The Organizer

While Soaring Amongst The Clouds and I were running around getting much needed supplies for my Warrior, the rest of my children were home. Daughter of the King was cleaning the pool pump. She's been diligent with trying to keep the pool in swimming conditions. She also ironed some of my Knight's work shirts. G.I. Joe was doing his school work. The Warrior was resting on the couch. Still Waters was busy. What was she busy with... organizing my pantry. Did I ask her to do this? No, she noticed it needed to be done and did it.

Being that we are a, ah... larger family, our children take turns with house chores, kitchen duty and with pool/outside maintenance. When you have kitchen duty, you are in charge of everything in the kitchen. You are the one that plans the menu, does the grocery list, helps do the grocery shopping, do the cooking and keep the kitchen clean. The pantry is a "high traffic" area. It's not easy to keep it in order.


For now, only the girls have kitchen duty. The boys help at times, but for the most part the girls are in charge of the kitchen. Oh, the boys are in charge of vacuuming the kitchen though. This is Still Water's week to have kitchen duty. She has wonderful organization skills. So while I was gone, she took it upon herself to organize the pantry. It needed it.


Here's the end result. You see, being OCD "can" be a good thing. Just joking Baby Girl! You did a PHENOMENAL job! You ROCK! Now we can find the twinkies at a glance. ;o)

All Is Not Well

My Warrior has been ill since Friday. He started to complain of a headache. Well, he really didn't complain. I happened to looked at him and he was silently crying cause his head hurt so much. Took his temp and it was 102.9.

Off to the tub he went to bring the fever down. He had no other symptoms other than a headache. So I gave him some motrin. Throughout the day I kept a cold compress on the top of his head. I got up a couple times during the night to make sure he didn't spike a fever. He didn't.

He spent all day Saturday with a headache and a low grade fever 101+. Oh along came a belly ache. My poor Baby.

Sunday morning, not only did he have head ache and a belly ache but he had diarrhea to go along with it. Time to stop the motrin (too strong for the belly). Charcoal capsules does wonders on belly aches. So that's what I gave him. His belly ached all day and made a couple of trips to the bathroom because of the big "D". He had a temp on and off through out the day. His head started to feel better.

Monday morning started up with him vomiting and the head ache was back. Poor thing. Now not only did he have a temp, a head ache, a belly ache and the big "D", the "V" came into the picture. I spent the day running back and forth with him.

Last night I had him sleep in the living room. We have a nice futon bed in there. I slept on the family room couch. I can hear him better from there. Our bedroom is to far away. I kept getting up throughout the night. Making sure the cold compress stayed cold and on his head. He slept soundly. Thank you Lord.

My Warrior is a remarkable 10 year old. Through all he's been through and is going through he faintly smiles. On more than one occasion, he's looked at me and said, "Mom, thank you for taking good care of me." Be still my heart...

He's been sick with this virus for 5 days now. There is no sign of him getting better. Lord, I know that no prayer is too small or unimportant. Please heal my Baby.

Do more...

Do more than exist
...live.

Do more than touch
...feel.

Do more than look
...observe.

Do more than read
...absorb.

Do more than hear
...listen.

Do more than think
...ponder.

Do more than talk
...say something.

~John H. Rhoades~

8 Things About Me

I was tagged by Dolce Bellezza to do the, 8 Things About Me meme. Not that I like to talk about myself, but I liked being tagged. Why? That means that she wants to get to know me better. I enjoy getting to know people. I might not ever meet them in person, but we will meet once we get to Heaven.

Here how this works:
1-Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.

2- People who are tagged, write a blog spot about their own 8 random things, and post these rules.

3- At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names.

4- Don't forget to leave a comment and tell them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Now, with all that being said, here are 8 Things about me...

1~ I fascinated by the Italian language. Always have been. I think is sounds so romantic. I'm trying to learn it. My goal is to speak it fluently. I hope to purchase the Rossetta Stone: Language Learning cd's. Since it's so expensive, I will have to use whatever our library has and Alta Vista- Bable Fish Translation online as a resource.

2~ I enjoy traveling. Out of all the place I've been to, Italy was my favorite. Hope to someday visit it again.

3~ Steak & mashed potatoes and Lasagne are my favorite food to eat.

4~ If my Knight has to umpire a baseball game, I go watch him ump. Even if my children don't have games. I love to see him in his umpire gear. Like the saying goes, " I hate to see him go, but love to watch him leave." ;o)

5~ My children say I am predictably unpredictable. I take that as a compliment. :o) I'm spontaneous. I'll wake up and say, "We are going to.... today."

6~ I collect teacups. I don't like any kind of tea, but I love the art of having tea. So when we "have tea", I'll fill my teacup with coke, lemonade or pink lemonade.

