Daily Ten

- I cuddled with the kids in bed before getting up this morning.  I love squishy, morning-faced babies!
- We got LOTS of grocery shopping done!  I'm well-stocked for the next few weeks.  (Phew!)
- Bryan found a ninja costume - something he's been wanting and I'd been putting off getting.  It was only $6, though, so I couldn't turn that down.  He loves it!
- Bryan lost his first tooth!!  It was actually last night, but he found his dollar from the tooth fairy this morning and was very excited.  I can't believe he's big enough already to be losing his teeth!
- The boys got to go to our neighbor's Halloween party and had a great time.  They've scored big time this Halloween with candy and prizes!  I'm still hoping they'll "sell" me their candy...
- David had his Halloween party for his agency and it was a success!  There were a lot of people, good food, and tons of things for the kids.  It was fun, but we're both relieved it's over.
- I sold more stuff on e-bay. :)
- The kids are still sick with colds, but it hasn't slowed them down one bit.  I know they're really bad when all they want to do is lay around, and no one's at that point, thankfully.
- David had a boys' night with his brothers playing their soccer game on the x-box.  Annalece is such a good newlywed wife to still let Javi come and play now that he's a married man.  I'm pretty used to after so many years...
- I get to go to the temple in the morning.  Always a nice think to look forward to.

Daily Ten

- Ariana inhaled her oatmeal at breakfast.  I think I need to make it more often.
- I've sold almost $50 worth of baby clothes of ebay to help pay for new winter clothes for Ari. :)  I made my first trip to the post office today to send some things off and it wasn't as tricky as I thought it would be.
- The boys made a pretty elaborate fort in the family room, and it even had a little "room" for Ariana.
- Bryan woke up with a fever and croupy cough in the night, but he felt a lot better this morning and went to school just fine.
- I got some laundry done, dishes done and floor vacuumed all this morning.  Small accomplishments, but at least I felt productive.
- The kids and I went to a fun Halloween party with our playgroup friends.  Good friends and yummy food make for a fun afternoon!
- The kids all got dressed up in Halloween costumes.  Bryan decided to be a pirate, Matty, for some reason,  insisted on being Diego (from Go, Diego, Go), and I put Ari in her flamenco dress.  They all looked pretty cute!  Who knows what they'll decide on for their school parties tomorrow...  Thank goodness for our dress-up box.
- I went to the movies with Cassity and saw "Eat, Pray, Love."  I read the book a while back and really liked the movie!
- I came home from the movie and found all three kids sleeping away.  I'm so glad our kids are good sleepers!
-  David organized his side of the closet and his clothes now look immaculate.  It makes my side of the closet look awful, but I'm glad I have a man who appreciates his things and fashion. :)  His side of the closet is bigger than mine, by the way...

Grandma Work Day

This last weekend we had a work day at Grandma Willes' house.  Over the summer, Mom and her siblings decided that we needed to step up and help Grandma with things around her house.  She's 84, and yet she'll still go out and mow her own lawn if it doesn't get done by someone else!  As impressive as that is that she can still be so independent, it's just not safe, and it's unnecessary with so many of us around.  So last month we all met at her house and tackled her yard, kitchen cabinets, and downstairs food storage pantry.  It was amazing how much we got done and how great things looked by the end of the day!

This last time we decided to tackle the garage.  Now, Grandma's lived in her house for about fifty years, and I'm pretty sure there were things in her garage that have been there for that long!  It was crazy.  Aunt Jaymie ordered a dumpster to be delivered to her driveway, and over the course of a couple days, we completely emptied out the garage, cleaned and organized it.  By the time we were done, the dumpster was completely full, and we didn't even touch all the things she has up in the loft area...

