This is hard! I miss him......

Well I've officially made it to the weekend. For those of you who don't know my hubby left EARLY (4:30 am) on Monday morning and is right now in the middle of a 12 day training session for his new job. I knew that taking care of the 5 kids on my own would be tough - and don't get me wrong- IT IS!!! But the worst part about this is how much I miss my constant companion. I know that he is missing us too. Yesterday was his birthday and for the first time in 10 years we didn't get to celebrate it with him. I had a boquet of chocolate dipped strawberries delivered to to his hotel room (Edible Arrangements) with a birthday balloon and card but it just wasn't the same. Birthdays are a really big deal to me! I go all out! Last year I slaved away at the stove to make him Coq au Vin, a dish the he had been dying to try. It was DELICOUS!! Needless to say, I haven't made it since! I also made him his favorite - cheesecake - topped with tart lemon curd! I have recently figured out that my love language is gifts! I was almost embarrassed about that because to me it seemed so shallow. But as I explored it more, it wasn't necessarily ME receiving gifts but the fact that this was how I showed love to others. The little chocolate boquet didn't cut it! I have a grand plan in the works for his return =)

So here it is, Friday evening. This is usually when Terry and I just relax from the week and plan what we want to do with the kids for the weekend. It's hard not having him here to do that with! I have tried to fill their time with some fun outings. We went to the dollar movie on Wednesday night, gorged ourselves with popcorn and called that "dinner" for the night. Tonight we're heading to Chuck E Cheese. I am enjoying my time with them but I do have to admit that it is also a distraction from the obvious. I am alone! I have a new understanding for the moms the do this day in and day out. I can handle the "work" part alright, it is the lonliness in my heart that I'm struggling with right now. I miss you Terry! Come home soon!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Three years ago today (almost at this exact moment!) our little Jorydn Rylee Sanchez entered the world. She was the best "SURPRISE" that we have ever received. I can't even imagine my life without this beautiful child in it. Her smile lights up the room, her giggle is music to my ears and her hugs and kissed make even my toughest days feel joyous and wonderful! I love this little girl with all my heart. Thank you God for letting me be her mommy! Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet little girl!!!

Goodbye 2009 Hello 2010

I haven't posted a blog update for so long! I just read my friend's (who posts almost everyday) and am now feeling inspired. So while I should be cleaning and organizing my house I sit here instead! :) December came and went in the blink of an eye! We have had almost NO snow and this is the first Christmas in a LONG time that I can I remember the wasn't a "white" one. It was actually a little sad :( I'm not sure whether I prefer this or our massive snow storms of the last few years.

We stayed in town for Christmas this year and while we dearly missed our family back home it was so nice and relaxing to not have pack, travel, repack, etc... There is something so peaceful about waking up in your own home on Christmas morning. The fact that we didn't have to wait long to visit my parents may have helped too. They came over on the 26th and visited for a few days while the boys were in Clarkston with their Grandma and Aunt. It is always so much fun for us when they visit!!! They kids all got far too many things as usual! With all the relatives they have we (Terry and I) could almost get away with not buying them anything at all. It was hard to recieve SO MUCH when there are so many people out there hurting right now. It was amazing to see the kids really appreciate what they have and be aware of the fact that they are blessed and there are others out there that don't have so much. I often marvel at how intuitive children are. They teach me just as much as I teach them, if not more!

We enter 2010 with with excitment for all that is to come. We know that this year just as any other will come with it's share of joy and sorrows, great times and days that we would like to forget but that is what makes life so incredible!!! May God bless you all this year!!! Happy 2010 from the Sanchez's!

Halloween 2009

First off I have to laugh at the fact that I posted my Elf video before I actually got Halloween pics up, but hey, that's my life. I do everything a little backward.

They're pretty cute huh? We found a neighborhood up in the south hills that we snuck into to trick or treat. 30 minutes and 5 king size candy bars later we were done!!!

