The Macias Clan

About Sisters and Children and Husbands and Dogs

2012-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not know, my sister, Brittany, is an aspiring author. She wrote a book this year. Really, a book. I'd tell you about it, but all I know it that it's a book. She hasn't divulged any more information. It probably has characters and a plot, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, one of the cool things about my sister is that she posts on her blog on a regular basis; so lucky for me, I don't have to wait clear until the book is published to figure out what is going on in her head. I just read her blog, and my "sister cup" feels a little more full. She has a fantastic way with words and makes me both laugh until I practically pee my pants, and cry until I can't see straight (usually both in the same post).
This week she posted an experience that I have cut and pasted for all of you to read as well. Keep in mind as you read it that I read this post (and cried for an hour afterward) following the first hectic morning of going back-to-school-after-Christmas-break-hellishness. I had a pretty big dispute with my 11-year-old that morning - over nothing important really. Can't even remember what it was about now, and it's only been 4 days.
As I read it, our family was also only about 3 weeks past barely saving our puppy from Parvo. May seem like no big deal to some, but for us, it was a pretty big deal. Even the vet thought the dog was dead, but somehow she made it through.
So when I got to work Tuesday morning this week, the first email I saw was one from my sweet hubby saying that he loved me and he sent me the link from Britt's post. (Who knew he read her blog???) I guess it was his way of subtly telling me to chill in the mornings.
So here is a little taste of my big sister, Brittany. (You can read more of her cool posts by clicking on the Shawn & Brittany blog link). Be sure to have your tissues on hand!

Puttin' Things In Perspective

Have you seen that billboard? The one that says, "Pets are children too. Don't abandon them." It's right there outside of Las Vegas as you head south on the I-15.

It always makes me laugh because, really? Pets are children? Um, no. I mean, sure there are some similarities, especially when it comes to their manners. But, I don't feed my dog at the table and I don't leave my six year locked in a kennel for hours at a time while I'm out running errands. My kids also figured out that whole don't-pee-on-the-carpet thing, whereas the dog, eh, not so much.

This past Sunday, though, I dreaded seeing it. Guilt ate away any attempt at derisive laughter I could muster when we passed it eight hours into our twelve hour drive home from Utah to California.

By that time it had been nearly twenty-four hours since we'd seen Lola.

Aka: the stupid dog.

For on the eve of the New Year--and also of our departure--she had run away into the wilderness surrounding my parents' home. A wilderness full of coyotes, at least one wolf, and other various and assundry wildlife, but still an area she thought would be safer than the front yard where we were letting off fireworks.

We looked for her for an hour after we noticed her absence, searching with flashlights in the freezing cold, calling her name until we were too frozen to stay out any longer. The next morning we expanded our search area and put off our departure time by three hours, but without any luck. So we put three crying girls in the car and drove away, sans dog.

And now, as another cold night approached without any sign of Lola, there was the billboard staring down at me with its accusatory words. I had abandoned my "child" to the wolves, coyotes, and owls after only a three hour search. What kind of pet parent was I?

And what about all those times I had called her dummy? or stupid? Instead of appreciating her loyalty, I had complained about her always being underfoot. Instead of relishing the fact I had something who would never outgrow cuddling, I pushed her off of my lap.

You know what's even worse?

I joked about her running away or being eaten. I said those things out loud, forgetting everything I had learned from reading half of The Secret about sending things out into the Universe. If you send out a thought to the Universe, It just might comply. And It doesn't always get black humor, so you best be careful what you throw out there.

And those Pets Are Children people must be doing all right, because there were two more of those billboards that I had never seen before, pointing their doggy paws at me. I tried to console myself that at least I had been feeding her left-over turkey and ham for the past few days. Mostly because we were out of dog food and I was too lazy to drive into town for more. But also because she liked it.

Then it occurred to me that my plying her with meaty treats made her an even tastier morsel for whatever animal had got her.

Perhaps I sound a little callous about my dog's demise, but I really did feel very sad and guilty about not finding her. And for not being more responsible and thinking to lock her up before the fireworks, knowing how skittish she is and all.

But then I remembered something...

Four years ago on a similar New Year's Day, my friend Jenny, while on vacation in Utah, had to say an unexpected good-bye to her four year old boy after he was involved in a fatal sledding accident. She started the New Year in 2008 by putting a little casket with Russell's body in it on an airplane and flying home; her life completely changed.

Kind of puts the loss of a dog in perspective, doesn't it?

When I remembered it was the anniversary of Russell's death I started thinking about a lot of other things. Like how I would feel if it were one of my children I had lost instead of the dog. Would I be regretting I hadn't appreciated them more? stopped to hold them when they needed it? looked for the positive side of their "faults"?

I thought about that a lot. I thought about it through the next day as we still didn't have any word about our dog and I became even more certain she hadn't survived two nights out in the wild. And I thought about how much my perspective had changed when I found out Russell died. Suddenly the little things I got angry with my kids over didn't seem nearly as important as appreciating the time I had with them. The fact that no one is immune to loss hit hard and I resolved to remember that and treat my loved ones accordingly.

But then I did something Jenny can never do.

I forgot.

I forgot that things can change in an instant and without warning. I forgot that we can't determine how long we'll have a child. Or a spouse. Or a parent. Or any loved one.

I forgot that life is fragile.

So my New Year's resolution this year is this: To put things into perspective.

I will hold the things close that matter and let go of the things that don't.

And you know what happened after I made that resolution?

I got a call from my parents that my dog had been found. (Stupid dog).

