The Da Silva Gang

Back To Normal

2009-08-24T10:49:00.004-06:00

Nothing says "end of summer" like the first day of school; so today, we celebrated the last day of summer and the begining of a wonderful school year.
It wasn't that hard to get up early again and go on about our day with the regular routine of getting ready for school.
Actually, the girls were really excited of this first day of class...I hope the excitment lasts for a while...:)
And, of course, like every year, mom was there to capture the essence of the moment with some snapshots...

Shannia during the Flag Ceremony...

Michelle catching up with her friends...

The girls in the main hallway...

A view of the beautiful Temple...

And this is just the begining....

Lake Powell 2009

2009-07-27T08:12:00.020-06:00

Let me start by singing a wonderful melody with music and lyrics created by our own Brad Wilson...

"Let me tell you about the perfect summer day....Lake Powell really is my favorite place to play.....We head off from Wahweap to Padre Bay and we ski and board and laze the day away!
Lake Powell were the water's always glass!Lake Powell going fishing for some bass!Lake Powell were the sun will burn your shoulders, but the water is never cold, Lake Powell!" (it has more to it...I just can't remember...)

Well, we started our adventure on Tuesday at 3:50 a.m. Let me rephrase that...the adventure started when we were deciding what to take for the trip, too much...too little...do we really need this...you know what I mean. But finally, on Tuesday we were on our way to the coolest place in Utah State.
The drive was uneventful, with couple pitt stops for food and finally our TOA in Wahweap Marina was 9:30 a.m.

From there we had to meet with grandma Kathy and Megan,and the rest of the band and rent the houseboat, then load, and then be on our way to the camp site by "Cookie Jar"

The house boat that haul all our stuff and people to the camp site.

Cookie Jar in Padre Bay

Once we set up camp...the fun began...water ski, wave runners, bumper tubing, swimming, pinata, fishing...you name it, we did it!
By the way, weather wise we had it all...scorching sun, delicious overcast, a little sand storm, some rain, thunderstorm, and fireworks on the 24th.
Here's a sample of the fun we had...

Michelle on a bumper tub ride with Jordan....

Just for a ride...ignore the hair...please...

Up....up....UUPPP!

Pinata Time!!!

The little ones got into competitions for the "last man standing".

There was some "hoteness" to go around....

Bumper Tubing was a favorite between little ones and big ones alike....

Then some fishing....whith hot dog and marshmallows?

On the way back (because fun has to end sometime) we stopped at Grand Junction and had burgers at Big Al's...I didn't know my hubby owned a restaurant...;)

After that, it was blissful slumber....

We had a blast!

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Let The Festivities Begin!

2009-07-05T10:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the Anniversary of this great nation's Independence, and so we celebrated with millions of Americans the proud moment.
We left around 7:30 to the Lavell Edwards Stadium and without a second to spare we were getting there at exactly 8:00 p.m.

Glenn Beck was the host for the night.

The festivities began with a display of the air force from Hill Air Base.

There was some dancing, and the presentation of the colors through out history. And SheDaisy sang.

But the fun began when I saw my girls go absolutely bananas....

I never thought possible that such a little girl like Shannia could scream so loud!, and needless to say...both were hyperventilating...the reason:

THE JONAS BROTHERS.

P.S.: I took about 250 pictures of the Bros. It sure was an absolute treat to see my girls so happy.

The night ended with a very unique and very solemn "burning of the flag".

And of course, fireworks, lots of them....

HAPPY 4TH. OF JULY!!!!

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Summer...or so it's suppose to be, right?

2009-07-01T16:58:00.006-06:00

To beging with...what's up with this crazy weather, I don't remember so much rain...ever. It really doesn't even feel like summer, but my calendar says that today is July 1st.

Anyway, I was looking at my blog thinking that, first, I need to change the header picture...(seriously!), and second, I haven't post anything interesting for a while, so, here are some of the updates in the Da Silva household.

First, we worked like slaves to get our retaining/fence wall up. That was fun, specially because I didn't have to do it, and because we live on top of kriptonite (rocks, rocks, and then some more rocks...). But now that it's done I LOVE IT!

Obviously it's a work in progress, since we still have to put the curving, plants, sod.....

Since it has been raining since school was out, we haven't done anything special. Just couple things here and there: went to the swimming pool with friends, go to a pool party, acquire a ripstick for Michelle, upgrade the bike for Shannia, run through the srinklers....

And we also brought the Arches National Park...home...

Funny, as I'm writing this there is a storm rolling in....
So this is it for now...more to come...Jonas Brothers Concert, Lake Powell, etc. Stay tunned!

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Sinners , repent!!!!

2009-06-01T15:05:00.003-06:00

How can they do this to us...they're already enticing us with tidbits of New Moon and is still 5 month away....but I must say this....ohlala Jacob! I'm actually starting to like the guy, even though I disliked him in the book for obnoxious and needy...but now...I might start liking the werewolves....enjoy!!!!

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

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Can't Wait (Geek alert)

2009-05-04T13:49:00.002-06:00

As my past obsession with "Twilight", now I'm obsessing about Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince....Check this out and tell me it's not AWESOME!!!!!!
I CAN'T WAIT....

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Easter Break

2009-04-14T10:24:00.009-06:00

I can't believe that it's April already! But with April, Spring break comes and we have some time to enjoy the interesting weather, you know, from shorts to snow boots...
This spring Break we started it in St.George, and that means swimming pool, play, eat, sleep, and nothing much at all (every body's dream). But this time I'm not going to post swimming pictures like always, but some of the wonders of nature down south...including some humans.
I'm extremely fascinated by the colors, they're so vibrant, the contrasts between rock, sky and greenery, and the textures...just fabulous.
I wish I was a better photographer to capture the full enchilada...but, you will have to do with these...

Here's little Lucas with Shannia with a tree stump that looks like a horse...how cool is that?

Here's one of the examples of textures, aren't those swirls on the rock so cool?

We went to this little hike, and had a blast. I'm told that spring is the only time you can go and see water coming down stream through this beautiful canyon. To pass the natural pools of water you have to climb this rock, and if you fail, you get soaked...fun stuff.

Here's Michelle trying to attempt the return through that rock I've talked about...

We stayed there from Thursday night to Sunday morning. Since Sunday was Easter we had to go to grandma's for the Easter Feast and Egg Hunt...

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My Toothless Princess

2009-03-25T17:20:00.003-06:00

I've always loved the toothless smiles of kids when they're loosing their baby teeth. I think they look adorable. Normally, though, they loose one or two at the time, but Miss Shannia has los 3 on top in the last couple of days, (by the way, the Tooth Fairy told me she's broke...lol) so you can imagine how cute is my toothless princess is right now. Here's a picture of her....

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Proud Mother of Two

2009-03-17T09:41:00.002-06:00

I just receive the e-mail report card of my chipmonks, and I have to say that I'm very proud of both of them. All A's across the board, ....maybe I just should relax a little and don't be such a Tasmanian Devil when it comes to homework...or not.
Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS GIRLS! you did great!

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The Need To Be Empowered

2009-03-12T17:31:00.002-06:00

As my goal last year, I decided to read at least 1 book a month, and interestingly enough I kept going. (One of the few resolutions that actually stuck).
This year one of my goals is to be CLUTTER free, which believe me, it is harder than it sounds. It is amazing the nonsensical attachment we have to things, and the denial excuses for keeping things we haven't use in years and plan on not using them for a few more. Example, "If I keep this book that I bought but never read, it can become "firewood" in a case of an emergency...."or, this is a good one:"I need to keep these pants because I'm going to loose weight..." and it doesn't matter that it will take me 10 years and by then,of course, the pants will be out of fashion...even though if you wait 20 more it may become stylish again, haha!Go 80's!

Anyway, as I was on my conquering mode,I found this book that has been in my shelves for about 10 years give or take, even went to Spain on vacation with me, left it there, my mom send it back to me, again...(about 2 years later), and finally became a permanent fixture in some shelf. It was pack to move to a new house, make it again into my shelves and rediscovered about two weeks ago. It got discovered because of its title "The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management". Intriguing...

Who doesn't want to manage their time and life a little bit better, right?
Well, needless to say that the book was written by the creator of the Franklin Day Planner. By the way...who uses day planners anymore...don't we have little gadgets that do those tasks for us now days?

So, I looked at the date it was published...1995...and I thought to myself...Self, do you think this book will still hold valuable information? or should I put it with "Men are from Mars and Women from Venus" and all the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series in a box to go to D.I.? So I started browsing a page here, another there, and something got my undivided attention. The book became a keeper.

