The Sotelo Family

Yay, we finally got some snow!!!

2012-01-22T08:21:00.001-08:00

I have been here for 14 years and this has been my favorite winter due to the nice weather days with NO snow :) BUT I was actually really excited to see snow as we got out of the movie theater last night! It was beatiful!!! The kids were so excited to dress up warm and get out to play in the snow this morning. :) Special thanks to Bella for wanting to clean up our drive way and entry path, hehe ...

Curtains! :)

2012-01-19T14:59:00.001-08:00

I made curtains the other day for our living room and kitchen. I love how a piece of fabric can add such a special touch! :)

Kindle & its cover! :)

2012-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

To be honest I was never a person who would just pick up a book to read on my free time but always wanted to change that. I recently joined a book club and have been finding myself in bed at night reading an amazing book lately! :) I have been so excited that I actually bought a kindle for me! In love with my kindle and the cover I made for it! :)

My sweet boy

2012-01-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Jackson is loud, messy, destructive ... and he is so my sweet boy!!! :) Today as we were watching a movie on the couch I said to him, Jackson, I don't like when you put your freezing cold feet on me. He looked at me, started to cry and ran to his room. I asked him what happened and he replied that I said I didnt like him anymore and that I woundn't get any more kisses just hugs. Haha ... :) I told him, I said I didn't like his freezing cold feet on me, I didn't say I didn't like you anymore. Then he replied, don't you ever say you don't like me ok, mommy? I did agree and asked for tons of kisses. Oh, Jack, I love how sensitive, sweet and loving you are!!! I love you, my sweet boy!

Bella is crocheting! :)

2012-01-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

Bella has been watching my interest in crochet and has been asking me to take a class so she could learn it. I found this place in Provo that is the oldest yarn shop in the coutry and they are so willing to teach you how to crochet. Bella had this sweet lady that was so patient in teaching her. Bella was so excited to learn from her and every night before bed Bella works on getting her first project done, a dishcloth. So proud of you, Bella! :)

Chuck E Cheese's

2012-01-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

Monday was Bella's last day of her school break and I asked the kids what they wanted to do for fun and they both screamed, "Chuck E Cheese's" and there we went! :)

Welcome 2012!!! :)

2012-01-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I love a fresh start!!! Welcome 2012! I have soo many goals, desires and plans for you. Wishing you all an amazing year and let's make it a oh so good one! :)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T10:45:00.001-08:00

Christmas is meant to be spent with family and good friends and that is sooo what we did! :) Hope you all had a wonderful time!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Childhood

2011-12-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

We went to Riverwoods Mall the other night to look at the X-mas lights and visit with Santa. As we said our good byes to Santa we were confronted with the coolest toy store I've been in a while. While looking through toys I saw this toy that so reminded me of my childhood and right away I started to think about all the stuff I played with, watched it and did wear as a child and it sure did put a smile on my face. Oh, I so want my kids to have a fun childhood and good memories as I do!!! :) Here are some of my fun childhood memories:

Gingerbread House

2011-12-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

Another fun night during X-mas season! :)

Bella and Jack's piano recital! :)

2011-12-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Bella and Jack have been taking piano classes for a few months now and made us so proud tonight at the recital! :) Keep it up, guys! Special thanks to teacher Paula that made it all come together!

A special spot

2011-12-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

Yay, I just got my chair done yesterday and I am now done with my sewing/craft area project. I love how it looks, I love how organized everything is now, I love how I don't have to be moving everything back and forth and I look foward to the time I am going to spend in this special area I created! :)

Christmas tree decoration

2011-12-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's sure a special night when we get to decorate our Christmas tree as a family. I love to listen to Christmas songs as we decorate the tree. I love watching Bella and Jack being so excited. I love turning the lights in our Christmas tree every night and hanging out in the living room, it is a oh so peaceful feeling! I LOVE CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!

