The Cano Family

Infertility

2011-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Salomon and I have been trying to conceive another child for over 2 years now, maybe even close to 3 years. I have lost count. My heart does not ache. I am not sad. I do not get mad or upset when someone I know gets pregnant before I do - after all - they are not stealing MY babies from heaven. Mine are on reserve for ME - its just a matter of time right? I do worry and wonder IF, but for the longest time it just never felt right to really seek out any professional help with trying to see if something was "wrong" - until recently. I met with my doctor and dicussed options and we decided to do an HSG xray (http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/hysterosalpingogram-21590) to see if my fallopian tubes were blocked. After a VERY uncomfortable xray I was able to actually SEE that they were blocked! This was good news to me because I am hoping that maybe that it all it was stopping us from conceiving. This along with ovulation test kits, blood tests etc... should help us on our way to another beautiful baby. We hope :)
I know God has a plan for me, for us, and I am reminded over and over again that I need to trust Him and His TIMING. I dont have all the answers, or any really when it comes to why we just cant seem to get pregnant. But I guess it is not the point to have all the answers, I just need to trust that whatever the outcome, it was Gods will and I have to be ok with that. Hmmm... this theme keeps popping up in my life. I guess that is what being a beliver, a disciple is all about. Trusting and following God and not questioning Him, His will or His timing. Something I really need to study and apply in my life more.

Cancer

2011-09-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

So my life has been crazy this year. So many things have gone on that have left my mind spinning, my heart aching, and my emotions fragile to say the least. Through it all I have been blessed to have an eternal perspective that helps calm me down and brings peace to me and I have been blessed with a wonderful supportive husband and friends. Life throws many twists and turns and I am still learning how to roll with it all. In the midst of all this, we found out last week that my mom has cancer. A blood cancer. She has been through so much already this year with her multiple surgeries and hospitalizations (hip replacements, broken femur, infections and kidney problems). Cancer was not what we were expecting next. There is no cure but it is treatable and chemo treatments are underway. She is handling those well, but most of all she is handling this diagnosis amazingly. My mom is amazing! She is the strongest person I know. She has a strong testimony and relationship with her Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. They have prepared her for this and are helping her carry the burdens placed on her. She is doing well and for that I am so grateful. I worry, Im sad, I want this to go away (along with a handful of other problems), but I too have been blessed through this and I know that God is in control. My test is to align my will with His - no matter what it is. My mom is a fighter and I will fight with her.

Liane's first day of preschool (Sept 7)

2011-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

My baby started school!!!!! She was SO excited and did great! She starts dance class tomorrow (at the same place her school is held) and she is beyond excited! My baby is growing up! Bitter sweet, very bitter sweet. (ps - she is sportin a new hair cut courtesy of herself! Another first for us this year - she cut her own hair. Thankgoodness she cut it shoulder length!! We love it!)

First show and tell item

First time signing her name in

Antelope Island

2011-09-13T21:24:00.001-07:00

Went to Antelope Island for the first time this summer. The island itself was cool and we had a good time picnicing and such. The "beach" however was a joke. Nasty as all get out, bugs EVERYWHERE, and smelled awful. Utah, we need to talk about your definition of "beach". This Cali girl aint buyin it!

Camping at Yuba Lake (August)

2011-09-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are still on the hunt for "our" family camping spot. We tried Yuba Lake this year and enjoyed it. Great camp site, not a lot of bugs, pretty lake etc... only problem was the limited beach play access - great if you are a boater, but maybe not for those just wanting to play at the beach. Still had a great time!

Donut Falls hike

2011-09-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Lagoon (Aug 15)

2011-09-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

We went to Lagoon in August for my sister -in-laws bday. Liane loved the rides (most of them) and we all had a great time!

Ogden Dinosaur Park (Sept 5)

2011-09-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

We took Liane to the Ogden Dinosaur Park on Labor Day and had a good time. She is kinda into dinosaurs these days and enjoyed looking at the many the park had to offer.

Ogden Marathon (no I didnt run it)

2011-05-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

So my hubby rocks and he finished his first marathon today!! Bless his heart, he has attempted two others, but each time something happened to him that prevented him from completing the full marathon. This was a big moment for him - to run across the finish line! Proud wifey moment! Now I am inspired to try one myself! Watching and waiting

Here he comes!!

Salomon and sister Lilly

Happy to be done!

Why am I always "catching up" these days?!

2011-05-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Easter egg coloring

The Easter Bunny brought a Rapunzle doll that she has been wanting

1st egg hunt - in the house

2nd egg hunt- community egg hunt at the park

3rd egg hunt - outside home

Salomon's parents and brother on his birthday

Happy Birthday Bebe!!

Pinata fun!! (Salomon always manages to decapitate any and every pinata we get him - its so funny!)

His handy work

Pic of us as we were leaving to go see Yanni in concert (I got salomon tics for his bday - AWESOME concert!!)

My Mothers Day gift -and tradition- my pic with Liane. Happy Mothers Day to ME!!

Catching up... AGAIN! (December)

2011-01-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

The lights on temple square

A night in Bethlehem activity at church

Loving the snow!

The Cano Family Can Do Hard Things

2011-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by a story I read about an amazing group of young women and their leaders and a "hard thing" they challenged themselves to do and completed. (http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/60011/Latter-day-Saint-Young-Women-In-the-strength-of-the-Lord--I-can-do-hard-things.html). I decided that we as the Cano Family can "do hard things" too, and so this year our family motto is "The Cano Family Can Do Hard Things". In December we sat down and discussed some "hard things" we wanted to focus on and set goals to accomplish them. They may not be things like walking 22 miles to the Salt Lake temple, but they are things that will keep us focused on good things, on the Savior and keep us progressing as a family. We are taking one day at a time and will try not to get down on ourselves if we are not perfect at it. We just want to keep moving forward. I guess this really has been my motto for life... I can do, have done, and will continue to do hard things in my life. I know that I am not alone in doing so. I have family and friends who support me and most of all my Savior and Heavenly Father backing me up and even carrying me when it gets especially difficult. I know that God will not send me any trial that I cannot bear and overcome with His help and I am so grateful for that! So, we are excited to work on these goals that we have set and cannot wait to see how we have grown as individuals and as a family as the year goes on. I know we will be (and already have been) blessed for our efforts.

Its been a while...

2010-12-09T16:30:00.001-08:00

Life has been so busy for me lately and I have had to prioritize my time and energy. Sadly blogging has been cut for a while, but I am now going to attempt to quickly catch up and get everyone up to speed.
First of all... I have been so busy lately because back in the middle of October I started a part time job at Target. Why work and why Target?? Well I went back to work to help out at home for a bit to help us get ahead and prepare for the future- especially while Liane is young and we only have one child. And Target because it helps meet my two main criteria for a part time job... 1. it allows me to stay home with Liane still (I work the 4am-8:30am shift) and 2. it doesnt affect the fact that we have one car right now. I get home before Salomon needs to go to work. It really is perfect!! I LOVE my job and even though it has been a huge sacrifice on my sleep. It has truly been a blessing for us in more ways than one. My mom always says "whats a blessing for one is a blessing for all"... meaning God will not only bless you for doing what is right, but the others in your family as well. He wont bless you while the others suffer. It is so true!!

So onto the catching up!!

Random Happenings...

2010-12-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Breast Cancer Walk

Fall Festival

Halloween

It was cold but fun!

