It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...everywhere you go! ...... Even Las Vegas!!!

Today at 2:30 pm (local Salt Lake time) I received two picture messages on my cell phone from my sister that lives in Las Vegas.




























The first photo is a photo of her car....located in LAS VEGAS....with some type of "cold, white, wet substance" ALL OVER the car...a car that (I'm not sure if I mentioned this?) is located in LAS VEGAS!!!





The second photo is a photo of her yard....located in LAS VEGAS...with some type of "cold, white, wet substance" ALL OVER her grass....grass that (I'm pretty sure that I mentioned this!) is located in LAS VEGAS!!!


So I took a photo from the window in the building that I work in (since I wasn't crazy enough to go outside to take it) and I sent it to her to show her what it looks like in Salt Lake City.






















I sent it to her thinking that it would evoke some type of empathetic reaction....one sister to another....all for one....and one for all....let's scream it TOGETHER!! WE HATE THE SNOW!!!

But the response that I got from her was: 'I wish it would snow like that here!'

What? Huh? Ex-squeeze me? Seriously?!

Then I thought it over....there are only 8 days left before Christmas....she lives in Las Vegas where there are OVER 300 days of SUN EVERY YEAR and it rarely ever snows....and the more that I thought about it....the more confident that I begin to feel....one sister to another....all for one....and one for all....let's scream it TOGETHER!! BABY JESUS LOVES LAS VEGAS!!



A few fun Vegas snow facts:

--The three snowiest months occurred in the Las Vegas Valley in the 20th Century, according to weather service records. The most snowfall was recorded in January 1949 with 16.7 inches, followed by January 1974 with 13.4 inches and January 1979 with 9.9 inches.
--December 1967 is the only month of December that counts as snowy with 2 inches of the white stuff recorded on the ground. And that occurred on Dec. 15.
--The earliest snow ever recorded arrived as a trace or measurable on Nov. 15, 1964 when three inches fell followed by another inch on Nov. 16, 1964.
--The latest snow ever recorded for the winter season in the valley was a trace on April 4, 1958.
--The last snowfall was recorded as a trace on Dec. 22, 2006, when a mixture of rain and snow fell in the valley. However, the Summerlin area got a few flakes of snow on Oct. 11 this year.
--Measurable snow officially fell in Las Vegas on Dec. 30, 2003, with 1.3 inches on the ground.
--Weather Service records show that snowfall that sticks on the ground and piles up occurs about once every 20 years.
--Snow statistics through Jan. 31, 1996 were recorded at McCarran International Airport. Then the weather service moved its offices two miles southwest to Dean Martin Road and records have been measured there since Feb. 1, 1996.







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Cotton Candy Sunrise

I'm positive that Baby Jesus wanted to remind me that he loves me.























I LOVE the colors!!




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Sleeping Chicken!!

Recently while we were vacationing in Mexico Anthony made friends with a cute little chicken. Unfortunately Anthony is VERY boring and the chicken fell asleep while Anthony was talking to him. Here's the video to prove it:












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Give Anthony Photoshop and a few hours of free time and this is what you get.....

Anthony made a mixtape cover for the new TWO OF A KIND-Back 2 Business CD. If you haven't had a chance to check out his video in my previous post make sure that you do! I'm SO impressed with his video editing and Photoshop skills, but I think what I'm most impressed with is how creative his thoughts are AND the fact that he can take what he's thinking and put everything together in a video or in an image.

































So last night I'm sleeping (which is what I try to do at night) and at 1:15 am (that's AM!) my phone starts beeping (LOUDLY!) and I get a picture message on my phone from Anthony with a text that says he wants me to check out a "throw away" final draft of a mixtape cover that he made for his friend Zach.































I figured if he was willing to lose sleep time by staying up making a "throw away" for his friend that he should be more than willing to make something for his dear ol' mother--his DEAR OL' MOTHER that couldn't go back to sleep for MORE than an HOUR after being roused out of a deep sleep with the message that HE sent me.

So I asked him to make something for me. He said that he would!

This is what I got a few hours later:
































I love Pesky's mohawk, I think that Gordy looks just like Eminem (he definitely is the white "rapper" in the group), Nena looks super tough (check out the bling earrings that Nena and Moonie have!) If any of my dogs were to get a tattoo I'm sure that Anthony hit it right on the head that it would be Moonie--she's sporting a tattoo that says "Dena".