Sewing machine cover

2011-12-03T09:25:00.001-08:00

My sewing machine got a super cute gift from me! :)

Lamp

2011-12-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing like new fabric on an old thrift store bought lamp! Love it and so does my sewing desk! :)

Desk project

2011-11-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

Yay, I just finished my desk project and sooo LOVE how it turned out!!! :) I bought it for $25.00 a few months ago and with green paint and glaze I got the antique look I wanted. I am using this desk to sew on it and to organize all my sewing/craft stuff. Sooo excited! :) Check out the before and after pictures:

Countdown project

2011-11-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

Bella and Jack have been asking how many days till Christams for a bit now. A few weeks ago while at double coupon saturday at Roberts I saw this project and had to get it. It turned out so cute and I can not wait to see the kid's faces everyday when they wake up and run to see what's inside! :)

X-mas Wreath

2011-11-20T09:54:00.001-08:00

Good friends, yummy food, lots of laughs and getting christmas wreaths done, that's what I call a good girls night out! :)

Pajama pants

2011-11-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

The project at my sewing class last night was pajama pants but with not enough yards I actually got a "capri" pajama pants done for me. :) We worked out of a pattern that to be honest was kind of annoying so this morning I worked in getting pajama pants for Bella and Jack off a blog and it was soooo much easier and fast. Love it! Here are pictures of the kids cute robot and owl pajama pants and my capri pajama pants that I sleep on it last night and love it! :)

Thankful Tree

2011-11-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

Halloween decoration is back to storage! :( We had a fun october! :) Last year we did an activity where the kids wrote or made drawings of what the were thankful for and put it up on the fridge. This year we did a thankful tree. We grabed some branches from our yard, cut up pieces of paper and ribbon and with what the kids are thankful for we have our thankful tree. I loved listening to Bella and Jack express what they are thankful for while doing the activity. I love how our thankful tree turned out and I am sooo thankful for my beatiful family! :) I wish us all a Happy Thanksgiving season and that we can all see how blessed we all are!!!

Antique & glazing class

2011-11-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

A few months ago while redecorating Bellas's room I bought an ugly chair from a thrift store and with new paint and cute fabric I ended up with a super cute chair for her room. Since that project I've been looking for old furniture on ksl or even thinking about what I can restyle from what I already got in our own home. I bought a vintage looking desk a couple months ago for my sewing machine with the idea of restyling it with an antique look. It's been sitting in our garage for a while now but I finally took a antique and glazing class today and I'm totally working on the desk this weekend! :) In today's class we worked on restyling picture frames. After sanding an ugly one I painted green, glazed it with brown and I love how it turned out! Can't wait to see how my desk is going to look like! :)

Trick or treating

2011-11-02T07:18:00.001-07:00

Perfect weather, cool costumes, handmade trick or treating bags by mommy, lots of spooky houses and tons of candy all made a fun trick or treating night! :)

Halloween celebration

2011-11-02T07:13:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Halloween all weekend long with multiple parties, sooo much fun! :)

Halloween pillows, carved witch & frankenstein and bats! :)

2011-10-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yay, after finishing my last Halloween projetcs I am finally happy with how our living room looks like for Halloween! I love sewing, creating and seing the final results! :) Have a wonderful Halloween everyone!!! :)

I heart sundays

2011-10-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

I love waking up with my sneaky kids that manage to get in our bed without us noticing. I love Jared in the kitchen making us french toast. I love our sticky table from syrup. I love our table covered in white from powered sugar. I love us in pajamas for a long part of the day. I love chips and salsa for lunch. I love Jared watching sports while I sew and work on my projects. I love seing my little boy in a tie. I love seing how excited Bella gets to go to church with her scriptures. I love going to church. I love talking to my family on the phone or seing them on skype. I love having yummy sunday dinners. I love going to bed on sunday night thinking about an exciting week ahead. I truly heart you, sundays! :)

Trick or Treat bags

2011-10-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to see Bella & Jack going trick or treating with the bags mommy made them! :)

