Love my little Tiger

Rarh! I'm a tiger!

Another day in the life of a boy: Picking my nose and smelling my stinky feet.

Shhhh! Don't tell mom, but I put a frog in her purse. HEHEHE!!!

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord! Deut. 6:4

Visiting with my cousin Mya. I love her so much!

We are going to be the best of friends.

What are those things wiggling? Do you think I can put them in my mouth?

I love my Auntie Carisa.

Happy Haunkkah!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

A little bit about me...

I'm not sure if I've ever shared my testimony or not, but I felt like I should.

I am a devoted wife who loves God, my husband, my son, cooking, baking, sewing, singing, and young people.

I was born and raised in Stockton, California. I have a wonderful little Chihuahua mixed dog names Sadie.


MY TESTIMONY:
My family was in and out of church until I was 9. When my parents finally split up, we all stopped attending. During that time (being in and out of church) the Sunday School bus continued to pick my brother and I up. Of course I went...they gave out goodies to you if you came. But somewhere during that time, when I was a child, I found a love and tenderness towards God. I can say that I am a product of Sunday School.

From the ages of 10-15, I felt God pulling at me, but I was not ready to make a commitment yet. Well actually I didn't really have the means to go to church anyways. I remember praying in my room until I would feel stammering lips, and then stopping. I would say things to myself like "Okay God, you still haven't come back yet. I still have time."

When I was thirteen, my parents divorced. My brother and I moved to Manteca with my mom. At that time, I visited a First Assembly of God church (which I knew did not preach the truth) with a friend of mine (God was calling, and setting His direction for me. I had wanted to start going to church again.) I remember that they spoke in tongues, but believed in the Trininty. LOL.

The Youth Leader wanted to "convert" me, but I would not have it!!! I told him there was only one God, and that His name was Jesus. I believed this message, even though I could not prove it to him.

When I was 15, I visited with my dad (who had moved to the Bay area) for the summer. Would you know that there was an Apostolic Church within walking distance from him. He and his girlfriend were visiting and had brought me along for one of their church picnics. (Now remember, my parents are backsliders. My dad had continued to visit Pentecostal churches, but never making a comittment.)

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT PICNIC! I remember that one of the ladies brought along her bears that she was stuffing and sewing. The young people were playing softball, and everyone was having a good time.

But mostly, I remember I felt the love of God from His people. At that very momemt, I had determined in my mind that I wanted to be like them.

And so I moved in with my dad and started attending Lighthouse Worship Center (formerly Gospel Lighthouse), and I've never looked back!

I was baptized when I was twelve at Christian Life Center in Stockton when visiting with my dad. I'm not exactly sure when I got the Holy Ghost. I thought I got it when I was twelve, but must have received it while attending LWC because I don't remember speaking in tongues when I was twelve.

It's funny how God continues to call you even as a young child.

It's such a privilege to serve God!

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I just bought one for myself.

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Search for FSFRSH0051-000 -it's the Freshsaver that is $19.99

Add to cart then checkout: at checkout screen, click Have a promotion code?

Use code J0FV85FS - price will drop to $3.60 with FREE shipping
you will need a cc to pay the $3.60

Until next post,

A Cheerful Giver

I recently came across a website about couponing, and she had an article up called "Paying it forward". Upon reading one of the comments:

I was at the mall this week and had already eaten lunch. I had printed a coupon for the free slice of pizza and didn’t need it. I walked up to a father in line with his daughter and asked if they would like it. The surprised shocked and happy look on their faces was priceless. It reminded me of when my husband and I were really tight around Christmas one year. I was in line at Chick-Fil-a and was scrapping our change together to buy our son a sandwich. A lady must have noticed us, and walked up to me and handed me a $5 bill and said “you dropped this” when I replied that it wasn’t mine and I hadn’t dropped it, she looked at me, smiled, and said Merry Christmas. I will never forget. I love to pay things forward because they really do come back to you.

...I got to thinking about giving. I remember when I used to cross the San Mateo Bridge on a weekly basis. One thing I LOVED DOING was paying for the person behind me. It was so funny to look in my rear view mirror while driving away, and seeing their astonished looking faces as they tried to pay, but I had already done so. It always made me feel good. I guess thats why God loves a cheerful giver. It's better to give than receive.

