Utah trip

Friday after work, my cousin Sarah and her fiance Xavier and I, all headed to Utah {Evan stayed back in Cali for work}. Yes we drove the 10 hours and arrived at 4 am Saturday morning. One of our cousins, Timmy, was getting married in the Salt Lake Temple. Even though the drive was looooong {not an exaggeration} and the drive home seemed even looooonger {still not exaggeration} I am glad we made the drive to support Timmy. He looked so happy and was so excited to be marrying his love Catherine. It was great to be celebrating with the family that could make it. 

Congrats Timmy & Catherine! We love you both!

Timmy & Catherine!

Partying on the dance floor

Wedding Fun

Ben & Amanda's baby girl Savannah

 On the drive home!

Still waiting...

Maybe this week we will get a call...I'm trying to be over it, but I'm still anxiously waiting..It is what it is, right?

And we wait...

Tuesday came and went...No call from Atlanta.
Wednesday came and went..No call from Atlanta.
Thursday...Today is the day! Atlanta has to call today!!

Tender mercy

On many occasions Heavenly Father is letting me know that He is listening. That he knows me and always has my best interest at hand. Since Friday I have been fighting a cold. Runny nose, sore throat, cough..the works. After my normal 7-4 job, twice a week I work with an autistic kiddo. By the 2 pm mark yesterday, I was so wiped, I was feeling so ucky. I debated whether to cancel my session to go get some rest and try to get rid of my cold, but I didn't want my supervisor to get upset because we were already down hours (because the kiddos family cancelled on a previous day this month). About 5 minutes after I debated to cancel or not to cancel. I get a text from the kiddos mom:

"Hey we are at Disneyland so I'm going to cancel today..sorry! Hope you're feeling better."

It was like Heavenly Father heard my thoughts, knew I needed to rest, then told the kiddos Mom.

Heavenly Father is so good to me. I am so thankful for such small tender mercies that strengthen my faith.

Atlanta Trip

Evan's short visit in Atlanta went well. He enjoyed the beauty of Atlanta so much. He really hopes to move there if he gets accepted into Emory's fellowship. While he was there he was amazed that even the freeways had so much greenery. He was able to take a tour around the city and later Friday night went to an Irish Pub with some of the Emory program members {no pictures unfortunately}. He was able to meet up with my Uncle Jon, his new wife Rachel, and my cousins. I was a little jealous that he got to go see them and I haven't seen them in 3 years. Lucky guy. I am glad he enjoyed himself and who knows maybe we will move there this summer. 

Warm to cold

While Evan was out of town, I spent the night at J&B house. We were so excited to have a beach day on Saturday because it was suppose to be very warm. In fact in Riverside it was high 90's. We got all packed up for the day and headed down to Oceanside. When we got to Oceanside it was about mid 70's. Then when we got closer to the beach and the harbor it was about 62 degrees! Epic fail!! News reports lied! We were so bummed! It was too cold to do much since Ru and Cole (and me) had colds, it wouldn't have been good to be out in the cold. We headed back to Temecula (about 80 degree weather) and went swimming in a friends pool instead. Our day turned out pretty great. We had a good time and Rubi, especially, got to go swimming just like she wanted to with her Ariel swimsuit!

He is in the air

His flight is FULL. His $10 airport sandwich sufficed, but didn't taste nearly as good as his Subway sandwich would've had he not left it on the shuttle from long term parking {I think he left it because he knew the shuttle driver would need lunch} But he is on his way! And I am so excited for him!

Packing up

I watched him pack up his suitcase last night for his trip to Atlanta, GA. Too bad he couldn't pack away his nerves! Poor guy! I have never seen my hubby so nervous {minus the day before/day of when he took his national BOC exam}.He went over his suitcase contents about 4 times with me, rehearsing what he will wear on which day just to make sure he didn't forget anything. It was really late, but I tried to stay up with him as long as I could. I just kept hugging him telling him it was all going to be just fine. I couldn't really find comforting words for him, except, "Babe, you are amazing! You are going to do so great! If its in the Lords plans for us and we do our best, it will work out. If its not His will, then it won't work out. We are meant to be somewhere else. I am so proud of you!" I am so excited for him! He is going to do amazing! Why? Because he is amazing! You can't come up with an amazing personality over night or the answers to all the unknown questions you'll be asked, but he is that type of person that people like. The type of person you want to be around. I hope Emory sees that in him. Funny of the night-"Babe, you will be gone 2 days over night, how many underwear do you want to take?" He says, "Make it 4, just in case I poop myself!"

Good luck Evs! I am your biggest fan! You're going to do awesome!

A weekend apart

The hubby was in San Diego being amazing and giving his presentation that he worked so hard on. I sure missed him for the 3 days he was gone.

And Friday, I spent the night @ J&B and then Saturday I celebrated Rubi's birthday with family.

Pre-Party

Party time

We bought her this book called Giraffes Can't Dance. Its such a cute book.

Love this girl! Happy Birthday Ru! I had such a blast hanging out with you! 

She has so much Character

Happy 3rd Birthday Ru!

Easter with the little Greco's

Minus 2 {Rubi & Cole were in Utah with family} We sure missed them though!

Easter Sunday

"But the doom of that day {Friday} did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence."-Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Two days later, the tomb where He was laid after being crucified and atoning for each of us, was empty. He is Resurrected. He Lives! He overcame death!

I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!

“We laugh, we cry, we work, we play, we love, we live. And then we die. …

 And dead we would remain but for one Man and His mission, even Jesus of Nazareth. …

 With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again.

Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.

The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, ‘If a man die, shall he live again?’ To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth." …-President Thomas S. Monson

Good Friday

The Garden of Gethsemane. This is the place, where the Son of God, suffered for our sins, pains, afflictions, and sorrows. He bled from every pore.

“At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. He passed beneath all things that He might save all things. In doing so, He gave us life beyond this mortal existence. He reclaimed us from the Fall of Adam."-President Thomas S. Monson

{photo credit: Anthony Rivera}

He didn't give up. He suffered the Atonement {Gethsemane & Calvary} because He knew it was God's will. It was His mission in the life.

Photo looks from the Garden of Gethsemane to the temple

{Photo Credit: Anthony Rivera}

And finally His suffering at Calvary. My perfect brother, Jesus Christ, did this for me! He suffered all for me personally. I will be eternally indebted for His sacrifices.

"I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day those men stood triumphant...

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled. It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest...."

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, in this life or the next, Sunday will come."-Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin