Love, Life and Appreciation

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving yesterday and that you aren't too stuffed today. We had a great Thanksgiving, though we didn't cook at our place this year, we went over to Rex's friend's house to celebrate there.  Rex had to work the mid-day, so May and I went over to his friend's house around 10 am. May has been experiencing more separation anxiety lately and I wasn't able to help Rex's friend's girlfriend too much with the cooking. It was nice though. We all talked and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After the parade we listened to music, Rex's friend is a DJ. Later during the day, more family started coming over and Rex came by as soon as he got off work around 4 pm. The food was very good and May ate small pieces of turkey, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. She really liked the food. Not too long after she went to sleep. I called my parents and grandparents back in NJ to wish them a happy Thanksgiving, and Rex wished his parents a happy Thanksgiving as well.

Next year, we hope to cook more at our place and invite family and friends over. I think I might cook some of the food the night before. Last year I cooked all the food the day of and it was a lot. May will also be walking then and might be more entertained with a toy. She's also been very aware of her surroundings though, so even then I know she'll more what to see what I'm doing. Today also marks the start of the holiday season. We didn't go out for gifts today. This year we'll spending time with one another as a family and bettering our financial situation. There's much more to be thankful for and most important is for our existence. We also have wonderful family and friends that are understanding, helpful and very supportive.

These past few weeks have been pretty hard and I was excited when I got my Yuzen Winter 2013 Box a little over week ago.  Though it's $33, the box is distributed four times a year. The next box will be in February 2014. I've been a subscriber of this subscription service for a while now. You can see my past reviews here. So far I've really enjoyed the products I receive in the box, this box was no different.  Here's what was inside:



 Level Naturals Travel Candles. The scent I received was Cucumber, Wasabi and Cilantro. It smells very nice and fruity. I feel the scent is more spring/summer. I've been burning more pumpkin and apple pie candles for the Fall. I decided to reserve the candle for later months. It's a 2 oz candle and I feel that's a good size, especially for travel.

 Suncups. These cups are delicious and good for you too!  Though they might look like peanut butter cups there is no nuts whatsoever in the cup. Can't go wrong with mint and chocolate.

 Pino Facial Mask. The facial mask I got was Coconut Aloe. It was very moisturizing and smelled tropical. The mask itself was a cloth mask. It was not messy at all. It did feel a tad bit heavy but was very relaxing. I didn't scare my daughter either when I had the mask on, though my husband took a double look.
 Kerstin Florian Fub Balm. I'm not really one for foot creams but this product felt really good on my feet. It's leaves a cool feeling to the feet and is very mositurizing.

Tara Spa Therapy Stress-Relief Roll Therapy. I was very happy to see this product included in the box, as we've been feeling stressed these past weeks, however I had a hard time getting the scent from the roller. Both my husband and I tried rolling onto our inner wrists and we barely smelled anything. It seems like the formula is too thick.

SpaRitual Golden Rule Lacquer. I received a blue green nail polish and top coat of SpaRitual in a previous Yuzen box, which I enjoyed, so I knew that this nail polish would be good. Golden Rule is composed of gold flakes which would look good alone or over another shade on the nail. I'm excited to wear this color, it's great for the holidays.


Jurlique Rose Hand Cream. This hand cream smells absolutely divine. The rose scent is wonderful. The cream is also very moisturizing and leaves my hands feeling very smooth. It's great for the winter.
Sanitas Moisture Mist. This product is a pretty good size and leaves my face feeling hydrated and refreshed. I find that it moisture doesn't last for long though.


Jane Iredale's 24-Karat Gold Dust. I got this product in gold and the picture really doesn't do it justice. The color is gorgeous and you can use it in your hair, on your eyes, on your skin, among other places. Holidays here I come with this one.

Overall, I was very happy with the Yuzen Winter Box. The box offers such a variety of products for discovery and I still feel the box is worth the price.

Disclaimer: I purchased this box with my own money and was not monetarily compensated for this review. Opinions are honest and are completely my own.

These last couple of days we've been taking it slow.  The funeral was very hard and I still think of my aunt every day. She was like a mother to me and she will be truly truly missed. Rex is getting better but we are taking day by day. He hasn't had an attack since and hopefully we can get back to normalcy. He's been learning how to manage his symptoms better which I know will take time. Rex has started going back to work.  He know works about 15 minutes from the house as oppose to 40 minutes away from before. It's good that he's closer and there's also less traffic. He is happy with the new job too.

My nephew-in-law watches May and helps out around the house which is really nice. I was feeling very overwhelmed with the events that were happening. Life takes unexpected turns. You have to deal with them because at the end of every tunnel there is a light. Just one day at a time. I've been going to my part-time job at the middle school at Howard. I tutored some of the students last Saturday in 8th grade math. For most of the week, I input the records that the other graduate students fill out. Though it's not a full-time job, I am still thankful I have something. I'm thankful Rex has gone back to work. Our financial situation has gotten really bad. We know in time, it'll get better though. I'll finally be defending my thesis on air quality forecasting, next Monday. It's almost over. Hopefully I can graduate with my Masters next month!

