"Come Outside"

He worked late last night which meant i wouldn't be able to see him. I was already in bed by the time he called me. We chatted for a bit and he asked to call me back so he can change out of his work clothes and get ready for bed. He calls me back and shortly after, again, he says "Can i call you right back?"....at this point, I was annoyed cause i wanted to sleep and he kept "calling me back". Annoyed I said, "how about we just say goodnight, you seem busy and it's late" to which he answered, "no no, i'm sorry i promise it'll be 5 minutes".....

After a few minutes, my cell phone rings and he says, "Hey,...Come outside.."

I open the door to see him walking up with an arrangement of gorgeous flowers and a piece of paper in his hand. I immediately got humbled by his kind act. 

The flowers just so happen to be two of my most favorite, "Star gazers" and Red Roses. Also my favorite colors. The piece of paper was titled "The List"...and it was a poem he had been working on writing for me. Reading the poem, I couldn't help but smile big and attempted to hold back my tears. 

Seriously, I will be framing this poem and reading it every day.

I am so grateful for this man and every thing that he does for me.

Fact: I have insecurities, I get mad at my boyfriend for really meaningless and dumb things, I get jealous of other gorgeous girls even the ones he's never met in his life, I get in bad moods and he pays for it, I pout,....

YET,....he is so understanding, patient, loving and puts up with my girl moments. And after 9 months of dating, he still makes me weak at the knees and tells me I am his world.

I love him.

The Olive Theory

In an episode of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall and Lilly talk about their Olive Theory. 
In a nutshell, Marshall hates olives but Lilly loves them. So, whenever Marshall gets olives he'll give them to Lilly...the perfect balance to a good relationship. (according to HIMYM)


This got me to thinking, do i practice thus said Olive Theory? 


Why, yes, yes i do!


Things I think are yucka-town:

• Pickles
• Peanut butter
• Ice cream with chunks
• Non-white chicken meat
• Non-well-done steak
• Anything spicy
• Salads
• Veggies (unless you're a child, you should eat your veggies! just don't look at me for an example)
• Cheese
• ....okay, the list goes on for a long time

Things Max will eat for me when I get them:

• All of the above

It's so nice to have someone who will eat my food for me when I dont like them. It's funny to sneak my unwanted food unto his plate. He's a boy, what doesn't he eat!

Olive theory 4 life! 

Our first out of state trip :)

Caaaaliiiiforrrrniaaa!!

Max and I flew out to the bay area for my twin cousins graduation from high school. Those young men are my closest cousins and I had to be there on their big day, and was so giddy that Max wanted to come a long. My entire mom's side of the family is in California, so it was a great trip to see family and introduce Maxwell to them. 

They're giant!! Congratulations Josh and Jacob! I love you!!

Day 1, we spent it with the family, getting things together for graduation and our family cook out. I loved seeing Max with my family and felt slightly bad for him during the "interrogation"  time from my uncles and grandpa. After dinner we went on a walk in the beautiful 70 degree weather. 

Day 2,I woke up singing "let's go to the beach beach!! let's go get away!"....we spent the day on the road with the twins and Sidney (Josh's gf) and went shopping at outlet malls in Gilroy. They don't have SONIC in Sunnyvale so while in Gilroy, the gang demanded we stop at SONIC for their rare sonic time. haha max and i found it funny. 

After Gilroy, we went to my favorite boardwalk...Santa Cruz!! 

Oh such a fun day! We were exhausted when we got home!! While I showered and read my scriptures, max and the boys hit the gym for some male muscle time. Loved it! 

Day 3. "I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO"...oh boy, I LOVE MY CITY BY THE BAY!! And i'm so happy Max's first time there was with me and my fam bam :) 

Before hitting the pier, we went to Muir Woods and did a family hike. Don't worry, I only made it up about a mile. I AM FATTY TOWN!!  

There was poison oak every where! Kinda cool. Not a fan of the spiders. yucka!! After our family hike, we went to Pier 39 and ate at San Fran's Hard Rock. I LOVE MY FAMILY! Soooo happy I got to spend my day with my family and my love. 

Finally, came Sunday...the day we returned home. That morning we ate at the most famous chinese restaurant in the bay area, Chef Chu's with my grandma and aunt. Then before we knew it, we were back in the miserable heat.

We came home to my family sunday dinner and after, we watched Extreme makeover: weight loss edition with my parents. what an amazing few days and end to a great trip!! 

