Wordless Monday...

Baby Gabriel's 1st birthday

Yesterday we attended baby Gabriel's 1st birthday, which was celebrated at his grandma's house..
Gabriel is the son of my ex co-worker Aura and her husband Rudy; he is the sweetest little boy...with such a good temper and great personality...
The girls enjoyed the party and so did we.. it was a great way to celebrate the little guy's birthday...
Happy Birthday, baby Gabriel!

Happy Birthday, Andre!

Happy Birthday to my good friend Andre, who is such an inspiration to me and always motivates me to keep studying and learning more and more..
He is one of my favorite classmates and study buddies, and has taught me so many things about grad school and the field of National Security.
We celebrated with lunch at Long Horn and shared a great dessert.. great day!

Happy birthday, buddy.. 

Featured article

A friend of mine forwarded me this article and I feel compelled to share it with my readers and fellow moms...It is about the challenges most moms face and how to make it better when we feel like we can't take it anymore!
I don't know how to embed it and make it look pretty.. but I promise it's definitely worth the read... it was  a great "pick me up" for me... especially after a bad day like today!
Here it goes..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

What's wrong with our healthcare system?

What is wrong with our healthcare system??
Before you answer that question, let me tell you a little story that happened to me today..
As the healthy person I am (thank God for that), I rarely every go to the doctor (except for my annual ob/gyn check up), but since this is a new year and I'm still going down my resolutions list, I decided to schedule an appointment with my primary doctor for a check-up and some routine blood work.
When I made the call the schedule the appointment, I asked for the first appointment of the day, which happened to be at 9:15am. I planned my day accordingly and showed up at 9am, wrote my name down in the check-in sheet and patiently sat down and waited for my name to be called out...I was the first person in the office, so I assumed I'd be in an out.. (yeah right!)
...45 minutes went by and I started noticing that everyone that had come in AFTER me, was taken in to see the doctor BEFORE me.. I politely approached the secretary and asked her what the order was.. she said "you have to wait".. I proceeded to ask her "do you know how much longer?".. and she looked at me like I had said some sort of joke... and very rudely replied "If you don't want to wait.. you can go ahead and leave"... I thought to myself.. "are you kidding?  is this really happening?".. I said to her, "well, if you don't care about my time, I do.. and if you don't take me in within the next 5 minutes, not only will I leave, but I will also report your office to the medical board".. Granted, I don't even know if that's possible, but I sure did scare her and I was seen immediately.. The appointment was pretty routine, so there's nothing to say about that, other than I was seen by the PA and not the actual doctor (what a joke!).. I was given some paperwork to take to the lab and since I was fasting, I walked over to the lab next door....
As I was coming into the lab, I noticed a sea of people in the waiting area and though "oh gosh.. another hour to be wasted!"  ( Turns out I was wrong, I wasted TWO hours).. The staff at the lab were horribly rude and their service was pathetic...they kept yelling out people's names like everyone were deaf..There was an old man waiting for blood tests, he must have been at least 80.. He approached a staff member and said he was a diabetic and hadn't eaten at all today.. he asked if he could be taken in so he could go home to his bed-ridden wife with Parkinson's disease and also said he wasn't feeling too well.. He was clearly sick and I noticed he was very pale (he was probably really hungry too).. The lady said "sir, I don't care if you're sick.. you need to wait in line!".. I was appalled at the reaction she had and secretly wished the old man was my grandpa so I could jump on this lady and kick her ass for treating him like that.. what is wrong with people??
So, after my painful two hour wait at the lab, my blood was drawn by some "beast" who seemed to have no experience whatsoever and I was out of there...(my arm is still bruised)
I am so disgusted with the way I was treated today.. I can't believe our healthcare system is such a nasty business, where people have no regards for others' feelings or needs... so so sad..
Today I hate doctors and I hate the idea of having to deal with an asshole who is surrounded by more assholes who think they are super heroes!
So, what's wrong with our healthcare system??  A LOT of things...
What a day!

Old memories...

