The Ford Chronicles

Times of Transition

2011-12-19T03:36:00.003-06:00

I love change. I really do.

I love moving to new places.

I love new projects.

I love new ventures.

Well, there have been two new changes in our lives that have been quite the transition.

#1: My sweet nephew, Anthony, has moved in with us. He had moved to Guam with his family, but got the opportunity to move back. He was going to move in with us, at the time, after a few weeks. It ended up being within a week!

I picked him up at the airport with the kids on Dec. 9th and it's already been a week. Time just flies.

We have so enjoyed his company and the kids can't get enough of him. E asks to play Stratego with him every day. C and G looove being thrown up in the air and tickled and read to. M has enjoyed talking about the romance Anthony has going on with his girlfriend, Marissa. M is suuuuch a romantic.

This has been a delightful transition.

#2: I moved the girls to their own room about a week or two before Anthony moved in (without correlation. I just knew it was time). Well, one of them wakes up every night, sometimes multiple times a night. Sooooo, I have slept upstairs ever since I moved them up here; on the floor next to their bed, on the bed with them, on the couch in the schoolroom . . . What a transition this has been.

I think a baby monitor might do the trick, but wouldn't you know, I just got rid of the one we've had for 9 years this summer . . . grrrrr.

And, I'm cheap.

So, I don't want to spend money on a new one . . .

Buuuuut, I am desperate to sleep a full night with my husband again, and he keeps telling me he misses me :-(

Darn it! I need to bite the bullet and get a stinkin' monitor!!!

This has been a not-so-delightful transition.

Anyway, here's to change and wonderful family!!!!

It's a Snap!

2011-12-06T01:14:00.004-06:00

G knows how to snap!

Tonight, while sitting with Daddy, G put her fingers together and snapped! She’s not even two yet and her tiny fingers did the trick. She’s been watching C do this for a looooong time and tried and tried to copy. Recently, she started making the clicking sound with her mouth while she moved her arms around as if she was snapping away. It was so cute.

Well, tonight she figured it out and we were thrilled for her. And, thanks to C, she had an excellent teacher!

"What is love?" he asks.

2011-11-18T13:52:00.005-06:00

The kids are having lunch. I am in the kitchen cleaning up and getting my coffee. This is the conversation I hear the boys having:

E: Uh, Sir. What is love?
M: Huh?
E. This is a silly question. What is love? (in kind of a play adult voice)(I am thinking, "that is NOT a silly question!! Many adults don't know what love is!)
M: Love isssss . . . when you are nice to people.
E. So, if I am nice to God, then I will go to heaven?
M: nooo. You have to believe in Jesus.
E: Oh, then you can go to heaven? (He is now acting like someone other than himself, almost as if to test M)
M: Well, you also have to . . . ( at this point I am so having to control myself not to add my two cents . . the truth I know in case they get it wrong. I hold my tongue so I can see IF THEY know the truth!!! How wonderful that they are talking through the most vital topic ever!!!) kind of work for Him. You need to do good things.
E: Like what?
M: You need to help people. And go to church.
E: OK. That . . .
M: Oh!! And you need to pray! And you need to read your Bible!!!
E: What is that?
M: It's a book about God and you learn about Jesus.

At this point I had to go and tend to the girls. They kept talking and I heard E get sillier and sillier and they laughed and had a good time. I told them that I was so glad they were talking about this.

So precious are these children to me. Thank You Lord, for letting me be their mommy. I am truly so privileged.

***

While salvation is not dependent on works, it IS ALL ABOUT JESUS, and I believe they get that. They know that no matter what you do, unless you believe and follow Jesus, it's all for naught.

Weaner's Remorse

2011-11-09T01:18:00.008-06:00

Buyer's Remorse.

Seller's Remorse.

Both are very familiar.

Weaner's Remorse. What?!?

I am coining a new term because Weaner's Remorse is what I have right now.

Actually, not at this very moment as I sit in C's bed with C and G on either side of me sleeping so soundly, but, I have been having it in droves of late. On Nov. 2nd, in the middle of the day, I decided it was time to wean G from breastfeeding . . . and I was overcome with Weaner's Remorse!

We had gone to the nursing home to minister to those precious, old souls when G kept asking for baba's. It was during the message, so it wasn't taking me away from the residents there, but as she laid there playing and not really eating, I realized it was time. G is 22 months old, I think we've had a great run, but, it's now time to move on. There is a point when a mommy just knows that it's time to wean. It happened also with C and M. I just knew we were both ready and/or needing to move on.

We came home and she asked for baba's again, and I tried to destract her, hold her, feed her . . . a slew of things. And, this is when I realized there is a very strong correlation between drug withdrawals and breastfeeding withdrawals.

G got to the point of absolute panic. She was crying then screaming, she was shaking and snot was coming down her nose. She was sweating and kicking and when I would hold her she would kick and scream and pull at my shirt. I tried holding and dancing with her. I tried rubbing her back, singing to her, playing with her. She was absolutely inconsolable. I felt so bad, but I really believe that it was our time to stop. The kids were asking me to please feed her, but I had made my decision.

Talk about weaner's remorse!!!! I had it through and through and boy did I question myself!

She finally tired herself out and I rocked her and rocked her. I sang to her the Ford version of Mockingbird through tears and heartache, and I looked up to see Martini and Ethan just staring at us and mesmerized, completely distracted from their schoolwork. When I stopped singing, they said, "Mommy! I like that song." And, I got to tell them how I used to sing it to them when they were so little. Again, more tears at those memories.

Now, this was not just a rash decision that day. I had been pondering weaning her for about two months, but I just couldn't. I loved nursing her and our time together was so precious. At night, which was my favorite time to nurse, she would lay in bed and just giggle and say, "Mommy! Baba's!" and just hug me and enjoy it so much. But, she would nurse almost the entire night. I noticed a cavity in one of her front teeth and this is something we have struggled with all the children. Doctors definitely don't recommend nursing through the night because of deterioration, but I have always been partial to cosleeping and night-nursing. Also, in the daytime, she was starting to want baba's all the time and not really eat, but just pacify herself. It was getting quite difficult with homeschooling and such and I realized also she would "snack" on baba's and not eat enough food.

Back to Nov 2nd. That night, I told MyLove my decision while kind of seeing if what I said was rational. He told me that he was on board with whatever I decided. I fully intended it to be the end, but that night, she was desperate and so giggly and happy to have baba's and I was too tired to resist. So, my sweet G got her baba's and I got sleep!

Fastforward to Nov. 5th. MyLove surprised me with a wonderful birthday karaoke party that lasted 'til 3AM, so with the urging and encouraging of Mema, G spent her first night away from me and without baba's. I cried. I felt sad. I felt guilty.

Weaner's remorse . . .

Tonight is now the 3rd night at home that she has not had baba's. The last time she nursed was early, early on the morning of my birthday. I still have weaner's remorse in that I do miss our sweet time together. I miss putting her to sleep in such a precious, trusting way.

