Good morning Monday

Remember all those posts about having such manic Mondays? Well I think those days are over at least for a little while. Here it is just about ten in the morning and I'm drinking my second cup of coffee, browsing the internet and lounging in my Pj's ahhh life is wonderful. Mondays from now on will be my free day, I don't teach or attend any other classes on Mondays it's so nice. Part of me feels like I should fill the day with errands, or cooking, or cleaning, or totally exhausting the kids with playtime and outings and then the rational sane part of me loves sitting here listening to my kids play and lounge around in their pj's too. I think I will for once listen to the rational sane part of my brain and just let the day happen instead of having each hour planned out in my daily planner, imagine just one day with no rushing around well that's what today is, a beautifully boring, no to do list kind of day and I couldn't be happier about it.

Today was the day

So it's finally the moment I've been dreading since May, today is the day I finally turned on the AC. I was hoping to make it until at least July before we had to turn on that money stealing cool air blowing machine, but I just couldn't do it. Today is also the day I've been saying would come for a while now, our spring was unusually cold and the wind still hasn't stopped, I've been waiting for eternity to put on my flip flops and shorts or slather on some SPF 1000 and hit the pool but it just hasn't happened, until today. Today is the day where for the next few months I question our decision to live in AZ, I hate the heat, I despise rattle snakes that scare me to death, I have horrifying nightmares of scorpions, so why oh why did we chose such a place to call home...well in a few months when we dip back into the 70's and stay that way for much of fall and have a winter of only enough snow that it's fun I will remember why AZ is our home, but until then I will continue to complain about the heat and spend my days at the pool trying with all my might to avoid a sunburn. So with that I should run or rather drive because it's just to hot to walk to the pool. Happy Saturday!

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

Santa Fe

So we've been in Santa Fe, NM the last couple of days and it's been so relaxing and wonderful. I don't know what it is about this city that just makes the busyness of the day slow down. The kids have spent their days either visiting with my Grandma (who feeds us all the most wonderful food, I wonder how many weight watchers points are in skin it chicken?!?!) or playing outside in the lush green beautiful backyard at my parent's house here. And then there is just something wonderful about still being able to visit the house I grew up in, and watching my boys climb the same trees I did, play basketball on the same court my brother and I played on. This morning I enjoyed my coffee outside, had some computer time and watched my kids play I am feeling so blessed this week, I have such amazing family ( I got to meet the newest member yesterday) and friends here. Missing my hubby this week but enjoying our trip to land of enchantment. Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope you are able to slow down and enjoy the day.

Santa Fe bound...see y'all soon!!

fear and letting go

As a mother I am protective sometimes almost over protective, I care way too much about trimmed clean nails, high fructose corn syrup, flossing, fish oil I could go on and on. The bottom line is I want my kids to be safe, healthy and happy. I pray every day a prayer I heard years ago I pray that God will bless and protect them and keep his hedge of holy protection around each and every one of them. To be honest mostly I started praying this when we lost our health insurance, that kinda freaked me out, with three boys in the house I know it's when and not if one of them will get hurt or sick. I am learning however in the last few months a very simple but very hard faith building lesson. I'm learning to let go a little more of my kids, to let them venture out a little more. I let my oldest go on a four day road trip with my dad last week, that's something that scared me so bad. I think it's because I feel that if my children aren't with me they aren't as safe, mostly I think it's a control thing. And that is what I think this fear with my children is all about, I can't control everything and them ( mean to a certain point I can, we all have to be cautious with children but things are going to happen) and the older they get the less control I have over them and situations. I really want to find that balance of being cautious but also letting them be free. I really really don't want to be the mother that is the root of 25 years of therapy for them down the road. It's so simple it reminds me of something I hear on finding Nemo....If you don't let anything happen to them nothing will happen to them. Wise words out of that fish face, if I'm constantly trying to control their world, protect them from everything...I'm really hurting them, they won't learn important lessons, or have amazing experiences, or more importantly realize that mom is right, ok ok maybe not so much that one but I will be hurting them and keeping them from experiences that might be some of their most precious memories or from incidents that will teach them priceless lessons they will remember all their lives. So I will continue each and every day to pray for them but in that prayer I also pray that God will help me let go of my fear because with faith there can't be fear.

