Christmas season

It has been awhile since I updated. There really isn't anything new here.

We got done painting our hallway walls and that was not a simple task, we have discovered that putting the first coat on a light, but dark color is harder then doing the second coat which is ten times easier it took us just two hours to finish the second coat. Next we will be painting the bedrooms. Our bedroom is going to be a purple and my guest room which will be primarily for my sister will be green on three walls and then chalk board paint on the big wall. She loves to draw so that's why we will be painting it in chalk board paint.

Ski and I have been married for 3 years now it doesn't seem that long ago we got married. We didn't do much for our anniversary my sister came over, Ski and I worked all day so by the time we got home we were so tired we didn't want to do anything but sleep. This Christmas shipping season was crazy by the end. Ski got 11hrs overtime cause he wouldn't get out of work til 30 min to an hour after we closed.

For Christmas Eve Ski and I invited my family and two of my friends over for Christmas Eve dinner I made, my grandma A's green chili and my grandma Sue's Potato Corn soup. Each was a hit and all gone by end of dinner. For desert I made a raspberry ribbon pie which we didn't eat until Christmas dinner, we just forgot about it.

For Christmas Ski and I opened our gifts from each other then took the gifts for my family down to my parents house and opened the rest there. For dinner my momma made ham, her home made cream corn (which I love so much), Scalloped potatoes, and Sweet potatoes. For the desserts we had, my raspberry ribbon pie, pumpkin pie and apple pie.

No One Ever Said

No one ever said
By Veronika Maez

No body ever said that tragedy,
Is sometimes what we need.
To get through the day,
Closer to the ones we need,
The ones we love,
And the only ones who really matter to us .

No body ever said that tragedy,
Can sometimes make a person better,
Or stop family fighting,
Or just make you stop and think,
Think about the ones you still have,
The ones you lost,
And the ones who need you as much as you need them.

No body ever said that happiness,
Might come after you lost the one you loved.
For losing the one you loved may bring you closer to the ones you lost.

My sister wrote this poem shortly after my uncle passed away, and just found it. I think its an amazing poem.

Race for the Cure 2009

Sunday September 13, 2009 was our annual Race for the Cure race/walk. Our store usually volunteers as a register spot so people could register for the race. This year we volunteered as a coat checking station. We would take the runners/walkers bags or jackets so they didn't have to carry them while running or walking. It was something new that people really liked and enjoyed. We got there at 5:30 AM to set up and get ready it was kinda slow until the race actually started then we got slammed it was really awesome. My dad was able to talk to the head of UPS to get a thumbs up on using a UPS truck for the bags. For it being the first year we were really organized and had fun. Here are some pics of our day.

End of August, begining of September

Just a little update on Ski and I this month and the end of last month. A lot has happened with us.

Ski and I moved into a towne home this past week. In July our apartment complex found out we had a dog and pets aren't allowed to be there. So they said we either had to get rid of the dog or we move out. We opted to move out just cause our dog is like our baby. So we told them we would be out at the end of August. Well we found a place that wouldn't have been ready until the 15th of September so Ski went up to the office to ask if we staid til then would they prorate us and they said no if we stayed in September we would have to pay for Septembers rent. Well we couldn't find anything in Augustso Ski went in last Monday to let the management know we would be staying through September and she was like no you can't you have to be out today, we have people moving in at the end of the week. Ski was replied with " you were the one who said if we were to stay in September we would have to pay for the month" So she said "I did say that and I said no you couldn't stay." And as Ski was leaving he was like "that means you are making my wife and I stay on the streets til we find a place" and she goes "thats not my problem." Luckly one of the towne homes we emailed about replied to our email and we moved in on Wednesday so we stayed at my parents for two days which wasn't bad. Needless to say I will not refer anyone to that complex.

Ski was still denied his medical waver so the guy who was working with him says "normally I would tell you to try again in six months, but since the recuriters aren't letting any prior military who was discharged for medical reasons I would tell you to wait a year." So we are hoping for ROTC he had his physcial for it but hasn't heard anything from it yet they are lazy bums so we have to wait for them to want to work. Ski is still going to school and is doubling up his credit hours so he can graduate sooner. Looks like in 2 years he will have his bachelors degree which means if he gets in within the next year he will be finishing his degree and going to Officers school. Ski is also trying to go our for the Sherrifs department. He passed the first test.

