My Sueno Americano...

Wait - what's this now...

2009-04-02T19:06:00.002-05:00

I'm back! :)

All is good. I will definitely post more in a bit. But I'm back. I heart you guys!

The girls and Mexico...

2009-01-18T12:37:00.007-06:00

If you would have asked me, before the trip, which of the girls was going to enjoy Mexico the most, without a doubt I would have answered Olivia.

Within a couple of days or so, it was pretty easy to realize how wrong I would have been. Olivia was clingy and whiny, and wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone who would listen that she missed her MeMaw (my mom), her toys, her clothes, and all of her shoes. The food didn't taste the same and she couldn't figure out why all of the cartoons were in Spanish. Worst of all, the toilet didn't flush right and the bath water was freezing cold.

Isabel, on the other hand, was in heaven. After every meal, she would exclaim how delicious the food was. On our second day there, she begged and pleaded to go spend the night at Jose's aunt's house, who she didn't really know that well at all. The entire time we were there, I think she only slept in our room two or three times. She loved playing in the dirt and bathing in the plastic tubs, and she especially loved all the little kids there were to play with.

Puerto Vallarta.

2009-01-15T19:36:00.013-06:00

It wasn't a very long stay, but we managed to squeeze in a visit to Puerto Vallarta while down in Mexico. I was in complete awe the entire time; everything was so beautiful! The beach, the ocean, the moutains!! I could have snapped pictures all day long!

The only downside was that everything was very expensive!

At the recommendation of Jose's brother, we stayed at the Hotel Marsol. We tried to find somewhere else to stay, but it was 3pm on a Saturday afternoon and everything seemed to be pretty much booked. So, we booked one night (1060 pesos).

I regret not getting pictures of the room!! LoL, it was a sight. The first words out of Jose's mouth were: "Where's the TV?!" Nope, no TV. Just two wooden beds (covered in God-awful yellow blankets), a closet, a dresser, and a non-working fridge. The bathroom consisted of a tiny sink, a shower, and one dirty toilet with about 10 rolls of toilet paper stacked on the back.

We *did* have a balcony with quite a view!

The not-so-beautiful hotel room didn't bother me very much. We sure didn't spend very much time there, other than to sleep. We spent all Saturday afternoon, evening walking along the malecon and enjoyng the sights.

On Sunday morning, I knew I remembered seeing a Starbucks somewhere. We searched and search (and after asking a traffic cop, who told us it was right by our hotel!), we found the Starbucks.

Mmmm... I enjoyed a Cinnamon Dolce frappuccino, while Jose drank some coffee. There were so many white people at the Starbucks I would have sworn I was back in the USA! :)

Here are some more pictures from our trip. You can click on the image to view it full-size. If you have any questions about any of the pictures, feel free to ask!

2009-01-15T11:58:00.007-06:00

We've been home almost a week now. I'm getting to the point where I really, really want Jose to go back to work. Its all nice and good having him around 24/7, but its slowly turning into a "too much of a good thing" situation.

In other words, he's starting to drive me bonkers.

Anyways... :)

The first picture I've chosen to share with you all is the bathroom. Yup, here it is in all its glory. I was not exaggerating.

Don't you love the lack of a toilet seat? And the barrels of water every where? You know what those are for, right? There is a small bucket inside of the barrels that you fill with water and dump into the toilet so that it flushes.

Nice, huh.

Me and Jose were discussing the whole bathroom situation, and it DOES have its good qualities. The room is only partially roofed. It virtually never, ever stinks in there. And, um... well, that's the only good thing I can think of, but I'm sure there is more!

Moving on...

The flowers were beautiful. I think they called my attention even more because here in Nebraska, the flowers have been dead for MONTHS. I was dying to try out the macro feature on my camera, so I took advantage of all the pretty flowers.

Sorry to cut this short... :) I'll share more pictures in a bit! Take care!

We're home...

2009-01-07T21:21:00.002-06:00

We are home!! After the longest car ride of my entire life, we're back in Omaha! :) We just got done opening Christmas presents with my parents, and Jose went to visit with his youngest brother, Omar.

Tomorrow I'll be uploading all the pictures to share. :)

I don´t want to leave...

2008-12-29T18:50:00.002-06:00

It´s almost 7pm and I´m sitting here in a cyber cafe right in front of the plaza here in Lagos De Moreno. The doors are open and the cool evening breeze is quite relaxing. I love it here. The girls are having the time of their lives. I´ve taken so many cool photos and have so many stories that I can´t wait to share with you all!

