OMG

Been without a computer for THREE months! Man that was awful. I'm back up and running. Lots of things happening, lots have happened.

Willy goes in for another surgery tomorrow, fistula probs.

Little Willy home from school...yippie :)

Ben graduates in about a month!

Will post more later.

16 Years ago today...

It was Superbowl Sunday. I was in the hospital...in pain. Oh my God, the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I was having my 3rd son, Andrew. Prodromal labor they called it, well contractions 2 minutes apart for HOURS, with no progression. They wanted to send me home but I refused.

So there I was, miserable.

Andrew should have been a c-section, he was in so much distress after he was born. Willy and I just looked at him while I was trying to eat after my 18 hour ordeal and he just was not breathing right. We called the nurse in and that was the last time I held my baby for about 24 hours. He spent 6 days in neonatal intensive care, it killed me to leave him in the hospital, but he was in good hands.

Yeah, since birth 3 of 4 (as he likes to call himself sometimes) has given me a run for my money. Andrew the only child who has ever challenged me, the reckless, speaks before thinking child number 3. We've always had some sort of health issues with him, most recently some VERY serious issues with his ears and eyes, but God is faithful and Andrew still has his sight and his hearing. Andrew is my ever-so-faithful son, he always clung to me as a little boy and always strove to please me . The boy who stands up for his mommy :) (and got in trouble in sixth grade for it too, hmmm, I wonder if I blogged that story?)

He's growing to be wonderful young man, full of desire to Worship and Praise God. Dedicated to what he believes in and an amazing friend. This child, when he sets his mind to do something, will accomplish it and then some....but if he doesn't want it....he's unmovable LOL

We went out a couple of weeks ago to do his "Birthday Photo shoot". It was his idea, and I'm so very happy he let me take pictures of him. Too many times these guys don't want anything to do with being in front of my camera. This day though, he even brought changes of "accessories" LOL It was cute and fun.

Here are some photos from that shoot....I love you Andrew, you ROCK!

No matter how you act, I still love you :)

Andrew's "Blue Steel meets Magnum" (Zoolander)

This one is Andrew's favorite:

A flock of geese flew by and were "honking" it was pretty funny

Happy New Year

It's been a while, I know. Things have been a little crazy lately and I really have no excuse except for I've been playing on Facebook when I get on the computer instead of posting on my blog LOL.

Along with the fact that the boys have been hogging the computer, yeah we need another!

Well, Christmas was wonderful. Willy came home on 12/10 and left today. BW has been ok, stable I guess. Alex had a HUGE fall and his face was a wreck.

Here are some pictures from that:


Alex in the ER. Here we are, me taking pictures of Will taking Alex's picture. LOL What a family!


Here's Alex on New Year's Eve:



He's doing so much better and looks pretty much normal. BTW all pictures were taken with Alex's consent. Actually, he thought "stitches" pictures are really cool....I'll spare you all those ones :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, it's been over a month since my last post. Life just gets in the way, you know?

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and to declare the things I am most thankful for:

I am thankful for my husband. As you know, my husband is not in good health so everyday spent with him is like a bonus round in the pinball machine. Remember those? Yeah, my dad LOVED playing pinball and whether you got a bonus ball by gaining enough points, or but hitting that special target or actually loosing the game and hoping at the end that you get a "match" it was always exciting getting that free ball. LOL

There have been many times with my husband that I thought "the game" was over only to sit there and amazingly watched the "match" hit and viola, there he is again. For this I am thankful. (Don't let me misslead you, we are still waiting for that special "match" so contine to pray for us :) )

I am thankful for my sons.

Willy, who is celebrating this day in Florida. I am thankful for the friends he has made, his growth and the direction that his life has taken. I am thankful that he is furthering his education and looking forward towards his future.

Ben, who is in his senior year of high school and is looking forward to going to college in the Fall. I am grateful for the friends he has chosen and for his brutal honesty, even though it sometimes is construed as rudeness, I get him. He's a great kid, with a consience and an intollerance for stupidity. He'll get along just fine :)

Andrew. My Andrew of whom I have no bad stories to tell LOL. His love for music has really launched him into an entirely new direction. I'm grateful for his passion for the Bass and Guitar and Praise and Worship.

Alex, the baby. I am grateful for his amazing attitude, wit, understanding and intelligence. He's such a kind little boy and a little nutty too :)

My dad. I love my daddy and I am so grateful to have him around, even though I don't see him regularly. My work schedule has been a little hectic, he still stops by the house to say hello and to tell the boys "tel jur mama I came by".

My friends. My friends who get me through the hard days, weeks, months. My friends who don't judge me, who give without conditions and who are always there to make me laugh at a moments notice.

My job. I'm grateful to God for the job He has given me. It was a huge step I took and although it's "not the same" as my old position and I've left seeing one of my bestest friends on a daily basis I am grateful that I am there. I'm grateful for the health insurance that my job provides, without it my husband certainly would not be here celebrating this Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for the grace of God. That He gives me the strength to stand through all I have been faced with and all that I will face in the future.

Who is this????

Getting ready for work the other day. Put on a black sweater and a cream & black houndstooth pencil skirt with a ruffle at the bottom. Needed a little color so I put on a long necklace with red and black stones....not too flashy, nicely spaced.

Thought to myself "This would look REALLY cute with some Red-patent peep-toe sling-backs" I stopped in my tracks at that thought and said out loud.... "Who the HECK is this?!!!!"

Yeah, I have no idea but I think I've turned into a monster....at the very least, a shoe whore!

Even more random conversations from a 5th grader:

"Did you know that Wasabi is a culinary substitute for Horseradish???"

Ummmm, ok. LOL

All too soon

It happened all too fast. The summer has come and gone and my Little Willy is headed back to Tennessee. It's been a wonderful summer with all of my children home. I love my kids so much, we're all going to miss this guy. Ah, where does the time go? Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Good friends good times

I was able to get away with my good friend Ginny again this summer.

We go out to her cabin in the mountains and take day trips all throughout the region. This year we took a trip looping through Clover valley to Antelope Lake, the Genessee Valley and the Indian Valley, yeah, it took us quite a few hours to do it but boy was it worth it!

Tons of photo ops, tons of fun and laughs.

Of course we HAD to go to an old cemetery...it's a tradition! We actually made it to two. One near Quincy and the other in Nevada City. For the first time in the several years I've been photographing old cemeteries I had a ghost encounter! It was kinda creepy, but I'm sure there was someone/something there. Alas, the photos don't prove a thing but I know!

Here are a couple of photos I've edited so far:




Of course this is the ONLY photo I have of Ginny and me.




One of the headstones at the Quincy cemetery, and believe it or not I pulled out my lens baby and got quite a few shots:


Yeah, I went "there". I got "artsy" with the noose, I know, I know....I'm just SICK!

Playing along

Lara posted this to her blog the other day and I thought I'd play along. I normally don't do the whole blog games but I thought this was cute.

So, if you are so inclined

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember. (Sorry Lara, I did more than one :) )

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

My son, the poet

Many times, I stand amazed at my family. Will has grown so much in this past year at college, and he's become this amazing writer. What amazes me is that he is only at the inception of this wonderful life of writing.

Things have been hard lately, my mind has been flooded with so many unpleasant feelings, saddness, grief, dispair. I opened his latest note on facebook and am instantly taken to another place. I love my son, Will. He is amazing:

on the wicker chair.

by William Olivera

Today at 1:30am

hoping, wishing, waiting.

On this wicker chair. Shielded by the overhang of the patio from the pouring rain. The rain, for some inexplicable reason has this overwhelming feeling of distress. What it is...I do not know...

Sitting...following the descent of a single drop onto the lonely tire swing, which thumps as the drop makes impact. While the ting of one hitting the rusty bicycle complements every other drop that hits a puddle, the overhang, as well as the upside-down pail stuck in the what now is quicksand from the sandbox. All creating an orchestra of despair. Listening, the sound of sorrow still lingers. As I ponder just what it is that could be making the rain sad, I see a silhouette...playing in the distance.

Has she gone mad? This rain has no joyous feeling...and all the while I question her motives I cannot feel but envious of what she has. With a gleeful attitude in the melancholy rain she makes her attempts at happiness revealed. I sit on the wicker chair astounded that someone could find joy with such sorrow all around. Do I ask? Do I expose myself to the rain to see her vibrancy firsthand? Would I find what she has? What does she know about this rain that I do not?

On my wicker chair I hear the rain fall... This rain. In a sudden instant it steadies...and becomes a new feeling. Anticipation, and now comes down in an all too familiar beat. As I get up, the rain's tempo quickens...

The Rain stops...

Happiness.

More random conversations....

It's All Star Game night. The game is being played in NY. There are many tributes to New York Players, including Lou Gehrig.

>>>Beautiful Tribute to Lou Gehrig being played between innings which includes his farewell speech
>>>I get emotional
>>>We all take a moment to reflect
>>>The silence is broken by...yes, Andrew.......
Andrew: "What did Lou Gehrig die from?"
All of us, in unison, roll our eyes and answer "Lou Gehrig's Disease!"
Andrew, answering sheepishly: "Oh yeah, I knew that."

Yeah, memories that will be relived at the dinner table with the daughters-in-law.

I'm still shaking my head.

Random conversations in my house:

Me: Who Drank my iced coffee that was in the freezer?
Andrew: I drank your iced coffee this morning, I was up and 6:15 and needed a little "pick-me-up"
Me: You don't need to drink coffee for a pick-me up! *I* (the mom) drink coffee for pick-me-ups!
Ben: (butts into our conversation and looks directly at Andrew) "You need more than coffee to pick you up son! You need a CRANE!"

We all stop and roll on the floor laughing.

Yes, my days AND nights are filled with this kind of banter....never a dull moment around our house :)

Hot hot hot!!!

We had dinner in the park for the second day in a row.

Just thought I'd post a picture of the end of our day.

Two posts in one week? What's up with that?

Well, I guess I'm just so glad to have a three day weekend that I've decided to post again. Well, that and the fact that the boys are busy with TV and games, that they've left the computer open :)

Just had to post some pics of our little outing this week. We went to the fair on Tuesday. Big Willy was able to join us and boy do we feel blessed! Last year at this time things were REALLY hard. Willy couldn't come with us because of his treatments, even if he had the day free, it would have been extremely difficult for him to even get out of the house. We had a wonderful time out together with the family...well, ok, I was annoyed, the boys drove me NUTS, but what's new?

My guys wouldn't leave me alone for two minutes, when I did get away from them, they kept calling me on the cell to find out where I was. Do I have a backwards life or what? Aren't teenage boys supposed to hate being with their families, especially their mothers? Yeah, not my kids! I say that in jest, knowing how truly blessed I am.

I'm extremely happy with my children and very proud of them all. They are a joy to be around and are flippin HILARIOUS! Never a dull moment in the Olivera van...especially when all four of them know how to make the most annoying sound in the world....and let me hear during the entire trip to the fairgrounds. I swear when we are all together, watch out when you take a sip of your beverage, you just might end up spewing it all out through your nose!

Here are a few photos of our fun day...and yep, can you tell our sides hurt by the end of the afternoon?

Long time no blog

I know, I know!

I've been so busy with my new job I've neglected my poor little blog.

Well, almost 3 months in my new position at Cal State East Bay and I think I'm settling in pretty well. Made it through my first commencement season and boy was I beat!

I'll be brief in my writing and just post some pictures of what I've been up to, well, what my KIDS have been up to :)

Ben's Jr. Prom:


The view from my new office building:















Andrew's first sermon preached:














Andrew and his Bass:



















You're never too old to play in the park on the swings with your little brother:













Alex TOC's and All Stars: