Happy 2012!

2012! The end of the world is coming....that's what I hear anyway. So There are a few things I need to do before this happens. Here are some Goals for this year.

• I'm not even going to talk about losing weight, because honestly, that stresses me out, we got rid of our scale because I obsess over that stupid number that shows up... so we are going to call it, living a healthier life. Rick and I decided to get an early start, we didn't wait till January first, we did it the day after Christmas, and by doing that we saved 5 dollars each on our memberships! SCORE! We signed up for Crossfit...5:30 am everyday Mon-Fri! KILL ME! But I need to have a good attitude about this, it is for my health!
• Temple attendance...I regret to admit that we have not been very good at this, so this year, we are committing to going to the Temple at LEAST once a month.
• Continue my studies. As much as I want to quit every semester, I have to keep going....I will be a Nurse....someday!
•  Early to bed, early to rise....this kind of goes along with having to get up at 5 am for Crossfit, but I have noticed that I can get so much done if I get up before my kids do! Go figure! I wish I would have done this a long time ago.
• I will do better with teaching my children the Gospel...this is very overwhelming to me, but if I stick with the basics I think everything else will fall into place.
• I will cook more 
• clean more, but relax if my house is not perfect
• play more
• laugh more
• cry less
• love more
• Read more
• Do more things that bring me joy
• be a better friend
• run a marathon with my husband (this will be a huge accomplishment for us)
• Let our kids get dirty....by doing this which will be so dang hard for me! But I think the kids will love it!
• do more things as a family
• Develop our talents 
• Give more Service to others

2012 will be a great year, we have many big things happening

our 5 year anniversary which we will be spending in Hawaii

my brother getting married in April

Summerlin will be baptized this year

Andres will get his Driver's license(EEKKK)

I'm excited for this year! So I refuse to let this whole "end of the world" hold me back from the things that I want to do and enjoy with my family and friends.

Happy 2012!!!

What do you remember?

This question was asked during our lesson in Relief Society this Sunday....What do you remember from past Christmases....toys or things that you received, or do you mostly have happy memories of family? I honestly cannot remember any gifts that I ever received before my first Christmas in the USA, which was when I was 10 years old.....but I have the best memories of Christmases spent in Casilda, Argentina in the home of my grandparents...my nono and nona (grandpa and grandma in Italian) I don't know why it is that those are the happiest memories I have. First you have to know that Christmas in Argentina is in the summer, so it is REALLY hot! So we would set our table outside in the long driveway they had. Mostly everyone did this, so you would go outside and sit down for dinner and you could see your neighbors and just hear and see friends and neighbors all around. Also we celebrate on the 24th, Christmas Eve. My grandmother would cook all day...homemade lasagna, made from scratch! Lots of food! Dinner was at 8pm and then everyone hangs out and waits till midnight, that's when the champagne comes out (or sparkling cider for us) and everyone cheers, hugs, fireworks go off, neighbors come over to wish you a Merry Christmas, it's a BIG celebration. After that, we would all go inside by the tree and open gifts! After gifts were opened the party does not end, usually you go visit more friends and neighbors, fireworks are still going off everywhere and you eat some more!  People don't go to sleep till 3 or 4 am if they even go to sleep! The 25th is usually spent relaxing and eating left overs. This is what I remember the most! I miss it! Every year when the Holidays come around, I miss them, my grandparents....they were amazing, my fondest memories of my childhood include them. I get a little sad on the 24th of December, but I cherish those memories, those Christmases spent with my family, and it wasn't about gifts at all, it was about family, joy and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  

Merry Christmas to all!! 

Month full of Fails....

This month, I had big plans.

Baking, crafting, sewing, gifting, family pictures, Christmas cards sent out early, and so on...well

Family pictures have not been taken, which means no cute Christmas card from the Cromars for the first time in almost 5 years, I have crafters  block, everything I have tried has not been successful.

My baking skills are gone, disappeared, as if the Christmas Grinch has stolen them from me

EXAMPLE, 

i burned the caramel I was making for neighbor treats,  I burned the chocolate I was melting for neighbor treats, the bread that I've been baking for over a year tasted horrible, and here we are 5 days before Christmas and I have not baked any treats for the fear of what may happen. 

My sister's breastfeeding cover remains cut out pieces waiting to be sewn, and the gifts I was making for the ladies in the family was another fail that I would rather not even describe....

So I was feeling pretty down on myself, and stressed about gifts for people, and what will they think since I haven't made them anything, and how sad they sent us a Christmas card and we didn't send one to them, and it has been eating me up, along with other things when i start feeling insecure....so today I decided to STOP

I have 4 beautiful children that are so excited about Christmas, I have a man by my side that loves me unconditionally and I love him, we had a wonderful family vacation last month, we have decorated our tree together, we have made Christmas ornaments, we have made gingerbread houses together, we have a home, we have health, we have the Priesthood in our home, we have the Gospel, we have the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas, we have amazing family and friends that love and support us, we have so much to be thankful for, so I'm done stressing about what we didn't do, or what to give, or spending money on things that are not important. So I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! I love everyone around me. No gifts. Just love, cheesy I know, but I don't want to worry anymore about 

things that are not important. I hope to serve, to be a good wife,  mother, friend and daughter, and to share my testimony with those around me. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know he lives, I know he took our sins, and died on the cross for us, that he Resurrected and that he lives, I know that he loves and knows each and everyone of us, individually. He knows our struggles, our strengths, our needs, our joys, and he knows our hearts. This Christmas our families have decided to not do gifts for each other, we are having the kids exchange one gift with one another, and that's all. With this, we hope that our children remember what Christmas is all about, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. That's what matters to us, that's what matters most to me. I have no doubt in my mind where I would be in my life if I didn't have this knowledge, and it would not be a good place. i know that for sure!

So Merry Christmas from the Cromars! 

and a Happy New Year :)

It's DECEMBER

Much has happened since last post.
So here goes the update on our crazy life.

VACATION
THANKSGIVING
BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING(great deals found)
MY BABY SISTER GAVE BIRTH TO BABY GIANNA
CHRISTMAS TREE UP, PRESENTS ALL BOUGHT AND WRAPPED
I'M A PROUD STRAIGHT A STUDENT AS OF RIGHT NOW(one more final to take)
REGISTERED FOR NEXT SEMESTER OF SCHOOL(doing it again! I don't know what I'm thinking!)
So there's the short version of everything that has happened since last post, which was about a MONTH ago!