First Snow Storm

Well, it has been a very mild winter (again) this year.  The only snow storm we have had this whole year happen to land on the exact day we were suppose to leave for Utah.  Our flight ended up getting cancelled and they were able to get us out 4 days later.  We arrived in Utah late Christmas Eve.

We figured we better make the best of it so we took the kids out in the snow.  Here are a few pictures from that day.

Valentina is 6 months!

Valentina ready for chuch.

Valentina with her buddy, Harper.  Harper was born just 4 weeks after Valentina.

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Valentina is 6 months!

Tiny, we love you! You are a giggly, squeaky, smiley baby. You love your brother Qui Que and can't wait to be old enough to play with him.  He loves to run circles around you- literally.  When I lay you on the floor he runs circles around you and you both laugh and laugh.

You love to:
 sing high pitched songs
 laugh when we tickle you (which is always)
 suck your thumb
 play with your toes
 and you love- love- love attention from anyone.

We love you.

6 months stats:

25 3/4 inches (25%)
15.5 lbs (25%)

La Casa Dulce/ The Gingerbread house

 I come from a long line of crafty women.  My grandma and her sister were/ are the ultimate homemakers ever-ever-ever.  They started this wonderful/horrible tradition of making gingerbread houses every year for Christmas.  Wonderful-  the kids love it and think it the greatest most delicious Christmas activity.  Horrible- moms hate it.  They spend a week of their precious limited free time and it goes something like this:

 bake it,

cut it out,

 re bake it because it didn't work the first time,

cut it out again,

make another batch of dough because there was not enough,

go to the store in the middle of the night because you are out of molasses,

put it together,

it falls,

put it together again,

kids decorate (the only fun part)

make snow for the roof

make more snow for the roof because there was not enough

ahhhh.... done!

kids pick off candy

Qui Que & Valentina helping me make the dough

Qui Que decorating the house.  I think there are like 5 red hots in his mouth.

Here she is before Qui Que has had a chance to pick away at the fence.  This is the pattern my Grandma created.

And here she is after Qui Que has had a chance to pick away at the fence.

Watch out Valentina, enjoy it now because in about 25 years you will be making your own!

5 Months for Valentina

This little jellybean is growing up so fast!  She is such a happy little baby.  She laughs and smiles all the time.  She especially loves laughing at Qui Que.  They play so well together.  He is so sweet to her.  The first thing Qui Que says when he wakes up from his nap is, "Where go Valentina?"

Valentina is a great baby.  She put herself on a schedule and only cries when she is hungry, tired or poopey. We love snuggling her and kissing her chubby cheeks.

Her nicknames (or long names) are
Valentina la jellybeana
Valentiny jellybeany
Valentiny
Tiny

This is Valentina during her rice cereal meal.   She doesn't love it.   She just spits it back out.

Gracias Tia Mary!  Tia Mary made Valentina this cozy blanket and darling hat.

2012 Election

Living in Iowa during an election is a lot different than living in Utah during an election.  We are considered a "battle ground" state.  Basically that means your state is a battle ground for negative advertising on TV.  We got bombarded.  Just about every other commercial was a political add.  It's great.

Iowa is a swing state and could go either Republican or Democrat.  That may be true but let me tell you Iowa City is not a swing city.  It is a very blue city.  Our lonely Mitt Romney sign stood out like a sore thumb- especially in our neighborhood!

Enrique and I enjoyed following Mitt Romney's presidential pursuit.  We were thrilled when he won the Republican nomination and to see him come so close to win was exciting.  Not only was it an honor to have our Mormon 2% of the population be represented but we really liked him as a candidate and thought he would have made a great president.  Since Mitt Romney is a Mormon our faith was discussed a lot in the media.  Even though he didn't win the good news is no one can say they have never heard of Mormons anymore.   Thanks for representing Governor Romney!

I will miss hearing Qui Que talk about "It Omney"

Hawkeye Saturdays

Iowa City loves their Hawkeyes.  Everyone gets all done up for Saturday game day.  Last Saturday I snapped some pictures of the kids in their Hawkeye gear.

Valentina was suppose to be sitting on Qui Que's lap.....that didn't work so well.

Halloween

This year Qui Que still didn't quite have Halloween figured out.  So when I asked him what he wanted to be and he said, "huh?"  I knew I had one more year that I got to pick.  Yes!  Although after we showed him mariachis on youtube he loved it.  One day he watched the same 7 minute clip of mariachis for 2 hours straight.

Valentina was our cute little pink elephant.  I didn't make her costume but Costco did and they always do a great job with everything.  Thanks Costco.

Qui Que at the Children's Museum.

At our church Halloween party.

This is our second year trick or treating with Scarlett Carino- Marek.  Can't wait to do it again next year!

Jack Collins as Carol Fredrikson in the movie Up, Scarlett as a raccoon and Qui Que as the cutest little marachi ever! 

Valentina was a good sport but she has had enough!