BACK TO WORK

In less than 2 weeks my husband will be going back to work. He has been out from work since April. My husband has surgery done to his neck, he had to fully recover first before going back to work. When he does go back to work, he will be doing light duty.

Ralph had been very worried about getting surgery. He didn't want any surgery if the doctor was going to retire him. When he got assurance that he can go back to work full time after he is fully recovered he breathed a big sigh of relief. In the weeks that he was off work I asked him if he has SSDI ( Social Security Disability Insurance ). He assured me that he has everything taken cared of. As far as his concerned he won't be needing any disability insurance as of yet. With his time off from work he has been spending a lot of time with the kids and of course me. He wants to spend more time with us but he is also looking forward to going back to work. Maybe I smothered him to much, lol

AFFAIR WITH AN ANGEL

A couple of months ago I went gaga over a certain cake. We were at my BIL's house in Bear for my Biometrics for the USCIS. I got hungry and raided their kitchen for something to eat. My eyes feel on a rectangular piece of container with a few slices of what appears to be cake. I asked if I could have a piece. As soon as that piece of cake hit my tongue I was in food heaven. I found out that day that my favorite cake is Angel Food Cake. I cannot get over how fluffy, sweet and soft it comes. Before we left I begged my MIL to take me to Walmart so I could get the cake. One thing about me is when I want something specially food, I got and get it. I will keep eating the same food until desire for the taste is quenched. I bought two round cakes and I finished the whole round one in a day. My husband knows about my love affair with food and he knows that I am currently hooked on Angel, sweet, light, fluffy and delicious.

GETTING OFF THE GROUND

Guest written by our friend Gladys Fuentes


One of the things that took us so long to settle when we were getting ready to open our kitchen supply store was the aspect of credit card processing. Deciding on a processor was actually a really big decision since it's a service that costs money, and we didn't want to choose incorrectly and end up losing out. Thankfully, my brother is a business consultant and helped us look over all the options in our area and decide on the best plan. Another factor that kept us from opening on time was the growing list of construction issues in our old warehouse where we were to open the store. I don't know what we would have done without our contractor, Ryan, but he certainly saved our life on more than one occasion. Now that were open, all the hassles seem like so long ago, but I can't forget how much work went into getting this place off the ground. It sure makes me appreciate each day that runs smoothly in this store of ours!

UP DOWN

The weather has just been awful. A couple of weeks ago the weather was just perfect to be out and about, driving and even taking Ralph's mustang convertible with the top down. Kaitlyn calls it the "up down". I am not a big fan of convertible but my husband has a love affair with his mustang that I call " missy the hussy". I prefer to be closed in inside a car where I don't hear how fast were going, no wind to mess up my straggly hair. My husband has always been game to almost everything I request so I also have to compromise. He loves his car but he loves to drive it more with me by his side. I am really out numbered when its warm and we have the kids, they will readily ask daddy to use the convertible instead of the van or our second go to car. Looks like I will be needing a few bandanas and a baseball cap in the summer when we take the mustang out for a ride.

BIG FAMILY

Growing up I always dreamed about having my own family but never thought it would become a reality. Good things happen for those who wait. In a span of 4 years, I found my mate, got married, and gotten pregnant. I grew up with a lot of family but I only had 1 sister. My mom always told us that if she would have liked more than 2 children. If my mom had not had hysterectomy and had no complications with her reproductive organs, I'm sure I would have had brothers or sisters. My mom has not been physically the same since she had hysterectomy. Makes me wonder if she should take some progesterone supplement. But with that it makes me question the progesterone side effect. I have read that taking progesterone can help with anxiety, ones mood and memory. I want to find out more and see if I can also benefit from taking progesterone and the only way I can do that is to ask either my OB or our family physician. Ralph and I are currently on a mission but I will not talk or say anything about it as of now.

