The many days of Christmas . . . .

What a Blessed Christmas!

Hope everyone had a great Holiday. Ours was great, I feel very blessed. My brother and I made amends. After 2 years of not really speaking it was a nice feeling to see them again. Maybe a little awkward, but still worth it. I didn't realize how many people in my family read my blog until I posted the one on Thanksgiving day, maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I felt relieved after I wrote it, but it started alot of anger, which promtped me to talk to him and try to mend things. I asked his forgiveness, and from the Lord, for not having a forgiving heart. I think we both grew and changed over the 2 years neither of us realized until now.

Anyway, the Ruiz household voted on the coolest toy received in 2008, and the winner is. . . .

(Check the video at the bottom)

ICoaster. Very cool. Nanny and Grandad got it for Aidan, but the whole family has been mesmerized at one point or another--just sitting there watching it over and over! Our dining table is officially half size now, the other half belongs to the ICoaster!

We went to Jeremy's Grandma and Grandpa Renteria's home for Christmas Eve. It was very nice to see his family. If I would have had my video camera out, I could have taped Ely's strip show during the white elephant and won some money! Aidan and Alek met about 6 - 8 cousins around their age they have never really met or spent time with, and they all live in Amarillo. How bad is that!? Love Jerm's grandparents, they are a hoot!

Jerm surprised me with a diamond "journey" necklace set in white gold--it is gorgeous I love it!

I bought him an Ipod dock. You would have thought he received the diamonds :-)

To the friends and family we didn't get to see before or during, much love and blessings to you & yours!

Random Thoughts

Yay! We have had all our decorations up for a week now, and I already have 4 wrapped presents under the tree. I have never been this far along in December. I purchased @ 80% of the gifts on Black Friday, so I am doin' good! And I have actually nailed down most of our plans w/ family and know what I have to make so I won't be shopping 3 days before Christmas--Amazing!! But sadly, I think our poor Santa out front has been wind beaten for the final year. He is barely making it! He will probably retire after this year. And our tree seems to be a bit of a leaning tower this year!

However, what I am most proud of is that I actually got Christmas Cards ordered this year. I have wanted to the past few years, but never had it together enough to get a picture of all of us and order them. AND I talked Slaton into putting on a Santa hat for the picture--I deserve a special ribbon :)

Thanksgiving Day

Well, here I sit. In my soft warm robe. Feet freshly exfoliated and moisturized, wrapped in warm socks. Face freshly masked and moisturized. In a completely quiet house at 2 pm on Thanksgiving. Jealous yet? Don't be!

Aidan was up all night throwing up. Very painful dry heaves every hour until 6 am. He is blissfully asleep now, after a very uncomfortable night. So, here I am alone with my thoughts this holiday--Oh Joy! Sage is hating us in Grapevine, Mary & Gary are torturing Slaton by phone, threatening lawsuits, texting Nathalia trying to break them up, etc. Yes, Mary and her hubby have no life and she is still fixated on ruining Jeremy's life no matter what. She is a sad old bat! Slaton is at his girlfriends House, Alek and Jerm are at his Grandma Tana's, which I was looking forward to this year. We haven't been in a while. I love his grandparents, they are fun to talk with and listen to.

Last year was the first year in my life I haven't looked forward to the holidays. I think I was disillusioned with a lot in my family, and I just couldn't ignore it anymore. It was very hard for me to let myself acknowledge a lot of things to myself--make sense? I had always felt so happy and blessed with so much family to be around and keep special traditions.

This holiday season is a little better, because I have just come to accept it. That's how things are and I was fooling myself to feel otherwise. I love my parents, and they gave me such a great childhood, and have been so giving my whole life. I love my brothers, too. I just have to accept how things are and deal. Which is getting easier this year. I just pull my boys in closer and thank God every day for them, and know how blessed I am no matter what and concentrate on making their holidays great. I want to give them the home and holiday memories and traditions that I had. It makes up so much of who I am. I am so glad Slaton is home, as are the boys and Jerm, of course. I want to see Slaton thrive here in Amarillo and be happy.

I'll quite blathering now. I think I hear a little blondie boy stirring down stairs! I am sure more random thoughts will come into words today, since I have no other distractions. I do feel better right now after writing, though. It is a bit therapeutic.

Thoughts on Slaton & Alek. . . .

