MOLINA'S TRIBE

Henry & Tammy in Costa Rica

2009-03-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sloth crossing

Bamboo

Watch for: People, dogs, sloths, or monkeys crossing the road!

Manuel Antonio Beach

At the Pool

Thanksgiving Vacation--Idaho and SLC Temple Square

2008-12-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

We just took at trip to Rexburg for Thanksgiving and buzzed on down to Salt Lake City to see the lights on Temple Square! They were spectacular! Being with family was fun too! We were there with Brett, Sheilee and their family! We snuck Braidyn (Summer's daughter) along as well!

For Thanksgiving my mom had Summer, Jim, their five kids; my uncle Dennis and Aunt Barbara; Brett, Sheilee, their four; and us (7) over! It was SO much fun! We went to the movies ("Twilight"--AGAIN, which Sheilee, Brittany and Hailey spent hours trying to "convert" Summer and Ryleigh over to! Ha ha...), we ate, the cousins played, then ate again, we went shopping, ate some more, slept, read, and ate, and ate, again!! Oh yeah, the kids played the piano some too! Shocking!! They're getting pretty good! (Hailey and Thomas especially)

One highlight was going to the Rexburg temple together with my mom and brother Brett (all for the first time through that temple!) It was BEAUTIFUL! and such a GREAT experience! There is such a refocus, a recommitment, and a renewal that happens at the temple!!! My mom was in tears!!!

After that we hopped in the car and drove to Salt Lake. The next morning we drove up to Malad to see Doug & Janel's little boy Wesley Dean get blessed. It was such a sweet experience!! ...especially since they thought he had a vision impairment and we had all been praying and fasting for him! He's the cutest little kid to SEE! He has a little round face and the cutest expression! He was blessed to SEE and hear, etc. etc. It was so nice! The church building there was beautiful! -Like in the old time Palmyra days--with arched ceilings, stained glass windows, a big beautiful golden pipe organ and pillars and a balcony inside, etc. It was fun to see and meet all of Janel's family afterwards!

We stayed with friends along the way--in Bountiful (the Adamsons--Pati, Scott & their kids) They were SO much fun to see! They're our friends from Florida! We watched Keya's wedding video; talked to CJ about his mission & the book he wrote while there; laughed about old times; Brittany and Kassia hung out (as they were best buds in preschool); and we had the best "restaurant waffles" with strawberries and whipped cream the next morning! Thanks!

We stayed with Cyrina Jones and her three kids in Boise also...and got to harrass them! It was SO much fun to see her and her boys! I LOVE talking with her and getting Sonic drinks!! We had to laugh because we met up at a REST STOP on the way home towards BOISE...WITHOUT COORDINATING!!! I was going into the ladies room and hear my name..."Tammy Molina!" It was Cyrina! ...whose HOUSE we were going to!!! We were coming from Malad and she from Rexburg! So it was pretty AMAZING! My cell was in the back trunk in my clothes probably dead, so I couldn't call her though I had been planning on it! I got to hop in her car and drive the rest of the way with her! FUN! ...We did a bit of cleaning when we got there--which sounds funny, but it made my DAY!!! She's SO much fun! I LOVE her!

Anyway, even though the trip was long, hard, crazy and enduring at times, we had a GREAT time seeing everyone along the way!! It was memorable! Thanks for a GREAT Thanksgiving vacation!!!

Thomas is a Deacon

2008-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Thomas got the Priesthood shortly after his birthday in September! Doesn't he look SO cute in his new suit!?? (Sorry I haven't posted something before, but I have to wrestle my two daughters, husband and now, my 12 year old boy for computer time!) I wanted to comment on how it MADE my day that Sunday! --Seeing him pass the sacrament for the first time! He looked so solemn and mature--(as mature as a 12 year old can) taking his job so seriously--looking very natural and reverent! It was so nice! I felt PROUD as well as the Spirit and Joy! You mothers with 12 year olds know what I'm talking about! It felt nice.

Brittany chosen as Homecoming Queen

2008-10-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last week Brittany was chosen as one of the four Senior Homecoming Princesses at Southridge High School. She was presented at an assembly in front of the whole student body escorted by Ryan (one of the Princes) as her escort. It was fun for her.

Later on that night at the football game (a very RAINY football game I might add), parents and family escorted the candidates out onto the field in front of the crowd. They were handed boxes with balloons hidden inside. On the count of three they were told to open their boxes, and whoever had the yellow balloon fly out, was the King or Queen. Nick Derrah was voted the King and Brittany the Homecoming Queen! Yeah Brittany!

This is Brittany on the night of the HOMECOMING dance (Sat.) she went with her friend Jeff White.

They all wear short dresses for Homecoming, and Long formal dresses for Prom. This dress had a 4 inch row of sequins on the bottom to match the shoulders. Whe looked very pretty.

HAILEY'S BDAY

2008-10-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

It's the month of birthdays for the Molina family. Hailey turned 14 this month and is enjoying her last year of middle school. She is doing great in soccer and can"t wait to start High school.

THOMAS TURNS 12

2008-10-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Thomas turned 12 on September 26th and celebrated with what else but... a football party. He had a lot of fun with his friends, and on Sunday he received the Aaronic Priesthood in church.

It can't be true!!

2008-09-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Brittany received some of her senior pictures... which means it's true, she only has less than a year left before she starts college... are we that old?? It feels like we were in college just a couple of years ago...

Fall sports

2008-09-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is back to school and of course, back to sports. Brittany is enjoying varsity soccer at Southridge during her senior year, Hailey is playing for a classic soccer team, Thomas is playing 5-6 grade football for Southridge and Ben is also playing rec soccer. Brandy is busy with her music and other stuff, but she decided to take a break from sports. It is safe to say that our job as "chauffers" is safe for at least 6 more months. Thomas had his first game yesterday and they beat St Helens at St Helens 33 to 19, and he scored 2 touchdowns. He is so fast is amazing to watch. Thomas is number #40. Here are some pictures of video of that awesome game:

Senior Year

2008-09-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hey! Its been awhile since i've written on this family blog, so its time for an update!
Well summer was great! It went by SO fast though... my last month after travelling non-stop consisted of soccer, work and school meetings. I was gone everyday from 7am-7pm. Haha so for that reason, I was starting to actually look forward to school... plus its SENIOR year! It has already been the BEST so far. Very Very busy... I started school last Tuesday. I have three IB classes and two easy classes, a great balance for my last year at highschool. Annnd, if you already didn't know- I'm part of the Womens Varisty Soccer team at Southridge so I've had practice everyday after school. I love soccer! Plus, I have many friends on my team so its always a good time. We lost our first game, and won our second... I'm excited to see how our team does this year. I even scored a goal :) Well... here are a couple of pictures to illustrate what I've been up too. I hope all is well with everyone else and I'm sureeeeee I'll talk to you later!

Images of Beijing

2008-08-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the things I learned while visiting Beijing in the last few months...

1 - If it looks like chicken... it may be something else, just in case, leave it alone.

2 - If they tell you is chicken, ask what part of the chicken or you may end up eating chicken feet or neck or something

3 - If you think the elevator or the train is crowded, don't worry they'll try to fit 10 more Chinese people in it

4 - If you want to get away from the crowds... go to your hotel room, everywhere else will have tons of people, all the time

5 - Personal space varies according to culture, a couple of inches between your face and someone else's is plenty of space for the chinese :)

6 - If you like bargaining for your purchases, China is the place for you... you can get great deals that way

7 - If you think think pedestrians have the right of way crossing on a green light on a marked pedestrian crossing, think again... cars turning into your street always have the right of way in China, so be ready to jump forwards or backwards...

8 - You can safely take a taxi in Beijing, but the driving will not be safe, they drive like crazy and they'll hardly ever know where you want to go if you give them the address... they will drive around, call someone, and kind of guess where it may be. And yes there are millions of cars on the road.

9 - They use green tea for a lot of stuff, not just beverages...

10 - If your name contains an "r" in it, get ready for a change of name, they'll find a way to make it sound Chinese... like Hen-lee

11 - If you believe in privacy and your right to disagree, China is not for you. Big brother is watching and it is obvious

10 - If you want to visit a mysterious, safe, beautiful place with lots of friendly people, proud of their culture, China is it.

Half-a-day at the Great Wall

2008-08-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, I took almost a half day off here in Beijing... so we left at 7 in the morning and drove to the Great Wall. It takes about one and half hours to get there from downtown Beijing, but what an amazing place. It was hot and humid and it took a lot of endurance and all my energy to make it all the way to the wall (even though I cheated and took the tram almost to the top :) I went there with my friends Nate (who works for Nike Europe) and Ilana in US PR. I wish I could have brought the family because the views are breath-taking and the place is a bit magical. I hope you enjoy the pictures... by the way, the picture of the Chinese military guys hiding from the sun by the window is one of my favorites :)

USA Going for Basketball Gold

2008-08-23T09:02:00.001-07:00

It was a lot of fun to see USA beating Argentina by 20 points. Right now The Dream team II looks really unbeatable. I got to go with Morgan Shaw from US Public Relations and we got there a bit late and starving, but let's not go there... you already heard me complain about the availability and variety of the food at the venues. LeBron, Kobe and some of the other players came to Nike Hospitality a couple of times while they were in Beijing. They are pretty cool guys. They are going to play the Gold Medal match against Spain tomorrow. Here are some images from the game. Go USA!!

Locos por el Futbol :)

2008-08-20T00:04:00.001-07:00

I know, many of you are reading this and saying.... it's soccer, but since the majority of the world calls it football, indulge me on this one :) Yesterday I got to see one of the most exciting games of the Olympics... Football semifinal between Brazil and Argentina. It was amazing to see Ronaldinho (who wasn't playing very well), Alexandre Pato, Messi, Gago and Aguero play at the Workers Stadium in Beijing. We also saw Maradona in the stands. Every time he waved to the cameras, the whole stadium went crazy. Here's a clip of the penalty kick that happened during the second half. Final score: Argentina 3, Brazil 0. Argentina is playing for the gold medal next. Reporting for MTV News (Molina Television) and especially for the Giles "Crazy for football" family, Henry Molina from Beijing.

