Sionie's Blog

California trip

2007-07-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Dad,me,Celina,Nick and Hermie took a little vacation to Anaheim. We stayed at Disneyland Hotel from the 13th to the 18th.
While Dad and Hermie attended a convention of 8,000 people, I took time to relax some with Nick and Celina. Nick was our designated driver since Dad was in the convention for 3 solid days.
We met up with Gilbert, Chato, Bong, Tita, Carmen, Brian, Krista, Kendrick and Gigi. It was fun visiting with them and singing with help of Karaoke. Of course eating all the time was part of the activities. We went to the Crystal Church of Robert Schuler and to the birthplace of President Richard Nixon.
Nick went mountain biking with Gil, our cousin in law who is a promising dentist in Anaheim. I think Nick had a good time but because he was not used to mountain biking, he felt sore the next few days. He was always in the hot tub.
Celina and I walked at Rodeo Drive and amazingly found cupcakes at SPRINKLES. Hmmm good cup cakes. At $3.00 a piece, they should be.
Tuesday was supposed to be just for Disney but here was where I knew that I am now old. The lines were so long and thank God the weather was cooler than Florida. Nick and Celina rode the kiddy rides and I watched them like they were young children again. Of course I took the wrong people's pictures thinking they were them but, the rides were so fast and dad's camera was antique.
All in all I had a good time because it was rest for me although we saw 61 patients the next day. I need another vacation after a vacation.
Next excitement .......Matthew visits Lolo and Lola's house in Fannett for 4 days. July 28, Saturday, Nick, Cici, Jason and Dad will see the Astros play against the Padres at the Minute Maid Park in Houston while we stay home with Matthew and Moosie.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2007-07-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

To everyone who is interested in reading my blog,I wish you all a Happy Independence Day. Yes, it is a day off for everyone but not to those who are still fighting for our freedom. For those who have given their lives so we can be free, let us continue to pray for their families and loved ones they left behind. Most importantly, let us honor their bravery in their pursuit of freedom for all.

A week with Zachary

2007-06-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

I had a first time experience keeping Zachary for a whole week. It was very interesting, challenging and exasperating at times. I think the boy thinks that I am a young person who is able to be on my toes at all times. I enjoyed his company even though I was not completely with him all the time. I worked and had him around the office in the afternoon.
Let me tell you that he is a very smart boy and has a photographic memory, just like David....you know, his dad. But I have to bring him around next time with a stop watch to let him understand that Fannett is not Kingwood in the sense that we do not have McDonalds every 2 miles. It was hard for him to understand that. He liked to go there everyday for chicken McNuggets, french fries and Sprite or Coke. That only happened for 3 days in a row but I had to stop it because I got tired.
He told me that he was a king at my house (he called a castle). At one point, he called me a servant because Kings have servants. Wow! I just laughed and I told him I was telling his parents. When Edi came by to pick him up, I told her that Zachary was ok except ...and he finished my sentence by saying, when I called you a servant, Lola.
Oh well, like I told David, he enjoyed his vacation by staying in bed till 10am. We went to bed by 11pm. Of course he got to eat, play and swim like its nobody's business. He is close to being a mocha but vanilla in his butt butt. Zachary also told me that his dad is mocha, mom, vanilla and he is cappuccino. What a guy.
What can I say? It is so good to be grandparents. We get to return the kids to the parents. Ha ha ha.

What are grandmas for

2007-05-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Staying in Austin while helping Jason and Melissa adapt to their new son is such a great experience. Meng and I got to see Matthew's daily progress and all his very cute and spontaneous smile. Yes indeed, he has 2 dimples very prominent when he smiles and when he sucks his milk. For the most part, I think he looks like Melissa. But it is too early to call because he is still too young.

We are also enjoying meeting their friends, some new and some old. They are very lucky because I have met the most genuine friends, they are really very very nice.Ronald, Rikki, Lucas Matsuda as well as Bee Mijares were the first visitors in the hospital. Heath was here, Jason's bestman. The Cains of course, Phillip, Susan, Jordan, Laurie as well as memaw Morgan. Jason's boss Iraj and wife Belinda were here too for the 2nd time. They even brought Matthew a high chair already. Carlos and Norma Chang, their next door neighbor came to the hospital with their sons the next day after he was born.

