Zukes are back in action...

My FIL said because of the hot weather I MUST water twice a day and it brought my zukes back to life! I'm so happy, so far they're considered Organic cause I haven't used any pesticides and I hope to keep it that way BUT I think  if those little buggers tried messing with my food supply I'll have no problem zuking them. Consider that a warning.

On forth of July I had my in laws over and my FIL noticed I had a tomato plant growing in between all the weeds, of course I didn't believe him and was like, whatevA. I decided not to pull it and let it grow and sure enough.....this is what happened.....

Is it a tomato?

Update on Love Tree

Day 1

Day 4

Up Close

I love my tree :-) and guess what?!?! we have another growing in a pot, my FIL took it from one of his properties and wanted to see if it would grow and it did! So now we have another for our backyard! yayy!

The Love Tree

Naty bought me this tree about 3 years ago for our anniversary and I take care of it like it's one of my kids. It's a crepe/crape myrtle and it fills up with bright pink flowers every summer, it's sad cause it only lasts a couple of months and before having Nate (in August) this was the only thing I looked forward to in the summer (I hate summer, hehe). I just had to take a pic cause it's ready to bloom any day now.

Flips and 8 Years

Our nightly routine consists of sitting outside while Audrey flips all around me and Nate eats leaves....here's a little taste of it....

Also, yesterday we celebrated 8 years of Marriage and I couldn't be any happier. I'm so lucky to have Naty as my husband and grateful to God for all the blessings he's blessed us with, especially our children. Speaking of children, Naty couldn't resist taking them on our anniversary date but since Grandpa was dying for Nate he stood with them and Bubbs had football practice so only Audrey got to go. He took us to Shoguns and it was sooooooo good but I forgot my camera......bbooooooo Anyway, they cooked our food in front of us and that made Audrey's eyes light up (I love my peppa).

Naty, my love, you are my life, I live for you and love you with everything inside me. I'm so lucky to have you all to myself and thank God everyday for placing us together. Thank you for being such a great husband and father to our kids. I love you babe. Your Wife, Marlene

Another HOT post!

(that's how HOT it was in my room when we decided to leave)

This time I can REALLY complain, my damn AC decided to go out on us! And BOY OH BOY, was that fun. When Naty got home from the baseball game Saturday night he noticed that hot air was coming out of the AC duct and of course he left it on and went straight to sleep. So when I woke up on Sunday Morning for Mass, I felt the hot air and was like........say what??!? Right away I started messing with the buttons and nearly dialed 911 because this was an EMERGENCY that needed immediate attention. I then wake up Naty and he's like, "oh yeah, I felt it last night," uuuhhh?? ok.........So then he makes me feel loads better by saying, "I'll call Sam after church and ask if he can swing by and take a look at it." The day drug on and I couldn't leave since Nate needs his crib to nap so instead of suffering I told them kids, "let's go outside," as soon as we get out I busted out the hose and wet them, LOL. Naty was trying to be cool and walk around like he wasn't getting wet, nuh uh, not happening so I soaked him too :-) After getting wet we came inside and stood in our wet clothes in hopes that it would keep us cool for a while. By 6pm, we had enough and decided to pack the kids up and go to my in laws house where they have AC, aaaaahhhh. But thank GOD Sam was able to make it! he's so hard to get a hold of and we were lucky he came and fixed our problem in.....1 second flat. Naty wasn't too happy about how easily he fixed it and felt bad for calling him out here when Naty could have done it so Naty just learned everything he needed to so that next time something were to happen he'd know how to fix it without calling Sam. Anyway!! We're not boiling anymore :-)

Baseball game #179,237,461

(That's Naty's friend from work, they came to see his brother in law play (Jack Wilson) so they got tickets together and met up there)

So Naty and Bubbs are having way too much fun and think that hitting up a million baseball games a week is awesome.....Whatever! (Can you tell someone is jealous?) Ok so maybe it isn't the 179,237,461st game they've attended this season BUT it sure feels like it.