But her rescue and the kindness of my parents' neighbors is a story for another blogpost.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Brittany at 10:10 PM 8 comments

The Things I've Learned and / or Experienced Lately

2011-12-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

So lately I have had some pretty awesome things, plus some not-so-awesome things going on, so I thought I would share:

* I've experienced my baby girl turning 11. She sang in her final Primary Program in Church, and I cried. Just like I cried during her first Primary Program when she was 3. Next summer she will be a Young Woman and I'm not real sure where my little baby went.
* I've experienced Halloween with kids who are getting older. And one of them (the boy) actually said, "I don't really want to go Trick-or-Treating." What???!!! Who???!!! What did you say??!!!
* I've experienced a Thanksgiving full of things I should express more gratitude for on a daily basis. I've realized how truly blessed I really am.
* I've experienced Wii Bowling with my dad. IT WAS AWESOME!!! The best part was when Belle told him, "Look Papa! Your Wii Guy looks just like you with only some gray hair on the sides and he's bald on the top!" (Picture her hands waiving next to her ears, and then circling around the top of her head as she says this).
* I've played "beauty shop" with my mom. We also stayed up late laughing and crying with each other. It was great.
* I've had to let my youngest go to Kindergarten. Even though I wish I could stop time and keep her little forever!
* I've learned that Flag Football really kinda sucks. But my son learned a lesson by not quitting even though he really wanted to. We promised him that next year he will get to play contact football instead of weenie football. (No offense to those of you who put the program together this year. You did a great job, we had a wonderful coach, it just wasn't for us).
* I've learned what the word "Parvo" means. (Apparently everyone in the world knows what this word means... but me!) And I wish I could go back 1 week to when I didn't know. It's a really, really bad thing!
* We (as a family) have made a commitment to keep the spirit of Christ in Christmas. We are focusing on being kind to one another and remembering the real reason for the season. December seems to be going well... so far. We have been reading uplifting Christmas stories every night before bed, and trying not to let Christmas stress us out, but rather lift us up!

Perfection

2011-08-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

I have a problem with perfection. I always want things to be perfect... and they never are.
Enough said.
My lovely sister is visiting my parents in Paradise (Avon) for about a month this summer. She happily volunteered to keep my children in Paradise (Avon) for a few days. Bless her little heart. And bless my mother's heart, too, because it is her house that will suffer the consequences. So my lovely little monkeys have been gone for a full week now. At first the silence was enjoyable, then strange, then eerily strange, and now the silence is annoying.
Everything seems to be perfect. All the beds are made, all the laundry is DONE, the dishes are clean, the toilet is clean, the floors are swept / mopped, the carpet has been vacuumed, and there are no traces of messy hands anywhere. So it appears to be perfect. (Someone PLEASE stop by unannounced for once while the house looks this good!!!)
J.R. and I have enjoyed some much-needed alone time together, and it has been great, but I miss them terribly! Is all the perfection in this house worth the loneliness? Not hardly. I think I'll take the messes and enjoy them from now on.

Wal-Mart

2011-07-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

I hate Wal-Mart. And before you start yelling, "Don't be a hater!" in your best Mexican accent, please realize that I hate Wal-Mart for personal reasons. Because I'm selfish. And if you know what I do for a living, you will begin to sympathize with my selfishness.
I don't hate Wal-Mart because they run all the "Mom & Pop's" stores out of business, and I don't hate Wal-Mart because of the way they treat their employees, or because I can't get out of there without spending less than $100, or blah blah blah blah blah. I hate Wal-Mart because I HAVE to go there. And I don't like to have to go there.
I live in a small town, and it is inevitable that every time I go there, I WILL run into someone I would rather not run into.
I only go to Wal-Mart if I ABSOLUTELY have to! For instance, they sell my favorite tortillas... that have saved my marriage! (Tortilla Land uncooked flour tortillas - if you haven't tried them, you should. They saved a poor gringa like me from utter destruction in a world where, apparently every Mexican wife should know how to make homemade tortillas... Just like Wela's!) Not only does Wal-Mart sells these bad boys, but they sell them in an 18 pack for the same price as the 12 pack at other competitor's stores. I have no choice but to have to go there.
OK, so that's really the only reason why I would HAVE to go to Wal-Mart. We need tortillas? Crap, I guess I have to go to Wal-Mart. The following reasons come in a close 2nd after the tortillas: I can buy a shload of dog food for $10 bucks. Enough said. Oh, and I can buy a bottle of the generic Zantac for $4 bucks. Ah crap, and sometimes, in my weaken state, I will answer the nurse with, "Wal-Mart," when she asks, "What pharmacy should I call this prescription into for you?" I always, ALWAYS regret that one! Why can't I ever think straight during a doctor visit with a sick, whiny child???!!!
I went to Wal-Mart on Saturday night around 6:00 so that I could be a good Mormon wife/mother and use Saturday as my "Special day... the day we get ready for Sunday!" And I immediately regretted it. Don't get me wrong, I ran into some people that I like, My cousin's husband & their 2 oldest "kids," for example. (However, when I walked away from them, I realized how old I really am because I used to babysit those 2 when I was in college, and now THEY are old enough to be too old and too cool to babysit anymore).
And then I ran into it Brother "R" who is always smiling. (Who smiles that much?!) The same Brother "R" who I ran into in a different grocery store 3 days ago. And he asks, "Have you seen my wife?" And this is my train of thought... Ha ha, sucker, that is the very reason I came by myself without the hubby & kids this evening... but you work at the jail right??? And you'rein the bishopric? Keep this guy on your good side, Amber, keep this guy on your good side. Oh man, his wife looks just like Sister "H," so if I have seen her, would I even be able to make a positive identification??? So I answer with the truth, "Sorry, I haven't. When I'm in this store, I really try not to look up at anyone. Otherwise I run into people who don't want to see me. I try to get in and out, unnoticed." He laughed because he does know what I do for a living, and I think he sympathized momentarily. He walked away, and I walked toward the pet section for the fantastic dog food, and then I momentarily made eye contact with a friendly, familiar face, and smiled. Then continued walking... then realized that was Sister "R."
Throughout the course of the shopping spree, I "saw" three individuals who would probably rather not have seen me, but I just kept walking anyway. And it was a nice breath of fresh air to look up and see Uncle Al & Aunt Kathy behind me in the check-out line. Ah... there ARE good people in this town!

DISCLAIMER: I love my small town & I live here on purpose. Just because some situations can be a little awkward for me at times, does not mean that I hate this town. I will buy my favorite tortillas if it kills me! Oh yeah, and I love my job, too!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2011-01-02T18:04:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas
& best wishes in the new year.

