The good die young.

I don't know who came up with that saying, but it sucks that it has proven true too many times in my life. At 4;30pm Guam time, the body of Steven Alcantra was recovered in Umatac Bay, he was 31 years old.

Sigh, I am so sad thinking about my friend Steve, and disappointed in myself for losing touch after I left Guam in 2000. Steve was a kind spirit and the type of person that always had a smile on their face. I attended Jr high and High school with him and for those 7 years, whenever he's see me in the halls, he would always stop and give me a hug. I remember the chili bowl haircut he had in 9th grade that ended up growing into a bob. On rival day he wore the uniform of a rival all girl catholic school. I teased at how "pretty" he looked in the uniform and he just smiled and flashed me some leg.

Steve was a Baseball star on Guam and my cousins and friends loved cheering him on at Paseo Stadium. In fact the last time I saw Steve we were celebrating a championship victory on the beach. I was very pregnant at the time and when we left the party he gave me a hug and wished me luck. I'll never forget you Steve. Rest in peace my brother, may the Angels guide you to your eternal home in heaven. Give my dad a hug for me.

Lord, thank you for bringing Steve home so that his family may lay him to rest and find some peace in this terrible tragedy.

Rude Awakening

This morning I checked my Facebook like I always do, and saw several posts from friends back home on Guam regarding a old friend Steve Alcantra. Most of the posts said, "Praying for Steve's safe return" or "Our prayers are with Steve and his family, God bring him home safely". I felt a huge pit form in my stomach, what could have happened to Steve? I immediately checked Guam's local news website and my heart sunk into my stomach as I read the breaking news.

Popular sports star Steve Alcantra missing at sea

Posted: Feb 26, 2011 4:58 AM CST

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Family and friends have confirmed the man that rescue officials are searching for after he fell from a jetski in Umatac Bay is Steve Alcantra. Several people are waiting on the shoreline at the southern tip of the island, praying he'll be found. Guam Fire Department Spokesperson Captain Andy Arceo says because of poor visibility rescue divers will continue their search Sunday morning, however, GFD personnel are still conducting a sea and shoreline search.

Alcantra, who works at the Bank of Guam, is a popular baseball player, pitching for the Bank of Guam Athletics. Alcantra also plays for the Pepsi Warriors in the Miller Football League as a wide receiver.

I hope and pray that they find Steve and that he is ok. Growing up on an island, I know how dangerous this type of situation can be. 7 years ago one of my best friends and 4 of his coworkers tried to rescue another coworker swept out to sea during a tropical storm. The rescue teams searched for weeks with no luck. A few months later some of his remains were found. It was an incredibly hard event to get over. Mike was a brother to me and I love and miss him very much. Tonight I will hug my kids a little tighter and tell those I love just how much they mean to me. In an instant, everything can change.

Dear Lord, Please guide my friend Steve home safely. Amen

Pass the tissues please...

REALLY!?!?

I am seriously going on week 4 and my second round of antibiotics with a sinus infection and sore throat. I'm so tired of being sick it's exhausting. Thankfully I have a Dr that actually listens to me and she has decided that after having 6 sinus infections in the last 12 months and 4 bouts of strep throat, that it would be a good idea to have my tonsils and adenoids removed. Of course she will have to refer me to an ENT and then whatever they decide is what will probably happen. I told her I couldn't even fathom the thought of having surgery until this summer. If having my tonsils and adenoids taken out alleviates my problems, than I'm all for it.

Sadly I really don't have much else to report. Well maybe a few things..

Mike went to OKC last week for a business trip, we missed him, he's home.

The kids continue to drive me batty, calgon take me away.

My mom is doing 100% better. She's been such a help to me lately with the house work and kids. I am so grateful especially since I have been feeling like poo for the last month.

My father in law is doing ok. We are continuing prayers for his healing and for his giant tumor to shrink so the dr can remove it. We are planning a huge fundraiser for him on the 26th. Also praying that the fundraiser is a success, the funds will help so much with all of the traveling expenses.

So yeah, we're blessed and still boring :P

Why am I up on my day off??

Really??!! I should be in bed enjoying my holiday, but waking up to kiss my husband goodbye was well worth the early bird status!

This weekend was fantastic! Friday night some friends from church had a kids only fellowship at their house. We dropped the kids off at 7pm and headed to Red Lobster with mom in tow to have a nice dinner. We haven't had Red Lobster in ages so it was a treat. It was also good to get mom out of the house. She hadn't been anywhere since last year ;)

Saturday I woke up early and headed to Target to get a birthday present and a movie Mike has been wanting. It was nice to get out by myself even if it was only for an hour. Around 2 we headed to Midland to attend a 2 yr old birthday party. THe kids played, ate cake and watched Elizabeth open tons of presents. HEr parents are good friends of ours so it was nice visiting with them after not seeing them for 4 months. Afterwards we headed to Ghengis Grill for an early dinner. We absolutely LOVE Ghengis Grill. It is the best Mongolian BBQ I have had in years! Nothing beats Top o' the Mar on Guam, but this comes in Second. No contest.

Sundays are always amazing! We went to church at 10 because Mike and I love Sunday school. The kids do too and we feel it's important that they attend their Sunday school because they don't always understand the sermon during Sunday service. After church we had fellowship with our Pastor and his wife, chuck and Nicole and their 3 daughters, and our friends Ninfa and Ray at Tequila Tony's. The food was great, but the company was even better! Afterwords I took the girls to a birthday party at the bowling alley where they bowled, ate cake, played games and just had fun! Then it was back to church for evening service. After praise and worship Pastor showed us a video showing all of the awesome works God is doing all over the world. It is such a blessing to be a part of The Potter's House, knowing that souls are being saved all over the world. Since Michael and I have been saved, it has been the most wonderful experience living for Jesus. He has blessed my family abundantly and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

The busy weekend was great for the kids. Right now their grandpa is hospitalized in Dallas and is VERY missed by his grandkids. He has been diagnosed with a very rare cancer of the bone called Angiosarcoma. It's a nasty disease, but we have faith that with prayers and the help of the Doctors that he will be healed and have more time on this Earth with us. He's a wonderful man and an outstanding father and grandpa. Please say a prayer for his healing, it would mean a lot to my family.

I hope that all of you enjoy you MLK holiday. I am going to grab a cup of coffee and watch a movie while my kids are still asleep :)

Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

I don't know about anyone else, but I am happy to say goodbye and good riddance to 2010! We have had too many ups and downs this year and I'm praying, hoping, and wishing that 2011 will be a better year for my family.

2010 began with my mom being diagnosed with a second occurrence of Hodgkins Lymphoma. not exactly how you want to begin a new year. We took things as they came and at times found it hard to keep our heads above water. On top of her cancer diagnosis she was also diagnosed with COPD ( Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) and Congenitive heart failure. All of which are no fun! Thank God she is now 4 months into remission, she has had an internal defibrillator installed to keep her from dropping dead on us, and her COPD is controlled with the use of oxygen. Mom is still not out of the woods, but she's slowly getting there. If we could just get her bone marrow to recover from the damaging effects of chemo, she'd be right as rain.

Just as mom is in the clear from cancer my father in law is diagnosed with a grapefruit sized mass growing on his hip. It's compressing his sciatic nerve as well as all of the other nerves in his hip joint causing excruciating pain in his back and leg. He and my mother in law left the day after Christmas to see a orthopedic surgeon to see about having the mass removed for biopsy so the oncologist here could plan his next move. Instead he decided to do an open core biopsy and remove a good chunk to be taken to the lab for pathology. The orthopedic surgeon said it doesn't look like a tumor at all but a large blood clot. This is very good news for my father in law. We are still waiting on lab results, but if it is a blood clot, it can be shrunk and reabsorbed by his own body with a few injections given by a radiologist here in Odessa. We are praying for more good news as it is very hard to see dad suffer.

2010 did yield us some highs, even if they were overshadowed by lows. Maia started cheerleading and fell in love with something that she wants to continue doing for a long time. She has dreams and aspirations that she can achieve as long as she keeps her eyes on the prize. I m so very proud of my Mini Peppette and look forward to the 2011 football season.

Micaylah is growing into quite the young lady, and although teenage years are right around the corner she is a wonderful young woman right now and I'm hoping she stays that way ;) She has started tking guitar lessons, and has become more outgoing at school and at church. She even joined the New Years Eve talent show at church. I'll try to post videos but Bloggers video uploading system sucks!

October 10, 2010 Michael, Micaylah and I were all baptized and our lives were forever changed. We gave testimony for the first time and shared our Baptism with our close friends and church family. It was a powerful evening for us and we continue to live for God and praise him for his Mercy, Grace and Blessings he has given to my and my family. He truly is an awesome God, and him pulling us out of the fires of 2010 has proven that to me tenfold.

Michael and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and continue to love eachother more and more every day. I am so thankful to have this wonderful man in my life that I can call my own. He is so faithful and honest, a wonderful father and my best friend. I look forward to 40 more years with him!

I wish all of my 6 readers a very happy New Year! May 2011 be a year full of blessings, joy, laughter and love.

Adios 2010, don't let the door hit you on your way out!

Our team is WHAT? DYNAMITE!!!

This year I put Maia in the boys and girls club tackle football league as a Mini Peppette Cheerleader. I was hesitant at first but my friends insisted it would be great fun for my kiddo and the whole family and it definitely was. Maia had so much fun and was so focused on learning her cheers and dance routines, I was impressed! She cheered her little heart out for the 4th grade Gonzales Steelers and I couldn't be more proud. This is the first activity that I have put her in that she gave 100% and really loved.

In October all of the Mini Peps and cheerleaders were invited to Dance with the Odessa High School Showgirls at one of the OHS football games at Ratliffe Stadium. WE were all excited becasue we had never been to a Texas high school football game. It was so much fun. The girls danced their little hearts out and OHS beat Midland Lee High 38 to 21!
Me and my little Showgirl during the game.
These crazy kids in white overalls and red knee high socks ran these flags up and down the track after every touchdown. So cool!
Don't mind my kitchen, just look at my little star :)
Our boys made it to the Championship game at Ratliffe, and although they didn't win we are all so proud of our Steelers! Here's me and another cheer mom Jo cheering our kids on!
My girl cheering on the stands at Ratliffe.
And here she is cheering on the field. Go Steelers!

Our boys getting ready to enter the field through the run through sign.
Maia at her very first football game. I love this kid!

I haven't uploaded pics from the awards ceremony or the girls end of the season party, but they did win a trophy for Best Sportsmanship Overall. They beat out 20 other squads for that title!

Long overdue.

It's alive...

I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged! Life grabs you by the horns sometimes and all you can do is go with the flow. Between family, work, and our crazy schedule, you'd be surprised at what a hectic summer/fall season we've had.

The girls are both doing good in school. Maia continues to get effortless straight A's and wow her teacher. She's at a high 4th grade reading level and brings home 2 to 3 library books a day. Micaylah is really loving the 5th grade. She has 3 different teachers in an attempt to ready the kids for Jr. High (Already???) and I think having different teachers breaks up the monotony of her day helping her to focus better. HEr grades have been awesome and we really are so proud of her.

Michael is Michael. He's so simple and easy to please. Give that man some Call of Duty and keep the soda coming, and he's A-OK. I love him so much. I may be a video game widow, but I'm thankful he's home with us.

Mom as you know has had such a crappy year! Poor thing. First she's diagnosed with cancer, then COPD (chronic obstructed pulmonary disorder) and congenitive heart failure. None of which are good but her endless trips to the Dr are making the light at the end of the tunnel a little more visible. Praise God that her cancer is in complete remission! She finished treatment in the beginning of October after 4 long weeks of radiation. She had to go every day and it was hard! The radiation has left her with some long term effects, but being alive outweighs them. The cancer center even presented her with a diploma that said "This is to certify that Tammie Guerrero has finished cancer treatment with perfect determination and bravery." It was sweet, i love the West Texas Cancer Center.

After the cancer was kicked in the behind, mom started seeing a new cardiologist. He confirmed her congenitive heart failure and told her she would need an internal defibrillator. He also told her that 9 out of 10 patients with this disease can drop dead without warning due to irregular heart beat. So of course she agreed to have the surgery. She was scheduled for the 8th of November, but ended up in the hospital on the 2nd with pneumonia and severe anemia. After 6 days, tons of antibiotics and 3 units of blood she was well enough to come home, but not to have surgery. It was postponed until the 22nd which was yesterday and I'm happy to report that the surgery went very well! She's still in the hospital, but I'll be bringing her home today. Her Dr said the surgery went beautifully, and that the device tested PERFECT. I was so relieved because to test the device, they had to STOP HER HEART (OMG) and see if the defibrillator would shock it back in gear..... thank God it did.

Work as usual is super hectic and busy. I'm finding myself hating my job more and more every day. I have this coworker that seems determined to set me up to fail. She is constantly on my case for every little thing I do. I even have to ask her permission to use the freaking bathroom! My theory is that she wants me to quit, so that she can hire a lazy spanish speaking 20 yr old who thinks she knows everything. Sorry hun, I'm not going anywhere and I am not going to fail! Get over it.

My after work schedule has been nuts! I often ask myself "What were you thinking Melissa?"! I'll break it down for you:

Monday : Micaylah's youth music team/guitar lessons.
Tuesday: Maia's Cheer Practice.
Wednesday: Church
Thursday: Maia's Cheer Practice followed by Christmas Play Practice for both girls.
Friday: Fixed date night for Mike and I... No Exceptions we need time together!
Saturday: Grocery shopping, cleaning, family time
Sunday: Church twice.

Typing it out, it doesn't seem so hectic. But add cooking dinner, running moms errands, a load of laundry here and there, and cleaning house in the mix and it's no wonder I'm exhausted!

Thankfully Football season has ended. Our 4th grade Steelers made it all the way to championships at Ratliffe Stadium and my girl got to cheer on hallowed ground... where football is concerned anyways. But I'll do a separate post just for cheer leading :)

I have so much to be thankful for right now. My family is amazing, my mom is on the right path to full recovery and we are continuously blessed. I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, God Bless you and yours!