Thanksgiving Weekend!

Well we had a looooooooooong holiday weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. We started off Thursday by going to David's mom's house for Thanksgiving. Oh My Goodness, the food was soooooooooo good! I love going to my mother in law's house for Thanksgiving just for her turkey because she covers the turkey with bacon. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I can't think of a better combination! Then I have to confess we were extra bad on the desserts. We were in charge of taking them and this is how it went down.

We went to Jewels and as we walk in we start wondering what pie we should get. David wants pumpkin pie, but then I say I don't like pumkin pie I want cheese cake. So then Natalie says, " I don't like neither I want chocolate cake." So in true Mendez fashion we bought all three! Hahaha! And being the piggy that I am I ate both cheesecake and chocolate cake! They were delicious! This is me with my mother in law.

The kids ofcourse playing XBOX.

David with his sister!

And David with his Mommy!

Then on Friday we went with my brother to the mall to look for some coats for the twins and man o man it was packed. It was an adventure just trying to find parking but it was worth it. He scored $75 coats for only $14.88. You can't beat that!

Than on Saturday we celebrated my niece Jackie's 12th Birthday! I loved her cake!

This is her with her Mom Gracie!

And here she is showing off her gift card to Claire's that my mom and me got for her!



And something must have been wrong with the cake 'cause look what faces Emily was doing! Lol!

We ended the weekend by eating again! Hahaha we're always eating in this family. But with a mom who cooks so good how can we not eat all the time! So Sunday that's what we did, eat and be merry! You can only imagine how December parties will be!

Marker Nap

Well I couldn't get Jaime to take his nap on this day so I let him have some markers and paper in his crib. Bright idea on my part huh! hahahaha! Well before I knew it he was sound asleep...................................

But he had left quite an artistic work of art on the sheets. Oh well, it was mommy's fault.

But atleast it worked and anything that gets him to take his nap is fine with me! LOL!

Bon Fire Fun

We enjoyed having the last bon fire in my mom's backyard soooooooooooo much that we decided to have it again. The weather here in Chicago has just been so lovely that we couldn't help want to be outside. The kids in our family love it. From the youngest to the oldest. And in true Sanchez style we had to have some Canelita con leche! Salud!I think the fire made us feel nice and cozy and romantic. If you don't believe me check out my brother with his wife! So cute!But the fire also gets us feeling very silly. Monkey see, monkey do! And the perfect picture to end this blog is this one of my very handsome hubby posing by the dying fire!!!!!!!!!

My Mother's Birthday

We went to Old Country Buffet to celebrate my mom's birthday! We pretty much filled up the whole party room with just her four kids and 17 grandchildren. Here she is with her four children! Juan, Alma, Claudia and Me.

Some of her grandchildren enjoying the food!

Here are her 17 grandchildren. From Top, left to right: Juan, Jaqueline, Ethan, Cesar, Daniel, Omar, David, Ian, Emily, Jaime, Valeria, Rafael, Natalie, Briahna, Rebeca, Julian, and the one running off is Hailey.

Plancarte Family

Barranca Family

Mendez Family

Easy to say but hard to do.

It truly is easier for me to tell Natalie what it is that we should be doing in life than to actually do it myself. Isn't that just human nature, we are quick to tell others what they should be doing but can't quite get ourselves to listen to our own advice.

I've realized that lately that's what has been going on in my life. I tell Natalie what Heavenly Father expects of us but I don't quite seem to be able to teach her by example. And lately my life has been so upside down that I have slowly stopped doing what it is that I know I should be doing.

Yesterday we received our monthly Ensign and Friend subscription and we started to read her friend. The first story she picked to read was called A Happy Helper. The beginning scripture read "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power" D&C 123:17. As I explained this scripture to her I couldn't help but feel guilty because here I was telling her what this scripture meant yet I knew in my heart that I needed to understand this more than her. Lately the word "cheerfully" has not existed in my life or vocabulary. I haven't done everything that lieth in my power, and what I have done has definately not been done cheerfully. And yet here I am expecting her to do so.

Then the story goes on to teach about the matter. And through out the story I feel even more guilty because I feel like it has been written especially for me. Like if she had choosen it especially for me.

But the end quote is what truly hit the spot.

"Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happnes inside of you; it is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life."
President Harold B. Lee (1899-1973)

How could I even try to teach this to my daughter when I have never practiced this in my life. How can I preach this to her when in the midst of tribulation I always give in to despair and sadness. I wish my life could be an example of this to my children, I wish I could show them that my spirit is strong and ready to meet life's problems with "cheerfullness". But I can't.

Believe me I've tried, well atleast I say I've tried but I guess I haven't truly tried! It's just sad to me that when I thought all was well, when I thought my testimony was growing stronger each day, I thougth I was ready to meet any challenge in life. I truly felt like I knew Heavenly Father was with me and that I knew that there was a solution to any problem thrown at me. I truly felt ready to face anything with a cheerful and hopefull heart. Yet as the storms came at me and have settled I have once again been swept down by it's winds and turbulance. I have once again let the adversary tear me down and make me feel like happiness depends on everything and everyone around me. It frustrates me even more because I have the truth in my life, I know the solution. Yet I'm to weak or lazy or doubtful or ignorant to do what I know I have to do to find peace in my life. Even when my daughter's Friend so plainly reminds me of the truth.