My first ever Zumba chartity event

So last weekend I conquered one of my biggest fears, I went up on stage and taught Zumba to a crowd of people. It was a charity event that Costco was sponsoring May is for Miracles, for Children's Miracle Network. I was very nervous about it but as soon as I was on stage and the music started all my nerves went away and I had a blast I could have stayed on that stage all day, I LOVED it!! The woman on stage with me is one of my fabulous students and she has lost over 100 pounds by doing Zumba and eating healthy. She is also head of T.O.P.S (taking off pounds sensibly) in our area, she is such a wonderful and inspirational woman I was very thankful to have her up there with me. That's one of the wonderful things about my job, I absolutely love it and I get to share it with others and see significant changes in their lives too. Well it's time to get going the boys have a VBS party to go to and then we may go enjoy the pool and jacuzzi for a little while. It sure feels weird having only two kiddos this week, I'm missing my Nicolas terribly but I know he is having a wonderful time with his Pa.

bad bad blogger, but for good reason

So it's been almost a month since my last post, I know bad bad blogger. In my own defense it's been kinda crazy around here. Since my last post my sweet Nick turned eleven, we celebrated that milestone with a party at home and a huge sleepover with all his friends. The boys also finished up their school year and Nicolas was awarded two very prestigious awards at school one came directly from the oval office signed by the president himself. This award was given to Nicolas because of his academic excellence, he has made the honor roll every quarter k-5, he was very excited about this award and the two pins that came with it, we are all very excited about it. The other award was Outstanding citizenship award he was voted by all the kids at school to receive this award, he was awarded this because he is a model citizen, has outstanding academics (he was on honor roll every quarter throughout his k-5), he is a leader among his peers, he is friendly and outgoing and teachers and kids alike love him. Needless to say we are very very proud of him!! Isaac finished up preschool, and we are still undecided as to whether or not he will start kindergarten in the fall. Academically he is ready but socially and emotionally he may still need some time before school especially all day Kindergarten. So we will wait and see, and I'm not stressing about it anymore, he's registered for five day preschool and also for kindergarten so we have all our bases covered and I know that God will put Isaac exactly where he is supposed to be so my worrying about a decision is no more.
Nathan also finished up the school year on a wonderful note. I shared many many months ago that Nathan has always struggled with reading he has been seeing a reading specialist several times a week for the past two years and she just informed me that Nathan is reading at a fourth grade level and he will be in third grade next year, that makes me so happy and brings much relief. I am a reader always have been and I see how important it is to have a solid foundation at a young age with reading, I've seen so many children and young adults struggle later on because of their reading skills.
We are all just taking a few moments to catch our breath, relax and unwind after a very busy month. Nicolas is on a road trip (first ever!!) with my dad at the moment and the two younger boys have been at Vacation Bibles school this week, so it's been a nice quiet week. We have play dates and sleepovers starting next week and we will slowly go back into the world and start enjoying summer, well that is if this darn wind would stop. And speaking of wind, if you wouldn't mind please pray that our state (AZ) gets some rain our state is battling several very big fires right now and many people have had to leave their homes. So please pray for rain, for the people that have been evacuated and for all the wonderful firefighters that are working so hard to put the fires out. Thanks!! Happy Happy Thursday, Happy June, and happy Summer!!

Eleven years ago today

was the best day of my life. It was the day our sweet Nicolas was born. He was six days early but big enough to be a week or two late 9 pounds one ounce. Eleven years ago today my heart and world changed I became a mom, eleven years ago today I held life's most precious blessing our first child. Thank you Nicolas for choosing me to be your mommy and to share your precious life with me.

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

Shiri Briseno's Zumba Profile

my dad's retirement means lots of extra work for me

So I mentioned a couple of months ago that my dad decided to retire a little earlier than he had planned. Since his retirement a couple of months ago, it's been a bit of a whirlwind change your life kind of pace around here. You see, if you didn't already know my parents live right up the street from us, it works well for us actually really well. We learned right away to have some boundaries like no coming over usually without calling first and so on, so we love it. OK back to the point...my dad is a keep busy at all times kind of guy he has to have projects every single day that will take up the whole day. Thank God for this because if he was a lay on the couch and watch westerns all day kind of guy I think I would be searching the yellow pages for a good divorce attorney for my parents. I love it, he takes the boys hiking and fishing and some mornings he takes them to school for me or picks them up, I'm starting to wonder what I ever did without him. I love it and all but boy does he keep me busy, all this week we have been at my house pulling weeds, cutting bushes, digging out dead bushes (have I mentioned that I absolutely hate gophers and moles right about now). I feel at this point I could give our local landscapers a run for their money, but I won't it's really hard on my back, ouch! So as I pour scoop upon scoop of Epsom salt into my bath and sit there until I'm as shriveled as the raisins in my cereal I feel ever so grateful to have such an amazing dad who helps me in so many ways, I feel blessed that he is such a wonderful pa to my boys. Tomorrow on the other hand when I can't get out of bed, but he insists because it's planting day I will curse (quietly of course, I do have my manners) his name and will politely hand him the want adds.