Speaking of next month, May will be A YEAR OLD!! She is getting bigger each day and recently she started whistling too. She isn't walking independently yet, but she'll walk in her own time. We're not sure if we'll be doing too much for her birthday, but we're definitely going to celebrate in some way. Her grandparents said they'll come down and take her back to New Jersey that weekend. It's been a while since her great-grandparents saw her too.

We might have to make her birthday, Tinkerbell themed. Some days we'll just watch the Tinkerbell series. Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings, Tinkerbell and The Lost Treasure, Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue. May loves Tinkerbell! We enjoy watching the movies along with other movies and shows. I know we'll be watching more of the shows when she gets older. I'm looking forward to singing "If You Believe," by Lisa Kelly with her.

May is 111 months old today, just one more month until she's a year. She isn't walking on her own yet but she's still holding on to the back of our legs and she is walking holding our hands. May also has such a vocabulary already. She knows about five or so words. She can say, "momma," "daddy," "hi", "bye", "baby" and "bee." I have to record her one day during her many times she's on a roll just talking playing with her toys or roaming the house. Roaming the house she does! Now we find May everyone. Trying to get under the TV entertainment center, crawling under the dining room table, pulling down books on the second shelf of the bookcase, among many others. We constantly have to say "don't touch that," or "what's in your mouth?" I know as she gets older, we'll sound like a broken record. May is eating more solid foods as well and next month we'll introduce more foods to her.

Today has been bittersweet though. Just two days ago my Aunt Cathy and May's great Aunt, in North Carolina passed away. She was having chemotherapy treatments ever since the doctors found cancer in her throat. The last time I spoke to her was November 9th. She sounded not to good on the phone and said that her immune system was very low. I told her about how May was doing, as she absolutely adored May, and she chuckled as much she could. She also said she'd pray for Rex to get better and our financial situation, and  I said I'd pray for her to get better and that I loved her. Then November 12th, my father in NJ called early in the morning to tell me she had passed away the night earlier. The whole family is devastated. The doctors think it was a blood clot. We find comfort knowing that she is with her husband, my uncle who passed away in June of last year and with my grandmother, her mother, whom May is named after. My aunt was such a nice person and would give you the shirt off her back. She gave May her crib, her pack-and-play, her first doll and most of all love and support. Here's a picture of May with her great Aunt from earlier this year.

We'll miss you deeply Aunt Cathy. I'll be going to NC with my parents, on Monday to say goodbye. May will be staying in MD with Rex and our family friend. I'll be down in NC for a day. We found out somewhat of a diagnosis of Rex's condition. He went to the emergency room on the 10th. I thought he was having a heart attack. It turns out the symptoms were that of an anxiety attack. I looked up more information about anxiety attacks and we both are sure what the main cause is, but more relieved now that there's a name on his condition, at least now. We're finding ways for managing the attacks, though it'll take time. It's very new to the both of us.

It might seem now that things are rough, but we know it'll get better. I read an email my aunt sent me back in October. She said, "Just be calm and everything will be OK." I know it will get be better. Everything in patience.

We just wanted to wish all the veterans who have served and all the men and women who are currently serving, a Happy Veterans Day. We salute you and we thank you for your service.

For the past couple of days, we've all been on the mend. Right after Halloween, May got sick. She was coughing and had nasal congestion. She's only had about two colds before she turned 1 and this was her second cold. She slept for most of the day when she first had it and in the following days she got better. We did our best to keep her comfortable, as there is no cure for the common cold. She had no fever, so we didn't give her children's Tylenol. We did give her more water and kept the humidifier on at night. By the third day she was more like her active self.

I was sick too. I didn't have a fever but I was coughing and had nasal congestion. At times I had to take my inhaler, for my asthma. My cold went away within a matter of four days. The colds seemed to skip by Rex. He was fine, which May and I were coughing and trying to get well. Now Rex isn't doing so well. Last week he called me on his way home from work, like he always does, although this time he was calling to say he was out of breath, that he felt numb and like he was going to faint. He called an ambulance before that and the ambulance was on their way to take him to the hospital. I tried not to panic and remained calm. He was taken to the emergency room and had to be admitted. May and I visited him while he was waiting for a bed. They said his potassium was very low and at one point they thought he had a blood clot. It turns out there was no blood clot and they kept him overnight for observation. He has since been released and is resting. The doctors aren't sure what's wrong and he has to get many tests done. We're staying strong through all of it. I'm taking care of him and May is putting a smile on his face.

We are just hoping the doctors can find out what's going on. At times, Rex feels a little weak but he is getting better. We'll be there for each other, in sickness and in health.