Addy Boy is 19!

I have been very slow in posting on my blog and especially my kids annual birthday posts. This is something they look forward to and my Addy boy asked me several times, "When are you going to put up my birthday story?"

So in honor of Adam, who turned 19 on April 26th:

From the moment I met this energetic, bundle of fun at the age of 3, I knew how special he was. He had an incredible curiosity, and non stop energy that constantly kept him on the go and our family running after him. We'd find him in trees, on the top of baseball diamond over hangs, at the park down the street or making a new random friend after we'd try to explain the dangers of talking to strangers. This boy however does not know a stranger...everyone he meets is a potential friend. Someone he can chat with and find out what they may have in common.

I actually love his ability to talk to anyone and would often send him over to ask questions at a grocery store, restaurant, etc. All the things that I disliked doing he had no problem with. It was a perfect fit. All of our kids seemed to like this quality of our little Addy and they too sent him on little missions. He was our little "go to" man...no fear!

This same quality served him well in sports where he excelled in football, basketball and baseball...always giving his all no matter what he came up against!

  One of the most amazing qualities that Adam has is his incredible generosity. He is the most giving of our 6 kids. He will give you his last dollar if he knows you need it without hesitation. For birthdays & holidays, he can hardly contain his excitement. He will come with his wrapped presents a week in advance and continue to try to persuade you to open it NOW! He can hardly wait to see the joy his gift will bring.

When his older sister, Natascha moved into her new house, he immediately went out to buy her some items for her house. When he went to get food with his little brother he noticed Elijah's car was low on gas and had him go to the gas station where he filled up his tank for him. I could go on and on with all of the amazing things Adam does for his family. He has such a big heart to go along with his big personality.

Adam also is a very hard worker. He went out and found a job while in high school and after working at a clothing store for a while, realized that it was way too slow for his BIG personality. He then moved on to become a bus boy and quickly worked his way up to a waiter. This is the absolute perfect job for him! He gets to be on the go, which we all know he can't sit still for too long...along with being able to make new friends and visit with his customers. He makes great money and is also going to college.

We couldn't be prouder of our Addy Boy! He is such a blessing to our family and brings so much joy and life to each one of us.

 We love you Adam...HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY!!!

American Idol Finale-Part 1-Here We Come!

Woot Woot!! I'm headed to American Idol Finale Part 1 today/tonight!! I was scanning through my emails quickly and deleting junk mail that had slipped through the cracks into my inbox. I quickly hit delete before I realized that it was from "On Camera Audiences," a site I'd signed up for several years ago that sends me all the shows I might want to attend. "SHOOT!!" I thought...I didn't even check what show they'd sent me. Luckily another one came through on my other email...whew! I couldn't believe they actually had tix available, so of course I jumped right on it.

I'm getting ready right now (well after I finish telling you all my story!;) Then off to pick up my sis and head down to the Nokia Center. I love doing out of the ordinary things, and let's face it, who doesn't like a day off of work mid-week?!

I was REALLY hoping to get to see Angie Miller...

(she's been my favorite from the beginning.) Seriously, her voice is Angelic (no pun intended.) She always gives me goose bumps. I really like the other two, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison...both incredibly talented. I just had my fav, as most of you do.

So my prediction for tonight, before actually hearing them sing will be Candice, however Kree's had such a hard life and struggle to get to where she is...she may get the win.

Who do you think will win?

P.S.-normally I'd post pictures of my day but NO PHONES ALLOWED inside...ugh!!!

A Mother's Day Poem: Unshakeable!

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day. I wanted to share a poem my son Jullien wrote for me: 

WRITTEN BY: JULLIEN HERRERA

As mothers we're not given guidebooks, we make mistakes, shed tears, have regrets, wonder what we could've or should've done differently with our kids. In the midst of all of that, we are given the gift of laughter, joy, pride, memories, incredible love and a lifetime bond. We wonder if we've done the most difficult job of our lives well?