The past two nights I have had to rock her and console her to sleep. With the others, I would push them around the house in the umbrella stroller. G loathes it for some reason. Something sweet has come of this though. Each night I hold her she falls asleep on my chest after some crying and confusion of what she really wants. She wakes up wanting baba's but I just tell her, "Mama's here. Mama's here." and I rub her back or rock her again and lay her down. It's really been sweet because our bonding time hasn't gone away. We are just bonding now in a different way. Whenever she is tired, she buries her head in my skin or my shirt and just smells me and wants to be close to me. It just tugs at my heart so much

So, my weaner's remorse is slowing waning because we are still able to bond.

My sweet G, one thing I regret so deeply is I never captured on video your excitement before going to bed with the baba's. So sweet. So innocent. I love you!!!!

I want to remember this: while getting ready to take you to Mema's, you grabbed my bra and brought it to me saying, "Mommy. Baba's. Pleeeease." and I so wish I had nursed you one last time, but instead I felt like I shouldn't do it since I had started weaning during the day. So, we finished getting ready and got in the van. I am crying as I write this even. Your voice was so sweet and hopeful . . . Boy, I just feel so terrible. What was the big deal? I could have nursed you one last time. I could have enjoyed the time and sat there and let you have your "security blanket!"

Weaner's remorse . . . Oh, so deeply . . . It's such a difficult thing.

My Nephew, David

2011-10-26T20:00:00.013-05:00

This morning we had a great session of FaceTime with David in Guam. The kids squealed and giggled when they saw their cousin answer the FT call.

We watched him wash some dishes, then he walked to his bedroom and the kids thought that was cool.

He showed us his new bed, desk and chair he just bought.

And we got to just spend some special moments talking and being silly on FT.

E - you were doing some serious dance moves . . . with no music.

C - you made faces with your mane of hair strongly resembling that of a lion ^.^

M - you told David all your many ideas and desires for a new movie for David to make including: guns, explosions, bombs, blood, sounds . . . O.O

G - you kept showing your cousin the silly puddy egg and saying "Vee Tells" for "Veggie Tales." That is your favorite phrase/word right now. As a matter of fact, you say it to just about anyone to convey your excitement for the video with all the songs.

(David made this minutes after our FT session in Photoshop. C's reaction: Great job, David! You're awesome!)

Anyway, David's appreciation for his new bed, desk and chair were so refreshing. How we take for granted these wonderful pleasures. David kept rolling around in his new chair getting things to show us or turning off his fan. The kids loved watching him.

David, at one point, said, "I see something behind E that I really want."
Me: What?
D: It's behind E.
Me: The pack of toilet paper?
D: That too, but no, it's orange. By the chair.
Me: Ooooh!

It was a Whataburger cup we inherited from Papa! We get them for bath time. There is something about Whataburger that Papa, David, Haven, E and M just love. I am not such a fan. As for them? They looooove the place. And the funny thing is, I have met others with the same love for the place!

David, I miss you. I love you. I am proud of you. And, I am so blessed that we can have some FaceTime even though you are halfway around the world!!!!! I wish I could send you a load of Whataburger, toilet paper and whatever else you need.

But, please let me know if there is anything you would like that I can send you . . . that is the size of a ping-pong ball . . . just kidding! I mean the size of an apple. A small apple. Ok. Ok. I'm just kidding. Anything, just let me know. I love you!!!

David shares my affinity for our Mac's. This is how he feels when certain individuals mess around with his Mac and try to take/destroy it:

And . . .

Dear Nephew . . . I understand.

*** David has his own YouTube channel where he does short films and has a vlog. It's fun and entertaining and he even has one that's a tearjerker (for me especially since it's my neice).

Here's the channel: Disbrow819
Tearjerker: Such a (Lonely Day)
Short Film: Milk Run
Scary Running Scene: Run Haven
This kids' favorite, especially at 1:46, they always crack up and the bloopers at the end: The Mind of Me

C's Cloak

2011-10-20T17:59:00.009-05:00

For a couple years, C has asked me to make her a cloak of her own. I have resisted because of the time it takes. But, one Saturday, about a month ago, we had a break in go-here, go-there craziness and I felt ambitious. So, I made her one. I let her choose the fabric from what I had and here it is.

She immediately put it on, lifted her shirt and started to "feed" her baby. She would talk to her baby and say things like, "you want baba's?" and, "there you go, Sweetie." I loved it. I had to get a few pics.

Papa's Pause

2011-10-05T23:16:00.002-05:00

FaceTime. It's a beautiful thing!

For school, we have recently begun having a weekly lesson time with my dad called Papa's Pause.

On Wednesday mornings, we FT Papa and the kids listen as he tells them a Bible story and does a little quiz at the end. He tells them a scripture to read/think about/memorize and then we giggle and laugh and the kids just enjoy being on camera!

Papa's lessons have so far been: Gideon and the Mideanites, Esther Parts 1, 2 and 3. And today we started a series on Joseph.

The kids and I just love it. They get to see Papa (and Mema sometimes) and my dad gets to share his wisdom with his grandkids and teach them the most important lessons of all: those from the Word! What joy!

There have already been reschedulings and postponings, but, that's the flexibility and ease and fun of this thing called FaceTime.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us such lavish gifts allowing us to benefit from such luxeries, i.e. our computers, the internet, and FaceTime. We are so blessed! Thank You! Oh, how I love You, Lord!!!

Thank you, Dad, for taking the time out to bless and teach our children such valuable lessons. These will be such precious memories for them. I love you!!!!

Steve Jobs, Apple Genius

2011-10-05T23:04:00.012-05:00

Today, the Apple Genius, Steve Jobs, died; presumably from his bout with pancreatic cancer and issues stemming from his liver. He was only 56 years old. His health declined quickly this year. Only about a month and a half ago he resigned as CEO to Tim Cook. Yesterday, they rolled out the new iPhone 4s with Siri, the robot lady inside the phone who helps make life easier.

Well, I have taken the opportunity various times on this blog to espouse my feelings for Apple products. We daily, hourly, sometimes constantly benefit from Apple products:

iMac: our home computer used for everything from paying bills, pictures, videos, internet, blogging, calendar, school, FaceTime. . .
iPhone: phonecalls, music, email, calendar, reminders, notes, books, game, videos . . .
MyLove's iPhone: all the above plus stocks and news updates, FaceTime
Macbook Pro: school, FaceTime, internet . . .

We use our products so much and they have helped me be much more organized. We have captured moments we normally would not have been able to. What a blessing Steve Jobs has been, or at least his many innovations have been, to our family.

I don't believe that Steve Jobs was a Christian, so it pains my heart to think of what he accomplished here on earth . . . but for what? He changed the world's technologies and his legacy will be longlasting. But, what of his soul? None of his accomplishments mean anything to him now.

We have nothing if we don't have a hope for eternity.

Death is so near for all of us. It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane and dailiness and forget how fleeting this life really is.

We are here, and in an instant, we are gone.

Jesus Christ.

He is our only hope.

He created the real apple, a much, much greater feat!

He created all things . . . humans, souls, aluminum, electricity . . .

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?"
-Mark 8:36 NKJV

E and Gravity

2011-09-29T15:30:00.002-05:00

E: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

Me: YES!!!!