Nick and Celina came for an extended weekend because of Memorial Day. David was here too and spent the night. Everybody was very helpful doing chores especially in the kitchen.

All I can do is reflect on the past when my mom was there to help me when Melissa was born. Moosie was only 10 days old. Meng of course was with me all along because she was already a registered nurse at Parkchester Hospital in New York. How lucky I was and I thank God endlessly for that. Because they were around me, I was able to go back to work in 6 weeks.

IT REALLY WILL BE NICE IF ALL GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS CAN LIVE FOREVER!!!!!!!!

New Grandson

2007-05-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

I came to Austin with Melanie at Melissa's request to prepare the room for the arrival of her son. That was Thursday the 17th. I was supposed to come back on the 10th of June to be with her the day of her scheduled C-section.

Lo and behold, Matthew Scott decided to make his grand entrance on the 19th, Saturday at 4:08 a.m. He tipped the scale at 6lbs. 11 oz and measured 19 inches tall.

Melissa was such an organized mom especially the day before. She seemed to know to get ready. She packed her suitcase and Jason did the same. We slept pretty late and when we heard the knock on our door, we knew it was time. She did very well with her surgery and recovered as expected.

Matthew on his 32 hour looked like a mixture of Jason and Melissa. He has 2 dimples and he is a good eater.

The pictures here were taken by Melanie about an hour after he was born.

Thank God for our new blessing.

Mother's Day card from Roro

2007-05-13T21:36:00.002-07:00

Mom,
I do appreciate you so much more now that I am a mom. You did an incredible job raising 4 kids. I cannot imagine doing this 3 more times.

Mother's Day

2007-05-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am a mommy because I have children. I thank God for that. I am very proud of David,Rosanna,Melissa and Celina. I do not need a gift from you. You are my gift from God. Just so you know, I always pray for your good health, good luck and wonderful future.

Friends Indeed

2007-04-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Rikki, Ronald, Michael Matsuda,Francis Mijares and family- you are indeed true friends of Melissa and Jason.

Congratulations to the greatest baby shower I have ever seen. Your love for Melissa, Jason and their baby son (coming soon) was totally great and appreciated by both the Cain and Mendoza families. We cannot thank you enough.

Francis' art work is very impressive.

May God Bless you all.

Happy Birthday

2007-04-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

To my children Melissa and Celina, Happy Birthday.

I think that Moosie was not happy that day because she did not have a birthday party. She wondered where they were taking me. Grandma Oneng told her I was having a baby.

The next day, we had to sneak her through the window in Women and Children's Hospital to see me. She did not see Celina because she was in ICU.

How time flies. Now they are both married and I know Cici, your mom will be 66 this year because I had you at 40.

Have a good birthday both of you. There are not too many mothers who can say I had 2 babies on the same date.

Thanks to David

2007-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

I really appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to spend time with your dad. You have made him happy and me too because you made me laugh a lot.

Well, I got news for you. You were watching all the old people?.....You were actually looking at yourself in the near future. I do not know about the gambling part but you will have your own enjoyment (vice) later and whatever it will be, make sure you understand the fact that Edie and Zachary may not like or be interested in what you want to spend time and money on. But nonetheless, you are entitled to some fun without them tagging along.

We need to know to how to relax in any form or fashion. I love to stay home, watch TV or just listen to music. Remember, I never got to do that when I was younger raising a family. With all the gadgets or technologies that I have at home, I need to enjoy them before my desire to care about them just blows away.

I am very proud of all of you. Thanks David.

HAPPY EASTER

2007-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

CHRIST HAS RISEN, LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD.

LET US NOW BE GOOD CHRISTIANS IN WORDS AND IN DEEDS. HOW ABOUT STARTING WITH THE GOLDEN RULE. THAT IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO LOVING ONE ANOTHER AS GOD ASKS US TO DO. GIVE IT A TRY.....

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL .

AGGIE STRESS TEST

2007-03-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

At this time, I really have not watched a full Basketball Aggie game. The reason?..... I might have a heart attack.

The game with Louisville made me so nervous, I started fixing my closet. I practically took everything out just to do something while they were playing. Now, I have a lot of things to put up just because I made a mess.

Go Aggies... you can do it.

Bennetts safe and dry

2007-02-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

When I saw the news about the floods in Indonesia, I immediately called the hotel @ 448 to find out if they are ok. The phone remained unanswered for a long time and that scared me. Then a man from the front desk answered and told me that they are high and dry and that the Bennetts are still in the hotel. Thank God. I did not bother to ring their room because it was very early there.

I also got a long email from Rosanna that they might have found a home they like. I am so happy that even tho' they are very far, their welfare is being taken cared of by David's employer. God Bless them and more power to them.

Let us pray for the rain to stop so that the homeless people can get on with their lives without bad incidents that will affect their health.

The power of the phone

2007-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

I spoke to Rosanna today and she sounded as if she was just in the neighborhood. She sounds pretty much on top of things and inasmuch as I called during lunchtime there, of course the King was being fed by his daddy while mommy was talking to me.

Rosanna said that they must have seen up to 15 houses already but they have not found the one they really like. She said that to travel a mile, it takes 30 minutes.

I was happy to know that David B is staying in the office and not going out in the field. He is being chauffered around. I spoke to him briefly after he cleaned up Christian who was making his presence known while I was talking.

Rosanna seems to be happy and will be happier when they get a house with all their things in it. She cannot wait for their computer. Apple computers are not compatible with the SKYPE system altogether. She bought some phone cards so let us see who she will call .

Geez, Valentines is here again. I mentioned this because I went to Target today and that is all I see around. Then the green things for St. Patrick, not to mention the Easter outfits.

Oh well, time seems to be going too fast. One of my New Years' resolution is to live my life unaffected by the dear old clock. The clock can really make you really stressed out.

Nadia and Jake are having fun in our big house. Thank God they are good pets.

Jakarta it is for the Bennetts

2007-01-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Dad an I had the opportunity to have lunch with David, Rosanna and Christian on Friday. Since Dad was on call, he went home alone and I stayed with the Bennetts in their hotel so I could watch Christian while they had dinner with their friends to celebrate David's birthday. Cici kept me company until 10:30pm.

Celina and Nick came back Saturday morning with Starbucks coffee and we had breakfast together at the hotel dining room. After a short nap (one hour), we started to prepare for check out time of 12 noon. They went to the airport as a family and we went on with our other business because we were not allowed to see them off at the gate anyhow.

Dad was so upset and cried so much like a little child over the phone. He told me that he was alone at the Gateway parking lot and he really lost it. I have never heard your dad cry that much in my 42 years of being married to him. He cried over other occasions but not as bad as he did this time. I think all the other sad occasions in the past contributed to his action and again, he knew there was nothing he could do. Luckily, David woke up from his nap and I handed him the phone.

Rosanna and David will be ok . They are 2 matured people who love each other so much. They are both madly in love with Christian. Who wouldn't? He is so cute, and now at the age of trying to talk and walk.

Well, let us bow our heads and pray for their safety and good health in their new home.

Family Gathering for the Bennetts

2007-01-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend was very special to me and dad. Once more the family, extended family and friends got together to see David B., Rosanna and Christian. They are bound for Jakarta on January 20th. They will be there for a period of 3 years. It seems so long for now but, we have to think positive and wish for the best. A reunion in between the 3 years here or there and hope that they will come for their holidays here as well.

We will miss them terribly but time flies. Hopefully, they will be 4 or 5 when they come back. Who knows. Jakarta might be a fertile ground for them.

I will miss Christian very much. I have been very lucky that his parents allowed me to bond with him as a baby. He will not remember any of that I am sure. But, I will never forget. Pictures will show him how we were when he was a baby. I only hope that God will give us long life to experience some more of the thrill of caring for grandchildren. Rosanna and David , thank you very much.