I know I love maxwell with all my heart. After this trip it felt so nice seeing him love my family and feel so at home. I look at Max and smile because I have no idea how Heavenly Father found the most perfect guy for me. He just gets me. And when we have our occasional PMS moments, he has patience with me and we grow and learn together. 

waking up to messages like those are the moments that make my heart literally smile. There are countless text messages and phone calls similar to this picture, It just happened to be a recent one. it's the little things that make me weak in the knees, this boy is incredible!!

I know whoever reading this (if anyone at all, i know it's lengthy, so if you're here then YAY YOU!) may be like "oh i've been there" or "who cares!"...regardless, I'm happy and i love being happy at other's happiness. I hope you are happy :) 

I love this man.

I don't know anyone else that i could feel this comfortable with. We are weird and he loves me through all my weirdness. I love him through his. Moment's like these happen all the time, he is my best friend and i'm so happy of our 8 months together cause i wouldn't change them for the world. My best friend, My boyfraan, my Love :)

He loves me through my madness...

IT'S FINALS WEEK AND I HAVE BEEN A CRAZY CRAZY PSYCHO MESS!!

Background Information::I had the HESI-LPN exam on Monday and let me tell you, I have been on EDGE times a million. This test is my biggest test in the Nursing program so far and I heard it was hard. It's testing me on the past 18 months of nursing school and I was doubting myself like crazy! The stress had me SNAPPING at everyone!! I live with my parents, so they got the worst end of my crappy attitude. Then, there's my poor boyfriend, Max...

... Ohhh Max. Everything he said or did, I took it wrong and made myself get offended just to have a reason to be mean to him. WHY, SELF, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?...i dunno. IM CRAZY. He would call me every night we didnt see each other and i'd be short and would make sure he noticed my crappy attitude cause I WAS JUST MISERABLE WITH MYSELF. I'd pout because he wouldn't text me back a lot during the day time, but c'mon self he's in school all day and I expected him to be there at the snap of my fingers. AGAIN, WHY SELF? WHY? CAUSE I WANTED ATTENTION. i was stressing, I wanted him to baby me. He's never seen me react to HIGH STRESS, and I felt bad cause i knew what i was doing to him but i just wanted him to drop everything and anything he was doing to be there for me. But i didn't realize that HE WAS THERE FOR ME, he text me the sweetest things of comfort and always called me...i just was a brat and had a crappy attitude. When I stress, I STRESS and I am the worst!


The Humbling process...
On the Saturday before my Monday HESI exam, I was again in a bad mood studying all day feeling "alone" in the process cause Max was at work and i hadn't seen him in a few days. He calls me after work, a few hours before we were supposed to go to a reception, to ask me what candies I liked. (at this point, i was annoyed thinking: what the crap weirdo!) I responded rudely "I dont like candy. I hope you're not getting me anything, I dont need anything from you.." "I'm not getting you anything! I had left overs and was gonna bring you some..."...i was short and ended the conversation. I got ready for the reception thinking it'd be a nice break from studying. I was still annoyed with Max cause he had also told me he was thinking of going to Flagstaff that night which meant i wouldn't see him the rest of the weekend and i felt victimized thinking "So you're leaving me when i need you to support me" (again, high stress=emotional=dramatic=poor boyfriend). I hear the door bell ring and I open the door to this....

7 balloons signifying the number of "completion" all in my favorite colors, Hello Kitty GIANT SIZED, and goodies for me to snack on while studying. Along with my goodies was the sweetest page and a half letter....

His thoughtful gesture humbled me and I apologized for my attitude. I explained to him how i get when i'm stressed and how he was my victim of my stress. I told him I felt needy and knew i was being ridiculous but I wanted him there, though i failed to notice he'd been there every second of the way. I apologized and when I read the letter, I cried.

Gosh I love this boy! How did I get so blessed with such a patient boyfriend? He could have easily snapped back at my crappy attitude, but instead he surprised me with the sweetest gesture I could have ever asked for. He is understanding, kind, patient and above all he shows me and tells me every day that he loves me. I'm so grateful!!

I'm huge on knowing how your significant other reacts under all sorts of situations, and good golly we are REALLY getting to know every corner of our personality and we get through all tough situations because we have patience, communication and amor.

I apologized the rest of the night. After the reception we had family dinner at my brothers which was so fun! Then, we ended the night just cuddling talking about us, the future and you know, life.

PS. I PASSED MY HESI JUST FINE :)

"Relationships 101" I wished such a class existed...

