Joshua 1

1. What employer-employee, teacher-pupil relationship has affected you the most?

I remember my second grade teacher, Ms Bedford, had to paddle me because I got mad for missing recess (I never did my math) and bit another teacher. Ms. Bedford also was the one who went to the library to check out nursing books for me and put them on my very own special table so that I could read when I was done with my work. She was a great teacher.

Moses has just died and now Joshua is the leader. God has promised him the land across the Jordan. God promised Joshua that He would give him every place Joshua sets his foot, and no one would be able to stand against him. God reminds him to obey all the law that he gave Moses, and promises that He will be with Joshua wherever he goes. In order to be prosperous and succeed, I must meditate on God's word night and day and do everything written in it. Success here means that I will succeed in being in God's will.

I love these verses... "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Coping Mechanism

When Emma needs to go potty, and is having to hold it she'll start chatting. "Don't pee, don't pee, don't pee..)

Summer is almost over

We had a wonderful summer. Went swimming a bunch. My girls performed in a dance recital. We to the best beach in the U.S. (Destin, FL), and we played alot. Starting August 24, I will no longer be able to sleep in... Yuk. I'll have to wake up each day at 6:00 am. Then I need to get Isabel to school by 8:00 am. I so don't like waking up early. But I'm sure it's going to be a great school year. This will be Emma's last year at home. (boo hoo). At least I have 5 more years with Isaac. I can't believe he will be turning 1 at the end of Novemeber. Time sure does fly. I can't wait until our Disney World Trip at the end of September. I'm so ready to go again. This year we'll be creating our own Mickey Mouse ears.... We'll get to have breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, lunch with the princesses and even get to see a luau. It's going to be great. Well blog friends, here's my update. Talk to ya soon.

Quiet Time - God our Refuge, focus on Him

Isaiah 24-27

Ch. 25 v 1
O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago

God completes his plans as promised. God answers my prayers.
- Eddie fixed his truck, now he has AC.
- Wuela came home from the hospital.

v4
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall

God is concered for the poor. When we are disadvantaged or oppressed we can turn to God for comfort and help.

Leadership Point:
Leaders manage stress by managing perspective. 26:3-4

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

Those who fix their eyes on the past risk a severe collision with the future. Those who see only the future hit much too hard the speed bumps of today. Only those who fix their eyes on God can effectively negotiate the right pace of life.

Is it ever ok to lie?????

Read a story to my girls about a big-wide mouth frog who goes around asking other animals "Who are you and what do you eat?"""
Well at the end he meets an alligator.. The alligator replies that she eats big-wide mouth frogs... she then asks "Who are you and what do you eat?" He replies "I'm a little narrow mouth frog... and I'm off" and jumps away...

My 6 year old say "Ahhhh he lied!!!" What could I say???

So I thought and thought and asked my husband and finally came up with....

It's ok to lie to bad people especially if you are in danger... This teaching moment came about again as we were watching Blart, mall cop....

Now the next hurdle... On "Beverly Hills Chihuahua", the song "I'm too sexy" plays.. Of course the 6 year-old asks... "What does sexy mean?" My reply.. "Let me get back to you on that one."

Any suggestions out there???

I'm back

Ever since I stopped working, I have completely abandoned the blogging world. I have been stuck over at facebook.

My grandma is doing much better, she is stil in a rehab hospital but yesterday she took 20 steps on a walker... Praise God!

My boy is getting so big, is 6 months now and is trying to eat sweet potatoes. Belle just lost another tooth and today is her last day of kindergarden, she's so excited. I am sure going to miss her teacher, because she was such a great teacher. I hope Emma gets her when she goes in 1 year.

My life is so good right now, I have an amazing family. My husband is just the best, my kids are my life's little lessons, they teach me so much each day. My mom and sister, well let's just say that they are a great blessing to me.

For my birtday present, me and my mom are going to go see George Strait at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, that is going to be so neat, I'll be sure to takes some pics...

Summer is here and I have a variety of daily activities lined up.. It's going to be fun and fantastic.. I hope all of you moms and dads enjoy a fantastic summer with your youngins...