So, when a person hasn't posted on their blog for 2 full years, where should they start? Let's just say we have plenty of catching up to do! Many things have happened & the little monkeys are growing up waaaaay too fast! You know you're in trouble when your kids only want electronics for Christmas & a simple baby doll just won't do! But we love them still the same & are enjoying this journey through life with them. Sometimes my kids says the darndest things & I think, "that would be really funny to post on my blog." And then I never do! So I know this is redundant, but I have some new years resolutions I would like to keep, and one of them is to be a better blogger. It will help me remember the cute things in life. (Plus, I put our blog address at the bottom of our Christmas letter, so I should probably at least post something!) Stay tuned for wonderful things this year.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. Despite all the stress beforehand, the day always seems to come and go, and it always seems to work out perfectly! Hope you all enjoyed the lumps of coal you got from Santa! We know our kids all did!
One of the most fun things this year was that Papa Bruce & Grandma June did the "12 days of Christmas" for us. So we got to open one present every day for 12 days! It was so much fun! We especially enjoyed the gift where we put a piece of straw into baby Jesus' manger when we did service for someone else. What a fun gift! Thanks so much!

We always get Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve! This year they came from Papa Jesse & Granny Crystal. Not so "Chrstmas-e," but we liked them better than the lame-o red & white ones we get every year anyway! We had fun spending Christmas with them and were happy to eat the yummy turkey Granny made (oh, and the pumpkin pies, too)!

The two of us on Christmas day. Thanks for making our Christmas wonderful this year, honey! I love you to the moon & back!

We took some pictures of the kids in an attempt to send out Christmas cards with a cute picture. This was one of them. But then I read something (a blog possibly) that my cousin (Shandy possibly) wrote about hating it when people send out Christmas cards with only pictures of the kids on them. They want to see the parents, too, dang-it! So I got so frustrated & mad that I didn't send out any cards! Ha ha ha! Just kidding, I didn't get that far this year with sending out cards and all. In fact, I barely downloaded the pictures from my camera. I guess people will just have to read my blog instead (yes, both of you).

We Survived!

2008-12-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

We officially survived most of December! We somehow made it through finals week, moving (again), the stress of finding new jobs, holiday shopping, and starting over in a new ward! However, we haven't managed to send out any Christmas cards yet, so you will have to forgive us, please. It just isn't gonna happen this year. Sorry to those of you who are anxiously anticipating a fabulous card from us. We did manage to get some cute pictures of the kids, though. They will be posted soon. If you are looking for our new address, send us an email or call and we would be happy to give it to you! Love you all and hope your holiday season is filled with love and joy!

Give Thanks...

2008-11-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the things I am most THANKFUL for:
- A wonderful family (including parents, in-laws, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, etc.)
- My loving husband who I love and adore (especially his cute smile)
- My beautiful Taylor who is such a great example to those around her
- My Darling Izaak who is such a big helper
- My adorable Isabelle who brings so much joy to our home
- A warm bed to sleep in
- Plenty of food to eat on Thanksgiving
- Good friends
- A wonderful visiting teacher who continues to call me even though I moved
- And especially Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who lived and died for us, and is the reason for the season we are all beginning to celebrate

I have so much to be Thankful for! I hope everyone else is as blessed as my family is!

Taylor had a Birthday... Shout HOORAY!!!

2008-11-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

So our little Taylor turned 8 in August. Can you believe my baby is already this big??? So Daddy decided that she deserved something "very nice" for her birthday, and he found this cute little kitty for her. She absolutely loves this cat and was very attached to her the moment we got her. The morning of her birthday we woke her up and said we had a surprise for her and didn't tell her what. So we drove her to some random house clear over in the next town, and all the while she was wondering what in the heck we were doing! She didn't have any idea until she knocked on the door and saw the lady there with the kitty for her. What a great surprise! She named her "Fluffy" and we all kinda like her.

And who can turn 8 without receiving a little "Scripture Power???!!!" Needless to say, she was thrilled!!!

School is now in session...

2008-11-09T18:42:00.001-08:00

So I know that school started waaaay back in August... but I just have to post our 1st day of school pics! They both look so grown up!

Ikes on his 1st day of 1st grade. He was very excited and especially surprised that he got to stay at school for the WHOLE day... AND eat lunch there! YIPPEE!!!

Tay-Tay on her 1st day of 2nd grade. She was like an old pro... all set and ready to go!

We've Moved!

2008-10-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry to all of you faithful blog followers of mine (well, both of you)! Life has been crazy, crazy busy and my blog has been neglected. We have recently made some major life changes and we have moved! To those of you who know us and love us, feel free to email us and we will give you our new contact information. I will have to catch up on the blog another day when my computer is cooperating and letting me download pictures! Still haven't posted 1st day of school pics, and now my kids have had another 1st day in another school! UGHH!!!

"Four" Tag

2008-10-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Amanda Pants. I am suppose to go to my 4th picture file and pick the 4th picture there and post it. Well, that picture has already been posted to my blog, and since I haven't posted anything for like 1/2 a year, you may recognize it from my last post and wonder, "Why in the world would she not post for like 6 months and then all of a sudden post again with the last picture she used??!!" So I'll be honest, I had to cheat a little and choose the 12th picture because 1-11 have all been used in the past (sorry to break the rules, but at least you can divide 12 by 4 evenly, right?)
So this is the picture we sent with last year's Christmas cards. Those of you who are yearly receivers of our lovely Christmas cards may really appreciate seeing this again (or maybe not). It was taken in November of '07 at Hardware Ranch where the elk go as a refuge in the winter (that is, if they live through hunting season). You can see all the elk in the background if you look closely. We usually go up there every year around Christmas time and take a sleigh ride around the elk and then play in the snow and have hot chocolate. The kids love it! Even though it was freezing cold there that day, they were good sports and let me take some pictures! It is amazing how much they have grown in the past year (especially Belle)! Oh how I love these little monkeys!
So now I tag 4 more people: Shandy, Bryner, Vicky, & Lisa. Good luck, suckers!

My Beautiful best friend and wife.

