So, I've just been looking at peoples blogs for a quick peak and thinking, "that was really fun when I use to share my life with you friends that care. . ." Life has carried me away as usual and here I am months later with no updates. Am I a bad girlfriend or what?

Well, School has started. Gabe is in first grade and loving it. Jace is in preschool at Hillcrest and loving it. They ride the bus home together and think that is so cool. Annabelle, well she is just about as perfect as ever. Except she doesn't sleep like the boys did so I'm forced to be awake at early morning hours when I would rather be sleeping.

Mike the big school boy loves school, he is learning a lot and running a lot. People ask me if I am happy about it and all I can say is it would be selfish of me to not be. No I don't want my husband to get hurt but this is his dream and I will support him in it. Big Mike the peace officer. So what has taken me away, well besides the every day busy life, piano lessons, soccer, school, room mom, bla bla bla. The things that take us all away, I'm just learning how to put it all together. Now I can say I've sad hello to the blog world.

Happy Birthday to my princess. One year went by way too fast but I do have to say I spent it well with her in my arms 90% of the time! This baby girl is such a joy. She is very VERY loved. I love her content personality, her giggles, her peak a boo's, her smile, her pats, HER.

Sometimes I feel like this too.

This little Piggie!

My baby has piggies!

A sneak peak

We were lucky to spend spring break in C A L I F O R N I A thanks to Aunt Terri and clan. To Jace, It was "far far away" He also thought aunt terri's house was called "California" so when we would leave for a day trip he would say on the way back, "We're going back to California!" To Gabe Aunt Terri's house was "The trip." "we're going back to the trip"

Like I said, sneak peak of our trip. We had so much fun having Easter with family. We visited Sequoia and Yosemite. Funny that we left the snow for the sun and drove to the mountains where the snow was! We had a blast hanging out with our family. Jace and Robbie had so much fun following each other around, it was sad to say good buy but we will do it again.

Princess Annabelle is 9 months old

Today we had Annabelle's 9 month check up

She must be starving, she weighed in at 21 1/2 pounds!

Do you think she'll be tall? She is off the charts at a whopping 30 inches!

She is Crawling, pulling herself up, eating everything (except pistachio pudding)

She's a happy happy girl.

GOTA LOVE MY PRINCESS A!

what a memorable day

What does St. Patrick's day remind me of? ECUADOR and this little guy that I fell in love with. 9 years ago I got on a plane with 15 other strangers who soon became my friends. It was March 16th, we spent the first night in the nicest hotel in Quito, the next morning we flew into Cuenca and that is where my story is told. . .

(drinking green milk with my first meal at mi casa).

I am so grateful to my heavenly father that I got to go and learn a love like no other, the love of a mother, before I ever had children of my own.

I was still very immature but selfless service does a lot for a persons soul. I know I left being a better person and I know I made a difference in children's lives. This is just one of those children that I loved. (he was my baby) There were 19 babies in the cuna and at least 30 girls in the other orphanage. Isn't he beautiful? He is 10 years old now. . . One day in heaven I hope I get to meet him again.

Vicente Gabriel Born aprox. October 2, 2000

Pictures weren't allowed so I had to sneak in the bathroom with a disposable camera to get this picture of my baby.

Can you imagine dropping your child off at an orphanage?

I witnessed one mother doing so, at least she had the dignity to bring the baby in instead of ringing the bell and running. She looked so heart broken. 3rd world countries bring quite different circumstances than what we have here. I'm glad to be an American.