2012 Adorable Photos

While compiling photos for our annual Family Calendar I realized I have so many adorable photos that I've not had time to post.  So here you go!

Ok, this first one isn't just the girls, but it's good!  We were highlighted in the "Argus" as part of an article on Ohio City's family-friendliness. A photographer came out and took a few photos, which she shared with us.  Here's the article:  Spring 2012 Issue

Last February (2012) during one of the few snowfalls.

Trying to ski--but it was already mushy

Sofia models the London Olympics bag I brought her in March

Bad-ass gardeners

Family fun at St. Pat's Parade (It was March, people!  It was hot!)

The girls watch the St. Patrick's Parade (March 2012)

Ok, I was on a roll, but gotta move on. Hope to be more regular with postings and avoid these long rants.

More Mexico Photos

I wanted to share some more photos from our trip to Mexico.  These are mainly from our trip to Mexico City and Gael's baptism.  We also spent time with Baruc and Geovana (my niece/nephew) at the Ciudad de Ninos.  It was a quick weekend, but so nice to spend some time with Diana and her family.

The girls dancing at Gael's baptism.  They had a great time.

Baruc, Geovana, Gael, the girls and Tia Diana

Bisa with her great-grandchildren

My adorable cousin/godson

Getting ready to go to church

Proud parents

Ciudad de Los Ninos

We visited  "Ciudad de los Ninos" which is an amazing children's world.  Everything is scaled down to their size and they're meant to experience "real world" activites.  They begin by receiving a check for play money and they're able to spend the money and earn more through various "jobs" throughout this park.    

Jobs include working at WalMart, dog-training (with real dogs), washing windows (with actual lifts up to a second-story window-mind you there are safety harnesses!), learning to be a forensic team, phone repair people, Coke-cola bottle distributors, DHL delivery people, and the list goes on and on.  Extremely cool.  I had as much fun watching them as they did doing as much as we could fit into four hours.

Here they're cashing their checks.

Frida's Casa Azul
No visit to Mexico City (for me) is complete without my pilgrimage to Frida Kahlo's house.

I think I made it through most of the Mexico photos.  We can't wait to visit again next year.  The girls ask pretty often when we're going back.  Hopefully we can find time to visit Teotihucan, Ciudad again, and Chapultepec.  Not to mention finding time for them to go to school for a few weeks in Leon and maybe even beach time??!

Tying up Summer 2012 and Jumping into Fall 2012

Too much to try and recap, but I'll just start with the latest...

Ok, I started that sentence at least a month ago.  So, the following pics are not the latest, but I'll start with what I uploaded then.

West Side Market Gala!

Great Lakes brewed a special batch for the Gala, "Butcher's Brew".  It was a yummy concoction of Christmas Ale and other special ingredients.  As part of the festivities we were supposed to get a Celebratory Bottle, but unfortunately, thanks to party crashers (who didn't pay the $250 per ticket price!) we did not receive it as the organizers ran out!  We were pretty disappointed since it was meant to be a very unique souvenir and we paid a pricey sum.  Oh well!  Nonetheless it was a great time.

UofI Homecoming Weekend

We made the nine-hour trek (broken up in two days) from Cleveland to Champaign to visit Joe's alma mater and check out the Illini game.  It was interesting to be back on a college campus, with kids, and I did feel a  little old. :( 

Joe's frat house

Some of Joe's frat brothers and their offspring

Girls dominating table tennis in Joe's frat house (and a glimpse into the near future?)

Pre-game marching band

More offspring

Random Pictures

Sofia has moved on to riding on her own (well, she doesn't have a handler per se) and is learning to cantor and whip her pony Jimmy (she wants a whip for Christmas).

Trying out the new colors on the porch swing

Peek-a-boo Fiona!

Our W Roomies (Will and Mae) this past spring

New roomie!  Sofia holds Baby Theo (or Baby Jay?).  Only a day old.

Babies W were born a day before we left for Mexico.  The boys were (are) adorable!

We formed a Girl Scouts Troop and this was our first hiking outing in May.

Sofia's a Turtle!

The view from the top of those stairs.

To be continued...

Happy Reunions

One of the reasons we chose to spend a month in Leon, aside from visiting family, was to visit with Valeria and her family.  The girls were very excited to see her and they fully enjoyed the attention from Val, her sister and parents.

Val's parents were extremely generous and warm and we're grateful for their hospitality.  The girls spent a lot of quality time with them and even spent a couple of nights with them to allow Joe and I to visit Guanajuato and San Miguel del Allende.

We were also very happy to see Fernanda who came to visit the girls for a weekend, all the way from Sonora, which required a plane, a bus and a ride from Val from the bus station.  The girls didn't quite remember Fer (or "Nanda" as Fiona called her), but they quickly warmed up and had a great time with her.  Val and Fer talked about coming to visit on their winter break...we hope they do!

Karina, Val and Fer's friend, also came to visit and they had a chance to hang out.  Val's sister, Itzel, sits between Karina and Val.

Our trusty, albeit weak horse-powered, rental Aveo which I drove quite successfully for a month in Leon, a city of 1 million folks, and in Mexico City (10 million+) and on 5 hour road trips!

Not much sitting room in San Miguel de Allende

 

Our hotel courtyard, right outside our room.  A very lovely, two-story suite.

The San Miguel Allende Cathedral on the Zocalo

Teatro Juarez in Guanajuato

Scenic overlook of Guanajuato from El Pipila

Random Photos of Cuteness

 Fiona at the Leon Zoo sporting the hat that Fernanda bought her.

All dressed up for Juan P's (Val's brother) communion party.

Their carriage arrived without a prince!

Next posting will include photos from our trip to Mexico City and visit with my aunt Diana and Great-grandmom.

Fun with the Cousins and Exploring Mexico

"Mi Pequeno Sol"

We spent lots of time with my nieces and cousins and they had a great time playing and getting to know each other.  School was a wonderful experience for the girls and their Spanish improved tremendously.  Just the fact that Fiona says "Si" is a major improvement.  She is definitely speaking more Spanish than ever and Sofia's Spanish is fantastico! 

Walking with my cousin Rossy,on the way to an after-school treat

Mini treat

Sofi, Sofia and Majo at the park

The girls' English teacher

The girls were able to participate in an End of Year Festival and spent a few weeks practicing.  Sofia danced to two Brazilian songs, along with cousin Majo, and Fiona danced to two songs from "Grease", along with cousin Sofi.   

Wonderful performances

I'll upload some videos of their dances soon.

Here are some cute pics of the girls throughout the rest of the trip.

                                                                  Fiona ziplining

We watched "Ice Age 3" (I think) and this was an advert for having a birthday party at the movies

"When in Rome..." the girls were happy not to travel in car seats when they could.  Here they share a backseat in my uncle's 9-passenger van.

And here Sofia and Majo enjoy Rossy's VW bug sans car seats

The girls' last group pic on the morning we left.  Hopefully we'll see them again very soon.

Fiona was pretty sad about leaving.

We did spend a little time exploring Leon and Guanajuato, which is a beautiful medieval city. Joe and I spent a few days in San Miguel de Allende and in Guanajuato, but here are a few pics of the girls.

Fiona poses en el Zocalo de Leon (downtown)

Sofia of course

Wonder how the trees get so pretty?

The girls watched his handiwork for a few minutes

Our first few minutes in Guanajuato

They were getting a little tired

To be continued....