A look at the Bird's Nest

2008-08-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

Many of you have seen images of the amazing Olympic stadium which many locals have nicknamed the Bird's Nest. it is an amazing structure. The thing that really surprised me was that it is right next to the "water cube" and across from the International Broacast Center. The bad thing is that the logistics around the building really don't match the efficiency and beauty of the stadiums. Security is tight, but inefficient since there is only one open entrance, where everybody has to go through. Because of that you can spend between an hour and one hour and a half just to get into the space... while you sadly can only listen to what the athletes are doing inside the stadium. The food really sucks in selection and availablity. They don't have vendors walking around and selling inside the stadium, so you're stuck standing in another line that can take up to 45 minutes even if you just want a bottle of water (it's been 85 degrees and very humid around here at night.) If you are hungry you can select from wonderful items such as: crackers, bread, popcorn, candy or spicy chips (those are just the "known" items... I did not want to get too close to the hot-dogs here because you never know what you're really getting.

Here's a quick video showing the grounds around the nest. Reporting from Beijing, Henry Molina, MTV News (Molina Television)

Visiting Friends from Florida

2008-08-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

This week we had friends visit from Weston, Florida (the Llewellyns--David, Marty, Jonathan, Christopher, and Emily).

We had a lot of fun with them, starting with the ward campout at Ft. Stevens. Friday and Saturday ('twas rainy but fun!) The rain really hit when we showed them the coast...nothing like Florida coast they said! We drove up to Astoria, to Seaside where they were having a beach volleyball competition that day, found the taffy store, then went down to Tillamook--seeing some beautiful views! They fell in love with the ice cream at the cheese factory!

Sunday we went to church and showed them the Rose Gardens & Multnomah Falls. (Hiked to the top with new puppy and all! Whew!)

Monday we went to workout, then took the tour of Nike Campus (from Henry) went to the Nike Store and then went out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory for Henry and my 19th wedding anniversary. We showed them the temple at night afterward--Beautiful! We'll always remember how old it is since it was dedicated the same weekend we came here on our honeymoon in August of 1989!

Tuesday we went to Ape Caves--fun indoor cave rock climbing! Ben LOVED it and would look forward to the "next set of lava rocks to climb"! You should have seen the 9 foot straight up rock we encountered, and the rare cave bug!

Wednesday, Marty hit the kitchen while her husband hit the trails on Mt. Hood! They were both in HEAVEN! Marty cooking three main courses and an apple tart...Yum! While David, found new muscles in his calves and quads as he went up and down the extreme inclines--loving the sights of the falls, woods, trees and flowers. Marty and I took our daughters to paint at Ceramic Cafe after that. Fun!

Thursday we went to the temple in the morning (Great!) and they went shopping later at the Lloyd Center. We were going to take the kids ice skating, but I stayed home--
I already had running around to do with the kids for piano and sports, etc. (well actually everything started before this week!) Does it feel like summer's over???!

Friday, we went to Silver Falls and the outlet stores in Woodburn...fun and beautiful, but it was a very hot day so we went home early and made it a movie night!

Saturday, they picked all the blackberries they could, packed them to go, and shopped some more while I ran kids around from Big Truck Day at Conestoga where Brittany works, to a football car wash, to soccer--Ben and Hailey. Hailey got heat stroke at her game and had to come home--missing her team pool party! :( She's feeling better now though. The Llewellyns left us that night--(sniff, sniff) after eating some more Tillamook Ice Cream! They're now heading back to their lovely hurricane awaiting them! But we had some fun times together while they were here, and the kids got along great! ...until next time! Come and see us again!

Reporting from Beijing

2008-08-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Knee How (actually I don't know how the Chinese really spell their "hello", but the sound is just like their daily greeting) from Beijing. Here I am on my second day of my third Olympic experience (after Sydney and Athens) and on my first day I got to go to the "Bird's nest", or the main Olympic stadium here in Beijing. It is an amazing structure and when you are inside, the energy of the fans, the cheering, the competition and the Olympic spirit are amazing. Now, the food they serve is just crazy... yesterday I asked for a sandwich, and they were all out, so instead I ended up with three hot dog buns and a snickers bar (that's all they had left besides hot dog, which I am not willing to try, and some weird chunks of meat on a stick... i did not ask what kind of meat it was...) Security lines to get into the Olympic village take between 50 minutes and an hour and a half, so if you are planning on seeing an event you have to come two hours in advance. The lines to get drinks or food are not much better, between 25 and 45 minutes. So much stuff has changed around the city from the last time I was here in May... they really cleaned up the city very well and try to show the best to al visitors. I am including a couple of pictures, and the best men's 100 meter race ever... those guys are fast. I still cannot believe I was there to see it!!

Great Wolf in Washington

2008-08-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit behind sharing some of the things that we did in July, so here are some images of one of our short getaways of the Summer. In the middle of July, we decided to take a trip to the new Great Wolf Lodge water park that opened near Olympia, Washington just a few months ago. We went for three days and stayed in one of their "special room" for families, where the kids have bunk-beds and an additonal bed in one of their "cabins" within the room. Besides the traditional slides and water activities, they offer "treasure hunts" using an electronic wand, an arcade full of games, and a center where kids can do crafts, read stories and other fun things. Our kids had a blast, and by the end of the third day we were exhausted... there's a lot of climbing, and swimming and playing involved!

The entrance of the Great Wolf Lodge

The kids room looked like a cabin in the woods

Tons of slides and games...

The kids loved swimming 24 hours a day
Mom had fun with the little ones
Brandy and Ben were in heaven...

Yes... we are crazy

2008-07-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

After many years of resisting, we finally broke down and got a dog. Thomas and Ben have been begging for a dog for at least three years, but we have been giving them reasons why we couldn't, but the other day we went to the pet store and we saw her and thought we had ran out of excuses. We are still not sure of what to name her, but for now we are calling her "Nella". If you have any suggestions let us know. She is a lhasa-apso and cavalier (king Charles spaniel) mix, and so far has been lots of fun.

Ben turns 7!!

2008-07-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

On Pioneer Day (July 24th) Ben turned 7 during our trip to Southern Utah. For the first time in his life he saw fireworks and a parade on his birthday since it is a state holiday in Utah :) We gathered at my sister in law's house in Hurricane, and the kids had a blast in the pool and a bounce house. Lots of cousins, good food and tons of fun... thanks Brett and Sheilee!

Dennett Reunion

2008-07-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

My family organized a family reunion to welcome my mom, who just returned from her mission to Sydney Australia. For the first time in a while all my brothers and my only sister were there. It was a lot of fun to see everybody and to let the kids run wild with their cousins for a week. We gathered at a cabin that my brothers built in East Zion National Park. What a beautiful place... the views are breath-taking!

Paris at Night

2008-07-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Seeing the Eiffel tower at night was one of the highlights of our European vacation, and especially in the summer when they have a lights show at every hour after 11:00 p.m. Just Fantastic... even though we started the video on vertical mode and then realized it wouldn't work :) Hope you enjoy it.

Check out our Europe Slide Show!

2008-07-06T22:29:00.001-07:00

Thomas got accepted to the International School of Beaverton

2008-05-20T16:43:00.001-07:00

International School of Beaverton

Thomas is really excited because he just got accepted to the International School of Beaverton this fall. We can't believe he will be in middle school already!

According to the school website, ISB opened in September 2006 and currently serves students in grades 6-10. It will add an additional grade each year, ultimately becoming a 6-12 school in 2009. ISB is a Candidate School for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IB MYP, grades 6– 10) and an Applicant School for the IB Diploma Program (grades 11–12). ISB offers Chinese, Japanese and Spanish and emphasizes the importance of a global education and understanding and responsible citizenship. The curriculum focuses on the skills of learning how to learn, question and communicate. ISB also embraces intellectual rigor, intercultural respect, and service to the local and world communities.

He is excited to learn Spanish and the fact that a couple of his neighborhood friends will be attending also. Congrats Thomas!

Ben's "Crazy Breakdown" Dance

2008-05-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Ben loves to dance and he really has a "style of his own." He calls it crazy bread down and I think it is a mix of "crumping", " break dancing" and some "hip hop" all mixed in together. He did a similar routine at his school talent show, which surprised his parents and siblings a lot... we are waiting for him to get his beanie and start spinning on his head :)

Brandy's Baptism

2008-05-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Brandy got baptized on May 3rd and it was a great day. Her aunt Summer and all her family came to share the special day with her. She was beaming and sang a beautiful song during the services.

Brandy and her dad prior to her baptism.The Molina Tribe Brandy with her aunt Summer, uncle Jim and all her cousins.

All the Molina and Rainey kids after the "big event"

Southridge Prom

2008-04-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

Well, Southridge prom was last night! It was so fun :) We rode in a limo, went out to a really nice dinner downtown and danced all night long! I went with Ryan Taylor who is a really good friend at my high school :) We are both going to be student body officers next year! [elections were last week and we both won] I'm very excited about that! Prom was downtown at the world trade center and it was beautiful!

Hope you like all the pictures! it was so SO fun :)

-britt

Wilsonville Prom 2008

2008-04-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, this last weekend I went to Wilsonville prom with Jeron! He goes to a different school so it was a cool experience, I got to meet a lot of new people and experience a dance through a different school. It was downtown Portland and we went in a group of four couples... they were all really fun and I had a great time! I didn't bring my camera down there so I don't have those pictures (yet).

If you want to see how he asked me, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5eL_7mBXcQ

Ill put the other pictures up when i get them!

-Brittany

Brandy's 8th Birthday

2008-04-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Brandy had a fun 8th Birthday Party!