I am working still which is always fun. I am also trying to unpack our new place and get the money saved up to paint the walls and fix up minor damages that are here. Thats about it for us.

The Montana Q's

My Uncle Benny and his two kids Danny and Missy came out for a week this past week. I didn't get to see him as much as I would have liked to, but I find it goes that way when you don't live at home anymore. It was so much easier seeing them all the time then it is now which is a little sad, but I do enjoy the time we did have with each other.

The family went to Glen Eyrie castle to have tea and after we took a walk to their memory rose garden it was very hot but also very enjoyable.

Danny is 13 so he is going through that awkward stage but he is such an amazing young man. While on the way to the rose garden he tried to catch a lizzard. He says they bring him good luck he saw one every day of his trip here. I think for Christmas I will send him a glass lizzard if I can find one. A real one would not survive through the shipping process and I am not sure if Uncle Benny would like that.

Little Missy is 10 years old and just as beautiful as ever! She is trying to talk Uncle Benny into buying her a monkey lol. He is refusing of course, but she knows that when he was little they always had weird animals so she is keeping the hope there. I told her to go with a Sugar Glider first then make her way up and once she is older and can take care of it on her own then she should get a monkey and train it to work in the lobby of her veterinarian office as the secretary handing the clients the paper work to fill out and taking it back and showing them their room she was thrilled at the idea of it.

I can't wait til next year to see them again!

Rude people irk me!

I am just needing to vent about my day.

Today started it out good or somewhat good. Around 4:30 everything changed. I was helping this coupld with a painting of the value of $300.00 so I did everything from the book, in order to insure it we have to double box the painting. A inner box the tightly fits the painting so no movement happens then a bigger box with 3in of peanuts on all sides so if it something happens the outer box and peanuts take the most damage and if the painting gets damaged then the claim will be paid. Well I came up with a quote of $104.30, and the wife starts saying how disgusting the price was and that it was making her sick the whole time I was talking to the husband about the information I needed him to provide for the label finally she started saying that we were fraudulent in our business. Well my dad was on the floor building a box and he looks up at her and says "I am the owner of this store if you think we fraudulent then you can leave" then he looked at me and said to void the label. So she goes fine we will leave and I will tell everyone you are crooks. All the while the husband is standing there looking so embarrassed that he kept apologizing to me and my dad. So she rushes out of the store with the painting and the door hits her in the ass (we had to change the position of the door stopper so now the door doesn't open as wide). The husband is still standing there apologizing for her and how he uses us all the time. And finally she comes back in and says lets go now we are never coming back here. I was just like if I were him I would have never married her.

For her to call my store fraudulent was out of line and was not called for. She needs karma to kick her in the ass so hard she wont know what hit her. I think I am a little better now.

Some big changes

I haven't been on in over a month! I think my last post was June. Not alot has been going on.

Ski is still pushing on for the Army or ROTC. Hopefully something will come along sometime soon.

I am still fighting with PPCC about my tution hopefully it will get fixed soon. Hopefully I will be able to enroll with UCCS in the spring semester I am just not sure how there classes go since its a university instead of a community college.

I got kicked off of the design site I was on because their "girls" said I was lying or something like that. Oh well their loss right? I am now a co-owner of Mtn. Post Sweethearts its a military support site/group. We send letters and care packages to a spefic unit for a year after that year we will get another. If you are interested in helping out which would be amazing you can e-mail me at cmlinski@hotmail.com and I will answer any question that you have about the group.

My uncle Benny is in town from Montana until next Thursday so I will have pictures of their trip up after the week is over. I think that's it for now!

I get to be creative

One of the design sites on Myspace asked me to partner up with them. I said yes I like new challenges and doing nice things for people that deserve them. And I also got amazing scrap kits for free from Juicy Scrap and Scrappy Bit Of Fun. I want to say thank you to Arianne for telling me not to give up on my work. I always makes stuff have have her tell me what she thinks and she is so honest that it makes me feel better about the work I have been doing.

Oh and a side note: Congratulations to Kate and her family, they are expecting another bundle of joy!

