#3 for today

in december i promised to post lexi's new school pic when i got it ... well, here it is (finally) ...



today was a very productive day ... after a wonderful Norte service, it was time to get to work on some areas of the house that have been super neglected. i worked in the garage today! i can't believe how quickly stuff just piles up. it was very successful. there is room to run and actually work-out! after finishing that, the kids and i went on a bike ride. tony learned to ride without training wheels ... i know it seems like he is way too old to just start, but really he hasn't been on his bike much since we moved. it's usually his scooter or skateboard. anyway, he is very happy to finally be rid of the trainers. jackson helped me cook dinner. he is really loving helping me out these days. AND i scanned my first pic (the one above)... for Christmas Anna and Damien gave us a new printer that scans pics. i was extremely happy but didn't have the time to play with it yet. but today i did!

all in all ... i'm very pleased with all i got accomplished today!

til next time!
nic

testing ...

I'm checking to see if I can update the blog from my iPhone. I guess it's working, but I can't upload any pics... bummer.

by the way... it's not a 'phone', it's Life... that's what we call it around here. I find myself more on this, than any other piece of electronics. calls, texts, email, music, games, Internet, and now our blog.. woohoo.. I'm never going to sleep now- jk!

ps- two new posts in one day... it's a miracle!!

hi all!

as i stand in front of the coffee pot and wait for my coffee, i was reflecting on how insane our lives have become. how i miss the times when i could just sit (and write if i wanted to) ... our days have become so jammed with things that HAVE to get done, that the things that 'would be nice to do' really take a back seat. i know that this is all common ground especially since we've only been here just over a year and a half. but lately, i feel that so many areas of my life are starting to back up!! i'm handling it pretty well, believe it or not.

today, i pray, will be a productive day... including getting some pics on here for you to look at.

hugs til later!
nic

who else?

who else is sick of seeing the title 'baking Christmas cookies'? don't all of you answer at once ...

i'd love to sit and write all that has been going on here with Team Cueva ... but that would take hours upon hours. so now i will just fill you in on a little ... WE'RE INSANE!! ... but you all knew that. honestly, i don't know how families do it when their kids are in sports. there just isn't enough time in the day to do all that needs to be accomplished. we've fallen into the every day rut that is school/work, homework, dinner, baths and bed. where's the playtime?!!! a question my kids (especially Jackson) ask a lot.

things we've done in the last week (other than the usual) ...
i went to the beach one morning ALL BY MYSELF! something i've wanted to do since before we moved. after realizing it was 'ok' to just sit and be still ... i journaled a lot and couldn't believe how quickly time passed.
the kids and i went to Disneyland with Anna and her family. we had so much fun ... Kiara is so much fun to be around. (i'll post some pics soon, i promise!!)

gotta run for now ... hugs and love to all!
nic

baking Christmas cookies

here's the first installment of pics from baking. it's been a long time coming, but we managed to bake four types of cookies today. i'm fighting a pretty bad cold, so i'm done for today. 2 more types to go and then frosting ... just the chocolate balls and the cut-outs.

oh, as we were baking ... gifts from NY showed up and we opened the aprons Gma Jac made!!

nope, we didn't fall off the face of the earth ...

hello all! someone, ever so gracefully, told me last week that it has been waaaaay too long since i've posted something -thanks jude ;) and she's right, it has been a long time.

our lives have fallen into a routine that doesn't allow for much down time. i can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner.

i guess i'll just update you on some things that have taken place in the past couple of months and some things that are coming up ...

i have taken two trips home in the last 2 months. crazy huh, for someone that HATES to fly? you've got to do, what you've got to do. my best friend got married! i surprised her in october and showed up for her bridal shower. that was amazing. i owe a very special thank you to Judy G., Karen E., Julie R., and Sheri M. for helping the cause "help pay for nic's ticket home"!! And of course i was just home a couple weeks ago for the actual wedding ... i was in it! while i was home, my family had a special thanksgiving dinner for me. so i was blessed to be able to celebrate with my family in NY and my family in CA. but as far as flying home anytime soon... highly doubtful. and if you are a mom, you know how difficult it is to leave your kids not to mention the effort it takes to get everything squared away before leaving.

this week is lexi's chorus concert and trumpet concert. she has a solo on trumpet. she is singing in the church children's choir. also, next week she will be auditioning for the school talent show and will be taking a test to be put in the gifted program. whoa ...

jackson joined the church children's choir just today and is really enjoying it. he is really excelling in school this year. we had some concerns in the beginning of the year, but those has definitely subsided. and yes, he still has skater hair.

tony is at the top of his class as well. he, also, will be auditioning for the school talent show this week. performing a song he wrote (with a little of daddy's help). he and jackson are into Star Wars (that's an understatement) they eat, sleep and drink star wars. the theme song is heard often in this house - through whistling and humming and dah-dahing.

carlos is working very hard. trying to grow a church is no easy task. i am so very proud of him and all he does. growing a church comes with a lot of triumphs and some trails. but thru it all, God shows Himself to us time and time again.

oh and, i almost forgot ... carlos and i celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary last week!!

unfortunately that's all i've got time for ...

much love to all of you!
nic

ps - lex does not like her pic ... she got it re-taken last week. i'll post the new one when i get it.

Hi!

yes, we are still here. i am so sorry to all of our faithful readers. life has just taken over these days. once the kids started school, it seems like every day is jam packed with endless things to do.

i've thought of different posts i'd like to make (and have most of them some-what written in my head) ... now to find the time to actually sit and post them ... haha.

thank you for your understanding ...

love always,
nic