Halloween Fun...

We had so much fun on Halloween, the girls dressed up in their Halloween outfits, which they wore a couple times this month, and then last night my sister and her family and my Mom came over to trick-or-treat with the girls...My nephews were so cute dressed up, and we recorded them all on video, but forgot to snap a pic, I will have to get one from my sister to post..anyway, the girls had fun, they stopped after about 10 houses, but loved helping me give out candy last night, literally in my neighborhood, I think we had over 100 trick or treaters last night!!! Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!!

First, the Halloween outfits they wore yesterday, I love these outfits....

Checking out each other's outfit...

And now, my 2 Princesses....Maribel in her birthday present, the Cinderella dress, and Marissa is Tinkerbell...aren't they the cutest things ever!!!!

Maribel loves her wand...



Maribel admiring her wand!!! 2 cutie pies..
We had to wait on the rain to stop, so I snapped a few pics while we waited.. My mom (Nanny) and the girls..

My eyes do this in every picture, this is after fixing them on the computer..My sweet babies..
All ready in their ride...

And after we were all done, the girls favorite part, watching for trick-or-treaters at the door...


Happy Halloween!!!

Part 2 of our DisneyWorld Trip...

Well, it's hard to get adjusted back to our routine after being in DisneyWorld for a week, and we are all ready to go back again...Now, looking at these pictures makes me want to go back even more, we all had such a great time being together and now only 15 months until we go again..YEAH!!

Here we are at Animal Kingdom, and guess who is sleeping...haha, she really only slept one hour a day in the stroller, but it seemed like that hour was always when Disney snapped pics..Also, as you can tell I gave up the more fashionable sandals for tennis shoes, after a couple days of lots of walking, vanity went out the window...LOL

After we left Animal Kingdom, it was on to MGM, and guess who woke up...I love Maribel's face in these pics, can you tell she was loving DisneyWorld..


Maribel and I on the train...


The girls loved snack time at DisneyWorld..and it was a good time to cool off..

I think that cookie was the size of Marissa Mae's head...
Some pics from Animal Kingdom, and Marissa loved this baby duck came over just to greet her..
and the famous surrey bike at boardwalk, the girls loved it because they could sit in the front basket and ring the bell as we biked through boardwalk....Mommy and Daddy were pretty tired after walking ALOT at the parks, they forgot to tell us at boardwalk they have about 4 big hills to pedal up...Daddy and I were working hard, while the girls were in the front basket loving this bike ride and ringing the bell...I wish I could have a got a pic of us all on it..


Now, for some miscellaneous pics..

Can you tell by this pic of me, it was HOT...haha..we were walking the girls down to boardwalk for ice cream after a long day at the park..

Maribel's birthday morning, her Dad and I had slipped and bought her a Cinderella dress for her birthday, which is what she had decided she wanted to be for Halloween...She was so excited and couldn't wait to try it on..Marissa has tinkerbell, which I bought from Disney last year, so she will be Tinkerbell, but I will hold off on posting the pics of them dressed up together until Halloween, but she loved her birthday surprise..

Can you see the excitement in our face...
It may look like her nose is running, but it is medicine for her chapped lips..haha, isn't she the cutest princess ever...can't wait to see my little Tinkerbell and Cinderella together on Saturday..

Taking a twirl..

Look, Mommy and glass slippers to match...that made her day..

And we got dressed and spent our last full day at Disney in Epcot..It was Maribel's 3rd birthday, and you notice the birthday button on her stroller, she refused to wear it, and wanted me to, but after a few people started yelling Happy Birthday to me, I found a new spot for it above her stroller..

Popcorn, Yummy..

In Epcot at the England pavillion, it's amazine how each pavillion is built just like the country..this is one of my favoirite pics of the girls, don't they look like they are having fun..
They loved running on the cobblestone streets..
So cute, Marissa Mae..and some skipping..
and some dancing..and a bow..

Now, through the English garden maze in England....

After the day at Epcot we went back to the resort to rest, and get ready for Maribel's birthday dinner..She had picked Chefs De France, in Epcot for her birthday dinner, because Remy was there...


Happy 3rd birthday, my sweet baby girl!!

My sweet Marissa Mae!!!

Well, look who didn't quite make it to the end of her birthday celebration...she didn't nap any of the days we were there, but the last day on her birthday...she was pooped...

And one final pic of the girls on boardwalk dancing, we had a wonderful time together and the girls had so much fun, they are still talking about it, we made some great memories, and can't wait to go back!!!!!!!!!!

Back from Disneyworld!!!

Well, we just got back late last night from Disneyworld..We had a wonderful time, and today we are all having some much needed rest!!! I have so many pics, and cannot post them all, so I will post some today and tomorrow, but going to try to post some of my favorites because no way, can I post them all.

