We had a delicious turkey made by Martha Craig Stewart, lol.  Just kidding!  He’s turned into quite a good turkey baker!  All the kids were here, gifts were opened, sweets eaten, and gingerbread houses decorated . . . and demolished!

I got a Kindle fire (yeah!) and my puppy Jack, Craig got an iPad2, and you can see in the pictures what the kids’ favorite gifts were!  They certainly love their pillow pets!  We haven’t set up the hot wheels wall tracks yet, but they sure look fun!  Wii Donkey Kong is a blast for all the kids to play together.  Of course, Santa knew to bring  fun stuff for our Hawaii trip!

Little Timmy is now six years old  I can’t believe it!  I actually cried while going through some old post and saw this picture:  

He’s such a goober!  He does so well in school, and is quite silly!  He comes up with the funniest sayings that just crack me up!  He had his party at Play By Play, and had a blast!

Sometime in November, I got a letter from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), granting admission to their Masters program starting in January 2012!  Woot!  I’m super excited!  I will be in the Acute Care Nurse practioner and Nurse Educator programs, with a graduation date of May 2015.  Yes, three more years of school.  ACK!  I went to the campus in November to meet my advisor, who is wonderful, and her credentials are outstanding!!!  I was like a silly school girl on campus! I hope to go back in the next few weeks and get a official “UAMS Nursing” shirt/jacket.

So, for now, I continue to work in the ICU and do house supervisor.  In January I also start to teach clinicals at National Park Community College (NPCC), where I got my ADN (Associate degree in nursing).  Remember that day?  If not ~~~~>>>>HERE and HERE and HERE!!!!!  Yes, so I will be doing the 4th semester clinicals (last semester!), which I’m very nervous about, but very excited!

First, I packed WARM clothes, as I was going to Phoenix.  Hello desert!  Not so much.  It got down into the 40s at night, with a high in the 60s during the day.  I had to go buy a sweater!  I had planned on wearing a black dress to the funeral, but it was too cold.  I had to go get pants and a sweater!  Crazy!

I flew into the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.  Wonderful place!  It was clean, open, and had all my favorite places, which ended my 9 year absence from Einstein bagels . . . oh yum!  The car rental building is located apart from the actual airport terminal, and once again is a wonderful place!  My rental was from Dollar rent a car, which was efficient and quick.  The staff was great too . . . but I had issues with them later with billing.  

Not knowing where to stay (Tracey had offered us a place, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that), I searched online and found Best Western Inn and Suites on 16th and Northern.  It was quick and easy to get to from the airport. I have had good and bad experiences with Best Westerns in the past, but this place was wonderful!  Check in was quick, the room was great!  We had a junior suite, which gave Mom a private bedroom, and I slept on the fold out couch.  It was roomy enough for the two of us.  We were right outside the pool and hot-tub, which sadly we didn’t get to partake.  I kinda wished I got a chance to look at the big suites!  The continental breakfast was fantastic!  Not only did they have the normal cereal, fruit, toast, etc.  But they had a FRESH Belgium waffle maker!  YUM!  Biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and bacon were also there.  The hotel also offered a cocktail hour with drinks and hor d’oeuvres (again, we didn’t have a chance to participate in this).  It was a great place today, for a cheap cheap price!

The evening of the funeral we went with some of Mom’s old friends to a Vietnamese restaurant, which I’ll have to get the name of later.  But Beverly (who is my age, daughter of Mom’s friend Lou) was great in helping us decide what to get!  Enjoy the pictures, because the food was as good as it looks!

We then did some shopping, at Nordstrom’s Last Chance.  What an awesome store!  You do have to dig, but I found a cute Coach bag, and two pairs of adorable UGG boots!  Love that store!

And of course, being women, Filipino women at that, we had to eat again!  We stopped for some dessert and coffee!  :)

I think in the last few years, my Mother has spoken to him, and his girlfriend Tracey.  Over the next few months we share a few emails, and I even got my first birthday card in 25 years from him.  I had known he had been sick over the last few years, but received a phone call one night before we left from our cruise.

It was from “Chris”, who is Steve’s dad, my Grandfather.  He said that Steve was quite sick in ICU, too sick to be moved to the VA hospital across town.  Over the next few days, I debated whether or not to fly to Phoenix for a few days, and then to fly back into New Orleans for the cruise. But the ticket price was too much.  I spoke with Tracey and told her to do what she thought was best.  After speaking with the nurses in ICU, I discovered that Steve had ARDs, amongst other health issues. If you are a healthy person, with no co-morbidities (other health diseases) ARDs is hard to over come having a 50% mortality rate.  But a person with prior multiple health issues has an even less chance of survival.  So with this knowledge and other things the nurses told me, I knew he didn’t have a good chance of survival.  I told Tracey that I wouldn’t be able to make it time to do any good, and not to keep him alive on the ventilator, but to let him go peacefully.

Sometime during this week, I got a voicemail from Shawn, who is Steve’s son, my older brother. I remember seeing pictures of him when I was little.  He was blonde hair and blue-eyed and a little older than me.  I don’t think I ever met him when we were little, but often wondered where he was in life.

It was the week after our cruise I was able to go to Phoenix.  Mom came with me, as I was scared and nervous.  We first went to meet Tracey, who was at her and Steve’s house, with her sister Maude.  We hugged and said hello. I was the first to sit, and was told I sat in Steve’s chair.  Maude had made a couple of posters for the funeral, which I looked at with sadness.  We went to eat dinner (Mom, me and Tracey), and then went to go see Grandpa Chris and his wife Evie.

Grandpa Chris is a jovial fellow, quite funny.  We chatted for a bit, but didn’t stay long.  One conversation  we had was about the flag from the funeral.  Since Steve was in the Navy, serving on the USS Ranger, he was to have a military funeral.  Chris and Barb (Steve’s Mother) thought I should have the flag.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, since Tracey was his “real” family for the last 8 years.  Back at the hotel, Mom said that I should ask Tracey what she thought about it.

The next day, we met everyone at the funeral home, where Grandpa Chris worked at for the last 30 plus years.  It was very emotional seeing him in the casket.  Mom broke down really hard.  Knowing that if she had never met him, she would have never been in the place she is now, or have the life (kids, etc) that she has.  It’s hard to imagine them together 34 years ago, as a young couple.

Family.  Holy Family!  I vaguely remember my cousins, but got to meet them again, along with their kids.  Everyone said, “The last time I saw you . . .” then they’d put their hand at knee height.    It was really cool, and eye-opening to see everyone.  I even met my niece, Amber (Shawn’s daughter).  It’s so hard to remember all the emotions and comments that occurred that day, and I wish I had recorded all my thoughts back then.

Thankfully, we took lots of pictures, exchanged emails, etc.  I hope to keep in touch with everyone, but know it’s hard as we live so far away, and life keeps us busy.  I  have communicated several times with my brother, which I hope to keep up with, and to get to know him better.

Here’s an email that touched me (From Steve) . . .

Hi there,
It was just so good to hear from you!!!!
I met Tracy when I was singing one night. Yes, I said “singing”!!! She made a request and I danced with her as I sang. We have been through a lot. My health went to hell and Tracy stood beside me constantly. She’s so sweet. We have been together about 8-9 years now.
I hope you and yours are fine.
The pictures that I’ve been able to get show me that you are a beautiful, smart, mother of 3 boys.
I remember going aboard the airplane when you were only 32 days old.
I tried teaching you to swim at an early age. First time I put you in 10 feet of water you were 11 months old. By the time you were 3, you had no fear of water.
I really wish I could see you again so I could hug and kiss you. I have really missed you all these years.
I didn’t want to “rock” the boat while you were growing up.
Your mom and I have talked numerous times every month and still do.
I’m so happy you contacted me. Well, for now, I gotta rest a little bit.
Please drop me another letter. I’ll answer as soon as I can. I just got out of the hospital again. That’s why I didn’t answer right away.
Well, honey, please write me again soon.
I love you,
Steve “Dad”.

By the way, I did keep the flag.

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From entering the Carnival Port til we left, the staff was overly friendly and eager to help us have a smooth, happy, and fun experience!  The porter who helped with our luggage was wonderful!  From when we left our car, it took about an hour to go through security, check in, do photos, make our sail cards, and get on board.  Not too shabby!  The food was delicious, the room stewards were fantastic, our stewards at dinner were hilarrrious!  We really just had the best time ever.  I think I pee’d my pants while seeing the comedian, Mutzie.  If he comes to your area comedy club check him out!  If not, he has some funny stuff on you-tube!  We enjoyed the Halloween party on board, dressed up like little red riding hood and the big bad wolf!  We pretty much ate, rested, and relaxed!

In Progresso, we walked around a bit, the water wasn’t that pretty, and did a little shopping.  We ended up renting some scooters and driving to Merida, the capital of the Yucatán.  It is a pretty city, and would have spent more time there, but realized we didn’t have any Pesos, or know any Spanish!

In Cozumel, our goal was to scuba dive!  Craig is a certified diver, so he helped me bunches!  We went with a group of people I had met online before the cruise, they had arranged the dive trip for us.  We went to Mr. Sancho’s beach club, an all inclusive resort (which we didn’t do).  It looked like great fun, with the swings at the bar, beach chairs, water inflatables and all that!  Our goal there, was to visit Ramon Zapata’s dive place.  They were wonderful, the scuba lesson was great.  And although only two of us had dove before, we each got enough attention to make sure we understood, and were okay once we were in the water.  Awesome!   I plan on getting my open water certification in the next few months (in time for our next dive trip in Hawaii!)

For the price, the Carnival cruise was AWESOME!  We’ve already booked another cruise for next fall!  Here are a few of the pictures we took.  Enjoy!

My baby sister got married in September!  We made the trip a few days before the wedding and had a great time with family.  It was fun to see my nephew Jayden (AKA Bubba) and his sister Bella.  The wedding was beautiful, but not as much as the Bride!  The reception rocked, and I even got my other sister Stephanie drunk, ohhhh funny stuff She did look pretty pitiful on the couch the next morning!  Congrats to Ashley and Chris! <3

Timmy, Brennen, Zachary, and my nephew Jayden

The reception was held at the Valley Event Center, who was FANTASTIC from the beginning to the end!  Spectrum Photography in Gering was also great.  Very professional, listened to the couple, and gave fantastic results!  I will have to get more pics of the reception from someone!  The food was fantastic, which is understandable when a Filipino family and a Hispanic family are doing the cooking! I love the picture of me, Mom, and my Aunt Janelle doing the chicken dance with the kids.  haha, did I mention that my husband had to ask my Dad to drive me home?  Yup, Dad drove me and my sister Stephanie home that night!  Can’t wait until the NEXT wedding!