Christmas week & the decade in review

Christmas came and went and we had a wonderful time. The last few days were hectic. We had visitors from Indiana and Georgia (two families who also adopted from China), spent Christmas Eve at my sister's house, Christmas day in our house and yesterday we traveled to Miami to visit my in-laws. Today we had lunch with very special friends and met their new grandson. We are now looking forward to New Year's Eve at my other sister's house.

2009 is almost over. In 4 days we will say good-bye to the year and will welcome 2010 and a new decade. This has been a wonderful year! It marks the end of another decade…the 3rd decade of my life. This decade brought many joyful events but also some very difficult and painful ones. I was blessed with the most beautiful gift of my life: my daughter. I was given the opportunity of a lifetime: to become a bone marrow donor. I traveled half around the world to become a mother. I married the most loving and caring man in the world. I welcomed new family members to this world: Marc Anthony, Yulianna, Samuel Elian, Vergil, Gabriel, Jason Jadier and Emanuel. We also said good-bye to my aunt Carmin and a very dear friend Margarita. And although not physically, I also lost a very special person in my life; she was like a daughter to me. I will always love and care deeply for her. I know God will work in her heart in a way that only HIM can do. Time will take care of healing and forgiving. It will be in God’s perfect timing. God showed me a glimpse of hope with the miracle of gaining one of my niece’s back. It has meant the world to me!

New friends were made: Carol, Micaela, Shellie, Sarah, and Marye among many others. New places visited: Mexico and China. I started working for Wachovia and also worked at The Walt Disney World, which provided me with such a great opportunity! Debbie and Mary were two beautiful and very special ladies there—my managers at DLC!

There were some historic events during this decade that I will forever remember starting with the craziness and fear around the beginning of 2000…the new millennium. The year also brought a very controversial presidential election.

2001 proved to be a challenging year. On the happy side, Marc Anthony was born on March 27th and for the first time in my life, I was present in a delivery room…with my sister. Talk about an experience! The following month Robert and I got married. My dad, Sammy, Josue & his family and Berenis traveled from PR. Tia Lydia and some cousins attended from CT. Lourdes & her family were also there. Many friends celebrated our special day as well. Then the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11th 2001 saddened all of us. I think the whole country grieved with those families who lost a loved one that day. It is a day you will always remember as long as you live. Robert and Danielle got married a few days after that tragic event in PR. Then my world came tumbling down when I learned some devastating news a few weeks after that trip. This changed my life forever. It hit me very hard and it would test my faith in God and other people. However, God’s mercies are new every day…and He did not forsake me! I would like to repeat as Corrie ten Boom said, “every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see.”

In 2002, I ended my employment with Mellon, obtained an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ and moved to Florida. I became a first-time homeowner by the end of the year.

2003 began with new employment at Wachovia Bank and new friends. The war in Iraq began in March 2003. I also began studying part-time at UCF in August. In the fall, I was contacted by the National Bone Marrow program as a possible match for an unrelated recipient: a one-year old girl. After various blood tests and a complete physical, the donation was scheduled for January 2004.

On January 31, 2004 I donated bone marrow at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Robert and I started working for Disney @ Animal Kingdom in May. We lived through 4 hurricanes that summer. Debbie lost her baby girl, Victoria Eugenia, on August 3rd. She also passed the NCLEX that same month...praise God! I have been so happy to see her thrive and excel as a nurse…she is such a role model and her life is worth admiring! We also began our adoption journey in October (Robiana was born in April).

In 2005 I joined a “Yahoo Group” for the first time in my life and made many friends while waiting for our “referral” from China. I met one of the nicest ladies in this world: Shellie! We traveled back to New Jersey that summer and attended Annie & Eddy’s wedding.

The year 2006 was the highlight of this decade. In January we received the much anticipated referral and saw Robiana’s face for the first time. Those 4 pictures brought enormous happiness to us and changed my life forever! In March I was given a baby shower….this was very special and it meant so much! I longed to be a mother for many years that it seemed surreal, but I was very happy, at last! Also in March we traveled to China and met Robiana on the 27th, the same day Marc Anthony turned 5. Who would have thought 5 years earlier, while I witnessed his birth, that 5 years later, on that same day, I would also become a mother in China? In April we celebrated Robiana’s 2nd birthday and our 5th wedding anniversary. I also suffered from chicken pox only two weeks after returning from China! In July I finished my work at the Exceptions Department (Wachovia Bank) in East Orlando and in August Robiana and I traveled to Puerto Rico. I began working as a teller in Kissimmee. The long commute, which lasted almost 3 ½ years, was over! I also became a seasonal cast member at Disney. Needless to say, Christmas this year was extra special.