If anybody who actually takes time to read this blog has read the book, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Surprisingly, it's no news, we all have an idea on how to take charge of your life, set goals, etc. But that was not what caught my attention...the "TO DO" lists, the planning, we've all done that at some point or another. What caught my attention were two simple words...INNER PEACE.

Inner Peace, it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? So I started questioning myself...Do I have that? Do I want that? and the most important question...if not, how do I get it?

So now, I'm on my way to establish my governing values, the keystone to that inner peace. Funny enough, the author shares one of my governing values (I just didn't called it that) and I quote: "I have order in my life at all times: I maintain a sense of order in all aspects of my life. My physical surroundings are always clean, organized, and structured so that they bring calm into my life." I just can't function in messes, they stress me out of my witts.

Now I'm working on my governing values, I'll see what I come up with, this chapter will be continued....But before I go, just another excerpt from the book, a poem, an empowering poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox...

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,
that can circumvent or hinder or control
the firm resolve of a determined soul.

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Happy Anniversary

2009-03-07T19:40:00.003-07:00

Exactly today marks the one year anniversary of our blog. I can't believe that! I really enjoy doing it, and makes me learn more stuff about the HTML none sense, which is great. And my kids love seeing themselves on the Internet....
Anyhow, Happy Anniversary The Da Silva Gang Blog!

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Michelle's Devotional

2009-03-06T18:53:00.006-07:00

Ahhh! the beauty of motherhood is to go to children's performances. Today was no different. Michelle had her annual devotional dedicated to the pioneers, but not about their journey, but about their character. They praised virtue, industry, self-government, charity...you know...the beatitudes. It was inspiring.
I particularly like the guitar song with Mr. T, a.k.a Bryce Taylor, my kid's teacher. He is every one's hero, and so far he has done wonders with my little one.

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New neighbors in Cedar Hills

2009-02-26T15:57:00.003-07:00

We all know that during the winter we receive most unwillingly the visit of deers and other creatures into our backyards, but this....

When I saw them from afar I thought they were young deer, but as I came closer...GOATS...big ginormous goats just munching away the golf course grass.
What would be next...?

Patriotic Program

2009-02-26T15:24:00.007-07:00

Every year around President's Day, American Heritage puts a production called "The Spirit Of America Speaks", and every year for the last five I've been there cheering for my girls in their parts.
This year Michelle was in the choir, singing patriotic songs and reciting from the Constitution.
.
Next year will be more exciting, because the 5th graders are the ones who act, and so she will be more involved.
I didn't take many pictures because I was taping her while singing, but just for amusement here are other pictures...
Here's Mr. Cornell, the narrator and a U.S.History aficionado(he has his own life-size replica of a Revolutionary War canon...functional...)

Here are some of the Founding Fathers...

And at the end, as a reminder of the sacrifices of those who had gone before us, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech about stewardship for future generations.
This is our principal Mr. Beckwith...

The last song was an arrangement of The Battle of the Republic that brought me to tears...I'm such a sucker!

Catching up

2009-02-25T08:41:00.004-07:00

I was doing so well with updating the blog, that I was proud of myself...but somehow I got behind and there's a few items that I'm still working on that will be posted soon (I hope) Just stay tunned.

St. George here we come...

2009-02-20T08:48:00.009-07:00

Now and then you like or need to get away....so we went away...to St. George. I knew it was not going to be hot, maybe not even warm, but I was sure it was going to be relaxing....very, very, very, very relaxing.
So Friday afternoon we hopped in the car and drove south. I got scared that it was going to be freezing since we encountered many snow falls on the way...that would've been ironic...running from the snow to go to snow...but I love when the weatherman actually misses his prognostics and goes our way. No snow, no rain as he said!!!YEAH!

Saturday, as is mandatory, we had our first trip to the swimming pool. We swam for about 2 hours (I spend most of the time in the jacuzzi...)

Then, we had lunch at in'n'out (love the shakes), and went to the movies to see Pink Panther 2 which is a horrible movie that makes you laugh.

On Sunday, we had a relaxing doing nothing kind of day,you know...eat, relax, eat some more, relax some more, do puzzles,...

visit with some neighbors...

and finished the day going to the St. George Temple to take some pictures. I didn't think it was open, but it was so we went to the visitors center and stayed for a while.

Monday, as soon as posible, went to the swimming pool again for another 2 hours, played tennis for a while, went to the park, had lunch, and drive north.