Well, Slaton could only take four months of his mother so he is moving back to Amarillo. He should be here today. His "mom", Mary is a sorry sack of #?!@. Pardon my french! She hasn't done one thing for or with her boys in 9 years, and she couldn't even be a decent mom to him for a few weeks. He is very excited to be back. But he isn't moving back with us. Jeremy told him if he came back, he would not be able to move back into our house, but that we would help him out getting into a place, etc. Alek and Aidan are so excited to see him!!!!

On another note, I am not quite sure what to do or think about Alek. Last year he made alternate in the spelling bee. The morning of, he basically had a panic attack in the car when Jeremy was dropping him off, and begged not to have to go to school in case he had to take someones place. The thought of getting up in front of the whole school had him in meltdown mode. He didn't even study or try to do it, I guess spelling comes a bit easy to him, like it did me. Anyway, last nigt during prayers, he actually prayed not to make it into the spelling bee because he didn't want to get up in front of the kids! I mean, there are kids that try for this and don't make it, and he makes it pretty easily but doesn't want to do it. I was shy like that, and I am not sure what to do to get him over it or make it easier or better. I am afraid he is not trying at things for fear of having to perform or compete, and fear of failng. Examples; swim team, spelling bee, wrestling. I want him to excel and be proud of it, not scared of it. What if it spills over into his school work? Spiritual Life? Anyone have any suggestions?

Road Trip

On the way to and from Dumas today, this piece of song stuck in my mind, Holidays are going to be hard for so many people this year. . . . . .

Sometimes it’s in an instant

Sometimes we wait for years

But it comes down to the moment when faith eclipses fear

Your wandering is over The other side is real

You’ve broken through Your mountain

And mercy is revealed

His mercy is revealed,

yeah Yesterday is long Gone ….

Toby Mac, "Suddenly"

Aidan quote of the day

We are in the van. Aidan asks me to roll down a window. I said the side windows don't roll down, are you hot? He replies, "yes." I said okay, and reached to turn down the heater. Then Aidan says, "Not like sexy hot, but regular hot." LOVE THAT BOY!!

Book--The Shack

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to go hear the author of "The Shack". He was in town and had an impromptu luncheon at a church to sign books and speak. My dad gave me the book to read before he read it. Needless to say, I could not put it down! In one day I read it. I had the author sign it to my Dad. Staci went with me. She is a new friend who I met through Amy and we had both loved the book. She is also a new Christian, and so fired up for the Lord--she reminds me of how the fire has dwindled in me and I need to get it going again!

The story of how God worked to put this book out blows my mind. It was really cool to hear that story from the guy who wrote it--not even intending for it to be anything but a story for his children outlining his healing process from years of turmoil and loss. It is hard to explain how the book has such an impact on people. I was sobbing, for joy and sorrow, guilt and hope, begging for forgiveness; it stirred up places in me I didn't know were there. For me, it brought God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit into a whole new light. It also made me look at Creation in a very different way. I am going to give my dad the signed book so he can read it, but I am still buying me a copy because it is something I will want to go back and re-read many times. My Dad and Aunt are going through such a shattering loss with their Mom, (Nano) I hope this book can somehow remind them of the comfort the immense Love of God provides.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."
Proverbs 4:23, NLT

This verse came in my email box yesterday. And I pray for God "to protects our hearts for Him" when the boys & I pray at night. It just scares me how hard this is going to be in this day and age as they grow older. I watched Dr. Phil earlier with Alek because it was about risky teenage behavior. Some new hallucinogenic drug that is legal, the choking game, crack called "cheese" or "strawberry quick" because they want to appeal to younger kids(actuall strawberry quick is added!). The knot in my stomach gets intense thinking about what my boys are going to face in the coming years, I feel so helpless. I felt like Alek talked openly with me and he understood what I wanted to tell him. He is only 10, and I am having to talk with him about drugs and same-sex couples. . . . . can you imagine this conversation with our own parents? Back then they just said it's wrong and don't do it or accept it. Heavin forbid we tell our kids being gay is wrong!!! Uggghhhh, anyway I won't go off, but it is really on my heart how much prayer these generations need to find their way thru all the crap out there that can stomp on their futures.

I also wanted to add I really had fun at "Birthday Club" last night. Thanks Amy & Amanda W. for inviting me in a few years back. I feel blessed to have a group of great Chrisian women I can go hang out with, laugh, and just have a good time! Never really had that before. . . . .

