Too much going on.

I swear this whole year, I've felt like there are so many thing going, so much to do, that I feel like a deer in the headlights. I'm not complaining I would much rather be super busy always, than have too much time in my hands without doing anything productive.

So for the sake of not leaving anything out of the book of life, I must blog...quickly and effectively.

We've been trying to figure out what to do next with the house. The two bathrooms were very expensive (in our opinion),  and after calculating the proportion of the next projects we are a little worried about how to go about the next phase. It'll take a little longer since we need to save up the funds. Meanwhile we did something super important in my opinion: chop down the crazy bushes around this place.

I should have taken pictures of the crazy stuff that was growing around our house. Well, maybe what I'll do is take some pictures tomorrow to update this post. We've got a bit over half an acre of nasty, dangerous crazy plants. All of us except Mike have stepped on a thorn, or cut a finger on a cactus etc. So we had a few guys out here for a week or so taking everything out by the roots.  The result is that you can see that there's a house in our lot now!  Next up, we think we're replacing the windows and doors, and re-stucco-ing(how about that for hyphenation?) the house. Our bathrooms will be in conjunction if not sooner. I don't know.....see what I'm sayin'?

Photography, Career and such.
So we all know I'm not going back to slave real estate, although I loved it before I had kids, now it's just not going to work. It's amazing what happens when you let go of this surreal dream you "think" you have. I've been able to let go of a lot more than just the idea of going back to being the tough chick. So my life is simpler, richer and more grateful. Nothing can beat that at this time. So then I decide it's time for a workshop and I spent a week with Kwaku Alston, who is such a teddy bear. He's so cute and so nice, and so amazingly talented! Now, I'm kind of in this photographer's block, or I hit the photographer's marathon wall, or maybe it's just that I'm going into a cocoon. That's it!! I'm in the process of figuring out my metamorphosis. The workshop made me open my eyes to so much more that I could be doing, sharing, experiencing and learning in photography. My style is changing, I'm working on a new website(well not really YET, but it's in queue), researching new equipment and the list goes on. I love photography, and I'm grateful for Mikey V for letting me have this expensive hobby/profession. Luckily the future looks promising in photography.

In addition to photography, Mike has been wanting me to help him figure out a way to make more $$$. So since I ask for more all the time, he came up with an idea: "you be in charge of all the advertising, PR, ideas for being more productive and getting  more exams in each day, that way you can have more money".  At first I wasn't so sure about this, although if you asked me about it of course I was gonna say I'm up for making more money, who isn't?! A couple of months back he added me as an officer, (I wrote him a check to buy shares in the corporation, LOL!) and I'm now the V.P. So this week I officially started at Santa Fe Vision Clinic. We decided to do a small remodel, and we are just finishing up the last touches. Now we have a much better reception area and the place looks more professional. New signage done by Moi, has helped people to start figuring out that the Doc does NOT work for Walmart, he simply leases the space. I think it'll help people realize they can't come and complain there's no one to help them choose glasses up front in the Walmart Optical. We still have to keep telling them, but it's ok,  they are finally getting it.

I've been setting up the new patient management software and the new computers. On Friday I was so frustrated after a week of fighting with the modem and the Time Capsule, and IP address etc, I went into the store and bought a package of Walmart brand Oreo wannabe's and ate half of it one 30 min.  Melody the manager of the Optical came to tell me that those were NOT Oreos, they don't taste the same. I told her that indeed I am not an Oreo expert since I couldn't tell you when was the last time I ate one. I think it had been 3 or 4 years. Consequently I felt a bit sick that night........

Oh and before I forget, I still have to take my broker's exam for real estate. Yes I'm getting my license here, I need to do it soon before I lose my qualifications for being a qualifying broker. I don't want to have to go work for a brokerage. I really like being independent especially when I'm doing it for myself. I know call me crazy how many properties am I going to be playing with in a year, maybe MAYBE one? but I still want to have access to their juicy details in the MLS so I need my license.

Besides that what else is happening?? Well quite a bit in my own head actually. I don't feel comfortable writing about it in my public blog. Most people would think I'm crazy which is true, but really crazy enough to be taking meds and wear a straight jacket, so I'll keep it to myself and those who are ready to listen to the conclusions of my monologues. Milk before meat right?


Alright, I gotta figure out where we're staying in the US Virgin Islands TONIGHT! So ta ta for now..

My Royal Village

There are a lot of people who unfortunately don't  like Santa Fe. Some hate the architecture(like my sister, it's ok I didn't like it either until I moved here), some hate the fact that it's small and doesn't have as many options as a bigger city, and others just don't like the arid southwestern climate.

Sunrise in Santa Fe

I LOVE SANTA FE! Truthfully, the only place I would trade it for at this stage in my life would be Florida. A few months after we moved here, Mike and I and the kids went on a walking tour of Santa Fe and learned so much about its history, and all the fights for the Palace of the Governors, the romantic history of art and love affair that artists have with the area, it all solidified how Mike and I feel about this city.

Sunset in Santa Fe

The full name of Santa Fe is actually The Royal Village of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi. But of course it is in Spanish.... Therefore I like to joke about living in the Royal Village. Wouldn't be it so cool if there were royalty here still? Anyway, I just love this place, and I love the fact that it's a resort town. It makes me feel like I live on an eternal vacation, especially during the summer when the crowds descend upon us.

Summer storms in Santa Fe

This year we are celebrating Santa Fe's 400th birthday. Check out the website for more information:
http://santafe400th.com/index.html


ps: these are all SOOC files exactly as the camera captured everything. Nothing has been edited.