Up

2011-10-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

We love the animated Disney/Pixar movie Up and the colorful little house that Carl and Ellie spent their lives together in. This weekend, my cousin Vanessa, Bella and I had the blast of going to see the replica of the house here in Herriman, Utah. It was sooo fun! :) They paid attention to every small detail such as Carl and Ellie’s mailbox, picture frames, couches, the adventure book ... it's sooo cute! :) I love the kitchen!!! Bella kept begging me to please buy the house! :) The house is for sale for $400,000 but sorry Bella I don't think daddy would love the idea as much as you do! :)

Witches Night Out

2011-10-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

My friend and I went to the witches night out on friday at Gardner Village with our daughters. We've never seen so many pointy hats in one place before! :) Witches, shopping, eating, laughing and dancing were all part of a fun night! :)

Piano Lessons

2011-10-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

I was raised around music due to my mother being a piano teacher. Having a piano around my children when in Brazil got a spark on them for wanting to learn how to play it. My mother started to teach Bella a bit this last time we were there and Bella really enjoyed learning it. By talking to my cousin about how I wanted to find a piano teacher for my children is how we got to our dear Paula. We bought a keyboard for Bella and she has been taken lessons once a week for the last month or so. I thought Jackson was too young but he got interested after Bella's first classes and is now also taking lessons. Thank you sooo much Paula for your dedication, preparation and love you put into your lessons. For you two, I am very proud of you for wanting to learn it and to have fun with it! I love listening to you, Bella, practicing your songs, it sures puts a smile on me! Can't wait for the recital on december! Love you, guys! :)

Super Mario & Daughter of the Werewolf

2011-10-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Fabric Pumpkins

2011-10-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

I saw these fabric pumpkins on a blog last night and fell in love with it! :) My friends and I got together today and made some of our own! They turned out sooo cute! Jackson wanted one as well so I made him one with some cool flames fabric! :)

My cute sewing bag

2011-10-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

I made this bag at my sewing class and love it! I can put my fabrics, accessories, patterns, magazines and all I need to be working on my current projects. Thanks to my teachers at Bernina for always helping me! :)

Halloween Pillowcases

2011-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Jack begged me to buy Halloween fabric while shopping with me at Hobby Lobby the other day. I thought right away how fun will be to make Halloween pillowcases for him and Bella so I got it. I did the project yesterday and the kids were sooo excited to sleep with them! :)

Spider Cupcakes

2011-10-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

Bella & Jack love cupcakes so when I saw these cute silicone spider baking cups I had to buy it and have the kids have fun with it! :)

My very first piece of clothing! :)

2011-10-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Since I fell in love with sewing I've been thinking about finding pretty designs along with pretty fabric to make me beatiful clothing to wear. Here's my first attempt in making a simple skirt, love it! :) Can't wait to see what my future clothing projects will look like!!! Oh, I simply love sewing!

Halloween projects & our house decoration! :)

2011-09-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! We decorated the house last weekend and I also worked in two projects this week and think they turned out super cute! :) We can't wait for a whole month of October fun!!!

Charter School

2011-09-29T16:25:00.001-07:00

We've been thinking about enrolling Bella in a charter school for a bit now and we just got her accepted to one of them. Bella is most excited for sign language, Spanish, art and enrichement classes as well as ridding in the school bus! :) We are sooo excited for you Bella, have a great year!

Backyard

2011-09-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Trenching, installing a sprinkler system, planting grass, killing weeds, patio concrete and lots of work got us to the the backyard we got now. We love it! :) Lots of green for the kids to play in and a fun patio to relax and have tons of barbecues! :) Special thanks to my babe and his parents that made it happen.

Good-bye?

2011-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

There are no good-byes, where ever we are, you’ll always be our my hearts!!! Thank you sooo much for all the memories! :) Love you all!

