We miss....

Last night Ati and I were getting ready for bed putting our PJ's on. I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror and couldn't help but stop and ponder on my ever growing tummy. As I stood there holding my protruding belly I thought and said out loud "You know Ati, just a little while longer and your little brother or sister will be out. Then my tummy will go back to normal again." She quickly responded with a face of utter excitement, "And then you can pick me up again?!" My train of thought in the mirror quickly turned to her. These 9 months it was so easy for me to think of all the things I miss due to pregnancy. How easy to forget that I am not the only one impacted just because I am blessed to be able to carry this little miracle.

I can list off everything I miss about not being pregnant. Probably at the top of my list would be sleeping on my tummy. Then, not having to visit the bathroom every 10 minutes to relieve my pressured bladder. Or not feeling like a duck when I waddle....I mean walk. The list can go on, but I won't go there because after last night my list is nothing compared to what my little girl misses most. To be picked up and held by her momma!

Out of curiousity I asked Johnny what he missed most. He said he can't wait to stop hearing excuses. hmmmm....I'am just gonna stick to thinking about holding and picking up my Ati again.

Family Reunion 2010

We just got done hosting the 2010 Garcia Family Reunion here in Houston! It was a great success and was tons of fun seeing family from across the country come together again after two years. It was a long fun weekend but must say am glad it has come to an end! Only because the family from the host city was in charge of putting it all together! It was a lot of work but in the end it all paid off because we had a great time together. If you are a family member and new to our blog...WELCOME! It was much easier for me to post pictures of our event via this blog instead of our family website. The family website is not as user friendly to post pictures from another site. So here you go!! These are pictures from our Welcome Dinner and Casino Night. Please share the links of your pictures from Saturday night (for those of you who joined in the late night partay on the town!) and from our main event. I think in order to view my album you will probably have to set up an account with Walgreens. After that you will have access to all reunion pictures that I downloaded from everyone's camera on Friday night and are available for you to purchase in prints or in CD format. Or any kind of picture gift that is available through Walgreens. Enjoy! And can't wait to see the rest of the pics from Saturday and Sunday's events! Please add your photo links on the Family Website to make available to the rest of the family!




I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Pregnancy & Nesting

We are about 3.5 weeks away from the arrival of our second addition to our family. That's if it cooperates with our due date! The doctor said that the baby is considered full term now that I'am 37 weeks. And will be okay if baby decides to make it's grand entrance into the world anytime going foward. Yikes! Sounds so surreal to think about having a newborn around here again. With that being said I have been experiencing or should I say my dear hubby has been "suffering" through a serious nesting period. I feel like I'am a ticking time bomb and before I explode (literally) this house has some serious decluttering to go through. I even have adopted a little decluttering system that I learned through flylady. I take my three boxes that are each labeled- Put Away, Throw Away, Give Away and have been flying through the house. I love it! We have had tons of additional trash to throw, and have collected so many bags of things to be either sold or given away. Feels so good! Our closets and drawers really needed this revamp. Johnny is not liking this nesting thing at all. As he has been in charge of carrying these boxes or getting on his knees if I'am not able to or reach up high b/c well I can't do that either. Sooo,my nesting is really pointing at things and saying help! I think he's missing my school schedule and ready for me to go back to work. LOL> Oh! And by the way I learned that I love You Tube!! Via their how to videos I have learned how to fold fitted sheets the correct way and tonight learned how to properly debone a chicken! Seriously, Johnny thinks I need to get out of the house. But like I say...better take advantage of this nesting thing now before it ends and am back to being my old self again! I am not lazy.....I'am just sayin.

NEways, here are some maternity pics that we took a couple of weeks ago. My sweet hubby got me a photo session with our most favorite photograper for Mother's Day. I absolutely love her and her talent for capturing some beatiful pictures. You rock Minnette!!! Click HERE to View the slideshow. Enjoy!

Seasonal Blogger?? Noooo!

Okay, so I have fallen off the blog wagon and am trying to get back on it. It's been almost a year since I've posted anything and so much has transpired since then. During this 11 month hiatus I have been putting great blogging stories in my mental file that I knew for sure would be great posts.....never happened. So, I've decided to start from scratch! I have dumped out those mental files and hoping I can fill them up along with this blog with all our funny family or sometimes personal musings. That's what I said the first time so let's see how this year turns out.

My intentions were not to be a seasonal blogger. But I find my time during the school year is soooo....how shall I put it. BUSY! I soooo dislike that word. I don't like it because when busy I don't have any time for the things or people that matter most to me. At least that's how it feels for me. I get so caught up in doing life that I forget to take a look around and just enjoy the many blessings that God has poured on me and my family. So hopefully once again I can try to document those many blessings on this little corner of mine online that I call our blog.

Hope to still be here once this summer is over! Stay tuned for posts to come! I'am back!!

Don't call the Helicopter!

Last week in small group we planned for an intimate time of worship. Johnny and I set up candles around our living room and closed all our window blinds in order to make it a little dimmer in the house. We wanted everything to run smoothly. In order for our time of solitude and silence to work we needed to come up with an idea for our kiddos. We normally have anywhere from 4 to 6 kids over during group and provide a sitter to play and keep them busy while we meet in the other room. Well on this night we decided to set up shop for them outside in the backyard since it gets dark later in the evening. We set up Ati's bounce house, a picnic table with colors and coloring books, toys, balls you name it so they wouldn't get bored. We made sure the kids went to the bathroom before we started and even told the sitter not to come in the house as we wanted the ambiance very quiet and reverent.

Everything was in place and in order. It was great! Until....

We had been about 12 mins. in complete silence. We had every adult spread out all over the house with a quiet space to have quiet time in prayer and in The Word before we joined for some music. I can only speak for myself but I was totally focused once I got settled and started praying and reading. I had picked a quiet space in my bedroom right next to the window that faces our backyard. Those blinds were also closed of course so I couldn't see what was going on in the back. I remember sometime during my reading I heard a flying helicopter off in the distance,that was no big deal. Flying helicopters are normal occurances of course. As time passes the helicopter chopper sounds get closer and closer and eventually sounds like it's literally gonna land right on top of our house. It's so loud at this point that no matter how hard I try to stay focused I can't help but feel like I'am at a war somewhere needing to find cover.At this point I get curious and look through my blinds. This is the scene.

In the open field right over our fence a Life Flight Helicopter was only a couple of feet from touching ground. All the toys are flying all over the place, the bounce house is too weak to stay afloat amidst the chopper's wings. Our children are running across the backyard looking for cover and protection.And so they run with all their might to their saving grace, their babysitter. All the kids are huddled around this 17 year old whose long hair is uncontrollable with the hurricane force winds.I remember seeing Atianna's face was filled with horror like her whole little world was just about to come tumbeling down.I don't think I had ever seen her run so fast and look so scared like she did then. At this point some of the adults go outside to check things out and make sure everything was okay. I'am sure the kids were filled with questions, including Ati.

Well, a week has passed by and I must say the experience left quite an impression on her 3yr. old little self. She learned the reason that the helicopter landed right over our fence was because someone had gotten really hurt and needed to get to the hospital very quickly. Now I must confess that Ati is prone to bumps,bruises,scratches because even though she is a very girly girl she enjoys being active and actually is pretty good at holding her own with the boys. She keeps up pretty well,and has the bruises and scars to prove it. So her little mishaps are a normal part of our days; they come and go without even a whimper. BUT, ever since the helicopter incident her little bumps,falls,even my inquiries about the origins of her mosquito bites,rashes, anything under the sun is followed by a worried look and a sincere plead to not call the helicopter to come get her. It was funny at first ya'll but now I'am wondering if she's gonna need some counseling.

09' Summer Camp-Durango,CO.

A couple of months ago I started serving in the youth ministry of my church. I am so lucky and blessed to be able to do this alongside my great friend Genni. Together we serve as small group leaders for freshman and sophmore girls that are in high school. We will be with these girls all the way until their senior year. It has been an awesome experience to get to know these girls and be a part of their lives in order to encourage and support them spiritually,emotionally, and even physically through their high school years. For me it was a period of time where I had the most temptation and had multiple forks in the road in which I had to decide which one to take. I wish I had a mentor or someone older who had been there and done that to hold my hand through those years. Genni and I hope to be that kind of encouragement to these girls.

Last week we got the opportunity to join these great group of kids to summer camp in the wonderful state of Colorado. We all crammed into two vans and a Tahoe and trekked our way to Durango, CO. The road trip was full of belly laughs, long naps, and great stories were shared all around. During the trip I learned some great vocabulary that made me realize how old I really am. But hanging out with these girls and guys for a week I feel I am caught up on all the young lingo! For example, I learned that "epic" is the new word for "cool". The mountains were so epic. And if something is not cool, then it's an epic fail. Also, "beast" is the new word to describe someone who is good at something. For example, if your good at rock climbing your a beast or your beastin'. So if anyone in our group excelled at any one of our activities they were automatically entitled as beasts. Those are the only two words that come to mind, but I definetly feel prepared for the new school year. I'am gonna be the coolest teacher! That's how I roll yo!

The week was full of daily activities. On Day 1 we rock climbed and rappeled down cliffs. These were no man made rocks let me tell you! Day 2 we hiked up and down a mountain that felt like it lasted all day! It really was about an 8hr. hike. No joke. One of our girls even got altitude sickness while being up there. Before the hike we were told that even old people could do this particular hike which made us comfortable. We even saw old people during the hike! Then, when we finally finished the climb down they told us that it was the most challenging hike they had available. SAY WHAT?!?! They failed to tell us that part in the beginning. Who cares if old people can do the hike? We're from Houston and no where used to that kind of exertion on such low levels of oxygen. I love to hike, but this particular hike wiped me out. I will have to think twice next time I think about hiking again. I know what questions to ask for next time. The kind of people who hike it will not be one of them and I'am not even old. On the last day we white water rafted. Unfortunatly, I have no pictures of that adventure as they warned us that all of our possessions would get wet. :(

We had a great time! We saw God displayed in his great creation and he became so evident in the work he was doing in the hearts of the kids and even in ourselves. I was so humbled and blessed to be able to witness and be involved in one of our girls come to Christ! Her hunger for the Lord was so evident! I loved it! That was one of the many highlights of the trip. I personally experienced Christ that week just being in his presence up in those mountains. You can't but just be in awe of his wonderful masterpiece. And feel so blessed that the God of all creation, the one who created those beautiful mountains and took the time to put so much detail in the gorgeous flowers considers little me as his daughter. He loves us so much he sent his Son to die on the cross. He made this land for us! Those things don't even compare to the kind of love he has for us!

Thanks to all the girls who came with us to camp this year! Thanks for opening up to us and allowing us to be a part of your lives. I've got so many pics to share! Most of them are from the hike because when your hiking and climbing for 8hrs. you have nothing else to do but talk to God and those around you and try to catch your breath and enjoy the scenery and take pictures in awe. The songs I chose to accompany the slide show I thought were very fitting. Enjoy! I'am off to continue to catch up on sleep and let my body heal from all the workout our trip involved. The combination of no sleep and long hours of daily exertion has got be on hibernation mode in my quiet bed!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

July 4th Camping Trip

This July 4th we went camping with a group of friends and family. We went to Jellystone's Yogi Bear Park in Waller which is not too far from Houston. We enjoyed our time there! The park is family friendly as they keep the days filled with activities for the kids to keep busy. Since it was July 4th they had extra special activities planned which included Kareoke and a Fourth of July parade in which the kids could participate in. We were undoubtedly met with some record high temperatures during our stay there but made sure to keep cool in the pool and splash water park. When not at the pool we had to hunker down somewhere where there was air conditioning and wait until the sun decided to set to come out and deem it safe and clear from heat stroke conditions .

Overall, we had a great time camping with our group of friends and family for this Fourth of July weekend. We have been discussing doing it again and making it an annual tradition. But will have to rethink about time of year and a non-holiday weekend as the park was noticeably in high demand for 4th of July. Until next time my camping buddies......on cooler conditions that is!! Enjoy our pics!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow