Merry Christmas

Welcome, friends and family to the Castro Family Blog. I started this blog this year as an attempt to chronicle our lives as the seasons seem to be changing ever so quickly. Now that all three boys are in school full time, I have become so much more aware at how fleeting the moments are that we have together and I try to cherish all of them. As life blazes by it is my desire to keep this online journal so that I don't forget all of the precious moments we are blessed with.

For those of you who we do not get to see or talk with as often as we would like, this is my way of sharing a bit of our year with you. It is more fun for me to do this than a Christmas letter, because I like to include pictures.

This year as I mentioned, we started a new chapter with all three boys in school full time. Nicholas is now in 4th grade, Cody in 3rd and Brett in 1st. They all love school and all of the activities that come with it!! The boys are all three very active in any sport that we will let them play. Nicholas even tried cross country this year and really enjoyed it! All three look forward to the day when they are old enough to play football, but daddy is still holding out on that one and making them wait until 5th grade.

Neil is in his 5th season as the head coach of the FPU Tennis teams and now has a National Championship ring to show for it. Last spring his mens team took the national title that had slipped through their fingers the previous 3 years. The women took 2nd once again but are looking forward to this year!

I am still working part time at Cooper Middle School and wake up every morning happy to go to work. I am blessed to work with a great staff and even better students!!

It is our desire that you all have a truly blessed and joyous holiday season as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. We also pray that in the chaos that this season can bring you take time to cherish the moments with family that can slip away so quickly and have time to reflect and appreciate the true meaning of the season!

Love always-

The Castro Family

Disneyland

This year we were very blessed to be able to take a family trip down to Disneyland. We love to go during the holidays to see all of the Christmas decorations and see it snow down Main Street. Although we had a great time together, Neil and I came back more exhausted than ever. The boys were ride maniacs. We were in the park for 8 1/2 hours on Sunday and almost 10 hours on Monday. They never slowed down and never wanted to stop going on the rides.....the scarier the better. Even Brett who is always up for Dumbo and the Merry go round traded them in for Matterhorn and Indiana Jones (but, he still holds out on the upside down roller coaster and often closes his eyes through most of the scary rides).

What happened to the days when we used to take pictures with the characters, stop to watch every parade, and go back to the hotel for lunch, a nap and swimming??

I did make the boys stop to watch one parade and two shows (which they enjoyed) and I refused to leave until we took a family picture with Mickey. They boys could not believe that we would wait in line for this!! Thank goodness the line was not long or I don't think my wish would have come true.

I must say the best part for me was having all three boys hold my hands as we walked down main street or back to the hotel. I very rarely had an empty hand and I cherished every moment of it. I hope they never outgrow that one!!!

Halloween

This year we had fun spending Halloween at the DeManby's. Although we missed Hannah because she got sick we still had fun and got lots of candy.

Nicholas dressed up as Tim Lincecum- complete with extensions glued to his hat.

Cody dressed up as Hip Hop Cody- he loves the show Hip Hop Harry, but we could not find one of those costumes.

Brett dressed up as his favorite football player- Troy Palomalu (you think Daddy had any influence on that one??) We even found a wig that looks a bit like Troy's.

Fall Birthdays- Nick 10; Brett 7

Well, Nicholas hit double digits this year!! To celebrate the momentous occasion, he invited some friends over for a swim BBQ. They played ping pong, swam, played football in the backyard and cheered on the Fresno State Bulldogs. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon and ice cream sundaes for dessert. It is pretty amazing how much 10 year old boys can eat!! We did not have any food left over!!
Brett had the same idea. He wanted to invite his friends over to play football as well. So, they got here at noon for pizza and then we went to the park for a real football game. They played for a while and then we returned home for chocolate chip cookie ice cream sundaes.

Nerd Day

I just had to post these pics because they make me laugh every time I look at them. Nelson had a Nerd Day during Red Ribbon Week and Cody and Brett played the parts perfectly. Nicholas had a great costume too but he got shy and took it off before leaving for school.

Soccer Season

Soccer season was exciting as always for the Castro household. Every Saturday this fall was filled with two soccer games. (God was very good to us this season by arranging for both teams games to be played each week at Dry Creek!! That means that mommy never had to miss any games since they were always at the same place on parallel fields.)

Nicholas and Cody were able to play on the same under 10 soccer team under Coach Rush while Brett played on an under 8 team under Coach Hall. The boys woke up every Saturday fired up for their games....often in their full uniforms by 6:30am despite what time their games were and never wanted to be late to practice. In fact, most days they begged me to take them to practice early.

Nicholas played every game as a midfielder. He was a tough defender and even scored 5 goals. He did not sit out one minute of any game and always made us proud by giving his full effort every minute of every game. We never have to tell Nicholas to try harder....he pushes himself harder than we ever would!!

