The beautiful people

My almost "teenager". Before I couldn't get a picture without him. He was always jumping in

front of the camera. Now we have to threaten him to get in the picture. All of a sudden he's to old to be in pictures. Yet, when he grows up and looks back, he will be asking "where was I"?

He reminds me of Nick in this picture. I think he resembles my Dad and Nick alot. Larry says all he sees is Luna.

Is that good or bad?? hahaha

Josh says he had the best christmas ever. Grandma got him a cell phone. That was the most favorite, then he got a shuffle, the Naruto

game he had been asking for. Aunt Tara got him some Heelys. He's only fallen a few times. He made out like a bandit this year. Hope he stays off the naughty list for next time.

Here is Sam back in October. I walked into his room as he was giving his Monito(action figure) shots. Why he was giving it shots, I dont know. I have to assume it's a boy thing. Look at the concentration on his face. Poor Monito. I will have to say, when Sam gets shots, he takes it like a trooper. He doesn't cry at all. Last time he got one on each leg. No tears. Although he didn't have a kind look for the nurse.

His next step...torture animals. haha Nah, he's too kind hearted.

What happened?!!

I have totally ignored this blog. Sorry, to all the people who come visit this blog but DON'T leave a comment. (Noel) I love you all and will try to do better. (don't hold your breath, haha)

I will leave you with a picture of this lovely creature.

Update: See I'm doing better already. Feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise I may post a not so flattering picture of you all.

Not a threat...a promise.

My other children

My Mollygirl...

I thought to myself one day, one day I wouldn't have a little one following me around every second of the day. One day I could go to the bathroom--alone. One day I will not have to pick up toys from every corner of the house.

NOPE!!! Molly follows me everywhere. If I go to the kitchen, so does she. If I go to the bathroom she is following me in. She loves car rides. I take her with me to drop off and pick up Sam from school. I am constantly picking up her toys. She leaves them all over the house. She barks if someone is at the door. Good. But she keeps on barking even if I let them in. Bad. She has made Teddy a more social dog. I actually caught Teddy playing with her toy the other night. She's very smart. She likes to eat anything. In all she's a good dog. I'm glad she's mine.

Here's my other Old Man. Every year as soon as the tree goes up, there is Kiki. He likes to sleep under the tree. When I was taking out the stuff to put up the tree. I noticed cat hair all over the tree skirt from last year. He looks so cute under there. He's a good kitty. He doesn't chew or tear up the paper. He doesn't mess with the ornaments. He even stayed when the train was going around him.

My christmas wish is that Kiki live FOREVER.

Go Stars!!!

I'm not a football, basketball or baseball fan but hockey I like. I started watching this sport because of Randy. That was the year we won the Stanley cup. Then for a couple of years I didn't watch it. I'm not a fanatic about hockey. I only watch the Dallas Stars but I really really like it.

My friend Jean has season tickets. She has got some kick ass seats. Right up next to the ice. Being her lovely nice self, she invites me from time to time. We have a really good time. I'm always amazed at the skill of the players. How the goalie sees this little puck coming at him so fast is beyond me. I guess that's why they get paid the big bucks. Watching the players skate around makes me tired, as I sit there eating my nachos. haha
Here I am with my friends. From the left. Jean, Dottie, Allison and yours truly. The picture up top are some of my other favorite friends, Modano and Turco.

Beauty and the beast

Hahaha. I love you Andy. I'm proud of the man you have become. I'm especially happy that you're a dad. Now we get to hear of all the things that your baby will do that makes you want to jump off a bridge.

In order to get along better with your baby here is something to always remember.

Toddler Property Laws

If I want it, it's mine.
If it's in my hand, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
If we are building something together, all of the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
If I think it's mine, it's mine.
If I give it to you, and change my mind later, it's mine.
Once it's mine it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what.

May we never forget...

