Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all...Boy have things been very very crazy..My mom spent alittle over a week in the hospital with heart failure...she had her pacemaker upgraded and has been home since Saturday..I am her nurse with a phone instead of a button..the first few days were alittle hectic but we are balancing out...She has home health care starting and she actually cooked herself oatmeal this morning...She seems to be feeling stronger each day...Praise GOD...We are going to have christmas dinner here at our house and Sandra and I have been cleaning and we will start the cooking tomorrow...We are hopeing to go to North Florida to see Hap's family next week if I can figure out how to take care of mom...I am praying that one of the ladys that stayed with her when she first came home from her long hospital rehab stay will come and help out..She just lives around the corner here and mom just needs someone to come and check on her 3 or 4 times aday and cook one main meal...She does breakfast and can do her lunch herself...But I want to make sure there is someone passing thru at least 3 times aday...GOD willing this will work out...I feel so blessed to have my family...Carlos is home for the hospital...He still does not speak..He has a feeding tube in his nose??? They tried him on some baby food today and it was a success...He is getting alittle more movement in his arms and legs...He does still understand english and recognized a friend who called but raising a hand to let his sister know he knew this man...He will SOOOOO testifiy the name of the LORD in anyway he can...With or without words..But we are praying that he will recover completely...In GOD's time...anyway...BLESSINGS to all...I hope you feel the joy of this season...With your families...May GOD bless the next year for you and may we all continue to bring glory to his name....

Happy Holidays

Sorry again, That I havent written in awhile..My mom had to go back to the hospital..Heart failure..They upgraded her pacemaker and that is about all they can do..She is home as of yesterday and doing pretty good..Sandra is doing very well..I think I can see alittle homesickness for Juarez in her..But we talk about it and I figure this is normal..We did some christmas shopping together yesterday..She doesnt like to shop either..Her and I have ALOT in common..We did what we needed to do and got out of there...Now to get the house and the food and the wrapping and the etc......You know the line..We normally do a christmas eve gathering for the extended family but I just dont know if I can do it this year...I am very tired and I always do christmas dinner here at our house...I think that our special day will over ride the other this year..I spoke to a cousin and we are going to try and do the extended gathering after christmas on a sunday just as a family day...They have a new member,great grandson,to their family and we have Sandra. So soon we will have that gathering...I am trying to remember all that is happening and it is hard...Carlos continues to improve and amaze each day...He is not talking but with each day there is more movement in his arms and legs...He has a feeding tube but he has begun to swallow..Who knows..only GOD...He is able to let you know that he understands you by a hand raise...He remembers english and us..Another friend called and had his sister hold the phone up to his ear and he would raise his hand in understanding and said,by the hand,that he knew who this friend was...GOD IS GOOD..as carlos would say...and when his sister says praise GOD for what he has done she said carlos raises his hand in the air and holds it there...THANK YOU LORD...
Well I wanted to say Happy Holidays to all and I pray it is blessed and joyous for all...

Life

Well life has been quite.....????..It has been different this week...I have manage to purge my house and garage..I started when we arrived home from Mexico..I only have the upstairs bedroom and file cabinet to do..But have decided to wait until after Christmas for that...I feels so good to know we have what we need...and not much else..Stuff that I know we will use..I want to enjoy this Christmas and try not to get into the mad rush that seems to happen this time of year...Sandra is doing well..Except...We were involved in an accident this week that left a 14 year old boy dead...I had just pick Sandra up from school and was about a mile from the school when I saw a boy poke his head out from behind a verizon work truck..He had time to cross in front of me...I also let off the gas a little and at the same time there was a car behind me ,with more students from the school in it, that decided to pass me..Just as the boy made it across my lane and starting into the next lane the car passing me realized it but it was to late...The boy on foot was hit..The other boys in car then hit a telephone pole...We,by the grace of GOD were able to miss the boy on foot as he flew and the car, that after hitting the pole turned sideways in the road...The boy was airlifted to Tampa General but it was said he died in route...I feel so ???? for the family of the boy hit...and for the boys in the car that hit him...This was such a terrible terrrible ACCIDENT...It was just an accident..But Sandra had night mares that night and was unable to sleep..Greif counselors were at the school yesterday and called me in also..I am following up with a greif center here in Auburndale to make sure Sandra deals with this healthy...Please pray for both of these families and ours as well...My mom is doing good..We are getting ready to head to the doctor with her...Carlos was taken off life support last night and the family has placed him in GOD's hands...He still has not awaken since the first surgery a couple of weeks ago..I think...Time has blurred here lately..I am so thankful for a powerful GOD who can carry us through so much in our life time...As long as we cling to him.......

Start to a New Week

We had a good weekend..Sandra had school Saturday and we had planned on going to Tampa to Lowry Park but the weather changed that..We waited until yesterday morning and headed out early and had a good day there..Weather was much better..She has school today and we have our first parent meeting with her Latinos in Action class tonight...We are all decorated for christmas and my mom too..Now to start what little shopping for that..Sandra is so easy to buy for..She isnt to americanized yet to where it is hard or costly..and if possible we are going to try and keep it that way..We tried that with our son but the world didnt help and we are praying that GOD will help with this...Carlos is not doing good..He had to have another surgery yesterday..He has a blood clot. The doctors found and took care of it but he had to be put on life support...They will check this morning and see if anything has changed..GOD has work for Carlos,I have no doubt..I just dont know if it is here on Earth on with our LORD in heaven...I except which ever...I feel it an honor to know Carlos and to have spent the time with him that I have...I pray that there will be more time to spend together...
I started cleaning out everything when I arrived home..I am so close to being finished with the downstairs I could dance...It feels so good to get rid of THINGS you dont need...I feel a freedom to enjoy life more without thinking you have to dust and clean because you have so much STUFF...Now to see if I can get my mom to do the same...After New Years me and a couple of friends are going to start on her old house and try and clean it up and out so that we can rent it out...WHAT A JOB...She has never throw anything away and gets very upset with me if I mention it...For someone who says they have no memory left..she sure can remember stuff she hasnt seen for 5 years that are still over in the old house..Stuff with no purpose..just stuff...So we shall see how that goes in the new year....I am thankful for my family and for all that GOD does for us...I am happy to serve an amazing LORD...

PRAISE TO GOD

I am thankful that our lives are so good..Sandra is doing very well..School is going good..She is trying harder with english..My mom is doing good..We are working on her attitude about life..Hap and I are good..just tired as is Sandra adjusting into our family and life...We got our christmas tree last night and plan on having family time decorating tonight..We recieved a phone call last night at 1:30 that Carlos came thru the surgery good..What was thought and said to be a tumor turned out to be a large amount of blood..Described as chocolate syrup..He is doing good and the next few days will tell if he will have any lasting effects..But I think after what we have seen our LORD do in the last few days will continue and he will again be able to do the LORD's work like never before..He was alert just before surgery and I was told that he made a video thanking everyone for their emotional,spiritual,and financial support...When I recieve it I will try and post it...Sorry that these post have not been as deep and long as before but I do hope soon to have a routine going to where I can write more..Thank you for being patient with me...Oh yes,we are planning on taking Sandra up to North Florida to meet Hap's side of the family around Christmas..Not sure of the dates yet but that is something that we are looking forward too..Love to all...

Update

Our life is great..Sandra is doing well..Not wanting to speak english because of her perfection issue but told me yesterday that she would try harder..School is great..I have been purging our house of everything and it really feels good..Praying to have it done by christmas so our new year will be CLEAN...I have been very sideswiped the last few days...Any of you who have been following this through our Juarez and adoption journey have heard me speak of Carlos...His is not doing well..His health really started to go down last week...The Denver doctors were ready for him and everyone thought all was in order..They went to the immigration office yesterday and were told NO..That even if the doctors and hospital covered their costs that they were no sure there would not be other costs that were not covered and that would make him a burden to the United States..and to not come back..He was taken right away to a Juarez hospital and they are going to do open brain surgery today..The family was told that things do not look good..His family gathered up what money they could..They were told that starting costs would be about $20,000..US..In Mexico the way it works with health care is you pay half up front and the rest before they will let you leave the hospital..Doesnt make much sense to keep running up the bill but that is the way it is...GOD did some amazing work fast right after the family got the final news on the visa..$5,000 was produced right away thru some wonderful christain people in Denver..and delivered to the family last night..I have called everyone on his contact list from when he was in ministry and I am deeply touch by the caring people that have responded..Amigos Ministries has set up a fund that any who want can give too..If anyone wants this info just call me and I can give it to you..The main thing is PRAYER...Carlos is an angel of GOD's and I know even if GOD calls him home Carlos will still be working for the LORD and watching all of us from a much better place...I am trying to stay busy and know that GOD is in control..Living what I believe..Walking the walk of Faith...and Trust...and believing that GOD does know best....Even when our feeble human minds want to mess with us...We must take those thoughts captive and just hand them over to the only one who can make sense of them...PRAISE GOD....