The Del Bello Family

Family 2011

2011-12-21T12:50:00.001-08:00

Sabrina, age 11.

Tabitha, age 8.

Charlee, age 4.

These three girls are a blessing to Gian and I.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Gian, Amy-Sue, Sabrina, Tabitha and Charlee Del Bello

(all pictures by Julie Presley. www.picturesbypresley.blogspot.com Thank you, Julie!)

She did it!!

2011-11-22T12:58:00.001-08:00

This last weekend (Nov. 19-20) we traveled down to Escondido for Sabrina to compete in the Region 15 USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships. This race is extremely important as only the top 20 in each age division will qualify to compete in the National USATF Junior Olympics for Cross Country. Pressure was on!!

This is the start of Sabrina's race. She is in all black in the middle of the picture below. There was a total of 43 girls in her age division. These girls come from all over the west coast; they are the best of the best in the west coast. All, but 2 (including Sabrina) are on teams. Sabrina runs unattached...meaning not affiliated with a team. Her dad coaches her (and she had some help this summer too). It's a pretty big deal to make it this far, unattached!

The gun goes off. Does it look like the girl next to her pushed her? She did! Didn't stop Sabrina, though!

Sabrina has to run a 3k = 1.8 miles

In the end she came in 15th with a time of 11 min. 46 sec. That qualifies her for Nationals!!!

National Junior Olympics will be held on December 10th in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! We are so proud of how hard Sabrina works to achieve this honor. On top of all of this she is maintaining a 3.86 G.P.A., goes to a 0 period class, plays (and is one of the captains) on the school basketball team. She is one amazing girl!

Good Luck, Sabrina!! We are so proud of you!!

October...on the run

2011-11-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

We kicked off a very busy month with a special occasion.

Tabitha's baptism!!

This girl has had her baptism planned out for about a year...every single detail!

Her dad baptized her and it was such a special experience.
Family picture before the baptism.

Tabitha wanted a cake made by our favorite cake maker, Tami. I don't think Tabi was disappointed.

We were so blessed to have so many people come to the baptism (the Lopez family)...

...and some came in spirit, by sending a special gift (Sis. Murray and the Osswalds).

Sabrina has been knee-deep in cross country races!!

This is the Laguna Niguel meet. Look at her stance...it's like, "don't mess with me because I'm about to beat you".

Love this picture of her running in the trails.
And yet another race. This one at Mt. Sac.

I don't know what it is about this place, but it's H-E-*-#!!!!

It must have been about 95 degrees by the time she ran at 11am.

You can tell she struggled a bit in this one...but still managed to be in top 20 out of 90 girls!

Poor thing was way over-heated. It was time for a shave-ice, STAT!!

We joined our cousins and went to the ward Halloween party. I love how my brother came up with his nerd costume in the matter of 10 minutes...awesome!!

And...back to running...This was the Chino Hills meet. For some reason, Sabrina felt it was necessary to wear her "war paint" for this race.

It must have worked because she ran her best race ever! She P.R.ed her one mile time at 6min!! And she came in third overall. Here she is getting presented her trophy!

And to end the month, we went trick or treating at Nana and Papa's house. Charlee was Rapunzel, Tabitha was a flapper, and Sabrina put on just about everything she liked from the Halloween box.

October also brought some middle school drama (for Sabrina), sickness (for everyone), lots of learning at preschool (for Charlee), new glasses (for Tabi), some new recipes (for Amy), cross country coaching (for Gian), volleyball practices and games (for Sabrina and Tabitha), and so much more. We have definately been ON THE RUN!!

Summer 2011

2011-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Our summer went down like this:

We sent Sabrina off to 5th grade camp.

Daddy napping.
We met up with our besties, The Lopez Family, for some fun at Cabrillo Beach.

We went to the bay every Monday.

Some paddleboarding down at the bay.

Some more awesome paddleboarding at the bay...Sabrina's new love!

We took a trip to the newly re-done Disneyland Hotel.

Fell in love with the waterslides and splash area at the Disneyland Hotel!!

Cabana family time at the hotel pool.

Went with these beautiful ladies to see the Broadway show Mary Poppins.

Celebrated Brandon's birthday with The Yap family.

This was a HUGE part of our summer....Sychronized Swimming. EVERYDAY we went to the Belmont Pool so Sabrina and Tabitha could be on a summer Sychronized Swim Team. It was a TON of fun and we made some great friends!

A trip to Goofy's Kitchen for my birthday.

A fun day with lots of friends at SPLASH waterpark.

A SECOND trip to the Disneyland hotel!

Ridemakerz at Downtown Disney where Daddy got to make a remote control car.

Hanging out with Mickey!More Disneyland pool fun!

Charlee's dream come true...to meet Rapunzel and Flynn Rider!

These girls got their ears pierced.

Tabitha was really, really, really happy to get her ears pierced.

And another HUGE part of our summer was Sabrina's daily committment to cross-country training with the Los Alamitos High School team. (Thanks Nate!!)

She loved running with some of her teammates from So. Cal. Running Wild days...and she loved hangin' with her "high school homies". She really gave those high schoolers a challenge. She was the youngest kid there and she ran with the Varsity boys and girls....those high schoolers were AMAZED!!

It was a VERY busy summer. We had fun, made friends, did the things we love, got great tans and enjoyed each other! It was a summer to remember!!

Happy 8th Birthday TABITHA!!!

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tabitha,

Here are 8 things we love most about you:

1. your contagious laugh

2. your smile and cute face (that looks exactly like Mom when she was 8)

3. your AWESOME dance skills

4. your compassionate heart

5. your love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and incredible faith

6. your fiery stubborn side that comes out when you KNOW you are right

7. that you try everything at least once

and

8. your sweet cuddles and hugs.

We hope your 8th birthday is one you will always remember.

Happy, happy birthday sweet Tabi-cakes!!

We love you so much.

Love,

Mom, Dad, Sabrina and Charlee

Back To School

2011-09-08T10:59:00.001-07:00

Summer happened...and I failed at blogging about it. But I'll get back to that soon.

Unfortunately this school year came too fast!

But, here we go with our 2011-2012 school year, like it or not.

Sabrina started middle school...WHAT?!...yep, middle school! She is in 6th grade at Tincher. She graduated from wearing blue shorts/skirts/bottoms...to wearing khaki. I think it makes her look older. Don't you worry, though. She still hugged me goodbye on the playground at school!

And this girl started 3rd grade. Tabitha was so excited the first day of school to see all her friends. She is ready to learn!

And the heartbreaker award goes to .... Charlee! She started preschool at Rainbow School with Mrs. Tami (who is THE BEST PERSON to leave my baby with!!!). She has to take a bucket to school instead of a backpack. I was so proud when she showed up with the cutest bucket there! (Oh, the creative in me.)

Every year I take this same picture...and this year taking it got me to tear up. Sabrina is growing up too fast and Tabitha is becoming more and more independant.

And then I took Charlee to Rainbow school....I lost it when we got home! Tears o'plenty! (thank goodness Gian was working from home yesterday and could be with us for the first day.) And I lost it again when her teacher called me later after school to tell me how good Charlee was and how much fun she had.

And then I had to do it all again today.

I love my girls. I love spending time with them. I love being their mommy. It just hurts a little to see them grow up so fast!!

Good luck Sabrina, Tabitha and Charlee!! Here's to a great school year!

Happy 4th Birthday, Charlee!!

2011-07-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

From the very start (July 25, 2007), I knew that this sweet little girl

CHARLOTTE LEE (aka "Charlee") DEL BELLO....

...was going to be lots and lots of fun (below, age 1)...

....full of laughs and smiles (below, age 2)...

...always ready to make us smile and bring our family joy (below, age 3)...

...and she just gets cuter and cuter!

Happy, happy 4th birthday CHARLEE!!!

Oh Charlee!

2011-07-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Dress-up time!

(complete with Sabrina's blankie as a red carpet)

Modest Little Mermaid...

...and Not So Modest Little Mermaid.
Not quite sure what this is??

And I just couldn't resist putting this picture on the blog. How cute is that little face??!!!

In just a few weeks my baby is going to turn 4 years old...don't get me started!

4th of July

2011-07-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Our 4th of July was pretty low-key.

We started off our day getting breakfast at the most American resturant ever, Denny's.

We spent the rest of the day at my parent's house.

My mom had a bunch of fun things to decorate the girl's bikes with. They loved decorating their bikes and helmets!!

Of course they had to show off their works of art and paraded down the street with Daddy!

Gian and I spent about an hour filling up water balloons for them to all be broken in the matter of about 10 minutes. Gian drew a Star Wars Death Star and the girls threw their water balloons at it to destroy it (a fun idea we got from a birthday party we went to).

There were some fun games, like flog and throwing the beans into the hula hoop.

We saw a few fireworks, both legal and illegal, from the middle of the street.

And then we called it a day.

It was nice to be with my parents and their friends.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-25T20:34:00.001-07:00

This Father's Day seemed to have a little Star Wars theme about it.

Me and the girls made Gian this cute Star Wars kit (hijacked from this fun website, Sandy Toes and Popsicles).

Complete with Leia Buns, Vaderade, Droid Chips, Boba Gum, Wookie Cookies...and more.
After church Gian got Sabrina totally addicted to Star Wars...and it's been a Star Wars movie marathon ever since. HELP!!

We went to dinner at my mom and dad's house, like we do every Sunday.
Me and my dad.

Gian and his girls.

Us Del Bello girls are ever so grateful for our Daddy, Gian and Papa, Bob!!!

Father/Daughter night

2011-06-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night was Father/Daughter night for the Activity Day girls (girls at church that are 8 to 11 years old). This is the last year that Sabrina gets to attend this fun evening of recognition and service. (It's okay, though...Gian gets to go for about 8 more years! Tabitha starts in September.)

It's fun for them to get all dressed up. Aunt Tiff did Sabrina's curly hair and it turned out GREAT!!

They had a few snacks...and some yummy dessert.
This is all of the Activity Day girls in our stake.

During the evening they showed a slide show of activities that the girls have been doing all year. Also each girl was recognized for different acts of service they have done.

The fathers and daughters also had the opportunity to make Christmas stockings and other things to send to the needy.

Sabrina loves this one on one time with her dad.

Last day of school

2011-06-22T08:50:00.001-07:00

So cliche, but this school year went WAY TOO FAST!!

Sabrina and her teacher, Mrs. Krug. Mrs. Krug was Sabrina's 4th grade teacher and she moved up to 5th grade with Sabrina... she was very lucky to have her again!

I didn't get a picture of Tabitha with her teacher...slacker mom.

The girls on the last day of school.

And for comparision's sake...here are the girls on the first day of school.

They both had EXCELLENT report cards, EXCELLENT teachers, EXCELLENT friends, and EXCELLENT memories.

What wonderful scholars they are!!

5th grade picnic

2011-06-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Since my girls go to a K-8 school, 5th grade "promotion" is not a huge deal. The 5th graders get a little more "elaborate" picnic. But really, I think the 5th graders are just happy having one free day to just hang out with friends.

