There's a Bug Goin Around...

 Officially Dave, Dominick and I have all caught something that seems to be going around and Emersyn got it TWICE!

Dave, Dominick and Emersyn were able to get rid of their bug within 24 Hours or so! Me...Not so lucky...I was sick Saturday, Sunday and Monday! What do you know the 3 most important days of April for me. Saturday was my friend Allie's Birthday Party I was helping throw, Sunday was Easter and Monday was My Anniversary we had planned to go to Monterey! All plans cancelled! Spent most of those three days in bed.

My Poor Sick Baby! 

Keep your fingers crossed, everyone seems to be doing better. I think Emersyn is just about over it!! YAY! 

Kids Say The Darndest Things...

I'm at work right now...I just sneezed and broke into immediate Hysterics! 

I instantly thought of Emersyn as I sneezed...

Her newest thing when someone sneezes is to say WASHOE! I asked her the other day "what are you saying" she says "washoe mommy, you just sneezed! Bless You...Washoe, same difference! 

My All Time Favorite:

Dominick used to tell us that Santa Claus came down the "Little Jimmy"! aka Little Chimney!

Dominick's Random Funnies:

(This is going to be an ongoing list as they come back to mind)

Bama - Grandma

Electrickity - Electricity 

"Uncle Ryan Your Turning Green"

 Ryan was lifting heavy weights and turning red in the face. Dominick was really young and obviously didn't know his colors and said "Uncle Ryan your turning green". The look on my brothers face as he looked at my mom was almost like a panic, Green?

Emerysn's Random Funnies:
(This is going to be an ongoing list as they come back to mind)

Cation - Vacation
Emma Andrew Gutierrez - Whenever you ask her her full name...that's what she tells you...Were trying to get her to say...
Emersyn Josephine Gutierrez

My Most Cherished Possession

It's been 9 years since my Nonno passed,and its really been the longest 9 years.There's not a day that goes by that I dont think about him and wish that Dave and my kids got to meet him. He would just be Crazy over Dominick and Emersyn, I could just imagine him with them! Just thinking of that makes me smile, because I know that he sees them and watches over them, even if we can't see him. He had such a huge impact on my life, I loved spending time with him and looked up to him. I've always been proud to be his granddaughter and only hope I can be as monumental as a person as he was to me and every person that met him!




A Fairy Tale Of The Sandbox Princess

     There once was a Nonno King who had a Granddaughter Princess. He lived in a house with a sandbox in the back garden of his castle. It was built just for her. 

     The King was very busy but not so busy that he couldn't take off his shoes , roll up the pants of his shiny uniform and play in sand with the Granddaughter Princess. The Nonno King would take long walks with her on his back so why should he not take time to play with her in the sand. It was fun. It was there that she learned to build castles in the sand just like her Father Prince Stephen did when he no bigger than a minute. 

     Today when the Nonno King goes out into the back garden of the castle, there is no one to play in the sand with. There is no sandbox. There is no sand. The Granddaughter Princess has grown up into a lovely swan and moved away and took her sandbox with her. Today as young ladies do, the Princess has other interests that absorb the attention of someone very wise for her years. 

     Though the Princess has moved away, she is still a part of the Nono King's life because every time he walks out into the back garden of his castle, he still sees the two of them playing in the sand. He stands there for many minutes and relives those beautiful days that she was too young to remember. 

     He remembers because he sees these things in his imagination. And you know something? It was that very sandbox that the Nonno King learned to build sandcastles, too, because the Granddaughter Princess taught him that when you build sandcastles in your mind, loved onces never go far away. And every dream comes true. 

     So when the King gets tired, he goes out into the back garden of the castle and looks at the place where the sandbox used to be. He uses his imagination and before you know it, he isn't tired anymore. And you know something else? Like magic he turns into a young King again. 

     The Granddaughter Princess was right.

     Dreams really do come true. 

     My Grandfather wrote this story for me when I was young. I loved it and cherished it. It meant the world to me. But going back and reading it as I am now older, it has a completely different meaning to it. I read all the words and there is such a greater message in it than I could have ever believed there to be as a young child. He wrote this during the later part of his battle with cancer, reading this today just helps me remember his unconditional love for me. The love that is stronger than anything and will overcome anything. This story I will hold close to my heart forever and pass it down to my children for them to hold onto and pass along to their families and so on. 

     P.S. This spring I'm building my kids a sandbox! <3

Jackie's Baby Shower!

I'm finally going to post some pictures from the Baby Shower my friend Allie and I did for a friend of ours! The shower turned out great and everyone raved about the decorations and all the little detail we put into it! It really makes you feel good when people make those little comments on how nice it turned out when we put so much time and effort into it.

I love working with Allie to create parties! Not to be conceded or anything but I think were both very creative and talented, and the two of us always have ideas that the other one doesn't so it makes things easier and nicer! 


I didn't do the food for this party which felt really weird! I just felt like we were missing something the whole time, because I'm so use to ALWAYS doing the food for parties. It was nice to only have to focus on one thing (party details, decorations, etc.) but I would have rather been in charge of food too! That's just the OCD in me! 

We made Diaper Cake Centerpieces for each table. They were all slightly different with different pictures and bows!



Spa Treatment and Bath Pedals for Game Prizes!



Our Diaper Cake! 






I didn't do the cake, but I think it's just 
too cute! 



Now looking through my camera, I've realized I didn't get as many pictures as I thought I did.

Happy Spring

It's been beautiful outside lately so I thought it would be perfect to try and get some outdoor pictures of the kids!

Key word "TRY"!

It's always a fight to get good pictures done with the kids! I was able to get some really good shots today without having to fight the kids too much!

These are my two favorite pictures
of the two of them together.

She is such a character, she loves
to have the attention!


My Handsome Little Guy!





All in all I think I ended up with
some Great Spring pictures of the kids!
Mission Accomplished!

Baseball and Ballet Randoms

Yesterday Dominick had another Baseball Game he did GREAT!! He caught his first Popfly during a game! Dominick's been having a tough time catching, so this was a BIG DEAL for him to catch a ball during a game! He was so funny...he told Dave on the way home "They told me to catch it so I caught it"! Like it was as simple as that! 

 

Over the weekend Dominick played catcher. He didn't like it too much! I think he takes after his Mama! I played catcher as position 1 time and HATED it! I actually cried as I was catching during a game! Although he wasn't as bad as me, he started to get the hang of it as the inning went on and I think he'll end up enjoying that position.

 

Emersyn's starting to really pay attention during dance class. She really enjoys dancing and looks forward to dance class every week! They just started practicing for their Big Recital in May! I can't wait to see them preform! I'm sure it will be adorable! 

She loves watching herself in the mirror!

Opening Day 2011

Every year there is nothing more special than Opening Day for Dave. However, Opening Day 2011 was even more special than any other Opening Day that he's ever been to before and most likely will ever be. 

I never understood how a sports team could ever mean so much to a person, but after the 2010 Baseball Season I started to understand it a little more. I've always been a sports fan, loved playing and watching sports but it never had an effect on me if they won or lost. I think our trip to Arizona for Spring Training this year helped me define Dave's passion and love for Baseball...not just any Baseball Team but the San Francisco Giants. Once we were in Arizona it put his love of the game in a whole new perspective...we were so far from home yet it felt like home was right there. Everywhere we went we talked to people from California not just from California but from Sacramento and San Francisco, we saw people we've seen before at Giants Games back at home. We went to game after game and as we talked to different people I learned that Dave's not the only one that this means so much too. If they were a true Giants fan winning the 2010 World Series truly meant the world to them! For Dave I see it as one thing in his life he's always had, with Dave's brother being the most predominant male in his life and Dave being the younger brother always looking up to Bill it must have started there with him wanting to be like his brother. It's something that keeps a strong relationship going between his brother and him they both have this love for the sport and the team, in ups and downs, wins and losses it's always been there. After watching and rooting for something  so long and to win the ultimate title there's nothing at that point that can get any better.

The morning of Opening Day Dave got up early and headed to meet up with his cousin, then together they took BART to the City! Once at AT&T Park the Opening Day Festivities began! As the Team took the field in a long line and the Championship Flag was passed down the line, I could only imagine, the excitement, the emotion, the overall feeling going through Dave's body as the Flag finally ended in Brian Wilson's hands, who then ran it through Centerfield and up into the stands to finally make his way to the "Flag Pole"! I know he watched with tremendous pride as the 2010 World Series Champions flag went up the Flag Pole, I only wish that I was able to be there with him to experience this day.

The Giants had a slim lead through most of the game, after 12 innings and roughly 5 1/2 hours  full of drama, excitement and torture THE GIANTS WIN!! 

Bunco!

The 1st Tuesday of every month is Bunco Night! This month was my Grandma's turn to host, so we went over for dinner and to see everyone. I'm just a sub for the group that my Mom, Grandmother, Aunts and Uncle play in, but were there a lot hanging out. Dominick LOVES BUNCO!! I can't tell exactly why...if its all the people he gets to be around, or that they let him roll the dice for them, or if it's for the CANDY on the tables!! I'm pretty sure it's a combination of all of it but I think the candy is the added bonus...since I often catch him sneaking more after I've told him enough! 

His Favorite Jelly Belly's! 

Dave could not get Dominick to focus at Baseball Practice, he just kept talking to the other kids and dad's, trying to explain how to play Bunco! He was really excited! 

Dominick and Grandma Missy!

(I'll have to explain the Grandma Missy story sometime)

It never fails as soon as we get to my Grandparent's house my kids say their hello's and run straight for the spare room to play with all Grandma's toys!(This time it was just Emersyn, Dominick was too excited to play Bunco)They always tare that room apart...their not the only ones...I remember my brother and I doing the same thing growing up and my cousins too! That room is always full of kids at every family function. It brings back lots of memories to see the kids playing in it. It's the little things that always bring back such good memories. 

Emersyn's been a little bit of a picky eater lately...which bothers me to no end, cause she's always eaten anything and everything! I was making her plate and she was telling me what she wanted and didn't want...I put a scoop of this fruit salad that my Grandmother made on her plate and she yelled at me that she didn't want it! I knew she'd love it...It was all her favorite fruits and it had marshmallow's and whip cream. As she was eating I kept telling her to eat her fruit salad. After fighting about it for a little she took the smallest bite she possibly could, it was probably just a spec of whip cream. I watched her as she took a little bit bigger of a bite, then another even bigger. "MMM THIS IS GOOD!" she says as she's nodding her head! She takes a few more bites "MMM WHAT'D YOU PUT IN THIS??". It was the cutest thing! I can't get her facial expression and voice out of my head! Needless to say she got seconds and were going to need Grandma to make that for Easter! 

They ended up needing a sub so Dave stayed and played!! He ended up being the Biggest Loser of the night!! While I was there...which was for quite a while I don't think he got one Win! 

Concentrating on his Roll! 

Finally a Post!!

This year already seems to be flying by! Since the beginning of February there has been something going on absolutely everyday of the week.

 I've been dying to put up a new post this past week but have been planning a Baby Shower with a friend. The shower is this coming Sunday...just about all the decorations and favors have been handmade by a friend and I. It's really going to look amazing, we have put so much work into it, I can't wait to see it all put together. I will be sure to put pictures of it up.

Dominick was finally able to have his First Baseball Game of the Year! Go Diamond Backs!! (Normally that would not be allowed to be said in my house...We are Diehard Giants Fans!!! But Thank God he is on the Diamond Backs and not that other D word!!) With all this rain a lot of his practices and I believe 2 of his games have been rained out.

The Boys did such a Great Job!! It's so much fun to actually see the progress Dominick has made since playing T-Ball last year! He's a great hitter, one of the best on the team...not such a great catcher, but practice makes perfect and he is trying so hard and truly loves to play baseball.

The Team Banner!!

The look of concentration!

Whose on 1st...Oh! Dom's on 1st!!