I will be the first to say that I am blessed. I work very hard, but have a good life, thank God! I also have to say that I have had some aching disappointments since 2012 has dawned, and these disappointments are people related. I have absolutely no right to have any expectations from those involved, but I can't help but feel somewhat sad about it all.
I have really wanted things in the past and am now thankful that I never got them as it would have been disastrous had my hopes been realized. I have always been a daydreamer and got in trouble for it at times when I was a kid in school. My grown up daydreams have helped me to get what I am missing in my life and relationships, even though it is only in my mind. So I guess that my daydreams will just have to stay put in my mind, until I can find some new ones to replace them, and it is certain that the new ones will eventually become disappointments as well.
So, I will embrace the wisdom of the Rolling Stones for tonight's post by saying "you can't always get what you want". But the part that I have to remember is "if you try sometimes, you get what you need". Fortunately, I have all of my basic needs, but there is something missing and I have not been able to find it, not even in my daydreams. Hopefully, I will find it one day before I leave this earth.
I will close my post tonight with a very appropriate song by the Rolling Stones:
Don't the Stones just say it all!
Until tomorrow . . .
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Guernsey Connection
I've talked about my passion for ancestral research in previous posts and I'm sure that I'll talk about it again many times. I've had some pretty exciting discoveries during the last few months! Just to bring you up to date with recent events, around two years ago my research led me to Ann Kent Dennis, my 2nd cousin 1x removed. She and I are related on my father's side of the family. Her g-grandparents were my g-g grandparents John and Alice Hussey West. At the time, Ann was 91 years old and surfing the internet! Sadly, Ann passed away on November 22, 2011. Here is her Obituary, which was posted in the Fresno Bee on Christmas 2011:
She was so amazing! I am glad that I got to talk with her some before she passed away. I learned some about my father's side of the family from her and I helped her out with her research on her mother's side of the family. Her granddaughter Erin contacted me via email to advise that Ann had passed away. Erin found the emails that Ann and I had exchanged in Ann's effects and wanted to know if I could share with her whatever I knew about their family. I sent her pictures and information about the Wests, Kents and her g-grandmother Geneva Rayfield's family. She was delighted to receive what I sent to her!
As Erin and her parents sorted through Ann's effects, they came across some artifacts that were of great interest to me. One of these artifacts was my g-g-grandfather John West's U.S. Citizenship Certificate! The other artifact was what my brother Mark and I are now calling "The Kent Envelope". The Kent Envelope is an envelope yellowed with age that my g-g-aunt Mary West's husband Thomas Kent presented to her on Christmas Day in 1890. Here is a picture of part of "The Kent Envelope":
This envelope contains the names of all of their children, their birth dates and for the ones who had died, the date of their death. Obviously, this envelope served as family record as somebody kept adding names and dates after 1890. It also contains death dates for my g-g grandparents, which provided confirmation of my research and a death date of 1888 for a William West. The death date for William West was very exciting information as it proved that he was a relative and was likely my g-g grandparent's son!
My g-g grandparents John and Alice Hussey West emigrated from Ireland to Guernsey in the early 1850s to escape the Potato Famine and find work. Up until recently we thought that John and Alice had 6 children: John (my g-grandfather), Peter, James, Mary, Margaret and Micheal. Past research of the Guernsey censuses revealed that a William West and his family lived 4 doors down from my g-g-grandparents, but we couldn't find a connection between the families. Well, "The Kent Envelope" has provided this connection! We are now quite sure that William was our g-g grandparents John and Alice West's son.
After seeing "The Kent Envelope", I starting looking around on Ancestry.com and found a guy by the name of Peter Edwards who was related to a William West who died in Guernsey in 1888. I sent a message to Peter and he responded promptly. After comparing notes, we confirmed that his William West is one and the same as ours!!! So, Peter is my 3rd cousin, and the real kicker is that he lives in Guernsey! He doesn't know much about the West side of the family, so I gave him access to my West Family Tree and he gave me access to his tree. We are both learning so much!