The picnic was held at College Estates Park, which is the park we hang out at after school most days. Since we were there the day before the picnic, I got the chalk out and drew a big "Congratulations Tincher 5th Graders" on the sidewalk. The kids got a kick out of that!

Sabrina and her bestie, Kellie
Sabrina and her posse...watermelon time!

There was lots of fun stations for the kids to do...hair painting (seen below), a fishing booth with fun prizes, a photo booth, parachute games, and kickball.

At the end of the picnic they had a water balloon toss. Sabrina and her partner, Eric, had mad tossing skills!!

It was a fun day of celebrating with friends...most of whom we have know since kindergarten!

Congratulations, Sabrina, for making it halfway through your public education process...only 7 years to go.........

A special award for Sabrina

2011-06-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Every trimester the kids are given awards for excelling in different areas.

Sabrina was presented a special award by her P.E. teacher for running in the 4th/5th grade all-district cross country race and winning. Her teacher, Mrs. Maldonado, even presented her with a lei.

Her Principal, Mr. Vogel, who is retiring, praised her as well...and wished her well in her future endeavors.

Mrs. Maldonado and Sabrina

In addition to her special award, she also recieved the Principal's Honor Roll award.

We are so proud of her accomplishments. Sabrina works very hard in every thing she does. I'm glad that she had this opportunity to see that others recognize her hard work.

Keep it up, Sabrina. Oh the places you'll go!

Breanna and Jalen Thayer 5k Memorial Run/Walk

2011-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we lost a wonderful friend/teammate, Jalen Thayer, to cancer. His dad, Lance, was Sabrina's coach when she ran on a team called So Cal Running Wild. This is the Thayer's second child that they have lost to cancer. They also had a daughter who sadly lost her fight with cancer as well. (Cancer stinks!)

As a tribute to these wonderful children and to support this family we attended the first (inaugural) Breanna and Jalen Thayer 5k Memorial Run and Walk.

The morning started with a torch run. Lance carried the torch for the first 5k of the morning. It was a beautiful tribute to Breanna and Jalen.

After the torch run, there was a kids 1k fun run. It was so great to see the little ones run the entire perimeter of the school and even see some of our friends run an awesome race!

That was followed by the 5k run - split into age categories and by sex.

Sabrina (and Arrianna, also a past teammate and friend) were the youngest of the girls to run. Most of these girls were middle school and high schoolers (Lance coaches at Millikan High School). I was a bit worried about sending her off on a course I wasn't familiar with (or could see her on)...and worried that she would be upset at getting beat (that competitive streak in her). I just told her...go out there and do what Jalen would be proud of!

After what seemed like a very long 20 minutes I finally saw some girls making their way back to the finish line. I didn't see Sabrina....at first. And then, I realized it was because I missed her going by. She was in first place. The tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about how proud I was of her...but even more, about how proud Jalen would have been of her. I'm sure he was cheering in heaven!
Her finish time for this 5k... 22min 44 sec. (Impressive time...even more impressive that she beat high schoolers!)

Arrianna wasn't far behind her...she came in 3rd overall. Jalen would be proud of his girls!

But for now, she will take this success and dedicate it to the Thayer family.

Coach Lance and his Running Wild girls...he is an awesome coach!!

We stayed to cheer for our other friends and past teammates, like "Q" (seen below) and Connor, Hugo, Bailey, Drew, Kyle...and so many others.

Even Coach Louie (Arrianna's dad, who also helped coach the Running Wild team) ran an excellent race. As well as Isa ("Q"s dad)

It was fun to watch the walkers (there must have been at least 150+ walkers). There were opportunities for us to donate to Habitat for Hope, Breanna's gift and the Jalen Thayer Scholarship Fund. A quilt was being put together.

We will always remember Jalen and Breanna and will honor them by "Having Faith...Being Strong".

And I hope this girl will always have the fire inside to run!

Jalen, are you proud?

4th/5th graders All-District Cross Country Race

2011-06-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Both feet off the ground...she flys!

The start of the girls race

What happened to all the other racers??

The finish shoot

The Details:

Saturday morning kicked off early with Sabrina racing in the 4th/5th graders All-District Cross Country Race. It was a 1 mile race.

There were 48 girls in this race from schools all over Long Beach.

She took 1st place with a time of 6 minutes and 14 seconds.

5th grade play - We Come From Everywhere

2011-06-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sabrina's teacher decided to do a play for two 5th grade classes back in March. These kids have been working so hard to learn the songs and their parts. Sabrina was driving me crazy singing all the songs all the time. Even her sisters knew all the songs!

Well, it was finally show time and I was not disappointed!!

The story is about the United States being a "Melting Pot"; hence, the name, "We Come From Everywhere".

On the first night Sabrina played the part of a Greek imigrant.

And on the second night she had one of the lead parts. She even sang a solo! (Of course blogger won't let me upload that...but there's another short scene you can watch below.)

Singing her solo!

This is Sabrina with her bff, Kellie and their coach from College Estates Park, Brandon. He came both nights to see "his girls" kill it on stage! He was so proud. And it speaks volumes about him to take the time to come see these girls perform. They loved it!

Mrs. Turien, the 5th grade teacher/director!

And lots of family came to support this girl in yet another adventure in her life!

Congratulations 5th graders...You all were awesome!!

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day was spent with family, playing games, eating yummy food and chatting.

The older girls played with chalk in the backyard.

Ring toss
Some soccer action

All the cousins lined up at dinner time (from left to right: Cassidy, Rylee, Peyton, Charlee, Tabitha, Devyn, Camryn, Sabrina and Hudson)

And we topped the day off with some popsicles.

A great kick-off to what I hope will be a great summer!

Little Mermaid Undersea Adventure

2011-05-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last week, my niece, Rylee, Charlee and I went to California Adventure. We got there early so we could get in a short line for Toy Story Mania. After that we played a few games on the boardwalk. As we were walking to go see the Disney Junior show, we noticed that people were getting on the "soon to be opened" Little Mermaid ride. We kinda assumed it was just a preview for people with special passes, but decided to ask if we could go on anyways. LUCKY US...it was a soft opening for ANYONE to go on the ride. We quickly ditched the stroller and got in line (which was a short 5 minute wait) and had a great time on this new ride.

Ursala is HUGE!!!

Rylee giving the ride a TWO THUMBS UP!

My favorite scene, the kissing scene. Loved the music too!

It was so exciting to get to go on this ride before it's official opening...and we absolutely LOVED it!!

Have you seen this?? Amazing

2011-05-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

You all know that we spend A TON of time at Disneyland/California Adventure. Every time we go, we seem to find something new. This is what we found today.

Check this out...so cool.

This "custodian" has a broom and water and just draws Disney characters all along the boardwalk.

Sweet, huh??
I love it!!!

I Pledge...

2011-05-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

Tabitha was chosen to say the Pledge of Alliegence for the whole school on the intercom.

This is her and her Principal, Mr. Vogel.

I'm so proud of her!

But it's not Fall

2011-05-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

The girls were outside riding their scooters/bikes.

Gian was outside doing yard work.

The avocado tree was dropping leaves like crazy.

It just screamed a "JUMP IN THE LEAVES" kind of day!

So...they did and they loved it!!

Nope, it's not Fall...but Spring is sure fun too!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

What started out as a rough morning for Mother's Day, ended up being a fabulous day!

Sunday mornings are always a challenge. 9am church is early to get 3 girls ready and ME! Add to that all the responsibilities my hubby has for church and things get a bit frantic!

The men at church put on a nice breakfast for all the women...including a chocolate fountain. (I didn't dare go near that with all my health issues...but it sure looked fancy!)

And the kids sang a couple songs during Sacrament meeting. That always gets me to tear up a bit.

(This was post church. Charlee has a blue mouth because she ate a sucker on the way home from church...we're just grateful it didn't get on her dress.)

We went to dinner at my mom's house, which isn't unusual for Sundays...but this time she had each of us moms pick out something special we wanted for dinner. I picked Bar-b-qued Chicken, Tiff picked Yellow Squash, and my mom picked Ice Cream Sundaes. It was all delish!!

My mom, me and my girlies.

My mom and I....I love her lots...she's my bestie!!

My mom is so fun! She gave me the gift of THYME...and since she gave me thyme, she also gave me a gift card to plant other things in my garden and some shorts so I look good while gardening. And since I have so much thyme, she also gave me a REAL SIMPLE magazine to read. Get it??? Hahahaha....she's so punny!!

On the way home from my mom's house we turned Bruno Mars on in the car....realllly LOUD! My girls all chimed in and sang "Mom, You're Amazing...Just The Way You Are!" Tears....tears...tears. That was the best gift of all to hear them sing that song to me.

Listen/watch it here: Bruno Mars

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Spring Break 2011

2011-05-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

We kicked off Spring Break by going to Disneyland/California Adventure. It also happened to be our 14th ANNIVERSARY! We decided (?) to CeLeBrAtE with the girlies at our favorite place. This was the only picture I took...the camera never came out because we were having way too much fun!

On another day we kidnapped Nana and we went to ZooMars in San Juan Capistrano. It's a fun petting zoo/horse ride place. But if you ask Charlee, she rode a unicorn.
It was her first non-crying time riding a "unicorn". She loved it. Now, the bunnys and guinea pigs....she wasn't having it AT ALL!!!

We watched the Royal Wedding, of course.

And we finished off the week by celebrating, yet again....GIAN'S BIRTHDAY at Goofy's Kitchen.

Spring Break was just a teaser for summer...We're ready!

Happy Birthday GIAN!!!

2011-04-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Gian!!

Dear Sabrina,

2011-04-18T13:12:00.001-07:00

Dear Sabrina,

I just want to tell you how blessed I am to have you!

These past few weeks have been extremely hard on you (and very frustrating for me, as your mom).

First, I got sick. Your care and concern for me were more than I ever expected. You helped your dad out and were (and always are) the best big sister! When I heard you pray for me to get well, I knew I had to give everything in me to get better!

Then, you found out some dear friends are moving waaaay across the country. It's so hard to have friends leave and it seems to happen often to us. Besides, the Lopez's always seem to come back and we are fortunate to have them in our lives no matter where they go!

In the same week, you lost a dear friend and teammate, Jalen, to brain cancer at the young age of 15. I know this broke your heart as he was such a great inspiration to you in running. He will continue to inspire our whole family and we will think of him every time you run. As Jalen said, "be strong and have faith." This family's tragedy has made our family stronger and we will forever be grateful for their influence in our life.

Right after that you got notice that you might have to switch schools for middle school (to a school that is horrible, to say the least). I noticed that you looked to me and your dad to protect you from this happening and I hope we didn't fail you in our fight for you to go to the right place for middle school. We want the best for you. And you deserve the best. We will do whatever it takes to get you to where you belong!

Then to top it all off you didn't make the soccer team that you tried-out for. I thought that you would take it hard...I mean, how much more can one 11 year old girl take. I cried, I didn't want to tell you, I was pissed off. But here's what you said when your dad finally broke the news, " Oh, that's okay...I guess I'll just be on a normal team and do my best". Yes, Sabrina, you do that! And show that team what they are missing out on!!

I'm so sorry that things have not been easy for you lately. I hate times like this. It's times like this that I get a bit too "mama bear" and want to just protect you from it all!! But you handle it all with grace, look at it all as a learning experience, you try harder, you love more, you show what faith means. You, Sabrina, are a wonderful girl!! You make me proud. Now, if only I could be more like you.

I love you with all my heart,

Mom

Going Private

2011-04-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

So sorry to do this...but we have to make our blog private. If you would like to be included on viewing our blog, please leave a comment (which will not be posted) with your email so I can put you on the list.

Unfortunately, we have had someone looking at our blog and leaving weird comments about our girls. So for their safety we have made this choice to go private.

Leave your email SOON as I will make our blog private in about a week.

Sorry for the inconvience.

ELEVEN

2011-03-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sabrina

She's cute.

She's obedient.

She's sweet.

She's athletic.

She's smart.

She's fun.

She's a good example.

She's a great big sister.

She's a wonderful daughter.

She's silly.

And....she's 11!!!

Happy Birthday Sabrina!!!

Love you sooooooooooo much!!

Just when everything is going good.

2011-03-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought life was going pretty good, I got thrown a wrench.

On Sunday morning I woke up with a slight pain in my chest. But life doesn't stop for just a little pain. So I got everyone ready for church and off we went. I sat through church very uncomfortable, but put on my happy face and kept on going. After church we went to my mom's house for dinner (see post below). The pain continued but was piercing through to my back. I think it was about this time that I told Gian I think I'm having a heart attack - to which he said "oh, come on Amy, don't be crazy". (He wasn't saying it to be insensitive...just in denial.) Like I said, life doesn't stop for any pain.

When we got home from my mom's house, I was really having some strong pain...and totally thinking that I was INDEED having a heart attack. I got so nervous that I gathered my girls on my lap to take my "final picture" with them. (see above picture) I even wrote letters to each of them in my journal. I refused to go to the E.R. because I didn't want to be embarrased if I went and then it was just gas or something stupid like that (darn pride). I took 4 advil and went to bed crying.

I woke up Monday and got the first doctor appointment I could get. The doctor determined that I wasn't having a heart attack and said I had some viral infection of my muscles in my chest blah blah blah blah. Oh really? Why does it hurt like H E L L?? Yes, by now the pain was making me swear! The doctor prescribed Motrin and Tylenol with codeine. I went home and took the Motrin...one hour later, pain was out of control still. I took the Tylenol with codeine...one more hour, still bent over on the bed crying in pain. Things were NOT good and I finally called Gian at work and had him take me to the E.R. (side note and another story for another time, but he hit a flying bird on the way to the hospital - I was crying in pain and laughing at what happened...pretty comical)

The E.R. was a long wait. But after blood tests, urine test (nope, not preggo), EKGs, X-rays and an ultrasound it was determined that I was NOT having a heart attack. I have gallstones, with one possibly blocking the bile duct. I am having surgery to have my gall bladder removed in about a week. Until then I just get to manage my pain with pain killers. Good thing I have a high pain tolerance.

Just when I thought life was going well. This experience has made me realize that I need to hold my family closer...things can change in an instant. Lots of life changes are in store for this girl. This has been a huge wake-up call!!!

I don't ever want to have to take a picture like that one above again!

Birthday kick-off for Sabrina

2011-03-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Since my mom and dad are heading out on a vacation, we got to celebrate Sabrina's birthday a little early.

Her choice for dinner: spaghetti, ceaser salad, bread with Clearman's spread and a giant chocolate chip cookie for dessert.

She was so excited about the boogie board that Nana and Papa gave her...and totally happy about the money from the Ashcrafts (all in one dollar bills).

More birthday celebrating to come for this almost 11 year old girl!

March Mish-Mosh of stuff

2011-03-18T21:44:00.001-07:00

Here's some of our happenings in the month of March:

Sabrina made chocolate chip cookies - all on her own! And they were yummmmyyy!

Gian went with the girls to school for Dad's Donut Day.
Just about every other Saturday we hit up Lowes for their free kids workshops

And lots of basketball. This is Sabrina's team.

Here is Tabitha's team.

That's some fun with the Del Bello's for March....so far.

All-District Band Concert

2011-03-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Back in January, Sabrina was selected to be in the All-District band. When she brought home the music, I admit, I wondered if she was even capable of playing half the notes. But after 6 weeks of 1 1/2 hour practices (and a few tutoring sessions), she (and the whole band) did a REMARKABLE job!!

I'm so pleased with the hard work and practicing she did for this! What an honor to be selected to this concert. I'm proud of her!

Surfin' Sabrina

2011-03-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sabrina is so lucky to have a friend whose parents have "all the toys".

We got a phone call that it was time to hit the beach and teach Sabrina how to surf. So we quickly packed up and went to Bolsa Chica Beach.

Heading out to learn to surf (Sabrina on the right)

She looked awesome out there...although I was a nervous nelly watching those waves crash all around her!

It was so fun watching this girl learn something new. She is quickly learning this new sport and loving it. All we've heard is that she wants a surfboard...hahaha, yeah right.

A First for Charlee

2011-03-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

For as many times we have been to Disneyland, Charlee has never been on a roller coaster. For one thing, she hasn't been tall enough to ride any of the roller coasters. And for another thing, she's chicken! Don't let the picture above fool you. That fake smile is hiding total fear!

Watch this:

I'm such a mean mom.

Father/Daughter Cotillion Dance

2011-03-01T12:53:00.001-08:00

It was Father/Daughter (or Mother/Son, if that was your case) Cotillion Dance last night.

Gian and Sabrina got all gussied up. Gian in his nice new suit. And Sabrina with her new sweater dress and bling. They got to learn how to do the Fox Trot, Waltz and some other dances.

My girl....isn't she looking so old?? It's killing me.
Gian couldn't stop chuckling about Bobby Burgess, Cotillion Master.

When I asked Gian how he thought he did at Cotillion he said that he thought he was a pretty good dancer. He said he "prespired" a little...and at least he wasn't as bad off as the "bald dad who was sweating like a hog." Nice, Gian.

Good times at Cotillion, I tell ya!

Long Beach with the Lopez Family

2011-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

We are so grateful that we have this wonderful family in our lives. The Lopez family has blessed our lives and we love every chance we get to spend with them. (Not so grateful that they live far away, though.)

This time it was our turn to host them in our home...and they didn't complain too much about coming to Long Beach.

Our first stop was to Islands at the Pike. We got to celebrate this cute girl's 6th birthday, too! I think she was happy about that!
The other kids just talked and talked non-stop and had a blast hanging out together.

Charlee and Erin-Ashley loved that birthday sundae.

We walked from the Pike to Shoreline Village. Poor Sheree's already sprained ankle didn't appreciate that much...but she was a total trooper and the hubbys went back and got the car for us so we didn't have to walk all the way back.

We goofed around and had a lot of laughs.

These girls are fast friends...Sabrina and Tiffany. Nevermind that they are both very gorgeous!

And the babies of our families always melt our hearts...Erin-Ashley and Charlee

Colton trying to push that boulder down was only one of his many antics that made us laugh and his parents groan!

All the kids with the Queen Mary in the background.

After our trip to downtown we came back to our house had some pizza and had a little birthday celebration for Erin-Ashley. It was so hard to say goodbye and we already are planning our next visit! (I think the kids have already text each other a few times too!)

Until next time.

Our Valentine's Trip

2011-02-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

We woke the kids up early on Sunday the 13th and told them to get packing because we were going on vacation!

We checked in to the Grand Californian and promptly got into our bathing suits and hit the pool. Thank goodness for 70+ degree weather in California in February!!

After our trip to the pool we went to dinner and then went to California Adventure to play until it was time for the World of Color show.

We really liked the World of Color (although I have to say I still like Fantasmic better).

Charlee made it through about half the show and then just couldn't hold on any longer!

Tabitha was eating it up!!

Sabrina got lucky and had a pretty good spot to watch the show.

See...me and Gian were there too!

When we got back to our hotel room we were surprised by two bouquets of pink balloons and a picture of Mickey and Minnie, along with the chocolate coins on our pillows. Love the Disney touches!!

The next day we dressed up in our Valentine attire and played at Disneyland. I think Tabitha counted that we went on 11 rides...pretty good for a crowded Valentine's day!

It was a LOVELY Valentine's day trip! I'm so glad our Valentine took all his girls away...we really needed the time to feel the LOVE as a family.

#1 - I LOVE....

2011-02-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

...that we (yes, the whole family) will be spending Valentine's day at the Grand Californian Hotel

and then we will go see the new World of Color show.

I LOVE IT!!!

I'm sooo excited!!!

Thanks for joining in with me in counting down to Valentine's day.

Try to find something to LOVE about every day!!

#2 - I LOVE...

2011-02-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

....Gian.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOVE, LOVE him!!

I LOVE him lots!!

#3 - I LOVE....

2011-02-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

...being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I LOVE that I was married for time AND all eternity to my wonderful hubby in this beautiful place on a beautiful April day.

I am grateful that I have been raised by "goodly parents" who have taught me right from wrong. And now I have the opportunity to do the same with my girls. I am grateful for the Bible and Book of Mormon. I am grateful for Jesus Christ and the atonement. I LOVE that I have the freedom to worship how, where and what I may in this country.

#4 - I LOVE...

2011-02-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

...to splurge on a few things for me (not often, but sometimes).

This is my favorite lotion right now...Love Spell from Victoria's Secret.

This little beauty is from Brighton jewelry. Gian actually gave me this ring for Christmas, love it! I love my charm bracelet my mom gave me too and all the fun charms others have given to me for it!
I love that Old Navy carries Plus Size clothes. It's seriously the one stop shop with every size for our whole family!!

So, those are a few of my LOVELY splurges. What do you splurge on??

#5 - I LOVE....

2011-02-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

... my 3 beautiful girls.

Sabrina, who is very responsible, athletic, and is very well-rounded.

Tabitha -who is my mini-me from the inside out, wears her heart on her sleeve and loves to talk.

Charlee - who is silly as all silliness, cute as cute can be and keeps us on our toes.

These 3 girlies make me jealous that I never had a sister and grateful that I get to help them be the best sisters ever.

These girls are growing up WAY TOO FAST and it breaks my heart to see them becoming more and more independent. But I am so happy to see them making good choices and becoming strong, smart and genuinely caring girls.

I LOVE YOU...Sabrina, Tabitha and Charlee. You make me proud to be your mom!!

P.S. The first boy that breaks your heart will be in BIG trouble with me!!!!

#6 - I LOVE....

2011-02-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

....flowers.

Namely,

Geraniums (I wish a I had a whole patch of just red geraniums that bloomed all the time)

Tulips (my wedding flower)

Roses (I have two rose bushes that I hardly pay attention to and they are gorgeous, lucky me)

and I would really love to have a yard that looked like this YEAR 'ROUND!!!

