Some of the Best Things that have Happened in 2014 So Far

Papo turned 19! We're only 5 years apart, but it really makes me feel old. We went out to eat at Los Verdes for his favorite Colombian food.

My beautiful and talented sister got an awesome new job, complete with her very own huge office :) She was at First Coast Service Options as an auditor for around 5 years. She is now the new director of accounting for the Miami office of Church World Service, an international nonprofit organization that helps immigrants and people in need all over the world. I used to work for them before leaving to BYU. I'm really proud of her and know that she'll do great in this new capacity. 

Nina and Luna visited! Blaine only saw them once for a little bit. He didn't let me hold Luna the whole time we visited and she had no problem with that. Little Luna fell asleep right in his arms! But I was able to spend a whole day with them. We ate good food, walked around Lincoln Road, and shopped at Aventura Mall (what Nina and I do best - somethings never change!). We stopped at my place quickly so that Nina could see Rue and so that Luna could meet her. Luna got so excited when she saw Rue. It was adorable. I wish I could've seen them more, but it was so so good to see my best friend and the world's cutest baby girl. Seriously, she's adorable and behaved so well the entire time! 

I've decorated our apartment a little bit more. It's a work in progress but it has been a lot of fun.

Everybody loves Grandma Sepuvelda's painting of the D.C. temple!

I tasted strawberries and cream oatmeal for the first time and now I'm obsessed. I have to stop myself from eating it everyday for breakfast. It truly is one of the best things that has happened to me this year :) 

Uli turned 12. That's right. For his birthday, my aunt gave his room a makeover. When he left for school, my grandfather and I started taking things down and started painting the room. It was a big family effort but by the time he got home from school, he had a completely new bedroom. It was a total surprise and he loved it. His cowboy room was nice but it was time for a more mature look! At night, we went out to dinner at The Big Cheese - one of Uli's favorite restaurants.

Andrea visited Miami and after years of being friends, I finally cooked dinner for her. We also celebrated her birthday by going out to dinner at Crazy About You.

Abuelo turned 70. We all got together after church to sing happy birthday to him. He's so excited for his trip to Europe in February.

The dates for the Fort Lauderdale Temple were finally announced. The open house will start as early as March 29th! The dedication will be on May 4th and the cultural celebration will be the day before. We are SO extremely excited to have a temple so close so soon! It has been an answer to so many prayers throughout the years for so many people. Also, as I work with the young women, I will be heavily involved in the planning of the cultural celebration. They called me to help with the choreography and teaching of the dancing portion of the performance for our stake. I'm so grateful that we get to be here for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Blaine got his first bonus with DealerSocket. He has been working extremely hard (and I have missed him so much) so this bonus is well-deserved! We celebrated by going to a little Spanish restaurant right by our house. It was delicious! We will definitely be going back for more. So far, 2014 has been a great year!