Liane's 3rd Birthday September 14, 2010

2010-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Princess party all the way! Liane has been into the Disney pricesses (esp Cinderella) for over a year now and so it would only be appropriate to celebrate princess style! Liane had a wonderful day (well bday week it turned out) and was spoiled by everyone who knows and loves her. Thank you all for making her big day so special!! Check out the way cool (but not professional by any means) cake I made her!! I totally just printed off the princess pics and castle onto paper and tapped a craft stick to the back to help it stand up in the cake. So easy and FUN!
Liane and her cousins hitting the two pinatas!

California Trip September 2010

2010-10-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

When we got home from Montana we had a week before we left for California. We were so blessed this year to make a few trips as a family. We love traveling and getting away - so we had a wonderful time doing so this summer!! We worked hard for these trips and enjoyed every moment of them! Corona Del Mar - the Tide Pools

Newport Beach Temple

Sea World

My favorite animals at the park

Disneyland!!

Can we say "heaven"? Liane was in awe of the Princesses - so precious!!

We hit the character jackpot!!

Montana Trip - August 2010

2010-10-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Montana with Salomon's family. We had a wonderful relaxing time. Montana is beautiful and the people there were great! Makes me want to move to a small town- love the feeling!! Yellowstone

Old Faithful - amazing!

Lost Creek State Park

Pool time!

Liane overcame her fear of the water and had so much fun walking around in the pool all by herself!!

Liane's 3rd Birthday!!

2010-09-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Liane Alicia Cano born September 14, 2007 8:39pm 7lbs 13oz 20 inches

Most amazing day of our lives!
September 14, 2008
One year old
Loves baby dolls, books and Backyardigans

September 14, 2009
Two years old
Loves baby dolls (still), books, movies, art, talking, and Elmo/Abby

September 14, 2010
Three years old
Loves baby dolls (STILL), movies, talking, talking, talking, books, going to church, traveling, shopping, playing, dressing up and anything PRINCESS!

Our little girl turned 3 this week!! I cannot believe how fast time has flown! Liane is such an angel. She is learning and growing faster each day. She is sweet, funny, creative, smart, and gorgeous. She is our little princess. This week has been/is full of birthday celebrations. More pics to follow...

Ward Pool Party - August 2010

2010-09-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Each year our ward holds a pool party at night at the community pool across the street from our neighborhood. We took Liane this year thinking she would love to play in the water... um guess again. She wasnt a huge fan, but we had a good time anyway. Maybe next year right?

Bridal Veil Falls - August 2010 (Lilly's Birthday)

2010-09-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

For my sister in laws birthday we all went to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo. Such a beautiful place to eat, walk and relax. The food, company and time together was great. Happy 30th Birthday Lilly!

Stake Family Fun Day - July 2010

2010-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Stake Family Fun Day at church is always fun! Lots of yummy food, cute games and rides for the kids. We thought Liane would enjoy this bouncy obstacle course, but well, she didnt. Poor kid. Other than that, she had fun :-)

Camping -June 2010

2010-09-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Back in June we went camping at Bear Lake with my family. This is the first time we have all camped together and with kids. It was a good, relaxing trip and the kids especially had a blast!

4th of July

2010-07-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

This year we celebrated the forth of july on the 3rd since the 4th was on a Sunday. We went to the park and had a yummy bbq, played soccer and water balloon games and then went home to light a few fireworks. We had a great time celebrating together!

Let the games begin!

Liane LOVED the poppers...

and the sparklers!!

Girls Camp

2010-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

I recently got called to be the First Counselor in the Young Womens presidency at church. I LOVE my calling! The young women are amazing and I am learning and growing so much just being around them and trying to progress like they are. Right after the new presidency was called, it was time to go to Girls Camp! I joined the church at 19 so I missed the whole young womens program and therefore never had the chance of attending camp. I was way excited to go (even though I had to be away from Salomon and Liane for 3 days which I have never done before). Heavenly Father blessed us to have a wonderful and safe trip, as well as blessed me to have handled the separation from my family very well. Looking forward to next years camp!

Taylorsville Dayzz and visit from Adrienne

2010-07-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Taylorsville Dayzz is a way fun weekend here in Taylorsville, UT. Full of carnival rides, food, games, shows and fireworks (not to mention the 5K and parade that start the festivites off - pics to come soon). This particular year was especially specail since my cousin Adrienne came out to visit us all. We have not seen her in about 10 years so it was so good to catch up and reconnect (thank you Facebook for that :-). A great time was had by all... looking forward to next year!

Ward Luau

2010-06-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Our ward put on a Luau activity last month. There was yummy food, slushies, fun games, music, and a roasted pig!! I was on the committee at the time and was busy running back and forth refilling the burgers and hot dogs while Liane and Salomon had fun together. Way fun activity!!Here Salomon is throwing a hula hoop at Liane and trying to get it around her - she is LOVING it!
Salomon teaching Liane to roll down a hill... again, LOVING it!!

Oh my this was so funny. Watching everyone try to use a pogo stick was awesome! Got the best pic of my Dad LOL!!

Bowling

2010-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Salomon and I went bowling with my brother Jake and his girlfriend Ashlee. This was the first time Salomon and I had ever gone bowling together. It was good times and I want to go again!!

Deseret First Credit Union 5K

2010-06-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Each year Salomon's work puts on a 5K for the employee's. He was excited to run it this year and did a great job!

Mother's Day (cont...)

2010-06-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had a picnic at the park with Salomon's family and on Sunday we made homemade pizzas with my family. Good times and a very happy Mother's Day to all!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

We started a tradition years ago of taking a picture of Liane and I every Mother's Day. I am so grateful we did! Each year Liane has given me one of the sweetest gifts she could give me - a beautiful pic of her and I. She amazes me each her by actually looking AT the camera and SMILING!! What more could a mom ask for? I am so blessed to be a mom, but most especially for being Liane's mommy!!

Salomon's 33rd Birthday Weekend!

2010-05-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

For birthdays we usually make a big meal and have everyone over. This year Salomon wanted to do something a little bit different for his birthday (which was on friday). He wanted to spend the day in Park City - having lunch and shopping at the outlets - and come back home for cake and gifts. We did just that and had a wonderful time!! On Sunday we had a little get together with my family where he recieved more gifts and dessert. Now thats the way to do it!! Thank you to everyone for spending time with us on Salomon's birthday, for all the wonderful gifts and for helping to make his day really special and fun!

Birthday #1

Birthday lunch at Ruby Tuesday's in Park City - yum-o!!

After the fun at Park City, we came back to our house to have some dessert (a yummy berry cheesecake made by yours truly) and for Salomon to open some more gifts.

Birthday Party #2

We got together with my family after church (and dinner) to have some yummy dessert and for gifts. We had jello jigglers (one of Salomon's favorite treats) and he got some more wonderful gifts.

Truman Elementary 5K

2010-04-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago our local elementary school put on a 5K to raise money for the school. Salomon and my Dad participated in it and both did really well. Salomon rocked it by coming in 6th place and my Dad finished the whole thing without walking (of which he thought he might have to do) and both had great times! Way to go guys!!

Latino America Event

2010-04-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Salomon's parents were involved in putting together and participating in an event put on by their church branch to help those in their stake and community learn more about the Latin cultures. It was a wonderful event full of dances, music, exhibits and food from the different Latin countries. It was well done, a lot of fun, and the food was amazing!! And of course there was dancing afterwards. Great time had by all!!
Dances from Mexico and Chile

Items from Mexico

Items from Mexico and Peru

Having a good time- Liane turned into quite the dancing queen by the end of the night!

Easter Sunday - Temple Square

2010-04-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

We started a tradition with Salomon's family of meeting at Temple Square inbetween conference sessions on Sunday for lunch. We all pack food, bring it to the eating area in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (located on the bottom floor) and enjoy lunch together. This year General Conference landed on Easter weekend so it was an extra special day. We love going downtown and we really could not have asked for better weather!!

