FIVE CRAZY CABRERAS

CATCHING UP

2010-09-25T17:43:00.004-05:00

We're at the end of September already and a new school year has already begun! Michael is now 9 years old and in the 4th grade. Briana is 7 years old and in 2nd grade. Alexa is 3 1/2 and still at home with me. She helps take care of her little 3 month old cousin, Victoria, who I babysit Monday through Friday. I also babysit a 2 year old around 15 hours a week. Let's just say I keep busy! John is in the police academy and is gone Monday through Friday but gets to return home most weekends. It's not always easy, but God gives us strength to get through each day.

Easter Sunday 2010

2010-05-03T14:16:00.001-05:00

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ANSWERED PRAYER!

2010-05-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that John starts a new job tomorrow! This is a HUGE answer to prayer! He has been out of work for a month and a half now, so we are very happy and thankful for this job opportunity! Praise the Lord! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us!

GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL

2010-04-12T22:16:00.003-05:00

On the morning of Thursday March 25th, I started bleeding... again. My heart sank. How could this be happening again? I tried to think positively, knowing that many women experience bleeding in their first trimester and go on to have healthy babies, but deep down, I was bracing myself for more bad news. I called the doctor's office immediately and they scheduled me for an ultrasound at 12:30 that afternoon. John and Alexa went with me. The sonographer was the same lady that did my ultrasounds less than 7 months ago. She recognized me and was sad to see me there again. I was praying that she would have reassuring news for me. We got started and it was different this time. In September, she was silent. This time, she kept asking me questions and I knew something wasn't right. She then did a trans-vaginal ultrasound and didn't talk. When she got done she said that she wasn't supposed to tell us anything, but when I started to sit up on the table, I saw her look at John and very slightly shake her head.

We took the elevator upstairs to the doctor's office. When I finally got called back, I met and was examined by Dr. Hussein (Dr. Goodman was not there that day). After the exam, we met in her office. She told me that my cervix was closed and that my uterus was enlarged to where it should have been at 7 weeks, but no sac had been found on the ultrasounds. All the questions the sonographer had asked now made sense. She couldn't find anything. I was told to get blood work done so they could check my hormone level. I couldn't get it done that day because Michael and Briana had dentist appointments at 3pm and we still had to pick them up from school. I kept my composure until we got in the truck and Alexa couldn't see my face. She wouldn't have understood why Mommy was crying.

Friday morning, March 26th, I went and got the blood work done. Dr. Goodman called me and explained that if my hormone level was above 2,000, there was a higher chance of an ectopic (or tubal) pregnancy. If it was below 2,000, there was a good chance that it was on it's way back down to 0 and it would be labeled a miscarriage. So now I'm not sure how to feel. If it's above 2,000 then I'll probably have to have surgery to check my tubes for an ectopic pregnancy. If it's below 2,000 it doesn't explain why no sac could be found.

At 10am on Saturday the 27th, we got to church for our Easter cantata practice. About 20 minutes later, Dr. Goodman called me with my blood work results. My hormone level was right at 2,000. Of course. We discussed a few options and he said he would check back with me that afternoon to see how I felt. 20 minutes later, he called me back and said he wanted me to come to the E.R. to get my hormone level checked again. We would see if it had gone up or down and go from there. So we left church, took the kids to a friend's house and went to the E.R. They started an IV and took my blood and then we had to wait. While waiting, I told Dr. Goodman about some shoulder pain I had been having for the last 5 days. A friend had mentioned to me that shoulder pain was a sign of an ectopic pregnancy and I had looked it up on WebMD. He confirmed it, but also explained that my abdomen was not filled with blood which is usually the cause of the pain. I had nothing else that would explain the shoulder pain, but trusted in what he said. When the result finally came back, Dr. Goodman came to see us. He told me that the level had gone up to 2,600 and recommended doing a laparoscopy to check for an ectopic pregnancy. I agreed and was prepped for surgery.

When I woke up, the doctor had some interesting news for me. After searching in every place that an ectopic pregnancy could be, NO SAC WAS FOUND. I was totally confused. So was the doctor. He had also done a D&C and said he did find some tissue and sent it to pathology to see if it was placental tissue. I was sent home that night to recover.

On Friday April 2nd, I had a post-op appointment with Dr. Goodman and then went to get more blood work done. He wanted to make sure that my hormone level was going back down. I got the results the following Monday - it had gone from 2,600 down to 40. That was a huge difference, but the nurse told me that they wanted the number to be under 2. So, I went back on Friday April 9th for more blood work. On Monday, April 12th, Dr. Goodman called with my results. My hormone level was 0 and the pathology report showed that it WAS placental tissue and it was ruled a miscarriage. Why there was no sac is still a mystery to us, but God knows.

We have definitely been put through the fire so to speak these past 4 weeks. On March 12th, John was put on administrative leave based on a false accusation and on March 19th he was terminated. We were shocked. He is looking for another job but so far has not found anything. We have had our house in Tennessee on the market for nearly 3 years now and it is a burden that we want to get off our hands. And then this - my second miscarriage in less than 7 months. Sometimes I feel that this is all more than we can bear, but it is in those times of despair that I must learn to trust in God and remember that He never gives us more than He will help us bear. He has taught me many things in the last 4 weeks. I know that my devotional life and prayer life aren't what they need to be. He has shown me that, all too often, I place so many things before Him instead of putting Him first in my life. I shouldn't speculate, but maybe this is just God's way of telling me that He wants to be first in my life and that I've been neglecting Him long enough.

If you have stayed and read this long story all the way to the end, I thank you and I ask that you would pray for John and I and also Michael, Briana and Alexa. I want to thank all of our family and friends that have been praying for us and supporting us. In the week following John's job loss and the miscarriage, people in my home church visited, brought meals and gave us nearly $500 in cash. What a show of love and mercy. Thank you all!

GOD IS SO GOOD

2010-03-16T20:13:00.002-05:00

God's timing is DEFINITELY NOT my timing. Wednesday March 17th (tomorrow from when I'm writing this) was my due date for J.L.C. and I know it's going to be a melancholy day for me. God has taught me some patience in the last 6 months since the miscarriage. Part of me wanted to get pregnant again right away and part of me just wanted to take time to mourn the loss of our baby. Knowing that my not-to-be due date was approaching, I started to feel sad and even a little depressed. Reading my Bible has been a great help as God gave me verses of comfort. He has always been there waiting for me to lean on Him and trust Him. I can't say that I always turned to Him as I should have, but He has never forsaken me. God is so good.

Last Wednesday (March 10), exactly one week before the due date, I found out that I am expecting again. John and I are so excited! At first I worried that the same thing would happen again, but God is continuing to strengthen and help me to trust Him for the outcome. Would you please join us in praying for this new little one that God has blessed us with? My new due date is November 10, 2010. GOD IS SO GOOD - ALL THE TIME!

THE STORY OF OUR ANGEL - J.L.C.

2009-09-24T09:42:00.015-05:00

A little after midnight on the morning of Friday July 17, 2009, I decided to take a pregnancy test. My monthly cycle was already eight days late (though I have been as many as ten days late), but I didn't really think I was pregnant. In fact, I had myself convinced that it would be negative... so why was I feeling so nervous as I waited? Three minutes pass and... two pink lines! What?!? I'm pregnant??? I just couldn't believe it. I went to bed. I think I even slept. When I got up around 8am, I decided to use the second test in the 2-pack. Again, three minutes. Again, two pink lines! I was shocked. I don't know why - we weren't doing anything to prevent it from happening - but still I was surprised.
The first person I told was John, of course. He was also surprised, but we were both very happy. We had been planning to wait until Alexa turned three in February before we started trying for another baby, but apparently God had other plans! Our reason for wanting to wait is simply because our 10th wedding anniversary is June 10, 2010 and we really wanted to get away for a week with no kids. Hmm... change of plans! THAT'S not going to happen now!
I called my OB-GYN's office that same day and scheduled my first prenatal appointment for August 10th. Though we knew it would be hard, we decided that we wouldn't tell anyone until after that doctor's appointment.
On Monday August 10th, I went to see Dr. Ampey at Capital OB-GYN Associates. By my calculation, I was 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant. They calculated the same. My due date was estimated to be March 17, 2010. The only thing she did that day was check my cervix and do a pap smear. She said everything looked great. We discussed prenatal vitamins and future appointments and I scheduled my second prenatal visit for September 9th.
It was such a relief to finally be able to tell family and friends. It had been so hard to keep it a secret! Michael, Briana and Alexa were very excited about the prospect of having a baby brother or sister. They all wanted a brother. Okay, Michael and Briana wanted a brother and Alexa just went along with it! That's a two year old for you!
A few days after my first appointment, I scheduled my first trimester screening with Maryland Perinatal Associates for September 3rd. I couldn't wait for that day because we would finally be able to hear the baby's heartbeat and have an ultrasound done. I was SOOOO excited.
On Tuesday September 1st, I noticed a tiny bit of blood on the toilet paper early that evening. It didn't happen again before I went to bed, so I shrugged it off. Wednesday September 2nd was the first day of my 12th week and it was also Briana's 6th birthday! She was so excited that morning as she got ready for school. She got to open some of her gifts and she was very happy that I was bringing cupcakes for her class later in the day. We had a Hello Kitty party planned for her that night with her friends at church. She was super-excited about that! Especially her Hello Kitty pinata!
After dropping the kids off at school, I had some errands to run. When I got home and went to the bathroom, I noticed more blood. Not a lot - just a tiny bit - but I began finding it every time I went to the bathroom. I was becoming a little concerned.
The kids get out of school at noon on Wednesdays, so I had the cupcakes there around 11:30am. (I'm sure the other parents loved me for that!) When school got out at noon, we went home for lunch and naps. I didn't want a cranky birthday girl! John was already at home sleeping after working all night.
By early afternoon, I was experiencing some mild cramping along with the bleeding. Now I was VERY concerned. I called the doctor's office. Dr. Ampey wasn't there, but another doctor, Dr. Goodman, was there and would call me back. I was pretty scared and worried at this point. I called my cousin Sherry who had had a miscarriage not too long ago and was pregnant again. Dr. Goodman is her doctor. She tried to reassure me, but my nagging fear wouldn't go away. Finally, Dr. Goodman called. I explained what was going on and he told me to come in so he could check things out. It was about 3pm.
Once at the office, Dr. Goodman checked my cervix and then lead me down the hall for an ultrasound. I watched the screen as he searched around my belly. I'm no expert by any means, but I wasn't seeing anything and Dr. Goodman wasn't saying anything. Finally, he told me that he was going to send me downstairs for another ultrasound because he couldn't find anything. He said that it was a higher resolution machine that might be able to pick up what he was missing. He was trying hard to keep me hopeful, but it wasn't working. My heart was already sinking fast and I was dreading what would happen next. In the elevator on the way to the basement
I prayed, "Please God, don't take my baby."
After getting signed in downstairs, I was lead to the ultrasound room by the technician. The screen was turned in a way that I couldn't see it very well, so I just stared at the ceiling, praying that she would have some good news for me. After several minutes of silence, I looked at the technician's face. Her grim expression never changed and I caught a very slight shaking of her head a few times. Deep in my heart I had known when I was upstairs with Dr. Goodman, but it was in those several minutes of silence downstairs that I lost it.
When the tech noticed that I was crying, she asked if I was okay, but then answered her own question by saying, "No. You're not okay." She told me that she was going to try the trans-vaginal ultrasound. After another several minutes of silence, she looked at me and said, "I'm sorry". That was the absolute, most horrible moment in my life. I mean, I knew it already, but those two words were like the nail in the coffin. I was devastated. I was heartbroken. I was alone. I woke John up before I left to tell him where I was going and why, but he was at home with the kids and no one was with me but a stranger. All I could do was cry. When I was able to speak, I asked the tech if she had seen ANYTHING. She said that there was a sac that only measured five weeks and five days. She handed me a box of tissues and left the room for a while. I don't know how long I sat in that room, but it seemed like forever. All my hopes and dreams for this pregnancy and birth were gone. My baby was gone. I didn't know what to do.
After getting dressed and composing myself somewhat, the tech offered to walk back to Dr. Goodman's office with me since I was by myself. I was very grateful because I really didn't want to have to think about where to go. My thoughts were completely lost on my baby. We got back upstairs and she waited with me until Dr. Goodman called me into his office. I felt dazed and confused. He hugged me and said he was sorry. I couldn't even look at him. I stared at a spot on his desk most of the time he was talking to me. I decided to have a D&C (dilatation and curettage) and scheduled it for the next day - September 3rd. The day that I had been looking forward to was now the day that my dead baby would be removed from my womb. I was so sad and so numb, and my daughter's birthday party was only a few hours away.
I left the doctor's office and managed to make it to the truck before the tears came raging again. My hands shook as I got on my cell phone and called John. When he answered he asked, "So what did the doctor say?" I couldn't speak right away. I cried some more before I could get the words out. Then all I could say was, "It's not good" before I started crying again. I was finally able to tell him and then I drove home. I didn't want to spoil Briana's birthday, so I put on a good face and went inside the house.
We still had the birthday party that night after we did a balloon release to honor the memory of a young man from my church, Daniel Byrd. His birthday was also September 2nd, and he would have been 19. He passed away in December 2008 at the age of 18. This was the first birthday without him. Daniel's mom, Lois, read a card that Daniel's little sister, Grace, had made. Our youth pastor, Doug Moorman, read a poem. We sang Happy Birthday and then Daniel's family and some friends released 19 red balloons, each attached with Daniel's picture, story and plan of salvation. Red was Daniel's favorite color. It was a beautiful scene.
The birthday party was a huge success and I am thankful that I was able to throw myself into it. It gave my mind and my hands something to do. Briana had a wonderful time.
Thursday September 3rd was not a good day for me. It should have been a very happy day for John and I - the day that we heard our baby's heartbeat and got the first pictures of our little bean... but it wasn't to be. My D&C was scheduled for 6:15pm. Early in the day, the bleeding started to increase and the formerly mild cramping was beginning to get worse. By about noon, I was passing blood clots every 15 minutes. I called the doctor and was told to come in for an evaluation. This time John came with me. I am so glad he did. At the office, I was told that I was already actively miscarrying and that they were going to do the D&C immediately. We went over to the hospital and I was prepped for surgery. When I woke up in recovery, it was hard for me to face reality. I didn't want to believe that it was over; that my womb was empty. I couldn't even cry anymore. At least not then.

It was extremely difficult for John and I to say goodbye to our 4th child. After three pregnancies with healthy children, I guess I felt like a miscarriage could never happen to me... but it has. I never realized how devastating it is to lose a child in this way. It is very tough to say the least. Many people seem to think that a Christian should just grin and bear it because God is in control and He never does anything without a reason. Already I've had well meaning people say to me, "It wasn't God's will." "It wasn't meant to be." "Be strong." Well, let me just put my feelings out there: I believe with all my heart that God is in control and that there is a specific reason to all He allows in our lives. I have already figured out (all by myself may I remind you) that it obviously wasn't God's will for this child to live. I don't need to be reminded of that. It doesn't make losing a child any easier. I am NOT strong and I don't need to be right now. God said that His strength is made perfect in my weakness, and let me tell you how weak and vulnerable I am right now: VERY MUCH SO! This is the hardest thing I've ever been through in my life. This is the hardest thing that John has ever been through. Many people tend to forget that there is a daddy who is grieving right alongside the mommy. Please don't forget John. He took three days off of work so he could be right beside me, praying with me and doing all he can for me while at the same time trying to work through his own grief. We really appreciate all of you who have been a help to us. Most importantly, we appreciate everyone's prayers. We will be able to get through this because of the prayers of our family and friends. Sometimes, prayer is the only thing you can do to help someone through their grief. We sincerely thank all of you who are praying. We have a long road of healing ahead of us, but God will see us through.
Does my heart ache for the child I lost? Yes. Am I angry at God? No. Do I feel like a part of me is missing? Yes. Am I bitter? No. Is God always in control? Yes. Do I always understand His ways? No. But I don't have to because He gives me the peace that passes all understanding. God chose to take my baby instead of allowing him or her to fully develop inside my womb. I have no idea why. I don't understand. But I have two choices: I can question my Heavenly Father - the Ultimate Creator of life, or I can trust Him that He has better plans for my child than I could ever dream. Have I questioned God? Yes. It's only natural. But now I choose to trust because, though I have failed Him many times, He has never - AND WILL NEVER - fail me. My baby will never have to experience the evil in this sinful world. My precious little angel is in Heaven... and outside of my arms or John's, there is no better place for our baby to be.

Estimated due date: March 17, 2010
J.L.C.'s graduation to Heaven: September 3, 2009

We didn't know if we were going to have a boy or a girl, so I chose 2 names:
Girl - Jaedyn Leann
Boy - Jaden Lemuel

Jaedyn Leann is the name we had picked out for a girl. After the baby went to Heaven, I wanted to have a name picked out for either a boy or girl. We decided to keep our girl's name and since the first name can go either way, I changed the spelling for a boy and had to choose a middle name. I wanted to keep the same initials. When I discovered that Lemuel means "dedicated to God", I knew I had found the right name.

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." - Psalm 61:1-2

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

I AM.......

2009-08-15T14:07:00.004-05:00

.......such a terrible blogger!!! I blame it on Facebook. :) If you're not on FB or you haven't added me as a friend yet, what are you waiting for?!?!?

I do have some great news for any of you who haven't heard yet..... around the middle of March, we will be welcoming another little Cabrera into the world!!! Michael, Briana and Alexa want a little brother. Well, Michael and Briana do. Alexa just says what they say! I guess we'll have to change our blog's name to SIX CRAZY CABRERAS!

album 06/30/09 (68 photos), by ENRIQUE Snapfish

2009-06-30T15:58:00.001-05:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=882301246395443280/l=879663024/g=840402024/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=725813024/a=840402024_840402024/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=68%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=comcast2

VACATION UPDATE

2009-06-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

We haven't had internet access to post pics, so I'll have to do that later. I'll just give a quick run-down: The trip down to Jacksonville took us about 14 hours with 4 kids. They did exceptionally well. We were VERY grateful for that! We got to our hotel around 11:30 Thursday night. It was a very nice hotel. It's too bad we didn't get to stay there more than one night. We left Friday morning and drove the last 3 hours to our hotel in Kissimmee. My mother-in-law met us (she lives in the Tampa area), and we went to the All Star Music Disney Resort where she stayed with all 4 kids! Thanks, Mom! The kids loved the pool there. On Saturday, we went to Magic Kingdom. Sunday, to Hollywood Studios and Monday, we went to Epcot before driving to Daytona Beach. We spent 3 wonderful days at the beach. It was so much fun! We left yesterday around noon. I am typing this in the lobby of our hotel in North Carolina where we stopped for the night. We are getting ready to continue our trip home and then I'll be able to post pics. Although most of the pics will be on Facebook!

JUNE 10, 2009

2009-06-10T08:38:00.003-05:00

Nine years ago today, I married my best friend. It was the greatest day of my life. I love you, Baby!

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Disney World to celebrate not only our anniversary, but also our daughter and neice's kindergarten graduations. I'm going to TRY to blog each day of our vacation... we'll see how THAT goes!

HAPPY 9th ANNIVERSARY TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND!!!

I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

LOVE,

Me :)

xoxoxoxo

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

2008-11-29T22:06:00.050-05:00

On Friday November 28th, I turned another year older. But since 28 is my favorite number, I will continue to be 28 years old for the rest of my life. My Grandma was 29 every year, so I can be 28 every year! Thank you so much to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday - I had a wonderful day!

We were in New Jersey with John's family for Thanksgiving. We had such a good time! Even after a big feast, they had a cake for me and some presents. And we played Catch Phrase. If you've never played it, get a group together and play. We all had a blast! We left NJ Thursday night and arrived home at 1am Friday. No, we did not go shopping!!! I received gifts from my family and Friday night, John and I got to go away for the night while my Mom kept the kids. Thank you, Mommy!!! Since I started working days and John works nights, we don't have much (ANY) time alone. It was nice to just be alone together.

I know this has nothing to do with my birthday, but I would really like for all of you to pray for a young man from my church. Some of you may already know about him from Facebook or LJF. His name is Daniel Byrd. He is 18 years old. He graduated from our Christian school in May and was down at Pensacola Christian College. He started getting sick and they finally discovered a malignant tumor the size of a basketball in his chest. He is currently in the ICU at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The doctors said he is the sickest patient there. The doctors also said that it is a miracle he is still alive, but I know that my God is a God of miracles. He has been showing very good signs of progress. He has already had five rounds of chemo and the tumor is beginning to shrink, but he still has a long way to go. Please pray for Daniel and his family. Daniel is the oldest of 6 children. His parents are Lenny and Lois. I encourage you to visit caringbridge.org and type in danielbyrd (no spaces). The family writes updates in the journal so you can better know how to pray for him specifically. You can leave encouraging notes for the family on there. Please pray. God is listening and answering!

WORKING AGAIN!

2008-11-02T17:33:00.030-05:00

Last Monday, October 27th, I started a new job. I haven't been employed outside the home since 2001. I thought it was going to be a HUGE adjustment for me - especially getting up at 4am! I survived a whole week of waking up early, and I survived my first week back at work! I really enjoyed it and I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. I am an administrative clerk in a government building (Health and Human Services). I work for the same security company that John works for. They are contracted with the government. I work 6am - 2pm, Monday - Friday. John works nights and then comes home and gets Michael and Briana ready for school and stays with Alexa until I get home. It's a grueling schedule for him - pray for him! He's doing a great job as "Mr. Mom". At least he's off on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. He does get a little bit of sleep... occasionally!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CERA!

2008-10-25T13:26:00.015-05:00

Today, Saturday October 25, 2008 is our niece Cera's birthday.
Happy 18th Birthday, Cera!!! We love you SO much!!!

Love always,
Aunt Pammy, Uncle John, Michael, Briana and Alexa

MY THREE LITTLE PUMPKINS (and their little pumpkins!)

2008-10-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

Michael, age 7

Briana, age 5

Alexa, age 1 (20 months)

I LOVE this one!

KID BIT

2008-10-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

After school today, Michael went down to the basement to "work out". This is something he started doing with John. After a while, he came upstairs and told me to feel his muscles. I said, "Wow! You're really getting strong!" He said, "I'm not as strong as Daddy, but I'm getting close!"

"HALLOWEEN"

2008-10-22T14:53:00.051-05:00

My children will not be celebrating October 31st the way the world celebrates, but they will still have a lot of fun. We will be going to our church for their annual "Give God the Glory Night". I'm not sure how many years they've been doing this, but just to give you an idea, I used to go when I was a kid! Members of the church donate bags of wrapped candy so all the kids who participate will go home with a great big bag. (Thank God for toothpaste, toothbrushes and dentists!!!) There will be a moonbounce among many other fun activites for the kids. There will also be a time of Bible teaching. My Mom, who will have Alexa at home, will be handing out Gospel tracts along with candy to the "trick-or-treaters" who come to the door.

We live in an evil world and Halloween just seems to be the epitomy of all evilness. The devil wants us to live in fear. What seems to be an innocent holiday for kids is really a night the devil enjoys far too much. There are still cults in this world that practice human sacrifice on this night - usually children. I know that's going to the extreme, but think about the costumes kids wear - devils, ghosts, witches, demons, dracula, monsters, even masked murderers. I refuse to teach my kids that this is okay. God wants us to live in fear of Him, not the devil. The psalmist said, "I will fear no evil: for thou [the Lord] art with me." (Psalm 23:4) It is my hope and prayer that I and my children will give God the glory and not give place to the devil.

If you are looking for ideas for an alternative to Halloween, please visit my friend Amy's blog:
http://thesikorskifamily.blogspot.com/ (Post October 20, 2008)

ALL ABOUT ALEXA

2008-10-14T10:36:00.050-05:00

My sweet little baby girl is 20 months old today! I can hardly believe it! There are many pictures here, but I hope you'll take the time to see each one and catch a little glimpse of the life of Alexa Maxine Cabrera.

Here she is wearing her big brother's school shirt. She hasn't figured out how to say "Michael" yet, so she calls him "Da Da". (John is Daddy, in case you're wondering!)

Now she's wearing Briana's necklace. She calls her big sister "Na Na". (That's also what Michael called Briana when he was 2.)

She loves her little pink hat. Whenever we're getting ready to go outside, she pats herself on the head. That's her way of saying, "My hat, please!"

She LOVES to play with balls! She can kick them and is starting to throw them pretty well, too!

Trying on Briana's shoe...

She managed to get both of them on by herself!

This day, she decided it would be fun to play with Michael's baseball cap.
"It's dark! Where did everybody go?"

"Hey! There you are!"

She is so much fun to watch!

"Look, Mommy! I can do it myself! Bye Bye!"

Opening a cabinet no matter how big or small is an endless source of enjoyment. In fact, she has a blanket and puppy that she sleeps with, and about two weeks ago, they disappeared. We couldn't find them anywhere! 6 days later, John and I were in our bedroom with Alexa and she went over to a small desk we have in there. On one side is a little cabinet. She opened the door and what do you suppose was in there? That's right! She had put her blanket and puppy in there and no one (but her) had thought to look in there!

"Anyone hungry? I'm making lunch."

She was playing Ring Around the Rosy with Michael and Briana. They taught her how and she did great. Then she decided to start falling down before they got to the "we all fall down" part. Michael and Briana thought that was hilarious, so she would fall down early and they would all crack up!

She likes to make us laugh with this face. It all started because we live next to a fire station. Any time the fire trucks or ambulances would go out with their sirens on, we would say, "Alexa! Do you hear the fire trucks?" And she would make that face. It's so funny.

Here she is with another one of Michael's hats.
"You can't see me!"

"Here I am!"

And there she goes! She's a busybody - always into EVERYTHING!

She's such a character! And a cute one at that!

Hamming it up for the camera.

Ride 'em cowgirl!

She does have her not-so-happy moments. She was less than thrilled when I put her in the ball pit.

But she loved bouncing on the trampoline while holding the balls from the ball pit!

She loves babies. Even her own reflection. She's a "big helper" in our church nursery with all the babies. She knows them all by name and can even tell you whose diaper bag is whose!

Even my little busybody gets worn out now and then. She has her beloved blanket (which I removed from around her neck) and her beloved puppy with the pink hearts (which she has underneath her!). For some reason, she likes to sleep with her feet up on the rails. Not always, but occasionally.

SWEET DREAMS MY LITTLE ANGEL!

POTTY TIME! ALREADY?!?

2008-10-12T22:36:00.035-05:00

Alexa will be 20 months old on Tuesday October 14th. A few months ago I started putting her on the potty before her bath just to see how she would react. She had no problem sitting there, but never did anything. One night a few weeks ago, she surprised me by actually going on the potty! She went a few more times after that, when she was about to get in the tub. Then, last week, she started telling me "potty, potty" (which actually came out "bobby, bobby" at first, and now it's "otty, otty") anytime I took her diaper off. So we started making daily trips to the "otty", but she hadn't been going. She just wanted to sit there and then say "done". Until today. She went on the potty twice! Imagine that. I know she's not ready to be fully potty trained yet, but I'm encouraged by the hope that she won't be 3 like Michael was!

FAN OF FACEBOOK

2008-10-10T17:34:00.023-05:00

I just wanted all of you to know that I will continue to try and keep up with our blog, but I think it will be more of what it's supposed to be - a blog! I've used it primarily to post pictures, but since I discovered Facebook, it's SOOOOOOO much easier to put photo albums to share on my Facebook page! I have found many friends (old and new) on Facebook and if you've never been there, I encourage you to go! It's completely free, and you have complete control over what info you put on there and who sees it. You can send friend requests and you'll also receive them - but you can accept or ignore them. It's been such a great and easy way to keep in touch with friends and family. If you don't have a Facebook page, come and join and look me up!

facebook.com

Pam :)

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!

2008-10-09T08:38:00.003-05:00

My Dad came to the United States (LEGALLY, I might add) from Lima, Peru in August 1972. 36 years later in August 2008, he became a U.S. citizen. When I asked him why now after all these years, he replied, "Because the cost keeps going up!" My Dad is full-blooded Japanese, but Spanish is his first language. Since coming to America, he speaks fluent English, has gone to college here, has been married to my Mom for over 32 years, and has been at the same job for nearly 30 years. He is proud to be an American, and I am proud to call him my Daddy!

We were all able to be at the swearing-in ceremony.

He gladly received his official certificate of citizenship.

One proud and happy new American!

Congratulations, Daddy! We love you!

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

2008-08-25T21:40:00.037-05:00

Hi, everyone! We've been having problems with our computer for about 2 months now. I am not able to upload any pictures, so that's my excuse for not updating our blog. I know that it's not always necessary to post pictures, but I like doing it.

We are all doing well. Briana starts kindergarten tomorrow! I can't believe it! She will be 5 on September 2nd. Michael just turned 7 on August 1st and will be entering the 2nd grade. I can't believe that, either! I will only have my little Alexa at home with me. (At least until Thursday when I start babysitting my friend's 2 year old daughter!) Alexa is 18 months old now. Talk about growing like a weed! She's getting so big! She is into everything! She's a very busy little person. I love to hear her laugh. She just brightens my day! I am so thankful for the husband and children God has blessed me with. Too often I take my family for granted, and I'm praying that God will help me to cherish them and every moment He gives me with them.

Speaking of family, I am very excited and proud to announce that on Friday August 22, 2008, my Dad was sworn in as a United States citizen!!! He came to the U.S. from Lima, Peru on August 17, 1972 when he was just 20 years old. 36 years and 5 days later, he stood with his right hand over his heart and pledged allegience to the American flag! Praise the Lord!

Thanks to all of you for checking our blog. I know it's been a long time and I'm glad you haven't forgotten us!

UPDATE ON BRIANA

2008-06-30T17:13:00.002-05:00

So many of you have asked about Briana and shared with us that you have been praying for us. I want to use this post to thank each and every one of you. We are very grateful for all the prayers that have been lifted up on our behalf. Your concern for Briana especially has been such a blessing to me. I am very happy to report that she is doing exceptionally well. She is back to her normal self - running, jumping, riding her bike, fighting - oh, I mean playing with her brother, and, of course, watching TV. She's the TV queen. (We are trying to cut back, though!) It will still be some months before our skin color returns to normal, so we're not sure if there will be scarring, but we are just so thankful that it wasn't worse than it was and that we are both okay. God is so good - all the time! Thank you all again for your prayers and well wishes!

Here's a couple of pics of her healed legs:

Don't they look great?!?!?

AWANA CLOSING CEREMONY

2008-06-30T17:02:00.002-05:00

That's my boy - cheesin' away!

Someone else, on the other hand, wasn't quite so thrilled.

But she was much better when she got to sit with Christian!

Congratulations to Briana on finishing your book and getting your Cubbie Bear!

Conrgatulations to Michael on finishing TWO books in one year!

FIRST GRADE GRADUATE

2008-05-26T14:50:00.002-05:00

Hampshire View Christian School - Silver Spring, MD
Tuesday May 13, 2008

This is Michael's first grade class.
L-R: Ana, Mariah, Kimani, Allie, Karitza, Michael

Michael was excited about the graduation program...
can't you tell?

He was proud that he got to hold the American flag for the pledges.

Kindergarten and first grade are combined in one classroom.
The K5 grads L-R: Naomi, Chelsea, Benjamin

They sang and recited Scripture and poems.

It was such a great program!

Michael receiving his honor roll certificate from his teacher, Mrs. Philippe-Auguste. Also pictured is the school principal, Mrs. Hutcheson.

Michael proudly displaying his "A" honor roll certificate. He is now prepared for 2nd grade!

Time for cake - YUMMY!

BRIANA'S BEST FRIEND

2008-05-24T16:42:00.002-05:00

This is Briana and her best friend, Christian. He and his family moved to Maryland from Maine and have been attending our church for about a year now. They are only 26 days apart in age and get along famously. They are glued to eachother's sides in Sunday School. It's so cute!

They were dancing... in church of all places!

See? Glued to eachother's sides!

She's a happy girl when she's with her friend.

Off they go - hand in hand!

MOTHER'S DAY 2008

2008-05-22T16:55:00.005-05:00

This was the beginning of Mother's Day before we left for church. I must say that the day started off MUCH better than it ended!!!

BEAUTIFUL!

She thought something was funny - I don't remember what.

My two princesses

My two princesses with their matching sweaters - it was a little chilly.

Michael was quite willing to smile for this one. Briana was not so willing.

Briana took this picture.

Alexa was the unwilling one this time.

Perfect little angels, don't you think?

Well, maybe not perfect... but they are wonderful kids. I'm so thankful that God chose to bless me with three beautiful (and handsome) children. I love them SO much and I wouldn't trade being their Mommy for anything in the world!!!

Thanks for visiting. Come back soon!

BAD ACCIDENT

2008-05-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

Many of you already know what happened to Briana and I on Mother's Day and we greatly appreciate everyone who has been praying for us. We are slowly but surely recovering. God certainly protected us in that it wasn't worse than it was, and that Alexa wasn't in there beside me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that had she been in there, it could have possibly killed her. I am thankful to God for His unfailing love for us and for His great protection.

