Still catching up....

I'm still trying to play catch up with everything that has happened in our lives last year.  And I know I've told you all about the cruise and Zach getting a new car.  However, I forgot to mention that right after we got back from our cruise that Ron's boss (Dan at IntegraSys IT) decided that he wanted to make Ron permanent but he was taking a loss from a big client and decided he would have to pass the loss on to Ron and offer him $10,000 less a year than what he was currently paying!! Well, that didn't go over to well and Ron declined the offer because he knew his family couldn't make ends meet with the lesser amount.  So Ron was out of work for about a month and a half!  November 18th, Ron took a job with Empire Petroleum and he's liking it pretty good and it's paying $5.00 more an hour than Dan was paying him!! GOD is SOOOO GOOD!!  He likes the job and is actually expanding his knowledge with the company!  

We managed to make it through the holidays - spending the holidays with family, enjoying being with our loved ones and making new memories!  I took a part time seasonal job at Target to help us get through the holidays!  It was close to home and not hard work, plus I could still be home with Zane and only work 1 or 2 evenings during the week and a few hours on Saturday.  It really helped out and getting the discount at Target also came in handy for buying Christmas presents!  

Zane played Joseph in the church Christmas play!  And he did so good...and yes, I am partial, but I'm his mom, I'm supposed to be partial!! :) 

We are glad the holidays are over and a new year has begun!  A new year is like a fresh new page...waiting to be written with the choices we make in our lives.  I want to make sure that in this new year I make good choices and allow God to lead me to the place He wants me to be!  Hope you do the same for your life!! Until next time...

His dreams come true...

As promised, I'm back to let you know about more events in our life.  Not that they are earth changing but events, nonetheless!!  So Zach ended up not going to SMU and was disappointed to say the least.  Due to finances, there was no possible way for him to attend SMU for 4 years without racking up some considerable student loans, so he opted for something else more economical!  He is going to community college and doing most of it online...and he was happy with the fact that he could still do college yet stay in his pajamas!!  He still plans on attending SMU but after he completes 2 years at the community college.  It will definitely be more feasible!  BUT, on October 8, 2013, one of his dreams did come true!!

He got his very own brand new 2014 Ford Mustang!  The color is Grabber Blue and absolutely makes Zach a very happy camper!!  He is like a kid with a new toy....and that's actually how it is...it's his new toy!  We are so happy that we could help him, but he will be making the payments and I am very proud of him for that!  He is a hard worker and very smart and I'm so glad that he could achieve one of his dreams...SMU will have to wait but I know that with hard work and diligence, he will make it there too!!  Way to go, Zach!!

New Year...New Start!

So it's a new year and once again I find myself saying that I want to get better with my blogging...even if just for me!  I want to document special occasions that happen in my family life.  Also, maybe just even talk about some of the "boring things" in our life.  But I guess more importantly, I want to have something for my family to reflect on and remember the little and big events in our life one day should I get older and forget; however, since I'm not getting older, the forgetting part really shouldn't be a problem! *wink, wink* Ok...ok...enough of that!
Since my last blog, Zane turned 11 years old!  Happy Birthday, Zane!

He has grown so much and is almost as tall as me!!  He is so much fun for our family and we laugh all the time at the crazy things that he says!  We are truly blessed that he is a part of our family!!
As for my last blog, I ended telling you that our family was going on a cruise!  Well, it ended up that we left on September 3rd, 2013 (Zane's birthday) and headed to Florida!  We got there around noon time the next day.  We stayed at a hotel for 2 nights in Lake Buena Vista.  On Thursday, we spent the day at Epcot and just took our time enjoying ourselves!  Friday, we spent about half of the day at Magic Kingdom and visited about half of the park.  We finished early so we could rest up for the big day on Saturday!  We got up bright and early Saturday, September 7, 2013, and left for Port Canaveral to get aboard our Disney Fantasy Cruise ship!  We were ready for our 8 day and 7 night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean!  And the first thing we did when we got on the ship....EAT!!!

And as you can see from Zane's plate, he found the shrimp!! And so did Nana!! They both love shrimp and they were eating like it was going out of style!!  But not one of us went away from that lunch buffet hungry!  It was just an awesome beginning to an awesome week ahead!  So we left the port around 5 p.m. and headed off to the deep blue yonder!!  Sunday and Monday we were out at sea and took that time to explore the boat and go to the nightly shows. On Tuesday, we pulled into the port at St. Maarten, U.S. Virgin Island!  It was a day to explore the town and play on the beach!  And we enjoyed both!

As you can see, the water was an amazingly beautiful color!  We also decided to rent a jet ski, especially since the boys were begging to ride one!  Zane and I rode for about 10 minutes and decided it was time for us to let Zach play.  Besides, with two people on it, it felt like we were about to fall off at every little turn!  So Zach took over and rode it for about 30 or 40 minutes and he had a blast!! He even managed to flip himself off and had to swim back to the jet ski to get back on!  Imagine doing that in the ocean with the waves...needless to say, he said it wasn't an easy task!!

 And since we were in the Caribbean, we had to celebrate it true Pirate of the Caribbean fashion!! It was also pirate day!  All the crew members were dressed like pirates at dinner and even the menu was a 'seafaring' menu!  That night there was a live pirate show on the top deck with even real fireworks shot out over the boat!!  IT WAS AMAZING!!  Also, there was a late night buffet that had smoked turkey legs! It was a really awesome day!

 The next day, Wednesday, we arrived in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island!  We decided to take a tour of the town and see the area.  We had an really great tour guide that showed us all the awesome spots on the island.

The island of St. Thomas was a much busier island than St. Maarten.  It also had the famous Magens Bay and we were wanting to go to the bay to swim but it was looking overcast after our tour and we we decided by the time we got back to our ship and then took the ferry over to the bay, we wouldn't have had time to swim.  But at least we did get to see it and it was absolutely beautiful!!   

And of course, it wouldn't be a Disney cruise without Disney characters...

Phineas and Ferb, along with Woody are definitely some of Zane and Zach's favorite Disney characters!

Thursday was spent at sea and we took the day to relax and enjoy the cruise ship! And it was also "dress-up" night! 

 And nothing doing, Zane just HAD to HAVE the Mickey gloves!  So, he got them! :)

But Friday, we docked bright and early at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island!  We rented a paddle boat and took it around the cove for a few minutes....or at least until Zach and Ron tired out from paddling!! We enjoyed the water and also went down the slides that were out in the ocean a little ways - you had to swim out to it!  And they served lunch on the island as well, and it was a barbecue and hamburger kind of day!  Zane got kissed by a jellyfish...at least that is what he calls it!  And we had to visit the nurses' station, but they just put a warm cloth on it for about 10 minutes and he was all good again!  Then the day ended with us leaving the island around 6 p.m.  It was a sad departure because we knew that when we awoke the next morning that we would be back at Port Canaveral and it would be time to get off the boat!  But overall, it was an amazing cruise and I'm so thankful that we got to go on it and enjoy lots of family time together!  

And Saturday morning came all too soon, we had breakfast on the cruise ship around 6 a.m., too early for us, and we were off the ship by around 8 a.m.  We got back to Lake Buena Vista and had lunch and decided to head to Magic Kingdom to finish up the park...and that's exactly what we did!  We watched the fireworks that night and we were exhausted by the time we got back to our room around 11 p.m.  Sunday, we went to Disney MGM Studios and had a really amazing day!  Zane and Zachary really enjoyed all the Star Wars rides and exhibits!  Zane even participated in a Jedi Training Program and he LOVED it!! 

Fighting Dart Vader is every young padawan's dream...and he became a Jedi!! (At least that was what the certificate said!)  Monday, September 16, 2013, we went to Animal Kingdom and rode/saw the attractions we wanted to see by 5 p.m. and we headed back to the hotel.  We then went to Downtown Disney and walked around for a while but we managed to get back to the room before it was really late because we knew we would need to rest for our trip home the next day!  Tuesday morning we headed out for Texas!! We stopped for dinner in Foley, Alabama to visit Lambert's, the home of the thrown rolls! And it was a great meal!  We had a few delays with bad weather and freeway's shut down, but we managed to make it home around 4 a.m.!  We were exhausted but had an amazing vacation, with much thanks to Momma & Roy (Nana & Poppa Roy)!!  

Then Thursday, September 19, 2013, Zachary turned 18!!  Yikes! I can't believe it myself! My baby is officially an Adult!  (Well, by the law, at least!) Happy Birthday, Zach!

It's been a wild ride getting to 18 but I'm very proud of the young man he's becoming!  He is very smart and a very hard worker!  I can't wait to see what the next 18 years hold for him!  

Well, that's just an update on the amazing vacation we were so very blessed with from my parents!  We had a great time seeing Momma, Roy and Zane enjoy their first cruise!  We even celebrated the boy's birthdays while on the ship!  We just can't say enough about how much we enjoyed it...but, if it tells you anything, everyone is ready to go again!  

