Can Hardly Wait

Remember the excitement of Christmas Eve as a child? Well, that is what I'm feeling right now, and I haven't felt like this in so long! Tomorrow Adam and I will find out whether we're having a boy or girl, and I am so excited that I don't know whether or not I'll be able to sleep tonight. I really didn't think that I would get so excited about this, but I can hardly wait!

Going Private

I have decided that it is time to make my blog private. I will make the change April 1st. If you would like to continue reading, please leave your email.

The Women in My Life

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?” -Elder Neal A Maxwell

I'll admit that this week has been a difficult one for me. My rapidly changing body has left me feeling a little insecure and frustrated everytime I try to put on a pair of pants that doesn't quite fit or when my make up still won't cover the "welcome back to middle school" blemishes on my face. I've had a thousand pep talks with myself about what really matters is on the inside, not the outside. I've said some prayers for strength and perspective. Yet, that awful voice keeps whispering that I don't measure up to who I used to be...both inside and out. I have a wonderful husband who has been very supportive and loving through all of this, but he has never been pregnant and he is not a woman. I don't think he fully understands the pressures that women feel from the media. It seems that every time I turn on the television a half naked gorgeous woman is thrown in my face saying, "This is what beautiful is." I tell her back, "No, you're not real...make-up, ridiculous diets, and computers have created you." But, they just won't stop coming! I'm also being hit at the angle of "a great woman has a career before she has children" every day at work. So, as much as I fight it, they are always fighting back.

Last night I didn't feel like going to church for enrichement night (an activity for the women). I wanted to hide at home where no one would know what I was feeling. So, of course I went because I knew that it was really better for me to be there than sitting at home in self-pity. I am so GLAD that I went. All of the women there are so beautiful and it's real beauty. I felt so encircled by thier love for each other and thier love for being a woman of God. It was just the boost I needed to gain some confidence back. Then, this morning I was crossed with another reminder from God of what a real women is when I visited my Aunt Kim's post about my grandma. In some of the pictures of her, I saw traits that had been passed onto my mother that have been passed on to me. It reminded me of all the wonderful women in my life who are amazing examples of how beautiful REAL women are.

My thoughts took me to this:

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind.

There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined.

We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith.We have enough greed; we need more goodness.
We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."

-Margaret D. Nadauld

Thanks to all of you women who have been such wonderful examples to me. I am grateful for your kindness and quiet strengths. If your picture is not in this post, it doesn't mean you haven't touched my life...it means I don't have access to your picture at the computer I'm at currently. You are all so beautiful and I cherish your friendship! Many thanks!

Staff Meetings

If you were to ask my husband if I'm an emotional person he would clearly say YES. Now, I understand there are a lot of emotional people in the world. It's no big deal that I have feelings. For the most part, I understand a lot of my emotions. The one thing that I cannot figure out is why I feel other people's emotions so strongly. I guess that's the wrong way to explain it, what I really feel is what I think they should be feeling in that situation...whether they are or not.
This often happens to me when I watch movies. I begin to put myself in the movie and before I know it, I'm on an emotional roller coaster. I don't think this is quite so strange considering that it is probably one of the goals in creating a movie. Well, here's what gets me. Every few months we have a staff meeting where I work. I think many's initial thought would be...staff meeting?boring. Well, what if I told you that I have cried at every single one. I haven't sobbed uncontrollably or anything, but I always shed a tear or two. Now, what could possibly happen at a staff meeting that would make someone cry? I have NO idea. I don't think this is normal. It usually has to do with someone's promotion. Today, two people got promoted at the staff meeting. One of those became the new president of the company. As they spoke of his talents and past accomplishments, I began to feel that choked up feeling in my throat. Now, I hardly know the man being promoted. I've passed him in the halls a few times, but that's about it. I am confused as to why I'm feeling such strong emotions about this event. Then, they talk about the relationships he's built and all the service he's done for the company. At this time, the tears begin to well up, and I feel overwhelmed by what he must mean to so many people. I feel like I'm feeling all the love each person has for him and at the same time the joy and awe that the one promoted is feeling. Then I look around the room and no one seems to be feeling what I am feeling. I get frusterated thinking...why am I the one tearing up when I hardly know this person. Why am I feeling what they should be feeling? They are the ones who have worked with him for years and built those relationships. Yet, they all look like they're ready for an after lunch nap.
I don't really know what I'm asking or if I'm even asking anything through this post. I just don't understand how I can feel so much about something I'm not directly a part of.

I'm concerned for my children!!!

When I first met Adam, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I started dating Adam, I thought I had found my prince. When I married Adam, he turned back into a frog...and I am VERY concerned about the effects it will have on our children!!!! It gets worse...this runs on my side of the family too!

Only it's much more severe on my side...

Okay, maybe it's just as bad on Adam's side!

Hopefully it just runs in boys, and I'll pray for girls!!!

Carro de Boi

Dario and Josh (the ones being strangled by Adam) are my 18-year-old brothers. They are getting ready to go on their missions, and this is the last time Adam and I will see them before they leave for two years. They turn 19 in April and have sent in their papers!

For a last hoo-rah, we took them to aBrazilian Grill! This place is the BEST! The boys had never been to one of these types of restaurants and lets just say that they absolutly loved it! The meat there is so tender and flavorful. It was so fun to watch them eat. Every time Josh would try a new type of meat, his face would melt into this "I could die now and be content" look. It was fun to chat with Dario and Josh about their plans for the future.

Daddy and Arepas

I'm not really sure how much everyone who reads this blog knows about me. There are some things about my life that I haven't said (or written) much about. I don't think I've said much about my dad on here and that's probably because I live so far away from him, just like the rest of my family. My dad has to travel a lot for work, but he was able to be home during the time Adam and I were in Georgia. I was so glad that we got to have him around while we were there!

My dad loves to experiment with food. I don't know if I'm supposed to tell this to everyone, but my dad had to teach my mom how to cook when they first got married (my mom is a great cook now)! My dad was always making up new dishes in the kitchen. Some were delish...some were not (like his spinach macaroni and cheese). One of the things he makes best are arepas! MMMmmm! They're not a made up dish, but a wonderful food that he ate while growing up in Colombia. This was a common Saturday breakfast at my house and they never last very long. Sadly, I never learned how to make them, so when Daddy made them during our trip I was thrilled!

Little Mulberry Park

My four-year-old brother, Dallen (aka Dito) has been so excited to take me to Little Mulberry Park since he found out Adam and I were coming to Georgia. We decided to go and play one evening.

Dito doing what he does best...play!

I think the weight is a little unbalanced..

I decided to have a go at it myself!

Dallen was also really excited for me to meet their new dog, Sheila. She came to the park too and Daddy took her for a walk while we played on the playground. Growing up, my family frequently visited the park. It definitly made me feel back at home hanging out at Little Mulberry Park.

Blue Willow Inn

For Adam's Spring Break, we took a trip down to Georgia to visit my family. We enjoyed spending time with the family. We tried to spend as much time as we could outside because it was warm and sunny! Two things we rarely experience during the Cleveland winters.

One of the days Adam and I went with my parents to Social Circle, Georgia where we enjoyed some Old Southern Cooking at the Blue Willow Inn. It's an old antebellum restaurant and the food was delish! They had the best biscuits I've ever eaten...perfectly flakey and buttery! Yum!

As you can see, there are flowers in the background and greenery everywhere! We definitly have missed the beautiful scenery.

It was so fun spending the day with my parents. Their conversations kept making me laugh because they sound like the family's conversation at the dinner table in While You Were Sleeping. Nothing they say really relates to what the other one said, except for maybe one or two words!

We're Legal!!!

Right before we left for Georgia we finally got our license plates renewed. They expired in August, and we have been trying since them to get it renewed. It seemed like every time we tried to take a step forward some road block would come our way. It took us six months to renew it, but we finally did it!!! One less thing to worry about.

The old Kansas plate:

The new Ohio plate:

Zuluaga Family Pictures

We got family pictures taken during our visit to Georgia. Click here to see them. Deborah Ard is the photographer and did an excellent job. This is the last time the whole family will be together for the next two years. Dario and Josh will both be leaving for their missions before Adam and I are able to make it back to Georgia. We decided to jump at the opportunity to take family pictures. Enjoy!

After Mid-terms Celebration!

Last night Adam and I went out to dinner with a bunch for friends we have out here who are going to the podiatry school. It was a celebration dinner at Nuevo Acapulco - a yummy Mexican restaurant. We were celebrating the end of mid-terms and the beginning of a much needed spring break!

The Holloway Family

The Patty FamilyThe Fiala Family (minus their little girl)

Adam and me (with the Fiala's little girl)