Xavier's Gift

Xavier had a holiday gift shop at school where he took in money and shopped for the people on his list and he got to pick things out with out me knowing what it is he got. So he made my Christmas when I opened his gift and saw the MOM necklace. Of course it is only something I could love! This is my first cheesy Mom gift and I know I will keep it and treasure it forever! I am truely blessed to have such beautiful, healthy, happy kids!

Presents!!!!

The kids had a mountain of presents to open on Christmas day! They are really loved!

Beauty and the Beast

We spent Christmas eve at our friends house and had only been in the doors maybe 15 minuets before Isabella and Xavier were dressed up by their youngest daughter! It was so funny! Xavier was this huge sheep dog and Bella was a princess. Xavier loved the dog costume and would barely take it off for dinner. We had such a wonderful night and were grateful to have spent it with such good friends. And we came home with a sheep dog costume!

Christmas Sunday

For Easter and Christmas the kids always get a new set of Sunday clothes. This year for Christmas Sunday we went with pink and brown instead of our usual black and red! Xavier got dressed first and then Bella because I have to do her hair. When she walked into the living room Xavier said "Oh Bella you are a Princess and Mommy you are the Queen bee!" I love my life!

Philosophy

OK so this may seem a little weird but if Tisha can post about candy I can post my Philosophy! My sister in law Jamie works for Philosophy and she gives me the major hook up so for that I will forever be grateful! But this stuff truly is the best and I wanted to make sure you all knew about it! Unfortunately if you want it your going to have to pay the big bucks!! They have everything from make up and lip gloss, to bath gels that are to die for!!! You have to get something from them! I love it so much! Thanks Jamie I love you!!!

Decorating our Christmas Tree

Here are a few pictures of the kids decorating the Christmas tree! I wasn't sure if they would know what to do but they were so into it and put on every single ornament. They were all in the same place and Bella kept hiding all the angels in one spot but they did a great job! I have most of it on video and until I can figure that out these pictures will have to do! Hope you all are having fun getting ready for Christmas! We sure are!!

Chef Isabella Cardona

Well I hope you're not getting tired of these cooking pictures of Bella, But how can you resist these? She is way too cute even for Bella! Is it too early to be thinking of a career choice?? Chef Bella sounds really professional to me! I guess we'll see!

Lunch in bed.

I don't know what it is but Xavier and Bella love their beds! They are great sleepers and they never mind going down for a nap or for bed time. Beyond that they still love to be in Xavier's toddler bed. Sometimes after I'm done doing stuff I will go look for them and find them on his bed reading books or jumping off it like monkeys! So on this day they had lunch in their bed while they watched a video. They were so cute I had to to take a few pictures! FYI this is not the first time they've eaten in their beds! They love it!!

Tag, no touch backs!

So I have been tagged and if you are reading this there is a good chance you are on my list! So the rule is I tell you six things about me that you don't know and then I tag six other people and they have to do the same! My life is an open book so I am trying to think of things people really don't know. So here goes.....
1. When I was a Senior in high school, a long time ago. I was Aunt Eller in our school musical of OKLAHOMA! We did four nights of it and it was so much fun! I can still remember a lot of my lines and I actually went to OKLAHOMA on Broadway and I was reciting the whole thing in my head! I could have totally been her on Broadway. Which leads me to number 2.

2. I have always dreamed of singing on Broadway. I mean on a stage, in a show, the whole nine. Cause if you just count Broadway the road in times square, well, I've sang my way down that road more times than I can count! I've always loved to be center stage. What can I say?

3. I love Jelly Bellies. I know all the flavors by sight. I am way more into fruity candy than chocolate so I naturally love Jelly bellies. How can you not love a candy that you can mix to make flavors like blueberry muffin or peanut butter and jelly? When I was in high school I worked at a video store that had a vending machine with jelly bellies in it and I used to challenge my coworkers to see if they could name the flavors faster than me. Lets just say I'm the champ!

4. Now this one goes back of course before I was wed. But I'm sure most of you don't know that in college I was in the FLC with my roommate. We had to make up our own abbreviation that rivaled the popular VLC. For those of you who don't know the VLC is the virgin lip club. For those who had never kissed a guy. ( I was in Provo so this was not uncommon) and the FLC was the foreign lip club. Meaning if you wanted to be a member you had to kiss someone from another country. Not like my family is from Italy. Like the guy had to born there or raised there type of foreign. I'm sure you all know how diverse Provo is, so my roommate and I were the only members and I of course was the queen as I out kissed her 4 to one! Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and England. This was when I was young and crazy so no judging!! Also it was just kissing so don't go getting any ideas!

5. I have been an Aunt since I was seven. My niece Jessica was born a few months before I turned eight. I loved it so much! It was just like having a real life doll to dress up and play with! A year later came my nephew and now I have 18 nieces and nephews from age 22 to 4 months! I have been an aunt almost my whole life and I love it!

6. From the time I could sing I wanted to be a singer. A country singer. I used to sing into my mirrors all the time and my brother would make fun of me endlessly. But that is what I wanted to do with my life.......until I turned 16 and I then decided that singing was no longer my calling. I am happy to say that for 3 years 4 months and 20 days I have been living my dream from when I was sixteen years old. Yup I just wanted to be a Mom. I can honestly say that since that time I never had any aspirations to do anything else.(that could be why college was such a bust) I just want to be home with my kids and teach them and love them and do what Heavenly Father asked me to do when he sent them to me. I know motherhood is not easy for a lot of people and their dreams far exceed the four walls of their homes but for me I am doing what I always wanted to do and that is be a Mom.

So now I am tagging Mel, Lexie, Martha, Matt, Dan, Curteis (Tish you are going to have to tell him about this because he's not been updating his blog!! But I'm dying to know 6 secrets about him!!)

X-A-V-I-E-R

OK so I know that EVERY parent says this but this time I mean it! Xavier is a genius! We were playing with his magna doodle and he kept saying "X for Xavier" So I asked him to write an X but he insisted that I write the X. Then he proceeds with a-v-i-e-r. Lets just say I had no idea he knew how to spell his name. I started freaking out and called my Mom. I said "Mom, Xavier is a genius!" With confidence she says, "Oh, I know." I guess parents aren't the only ones that have my kids a genius syndrome! But even after I told her the real reason He's a genius she was impressed that at 3 he could spell his name! School is the best! Oh yeah and Xavier's a genius!

Leaves

My own naked chef

I have started potty training and naked seems to be the best way to do it and to avoid lots of laundry! Being naked won't stop Bella from playing in her kitchen or doing anything else for that matter!

I knew this day would come.

Xavier has been in a toddler bed for a little over two months. I took him out of his crib not because he was trying to escape and things were getting dangerous, no I took him out because he was just getting too big. So from day one the toddler bed was a hit and smooth sailing! I knew he wasn't staying in his bed before he fell asleep because Bella would be in her crib with her boots on or the toys they went to bed with had been swapped. That was all okay. Then he soon started jumping off his bed onto the floor over and over again before he'd be wore out. Still I'm thinking it's all good. His latest trick, climbing into to Bella's crib and wrestling with her and not being able to get out was a little more problematic but still okay. Today was the day that I wished he was still in his crib. I knew this day would come but I still was not prepared. For the first time Xavier got out of bed and opened his door. I know what you are thinking, not so bad. Well it was at 5:40 this morning (Xavier's usual wake up time) and he came into my room and stood next to my bed and stared at me while I was dead asleep and then shouted Mom come out come out where ever you are! I almost peed my pants! It freaked me out to have him standing right there next to my bed. I kept thinking serial killer! Anyway I fear that this will be my morning wake up call until... Really there is only one thing I can do, teach him how to turn on cartoons!

I left them alone!

When I arrived upon this scene, Xavier and Bella were quite literally the happiest two toddlers I'd seen. I on the other hand went into full OCD mode and started cleaning the place up before their smiles even started to fade! I don't know what it is because I am not a crazy cleaning lady. But when I had kids and they started getting toys I became crazy OCD lady. I don't want to loose a single puzzle piece, not a book or a doll or even the kitchen utensils. I know how many carrots, balls, pizza toppings and trains we have. (7,22,18,24) I don't know why this happened to me but here I am! Luckily the kids like to help clean up a little bit and so it's usually not so bad. I guess cooking dinner and letting the kids play alone is not the best idea. But on the other hand they were so happy and I got the chance to re inventory our toys! I just might leave them a lone sometime soon!

Grandma and Grandpa's visit

My parents were here visiting us and taking really good care of us for almost three weeks! In that time we went to Gettysburg for a few days, the Hershey chocolate factory tour, three Broadway shows, China town, The Statue of Liberty and redecorated my living room. It was a whirlwind of fun and in the end we all got sick! We had so much fun and I am so grateful that they are willing and able to spend so much time with us! Here are some of our pictures from the last three weeks!

Grandpa and Bella in front of the NYC sky line, Grandpa, Xavier, Bella and Lady Liberty, Factory workers at Hershey, Lovin' hotel living, Entering the hapiest place on earth, Chocolate world!!

Bon Jovi

So my friend Mel got free tickets to see Bon Jovi. Normally I am not that into Bon Jovi but how can you turn down free tickets and a good time at a rock concert? I couldn't and even though they were behind the stage and I looked at Jon's bootie most of the night it was still way fun! I learn a thing or two about Bon Jovi as well. 1st he has no butt and his pants are way way way too tight. (I had the rear view remember) 2nd he has spirit fingers big time! 3rd I'm pretty sure he's gay. 4th He puts on a great show so I'll stop making fun of RiLee for loving him so much!! Enjoy my videos!

Trick or Treat

Finally he gets it! This year was the first year Xavier understood the concept or Trick or Treating! Let me tell you how much more fun I had this year then the last! It was so great to see the look in his eyes when after saying trick or treat time after time people just kept giving him CANDY!!!!! We went to our ward party and also hit the street on Wednesday. He and Bella ran from house to house and although we only went down one street and back up it we ended up with way too much candy! So here are some pictures of Diego and Baby Jaguar.

I'm a blogger now!!

So here is our blog. I am finally getting around to it! I know I am the last one in the free world to be a blogger but here it is! I hope you enjoy it and love looking into our lives!