It doesn't seem to much, but it really takes you out of the routine of everyday nonesense.It was really nice.

Abigail's Soiree

2009-02-06T15:09:00.011-07:00

Aaah! Another wonderful hands-on on history for my little one...they just finish reading "First Lady of Faith and Courage: Abigail Adams", and to bring it to life for them they dressed up like ladies and gentelmen. The gentelmen escorted the ladies to the "parlor" where they serve the ladies their snacks, dance the Minuette and had table games of yore. I wish I had those cool activities instead of memorizing irregular verbs like parrots (there are MANY irregular verbs in Spanish...)Anyway, it was really fun to see them go for it...and had a lot of fun.

What da...?

2009-02-06T08:59:00.003-07:00

It was time to change again the music selection, and unless you have seen the movie, you might be saying "what da...?" ... See, as some of you know, I go to the movies and before I even pay attention to the actual acting, the music needs to grab me. Here's one example of a great song by a unsuspected dude...my HENRY VIII...I think he does a pretty good job with these tunes...The name of the movie "August Rush", the dude "Johnathan Rhys Meyers" a trouble maker lad from Ireland.
For all that you have no idea who he is...here's a pic of him. By the way, greatly recomended movie. (Other movies he's in..Vanity Fair, Mission Impossible 3)

FOOTBALL OR SOCCER

2009-02-02T13:51:00.004-07:00

As I was watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, I kept asking my hubby for questions to certain moves, or rules, or stops, or lack thereoff...and I decided that I will never be able to understand such complicated game...and as I was contemplating such deep thoughts, I was glad that the World Cup is comming up, and I will be able to enjoy some of the most energetic sports EVER. Of course, this comes from a European whose life went around the many, many, many soccer games on TV, which brings me to this wonderful video explaining my feelings exactly...

P.S. No offense intended to those "handball" lovers, which includes about 3/4 of this beautiful country...

Dance Festival

2009-01-29T15:34:00.006-07:00

January and February seem to be the bussiest months of the year with lots of activities at school. This is our annual Dance Festival, where all the kids show off their wonderful moves in front of the whole school and parents...It is actually quite cute and my girls get all excited about it. Here are some pics... Here's Miss Shannia

...and Miss Michelle

My Little Pioneer

2009-01-21T13:47:00.008-07:00

One of the many things I love about my girls' school is their devotionals. It really doesn't matter that I've already seen them or not, because every year they improve them, and every time it becomes this wonderful new experience. Needless to say, I always end up crying of joy and pride.
Today was Shannia's first grade devotional about pioneers, and for those who check on my Facebook, I've been sewing like a mad woman just for this occasion, but it was worth every second, she looked so cute...my modern latter-day pioneer.

She faithfully learned her part, and in front of a crowd, she deliver it confident. I can't believe how much she's grown.

After the devotional, I tried to have a group picture (monumental task, since there were a lot of parents requiring their kid's attention)and finally succeeded, even though I won't say after how many tries...:)

Aren't they the cutest pioneers ever?

The Power of Music

2009-01-14T17:20:00.006-07:00

For those who don't know, I was and still are an avid collector of 50's Doo Woop music. Sadly enough, all of it still is in Spain since carrying around good old LP's is not very practical. But thank goodness for ITunes and technology, I've been trying to remember most of the songs I already had, and have been acquirying them. Sadly enough, I can't find one of my most favorite versions of The Way You Look Tonigh, which is actually a quite upbeat version of it, but for the love of me I can't remember the group who sings it; so instead, I had to settle for Michael Buble's version. Here are some of the songs that really make me happy when I listen to them....aaaahhh!, reminds me of good old summers at the beach.
I will try to find a picture of "crazy" Carol wearing really crazy 50's outfits, proving that I was die hard rocker. Not promises though.
AH! I found some. Not the best, but in one actually, my friend and I won an award for best costume.

What was I thinking!!!!

First Field Trip of the Year

2009-01-09T16:11:00.011-07:00

While I'm figuring out what needs to be fixed, changed, ammended and whatnot in my blog, I will still try to be a faithful blogger and tell you what's up; so, if yesterday wasn't just Thursday, today was a great Friday.
This year the focus of study for Michelle's grade (4th.) is Utah's history, and what a better way to learn it that just go see for yourself.
Today's field trip was fantastic. We started at the "Beehive House" were Brigham Young lived. History has always been fascinating to me, and so being up close and personal with some artifacts of the era really brings it to life. You can almost imagine what would it like to live back then.

