Rocking

feeling her soft, little hands lay upon my arm
her head gently pressed against my chest
hearing her breath, long, deep and slow
gazing at her precious little face, studying every feature to engrain in my memory forever
loving the feeling of her draped across me as I rock her, warm and copious
whispering sweet prayers in her ear, asking guradian angels to watch over her
loving every moment
a tear falls as I realize these moments are gifts and a victim of time
overwhelmed by the abundance of blessings

Lyla's birthday fun!

On Friday, March 25th, our little bug turned 2! Holy cow,that seem impossible to me! We had the big birthday bash at "Lyla's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." It was a great day in every way. There were kids jumping around in the jump house, playing, eating, having their faces painted. Friends and family from near and far attended and the weather was PERFECT! By the end of the day both Fabian and I were completely exhausted, but it was all worth it! Thanks to all that participated in our celebration and the donation of gifts to ACH child and family services!

Here are some pictures of her two year photo session. As you can see, Mickey is her fav!

The ice storm of 2011

We are only 11 years into the new century and I think we may have already had the ice storm of the century in the DFW metroplex. Temperatures dropped below freezing in a matter of minutes and precipitation that was once drizzle, turned to freezing rain and sleet in an instant. In no time, we had no less than an inch of ice that covered every bit of the ground. To top it off, it snowed sporadically for almost 24 hours. By the time it was done, the metroplex was one big sheet of white.
I remember as a child being excited by this kind of thing, but the thought of being cooped up in the house for 72+ hours is no cake walk. No shopping, no outside entertainment, and for some, no power or water for a while. We have endured rolling blackouts and a frozen well head that stopped our water supply dead in its track. Not to mention the fact that this ice storm has totally rained, or iced for that matter, on Superbowl XLV's parade. The excitement that was once in Downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square has all but disappeared. The ESPN announcers couldn't take it, moving their broadcasts inside. Only those bored out of their mind or those with a downtown homestead ventured out to see the spectacle of it all.
It is safe to say that I will no longer complain about the blistering heat because that is what I know, what I understand and what I am used to. If I liked being cold like this, I would move to the Dakotas or something.
However, among in all of the ice and snow there were many blessings! I was personally feeling pretty worn down from working long hours and trying to juggle being a good mom, wife, and employee. Even though I have been working from home these past few days, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated! The most important joy of it all has been spending time with Fabian and Lyla! There have been silly games of catch, chase and ride the pony. Lots of laughs, giggles and tickle times. We have read books endlessly, snuggled while watching Mickey Mouse, and danced to our favorites by Brad Paisley and Easton Corbin.
They mentioned on the news that that we haven't had a storm like this since 1989 and I actually remember it quite well. We lived on large hill. My cousins and I made sleds out of cardboard boxes and went down the hill so many times the ground tore through our jeans. We missed several days of school and it was fantastic! I know that in 22 years I will remember the "Ice Storm of 2011" with just as mush nostalgia.

Its that special time of year

The time of year has come upon us that makes us feel all warm inside. The season of giving, thanks, and perpetual hope. I know I have said it many times before, but this year I feel more blessed than ever. There is so much to be thankful for that I could spend hours writing it all down. Most importantly, I am blessed to have my family. That all starts with Fabian. I knew when I took the new position that it would be hard on us both. More hours for me and more responsibility for him. I am so proud and lucky to have him because he has been very supportive and so great! He is the greatest dad any little girl could ever hope for and I can only pray that their bond continues to strengthen over the years. Just thinking of them makes me smile inside and brings tears to my eyes at the same time. It is really overwhelming sometimes; my cup runeth over.

On another note, we switched Lyla into a new school a few weeks back and it was the best decision ever. She is flourishing and is learning so much! She is still really into music and dancing. We took her to New River's, Jingle Jam, and she had a blast! She was clapping to the beat, dancing, singing and having an absolute ball! I really wish I had that experience on film. I love the purity and simplicity children possess. The really encompass the phrase, "dance like no one is watching." I can't wait for Christmas this year. We have been hiding all of her presents in the spare bedroom because we want to see her reaction to the tree on Christmas morning. She probably won't know what to do with herself! However, I think the family will enjoy watching her than she will opening. It always seems to work that way I guess.

Many Blessings to all and may you have a Merry Christmas!

The best time of year!

I absolutely love fall! It represents so many things that I enjoy....cooler weather, football, baseball playoffs, and most importantly the impending holiday season. Go Frogs! I think this could be your year!!!!!!


We recently took Lyla to the duck pond.......again. A trip to the zoo was planned but it didn't work out. She has been spending a lot of time with her Tio Jesus because he is about to leave for Bolivia for at least the next two years. They have a really great bond and she is very drawn to him. And of course she has completely stolen his heart, which she has a habit of doing to people.


I am more excited about the coming holiday season that ever! This will be the first Thanksgiving/Christmas in our new house and I am looking forward to hosting these special occasions! Spending time with family and friends is what I enjoy most. I have been working a lot of long hours, so I am especially looking forward to a little family time with my two favorite people.


I can't wait to start Christmas shopping and decorating for Christmas. I don't know how I am going to control my spending this year because I have no idea what to get for Lyla. I know I can't go overboard because I have a feeling everyone else will. ;) I am definitely breaking tradition and putting up the tree before Thanksgiving this year! It will be a pain to keep her out of the tree but it will be worth it!



I also I thought I would share one of Lyla's true passions.........dancing. Yes friends, we have a dancer! Prepare to laugh!

New beginnings!

I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since I posted last. In that time a lot has changed! Of course Lyla is growing, thriving and talking more than ever. I am truly amazed by her vocabulary and ability to comprehend things. One of our favorite games is to ask her what a certain animal says and she will always reply with the right sound. She knows quite a few animals so obviously we are very proud! ;) (duck, dog, elephant, fish, bird, wolf, lion, cow, sheep and horse are just a few)

Anyway, the really big news is about me! I changed jobs!!!!!!!!! I know most people are pretty shocked when they hear it because I have spent the last 10 years at the same firm, but I will just say that this was a necessary and very welcomed change. Every day I wake up and don't think I can be any more blessed that I was the day before, and somehow God always surprises me. This was something that I prayed about for a very long time and God started speaking volumes to me and I knew I had to respond. It wasn't an easy decision for me, but one that had to be made. Life is full of difficult choices and I just had to have faith that God is leading me in the right direction. Change is hard, scary, and exciting all at the same time, but without change we won't continue to grow. Without it we become stagnant, complacent and luke warm.........all things our Lord does not want us to be. He wants us to be happy, motivated and excited about the future and that is what I am right now, joyful and excited! Blessings to all!

Lyla's last week with me

Today marks her 14 month birthday and with that, her last week with me at work. In some ways I am looking forward to having a little more independence and improving my productivity at work. On the other hand, I know that this has been a very special time in both of our lives and we got to share these last few months together...........now it is coming to an end.

Selfishly, I wish I could keep her with me forever, but she is her own little independent person now and she requires more attention and yearns for discovery and exploration of new things. I am also very sad today that this is her last day at the Playhouse. They loved and cared for her so well the few hours a week she was there. Words can not express how sad I am that we couldn't make it work out long-term. The hours and money just wouldn't allow it and I can only pray that her full time school is just as great. That would be a true blessing. I hope as a mommy that I am making the right decision for her and that she will be as happy going forward as she has been in the past. :)