Memorial Day weekend and Dara's visit

I’d better write an entry before I start getting behind again. Let’s start with Memorial weekend. If you haven’t noticed I have a thing for black. I love black clothes, black furniture, black accents, and black animals. I don’t really know why, I just think everything looks better and more sophisticated in black. Anyway, I have been having this idea of decorating our house with a palate of colors that includes black (of course), white, gray, and plum. We haven’t been able to buy furniture for the last two years we have been married until last month. We actually bought a counter high dining room set that is actually black and white so we decided to refinish our kitchen cabinets to match the set. There is a product that you get at Home Depot that includes a de glosser, paint, and a gloss finish and that is what we used. It looks really nice, pictures are not very good because Mike hasn't fixed some of the lights in the kitchen, so it looks a little dark, but we both love it. The dining room set also looks kind of weird because we have no art or anything on our walls, it looks so bare. I guess we will have to do it a little bit at a time. School is taking almost all our money.

We spent Friday, Saturday, and the first 5 hours of Sunday of Memorial Day weekend refinishing our cabinets because we wanted to have Monday free to do something else.

On Tuesday Dara came to visit, she took the train all the way here. It was really nice to have some company during those days. Dara likes adventures, so one day she took the bus and the train and went book hunting. I would never do that in a place I don’t know, but I guess I am not the adventurous type. Dara also met my neighbor Steve Weeks. We met Steve when we first moved in and he has been such a good friend. He loves Mike like a son and has been a great help for us since I don’t drive. Dara, Steve, Baby Lisa and I went to the Varsity one day for lunch. The varsity is the world’s largest drive thru or something like that. I think is just a giant hot dog stand, but the experience is kind of cool.

We also went to the World of Coca Cola on Saturday. If you know something about Mexicans is that we love Coke, probably too much. I have been very good about not drinking too much Coke. First because soda in general is not very good, and second because my Baby Lisa is already kind of hyper, she doesn’t need the extra caffeine that she would get through my milk. So I only drink one cup on Saturdays. But not that Saturday, at the end of the tour you get to taste Coke products from all over the world, I pretty much stayed at the flavored coke machine ;) Mike went first and tried almost every soda and then told me to go and try the Italian ginger ale or something like that. It was the bitterest thing I have ever tried, it was so disgusting, you should have seen the smirk on Mike’s face, so content with his prank.

After the World of Coca Cola we went to one of the most dangerous places I have been. Mike had told me that he had tried the most delicious ribs in the entire world (his words), but that it was in a shady neighborhood. I didn't think much of it, I have lived in Mexico city. When we got there it was really scary actually. I decided to stay in the car while they picked up the ribs, but because we have no air conditioner in the black widow (our car) Lisa started getting frustrated. I got in the front seat with Lisa and opened the door to let air in. All of the sudden I see two guys with no shirt, pants hanging below their bums, and each one with a bottle inside a paper bag (I am not exaggerating). What was I thinking leaving the door open? I have to admit I have never been so scared of another human being. I said a little prayer that they would just walk pass and ignore us, and they did. They actually kind of smiled at Lisa. I was so upset that Mike had taken us there, but I was even madder at myself for not been careful. After the ordeal we went and sat under a three at Georgia Tech. It really is a beautiful campus. I am happy Mike gets to go to such a cool school.

I won’t say how good the ribs were, but I will say this: I will go back to that place any day of the week!

We let Lisa munch on a clean bone, she can't wait to have a real rib like her daddy

Sunday we went to church. I was called as the RS meetings committee chair. I think this is the most challenging calling I have had. I was serving in the committee, but I am now in charge of it, partly I guess.

We are so happy and grateful for Dara, she is an important part of our family and we are grateful for her love and support, we will miss her, specially her new friend Ella, who keeps going in the guest room looking for her.

Dara was taking a nap and Lisa and Ella were guarding the door

Ella is the sweetest dog, she loved Dara and wanted to be with her all the time

Also, I finally got Mike a present that he actually liked and appreciated. I bought his a pair of tools, I don’t know what kind of tools but we were watching TV and the Sears commercial came up and he told me “that would be a cool tool to have” so I immediately stored the information in my brain and got him the tools. Good for me. I didn't have anything to wrap it so I put in inside a wipe box and tied a ribbon around it. It did the trick.

I love Mike the dad, he is awesome with Lisa and does his best to help me even when he is so tired. He is so good at everything, changing diapers (even the atomic bombs), giving baths, changing her clothes, feeding her, he even know what head band is appropriate for each outfit, and he loves reading books to her. It is really amazing to watch. If you know Baby Lisa you know she cannot stay put for anything, she is like a battery toy that keeps going and going, but when daddy is reading magic happens. I love my family.

Here are some of the latest pictures I have taken, its getting harder and harder to take pictures of her when the only thing she wants to do is to play with the camera and kiss the dog. I don't mean for Ella to be in all the pictures, but she and Lisa are inseparable lately.

I don't know how to stop this. Lisa laughs so hard every time Ella licks her face, its funny to watch

This is how Lisa invites Ella to kiss