I guess all good things have to come to an end, but I really don´t want to leave. Ugh, just thinking about going back to Omaha and the cold makes me sad. The only reason I´m going home is because of my parents. I just don´t have it in me to leave them. I know, I know. I´m 24 years old and should be past this by now, but I´m not... Every time I call home, Mom tells me how much she misses us. I know how much it would hurt her if we didn´t go home.

I´m not thinking about moving here forever or anything like that. That would be a bit extreme. But, I´d really love to stay down here until the Quinceneara in April. By then, Spring would just be starting in Omaha and all the nasty weather would be gone. We´ve even went as far as to look at apartments and houses for rent! The rent is so incredibly cheap. But, there´s the whole leaving my mom thing and, well... you know how that goes.

Also, the one condition that would have to be met to ensure my happiness down here would be a computer at home. Holy crap, the computers are EXPENSIVE down here. I mean, a cheap-o system that you could get for $300 at Wal-Mart is over 8000 pesos!! OUCH! And, the girls would enjoy a TV. Another 3000 pesos for a simple little TV. Me and Jose have talked and talked and talked about me and the girls staying down here for awhile and we decided that we will wait awhile.

I will have time to talk to my mom about it and we will also have time to get the stuff together that I want to take with me!

Sorry this was so long and kind of jumbled. I love it here and can´t wait to share the pictures with you guys.

Ya llegue!

2008-12-23T12:44:00.000-06:00

We made it! We are here! We left Nebraska at 2am Saturday and we arrived here in Lagos De Moreno, Jalisco around 12am Monday. The weather is soooo nice here! I´m at a cyber cafe and the keyboard sucks, so I´m keeping this short. Take care!

Its almost Saturday!

2008-12-18T16:27:00.002-06:00

I've been getting things ready like crazy the last couple of days!! Jose is going to be quite impressed, because I usually wait until the very last minute to get things taken care of. I have our birth certificates ready, plenty of music for the trip, all the gifts packed, all of mine and the girls' clothes packed, batteries and camera ready, the bag of necessities that we will take with us inside of the truck, and I am currently washing heaps and heaps of old clothes of ours that I drug out of storage to give away.

Phew... I am tired!

Oh yeah, I also spent all morning at the llanteria getting the truck ready! :)

Once Jose gets home, I need to make a trip to Wal-Mart to get gift cards for my sisters and mom, and we will be ready to go!

I'm getting so excited!! The girls are, too. Isabel keeps asking me when we are leaving for Mexico! =D

Twitter...

2008-12-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

I've added a Twitter widget to my blog. :) I'm hoping to update every so often via my cell phone during my trip, so if you use Twitter feel free to follow me.

Is it Saturday yet?

2008-12-16T19:05:00.003-06:00

I wish it was Saturday so that we could hurry up and leave! LOL. I can't wait to get our journey started!

K-Mart had 2G memory cards for $9.99 today! I wasn't planning on buying another memory card (I have a 2G card in my camera already), but I figured this way I can take a TON of pictures and even some video! On a 2G card I can get 80 minutes of video or almost 1000 pictures, so I have plenty of space now! :)

Speaking of the camera, I loaded up on AA batteries as well. Last time we went I had a heck of a time finding decent AA batteries! I think I might even buy some more. I would be super ticked if my batteries went dead and I couldn't take any more pictures.

We've put two new tires on the truck ($240 each!! Sheesh!), and tomorrow I'm taking it to the shop to get the transmission fluid changed (flushed?). I'm also going to hunt up our birth certificates, because I think mine might be MIA and I need to get to the court house to get a new one ASAP.

The snow has died down. Our next batch is expected on Thursday. Let's hope it doesn't snow too much!

:) BYE!

Brrrrr....

2008-12-16T14:20:00.003-06:00

Its soooo cold today and we're getting our first snow of the season! I stepped outside to get a couple of pictures and I am freezing!

The first picture is my Dad's truck parked in the driveway. The next picture is of the houses across the street. The last picture is my car (which is parked facing the wrong way but I was cold!)

Got Christmas gifts...

2008-12-15T21:49:00.002-06:00

I called the suegra up this afternoon and asked if she wanted to go to the mall and to Wal-Mart with me, since I figured she would want to buy some stuff to send to Mexico. On my way to pick her up, Jose's brother Sergio called me and asked if he could come with. And then once I arrived at my suegra's, her viejo (Don Martin) asked if I minded if he came with, too.

The more the merrier! :) Off to Wal-Mart we went!

I only have two more gifts to buy for Jose's people in Mexico. Sorry if this is really boring. LoL, it's more for me to remember everything that I've bought so far than anything...

This is what I've bought (broken down by family):

Sipriano (Jose's brother) - flannel jacket
Imelda (Sipriano's wife) - sweater
Erika (daughter) - hooded puffer vest
Siprianito (son) - Still need his gift. He asked me for a Playstation 2 game. I might to to Game Stop and check out the used games.
Conchita (daughter) - Toy stroller and an outfit.

Magdalena (Jose's sister) - Sweater
Nacho (Malena's husband) - flannel jacket
Paty (daughter) - Long sleeve shirt
Daniella (daughter) - Long sleeve shirt
Valeria (daughter) - Long sleeve shirt
Cece (daughter) - Little dollhouse and a dress

Maribel (Jose's sister) - Sweater
Juan (Maribel's husband) - Flannel jacket
Ana Teresa (daughter) - Toy blender w/toy food

I'm missing Jose's Dad. I was supposed to grab him a flannel jacket, too, but I forgot so I guess I'll be making another trip to Wal-Mart. Also, Paty has a baby, so I'll probably buy the baby something as well.

Sergio and Baltazar (two brothers that are here in the USA) are sending their families a bunch of stuff, so Jose was just worried about the ones that wouldn't get getting anything. I'm also still making that trip to the Dollar Tree that I mentioned. And tomorrow, I'm going to our storage unit and am bringing all the clothes I can fit in my car home to wash. Of my stuff, I brought eveything that I really liked here, so the rest I plan on taking down to Mexico and letting everyone take what they like.

LOL, this is tiresome. I have to get everything done by Friday or Jose will seriously have a heart attack!

Our previous trip to Mexico...

2008-12-15T09:48:00.013-06:00

I've talked about my trip to Mexico many times! I apologize if it is getting a bit repetitive. :)

Our last trip to Mexico was in the summer of 2007. It was one of those things where we didn't even know we were going until a couple days before we left! Jose's mom had been itching to go home, I was whining that I wanted to go visit, and Jose's niece was going to have her Quinceneanera. We left around 3pm on Sunday, July 8th and for the life of me I can't remember when we arrived down there!! Isn't that crazy? I don't even remember if it was night or day!

The drive was a tad on the long side. The worst part was the drive from Omaha, Nebraska down to Laredo, Texas. I think its around a 16 hour drive! By the time we reached Kansas City (less than 3 hours from Omaha) Olivia ended up getting car sick. Holy cow... This kid puked every 30 minutes until we reached Laredo. She wasn't SICK. She was laughing and playing in between vomiting episodes. We debated on whether or not to turn around and go home, but we pressed on. About an hour south of Kansas City we stopped at a Wal-Mart and I bought 6 bottles of Pedialyte, so we just made sure to get liquids in her.

Once in Laredo, (I remember this part - it was 8am on Monday morning!) we stopped at McDonalds. One of those with a play area for the kids. LoL, Olivia had long since puked on every single stitch of clothing I had packed in the little bag to carry with us in the cab of the truck. This was our only option:

LoL, that's not the best picture in the world, but you get the idea. That was taken right outside of the McDonalds. LoL, and yes, that is one of Jose's T-Shirts on her. We fashioned a wannabe dress out of it, and I tightened in the back with a scrunchie. Cute, huh? :) LoL, and I just realized when making the picture bigger you can see she has a handful of Doritos!

We were in Laredo about 2 hours. We went and exchanged dollars to pesos. We had breakfast. Me and Jose's mom went to K-Mart AND Wal-Mart. I bought Olivia some more suitable clothes and my suegra bought herself shoes. :) After about one hour getting permits and such at the border, we were officially IN MEXICO!

Once in Mexico, the drive turns quite interesting! At least for me it does!! Me and my suegra were STARVING after about an hour, but Jose refused to stop at any of the little roadside restaurants, saying that we would not want to eat the food they were serving. We ended up at a little gas station where I loaded up on cookies and soda and chips! LOL! Oh, yeah, and sandwiches! They sold some damned good sandwiches.

Of course, once in Mexico Olivia stopped puking. And then it was Isabel's turn!! She was a little older and could tell us when she was going to puke. We would pull over to the side of the road and let her do her business and then back on the road!

We were stopped several times by the Mexican soldiers. Our truck (2005 Ford F-150 - White with super dark tinted windows and 22 inch wheels) was drawing us negative attention. At every checkpoint they would signal for us to get over. We would all get out of the truck while they poked around out stuff and let the dogs give it a good sniff. After a few minutes they would thank us for cooperating and we were free to go. LOL - at one of the checkpoints the soldier told us to leave the baby in the car - para que no le fuera a dar aigre.

Olivia (just barely two years old at the time), looks at this guy square in the eye and goes, "Chinga tu madre!" (Thanks to her Tios she had a rather colorful vocabulary at that age!)