P.S. I kinda wish I had that house too.

#7 - I LOVE...

2011-02-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

... artichokes.

My mom called me the other day and said,

"I went to Costco and got you a prize."

I ran right over (because who doesn't love to get a prize).

And she handed me this bag of 4 large artichokes.

Mmmm...they were so yummy for dinner last night.

#8, 9 - I LOVE...

2011-02-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

#9....I LOVE getting caught up. Like getting caught up doing other stuff so now I have to get caught up on my blog. Or like getting caught up on chores so I feel accomplished. Or getting caught up on crafts, bills, laundry, gardening..the list goes on and on. Apparently I spend alot of time getting caught up on stuff..but why am I so behind??

#8...(oh, maybe because I'm doing this)...I LOVE a few shows that are on T.V. right now. Really I'm not a T.V. person...actually I spend alot of time getting caught up on shows too (thank you DVR). But here a few of my favs:

Yes, I'm a GLEEK. Sue Sylvester just cracks me up sometimes...she's so inappropriate! And I love the music (not all, but most).

Another fav is this....Modern Family. Always ends with a pretty good message.
And, of course, since I have kids...I LOVE Phineas and Ferb.

A couple other shows I'm watching right now are: The Bachelor (got suckered into this one, but Gian and I have fun watching it together) and American Idol (it should be interesting with the new crew).

We also rarely miss an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Good Luck Charlie.

#10 - I LOVE...

2011-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

... food! I'm not 100% sure, but it might be safe to say I haven't missed many meals. No, really, have you seen me lately. Anyways, here's my sample platter:

Heart shaped sugar cookies, frosted and decorated nicely (as only the great Angie Jones can do)

my favorite restaurant - Outback

soft serve ice cream, specifically Dairy Queen soft serve vanilla cone dipped in chocolate

just about anything Hostess, except those disgusting Snowball thingys...uck

and top it all off with a Coke, preferably a Cherry Coke on crunchy ice

That's just a few of the things I like to eat. Yes, I do eat healthy stuff too...but that's not important here. This is about what I LOVE, right?

What are your favorite foods??

#11 - I LOVE...

2011-02-04T18:27:00.001-08:00

...Fridays.

This morning was Tincher's Mom's Muffin (Donut) Morning.

I LOVE that I got to spend the morning at school with Sabrina doing a fun poetry project. And I LOVE that my mom got to spend time with Tabitha in her class making a log cabin out of pretzels...quite the experience for my mom.

After a fun morning at school, I LOVE that I got to spend more time with my mom. We went to a boutique and then out for a yummy lunch.

Meanwhile I sent my wonderful hubby off to work. He went to visit a client in the hospital. And he didn't pass up the opportunity to donate blood...all in the name of getting free parking and free ice cream ("A Pint for A Pint" from 31 flavors). He makes me laugh! I LOVE his creative budgeting skills! And I LOVE that the nurse made him have a yellow arm wrap to match his shirt!

And last, I LOVE that my cute Sabrina got to go in this fun VW Bus with her friend to San Clemente to go beach camping!!

#12- We LOVE...

2011-02-03T20:03:00.001-08:00

...Disneyland!!!

Today was a special day at Disneyland for us.

Charlee got her first annual pass!!

She was so excited to hold her new pass and come into Disneyland!

Of course we had to stop and tell Mickey all about it!!

Getting her picture taken for her pass.

And finally she got to pick her favorite ride to go on to celebrate the big day!

Yes, we really LOVE Disneyland!!

#13 - I Love...

2011-02-02T20:35:00.001-08:00

...Wednesday lunch dates with Gian and Charlee.

On Wednesday Gian gets to telecommute and work from home, so we take advantage of that for a quick little lunch with our little one.

I LOVE lunch dates.

Countdown to Valentine's Day #14 / My Tuesday

2011-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

Most of you know how much I LOVE Valentine's day.

I try to do a countdown to Valentine's day each year on my blog.

So here we go...

#14........ I LOVE Target!!

Most weeks Charlee and I make at least one trip to Target. Sometimes we pick up my mom and she joins in our shopping adventures. I love going to Target with my little compadre/tagalong, Charlee. She's quite the "helper" by reminding me to go down the Toy isle and to go look at books, push all the buttons we can find in different isles and to scan items to check prices. She even "helps" me sing by singing at the top of her lungs. It's always fun to go shopping at Target with my 3 year old!

My Tuesday was definately better than my Monday (see post below). We don't think Sabrina's elbow is broken, but she has to be careful with it for a few days. Darn basketball game!

I took Sabrina to Hughes Middle School for her flute practice with the All-District Band today. While waiting for her I had to use the school potty. It brought back memories. Remember these toilet paper holders and the teeny-tiny squares of toilet paper??

Funny story about that...on March 22, 2000 Gian and a very 9-month-pregnant me went to Open House at Fremont Elementary School to see what my nieces were doing in school. I had to use the potty (do you see where I am going with this?). So, big ol' pregnant me squeezed into a stall, sat on a tiny potty (made for a Kindergartener, I'm sure) and did my thing with the help of about 10 of those paper squares. All was good. Then we left and went home. About 40 minutes after that potty trip (and at home) my water broke. OH MY GOODNESS...could you imagine if that would have happened in that tiny stall with those itty bitty toilet paper squares??? Too funny!! (Sabrina was born 24 hours later on March 23rd. Love that girl!)

Anyways, Sabrina and I came home from practice to red and white lights around our house for Valentine's day...cute, huh? Gian, Tabitha and Charlee were busy while we were gone! (Love those decorators!)

And, finally it was treat time for the family and we kicked off our February with red heart tattoo suckers.

Happy February, Everyone!!

Monday

2011-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

mmmm....

uh oh!

And how was your Monday?

What's been goin' on here...

2011-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else, we have been busy around here. (I don't like the cop-out excuse of being too busy. I feel it's just that-an excuse.) Our lives are full of joy and we are loving every moment of craziness.

These pictures are in total random order, so I'm not even going to try to tell you what days these all happened. But just know that they happened all this week!

We went to Disneyland/California Adventure (I know for sure this happened on Saturday). (This is trip #2...since I'm keeping tally.) We went from early in the morning until late in the evening and made it a fun-filled family day.

This was at the end of the day...notice we are all still smilin'. Some days at Disney, we don't go home like that, believe me!! But this time was Practically Perfect In Every Way!
We got a chance to see lots of characters....like Jessie and

Woody! Love Toy Story!!

Earlier in the week, we took Charlee to the dentist for the first time (love our Pediodontist, Dr. Worden). She got her teeth cleaned and had her first exam. She cried alot and wanted to go home...but did pretty well all things considered.

Charlee and I met up with some friends at the park.

I went to an awards assembly for Sabrina since she got the Principal's Honor Roll.

Lunch time looks like this at our house. A very tired little 3 year old, a fast food lunch, and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I just had to capture this moment because just look how stinkin' cute she is!! Can you even stand those ponytails?

A flute concert for Sabrina.

She's definately making progress. She just got picked for the Elementary All-District Band!

On top of all that we had Basketball practice, homework (of course...and this week we got slammed with 3 projects), haircut for me (why am I getting grey), meeting for 5th grade parents regarding moving into middle school (ugh), meeting for church, flute tutoring (for Sabrina), turning in paperwork for middle school (ugh, again...tell me that's not happening), Gian working late (stupid new work hours), and a trip to Target (it's not a complete week without one of those!).

Yes, it's been busy...but it's been fun! It's never too busy for friends (via Facebook or texting or phone)...and never too busy for family (visits to Nana and Papa's house are always on our schedule). Most of all we are grateful to be busy together as a FAMILY!!

(p.s. just so you know, we didn't forget about Tabitha...she's been right in the mix, too)

Sunday Lessons

2011-01-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

I learned some of most interesting things today. Let me share some with you.

I learned that not everyone likes me...and that's okay. It's the people that accept me for my faults and still love me for who I am that matter the most.

That I go to church to grow spiritually, not necessarily to socialize....and that's okay. It's more important to be closer to my Heavenly Father than it is to be "in the know".

I learned some interesting facts about Fasting that I did not know. (Click on the the word Fasting and see what our lesson was about.)

I learned that I can learn a lot from my kids. This kid (Tabitha) in particular:Tonight, with all 15 of us around the dinner table, she decided to take control of the conversation and go around to each person and say, very specifically, what she loved most about them. I watched as she thoughtfully expressed what she saw as each persons best qualities are. I also watched each persons face light up and a smile come to their face. She taught me that every person needs to hear that they are important and that they matter. Every one needs to know that they are respected and loved. Not only do they need to know that, but they should know specifically why. Wouldn't we live in a better world if we were able to say something positive about everyone we come in touch with?

These are some of the things that I learned on this Sabbath day. What did you learn??

Keeping Tally

2011-01-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

I get a lot of flack for going to Disneyland so much. You see, we live on one income, so we don't go on vacations (i.e. camping, going to Hawaii, flying somewhere exotic, etc.). Instead, we buy DISNEYLAND annual passes and wear them out! We vacation in short 3 hour jaunts to Disneyland or pull the kids out of school (opps, did I just say that out loud?) and make memories with MICKEY MOUSE. Disneyland has always been a huge part of our lives (G & me went on our first date there, G proposed to me there, honeymooned at WDW in Florida, etc.)....and we will forever be dedicated to all things Disney.

So, that being said, I made it one of my New Years goals to keep tally of how many times we go to Disneyland/California Adventure/Downtown Disney in one year. And, you, my lucky readers, get to hear about it often. If you want to help me up my tally, feel free to join me at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Day 1 of the year 2011 went like this:

A trip around the world for It's a Small World...holiday style. It was still decorated for the holidays and I just L-O-V-E how they combined the Jingle Bells song with the It's a Small World song!!

We had lunch at River belle Terrace...the yummiest Turkey sandwich ever!

And then off to Downtown Disney

Charlee got sprinkled with some pixie dust...

.....and a princess she became.

And then our short trip was over since we had to go pick up the sisters from school.
But one thing Disneyland does well is make Charlee do this:

I think day 1 was a success.

Here's to lots more DISNEY adventures.

My new little Sunbeam

2011-01-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today (meaning Sunday) was a big day for my little 3 year old.

At church Charlee went from being in the Nursery (18 months to 3 years)...to...

being in Primary and being a SUNBEAM!!!

Here she is with her friend Jane, her teacher and her other friend Logan.

In class.

Let's not discuss the tears on her mom's face...why does she have to grow up so fast??!!

Happy New Year!!! 2011

2011-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!

A hot date with my hubby...and 16 of our other friends at Acapulco.
A party with the kiddos.

A great way to start out 2011!

Wishing you a wonderful new year!

(Read on to see how we ended our year....Lots of posts below to play catch-up!)

Too Much Rain

2011-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

What else do you do after it has rained WAAAAY TOOOO many days in Southern California?

Go MUD-SLIDING, of course!!!

We scoped out some big, really muddy puddles and loaded up the kids and a few "accessories" and had some fun at the park.

There was lots of jumping in mud,

dripping, muddy bodies,
screaming and laughing,
and some serious sliding going on.

It was so much fun that we went back for day two....only to get "caught" and told to leave or else get slapped with a $400 vandalism ticket. Who knew that playing in the mud and dirt was vandalism?? STUPID!!!

Oh well, at least it took them two days for them to catch up with us ;)

(Keep on reading...there's more to see!)

Christmas Fun

2011-01-02T13:18:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Del Bello's.

Santa was good to the girls.

He brought a new bike and helmet to both Charlee and Tabitha.

Sabrina was overjoyed to get a new longboard.

Christmas morning we do our own little family Christmas at home.

Tabitha was so over-the-top excited about every single gift!

Sabrina jumped right onto her longboard and was ready to go!

After the excitment at home, we headed over to Nana and Papa's house for breakfast and opening presents.

Nana spoiled all the girls....and Gian and I!

Tabitha was so excited about her new scarf and Twinkle Toe shoes.

And Sabrina was delighted to see that she got a new camera...

...and some darling new clothes.

It was another wonderful Christmas spent with our terrific family!!

We hope all your Christmas dreams came true, too.

Keep on reading to see what else we did in December.

December 2010 Happenings

2011-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

We did lots of stuff in the month of December.

So here is a mish-mosh of our fun month.

We decorated Gingerbread men.

I got these cute kits at Trader Joes and we had a blast decorating and eating way too much candy and cookie!

We piled into Daddy's car and picked out a Christmas tree.

Sabrina wins the award this year of finding "the perfect tree".

We went to Knott's Merry Farm one day.
(I think once a year is plenty of Knott's for our family...we'll stick with Disneyland!)

We battled a few sick days and LOTS of rainy days by cuddling up and watching movies.

We went to some super fun birthday parties! Tabitha had a blast at her friend's birthday cookie decorating party. (Hooray for mom's that are totally creative and talented!!)

We went to the church Christmas party.

Sabrina was Mary.

And Tabitha was an Angel.

It was a lovely dinner and Nativity program.

...and Santa even made an appearance. Charlee had quite a list!

Cotillion was titled "Winter Wonderland Prom".

Sabrina, Zoe and Wyatt (the church crew at Cotillion)

All fancied up for Cotillion.

We got to see our very best friends.

Sabrina and Megan- b.f.f.'s!

Some more cookie decorating and then delivered to our friends.

All dressed up for church.

And finally, Christmas Eve at Nana and Papa's house.

The kids all got jammies and Nana made them each a pillowcase.

It was a wonderful December...full of family fun and friends!

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

This is us in 2010.

Gian and Amy-Sue

Sabrina, age 10

Tabitha, age 7

Charlee, age 3

I just love this picture of Sabrina and Tabitha. Sabrina's face is classic!

And that is sooo totally Tabitha!

Our family....We LIVE, We LAUGH, We LOVE

We have been so blessed this year and it truely has been captured in these pictures.

(Pictures taken by Tiffany Ashcraft)

Region 15 Cross Country championships

2010-11-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

We started off our morning (November 21st) at Mt. Sac. for Cross Country Region 15 championships. (Our region encompasses all of California, Nevada and Hawaii). This race is what would qualify my girl, Sabrina, for National Junior Olympics. If she was in the top 20 of this group she would be elgible to be Nationally ranked for her second time!

We stayed warm and dry (since it was about 55 degrees and sprinkling a bit) by sitting in the car and waiting for the race to begin. This was "Team Sabrina" this year: her sisters and her cousin, Hudson, and her parents.

And finally this talented group of girls took off on a race that would be a muddy and wet one!
(Sabrina is in all black right by that bright yellow cone.)

This is at about mile 1. Lookin' strong!

And this is a very strong finish with another awesome time of 12 min 34 sec.....

and the number 10 spot!!!
Yep, she did it! She qualified for National Junior Olympics once again. Unfortunately we do not have the finances to send her to Alabama on December 11th to see how she would do at the National level this year...but we are just so proud that she made it this far and hope for her success again next year. In the meantime, don't be surprised if you see her still out training since her next goal is run a HALF MARATHON! Yes, folks...this little, tiny 10 year old girl has goals!!!

Way to go, Sabrina!!

Tabitha meets the Fancy Nancy illustrator

2010-11-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

I found out that the illustrator, Robin Priess Glasser, of the Fancy Nancy books was going to be doing a book signing here in Long Beach and immediately knew that my girl, Tabitha, really needed to meet this woman! And I knew just the person to take her...her Nana!

So, I got her all fancied up with her hair, fancy skirt and boa and sent her off with her Nana and cousin, Devyn.

They got to hear Robin Preiss Glasser read the newest Fancy Nancy book, Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique. Look how fancy she was! Tabitha LOVED her!!! Can you see why?

Getting her book signed. Nana bought her the new book. But Tabitha also had another book that was illustrated by Ms. Glasser, called Tea with Ruby, written by the Dutchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.

Tabitha and Devyn and Robin Preiss Glasser.

This day was...Oh La La....spectacular (that's fancy for the best day ever, according to Tabitha)!

Burgess Cotillion of Long Beach

2010-11-21T12:55:00.001-08:00

We signed Sabrina up for Cotillion this year. Cotillion is a class for teaching manners and social dance. Cotillion has been around for ages....even my mom went to Cotillion!!

Burgess Cotillion is conducted by Mr. Bobby Burgess, who was an original Disney Mouseketeer. Visit here for more info: www.bobbyburgesscotillion.com.

Each month is a different theme. This month was "The Broadway Ball". Sabrina loves getting all dressed up and having her hair done by her aunt Tiff.

This month was also picture night and they took a picture of all the kids in her class. This was my quick shot of the group.

And another quick picture of her learning a dance.

run, Sabrina, run

2010-11-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

This Cross Country season for Sabrina has been short. There weren't too many races (maybe 6?) this year...but she did well in every one she competed in.

This last race was an incredible race for her. This race was the Southern California Championships for USATF. It was held at Mt. Sac.-which, you recall, is NOT an easy course to run.

She runs a 3k (which equals 1.8 miles) for her age category.

And at this race she ran it in 12 minutes and 9 seconds. (a new personal record)

Unbelievable what this girl can do!!!

She came in 6th place which qualified her to go on to Regional Championships (our region is all of California, Hawaii, and Nevada). She will compete in that meet this coming Sunday, November 21st and IF she is in the top 20, she can once again go on to the National Junior Olympics which will be held in Hoover, Alabama. (I'm not sure we can financially take her to Alabama...but she sure wants to try to qualify!)

We are proud of her hard work, her desire to develop her talent, her competitiveness nature, and her love of running.

RUN, SABRINA, RUN!!!!!!! Good luck!

October Overview

2010-11-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

October went by in whirlwind. Not that we were busy, but it just seemed like we walked around lost all month long.

The big highlight of the month was Halloween, of course. I'm not a huge fan of Halloween...some things we do "for the children".

So here are a few pictures from our church Halloween party, courtesy of Craig Sampson!

Charlee as Minnie Mouse.

Tabitha as a cowgirl. (I'm not sure what she is doing in this picture...but it's totally her!)

And Sabrina as a witch. Luckily she has an aunt who LOVES Halloween and LOVES to do face make up! Doesn't she look cool?!

In other October news, Sabrina has been training with her dad for cross country season. She has run in about 3 or 4 races and her time has been pretty consistent with a 6:30 minute mile. Rockin' the cross country scene once again! Her next two races are qualifiers for nationals (like this last year)...so she could use some good thoughts!

Tabitha has been busy learning all she possibly can in 2nd grade. She is loving school. She has become quite the book worm and I'm looking for an recommendations for good books for her to read. And she is totally addicted to playing teather ball!

Charlee and I have been enjoying some time playing at the park, going to Disneyland, going shopping, running errands and watching Hi-5!

I'm ready for November and for remembering all the many things I have to be grateful for.

Happy Birthday TABITHA!!

2010-09-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday Tabitha!!

Here's 7 fun facts about Tabitha:

1. She loves to dance. NO...I mean, really, the girl has moves. Like, serious MOVES!! Moves that might make you jealous (or even blush).

2. She has been wearing glasses since she was 2 years old. Darn lazy eye. But she sure looks cute with her glasses!!

3. She has an amazing way of talking ALLLLLL DAY LOOONNNGG!! Wakes up talking and goes to sleep talking. It's almost like someone winds up her mouth during the night and it goes lalalalalalalalalalalala all day long!

4. She has a HUGE heart. She cares about anyone and everyone that she has ever met. She will be the first to write you a note telling you that she loves you. If you make the "Tabitha List" then you have really made it BIG time with her!

5. She has gorgeous RED hair. Currently she is trying to to grow it all the way to her back. I say...if you got it, flaunt it! Who didn't secretly wish they were a red-head?

6. She loves anything sparkle-y, bling-y, flash-y, shimmer-y, goop-y, etc. Her motto: sparkle=fashion.

and.........

7. She is a blessing in our lives. She makes us laugh, cry, smile, yell, happy all in the matter of a few moments. She is a sweet girl and we are so happy that we have her!

We love you Tabi-cakes!!

I REFUSE!!!

2010-09-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

I refuse to believe summer is over!

I refuse to believe school started today!

I refuse to believe that Sabrina is a 5th grader this year!

I refuse to believe that Tabitha is a 2nd grader this year!

And...Charlee refuses to believe that she can't go too!
(isn't the tear on her cheek the saddest thing ever??)

Summer Lovin'

2010-09-01T22:07:00.001-07:00

Charlee

Tabitha

Sabrina

I fell in love, once again, with these sweet girls this summer.
I love you, Charlee.
I love you, Tabitha.
I love you, Sabrina.
Thanks for the fun times!!

Cousins and Friends

2010-08-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you the special relationship these two girls have.

Cousins by blood....Best friends by choice.

Camryn just turned 12 and Sabrina is 10.

They both love sports, frozen yogurt trips, Sizzler, riding bikes, going to church, the color green, wearing glasses, doing chores to earn money and, did I mention, anything that has to do with sports!

Sabrina is so blessed to have Camryn as a cousin/best friend!

Happy 3rd Birthday CHARLEE!!!!

2010-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

CHARLEE is one of the funniest, sweetest, silliest, cuddliest, goofiest three year olds I know!!!

Oh, how we have been blessed by this girl!

Happy Birthday Charlee!!!!

Disneyland!!!

2010-07-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows two things for sure....

1. I love Disneyland!!

and

2. I love No Doubt and Gwen Stefani!!

Today, I hit the jackpot and got both...went to Disneyland and saw this girl:

Yep...that's right....my best day ever!

(P.S. photo thanks to my stalkerish hubby..who I love too!)

The Reasons Why...

2010-05-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

These girls are the reason why....

