Milo is part of the East High School mountain bike team. He finally got in.
Milo has his own unique sense of style—I’m not even sure how to define it. Sometimes I joke with him that he looks like a Cholo from The Matrix, just wearing very expensive clothes.
I finally agreed to go camping for one night. I really enjoy Southern Utah—it’s full of stunning canyons to explore. Unfortunately, you have to start early in the morning to beat the heat. We visited Little Wild Horse Canyon, and I loved taking photos of my familia. The pictures came out so idyllic, they almost make it seem like our life is perfect and everything always goes smoothly.
But that’s far from the truth.
Life is hard, complicated, bittersweet, and full of ups and downs. These photos are just a quick reminder of the ups in our journey.
Jared and I slept in the back of the Cybertruck. The moon was so bright, it felt blinding. Bear kept trying to jump out of the truck bed. Camping really isn’t for me—sleeping outside was hard on my body. But I didn’t have to worry about packing food, organizing, cooking, setting up the fire, or cleaning. Jared and the boys took care of everything, which was really nice.
My kids are growing up so fast. It hit me that they’re becoming independent young adults, and that was bittersweet. I consciously raised my boys to be self-reliant and not need me for everything. I always feared that something might happen to me, and I wanted them to be strong and capable—able to navigate the world even without me.
Now, I’ve reached a point where I’m comfortable letting them be around certain people. Of course, there are still boundaries: I believe in being careful with the friends they choose. I don’t let my children spend time with kids who could be a bad influence. I truly believe it's easier for a good kid to go down the wrong path because of who they surround themselves with—more so than for a troubled kid to turn things around.
Still, I’m beginning to let them explore people and places on their own, without my constant protection—so they can form their own opinions and understand the world through their own experiences.
Milo invited me to a movie with his friends... because they needed an adult to come with them to let them in. It was a weird Japanese anime movie. I am the cool mom. I know. Milo and his fake piercing.
Mario hates everything about driving. This is him getting ready for his driving lesson—it looks more like a hostage situation. He can drive well, but it’s just not something he cares about.
The funny part? Our car insurance went up by $600 just for adding him to the policy.
This is Aleida Feliz. She just baptize two weeks ago and we were helping with the missionary talks. She is also Dominican, 29 years old, and went to school in the Dominican Republic for med school. She is here with a student visa learning English.
Mario and his projects mates Bruno Morales and Alex Peterson.
Mario also received a $500 scholarship to use toward his degree. That university wasn’t bad at all. He’s still deciding which engineering school he’d like to attend in-state.
Meanwhile, Milo has his sights set on the Bay Area—specifically, San Francisco—for college.
Father's Day
Milo giving a talk.
Milo kept asking to go to the thrift store to find a sewing machine, but I ended up buying him an affordable one from Amazon instead. Since then, he’s been teaching himself how to sew. He wants to design and make his own clothes. He already designed that T-shirt for Jared and the one with the cross for himself.
We also went to another escape room—Jared loves those things—and once again, we made it out before time ran out. We really are a great team.
I was accepted into MBA programs at both Southern Utah University and the University of Utah. After doing my research, comparing costs, and evaluating the return on investment, I decided that Southern Utah University was the best fit for me.
My goal is to learn how to run businesses—especially international ones—so I can build a lifestyle that’s more global in nature. We tend to move every five years, and that experience has taught me that there’s always a new place to call home.
I’m an immigrant, and I truly believe I can make it anywhere.