This soldier got so flustered he could barely speak. He started waving his arms and insisted that it would be better off if we did, in fact, remove the baby from the car. Ooops!

We stopped again in Matehuala, San Luis Potosi. This isn't too far from Jose's house! A couple ofhours maybe? We all got out and headed into a small, VERY clean resteraunt. I had some of the best gosh darned tacos I've ever had in my entire life!! Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just remembering! Once we were done eating, we drove straight through to Lagos De Moreno! WE HAD ARRIVED!!

Here are some pictures from our stay down there. I'm getting so excited!!! :)

Here is a shot of the girls playing in the dirt. They were thrilled with all the dirt!!

From left to right - Cece, Isabel, Sergito, and Jasmin. I'm a watermelon fanatic and that was one of many watermelons I bought to enjoy while down there!

This is Sergito playing in a little stream that runs not too far from Jose's house. LoL, he was laughing because he wasn't supposed to be in the water and I was promising what his mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her!!

This is Olivia and two of Jose's Uncle's children. The little girl is Jimena and the little boy is Diego. That was at Jose's Aunt's 25th Anniversary celebration, the day before we came home. Look how dark Olivia is! :)

This is at Jose's grandparent's house. Behind the girls is Jose's Tia Olivia. LoL, she is scolding the dogs for not leaving me and the kids alone! Jimena and Isabel are enjoying a Chiquitin.

This is a picture of the girls at the Jardin in downtown Lagos De Moreno. LoL, if you click on the picture you can see Isabel's Chivas socks!

And this is one of the many beautiful churches in Lagos! At night it is lit up with Christmas lights and is super beautiful!

I can't wait to get down there and get more pictures!!!

Take care!

Christmas is coming!

2008-12-14T12:32:00.003-06:00

This afternoon, Jose is going to wire me money to buy my family Christmas gifts. Its not as exciting shopping for them this year as it usually is, since I'm not going to be hear to see them open their gifts, but Christmas shopping is something I can't help but to enjoy!

My parents are sad about us leaving for Christmas, but also realize that Jose hasn't been with his family in Mexico for Christmas in over 10 years. Just this morning, I asked my mom what they want for Christmas. She said rugs! Rugs? Really? I'm not about to go pick out rugs for my mom. I'm no Martha Stuart. I suck at interior decorating. I just know whatever I buy would be the exact opposite of what she was expecting. So, she'll be getting a gift card!! :) LoL, she can pick out her own rugs!

My Dad needs a hand truck. Jose calls it a "diablito" and I call it a "dolly". This is what it is:

Also, in the last year we've come to realize that they both need to have cell phones. They are not cell phone people by any means, but its something they should both carry on them at all times in case of an emergency. I'm thinking just a simple trac phone. I seen some nice sets (phone, car charger, accessories, etc) at Wal-Mart and they weren't too expensive.

My sisters are VERY hard people to shop for. I don't even try any more! LoL. They will both be getting gift cards to Wal-Mart as well!

As for my neice, my sister said she needs socks and underwear. YAWN. LoL! I don't want to be the boring aunt that gives socks and undies for Christmas! Come on! I'll pick out some cute character undies and some socks, but I also am on the lookout for a cute little toy to go with. :) I'm sure I'll see something when I go to Wal-Mart to pick up the gift cards!

Jose hasn't said anything about buying for his family. We do every year, but since we're planning on leaving I don't know if he plans on bringing them back something from down there or what...? I'm waiting for him to bring it up. We'll see what he says!

We talked again this morning about our trip. Oh my Lord, this man is so indesiscive. Now, we're back to going in the pickup. He says with gas prices as low as they are that he can justify taking the truck! And the two new tires ($200+ a piece!) we need to put on it. I told him I don't care how we get down there just as long as I get to the beach!!!

He said he wants to be at the beach for my birthday (December 27th). YAY! :) Heather, I need a phone number or something girl so that we can meet up if I make it! That would be so awesome! My first Blogger-inspired meeting!!

That's all for right now... I'm getting super excited. If all goes as planned, a week from today we'll be well on our way to Mexico!

2008-12-13T13:17:00.002-06:00

In preparation for our trip to Mexico, I plan on going to the Dollar Tree to load up on goodies for Jose's family. I plan on spending $50-$75 and buying the kind of little things that might brighten their day a little. I'm thinking disposable razors, coloring books, crayons, puzzles, lotions, Tupperware, little knick knacks, dish towels, photo albums, picture frames, etc. etc.

LoL, I know that sounds very CHEAP of me, but I think its a really good idea. Of course I plan on buying some things for his brothers and sisters, but this way I could make sure I have something for everyone!