We are praying and waiting for our grandchild from Jason and Moosie. Let us all pray for their safety and good health.

We will see the Bennetts through the SKYPE.

Good luck, good health and God bless. We love you and we will miss you.

Happy New Year to All

2006-12-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

2007 will be a great year if we follow our New Year's Resolution. I am sure each one has one or many.

Let's drink to a Happy, Prosperous and most of all Healthy New Year. The drink part is only a toast and cheers for 2007.

Live well, love much and laugh more often.

Happy New Year

2006-12-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

Every year, our ages get higher and higher. Many of those people whose ages were higher than ours and some much lower than ours are now gone. We miss all those we love and we wish that they were still here. However, we have to look forward and stay focus on what to do for the future.

Some of us have gone smarter. Some have gone the other way with how we handled our lives. But, I think that God has a plan for all of us. God's plan has a way of making us aware of it. We just have to recognize it, take time to ponder and listen then act on it.

What have we learned in the past? This is what we have to work on in the future. The good things that happened, we thank God for. The bad- if we are responsible for it, we have to take responsibility and not blame others.

I am now 65 . I am still excited when I wake up. I have aches and pains but I notice that the more I move around, the better I feel. There are so many things I still want to do in life aside from traveling. I enjoy all of the things I do. But the most exciting and challenging I do is helping those who appreciate me. I am not getting paid anymore. But, I just need to eat, sleep and be free of stress. I do best when not being rushed. I accomplish a lot and not forget things this way.

In essence, I would like to ask everyone to pray to God for me and your Dad to have good health.

Happy New Year to all. May all your wishes come true. Mine did. I have 4 wonderful children. I am glad they listened when all we asked was for them to study. I hope you all know how lucky you are. Yes, we did not have much time to play with you while you were small. Well, we had to work so that you can have better lives than ours. Some blame their childhood upbringing when they have problems as adults. Parents do the best they can . The best thing is- we put our love for our children as the top priority in our lives. We always will. If we cannot at this time, you will understand why. God Bless us all.

As 2006 ends

2006-12-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

The year is about to end. The spirit of Christmas is all over the place. What with my first born turning 40 on Christmas day, it is a great day to celebrate.

As we celebrate the traditional date of His birth on the 25th of December, we believe in our hearts and soul that Jesus Christ is our redeemer. Let us follow imitating His life and thank the Holy Father for giving us such a great gift.

Let us celebrate Christmas everyday and count our blessings. Let us share our blessings with the less fortunate. Merry Christmas to all. May we all have a healthy and blessed New Year.

Post Thanksgiving Thoughts

2006-11-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

It was indeed a very memorable day for me when all our children and all our in-laws came in to celebrate Thanksgiving day with us. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all guys very much. We never know when or where we will be in one roof again. I hope that it will not be too long. We are getting old.

Actually, I was so excited I did not have any appetite to eat. Just looking at all of you made me very happy. I also appreciated the fact that you spent the night with us in preparation for the biggest game we all watch every Friday after Thanksgiving as long as Texas A&M became a part of our lives. David, if I knew that the gumbo was going to take you away from watching the game, I would have planned another menu like spaghetti and meatballs. Sorry. I know, you taped the game.

I was also very happy that for the first time, Melissa and Jason came to Fannett for Thanksgiving dinner since they moved to California.

I knew that at some point, our house will not be big enough for all of us. When Celina asked me how come they were sleeping in the porch, I had to remind her that there is a new king named Christian. Thanks for understanding. I appreciate it very much.

Well, at 65, I know I am still in good shape. I survived "heart attack" situations with A&M's big games, both live and on TV. Also, I just finished driving to and from Austin to help Melissa and Jason unpack >300 boxes of household items that came the day before Thanksgiving in their brand new house. Upon returning to Beaumont, swung by Houston with Lope and Ramon who helped us with the big job. I played with Christian for 1 hour and a half in his playpen(castle) and got bit in my arm.

The "bestest" is the Aggies beating the Longhorns when they least expected. Only one touchdown? What's up with that? Anyway, A&M defense was fired up from the bonefire in Hearne. GIG em! AGGIES. They are still talking about your win.

Aggies vs Longhorns---Mano a Mano

2006-11-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

Beaumont Enterprise sport's section headline describes the rivalry meet as Mano a Mano. Strength vs. strength. Actually , it means hand vs. hand. But, we need the body ,legs and mind as well.

It will be a very exciting game to watch on Friday with all the Aggies in our house. Let us pray that none of the players get hurt on both sides. We should not forget that this is only a football game. However, the Aggies should play like they are in a war zone. Playing with God given strength in a clean and fair game.

McCoy was quoted by Beaumont Enterprise saying " In my family, there are Aggies. I hate to say that". I have all respect for him as a good,young and cute athlete. I wish that he would show class in everything he does, and more importantly what he says.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Let us thank God we live in this country where we are able to watch sports the way we do. I love the USA and the Aggies too.

Dad's Therapy

2006-11-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

As part of Dad's therapy, we are going to take a break from the office for a stress test. Well, we are going to Las Vegas this weekend. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon and will return on Monday on a red eye Continental flight. Yikes!!!!

We are staying at the Venetian. Dad tells me that we have gathered enough points from using reward credit cards and are due to have a his and hers Cartier watches. We are also going to see Olivia Newton John @ the Luxor theatre. We will miss Melissa because she always found time to keep me company while she was in California. Occasionally, Jason would come and all we do is watch football all day.

I hope that we bring back lots of money so we can eradicate all of your loans. Keep wishing. It does not hurt to wish.

Congratulations to Jason and Moosie for their new house. They cannot move in yet. They have no furnitures, not even a bed. They will come soon.

2006 last Aggie Home Game

2006-11-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to see the last game against Nebraska. The losing games with Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Nebraska were truly serious stress tests for me. But, I made it, and as an Aggie mom, the excitement of being in Kyle Field is second to none.

The team deserves a fanfare even though they were outscored by a total of 6 points during their 3 homegames. I must say that Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Nebraska got lucky this time.

The Aggies are coming back stronger next season .

Progress

2006-11-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Dad's blood pressure has been controlled by his cardiologist's prescribed medications. He is staying on 140/80 everyday. Still on almost no meat diet and very little rice. Working very well in the office alone. Patients pretty much understanding and concerned. I think I can say, his patients love and respect him very much.
God is great. God is good. We are blessed. Praise the Lord.

Dad's Progress Report

2006-10-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Dad's blood pressure is finally coming down to a healthier count. He drove to work since Monday and have been very calm. I have managed to reduce his stress by eliminating stressful conditions in the office to the point that I am absorbing most of them. Well, I just know how to handle stress better. If I can avoid exposure to stress, I just do it.

Our patients have been understanding enough to take it easy on him so they give me all the situations that they know I can handle for him. I work with him but I save all my questions when everything is quiet and when he has time to think and answer me without any arguments.

He is very good in his diet and has already lost 7 lbs, 31 more to go. I eat with him in a separate room and I just worry about him and me. The others have to prepare their own food during lunch. I give him most fish, veggies. Banana is part of our meal now as well as orange juice.

Thanks for all your help and prayers. Dad is still very good for many more years to come. His memory is like a sponge. He remembers a lot of things he studied in the College of Medicine. So, working is good for him. When the other doctor comes, we will be able to travel more with God's help.

We are scheduled to go to Ireland, Scotland and England in April.

The Aggies

2006-10-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

I had another stress test today listening to the Aggie game and watching the World Series at the same time. It was so frustrating not to see a very good game that Stephen McGee never gave up on. I was screaming (Jason, it was good you were not here)when they went for the 4th down and made it. Even louder when they blocked the PAT.

Oh well, it is all your fault, guys. You taught me how football is played and there is no turning back. David taught me when he was in High School wearing #40 for HFISD.

Good game. More power to the Aggies and Coach.

Re: Dad

2006-10-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Dad rested for a whole day in bed on Tuesday and worked with Francis ,Nurse Practitioner Wednesday and Thursday. Since this is a small town, the whole of Beaumont knew what happened. What HIPPA? Anyway, it is all because so many people who love him were concerned about their friend and doctor. Kudos to the ER staff of Baptist Memoral Hermann Hospital for the excellent and fast care. You would think our life was on fast forward.

The family of course did very sweet things. Visit from David, Edi and Zachary, constant calls from Rosanna and Celina as well after she was finally notified about Dad's ordeal. Moosie on the phone wanting to start driving home to be with me. Ate Cora, Nanding, Espie, Catherine & Eric, thank you very much for you calls. Manny on his bedside after the procedure. Alvin cooking for him lunch, healthy meal and Lope for driving him everywhere so he does not have pain on his cath site, his right groin.

Our staff in the office doing everything to make Dad comfortable and prompting him to get checked.

The conversation that went on in my car on the way to the ER is better not being published. This is the reason why I did not want anybody to come with us to help me. I knew that he was not a 911 emergency. But, I wished that someone was with me when I was waiting for the result of his cath. I just kept talking to Moosie.

I was so worried about Rogie but he came out with good and clean "plumbing" in his heart. Thank God for all His blessings. Now I think I should also go for my yearly check up. For whatever it is worth, I actually think that Cinnamon has helped both his heart and diabetes. The way he eats pork and all the cholesterol rich food, it is amazing that his cardiac cath was the way it was last Tuesday. Hopefully, he will try to lose weight for the sake of his knee because it is hard for him to walk. The last MRI on his knee was normal. I think he will walk better if he is lighter.

For Dr. Sotolongo, my unending thanks. He did such a good job giving me special treatment by being there when we needed him. God Bless you.

What a day!

2006-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last night, Dad complained about dizziness. I took his blood pressure and it was 200/100. At his request, he asked one of my blood pressure medicines and my fluid pill. Before going to bed I checked his blood pressure again and it was the same. He said that he was very tired because we were very busy at the office. We went to sleep, and today, he woke up and I checked his blood pressure again, it was much better although his diastolic was still 90. He made rounds and came back in the office.

As he was working, he complained that he was dizzy again and he was rubbing his chest while he was sweating. Since doctors and nurses are the worst patients,it was hard for me to convince him that he was sick. But, he did not look good we told him. So, I called Dr. Sotolongo and described his symptoms. He suggested to bring him to the ER of Baptist Memorial Hermann Hospital. We were taken cared of so fast by the ER staff, and the next thing I knew, he was for cardiac catheterization. He did not have a heart attack but because of his diabetes and high blood pressure, it was a must that the procedure be done.

I was at a loss because I was alone. But, I was really not nervous. I felt sorry for myself because I was alone. I called all my children except Celina because I did not know how to get her. She was not allowed to make or take personal calls. I talked to Moosie the longest who wanted to come and be with me. But, I told her to give me 20 minutes and I will call her back. Dr. Sotolongo came out of the Cath room and told me that his heart was ok and I was so relieved.

All I could do when I was alone was pray the Lord's Prayer and gave everything up to God. I always knew that God was with me and Dad because I was not afraid.

Thanks for all those who prayed for Dad. Prayers really work. To all our kids, thank you for your love and prayers.

My first Aggie game

2006-09-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, last night, the Aggies played against LaTech. I took the opportunity to watch the game because I heard so much about how great Kyle Field looks like.

Game was to start at 6pm but a very strong thunderstorm was coming from Waco and the fans were told to seek shelter because of the impending storm. Of course there were a lot of Aggies who weathered the storm and stood there doing what Aggie fans are well known for. Stand by their team. It was an awesome sight not to mention scary because it rained really very hard and the thunder and lightning were extremely frightening. I have never seen lightnings like that in my whole entire life. I learned that all the flagpoles around the top part of the stadium were lightning rods. The South side (where the new Jumbo screen is ) was completely empty as ordered for safety.

Well, the game did not start till 8pm. The Aggies looked kinda confused in the beginning. I guess they got a good talking to by Coach at half time so they were impressive after that, ending the game 45-14. We left at the start of 4th quarter and got home at 2am. This game actually happened for 2 days in my book.