E: The reason why it is so hard to do a handstand (he says all the while trying over and over to do so) is because gravity keeps pulling you down and it's hard to get your feet high in the air.

Me: That is right, E!!!

He cracks me up :-)

Gift from Papa

2011-09-20T02:31:00.002-05:00

So, we have been looking at getting another computer for homeschooling and have been doing research on different Apple options. As mentioned before, we have become Apple diehards, so we knew it was between another iMac or a Macbook of some sort.

After some consideration, we decided on a laptop because we figured the portability and convenience is the essence of the benefits of homeschooling and virtual schooling. We looked at the Apple store online, refurbished Apples and used Apples. Refurbished looked like our best option.

I called my dad, the Apple genius, and asked him his opinion, and he gave us some great ideas.

Theeeeeeen, on August 25th, my dad called and told me he was at our house. I was at the 1/2 Price Book Store, so I wasn't there to receive him. . . Oh, no! Is something wrong? Dad had just had surgery to remove a tumor from his chin. Was he coming over to tell me there was cancer found? My heart sank. I asked him if everything was OK and he said, "Yes. I was just coming over to talk about something." He was being vague, and a cool, uncomfortable feeling rushed to my belly. I felt like I was going to vomit.

I told him we would come home right after we were done with our errand and he said he would try to come over again in a couple of hours. The whole time, my heart pounded. I took the kids to Barnes & Noble to get M free birthday cookie (as I had promised), looked at the kids books (trying to stay calm and walk off the anxiety).

Then we made our way home. I called Dad to tell him we were on our way. He came to our house soon after we arrived and there was the usual, "Papa!!!" squeals from the kids. He gave them some goodies: Pez candy dispensers and Hello Kitty place settings for the girls. I waited to get down to the nitty gritty of what was really going on. Was his tumor benign, malignant? What?!?

Theeeeeeeen . . .

Dad: "Sweetie, I am just so proud of you for homeschooling the grandkids and working so hard. I know you all are needing another computer, so I wanted to give this to you."

He grabs his laptop case and pulls out his very own MacBook Pro!!!!!!!

Me: "What?!?! What is this?"

I am absolutely floored. I start crying and hugging my dear Dad and am just stunned.

If ever I wanted someone else's laptop, of course it would be my Dad's! He bought it to his very specifications and desires!!!

Stats:
MacBook Pro 15 inch
Mac OS X
Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 8 GB!!!! (What?????)

Thank you, Dad!!! MyLove and I are so blessed by your gift. The kids just love having their "MacBook" for their school work and its portability is exactly what were hoping for. We are humbled by your generosity.

I looooooooooove youuuuuu, Dad!!!!!

Here, C, of her own doing, took out both sets of plates, bowls and cups, brought the chair to the sink and washed them, dried them, then took them to the high cabinets and standing on the counters put them away!!!! She is a force to reckon with!

Time with our dear Nephews and Neices

2011-09-09T15:14:00.007-05:00

This last summer we have really focused on spending one-on-one time with each of my nephews and nieces because they were moving to Guam. during this time, we enjoyed laughter, fun, tears, bonding, sharing and loving. It was so very special.

Well, all of this bonding really put some pain in MyLove's and my heart because for the last three summers, we have tried having our dear Sv and Sp over but for one reason or another, it has never worked out . . . until last weekend!!!!

We finally had them over, and oh, how special it was. They are the last of all our nephews and nieces that have come to our house to spend the night and have a good time just bonding.

SE played so lovingly and tirelessly with our little ones. We had movie time and ate popcorn and snacks. They used their imaginations in the most creative ways playing with all sorts of things. We played Pictionary and, as SE put it, they got all their "crazies" out by dancing their hearts out. Songs she provided on her iPod: I Love Rock and Roll, and We Will Rock You, and more . . . Oh, so precious.

SR was just a breath of fresh air. He is mature beyond his years at only 16. We had invigorating conversation about Jesus Christ, the Bible, his catholic beliefs and our beliefs. We lovingly exchanged what we have learned and how the Lord continues to mold and teach us. He was not defensive in the least, and instead shared what he had learned and openly admitted when he didn't know the answer. Oh, how it brings tears to my eyes. His humility just touched our hearts and we are oh, so grateful for his candor and gentleness.

We praise You, Lord, for such a wonderful weekend!!!! We love our nephews and nieces so much. What a blessing.

We definitely look forward to more weekends with them!

Conversations with My Little Helper

2011-09-07T11:26:00.004-05:00

It's Monday late afternoon and C and I are folding a bunch of the kids' clothes . . .

Me: "How was church on Sunday?"

C: "Good."

Me: "Did you see any friends?"

C: "I saw a boy that I liked who didn't talk to me or anything. He was sitting waaaaaaaay, way, way on the other side of the table. I was thinking he's cute because he had glasses. I can say that because we are teammates. We were on the same team. I said, 'he's cute!' Well. Actually. I didn't say it. I thinked it in my mind."

Me: "Oh! Ok." (I say while thinking, I've never heard her talk about someone she 'liked!' This is new!) "What was his name?"

C: "I don't know. He didn't talk to me. He probly didn't see me."

Me: "He probably saw you, Sweetheart."

C: "Yeah. He probly was just shy too! Like me!"

Me: "Yes! Good point! I bet so. Thank you for helping me fold clothes."

C: "Sure! I don't want you to feel left out."

When she said this, my heart just squeezed with some pain thinking how shy she is in public, and I wonder if she feels left out some times. I don't know how she even knows that phrase. Maybe we've used it with the kids when they play? Probably.

Anyway, our interactions are so precious to me.

My Mom's Victory

2011-08-26T15:11:00.004-05:00

Around 35 years ago, my mom tried her first cigarette. After that, she hasn't stopped. When she was pregnant with my siblings and I, she said she had no desire to smoke, so she never smoked while she was pregnant, but afterward, she always started again.

Fastforward 35 years and here we are. It's mid June and my dear mom is watching our kids while we are on our anniversary weekend getaway. She is sitting with the kids on her bed watching a movie when they start asking Mema if she had quit smoking yet (they, along with their cousins, Papa, and other family have been praying for her for years), and she said it is just so hard. She asked the kids to keep praying and to pray that God will help her want to quit. Our precious C, her very namesake, responded with, "Well, let's pray right now!" and she proceeded to pray for her Mema the way innocent and perfectly believing children can.

Something in Mema was triggered and she knew. She had promised my Dad that if her little M, then E, then C specifically asked her to stop smoking, that she would. Well, years kept going by and they did, but it is a habit far harder to quit than just with will alone.

Early July, Mom developes terrible bronchitis. She can't even go up or down the stairs. Walking to the bathroom is so hard she has to stop and try to breathe with all her might. She is using a nebulizer, Advair, anibiotics . . . I come over with the kids to spend the night at her house along with my sister and her children who are living with her before their move to Guam. Mom is in desperate straights. She, at one point, is laying over the bed struggling so hard to breathe, wheezing, coughing. She later tells us at one point she felt like someone had their hands around her neck and was choking her.

We go to the doctor and through a series of appts this is what she is diagnosed with:
Emphazema
COPD
various spots on her lungs

But, this is how wonderful the Lord is.

My mom had her last cigarette in early July when she got sick.
She got an MRI and CAT scans of her lungs and found out the spots were benign!!!!
She went to the pulmonologist and he basically told her there was a lot of mucous and but otherwise she is doing great!!!!

This was only a month or month and a half after quitting. This was such an amazing result, it was almost unbelievable. Emphazema: gone
COPD: gone
Wheezing and coughing: gone!!!!!

After all these years my mom has QUIT SMOKING!!! At one point, she went to bingo and told a friend that she is trying to quit smoking. The dear old lady told my mom, "No! you don't say that you are trying to quit smoking. You tell everyone you have quit smoking!" And that is what she says now, with confidence!

And now, she is going almost two months strong and we are all cheering her along. How proud of her we are.

I just don't know what I would do without my precious mom. She is pillar of Love for our entire family! All of her 13 grandkids just adore her. We praise the Lord so much for His helping her. My mom, for some reason, says that the moment C prayed for her right there on the spot, something powerful happened and she knew it was her time.

What a blessing and what an answer to years of prayers. Especially for my dad, who has been praying for her since the beginning of their relationship 33 years ago!!!

We love you, Mom!!!

First Day of the 2011-2012 School Year

2011-08-22T17:40:00.013-05:00

We're off!!! I am so excited about this school year and I can't believe it's already started.

M: 4th grade
E: 1st and 2nd grade
C: Pre-K (kind of, tag-along learner mostly)
G: Our cheerleader and mascot ^.^

We started off later than hoped for, but that's OK. It was still peaceful and easy-going.

The girls and I made our way upstairs to wake up the boys, and although had excitement in my voice, they were not feelin' it. They told me that they weren't excited and didn't want to start school. I encouraged them to brighten up or else they surely wouldn't enjoy themselves. Plus, today is actually M's 9th birthday!!!! We celebrated this last weekend. I will have to post pics later.

We prayed together and had a hardy breakfast then had an online meeting with nearly 330 other people with K12.

Afterward, we said our books of the Bible, sang "Onward Christian Soldier"* and then read about Cain and Abel.

Theeeeen, it was first day picture time, and well, the results just weren't the greatest, but, I guess that's how it goes with wee ones.

Some coloring and reading, and that was our day! Very simple and not too much. I'm trying to ease into things and show the kids we can work well together. Be a team. Enjoy the process. My greatest need and prayer is for my patience. I want to have it and be an example for my kids. I don't want to expect perfection and I don't want to get down on them when they make mistakes, especially character/attitude wrongs. I want them to know that I am safe and that I love them more than anyone else could ever love them.

Well, here are some pics from today ^.^

Fun with FaceTime/FaceTime Fanatic/Fantastic FaceTime

2011-08-22T00:06:00.006-05:00

Ok, there are few things that I am completely and utterly gung-ho, excited, unashamed and motivated to talk about:

1.) Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. I am completely lost without Him and completely deserving of hell. Hallelujah for true salvation!

2.) My soulmate, who is my husband

3.) My children

Now, beside these three, I have something else in my life that I have grown to really appreciate, enjoy, and benefit from:

Apple products!

About two years ago, MyLove surprised me with an iMac for Christmas. It was so unexpected because I didn't think we had the money, and on top of that, I had been trying to convince MyLove of the superior quality of Mac's over other pc's to no avail. I grew up with my father using Mac's back when they were called Macintoshes. My dad actually bought one of the first ever Macintoshes and saw their superior operating systems from the start.

Ok, then I got an iPhone a few months later because of my renewal and couldn't believe the seamless interaction between the two apple products.

My iMac does not crash on me. I don't get blue screens. I have had incredible updates and no worries of viruses. And, on top of that . . . we are able to do FaceTime!!!!!

We can FaceTime from my iMac to MyLove's iPhone 4, to my dad's Apple stuff (when we FT him, his iMac, iPad2, iPhone, and Macbook all ring!), and to my father-in-law who has an iPad2. And . . . we can FT with my dear sister and nephews and nieces in Guam! When they moved, we were able to sing happy birthday to my youngest nephew and even light a cake for him to see. It was so special and emotional.

It's incredible and the kids loooooove it.

We are thinking about incorporating FT into our homeschooling!!! The possibilities are truly endless. I will update on how we utilize it . . .

6 PM Zonkers

2011-07-29T18:17:00.007-05:00

Well, it's only 6PM and this is what my household looks like.

Each of my precious children and my worn out, wonderful hubby are zonked out. Poor things.

The flu stiiiiiiiinks!!!!

But, the Lord lifts my weary soul with the sound of rain outside our windows. How I love rain. And, if we have to be sick, it is so nice to have the sound of rain to listen to.

Jesus, you are the lover of my soul!
Jesus, I will never let you go...
I love you. I need You.
Though my world may fall, I'll never let You go.
My Saviour, my closest friend.
I will worship you until the very end.

- Hillsong

Flu Duty

2011-07-29T16:17:00.007-05:00

What a week we've had.

Warning: This post is gross. Just plain yucky. Don't read if easily queasy.

We are all down with the flu and my poor children have it baaad. There has been a steady flow of vomit and diarrhea. We have had to clean up vomit numerous times on carpet, bedding and tile (not to mention the constant dumping and rinsing of their vomit buckets). The first was a literal dumping of vomit from our poor E who was practically sleep walking and had no idea what was going on.

MyLove helped him to the toilet to finish and get in the tub. I rushed to start on the carpet.

My initial reaction there at 11:30 PM was to look at MyLove while trying to scoop up the vomit as fast as I could and say with all seriousness, "Here it is, Babe. Our impetus to rip this carpet up!!! Finally! We can get rid of it! Let's do it now!"

Buuuut, with a practical, hardworking, and smart hubby like mine, he pulled me back in to reality and said, "Babe, yes, we're going to do that, but we need to clean this up now."

Waaaaaaah, waaaaah! I want wood floors noooow! (I screamed in my head)

"I don't mind concrete floors!"

"Honey, this is not the time."

"But, Honey! This is going to be impossible! It's too much. It's going to be smelly and disgusting FOREVER!"

"Let's look online."

Aaaaaand, that's when we found this site. It took us a good 2 hours to get poor E back to bed and to clean up the carpet. This site is sooooooo helpful. I have no idea who this guy is, but his method definitely worked. The stench of the vomit was all over our room and by the time we had finished cleaning, before the baking soda step, you couldn't smell it anymore and the carpet looked like new.

Here is the site:

How to Clean Things

This guy is so funny with how he refers to vomit and the whole process of cleaning it. I think he would have passed out had he been in our home the last five days.

Here are a few excerpts:

"Shower the vomit with love. Once you're all done gagging and puking from the previous step, you will have to continue to remove vomit. Sorry. This step is noticeably less disgusting than the last. Get a spray bottle, fill it with cold water (or, better yet, club soda), and spritz down the vomit goo. Now, take a white towel and start blotting and dabbing the puke. Spray with water and dab with the towel repeatedly until the puke is up.

