June 08, 1982 - December 29, 2011

Only one year has passed,

Though it feels like longer.

People say things will get better

don't feel any stronger.

At time I sit and cry

missing you oh so much.

The way we laughed, your smile

deep in my heart you have forever touched.

Not a day goes by that you don't come to my mind

I think about you, I miss you

I wish you were here with me.

Things aren't the same without you here,

So many things that you are missing

I sit here thinking of you.

I hope you're happy where ever you are now

I smile thinking of the good times and bad

When you were happy, when you were mad

Forever you will stay within my heart

I'll never forget you

I cherish you forever

You were amazing you were my true love.

Love Always your wife & kids

Cindy, Johnny Boy, JJ, & Alexia De Luna

(StatePoint)

From battling crowds and braving the weather to re-gifting and returns, holiday shopping can be stressful. A recent survey commissioned by Groupon, a daily deal website, found that 60 percent of respondents consider “finding the right gift” a top giving challenge. “Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be a burden,” advises Brett Runyan, a Grouponcierge, one of Groupon’s gift-giving experts.  “There are many ways to ease the pain of finding the right gifts, so that you can fully enjoy the joyous side of giving.” According to Runyan, new tools and old tricks can help you solve this age-old conundrum.

• Go local: Not all presents come wrapped. Help people you love discover the towns they love. Concert tickets, cooking classes, helicopter rides -- the gift of experience is one they'll never forget and certainly beats another tie or scarf. 

• Travel Made Easy: Score brownie points by arranging a weekend getaway for someone. Doing so doesn’t need to require extensive planning on your part. By subscribing to a daily deal website, like Groupon, you’ll get completely planned travel deals sent to your inbox. Impress a tough crowd like your in-laws with minimal effort!

• Play it Safe: Letting gift recipients pick their own presents is a safe bet when you don’t know someone all that well. But rather than purchasing a traditional gift certificate, consider waiting for a deal that allows you to purchase store credit at discounted rates. Remember, if you’re shopping for someone in another part of the country, think national or online retailers.

• Avoid the stores: Brick and mortar stores can mean lines and headache. Rather than muscle your way through multiple stores in pursuit of the perfect present, try a one-stop-shop that you can visit from home. A daily deal website can help you save on the newest toys, gifts for the home and gadgets. And this season purchases from mobile devices are more popular than ever as people buy on the go.  More than half of all Groupon Goods purchases made over Thanksgiving Weekend were from mobile devices.

• Charitable gifts: Some people truly have it all. Instead of giving such friends and family one more thing they don’t need, support a cause in their honor. Choose an organization that’s meaningful to you or them -- many have special contribution options for gifts.

• Get Help: Tired of brainstorming? Don’t be afraid to get help. New resources can help you find an appropriate present for those tricky recipients, such as your “sort of” boyfriend or girlfriend, your boss or your 10-year old nephew. For example, Groupon’s new Gift Finder tool asks you three simple questions about your recipient and searches for deals on potential presents. You can also send a tweet to @groupon for real time gift suggestions.  Just send a note with the #groupongifts hashtag and say who you’re shopping for, where they live and what their interests are and you’ll get a message back with a suggestion. With the right strategies, shopping for anyone can be a stress-free experience.

(StatePoint)

Two of the most commonly made and commonly broken New Year’s resolutions are saving money and paying off debt. These are promises we all seem to make to ourselves every year with every intention of seeing through. But somehow, we wind up in the same spot we were before.  So how can you make sure that 2013 is the year you take control of your finances and start making your money work for you? 

• Figure out what your objectives are -- be it paying off debt, buying a first home, or saving for vacation. Identifying your goals can help you stay motivated.  Consider placing a visual reminder somewhere you’ll see all the time, like the refrigerator.

• Many people have no idea how much money they spend monthly. Creating a spending plan is vital if you want to make your money do for you what you want it to. If you share your finances with someone else, make sure he or she is part of this process as well. 

• Many financial services companies offer free tools to help you easily see what you’ve been spending and ways you can save. For example, the non-profit Family Credit Management offers spending plans, savings guides and a comprehensive personal financial goals workbook that help you to lay out a strong plan in an easy way.  Visit www.FamilyCredit.org to see these and other financial tools.

• Make the small changes that add up to big savings. Most people have small expenses that they can live without. Maybe for you it’s a coffee every morning on your way to work. If you do this every weekday, that adds up to $1,300 per year! If that’s important to you, then fine. But if it’s not worth the annual amount you’re spending, cut the cost. The idea is not to strip the fun from your life, but to save money on things that you really don’t care about. For more areas to save in your daily life, visit www.StopThinkSave.org.

• Involve your whole family. Many parents feel the need to shelter kids from financial strain, but budgeting is an invaluable life lesson that you can teach them by including them in the process. 

• Ask for help! If you feel you could use some guidance, reach out to a certified credit counselor who is licensed by your state’s banking department and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Visit www.FamilyCredit.org to find a certified counselor.

• Finally, figure out what to do with your new found savings! If you’re not sure where you’d like to keep or invest your money, you can visit bankrate.com and investigate high interest, low balance requirement savings accounts.  Once you’ve completed these steps, you are on your way! Saving money is habit forming -- when you get your monthly statement and you see money building up, you’ll want to put more and more away. It’s a great way to get started on a financially successful New Year.