Camera

So we finally got a new camera with a piece of our tax refund. So I have been checking it out this week. I love it. It is so cool! I have to say a special thanks to my friend Jessica who encouraged me to look at all the ratings and research before I bought. I love it. So here are some of the pics I took, nothing fancy...I'm not quite there yet.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Yesterday was my man's Birthday! He is the best husband, dad, and friend a girl could ever have dreamed of. I am so glad, well more like ecstatic, that God chose him to be mine. Every day I am so blessed to have a man who loves me and takes care of me and our family. I am so grateful that he was born 28 glorious years ago. He is the most caring, loving, kind, and generous man I know and HE's MINE!!! Happy Birthday babe! I love you sooooo much!

We spent the whole day together as a family. Ryan doesn't usually have President's day off, but he took it off so we could spend the day celebrating. It was so relaxing. My mom had watched the kids overnight on Sunday, so Ryan and I could have a belated Valentines date. So we picked up the kiddos and then met Ryan's parents and younger brother Ted for lunch. Then we came home and Isaiah and I baked Ryan a birthday cake. It was so much fun. Isaiah loves to bake and help me in the kitchen. Then we went out to dinner with my mom and my brother and his family. It was a beautiful day.

Ryan proudly holding his Birthday cake


Isaiah picked out a spiderman candle to put on the cake


Isaiah was so excited to blowout the candles with daddy that he was waving his hands and moving so much that the pictures didn't come out! I love it!

Day in NYC

The day after Christmas we went into NYC to do the touristy thing. Cindy and Katie couldn't make it b/c Katie and Sean got into an accident on Christmas night. They hit some black ice, but they are alive and well, just seriously sore for a few days! We started the day walking through Rockfeller Center and getting me some much needed Starbucks! Rockfeller center was beautiful. Then we headed to the MET (that's really all Craig wanted to do). It was pretty cool to see it. You could spend days there. We didn't even make it through half of it. Then we headed to get some pizza. We wanted to go to Serendipity's but it was like a 4hr wait and we were starving. After we walked blocks and blocks and blocks and blocks, then we met up with Uncle wayne, Sean, Justin, Cindy, and Katie. We changed cloths in the parking garage...yeap,it's a good thing they parked the car in the corner. Then we walked to the restaurant for dinner. It was chinese foodish. It was good. I tried sushi for the first time. Not horrible, but not great! Then Ryan and I hung out near RadioCity music hall while everyone else walked down to Rockfeller Center again. I just couldn't walk anymore. But it was so nice to just sit with Ryan and cuddle on the streets of NYC. Then we went to the play. We saw WICKED. It was soooo good. I loved it. So here are a few pics of the day. I have more posted on facebook, but our camera is on the frists!

Christmas Night

After we opened presents and ate our delicious breakfast, we relaxed for awhile, then we got read to go to my Aunt Gloria's for dinner. My Aunt Gloria had the WHOLE family there, I think about 40 people! It was really cool to be a part of their Christmas celebration. We hadn't been in five years and so much changes. We had a delicious catered meal, parmesean chicken, lots of different pastas, salads, cookies, and so much more. Then we had their annual Christmas auciton. Everyone brings something from home and wraps it in newspaper and then you bid on it. You can only bid up to 50 cents. It was hilarious to see what people ended up with. Then we played poker. It was a blast. I didn't do too bad. All around it was a FANTASTIC Chirstmas. My kiddos got spoiled rotten. And of course we did too. My Dad payed for all of us to go to NY, so I definetly got spoiled.

Christmas Morning

Chistmas morning was great! We woke up and Isaiah went straight for the Christmas tree. He couldn't wait to see what Santa brought him. He got an orange robot, which he wanted so bad when we went to the mall on Christmas Eve. He especially loved the fact that he could be with his cousins opening presents. We were so fortunate to be able to stay in the apartment that my Uncle Wayne has. And they decorated it for us with our own stockings and tree and lights. It was amazing, way more wonderful than we ever cold have imagined. Isaiah got to play with a few presents before everyone else got there, but then once my dad, stepmom, stepbrother, stepsister, brother, and his family got there, the kids went to town. So even though we didn't have the "official" christmas box, the kids still had a wonderful morning!

Christmas Eve

So as most of you all know we spent Christmas in NY with my Dad's side of the family. So you will be seeing plenty of posts from the trip. My camera is having difficulties, so I got some pic CD's from my dad. Anyway, We arrived on Dec 23rd after a long day of flying. But the kids were awesome on the plane. Treking Hope in arms through 40 gates in the Denver airport b/c we had 20 min to make it to the next flight was a little stressful, but we made it. We got our rental cars...Ours was a convertable seebring b/c that's what every family of four needs in NYC in the middle of a snow storm. Hey but it worked! We ended the day eating pizza with my Aunt, uncles, and cousins. It was delicious! Nothing like NY pizza.
On Christmas eve we spent the morning at the four story palisades mall shopping for Christmas gifts for the kids b/c the box I shipped with ALL their presents two weeks ago never arrived!!!! Fun Times! Then we spent the evening at my Aunt Laureens having a P.J. party and eating goodies and playing games. My Aunt makes the most delicious chocolate chip coffee cake. It was so good, but it was the start of the allergic reactions. Hope picked up a fork off the table that had been placed in the coffee cake, so she started with hives all over her butt then back, then face, then we Benadryl'd her and she finally fell asleep two hours later. It was craziness. My poor baby! We played Battle of the sexes and of course the feminine men won. Seriously a little freaky when your cousin and Uncle know soooo much female stuff like "watching Steel Magnolis in a half slip!" We had so much fun, laughing and joking around. We ended the night wrapping presents for the kids. It was so nice to be with the family. We haven't been in Five years! Here is a slideshow of Christmas Eve! There are plenty more posts to come about our trip!

Hope's 1st Hair Trim

The day before we left for NY we trimmed Hope's bangs for the first time! Ryan was devastated at just the thought of bringing a pair of scissors close to Hopes's "beautiful locks." But after much convincing, he let us just trim her bangs so we could see her beautiful blue eyes. My mom did it and Hope did so well! BTW, you will be seeing lots of new posts soon......I am just waiting for some more time to put them together.

The finished product!!!


She was so good throughout the trim (sorry I couldn't figure out how to rotate it)


My mom's steady hand getting started

Christmas #2

Today we had Christmas #2 at my mom's. We had the greatest day. My mom of course spoiled us and our children rotten. She loves Christmas and so she ALWAYS out does herself. She cooked a wonderful meal for us. We at honeybaked ham, tamales, red chili, posole, mudbars, biscochitos, and of course mac n cheese for Isaiah. Every year we have a family tradition of making Tamales together. We did it last weekend and then every year my brother helps my Meme make biscochitos. I love our family tradidions. It was so fun to watch my nephew Alex open up his first present on his First Christmas. Isaiah had a blast with all the toys my mom bought him and then he had a blast opening up Hope's toys too! She was more interested in seeing what was already open than opening her own presents. She and Alex had a ton of fun with all the ribbon too! So Tuesday we are headed to NY for Christmas with my Dad and his family. We haven't been in 5yrs so it will be nice but we will definetly miss being with Mom Christmas morning. Thanks for a GREAT day mom and for spoiling us rotten. We WILL MISS YOU!!!

Hope is in love with this little chair my Mom bought her, so cute, she was so excited


My silly Ma with her reindeer ears & Christmas lightbulb earings cuddling with Isaiah


Alex's first Christmas, he was pretty good at tearing that wrapping paper


My Meme (87yrs old) and Grandpa(86yrs old). They love to watch the kiddos open their presents and they too spoiled ALL of us rotten!


Isaiah opening Hope's presents...she really didn't care (wait till next year)


Ryan got a Bengals Beenie for Christmas and of course he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make another Bengals fan...She does look adorable!

Christmas #1

Today we had Christmas at Ryan's parents house. We had a blast! First Aunt Cassie and Uncle Ted helped Isaiah make Rice Crispy houses and candy canes. I tried to throw my artistic abilities into the mix....not good at all. Lets just say
"it really was suppose to be a snowman." The whole experience ended with Aunt Cassie's hands covered in cooking spray, my horrible supppose-to-be-snowman, and lots of bystander laughing! But Isaiah had a blast and built two very nice and edible rice crispy houses. Then we ate. Ryan's mom cooked a beautiful dinner for us. We ate ham, potatoes, salad, and rolls. And for desert we had rice crispy treat houses, candy canes, and suppose-to-be-snowmen. Oh and not to mention the delicious toffee and peanut brittle, and peanut butter bars that Nana made. We are so deprived ya know??!!! We watched the kids open up their presents and Isaiah was stoked because he got dinosaurs, puzzles, a potatoe gun, a marshmellow gun, and tons of cars. Uncle Kenny(Ryan's older bro), Aunt Julie, and Jackson couldn't be there, but they sent some wonderful presents. After presents, Uncle Ted and Ryan took Isaiah outside to shoot his potatoe gun and marshmellow gun.....Thanks Ted and Cassie! Isaiah loved it, he couldn't stop talking about how far the potatoe went. However, I still think Uncle Ted had WAYYYYY more fun with it than Isaiah did. Uncle Ted even shot marshmellow at the wall inside the house....bring back memories of childhood with the Merkel Boys! Then we watched Kung Fu Panda and played games. Yes, the women ROCK at scattegories and Catch Phrase. Well we should give the boys Pictionary, but I still think they cheated!!!!! J/K It was the best first Chritmas of the season. Two more to go! Yes that's right we celebrate Christmas with EVERY family!!!!

Aunt Cassie, Uncle Ted, and Isaiah getting ready for the rice crispy treat making


The "suppose-to-be-snowman"....I tried people, I tried!


Isaiah Decorating the Rice Crispy House with LOTS and LOTS of candy


Hope had more fun with the Christmas beads than she did opening her presents


Look at all those presents....Nana & Papa spoiled him rotten! They kinda love him!


Uncle Ted & Aunt Cassie loading the Marshmellow gun, We are thinking of getting Uncle Ted one for his Birthday(look at his smile)!!!!


Isaiah loved shooting the potatoe gun


Uncle Ted teaching Isaiah how to control the remote control car Uncle Kenny sent him....again thinking about getting Uncle Ted one for his birthday!

Putting up the Christmas Tree

After a wonderful Thanksgiving and a full day of shopping on Black Friday (but all my Christmas shopping was completed in one day), we put up our Christmas tree on Saturday. Isaiah had so much fun! We are going to NYC for Christmas and my brother asked me "Are you seriously going to put up a tree and lights even though we won't be here?" My response was "Of course, When Alex (my nephew) grows up and he gets so excited you'll understand." All you mom's out there can understand! Besides I love Christmas and I get to enjoy the tree and all the lights and decor the whole month while we are here! Well it was great watching Isaiah put up those ornaments. His hands flapping with excitement and constantly saying "look mom, look it's all lit up!" It was worth it just to see his face. I love Christmas, even more as the years go on and Isaiah gets more and more excited! Here are a few pics (I was a little too distracted with all the excitement to get more)