7~ The only vegetables I eat are, potatoes, corn, lettuce, spinach (only in a salad or in a quiche) and tomatoes. I only like carrots if it's in chicken soup or if it's raw with some kind of dip. I know tomatoes are considered a fruit, but I have to list it as a vegetable so my list "vegetable like list" doesn't look small.

8~ Whenever I hear a song I like, I quickly jot down a verse from the song. Even if I'm driving. I then look it up online to see what the name is and who sings it. Music moves me. Not just physically, but emotionally.

I would enjoy tagging all of you. Since it's an 8 person meme, I can only tag 8. Let's see, who shall I tag? I'll tag 8 of the blogs I most frequently visit. My list is in no particular order. :o)

The Gate Keeper

Christine at: Are We There Yet?

Robin at: Around The Island

Boltbabe at: Raise The Cup

Rock Chick at: Life is RANTastic!

JAM at: Least Significant Bits

Emily at: Emily's 5 Blessings

Kate at: Just Another Day In Paradise

Armed Forces Day

Yesterday, Saturday, May19, 2007 was Armed Forces Day. Patriotic holidays are very important in our family. We know that freedom is not free. It's bought with sacrifice and blood.

Today in honor of our soldiers we watched, We Were Soldiers. My Knight and I have seen this movie a couple of times. My Knight has even read the book. I haven't read it, but I dusted it off and will start to read it. Our Fair Maidens have seen it before too. This was the first time we allowed our Squires to watch it.


As we were watching it, we made sure they understood what was going on. How we, the Americans came to be there. We talked about how some Americans did not want our soldiers there. How there were protests all around. How some soldiers came home and weren't welcomed back. We talked about how hard it was for them to do the job they had to do and come home to be hated for it.

My Warrior sat next to me. He sat there silently, with tears rolling down his cheeks. I too was crying. We were all silently thinking the same thing. How can man be so cruel? Why does man want to govern and rule over others? What gives man the right to elevate themselves and crush those beneath them?

My dad is Cuban. He came to the United States right when Castro was taking over Cuba. He came here legally, in search of a better way of life, in search of freedom. Freedom he didn't have in Cuba. I was born and raised here, in the United States. So I've lived in the land of the free all my life. I never had to endure what my dad had to endure. But I've heard him tell the stories. Not only have I heard him tell the stories. I've heard stories from my Abuelo Manolo (my grandfather), my Abuela Eugenia (my grandmother), my in law, my uncle, other family members and family friends.

We Americans take so much for granted. We have forgotten how we became the land of the free. It's because of the brave ones. The ones that stood their ground. The courageous ones that have fought and died so that we could be free. The valiant ones that lay their live on the line today, so that we can sleep soundly in our beds at homes. Because of their sacrifice, we are free to do and say. Every time I think about this, I'm filled with gratefulness and sadness. Grateful because, I feel unworthy. Sadness because others think nothing of it. My heart is heavy.

If you haven't seen the movie, We We Soldiers, take the time to see it. It has language and it's graphic. It will tug at your heart. Then take the time to see the documentary. You will get to hear from the actual Lt. Colonel Hal Moore, his wife- Julie Moore, Joe Galloway- the photographer (and author of the book this movie was based on) and Major Bruce "Snake" Crandall- one of the helicopter pilots. You'll hear first account of what went on. How the wives dealt with what happened. You will see actual footage from 1965, what happened in The Valley of Death- the landing zone X-Ray.

Lord, I want to thank you for your unconditional love, for your mercy and grace. I pray that you watch over our soldiers and over their loving families. Bless them ten folds. Help them to do what needs to be done. To help those that aren't able help themselves. Bring them back safely to their beloved.

Best Children In The World!

Yep, I've got the best children in the world. As I'm writing this, four of them are outside, weeding, raking and working around our pool area. The other one is inside in the kitchen getting ready to start dinner.

They are all doing this without being told to. I didn't suggest it. I haven't talked about it. I haven't complained about how it looks. They took it upon themselves to get out there and do what needed to be done.

I enjoy gardening. I find it very relaxing to be outside, messing with soil, planting and uprooting. I just can't do it. Being that I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE for short), I can't be out in the sun much or do anything that stresses me out.

Soaring Amongst The Clouds, Still Waters, G.I. Joe and The Warrior are all busy working outside. We don't like to use mulch. Mainly because roaches love it. Instead we use dried up dead grass. It does the same work that mulch does, it helps keep the plants moist. Also, it helps to prevent weed from growing. Still Waters is the one that read up on it. I know it doesn't look real nice right now, but once we plant some more, it will look much nicer.

