Charlie's Birthdays!!

 This post is to remembers Charlie's bdays over the years!!!

Happy First Birthday #charlesito18 #watchmegrowcfr3
We had a fun one today @sanantoniozoo!! Of course he was asleep for the Giraffes. No big deal, right?? He was awake for the cake so that makes up for it! ❤ you son! #charlesito18 @corazon_y_alma 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

First Bday, 2019

Second weekend celebrating our one-derful Prince with family and friends ❤ Seeing our baby's face light up is priceless! @pflugerville_tx #pflugerpark #princecharlesthethirdturns1 #charlesito18

Also....shoutout to my wonderful Mother in law who took care of baby Charles for the past 9 months while we were at work. Getting back to work is not easy, but having someone you trust fully to care for your baby makes it much better! ❤

First Birthday Party, 2019

First Birthday Party, 2019

First Birthday Party, 2019

First Birthday Party, 2019

First Birthday Party, 2019

One year old photoshoot!

2019

One year old photoshoot!

2019

One year old photoshoot!

2019

To the best dad for our son! We love you! Thank you for being his best example of a great kind man! ❤👼🏽 @corazon_y_alma Happy 2nd fathers day!! P.s: Charlesito gave you the best gift. He can now say 'da-da' and it is the sweetest thing, but won't say it in front of the camera 🤷‍♀️

Daddy and Son, 2019

Daddy and Son, 2019

For all your wishes to come true 😘😘. This birthday was special for him. He got to see his family even from afar and those calls made us feel close.
He felt so loved and special!! Thank you everyone for making his day so full! 2020

2 years young!

He finds happiness in simplicity.

Bubbles, balls, and 'mummies' (gummies) make his day.

He looks at my outfits sometimes and says: "nice"

He always finds the moon whether is nightime or daytime.

At night he always requests we read another book and asks us to hold his "mano"

He is just so sweet and smart.

My wonderful two year old.

We are so blessed! 

Second Birthday, 2020

Second Birthday, 2020

Second Birthday, 2020

Second Birthday, 2020

My three year old. I can just remember how I held you for the first time, how we locked eyes and how good it felt to just hold you. You are kind. You are strong, you are so emotional. I love you. I love this awesome human you are becoming. Your favorite show is blippi and your favorite books are things that go and the pout pout fish abc's. You love to point all the construction cars and have forced me to learn the difference between a backhoe, bulldozer and an excavator 🤣  who would have known? You think  garbage trucks are so cool too. You love animals and 🦖🦕 and can even remember some of their scientific names. You love 💦 and splashing. You have grown so much, specially this past 6 months as you became an older brother. How you have fit so well into that protective role of an older brother. You are amazing, Charlie. Love you so much. My 🌜finder. Happiest 3 years of life!!

Pjs and being mismatched.

Wanting to be independent but also lifting your arms to be carried.

So many words to still learn.

Mar, is sea.

Yes, you can get all the gummy worms.

You don't want cake?

That's ok...

But can you blow the candle? (There is no light) **he blows his 3 yo candle**

So much kindness, I don't feel bad we forgot the match, bc you treat it as if I did not forget the match.

Oh, that's a candle, we don't eat that...

You want more gummy worms?

Okay! Here you go!

Destin Florida, 2021

Four-oh-saurus! You turned four!! 

You had a blast. We had a pool party, which started at 10 am, and you were still in the water at 1pm. Your friends from school came, and you played with them in the water. Afterwards we went home with your grandparents and opened all of your gifts and had cake again.

Happy 4th Birthday, Charlie.

You are truly the most wonderful boy!

Love you,

Mom

2022

This one was my birthday, but I loved this picture with Charlie as I couldn't find one with his cake! WE are May babies! 2022

Charlie! My boy! You are now FIVE!! It seems like yesterday when the nurses were giving you to me. I can't quite believe how fast time has passed. You are an amazing brother and son. You have matured so much.

This birthday was a bit hard for me as I could not attend your birthday party as I'm at the hospital. You told me all the details for your birthday. You wanted everything to be PJ Masks themed.

"Why don't we have my party at nightime, mom?" You asked. It made so much sense...but they do not open the place that late. Your daddy and grandmother definitely made it happen for you! 

Afterwards you came and visited at the hospital and opened some of your gifts and we played together! :-)

You are so bright.

You are Joy.

You are happiness.

You are kind.

So blessed to call you my son.

Happy Birthday Charlie Forest Russell III.

I love you so much!

2023

Dating Life and Post Marriage Life.

 This is just a repository of some memories while single and dating.

Austin, 2013

2015

2016

2016

2015

2015

#onemonthaway! Excited! 🙆and still figuring out some final details! But mostly #excited and happy to have @corazon_y_alma by my side! Love you babes! #charlana2016

2016

2016

Post Marriage Dates

#trailoflightsvolunteers #austinlights #merrychristmas #beaniebuddys #howmayihelpyou #jackalopeguards #samsunggives @corazon_y_alma 2016

This is how 9 months of marriage looks like... We played soccer, watched movies, ate bbq and worked on our front yard 🌹 Digging this marriage thing! 😉 love you @corazon_y_alma 2017

Missing @corazon_y_alma. All I want for #christmas is you! ❣❣ 2017

Celebrating @corazon_y_alma with #wishes, #lights and of course, #cheesecake 💃2016

Seattle

Voting, 2020

Congrats🥥🥥🥥 @mandarose16 and Michael! We had a blast! 🍍🍍🍍2021

2021

2021

NYC with Kiddos and Mother's Day

 With my boys. 💟💟💟

It's not always easy to travel with kiddos but we do agree the memories will be something we talk about looking back.

Like, can you believe how soaked we were and how we dressed like we were still in Texas, but it was actually raining most of the time?

Love to show them that there are different cultures and the way people do things outside of where we live.

"Mom, why don't we have a car in NYC?" While getting on the metro

"Mom, why do we get on other peoples cars" while riding ubers

"Mom, why don't we have a kitchen?" At the hotel.

"Mom, why do we have to go back?" As we head back to Texas 🤣

Happy Mother's day to all the moms! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

An open letter to Live Action founder Lila Rose and Fighting for our Twins Lives.

 

May 10^th, 2023

Hi Lila,

I hope you are doing well. I don’t even know where to start or if you will ever read this letter…I first heard you on a podcast debating on the pro-life side. Your points were just so valid and have help me understand more how to discuss or have a rebuttal when several issues come up. At the time I didn’t even know we also shared the same faith. See, it often seems like the pro-abortion side tries to get out of defining a new human by saying that they don’t believe in religious definition that human life begins at fertilization. I was so amazed that you brought science to back up your arguments and did so respectfully and with grace.

Then; I started to follow LIVE action and also read (or heard) your book. I just kept getting more admired by your courage and determination to fight for life. To be more courageous.

In March of this year, I went to my 20 week anatomy appointment and MFM told me that our babies (twins) had a soft marker that could be downs syndrome. At that time, I was in the part of your book with all the stats on how many countries abort children with disabilities. In my mind, it was never a question, but I was sad to know how difficult it would probably be if both of my identical twins had the extra chromosome. We have since done additional testing and obtain very low probability of our kids having DS. I reached out to DS community, and they were so supportive. It made me think of a part on your book where the best response is for that mother to be in community, and not to fend for herself or hurt their unborn child.

Right now, we have another trial. Our twins have been diagnosed with TTTS. The best way to describe it is that my placenta is no longer splitting the nutrients between the twins evenly and at this point one has more amniotic fluid than the other twin. I got admitted at the hospital at 26 weeks 5 days. I was put on magnesium and 2 rounds of steroid shots to help the babies develop their lungs faster. I kept waking up and thinking “we are fighting for your lives” little guys. The doctors are balancing between keeping them in my womb to increase their chances once they are delivered and taken to NICU and deciding when is that right time. We have made it to 27weeks and 6 days. Every day counts. I hadn’t made the connection, but that is the title of your book. I keep thinking of all the places that are doing just the opposite for women while we are fighting for my sons lives. Medicine should be there to preserve lives and not what the abortion industry preaches on murdering our babies. Lila: Thank you for being a voice for the unborn and the weakest.

As I lay in bed; unable to move and praying for their lives, I read a couple of quotes from my devotional: “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 NIV. Knowing that He is here with me and with us. Knowing that we have great doctors watching over my care and the care of my sweet twins. And another that said “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”. Our most defenseless people are suffering. God is in them and we must protect them. I am not one to share my views on social media, but recently, took a small step in sharing one of your Live Action videos. I am going to keep working on my courage to also be a voice for our children and will keep donating to Live Action.

Lila—I don’t know if you hear this enough but thank you for all the work you do.

Respectfully;

Ana Russell

 

Mommy Reviews the Crayola Experience, Plano Texas

 Crayola Experience

There is a reason for me being M.I.A. Or a lot! Not only did I just published my book 3 months ago…but we also moved to Dallas area! Ya’ll might be thinking it is not too far…but it does feel far from what I knew. I knew Austin like the palms of my hands, I knew the roads and the spots and of course…the parks!

However, this is a new opportunity for us and for our boys. We think this move will be so amazing for them and definitely right for our family. My hope is to keep exploring and going on so many different adventures. Starting with Crayola experience.

The Crayola experience was located inside a Mall. They did a phenomenal job marking how to get there! From which parking and which entrance it was an A+ for me.

There were various fun activities mixed with technology. The activities were better geared towards my 4yo, but the 1 yo also had fun! 😊

We started by personalizing our own crayon! The kids could select their own color and I helped him put his name on the label maker. Then we went to a station to wrap it around the crayon. This was fun. There was a station to take a picture with your kid and it turned it into a coloring page for you to then color on the next station.

We enjoyed coloring and also melting crayon to make beautiful art!

A highlight for the boys was the indoor park as well. It had various slides and the kids stayed entertained for quite a bit! They also had a toddler version of this park, which I appreciate for my 1yo not to be trampled by the older kiddos.

I did dock down a few points on safety, because one of the slides was pitch black and my toddler had a meltdown there due to this. I was there with him but went first with my 1yo. He had never had a meltdown in a slide…so I think it wasn’t tested internally or they might not be aware how dark it really is.

At the end we stopped by the gift shop and got some jumbo crayons and more coloring paper. These were a little over-charged…but what gift shop isn’t?

I would recommend this place if your kids are artistic or to fill a day with a fun activity. Because it’s in the mall, it was easy to go to the food court afterwards for some food.

 Overall: 4.5/5

 

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5) 5 Being best
Uniqueness	Did it have that unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	5
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	5
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	3
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	5
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	4.5