Here's the story: We were getting ready to go back to church on Sunday night. My Mom had started to cook some chicken and wanted to cook it a little faster before we had to leave for church, so she locked the lid on the pressure cooker and turned up the heat. She then went upstairs to get dressed for church. John was also upstairs getting into the shower because he had to be at work soon. I went downstairs not long after my Mom had left the kitchen. I heard a sizzling noise that sounded like the food in the pot was burning. What I didn't realize is that it was the pressure making that noise. I decided to open the lid so I could check on the food. It never once occurred to me that the food was under pressure. I wasn't familiar with pressure cookers - and even the name "pressure" cooker just never dawned on me. Anyway, the thing exploded and threw hot water and chicken out at me. I screamed when I felt the burn.
Everyone in the house heard it - my Mom upstairs, John in the shower and my sister in the basement. I tried to get out of the kitchen, but there was so much water on the floor, I slipped and fell. That's when I saw Briana. At that moment, I felt no physical pain. All I could think to do was jump up, rip her nightgown off, and usher her into the bathroom. I didn't even know where she was burned, but I was trying to pick her up and put her in the bathroom sink. My Mom got there and saw Briana's legs which had already started to blister. She was yelling that it was her legs and that we needed to go to the hospital. My sister told me later that she was trying to take Briana from me so that they could see where I was burned, but I didn't relinquish my hold on her until I was halfway up the steps and John took her from me. We headed to the bathroom where John put Briana in the shower and ran cool water on her. Her skin was already hanging from her legs. By that time, I was feeling the burning again, so I joined Briana in the shower. I kept hearing my Mom say that we needed to go to the hospital. Briana didn't want to, and John and I were trying to tell her that she had to. While we were in the shower, Briana said to me, "Mommy, why did you do that?" Talk about breaking my heart! I felt SO bad! I told her I didn't mean to - that it was an accident. She just kept crying that it was burning. John had called 911 and since there is a fire station right by our house, two ambulances were there in no time. As soon as the paramedics came in, we were told that we both had second degree burns. Briana was taken to Children's Hospital in D.C., and I was taken to a local hospital. It killed me to not be with her, but I'm glad she was taken to Children's and I'm also glad that John was there to ride with her in the ambulance. John is normally at work at 5pm on Sundays, but since his relief didn't come in until 5:45 that morning, he didn't have to be there until 5:45pm. The accident occurred around 5:15pm. God is good - all the time! My Mom came to the hospital where I was a little while after I had gotten there. She was really shaken up, and needed time to calm down before she got behind the wheel. My sister, who "happened" to be over at the house washing clothes, stayed with Michael and Alexa. Michael was very upset and frightened. He had been in the bathroom by the kitchen and had no idea why his mommy and sister started screaming. It really scared him. I'm glad he was able to stay home. Alexa had still been taking a nap when all this happened. THANK GOD! I hate to even think what might have happened had she been there with me (which she probably would have had she been awake). I was treated and released and we went to Children's. When I got to the ER, Briana had just woken up. They had given her Motrin in the ambulance and then at the hospital, they had to sedate her so they could clean the wound and take off the burned skin. Her legs were already wrapped by the time I got there, so I didn't get to see how bad they were. She had been given Tylenol with codeine, so she was pretty tired and a little out of it. John told me that she didn't cry once in the ambulance or at the hospital - not even when they gave her an IV. She had a little pink bunny that had been given to her. I was so happy to see her, but at the same time I was very sad. She had been through so much in a short period of time because of a mistake I made. They were going to keep her overnight, but decided to let her go home since she didn't have a bad reaction to the Tylenol.

Update: We took Briana to get her bandages changed today (May 19) and the doctor said that her legs are healing nicely. Praise the Lord! It will still take a few more weeks to heal, but I am so thankful that everything is going well. The doctor looked at my burns, too, and said that mine are healing as well. Praise the Lord! We're now dealing with the itching of healing.

Here are a few pictures. If you have a really weak stomach, you might want to skip them.

This is my left arm. My arm and stomach got the brunt of the burns.

This was taken today (May 19) when we were at Children's Burn Center getting Briana's bandages changed.

Here's my tough girl the day after the accident. I told her I was very sorry and I didn't mean to hurt her. She said, "It's okay, Mommy. I love you."

WAY BEHIND

2008-04-09T14:37:00.002-05:00

Sorry, everyone! I know I'm almost 2 months behind! I wanted to post more pictures from Alexa's birthday, but I never got around to it. Resurrection Sunday, when I got my camera out to take pictures of the kids in their new outfits, it wouldn't work! Not even with new batteries! I'm SO sad! No pictures! When Michael was on Spring break a few weeks ago, we went to Williamsburg, Virginia for a few days. It was a nice mini-vacation. I bought a disposable camera for the trip. I just need to get the pictures developed now. After having a digital camera, it's strange not knowing what the pictures look like until you take them to the store! I hope you will all be patient with me. I will try to do better with this blog. Thanks for checking!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, ALEXA!!!

2008-02-14T13:15:00.004-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Alexa!!! We can't believe it has been a year since you were born. You have filled our lives with joy. You are such a sweet and precious baby. We are thankful to God for giving you to us. We all love you SO much, Alexa!

Love,
Daddy, Mommy, Michael & Briana

Today is Alexa Maxine's first birthday! I've been trying to put two photo shows on here, but for some reason the computer doesn't want to upload them. I will keep trying, but in the mean time, here are some recent pictures of the birthday girl:

These were taken at our church on Sunday February 3, 2008.

Such a cute face!

The day is just not complete without giving Daddy a kiss!

She LOVES to walk!

Here I come! I'm coming to celebrate my first birthday!

MMM, MMM GOOD!

2008-02-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

Alexa loves bananas! I decided to see how she would do holding the whole thing...

Yum, yum.

It looks like she's sharing, but she's just teasing Michael!

Oooh, squishy!

Briana takes the other half.

She made a mess, but certainly enjoyed it!

DAYTON

2008-02-08T18:46:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late with this, but I just had to share. My cousin, Jerri Lynn, had her first baby on December 19, 2007. His name is Dayton Mattox. He weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 21 in. long. Isn't he SO cute?!? Congratulations Jerri and Dustin!!!

MASTER CHEF

2008-02-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

This is one of Master Chef John's creations: a mushroom, green pepper (and whatever else he had in there) omelet.

And here is the Master Chef himself enjoying his delectible creation.

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-01-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day, 2007

My name is Alexa Maxine Cabrera, and I'm going to share my first Christmas with you.

"I am very eager to open all the presents. I want to know what all that colorful paper tastes like!"

"I think I'll open the stocking stuffers first."

"This is my very own mini stocking."

"Whew! All this unwrapping is hard work! I need a little break!"

"I'll have a snack while I'm on my break. Thank you Aunt GiGi!"

"Is there anything else in there?"

"I love this puppy - I can 'bop' to the music!"

"The bow? No, I don't know where it is."

"You put it on my head, didn't you? Would you be so kind as to get it off?!?"

"I got a hippopotamus for Christmas, 'cause only a hippopotamus would do..."

"It's much more fun when Papa pushes me!"

"Do it again, Papa!"

"I'm getting a little tired, Mommy...."

"....but I suppose I'll pose for one more picture."

Thank you so much for sharing my first Christmas with me. I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Love,
Alexa

PAM'S FAMILY

2008-01-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm a little behind on updating our blog. I don't even have any pictures from Christmas on here! Well, I decided to share some pictures of my family. These were taken at our family Christmas Eve party: (Oh yeah, I had to start with a picture of me and my three little angels!)

This is my cousin Sherry and her twin girls, Grace (L) and Hallie (R). The party was at their house.

These are the "manly men" of the party: (L-R) Frank (my cousin Trisha's husband), Trent (Frank and Trisha's youngest), John (the best-looking of the bunch - can you tell who's doing this post?!?), Eric (my brother-in-law) and Michael (Sherry's husband).

I just thought this picture of Michael and Trent was so cute!!!

This is my cousin Trisha, Frank and their three boys (oldest to youngest): Travis, Trevor and Trenton.

These are my two beautiful sisters posing with me. Marie (in the middle) is the oldest and Angie is the youngest. Yup, I'm the middle child! And just so you know, Marie has a big problem keeping her eyes open for pictures. We took eight pictures and her eyes were closed in every single one of them - I'm not kidding!!!

These are my "rival" nephews: The Washington Redskin (my favorite team) is Andrew and the Dallas Cowboy (my favorite team to NOT LIKE) is Justin. Despite my team preferences, I love both of my nephews equally.

These are the fair maidens of the family: (L-R) Carly (my second cousin), Kayla (my second cousin), Cera (my oldest niece) and Caitie (my second oldest niece).

This is Marie (she almost had both eyes open!) and her four children (oldest to youngest): Andrew (21), Justin (19), Cera (17) and Caitie (13).

And this is Trisha. We've been "favorite cousins" for as long as we can remember. I took this picture of us, and John just had to get in on it as he was walking behind us.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the pictures of my family. Hopefully I'll be posting again real soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2008-01-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm a little late in the new year, but I'm wishing you all a happy one anyway.

Alexa is 11 months old today. I'm still baffled to even think about it because it just doesn't seem like it's been that long since she was born. She has been "walking" around for a few months already (holding on to one or two of our fingers), but Saturday night (1/12) she started walking all by herself! And let me tell you, there's nothing stopping her now. She was so proud of herself for being brave enough to walk alone, that she has also already started climbing stairs! Talk about not being able to leave her alone! It's so funny to watch someone with such tiny feet walking. She tends to lean to the right sometimes, so she ends up walking sideways. And the faces she makes when she walks toward me are just too cute! Sometimes she walks to me with a huge grin on her face and her eyes closed! She is so precious. I thank God for blessing John and I with three wonderful children.

MERRY CHRISTMUST!!!

2007-12-28T16:51:00.000-05:00

If you think my title has a typo, think again! Many people will tell you to put Christ first in your life. He should not be first, but CHRIST MUST be the center of our lives. We hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we wish you a blessed new year - 2008!

The Cabrera Family

SLEEPY TIME

2007-12-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

Daddy must be comfortable!

Her beauty sleep isn't doing much for her hair style.

And Goldilocks fell asleep with the three bears.

It's so peaceful when they're all asleep!

HAVING SNOW MUCH FUN!

2007-12-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

December 5, 2007 - SNOW DAY!

This was just the beginning - by 9:30pm, there was
about 3 inches or so.

Grandma decided to do some shoveling and
Michael and Briana wanted to help.

I'm sure that's not the ONLY reason they
wanted to help!

Grandma started a snowball fight so Michael
is getting ready to retaliate.

Briana's still busy working...

Grandma and Michael are still busy throwing
snowballs...

Grandma resorts to using the shovel to throw snow,
and Briana joins in the fun.

As Briana prepares to throw her first snowball, I
notice something - she's aiming at me!!!

A little cold...

...but not too cold to keep from making
another snowball!

It may look like they're cleaning off the van, but
they're just grabbing snow to make more snowballs!

A day in the snow just wouldn't be complete without...

...making snow angels!!!

WE LOVE YOU, MOMMOM!

2007-11-29T20:19:00.000-05:00

This is the group that gathered together in New Jersey
to say "bye" to John's mom - known to all her granchildren
as MomMom. She moved down to the Tampa area where
she has a new house, a new car and a new job! She's also
enjoying the warmer weather and reading books on the
beach. Sounds good to me! Anyone want to take a trip to
Florida soon?!?

These are the cousins - left to right from top:
Kara, Briana, Kristen, Kelly Ann, Michael, Alexa.
They LOVE spending time together!

Me, Mom and her grandchildren. Yes, Michael is her only
grandson (but only until March or April). Michael was also
born on MomMom's birthday.

John and his two lovely sisters, Tracie and Ali

One big happy family!

MomMom, favorite daughter-in-law, and
youngest granddaughter

Mom and her baby boy

THE THREE LITTLE CABS

2007-11-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

Alex "Michael" Cabrera - 6 years old

Briana Lynne Cabrera - 4 years old

Alexa Maxine Cabrera - 9 months old

ALEXA MAXINE

2007-11-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe how quickly
children grow. Alexa is now 9 and
a half months old. These are from
October and November:

Alexa is modeling a "coon skin" hat that Daddy

brought home from his trip to Texas.

He also brought a Southwest Airlines

pilot's cap that she wasn't too thrilled

about at first...

...but we got her to come around.

She is showing us how she waves
"hi".

You just can't get much cuter than this

We love this picture!

Doesn't she look SO BIG?

Our littlest Princess loves to stand and "walk".

Alexa is cute and Mommy is as tired as she looks

Splish, splash - I'm in the big tub!

Yes, this is the same picture as the first - oops.

Daddy makes me laugh!

SISTER, SISTER

2007-11-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

Here are some really cute pics of
the girls together in their matching
outfits from Grandma:

FUN WITH DADDY

2007-11-28T13:22:00.000-05:00

It's time to have a little fun with
Daddy! Are we excited? Yes!!!

Catch me, Daddy!

It's a little blurry, but he had a really
funny face. He was making us laugh
the whole time with his silly antics.

Not a bad spread eagle!

Good thing he trusts Daddy!

Okay, so Daddy had to have a little
fun by himself, too:

Here goes the brave Princess!

What a face!

And again, what a face!

Every boy needs to be held upside
down by his Daddy!

Just too cute for words:

Thank you for visiting!
Come back soon!

THANKSGIVING DAY

2007-11-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

A feast fit for a king... and his family!

Around the table from left to right:

Michael, my brother-in-law Eric, my sister

Angie, my Dad, my Mom, Briana, my niece Cera,

Alexa, John and not pictured - Me!

It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm
November day. The kids decided it was
perfect scooter weather.

Michael is trying out new "tricks".

It was a little on the windy side.

Zoom! Zoom!

She doesn't want to go too fast.

Alexa was also enjoying being outside.

My Mom and my little inmate.

She is happiest up on her feet!

Well, most of the time. Sometimes
she just needs a little break!

At the end of a long, hard day of riding,
Michael wants to give his scooter a
shine.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and
we hope everyone else did, too!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2007-11-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

The Cabrera Family would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for, and as children of God, we know Who to thank! Many people will say what they are thankful for at this time of year, but they don't know who they are thanking. Yes, it is an "attitude of gratitude", but there's so much more to it. God gives us everything from the very air we breathe to the piece of toast we had for breakfast. God gave us life. God gave us family. God gives us friends. God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, Who is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. God gave us a Way to Him through His Son. If there is anyone who should be thankful - not just during the Thanksgiving holiday, but always - it is the child of God. May we always be thankful for the great sacrifice that was made for us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" Ephesians 5:20

My Turn :>} God Is Good!!! All the Time!!!!

2007-11-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

Yes things have been and still are crazy around here. I mean what can I say, I live with Pam, although they are getting much better. ;)
God has been soo good to me!! Since we have been up here, He has been working in my life and heart to His Glory. Even to the point that through this training for my new job, God is teaching me not how to be a good employee, but also a better father, husband, and Christian.
My new job is WONDERFUL!!!! I have only been a clerk for the first week and a day, but its been one of the greatest week and a day of work I have had in a very long time. Thank the Lord for getting me out of Pepsi. I still need to take one final test on this coming Tuesday, 20th of Nov. at the Dept. of Homeland Security because it is in a State Building and a contracted govt. job. So pray that I will pass. Okay so its not the final test I will still have a week of firearms training, you know all the "hard" work, shooting guns.
I am not quite the traveling "Where's John" like some other business men I know, but I travelled down to San Antonio, TX almost two weeks ago to help a lady move.
Can I just say I am glad to be back at home. I told this lady I would move all her belongings for her, went to her house, checked inventory, double checked and started getting things ready.
Got the truck rented, transportation back, hired some help, things were looking up and up.
So now on the day of the move we go pick up the truck, no problem. We go to the house and start loading the truck things are going well. I start moving things here and there and back trying to fit everything just right. We get the truck fully loaded and the ruck is too small. A fully loaded truck and still having nearly two(2) rooms remaining. Tried loading her car with stuff, not enough room. I try calling back to the truck company, explain my situation, maybe they can help me out and give me a bigger truck. Well of course Mr Cabrera we can help you out, but its gonna cost ya. $600. later and six feet more than when we started we got a bigger truck. After returning the original truck, we had to unload from one to the other. Oh what fun it is to switch, from one truck to another. Still not quite enough, but I could not wait until the following day at some point for an even bigger one. So here we are, started working ninesh in the morning, almost nine at night, just getting on the road. The trip in a car straight through would take just over 24 hours. I am beginning in a rental truck, towing an older Subaru, just me and one other person. Thirty(30) hours later, only stopping once for an hour for sleep, then later only for fuel, we arrived at the hotel. I was driving for all but 4-5 hours, slept of that 3 hours, needless to say I was tired. But God kept us safe the entire trip. Oh, my help had just, a few months earlier, received his drivers license. So the biggest vehicle he had driven up to this point may have been a van, maybe. So I was a little worried with him behind the wheel. And as most of you may know I drove a tractor/trailer for a living, so I was quite comfortable in large vehicles. But a 30 hour trip, I needed to sleep at some point.
That same morning we arrived at the hotel, I got a call at 7am from the lady wondering when we were getting started. A few hours later, we are unloading some of her possessions at her rental home, then take the remainder to a storage unit. All was well unloading, the morning went by quickly, and we were done. We said goodbye, started on our way to return the truck. Only now we are just about on a major road when I hear, tires squealing. The car carrier some how had its brakes locked up. I get out fix that, and continue on. We arrive at the truck company at 4pm to find they are closed. Not a big deal, I can leave the keys in the overnight box. But I forgot to fuel the truck one more time, we leave to find a fueling station only to look back at the car carrier swerving all over the road. It became unhooked. Don't ask me how, all I know is that I have to find a way to pull a car carrier out from under a 22 foot rental truck. I rolled the one side of the truck up on the curve and we pulled the carrier up the hill and out from under the truck, not an easy task. Found a fueling station and tried again to return the truck, only to find one more situation. No way to get back to the hotel. Now I remind you it is only around 4pm. I ask someone where there may be a car rental nearby, "about a half mile or so, on the left." We walk over there, by this time it is 4:30pm, yeah you guessed it, they were closed at 4pm. Now what? I know, a Police Officer will help us get to our hotel, we can find something to eat close by, then be at the airport in the morning. The first officer I tried to flag down was in a Dodge Charger, and I did not know they could turn corners so fast. Because when I tried to flag him down, he hit the gas so hard and kept driving like he had seen a ghost or something. We sat there for nearly 2 hours, until our hotel was able to send someone to find us. By now I have had all of San Antonio I could handle, we found a bite to eat nearby then went to sleep. Woke up early the following morning for our flights. Our hotel shuttled us to the airport, going thru security checkpoint, not even thinking I just moved a lady and having knives, screwdrivers and other asst. tools. I had to be searched and my good knife taken at the airport.
I was glad to be in the air on my way home to see momma and the 3 little bears.

A LONG TIME AGO.......

2007-11-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

I posted on our blog page!!! For those of you who have faithfully (or not so faithfully) checked our blog, thank you for your patience. I'M SOOOO SORRY!!! I know it's just my procrastination, but I also have an excuse: we have lost the little piece (I don't know what it's called) that we used to upload the pictures from my camera. I know, I know, it's a flimsy excuse because it doesn't always have to have pictures, but it's an excuse! I do have lots of pictures of the kids that I need to post, so I'll probably just get them put on a CD and upload them that way. (We'll see how long THAT takes - hopefully not two months!!!)

Just to update you on our family: John has a new job - HOORAY!!! I am SO happy. When he was with Pepsi, we hardly ever saw him - especially Michael. John worked nights and so he would leave for work around 2:30pm to be there by 4pm. (It took over an hour to drive to Baltimore.) Michael wasn't home from school yet. John worked a 12 hour shift so he didn't get home until 5:30 or 6am and went right to sleep. Michael was up at 7am to get ready for school. John would usually sleep until about noon and then would eat, shower and leave for work again. It was awful for all of us, but Michael only saw him on the weekends. Now, John works for a security company. He's been wanting to get into law enforcement for a LONG time. He has been in training and will be working as a security guard in a state building. He's actually been working as a clerk at the front desk this week. The lady who is normally there is on vacation, and they asked him last Thursday (11/8) if he would cover for her while he was waiting for his uniforms to come in. So, he worked that Friday at the front desk. His uniforms also came on that day, but they asked if he would stay at the front desk another week. He's enjoying it, but I think he'll start his post on Monday. He's been working 6am-2pm. Hopefully he can keep that shift. We really like it! Praise the Lord for His goodness in providing this job!

Alexa is 9 months old now. I can't believe it! Why is it that the nine months of pregnancy seem to take forever (especially the last few months), and then the next thing you know, your baby is nine months old?!? Unbelievable! She is not walking on her own yet, but she has become brave enough to walk only holding one finger instead of two, and she cruises along the furniture. We have to be really careful because the coffee table and two end tables in the living room are glass.

Briana just got her hair cut. It was almost to her waist. I wanted to get the ends cut to make it look better. When I took her on Tuesday, I told the lady that I wanted 2 inches cut off the back, and her bangs trimmed so that they were just above the top of her eyebrows. Well, let's just say that's not exactly how it came out. Her hair is now just past her shoulders, and her bangs are about a half inch above where I wanted them. It still looks cute and the important thing is that she likes it. She's gone to everyone in the family and said, "Do you like my short hair?"

Michael just got his first report card last week. He got all A's. We are all very happy. He is a good student and does well in school. We are praying that it will continue throughout all his school years. Sometimes he really amazes me with the things he knows. He is so smart! Of course, it's not like I'm biased or anything!

As for me, I guess there's nothing much to tell about my world - the motherhood world. Nursing, diaper changing, chauffeuring, etc. Not much has changed, but I wouldn't change it for the world! I love being a mommy!

Thank you so much for visiting and reading my LONG post. I hope I will be getting some pictures on here soon so that I don't bore you to death with all my typing!

Latest News

2007-09-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! The Cabrera clan is doing well. Michael is enjoying his new school though it is much smaller than Temple. Kindergarten and first grade are combined. There are three kids in K5 and seven in 1st. He, of course, is one of the BIG 1st graders! Briana is my helper at home. Well, sometimes she helps. She's more interested in seeing what's on PBS! Either that or she's begging me to put on a video for her. Only 4 years old and already a t.v. addict! Alexa is growing like a weed. At 7 months, she just learned how to roll from back to belly the other night. She mastered belly to back a while ago. She has two teeth now. Yes, she has bitten me while nursing, but I must say that she does much better than Michael and Briana did - they bit me a lot! She's not crawling yet, but then her brother and sister never crawled. They went straight to cruising and both were walking at 10 months. Alexa prefers to be on her feet. She squeals with delight when you let her hold your fingers so she can walk around the room. It's so funny watching her because she's so tiny! She is such a joy. Hopefully I will get some recent pics of the kids on here soon, but I wanted to write just so you'd have something new to look at! Thanks for visiting the Five Crazy Cabreras' blog page! Come again soon!

Happy 4th Birthday "Princess" Briana

2007-09-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Day She has so patiently been waiting "4".

!!!!!!!HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!!!!!!

Here with another princess who traveled all the way from New Jersey
to celebrate this special day. Princess Kara.

A friend from Brianas Sunday School Class, Holland, also

looking like a princess for a princess party.What a great time we had by all who had attended. Here with her friend Alisa, and her Aunt Ali in the back. Smiling for a picture after opening a princess tea set from Alisa. Thank you Alisa.
How about some cheese with that Smile!!!!

Aunt Gigi and Alexa spending quality time at Chuck E Cheese.

Ok so maybe one is having more fun then the other:)

From the left to the right we have Alissa(My Favorite Sister), Pamela(My Beautiful Wife) and Tracie(My Not So Favorite Sister).

Tracie I Love You!!!!!!!!:)

And ofcourse boys will be boys. Michael and i spending time together putting fires out trying to save the mayor from the burning building. Sorry we have to tell you that the mayor did not make it. Everyone enjoying some pizza and watching some Chuck E TV.

Thank you Uncle Bumper for coming to my party!!!

Im not sure but I think Alisa won.

Would anyone like some cake?
How sweet a face!!!!!!
Now the best part of Chuck E Cheese.
Ticket Redemption.
Thanks for Coming Every One
And now the Best part of being a princess
is getting her Beauty Sleep.

Good Night "Sleeping Beauty"

SIX FLAGS AMERICA

2007-08-11T15:34:00.000-05:00

We went to Six Flags America (in Maryland) on Monday August 6th. We had a blast!!!
The bumper cars were surrounded by a cage and had a circus picture on the back wall. All of the cars were lions. It was so cute!

This is a ride that takes you straight up, and then drops you. Michael and Briana said that the ride "scared their bellies"! They thought it was a lot of fun.

Ah, the swings. Briana would ride that all day long if we let her! I'm so glad that she's finally tall enough to get on more of the rides. The very first ride we came to happened to be one she wasn't tall enough for, but Michael was. She cried when the lady told her she couldn't ride - not even with an adult accompanying her. I was thankful that most of the rides were for her size.

This was a "hot air" balloon ride. They were the only ones on it at that time. We said that they could get in different baskets, but Briana insisted on riding with Michael.

It was a very hot and humid day. There was a heat advisory and a chance of thunderstorms which probably explains why it wasn't too crowded. But despite being hot, sticky and sweaty.....

.....Even Alexa enjoyed herself at the park!!!

SIX FLAGS AMERICA

2007-08-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

Briana enjoyed the water slides that were just her size. She even got to wear her new swim goggles that Papa (Pam's dad) bought for her!

Michael the Brave tackled the bigger water slides. He got new goggles for his birthday since he just recently learned how swim under water.

Even Alexa tried out a slide!

Papa took all of us to Six Flags and he had a great time, too! Alexa's new thing is sticking out her tongue. It took almost all day to get a picture of her without her tongue sticking out!

We all had a lot of fun at the water park. John only stayed with us for a few hours because he had to go to work, but I'm so glad he came!

MICHAEL'S 6TH BIRTHDAY!!!

2007-08-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday August 1st, Michael celebrated his 6th birthday!!! I can't believe my little boy is 6 already. Michael shares his birthday with Mom Mom (John's mom) and also his great-great grandmother who would have been 100 years old the day he was born.

Michael had a party with some of his friends from the 4 and 5 year old Sunday School class at Hampshire View Baptist Church. They were doing a craft in this picture.

Michael had a chocolate chip cookie cake from Mrs. Fields Cookie Company. It was SO moist and soft and chewy and delicious..... I mean, the kids really loved it!

We had a really fun game of musical chairs. Everyone was a winner!

Instead of sending each child home with a balloon (which parents just LOVE), I decided to tie a tract to each one and had the kids let them go outside. One little boy, after he let his balloon go, started crying because he wanted it back. Good thing I kept a few - he and his twin sister each took one home.

Blog Rating

2007-08-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

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CUTE PICS OF ALEXA MAXINE

2007-07-16T00:25:00.000-05:00

There's just nothing like a toothless grin!

Happy in her car seat - for now!

Look, Mom, I can stand!

What a cutie!

Happy baby? YES! I'm a happy baby!!!

FATHER'S DAY 2007

2007-07-15T23:55:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics from Fathers' Day

Michael looks happy!

Briana took this picture.

Michael and Briana just couldn't bear to look at the photographer - my sister, Angie (HA HA!)

AWWWW, HOW CUTE!!!

The Growing Cabrera Family
(I think Alexa was getting tired of all the pictures!)

FOR THE BIRDS

2007-07-15T23:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, call me crazy but I thought this was really neat. Just outside the front door of my parents' house is a bush. About a month ago, this nest was discovered inside. I believe they're robin's eggs, though I'm not positive. I wanted to take pictures because I've never seen live baby birds and it was also fun for the kids to watch.

Here are two of the birds not long after they hatched.

All four are finally here! It seemed like their mouths were always open, and the mother bird was kept busy all day long bringing worms.

Here they are with feathers and all. It didn't take long for them to practice flapping their wings, and soon the nest was empty. It was a great experience while it lasted!

MICHAEL'S K5 GRADUATION

2007-07-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

This is Michael's kindergarten class at Temple Baptist Academy in Powell, Tennessee. They did a 2 hour program where they quoted lots of Scripture, sang songs and recited many other things. It was unbelievable! So often, we underestimate our children!

Michael and his teacher, Mrs. Deeringer - what an amazing lady!

Briana loved getting in on this picture of our graduate.

Daddy was not able to come because he was working in Maryland, but he and Mommy both are very proud of Michael. He was an excellent student and learned SO much!

Kids grow up so fast. I can't believe my baby has already graduated from kindergarten!

EASTER PICTURES - FINALLY!!!

2007-07-15T22:11:00.000-05:00

This was Alexa's very first Easter. My mom bought her this dress along with cute little pink slippers that matched.

Here's Michael and Briana all decked out in their fancy new duds. Briana and Alexa had matching sweaters. Briana said that they were both pretty princesses and that Michael was the handsome king.
Michael is so proud to be the big brother of two sisters. He and Briana both want to hold Alexa all the time!
Briana is a loving, doting sister who sometimes squeezes just a little too hard!
We are so thankful for our three blessings. We hope you had a very Happy Easter!

LONG TIME, NO...NOTHING!!!

2007-07-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I've been awful at this! For a while after we moved to Maryland, we only had AOL dial-up. ( I DO NOT recommend it - it's SO frustrating!!!) But now we have high-speed internet, and it will be quicker and easier to get our pictures on here (when we take the time to actually do it!). I hope you keep checking. I will get pictures on here...eventually!!! :)

CHARLIE CHAPLIN ... A TWIN?!?

2007-04-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

Bet ya didn't know that Charlie has a twin!

Yup! That's Charlie and Charlene!!!

THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO

2007-04-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

I know we've been REALLY SLOW about adding to our blog page, but we'll try to do better!

The week of March 25, we traveled north to Maryland and New Jersey to visit family. We went to the Philadelphia Zoo with John's mom, sister and our 3 nieces. It was my first time in Philadelphia. We had a great time!

Michael didn't care too much for the rhino's smell!

Kristen, Kelly Ann and Michael posed for the picture. Briana refused to turn around and Kara was too busy biting her fingernails to worry about smiling for the camera.

Here's MomMom and Michael with a buffalo

or something in the background.

This peacock was really struttin' his stuff for the camera!

That's just beautiful!

That's just hilarious!

We hope you enjoyed the trip to the zoo. Thanks for visiting. Come back soon! Easter pictures are on the way!

MomMom, Pam (holding Alexa), John, Michael,

Kelly Ann, Briana, Kristen, Kara & Tracie

Such a Cutie!!!

2007-04-07T02:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been such a ling time....but things have a way of becoming so crazy so quickly. Here are a few more recent pics of the kids and of when Pams family was able to get into town.

Oh Yes!~She is a PRINCESS!!

But I am not sure where she gets it from.

Pams parents and younger sister came to visit.
Family picture at the church the night of Alexas Dedication.

Daddy's TWO Little PRINCESSES

Michael and Briana get most of there physical characteristics from there mothers side of the family. That and Michael was born in the south, you know how the mountains have such an affect on people.Who knew, he just happened to have a little more influence on his sister than i ever imagined.

Thanks again and come back later for more great fun.

Things seem to be moving

2007-03-05T19:32:00.000-05:00

Pam and Alexa are getting some much needed time together. Just last night Pam thought it be a good thing to stay up with Alexa from 2am to 4am. Personally, I dont see the need of spending precious time awake at a time that could be used for sleeping. But then again, I dont hear Alexa calling my name that late at night.

Michael is getting close to having his first year of school over. I can not believe all of the things that he has been taught. He is just about everyday coming home telling of what he has learned.

Mrs. Deeringer you are amazing.

Thank you

"Princess" Briana, What more do we have to say.

She is my rotten spoiled one. She knows she has me wrapped all over her fingers. With nothing that i can do to regain my control.

Oh Well!!!!

As many of you may know, I have been in the process of applying for a Fed. Gov. job. Well the first two interviews, testing and physical have gone well. Please continue to Pray for me this coming Tuesday 13, March. Another step in the hiring process, which could take up to 6 hours, is scheduled to begin at 9:00am.

You Be The Judge!!!

2007-02-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

Some "Folk" say Alexa Looks like Briana did, others say she looks like michael. I think she has a little bit of her mommy. But Pam is convinced she looks like her daddy. I for some reason just can't see the resemblance. So I want you to decide.

Now before you scroll down to see all the images to compare, take a long look at Alexas photo and let it settle in your mind. Then take your time one at a time and compare noses, eyes, every detail you can put together. YOU BE THE JUDGE!!!

Here you have Alexa, relaxed, peaceful, beutiful baby girl only a few days old. Notice all the little details that make make up her image.

Now lets move on to your first option, Michael.

From this advantage point the only resemblance i can see would be the Eagles Shirt.

Only a few days old and Alexa has pronounced her favorite NFL football team to be the same as her Big Brother, Big Sister and her daddy.

So young, yet much wisdom in choosing her team.

Now on to Lucky contestant #2, Big Sister Briana.

What i can gather from her Big Sister is her Smile. Briana loves to smile for the camera, makes others laugh and be the center of attention. Thats just how Alexa is. Everyone that sees her, she automatically puts a smile on their face and if she is not the main focus, she starts to sound her siren(i mean cry) just to remind everyone she is still in the room.

Next we have spiderman.

Okay so she doesn't resemble him/her at all. I just think it is a cute picture.

But can you decide which member of the famliyhood spiderman really is?

Now we have mommy. Surely by now you have come to some conclusion of who you think Alexa looks like. Every child has some characteristics of both parents. So lets see.

The comparisson we see with mommy and Daughter is the long dark hair.

Next we have daddy.

And the Winner is Daddy!!!!!

As you could see Daddy is thrilled, but some others are not quite as thrilled. Oh well.

And back to the spiderman. That particular spider is Briana.

Hope you have enjoyed. Please come back again.

Thank you, FiveCrazyCabreras

Our Newest addition

2007-02-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

OKAY!!!!! So here it is. This whole Blogging thing is new and not as easy as Stephen Troell, troellfamily.com makes it out to be. Thanks Steve!!!!

For those who do not know we have just expanded our family.

Alexa Maxine was born on Valentines Day. She weighed in at 7lbs 100zs. Standing(well laying)at a full 21 inches. She and mother are doing fine, both are healthy, beautiful and came home on thursday 15 Feb 2007.

Big brother Michael and Big sisiter Briana just want to love her all the time.

As a family we all love to have Alexa home now.

But the happiest of all is mommy. To finally have the kicks in the ribs, frequent late night emergencies to the rest room and uncomfortable nights without sleep to be over. Now she can start her sleepless nights feeding, changing diapers, getting up early and the joy of raising our second daughter.