March, in like a lion and still roaring

This month has been a roller coaster..

March 1st - I celebrated my Wuelo's birthday. Our entire family was at my grandparents house, I had a bad stomach ache. My last words to my grandpa were Happy Birthday Wuelo, he said "Go home and rest"... He's now home with Jesus resting.

March 3rd - I ignored my grandma's call for help at 2:00 pm, I had just gotten home and needed to feed Isaac. I was supposed to go to my grandparents house but decided to go home first to feed the baby. At 5:00 pm while I was trying to get out the door to take Emma to ballet, we see the news....no way it can't be my grandparents house...I jump in the truck and rush over making 2 phone calls along the way to see if anyone has heard anything...I'm met by the police and then the bad news comes...fire in the shed, my grandpa died, grandma got careflighted to Parkland....

March 13th - I'm on my 2nd day at the hospital at 7:00 pm, Eddie, me, and my grandma have our own memorial service in the hospital room, we pray, read some poems, share some stories, watch the celebration of life dvd that I made, and cry.

March 14th - My grandma has to go to "the tank", hell on earth. This will continue daily. I don't hear anything as I stand next to the door, she's a strong women, not like the screams that I hear from the kids that go into "the tank" I could never do that job.

March ? - ? - Isaac is sick for half the month, coughing, throwing up, and diarrhea.

March 30th - Isaac turns 4 months. He gets shots and he's 12lbs 11oz. Still getting over the crud... good news is that he sleeps 8 - 10 hours at night.

Date Night

We had a date night. What's cool is that the YMCA watched our 3 kids for the low price of $34 for 4 hours and they even fed them pizza. I love the teachers at the Y. They are the same teachers that have been there since we joined. The kids had a blast, making crowns, and also watching Monster's Inc. Just like last time, Ms. Donna said that Isaac was the best behaved child of everyone there. She asked if he was a good baby at home too. Of course he is... he is great, but all my kids were great babies and they still are. I am so pround of them every day. Isabel is reading great, and she loves to read her Early Readers Bible. Emma imagination is out of this world. She loves to draw and write notes, and she metioned to me that she loves holidays. She's already planning for Easter. Just like her mother, plans way ahead for things. Eddis is in denial that he is sleepy, yet I stare at him now sleeping on the couch. I must rest now, Isaac will be waking up hopefully not until 4 am to eat. Good Night.

Finally but will it last?

Isaac skitpha a meal last night. The midnight meal. That was good for me because I got to go to bed at 10 and not wake up again until 3. I hope he does it again tonight. Anyways today I'm going to go shopping for a baby dedication outfit for Isaac. I haven't yet confirmed the date with the Pastor yet, but we are shooting for March 15th. Eddie got a $25 gift card from JC Penny's so hopefully I can find one there. Keep your fingers crossed. Everything else is going well, I'm enjoying my time here at home. Oh yeah, pray that I get the summer gig at the YMCA. The director liked my resume, so I'm just waiting for her to post the position so that I can offically apply. I would be working with the preschoolers 1/2 day summer camps. This is cool, because I would get a 50% discount on my membership and on anything that I sign my kids up for, plus Isaac will stay in the kids zone for those couple of hours a day. I really like the teachers, and they really like him. They see him everyday for about 30 minutes when I work out. I'll keep you posted. Also Eddie and I get to go out on a date on Saturday. The kids are going to the Y for Parents Night Out. We are going to go see Madea Goes to Jail, which should be hilarious. I just love Tyler Perry's movies and plays. Well I guess I gotta run... Later Dudes..

I'm addicted

Chocolate candy, my addiction. And since we got a bunch for Valentines day, I eat one every day... Ahhhh.

When I go to the movies I have to get a box of Milk Duds... They are my favorite.
I went to my grandparents house and they had a big box of Millionaires, which are just plain sinful.

Of course, none of this is helping me loose my 10 lbs baby weight. I want to throw it all out, but that would be just plain dumb.

Where did I leave off????