I never understood people when they would say "I remember that moment exactly". People talk about being in a certain place, doing a certain thing when events such as the president being shot or a favorite celebrity dieing happens.

I now know. I will forever have Sept. 11 engrained in my mind. Forever in my memories.

I was 5 months pregnant. I had shuffled everyone out the door. Larry was heading to work after he dropped Josh off at school. Danny was on the bus already. I was getting ready for some peace and quiet. The phone rang and it was Larry asking me if I was watching the news. I turned the tv on and they were showing the smoke coming from the first tower. The newscast people on the Today show kept wondering what had happened. What could have possible gone wrong that this plane would accidently fly into a building.

Larry had said he was listening to the radio. One of the guys on the radio made the comment of "are we being attacked"? At this point no one knew anything. I kept watching in horror and despair thinking about the people in the building.

I sat there mesmorized to the tv. I prayed for the people in the planes and in the building. I wondered for a moment, why did I get pregnant, what kind of world would I be bringing this baby into?

Larry came home from work and we sat and watched tv all night. Not having much to say.

The next few days were eerie. We live under a flight path to a small airport. All planes had been grounded and it was so quiet. A noise we had gotten use to and complained about was gone.

I will also never forget because that is the reason Randy missed the first year of his daughters life. The reason so many prayers went out for him. The reason we know what the sacrifice of a soldier really is.

I will never forget.

http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm

Oscar 1971-2007

My first love.

The father of my son.

I can't post anything right now. I still feel such a great sense of loss. I feel heaviness in my heart everytime I see Danny.

I will add to this post at a later date.

Little Paul

Isn't he the cutest!!?

This is my nephews baby. He is a year old. Has the sweetest personality. I choose to not believe people when they tell me this angel has a temper. He looks exactly like his daddy. I choose to not believe that he acts like him too. Everyone loves on him all the time. I hear he is a little spoiled...but that's okay. That's why its good to be family and not the parents. You can give them back at the end of the day. haha

I miss not being back home to see him and baby Abby growing up. I feel mature (never old) knowing my kids are not the little kids anymore. I feel all grown up knowing my nephew is a father. I hope Paul knows how lucky he is. I hope he knows that being a dad will be tough, having a little one under foot is bothersome at times and knowing that this babys happiness is dependant on him is pressure. I want Paul to know this too shall pass. He won't be a baby for long. It sounds so cliche to say "they grow up real fast" but it's true. They really do. I use to clean your behind....

I feel blessed. More family equals more love. And there's always more than enough love to go around.

The little boy in the red shirt on the left is daddy. It's like looking at twins.

The boy in the tonka truck shirt. Some kid who had to jump in front of the camera. Haha. That's my brother Andy. That's a whole other story with embarrasing pictures for later.

Me and my people

Here I am with my friends Jean and Mary. We went out for mine and Jeans birthdays. We ended up at Main Event for some bowling and arcade games.

I'll spare you all the details but I suck at bowling. I really do. I won the first game and by the final game, came in last. Maybe it was the two double shots of crown and coke. Nah, I'll blame it on the lane. It hooked to the left right about a foot in front of the pins. It was a bad lane. Yeah, that's it.

After bowling we went to play video games. I rule at ice hockey. Or maybe it was just luck! This picture was the best of maybe 8. We squeezed ourselves into those tiny photo booths. The first 4 pictures I came out with the same expression because I was laughing the whole time.(remember,crown and coke)I had to fit my tiny bottom on Jean and Marys lap, while trying to be up high enough for the camera. But, this is us, in all our glory. heehee

Here's to being 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Felisa, the baby

Smiling because your my sister, laughing because you can't do anything about it!!!!

I don't know how old you are here. I know that is our cousin Danny and sister Veronica next to you.

The back of the picture says,

"Here she is getting mad because she wants to get down. Or maybe because she wants to come out on the picture by herself".

I LOVE YOU

The talent doesn't stop here..

