... just a little late

Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year from Team Cueva!

what a tremendous first CHRISTmas in cali. emotionally, i did a lot better than expected. my mom was here, so that helped. and we were surrounded by plenty of loving family members and friends, that it helped to make our first CHRISTmas here a memorable one.

many blessings to you this new year!

nic

the REFRESHING Fasoldts

what a refreshing time with our dear friends al and nancy! i can't even begin to tell you how incredible it was to have them around.

i guess i'll start with al and carlos ... oh my, they didn't stop talking to each other ... computers, ministry, dogs, church, family, sports, ... the list goes on and on. you'd never know that they were both introverts. i was actually quite amazed (in a good way).

nancy and i started MANY conversations, that i'm not even sure we finished all of them. so much to chat about and not nearly enough time. i can't explain what a breath of fresh air it was to have her around.

lex and jacob and joshua ... she was in her glory. the dogs loved her. when we weren't out and about, lex was constantly hanging with them. the dogs also took to jackson and tony, but not like they did to lex. there is no doubt in my mind ... lex NEEDS to own a dog.

i was surprised (and i shouldn't have been) but the kids took to al and nancy like there has been no time lapse. it was incredible. they say that dogs have a sixth sense, but maybe kids do too ... the fasoldts are such great people, the kids just felt at home with them. and i am sure that the fact that al and nancy drove them around in the mobile home (otto) had nothing to do with it ;) wow, they loved that.

time is short right now, because i'm getting ready for a very special guest to arrive tomorrow - MY MOM! but i wanted to share with you a glimpse of our time with the REFRESHING Fasoldts.

our 13th anniversary

13 years of pure bliss ... come on now, you know that's not true. BUT 13 years of definite fun, love, and lessons to learn from. it amazes me that no matter how much time you spend with someone, there is still a world to learn and relearn about them. what i love most about being married to carlos? ... the level of comfortableness we feel toward each other. there is no one else that i have that with and no one else i would want that with.

with the help of a couple friends ... i planned our anniversary this year. something that i've never done, that's usually carlos' deal. but i still think our 11th anniversary wore him out and he is still FRESH out of ideas. if you don't know about our 11th, let me know and i'll be more than happy to share the story with you. anyway, after the kids went to school, los and i went out to breakfast at IHOP, i was craving pumpkin pancakes. (to my dismay, the best pumpkin pancakes in town are not at IHOP but Mimi's!!) after our breakfast, we made our way to 'Gondola Getaway' with a stop at Starbucks before hand. after some picture taking, (i do not like to get my pic taken, but carlos insisted that i be in the scenery pics), we were on our way. our gondolier looked just like Neil Hafter! (brittani's husband) - wierd ... we learned a lot about long beach history. there are 5 bridges that we pass under throughout the ride and one of the ride rules is that YOU HAVE TO KISS UNDER EACH ONE. great!, if you're not sick, which at this point carlos was. sooooo, guess who got sick the next day? me! and am still not feeling all that great. ... i had more stuff planned for the day, but am not willing to share details of that - heehee. our 13th was definitely a memorable one.

love to you all!
nic

highlights!

'tis the season to be busy!! here's are some highlights of what's been going on the past month ... and there is more to come ...

we have visitors arriving this saturday!! Al and Nancy Fasoldt will be here for the weekend! we can't wait to see them.

enjoy this pic's,
nic