My Dad is very upset about the whole Mexico thing. He watches lots of TV and movies and is terrified that drug smugglers are going to kidnap us. To be honest, the first time we drove down there I was terrified myself. I had heard many horror stories and had listen to my Dad talk about his trip down there a bazillion times. Once we were actually in Mexico, I couldn't believe the hype. It seemed, to me, like driving down a highway in a rural area of the USA.

Jose did tell me if we had not taken the cuota the entire way that things would have been a little scarier.

We DID get stopped quite a few times by the federales. Our truck was a tad on the flashy side, so I think it made them suspicious. They would have us all get out and they would let the dogs sniff around the truck while they poked around the stuff we had in the pack of the pickup. After they checked things out, though, they would thank us for our patience and let us on our way!

:)

I'll be back later to blog some more... ADIOS.

Rock the boat... :)

2008-12-09T14:20:00.003-06:00

Jose seems to have made up his mind about the trip to Mexico. He really, really wants to go. He hasn't been to Mexico for Christmas in over 10 years! That's a long time! He promises that me and the girls are going to have a good time.

I guess I should start preparing. I still won't believe it until we are actually on our way down there, but if we do go, I should get things ready.

We're looking at leaving around the 20th. Traffic is going to be dense. The drive is going to be long. The drive from Omaha, Nebraska to Laredo, Texas is 16 hours. SIXTEEN!! The 1st day Jose would like to get as close to Laredo as possible, and then get a hotel room and relax for the night.

We would leave as early as possible the next morning, and hopefully make it to Lagos de Moreno sometime before dark. There is going to be lots and lots and LOTS of traffic crossing the border. This is the time of year when most people go back to visit. I am planning on the wait to cross the border to be HOURS. Ugh... just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt! LOL!

Jose says when I get his next check to go buy a portable DVD player and DVDs to keep the girls busy on the way down there. Chavela is majorly into Dora and Diego, so I'm thinking 2-3 Dora movies and then a couple of movies for Olivia. Olivia's favorites are the Lion King and All Dogs Go To Heaven. She's never seen the sequals to the Lion King, so I might buy those if I can find them!

I will need books and maagzines for myself!! More books than magazines, actually, because magazines never manage to hold my interest long.

I'm rambling now... LoL. Sorry!

Take care!

Could we be in Mexico for Christmas??

2008-12-07T20:08:00.001-06:00

Jose just called and told me he has decided that he wants to go to Mexico for Christmas. Hmmm...

I don't know how exactly I feel about that. I love it down there; everything is so pretty and the warm weather would be a nice break from the cold here in Nebraska. It would also be great to see all of his family again. He still has two sisters, a brother, and his dad down in Mexico. And that's not mentioning the bazillion aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

I also know that the girls would LOVE it. They had a blast last time we were down there!!

BUT, I've never been away from my mom for Christmas. That will be hard on all of us.

LoL, but then again, the more I think about it, the more excited I get!!

I guess we'll have to see! My biggest concern is the long ass drive down there. UGH!! :(

Where is the check?!

2008-12-04T17:35:00.000-06:00

Damn, Jose's check didn't get here in the mail today!! I'm disappointed. There is a really, really good sale going on at Gymboree.com (25% off everything and free shipping!), and I kind of need that money to buy some stuff!

The girls pretty much have enough winter clothing, but I plan on buying Isabel one or two outfits from the new line. Maybe one pair of jeans but two shirts? I guess I can make solid plans once I actually have Jose's paycheck in hand.

Anyways, tomorrow should be a good mail day. I'll be getting my Black Friday Gymboree order! YAY! And, hopefully the check!

Tomorrow morning I'm going to take Jose's mom to the doctor's. I think I'm going to leave Isabel with my Dad but I'll take Olivia with me. We'll see...

Ugh, I miss Jose!! I didn't realize how much I missed him until he came home and then left again!

He'll be home for Christmas... :) Not too long to wait!

Funny...

2008-12-03T12:19:00.001-06:00

LOL... this makes me LMAO. :)

http://www.tammiefritsch.com/laughs/sounds/policegotmycar.mp3

Tuesday.

2008-12-02T13:38:00.002-06:00

Poor Jose. His flights were all delayed yesterday and he didn't get to his final destination (Binghamton, NY) until after 1am! And then he was back up at 6am to go to work. I bet he is tired!

Anyways...

I haven't mentioned the whole Rigo/Lupita drama in awhile. For the newer readers, Rigo is one of Jose's brothers (he has 5 brothers and two sisters). Rigo is probably one of the most immature 30 year olds I've known in a long time. Jose is constantly bailing him out of problems, lending him money, getting him a cell phone, letting him borrow vehicles, etc. etc. and all without so much as even a thank you.

