The Rodriguez Family Blog

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Chilli and Lights

We had our families over last night for chilli and then we went to see the lights on Christmas Tree Lane! Although it was crowded...we had a good time! We usually drive the route but decided to walk it this time which was wonderful. I love doing these things a Christmas time...such good memories!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Dinner at the Mission Inn

A few years back my dad started a new Christmas tradition. Each year, just before Christmas, we all meet for dinner at the Mission Inn in Riverside. This has become an evening that we all look forward to. Every year the table has grown and we've added people close to us that we love and care about. After dinner this time, we took a horse drawn trolley ride around the mission and sang Christmas carols...it was very fun!

Dinner at the Mission Inn

Monday, December 15, 2008

Mariah's Wicked Birthday

Mariah received Wicked tickets for her birthday this year. She had been wanting to see this production for a long time now and was very thankful and excited to be given the chance to go! Thank you grandpa and grandma Cash!

The girls LOVED the play!

We can't wait to get inside!

Hollywood, here we come!

I can't believe our little girl is nine! Happy Birthday Mariah! We all love you very much!

Angel Breakfast

We went to our church's Angel Breakfast on Saturday! This is a really great preschool event that has a very fun "kid" breakfast, singing angels that visit the children, and the Christmas story told by Mary herself! It was very fun to spend the morning with friends and celebrate the season together. I've always loved taking my kids to this event and Luke had a wonderful time this year! However, he did question how "real" the angels were...just look at his face in this picture.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Make a Smilebox greeting

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Nativity

My friend Jenni recently blogged about setting up their nativity and showed a picture of how her children set up the figurines. We too, have a small nativity that Luke likes to play with and I noticed the other night that he set up our nativity the same way the Bishop kids did! Every figure was turned to very intentionally face the manger where Jesus was. That got me thinking...how powerful that is! No one told them to face them that way, they just knew. They knew that the whole reason for that scene, the whole reason all those people were there, was for that one special baby! I think that's pretty cool...don't you?

Something to Consider

Adopting a child doesn't change the whole world. But for that child the whole world changes.

Unknown

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so you may live as you wish.

Mother Teresa

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Truem

Whether you believe you can do something or not, you are right.

Henry Ford

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.

Eleanor Powell

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition!

The small things we do in life for others don't mean much...they mean EVERYTHING!

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one come to you without leaving happier.

Mother Teresa

A friend is someone who knows you well and still likes you.

Unknown

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Luke often says such funny things, so I thought I would start to share them with all of you from time to time! So here are some of the most recent ones that have kept us laughing...

Apparently Luke has recently become fluent in French. When I inquired about where he had learned French he replied, "From the FBI!"

Recently our dog Maddie was barking to get outside. I sternly said, "Be quiet! Go lay down!" Then I heard Luke say, " Mom, I could be wrong, but I don't think that is the way to earn Maddie's affections!"

Luke has narrowed down his career options recently. He told me he just can't decide whether he should work at Walmart or be a Doctor!

Luke asked me the other day if we could stop at Starbucks for a "Frap-a-chonie".

After our walk through a living nativity this Christmas, Luke said "Wow...I didn't know Jesus was "king of the jewels" thats cool!"

Luke has been asking about heaven lately. When we will go there, who will go there and now...what will go there. He told me that he'd like "jacket" (his blankie) to be there so please put it in a box, write "JESUS" in big letters and He can pick it up at the post office when he has time!

When I asked Luke how his day at school went earlier this week, he said "Great! I met Avery and she's willing to marry me!"

Today Luke announced that he is getting a tatoo. It apparently is going on his stomach and will read: God is awesome...and so is my mom! It does have a ring to it! I like it!

Luke was watching the kids walking by as we waited for Dylan after school today. When suddenly he blurted out, " Oh dang! I just saw a Jonas brother! I didn't know they went to this school." I said, "You did?" And he said, "Yeah, the one with the hair!"

Luke hurt himself on Friday and we had to visit the emergency room. When the Dr. came in she asked me if he had lost conciousness at anytime. And although he was very much out of it, Luke opened his eyes just a little bit and said, "No, I lost my balance!" Then closed his eyes again.

Luke was asking about the logistics of how God could make everything in the world in just a few days. So, I began to review with him what happened each day. When we got to the 6th day I told him that God made the first people. I said, "Do you remember who the first man was that God made? Do you remember his name?" "Grandpa?" was his reply!

On Halloween Luke asked his dad, "What is Jesus being for Halloween?" When Mario said he didn't know...Luke said, "I think he's gonna be a hamster!"

Luke received a call from Geoffery the Giraffe at Toys 'r' Us for his birthday today! He listened quietly, then said, "What the heck? I didn't know giraffes could talk!"

We were at the doctor's office recently and the nurse told Luke that she loved his curly hair. This was his reply, "Seriously, it's not MY fault! It's my mom's..."

Recently one of Luke's siblings was sent to their room for disobeying. As he assessed the situation and they went upstairs, he turned to me and asked, "Are they gonna get their rear-end paddled?" To which I replied, "No! Where did you hear that?" He said, "You know...that's spanish for a spankin'!"

Most nights I tuck Luke into bed and they all go pretty much the same...tuck him in, pray, give him a kiss and turn on his music. But tonight was different! When we were done praying he said to me,"What did you say?" I said,"Amen!" "M-O-M!" he told me,"It's Hey, Man! When we're done praying we say Hey, Man!"

Man, you've got to love kids!