Two Days Away

Yesterday was a really long day for me. I had to run a few errands. I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things that we'll need. I finally had our mail placed on hold. I've been meaning to do this for awhile so it felt really good to finally have it done. I also spent most of the day doing laundry and finishing up packing our suitcases. I really hate packing! I'm glad that it is over. I made a list of all the things that I need to remember before I go but besides that we are ready to go.

We are leaving for Jamaica on Thursday morning @ 10:30am. But we leave tomorrow afternoon to drive (for 4 hours) to Ft. Lauderdale .We are flying from Ft. Lauderdale airport so we'll spemnd Wednesday night with my parents. Please pray for safe travel for us and that everything goes smoothly. It's less than 2 hours flying and we'll arrive in Jamaica @ 12:20pm. I'm so excited!! I cannot wait!! I have not been sleeping, I get like this when I go on trips that I'm excited or nervous about. My mind keeps racing and I can't calm down.

On another note, I spent half of today getting pampered. Greg watched the kids this morning so I could go to the spa. I had my nails done...I usually only get a full set on special occasion. This is my first time trying the gel nails (I usually just get the acrylic) and I LOVE THEM! It's so amazing. Usually when I get my nails done I'm afraid to use them thinking that I will scratch/break a nail. Well, these gel nails allow you to use your nails and not worry about scratching or smudging them. They stay shiny for a long time (this is what I was told by the nail tech). I hope it's true because I told her that I would be in the beach a lot and I didn't want my french manicure to fade while I was there. They look and feel great and I'm really happy about them. I'm also happy about my french pedicure too. This girl really did a good job. There's just something about getting your nails done that makes you feel all girl...like a princess. I love that feeling. I wish I could do them more, I get pedicures often but I always feel like I'm a handicap when I get the full set manicure. I know, everyone keep saying that you just have to get used to them but after a while I always feel like tearing them off, they feel so unnatural and I can only keep them on for so long. That's just me though. I love how they look but just can't keep them on for too long.

Well, tomorrow we'll leave for Ft. Lauderdale and then the next day is THE BIG DAY!!! Yea!! Did I mention that I'm so excited and I can't wait?

I don't know if I'll be able to blog. We have a very busy 10 days, my cousin has a hectic (but fun-filled) itinerary for all her guests. If I get a chance I will try to blog but when I return I will definitely have lots of pictures so keep checking back.

We are packed...almost!

Our suitcases are filled with clothes and shoes and all of our stuff that we are bringing to Jamaica.

However, we are not ready. In our hearts and minds we are already there, we are so excited and we just can't wait. But, there is still lots to do and only four more days before we go. Jesus please help us.

Someone recently asked me some questions about Jamaica. So, I thought I would share a few things about my native land. Yes it is a third world country, meaning the economy is bad and the poverty level is high. However, Jamaica is a country that is very rich in culture. Jamaica is a tropical paradise and has many beautiful white-sand beaches and coral reefs.
Jamaica is very small with only a population of over 2.6 million natives. Tourism is a huge part of the country's economy; therefore there are many tourists there all year round. The weather pretty much stays the same all-year round, nice and warm. It's also humid but there is a tropical breeze.

We are well-known for our reggae music and Bob Marley. We are also known for our food rich in spices like curry and jerk. We also have our famous Blue Mountain coffee.

Yes we do speak English. It is our official language. We do have a dialect called patois (pronounced patwa). It is considered broken English. Yes we do have cars too; however, most people cannot afford to purchase their own automobile so buses and taxis are mostly used by the natives.

There is so much more that I could say about Jamaica. Like I've told people before; yes the circumstances do appear bad but it's really all about perspective. If you have only a little then you learn to live with a little. When I was living in Jamaica I did not have many of the luxuries that I have today. I've gotten used to many of these luxuries and at times I feel like I couldn't live without most of them. The truth is I've forgotten what I used to live without when I was growing up. When I return to Jamaica and I see how people (even my relatives) are living I'm often sad because I have so much more than them and I feel sorry for them. But I know that there are things that they learn to appreciate so much more than me because when you have a lot you take things for granted.

Sometimes when I think of my childhood too I think of all the things that my children will miss because they will not have the opportunity to live in Jamaica. When I lived in Jamaica I could climb trees and pick fresh fruits and vegetables. I could run and play all day outside. I could trust my neighbors and people in our community. We shared food between family and friends and we were always getting free stuff. We wore uniforms to school and we said "yes Ma'am and yes Sir" to our teachers. We prayed in school. We did not speak when an adult was speaking and we could never curse in their presence. We were taught good manners and values. We learned how to appreciate what we had and be grateful for whatever else we received. Yes, sometimes the people who only have a little really are richer than those who have more.

