Update soon to come!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I have so many pictures to post, but no computer to download them to! So bear with me until I get back to SC next week!
We are really enjoying our time here at home with the family and we cringe every time we think of leaving once again. This time we will most likely not be able to return home until next Christmas! With a new addition to the family coming up, it would be nearly impossible! But we welcome anyone that wants to take an adventure to the East coast! :)
We have great plans in store for New Year's tomorrow. Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe holiday!

Email Addresses

I will be making our blog private within the next week. If you are still interested in viewing, please add your email address in the comment box so that you are able to still view it. I know that kinda invades your privacy but I don't know a better way to do it. I will be checking my blog on an hourly basis and will remove your email comment as soon as I retrieve it. If any of you know a better way to do this please let me know. Thanks a bunch~

A Photo Session Gone Wrong!

So I figured since we had Chris' mother here that I would attempt to snap one good picture of the family so I could send out my Christmas cards..."attempt" is the key word in this sentence...

So I took this one really quick of the kids as we wait for Daddy to get home from church. Not bad by the two of them, at least they were both looking the same way!

And then it begins...Meemaw says "cheeze" and these are the faces that we get from the two of them. (Yes, Mia is actually saying cheeze, not crying!)

Take 2: "Uh! Chris, you have to have your eyes open when you say cheeze!"

So then we get the serious face...not good either!

For the next 5 minutes Chris just starts saying "cheeze" over and over and OVER, kinda like a broken record...While Daddy is trying to just be ready for the next photo, Mommy is trying to get MiaLuz to stand. Well, she is NOT having it. She wants to SIT...hence, the pouting face.

We finally manage to get us all looking the right direction, but where's Daddy? And why is Mommy's hair attached to MiaLuz's hair bow? GRRRR....what a mess!

So after about 10 minutes of chaos I give up...and THIS is why Tiffany will be taking our pictures when we get to Texas. It's just not possible to be in the picture and direct the kiddos where they need to be. So expect your Christmas card a bit later than usual this year! I tried...

Thanksgiving with Meemaw!

Meemaw couldn't get here fast enough for Lil' Chris. We had a great Thanksgiving. It was the year of "firsts". We didn't have Grandma Flores to rely on to make the feast so we were in for an interesting taste session! lol

and we begin....um....How do you read a recipe again? What comes first?!? Okay, we are not that bad but this was the first Thanksgiving that I was in charge of the desserts. Sylvia made the turkey and dressing for the first time as well....So yes, we were a bit nervous on the outcome!
Since Buttermilk Pie is the ONLY dessert I enjoy during the holidays, and since there is no Chicken Shack in SC, I had to make it from scratch. It was SOOO good. Chris was so impressed but not more than myself. Needless to say, It was the first dessert to disappear!

and there are kiddos, playing with play-do...the only thing that would keep them out of the kitchen!

Meemaw bought these blow up seats for them. they love them! What a great idea!

a Kodak moment...The three of them reading the new DORA the explorer book that she brought from TEXAS!

And there's the gang; the kids are actually doing a dance after the Cowboys made a touch down...
This was about 5 minutes AFTER the actual TD...They just don't know when to settle down! lol

What's a visit from Meemaw without getting showered with gifts? Here is MiaLuz with her new pom poms and boots!

It's the end of the day, they are enjoying popcorn and a movie, already in their PJ's ready for bed; and MiaLuz STILL has those new boots on! Such a girl! lol
Thanks for a great time Meemaw!

Happy Birthday ALMA!

10 things about my sister ALMA!

1. She is incredibly giving. She would give the shirt off her back if it was asked from her!

2. Alma is very creative. Throughout the years she has planned and coordinated the most creative activities for her family. She always manages to have a great time with her kids without spending money. I wish I was that creative!

3. Birthdays are VERY important to Alma. Whether it's a phone call, card, or present, you can always count on her to remember your special day! Not too many of us can say that! She makes a BIG deal out of them and makes sure her kids have a "special day" to themselves! Good job!

4. Alma is very empathetic. Her friends tend to lean on her because they know she will care for them and do her part to make their situation better in any way she can. She will laugh and cry with you through the whole experience. A TRUE FRIEND!