Cody saw most of his minutes at the forward position. He loves to battle the opponent for the ball and loved the challenge of trying to score. My favorite part is watching Cody get a break away ball. He turns on the speed and gets that look in his eyes.

Brett played the majority of his games in the fullback position but would often get a few minutes at forward each game. Brett definately had the strongest foot on the team, but the softest heart. Any time Brett would get an open ball he could boot it half way down the field.....but if there was anyone from the opposite team approaching, he would only kick it half strength. When Nicholas asked him why he doesn't kick it his hardest, he replied, " I don't want the other players to get hurt." To which Nick answered,"Well, if you kick it hard they will be scared of you and won't get in your way."

It will be nice to have our Saturdays back, and our yard could definately use our attention, but Neil and I will both miss sitting on the sidelines and cheering them on....good thing there is next year!!

Run Nick, Run

Nicholas decided to go out for cross-country this year. Not because he loves to run, but because it is the only sport that 4th graders can compete in during the fall season in Clovis Unified. Wherever there is a competition, the Castro boys want to play!

The first race was held at Woodward Park with racers from all over the valley. Nicholas decided to wear his bright yellow Clovis West All Star hat although he was the only kid wearing a hat. This helped mommy a lot because it was much easier to spot him amidst the mass of running children. As the race began, our non-aggressive son ended up in the back 25% of the runners. I looked down at Cody and let him know that this did not look so good. All of the parents then jog over to the finish line as the kids run around the park. As I was sitting and talking with a friend, the first runnner came sprinting over the hill. As I was admiring his speed and his stamina, I looked back and there came the bright yellow hat emerging over the hill. Nicholas ended up taking 4th in his first race and it was very exciting!!

After that Nicholas wore his lucky hat for every race and ended up taking 3rd in the second race at Kastner against all of the kids in the Clovis West area. In the dual competitions he scored first or second in each race and was nomintated by his coach to compete in the district competition to race against the top three runners from every school in the district. Amid 109 other runners, Nicholas was able to earn a ribbon by placing 14th and so ended his running career. He has informed us that he wants to play football instead of running next year. Although his running career did not last long it was a blast for all of us. Every Friday I looked forward to cheering him on in his races and his brothers insisted on not missing one of his races!!

Nicholas coming over the hill at Woodward Park.

First Day of School 2009

Well, this year marks a milestone. This is the first year that all three boys will be in school full time. Nicholas is now in 4th grade, Cody is now in 3rd grade and Brett is now in 1st grade. I remember back when I was home with all three boys...when all three were in diapers at the same time and I could never get one minute to myself. I remember thinking, "Wow, what will life be like when they are all in school and I actually have time to myself?"

Well, the time has arrived!! Since I only work part time, I am off on Mondays and last Monday after I took the boys to school, I had to sit back and reflect. Although it was eerily quiet around the house, I have to admit, I did relish in the fact that I had all day to myself with nobody else's demands for my time!! I was able to clean the house without racing against the clock, take a nice restful shower, spend extra time reading, and get dinner prepared ahead of time. By 3:00, I was so excited to see my boys. I had actually missed them!!!

Although I often reminisce and wish I had more time with them as babies, I can already tell that I am really going to enjoy this season just as much as those in the past!!

Here are some pics of the boys in the cool new outfits Grandma Dorothy bought them for the first day:

Nicholas Paul- 4th grade

Cody Patrick- 3rd Grade

Brett Andrew- 1st grade

14 Years and Counting...

Last week Neil and I celebrated our 14th anniversary....or at least we tried to celebrate it. We had just finished showering, dressing and getting ready to walk out the door for a nice dinner at Ruth's Chris when Cody walked in and said, "I don't feel good." His eyes were a bit drawn and when I felt his head, sure enough, he had a fever. Neil and I looked at each other, smiled and changed into our sweats. We ended up having pizza and a family movie night.

As I reflected that night on our last 14 years, I am so grateful for the wonderful life God has blessed us with. I have been blessed with the most amazing husband who is a magnificent example for me of God's neverending love, patience and grace. Obviously God knew what he was doing when he paired us together, because most of Neil's strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. Neil and I often chuckle at God's sense of humor in putting us together because we are so opposite in so many different ways. Thank goodness God's plans are perfect because I could not be any happier as I sit here in my cool home watching my 3 healthy boys playing in the yard. I truly don't deserve all that I have been blessed with and I am humbled at my Saviors love for me.

Through the ups and downs of 14 years of marriage, we have grown so much closer and so much stronger together that all I can do is thank God for every day of the last 14 years. Although the Ruth's Chris experiences in life are what we look forward to, we have realized that the pizza nights are just as effective, if not better at strengthening the bond that exists and providing memories for a life time. I look forward with great anticipation to all that God has to teach us in the next 14 years and the 14 after that and am so thankful for the partner he gave me to walk through each day with.