I have to admit, I was totally grossed out by all the spiders and dust and things, but it was so satisfying to see how great things looked when we were done!  It was also a lot of fun to go through old boxes with Grandma and see so many old pictures, notebooks, and mementos.   I also loved the opportunity it gave us to visit with my aunt and cousins that we don't see very often.  Nothing brings family together like good, old-fashioned work!  Next month... the garage attic!  Good thing there are boys in the family that aren't as easily grossed out as I am.  I'll stick to the sorting and reminiscing. :)  

Daily Ten

- I woke up to a clean kitchen!  Love that feeling.
- We had cornbread for breakfast.  Easy, different, and yummy!
- Matthew got a couple cavities filled, and he was such a trooper!  The laughing gas didn't seem to do much to him - he was still really aware of what was happening - but even with a few tears rolling down his cheeks he was totally brave and let the dentist do his thing.
- Ari has some new silver shoes and we both love them!  She's a total shoe girl.
- It snowed!!  I'm not sure if that's really a positive thing, but it was still kind of exciting.
- Ariana has started to say "yeah" and attempt to nod her head.  An improvement from her saying "no" all the time!  Until now I've known she really means no if it's said with an emphatic "o" sound.  Otherwise, it's really yes. :)
- I made my mom's spaghetti for dinner.  Mmmmmm.
- We made more Halloween sugar cookies, but this time we gave them away to our home and visiting teaching families.  I ate plenty of dough and icing, though!
- Matthew's started an "I hate you, Mom" stage.  Thankfully, he'll just as often tell me he loves me, so it doesn't make me feel too bad... yet.
- I bought my plane tickets for Pennsylvania!  I'll be flying with Matt and Ari (David's going to drive out with Jose and Bryan...) and we're staying for a whole three weeks over Christmas!  Hooray!

Daily {Five}

- Ariana had a well-check appointment at the doctor today and weighed in at a whopping 19 pounds!  The doctor's not worried since she has gained a little since her last check-up.  She told me to feed her Cheetos though to help fatten her up!  (Uh, no thank you!)  I'm okay with my sweet, petite little girl.  Her iron levels, which used to be low, are now normal, which was really good news!
- David got back from his trip to New Mexico and had a fabulous time.  He said he "rocked the house" with his presentation.  I don't doubt it.
- The boys and I made Halloween sugar cookies and they turned out so yummy!  MMMmmm, sugar cookies around holidays are the best.
- Matt's had a nasty cough, but thank goodness for honey.  It seems to have done the trick since he went to bed - I haven't heard him cough for hours, whereas during the day he could hardly stop (poor thing).
- The boys and I all enjoyed visiting/playing with friends and neighbors today.  I love knowing such wonderful people!

Daily Ten

- Bryan slept all the way until 8:00 this morning!  He must have been tired because he's usually up much earlier than that.
- Matthew had picture day at school.  I wasn't sure what he would look like by the time they actually took the pictures, so I took a picture before he left just in case.  (He looks so big!)

- I finally bought pumpkins to put on our porch.  They were only 9 cents a pound so they were a steal!  I love pumpkins in the Fall.

- I got lots of cleaning done in the morning so I felt productive.  I set a goal not to even turn the computer on before I got everything done that needed to be done, and it sure helped me stay on task. :)

- Bryan and I had fun looking through magazines for a homework assignment.  Ari liked helping us out as well.

- I went through our many bins of kids clothes to decide what I want to do with them all...

- I enjoyed a delicious caramel apple!

- The boys had fun playing outside with neighbor friends.

- We read books, including the boys' current favorite, "Traction Man Meets Turbodog,"which we've read a dozen times and still all enjoy (even me!).  Bryan was able to help me read several different words.

- I had presidency meeting and enjoyed spending time with the other women in the RS presidency.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with such great people.

Daily Ten

I can't seem to keep up with things these days!  I haven't written anything yet about our big wedding weekend, but I hope to soon.  For now, here's a little about our day today...

- David went on a trip to New Mexico to speak with some agents down there.  He's got a couple good friends there (Lou Santoro, who we visited in Pagosa Springs, CO during the summer) and he had a great time visiting their agencies and eating yummy Mexican food. :)  Tomorrow's his big presentation day.
- I had all the kids take showers after breakfast - nothing smells better than a clean baby (and boys that are no longer their normal stinky selves)!
- Bryan got all caught up on his homework.  I never would have thought it would be so tricky to stay on top of things - and he's only in kindergarten!  He's learning and improving, though, so that's good.
- I made rice krispy treats for playgroup today and got there before anyone else arrived, only to have Ari fall and cut her lip and gum in the first five minutes we were at the playground.  It was a scary bloody mess, but thankfully she's okay and aside from a little fat lip you wouldn't know now that anything happened at all.
- My friend, Jana, kept Matthew at the playground so I got a couple quiet hours at home while Ari took her nap.  It was wonderful.
- I love finding the boys' "treasures" in random places around the house.  This was today's find.  (Bryan's very proud of his silly bands collection these days.)

 - We went to my niece, Madison's, birthday party at Jumping Jacks.  The kids had a blast and no one got hurt!
- We finally decorated the front of our house for Halloween.  Bryan begged me to do it, and I have to admit now that I like it!  Nothing creepy - just jack-o-lantern things, friendly ghosts, and cats. :)
- Today is Ari's 18-month birthday!  (I'll have to do a separate post for her one of these days soon...)  She went to nursery by herself last Sunday and loved it!  She sang and played and ate snacks and didn't miss us one bit.  I guess that's good, right?
- Ari's saying more and more.  Today in the car she said, "Where's Daddy?"  And then responded, "I dunno..." :)

Here are a few pictures from Jumping Jacks... (Ari LOVED the little carousel!)

Hee Haw Farms

Mali and Buelo were here this time for about ten days, and Rebeca and her youngest, Daniel, came as well.  We had so much fun!  One of the highlights was going to Hee Haw Farms.  This was our second year going and I still think it's the perfect little place for families in the Fall.  Of course, we took a ton of pictures!  I'll let them explain themselves. :)

Daily Ten

- My in-laws are in town!  We've had a great last few days with lots of visiting, eating, singing, and everything else that happens when all the Misiegos are together.  :)
- I had a great workout this morning.  It's amazing how much more enjoyable exercise is with a good book!
- We stayed home and worked on homework and things while Matthew was at preschool.  Bryan's getting better and better at reading and knows several sight words, which makes it a lot easier for him.
- Matthew sees letters now and associates them with the names of kids in his class, like "Hey, that's a 'G' for Gavin!" or "That's a 'M' for Madilyn!"  I love it.
- Ariana helped me unload the dishes from the dishwasher by picking things up and handing them to me to put away.  She makes doing chores so much more fun.
- It was a gorgeous day and they boys played outside a ton.  Bryan didn't even come in after getting off the bus.  He stayed out until we made him come in for dinner nearly 2 1/2 hours later.  I'm so glad he's old enough to understand the rules (stay out of the road, etc.) and lets Matthew tag along as well.
- We spoke most of the time in Spanish at dinner tonight after setting a new goal to speak more Spanish with the kids.  David's more determined now after a conversation with his parents about it last night...
- We discovered that Ariana can count to three in both English and Spanish! :)  And she's always so proud of herself when she does.
- Bryan and Matt got baseball mitts from Mali and have had lots of fun playing catch in and around the house.  They've both got great aim!
- Bree and Cassity came over for a movie tonight and David got to go play volleyball, so we both got to have fun. :)

Celebrating 7 years... and how it all began!

For some reason, this anniversary seemed pretty momentous to me.  David and I have been married for 7 years!  It makes us sound old!  We really had a great day, though.  David came home early from work and surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, fruit, and chocolate-covered strawberries - very much like the ones you can buy for big bucks from Edible Arrangements.  Instead of spending the big bucks, though, he bought the flowers and fruit and had his girls at work put it together for him. :)  It was sweet and thoughtful of them all.  I loved it.

David's parents (yes, they're in town!!) came over in the evening with Rebeca and watched the kids for us so we were able to go out.  We used the gift certificates I'd gotten for my birthday to eat at the Olive Garden and see the new facebook movie, "The Social Network."  The food was yummy and the movie was so interesting, so it made for a fun night.  And we had a good time reminiscing about all the things that have happened these last seven years - kids, graduations, new jobs, homes...  It's been quite the adventure, but we've been so blessed!  In honor of our anniversary, I thought I'd write about how we met all those years ago. :)  Since this blog has become the main memoir for our family memories, I figure the "How we met" story should definitely be included...

First, I need to mention how I met his family.  I knew his family long before I knew him.  When I was in the Provo MTC, my companion and I heard that there was a sister missionary from Spain (Sara) living on our floor.  Being excited to meet an actual Spaniard, we tracked her down and visited with her from time to time.  When we were getting ready to leave for Spain, she gave us a package and asked us to take it to her dad, who at the time worked at the temple in Madrid, right next to the Spain MTC.  So when I got to Spain we took the package over and I met his dad.  Later, while serving in Badajoz, his dad came with his brother, Jose, to do a presentation on family history.  Jose was the tech support guy. :) Then the last six weeks of my mission I was transferred to Alcala de Henares, where they all lived.  (By this time David had left on his mission.)  His oldest sister, Rebeca, was leasing out her old apartment to the sister missionaries, and shortly after I moved in she came over with her dad to check on some things, so I met her then.  I took Jazmin on splits once or twice, and I ate dinner (fish soup) at their house one Sunday afternoon, where I remember meeting Javi, who was on his way to the U.S. for high school.  The craziest thing of all, though, was that I even spoke on a tape his dad made at a ward picnic to send to him on his mission.  David remembers listening to this "crazy sister missionary" and even found the tape after we started dating. :)

So though I never met David in Spain, I knew his family, lots of his friends, and I'd heard plenty about him by the time he came to BYU.  A few months before he actually came, a friend of mine who'd served in Spain mentioned that he was coming and I thought, "Well what's the big deal? I'd never marry a guy from Spain!"  Little did I know...

We met the first Sunday of winter semester, 2003.  I'd recently ended a pretty serious relationship after a crazy year of dating, and I was just enjoying some time off from guys.  He'd been home from his mission for about four months and was looking forward to starting some crazy dating - nothing exclusive.  The timing was pretty ironic.  It was fast and testimony meeting at church and I got up to bear my testimony.  For whatever reason, I noticed this dark-haired guy sitting in the congregation with a humongous silver watch.  I thought the watch looked really sophisticated for a regular college guy.  Then he happened to get up later in the meeting and started off, "My name is David and I'm from a little town called Madrid, Spain..."  I knew exactly who he was.  I remember rushing up to him after the meeting to introduce myself and tell him that I'd served in his hometown and knew his family.  He was just excited to know someone that knew about Spain.  We made plans to visit and look at pictures later, and I think I offered to cook him dinner.  Throughout that next week we hung out a lot and talked a lot about Spain.  David was pretty homesick and I think talking to me helped him out a lot. :)  One of those nights we went on a group date with other missionaries we both knew from Spain.  (We saw "Two Weeks Notice," with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant.)  Our real first date didn't happen for a couple weeks, though.  I thought that I just liked him as a friend, until I saw him go out with another friend of mine.  The fact that I was jealous actually surprised me.  When he asked me out the following day, I said yes with a whole new motivation. :)  We decided to go to Temple Square and see the new "Testaments" movie.  Sometime during the movie David grabbed my hand, but claims it was just because he was emotional.  Of all the places to eat afterwards, for some reason we chose Beto's.  (We laugh about that now.)  We talked a lot in the car, though, and overall it was a good date.  The next day we went on a drive through the canyon and I remember feeling really confused and a little bit awkward.  I think I was already wondering if we were going to be exclusive, but David certainly wasn't ready for that.

The following month or so he dated other girls, but we still spent a lot of time together.  We went on lots of walks, even though it was winter and freezing outside.  We'd bundle up and walk the streets of Provo just south of campus and talk and talk and talk.  We had our first kiss at the duck pond.  He kissed me mid-sentence while I was talking about my sister's love for cowboys.  (Not sure why I remember that.)  He still wasn't ready to stop dating other girls, though, which I wasn't too happy about.  It was a pretty miserable and confusing next couple of weeks.  I told myself that if I wasn't his date on Valentine's Day I was going to give up on him.  Thankfully, he chose me to be his Valentine. :)  I'm eternally grateful.  And the rest of the story, I'll save for another day...

