Prayer update on Giovanni...

So Gio and the Baca family members had a very hard emotional week, with Gio's initial misplacement for summer and the fall year. If you have been praying for him thank you! GOD is taking care of the issue his child is facing right now, Vince and I believe in our son! together we have been the greatest team during this difficult time, and will not stop until Gio achieves what he wants in life, and right now he is showing us that he wants to read and write. Giovanni has been through mental and emotional abuse this past week at school, it was so bad for him that I truly missed my sons active self with a big smile on his face, but instead I had this kid that was depressed and sad! I will never forget the look on his face when the teacher looked at him, he would look down at the floor and walk covering his mouth as if she had total control of him and his feelings! But that's not the case today! a new day is here and I have lots of hope for the future and Gio's safe now that's what matters the most, just pray for me now!! that I humble my heart to not attack the people who hurt my little cub. A good friend Michelle Hopkins told me it's like this, "you can hurt the mama bear and maybe even hurt the papa bear, but you never ever want to hurt the mama's baby cubs, because then your asking for trouble." Here's to you friend, she has listen to all of my pain this past week, and I thank GOD for friends like her! Gio is now going to a new school again and guess what I think he knows that, because Vince and I this morning, heard him laughing with joy playing with his little brother running around the house making his brother cry! I just want Giovanni to be happy, books with great friends and people like Mrs. Hildebrand his teacher for the past 3 years who always showed him love and warmth, she always believed that a hug in the morning made a day brighter and a smile after school left a child feeling safe, I love and miss you Julie! So here's to our new journey with Gio and the hope that we stay strong like a rock, because we know that GOD is first... I believe Gio will write about this and all of his life experiences in his own BOOK, that's why I have been so strong and Faithful through out this time, I see his future and it's filled with lots an lots of hard earned achievements!!!! "Thank you GOD for giving me a clear mind and a heart filled with faith and hope for a joyful life with my son."

Pray for Giovanni...

Please we ask that you pray for Giovanni, in the area of school, with his new teacher and classmates. He is working so hard to fit into this new environment, I know how much you all love him, so I'm asking that you pray for him by name and let our LORD Father hear our prayers for Gio. I really do think this is what Gio has been waiting for,but it takes time and I can only see him go through so much... So I also have been praying that GOD help me let go of the little boy and welcome the new Gio, which is great to see! He loves it all, but mom needs to open some new doors. I can't point fingers right now, but just know that one person is giving him a hard time, a person I though would love the challenge of helping a child in need, a work in progress...But that's life! I have to pray for this persons heart to be more kind, a soft more caring heart, not much to ask for in this line of work Right! I mean that's why GOD places you in this path, because you must have a BIG heart to work with special needs children... And now it's time to work the hardest I have ever worked with my son, so that he may have great success, and GOD first this will just all be for a short time, (the change) The good thing is that Gio knows how much Vince and I love him, we never let go, and he feels that, after his first day of summer school, it was so hard for him, that when he got into the car he started to cry and asked to go potty, and only want me to hold him... So please pray for Giovanni by name to GOD, and his LORD FATHER will take care of the rest....

Happy Fathers Day Vince Baca...

I have been thinking what is a father? And what should a father be like? Well growing up my father was my mother, so I didn't feel the love of a father and what that should feel like, until I meet my husband Vince. He has been a great care giver, dad, and shoulder to cry on for me and my two boys. I can remember watching a single mother working so hard to get what I needed, sometimes to hard, at times she felt to tired to play dolls, or just spending quiet time with me was to hard, but in my head I knew she loved her daughters so much! I started to question what is a dad and how and where could I find one, all the other kids had one, and I just needed to ask my mom for one next time we went shopping for food!! But guess what, I came to realize as I got older that my dad had bigger plans in life away from me, so I start to hate life and him for leaving and never coming back. I gave my mom the hardest time for divorcing my dad, and one day I just let it all go and started to live my own life and not my dads mistakes. I got a call from him 25 years later he told me "I love and want to see you, so that you can forgive me you see I found GOD and I need to be forgiving from you." So I did see him, and I told him it's not me you need to ask forgiveness from, and slowly started to see the light, my dad just passed away one month ago, and I will never get to say good bye to him and how much I truly do love him, and what he means to me, and that I should not judge him for my own decision in my own life because of bad choices he made in his life, but now that he's gone I will still continue to pray for him and only hope that he believed in Jesus Christ as his LORD. So then I meet this great guy, and I start to let go of all the hate and wishing for some thing that was never meant for me for reasons I should never question! Vince and I have two sons together and that's when I witness a dad's love for a child, a breath of clean fresh air, a moment in time, a shoulder that never gets tired, a dad that gives all and keeps nothing for himself, a man who is chosen to always pick up the pieces and never lets go. So I want to say to my husband Vince, and to all of the fathers that love and stay to be loved, and give without caring if you receive, Thank you and may GOD bless your path as a dad. I have been through many deaths, so I can't and will not miss out on this love, the love of a father to his child, we love you Vince and I truly thank GOD for your presence in our life, Here's to you papa, and the gift of becoming a father to your two boys, remember not all men are strong enough to be a dad, that's why I now know that GOD blesses you with the gift of fatherhood and gives you all the strenght you need to succeed at it. In this picture I think is the best gift any dad can receive, an 8 year old boy who is affected with autism and can't speak at the moment is now writing, after many years of not showing any signs of communication, and his 2 year old typical brother is holding up his big bothers handwriting work with joy. Glory to GOD in the Highest above all...

Gio is now writing, Vince and I have been waited for this moment to come, we have to keep our Faith and Pray...

I think this is the best fathers day gift ever, our 8 year old son that is affected with autism who has so speech at the moment writes how he feels for his papa...

Giovanni and Joshua Baca, Vince's two boys holding up what they want to say to their papa....

Well I guess it all comes to an end, Joshua felt tired about it all, but guess what papa he loves you too...haha

TACA Picnic...

I'm sure you all have heard of TACA, it's been in our family for years, and every year we love taking the kids to their picnic, it's lots of fun! Talk about curing autism now, says it all for our family... Here's Giovanni playing with a new friend he made all on his own, the boy came up to Gio without words and looked at him, he wanted to play with Gio, so Gio without any words, but one said to the boy "play." I always feel so overwhelmed when I go to these events, because it's getting bigger every year, more and more kids and familys are affected by autism, and that kills me, really I start to feel like I'm taking on the world all by myself and I hate that feeling of why my son!!! But then I look at my son and get all cleared up, I start to pray inside and I get this feeling of happiness that GOD choose me and I need to do all that is right by Him and Faith starts running through my veins and the joy that His LORD Father knows best, and I should just live that... There are days when you feel like when, how, and why, and you feel so small and the world so big. Then there are days when you feel Faith, Hope, and Joy, and I start feeling I don't want to be of this world, I need GOD and noting else matters more , because I believe in GOD, that he sent His only son to pay for the sins of this world, so Lord I give you Gio and our family to teach us your ways and not ours...

I love this picture of Gio and his dad Vince... It's not a clear picture, but I see the path is straight and Gio is saying to his papa come on I have someone I want you to meet...

Tammy, Gio and Joshua's auntie, they love her and so do we. I don't think she will ever give up on her nephew Gio...

Giovanni, Katie, and Joshua waiting their turn in line, Katie has helped Gio so much...

So Joshua come up to his dad and yells "papa look school." He was showing off his art work that he made at the picnic...

Gio loves to swing, and he prefers to ride all on his own...

His smile says it all...

We take his cousin Katie everywhere we go, and I think she like it too...

OK, sometimes a kid has to be a kid, he can only wait so long in line...

Joshua always plays with or without you! TACA has help me in so many ways, from how to make it through an IEP on your own, to loving your child that is inside, and working throught the label called autism from the outside, so thanks a million to those that care for us family's living with autism...

All I want for Christmas is, my two front teeth...

So this week Gio lost his other front tooth, OK! I pulled it out for him, I was only helping him eat his apples better, haha!! So I told him to take a picture to show the tooth fairy when she comes to get his tooth and he loved it all, and so did I... In this picture I was taking him to buy something with the money that was under his pillow that morning, OK! back in the day I only got one or two quarters, if that! and boy was I the happiest kid on the block, because I could buy not one but two of my favorite candy's. But as you all know Gio doesn't speak much, so I give him a lot more money then I received as a kid, I think he deserves it so much more. So I asked him what he wanted to buy with his money, not to mention the smile he had on his face, without a blink, he yelled out "fries."


But, Joshua wasn't to happy about it at all. He said to me "mama take out tooth's, I want fries too." Well Josh has a lot more to learn about life. I will take it one day at a time with this little guy, but I told him take a picture and we can show papa how mad you are, and he said "Papa buy fries."

