Hello 2013 xo

Hello 2013, I welcome you with arms wide open and a smile on my face... and a few resolutions, promises, intentions, goals.......

grow, spiritually... more prayer, fasting, bible studying, devotionals

take a vocal or piano class, possibly both

workout and/or run a minimum of 4 times each week

reach my ideal/goal weight no later than my 30th birthday (August 11th), aahhhh!!

participate in a 5k or 10k run

eat much, much, much healthier

participate with a charity (giving out meals for a holiday, visit orphans, donate toys to a children's hospital, etc) - anything, just help a charity!!

go horseback riding

grow my career

finally get my passport - and use it - travel!!

blog more often :)

I'm sure there are many more things I would like to do this year that will come to mind later. What about you, do you have any new year resolutions?

Happy New Year, 2013!! xo

Goodbye 2012

It feels like if in a blink of an eye 2012 came and left! Am I the only one that feels that way?! 2012 was full of many ups and downs for me. 

The biggest "down" was definitely the loss of my maternal grandmother, Guadalupe Salgado, on March 16th. This was one of the most difficult experiences I have had in my life. I have previously lost a few other loved ones, but losing my grandma was by far the hardest. I love my mother with all of my heart, and knowing that she had now lost her mother was just so difficult for me to accept. It was a pain like no other I have ever felt. But we know, by faith, that grandma went in peace and is no longer suffering any pain or illness. We sit around and talk about her a lot, sharing stories, memories and photos. Those moments are beautiful and I cherish them. 


An "up" that occurred for me in 2012 was the move from Arvin to Bakersfield, finally! On August 24th, the very day that marked 10 years living in Arvin, we got the keys to our new house in Bakersfield. I am now only 7 minutes away from my office, instead of 35 like I was when I lived in Arvin. I am closer to all of the shopping, a beautiful park, my friends... and believe it or not, it feels like this move has brought my family even closer together. We have had a few "family sleep-overs" in the new house now; so much fun!!



And speaking of family, 2012 brought us the addition of two new family members: Daniel Baltazar Leyva, born July 2nd to my youngest sister, Maria and her husband Baltazar. Three weeks later, on July 24th, we welcomed "A.J." Arthur Jacob Ruiz, born to my younger sister, Alma.  They are both so precious, adorable and oh so cute!

Here they are, doing "baby yoga"!! :)

We ended the year celebrating all of the holidays in our new home. 

Goodbye 2012!! You'll live on in the memories you left behind... xo

God's Love Is Unconditional

There are no words that can begin to describe the love that I have for my Lord Jesus Christ. His love for me has been unconditional. His care of me has been overwhelming. He has never abandoned me nor forsaken me. He has always been by my side. And in the moments in which I have most needed Him, He has taken me in His arms and carried me through the fire, through the storm. They say that every storm passes, that every tunnel has a light. All I can say is that through God, I have found that to be true. The sun does shine the next day! The storm does pass! You do see the light at the end of the dark and sometimes scary tunnel! And our strength renews! Thank you Jesus! Though others may have failed me from time to time, you never have. Friendships have come and gone, but you have remained faithful to me. Love has begun and ended, but your love has been true from the beginning. Though I can't see you, I know you're here, I can feel your presence, I can hear you speak to me. I know you listen to me and you know my every want, need and desire. You live in my heart and therefore you know my heart. You know me! You love me! And I love you! Thank you Jesus for all that you are and all that you have done. I praise you! Amen!

Happy New Year 2012

As I have been saying for a while now - time is flying by! With a blink of an eye, 2011 came and went!! We now have welcomed a new year, a new clean slate - 2012 is here!! What are your goals, plans or resolutions for this new year? I will be making a list of mine and will be posting them in the next few days. I was able to enjoy some new experiences in 2011 and I just know that 2012 will bring many more. I am confident that this year is going to be a great blessing; it already has given me a few great days! I look forward to this new year and all that it brings... I am anxiously awaiting all of the wonderful blessings with arms wide open. Cheers to a great 2012 filled with blessings of every kind - spiritual, financial, emotional, physical, etc. Blessings!! xoxo

