MATTHEW NEEDS SOME PRAYERS....

HELLO EVERYONE,

we hope that everyone is doing well....well, matthew was put in PICU yesterday for some major RESPIRATORY DISTRESS....he has been sick since feb 11th with his usual junk....on feb 21st, he suddenly developed a fever of 104.5 and was in major pain and just feeling AWEFUL....i took him to see his dr and he was diagnosed with STREP THROAT!! sooo, we now knew what we were dealing with...so that weekend was AWEFUL with tons of pain, fever, refluxing, coughing, desating and the list goes ON! we just tried to keep him comfy (motrin & tylenol) and started antibiotics for the strep....well on monday, he got worst repiratory wise and he started diareah....took him to his pulmonologist who sent him for lab work and xrays....she tarted him on steroids and just watch him....well tuesday was a better day...and i talked to the drs office to let them know that he had turned around and them WHAM!! wed afternoon, he took a turn for the WORST and ended up desating again (in the low 80's) and grunting, moaning and just laying there LISTLESS AGAIN!! so the next day, thursday, i called the drs office again and the sent us over to the hospital to get some blood work, urin and other test done and then BACK over to the drs office...well, i had no nurse that day so i was by myself with my 3 kiddos!!! yep, all by myself! so when we get there, they were all SHOCKED at how BAD he looked!! he was really listless, crying and moaning and on oxygen....they immediatly started to work on him (the respiratory tech) to see if she could get him clear, she couldn't....she asked me if i wanted him admitted and i said, "no, if i can keep him home, i would rather do that" she said she understood....well, alex had to go potty and when i got back in the room, the dr, the NP and the resp. tech where all around matthew and they just looked at me when i walked in and i KNEW!! the dr said, "we need to admit him. i think this is going to get WORST before it gets better and i would rather him be at the hospital when it happens." of course i said, "whatever he needs!!" he was wheezing, crackling and just plain JUNKY....so off we went BACK across to the hospital to have him admitted into PICU......that night was horrible....they worked on him ALL NIGHT trying to get his oxygen sats over 90 (and this from a child that usually sats 100 on room air!!) they were even talking BIPAP MACHINE on him!! he is currently on 6 liters of oxygen and 45% blended!!!!! he is currently using IPV machine for his treatments every 4 hours with albuterol puffs in between the IPV treatments....he is also on oral steroids, they changed his antibiotic.....i don't know WHAT happened but this little guy needs some serious prayers and good thoughts PLEASE!! it has been SOOOO LONG since he was admitted into the hospital for anything but a seizure!!! he has been sick since JUNE 12TH with some cold, junky lungs, coughing ets....he goes about a MONTH sick and then MAYBE a week of clear lungs and WHAM once again, he starts up!!! i am really worried about him!!!

but i do have to say that i AM SO PROUD OF ALEX!! i told him that i REALLY needed his help because i wa bymyself and that he needed to help me and he DID!! he did everything i asked him to do, he stayed quiet and sat in the chair as they took blood out of matthew and ran whatever test they had to do at the hospital and then when we had to WALK all the way down the long tunnel to get across to the drs office, then stay quietly and played while they worked on matthew at the drs office for almost 2 hour then BACK across the tunnel to admit matthew and then sit quietly and watch tv as i admitted matthew......he was MY HERO!!! i am so proud of him!!! only after almost the SEVENTH HOUR did he start to say that he was ready to go HOME!!! my big boy!!!

sooo, i am here with matthew and joshua is also with me....my WONDERFUL MIL is staying at the house with ALEX and we are just dealing...james has called numerous times really worried about matthew...he is sad he can't be here to help us....and then when all that was going on on wed, i had a DENTAL EMERGENCY going on and had a root canal done..when we were at the drs office we were at the right place and at the right time for matthew....if i had NOT gone with my instict and called again to the drs, it would have been a NIGHTMARE OF A NIGHT and we probably would have ENDED up at methodist hospital but in a much different way!!! no doubt about it! even the dr said!! she said that she was VERY HAPPY that we went to the to see her....he was REALLY BAD...as bad as i have seen him respiratory wise in a LONG TIME......he is still bad...he is working really hard and it is a STRUGGLE to keep his oxygen sat UP!!! he is miserable and just feeling so bad!! the dr said that we would DEFINETLY be here till MONDAY and longer if he does not let up!!!