Can you imagine having your friends over, just chit-chating, with one of your daughters playing the piano in the back?

Or having a informal concert just for you and some close friends while eating crumpets?...Ah...fascinating. It really brings Mr. Darcy and Lizzy to life.

Then, we went on to the visitors center and learn about the temple and its construction. Another wonderful piece of history.
It is a remarkable piece of architecture, a beautiful legacy for those who worked to build it, their courage, their sacrifice and their faith.

We also visited the Christus statue (always a favorite in our family). Here's a pic with the whole group.

Next stop, the Tabernacle and it's beautiful organ. Can you belive it has 11,600 and some odd pipes?

And, if your are in Temple Square you need to visit Assembly Hall, which I didn't know, was made out of the extra scraps from the Temple. So, our overachiever pioneers were building three buildings at the same time: the temple, assembly hall and the tabernacle. what a task!
And if you think that's all, you're wrong. Last, but not least, a tour of the Utah Hotel, or known now as Joseph Smith Building.
We started on the 10th floor and worked our way down. We saw some of the most beautiful rooms now used for receptions: the presidents room, with portraits of all the Presidents of the Church from Joseph Smith, the chapel, which used to be a ball room, the Mezenine, the Lobby, with an impressive chandelier that actually weights 800 pounds!, and finished at the Legacy Theater, where a massive bronze statue of Joseph Smith seeking knowledge in the scriptures stand as testimony of the love Heavenly Father has for us.

Again, it was a fabulous, enriching day with a renewed respect for those that have gone before us, and a renewed challenge for me to leave a legacy for the future generations whatever that might be.

Just Thursday, right?

2009-01-08T16:59:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I thought that today was going to be just thursday; another day to pass by doing minial things and not much action. Man,I was wrong!.
First, I should say that to start the year I got a headahce that had me going crazy, literally, not an exageration (which I love to do), but to the point of wanting to run with my head against the wall and end my missery. They're call migraines, which I had for the last 4 or 5 years, and my family doctor decided to call it something else and not give me aclear answer on how to manage them. So, because I can't change my head, I change doctors. She called it by it's name, and gave medicine not just to prevent but to erradicate them. Obediently, I took the medicine and, what do you know? the headache it's just at its minimum, and it's only day one!!!! So, I'm extremely happy, just crossing my fingers it will work on the long run.
Second, I always joked about me being deaf as a wall, so I asked my doctor what should I do. You see, I have this constant ringing in my ears and when I have headaches it seems like "WHOVILLE" it's screaming inside my head "We are here, we are here....!". So, I was recommended to go to a specialist, and obediently I went today, and guess what? Not only my hearing is good, I have SUPERHEARING, yeah! that's right. That makes my little ears more sensitive to noise, and it makes it more anoying when I have headaches, or if a noise it's in the same frequency of my ringing I don't hear it. What that means is that if I kill the headaches, I kill all Whovillians at the same time....YEAH, BABY!
So, to conclude, Thursday, just a mundane day became a GREAT day for Carol, not so much for Whoville.

2009-01-07T11:15:00.002-07:00

Hey, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
It's officially January, and I decide to spice up my little blog. I know nobody cares, but it makes me happy. I wanted more space to put more junk, stuff and pictures all over it (I'm a visual person, you see).
Anyhow, during the next few days you'll probably will see wierd things happening, but not fret, Carol will figure it out soon enogh...(or so I think).
I'm excited to start blogging about this fantabulous year, it's going to be great...it has to be great...right?

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the year has gone...It seem like summer was couple weeks ago. But, like every year, we really enjoyed our christmas vacation. It's always nice to relax and just to play, sleep, and eat; because, we do eat.... It all started with the couples dinner at The Roof, what a treat!

Then Christmas Eve at the Da Silva's. The kids put on some costumes and played for us Luke 2. We thank the director, grandpa Greg for all the effort; and we thank the costume director grandma Kathy for the costumes and props.

Not having enough partying, Christmas Day we went to gramma, and grampa, and receive more presents.
The girls now know the song "The eye of the tiger", and they rock it away like pros.

The following day, of course, more food. Lore's b-day was also a freezing treat, but a treat nonetheless.