Absolutely a manic monday

Today has just been one of "those days". After not sleeping so well last night I woke up feeling groggy and exhausted but up and off we ran. I dropped all the kiddos off at school went to Zumba, had absolutely no energy I'm glad I wasn't teaching today! Then had to go back to school to do reading groups with Nathan's class and totally forgot that I had promised to stay for lunch with him today but couldn't because I had forgotten to sign Isaac up for lunch bunch at his school. So instead with the whole five bucks I had in my wallet I took Nathan from school picked up Isaac at his school and darted over to little Cesar's pizza, and at this point starvation had kicked in so yes I succumbed and at two slices of peperoni pizza, I'm totally going to kick my own butt at soon as I log off. Then it was home to shower and squeeze in a nap for Isaac. All was going well and we were actually going to be on time to pick up the boys from school and take Nicolas to the dentist, well that was the plan until Isaac woke up sick to his tummy, we got all "that" cleaned up and I still thought we would make it out the door and then Isaac got all pale looked at me and in about five seconds or so we were both covered in his puke, I know TMI I told you at the beginning it was one of those days. So with ten minutes to pick up the boys and be at the dentist my whole day changed. Called my mom to pick up the boys, called and rescheduled the appointment and brought out the hazmat cleaning equipment and cleaned it all up and took yet another shower. Isaac is now resting in my bed with a puke bag handy along with some gingerale and crackers. I've been doing this mom thing for quite a while and yet it still somehow surprises me how quickly a day can change. Sometimes it can be hectic and stressful but even on days like this I wouldn't trade my life or being a mom for anything else in the world. So tonight we will have a quiet and much needed restful evening and hopefully all will be back to normal tomorrow. I absolutely need a terrific Tuesday after this manic Monday!!

Mother's Day tea

On Wednesday I was invited to have tea at Isaac's preschool. It was such a wonderful morning, the kiddos sang sweet songs and read us their favorite books and then we all went upstairs for fellowship, cake and tea. Happy Mother's day to you all!

thinking about what may have been...

Dear Johnathon,
28 years ago I became your sister, your big sister. 28 years ago I went from being an only child to a big sister to you a precious seven pound little bundle of joy, who was perfect in every way. You sweet perfect baby boy you were my brother, my baby, my love and our family's world for six short weeks.
Today I can't help but miss you and think that we were supposed to grow up being two peas in a pod, we were supposed to be best friends who would share wonderful childhood memories. We were supposed to ride bikes and build forts and walk to school together every morning. You were supposed to be in the stands on my graduation day. You were supposed to be the one I called to tell I had met the man of my dreams. You were supposed to be there when I had kids and I in turn when you became a father. Today we should be hosting a party to celebrate your 28th birthday, but instead I think of all the should haves, I wonder about all the would haves. Most May 3rds I'm OK that you aren't celebrating your birthday with us, but with Jesus I mean come on I bet He throws a much better birthday party, but today well it feels different. I feel sad, very sad and selfish wishing I was the one putting candles on your birthday cake right now. Selfishly wishing I could see your face if only for a moment, wishing I could hear what your voice would've sounded like what my name would sound like coming out of your mouth. Today I miss you very much. Today I'm wondering what you would look like, how tall would you be, would your beautiful hair still be blond? Would you be married or have kids? Would you be funny like our dad, or quiet like me?
(Would he...would he..would he? the list goes on and on) Well I do know one thing your life on earth with us was so short but you will live in my heart every day of my life, until one day I will get to see for myself if your hair is still blond, if you are quiet like me or funny like dad. One day there will be no would haves or should haves only forever making new wonderful memories with you. Happy Birthday Johnathon, I love you!

Love,
your big sister

Zzzzuuuuuuummmmmbbbbaaa!!!!!!!!!!

It's officially taken over my life, or I should say our lives. My poor little family I think I've been really neglecting them since I started teaching. They are all such good sports about the whole thing, they never complain in fact all of them are being super supportive. Isaac asks me everyday "Momma how was your zumba today? so incredibly cute and my husband is my absolute hero right now he is my number one cheerleader (minus the short skirt). He has really stepped up in helping me make this a career, he offers to help me out when he sees that my schedule is really tight, he doesn't complain when we eat leftovers for three meals in a row and one of them may or may not include cereal. He never complains in fact he is full of compliments and wonderful words of encouragement. Something I desperately need right now as my confidence still tends to waiver a little bit.
Well I better run I have two classes to go teach like I said earlier Zumba has taken over and if you happen to be living under a rock and you just haven't ditched the workout and joined the party yet you really should try it. Happy Happy Monday!

Happy 5th Birthday Isaac!!

Mmmm...mmmm Good!!