We arrived on Wednesday early morning to our favorite resort, the Boardwalk Inn and Villas..We love that resort and had so much fun there before heading out to all the parks..We visited Magic Kingdom, MGM, Animal Kingdom while at DisneyWorld and then every night we headed over to Epcot for dinner and to ride the girls favorite ride, "The Nemo Ride"..they are still talking about it!! We had a blast, it truly is a magical place, I will have to say though it was almost 90 degrees everyday, it was suppose to be in the 80's, but nope it hit 90 almost daily, and with 2 toddlers a double stroller, that can get VERY HOT!! We have decided we are going to try and bring the girls yearly, and next time it will be next January, when it is a little cooler. Even with the heat, we had the best time together, and wanted to stay another week!!

Now, I have to post some pics, we made some wonderful memories, and Marissa may be too young to remember, I know Maribel will remember, and Marissa can look back at pics of her first visit to Disneyworld and know we had a great time together.

First, some pics of us at Magic Kingdom..

Maribel loved seeing all the characters, Marissa loved to see them from a distance..LOL



Marissa had fallen asleep in the stroller, and Maribel spotted Snow White, I think Maribel has found her new best friend..
Snow White asked Maribel if she would dance for her, and Maribel took off into a dozen twirls, I am not sure Snow White knew Maribel is a dancing machine..HA!!

And now, the girls and Minnie..you notice Maribel first in line, she wanted me to tell Minnie, she likes to wear her hair just like hers everyday, so there I am telling Minnie all about it..notice, Marissa, thinking this is about as close as I am getting..HA!!!!! Below this are pics in Minnie's house..

Maribel is thinking Minnie's chair is just her size...she could live in this house, it even has popcorn, her favorite snack...We really had to pull the two of them outta here so other kids could see Minnie's house too..

This is my favorite pic of my sweet girls, holding hands, Sassy's face says it all in this pic, we were having the best time...love it..

Me and the girls in front of the castle...Marissa was about to fall asleep, she would nap in the stoller everyday for about an hour, so if you see Maribel and I, she is fast asleep..!!
Now, some pics from Epcot...Maribel and I in the China pavillion and we spotted Mulan..we love Epcot..

Now, for our favorite resort, Boardwalk, we love it there..here are some pics from the Boardwalk, the girls loved dancing on the boardwalk, I took some great pics of them dancing and playing. Every day we would take a walk on the boardwalk and watch fireworks and the girls would eat popcorn and dance and play, so much fun!!

The girls and I stopping for a pic off the boardwalk..and then Daddy and the girls..

So sweet!!!
The girls taking in the sites over the bridge..


Just to show you how beautiful the Boardwalk is, this was our resort, and it's amazing how much like a boardwalk town Disney makes this look, magical!!


The boardwalk has a wonderful bakery, called the BoardWalk Bakery, it's in the picture below with the red awning, we spent Maribel's birthday morning there, sitting by the lake, with a big brownie, with a candle, yes, it was her birthday, and she can have brownie for breakfast!! It was great memory of the 4 of us!!




I have to tell you some of my favorite photos of the girls are when they didn't know I was taken their pics, and could catch them dancing on the boardwalk, Maribel thought it was made just for dancing, and she was loving it!!!



Marissa Mae giving Daddy some love....

Maribel was really getting into her dancing here, and I caught her without noticing me, and it's some of my favorite pics of her..just caught in the moment having the best time, it made all the 90 degree weather worth it....

And here, she is taking her final bow...isn't this the cutest thing...I think I have a dancer on my hands....sweet baby girls, we had the best time.....
That is all for now, will post more tomorrow!!!

Happy 13th Anniversary Honey!!!!

Today is my 13th wedding anniversary and just wanted to post a Happy Anniversary to my husband because I know he reads the girl's blog...

We have been together 17 years, wow, and married 13 years!!! I cannot believe how fast the years have flown by, and now we get to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary with our 2 baby girls, which is a dream come true for us..One of my husband's favorite places in the world is DisneyWorld, and he has waited a very long time to take the girls, even before they were borne, he would talk about it...so happy we are celebrating not only our anniversary but Maribel's birthday as well, we are going to have the best time in the world...

You are my best friend and the best husband and Daddy in the world. You are a great example to the girls and one day in the very distant future, I hope they find someone as loving and kind as you are to the three of us....I love you even more today than ever!!!

Happy Anniversary Honey!!

and because I don't have time to load some of our wedding pics, I will post one of my favorite pics of us together....Love you..

Many Celebrations today!!

Today we are celebrating Maribel's birthday, it's not until next week, but since we will be in DisneyWorld, we are having family over tonight for a dinner party and cake and ice cream.

Not only are we celebrating that today, but today is the day one year ago we came home with Marissa. Wow, one year ago, it FLEW by, really, when I think to how long it seemed, until she was able to come home, it seemed like each day was a year, but now she has been home one year and our family couldn't be more complete...

What a joy and sweet baby girl she is, so loving and did I say how funny she is!! She cracks us up!! It makes my heart melt to watch the girls play together, the other day Maribel said "Mommy, come look at my sweet baby, she is from Guatemala" LOL

Marissa as we celebrate today, we thank God for you and your life, for the beautiful blessing you have been in our life and how happy we are to have you as our sweet daughter as we celebrate you being home with your family one year today. We love you so much baby girl!!

