Celebrating Ale!

-  - and Sofie -  -

9.21.2012

So,

On Tuesday {9.18.2012} my brother graduated from the General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program {GMASEP} at Broward College.. He's been in this program for 2 years and has been working so so hard.. Monday through Friday at school, Monday - Saturday working at the shop, and even Sundays doing side jobs for friends and family.. Needless to say, he rarely has free time, but I think that on Tuesday night all of his hard work paid off..

 

Proud Momma

Proud Girlfriend

Someone forgot I have new last name! lol

He's at the top of his class!!

The list is also Alphabetical, but no really, he did graduate top of his class!!  

The graduation celebration was held at Rendezvous Bar & Grill in Ft. Lauderdale.  The restaurant was on the water and we were sitting outside with a beautiful view of the marina. As pretty as it was, it was hot and humid. But besides that, the food was good and we had a great time celebrating my brother's success and achievements.

Awww.. So sweet! 

Right before he crushed my ribs! 

Momma and her baby! 

He started the program with about 20 other students.. There were 9 guys graduating.. My brother was at the top of his glass.  He was given the GMASEP Leadership Award, presented to him from General Motors and he was recognized for finishing his program with all Eight ASE certifications {there are only 8 ASE certifications available} making him the first student to graduate from the Broward program as a Master Technician.  I am so very proud of my little brother, he has accomplished so much {for those who don't know, he is also an Eagle Scout} and I'm excited to see how well he will do in his career!

Since I can't think of anything else, here are the pictures from that night.. I will also include some videos so keep an eye out for the links..

Here come the speakers! 

Empty bucket..... wah wah

Now it's full!! 

Deee-freaking-licious!!!!! 

All the graduates getting recognized

"R.I.P. Michael Clark Duncan.. Oh no wait, that's Ale's teacher!!" - Nery Saenz

Video: Getting His Diploma

Getting congratulated by his Manager

Pics of his Classmates

Video: Ale Receives Leadership Award

Receiving a certificate of recognition for graduating as a GMASEP Master Tech!

Congratulations to the GMASEP Class of 2012!!!!!!!!!

So so so proud of him!!! 

Ale's friend Edwin

Silly boys!

The boys with their proud girls! 

This Sunday we are having a Graduation party to celebrate Ale's success!! I will finish this post after the party to include stories and pictures of the day! 

-  -  -  -  -

While we are waiting for Sunday, I want to talk about Sofie - well.. when don't I want to talk about Sofie!! 

Anywho.. on 9.19 {Wednesday} I took Sofie to her 9 month Well Baby check up {yes, I know she is 10 months old, but at the beginning of this year there were some issues with her insurance and one of her Well Baby check ups got pushed back a little bit we are a teensy bit off schedule.. We will be back on track for her One year visit - OMG I want to cry, she is going to be a year old soon!!!!!!}

Back to her check up.. she is 19.11 pounds and is in the 50th percentile for her weight, and she is 28 inches long, in the 75th percentile for height! Everything on point! The doctor also did some neurological tests - balance, reflexes and what not, and he said that Sofia got 100% on everything! He even said that her balance was a little advanced for her age!! WOOT WOOT!! Thank you Gymboree!! 

After a very successful {and happy - NO SHOTS!} visit, we went to her Tia Norma's house to play with her abuelita for a few hours.. 

Once we got home, and after she woke up from her nap, we played in the playroom for a while and {DRUM ROLL PLEASE} .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

SOFIA WALKED!!!!!!!!! 

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I want to cry!!!!! My big girl is growing up so fast!!! She's on her way to being a toddler!!! She doesn't take more than 5 or 6 steps before she falls {or sits} down.. But she is walking.................... she is walking.. 

She.          Is.          Walking..

Video: SOFIE IS WALKING!!!!

Can I say that enough? SHE IS WALKING!!!!! WALKING!!!!! I don't have a baby anymore!! I'm so proud of her, and I know that she is healthy and that's why she is walking early, but ugh!! I just want my little baby back! I want her to be a baby! 

I'm going to go sit in a corner and cry now.. 

Pity, party of 1.

wah.. 

I'll finish up on Sunday or Monday night.. good night loves..

-  -  -  -  -

{Sofie is napping.. time to continue}

9.24.2012

So I'm still not over Sofie being able to walk.. Don't know if I'll ever get over it! She's growing too fast, but I am so enjoying watching her change and reach all these developmental milestones!

