Gabe has a bad hair day!

Juan won't let me cut Gabe's hair until he is two! So, we tried some gel today! YIKES! Check out that fro!Do I looke shocked???? I am! He has crazy hair!

Gabe suffers through a visit from Eli

Aunt Katie and Eli came to visit this last weekend. We had a great time seeing them and playing. It was a shocker for Gabe because he is used to people being gentle and sweet with him. He IS the baby of four and he gets pretty much whatever he wants. Eli was lots of fun and reminds me very much of Jake at that age. Gabe looks like he suffered through a UFC fight though. Everytime Eli and Katie would get in the car with us Gabe would look over and start crying! He kept hoping we were going to be leaving them somewhere else! It was good for him to have someone his own age to play with since he has never even been to daycare once! And he picked up on quite a few of Eli's vocab and such.... he know howls like a dog and then kicks our dogs! :( THANKS ELI! And happy 2nd birthday! We love you! (p.s. we tried to get a pic of Eli and gabe together but they were constantly in motion and the pics came out fuzzy!)

A New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! Jake is working out a lot and so we HAD to post his big muscles! Sophie is trying to grow her hair out and she won't let me cut it. It is driving me crazy. Kian is big time into Star Wars right now. Although I am not sure where "Jingle Fat" fits into the story???? ;) Gabriel is truly an Atencio male. Don't let his Juan like features fool you. He acts like one of MY boys...grumpy, surly and demanding. We thought maybe we were going to get a sweet one this time. SUPRISE! He is just like the rest..... (sigh)

I am detremined to get as healthy as possible this year. I have my baby sister, katie, to look to for inspiration. She is so strong and healthy. So, I have been hitting the gym 4-5 times a week and working hard to eat right. I feel amazing. Like I told Juan though, I keep looking in the mirror and thinking "who is that?" because I feel like a skinny girl. But, I guess that is the real point right? I am dragging Juan along with me to the Gym when he is not working. It is really fun for us to work out together. Although I am not sure he understands why I don't want to work my arms and chest as much as my butt and legs! I am doing two miles a day on the treadmill. I know it is not like road running but I sweat the same anyway.

We are all happy and healthy. Juan and I just hit out 11th anniversary! It sure does not feel like that long ago that we got married. I think we are happier now then we have ever been. It is just fun to BE together. We love hanging out and going to coffee or people watching at the mall. We went to Juan's Christmas party in December and danced until my legs hurt. Juan is a GREAT salsa dancer. I try to keep up! We love you all so much and hope you all have a wonderful 2009!

WEIRD winter.....

My sweet Kian!

gabe trying to play Rock Band

The kids playing Rock Band. I play too but I am not very good!

It has been so warm here lately. Seriously, I think it has snowed twice! This is NOT typical of Colorado weather at all. I am starting to wonder if Al Gore didn't hit the nail on the head? Today it is 56 degrees!

We got a jump start on putting up the Christmas stuff this year. Mostly because I am NOT a Christmas fan and I feel badly that my kids miss out on all the hype. Sooo, I am trying to be better about it. It gets tight with buying for 4 kids. Especially now that Jake is older. He has expensive tastes. He asked for an ipod Touch and so did Juan. Sophie is starting to want big girl stuff but she is still easy. She loves to read and draw and write stories. She reminds me of me at her age. I spent my whole summer reading Nancy Drew at age 8. She is big into the Diary of aWimpy Kid series, Junie B. Jones and the The Doll series. Kian only asked for Star Wars figures. And Gabe could care less as long as he gets to tear paper and try to eat it.

We miss our family. Especially at this time of year but, always really. It has been a hard year. Katie says I moved away to isolate myself from my family. I thought long and hard about that and I do not agree. I think I was so afraid to get stuck in Utah. I did not want to do the typical Utah thing. And I have been running from that ever since. I am PROUD that I have gotten out and lived a diverse life. I have lived and been to places I never thought I would. I have met and befriended all types of people. I met a man that is not anything like the men I dated. We have fun together and we are truly best friends. I am lucky and I am happy. I miss my family and I LOVE each of them SO much. I am proud of who they are. But I would not change my path if I could go back and do so.