well, thanks again, for any thoughts and prayers for this little boy!! we really appreciate it!! as you know, i believe in the power of prayer and i know HE will hear our thoughts and prayers for matthew!! thanks so much!!!

take care and GOD BLESS....

james, maria, alex, matthew and joshua

HOMESCHOOLERS!!

here is the WEBSITE FOR THE ABOVE...www.thehomeschoollounge.com/


sooo, i just found out about this NEW online HOMESCHOOLING MOM'S community that is just starting up and i am SOOOO EXCITED!!! (thanks H!!) so if you are reading this and you are HOMESCHOOLING, come check this place out!! sounds like it will be JUST THE PLACE to find other moms out there that are HOMESCHOOLING their children!!

and there is a new GIVE AWAY on LESS OF ME MORE OF HIM....they are giving away $25 gift cards to AMAZON!! a must see

what a NIGHT!!!........

wowowowow...i am SO TIRED right now....we had an AWEFUL NIGHTMARISH night last night...where do i start???

well, in our house, ILLNESS seems to LIVE there...i am pretty sure we get mail sent to our home ADDRESS to ILLNESS!!! so, matthew had been junky, but not really "sick" since 11th of feb....it was his "usual" junky congested CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE self going on...no fever and he was doing really well with his oxygen sats and his treatments....well, then ALEX started to cough on friday, 15th and then JOSH started on the 16th....well, everyone had NO FEVER just coughing....well, by sunday, alex was really hacking away and so was josh so i decided to go ahead and take josh & alex to the dr on monday and NOT matthew because he was doing fine even with all the congestion (remember he is CHRONIC LUNG)...SO, came back with the diagnosis of COLD/allergies...sooo on we go....matthew was same old self, alex was coughing less (with some cough meds from dr) and josh was coughing MORE and doing more of a "chocking" cough and also started with a fever that night...well, it just got worst for josh and i was getting ready to take him in on friday morning....

fast forward to LAST NIGHT....OMG...this night was the kinda night where i felt SO ALONE and SO OVERWHELMED with everything, wishing so hard that JAMES would be home!!! at about 7p, we came up stairs (i had no nurse) and matthew was just NOT himself....he was BURNING UP and just listless....after about 140cc of his formula, he started to REFLUX....man, i KNEW he was bad...so i put him in the tub for a bath and turned on the A/C cause it was HOT upstairs and then did our normal bedtime routine with meds and vest and such....well, his temp was 102.7!! so i gave him some motrin and went on...well, at about 1030, matthew sarts to whine and cry and start to cough, he ended up THROWING UP and he was BURNING UP still!!! oxygen sats were horrible and he was just miserable.....i called ask a nurse to find out some info when in walks alex into my room and he is crying...and them WHAM....he THREW UP!!! OMG, i am HORRIBLE about that!! so i rush him to the bathroom and get him settled in front of the toilet when matthew starts up AGAIN and i run over there and check on him and AGAIN he is burning up, throwing up, coughin, oxygen sat are horrible, heartrate is OVER 220!!! so then alex calls and off i go over there cause he is throwing up and back and forth ALL NIGHT LONG until AFTER 2AM!!! it was HORRIBLE!!! and THANK YOU GOD, HE heard my prayers and if you can believe it JOSH slept thru it ALL!!! for the first time and i was not there to ENJOY his sleeping in!! :) but THANK GOD HE took care of him for me!!