Ok.. enough about that..

Yesterday was Ale's graduation BBQ and pool party.. Sadly it was raining, so it wasn't much of a pool party, but we all had a great time.. We had pastelitos from my favorite bakery - yum yum yum.. My brother was working the grill with hot dogs and hamburgers, and they even had baked beans.. Since the Dolphins were playing the Jets yesterday, they decided to roll the big screen tv outside so we could watch the game and grill at the same time! WIN!

The pre-food Food! 

Yummy!!!

Ale's Diploma

His Master Technician certification

and his GM ASEP Leadership Award

All 3, plus his model Camero

Saying "Hi" to Dawn! 

Fernie and his girlfriend Kelly

Sofie with her Lala

Watching the game outside

More "centerpieces" 

The GGs

Losers

They've been friends since first grade

Watching the game like smart people.. INSIDE!

Elizabeth and her boyfriend

{Sofia loved him!! lol}

Playing Jenga

Edwin's daughter.. 

Smooshy face!!! 

Sofie got to play with her BFF Dawn, and they are always soo soo cute to watch!! They hug each other, play together and share their food and water with each other.. So sweet.. And of course they became the center of attention, as usual! The party became a Sofia/Dawn photo shoot!! 

Dawn puts her arm around Sofie all on her own! 

So sweet!!! 

Besitos! 

"Sofie I have a secret for you!" 

Yummy toes!!! 

The girls and their uncles!

Eating croquettas

She should like them.. 

they were the only thing I craved while I was pregnant!!! 

Singing Happy Birthday and blowing out all the candles! 

I don't want to put anything down, so I will pick up the cup with my mouth!

Dawn is tasty!

After we ate lunch, and after we cut the cake {delish, cookies and cream chocolate cake from publix!!!} my brother's friend Edwin got the bright idea to push Ale into the pool.. so we made sure that he didn't have anything in his pockets and in he went..

This is my favorite picture, even though it's blurry

So naturally, Ale had to get Edwin back..

Nery was an innocent bystander, and got splashed 

Then poor Kristina got involved along with Fernando and his girlfriend..

I thought I was safe since I had my camera around my neck, plus I was taking all the pictures of everyone going in..

Kristina's dad was at the party, and as I was talking to him he made the following comment, "someone is going to end up in the pool with their phone".. Foreshadowing?! Yes, I think so!!

Kristina was already wet because she was pushed in earlier.. so when she was standing on the edge of the pool I took an opportunity and pushed her again.. bad idea.. when she got out of the pool she decided to give me a wet hug that was blown out of proportion! As she was hugging me, Fernie and Ale got carried away and tried to throw me into the pool.. they yanked my camera off of me and {after a bit of a struggle} in I went.. the way I was thrown in I thought I was going to hit the wall on the opposite side of the pool with my face {thankfully, I missed it by a little}.. So, after I was in the water, I took off my watch and emptied my pockets.  .  .  .  .  That's when I found it.. My phone.   .   .

:: Sigh ::

Yupp.. my phone.. The last time I saw it, it was sitting on the couch, safe and dry.. I didn't remember that I had gotten a phone call and put the phone in my pocket.. I was too busy worrying about the safety of my camera to even think or remember that my phone was in my back pocket - where it normally lives..

And I cried..

Not for the phone, because the phone is just a phone and I can always get a new one.. but I cried for all the pictures and the videos that are in my phone.. Pictures of Sofia as a newborn, a video of her first laugh, pictures of her standing and playing with her great grandparents.. which even now when I think about it I'm sad, but I do have them backed up on my computer and saved on my mom's computer {I recently backed up the phone last week Wednesday} and they are not lost.. so I am now sad for the pictures and videos that I lost from this last week, which isn't as bad as I originally thought..

Right now, the phone is sitting in a bowl of rice.  I've heard that putting the phone in rice works to get all the water out of the phone.. I have never done this before.. It's been over 24 hours that the phone has been sitting in the rice.. I am going to leave it there for a couple of days to make sure it is completely dry! Meanwhile, I am now part of Team Flip Phone again! Nery bought me a Go phone so I am not completely excommunicated from everyone! {someone used the word excommunicated yesterday and I have been dying to use it today!!}

This is my phone for now.. pppffffttttt

I miss my phone..

Hugs..