I am Stephanie (Gonzales) Sotello. I am writing this article for me and my daughter, Yolanda Alvina Sotello, also known as Lil Yoli. My husband, Ben Sotello, and I named our daughter after my mom, Yolanda (Sena) Gonzales and my dad’s mother, Lucy Alvina (Ortiviz) Gonzales.
We want to celebrate and talk about my mom, Yolanda and my aunt Lynda (Sena) Kouba who is Nina (Godmother) Lynda to my daughter, Yoli.
I asked Aunt Lynda to be godmother to my daughter as I thought she would be a great role model for her, and I knew she would always be a part of her life.
This is a picture of Nina Lynda and Lil Yoli at my daughter’s baptism. Lil Yoli was baptized at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo, Colorado in April 2012. My mom made Lil Yoli’s dress and she used material from my grandma Della Sena’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Dress.
This picture is of three generations of the women on my maternal side. I do know that, based on Aunt Lynda’s Mtdna, our Haplogroup is C1b11. This helps to identify the maternal side of our family. I also know that she has traced our maternal side of the family for twelve generations which includes my daughter and myself.
Pictured left to right is me, Stephanie, my daughter, Yolanda (Lil Yoli), and my mom, Yolanda. The three of us are always together.
Here we are again at a family function, when my daughter, Lil Yoli was a bit younger. Pictured left to right is Mom, my daughter, Yoli and me. Everyone thinks that the three of us really resemble each other.
I love this picture of Mom teaching Yoli how to sew. She is so attached to her grandma, Yolanda. My mom makes a lot of costumes, blankets, and various outfits for my daughter and children.
My aunt Lynda or Nina Lynda is very instrumental in my daughter’s life. She buys her school clothes; she spends time with her by taking her shopping, or going to lunch. Yoli loves to go to her house and play with the cats and with her dogs. In this picture, Yoli is playing with one of her cats, Daisy. She has four cats and two dogs.
Yoli loves, more than anything, when she gets to ride in her nina Lynda’s Volkswagen Convertible/Bug. Nina Lynda told my daughter that when she is 18 years old, that her “Bug” would be her car. Yoli thinks that she is old enough to drive it now. She’s only nine, but is tall for her age and can’t wait to drive. She has a few more years to go.
Look at the smile on their faces. My mom, Yolanda calls them the two "LOLA'S!!" You know, whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!!!
Last year in June of 2020, Yoli joined a softball team for little girls. Her nina Lynda went out and bought softballs and gloves for my children, so we could all play and practice together. My mom also decided to buy some gloves and balls. This is a picture of some of my children and their cousins. Aunt Lynda said that we were the “Sotello Team.” I think Aunt/Nina Lynda had more fun than the kids! She said that she hadn’t played ball in years and just wanted to hit the ball one more time. She did it, and was able to run the bases!
When Yoli’s nina Lynda and her uncle Rory Kouba were married, she was their flower girl. In this picture are the following people: My dad, Dennis Gonzales, Rory Kouba, Lynda Sena Kouba, my mom, Yolanda, and of course, my daughter Yoli. We are a close-knit family, and all of them spend a lot of time together.
I just want to say “Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful mom, Yolanda and to Aunt/Nina Lynda. We love you very much!!!!!