I look frazzled

I wear little make-up (and they still think I'm beautiful)

I wake up

I cry

I laugh

I smile

I cook

I clean

I blog (even with lame pictures)

I breathe

I drive all the time

I volunteer

I yell

I whisper

I kiss boo-boos

I kiss messy faces

I hug while they cry

I tickle them to laugh

I am poor $$

I am rich $$$

I am spiritual

I go to Disneyland

I go to the park

I go to the beach (and still wear a bathing suit, brave..I know)

I let them go

I lose my patience

I have a ton of patience

I giggle

I sleep

I have a scar on my tummy

And a heart full of love

These girls are the reason why I LOVE every minute of being a mom!

(P.S. Thanks to my mom for doing all those things for me!! I love you the most!)

Humbled

2010-05-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Have you watched this yet?

dearcjane

Please click on it. You will be glad you did.

I love when she says...." I am NOT my body....I am me." I so needed that!

Gian....

2010-04-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIAN!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

LOVE,

ALL YOUR GIRLS

Lucky 13

2010-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky to have been married to this wonderful guy for 13 years!

Happy Anniversary!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

2010-04-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sabrina chose to have a kayaking, sailing and canoeing birthday party this year. Totally something she LOVES to do!! Luckily we live so close to the bay that this worked out! The weather was perfect, too!

Sabrina and her girl-friends.

Sabrina and her boy-friends.

We had pizza and chips and the kids played sand soccer.

And then it was time for some kayaking and canoeing.

(I love this picture, above, with Sabrina on the front with that HUGE smile and waving!)

The kids kayaked and canoed to the end of the pennisula, played some games down there, switched around who was in which boat and finally came back about an hour later!

When the kids got back, some kids went out on sailboats and some kids did some dock jumping!

In total Sabrina style she chose to not have cake, but to have cookies made by Angie Jones. (She is one VERY TALENTED lady!!!) Not only did these cookies look cute....they were sooooo yummy! Thanks, Angie!

And just in case you were wondering where Charlee was this whole time....

she was fine!

This was a perfect day for a perfect 10 year old girl!!

Happy 10th Birthday, Sabrina!

2010-03-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

My girl is 10! Where did that time go?

We are so blessed to have this sweet girl in our family. She is so responsible, helpful, obedient, loving, caring....everything you could ever want in a child.

Here are 10 fun facts about Sabrina in celebration of her 10th birthday!!

1. She has run more miles than are on my car right now! Kinda not fair since we just bought a new car and there aren't alot of miles on it yet...but, just so you know there are 560 miles on my car and she has BY FAR out run that many.

2. She has an obsession...not just a "love for"...but a true obsession for horses. She dreams of riding, training, and owning a horse! She even wants to drive a Ford Mustang someday because it's named after a horse. I'll let her keep dreaming for now.

3. She is very creative and loves to make up games to play with her sisters and cousins. Currently you can hear her playing "Jail Break" in the backyard or playing some sort of basketball game or playing horse-y and riding her sister on her back.

4. She can't miss the day in the cafeteria when they serve Teriayki Meatballs with Rice. She even had me go and ask the cafe lady to save her some since her class goes to lunch late.

5. She loves to read. She gets in bed every night with her flashlight and reads for at least 30-45 minutes.

6. She loves roller coasters. Her favorite roller coaster is California Screamin' at Disney's California Adventure.

7. Her name means princess. By the age of 2 she knew the name of every Disney Princess...didn't know her colors, but could tell you the names of all the Princesses!

8. She has experienced a lot of firsts just in this last year. Her first National Junior Olympics, her first airplane ride, her first time in snow, her first broken bone, her first time kayaking and paddle boarding.

9. She has a goal set of running a half marathon this year and completing a marathon by high school. CrAzY (if you ask me)! She really loves the bling!

10. She has a Dad and Mom and 2 sisters that love her more than anything else in the world. (and probably a few other people!) We are so proud of all she has accomplished and WILL accomplish. We are grateful for her! We hope all her dreams come true.

We love you Sabrina! Happy Birthday!

I Will and I Will Never

2010-03-14T21:41:00.001-07:00

My friend Cricket posted a challenge for me (and some of her other friends) to write 5 things that I Will do and 5 things that I Will Never do. Seemed simple enough...so here I go.

I WILL...

*feel healthy again - whether that is by losing weight or exercising more or eating better. I just need to find that motivating factor.

*try to live my life more in the moment. I am such a planner and sometimes lose my focus of just losing myself in the moment.

*look for more opportunities to serve others or do random acts of kindness for others.

*love my children more and cherish the moments I have with them.

*go on a vacation someday.

Now,

I WILL NEVER....

*take for granted my husband and my children. I love them way too much!

*own a minivan. Nope, no way, no how!!!!

*lose my desire to be creative.

*have a boy?? Well...maybe never say never??

*eat a bug...gross!

There you go...Now who's up for the challenge. Tiff? Megan? Jennifer? Are you up for the challenge? (It's easy...I promise.)

Announcing!

2010-03-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

After 6 wonderful years (and lots of monthly payments)....

after bringing home 1 of our beautiful baby girls from the hospital in it....

after many miles back and forth to Tincher school (where the girls go to school)...

after a few trips to San Diego, Corona, Carlsbad and other interesting places....

after lots of trips to track meets and cross country meets and swim lessons...

after numerous dates with my hubby...

after way too many trips thru fast-food places...

after endless adventures to Disneyland...

after loading up and going to the beach lots of times...

AND SO MANY OTHER MEMORIES...

...we bid a fond farewell to our friend,

"Dodge-y" (2004 Dodge Durango).

And now...

The Del Bello Family announces the arrival of....

"LEXI"

(a 2010 Ford Flex)

We can hardly wait to see what adventures we will have with her. (Of course it's a her....sorry Gian.)

*Sorry about the lame pictures. Those are off my phone, since my camera is being lame...which explains the lack of blogging.

Day 14 - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE....

2010-02-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

.... my family.

Happy are we!

Day 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 - I Love....

2010-02-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Day 9

....people that are forgiving.

Sorry I have been a little M.I.A.

I am the enrichment leader in our ward and we had an enrichment meeting this week and it entailed 3 different crafts. I was crazy busy getting stuff ready and neglected the blog...and felt 100% guilty for not following up on the things I love.

So, I love all of you blog readers/stalkers that will forgive me for my leave of absence.

And besides that, I just love people that can forgive others. I make many mistakes and I am grateful to those who stick by my side even though I may have wronged them. That, to me, is TRUE friendship.

Day 10

....DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!!!!

How could I forget to mention the "most Happiest Place on Earth"?!

I love that I can drop the older girls off at school and head over to Disneyland with Charlee and spend the day there playing with Minnie Mouse.

Sometimes we even meet up with friends and just enjoy a nice sunny California day at Mickey's house.

Or sometimes we just ditch school altogether (opps, did I just say that?) and have fun as a family!

And now, we get to have even more fun because our cousins now have passes and we can go with them!

We are so lucky to live near Disneyland and we totally take full advantage of it!

Day 11

...Powell's Sweet Shoppe on Second Street in Long Beach.

(Be sure to click on that link and watch the video on the home page!)

This yummy candy store (and ice cream and cute trinket things) is so adorable. First of all, who doesn't like some sort of candy?! Second of all, the smell alone will wisk you away to a fantasy of yumminess. And lastly, it is such a happy place inside that you can't leave without a smile on your face (and maybe with a few chocolate spots on your face).

This girl was the epitamy of a "kid in a candy shop".

Day 12

.....dates with my hubby.

This week we got to go out to lunch together to celebrate Valentine's day (and we took our littlest Valentine with us).

I think she loved the ranch dip, don't you?

We also got to go to a fun couples party at a friend's house. We played some real fun games, like Bladerdash, Scum, Taboo, Tellistrations and more. And, to top the night off, my sister-in-law kept the kids overnight for us!

But, I am so glad for opportunities to spend time with just Gian. We need it...and we love it...and we are grateful to those that make that happen for us.

Day 13

....my new found friends (and finds) on the internet.

It's so fun to reconnect with some friends that I haven't seen in years because of this great technology. (Love you Cricket, Cari, Karin, Denise and lots more).

And all the fun finds that I have discovered-oh boy!

Here's one-look at these yummy cinnamon rolls.

My friend, Linda, makes them and sells them (and lots of other yummy goodies). Click HERE to see what she is offering.

Day 8 - I LOVE...

2010-02-09T14:05:00.001-08:00

...these fun candies!

(wanna make one for yourself? Go here)

Day 7 - I LOVE...

2010-02-07T13:38:00.001-08:00

I love that my cute husband loves to challenge himself.

He came home today with that medal (pictured above) around his neck after running a HALF MARATHON.

This past Tuesday Gian's co-worker asked him if he wanted to take her place in running the Surf City Half Marathon (held in Huntington Beach, CA). She said she hasn't been training so she didn't want to do it. She gave him her number (which, technically, you shouldn't do...opps) and wished him luck. Luck was what he needed, since running hasn't been a priority lately. But he did it anyway...he ran 13.1 miles today, without training and did it in 2 hours and 34 minutes! I am so proud of him. I'm glad he loves to run. (It comes in handy sometimes.)

Way to go, Gian! LOVE YOU!!!!!

Days 4, 5, and 6- I LOVE...

2010-02-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

(sorry about that....I haven't been feeling good since "the ordeal"-see post below)

Day 4 - I LOVE ...

Tulips.

I've said it before...but I'll say it again. Tulips make me HaPpY!!

Day 5 - I LOVE ...

the color RED.

I'm wearing red jammies, as we speak. I am sitting on my comfy red couch. I have a red bowl adorning my kitchen table. I have red and white lights around my house (yes, for Valentines day I put lights up). I love RED. Some people may say I even have a "red personality"- I beg to differ. Red is one of my favorite colors!

Day 6 - I LOVE ...

Brighton jewerly.

Aren't those darling? They are from the Love Daisy collection. For Christmas, my mom gave me a charm bracelet from Brighton. At first I wasn't so happy with it...it frustrated me-the clip and me weren't getting along. But since then, we have come to have a wonderful relationship-me and the charm bracelet. And I have told everyone that if they feel the need to spend $10-20 dollars on me, I would more than happy to add to my charm bracelet! (hint, hint)

Go here to see more...I love it all. Why? Because it's all hearts!

www.brighton.com

Tell me what you love from Brighton...I'd love to know!

Day 3 - I LOVE....

2010-02-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

....our dental and medical insurance!!

I had the pleasure of doing this today:

Yes, it's as fun as it looks (enter sarcasm here).

I had to have a root canal done because I broke my tooth on a dumb Tootsie Roll. (Ask me if I will ever eat another Tootsie Roll...HA-NO WAY!)

All in all it wasn't that bad. Of course, half my face was numb for most of the day. Really, the ugly part for me of this process (and, yes, this is time 2 of this wonderful experience) will be getting the crown...and paying for it all.

Luckily, we have decent dental insurance. And for that I am grateful and I LOVE it.

And then...

Sabrina comes home from school with a lovely bug bite. It's ugly and she has to stay home from school (per dr. orders to keep it elevated) for not 1..but 2 days! Geepers creepers!

So, off we go to here:

I LOVE them. Some people don't...but I DO! I am grateful that we have medical insurance and that we can take our kids to the doctor and not worry about their medical care.