So as this year winds down, remember to be a cheerful giver. Do something nice for someone. Leave a rose on your wifes car in the morning. When the person behind you only has a few things to purchase, let them go first. Mail a card to your best friend. Sure you can text, but it's so much more personal to receive mail with handwriting. Just taking the time to give, and to give cheerfully will warm your heart more than you ever realized.

Until next post,

Christmas?..........In November?!!!!

Just a short rant...

I can't stand when people skip Thanksgiving!! Stores are notorious for doing that. It's like Thanksgiving is the "red headed step child"...neglected and forgotten. Here's what I mean:

Some houses decorate for the season right?. For instance, a lot of houses decorate for Halloween. But what I can't stand is when Halloween is over, they immediately put out the Christmas decorations.

I'm not asking you to put a stuffed turkey in your yard (no pun intended)...but come'on people! At least wait till Thanksgiving is over before you stick Santa out in your yard or hang the lights.

Okay, that feels better now that I got that off my chest. Thanks for hearing me out.

Until next post,

Josiah - 8 weeks

Dr. Appt

9lb 13oz
22 3/4in long

Got one shot (DTaP) and the Rotavirus drops

Where has the year gone?

Is it me or does it seem like this year is flying by? I can't believe we are already in November. This is my favorite time of year. The warm colors; holiday dinners; scarves; and just the ambiance this time of year brings to the season.

5 years and still in love...

This picture was taken July 4, 2004


Does it ever get old? Or can you still be in love with someone after being married for 5 years? Because I don't want to ever stop loving you.

The clock was ticking down. She told him "two weeks"....two weeks to propose that is. As each day passed, she would remind him of his time limit he had left. But she knew in her heart that even if the time limit had expired, she still loved him and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She would wait until he was ready, no matter how long it took.
He was the "one" for her.
Yes.
...She would wait.

My short story is a true story. It started out as joke with Joel. After a year of dating, I had decided to help Joel move things along. He was slow when it came to girls. I mean it took him 2 years just to ask for my number. I was not going to be an old maid any longer than I had to! It's funny now that I think about it. It's even funnier because I did not like Joel at all (until about a month into talking to with him did I really entertain the idea of liking him.) I thought he was "butt ugly" as someone reminded me not too long ago. But marrying Joel was the best thing I ever did. I had a lot of emotional hang ups, and his patience and love for me (though I was emotionally damaged) helped me to be a better person. He helped break down walls I was so afraid of letting crumble.

And so today Joel, I want to tell the world how much I really do love you. Marriage is not always easy, but who ever said it would be. We are two different people. We're bound to disagree on a few things. But through it all, you're still my knight in shining armor. You still make my heart melt. I love you so much. I couldn't have asked for a better husband; a better teammate; a better partner to dance with in this "dance" that we call life!

I love you with my whole heart!

Always and forever,
Angela



Our Wedding day: October 29, 2005

Shaving money off the grocery bill...

So about a week ago I came to the realization that our grocery budget is just getting WAY out of hand. I mean $100.00 for two adults and one breastfed baby should be enough for two weeks right? Well...I keep going over budget, and so I started doing some research and looking at how people save money by couponing. I happened upon two websites that have helped me here and here. Talk about pointing me in the right direction.

I have always shopped sales and stocked up when something was on sale that I use. I can't tell you when the last time I bought face wash (maybe like two years ago because I stockpiled).

So yesterday as I was perusing cuckoo, she mentioned a deal on huggies. Since I am trying to stock up on diapers when they are on sale (to help keep my grocery cost down) I decided to swoop up on this deal.

Here is the deal I got:

I bought two packs of Huggies pure and natural diapers at $8.99/ea and two Colgate toothpastes at $3.69 and $2.79, but they were buy one get one free, so I only had to pay for one. NOW, here is how I made a killer deal.

I used store coupons and manufacture coupons to shave $13.00 off my total. I combined Rite Aid's $4.00 off (a $20.00 purchase), with two Huggies *MC $3.00 off/ea, a Rite Aid **SC for Colgate for $1.00 off, AND a Rite Aid **SC for $2.00 off Huggies.

That made my out of pocket expense of $10.39....BUT it doesn't end there. The Huggies had a +UP reward of $2.00 each. +UP rewards are like a gift certificate to the store, so yes I did pay for it, in actuality they gave me some money back and its like I paid $6.39 for all my items.

Killer deal if you ask me. What would have made it even sweeter is if I also had a *MC from Colgate. that would have dropped the price of the toothpaste I bought from $2.69 (because I had $1.00 off already) to I dunno probably $1.69, depending on the value of the coupon.* Manufacturer's Coupon**Store Coupon

I think I'm gonna like this couponing thing! It sounds confusing at first, but once you get the hang of how to stack coupons...it's so worth the time you spend clipping them.

Until next post,

6 Weeks of joy

The last two weeks have been busy. We went to see my Mom up in Groveland. It was a relaxing weekend spent with family. While were were up there we decided to visit Yosemite National Park. What a lovely sight. I had never been there, and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was (although there were a lot of people there, it still was so pretty).

I found out that travelling with a newborn is not the easiest thing to do. The trip up there should have only taken 2.5 hours, but it took us almost 3.5 hours. We had to keep stopping and feeding/changing the baby. BUT THE DRIVE BACK......oh that was a nightmare. We got on the wrong highway coming out of Yosemite that took us out of the way, and so instead of getting home in a reasonable time of maybe 4 hours...it took us 8 hours. We stopped constantly for feedings/changings, and poor baby. By like 7:30pm all Josiah wanted was a little TLC...so we stopped in Modesto and ate and gave a little TLC to the baby. After that he didn't mind the last hour of drive in the car. Next time we go on a road trip, I'll be better prepared, and know what to expect.

Josiah also had his 1 Month DR. appointment. He now weights 8lbs 5oz. I couldn't believe that in a month he gained OVER 2LBS. This kiddie loves to eat. Next Dr. appointment he gets his vaccines. I am doing some research to see about an alternate schedule that way he doesn't get so many at once.

Until next post,

Josiah - 1 month flew by

1 Week


2 Weeks

3 weeks


1 month


My baby is already 1 month old. Where has the time gone? :( Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital? It seems that way.

A lot has happened in this past month. Josiah has gained weight; he had pictures taken; Sadie has accepted the baby; we finally bought a stroller; I turned 30; and Josiah has grown on us more and more with each passing day.

It's been an adjustment having Josiah. Some days are easier than others. Sometimes just getting a shower in is a luxury. I never realized how much time little ones take. If I can throw a load of laundry in too, I'm doing good! LOL....hopefully I can get into a better routine in the next few weeks. I don't want the house to go to the dogs. It seems like he is eating well (he was 6lb,11oz at birth, and the last Dr. appt he was 8lb,5oz) considering he has gained 2 pounds and 3 ounces in the last month. He really likes to eat.

One thing I love is our morning time chats. When Josiah wakes up, I feed him, and after that I will prop him up on a pillow, and we "chat". He is such a happy baby and always smiling. I am thankful for a healthy and happy baby. Although contrary to what others think, he does cry, see pic below.



In other news...
I just had my 30th birthday. There was no big shebang or anything. Just the routine. I did get my knives sharpened for my birthday....and oh am I ever happy. I did not realize how dull those knives were until I used the sharpened knives for the first time. It was like heaven!! Thank you Joel for being so thoughtful.

I FINALLY decided on a stroller, and I love it!!! It is so smooth and looks very nice. It even matches our car seat and was super affordable. Josiah is too small for the seat right now, but give him about 3 months and I bet he'll fit. I got to use it on Saturday at Ikea. So happy with it.

This weekend we're going to Noni's house (that's my Mom, she wants to be called Noni rather than Grandma). She hasn't seen him since the day he was born with the few exceptions of pictures and videos I send her via email. Thank you Lord for technology. I don't know how we ever survived without the internet...lol. She will be surprised at how big and chunky Josiah is.

I ventured out and made Chicken pot pies for the first time the other day. I hear they were good. I don't like them, so I didn't try them. I also made orange chicken too. I am grateful that I can stay home with my little boy and try out new recipes on the hubbs. Thank you Joel for your sacrifice.

Until next post,

The second week

I can't believe he is already two weeks old! It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital getting ready for his arrival.

