We hope she continues to pursue this interest. She is actually pretty good!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Alia and her violin
Alia decided about a year ago that she wanted to learn how to play the violin. Basically, the idea came from her favorite show, The Fresh Beat Band, which, we happened to go see in concert earlier this year. She's been playing for about one year now, and does very well. She participated in a mini-concert at the school where she takes the lesson. Ms. Marcee, her teacher does a great job of making the learning of a new instrument great fun. Alia looks forward to her weekly class and Ms. Marcee even mentioned she's learning very rapidly and really well.
We hope she continues to pursue this interest. She is actually pretty good!
We hope she continues to pursue this interest. She is actually pretty good!
Father's Day!
Just so my husband doesn't complain that Father's Day goes unmentioned, we DID have a Father's Day celebration. The older girls prepared a manly breakfast for him and we gave him the best gift of all. SLEEP!!!!!
Here are a few pics of that day.
Here are a few pics of that day.
Summer 2012
This summer we went to Virginia again, by car. I guess I must be a masochist...
It actually went very well. I keep my expectations low and realistic, and I wasn't disappointed. We break up the trip by stopping in Savannah on our way to and from. It's basically an 8 hour drive the first day, and about a 10 hr. drive the next. We stop about every 4 hours, depending on the condition of the divas. Anel hates the car trip but loves it when we get there. Alia and the twins do very well. Their notion of time is different, so they are not so frustrated when I announce, "Only 10 hours to go!"
We visited our friends and former neighbors and enjoyed our time. We were there approximately 10 days. A visit to Georgetown Cupcakes is always in our agenda. We also had dinner with the Ashurkoffs a couple of times and with the Darrs. I got to see my friends Lori, Veronica, Jen and their beautiful families.
On our way back, we stopped in Gainesville to spend time with my sister and Tony and picked up Ciara, who usually spends a good part of the summer with us.
It was a good trip, although mentally I really wasn't there. My mind kept going to my sister and Tony.
It actually went very well. I keep my expectations low and realistic, and I wasn't disappointed. We break up the trip by stopping in Savannah on our way to and from. It's basically an 8 hour drive the first day, and about a 10 hr. drive the next. We stop about every 4 hours, depending on the condition of the divas. Anel hates the car trip but loves it when we get there. Alia and the twins do very well. Their notion of time is different, so they are not so frustrated when I announce, "Only 10 hours to go!"
We visited our friends and former neighbors and enjoyed our time. We were there approximately 10 days. A visit to Georgetown Cupcakes is always in our agenda. We also had dinner with the Ashurkoffs a couple of times and with the Darrs. I got to see my friends Lori, Veronica, Jen and their beautiful families.
On our way back, we stopped in Gainesville to spend time with my sister and Tony and picked up Ciara, who usually spends a good part of the summer with us.
It was a good trip, although mentally I really wasn't there. My mind kept going to my sister and Tony.
Outside Georgetown Cupcakes
Enjoying lunch at the American Girl store
Jen, myself and the twins
With Marina at the movies
With the Finamore's, eight kids between both families!
Backtracking to Mother's Day 2012
Sticking to my plan, I've decided to backtrack and just retell (mostly for my memory's sake) this year's events. So we go back to Mother's Day. This year we celebrated at Olive's Garden. The whole crew was there, except my sister Emoy, of course, and we had a great time. I think we should celebrate Mother's Day everyday! Don't you think so?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Out of our routine and into a rough road...
You know how I've said in the past that I thrive in routine... I'm a control freak. I bask in rituals and repetitions. Boring is good for me...
Well, since my last post, boring would not be the correct adjective to describe the experiences our family has been through. More like heartbreaking, difficult, unbelievable and devastating...
Three days following my last post, my brother-in-law, Tony, received the call he had been waiting for for the last 9 months. A new heart was awaiting him in Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Tony suffered from cardiomyopathy and although he lived a full life for roughly 12 years with this condition, it was inevitable that he would need a heart transplant. Filled with optimism, hope and gratitude, Tony received his heart on May 3rd, in what seemed to be an uneventful transplant.
Upon visiting him just roughly 24 hours after the procedure, my husband, mom and nephew who accompanied me to Shands, could hardly believe our eyes. Tony looked amazing! I kept saying and thinking how it seemed he had undergone a Tonsillectomy, not a heart transplant!