BASKET GOODIES

Kaitlyn posing in front of her Easter Basket.. Some of you may be wondering why its just Kaitlyn. Our oldest Kayla spent Easter with her mom as it was her turn to have her for the holiday. Kaitlyn kept asking for her sister to come home. It's difficult to explain to a child sometimes why her sister is not with her, usually Kaitlyn understand but there are times that she will just keep questioning not understanding the answer. Even though we didn't have Kayla we still did out Easter thing, for Kaitlyn. It would not be right if we didn't celebrate just because Kayla is not with us, it would be unfair for Kaitlyn. So we did the Easter Egg hunt for her and a few of our close friends , colored eggs and of course got her Easter Basket full of goodies. We also bought one for Kayla and gave it to her when she got back. In a few years I don't know if the separation of the two girls will get more difficult or easier it all depends. I just hope that my girls continue to love each other no matter what.

P.S.

The chocolates in this pictures are all recycled ones. I have had those choco bunnies for 3 years now and I intend to keep them as long as I can. My kids know that its only for decoration and not for eating, lol...

CHILDHOOD FUN

When I was still a little kid most of the games we used to play was made from scratch. Sure, we had toys but making something out of natures bounty made it more fun and fulfilling. Playing with cans, old tires, flip-flops, plants, coconut leaves and many more. Game before were more about physically playing with kids our own age, interacting with them. With today's generation its all high-tech. A whole bunch of games with different kit and kaboodle are sprouting up like mushrooms. There is the Nintendo game system, Wii still from nintendo, Xbox, PSP, different video and computer games. I have noticed though, male teenagers and adult males lean more into playing Xbox and the PSP or PS3. I have not tried playing any of those games but I have been told by my nephew that it is awesome with a capital A. He even explained to me the accessories of PS3 that are coming that improves gaming quality like the bluetooth, ps3 keyboard, dual docking station and many more. I can't say I understand one bit but at least he tried, lol. How things have changed over the years. Sometimes I wish that time would stop, and turn back time so my kids could experience the fun we had with very simple things.

CONNECT TO OUR MATE

Ever noticed that a lot of men and women nowadays are using the power of the web to find the right partners. I for one have found the love of my life with the help of dating sites. I have met a lot of people online and gotten my heart broken a couple of time. All of those things didn't matter though, for someone was already destined to find me. Conservative people still look down on online dating but I don't let that affect me. Nowadays, dating sites are more and more rampant and is more diverse. There are sites for Christian dating, lesbian/gay dating, and many more. If you are reading this and still have not found your mate, try online dating and who knows, you might just meet them there.

TO MAMA

It's our day, Mother's Day. First, I want to greet all the mothers who has kids biological or not a Happy Mother's Day. I want to thank my Mama for taking care of us through thick and thin, loving us with patience and understanding, raising us with God in our hearts. My mama has had it tough but she never gave up on me and my sister. My mom got divorced early but she chose to stay with us. Almost forsaking her happiness due to her love for us. We may not agree on everything but we know for sure that we love each other. I am what I am today because of my mom. So let us thank our mom everyday and not just once a year.

I LOVE YOU MAMA AND THANK YOU!

MAGIC FINGERS

In a few weeks my MIL and I will be going to NJ to help her grand daughter Kristen. She is having her Senior prom and she wants me and my MIL to be there to help her get ready. I was so honored and happy when she asked me if I could do her hair. Honestly, I am a little apprehensive and nervous about doing her hair. I just want her to have a perfect day where everything from her hair down to her shoes is perfect. She doesn't have her dress yet but I saw a picture of it.I know no matter what she will look beautiful. With all the stress of her school work, part-time job and this upcoming prom I'm pretty sure she has some few breakouts. She is prone to breakouts when she is under a lot of stress so I told her that she has to learn more of what she can take or use to stop the breakouts. Knowing how excited she is for her senior prom, she is probably on the computer right now looking into solutions, medications or creams for her breakouts. As for me, I have to look at some hairstyle that is fitting for prom so that I won't embarrass her. I will just have to practice on my oldest hair seeing that she is the only one who really has thick, long beautiful hair.

