Vacation

We're on vacation, right now, as I'm typing this laying in a hotel bed.  So why am I blogging right now while I'm on vacation rather than after I got home?  Well because I'm trying to avoid writing a talk for sacrament meeting.  Sigh. 

We've been in our ward for 4.5 years.  I've served in 3 different YW presidencies, I've been camp director once and attended girls camp another year, yet this will be my first time speaking in this ward.  Shocking right?  I’m a little shocked.  You know the funny part about that, I don't mind speaking in church.  Call me crazy but public speaking isn't so bad. Sure I get butterflies in my stomach and my pits get sweaty, but other then that not so bad.  BUT this time, I’m not so thrilled, because as previously mentioned I'm on vacation.

When we were planning this little trip Brent and I argued (we always argue when making vacation plans, I don't know why.  If you were to ask me what we argue about the most it would probably be travel plans, which is likely a good thing since we don’t travel all too often, we don't argue very much) about weather to go Thrs-Sat or Fri - Sun.  I thought we should go Fri-Sun, Brent won.  This means I was going to be in town to speak when the Bishop asked!  If we'd made plans like I wanted to, I would have totally gotten out of it because I would have been out of town!

The bishop asked me Tues night after mutual.....I lingered too long.  We left early Thurs. morning on our trip, we won’t get back until late Sat night.  This leaves me no option other than writing a talk while on vacation.  The only reason this is even possible is because my sister in law loaned me her lap top for the weekend.  Bless her!  She is a life saver.  I was a bout to have a panic attack Wed before we left thinking I had basically one day to write a talk.  But here I am, rather uninspired and not quite sure how to compose this talk. So rather than writing talk, I'm complaining on here.  Great use of my time right?

Well wish me luck!

PS  our vacation has been amazing!  I can't wait to get home and post pics and write all about it!

Vocabulary

Croix's vocabulary is really growing, and fast!  He repeats just about everything we say.  He says new words all the time.  It's quite exciting that we are really starting to communicate.  He's even starting to put sentences together.

The other night Croix and Brent were playing.  Running around the living room, chasing each other, doing ring around the rosies, growling at each other etc.  Croix kept saying "this is fun".

Although not quite a word Croix has picked up on a silly little thing I didn't even realize I do.  Apparently I click my tongue a lot.  He started doing it when ever I would, which made me realize I even do that.  Now he does it on his own.

He asks "what's that" all the time".

He sings Elmo (melmo) "la la la la, la la la la, Elmo's world"  (only he just says la la la).

He can find cars just about anywhere, and says cars, cars, cars until I've found lightning McQueen.

When He's thinking about something, or if you ask him a question he'll say  ummmmm.

He's started calling us Mommy and Daddy rather than Mama and Dada.  This makes him seem so much older!

He asks for his aunt Chelsea an awful lot, as well as cousin Seth.

He loves to do Superman (sweepman) and ring around the rosies and will ask for those frequently.  He loves and asks for piggy backs (packpacks) every time we go down the stairs.  He asks for candy (nannee) all the time (very rarely gets any, thank you Easter candy).

With all this talking he still has yet to figure out talking on the phone.  He just holds the phone to his mouth and chews on it.

Jewelry

My jewelry has been a mess! My jewelry box was just not doing the job. So I googled some ideas on homemade jewelry boxes/storage and found some good ideas. I kind of put a few together to get something I really like!

Before

SUCH A MESS

I got a picture frame on clearance at Walmart for like $7, I went to Lowes and got some paint for $1 from their "ooops" section (paint they mixed wrong).  Everything else I had at my house already. It was a super easy, affordable, quick, project!

I took the frame and sanded it down and then primed it and painted it.

Then I roughed it up a little bit

Then I took some cheesecloth (to hook ear rings in) and put in in the back, left the glass out.  I added some hooks to the edge (for necklaces) and some nails to the top (for rings and bracelets).

And hung it on the wall.

Then I added my jewelry.

After

So organized

I love the way it turned out!  I love the color too!  I have some left and I'm trying to figure out what else I can do with it.  Any ideas?

Newborns

Newborns are so sweet and perfect!  I had two friends who just had babies and let me practice. These are the results



Baby Dax

Baby Gwen

Photography sure is fun!

Jump

Croix has been trying to jump.  It's pretty funny, he jumps around, usually falling on his booty.  He's only gotten both feet off the ground a couple times, but it wont be long until it's no problem for him to jump up off the ground, or off the couch, or table, or bed....I'm in trouble

Hat

The other day Croix was asking to wear a hat.  I happily obliged!  He was adorable, so of course the camera came out.

Is it just me or does he look so old in these?  Maybe it's the fact that he has his cell phone!  Oh my he's growing up too fast!

HandyMEN

Our vacuum broke, Brent decided he could fix it.  Just take the whole vacuum apart, take out the cord and replace it with a new one.  I was skeptical, but he did it, or I should say Brent and Croix did it.  Croix was right by his side, working with the tools the whole time, helping Daddy fix the vacuum.

Thank goodness I have some handymen around the house to fix things :)

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day from the Maldonado Family

Fireworks

For the first time ever fireworks are legal in the state of AZ! We got together with our friends and lit some in our neighborhood. I was worried Croix would be a little scared of the loud noises, but he loved it!

We started off with some sparklers

Croix loved the tank ones before we even set them off.

Pointing out fireworks we saw on the walk home.

I had fun playing with camera settings and shooting our little fireworks!

Independence Day 2011

I love this holiday!  I always have, ever since I was a child.  Maybe because I grew up in a small town that had lots of parades and celebration, and is home to the worlds oldest rodeo (which I have never been to, how wrong it that!).  I also am very grateful for the freedoms that I enjoy, the country that I live in, the opportunity that I have.  I am thankful for the Men and Women who have and currently do sacrifice to provide and preserve those freedoms.

God bless America!

We went up to Prescott for the parade, it was Croix's first parade, he loved it! (be prepared for picture overload)

 Aunt Crystal and Seth

 He got a balloon and was in heaven!

 

Sweet Seth

 This might be my new favorite picture in the whole world!

 Proud to be an American!

 Typical boys, playing in the puddles

 Seth and Croix, good buddies.  Sitting on Aunt Crystal's lap (while she still has one :)

 Waving back at the parade go-ers

 Croix's party face!

 Loving the free candy (which I tried to avoid him grabbing!)

 Seth rockin' the cowboy hat

 Croix and Aunt Chelsea

 "What's wrong with wearing two hats if they are both cool?"

We went to my Aunt Beth and Uncle Doug's house for a BBQ....it rained right before we sat down to eat.  It was perfection!  Croix loved running around in the rain!

 He loved it so much he didn't want to come in out of the rain

 Croix kept trying to climb over the fence.  That is as far as he ever got, never got that second leg over, but he sure did try!

 Mom & I

Chelsea & I

 He passed out with in minutes of getting in the car, only to be awoken about 30 min later by a fire truck passing us.  He was then up until after 9pm.  Traveling is hard on sleep!

On the way home there was a sign that I-17 southbound had a wreck and one lane was closed.  We decided to go home through Payson.  It was a longer drive but prettier.  At dusk, just after the sun had set, we saw and elk.  The BIGGEST elk I have ever seen!  It was taller than our car, and at least as long, had antlers hunters dream of.  It was scary!  As we approached it, the elk took a couple steps toward the road.  Brent honked the horn and it stopped and thankfully retreated into the forest.  Had we not seen it, and crashed into that monstrous elk, I'm quite certain my car would have been totaled and we would have spent the night (or longer) in the hospital.  So glad we made it home safe and sound!