Everytime I see this picture it reminds me of myself. Scary, yeah, I agree. I remember being just like Josh in front of a camera. No one could get just a regular smile from me.

This picture was taken when we went camping May of 2006.

We also tried to get Sam to cross his eyes. Poor guy he can't do it yet. He thinks he's doing it.

I admit to having this talent. It's a good one when you're trying to make the kids laugh. Larry on the other hand can't do it. He says we're the abnormal ones. We're the freaks. Secretly I know he wishes he could. haha


Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons. ~Author Unknown

I will also admit to teaching the kids some if not most of their bad habits. Not eating right when Larry is out of town. Shhh, don't tell him but last night for dinner we had ice cream cake. There's milk in ice cream, right?! I've heard Sam tell the other drivers on the road to hurry up or get out of the way. Everyone knows how patient I am when it comes to driving. (wink-wink) I think those are my worst habits but I'm sure Larry could and would tell you more.

If boys marry women who are like their mothers, I feel sorry for my boys. heehee

Time Flies

Well this summer is not what I expected it to be. It's had it ups and down. I am going to update this blog a little more frequently now but it may not be in order. Some of my pictures and memories are mixed up so as I find them I will post them.

Here is a fun picture of my "Hercules". Having Noel staying here was fun and very tiring. He has more energy than all my kids put together. The kids loved having him here. Sam is so aggressive now. He loves to jump, kick and punch Noel anytime he gets near him. He punches Noel on the chest as hard as he can. He tries to bully him. It's really funny to watch. As soon as Noel lays on the floor Sam tries all his wrestling moves on him. Josh liked going to the rec with Noel. They tried to play basketball like they were on the dream team. haha

Larry was astonished day after day as to how much Noel could eat. To bad Noel is not related to someone who owns a cattle farm. Beef..it's what's for dinner, and lunch, and snack and breakfast. The chick-fil-a cows do not like Noel. We're hoping he marries a woman who likes to cook.

Me, I liked playing Mom to him. He reminds me alot of his mama.

God blessed her when he gave her Noel.

Happy Fourth of July

God Bless America

God bless America. Land that I love.Stand beside her, and guide her,Through the night with the light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,To the ocean, white with foam.God bless America! My home, sweet home,God bless America! My home, sweet home.
-------------------------------------------------

Here are a couple of pictures I took when we went to the Ft. Worth Cats game. They had a firework display on that day. The baseball team lost but the kids enjoyed the fireworks. Josh is starting to not mind the loud boom that the fireworks make. He still does cover his ears at the end when the finale of fireworks is going on. It's cute to hear all the ooh's and aahh's they make. I remember doing the same thing as a kid. Sam stays pretty quite, just watching all the bursts of colors. We don't do much to celebrate the fourth. We don't go to the parade. It's so crowded down- town. It's usually to hot, this year it rained. We don't do the big cookout. That's where I do miss having my family around. One day. I tell Larry one day when all our kids our grown with their own kids, our house will be full of love.

I'm in heaven..

Or maybe this is as close as I'll ever get. Haha, just kidding Tita.

This picture was taken out of the window over Cleveland. It's neat to see the city down below. I could barely make out a car and the trees look like bushes.

Not sure if I like riding in planes. Sigh. There goes any chances of me being a celebrity. First plane left from DFW to Ohio, second plane left from Ohio to New York. Coming home same thing. I don't like the feeling of the plane as it takes off, going up in the air. Just one of the reasons I don't ride roller coasters. I really didn't like when the pilot would turn the plane. A couple of times there, I thought the pilot might have fallen asleep and no one was flying the plane. When you near your destination the pilot slows down and pulls the plane down to lower the altitude. When the plane slows down(in midair) it feels like its going to stop all of a sudden. It's just for a few seconds but still! The engines don't sound as loud and you kinda feel like your falling because the plane is lowering.

Once you're in the air it's okay(besides any turns). It was for the most part a smooth ride. On one of the rides back home we went thru a lot of clouds. I couldn't see anything out the window. Larry laughed at me because I told him, "if I can't see anything out the window, neither can my pilot". I learned that it's better if you can withhold going to the bathroom, do it. It's as big as a stand alone shower. You could sit on the potty and touch the sink at the same time. And it just looks and smells DIRTY. Ughhh!! Larry laughed at me when I said I had to go to the bathroom because he knows what a germaphobe I can be sometimes.

Oh, and planes aren't like the ones you see in the movies. They're really small on the inside. No elbow room. You pretty much have to stay in one position. Thank goodness it was Larry next to me and I could take up some of his space.heehee

Being on top of the clouds is cool. I took lots of pictures because I knew Sam would get a kick out of them. Although always in the back of my mind I did tell myself, it's a looong way down if this plane goes down. I'm like my Mom, always thinking the worst.

Yes, I would get on a plane again, especially if it means vacation. Like they always say, you are more likely to die in a car accident than from an airplane going down. Next time I'll just have a few drinks before I go.

Miss. Ally

Here's the grandbaby. She looks like me, doesn't
she?! Okay, well maybe not exactly but I see a resemblance.

She is 19 months old now. Walking, talking and just a little bit of attitude. She speaks really well for her age. She warmed up to us pretty fast. She seems really sweet but I guess Amyee could tell me more of her true personality.hehe

She calls me Nana (like banana) and she calls Larry (sounds like) PawPaw. We can't wait till she moves to Texas. Although I think Sam will have a problem with it. He will not like some toddler slobbering on his trains and cars. I do think that he and Josh will like being called Uncle Josh and Uncle Sam.


Grandchildren don't make a woman feel old; it's being married to a grandfather that bothers her.

Hahaha,Love you Hon.

Coming Home

The ceremony was short and sweet. The families were waiting(not so) patiently. The Army song was played. We saluted the flag, some words were said and a prayer was given. We had a hard time spotting Randy. All the soldiers look alike.hehe Amyee could hardly contain herself when she finally saw him.

I hope being there for Randy will show him that Larry and I will always support him. The moment was filled with pride and relief.

All glory given to God for answering our prayers. Thanks, to all the friends and family who helped pray for Randy's safe return.

M.I.A

I haven't forgotten about posting pictures of Randy and my trip to New York. Danny has my camera right now. I'm also trying to figure out how to set up a slide photo on my blog. I'm hoping it doesn't slow those with dial up too much.

You just might be a redneck....

My children are going to be mean to me when or if I get old. They are going to point these pictures out to me and extract their revenge. Tita, tell Noel to not let the kids hurt me. Hahaha

Josh was 7 years old in this picture. He was loosing teeth left and right. He's so cute here. He still had that little boy look. Now it's all about his girlfriend, his xbox, torturing his little brother and his friends. Sigh.

Cathead

I don't know who is more comfortable in my bed, Sam or Kiki. I would like to let my family (who has heard me complain numerous times) that Sam has slept in his own bed for 9 days now. WooHoo!!!! Now if we could only get Kiki to do the same.

There is no spot on our bed that Kiki hasn't slept in. His favorite spot is next to Larry's feet. In the winter he likes to sleep between me and Larry. It gets pretty crowded. Good thing we have a king size bed.

I'm hoping science will come up with a way to keep Kiki alive forever.....

My nephew, my pride

I made this card for Nick. He is involved in ROTC at his school. He will be going to bootcamp this summer. He is only 17 and will be joing the Army as soon as he can.


I hope he knows how proud I am. Nick is doing something for his future and whether he makes it or not, he tried.


People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. ~G.B. Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893

We should all take a lesson from Nick.
Love you Sweetie...

The Graduate

Here is Sam's picture on the big screen. Graduation day at Wee school was funny. All the 5 year olds who will be in kindergarten next school year had a small program.