2008-09-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Amber's Birth Day. So as is customary (I think) I will write 29 (because this is how old she says she is) I will write 29 things I love best about her.

1-3.Amber is the love of my life, A blessing sent directly to me from Our Father in Heaven Amber accepts me and all my craziness. She is Perfect and she is MY WIFE (I am so blessed)
4. Amber is my best friend
5. Amber is a great mother
6. Amber is kind to all
7. Amber has a strong testimony of the gospel
8. Amber makes me a better person
9. Amber loves and accepts my crazy family (This means the world to me)
10. Amber loves her children
11. Amber lets me and Bubba go fishing almost every Sat. during the summer
12. Amber took Hunters safety one year just so we could do more things together
13. Amber let me buy my old truck
14.Amber lets me spend money fixing my old truck
15.Amber is nice enough to laugh at my jokes and or at all the cool words I invent
16.Amber is patient with me and my football fanaticism
17.Amber always does her best at anything she does
18.Amber is SO BEAUTIFUL
19.Amber loves to be held
20.Amber loves to be with family
21.Amber lets me take the family to the farmers market pretty much every week even though everything is same every time
22.Amber took time to take care of Gma Kathryn.
23.Amber enjoyed caring for Gma and would sit and have long conversations with her even if Gma could n't respond .
24.Amber lets me buy a bigger TV every few yrs so that I feel like I am at every football game
25.Did I already say that Amber is a little HOTTIE if so it deserves to be said again
26.Amber Bought me A new Benelli Shotgun
27.Amber thinks every song is "our Song"
28.Amber Loves long bubble baths
29.Amber is everything I was Promised in my Pat. Blessing and more.

I Love You Amber !!!!! And I hope you read this.

So many things to post... so little time!

2008-08-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have been a little M.I.A. lately, but for some reason this summer has been waaaaay busier than I anticipated! So many things have happened that I don't know where to start! Ikes lost his first tooth, Isabelle is learning to swim, and Taylor is turning "the big 8" this month! My sister was here visiting for most of July, so we have mostly just played and played and played (and in between we had to work a little, too). To top off all of the excitement, my digital camera is out of batteries, so nothing more than words today until I can get some batteries and download all my new pics! Stay tuned for the excitement to come!

Happy Birthday, J.R.!!!

2008-07-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

This week J.R. celebrated his 31st birthday! Wow, we almost bought black candles, black balloons, and black streamers, but refrained. Despite the age issue, and the slight hints of a mid-life crisis, we tried to make it a great day for daddy. We all went to see him at lunch and took him his favorite ice cream (D.Q. banana split flavored blizzard), and later we had a fabulous dinner with grandma and grandpa followed by his favorite pineapple upside-down cake. Then he got to open present, after present, after present. Spoiled!!!

Finally, a "smile" while opening presents.

This is his "Do you really have to take a picture of me at 6 a.m. while I am trying to leave for work" look!!! He wasn't impressed when I whipped out the camera in perfect motherly fashion.

And this is his "OK, I will attempt to fake a smile if you will just go inside and take that dumb camera with you and let me leave for work" look.

31 Fabulous Things About our 31-year-old:
1. J.R. has beautiful brown eyes.
2. Our children have inherited his beautiful brown eyes.
3. He has fabulous eye lashes!
4. He has thankfully passed on his fabulous eyelashes to our darling girls.
5. He is freaking hilarious... never a dull moment in our house with him around!
6. He makes cute babies!
7. He's a word mixer-upper genius... he comes up with the craziest things!
8. When he chooses to smile, it is beautiful, and melts my heart every time!
9. I've loved him since I was only 14.
10. He lived across the fence from me when we were young.
11. We used to sneak out and chat across the fence... sometimes even in the rain.
12. He is a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan!
13. He would marry them (the Cowboys) if I would let him.
14. He is a die-hard football fan... football season rolls around, and I'm history every year.
15. He is also a die-hard Burley Bobcats fan! (Of course... who isn't???)
16. Not a huge basketball fan...
17. ...but will watch it when the Jazz play.
18. He is a wonderful father.
19. The kids like him the best.
20. He hates to swim and never really learned himself...
21. ...but he taught the kids to swim anyway and takes them almost every day.
22. He loves to fish.
23. If he doesn't have to work on a Saturday, you will find him off fishing somewhere at dawn.
24. He still has a passion for detailing cars.
25. He loves to hunt.
26. On a Saturday during hunting season, you will find him off hunting somewhere at dawn.
27. He used to send me a dozen roses every year on my birthday.
28. I think he sent them (the roses) just to give my mother a heart attack!
29. He was raised as an "only" child...
30. ... but he has 1 full sister, 1 half-brother, 2 half-sisters, and 4 step-sisters.
31. I am still head-over-heels in love with this wonderful boy!

Big Blue's Lil' Aggie Football Camp

2008-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Last week Izaak participated in Big Blue's Lil Aggie Football Camp (he had only been looking forward to it ALL year long)! He had a blast and learned lots of important football stuff and is looking forward to camp every summer from now on. The camp was for Kindergarten - 8th Graders and they split them into teams based on their age group. He had so much fun! For being such a little guy, he is quite the trooper! Way to go, Bubba!!!

9 Years, and Counting...

2008-06-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary... I love you!!!
We were married on June 18, 1999, so this week we celebrated our 9th anniversary. We have accomplished many things over the years, and have yet to accomplish many more great and important things. We can't wait to spend more of our lives together.
We celebrated the inexpensive way by staying home and spending some alone time together. Thanks to Papa Bruce and Grandma June for keeping the kids for us for the night. We were able to go out to dinner and enjoy each other's company without any interruptions from little ones. We also enjoyed sleeping in the next morning without someone tugging at our blankets to wake up. But we missed our little monkeys and our home seemed too quiet without them. So we realized how blessed we are to have them around all the time. It made me realize how much I truly love and appreciate my life, my husband, and my children.

Grow old along with me...
The best is yet to be!

Some engagement pics...

2008-06-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

One engagement picture...

Another engagement picture...

And another engagement picture...

This is a self-portrait actually taken by J.R. (Notice the happy smile on his face). I'll always remember this day because it was when we shared our "first kiss" after he was home from his mission. This was also the day he told me he wasn't interested in dating anyone else, and we decided we should get married.

This is the day we got engaged just after he gave me the ring. Thank Heavens for Amanda who decided we needed to capture the happy day with a picture! This was some day at the end of January 1999.

Father's Day...

2008-06-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the World!!!

We sure love our Daddy! And we are glad he is such a hard worker and a fun person to be with! He makes our lives so much more fun and enjoyable and we love him very much! He likes to take us swimming and fishing and kinds of fun stuff! Our lives would be so boring without him. And in these times when a lot of children do not have dads in their homes, we are so lucky that we have such a great one! Love you, baby!
Despite waking up a full hour late, we actually made it through the day and tried to let Daddy know that we love and appreciate him. It wasn't a perfect day, but we filled it with as many hugs and kisses and cards as we could!
We spent Saturday evening with Papa Bruce and Grandma June to celebrate Father's Day. We enjoyed some grilled fillet mignon, corn on the cob, lots of yummy fruits and salads, and of course root beer floats!

Questions of the Day

2008-06-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Question #1: How many times can Amber actually run out of gas within 2 minutes of her house (and a gas station) in a 6 month time frame?
Answer: At least 2, apparently!

Question #2: Do gas stations (Maverik in particular) actually have gas cans on hand for people to borrow when they run out of gas and then walk there?
Answer: Yes, apparently!

Question #3: When you call your husband at work (crying) and tell him you have yet again run out of gas, how does he react?
Answer: Apparently, he starts out by laughing, then gives words of advise on how to help rectify the situation, then follows with comforting words of encouragement about his wife still being a good person (even though she fails to ever put gas in the car when she REALLY needs to)!

Question #4: When you leave 3 kids in the car with a 7-year-old in charge while you run 1/4 of a block to the gas station, do you really expect them to stay in their seats and stay calm???
Answer: Apparently, we as parents "expect" them to stay in their seats and stay calm, but they never do!

Question #5: Even though your children have eaten 3 meals a day for the past 3 months, as well as 1 hour before running out of gas, are they "starving to death" when the car won't move?
Answer: Apparently, yes!

Question #6: Does Heavenly Father really answer little children's prayers when they pray for help to get home safe?
Answer: Apparently he does.

School's Out!!!

2008-06-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

School is officially out for the Summer! We are so excited to not have to run and run and run all day long and are looking forward to a nice relaxing Summer. Our plans are to spend a lot of time in the pool, take some trips to Burley, visit with cousins as much as possible, and spend some of our days with Grandma June. We can't wait!

Taylor on her last day of 1st grade. She did so well this year and we are so proud of her. I can't believe we will have a child in 2nd grade next year.

Ikes on his last day of Kindergarten. They had a "Super Kid's Day" on the lawn of the school that included many water activities, face painting (or arm painting), races, and many other fun activities (that must have included gum). He thought it was fabulous!

All the first graders got to take their favorite Teddy Bear to school for the last day. She loves this thing!

Izaak and his best friend, Bryant, showing off their matching green dragon "tattoos." These two met each other on the first day of school and have been practically inseparable ever since!

Benito & Isabel's Wedding

2008-05-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our little family at the wedding reception.

The lovely Bride & Groom: Bean & Isa.

Bean & Isa's first dance.

J.R. & his siblings. (Front l-r) Crystal, Isabel, Benito, & Angela. (Back l-r) Meny, Leslie, & J.R.

Let's just say I had to "force" him to have a picture with me in the hot sun! Again, couldn't get him to even "fake" a smile.

A couple of weeks ago J.R.'s big brother, Benito, finally married his long-time girlfriend, Isabel. (Our kids have been calling her Tia Isa forever!) We traveled to Boise for the weekend for the wedding and had a fabulous time with all of his family. Though J.R. was raised as an "only child," he has a very large family with very complicated dynamics that would be too hard to explain here. So let's just say we saw everyone, spent as much time as possible with everyone (including both his mom and his dad), and we had a very hard time saying good-bye. We were especially glad our kids got to spend time with ALL their cousins! It's too bad we don't get to see everyone more often, but we made the best of the time we had with them and we hope to see them all again soon!
The wedding was very nice and the reception was a blast. We enjoyed a fun B-B-Q the night before for their rehearsal dinner. And then for their reception and dinner they had yummy Mexican food serenaded by a Mariachi Band! So fun! Our little Isabelle (not to be confused with the bride, Isabel) was VERY impressed! The dinner was followed up with a lot more music and lot more dancing! We partied all night long. Man, those Mexicans sure know how to throw a party! And now I'm realizing why they were all so bored at my wedding reception. Anyways, we had a great time and we are so glad we took a few days off to relax and spend some much-needed time with family.

More Wedding Fun...

2008-05-18T17:08:00.001-07:00

Jesse, Angie, & J.R. just before the wedding.

J.R. & his mother walked Bean down the aisle. (They walked too fast for me to get a good picture, so just imagine Linda on the other side. I didn't intentionally cut her out of the picture). I couldn't get either of them to smile at me. Basically because J.R. never smiles in pictures and Bean was too nervous to smile!

Our three little monkeys at the reception. This was after they drank orange punch and had orange mustaches!

The Macias cousins before the wedding on the church steps. Samantha, Logan, Madisyn, Izaak, Isabelle, Taylor, Isaiha, & Yessica.

The Macias cousins at the wedding reception. Madisyn, Logan, Taylor, Yessica, Isaiha holding Brexton, Samantha, Izaak, & Isabelle.

Spring Ballet Recital

2008-05-13T11:57:00.001-07:00

Taylor had her Spring Ballet Recital a couple of weeks ago, and is now done with ballet for the summer. She did such a great job and learned so much this year - we are so proud of our little ballerina!
Our darling little ballerina putting on her ballet slipper.
Dancing to "Some Day My Prince Will Come!"
Tay-Tay played the part of a hunter in their production of "Peter and the Wolf." Fun little "camo" costume!
Flowers from her Daddy and brother.
The one thing I always hated about my own ballet performances was how dumb I looked with my hair all slicked back in a miserable bun. So, even though she hates the torture, I always try to give her a prettier look than a normal bun. So here is my "masterpiece." Luv her bunz!