Coming out of our pool patio to the right is this small area. Right now we only have a lavender plant. We are going to add some other herbs to this area. It's an accessible area. Our barbecue grill is on the inside pool patio. Our pool patio door leads to the family room/kitchen area.


These are our gardenias. It's one of my favorite flowers. My Abuelo Manolo ( my dad's dad) use to grow them. I remember their home always had the scent of gardenias. Sometimes on their dinning table, they would have a bowl filled with water, with gardenias floating in the bowl. It looked so pretty and smelled great. We plan on adding some other flowers too. It has to be low maintenance. We are a very busy family.

Daughter of the King is busy inside. She is cooking. She's making Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes with Oregano and Lemon.

Here we have the zucchini and tomatoes. She didn't make lots of it cause she wasn't sure if the others were going to like it or not.


Here we have the grilled chicken. She seasoned it with oregano, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I'll post an update later on.

* Update: The meal was a hit. Well at least with my Knight. He's a vegetable lover. I'm not a vegetable lover. The tomatoes were great, but I don't care for zucchini. None of our children (including the chef) liked the vegetables. Daughter of the King did a great job cooking. The chicken was delish! The veggies... ah... well... we aren't too into veggies.

Great job Baby Girl! We'll find a veggie we all like other than potatoes and corn. ;o)

The Warrior...

...smacked the ball and hit a line drive down between 1st and 2nd base. He was safe on first. What's the big deal? Well let me tell you... he's a 10 year old, who hit the ball off a little league age 12 year old who turned 13 during the season! HOOYAH!!!



This was his second hit off of Big Al. Mama was on cloud 9. Considering that my throat was not up to all the hollering because of the procedure I had done on Monday, I still belted out my usual, YEAH BABY!!! My Warrior had the biggest grin. He looked right at me... I know he heard his mama.


One of our family motto's is "Hard Work, Pays Off". The other one is, "Max Out or Block Out". Yeah I know, we are a little hard core. :o)

To celebrate his hit, he chose to eat BK. So, off I go to get lunch....

Slept The Day Away

In 1997 I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus. Due to having that, I have to have an upper endoscopy done yearly. So I had it done yesterday.

It doesn't hurt and it isn't uncomfortable. Ok, two Benadryl put me to sleep. So anything else that they give me, really knocks me out. I slept most of yesterday away. I remember little bits and pieces, but that's about it. By the end of the evening, I was a little more ah... with it.

About Barrett's, the only reason I found out I had it was because I was having these chest pains, that made me think my heart was going to jump out of my chest. They ran so many different test. It showed that I had GERD. I was in disbelief! That can't be! I've never had any "acid reflux" symptoms. I never felt what they say is an "acid taste" in my mouth. My doc said the reason I didn't "feel" the symptoms was because that through years of having this, the acid had already eaten away some of my lining in my esophagus. Due to that, for the time being they are treating me with "the purple pill"- Nexium. URGH! I'm not a very compliant patient. I dislike taking meds or any kind of pills. But what example would I be setting to my children if I didn't do what's best.

So, for any of you reading this, if you have repeat heartburn, go and get yourself checked out. It might not be anything but it's best to be safe than sorry. Your loved ones would love to have you around longer. :o)

Oh and I just had a "flash recall" of when I was leaving the hospital. The nurse had wheeled me out and we were waiting for my Knight's car to come into view. When it did I pointed out to it and said, "There's my Knight". It was all like a dream, but I remember him laughing about it. He must of thought I was really out of it. Little did he know, that my Babe "really" is my Knight in shining armor. :o)

37 Years Ago Today...

On Sunday, May 10, 1970 a little baby boy was born. He was an answered prayer to two little girls. He was born on Mother's Day.

Soldier Boy's birth was joyfully celebrated. His proud dad took his two little girls to go see their brother for the first time. They were not allowed to go up to the room, so their mom had to
bring him to the window. The girls jumped for joy when they saw him. They waved and blew kisses. Their daddy took them to their favorite restaurant to eat dinner. They were allowed to toast their baby brother's birth with a sip of wine. It was their first taste. Their daddy asked the waiter to empty the bottle so they could take it home as a souvenir. The bottle is still in the mommy's and daddy's china cabinet.

He was loved by many. He had brown curly hair and hazel colored eyes. He had a smile that would melt hearts. His sisters loved him dearly. He was their little prince.

When he was born, his sisters were seven and six. The oldest developed a special bond with him. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. Many a times she would willingly take the blame for
things he did, to spare him punishment. He would cry and she'd tell him not to worry, that she
would always love him and take care of him. When he was afraid to sleep alone in his room, it was her bed he crawled into.

He grew to be quiet the charmer. He had charisma. Not only did girls love him, but guys wanted to be his friend. He was popular. He was an all around athlete. He played football, baseball and was in the wrestling team. He knew how to have fun. He lived life to it's fullest. He was in the Explorer Program. He hoped to be a police officer one day.