My Sister's Keeper

I haven't written in awhile and figured I should up date people along with a quick book review about one of the books I read that just made me think.

Ski is currently trying to get into ROTC at UCCS. He also is trying to get into a government summer program for 2010. I can't say what government agency or they will null and void his application. I am trying to figure out a good school that will actually have everything put together and actually talk with each other so I don't run around trying to get it all situated. That's mainly it.

So this book is called My Sister's Keeper, I first heard about it while sitting in the theatre waiting for X-Men Origins Wolverine to start. The book as been turned into a movie so I took the advantage of reading it before I saw the movie. I believe books are always better then the movie just because there are tons details and 500 pages to lay it all out. Whereas a movie you have only 2 1/2 hours to play with.

Anyway. The book takes place on the East coast. The main point of the book is to tell the story of a 13 year old girl Anna who sues her parents for medical emancipation from them, because she doesn't want to donate to her sister Kate who has APL ( Acute Promyelocytic Leukema) in simple words cancer of the blood. Sara and Brian their parents decided to have "designer baby" to match Kate's bone marrow needs. So the conceive Anna and over the course of 13 years Anna has been poked and prodded and she finally has enough. Their parents don't realize that they are loosing their Son Jesse who is 18 living about their garage. Jesse has become an arsonist, druggie and drinks beer most of the day. Jesse is the only one who agrees with Anna to sue her parents. The book goes through the days leading up to the trial and the past. At the end the court finds out that Anna sued her parents because Kate asked her to. Kate got so tired of doing the same thing for 16years she just wanted it to end. The courts find in favor of Anna and emancipate her and give Power of Attorney to her Lawyer Campbell Alexander so if she is not able to make a medical decision he can for her.

As I was reading this book I couldn't believe how cold hearted the mom was in the book. She mainly had Anna to save Kate. The book was in 7 peoples perspective. There was Anna's, Campbell's, Sara, Brian, Julia, Jesse, and finally Kate. The book flowed flawlessly in each persons perspective to keep the book moving forward. It was a tear jerker that I fell in love with. I would suggest reading the book before you see the movie that comes out on June 26th.

The Army

Ski was disapproved for the Army. The Army is not letting any prior military back into the Army. We are thinking its due to the unemployment rate and everyone is turning to the Army (its the most popular military branch).

So we are going back to plan A even though we don't look highly on it. He will go back to UCCS and join ROTC and graduate in two years then go active as a officer. I am hoping that by next year there are more jobs opening up so more civilians can get the jobs they want and Ski can have the job he wants back.

A year later and it still feels like yesterday.

Things have changed so much in a year, yet at the same time nothing has changed at all. I can't believe a year has come and gone in a blink of an eye, yet my heart still aches as if I just heard you were taken away from us. The days just flew by and not one of them went without me thinking of you. Everything feels different yet normal.

During holidays we set a placing for you with Mutley and Oink Roy, but the turkey is smaller and there aren't enough deserts. Maybe its cause we miss you or we just don't eat as much as you do. You would have turned 50 this year and we would have gotten you a box of goodies for your old age. You would have gotten the Depends, Denture cream, Oatmeal, magnifying glass, laxatives. We would have had so much fun with you. Cause by then all your brothers would have joined in. After it was said it done you you would start planning my mom's. Oh how I miss you. Nothing seems to run right without you. I hope you are doing well tell Opa and Joe I miss them as well. Please don't feel bad, it was just your time to go. We just have to learn to live with out you.

The weather needs to make up its mind!

So yesterday started out nice the weather was nice and warm, by noon it was snowing/raining and it stopped in 30 minutes. We need the moisture so that was a good thing, by 3PM the ground was dry. Around 5:30-6:00 PM it started snowing again. We went into Borders to trade a book and when we walked out our car was covered in snow. It stopped again around 7:30PM. I am glad we are getting moisture, but Spring is here so shouldn't we be getting Spring showers not snow showers? Here are some pics and a video if I can figure out the video.

Designing part 2 lol

Here are some more pictures. I am just so excited!

Designing a new hobby!

