December 7th

December is my favorite month. I think that it always has been. I remember one Christmas, opening up a present with a bridle in it and being so confused. It turns out the new horses my neighbor just got were actually my present. We were ecstatic! We walked down our long driveway and up our neighbors and met our Christmas gifts. It was so cold but it is a memory I will never forget. While I am nowhere near being able to give my boys a pony for Christmas I always want to make these days special enough that their memories will be as vivid as mine are.

Vincent's 4th birthday is on the 23rd, then Christmas, then our 3rd anniversary is on the 30th. I am lucky enough to have paid vacation for two weeks which I am so grateful for. I will get to catch on my quality moments with the boys and hopefully make some memories they can't easily forget.

I just started at Southwest Human Development, www.swhd.org It's a terrific organization and I'll be working with the early head start program that they are starting up. It's in Phoenix, so that has presented some challenges with cars and transportation for Jeremy and my mom. I am thinking we will need to expand and get a second vehicle. I need something probably used and inexpensive. I have been thinking of a kia sedona, scion xb, hyundai santa fe, or anything in between. We are looking for something with a little bit more room since the civic is pretty cramped with the two car seats in the back seat, not because we are expanding the family or anything, not for a LONG time.

So if anyone has any advice vehicle wise, please send it my way! Love you all.

New Pictures

Thanksgiving

Love This!

Contreras Family Update

Well there has just been so very much going on lately. I will try and recall the important things.

-- Jeremy got his license. Yay! It is so nice to be able to send him to the store. The interlock is a bit of a pain but completely worth it

-- I accepted a job offer at Southwest Human Development with the Early Head Start Program. I start a week from today. I am entirely nervous and will miss my dad a lot but I guess it's the next step in growing up.

--We are still doing our temple prep classes. It's a bit difficult with Jeremy teaching primary and different schedules but slowly and surely we are completing them.

--Looks like I won't have to go to trial regarding termination of rights after all. Which is maybe my best news of all.

--Can't wait to go visit my Grandma & Grandpa. Although no one is more excited than Vincent is.

Wildlife World Zoo

Yesterday we went to the Wildlife World Zoo with Jeremy's mom and her boyfriend. It really was so much fun. I have never been there before but I highly recommend it now! There is just so much to see and everything is so close up! It is expensive but if you look in the coupon pages of the verizon yellow pages there is a 2 for 1 coupon. Jeremy, Vincent, and I took the sky ride which goes over the whole zoo like a ski lift. It was a blast. We also went on the train ride and Vincent & I even went on the log ride by the acquarium. We got to feed the giraffe out of our hands and got to watch the turtles make some babies, Vincent would not stop yelling 'look mom, that turtle is on the other turtles back'. The petting zoo had deer in it too who after I fed them would start nibbling on my shirt. Definitely needs to be washed a few times, but it was so much fun. They even have an acquarium and Vincent got to pet the sting rays. I asked him how it felt and he said that it felt like his hair does. He is so silly. By the time it was over everyone was exhausted. I wished I could show everyone pictures but my camera is mia. In a way I'm glad I didn't have my camera because I wasn't constantly worried about all the great pictures I would be taking but just sitting back and experiencing it all.

Oh just a tidbit, we left church early to go to the zoo, just a sacrifice you make, in a diverse family like mine, and Vincent seriously had to be drug out of the primary room. He loves his class so much. I guess that's a good problem to have!

Halloween