[My] Favorite Month

{JULY}
I love July, always have.
Yes, partly because my birthday is in July.
But mainly because I love the 4th and I love warm weather and days at the beach.
I love BBQ's and time spent with family and friends.
I love hot sunny days.
I love Ice cold drinks, especially raspberry lemonade
And at the end of the month I get to celebrate my anniversary with the man I love dearly.

We have had a great July. Spent with days at the pool, long summer night walks, BBQ's with some of our favorite food and people, a trip to Idaho, and a visit from Grandma, movie's once a week with cousins, splash pad visits, playing at the park, going to the river. The list goes on and on.

I have been feeling extremely grateful lately for what I have. I have a pair of great parents who are always there for me. I have a big bunch of in-laws who all mean so much to me. I have tons of friends who love and support me, some are close by and some are further away but that makes no difference. I have two beautiful children who keep me on my toes, who push my limits on patience, who teach me new things everyday, who are a constant reminder of why unconditional love is such a beautiful thing. I have a supportive husband who is great at pushing my buttons and keeping me on my toes, just where I like to be. A man who is strong and who is understanding and can still make me laugh and who can still laugh at himself.

I am grateful for all the blessings the Lord has given me and for all the blessings he continues to give me. He is my strength and my rock. Every struggle that I have faced in my life has taught me a valuable lesson, and it is from those lessons that I am shaped into the person that I am.
I turned 25 this year and I feel comfortable with who and what I am. I feel happy, I feel blessed, I feel like life couldn't get better. So in other words.... 25 never felt so good! haha.

But what I am really trying to say is that I feel the happiest when I am surrounded by the people I love, and the people that love me. Luckily I feel that often and so I am blessed. If I lost everything I had I would still feel like the richest person in the world, because my riches is based on something much more valuable then material things.

Bricen And Liliana on the 4th of July 2014

Liliana 4 years old

Bricen 22 months

Our 6 year Anniversary spent with the Family at the River and Art on the Park!

{Puppy Time}

As most of you all know we got a new puppy a couple months ago. She doesn't look like a puppy but she sure acts like one. She is such a sweet and loving companion and we love her so much. She is great with the kids and is a fast learner. Some of her favorite activities are: going in the car, walks, she loves tug-a-war, and getting her paws wet and drinking from the river. When we got her she was about 50lbs and she has grown so much and so fast just in the last couple months. We tried to measure her but she is terrified of the tab measure, silly girl.

We did a lot of research on Great Danes before deciding to get one, and we are so happy with our choice. She is a magnificent dog. We call her the Greatest Dane, and she is nothing short of that. She loves to lay on her bed and relax in the living room while the kids run wild and we go about our daily routine. We have had some frustrating days with her, she is a puppy after all. But as time goes on she gets better and better. Overall we haven't had any big losses. We have only gone threw 3 XXL dog beds from Costco. We finally wised up and stopped putting them in her crate while we left her in there during the day, and so far problem solved! She is not a big chewer which has been a great benefit to us and our things : )

Yellow!

Our new house already feels more like home. More then I could have ever imagined. We feel so blessed to have such a beautiful place to raise my kids. With more room, and just the mere fact that everything is ours and we can hang stuff, change stuff or whatever. It feels GREAT!! When we first moved my Mom was talking to Liliana on the phone and she asked her if she liked her new house... Liliana's response was "yes, its yellow!" : )

We are glad to be home!! 

2 Months

So we moved out of our house in Coeur D Alene only to move in with our Family for two months. I have to say now looking back, we made ALOT of really fun memories and it was great for the kids to get to spend that time with their Grandparents before we left to Tri-Cities. 

We spent one month with Grandma & Grandpa Silva and the other month with Nana (sadly Gary was out of town so we didn't get to see him, but we got to keep Nana company which was great!)

Here are a few pics I took of the kids< just doing kid things

Playing with homemade slime that they made with Grandma

 Bricen wearing Grandpa's slippers

Bricen sleeping with Sisters princess wand 

Eating Lunch

In Grandpa's Semi Truck!!

Smiling with Grandma cuz she got a new haircut. We love it!!

We don't care if its raining!! Playing outside in the rain at Nana's house

Lili helping Nana pull all the weeds in her garden. I think they got them all : )

We went to Pizza Hut and actually ate inside!! fun times

Liliana and Bricen sitting on the porch at Nana's, just enjoying each others company. They love spending time with each other, its the sweetest thing

Bricen took this adorable selfie of himself. I had to share, look at those blue eyes!!

Liliana modeling on a bench at the Falls in Post Falls

Liliana and Grandma walking around and checking out the Falls

I love these two cuties in their shades, and the Falls behind them is so cool! Love going to that place, it never gets old.

Silva Family dinner at Japaneses Steak house. Liliana did not like the fire!! and the cook sprayed the kids with water.. she was not amused. Bricen thought it was cool of coarse.

Living with Grandma and Grandpa means your close to seven 11 and when your that close you have to have a slurpee like everyday!! duh : )

The difference between Girls and Boys!! 

Enjoying some warm weather at Grandmas. Of coarse they have their own chairs : )

Liliana and Mommy enjoying the sunshine in Nana's backyard

Where did Lili go? ....

Oh in the Bricen's crib to take a nap of coarse 

Birthday Time!!

We had a great time celebrating Javis' birthday this year!!

The kids and I got him a basket FULL of all his favorite things and then we went out for a date night and got some of our favorite sushi. I just love this man!! 

Welcome 2014

2013 is over. Another year has flown by, and I can't even believe it! We had a great year, full of blessings. We are so thankful for being able to live near our family. I love seeing the joy in my kids eyes when they are with their grandparents or cousins or aunts and uncles. We have been so fortunate to live in another area and to be able to build more friendships that will last and to reconnect with people who we may have lost contact with when we did move. We both miss Utah but it just feels like a chapter in our book that has help lead us to where we are now. I'm most of all excited for 2014 and the many changes that are ahead of us and the potential move. Change is hard but it is exciting and it opens so many doors for things that you never even have thought of. I'm feeling especially grateful for all the great people I have in my life right now and It is threw all these great people that I am reminded of all the wonderful people I had in my life in Utah. Life is forever changing but the friendships I have built are forever with me. So for me personally 2013 has been a great year watching my baby turn into a toddler and watching my little Liliana turning into a more independent girl. She has done great in preschool and is learning soo much! I love watching my kids together and seeing how much love they have for one another. Their relationship has changed so much in this last year since Bricen went threw so much change. And now that Bricen can do pretty much everything Lili is loving it!! Bricen turned one this year and so much happens in our kids first year of life. Moments that we will never forget. We had two great birthday parties this year followed by the holidays where we were surrounded by family! I don't see any greater way to end the year. So here's to 2013, and all the great memories that were made.

An Ear-y dilemma

Bricen right before his surgery


December 30th we took Bricen into the hospital at 6 am to get his tubes put into his ears. It was a difficult decision for me but I was pushed to my breaking point. It all started when I took him in for his check up and they told me "oh he has a double ear infection" at this point this wasn't surprising to me. Ever since Bricen was born I never could tell if he had an ear infection, I usually always found out while at a check up. He still sleeps threw the night, was never overly fussy or upset. So at this one year old check up I did what I always did and that was go to pick up his prescription for antibiotics. So he goes on a ten day dose and after the ten days I start to feel like he still has a cold so I take him in because he seems to have a runny nose and is messing with ears still, so 2 weeks after the first apt I'm back into the doctor. They confirm that is double ear infection is still there and they tell me he most likely got rid of the first one and then caught another cold that caused another ear infection. I accept it because we had all been sick and I just want my baby to feel better. I get another antibiotic. A few days later... I see a rash starting on Bricen's back. I call the doctor and I am back in and they tell me it's common and they will prescribe a different antibiotic. I fulfill the antibiotic and have a follow up check up. Ear infection is still there so they prescribe a heavy antibiotic that is only four days. I complete the antibiotic and have a follow up 2 weeks later. Ear infection is still there so they put him on one more and make an appointment for the ear specialist. At this point I am frustrated. I put him on this antibiotic that is less common and not usually used for ear infections but they think it might just might work. 3-4 days later I wake up and pull Bricen out of bed and he is COVERD with this horrible rash. His face, his hands, everything! And he is shaking and feels ice cold. I call the doctor immediately and go in later that day. They tell me that his ears are looking better and they think the antibiotic is working even tho he seems to be allergic to it. They tell rm that I should keep him on it and just make sure he doesn't star wheezing or start breathing abnormally. They feel like this could be the chance to get rid of his infection. I agree at the time because I was so sad that I might have to take him off of the one that was finally helping. 

Then I get home and start thinking about it and think no way am I keeping him on this. It's obvious he allergic and what's next is breathing difficulties. I'm NOT gonna chance it. So I take him off.  I make the appointment for his specialist but it is about a month away. Bricen continues to run off and on high fevers and is more cranky then normal. At this point he had stopped saying words that he used to say and will not try to say words that I continually repeat to him. We are convened for his hearing and his speech and the pediatrician confirms my worry. His fever was high for over three days so I figured it was the ear infection. I go in to the doctor and they say his ear infection is gone but they are concerned about the fever. They do a flu test and then send me to get chest x rays of his chest. I was so concerned and tired of my little boy being sick and on all different medicine for 2 months now. Luckily everything came make fine and the fever disappeared. 

So art his point he has no ear infection and I take him to his specialist appointment that I had made a month ago while in the middle of all the turmoil. I was afraid that they would no longer do the tubes because his ear infection had gone away. The specialist pulled up his record and listed the months of ear infections since birth and Bricen had had 6  ear infections since January. Plus the last one lasted 2 months!! He told me it was our decision but Bricen was defiantly eligible. Javis and I discussed it and made his appointment as soon as they could.  

Bricen did so well and I went in the surgery room and helped hold him as they gave him his anesthesia   .. It is a short procedure and very simple. After the doctor was finished he sat down and told us that when they made the

incision in Bricen's ears their was a tone of thick infected puss and that the

 infection had sat In His ear for so long that is was as thick as glue. He said

he was able to get it out but that he was positive that Bricen's hearing was 

effected by that. That is was equivalent to having your ears plugged.. 

Constantly. We are so happy that we went threw with the surgery and that

 Bricen has started saying more words and we are amazed at how we can see that his hearing is better. He had stopped saying words while he went threw

 all these ear infections. But now he is saying them again and actually

 repeating new words! He is such a blessing to us and such a little bundle of

 joy. He is a happy little boy and just loves everyone. some of the new words he is saying include Hi,Bye,Out, and Love you.  

HoHoHO

I took the kids to see Santa this year and Liliana was so excited. On the way there she kept talking about how Bricen was just going to be like "Oh cool its Santa" She is so funny and loves to tell me what her brother is thinking. When we got there, Liliana talked to Santa and asked him for a Hello Kitty bike and then told him that she promised to be nice and not naughty. Bricen was walking around and checking out all the cool Christmas stuff. But he immediately got a problem as soon as I set him on Santa's lap. He screamed the whole time. I was actually surprised because he is such a good baby and doesn't seem to be too picky. But he is going threw a mommy attachment right now : ) but I am not complaining, he's growing up too fast.

Christmas 2013

Snow Day

Even tho we didn't have a white Christmas, and we don't have snow now. We have had a couple days of snowy weather. Javis and Liliana wasted absolutely no time. They not only built a perfect snowman this year already but they also went sledding at Cherry Hill. Liliana LOVES the snow and can play outside in the snow all day! She has had so much fun with Javis playing outside this winter.

It's the HOLIDAY season

Thanksgiving and Christmas have already passed. I have no idea how time has gone by so fast lately. Right after Liliana's birthday it was turkey day and then I felt like I turned around and bam its Christmas.

Thanksgiving was a great day and we got to go over to my parents house in the morning and spend it with them and my brother and sis-in-law. Then later that day we had Javis' Mom and step Dad over for turkey dinner. My turkey turned out GREAT and I was so thankful since I have only made a couple before on my own. We had a great dinner and hung out and played games all night. It was a special day filled with Family.

Christmas was great as well!! Christmas Eve we watched a couple Christmas movies and then we opened our Christmas Jammies and then we went out and drove around to look at Christmas lights! On Christmas we started out waking up with the kids opening a few gifts and our stockings. Liliana got her first BIG bike from Santa, and its not just any bike its a Hello Kitty bike that she had been wanting for months. We were all excited to see her expression in the morning but when she walked out she really had no expression at all. Maybe she was just in shock : ) Grandma and Grandpa Silva then came over and we opened more gifts, along with Uncle Jerry and Aunt Bree. We then snacked for a while and all hung out playing with our new toys! Later that evening we went to Nana's and hung out and opened a few more gifts. 

We are so thankful that this year we got to spend both holidays with both families. That definitely is a perk of living back in Idaho. 

*I didnt get any pictures of us on Christmas day this year but I have a few pictures of putting up Christmas lights on the house and of the tree this year! Liliana absolutely LOVED celebrating Christmas this year and she was totally into all the decorating and all the lights.

Finally Four!!

4

Liliana is now four years old!!

She had a great birthday with all her family and friends. They got to bounce and then open gifts and eat cake. She was so excited, her birthday was all she could talk about for months before hand. I could hardly get a good picture of her because she was running around with her friends the whole time. She had such a good time jumping in all the bounce houses. She was busy for weeks afterwards playing with all her cool gifts, she got so much hello kitty stuff you cant even imagine. She is such a lucky girl and is growing so fast.She has the sweetest heart and is such a giving and loving little girl. Now that she is four she is all grown up and acts so big : ) Thank you to everyone who came for our little princess.

5 Years!!

In July Javis and I had our 5 year anniversary! Its been 7 years that we have been together and 5 years married. I have no idea where all that time has gone but I am thankful for a partner that sticks by my side no matter what. I am thankful for the life that we have together and for our 2 beautiful children. We have always made a great team and over the years we just continue to grow together.

I know that neither one of us would change anything...

We have our best friends in each other and we will always cherish that

Our Babies

So I finally got professional pictures of the kids taken this summer. I just took them to JCPenny's but they turned out so cute and I wish I wouldn't have waited so long. We have our family pictures scheduled for the beginning of October so I'm looking forward to updating everything finally.