You Challenge!!

Eight Fears:

1. Losing someone I LOVE, you know a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, a friend....
2. COMPETITION
3. NOT having a job
4. Letting a loved one down
5. Being taken advantage of....
6. Not giving enough to the people who matter
7. Taking people/important things for granted...
8. GOSSIP

A sad reminder!

Today started off COMPLETELY normal...

at least I thought it did...  you know, woke up, noticed the sun trying to shine thru the window...  :)  turned on the news, listened to the day's stories, FINALLY got out of bed into the shower and started to get ready for work...  DECIDED it would be a good idea to send a few "good morning" txts...  ;)  Why NOT??  it didn't cost me anything, and sometimes that's ALL I need to get MY day started on the right foot!  ;) finished getting ready, went downstairs, chatted with my parents while my cup of coffee ""brewed," said good bye and I LOVE YOU!  and left...  I was on my way!!!

As soon as I got to work I realized that today would NOT be a NORMAL day!!!  It would be a day that would FOREVER change the lives of MANY people...  a few who are a big part of my daily life... 

One of my co-workers lost his son today...  I walked into work and noticed someone else doing "his" job...  I immediatly got a sinking feeling in my stomach...  OH NO!  I thought, his father in law passed...  made me sad...  BUT they've sorta been expecting it, "father in law" has been sick...  We've talked about it/him, I ask about him a lot, I don't really know why, maybe it's because whenever someone close to me has been sick, I have found comfort in people showing a little bit of care?? It helps to talk about things... I thought he's in a better place, and not in any more pain...  amazing how many things can go thru one's head in such a short period of time...  I finally got within a place where I could ask what had happened and the answer was NOT what I was expecting...

A son??  wait...  he wasn't ready for this..  he wasn't prepared for this..  that's what crossed my mind..  BUT WAIT..  then I heard they had a little hope...  ummmm...  ok, I left, clocked in, and inquired some more...  I have friends who are friends with one of the brothers...  So I asked, I learned there was little to no hope...  SUCH SAD NEWS!  :(  all day, I thought, it's not fair, they weren't ready for this, not prepared...  I thought of his dad...  he's a great person, his brother, one of the nicest people I've met...  his mom, the rest of the family....  and his friends... what are they thinking?  how are they feeling??

 I've been there...  I've been the "friend", it sucks, I wouldn't wish that on anyone...  I found out this afternoon that the "hope" they had held on to was gone..  he was gone... again so sad...  Carlie asked, I don't know what to do?  what do I say?  My answer is, there is nothing you can do, but be there...  be there when they reach out for help...  reach out to them...  the death of a loved one is hard to understand...  especially when they're young, when they're our age....

It's days like today when I remember that I've been on the other side of the coin too...  I've been the "sibling" I've lost a sibling, I've lost 2... I was young, but I remember that day, sometimes too vividly, I remember ALL the people, and the sadness, and the emptiness, I remember the service, and how I felt... My parents have been there, how easy it is to forget...  I am reminded once a year for sure...  sometimes twice...  on the birthday and the anniversary...  I don't know the exact days, I don't dare ask, but I can tell..  my parents get sad, and quiet, lost in the "memories"... I've never thought about writing down the dates...  maybe that's something I should do??

I came home and told my mom about Mike today, she got teary eyed and told me...  That is the worst feeling, she said NO ONE should ever have to deal with that...  then she told me that it doesn't get easier...  it's been almost 25 years, since my little brother died, I remember him, so full of life, there are still pictures of him hanging around..  she still remembers, she misses him terribly..  and so do I... She said she can't believe so much time has gone by.. I used to wonder what would of happened if...  I don't do that anymore... 

So today as I sit here and think of how unfair life can be sometimes, I will say a special prayer for Mike, and his family, the one's left behind, because what awaits them will not be easy.... and for his son...  May he rest in Peace today and always...

and for his son's friends....

And tomorrow I will make sure to remember to hug my loved one's a little tighter, and I will remember to make it a point to let all those important people in my life know how much they're loved, and appreciated...  :)

God speed Joe, and tell my little brother and sister hello for me... :)

Thankful Sunday

It's that time again....  ;)  Today I am thankful for...

....successful, relaxing vacations and time away

...."I miss you," Hurry back text messages!  ;)

Sunsets

AIR CONDITIONING, it's hella hot out there!  ;)

family dinners

conversations over coffee...

dinner with my sister!  :)

Quality pool time with my parents

friends

blue skies FULL of BIG FLUFFY clouds

the peacefulness of a "summer" community!

the pool

Sophie and Cruz

Books, and the stories they tell

twitter..  that's how I got my news and kept "in touch" with the world on vacation... 

...the countdown to when I get to see V and Lu, and my cousin too!

a holiday weekend  :)

upcoming weddings  :)

....'till next week!

:D

A Week!!