Happy Mother's Day To Me!!!

2008-05-11T21:28:00.001-07:00

The greatest Mother's Day gift I have is my three precious children. Though being a mother is a tough job, when they smile and say they love me (despite all my flaws), it makes it all worth it! I just love these three little monkeys!

Isabelle was so proud of her little hair bows today. She kept them in the entire day!

Izaak always looks so handsome when he wears a tie!

And where has my little girl gone? I can't believe Taylor is all grown up!

Mother's Day Grillin' Fish!

2008-05-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

My studly hubby, little Bubba, & Tay-Tay caught some trout on Saturday for us to grill for Mother's Day. My mom absolutely loves fish, so we caught some and had the Old Folks over for dinner to celebrate the day.

Ikes & Dad showing off their catch.

The fish on the grill... Yummy!!!

Flowers, flowers everywhere!

2008-05-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was thinking about how I don't have any living things in my house (besides the people and the growing mound of laundry). I don't have any pets, plants, or flowers. How depressing! So it was a nice surprise for Mother's Day today to end up with lots of pretty living things: FLOWERS! These have sure brightened the spirits in our home.

Flowers from my darling husband, J.R. Oh how I love him!!!

Flowers from my parents - how sweet!

Flowers from church - very beautiful this year.

Happy Birthday, Ikes!!!

2008-05-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Our little "Bubba" (as Isabelle likes to call him) turned 6 on Wednesday. I can't believe he is so big already! He is such a joy in our home and we just love having him around. He gets bigger and smarter every day and he's so much fun to be with! He finishes kindergarten at the end of this month and then will be off to full-day school for the next 12 years!

Izaak's
birth story:
At 30 weeks I went into labor and the doctor had to give me a really big shot to stop it and then put me on some drugs that I had to take every 4 hours to prevent contractions and then said bedrest until he was a little more baked. Just a reminder: Tay-Tay was 18 months old at the time! It was rough, but with lots of help from grandparents, neighbors, and the Relief Society, we made it to the safety zone before he was born. So when I was finally able to stop the pills, guess what? Contractions started. So on May 6th (35 6/7 weeks) I went in to L&D in the afternoon and I was at a 2-3 and the contractions weren't regular enough to keep me and I wasn't far enough along for them to "help the process" so they sent me home. We went home and got a good night's rest and then I woke up a little after 6:00 am and realized I was in a LOT of pain and bleeding (sorry for the visual, but it's the truth). So we RUSHED to the hospital (we lived in the country, 5 miles out of town, a good 10 minute drive)! When we got there the nurse checked me and I was at an 8 already, and I think she momentarily regretted sending me home less than 12 hours before that. So I quickly (in my stupid, pregnant state of mind) asked, "Can I please have an epidural, this hurts?!" And she laughed at me! And said, "Um, no." And then, she went out in the hall and stated to all the nurses out there, "Hey this girl is at an 8 and asked if she could have an epidural! Ha ha ha!" Yeah, I was real glad they all thought that was so funny! In the meantime they gave me some crazy drug to help "take the edge off" and I really wish they hadn't. We had to wait about 5 minutes for my doctor to get there, and as soon as he arrived, he broke my water, I only pushed a few times, and at 6:48 am on May 7th there was little Ikes. I had been awake for less than an hour so far that day. He was exactly 4 weeks early and very small (5 lbs. 14 oz.) and didn't cry at first, so I was pretty worried, but they rubbed him and swatted him and stuff and then he finally let out a howl. What a rough morning! He was purple and bruised from the fast labor (it's not healthy for them to come that fast), but it went away after a couple of days. We initially thought he would have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but his test scores were good and we got to take him home the next day. So now I'll be honest: he was a pretty difficult baby. He had colic and cried a lot and then when he was able to scream instead of cry, he would scream. He wouldn't take anything other than mama, so I had one straight year of solid baby-bonding time. But I guess the hardest babies turn out to be the best kids because he is just so great! Taylor and her cousin Emma would always call him "Baby Ikes-It" because Izaak is pretty hard to say, and soon it was shortened to just "Baby Ikes" and now it's just "Ikes." Most Izaaks go by "Ike" but not ours! And people always wonder what we are calling him when we call him that, but whatever. We love him to pieces and are so glad we have a little boy amongst our girls. Life would be so boring without him here to entertain us!

6 fabulous facts about our 6-year-old:
1. Izaak love, love, loves football and wants to be a football star. He especially enjoys watching the USU Aggies play football.
2. His favorite color is orange, but doesn't like to admit it. He will usually tell you it is blue, but if given the choice to wear an orange shirt or a blue shirt, he will always choose the orange one.
3. He is the best helper I have, and is very tidy for a small boy. He helps with Belle, the dishes, the laundry, and the vacuuming on a regular basis.
4. He is VERY shy. The complete opposite of his sister, he does NOT enjoy being the center of attention. But after you get to know him, he is a barrel full of laughs!
5. He is very perceptive of people. If Ikes does not have a good feeling about someone (usually happens with adults) we can always tell. He picks up on stuff that the rest of us usually miss. On the other hand, if he does have a good feeling about someone, he will make friends with them and then always ask when we can see them again (Uncle Todd is a good example of this).
6. He is a very good swimmer and was swimming the full length of the pool only about one week after being taught how to swim. He can't wait for the pool to be open again!

Pizza...

2008-05-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Izaak's birthday Papa Bruce & Grandma June took us all out for Pizza & Ice Cream! We had a fabulous time at Pier 49 & then followed it up with a little Casper's! Yummy!!! For his birthday he got a new fishing bag/cooler thingy majigger and he also got a Play Station Eye Toy & game to play with it (still coming in the mail...) A great time was had by all! Thanks for being born, Bubba, and thanks for spending the evening with us, Papa & Grandma!

... and Ice Cream!!!

2008-05-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Casper's Ice Cream!!!

Yum... Yum!!!

Where have we been???

2008-05-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you (well both of you) who religiously check our blog, you may notice we have not posted anything new for about 2 weeks. In blogger world, that is almost a sin! Anyway, no need to call "Without a Trace" because we are alive and well. We have been doing many fun and exciting things lately and I haven't posted any pictures from any of them. For starters, my siblings were all in SLC a couple of weekends ago, so we went to see them, and of course, I forgot my camera! Note to Barrett: please e-mail me the pictures you promised me so I can post them on my blog! Then we have had more soccer practice and more soccer games and Ikes is still the star of the show! Then Taylor had her Spring Ballet recital and then another performance at an elementary school. We are so proud of our little ballerina. We then ventured to Burley and then on to Boise for J.R.'s brother, Benito's wedding. What a blast! We have been going and going and going like the Energizer bunny! We just got home last night and are exhausted, but we had to continue on with school and work and everything else today. And then tomorrow is "Bubba's" birthday! And this weekend is Mother's Day. Oh the excitement never ends! I think we will all be happy when school is out at the end of this month so we can follow through with our plans to slow down and just swim in the pool! Great pictures will be posted soon of all our adventures!

Thank You, Aunt Brittany!!!

2008-04-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Our cute new little Springtime outfits from Aunt Britt! Yes, it snowed this Sunday, but I wanted them to wear them anyway because it's APRIL for crying out loud!
Tay-Tay always loves to pose! She would be in about 18 more pictures, but I got the "card is full" warning and then had to beg her to take the dress off before she got her lunch all over it.
Isabelle sort of held still for half a millisecond for me to attempt to take a picture of her. I guess she did better than Izaak who was gone before I even put the camera down. Sorry, no "individuals" of him! He just couldn't take it anymore!

We don't know what we did to deserve such a wonderful Aunt, but our Aunt Brittany sure spoils us rotten! She is always so thoughtful and kind and mindful of our needs. So thanks for our newest Spring dresses and stuff! We love them! It was fun to see you 2 weeks ago, and we can't wait until we see you again (this Summer we hope)! We Love You!!!

Playing Hookie

2008-04-20T18:21:00.001-07:00

Taylor & Ikes by all the big U.S. Air Force planes.
Mommy & Bellie by an Air Force plane.
All three monkeys outside the Hill Aerospace Museum.
Daddy showing the monkeys the big planes.

On Thursday we decided to "escape from real life" for a bit and spend the day with the kids. So we both took PTO from work and let the kids play hookie from school and just played all day! It was good for us to have a little break. We decided to go to the Hill Aerospace Museum and the kids loved it! The best part about it was that admission to the the museum is free! The worst part about it was that it was field trip day for a local middle school. (Please don't tell me we were that obnoxious when we were in the 7th grade!) Anyway, we had a great day together and decided we should really be this irresponsible more often!

Hill Aerospace Museum

2008-04-20T18:16:00.001-07:00

Tay-Tay & Ikes by a cool plane.
I finally caught Isabelle standing still for 2 seconds!
The kids by an ATOMIC BOMB! It's a really big bomb if you haven't ever seen one!

So I haven't quite figured out how to post more than like 4 pictures at a time. (Comments and directions are welcome). So I had to do 2 separate postings to include all the pictures I wanted and then I ended up accidentally erasing 2 pictures! Oh well... I'll get this blogging thing down in no time. Anyhow, we had a good time at the museum.

6 Goal Day!!!

2008-04-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Izaak with his new addiction... his soccer ball!!!

So yesterday "Bubba" had another soccer game and he scored 6 goals!!! I guess all that practicing he and Daddy did this week has paid off. But for heaven's sake, boy, share the ball with the rest of the team! No, but seriously, they all did very well as a team and they had a great game. They are getting a lot better at figuring out which way to go, too. Ikes was really excited and played especially hard because Papa Bruce and Grandma June were there to watch. And Mommy even got new batteries for the camera so we could capture the moment!

Soccer Update...

2008-04-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ikes had his first soccer game yesterday, and he was awesome!!! Of course, when I went to take some pictures of him scoring all those fabulous goals, I found out my camera was out of batteries!!! So here we are posting a "visualization" of him playing his first soccer game.
Five-year-old soccer players are funny to watch. It goes a little something like this: huddle, huddle, huddle... kick... run, run, run... huddle, huddle, huddle... kick... run, run, run! They aren't really sure what they're doing or where they're going, but they seem to have a good time! I've heard they get better as the years go on... I guess we'll see. The ref had to keep asking, "Blue Team, which way are you going?" They just kept scoring on the wrong end of the field. And then as soon as they finally had it all figured out, half-time rolled around and they switched sides! Oh brother! But Izaak seemed to know what he was doing some of the time and actually scored 2 goals on his own (in the right goal box) and assisted in another goal! We are so proud!!!

Our Studly Soccer Player

2008-04-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Spring soccer has finally begun and so I guess that makes me an official "Soccer Mom." He didn't play last year, but Ikes decided he would like to play this year, so here we are! He is a natural and I have to admit, he is the best player on the team, of course. They scrimagged in practice today and he scored 2 goals! His first official game is this week, so we will see how the season goes. We will be changing our license plates soon to read SCCRMOM or SCCRDAD or ILVSCCR or something very cleaver. Just kidding, J.R. really doesn't like soccer at all, but he is graciously teaching Izaak how to play anyway. I personally love soccer, and I played when I was younger, so this is exciting for me! Stayed tuned for more soccer news to come!

Fun day of fishing & feeding the ducks

2008-04-07T08:55:00.001-07:00

Last week we decided it was time to start our fishing season, so here we are at our favorite fishing spot. It was cold, but we still pretended it was spring and had a picnic. Izaak took this picture for us. I think we have a budding photographer on our hands.

Isabelle absolutely loved the ducks! She kept chasing them saying, "What's duckie say? Quack, quack, quack! What's duckie say? Quack, quack, quack!" It was so cute!

The three of them had fun feeding all the ducks and geese. That is, until their hands froze!