BASEMENT CLEANUP

After almost 4 years we have finally cleaned up our basement. Ralph had to ask for his nephew A.J.'s help as he still can't lift up heavy object. We spent the whole afternoon in the basement whilst my MIL watched over the kids. The first couple of hours was spent breaking down boxes that we accumulated for quite some time. We also had to weed out a lot of stuff, separate which was junk and which ones are still good. We also had to organize a bit to make the basement less cluttered. I didn't think we were going to be able to do it in just half a day but we did it. Now the front on our house has a mountain of garbage with lots and lots of broken down boxes. The garbage collectors are not going to be happy with us, lol. Some may probably think that we are moving out,lol.

Now that the basement is decently organized and clean we can start visualizing what it would be like to have it finished. That is really one of the few projects that Ralph and I would like to start. It would not only add value to the house but it opens up a new space for the kids and for when we have visitors.. We are aiming to start with the basement in another 2-3 years.

PROJECT DISCUSSION

The last couple of days Ralph and I have been talking about our plans to do another home improvement around the house. We are even thinking about getting a loan to help us with our project. One of the things that we wants done is to find out more about home automation to secure out house and give him peace of mind. Even though we live in a relatively quite and peaceful development it still worries him when he leaves me home alone with the kids or whenever we are out for many hours. As a police officer I can't blame my husband for worrying about us. I do my part in showing him that I am more than capable of staying home and keeping our kids safe. I always make it a point to check all the doors and windows before I go to sleep and make sure that the smoke alarm is working. The other project we really want done is getting out basement finished. In a couple of days we will start hauling out all the boxes and weeding out the junk we have in the basement. I am not so looking forward to doing that, lol. But, that is the price you pay for owning a house and making it more homey and functional for the family.

WHO WILL SHED FIRST?

Its already May and I have yet to start getting in shape. Summer is fast approaching and by no means am I ready to wear a bikini when our pool is going to be opened. I haven't even bought new short. To me it was useless buying one when my thighs still look flabby and full of cellulite. Sure, I have tried going on a diet but I could not stick to it. There is a very valid reason why I was afraid to go on a strict diet and exercise daily. If it wasn't for the reason I would have already gotten hold of hydroxycut to help loose some weight and get rid of excess fat. I also wanted to wait until my husband was more mobile and more energetic before we start on our promise to start eating healthy and exercising. We even talked about buying a bicycle so we can take our kids to a big park and just ride our bike. Once it steadily gets warm we plan on taking walks. Ralph is even commissioning his nephew to come down and help us get our elliptical upstairs in the spare bedroom. Once we get everything situated we made a pact to motivate each other into getting in shape. Who will start loosing the excess fat? Me or my husband?

TOP DOWN

One of the few very warm days that we had. Ralph had gotten an all clear to drive from his surgery. I forgot what day this was taken but it was just a warm sunny day. The kids were out almost all day playing either in the front of back yard. My kids had so much fun running around and burning off the excess energy of being a kid. I had promise them that I would treat them to Rita's Water Ice if they behaved and they did. Ralph hasn't driven his Mustang in a few weeks. He has been waiting for just the right weather drive his Mustang convertible with the top down. The day was just perfect so we took the girls for a short ride in the convertible to see how they liked it. You can tell that they had so much fun, the were just giggling and laughing away. It was a perfect day for a ride and a taste of water ice.

SWITCHING CLOTHES

I can't believe that winter is already over and Spring is well on its way. I should know, I am currently suffering from Spring allergy. All I do is sneeze, blow my nose and itch my eyes. Due to my spring allergy I have postponed doing my spring cleaning. I am looking forward to switching the kids wardrobe from winter to Spring/Summer. With the weather being so nice and warm my youngest has even started wearing short sleeved shirts and shorts. Our oldest is currently on Spring Break with her mom in Maryland. We have yet to go clothes shopping for her. She is growing like a weed. With my kids so active they will be out more and more playing in the backyard, that means we will have to buy Kayla lots of t shirts,and shorts. Kaitlyn got all her sister's hand me downs so she is good to go for Spring/Summer clothes. As for me, I also need to weed out clothes that no longer fit me. Hopefully my Spring allergy won't be as bad as it was last year. If not, I'll have to rely on medication to help me with the symptoms.