My son's poem, brought me to tears and reminded me of the greatest lesson we teach our children; faith, strength and trust in the Lord. As we've weathered life's storms; they were watching, they were learning. They were being shaped and molded, even in the most trying of times and circumstances. As we stood strong when things looked hopeless or impossible...they were learning the valuable lesson that they too could weather any of life's storms and having made it through it...become more beautiful! Thank you, Jullien for this amazing reminder.

I'd like to say Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mom who taught me the important life lessons that I am now teaching my kids. I love you!!

My Baby's 18!! How'd This Happen?!

On April 3, 2013...my baby officially turned into an adult! 18! NO...not my baby!! That's what was going off in my head, outwardly however I shouted, "HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY LIJEY!" So as I celebrate my official "man"...I'll take you on a little trip down memory lane with me (tears falling.)

When Elijah was little he was the most stubborn little guy ever. He would stand in the corner for hours rather than apologize and be done with his punishment. As he got older, he rarely needed to be disciplined and was always such an incredibly good little boy, doing his homework without being told, making lunch for himself along with all of his brothers & being their little gofer (go for this and go for that.) He always had a huge beaming smile on his face...happy to help however he could.  He was such a little angel, but still had that stubborn streak that was impossible to break.

Elijah's stubbornness begin to display itself most often in the area of sports. When he played basketball, if he got the ball taken away from him by an opposing player he would use his incredible speed to chase him down and take the ball back, whether he fouled him or not...he refused to let someone get the better of him. In baseball, he seemed to take note of anyone who on the rare occasion had thrown him out while stealing a base and as a catcher, he'd return the favor.

THAT LOOK SAYS IT ALL! LOL!

 

 In his younger years during track, there was a boy named, Eric who seemed to beat him in the Southern California Championship 400m race every year. This didn't sit well with Elijah he didn't like coming in 2nd place in anything. He became so determined to beat him that he had me take him to the local track and train for 2 months in advance so he could take 1st place. Of course he finally beat him during his last track season before heading into high school. CHECK...another goal off the list.

STILL WINNING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

As a 5 year old boy playing flag football he had set one very important goal that he wanted to achieve in high school; he had one final chance to accomplish it...this year, his Senior year. This goal was by most standards almost impossible. But his sheer will, stubbornness & determination kept his dream burning deep inside. He had an incredible drive to see it fulfilled...despite the odds & the school's history of losing the "BIG ONE." Elijah wanted to win a CIF Football Championship. He wanted to set a school record. He wanted to graduate with a CIF ring on his finger & see his childhood dream fulfilled.

As the team won game after game, his dream seemed closer to a reality, until a semi-final playoff game against Foothill. Edison (Elijah's team) was behind 16-14 with less than 2 minutes left in the game. I began to feel literally sick and nauseous as I could only sit and watch my son's childhood dream slip away. But Elijah wasn't ready to give up, his stubbornness, perseverance and sheer will to realize his dream kicked in. Elijah was in at running back and they gave him the ball...the game looked hopeless as he appeared to be caught in the backfield...BUT SOMEHOW, HE REFUSED TO GO DOWN!

He ran on two consecutive plays 14 & 23 yards with the determination of someone who had a goal to reach. It took only 40 seconds to run 37 yards, and set up the game winning touchdown to seal the win. They pulled it off ! They advanced to the big game...the CIF Championship...one step closer!

When Elijah stepped onto the Anaheim Angels Stadium field to play in the biggest game of his life, I knew that my son and his teammates would not let this long awaited goal slip away.

ELIJAH-TEAM CAPTAIN #9

They played the game of their lives and my stubborn son, who refused to let anyone or anything get in the way of his dream, achieved all that he had hoped for in front of a crowd of 9,807. On that special night of his Senior year, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the scoreboard flashed the 28-10 final victory score! An incredible fulfillment of a 5 year old's dream set into motion so many years ago!

When the noise died down and the stadium began to clear, Elijah seized the moment, lying victorious on his field of dreams!

 ANGEL'S STADIUM AFTER THE CIF CHAMPIONSHIP WIN!

 

ELIJAH HANGING THEIR CIF CHAMPIONSHIP FLAG AT THE ASSEMBLY

THE DREAM RING!