And tomorrow, the last day of the year, more food will come our way, and will say goodbye to a wonderful challenging year.
Lets hope it will be awesome like this one, or if I can choose, maybe a little more boring...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!

Oooooooops!

2008-12-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

My little munchkin got a big booboo on her face during the holidays. She tried to pick up a fight with a wall that would not move, obviously, the wall won. We are very glad that it was just an ugly bruise and that we took the family pictures the week before...

ODE TO MICHELLE

2008-12-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe that my little firstborn is not that little. She's in the doulble digits...10. On december 7th, ten years ago, a little bundle of joy was born in Orem. The first time her daddy said her name (she was named after the Beatle's song), she just turn her head and stared at him. Never more our lives have been the same. She has been a blessing from above. She has taught us that love is unconditional, and that you should give it freely, no holding back; she's a warrior in this latter days and Heavenly Father sent her specially to me. I'm very proud to be her mom, and i hope i can live to the high spectations that are expected of me. And as in commemoration of this wonderful moment I just wanted to dedicate a special spot in our blog.

10 THING I LOVE ABOUT YOU

1. Your great sense of humor.
2. Your energy.
3. Your quick witt.
4. Your smile.
5. Your passion.
6. Your loyalty.
7. Your kindness.
8. Your perseverance.
9. Your determination.
10.Your optimism.

Happy 10th. birthday Michelle!!!!

Thankful

2008-12-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I would like to say that I'm very thankful for my life.
I'm thankful for family; mine.
I'm thankful for my hard working husband who has manage to spoil us to death through the years. I love him very much, though I might not say it as often as I should. I'm thankful for my beautiful daughters who make me laugh when I don't have the energy to do so; who make look at the world with different eyes; who teach me more than I teach them; and eventhough I might have a bad day, they find in their hearts to forgive me and love me unconditionally.
I'm thankful for friends; friends that have become more family than my own.
I'm thankful for all the blessings bestowed upon me.
I'm thankful for all the challenges we go through, even when I complain about them.
Aaaahhh! Life is goood.

Tagged!

2008-11-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

8 Shows I Watch
the big bang theory, the biggest looser, the new adventures of Old Christine,The Eleventh Hour, Crusoe, 24, Seinfiel and Everybody Loves Raymond reruns.
8 Things that Happened Yesterday
Had breakfast; cleaned house; watch TWILIGHT with my girls; downloaded Twilight in kids ipods; reseted shannia's Ipod, twice; watched my kids escalating obsession with Twilight; reenact the baseball game scene, with music and all, in my kitchen. Had a blast!
8 Places I like to Eat
P.F. Changs; Maccaroni Grill; Tucanos; Kneader's; Paradise Bakery; The Happy Sumo; My mom's; At home.
8 Things I Look Forward To
Christmas; next vacation (destination undecided); summer; swim on the beach; new discovered song; watching Twilight again; buying Twilight and watching it again; New moon movie (December 2009)
8 Things on My Wish List
Business success; healthy & safe family; find happiness in "all things" (including when my kids spill a gallon of milk on the floor); learn how to play piano (last year's resolution); once i learn, play Claire the Lune until my fingers bleed; inspiration; strenght to endure;figure out what "time management" means....

Like i said, for tagging people, I'm not popular so I will tag the ones that are in my list, (yeah! you know who you are) and i might find random people in blogspot...

Twilight

2008-11-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

In honor of the long awaited movie we're watching tonight, I put one of the songs of the soundtrack in my playlist for your enjoyment.

Twilight Merchandise

It's almost here

2008-11-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Twilight Graphics

I can't hardly wait. The anticipation is killing me. I just hope it's woth it.

Twilight Merchandise

Sorry for the mess

2008-11-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the mess, I'm trying to update the palete for the Christmas season...or winter I haven'r decided just yet. So If you see different colors during the next few days, that's why. Thanks. The Administration

"WIKED" GIRLS-OUT WEEK

2008-11-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

We, the Wilson girls and I, were treated to a nice little vacation to the beautiful Californian coast. We went to Newport Beach, the most charming place for a relaxing adventure.
The hotel or resort, or a.k.a "heaven", was a beautiful italian villa looking place with amazing facilities and views.
The adventures were many, from crazy driving, to figure out were kathy was taking us,to THE PRICE IS RIGHT, to the grand finale...go to see "Wicked". Needless to say that it was quite an adventure, with lots of laughing and little sleep, very very very little sleep.
Note: sorry for the long series of pictures.I run out of space in picturetrail)

Isn't this view just fantabulous?