Thank You God

Thank you God that I'm alive... Yesterday we were on our way to Thanksgiving dinner at some friends' house and we saw 2 accidents on the way. I said a silent prayer for whoever was in those cars and I also thanked God that we were safe. I realize that every day that I am alive is a gift from God. It's a privilege and one that should not be taken for granted. We don't know when it will be our last day on earth. Although I believe in eternal life with Jesus Christ, death is not something I am anticipating. In fact, I wish I would just live until Jesus returned.

Thank you God that I am healthy...being sick is never easy. While I am sensitive to people living with major illnesses, I would never want to have to walk in their shoes. So I thank God for every day that I am healthy and today I am very well.

Thank you God for my family...I love my husband and I love my children. I'm so grateful for every day, even every minute that I spend with them. Yesterday while we were eating Thanksgiving dinner, I had a very emotional moment. It wasn't obvious to anyone because it was all internal. When I looked around at the faces at the table, I had a brief moment of sadness. The moment passed quickly because I didn't dwell on it and allow it to ruin my evening. However, I was just wishing that I was surrounded by my own family (parents & other relatives). Also, Greg was not sitting at the table with us because he was attending to Arjay while I eat first. Adryana was sitting next to me and I just looked over at her and squeezed her hand. Making contact with her was important because right at that moment she was the only family I had with me at Thanksgiving dinner and that made me sad. When you have young children things become a give and take and so I didn't really mind that Greg was with Arjay in another part of the house. We realized that having him at the table could have been disastrous because we didn't want him to destroy the table in all its fanciness. It was more the fact that when you looked around at all the faces at the table ours (mine and Adryana's) were different and it made me sad. Both our friends had their parents and siblings with them. Our friends were really welcoming and it was super sweet of them to have us over for dinner. But it just wasn't the same as being around our family and relatives. Still I am thankful that I have people who love and care about me. I'm thankful that I was able to sit at a table for Thanksgiving dinner, because I do realize that there are many that do without. In the end, we had a great time with our friends and their families. It was an okay Thanksgiving too. We enjoyed the food and the fellowship.

Looking Ahead!

My dear blog readers, I have been so busy for the last few days. I just have so much going on. We are getting ready for our long awaited trip to Jamaica. This is really exciting for us. I've been around town shopping and preparing for us to take this trip. We leave in just 1 week time and I'm so excited that I've not even been able to sleep much.

My cousin (who's birthday party we'll be attending in Jamaica) is already there. She got there yesterday and now I can't wait even more to get there. Besides the fact that it will be an awesome vacation for us, it will also be a time of reuniting with family members that I have there. I can't wait to see them and catch up. It's been almost four years since we were last there. Since then babies have turned into children and lots of things have happened.

My relatives there have never met Arjay and it will be nice for them to finally meet him. Also, it's been said among family members that Arjay has a striking resemblance to my maternal grandfather (who died almost 15 years ago). My grandmother is still alive and she has not met Arjay yet. I know that it will be a nostalgic moment for her because Arjay's smile really is a lot like my grandfather's. People has even said that Arjay is a lot like an old man as if he has an old soul. I know it sounds really freaky!

In any case, we are looking forward to this trip to Jamaica for more reasons than we can count. I am counting down the days and the minutes.

I Hate

going to the dentist! I just don't like it one bit! I still go because I know it's all a part of the plan to keep my teeth healthy but it really freaks me out when I have to go. So today was the dreaded visit to the dentist. They seemed much busier than usual today so I waited about 30 minutes before I could be seen by the dental hygienist. I was kind of glad that they were busy because I kept thinking that maybe my cleaning time would be shortened. (ha!) After perusing several magazines, I was finally called into the death chamber (lol). It might as well be called that for me because I hate even just getting into the room. I know that once I'm in the room I'll have to sit in that dreaded chair where they push my head back so low that it might as well be touching the floor. Seriously, how much further can they put our heads back in those chairs? I hate that chair! I also hate when the dentist/hygienist sit down and lean all the way over me (hello..claustrophobic here, please do not lean into me so much!). Okay, I know it's all a part of their job but haven't they been to the dentist? Do they like going? I honestly cannot say that I've met one person yet who likes to go to the dentist. Do they not realize how dreaded this whole experience is and how nervous it makes us feel? I mean it's like torture, well not completely but it's no fun. Then after the whole gruesome experience is over they give you the verdict: You will need to consult with a oral surgeon to schedule removing your wisdom teeth! Could this experience get any worse? Yes, weeks later when they send you a hefty bill.