So, I'm new at this whole relationship thing. Max is my first legit boyfriend with the title and everything! I'm so used to doing the whole "hang out with a guy all the time and flirt and hold hands but it doesn't go further than that cause he's a chicken and i'm a sissylala" thing that now that i'm in a real relationship, I had no idea what to do!!

Here are some things i wished came with instructions:

1. How to set appropriate time limits. Without realizing it, I ended up demanding all his free time. And his free time is very limited with school and work. I wanted him to spend all his free time with me cause I'd always be so excited to spend time with him. BUTTTTTTT...I failed to recognize that he also deserved to spend time with his friends, just like I got to see mine while he was at work. Whenever he'd call me and would say he was going to a friends house before seeing me, i'd get upset cause i wanted him to be with me. ....I know, i sound like a typical crazy girlfriend right? But he was always so amazing and took all my crap, because he loves me. I always pouted whenever he didnt immediately come running to me but i was being selfish. I'm just so grateful that he never got mad at me for being a brat nor that he ever threw it in my face at how i was acting. He's so patient with me. I promise i'm changing my ways and realizing my lesson number 1: It is okay to not spend every second of our free time together. Sounds simple, but in the middle of my "oh i love you" stage i forgot to think of him and realize that it is okay that i'm not his only best friend.

2. How to compromise. Again, this is my first real relationship,...I used to think I was always so chill and that nothing ever bothered me. I still am like that, if you say jump i'll say how high...i dont mind doing things he wants to do. But sometimes he wants me to choose specifically what we do, or what music we listen to on the road. And i truly don't care! But he gets annoyed that i never choose. I HATE MAKING DECISIONS. sorry? So we compromised with it...I choose an activity, he chooses the next. I plug in what i like to listen to, even though he doesn't like hip hop/rap, and then ill listen to his John Mayer music. I learned to like John mayer. I'm the only girl in my family,..aka okay, i get things my way all the time. But now im learning my lesson number 2: Keep the party at peace, and compromise! I love him enough to drop my ghetto music and he loves me enough to listen to it whenever i want to get hyphy. aw yeah!!

3. How to be his girlfriend, not his mom. Sounds funny, but i have this thing called I worry too much. Yeah, it's a disease, I wanna take care of everyone and take everyone by the hand,...maybe it has to do with my career in Nursing?? but anyways,..when my boyfriend speeds, i get scared and tell him to slow down. yeah, i'm that girl. When he wants to spend money on cool gadgets for his car, i tell him to save his money! ...that's a reasonable one, but i gotta realize he's a boy, he wants his cool toys and i'm not his wife. If he doesn't wanna save, he doesn't have to. IIIII just want him to save cause i'm a worry wart about finances. again, life lesson number 3: Be the girlfriend more than the mom. I have his best interest at heart, that's okay, but i can't control him. oooooo

Now here's what gets me...he is so incredibly patient with me that he never ever complained of anything i do! I realized i was doing those things after a conversation with my cousin who is a psychiatrist (free advice session? yes please!). When i spoke with him, i apologized for all those things i did, ESPECIALLY #1 cause i'd always get so mad...he wasn't expecting it. But he's so so good to me that he never spoke up to me cause he loves me so much, he was willing to take all my crap. but how can i fix it if i didnt know? well now i know.

Relationships are hard work!! it's no longer the "darlene" show, it's now the "darlene has a boyfriend to be thoughtful of" show and i'm learning SO much!! I feel bad he has to put up with me, i can be such a brat. But every time i get those meaningful hugs where he holds me tight and whispers how much he loves me...it makes me want to be the best i can be for him! He is amazing to me, and i'm learning more and more every day :)

Again, i don't know where life will take us, but I know im learning a lot about relationships and myself.

He took me to build a bear on feb 13th for vday (i worked a 14 hr shift on vday) and he made me a cat that we dressed up as buzz lightyear. AKA BUZZ IN BOOTS!

Windy days, we built a buzz lightyear kite and flew it at a park. He really likes buzz lightyear.

Sedona trip :)

Gosh he's cute :)

I ruin pictures a lot

love himmmm

:)

yeah, I'm lucky :)

3 weeks in Peru !

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru until the age of 7 and I get the amazing opportunity to visit my beautiful Peru as often as possible. This year, I went for 3 weeks and spent my birthday, Christmas and New years there. oh how amazing!!