The weather out here in AZ this week has been crazy, our high temp last week was almost 80 and today we are expecting snow!! I heard a friend of mine say this week that mother nature must be suffering from a sever case of PMS. With all this crazy weather it sure is making everyone really sick all three boys and my darling husband all missed some school and work this week. It's been really yucky! So I thought I would show some love and hopefully help them all feel better so I made my man's favorite meal and since he loves it so much I thought I would share it.

Chicken Soup:
2 Tbsp Grape seed oil
1/2 a large onion or whole small onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 carrots, cute into bigger pieces
28 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
28-32 ounces warm water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt and Pepper to taste (I don't usually add much salt because the broth has so much in it already)
Heat oil in pan once it's hot add in all the veggies and let cook about 7 minutes or until tender. Add in the tomato paste and mix well, then add chicken broth and water mix well making sure there are no lumps of tomato paste then add the bite size pieces of chicken. Bring to a boil and then let simmer about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. You can garnish with thyme or rosemary ( I usually don't and it's still wonderful, my garnish is usually a big hunk of yummy bread). Serve and enjoy, it's even yummier the next day.
I don't usually eat meat so when I'm making this for me I add quinoa and tofu instead of chicken and use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth, my family loves it vegetarian style as well. I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does. Well I have to run I have noses to wipe, medicine to dispense (Nicolas has a sever ear infection at the moment) and pillows to fluff. Have a wonderful Friday!

Trusting Vs. Texas

I write this with a heavy heart, I'm absolutely not forgetting all the many great things and huge blessings that are happening in my life right now, I couldn't! However today my heart hurts today I wrote out all the invitations to Isaac's big 5th birthday, he's really excited he told me last night "Mom when I tell how old I am I just give them a high five or a wave because that's five fingers right I'm five fingers now". So cute, he is absolutely precious and has the biggest imagination and the mouth to go with it, he makes me laugh all the time. I wrote out fifteen invitations for his party and this year I couldn't write one out to my parents or my brother because they are all out of town and won't be here for his birthday, this my friends is a first and not one I'm at all happy about. I love family, it's probably the biggest part of my whole life, in a perfect world I would have every relative living within 100 miles of us. I'm really afraid that those days are over, my parents are on there way right now to Texas and they are really considering moving there, it's full of opportunity for them and with the recession and all our little town is just not recovering as quickly as we need it to so my brother is considering taking a job in either Colorado or New Mexico and that means we will be out here all alone. So this may be the first of many birthdays, and holidays that will be celebrated without any family. I have to just pray and have faith that God will work this all out and all of us will be taken care of and be happy, I know we will all be OK and eventually all will work out and I do trust that everything happens for a reason but it still hurts my heart. I wish I could just pack us all up and move with them but I'm learning as I grow in my marriage that, that just isn't fair to my poor husband. He is my world and I love him more than anything and I need to put him and his needs first and put my feelings and wants on the back burner at least for a little while, this is something that will take time for me to get used to and he doesn't understand why this is all so hard for me, poor guy I guess he just doesn't understand the bond between a daughter and her mom and dad.

feeling like spring but...

I absolutely love this time of year, I quote a friend of my directly when I say our little town looks a little like Narnia right now, with all the beautiful trees blooming and bursting with color. The grass is green, dafodils and tulips are in full bloom it's just gorgeous around here and you can't beat this 75 degree weather. If it could stay like this year round I would be one happy camper, I dislike being too hot or too cold so I love love love spring!

Yesterday I had a house full of kiddos and I was a bit nervous because there were MORE than I had expected but thanks to my good friend spring they played outside the entire time, they didn't come in the house once it was amazing! And today my sweet friend blessed me with another gorgeous day and we spent most of it at the park on a wonderful play date with Isaac's friends from school. I'm trying to soak it all up because before I know it I will be complaining that it's once again hot in AZ.

Loving life and this glorious weather

I've been having just the best time recently, it feels like things are really falling into place for our family and I couldn't be happier. It's been VERY stressful for a while now and it has really rocked our little family. I don't deal with change and stress very well, I am a creature of habit and love structure and routine I do love spontaneity as much as the next gal but for the most part I love to know what my day will look like. I feel like all of my praying has been working, it may have taken a while but it is indeed working I'm reminding myself now to remember that everything is in His time not mine and patience is something I'm constantly working on. I will go into detail at another time I promise because trust me when I tell you, it will absolutely blow your mind how great our God is and I'm seeing how faithful and loving He is and how when something (hint hint)even from your childhood has been taken or destroyed he is so faithful in restoring it when you least expect it. So on this Thursday as I prepare to go teach my wonderful women and enjoy the afternoon with a house full of children (my husband is teasing me at this very moment saying I always seem to have all these extra little kiddos around) I am overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, and love beyond measure.