We Are Family

2009-04-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Just another crazy play day at the Smith's.... anything to be creative. Ian and Sydney compete to see who can go the farthest in the tire.

2009-04-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

This one's for you, Mom!

2009-03-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

Way back in the early 1900s ... a young lass sailed across the sea from a beautiful land to an unknown harbor... this brave girl was Anastasia Murray Mithchell, our grandmother. In honor of her, and the many other Irish family long gone from us, we eat, drink and dance around like silly fools celebrating the day of the green. Here's how we celebrated in the Arroyo household...i know, Arroyo, not so Irish..= ) We did a few irish jigs, sang Oh, Danny boy... ate green jello, and looked at photos of grandma Mitchell and the pics of our trip to Ireland in '99 (robert & me). This was our little party...we're having the real deal, corned beef & cabbage & irish soda bread ...my version, of course, this sunday with all the family...can't wait!

2009-02-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Our Playset has morphed into a Pirate's bird nest as Wade added a 3rd level. No need to worry about Syd or Dec, they have become natural monkeys!

2009-02-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

Amelia really got into the superbowl this year. For some reason it did for the rest of us also, just not as crazy as her!

Check out what is writen on her right arm. (it reads "go cradinals".)

Her knuckels read "Matt Lienart"

Last but not least, Amelia's reaction to the final few seconds of the game.

OH well, there is always another season:-( GO Cards!!!!

2009-02-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Here is some of the gold we found at our house under the rainbow.

Sydney in all her girly glory and Declan fighting off scurvy with oranges after his long pirate voyages.

2009-02-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Ian prepares for Winter Olympics 2014 snowboarding event!

(Boarded up window courtesy of our new basketball hoop in driveway.)

We do AMAZING things when we're united!

2009-01-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Do you want to look like this when an emergency happens cause you're not prepared??!! ... and have mom give you THAT look?
No way, so this is the first in a series of monthly posts to take our families from wanting to be prepared to being totally ready.

We've all heard the counsel to have a 72 hr kit and food storage for our families... and you know it's nagging you but you don't know where to start. Here's what you do.... AND I MEAN DO IT!

I'm going to follow up with every family each month to see that you've gotten the item of the month (or in this case ... that you've gotten your 72 hr kit completed). Since it can seem a little overwhelming here's where we're going to start..

You can purchase a 72 hr kit for a family of 4 by going here
a 72 hr for a family of 4 is ON SALE FOR $108.95 (it was $195.00)...it even has a cell phone charger!

Or follow the suggested list below and put the 72 hr kit together yourself.
You will also want to have a backpack with a change of clothes for every member of the family...including shoes. Don't forget to pop some fun things in there to help entertain you. It's great to include coloring books or something for little children too. Remember during an emergency anything that is distracting will help and comfort you.

Our deadline to have our 72 hr kits is by FEB 28th, 2009.
Love you guys!

72 hr Kit
(4) ER Food Bars - U.S. Coast Guard approved. 3 day supply for 4 people, 5 Year Shelf-life.
(12) Water Boxes w/ Straws - U.S. Coast Guard approved. 3 day supply for 4 people, 5 Year Shelf-life.
(4) Thermal Blankets - Designed by NASA to retain body heat! Lightweight and compact. Fits in your pocket!
(4) Ponchos with Hoods - Don't be caught out in the rain without shelter. One size fits all.
(1) Tube Tent - Comes with rope and instructions. A quick and effective shelter.
(1) Solar / Hand-Crank Powered Light, Radio, & Cell Phone Charger
(50) Water Purification Tablets - To purify unsanitary water. One tablet purifies one liter of water.
(12) Sanitation/Toilet Bags - Maintains sanitary conditions! Use with container as portable toilet.
(1) Package Toilet Chemicals - Maintains sanitary conditions! Use with container as portable toilet.
(1) Snap-on Toilet Seat (optional) - Use with container as portable toilet. Maintains sanitary conditions.
(3) Lightsticks - 12 hours of bright green light at the snap of a finger! 4 year shelf life formula.
(1) Lightsticks -12 hour Super Bright Yellow 6” Lightstick
(5) Emergency Candles - Each candle lasts 5 hours! Provides light and warmth.
(1) Box Waterproof Matches - 50 matches; light after getting wet! Unique non-toxic formula.
(1) 52-piece First Aid Kit - Comprehensive first aid kit in plastic case. Compact and easy to use.
(4) Tissue Packs - Help maintain sanitary conditions. Multi task sheets.
(1) Safety Whistle - Blow loud for immediate rescue attention! Comes with lanyard.
(4) Dust Masks - Prevents dust and germ inhalation. Reduces risk of inhaling toxins.
(1) Pair Vinyl Gloves (in 1st aid kit) - Protects hands from infection. Maintains sanitary conditions.
(1) Pair Work Gloves - Heavy duty with leather palm. Perfect for any work situation.
(1) Roll of Duct Tape - Great for various applications! A must for any kit.
(1) Plastic Sheeting - Shelter-in-place for protection from contaminants. Easy to follow instructions.
(1) Gas Shut-off Wrench - Protect your home from gas explosions. A truly lifesaving tool.
(1) Nylon Cord - 50 feet of heavy duty nylon rope. Perfect for any number of uses.
(1) Multi-function Swiss Army Knife - 5 function folding knife. A must for any survival kit.
(1) Can Opener - Easy to use GI style can opener. Small and effective.
(4) Out-of-state Contact Cards - Keep track of loved ones with these! Effective and easy to use.
(1) Survival Guide - Complete guide to surviving any disaster! Comprehensive and easy to read.
(1) Packaged in 5 Gallon Air Tight Container - Easy to carry!

Turkey trotting...

2008-11-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Join Us for our Annual Turkey Bowl
&
1st Annual Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 27th
Berhinger Park
16044 Alicante Rd.
La Mirada

Start Times:
8:00 am Turkey Bowl
8:15 am – 1K walk/run
8:30 am – 5K walk/run
9:30 am – Yoga Stretch class
(bring a towel)

Rain or shine...
we'll be out there having a great time!
Come join us... and bring the family

just a few things i love and ... maybe a great opportunity

2008-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

i LOVE our photo from last christmas... i'd reuse it this year but Lanie would look like she's in a reverse growing mode... we're hoping for a sweet photo op with this incredible photographer Jay... you can see him here
he's looking for families to shoot in the OC/San Diego area check out his site if you're interested
i was cracking up one day as we were playing in the girls room... Abby was singing and definitely looks like a lounge singer here...
this is my fav photo of us
We love it at liberty park where Lanie loves to play in the puppet show catepillar

gotta love those legs... Lanie walks around on her tip toes all the time now

Declan's Adventure

2008-09-13T15:56:00.001-07:00

Declan decided he wanted to climb the Alps (our backyard play set). As part of his adventure he jumped off the mountain barely escaping a monster ( Ian who was trying to get him down). Alas, the story did not turn out as planned as he jumped to the ground and landed on his hands more and broke both bones in one arm near the wrist. Lucky for him, he is young and handsome and his arm should repair in a month. So look out those who try to fight him... he now has a hard left hook!

"It All Started With A Kiss"

2008-08-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

The family reunion was great... A HUGE thanks goes out to the Montejano family for hosting the event with 41 of us there ....we missed you Michael, Trisha & Monica

There were so many great momments.... who can forget Tommy's ear to ear smile after he was baptized..... we had a lot of sneak water attacks at the fort... fun times in the relays during the Powers olympics... and what a great bunch of volleyball players.. dedicated to precise court measurements and all.. i think the best part was the 2nd annual gong show.... i knew there was hidden talent in this family...and who knew Steve looked good in red... thanks to everyone for making time to unite this crazy family....

This slide show is just a teaser....the real deal will be coming to you in the near future.... we took a ton!!! of pictures. Okay,,, i took a ton of pics ... = )

Love you all!
CeCe

2008-07-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sydney & Declan are in their first summer of swim classes. They love the popsicle day every 2 weeks. In a few more summers they will join Ian & Mia on the swim team. Both Ian & Mia have made huge strides this year and have won many first & second place titles at their swim meets.

2008-06-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

I remember as a kids summer being so long and wonderous. Okay, i think the wonderous part came after i said i was bored a million times and my mom threw us out of the house to do "something" .... well the something is what was wonderous... the things that happened when i used my imagination to fill the time... i love that about the summer.

Well, life is a little different now for Abby then for me growing up. She's the oldest... i was one of the little kids in my family... and she has a pool at the apartment and i had a big backyard full of things to climb on. So i wasn't a good swimmer until later on in life, but Abby's a little fish. We've been taking advantage of the hot weather (since the pool isn't heated) and go swimming once a day. we love this part of our summer days.

