Be Happy for this Moment... this Moment is your Life.

Yes.. This blog has been hijacked!!

2009-02-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is Catherine, Bea's daughter, making sure you all know my mom, yes... IS ALIVE!! She hasn't posted for about 5 months!! Hard to believe... time does fly! My mom has been unbelievably busy.. typical Bea, right! Well, with Dance Festival, Girls Camp, YW, and being super mom, she just hasn't had the time to sit and post, let alone breathe.. so i figured I would! (= Juggling is my mom's specialty! She works her magic under pressure.. I love love love her! She is the best Mom ever!! She's not only beautiful but passionately young.. Bubbly, yet always brilliant.. Even when shes stressed she always makes me laugh! She has officially won the most selfless Mom award! Hopefully we can all convince my mom to come back to the blogging world soon and share all of the happenings in the Woodwell Family.. yes, we have TONS of pictures.. hopefully we'll see them here sometime in the next 5 months! haha ;-) Love you mom!! Catherine

A page out of life...

2008-08-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I read that title in a new book I bought to read and thought to be appropriate for this new post. It has been a long time... I know... I will be posting about our summer soon.

This week's YW's activity was a "Talent Show" and my girls decided they would do their own music video. Enjoy!!! This is what they do best....

So he says he's working...

2008-07-02T23:41:00.001-07:00

James is in Europe this week working really, really hard, allegedly. So I find it interesting that he was able to summit Ben Nevis while he was there. I've never heard of Ben Nevis and I'm sure you haven't either but according to Wikipedia, "Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Great Britain." He compared it to Half Dome without the last 420 feet of slick rock and steel cables. In fact, Ben Nevis is exactly 100 meters shorter than Half Dome. Another difference was the 70 mph wind and the 50 feet of visibility on the summit. It was miserable, cold and dark, and James was all by himself. He took the picture below in a feeble attempt to garner some sort of sympathy for his endeavor. He made good time: 2 hours 55 minutes up and 2 hours 45 down. Great job James, keep working those legs. Sad photos courtesy of James, nice photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

The icefield approach 15 minutes from the summit The summit of Ben Nevis - nearly abscured by the fierce cloud movement.

James on the summit with his sad, windburnt face - think balaclava and goggles next time

A beautiful shot of Ben Nevis on a clear snowcapped day

Caroline Graduated!!!

2008-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Graduation was fabulous!!! She was happy, as you can see... now she thinks she's a grown-up and can take on anything. She received her first official calling in the church to work in the primary for the summer... she's extremely excited about that. My life these days feels like a big blur... my days go by so fast! I consider my time valuable just like anyone else, but time slips by me without warning... how does that happen? There's a lot of shifting and pulling in all different directions, and although I have a lot going on in my life the most important thing are my girls.

The closer it gets to Caroline leaving for college the more I don't want to let her go. I know I shouldn't fear letting go and letting her experience all the good that its about to come her way. I know how much she's looking forward to this new adventure and experience in her life, but I can't help but have reservations.

I know I will be a mess as time approaches and sometimes I hate even thinking about it... so, I'm going to focus on the good and positive right now. The good being that I will celebrate this time of her life with all the excitement and joys that comes from being a new graduate... I will reassure her of her abilities and great strengths and I will let her know how much she's loved and appreciated.

Here's to YOU baby girl!!!!

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Mi vida en estos momentos esta llena de tantas cosas que tengo que hacer... me parece mentira de lo ocupada que me siento. Pienso que mi tiempo es valioso, asi que todos los dias tengo que hacer una lista de prioridades y asi poder determinar como dedicar mi tiempo. Y aunque mi vida cotidiana me tiene un poco ocupada, mis hijas son mi prioridad. Ya Caroline se graduo de High School... siento una gran anciedad, ya que no quiero que se me vaya a Idaho para ingresar en la universidad de BYU. Mientras que los dias pasan volando siento miedo al saber que pronto embarcara en una de las experiencias mas linda de su vida. Asi que tengo que apoyarla y celebrar con ella esta etapa tan bonita de su vida. Caroline dejara un gran vacio en nuestro hogar.