So, I quit my job, it's been a week, and I like staying home. I spend time on facebook, that's why I haven't blogged in a long time. I went to a marriage class yesterday at OCBF called Sexplosion. It was an awesome class. I was going to buy the book, but the bookstore was all out of it. It's been almost 2.5 months since I've had a full nights sleep. I can't wait until next month, when I start Isaac on cereal, hopefully he'll sleep more at night. Tomorrow is a busy day, Eddie will be at the fire dept, so I've got to get the girls up and dressed, fed and make their lunches for school. Hopefully it won't rain tomorrow. Gotta run now, Isaac has to eat...

3 more days

Friday will be my last day, I can't say that enough... of course we'll see how I feel about it 3 months from now when I can't go out to eat just for the heck of it, because we'll be living on a budget... he he...  Just kidding, I'm going to love it.  I just need to get into the groove of things.Right now we are watching Wall-E, I love hearing Isabel laugh at the movie, I've got to remember to ask her what her favorite part is....Well gotta run, Eddie just got home from work...

Chaning Times

Well it's been awhile since I've posted anything.... I've been hanging out on Facebook.

We brought Isaac home on Dec 22, just in time for Christmas.
On Jan 13, he weighted 7 lbs 10 oz. He goes to the doctor on Friday to get his 2 month shots, and a checkup. And when he goes the doctor will see that he has a hernia in his belly button.

Friday will also be my last day of work. I've been at my job for 8 years. I've wanted to quit for awhile, I just needed a little push. My husband is so supportive, and I've been enjoying staying at home with my family. Now I'll have more time to blog, and do other projects that I've been putting off. I pray that God will just guide me each day.

Well gotta run for now, gotta read my bible, finish watching Desperate Housewives, and then read a little of Breaking Dawn.... those 3 things don't quit go together huh... oh well that's me.

One Step Closer

Isaac is eating by bottle every other feeding. Today at 6:00 he drank him whole bottle in 15 minutes. Tomorrow, we'll meet with the OT to see when I can start nurseing him. Three other babies get to go home tomorrow. I can't wait until I get the phone call that we get to go home. My hope is that he'll be home before Christmas.

Picture of Isaac Joel

How He Arrived

Friday

On Thanksgiving Morning my water broke around 4:30 am. I went to the hospital around 7:30 am. I was put on meds to stop the contractions, and also some antibiotics to prevent infection. I have also been given steroid shots to help Isaac's lungs grow faster. They are hoping he stays put until 34.4 - 35 weeks, as long as there is no infection or anything else. Either way the longer he stays in the better for him. So I'm stuck here in room 2320 at Arlington Memorial Hospital until he is born. Today was great the meds that they gave me have pretty much stopped the contractions. I've been taken off the monitors. Baby is doing awesome. I will keep you guys updated if anything changes.

Monday

Isaac Joel Valenzuela was born at 2:31 am on Sunday November 30, 2008
He weighs 4 lbs 9 oz 17 inches long
Currently he is in NICU.
He was taken off of his ventilator just around 11 am on Sunday, so he's breathing without help. All we are waiting on now is that he learns how to feed off of a bottle. I am at home and am doing well. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Tuesday

We got to hold Isaac yesterday and today. They took off his arterial line, so that's good. He ate some yesterday from a bottle, but not much so they began tube feeding.
Today he ate better. So we'll se how he does tomorrow with the OT. As the nurse was feeding him, he heard me talk and immediately opened his eyes, so I got to hold him and spend some time with him while he was awake. I can't wait to see him tomorrow.

Emma's note to me

Emma's note to me, let me translate. $ Emma which says,
Emma wants lots of money.