Easter Morning

2010-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Easter morning is celebrated on Saturday in the Cano household so as to keep Sunday focussed on the Savior and the real reason why we celebrate Easter. Here are a couple of pics of Liane discovering her loot. What a doll she is!!

Sorting

2010-04-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

I still do my weekly lessons/themes with Liane and this week we are talking about rain/water, umbrellas and how to dress for the rain. In these pics she is gluing buttons to the top part of her umbrella. Shortly into her gluing I noticed that she started sorting the buttons on her own!! She was totally focused and having a great time, I just had to take pics! I love to watch her learn and grow!!!! Good job Liane!! (notice the outfit too... all decked out in her Cinderella dress from Halloween, her necklace and all the bracelets she owns. Thats my girl!!) Purple first... (and a whole lotta glue lol)

...next green, then yellow

Liane's handy work

Easter Egg Coloring

2010-04-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight we colored eggs with Liane. We started a tradition of coloring eggs on Friday so the Easter Bunny can come to our house a day early and hide the eggs. We want to keep Sunday a holy day and have it be focused on the Savior and the true reasons why we celebrate Easter in the first place. I grew up loving the holiday, the eggs, the candy and all and didnt want to do away with it so we found a nice way to incorporate it all. "Commercialized" easter on Saturday and the "Real" easter on Sunday- church, spending time with family, and enjoying a meal. Its great!!

Easter Egg Coloring with the Cousins

2010-04-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today my sister in law Katie and I got the kids together for some easter egg coloring fun! The kids had a good time (and so did we :-)

I started a recipe blog- pass it on!!

2010-03-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am into healthy cooking. I add veggies and grains into anything I can. I love it and it is my passion! I have come to find that many others want to know more about what I do, but also really want recipes. I have decided to start a blog where I will share lots of healthy eating info, tips and ideas and will also feature a recipe each week (usually one I come up with on my own). I and my family have been so blessed as I have changed the way I cook and how we eat. It feels so good to know that we are taking care of our health and the bodies we have been given. The great thing about what I do is that really you dont have to change much. Cook what you usually do, just ADD things into it (and in some cases, REPLACE something with a better choice). It really is easy and INEXPENSIVE!! Oh, just visit my new blog and you can get all the details. Visit often, I will be updating it on a regular basis. Thank you all for your support and interest... its kept me moving in the right direction!

Recipe blog site:

1morebiteplease.blogspot.com

Ward Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

We had our 2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt/BBQ at church today. It was a fun neighborhood event. Good turn out, yummy food and lots of fun for the kiddos. Liane was thrilled to get candy. Im just glad that she was feeling better so that she could enjoy it!!

My Poor Baby!!

2010-03-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Liane is now 2.5 years old and to be honest, up until this point in time, she has never been the kind of child that puts foreign objects into her mouth. We really have not had to "watch" her too closely regarding this. Until now... and wouldnt you know it, the first time she DOES put something into her mouth that she isnt suppose to, it has an AWFUL consequence! A neighbor two houses down has a tree (come to find out it is a Honey Locust tree - as far as we can tell) and this tree has many bean/seed pods on them which have blown into our yard. Liane discoverd that if she opens the pod she can find little "beans" in them. She had collected some of them and had them in a little tin to collect. Well long story short - I found out that after a week of having them, she ATE all of them and her poor little stomach has been a MESS ever since!! She has had bad diarrhea, no appetite, and a fever (just one night). It has been almost a week now and she is finally begining to eat some food - SLOWLY - and is drinking lots of fluids to keep her hydrated. Liane is a total trooper though and besides the diarrhea and not eating, you really would never know she felt so awful. Poor baby!!!! She is doing so much better now and I could not be happier. So parents beware of this sort of thing - or this tree in particular... we read that the seeds and pod are actually edible and sweet, but for some reason they didnt sit well with Liane. Maybe its because she ate them whole and her body is having a hard time digesting them. In any case, I would just be cautious of your kids playing with these pods - as fun as they may be. Even though Liane is having a slow recovery and it was a mess for a while, I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for watching over her and blessing her little body to do its job and get rid of what was bothering her. Im so grateful it wasnt worse.

Treehouse Museum in Ogden

2010-03-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

We took Liane to the Treehouse children's museum in Ogden today. We had never been there before, but it looked like fun. Liane (ok and us) had a blast and could have stayed there all day! It is super cute, educational and well designed...I just wish it were closer to us. I pakced us a lunch and we ate it in the car on the temple parking lot (its directly across the street from the museum). After lunch we walked around the temple grounds of which Liane loved. She loves to see the temple and always wants to go in. One day I tell her... one day :-)

First dentist visit!!

2010-03-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I took Liane to see the dentist - Dr. Jensen - for the first time on Thursday. We have been talking it about it for a week or so to prepare her for the big day. I knew going into it she wasnt going to be thrilled with the visit, but I tried to make it sound as pleasant as possible. She really did very well all things considered. She cried, which actually made things easier (mouth wide open), but calmed down as soon as the cleaning was done. The staff was super sweet and explained to her everything that they were doing and even let her hold some of the tools. She really enjoyed that part. She cried again once the dentist came to look at her teeth and completely lost it once they put floride in her mouth which was SUPER STICKY ( I couldnt even wipe it off with a wipey). She kept crying and saying "Its spicy!!" Poor thing! The staff gave her lots of fun little things to reward her with a job well done (and to help calm her down :-) At the end she got a token that she was able to use to get a toy out of a machine with. She is still talking about that (oh and about the fact that they put something sticky in her mouth and she cried lol). To reward her (and get the sticky stuff out of her mouth) I took her out to lunch and let her play. Really she did a great job and we get to do it all again in 6 months - woo hoo!! :-) Check out the loot she walked away with!! Good job Liane!!!

Discovery Gateway Museum

2010-03-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

She really didnt want to part with this stroller when we moved onto another area

Water fun!

Look at what I got!

Making a sandwhich with Grandma

The finished product

Moving her finished product away from everyone else

Notice the kid way too close to Liane, her hand placed on top of the sandwhich to make sure no one (ie kid too close to her) takes it, and the look on her face that says "please step away from my sandwhich" LOL

Yum veggies!

Playhouse

Liane, my mother in law and I went to the Discovery Gateway Museum on St. Patrick's Day since it was FREE!! It was a total madhouse, but fun nontheless. How can you complain about FREE right? :-)

Park

2010-03-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

It was nice out today (ok its funny to me that when I say nice I mean it was almost 50 degrees !! I cannot believe that this Cali girl thinks 49 degrees is WARM!!), and Liane was feeling well after being sick for a week so we decided to go to the park and have some fun!!
I love her little face as she goes down the slide - precious!

Brave girl doing it by herself

Such a cute face!!

She loves hiding in these branches

Mom's Birthday ( and Ivy's too)

2010-03-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we celebrated my Mom's 53rd birthday and Ivy's 3rd. Ivy was sick on her actual birthday in February so we combined the two. We had a HUGE salad bar ( per mom's request) and we all LOVED it!! It was fun to be together, eat great food and watch the kids play!! Happy Birthday Mamacita and Ivy!!

A Park City Valentine's

2010-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

We kind of celebrated Valentine's Day the day after since it was on a Sunday this year. Salomon knows me well and knows that I love ANY chance to get away and do something different- even if just for a day. We have been trying to make it up to Park City and so he suggested we do that. We spent time shopping at the outlets (got some good deals), ate lunch at the new Blue Iguana (yummy) and went to a couple other stores. We had a good time in the lightly falling snow (something we really havent gotten much of this winter in UT for some reason!) and warmer weather than we usually get in Park City. It was a full and fun day. We love Park City and usually make it there every winter (its only 30 mins away).