Conversation of the day with Aidan

Today I asked Aidan if he wanted to get married and have kids when grows up or stay not married. He replied, "Well, I don't want my wife to scream." I didn't know if i wanted to hear the answer to my next question but I asked anyway. "Why would your wife scream?". Well, he said, "When wives have babies they have to scream." Sounds logical to me--LOL

Halloween

We invited my Grandma Betty from Dumas to come stay the night with us on Halloween. She was excited. She drove in Friday afternoon and the plan was for her to spend the night, go to Alek's soccer game, let Jerm do her hair, and then she was going to drive back to Dumas. Unfortunately, that DID NOT happen. The first time my Grandma comes for an extended stay with me, I get to tell her first thing Saturday morning that a pumpkin was chunked through her window (not windshield, Dad!). For those of you who know, we have been dealing with several break-ins, thefts, and vandalism of our cars for several years. Well, that was just how I wanted to start her morning here! She ended up having to stay until Monday to get it fixed. Thanks to Uncle Jr. finding all the good places it wasn't way expensive to get it repaired. Jeremy cut and styled her hair--she loved it. Grandma says she rarely gets a cut, she does it herself. She loved it and looked so pretty! Man, the things I take for granted sometimes.

I also got to finally meet my beautiful 2nd cousin Amauriah at Alek's soccer game. We all live in Amarillo, but it took me six months to meet her. Terrible, huh? You did good Ashton, she's precious!

And we can't leave out the costumes, can we??

We had a great time and the boys were thrilled Great Grandma Betty came to visit. Hope she will come again--we'll just park her car in the front of the driveway!

My Fabulously Talented Hubby

Wow, what a whirlwind of a weekend! Jeremy has been traveling doing shows as a platform artist for Fudge products for over a year and this weekend was the first time I have gotten to go with him. He is awesome on stage if I do say so myself! I am very proud of him. I am exhausted just keeping up with Jeremy, Brittni, and April as a bystander--they all worked so hard. It was a great success, though. Saw some cool things, and some not so cool ones, this being the latter!:

I flew to Dallas, and as I was panicking while boarding the plane (hate to fly) I realized the last time I flew anywhere was in 1998, while I was pregnant with Alek--and before 9/11. Crazy, huh? My boys aren't used to being left without both parents for any length of time. We were only gone from Saturday am to Monday pm. Aidan was so upset Monday after school he couldn't even talk to me he was crying so hard. Alek missed me, he just didnt' want to admit it :-) It just made me realize how we never leave them. I can't imagine what would have happened if we would have gone to Jamaica for 7 days with the Lesters when they invited us!!! I guess God knew it would traumatize our kids. But Aidan does really good with Carrie & Bryan. He stayed for 3 days both of jeremy's surgeries and was okay. We need to start easing them into that for sure! We needed a grown up getaway badly.

Total bragging rights--Jerm is way awesome. Blew away most of the other platform artists there--including winner of "Shear Genius"--in several people's opinion :-)

Precious Boys

Alek wanted me to post pictures of his "friends" that he sleeps with on his bed. It sounded wierd to hear him ask,"mom, will you put this picture on your blog?" Alek is getting so big. He doesnt' want me to hug or love on him anymore, and he wipes my smooches off. He farts, burps, and uses deodarant now. Where'd chubby "sweet boy" go? He was so lovy and perfect--that was his actual nick-name. Alek does love to talk, and he does it 90 mph! I can barely keep up w/ his story lines, and he has some doosies, let me tell ya! His favorite thing is to tell me "inventions" he has come up with. I do want to brag--his first 4th grade report card was straight A's. Math was the lowest--90. I am so proud of him!

I don't know if Aidan is going through an age, phase, or if it is just his personality; but he has to have constant attention. "Watch me, see this, do that, I want you to watch me. . . . " If I even blink while I am supossed to be watching him do something, he huffs and says "mom, ur suppossed to be WATCHING!!! Even a video game, he wants Jerm or I to be sitting there watching. I was making him a sandwich the other day and he asked for Miracle Whip on it. He said, and I quote, "Miracle Whip is my most grown-up taste bud so far, mom." How stinkin' funny!! And if I put up Alek, I must put up Aidan or he will let me hear about it for sure!

I can't believe how God has blessed me with such two healthy, precious, onery, smart, energetic and loving boys. I thank Him so many times a day. My life would be so dull w/out them. THANK YOU LORD! JESUS WATCH OVER OUR PRECIOUS KIDS EVERY DAY AND PROTECT THIER HEARTS AND INNOCENCE, PLEASE!

