The last week!

The last week in pictures and in no particular order... :)

I'm going to be completely honest here and say that the last week has been a REALLY rough one...  I don't know why...  I've been sad for really notI know it doesn't make sense to me either... hing at all, and for everything,  all at the same time!   I've been tired, REALLY tired, and forgetful, and that "I must be invisible" feeling came back again....  ugh... 

I feel like I have seriously been holding back tears ALL week...  ugh...  what a horrible feeling...  finally yesterday I just couldn't anymore...  I was at work with tears seriously running down my face ALL day...  It can only get better right??  Geeezzzz I hope so, because this gloomy business sucks!!  ;)

I saw this the other day and TOTALLY LOVED it...  I think I need to have it, it speaks the truth, better than I could ever say it!  ;)

.....and then I saw this too...  I think so many people have the wrong definition of success...  and I love how it is defined here!  :)

....and my mom made us the best cocido EVER...  It was a perfect dinner to be followed by a fun-filled family evening!!  :)  the only sad part about this is that this may of been the last cocido until next winter!!  ;)

....and I woke up monday morning to this...  I'm in first place in my fantasy baseball league...  what do you know..  the only girl in the league is beating all of the boys!!  ;)  I know it may not last...  BUT I have to work it for all it's worth!!  ;)

Everyone swears by retail therapy, I tried it, it did nothing for me...  I think I'll stick to patry therapy instead!  ;)

I met Jaime and the boys at the park one day after work...  It was exactly what I needed that day...  good conversation with a good friend and endless hugs from the boys!!  oh how I LOVE them!!  :)

on their way to meet up with me, Brody picked me a flower...  a sunflower he told me!!  :)  thank you Brody you made Mia's day!!  :)

For Easter I had meant to make all the kids baskets...  I got as far as getting them coloring books, They've been rolling around in my truck for over a month..  I went ahead and gave them theirs...  and then they were on their way home...  I LOVe that picture of Jakey boy..  he was ready to walk with his coloring book in one hand and his milk in the other!!  ;)

Then I met my sister for dinner...  Steak sounded delicious to me!!  We ended up meeting at the roadhouse...  and it was yuuuuuummmmmmmyyyy!!  :)

Here's to the end of a blah week, in which I was thankful to still be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family!!  :)  I hope everyone has a terrific next week!!  :)  I'm on a countdown for a weekend adventure!!  :0 

Fun and thankful week!!!

So much to be grateful/thankful for this last week.... 

Lots of food,

quality time spent with the family, and the friends,

cake creating

monster truck cake success!

I'll start off with this scruptious tart my dad came home with for my mom and I....  it was just as delightful as I expected it would be!  :D

....and then I got this little guy delivered for breakfast one day!!  it wasn't bad...  it might actually change my "never eat taco bell," rule...  I'd eat it again!!  I think it was the shell, the shell was delightful!!  :)

....and then I had the pleasure of meeting up with an old co-worker / friend for lunch one day!!  yummmm... the food was delicious, but I was full after the salad!!  and the garlic bread!!  ;)

.....and I enjoyed this beautiful sunrise on the way to work one day!  :)

....and unfortunatelly for me, I started playing draw something with proffessional artists...  ;/

...their drawings convinced me, that I definitely need a stylus...  or to stop drawing...  I'm going to go for the stylus!!  ;)

....and Mr. Jake and I got to spend the morning together..  then we met Jaime and her mom for lunch...  and again, my meal was the biggest...  why is that??  ;)

....and I also got to spend some jumpy time with Miss Ella, while Mr. Luke looked on!!  ;)

....and sunday was family day...  my dad BBQ'd for us!!  I LOVE that he was so happy and excited to BBQ!!  :)

YUMMMM!!!  Carne Asada, pollo asado, and al pastor, all al carbon!....  :)

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.....and luckily he finished just before the storm came...  and we ate while it poured rain and thundered outside!!  :)

carne asada, pollo asado, salsa, guacamole, queso fresco, and a potato is what was on the menu!!  :)

...and we ended the day with a fun game of dominoes!!  :)

Here's to a fun end to the week, and a fabulous stormy sunday afternoon spent with family!!  :)

I can't wait to see what blessings, next week brings...

Have a good one everyone!!  :)

Random

I was going thru my phone today...  and noticed that there are a lot of "randomness" sort of pictures on there that I haven't downloaded yet...  so today is a good day for that!  it's a small glimpse of the serious randomness that is my life...  and a little peek, inside what I am grateful for and blessed with EVERYDAY!!!  :)  In no particular order, random pictures from the good ol' phone!!  ;)

Pretty, Pretty sunsets!  LOVE, LOVE these!!  and I can't get enough of them...  as you will soon see!  ;)

....and the puppy, and spending time with him!!  ;)

another pretty sunset, or two or three!!  ;)

...and I was lucky enough to be able to visit with Miss Leanna, Dave and Marcela again...  I made them dinner and hung out with the oh so cute and sweet new baby girl...  I couldn't believe how much she had grown in such a short period of time!!  :)  It was seriously LOVE at first sight...  I can't wait to visit with them again!!  :)

.....and I woke up one morning to snow in the mountains behind my house!!  that's always super exciting!!  :)  and oh so pretty!