One of my friends on my friends list on myspace has a design site. A design site is a site that they make things from photo shop pro or gimp. She talked me into downloading gimp (it was free lol). I did like 6 pictures yesterday and I think they turned out good. It really fun and I get to do what I like to them. One girl Syd said that I did awesome work and it made me feel so good like I was actually good at! I am going to upload them so you can see them.

I got the pictures from www.deviantart.com. But the sayings on the pictures are mine from my little ol' head! Please enjoy them.

Update on Ski and the Army

So Ski called his recruiter on Monday to find out if he has heard anything from Waiver Authority and his recruiter needed to send all medical records up again. His recruiter sent everything up on Tuesday so we should hear back in 2 weeks. We are also waiting to hear from the guy he worked with in the Congressman's office to see if he can do anything or find anything out. Hopefully after this we will be able to go active! So frustrating!

Blizzard!!!!

Yesterday was a lovely 50-60 degree weather the snow we got melted by the time Ski had to go work. And today started out with the sun out and last nights snow melting, by 12PM it started to snow and didn't let up until about an hour ago. Not bad but they still have us on Blizzard watch. Thank goodness it is Spring break. Here are some pictures. The slush tried to melt and actually froze so on the grass its snow and on the sidewalks and streets its clumps of ice. I only worked an hour today before my manager sent me home. Tomorrow if it keeps snowing as they are predicting we wont open. Its an adult snow day for me hopefully :). My poor puppy doesn't even want to go out and eat the snow its so cold.

Birthday!

Today was the 23rd birthday! It was a pretty awesome day I must say! It started off with a weird guy soliciting something, we didn't answer cause they woke us up. Then I took Ski to work and hung out there for a bit. My Oma took me to lunch at a restaurant called The Hungry Bear in Woodland Park, CO it was so rustic and cute! The food was amazing! I will definitely be going back. After lunch I went and hung with my Grandma A. We took a walk around her neighborhood and then we went back and made some tortillas for us. For dinner my mommy made me Roldan my favorite birthday meal! The potatoes tasted like enchiladas for some reason so that was odd. Everything was so great.

I received awesome gifts! From my Oma I got a perfume and lotion set I can't wait to use it. From my mom I got two pictures framed they are adorable I just love them and can't wait to hang them! A quilt she hasn't finished, lotion, a beautiful necklace, aromatherapy diffuser, and some soap! I also go money, but I like the other things!

So much sadness!

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/41385427.html

There was a horrible car accident. One girl died. She was pinned between her van and the gas pump. The link at the top will tell you what happened.

I wanted to hit on the fact that these horrible things we see in movies and don't think they could happen to us, but it can and in a blink of an eye. I am so thankful for all of my friends and family.

Please go kiss and hug your loved ones. Call them if they aren't near you to say I love you!

Who would have thought!

Last night Ski and I went out with Amanda and Jeffrey Harris. First we went to Cowboy's and that was kinda dull, but I did find that I like Amareto Sours! Which was nice. After about two hours of sitting watching older people dance we decided to go to Brunzwick bowling alley. We bowled three games which was fun Amanda and I started out well but by the end of the first game we were kinda stinking!

The guys couldn't find out exactly how Amanda and I bowled and got the ball to go straight to the gutter. Of course by the third game they were making fun of us and tyring to show us how to bowl. When Jeffrey did the impression of Amanda bowling he fell and still knocked down 9 pins. We couldn't stop laughing it was so much fun! I couldn't have had a better night with them. I will post pictures when I get them from Amanda.

Waiting

All Ski is waiting for is the yes or no for him going back into the Army. So please pray for us!

Monday!

Ski got his psych eval for Monday at 7AM which means he will have to go to Denver on Sunday. I am so excited its like we are finally moving again! I just hope he gets in soon!

My birthday is in 2 weeks so I am looking forward to that! Thats about it for today!

The start of March and still nothing from the Army!

So its March and we are still waiting for Ski to get is psychological evaluation date. He passed his physical and called his recruiter Monday 17 Feb 09 on his way down from MEPS and told him to set up a psychological consult and he said he would when he called back a week later on Thursday his recruiter says "I was suppose to do that?" So they started it again it takes 4 days up the chain of command and 4 days to get back so it should be anytime right? Well by Thursday of the week he got home from MEPS it should have been to the top of command and we should have heard something Wednesday the 25th of Feb. It is the 2nd of March and nothing. The good thing is Ski is going for back pay from the Social Security Office for his PTSD all the paper work has been turned and now we wait for another month the hear anything back.