Birthday: ew, i turned 22. For some reason I wasn't exactly welcoming of this new age but what the hey, im young and in Peru!! Right at midnight, my bff cousin Noelia surprised me with my birthday cake while my family all sang to me. So sweet!! Noelia smashed the cake to my face. ...grrreat :) haha it was actually so fun, i had an amazing birthday! That day was my uncles wedding through the Catholic church. So i partied on my bday for their wedding and it was a blast!! Salsa dancing all night? yes please!! it's in my blood...i felt like a legit Latina :)


Christmas: FIREWORKS EVERYWHERE!!! right at midnight, we uncover baby Jesus as symbol of his birth...and right at midnight...BAM BAM...fireworks!! EVERYONE lit them off...the sky illuminated in bright colors and the celebration of our Saviors birth went on for hours!! how beautiful that all the neighbors came outside to hug another, wish each other the best, and set off fireworks in celebration of our Redeemer...it was beautiful!! [[never have i hugged and kissed so many strangers in one night! haha ]]

New years: Same firework spectacle in the sky :) This year we spent new years at my parent's bff's house. Great food, great family friends and lots of dancing of course.


This trip was very family centered and a time for me to relax and hang out in my Lima. I went to the capital and loved the celebration of Christmas everywhere. I got to spend the day in Miraflores and played at the beach and dined in Lancomar. It's beautiful! PERU IS BEAUTIFUL!

We went to a fishing doc called Pacusana and it was beautiful!! i took a little boat to a near by island where the water was so warm.

We also went to a huge cultural show called LAS BRISAS DEL TITICACA...best show of my life!!! my culture is stunning...I am so PROUD of the beauty and richness of my culture. WOOT WOOT!!!


EARTHQUAKES... So on a sunday night, i was on the phone with my handsome boyfriend (who btw, he set his alarm early every morning just so he could call me and talk to me every single day!! What a stud!) ....anyways, we were on the phone when suddenly I heard a LOUD RUMBLE and i was confused. "MOM? what is that?!!"...i turned the corner to where my family was sitting to find my cousin Noelia holding her chest as she panicked in tears...i was so confused and Max kept saying into the phone "what's happening?"...I looked at my mom and she ran to grab me and Noelia and ran us into the bathroom. My dad yelled "oh nothing it's a...garbage truck" as he ran for the keys to unlock the front door. Still, i was very confused cause this LOUD RUMBLE began to get intense and before i knew it, my LEGS WERE SHAKING OFF THE GROUND...my knees went weak and i heard my cousin scream "EARTHQUAKE!!"....HOLY POOP ON A STICK MY BODY WENT NUMB!!! Max kept asking "what's happening?! answer me!" and i simply whispered "earthquake"....I never have felt my heart sink so much, i held on to the phone as i hugged my mom tight and had my arms around my crying cousin. My Dad got the door unlocked and told us we'd have to go out into the street in case it got worse. (the way the houses are built in peru is UP...so safest zones are either your bathroom or out in the middle of the street). Poor Max was freaking out on the phone while I stood in shock as i saw the paintings on the wall shake off the nails. FINALLY after what felt like an eternity, IT STOPPED. My heart began to beat again and i felt the blood returning to my face. My poor cousin has panic attacks because Peru gets BAD earthquakes and she freaked out. My mom hugged me and thanked the Lord it was over. My dad said he had to lie and say it was a garbage truck so that i wouldn't freak out but...uh...the vibrating floor and shaking, rumbling kinda gave it away. SO SCARY!!! Poor Max was so scared saying how he's grateful we never lost connection cause he wouldn't have known what to do not knowing if i was okay. He kinda loves me.

That day trip i took to Pucusana, ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE hit. My mom has a 5th sense for them and stood up from the lunch table the second she "felt it coming" and again grabbed me into safety. Mommy's sure do love their children for she immediately placed ME in safety first. I LOVE MY MOMMY!!

BUT I OFFICIALLY HATE EARTHQUAKES WITH ALL MY HEART!! (at school, we are on the 3rd floor and when the elevators shake it feels like the ground is rumbling...well when that happens, my heart dropped and i hold on tight thinking im gonna experience an earthquake...great, im traumatized)

anyways, uhm I LOVE PERU!! I LOVE THE FOOD!!! I LOVE MY FAMILYYYYY AND I LOVE MY CULTURE!!

MARCH 2013....me and my BFF TORI are going to travel the beauty of my peru in a little city ya'll might know as CUZCO...or..MACHU PICCHU!!! yeeeeah budddy!!!! can't wait!!! Also, BRASIL? oh yeahh....it's happening!!