We started it off with a SCREAMIN’ Scavenger Hunt in the mall! (Her request) I had baskets waiting with garden-themed items at pre-selected stores. The girls had to figure out where to go using clues such as: “It starts with the third letter in the alphabet, and is a girl’s name.” (Claire’s); or “It begins with the first letter in Brandy’s last name, and has something that makes you ’Happy’.” (McDonalds); or “It’s something your eye does, and has something to do with chocolates.” (Sees Candy); etc. The girls were running CRAZY (having fun)! Brandy at one started running wildly the WRONG WAY! She led the crew toward Sears instead of the play place in front of JCPenneys. …Just too excited to get “anywhere” I guess! Ha ha!

Until they finally ended up at their final destination--“The Candy Factory”. The manager acted so cute and excited! She had them sing “Happy Birthday”, gave them a candy tulip-shaped sucker, took pictures, and then we let them pick out whatever candy they wanted within a set weight limit! They seemed to enjoy that.

We went back home with our “goodies” and started painting the terra cotta pots for the GARDEN PARTY! I had a SUNFLOWER cake (chocolate round covered in candy kisses) surrounded by yellow frosted Twinkies. Cute! My kids loved helping make that! (“One for me, one for the cake, one for me…”!) We set the table in all different colors, & added confetti sprinkles, m&m’s, little bugs, seeds, watering pots, etc. for fun. I found some cute “caterpillar gummies” to use later on in our ice cream and crushed cookie dirt dessert! (Which I started to eat while we were planting flowers in the pots we painted!) They really fell for it at first! …but then, they all wanted to “try it”! ha ha! We had pizza, games, sang, opened presents, watched “The Secret Garden” movie—which most of them ended up watching “Enchanted” instead; (the latest DVD out) but they seemed to have a good time, and I let them just “play”. It was from 4-10 pm which worked out fine.

For her “real” birthday, I spent the whole day playing with her and setting up “My Littlest Pet Shop” Barbies, Polly Pockets & Baby Kelly stuff in her room! We later went to “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movie, then to Red Robin as a family. It was fun! We gave her gifts at home—more Barbies with pets and a lamp. She will be getting baptized soon! May 3rd. She’s VERY excited!!! Her cousin Braidyn (and my sister Summer and other kids) will be coming out to visit then! Yeah! Come and JOIN us too!!!

Spring In the Northwest

2008-04-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

We are excited that it finally seems like good weather is coming our way. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place by this breath-taking mountain (Mt Hood). This is the view from our house... We are also only one hour and 15 minutes from the coast, and the coastline is just amazing... a bit cold, the water is freezing... but the vistas are just great.

Brandy is getting baptized!

2008-04-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Tammy & Henry in Vegas

2008-04-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Henry sent me to Vegas for a week (part of my Christmas present)! He had a business trip there, so I met up with him. We stayed at the Wynn in a beautiful room with a view of Vegas and a golf course on the 34th floor! They had a GREAT pool there! (But it was blocked by a sky-rise next door after about 4 o'clock in the afternoon!) We went to "La Reve" there at the hotel with friends of ours--Dayne & Rosa--where they had sychronized swimmers wearing RED high heels! --Along with all the other buff body dancers & acrobats doing circus tricks around water on a circle-stage! What fun! It was AMAZING!!

Brett, Sheilee & their kids met up with us at Rain Forrest Cafe on their way to So Calif. to Disney and a cruise to Mexico out of California. It was fun to see them!

Henry and I drove up to Southern Utah to do business and see my brother Bobby & Celena & their cute new little baby boy & other kids on Saturday. Boy Phoenix can really bust some moves--what a dancer!! We came back and saw "Journey" that night (remember that rock group from the 80's?!) "Don't Stop Believin'", "Open Arms", "Hot Time in the City", and "Faithfully" to name a few songs--Fun! They had a new Japanese lead singer--so the audience wasn't what I expected, but it was GREAT! We discovered via text message from Brittany during the concert that Derek Barfuss's brother (back in Oregon) died in the ocean trying to save another young boy with help from his two other brothers! How SAD!! That was hard to hear!

Sunday Henry left and I stayed with my friend Rosa a few extra days. I stayed in the sun at the pool during the day--got to know Rosa's "little" doggies! and played catch with them 'til they were exhausted--then went to shows at night! "Menopause" (I understand myself better now) It was cute--all songs about Hot Flashes and can't sleep at night, witchy during the day--set to music from the 70's--like Sonny & Cher and "Fever Night", etc. Rosa & I saw a Magic show too--where the guy made an airplane, helicopter appear on stage and himself riding a motorcycle change from on stage to the audience! He also made a girl appear in a fish tank swimming wearing a diamond ring from someone in the audience!

I saw Bette Midler my last night! WOW! She was Fabulous! (Did an act in decorated wheelchairs dressed as mermaids--line kicks and all!) Funny! I loved her songs--"The Rose", "The Wind Beneath my Wings" ("Did you ever know that you're my Hero"), "From a Distance" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". She's a great entertainer--funny, & a little crude, but she was WONDERFUL!

I went to Catholic Mass with Rosa and her family on Sunday and then to our church in Boulder City with my uncle Dan and aunt Kim. I went to their house for dinner afterwards and met up with their kids and THEIR kids! It was fun to see them! I even went to the temple the Tuesday before I went home--NICE! CAN YOU BELIEVE HAVING A BREAK LIKE THAT! Thank you Henry!!! I even had fun "people watching" on the strip--didn't do any gambling, but WATCHED people gamble, and LOVED exploring the shops, shopping, and seeing the hotel decorations/designs--how creative! At times I'd get a little distracted and let time slip away from me! ...like playing on the computer at Build a Bear and buying things at M&M world and Houdini's for my kids!

When I came back, it was a SHOCK to have cloud coverage again! I didn't know if I could "do it"! But it was fun seeing the kids & family again, and it was fun getting my "fill of sun" while it lasted! I graduated from high school out there also, so it was fun to see how things had changed. Whew! What a vacation!

Molina Look-alike Meter

2008-04-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Vintage photos - Free family tree software

Molina Look-alike Meter

2008-04-03T13:03:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Molina Look-alike Meter

2008-04-03T12:44:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Molina Look-alike Meter

2008-04-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Molina Look-alike Meter

2008-04-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

HAPPY EASTER!

2008-03-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hey... it's easter. Time to accessorize.
Did you know that there is a proper way to wear a hat? Looking around the globe at some of the people who wear hats, I bet they didn't either. Finding the right hat to complete your look shouldn't be too difficult of a task. Our family has a hard time selecting the right look for this special time of year. Shape... color.... matching your style are very important. I guess we will be surprising some people at Church this Sunday... :)

Ben's Basketball trophy

2008-03-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ben finished his basketball season and what a fun one it was. He had a good time and made some new friends. It was great to see him run after the ball and shoot for a basket. He was happy that his friend Cade was in his team.

Brittany's winter formal!

2008-02-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone it's Britt!
Just wanted to post a couple pictures from the last couple of weeks at my school Southridge :)
Winter formal was last week and I had a blast! Before the dance we had our school winter formal assembly where I escorted my friend Ryan who was selected as a duke. Later we went to the dance with some friends for a little while and then went bowling. My parents were there chaperoning... that was.. fun. haha they got stuck in coat check and I saw them for two minutes.

School assembly :)

Bowling after the dance!

Basketball game. Black Attack

Lunch :)

All I want for Valentine's my 2 front teeth...

2008-01-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

It seems like this piano is missing a few keys :) Yes, Ben lost both his front teeth in the last month. He's having a blast showing everyone all the stuff that he can do with the huge space he has now.

JANUARY SURPRISES

2008-01-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

Just when we thougth we were making progress on the battle of the bulge...

If you enjoyed Brandy's performance at the Blazers...

2008-01-12T14:00:00.001-08:00

You can't miss watching her in this video. Her sisters were supposed to be cleaning the front room, instead... they decided to record a performance by Brandy of "I'm a girl..."

Brandy in YouTUBE

2008-01-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Please visit the following website to see it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4KKGCTqn4

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-01-07T18:36:00.001-08:00

Magical Night at the Blazers

2008-01-06T00:09:00.000-08:00

What a night! As most of you heard, tonight Brandy was scheduled to sing the National Anthem at the Blazers vs. Utah Jazz game at the Rose Garden. It was amazing. Thanks to Nike we had great seats (courtside... right in front of the players... and in the 100 section) and we had tons of friends that also came to enjoy the night with us spread throughout the Rose Garden. Before the game started, I took Brandy to rehearsal at 5 and she got to practice on the court and try out the sound system while the players were warming up. They are incredibly tall! My major fear was that there would be a difference between practicing in an empty stadium and performing in front of 40,ooo people. She had no fear though, and seemed ready to go. The Blazers provided her with a dressing room, and she spent a lot of time getting her outfit and hair ready. Before the performance I was a mess! It was hectic trying to get her to the Rose Garden on time, helping her rehearse, making sure I brought everything we needed and making sure she stayed healthy and her voice was clear.

Before the game started, a couple of cheerleaders came and chose Thomas from his seat to be the one to present the ball to the officials that night... we couldn't believe it! It was Molina time at the Blazers!! He got to walk to the center of the court and shake hands with everybody there and act "official" and we couldn't get him to smile much, even though he was glowing inside.

Then I walked down to the court with the Director of promotions for the Blazers, Jennifer, and waited until they called Brandy to perform. She got to walk alone to center court and perform her little heart out. She did amazing, and hit all the important notes and the crowd cheered several times during her performance. On our way back to our seats, and throughout the game people would come to congratulate her and ask her questions. One person even asked for an autograph :) After that we were ready for the game... the Blazers won 105 to 89 and because of that... now we get free CHALUPAS at Taco Bell :) At the parking lot people yelled at her " Hey, National anthem girl... you did great!" and "You should be in American Idol." I think Brandy will remember this night for a long time to come, and so will the rest of the family.

We will be posting the video as soon as we get the official copy from the Blazers...

I found some funny New Year Resolutions

2007-12-29T21:00:00.000-08:00

By Bill Watterson

For 2008...