All kidding aside, I love the Father and Son bond they have and how they get to work on their relationship when they leave for yet another baseball game. Naty can't describe the feeling he gets when he's sitting with his son in the stands and enjoying a game. At one time, they had differing opinions on teams but I'm glad they've come to common ground and have settled for the Dodgers and Mariners as their top teams. I love that they BOTH enjoy the games and can create memories together. But....(<----there's always a "but") I feel as if Audrey is being left out of the bond but she NEVER wants to go anywhere without me. We've tried convincing her to go but she wants, "mommy to go". With Nate's schedule it makes it hard for me to go place and I know my in laws would be more than willing to watch him but he doesn't sleep at their house and his sleep is very important to me, especially because he transforms into a demon spawn when he doesn't sleep. So once again, Naty and I had a talk and we're now going to do days that Naty gets to stay home with Nate and Audrey and I get to enjoy some Mother and Daughter time so this Friday I'm taking her to get a pedi/mani and to go see Ramona and Beezus, it's a cute movie that I know she'll enjoy. Also, I understand that Audrey needs to stop being so attached to me so we'll work on her spending some time with her Daddy and me spending time with Bubbs and then we'll work on Nate not loving his Grandpa more than us!! hahahaha

Here are some pics from past games, all from different times...

I told you it was hot....

Look at my Shriveled up Zukes :-(

My zukes are dying! they can't take the heat, besides excessively watering them, should I be tenting them? Should I cover these babies? They're not liking the heat at all OR should I just stick to the watering two times a day. I showed my FIL and he says that I should water early in the morning and in the evening. I've been eyeing that Zuke for days now and noticed it wasn't growing and right after I took this picture I watered it and the damn zuke went flying off!! I guess the bottom had dried out that it made it weak so it fell off. Can you tell that I'm sad about my zukes? :-( waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

Can you say.......HOT?!?!

My Mom and Nate

OMGosh! I hate the summer....Sorry to be a Debbie Downer about it but heat and me don't mix. The last time I checked it was 102, I can NOT wait for fall to come and better yet, winter. Winter isn't that cold for us and it probably hits around 50 during the day and that's freezing for us. Oh how I wish it were "Winter".

So I decided to do something about it and took the kids swimming at my Granny's house, they had a blast and best thing of all.......Audrey finally learned how to swim! She's always been afraid of the water and did NOT want to learn but now that she knows how she's going from one end to the other. Also, Nate is such a water baby and loves the water, once he's in he's splashing around and trying to dunk his head in the water, that boy is too funny and Bubbs is a daredevil and flips off the diving board and has no fear. I'm so glad my kids love the water as much as I do and Naty is finally coming around and liking it, he never really swam in pools as a young kid so this is still fairly new to him but he's starting to like it as much as we do.

Going Organic!

After much reading, talking with Naty and watching too many documentaries......We're going 100% Organic. At the moment I'd say were about 50% there but our goal is to be at the 100% point by the end of the year. I want to start using natural products and being a lot more cautious for my family. Although the price of Organic is almost twice as much as Non-Organic, we think it's worth it for our family. I think if we ate less (like we should be eating) and gave up all the junk, we'd actually be saving money. Also, we'd be saving money on medical costs by getting healthy.

At the moment, we're growing zuchinni, cilantro, chiles, melons and tomatoes, our goal is to grow most of our veggies and fruit one day. So meanwhile, we'll look for Organic everywhere we go and slowly make the transition so it doesn't feel too pricey all at once.

Another thing that we'll be doing is reducing the amount of HFCS in our lives. I can't say that we'll eliminate it 100% but we're gonna try to stop buying so much processed stuff. I found this list that I can use when I go shopping but again, I won't be taking it out 100% that would be too hard and stressful to do at this time. Again, my family seems worth it so I'll do my best to keep them safe and healthy.

Things that we'll be doing are:

-Shop at our local Farmer's Market
-Shop at Whole Foods
-Shop at Trader Joe's
-Make stuff from scratch instead of buying canned

Those are some thing but we'll take it one day at a time

Here's another list that can help you save money on going Organic.

Wordless Wednesday

Nate and the GIANT ONION

We've been Encountered

Last weekend Naty and I went on a "retreat" put on by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, our Priest suggested that we go (I tried getting out of it with the whole breastfeeding thing and he said, uuh no) and I was a little upset that it was a prerequisite before having our marriage blessed. As soon as we get to the hotel room Naty turns on the TV and I desperately search for a WiFi signal, it was ridiculous, I was holding my laptop in the air like that was going to make it any better and Naty was cussing up a storm as he searched for the Dodger game. It was not a great start to our "retreat" and I felt very anxious about being away from Nate and NOT knowing what the weekend had in store for us.