Each of the four classes walked in and sat on stage. Then each class had a song to sing. After the song the microphone was passed to every child where they would say their name and what they wanted to be when they grow up. Kids are so cute. Some of their answers were so funny. There were lots of firemen, horse trainers, a ballerina, two trash men, vets, a chef, spongebob and a couple of moms.

Sam walked in with a shy but big smile on his face. He sat with his class on stage but squirmed around the whole time. Every time he saw us in the audience he would wave. He actually moved when he was singing the song. He has no dance skills, haha. When the microphone was passed to him he said "My name is Sam and I want to be Spiderman when I grow up".

There you have it, my son is going to be a hero. Now if he only learned to pick up after himself, feed himself and take a bath without fighting me about it, he will be my hero. Haha.

With Gods grace we will see him on stage again.

Turtle Power

Here are 3 of the 5 turtles we have in the tank. We started out with 3 turtles that Larry has had since he was a little boy. One came to us when my brother was living here in Ft. Worth. The turtle came knocking at his door and he brought it straight to us. Cecil, the smallest of them all, my Mom found and gave to Josh. So he comes from Seguin.


One of the oldest turtles died a year or so ago. We don't know why. My neighbor came knocking on my door one day. He had a turtle in his hand and asked if it was ours. (Obviously he would come to us first, right?) I told him yes, thinking we had a turtle trying to escape. I took it from him and put it back in the tank. Turns out it wasn't ours. What can I say, they all look alike!! So even though one died, it got replaced.

We have found other turtles but have had to sadly turn them away. We go turn them loose near the lake. 4 of our 5 turtles are skittish. As soon as someone walks outside they jump off the big rock into the water. One turtle doesn't seem to mind. I think it's because its gotten use to Sam being out there playing around the tank, throwing his toys in it and scooping water out to make mud.

Larry feeds them most anything. They eat frozen shrimp, frozen fish, turtle food and at one time dry dog food. I wish the kids weren't as picky about what they ate.

The rock you see in the picture is the one from Possum Kingdom. The one where Larry picked it up, a mouse came running out and I tried to run for the hills while knocking the kids over at the same time. We got it so all 5 turtles could fit on it. Can you see Rocky in the water? He's to the right of the rock. I can make out his body and tail.

Breckenridge Buckaroos

Grandpa and Sam. One of grandpas favorite things is to go watch his high school football team. When the team is close by the guys go watch them play. Sam loves these trips. He loves playing around on the bleachers, eating candy and being with his Grandpa.

I hope Sam is old enough to have these moments as memories.

Letting Rocky go...

Sam named his catfish Rocky. We decided to let Rocky go because Sam was getting attached. Every morning he would get up and go check on Rocky. Larry wanted filets but I think Sam would have been traumatized. Yes, I know its a fact of life but I don't think Sam is ready.

Here we are at a subdivision off of Eagle Mountain Lake. Sam was a little quiet on the ride home but I told him Rocky would find new fish friends and he would be okay.

Long Live Rocky!!!!!!

Blast from the past

This picture was taken on April 2, 2002. It was Sams first Easter. Sam was a few days shy of 3 months and Josh was 6 years old.

Sam saw this picture and started laughing because he said Josh was wearing his shirt. He obviously doesn't know what hand-me-downs are. Sam is holding Rudy. Grandpa Luna gave him this rabbit for his first Easter. He still has this rabbit. The blanket behind them is from Tia Tita. He also still has this "blankie".

Seeing this picture makes me happy and sad. I want to find this big bubble where my kids can live with no harm. But I am happy to see them growing, happy and healthy.


Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Teacher Appreciation

I made this frame for one of Sams teachers. The frog paper is from the Basic Grey collection, of course. The blue sheet is just a regular sheet of background paper. I got the wooden frame from Michaels. I had it sitting around in the closet for awhile. I used crystal effects to get the beads on. That stuff works good. The "little man" is a clear sticker. The verse in the middle says "I always thank God for you". I knew Ms. Paula had a baby boy and thought she would enjoy this. She sent me and Sam the sweetest thank you card. So I guess she liked it.

The frame on the right was made for Ms. Tiffany. I used the Stampin Up recollections designer paper. I used terrifically tacky tape to adhere the ribbon. Used mod podge to stick the paper on the frame, let it dry and then put another layer of mod podge on top. Easy peasy.

Score: Sam 2-0.....Larry 0-0

Alright!!! Sam does it again. The guys went out to Mineral Wells lake. Sam caught a fish, Larry and Jose did not. heehee

The catfish is two feet long and probably weighs about 4 pounds. Sam was holding the pole when the fish bit. Larry made sure the fish was hooked and then handed the pole back to Sam. Then Sam struggled and reeled it, struggled and reeled some more till he pulled it up to the top of the water. There was no way he could have pulled it in the boat, it was heavy and the fish was fighting. Larry got the net when the catfish was at the top of the water and scooped it up. Sams first words were "I got a BIG fish". Then his next words Larry says he will never forget. Sam apologized. He said "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I caught a fish and you didn't catch one". Larry isn't sure if Sam was truly apologizing or just rubbing it in his face.hahaha

Right now the catfish is in the turtle tank. He seems to be doing okay. The plan is for Larry and Sam to let it go at Eagle Mountain Lake(it's near us). That way everytime we go on the bridge over the lake Sam will know his fish is in there. I think it's something he will always remember. Better luck next time Dad!!!!

Pastor Josh

Here's Josh in the church at Clarke Gardens in Mineral Wells, Texas. I hope when the kids look back at the pictures I made them pose for they remember me as being fun not annoying.haha


Pray for peace, Josh. And lower gas prices.

Smiley

This is Smiley. He is a Pacu.


He is about 5 years old. He is 18 inches long and weighs between 5 and 8 lbs. He likes to eat grapes, fish food and most of all sweet potato. This picture was taken in 2005 so he's even a little bigger now. He lives in our 100 gallon tank. He barely has enough room to turn around. When Larry does a water change Smiley likes to get under the hose so that the water runs down his head. He will eat out of Larrys hand. He's not aggressive with the other fish. He doesn't like when people get up close to the aquarium.

It's always funny to see the reactions from guests when they see Smiley. They range from "look at that huge fish, what kind of fish is that, that's the biggest fish I've ever seen and what do you feed that thing?"


The picture on the right was taken at the aquarium in Dallas, Tx. These are also Pacus'. These fish range in age of 25 to 30 years old and weigh about 40 lbs. Smiley is a lightweight compared to these two.

Here are some Pacu facts: They come from several different species from South America freshwater ponds and lakes. Pacu fish are very closely related to the piranha fish as well. Most Pacu fish are herbivores and some even eat insects, left over meat from fishing lures, and often times whatever they can sink their teeth into making these creatures very easy to care for. The pacu fish teeth actually look a lot like human teeth which allow them to break apart their food that often times floats above the surface of the water. http://pacufish.org/

There is always time for a cat nap

Brothers or friends. Even they don't know. Kiki bullies Frisky like a brother but then gives him a bath everytime he comes in. Frisky tolerates Kiki but doesn't seem to care that he can go out of the yard and Kiki can't. I remember the day I brought Kiki home. Larry thought I was crazy. Well, who is Kiki's favorite? Larry. Kiki likes to sleep ON Larry, groom Larry's hair and take over the bed on his side.Then when Larry leaves to work, he does the same thing to Sam. Frisky has Josh twisted around his paw. There is nothing Josh won't do for that cat. Awhile back I had the opportunity to point it out to Josh. I asked Josh to go do something. I come back a few minutes later and he's still sitting in the same spot. Then Frisky goes up to Josh and meows, Josh shot out of his chair like he was on fire to go do what Frisky wanted(go outside,be fed). I pointed out to Josh what he did and he actually understood and was a little ashamed. At least I hope so. At 2 a.m. this morning I had to calm Josh down because Frisky wasn't in the house during the bad storm we were having at the time. I walked into his room and heard him praying for Frisk. So I put on my shoes, got the umbrella and went outside calling for the cat. Sure enough he comes running in.