Daily {Five}

- I took Bryan and Ari shopping this morning.  Didn't get much, but it was fun to browse.  (Poor Bryan's a good sport...)
- Matthew had a great day at preschool.  I love how proud he always is of the projects and things he brings home, and I'm so glad he loves going to school!
- Matthew and Bryan both had friends over today and even though there were crazy messes by the end of the day, it was worth it to see how much fun they had with their friends.
- I made lentil soup for dinner so the house smelled yummy for hours while it was cooking.
- David cleaned the kitchen really well while I was at a Relief Society activity.  I love him. :)

Daily Ten

- I worked out at the clubhouse!  I'm hoping (again) to get into a routine. :)
- I made cinnamon rolls for a friend.  They were ugly but tasted really good!
- We went to playgroup today and Matt had a lot of fun playing with his "best friend" Michael and the other kids.
- Bryan had some cavities filled, and with the laughing gas he did great!  He bit his lip really bad while it was numb, though, poor kid...

- Ariana's talking more and more.  Now she says "I don't know" in response to questions and "I want some!" when she sees yummy food. :)
- Matt and I were arguing about what he should wear for pajamas and he suddenly said, "Mom, you're bothering me!" very matter-of-factly.  So I gave in and let him have his way, just because I was amused.
- David had a great, though tiring, day at work.  Lots of appointments and lots of sales.  I love it when he comes home feeling good about his day.
- The boys played outside with friends again and I realized the house stays a lot cleaner when they're out and about.  Nice!
- David's taken a new interest in his health.  Hopefully it lasts...
- We had fabulous blustery Fall weather today and I loved it.

Daily Ten

- We went grocery shopping while Matt was at preschool.  It's always a little easier to shop without Matt since he's my runner!
- I got a good deal on some new church shoes for Bryan.  It's crazy how fast kids' feet grow!
- We made it to the bus stop in time, which for some reason is getting trickier and trickier...
- I made a crock pot meal for dinner while Ari was napping and it was so easy and stress-free!  I loved having everything all ready when that crazy pre-dinner hour rolled around.
- Matt played so nicely with his knights and pirates while Bryan was at school.  It's always fun to see his imagination at work, and it allowed me to get lots of things done around the house.
- I had Ari in the carrier while we waited for Bryan at the bus stop and she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, mocos!" and proceeded to blow snot bubbles.  It was gross, but totally made me laugh!
- After school the boys played outside with some new neighbors all the way until dinner!  I realized I've gotten to the point where I'm okay with them playing outside without me watching them the whole time.  Either they're getting more responsible or I'm getting more lax...  I'd like to think it's the first one.
- Ari joined in on her first game of hide and seek with David and the boys.  She got so excited every time she found someone. :)
- David and his office staff all wore pink to work today for breast cancer awareness.  They committed to donate all the commissions they make tomorrow to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in honor of David's mom.
- Bree and Cassity came over!  We've started hanging on out Tuesdays - they workout at our clubhouse gym and then we normally watch a movie.  Tonight we just played games and visited and it was delightful. :)

Daily Ten

- Ariana helped me unload the dishwasher and clapped each time she put something in the right drawer.
- It rained so hard today!  Finally, some good Fall weather!
- I made pumpkin bran muffins with chocolate chips for Ari to snack on.  She's become particularly picky these days, but thankfully she liked them.
- We watched a neighbor friend for a little bit and he and Matt played so well together.  I love seeing Matt with his friends - so cute.
- I decided what to make for Ariana's Halloween costume and it's going to be so cute!  (If I can pull it off, that is...)
- I ran some errands that I'd been putting off.
- The boys and I read new library books together.
- I made a white bean chicken chili (new recipe) for dinner and it was yummy!
- David refereed a wrestling match with the boys after dinner and Matt definitely dominated!  It was pretty fun to watch, as long as they kept their tempers in check. :)
- We had a good Family Home Evening lesson on having an "attitude of gratitude!"  We took turns naming our blessings and wrote them down on a paper we'll keep in the kitchen to remind us of all that we have to be grateful for.

Bryan's first progress report

Mrs. Basso:  "Bryan is an eager learner, and he is also a kind person to his friends.  His Writer's Workshop story is so fun!  He has the makings of a great writer!"

Way to go, Bryan!  We're proud of you, and can't wait to see your stories!

