Our Eldest: Briana Ayelen

Our eldest was born on a beautiful spring afternoon at 2:03 pm. She weighed 6.7 ounces and was named Briana Ayelen Escobar. The name Ayelen (accent on the second e) was derived from an old castellian region in Spain. Briana was choosen because its pronounciation did not lose its luster in spanish.

She recently turned seven and has blessed our lives with her laughter, love and determination. She loves playing the piano and has been doing ballet for the last four years. And unlike most seven year-olds, she has already decided what she wants to become when she grows up... a school teacher.

She loves to write stories and translates her emotions from pen to mouth in front of her always-accepting audience... her stuffed animals.

Our story began in the summer of 1998. He had just returned from serving a mission in Barcelona, Spain and I was completing my freshman year at UTEP. It seemed like our worlds collided in one breath when we first laid eyes on each other and from that moment I knew I had found my best friend, the love of my life. One of the most memorable moments came after two months of dating. He had confessed his love for me and my response was unexpected-one that I will never live down. Even to this day I am reminded of my skittish response, "That's nice."

I have to admit, I had no serious relationships before my husband and I was very nervous when he confessed his love-especially after two months. Yet I couldn't shake off the feelings I had for him easily. He was and is an oak during the most tumultuous moments in my life.

We had dated for almost four years before he proposed. He was finishing his degree in engineering and I was in the middle of my clinicals as a nursing student. As luck would have it, Hector was offered a job in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area a year before I was to graduate from Nursing. I was struck with anxious fever for I was torn between finishing my degree or jumping ship to join my fiance in Dallas. I had considered the matter for several weeks, months and decided after careful scrutiny, JUMP SHIP. We were married on March 15, 2002.

Many have asked why I did what I did and I really don't have a good answer for those who are not of my faith except for this: Love makes you do crazy things. I finished two years later with a degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences with strengths in Biology and Chemistry. From an early age I had always entertained the idea of a stay-at-home mother and i fulfill my duties as sole caretaker to my "ducklings" to this very day. However, I have recently picked up a pastime that I thoroughly enjoyed as a young child... WRITING. I am currently working on two projects for young adult readers.