What are the odds...

2008-05-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning I received a call from Caroline -- "Mom, I got tickets to the American Idol Finale for tonight!" It took me a couple of minutes to process everything as well as the implications this would have. Of course, my first thought was to check flights to see if we could actually make it to L.A. by the mandatory 12 noon check in. With Catherine's help I soon found a flight that could get us there on time. We had 10 minutes to get ready. Caroline and Jac showed up, we got in the car and raced to the Oakland airport. By this time I had completely convinced myself we weren't going to make it, our flight was departing in 15 minutes and we just arrived at the airport. Lucky for us not many people were there. We all raced to the gate and amazingly made our flight. After landing in L.A., we rented a car and drove straight to the Nokia theater. Getting there with 15 minutes to spare, we took our place in line and waited... and waited.... and waited. After 4 1/2 hours, we were nearly at the front of the line. We were getting closer and closer to where we were supposed to pick up our tickets when one of the producers told us there were no more tickets. I was irritated when I heard that but also confused at the site of hundreds of people in front of us running. We asked what was going on and why is everyone running? Someone yelled that they were selling the last few tickets at the ticket booth 4 blocks down. Believing we still had a chance I excitedly exclaimed to my girls,"RUN GIRLS... RUN!" and of course I'm right behind them walking in my extremely uncomfortable high heals. By the time I got to them we were in the middle of the line and the show was to start in 7 minutes. I thought to myself we came all this way so no matter what we are getting in. With my girls still waiting in line I walk up to the front of the line and pulled a Bea Woodwell and amazingly enough got four tickets. Unfortunately, they were separated all over the place but I was just grateful we even got in. Before we walked in, we had to get our tickets scanned and for some odd reason mine wasn't valid but all of my girls tickets were. I explained my situation to one of the executive producers and she handed all of us new tickets and told us to hurry in. Walking into the Nokia theater was breathtaking... in this place were 7,000 people... I couldn't spend a lot of time looking around because the show was to start in 3 minutes. I quickly asked another gentleman to please help us find our seats and he directed us to the front row right next to the "Cook Family"... that's right, David Cook's family! We got to meet David Cook's mom, grandparents, brother, niece, and nephew. It was pretty exciting and I had plenty of moments where I truly didn't think we would make it!!! But there I was front row and five feet away from Ryan, David C., David Archuleta... all the girls loved lil' Archuleta! The girls missed school that day but we hope they will always remember it as fun and exciting with the knowledge that mom and dad were willing to do fun things for them when it was within our reach. Over all it was a great night!!! Next morning we woke up early for seminary and off they went to school to share their tale... I should have posted this last week but my time its taken up by so many other things. Lately, I find myself wishing for more time...

The results are in...

2008-05-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

And I am soooo happy to say that I was selected in a lottery to participate in the St. George Marathon this upcoming Oct. 4th. This will be an extreme challenge for me but I'm truly excited to have one of my dreams become a reality. I'm really hoping I can pull this one off. I started running 10 years ago with my best friend Mary... she introduced me to this great sport. She's always been a runner and a fast one I might add! There's no way I could ever keep up with her. Ten years ago she challenged me to run... she knew this was no easy task for me but she was patient. I would show up at her house and we'd run a circuit around her neighborhood. After a while I realized that she had already ran her 5 miles for the day and then she would run with me, that should tell you something. I was so slow that there's no way she would try to exercise with me. Since then... I have gotten a little better. I'm just so grateful to her for always encouraging me to do things that sometimes I couldn't possibly think I could do... and this is one of them. Here goes to fulfilling one of my long time dreams!!! Anything is possible... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ No me van a creer, pero me voy a hacer un maraton... parece mentira que pronto va ser realidad. Me tengo que poner las pilas... son 26.2 millas. Estoy loca ya lo se!!! Pero, esto siempre a sido para mi unos de mis grandes suenos. La preparacion para este maraton comienza manana... Mary es una de mis mejores amigas, y ella me introdujo a este deporte. Pronto sabre si podre lograr esta meta. Nosotras corriamos juntas y yo pensaba...hay que chevere, me encanta pero me era un poco dificil! Luego me di cuenta de que ella ya habia corrido cinco millas antes de correr conmigo... asi seria!! Le doy muchas gracias a ella porque siempre me da animo a lograr mis suenos.

