Photo: New York and Company

Three years after the death of her older brother Carlos Méndez,Eva Mendesis looking back on the experience through a seasoned lens.
The mother of twolost her brother on April 17, 2016, after a battle with cancer. He was 53 years old. Amada was born to Mendes and longtime loveRyan Goslingjust 12 days later.
“My favorite memories are when he used to, atThanksgivingor a big dinner orChristmasdinner, roast everybody — but roast you hard,” she recalled fondly of Carlos on Thursday. “Of course, I miss him incredibly, and that’s an understatement, but I’m holding on to that tradition. I’m so happy that he gave me that. I don’t think I could carry it on the way he did, but those are some fun memories because he would really get raw.”
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The siblings’ younger brother, Carlo Méndez,confirmed the sad newson his Instagram page, writing that Carlos “fought with all his might and power” and left behind two children, ages 5 and 13.
Two weeks before his death, theLost Riveractress shared ablack-and-white photoof herself with her older brother at theHollywood Stands Up to Cancer eventfrom January 2015, captioning the image with a heart emoji.
Mendes introducedKatie Couricat the event, and told the audience that “tonight I’m here with my family and my brother Carlos, who had [cancer] treatment today.”
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling.Dave Allocca/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock

Mendes and Gosling, 38, plan to bring Amada and her big sisterEsmeralda Amada, 5, over to Mendes’ older sister’s house for Thanksgiving, since “she has the most room at her house to host all of us.”
New York and Company

In the meantime, theNew York & Company collection designeris keeping her eyes peeled for “that special project” now that her daughters are getting older.
“They’re starting school and so I’m feeling like I finally have a little time to myself. But also, I’m starting to find that ambition again that I lost a little bit,” she told PEOPLE on Thursday. “I was fine with losing it, it was a natural thing, but it transferred — the ambition was in the home.”
“I’mstill in the home, but I’m gettingmore of that call to work again,” Mendes shared. “That’s exciting because it’s happening naturally. It’s exciting to feel that again.”
source: people.com