My little girl is growing up!!

2010-02-14T12:46:00.001-08:00

Liane in her big girl bed!

One of her first outfits put on by herself!!

This is one of her favorite outfits! Too stinkin cute!!

Ever since Liane turned two in September she has been growing by leaps and bounds!! She became potty trained shorty after her birthday, moved into her "big girl" bed (crib converted into a toddler bed), is now tall enough to reach the sink while standing on the stool so she can wash her own hands, likes taking showers instead of baths, and she is dressing herself these days. So many fun things going on in her life right now!! I love watching her figure out how to do something herself and seeing how happy she is for doing so. Liane is such a smart, sweet, funny and beautiful little girl!! I just love her!!

New Year, New Beginning

2010-01-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

I usually like to make new years resolutions, but this year I struggled with what it or they would be. 2009 was a year of learning (and we all know that learning usually comes with trials and pain) in many ways for me and I am ready to take what I have learned and apply it daily to my life. What I have learned this past year that I really want to apply to this year is PEACE. Peace in the midst of trials, peace in the quiet moments, peace in relationships, peace in my mind and in my heart. So this year is going to be a year of peace for me. I am going to strive to seek and stay close to the spirit each and every day. To look for those moments when I know for a fact that God is speaking to me, revealing things to me and helping me along the way. I am going to activly strive to seek God daily for I know in Him is the only real, true and lasting PEACE of which I am so grateful for!

Christmas Card Photos (some we used, and some we didnt - you'll see why :-)

2009-12-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

Lights on Temple Square

2009-12-04T20:30:00.001-08:00

Tonight we went downtown to see the lights on temple square. The lights were amazing as always and it was great to feel the wonderful Christmas spirit all around. What wasnt so enjoyable was the COLD weather!! My hands were so frozen I couldnt use them - they hurt so badly!! Liane on the other hand was so bundled up that she enjoyed it all! We love temple square!!

Decorating the Christmas tree!!

2009-12-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

This was Liane's first year decorating the Christmas tree and she LOVED it! It was so fun to watch her get into it and find joy in acomplishing it. We love the end result!

Disney Princesses on Ice Show

2009-11-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

This month Liane had the opportunity to go with her Grandma and Grandpa Cano and Aunt Lilly to the Disney Princess Ice show. In preparation I totally brainwashed Liane into liking the Disney Princesses (ok so it really wasnt brainwash... or at least she didnt resist it at all :-) Liane had the princesses down and LOVED the show! She especially loved wearing her Cinderella costume to the show... so cute! Thanks Grandma, Grandpa and Lilly for taking her!!

The yummiest & healthiest little meatballs ever!

2009-11-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ok so most of you already know that I am into eating/cooking healthy meals. You then also know that I am way into adding grains and veggies into whatever I can. Here is an example of what I mean and how I do it...

Tonight I made your simple Spaghetti and Meatballs, but I added my own twist.

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 onion finely chopped

1 small zucchini finely chopped

1/2 cup frozen spinach finely chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 cups cooked quinoa*

2 cups wheat bran

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

seasonings to taste

I use a small chopper to get my veggies super finely chopped so you really dont see much of them once done.

Mix, roll into big tablespoon size balls, cook in pan coated with cooking spray. Wa-la!!

The beauty of making the meatballs this way is that you get about DOUBLE the amount of "meat" you would get just using the meat without adding anything to it. This recipe made about 50-60 meatballs. We used some in our dinner tonight, saved some for lunch tomorrow and I froze 30 more for future meals. WONDERFUL!!!! Makes more meals AND you get so much more fiber, protein and veggies in your diet!!!!

I do this with ANY recipe I use ground turkey for... burgers, chili, meat sauces, lasagne, etc...

I also substitute the grains with other grains and/or seeds, depending on what I have at the time... such as oat bran, vegetable protein, ground flax seed, ground pumpkin seed, etc...

I as well substitute the veggies... carrots work great!!, broccoli, cauliflour (great pureed and added to mashed potatoes too), sweet potatoes etc... just be creative thats all I do!

Try it, and enjoy!!

*Quinoa/1/2 cup dry
Calories
318
Total Fat (g)
4.9
Saturated fat (g)
0.5
Monounsaturated fat (g)
1.3
Polyunsaturated fat (g)
2
Dietary fiber (g)
5
Protein (g)
11
Carbohydrate (g)
59
Cholesterol (mg)
0
Sodium (mg)
18
Riboflavin (mg)
0.3
Vitamin E (mg)
4.1
Copper (mg)
0.7
Iron (mg)
7.9
Magnesium (mg)
179
Manganese (mg)
1.9
Phosphorus (mg)
349
Potassium (mg)
629
Zinc (mg)
2.8

Fun pics of Liane

2009-11-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Liane loves to go into the cupboards and get food out to feed to her baby. What a good mommy she is!!
Liane has been home sick for a week now and so the other day I decided to something fun with her. We made oatmeal raisin cookies and she "helped". She loves to eat the dry ingredients as Im getting the rest of it mixed. Too cute!!

Halloween Pics (finally)

2009-11-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

For Halloween we all got together to eat and go trick-or-treating. Each family made and brought a soup to our house to share and when finished we got the kids dressed up (and some adults did too) and went trick-or-treating! It was a nice night out ( you never know here in UT) and the kids had a blast (ok we did too!). When we finished trick-or-treating we came back to the house and had hot chocolate and pie. Yummy!

Birthday Celebrations

2009-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

Pozole... yummmm!
Liane playing around

Salomon and Carlos being... themselves (trying on costumes for halloween)

Back in October we celebrated both my mother and father in-laws birthdays. Here are some pics from one of the festivities. Yum-O!

Fall or Winter?

2009-10-28T21:13:00.001-07:00

As usual in Utah, the fall season lasts about a couple weeks and boom, its winter!! So sad to me because I LOVE FALL!! I dont mind the snow, in fact I kind of enjoy it, but can we just enjoy the wonderful fall colors and temps a little longer????!!!! We had our first "snow" - if you can call it that - yesterday. We did enjoy what little of it we got.

Ward Fall Festival

2009-10-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

My parents are the chairs of the Activities Committee at church and this year they decided to do something a little different with our October activity. Rather than do the usual "Trick - or - Treating" from room to room in the church building, they put on a fun Fall Festival, complete with a hay ride around the neighborhoood, hot chocolate, apple cider, games for kids, face painting, cookie decorating, pumpkin carving, apple dipping, a pie eating contest and family photos!! Way fun and great memories!!

Playgroup Halloween Party

2009-10-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

I am blessed to live in a neighborhood and go to a ward that has wonderful moms around my age with children around the same age as Liane. We get together once a week for a little playgroup and this past week we did a Halloween Party for the kids. Too cute!!

Breast Cancer Walk

2009-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk this past Saturday! So many people were there to walk and support this great cause. It felt wonderful to be walking for something that is important to me and my family. Thank you all again for your support, well wishes and donations!!

Breast Cancer Walk... Sat Oct 10, 2009 at Liberty Park - UT

2009-10-01T17:22:00.001-07:00

Click on the link to view my personal page. Join me on the walk as park of my team or make a donation. Seriously even if all you can give is $1 it would help out so much! Every little bit really does help. Please feel free to pass this along to others whom you feel may be interested. Thank you SOOOO much!!