EXCITING NEWS! Well, for all of you who don't already know this Terry was offered and accepted a new job working as a sales manager for the Northwest Territory for Kimberly Clarke/Jackson Safety. His official first day was on Monday but he doesn't finish up at Norco until Friday. Basically they are paying him to sit around and wait for his computer, phone, credit cards and NEW CAR to show up! They will then begin to train him before sending him out into the great unknown! Can't beat that! The job has been a huge blessing for us in this uncertain economic time. It is something that Terry has always really enjoyed and excelled it and it is a chance for him to continue to "move up". One of the really exciting parts of this job is that they will pay for him to go to school to complete his bachelors degree, something that he has been wanting to do since we met. The new job will unfortunately include traveling but pretty manageable (home every Fri-Mon with travel 2 out of 4 weeks a month) as far a travel jobs go. He will be covering MT, ID and eastern WA which means that in the summer the weeks he spends in MT will now also get to include us visiting with him. We are very excited for this new journey! Please keep our family in your prayers. We need peace, smooth transition and energy as we are about to put our house on the market (AHH!). I will keep you posted as we learn more and get settled into all the newness.

Love to you all! The holidays are quickly approaching - yeah! Remember in all the hustle and bustle to always remember the reason for the season! God Bless!

~Amy

It's that time of year again!!!

Hee hee hee!!!! Always good for a laugh! Go check it out!!!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/2CgUasEL08rrK2kQ2pgs

Love, Amy

Pumpkins and Tea

Just a quick post this morning before I head out to my Zumba class! (Latin dance based fitness for all you wondering what the heck Zumba is!!!) Last week Jordyn and I attended a field trip with my MOPS group to one of the local orchards here in town. She was SOOOOO cute trying to pick out the perfect pumpkin. It started to rain a little while we were there and she couldn't decide which one to get because they were either "dirty" or "wet'! Hee hee - I finally convinced ther that they were ALL wet! We got to ride the "Fruit Loop Express", pick apples, see how cider is made and taste some and then pick out her own pumpkin. We also got to taste some of the YUMMY apple butter they make there. It was so much fun to do something with just her and she is finally old enough to be able to enjoy it and understand it! It was a great day!

Also- yesterday my wonderful friend and I went to a local tea room and celebrated her birthday. Her actual birthday was in June but with the summer craziness and all we finally got around to doing it this month. I found this amazing ministry that helps to transition women from homelessness back into working society. They intern in this tea room (where ALL of their profit goes to the Anna Odgen Hall womens shelter) to gain work experience and have something to put on their resume as they re-enter the work force. It was in a beautiful Kirtland Cutter house on the south hill that is actually also a Bed and Breakfast. It was so dainty and fun! We drank tea and ate treats off of antique bone china. All of the teas were sooooooo yummy! It was definitley an amazing experience and such a rewarding way to be able to support this ministry. It is called Taste and See Tea Room (getting it's name from the verse in Psalms) and I recommend that you DEFINITELY go there and try it out! We were there for over 2 hours and it was only $20 a person! Plus, once you see the pics of all the yummy stuff you won't be able to resist!

I will be updating you all on the EXCITING and new things happening in our lives!!! Please keep us in your prayers - LOTS of changes in store!!!

Love you all!!!

-Amy

Nashville, TN

As promised here are some of the pictures from the trip that I took a few weeks ago to Nashville, TN. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the annual MOPS convention for the fourth time. I was amazing! Filled with dynamic speakers and and training. I felt there filled with excitment and anticipation for the new MOPS year to begin. I was also touched as a woman and mother by some of the incredible and inspiring workshops that I attended. Our last night in town we were able to enjoy a night out on the town. Downtown Nashville is filled with talented musicians with great music filling the streets! This is definitely a place that I intend to visit again someday.

When I got home I was running on 12 hours of sleep in 4 nights! My husband (aka the best man in the world) rounded up the kids and took them all to a movie and instructed me to take a nice, long nap! I love him so much!

As for the fish pictures- those were our "dinner guests". On Friday night we ate at a restaurant called The Aquarium. They have an enormous fish tank in the center filled will every sea creature you can imagine. It was a very neat place to eat and the food was yummy! What did I eat? Grouper!

Love you all - HAPPY FALL!
-Amy