Fun with cousins

My cousins came to visit. We celebrated Esthercita's birthday.

Esther Marie, Vicentito, Esthercita and I

Esthercita's 41 birthday

Manny (Esther Marie's son), Christine and Chanty (Esthercita's daughters), Conner and Gerard (my brother's son)

A visit to Miami, io Carlos and Titi Sandra

The weekend after Christmas we drove to Miami to visit my Tio Carlos and Titi Sandra. We had a great time. We went to lunch and then went to see the horses at the horse races. They enjoy going.t

Memories

I love that on Facebook we are reminded of memories. Here is a picture that I took and posted on December 22, 2008. How cute and little is Conner!!

We took a picture on December 22, 20019. Time goes so fast.

Christmas 2019

We had a wonderful Christmas. We went to my Titi Rosael's house and spent time with my aunt and cousins. Then we went to Hollywood Studios for a few hours. We are so grateful for our Saviour and all He has done and does for us. We have been blessed immensely. 

 Our Christmas card this year

front

back

December 22, 2019

Sunday before Christmas pictures.  Every year on the Sunday before Christmas we take our pictures because we are all dressed up!

Office Christmas dinner

On December 20th we had our office's first Christmas dinner. We had a wonderful time. Natty and her husband Raffo and Sergio and his wife Lily.

December 16th, 2019

My post on Facebook on December 16th, 2019

Today in Light the world one by one you are to Learn about one of your ancestors and share their story. I want to share a story that Brent’s grandma Isabelle Dunn Hanson shared on the Ensign in March of 1981. I met grandma Hanson and she was a wonderful grandma and great-grandma. A great example to us all. She mentions her oldest son in the story, that was Bruce, Brent’s dad.

A Warning in the Night

By Isabelle Hanson

It was a hot summer night in August, and my husband, Lynn, and our six children were asleep in the car. I had taken over driving just out of Rock Springs, Wyoming, so that my husband might rest. We could be at his parents’ home by midnight, he said, so it was best we go on. We were en route to Idaho from St. Louis, Missouri, where Lynn studied dentistry.

Soon after turning off Highway 30 and taking 30N toward Bear Lake, I came to a detour sign that sent me to the right on a dirt road. I drove for quite some time, thinking I would soon see a sign to put me back on the main road. But the road got rougher and rougher. Suddenly out of the stillness came a very clear voice: “Stop!”

I stepped on the brakes, and since I had been driving very slowly was able to stop almost instantly. Seven sleepy heads popped up to inquire: “Where are we? What’s the matter? Why did we stop here?”

All I could say was, “A voice told me to stop. Something must be wrong.” My husband took the flashlight and got out of the car—and found the front wheels on the edge of a canal.

By this time I was shaking, so Lynn took the wheel and our older son guided him back. As we retraced our path, we noticed a very small sign that pointed back to the main highway—so small I had missed it in the darkness. Eight heads bowed in grateful thanks.

Conner is an Eagle Scout!!

On December 9th Conner had his Eagle Scout Board of Review and he received his Eagle Scout rank. I had brother Keoppel take his picture and I am waiting for his portrait to be done. We are very proud of Conner and all his accomplishments!

December 11, 2019

My post on Facebook from December 11, 2019

The light the world calendar for today says call your parents right now and tell them how much you love them. I can't do that because they are no longer on this earth but I know they are with me in spirit and I can post on facebook and honor them. I love and miss my parents so much. I am thankful for them and their example and because of them I am who I am today and I know they are very proud of me. https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world

December 8, 2019

On December 8th was Conner's piano recital. He was very nervous about it but in the end he did an amazing job!! I take piano but since she changed the recital location to the Cypress Center theater at Windermere Prep I don't do the recital, it is too intimidating to me. :) lol

Conner and Heidi Larson our piano teacher.

December 6, 2019

My Facebook post on December 6, 2019

My friends opened a @greatharvestorlando Great Harvest in Downtown Orlando. I went for lunch today. I had their chicken salad sandwich and it was delicious! I love their location and the look of the restaurant is so nice and modern and so Downtown chic!!! Loved everything about it!!! 

