The Day in Pics

The Three Musketeers enjoying the sunshine in Coure d Alene!


We started the day doing a puzzle out in the sunshine on the deck!

Then Sophia helped June water the plants all around the yard!

Zack even pitched in for a short time!

But boys will be boys!

Then we went over to Stephanie's house for a day of fun in the sun!!! We all had a great time!

The kids played on the water slide for hours!

Sophia warmed up with Chief who is the nicest dog I've ever been around. I never heard a single bark and not a nip even with Sophia playing with him.

Surf's up, dude!

We ended the night with a bon fire and smores which the kids love! They actually ate about 2 entire chocolate bars each!









And, here's a pic of Stephanie's girls with Zack and Sophia. They all play very well together, and Steph's youngest is very similar to Sophia!

Sophia and Danielle got along very well and played for hours together. And, of course I had to take one crazy shot! Tomorrow, we are off to Spokane to see some waterfalls and hopefully to fly kites!

Update of Sophia's Arm:
I took her to the doctor today, and he said he saw something that could be a fracture. However, he wasn't sure so he put her in a sling and said to have it checked out in a week. She hates the sling because it is confining, but she is starting to try to use her arm a bit more.

Sorry for the formatting issues, but I am just too exhausted to go back and reformat! We had a busy day from start to finish. The kids are enjoying the fact that it does not get dark here until 10:00PM!

Quote of the Day: Zack says to Sophia, "Sophia, if you drink coffee, you will never get old like a granny"!!!! Translation: If you drink too much coffee, it could stunt your growth. He is a crazy kid!

A Trip to Coure d Alene, Idaho

Well, the kids and I have embarked on our first major outing as a threesome. We are visiting a dear friend, June, and her family. Her daughter has three kids two of whom are in Zack and Sophia's age range. I hadn't been to Idaho before and wondered if it was just potato crops up here!!! I have been pleasantly surprised. Not only does June have the most awesome house ever, but CDA is gorgeous! June lives just a couple of blocks from the lake and the resort which is incredibly beautiful.

We started out the day with a late wake up at around 10 after our flight arrived at midnight last night! This morning Zack and Sophia enjoyed their first game of Candy Land with June. Zack was a very sore loser, and Sophia wasn't much happier when June beat them! LOL I need to get Zack into team sports to help him get better at losing, but just my luck, his team would go undefeated!!! Anyhow, after breakfast we went for a walk through town where there was a huge car show. We enjoyed checking out the cars, and the kids kept picking out which cars they thought were cool. They requested a few pics as you can see.

A very sore loser...

The white picket fence that many girls only dream about...

The favorite cars:

The cool park:

The beach...

After strolling through the car show, we went to a huge park near the lake. It was so much fun for the kids. They could have stayed for hours if they hadn't gotten hungry! On our walk back to June's house, we stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant where we created a lot of art work on the table.

A pit stop for ice cream and some picking of the bear's nose:

Sophia vacuuming up some sand...

Chillin' like a villian!

We ended the day with attending Kyndell and Danielle's ballet recital. Zack was a little bored, but Sophia expressed interest in taking up ballet after her arm heals! Speaking of her arm. It is nowhere near healed. It is move swollen now that it was the day it happened. On Monday, we will go to urgent care here for more xrays. I am not convinced that it was diagnosed correctly. At the very least she should have a sling. She can't use the arm at all right now.

After the recital, we went to Dock Side Restaraunt and had dinner and dessert to celebrate the girls' special night. The restaraunt had a beautiful view, and who would have known that Idaho would be such a happening place. There were LOTS of people out dancing and drinking and carrying on just like they do in Cali. I am actually shocked in a good way, and the kids are having a blast experiencing new things. As I listen to them giggle, I realize how very lucky we are to have each other. Each new experience for them outside of those orphanages, reminds me of how very very precious each moment is that I get to share with them. It also reminds me to pray for the tens of thousands of others left behind.

And, tonight, June said something to Zack at dinner and he turned to her and said, "Whatever"! That is learned from is auntie!!!! Then upon leaving the hotel, Sophia began break dancing for the people outside! Sheesh... It is really a shame to have such shy kids.

We're looking forward to doing much more while here. I'll try to post pics each night.

School's Out for Summer!!!! We are crazy HAPPY!!!

Bring on the summer fun!

Toes in the sand...

Dirty hands...


NO HOMEWORK! NO getting up EARLY! MORE VIDEO GAME TIME! BEACH FUN! Bring it on...

Harmful to Young Children

First of all, I will tell you that Zack can scale monkey bars without blinking. He can shimmy up the poles and get to the highest bars without assistance. He can even skip two bars at a time with his little arms. He is a little monkey.

Now I'll tell you that Sophia likes to try to do exactly what her brother does. For days Sophia has been telling me that she can do the monkey bars. She said she does them at school everyday. I just told her that was cool and assumed she had someone holding her up. Today, I found out that I was wrong.

Her class took a trip to the park at 9AM and by 10AM, the preschool director sneaked into our awards ceremony to tell me that Sophia had fallen off of the monkey bars and that her arm was hurt and on ice. Within 30 minutes she got Sophia to me, and I could tell that she was in a lot of pain. She was calm, tired from crying, and wanted to "go get shots" to make it better.

Anyhow, we ended up at urgent care where she had xrays. The doctor said he did not see any breaks and couldn't find any obscure fractures; however, her arm was still very swollen and bruised. The damage is on her right arm above her elbow area. You know the back of your arm where it kills if someone pinches you. They sent me home to ice it and keep her on Advil.

HOWEVER, I suspect we'll be back at urgent care for more xrays. She is still in a ton of pain, and can't use her arm. She wouldn't play at the park even with a bucket and wood chips. She wouldn't kick her ball around. She just wants to lay on me and "cuddle". Her arm is still swollen and she can't bend or lift it.

So, I unfortunately missed Zack's kindergarten graduation. I was so bummed, but I had to do what every other single mom must do - exactly what must be done at the moment. I was pleased as I figured it all out pretty smoothly and even finished up all of the paperwork for the claim against the school's insurance. We were in the urgent care room from 11 - 3!!!! She was exhausted.

Sophia was miss outgoing as usual. She talked to everyone at the doctor's office, and when the doc came in she said, "I really like your tie"!!!! She is a little flirt! Then she told him that his tie had a pattern. It was a little embarrassing when she began to unbutton his coat with her good arm! She wanted to make sure she could show him the pattern on his entire tie! He said, "You are my best patient of the day."

Good grief! I wish I had her skills!

Fortunately for me, I have made a few friends with fellow moms at the school so Zack got to attend his graduation and had a ride to the big graduation blast afterwards. She took pictures for me so when I get them, I'll post them on the blog. His teacher put together a dvd of the entire year, and it was fun to watch. I'm not sure I'll be back at the school next year, but I totally wish my kids could be there. They have benefited greatly and learned SO MUCH!

Krista: Sophia's shirt is from Nordstrom Rack. I love their clothes because they are quality but at half the price. It's hit or miss, but that top was only $9.97 and washes up very well!

The Faux-hawk

Before you judge my mothering, listen to my reasoning. Zack has been begging for a mohawk for at least 6 months. Actually, he has asked for a mohawk, a motorcycle, a tattoo and an earring!!!! Crazy kid. He just wants to be tough. Anyhow, I told him that he could have a mohawk for the summer.


My thoughts are that if I let him do things like this early in life he won't need to go overboard when he is older just to try to get people's attention. I grew up in a home where we weren't allowed to do anything out of the norm, and then when we all became teenagers, we began trying to gain our independence by doing all of the things we were told were wrong. I don't want my kids going that route so things like faux-hawks just won't bother me. And, honestly, I'd let him dye it blue for the summer if he wanted to do that. The earring and tattoo will have to wait until adulthood!!!! The motorcycle will come in the form of a jr dirt bike or quad at some point. He'll love it.


But for now, here is Zack's first real "big" decision he made all on his own:
And, I did not tell him to pose!

The boy hates to show his boxers which is a good thing, but he's so tiny that his size 5 pants are always falling down! His belt seems to walk away on it's own every third day. We've gotta find that thing!

And, the girl with her favorite pink ball!!!! She is a card, and I love her soooooo much!

On a side note, I can remember vividly going with my mom down to the church one day, and when she realized I had on a "Welcome Back Carter" t-shirt, she had me stay in the car. It felt like hours, but it was likely only 30 minutes or so. However, it made an impact. These types of little things teach kids to wear masks, and this mom is not much into that. Don't get me wrong. My goal is not to raise punk rock kids, but if they ended up with that sense of style, it'd be okay as long as their hearts are filled with a solid understanding of Jesus.

Grandma Visits

Do we look alike? I mean excuse the five head I have going on in this pic! Notice, mom is not a Rivera by blood - she's WHITE!

Sophia LOVES the squirting sword that grandma bought her!

And, here is what she does best - love on the grandkids! She hugged and loved on them, gave them candy, and bought them toys! And, she even met and chatted with their teachers. These kids love her a bunch as do all of her grandkids.

And, new slippers too...

Dude, I wish she was my grandma!

And, here is the progress of Zack's hair growth!

Monday Again????

I did not want to get out of bed this morning!!!! But, I did as I have only four short days until school is out for summer! The kids were tired after the trip to Coronado and from the sounds of their snores, they slept soundly!

Life is getting to be better. I mean being "alone" is never really being "alone" as long as I know how to keep myself company with such things like good books, episodes of Law and Order, chats with friends, and window shopping. Lately, I do stop at the looking in the window part of the trip. Shout out to my doctor who prescribed Celexa!!!! Praise you! Seratonin is always a good addition to a difficult time in life. Add to this list of things to keep from feeling alone, taking the kiddos to see movies like Kung Fu Panda.

I mean don't get me wrong. I still long for a deep relationship that goes far beyond what any friend or family member can bring, but for now, I am enough for me.

If you like Jack Black, you'll love the movie. It was funny and although not as funny as Dora in Nemo, the Panda definitely has some humor skills! And, there is tons of action in the movie. I recommend it for the kiddos, and it's not too bad sitting through it as an adult either. Of course, this is my most humble opinion of the movie.

If anyone goes to see Wall-E, I'd love a review before I go to see it. It seems like a boring movie to me, but I could be dead wrong on that.

Mom is in town for a few days and is spending this afternoon/evening with me and the kiddos. The kidlets are looking forward to it! I'll take pics as any time the kids can spend with her, I want them to be able to treasure. She really is an awesome grandma! I wish I had a grandma like her. I had one MEAN one, and one who pretty much was at arm's length and not overly nurturing or willing to come to see me in events, etc... My mom is the type that really has quality time with the kids when she is around. I value her strengths, all of her grandkids get lots of joy from her!!!! She also loves unconditionally which is the gift she has that I most want to emulate.

Coronado for the Day!

We headed out for Coronado today! The kids had a blast running on the beach, getting soaked, and climbing on the awesome rocks!

The Hotel Del is my all time favorite place to stay! I've stayed there twice and loved each visit. Today, we just hung out for the day. Next time, we'll stay overnight. Perhaps around Christmas when the carolers are there would be fun for the kids.

Hide and Seek in the rocks!

Splish Splashin' fun!

The climbing man... I think he has suction feet!

And, my little digger... sweet and sassy!

Eight Things...

8 Things I Am Passionate About:
1. God's Grace
2. My Kids
3. My Mom
4. The Friends
5. Lovin'
6. Sunshine
7. Music
8. Education

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Travel to Africa
2. Find forever love
3. See my kids grow into God loving adults
4. See my kids graduate college
5. Help more kids in need
6. Love unconditionally
7. Get Married
8. To get what I want, and want what I’ve got

8 Things I Often Say:
1. Whatever
2. Yeah
3. You're telling me!
4. Cool
5. F that Shit (sorry but true)
6. F'in' A (another one picked up after Bible college ba ha ha!)
7. Chillax
8. I love you.

8 Books I Have Read Lately
1. Codependent No More
2. Boundaries
3. Healing Stones
4. Reframing Your Past
5. The Shack
6. Get Out of that Pit
7. Conquer Your Giants
8. Have You Seen the Children

8 Movies I Have Watched 8 Times Or More:
1. Beaches (yes, i hate to admit it)
2. The Cure (a crying movie)
3. Hope Floats (favorite of all time and now i know why)
4. Step Mom (love Julia Roberts in this movie)
5. The Truth about Cats and Dogs (love Garafalo)
6. Amalie (favorite foreign film)
7. Sabrina (the new one; gotta love love)
8. The Perfect Man (so juvenile but I love Heather Locklier)

8 People I Am Tagging:
1. Whiskey
2. Roxy
3. ummmm (I don't personally know 8 people that blog!)