A look back at 2017!

A look back at 2017, let me write everything down so the kids have something to look back at… This year SUCKED THE LIFE OUT OF ME. I can’t even explain the emotional rollercoaster that this year put our family through. Usually I go through the months so here it goes….

January: We went on our first ski trip together and it was soooo much fun. We went to Camelback Resort. It was really cool to see how much the kids loved being in the snow and really wanted to be in the snow. And Glenn turned 5… My survivor turned 5. Which is not a big number but it’s so significant in his life as a cancer survivor.

February: Gavin discovered Broadway. In a special date we went to see the School of Rock musical and he enjoyed it way more than I thought he would. I also started my ‘weight loss journey’ by eliminating sugar from my life.

March: March was a lot of fun. We went to a lot of events. Nintendo, The Moms, Liberty Science Center, Paw Patrol Live! The kids met Danica McKellar at the Math Museum. And I was on the Dr. Oz show for the second time! Honestly I can’t even really believe it myself. We also celebrated Glenns’ 5th and Graces’ 3rd birthday together. We visited the Oculus for the first time and for some reason my transformation started. Something was different.

April: I started focusing more on me. How I dressed, how I presented myself. Started putting more time into how I felt. And like we’re crazy we drove to Florida for our family trip. Not only were we headed to Disney but we were headed to our first ever Star Wars Celebration. This trip was really special for many reasons. One, my mom tagged along with us. Second, we stayed at the hotel my mom used to work with when we lived in Florida back in the 80’s and across from our old apartment. How cool is that? We also visited Charleston, South Carolina which is absolutely beautiful. I finally drank around the world during Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. We also visited Legoland Florida for the first time. This park was just beautiful. It was so much fun. Oh and I met Six from Blossom!

May: Was full of events. Dunkin Donuts, Consumer Reports, Powermom Summit, Cars, Nintendo, Fleet Week, NY Baby Show, Orgullosa, Nissan. Just mentioning all of these made me exhausted. These events were lots of fun but lots of work. I have to say my favorite was probably Fleet Week event. Thanks to my friend George Torres from Daily Sofrito, who invited me to build bikes with Toyota for military families. I can’t explain to you how it felt to be able to spend that time doing something for the men and women who serve us.

June: JUNE WAS EPIC. Because my 35th birthday and I traveled twice, by myself. I went on my first moms trip to Foxwoods. We drank, we shopped, we gambled. We confirmed that we actually like each other sans kids! My second trip was to BlogHer in Florida. I had so many plans for this weekend including going to Disney, but the whole week just went completely different and I don’t regret it one bit. I had an awesome time with my Puerto Rican girls. Eat real good food, but also did yoga twice! Also made some new friends. The biggest thing that happened in June, I posted a picture of me in a bikini on social media. OMG. And so my 35th year of like started amazingly. Confident and happy. I was also invited to do a live broadcast interview for Ser Padres about traveling with kids. Such an honor.

July: Sooooo many events. Parents are people too, Blogger Bash amongst others. Highlight? Meeting Kandi Burruss, who is a talented singer but for me is a Real Housewives of Atlanta (yes, guilty pleasure). We went on our annual camping trip with my parents. This year was a lot of fun because the kids were really into it. We also celebrated 4th of July with my parents in Virginia. So, remember that interview I did back in June with Ser Padres? I manifested a trip I didn’t even know I was going to make, but well I changed plans from Puerto Rico to Texas. Without much thinking started to drive from NYC to VA to Ft. Worth. I DROVE THE WHOLE WAY. Can’t even explain to you what it felt to get there. Literally I just cried. I hugged my sister and cried. This trip is also where everything changed.

August: We were still in Texas, having a wonderful time with the family when the dreaded accident of our nightmares happened. Glenn nearly drowned and I thought he was gone. It’s a miracle he is with us. If you want to read about it here. And I can’t say how grateful and blessed I feel about having him with us. The rest of August went something like this: eating, crying, more eating more crying. The guilt was real, is STILL real. We spent a lot of time together as a family enjoying each other. On a happier note, he was also featured on Time Out NY Kids magazine for their back to school article. With a video online also! Gavin turned 7. He’s a kid. Like a real kid. Not a cute baby or toddler or preschooler.

September: MY LAST BABY IS GOING TO SCHOOL! How and when the heck did this happen? Like seriously! There was another trip to Virginia and then another emotional hit as hurricane Maria hit my island, my home. Destroying whatever was in its path, leaving the island in the dark. Not being able to communicate with the family was terrible. To this day there are still many families in the dark with no water. I started traveling to Virginia to volunteer to send aid to the Island.

October: More trips to Virginia working and working. I also started working on our house. Painting, fixing things, decorating. It had been neglected for so long. I also had the honor of attending Operation Shower, which showers military families who are expecting. A bigger honor went to my dad who was recognized by the Points of Light organization for his volunteering and commitment to Puerto Rico. He was recognized in front of 5 presidents! Halloween was awesome- Star Wars!

November: EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS. PlayFair, Momtrends, Royal Caribbean, Santa Claus. And the most memorable memory, cutting down our Christmas Tree for the first time. November was also the mark of 5 yrs of Glenns’s diagnosis and surgery, so we had a lot to celebrate and be thankful for.

December: I have to say, I’ve been so exhausted. I really tried to just soak up the time with the kids. Really taking care of myself and trying to get out of the funk. Even though I didn’t want to drive again (can you blame me?) Decided to take a trip to see my sister and spend Christmas together. And I have to say it was the BEST Christmas we’ve had in a while. All the kids were together and we were all together. 17 PEOPLE (7 of them kids), 6 dogs, 2 cats and lots of coffee.

This year has been beyond exhausting. Emotionally, physically, everything. This post was exhausting to write. And usually I’m scared- terrified of change, but I am looking forward to 2018. I welcome it with a lot of excitement. Blessed beyond belief. Glass and heart always full.

If you made it this far and didn’t fall asleep tell me, what are you looking forward in this new year?