Lupita is Rigo's pyscho on again/off again girlfriend. She is actually married to a friend of Jose and Rigo's that was deported to Mexico last fall. Rigo and her have been seeing each other since January.

The latest developement to there relationship came last week. They had been broken up for over a month. During that month, she had actually been staying with her husband, who was back in town. He found out about the whole Rigo thing and flipped shit. I don't blame him. He kicked Lupe to the curb and got into a fist fight with Rigo.

Rigo then moved all his stuff out of his apartment and is now living with Lupe in her mom's basement. She isn't allowed at Jose's Mom's house. I guess on Thanksgiving there was a big blow up between her and Rigo because he went to his mom's for awhile and left her at home. Ha ha ha...

And she's supposedly pregnant with his baby. We'll see.

:)

I already miss him...

2008-12-01T16:46:00.005-06:00

Awww... :(

Jose is gone. We went to the airport this afternoon to drop him off. I was in a good mood and decided to take his mom with us, since she has never been to the airport. I'm glad I did. She was in awe the entire time, and as we were leaving she kept telling me how pretty it was! LoL.

We had a great time this week, though. I'm looking forward to him coming home in December. He'll be here for two weeks! That'll be pretty cool.

I'll update more later! Take care!

Thanksgiving...

2008-11-28T20:42:00.002-06:00

I'm very happy to report that we had a very great Thanksgiving, both here at my mom's house and at Jose's mom's house. :)

Dinner here was very relaxed and low-key. Its always nice seeing my sisters and my niece. We ate here at home around 1:30, and then around 3:00pm, we headed over to my suegra's.

I'm am so damned proud of myself. I cooked 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, baked a ham, made deviled eggs, and got the corn, stuffing, gravy, biscuits, and sweet potatoes ready!! Girls, I don't cook. EVER. And I've never made dinner for 20+ people!! LoL, it was craziness. Everyone was so grateful and kept telling me how good everything was. It felt nice to be so appreciated. LoL, Jose's family isn't usually very appreciative.

My comadre cooked both of the turkeys. She did a great job, too! Mmmm... the turkey was damned good. We didn't even finish ONE turkey, though, so there's a whole turkey sitting in my suegra's fridge. I guess we'll be eating lots of leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers, this morning we went back to my suegra's and I made ham and turkey tortas for everything. Yum, yum, yum!! I took my suegra to Wal-Mart after eating, and then me and Jose brought the girls to my mom's and we spent the afternoon the the casino.

I usually hate going to the casino with a PASSION but we both ended up having a blast. I've missed being able to go out and have fun with Jose! Its sooo nice having him around. Unfortunately, he is leaving again on Monday. BUT, he'll be back mid-December for 2 weeks! YAY!

I didn't do much Black Friday shopping other than the Gymboree order I did on-line Wednesday night. I told Jose on Wednesday morning that we could go do whatever the heck he wanted as long as we were home before 10pm, which is about when the sale was supposed to start! :) It looks like the order it going to be shipped out on Monday, so maybe I'll get it by the end of the week.

I hope you all had a wonderful week and (for those that celebrate it) a Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-23T20:15:00.005-06:00

Today wasn't as cold as it has been and the girls enjoyed some time outside...

They're not the greatest pictures. I was too lazy to actually get off of the deck and go into the yard to take pictures. :)

Today was a pretty exciting day. I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, ROCKY!

He's adorable! And cute. And cuddly. We've all been prisoners to his cuteness all afternoon, gushing over every little thing that he does. We found him on Craigslist. Isn't that cool? He's a dachshund and is 6 months old.

The next bit of news is even more exciting...

JOSE IS COMING HOME TUESDAY! He's now about 90% sure that they are coming home. I'm so excited to see him! I can't wait!!! I feel like dancing and singing! HOORAY!

:)

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

And Lame-O was his name-o!

2008-11-22T18:16:00.000-06:00

I am so sorry that my blog is so lame. I never used to be so boring. I don't know what has happened to me.

I went and bought new tires for my Hyundai. That was kind of exciting.

Okay, not really, but I did get offered a job. The manager heard me talking on the phone to Jose and was very impressed with my Spanish skills. Unfortunately, right now I have absolutely no desire to work. Just don't wanna. I politely turned him down.

I filled the gas tank in my car for $28. That's pretty awesome!

Ummm... what else?

Last night I took Isabel to see the new Bolt movie. It was the first movie I've ever watched in 3D. It was pretty damned impressive, but I'm still not quite sure it was worth the $10+ per ticket...

I'm trying to be interesting and exciting, I promise. :)

Take care...

We went to Coco Keys today...

2008-11-20T19:29:00.006-06:00

We had a blast!!

It was freezing outside today! Very, very cold. Isabel even wore a hat today, and she rarely ever tolerates a hat! It was very cool to escape from the chilly weather outside and enjoy the hot, steamy waterpark! I think I read online that they keep it at around 85 degrees in there. It felt awesome.

There was a lazy river, baby pool, Parrot's Perch area with towers and water guns and many, many slides. On top of the Parrot's Perch (or maybe it was called Parrot's Bay?) there was a huge bucket that would fill up with water. Once full, it would tip and 200 gallons of water would come rushing down!! Olivia loved it, but whenever Isabel hear the warning bell ringing, she would run and hide!

On the other side of the Parrot's area, there was the super huge water slides. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try those out today, but hopefully next time I'll go with someone that can watch the girls for me while I test 'em out. They looked like a blast! There was also the indoor/outdoor hot tub, and two smaller pools. One of the pools had basketball nets and basketballs floating around, and the other had some kind of floating pads that you could leap from one to the other.

Like I said, the three of us had an awesome time. Isabel's favorite was the lazy river, and Olivia enjoyed the fountains in the baby pool. She wanted to try some of the slides in the Parrot's area, but you have to be 40 inches tall. Maybe next year!

There is an A&W and Pizza Hut Express to chose from for dining. We had Pizza Hut Express, and it was darned yummy. The prices weren't that much higher than you would pay outside of the park.

We stayed about 5 hours. I am sooooo tired! Olivia got home and took a nice, long nap. I wish I could have done the same!

I can't wait until Jose comes home. I'm going to make him take us. I think he'd enjoy it!

Coco Key!

2008-11-19T19:16:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow we are going to Coco Key (an indoor waterpark!)!! I am so excited! I can't wait! I just know the girls are going to have a blast.

Anyways...

This morning we drove out to the Lewis & Clark Monument with my Dad. Here are some pictures:

2008-11-18T10:12:00.002-06:00

My suegra has her surgery yesterday, as planned. Guess what the doctor told her?? The cancer was gone! Isn't that great?! They still took out 1 ovary, but they said there was no cancer and that everything looked great. I talked to her this morning; she is in a LOT of pain. She has never had surgery in her entire life, so she had no idea what to expect. She also says she still feels groggy from the anesthesia.

Jose is very happy to hear the news about his mom. He was really worried over all of this, and it makes me sad to see him worry.

Other than that, nothing exciting to report. Same old, same old!! Its almost BLACK FRIDAY! Whoo-hoo. I can't wait to get my hands on some cheap Gymboree!!

Have a nice monday everyone! I'm going to try and get some pictures today. I've been slacking!

Life is good...

2008-11-14T20:28:00.001-06:00

As pathetic as it may sound to some that I've moved back in with my parents, I am 100% thrilled with my decision. I love it here. The girls love it here. I was getting depressed and lonely in the apartment! Being here gives me the adult interaction that I crave!!

Today my mom got off early and stopped at the thrift store on the way home. She bought me two pair of pajama pants and a shirt to match! Awesome! I've been wearing a pair of scrubs my dad had left over from one of his trips to the hospital. The PJs are muuuuuch softer than the scrub pants!

I just got done playing Sims... It seems like I was playing forever. My head started spinning... I discovered something dangerous today! I can purchase and download the expansion packs right off of EAgames.com!!

Uh-oh... I better be careful!

Sorry my entries seem kind of BLAH lately. I don't have much to post about. Monday is my suegra's operation. Tomorrow night I might be going out with her and my compadres, since she doesn't know when she'll be able to go out dancing again. I'm kind of hoping we go tomorrow; it should be fun!

Take care everyone!!

New obsession...

2008-11-14T09:07:00.000-06:00

I'm still 100% obsessed with Gymboree... but I've since found something else to be obsessed with...

The Sims 2!

Oh my gosh, have you even played this game?! It sucks you right in and before you know it 2,3 HELL even 4 hours have passed and the only reason you've gotten up is because you had to pee!

So... That's what I've been doing. Have are you guys??

Update on my dad...

2008-11-11T12:44:00.000-06:00

Mom and Dad got home from the ER around 1am. They gave my Dad some medicine and told my mom to follow up with his primary physician. So, in about an hour I'm going to give my dad a ride to my mom's work, and they are going to the doctor from there.

Thanks for the prayers! I appreciate it. I'm thinking they might have to up the dose on his anti-seizure meds? We'll see.

Have a great day everyone!

