La Familia Melendez

Pure Imagination

2011-08-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have decided that with each kid I have I will give them a song that most reminds me of them. For Marcus I have chosen the song Pure Imagination from the show Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. When I look at Marcus I see a dreamer. He is already so ambitious, always trying to figure things out and I know that he will dream up many things. I think it takes special people to truly make their dreams come true and I know that he will be that person. He reminds me so much of his dad and Alejandro is definitely one of those people who is not scared of the world and will jump into anything to accomplish his dreams. I know that Marcus has that same spark of ambition so I always want him to listen to this song so that he will always push to achieve.

Some fun pictures

2011-08-10T13:27:00.001-07:00

Marcus is rolling a lot more these days, however I never seem to catch it on camera he is just to quick. This is a picture after he rolled going for his toy.

Taking his nap. Sleep training has started for this little one and it is an exhausting task. He sleeps excellent at night but fights his naps. I now have to let him cry himself to sleep it is so sad, but he is starting to get better and knows that when I put him in his crib it is time to sleep.

This is how Marcus likes to watch the TV, he loves his belly.

Nap time or playtime, you tell me.

Love that face. I want to keep him this size forever.

He loves relaxing in his floaty at the pool, he could stay in there forever.

I am trying to feed him but he is back bending trying to get to his toys.

I love it when he pulls this face, it looks like an old man who does not have his dentures in ha ha.

He is just a silly guy.

Watching the Cosby show and having some bananas, life does not get much better than this.

To the beach we go

2011-08-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

To Zuma Beach we went. What a blast. The water at Zuma is definitely a lot colder than the water at Santa Monica but it is beautiful there!! Marcus had a good time but I did not put him in the water only his feet because it really was that cold. He loves to play in the sand!!

Pretty sure he is going to be a surfer. Look at that face.

He loves to watch the waves come crashing in and they were pretty big that day.

Love my little guy he is just the best.

Trip to Utah

2011-07-25T14:51:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Utah was such a blast. The blessing (pictures to come later) went really well, over 80 people came to support Marcus it was awesome. We spent a week with the Melendez's and then went camping with the Nolands. Marcus loved camping and did so awesome. I hope you enjoy the photos it is always hard to choose which ones to put on here because we have about a million of Marcus and I wish I could post them all. Enjoy.

M watching TV on the plane.

He wakes up like this every morning LOVE IT!!

Playing with Tia Vanesa

Look at that sweet face

Always happy.

Looking out the window

M's bed

Fell asleep on the campground table

All the boys playing while it rained outside

My mom teaching him to be naughty.

Fell asleep out in the water.

Cousin love. Could they be anymore opposite ha ha.

Rockin his Air Jordan attire

I dont know why he just wont finish his roll. He is pretty much army crawling but refuses to finish a roll.

Enjoying some bananas

Good-Bye Grandma

Good-Bye Grandpa

Good-Bye Aunt Bre Anne

Marcus Rolling

2011-06-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Finally going to bless Marcus

2011-06-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well we are flying back to Utah this weekend to bless Marcus. I know we have waited forever but it was a lot of back and forth on where we should do it, California or Utah. Hano is so busy at work and it is hard for him to leave, but we really wanted to be with our family so we are going home. We are having a huge party for him, my aunts and uncles, Hano's family, and are close friends! It should be a lot of fun. After he is blessed Hano has to go back home, but Marcus and I are going to stay and go camping with my family! I am so excited. I am sad that Hano cannot come but he has a lot to do at work so I am sure he will keep himself plenty busy. We are very excited to see family and I hope Marcus does well on his first plane ride ha ha.

Dodgers Game

2011-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

We feel officially part of LA now that we have gone to a Dodgers game. They played a day game this last Saturday and it was so much fun. The fans were great and the Stadium was AWESOME!! We ate Dodger Dogs and had a great time. It was so hot though! I think we will stick to night games from now on. Marcus was a trooper though, we only stayed for five innings because I thought that was enough time in the sun for the little guy. Fortunately we are going to a night game on the 22nd, it is Mormon night at Dodger stadium and one of the apostles will be throwing the first pitch!!

2011-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Universal Lot

2011-06-27T09:17:00.001-07:00

After the game Hano went and got a golf car and we drove around the studio lot. We saw so many fun movie sets, War of the Worlds, Jurrasic Park, Phsyco, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the time clock from Back to the Future, and so many more. We had such a fun time cruising around on the golf cart, Marcus loved being out of the heat.

2011-06-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

FuN wItH MaRcUs

2011-06-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Marcus is growing so quickly now!! When he was first born he hated his bath so much, but I am happy to say he loves them now. He kicks water all over me! He has tried to dunk himself a few times, ha ha ha. He now rolls belly to back if I can figure out how to load a video on here than I you can see. We are working on back to belly but he is not there quite yet. He is giggling more and more, he has always been a smiley baby so I knew he would have a fun personality.

