The Hernandez Gang

Baby Names

2010-09-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

I HATE picking out names with Daniel. He's so picky. I like to have some reason behind a name. I reviewed Daniel's family history and couldn't come up with a name we agreed upon. (If this was a girl, there would not have been any discussion. I've had a girl's name picked out since I was married-Sierra Ann Maria. Maybe one of the boy's will use this name for their girl.)

Despite Daniel and Trey's first choice (Dallas) and Carlos' choices (Eli and Kenny) and Damon's choices (Michael, Mike, Bruce), Daniel and I finally agreed upon a name. He will be called Bryson Daniel. I'm glad he let me use his name for the baby's middle name. Daniel's paternal grandmother would write me a letter every time she found out I was pregnant to ask me to name the baby Daniel Hernandez IV. Daniel never let me do it. Hopefully, she knows now it was never me! She was always so sweet. I'm glad to know she and other ancestors have been watching over Bryson in the spirit world as he prepares to come to earth and join our family. Perhaps one day, we will be seal together for time and eternity to everyone. What a joy it would be!!!

Week 30 update

2010-09-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor on Sept 2. I was 30 weeks and 1 day. This is the FIRST time I actually got to meet a doctor. The other two times was a Nurse Practitioner. The way it works with Vanderbilt is typical for a large facility. Due to the high risk pregnancy, I am in the Materal Fetal Medicine Clinic. If I go into spontaneous labor and it's not during the normal work hours, the MFM doctors won't deliver me anyway. (I'm delivering at Vanderbilt.) If I feel it is an emergency, I will just go the the local ER (Gateway Hospital) and they can speak with the Vanderbilt doctors to determine if I need to be transferred to Nashville or not. Chances are I will be at Vanderbilt. I hate this because it will be more difficult for family and friends to come visit me and the baby. The other hesitation is the drive. If there is no traffic, we can get there in 45 minutes. If there is traffic, I'm afraid I would deliver on the way since this is my fourth child. I'm sure it will all work out though.

The appointment was good. She wants me to see an Opthamologist, Podiatrist, Pediatric Specialists, etc. The Pediatric Specials with do a fetal EKG ultrasound. Apparently, there could be some risks with diabetic patients and the baby's heart. Although they haven't seen anything on all the ultrasounds they've done, they believe it would be best for a specialist to perform this tests.

The doctor's continue to adjust my insulin weekly. As the pregnancy continues, so do my hormones and my insulin tolerance. They say after the baby is born my glucose levels will be more normal.

She measured my stomach. I was measured at 33 weeks instead of 30 weeks. The growth ultrasound shows the baby already at 3 pounds 12 ounces. The previous ultrasound 3 weeks earlier he was only 2 pounds and 8 ounces. They don't know if the baby is a little big due to the diabetes or if the due date is not accurate. Nevertheless, they will not change the due date. If I don't have the baby by my 39th week (Nov 3) they will just induce me.

Strangely enough, I didn't gain ANY weight since the previous appointment 2 weeks earlier. That was the first time that's ever happened. At this point I've gained 25 pounds since February. This is not bad for me. With Carlos I gained 60 pounds, with Trey I gained 80 pounds, and with Damon I gained 40 pounds. Let's hope I don't gain another 20 pounds before I deliver because I really will be topping the scales!!!

Starting at 32 weeks, I will be having 2 appointments each week for non-stress ultrasound test. They test the baby's movement and breathing. I will also have weekly doctor visits. That means I'll be in Nashville ALOT. They are trying to work with a local OB office to do the non-stress tests on Mondays so that I only have to drive to Nashville on Thursdays. Hopefully, it will all work out.

I'm WHAT???

2010-09-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. It's very difficult to blog and work and be a mother/wife. This post is something that is a little crazy but I definitely wanted to remember.