I don't condone any type of drug usage in my household so I'd like everyone to know that the "cigarettes" are just part of their "bad dog image".

Also, I would never encourage my dogs to swear, but I have to say that I backed them 110% in their decision to write about their trials and tribulations with Animal Control....and what do you know? It has become their HIT SINGLE!!!

Thanks for making me LAUGH OUT LOUD Anthony....this made my week!







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I'm Leavin' Official Video

Mac City & Tony
Back 2 Business
Two Of A Kind Productions






One-half of of this duo is my son ANTHONY (a.k.a "Tony")....
....he was produced by ME!




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Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!

My cute buddy Krissy has recently had another opportunity to be the SUPERSTAR that she was destined to be.

I'm not sure how to embed the video, but you'll get to watch if you follow this link:

http://headshoulderskneestoes.com/


She's the cute, young, blonde that's dressed in red and black.


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Funny!!

Turn up your volume....and wait for her to smack the pole!








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Perla Maria Magallanes

I think that anyone that knows me is aware of the fact that I'm a chihuahua lover....but did you know that I'm also LEARNING to be a horse lover? This is Perla Maria! (Perla is Spanish for Pearl)





















Alex wanted to name her Kimi, but we knew that we wanted a Spanish name for her. Manuel came up with the name Perla and I think that he did a great job with choosing a name that really fits her. As I was writing this post I came to the conclusion that she needed a middle name ...so... MARIA it is!! (I hope Manuel doesn't mind that I just came up with this on my own without his input!)

Manuel and his family always had horses while he was growing up, and I have to admit that I wasn't exactly thrilled (that's putting it mildly!) when he started to look for a horse to buy. I'll also admit that Perla is part of our family now and she's here to stay. She is a very beautiful horse and she has really grown on me (I think that I am really growing on her too....with the help of the sugar cubes and apples that I give her). I'm trying really, really, really hard not to TOTALLY fall in love with her because Manuel already thinks that the KING SIZED bed isn't big enough for us and the 3 itty bitty chihuahuas...could you imagine how squished he would feel if I wanted Perla Maria in the bed too?!?!




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A cute greeting that I recently received from beautiful & sunny Las Vegas, Nevada!

This photo of Baylee and Brayden was actually taken on August 8th, but I'm almost sure that the weather in Las Vegas today would still allow for a bikini and/or swimming trunks!

Yep...I just checked the weather report for Vegas and this is what I found:
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Current conditions as of 4:40 pm MST 91° (High: 93° Low: 72°) I AM SO JEALOUS!!

This morning Alex was looking at this photo and he seemed to be deep in thought. So I asked him what he was thinking and he said that he thought that Baylee looks exactly like Brayden except her eyes and hair are lighter. I agree with Alex. I think that they look a lot alike...and I KNOW that they both look SWEETER than SWEET! Brayden looks quite STUDLY in his swimming trunks (while also looking very protective of his little sister). But I have to say that I don't think that I have EVER seen another female, young OR old, that can ROCK a BIKINI (and sunglasses) like Baylee does!!! ONCE AGAIN....I AM SO JEALOUS!!




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The SPARK in his eyes has returned!

We love you Cory!! We are SO PROUD of you!!




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It's official!

Introducing MR. and MRS. Darren and Vanessa Morey!!





























Let the celebration begin!

It's HONEYMOON time!!




























Congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful life together!!



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L-O-V-E is all you need and HAPPINESS is a nice bonus.

I have one more thing that I can check off of my "List of Things To Do." On Wednesday September 3rd, I saw Al Green in concert! He's one of my very favorite musical artists. His career really started to take off during the early 1970's which is when I was born. While I was growing up I have fond memories of listening to all of his music including Love and Happiness, Tired of Being Alone, I'm Still in Love With You and Let's Stay Together. This was long before I ever realized that he would become a legendary soul and R&B icon.











On May 27, 2008 he released his latest album, Lay It Down. He is also the recipient of the 2008 BET Lifetime Achievement Award.



























I just wanted to let everyone know that I've seen Al Green LIVE IN CONCERT. Anyone that hasn't had this opportunity should be GREEN with envy right now!



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Announcing My Return

A week of BIG EVENTS for our family....