A couple of days ago I came across an old diary of mine... it was a little book I kept and filled with stories of my days.. the dates range from April 1994-August 1996..
Some of the writings are very detailed and provide a full description of my days in middle school and some in high school.. I must say it's pretty entertaining!
It is such a blast to go down Memory Lane and reminisce of my crazy adventures as a child... I have to say I was a pretty good girl and I can't help but wonder if my children will be anything like me when they reach that age.. I can only hope I will guide them in the right path and show them the beauty of life....
Another funny thing is.. things haven't changed much.. I still keep a diary but it is now a blog (this blog).. and I still reminisce of old times and enjoy them and relive them just as much...
I'm sure one day I will get to print out this blog and re-read it 20 years down the road.. that will be fun..for now.. let's just keep writing our stories! ;)

Movie review: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

Many people have probably never heard of this movie and many others probably never will.. It just came out this weekend and I have to say it is one of the strangest movies I have seen lately...
It is about a kid that loses his dad during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and after he dies, the kids starts looking for clues that would bring him closer to the memory of his father...
He finds a key in his dad's closet and starts searching around NYC for a lock that would match the key he found...
During this adventure, he meets a few people and goes to a few places, trying to find meaning to the lessons his dad taught him when he was alive...
So..that's the gist... In my opinion, I think the plot is silly and unrealistic, I felt like the movie never "took off" and I had a hard time getting the message that was being illustrated... The kid is a good actor, but the movie is pointless and very slow paced.  I'm torn, I'm not sure whether I like it some or not at all....
If you feel inclined to see this movie, I'd say wait until it comes out on DVD or even TV.. It's definitely not worth the $10 movie ticket... or even a date night..
I give it 2 out of 5 stars!

Beauty and the Beast- 3D

When I was little... 9 years old to be exact, I thought "Beauty and the Beast" was the BEST movie EVER!!.. Now...at 30 years old... I still think it is the BEST movie EVER!  I just love this movie so much... it gets me every time...
...so.. what's better than watching and remembering my favorite movie ever?  Well... watching that movie over and over again with MY kids and reliving my childhood memories...
This kind of thing is what makes Disney so great!
I took my girls to the movies to see "Beauty and the Beast" 3D this week and OMG! What a moment.. Of course they have seen the movie at home a million times.. but nothing compares to sitting at the theater with them, reliving my childhood during their childhood.. We all sang the songs, cried the tears and laughed the laughs together.. what an awesome feeling!!
Needless to say.. I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars!! In my eyes.. there's nothing like it!

Gaby is 30 months!

My little princess is 30 months (2 1/2!)...and she is as amazing as ever!
She is smart, sassy and super fun...
Gaby is such a crazy little girl with an amazing personality..
She sings, she dances, she plays and then some...
Gaby is finally on the road to being diaper-less forever.. I still can't believe she is FINALLY getting the whole potty training thing...and the best thing? well.. she's totally enjoying it...
We've already tackled pee-pee time and now we need poo-poo time, which will come soon enough, I hope...
Anyways..time sure does fly.. in just 6 months she will be 3! Wow.. just wow!
Happy 30 months, Gaby!

Santiago's 5th birthday

Yesterday we attended Santiago's 5th birthday party, celebrated at Mini City in Doral.  

Santiago is the son of our good friends Mayaya and Alejandro, so we were naturally happy to celebrate this special occasion with Santiago and our good friends. 

The party theme was Transformers, one of Santiago's favorites.  There was food, music, games, a face painter and a bunch of fun stuff. 

The girls had a great time and the birthday boy thoroughly enjoyed his day. 

Happy Birthday, Santy!

My parents' wedding anniversary

Happy anniversary to my parents, who are celebrating 38 years of marriage today...
They are definitely an example to follow and I am so happy to be able to have them both in my life...
I love you so much and I hope God gives you many more happy years together!

I'm going to an auntie!!! (again)

My brother-in-law and his beautiful wife are expecting baby #1; a little girl due in early July...
I am so happy to become an aunt for the 2nd time and even happier for them to experience this wonderful journey called parenthood...
So far she has been feeling ok despite the first trimester nausea, which thankfully is over by now..
Yesterday they got confirmation that the baby is indeed a girl and they have settled on the name Isabella...
This is such wonderful news for our family.. and even though they live in Venezuela, I am sure I will enjoy so many happy moments with baby Isabella!!
Now.. can July get her now??  ;)

7 years ago today...

This is the first picture we ever took together.. Taken on Jan. 18th, 2005

Today marks 7 years since I met Iggy.... it was a wonderful January 9th, the best day of my life...
Even though we had "met" a few weeks before, while chatting on the dating site, we didn't see each other until January...
We met at the Miami airport, where I picked him up after he came home from vacation...
I remember being super anxious about meeting my "potential" boyfriend..and I also remember the first time I ever laid eyes on him.. it was such an amazing and unforgettable moment.. Little did we know that we would fall in love the way we did and live to tell the story...
He is the most amazing husband I could have asked for and I love him to eternity and back!

Movie review: "Alvin and the Chipmunks"

Today I took the girls to the movies and we settled on "Alvin and the Chipmunks"... Mmm.. let's just say cartoon/animated movies are WAY better than this weird graphic-people ones...
The movies was "ok", I guess... the plot was super boring and very unrealistic, but some scenes did make me giggle...
Olivia managed to stay put for the duration of the movie but she didn't seem too much into it.. She did chuckle at the funny dance scenes but that was about it...
Gaby, on the other hand, kept begging to leave and she even said "I don't like the chipmunks".. ha ha! I take it she didn't like the movie.. ha ha!
I say this one gets 2 out of 5 stars...not worth my while! 

Karla's 2nd birthday

Yesterday we attended Karla's 2nd birthday party, celebrated at The Little Gym in Pembroke Pines.. 

The party was Elmo themed and of course all the little ones were fascinated... 

The birthday girl was in awe with all of her friends and family..she even got a visit from Cookie Monster and Elmo himself... 

Such a blast!

Feeling blah!

It never fails.. as positive as I consider myself to be.. I always feel so down in early January...
Maybe it is because Christmas is over and there are no more pretty lights and trees around.. or maybe it's because my vacation is over and I have to work.. or maybe it's just a tradition I have.. who knows..
Blah is how I feel this week!

Epcot on New Year's Eve

What's better than spending a day in Disney World?  Well... spending NYE in Disney World.. I swear this is the best NYE I've had since moving to the United States 15 years ago...

Our initial idea was to visit Magic Kingdom and spend NYE there, but the crowds were so crazy that the park collapsed and closed at 3pm so nobody else could get in... Apparently Magic Kingdom reached capacity and the entrance was restricted.. oh well.. maybe next time...

The second choice was Epcot, and oh boy was that an awesome idea... crowds were just as crazy and even the restrooms had lines... everywhere you looked there was a child throwing a tantrum or a wild line for a bar.. the waiting period for the rides averaged 90-120 min and everyone was being loud with noise makers and party hats.. BUT it was AMAZING...

Every pavilion had a stage set up with live music and such a great party atmosphere.. of course everything was kid-friendly as well as adult-friendly...we had such a great time dancing and jumping around.. and so did the girls...

Around 11:40pm, they had an impressive firework display, which lasted until the New Year... the display was quite amazing... like nothing I've seen before...I even cried.. it was great!

For anyone who wants to spend an out of this world NYE.. I strongly recommend Epcot.. I know I'll be there next year! ;)

Southern vacation

Our holiday vacation consisted of a road trip to two beautiful southern cities... Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC... It was such a great experience and a wonderful idea...traveling by car is much easier than any plane ride with two crazy toddlers...

We left Miami on Monday Dec. 26th and spent a few days in Savannah and Charleston... we took a trolley ride around Savannah and then a day trip to Charleston... we visited some of the historic landmarks in both towns and of course I took a zillion pictures...

The girls thought it was fun to be on a trolley driving around and they also enjoyed being bundled up in the cold weather, which was definitely a change from our 80+ south Florida weather... 

I'm glad we got to visit some of the south.. it is such a great place to vacation and we'll definitely do it again some day... 

... these are some images of Charleston... our visit here was short but definitely worth it... such a beautiful town..

Once our southern vacation was over, we stopped in Orlando on our way down.. We spent NYE at Epcot and that was an amazing thing to do... 

Thank God for amazing vacations!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!! I know this year will be amazing for our family, which means this blog will be just as amazing for anyone who reads it!

I'm back.. and with more energy than ever! 

I haven't had the change to blog since Christmas... things have been hectic and we were on a trip (which I will post about later)... 

We had a day off today and tomorrow is back to normal.. the girls will be back to school and I will be back to work and grad school starts back up..

Vacation was nice while it lasted.. now let's move on! Ha ha!

I hope your year is filled with happy moments and wonderful things!