December 2, 2019

My post on facebook from December 2, 2019

This is probably going to embarrass Brent but today for #lighttheworld we are to think of someone who is an example of Christlike service and highlight their example on social media. I want to highlight my husband because he is the best husband, dad and grandpa. We are so blessed that he is ours forever. He works hard at his job to provide for us and he helps me at home and he’s also the Bishop of our congregation, he’s always willing to help anyone and does it all with a smile. I don’t know how does it all. He is an example to me!

November 28, 2019

My post on Facebook on November 28, 2019

Today I am thankful to be healthy. One year ago today I was in the hospital having surgery. After the surgery was done the doctor said to me that had I not gone to the hospital I probably would have died in 24 hours because I had sepsis. My symptoms for about 4 years prior to that day had been brain fog, I wasn’t able to read and concentrate, constant head pressure and migraines, pain in my ovaries, very low blood pressure, feeling very cold inside and nothing could warm me up, leg cramps at night (usually 4 Charlie horses during the night), incontinence, abdominal swelling, weight gain, a rash inside my mouth, swollen hands with really bad eczema, about 5 sinus infections a year, I was exhausted all the time and had to push myself to get anything done especially by the afternoon all I did was lay in bed because I physically couldn’t move. The worst of the symptoms was the headaches and brain fog that seemed to get worse twice a month so I thought it was due to menopause. I went to my Gynecologist who checked me and had me do a bloodwork . She asked me if I was depressed or if everything was fine at home and even asked if my husband was abusive which made me very mad. When I came back for the follow up appointment to get the results of the bloodwork I had Brent come with me because I was so mad of how she treated me. Her words to me because Brent was there were “oh you brought reinforcement”. Because the bloodwork was fine she said it was all in my head and to go see an acupuncturist and continue seeing my neurologist. I was frustrated. Well fast forward to November 28th because she was my OBGYN she was called and she performed the surgery. The night before surgery, I went to the ER and I had an ultrasound and CT scan of my abdomen area where my pain was, the pain was so severe that it felt like I was about to give birth. The ultrasound revealed I had something in my ovary but they didn’t tell me what. The next day I was taken to the OR and my doctor said it probably was appendicitis but in my gut I knew it wasn’t and asked to try and save an ovary. The surgery lasted 6 hours, I had a cesarean hysterectomy. After my surgery and she came to see me, I wish everyone could have seen my doctor’s face. She was in shock. Her first words were “I don’t how you were walking, living or doing anything. You are one tough cookie”. Her face was somber, in shock. Her explanation to me was that a piece of my uterus had gone to my left ovary and got infected and filled with fluid, it destroyed my ovary, my Fallopian tube, my cervix and uterus and it was leaking into my gut and this was causing all my symptoms and threatening my life. When she opened me up my uterus was disintegrating, she compared it to when you open a watermelon that my uterus was like the consistency of the red of the watermelon that is ripe and falling apart. The cyst was the size of a bar of soap. At my follow up appointment a week after the surgery she pointed to the gray painted wall in her office and said my insides were gray and I was septic. Apparently that day prior to my surgery the cyst had moved and caused me the severe pain that sent me to the ER. This past year has been GREAT, I had probably one or two headaches that were nothing compared to what I endured before and one cold but not sinus infection like before and all of the symptoms I had are almost gone. The recovery wasn’t easy, I had gut issues after and had painful flebitis in both forearms where the IV was but that’s nothing in comparison to how sick I was. I am grateful to be healthy again! After about 4 years of severe migraines and feeling so sick all I keep saying is “It feels good to feel good”.

I tell you this because I want you to learn from my experience. Please take care of yourself, you know your body, pay attention to it and what is telling you. I knew there was something wrong but even I trusted that one doctor and it could have ended so bad.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May God bless you abundantly!

Update

On November 23rd we went to Disney. After a few years of not having passes we finally bought our annual passes to Disney again.

My cousin Cusy Perez Gonzalez sent me this picture from Christmas 1982 with my brother my mom and my grandpa Jose Gonzalez Quiñones my dad's dad. He had blue eyes.