Thanksgiving and Christmas

Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent in Oregon of course! We had a very special Thanksgiving because all the In-Laws of the Fraley's were there! Auntie Nanna's in-laws, the Kasmeyers joined the Fraleys and Brinkers for a wonderful meal! It was pretty awesome and special to have the WHOLE family together (if only Uncle Luc & Uncle Todd would have been there it would have been perfect!).

Chillin' out with Abuelito Jay after Thanksgiving dinner!

We got to visit the Japanese gardens with all the Tias and precious Aunt Mayme!



We payed a special visit to Payton when her grandma Sally was watching her. Sally Ivy is one of Grammie Sally's best friends. How fun that they both have granddaughters only 6 weeks apart!

When up in Oregon we always do a lot of going back and forth from the Fraley household to the Brinkers. We love every moment that we can spend with our family!

Isabel's first ride in Santa's Sleigh at Sleigh Bells Tree Farm!

We were able to attend the annual Fraley Christmas Tree hunt! It was the fasted Christmas tree find on record for the Fraley family! The rain might have had something to do with it...

Christmas Eve was at the Brinkers, and Uncle Dan, Aunt Kay, Danny, Allison, Michael & Chris came over for appetizers. After they left we got to dig into the presents! Isabel needed some help opening up hers, but she loved all the fun toys and cute clothes she got!

Walking with Tia Rosa!

Walking with Uncle Tim!

Walking with Auntie Nana!

Reaching for the sky with Uncle Andy!

Months 8 and 9!!!

Today is Isabel's 9 month birthday!!! She has been out in the world for as long as she was in my tummy! It is so hard to believe that a year and a half ago we found out that our world was going to forever change. I look back on pictures of us before Isabel was born, and can hardly even remember what it was like to not have my wiggly, busy, happy little baby in my life. I also can't believe that it has been well over a year since I had a full night's sleep!

Here is what Isabel has been up to for the last two months

8 months:

-Can get into the crawling position

-Has two more top teeth for a total of 6 teefers!

-Has a US passport

-Traveled to Mexico

-Can pull herself up from sitting to standing when you hold her hands

9 months:

-Can go from back to tummy, to crawling position, to sitting up

-Can walk while someone holds onto her hands

-Waves her hand when she hears the song "Los Pajaritos"

-Scrunches up her face & huffs/puffs when you ask her "donde esta la viejita?"

-Pulls herself to standing in her crib-Does a funny scooting-crawl

-Isn't sleeping through the night!!!

-Still isn't interested in solid food very much

-Had juice from a sippy cup.

These photo shoots are getting harder and harder! All I want is for her to sit still next to the bunny so we can see a size comparison! But no! She has to eat the bunny, play with mom's phone, take off her diaper, nibble on her diaper and get flustered at all the commands mommy keeps throwing at her!

Exploring our Roots in Mexico

This November Isabel and I were blessed with the opportunity to travel to Mexico with my mom to visit familia. My Great grandma (Isabel's great-great grandma) turned 100! It was beyond priceless to see my Abuelita Santos with her great-great granddaughter. I know my mom felt such pride in introducing her granddaughter to her own grandmother! The trip was bitter sweet, as the absence of my Abuelito was greatly missed.

Isabel went right to Tia Raquel and Tio Juan who had just been up in July to visit for Auntie Nanna's wedding. We spent the firest few days of our trip with them in Guadalajara as they live two blocks away from Abuelita Santos.

Four generations of las Mujeres Perez!

Tia Carmen is on the far left, and Tia Flor on the far right. They are relatives that live in Southern California and were visiting for Abuelita Santos' birthday.

The elderly lady in the middle is a niece of my Abuelita Santos. We caught them just as they were getting ready to leave. The taxi driver was nice enough to take a quick picture!

Tia Raquel, me, Isabel, Abuelita Sanots, my mom, Tio Margarito and Tio Julian.

Mi Abuelita Santos was so overjoyed to meet Isabel. She wanted to hold her right away and comented on how "gordita" she was! But that it was a good thing!

Isabel was mesmerized by all the pajaritos! Laster in the week she would learn a song about Los Pajaritos and begin doing the hand motions!

In this picture from left to right are: Tia Teresa's husband, Tio Margarito, Tio Julian, Tia Raquel, three ladies I don't know, Ofelia (a friend of Tia Raquel, a guy I don't know and Tio Juan.

These are all the surviving children of my Abualita. My mom is standing in place of my Abuelito who would have been so proud of his mom reaching the wise age of cien anos.

After the special Mas, we went to a place just down the road to celebrate! There was amazing food, cake and traditional live music.

This is Isabel's Tio Sergio. He just loved her!

We spent the rest of the week in El Valle de Guadalupe with my Tio Antonio and Tia Vitorina. Tio Antonio was one of my Abuelito's best friends and he is the brother of my Abuelita Isabel.

We went to the ranch at La Llave to feed the cattle one evening. It was a beautiful evening and the calves were running around, the dogs chasing them and everyone got their dinner!

This house belonged to my Abuelito Juan and Abuelita Santos. My mom remembers running off to la casa de sus Abuelos, when she was little.

It is such a beautiful place that has begun to deteriorate. I would love to see it restored some day so that we could stay there.

This church is the center of this extremely small community. This is where my mom would go to Mas as a small child, and where my Abuelito went to school through the third grade.

This beautiful church is the hub of El Valle de Guadalupe.

Isabel kickin' back in the town square.

Visiting Tio Memo and his family! We loved the cute little kid furniture!

Saying adios to Abuelita Santos! We hope to see her again in the next few years!

I'm so glad that Isabel got to go and meet the people that are the backbone of our family. They are treasures that live such simple lives yet are rich in faith and family. Even though Isabel wont remember this trip, she will forever have these photos that document her being the 5th living generation. I hope that when she looks at these photos as she gets older, she realizes that in her these family members live on, and through her the love and traditions of this family will forever be preserved.

The trip was bittersweet, as we got to see many relatives that we hadn't seen in years, but at the same time sorly missed my Abuelito who should have been right by our side the entire trip.

Mad Baby

Isabel is the funniest little mad baby. I'm not sure exactly what she was all mad about yesterday... probably the fact that her mom and dad kept laughing at her.