Don't let Taylor fool you, she had her swimming suit on underneath her clothes, "Just in case it's warm enough to get in, mom!" You can tell by the snow on the mountain that it was not warm enough to get in! But I guess she had to be there and feel the cold for herself before she decided her parents were right.

Daddy & Ikes caught a total of 10 fish that day. We only kept three of them and plan on eating them for dinner tonight!

Three little monkeys feeding the fish from the bridge. The sun was starting to set behind them, and I wish I could have captured how beautiful it really was.

J.R. was really a lot happier about fishing that day than he looks like here.

Oh, we caught another one! Izaak is always so proud of what he catches!

Bellie feeding the ducks from the bridge. It was too hard for her (and she was too impatient) to break the bread into small pieces, so they really liked her because she kept throwing out big chunks of bread!

Tay-Tay feeding the ducks from the bridge. This is one of her favorite things to do, and she had a fun day. She was also an excellent babysitter for Isabelle, and made sure she was completely safe the whole time!

Weekend Rendezvous in SLC

2008-04-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

We are sooooooooo in love!!!
We went to eat at the Market Street Grill. Yummy!
We rode on the UTA TRAX Line for the first time! So very exciting!
The kids really wanted this 4-wheeler at Cabela's. Sorry, maybe next time.

Taylor & Ikes love the fish at Cabela's. It's their favorite place in the store.

Last weekend J.R. & I took a much needed trip to SLC to spend some "alone time" together. We left our kids with Nate & Mack for the night and got a room at the Hilton. We also had a fabulous dinner date at the Market Street Grill and then rode the UTA TRAX line through downtown SLC for the first time (oh so very exciting). To some this may not seem fun, but it was just fun to be alone together to remember why we fell in love in the first place. After we picked the kids up, we took them to their favorite store... Cabela's. You just can't beat the excitement we had! Thanks so much Nate & Mack... we had a great time! We should do this more often!

Flashback Friday!!!

2008-03-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

J.R.'s MTC mailing address always included his departure date (0324).
Elder Macias left the MTC for Peru 11 years ago this week. (l-r) Vicki Fronk, J.R., Derik Taylor, & Amber - SLC airport March 24, 1997.
Derik & J.R. (Who would have ever thought J.R. would leave on a mission first???)
Elder M's plane. If you look real close, you can see him waving out the window! And yes, Amber sat and watched that plane until it was long... long... long gone!
Heather Taylor was there, too (along with many other people who are not pictured).

Through all of my blog-hopping lately, I came across the funnest thing: Flashback Friday! Though I could not find any ground rules for this game, I am assuming the rules are pretty self-explanatory: post a flashback on a Friday.
This week I have been thinking about the date 03/24 and realizing that every year I remember how J.R. had finished his two-month training in the MTC and flew to Peru that day. So for my "flashback" I wanted to post some airport pictures from 11 years ago! This was a bitter-sweet day for me. I was so happy that he had decided to be baptized and especially happy that he chose to serve a mission; but it was also so hard to say good-bye for twenty-two more months! I never thought in a million years that he would ever be a missionary, but he sure made a great one! I am still so proud of him!!!

One Last Easter Posting

2008-03-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Belle with Grandma Crystal.
Belle with Papa Jesse.
Easter dinner with Grandma & Papa.

So I will just include one last Easter posting and then I promise I will be done! The weekend before Easter, J.R.'s parents came to visit us and we celebrated Easter and Isabelle's birthday a little early. We had a nice time cleaning, eating (cake, ham, popcorn, etc.), watching movies, shopping for Easter dresses, and playing with the kids. They try to make a point of visiting us as often as possible so the kids will know them (and love them, too). I'm not the greatest little chef in the world, but we ate some yummy ham (J.R. can take the credit) and potatoes! It was a fun weekend. Thanks for coming to see us!!!

Letters to the Easter Bunny

2008-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Izaak's letter to the Easter Bunny. Well done!
Taylor's letter to the Easter Bunny. So Cute!

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-23T19:04:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone!! I don't know about any of you, but I feel like Easter came waaaay too early this year! I had wanted to take some cute pictures outside in the sunshine, but it was freezing and the snow on the ground didn't make the best "Spring-time" background! Maybe we'll have to take some outside in a month or so. Anyways, the kids had a good day and we tried to make it religious and talk about the "True Meaning of Easter" but all they really cared about was the candy and the gifts they got. Can you blame them??? Taylor & Izaak also wrote some cute letters to the Easter Bunny that they left out last night. They are growing up so fast!

Happy Birthday, Isabelle!!!

2008-03-19T19:46:00.001-07:00

Isabelle just turned two! We can't believe our little baby is growing up so fast! She was our little preemie baby born five weeks early on March 18, 2006 and weighed only 4 lbs. 14 oz. She was just a little peanut then, and now she is so big! She spent 10 days in the NICU and we were soooo happy when we finally got to bring her home! She came into our lives at a certain time for a certain reason and she has brought us so much joy! We really enjoy having her around and enjoy her cute little personality. She has a tendency to scatter a little sunshine everywhere she goes. We love you Baby Belle!

Our Little Ballerina

2008-03-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Taylor is slowly but surely becoming quite the little ballerina. She is now in her third year and absolutely loves it! This picture was actually taken at her first recital in May of 2006, but it is still my favorite!!! Isn't she precious?

Daddy's Little Fishin' Buddy

2008-03-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

J.R. and Ikes have made a tradition of going fishing together every Saturday morning (the girls and I usually join them around noon when we all finally roll out of bed). This was the big fish he caught all by himself on his birthday last year. He has turned into quite the little angler!

Our Happy Family of Five!!!

2008-03-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

J.R., Amber, Taylor, Izaak, & Isabelle

Last July we took our first family vacation in years!!! This family picture was taken along the way! The whole Nelson gang went to visit Barrett & Angela in New York and we had a great time visiting many church history sites, including the Palmyra Temple, the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, etc. Barrett also drove us all over the state to every waterfall, hiking trail, or county fair / derby he could find. A good time was had by all!

Welome to the Macias' blog!

2008-03-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

We are excited to be up and running!