My Baby Girl Graduated Today!!

My baby girl graduated the 8th grade today. This is such a milestone for her. We have both really struggled the last year. As of February she wasn't going to graduate and was going to have to repeat the 8th grade. I put her in a new school in a new city and SHE DID IT!! She even graduated with a 3.5 GPA. This is one of the PROUDEST moments!! I am one PROUD momma.

                               CONGRATULATIONS BABY GIRL!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

HE HAS RISEN!

Happy Easter!

From my family to your's...

How Time Flies

Oh my! I haven't blogged in some time. Life has been crazy! Here's hoping I can get back to blogging often.

Outreach's...

As an Outreach Coordinator alot of time is spent communicating and working out the logistics. You develop friendships and outlooks you may not have had before. Here are a couple pictures of some great people I have met; been able to work with, and have developed friendships with... I am TRULY blessed to have been able to work with them all and look for more pictures to come of some more amazing people...

Paul Patu, Me, & Saul Patu
Two WONDERFUL men who have hearts of gold!
(Yes Saul is an ex_NFL & Arena football player)

Chad Brownstein, David Katina, Joe Onosai, Roy Yamamoto, Scott Sonada, Andy P.
Shon Kihewa (In front with the white shirt) & Derek

Joe Onosai, Me, David Katina, & Chad Brownstein

Me & Joe Onosai
(Yes Joe is an Ex-Dallas Cowboys football player)
An AMAZING man with a heart for Jesus

David Katina & I
(Yes David is "The Katina's" brother. David is a pastor)
Another AMAZING man with the love for Jesus

Keoki, Me, & Gavin
Two fantastic brothers in Christ

Chad Brownstein & I
Chad is an AMAZING Producer!!
An amazing guy all around. He has a GREAT gift & is SUCH a pleasure to work with.

Winter Family Pictures

A couple of weekends ago the kids and I went and had family pictures taken. What a fun two and a half hours it was. Here are a couple pictures from the photo shoot. A BIG "Thank You" to Day Ann Knight Photography!!!

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.
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A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.


The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.


The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.


The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.


'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'


So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.


There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.


Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.


When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.


Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.


The four-year-old watched it all in silence.


One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.


He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. The four-year-old smiled and went back to work..'


The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.


That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.


For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,
neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.


On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.


I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.


I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..'


I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.


I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you but, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.


I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.


I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about .I just did.

MS Walk & Relay for Life

Today we signed up for the MS Walk on Saturday November 6, 2010 at the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Gardens. We are a part of "Team Cupie Cakes". I am so proud to be walking and helping raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and I can't wait until then. The kids and I will have TONS of fun.  

I am also working on getting a team together for "Relay for Life". Another great cause that needs our involvement. Stay tuned for more updates on both causes...

Another Class Completed... And Another One Begins...

Last night was the completion of another class. I'm really struggling with school. It is not an easy thing to do, being a single mother and working fulltime. I passed this class with a "C". Not well at all but I passed. Each class from here on out get's harder than the one before.

Tonight began the new class. This one is a 4 week class. Here is hoping that this class goes better than the last...

The Joys of Having Boys....

Oh the joys of having boys... On Friday night poor Kenneth broke his collar bone. He snapped it right in half. He was playing tackle football with some of the neighborhood kids and lost his footing when he went he caught the ball. One kid pushed another one of the kids and she fell right on top of him and her head hit his collar bone just right. He is doing pretty good. He wants to use the arm and then cries when he does. He does have to see an orthopedic surgeon to see if surgery will be needed to repair it or if they will just keep it in the sling and let it heal. No sports for now...

Medical Law & Bioethics Done...

Medical Law & Bioethics FINISHED!! Woo-Hoo!!! Passed this class with an "A". It was a pretty tough class (and another 4 day class at that) but I managed to get through it. Bring on the next class... 

Another Class Down...

And yet another class is finished with another "B"... I am hoping this next class I can get all my homework done and get an "A"..

~ Welcome August ~

Wow! I can't believe August is already here. Where has this year gone? Well the kids start school in 8 days. My babies are growing up so fast. I cannot believe Kimberly will be in 8th, Kenneth 7th, Dillon 5th, Kaylee 2nd, and little Miss Alexandra will have a home tutor until there is an opening in the local pre-school. Gosh how the time flies.

Football Season Rapidly Approaching...

Can't wait for the football season to start again... I had to break out all of my t-shirts again... Yes almost every t-shirt I own is ASU...

Random Quote...

"Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it... Because nobody else will... Like when someone comes into your life and half of you says you're no where near ready but the other half says make her your's forever..."




Often times I hear quotes that really hit home, that have a special meaning, or that I just really like... I ran across this one today as I was watching the movie "Remember Me".. (What an awesome movie).


 As a good friend would tell me "You and your movies".... Lol

Pictures... Pictures... Pictures

My good friend Brandi is working on her photography skills so I became the subject of the day. I am not a big fan of my picture being taken but I agreed... So here are a few pictures from today...

Each Day is a Blessing...

Many do not realize that every day I wake up, it is a miracle that I am still alive. Most do not know how sick I am and have been, and actually how lucky I am to still be alive... I have survived 2 heart attacks, 2 mini-strokes, cervical cancer, sepsis, and so much more... I continue to battle each day for my life with failing kidneys and a recent diagnosis of vaginal wall cancer... (The vaginal wall cancer was all surgically removed and I am currently at a wait and see step to see if it returns. If the next check up shows it has returned we will discuss further treatment options.) 
A few days ago I was released from another 7 day hospital stay but during my stay 4 of my kids were brought up to visit me... I normally do not allow the kids to visit me while I am in the hospital (I do not like for them to see me so sick and hooked up to all kinds of machines) but we all really missed each other so I gave in...