OH WHAT A WEEK! And I say that in the most positive, upbeat tone of voice possible!!

There were moments consisting of: AHHHH. Yippee!!! WAH! Hallelujah!!!

Monday May 26, 2008: We had the day off from work and school for Memorial Day....this was an AHHHH moment.

Tuesday May 27, 2008: Marcos gets his braces off! He had them on for 18 months and the best part is that he got them off while he was still only in 6th grade at the tender age of 12. He'll get to go into junior high with a million dollar smile that we got for the low, low price of $4000.00...this was a Yippee!!! moment.

(CHECK BACK SOON FOR PHOTOS!)

Alex had his consultation to see if he's ready to get his braces on. Dr. Silcox said that we should take Alex back in about 4 months to see if his 5 remaining baby teeth have fallen out by then. If so, it will be his turn to get braces put on. So much taking the braces off of Marcos's teeth and putting them directly onto Alex's teeth. It did make me feel sad for just an instant when I realized that there are only 5 baby teeth seperating me from having babies and having BIG BOYS....this was a WAH! moment.


Friday May 30, 2008: My Widdle Boy Anfreny graduated from high school...this was a Hallelujah!!!! moment.

He looked like the same confident kid that I dropped off for his first day of kindergarten, although he had just grown much taller and was definitely much more hairy. It amazed me to look at him and fully comprehend that at this HUGE milestone in his life that HE IS MINE! The same kid that slept in my arms all night long at Holy Cross Hospital on August 20, 1990. MINE! MINE! MINE! The same kid that at 3 years old would thank us for "kissing him on his lips." The same kid that at nearly 6 years old was so happy to finally have his little brother Marcos. The same kid that at 8 years old when Alex was born on his birthday didn't seem to mind that he had to share his special day with his new little brother and actually said that Alex was his best birthday present EVER (although he may not admit that he said that now!). The same kid that tested our parenting skills here and there throughout junior high and high school and made me worry, cry, feel frustrated, and maybe even yell (just a few times). Today that same kid was dressed in black slacks, a white button down shirt, a black tie, black gown and cap with a black and orange tassel. The best part of his outfit was his nice, broad, WHITE smile (he was obviously feeling as proud of himself as Manuel and I were feeling!)

YOU MADE IT ANTHONY! YOU DID IT!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!! We feel so proud of ourselves when everyone tells us what a great kid you have turned out to be....and we like to pat ourselves on the back and pretend like we had so much to do with your success, but really what it all boils down to is YOU. We know that there are lots of kids out there with parents that have better parenting skills than we do. More money than we do. More time, patience and understanding than we do. And those parents may have kids that don't graduate from high school because they don't have the same drive and motivation inside of them that you have proven that you have inside of you. Don't ever sell yourself short because I know that you are capable of anything that you put your mind to....and I'm going to try harder to believe you when you tell me that you 'have it on lock.' Thank you for doing your part in making me feel like we did a good job of being your mom and dad. We will ALWAYS be here for you. WE LOVE YOU!!!

A few photos from Anthony's day:



















My sister Leona and her husband Jerry and their grandson Brayden came from Las Vegas to attend Anthony's gradutation. We had dinner with the whole family at Iggy's and I think that Anthony had a great time.

Sunday-June 1, 2008: Manuel's birthday. Ask him how old he is and he'll say 28. Ask me how old he is and I'll tell you 34. Check his drivers license for yourself and you'll see that only one of us is telling the truth and that would be ME!

Manuel had to leave today at 3:30 pm to drive back to work in Laramie, Wyoming. He even works hard for his family on his BIRTHDAY...what a great guy!


















Happy 34th birthday Espo!!
TE QUIERO MUCHO MI AMOR....AYER, HOY Y PARA SIEMPRE!!



It is now 11:58 pm and Anthony just called me to let me know that he and his friends have arrived in Las Vegas and are checking into a hotel for the first night of their SENIOR TRIP. Definitely a well deserved vacation, but that doesn't mean that I won't still be worrying about him.




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6 is equal to 42 ?!?!

Happy birthday Moonie!

I can't believe that we've had Muneca in our lives for almost SIX WHOLE YEARS!! She came to live with us when she was just 5 weeks old. She was teeny tiny and her tail curled perfectly.

