Thanksgiving (right on time)

This year we had a great Thanksgiving at Tia Gaby and St. Paul's house. I know that I am way late posting this, but we had a great time so I had to say something about it. Tita, Gil, Gibi, Tio and Beba were all there (Nick's aunt, uncle, cousin, uncle and aunt, respectively). Gaby and Paul hosted in there newly redone backyard and it was great. The food was good and the company was better. Nick was even able to be there, but being that he was post-call, I am not sure how much of him was there.


The girls hadn't seen him for 2 days, so naturally they didn't let him eat very much.

For some reason, (probably that I was too busy eating!) I never got a picture of us all eating or pre-eating. This is after we were all done. It was so great to see everyone, it makes me really grateful to be so close to family.

Surgery and a Sister

A few weeks ago I had a minor surgery to repair a umbilical hernia (picture at bottom of this post) I got during my pregnancies. I was lucky to have my sister Adele visit, and I was even more lucky was that she loves to bake.

She was surprised by our lack of cooking equipment. Most notably, she was upset that we don't own a rolling pin. We have always used this glass cup that is flat and straight. I think there is not much difference, as I have never owned a rolling pin, but she thinks that we ought to invest in one.

She took Ali out for a ride on her horse. Ali was in heaven. I am scared because I know one day she will ask me to get her a horse... thanks Adele!

She was loved the entire time on the horse, and when I told her it was time to get off she said that she never ever wants to get down.


It is very small for the amount of pain it caused. I never realized how often I get hit/kicked/pushed/punched in the stomach until now.

Christmas begins

This year is a unique Christmas for our family because we are staying home. Nick and I have been married for 7 1/2 years. In all that time we have never gotten a Christmas tree until this year! Here are some pictures of us setting up our first tree.

The girls LOVED to help put up ornaments!

Ali helped daddy put the star on top.

After a very short time we had to hold Kat to keep her from "helping" too much.

I think she didn't want the ornaments to stay on the tree, because putting them on was so fun. Since we have very few ornaments, she "had" to take them off so she could put more on the tree.

Ali had been looking forward to seeing Santa for the first time in her life. She had a mission, which was to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. "A blue spiky ball with lots of colors." Anyone have any advice where such a ball might exist?

Kat was not as big a fan.

The Millers joined us for Desmond's first trip to Santa.

My plants and I

I have been wanting to blog about my planting adventures, but have not really gotten around to it lately, but today both girls went down for a nice nap...at the same time!

I have a black thumb, and for those who wonder what that is, I say it is the opposite of a green thumb. I kill plants. I don't discriminate, I kill them all. My mother-in-law (who definitely has a green thumb) bought me some nice potted flowers and said that in order to keep it alive all I have to do is water it every once in a while and to simply cut off the flowers once they die. Perhaps she shouldn't have said simply because 2 weeks later when all the flowers died and I had cut off the flowers all I had left was sticks. Those quickly died.

When we moved here to Los Angeles I thought I would take advantage of the nice weather and a big patio and grow some things. Most people who read this blog have seen my failed attempts at an avocado tree, but I have not talked about my tomatos. We bought the seeds in June. The big selling point was "Get ripe tomatos in just 2 weeks!" Well I haven't killed them and they did grow, but it is mid-November and I still have only 5 green tomatoes that refuse to ripen. I am not sure what more I could have done. Well I am terrible at raising plants, so when I went to target and they had "Grow your own Christmas tree" for only 1 dollar, I thought I might be wasting my dollar, but why not? I bought the small kit. Much to my surprise only 3 days later this is what I have:

It is a very small pot, only about 2 inches tall, but there is SOMETHING GROWING!!!! Now we will see if it really is a spruce tree.

Small update on my avocado adventure....nothing....not a single change.

My error of the day

Just because they are playing nice and quiet outside on our patio does NOT mean they are playing nice!

I should not talk to my sisters on the phone for so long. Here is my proof:



Kat decided that this pot (full of soil for my avocado tree) was her new sand pit.

Third try, or is this the fourth?

I am again trying to grow an avocado. This time I am going to give it even more sun and warmth. Lets see how it turns out.

This is what I have on my windowsill with the most light. If anyone sees anything wrong or has any opinion on growing avocado trees from seeds let me know.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, most of these pictures need no explanation, so enjoy!


We went to a pumpkin patch with cousin baby Dez.

In front of our house.

Nick might have had something to do with that Yankee sign.

Ali's pumpkin carved into a pumpkin. The idea was hers, but the sharp knife was wielded by Momma.

Treats even before we started trick-or-treating. Tia Gaby spoils my girls!

Super-Millers!

Yummy candy!

I think that is all she wanted all night. She was definitely not old enough to understand the idea of mass candy.

Just for fun Ali pee'd her pants/costume as we were walking home. With rain boots, you can imagine it wasn't pretty! She almost never pees her pants anymore, but she really did NOT want to stop trick-or-treating, so she didn't even tell me she had to go until the puddles inside her boots became uncomfortable to walk in.