Throughout the pandemic, I know I am not the only one to feel helpless. The fixers? We want to fix everything. You're sad? We want you to be happy. You're surviving? We want you to thrive. 

Cliche, but this statement has never been wrong: Some times there are things we can't fix, but as a collective group, we can make an impact.

During the pandemic, I told my husband I wanted to bring a dream out from hibernation that I had been thinking about since 2018 - I wanted to start a Podcast with guests to talk about all different dynamics of relationships. Him being my tech guy, bought me a microphone at Christmas and he asks every week, "When is the next episode?". We have 18 planned episodes for Season 1 with 2 already having been posted for 2021. You can subscribe to us on ANCHOR or search us on Spotify - Relationships with Reyes.

Another component we wanted to provide was a modest Scholarship (Cash Award) to someone who is a role model in their community. 

We aren't rich. We live okay. We struggle just like many. But we know that any amount we were comfortable with could make someone's day - fund an event they are passionate about, pay a bill, and whatever it was, we just wanted to recognize someone who made an impact in their community. Because our communities need some love and people need some love.

We aren't selecting a winner, we have a team of volunteers and a selection committee to do that for us - More on that later. We want to remain not bias and truly have people from all over the USA choose the recipient, we are just here to supply the microphone to amplify this!

Throughout the the last week, I reached out to family and friends to donate, and it brought the total up to almost double! Heart feels overwhelmed. I do so many projects, but I'd have to say this one takes the Gold. When you get married, you likely have already found things that you as a couple enjoy doing together. Luckily, one of those things for my husband and I is serving others. We get so much joy of feeding people, loving people, and enjoying who they are. 

But I love what a small group of people can accomplish. I love waking up feeling like we got this. It's the kind of generosity I needed to hear and see after a year of...a divisive election, peoples rights threatened, humanity I'd say at an all time low of empathy. So, thank you to those who have already contributed!

If you connected with these sentiments, please check us out at http://www.relationshipswithreyes.com. Please share the link and our flyer below. 

If you would like to contribute monetarily, you can venmo us at @reyesscholarship. After, if you can email us at relationshipswithreyes@gmail.com with a photo and what you're passionate about, we would love to feature you on our website donor's section.

If you are a program that aligns with our mission - We would love to list you as an affiliate and email our applicants your information during the waiting process to hear back from results. 

Woooeyyy, this has been sitting in my drafts since late October:

TRAVELING. 

I miss seeing and feeling NEW. New foods. Music. People. Clothing. Architecture. Undiscovered parts of history I was unaware of. All of it. I miss traveling and learning and taking in all the sights, smells, and being in awe of a new place.

I think most of us can collectively agree we miss being able to go somewhere without restrictions. 

Aguascalientes wasn't new to Aaron, but for me? I've only been to Tijuana, Nogales, & Mexico City. Looking through photos, I already loved all the architecture in the capitol city - Romantic and colonial. But seeing it in real life...Breath taking. The city is so clean, the people are SO friendly, and yes the food was so good, but the juice drinks!? I just drooled. I think I ordered a Mango juice every day.

During the Wedding week, my 2 cousins flew down early. We grew up taking trips every 2-3 years (We are all 1-1.5 years apart in age) and this year, it would have been 3 years since our trip in San Francisco. We were in High School at the same time and in the same school. We lived in a small town, so we had to be very creative in what we did. We've fought, we've always made up, and we would absolutely fight anyone that tried to mess with one of us. Whether we were 8 or 28, it still holds true - They're the closest thing to sisters I had/have.

Normally...We are known for breaking bones, needing surgery, or getting concussions when we are together. Not sure why, but we are so "blessed" with being so clumsy! I am happy to report, NO BROKEN BONES, sickness, or emergency trips this time around! I also loved the private time they got with Aaron and also so we could just enjoy the city without having to think of Wedding things this particular day. 

Our first stop was Templo de San Marcos, the Church we would be married in later that week. This was my first time seeing the Church NOT at night actually. 

When you stepped inside, you actually felt like you were transported back in time. The physical Church was built from 1655-1765! You couldn't help but be engulfed in the tall arched ceilings, intricate murals, and the majesty of God's presence.

We walked our way down the main streets towards the city plaza area. We could smell fresh churros being made and coffee being poured. A smell we followed was a bakery - You couldn't miss it, we got there to grab some freshly baked items and to order some loaves of bread for the Ofrendas during the Ceremony at the Church for the Priest. Since we were there in early October, they were also already serving pan de muerto for Dia de Los Muertos in late October and early November - where many LatinX countries honor their loved ones who have passed. Along the way my cousin Kailey got her coffee beans, Kelle got some pastries, and Aaron got his Coconut water. All the vendors along the way were probably one of the highlights of the city. We loved supporting and indulging in all the family owned vendors.