....A LOT can happen in a week...

I went on vacation last week...  :)  It was a wonderful time, spent with great company...  :) 

We  RELAXED a lot!  :)

and READ a lot!

and saw lots of BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS!

and took TONS of PICTURES!

we held a DINNER PARTY or two!  ;)

we took lots of NAPS

....and lots of WALKS

we also ate LOTS of ICE CREAM...  one everyday! ;)

and we made a COCKTAIL or two, cocktail hour was important

we WATCHED a movie

we made DINNER every night

we visited a CASTLE and learned about an AMAZING LOVE STORY!

we SWAM in the St. Laurence RIVER!

I got lost in Upstate NY...

I visited Baseball's HALL OF FAME!

I learned a LESSON in the hwy system...  the HARD way!!  haha!

Most IMPORTANTLY I was able to COMPLETELY clear my head...  :)

To re-coup, so that I can move forward... 

to not think or worry about anything back home... 

It was GREAT,

I only called work twice in 9 days, I've never NOT called...  ;)

I seriously had 9 worry-free days...  :)  It was great...  But as soon as we hopped back on that plane "homeward" bound...  the list of things I needed to do started pouring back into my head...  I LOVED it though...  and I was READY!  READY to go back to my routine, although I think it will be a little different now...  ;)

READY to make a million wedding favor cake pops, and ready to watch good friends get married, and ready to go back to work, and ready to get together with friends and family for good conversation, and good food, and quality time!

A little less worrying about EVERYBODY else, and a little more worrying about EVERYONE else!!  ;)

I took lots of pics...  I will post them in the next few days...  hopefully....  :)

Thank you Jaime and Grandma Virge for a wonderfully relaxing week!
AND FOR ALL OF THIS I AM GRATEFUL!!!  :)

Here's to hoping everyone has an AMAZING week!!!  :)

My "Religion"

....The other day a friend and I were talking about religion... not always a subject I openly talk about... 

I grew up Catholic, and I still am Catholic, it's what I know, and it is what I believe...  In College I attended church with different roomates...  I wasn't impressed with them...  not gonna lie..  I like my church, when I attend, I have read the Bible in spanish...  ;)  it's been a while but I read it...  ;)  I have Saints that I believe in, the rosary is important to me, and it is usually prayed at my house in a time of need....  The definition of religion is different for every individual...  For me it's this.... 

My aunt had this posted on her refrigerator last night...  I LOVED it, it makes sense to me...  so I "borrowed" it! ;)

I try to live by this daily! I have ALWAYS trusted in God... And I try to be THANKFUL everyday!!

God is ALWAYS with me...  I learned that a LONG time ago...  My mom did a WONDERFUL job teaching my brother, sister and I the importance of praising, seeking, worshiping and thanking God when we were younger...

As hard as it is to believe sometimes, I believe that he really wont ever give us much more than what we can handle...  no matter how hard that may be!

I know my mom wishes that I went to church more often...  I know I should, but at the same time, I feel like God not only wants us to attend and worship, but he also wants us to LEARN of his teachings, and exercise them...  he wants us to treat our neighbors the way HE would treat them...  He also wants us to do good deeds, while not necessarily telling the whole world you're doing them... 

So here is my religion in a nutshell,

•  Reading and truly living by God's word
• Being completely true to ourselves, and to those around us... 
• Doing good to others without expectations...  It's what he wants
• Being "charitable"
• Being noble
• Praying and trusting that God will take care of things
• Practicing what we're preaching
When my dad was sick we got another lesson in the "power of prayer,"  I had used that once before when one of my friends from College almost died from liver failure...  and when he (my dad) was in the hospital and we could have lost him, God showed us again how POWERFUL prayer really is...  My mom had candles lit up in prayer, there was people praying for my dad daily...  there was a rosary being recited everyday at 6, for a week between his surgery and "the setback"...  Prayers came from everywhere...  the US, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and anywhere else that we had friends and family.... Prayer is GREAT, and GOD is even greater...  His teachings have taught me that, and they have also taught me that living our lives honestly, and thankfully is what he wants...  it's what will always give us, or me peace from within....  :)
I found this quote on a site and thought it would be a good end to this post!!  ;)  Now if we could only figure out how to always be charitable without needing a pat in the back about doing it!!  ;)
"Every Charitable Act is a Stepping Stone Towards Heaven"
Henry Waed Beecher

BBQ with the family!

Vacation was relaxing...  life went back to being busy, normal and full the day I got back...  :)

I joined the family at my aunts for a BBQ on saturday after work...  she has the most amazing views from her house...  I stood outside and enjoyed the "sunset" sky!

sooo pretty, peaceful and relaxing to watch!

Then Gaby joined me...  :)

.... I seriously couldn't get enough of the view!

Cruz and Sophia...  aren't they soooo cute???  ;)

cruz and "grandma", my aunt!  :)

me and Cruz...  guess those cheesy smiles run in the family??  ;)

a picture with Tia Gaby!!  ;)

My cousin!!  :)

The reason for the BBQ...  a "finished" product celebration!!  :)  I was impressed, they did a GREAT job with the built-in BBQ!  anything for a carne asada celebration!  ;)

...me and 'Phia!

Tia MJ, and the kiddos...  LOVE them!!!  :)

playing with the new "editing" app!!  ;)

Here's to another great family get-together complete with yummy food!!  :)

Going Home.....

We woke up SUPER early today so we could drive to the airport, turn in our rental car, catch our first flight to North Carolina, then catch the second flight to Phoenix, pick up the boys at Carlie's and finally drive home....  :I  I think we were both ready, the vacation was GREAt, it was relaxing and the scenery was AMAZING!  But I know we were ready to come home, the routine, that's what I missed, and of course my family and friends!  ;) I took these pictures from the airport, as we were ready to land...  so pretty!!  :)

....FINALLY in North Carolina...  we just barely made it our of there before the hurricane hit and all the airports were closed.... 

..... and we were off on our second flight...  Phoenix, here we come!  :) 

Nothing like flying above the clouds!

We made it to Phoenix, stretched our legs a little, picked up the boys, packed the car, chit-chatted with Carlie for a little bit, and then we were on our way home!!  :)  we switched off the driving duties, so I made Jaime take the pictures of the sunset on the way home for me!!  ;)  pretty cool huh??  ;)

I seriously DON'T know what it is with me and sunsets...  I LOVE them though!  :)

we finally made it to Jaime's around 9:30ish PM, I dropped them off, and drove home...  I wanted nothing more than to get home to my own bed, and sleep, it was a LONG day of traveling for us...  :)  But it was a GREAt end to a wonderfully relaxing vacation!!  :)  Thanks again Jaime and Grandma Virge...  I can't wait until next summer!!  :)

1000 Islands.... Day 7

Today was our last full day on the island!!  :(

We spent it by making one last trip around on the golf cart..  checking out the cottages one last time, and taking a few "last" minute pics!  ;)

SOOOOO PRETTY, SOOOO GREEN, and absolutely PEACEFUL.....

I was reading the other posts from the last week the other day, and I finally realized what the island reminded me off...  It was kinda like hanging out in an episode of "gilmore girls," or "everwood"...  anyone remember those shows?? This picture I took with my trusty always with me, camera phone..  ;)

We also relaxed, took more pictures, ate more ice cream, and read some more, and packed.... ugh, have I ever mentioned how much I hate packing?? ;)

I wanted to take pictures of the fun flowers all around the island...  they were so pretty, and the greenery was awesome..  :) These are with my trusty camera!  :)

 This was the lighthouse that I looked at all week....  I NEEDED to take a picture of it...  :)

 .....and me...  :)

 ...the sky was so blue and the clouds were so white and fluffy!  :)

 ...we found this colorful field of flowers on our journey... so we decided to make a photoshoot out of it!!!  :)

 ...and Miss Jaime...

 ....and this is the little tree that caused our drive out and about, I spotted it EVERYTIME we took a drive out in the car...  I wanted a picture of the fall tree changing colors, the reds and oranges were something I hadn't seen before...  :)  and they were just as beautiful as I thought..  I would LOVE to live in a place that had ALL of the seasons..  if only the weather wasn't so horrible!! 

 and this little flower was called Queen Ann's Lace...  They were EVERYHERE!  and they were so cute...  I LOVED them!  :)

 Have you ever seen anything like this??  It was the BIGGEST cobweb I have ever seen!  YIKES!

 ...and a black squirrel, have you ever seen anything like this??  me neither...  I can't remember the whole story right now..  but I think Grandma Virge and Jaime said they are special to the Island...  :)  I'll have to remember to ask why again!!  ;)

 ..see kinda looks like a structure from Gilmore Girls...  NO??

 even the colors....

 Jaime said this cottage reminded her of something out of hot dog on a stick...  and I have to agree with her....

This pretty bird visited us EVERYDAY to get some food!!  ;)  isn't he sooooo cute??  I LOVE that he is such a bright yellow color too!  ;)

....and I got to spend the last day watching the MOST AMAZING SUNSET...  I took WAAAYYY too many pictures, and had the hardest time picking just a few...  enjoy!  ;)

This is probably one of my favorites, "sequences"!!  :)

good night NY sunsets, THANK YOU for being so beautiful for me!

....and my other favorite sequence of pics!

.....and these are with my phone!  I wanted to be able to share them with the family ASAP!!  ;)

The colors and the sky were both awesome...  :)  Sorry for all the pictures...  as usual I couldn't pick just one...  ;)

Here's to our last day of vacation, filled with many beautiful things!!  :)