We make our way to the conference room and are given these big ole' books with loads of info that looks totally boring. Then I start to look around the room and notice everyone looks.....weird, I mean very different from us. For almost 1.5 hours I didn't pay attention and spent most of the time thinking of the kids and writing a big ole list of Things to do. As I look over at Naty, he's being a sponge and totally into it, I started to feel bad cause I wasn't mentally there. I felt even more bad when Naty reached over, grabbed my hand and told me he loved me. That is when I started paying attention. Before you know it, they sent the men back to their own rooms and had the women stay in the conference room and the question we had to answer was, "What do I appreciate most about you?" I spilled my guts out and wrote for the entire time they gave us and once the time was up we went to our rooms to meet with our hubbies and share what each other wrote. I really thought I'd find Naty messing with the sleep number bed or watching TV but NO, I was totally wrong, he was sitting on the table writing his little heart away. We shared what each other wrote and that's when we had a moment, I feel great about what had happened at that moment. I then told myself that I was going to stop being so close-minded and take advantage of the weekend.

Over the course of the weekend we wrote "love letters" to each other and did lots of sharing. It's a great way to get your emotions out without interruptions and basically being brutally honest about your feelings. This method is called "dialoguing" isn't that brilliant?!? it's a conversation between two people, WOW! whodathunkit? it worked for us and we're happy so we'll be dialoguing every night from now on, we had our first homework last night and it was great.

Oh and the "weirdos" weren't so weird afterall, they were actually amazing people with lots in common with Naty and I. I felt bad about everything that went on in my head but I'm glad that I was wrong and it was a great experience. A lot more goes on that I won't share because I wouldn't want to "kill" the experience for anyone. But if you click on the link about (WWME) you can find an encounter weekend in your area.

Overall, Naty and I really bonded and came out feeling great. I recommend all Married couples to be "encountered".

30 in 30

Ok, I'm back.....

I'm joining my friend Sarah in her 30 day blog challenge, 30 blogs entries in 30 days. I'm sad I let this blog go and esp. all the memories that I didn't document on. My main goal for this blog was to have it turned into a book/journal for our family in the future and that is why I decided to join Sarah. OK so now.....what to write about...not sure but I'm sure it won't be brilliant :-) 

Anyway, today was a very busy day with taking the kids to the library, putting Nate's B-day invites together, catching up on the laundry, visiting the in laws, running to Costco and Staples. Then it was Alex's B-day so Naty and Bubbs went out to eat with him and caught a last minute baseball game cause Manny Ramirez was playing for the Dodger's minor league team but anyway, I'm glad I got a lot done. I have tons more to do tomorrow so we'll see what I decide to blog on.....I promise it won't be as boring as this one.

BBrrrrr- New Year Goals

Is it just me, or does it feel colder than usual? I LOVE IT! except for in the middle of the night when I've lost my blanket. I had no choice but to pump the Heat to 70, don't tell Naty! I just wasn't getting warm.

Today I wanted to post some 2010 Goals I have for myself and my family so that I stay accountable. Since "resolutions" leaves a bad taste in my mouth I'd rather call them goals.

NOT in any Particular Order

1) Potty Mouth: Ok, I have a bad mouth. In my past posts you can clearly see where I curse one too many times. I've just been so used to blurting out anything that comes to my mind that I'm really trying to keep it clean. I've been really good lately and I thank God my kids have no intentions of using curse words (they won't even say stupid cause its an evil word to them), I need to be a better example.

2) Get closer to God: This one will always be on my list b/c no matter how close you think you are to him, you can get alot closer. Maybe by teaching others about him, sponsoring a child or helping in the church. I've been taking catechism classes and I make my confirmation in May so I'm really excited about that, it is something I always wanted to do but never gave time to do it.

3) Be a better wife: This one will always be on my list as well. As much as I love and honor Naty, I know I can do alot better on those days that I'm rude or just mean to him for no reason. He's such a good guy and obviously loves us with everything he's got so he deserves the best, I'll never be perfect but it's a good thing to keep in mind the next time I blurt out something dumb for no reason.

