2010:The Year in Review!

Okay, so of course it was a completely busy December....as I'm finding out that they all are as a homeschooling, work-at-home mommy of 2 delightful girls, and a professional volunteer. Did I tell you that I'm tired? :)

Here are our most memorable moments of 2010, by month:

January: We started our New Year off with a bang by going to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The girls always enjoy riding rides, and we had lots of fun looking at the lights! Since Hotel Torres enjoys company, my mom & Donna came for a visit. They stayed about 10 days, and we had a lot of fun! Then I finished off January with a Christmas gift from Gonzalo - a 4-night cruise to Cozymel, Mexico, with two of my best girl friends. He even stayed home with the girls! Wow! That was a great beginning, but the year got even better....

February: Rodeo time in San Antonio! Not only did the Rodeo come to town, but my wonderful friend Karen & her hubby Brian came for a long weekend visit. We had sooo much fun at the River Walk, Alamo, Rodeo, zoo, and anything else we could cram into 4 days! We also had some fun playdates in February, and Rylee learned about hiding in the kitchen cabinets...she is resourceful! At one playdate, we had a Mary Kay lady come and put make-up on us. The girls had a blast!

March: Hotel Torres was hopping again with some more special visitors. Our friends, Markus & Krisse (and baby Martti), came to visit us from Helsinki, Finland! They were here for almost 3 weeks, and we loved every minute. We visited all the touristy things of San Antonio, and we even went down to South Padre Island for a week. (To say that I was disappointed in South Padre? Well, that would be the understatement of the year....). I wish Finland wasn't so far away, because we have lots of fun everytime they visit us! We also took some fun pictures of the girls in the Texas bluebonnets. They bloom everywhere in March, and they are so beautiful!

April: We didn't have any guests at Hotel Torres in April, but we did manage to sqeeze in some fun. We had a great time at Easter with egg hunts and festivities, and we made "bunny cakes" for some special friends. We also saw "Pinkalicious" at Magik Theatre - our favorite! We discovered the Witte Museum of San Antonio, and we had a great time there too.

May: This was another crazy-busy month! Gonzalo & I went to an AWESOME concert featuring Reba & George Strait, along with LeeAnn Womack and the Randy Rogers Band. It was so much fun! We also purchased a business during the month, which was unexpected but welcomed. The same week, my parents came to visit and we all went to New Mexico and Arizona for 10 days. It was a wonderful trip! My dad has always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, so I am so happy we got to go there. It was lots of fun! We also finished up Rayven's spring soccer, mother's day out program, and AWANA Cubbies in May.

June: June was a little more laid back, with not as much craziness going on! We spent lots of time in the pool, which the girls love. I got to see a country music icon - Loretta Lynn - in concert with two friends. It was awesome! My niece, Jessi, came to visit us for a week, and it was tons of fun too. We did lots of things, and then she also rode home with me and the girls to Tennessee....

July: We spent the first two weeks of July in Tennessee/South Carolina visiting with family! I love going back home to Tennessee, but I also love the beach! After spending about a week in TN with my family, we headed to Myrtle Beach, SC with mom, my SIL Donna, and my aunt. We had a wonderful time (minus the fact that both Rylee & I got sick!). My girls love the beach, and it was waaaaay better than South Padre! :) We ended the month celebrating Rylee's 2nd birthday with a Minnie Mouse party at Just Add Children. I still can't believe she's two!!

August: I began August heading to Orlando, FL for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Convention. It was so much fun, and just what I needed! I met lots of wonderful ladies that I still talk to on a weekly basis. I love all that MOPS does for ladies, and I am so happy to be involved with it! After convention, we took a family vacation to Panama City Beach, FL for one last summer blow-out. I hadn't been there in a while, and it was even better than I remembered! Gonzalo and I even managed to squeeze in a few date nights, thanks to a sitter service. :) I also happily discovered that my cousin lives there now, so we saw her too! When we got home, we got to see my nephew, John, for the weekend before he deployed to Iraq. We made precious memories, and we can't wait to see him again! Then it was time to start school with Rayven...and we've been homeschooling ever since!

September: Gonzalo had to work a lot that month, and I only remember that he missed my birthday AND our anniversary! But we did go to Six Flags for Labor Day weekend, the girls and I with some friends. That was fun. I was also happy to see MOPS & AWANA start back. The rest of the month? I'm not sure how I lost it, but I think I did...

October: This is always a fun one, but this one was bittersweet. We were supposed to go on a cruise, but the girls and I didn't get to go because Carnival Cruiselines is a SCAM! More on that another time... We celebrated Gonzalo's Birthday, as well as Rayven's 6th birthday. She had a cowgirl party at home, with her new Rainbow Playset, that we love! (I love this, because the girls will play OUTSIDE while I cook dinner, lol). We also had a visit from my parents, and my brother Kenny and SIL Donna. They got to cruise, but we didn't. Next time, but we're going with Royal Carribbean!!

November: In November, we finally tracked down a Girl Scout troop for Rayven to join. She is having so much fun as a Daisy Scout! We also spent a very quiet Thanksgiving at home, with all the trimmings. Then my friend Destiny and I shopped ALL NIGHT LONG and part of the morning on Black Friday. We are surely crazy, but we got some great deals! :)

December: It's been a blur of Christmas parties, too many goodies, shopping, tree trimming, etc. But it was oh so fun! We had another quiet holiday at home, but it was so fun for the 4 of us to be together! The girls each got three gifts. Rayven's favorite was her Nintendo DS, and Rylee's favorite is a Little Tikes Playhouse. She plays in it for hours a day! We enjoyed going to "Dickens on Main" in Boerne, and we also saw the lights at Six Flags this week. It's been a fun end to 2010, and I can't wait to see what 2011 holds!!

Happy New Year!