Christmas

Allthough the Economy was hard on many people this year. We have been very blessed and Christmas for our little family was great! And we were surrounded by lots of family and friends and Snow! Here is a picture of our Christmas tree, we are slowly collecting ornaments with sentimental value. (i.e. "Our first Christmas together," "Baby's first Christmas," ornaments we got on our Honeymoon, little basketballs, a Macaw parrot ornament we got in Costa Rica last May, etc.) We love it and hope that someday that will be all the ornaments we have up there, including homemade ornaments our kids willl make.

Anyway, like I was saying it was a fun Christmas. On Christmas eve, we opened a few gifts we recieved from Isaac's family and then we headed up to Logan to spend Christmas with my family. We had a lot of fun and on Christmas day and we were snowed in! We watched movies, and basketball and played with Benjamin. It was a relaxing Christmas. And then the day after, Gary fired up the tractor and shoveled us all out. Benjamin loved getting bundled up and going outside to play in the snow while everyone else worked to shovel us out.

The day after, I also had the chance to see two of my best girl friends, Marie and Lyssa. The best part is that we all have baby girls withing months of each other (well, mine will be here shortly). I can't wait to get together next year and see them all play together! I hope all of you out there also had wonderful a Christmas !

A cute new outfit from Nena! (Grandma Granados)

Christmas eve at my mom's house started out with Benjamin helping Grandma Rosa make cheescake! He especially liked licking the spatula afterward!

In front of Grandma's Christmas tree. Can't wait until Christmas morning!

Benjamin opening his first gift. What can it be??

Elmo!!!

He loves his Elmo Doll!

Benjamin loves grabbing the broom and helping Mommy sweep, so we had to get him one of his own. It's Sweeping Sam!

And off to work he goes!

Dad loved his new BYU Benie!

The Day after Christmas, Benjamin put on his snow gear to go tromping outside.

Ready!

Liz, Marie, Lyssa and baby girl Emma. We loved seeing each other!

Santa

Well on Friday, we had our annual church Christmas party. I love parties in Latino wards! It is always filled with lots of socializing, lots of food, and dancing the night away! This party started with a great dinner followed by a small program. Then Santa came! All the kids were so excited and stood in line. Isaac took Benjamin to sit in line. He didn't mind the line, especially with all the kids around, but when it was time to sit on Santa's lap.... well, let's just say he wasn't that thrilled. It made for a great picture! After Santa, everyone cleanded up and then the Dance started. Isaac and I especially love this part, because now that we are parents we don't get a whole lot of opportunity to go Salsa Dancing at the clubs, like we used to. But like I said, in a Latino ward... if there's a party, there's sure to be a dance! Benjamin likes it too, while all the other kids were off in the Nursery playing with toys, he was on the dance floor tearing it up! It was a lot of fun!

He didn't like sitting on Santa's lap, but he'll take Dad's lap anyday! Especially with the new toy cars he got after "enduring" sitting on Santa's lap.

It's way past his bed time, but he couldn't stop dancing!

Temple Square Lights

On Saturday, Dec. 13 we went to see the lights at Temple square. This first picture of me is not the best... I'm very pregnant and very cold, but it gives you an overall view of what it looks like when you first get there. We took a lot of pictures of Benjamin when we first got there and then the batteries in my camera died, so we didn't get a whole lot of the lights. However; the lights on Temple square in down town Salt Lake City (at Christmas time) are absoultely breath taking! Benjamin loved it! He kept pointing and saying "ooohhhh" every time we came to more lights. He especially loved it when Uncle Allan put him up on his shoulders! He really started to point things out with his excited "oooohhh," and then kept looking for Grandma, once he spoted her, he would smile and wave virgoursly at her. It was cold but we had a lot of fun.

All Bundled Up!

Grandma and Benjamin

Dad and Benjamin

Grandpa Gary and Grandma Rosa came too!

Uncle Allan and Aunt Lexi came too! Benjamin loved the view from up here!

Families are Forever

Big Brown Eyes... who can resist?

I may be a little biast, but I think my son has the most beautiful big brown eyes in the world! I must say it is hard for me to say no to him sometimes. Benjamin is 18 months old now it is such a character. He can say quite a few words now, most of which are in Spanish, and he understands almost everything we say to him. He loves, Elmo, Barney, cheese, getting his picture taken (as you can tell) and Music. Soon I will figure out how to put videos on here and put some on of him singing, dancing and directing! It is so dang cute and in church he really sings his heart out and who ever happens to be sitting by us, just can't belive it and get the biggest kick out of it. I, a music lover and singer myself, couldn't be prouder! I love my little boy. Oh, but do not think that is all, Dad is quite the jock and loves Basketball, and Bejamin loves his dad! So naturally one of his favorite games is to play "Michael Jordan" with dad as they slam dunk Basketballs (and any other balls he can find) into his little basketball hoop that we have taped to a door in the house at just the right height for him. He is turning out to be quite the well rounded little boy. So I must say, WE couldn't be prouder. :)

My First Post!

Well, we finally have Internet at our house, so I became a blogg'n mama! Yes, we know have a blog! I hope to get good at this, as I hope to keep family & friends updated with pictures, links, videos and other fun stuff, especially of our growing children. Many of my friends have blogs and they have really inspired me. So here it is! I hope you all view it often, and enjoy it. A special thanks to Kate for helping me get started!