I LOVE that we are blessed with insurance and that Gian can provide for our family...We are blessed!

Day 2 - Things I LOVE

2010-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

I was reminded that I need to be doing my countdown to Valentine's Day by listing the "14 things I LOVE".

So, here's day 2:

I love...

Yankee Candles.

Currently burning: Red Apple Wreath (left over from Christmas)

But my favorites are: Autumn Wreath, Clean Cotton, Fresh Cut Roses, Garden Sweet Pea, and the list goes on and on!

Happy February!!!

2010-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

It's my favorite month...

It's the month o' LOVE.

Oh, how I LOVE LOVE!!!

I've got nothin'

2010-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

speechless...pictureless....

I've got nothin'

HELP!!!

(you're shocked...I know)

Christmas, New Years, and fun family time...It all happened!

2010-01-06T13:09:00.001-08:00

So here is our Christmas break in a nutshell...

Christmas Eve was spent at my parent's house. We always have a nice Prime Rib dinner complete with candles and Martinellis. Then there is the traditional opening of the Christmas jammies. No pictures of this...but just trust me when I say it was GREAT!

Christmas morning we spend some time at our own home and open gifts as a family. Me and the girls made Gian a cozy blankie.

Sabrina got the Wii Fit and balance board (very appropriate for that athletic girl). Tabitha loves hula-hooping on it...and I must say, she's pretty darn good!

Tabitha got a DS and Charlee got a shopping cart, which promptly got filled up with anything and everything and pushed around the house.

Then it was back to my parent's house for Christmas breakfast and opening gifts there.

Nap time for most of the rest of the day!

But we all finally came back to life for dinner.

So, that, my friends, was our exciting Christmas.

We also celebrated Christmas with the Del Bello family in true Italian style - PASTA!! It was a fun evening and it was great to get together.

Next up...filling up two weeks with exciting family adventures.

A HUGE highlight of our Christmas vacation was that we took Sabrina and Tabitha to see Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson Theater. I cannot find our pictures from that evening...but, again, I guarantee it was a definate HIT!!! Mary Poppins is one of my favorite Disney movies and characters...I was most definately going to see it on stage when I heard it was coming to L.A. It was WONDERFUL and I would love to see it again (hint, hint). Tabitha loved watching Mary fly at the end...her chin hit the ground. It was Practically Perfect in Every Way!!!!

Sabrina got to see her best friend, Megan, at church. (She was here visiting from Arizona.)

We went with Nana and Papa to Chick-Fil-A for lunch one day and thought it was pretty funny when Charlee would come to the window and smash her face on it...she is one silly little girl!

On another day we took a little day trip to Irvine to the new Pretend City museum.

Love this cute kids museum. It was so fun. Lots of make-believe stuff to do. It's definately for the younger crowd - Sabrina was pushing it, age wise (9 years old). But together the girls had a great time.

I think it was Charlee's goal to find every car in the place and hog it and make other kids cry because she wouldn't give it up...good times with a non-sharing 2 year old! (just look at that devilish grin)

Meanwhile, Sabrina and Tabitha were busy working the post office or building a new home.

After the museum we took the kids (and my mom) to Farrells Ice Cream Parlor in Mission Viejo. Yes, folks, it's back and just as fun AND YUMMY as ever!!

We also went with cousins to see Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakquel. The movie was filmed at Wilson High School, right next to our house...so, of course we HAD to go see it. It was fun seeing our neighborhood in the movie!

And finally we celebrated the New Year. Only a few kids made it to midnight, but we partied it up anyways! We always go outside and bang pots and pans and do the cracker firework thinggys.

Happy 2010!!!!

Reno - The End

2009-12-29T21:11:00.001-08:00

Monday morning we packed up our stuff (all 4 suitcases and 3 carry-ons), checked out of the "hotel gross" and made our way to the airport. Our plane was supposed to leave at 8:30 a.m. *Note: I said supposed to. Unfortunately, our flight got delayed and delayed and delaaaayyyyed due to freezing fog.

Luckily the girls were very patient and we were able to entertain ourselves.

Finally we got to board a plane and leave at 2:30 p.m. Yep, that was 6 hours of fun!!

But it didn't end there. Since we obviously missed our connecting flight in San Fransisco...we had to play the waiting game again in San Fran. This time we had a bigger airport to roam and play in-a food court, a couple of moving sidewalks, a kids play area and some gift shops.

We finally left San Fran at about 8 p.m. and made it back to Orange County by 9:30 p.m. Needless to say, we were WIPED OUT!!!

Our trip to Reno is one we will never forget. I hope the girls will always remember the great memories we made in Reno. And I hope Sabrina will realize how proud we are of her and her running accomplishments this year. Our family NEVER gets to go on trips like this and this trip was HUGE for us. So forgive us as you are talking with us and we all of the sudden bring up something about Reno. It was filled with firsts for us: first airplane rides, first time competeing on a national level, first time in snow (snow angels, eating it, icicles, coldness, wet), first time we have recieved such a random act of kindness, and many other firsts. We are so grateful for the blessing of going to Reno and hope you have enjoyed reliving it with us.

THE END.

P.S. Next year's Junior Olympics is in Alabama...somehow I don't think we will be going?!

Reno- Day 4 - The Blessings of Going to Church

2009-12-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

We got up early to get ready to go to church. When we planned this trip it was important to me to have the girls go to church in Reno. I wanted them to see that the church is EVERYWHERE in the world. I really was looking forward to going to church, for a few reasons...(1) to get out of that nasty hotel, (2) to see what church was like in Reno and (3) for spiritual enlightenment.

We got all ready, called a taxi and made the trek to church. The streets were quite snowy, but still driveable...or at least our taxi driver thought so. When we got to the church the sidewalks were very nicely shoveled...but it didn't look like anyone was there. Gian got out of the taxi and went to look to see if anyone was there. He "happened" to find a door unlocked, walked the entire church and found NO ONE, NOT ONE SOUL! But, we stayed hopeful, paid the taxi driver and went inside to get warm. We found a tithing envelope, called the Bishop on the envelope and asked what was going on. Apparently they had CANCELLED church! WHAT? CANCELLED church?? Too much snow, was what we were told. Hey, we made it just fine.

Meanwhile a man from the afternoon ward showed up to do some work in the clerk's office. He was so kind to us and instantly fell in love with the girls, showing them all around the church building and giving them a little object lesson on following the Light of Christ. Brother Turner offered to take us back to the hotel (which took 2 trips since his car was too small for all of us).

As he drove us back we got talking and the next thing I know he is offering to take us to a fun sports store called SCHEELS. We took him up on the offer. He went home to get his wife, change clothes and gather some snacks for us. He picked us up and off we went on the most amazing store ever!!

Before we went to Scheels, Brother Turner made a detour to show us these awesome snow sculptures. I knew we were in for a fun day when Brother Turner ran and dove into this igloo!! What a fun guy! We also had a pretty fun snowball fight too.

Next stop, Scheels. I can not even begin to tell you how amazing this store was. It is a sporting goods store, with every thing you need for every sport ever imagined...and a home decorating section, a fudge counter with yummy yummy fudge, two fish tanks (fresh water and salt water) and a full ferris wheel!! This was a HUGE store.

These bigger than life statues were outside the building.

One of the fish tanks.

The ferris wheel.

All the Presidents of the United States were displayed on the second floor. You could walk up to each one and part of a speech from that President would play.

There was a shooting range...which the girls were WAY TOO GOOD AT!

There was a mountain with some animals (that were alive and are now stuffed).

There was a simulation station for baseball, golf, soccer and football.

There was also a NASCAR simulator. I highly regret that Gian didn't get to do that! Sorry honey...next time.

And finally a ride on the ferris wheel.

After 2+ hours at Scheels, we decided it was time to eat. So off to the local buffet...which was delish!

(No, Tabitha didn't eat that. But I just loved how Brother Turner made everything a learning experience for the girls!)

And then a few photos.

Brother and Sister Turner were a DEFINATE blessing to us that day. Especially me. Just the night before I had "hit a wall" with this trip...exhausted, JO's were over, tired of dealing with Tabitha's grumpiness, tired of smokey gross hotels, tired of tredding through snow AND on top of all that I found out that Charlee was sick with the stomach flu. I prayed hard Saturday night to have a pleasent time at church and to have my soul filled back up. And even though we didn't get to go to church services...we were blessed by meeting these extraordinary people. I will never forget what they did for us that day...and I can only hope to pay it forward to someone else sometime!

Reno - Day 3- Dashing Through The Snow (Race Day)

2009-12-24T13:03:00.001-08:00

We woke up to yet more snowfall...and the weather was to expected to continue to fall all day. It was very cold too...maybe 17-20 degrees. Made for interesting race conditons, to say the least!

We took the shuttle to San Rafael Park where the race was to be held. And had to troomp through lots of snow to get to the start line.

Snowplows tried their hardest to pack down the snow on the course.

Sabrina had some time to do some warm up jogs with Gian. Then we found out her race (and all others) were delayed an hour due to the weather. Talk about anxiety...poor girl just wanted to get the run over with, and we just wanted some place warm to be.

About 1/2 hour before her race, they called for all the bantam girls to go to the warm-up tent. The girls kept on all their warm clothes until the very last second, and then they striped down and tossed their clothes to their parents or coaches.

The line up of 200+ bantam girls. An amazing sight.

And then the gun goes off and the girls run their hardest. (Tears in my eyes as I thought about how hard Sabrina has worked to get there and the love of running that she has been blessed with!! LOTS OF TEARS! Proud mom moment.)

Sabrina finishes at 14:07...in about 89th place. (First place in my heart.)

A medal and a smile.

Or should I say, a snowy medal.

And we didn't forget about Jalen...his strength was definately a motivator for Sabrina. We will continue to pray and think about you, Jalen.

The rest of the day was spent inside because it was snowing pretty hard. We played card games, took naps and just relaxed. In the evening we went to the closing ceremonies, which was basically just awards being given to the top teams.

Reno - Day 2 - Planetarium and Opening Ceremonies

2009-12-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Gian and Sabrina went on the course walk through in the morning. When they got back we decided to go on a little field trip to the University Planetarium. On our way up there we got into a little snowball fight.

The Planetarium was full of fun exhibits for the girls to experience. One of our favorites was the Albert Einstein head the seemed to watch you wherever you moved. We also watched a movie about horses and cowboys...Sabrina was in heaven!

On our way back to the hotel, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to make snow angels. I was pretty impressed with how good they turned out.

While the girls did that, Gian and I picked off icicles and had a little winter's snack.

We all got a kick out of the price of gas in Reno (look carefully).

Later that evening we went to the Opening Ceremonies of the Junior Olympics. It was amazing sight to see as all the kids marching in according to what Region they were from..drum corp pounded out a march, the 3000+ kids walked in and a ton of families, coaches and friends watched. Ryan and Sara Hall were guest speakers. And the evening finished with the athletes taking their oath.

Reno-still day 1 - A White Welcome

2009-12-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Another first for the girls was the beautiful white snow that welcomed us to Reno.