Stupid Slide show!!!

It won't put all the pic's I uploaded on the slide show. Here are the rest. Alright, Kay, I guess I didn't give enough details! We left Friday (10th) and came home on Tuesday. We missed all the yucky weather! yea! We stayed at the Crowne Plaza on Riverwalk. It was at the opposite end from the Alamo and stuff. But it sure was nice. The pool was on the 3rd floor roof--kids thought it was too cool. The weather was perfect. I will never go to SA in summer again if I can help it. We saw 2 Shamu shows, and I added the house of horror movies at the wax house that scared Aidan to death when we went through! That was kinda unexpected.

Sea World

I forgot Amy has all the acquarium pictures!! Darn it. My picture w/ Oprah or the mammoth skeleton didn't make it in either, hmmm. Guess I missed some :-) I'll add them.

San Antonio Trip

Wow, I haven't written in over a week. Well, we left on the 10th for San Antonio w/ the Lester's. We haven't been on a vacation in over 3 years--it felt so good to get away with our family!! San Antonio is perfect this time of year. The boys loved Shamu and the sharks, of course. Alek rode the Steel eel roller coaster. And Amy actually got me on the Great White one! Aidan rode the Shamu coaster with Darby. He was a little concerned at first, but after the first curve he was s miling!

We also went to Mi Tierria to eat and had them do a birthday for Alek--he actually smiled with a sombrero on! And Kurt had real Menudo w/ Jeremy. UUUGGGHHH! Halloween was at Sea World all decorated up and they had people in costumes scaring people in one area at different times--Amy & I took unsuspecting Alek and Jake down the scare zone Sunday night--I laughed so hard at those two boys. Alek love's Ripley's so we went to that museum and the wax museum. The halloween ones scared Aidan--more intense than I remembered! I wanted to thank my mother-in-law for dogsitting for us, and my parents for some extra spending money. We were able to stay a day longer than we had planned and really relax and just do nothing. It was great! This is one of the first family trips we actually feel refer

This weekend was pretty mellow. Turned out we didn't have to go to Dumas to unload furniture out of my Nano's house because of the rain. Soccer games were cancelled. Sunday was such a cozy day inside. Jerm & I stayed in bed until about 12:30! Then we caught up on some rearranging upstairs since the older boys have moved out. Played w/ Aidan alot since Alek was at Jake's house for the afternoon. I know my Aunt Carrie was a little relieved we didn't come to move Nano's furniture. On top of all this w/ her mom she has been dealing with her husband Bryan is having the same back surgery Jeremy had tomorrow. Please keep them in your prayers. Their family is under alot of emotional stress and pain right now. On a lighter note, I took pic's of my mother in law's plants she had this summer. She has one of the greenest thumbs I have ever seen. She just puts all this stuff in pots in the spring and "VOILA" her porch is gorgeous!! It's so plush you can even see most of the pots!! I'll put some pictures up. She does it every year, so next year "grasshopper" will pass her secrets to me hopefully!!

August weekend

My boys, so precious, growing so fast. They mowed this weekend. Now, Aidan was not happy at all. He thought he was being sooo abused! Slaton & Sage started young, too but not at 5yrs. Sage has this big "dr phil" sob thing about how he was made to grow up too fast and Alek & Aidan never had to do anything--uh, because they were in diapers maybe?! Anyway, for those who don't know he is back with his "mom" (I use the term loosely) for good this time. I think it is good for them to help with the chores, and not for money, don't ya'll? I mean, we are a family and we should share in the work w/out getting paid. That's what I tell my boys anyway. Aidan was so funny. As soon as Jerm told him he had to help, too he ran to tattle on daddy by telling me!

Friday

Nothing like a Friday that starts out like a Monday. Dropped the boys off at school this morning. Aidan has been home w/ pink eye, its his first morning back. I come and think, I'll just lay down and close my eyes for 30 minutes. Then I'll get in the shower. But oh no, next think I know my eyes open and it is 10:30!!! Feeling totally lazy, I jump in the shower and actually decide to fix my hair. Ya know, maybe no one will know how long I slept if I do :-). Well, I get all the product in that it takes for my sad hair to ANYTHING, and start round brushing it, and my dryer explodes--not kidding. Sparks, smoke, the whold nine yards. I have no backup, so I have to run to the salon, no makeup, in cleaning clothes, and dry my hair. By the time I get to the salon, it is crunchy and mostly dry & frizzy on the ends. I look horrendous!! So as soon as I walk in April goes, "Gosh what happened to you?!" So the entire salon takes a look of course. So its 11:15 and everyone knows I was just getting my hair and face done. Boy, I felt like a winner. Then I have to style my hair in front of clients and stylists; so I felt scrutinized the whole time. My face was red, I was hot----ugh! I need a happy hour tonite!!!