Two little monkeys

The best part about being at home is watching your kids grow up. I'm looking forward to doing grown up things with my kids, and I'm dang curious to see what they'll end up like. I feel such an immense responsibility to teach them to be open minded/hearted, decent, honest, strong willed, moral citizens.

Over the last couple of years I have grown so much, I literally feel taller. This is to counterbalance the fact that I'm actually shrinking in height. LOL!

But in any case, we have been making a lot of changes in every aspect of our lives, and consequently we see clearly all the blessings from heaven. My two little  monkeys make me so proud. Here's a little update on both of them:

Isaac
If we lived by the ocean Isaac for sure would be a surfer. Besides the fact  that I dress him up like one already(which isn't necessarily something to be proud of, it's just comfy and casual, and above to a mother, functional), he loves the ocean, the sand, and waves. Isaac a couple of days ago said: "Dad, it's time to go to  Florida again".  I totally agree with him. We have to figure out a way to live there in the winter and in Santa Fe in the summer. Hopefully in the next couple of years that will become reality. Isaac keeps growing, and most of the time I have a hard time NOT thinking that he's at least 5 years old. He's taller than most 5 year olds, but sweet as 2 year old still. He's a super brother, most of the time he loves taking care of Isabella. I'm hoping that he keeps taking after daddy, he loves to study books about space, science, travel, whatever. Mike got me a book called Anatomica a year or two ago, and Isaac loves looking at it. The other day I caught him teaching Bella about how the babies grow then they come out. I'm surprised she didn't tear the book to pieces. But I was so proud of him.

Going along with the book, yesterday we were outside right before dinner checking out the mess that is our backyard currently. We have some guys cutting down a bunch of overgrown trees and bushes all around our house and backyard. Isaac got really excited and asked me to come take a look at something quickly. I got over to a piece of the trunk/roots of a tree they took out by our bedroom window, and Isaac says: "Mom this is the tree's heart!"  To my surprise it really did look like a  heart, with all the ventricles and veins etc. I guess he's learning something. Take a look:

 Yesterday I also put him in time out because he's going through this phase of relieving himself inside trash cans, and yesterday he climbed on the kitchen counter and went into the kitchen sink.  So he was in time out. He went into my room for some reason and while I was relieving myself I heard him praying. He said something like this(in portuguese): "Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, thank you for everything, please help me get out of time out quickly, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

How cute is that?!!! So immediately I knew I had to teach him a lesson: The lesson was that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. So I got him out of time out pretty quickly saying that Heavenly Father asked mommy to help Isaac and that he was good to get out. Well sure 'nough today Isaac was put in time out again. The moment I started hearing his prayer I ran into the office and grabbed my phone and  was able to get the last little bit of his prayer today. Here it is:

Isabella
She so takes after me. I really hate to admit it but...my mother was right!  She always told me to wait until I had a girl, and she was going to be just like me. Then, I would pay for everything I did to her, and all the pain, frustration, and gray hairs I've caused her. Well, Bella is 19 months today, and she is already making me pay. Secretly though, I love it! I'm so proud of her for knowing what she wants and sticking to it. With Bella there's no maybe, it's either yes or no.  When she wants something she'll start asking nicely then she screams once, then she throws a fit until she either goes to sleep, time out, or gets what she wants depending on the situation. hehehe. When she does NOT want something she says very clearly and authoritatively "Não quero!!" (I don't want it).  Her English and Portuguese are much better than Isaac's at 19 months. When she speaks Portuguese everything is in the diminutive. It's pretty cute, even Mike noticed it.

She's not scared of bossing Isaac around at all. Sometimes she will push him, elbow him, whatever it takes. She fights dirty. She also loves to do whatever any adult is doing. Yesterday while my mom was making dinner, she decided she needed to put soap in the dish washer. So she did... She opened the cabinet pulled the dishwasher soap, opened it and poured it in the little soap holder. Note the left hand, not the right. She's still showing signs of ambidexterity. Here's a picture to show for it.

7.4

Thank you founding fathers for risking your lives to make this country what it is. If you ever start complaining about your life and that other countries have it better, consider reading the Declaration of Independence.

I'm a proud American. I love this country and all the opportunities I have received by living here. Tonight, we climbed up on the roof and watched the fireworks that were going on at Santa Fe High School. It was so fun to be able to take the two kids up there. Bella was scared the whole time, which was unexpected, and Isaac was so excited to be on the roof watching the fireworks.

Here are a couple pics from tonight. By the way I LOVE New Mexico nights, the stars are beautiful every single night. I'm so glad once again I get to see and enjoy them.

Won't worry be happy...

Happiness in my life means many different things. I'm grateful for a lot of stuff. But seriously when something like this happens, I'm very very grateful to be able to see, for my almost perfect vision, (according to Dr. Mikey).

Look at this and tell me if it isn't beautiful. I've doing a photography workshop with Kwaku Alston, the Kwaku. Today we went to the Bonanza Creek Ranch to shoot our models, and right when we got there and were waiting to sign in, everyone looked up at the sky and saw this.

Then after 4 hours of shooting and staging and stepping on cow patties, I get home and look up at the Heavens and lo and behold I see this:

 I got out of the car grabbed my camera and shot this.  Click on the pics to see the full size version. Both of these shots have not been touched up at all. Pure nature here! If you look carefully, you can see my car kind of hidden from behind some bushes right  in the bottom and middle of the picture.

I quickly had the whole family cross the street with me and marvel at this act from God. It actually got even more intense when it was the four of us out there looking at it, and a double rainbow started to come out on the right corner, but it was still faint.

So today, guess what I'm super grateful for: VISION.