The American Cancer Society:

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Liane

2009-09-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? I look back at the pictures from when Liane was born and I almost forget that she was that little and helpless once. Liane has grown and changed so much since birth, but some things have remained the same as well... Since birth Liane is still...

*So alert! She has ALWAYS been very aware of what is going on around her and watches intensly.
*Not much of a napper :-( Over the years she has gotten better (she can now sleep up to 2 hours during nap time!! Woo Hoo!!)
*A picky eater... again, she is getting better, but eating is never like the main event of her day like it is for mommy :-)
*A snuggle-bug (which makes mommy happy!!)
*A LOVER of books and being read to!
*A fan of things happening on HER terms ( I dont blame her :-)
*An amazing mommy to her baby dolls!
*A mommys girl all the way!!

All about Liane...

*Great communicator!! Liane has been talking since before she turned 1 and hasnt stopped. She can speak in short sentences and we have never had a problem understanding her. It has been wonderful! Just today she said "One, two, buckle my shoe"

*Loves music, singing and dancing!! She requests songs she likes me to sing to her... some of her favorite songs are "Spider" (itsy bitsy), "Popcorn Popping", Bumble Bee" (im bringing home a baby bumble bee), "God" ( I am a child of God), "Temple" ( I love to see the temple), "ABC", and "Rock-a-bye" (rock a bye baby)

* She has to help with everything! Anything I do, she wants to do and she is great at it!! Mommys little helper she is!

*Has an AMAZING memory!! You tell her something one time or teach her the name of something or someone and she has got it for life! She knows the names of everyone in our family and can group them into the correct family, all of her friends names and their siblings names, and all of her favorite TV show characters. She remembers whos house is whos also (family and friends).

*Knows the colors blue, white, brown, green, orange, yellow, pink, purple. Knows the shapes circle, square, triangle, star, heart, moon (cresant).

*Loves burgers, pickles (and when she eats one she says "thats my girl" like I always say to her since I love pickles too!), fries, pretzles, chicken, bread, cheese, and chocolate (when she is cranky and I ask her, "Liane what do you need?" when all that I have suggested doesnt work, she responds with "I need chocolate"... ha ha ha... oh boy when she starts PMSing we are in trouble!!)

*Liane is a sweet girl... never has hurt anyone, yelled at any friends, or taken something out of a friends hand. She is content to play by herself or near other kids and does not react much when a child takes something away from her - even if she really wants it.

*LOVES to play with dolls!! She is an amazing "mom"! She holds them so tenderly and is so sweet with them. She loves to wrap them in a blanket, hold them tight and say "shh, shh, shh" as she rocks them. She can play forever with her babies by herself. She will make a wonderful big sister and mommy one day!

I love Liane with all my heart. She is truly a special girl and I am so blessed to be her mommy!! Im so grateful to be a stay at home mom, to spend all day with her, to teach her, snuggle with her, and just love her!! She is wonderful and I could not ask for a better daughter!! Happy Birthday to my "big girl!!"

Liane's Family Party

2009-09-14T13:27:00.001-07:00

Liane had two birthday parties in one day!! She had a friend party in the morning and a family party in the afternoon (after NAP!!). She (and we all ) had a wonderful time in celebration of this beautiful, sweet, smart, funny, and good little girl!! She deserved to be spoiled!!

Liane's friend birthday party

2009-09-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Liane's friend party was in the morning. She loves the movie "Abby in Wonderland" (Alice in Wonderland Sesame Street style). We turned our backyard into "wonderland" and the kids had a blast playing games and enjoying a little "tea party" afterwards. The tea party consisted of Liane's favorite meal... burgers, fries and pickles... mini style. So cute!! And of course mini cupcakes!! It was wonderful to see how many friends came and showed their love and excitement for Liane's big day!! Thank you all!!

Lake Tahoe Vacation!!

2009-09-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

We LOVE Lake Tahoe!! Tahoe was our family vacation spot as a kid growing up and its been a blessing to be able to make it our "Cano" family vacation spot now too! We spent our time at Zephyr Cove, Ski Run Marina, Camp Richardson, and Angora Lake. All of it beautiful, weather perfect and not crowded at all (go the end of August when everyone else is in school!!) Looking forward to going back again sometime soon.

Depeche Mode Concert

2009-09-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

For Salomon's birthday back in April, I and my family got Salomon tickets to the Depeche Mode concert here in UT on August 25. Salomon had never been to any concert and out of his top 5 concerts he'd like to see in his life, Depeche Mode was one of them. I couldnt pass up the chance to take him! The concert came at a great time for us... we have been dealing with many of lifes stresses and getting out - just the two of us- to do something so out of the norm was perfect for us. We had a blast and watching Salomon totally enjoy seeing them in person was a great moment for me!!

Salomon's First Marathon

2009-09-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

My husband ROCKS! He trained hard for his first marathon in Park City UT that was held the 22nd of August. One never does know how the first marathon is going to go (I mean it IS 26.2 miles!!), and with the altitude, the steady uphill climb for 8 miles, but maybe more importantly, the dehydration he experienced, he was not able to complete the full marathon, but did finish 16 of the toughest miles of his life! He is amazing and handled the disappointment very well! He is currently training for the Tri State Marathon in Mesquite NV this Nov. We are super excited for him!!

Chelsea's 1st Birthday Party

2009-08-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to a 1st birthday party for Chelsea, my best friend Melissa's little girl. Chelsea is a doll and it was so fun to be there to celebrate her special day. Liane, and all the kids, had a blast playing at the park and feeding the ducks. Yummy food, great company. Happy Birthday Chelsea!!

Daybreak/Lilly's Birthday

2009-08-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

We went to Daybreak (a city near South Jordan Utah) for my sister-in-laws birthday this weekend. Yummy food and great weather... cant complain! Way fun "slide" next to the real slide - this one is WAY more fun!
Playing in the little lake

The family

Summer Fun Updates

2009-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here is what has been going on this summer for us... busy, but good times!! Liane's first birthday party of a friend... so fun! Gotta love a princess party!!
Liane's first baseball game... we spent most of the time at the fun booths set up for "Kids Safety Night"

Dinosaur Museum was way fun and Liane loved it!

Look at those cotton candy queens go!! Fun day!

We love the pool! Liane was very brave and spent most of the time with the water up to her neck.

Mammograms and Biopsy

2009-08-04T19:26:00.001-07:00

Just to warn you, this post is personal, but I thought that sharing my story may help someone else by bringing this subject to light.

These past few weeks have been interesting for me to say the least. I have a strong family history of breast cancer in my family... my maternal Grandmother died from it at age 41 ( I think that was her age), and one of my cousins (again, maternal side) was diagnosed with it as well in her 30's of which thankfully she has overcome! So growing up I knew that when the time came, I would need to make sure I was on top of it. My mom has been so good about reminding me and encouraging me to get a breast cancer screening. For a while I could not because I was nursing Liane (um ya imagine how a mammogram would go!), and lately we have been trying for baby number two. The blessing of not being pregnant as of yet is that I was finally able and ready to get the screening done. Well back in July I had my yearly exam and during which I talked to my doctor about the possibility of her ordering a screening for me. We talked of my strong family history (normally one wouldnt get screened until age 35 if there is a family history and if not, would not get a screening until age 40), and decided that it would be smart to start this process now.

I went in a few weeks ago for my first mammogram and the results came back that I had some calcifications in my right breast that could be early signs of cancer and the radiologist wanted me to come back for some more scans. This news was a little scary for me as you might imagine, but Salomon gave me a blessing and I was filled with peace. I felt that no matter what the outcome, I would be ok. I knew that if it was cancer, that I caught it early and I was young and I would do whatever to fight for my health. So a couple days after that I went in for another mammogram and indeed there were calcifications, but the radiologist and doctor could not tell 100% if they were benign and given my history they did not want to have me wait the usual 6 months to see if anything had changed, so they recommended a stereotactic biopsy.

Here are details on what this is...

" This is a simple procedure that uses advanced digital mammography. It removes tiny cores of tissue from the mass or calcifications..." The technologist will position you on your abdomen on a special table. Your breast will be gently placed through an opening, and you will be made as comfortable as possible. Your breast will be compressed; xrays will be taken to verify the location of the lesion. If the position is not quite right, you will be repositioned to ensure accuracy. After the Radiologist reviews these films, he/she will use the computer to locate the precise area of your breast tissue to be biopsied. He/she will then numb the breast tissue with lidocaine. A small incision will be made through which the biopsy needle will be inserted. Once inserted, 6-15 small cores of tissue will be removed and sent to pathology for a diagnosis. A small metallic clip is placed as a marker at the biopsy site."

It may sound bad and painful, but really it was one of the easiest things to do. I did feel like a car at Jiffy Lube though - being on a table that was lifted into the air so the radiologist could work under me... lol too funny, but hey - whatever works! The recovery was just about painless as well, just a mild ache at the biopsy site. Results are given within 48 hours and thankfully my results were that the calcifications were benign - NO CANCER!!!!

I feel so blessed to be in good health and be spared from cancer. I will continue to be proactive on my health and will continue to get routine screenings to make sure nothing has changed. The wonderful part of this as well, is that my insurance covered the screening and diagnostic mammograms 100%!! Im still waiting to see about the biopsy. No matter what, it was worth every little bit of what I have gone through these past few weeks. I am grateful for my life, my health, my mom who nagged me to get this done :-), and everyones thoughts and prayers on my behalf. Im blessed to be a happy, healthy wife, mom, daughter, and friend. Oh and you better believe that I am going to be a "nagging mom" too when it comes to my daughter being on top of her health!!

I feel strongly that we as women, especially, need to take care of ourselves - our bodies! Getting a mammogram early can SAVE YOUR LIFE... I cannot stress that enough! It certainly does not have to be done as early as I did (Im 32), but once the time in your life does come - and it will- for you to get routine mammograms, DO IT!! Dont wait, dont hesitate... it could save your life.

Discovery Gateway

2009-07-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to do something fun today as a family and went to the Discovery Gateway museum (children's). We were not sure how Liane would like it, but we soon found out that she loved it and didnt want to leave. 2 hours later we finally had to break the bad news that we needed to leave so we could eat. I know, awful parents huh?! Liane did leave without tears which was nice and with a promise from us that we would go back again sometime. It was a blast and so fun to watch her explore.

4th of July

2009-07-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my contribution to the 4th of July feast
Family

Fun

Fireworks

Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and Carnival

2009-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Start of the 5K
The end - We rock!

Watching the parade

Daddy and Liane at the parade

Mommy and Liane on the train ride

Mommy, Liane, Katie and Koral

Bounce house - LOVED it!

I couldnt get her out when her time was done

Enjoying a slushie

Yum!

On June 27 Salomon, my Dad and I ran the Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and it was a blast! We all did very well and had a great time! After the race (and a shower), we watched the annual parade and then headed over to the carnival/car show/burnout. Way fun (and hot) and looking forward to doing it again next year!!

Father's Day

2009-06-22T13:28:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day weekend...

Saturday was spent with Salomon's family. We met up for a yummy lunch at Olive Garden and then took off to attend the Oqquirh Mountain Temple Open House (in the pouring rain!). It was nice to spend time together and especially to be in the temple. This was Liane's first temple open house (and Salomon's) and it was so fun to watch her get excited to see the temple. She spent the drive up to the temple looking for it and once she saw it she let out an enthusiastic "temple!". She kept saying "inside" and "quiet" before we went in ( mommy's prepping). She loved pointing out all the pictures of Christ on the temple walls. It was a wonderful experience.

Sunday after church we went with my family to the park across the street and had a yummy father's day bbq. Thankgoodness the weather cooperated!! It was perfect weather and the kids (and adults too) had fun being outside. It was great to be together, enjoy delicious food, and fun conversation. It was a relaxing time and perfect after a great day at church.

I'm still here...

2009-06-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy since the last time I posted on my blog! With Salomon training for the Park City Marathon in August, myself training for the Taylorsville Dayzz 5k and a 10k on Pioneer Day amid all the little home improvements and projects we have going on, I havent had the time or energy to put into blogging. But I am still here and will have more to come soon!

Im starting it again...

2009-05-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Running. Shortly after I had Liane, Salomon and I started training for and completed the Salt Lake City Half Marathon and we LOVED it!! The running bug bit us and we have been wanting to get back into it since then. Well Salomon is now training for the Park City Marathon (the full one!) in August while I have been sitting back thinking to myself... "that looks fun and all, but I wont concern myself with really getting back into running since we are trying to get pregnant and I will probably get prego soon so.... " Well "so" is right! I have come to learn over and over that God has different timing than me. I have held myself back hoping for one thing (which has not come to pass) when all the while I could have been doing something good for my health and spirit. Shame on me! So come what may, I am starting running again and am going to sign up for a race or two (just 5k's or 10k's for now) and take it from there. Im super excited and know that God does have a plan for me, will bless me with more children, but first things first, or, in the meantime, do something fun! :-)

Liane's 1st year scrapbook... COMPLETED!!

2009-05-18T12:01:00.001-07:00

Ok so it took me a while, but I finally finished it, Liane's "1st year" scrapbook is completed and Im actaully happy with the way it came out! Not every page is perfect and Im not the best scrapbooker in the world, but I enjoy it and find happiness in doing it. My tradition with each child will be to make a "1st year" scrapbook and with the rest of the bazillion pics we will take over the years I will probably just make an online scrapbook every so often. So much easier and sometimes more cost effective.

Boy is she growing!

2009-05-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

So a few things Liane has said this week that have made me laugh and amazed me... she sure is growing up fast!

Her little ponytail was messed up the other day (because she keeps messin' with it :-) and while playing with it she said "uh-oh hair, fix it?"

She fell down a few stairs the other day as well (she is fine :-), and now when she walks down the stairs she says (while holding her forehead)... " fall down, oooh, careful." lol poor thing!

Today while on a walk she pointed out every trash can in the neighborhood (and lucky me it was trash day lol) and then she started counting them. She said "one, two, three, four, five, six" She is a great little counter.

Tonight after her bath, I called downstairs for Salomon by saying "Babe!"so he could come up for family prayer. Liane then too came out of her room to yell "Babe! After putting her to bed I turned the monitor on as I went downstairs and I heard Liane repeating a loud "Babe, Babe, Babe, Babe... lol so funny! Becareful what you say around kids!!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Liane's gift to me each Mother's Day has been a beautiful picture together! She seems to get the smile just right on this special day. So it looks like we have a little tradition starting :-)
For Mother's Day I really wanted to go to Temple Square and walk around. The weather was gorgeous and being on the temple grounds is always uplifting. Liane had fun pointing out the temple and the pictures of Jesus. We had fun watching her develop her little testimony. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift!!

Bday/Mother's Day BBQ

2009-05-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

We got the family together to celebrate Jake and my dad's birthdays as well as Mother's Day, as it all happened during the same week. We had a good time playing with the kids, had an amazing bbq and just enjoyed each others company. Good time had by all!

Hogle Zoo

2009-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

The playgroup went to the Hogle Zoo this past week. The weather was perfect! Good to go before the summer heat hits! Not many of the animals seemed to be out or really doing anything, but the kids didnt seem to care and us girls enjoyed the time to talk so Id say it was a good day for all!