Once he graduated from high school, he decided to follow his father's and his brother in law's foot steps. He joined the army. He wanted to be all that he could be. His goal was to be a RANGER. He joined the 82nd Airborne Division. His family was proud of him. He was the apple of their eyes.

On Friday, March 17, 1990, he called his oldest sister. "Hey sweetie, how are my girls doing?" He always referred to his three nieces as, "his girls". They caught up on things that were going on. Just before they hung up, he told her, " I love you, thank you for everything you've done for me and thank George too." That's the last time she heard his voice.

Soldier Boy died in a car accident on Friday, March 17, 1990. He was 19 years old. He had gone to a party with some friends. He drank too much and had passed out. His friends put him in the front seat next to the driver. The driver was intoxicated too. So was his other friend in the back seat. While driving back to the barracks, the driver lost control of the car... he was speeding. The car hit the tree. The car was broken in half. Manuel's seat was ejected from the car. He was buckled to it. He died at the scene of the accident. It was twelve midnight. The driver walked away physically unscathed. But he was unable to deal with his friends death and was admitted to the psych ward. The young man in the back seat, lost one eye, had to have rods put on his back, broke his legs and arms. It was a tragic night for all three.

Since he was stationed in Ft. Bragg, it took 6 days to have him come home. When he arrived, there were orders saying his casket could not be opened. But we wanted to "see". We wanted to make sure. We were still hopeful it was all a mistake. We went through a lot of red tape, but we were able to see him. Gone was the handsome, young man we all knew and loved. He was not there. The accident had taken a toll on his body. Who we saw, didn't resemble my brother. They tried as hard as they could but even so, they failed. We buried him on March 23, 1990. My heart was buried along with him.

I miss him more than I care to even share. More than I can even allow myself to say or think about. My heart aches and cries. When the tears come and my heart pounds I want to let it all come out. Then I remember I need to be strong. There are others watching. I quickly wipe my
tears, put my shield up and put on my mask.

I try to remember... hope. Hope that one day I'll see him again. Hold him. Kiss him. Let him know just how much I've missed him. Till then... I cry, I ache... but I always have hope.

Lady G~
blessed sister of Soldier Boy

Fascinated By Names

I'm fascinated by names... people's names. I like to see how people spell their names differently. I like to look up the names and see what they mean. I like to hear the stories of how they ended up with their names.

I sometimes wonder if we "grow" into being what we are named or if we are named because that's how our parents perceive us to be one day. I know that sometimes we are named because it's a family name. I will share a little about how we came to be named.

My Knight was born in the United States. His parents were both Cubans. His sister was born in Cuban too. The wanted to give him a Spanish name, but his sister said no. He's an American, he should have an American name. So they decided to name him the English version of the Spanish names they had picked out. The origin of his first name is Greek, it means earth worker. His middle name is Hebrew, it means he will enlarge.

I was also born in the United States. My dad is Cuban and my mom is Panamanian. My mom named me after her. She believe it or not, was named after a character in a Spanish soap opera. You'll see how odd that is when you see it's origin. The origin of my first name is German. You see what I mean? A German name in a Spanish soap opera?! LOL! My name means grey. I've also read that it means battle maiden. I kind like that meaning better. :o) The origin of my middle name is Latin, it means miracle. My mom tells me that I was a premmie. By the calculations I've made, I don't think this to be true. I believe she was with child when she married my dad, but she won't admit it.

I got Soaring Amongst The Clouds' first from a James Bond movie. The actress what absolutely beautiful. I had hoped that she would also have her daddy's blue eyes and my dark hair. The origin of her first name is Greek. It means honey. Her middle name I got from a book I had read five years before she was even born. The origin of her middle name is Greek, it means very holy one.

Still Waters was named after a professional ice skater. The skater was so beautiful and graceful. The origin of her name is Hebrew, it means pure. Her middle name, like her sister's came from a book that I was reading. The origin is Greek, it means victory for the people.

I picked Daughter of the King's name because I thought it was fit for a princess. The origin of her first name is Greek and it means defender of men. The origin of her middle name is Greek and it means God is my might.

G.I.Joe has his daddy's middle name, as his first name. As a child, it was my favorite bible character. His first name is Hebrew, it means he will enlarge. His middle name is Greek, it means warrior.

The Warrior was almost named after Daughter of the King. But she wanted him to have his own name. He was named also after on of my favorite bible characters. The origin of his first name is Hebrew and it means God is my judge. His middle name is Hebrew and it means heart.