so, in the morning, matthew is still sick and we decided to take josh and matthew to the dr.....THANK YOU GOD ABOVE, my MIL stayed with ALEX while i took the other 2 boys to the drs and then i found out that JOSHUA has BRONCHITIS and a DOUBLE ear infection and then MATTHEW has STREP!!! OMG!!!!! i was in SHOCK!! the dr was in shock when he heard JOSH and mentioned the word ASTHMA to me!! well both xrays were CLEAR for both boys and the RSV was clear for josh ....both boys are on ANTIBIOTICS and joshua is also on ZOPENEX neb treatments.....boy....and right now, matthew's fever has NOT been broken so we are doing alternating tylenol (4hrs) and motrin(6hrs) to help him with the PAIN and the FEVER!!!!

ANYWAY, i really miss my husband and i wish he was here now more than ever......it was REALLY a bad night and i am so tired....i am ready to fall asleep but i am also worried what will happen!! i have my alarm set up to ring every 4 and 6 hours so i can give him his meds....it will be a LONG NIGHT...please, pray for these boys...

i am so addicted!

what? might you ask?! i am SOOOOOOOO addicted to REALITY TV!! yep, that is me!! i have all these shows programed into my DVR and with the writer strike i got a couple of MORE shows!! let's see, here is a list of what i ENJOY watching....

BIGGEST LOSER
SURVIVOR
BIG BROTHER
AMERICAN IDOL
THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE
and when it is back on my ALL time favorite.....THE AMAZING RACE!!

yep, i LOVE my shows!! and then there are my "regular" shows....

HEROES (I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOW!!!)
UGLY BETTY
ELI STONE new fav
LOST
EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION


anyway, this is how i have enjoyed my "me" time when the boys are all alseep and i can sit and watch my shows that i have recorded....usually i start at 9pm and finish about 1100 or so....it use to drive james CRAZY when i would stay up late to watch my shows or i was ALWAYS recording SOMETHING!!!! i need to get this out of my system and tone it down so i can not do as much when he gets BACK, GOD WILLING!!

anyway, i am off to sleep.....ok, maybe not to sleep but to see my SHOWS!!!! FUN!

well, last night was so rough!

my little joshua was just not feeling well AT ALL!! all three boys have been coughing up a STORM and joshua had a VERY restless night all night long!! he was so cute because he was NOT feeling good AT ALL because all night long, he would nurse for a bit and then start to WHINE REALLY REALLY LOUD! and that is NOT an joke!! i acutally had to get up and close my door FULLY because i was afraid he would wake up the boys!! i mean, he was not crying just talking, whining really really loud!! he had a temperature so i gave him some tylenol and after that kicked in, he did great...but poor baby! i laugh because i don't think he will ever hesitate to let me know that he is NOT feeling good! but he is sure coughing really bad but still smiling big!! also, he is too funny...if for some reason he falls over (and doesn't hit anything just falls over while sitting on soft surface) he will put up SUCH A FUSS! i am sooooo not use to that!! both of my other boys could fall and not have a problem but this little guy is so dramatic...awwww....

SANDY DAY.....from james at bucca...

Hello all! How are ya'll doing? I am doing fine.
Today was a very Sandy and Windy Day here in Bucca.
We where out at the compound doing some upgrades and
boy howdy let me tell you. So how is the weather
there in your town?
I am in this little club right now. Its a running
club and I am 1.99 miles short of hitting the 100 mile
mark in less than a month. Once i hit that i will be
getting this nice little certificate for hitting the
100 mile mark. Bueno, just wanted to say hello. Take
care and God Bless.
SSG Gonzo

in awe....

today, i had to take alex and joshua over to the DOCTORS again because they both have been COUGHING up a storm...my poor babies! i took them in because i was not sure if it was a cold, allergies or WORST!! but, THANK YOU GOD, it was just a small cold and nothing was given to joshua but alex got a prescription for an antihistamine and decongestant. i hope it works for him because he is the worst with TONS of coughing....i know he gets fustrated with it! matthew is also coughing and has been for a week not but his, we think, is just his beautiful lungs getting aggrevated with whatever is in the air!! they tend to do that because of the condition of his lungs....so we do TONS of NEB treatments and SUCTIONING...not good news for him...poor baby!! but his oxygen sats are actually pretty good, THANK YOU GOD!! he has learned to COMPENSATE i guess, how his body works with his congestion...we just THANK GOD for that!!! and that is why i am IN AWE....tonight, alex and joshua were asleep and it was just me and matthew awake in his room right before it was time for him to sleep....we had an hour of play time together and it was soooooo nice! i am in awe....i sat there and LOOKED at my baby and realized that he is GROWING UP SO FAST!!!!! AMAZING! i looked at him and just melted because he is growing up and is getting leaner and just is SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! his face is maturing and he is just stretching and WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!! it was fun just he and i playing on the floor...we enjoyed ourself and he is so smart! i was asking him for specific color and he would give it to me and he would point to a picture that i was asking about....so smart! i can't believe he is ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD!!! and then, i walked him to the bathroom so he could go do his buisness and he DOES! he is getting so good at that! the other day, he actually did the POOP in there!! that was funny! it was so awesome to see him do his buisness and his expression when he did!! he has been going PEE in the toilet for a year or so and he has gotten just recently when he doesn't PUSH to get it out...i know, TMI but i am just amazed by him!!!

anyway, just seeing him and how mature he is getting and how TALL and LEAN and how BEAUTIFUL HE IS....I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE HIM IN MY LIFE!!! THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERY SECOND I HAVE HAD WITH HIM.....as i see him grow it just amazes me over and over that THIS was that baby that STRUGGLED for life his first few months and seeing him now just.....IN AWE....i love him so much....

CHD AWARENESS WEEK ENDS TOMORROW....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

ABOVE, is a picture montage i made of our beautiful son MATTHEW ISAIAH who was born with a heart defect called TOTAL ANOMOLOUS PULMONARY VENEOUS RETURN (TAPVR) back on MAY 2004....this montage was made when he turned TWO YEARS OLD but it is very special because it shows what a MIRACLE this little guy really is! for those that don't know, our son matthew was born with a CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT (CHD) called TAPVR and we had absolutely NO IDEA when we were in the delivery room, that there was ANYTHING wrong with our beautiful baby boy!! so, we were one of those statistics that the parents, although we had PERFECT prenatal care during our pg, we had no idea that something was wrong....this defect is VERY rare and hard to detect in a normal sono or ultra sound....you MIGHT, if you are REALLY lucky, be able to find it in utero if you have a FETAL ECHO done on the baby while still in the womb...well, since we never had a history of this, there was no fetal echo done...so, when he was born via repeat c-section, he was born BLUE and would eventually be transfered to another hospital in town that specialized in pedi-cardiac patients...the cardiologist didn't think my baby would SURVIVE the transport across town!!! he had OPEN HEART SURGERY at 8 hours old and was placed on ECMO (http://www.ich.ucl.ac.uk/factsheets/families/F030174/index.html) for his first 5 days, and when they took him off that, life support, they basically took him to "die a natural death"....well, THANK YOU GOD, he is here today....he is our little miracle! CHD AWARENESS is so important because this is something that can affect ANYONE because even if you don't have a HISTORY of defects (like we didn't) this can happen in your life...your child...

OUR CITY and STATE have BOTH done a CHD Week Proclamation which is WONDERFUL!! the official week is FEB. 7 THRU 14TH...there is also a WONDERFUL SUPPORT GROUP called MENDED LITTLE HEARTS (http://mlhofsa.schendelsworld.com/index.htm) that just started up here in town...it is MUCH NEEDED because there are SOOOOOO MANY KIDS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED WITH A CHD!! it is soooo important to have support!!

anyway, just wanted to remind everyone of our little miracle....we are so BLESSED!!