I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead ... I will move my computer into the bedroom.
I will no longer waste my time reliving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.
I will not bore my boss by with the same excuse for taking leaves. I will think of some more excuses.
I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
I will avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.
I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honestly....
I will try to figure out why I *really* need nine e-mail addresses.
I resolve to work with neglected children -- my own.
I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person.
I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet. This, of course, will be hard to estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.
I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.
I will think of a password other than "password."
I will not tell the same story at every get together.
I won't worry so much.
I will stop considering other people's feelings when they so obviously don't consider mine - if that unwashed fellow sits next to me again, I'll tell him he stinks!

Thomas's Christmas Story

2007-12-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

December 26th

Hi, this is Thomas.

My dad wants me to write something on the blog, so I will tell you about my Christmas. This year we had a very enjoyable time together, and we had lots of fun. On Christmas eve we did the Nativity with all our friends like we do every year. We had the Jensen Family (Mark, Janice and their kids, Alyssa, Stephanie, Kyle, Emily, Kate and Tyler), the Giles family (Adam, Christie, Hunter, Andy, Kate and Peter) the Burtons (Kristine and Matt and their kids Sasha and Fletcher) and the Wights (Jeff, Rachael, Carissa, Blake, Samantha and Casey). All the kids played a part in the Nativity: Samantha was Mary, Hunter played Joseph, Brittany, Stephanie and Allysa were the Wise Men (or women in this case), we had a bunch of angels… Carissa, Brandy, Sasha and Kate and also a bunch of Shepards: Blake, Ben, Peter, Kyle and Andy and it was also full of animals… Hailey (the donkey), Emily (Sheep) and Casey was a pig. We had fun.
On Christmas morning we opened presents. I got an i-pod nano, stereo system, a nerf gun, some cool Nike basketball and casual shoes and a bunch of clothes and a few videogames for my Playstation and Wii systems. It also snowed in the afternoon, so we had a white Christmas!! I got to make snow balls and play with friends. It was a lot of fun.

Christmas Cheer and Almond Crunch bars

2007-12-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi there! This is Tammy. I hope you are all doing well!

‘Tis the night before Christmas Eve
and all through the house,
there’s not much a happenin’,
except for with my spouse…
He’s making me post this message on our blog,
when I’d rather be sleeping or drinking egg nog!
The kids are all nestled all snug on the floor, watching TV, and snacking,
could you ask for more?
We’re all waiting for Christmas excited as can be…
while presents wait for opening, all under our tree.
With carolers, hot chocolate, and raindrops galore;
the parties, and shopping, the visits and more;
we try to remember the reason we’re here–
for the birth of the Christchild which brings us good cheer.
We are so grateful for Christ…for the example he gave us, for the happiness He brings as we reach out to Him–He lifts us up to be complete, forgiven, peaceful, and happy!
We’ve had a great year and wish you all the best!
Here’s a recipe I thought I’d share which my mom makes every year. (I’m just about to make it for my neighbors)…
Almond Bark Crunch
3 cups of 3 kinds of cereals (Rice & Corn Chex, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc.–preferrably the square kinds) Total 9 cups of cereal
3 cups pretzels or chow mein noodles
3 cups pecans, honey coated peanuts or your favorite nuts
Melt a 1 1/2 lb. almond bark (or white chocolate) and pour over dry cereal. Mix well. (Can add m&m’s for color)
Enjoy!

Love, Tammy

Hailey's Christmas Post

2007-12-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

December 22nd,

Hey, it’s Hailey. I don’t know what to write, but I thought I would contribute something anyways. This has been a very interesting year for me. There was lots of adventures. For Spring Break we went to Southern California and got to go to Disneyland and California Adventure. My favorite ride there was the roller coaster ”Screamin’” It has a loopty loop and goes really fast. I got to go on it four times. But this year I also got to ride on the Tower of Terror, and it was so much fun and thrilling, that I went on it a few times. The lines were kind of long though, especially for the fun rides. After the parks we got to see my best friend Ashley Oross. She moved from Oregon a couple of years ago, and I missed her. It was so fun seeing her new lifestyle and house in California. In June I got braces and they are such a pain in the behind… and the day after I got them I got to go to Girls Camp with my Church stake and it was so fun, but my teeth hurt really bad. After that I went to Utah for about a month in the summer and stayed with my uncle Brett and my aunt Shellie. It was a lot of fun and I loved spending time with my cousins Lexxus, Dakota, Saisha, Trysten, Takoma, Hunter and Phoenix.
Also, after I came home I got to go to Nike soccer camp with my “cousin” Audrey Smith. It was fun spending time with her and her brother Jerry as well. They live in Southern California, so I don’t get to see them very often.
In the fall I started 7th grade at Highland Park and saw a lot of my friends, and now I’m ready for Christmas. It’s good to have winter break and spend some time with friends and family.