Marathon anyone?

2008-05-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Most of my friends know that I have been wanting to run a marathon for sometime now. In fact, I recently entered the lottery for the St. George Marathon in October, I'll keep you posted as to my success in getting in. Now the hard part. I am like many people out there, with great dreams and personal ambitions, however, at the end of a six mile run, the spirit is still willing but the flesh is indeed overwhelmingly weak and is beginning to convince the spirit, that this may be too difficult to endure. Last week was the Boston Marathon and in reading about the race, I came across this little article in the "USA Today" which I found so inspiring. The runners mentioned in this story did not let physical circumstance, age, or work schedule deter them from running their race. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Catherine turns 12!!!

2008-04-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yes... my baby is now 12 years old!!!

Catherine's day was fabulous!!! She started her day as usual... I picked her up for lunch and we had a lovely time together. For dinner we went to her favorite restaurant "Macaroni Grill." We danced and partied after dinner and had a great time. Of course, she will tell you that the celebration is just beginning because this weekend is when the real celebration happens. Catherine makes me happy... she's growing up and it's just beautiful for me to see her flourish. Love you my beautiful girl!!!

Picture perfect!

2008-04-11T17:12:00.001-07:00

Okay-- so, I was tired of seeing my page open to sick, sick, sick... although, I'm tired of being sick!!!! I'm trying to attract all the positive vibes out there in the world... please come my way!! I put this pretty picture of the ocean... which frankly, is the best place to be for me! I would be a different person if I had the ocean right there in front of me everyday. Love, LOVE, love the ocean!!! Trying to have happy thoughts... Me canse de ver mi pagina decir enferma, enferma, enferma... ya estoy cansada de estar enferma! Estoy tratando de mantenerme positiva para ver si me mejoro pronto... caramba pero esta cuando!!! No, en serio, ya me tengo que mejorar, no me gusta la cama. Puse esta foto ya que es mi sitio favorito en todo el mundo... estar frente del mar. Adoro, Adoro, Adoro el mar!!! Es alli donde siento una coneccion con el universo...

Sick, sick, sick!!!

2008-04-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

This past week has been hard as I have been sick, and now my kids are getting sick too. Caroline has been suffering with asthma, coughing and generally feeling bad. She had an asthma attack two nights ago while on a date. She had gone out to eat and then to a movie. It's a scary thing when you can't breathe, but thank goodness for technology and science. Breathing treatments are a lifesaver! When I was a child, everytime I got sick with asthma, I was sent to the hospital and given shots... that was the only remedy when I got sick. Now, my kids have the benefit of modern technology and I'm grateful for that. Caroline has suffered with asthma all her life and every spring she suffers with this... thankfully it is usually once a year. Good thing!!! Esta semana me la pase enferma, y ahora mis hijas estan enfermas tambien. Caroline toda la vida a sufrido de asthma y en esta temporada de primavera siempre se enferma. Le dio un ataque asthmatico el Viernes, que la dejo un poquito nerviosa. Gracias a la technologia y medicina moderna, solo le tengo que dar un tratamiento y ahi mismo se siente mejor. Pobrecita...

Weekend...

2008-03-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling guilty as I have not posted for a long time now. My life has been one big blur for the past two weeks. This weekend I took Jac to a Volleyball tournament in Anaheim. It was fun to watch her play, but as her mom my stomach is in knots hoping and praying that she does good. She did great!!! A little shaky at first but did awesome in the end.

I miss my family sooo much lately... I never think it's possible to miss them more than I already do but I do. I have an amazing family and it has been wonderful as I see my cousins have their own blogs. I love it!!! The Internet can be such a wonderful blessing.

Este fin the semana tuve la oportunidad de llevar a Jacqueline a un torneo de Volleyaball en Anaheim, California. Tenia el estomago torcido ya que como mama te preocupas como van a salir, pero ella jugo muy bien. He estado extranando muchisimo a mi familia. Yo a veces pienso que no es posible extranarlos mas de lo que los extrano, pero si es posible! Tengo una familia fenomenal y los amo muchisimo. Ultimamente mis primas tambien tienen "blogs" y que bendicion para mi de poder conectarme con ellas nuevamente y de poder tener ese gozo de saber de ellas... ya sea por el Internet o por telefono. Los quiero mucho a todos...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2008-03-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

To my dear Irish friend Mary who I love dearly... Happy St. Patrick's day!!! And to all you wonderful Irish people out in the world. Here's to you!!! And NO you don't have to kiss me...

Special night...

2008-03-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

for Catherine... she was excited about tonight! The school honors students who have an outstanding GPA. Having good grades is important to her and as a mom it's very rewarding to see your children achieve their goals. She has worked hard and it payed off. I'm really proud. Way to go Ms. Catherine! Catherine estaba super contenta esta noche, ya que sus notas fueron excellente este semestre pasado. Estoy tan orgullosa de ella, ya que se esfuerza mucho en sus estudios. Y como mama, es una gran alegria ver a los hijos lograr lo que se proponen. Felicitaciones Catherine!!

Happiness is inherited...

2008-03-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Thats' what researchers are saying... can't buy happiness but it looks like you can at least inherit it, British and Australian researchers said on Thursday. People who are sociable, active, stable, hardworking and conscientious tend to be happier.

People with positive inherited personality traits may, in effect, also have a reserve of happiness to draw on in stressful times, he said.

"An important implication is that personality traits of being outgoing, calm and reliable provide a resource, we called it 'affective reserve,' that drives future happiness." Yahoo reported.

There's so much that has transpired, and I'm trying to draw my reserve of happiness in these stressful times. This last week has been so busy for me, between Volleyball practices, volleyball tournaments, piano, college prep work, and Roadshow... it's difficult to talk about it all. I have had very little sleep too and whenever that happens I'm not very happy. The one thing I can always count on is my music... is that sad?!! Music has such a wonderful affect on me... it can change my mood immediately and I'm grateful for that. I could be having a real hard day and I'll play a song that reminds me of a special and happy moment, and my mood completely changes... it's like therapy for me. I love it! The last added song on my playlist has inspired me to say or do and try to be my best and live my life in the now in telling the people I love how much they mean to me. I heard this song and watched the video in one of the blogs I like to check out and I loved it! The power of the internet... Toda esta semana han pasado muchas cosas que me tienen un poco atragiada! La semana pasada he estado tan ocupada con practicas de volleyball, torneos, piano, y preparando a Caroline para irse a la Universidad. Y sin poder dormir... y cuando no duermo no me siento muy contenta. Gracias a la musica!! La musica me cambia el animo inmediatamente. Esta cancion la escuche en otro blog y me encanto! Me ha ayudado a reflecionar y entender de que debo vivir mi vida lo mejor posible. Dar gracias todo los dia por mi vida y decirles a mis seres queridos cuanto los amo, como si fuera el ultimo dia de mi vida. Los quiero mucho a todos...

Shopping!

2008-03-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

I love shopping and one of my favorite places to go is "Union Square." The past two weekends I have done exactly that... Union Square! Every time I go I am fascinated by the amount of people and especially the tourists. They seem so excited to be there and often times by default I am able to eavesdrop onto their conversations and even listen to their plans for the evening. The city is certainly a fun place for me. I guess, I'm a city girl!!! Although, I love to spend time in the country. A few weeks back James got back from a trip to London in which he got me a very nice shirt from Thomas Pink, not the one I would have picked... so, today I was able to get the one I wanted! I love San Francisco....

Prom...

2008-02-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

I'm glad that things turned out great for Miss Caroline!!! The dress arrived on Friday at 5:30 pm, huge relief for me! She was happy, looked great and had a great time! First, the evening started at the Larson's for a formal dinner, where all the kids from the stake got together before the dance. As it turns out too, they gave out an ipod nano for the most creative way to ask their dates out and the most creative reply. Guess who won one of the ipod's? That's right, Caroline won for the most creative reply! Not only that, but she came home and gave it to her sister Jacqueline! I thought that was very sweet of her to do that. I need to give thanks to Devin as he was the professional photographer of the night. I'm sure many of the parents feel the same way. Thanks again, Devin! La noche fue super linda para Caroline!! Ella estaba tan contenta... se le ve en los ojos la alegria que tenia de poder ir a esta fiesta. Fue una noche espectacular! Fueron a una cena formal en casa de los "Larson." Ahi se gano un ipod nano, por haber tenido la respuesta mas creativa de responderle a la pareja que la habia invitado al baile. No solo eso, sino que se lo regalo a su hermana Jacqueline... que linda!!! James se paso todo el dia con Jacqueline en unos juegos de Volleyball... asi que yo me la pase arreglandole el pelo, y el maquillaje.

Prom dress saga!

2008-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

This picture is from the catalog cover of Latterdaybride.com where we purchased the dress

I put off getting Caroline's prom dress. I thought I had time... I thought that maybe I could find something at Nordstrom's... I even thought that I could get lucky and find something that would be cute at one of those modest stores in Utah. Well, in my distractions with everyday life and the life of my children I put it off. And a week before Prom, Caroline is saying, mom we still don't have a dress!! In my attempt to redeem myself from the loser mom's club... I headed over to Modesto this weekend. I heard that a couple of their stores sold "Eternity" dresses which is a line of modest formal wear. After driving for about a little over an hour which is really not bad... I go in search of these two stores with great hopes. To my surprise, I find that my hopes very quickly were shattered... one store was getting a shipment this week but it was only wedding dresses and the other store had four and they were the ugliest dresses I have truly ever seen!! I went into panic mode... this is my daughters Senior Prom... all I could think was how lame I had been in neglecting this event. HA!!!! I definitely wanted to redeem myself... I went online, found a dress that was very cute and ordered it... only to find out that afternoon that one of Caroline's friend bought the same dress... now I'm thinking I'm really in trouble, because by the time I found that out it was too late and the dress had already been shipped. Needless to say, I found another dress and it should get here on Friday... talk about pushing it to the limit... it's not Friday yet, so I hope it gets here on time... Prom dress saga continues...

Sweet Caroline!!!

2008-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Good news!!! Caroline will be attending BYU Idaho in the fall. She's very excited and looking forward to a new and exciting chapter in her life. Also, this week is "Prom" and she's anticipating that event with great joy. Finally got the dress today! I'll show pictures later in the week. This is surreal for me to actually have a daughter who is a Senior in high school and moving on to college. I have no doubt that she will shine no matter where she goes... I'm very proud of her!! She's a good example to her sisters and lately I don't know if it's the realization of her going away but she has been sooo sweet to them. I think she realizes how much she will miss them! Carolina fue acceptada a la Universidad de Brigham Young en Idaho. Ella esta super feliz!!! Ya que entra en una nueva etapa de su vida. Me parece mentira que el tiempo se nos haya ido tan rapido!! Tambien el Sabado es su "Prom" es un baile formal donde se visten como si fueran quinceaneras... muy lindo!!! Asi que pondre fotos de este fin de semana la semana que viene. Ella ha estado tan carinosa con sus hermanas... no se si es que se esta dando cuenta la falta que le van a hacer.

Homesick!

2008-02-12T22:34:00.001-08:00

I am feeling homesick! I wonder sometimes what it would be like to have my siblings living in the same town, and one of the thoughts that comes to mind is how much fun we would have. I have missed so much of my nephews day to day, and to me that's so sad. I have tried to analyze my need to go home right now and the only thing I can come up with it's my need to feel energized, motivated, take in all the love they offer me regardless of circumstances, time and limitation... the abundant love I feel from them its motivating to me... I miss them so much. Tengo unas ganas tan grande de poder ir a visitar a mi familia en Venezuela. A veces me pregunto como seria poder compartir con ellos todos los dia? Y lo que me imagino, es que gozaria una inmensidad!!! He tratado the analizar mis sentimientos y mi conclusion es que los necesito tanto, me hacen sentir muy querida, me siento motivada y mis energias cargadas, repleta de un gran amor hacia ellos y ellos para mi. Los extrano mucho a todos!!!

Sister, Brother and Nephew

Nephew (Juan Andres)

The Weblog Awards...

2008-02-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon a website that determines which blogs are the best of the best. It was fun looking at all the categories, they even had one for the best Latin American blogs, best photography, best of art weblog... some of my favorites were the best food blogs, fashion, music, and best writing blogs. Check it out... I think it's entertaining to say the least! Weblog Awards

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2008-02-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

My kids would get their feelings hurt if I didn't mention that my birthday was on Saturday... a whopping 29! Ha!!! Catherine started my day by bringing me breakfast in bed... she's always considerate and kind when it comes to making people feel good on their birthday. I love that about her! We ended up going to Macaroni Grill for dinner and came home to eat my favorite ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Mis hijas fueron muy lindas conmigo para mi cumpleanos!! Catherine me trajo desayuno en cama... luego nos fuimos a cenar a Macaroni Grill y para finalizar el dia nos comimos una torta de helado... divina!!! No quiero comentar cuantos anos cumpli porque de verdad no importa... me siento joven y no me pienso fijar o contemplar en el numero, sino en lo que siento en mi alma... y mi alma me dice 29 anos... como te quedo el ojo!!!

2008-01-30T23:00:00.001-08:00

My Catherine is not so little anymore! She got a new hairdo and she's very excited about it. For as long as I can remember she has had long hair... it's a big change, but she's loving it!!! Mi pequena Catherine esta creciendo demasiado rapido, ya no es mi pequena Catherine. Desde que era chiquita ella siempre a tenido su pelo largo, es una gran transformacion para ella y para mi. Ya es una senorita!!! Que tristeta para su mami...

Thoughts from the heart.

2008-01-20T17:43:00.000-08:00

As a mother you worry, cry, celebrate, comfort, and love your children with all your being. I celebrate my children in all their strengths, cry in their afflictions and comfort them as they need reassurance in their worries. How could I ever question my role in their lives?... I'm not perfect but I'm perfect for them. I wish for more patience, more ways to love and comfort them. I just pray that I can be and do what they need. I found this picture that truly expresses where I am in my life right now... and how lucky I am to be here on earth experiencing my rollercoaster ride... of life!!! Como madres nos preocupamos, lloramos, celebramos, damos aliento y amor a nuestros hijos con toda nuestra alma. Hoy celebro las qualidades de mis hijas, lloro en sus aflicciones. No soy perfecta, pero soy perfecta para ellas. Hoy solo le pido a Dios que me de mas paciencia en como amarlas con mas intensidad, y como darles aliento en sus aflicciones. Esta es una foto que representa como me siento ultimamente. Tengo la suerte de estar viva y de participar en la experiencia de esta vida. A mi familia quiero que sepan cuantos los amo!!

Here's to 2008!!!

2008-01-07T21:07:00.001-08:00

My family in Miami

A new year has come and gone all in one day... although we have three hundred and fifty nine days left! This new year will be a celebration of change... accomplishing new resolutions, new ideas, ways of always trying to be better in all aspects of life. I love new beginnings... For New Year's Eve, I went to Utah to surprise my dear friend Mary and that I did!!! She had no idea I was coming and it was awesome when she opened the door and was absolutely surprised. My kids and I had a great time at their place. I love her kids, they are funny, fun, and very entertaining! And it goes without saying how much fun I had with Mary... I love spending time with her. All in all, it was great! To new beginnings... Feliz Ano Nuevo a toda mi familia. Gustavo me dijo que su lema para este nuevo ano es, "Se feliz con lo que tienes, hasta que logres lo que quieres". Gustavo, gracias por compartir este nuevo lema para este ano nuevo... Seamos felices con lo que tenemos hasta que logremos lo que queramos!!! Mucho exito, felicidad y amor.

Christmas Pictures from Home!

2007-12-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

I called my family on Christmas Eve and I could not hold back the tears... I miss them a lot! I was happy they were having a good time together. Here are some pictures of their evening. Los extrane muchisimo a cada uno de ustedes (mis padres, hermana, hermanos, tias y primas)... espero verlos pronto y espero que el ano nuevo les traiga muchas cosas linda, salud, prosperidad, y sobre todo paz y mucha felicidad!

Maya Angelou

2007-12-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail that I thought was noteworthy, and wanted to share with all of you. Thanks Christy! In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first. The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words! Maya Angelou said this: *"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." *"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." *"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." *"I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life." *"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." *"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back." *"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." *"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." *"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back." *"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn." *"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Fruit for thought...

My baby turns 17 today!!!

2007-12-18T09:27:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that my firstborn born in the wilderness of New Mexico is 17 today! Time has sure flown by and I couldn't be more proud of her. I love you baby girl!!! She's a joy to our family... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

A tribute to a great woman!

2007-12-16T14:34:00.001-08:00

Adela de las Mercedes Sierra, was born December 16, in Venezuela. She was a sister, mother, wife, grandmother and great grandmother. This woman influenced my life and the life of many with love, devotion, dedication, commitment, patience, and long suffering. Today is her birthday, and although she has passed, her legacy continues as we (her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren) love as she loved and devote ourselves to living as she lived. She has been my inspiration in times of desperation, and I celebrate with her in spirit the great things about me... and the wonderful things I see with my extended family. I love her with all my heart, she is my hero. She made me feel that I was her favorite grandchild, and let me tell you I loved it!! Later in my life, I came to realize and understand that she made every single one of her grandchildren feel as they were her favorite. I love her even more for that. I know she watches over her family and I'm grateful to feel her presence in my life as I raise my own family. I love you grandma and Happy Birthday!!! Spanish: Para mi querida y adorada abuela... hoy es tu dia y no te imaginas lo tanto que toda tu familia te extrana. Siempre fuiste nuestra adoracion. Eres y sigueras siendo el amor que nos une a cada uno de tus hijos, hijas, nietos, y visnietos. Siento tu presencia cada dia en vida y te pienso en las cosas a veces minimas de mi dia cotidiana y a pesar de que no te tengo aqui en el presente te siento conmigo cada dia. Te adoro Adela, eres y sigueras siendo el amor puro que un dia me ofrecieste cuando tuve el gran privilegio de tenerte a mi lado. Gracias por el amor, devocion, y paciencia que nos demonstrates a todos. Feliz Cumpleanos, mi adorada abuelita. These are pictures of my grandmother's youngest child, with her daughter and grandchildren. I know these pictures would make my grandma happy!

Sunday in San Francisco

2007-12-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Day in the city!

Cute family picture

Trying to make Jacqueline smile!

Favorite!

Love the sunset!

James reflecting on...

2007 Volleyball Banquet

2007-12-06T22:52:00.000-08:00

Jacqueline and her teammates Varsity team Tonight, Jacqueline received the North Coast Section of Distinguished Scholastic Team award, which means that she maintained a great GPA while playing volleyball. All of the teams, Freshman, JV, Varsity, get together and recognize each other, their coaches, and the parents who have contributed in someway or another. Often times banquets tend to run forever and tonight was no exception... it was LONG!! Although, I must give credit to our team for a great Volleyball season!... our Varsity team won Nor Cal, EBAL, and North Coast Section championships. They were amazing and fun to watch. One of our Seniors will be playing for Duke University with a full ride scholarship, that's amazing to me! She is an exceptional player, and what I really like about her is that she is well rounded. She's always nice, always has a smile whether it be on the court or outside the court, and a phenomenal student. She did it all! Overall it was an outstanding season and a great night!