Here are some pics to look back on our 1 year!!

Marissa with Daddy at the hotel in Guatemala, she has always loved food...LOL

Marissa Mae our 1st week home, she was loving the exersaucer..

My girls this summer loving each other...

Marissa Mae, we call you Sassy, and you can tell in this picture why..HA!!..Happy one year home baby girl!!! We love you..

Hunger in Guatemala...

I am a huge supporter of Mayan families...It is a wonderful organization that is a non-profit that operates in the highlands of Guatemala, they live and work in the Lake Atitlan region. They do so much to help the Maya people that need so much.

I first started sponsoring children with them and helping needy families while I was waiting on Maribel to come home in 2006. I am so glad I did, it has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. We pray for our sponsored student and her family, we pray we are making a small difference in her life, so she can attend school, and have an education and food to eat, as times are tough here in America, it doesn't compare to the hardships these people face. Although, we all may not have much we can do something to help I believe..

My daughters are Mayan and I feel a connection to these people and want to do all I can to help, they need support more than ever as Guatemala is faced with a huge crisis as they are having severe food shortages due to the droughts in Guatemala. I hope to just raise awareness the problem and ask if anyone could help, even if it's one time to go to their site, I have seen this organization in action, and they are the real deal, their heart is to do all they can to make a difference..

Please watch this youtube video!! (You will have to stop my music player at the bottom right of the blog first)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OtvYVkyis

Go to Mayanfamilies below to make a difference....any little bit helps..

http://www.mayanfamilies.org/



Many of you may be aware that Guatemala is facing a huge crisis. The President of Guatemala has called it "a calamity". The drought has caused severe food shortages and the cost of basic food items continues to rise daily. According to Unicef almost half of Guatemala’s children are chronically malnourished—it has the sixth worst record in the world. In parts of rural Guatemala, where the population is overwhelmingly people of Mayan descent, child malnutrition reaches 80%. A diet of little more than tortillas does permanent damage. This is the only diet that many families have right now. In Guatemala, which has some of the worst levels of chronic malnutrition, children have already started dying. In rural areas, thousands offamilies can no longer afford to eat. Malnutrition rates are rising among the very young, and the elderly. We have many mothers who are not eating, just surviving on a few tortillas a day so that they can give the food to their children. Children who suffer from chronic malnutrition are not in immediate danger of starvation, but they will face stunted growth and a diminished mental capacity. The children don’t look underweight — they just look tiny. Some have light hair, others have patches of hair missing, some are even bloated. Families that before could afford to feed their children, are now struggling but the families that were already living without enough to eat are now facing daily hunger and the children are quickly becoming malnourished and sick. Daily, we have families coming to our door who have nothing to eat. The worst affected are single mothers whose wages were barely able to keepthe family together before this crisis. Now, they just do not have enough to feed their children even the very basics. Through your help ,Mayan Families currently feeds over 110 children every day at our three pre-schools. These are children that have beenidentified as malnourished or are in danger of becoming malnourished. We have started a feeding program for the Elderly this week. Many of the elderly people do not have enough to eat and are becoming very malnourished and weak. We need your help to be able to continue to feed these people and the many more who need help. This is a crisis situation and while we believe in long term solutions..right now ...people who are hungry cannot wait for crops that will grow during a severe drought or chickens that will lay eggs. They need help today.The biggest need and challenge facing the indigenous people of Guatemala this year and in the coming year will be the struggle to have enough to eat.The United Nations children's fund, UNICEF, reports that Guatemala has the worst malnutrition problem in Latin America, even higher than the 35.2 percent average in Africa!

Please help make a difference... This is our sponsored student. "A" We love her and her family so much and how it makes my heart happy to know she is smiling, if only I could help all the children feel this same way, won't you please help, if not a monthly donation, then a one time donation of any amount would make such a difference!!!! God Bless..

Weekend fun!!

I feel like sometimes I am neglecting my blog, we are just sooo busy right now, with lots going on I have to remind myself to come blog. Training takes up a lot of my time, that use to be my free time, but I am not complaining I am seeing major changes, so it's all worth it, but it is a lot of work and it means less free time to blog, so I have to remind myself to make time to come and do it for the girls journal one day, so I am hoping to get better at posting more often..

This past weekend we had both nephews over, after a soccer game for my nephew, Zach, we were off to the pumpkin patch and Zach went along too, can you believe I forgot my camera!! I did snap some pics with my phone, but will have to figure out how to post those later, but the camera phone pics are never as great as my camera, but oh well, maybe next time!! Then later my other nephew Drew, stopped in and he spent the night, then we all went out to eat dinner and back home!! This weekend we are off to a Fall Festival, so I will bring my camera for that!! I did snap some pics of the girls and Drew though!!! The girls love for Drew to carry them everywhere, and Zach pulls them wherever they want to go in their new wagon, I think their spoiled by their cousins!!!


Marissa is checking out Drew's teeth here..LOL