Abby's imagination earned her some points the other night(and has kept her out of time out) She came up with a seat belt for the dining room chair. She was always getting in trouble for not staying in her seat during her meals. This cracked me up when she used it the first time... so it would keep her in her seat... she said. i guess she got tired of me yelling at her, too. = )

Lanie doesn't sit still for very long... she was caught red handed... okay.. it was oatmeal she was tearing into... she goes into this cabinet and opens everything she can get her hands on .... she does this a few times a day...you would think we would baby proof that cabinet by now

fun times in the summer

2008-06-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

We had some fun with our friends, the Smith family, from Oklahoma. We really love them and miss them a lot. Too bad Oklahoma isn't right next to CA. We had fun with them while they were here. (too bad it wasn't more time - sorry Angie for the mix up = ) Before they left they hooked us up with tickets to the big D. Abby's been dying to get a pass to Disneyland, but we said we'd have to work it into our budget. This made it affordable and Abby actually used some of her recycling money towards the ticket. Thanks Trent & Angie!!! We went a few times last week for a few hrs each time before we were blackedout for a month or so. Abby was in heaven. She thinks all the princesses are her best friends.

Playing around
Robert and Abby are always like this.... check out Abby's princess pjs she's sporting... it's her new obsession. She wears them all day...with everyting. = )

sing.. sing a song

2008-06-08T22:51:00.001-07:00

Last night was one of those great moments ...I was putting the girls to bed and Robert got home early from work, so he took Lanie for me. Robert works evenings so i don't usually get to spend alone time with Abby getting her down for the night. Usually it's sing a couple songs fast before Lanie starts screaming. i sing two songs... one real one, and another real song but with the second verse made up with Abby in it. Abby loves this, and actually i love it, too. i really love when, as i'm walking away to turn off the lights, she starts making up a verse about me.

Well, Abby was ULTRA tired since we were out too late. i knew she'd have a hard time settling down to sleep. Since Robert had Lanie, i decided to sing her to sleep. I sat next to her bed, rubbing her back, and just kept singing and singing and singing. i stopped when i thought she was asleep enough, but then i heard a little whispered voice say.. "sing one more, mom. Please." How could i resist.... so i sang three more.

I'm #1

2008-06-03T00:08:00.000-07:00

Alana turned 1 on Sunday.... she was asleep on the couch with me and woke up with joy as she noticed the decorations we'd put up all over the kitchen for her... it was really fun to see the look on her face .... she had roseola last week and had a high fever for a few days....then got red bumps all over her little body... not so much fun for her... most of the week she didn't sleep more than a few hrs at a time.. and then she wanted to be held while she slept, too... so we were on the couch most of the week. i wasn't sure how she was going to feel on her bday but she seemed to be finally over it to enjoy her day
Lanie ran into the corner of the wall and got her first shiner

All the kids love uncle Tim.... he looks like a mountain man, and loves it, and loves the kids.... Alana was loving him at her party.... it was a tiny little dinner for her at my sister, mary's house. Thanks mary!

Abby and Sarah were having a BARBIE party at mary's
....can you see the floor covered with barbies....

Alana loved her presents....mainly she loved the bags... but this little lawn mower she was into... can you see her pushing her cousin, Sarah away with her hand on her head.... don't even think about it! This toy's mine.

May, our neighbor made this incredible... totally from scratch... and fresh berrie pie for Alana... and us = ) and brought over some beautiful lavender flowers. We really love May and Andy

Alana is soooo blessed to have so many people around her that love her... this is Robert's sister, Alicia...she's Lanie's NINA...or godmother...she and Abuela (Robert's mom, Daisy and Melissa - cousins) came over tonight to celebrate her bday with her.

Happy birthday sweet girl!

some fun

2008-06-02T23:29:00.000-07:00

I love ya, Aly... i love how much you love Abby... i love that my girls get to hang out with their cousins... that's what i really love the most. Aly made it through her freshman year at BYU and is home for the summer. Abby couldn't wait for you to come home.

i love black/white photos.... Abby, Lanie & i had a tea time in our play tent... a girls gotta have tea time ... i know the pic is off but i love it

Lanie's been walking.... okay no, she doesn't really walk.. she runs everywhere mostly... and she loves to carry purses and gift bags around... am i in trouble with this girl? I thinks she's got a thing for purses already...

i love Robert... he cracks me up.. this looks like such a loving pic... Robert and his girls... ahhh... well the real reason they're walking around is cause he's walking Lanie to sleep... funny... she was fussy and wouldn't sleep so he made her walk and walk and walk so she would be so tired all she wanted to do was sleep.....smart guy actually. They had fun greeting all the neighbors as they went round an round... and yes, Abby is in her dress up clothes... that day she was Joan of Arc

We have a tent in our apartment.... Abby was in heaven... she thought her play tent was cool... but this....wow..
Robert was convinced it would fit in our living room... he was almost right if we took out all the furniture. It was pretty fun having it stretched across the length of our living room. We are getting ready for a camping trip later in the summer... i like it... i think we'll keep it. i was even more impressed when he was able to put it back in the box...

