HAPPY EARTH DAY

In honor of Earth Day I thought I would share a couple of things that I do to try and help the environment. I've tried to "Go Green" in small ways and would like to know if you and your family are doing anything that you would be willing to share. I think if we all do a little it can make a big difference.

I try to serve the girls snacks in small plastic bowls and not plastic bags that get thrown away.
I try to use the same cup all day so I don't waste water washing more dishes.
I try to unplug the kitchen appliances when not in use, because they still suck energy when they are plugged in. (Technically you should unplug everything, but I do what I can)
I use one paper towel to dry my hands in public bathrooms instead of 3 or 4.
I also avoid buying individually wrapped items to cut down on trash going to landfills.

Anyways, these are some ideas that have worked for me, but please share others, so that perhaps we can implement some of them in our home. Heavenly Father blessed us with a beautiful home , so lets do our part in helping it stay that way.

Spring is in the Air

The girls are really enjoying the nice weather. I think we have spent a total of 10 hours outside in the past two days. They are enjoying the sandbox, the jungle jump, throwing rocks in the river, bubbles, and feeding the ducks. We look forward to the summer so we can put a kiddie pool out there. They are so dirty when they come in at night, but as a Mom, that makes me feel good. They can get out from in front of the t.v. and get some exercise, vitamin D, and let their imaginations grow. Sophia really enjoyed her popcicle, but I couldn't teach her how to hold it by the sticks. We hope everyone is enjoying the weather as much as we are.

The 3 Amigas!!!

Here they are. Can you believe I got them to all look at the camera at the same time. It never happens. Little Julianne turned 4 weeks today. It goes by fast. These girls keep me so busy, but then I look at them and you can't help but love them. They are each so different and make me laugh. Gabriela wanted to pretend to be my mother while we were playing with playdough today. She told me not to touch the knife because it was sharp and she kept calling me "sweetie." They are both in love with the yard. Sophia can hear you open the door and is immediately on her way out. Miguel is just about finished with a fence to keep the girls close to the house. That way I don't have to worry about them diving into the pond or getting swept away by the river.

Oh, and the gunk on Gabriela and Sophia's noses...we had lasagna for dinner and Sophia fed herself. She stained her nose with the tomato sauce. Gabriela thought it was a great look, so she intentionally painted her nose with food. Kids will be kids!


Look at those cheeks. Neither one of the other girls had cheeks till they were much older. I think Julianne is storing acorns in them. They sure are fun to kiss though.

If it doesn't KILL you, it will leave you nearly DEAD!

Miguel attempted and finished his first MARATHON on Saturday. He ran the Utah Valley Marathon and ran 26.2 miles from Bridal Veil Falls to Utah Lake, around the Provo airport and more. He trained for about 13 weeks. We are so proud of him. He's hobbling around like a cripple now, but he's glad he did it and doesn't ever have to do it again. It's one of those things he can check off of his "things to do before I die list." Grandma Ruiz came and helped me in the morning to get the girls ready and to go see Miguel. I can't possibly hold Julianne and keep tabs on my girls by myself. So thanks, Grandma! The girls and I drove the car around and found him around mile 24. He didn't look as bad as we thought he would. We followed him in the car, cheered him on and were there when he crossed the finish line. Yeah Papi!!!

Sophia climbed into Gabriela's shoe drawer while she was taking her nap and proceeded to empty it into the floor. You can see the joy on her face, as she likes to do things she's not supposed to. She had such a sweet smile that I had to take her picture. That's why we call her our "Sweet Sophia."

Yes, I'm still alive!

I thought I'd better give an update on us before people got too worried, especially after my last post. Julianne is 3 weeks old today and she is a blessing to have in our home. She's a good baby who only really fusses when she's hungry. She's our little Sleeping Beauty. I'm doing better and have started doing laundry again. As for house cleaning and cooking...not quite there yet. For those of you who offered advice, thanks. I think Gabriela is about to get a good dose of reality. She's 3 and is plenty capable of going potty, feeding herself, brushing her own teeth, and being a big girl. She just needs some motivation. Hopefully we will see some progress soon.

A funny thing Gabriela said...The other day I was on the computer and Gabriela was in my face. I asked her if I could "have some space." She reached up in the air and pinched a piece between her fingers and handed it too me, while she said, "there you go Mom, I got you some space." That's my Gabriela.

Feeling a Little Overwhelmed!

Wow, who knew being a mother of three children under the age of 3 would be so exhausting. Actually, I did. Man, reality is hitting me in the head big time. The baby is great and is pretty easy to handle. It's my other two munchkins that are killing me. They are both great with the baby and love her, thank goodness, but they don't give you a second to yourself. Trying to heal from the c-section is no piece of cake either and with all the demands of raising three children, keeping a house clean, cooking, nursing a baby, and being up at all hours of the night, it should be against the law to send me home after only 3 days in the hospital. There should be a postpartum resort or something for mom's who need time to heal and take care of themselves and the new little one. For instance this evening I was nursing the baby, had Gabriela putting pretend makeup on me, and Sophia jumping on me trying to drink from my water cup...all the while hoping I don't catch a knee or foot in the incision. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade any of them for world, but this is tough stuff. I just pray for a speedy recovery so I can deal with this challenge. If any of you have words of advice, I would love to hear it! Sorry if this seems pessamistic, but hey, at least it's the truth.