Decker Lake with the playgroup

2009-05-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

The weather was so nice that we just had to be outside! We all met at Decker Lake not far from our house to feed ducks and let the kids run wild. It was kinda crazy trying to keep up with the older kids who were running around wild, but so fun to watch them have a blast! Yeah for nice weather and free activities!!

Word update

2009-04-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest additions to Liane's words... ( I post these for my journaling benefit :-)

nappy, nite nite, chocolate, dress, shirt, top, elbow, shoulder, knee, I see you, bettle, rock, pine cone, cheek, music, singing, four, five, lid, excuse me, Boots (from Dora), medicine, monkey, snake, funny, silly, elephant, pretzle, piggie, birthday, cake, Abby (Seseme Street ), Telly (SS), vitamins, lion, window, paint, color, farm, prophet, Monson (current Prophet of our church), temple, dinner, bed, Noodie (Grandma's dog), nice, listen, I sorry, I love you, Ken, Katie, Koral, Charly (all these names are family related).

Spanish-
casa - house
baño - bathroom/bath
nariz - nose
dos - two
mucho - a lot/much
luego - (hasta luego) - see you later
gracias - thank you
noches - night
mañana - tomorrow
libro - book
pato - duck
tele- TV
bola - ball
zana - (manzana) - apple
Beto- Bert from Seseme Street

One day we were walking up the stairs in our house and counting them as we go....

Me: one
Liane: two
Me: three
Liane: four, five, six

Another day, same situation...

Me: uno, dos, tres, quatro
Liane: cinco, seis, siete, ocho

My in-laws watch Liane every Wednesday night so Salomon and I can go to the temple. One Wednesday I was preping Liane for the evening...

Me: Liane, you are going to go to Grandma and Grandpa Cano's house tonight.
Liane: "temple?"

LOL she knows!

During the colder months my Dad would come over every so often to use our treadmill to exercise. One day we were outside and my Dad had just gotten home from work (he lives next door)...

Me: oh look Liane its Grandpa!
Liane: exercise?

LOL she is too funny!!

The beginnings of my new garden space

2009-04-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

We make a good team! For one of the first times I did the heavy lifting, moving and demo, while Salomon did the clean up/detail work (which was not easy by any means). My brother Ken built us a garden box that has 5 separate areas (of which I am SO excited about!). We put it in the same area we have always planted our garden, but we just made it bigger and more organized (i.e. the box). Concrete had to be moved and torn out, grass had to be cut and removed (which I did by jumping on the shovel to lift the grass - a video of that would have been nice) and leveling needed to happen. All of that was accomplished today and then we move to phase two of filling it with soil and then planting!! Yeah!! I love Spring! Thanks to my fantastic helpers... hubby and Liane!! You both are amazing!

Salomon's Birthday Party

2009-04-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Salomon's birthday is on the 30th, but we had a party for him on Saturday. We really wanted to have a BBQ at a park, but as April typically is in Utah, the weather was not good for it. We did bbq, but at our house. We ate GREAT food, played a game, ate the yummiest cheesecake ever (made by yours truly) and had Salomon open some presants. I had given him an early birthday presant a few weeks ago ( a piano - nothing fancy, but it works!), but couldnt pass up the opportunity to get him tickets to see Depeche Mode in concert when they come to UT in August. He has never been to a concert and has always wanted to go (and he LOVES DP) so I had to do it! He had a great birthday and was blessed with wonderful gifts from our families. Happy birthday to my hubby! I tried hard to make this day special for him because he deserves it and I hope I was successful.

Gardner Village Petting Zoo

2009-04-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

We as a playgroup went to the Gardner Village Petting Zoo in West Jordan today. It is a small petting zoo, but perfect for small kids. It was fun to watch the kids with the animals - so cute! It is a cute and inexpensive activity ($2 ages 2 and up - pony rides for $3).

Change

2009-04-19T11:22:00.001-07:00

It's funny because I used to be a huge fan of my "comfort zone". It was nice, it was safe, it was predictable and well, comfortable. As I have grown and gone through some changes, I come to realize that my comfort zone was not a fan of me, or didnt have my best interest in mind. It didnt want me to grow, to think outside the box, or to leave. It wanted to hold me back.

These past few years and more specifically this past year or so, I have been stretched in ways I had never expected (and yes, it was painful at times, but not all). I have a strong testimony that we are not ever sent a trial, difficulty, weakness, etc that we cannot handle with God's help. I also have a strong testimony that God wants us to constantly be changing, growing, and learning. That is part of why we are on this earth and do have to pass through trials.

So, I have, through my experiences, come to not be comfortable with my comfort zone. I am always on the look for something I can do to grow, to stretch myself, to learn, and to reach my potential as a daughter of God, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and neighbor. And every so often I get this strong feeling inside me that its time for a big change. I dont always know what it is, but I know its BIG and its GOOD! The last time I got this feeling it was years ago when I knew that I needed to move out of my parents house for the first time. I was 26 and quite comfortable at home. When the thought came to move ( and more specifically move to Utah of which I had only visite a few times) I was excited and way scared! For many reasons I felt that I was not ready for such a move and more importantly I was worried that my family would not be ready for my move. We had gone through a lot up until that point in time and I felt like I was needed there and things would fall apart if I left. Well I had this idea (prompting if you will) for a couple of years before I ever made a move, and when I finally did move (my comfort zone was WAY uncomfortable at that time - God was working on me for sure) it wasnt to Utah, but to San Diego I went. Utah was too far and scarry for me, so San Diego seemed a much better/easier option. I struggled the 2 years I was there. Mostly my own doing, but God is merciful and has a plan for us and will make sure it happens one way or another.... lol. God got me to Utah where He wanted me in the first place, when He blessed me to meet Salomon who was living in Utah. Gotta love the irony!

Well I am getting that feeling again... time for change, BIG change and I can honestly say I could not be more ready or excited for it. I welcome it and have been prepared by God for it. I dont know what it is this time, but that doesnt matter. I dont have to know the details, but olny that its coming from God and its going to be good!

Ok so whats my point? Well lots of things, but mostly that God has a plan for me and only I can stand in the way of it happening. I have things I would like to do or accomplish, but He has better plans in mind. I need to be open to listening to the spirit when it whispers to me what I need to do or direction I need to take and then have the faith to follow it no matter how far out of my comfort zone it takes me. For I know that this is the only way I will fulfill God's purposes in my life and find the deepest joy and blessings from Him. I cannot be afraid of anything when it comes to following God, no matter what direction it takes me. Faith and fear cannot exisit at the same time. I refuse to live my life in fear, so I choose FAITH, and always will.

I forgot to post this yesterday...

2009-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Liane had so much fun yesterday walking up and then running down the small hill at church after the egg hunt. Such a cute look on her face... pure enjoyment!

Easter Day/Dinner

2009-04-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Liane's Easter dress that Grandma Cano got her

Let the festivities begin!

Fun with the families

The adorable cousins playing in Liane's room and Lilly braving it all!

We had my family and Salomon's family over for Easter dinner after church today. Everyone brought some yummy food and we ate buffet style. Good food, good company, good times had by all!

Liane's favorite movies

2009-04-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

This was Liane's first favorite movie. She started watching it at about 6 months, but really only looked at the little blue puppet when he came on the screen. A few months ago she started requesting us to play this... over and over and over. This is where she learned the signs she does know. As she would watch it more and more, she would begin to talk along with it and make the signs... it was so cute! So this was officially the FIRST movie she started requesting and watching a crazy amount of times.
Until she met Elmo... Liane is now in love with anything Elmo. I found this movie at the library ( I had seen it years ago when I was a nanny) and thought Liane might get a kick out of it. Well I was right. She LOVES it! She requests "Elmo" at least once a day. It is so cute to watch how she is so focused on Elmo and all that is going on in the movie... today was the first time she has actually watched a movie the whole way through (ok she played a bit too, but she was in the living room and payed attention as she did other things).