To blog or not to blog..

2008-05-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

Blog, blog, blog.... i've gotta blog.... okay so i need to blog more frequently...
I'm messing with the template and updating things so this is a work in progress..

Below are fun pics from the adventures lately.
We celebrated my bday by going to a resort in Indio... hung out at the pool and lazy river for days... it was really fun with my sister, Mary's family and mother in law, as well as, my little crew... and mother in law.. and Robert's sisters and families that came up for the day...

I think Abby got all her looks from her dad... = )

This is laundry day in my house...
Lanie's bday is coming up and i think we'll get her her very own basket....
won't she be so excited!

This is my dad, Bill... he passed away 12 yrs ago. I think Lanie resembles him. We were out playing in the courtyard the other day and i caught this photo of her. I just laughed when I saw it cause my dad used to do that same look. Too bad I don't have a photo handy of it though... it's fun to see different sides of our families in our children. It makes me feel like a have a little piece of him near me. I didn't realize how much I missed him until i started blogging about him.

The water is so cold! All the people running around are our family.. = )

The best time of my life

2008-03-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

One night I found myself crying in despair.... frustration as Lanie was crying in my ear and Abby was crying even louder.... to get my attention during Abby's bedtime routine..... usually it's pray....sing songs..... lots of loves and then off to sleep, but this particular night everyone was way beyond tired. As I took some deep breathes a comment a friend made came to my mind.... remember these are the best times of your life. At that thought I started laughing, which actually eased the crying girls and we were able to get Abby off to bed. These are the best time of my life for sure! I may not enjoy the craziness sometimes, but I truly love our family, extended family and wonderful friends that fill our lives with such memories. You'll see by the pictures how much fun we're having... Abby & her loan-a-dog, Pixie ....Enjoying the rain.... Playing dress up with Lanie.... Our nine month old little wonder, Lanie.... Our new favorite park & community center in Cerritos

2008-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Sydney says to Abby, "Hey baby! How's it shaken? I love your videos of you and Lanie. I watch them all the time. I'm learning my ABCs. I love to sing, "Twinkle, twinkle little star". Do you know that song?

2008-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Our little boy is growing up! Wade took Ian to a car show in January. Ian loved it! His favorite car (right now.. you know that will change) is a mustang and a camero. That's Ian sitting in the mustang.

The blessings in our lives

2007-12-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Looking back, 6 years ago we couldn't have imagined how full our lives would be with love. Today is our 6 yr anniversary, and we've been truly blessed. We have so much fun with our girls. Both of them are into everything. I hope you enjoy the little video clips of what they're doing now. Abby's in a tumbling class that she just loves. Robert went today, since he's off for a couple weeks .... and I think he was doing more tumbling than Abby. It was so fun to see Robert jump around with Abby. Tuesday Lanie tasted a gourmet meal of rice cereal. Yummmmm..... her expressions are priceless. She has her two bottom teeth and rolls all around the livingroom. Watch out Abby... Lanie's coming!

It's a merry happy half birthday to you... to you Lanie 6 months old

2007-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Holiday cheer .... starring you

2007-11-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

Funny Tim 1
Funny Tim 2
Funny Pinedas
Funny Montejanos
Funny Arroyos
funny mom & Cathy
Check these out these performances.....and see which is the funniest!

Traditions...Traditions (you know the songs so sing along)

2007-11-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

It begins with the normal marshmellow... and ends up a sticky nightmare....We call it CHRISTMAS SALAD...

This year was Abby's initiation. It came sooner than later in life. It was inevitable. We have handed down the ancient secrets of those that have gone before us. We tried to stall by seeing how many marshmellows would fit into our mouths, but that only made us sick. It did leave a few less marshmellows to cut up though.
This beautiful Christmas salad with it's marshmellows, walnuts, pineapples, whipped cream, and pineapple sauce has delighted crowds for years..... and the Powers' family dinners for as long as I can recall. When making it you can't cut corners. No, you have to cut the big marshmellows into small pieces, since Mom believes using small marshmellows sabatoges the whole recipe.