My brother Mark and I both remember a story our father told us about one of our g-grandfather's brothers drowning in a lobster trap. Apparently, this was William West. Cousin Peter Edwards has a book that he wrote with a bunch of pictures and information about the family and he is going to mail it to my brother Mark and I. This book tells of how the "clan" dealt with the German occupation of Guernsey and I also believe that it tells of William West's death in "the lobster pot", as Peter calls it.
Mark and I cannot wait to get Peter's book! We are also waiting for our cousin Erin to send us pictures of our g-g aunt Mary West Kent. Ancestral research can be quite tedious sometimes without much results, but if one keeps digging, they will eventually find something and sometimes it can be from very unexpected sources!
Until tomorrow . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update on August 26, 2012
Cousin Peter did indeed send his books to me and it turns out that William West didn't die in a lobster pot after all. According to Peter, William was a sea captain and was critically injured from being hit in the head by a marlin spike. This injury caused him to have horrible "fits", which I'm certain were seizures. His was put into a closet in the family home whenever he had these seizures and Peter said that there are claw marks to this day in that closet. How horrible! Rest in Peace, dear Uncle William!
 |
| Ann Kent Dennis Obituary |
She was so amazing! I am glad that I got to talk with her some before she passed away. I learned some about my father's side of the family from her and I helped her out with her research on her mother's side of the family. Her granddaughter Erin contacted me via email to advise that Ann had passed away. Erin found the emails that Ann and I had exchanged in Ann's effects and wanted to know if I could share with her whatever I knew about their family. I sent her pictures and information about the Wests, Kents and her g-grandmother Geneva Rayfield's family. She was delighted to receive what I sent to her!
As Erin and her parents sorted through Ann's effects, they came across some artifacts that were of great interest to me. One of these artifacts was my g-g-grandfather John West's U.S. Citizenship Certificate! The other artifact was what my brother Mark and I are now calling "The Kent Envelope". The Kent Envelope is an envelope yellowed with age that my g-g-aunt Mary West's husband Thomas Kent presented to her on Christmas Day in 1890. Here is a picture of part of "The Kent Envelope":
 |
| "The Kent Envelope" |
This envelope contains the names of all of their children, their birth dates and for the ones who had died, the date of their death. Obviously, this envelope served as family record as somebody kept adding names and dates after 1890. It also contains death dates for my g-g grandparents, which provided confirmation of my research and a death date of 1888 for a William West. The death date for William West was very exciting information as it proved that he was a relative and was likely my g-g grandparent's son!
My g-g grandparents John and Alice Hussey West emigrated from Ireland to Guernsey in the early 1850s to escape the Potato Famine and find work. Up until recently we thought that John and Alice had 6 children: John (my g-grandfather), Peter, James, Mary, Margaret and Micheal. Past research of the Guernsey censuses revealed that a William West and his family lived 4 doors down from my g-g-grandparents, but we couldn't find a connection between the families. Well, "The Kent Envelope" has provided this connection! We are now quite sure that William was our g-g grandparents John and Alice West's son.
After seeing "The Kent Envelope", I starting looking around on Ancestry.com and found a guy by the name of Peter Edwards who was related to a William West who died in Guernsey in 1888. I sent a message to Peter and he responded promptly. After comparing notes, we confirmed that his William West is one and the same as ours!!! So, Peter is my 3rd cousin, and the real kicker is that he lives in Guernsey! He doesn't know much about the West side of the family, so I gave him access to my West Family Tree and he gave me access to his tree. We are both learning so much!
My brother Mark and I both remember a story our father told us about one of our g-grandfather's brothers drowning in a lobster trap. Apparently, this was William West. Cousin Peter Edwards has a book that he wrote with a bunch of pictures and information about the family and he is going to mail it to my brother Mark and I. This book tells of how the "clan" dealt with the German occupation of Guernsey and I also believe that it tells of William West's death in "the lobster pot", as Peter calls it.
Mark and I cannot wait to get Peter's book! We are also waiting for our cousin Erin to send us pictures of our g-g aunt Mary West Kent. Ancestral research can be quite tedious sometimes without much results, but if one keeps digging, they will eventually find something and sometimes it can be from very unexpected sources!
Until tomorrow . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update on August 26, 2012
Cousin Peter did indeed send his books to me and it turns out that William West didn't die in a lobster pot after all. According to Peter, William was a sea captain and was critically injured from being hit in the head by a marlin spike. This injury caused him to have horrible "fits", which I'm certain were seizures. His was put into a closet in the family home whenever he had these seizures and Peter said that there are claw marks to this day in that closet. How horrible! Rest in Peace, dear Uncle William!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
An Escape to the Caribbean
We have been discussing going somewhere warm during Spring Break this year in early March, just to get a break from the cold, dark days that wreak havoc with the way that I feel. Well, this afternoon this desire led me to book an escape to the Eastern Caribbean. It's a 7 day long cruise on Holland America. Holland America was the best choice this time because they have a reputation for catering to a more sophisticated crowd that enjoys fine food and drink, elegant surroundings, and good service. I would much rather enjoy a beautiful dinner and then some wine on our balcony or a show after dinner than wild, drunken partying! We don't care to hang out in bars either.
Here is the itinerary we purchased:
Fort Lauderdale
This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades air boat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.
At first glance these oddly named and misshapen islands may not be the prettiest in the Caribbean, covered as they are with cactus and thorny acacia trees. They are, however, fringed with exquisite beaches and several hundred miles of coral reef that keeps the Turks & Caicos on the world's top 10 dive list.
San Juan
The capital of Puerto Rico and second oldest city in the Americas is a lively modern metropolis. Underscored by stunning beaches and cobblestone streets lined with churches, houses and mansions, the city is a unique fusion of resort atmosphere and world charm.
St. Thomas
"Sweet Sugar City" is a fertile isle dominated by a verdant rainforest, volcanic slopes and sugar cane fields. Cool trade winds caress its shores, and the brilliant golden sun warms the exotic black sand. Petroglyphic symbols and human figures are a testament to the island's ancient, pre-Columbian history.
Half Moon Cay
Fish the bountiful waters in search of barracuda, wahoo, snapper and grouper, or para sail over this lush island and view the vivid scenery. Snorkeling tours enable you to explore the coast of Half Moon Cay, which teems with a plenitude of aquatic life.
Here is a picture of how our stateroom will look:
It is always good to have something to look forward to that will take you away from the dreariness of winter! However, until March comes, I will be sitting under my Happy Light every day, trying to beat the winter blues.
Here is the itinerary we purchased:
 |
| Eastern Caribbean Itinerary |
Fort Lauderdale
This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades air boat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.
Turks and Caicos
At first glance these oddly named and misshapen islands may not be the prettiest in the Caribbean, covered as they are with cactus and thorny acacia trees. They are, however, fringed with exquisite beaches and several hundred miles of coral reef that keeps the Turks & Caicos on the world's top 10 dive list.
San Juan
The capital of Puerto Rico and second oldest city in the Americas is a lively modern metropolis. Underscored by stunning beaches and cobblestone streets lined with churches, houses and mansions, the city is a unique fusion of resort atmosphere and world charm.
St. Thomas
"Sweet Sugar City" is a fertile isle dominated by a verdant rainforest, volcanic slopes and sugar cane fields. Cool trade winds caress its shores, and the brilliant golden sun warms the exotic black sand. Petroglyphic symbols and human figures are a testament to the island's ancient, pre-Columbian history.
Half Moon Cay
Fish the bountiful waters in search of barracuda, wahoo, snapper and grouper, or para sail over this lush island and view the vivid scenery. Snorkeling tours enable you to explore the coast of Half Moon Cay, which teems with a plenitude of aquatic life.
Here is a picture of how our stateroom will look:
 |
It is always good to have something to look forward to that will take you away from the dreariness of winter! However, until March comes, I will be sitting under my Happy Light every day, trying to beat the winter blues.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Adeline's 4th Birthday Party with Family
We had Adeline's 4th birthday party with family yesterday and it went really well! Most of her grandparents, her mother and father and her cousins were there to help her celebrate being 4 years old. It was good food, family and fun! Here is Adeline checking out the decorations before the party:
This princess castle and table cover was the cutest thing I have ever seen for a girl's birthday! There are pictures of each of the princesses on the table cover and when you press on one of them, that particular princess speaks a "royal" birthday greeting. She also had a balloon that, when pressed, had Cinderella sing Happy Birthday.
She had a princess castle pinata that we stuffed full of princess candy, lollipops and little toys. Hernan strung it up in the garage for the party. Here is a picture of Adeline before the party checking out her pinata in the garage:
Here she is with Grandma Karen:
Next came Daddy:
Once the pinata was broken, everybody headed inside the house to sing Happy Birthday to Adeline and watch her blow out the candles on her cake. Here is a picture of her cake:
Here she is blowing out her candles:
After the cake, Adeline opened her presents. Here are some pictures of her and her cousins opening her presents:
Here are some pictures of Adeline having fun with her family:
Everyone had a wonderful time! Let's do it again for her 5th birthday party next year! Happy Birthday Princess Adeline!
 |
| Adeline Checking out Her Princess Castle |
This princess castle and table cover was the cutest thing I have ever seen for a girl's birthday! There are pictures of each of the princesses on the table cover and when you press on one of them, that particular princess speaks a "royal" birthday greeting. She also had a balloon that, when pressed, had Cinderella sing Happy Birthday.
She had a princess castle pinata that we stuffed full of princess candy, lollipops and little toys. Hernan strung it up in the garage for the party. Here is a picture of Adeline before the party checking out her pinata in the garage:
Adeline was Cinderella for Halloween this past year, so we dressed her up in her costume for the party. She looked so cute! Here is a picture of her in costume sitting by her princess castle and balloons.
 | ||
| Cinderella Sitting with her Castle and Balloons |
Here is her birthday banner:
 |
| Adeline's Birthday Banner |
As family members started to arrive at the party, we did a little photo session which each person. Here is Princess Adeline sitting with her Grandpa Jim:
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| Princess Adeline and Grandpa Jim |
Here she is with Grandma Karen:
 |
| Sitting With Grandma Karen |
Here is a picture of her with Granny Tina:
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| The Princess Sitting on Granny Tina's Lap |
Here she is sitting with Abuelito:
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| With Abuelito on the Couch |
 |
| Adeline and Daddy |
Then Mommy:
 |
| Cuddling with Mommy on the Couch |
Then Uncle Joe-Joe and Cousin Alex:
 |
| Uncle Joe-Joe, Adeline and Cousin Alex |
Right after the "photo session", cousins Alicia and Sophia arrived:
 |
| The Three Princesses |
Once everybody arrived, dinner was served. Dinner was brisket, macaroni and cheese casserole, broccoli cauliflower medley and oven roasted potatoes. Everything tasted so good, especially the brisket, which was slow cooked all night long.
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| Dinner was Delicious! |
After dinner, everybody headed out to the garage to see who could break the pinata. Here is a video of the pinata proceedings:
Once the pinata was broken, everybody headed inside the house to sing Happy Birthday to Adeline and watch her blow out the candles on her cake. Here is a picture of her cake:
 |
| Adeline's Princess Cake |
Here she is blowing out her candles:
After the cake, Adeline opened her presents. Here are some pictures of her and her cousins opening her presents:
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| A Princess Tent from Aunt Jamie, Alicia and Sophia! |
 | |
| Looking at Stickers With Sophia (a.k.a "Wonder Woman") |
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| Getting Help from Alicia |
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| Unveiling the Big Present Upstairs |
Here are some pictures of Adeline having fun with her family:
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| Alicia and Adeline |
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| Sophia "Princess Belle" playing at the Princess Table |
 | |
| Sitting on the Couch With Alicia |
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| Visiting With Aunt Jamie and Mommy |
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| Cinderella vs. Uncle Joe-Joe in a Wrestling Match |
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| Playing Kitchen with Sophia |
Everyone had a wonderful time! Let's do it again for her 5th birthday party next year! Happy Birthday Princess Adeline!
I Can't Make You Love Me, If You Don't
This is going to be a short post tonight, but I have alot to say in a small amount of words, and these words are . . . I should have known better!
A certain someone sent me a message on Facebook back when I was flying out to Hawaii for the holidays. I was unaware of this message until I read a post from Morgan McMichaels yesterday on Facebook, where he lamented the fact that he missed a bunch of messages because they went to an "Other" button under his messages. After I read his post, I checked the "Other" button on my Facebook account and found some messages from guys I have never met wanting me to contact them, which I promptly blew off. However, I was very surprised to see a message from this certain someone. I believe the reason why I never saw this message is because I am not friends with this person on Facebook.
So, I replied to the message and figured that they would not see it as we are not Facebook friends. So, I ended up sending a "Friend Request" to them, which I am now starting to regret. I sent the message and friend request yesterday evening and it is now after midnight the next day and I have not received a response or acceptance of my friend request. What a mistake I have made, and I should have known better! I love my family and the few friends that I have and all I was asking for was friendship. I rarely seek friendship from anybody who is not my family. What a waste of effort! I just have to face the fact that I can't make this person love me, if they don't. Quite frankly, it has become very apparent that they don't give a rat's ass about me!
So, here is a song by Bonnie Raitt that I am sadly making the theme song of this post tonight:
I have nobody to blame but myself, for expecting something from somebody who has nothing to give!
But, I have something to give to those who care about me.
Until tomorrow . . .
Update on Sunday, January 8th - I went into Facebook and saw that it is possible to cancel friend requests, so I cancelled the friend request that I sent to this person. I feel like a huge weight has lifted from my back! Just like most people, I really hate to be rejected. It really hurts! This way, I won't have to face rejection.
Update on Sunday, October 14th - Earlier this month I sent another friend request and I'm now friends with this person. I'm finally learning how to reach out and not be so uptight about it!
A certain someone sent me a message on Facebook back when I was flying out to Hawaii for the holidays. I was unaware of this message until I read a post from Morgan McMichaels yesterday on Facebook, where he lamented the fact that he missed a bunch of messages because they went to an "Other" button under his messages. After I read his post, I checked the "Other" button on my Facebook account and found some messages from guys I have never met wanting me to contact them, which I promptly blew off. However, I was very surprised to see a message from this certain someone. I believe the reason why I never saw this message is because I am not friends with this person on Facebook.
So, I replied to the message and figured that they would not see it as we are not Facebook friends. So, I ended up sending a "Friend Request" to them, which I am now starting to regret. I sent the message and friend request yesterday evening and it is now after midnight the next day and I have not received a response or acceptance of my friend request. What a mistake I have made, and I should have known better! I love my family and the few friends that I have and all I was asking for was friendship. I rarely seek friendship from anybody who is not my family. What a waste of effort! I just have to face the fact that I can't make this person love me, if they don't. Quite frankly, it has become very apparent that they don't give a rat's ass about me!
So, here is a song by Bonnie Raitt that I am sadly making the theme song of this post tonight:
I have nobody to blame but myself, for expecting something from somebody who has nothing to give!
But, I have something to give to those who care about me.
 |
| With Love from Dallas (for those who care) |
Until tomorrow . . .
Update on Sunday, January 8th - I went into Facebook and saw that it is possible to cancel friend requests, so I cancelled the friend request that I sent to this person. I feel like a huge weight has lifted from my back! Just like most people, I really hate to be rejected. It really hurts! This way, I won't have to face rejection.
Update on Sunday, October 14th - Earlier this month I sent another friend request and I'm now friends with this person. I'm finally learning how to reach out and not be so uptight about it!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
On the Right Track
I have worked out regularly and eaten a low fat diet for a long while now but have not been satisfied with how my body has looked to date. I work out at 24 Hour Fitness and they have an excellent personal trainer program. As a matter of fact, the show "The Biggest Loser" uses 24 Hour Fitness' program! I really want to see results this year, so I hired one of their Master Trainers for a few months to get the results I want. I get personal training from Brad for 50 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I do 45 minutes of cardio on my own on Saturdays and Sundays.
The personal training package consists of cardio, resistance training and nutrition counseling. I started the resistance training and cardio last week and the nutrition yesterday. Brad is with me for the resistance training and tells me what exercises to do and then watches me do them to ensure I have the proper form. I never realized how important form is when exercising. Brad is helping me with my posture so that I can pull my shoulders back more and strengthen my core.
The nutrition part is really cool, where you use what is called the "Bodybugg" program. You login to your account and enter what you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and the calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat for each item is tallied. You are supposed to eat 20% protein, 20% fat and 60% carbohydrates each day to get the best results. I am on the APEX 1200 Calorie Plan so that I can lose a few pounds and gain more definition.
Here is my Nutrition for today:
As you can see, I am doing pretty well today as my Nutrition totaled 20% protein, 17% fat and 63% carbohydrates. What is so surprising about this is that I was not eating enough before, especially carbohydrates.
I also bought a "Bodybugg" yesterday after training with Brad. The Bodybugg is a device that looks alot like a pedometer. You strap it around your upper arm and it actually measures the calories that you burn each day. You can upload your results into your iPhone or a computer and your trainer will evaluate them. The Bodybugg is said to be extremely accurate.
After I finished training yesterday, I picked up Adeline from Daycare and headed home. Here is a picture of me driving home with my "mini Copilot" at her command post in the back:
I hope to see results soon!
The personal training package consists of cardio, resistance training and nutrition counseling. I started the resistance training and cardio last week and the nutrition yesterday. Brad is with me for the resistance training and tells me what exercises to do and then watches me do them to ensure I have the proper form. I never realized how important form is when exercising. Brad is helping me with my posture so that I can pull my shoulders back more and strengthen my core.
The nutrition part is really cool, where you use what is called the "Bodybugg" program. You login to your account and enter what you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and the calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat for each item is tallied. You are supposed to eat 20% protein, 20% fat and 60% carbohydrates each day to get the best results. I am on the APEX 1200 Calorie Plan so that I can lose a few pounds and gain more definition.
Here is my Nutrition for today:
 |
| Mae's Nutrition for 1/4/2010 |
As you can see, I am doing pretty well today as my Nutrition totaled 20% protein, 17% fat and 63% carbohydrates. What is so surprising about this is that I was not eating enough before, especially carbohydrates.
I also bought a "Bodybugg" yesterday after training with Brad. The Bodybugg is a device that looks alot like a pedometer. You strap it around your upper arm and it actually measures the calories that you burn each day. You can upload your results into your iPhone or a computer and your trainer will evaluate them. The Bodybugg is said to be extremely accurate.
After I finished training yesterday, I picked up Adeline from Daycare and headed home. Here is a picture of me driving home with my "mini Copilot" at her command post in the back:
.jpg) |
| Mae and Mini Copilot |
I hope to see results soon!
Until tomorrow . . .
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy 4th Birthday, Adeline!
Adeline turned 4 years old today! We had a small party for her at home tonight. Her big party with balloons, decorations, relatives, etc. will be on Saturday. Here is Adeline blowing out her "4" candle on her cake tonight:
What a sweet girl! May she have many, many more birthdays!
Well, the holidays are over now and it is back to work tomorrow. It is always very hard to go back to work after the holiday break, but we must get back into our daily routines. I hope that 2012 will be a good year! I pray that everyone in the family makes it through the year in one piece, that we all keep our jobs, and we remain healthy.
Here we go, 2012!
What a sweet girl! May she have many, many more birthdays!
Well, the holidays are over now and it is back to work tomorrow. It is always very hard to go back to work after the holiday break, but we must get back into our daily routines. I hope that 2012 will be a good year! I pray that everyone in the family makes it through the year in one piece, that we all keep our jobs, and we remain healthy.
Here we go, 2012!
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