26

I celebrated my birthday this year with the gals from Gainesville Book Club. When I volunteered to host the final book of the hunger Games series I hadn't realized it would fall on my birthday. With that in mind, it couldn't have been a more perfect birthday! My hubby was out of town but he sure made up for it in more ways than one.

My hubble started out my birthday morning with this message:


Sweet Claudia, I love you so much. I only wish I was with you for your birthday. Thinking about it makes me so grateful for the health and happiness that we have. Thank you for coming to Earth. In honor of your dear heart, I've made a $50 donation to Facing Africa - NOMA. This is a charity that I've come across recently, and that I believe does good work. They perform facial reconstruction for African children that have suffered deformities from malnutrition and gangrene. Please don't look at the link - it's devastating


This was so wonderful of him! I headed to work and had a wonderful time. I received the most beautiful roses I had ever seen. Thanks Martha Stewart!! (and my hubbles!) 

My coworkers made me a cake and sang to me :) Too fun!!

After work I headed home where dinner was waiting for me! Jon had ordered a filet mignon. Can this fella be anymore wonderful! Why yes, he can...I checked my email and in it was a musical letter narrated and sung by my one-and-only. I wish I could share it with you but Jon is a little coi. But I will share this small excerpt:      
                                                                                                                                         

My Dearest Claudia,                                                                                                                

On your 26^th birthday, I think of your vitality, your boundless love and joy.  A friend of yours said that you “act younger than you are.”  That is because you are not jaded – you have not closed yourself to the world and the people around you.  You let yourself feel and experience what is happening around you.  If that makes you young, then I hope you’re young forever, since you make me younger, too.  Together, we have to face the fate described by the Arcade Fire:


“If the children don’t grow up, our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.”

My lovable baby nephew! I had to include this pic because it makes me smile :) 

Today

(Me waiting for the bus to pick me up)

Today I rode the bus. My car is acting up and so its at the doctor. I took it in yesterday and sat around for 2 hours for the mechanic to tell me he can't fix it. So today I went to plan B and took it to a transmission shop. Now I have no husband and sadly no car. I feel stranded and naked. I don't like that combination. I pray I get my car back so I can see my family on Saturday, go to the Temple, eat Colombian food, and get a haircut. After work today I will be getting a ride from a nice but interesting fella. My friend Amber is a sweetheart. She offered to give me a ride to work and I think I will be giving her a call.

What I am grateful for: public transportation, friends, my car and chocolate.

Sealing

Guess what Jon found?! Our Sealing Day pic's :) Jon and I were sealed for all time and eternity at the Orlando Florida Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was such a beautiful sunny day in Florida. We were surrounded by our dear friends and family. I loved it!!

February 5, 2005

I remember it being the brightest day outside. I love how everyone is squinting in all the pics!

My dear friend Janelle!

Jon and our Bishop

Me and my sweetheart

My family- oh how I love them! 

Veronica, me and Jon

Veronica is one of my dearest friends. She has one of the sweetest sons! She also took these pics on my sealing day.

Justin and Janelle 

We loved our game nights with the McMurray's! 

My sweet brother Andres got us the most beautiful framed picture of the Orlando Temple. 

It currently hangs in my living room and I hope to always have it! Thank you bro!

My Thoughts

 (me building a headboard and working on my mad building skills!)

Dear J,


I have never wanted my husband more than I do RIGHT now. He's my eternal partner. I wrote Jon an email asking for help. Help b/c I miss him so much it hurts. I no longer believe in soul mates. Because if I have a soul mate out there I would have to tell him, "sorry, I've already found my partner. His name is Mr. Boress."

******

Thank you Jon. Thank you for joining my church. I know for a fact that I would have given you up had you not believed in this Gospel. But I am so glad you opened your heart and believed. The best part was having witnessed your transformation.
I've never wanted you to change- I fell in love with you before you were a member, before you held the priesthood. I just knew for a fact, 100%, that your hangups would become lighter had you believed in Jesus Christ. I wanted you to have peace in your soul. I knew the only way you would get peace was to join the true Church of Jesus Christ.
So here we are. You are a priesthood holder. You are a beautiful man. I love you- I love who you were before and I love who you are now. But I can love you for eternity because of your faith. So yes, I want to thank you. Don't be stubborn and accept my sincerity. Accept the fact that I believe you to be a close replica of my dream man. You fill in the details I never dared imagine. I had my standards for my dream man. 1.) Priesthood holder 2.) great husband 3.) great father 4.) blue eyes (although I've accepted green) 5.) great smile, and the rest is fuzzie b/c you've filled in the rest. YOU, not anyone else. Just you my love. My partner. my eternal companion.

Love forever and ever,

"The bride of your youth."

My Baby Nephew

On May 5th, 2010 my sister Janeth gave birth to a baby boy. She named him Kevin Jared Conte. When I got the news at 5:00am that morning from a proud new grandmother-my momma-I knew life was about to get even more lovely. I remember she handed the phone over to Jared so I can congratulate the new proud papa. I asked him how he felt and his reply, "it feels weird and so cool!, made me smile. I promptly made plans to meet the new little man that would steal my heart.

I fall instantly in love. As soon as I held Kevin for the first time I felt as though I've known him forever. 

My sister is a natural with Kevin! 

Our lifelong friend Esperenza came over while Jared the rest of the fam was at Jared graduation. I can't begin to tell you how much she means to us! We love her!! 

My brother in law and new proud papa Jared graduated a few days after Kevin was born. What a week! 

After this picture was taken Jon took a nice nap!

Knock Off Wood!

3 months ago I wanted a sewing table. I decided I wanted to build one instead of making a purchase. Good ol' google led me to an awesome website called Knock Off Wood. I downloaded the plans to build a table and went to my local Home Depot where they cut all the wood for my future table. I started working on it and realized it was bigger than I had wanted. This is due to my brain thinking I had enough room in my living room. I didn't. But that was OK b/c I ended up with 2 great saw horses that I built and it made me happy!


My mother in law offered to give me her sewing table and that made me even happier! I refinished it and decided to use oil based paint for the first time. The paint associate at HD was right- oil based paint gets EVERYWHERE! But it was so worth it b/c it feels smooth and not rubbery like latex paint. I felt so satisfied knowing that the same table that was used to make Jon's Halloween costume's will be used to make sewing projects for my children.

The plot thickens........

Fast forward to two weeks ago and here is the dialog that led to my new adventure with wood:

Jon: I want a video game chair.
Claudia: But I worked so hard refinishing the one I purchased from Good Will. It's pink and cute.
Jon: The springs broke.
Claudia: How 'bout I build you one.
Jon: Hmm, we'll see.

So here we are today and I did it! I went to Knock Off Wood and built me a gorgeous red "Jon Chair". I highly recommend you visit the website.

#1 I downloaded THESE plans
#2 purchased some wood at HD (Home Depot)
#3 asked an associate to make some cuts for me please
#4 sanded, (my favorite part!)
#5 screwed the wood pieces together
#6 painted
#7 and patted myself on the back!

You can make anything!

Here is my process:

Amy Butler

Eeek!-in the best possible way!

Amy Butler has created wallpaper for one of my favorite wallpaper companies, Graham & Brown. I love everything there is about Amy Butler's genius designs. From fabric to home furnishings. I usually love independent fabric designers but Amy is my exception. She is like my Vera Bradley (whose designs I'm not a fan of but I know a lot of my friends love her).

Check out her site at

AMY BUTLER

& her wallpaper:

CASASUGAR