As we landed in Reno, this was the view from the airplane...

We gathered our luggage and went outside to wait for the shuttle to take us to the hotel. Not only did the girls get to experience the lovely white snow, but they (and us) also got to experience cold weather. It was 7 degrees when we walked outside...yes, you read that right...7 DEGREES! UGH!

Sabrina and Tabitha were so anxious to touch the snow, that they didn't put on gloves. They loved eating it (gross, I know...but who cares) and COLD!

After we got checked in to the hotel, Gian and Sabrina went out for a run. She needed to get used to the new altitude (which had no effect on her) and used to running in the snow and cold.

Meanwhile, Tabitha, my mom and I decided to go out for a walk as well. Tabi was dying to play in the snow! She was so stinkin' cute with that hat on and her little pink cheeks and nose!

We walked all the way down to this famous sign, which was really only a couple of blocks...But in the cold it felt like miles!

After our cold and wet walk, we went back to the lovely (enter sarcasim here) CIRCUS CIRCUS hotel to defrost and explore.

We spent some time (and money) at the Midway.

Santa and Mrs. Claus visited Circus Circus everyday. Sabrina had plenty of things to tell him. Tabitha, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with him...but was in love with Mrs. Claus. And Mrs. Claus was in love with her!

The Midway was fun...but way too smokey. Just like Las Vegas, the casinos are nasty smelling...it wrecked havoc on my eyes, nose and everything else!

After dinner we went to pick up Sabrina's packet for the race.

This was projected on to the ceiling...pretty cool.

And we got to chat with some cross country friends.

A pretty full first day of our trip, I would say! And we were pooped out by evening time.

Reno - day 1 - Getting there

2009-12-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

We woke the girls up early..4 AM, to be exact, on Thursday, December 10th get to the airport for our first flight to Reno. We bid Charlee farewell the night before and left her in the capable hands of my brother and sister-in-law. Yes, I cried!!!

Gian's sister graciously took us to the airport...Thanks Deb! (Next time we will find a more appropriate time to leave.)

With 4 suitcases packed in the car and 3 carry-ons we were off to the Orange County airport.

Do they look excited to you?
Mind you, this is their FIRST time going on an airplane.
(P.S. Tabitha lost her top tooth the night before we left. The girl was on cloud 9 already!)

We made it to the airport in plenty of time and got experience going through security for the first time. That wasn't as bad as I had anticipated...thank goodness.
We waited a while before we left Orange County and the girls were very patient. Luckily my mom got to go on this adventure with us...it was great having her with us and we loved sharing this whole experience with her.

Finally it was time to board the plane. We flew from OC to San Francisco and then from San Francisco to Reno.

The whole process of getting on the plane and meeting connections went very well. The only hiccup was that Sabrina hadn't eaten anything and got a bit sick on the first flight. And they both complained about their ears, but that's par for the course.

This bear greeted us in the Reno airport...

...along with some cooler temperatures and some fluffy white stuff.

...and SHE'S (we're) OFF!!!!

2009-12-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

In just a few hours we will be boarding one of these...

To go here...

And stay at this hokey hotel....

To see this girl...

Run in this race...

But, please pray for me, because I am leaving this sweet little girl (in VERY capable hands) for the first time (for more than one day, I should say)...

I'm sure there will be tears...tears of sadness- leaving my "littlest", tears of joy/pride -watching Sabrina and RIGHT NOW tears of frustration- trying to pack...UGH!
See you all soon!

Success!!

2009-11-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the BIG RACE! If you have been following Sabrina's cross country progress, then you know that this was one of the most important races of the year. It was the 2009 USATF Region 15 Junior Olympic Cross Country championships that would qualify Sabrina to go to Reno, NV to run against all the top cross country runners in the United States, otherwise known as the 2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.

She had to qualify in the top 20 of her age group in order to go on to Nationals.

So here's how our weekend went.

Gian, Sabrina and I left Saturday afternoon to travel down to Escondido. We left Tabitha and Charlee with Tiff. We have some close family friends, The Seaton's, that happen to live in Escondido, so they were kind enough to let us stay at their home. Let's just say that it was above a 5 star hotel stay...The Seaton's home has a gorgeous view and is even more beautiful inside.

Sabrina, enjoying the veranda and view of Escondido.

This is the master suite...which had the same gorgeous view!

And get a load of this bathroom. Sabrina loved the jet tub!

After we dropped off our things at our "5-star hotel", we ventured off to Kit Carson park to check out where the race was going to be held. Luckily they also had a course walk-through and Gian and Sabrina got to "feel-out" the lay of the course.

Sabrina loved that she was going to run through the snake in her race.

After the course walk we went to the mall and Sabrina got to get a new Build-A-Bear as her reward for making it this far in the season. (Last year she got a watch with a stopwatch on it.) She actually chose a horse and named it Storm...the horse because she LOVES horses and because her old team had a horse in it's logo and the name Storm because she liked that name and because she has taken this season by a storm!

After the mall trip we went out to dinner and then went back "home" to sleep.

The next morning we headed off to Kit Carson Park to check-in, get warmed up, and do the course walk one more time prior to the race. I went to the coaches meeting while Gian and Sabrina did the course walk. When the meeting was over I was just sitting waiting for them to come back when I looked up and saw MY ENTIRE FAMILY (Drew, Tiff and their 6 kids and my 2 kids and 1 friend...and my parents) all decked out in T-shirts that said "TEAM SABRINA". I just started to cry! (and still do every time I think about it)

They must have gotten up at 6am and left shortly after to drive 1 1/2 hours to see her run...what a huge sacrifice!! It was a total surprise...and I am so grateful for this wonderful family that I have!!!!!!

Here's all the cousins....look at how happy Sabrina was to have every one there!

Oh yeah...they even decorated the van!!!

This is the start of the race. Sabrina is in all black on the left. She started off pretty fast...but consistently stayed in about 14th-16th place the whole race.

She ran her 1.8 miles with a time of 13:14 and ended up in 16th place to earn her a spot in Nationals!! Yep, I was still crying...

A very happy runner!

So, my friends, we are off to RENO, NEVADA in December (December 12th) for her chance to become a Nationally ranked cross country runner. And we couldn't be more happier for our sweet Sabrina!

A huge THANK YOU to MY FAMILY for being there for her this weekend...you have no idea how much that meant!

Thanks to The Seaton's for the 5-star resort!

And finally, THANK YOU to our Heavenly Father, who has blessed this girl with such a wonderful talent!

For you, Jalen.

P.S. Anyone have any suggestions for our trip??

I WANNA WIN!!!

2009-11-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

So here goes...I am entering this contest to win a Sleigh-full of Goodies. First of all, is not the sleigh the cutest thing ever?? A Darling Madsen bike! Second of all, look at that those fun things to play with!! Oh what a dream come true!!! P.S. if I win, I'll share.....and if you win, will you share??

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
I'm such a practical gal with big dreams. So my Christmas list is a bit on the
"really? is that all?" side -along with- "come on, Amy. You are soooo NOT
getting that!" But, here goes... 1. a new electric skillet , 2. a new pair of
Oakley sunglasses, 3. a large size Yankee candle, 4. an iPhone (that's on the
"yeah, right list, btw) and 5. a zip-up black sweatshirt (practical, right?)

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
My mom made me a rag-quilt out of all the material leftovers from dresses
she made me when I was younger. I love that she knows how to sew, taught
me how to sew, and shares her talents with others. She's the greatest mom
ever.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
Not to kiss up to this contest or anything, but I can only imagine what fun
things I could make if I had the Cricut Expression Machine. The possibilities
are endless with that beauty!! (again, on the dreamer list)

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
I will always remember the Christmas that I got a doll in a stroller. I
remember vividly coming down the stairs to see that darling doll stroller!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
My oldest daughter (age 9) would like, among other things, 2 cartons of
goldfish crackers. Practical. My middle daughter (age 6) would like the rest
of the pieces to her beauty salon, so she can grow up to be just like this gal.
And my 2 year old daughter would be over the top happy with Yo Gabba
Gabba anything.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Are you kidding??? What ISN'T my favorite holiday food?! But I absolutely
love when my mom makes 7-layer bars...graham cracker crust, butterscotch
chips, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, coconut...Oh yummy
goodness!

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I don't want to spoil anyone's surprise...but it's bound to be the cutest thing
ever!! Maybe I hand-stitched it...

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
Classic. Frosty the Snowman and Ruldoph the Red-Nose Reindeer.

9. Favorite holiday song?
Mary, Did You Know? by Clay Aiken

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Spending time making memories with my family.

SCA Junior Olympic Cross Country Race

2009-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sabrina ran in the first of her series of 2 races to qualify for National Junior Olympics for Cross Country. This race was only for the Southern California section of Cross Country. She had to qualify in the top 25 to go on to Regionals next week.

The race was held at Mt. Sac...THE TOUGHEST course in Southern California. Lots of steep hills and hot weather!

Here is the bantam girls lined up waiting for the start. There was a total of 64 girls that ran in this race.

Does she look nervous to you? (Sabrina's the one in all black. The two girls on the right in bright green are the top two girls in her division. They have some height on her, wouldn't ya say?)

On your mark.

B A N G!
The gun goes off! (I love this official. He always picks Sabrina out and calls her "small one". He also gives the best pep talk to the kids before they race.)

This is a picture of the "switchbacks" hills. The course they ran was two "valley loops" and up the "switchbacks" and flat to the finish. 1.8 miles.

I didn't get any pictures of her running...camera issues, along with tears in my eyes the whole time. (I was the only one there with her, Gian had to work.) She ran strong...in the 10th place spot the entire race....until the flat to the finish where she picked up her speed and passed one girl.

YEP! She finished in 9th place out of 64 girls with a time of 12 minutes and 44 seconds.

This is my happy girl at the finish, with medal in hand.

And this is my even happier girl with a shaved ice in hand. She loves getting this special treat after she runs.

So we are off to Regionals next week in Escondido, CA. If she qualifies in the top 20 she will go on to National Junior Olympics in Reno, NV! Fingers crossed that she does well. Sabrina really would love to have the title of being "Nationally Ranked in Cross Country Running". What a wonderful talent this little girl has....she has been blessed!

This has been a tough year for her with losing her team, teammates, coaches and support system....but she has a passion, a love for running, is self-motivated and is determined! We are proud of her hard work!

Oh yeah, she wore this pink ribbon on her shoe for Jalen. (Click on his name to read about this wonderful boy. He was on her team last year.) She has him in her heart as she races and wishes things could be different for him. But she prays for him and his family and shows her support by wearing this pink ribbon. (And it hasn't come off yet.)

Good luck Sabrina. You are small, but mighty!!!

Madame Vice President

2009-11-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

After some campaigning,

and a speech in front of all the 4th and 5th graders,
votes were tallyed for the Vice President of the SNAC (Student Nutrition Advisory Council)
and Sabrina WINS for the Vice President position (along with her good friend Lauren as the 4th grade Press Secretary).

Way to go, Sabrina! Let the meetings begin.