She is MY girl...MY brown sugar...MY Moon Pie....she loves ME and I love HER....and if you've ever seen us together it's quite obvious...and if you don't believe me...you can ask her.....she'll tell you!


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Key-Key turns the BIG one-two!!!

May 13th, 1996 was a very special day in our family. That day was the day that the brain power in our family experienced a HUGE surge and has only continued to grow stronger year by year. May 13th was the day that Marcos was born and not only is he handsome, kind, tender-hearted, and loving....but the KID has such a big brain that I have to stuff cotton balls in his ears before he goes to bed or else I will have to change his pillow case every morning because brains will just be oozing out of his ears. I've tried to keep reminding Marcos that he needs to make sure that he uses his POWERS FOR GOOD AND NOT EVIL.










(Anthony is our resident baker extraordinaire and this absolutely lovely birthday cake is proof of the love that Anthony has for Marcos.)







Marcos my wish for you as you turn 12 is that you continue to do well in school and that you don't forget that you are capable of anything. You can be ANYTHING that you want to be.

You will ALWAYS have my endless love as a reminder to continue to be the GREAT person that I know you are.

I love you Key-Key Maga!!




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The Cinco de Mayo festivities are REALLY intended to celebrate my dad!

Everyone thinks of Cinco de Mayo as the holiday that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.





Well I'm here to tell you that the REAL reason for the celebration began 74 years LATER when my dad LEO ELISARIO ROMERO was born to Juanita and Gumecindo Romero in New Mexico.




My dad has always played a mean game of pool.














And he is so fun to dance with!


















One of his favorite musical groups is Los Tigres Del Norte and one of their songs that will always remind me of him is called La Puerta Negra.




My mom makes a pineapple upside down cake for my dad every year for his birthday.






Here are some mariachis to sing
FELIZ CUMPLEANOS A TI!!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! I hope you are having a great day and that you're not working too hard!!


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LA LA LA LA LAAAAAH!

Now that I've warmed up a bit, I'd like to sing a song dedicated to Lisa.





Happy birthday to YOU!
Happy birthday to YOU!!
Happy birthday DEAR LISA!!!
Happy birthday to YOU!!!!





Scooby Doo on channel 2.
Climb a tree on channel 3.
Many more on channel 4.
Stay alive on channel 5.
Or go to heaven on channel 7.
But you're too great on channel 8.
A nice, sweet lady on channel 80!!

(Alex and Marcos were helping me sing that last part).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA PINKERSON!




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Queen Victoria's May Day SNEAK ATTACK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO
A SWEET CHICK NAMED VIC!

It seems fitting that Vicky was born on May 1st which is also when May Day is celebrated in many places around the world. Traditions and stories about May Day vary, but one of the original versions goes a little something like this:

On the 1st Day of May you put a basket of spring flowers and other small gifts on someone's doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away. If the person receiving the basket catches you, a kiss should be exchanged.

The "Dena Style" version is exactly like the original but with a TWIST:

Since it's a well known fact that I'm always LATE for EVERYTHING I have changed the date that Vicky's birthday and May Day will be celebrated BY OUR FAMILY to May 2nd. This tradition for Vicky's birthday will fovever more be known as ***"Queen Victoria's May Day SNEAK ATTACK". By adding "sneak attack" to the title it sounds like I'm being TRICKY rather than TARDY by waiting an extra day. (Sometimes I'm so smart that I scare myself!)

I enlisted the help of Marcos and Alex to be my "bell ringers". They were more than happy to help, because they both think that Vicky is REALLY NICE and COOL.

Here's of a glimpse at what my boys look like when they're being sneaky.

Marcos is a true team player and took one for the team. I was waiting in the truck while Marcos and Alex ran the basket up to the door. On their way back from DING-DONG DITCHING Marcos tripped on a raised cement area near the curb. He ended up scraping his hands and his knees. He got up like the trooper that he is, jumped back into the truck and we took off. We found out later that Vicky never even heard them at the door and didn't discover the basket until the next morning. I think Marcos and Alex were a little disappointed that Vicky didn't hear them knock...nor did she chase them down the block and REWARD them with a kiss for being caught. That's okay boys...there's always NEXT year!!


***The May Queen is a symbol of the stillness of nature around which everything revolves. She embodies purity, strength and the potential for growth, as the plants grow in May. She is one of many personifications of the energy of the earth, fertility and feminity.


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