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

Amanda's 15th!

I don't know how it happened but our little Mandy grew up... This September we celebrated her 15th..

We had a great time celebrating in traditional Mexican fashion Amanda's 15th or Quince..
The Father-Daughter dance was by far my favorite..
The Garcia family was all dressed up and so were we for celbrating this special event..

Look at mom and dad, so proud!
We don't get too many chances to dress up.. This was a great excuse to put in some effort..
Happy Birthday Mandy!

The big 3-0 for....

My little brother!

Ok, so he is almost a foot taller but he will always be my little brother..
With some help from his best friend Andre and cousin Ed, mom and I pulled off a surprise bash for Arthur complete with friends and family..

Andre and Diana are the best friends a guy could ask for...

The Cortez family made it down for the celebration...Grandma Cortez, Margaret, her daughter and of course our sis Veronica!

Mom and Arthur pose for a picture..

Arthur is happiest surrounded by friends....

And FAMILY!

Happy 30th!
Hugs,
Sis

May flew by...

May is the most overwhelming month in our family. Not only do we celebrate moms but half the family is a Taurus! Birthdays in May include, Martin, Beverly, Ramon, Mom, Monica, Deanna and Carl! Somehow the month came and kept us smiling...

Mother's day celebrations started at school courtesy of Mrs. Silva's 1st grade class...

An inpromptu BBQ for Ramon's birthday led to a big group picture of lots of Galvans! Grandpa was happy to see most of his grandkids.. They are growing so fast.. Brittney and Nathan are high schoolers..Bev and Kenya are both home.. Maya is just thrilled to see her cousins Leah and Sophia since they are all partner's in crime and all things girl..
May Birthday's are always combined with Mother's day for all the ladies in the family.. Mom celebrated with her annual carrot cake and favorite cream cheese frosting.. Maya is there to help with the candles, just in case..

Auntie Monica always hosts a feast for Mother's day.. After all her hard work she is still smiling...
We survived May!
Alex

Wedding Bells are ringing!

Luis and Hallie got married in May..

The ceremony was sweet and the reception was fun...The whole family dressed up.
Danielle was particularly lovely as a flower girl...Jessica and Richard are still glowing from their wedding..

The boys all looked great in their suits...

The ladies were out in dresses, heels and color!

Congrats to the newlyweds!
Alex

Cousins...

We have a big family.. At my uncle Lencho's service we tried to get a group shot..

We didnt get everyone in these but it was a good turnout...

Here are some good ones...

And some silly ones..What a family!
Alex

Wedding Bells

Last Saturday we got to hear some wedding bells.. In the middle of our mourning period we had to celebrate with Jessica and Richard.. While my Mom Josefina wasn't there to celebrate with us in person, we all felt her presence...Jessica's wedding was a wonderful way to unite our family in positive way after all the crying and sadness of the week before..

Luis walks Jessica down the aisle...

While the mother of the bride, Violet, looked so proud and excited for her oldest.....

The Wedding was sweet..Those smiles were painted on.. They look so excited to be married..

The Gonzalez family was in their best and having a good time..

The Izguerra's were a fun bunch...

We all put our best foot forward to celebrate a special day for a special couple..
Wishing Jessica and Richard a lifetime of married happiness.
Big Hugs,
Alex

Cousins...

My mom comes from a large family.. While we always see Monica, Mona and Luis because they grew up as siblings and have always lived in the same town.... Its rare when we see the extended family from LA.

My uncle Lencho had one of the larger families (6 boys and 1 girl).. After Thanksgiving we trekked up to Pomona for a visit..

Here is my uncle, his ex-wife and all their kids except for one son (Lorenzo was at work)..

It was tons of fun to see my cousins.. They crack us up with their funny stories and guy humor..

To cousins!

Alex