Cool Christmas Story

2007-12-28T13:14:00.000-08:00

December 18th

Less than a week before Christmas!! A friend of ours just sent us a story that we wanted to share with all of you…
It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastorof the church was looking over the pulpit when he noticed that the babyJesus was missing from among the figures. He hurried outside and saw alittle boy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of thelittle infant Jesus.
So he walked up to the boy and said, “Well, where did you get yourpassenger, my fine friend?”
The little boy replied, “I got Him at church.”
“And why did you take Him?”
The boy explained, “Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to thelittle Lord Jesus and I told Him if He would bring me a red wagon forChristmas I would give Him a ride around the block in it.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Brittany's Year... so far!

2007-12-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

December 18th

Well, It is that wonderfultime of year and I’ve been having an incredible time. School is great and I love my friends and family. One of my favorite classes at Southridge is leadership. In the past few months I have been, as junior class president, in charge of our school canned food drive, blood drive, and a “powdertuff” game. It has been very rewarding and I’ve had a lot of experiences that I will never forget. The powdertuff game, first, is a school event where the boys come and play volleyball while the girl’s varsity team, coaches them. This year, one of our fellow juniors passed away; his name was Cason and he was one of the smartest, kindest, nicest gentlemen I have ever met. While we were planning the event, we decided to make it all for Cason. We raised money for his family to put in his scholarship fund that they created after he died, we had all of the shirts say “cason” on the back and, we invited his family to attend the event. When Sam Place and I greeted Cason’s mom at the door, she was amazed to see all the boys in the “cason” shirts. She looked around and started crying. I will never forget that moment. You could tell she loved it and was very happy to see us remember her son in such a big way. To start the event, Sam and I Welcomed everyone and told them that his parents were present and we gave them “cason” shirts. To make this wonderful story short, it turned out to be an unforgettable event, and one of the highlights of my junior year. I made the Varisty Soccer team this year and had we had a great season. We earned our spot at second in metro and made it to state playoffs. Although we made it to playoffs I wasn’t able to play… Soccer ended for me at our second to last metro game with a blow to the foot. A girl from the opposing team tackled me and I ended up with an injured foot. I found out that I tore ligaments in my main arch in my foot, and I’ve been wearing a boot ever since. The podiatrist said I have to wait untill January to see if I need surgery or not. Fun stuff… L Something unusual for a girl my age… last month, I had my own room. Now, I share a room with my best friend, and sister Hailey. After thinking about it I decided that some of the best times I had with my sister were when we shared a room while we were younger. I only have a year or two until I move out of the house and I want to spend as much time with her as I can. Without asking my mom or dad (opps) I moved all of my clothes and belongings into my sister’s room decided that, that would be my new room. I love sharing a room with my best friend and I’m happy i made the move J There are many other things that I could talk about but I think I will end it here. I am so thankful for my beautiful family, and all the time that I get to spend with them. I’m grateful for my friends, and I am very grateful that I can eat food, after last week when I couldn’t eat anything due to the fact that I just got my tonsils out. I hope everyone is having a fantastic time and Merry-almost-Christmas!

-Brittany Molina

Some of Our favorite Things

2007-12-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

December 14th, 2007

Because it’s Christmas we decided to list some of the things that make us very grateful this holiday season…
A – All our friends and relatives out there
B – Brittany, Brandy and Ben
C – Candy and our cat, princess Chloe
D – All the Dennetts out there
E – Easter and the resurrection of the Savior
F – Family, food and fun
G – Good books and a great soccer game
H – “Home” –Hailey, Henry
I – Imagination and Islands… especially Maui
J – Jokes and Jacuzzi time at the end of the day
K – Kisses… and the chocolate kind too J
L – Laughing together
M – The Molinas and “moms on missions”
N - Nice kids, nice people and nice weather
O - Opinions, and don’t we have one for you…
P - Portland, “our kind of town”
Q - Que Pasa? And speaking Spanish
R - Rest… and eating out at our favorite Restaurants
S – Sunshine and summer (we live in Oregon…)
T – Thomas and Tammy
U – The good ole’ USA and Uruguay
V – Vacations anywhere…
W – Watching movies and making fun of “reality TV”
X – X-tra hugs and snuggling with the kids
Y – The “Y” of course… Go Cougars!!
Z – Our Zoo or so called “family”

Let's give thanks...

Trying out for size

2007-12-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

December 11th, 2007

Well, it’s that time of the year… Christmas… time for resolutions for 2008, and also time to try new things. For me it is about time for the Molina’s to get on cyberspace and try out writing a blog for size. With my new gig at Nike, we’ve been talking a lot about blogs, blogging, wikis, and all that stuff, so I thought I would give it a try. I guess in a couple of months we’ll figure out if this is the right thing for us or not. It is exciting but at the same time scary, mainly because we don’t know how long it takes to regularly populate the site… but since there are 7 of us in the family, and everybody can make a contribution here and there, I thought that this might work out. That plus the fact that I’m not really good at recordkeeping at home, so keeping a family journal here might be the way to get rid of the guilt of failing miserably at that :)
So, as you can see by the photo, we are set for Christmas to come and the kids are more than ready for the “jolly, round” guy to drop by for a visit and leave some “souvenirs.” Let’s hope they behave good enough to receive some good stuff…