So glad this week is over!!!

Last week was one of the toughest one for me not only with my crazy kids but also with my training. I can't go in details about every single nutty thing that Ashley and Lucas decided to do to try my patience since it involves crazy things that kids do (which I understand) and others that aren't so bad such as locking us out of the house. I could say that I am amazed by how much patience Heavenly Father has blessed me with this past week. I am so glad it is over!!! Actually as I was talking to my friend Christian about this crazy week she asked me to tell her something good about my week and I said I'd have to think about it. I am glad she asked that. It made me think about those blessings that I sometimes forget about like having healthy and very active kids. So to turn things around I decided to try to slow things down by having some ice cream with the kids in the backyard and from the picture you can see that Lucas was the one that enjoyed it the most and later on Saturday we all went to the Y. Well, the truth is that I didn't want to swim anymore. I was so worn out after our Saturday Morning ride. The ride is getting more intense and we are adding more miles. We are all pretty competitive. Honestly I am having the time of my life. I love it!! The people I ride with are great. I see them at church, at the Y and then on Saturday again. They are so much fun and that makes a big difference for me. By the way, I am doing my first Triathlon this coming Saturday in El Reno, OK. I wasn't planning on it but I was told that since I am doing the Iron man in September it'll be a great opportunity for me to do an open-water swimming race. Anyways I hope you are all having a great week...I'll be resting this week from my routines and getting ready for the race. I am getting anxious and pumped up at the same time. It has been 12 years since my last "real competition" and tough I am not expecting anything other than to finish the race I am still competing against myself and that is a challenge in and of itself.

We are so glad the weather has been nice!

Here are some pictures of the kids playing in our backyard, at the Oklahoma City Zoo, Sooner Mall and a picture of Lucas being excited with food...he loves food. Hope you are enjoying the nice weather as much as we are.

Happy Birthday to me!!

Yesterday was my birthday and I wasn't going to write anything about it but I do want to say thanks to all of you that remembered it and that sent some nice birthday wishes. Also, thanks to Christie and Steve for the wonderful gifts. They are Tim's parents and as always they sent great gifts especially the roasting pan that I have been wanting to roast turkey the way we do in Paraguay. I am so excited to use it!!! Tim got me a trailer hitch and bike rack for my van so I don't have to put it inside my van anymore since it's starting to get dirty inside and also if I take the kids with me there is no room for the bike, the bike trailer, and the kids. I am so excited about this gift too and the other one that I received that I am soooo excited about is from my friend Gissella. She got me a gift certificate for a massage therapist to come to my house and give me a massage for an hour!!!! YAY!!!!!! I am so excited! I couldn't believe it. She is crazy. I am always complaining about my back and Friday night when we went out for dinner I said I wished I was in Paraguay to go and get massage like I do with my mom every time I go home. That is one of the ways my mom spoils me too. I love to get massages maybe because I am always in so much pain that my back feels so good after a good one. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks to everyone again for making me feel so special and I'll let you know when I use my super cool roasting pan and get my massage done...

I am a proud friend

I have been training for the triathlon with some friends for the last 3 months on and off. About 3 weeks ago my friend Gissella asked if I could help her with her swimming so we have been meeting at the pool and I have showed her a few things that I thought might help her with her swimming. The first time we met she almost passed out...She did one lap and was completely out of breath. Since I know how laid back she is and also the fact that we have become pretty close friends we both laughed pretty hard when I realized that she truly wasn't able to do more that just that one lap. That is how we started. Slowly we started to add more distance and changed a few techniques here and there and...this morning Gissella was able to swim 500 meters!!! I timed her so she could sign up for the race and her time was 15:55. No bad for someone that couldn't even do more than two laps 3 weeks ago. I am so proud of her. Keep up the good work my dear friend. Now we need to get Sherrie to do the 500 meters. By the way, tomorrow I am timing myself so I'll let you know how it goes... Wish me luck.

[A] mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled. ~Emily Dickinson

I want to take this opportunity to express my love and gratitude to my mom. I don't see her as often as I would like to and I miss her so very much. She has been and is an amazing mother and role model for me and my siblings. Today I would like to share just a few of the things that she has done for me and my family.

• As I have previously shared, she highly values education. When I was about 7 years old she started writing Science Books and that same summer she underwent a serious surgery. My oldest sister took the 2 youngest girls to the hospital to see her right after her surgery and as we opened the door we saw my mom laying in bed surrounded by books and papers; we knew she was in pain but we also knew her determination/desire to achieve this dream that she had for so long. She is the author of 5 Science Books and we are all very proud of her.
• When I joined the church I wanted to serve a mission and with her support I was able to serve a full time mission. It wasn't easy for her nor for any member of my family but I'll forever be grateful for allowing/supporting me to serve the Lord. On the top of that she came for my farewell and took me to the MTC. Later, after my mission she came to drive with me from Oklahoma all the way to Provo, UT so I wouldn't drive by myself.
  
• When Tim and I were getting married my family was not planning on attending the wedding since they were not going to be able to go to the temple which I completely understand. As most girls will understand, I still wanted my mom there with me and sure enough, 3 days before the wedding she called to tell us she was leaving the next day to come for the wedding. I know how hard it is for her to arrange someone to take care of the things that she usually takes care of but she did it. The day before the wedding my mom and my niece arrived in Salt lake City for the Wedding!!!
  
• Both times that my kids were born she was there by my side. Again, she found someone to take care of her work and came her to help me. When Lucas was born she even took Ashley with her for a month so that Tim and I could focus on the move and the new baby.
• My mom is the kind of person that if you call and tell her that Ashley or Lucas is sick she wishes she lived close by to come and take care of them and she means it. And then she will add "you also need to rest so I wish I could help you." Isn't she nice?
• Having my mom around feels great! She always finds ways to serve us. She does laundry, cooks for us, cleans the house for us, changes diapers, plays with the kids, but most importantly we get to enjoy her presence.

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY, MOM!!!

Love,
Maqui

A unexpected visit from the Williams

The Williams were in town so they came to visit us on Saturday Night and as you can see from the pictures the kids had a good time. Lucas was the one that enjoyed their visit the most. He just followed them everywhere!! They are our old neighbors/friends from Owasso, Ok. We are glad to be able to keep in touch with them. They are a great family... Thanks for coming to visit!!





Ashley was the model and the boys the musicians/singers.

Ashley's Prayer

There are days that I wonder if I am making any difference in my children's lives, especially in Ashley's. She could be the most stubborn or the sweetest little girl in this world. Lately she has been trying my patience more than ever and when I didn't know what else to do with her, she happened to say one of her sweetest prayers. She thanked Heavenly Father for all the friends she has, including us, Grandma, Grandpa, Pepper (the dog), Bethany, Emily and then she said...and for mommy who stays home with me and daddy who goes to OU to study. My heart melted. That day was one of the toughest days and her prayer was definitely an answer to my own prayer to give me courage to keep going and never give up on a STUBBORN SWEET LITTLE GIRL who after all recognizes that I stay home with her and who is grateful for that.