From to 2012 and into 2013!

It has been a while since I have blogged. 2012 has been a busy year and there is much to talk about, but I also believe that we have experienced many moments in 2012 that take time to learn how to speak about them. It has been a year since our last blog, so I will do my best to sum up as much as I can. We would like to dedicate this post to all the people that we have met in 2012 and have shown to be TRUE friends. We are blessed with wonderful people who have come into our lives and have been there to help us through the year. We are always also very humble and appreciate everything that has come our way and the accomplishments we have reached this year. Victor and I both graduated with our Bachelors and both of us are the first in our families. We come from a long journey with many road blocks in our paths. We both have seen the road of being homeless, not knowing where our next meal would come from, and our families turning their backs on us during our young years. We both did what we needed in order to survive and strive forward. Many times we had to rethink our pathway and make adult decisions that 16 to 18 year olds normally don't make until their 20s. All in all we both stumbled upon an angel, Rick Schroder. He became our mentor and our savior and did what our parents did not. He guided us into a light that brought us to Idaho State University in 2006 and now we both can smile with our degrees in our hands thanks to this wonderful man! Thank you Rick for what you have done for us! You gave us hope and inspiration to one day pass this gift to someone who will need it. It is because of you coming into our lives that we saw a good path and graduated in 2012. Victor was blessed with a wonderful job at Portneuf Medical Center and has made friends with a lot of wonderful people that have accepted him for who he is. We also have been blessed with a great job that I love at Idaho State University and both Victor and I are grateful and thankful to have a great boss! As the International Recruiter/Study Abroad Coordinator at Idaho State University and the International Programs Office I have had the honor to have Maria Fletcher as a boss. She is a wonderful leader and Director that appreciates higher education. She believes in mentoring and leading with outstanding leadership! We are thankful for the great team at IPO and feel honored to be part of the team! But most of all I am doing what I love in my career and I am truly thankful for that. My goal in life is to pass the gift I have received from Rick and Maria and pass it to other students! Vic and I also have created wonderful and strong friendships with Kristina and Andy James who are the most wonderful couple ever with a great future ahead of them. Vic and I are thankful to you Kristina for how you have been there for us and you have kept it real. Rachel we remember when we first met you through Danson. I remember that one day after the first semester in Danson when we ran into each other in the LA Building. Ever since we became closer and good friends, which was unexpected and a great surprise! Thank you for always lending an ear Rachel. We had a great trip to Vegas with Kristina and Rachel that made us all grow as friends and we all learned a little more about each other. We love you Rachel and Tina and thank you for accepting us into your lives! But there are so many people we are thankful for and we wish you a prosperous 2013, so here it goes; Thank you Linda, Rosa, Glen, Brenna and Lori Oliver, Timmia, Hannah, Gena, Lauralee  and Chuck Zimmerly, Megan, Kendra, Abeer, Jesse, Gene, Adam, Shawn, Sam, Kinzie, Heather, Sheena, Amanda and her family, Scott, Beth Cork, and Chelsea Kaminska! Wooh, sure hope we did not forget anyone else and if we did, we wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Years!  Just like everyone we also lost someone that we considered close enough to be family. It saddens us that there could be people that could break your heart and sometimes what is broken cannot be replaced. So we learn to move forward, put a smile on our face, and learn to be stronger. But we wish them the best in 2013 along with health, happiness, and good fortune! We are also thankful for the Danson family and their hard work. 2012 was a strong year! Danson keep the dancing strong and know that your positive spirit is what keeps it going! Circus has been great and we are looking forward to Circus Pt 3 and "Bringing the Circus to ISU" in 2013 (fingers crossed)! This year I also was accepted into the MPA program and completed my first semester! We are also thankful for our vacation to Hawaii! Vic and I grew even closer together, caught up on a lot of nice conversations about our lives and where we want to head with our family. We got to take time to slow down and enjoy some time together and remind each other of what really matters in life. I am thankful for having Vic, having breath, health, and love in my life. Victor also lost his sister Alejandra in a tragic car accident that took her life. Alejandra we love you... Our hearts go to all the innocent people in this world that are no longer with us and were not fortunate enough to see 2013. Our love goes out to the innocent souls no longer with us and their families. To all of the people in our lives once again Happy New Years, we love you, and here is to making the best of 2013!!!