HERE IS AN AWARENESS MONTAGE MADE BY MENDED LITTLE HEARTS....

CHD Awareness

went to the NEUROLOGIST today....

today, we had an appt with matthews neurologist....we have had about SEVEN seizures since the begining of the new year and just 4 this month!! that is DEFINETLY an INCREASE in sz since before!! sooo, we talked about what he was doing and such and i found out that the names and what kind of seizures he is having....when he does his "normal" sz where his hand clenches or his mouth moves, he i having PARTIAL SEIZURES.....the sz that he had in OCTOBER 6TH (where he was airlifed) and the one on FRIDAY NIGHT, they are called COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES...here is a definition of what they are!!

Partial SeizuresPartial seizures originate from a localized, or specific, part of the brain. There are two types of partial seizures: simple partial seizures, which do not alter an individual's mood or consciousness, and complex partial seizures, which are associated with a change in the level of consciousness or responsiveness. The clinical features of a simple partial seizure depend on the region of the brain in which the seizure originates, and may be characterized by little more than a tingling sensation in the hands or feet or a visual distortion or hallucination. The clinical features of a complex partial seizure also depend on the region of the brain involved, and can have a similar onset as a simple partial seizure. However, the individual's responsiveness is impaired during the seizure episode. For example, if a seizure starts in the region of the brain controlling movement of the hand, a simple partial seizure could be characterized by jerking movements of the hand. If the person also begins staring and becomes unresponsive, the seizure would be considered a complex partial seizure.

soooooooooooo....they are still considered "unresolved"....so, what is going to happen?? we are going to WEAN him off of one of his current drugs and move him to another drug with the HOPES AND PRAYERS that this will be the KEY to no more siezures!! please GOD!! he is currently on FOUR SIEZURE MEDS!! my poor baby! these drugs supress him so it' no WONDER he is still working so hard and is sooooo far behind!! but he keep trucking along! my strong boy!!!

sooo, that is it! we are going to start TODAY to wean him off of ZONEGRAM and replace it with KEPRA...he had been on that A LONG TIME AGO so we hall see what side effect he gets and GOD WILLING what good stuff comes from it!!

well, i guess i will be back in a couple of days to see what happens...PLEASE pray that this works!!

FAMILY UPDATE!!

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!

i hope everyone is doing GREAT!!! it has been a while since i last EMAILED but all is well, THANK YOU GOD!! ....we have been enjoying the BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!! who would have thought that last weekend, we were FREEZING with temps just about 40's all day and this week, it has been AWESOME with high's about 80!! we actually had to put the AIR CONDITIONER ON again!!! amazing! we have been going out side everyday and the boys have been playing on their bikes and just enjoying the beautiful days and breeze!!! we are just missing ONE THING to make things soooo much better....daddy!! :( but time is going by soooo fast!!!

well, i will give a little bit of update on the boys!! here they go...

well, friday, both older boys (awww...i can't believe i can say that!!) went to the dentist and i am SOOOOOOOOO VERY PROUD OF ALEX!! OMG, it was such a CHALLENGE to take him to the dentist at the begining...i mean, screaming, crying and just TERRIFIED of the dentist!!! well, today, he was my BIG BOY and he did NOT CRY and he has known about the appt since about a month ago and he had NO PROBLEMS with it!! we got there and he let them clean his teeth, look at his teath, scrape his teeth, take XRAYS, floss them and EVERYTHING!! with no DRAMA at all!! awwww...my BIG BOY!!! he has been riding his big boy bike (with the training wheels) like crazy!! he loves it and he looks really cute! and he wears his helmet and everything! i am so proud of him! in class, well, we have been having issues in that area where he has not wanted to DO class!! i have had to really get on him and try to get him back on it! he LOVES it but i gues i need to move him up a grade level to keep him interested! we are still doing the kinder curriculum because i don't want to stress him out....i am moving up on the math part to 1st grade but everything else...it is just review...i am excited about next year because i really can't wait to challenge him....i hope to do better in that grade with him...he loves to read and we have reading time where he reads me a book!!! and then writing, he is doing great!! he i working HARD to get those letters looking good! i am so proud of him! and he still just AMAZES ME on his IMAGINATION!!! this little boy LOVES his LEGOS and he is forever playing with them and making such AMAZING ROBOTS, TRUCKS, AIRPLANES YOU NAME IT!! and i just got him a TRAIN one that is for older kids and BOY, ALL BY HIMSELF, reading the directions he made all 3 trains you can make with this kit!! and those are TINY little legos!!! i am just in awe of him! he can also draw on his writing board and he loves to draw transformers and robots....just in awe...

now, matthew, on the other hand, was just FREAKING OUT at the dentist, poor baby! he did NOT like it at all!!! soooo, GOD WILLING, he will be having a ANGIO CT SCAN in june-ish or so and they will be doing it under general anesthesia, HOPEFULLY the dentist can go and do whatever it is she needs to do (scraping and such) WITHOUT fear of aspiration!! it is scary!! but we can not do it any other way because he starts to gag and wretch and just scream and cry! i hope that MAYBE someday he will get over it but i just don't think so! i know how scary the dentist are!! they just about OWN MY TEETH!! anyway, he is doing great in school too! his teacher comes out 2 times a week for 2 hours and he is learning soooo much...i KNEW he was a smarty but he has shown me how MUCH of a smarty he is! he is able to SORT objects by color and thing, he is learning to talk more and he is such a SMARTY!! example...teacher tells him to give her a RED block, and in front of him are 5 block of different color with the red one right in front...he will procede to hand her EVERY BLOCK BUT THE RED ONE and just be smiling and laughing about it!! he is such a STINKER sometimes!!! he can be a bit stubborn but i will TAKE THAT!! :) matthew is getting some NEW AFO'S that the ankle actually flexes!! that will be nice as he is learning to walk more and is doing more!! i am just so proud of his accomplishments! we have been concerned because he has been getting really tired recenlty and we are just closely monitoring him with that!!! GOD WILLING it is nothing......AND just this week alone, matthew has had 3 SEIZURES already with the one on FRIDAY NIGHT (which is RARE in itself) happening WHILE HE WAS AWAKE!! that freaked me out because that happened when he was going to sleep and apparently, he started to stare at the cieling fan that was on and it caused him to go into this totally unresponsive state...i had gone in to turn off the tv that he was watching when i noticed he was STILL AWAKE, or so i thought, until i went over to him and noticed his HUGE PUPILS and just blank stare...man, i was worried!! i had JUST called my MIL to come over because i thought i was going to have to call EMS cause he was TOTALLY not responding when, BAMMM, he takes this HUGE BREATH and snaps out of it! i don't know HOW LONG he was acutually IN IT before i FOUND him and he was in it for at least 10 mins when i got to him....man, that was REALLY scary cause i was soooo sure i was getting ready to call EMS....please, give a thought or prayer for this little guy that he does NOT have a seizure....so scary!

anyway, joshua has learned a couple of new things this week...he FOUND HIS HAIR(which is JUST coming back in after falling out)!! he looks sooooo cute when he reaches up there and starts to scratch it!! awww...and then he found his FEET!! he LOVES to grab them and try to EAT THEM!!! TOOOO CUTE! he has also started to blow rasberries (i think that is what they are called) so he sounds soooooo cute!!! and of course, he gets the other boys into it and they are ALL doing it at the same time and ALL are cracking up together!!! it is a sight to see! he also has JUST started to sit by himself! he can sit there for at least a couple of minutes before he over corrects and falls over! and this little guy is the first little one that will CRY when he topples over! he is our drama boy too! such a CUTIE!!