4) Be a better Mother: Again, just one of those things that will be on every goal list because I have times that I lose it with Bubbs! I get so upset when he doesn't listen and I YELL, I hate yelling, I hate how it makes me feel inside. Audrey is always behaving and Nate is just a baby but Bubbs loves to test his momma. I need to learn to keep calm and talk to him. I also want to do more physical activities with them besides watching TV and/or playing board games, I need to get off my rear and play outside with them.

5) Eat healthier: I'm not saying, "lose weight" b/c my priority is to eat better for the sake of Nathaniel. Since he drinks my breastmilk, I should be eating the best stuff and if I lose weight...BONUS.

6) Get Physical: I really need to use my stroller. I love it and its so awesome but I never take it out b/c I'm so lazy, Nate needs to get some sunshine, he's glowing!

I would say those are my main goals for 2010--what do you call that BTW? 10? twenty-ten? O-10? heh.

Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas, came and went, time just keeps on flying by. The best thing about this Christmas is our newest blessing Nathaniel. I'm so happy to have my wonderful family, look at those kids, WOW! life is great!

For Christmas Eve we woke up super early and went to Naty's company's breakfast they do every year. They had lots of food and a good raffle (last years raffle was better), we didn't win anything but it was still fun. After that we drove around East LA and got some good carnitas and tortillas from Cinco Puntos, its the best! WE came home, ate, then I started cooking again. My mom and Steph spent the night so they cleaned the house and we just hung out and watched movies.

For Christmas Day we woke up super early for morning mass, we told the kids that Christmas is more than just presents. It's something they need to learn b/c I don't want them forgetting the TRUE meaning of Christmas. After we went to my mother in laws house and cooked there. Again, we had a lot of food, it was so good! we had all the treats and goodies too. Overall, it was great.

Now today is New Years Eve and we don't have anything planned. Naty is working and I've been here with Nathaniel trying to get things done. I better go do something now. lol

Updates Aug-Dec (Now)

August

We had our Nathaniel and everyone is very happy! In the beginning, life was really hard but it's been alot better. I was having alot of Breastfeeding issues but finally got it under control and baby and I are very satisfied with our progress :-)

September

Nathaniel turned 1 Month
-My in laws bought a house in the same city and live 5 minutes away and it's been great. We decided to move the kids to the school in front of their house so that life would be easier on me. Bubbs was really happy about changing and Audrey wasn't too thrilled and cried on her first day. Everything is fine now.

-Also, we sadly lost our dog Boris to an illness this month, we felt horrible to find him sleeping between the haystacks, I felt so awful, RIP Boris

October

Nathaniel turned 2 months!
-Naty turned 29 and was feeling sad cause he's heading for 30!

-It was Nate's first halloween and we dressed him as a lion, Bubbs as an evil joker and Audrey as a butterfly. I did my usual italian dinner for them, nothing big, it was perfect.

November

Nathaniel turned 3 months!

-Bubbs turned 9 and Naty surprised him with a vacation to Vegas and he was really happy. We all went to shakey's to eat and I bought him a cupcake afterwards and sang Happy B-day to him. He's really a good boy and has a BIG HEART, I love my lil man so much, I'm so proud of him.
-We went to Vegas for a mini vacation, it was really relaxing except for night time with Nathaniel, he decided to cry and wake up every hour and continued that when we got home! He's somewhat back to normal and waking up twice at night. We saw a variety show and just mostly chilled in the room, it felt good to get away.

-We had thanksgiving at the in laws new house and it went really good. We had everything you can think of and asked Miguel and Veronica, along with Steph to be Nathaniel's Godparents and they were really happy.

December

-Nathaniel turned 4 months and is hitting milestones left and right!

-Audrey is turning 6 this month! She wants tamales for her birthday so tamales she will get! I love my lil peppa! she's my life :-)

Currently I'm trying to keep up with these kids, they have me on my toes! Naty has been amazing and helps me alot with them, he's even been pitching in with the house! (who knew!!) We're having the time of our lives and I thank God for that, without him we'd be nothing and I seriously mean that--NOTHING.