The egg hunt..

Maya had a mini egg hunt out front after coming home from auntie Deanna's house.  It was just a few of us at home.. some food and a little basket..

This picture was so sweet.. I see a little bit of me at that age..

It was a good day.. Thanks be to God..
Alex



A blast from the past...

This April we got to celerate Rusty's 40th.. We had a blast catching up with the Pato's. You know you are friends when no matter how much time has passed you can just talk as if you saw each other last week.. Rusty and Kelle started out with us at RCIA and 13 years later here we still are..

Friends then and now..

Happy 40th Rust-O-Rama!
Alex

Spring Break!

This year we were lucky enough to visit the Malone's in Tennesse for spring break.. They were kind enough to take us into their home and their cabin.. We got to see the Smokey Mountains, Dollywood and Nashville.. 

We had a nice time relaxing on the lake..

Maya spent a lot of time with Izzie.

We visited Andrew Jackson's plantation home for a little history. We walked the entire grounds..

The week flew by.  We can't wait to visit the south again.. We enjoyed everything from the relaxed pace, the kindness everywhere we went (they call you mam!) to Crackel Barrel for breakfast.. Next time we have to try the pancakes in Seiverville.   A big Thank you to the Malone's!
We had a blast! The Galvans..

An extra day...

In honor of leap day I decided to use this "extra" day to catch up.. Here goes..

In January Arthur ran a crazy thing called a Spartan race..
There was running, crawling, climbing and mud..
I somehow logged over 4 miles just taking pictures.. that was half the course! But in the end Artur finished it strong!In February, our annual meet up with the Dan's took us to Kit Carson park for a picnic.. It was a great day and while the kids explored we all caught up on life... Speaking of going strong.. We have been friends for over 20 years.. Now that is timing moving fast! Last but not least we celebrated my aunt Lidia's 65th last weekend..

It was great to hear live Mariachi music and catch up with the cousins..
Life is good!

Alex

Wrapping up 2011...

This year was full of changes for us.. Some were unexpected and sad while others were welcome and exciting.....I don't want to make this a depressing post so I will try to focus on the fun stuff that rounded out the year and reminded us how much we really have to be thankful for..
This fall brought a new school for Maya.. After some initial transition anxiety we came out on the other side a bit smarter! Maya is learning French, music, drama and other classical subjects at her school.. She has decided that history is her favorite subject. She loves the uniforms and especially her WONDERFUL and DEDICATED teacher.. Martin took on head coaching and his heart expanded as he watched the girls on his team learn to love soccer.. His 8-2 record wasn't too bad either.. His dedication, spreadsheets and hours really showed.. I was lucky enough to be offered a new opportunity within my same company. I was not only flattered but fortunate to be picked up by one of the up and coming business units.. We have a lot of work to do but in these tough times, I am beyond grateful for a new role.
We spent lots of time with extended family and long time friends.. My uncle Miguel helped us video Maya's games and was a frequent cheerleader with my mom at those early Saturday games. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson also came out to watch the games and hosted several fun poker nights..

The Bell family has become our family in a thousand more ways.. Maya and the girls are so close it warms my heart. It's hard to believe we live 40 mins away.. We are always together and the girls can't get enough of their play time. Martin is now a huge fan of Vietnamese Pho. Carl's gopher count was amazing. Deanna's patience and dedication to all things care taking continue to amaze me.. We had some fun summer days, fabulous dinners and wrapped up NYE 2010 with a feisty Lily crying about the difficulties of being the little sister. Looking forward to many more memories..

My quilting pals put up with me all year and Julie hosted a fabulous Christmas party for us which took my breath away.. Karen gifted me an amazing snowman which will be treasured for years to come.. That class is my version of therapy and I look forward to many more years..

Our neighbors are still awesome and watching the kids grow and play has reaffirmed the fact that this is a great place to live.. It's HOME! We love our neighbors generosity and thoughtfulness. Whether I need the proverbial cup of sugar or a dip in the pool in the summer, our neighbors are there for us..

My little brother keeps growing and I am amazed at his dedication to helping children in need. He is still a crazy basketball fan and a life long student which is great...He is a fun uncle to Missy which is so neat to see.. He is a friend to many and a unique soul..Wishing Arthur a productive 2012!

My mom is a busy bee and is always on the go.. Whether she is up here visiting us, watching a soccer game, babysiting or driving north to visit Arthur. She is constantly sending me pictures or texting me to keep in touch.. Not a day goes by that I don't know that mom is sending me good vibes... Wishing her some rest in 2012. The rest of family was also a source of strength.. As a result of the loss of my aunt and uncle we really spent the year reconnecting . Its hard to admit that it would take the mourning process to bring us closer but thankfully it did.. We spent more time with all the Martinez brothers, my aunt Chelo spent more time here and brought her grown kids around.. We made more phone calls to cousins, we sent more cards out for the holidays, we had bigger tables to set for the holidays.. I only hope that in 2012 we continue the new family get togethers and don't need another funeral to remember our extended family...

In our little world Maya discovered dolls, lost several teeth and continued to lighten up our life.. It's hard to believe she is 8 yrs old. She is still our little cuddle bug, she loves to color, imitate animals and ride her scooter as fast as she can.. She is super girly and pink and glitter are always at the top of her list..
Christmas was full of cookies and presents but the best gift was just the 3 of us enjoying our family time...

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2012..
Blessings!
Alex

Maya's great 8 birthday!

The year has flown by for us as a family.. October is always a busy month but this year the stress of life meant more chaos than normal.. Before I knew it I realized that Maya's birthday had snuck up on me..

This year Maya wanted an all girl event..

Thankfully she wanted games and music. A few pink party supplies and a homemade cake was all that was needed for these girls to enjoy their afternoon..

Lily was a sight with the hula hoop..

They started the games with the limbo game and enjoyed being silly..

A few hours of fun and games was perfect for celebrating...
I think it was an extended playdate..
However, we couldn't let a birthday pass without family which meant a long day for all of us.. If it wasn't for my mom and Deanna I think I would have passed out from exhaustion..
Her 8 shaped cake was shared with family and our neighbors (our second family)..

She was flooded with gifts and by 8:00 exhausted beyond her 8 years!

I still can't believe it but ready or not she is the Great 8..

Happy birthday baby!
Love,
Mom and Dad

It's that time again...

SOCCER SEASON!

This season Martin is head coach and the girls are the Mighty Mermaids..
Maya has decided to be an offensive player and that she wants to score.. Who knew?These little girls are showing some amazing heart, teamwork and tumbling (yes, tumbling!)..
The season is about half way through and every practice, scrimmage and game we are enjoying watching them grow as soccer players..
Go Mighty Mermaids!
Alex