I just heard from Melissa and she sounded so happy to be in Texas. She said she will call back because she is extremely hungry. Welcome Jason and Melissa.

On the sad side, Christian has a fever (probably from teething). He is still happy, active, smiling and finished ALL his food.

Congratulations to Celina for baby sitting for the first time.

Have not heard from David Mendoza.

CREDIT CARD THEFT

2006-09-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today is such a disturbing day.

When I left for Germany, Dad made sure I had a new credit card just for Europe. It was nice because it served aS a record of all my expenses during the tour. While in Europe, as I was using it, it denied me once and all Dad had to do was to tell them that yes, I was in Europe. I was then able to use it while we were over there. We did not know that we had to call them to tell them that before I left and Moosie said that I should have. We learn everyday.

Our first bill came in and all the charges in Europe were ok. Yesterday, we were putting gas in Baytown and we were denied. When we came home it was late and this morning dad called and said that there was too much activity on my card that is why they stop accepting charges.

This morning, I went on line for the first time for a credit card related incident. I was shocked to find out that someone has been using my card, all over Houston since September 19, 2006. They are all grocery related items from Randalls, HEB, Kroger,Fiesta and they are from Sugar Land, Cypress, Houston etc. We immediately called the Credit card office and they told us that the thief was using my card and we do not know how because I have it in my possession. Besides, we have been working during those days and have never done any grocery shopping in the Houston area.

This was reported to the criminal department. The last time it was used was yesterday. Can you believe this????

What is today and future plans

2006-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Edi's birthday and I wish her more birthdays to come. We all know how old she is but we are not going to announce it on my own blog. As long as I am not the only one getting old, I guess it is ok.

Well, I know it is early to plan major family holidays, but, I suggest that we end this year the best we can for all members of the Mendoza family. It will have to be planned so that you can all share with your loved ones and theirfamilies as well.

Thanksgiving will be at my house. Everybody is invited. Rosanna, David and Christian are going to be here. David Mendoza, I have not really asked yet as well as Celina and Melissa. Remember, my house is always open to all of you even without notice. Our house is still your house even tho' you are all married now.

Christmas, we are also staying home as well as New Year. Geez, it will be 2007 already. Well, I am praying hard that great things happen in 2007.

Hey, how about Christmas reunion in 2007 in Disney World? Let me know because we have to book this early. If not, no hurt feelings. Maybe England? Post your comments.

Jason and Melissa Austin bound

2006-09-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to take Melissa'a car to Belton in preparation for their arrival September 24. Ramon, Lope drove my car and I drove Melissa's Highlander. I figure that she will need a car to go around Austin to know her way around. She needs to find Target right away.

We had lunch with Phillip and Susan Cain, and visited Morgan. She looks great.

Not to forget about Jake and Nadia. They looked so cute.

09/11/2001 5 years later (2006)

2006-09-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

In memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, let us pause and pray for the souls of the departed. Let us also pray for our troops who voluntarily and willingly serve to protect us. God Bless America!

Back to work

2006-09-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first day of work after turning 65. Apart from feeling sleepy, I was able to handle the load pretty good. I even cooked dinner.

I do not feel 65. But, what do I know,I have never been 65 before I just wish that the good Lord will give me and Dad long life so that we can see grandchildren from all our children. We might be old but age is a measure of wisdom. I am very proud of all our children. We enjoy being parents. I think the age of being a child again is about past 75 so, if our minds are still sharp, we will be pretty good even at 80.

I will seriously work on my life story and finish it soon. Too much to talk about. Too many good memories to be put in writing. I might even have a best seller, who knows? With a family like ours, not a book. Maybe a good soap opera.

Let us thank God for giving us the strength to carry our Cross. It is no comparison to what He carried for us.

Back in the USA

2006-09-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ramon and I finally got back to the US, and as the saying goes,there is no place like home.