Change of subject: I LOVE the Wii! My arms are killing me from playing with Juan and the kids! We had so much fun playing that my stomach hurts from laughing. Juan and I boxed and Juan kicked my butt! Gabe thought it was hilarious and now he walks around trying to box the other kids and the poor dogs! Sophie is an expert Wii tennis player and Jake is good at all of it. I also got the Wii Fit for my birthday from Juan and that is loads of fun too! Except every time I get up on the board it says "Ouch!". I have been going to the Gym and slowly I am trying to get back in shape. I feel really good and my clothes are loose on me now. Lots more to go.......

I LOVE YOU ALL!

All my little people

Gabe want to get in the picture action... Look at all his teeth!

Scarlett is old and cranky but she has been a good friend

Abby is such a sweet heart! She puts up with so much from the kids.

Kian does not want to get his picture taken. He is drawing "James Bond"

Who do you think is cuter? Sophie with her "brother" Mini

It drives jacob crazy when Gabe tries to "play" on the computer with him!

Gabe has this weird new face he does at Jacob. He loves his big brother soooo much!

Gabe is wayyyy to mobile!

Gabriel has figured out how to climb and he is using that skill ALL the time. If you turn your back on him for one minute he is up on the kitchen table. He likes to line his animals up on the chairs and then try to see if he can climb up BEHIND them without knocking them over. He is really starting to enjoy his brothers and sister. But he cries if they play to rough and he thinks someone is getting hurt. (see last pic) Abby is his other favorite playmate. All has been forgiven with her nip and he lays on her like she is an oversized pillow. She is the most gentle dog and often lets him stand on her like a step stool. She does not like when the other dogs get too close to him though.

Kian is going through a very sensitive phase right now and it bothers him that "it is all about Gabey" He makes me laugh though with the things he comes up with. He reminds me of Jake at 6 but he is a bit less devious.

Speaking of Jake, he is doing his usual. He fails all his classess and then at the end, somehow, he pulls it all together and gets good grades. it is very annoying and he has been doing it his whole illustrious school career. He drives his teachers crazy. He has also recently become a coffee fiend and now Dad has to make THREE cups of coffee in the morning. We are still waiting for the Dentist to put his bottom braces on. They are working on his top bite.

Sophie is all teeth and limbs right now. She is at that weird gangley age. And yet she is still beautiful. Seriously, I worry about Juan's sanity as she gets older.

We love you all so much and miss each and everyone of our family members. I do not think we will be able to come home any time soon with the economy the way it is now. But, I definitely plan on being there for round two with Katie. I wouldn't miss it for anything. I love you guys!

Lots to tell

Gabe got between the dogs in a scuffle and he got nipped on the eye lid. He was fine but the family (not just Mom!) was very stressed! We went for an evening visit to the ER! He is all fine though. See, no hard feelings...he is wearing his doggie outfit!

Dad went as the Golden Buddah! I am not sure he felt very comfortable but it was funny!

He did scare the dogs and Gabe though......

Halloween was fun! Jake was a Wedding Chrasher???

Sophia was a skeleton....kinda.She still had to look good!

Kian was a YELLOW clone trooper. Do you know how long it took to find a YELLOW clone trooper?

Gabe was a monkey. Not a teletubby Poppa!

We went to the Boo in the Zoo again this year. It was so gorgeous out! 77 degrees!

All the kids have to pitch in with the yard work. Gabe does his share of pooper scooping!

Gabe is still mystified by the dishwasher. He can't seem to figure out what is going on in there. Jake is in love with himself and he is not sure why everyone else isn't???? Although he has his own fan club! He is cute huh?