Daily ten

- Bryan caught the stomach bug going around and threw up a few times during the night, but David was good enough to switch off with me each time he needed us, and then he let me sleep in in the morning. I was so thankful for that extra bit of sleep.
- At breakfast I hadn't read from the Book of Mormon like I usually do and Matt said, "Don't forget the Book of 'Mornon'!" Then as I turned to the book of Mosiah, without yet saying anything, he surprised me by asking, "Who's Mosiah?" I didn't realized he payed such close attention when we read, since I usually focus on Bryan, and I don't know how he remembered the name Mosiah! I guess I shouldn't underestimate what he's getting out of our scripture reading!
- We got to stay home and watch Conference together as a family. I love Conference! I love hearing the stories and counsel of the prophet and general authorities and being reminded of things I need to be doing.
- Bryan stopped throwing up mid-morning and got feeling better and better as the day went on. Thankfully no one else has gotten sick...
- Jose spent the day with us. We always enjoy having him over.
- Matt and Ari played in the backyard alone together. They made quite a mess with our mulch, but it was cute to see them having fun together. It's still crazy for me to think that Ari's big enough to join in playing with the boys!
- After Conference we took a drive to see the beautiful autumn leaves around Springville and Mapleton. It was so pretty! The boys liked being able to drive around with their windows down, especially when it started raining.
- We got to visit with Mom and Dad via webcam for a little bit, which is always fun.
- We sang Primary songs around the piano before putting the boys to bed. Matt got excited each time he heard a song he knew from Nursery.
- Ari did not want to go to bed tonight, no matter how much we rocked her, sang songs, or read books. The poor thing's finally fallen asleep on our bed, and I'm just grateful that she usually goes to bed without any problems. I hate hearing her cry.

Pictures from our drive...

Daily Ten

- We got to go to breakfast at Jazmin and Landin's to celebrate Jazmin's birthday!
- It's General Conference weekend!
- David got to attend the afternoon and Priesthood session at the Conference Center with his brothers.
- The boys actually sat and listened as they colored pictures I'd printed out of the prophet, Conference Center, etc.  
- Ariana cuddled with me while I watched the sessions.
- I can finally see Ari's top teeth coming in - 4 all at once!
- The kids and I went shopping for Fall decorations and found some cute things.
- I rearranged the decor in our living room area and now it's perfect for Fall, complete with the yummy cinnamon candle I've been waiting for months to use again.
- I finally cleaned up the laundry and stacks of papers that had begun to take over my room.
- The kids all went to sleep without any problems and I spent a relaxing night on my own while David spent time with his brothers.

My 32nd birthday!

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about my birthday. I always have so many expectations and I was afraid the day would fall short, but even with some unexpected glitches, it turned out to be a wonderful day.

First, David went into the office really early in the morning so he could come home and spend the day with me and the kids. He was home by 10:00, which was awesome, and surprised me with a Kneaders cinnamon roll, flowers, and cash. :) After we sent Bryan off to school on the bus, we went over to the mall and he indulged me by going with me to a few stores before having lunch at P.F. Changs. We got home in time to pick Bryan up, and then we all headed to Jump on It, a trampoline park I thought the kids would enjoy. It took them a little while to get used to the trampolines, but we all had lots of fun!

After jumping we hurried home to eat Chinese leftovers and make it to Bryan's last soccer game.  Unfortunately, we found out that Jose, who'd come down from Salt Lake to go to Bryan's game, was feeling really sick and needed to go to the emergency room.  So David went with him and I took Bryan. Bryan played well - scored three goals in a row as soon as he got in.  I'm going to miss watching him play.  It's been lots of fun!

After the game we headed back to the house for cake and ice cream.  Heather and Jake had come down for Bryan's game but got in a little fender bender on the way, so they just met up with us at the house.  Nate, Bree and Cassity came also, and after waiting for a while with Jose at the hospital, David and Sara were able to join us as well.  (Jose ended up being okay, thankfully, and went home a couple hours later.)  Having everyone together was the perfect way to end the day.  That, and all the wonderful facebook messages I got from friends, made my day. :)  I felt so blessed!