Hello Everyone!! Hope this update finds you all healthy and well.
Kaylee is 14 now, she still loves giving hugs and still has the best sense of humor. Her favorite song this year is Julien's Santa Claus is Coming to Madagascar. She loves going on walks with her eternal boyfriend aka Daddy and her sidekick aka Mom. She is enjoying high school and attending seminary.
Kaysee, also 14, was part of the play Beauty and the Beast and had to learn the lines for two different roles. She was Mirage and also a Servant. She really loves performing. She got her first job as a Dog Walker and enjoyed her time with her friend Buddy (I kept reminding her that that is the easiest way to have a dog!) Unfortunately, Buddy moved and she doesn't get to play with him anymore.
Alondra is 9. She portraited Frida Kahlo at the school's wax museum. She continues to make improvements in her speech and reading. She really dislikes getting 8-12 shots of Botox every 3-4 months to help with the spasticity of the right side of her body, but you do what you gotta do, right? She is sweet, kind and she gets my sense of humor.
Dante is 8. He got baptized and is officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He continues to learn to play the piano and according to his teacher, he is doing amazing. Dante is now in 3rd grade and his understanding of Mandarin is improving greatly. He is a good student, an excellent brother, and my favorite son!
Dionka, 7 years old, is in 2nd grade. Her academic abilities have improved immensely this year and she doesn't require much help while doing homework. She started writing everything she thinks about and we love reading her writings. She is our happy butterfly and the neighborhood's best helper, she will go and help everyone with whatever they are doing. Dionka was also Buddy's walker as she took over for 3 weeks when it got too cold for Kaysee's taste.
As a Family, we had amazing gatherings between the Taylorsville Dayzz celebration with the Riveras, John Family reunion and Kip's family, our 4th of July Party with all the Howells, Manti Pageant with the Becks, and our Costume Party with many friends and family.
We went on an extraordinary vacation to Wyoming and South Dakota where we visited: Matin's Cove, Hot Springs, Winds Cave, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, Rapid City, Dinosaur Park, Storybook Island, the Museum of Geology, Chapel in the Hill, Badlands National Park, Wall Drug Store, Casper, and Rawling's Penitentiary.
We had the opportunity to get some family pictures with part of my side of the family and all of Kam's side.
As hurricane Maria made his path through Puerto Rico in September leaving devastation in the whole island, we were blessed to receive my mom, sister, and kids at home.
Kam-- Still part of the reserves. On Governor's Day, he got The ARMY Achievement Medal. He went to AIT during the months of February and March in Kansas to train as HVAC. He plays football and basketball every Saturday with members of the ward and he is a counselor in the Quorum of the Elders.
Rosi--I turned the big 4-0 this year and I feel like...anyways, I celebrated twice, first on my actual birth date and then later in April when Kam came home from training. In July my oldest nephew died of complications with Diabetes and in September my dad died of lung cancer. I earned an award at the SLCC for Academic Excellence. I couldn't be happier to have my sister and kids living in Utah.
Kam & Rosi, we celebrated our Quinceañero, our 15th wedding anniversary in December. I love this guy! We are soooo blessed to be part of each other's lives. We are grateful to have the gospel in our lives and for the hope, faith, strength, love, perspective, purpose and meaning it brings to our lives and the lives of our children, family, and friends. To many, many, many more years and all eternity!!!
Nisa, Niredys & Luis-- 2017 for our family, was like ten years in one. The year began beautifully. In January we celebrated Niredys' 15th birthday in NY City and it was like a dream. But as the year passed the death of loved ones and the devastation left by Hurricane Maria plunged us into a deep sadness, to the point of making the decision to abandon our beautiful Puerto Rico, leaving behind our "stability" to start from scratch was a difficult, but necessary decision. Now that the year is close to being over I can say that in the midst of so much pain we have been greatly blessed with good friends and relatives who have given us love and shelter. We have come to know the kindness of special people our Heavenly Father has put into our lives. No doubt 2017 was like living ten years in one.
Watch Our Elf Video Tradition
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and a blessed, healthy, loving 2018!