Hope you enjoyed our trip with us!  I will catch up on more later!! 

Yeah....I'm slow once again!!

So I know the last time I posted that I promised, with "scout's honor", that I wouldn't wait so long to post....but technically since I'm a girl and not a "scout", I really didn't lie?!?!  Well, for whatever it's worth, I'm sorry it's been so long but life really does get busy and to just sit down and write about what's going on seems to be something else that just keeps me busy so therefore I don't always find the time to do it!!  Yes, it's a vicious cycle and hopefully, I can break it soon!!  LOL  HEY...we can always hope!!
Zane did really well being home schooled for his 4th grade year...but if you ask him, he would probably say that I was a "mean teacher"!!  LOL  Oh well, I know he is very smart and can do better than what he tries to get away with.  However, I know he will agree about one thing...he likes being able to wake up later and doing school in pj's, if he wants!!  But he really did do good and what he seemed to be lacking in math, due to being out sick so much, he quickly made up for it!  In fact, he did so well, we decided to home school him for his 5th grade year!  Just pray for me and my sanity!!

Zane also got the Holy Ghost in October and was baptized!  What a joyous occasion that was to see my baby get the Holy Ghost!!  "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" 3 John 1:4  This is the best accomplishment EVER!  Just to know that he's walking after God is my greatest desire for his life!!

Zach's senior year was just a passing blur now that I'm looking back on it!  He ended up quitting his job around Thanksgiving, after us urging him to do so because of the treatment he was getting from the owners!  He didn't work during the holidays but found a job in January at Taco Cabana in Rockwall, and he's still there!  He loves it!  He was accepted to SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas!  He wants to major in Civil Engineering and minor in Mechanical Engineering!  He also plans to live at home and take the DART rail.  The new DART station opened in Rowlett and we only live about 3 miles from it and it would drop him off right across the freeway from SMU and he would just take the bus across to the campus.  But most of all, Zach wants God's will in his life so whatever God has planned for him will be the best thing he could ever hope to accomplish!  Well, his senior finished with him graduating 86 out of 601 students, putting him in the top 15% of his class!! He had 30.5 credits even though it only took 24 to graduate!  He also had a 3.81 GPA....Yep, to say the least, I'm one proud Momma!!

His graduation party was at the church and we really had a great time celebrating his accomplishments with all the family and friends that attended!

He's doing great just working over the summer and enjoying going to senior camp in Lufkin and also to Louisville, Kentucky for NAYC with the youth of our church!  Fall will start a new season in his life and we can't wait to see what all he will accomplish!

As for Ron, he started to work at IntegraSys IT in March 2013 and is working temporary full-time until September when he will have the opportunity to go full-time with that company.  He enjoyed his 10 months of not working but it was a time spent looking for jobs that obviously wasn't what God had for him or he would have had a job sooner.  God knows best and He never failed us and provided for us during Ron's time of unemployment!  For that, we are truly thankful!!  

I'm continuing to stay home with Zane so that I can home school him until we decide that it's time for him to go back to school.  Not sure when that will be, maybe sooner if my patience doesn't kick in soon!! LOL  At the current time, we are preparing for our vacation on a Disney Cruise that was paid for by my parents!  All 4 of us plus my Mom and Roy will be going on the cruise and we are soooo looking forward to that!!  I will have to post some pictures from that when we get back!  

Well that's a quick synopsis of whats been going on with us...hopefully, I will post again soon to keep you all updated...or who knows?  Maybe to tell some more of what you missed out on!!  Thanks for reading!! 

Holy Moley...Where has time gone??

WOW..that is all I can say to describe last year, well, maybe a few more...like I'm kinda, sorta glad it's over.  But I still don't know where it went to?  Oh well, it's gone and never to return but I know that being busy the last few months of the year sure made it go faster too!  With me starting a full-time temporary job, it's kept me running like a crazy person.  But I will try to give you a quick run down of what caused the end of 2011 to pass so quickly for us!
Right after my last post, Zane became sick, in fact, he became very sick and ended up in the hospital for 4 days with double pneumonia!!  He missed 2 weeks of school and after 3 types of antibiotics, he finally got over it.  It was a rough 2 weeks for us, to say the least!  After that I came down with pneumonia, or at least the Doctor treated me for it, and said I would have to take an x-ray to be sure but I ended up with, what I think was, a cracked rib from the extreme coughing!!  Let's just say I was glad when November was OVER!
December, January and most of February came and went so fast, it's now all a blur!  I only worked for the temp agency until January of this year and decided to find a more permanent position.  In February, I took a part-time position as an Administrative Assistant.  However, on March 19th I was on my way to work and was rear-ended by another car.  It caused some disc damage to my back and I was having some pretty severe pain.  (By the way, the x-rays taken for checking my back, showed I did crack my rib!)  After a few shots, thankfully, I am much better and definitely back on the road to complete recovery!
April 5th was a pretty devastating day for us....Ron lost his job that he had for 14 years and 10 months!  However, he was still employed with them until June 10th and receiving his regular salary but had a 2 month vacation!  I think he enjoyed that!! At the current time, he is still looking for a job but we want it to be God's will for the position he gets, and we know that God will provide!  He's never failed us!
Zachary finished his Junior year and found a job at a little barbecue place just a few minutes from home.  His first day was on April 13th...and yes, it was a Friday.  The part that made it truly a Friday the 13th was when he called me at 7ish that morning and said he had been involved in a wreck!!  Thankfully, he was fine with some damage to his truck and very minor damage to the school bus he hit....yes, you read that right, a school bus.  The bus was empty, other than the driver and monitor and Zachary was somewhat upset but he survived and I think he now realizes that the bus is definitely bigger than his truck!!
Zane finished 3rd grade but after missing over 20 days due to sickness during the school year.  We made the decision to home school for 4th grade, hopefully to prevent any major sickness again with him!  He's growing like a weed and almost skipped size 10 clothing without blinking an eye!!
Well this has been somewhat short and and to the point but I promise (scouts honor) I won't wait as long to post again!!

Relay for Life...

This year Zachary and I participated in Relay for Life through the National Spanish Honor Society at his high school.  Relay for Life, you ask?  What's that?  It is a fundraiser that benefits cancer research through the American Cancer Society.  It is a way to give back on behalf of anyone who's ever been affected by cancer, be it a death to cancer or a survivor, it could be a close family member or just a good friend.  In one way or another, most of us have been affected by cancer at some time in our lives.  We have.  We lost our Memaw last year to cancer and other complications.  But there is some good news, we have an Aunt that survived breast cancer and lymphoma, and is still doing great!  Yet, until we participated in Relay for Life we never really knew nor saw just how many people are truly affected each year by cancer.  It was just astounding to see the latest cancer survivors take the first lap around the track and to watch all the people on the sidelines cheering them on!  The relay walking also takes place at night because it is showing that cancer never sleeps so we must continue to keep walking on through the night and continue the fight against cancer.  But even though it was for a noble cause we still had fun as you can see in the pictures.  Zachary stayed all night but I left him with his team mates and teacher, I wasn't brave enough to try it all night...maybe next year!  Yes, I said next year because I want my whole family to be involved next year and to help in the fight against cancer.  If the research even helps just one person, it would be worth it!  

Have wheels, will travel!

So many changes are happening in our lives every single day!  In just 2 days, both of my boys became even more independent than ever.  Yes, they mastered their own set of wheels!  Well...in a way, they did.  Zachary took the driving part of his driving test on Monday, October the 3^rd and just as we expected him to, he passed and is now a legally licensed driver.  It is a somewhat scary thought for me...knowing my son will be driving on the road by himself with all the crazy drivers out there!  Sounds like I will be praying even more and possibly acquiring more grey hairs, I would prefer the first over the latter!  Then on the very next day, Tuesday, October the 2^nd, Zane learned to ride his bike!!  It was rather interesting in how that came about too.  For the past year or so, we had been trying to help Zane learn to ride his bike with the training wheels and learn to balance using them.  But needless to say, it just didn’t happen!  He didn’t like the way he leaned on the training wheels and usually ended up falling over, getting upset, and then finally quitting until the next time.  Well, we were getting ready to go camping and I told him to try it again so that he could take it camping with us if he learned, but he didn’t want try it.  So, I asked him if he wanted me to take off the training wheels and I could try to help him ride it that way.  And to my surprise, he actually said yes!  Off came the wheels and I walked with Zane to the alley, on he got and I gave him a steadying push and he took off riding like he had been riding his whole life!!  My chin about hit the ground because I couldn't believe my eyes...and I think it surprised Zane as well.  Needless to say, the training wheels should have come off a long time ago...but better late than never!  As you can see, both of them are just as proud as they can be...and to be honest, so am I!!