Our names fit us perfectly. I don't think that it's because that's what I'm use to calling us, but because their meanings are part of our characters. My Knight is a hard worker. Soaring Amongst The Clouds is as sweet as honey. Still Waters is a godly young lady, as pure as one can be. Daughter of the King looks out for others... defender of men. G.I. Joe is God's warrior. He boldly asked some of his teammates if they were saved. The Warrior has a tender heart. As for my name, many miracles have happened in my life. I see miracles happen every day...

The Good That I Want To Do, I Do Not Do

I often ask why do I keep messing up? Why do I keep doing the same mistakes over and over again? I know in my mind and in my heart that what I'm doing is wrong, and yet, I still do it. Why?

In Romans, Paul wrote:

"For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing dwells in me, that is , in my flesh, for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
-Romans 7:15-25

I will never be perfect... not until my flesh dies and my spirit dwells with Jesus. Yes, I know that I'm a sinner. But that doesn't give me a free ride to keep doing that which I know I shouldn't do. Is it my lack of discipline? My lack of self control? My selfishness? I know that there is a lesson to be learned in all this. I would just like to learn my lesson and move on. My problem is, I've been stuck in the same lesson for almost 25 years!

Which one of my sins am I talking about... coveting... spending money on unnecessary things. It's not that I want what others have or that I want things that are on commercials or anything like that. It's when I'm at the stores, I see something and then I end up getting it. Majority of the time, it's not for me. It's for a loved one. Most of the time, it's not even something that is needed.

My hearts desire is to change. I do good for a little while, but then I mess up again. Lord help me to be a good steward.

4 things about me...

Lisa asked a group of us the questions below. Thought I'd journal about it...

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. Candy Striper- no... not a stripper.
2. Medical Records Technician
3. Receptionist for three Plastic Surgeons- one was ranked top ten in the world for his specialty: cleft palates.
4. Medical Office Manager

B) Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Last of the Mohicans
2. Princess Bride
3. The Patriot
4. Saving Private Ryan

C) Four places I have lived
1. Miami, FL
2. Ft. Polk, Louisiana
3. Stuttgart, Germany
4. Winter Park, FL

D) Four television shows I watch:
1. The Unit
2. Amazing Race
3. Survivor
4. CSI

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Italy
2. Austira
3. All over Germany
4. Canada

F) Web sites I visit daily
1. Crosswalk
2. E Blogger
3. Google
4. Dictionary.com

G) Four of my favorite foods;
1. Steak
2. Lasagne
3. Daughter of the King's chocolate chip cookies
4. My Knight's roasted pork


H) Four places I'd rather be right now.
1. Sitting next to my brother and talking with him.
2. Hanging out with my Knight and my children
3. At the beach with my family
4. Skiing with my family


I) Four of my favorite colors
1. Pink- not bright pink
2. Blue
3. Lavender
4. Black

Interview me too!

Christine was interviewed by Amy. I thought, "Oh, how fun! I want to be interviewed too!" So here are five questions Christine asked me...

1. What is your favorite time to spend with your family?

Hmmmm.... I have to say that I'm quite spoiled about my time with my family. That's because we homeschool. So up until last year, when our oldest two started community college, I was with my children 24/7, well... just about 24/7. It's hard to name just one favorite thing to do with my family. We enjoy camping, rock climbing, skiing, hanging out by our pool or just hanging out at home. I guess you one could say just spending time with my family is great enough.

2. Of all the places you've visited in Europe, what was your favorite? And Why?

Every place we went to in Europe was absolutely beautiful. If I had to pick one place that I liked best, it would have to be Italy. The people were very friendly. We had no trouble communicating. Spanish and Italian are similar. Everyone was very helpful. Yet when we visited Spain, they gave us a very hard time. They looked down on us because our Spanish was not the Castillian dialect. We still had a good time there, but the people weren't as nice. They were to the other Americans that we went with. Maybe we should of just not spoken Spanish. Hind sight is 20/20. :o)

3. What is your life verse?

It would have to be... "And now abide faith, hope love, these three, but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 I truly believe that love can conquer all things.

4. If you happened to be stranded on an island, what 5 things could you not live without?

Well, since people aren't things, I guess I can't name my loved ones.
* Two way hand crank operated, shortwave radio.
* Endless supply of my favorite fruit, mangoes.
* Endless supply of matches or lighter, to keep the fire going.
* My bible, so I have something to read while someone comes to rescue me.
* An endless supply of drinking water.


5. What is one of your earliest childhood memories?

When I was about six, my sister and I were riding our bike in the parking lot of our apartment building. We shared a bike. We went inside to have lunch and when we went back out, our bike was gone. We ran inside to tell our mom. We were crying. We knew that our parents couldn't afford to get us another one. We had been careless. My mom told us to calm down, wash up and take a nap. When we got up, there was our bike. She told us she had walked around the neighborhood and had seen a boy riding our bike. She told him, she knew it wasn't his, that it belonged to her daughters. In my eyes, my mom was an incredible woman. For years that story meant a lot to me. Until a few years ago, I found out the truth. My mom had hidden the bike to teach us a lesson.

G.I.Joe's 13th Birthday Outing

My G.I. Joe's birthday is on March 9th. Right when baseball season is in full swing. Which means that just about every day of the week we are busy with a baseball game or practice. I can't even remember the last time he had a birthday party.

For his 13th birthday we decided to take him and three baseball buddies to Disney. Since my Knight doesn't have to teach the High School Boy's Sunday School Class the last Sunday of the month, that's when we planned we'd have his special event. My Knight took G.I. Joe, #99, #5 & #00 to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

They all had a wonderful time. First stop was Animal Kingdom. They quickly went to get a fast pass for the Expedition Everest ride. From there they went on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. I was told that #00 (who goes hunting with his dad ALL the time) spotted all the animals. Even the ones that everyone else was having trouble spotting. Next was the Kali River Rapids. Where the only one that didn't get wet was my Knight. Then they were off the the Expedition Everest ride. Except when the got there, it was temporarily down. :o( So they didn't get to ride it.

I had ordered three ham and cheese meal wheels for their lunch. We had packed a cooler with ice and drinks. Oh, and plenty of water. I also had also bought some chips. #00's mom had gotten some donuts for them too. They had lunch at the Animal Kingdom's parking lot, before the hopped over to the Magic Kingdom.

Then it was off to the Magic Kingdom. They got to do all the "fun" rides. Which included all the "mountain" rides. They even had a great fun waiting in line. They would "hi five" anyone that was willing to "hi five" them. At first #99 had a hard time. He was wearing his Yankee cap. One he turned it around, he got plenty of " hi five's". I gave him a hard time about that. I told him he had "denied" his team. LOL!

They left the park around 7p. My Knight decided to call it a night, he was nursing quite a headache. I had pizza and cake waiting for them. We had a great time sitting around the table and talking about their day. Sounds like the had a wonderful time.

My Knight later shared with me that G.I Joe's friends were a great group of kids. They had clean fun. Since they had had a good attitude while waiting in line, their smiles were contagious. It help brighten other people's day. G.I. Joe sure knows how to pick his friends. I'm so proud of him.

Here's #99, #00, #5 and G.I.Joe. This was taken right before they left for the parks. They don't look it, but they were all sleepy eyed right before I took this. They saw the camera and perked up. I told them to get closer together and they all said, that's as close as they were going to get. Boys, they are so different! Praise the Lord for that!

Behind them is the Tree of Life. This was taken at the Animal Kingdom.

Giving people "hi fives" at they were waiting in line. Notice #99... his cap is on backwards.

In Honor Of My Knight...

Forty four years ago today, my Knight in shining armor was born. I'm blessed to be his Lady. In his honor, I wrote a special entry at A Knight's Lady.

Like every day, we spent the day doing school work and at the baseball fields. We had a late lunch. It's a tradition around our castle that the birthday person gets to choose what they want to eat for lunch and dinner. So we had Chinese take out for lunch. Then it was off to the fields. G.I. Joe had a game. My Babe had to ump the game. Well not only that, but he had to ump the home plate. At least I had a good view. ;o) Oh, we had burgers for dinner.

His mom, Abuela Hilda had come up for our great nephew's christening. So she decided to stay with us for a couple of days. I take her back to my Babe's sister's home this Friday. Then she'll be going back to her home next week.

Daughter of the King baked his birthday cake. Still Waters decorated it. All this was done while we were at the game. We ended up eating birthday cake at 11p. It was a late night. He opened presents while we all ate cake.

The girls got together and bought their dad an RCI Certificate. He gets to pick a place to vacation for one week. The room and board is paid for. All he has to do is decide where to go and how to get there. There is no need for me say this, but I'm going to any way. No, he won't be vacationing alone. :o) He's not sure if he wants the whole family to go or just the two of us. Just wanted to clarify that.

The boys got him the video games: NCAA 07 Football and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown. Guess who got which game? Yep, G.I. Joe got him the football game and The Warrior got him Rainbow Six. They are true to their character. They can't wait to play with him.

My Babe and his mom, Hilda. I was THRILLED to have been able to get this shot, she doesn't like to smile for the camera. Throughout the year, I thank her for having such a wonderful son. But on his birthday, I specially make it a point thank her.

My Knight and his Lady. I love to see him in his ump uniform. He makes the uniform look good.
I've heard some of the other baseball moms make comments about him. They know he doesn't have wondering eyes. I'm blessed. Oh, can't really share what I got him for his birthday, but enough to say he was very pleased.

My Knight and his Fair Maidens. One of my prayers for them is, that God bless them with a husband who has character like their dad.

My Knight and his Squires. They are Knights in training. He is setting such a good example. One of my prayer is that they grow up to be like their dad.

My Knight and his five blessings. My prayer is that they live the fairy tale life that their dad and mom have been blessed to live.

Dreams do come true...

A Wise Man Told Me...

Yesterday's news is still weighing heavy on my mind. I can't seem to shake this melancholy mood. I don't want to question God, but I wrestle with thoughts. Questioning thoughts that I don't even want to put into words. I know that this is satan's playground. But I also know that God is in control. That nothing happens that He doesn't know about. He allows things to happen, for a reason. I know that it all comes down to free will... choice. Knowing that doesn't make it easier. It doesn't take the pain away. The hurt is still there.

I'm so heavy hearted, that I can't even bring myself to go to church. No I haven't lost faith. I just can't smile and greet people as if nothing has happened. My girls went on to church. My Knight and my boys are at baseball practice. I stayed home. Praying... Lord help to pray for those who are hurting. Help me to understand.

He gently told me, it's not up to me to understand. It's up to me to trust and have faith. It's up to me to hold others up in prayer. I felt led to read Psalm 95 . I will not let my heart be harden. How can I, He dwells there.

My homepage is Crosswalk. So when I logged on to journal, Today's Devotional, "Virginia Tech: Living with what we don't understand" caught my eye. Hmmm, some would call that a coincidence, I call it God-incidence. Isn't it just like Him to reach out and comfort and love us. He knows just what I need, what we need. All I (we) have to do He reach out to Him... ask Him.

A wise man told me that we should live each day to it's fullest, cause it's a gift from God. My response was, "this is true, how right you are. But why do 'I' get one more day, when others..." He cut in and said, "it's a gift for you to accept, not to question." My Knight is right. I'm so blessed...

At A Loss For Words

This morning like every morning, my boys were watching Sponge Bob. Once I get up, the channel gets switched to Fox News. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A student at Virginia Tech gunned down other students and professors.

My heart grieves for all who attend Virginia Tech and their families. I don't know anyone who attends that school. We don't even live close to that state. Yet, I feel numb. I'm in disbelief. My heart aches for all those left behind. They won't get to hear their loved ones voice. They won't get to feel their hugs. Young lives cut short. How could something like this happen? What makes a person do such a thing? How could or what could bring a person to inflict pain or kill someone?

My mind is spinning. My heart aches. There is so much pain in this world. So many are hurting. Yet we are all so busy, with our every day things. We go on with our day. I wanted to stay and continue to watch the news, but I couldn't. Had to take my children to bible study. Had to take care of wee ones, while their mom's were at their bible study. From there off to take Daughter of the King to the sign language class she teaches. Then off to run some errands. Time to get dinner going. Time for baseball game. During all this, the thought is still there, " how can I keep going on as if nothing has happened?"

What keeps me going is God's Word. His promises. I find peace, love and comfort there. What scriptures do you find comfort in? Which ones give you hope?

A Love Letter

Last night we had our monthly bible study group meeting. Only four of the six couples were able to attend. Earlier last week, I had gotten a call from the couple that was hosting our study. We had homework to do. Each spouse had to write a love letter to each other. Then everyone had to write a love letter to God.

I thought, a love letter to my Knight won't be hard. But a love letter to God?! Yikes!!! To begin with, I dislike homework! What would I write to my Savior? I'm not good with words. I have a hard time expressing my love in words. I can do it in actions, but with words... I struggle.

I feel that the word "love" is over used. I mean I hear (& I say), "I love pizza, I love this song, I love this dress and so on." Then we say (& I say), "I love you." How can that be?

To me love is an action. It's a verb. To me it's not a "feeling". If it was, it would be fleeting. Feelings come and go, they change.

So I started to think of what to write to my Knight. I realized that it was harder than I thought to write him a love letter. I send him cards, emails and little notes all the time. Love messages, "Can't wait till you get home. I miss you. I love you. You make me whole." Then I started to think, why do I love him? Then it hit me... it was for selfish reasons. I love how he makes me feel, I love the way he looks after me, how he takes care of me, how he comforts me, how his touch makes me feel protected and wanted. It almost felt like I loved him conditionally. I love you because... I felt selfish.

Something was wrong. Then it hit me... it's not "I love you because of what you can do for me." it's, "because I love you I want to do for you." I've always known that, but have had trouble explaining it. So, I show it in actions. Sometimes words are just words. That's why I was having trouble putting my love letter into words.

