Almost 4 years ago, I dragged the kids to an animal rescue center up in North Miami. It was about a 45 minute drive, but they had posted on craigslist that they had golden-labrador retriever mix puppies. And I wanted one. {Mind you, that I had NEVER had a dog and knew NOTHING about dogs.... Read More →

I love it when… I walk into the living room and find my kids playing together. Even though they had to shove clutter out of their way to do so. Especially when what they are playing is something I’ve tried to get them to play countless times. Especially when they are doing it because they... Read More →

I LOVE it when Rene teaches the kids how to make stuff. This was a new bed we bought way back in August (built the 11th, to be exact). I’m catching up on some old stories. I remember “helping” my dad build things as a kid. There is something empowering about it. I think Isabel... Read More →

When sea turtles fail to make it out of their nest, it’s not the end for them just yet. A team of scientists rescues them and then charges a spit load* of money for people to come and learn about turtles, see the baby turtles up close, and go out in the pitch dark to... Read More →

I just love it when I pick the kids up from after care and they are huddled beside each other, forgetting all the other kids around them. It doesn’t happen EVERY day, but I love when it does. It tells me they really love each other. Read More →

While waiting for Tropical Storm Isaac, we didn’t put up shutters or bring anything inside, off the patio. Nope. On Saturday morning, I went to kickboxing with my friend, Lisa. Rene spent the day moving his boat. The kids and I started our Harry Potter marathon – Half Blood Prince (the sixth movie) is just... Read More →

Isabel’s last year in elementary school? What the heck!??! I remember kindergarten. Vaguely. And Ryan is in 2nd grade. In a fancy portable. Taking PE… and Spanish… and Art… and Music. Officially a “medium kid.” (The fifth graders are BIG kids.) While the kids were excited for the new year to start, I was rightfully skeptical. I... Read More →

This past March, my family and I went on a road trip with our Girl Scout troop. We went to Savannah GA, to learn about the Girl Scout founder: Juliette Gordon Low. We visited to her birth house and the nearby neighborhood, which was beautiful. She is truly inspiring, so I recommend reading more about... Read More →

Two months? Really? Well, sorry for neglecting my audience of six people for so long! I have just been resting and RELAXING. But enough is enough, right?? ************************************************************************* I started writing this post a week ago – then got distracted by a 100 other things. This post is about our Girl Scouts campout two weekends... Read More →

Just about every Wednesday, my Dad picks up the kids early from school. He takes them different places, to the park, to the playground at Burger King during inclement weather. But many Wednesdays, he takes them to play tennis. This Wednesday, I joined them to capture some shots of the event. View my photos here: http://mariloujaen.smugmug.com/Lifestyle/My-Family/Tennis-with-Grandpa-2011-12/ Read More →

Welcome, visitors from Karen Russell’s blog! Thanks for clicking my link! View more pictures from our trip to Universal’s Islands of Adventure here: My Islands of Adventure Photos. View my Project 365 photos here: http://mariloujaen.com/365/                                            ... Read More →

Me and foosball go way back. My love of foosball started in middle school. (Of course, we weren’t cool enough to call it middle school back then. It was just Jr. High.) I went to a summer camp at FIU for drama. There was a foosball table in the student area; my “crush” would play... Read More →