My birthday. I'm 29...again

As I get older, I realize that birthdays are just another day...of getting older. This year I decided to celebrate a little bit. Julio and I went out to a restaurant that's been around for years. I'd never been there, but it always looked interesting. So we were pleasantly surprised when we walked in and saw how fancy it was. I got the lobster ravioli which was delicious. Then we were able to go to the temple by ourselves. We never get to go to the temple together! The only unfortunate thing that happened was when we got home my parents' car window had been smashed. It's a recurring thing here. That's another topic. Until next year when we can go out to a nice restaurant again, I will try to remember the lobster ravioli.

Ward Halloween Party

Last week we went to our ward Halloween party/Chili cook-off. We had a good time. Lucía and Noelle were Cinderella and Marco was a clown. Julio was a soccer player. Lucía loves being a princess, she plays in that dress almost every day. Luckily we didn't get too much candy. But, we still have one more Halloween party to go to this year.

Haiku #2 - For Lucía

Haiku #2
For Lucía

The turn of the key
releases the song
she holds all day long
Daddy!

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Quotes from Lucía

Here are a couple of things Lucía said today and I wanted to write it down before I forgot.

We were outside and she was riding her tricycle. She's doing so much better and getting really fast. She said to me, "Mommy, I'm getting to be an expert at this."

Then we were in the front yard and she was picking flowers. She said to me, "These flowers are for my new centerpiece."

Then we were eating dinner. I gave her a hard boiled egg, steamed broccolli, and rice. She took a bite and said, "Thank you for this scrumptious dinner Mom."

I think she has a talent for vocabulary. What do you think?

Julio's Birthday (Last Sunday)

Ok, it's been almost a week, so this is long overdue, but I just wanted to post some pictures of Julio's 21st birthday. We got to go out to sushi, just the two of us. We went to a little hole in the wall place, but it was great. Julio insisted on making his own chocolate cake, which he underbaked. Oh well. It was low key, but I just want to wish him the best because I love him!

Haiku #1

Haiku #1

For Marco

My baby coos

a God sent song,

I just wish it wasn't

3:00 a.m.

China

Ever since Aunt Alice and Uncle Lynn have been in China, I've had a greater interest in Chinese things. I just finished a book that we read in our Book Club called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. It was fascinating, compelling and very thought provoking. It takes place in China during the 1800's. It's about the culture of women during that time. They had a secret code called nushu that they used to communicate with eachother through embroidery and caligraphy. The narrator talks about her life and being connected with another girl called her Laotong or old same. They become soul sisters and their destinies are connected. It is fiction, but gives so much insight into the oppression and suffering those women went through from the foot binding as little girls to their arranged marriages made solely to breed sons. It was very sad and made me realize how thankful I am for my life and all the luxuries and freedoms I enjoy including a loving husband. Julio and I then rented a movie called "The Painted Veil" and stars Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. It takes place during the 1920's in China. He is a doctor who goes to study bacteria during a cholera epidemic. It shows how their relationship grows in a time and place that was lacking in so many ways. But, the scenery was beautiful and the life so simple. There is so much out there in the world to see and experience and so many people who's lives are so different from our own.