...haha!!  this picture makes me laugh..  Mike took it one day on their way home...  I think Sisco was saying, "bye bye grandma, see you tomorrow!"  ;)  We have seriously all fallen in love with that guy!!  :)  GREAT shot Michael!!

...and one day I decided banana bread sounded good...  so I made some...  I cheated a little, it wasn't from scratch, but I did put many real bananas in it!!  and it definitely hit the spot!!  :)

another awesome sunset over the lake!!  :)

....and Valentines day goodies!!  :)

...and somewhere in the last few weeks my mom made homemade arroz con leche / rice pudding...  it was sooooooo good, I think I should post the recipe, maybe soon!  maybe I can talk her into teaching  me how to make it!!  ;)

BREATHTAKINGLY AMAZING!!

Reading/snuggle time with the kiddos...  it's moments like these that melt my heart and truly make me feel grateful that they love me as much as I love them!!  :)

The last week......

I know on Wed. I said there was a  black cloud following me!!  BUT the week hasn't been ALL bad...  just that hick-up in the middle of the week...  :0 

There was some running, walking on tuesday...  remember that mud run I signed up for?  I think it's about time I start training for it!   ;)  so I went ahead and jumped into a 3.5 mile run, mostly walk, up the hill by my house!!  :)  and let me tell you, it felt good...  now to get better music on my iPod!  ;)

...and there were some fun new quotes I found!!  ;)  I think this is one of my new favorites!

....and naturally the week was full of good, hearty food...  anyone for In-n-Out....  Monday's pick, a number 2 with a root beer float!!  YUMMM!!!!  AND yes!  It was just as tasty as it looks in the pic!

....and there was a visit from family we haven't seen in over 20 years...  Walter and his family were at Disneyland for a dance competition, and they came over for dinner...  We had the BEST time...  It seriously felt like we had just seen them not too long ago..  I LOVE meetings like that!  :)

...and it just so happened that it was his birthday on the day that they came to dinner, so we celebrated around a banana bread cake!!  ;)  why not?  ;)

This was our first time meeting Sara and the girls, and it felt like we'd known each other FOREVER!!  :)

...and half-way through the week, I decided to indulge in this yummylicious shamrock shake...  If you've never had one you most definitely should!!  They're GREAT!!  Thanks Julie, Carlie and Wheelie for introducing me to this dangerously delicious drink!  :)

....and Gaby and I started doing myfitnesspal....  NOT necessarily so that I start counting calories, WE ALL KNOW I LIKE FOOD TOO MUCH TO DO THAT!  ;)  But at least it's been an eye-opener as to how many calories food actually has!!  ;)

....have I mentioned that working with my mom also has it's "food" perks, on Thursday she made me this delicious sandwich for lunch!  :)

...and I also get to see such pretty, pretty skies!  :)

...and on saturday night the boys and I had a sleepover...  Brody pretended to be a statue!  ;)

....and we took pictures.....

...and drew some pictures!

.....and drew some more....

....and we made silly faces!

....and I ate LOTS of pistachio salad...  Thanks Jaime, it really is my favorite, AND it was DELICIOUS!!!  :)

...and Jakey drew a monster!! 

.....and I made green funfetti cupcakes for work!  :)

....Then work fed me this!!!  YUMM!!!  :)  and on this day I COMPLETELY failed myfitnesspal!!  ;)  haha!!

more pictures!  :)  This is my ocean...  complete with fishies and a turtle, and Brody really wanted a rain cloud, so we added that!!  :) and a shark, see the shark??

.....and Jakey boy pretended to be a spider!! haha!!!  :)

Then there was my sunday afternoon meeting with the dorm crew...  Charles found a new restaurant he thought we should try...  so off we went, I will admit, the fact that the parking lot was empty made me just a little nervous!  BUT the salsa was AMAZING, and the food followed suit...  it was all very good, we ended up giving the restautant 3.5 stars, ONLY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE FLAN.....  ;)

Then we were off to the movies, we had previously picked 21 Jump Street, and let me tell you that I hadn't laughed that hard at a movie in a really long time!!  ;)   and Angie and I decided to join the American Reunion movie poster!  ;) 

The sun was setting when we got out of the theatre, and it was BEAUTIFUL!  I think that's my favorite "after the storm" thing, the beautiful clear skies, which usually lead to beautiful sunsets!  :)

 ...AND when I got home and started "catching" up on emails, and "social media,"  ;)  I ran into this!!  AND LET ME TELL YOU

I LOVE IT!!!

It is so true, and it is definitely me...  as always today and everyday I am grateful for everything that I am blessed with, even the dark cloudy days, because there was a lesson to be learned that day..  I think it was patience, not sure, it may be something else I haven't thought of yet!!  ;)

I am blessed with the most amazing family, and wonderful friends, wonderful loving children. I am also blessed with health, a job,  and many many happy memories, memories that are made EVERYDAY!!!

Here's to hoping that we all have a wonderful week!!  :)  Mine will be a busy one, one which will hopefully produce good looking monster truck treats!!  ;)