All about the baby

2011-06-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well it has been some times since I have updated the blog and I decided it was time to show off my new little guy. Since I am so behind the pictures will be out of order and I am far to lazy to try and make sense of them at this point. Marcus was born March 21, 2011 at 7:20pm, he weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. I was in labor for 38 hours and yes for the last 3 hours I did decide to get the epidural. I was really wanting to try the natural birth but I was so tired and not dilating and I just did not want to deal with the pain anymore and might I just add that the epidural was a little peace of heaven. Marcus came out absolutely perfect, he did not cry just a few little gripes. He has his dad's adorable dimples and tons of black hair. We have already had to cut his hair three times and he is just a little over two months now!! He is now sleeping through the night which is great for me. I am loving spending every minute with him. It is amazing how much they change in just a few short months. He has started giggling, jabbering, playing with his toys, loves his books, and now we are working on rolling over. He received his first round of shots just a few weeks ago, it broke my heart I could not help but cry. He took it like a champ though and was playing soon after he received them. I am not looking forward to the next ones though, it is harder on me than it is on him I think:) California is going well, we love the weather and it is so nice to be back with Hano again. I am finally feeling like myself again there is still a gap between my ab muscles but I am trying to resolve that :) I have decided that a book needs to be written on the healing process after the baby is born ha ha ha. All in all we are very happy parents. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

38 Week Update

2011-03-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

I am not good at blogging, but decided to write a quick update. I am still pregnant :) He has started to drop a lot which is giving me a little glimmer of light, it has been so great being pregnant but these last couple of weeks have been a little more challenging. My doctor said things are looking good, so hopefully we can get this little man here sooner than in two weeks ;) At this point I am just hoping he decides to come at a descent hour so that Hano will be able to make it home, I am trying to stay positive in hopes that my good attitude will in some way make it come true.

We are excited to get our little boy here, we already have a million things we want to take him to do. I cannot wait to get him out on the beach and in the water! It will be nice to be back with Hano again, these last few months without him have not been the most fun. So everyone pray that he will come sooner than later, because I really do not want to get started :)

Changes, Changes, and More Changes

2010-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

This pregnancy is going by so fast and I am running out of time to get things done. Hano and I are putting in our 30 day notice to our apartment management next week, yikes that means Hano is going to get us a place in California ready. I am getting pretty excited we have found a few places that we like so hopefully when we check them out they are as good as they look on the internet.

Hano is now officially done with school, he graduated with two degrees from the U of U and is now on the hunt for his dream job :) I am so proud of him, he has worked so hard these last few years and at times his ambition astounds and inspires me. He truly believes that he can do anything and fears almost nothing which makes me so happy because it makes me not worry. I know that he is excited to move on and search out opportunities that will help fulfill his aspirations. We are both praying that things will fall into place and that we will both be able to find out niche in California and adjust to our new lives as parents as well.

I am getting ready to start my third trimester and my belly is growing more and more each week. I am not minding it to much other than finding clothes to wear is challenging and I really do not want to buy a lot of new things but I may have to break down and buy some long shirts to cover the pants that I can no longer zip up, thank heavens for elastic bands. I have a lot of things to buy for my little guy still and I am hoping to get them bought before school starts up again. It is such a daunting task finding things that I like, but I have found a swing, mattress, and finally a bedding set that I am liking. I am still working on finding a travel system that I like for the price I can afford, there are just so many brands and styles I cannot decide. I am also busy buying up onesies, pants, shirts, bath towels, blankets, binkies, bottles, socks, and etc. there are just so many things to think about and get, although I do not mind the clothes shopping part to much.

I had an appointment today and was going to get a 3D picture of the baby, but of course he decided it would be best if he did not look at us little stinker. We tried to nudge him and get him to move but he would just hit us back with his hand and keep his face turned, I hope this is not a sign of things to come I can only take so much attitude :) He is nice and healthy though and kicking stronger everyday which makes me happy. I know the next few months will go so quickly and then he will finally be here and I am beginning to get very excited to see my little man.

With Hano graduating, moving to California, myself trying to finish school, and becoming parents it seems that Hano and my whole life is changing, but in a very positive way. We are both excited to start a new section in life and to experience everything this new year will bring.

Where Does the Time Go

2010-11-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

Time flies! I cannot believe that we are already in the holiday season, but I cannot wait to eat turkey and potatoes and set up all the wonderful Christmas decorations! I hate that it gets so cold but I love a white Christmas, when we lived in Florida Christmas was great but it is so weird going to a water park on Christmas Eve instead of cuddling in a blanket and watching a good movie. Along with things moving so quickly I cannot believe that I am better than half way done with my pregnancy now, not that I am complaining because I am really excited to meet this little guy but I have really enjoyed my pregnancy this far.

The one thing I love and hate about time moving so fast is that January is approaching to fast and I know that Hano will be leaving me to go to California to get things set up for baby Marcus and I. While this is not the first time we have had to do the living apart thing it seems to be a little harder when you are pregnant and hope not to go into labor at midnight knowing that there are no flights to get Hano here in time to see the birth BOO!! However I am excited to be moving on and I know Hano is excited to go and accomplish his goals he has had since he was a little guy, it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point so while there are a few side things to think about I am more excited for the future and especially this new year and what lessons we will learn not only as parents but in striving to build a career.

Lastly, I finally got to go and have the big scan of the baby done to make sure he is growing properly and luckily he has two arms and two legs :) He is right on track and everything is looking great which is such a relief since at this point all you can do is feel them kicking around in there.

I hope that everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving Day!!

It's a baby boy

2010-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to my doctors appointment where we found out that our little bundle is going to be a boy. We are very excited to welcome him in our home, well apartment. We already have his name picked out, Marcus Antonio Melendez. He is named after Marcus Aurelius, because he was an outstanding leader, and of course Alejandro since they will share the same middle name. I have began reading him his first book, Julius Caesar because I want him to learn about the ways of power politics early on :)

I have been busy figuring out what we need to buy and of course a car seat, stroller, and carrier are a definite must, but the options are just so overwhelming!! While I was researching these items I came across a crib sell, now I was not planning on buying a crib just yet I wanted to buy it when we were in California but I fell in love and it was an amazing price so yes he does have his own bed. I have decided to decorate his room in monkey's because I can only imagine how this child is going to be considering it is a Hano Jr.

The next task at hand is learning Spanish, oh boy I am nervous but motivated. Hano is getting me the Rosetta Stone so I hope to have a good grasp on it within a year. Soon that will be all Hano will speak to me forcing me to learn. Learning Spanish, doing homework, preparing to move with a newborn, and preparing for baby is going to make for a busy year. I say year because school will not stop and I am sure the Spanish lessons will still be in play and by that time the baby will be here. I have decided that I am going to enjoy my pregnancy minus all of the pains and loss of energy because I am going to assume they are much easier to take care of in there then out here.

All in all things are going great, I am very excited to meet my little guy. He is getting a great extended family who are all equally excited to meet him and he already has 7 cousins, 4 of which are girls so I will need to keep them from dressing up my boy in frilly things;) (For my family who are wondering where I get the number 7 instead of 5, well are good friends Adam and Fabione are family to us and there two little ones will always be considered primas to our kids, so no I am not going that dumb).

Just Great

2010-10-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

I know that I should post more pictures because that is what people like about blogs and are not necessarily all that interested in the writing part, but I tend to only update my blog when I am bored at work and unfortunately there are no personal photos on my work computer. I am sure it is easy for you to guess that I am work and that I am bored, it is Friday and the time is 2:45 needless to say I am counting down the time.

First off since I do not have a lot going on right now besides the growing fetus you can imagine what the topic of choice is going to be. Right off I must say that my pregnancy has been pretty great, I have not been all that sick, I am still able to work out about 4 to 5 times a week, food tastes better to me mostly because I feel a constant need to eat. Luckily for me I crave a lot of good things like cheese and eggs. My belly is not showing that much yet, just a little bit of a pouch that you can see if I wear a tighter shirt the bad part is it looks like I just eat to many donuts rather than a growing baby, DANG IT :) Overall things have been great, and yes I understand I am only in my 15th week but I am going to enjoy the feel good part of pregnancy as long as I can.

Now for a story, I feel OK about telling this story mainly because only girls read my blog. As most of you know your breasts grow at an amazing rate when pregnant. I have never been a well endowed girl so you can imagine my excitement to finally fill out a shirt. I decided that I would hold off buying a new bra because I was not sure how long this growth would last, but last Saturday I broke down and decided I should go and get myself measured. I went to Dillards and the lady that helped was extremely nice, she asked what size I was before I told her 32 A. She pulled out her little measuring tool and said well I would say you are definitely a D if not a DD, WHAT? I was thinking maybe a B, but what do I know so she took off to go get me some bras to try on, the whole time I am thinking there is no way I was going to fit into these bras. She gets back to the room and sure enough the D is to small and the DD is feeling really good. I am still slightly in shock who knew that could happen so quickly!! I know maybe to personal to share on a blog but come on I thought that was impressive.

Lastly, I am getting excited for my next appointment, it is my big ultra sound and we will finally find out what the little munchkin will be. I have never really had preference one way or the other and to be honest do not have the slightest clue what it will be. Hano goes from girl to boy but he himself keeps flipping. I am excited to know so that I can begin to prepare myself for this new adventure. There are so many things to get done and I am still debating on how much I want to buy, since we will be leaving Utah, and what is really necessary, so any suggestions would be great!!

Anyway I am getting more and more excited. Still a little nervous for the unexpected responsibility and finishing school, but overall it will be a fun step for Hano and I. We knew that one day we would have to do this and while it is still terrifying it is more exciting.

The Baby News

2010-08-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am a horrible blogger, this is mostly because I have no time to do it and I cannot find a lot of things to write about that people would really care to read. However there has been a turn in a events and I now have something to share.
The day was July 30, 2010, I had just finished a class up at the University of Utah and was on my way in to work. For most of that week I had felt fairly tired and a little out of sync, but considering finals were coming up and I was writing a monster paper I thought it was perfectly normal to feel a little worn down. Anyway when I was walking in to work I had begun to smell absolutely everything it was so odd and that night after Hano had taken a shower I could not stand to be around him because the shower gel he used was making me feel sick to my stomach. I began to grow more and more concerned as I began feeling sicker throughout the week and decided it was time to face what I thought might be going on. And so on the afternoon of the 30th I bought some pregnancy tests and made my way into my bathroom. As I was waiting for the test to give me my future I began fiddling around in the bathroom, fixing hair, brushing teeth, looking at my pours, and then it was time............ As I looked down at the test I saw a big flashing YES, at that moment I felt my breath leave my body and my legs go weak. In my mind I was thinking how did this happen, I mean I know how it happened but HOW? I began to feel absolutely terrified. I left the bathroom and announced the news to my husband who began to laugh hysterically while I started to cry, the whole scene was quite pathetic. I said to him, "Hano why are you laughing you do understand that this means in about nine months a little bundle will be with us?" he looked at me and said, "Brittany I just graduated from the U, I am trying to get started in my career of course this was going to happen because this is how life works." Thinking of how ridiculous I acted I sat and thought how true it was, most of the time life comes at you hard even if you try even harder to control it. Now all this being said I don't want anyone for a second to believe I am not excited to play mommy, but I do take raising children very seriously and have always felt a little inadequate to handle such a responsibility. I know this is getting lengthy but bare with me a few more sentences. My first appointment to the doctor was August 16, 2010. At this point I was sure I was only about 4 or 5 weeks along but after the ultra sound the doctor informed me that I was 8 weeks 6 days along I was so shocked!! The best part of the appointment was hearing the heart beat, I could have sat there all day and listened to it, it really calmed my fears to hear it and really made me very excited. It has become more exciting the more the baby grows, all though I could do without the sickness :) We are both very excited to see our little one.