I do not let Liane watch much TV. Really she only watches a little bit of "Lazy Town" in the morning when she wakes up. The rest of the day we are busy doing our lessons, playing, exploring, doing art, listening to music, dancing, taking care of the household chores, and running errands. Every now and again we have some down time and watch a show together. It is sweet to watch her develop interests and her "things". Things that she loves, looks forward to, and gets hooked on. Of all the things out there, I'm happy she is hooked on Elmo ( I adore him too!).

Liane's first time coloring Easter eggs!

2009-04-11T20:09:00.001-07:00

We decided that we would start the tradition of coloring Easter eggs on the friday before Easter (so that the Easter Bunny could make a special early stop at our home friday night and Liane could wake up to her basket of goodies on Saturday morning instead of Sunday). We really want to keep Sunday a special day - set apart from the other days of the week- and keep it focused on the Savior and keeping that day Holy. Nothing wrong with the commercialized Easter happiness at all ( I love it in fact!), but we just dont feel right mixing that with the TRUE meaning of why we celebrate Easter in the first place, on Sunday. So the tradition began this year and I think it worked out perfectly! Liane had a BLAST coloring the eggs and kept asking for more... I think she would have colored 3 dozen if we let her! So much fun!

Egg Hunts

2009-04-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

Again, another tradition! There are SO MANY FREE egg hunts in Utah! We decided to play it simple this year (since Liane is young) and went to the 9am egg hunt at the park across the street from us and then to the 11am egg hunt/bbq at church. It was a little chilly today, but at least the rain that was predicted held off until later today. Prayers answered! Liane had so much fun trying to find all the eggs and she did very well I might add! We have been practicing at home ( I hid foam eggs around the house for her to find - too cute!). The great thing about egg hunts with small children is that mommy gets to eat most of the candy!! :-)

Liane putting on lipstick

2009-04-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh Liane is a funny girl and always wants to be doing what I am doing or at least helping out (she is a FANTASTIC helper!) As soon as she see's me go into the bathroom to put my makeup on, she runs and grabs her stool, plops it down next to me, and starts exploring my makeup case. Here is what that turns into most of the time. :-)

Such a talker!

2009-03-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

Here are more of the things that Liane comes up with each day...

Elmo
Grover
Abby
Diego
town (Lazy Town)
Pablo (Backyardigans)
Diesel (cousin)
Cano
Elfie, Dieter ( grandmas dogs)
Grandma

animals
airplane
braclett
slide
blue
marker
church
drink
egg
play
buns ( her cute little buns that is)
stroller
cold
windy
ribbit (noise frogs make)
march
thanks
rainbow
almost
mess
monies (the money that she puts into her piggy bank)
sorry
scriptures
tiolet
potty
soup
medicine
chip
two
flower
all done
blanket
horse

Spanish:
nene (kids)
casa (house)
uno (one)
cinco (five)
siete (seven)
jugo (juice)
mesa (table)
ojo (eye)
rana (frog)
huevo (egg)
baño (bath)
sucio (dirty)

Signs:
drink
play
cereal

Liane and I at the farm

2009-03-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

*look for info on the farm in the post following this one... :-)

Playgroup at Wheeler Farm

2009-03-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Wheeler Farm today for our playgroup. What a fun trip and absolutely FREE! Parking, admission, animals... FREE! There is a small fee to feed the ducks (unless you bring your own bread) and to ride the tractor drawn hay ride ($1.50 per person ages 2 and over), but we didnt do any of these things this time (except feed the ducks our own bread). The kids had a blast running around and looking at all the animals... such a BEAUTIFUL farm and so close to our home. I cant wait to take Liane back with Salomon... such a great place. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful things to take Liane to, and do be able to do so for FREE or little cost. What a blessing!!

Changes and Saving

2009-03-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to blog about this for a while now... so now I am finally getting to it! Ok so the economy has hit us a bit, like most everybody, and it has taught us a few valuable lessons and prompted us to make some changes. So here they are...

We UNPLUG anything that we are not using at that moment

Clip COUPONS and only buy whats on SALE (use those two together and you will make out like a bandit!)

Buy produce in BULK at the local latin market - steam, puree/shread and freeze what I wont be using in a weeks worth of time to use in meals later

FREE weekly dates - we used to have date night every Friday night and would go out to eat with Liane, but with Liane going to bed at 7:30 it kinda was a rushed meal and not really a fun "date"... so we decided to use Saturday days/early evenings to hold our dates and we are doing more outdoorsy fun things that we can also share with Liane (pack a lunch and go to the park or canyon, visit temple square, take walks, Wheeler Farm, etc...) Its been nice to create such sweet memories and do so cheaply!

Turn our heat DOWN during the day in the winter or off completely when not really needed and keep air down or off during warmer months - an open window will do the trick!

Making more MEATLESS meals - we are not trying to be vegetarians or anything, but meat is the most expensive food item we buy. We have not missed the meat at all and in fact are really enjoying the meals!

TV OFFfor most of the day (and of course unplugged) - Liane doesnt really watch it, I dont WANT her to watch it and its kinda just like background noise - NOT NEEDED

Got rid of our HOUSE LINE and now we just use our cell phones - which is all we really used anyway

DOWNGRADED our cable... seriously who NEEDS 5 billion channels anyway?!

Changed auto and home INSURANCE companies... Salomon found an amazing deal through a service the company he works for and we are getting more coverage for WAY less money! (makes you wonder why we didnt do this sooner!)

Ok there are probably a few more simple things, but you get the idea... its actually been fun and so liberating to do this. Im all about simplifying my life and this helps so much! I can tell you though that the Lord blesses you for living within your means and I have seen as we have been willing to make changes and sacrifices how the Lord has opened doors for us that had previously been closed. Its amazing to me and a testimony builder to me that even though the changes we have made are temporal, the principals behind them and the effect it has had on us are 100% spiritual. As soon as we made these changes I all of sudden found myself not needing to go to the grocery store as often (food doesnt seem to be disappearing), I dont seem to be doing laundry as often, I have more joy and peace in my life, and more time. Its amazing how the Lord works and I am ever so grateful for His tender mercies and for His patience as He let me do things MY way until I was ready to know and do HIS way.

Liane's first day of Nursery!

2009-03-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well Liane turned 18 months yesterday ( I cannot believe it!) and for those of you who are LDS, you know that this is a milestone in a childs life... they are now able to enter nursery for the first time! (nursery is a class at church for children 18 months - 3 years old). I knew she would have no problem going into nursery ( she already knows a few children in there - one being her cousin Ivy), but I wondered how well she would do with the fact that she would be in there for 2 hours. Well as most kids, she did well for the first little bit, then she realized I was STILL gone, cried, got held by one of the teachers, fell asleep for 20-30 mins, and woke up to enjoy the rest of the class. She played with toys ( babies of course... the first thing the teachers said to me was "she must play with babies at home"), ate snack (no surprise), and made a cute cereal necklace of which she nibbled at throughout the rest of the day. She was happy to see me when I came in to pick her up (she almost cried which of course broke my heart), but I could tell that she had a good time. Its an adjustment, but she adjusts well and I know she will enjoy going to nursery again and again. She is growing up so fast and we are enjoying every moment of it!