Our Eternal Handful

We Have A Blog?!

2009-07-07T13:03:00.006-04:00

Okay, so maybe I kind of sort of forgot we have this blog. Hey, it requires me to be creative, and well, I'm lacking a little in that area. Since I'm here, I will update.
1) Jonathon graduated high school, YAY!!!!

2) He's 18 now, Emily 16, Aaron 14, and Adam and Daniel still hanging on at 12.

3) James is doing great. Still going strong with the job and because of traveling he has even had
the opportunity to visit some of you...I'm so jealous.

4) I am doing very well. I have lost 26 pounds to date, and that takes up quite a bit of my time.

See, no creativity. I'll work on it. We are still loving Colorado Springs, and in closing, I will leave you with some recent pictures of this great state. By the way, never mind the date on the pictures...my camera battery went out and I forgot to set the correct date and time. These were taken July 3rd. Hope everyone is doing great, and hope to hear from some of you we've been neglecting :-D

Around Pike's Peak Area

"Climb Every Mountain...."

Only recent picture I have of the two of us (the hat is a family tradition)

POSITION AVAILABLE: "Blogger catcher-upper"

2009-02-09T13:29:00.009-05:00

Oh my, has it really been three months since we've posted?! I'm a disgrace to the blogging community, aren't I? I'm surprised some of you haven't complained to have us shut down to save space for other committed bloggers. Alright, enough of that; let's catch up!!
Hmmmm...Thanksgiving was spent in New Mexico with family. We're not quite used to being able to just jump into a vehicle and make it to a relative's house in less than ten hours. Christmas was spent here in Colorado with my sister and her family. New Year's was spent with ALL of my family in New Mexico again. We were able to get a full family picture, and those are rare. January came and went. I was able to go to Maryland to spend some time with the Velez's and celebrate Little Javi's 8th birthday with him. It was a wonderful trip where I also got to see many of my friends in Pennsylvania. Especially one very "prego" woman named Lucy. Now it's February and Aaron has just turned 14!!! 14?!?!? He's taller, he's leaner, and now he gets to go to the stake dances. He also just signed up for his high school courses for the fall semester. The middle child getting older makes me feel really old. Thank goodness we still have the twins and they'll never get older and leave us.
James is doing well and would have created a post when his Steelers won the superbowl, but he didn't want to make anyone feel bad...especially a particular someone who admits to getting crabbier by the day. Who knows what she's capable of doing from a long distance!! :)
Sonia (me..I haven't yet hired someone to keep up this blog), is still a seminary teacher. Have I ever mentioned that fact? Oh yes, I am an early morning seminary teacher, and I'm enjoying it. No, really, I am. Who wouldn't enjoy a roomful of Sunbeams on steroids? People think these kids are too tired to give any trouble, HA! Seriously though, I really am enjoying this calling. I never thought I would be any good with teenagers, but Heavenly Father sure knows what he's doing, because I'm getting better! I think. I haven't had any complaints or suggestions in my box. Yet.
I've been reading all of your blogs out there, so know that we are thinking about you all and have silently kept in touch. Please keep up with the Garcia's. We should be easy as you only need to read up on us once every three months! Love and miss you all!!

Looking back

2008-11-10T10:28:00.003-05:00

I just spent about an hour and a half of my morning today reading up on some of our friend's blogs. I am blown away at the thoughts and creativity of some of you. This has got me to thinking about the people behind them. We've only known most of you for maybe the last four years. That's all. And yet, most of you have made an enormous impact on our lives. I am sitting here with a heart full of love and gratitude for you. I can't name everyone just yet, as I still need another TEN hours to go through all the blogs, but here are the ones I have read.
Lucy and Josh: Without you, our lives would have been a little quieter, but not as interesting. Lucy, I love that my sense of humor didn't offend you or that being too quiet wasn't a drawback for you in getting to know me. Your friendship keeps my life light. Not to mention, without you, I'd be 26 pounds heavier and I wouldn't know my kids' secrets!! (and without you and Viviane, I wouldn't know all those...words).
Galan Family: Perry, you have been such a good friend to James. James will always consider Fort Meade ward his favorite. You were also a great example for Jonathon, and for that, we're thankful. Sara, I wish you and I could have had more time to have gotten to know each other. You seem like so much fun!
Brandi: I am forever grateful to you for the time you took to grant me one of my wishes in life: to play the flute. You are a true friend for taking the time to teach me. Thank you.
Bay Family: Steve, you are one of the ones who made the biggest difference in Jonathon's life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Lindsey, you are the kind of sweet I wish to emulate.
Chapman Family: Here's to Monique, the first to say hello on our first Sunday. You are gorgeous inside and out. Brandon, thank you for being our favorite and constant home teacher!!! (and piano teacher too!)
Weaver Family: Slavka, I enjoyed getting to know you and James enjoyed your husband too. You may not be aware of this, but your kindness always came at a time when I needed it the most.
Well, folks, this is all an hour and a half could afford me: 6 blogs. I can only aspire to make our blog as good as yours. We sure miss you all, and we sure love you. Thank you for all that you do for us, for each other, and for being so patient as I ramble on (yes, there are tears welling up in my eyes). Have a good day, everyone!!!

Is the name Coloradians?

2008-10-25T21:15:00.007-04:00

It's official! If you click on the above photo, you'll get a good look at our newly acquired license plates....we are now official residents of the great state of Colorado. Yes, our roots have finally been planted. Gone are our Texas and Pennsylvania plates. It was a little sad, but we seem to be adjusting to our new surroundings. It would be great to share this with all of you willing to make the journey out to see us!! Anyway, the monstrous vehicle with the 195-SZU plate is James's retirement gift to himself. What did Sonia get? I made out okay...see the building in the back? That's all mine to clean. Anyway, we just wanted to share this little bit of progress in our lives with all of you. We've had quite a bit going on, and as usual, I have not kept up with this blog like I should. I'm trying. Hello to all of you who are continually checking for updates and who we miss dearly.

18 Years and Still Going Strong!!!!

2008-08-28T08:37:00.007-04:00

August 28th, 1990

2008

For those of you who know our story, I thought you'd appreciate the picture on the top! Today is our 18th wedding anniversary, and although James is out of town until tomorrow night, it's still a great day to celebrate. James and I met when we were 14 years old, we started dating at the end of our senior year (much later than I would have liked), and then we were married a couple of years later. So you see, James really does love me for me! He knows I wasn't prom queen or Nova Club president, a size 3, or as grouchy as I can get now. But he does know how much I love him. Has it really been 18 years? Meshing our lives together has created so many blessings; the most important being our kids: Jonathon, Emily, Aaron, Adam and Daniel. James, you really are my very best friend. We've almost grown up together and I wouldn't trade any of those years for a million bucks. Okay, maybe two. James, you know I love you, I need you, and thank you. My life is better because of you. Here's to another 18 years, Sweet Tart!!! I love you.

2008-08-27T19:05:00.003-04:00

It must be a good day, you all are hearing from me again!! I've been trying to download a few more of our retirement pictures, but it's taking a little longer than I thought. Here's a little taste in the mean time. This photo is of our family walking down the isle for the last time as an active duty Navy family. What a rush!! I've started hearing from some of you, and that's really spurred me on to continue blogging. Stay tuned for more!! (If you click on the picture, it'll maximize for a better view).

We've Moved...okay, awhile back....

2008-08-26T23:26:00.005-04:00

Hello everyone!! I warned you all that I could not be counted on to update our blog weekly, and apparently monthly either. Sorry!!! I do appreciate our loyal fans who check periodically (like my sister in law Karen!). Gosh, so much has happened. James retired from the Navy on June 27th. We were so happy to have so many of our good friends there. Being retired hasn't quite sunk in with me. It certainly has with James. I wish I had a recent picture of him, but unfortunately you will all have to take my word for it when I say he's actually sporting a goat-tee. Oh yes, he has embraced retirement fully and is even enjoying his new job in the civilian sector here in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The kids are adapting. They really miss their friends in Pennsylvania and it shows. James and I hope that they will find their niche here and make more friends. We all miss our friends on the east coast. We hope you will all keep in touch!!! And please, come visit us!! Colorado Springs is gorgeous. I will try to update often. I've looked at a lot of blogs today, and wow, you bloggers out there sure pump out some awesome material! The above picture is our move from our home in Hanover, Pennsylvania. I'll post pictures of our move to our Colorado home soon! Hope all is well with everyone. Love you all!!

JONATHON'S BIRTHDAY...A WEEK LATER!

2008-04-26T17:01:00.002-04:00

Yup, you're reading correctly, Jonathon turned 17 on April 20th...it's getting harder and harder to tell people I'm still 29!! That would have made me twelve when I had him. Anyway, we threw Jonathon a surprise birthday party and it was a great time had by all. You may be wondering how it's possible to surprise a 17 year old...I told him I was having a Home Interior Party...works every time. So here's to another great year, son, we love you!!!! Also happening around the same time was Jonathon's first prom. (I guess this is why we should update our blogs DAILY???). Enjoy the pictures of our handsome first born.

April 14th ALREADY?!?!

2008-04-14T20:03:00.003-04:00

I guess keeping up with the blog is going to be WORK! I can't believe a week has gone by already! Thank you to all the bloggers who commented...and have been checking in like true fans...you guys will get a Christmas card from us this year :) Other happenings not mentioned before are: Sonia got a job at Bath and Body Works. I love it, I only work a couple of days a MONTH, and I get a fantastic discount. I've also been hitting the gym at the YMCA with Lucy, you know, the one who has to do a sit up for every comment posted on her blog?! It's been going great...12 pounds lost in almost 28 days! Yipeeee! I'll post a photo, say, around, NEVER! I guess this is it for now. Surely when another week has gone by tomorrow, I'll have something new to post, HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

We're Back

2008-04-07T15:22:00.005-04:00

To our most dedicated fans who have visited our website in hopes of finding something current, we apologize deeply. A lot has happened in the last several months, and keeping up with the blog kind of fell to the wayside. We lost our dear friend Dabet Velez to breast cancer on February 16th, 2008. Although it was a trying time, and a lot of tears were shed, Dabet's courage, love, and service to others will forever be etched in our memories and hearts.
It's April already, and now we can start to smell the end of our military journey coming to an end. James will be retiring from the United States Navy on June 27th, 2008. Wow!! Where has the time gone?! James has accepted a job in Colorado Springs and that's where we will be moving come July 15th. After 20 years, we're finally settling down next to family and our REAL red and green chile; what more can we ask? The following two pictures are the last two big events that have happened in our family since we last posted. The first is of Aaron turning 13!! Aaron has grown at least two inches in the last several months. Incredible to think he's already 13. The second photo is of Jonathon driving now that he has a driver's permit, aghhhhh!!!! Except for careening around bends, he's doing quite well. So everyone, stay tuned for updates, more pictures, and more of a little bit of this and a little bit of that!

Snowball Fight!

2007-12-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

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Disco Dancing! (Who needs Dancing with the Stars?)

2007-12-24T14:38:00.000-05:00

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The Toxic Trio

2007-11-10T00:55:00.001-05:00

It's highly unusual that I post more than twice in a day, but I couldn't resist after finding the picture in our collection. How did these three ever meet up? Funny how things work out, no? This was taken during an "aperiodic" bonfire at the Bassett's. As for these three ladies...I'm not sure I've ever met anyone like'em (especially the one in the middle!). -James

Halloween...TWICE?!

2007-11-10T00:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, here in Hanover, PA, Halloween is celebrated twice. Certain townships trick-or-treat on the Tuesday the week before Halloween and others are like the rest of the modern world and actually do it on Halloween night. Hmmm... Anyway, Aaron, Adam, and Daniel are still eager to dress up. But, as for the older kids, Jonathon and Emily, I suppose they've "outgrown" this sort of thing. I've dedicated the twins' costumes to the Heath family (ahem, Lucy) and to the Colts attempt to fight for respect (and losing). Ouch.

The kids were able to rack up some serious candy bags. Naturally, we "removed" the chocolates and other expensive confections. I can't explain why this upsets the kids so much... -James

HE'S DONE IT!!!

2007-11-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

We really are horrible at keeping up with this blog! Last week our family had the opportunity to go down to D.C. to support James in his very first marathon, the Marine Corp Marathon. It was really exciting! While James and a good friend, Ray (also running in the marathon), took off early in the morning to start their run, we stayed at our motel room, ate breakfast, showered, and waited until it was time to hit the road. Along with Ray's family, we met up with another good friend, Javier, at the Metro. For anyone who has never been to a marathon, there are several places where you can catch a glimpse of your runner. Of course, you have to have luck on your side and time it just right. We couldn't find our guys at the first checkpoint, so we headed back to the metro to get to the finish line. We only had to wait about 15 minutes to finally catch a glimpse of James entering the last mile. As soon as we spotted him, Javier and our Emily ran into the crowd of runners to finish the last mile with James. It was pretty neat, and we were a bit surprised to see Emily jump in and actually do really well. I'm finding out that our kids have hidden talents we didn't know about...but anyway, that's another blog entry. James ran the marathon in 4 hours and 26 minutes. He was pretty pleased because he was hoping to do it in 4 hours and 30 minutes. I can't begin to describe the feeling of happiness I had for James as he completed his goal. It was pretty awesome!!! If you're wondering if he'll do another, he's already been looking for the next one coming up at the beginning of next year!

It's Homecoming!

2007-10-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

Well, the times are changing and we're all getting a bit older. Just to prove I'm right, Jonathon has helped us remember that by attending his first Homecoming dance. Sonia and I were really happy for him and his date. They were incredibly shy...and I hope it stayed that way all night. Anyway, congratulations to Jonathon! Here's a picture before the dance on Saturday night. Enjoy!

Our Energizer Bunny

2007-10-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

Some of us can handle pain, but not enough to purposefully inflict it upon ourselves. Then there are those who seem to live for it. Since May of this year, James has been training to run his first marathon at the end of October. He did his first 18 mile run on Saturday, and has a 20 mile run this Saturday. We are happy to report he no longer gets so sore that he can't walk, and has yet to get hit by a car while running. Twice, that is. We are very happy for his hard work at reaching his goal of running a marathon and will post his picture after he reaches the finish line! The above picture is a 5K James ran back in July here in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

A Colts Fan's Parental Bittersweet Revelation!

2007-09-29T19:50:00.000-04:00

Funny how some diehard fans of the much-to-do Indianapolis Colts awoke this morning to find their own child modeling Pittsburgh Steelers clothing. "It was really cool...and liberating," quipped the lad. All their mother could do was gasp in shock. She was last seen headed to Walmart for bars of soap and Colts team stickers. Local police informed that her "revenge" antics were antiquated and too well-known. Maybe someday she'll learn some respect...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

2007-09-26T07:06:00.000-04:00

Today is a wonderful day. Today we celebrate Adam and Daniel's 11th birthday. For those of you who were stationed with us in Monterey, you know better than most what a milestone each year is for them. Born three months early wasn't a walk in the park, but today they're healthy, and we sure feel blessed. By the way, can anyone figure out who is who in this picture???

About Our Handful

2007-09-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

I suppose many of our friends who haven't heard from us in awhile would like to know what's been going on. To start, we moved from San Antonio, TX back in June of 2005. Our new orders sent us to Fort Meade, Maryland, where James is still stationed. We did live on base for about a year and a half, but then found out there was a better place for our kids....an HOUR away in Hanover, Pennsylvania! James is such a sport to travel an hour each way, every day, to get to work. Our family has thrived in these better conditions, and we certainly are enjoying the serenity that Pennsylvania has to offer. Our kids are enjoying their time here better too. Jonathon is 16 now, and if you ask him what his hobbies are, he'll only have one-skateboarding. He's in the 11th grade and still has a fantastic talent for drawing. Emily is 14, chatty, giggly, and quite a pretty girl, if I may say so myself. She's in the 9th grade now (where did the time go??) and has found many nice new friends here. So yes, her hobby is talking on the phone and learning how to play the piano. Aaron is 12 and in the 7th grade this year and has had quite a growth spurt. He's as tall as Emily, with hair as big as Jonathon. I think it's called the skater look. James and I call it helmet hair. Aaron is still into reading, some drawing, and likes to skate too. Adam would not be Adam without Daniel, and vice versa. They will be 11 on Wednesday, both like to skate, play video games (when not grounded), and both like to make a mess. They are in the 5th grade and are still participating in band. Adam plays the clarinet, and Daniel plays the trumpet. We have our very own blues club in the basement when they practice. I will try to get a recent photo of our kids put into our blog tonight, so stay tuned!!

Welcome!!

2007-09-17T19:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our Garcia Family blog! We haven't kept in touch with our many family members and friends like we would like, so we're hoping this will help us in reaching out to everyone past, present, and future. As a military family, we have moved and left behind many good friends, and in less than a year, we will yet again leave behind a few more. We hope that you will all stop in and keep up with the Garcia happenings, no matter where we go. In case any of you are wondering about our blog name...it came to me in the middle of the night. I always thought my kids were a handful at times, but then it hit me that our FIVE kids literally make a HANDFUL! Hahahaha!!!