I hope that I can once again find my way out of darkness and sadness and find the light that I know is true. I hope I can remember my worth as a daughter of my Heavenly Father and realize that it's not too late to finally live up to my potential and to live the life that I've always wanted to. But most of all, I pray that I can one day try my best to teach my children by example and not just by word.

The Cat in the Hat

So last Tuesday at a Relief Society activity I was introduced to my new found addiction. Knitting with a crocheting loom. I was given the basic instructions and send off with my loom and some rather unique yarn.

And OMG! This is so addicting. I prefer this 100% than traditional knitting. So I went hard to work on my new project wich was suppose to be a hat or beanie or whatever it's called. Supposedly I had been given the loom that would create a normal adult size hat. Well I was excited to make my new colorful hat and I couldn't wait to wear it.

Well I don't know if I did something wrong, if I did it too tight, or if I just did it too long but it didn't quite look right. Natalie said it looked like the Cat in the Hat's hat, another kid said it looked like a neck brace cover! LOL!

It was so tight and long that I decided that like Cinderella I would try to find the person who's head it would fit. Here where some of the lucky ones who got to try it on! Try not too laugh so hard!

We got my brother while he was napping! Didn't quite fit.

It fit Rebecca but by the look on her face she didn't quite like it!Jaime didn't like it either. Can you tell?David gave me the thumbs up on it! But I don't think it's quite his look!Rafael didn't seem to mind it too much but I don't think these colors quite go with him! And Daniel, well no comments here.And as much as this Cinderella wanted to wear her hat, she just can't quite pull this look off!
Maybe I'll have better luck with my next projects.

The Camera is Back!

Whoo Hoo my camera is back! I was dying without it! So many cute things my kids were doing and I had no camera to capture them. So many get togethers, parties, and fun times and I had no camera! :(

That's where my next story comes in.

See ever since David graduated from school everyone asks me the typical question, "So what does David do? What's his career title?" And I always respond, "Electronic Technician" because that's what he told me. But then they ask, what is that, or what does he do? And the truth is that I can never quite explain it cause I don't think I truly understand it either. But what I also always get is, "so does that mean he can fix electronics? like a t.v. or radio.?" and the answer is NO! Then when I go and ask David himself what it is that he does at work or what his title is he looses me in the mummble jumble! So I just gave up.

Then usually he's always wanting to open things up and "fix" them but I never let him cause I don't trust that he can fix them. But I was becoming so frustrated with not having a camera that finally I just told him to try to fix it, either ways I had nothing to loose. And I was hoping that whatever it is that he learned to do in school would hopefully help him fix it.

Well he opened it up and played with it. I fell asleep and he still hadn't fixed it. The next thing I know he's up in my face taking pictures of me sleeping and showing off on how he had fixed it.
I was trying to sleep and here he was flashing away!

So yes, he fixed the camera. I asked him what he did and he said that he just cleaned it and gave it maintance. Well whatever he did it worked. I may not know for sure what it is that he knows how to do but atleast I can say he knows how to fix our camera! Atleast it works for now. And thank goodness because I was having camera withdrawal. Now I can finally snap away!

Beautiful Weather

We are just having the most wonderful weather! I can't believe we are in November and still being able to just wear a sweater. And the news this morning said that we are going to be in the 60s all week!!!!

Yesterday was one of those days and my brother came over to my mom's and we were drinking chapurrado or atole. One of those two, well they were cause I don't like it. Anyways it was already dark outside and since it was daylight savings time it was still really early outside even though it was dark. My brother than said that it was perfect weather to have a "fogata". We all got really excited but weren't sure if it was allowed where we lived. Well it didn't matter, they guys went with the kids to find sticks and to start it up.

It was so awesome! AAAAAAAAA I hate that I don't have a camera right now to take pictures because this was a perfect opportunity for some great shots. It was so much fun. We melted some marshmallows and talked and laughed. And in the end all the kids were jumping over the fire!!! Yeah real safe huh, hahahaha! But it was so much fun for them. We all ended up smelling like smoke! It was our first fire ever and it was sooooooooooooo much fun.

And today the weather is even more beautiful. I took care of my sister Alma's kids since they didn't have school today. It was so nice that we went to the park and we didn't even need our sweaters. After a while on the playground we decided to play 2 on 2 kickball.

I had forgotten how fun kickball was! Now I remembered why I loved it so much when I was in school. Needless to say, I got my day's worth of exercise! And we were sweating like if it was the middle of Spring. I just hope that this doesn't mean that when winter comes it'll be a harsh one! But I'm planning on enjoying every last day of springish weather!