It seemed like the coming home trip was much longer. Maybe I was just anxious to be back in Fannett and maybe 3 weeks with Uncle Ramon was way too much. But,I know that he enjoyed his first trip to Europe very much. Thanks to Jason and Melissa for putting up with us all those days. Honestly, I am glad that I got him to see Europe for the first time and I hope that the people he talks to about his trip will be patient enough to listen. We have to select pictures to publish because Moosie really took a lot. The pain of tracing Jose Rizal, our national hero's steps in Heidelberg when he was there was enough reason to make all those shots.

Happy Labor Day. I am home now.

Back from Berlin

2006-09-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we came back from Berlin. Berlin is very much modernized city but the traces of war can still be seen. We stayed in a nice hotel for one night and the next day, we took a riding tour because it was pouring rain. We took the train back and arrived in Dresden at 7pm. Today, we stayed home to rest for our early flight back to the US tomorrow.

Personal Day

2006-08-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we took a personal day. Moosie and I went for our facial as early as 9:30 am, I had to have a massage German style because I was hurting from all the walking we did in Rome. I also had a haircut. How I told them how I want my hair cut? ....sign language and we were both hysterical because Maria was trying so hard to speak English, and I was trying to understand her. I loved my hair cut. It rained and got cold so we thought it was a good day to do all that.

TRIP TO ROME

2006-08-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

We are back in Dresden after a very nice trip to Rome. We were lucky that we were there on a weekend and that Kristen now lives there. This is the first time I have seen Rome's beautiful scenery on top of a mountain both day and night . Thanks to Luca Ricci, Kristen's boyfriend. He took us everywhere in his car which I have not done at all in the past. Driving in Rome, or being a passenger was an experience in itself. Luca is a good driver and we all enjoyed our time with both of them. We were very lucky they were available. We had a SUPER time.

Next stop.......Berlin

In Europe

2006-08-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ramon and I are presently touring Germany. We landed in Dresden and rested for a while with Jason and Melissa. All 4 of us went to Prague, Czech Republic over the weekend. Then on monday, Melissa, Ramon and I went to Heidelberg to look for the statue of our national hero, Jose Rizal. Thank God for our good navigator Moosie, we found all the places where JR spent a lot of his time in Germany where he received his degree in Ophthalmology. It was not at all easy. To me, it is the equivalent of 3 stress tests. With God's help, I survived it without any chest pains. A little bit of shortness of breath but we all had that....resting a bit, we went on to the top of the mountain where we saw the whole view of Heidelberg. Pictures will follow after we download our only camera. Watch them all at www.thecains.org.

OFF TO DRESDEN, GERMANY

2006-08-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

I will be off to Dresden, Germany starting August 13 to Spetember 3, 2006. I will be taking my bother, Ramon.

Our scheduled trips include Rome with Jason and Melissa who will be celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary. They will have their own room all the 3 days we are in Rome.

I will see you all in September.

The Bennetts are back

2006-07-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked up David, Rosanna and Christian. They all looked good but very tired. Christian has grown taller and it is really fun to play with him now because he laughs a lot. He is a very happy baby but you can tell he has to get used to his Houston schedule again.

Celina And Nick's wedding pictures

2006-07-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, Christopher Studio has put all of the wedding pictures in the web that I requested. I was told by Mrs. Christopher that this is the first time their company has done this for a customer. So, they have kept up with modern technology and Celina and Nick, you have made history. I hope you enjoy it. For those who want to order prints, please do so from the site. Remember, this will only be available for a period of time.

Jason & Melissa back from cruise

2006-07-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Received a call from Melissa from Orlando Airport waiting for their 5pm flight that will take them back to Dresden, Germany. They totally recommend the cruise for the family. They both sounded good.

Rosanna called

2006-07-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today, after so many days of no contact from the Bennetts, I got a phone call from Roro that they are extending their holiday by the beach until Tuesday. She asked me if I can pick them up on July 30th. Of course I can. She asked me to come alone because they need a lot of room in the car because of luggage, stroller, car seat, etc. and Christian. Yes, he has grown.

Visit at Pearland

2006-07-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today, we brought our friends, the Ambrosios (UP Class 65) to Celina & Nick's apartment. This was after eating lunch with David and Zachary and shopping at the Galleria .