well, james is doing well! he is just struggling with the work...he calculated that he is working about 81 hours a WEEK!!! that is ALOT OF TIME!! and he is just exhausted!! they recently had to move from their compound to another one while the original one was being worked on......i know that his compound that he works at, has been COMMENTED on that it is one of the best one out there and the soldiers are doing an AMAZING job there!! they also are the only ones with a CATWALK (that they built) running over the compound that allows them to see down on the people and the higher ups where REALLY impressed with that!! i am so proud of him!!! his unit is a mixture of several different states so they call themselves CHAOS!! awwww..anyway, we are able to talk to each other more on the internet because he FINALLY got internet acces from his room!!! yayayayaya!! he does NOT need to be out in the bitter cold to get on the internet...what a BLESSING!! so now he can get on for a couple of minutes, call me, and then i can jump on the computer and we can video chat with each other and he can see the kids....it is GREAT!!! the boys LOVE to talk to daddy!! i have just posted his latest UPDATE from bucca over at our blog!!! so, if you would like to read it, please go right over!! :)

well, as for me, i am doing fine....just trucking along here at home just WAITING for my hubby! we just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on the 1st of the month....AWWWWW! i am so in love with that beautiful man! i have been just busy with the boys and making sure we are doing everything we can! the nurses schedule is kinda different so i don't have ANY nurse on thursday and that is kinda right in the middle of the week but we have handled it just fine. i don't normally go anywhere on that day...just relax! my FIBROMYALGIA is REALLY acting up lately...it is so hard in the morning to get out of bed and walk down those stairs to get the door for the nurses...it is so painful....i can't even describe to you have much it HURTS! not to mention the REST of my body! i feel like such an old lady somedays....i have had to take some MOTRIN to help ease some of the pain....it helps somewhat but man! i just deal with it!! i can't take what is prescribed for me because of the kiddos...those things would KNOCK ME OUT if i took them! anyway, all is well! i just can't WAIT to get daddy home!!!

CHD Awareness Week has officially started FEB 7-14! MLH of SA is excited to let you know that we have received a state and city proclamation from Texas Governor Rick Perry and San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger in recognition of CHD awareness.....FINALLY! there is something in san antonio to HELP spread awareness of CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS!!! unfortunatly, i was unable to be much help this year with the booth and such but i KNOW they are doing a WONDERFUL JOB at any and all events!!

well, that is it for the update....if you have not been by our BLOG (www.blessingsinmylife.blogspot.com) in a while, come check out all the NEW pictures of the boys!! they are growing sooooo fast! i also backtracked all our time with DADDY on our blog (look for date of dec 23rd to current) to see what happened, pictures of our time and also some current pics and videos too!!

GOD BLESS EVERYONE!! we are doing fine just waiting for james to COME HOME SAFELTY!!!!

take care and thanks for reading,
JAMES, MARIA, ALEX, MATTHEW, & JOSHUA!! :)

picture time!!!

here are some NEW pictures...ENJOY!


matthew decided that brother had had this toy ENOUGH and he wanted a GO at it!! awwww....he is so BIG NOW!! :)

 

matthew's nurse decided to SPIKE his hair up!! :) he looks so MATURE!!

 

alex also getting his hair spiked up!

 

joshua found his TOES!!! CUTIE!

 

this is alex NEW train he BUILT ALL BY HIMSELF!! he is such a SMARTY!


here is the OTHER train he built by himself!! awww....


this is joshua sitting by himself...


here is ALEX with his new haircut....


here is matthew with HIS new haircut that we got today!!!

BUCCA UPDATE....love james...

