Five!

A love note for Enrique, who today has turned 5. Five!

5 things that you love right now:

1. Your kitties - Isabelle and Penguin.
   
2. Teaching things to Anabel.
3. Pineapple Pizza.
4. Playing dress up (which gets its own category).
5. Building giant forts, though you don't call them that. They are space ships, castles, boats, etc.
   

5 great thoughts we have heard from you recently:

1. "What do you love more? Santa Claus or Rock 'n Roll?"
2. "I am going to shrink so big"
3. "When I grow up, I am going to be a present seller" (referring to his obsession with being Santa Claus.
4. "I want to be a rock star, go get me my bongos!"
5. "Did you know Santa Claus turns into Superman?"
   

5 dress up characters we have come to know well:

1. Santa Claus. This one is serious. You ARE Santa Claus. We are your elves. Anabel is Mrs. Claus. Totally was not sure what to do about Christmas, because when we asked you want you wanted you would get mad because YOU are the one who brings presents.
2. Superman. Not getting as much action these days because of #1, but just yesterday for about 5 minutes we got to hang with Superman again.
3. The Mexican Chef. Complete with crazy, wacky Spanish accent.
4. The Magician. Who gets in the cupboards and makes scary looking "poison" concoctions that probably are actually poisonous and your mom should not be letting you do this. But, it's cute.
5. Cowboy. Boots-check. Hat-check. Rope-check. Bandana-check. Cowboy lives in the southwest.

5 things that make me proud to be your mama:

1. Your imagination. It is off the charts fabulous.
2. Your eagerness to help and participate in whatever we are doing as a family.
3. The strange, intuitive, brilliant things that you say when you first wake up in the morning (and I should right down because I always forget.)
4. The way you love your sister and want to teach her things (when you aren't fighting!). Seriously it melts my heart the way you speak to her.. so lovingly.
5. How excited you get about just about anything. You experience life thrillingly.

5 things I wish for you in this next year:

1. That you get your first loose tooth because you really want one.
2. That you get to experience your first sleep over with one of your little buddies.
3. That you discover the joy and excitement of reading.
4. That you continue to make new discoveries that dazzle you.
5. That we get to meet many new interesting characters that you think up.

Happy Birthday today my Creative, Imaginative child.
You are amazing.
xoxoxo ~Mama

merry merry

Taking a quick moment to wish everyone a very
Merry, Happy Christmas!

Be safe. Be warm. Be loved.
See you in the New Year!

superheros

Well, a little late.. but here are my little superheros!

Enrique, of course, was superman. Kinda funny because he wears this outfit most every day lately, so it didn't really feel like dressing up. But, he played the part really well, I think!

So serious...

He was so friggin' excited to go trick or treating!


Anabel was Rocket Girl. According to Enrique - All us girls are Rocket Girl! He created this outfit for his little sister. I made it, but it was all his doing. Pretty cool, huh?


Anabel was totally cute trick or treating! She would just point to her bag whenever someone opened the door. Too cute.

Happy Halloween (a little late)!

my peanut is TWO today!

Anabel is 2 years old today. I can hardly believe it, these past two years have gone by so dang fast. I am so insanely in love with this little girl. She is silly and sweet and wonderful. I love being a mom to a girl.. there is something special and magical about that and will forever be one of my most favorite things.



So, in honor of TWO, some love for my little peanut...

2 things I love about you:
Your big sweet grin.
How affectionate and loving you are.


2 things you are loving these days:
Baby dolls.
Ice Cream.


2 things you are learning right now:
New words.
How to climb up on things.


2 things that make you laugh:
Daddy tickles.
Your brother.


2 things I wish for you:
That you always be true to yourself.
That you live your dreams.


2 things you say that are oh so cute:
WOW! (with big wide eyes taking it all in)
Apple.. you say "app" like it is the yummiest thing on earth.



2 things you do that you shouldn't:
I keep catching you drawing on the walls with crayon.
Peeling bananas, but then not eating them.


2 things you don't seem to like:
Bananas.
Your brother chasing you.


2 things you like playing with:
Hats - you love, love, love hats.
Your babies.. you lay them down for bed and kiss them night-night over and over again.


2 things for you to never forget:
You are loved so very, very much by your family.
You mama is so thankful that you came into this world 2 years ago.


I love you with all my heart, dear sweet Anabel Raini!
Happy Birthday! xoxoxo

family ortiz

This past weekend, we were in Pueblo, at a family reunion. Don has a HUGE family and this was my first reunion. Not as big as some in the past, but really fun to see and meet people.

I am still putting the puzzle pieces together, but I think I figured out that Don's grandpa has 19 brothers and sisters! WOW! From 3 different mothers (that is an interesting story that I am still sorting the details out about). I was looking through the family tree book and it seemed to be something like 50 pages long, and that is only the past few generations. Pretty cool to see some old photos and experience so much history in one family.

Here are some snap shots from our weekend...

Anabel is REALLY well loved by her cousins! I fear for anyone that does her wrong. Between her brother and her cousins that sorry sucker will be in big trouble.

My cutie girl...


Most of Don's aunts and uncles, with his mom, grandpa and grandma...


Classic.


Cousins...


My sweet nephew...


Me and Don...


Dancing and running around...


Boys..


Here is Don's Grandpa (2nd from the right) with some of his siblings...


Dancing with Daddy...


Our nephew again (he shares a birthday with Anabel!)


Brothers...


Walking with Daddy...


Enjoying the sunshine...


Our other nephew (handsome boy!)


Getting some love from her cousin...


Love this picture!


No family picnic is complete without some watermelon..


Don and his Grandpa...


A rare family photo with ALL of us!


It was a really great, surprisingly relaxing weekend!

the week in review

Why, yes, it has been a week since I have updated my blog! And what, you ask, have we been doing that has kept me away?

Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that...

Making stuff with our weekly art group.


We did a similar project last year to give us some color in the winter months. This time I wanted a little something something to spice up my naked summer windows..


This is from over a week ago, but Enrique did some hangin out with one of his little buddies that involved cutting up paper into LOTS of little pieces that I only this morning got totally cleaned up!


Working in the garden.


Uh, yeah, this is a work out in case you were wondering..


Going for a bike ride with our friends.


Building a teepee in the yard with Daddy.




Making this awesome rainbow cake for a certain special daddy who turned 38 on Saturday.


Wearing our aprons while getting some housework done.


Making handprint t-shirts for Daddy's Birthday/Father's Day.


Eating the awesome rainbow cake for breakfast!


Celebrating the start of summer in a yellow sunshine dress.


And, we finally finished the new home for our little bunny!


Whew! It's been quite a week and here we are at the start of new one. One that is not quite so busy and is kicking off with a clean house. That truly amazes me (and makes me happy).