Scary night...

2008-11-10T21:27:00.000-06:00

I just had the scare of my life...

I was in my room, playing the Sims 2 (the greatest game EVER) when I heard my Mom yelling my Dad's name really loud. They were both already in bed. I could hear panic in her voice, so I grabbed the phone and ran in there.

My Dad was seizing/choking. It was so terrifying to see my father like that!! I immediately dialed 911, and the dispatcher told me someone was on their way asap.

I ran back in the room with my mom, and my dad had stopped seizing at that point. It was weird... he was kind of like asleep, but his eyes were open. But he was taking huge, gulping breaths.

Within a couple of minutes, the fire fighters had arrived, as well as the ambulance. After taking his vitals and discussing some things with my mom (my dad was a little out of it), they decided it would be okay for my mom to drive him to the hospital herself. They left about fifteen minutes ago...

My heart is still racing and I'm shaking.

He does has epilepsy. He's been having seizures for about 4 years now; they started while he was down in Mexico with Jose. Since he's been on meds for them, he hadn't had a seizure up until last Monday. But, on Monday, he had the seizure on his way to get into his truck after work. By the time the cops found him (he was lying in a ditch!), the seizure was done and over with and he was coming to. My mom (for whatever reason) didn't take him to the doctor.

Anyways... I'm rambling now. I just got off the phone with my oldest sister. She thinks she's going to head over to the hospital. I'll update as soon as I find out anything else. Keep my dad in your thoughts please! I heart you guys!

Crazy...

2008-11-10T19:00:00.001-06:00

Gee whiz, I don't even know what to update about...

Not too much happens around here it seems...

This morning I woke the girls up early and we ran a few errands and made a trip to the mall. There was a super awesome sale at Gymboree so we went to pick up a few things. We've been home since then, though.

Not too much planned for tomorrow, either. I'll probably go visit my suegra.

Hope everyone is good!! Bye!

Lazy weekend...

2008-11-09T21:26:00.001-06:00

Isabel has not left the house since Friday night. That must be some kind of record for her!

Now that we're adjusting here at Mom's, I just don't feel compelled to be out and about all day long. I'm pretty content to just hang around here! Isabel is more than happy to be here. I offered to take her places yesterday and this afternoon, and she declined both times.

I'm impressed by myself. The more time I spend here, the less money I'm going to spend! Gas money, shopping money, food money, entertainment money...!

The less money I spent on other stuff will leave me with more money for my addiction...

GYMBOREE!

Don't even ask. I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I am seriously obsessed/addicted with Gymboree clothing for the girls! I've been learning how the sales work, and I'm amazed at how cheap some of the stuff ends up being! I bought Isabel a pair of size 6 plus jeans for $8.99 with an additional 30% off on Thursday. That's dirt cheap! And the original price on these jeans was $36.50!

I'm stoked over Black Friday. Everything in store is 30% off before noon, and I have an additional 20% off coupon to use.

Okay, okay. Enough about Gymboree! I'm sure you get the picture by now...

Anyway... my suegra's surgery is scheduled for November 17th, I think. I'm nervous. And scared. I've never went through something like this with someone close before. I'll be going with her to the hospital that day, I think. The girls will probably stay with my madrina until my mom gets home. I'm going to ask again for you all to keep her in your prayers!

I'm going to go read some blogs now. You guys take care! Bye!

I've decided to move...

2008-11-08T09:56:00.002-06:00

I really, really liked my old blog. But, there was always something about it that just kind of bugged me. I hated being on Wordpress while every single one of my friends was on Blogger. I hated the lack of customization that Wordpress offered me. Add that to the fact that lately, there has been a rash of hateful, anonymous comments being left as well. I've just decided to make that blog private, and more myself over her to Blogger.

So far, I love it. This is great...

As soon as I'm done creating this entry, I'm going to all of your blogs to leave you a comment with where to find me. I'm excited. I've missed you guys.

On the home front, nothing too exciting has happened. Jose is still working his butt off out of town. His goal is to pay off our debt (mainly the car!) and get enough money to use as a downpayment on a house. It sucks being away from him, and I miss him, but I feel this is the best option for us.

Just this last week, me and the girls officially moved back in with my folks. I'm not going to lie, I love it! The girls love it! Jose loves the fact that we're not paying $800/month for a nasty ass apartment any more. I have a few things to do to complete the movie (like get a TV for in the basement!) but things are going great.

My suegra has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. If you guys could keep her in your prayers that would be awesome. She helped out a TON during the move, and I am very grateful for that! She has surgery the 17th, I believe, so wish her luck!

I guess that will be it for now...

I'll update again later! Take it easy!