Things to be thankful for

THANKSGIVING...

I have always enjoyed this holiday.  I enjoy getting the family together and stuffing our face with food until we almost explode and then take on the challange of dessert.  This year was a lot more meaningful and special.

See this year; I am greatful for a lot of things.  First I am greatful for my family, my health and my job.  I am greatful that I have a house to live in and a mortgage to pay.  I say that and you might wonder why.  Well this year Javier got his ACL replaced on November 1st.  Since then he has not been working and I have taken on the task of working and paying for ALL of our bills.  It's been hard but I do have to say; I am greatful for the extra money we have saved up...small amount but none the less it has saved us.  I am greatful to have such great family members and great friends.  I am greatful for my kids who are so understanding about how Christmas will be this year. I am greatful that Javier is now better and will be 100% in February and will be able to go back to work.

I am also greatful to have such a loving husband.  He calls me his hero....I love that.  I think he feels bad that he isn't bringing any money to the home but I always tell him...we married for better or worse...this my dear is part of our not so good moment....we have had worse.  He always has something good to say and can comfort me when I need a moment to cry or just a moment to be silent and cuddle.  I love him for that and I love my kids for understanding.

It's hard to keep it together; I have lost it a few times just thinking about how I can make our money stretch and keep us till my next pay day but God is watching over us and I am confident that he will carry us through this rough patch....after all; sometimes we need these lessons in life to keep us going. 

I'm a tough bitch and I keep moving forward...never looking back. Only thinking about the positive and the good to come.  So today I am thankful for a lot of things.

Keep your family close and keep your hearts open.  You never know who might have it worse than you do.  Like my hubbie said...it's not the end of the world, the sun will come up tomorrow and it will be a new beautiful day.


Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Ceci

Health

It's been a while since I blogged.  I know I have not kept up with this like i WOULD like to but today I will start fresh.

I am talking about Health today; mostly because I need to kick myself in the ass and get to working out.  I am not fond of running...I don't enjoy it, but because it is the one thing I like to do the least I am determined to get started.  My family has a history of health problems.  My mom was diagnosed with diabetes last year and she has been struggling to keep up with her health.

I do not want to have these health issues.  So today I have decided that Ceci will change her life.  I WILL CHANGE MY LIFE.  I want to be around for a long while.  I know that I can do this so I need to change a few things.

I am setting some goals for myself and will use this blog as a diary.

My start weight is 174.8
I am 5' 1" tall
my waist is at a 34"
my bust 42"
my thigh 26"

I hope to change the way I look so that I can feel better about myself....right now I do not!!

Ceci

March!!

Wow, I can't believe it's already March.  I have been working overtime like crazy and I'm so exhausted.  I'm happy that Javier will be starting his new job. That means me ONLY working my regular hours, no more overtime for this mom.  I need to spend more time with my kids.

This weekend I watched Courageous....that movie is a great movie.  Made me think of a lot of things.  I'm glad we got to watch it.  Of course I cried almost through all of it.  It's so inspirational.  If you haven't seen it, I recommend you rent it.

My baby boy will be 16 this month too.  Where has the time gone?  We are wanting to go see the hunger games midnight showing.  I would take my mom but I think she would be too tired.  We'll take her on Sunday instead.  :0)

I hope you all have a great Monday.

Ceci

Career Goal Oriented

Wednesday I took Abraham to visit Bobbi at UVU. She is the Criminal Justice Advisor for UVU.  He will be a Junior in HS next year and he is thinking about doing some concurrent enrollment classes so that he can get some college credit and not have to spend more time than necessary doing all of his general ed classes when he gets to college.  I love that he is already thinking ahead and mapping out his education.  He is very enthusiastic about the criminal justice field and I think he will do great things.  I especially think that he absolutely loves the fact that he can be done with his Bachelor Degree possibly before he is 21 and ready for the police academy.  Listen to that, before he is 21.............excuse me, I'm back now.  I just fainted for a bit. 

My son, wants to stay in Utah.  This is a good thing for me because that means that he will be close to us. I hope he decides to venture out a little and maybe explore a little bit of other states so that he sees the difference that there is. Culture wise, education wise, personality wise....everything wise!!  Don't get me wrong Utah is a great place to live.  I just think that at some point in a person's life, its a good idea to get out and move around a bit.  I don't want my kids to feel like they have missed out. 

I am very proud of my son and his choices. I want to think that I did something right while raising him.  He makes me laugh out loud every day and I am so proud of him.  I just don't know what I would do without his happy face in our home.  I just hope that he stays on track for what he wants to do but he knows that I will support him in whatever adventure he wants to pursue and wants to live.

I love you mijito!!

Here is Abraham being his silly self...mind you he is a serious kids but I love the moments when he can play around and be silly. 

Here he is showing off his Christmas presents.  I just love him to death!!

Ceci

Sunday Mass

If I wasn't working today I would have been to Mass today and heard the readings for today.  Since I didn't go, I still was able to read what would have been read.  Today I will share that with you....

Readings for Sunday Mass February 26, 2012; again this is brought to you by uCatholic.com

Genesis 9:8-15
Psalm 25:4-9
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:12-15

Genesis 9: 8 – 15
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Psalms 25: 4 – 9

4 Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long.

6 Be mindful of thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to thy steadfast love remember me, for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

1 Peter 3: 18 – 22

18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Mark 1: 12 – 15

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Enjoy your Sunday.

Ceci

Angry Birds

My husband is obsessed with this game....it drives me crazy!! I don't mind the fact that he plays it.  I mind that he plays it when I want to cuddle or talk or watch a movie or eating dinner.  I think its fine that he plays it but seriously, last night we were watching a movie and he pulls out his phone and started playing this game, he plays it with the volume on high and I can hear everything. Now I don't care if he plays it but turn the volume down!  I was a little upset about it. 

I guess it really bothers me because when we are together sitting in bed watching TV, it used to upset him that I text or read a book, or that I crochet while he was watching his program or we were talking; so naturally it bugs me because he was always on my case about what I do.  He said it was distracting and that he felt like I didn't care.  Well we came to an agreement that if we were spending time together we would just spend time together, no electronic gadgets of any sort.  If we watch a movie, we watch a movie; if we talk, we talk; if its a program he's watching on TV then I told him that if I didn't like what he was watching I would crochet or read.  Agreed, problem solved no more problems.

I guess now I just sit back and laugh because its funny how he gets upset when he can't pass a level or how excited he gets when he does.  He says its a game of skill, you have to know how to knock down the pilars to kill the most pigs...I don't get it and didn't like it when I played it but he LOVES it.

This is what one level looks like...

Knock down the pilars and kill those pigs. 

Have a great Saturday everyone!!

Ceci

Ash Wednesday

'So it is written that the Christ woul suffre and on the third day rise from the dead.'

                                                                                                          Luke 24:46

This year Ash Wednesday falls on February 22nd.  I am working but will be off in time to make it to Mass.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.

Here is an explanation of why we receive the ashes I got from the  http://www.catholic.org/ website.

Why we receive the ashes

Following the example of the Nine vites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."


Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.


The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.


The Ashes


The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy during the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer and penance.


Traditionally in our family we each reflect and decide what we are giving up for Lent.  This year we have decided to do something as a family as well as individually.  I think that this will bring us even closer together.  We decided that as a family we are going to give up junk food for Lent.  Normally this isn't a problem but for some reason this year we have been eating a lot of junk.  I know that it shouldn't take Lent for us to realize that we need to stop eating junk food but I think this will be a good reflection and a great family discussions on Sundays. 

May you all have a blessed day. 

Ceci