5. Alma has always taken interest in learning the "not so popular" instruments. She learned how to play the flute in Middle School and learned the piano early on as well. But what I remember most is her buying a harmonica and teaching herself how to play it. She thought it was the coolest thing to be able to play something so portable. "You can just whip it out of your pocket and start playing anytime you feel like it!" At one point she even entertained the idea of playing the harp. Of course that was until she found out the cost of one! lol

6. What most people don't know is that Alma is a dancer! She LOVES to dance! She started baton twirling with me (she was a senior in high school) and was quite good at it. She has always loved Country Line dancing, Tejano, Ballet Folklorico and recently has picked up salsa dancing! What can I say, she is my sister! I'm excited to go home and show her all I know.

7. Alma has a special name in our family. Anytime Mom asks for "Mijita" we know she is referring to Alma. We have always teased Mom about that one. When she is upset with me it is Blancita, but the few times she gets upset with Alma, it is still MIJITA...what's up with that? Mom tries to say it's because she is the gentle one....hmmmm.....

8. Alma is known as the "spiritual one" in our family. She has always held on to that rod of iron. I have always admired her dedication to the church. No matter how little or big her calling is, she gives 110%. No matter how sick or down she is, you can always see her walk in those chapel doors, every Sunday! She has done her best to raise her children in the church; to be strong in their beliefs and to love and live the gospel. I hope I can be that same role model to my children.

9. In the past couple of years, Alma has made a complete transformation! Her marriage did quite a number on her, and the experience is far from over. But I can honestly say that Alma is a better woman because of it all. She is stronger than ever! The girl that used to curl up all her emotions and let them eat her away is no more! She now stands on her own two feet and refuses to let anyone else take advantage of her. She demands respect and her kids finally give it to her. She knows that the Lord will only give you what you can handle and although there were times where we all thought it was just too much for her to bear, she proved us wrong. She is a fighter and because of her faith, she is able to start this new chapter in her life with no fear. I admire her for being able to make it through this. I don't think I would have been able to be as strong. It takes a special person to go through all that she has gone through.

10. I LOVE my sister. She is sooo- special and means more to me than she will ever know. I look up to her, as a wife and as a mother. She has always been there whenever I have needed her and supports me through anything. She is a HUGE supporter of Chris and his patriotic duties and that means a great deal to me to know I can always count on her to be there through all the craziness that goes with being a military wife.

Alma, I love you for so many reasons; For the spirit that you carry with you. I love you for the mother that you are to your children and for the wife you so faithfully were all those years, and most of all, for being the daughter that you are to our Heavenly Father. You are what I hope to become, one of the few, select daughters of GOD.

Happy Birthday Alma! Can't wait to see you next month! LOVE YOU!!! xoxo

It's a BOY!!!

Of course Chris is excited! I wanted a boy mainly because I didn't want Lil' Chris to be disappointed. AND because I knew that is what Daddy wanted. But I came from a family of GIRLS! I know how to handle them better. I am still learning how to deal with the "boy" issues and I just hope I will understand it better the second time around! MiaLuz is a little DIVA so it may just be a blessing that she doesn't have to fight for the attention! lol





Chris' grandfather passed away during Chris' second deployment to Iraq. Chris was able to make his peace with him before he left us, and made a promise to him on his death bed that if our next child was a boy he would give him his name. Grandpa was very pleased with that and told Chris that he hoped we had another son.



Chris' grandfather was the father figure in his life, and they were very close. Chris lived with his grandpa from his childhood until he graduated high school. Chris took great pride in making his grandfather proud, and Grandpa Flores was very supportive of everything Chris did. Grandpa Flores started the Flores Fisherman tradition and is part of the reason Chris loves fishing so much today. Not only that, he resembles Grandpa Flores in many ways, including the ears! lol



We have two kiddos, one that looks like a Tijerina and one that looks like a DeAlejandro. Sooo- this one has got to be the one that looks like a FLORES!!! Wouldn't that be awesome if he resembled the man he is named after?!? We hope so! So the name is Adan Christopher Flores!

I'm Pregnant!

Okay I guess ya'll already know that, but today I received the confirmation when I felt the baby move. It was very subtle but enough to know that there is actually a reason that I am inhaling everything in sight and gaining the daily pounds. This time around my baby bump started growing a month before the other pregnancies so that has kinda depressed me. My friends have tried to make me feel better by reassuring me that it is only because my body has already been through this process so it is just doing what it is already trained to do. I know it's probably true, but it really doesn't make me feel any better about the extra jiggly pooch in my mid section....but thanks anyway for trying to lift my spirits!
I am in the middle of my 4th month and we will find out next Monday what this one will be. I am carrying this one real low, just like MiaLuz so my guess is another girl, but I really don't have a preference. As for the daddy, he wants another boy. Lil' Chris has actually already been praying for his little brother for a while now, so I almost lean toward that choice as to not disappoint him!
So, what do you think? Another niece, nephew, grandson, grand-daughter...What will it be?

Halloween Festival!

Our Ward Halloween Festival consisted of a carnival in the cultural hall, followed by a Trunk or Treat outside as we were ending the event. Lil Chris had a bad experience last Halloween so we didn't have too many expectations for the night. Even though he reassured us that he wouldn't get scared, the loud music and chaos kinda made him uncomfortable, not to mention a couple of scary faces and costumes that just added to the torture for him. But he still managed to play some games and win some candy. MiaLuz kinda fed off of him and latched onto my leg the entire evening. Thank goodness we had the Trunk or Treat to look foward to! They loved helping to decorate the Tahoe and had a blast going to each car to get some candy. We had a great time afterall!

Oh, to explain the costume thing...Chris was originally supposed to be Superman and MiaLuz was a fairy princess, but once lil' Chris saw that Mommy and Daddy were Dallas Cowboys, that was it, his mind was made up that he also wanted to be a Cowboy...Can you blame him? Well, I couldn't leave MiaLuz out of the fun, so I pulled out her Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader uniform. She loved wearing it with her new silver shoes! And we were a HIT! Everyone got a kick out of the Dallas Cowboys family!

fishing for candy!

candy in a hay stack!

Pumpkin racing! go go GO!!!

Our crazy Bishop Strickland and Sister Meyer... can't remember the name of her theme, but didn't she look awesome!?!

Tell me that's not the cutest picture!

There's our trunk. We decided to do it right before we left the house so I took what I had in the Halloween bin...not much but our flying bat was a hit!

There they are, loving the candy binge!

And there's the entire Trunk or Treat! It was so much fun for everyone, kids and adults!

To the Birthday Girls!

Today is both MiaLuz and Noemi's birthday. I originally wanted to dedicate a whole post on each of them. I have the BEST photos of Nomi growing up, everything from her 7 yr old picture of her face blown up due to tons of bee stings... to her upside doing walk overs while crossing her eyes....ALL sooo good, but my darn printer is acting up....So I guess Nomi got off this time, lucky for her! So instead I will share the top 10 things I love about each of my favorite girls!



MiaLuz- What's not to love!?!?!

1. She has the cutest face; beautiful long lashes and her daddy's big bubble lips!
2. She is FULL of personality; whether she's smiling or screaming at the top of her lungs, she honestly makes you laugh through it all.
3. LOVES shoes- she seriously has some pair of glitter shoes on througout the whole day. No matter what I chose for her that day, she will go back to her room and bring out the "sparkly ones"!
4. Her run is hilarious...it almost looks like she has 2 left feet; she runs in a zig zag, and runs into things, but laughs the whole way through it.
5. She is a cuddle bug. Not a day goes by where she doesn't ask me to sit by her just so she can cuddle up with me; anytime, anywhere! And I love every minute of it!
6. MiaLuz loves to dance. Her best move is the Dora the Explorer dance! It consists of her twisting side to side, hands in a fist and in front of her like she is in a boxing stance. So funny to watch!
7. Loves to sing as well, and is actually pretty good. She sings I Am A Child Of God with me every night as I put her to bed. If she doesn't know the song, it's no biggy, she will make up the words!
8. MiaLuz can EAT! Unlike her brother, she will at least try anything and EVERYTHING in sight. And if it's something she likes, she will express it by saying, "MMMM, YUMMY!" while puckering her lips to savor every last bit of it. She really enjoys meal time!
9. She LOVES her brother. She follows him everywhere and if he is upset or crying for any reason she will go to him and pat his back and kiss him....too cute!
10. MiaLuz is a girly girly! She loves anything that has to do with dolls and flowers. She even gets her babies and pretends to put them to sleep by wrapping them in their blanket and singing to them. She is going to be a great big sister! So full of love!