During 2007 I worked as a Teller in Poinciana, only a few miles from my house. I also worked one Saturday a month at Disney’s Learning Center but left them by the end of the year. During the first quarter of this year, I had some serious thoughts about a career change. I searched deep in my soul and prayed for God’s wisdom and discernment. Nursing was the answer and I applied at Valencia Community College in May. Roadblocks quickly appeared, as in anything you set to do. Before I could even set foot at a nursing class, I would have to take 7 courses that were pre-requisite to be accepted in the program. I honestly thought about quitting before beginning! But thanks to the encouragement of many, my sister Debbie and friend Sabrina included, I pressed on and I completed all requirements in two years. Robiana began pre-pre-K at Pleasant Hill Academy in August, which at the time was located in the First Baptist Church we attended. Toward the end of the year, I worked sporadically at Wachovia’s Solivita branch with Terri, and a new friendship flourished. I learned about a vacancy there so I applied and got the job. It was a nice place and for the most part very nice people but this would only last a few months.

2008 began with me taking an online class and working at Solivita. As soon as March arrived, I again had to deal with trials and tribulations in my marriage. Robert “left” Disney by the end of March and I decided to take an offer from my sister to help her with the administrative part of her work and be a baby & house sitter. This would also give me the wonderful opportunity to spend time with Robiana and put my thoughts and life in order. I requested a personal leave of absence from Wachovia which was granted. I was scheduled to return to work in November. Those months off from work (but not from school) were difficult financially but I had the greatest time of my life with Robiana and my nieces and nephew. I loved each day spent with them and the activities we were able to do occasionally. I thank God and Debbie for the opportunity! Robiana started pre-kindergarten (Voluntary Pre-K) at Chestnut Elementary for 3 hours every day. She loved it! Because I was taking a class during the day, I was not able to return to work in November. Since the leave was not extended, I resigned from Wachovia. In October, we traveled to Puerto Rico to celebrate my parents’ 50 years together. It was a true blessing being able to reunite with my 9 siblings and most of our nephews and nieces and other family members and friends there.

The last year of the decade has been full of blessings. I was able to get back to Wachovia and back to the Poinciana branch! I completed all requisites to enter the nursing program and in May I was accepted to the program. I was scheduled to begin in January 2010. I even took the 2 pre-requisite classes needed to apply for the BSN program at UCF, if I choose to go that route. I qualified for financial aid for 2009-10 and was the recipient of 2 scholarships!!! This is helping me tremendously and has taken a financial burden from my shoulders….PRAISE GOD!!!!!! Robiana started kindergarten and is enjoying every day. She is recognizing many words and is slowly learning to read. She continues to be inquisitive and super curious! But she is, without a doubt, a special gift and blessing from above! Other events of this year were: Samuel Elian was born, Jason lived with Debbie for a few months, Joel, Paola and Albert visited us and we traveled, by car, with Debbymar and Marc to New Jersey. We went to our first NBA game in Orlando…Go Magic! And the New York Yankees won their 27th Championship.

From the ashes and the happiness a new sense of purpose has emerged. And I will begin a new chapter of my life in less than a month. I am looking forward to the challenges, the opportunities, the blessings and the relationships that will be forged during this new journey.

Like many, if not all of us, I need to seek God more closely and intimately. I intend to do just that! I want to feel His presence every day, in everything I do. I want His wisdom and guidance to raise my daughter, to strengthen my marital relationship and all other relationships with family and friends. I want Him to use my life … He created me with a purpose and I am here to accomplish His will.

There will always be reasons to feel down, disappointed or sad, but I choose to count my blessings and see the beauty in life and in people. I want to love freely and with no strings attached. I want to help others without expecting anything in return. I want to sheer those around me up…with a smile, a compliment or just nice words.

I will work hard and do everything within my power to be positive, study hard, work harder and be the best mom, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, student, worker I can be!

Next year will be great! The next decade will bring its share of happiness and sorrows. History will be made. We will welcome new family members and others will leave us. Some doors will be opened and others will close. What is there for me? For us? Our decisions will paint our path. Hopefully, we consider them carefully but even when the results are not what we had hoped for, I trust that something positive comes out of each experience or trial. I believe with all my heart that happiness does not come from what we own or what we have but only in our service to others….because this, my friends, is the reason we were all created!

Happy New Year!!!

Love,

Diana

“All kings shall pay Him homage, all nations shall serve Him.” Psalm 72:11


PS. What follows below is what I read and reread and checked off for the last 2 years until everything was completed-in order to apply for the Nursing Program at VCC!!! It felt good every time I was able to check one of these off!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Valencia’s Nursing ADMISSION CRITERIA AND CHECKLIST
ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE NURSING, R.N.
The following criteria will be used for selection into the Associate in Science Degree Generic Nursing Program.
Admission to the Nursing Program is limited to eligible applicants only.
Students selected enter in August (Fall term), January (Spring term) or May (Summer term) of each year based on the date of application. Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents to be eligible.
Application requirements:
_____ 1. Submit a completed college application for admission by the College Application Deadline. Visit Valencia's Web site at www.valenciacc.edu/admissions for specific information.

_____ 2. Attend a group advisement session about the Nursing program prior to submitting nursing application to the program. Dates are posted on this website.

_____ 3. Prior to submitting the Nursing Program Application, applicants must meet the college admission requirements for degree seeking students. College entry level assessment, computerized placement tests, and all mandatory courses in Reading, Student Success, Mathematics, English, and English for Academic Purposes must be completed prior to submitting the Nursing Program Application.
_____ 4. Applicants to the Nursing Program must have an Overall GPA of 2.5.
_____ 5. All Science and General Education Courses must be completed prior to submitting a Nursing application.
Science courses include:
BSC 2093C - Anatomy and Physiology I
BSC 2094C - Anatomy and Physiology II
MCB 2010C - Microbiology
General Education courses include:
PSY 1012 - General Psychology
DEP 2004 - Developmental Psychology
ENC 1101 - Freshman Composition
HUN 2202 - Essentials of Nutrition
PHI 2600 - Ethics and Critical Thinking OR PHI 2010 - Philosophy Recommended OR any course with HUM prefix that meets the AA degree requirement.
• All courses must be completed with a “C” or better.
_____ 6. Students must complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) prior to nursing application with an overall composite score of 75% and reading comprehension score of 75%. Examination fee is the responsibility of the student. The cost will be $40.00.
After checklist is complete, a $15.00 non-refundable nursing application fee (check or money order payable to Valencia Community College) must be submitted to the Business Office with each nursing application.
Note: No student will be admitted into two (2) different Valencia Community College Health Sciences within an academic year.
• After acceptance and prior to the start of the first semester of nursing courses, students will be notified of the process required to complete a background check and the deadline for the completion of the check. Applicants with a positive background check may be denied admission into the Nursing Program. The current fee is $49.00 and the responsibility of the student. The Nationwide Criminal Search is an additional $10.00 if needed. Students will not begin the nursing program until we have the background check on file. Background checks are valid for one year.
• Applicants for Valencia Community College Nursing program must be free of offenses that would disqualify them from a student clinical experience in a health care setting and must have their civil rights intact. This policy is in response to requirements by clinical agencies and State/Federal regulations.
• Each applicant must be screened by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for criminal history. Each applicant must have a Social Security Verification, Residency History, Nationwide Sexual Offense Registry Search, Nationwide Healthcare Fraud/Abuse Scan, and a US Patriot Act/OFCA search. A Nationwide Criminal Search is also required if the applicant has worked, resided, or has been a student outside of Florida during the 2 year period prior to the start of any Health Science Program at Valencia. Applicants having concerns regarding these requirements are encouraged to make contact with the Nursing Program Advisor well in advance of the first semester in the Nursing Program.
• After acceptance and prior to the start of the first semester of nursing courses, applicants must have CPR certification, physical examination, immunizations and health screening. Students will not begin the nursing program without these requirements met by the deadline provided.