Best Day Ever For Will At The Beach!

Will had so much fun at the beach it was unforgettable. When asked if he was having a good day at one point  at the beach; Will said, " Yes, I want to do this day everyday. " I said, " You mean everyday at the beach Will? " Will said, " Yes, this day; that Aunt Doreen saved me from drowning in the ocean."

So, we know now that Will had so much fun that he didn't mind almost drowning ( in his mind ) to experience the beach and ocean. And, it is true that Doreen did have to come save me and Will at one point because I was starting to not be able to reach the ocean floor and fighting to keep Will and I up was getting tough...

I guess it didn't bother Will ;)

" Ugly Sweater " Pics for our Mexican Christmas!

Aunt Doreen had this idea for us all to wear "ugly " Christmas sweaters in Mexico, and take a picture together in them. I was super lucky that Will insists on always being Spider Man because the sweater that Kevin grabbed from Good Will for me ( it is near his office ), truly was more than ugly....
I wore the one he grabbed for Will, since Will is always wearing his Spider Man sweater.

It was so nice of Kevin to go choose a women's sweater for himself and a red sweater for Brooke that she decorated, since I had sick kids at home, school work, and packing to do!

Here we all are together an " Ugly Sweater " moment in Mexico!

Uncle Leonard, Dominic, Sophia , Aunt Tricia , Uncle Jeff, Alexa , Dad/ Kevin, Brooke, Mom/ Emily, Will, Grandma Dorothy, Alaina, Lydia and Aunt Doreen 

                                             
        Your Dad and his two brothers, his little brother Uncle Jeff, and his older brother Uncle Leonard ( Uncle Leonard is purposely trying to look mentally handicapped, he doesn't normally look like this )

                                Grandma Turano with all of her children together for Christmas

                                          Uncle Leonard and his only biological son Dominic

                                      Aunt Doreen with her two daughters Alaina and Lydia

                          Uncle Jeff with his wife Tricia, and their two children Alexa and Sophia

Feeding our Family

One morning we woke up to a horrible noise at the resort. It was 6am in the morning. It literally sounded like a monster was outside our hotel room door. I kept imagining an alien monster outside the hotel door. Of course I ask Kevin, " What is that ? " and he is half asleep and says, " It's just the toilet, go back to sleep." Then when he gets up to actually use the bathroom and I hear the noise again, and yet, he doesn't say anything...I decided to be brave or dumb, or whatever you call it...I opened the hotel door to find this sitting on the rail near our door! It had woken up Grandma Turano in the room next to ours as well.

I woke Will and Brooke straight up and we grabbed some bananas and seriously, we did not expect what would happen next. Fifteen monkeys showed up at our hotel room door for food! Mammas with little babies that were too young to eat solid food came too!

I think for the first time in Emily Turano history Kevin was glad that I carry a huge bag around, and this time there were no books in it, so at every buffet Kevin went into he would stuff all the food that he could into my bag, this way we could feed the monkeys more! On Christmas day I grabbed a whole loaf of bread for Kevin from the buffet table and said, " Merry Christmas ". He was super happy I was such a help in his effort to feed our family...because you know we are part monkey, that's why we have a little monkey Will, jk ;)

This is what we found at our hotel room door the next morning after we fed these monkeys lots of food the previous day.... WE HAD SO MUCH FUN FEEDING THESE MONKEYS!

We did consider letting these monkeys in our room, but Brooke reminded me it would be like having fifteen Wills running around in a small space, and then Kevin reminded me how dangerous it could be once we ran out of food for them!

 

Our Gift from Grandma and Grandpa Turano - A week at the beach!

This year for Christmas Will asked Santa for " Spider Man webs that never run out! "

He came up with that one all on his own. Pretty smart request for a person who can get all around the world in one night to every child in the worlds home. Of course he can get webs that never run out, right? He is magic...duh...

Brooke asked for a telescope.....But as you can see in this picture below she has this kind of smirk/ smile on her face that says....

" Santa, I don't think you can beat Grandma Turano, whom is taking us to Playa Del Carmen for Christmas, but I will take this picture for my Mom, and I will look forward to the telescope anyways! ;) "

Grandma and Grandpa Turano gave Brooke and Will the Christmas of their lives this year! 

                                        Sandos Playacar Resort, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

 

 Christmas Eve on the beach

 

    Here Brooke and Will are arriving with Grandma Turano to see their hotel room for the first time.

December Celebrations

Despite Brooke and Will having type A flu for a couple weeks of this Christmas season, we were able to celebrate Christ's birth month at some local festivities. This is the third Christmas that I have worked at Baylor Hosptial. They host a wonderful Breakfast with Santa for their employees. The kids enjoyed kids crafts, cookie decorating, and they left happy with a box of goodies. Their nativity in the  hospital lobby is beautiful.

This year I made sure to ask Santa Clause to remind Will himself why he brings presents to everyone for Christmas? I said Santa, " Can you tell Will about how you love Jesus, and that's why you like to make everyone happy on His birthday?" Santa Clause happily repeated exactly what I said to Will.
He said, " Yes, Will, I love Jesus, and that's why I bring everyone presents on His birthday."

Thankfully I knew I could do this because Baylor Hospital is very Christ centered, and everyone whom works there is exposed to the Christian beliefs. I love working for such a great organization, and I love to be able to be with the sick, especially around such a special time that it must be harder for those in the hospital. I feel very blessed to have been able to keep my job this year, although I told them that I can only work a couple times a month. It is a great blessing that my boss allows me to do this as she knows that I am in school to pursue a higher education.

I guess Santa knows me pretty well....This is what Santa left for me on Christmas morning, and I told Will that I am sure it is because he wants us to remember why he brought us presents ;) 

Brooke Is Thankful For

 Brooke said she is thankful for her family, God and Jesus Christ, her nice home, her food and water, her nice toys, her church, her school so she can learn, her name, her friends and her clothes- This Thanksgiving.

Brooke doesn't just say she is thankful for things. Brooke shows she is thankful quite often.

One way Brooke shows that she is thankful for her family is by drawing little pictures for me that say , " I love you Mommy."

Brooke showed she was thankful for Will only a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Brooke asked to do some extra work around the house in order to make money for the book fair that her school was having.  After doing some work, she earned some money, and she had great plans to go buy a book at the school book fair.

When Brooke came home with a book for Will instead of a book for her I was touched by her love for her brother. It wasn't that she didn't have enough money, which I checked about by posing the question about how much money she needed to get what she wanted? She still had money left over, she just explained to me that she thought Will would really like this book she read called, The Creepy Carrots.

Brooke excitedly gave Will the book after school and when they got out of the car, they dashed into the house and Brooke didn't just read the book to Will- She read to him completely animated and just captivating him with her voice changes for each character in the book!

I think it is so wonderful that Brooke recognizes that her school is a blessing and that she is thankful that she can learn.  Brooke's desire to learn has always been strong, and I am sure this is why she loves school and doesn't just say she is thankful, but shows she is thankful by putting forth her best effort in each and every assignment at school.

Brooke being thankful for her church is wonderful too! Every week Brooke doesn't just say she is thankful, she shows she is thankful by helping me get snacks ready for Will, getting herself ready and watching the clock with me so that we are not late to church. Brooke remembers every week to bring her scriptures to church on her own, and on some weeks when she has forgotten to bring them, she is disappointed.

Will's Pre-school Thanksgiving Feast