Not a lot of words

2010-03-21T16:18:00.001-07:00

Well there are too many things for me to catch upon and unfortunately I don't have the time to write them all out. I have just put a few highlights of what we have been up too. We went to Mexico with my parents in January and my little brother Nathan came home from his mission. Overall things are going well, Hano is graduating in May YEAH! I hope to be done next summer (fingers crossed). Between school, work, and church callings we don't have a lot of time for things but we are loving life and are definitely ready to take another adventure.

Quick Update

2009-10-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since I have blogged, things have been extremely busy for Hano and Myself. Hano is taking 24 credits this semester so that he can graduate in the spring, YEAH!! Between work and school for me I have no time to really get on here anymore. First Hano and I celebrated are 3 year anniversary time really flies bye! We did not have time to go anywhere this year, but I we went to Rome so I will refrain from complaining. We went to dinner at Happy Sumo where my niece Dani came and surprised me with flowers, it was so cute!! Hano is such an amazing person and we are having such a blast together. We do have some more exciting things headed are way. I am currently trying to get an internship in D.C. for next fall, sorry mom we might have to leave again. I am extremely nervous and excited! One of Hano's professor's happened to be a consultant for President Bush and the PR manager for Laura Bush, he met with me last week and gave some great pointers and even better contacts. I am hoping to get involved with local elections until I find out if I get to go. This is such a great time to get started since Utah's reps are all up for reelection!! As for Hano he wrote, produced, and directed his first film! It was only suppose to be a one minute film and they were given certain objects that had to appear in the film. Hano got the olympic sky bridge, hair gel, and a clown now what do you do with that? I would be in an absolute panic!! Hano is really creative though and it turned out great, I will post it as soon as he gets done editing it. What else well I'm pregnant, HA NOT just wanted to see if you were still reading! Sorry for all the yackity yack and no pictures. I will get some together and post them. I want to wait because we are headed to Pensacola next week to visit friends so being lazy like I am I want to post them all at once.

Italia Italia

2009-08-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well we are back from Italy and we had such a good time. We left for the airport at 5:30am Sunday morning and arrived in Italy Monday at 8:30am. The flight was long but not to bad. When we arrived at the Italy airport we had to wait for Mauricio, Jodi, Sirlei, and Farah's flight to get in. When they arrived we grabbed a taxi and went to our hotel, it was so nice getting there and changing out of the clothes we felt like we had been wearing for a week. The first day we went to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and walked around until we ran into the Colosseum. The second day we went to the Vatican and saw St. Peters Chapel, hiked a billion stairs to the Cupola which I am pretty sure we lost about 20 pounds doing, and walked around the city. The third day we went to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and toured the Colosseum. Everything we saw was amazing, Rome is such a great place with so much history I am still trying to grasp everything I was able to see. The piazza's are beautiful and we loved hanging around them each night and then eating gelato later, which we did every night. We all had such a great time and it was hard to come home.

Italy

2009-08-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

This is our hotel it was really nice, it use to be an old mansion lucky family.

I was so excited for a bed to lay down on, no sitting up to sleep anymore.

Sirlei in the airport, she looks a little worn out.

Hano and I had to wait a few hours in the Italy airport for Mauricio, Jodi, and Farah to get there. Dont mind are ugly airplane hair and face.

The Spanish Steps

Ha, she is such a sweetie!

The Trevi fountain, it was really pretty.

Hano and I on the Spanish Steps

Some ruins from ancient Rome.

Hano and I infront of the Colosseum, we didnt get to go through that day because we got there to late, but isn't it amazing.

The Melendez family

She looks so concerned in this picture.

Italy

2009-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Pieta by Michelangelo amazing.

Going inside St. Peters Chapel it was so big and so pretty. There were so many sculptures and paintings.

They say that if you rub the foot of this statue it is good luck, if you notice it is worn down from so many people touching it.

The Swiss Guard

When we were waiting in line to go to Cupola it was so hot so Jodi and Mauricio were able to skip ahead so that Sirlei could be out of the sun and take a little nap.

To get to the Cupola you had to claim so many stairs and they were so narrow. There is also no air conditioning so it was very very hot.

Farah and I ready to pass out from the heat

Trying to have fun while climbing the stairs

Jodi's arms are going to be able to punch through a wall after this trip, but they carried Sirlei all the way to the top.

At the end the view was well worth the climb, I think some of the group would disagree ha ha. I would do it all again though you could see all of Rome. This is St. Peters square.

Rome in the background

Look at this car, wow!! I think I could have picked it up it was so tiny. What a miserable vehicle.

I thought this bridge was awesome. Of course Rome has stuff like this all over, every corner has something pretty and exciting.

This is the Piazza we ate at, there were painters all over the place it was so nice.

Farah and Mauricio chowing down, it felt good to sit we walked forever that day.

The Pantheon. This was a pretty awesome place.

Look how cute she is all cuddle up on her side. She was so good the whole trip, even when it was so hot outside.

This was inside the Vatican Museum, I dont even remember who did it but it is all stained glass. I thought it was impressive.

Hano and I at the Vatican Museum, I am not posting as many pictures of this because I have hundreds but just know it is amazing and overwhelming. There is so much history in this place.

This is the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling. Now we were not aloud to take pictures here but I snapped one before we walked inside. It was so great and almost surreal to be looking at this ceiling.

The Colosseum was really impressive. I cannot believe what they accomplished so many years ago and how it is still standing today.

This is inside it was massive. They could fit 50,000 to 70,000 people inside.

Hano and I

There use to be a floor over all the rooms you can see in the center, what you see now is what was under the floor. The floor collapsed a while ago though. They kept the weapons, gladiators, and animals in the basement rooms.

This is the entrance to Rome, where everyone would enter to see the games.

Picture moment

It was so amazing. The road we are walking on is the original road laid by the Romans.

Hano having a reflective moment on everything he has seen.

Piazza de Popolo

2009-08-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mauricio and Jodi playing with Sirlei in the fountain. This was our last night in Italy and the weather was perfect.

Farah chillin on the steps

I think that Sirlei was happy to not be in her stroller, what a cutie!

Italy was such an amazing place and I hope we can go back again soon. There are just too many things to see in the short amount of time we spent there.

Nieces on the 24th

2009-07-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have the cutest nieces and nephews, Hano and I can never get enough of them. I don't have any pictures of my nephews since we were not with them on the 24th but my nieces were having a blast in the pool! It is so much fun to watch them grow and learn, they are so smart and remember everything that you teach them. Danali knows how to say "more" in sign language and is so proud of herself everytime she does it. Sirlei is still pretty little but she knows that if she rolls to much she will end up on her belly and that is not something that makes her happy. We are so happy to have such a wonderful family, maybe one day the baby making will rub off on Hano and I but for now we are really enjoying our nieces and nephews.

2009-07-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 24t

2009-07-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

The 24th was a pretty fun day, even though I worked for half the day and wrote an essay for a couple of hours. Hano had to work until three but when he got home we went to the pool with Vanesa, Hano's sister, her husband Marcos their baby Danali and Marco's sister Adreana who is visiting from Sao Palo. Mauricio, Hano's brother, Jodi and their baby Sirlei along with our friends Andres and Karen joined us as well. We met at Marcos and Vanesa's house before heading over to the pool. Everyone had a really good time. After the pool we went back to Marcos and Vanesa's to eat coxhinas, which are soooo amazing if you have not had one, and ate cake and ice cream. We had a good time sitting around making jokes, laughing and just having a good time. It was such a nice break from homework!!! Hano and I had to leave a little earlier since he had to be to work at 6am. Today I have had a case of ADD, I cannot concentrate on homework no matter how hard I try, this is not good considering my time is winding down! I am hoping my motivation will come back tomorrow so that I can a lot done.

2009-07-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Finally and Update!

2009-07-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last update! Things have been pretty busy around here with both of us finishing school and working their is not a lot of time for anything else. Hano is finishing up his last couple of semesters and then he is finally done, YEAH! I still have two years left, but I am really enjoying school and can't wait to be done as well. We are searching for our next adventure and hope to end up somewhere as fun as Florida. This year we have decided to make a year of traveling, we are going to Rome next month with Jodi, Mauricio, and Sirlei! We are very excited it is going to be such a blast! Here are a few pictures of things we have been up to since my last post.

Spring Fever

2009-04-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that Easter was such a nice day! The spring fever has definitely set it for me. Easter sunday was really nice. The Melendez clan got together and we took Easter pictures and watched movies. The little girls, Sirlei and Danali, looked so cute in there little Easter dresses. They are both getting so big! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family. I wish I had more interesting stories, but I am just to boring these days. I hope to be more on top of my blog when I get my own place.

Glenn Beck

2009-03-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck is Awesome!! I really like talk radio and listen to Rush Limbaugh a lot. However this past year I have been listening more and more to Glenn Beck. He is not just an entertainer, he has some great insights to what is going on in this country. I like the point of view he holds and find myself agreeing with him all of the time. I think with the turn of this nation has taken, which has been in the works longer then just these past couple of months, things can look somewhat scary for what is in our future and more importantly the future of our children. It is not good enough to listen to the media and there biased opinions and the knowledge that they pretend to have. I am so tired of being lied too and mostly that I am expected to believe these lies! It is very insulting to me as an American. This country is great and I want it to stay that way, I am sick of the Democrats and the Repbulicans. It is time to go back to the fundementals this nation was founded on, the vision our forefathers had. They understood the price of freedom and we are a privledged generation, we do not ever want for anything or see the suffering, we watch war on the tv but never feel the full effects of war. We need to support our troops and there families. We need to stop punishing people that are successful and ambitious. This is a nation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Your happiness it determined on how hard your pursuit is, no one is guaranteed the same happiness. Glenn Beck is on the Radio 570am at 4pm to 7pm. He also has a show on the fox news channel, I am not sure of the time because I am not home to watch it but he has a lot of information on his website. glennbeck.com

BYe BYe XtErRa

2009-03-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hano and I are now down to one car, we sold our yellow Xterra. Although I am glad to be saving some money I am sad to not see it in the driveway anymore. That car took us to and from Florida and never gave us any problems! It was such a great car and Hano and I were able to share a great adventure in it. I honestly could not believe how quickly it sold. We had it posted for one month! With the economy the way it is I thought we would never sell it for the price we needed, but we have been very blessed! We will miss the Yellow Xterra and I hope that the new owner takes good care of it!

Valentines or Birthday

2009-02-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know my hubby's birthday happens to be February 14th! Luckily for him I could really care less about Valentine's Day so we celebrate the birth of my wonderful husband!! I suprised Hano by taking him to the Little America hotel but lucked out and was upgraded to the Grand America!! It was so awesome we were able to stay on the eleventh floor, the view was awesome! We went and saw the movie Taken, I would recommend renting rather then spending the money to see it, then we were going to eat at the Happy Sumo but the wait was soooooooooo long so we ate at Sizzler instead, ha ha ha. Hano really likes Sizzler, Jodi and Mauricio if you are reading this I am sure you are laughing since a couple weekends ago that is all he talked about!!! All in all we had a really good day and I love the time we spend together! I am thankful everyday that he is my husband. He is always making me laugh and makes life a lot easier. He helps through everything and I am so glad for his strong personality. I have learned a lot from him. I will start posting pictures again, but I am with my inlaws right now and I dont want to put my pics on there computer so until we find our own place it will just be posts with words.

Back in Utah

2009-01-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

Well we are back in Utah once again and even though it is nice to see family I am still missing my Florida life. Things have been a little hectic, Hano is back in school and I am desperately seeking a job. I had two interviews today and another one tomorrow so hopefully I will have a job soon. We are also living with my in-laws right now, and even though they are so welcoming and make everything very comfortable I am ready for my own space again. I still have not gone to see my parents yet and I am looking forward to when I finally get to see them. It has been a long while since are last encounter. That is about all the excitement for now, hopefully the next time I post I will have a job and an apartment, HA!

New Years Eve

2009-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

WOW!! We had such a fun New Years Eve. Now a lot of the people we hung out with I didn't really know but apparently they are a pretty big deal in Brazil. Some of the people were Xuxa, Amaury Junior, Zeze Di Camargo e Luciano, Zeca Pagodinho, the girl who inspired the song "Girl from Impenema" and her family. We were able to attend the VIP party at EPCOT with all of them and enjoy a midnight firework show that was absolutely amazing. I don't know how we are going to top all of the fun we have had over the holidays this year but I am excited to try!! Here are a few pictures of the party. Most of them are with close friends we have here but we there a couple with the Brazilian stars :)

Christmas with Snells

2008-12-28T17:21:00.000-08:00

So many things to tell and I am certainly not patient enough to write it all down so you will have to appreciate my synopsis. Well are friends Adam and Fabione Snell came here with there cute baby boy Carter. We did all the parks at Disney World and also went to Universal Studios. Now I suggest to spend at least one Christmas at Disney, I know it is a lot of money and lots of people, but there is nothing like it. They make everything so magical! We went to Universal on Friday but went to the Island of Adventures park. What a blast we had there. The rollercoasters are so much fun, the Dueling Dragons, the Hulk, Jurassic Park and on and on! Christmas Eve we had some friends from work and are ward over for dinner. We sat and told stories, ate lots of food and just had a wonderful time. It was also nice having Carter around for the holiday, he was such a blast. I hope my babies are as good as him. Hano and I were able to babysit him on Saturday while Adam and Fabione went on a date, he is such a cutie. Anyway I will just post lots of pics because they will tell all!!

Thanks for the tag Kylee

2008-12-17T09:20:00.001-08:00

1. Where did you first meet your husband? At a salsa dancing class.

2. How long did you date before you got married? About 1 1/2 years.

3. How long have you been married? A little over 2 years now.

4. What does he do that surprises you? If you new my husband you would know that he is very imaginative and always does crazy things to surprise me.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Have you seen his cute dimples!

6. What is his best quality? He always gets what he wants, he is very ambitious and has a really good heart.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Oh yes, Bit-Bit. He got it off of a Madtv skit that made fun of Britney spears and K-Fed, lucky me.

8. What is his favorite food? Pizza

9. What is his favorite sport? Football or soccer

10. When and where did you first kiss? I dont know the date but on the couch in my apartment.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Oh wow we love to do anything and everything.

12. Do you have any children? No

13. Does he have any hidden talents? He is really good at making messes in record time.

14. How old is he? 24

15. Who said "I love you" first? He did

16. What is his favorite music? He is pretty well rounded when it comes to music.

17. What do you admire most about him? He is very honest and does not play games. If he has something to say he just says it so we avoid a lot of needless fights. He is also very funny and always makes me smile when i feel bad. He makes me better. I could go on and on!

18. What is his favorite color? Sadly i am not sure so i will say black.

19. Will he read this? I dont think he even knows the web address, so no.

20. Who do you tag? Anyone who would like to share.

Counting Down the Time

2008-12-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well I cannot believe that Hano and I are starting are last month in Florida. Every day that goes bye we get little more sad to leave are new home. We really enjoy living here and Utah will seem so little compared to what we have experienced here. If we could stay here we would. I have seen Hano grow so much intellectually with his business prospective. He has made some fabulous contacts here and I hope that when we decide to settle down they will pay off. Most of all we have learned how much of the world there is to explore, well I have learned. Moving away has put a whole new twist on how we look at life. I hope that we go a lot more places and live in a lot more places. It doesn't matter where we end up as long as we end there together. The six months that Hano and I lived apart were horrible but I have grown to know how much I love just being with him. If you ever get the chance to live somewhere else branch out of your comfort zone and go, it will be the best thing you ever do!!

Pensacola Beach

2008-12-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

While we were in Pensacola we took a trip to the beach which was absolutely amazing, I am sure it is because it is the gulf. The sand felt like sand from Mexico and we even saw some jellyfish swimming around. It was pretty cold the day we went so we decided no to get in, plus with the jellyfish so close to shore made me weary of getting in because with my luck I for sure would have been stung. The best was watching Carter. Fabione told us that he loves the birds and every-time he sees one he starts to wave wildly at them. He is just so funny we could not get enough of his cute personality.

Thanksgiving with the Snells

2008-12-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

Well Thanksgiving was so much fun for us this year. We spent it with are best friends Adam, Fabione, and Carter Snell. They recently moved to Pensacola for Adam's air force training, so we drove up there to spend Thanksgiving with them. The funny thing is I never took pictures of actual Thanksgiving, ha ha ha. I am not known for my great camera skills but I am really trying to get better. It was a blast being with them and Carter has grown up so much, he just had to pull out all the pots and pans from the cupboards it was so funny! Adam and Hano decided to go shopping on black friday and sure enough Hano was able to get an xbox 360 with the assistance of his good friend Adam. We are so lucky to have them as friends and I am so excited that they will be spending Christmas with us as well!

Planet Hollywood

2008-12-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Planet Hollywood is a restaurant at Downtown Disney, it is a lot of fun because they have a live DJ and they play lots of old movie clips and hang movie memorabilia around the whole place. The car in the picture is a picture of the Herbie car. We have a good time when we go there and the food is pretty good.

Fantasmic with Willian

2008-12-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

The Sunday before Thanksgiving my brother in law's little brother flew in from Brazil to do some shopping in Florida so he stayed with us for a couple of days. We had a lot of fun, if any of you have been to the outlet malls here you know what I am talking about. We decided to take him to the show Fantasmic, which also plays in California, it is an amazing show and we had so much fun watching it with Willian. Hano and I love going to the parks especially the fireworks shows.

Yacht Club Beach Resort

2008-12-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

The weekend just before Thanksgiving Disney got us a room at the Yacht Club Beach Resort. It is such a nice resort and the view from are balcony was so pretty. It looked over into the pools and out to the lake. We had such a good time staying there and I hope we get to do it again before we have to go back to Utah :(

Pre Thanksgiving dinner with the Becklers

2008-12-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

Wow I feel like I have a ton to catch up on. It has been super busy the past couple of weeks, but also tons of fun. First of all we decided to have a pre-Thanksgiving feast with are friends herein Orlando, Dan and Ellie Beckler. We ate good food, played some mario cart on the Wii, and made snowflakes out of construction paper. At first it was just Ellie and I making the snowflakes but later on the boys decided it was not to cool for them, even Duke, the dog, joined in on the fun. We have such awesome friends here!

How do you feel??

2008-11-05T09:09:00.001-08:00

Well this election has been by far very long and tedious. I am now hoping that all that was promised will be a reality but I am not feeling a lot of confidence right now. I see a part of history becoming the future again but this is America so now is the time to step up and stand behind it. I feel really bad because I loved Sara Palin and she has had to go through some pretty cruel accusations. I am glad that she will have some time with her family so that she can raise her little baby and help her daughter with hers. There are lots of things that I disagree with President Obama on but everyone deserves a chance and I am glad that I was here to see history made. How do you feel about the election??

Breakfast at Ohana's

2008-11-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

We went and ate at Ohana's in the Polynesian Resort on Saturday. It was really fun and we got to meet a few characters while we were eating. I always love eating at Disney because of the Mickey Cakes they are so yummy! When we first arrived and sat down Teri found a huge spider sitting next to her so they moved us to another table. It was a pretty gross spider and none of us wanted to kill it, YUCK!

The Parks

2008-11-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of me and my friends enjoying the parks. We ran into Jasmine and Aladdin at EPCOT and had to get a picture. Dave really wanted to stand by Jasmine but I decided to intervene so that Teri wouldn't get into a fight with her, ha ha. We had a lot of fun but I think that they were pretty tired by the end of there visit!

Boyz 2 Men

2008-11-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

So it has been a crazy week!! Some friends of ours from Utah came to visit us for the week and we had such a blast. I don't know how many of you like Boyz 2 Men but Hano and I love them. We went to there concert at EPCOT and it was fantastic. I know that they are an older group but they put on a really good show!

John Secada Concert

2008-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend Hano and I went to EPCOT to watch a John Secada and walk around the food and wine festival. Now I had no idea who John Secada was but apparently he was really popular when I was eight. Hano on the other hand new every word to every song, he is a dork! At the food and wine festival we had some Spaetzl from Germany, Pastel de Choclo from Argentina, and Empanada from Chile. The food is so good and we are planning on going back this weekend. We are having so much fun here and it will be really hard to go back to Utah and to leave all of our friends.

Florida Apartment

2008-10-20T09:38:00.001-07:00

I decided to post some pictures of our apartment in Florida. It is not that exciting and not to decorated but we are happy with it. Most of the things in it we received for free, I am really glad because we are not planning on taking anything back to Utah with us except for the computers.

Living Room and Office

2008-10-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well here is the living room and office. Everything you see in this room we acquired for free, except the couch.

Kitchen and Dining

2008-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is my fabulous kitchen and table! A friend of Hano's gave him the table so we didn't have to buy one, how nice! On the wall are paintings done by Picasso, aren't we artsy:)

Bathroom

2008-10-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the bathroom!! Once again not that fancy, except i like my towels. For a bathroom rug i put down an old towel, how innovative :)

Bedroom

2008-10-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well this is are bedroom. I know it is not fancy at all in fact that is not even a beadspread it is just a blanket. I did not want to buy anything because i wont be taking it back to Utah with me so i would rather spend the money on some shoes ;)

2008-10-17T13:17:00.001-07:00

I just want to say that blogspot is not the easiest thing to learn. I am getting the hang of it but i still don't know how to change my template to a cute one. So until i figure it out you just have to look at my boring one for a while. I am also open for tips!!

TURKEY LEGS

2008-10-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know you can buy whole turkey legs in the Disney parks!! This is a picture of Cody and Jamie enjoying themselves!

2008-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Tattiana with Mickey

Disney, Disney, and more Disney!

2008-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well Hano and I are always at Disney World these days and my favorite thing to do is meet the stars. This past week some of Hano's cousins brought their goddaughter here to play in the parks. We took them to breakfast at a place called the Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. The best part about eating here, besides the Mickey cakes, are the characters that walk around while you eat so you get a picture with them and you don't have to stand in a line!!

Universal Studios in Orlando

2008-10-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well Hano and I finally went to Universal Studios here in Orlando and i have to say it was a little disappointing. This was my first time ever and my husband informed me that the one in California is better so if your going to go then go to California. We arrived early in the morning and waited in long lines in the blazing sun and when we finally got to the ride it sucked!! The only ride I really liked was the new Simpsons ride! It was really fun and I got to meet Bart! When we were finished at Universal we hopped over to the Island of Adventures park what a blast! Unfortunately when we got there we were so run out from Universal it was hard to enjoy it so we will have to go again.

First Niece

2008-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is the newest member of the family. We don't have a lot of pictures of her because we left for Florida soon after she was born. She is Hano's sister Vanesa's baby. She is so sweet and we can't wait to see her again. We are so excited to have a niece and we are going to have another one in January!! We love all of our nieces and nephews!

Nephew number2

2008-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well Carter is much older then these pictures now I just need to take more pictures. Carter is not a blood nephew he belongs to two of our best friends Adam and Fabione Snell. They are definitely family though! We love hanging out with them and love Carter! We are so excited because they are moving to Pensicola, Florida in November so we will be spending the holidays together.

Nephew number 1

2008-09-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is my very first nephew! He belongs to my brother Allan and his wife Celeste. He has been so much fun to have in the family. He is going to be two this November!! He is growing so fast and is starting to talk now.

My Husband

2008-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

What can I say about Hano. He is such a great person! He is so ambitious and is not scared of anything. He is always making me laugh and that is serious he really is funny. He works very hard to be successful and a good provider. Everyone he meets falls in love with him, I wish I had some of his qualities. He loves being around his family and loves his niece and nephews. I am so glad that I am married to him, every moment is a blast.

1 year anniversary in New York

2008-09-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

For our 1 year anniversary we went to New York City. Hano surprised me with the trip! He likes to surprise me but he always ends up telling me at least a couple weeks before because he gets so excited! We had such a blast in New York! We ate hot dogs from the vendors and saw Phantom of the Opera, which was incredible!! New York is a fascinating place and incredibly alive. We stayed on Statton Island with some of Hano's cousins. They were so nice and took us on a tour of the city!! They were so helpful. The best was trying to figure out the subway, I am surprised that we didn't get lost! People were pretty helpful when asking them which train we should take. My favorite part was the Empire State building. I cannot imagine building that in the time period it was built. It is so high!

About Us

2008-09-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Well Hano and I will be married two years on the 22nd of this month! I cannot believe how fast it is going! I think that a lot more has happened in our second year. Hano was offered an internship in Florida starting in January of 08, we decided that it would be best for me to keep my job in Utah since the internship was only going to be six months. It was a really long hard six months being apart and when the six months were suppose to be over he was extended another six months!! We could not go a whole year away from each other so I moved to Orlando in July. Luckily my job is being held for me so that when we come back to Utah in January, I wont have to look for a new one and Hano can just go to school. We are having a blast in Florida. The weather is great and we go to Disney World all the time!! We are making a lot of new friends and enjoying the new culture. We are sad that the time is going so quickly and we will have to go back to Utah but we are ready for a lot more adventures.

Starting My Blog

2008-09-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well i was not going to start a blog until we had children so that i would have something to blog about, but my husband has been very persistent in his begging me to start one so i have finally given in.