These are the Wilson girls on the ferry to Balboa Island

I was really excited about the play, and it really was "all that".

Here's our mystical encounter with Marilyn Monroe...

Halloween 2008...

2008-11-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a lot of fun. The weather seemed to cooperate to show off our customes, except for a little drizzle at the end.I love to do theme customes, so I'm already thinking on what to do for next year...will see. Here are some pick of my wonderful people... Hermione ready to cast a spell, Michelle Sparrow, and Mr. and Mrs. John Adams

Crazy technology

2008-11-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Finally I got around the glitch in the display of the pictures. I hope it doesn't do it again. i hope you enjoy...at leas the 3 who check now and then my blog.I still have some old news(that are not that old)to post but be patient and it will eventually come.

Happy Birthday Shannia!...finally!

2008-11-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Talk about procrastination. Shannia's b-day is August 26, and we celebrated her birthday on the 27th.,(not too bad, right?)...duuuuh! 27th of September. Anyway, better late than never, right!!? It's was a lot of fun. We had some activities for the monkeys, and we end up more tired than them. Here are some picks to illustrate. Enjoy!

Kids, they will always be kids. (still very, very, very late news - Sept. news)

2008-11-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Aunt Lore decided to invite us to the FAIR at the Salt Lake Fair Grounds, and so we went on an adventure that had us laugh really hard. Here is the proof that our Husbands are still kids at heart (I don't know if in their bumb also, but...)
Here's daddy trying to defy gravity...

And here is uncle Bryce flying like the wind...

Also the kids had a lot of fun. I don't even remember how many times they went back.

And who doesn't want a backpacking goat? It's in my Christmas list, people. Think how handy it will come after 50 miles of hiking uphill with nothing but boulders under your feet... You know who you are...

Anyway, we saw all kinds of animals, inhaled all kinds of smells, and decided we are not cut for cowboy life. We are defenitely "city" people. lol ;)

And so the madness begins!!! (very, very, very, very late news)

2008-11-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

We are TRUE BLUE and proud of it! So when we go to the games we dress up for the occasion. This was the first game at home for the COUGARS against North Iowa.The game was fantabulous, the grub top notch, and the company 5 stars. What else can you want aout of life?

We love to spend time with the cousins. The kids had a blast, while grandpa was listening very attentively to the game on the radio, and Grandma was trying to survive the heat.

Terrible Mom

2008-10-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

It's amazing that I haven't posted anything about the family and what not, and i'm about to add the new trailer for twilight. Like my hubby says i feel like a teenager. Anyways, i don't think it's worse than camping in the movie theater door to watch Star Wars. So, Just enjoy. ( i promise I will update the blog soon.;)

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

London baby!!!

2008-07-27T12:59:00.000-06:00

Our Daddy-O is in England, opening offices, hiring people, looking for houses, churches, and schools, but before he jumped on the airplane to go back to the mainland, he took a tour of the famous Tower of London. I, obviously, was green with envy, but he was nice enough to take some pictures...

Pioneer Day with the neighbors in Valderrama

2008-07-24T23:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the word was spread around the street. There was going to be a party to celebrate the 24th of July with dinner and fireworks. So around 8:00 p.m. everybody started to gather around the BBQ while visiting with some of our neighbors. We had a lot of fun while watching the fireworks. Here are some of the fun pictures.

Good Old News

2008-07-20T15:06:00.000-06:00

Since the beginning of the summer a few things have happened, but I was either lazy or to busy to publish them in the blog. In essence, Alberto went off for 5 weeks to Germany, came back and gone again; Michelle had her braces removed for a season; we went to Saint George with the Wilson-Arellano, and had a blast; went to Saint George again, this time adventuring to Vegas with dad; and took up a lot of crazy projects around the house, and like you've seen in the previous post, went to Jordanelle.
Man! time flies by, we're right in the middle of July already, and still there will be more thing to come before school starts.
Here are some of the pictures of our adventures so far.

Aaaaah! Jordanelle

2008-07-20T14:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we went to Jordanelle with the Wilson's and company. It sure was hot so we went for a nice swim in the freezing lake. Nothing to cool you off like water from the Utahn snow basin. Grandpa cooked a killing dutch oven chicken, and we had lots of fun.

