2010

So we have new additions to our NORCAL family.  My brother and his girlfriend came to live with us in January.  So far it has been pleasant.  I am glad to have my brother here because I  needed someone who was part of my immediate family to be close to me!

 

Life at the moment is great.  Ruben and I are doing great!  This past Valentine’s Day was one of the most memorable.  He took me to the happiest place on Earth.  I love him so much!  But, I am starting to get writer’s block and am being distracted by the TV. 

 

Until next time.

We got our First Condo!

Here is Ruben signing the papers to our first condo! We are so excited about owning our first actual place together! It has been a long journey getting here! But, we did it!

I remember about 2 years ago, Ruben told me that there are some condos that were for sale for like $40,000. I was surprised and excited because that meant that we were going to move our of his brother's house and were going to move into our own place! But, that wasn't the case. We had to wait a little while longer before we could actual start looking. It's a long process!

We first had to get approved for a loan. We went to BofA and we got approved. Then we had to search. We looked all over the place! We looked in Woodland, in Natomas, in Sacramento. It was exhausting! We finally found some houses that were listed within our loan amount and that's when we got super excited!

We seriously thought we were going to be homeowners! But, every single time we put in an offer, it would get bet out by those dang investors! We always thought, "this is the place!" and then our Realtor calls us and tells us that there are numerous offers on it. But, we don't give up that easy!

Finally, we go back to these condos in Woodland that we saw a while back and were still on the market. We shrugged our shoulders and said, "why not? It's worth a try."

The next call we get from our realtor and she says that the bank has accepted our offer and wants to know if we want to move forward!!!! OMG this day was exciting for us! We also got to share this moment with out friend Maria and Drew and I think that they were happy for us too!!!

The one thing that was holding us back was that the bank did not want to pay any of the fees or closing costs. Ruben had said, "Oh hell NO! They are going to pay for those!" So he had to put it in paper that he wanted them to pay the costs! We believed that they should pay it because the condo was worth 74,900 and we offered 80,000. So we went way over asking price, so it was only fair!

So, the bank got back to us and told us, "okay master, you win!" So, now we are just waiting to see if the condo meets FHA inspection and then we are good to go! We are so happy! I am so happy because now I get to buy a puppy! I am also happy because my brother is going to be moving up here with us!!!!

Baby, I love you and I am so happy that we finally can have a place to call our own! I know it isn't the plae that we are going to end up in, but its a beautiful start to our new life!

Our Salad!

He is being a goof ball and showing his muscles! it takes all of this muscle to make our salad!


So, one day Ruben decides to ruin my thoughts about eating a big juicy hamburger, with a salad! I was dreaming of taking a bite into a cheesburger when all of a sudden, "Baby, how about we make a big, meatless salad today?" I was like, 'ok.....' I was seriously thinkin about something meaty!
But, I kept an open mind and decided to try it out before I said anything negative.
We went to Savemart and bought: lettuce, spinach, cranberries, croutons, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and kidney beans. We had so much fun making it! Plus, we were starving and we really wanted to eat it!

It was the most beautiful salad I had ever had! It tasted so good too! The cranberries make it taste do wonderful!
After we ate it, I felt bad because I had first thought that it was going to suck, but it turned out to be great!

It's times like these that I enjoy the most. Where we can just make a simple salad together and eat it together. And, we also don't feel guilty after we ate it! I love having these moments to share with Ruben!

Real Talk

So....this morning I woke up with a clicking sound...I realized that it was a man and his truck. He was trying to start his truck so he could go to work, but the car wasn't starting. When I was walking to my car, I see the man with a desperate and disappointed look on his face. Right then and there, I felt bad, but blessed at the same time. I felt bad because it made me realize the people who are out there who have struggles with every day things. The look on his face made me sad because I knew that all he was trying to do was start his truck so he could go to work. And with the economy nowadays, its hard to find a job. He was just trying to make money for his family. I felt blessed because the things that I am doing now is for my future. I feel blessed because I never had to go through anything like that. Every once in a while I would leave my lights on and my battery would run out, but I always had my dad there to give me a jump. The man was out there for about an hour. I just wished I could have done something. So, I was in a rush and I had to leave for work. Then, I get this text message from Ruben telling me that he gave the man a jump. It made me feel a whole lot better knowing that the man was able to get his truck started and go to work and make the money he needs for his family. And, it made me happy to have such a wonderful person like Ruben to do nice things for people he doesn't even know. The moral of the story is chivalry is not dead, its just hiding.

Typical Day and Thoughts

I'm currently at school waiting for my class to start!
I just started my first semester at SAC State and it's a lot different than what I expected. It's a lot bigger too! I have to walk around this whole dang campus just to get where I am going! But at least it keeps me active! I purposely park far just so I can get some cardio time in! Since I have started school, I haven't had time to go to the gym so I feel a little stressed out about that! I was so used to working out and now I am just swamped in school work! But, I know it's worth it in the end! My main focus right now is to get my BA so I could get into the credential program! My goal is to get my credential to become a Special Education Teacher for children 0-5yrs of age! I never thought that this would be something that I would want to do in the future, but after completing my first year as a one-on-one tutor, I have fallen in love with job! I love watching the progress that the students make because I know that I had something to do with that! It brings a little tingle to my heart! So, we'll see where it takes me!

Halloween!

Since Halloween is around the corner....here are some of our old Halloween pics!

Yosemite Family Reunion

We have been having a Rodriguez Family Reunion since 2005 and it is just a wonderful feeling having all of my family members around!
Here are some of the pics for the 2009 reunion! It was so much fun!