One of my favorite things...

2007-12-05T19:25:00.002-08:00

There's sunshine in my heart...

2007-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for new days and new challenges. I'm glad that bad days only come once in a while and far in between. Jacqueline started club volleyball yesterday and she's such a joy to watch. She was excited, nervous and I could tell that she was having a great time too. What's wonderful is how we can experience all those emotions all at the same time. Life is good...

Good night bad day...

2007-11-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Whenever you have a real bad day... what do you do? I'll tell you what I do... I sometimes stick my head in the sand... I run the opposite way of how I feel and the real stickler is I go shopping. Fun, right? Bad, bad, bad day... so, I decided to stay home and not spend money... I'm sooo proud of myself! See there... anything is possible. Today I'm wishing I had all my Christmas shopping done, but I'm one of those people that takes her sweet time doing it... why you probably ask? I have no earthly idea. I think I need therapy... but that's a topic for a different day!!! Hope your day went a lot better than mine. I feel that most of my posts lately are such downers... sorry! That's life for you, sometimes it throws you a curb ball and you got to do the best you can. Hopefully tomorrow will be full of sunshine and lots of happy moments. Cheers!!!

The countdown begins...

2007-11-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

Rodeo Drive 2006 Christmas is just around the corner and I'm starting to feel the spirit of the holidays. I love music and I already find myself listening to my favorite Christmas songs. As you can probably tell, I have chosen a few holiday songs in my music blog. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday! I have to say that my Thanksgiving dinner turned out wonderfully! We sat around the dinner table sharing what we were thankful for and it was nice to listen to my children name all the things that they appreciate. As most of you know, I didn't grew up having or preparing for Thanksgiving as we did not celebrate this holiday in Venezuela. Needless to say, it has become one of my favorites. I've been reminiscing about Thanksgiving from a couple of years ago... we went to Utah to spend the holidays with the Binghams... love going to their home and spending time with their family and especially Grandma Glenda and Grandpa Pat. We love you and miss you! Primas - thank you for the phone call this morning... las quiero mucho! Grandma Glenda and CatherineChris and CatherineGrandpa Pat and Dan

2007-11-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Life is beautiful in so many different ways. The more I learn about my inabilities and my weaknesses the more grateful I am to be alive. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous in a way... I'm grateful for my weaknesses because I know that I can overcome if I allow myself to see them and work towards becoming a better individual every day. It's a very humbling experience. As of late, I realize that it's okay to make mistakes and learn from them... I never allowed myself to see it that way. I'm usually very hard on myself. I am human, although often times I don't like the associated frailties. My dearest friend wrote me a poem on my birthday one year, where she describes how I can breath under water. It was beautifully written and I'm not just saying that because it was about me... I believe her when she says I can breath under water... I know that she's able to see my strengths and who I am despite what I sometimes think of myself or do. I'm grateful for the people in my life that make me a better person. My mom went home a week ago on Saturday after staying with me for over 2 months. I miss her terribly! Her birthday was this past Friday... she seems happy to be home with the rest of her children. Grecia, Maricarmen (SIL), Monica (Sister)

Style vs Pain

2007-11-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder why you do certain things knowing perfectly well that past experience has taught you that what you are about to do will cause pain? I repeat offenses over and over again knowing all too well the outcome… you are probably thinking that I’m about to confess to a serious offense and you're right. I’m about to tell you that experience has taught me that when you go shopping and specially if you’re going to the city (San Francisco) you wear comfortable shoes. Well… I make the same mistake over and over again because I always wear heels. What is wrong with me? Today, I went shopping at Union Square and let me tell you I walked and walked for about four hours and by the time I got to my car I was practically cursing at myself for wearing my beautiful heels. I guess all I can say for myself is I rather be styling than comfortable… sad but true!

2007-11-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

My cousin Frances sent me pictures of her beautiful little girl Isabella. It was Isabella's first time at the park... she's too cute!!!