Warmest Holiday Wishes

I was so blessed to be surrounded with loved family during Christmas. It was beyond special. More photos and their stories soon....

Few Things Better

When I was pregnant with Natalya, Matthew's day care provider said one of the greatest joys of being a parent of two children is witnessing the love they have for each other. I was touched by the sincerity of her words, feeling their truth, believing with certainty. Now I know from experience that there are few things better.

Pour it all in

Carlos: How much bubble bath did you use?

Me: The rest of the bottle.

Carlos: Why?

Me: Look at them smiling.

Carlos: {unconvinced expression}

Me: Sometimes you gotta pour it all in.

Did this happen a month ago? Really?

This year for Halloween I had Ben 10 (a cartoon network character) and Wondergirl. Matthew just loves Halloween. We decorated the house at the beginning of October and counted down to the day. Talya wasn't happy unless she had her foot inside the plastic pumpkin and once we took pictures of her in her costume she started tugging at it, saying, "All done." It goes without saying that she wasn't nearly as enthusiastic.

My 2nd Birthday, by Talya

My second birthday. I love anything that starts with "my" but an entire day in my honor really takes the cake. I even had a pin that said "Birthday Princess." And a princess I was. My Great Grandma Sam, Gramma Mo, and Auntie Jenni were there, along with my mommy, dad, and brother of course.

First, I opened my presents. There were so many; it was a bit overwhelming. I hardly knew where to look or what to grab.

I got a book that was so cool I stopped unwrapping to read it. I showed everyone all the cool pictures and let them hear all the words I know. And I know a lot of words. I'm two now... remember!?!

Daddy and Matthew started helping me open presents. I guess they wanted to speed things up. I didn't care because I was checking out my new sneakers. I am a shoe girl after all. (hint, hint, Santa. size 6)

The cards I got were just as interesting as the presents. They are like mini books. Even my brother Matthew gave me a card that he signed himself. He wrote, "I love sister," too.

Soon I was covered in presents. Fabulous things that everyone put so much thought into.

Lastly, they sang me Happy Birthday and we had cake. And boy was it yummy. I got quite a sugar high because my mommy doesn't let me have many sweets. Don't tell, but my brother and I kept putting our fingers in the frosting when we thought no one was looking. :)

And when all of the festivities were over, I sat in that same chair for over an hour checking out all of my cool stuff. Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate my 2nd birthday. By the looks of my smile, you can see it was perfect.

high entertainment value

As her Nana says, Talya has high entertainment value. :)

introducing...

our newest addition to the Delafuente family - Buddy.

He is 4 month old, pure-bred, yellow lab and is ginormous. He weighs in at over 70 pounds and still has plenty of skin to grow in to.

I had been looking for another dog at the Humane Society for almost a year now, but never settled on anything. However, fate interceded. Buddy's original owner bought the dog for their three young boys and quickly found out that for one, the boys were not interested in taking care of a puppy, and two, that he was going to be a large dog by the time he reached adulthood. So, they gave the pup to our neighbor. Unfortunately for Buddy, our neighbor has an older, female dog who was not interested in having a playmate. Especially not a rambunctious puppy. Last Sunday, as Carlos and Matthew were walking home from the barber shop, the neighbor asked Carlos if we were interested in getting a second dog, he came home with them, and everyone fell in love at first sight.

Buddy has a great personality and instantly fit right in. He is exuberant, but at the same time is very cuddly and loving. He follows me around the house and lays down where ever I am, keeping me company. He is gentle with the kids and Max loves having someone to romp around with. Honestly, I couldn't have designed a dog that would gel with our family as well.

The Oregon Humane Society has a campaign running called End Petlessness that I absolutely adore. The campaign focuses on the positive impact that pets have on their owners. I don't think anyone can deny that having an animal puts a smile on your face on a daily basis. So lets all do our part to end petlessness.