Happy New Year!!

We were so excited to see family from Florida unexpectedly this last week.  Their kids had never seen snow and so being good hosts we kindly provided them with Plenty.  (:  We got together with them and the rest of our family Tuesday over at Rachel and Jared's house.  Almost the whole family was there.  David and Jamie couldn't come, but their kids were there.  It was a lot of fun hanging out together.  We ate and talked and took more pictures then even the most reckless paparazzi.  We all had a great time.

Thursday night on New Years Eve we were going to get all together for the holiday at our house.  Jose and Olivia had to go back to Florida Wednesday morning, so they couldn't come.

Then Wednesday morning we got a phone call that my niece Sarah was in the hospital.  She had gone down to 73 % O2 sat and had almost stopped breathing and they had to call the ambulance.  Thankfully she is all right now.  We are all so very thankful for the priesthood and the blessing that it is in our lives.  She came home a couple of days later and is doing well.

The week was long and crowded with activity and by the time New Years came along not many were left with the stamina to stay up.  Only Grandma and Grandpa Lopez, Aunt Elsa, and Jared and Rachel's family came for dinner and they all left before 10 pm.  Noah, Izy and Papa crashed soon thereafter.  And I wanted to.  (:  So the few of us that stayed up popped balloons and yelled for the new year.  I think perhaps next year we will have "A Cuban New Year"  That way we can celebrate at 10 pm central time when the clock changes there and then go to bed.

Our best gift in the new year happened the 2nd of January.  Isabelle weighs 16 pounds! I have to post pictures of her chubby thighs! She is now back up to where she would have been on her own little growth curve if she hadn't fallen off in July.  If we can continue this rate of growth for at least two more months then we will be on the chart for the first time since her 2 month well check up!

Now we are off to recover from our holidays!  There is nothing like close quarters, freezing weather, coughs, fevers, late nights, and too much excitement to throw a wrench in things!  Hopefully, sleep, blankets, lots of soup, honey, apple cider vinegar, echinachea tea, and calm routine can get us back up on our feet.