Joshua remembers the Disney Cruise Ship...

OK, so Josh loves this hat , it's the hat he was wearing on the Cruise. He puts it on and his imagination comes to life, he tells us "Magic Ship." I just love it, he makes Gio sing and dance to Disney music that we have on CD, and tells his brother "Mickey's coming, clap hands." When I tell him it's time to take the hat off, he cries and tells me "your mad mama, be nice."


Well I guess if you look at his point of view, why not have some fun. And just look at all the great places this hat took him. Sitting here with his big brother on white sand, and perfect blue sky's...


Having a cool drink, enjoying his alone time with his favorite person, his papa...


In the clear beautiful water...
looking at the Magic ship from the beach...

And lets not forget all of his favorite things, his papa, his big brother, his favorite bag of chips, looking at the Magic ship from the beach...Well, Josh I guess your right I'm mad, that I don't have your imagination... but the good thing is that I will always remember yours son...

Jasmine & Matthew 2009...

OK, my niece and nephew graduated from Jr. High last week, I'm so proud of them both. Jasmine is my older sister Janis's daughter, and Matthew is Vince's little sister Michelle's son. It's so funny how they both graduated together at the same school, and now will both attend the same High School, sorry Janis and Michelle...In this picture Jasmine is with my sons Gio and Josh.



Frank Matthew's dad, Matthew's friend, Michelle Vince's sister and Matthew...


Jasmine, Ray, and my son Joshua...


Michelle with her son, she is a great hard working mom blessed by GOD...


In this picture, Jasmine and her friends...



Frank with his son Matt, I loved this moment of them both...



Jasmine and her parents, Ricky and my sister Janis, I'm so proud of them, they always put their kids first...


I love this moment, father and daughter, this was the first person she went to, her DAD...



Jasmine looking so pretty...


Jasmine receiving her Diploma...


Matthew receiving his Diploma...


Jasmine's family waited for her name to be called...


OK, I know they didn't want to take this picture, but I'm glad they did. Jasmine and Matthew congratulations...

Giovanni's end of the year party at the park...

Gio and the girls, well I guess he's having fun...

We had our end of the year party at Heritage Park like we had last year, but it was a little different this time I think all of the kids have come a long way, they all are really great kids with lots of love to share with anyone. Also this is the end of their 3rd grade year, with Mrs. Hildebrand their teacher for the pass 3 years. The Baca family will truly miss her and her staff, but here's to 3 wonderful years, and not saying good bye, I will see you around town and please keep in touch...

I know that the pictures must look the same, but if you look closer you will see most of the kids are looking at the camera, and that's big for all of our kids.

Here's to class of 2008/2009, and the years before that to many to count, I thank GOD for that, and the love Gio and his classmates received with Miss Julie and her staff...

Not all of the kids are in this picture, but with our kids you just have to keep taking all the pictures you can, because they don't like to wait around...

Surfers Healing 2009...

Surfers Healing was great, thank you Lorenzo, Tammy, Grandma, Grandpa, and Katie for coming to watch Giovanni surf, to see him have lots of fun for a change. Lorenzo thanks for all of your help you made our day enjoyable with lots of shade. Surfers Healing is a place where kids affected with autism can come and ride waves with professional surfers. It's truly a blessing to witness the kids have so much fun... In this picture I had to show how mad Joshua was that he didn't get a chance to surf again.


Gio coming out of the cold water to meet me, after his long ride...

Gio did great!! I just loved this moment, watching my son have so much fun...


Gio liked standing up, he did almost the entire time...


The girls watching their sons ride waves, Julie, Me, and Michelle


The surfer told me, "I asked him if he was happy and he said HAP-PY back to me it was great to hear a kid talk back to me."


Gio going for a second round of fun...



He didn't want to get off the board, he jumped off the board once...



Gio's first wave...


Gio's second wave...



And this is Gio going for a third wave...



He knew that something fun was about to happen to him...


Katie, his cousin was loving it, she always helps Vince and I with Gio. Thank you Katie for coming, it means a lot to your cousin Gio...



"I don't know what Gio is thinking here, but I know he is happy to have family who cares, like Gio's papa Vince who captured this moment forever in a picture, and the people that make a difference in a life living with autism, thank you GOD for the Surfers Healing program, the staff and surfers who volunteer their time to make a child with autism feel happy with the one thing that makes them happy the most WATER...