Nothing new with me other then frustration of his recruiters dumb ways. I am waiting for a good slow time to go to the school to get all my records and prove I have been paying out of state since 04 to 06 then have them pay off my school loans. Oh there are 16 days til my birthday and 17 til Ashley's!

Physical

Ski passed his physical with flying colors! Now all he has to do is go back for his psychological. He is hoping to go up on Sunday so he can see the psychologist on Monday. Those are the only days that they do psychological evaluations.

We are so close I am so excited! Ski is hoping to get orders by March! And since something is actually happening it may just work!

MEPS

Ski is in Denver relaxing getting ready for his physical tomorrow. I am hoping they do his physical and his psychological review in one day.

There was a minor bump this morning when taking him to his recruiter. We arrived he left and I drove away I wasn't even a mile away when he texted me "come back they aren't here". We staid there for an hour waiting and calling everyone on the sheet. Finally he got a hold of someone and apparently they forgot it was Monday. The recruiter came down and he was off.

He is now at the hotel chilling like a villin I think he was working out earlier today. I haven't talked to him since 4:00. Sadness :) Please keep in your prayers that he will be active duty within the next two months! Hopefully the end of March so I can go to FL for my cousins wedding!

Update on Christina

Christina my sister in law is out of the hospital. She has to go the doctors next week for some test. Whatever those test show will determine if she has to get test done monthly or more then that. There was a possibility of surgery but the doctor doesn't want to do surgery if its not needed at this time.

More to come later!

XOXO,
Crystal

Finally

So Ski has his physical set for Tuesday. Which means he has to be to the recruiting station on Monday at 11 am. Its about dang time! It took him calling the congressman and the MEPS batalion to get anything done. Even after that they lady at the batalion said he didn't have the waiver, but the congressman said he did. She had to call this guy in Denver to find out what was going on. And now he gets his physical I am so excited!!!

My sister-in-law was admitted yesterday for more tests. She is waiting to leave, but until she talks to the nuerosurgen she can't leave. I will have more updates on her when I get them. Please keep her in your prayers.

Finally

After waiting for nine months for a physical the got cleared to go to MEPS for his physical and his psychological consult!!! Hopefully Ski will go to MEPS this Friday. Crossing our fingers that this will be the only time he has to go to MEPS and get cleared to re-enlist!

It has been a long nine months for our family and friends. Everything has been on hold for everything school, work, etc.

On another note my sister-in-law went to the hospital yesterday tehy thought she had a stroke but it ended up being anuerysm in her brain that is bleeding. They are waiting for an anigogram to find out what they need to do to stop it and the side effects of the surgery if it is needed. So please keep her in your prayers. She went home last night and this morning she said her left side of her face went numb and that is the last we heard.

Memory Bear!

This wonderful woman named Rox got into the hobby of making memory bears. A memory bear is a bear made out of fabric from a loved one that has passed away.

For my mom's birthday I requested a bear from her made from one of Kurts t-shirts. My mom's birthday is February 9th and she got it done today. It is just the cutes and most beautiful bear I have seen. Here are some pictures of what "Kurtie" looks like.

How time goes

My best friend from junior high came into town this past week. We only got to spend a day catching up and hanging out. But it was one awesome day! It was like we didn't live thousands of miles away. And only talked maybe once every few months.

I just wish we had more time to hang out and catch up. But what a great day!!!

The Last Three Day's

Ski got food posioning on Wednesday night/ Thursday night. It was just horrid for him. I went to work then I went and stayed with my best friend Tabby. I talked to him all day and night, by 7pm he was able to eat half a bowl of oatmeal with no side effects everything went away.

I on the other hand went to Tabby's around 6PM and went shopping with her and got her a new entertainment center (which we got into her car and it hasn't come out yet). We decided that carrying it up 3 floors was not a good idea at 9PM. We watch some tv then finished the season of Everwood and man we should have watched it slower. If you don't know what Everwood is, its a show about a big time New York docotor whose wife passes away in an accident and he moves his 15yr old son and 9yr old daughter to Everwood Colorado. He opens a small clinic and gives away free medical services. When a girl needs Dr Brown to do a brain surgery on her boyfriend he does and he wakes up. It is about these to families coming together and learning more and more about their family. To sum it up season two isn't on DVD yet.