17 years ago at my senior prom

14 years ago

Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!

Cayucos 2009

We are very blessed to have a group of amazing friends that we spend one week a year with in Cayucos. This year was the 5th year we have all done this and I am so grateful for the traditions and memories we are creating. There are 7 families that make the trek over to Cayucos the first week of August and when we are all together there are a total of 21 children...7 girls and 14 boys. The time we spend together is such a blessing and the boys have an absolute blast!! Some highlights of the trip include.....

• The church service at Cayucos Community was awesome....we were able to start the week out with a great message and communion. The boys even shared in their first communion that day!!
• Spending all day...every day...on the beach with great friends!! The boys enjoyed building castles, digging deep holes that they could all fit in, playing baseball, playing football, and even learned to play Bocce Ball on this trip. Neil and I have found that the beach is the best play ground for the boys.... a little sand, water and snacks and they are happy for hours!!





• Brett took on a new love for the ocean this week. He spent hours boogie boarding every day this year. Thank goodness for Lauren who spent lots of time out there with him!!



• Cody made his first attempt at surfing despite his fear of sharks!! Every body of water that we pass (including canals, lakes, irrigation basins and ponds), Cody always asks us, "Do sharks live in there?" He has become more tentative in the ocean because he knows sharks live in there, despite our attempts to put him and ease and reassure him that he is not in danger. One afternoon, Cody mentioned that he wanted to try surfing, so Ryan graciously took him out to ride some waves. With Ryan's assistance he made it up and rode some waves in!!
  
  



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  The fun and fellowship we shared with all of our adult friends is priceless. The men enjoyed the friendly competition of Bocce Ball on the beach, Albacore tacos every day and relaxing in the jacuzzi that overlooks the ocean. The mommies cherish the conversation, the relaxation and all of the good food (especially the desserts)!!
  
  
  
  

  Favorite people, favorite places,

Favorite memories of the past,

These are the joys of a lifetime. . .

These are the things that last.

Cody's Extreme Room Makeover

Cody finally got his wish and we transformed his bedroom into the baseball room he has always wanted. Cody inherited a bit of "analness" from his mommy, so he likes to re-arrange, organize and change things up every now and then. Every once in a while I will catch him cleaning out the toothbrush drawer for me or moving things around in his room for a change.

Because he is the 2nd child, he has always inherited the bedrooms as they were decorated for Nicholas. So, last year when we moved Nicholas into his own room so each of them could have their own bedrooms, Cody asked to change the room a bit.

His first request was to paint it red. I was hoping just to re-paint it blue, but he wanted anything but blue....so we settled on gray. He also wanted some baseball pictures of himself in his all-star uniform. Those were added along with a baseball print and some shelves for his trophies. He is one happy camper to have a room all his own, just how he wanted it.

Another hobby of Cody's is building things and doing puzzles. Since he was 2 years old he has always loved doing puzzles and is faster than anyone else in the family. Last month he pulled out his Lincoln Logs that he has not played with in a while and built a whole Lincoln Log city. He did not want to take it apart, so it stayed on his dresser for weeks. I compromised with him yesterday. I needed to dust the dresser so I told him that I would take a picture and post it on my blog if we could take it down. So here it is.

Go Giants....

This week we were able to make a quick trip up to San Francisco to catch a Giants game and make a stop at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. Thank goodness for eBay...we got unbelieveable deals!!


My boys are crazy Giants fans, thanks to their Papa. Cody wakes up every morning, checks the Sports page to read their stats and sees what their standing is in the NL West. Then he checks the TV to see what time the game is that day. So, to be able to see the Giants in person was a real treat for the boys and we could not have asked for a better night. Their favorite pitcher, Tim Lincecum was pitching and he pitched 15 strike outs. For those of you non-baseball lovers, that is remarkable, so the boys were very fired up. We had the first row seats in centerfield, so the boys went home with 4 balls that they caught between batting practice and the game. (Of course, I am sure you figured that we got to the ballpark at 5:00 for a 7:15 game just so they would not miss batting practice!!!)

This is Nicholas after catching a ball tossed to him by Andres Torres.

For any of you who have not been to Discovery Kingdom, I highly recommend it. It was formerly Marine World Africa and now has all of the bonuses of the thrill rides of a Six Flags. We all loved it because it had many animal exhibits and shows that were fun to watch and educational at the same time. Nicholas and Cody loved going on every scary roller coaster they could find....the more upside down loops, the better. And Brett preferred the more gentle rides and bumper cars. It was a Win Win for everyone.




It was a very quick, but fun get-away for the Castro family and we are so thank ful to have opportunites like this!!

Counting my seasons....

I once did a Bible study that encouraged the participants to figure out if you lived the average life span, how many days you had left to live. It seems a bit morbid, but the point was to make you realize that we cannot take our days for granted. Last night, Nicholas played his last game of our 2009 baseball season. While part of me is excited that we get some of our week nights and weekends back and we can live a sane life again, another part of me is sad. I realized yesterday that IF he plays baseball in high school, we only have 9 more baseball seasons to enjoy watching him play. This all-star season he was moved to first base and his confidence really grew in that position. He made some wonderful plays as he dug balls out of the dirt as players were crossing the plate and stretched out his little legs to beat the runners. He made his mama proud. Nothing beats the big smile that filled his face when he glanced to the stands knowing he had just made a great play. Although he still has yet to hit one out of the park, he came very close in the Bullard tournament, falling short by about 5 feet.

Our season came to a close last night....in Hanford. Nicholas's team played 3 games in 110 degree heat, but all five of us could have thought of no where else we would have rather been. Cody and Brett enjoyed the games as much as Nicholas because they got to play "pickle" with all of the team's younger brothers and eat snacks after the games.

Well, we will enjoy about 3 weeks of rest and peace before soccer season begins. But, there will be no complaining in this house....we are counting our seasons with gratitude and loving every minute of it!!

My Girls...

I love my boys with all of my heart, but there are two other little ones who have stolen my heart in a whole new way that I never thought possible. My two neices are the cutest two little girls to walk the face of this Earth and they both bring an instant smile to my face and joy to my heart. I think this may be what it will be like to have grandchildren because although they are not my own, they definately hold a piece of my heart. I don't know if it is because I don't have girls of my own or just because, like I said, they are the cutest girls I have ever seen, all I know is that I love being around them.

The top picture is my neice, Logan (2) with my sister, Katie and the bottom pic is my neice, Hannah with my brother in law, AJ. Hannah was holding on to daddy's shoulders for dear life.

They are very fun right now because they are both developing their speaking skills. Hannah came to watch Cody play baseball and walked up to every kid with a baseball hat asking me, "Dat Cody?" Any one else without a baseball hat, she greeted with a huge smile and her trademark, "Hiiiyyyee." She melted everyone's heart there and I love the opportunities to brag and let everyone know that she is my neice.

Logan is now talking in complete sentences and she amazes me at what comes out of her mouth. I know she definately has a much more extensive vocabulary than my boys ever did...must be a girl thing. She cracked me up at one of Cody's games when she told me, "Auntie Nini, that girl has the same shoes like me." I was amazed at the perfection of her grammar and at the fact that at two she is already checking out other girls shoes....must be another girl thing. :)

Bretty and His Bike

This year, we were blessed to be able to spend the 4th in Santa Cruz with my parents and the Mulligans. One of my favorite moments of the trips was going on a long bike ride with Brett down West Cliff Drive. With Brett beginning first grade this year, I cherish every moment I have with him alone. Brett is my one son who is always ready to take a walk or go for a bike ride. He asks to go for a walk almost every night after dinner and anytime he finds out I am going for a run (which is not very often), he runs to grab his helmet. I must admit, I don't always jump for joy when he wants to go with me on a run because he does not shut up for the entire two miles and because I don't run often enough, I do not have the stamina to talk and run at the same time. Those thoughts disappear quickly enough when I realize that I only have a limited amount of time before he is not going to want to go with me anymore, so I have suck it up and I do not always make it as far as I want.

My Big Boys

As I mentioned before, my boys are growing older at a much more rapid pace than I ever thought possible. Nicholas, the oldest, is now 9 1/2 years old. In August he will officially be an upper grader- 4th grade. Cody will be in third grade and my baby, Brett will be in school for a full day as a first grader. I have no idea how time flew by that fast. Presently we are in the thick of baseball season. Nicholas and Cody both made their all-star teams and Brett is the best bat boy you have ever seen. (Since Brett is only 6, he is not yet allowed to play all-stars...he cannot wait for next year!!)

Although times are crazy with two kids playing...Neil and I are enjoying every minute of it. There is no better way we could think of spending our weekends than sitting back, chewing seeds and watching our babies do what they love to do. We know that this season will pass just as quickly as the one before it, so we are cherishing every game. Because of that, I take hundreds of pictures!!

Yippee!!

I love having two little sisters....they keep me current on all the new trends. I know blogging has been around for a while, but I am way behind and I am so excited to get started on this new journey. As the boys are growing by leaps and bounds right out of my arms, I look forward to having a place to chronicle all the excitement that comes with my three boys!! Thanks WeeWaa and DeeDee!!