Which reminds me of the quote "To a dog you're family, to a cat you're staff".

These cats can be annoying but I also have a soft spot for them. Larry laughs at the ritual I have before bed. I check if both cats are in. If not, I go outside calling for Frisky to come home. We call it "getting the chicks in the henhouse". Then I make sure all doors are locked and turn on the nightlight. Only after that can I go to bed.

I like to know ALL my family is inside, safe and sound.

Happy Mothers Day

The Mother's Psalm

The Lord is my co-pilot, I shall not rush.
He maketh me to hit all the green traffic lights.
He leadeth me through shopping hassles.
He restoreth my composure.
He giveth me strength to make ends meet for my family's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of laundry, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Thy perspective and sense of humor, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me with the assistance of takeout.
Surely clutter and confusion shall follow me most of the days of my life, but I shall dwell in a happy home forever.
Amen.


Cased cards:Roses in winter

Happy birthday Dad

Here are some quotes that dad would have a laugh at.

Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. ~Maurice Chevalier

There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt. ~Author Unknown

There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age- I missed it

coming and going. ~J.B. Priestly

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now. ~Author Unknown

Age is a high price to pay for maturity. ~Tom Stoppard

By the time I have money to burn, my fire will have burnt out. ~Author Unknown

Dad, don't cringe because I put the pictures of you when you were 20 and the present. I can almost bet my kids will pay me back and do the same to me. They live for stuff like that.

I love you dad, I wish you many many many more birthdays. Tell Grandma I said "thanks" for having you. Take care of yourself. I need you around for a very long time, I'm not done growing up yet.

Feeling really sad..

My Tio Peno died last night. I have such fond memories of him. He was always so nice and funny. I remember living in Longview and playing at his house with my cousins. I saw him last a few years ago at another uncles funeral and he looked the same. A little older but exactly as I remembered him.

From what Dad tells me, Tio went peacefully. His friends and family around. He was ready.

May God grant us all peace and comfort.

Rest In Peace, Tio.

His obit reads: Federico Gutierrez

Mr. Gutierrez was born March 28, 1940 in Seguin and passed away on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at his residence in Teague with his family by his side. Mr. Gutierrez worked in construction. He was a very loving husband and father. He was very involved in the church no matter where he lived or worked. He also did ministry work at the prison. He touched many lives in one way or another. Mr. Gutierrez never met a stranger that he wouldn’t help. He was a very devoted Catholic and a very unselfish person, everyone else always came first even during his illness. He was very respected by many priests, deacons, ministers, bishops and cardinals from all religions. He just celebrated forty-five years of being a “Cursillo” member. He was named by The Holy Father Pope Paul VI to be honored with the “Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice Medal” in 1973. This singular recognition is bestowed on individuals for dedication and zeal demonstrated in their loyalty to the Catholic Church and The Pope. Mr. Gutierrez has many certificates for all his work and devotion to the church.

Kindergarten Roundup

I tried to keep my eyes wide open as long as I could. But I blinked and Sam went from this itty bitty baby to a little boy who registered for kindergarten two weeks ago. Having him in preschool is fun because its only 2 times a week. The rest of the days I get to watch him play outside, make a mess out of his room and he likes to run errands with me. He keeps me company.

He's excited about going to Josh's school. He says he's a big boy now. He's very independant so he'll do just fine. It's me I'm worried about. I haven't had the house to myself in 17 years. What am I going to do? Start talking to the cats. Clean house...nah. My names not Martha Stewart. I could catch up on some reading. Something I enjoyed doing very much, pre-kids.

Come August, it will be a new chapter in mine and Sams life.