During their visit these 2 pictures were taken...

Kimberly, Me, Alexandra, Dillon, and Kaylee (upfront of course...)

Kimberly and I

As one of my favorite quotes says, "Dream as if You'll Live Forever, Live as if You'll Die Today"...

I have so much more to see and do and accomplish before I can go but I try my best to live each day as if it were my last...

Happy 7th Birthday Kaylee Marie!!

I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by and want to know where the last 7 years have gone. 7 years ago today began a test of my faith, patience, and many emotions. When Kaylee was born (via c-section) she was so perfect and little but my instincts kept telling me something was seriously not right. She couldn't stay warm, couldn't breastfeed, was jaundice, and made a really weird grunting noise. I keep telling the doctor's there was something wrong with her and they kept arguing that there was nothing wrong with her that I was just being a paranoid over-protective mother. FINALLY when she was a couple of hours old and me starting to get irrate (not me) they put her in the nursery/NICU for observation and testing...
Within a couple of hours after tons of lab work and chest x-rays, I learned she was born with a collapsed lung. That was the last time I was able to hold my baby girl for several days.
On the morning of July 16th she had her very first Air-Evac (medical helicopter) ride over to Banner Desert Medical Center where she spent the next 2 weeks fighting for her life. Upon landing at Banner Desert and entering the NICU unit her 2nd lung collapsed and they almost lost her. She spent 6 very long and agonizing days on a ventilator. It was one hurdle after another.. I was hospitalized in 1 hospital (for having a c-section) and she was in another. My wonderful doctor actually gave me a 4 hour pass on Kaylee's 2nd day at Banner Desert so I could go and see her and be with her. I will never forget the 1st time I saw her on life support in the incubator; tubes everywhere, iv's, her little eyes covered. It ripped my heart out. My precious baby girl so fragile and fighting for her life. I was not able to hold her but I could touch her. I don't think I had ever cried that much in my life until I was wheeled into the NICU and seen her. It took me along time to get to her incubator, I was a complete wreck. At one point I was told to say my good-byes because she wasn't going to survive. I have never felt so helpless and scared in life... Just the thought of losing her sent me into a fit of tears. After 6 days on the life support and in a drug induced coma, doctors were finally able to wean her off and she then spent 4 days on nasal prong oxygen but again had difficulty when they would try and wean her off. At 2 weeks old she was FINALLY able to come home.
A couple months later I almost lost her again but this time to RSV, where she spent another 4 days in the hospital.
At 11 months old she was diagnosed with a hemangeoma tumor on her nose right between her eyes. Unfortunately her's was on the inside of the skin and I was told she would require surgery to remove it. After 3 month visits for over a year, the pediatric facial/plastic surgeon said that she did not require the surgery as her body ended up absorbing the tumor. The bad part of the tumor was it weakened her eyes, which did require eye surgery to repair the weakened eye muscles.
With everything being said, Kaylee is and has been in GREAT health since her eye surgery in 2005 besides the normal colds and flu's.
I couldn't ask for a better daughter and wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. She is only 7 but she thinks she is 18. Lol (The joys of raising daughter's) I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for her as she begins 2nd grade and the next chapter in her life.

Happy 7th Birthday Kaylee Marie!!

Happy 10th Birthday Dillon Anthony!

(Okay so I am a day late in posting but hey I'm here doing it now...)

So 10 years ago, my sweet, not so little boy anymore, was born. What an event that was. His actual due date was to be, July 4, 2000. I checked in to Thunderbird Samaritan Medical Center (Known as Banner Thunderbird now) in the afternoon time as instructed to prepare for my c-section. (I was getting an early start since surgery was going to be so early on the 4th.) When they went to do the amniocentesis, there was no fluid which meant that it was time for an immediate c-section. Within one and a half hours little Dillon was born. Every year Dillon reminds me that his birthday was "supposed" to be on the 4th of July and not the 3rd. It is so amazing to see the changes Dillon has made in the last 10 years... As an infant he cried all the time unless he was held and we could not go out to eat in restaurants as he cried the entire time. It didn't matter if we fed him right before we left or while we were there. At exactly six weeks old we almost lost him to a fever of 104 but thankfully to the quick action of doctors and Phoenix Children's Hospital he survived. As he has grown he is quite the little gentleman.... He loves to play baseball and does so well at it, he loves to read "Diary of  a Wimpy Kid" books, playing Nintendo DS, PSP's, and all of his other electronic video game systems. He is such an awesome son and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings for him.

Happy 10th Birthday Dillon Anthony!!!

Extended Family...

I decided to go get Kamiah (one of my many cousin's) to come and spend a couple days with the kids and I. What a fun couple days we had. Kamiah is 2 and was such a joy to have. We can't wait until she is ready to come again.

Here is Kamiah napping. The kids wore her out. She decided she was more comfortable pushing down the sofa cushion and laying on it. Silly girl.

Here is a picture of Kamiah and I before I took her back home. I was so sad to see her go but there will be many more visits.

  

One class down... Many more to go

Well I completed my first class with a "B". I'm not too happy with myself but it is a "B" after all. Everyone has told me I am being to hard on myself, so I guess maybe I am...
I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be for me to go back to school being a single mother who works fulltime, now attends college fulltime, and still trying to find the time for some fun and stress relief in between it all. The next 8 1/2 months are going to have their ups and downs but the reward in the end is worth it all...