Late June, I'm sitting at my desk and start to feel something in my stomach. I thought "This is strange, yet vaguely familiar". I thought it maybe was gas because I didn't want to even think about it being something far worse...yes a baby. I started to pay attention to it for a few days and it didn't go away. So I decided to totally ignore it for a few days as to not make the problem bigger than what it really was. After about 1 1/2 weeks of the problem continuing, I decided to go to Walgreen's after work and get a pregnancy test. I was so anxious that after I bought the test I took it in the store restroom. It turned positive after a few minutes. Still in disbelief, I drove immediately to the nearest walk-in clinic. They thought I'd lost my mind the way I was crying. I showed them the test and explained my stomach thing. They took blood work which wouldn't be tested until the next morning. However, the doctor felt my stomach and said I was probably 4-5 months pregnant. WHAT??? For me, everything had been "normal". Yes I had been nauseous but I thought that was my diabetes as that can cause the same problem. Yes I had gained 15 pounds but I just lost 25 pounds so I though this was my normal weight gain after dieting. No I haven't had my period but I never have my period every month. Basically, my world was crashing down around me.

I had to pull myself together to go home and tell Daniel. I told him to come and meet me in the car so that we could have some privacy. He was worried about why I was crying and where I had been. I told him that I had to tell him something but I couldn't deal with him yelling or cussing as it would have pushed me totally over the edge. He agreed. He couldn't believe it. He kept his word and didn't yell or curse but I knew he was very upset. I told him about the doctor taking the blood test. As typically for Daniel, he thought there was a chance I wasn't pregnant but I knew I was. We waited for the blood test to come back the next morning and sure enough it was positive.

I was a totally wreck at home and work. I had no idea how far along I was but it had to be at least 16 weeks since I felt movement already. I was very concerned for the baby's health because I was taking 18 pills a day for a variety of things-mainly diabetes related. How was my body going to handle this pregnancy with my current health issues and my past medical history of pregnancies? How am I going to take care of this baby as I'm now the breadwinner in the family? How can we afford this child? You can imagine all the thoughts racing through my head. I prayed ALOT for the first several days.

The following Sunday I asked Loren Richards and Eric Bass to give me a priesthood blessing. It was the most spiritual experience. I cried during the whole blessing like a crazy woman. I don't know how Bro Bass was able to continue with the blessing due to my emotions. I know Bro Richards had some tears also. I'm so grateful to these wonderful, worthy priesthood holders for being able to do the Lord's work and provide me comfort and peace in such a distressful time in my life.

The morning it was confirmed about the pregnancy, I had to first get an OB appointment and call my medical doctor. I was able to see my medical doctor within 2 days of the blood test confirmation. When trying to make an OB appointment, they were questioning why I waited so long to see a doctor. My response was, "I just found out 2 hours ago so I'm not quite sure how much of a notice I was supposed to have given." I finally got an appointment for an OB consultation the day after my medical doctor appointment. My medical doctor got an ultrasound done that afternoon to find out how far along I was. I was 21 weeks and 1 day (that was July 1). They even told me I was having a boy. I was still distraught over the whole situation that I didn't care if it was a boy or girl. The OB consultation was not anymore informative. They had to schedule an OB doctor appointment the next week. The OB decided it was be best to transfer me to Vanderbilt for my pregnancy. His words were, "You're an obsetric challenge." That's never something you want to hear.

It took 3 weeks to get into the Vanderbilt clinic. They did another ultrasound and assured me the baby seems to be fine. I was told there would be many appointments during the pregnancy especially starting at 32 weeks.

It took a very long time to adjust to the idea of having another baby. I literally went through the stages of grief-stock/denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and finally ACCEPTANCE. It took about 6 weeks or so to get the final stage of acceptance. That sounds horrible but it was true. I now know this baby is a true blessing our in our life. Although I still don't know who will take care of the baby while I work or how we can afford him, I have faith that God will take care of us and he knows our needs.

First ultrasound pictures at Gateway Hospital on July 1 when I found out I was 21 weeks and 1 day and it's a BOY!

PROFILE PICTURE

NOSE AND LIPS

Second ultrasounds pictures on July 22 when I was 24 weeks and 1 day. These were at Vanderbilt. This is the first time Daniel got to see the baby.

SIDE VIEW WITH THIGH

I LOVE THIS PROFILE VIEW!!!

Friends: a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?

2010-01-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

I read this blog from friend. We were best friends when we were 14-15 yrs old. She moved away. We finally reconnected about a year ago. I'm so glad she ended up being a lifetime friend. The blog made me start crying because I had a friend who I thought was a lifetime friend but turned out to be a season friend. After all, we grew up together. Our kids were growing up together. A few years ago, she moved away. We kept in touch for a few months. I even went to visit her. All I know is she doesn't return my phone calls or emails. I don't know what I did. It felt like I wasn't good enough anymore. It really hurt.....to be honest, it still does. I had to let her go. I just want closure to the situation but I doubt I'll ever get it. I wonder if she'll ever know how much she has hurt me. I'm hoping time will let the wounds heal. Here is the blog. Thanks Christie.

"I'm guessing Holly's moving post on breaking up with a friend will strike a chord. There's something about betrayal or abandonment in friendship that often feels harsher than that of a lover. Partly because (and pardon if I sound a wee bitter) we almost expect romantic partners to hurt us or be transient; friends are supposed to be for life. But recently one friend helped me see this loss differently when he passed along wisdom from a spiritual teacher: People are in our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
I love thinking about it that way. A "reason" would cover friends who introduce us to new people, activities, or ways of being and then, poof! are somehow out of our lives. "Season" relationships are around anywhere from a few months to several years or even decades; they get into our hearts and shape who we are, then slide, scrape, scramble, or vanish from our day-to-day. Lifetimers are just that--the ones we know till the very end--the guides, anchors, companions, and beloveds who would only miss being at our deathbed if we made it to theirs first.
The tricky thing, of course, is that we don't have the completed screenplay--we can't flip ahead to see if Jane will be there as the credits roll even though she's been around since elementary school. That's what makes friendship risky--and precious, not to put too cheesy a point on it. We just don't know. Yet with the reason/season/lifetime frame, even when someone we thought was a lifer turns out to be a temp, we can see it for what it is--a person who gave us the gift of her or his presence for a time. An appropriate, necessary amount of time that, if all went well at least for a while, changed us, opened our perspective, somehow expanded or even healed our lives. So when we must let them go--whether it's our choice or not--we can do it with a bit of grace and gratitude. You know?
I found this sometime ago and thought about how true this really is. I have been blessed to have met people at certain points at my life for a reason and then they or I move on. It is sad to see friendships go in that regard. But I have been so much more blessed by the ones that have remained in my life! For this I am truly grateful! I know sometimes it is weeks or months since we have talked but that doesn't mean I don't think of you or love you! Because I do!!! Thank you so much friends!!! "

Fall Camping

2010-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Hopkinsville, we always built fires on the weekends. We missed not doing that here in our neighborhood. This past fall Daniel decided to created a firepit. Of course we never plan anything ahead of time. We bought some concrete landscape blocks that night. In the rain and dark, we tried our best to make the pit. We had a grate that we got from my dad.

The next day we had a campout. We had 2 tents. The kids invited a friend over. It was very cold outside. We had fried catfish, grilled corn, shish kabobs (steak, shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, and squash), and fries for dinner all cooked over the new firepit. The kids finally went to bed. Their friend's dad would NOT leave. Daniel and I told him we were going to go to sleep. We stayed in the tent a little while. He finally left. It was just too cold to sleep outside. Daniel and I abandoned camp and went to our bed. The kids never knew we didn't stay there all night until a few weeks later. We made breakfast over the firepit the next morning (scrambled eggs, pancakes, and toast). They ended up sleeping in the tents the next night too. Daniel even slept outside with them.

The Rise and Fall of Trey's Football "Career"

2010-01-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

Trey played for the Cowboys team this year. He was number 85. They lost every game except for the last game. He loved to play and study the game. The coach relied on him to tell the plays to the team as alternated with another kid for almost every play. Trey ended up hurting his wrist badly during a game. We had to rush him to the ER. He wore a hard splint for about a week. Then was down graded to a Velcro type splint for a few weeks. He had a bad sprain and contusion. He was out for the remainder of the season which was only 3 games. The coaches all enjoyed having him on the team. They want him to play next year. I hope he will want to because I think he could be good.

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

I tried to take a picture of the kids to send out for Christmas cards. I never got around to doing the cards but I thought I could at least post the pictures. Of course, they were being silly. We just got home from church and they really just wanted to go inside and eat lunch.

We put our Christmas tree up the weekend of Thanksgiving. It's always been our tradition to do that. The kids get a new ornament every year that represents something about them. Carlos got a computer ornament. He loves to get on the internet and play Runescape. Trey got a cellphone ornament because he loves to text. Damon got a large jingle bell ornament like the one from Polar Express. Carlos told him Santa wasn't real. He got very upset and started to cry. I felt so bad for him. I told him the Santa is a belief and we all can be Santa's helpers.

They put their own ornaments on the tree every year. They enjoy remembering them. Carlos has one Buzz Lightyear ornament that is supposed to have his picture in it. Every year he asks me if I'm going to put a picture in it for him. I keep telling him I will one day. I still haven't done it. I think it's just a joke at this point. After the tree is decorated, we turn on the fireplace and watch The Polar Express. Daniel loves that movie. Damon really enjoyed going and ringing his jingle bell to see if he could hear it. Of course, he could and I loved that it made him happy again.

We had a great Christmas and enjoyed the family coming over to our house on Christmas Eve. The kids got a 42 inch flat screen TV. It was over the top. It wasn't my choice. We got Trey his own cellphone which was cool. Carlos got an iPod. Damon got a game he had been wanted. They got other smaller gifts as well. Daniel got a solar powered watch from me. I returned the GPS I got from Daniel and got me and iPod touch which I LOVE! A few weeks later I got Daniel one too because he kept using mine.

Carlos turns 14!!

2010-01-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Carlos is already 14. Time flies!!! We had cake and presents on his birthday. The weekend before he had a couple of his friends come over. His grandpa ordained him a teacher on November 15 which was my birthday. I'm glad my dad was well enough to come here and do that. It means alot to Carlos and me.

Happy Halloween!!

2010-01-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

We always love Halloween. Trey dressed up at Michael Jackson. I don't think he has ever really listened to Michael Jackson's music before he died. I didn't like the person but I did like most of his music. We already had most of the things Trey need to use. We only had to buy a glove and sunglasses. He had downloaded Thriller to his cellphone and would play it as he was trick or treating. A few times he did do the moon walk for people. He was so funny. Damon was a ninja. He loved his sword he got. Of course, it broke in time. Carlos originally said he wasn't going but then decided to go at the last minute. A couple of hours before we went trick or treating, I went to a few stores to find a black ski mask for him. He would be a robber. After all, what kind of costume can we come up with in just a couple of hours.

We went trick or treating for about an hour in our neighborhood. Their friend Anthony Geary went with us. The kids wanted to go to a rich neighborhood close by. They were under some illusion everyone handed out regular size candy bars in that area. We drove over there. I would drive ahead and park the car, walk to meet Daniel and the kids, and drive to the next spot. We were gone at least another 1 1/2 hours. We were so exhausted. The funny thing is that only one house handed out the regular candy bars.

Let the Races Begin

2010-01-30T18:42:00.001-08:00

Damon has waited years to have his own Pinewood Derby car to race. He and his dad worked hard on the car. Trey even helped. He wanted it to have 2 white strips down the middle. Unfortunately, the paint job didn't look good so they had to sand it down to paint it again. We used dry rub transfers to decorate it. I think they work the best. It was called the Black Widow. Grandma and Grandpa Manire came to watch the race. He was so happy to see them. We told him before the race not to get too upset if he loses. We told him not to celebrate too much if he wins. I was very proud of him when he shooked another cub scout's hand when Damon won the "heat". I thought that he was very cool to have that much sportsmanship. He kept winning and winning. When the final race came, he was jumping up and down. He was so excited. Unfortunately, he lost the race. He did get upset at first but after a few minutes he was fine. I think he thought he didn't win anything. He won second place in the Wolf division for our pack. It was a very close race. Now, he will go to the District race on March 13. We are all excited. It will be at the mall. I hope he does well.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow....

2010-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

We had about 6-8 inches of snow yesterday and today. It's the most I've seen in years. The kids played in the snow 3 times yesterday when it was probably only 4-5 inches. This afternoon we played again. I slip and fell on the porch as I was trying to throw a snowball at Carlos. Of course, we all laughed. Poor Damon kept getting pushed in the snow by Trey. We had a good time. Grandpa Hernandez bought a couple of snow sleds a few days ago for the kids. Unfortunately, they were made for small kids. Trey is so skinny he could still fit in it. The still had fun playing with them. Daniel and the kids went on a long walk in the snow twice. I was having NONE of that. It's too cold and I'm too old. I had hot chocolate ready for them when they came home. We had snow cream tonight (vanilla extract, milk, sugar, and snow). Everyone liked it except Damon. Although we've had fun, I hate being snowed in. All I've done is cooked and eaten. I'm sure I've had to gain 5 pounds these past two days.

NFL....Here We Come!!!

2009-10-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Trey and Damon decided to do football again this year. Although I don't have pictures of Trey yet I do have some of Damon thanks to one of the team's mom. Damon's team has been winning all season. However, two weeks ago, they lost against the #1 team. Damon was so upset...mainly at his teammates. After the game, they gave out treats...one of which was a soda bottle shaped like a football. Although he took the soda, he ripped the paper off because it reminded him of the bad game. When we got home he told Daniel he was not going to watch football that day with him as he usually does on Saturday. I felt bad he was so upset. This past weekend he was determined to win. They had a tough team. SInce it had been raining for several days the field was completely muddy. The team worked hard. He was so pumped out there on the field. He got several critical tackles. One time he jumped over the kids and sacked the quarterback. It was AWESOME! It had 4 OTs but they finally won! The kids were so excited. I've never seen Damon work so hard on the field. I was very proud of him. I don't have pictures of that game but here are some from other games. He is #78.

Cub Scouts in FUN!!!

2009-10-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

Damon is a Cub Scout. He has waited so many years to be a scout like his brothers. Thank goodness I'm not his leader. I am the Webelos leader. We decided to get all the dens together to go bowling. There were several kids there. Trey tagged along with me since he loves bowling. Our family goes bowling often and Damon does really well. He can beat me.....without bumpers. The pictures are a little dark. When I showed them to Damon he told me they were the worst pictures he had ever seen. (Everyone's a critic.) I'm posting them anyway.

We have the best Cub Scoutmaster, Diana Fuller. She has great pack meeting. I'm so glad she is in our ward. Here is Damon getting his Bobcat badge. He was so excited. Unfortantely, I forgot to bring his uniform to change into after football practice.

Damon got to go to the June Day Camp. It is such a well organized event here. He hated the heat but was able to get alot of things checked off. He earned the Jr USA Shooting badge. He was very excited. I put it away so it wouldn't get lost. Since I don't sew, I collect badges for a few months for all the kids and then get the tailor to sew them on. When I got ready to take them, I couldn't find his shooting patch. I couldn't wait to take the other items. I knew he would be upset so I ordered a replacement patch. Unfortunately, the replacement didn't come before I got the items back from the tailor. Damon asked me where the patch was. I had to confess, but I assured him the replacement would be here soon. He said, "I worked really hard for that badge. If you ever do this again, I will have to go crazy on you." He cracks me up!!

First Day of School

2009-10-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

I've always tried to take a picture of the kid's first day at school. At this point, it's old and they are annoyed with this tradition (as you can tell in the pics). Carlos is in 8th grade which is his last year in middle school. Trey started middle school this year (6th grade). He was very excited. His best friend, Anthony Geary, rode with us to school and they had a great time. (Not to be mean, but I HATE Anthony's puffy hair. Really....cut if already.) Damon is in 3rd grade. He is doing really well. It is the best year he has had since we've been here. Damon was not in the mood for a picture. This was the best one out of 5 takes.

Fun at Boy Scout Camp

2009-10-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

I never blogged about Carlos' Boy Scout Camp this summer. They had an LDS encampment. There were lots of boys! Carlos hates to go to camp...mainly because he hates sleeping in tents. He enjoys the comforts of home. I can't blame him. Apparently, he skipped some classes and didn't get all of the merit badges he could have. I could have KILLED him. After all, camp is NOT cheap. We are slowing making up the topics he missed in order to get all the required merit badges. The one thing he did do is sleep in the woods with other boys as part of the Wilderness Survival badge. He had to build a shelter to sleep in. That night there was a really bad storm. The leaders got the boys up and headed back to the main camp. Either Carlos didn't hear them (he is a hard sleeper) or they forgot him. All of a sudden, a piece of wood from the shelter fell on Carlos and hit his nose. It woke him up. Nobody was around. His flashlight was dead. He had to use the flashes from the lighning to lead him back to the main campground. I'm sure this was pretty scary for him. I guess it's a good thing he didn't build a very good shelter. (DISCLAIMER: This was the story I got from Carlos....who knows if all of it is true.) Here are some pics of him receiving the badges. I really did miss Carlos that week. They were gone a little longer than usual. He has grown up so fast. I'm proud to have him as a son and hope he will always know how special he is to me.

"I am a Puzzle"

2009-08-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since February, we have been addressing concerns the school and I have had with Damon. To be more specific, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As you can imagine, it was upsetting but for some reason not that big of a shock. As I began research, I found there are different types of ASD. Most people only know the traditional ASD where it is more visible to the untrained eye. After hours and hours of completing forms and going to appointments with psychologist, psychiatrist, speech therapists, school administrators, nurse practitioners, doctors, and ASD research group we finally got the answer. We spent all day at the Vanderbilt Research Center. They asked us even more questions while they "interviewed" Damon. He was on his best behavior which was really good. The dr said he was a very complex person and so he had to have more interaction than normal with him in order to get a diagnosis. The answer is yes...he has ASD but in the group called Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Basically, he shows some of the signs and symptoms but on a higher level than someone else. This has been my speculation for months. The doctor feels he will be successful in the future as we try to build upon the set of skills he already has. To make a long story short, there is still much work ahead for us as we get the school to adapt his education plan, as we re-learn how to parent, and etc. I'm glad that we know what the answer is and I am ready to move forward with getting help for him so that he can be happy and successful.

Obviously, this is the short version as to spare you will all the nitty gritty. Until I knew exactly what we were dealing with, I really didn't want to discuss it before now. I only told the kids a couple of weeks ago since they also had to be part of the research that Vanderbilt was doing. It was a genetic study and they had to take some blood and collect some other basic medical data. I will get a very detailed report of their findings and will be a great service to us as we work with the school system. They also will be connecting us with other types of services.

Please just keep us all in your prayers as we have only begun the journey.

In closing, here is a poem I found during my research that I feel describes Damon and what he is going through:

“I Am A Puzzle"

By Melody Rain

I never understood the association of a colorful puzzle with autism before but I do now. After much thought the whole idea has become clearer to me now. I am a puzzle. A puzzle in which I do not know even myself how to put together to make me whole.

Some people enjoy puzzles and others do not. The puzzles that we are, are made colorful to make us more appealing. We have many colorful interesting pieces that make even those who despise puzzles to become interested in us.

I am a colorful puzzle in an ordinary box. The outside of the box looks just like any other puzzle box. I look just like any other person would look. But there is something a bit more interesting that catches the eye and that is my colorfulness.

The box is rather a usual size not too big or not too small but just right. The ones who become intrigued pour me out and I am scattered all over the floor. There I sit with many pieces.....confusing I become.

More pieces than anyone expected in just a normal and ordinary sized box! Some of those who poured me out take one look at all of my pieces and walk away. Others stick by me and attempt to pick up some of my pieces and look for the missing parts to put me together. Some stay for awhile and try to put those pieces together...some of the pieces fit right off and others they look long and hard.... sometimes many frustrating hours.

Eventually several people become frustrated and walk away while shaking their heads telling themselves they tried. Yet others, many others, still stay....searching....Looking ...fitting me together....enduring long and sleepless hours sometimes to the point of exhaustion...frustration but they all have one thing in common and that was commitment.

Some sit on the floor and cry for awhile wondering what to do next. Others search for more information on how to find the pieces needed to fit certain parts of their understanding. Still yet together eventually I become pieced one by one.

The pieces are me; it is what makes me unique. It is my struggles, it is my gifts, it is my talents but it is also full of the confusing pieces that just make me ...me. Understanding me is hard. It takes time, it takes effort, and sometimes it’s not so much fun.

Those who walked away in the beginning are those who did not care to try and understand me because I seemed too complicated. Those who walked away after some attempts decided it was too much for them to continue with me.

But those who stayed were those who were with me even when the times were tough, even when they were confused as to what puts me all together. They continued to try even though I made them tired or sad or frustrated or mad. With each piece being placed together I became whole. I became understood.

The more they understood me, the more they understood each piece that relates me to all of the other colorful puzzles. With each understanding the pieces became easier to find. I am fortunate to have those in my life who are waiting and willing and who will not give up on me. Thank you from all of those who are a colorful puzzle like me.

"FUN in the SUN!!"

2009-07-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Our family loves to go swimming. We have a couple of friends with swimming pools. We also love to go to one of the public pools. I know what you're thinking....but really they aren't bad. It has a 10 foot high dive. They kids love jumping off of it.

"And miles to go before I sleep..."

2009-07-03T23:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Carlos went on a 10+ mile hike at night with some of the young men at church. He dreaded going because he hates sleeping in a tent and didn't want to carry the heavy hiking backpack. Of course, any opportunity I have to make him do something he hates just gives me a thrill. After all, he is a teenage boy who picks on his brothers and bothers me to no end. We packed the backpack together. I even gave him a quiz on where everything was located. He passed with flying colors. The pack was heavy....30 pounds. In my defense, I was told he had to pack EVERYTHING he needed including a tent. When the day came, he was excited to go and was looking forward to spending time with friends. They hiked through the night. He even fell asleep a couple of times when they rested. The next day when I picked him up, he looked so tired and hungry (as you can see from the pics). I could understand the fatigue but not the hunger. After all, I packed all kinds of canned foods for him for dinner and breakfast. He told me he had some really bad oatmeal for breakfast and that was it. I asked him why he didn't eat the canned fruit we packed. His response, "I had fruit?? Why didn't you tell me?" I couldn't believe it. I said, "Didn't you see the fruit when you had dinner last night?" He replied, "I didn't eat dinner." To my surprise, the boy didn't realize he had food and water in the backpack. What did he think made the pack so heavy? Let me remind you that I quizzed him on the items in the backpack before he left. I then asked if he was able to put the tent up OK. He said that he didn't use it because they had a big tent at their destination. I was glad to hear this because he probably would have forgotten he had that also. On the way home, I heard nothing but complaints. Apparently, he had the heaviest backpack of everyone. When I got home, I couldn't resist to take out the tent, food, and water and weigh them. They were 14 pounds. So, basically it would have cut his weight in half if I knew he wasn't going to need the tent nor eat or drink anything. This was definitely a learning experience for both of us. We will need it for next year's hike on the Appalachian Trail. OH, YEA.....he's going and complains on a weekly basis about it.

"Chef BOYS R Dee"

2009-07-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Lately, Carlos and Trey have really been adventuring more in the kitchen on their own. One day Carlos created his own "Candy bar". It had nuts and was sprinkled with powder sugar.

Trey likes to bake. He decided to make his dad a Father's Day cake all by himself. I must say....it was pretty good. So now that my husband and my boys cook, I can hang up my apron and leave it to the men!!

"Would you like Devil's Sauce with that?"

2009-07-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

Last week after Daniel and I dropped Carlos and Trey off at church for Wednesday night activities, we decided to go eat dinner at Pizza Hut with Damon. Damon loves hot wings and Pizza Hut's HOT wings are really hot. When I told Damon that they were going to be the hottest wings he's ever had, he asked if they had devil's sauce on them. I told him no but they were HOT. He decided to get them anyway. He loved them and keep saying, "I love this devil sauce!" He cracks me up!

"SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!"

2009-06-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

Trey is so excited to be out of school. He had a great graduation. I can't believe he will be in middle school next year. He is MR. POPULAR at school. The guys think he's cool and the girls think he's hot. Here he is with his "posse" at graduation. I might have to lock him in his room and never let him grow up. Time flies by......

Roses are red, violets are blue....

2009-06-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

who would have thought, I could grow something too! I kill everything. I've even killed a cactus. HOW is that possible? When we planted flowers and plants in April I had little hope they would survive. Not only did they live, but they have really grown and are just beautiful. Here are pics from April and June. My favorite are the red/yellow asian lilies.

"Mom, I'm still waiting for the bus!"

2009-06-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

I get a distraught phone call around noon from Carlos. "Mom, I'm still waiting for the bus!" You see my son has to go to summer school this year. Due to the times, we could not take him nor pick up him for school. Therefore, he had to ride the bus. My children DON'T ride the bus. Too many things can happen on there! The last time he wrote the bus was when he was in preschool. However, I figured there wouldn't be too many teenagers going to summer school. He got on the bus just fine this morning. Apparently, out of the 2 buses (Yes....just two buses) he didn't get on either one. I guess I failed to tell him the bus number but he didn't have enough sense to ask either driver where they were going. So he just stood there as the buses drove away. Was he waiting for someone to tell him which one it was? This isn't preschool anymore. As usual, Daniel's solution was for him to walk home. This wasn't an option as this was too far and too dangerous. Besides, if he can't figure out which of the two buses he needs to get on, there is no way he could figure out how to make it home. Since Daniel and I were both at work and couldn't get off, I was frantically calling anyone I knew that could help me. I finally was able to get in contact with a friend and ask her to load up her 4 young children and pick up my crazy teenager. (THANKS AMY B!!) Oh, the joys of being a mother of a teenager!!!! What will tomorrow bring...................

If you're friends jump off a cliff would you do it too?

2009-05-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I would...it would just take me a little longer. After reading all the blogs of family and friends for months and months, I decided I would take a stab at it. I'm not sure how successful I'll be since I don't spend alot of time on the computer outside work. 1o hours a day of computer time at work tends to detour me from getting on the web socially.

As the kids are getting ready for summer, I decided their homework during the break will be a little different. They will have to ready a book each week and give me an oral report by Friday. If the oral report doesn't work, I'll be forced to change it to a written essay! My children have never enjoyed reading so I'm not sure how well this will work out. I'll let you know.