Thank You

1. Thank you God for my salvation.
2. Thank you Mom for giving me life and always being there for me.
3. Thank you Eddie for being a great husband and father.
4. Thank you Felicia for being the best sister of all time
5. Thank you Isabel for keeping it real, and loving me in spite of my flaws.
6. Thank you Emma for just making me laugh when I am feeling down.
6.5 Thank you Jacob for cleaning the playroom over and over again.
7. Thank you Wuela and Wuelo for being the best grandparents in the universe.
8. Thank you Matilde and Javier for giving life to Eddie.
9. Thank you Faby and Lily for treating me like a sister.
10. Thank you Irma and John for your guidance in different areas of life.
11. Thank you Pastor for being a good Pastor.
12 Thank you Noemi for calling several times a week just to see how I'm doing.
13. Thank you Mona for helping me in mission friends. You rock.
14. Thank you Steve for helping me in children's church. You rock too.
15. Thank you Lydia for teaching my kids about racaroni and other fun things. :)
16. Thank you David for being someone that I can talk about old times with.
17. And anyone else out there that I forgot to mention... Thank you for being in my life.

Thankful

You Are 86% Thankful

You're an incredibly thankful person, and everyone around you feels very appreciated. You inspire people to be more optimistic, forgiving, and grateful.

How Thankful Are You?

Leadership

How to be a good leader. This is a tough one. I struggle with it everyday, as I try to lead my children in becoming godly women and responsible adults. As I try to lead at my workplace and at my church.
"You can't lead someone where you've never been before yourself"
I have had some great leaders in the past, I was blessed to have great bosses. I have also served under bad leadership as well. And that is no fun at all.

I gave my husband the Maxwell Leadership Bible over a year ago, and I can see how he has grown in this area. I also see where I fall short.

Just wanted to share what I read today

Relationships: If You Get Along, They Will Go Along. Romans 12:9-21

Many leaders commit the error of separating leadership from relationships. This happens when a person steps into a position of leadership and assumes that everyone will follow his or her ideas because of his or her positon. Some leaders wrongly believer that their knowledge alone qualifies them to lead others.
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. We cannot separate leadership from relationships. Leaders help themselves by developing good relational skills. Paul instructs us how to lead through relationships.

1. Avoid hypocrisy - be sincere and genuine (v.9)
2. Be loyal to colleagues - treat others like brothers and sisters (v10)
3. Give preference to others - honor the desires of others above your own. (v10)
4. Be hospitable - look for ways to meet the needs of others. (v13)
5. Return good for evil - act, don't react, when others hurt you. (v14)
6. Identify with others - treat others' needs or victories as your own. (v15)
7. Be open-minded toward others - seek to connect with anyone you speak to. (v16)
8. Treat everyone with respect - this is a compliment to any person. (v17)
9. Do everything possible to keep peace. - choose wisely which hill to die on. (v18)
10. Remove revenge from your life. - let God judge others; you love them. (vv 19-21)


My comments:
1. I hope I have this one down. I don't like two-faced people, I strive to be transparent and be myself everywhere I go and to everyone I meet. If I like you, you know it. If I don't like you, you know it as well.
2. I am loyal to my colleagues, and would never throw someone under the bus for my mistakes.
3. I struggle with this one a bit.. sometimes I just want it my way.
4. I love helping people when I can (emphasis on WHEN I CAN), sometimes I just have to say "NO", I've tried to learn what my limitations are. So when I feel like there is too much on my plate I say "NO" to the next request comes along. I feel bad but not that bad. My sanity is important to me.
5. This one is hard, because in my heart when someone hurts me, I so want them to just hurt them back and make them feel just as bad as I do.
6. I love it when people are blessed. I think it's awesome to see God work in others lives. Also it sucks when others are going through bad times, I try to put myself in there postion to see how I can help. This has gotten me in trouble in the past because then some people take advantage of my willingness to help.
7. I try to do this, like this weekend at the movies, we were sitting next to a girl that was by herself and we tried to includ her in our coversations and stuff.
8. I struggle at this as well. It's hard to treat someone with respect when you have lost respect for that person. Did I mention this is HARD.
9. I try to keep the peace, when I've been mean or rude to someone, even if it takes me a day or so I will try to remember to apologize and see what I did wrong in the situation, sometimes I need someone to point it out to me... I call these my knucklehead momements.
10. This too is hard.. see number 5.

So from my comments above, I've got alot of work to do. ALOT! Just wanted to say thanks to my husband for always listening to me and teaching me and lovingly showing me the errors of my ways, and for being a great leader.