Celebrating Freedom

We had a wonderful get together at John and Blandy's this past Friday. We celebrated the 4th of July cooking burgers and hot dogs....go to vidamendoza.com/cherishthemoment for some funny pics of the cooks....:)
Jim was not able to be there, he spent his vacation up in Ellijay with his Uncle Larry, missed him terribly....He is back now.
On Sunday we had a special service at our church to celebrate the special holiday together. All is well with the Mendoza Household....loving our vacation time. School will not resume until Sep. 1 so we have plenty of time to party.
Wonderful news on John and Blandy's Blog....check it out.

Almost Lost Blogspot

How long can you keep a blog without updating? It has been 3 months since I blogged! It is facebook to blame! :) I cant believe I cant take some time to at least type up what happened during a week!! Boy, I am glad we can keep in touch one way or another....

It was so good to see Xiomi and Chepe and Kim in CA. Thanks to Facebook and Blogger, I felt like I knew them inspite of the distance, Tenia cosas en comun. Do you know what I mean?

Two weddings down and one to go....I will be leaving this Fri to West Palm Beach to be the Photographer for my oldest nephew's wedding. I am excited to see my brothers and sisters but nervous because it is also a business engagement.....:)

I have finally uploaded all my pictures to Family Albums. (If you click on the right hand side on family albums it will take you directly to it.)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!!

Typical day in the Mendoza's household: We do school, we eat lunch and the girls play and nap in the afternoons. This day started to be a normal day UNTIL.... it got to quiet. Beware of silence in a house with four girls.... I started looking for them and spotted them under one of our citrus trees, no big deal, they play there lots of times. But....then they marched out of their and they didnt look like our little ladies. Is that Raquel? and Julia? Holy Cow! What is on them........oh run for the camera...Most of these pictures were taken from the playroom window...they had no idea I was watching. Denise finally caught me. After a good laugh, I left to go put my camera back and thought the worst was over.....then I hear the water running, I ran to the window to see what they were up to this time and then this is what I saw. Ran in again to get my camera and took more pictures! I enjoyed every moment! How wonderful it was to be a kid!

Livestock Show was Here!

All the girls enjoy going to the livestock show, whether to eat funnel cake, ride the rides, pet the goats, look at the horse or eat cotton candy but they enjoy it tremendously. Here are some fun pics of that day! :) We love you guys.

Party Pictures

Here are the pictures that were taken at Julia's Birthday party. It started as a beautiful day, but as the night came it sure got chilly, or shall I say "cold"! Thanks to all that came to be with us.

You'll Are Invited!

Missions Conference

Our Yearly Missions Conference was this past weekend. We had 3 main missionaries visiting us...from Spain, Panama and Mexico. The kids at our church performed a musical/drama called, "Patch the Pirate Goes to the Jungle". They did a marvelous job! So, so, proud of them. Check out the rest of the pictures on Vida Mendoza.

Picture Time!

Say Cheese!:) Mom is back on the saddle again. Taking pictures like crazy and looking for little and big models! I am learning to use my new camera and I can already tell it is going to take me sometime! Valentines is coming a week from today. The girls are excited to see who will give them a Valentine this year. Julia is not so excited about the Valentines as much as she is about the candy. She keeps telling Naomi "we are going to get lots of chocolate and lollipops!"
What will you do for your special someone this year?

Got my new camera!

Fed-Ex found my house and brought me a wonderful toy. I've never thought I would like "toys" but I love them. I got my new D SLR, Nikon D80! with a lens 18-135mm! I love it but I am going to have to do alot of studying! I am so excited. As soon as I learned to use it, I will post my first pictures.
We have had beautiful weather this week, we are expecting some cooler temperatures for tonight. Raquel and I made a delicious blue berry pie today. The house smells yummy, unfortunately we can't eat it tonight!:( It is for our guest tomorrow night.

Blogging Again!

Wow, it sure has been a long time! I have been inspired by several moms out there that do such a good job at blogging so much more often then me. I will try to do better.
Our Holidays were somewhat different. Papi being gone made things quite different. Mom is doing better slowly putting her life back together after all she has gone through.
This slide show is from our Christmas play, I think it was awesome. Our choir director rocks! :) The drama team did excellent! Can't wait till this years Cantata to see what we come up with.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Girls are growing and growing. Julia will be celebrating 5 years this March. She will get the traditional 5yr Old Mendoza Party. (they only get a birthday party with guest every 5 years. Everyone is invited, we do it on our backyard. Raquel's was Cinderella, Denise was Hello Kitty and Julia wants Strawberry Shortcake.
Jim is working hard and loving his job. He is also growing, not vertically but horizontally.
Finally, today, mom is feeling super duper excited! Jim just gave her a brand new camera! She got her first digital SLR!! FedEx should be her any minute!! Wow!!
I will be playing with my new toy and uploading my new creations shortly. Love You guys and sorry it took me this long to update. To those awesome bloggers thank you for keeping up with your news.

Remembering My Dad

News from TX Friday 11-9-07

I stopped blogging about a week ago due to the fact that our life in ICU changed drastically Thursday 11-01. My dad had not been doing good at all on Wed. When we went to visit him for his 5:00 P.M. visit they told us he was going off the blood pressure medicine because his organs were failing. The only way they could keep up his blood pressure was by filling him up with fluid. This was bad news, since he is a dialysis patient and he could no longer be dialyse until they found a better access. The last visit he was already swelling up, he had worsen so quickly, and my mother was so devastated to see him in that condition she feared for him and she was afraid of leaving home that night, so we decided to stay for the night. Thursday morning came and to see him that morning was a hard moment. I almost couldnt speak just to see his face and body be so swollen. My heart ached for my mother. All morning I was trembling and praying that the Lord would give us strength and peace and give my father rest and comfort. He wasnt responding anymore. His bleeding had increase and his blood pressure was dropping. His breathing not good either. The darkest time came that afternoon, when the assisting physician came and spoke to us about dad's condition. In short words, there was nothing else they could do for dad. She gave us time to call friends and family and told us when we were ready they would disconnect him from his life support...the ventilator. Words cant even explain to you our feelings, our pain and our the crisis we were facing. The Lord is so full of love and comfort for us. James flew in to be there for me. My siblings from NC showed up, my cousins from the area and their kids showed up to be there for us for support. We were all ready by 11:45 P.M. Dad had worsen that evening and his face was changing rapidly it was so painful to see him go through more pain. We sang and prayed with him and read psalms for the rest of that evening from 8 on we went in the room whenever we pleased and as many as we could fit in there. My daddy passed away Friday morning at 2:35 am...hearing his loved ones sing and read psalms to him and seeing our heavenly Father calling out his name. It was the hardest moment of my life to watch my father take his last breath but I rejoice in the fact and the assurance that he is no longer in pain and suffering but is in his heavenly mansion now waiting for me. I am sorry it took so long to update but I know you will understand how my life just flipped after this. We had my daddy's body transfer to TX and he was buried on Wed 11-7-07. Life is so short. Eternity is forever. Juan Galvan was ready to meet his Creator. My mother has flown back to NC today and everyone else had headed back home except my oldest sister she takes off tomorrow. My mother is closing on the sale of their home Nov 20, and heading back to TX the weekend of Thanksgiving. She will be purchasing a home near mine.

NC 4:30 P.M Wednesday

I wasnt sure if I wanted to write anything today. I wasnt sure if I knew anything today! Things look so cloudy and I have all this information in my head that is not making sense anymore. This is our 6th day in ICU and I am trying so hard to learn to deal with the situation. The Lord is a Lord of peace, "Be still and know that I am God"
We had a good visit with Dr. Morris (he is the icu dr). His report is always right in the middle. From 1-10, the Dr always had dad a 5. Meaning they dont tell u straight up he is going to get better nor do they tell you we think he is doing worst. Right now, he is not able to continue his dialysis until they find another place for his access. The one he had has created a clot. His breathing is still the same, he is breathing 7 out of 19 breaths. His blood pressure is controlled but only because he is on blood pressure medication. He is back up on the medicine. He was almost off the medicine yesterday, he is climbing up there. He seems somewhat more sedated. Since he is not being dialysed his sedation stays longer and stronger. He is not responding today.
Our feelings are not up nor down.

NC 7:00 PM Tuesday

We are almost at the end of another day, all I can say for this time, is we are all feeling exhausted.

NC 9:00 A.M Tuesday

I visited with dad for just a little bit this time. My sister, Esther has to leave to Kansas so I gave her extra time with him. He seemed quiet today, not as responsive as he has been the last 2 days. He is going for another CAT scan of his stomach and pelvis. They are still trying to figure out what is keeping his stomach so inflated. They believe he might have an intestinal blockage. Something that has been going on for a while and just got complicated after femur surgery. If he has the blockage he might be facing a very critical surgery to remove the blockage. One thing after another...
"Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee because He trusteth in Thee" Is. 26:3

NC 8:00 A.M. Tuesday 10-30-07

Twenty One years ago, my sister, Raquel, passed away. She was 18 at that time, maybe some of you didnt know this, Raquel is named after her.
today, we are on the downside of this rollecoaster! Last night things changed. One of the medicines that dad is taking is thin his blood and prevent clots, the sideeffects of that medicine is possiblilites of bleeding. Well it looks like his stomach didnt handle that medicince very well. He is bleeding from his stomach quite a bit. Therefore, he was taken off that medicine and given a small pill to stop his bleeding. There is another pill that will thin his blood and prevent clotting but he doesnt meet the criteria. This morning we visited him at 5:30 am. and they told us to expect clotting throughout his dialysis process. His blood was thickening rapidly. He also looked so differerent in color, the nurse told us he tested positive for Jaundice. There might now be some problems with his liver function.
We have been praying, reading God's Word, singing hyms, hugging and crying with each other. We are ready for what the Lord is bringing to our family. Whatever today will bring is God's Perfect Will for us. We rest on that.

Sarai

NC 8PM Monday

So today is Monday, Oct. 29, 2007. My father is doing a little better, the dose for his bp meds has decreased to hardly anything. The doctor came by this morning to let us know how he was doing. He said hes still having to depend on the ventillator, but not as much as before, maybe if we encourage him to take longer breaths on his own he will not need the ventillator anymore. Also they are a little worried about his adrenaline glands not working anymore, therefore that could be one of the causes of his bp not being @ a normal rate, so they have ran a few blood tests to check. We also noticed that as of last night he has been drooling some yellow substance which might be his nutrients that hes being fed daily. Not sure, the doctors are checking it out. I know this might seem like the same news everyday, but imagine sitting here from 5am till 9 pm to hear the same report for the last three days. ICU IS A DAY TO DAY ROLLERCOASTER, just please pray that we can get out of ICU sooner than later. We will see what tomorrow will bring. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. Mat 6:34

NC 2:30 P.M. Sunday

Fall is here and this is the first time I see the leaves changing.Mom and I stayed last night on watch. The rest went home to sleep. You should see the way we live in the waiting room. We have ran all the caucassians out. I feel so bad. But, Latinos will always be Latinos. The other side of the waiting room is being occupied by a young Philippino woman, whose husband is also in very critical condition. She takes over the other side with all her Asian friends. She is so sweet and we have been able to start a casual friendship w her. Our families have so many similarities. Anyway, my sister Nohemi left today, she had a hard time leaving dad. We took some pics of all the siblings together.
Dad made some progess today. It seems like we always get one good news and one not soo good. The bad one is that he started having breathing exercises, they are trying to wean him off the ventilator. So today was his first test day. They shut the ventilator off just long enough to get him to do all of the breathing on his own. He didnt pass the test but that is alright. He is weak. The good news is that he is alert again today. Yesterday he opened his eyes almost around the same time. This time all of us rushed in there to see him. Just to look into his eyes! The Lord seems to see fit to be making some progress in dad. We are all aware of dad's condition and all are willing to accept God's perfect will. Hopefully he will continue to make some more progress. Please keep us in your prayers.

NC 3:00 P.M Saturday

What a great visiting time!!! My dad made a great effort and opened his eyes for about 15 minutes. What a joy to look into your loved ones eyes for the first time after all that has happened. My sister, Esther got here from Kansas. There is joy in heaven when a sinner is saved, but there is also joy and tears in the icu waiting room. How lovely it is to have your sisters and brothers to cry with. Boy do I miss being around them. What great comfort the Lord brings to His children!

NC 11: AM Saturday

We just saw the doctor this morning. Over all, he had good news for us. Last night after our last visiting hour we were taken out abruptly because his heart rate picked up more than normal. This morning he told us his heart wouldnt slow down so they gave him some shocks to control it and bring it back down and that they also injected his heart....but he did so much better in the early hours today. Papi woke up this morning for just a little tiny bit. Of course, they cant let him fully wake up since he still has the ventilator. Anyway, he also said his blood pressure is doing better, they continue to wean him off the medication. Also another great improvement is that they are allowing him to breathe more on his own. I understand that the previous 2 days the machine was breathing for him. Now he is breathing most of the time and the machine just breathes when he doesnt. The last good news that he gave us is that he had a bowel movement a small one but it is a sign that his stomach is just starting to wake up. These were his exact final words, "Overall today, he is doing better" This is so encouraging to hear. I went to Lily's house to sleep in a bed and take a real shower for the first time since I came in on Tuesday. My oldest sister, Nohemi stayed for the night with my mother and she told us that this morning, at the 5:30 visit, he was crying and was very responsive. My sister Esther gets here at noon and my brother Noe gets here at 4PM. At that time all 7 of us will be together for the first time since 2005 when we had a family reunion in Leakey Tx.