A Broken Heart? - Living With Heart Disease

As many of you may know, I'm a very thankful heart disease survivor. I have lived with heart disease all of my life, since my condition is congenital, meaning I was born with it. One of my first treatment procedures was a Cardiac Catherization through my groin/femoral vein area to enable the doctors to administer medication and take cardiovascular measurements; I was about 2 months old. This was then followed by open-heart surgery, specifically a Fontan Procedure, when I was about 2 years old. I have been on medication all of my life - Digoxin - and have some limitations, most of which I have come to accept. I'm on an annual check-up schedule which involves electrocardiograms, cardiac stress tests, holter monitoring and echocardiograms. I had a huge scare in April 1999 and was rushed to the ER and later UCLA for a couple of days to undergo specialized testing but thankfully did not need to undergo another surgery. All in all, I am very lucky, very blessed! I share my story & my scars proudly! This is something I have come to terms with and it makes me who I am. I know I went through a lot, and so did my family, especially my parents. Watching the movie John Q was a very emotional moment for me; I was watching it with my parents one night and they were telling me stories of everything we went through when I was younger, and the fact that they could relate to the parents in the movie; I was crying throughout the entire movie! 

Knowing what I have endured and knowing that it could have been a lot worse makes me very thankful to God and appreciative of this beautiful life I have been blessed with. 

I recently met a family with a 10-year old boy named Johnny. He, too, was born with heart disease. His story differs from mine in that he's already undergone 5 surgeries, the last one being in 2009. I met him soon after that and the scars across his little chest were so new. I showed him my scars and told him he would heal, grow and be able to live a near-normal life just as I have. This little boy smiled from ear-to-ear. I have shared my story many times, but that time was different. It was special. It was gratifying. I gave him hope. I helped him smile! And now here we are, 2 years later, and little Johnny is facing the possibility of yet another surgery, which will make it 6 surgeries by the age of 10. It breaks my heart! My family and I went to see him & his family last night, we talked to them, tried to comfort them and we ended with a beautiful prayer for healing & protection. Seeing little Johnny scared, nervous, sad... and his parents the same way, just touched my heart so much and took over my emotions. I know what he's going through, but only to a certain degree. I was too young to know what was going on. I don't remember any of it. I don't remember being scared. I don't remember understanding. Here he is, 10 years old, knowing what it all means. Knowing what it involves. He understands the reality of it. Scared. Nervous. Sad. Crying. And all of that makes it even harder on his parents. They know he's scared. They know he's sad. 

Seeing this family last night and sharing with them just made me realize once again how truly blessed I am. Yes, I live with heart disease since birth. Yes, I have had open-heart surgery. Yes, I'm on medication. Yes, I have limitations. But I wasn't scared. I wasn't nervous. I wasn't sad... I didn't understand; I didn't know. All-in-all, I AM BLESSED & THANKFUL!! 

And once again, talking to him & relating to him to some degree was just so powerful. You should never be ashamed of sharing your story. You may be the one person that makes a difference for someone else. 

XOXO


Learn the facts of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

American Heart Association


Get educated. Get tested.


 

Coming Up...

Wow, so much has happened since the last post!

Here are some posts I'm working on...

• Career Changes
• A Better Spiritual Life
• New Roommate
• New-found Love?

Be back soon.... :)

The Breakup :)

I haven't posted anything new since...January!! And boy have things changed!!

To start off... I am now single!! Well, okay, if we're being honest... I'm not quite single yet, at least not legally!! (Will I be "single" or "divorced"??) Well, I prefer the term "SINGLE" :)


After 5 years of marriage, what's-his-name and I separated earlier this year and have since then filed for divorce. I have no hard feelings...anymore...but I just don't want to type out his name! lol. Anyway... I will keep the details to myself. My immediate family and some friends that were around me when this all happened know all the details. And if you ask me, I will tell you; I just don't want to make it public notice to the world. We separated just days before our 5-year wedding anniversary! That was a very rough time for me! :( I admit, I cried A LOT. But I did not let myself fall into depression...and neither did my family! I thank God every day for my parents and siblings that were there to pick me up when I needed them the most! Love you!! :)

I have great friends that have been there for me and I love them for that. Some have been there for me when I most needed it, without them knowing they were making a difference at all! When I most needed a pick-me-up, a good laugh, my phone would ring, or a text message would come across...and it always made things so much better! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Let me tell you, that saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"...really is true!! There were many dark days, but in the end of it all, the sun does finally shine again! =)

Things are so much better for me now! I have a new-found freedom; a new job; new car (not the car of my dreams, but a new car still); great friends; new friends; renewed faith in God; a bigger, more genuine smile; new hope; and a brighter future!! :D

When people would say that they were happier or much better off after a divorce, I thought they were crazy, they must be lying to cover up the truth! But now I understand! It's a very tough situation to go through... but you can come out a stronger and better person in the end. And I believe that's what has happened to me. Everything happens for a reason. Everything.

So, cheers to change...happiness...peace...love...and the future!!