Enjoying the most of my Brasil vacation

2011-09-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Enjoying my family, friends, food and places was so my priority when in Brasil for a month but I also wanted to take advantage of my free time by taking classes to learn more about what I love and I did! :) I took Sewing, photography, jewelry, crochet and fabric flowers classes. I had sooo much fun learning and making my little projects. Special thanks to all my teachers, miss you all! :)

Education

2011-09-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

While in Brasil for a month, Bella and Jack had the opportunity to go to a private school from 8:30 am to 6 pm. Becoming fluent in Portuguese and learning about the Brazilian culture is the most precious gift they can give me. I love listening to them speak in Portuguese to me and for them to be able to learn and experience where I come from. Thanks mom and dad for making it happen. Thanks for giving Bella and Jack a change for a better future! :)

Beach

2011-08-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

Being around a beach is something we sure love when in Brasil! It is a oh sooo good felling!

Caldas da Imperatriz Resort

2011-08-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Natural thermal water pools, walks in beatiful green paths, family time, activities and of course amazing food is what we go for on this resort! My parents have been taking us for vacation on these types of resorts since we are little and now the tradition passes to the grandchildren. Going to the resort is sure a must when we are in Brasil! :) Thanks, mom and dad!

Happy b-day, Bella! :)

2011-08-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Brazil on Bellas b-day, august 11th! :) Bella turned 7 years old. My family organized a beatiful party for her, thank you so much guys, Bella loved it! Happy b-day, Bella! We love you!

Summer Fun

2011-07-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun summer! :) Bike rides, swimming, water balloon fights, parks, soccer, baseball, Seattle vacation, playing with friends, barbecues, lots of ice cream, sleep overs ... and so much more fun. I love being a stay home mom to be able to watch my two beatiful children having soo much fun in the sun! :) We are leaving to Brazil very soon and sure can say we had a blast during this summer!

Taekwondo

2011-07-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

Bella along with one of her best friends, Luana, started Taekwondo and is loving it! :)

Girl's headbands, jewelry and my favorite model! :)

2011-07-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

I made girl's jewelry and headbands for the boutique and had my favorite model help me show them off on adorable pictures today! :)

First boutique space at Signs & Wonders!

2011-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Soo excited to announce the openning of my first boutique space at Signs and Wonders on 175 North Main Street in Spanish Fork. Come and visit! :)

Fireworks!

2011-07-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Bella hasn't been here for the 4th of july for the last few years due to spending summers in Brazil so she was sure extra excited to light up fireworks with daddy this year that she's here with us. :)

Red, blue and white! :)

2011-07-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Bella woke up this morning yelling to it's the 4th of july! :) I made red, blue & white baby donuts for them and took a few pictures of the kids with my new camera my parents gave me for my b-day. Still trying to learn how use my new baby and I'm loving it! Gettting ready to go barbecue with good friends and to have fun tonight watching the boys light up fireworks. Happy 4th, everyone!!! :)

Seattle Fun 2011!

2011-07-02T08:54:00.001-07:00

We recently were in Seattle for a week and had so much fun! We love going to our must places to visit and eat there. This time we also did the Mariners stadium tour and took a ride on the ferry. Besides spending time with Jared's family we also had fun with my cousin that is in Seattle for the summer. We had beatiful days there and sooo enjoyed being Seattle!

Summer has arrived ... finally!!!

2011-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

While on vacation in Seattle we were able to spend the first day of summer at lake Washington and that was oh soooo good! The kids had a blast playing in the sand and getting wet on a hot 80 degrees summer day! :) WELCOME, summer!

BellaLYSSA Boutique Open House!

2011-06-23T13:10:00.001-07:00

BellaLYSSA Boutique! :)

2011-05-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that along with a friend, we are opening a boutique! :) I have always wanted to open my own business and here I am! We named our boutique after our girls Isabella and Alyssa. We are designing beatiful hair pieces, bracelets, brooches, scarfs, onesies, wipe cases, ties for boys and more to come! We are planning our open house, designing our website and registering on etsy. We will keep you updated. Here is a little taste of our beatiful creations:

Jackson's b-day party!

2011-05-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Friends, b-day cake, presents and having tons of fun on a sunny day! What else could Jackson asked for his b-day? :) Happy b-day, Jack! Special thanks to photographer Bianca that took pictures of these fun moments:

Bella lost another tooth! :)

2011-05-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Bella lost her 3rd tooth this past saturday and looks sooo cute! :)

Happy b-day, Jack!!!

2011-05-21T14:03:00.001-07:00

Happy b-day, Jackson!!! We love you sooo much! 4 years old, wow, time is sure flying! Jackson loved all his soccer stuff he got from dad, mom and Bella. Special thanks to vovo and vava that sent a package from Brasil, Jackson sure loved his brazilian soccer team shirt and treats. Thanks to grandpa and grandma for a special card and money that Jack spent on a ds game! Happy b-day, Jack!

Mother's day present to myself! :)

2011-05-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

This beauty was my mother's day present I bought myself, isnt she just beatiful? :) I've been waiting on this machine for weeks and I finally got it a few days ago! Oh, I'm so excited to have it! Sewing has become one of my passions for sure! :) I can't wait to start all my projects with you, Bernina!!!

Classes and more classes!

2011-05-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Kids are enrolled in soccer, baseball, swimming, martial arts and more to come! Oh boy, I sure feel like a taxi driver, haha ... :) Its been crazy but I love to see them having fun and learning so much! Here are pictures of Jack during his 1st soccer game:

Mother's Day Session!

2011-05-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the 2nd year we do a Mother's day session and I love it! I love celebrating having a mom and being a mom! :) These pictures are sure treasure to me!!!!

Happy mother's day, mae! :)

2011-05-08T05:34:00.001-07:00

Mae,

These quotes sooo express what I feel about you:

"Mother is everything - she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness."
~Kahlil Gibran

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."
~Tenneva Jordan

"My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune."
~Graycie Harmon

I want to thank you for all youve done, do and will do for me. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for your example and uncoditional love you have for me. You are beatiful inside and out! I love you sooo much I am so blessed to have you as my mother.

Te amo pra sempre!!! Feliz dia das Maes hoje e sempre! Com carinho,

Mylene

Happy Mother's day to all mothers!!!

2011-05-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking it's life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

"You will simply call her, 'Mom.'"

- Unknown

Happy Mother's day to all mothers! Dont ever forget how ESPECIAL you are!

Love,

Mylene

Purse! :)

2011-05-05T15:14:00.001-07:00

My project last night was to make this super cute purse for Bella! After a few hours, I soooo loved the final product. Oh, I love sewing!!!

Tchau, Mom! :(

2011-04-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks sure went by fast, mom! Thank you sooo much for everything! For all the yummy cooking, teaching Portuguese and taking care of the kids, fun getaways, shopping and for the good times we spent together. You will be missed! :( Love ya!

Easter Weekend at Homestead!

2011-04-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

We spent our Easter weekend at homestead, Midway! :) Swiming, jumping on the bed, pizza and movie in our cozy cottage room, feeding horses and of course lots of candy on Easter sunday! Bella and Jack had two egg hunts. One in front of our cottage room and the other was by the hotel where Bella got a prize of a "free night stay"! :) What a good weekend! We loved having you with us, Vava! And thank you for all the brazilian goodies that made our Easter extra delicious!

Rio

2011-04-25T20:55:00.001-07:00

If you havent watch it, we highly recommend it!!! :)

Park City fun!

2011-04-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Vava is visiting us from Brasil and weve been having tons of fun! :) Park City was a "oh sooo good weekend" for sure!

Easter Egg Coloring

2011-04-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

Skirt!

2011-04-09T21:22:00.001-07:00

I made this super cute skirt for Bella! She loves it! I cant wait to start on my new project!!! Oh, I love sewing, creating and seing the final result! :)

Good Friend!

2011-04-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Jackson ended up at the instant care with an allergy reaction. Hes ok and hes being treated! Chris, a good friend of his, asked his mommy to drive 25 minutes each one to see Jackson and give him treats, drawings he made and a cute note saying, "Having you for a friend is such a delight"! Chris, thank you for being such a good friend to Jackson! And Juliana, thank you for being such a special person! Friendships like yours sure makes the world a better place! :)

Double Fun!

2011-04-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, Bella and Jack have been extremely happy yesterday and today! We went from hot to cold weather from one day to the next! Yesterday they were in shorts and sandals playing outside with the chickens, riding their scooters, having yummy popsicles I made for them, picking out flowers for me from the yard and today they are out all bundled up building a snow man and playing in our 4 inches of snow we wake up to! I sure love to see my children happy in whatever weather it is! :)

Curtains projetct!

2011-04-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

I made curtains for Bella's room with the fabrics I made the headboard, pillows and chair. Bella's room is sure looking cute! :)

Headboard and pillows!

2011-03-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a headboard and pillows to match for Bella's room. It took me all day but I finally finisned it! :) Bella was in love when she saw it after school, she said she has the most beatiful bed in the whole world, haha ... :)

Ugly into Beatiful!

2011-03-30T08:06:00.001-07:00

I bought this chair at a thifty store for only $10.00 for Bella's room and with paint and cute fabric I transformed it into a beatiful chair! Bella loves it! :) Check out the before and after pictures:

Chicks

2011-03-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up we had this amazing house with a huge backyard where we had every pet you can imagine and where I spent the best days of my childhood. Dogs, cats, a parrot ... and chickens! Yes, chickens. Bella and Jack beg us to get a pet all the time and on saturday guess what we got? 4 chicks! Yes, you read it right! They are sooo cute! We have a perfect spot in our backyard for them and will be sooo fun to have them. Once they start laying eggs they will each lay an egg a day so if you ever needs eggs, come on over! :) They will be easy to maintain and the kids will have a blast. Check out the pictures:

Project # 1: Pillow Covers

2011-03-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, so proud of myself with my first sewing project! They might not turned out perfect but I did it!!! :) I heart our new pillows on the couch!

Wanted for a while!

2011-03-26T08:11:00.001-07:00

Yay, I finally purchased a sewing machine! Its been a while now that I wanted to learn how to sew so here I am! My first class is today with Jared's aunt and I am sooo excited! I have sooo many projets for the house and the family, cant wait to see how they turn out!

NieNie

2011-03-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

As I was walking from my car into Target yesterday guess who I ran into? Stephanie Nielson!!! I couldnt beleive it! :) She was trying to put her kids in the car so all I did was yell: Im a big fan of yours and she replied smiling, thank you! :) Oh, it made my day! :) For those that havent heard about her, shes been to a near-fatal airplane crash, she was burned 80% of her body and is such an EXAMPLE to all of us!!! Shes got a beatiful family and I love her blog! She brings me hope, peace, love ... shes funny, creative, smart, beatiful and sooo spiritual! Watch this video if you havent, you will not regret:

Florida Blast!

2011-02-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

Last time I was in Florida I was 15 years old visiting this country for the first time. My brother called me a few weeks ago asking me if we would meet him Florida for a little getaway if he decided to come from Brazil for business. My answer? Heck, yeah!!! :) The boys stayed at home due to Jareds school schedule and the girls packed their bags and went! By the way, dont feel too bad for them! A playstation 3 along with games were purchased while the girls were gone so they were just fine! Oh, what a blast it was and how in love I am with Florida! :) Along with spending time with my brother, was the nice weather, playing at Universal Studios and Sea world, relaxing at the pool, enjoying brazilian food and culture around me. There are a lot of brazilians in Florida either on vacations or that live there. I loved the fact of everywhere we were I could hear Portuguese, made me sooo happy! :) Heres some of our fun:

Hair cut! :)

2011-02-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

I know it hasnt been that long that I took 6 inches off with my A line cut but I did it again! Few more inches off and long bangs!!! :) I am feeling like I am in my teenagers years again. Feels refreshing! I am loving it! Umm, what can I try next? hahaha ... :)

Oh, so good!!!