The next morning we went to the mall to hang out before I had work. We found amazing sales at Bath and Body Works and VS.

I really missed hanging out with her and we are going to plan on spending more time with each other!!!

Pondering

So the girl that appointed me the Leader for Colorado Springs for LFATO, is changing her mind a lot in the past two days. One minute she is reading up on how to become a non profit. So I start coming up with ideas of how we can get donations for care packages and for the fees of the organization. When I tell her these ideas Ski and I come up with and are excited about because they may work, she doesn't like them and tells me to just try to get money. Well I am spending more money then I am making. I have spent 12 dollars on flyer's and 5 dollars worth of stamps mailing this information out to my family hoping they will help. She also wont give me the soldiers address so I can send them the care packages my group does. I have to send them to her so she can send them out. Which to me is just weird :).

I am thinking of starting my own thing and have my family and friends write letters and get care packages together. If they are interested in and I think I have enough people to help boost the morale of soldiers I will be dedicated to do doing it. I will also give them the address of where we are sending letters and packages so they can be independent with when they want to send things.

I am looking for some feedback. I think I can do it and I have Ski's support but I have my doubts. So please please give me feedback.

The Colorado Springs LFATO team!

I have the greatest husband and friends I could ask for. I have seen a huge turn out for Letters From Across The Ocean. Its just thrilling for me to see I can make an impact.

I have gathered a team of awesome people its small but it will grow. I have my husband, Janna, and Kandy! In two weeks we are going to get together and have a official meeting of what we want to see happen in Colorado Springs to spread the word of this great organization that Tiffany has started. She is the owner of LFATO and she is stationed in California, with her reaching out to have a group in CO is great for her to actually get this up and going!!! I just love them all!!!!

Letters From Across The Ocean

I have been helping out a friend of mine Tiffany with writing letters to soldiers overseas. It has been very rewarding for me in a way no one can understand. Today I was given a great opportunity!! I was asked to be the leader for Colorado Springs, for this organization. This is a huge start for Tiffany, this is one step closer to becoming a nonprofit organization. I am so excited and would love it if we had more people help out with letters and donations along with getting more people to write!

Here is the website for more information!
www.myspace.com/lettersfromacrosstheocean
www.lettersfromacrosstheocean.bravehost.com

Please please go check this out and see if it something you want to do. All we are are asking and hoping for are more people to write these soldiers and give them your support!

This past year

Most of you know this past year was hard on the Quinones family. In April we lost a brother, uncle and father Kurt. He passed away due to heart failure and we miss him terribly. It is a shock that it will be a year since we lost him.

Also Ski and I decided that going back into the Army was the best thing for both of us. He started the process in May and he is still going through the process after getting a congressional letter, and 3 new recruiter they set him with one that hopefully will make it easy to go back in. We are just waiting for an appointment with MEPS this week and will get his orders in the very near future. It has been a long 9 months of crap. The first recruiter he had left and when she left they delted all her files so they had to rebuild Ski in the system.

Over Christmas my dad's store was flooded with an inch of water through out the store. The nail salon next door had a pipe break. Matt the manager called dad to have him come to the store on the 23rd of December. The fire department sucked out the water as best as they could and we got the carpets cleaned. The downfall was that non of our boxes were insurable because of the water damage. It was the mositure in the builidng that ruined the boxes.

Ski lost his friend SPC Christopher Fox on September 29th while in Iraq. He is now even more eager to go back in. Even with this tradegy he gained a good friend. On January 17th 2009 another one of Ski's took his own life, he was getting out of the service with server PTSD and they gave him a new medication which brought him down more. This was hard for Ski as well, but in all the darkness we found some of our old friends and military family. I just hope we stay incontact with them.

Hello

I made this site so my family that don't have myspace or facebook can read what I have been up to. And its my way of keep my family update on things going on in my life. I try to stay in contact with them but e-mail usually works the best for us so I am hoping this works even better. We shall find out!!!