Pose buddies

Do you see something similiar? And she didn't even do it on purpose!

What a week!!

We closed on our house last week and quickly moved in over the weekend before Omar's week long trip to Atlanta. This week I unpacked as much as I could and by mid week both girls were sick with coughs and fevers. I don't know why but my girls like to get sick at night after regular clinic hours. Last night was one of those nights. Marisa had a fever of 103 and wouldn't stop whimpering. Luckily it was the fastest ER visit ever, about an hour and a half! She was diagnosed with croup and given a sterioid for swelling in her throat. Today I woke up with a fever too. Suddenly I felt like whimpering. We're all pretty sick still but thankfully my parents were here for the first part of the week and Omar came home today. Poor Omar always seems to come home needing to rescue us in some way. Hopefully we are better soon and I can continue unpacking.

This is home

We are officially Austin residents and homeowners again! After about a year of uncertainty on where we would settle we are excited to call Austin home. I have learned however, that nothing is certain or permament but for now we're feeling that we are home and hope to stay put for a long while.

Zoo

I meant to post these earlier.

Friends afar

One of the best things about relocating is making new friends. Of course moving away is not easy and making new friends as you embark to your new destination is not what is on your mind. What is on your mind are the friends you are leaving behind and the sad thoughts of not seeing them again. Experience has taught me however, that while distance might keep you apart...facebook keeps you in touch. Ha, ha!! Really though, in truth I have left friends behind only to later meet up again in unexpected places.
Below is my good friend Anna, a native Californian from San Francisco. We were co-workers and great buds at our Elementary school in Sonoma in 2003-04. We are freezing our butts off on the Golden Gate just before my move to College Station, TX.

July 2004 and yes it's freezing in the summer there.
Here we are somewhere on 6th street this past summer (2009). Anna relocated to Austin and we would be teaching in the same school district (again!)this school year had I not resigned.

Below are Elena and Sophia. The very best of buds in Belmont, MA. The Robertsons were practically our roommates who heard Marisa's cries through the night all the way on their 3rd floor. They lived upstairs in our two family home rental. Jamie helped me make it through a challenging phase with active toddlers who had to be indoors through the Boston winter.

Sophia and Elena in our Belmont home on the basement bulkhead which they enjoyed using as a slide.

Sophia and Elena at a Dallas park

Our friends, the Robertsons, are still in Belmont but were in Dallas a couple of weekends ago for interviews. We spent the day at a Dallas park and then at restaurant on the east side.
Chris, Jamie, me, and Omar in Dallas at Monica's aca y alla


And below Elena's good friend Dominic and my good friend Julia
2007--Elena, Dean and Dominic
2008--Elena and Dominic

At the zoo today

catching up


2008
2009

Daddy's Girl

I love the relationship between these two!! And things don't change! In the last picture Elena is almost one.

More holiday fun

The boys (Omar and our nephew,Robbie) went kayaking, and I went ice skating with Jackie and the little ones. Marisa spent some quality time with Grandma F at home. On our way to the rink we walked over to one of the bridges so that we could see the boys on Lady Bird Lake.
On their way out


Heading to the rink







Elena clearly missed the New England snow because she started gathering up the ice on the rink to make into "snowballs"(she said).Then she put it in her mouth and made this face.

Straight hair buddies

Elena knows we both have curly hair and when she saw that I straightened mine, she asked me to straighten her's too.

New Year's 2010

First Night Austin

These really cool swings changed colors and played musical notes.

New Year's dinner