And then there's Noemi: What to say about her....I don't even know where to begin...
1. Noemi is known as the FUNNY one in the family. She always knows what to say to stir up the room.
2. I have always loved how she is 100% real. Like it or not, she is what she is, with no excuses. I wish I could be like that.
3. She has the voice of an angel. And I think everyone can agree with me on that. I can never hear too much of her, her voice that is...lol
4. What people don't know is just how talented she really is. Not only can she sing, but she has written songs since she was a kid. She is a poet by nature and can word lyrics beautifully.
5. I can always turn to my sister for advice. She is really good at seeing both sides of the story and I can always count on her to give it to me straight, not the way she wants it to be. I really appreciate that about her.
6. She is a woman with many talents. Besides singing, she is great dancer, seriously! I remember trying to teach her one of my routines that was difficult for a normal salsa dancer to learn, and she picked it up immediately, without any salsa training or background...now that's talent!
7. She is also a great Volleyball player, played tennis, ran track, VERY WELL ROUNDED, and that to me is a huge deal. Not many people can say they are good at more than one thing. She is very blessed.
8. I have always told Noemi that she was born under a lucky star! Things always seem to fall in the right direction for Noemi. She has been very blessed in many ways.
9. Throughout Noemi's life, she has always been a missionary. Even at a very young age, I remember hearing her bear her testimony to any and all friends that came over to play at our home. She has never been afraid to stand up for what she believes. That is something we all have a hard time doing from time to time and it is something I have always admired in her.
10. My sister loves me for me. I can say without a doubt that Noemi is the ONLY person that knows and understands me 100%. She understands my frustrations, my ups and downs, my OC habits and she is really good at putting everything into perspective for me. Whenever I am down on myself I know I can always turn to her to bring me back up. I love her for that.
Thank you sis...I love you and Happy Birthday!

MiaLuz-Going back to her roots!

These are the new Cowboy boots Meemaw send to MiaLuz for her birthday. They have the Princess trio on the side and light up when she walks...SOO CUTE! She was so eager to put them on for church, I had to actually put them on first before her skirt and top, just so she would stop fussing about them. She literally strutted into the chapel and showed EVERYONE in sight....She would pick her foot up and say, "See, boots!" Everyone just got a kick out of it.

There she is picking up the boot to show it off!

I've had this skirt for a while but had nothing to match it with...these boots were so perfect!

My babies, all ready for church!

So Chris was sooo- excited to wear his tie and elders badge today. He kept saying, "I'm an Edler now...it took me a minute to figure out he was trying to say ELDER!"

He too got much attention for his cute ensemble, especially from the Elders.
So grown up, don't ya think!?!

BOO at the ZOO!

Right after MiaLuz's birthday party we headed out to the Annual Boo at the Zoo Festival. It was so much fun! They had Trick or Treat stations throughout the Zoo as well as a Magic Show, FOAM PARTY, Bonfire, and Dance Floor for the kids. We all had a great time and the kids really enjoyed wearing their costumes. MiaLuz was able to wear her new pink shoes she had just opened from Meemaw and Chris kept rambling on how his hair was JUST like Superman! He looked so adorable! We even got comments from people around us about his hair. It was a busy, but great Saturday! Needless to say, the prego lady was more than ready for her bed by the end of the night!

The Edwards' Annual Halloween Party

This weekend has been going full speed since Friday evening. Chris and I went to a Halloween Costume party at the Edwards' home. We were going back and forth on what to dress up as. Then my friend mentioned to me that her husband had an authentic JEDI costume made by his mother and said we could borrow it. I brought it home to show Chris and that was it...his mind was made up. He LOVES this costume and even tried to wear it out in public a couple of times. So to match I was Princess Leia...not too thrilled about that. And for anyone that knows me, there was no way I was gonna wear that frumpy dress of hers, nor could I pull off the Slave costume (without getting excommunicated! lol) so I put my own version of her outfit together...let me know whatcha think!

The Master Jedi... do you like our homemade boots!?!

me and my afro-puffs...

Miss Pirate and Princess Leia

The Watts- Miss Pirate and "The Coolest Man Around!" lol

Miss Lane getting crazy about Pictionary!

Miss Denise- uh! I think she was a red neck woman with her hubs, I think!

The Burns'- A motorcycle ride gone bad!

And the hosts of the party-

The Edwards'- Superman and Lois Lane!

We had such a great time. Played lots of games and just enjoyed each others' company without the interruption of all the kiddos... Thanks guys for a fun night!

MiaLuz's 2 year Birthday Party!

We celebrated MiaLuz's birthday this past Saturday. We had 8 of her closest friends over and celebrated with Dora the Explorer! She had so much fun and loved all of her gifts. The party went great. These are not all of the pictures and she has not yet been able to open all the presents Meemaw and the family sent to her. More to come...