Abby and I were sticky for hours... okay actually Abby only got through 1 whole marshmellow before she ditched out and made me cut the entire 2 bottomless bag fulls... before we went on to the rest of the preparations.
It was really fun measuring, chopping, and watching her taste the new tradition we created on Thanksgiving morning.
Later that day we ended up at the Pineda home for the feast. Talk about THANKSeatalotoffoodGIVING! It was great. We also celebrated Kati's bday (it was her bday that day) and Joey's bday (earlier in the month). We had a blast and missed all of you that weren't there. Mandy, your sweet potatoes rocked!

Cathy, the big winner!!

2007-11-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

Cathy scored some Disneyland tickets from a contest on KOST radio. She won 4 tickets to the 25th celebration of the station at D-land, and happily shared them. The crazy 4 some (Cathy, Mom, Robert & Abby) ran around the happiest place on earth from 9-1 am. They had a blast! Abby's been once to D-land, but not at night. I think her eyes were as big as grandma's as they check out the beautiful Christmas decorations. Grandma hadn't been there for many...many years. ....seeing D-land through Abby's eyes made even Robert enjoy it. Thanks Cathy for a great time!

Smith days...

2007-11-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Halloween dress for Amelia & Sydneys 2 parties (on the same day)
Amelia & her friends after the mummy wrap (toilet paper)... lots of fun
Ian realized that when you clapp your hands while swinging on the swings, it's very important to remember to hold back on or your face meets the ground!
We had a crazy hair & make-up day. Declan doesn't have to work on the attitude... it comes naturally!

Fun-a-plenty

2007-11-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween season this year. We actually went to a farm for the pumpkins and apples. Abby loved the farm. She got to feed the animals and stomp around in the fields. She's definitely a cowgirl at heart.

You see Robert's been busy acquiring new skills.... I don't know if I should be worried....

Halloween was fun! Robert had to work, so I did my part and dressed like a crazy rocker for Abby's entertainmet. Lanie was the littlest fairy and Abby was a rah-rah cheerleader. We treated this year.... no tricks...except for our pumpkins. We painted them instead of cutting them since there's too many lights around the apartments to let the pumpkin really glow. Abby's pumpkin is the scary daddy longleg spider!!! ooooohhhh....creepy...

LA COUNTY FAIR

2007-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, look at us! We placed second at the fair for our apple-guava jelly. I had a great time teaching Michael how to make jam & jelly. Let's see how we do next year! = )

Here we are, Sarah, age 4 and me 74! Aren't we cuties!!!? This is my birthday and we were trying out my camera.

Love to all of you, love Mom

An awww... moment

2007-10-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Check out my rocker girls! Abby was jealous that Kati gets to be Hannah Montana for Halloween and wanted a wig to wear so I broke out my clown wigs for some fun.

Doesn't Lanie look like the dude from Wayne's World? Funny, huh.
I guess it's time to change Lanie to the crib. = ) She's 4 1/2 months now.... getting big.

The other day turned into one of those cool moments you cherish. Abby and I were having some mom/daughter time baking some cookies for friends. I started telling her that when she grew up she could be a chef, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or artist or dancer or whatever she wanted to be. Then she looked at me and said, "Or I could be a mom."

I loved that.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

From Ian: What kind of music do mummys like? wrap! ha ha

From Mia: Why doesn't the vampire have many friends? Because he's a pain in the neck! ha ha

Can you tell Halloween has come early to our house?

Up and Running

2007-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wow!

Way to go Cece.

This will be great until Sean has time to get the family website finalized.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, productive week!

Love to all.

Mar

Family fun for Mom's bday

2007-10-07T23:42:00.001-07:00

2007-10-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal

2007-10-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, this blog is for the family..... Super Powers 12 and add ons.... all families and kids who want to share. = )
That's who we are. This is the blog site to get us connected while Sean works on the real webpage for our family info.
Use this site to post happenings with your families I want to see what everyone is up to. I need the kids emails if that's okay with the parents so they can post comments and pictures, too.

I can limit this site to just our family too, but right now anyone can see it and only our family can post pics and post posts. )

Let me know what you think.

Love ya all Super Powers Family
CeCe

2007-10-07T22:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Mom!

2007-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

The world stopped revolving for a moment so we could revolve around Mom for her 74th birthday on Friday! She looked beautiful in her floral dress and radiant smile. Check out the photos for yourself.

Look out Hollywood! There's another Paparazzi on the loose. Mom's got a new camera and she's out to make a name for herself. She'll be staked out infront of Hollywood's hottest clubs waiting to capture the moment.... okay, maybe she'll be staked out at the grandkids games catching the action with her new camera. Which ever it is she'll be out there with her new gadget having fun.