M & M's

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Catching Up!

I haven't been blogging lately. So, I guess I should have a lot to write about. The last couple of days have just flown by. Saturday was a really good day. Greg was able to get a babysitter for us and we went out Saturday evening. We went to Citrus Park Mall to watch a movie but we were early for the movie we wanted to see so we walked the mall a little and then had Aunt Annie's pretzels. We also had popcorn and drinks while we were watching the movie. Do you realize how expensive movies and also buying popcorn have become? It's ridiculous really! I mean it's almost $20 for 2 people to watch a movie and then if you decide to get popcorn it's another $15-$20. I guess everybody have to make their money but going out to watch a movie is becoming more of a "rare" occasion (at least in our household) than we would like. I mean, we really like watching movie but after paying that much money at the movie theatre and then paying our babysitter at a whopping rate of $10 per hour we were easily setback to close to $80. We were really desperate to go out on a date so I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, I just had to make a point of how expensive "dating" has gotten. I don't know how these young adults are affording dating because it has sure gotten expensive. Of course they wouldn't need a babysitter but still it can be very costly.

Anyhow, that was our Saturday in a nutshell. Sunday involved me working in the nursery at our church. It was a bit crowded with kids so Greg decided to stay and help me. Thank God! Working in the nursery takes a lot of stamina. I pretty much gave it all the energy I had because I decided that I was going to keep the kids busy so that there wouldn't be too much down time. My grandmother always said, "idle hands 'cause trouble!" So, I did not want any idle hands on my watch. The lesson was about God giving rain. It was based around the time when Elijah and his followers were in the desert and it wasn't raining and everything had dried up and they had no food and the plants died. Elijah went up into the mountains and prayed. He asked God to send some rain and He did. I brought in blue water to show the kids (remember they are toddlers) and I also put some water on a cotton ball so that they could touch it on their skin. They loved that! I also brought in some plastic toys of sea animals (fish, duck, octopus, etc.) and we played a kind of bean-bag toss in the basket game. Only the basket was covered with a blue towel so I told the kids we were tossing the sea animals back into the ocean and they had to help me. They really enjoyed that. In the end it was a really great lesson and it went much smoother than my first week when I didn't have as much to work with. It's definitely a good idea to over-prepare (meaning have may more things to do at hand) when teaching toddlers. They don't have a very long attention span and they also get bored very easily. Anyways, that wrapped up Sunday.

Monday was spent mostly doing laundry. I had a lot of housework to do as well so I just kept busy for most of the day. I also had to go to a meeting at Adryana's school (I'm on the planning committee for the Thanksgiving party). It was very rushed because the Thanksgiving party is planned for Monday and the person in charge waited until the last minute to get all the moms together to plan. Anyways, we got it planned and that's what is most important.

On to Tuesday, today. First of all, today is my Dad's birthday so Happy Birthday Dad...Love you...My day was spent with first taking Adryana to the doctor's to get her flu shot. She was actually very brave and we are so proud of her. Last year was horrendous. She was kicking and screaming and trying to run out of the doctor's office. This year she did really well. She sat in Daddy's lap and she cried for a little after the nurse gave her the shot. Then she got a lollipop and a sticker and she stopped crying but she did complain about how it hurt her on the way home. After that she and I went shopping while Arjay and his daddy went to the bank. Later I went shopping again after they were all taking a nap (Greg was home). So now I'm almost ready for our trip to Jamaica. I just have to get some toiletries and some other small items and then we are set to go. This weekend will be a busy one because I will finally start packing. In just 2 weeks we will be off to Jamaica...yea!!! I cannot wait!

Book Review

Ahhh! This is usually what I'm saying when I reading or when I've finished a Karen Kingsbury book. She's a great Christian author and is being called America's #1 inspirational novelist. I highly recommend her books, they are really worth your time. Several of her books hit #1 on the bestseller lists and one of them was even made into a movie.After reading one of her many titles (Divine) for the first time I was hooked.
This book is called Just Beyond The Clouds and it's about Cody Gunner who we met previously in another book called A Thousand Tomorrows. Here is the author's summary of the book: Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his Down syndrome brother, Carl Joseph. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure. So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instintictive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart. What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies Just Beyond The Clouds.
This book was very inspiring but most of all it was about simplicity. The book's message was very clear. Life was about choices but the most important choice of all is to live. The author clearly showed how important it is for us to realize that life really is about living. We are not promised tomorrow but just because we might have a near to impossible feat does not mean that we must stop living and wait until death takes us. In this story, Carl Joseph has Down Syndrome but it's his life-long goal to just simply be a man. He wants to be able to do things for himself. He wants to cook, take the bus, dance, go to church and give his 10% tithes and even go to Disneyland one day. Also, he wants to do many things that "normal" people would do. Yes one might say that Carl Joseph has many limitations but in this book, the author shows us how he refused to let all his problems get in his way of happiness. He has a heart problem, he has occasional seizures and prone for a Stroke and still Carl Joseph yearns his independence. His family wants him to stay home where he can be safe but deep in their hearts they know that they are holding him back from his potentials. In the end they can't help but realize that maybe they were the ones that were "handicapped" after all because Carl Joseph will teach them all lessons about love and just choosing to live.
It's a great story that will touch your heart, make you cry and laugh all at once. One of the most significant message in the story is about Cody Gunner and how he's angry and aching over his dead wife. She had Cystic Fibrosis and although he gave her a lung to buy some more time with her she died and he still carries her in his heart. he's come home and he's desperately trying to get his brother (Carl Joseph) away from the Independent Life Center. Only the more he fights against it the more he realizes how great it is for his brother. In a surprising twist of fate, he also meets the one girl that will capture his heart and break apart all the anger he had built up. She will also lead him to God and to also finally see that he must let go of his dead wife. He will fall in love with Elle, Carl Joseph's teacher and together they will both find a great love and find out also that the most important thing of all is to just keep living even through the bad stuff. Joy will come in the morning.
Another significant part of the story is about a Down Syndrome girl (Carl Joseph's best friend) Daisy who is afraid of the rain because she thinks that she will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Carl Joseph comforts her when it's raining and tells her that not only will she not melt but that whenever it's raining to remember that there is sunshine just beyond the clouds. This is the most powerful message of all because it reminds us that no matter how we view things ( no matter how bleak they look) that things will get better. It's just like rainbows and how when we see them we can remember God's promise that He will never destroy the earth again with rain like He did in Noah's days. In the end, we will see that Carl Joseph is right about sunshine being just beyond the clouds because everyone finds their own happiness and finally realize that the rain does not last forever.

Cooling Off

The last few days have been very cool here in Tampa. While I'm enjoying the cooler temperatures, I'm already bracing myself for when it gets really cold (at least by Floridians standards). I'm not a big fan of cold weather. Neither am I a fan of hot weather. I like the temperature in high 60's to mid 70's. Greg says I like everything to be perfect and it can't be that way! I know that things and people are NOT perfect but I still like to try to get to as close to perfect as I can. That's just me...

I'm feeling a bit under the weather and I'm not happy about that because a few weeks ago I was sick with a very bad cold. Anyways, I felt it coming on last night (probably because of the change in temperature) so I took Airborne. It really does work wonders as they say. I've taken it a few times already (you are suppose to take it every 3-4 hours) and I'm already feeling much better than I did last night. I hope to kick this thing soon because I do not want to get another full-blown cold.

Besides all of that, today was a good day. I got my hair done today and I was really happy with how it came out. I tried this new hairdresser and I was very impressed with her work. I will definitely go back there. My hair and I are recovering from a very traumatic hair experience and it's been a very long journey trying to find a hairdresser that is competent (by my standards). So I was very pleased today to leave the hairdresser with a smile on my face. That has been very rare as I am going through a bad hair season. I know...I know...Most people thing my short hair-do is so cute. And there are days when I think it's cute myself. But after having long hair for 28 years, it was very hard to lose my hair in the way I did. I've grown to like my short hair but it's not really my preference and I do miss my long hair. Anyways, I've already come to terms with it so I don't want to re-hash the negative feelings. It was just very refreshing to actually "like" my hair today after seeing how the hairdresser had styled it.

Not much else happened after that. I came home and got some laundry done. I took the kids outside for some outdoor fun. They really enjoy outside in the cool weather too. For dinner I made salmon marinated in olive oil and herbs served with baked sweet potato (for me) and regular baked potato for Greg. Mmmm...yum! All in all, that was my day and it was a good day. I'm off now to get the kids ready for bed; after that I'd like to take my shower, get some reading done and snuggle with Greg before I drift off to sleep...then my day would be perfect...or as close to perfect as you can get!

Misery Loves Company

I had a real crappy day today. The minute I got out of bed this morning I was feeling out of sorts. First, I woke up at 6:30am and could not go back to sleep so there goes my extra hour of sleeping in that I was hoping to bank on. After that I just felt miserable. I tried countless time to "snap" out of it but I just couldn't do it. I was in one of my worst "moods." As the morning continued it just got worst. Before we left for church Arjay decided to use a marker and write all over his stomach, on his hands and on his clothes. I was fuming now because I knew we were going to be late for church and I was so frustrated.

After we got to church I tried to "let it go." I just wanted God to take over and help me get into a better mood. It took some doing but after focusing and listening to Pastor Larry's message I really started feeling better. I even shared a few laughs with the congregation and Greg because Pastor is just so funny when he preaches his message. It's really great to listen to him. The message was like a soothing balm to my soul. Pastor was preaching about how the devil is a liar and he hates us and just wants to see us suffer. He said that God loves us so much that He was willing to do a "Life Swap" with us. God is able to swap our sins and all the bad stuff He's taken from us already to give us beauty for ashes. It was a really good message and by the end of it, I felt like I had come out of my "funky" mood.

I wish I could say that my day was all great and wonderful after that but it wasn't. I stopped in the restroom on my way out and Greg picked up the kids from children's church. When I saw Arjay my "funky" mood came back. Arjay was bitten by another little boy while in nursery and he was clearly still upset about it. He had every reason to be too because it was a very big bite and when I saw it I was immediately UPSET!! I mean so upset that it took everything in me to get in our SUV and drive away. All the way home I ranted about it. I was furious and I felt like a Mama Lion who just wanted to protect her cub.

Needless to say, my day was downhill from there. Everything bothered me and I was looking for company to join me in my "crabby" mood so I kept getting mad at everyone at home. The day pretty much continued like that and I can't honestly say it was a good day. But wanting to end things on a positive note I finally pulled myself out of the "funk." Here are some "good" things that I noticed about my day once I was able to look for the positives:

1. I'm alive and I'm healthy.


2. I did not have to go hungry at any point in the day because we had food in our house.


3. I have a "roof" over my head as they would say.


4. I have a husband and children who loves me very much.


5. I did not have to make dinner today. My husband "cooked" meaning we had take out which was Chinese food.


6. My husband did the dishes.


7. My husband gave the kids a bath and got them dressed for bed.

So there you have it: 7 "good" things that happened today. And 7 is God's great number so it makes me feel good knowing how much God has blessed me even if I had a bad day.

A $163 Pen?

Have you ever paid for something and it was so over priced that you wanted to scream? But then you felt like you had no choice and it makes you want to cry. It's finally happened! Our toilet in our guest bathroom was clogged on Tuesday and we needed a plumber fast. Arjay has been flushing pacifiers and wipes and paper and God knows what else. Well, yesterday after about 15 minutes of work in the bathroom, the plumber brought out a pen. He seemed convinced that the pen was causing the blockage. Then he gave me a bill that says: $163.20 "for removing a ballpoint pen that was causing toilet stoppage." Those were his words. Therefore, we paid a $163.20 for a ballpoint pen. Cry...cry...cry.

If only it stopped there it would have been bad enough. Except hours later after trying to flush a number 2 down the toilet, and it took 4 tries to finally go down, we realize that the problem was not solved. So, here comes the plumber again this morning. And this time the price has doubled because he has to do more extensive work, like take off the commode and reset and blah blah. Here we go again...cry...cry.

Thank God Greg was home and he had a serious "talk" with the plumber about how unfair it was that they wanted to charge us again when obviously the work was unsuccessful. Finally, we were able to get them to subtract yesterday's price and only charge us the difference between today's cost and what we paid yesterday. Still we paid a whopping $171.50 because he had to take off the commode then he had to snake it...blah..blah...cry...cry. We can't even get mad. We are beyond mad. We just feel so "ripped off" that it's not even funny. Then all he found was more paper, wipes and poop. More crying...

Why do plumbers charge so much money? I mean how can they live with themselves for "ripping" people off? We've heard that plumbers can be expensive but gosh. I wish I knew a plumber. Dear reader, if you know a young man who's finishing High School and not sure about college and wants to do a trade, please suggest plumbing. At least then you'll know a plumber and hopefully he won't "rip" you off. Cry...cry...cry...