Taking it back to the 80's!

My hubster turned 30 today!!! Happy birthday love.

He's no longer a 20's kid, but an adult now! Hard to believe that I've known him for 11 years now.

This past year has proven to be quite challenging and stressful for him. I'm so proud of him for all he's accomplished and God has truly blessed him/us. 2010 is a year he'll never forget (also his last year in the 20's). He received his Masters degree in Accounting, passed each of the 4 parts of the CPA all in the first try, and has a real accounting job now as an auditor for Crosslin & Assoc. In his words, "My life is just now beginning. It's been fun, but it's just now starting."

So for his 30th, I decided it would be nice to get all his close friends and family together for a big 80's celebration. Robert was born in 1981 (**me too**) and so I decided it would be fun to go back to that decade.

We had so much fun. Really. I decided to put balloons everwhere (floor and ceiling-old school, think proms back in the day). I picked tableclothes that were colorful and on the center of each table I put a rubix cube, casset tapes, simon says and pictures of Robert. I also put a whole bunch of pictures of him throughout the room from the time he was born until about 9ish years old.

Here we are back to the 80's. Robert went as Marty Mcfly (from back to the future) and I went as an 80's punk rockster type...whatever you want to call me. I put on the scrunchie, hot pink eye makeup and leg warmers.

Instead of the typical cake, I decided to do his favorite dessert-Brownies and ice cream. I had a friend sketch pac man on the brownies.

Here's the room prior to everyone arriving.

To make it seem 80's, I had Robert's dad (without Robert knowing) bring out the nintendo and atari. It was a hit!
The guys playing pool...check it out..they dressed! I was so happy people dressed.

We had 80's karoke!!

Foosball table!

Lots of great people to make this party the best eva!

And last but not least...we took it back to the 80's by dressing up. It was probably the hot topic of the night and the most funny. Check everyone out. I think they all did such a great job.

My friend Emily sporting out her hightops (notice the bow).

Nick and Kacey

Robert's sister Angela and Randy

Damaris and her friend Alma

Me!

My beautiful 80's sisters...1981, 82, 83 and 87.

Jaime and Eunice

I think Noemi's outfit cracked me up the most...especially when my mother-in-law said she used to wear this kind of stuff. Too funny! She came in 3rd place (we had a fashion show too!)Brandon and June came in 2nd.

Gina, rockin the sporty look.

Heather and PhillipToyo came as Urkel (He did great!-3rd place)

Ryan and Emily as 80's teenagers (Honorable mention)

Rocker couple who won first place-Mike and Annette

I think overall the party went really well, from the fashion show to karoke to video games. Robert really enjoyed it and that's what mattered most of all. It was a fun night and lots
of great memories. Happy 30th Birthday....I'm ready to see how this first year for you in the 30's will play out. :)

Christmas Recap

I've been bad. I know! Lots has actually happened and I haven't made the time for blogging. One of my goals for this year is to get better, heck get a few more followers. :)

Here's a quick recap of Christmas...yes CHRISTMAS peoples! It's only been a week and a half so get off my bootay.

I'll start with showing you a few pics of my living room, foyer and dining room. Just a few touches that made our home feel a little more christmasey.

My cozy living room area-notice fire going and all my christmas cards on my mantel.

Robert's grandmother passed away before the holidays last year (or 2009) and this Nativity set was passed down to him after her passing. We have to display it since it's a family tradition handed down to him. One day, when the girls are older I'll have it under a tree or over by fireplace or something. Avonlea is into EVERYTHING and this is way too fragil! Actually even Arianna my 3 year old wanted to play with them as if they were Barbies or something and I had to yell at her several times to GET AWAY! I think Robert would freak if something happened to this.

My foyer...blue and silver

Last year after having Avonlea, we decided to purchase a 'fun' christmas tree for the girls to decorate. We had a lot of fun! Arianna really enjoyed it and Avonlea really thought she was helping. It was cute. We went with an old theme I had (silver and blue) until the girls collect whatever ornaments they bring home from school or the oraments they'll pick out after christmas every year.

Our trees. The girls fun tree with silver and blue with multi color lights (not my favorite but it's not for me). And our somewhat not finished yet pretty tree. It's chocolate browns, golds and lime green. I absolutely love-once it's all complete of course (yep no bow, crazy ribbon, angel, star, etc...I will next year though!).

Christmas Eve-Ruiz family comes to mi casa! The fun we have together! We always have so much fun. We are the typical Hispanic family....LOUD and probably annoying to most who don't understand us. I don't think Robert will ever get over the fact that we AREN'T arguing. haha. The only white guy-besides my blonde girls of course!

Here we are eating! What we do best! We're all about my momma's puerto rican speciality yummy arroz con gandoles and so much more!

It took us over 2 hours to open presents! Literally. We always open presents at midnight/christmas morning/Christmas eve-whatever you want to call it. I've asked for earlier as we take so long and I'm old now. It takes more than 2 people to convince my big familia to change the hour of opening gifts since it takes us so dang long.

Reason: because we watch everyone open each present. It's fun and we know whether they like what we've picked out for them and to see the excitment on their faces is the best!

It was 3:30am before I got to bed to then wake up with my child poking me in the forhead to get up at 6:30am so she could play with her toys. Talk about no sleep! oh and in case you are wondering...the kids open their presents at 8pm and then go to bed.

The kids (4 to be exact-one on the way from my sister)

After opening gifts we all sit together on the floor and then take group pictures...something we do each year!

My girls in their christmas jammies before going to bed on Christmas Eve. They are my life.

Front view of my fireplace-see if you can find yours. :)

Christmas Day!

The Eddy Household. This is their living room peoples! Look at all those gifts! the couch was filled too! It was insane. Truly insane. I really am grateful at how much the girls are loved, but this is a little too much!!!!! I feel as though they can't learn the true meaning of Christmas when there's this many gifts. This goes for both families. I don't know....just sayin'. I don't want them to think that christmas is all about gifts...and of course I told my girls that the true meaning of christmas is Christ and how God gave his son to us and how God is love. Of course at 3 years old though, it's a bit hard to really understand this. She (Arianna) really wanted to rip open presents.

Here's Avonlea, a little grumpy, but ready to get those presents open!!

Can you tell Arianna is a little too excited! I thought this was funny! 'gotta get to the big gift, big gift, big gift!' Look at her hair at how fast she turned around to open more.

Showing off her Princess Barbie doll collection.

Avonlea opening presents..isn't she just precious!

Robert's family is very giving and I love them very much for wanting to give them lots, but at the same time I'd rather them put that money towards a college fund. Because later, they'll truly appreciate it more than toys.

And finally the girls and me once again on Christmas night. This is sad, but I can find a picture of the 4 us of together. I was horrible this year at taking pictures of Robert and the girls together and just getting some of us the family. And for some reason I didn't take many pictures while at the Eddy's! At least not of all us together. I know they took some so I'll have to get copies.

Any whoodles, there you have it. Our Christmas was fun as usual. It only gets better each year. I enjoy both my families and look forward to all our future christmas's together.

Unexpected things just happen...

What do you do when you hear bad news? Do you start thinking bad thoughts, do you go into quiet mode, or does it just depend on the situation? Well I have to just say, life just sometimes isn't fair.

Well, I heard bad news today. My mom called me today to tell me the unexpected. She's got breast cancer AGAIN! When I thought things were just turning around with her and she was beginnig to feel so much better she has to go through it all over again. The cancer has come back. I hate that word. I seriously just ran the Susan Komen 5k in her honor because I was so proud of her for succeeding and overcoming breast cancer. It frustrates me really, however I'm no one to question God. God has everything under control, God took care of her the first time and I know he'll once more do it again.

My mom is having to do Chemo once again and suffer thruogh the devestation of losing her hair all over again. A woman's pride right?! Why am I even thinking about her hair? I couldn't help but cry as soon as I got off the phone with her. I wouldn't do it while on the phone with her. I started thinking things I probably shouldn't have been thinking about. My mom is so strong. She was strong and was able to make it through the first time okay. I couldn't help but think about how I may not have my mom around for much longer and it just tore me up. My mom and I are so close! I couldn't imagine my life without her. I'm being selfish obviously, but I tried to stop myself and started thinking positive thoughts and how she was fine the first time and how she'll get through it again.

This time around she will not be getting radiation. The Dr. said it was too much on her body to go through it again. They discussed she will have a mastectomy this time around with reconstruction in the future. Her cancer is stage 2 as it was the first time but agressive. Her dr. said it's a 'mean' cancer so they need to get on it quickly so it doesn't spread, we hope and pray it isn't in her lymphnodes. She will start everything as soon as thanksgiving passes.

For anyone who reads this blog, please keep my mom in your prayers. She's a tough one, but I know it wears on her. She needs strength to get through this once again and for the second time look back and say..."I made it through with God's help!" God works in miraculous ways and I know He'll help her through. I want to be able to run the Susan Komen again and know she's overcomed it again and once and for all!

Wha...what! FREE Holiday Cards?!

Yep you read right!

Who doesn't like getting stuff for FREE?! Shutterfly is giving away 50 free christmas cards to all who blog about them. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time. We're getting our family christmas pictures done in a few days and this is perfect!!! They have so many awesome holiday cards to choose from too! It's actually quite hard to pick because they have over 700 choices!! Yep, something for everyone. Its given me so many ideas as to how I want to lay out my cards.

Check out these links on what Shutterfly has to offer:

Holiday Cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

Calendars are great addition to any working mom's office, fridge, desk, etc...: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Choose your own card/invitation and URL from our Cards & Stationery page

If you are interested in receiving free holiday cards (you're crazy if you aren't), click on the link below, fill out the form and simply wait for their reply.

http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

Check them out facebook and twitter and click the 'like' button. :)

Here are some of my favorites:

Happy Shopping!

I naturally tend to go to simple, yet classy. I love this!

I saw this one and automatically was drawn to it. I see Avonlea and Arianna on each side with Robert and I in the middle. Too cute!

I love personality pictures and love the amount of pictures on this card.

This one is just so fun. I love the black and white with touches of hot colors.

I like the simplicity of this one. I'm a brown traditional girl. For this card, I would make it a family group photo.

Whoville's Cindy Lou Who and Baby Grinch

Last year I thought we did a pretty good job at dressing up the girls for Fall Festival/Halloween. Arianna was the cutest skunk and Avonlea was the cutest infant bunny.

This year we decided to be a little more creative...our girls were characters from the movie 'The Grinch who stole Christmas". We wanted to be funny and different. Most toddlers and little girls are princess's (?) or fairies right?! Nothing wrong with this, but every little girl looks the same. So here is my little whoviller....Cindy Lou Who.

People...I had to be creative with this one...i used pipe cleaners and bobby pins to put her hair up like this with a TON of hair spray. The dress, which I believe is perfect and so Dr. Seusish I literally found at Once Upon a Child for $4.50 and the cape was borrowed. This was the cheapest costume EVA!
She loved the makeup most of all of course!


Now to our little grinch. Sad you are probably thinking..but the girl is 15 months and has yet to get a head full of hair...so why not make her baby grinch right?!

Here we are starting out.

She got so mad, but who can blame her right?! Poor thing. I can't help but laugh and was laughing so hard then too. I about peed my pants.

So on Avonlea, my grinchy grinch-I spent $3.00 on her little santa outfit..which is a 6-9 month old outfit actually. She's very small for her age really. I spent more on Avonlea than I did on Arianna-only by a dollar though. I also bought this hunter green sleeper for $1.50 at Goodwill and then her face paint was a $1. Overall together on the girls I spent less than $10 people!!! I don't think I could pull this off again.

The baby Grinch...she looks dirty huh?! I wish it could have been better, but people got the idea being side Arianna.

We had so much fun and they got a lot of attention! More Arianna because of the hair but Avonlea because she just looked funny and icky. There were a lot of people who obviously didn't know us and would say..."His little grinch outfit is so funny" or "Is he okay?" lol...no one knew she was a she/girl. I mean look at her...she's green with barely any hair. It only makes sense I guess that people would think this.

Here are my whovillers

And by the end of the night she was out!!! She had too much fun. Avonlea too of course.

A night I'll never forget and will have fun sharing for years to come with my girls. How shall we top this off next year...any ideas? :)

A Great Song!

I heard this song on the radio and absolutely loved it! I wanted to share because it's beautiful. I could listen to it several times because it's so good. Makes me happy and emotional all at the same time. Sometimes we all need that extra strength to push on and believe! Please listen.