IT'S A.....

So yesterday was crazy because we found out what our little baby is! It was extra special because Cyndee is in town and she got to come with Isabella. Boy sounded like a fun new adventure but I come from the funnest house full of girls so I also kind of liked that idea. Stephen, lets be honest, was kind of hoping for a boy since he needs some testosterone level in the house.

As we waited in the lobby I watched this three rowdy little boys chasing each other around throwing crayons in the air and tackling each other as there mothers tried to catch them and sit them down. I look over at Isabella who is sitting quietly in a chair looking at a book, with her little dogs sitting next to her. I walked into that office a bit biased I must say.

Cyndee and Isabella waited outside because Isabella wasn't allowed in at first, they would come in later to see pictures. I was so giddy with excitement. Thank goodness it was a much better experience than Isabella's ultrasound. This is how our doctor told us last time: "It's a boy without a penis!" I know what you're thinking "so inappropriate Valeria!" well we thought the same thing when he said it. This time around, I got the sweetest technician who joined right into my excitement. As she moved the image around we looked in between those little legs and it was clear as day: another little girl!!! My heart kind of shifted around for a few minutes getting used to the idea and then happily settled down. Me and my girls, I kind of love that.

Cyndee and Isabella came in at the end and joined in the party. Isabella loved looking at the screen and kept pointing at "bebe". She totally got we were looking at a baby! My mother in law is just happy she gets to hang out with girls now haha. Stephen was at work so we went to pick him up and surprise him.We drove to Dollar General and bought a Dora the Explorer balloon (as a joke of what our new Honduran girl will look like hahaha) and a pink bib were we spelled It's a Girl! As he walked out Isabella went running to him holding the balloon and wearing the bib and honestly he looked stunned. He kept asking so is it a boy? hahaha no Stephen it's a girl. are you sure it's not a boy? nope all girl. Remember he grew up with 5 brothers no girls so this was kind of overwhelming. After digesting the news for a bit he is super excited and says it's Heavenly Father's way of telling him we need to have another one haha. Well baby girl we can't wait to meet you and see if you are as crazy as your big sis! Dec 8th countdown.

TEMPLES IN THE SOUTH

On our way back home we decided to do some temple hopping. We were planning on hitting Atlanta, Burmingham, and Memphis but decided to skip Memphis for the sake of time. As we drove into the Atlanta temple area I felt such a special spirit there. The night was perfect, not to hot or cold and the grounds just made me feel at home. We walked around a couple times as Isabella skipped around and made silly noises.

I will never forget that tiny temple in Burmingham Alabama. It had been 7 months since we last attended the temple since St. Louis is 7 hours away round trip and we have no one to leave Isabella with. I had been looking foward to this temple trip for months and was hoping to walk in with a clear. peaceful mind.As we drove in Isabella exploded her diaper because the poor girl had diarrhea. She was crying, I was pregnant, she wouldn't let anyone touch her but me, it was 100 plus degrees outside and when I picked her up the poop was all over her dress and back. I took a deep breath and decided I would not get flustered. I would not get flustered. I would not get flustered! I grabbed her blanket spralled it on the grass outside the temple (maybe not the most appropriate place but it worked!) and stripped her down naked and wiped her down until all the poop was gone. Opened up suitcases, got new clothes, and lost 5 pounds in sweat. Not bad for a first timer. Cyndee stayed outside with Isabella while we went in. I took a deep breath and tried to get into temple mode and out of poop mode. As soon as we walked through those doors all the stress was gone replaced by peace.

The workers at the temple were extremely nice. They met Cyndee in the waiting room and actually gave her keys to the chapel so Isabella could play in the nursery. I tear up just thinking of how kind and thoughtful they were. 

My experience inside was so sacred and I received so much strength and guidance on how to be a better mother, wife and woman. While I was in there I read Mosiah 4 and felt so strongly that I should build our family values based on this chapter. I have etched verse 4 in my heart:

"If ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of His love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come"

I never want to forget that. I want to teach my children to never forget that.

I know that the temple is the House of God. The covenants we make there are real and powerful. They save families. They make marriages sacred and strong. The things we learn inside the temple will save us. It is a place of refuge and peace were we can feel Heavenly Father's love like nowhere else. I am so grateful to have temples, to be able to go in them and seek comfort and answers to my questions. 

MYRTLE BEACH PART 2

Because we couldn't arrive at the same time as everyone else, we stayed some extra days at Stephen's grandpa's house. Jake, Natalie and Brooklyn sadly had to go home but the rest of the crew stayed to spend time with us. It was actually kind of awesome because he only lives 10 minutes from the beach. Isabella fell in love with all her uncles. They would play airplane with her or make her workout, take her on secret missions to find spiders, go outside and catch frogs and play wiffleball. I am laughing remembering Isabella and her crazy uncles. At nights they would all play and party and Isabella would act like she was one of them and just do everything they did. I rarely saw her. We literally would take her to our room in tears because she just wanted to keep partying with them. One night she tried to go to sleep with her Uncle Danny but that is were her uncles draw the line haha. They all left on different days and everytime someone left she would cry and cry, pobrecita.
Grandpa Frank and his wife Georgia were the best hosts. Georgia is just the sweetest lady and made us all feel so welcome. Grandpa Frank is really sick, that is the main reason we went to visit them, but he still was able to enjoy everyone even the little ones. We still went to the beach but we spent more time exploring the city. We went to the BEST Mexican restaurant called Abuelos. We watched fireworks on the beach for the 4th. The brothers went off on their own and had a blast except when an old drunk lady started rubbing their biceps, boy would I pay to see that hahaha. Isabella was kind of scared at first but warmed up to them a little to them towards the end. Maybe next year...On Sunday we went to church and I was reminded how awesome it is that no matter were we go there is always a place we can go worship and learn. Myrtle Beach holds a special place in my heart now.

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I love this picture cause it looks like they are in the temple:)

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The hunks. I don't envy any boys who try and date Brooklyn or Isabella haha

MYRTLE BEACH PART 1

We arrived a couple of days after everyone because of Stephen's work so everyone was already settled in. We were welcomed in by a huge rain and thunder storm which was actually kind of cool. The grandparents rented this awesome condo for everyone to stay in right in front of the beach so nights were so fun cause we all just hanged out and the girls played. From the first moment Isabella and Brooklyn saw each other they were inseperable. These two are perfect for each other they are going to be best friend. Isabella is the miss bossy pants and Brooklyn is super mellow and just loves to do everything Isabella does. Isa would hug her and kiss her and try to hold her it was adorable. It's also really funny to see those two together because although they are 9 months apart they weigh almost the same. Brooklyn looks like a professional sumo wrestler with her chunky hard thighs and big cheeks. Isabella on the other hand has long limbs and is tall and skinny. But you can tell these two are cousins, they even look like sisters sometimes. They are literally the girl versions of their dads.
We just spent the whole day at the beach building sand castles playing in the waves and chatting. Natalie  (my sister in law) and I could have just watched our girls play all day. We are just so happy those two have each other since they are the only kids in the family. It was so fun to hear all the childhood stories of the boys and their trips to visit their grandpa and the crazy stuff they did.
One night we all got dressed up and walked to the heart of the city. They had some really cool rides and a ferris wheel, we didn't ride any but Isabella loved watching the kids and the lights. On our way back we walked on the beach instead of the sidewalk and it was soooo fun. Isabella fell asleep in Stephen's arms and we got to just enjoy the beautiful night as the waves crashed on our feet. Even though it was late there were tons of little kids with their parents catching little fishes and crabs. Cyndee told us about her trips to Ocean side, New Jersey to visit her grandma. Isabella would wake up every morning ready to go the the "agua" hahaha

ROAD TRIP

Last week we packed up our bags and headed out to beautiful South Carolina. Stephen's grandpa and his wife Georgia live in Myrtle Beach, SC and hosted a family reunion for my in laws and their kids for a week.  Driving through the south was such a cool experience. We drove through Arkansas during daylight and it was like driving through a maze of vines. It felt so much like Washington except with more tropical type of trees.   Then right when the sun went down we hit Memphis. After being in West Plains for 7 months it was a sight for sour eyes. As we drove through this huge bridge you could see all the city lights and buildings. Isabella was awake and she was oohiing and ahhing at all the car lights and trucks and buildings. Isa and I are definitely city girls. We drove till 3 in the morning and then spent the night at a hotel. The next morning we hit Alabama and Georgia and we fell in love. Birmingham is so green and beautiful but Georgia took the cake. It is so green but still open and the city/civilization life just makes me feel alive. We stopped in Augusta right out of Atlanta and felt like we could totally live there. I loved seeing all those tall southern homes with the big columns that reminded me so much of Gone with the Wind. We got to stop at our old time favorite Olive Garden and ordered the same thing we have for five years: Five Cheese Ziti al forno and Zuppa Toscana. Never disappoints.
 We have definitely had our share of nightmare traveling trips so I was amazed at how easy this trip was. After those 20 hour trips to Honduras with her screaming on planes and our awful drive from Utah to Missouri this was a piece of cake. We could actually talk, listen to music and enjoy the sights. I wanted to give Isabella an award as we drove into Myrtle Beach. I said so many silent prayers of thanks.
On our last stop in Georgia we took Isabella to a little park so she could stretch her legs and get some energy out. A lot of churches in Georgia have parks that are open to the public for kids to play in. It was so good to take our time this trip and stop whenever we wanted to and just enjoy the ride instead of just rushing through it.