Life is a Highway

I got in our borrowed car yesterday to get some ingredients for the cupcakes Jod and I were making and I found myself at some of my favorite places in West Salem. First and most important the used book store on Edgewater. I just realized that I do not even know the name. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I still have store credit and I got all my books half price...5 books for 14.95! Then I went by Great Harvest...none of those in AZ. I got my two favorite morning treats--Marionberry Scone & Apple Crunch Bread. Finally, I ended my excursion at the West Salem Safeway where I know where everything is located like Puffins--Original Flavor (on sale right now).
Nostalgia at its best.

It's a Mexican Christmas Eve

Tamales, Chicken Soft Tacos, beans, rice, fresh salsa, and the Padilla Family Secret Sangria...what more could one person ask for? That combined with Tata, Aunts, Uncles, & Cousins, and a wheel barrow--it was Christmas perfection!

The Godfather

Tacos Yum

Twin Cousins

The Wheel Barrow

Henry walking

Candid Cousin

What would you like to eat Zaner

Good food, good family, good Christmas fun. We are blessed!

TAMALADA

Tamale Making

Red Chili CookingEarly morning waking
Hoja sorting and cleaning

Masa Spreading

Red Chili ScoopingDozen Counting

Are we going to make it to 30?

Missing Nana Laughing

Christmas Carol SingingBreak Taking

More laughingSonic on Nini
Cousin hugging

WE MADE ITNana smiling

This is the Best Christmas Ever

A tradition that we Henry's have as we decorate the Christmas Tree, is to say constantly, "This is the best Christmas Ever!"
I have always put the Christmas lights on our tree...sometimes my mom does it, but mainly me. And this year we did not skimp on the lights! I love them.Of course Zach was the main ornament put-er on-er. He takes his job very seriously making sure they are spaced correctly.Every year my mom buys all the kids and grandkids an ornament. This is the male 2008 ornament.And this is the ornament for all the girls in the family. We have a cajillion ornaments, so we decided to only put the wood ones and the clay ones that had our names on them on the tree this year...the tree was still FULL of ornaments. One day we will all take our own ornaments to our own trees and my mom can have the tree of her dreams--but not until I say.I had to finish the tree in the line of fire. Zach and Zane were playing war with each other. Zane kept saying, "Shoot Me, shoot me."

Zane's turn! Last year baby Henry got to put the star up on the tree and this year it is Zane's turn. He did a great job (with his mom's help of course)!

You never know this may actually turn out to be the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!!!!!

What the Heck?

Salem, OR is probably getting the whole week off because of SNOW. (The schools are getting off that is.) The year after I leave...I am mad. I do not even care if we have to make it up at the end of the year.

Very Much Happity Happiness @ the Little Prospector Preschool

What other preschool has a holiday program in the local high schools auditorium? I haven't heard of any, but the Little Prospector. My class sang and did the hand movements to "Up on the Housetop" and we sang and danced to Feliz Navidad (my favorite Christmas song). I do not have any pictures, but I did take pictures of our cool programs...

What other preschool has Santa Claus (the real one of course) come and take a picture with every kid? I am sure there are a couple, but not many. I charcoaled the picture...you know how I feel about protecting the innocent.

Henry loves Santa...on books, tv, statues of him...but was bewildered at the REAL Santa. After we stood with Santa for a minute he finally said, "Sansa, Santa!" Gotta love him!

My Talented Tata

There are so many memories at my Nana and Tata's house. I love how many things have not changed...the smell of the linen closent, the 50 year old clock in the kitchen that still works, and my Tata's rod iron masterpieces...
My Tata's Cilantro Garden...makes me wish I liked cilantro--The porch I used to cry on when it was time to go home--my Tata often joined me in crying when we had to leave--I love these chairs--Other things I love that my Tata made...

Louie Padilla

Betty Padilla

My favorite thing that has not changed is my Tata's affection for his grandchildren and his

great-grandchildren. Henry loves to say "Tata" over and over.

"Glad you got to see me"

Thanksgiving Feast--Little Prospector Style

First of all it was raining...I know ironic. The feast is always outside, so we were bummed. But the feast must go on. My kids were amazed by the rain and stood by the door for about 30 minutes fighting for the front. Hey kids try living in Oregon.

It is an absolute must that ALL the kids in the school eat together in one place for the feast, so we put our Native American garb on and piled into the Discovery Room. I love the idea of being together, who cares if anyone can move. The fact that no one could move actually worked for our class...I was loving that they could not get out of their seats. We ate Turkey (chicken), mashed potatoes, corn, rolls and a cookie or pumpkin pie. It was fun while it lasted, the kids were late laying down for their nap, but it was worth the crankiness. Hope your Thanksgiving was as amazing as ours!

All About Henry

Ryan and I are surprised by Henry everyday. Here are a few of the things that our 1 year and 1 month old is doing lately...

1. Talking. He has becoming a little mocking bird. He said "Turkey" on Thanksgiving. He likes to look at pictures and point to people and say their name, my favorite is when he says "Wayne." We were at church the other day and he saw a statue of Mary and said, "Tricia." He was awake in his crib at 4:30am last week and was calling for "Nannad" (Grandad) and to my mom's dismay, calls her Mammy. We have been practicing LuLu, Papa & Meme and all his aunts and uncles names for when we come to Oregon in December. He also knows Jodi and Dean from their wedding picture on the fridge.

2. "SIDE!!!" Henry LOVES to be outside and could spend hours outside drudging around in the dirt. I let him get as dirty as possible. When anyone comes into the room he screams a high pitched, "SIDE!"

3. No NO! The teachers at the preschool say that he is their other teacher. When they tell a baby "no no" he crawls over and tells them "no no" over and over. Great...I wonder who he gets the bossiness from.

4. NANE! He loves his cousins. He gets to hang out with Zane a lot...I love when they are both sitting in their carseats and Zane makes Henry laugh hysterically.

5. Books. Still loves books. When he is getting extra sassy, I tell him to go read his books and he crawls (not walking yet) over to his books and talks to his books.

6. Elbow and Unee (Elmo and Ernie). We watch Elmo's Christmas Countdown everyday. Yes, Henry watches tv, call the cops. He calls it his "show."

Why Me?

When my Nana was diagnosed with cancer in the 80's I remember her telling us that her first question to God was, "Why me?" She said she was very angry and was so confused about why this would happen to her. Then she said after a while of asking "Why Me?" she realized, "Why not me? What is so great about me that I should be too good for cancer?"

This has stuck with me ever since. She modeled humility and grace that day about 20 years ago. I knew the Lord loved her, yet he allowed this to happen. She went on to beat the odds and beat cancer and live a full life full of trust in the Lord.

I wish I could have been there when she met her Savior face to face. I hope she got to see all the ways she showed all those around her the love and grace of Jesus everyday of her long life.

One Step at a Time

Oh Butt-Tricia

Even though our little mur-tricia babaluska only got to be here for 24 hours, we are glad she got to come back and love on Nana and us.


Auntie Tara taught Henry how to say, "Auntie" about 6 weeks ago and now he calls all of his aunties "Auntie." He also says, "Tricia" as of two days ago. He is so very smart--says his partial mother.

The MAC is Back

And I am not talking about politics!

I found my computer cord. I thought it was lost forever in the Abyss we call our storage unit! No, it was packed in a box at my mom's. I was a little frustrated that it was in a box in Henry's room all this time, but I quickly got over it knowing I would be reunited with my iBook G4 in a matter of minutes. Free from viruses, free from pop-ups, free from all things vista. All my pictures, all my folders, all my music...BACK!

The last picture down loaded to the Mac...

Welcome home mac, welcome home!