Christmas Morning

We had a great Christmas! For the first time in 7 years, we were at our own home for Christmas morning. I'll be honest, it felt good to be at home, but I was really sad to not be able to share it with my dad and my sister. I think I missed my sister the most. Just wasn't the same without her. I guess I have just been spoiled by having her with us for Christmas morning.

After a early morning church service, we hurried to my dad's house to share the remainder of Christmas with our extended family. It was a great day! Great food and great company. My brother from Houston was in town with is family, so we had a really fun Christmas vacation with them.

Cesar was sent on a hunt and finally found that Santa brought him some new/used ski's.

Off to Church.
Merry Christmas!

Santa 2011

We saw our favorite Santa again this year at Ultradent.
Merry Christmas!

Halloween 2011

My beautiful Vampire.

Samuel being a very famous (you'll have to ask Sam or Cesar who) Madrid soccer player. In this pic he is a dead, but for Halloween, he was the alive version of that famous guy, whomever he may be...I don't have any idea...

Isabella was Super Girl or a Princess, depending on her mood.

Pumpkins and Cookies

Enjoying a little bit of frosting with the sugar cookie.

Grandpa and Lauren. Don't cut your finger off, Grandpa!!!

Silly Heidi!

We started a new family tradition of carving pumpkins and eating sugar cookies. We had a blast! Everyone designed their own pumpkin and away we went to making those imaginations a reality.

Halloween Preview

Here she comes!!!!

Can these two always be friends? They are so cute together.

So Silly!

Silly Lauren!

Pumpkin Patch

My sister and I took the kids to a Pumpkin Patch for the first time, AND it was awesome! I totally loved walking around looking for that one perfect pumpkin. There were so many calling my name, I had a really had a hard time picking only one and so did the rest of the kids. We will definitely make this a yearly tradition!

Getting Ready

Getting ready for the day, or getting ready for Halloween?
That is a good question when the costume box comes out. :)
Love this time of year!

TEN YEARS!!!

Has it really been ten whole years?

I love you Mi Amor!

Scout in the House

If you know any old ladies that need help crossing the road, let us know...
we have a SCOUT IN THE HOUSE!!!!!
He is taking his job of being a cub scout very seriously,
so don't hesitate to ask.

Samuel's Baptism

Samuel was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on September 3, 2011. It is an awesome day! Much more emotional than I imagined and soooo, sooo good! We had family and friends that were able to come enjoy this day with us, and all I can say is that it was one of those great days that I will always remember. Zoila gave a talk on Baptism (in Spanish) and the Tanner gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. Cesar baptized and confirmed him in Spanish. There is something about Cesar doing those special ordinances in his own language. It is very humbling to hear him speak with emotion and to promise and say things that I know are coming from our Heavenly Father. Even though I may not have understood word for word the confirmation, I know what he said and I know that what was said was true. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving husband to teach my wonderful, loving son.

The morning of the baptism, we were all hurrying to get ready, and Cesar asked Samuel to get in the shower. Samuel replied that he didn't need too, he was going to "be washed clean when I get baptized."

The next day was Fast Sunday, and as people were bearing their testimonies, Samuel leaned over to me and said, "I can bear my testimony in church, now?" I replied that yes, he was always able to bear his testimony in church, but now he is officially a member of the church and if he wants to, he can. He spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out what he was going to say. He tried to write it down like he has done before, but was too nervous with that and finally just sat still. He then turned to me and said that he was ready and that he wanted his dad to go with him. They went up together bore their testimonies. This little man has an old spirit and I am so humbled to be his mother.

Great to be Eight!

Eight Great things about Samuel Thomas Rodriguez....

1. He is a GREAT big brother!

2. He is GREAT at soccer. He is right handed, but is left footed.
Cesar is super excited about that! He says all the great soccer players are left footed. :)

3. He is GREAT at making other people laugh and love him.

4. He is GREAT at skiing.

5. He is GREAT at dressing up and pretending.

6. He is GREAT at building with lego's. We found him a big rubbermaid of vintage lego's that he loves and spends hours and hours and hours building things.

7. He is GREAT at playing the Wii. (He wanted to make sure I added this one.) :)

8. He is GREAT by just being himself! I love him more than I ever imagined and I am so proud of the good son that I have been blessed with.