20080209- 0627hrs your time and 1527hrs my time

Hello all! How are ya‘ll doing? I am doing fine over here in the Middle East. The trip here has been an experience that will not be forgotten. Sorry I have not sent many emails out lately but the time here has been really busy. It has taken a toll on the body physically and not as much mentally. I have been on a 6 and 1 schedule lately and over 80hrs of work time in a 6 day work week. When I have that one day off all I want to do is absolutely nothing. I try to call mamma and the boys as much as I can and it just fells so good to talk to them when I can. I love it when I talk to them and it makes me feel so good. I always look forward to talking to mamma and the boys. There still isn’t much to talk about over here on the net or phone. Everything you say on the phone is being monitored and everything you send on the net is being watched. Boy I can’t wait till I get home. Everything on this end is pretty much the same ol same. My time here still consists of the following:
1 go to work
2 go to sleep
3 go to gym
4 take shower
5 go eat
6 go to work
7 go to sleep
8 go to gym
9 take a shower
10 go eat
11 go to work
It’s the same thing day in day out. I turn in laundry when I need to in between the schedule. I know these letters have probably been the same but I’ll try to change it up every once and a while. I just wanted to basically let all know that I am dong just fine.
Chayo’s and my moms care packages have been outstanding and they keep me in good spirits and make me feel good. I have received other care packages from friends and I thank them for keeping me in mind. The one that is the true hero here is mamma back at home taking care of my 3 lovely boys. She has such a busy schedule with them and is doing such a great job. It is nice that we have a nurse that comes over to help out with Matthew. My boys are doing great. They are all growing and missing their daddy, but soon I will be home with them and my wife. I can’t wait to see everybody again when I get home. There is a lot of things that I want to do when I get home. Well, ya’ll take care and have a good day. I will talk to you later.

Love from Iraq,
SSG Gonzalez, James A

HAPPY 11TH ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE....

11 years ago today, my beautiful wonderful husband and i celebrated our MARRIAGE to each other in front of all our family and friends....oh what a BEAUTIFUL day that was! my memories of that day plus ALL the days before and after are sooooo clear in my mind...it is AMAZING that my husband is my COUSIN'S BEST FRIEND and has been since middle school!! we have probably met each other SOMETIME during all those years they were friends...he was always WITH my cousin and we use to have tons of parties and such...wow...it took a PARTY in NOV 1994 that was given for him and all my cousins for their birthdays for us to meet and fall in love at FIRST SIGHT! yes, that was us, LOVE...it was so pure and so SPECIAL...GOD brought us together in such a special way....HE showed me that not all men are horrible and abusive...that there are good men out there! HE showed me on that day as CLEAR as a bell what type of man my husband was....how? well, as we went to the store that DAY i met him, i ACCIDDENTLY spilled about 20oz red punch on my husband BRAND NEW TRUCK!! OMG, i was so SCARED and EMBARRASED because i was SURE that he would yell at me, hit me or SOMETHING, which i know that he had every right to (at the time) but instead, my wonderful husband sat there and consoled me and told me "HEY, IT'S OK! IT IS JUST A TRUCK! IT WILL CLEAN UP!!!!" can you IMAGINE?! i was in SHOCK, but i was ready to go home because i was so upset and crying and when i told him i was going home, he told me "DON'T GO...I JUST MET YOU!! PLEASE STAY..." awwwwww....that was when GOD showed me what a special man that was! he NEVER got upset or mad at me that i spilled that drink in his car...not ONCE! that is what and who my man is!! since that day, we have been inseperable....we have always enjoyed being together and just being US...we both feel SOOO BLESSED that GOD had brought us together and has has BLESSED us THREE TIMES with our beautiful kiddos!! everything that we have, that we ARE and just EVERYTHING we know are THRU GOD!! he has given us 13 years, 11 beautiful MARRIED YEARS together and i just PRAY we will have many MANY MANY more years together!!

so, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE....you are loved and missed here at home.....

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN THE DAY WE MET!!! just look at us...we are SOUL MATES....


ON OUR WEDDING DAY....


AT OUR RECEPTION...


THIS montage was done LAST YEAR for our 10 year anniversart...please feel free and check it out if you would like to see our years together in pictures...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com