I know that as my son continues to seek new dreams, he will accomplish everything he sets his mind to. He has an incredible stubbornness that has grown over the years into a perseverance that breaks through roadblocks, pushes past set backs & difficulties, always keeping his eye on the prize, and achieving the seemingly impossible without shrinking back or giving up.

I love you Elijah and am so proud to be your mom! I can't wait to see what you accomplish in this next chapter of your life.

WHAT A SEASON!

WOW...CHECK OUT THE CIF DREAM TEAM RING!

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY LIJEY!!!

AND IT WAS A SUCCESS!!

I have to tell ya all how proud I am of my son Elijah's senior CIBACS project. He put on a non-profit football camp for kids ages (4-13 years old) in my dad's honor with all proceeds going to the "DAVID BOLDA SCHOLARSHIP," fund and benefiting a needy Pop Warner youth. It was a huge success with over 55 kids in attendance and raised enough money to offer 4 full scholarships and 1 partial scholarship. Stop by his "GET SKILLZ CAMP" blog and check out the pictures and video...you'll love the faces on some of these little ones...so adorable!

Happy 21st Birthday Dilly!

On February 15th my stepson Dillon turned 21. I'm so proud of him and need to share something that I've always found so amazing about Dillon. He has so many special qualities. One of the main things that I admire and hope to one day conquer in my life..is his incredible fearlessness. Dillon never lets an obstacle stand in his way...if he wants to achieve something, he goes after it!

When Dillon was younger he played sports- football, baseball, basketball and he wrestled. He was relentless. He would do whatever it took to get better. What I didn't realize was that intensity was applied to every area, goal and dream in his life. We had never considered Dillon a musical kid. But he had plans that we weren't aware of and when Dillon puts his mind to something there is no stopping him until he achieves his goal. In a short period of time he taught himself to play the guitar and practiced singing. He took singing lessons at church and worked and worked until he was good enough to lead worship for the church youth group and eventually the main Saturday night service.

He has wanted to be a Pastor ever since he graduated high school and now after faithfully serving the youth groups at church, he was just officially given the position as assistant Jr. High Pastor/Pastor in training.

He is an incredible example of faithfulness and perseverance. Dillon never lets an obstacle get in the way of the calling he has on his life. I know that the Lord will continue to use and lead him into new and exciting chapters in his life. I am so proud of the man he's become and to be given the opportunity to be his step-mom.

I love you Dillon...Happy 21st Birthday!!

I'm On a Mission!

Day 1 in "Operation Drop 7!"

I'm on a mission. It's not well thought out...but it's an attempt. I'll be leaving for New York in a short time, less than a month for my sister-in-laws wedding, (I've never been before.) I'm pretty excited to get the chance to be there for their special day...not to mention I'll get to spend time with my son, Jullien who's been living there since he was 17 modeling (21 now.)

So, what's my mission...drop 7lbs in a couple of weeks & get in shape. This is very typical of me, everything is always last minute (I tell myself, "That's when you do your best work, under the gun!") When I was younger (before 40) dropping weight was easy. I usually never carried too much extra lbs. and the little I did have just came off quickly with a little exercise. Well now at the age of 40+ things are a little harder. The first problem is my apparent lack of will power. I love my sweets and my midnight bowl of cereal. But in my mind, if I exercise and cut back on my dessert, I should lose it right?

Well, we shall see...I'm walking the dog and doing 30 minutes on the stair stepper each night & floor exercises (not enough will power, time or energy to go to the gym yet.) All this as opposed to the nothing I was doing before. Let's go weight...I need a miracle!lol!

Happy 65th Birthday in Heaven Dad

Today my dad would've turned 65. It's hard to believe he's been gone a year already. While we all miss him so much and wish we could be together today...I'll take comfort in knowing he's having the best celebration ever in Heaven. So I'll continue to cling to the special memories (there are so many) and let the joy of knowing that he is happier than ever before, no cancer, no pain, no struggle...just pure happiness. Happy Birthday Dad...until we meet again!

I love and miss you!