I gave my Knight his love letter... I shared my journal with him. My journal that's just about him and I. I know he knows how much I love him... action speaks louder than words. Funny thing is... we both thought the same way. His love letter to me did not say "I love you because you....". It said, "because I love you I will...". His actions speak louder than words. But I sure do love listening to his voice and hearing his words. :o)

My love letter to God was difficult to write too. How do I go about writing a letter to God, The King of Kings, my Savior? What do I say to someone who's love I don't deserve? That keeps giving it unconditionally? My only thoughts were, "Lord, I fall so short of showing you how much I love you. All I can do is live my life in a way that I hope glorifies you." To me, even that is not enough to show how much I love Him. I could never do enough. I often wonder, if what little I do glorifies Him.

Yes, Life Is Good...

Carlina Clelia Pazmino
1918-2007

On Saturday, April 7th at 10:15pm, My Abuela Caky (grandma) went on to be with our Heavenly Father. She died of congestive heart failure. She had been in pain for quite some time and it hurt to see her suffering. She was 88 years old.

Abuela Caky was born in Ecuador on the 4th of November in 1918. At some point her family moved to Panama in Central America. She never really talked much about her life before she came to the United States. I think it was because it was too painful. She was the type of person that wouldn't dwell on the past. She always pressed on.

When she arrived here to the United States, she settled in Miami, Florida. She worked as a housekeeper/nanny/cook for a very wealthy family. She quickly learned English. As soon as she could, she brought my mom over. My mom was 17 at the time. They both worked hard. Not just for the K family, but in educating themselves.

Eventually Abuela learned enough to apply at a hospital. She got hired as a unit clerk. Which today they are called unit secretaries. She continued to work for the K family, even while she worked at the hospital. She was a hard worker. She had great work ethics. She was well loved by all who came in contact with her.

She was an incredible woman. She was a very private person. She didn't share much about her past. There was so much I wanted to know but she didn't open up that part of her heart. I do know that she worked hard. She put all her brother's through school. They all became professionals. She also managed to have her children attend private school.

Abuela had an unwavering faith in our Lord. First thing she did EVERY morning was pray. She prayed during the day, throughout her day and at night. She was so wise and loving. Always willing to lend a helping hand.

In 1987, Soaring Amongst The Clouds was born. That's my oldest daughter. Instead of calling my mom for advice, I always called Abuela. She always knew what to tell me... and guess what her advice ALWAYS worked. Ten months after our first one was born, Still Waters arrived. Yep, I had two under the age on 1! Eighteen months later Daughter of the King arrived. Yep, I had three under the age of 3! Abuela came to the rescue! She would come and stay with us months at a time. She was a godsend.

We loved having her with us. She was fun. She laughed a lot. She was a big lady with a big heart. Nobody could cook like her. To this day, my Knight says that no one can iron like she does, not even the cleaners.

Abuela was a simple lady. She didn't care about looks. It was all about comfort, neatness and being clean. She would wear her favorite cotton dresses even if they were a little faded, but they were always pressed and clean. Her whites always looked white, not gray or yellow.

Through the years she's given me great advice. But one stands out, it was when my girls we wee ones. It was in Spanish. "La casa, el carro, todo lo material, siempre estara aqui. El tiempo con tus hijos no. Disfrutalos, que el tiempo pasara. Todo lo que quedara es las memorias que tendran tus hijos con sus padres. Eso es lo importante. Eso no tiene precio. Los hijos son un regalo de Dios." It can't be translated word for word, but the thought is the same. "The house, the car, all material things will always be here. Time with your children is fleeting. Enjoy them, for time will pass by too quickly. All your children will have left are the memories you make with them. That's what important. The time together is priceless. Children are a precious gift from God."

That's the type of advice she would give me. She always had a saying for everything. I treasure my memories of her. Because of the way she influenced my life, I continue to strive to be the woman God wants me to be.

Thank you all who have encouraged me and are praying for us. We so appreciate your kind words, thoughts and prayers. My our Heavenly Father bless you tenfold.

For those of you who happen to come across my journal, please say a prayer for my family. We have hope and faith, but our heart aches.

Can my life be good, even when my heart is heavy? Yes it can. You see I have faith and hope that one day we will reunite again. She will be the same Abuela she had always been. Along with Jesus and my brother, she will welcome me into God's Kingdom with open arms. What a reunion that will be... Yes, Life Is Good.

Praise You In The Storm

The past couple of days I've heard this song play on the radio countless of times. I find these words very comforting. I can't help but cry when I hear these words. I know that some think that crying doesn't help. I feel that crying does help me. It's cleansing.

If you click on the groups name you can hear part of the song. Hope you are blessed by it too.


Praise You In The Storm
by Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as You mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth