Happy Birthday To My Captain America

Today is my husbands birthday! He is 39 today. The 1969 babies are now the same age. But come around March and I'll be A year older than my Babe, again. His Favorite Super Hero is Captain America. I say the "A" on his head stands for Alfaro. My goal is to loose weight this year so I can be his Wonder Woman, HA-HA-Hee-Hee. HE says, as long as I don't loose the booty he doesn't care how much I loose weight. Well, no problems there. Here are the reasons I fell in love with my Hunk of Beefcake:

10. He's a kid at heart. Actually, he's like Peter Pan and refuses to grow old.
9. He loves his family.

8. He's every bit of the man I fell in love with,

and a little bit more.

7. His eyes twinkle and has a flashy smile when he looks at me.

6. He's a good looking Abuelo.

5. I love our spontaneous road trips.

4. He's a great mechanic and teacher too.

3. He loves the Renaissance as much as I do.

2. He still serenades me with those passionate eyes.

1. I'm lucky to have found my Shrek.

I love You Babe I hope you have a wonderful day, you deserve it.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Favorite Book Friday

I have to say the Dr.Seuss Books were fun to read as a child. What greater book of all than How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

Every Who Down in Who-ville

Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch,Who lived just North of Who-ville,

Did NOT!

And speaking of a Grinch, another one of my favorite Christmas Story was The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night, which if it doesn't change his ways he will end up like his friend Jacob Marley, walking the Earth forever, being nothing but invisible and lonely, "Bah! Humbug!". A traditional Christmas Story that would give me chills, but would always enjoy the outcome and poor Tiny Tim.

For all the Grinch's during the Holidays, May you be touched with the true meaning of Christmas. May you be surrounded by friends and/or family and find love and friendship. May this year bring us happiness and hope.

Ciao for now, Arnnette

Favorite Book Friday

Since it's the Christmas Season I thought this month I would share my favorite books or movies. I have a favorite short story that gets unpacked every Christmas Season from the holiday boxes. I often forget that I have it until I spot it. I cry every time I get to the end because from the very beginning I feel I know what will happen.

Don J. Black, an LDS author, published The Little Shepherd. However, Margaret E Sangster wrote this story and was first publish in December 1936 in Good Housekeeping magazine. If you can find a copy read it. The back of the book states:
He was just a little shepherd boy--but he was the son of one of the shepherds who heard the angel choir and saw the newborn Christ. All of his ten years had been filled with his father's recollections of that glorious night. Those warm and glowing stories, with their message of hope, made life more bearable for this humpbacked, crippled child.
Now it was the anniversary of the night the heavens shouted for joy. The little shepherd boy was alone in the hills, tending his father's sheep and pondering that miraculous night. He was wishing he could have heard the angels, too. Then out of the darkness of the night came an extraordinary man who changed his life forever.
May you enjoy this book as I do year after year.
Ciao for now,
Arnnette

Birthdays Two Days in a Row!

Two years ago, on December 4th, a special bundle of joy was born to two loving parents, Deborah & Cecilio, my sister and her husband. The next day, Dec. 5th, Deborah spent her birthday in the hospital.

Daniel Ocean just turned 2 years! How time flies! Happy Birthday Daniel!

Deborah just turned.....

29 Penguins plus a happy penguin equals...

30 years! Click on happy feet to see a birthday dedication to Tia Deborah from her nephew Oscar.

Happy Birthday Tia Deborah and Baby Daniel from All of Us!

Hannah says, "Happy Birthday Tia Deborah I love you more than you love me."

Ayla says, "Happy Birthday Tia you are so beautiful more than me."

Ayla sends this message to Baby Daniel, "Happy Birthday baby Daniel you are so nice to me and I miss you and want you to come to my house to ride your bike with me and your dad and mom can come over and they can watch you and me and my brothers and sisters and my parents can watch us too, so we can be happy as a family together, the end mommy, thats all I have to say, oh and I love you"

Boy, Ayla keeps it short and simple, doesn't she.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

It's December!!!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.


Yes, I painted the tuscan view freehand:) Can you
find the lightswitch?

Ita gave this Old Santa that is almost 20 yrs old. Ayla loves him!
Tonight for Family Home Evening, we read from the Ensign. I told my kids of my memories of giving my gifts for Christmas to a friend who needed it most. I will always remember her face when her named was called out and several gifts were for her. I love receiving gifts. However the joy I give in giving and seeing someones happy expression is ten times greater. The kids wanted to read more stories of Christmas and charity. Although we thought it best to read more the rest of the month and have the kids choose their favorite Christmas stories from the Ensign, New Era, and Friend, for FHE.

