF THEY HAVE IT. NACHO ENJOYED ALL THE LIGHTS DISPLAYS 'WHATS DAT??' IT WAS SO FUN THIS YEAR TO SEE THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS TRHU HIS LITTLE EYES. THIS YEAR HE WAS STARTING TO RECOGNIZE THE FUN AND ENJOYED PUTTING UP ORNAMENTS OF THE CHRISTMAS TREEE AND DECORATING SUGAR COOKIES. WE STUCK TO OUR USUAL TRADITIONS, GIVING TREE, VISITING THE MESA TEMPLE LIGHTS, DOING LOOP OF LIGHTS THREE TIMES A WEEK AND VISITING AS MANY NEIGHBORHOOD LIGHTS DISPLAYS AS POSSIBLE. BY THE TIME CHRISTMAS COMES YOU'RE EXHAUSTED FROM CHRISTMAS, BUT THEN ONCE IT'S GONE IT CAME AND WENT TOO FAST AND WE'RE SAD. WE HAD CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE, THE GRANDMAS AND TATA CAME, DARLA AND HER BOYFRIEND AND MY DAD. AUNT T HAS BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL VERY SICK SO IT WAS SAD SHE COULD NOT BE WITH US. CHRISTMAS DAY WE WENT TO TUCSON TO SPEND IT WITH AUNTIE CLARICE, BUT SHE WAS SICK TOO...SO IT WAS A BUMMER. MY FAVORITE PART OF CHRISTMAS IS WATCH ALL THE FUN THE KIDS ARE HAVING. SO MUCH WORK GOES INTO CHRISTMAS SEASON AND ALL IT'S MAGIC, BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT TO SEE HOW HAPPY THEY ARE. JACOB WAS REALLY CONCEREND THIS YEAR THAT SANTA WOULD NOT VISIT HIM (HE IS VERY SENSITIVE AND HAS A GUILTY CONSCENCE LIKE ME) HE IS SUCH A GOOD KID, OF COURSE SANTA WOULD VISIT HIM! HE LEFT A NOTE ASKING SANTA 'HAVE I BEEN WATCHING BAD STUFF AND DOING BAD THINGS?' LOL, HE'S SO SILLY. THE KIDS ENJOYED THE THINGS THEY RECIEVED, JACOB GOT SONIC FORCES, LILY A LONG BOARD AND NACHO A BIKE. OVERALL WE WERE ALL HAPPY WITH OUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. NEW YEARS EVE LILY HAD ANTHOER WEIGHLIFTING COMPETITION, THIS TIME TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS. AND SHE DID IT! SO, COME JUNE WE ARE PLANNING TO HEAD TO NATIONALS IN COLORADO SPRINGS, JUST SHE AND I...I'M NERVOUS! AND OFCOURSE SHE'S PUMPED. SHE GOT 38KG CLEAN JERK AND 29 KG SNATCH. OUR NACHITO IS GROWING SO MUCH! HE IS MY LITTLE TORNADO AND GETS INTO EVERYTHING. NO CUPBOARD IS SAFE, NO ROOM STAYS CLEAN. KEEPING ME BUSY. HE IS TALKING A LITTLE WHERE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND 'MAMA, DADA, LIL'LIL, WHAT'S THAT, I WANT NUM NUMS...' BUT HE SPEAKS IN FULL BABY BABLE SENTENCES LIKE WE UNDERSTAND HIM. HE IS THE AIR THAT I BREATH. HE IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT, MOST OF THE DAY I JUST WATCH HIM AND WONDER HOW I LIVED LIFE WITHOUT HIM. HE IS SO SMART AND LOVES TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER. HE CAN FIGURE OUT TODDLER PUZZLES AND HOW TO PUT TOGETHER LEGOS. MARK THINKS I HAVE MOM GOGGLES ON, BUT I REALLY DO THINK HE IS EXCEPTIONALY SMART FOR A BABY. HE THROWS AWAY THINGS WHEN I ASK HIM TO, HE FOLLOWS COMMANDS AND UNDERSTANDS THE THINGS I SAY TO HIM. HE LOVES TAKING BATHS, READING BOOKS WITH ME AND PLAYING OUTSIDE. WE LOVE HIM SO INCREDIBLEY MUCH! I LOVE MY FAMILY SO MUCH, I GET ANXIOUS ABOUT THE WHAT IF'S. LIKE, WHAT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY OR TO ALL OF US. IT CAN FEEL CRIPPLYING SOMETIMES TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE THOUGHT CAUSES ME PAIN DEEP IN MY HEART. I AM WORKING ON LIVING IN THE PRESENT AND NOT FOCUSING OF THE 'WHAT COULD BE'S'. I JUST PRAY THIS YEAR KEEPS MY FAMILY SAFE AND HEALTHY. THE FUTURE ALWAYS SCARES ME. I JUST HAVE TO LIVE FOR THE MOMENT.