My Nano

Yesterday I went to Dumas to help clean out my Nano's house so it can be sold. She is in the nursing home there; alzheimers. I have gone the past few Mondays since Jerm is off on those days. He has been great about it, too. Doing all the errands, practices, cleaning I usually do even though he is tired and sore from work and recoverying from surgery.

It is so heartbreaking. Her daughter, my aunt Carrie, is who I am helping. Carrie is so amazing. I don't know how she does it. She has taken care of her daily by herself since the disease starting taker her from us. She kept nano home as long as she could. Bathed her, changed diapers, fed her, stayed with her. She goes to the nursing home several times a day to make sure she gets fed and doing okay. The shock of seeing nano if you haven't seen her in a few months can be brutal. There have been times I get there and I just can't stop the tears. I have been better lately, though, because I have been to see her regularly. I think she knew who I was yesterday for a few minutes. She can't really talk anymore, but she said "love you". And when I was saying Missy Dawn and TonyBoy (my dad) she kept eye contact and seemed to be following what I was saying. I just talked to her about when I was little and would stay the night and how proud she would be of "TonyBoy" and new machine and how well he was doing with the company. A few smiles and nods were amazing to get! She lived in the same house in Dumas for over 50 years! As we clean out, I have found such neat stuff about my family history and who they were. I have seen pictures of her mom's mom! I have so many memories of staying at Nano & Carrie's when I was little. I was there alot! It is so hard to go through her stuff and know she'll never be back or get to enjoy it any more. Carrie was so excited yesterday because she found her nano's wedding band. She said my nano, her mom, was heartbroken because she thought she had lost it. And she didn't, but she'll never know that. This disease is so cruel. It just can't be put into words. I knew my nano as a loving, sweet, caring grandmother who I knew loved me so much. I could just feel it when she would talk to me. She was such a snazzy dresser, too! Always matched--and I mean everything, from colored keds to jewelry! She would always buy me the prettiest outfits when I was little. I remember a specific set of overalls when I was in 5th. White with pretty pink summer colors, matching earrings, necklace, and shoes, too, I think. Anyway, she was also very intelligent, outspoken, and witty and a strong believer in God. To see her the way she is now is still hard to wrap my mind around. I often pray that God has her wrapped up in angels. That she can feel the comfort of his glory and love more that the prison of her mind she is in right now. I know God's spirit is always with us once we are believers, I just wonder how the spirit works for people like nano. That will be one thing I ask Him when I get to heaven!! Okay, now that I have bawled for 30 minutes, I better get back housework.

Gua sha pictures

These are pic's from my first gua sha treatment. The darker the color, the worse the condition. Pain, stagnate blood,tension/stress, etc. And no, it is not extremely painful. It was an amazing relief for me!

My second treatment, and it is so much better! Look at the difference on the back of my shoulder blades. It was about two weeks in between. Of course I'll have to wait longer this time, but I can't wait to do it again.

First Blog Ever!

Okay, this is foreign land to me. I have never blogged or really known anyone who did until Kay and Amy! Busy getting in the groove of school and fall sports. Aidan is in K this year, I cried and cried over that one. I am better with it now, mainly because he loves it. Alek is in fourth, and is still okay, not hating school yet. Alek is swimming and playing soccer. Aidan wants to wrestle, it just hasn't started yet. (whew!) Had a great summer. We just played played played!

Jeremy is recovering from his back surgery okay. Not as well as he hoped, I don't think. But you know men, they think recovery should be over in a few weeks. But I don't think he'll be on the road to "normal" until a year, which is in April 09.

I think I have finally figured out all my wierd chronic pain in my upper body--TMJ. The acupuncture and gua sha have been the best treatment so far. Plus this really good LMT who worked on my jaw and face. It is just frustrating because affording the maintenance becomes a big financial problem sometimes. So I really have to pick when I want to be 95% pain free and when I'll just suffer!

Not bad for my first post, I guess!

Spring & Summer