2011-02-19T06:50:00.000-08:00

When my mom says shes sending brazilian sweets my way, she really means business! :) My brother came from Brazil to meet Bella and I for a little vacation in Florida and this is what my mom sent me through him:

By the way, do not try to break into my house, ok? Haha ... :)

Happy b-day, Lisa!

2011-01-30T11:27:00.001-08:00

Laugh, laugh, laugh ... thats all we did on Lisa's b-day dinner. Love you, girls!!!

Fairbanks visit!

2011-01-23T10:37:00.001-08:00

Our good friends that live in California were here this week and it was sooo fun to hang out with them. Fred has been Jared's best friend forever and I sure love the girl he picked out to have girls time with! Our kids had sooo much fun playing together!!! :) We wish we lived closer, guys! Heres some of our fun together:

Princess Party

2011-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Bella and her friend Bailey had sooo much fun at the Princess party Disney store had yesterday. They got to dress up, play games and decorate a cute cup! :)

Globo!!!

2011-01-20T12:46:00.001-08:00

Ive been bugging Jared for months now to call Direct tv and order the brazilian channel "Globo". He was soooo sweet when he made the call couple weeks ago to order for me! :) They came to stall 3 days ago and for the past 2 nights Jared and I have been up till am hours watching it! I love it!!! It feels sooo good to hear Portuguese, watch the news and see whats going on there, watch shows I used to watch ... oh, sooo good! Its sure gonna help Jared and the kids with their Portuguese and learning more about my dear Brasil I sooo miss! Thanks, babe!!!

Goals!!!

2011-01-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

New year, new beggining, right? :) I love to start fresh and have goals in mind of what I want to achieve through out the year! Top of my list is to take time to enjoy every moment of our little family! :) Bella is 6 and Jack is 3 now and it feels like I had them yesterday. Time is flying and I know that in no time will be Jared and myself seating on a couch by ourselves talking about family memories, which dont take me wrong, I dont think its sad and I know life has different phases but I just want to enjoy every minute of having my two beatiful children around me right now! Isabella surprises me everyday with her love towards us. She loves arts so through that she expresses her love towards us on painting, I love her creativity! I love as I am working how she slides art work under the door to surprise me with her paintings about how much she loves me and our family. I love listening to her say at night when I kiss her good night how I am the best mom in the whole world! :) Now Jackson being a boy you would think he wouldnt be the teddy bear he is but he SURE is! I love when he runs to me and asks for a "squishy hug"! :) I love how thankfull he is for little things I do for him, I love listening to the "thank you, mom", you know it comes from his heart! We are sooo blessed to have these two little angels we have right now in our lives. They make it so fun, loving and worth anything! I just want to enjoy every minute of if and trust me, I will! :) I also want to learn, theres lots of learning that I want to do this year. Ive been wanting to learn how to sew so I can make cute things for the house and the kids. I want to learn photography so I can take better pictures of my children and our times together as a family! I want to learn how to be a great cook so I can listen to my children one day how they miss my cooking! :) Soo much comes in to my head and it all revolves around my family and that makes me smile! I love life! I love my sweet husband and my beatiful children, they are sure my world! I love lives ups and downs! I love how we have chances of making it better! I cant wait for this year! I wish all of you the best in whatever you are wanting to achieve this year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

We were not in Brazil for New Years but we sure had fun at the Herrins! :) Lots of yummy brazilian food and music sure made us brazilians feel not sooo homesick! Celebrating at midnight with all of you was awesome!!! FELIZ ANO NOVO to all!!!

Seattle Fun!

2011-01-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

We were able to spent 2 weeks with Jared's parents in Seattle and we had a blast! Spending time with family, Space Needle, Snoqualmie Falls, Ivars, Children's Museum, yummy lunch outs including the best teriyaki chicken that we only get there and even snow were part of our fun in Seattle! :) Heres some prove:

Blankets

2011-01-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

The kids each got what I thought was cute fleece blankets for X-mas but ended up being fabric. I dont know how to sew "YET" cause that is one of my goals for 2011 so I asked my mother in law for help and ends up that we were able to make the blankets without sewing at all. She was so nice in walking me through making it! I finished both of them in one day and love how they turned out! :) Thanks, Loraine!

X-mas in Seattle!!!

2010-12-26T12:30:00.001-08:00

Making cookies for Santa with grandma, X-mas pijamas, listening to grandpa read a X-mas story, waking up at 6 in the morning to see if Santa did stop or not at grandpa and grandmas house, unwraping presents, playing all day, being with dear ones ... oh, how wonderful of a X-mas!!! :)

Santa's visit at our house!

2010-12-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

Due to us leaving to Seattle to spend X-mas with grandpa and grandma Sotelo, Santa made his visit a little early at our house! Bella and Jackson were sure excited to open their presents and happy to play with it! Thanks, Santa! :)

Special package from Brazil! :)

2010-12-19T13:58:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad were soo sweet in sending us a package with sweets from Brazil! :) Thank you sooo much! Love ya!

Bella's X-mas program!

2010-12-19T13:57:00.001-08:00

Disney!!!

2010-12-15T21:12:00.001-08:00

Being at Disney during X-mas is sure extra special! :) It was so magical walking around all the X-mas decoration, watching the X-mas parade and finishing the night with an amazing fireworks show! We sure got to do way more than we usually do due to Jared being in a weelchair and getting us to the front of the lines! :) We had a blast!!! Oh, how we love Disney! :)

Huntington Beach!

2010-12-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

A walk on the beach, the smell of the ocean, your childrens happiness on looking for seashells and watching seagulls, simply priceless! :)

A bad sprained ankle! :(

2010-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

The night before our vacation to California Jared called me from an Instant Care letting me know he sprained his ankle and was gonna have a brace along with CRUCHES!!! I was sooo upset! Everything set up with hotel and car reservations, time off all approved from work, kids all excited to go to Disney and now Jared was injured? He gets home and just looking at him in cruches made me not care for going at all, I felt so bad for him! But he insisted in us going and we did! Heres some pictures of his bad sprained ankle:

X-mas decorating as a family:)

2010-11-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

What a good night we had as a family decorating the house tonight! :) X-mas songs playing, the whole family involved, everyone sooo happy, oh how I love X-mas!!! At the end of the night, I turned off all lights and we all sat in front of your X-mas tree just staring at it! :) This is such a good season, enjoy it!!!

Texas Road House with the girls!

2010-11-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Best ribs ever and friends, what a good combination! :)

My big thanks goes to ...

2010-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Airplanes!!! Oh boy, how I wish I could hop into a flight home today so I could be with my family!!! Hug my sweet parents, laugh with my brothers and sister, snuggle with my cute nephews, have my children being spoiled by grandparents, ... just be a family! Is that too much to ask? It brings me tears to my eyes how my children dont get to experience what I had my whole life which is having extended family around you. Oh, how I loved going over to grandpa and grandmas house! Oh, how I loved hanging out with uncles, aunts and cousins. I remember how exciting sleep overs were! Oh, how I loved all sorts of holidays and b-days parties that were shared with all the family. I sure knew I was loved by all. :) Yes, I know what you are thinking, why are we still in Utah, huh? Ive been here for the last 14 years, yes that long, away from my country, my roots, my food, MY FAMILY!!! :( I have thoughts about packing often but its not as simple as packing and leaving! Life is complicated, huh? :) Just wish I could make people see the importance of things and make they change, but who am I, huh? All I can do is to assure my beatiful princess and sweet boy we love them! Put them on the phone with loved ones, look over and over at pictures, get them excited about the next vacation they will be taking to see loved ones! :) I sure hope and pray to the day I will not feel like this anymore but until that day comes I will keep dreaming about a change!!! :)