Click on any magazine for a short story or activity. You can browse on LDS.Org and receive many activities and stories that will send a message or strengthen your testimony.
ABC Family have Family Night Movies and Cartoons every night at 7pm (AZ time), until Christmas. Tonight is the Shrek deck the halls and the Grinch on regular channel ABC. It was nice for the after Family Home Evening.
Ciao for now,
Arnnette

Baby Kenneth 1st Birthday

Happy First Birthday to our Nephew Baby Kenneth J.!

Ayla and Alexa enjoying the trampoline untill...

The big kids came and ruined the moment, until Tio Kenneth got mad at the older kids for bothering the kids and the trampoline almost touching the floor. Didn't you hate it when we were to young to be adults and yet too old for fun stuff?!

Here the boys spend some alone time. The only time I saw today where they were actually talking and not yelling at each other.


Baby Kenneth, hope you enjoyed your day gathered with family.
Ciao for now,
Arnnette

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving started at my kids school on Tuesday. There were kids who did a mini talent show. Hannah's friend Sah-Dia sang Amazing Grace. Here is Sah-Dia with her mama, Gwen.

She did a beautiful job. Emma and her little family joined us there as well.

Bayardo always works nights. This was his first annual dinner with the school, since his work traded his shifts to days for the week. Here we are with Ayla and our grandson Leo'nel.

This Thanksgiving we spent time at my Mama's and With Bayardo's Mama. My kids spent their Thanksgiving at their Dad's. Next year I get to spend it with my kids and my grandson. He'll be a year old and will enjoy Thanksgiving a little bit more. I started by making my traditional Sally Jesse Raphael French Toast Casserole for breakfast.

This is Sally Jesse Raphael, the Oprah of the 80's.

I've been making this casserole since Emma was born. I only make it for Thanksgiving. It's cubed up bread and cream cheese layered in a casserole. Then soaked all night with eggs and maple syrup mixture. In the morning, pop it in the oven, while you start the Thanksgiving fix ins, and then when its ready. Pour some maple syrup and serve it warm. It's kinda like a bread pudding. It's one of the many recipes I recorded from ABC the Home Show, which later became Home and was hosted with Rob Weller and then later with Gary Collins along with various female hosts. I loved this daytime show which showed recipes from stars (Thus the Sally Jesse Raphael French Toast), how to pick veggies and fruit with Curtis, Crafts with Dian Thomas, Carol Duvall, and Kitty Bartholomew Interior Decorator. I also remember Keely Shaye Smith with her flower/garden tips. The show aired in the late 1980's, early 1990's. If you're old enough to remember, remember them?

We first went to my Mama's. Since I was going to two homes, I made a big batch of green bean casserole and divided into 3 casseroles to share at both locations. The only this is I added cheese. I was lucky enough to find a photo that looked as nice as mine. I keep forgetting to take pictures of my creations. Only I had French's Fried Onions along the border/edge.

Looks good, huh? The men watched football, duh, that was a given. Here is my hunk of beefcake and my baby brother from my mama, Sebastian or as we call him "C-Bass".

Here is my Mama, Jinette, Pura Tica. There's little Rian wondering when Mama Jinette will ring the dinner bell.

This is my Tia Mara and Tio Juan, My Mama's brother. They live in Costa Rica and are visiting here for the holiday's.

My lovely sister Lou. Doesn't she look like my Mama?

Here's my sister's little bundle of joy, Olivia. She is 7 months old and her first Thanksgiving. Ayla loves to sing to her.

My brother's girl, Riann and Ayla and Evan my nephew by Lou and RJ.

Miss Hailey, C-Bass's girl. Hey, Steph and C-Bass didn't take a photo together. Find Steph and C-Bass Here.

Later we went to my Sister-In-Law's home. Ita, Bayardo's mom is visiting from Nicaragua. She leaves next week. Here she is with baby K.J., Kenneth's baby boy and only boy.

So we got together in the evening. Nina, my sister-in-law and Kenneth, my brother-in-law, both of whom are Bayardo's sibling, decided to make the turkey. Here you can see how the Turkey's turned out.

No, it's not the light, well actually it is. I was so much darker than it looks here. Which of the two do you think was good? Kenneths. Nina cooked her turkey with a little too much vinegar. Besides, vinegar? All in all, it was a nice evening spent. It was weird not to have tete here with us. Here is Tete with Bayardo, packing before their move to Nicaragua.

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends, family who are away, children who are away out of town(Miss Chelsea), and to anyone else I missed.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette