Happy Birthday to two very special people!!!

This weekend is a time of celebration for me. Two very dear people to me are celebrating the blessing of one more year. Even though these two people are very far from me physically since they both live in San Jose, Costa Rica (my country) they are in my heart and in my thoughts. Every time I think of them...I smile!!! I thank God for them because they are a very special part of me and they have taught me valuable things in life!

First...I want to introduce you to my younger brother Dani. Many new people in my life don't know of him or about him since he left back to Costa Rica 8 yrs ago and hasn't been back. This was my partner in crime growing up. His birthday is this saturday April 18 and he will be 28 yrs old. We are about a year apart. Him and I had a very adventurous and fun childhood and we protected each other like a momma lion protects her cubs! Honestly, we never fought. We always shared our friends. Some of my vivid and special memories of us were being in preschool and him liking my teacher better, playing our Nintendo (we would do this for hrs...Mario Brothers), swimming in our pool, playing the games Pay Day, Operation and Mouse Trap, going to the daycare's summer activities such as roller skating or to the park, walking along with our friends to the seven eleven with the two dollars my grandma had given us ready to buy the entire candy isle...and we would lol, riding our scooters to school, walking in the rain or should I say jumping in the puddles on our way home from school, being in the same sunday school class, staying up all night to see how long we coould last..we made it til 7am, climbing trees, putting together a band along with our cousins out of paint cans and sticks, playing with marbles, cutting a candy bar in half so we could share it, riding our bikes around the neighborhood, riding together to school (when I got my license), dancing the waltz together at my sweet 15th, meeting his fiance in person this past January. YES! My brother Dani is getting married Lord-willing in Feb, 14, 2009. They started dating on that date 2 1/2 yrs ago! We all plan on helping and going to the wedding! I can't believe how fast time flies...yesterday my brother was learning how to ride his tiny bike and here he is about to become a wonderful husband! Now things haven't been easy for him or for us in that matter. He did get caught up with the wrong crowd, made bad decisions, picked up bad habits, and still is engaging in things he shouldn't do BUT God has BIG plans for him...I know it in my heart. While alot of the family has given up hopes that he will be set free from the stuff he does...I refuse to give up on my brother. He is an amazing person, he has a huge heart and he will make an amazing uncle one day..he told us he can't wait for us to have kids that he'll be thhe best uncle ever!!!
His name means: Jose = God shall add, increase... Daniel = The Lord is my Judge
God will lift him up and transform him in a way that everyone will be amazed. My brother will be used for God's glory...he will have a very powerful, lifr-changing testimony and he will be tremendously blessed. God will give him a third chance since at birth he was born dead/blue but God brought him back!!!! God has taught me so much through my brother about life, miracles and God's timing!

I LOVE YOU brother.....You are a blessing in my life!!!!

Happy 28th Birthday!!!


(me, my brother and our mom taken this past Jan.)

Second......I want to wish a very special lady in my life a very Happy Birthday who's special day is this sunday April 19. My abuelita "grandma" has always been like a mother to me. She is my second mom! She watched my brother, sister and I when we were little, we even lived with her along with my grandpap and my parents for a while. She is one of the kindest and most caring people I've ever met in my life! This lady has really taught me about life! She's always told me to respect my parents, to love my brothers and sisters, to give, give, give, to never neglect a plate of food to those around me, she's fed the entire town where we're from, to persevere when hard times come your way, to hold your head up high, to truly enjoy every minute the Lord blesses you with, to laugh, to be easy going, to never give up on yourself, to strive to finish school, to never judge those around you..this is huge for her. Her name means....Cecilia = blind. Now those of us who know her know that she's not physically blind but her heart is...she is not judgemental..she has loved everyone who's come into her life. I believe in not judging a book by it's cover and that you will amazed with what you find if you really take the time to get to know a person, I also believe that a bad habit isn't the problem it's the result of the root of the problem and I got this from my grandma! Let me tell you.....she makes the best homemade bread/rolls (sweet or salty) and the best tamales!!!! YUMMMM! Her platano maduro al horno (a costa rican dish that I love) it's phenomanal!!!! She loves cooking and serving others. She has the heart of a servant!!! You see her cooking for others with a huge smile on her face and so much joy. It's unbelievable! She is also an amazingly strong woman. She has always loved the Lord and prays for her kids and grandkids all the time..I know that God hears every single prayer! She's always told me to have FAITH!!! She lights up an entire room when she walks in, has an amazing sense of humor and loves everybody! Sounds to me like a Proverbs 31 woman!!!!





She's endured so much in life...a miscarriage, infidelity/ raising my grandfather's daughter, hatred from some of her own children, hostility, deception, humiliation, lack of respect..I mean the list can go on and on but she has always persevered!!! It's simply amazing how strong this little lady is. She's dealt with so much yet that smile never seems to go away!!! She is more of a blessing in my life than she'll ever know. When I feel weak, discouraged I seldom think of her and hear her tell me, "You have to have faith, you can do it"



Here she is the day my grandfather was burried. Even though I know she was dying of anguish inside, she remained intact on the outside and managed to smile and even laugh. I can't imagine loosing my husband/best friend and having that type of strength...but she reminds me that I can do anything through the Lord!



Here she sis pcitured with the love of her life...my grandfather Antonio who just passed. One of the cutest couples ever!!! They were married for 65 years!!!! She was 13 and he was 19 when they met. He was her first and only boyfriend. Together they had 10 kids but the very first baby died right before she was going to give birth to him because they gave her too much medication for pain. They raised 9 children and my grandfather's daughter, 24 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She will never be the same without her sweeatheart whom she misses so much but God will get her through the sorrow and continue to give her that beautiful smile!!!

I LOVE YOU Abuelita...Have a wonderful Birthday!!!! You are also a huge blessing in my life!