This week we took pictures at JCPenney's for Josiah. I am hoping to get them up and scanned soon to show how cute they turned out. In the meantime, you can look at the previews here. He is still eating like a lumber jack, and I think he is entering a growth spurt. I noticed one of his onsies was a little tight in the feet, he's been super fussy the last couple of days, and eating non-stop. I think he is going to be a tall young man.

Here are a few pictures from this week.

Until next post,

Labor, delivery, and our PRECIOUS MIRACLE pt.2

The epidural medicine was given around 8ish, but the weird thing was that it numbed all the way up past my chest. The Anesthesiologist said he gave me less than a normal dose, and that he would turn it off for the next hour to let the medicine wear off a little. Since I now had an epidural, I was confined to the bed. I couldn't even get up to go to the restroom. This is not what I had planned my birth to be like. In the meantime, my Dr. came by and decided to break my water bag (well, what little fluid I had). She checked me and said I was 3cm. Not much progress if you think about it.

So the Anesthesiologist came back and by then the medicine had worn off completely and I was feeling the hard contractions again. He gave me more medicine, but this time it only numbed half of my body. I could still feel my contractions on the right side. He said he could move the catheter, but I told him no that it was fine. In some way I felt like this was a compromise. I could progress, but still feel the pain. I know call me a Masochist.

And so for the next few hours I labored in and out of sleep, all the while my blood pressure going crazy, and his heartbeat dropping at times.

Tuesday, September 7 - Happy Birth Day
Around 1:00am the nurse came in and said because the baby is under a lot of stress, they needed to give me a saline solution infusion. Just basically giving the baby some fluid to help relieve some of the stress he was going through. I thought for sure that at any minute they were going to tell me I was going to need an emergency C-section....but God had His hand on Josiah the whole time. Joel and my mom watched over me and the monitors while taking short naps. This was a long process.

At 3:00am the nurse came back in and checked me and said I was 8cm. I woke up Joel and had him call my mom (she ran down to her car for a short nap) Whoo hoo! Finally!!!!!! By this time the epidural had worn off completely and I was starting to feel the hard contractions again. The nurse said she would check me again at 5:30am to which she did, and found me at 10cm.

Showtime- 5:30-6:57 am
Immediately she started making preparations for delivery. She called the Dr to tell her I was ready. Sometime during all this, I started feeling like I needed to push. The nurse told me not to push and just breath through it. Right...tell that to your body when it just takes over. The nurses were running frantic as me and another patient were ready to push at the same time, and the other patient's doc was not there either and they had to call the ER doc to deliver her baby. I waited for half an hour for Dr. Chandler to get to the hospital, all the while needing to push.

She finally got there around 6:15. During the time I needed to push, I felt like I needed to pass gas. I was mortified, and so I told my Dr. and nurse, "I'm embarrassed, What if I need to pass gas?" To which they replied, "Hello, we've all had babies"....One more embarrassing thing, the pediatrician walked in to wash his hands....and all I could think about was pulling down my gown. It was rather embarrassing. I know they say modesty goes out the window when you have a baby, but not for me. When it came time to push, the nurse told me "okay you're having a contraction, you need to push"...but I simply told her "No I am not having a contraction, and I don't feel like I need to push!" We went round and round until she finally let me push when I felt like it. I was grateful. She was worried about the baby as he had a BM in the womb.

And so it began...

I pushed for 45 minutes with the best labor coaches you could ask for; my husband and mom! I couldn't have done it without them. When I felt like I couldn't do it anymore and I wanted to quit (yeah right...like you could really quit in the middle of it all), they encouraged me. At 6:57 am, Josiah entered this world as a newborn baby. As soon as he came out, I immediately forgot what the pain felt like. It's like, I couldn't remember. It was the weirdest thing.

I can't say that my first glimpse of him brought me to tears, because it didn't (that came later, and by myself), but I was happy . It moved me more to see my husband teary eyed as they put Josiah (all green and alien looking) on my chest. Joel didn't know what to do when they took Josiah to be cleaned, and so I encouraged him to go with the baby. He was as proud a father as any. My total labor was 28 1/2 hours, but so worth every second of it.

Giving birth to Josiah was definitely an experience that will never be forgotten, and though there were many complications, he is healthy baby boy. My heart fills with more and more love every passing day for the two men in my life; my husband and my son.

Until next post,