For the next few days, Tony seemed to be recovering nicely, albeit some minor common issues like tiredness, shortness of breath, etc... However, the day before Mother's Day, he just didn't feel well. Already home, I communicated with my sister who informed me that he just didn't look right...
Sparing all of you and myself with the heartbreaking details, Tony basically underwent a series of cardiac arrests, multiple infections, liver and kidney damage, a spleenectomy, probably hundreds of blood transfusions, medications, interventions, etc... for roughly 9 weeks. It was a hard, grueling nine weeks. Throughout this time, my sister kept a faith-filled vigil by his side. Family members and friends came and went, including myself. But my sister remained bedside. With determined faith-filled prayer and acceptance, she continually asked Christ for strength and fortitude to help her confront each unpredictable moment. Christ never fails. And that's exactly what He did. On July 12th, Tony's body could not withstand any further and he passed on. And my sister displayed the most strength, faith and acceptance in these circumstances than I've ever witnessed in another human being. I'm humbled by her.
Trying to recount the last 2+ months in details would be impossible. So I will just say this. Grief is not a state, it's a process. It's processed by individuals in different forms. There is no right way to grieve. However, it can be all-consuming. It can devastate you and it can tear your world to pieces.
Tony's passing has affected me and my family in ways that only those who have loved and lost someone, fairly young, can relate. It rips your heart out. It shakes you to your core. It literally takes your breath away. But those of us who live a faith filled life and who have a support system seem to fare a bit better. I see it in my sister. She's a living example of it. You've got to grieve, yell, scream, cry, hurt or even punch a wall. And one day, one day, I hope, that her, and all of those who have lost a loved one, learn to "dance" again, even if it's with the "limp" that their loved one's departing has left in their hearts. With God and love, all things are possible.
Tony, we promise you, to hold on to the memories we created and laugh at the fun times we shared. You are missed.
Well, since my last post, boring would not be the correct adjective to describe the experiences our family has been through. More like heartbreaking, difficult, unbelievable and devastating...
Three days following my last post, my brother-in-law, Tony, received the call he had been waiting for for the last 9 months. A new heart was awaiting him in Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Tony suffered from cardiomyopathy and although he lived a full life for roughly 12 years with this condition, it was inevitable that he would need a heart transplant. Filled with optimism, hope and gratitude, Tony received his heart on May 3rd, in what seemed to be an uneventful transplant.
Upon visiting him just roughly 24 hours after the procedure, my husband, mom and nephew who accompanied me to Shands, could hardly believe our eyes. Tony looked amazing! I kept saying and thinking how it seemed he had undergone a Tonsillectomy, not a heart transplant!
For the next few days, Tony seemed to be recovering nicely, albeit some minor common issues like tiredness, shortness of breath, etc... However, the day before Mother's Day, he just didn't feel well. Already home, I communicated with my sister who informed me that he just didn't look right...
Sparing all of you and myself with the heartbreaking details, Tony basically underwent a series of cardiac arrests, multiple infections, liver and kidney damage, a spleenectomy, probably hundreds of blood transfusions, medications, interventions, etc... for roughly 9 weeks. It was a hard, grueling nine weeks. Throughout this time, my sister kept a faith-filled vigil by his side. Family members and friends came and went, including myself. But my sister remained bedside. With determined faith-filled prayer and acceptance, she continually asked Christ for strength and fortitude to help her confront each unpredictable moment. Christ never fails. And that's exactly what He did. On July 12th, Tony's body could not withstand any further and he passed on. And my sister displayed the most strength, faith and acceptance in these circumstances than I've ever witnessed in another human being. I'm humbled by her.
Trying to recount the last 2+ months in details would be impossible. So I will just say this. Grief is not a state, it's a process. It's processed by individuals in different forms. There is no right way to grieve. However, it can be all-consuming. It can devastate you and it can tear your world to pieces.
Tony's passing has affected me and my family in ways that only those who have loved and lost someone, fairly young, can relate. It rips your heart out. It shakes you to your core. It literally takes your breath away. But those of us who live a faith filled life and who have a support system seem to fare a bit better. I see it in my sister. She's a living example of it. You've got to grieve, yell, scream, cry, hurt or even punch a wall. And one day, one day, I hope, that her, and all of those who have lost a loved one, learn to "dance" again, even if it's with the "limp" that their loved one's departing has left in their hearts. With God and love, all things are possible.
Tony, we promise you, to hold on to the memories we created and laugh at the fun times we shared. You are missed.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Chugging along....
At least I didn't wait 3 months, only 1 month to blog!
Things are going well. Hard to believe it will be May tomorrow. We are counting down till summer. Obviously, it always seems like it's summer in Florida, but truly, it's not. Our 'winters' are sometimes a bit too cold for the pool, so we really look forward to summer. In the summer, we just hang out! I love the fact that there's not much of a routine. I was thinking this summer we would tackle a bit more crafts than we usually do. I told Anel that we should try and do a craft a week. Alia is at that age when you can actually do a craft with her and enjoy it! This will of course, take place while the twins nap. I am so NOT a crafty person. I wish I had the patience of my sister, who can spend hours doing crafts. But I get desperate and impatient. Maybe a lesson in patience that I need to learn....
Anyhow, I am looking forward to our annual family trip in July. This time we are going to Anna Maria Island. We have never been there, so it should be interesting.
A bit before that is Anel's birthday, which we seem to celebrate the entire month of July. Last year we started a new tradition for her birthday. Instead of celebrating with a birthday party, we go away for a 'girls' weekend. She picks a location and we just make it a beach girls weekend. Last year we went to Deerfield Beach with my sister and my niece and had an absolutely wonderful time. This time I am pushing for the Marriott in Harbor Beach. We'll see if that happens.
We will be celebrating Mother's Day by going out to dinner with the family. This is another tradition that we started a few years back. We felt that by going out to dinner, no "mom" is obligated to carry the work of hosting it. It has worked out very well, and I am really looking forward to it.
Here's wishing all the Mom's out there a blessed day. My mission in life is simple- to love unconditionally and hope that my children make life choices that reflect who we are as a family and as individuals. Easier said than done.
Regardless, I am blessed.
Last year's Mother's Day lunch at El Novillo. May 2011
Things are going well. Hard to believe it will be May tomorrow. We are counting down till summer. Obviously, it always seems like it's summer in Florida, but truly, it's not. Our 'winters' are sometimes a bit too cold for the pool, so we really look forward to summer. In the summer, we just hang out! I love the fact that there's not much of a routine. I was thinking this summer we would tackle a bit more crafts than we usually do. I told Anel that we should try and do a craft a week. Alia is at that age when you can actually do a craft with her and enjoy it! This will of course, take place while the twins nap. I am so NOT a crafty person. I wish I had the patience of my sister, who can spend hours doing crafts. But I get desperate and impatient. Maybe a lesson in patience that I need to learn....
Anyhow, I am looking forward to our annual family trip in July. This time we are going to Anna Maria Island. We have never been there, so it should be interesting.
A bit before that is Anel's birthday, which we seem to celebrate the entire month of July. Last year we started a new tradition for her birthday. Instead of celebrating with a birthday party, we go away for a 'girls' weekend. She picks a location and we just make it a beach girls weekend. Last year we went to Deerfield Beach with my sister and my niece and had an absolutely wonderful time. This time I am pushing for the Marriott in Harbor Beach. We'll see if that happens.
We will be celebrating Mother's Day by going out to dinner with the family. This is another tradition that we started a few years back. We felt that by going out to dinner, no "mom" is obligated to carry the work of hosting it. It has worked out very well, and I am really looking forward to it.
Here's wishing all the Mom's out there a blessed day. My mission in life is simple- to love unconditionally and hope that my children make life choices that reflect who we are as a family and as individuals. Easier said than done.
Regardless, I am blessed.
Last year's Mother's Day lunch at El Novillo. May 2011
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Milestones
I intended for this blog to be a weekly chronicle of our lives, so that one day my daughters would be able to look back at where we were and what we did. Shame on me. I last blogged in December. I'll try to do a better job!
So, where have we been since? Or what has happened? We celebrated the holidays much like we do every year, counting our blessings and eating till our bellies nearly burst. Don't you just love that time of year? We gather with our loved ones, reflecting on the year past and planning for the year ahead. It was, as always, a great time in our home. And for that, we are so thankful!
On to 2012, we started in January by celebrating Herman's 50th Birthday! When we met, Herman was 32, a "baby" I guess, although being 8 years older than me, I always thought of him as "older" when we met. We had a low key dinner at home, that's what he wanted, not too surprised there. Then comes February, a busy month for us. Alia, Ania and Aila have birthdays. We celebrated Alia's birthday with a gathering of her school friends at home, and then we celebrated the twins and Alia at home the following week. Then we celebrated my Mom's 79th birthday, at IHOP, since this is her favorite "American" restaurant, she tells me. We gathered a bunch of her "girlfriends" mostly, family and had a nice lunch. Then we went crazy and went to Sea World for President's Day weekend. The crowds were crazy, but the girls had fun. And since we now have yearly passes, I assure you we will visit again soon. I tell you, busy is an understatement.
As I wrote in the previous post, the twins turned 3, and three is big for us. I am happy to say, they are "toilet trained!" Having bought $100 worth of diapers for the last three years every time I step foot in Costco, I am thrilled to say those days are behind us. Mind you, I hang out with a cute Dora potty chair in the trunk of my SUV, but that's okay. I can deal with that. So now the talking. Boy, can they talk. Aila has always followed Ania's lead, she seems to be the "leader" and I can say that they are now both very verbal. They really do imitate each other all day and repeat each other's words. As I've said before, it's great to see the connection they share. Although they fight, physically, they still love each other very much! We are so blessed to have them.
Anel is doing very well in middle school. She recently made it to Principal's Honor Roll, which means she got straight A's in all subjects this semester. That is quite an accomplishment, and we are beaming with joy. Middle school is a very different ball game. She gives up time during her weekends to catch up on work that she feels she needs to review, like Mathematics or Literature. I tell her, if it was easy, everyone would make it to Honor Roll right? That's just the way it is. Wait till she gets to high school and college.
Alia is doing well in 1st grade, although she has had her rough spots here and there in terms of conduct. I have bribed her with a "Mystery Bag" - if she doesn't change her behavior card for three days, she gets a treat from the bag. It has worked for the most part. Alia makes parenting the equivalent of going in for a root canal, or setting your hair on fire. Enough said.
Herman continues to travel extensively which is great for our Marriott Rewards Points, but not so great for my sanity. But I've learned to deal with it, and with the help of good friends who help me taking and bringing the girls to school, I've been able to manage.
I hope to update this blog much more regularly from here on out.
Thanks for reading up to this point, and here's hoping I blog some more this week, because, I am blessed!
So, where have we been since? Or what has happened? We celebrated the holidays much like we do every year, counting our blessings and eating till our bellies nearly burst. Don't you just love that time of year? We gather with our loved ones, reflecting on the year past and planning for the year ahead. It was, as always, a great time in our home. And for that, we are so thankful!
 |
| My sister Emoy's gift to Herman! |
 |
| Twins turn 3! |
 |
| Alia turns 7! |
 |
| Twins and Alia's Birthday! |
 |
| Mom's 79th Birthday! |
 |
| The girls and Ciara their cousin at Sea World! |
 |
| Daddy and his girls! |
 |
| Twins looking cute on Valentine's Day! |
As I wrote in the previous post, the twins turned 3, and three is big for us. I am happy to say, they are "toilet trained!" Having bought $100 worth of diapers for the last three years every time I step foot in Costco, I am thrilled to say those days are behind us. Mind you, I hang out with a cute Dora potty chair in the trunk of my SUV, but that's okay. I can deal with that. So now the talking. Boy, can they talk. Aila has always followed Ania's lead, she seems to be the "leader" and I can say that they are now both very verbal. They really do imitate each other all day and repeat each other's words. As I've said before, it's great to see the connection they share. Although they fight, physically, they still love each other very much! We are so blessed to have them.
Anel is doing very well in middle school. She recently made it to Principal's Honor Roll, which means she got straight A's in all subjects this semester. That is quite an accomplishment, and we are beaming with joy. Middle school is a very different ball game. She gives up time during her weekends to catch up on work that she feels she needs to review, like Mathematics or Literature. I tell her, if it was easy, everyone would make it to Honor Roll right? That's just the way it is. Wait till she gets to high school and college.
Alia is doing well in 1st grade, although she has had her rough spots here and there in terms of conduct. I have bribed her with a "Mystery Bag" - if she doesn't change her behavior card for three days, she gets a treat from the bag. It has worked for the most part. Alia makes parenting the equivalent of going in for a root canal, or setting your hair on fire. Enough said.
Herman continues to travel extensively which is great for our Marriott Rewards Points, but not so great for my sanity. But I've learned to deal with it, and with the help of good friends who help me taking and bringing the girls to school, I've been able to manage.
I hope to update this blog much more regularly from here on out.
Thanks for reading up to this point, and here's hoping I blog some more this week, because, I am blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)