Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Today Delia Consuelo Piquero Gonzalez turns 62, and in so doing accomplishes a number of things. For example, as Trevor pointed out this morning - as only Trevor could do - she is no longer a prime number. Or, as my mother herself has been pointing out for the last month, in turning 62 she now has met the qualifications to retire AND collect Social Security. I, for one, think one of her most amazing accomplishments thus far is her uncanny ability to look, at most, 50. It is my mother's 62-year-long story, however, that earns her the most kudos. You see, my mother is the strongest person I know. From coming to this country at 15 without her parents to raising her three children virtually by herself, my mother is the epitome of a survivor. So, mom, here's to you! You have lived your life with integrity, with grace, and with one hell of a sense of humor. You are my hero and my best friend. Happy, happy, happy birthday to you! I love you bigger, bigger than all the mountains!

Bring 'em on!!!

Tomorrow the alarm will go off at 6:15 a.m., marking the start of another school year. I have spent the last few days trying to get my classroom in working order, and this is my proof...

Exhibit A: My bulletin board outside of my classroom...

Exhibit B: Desks arranged in clusters, posters up, and supplies ready...

Exhibit C: The comfy corner established, class syllabi copied and ready for distribution...

Most importantly, though, I am ready. I LOVE the first day of school - the energy, the excitement, the hope - it always reminds me why I chose this profession. So bring 'em on! Mrs. Gonzalez Smith is ready!

The tooth has left the building...

... and I am not quite sure what to do with myself. Yes, I realize that Ana, at an almost whopping 6-years-old, still has 20-some teeth left to go, but still, one is now officially gone and we all know what that means... my niece - my baby - is not really a baby anymore. I suppose I should have figured this out a few months ago. Trust me, there have been LOTS of clues. Like when over dinner, before the wedding, she asked me very seriously if Trevor and I were in love. Or when she read "Hop on Pop" to me all by herself. And of course there was the time a couple of weeks ago when she noted that one of the gymnasts on the U.S. Olympic men's gymnast team was "cute." Yet, somehow, someway, it is this picture my sister sent me that has thrust me into the reality of it all - Ana Banana of the Deep Blue Sea is growing up, whether I like it or not, and she has a gaping hole in her mouth to prove it. I can do this, I really can. After all, I wouldn't change one single second of all the major "Ana changes" over the last six years. From the walking to the talking, from the singing to the dancing, and from the arrival of teeth to the loss of teeth, not much else in life has brought me as much joy as being able to witness all of these milestones in my niece's life. So, here's to the next six years, and the next six years after that, and the next six years after that, and well, you get the point... may ALL of the next years be as fun and as full of laughter as the first six have been. 

Our new nephew!!!

This is Wyatt Franklin Smith, the newest addition to our extended family, and we are sooooooo excited! He came into this world on August 22, stretching 21 inches and weighing 8 pounds and 11 ounces. Needless to say, I think Tiffany and Gavin - but especially Tiffany :) - were extremely relieved to have him out here, in the "real world." I, for one, couldn't have been more pleased that Mr. Wyatt chose to make his grand entrance before school starts AND on a weekend so that we could actually make the trip over the mountains to meet him. Yes, he has earned MAJOR brownie points with me and given me even more reason to spoil him endlessly.

So, Trevor, the new grandma Cheryl, and I hopped in the car yesterday morning to meet the not-so-little man and of course, immediately fell in love. He is beautiful and very vocal, which I can appreciate. One should never underestimate the importance of communication, and let me tell you, Wyatt is a communicator... only when he has reason to be, which makes him even that much more perfect. As you can  tell, Uncle Trevor is already quite smitten.

So welcome, Wyatt, to the world. We look forward to watching you become YOU and we promise to be executive members of your personal fan club. We love you tons!!!

Goodbye Grandpa...

Today grandpa passed away, and while we all knew it was coming, it certainly doesn't make it any easier to swallow. He lived his 86 1/2 years to the very fullest, the vast majority of which he spent with his wife. We are just so thankful to have been able to spend Thanksgiving with him and even more thankful he was able to make it to the wedding. He wanted to make it to the wedding so badly, and as he sat in dialysis an hour before the ceremony was expected to begin, a thunderstorm - punctuated with a down pour of hail - graced us with its presence. And this time, I am not being sarcastic. If it hadn't stormed, we would not have had to move all of the chairs and equipment inside. We would wouldn't have begun 40 minutes late, and subsequently, grandpa would have missed the ceremony. Yes, the storm truly did grace us with its presence as it allowed grandpa to watch us get married from the very front row - inside, of course. :) As we were taking this very picture after the ceremony, grandpa looked at Trevor, patted his shoulder and said, "This is my very best friend." We will remember his resilience, his wit, his fiestyness, his passion for  life, his love for his wife, and of course, his bright blue eyes. Thank you, grandpa, for gracing us with your presence. We love you and already miss you.

Our Grecian Honeymoon!

Because a picture can speak a thousand words, we will let our honeymoon pictures speak for themselves...

We did it!!!

And what a day it was! My sister had told me that we would not have the wedding we planned, but we would have the wedding we would have, simple as that. I had no idea how true this would be. Despite the confusion over the gazebo, despite the thunder storm with rain and hail, the day could not have been more perfect. Our friends and family were incredible. In fact, they were the ones who made the day happen, from setting up to tearing down. Trevor and I have never felt more loved in our lives and furthermore, never knew we could love each other more than we did the day before. But we did and we do and we are incredibly excited for our future together. The wedding was truly just the beginning - I love this man and he loves this woman, and we are ready to take on the world, one day at a time.