Gotta Love it! the second dose is here...

2008-07-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

Twilight 2nd Teaser Trailer

Spain's Year for Sports

2008-07-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

It has been a very interesting and exciting year for Spain and its sportsmen. We won the Roland Garros cup, then the EUROCUP after 64 years, and the sweetess of them all the Wimbledon against # 1 Federer. We'll just see if no one gets kill this year at the "Run of the Bulls" which started today and the joy will be complete...eventhough we're no in a good shape for the first day, already 13 injuries=(... It is actually amaizing that only 14 people has died since 1924. Those crazy spaniards...

2008-05-17T11:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we recieved the sweetest of news. After many months of waiting, lots of phone calls to the lawyer, and a lot of dough, finally we recieve our permanent resident status. YEAH! BABY!....
We are oficially residents of the United States of America.
I can't believe it, still processing the info, but thrilled!
It has been a long, stressful ride. We thank our wonderful lawyer for all the magnificent job and counsel. He is the best.
We also are very grateful to Heavenly Father and His doings in this matter, because we know that without His help, we would not get it.

It is here!!!! the trailer and the poster....

2008-05-09T21:06:00.000-06:00

Twilight in HD

Pilgrimage to DisneyWorld

2008-04-30T16:45:00.000-06:00

Every year, for the last 5, we've joined to the multitudes of followers of Saint Walt, Disney it is, in the pilgrimage to the happiest place on earth.
Sometime we choose Cali, some sunny Florida. This is our family vacation for the year, and it's getting better every time since Shannia can join us on some of the rides.
We were a little worried about the weather that was supposed to be rainy, but sun was all we got. And talking about sun, we got a little toasted.
The tour started in Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld, Animal Kingdom, Epcot,and the newest waterpark Aquatica. The girls (and the big kids) had a blast.

Here is a taste of our vacation...enjoy!

2008-04-20T18:02:00.000-06:00

The Worth of a Mom.

A study recently conducted by Edelman Financial Services tried to identify the many ocupations that a typical mother might be said to hold over the course of a year. The researches also examined salary data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, trade groups, and human resource and staffing firms. Putting all the information together, Edelman estimated that a mother's worth is approximately $507,000 per year. Here is a breakdown of the vaious tasks typically performed by a mother and the corresponding median salaries:

Animal caretaker...................$17,500
Executive Chef.....................$40,000
Computer System Analyst............$44,000
Financial manager..................$39,000
Food/beverage Service worker.......$20,000
General Office Clerk...............$19,000
Registered Nurse...................$35,000
Management Analyst.................$41,000
Childcare Worker...................$13,000
Housekeeper........................$ 9,000
Psychologist.......................$29,000
Bus Driver.........................$32,000
Elementary School Prinicpal........$58,600
Dietitian/Nutritionist.............$41,600
Property Manager...................$22,600
Social Worker......................$30,000
Recreation Worker..................$15,500

The Edelman study suggested that since a mother wears many hats and is on duty 24/7, she deserves a full-time, annual salry for all 17 positions. And since the retirement, health, and insurance benefits that workers in this positions typically receive were not factored in, the figures should actually be much higher.

Staggering figures, but also is not counting the super-powers moms have, like knowing when something is wrong with your kid, or making her/his wishes come true, or the cheerleading for every play, game or activity they have. We are just PRICELESS!

Happy Mother's Day in advance!!!!

2008-04-19T18:45:00.000-06:00

Today, after going to Scrapbook USA, and enjoying all the good ideas for albums, cards, etc., I have decided to conquer my fear and try again with the picture header. For whatever reason (maybe obsolete knowledge of computer jargon) it wasn't comming right. But Oh!lala I made it, and today I can share it with the world (about 2 people who check it out now and then =) ) Any ways, be this the day of new computer knowledge and enjoyment.
Disclaimer: Sorry for any grammatical, spelling or other errors.

By the way, Thanks to Lore, my mentor in this new technology. I had fun at the show. Love u tons.

Still working On It ;)

2008-04-03T17:30:00.000-06:00

I know is taking me forever but I'm still learning all the pasting and the cutting and all that. I will eventually have something to show....soon...I hope...

Today is the day!

2008-03-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today I've decide to post our family page so everybody can be in touch with the Da Silva Gang.
After some convincing from a friend, and enjoying watching her own, it was time to do ours, so bare with me because I'm still learning.