Clean puke with your very own vomit cleaner. Grab a mixing bowl, pour 2 cups of warm (not hot) water in it, and stir in 1 tbsp of table salt. Once the salt is dissolved, mix in ½ cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp clear dish or laundry detergent, and 2 tbsp rubbing alcohol. This isn't an exact science, so just estimate. Now grab a clean kitchen sponge, dip it in your vomit cleaner, and press it into the vomit. Do this several times so there is cleaner all over the stain. Grab a new old towel and blot just like before. This will be repeated, also like before, as often as necessary until no more vomit is being transferred to the towel. Each time you blot with the towel, you will be removing vomit. Have an extra towel or two on hand.

Rinse away the sins. Alright, we're getting there. Now it's time to really see how your vomit carpet turned out. Grab a glass measuring cup, fill it with warm water, and flood the area of the stain with it. Using yet more clean/dry towels, blot up the water. It works best to set the towel down and walk around on it. Rinsing is important because you want to make sure to get the detergent out of the carpet. Detergent has a tendency to attract dirt. You probably don't want that. Do this twice and see how it looks. If you're satisfied, go to the last step. If not, march on to the next one."

Thank you, Mr. Eric Ronning, for helping MyLove and me clean up some serious vomit!!!

"Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!"

2011-07-23T16:36:00.002-05:00

E has a saying that I have to get down before I forget. We have no idea where he got it or how he came up with it. He doesn't even know!

"Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!"
Definition: awesome! So good!
Use in a sentence: Mommy! This tofu is so good! It's bam-bam hit the clock!!!!
Use #2: Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!!! I love this snowcone!!!

It's so funny because even M and C have started saying it!

Baby Dolls, Tain Too

2011-07-21T02:14:00.002-05:00

G just loooooooves that baby doll. I don't know for sure but I think she has loved on this baby earlier than I have ever seen a child do so. I mean. She just squeals when she sees her in the morning or after coming home from being out. It is adorable then she will give her to daddy to play with and MyLove so lovingly obliges. It's hilarious seeing him play with the doll like she's real.

G has just been talking up a storm. It is beautiful to hear her voice and her personality coming out so much. She now says "tain too" whenever she is given something like her baby doll, food or anything. She'll also say it when she hands you something!

Our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary

2011-07-07T01:20:00.001-05:00

Packing our bags. Boarding the plane. Layover in London. Landing in Rome. Unloading and visiting the first hotel we stayed in on our honeymoon in Rome. Sipping cappuccinos and enjoying gelato together while reminiscing and talking the time away. Taking jaunts to France and Spain with our Eurail pass. . .

That is what we were supposed to do on our 10 year anniversary . . .

As we have planned and dreamed to do since our fifth wedding anniversary . . .

Lo, and behold, our 10th came and we have four little babes, the youngest only 17 months . . .

How could I leave her? She is not even weaned yet !!!!!

How could we leave all the kids?

They can barely stand two nights?!?!

That is when all praise and glory goes to the Lord for giving me my soulmate, because it doesn't matter what we do, we just love being together.

Sooooo, we planned a grand, 10 year anniversary, two-night stay at . . .

The Hotel Derek in the Galleria!!!! Only 30 minutes away :o)

We dropped all four kids off for a date at the shooting range, something we have been enjoying for some time now and where we can quench our enjoyment of competition by seeing who's targets had the best clusters.

We then went to dinner then picked up G and headed to our hotel: Hotel Derek. Beautiful hotel. Clean. We were given a room on the fifth floor. We told the concierge the occasion and we got the 15th floor with an incredible view!!!

Downtown Houston

Houston Medical Center

G absolutely loved it and kept running around and made herself right at home.

This sink was awesome. I really want this sink. It was shallow, square-ish, spacious . . . It was perfect for bathing my little one and didn't take forever cleaning it out before hand. She loved it. It was wonderful also because I didn't have to bend over.

MyLove and I had so much fun looking for good places to eat,

(This is his "Oooooh, this is gooooood," face at Carrabba's :-)

. . . renting a RedBox movie and watching it on his laptop, getting ice cream and staying up late talking, swimming in the freezing cold pool, and just hanging out. What bliss! And, when going from four children to one, it's wonderful! We got to spend some one-on-one time bonding with G and she was such a doll. One might not think it is optimal for an anniversary trip, but I tell you, it was beautiful.

I remember going from no children to having one . . . it was one of the hardest transitions ever. I truly thought we were sooo busy with no time to spare. Then we had more children and realized that having one can be so non-demanding. Now, I realize that we have grown and learned a myriad of things as parents, but it's fun to appreciate those non-demanding times! -.O

Thank You, Lord, for my soulmate. Thank you for blessing us with 10 years of marriage. Please bless us with many more. And may we be a solid team of ambassadors for Jesus Christ!

-Amen

Ikea was a wee little man . . .

2011-07-04T00:40:00.004-05:00

Well. It seems that my children have been spending a little too much time at Ikea. The other day MyLove and I heard C singing "Ikea was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree ... And he said, "Ikea! You come down! For I'm gong to your house today." We have tried a few times to correct her and tell her that Zacchaeus is his name. But I think it's too much to think about while she is in the moment singing her heart out.

A couple years ago my mom said that C's voice sounds like music. She would tell me that one day she could be a singer. I did not agree because she didn't seem to be able to get the keys right and not only that she is so shy. I know that sounds funny thinking my 2 year old should hit the notes right, but I hear of these people who really have talent that just hear the notes and match them perfectly at such a young age. As a matter of fact, M used to do it all the time. He would hear a clock tone or some kind of ringing or elevator sound and make a sound to match the tone. Anyway . . . lately C has been singing her heart out while standing on the coffee table. It has been so cute. I so wish that family and friends could see this side of her. She is just so painfully shy around everyone (except for Mema and Papa!).

Here she is talking on the phone to Mema in a Belle costume (Thank you, Teresa, for all the costumes!!!)

A poopie day . . . with a great ending!

2011-06-25T03:46:00.003-05:00

Today, the plan was for productivity, joy, excitement, unity, bonding . . . We had to run some errands and then we would get to meet a brand new human being who was born into this world just yesterday. Our really good friends just had their second child, a son.

What beautiful prospects.

Well, it didn't turn out that way. . . totally.

Woke up . . . late.

Dishes still in the sink. Behind already. Get them done.

Get the kids up . . . running around to get ready for the million and one errands to run. Why am I running around like a crazy woman?! This can't be that hard.

Package two large envelopes: one with a gift needing to be sent a week or two ago, the other to return fabric the seller incorrectly sent me (despite the fact that I ordered exactly what she listed: grrrr)

Make kids eggs. They're still hungry! What sweet thing can they all have, they ask. Bagels! We are going to Panera Bread! Please be patient!

Running late, running late.

Stop by neighbor's house unannounced to drop off some clothing . . . she's not there.

Go back home to drop off clothing so as not to tear, mangle, ruin them during the busy day.

Stop by other neighbor's house unannounced to drop off a gift meant for her Christmas 2010. How rediculous am I?!?! . . . she's not there either. Leave it under her doormat.

Talk to a different neighbor who's salvation I am praying for.

She praises my "well behaved" kids. I tell her I can't take credit. Psh, she says. Sure you can. No, I say. It's the Lord. I couldn't do it without Him nor would I know what in the world I was doing without Him.

She asks if I "hit" them at one point. I tell her, "yes, I spank them." She is shocked. She would never think I would "hit" my kids. We talk a bit more and I tell her how MyLove and I both believe in spanking and talking with our children. Telling them we love them. Also, we as individuals of our family are all ambassadors of not only ourselves but of the Ford family (and ultimately God, but I didn't share that this time) and it is their responsibility to uphold our name and we expect them to bring honor to us (and the Lord). It's a heavy burden, but they need to know we expect it at an early age. She notes that we have such good debates and we could go on but leaves me with a question for my hubby: Isn't it a confusing message to hit and tell the kids we love them? No, I say, because they know there are consequences to bad behavior and we care for them and want them to make good choices. There has to be swift and understandable repercussions for wrong behavior, especially violent/hurtful behavior. We are protecting them and we care about the decisions they make and will make. There is security in that.

We leave on a good note and look forward to more discussions. She says bye and the kids are, like always, quite shy and say few words, just as they did when they said hi. All of the sudden I am quite self-conscious thinking she is probably thinking that they are not open and lively and are quiet because they are fearful because I beat them . . .

Stop by post office. C almost has meltdown because she is upset that her outfit is making her hot. I wish my neighbor could see that my kids are quite normal and misbehave too.

Go to Shipley Do-Nuts for friends who just had their second child.

Stop by Target. E throws a fit because he can't have a do-nut right then. Almost falls to the floor in utter frustration numerous times. My cart is ridiculous and loud and all attention is on this crazy woman walking so fast with a melting-down son hanging onto a scraping-loud cart.

Pick out few items. Kids talk about original plan for only one item. I tell them that's enough and to not complain.

Get back in van. Kids ask for do-nuts again and I make them wait 'til after Panera Bread.

Arrive at Panera Bread. Unload. Attended by not so nice girl behind counter who is quite miffed that I am ordering so many bagels and ask her questions like, "Do you have cinnamon crunch bagels?" "Can you toast those?" "Do you have jalepeno cheese bagels." I order some pastries as well. She gives my whole order in a paper sack with no handles even though I am holding a little one, have a large order and this bag is cumbersome.

Get MyLove's sandwich, go back to the original counter and a sweet ray of sunshine of a girl kindly responds to my request for a large bag and helps me put everything in. God, please bless her for her act of kindness. As for that other girl . . . well, nevermind.

Load back in van. Pass out bagels and do-nuts to kids. C is quite sassy with me still. Give her the yummy treats anyway and tell her I am not proud of the way she has behaved and she tells me that she is going to tell my mommy on me (something she has been saying the last three days to my amusement, but at this moment was quite too sassy. The boys pipe in and say that Mema would not agree with her anyway and say that she is not being a good girl).

Drive swiftly to Med Ctr. to pick up MyLove.

Stop by Smoothie King to get our friends some liquid energy. It takes f o r e v e r .

Arrive at the hospital 2.5 hours later than originally planned.

Our friends are tired, but so happy with the treats. Baby boy is just precious. MyLove and I take turns holding him. What joy!!! What salve for the heart and soul babies are. Oh, I just give glory to the Lord for these special gifts called children . . .

Our E and C fight almost the whole time about what chair they want to sit in. Not enough room. Someone's touching the other. One rocking in the loud glider. G wanting me to hold her. Touching the ground. Needing to go potty. Trying to hear the birth story. The kids arguing louder. C kicking her brother and in complete defiance of any instruction I give her.

I end up giving her two spankings in the bathroom . . .

We all leave.

Go to MyLove's office . . .

Kids spinning in chairs and running around cubicles as I try to talk to MyLove's boss's boss about her daughter and son and painful, gut-wrenching decisions she is having to make with them.

Go to HEB to pick up some veggies and pizza for night with Uncle Daniel. Just shy of $3 off gas coupon.

Come out to waiting hubby and kids and find a $3 off coupon floating by on the ground! Thank You, Lord.

Get gas.

Come home.

Uncle beat us. We are late again.

MyLove and I have small tiff because I am emotional and again, ridiculous, and got my feelings hurt.

We talk, kiss, laugh. Everything is fine.

Eat.

Put G in our bathtub without water to play while I rinse off my feet in shower (I'm anal about feet). I am right next to her with only glass between us. What could happen?

Get out and find that she had POOPED in the tub and was playing with it. Wait! She already pooped today! What's happening?!?! It is all over her body and hair and on the toys and she was at that moment poking her finger in and out of it. How quickly havoc can be wreaked! I grab her hand before she can put it in her mouth. Let go of her hand to grab some toilet paper! She sticks her hand in her mouth. I grab it. Do I hold her? Take her out? I tell C to get me some toilet paper. I wipe G's hands and grab a whole lot of toilet paper and scoop/wipe up as much I can and wash out the tub and toys and as much of G. Fill tub with clean water and tons of lavender bath soap. Bathe girls. Get them to bed.

Have the best fellowship with Uncle Daniel. We skip the movie and talk about the goodness of the Lord. Freedom in Christ. The simplicity of just knowing Jesus. The pureness of stripping away unnecessary doctrine. Our need of Him. The answer to all of our needs being to turn to Him. Always. Forever. He just wants us to come to Him. That is the beginning of understanding and the foundation of the Christian life.

Hallelujah. We give glory to Jesus.

Well. I told you it was a poopie day! Literally! But, the Lord showed His mercy and grace throughout. I asked MyLove at one point in the van together for prayer. I needed peace in my heart. I was so anxious and on edge. Of course he did, and it encouraged me, but I know what the Lord wanted was for me to go to Him with every anxiety.

I just love Jesus so much. There are so many verses I should quote right now and reference, like: be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known . . . pray without ceasing . . . it is for freedom that Christ has set us free . . .

but I am tired and lazy . . . I know that that's so pathetic.

Anyway. Goodnight. I'm desperate for sleep!

My Mama and My Sista

2011-05-28T04:45:00.005-05:00

This past Monday, my fantastic mama and my wonderful sister and I went out to celebrate my Mom for her Mother's Day. Because of various conflicts of schedules and me needing MyLove home to watch our little babes, we celebrated three weeks late.

Well, it was a splendid time we had. Just splendid. I praise the Lord for the women in my life. Oh, how I love and appreciate them.

My mom, well, she is just the perfect specimen of a mother.
She is:
so loving,
a faithful prayer warrior,
a devout follower of Jesus,
selfless beyond measure,
generous to a fault,
energetic,
dedicated,
tiny,
outgoing,
a grandmother of 14!!!,
oh, so friendly (so that she has never met a stranger),
outspoken with her motto, "Love Conquers All!!!!"
and just downright awesome.

My sister, well, she is just a wonderful sister.
She is:
protective,
giving,
a social butterfly,
a follower of Jesus,
beautiful,
a faithful friend,
a mother of nine,
a grandmother of 2!!!,
caring,
and so special to me.

My sister is also moving to Guam :-( She has just sold their house. Her hubby is already in Guam because of his job. I have been so emotional about it all. Every weekend, we have tried to have at least one nephew/niece spend the weekend with us so that we can have quality one-on-one time with them. I end up falling apart each time and MyLove has to hear me sob and express my feelings.

Anyway!

This celebration was full of fun, laughter, tears, laughter, coffee, great food, fun, and laughter.

We started off with a quick stop to Starbucks. We got fueled up on that coffee been nectar then my sister took us to Harwin to do some serious purse shopping. We were hooked up with some great deals and an interesting ordeal with me finding a little wristlet with money in it and going back to the original shop (long story) to return it to the owner only to have her approach us telling us she was called and informed that I had purchased a purse with her money in it and me trying to tell her that I knew and I was going to give it to her and her saying she believed me and me not really knowing if she believed me . . .

Did that make sense?

Probably not.

I'm such a nerd.

Later, we went to another store and I called MyLove with all the details and his preciousness prayed with me over the phone and Oh, the peace that comes from the Lord, and Oh, the preciousness of my best friend, who is my husband, who is always there for me. He is truly my soul mate. I know I say that a lot. But, it's the truth.

One good thing about the above interaction at the purse shop is I got to try my best to tell a gentleman about Jesus in Spanish. Boy, does my Spanish need a lot of work. But, the man showed he understood and I tried my best to understand him. He said he knew Jesus. But, you know? A lot of people say they know Jesus. The question is, are you following him?

Anyway, we went to PF Chang's for dinner and just laughed so much and took pictures and made sillies of ourselves. We even found out our waiter had Chamorro blood! (His grandmother was from Guam!!!)

Then we drove home and my little babes were so happy to greet me. I modeled my new purses and sunglasses to the family who ooh'd and aah'd and made me feel like the most special mommy in the world. M even told me that I looked like a secret agent which had to be one of the best compliments ever . . . given my lifetime desire to be in the CIA (pre-kids of course, but I still like to act like I could actually be some kind of secret agent. It's now a running joke to my family.)

I had bought a purse for C and I so wish I had a camera when she saw it. She had pulled my things out of the shopping bag and I told her to wait when she got to hers because I was still telling MyLove of our adventure. Then, I handed her her purse and her reaction was just priceless. She hugged it to her chest, closed her eyes and just squealed. She was so excited and couldn't put it down.

Here she is the next morning. She kept asking me to take a picture of her wearing it.

MyLove had to get to bed quickly so the girls and I went to the living room and hung out on a sleeping bag just 'til MyLove went to sleep. As we sat there, G walked around me in circles and kissed me over and over again. The bliss of this is so hard to put in words. She is only 16 months and having her initiate kisses just melted my heart. She really missed me, poor thing. What a terrific end to a most precious day with my mom and sister celebrating my mom's Mother's Day.

Dear, Jesus. Why have you blessed me so much? You are so good to me and I am so undeserving. Not only did You die for me, but You continue to shower me with your blessings and Your goodness. I pray that my life will just shine for you!!!

C's Sewing

2011-05-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Well, for C's 4th birthday, we got her her very own Hello Kitty sewing machine. I know it seems like she would be way too young, but I believe that this is something that she can learn, at least get familiar with. My mom taught me when I was young as well. And, besides, children in the Philippines get machetes to cut down branches and wood as children! I truly believe that children should be exposed to "dangerous" things, like knives and fire, in the proper context to develop the proper respect for them.

Wow, what an excited little girl she was. We set it up and she sewed her first lines on her own machine. I remember sewing around the time she was two and she would take the pins and put them back into the pin cushion. How scary! But, she caught on fast. She stuck herself a couple of times, but she learned. Then, I let her sit in my lap and help me feed the fabric through the machine. Oh, she just looved it.

Since then, she has asked over and over if she can sew. So, I know a sewing machine would be a fun gift. Since she received it, I have let her use it only about two or three times, but boy does she love it.

Well, the other day, I was so busy with schooling and trying to finish an order (Thanks, Kerri!) and C saw my sewing machine set up downstairs just waiting for someone to use it. She came running in and asked:

C: Mommy, can I sew?
Me: No, Sweetie. Not right now.
C: But, I want to! I want to make a shirt.
Me: [pause] Ok, but you can't make a shirt. I have to teach you how to sew first.
C: I already know how to, remember?
Me: You can sew some lines, but not a shirt yet.
C: Pleeease, Mommy. I just want to sew.
Me: Ok, go ahead, but be careful!

My nerves got bunched up as I let her go to the other room while I stayed by the computer helping Martini. I have a bin with a whole bunch of scrap fabrics that she uses, and after some time, she came running in . . .

C: MOMMY!!! Look! You were wrong! See, I told you I can sew a shirt! (she says holding up three pieces of fabric sewn beautifully in a line, much to my amazement)
Me: Wow, that is beautiful! How did you do that?
C: (holding it up to her chest) I sewed it! See, Mommy. You were wrong!
Me: Well, you are right! I was wrong! You did sew! You did a good job! But, that is not a shirt. (I say, bursting her bubble, but not quite)
C: I'm going to make it into a shirt! See?! I sewed!

Oh, She was so proud. And, honestly, I was so proud of her. She somehow connected end to end three pieces of fabric. It is a simple thing to do, but I never showed her how. She is just one determined, feisty, independent little thing, and I love her so much!!!

My Ministries

2011-05-02T13:12:00.005-05:00

About a year and a half ago, I was lovingly asked to be a part of the women's ministry at our church. It was going to be for the summer session of 2010 and I was honored. But, I had not had G yet. MyLove and I prayed about it and decided it was not a good idea as I would have to make a firm commitment and doing that with a newborn was unrealistic for us. We definitely cherish and savor those first months with baby. I told them that maybe the following year I could.

Well, it's been over a year and I brought it up to MyLove again feeling the itch to get out there and serve. I want to get out there with other women and learn how to minister, listen, share godly truths, use scripture appropriately, lead effectively in the Word . . . I want to be effective!!!

So, MyLove and I talked and he told me he would pray and he told me to pray too.

A few weeks passed. I prayed and asked that the Lord would give us one mind and that He would lead MyLove clearly.

I randomly mentioned to MyLove how excited I was and how I was looking forward to being stretched. But, seriously, no pressure!

Then, one day, I asked MyLove if he had any leading from the Lord. He tells me that he hadn't prayed much and had forgotten! He needed more time.

Then about a week later, I asked him again while we were getting ready for bed.

MyLove: You know, Babe. I just believe that your ministry is here. The kids, our family. It would be a big commitment and it would take a lot of time away from the family.
Me: Babe. I know. I wondered about that. But, I was looking forward to being stretched and learning more.
MyLove: Honey, I just don't have a peace about you doing it. Maybe it's just a season. But, the kids and I need you here. With school and just everyday things, you are so busy already.
Me: I know. It's just that sometimes I feel like I am so busy doing the mundane that I am rendered useless. I know that is rediculous because I am obviously not doing useless things. But, I long to be stretched doing things with my mind and learning new things from others. But, I agree, Babe. This is not the time.

So, I prayed. I prayed that the Lord could use me and thanked Him for the ministry of my husband and the ministry of my children. What freedom to pour my heart into them and enjoy it! What a gift! What responsibility!

Then, the most amazing thing happened. That very week, I took a walk with the kids and talked with a neighbor for around an hour and a half. We spoke about many things. I was able to tell her the gospel in full! I explained what it means to become a Christian and how believing that Jesus is real is not enough. We must choose to follow Him! She struggled with how exclusive it is to say that Jesus is the only way. And, I told her that it isn't me saying it. It is the Word of God. "[Jesus] is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father but by [Him]" -John 14:6. MyLove met up with us after he got home and so lovingly prayed and occupied the kids during this precious time. What a tagteam we were! She told me she looked forward to continuing our discussion in the future.

That same week, I was able to minister to a dear neighbor with love and a meal. I was able to give glory to the Lord for giving me the strength to have our four children care for them and homeschool.

And, again that very week, our pest control guy, the same guy we have had for six years, came by. His mother just died and he was devastated. They were such buddies, he and his mother. I talked openly about his need for salvation. I urged him to turn to the Lord. He knows where we stand as we have told him the gospel various times, but this time it was different. He asked me where his mother was now. I told him the Lord knows, but that he would go to hell if he did not turn to Jesus. Oh, the struggle in his heart. I told him to let go of whatever he was holding onto! It wasn't worth it compared to what he would have in Jesus." I know. I know," he would say. But, he admitted it was too hard to let go of the things he loves in this world. Oh, how it tears at my heart. He is an older gentleman. Overweight. Diabetic. with other health issues. I told him today is the day of salvation! Don't think you can make that decision on your death bed. "The last thing I want to hear is that you've keeled over in someone's lawn dead from heatstroke! I would feel like a failure knowing that your soul was lost forever." I spoke with tears and he saw my pain for him. But, he told me he wasn't ready. Gambling and such were too hard to let go. He would think about it, he says. He even said that he knew the Lord wants him to turn to him, but he wasn't ready. Oh, the urgency for one's soul! On the cusp of eternity!

But, in reality, that is where we all stand. On the cusp of eternity. The question is will it be an eternity in heaven with The Almighty, or in hell in bitter torment?

I shouldn't be here, really. When I lost Lael, I hemorrhaged and needed five blood transfusions. I never would have thought this would happen. It was so unexpected. When I went out (asleep/unconscious) I had no idea what was going on. A hundred years ago I wouldn't have made it. But, when I was told this after I awoke, I had such peace! I would have been with my Creator. My Savior. My Redeemer! How can people live without hope? They need to know.

So, as I recounted all these things to MyLove, I cried. I was thankful to MyLove for being such a great leader and not giving in to my desires even if they were soaked in "good intentions." I gave glory to the Lord for giving me my desires. He stretches me and gives me ministries outside the home through relationships, namely nonbelievers. I just love nonbelievers, and Jesus knows that! And you know, that is how ministries work anywhere else, through relationships. The difference is, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that my ministries are my everyday life. Giving Him glory in all things, to all people and just being there for them. I know their deepest need. Even if they don't. And, I know Who can fill that deepest need. I know Him intimately.

Hallelujah! I will forever praise You, Jesus!

Guess who's Walking!

2011-05-02T01:21:00.003-05:00

After so much practice with her daddy, G is finally walking!

We are so excited that she gathered up all her courage and took those exciting steps.

G has been walking four or five steps here and there, but nothing really substantial. Tonight, G too MyLove's and my hand and we walked briskly in a big circle around the house over and over. Then, we decided to stop in the living room and had her walk to me then back to MyLove.

Oh, she was so excited. By the end of the night she was walking all around. What a joy it was to see. The kiddos were jumping up and down and squealing as they watched her. They clapped and cheered her on. C tried and tried to get her to walk to her, but G would turn or just avoid her to get to Mommy or Daddy. It was so funny. The boys were so loving to her.

We love you, Sweet G! You are awesome!!!

Thank You, Lord, for this new chapter in G's life!

The Investment of Time

2011-04-21T23:04:00.010-05:00

"Mommy, when do I get to have my alone time with you?"

This is a question I have been hearing a lot lately. Around the end of 2010 and early 2011, I felt so burdened to spend some alone time with each of my precious babes. With M in the throes of his first year virtual schooling and with G still an infant, my time was so limited and I could see the effects of it on the kids. I felt sad. Time just kept flying by.

So, I prayed and the Lord blessed with the grand idea to have a bit of time with each child on some day of the week. I shared it with the kids and they were elated. We set what day each of them would have time with me on . . . and . . . we did it . . . ONCE! Each of them had their time with me and then I got sidetracked with the holidays or the new year, or something.

Well, I have been feeling the burden a lot lately, namely because the kids have asked when we were going to start our "alone time" again. So, this week I told them we would do it. How excited they were :-( Poor things.

M has Mondays. E has Tuesdays. C has Wednesdays, and G has Thursdays.

Sometime in the day we try to find a block where I can spend about 30 min. with my special babe. The others have to go upstairs and not come down for anything unless it is an emergency. We try to plan it when G is sleeping, but inevitably she ends up joining us and the kids are fine with it! They totally understand. They're just excited that the focus is on them at that time.

On Monday, M made his "famous chocolate milk" and I had my coffee. We sat and ate pastries (actually, I ended up eating all three with G eating a bite or two) and talked all about his latest drawings in great depth. He has such history and detail to each of the thirty or so drawings on his papers. We then talked about getting him a nice, leather journal where he can draw all of his pictures and keep all his "top secret" info in. He really liked the idea.

On Tuesday, E had warm chocolate milk and of course I had my coffee and we enjoyed some toast. E told me all about his favorite things and asked me what mine were (just like we had done in our first alone time). We also played some tic-tac-toe and a few rounds of hang-man. What fun! Afterward he read me the book I Like it When and oh, what a great job he did. I was so proud of him!!! I am reminded of how MyLove taught him how to read when I was pregnant and bedridden with Lael. MyLove was so patient and consistant with him.

On Wednesday, C and I both had some coffee. She looooooves coffee. Even bitter coffee! She loves tea too! She asked for a Nutella sandwich. We sat and colored a particular page of her Hello Kitty coloring book. She was so diligent in her manner. She colors so well. Quite methodical for a wee one. And, yet, sometimes she can just scribble and be crazy. We had great conversation too.

Here C is with her cousin Anthony. She loves him very much. They have a special bond.

Today, I never did have my "alone time" with Giselle, and the kids felt so bad for her. But, I didn't so much. We get a lot of time together nursing and sleeping together and diaper changing. I have to tend to her the most, although we don't have playtime or reading time together too often. That is what I hope to do with her.

I caught her here at the table playing with crayons. She had thrown them everywhere, but look at how precious she is with her belly resting on the table!!! It cracks me up!

Oh, what a blessing these times are!I realize that these things we did are things the kids are constantly asking me to do with them, but I am always telling them to "hold on" or "in a minute" or "later." I feel so torn. Schooling is definitely a priority and has such a pull. Meals, cleaning, diaper changing, laundry and such are always tugging.

But, these precious moments of time I can have with my little babes are so very important. I already feel like this week has gone better even though other things have had to be put off for those moments. My relationships with them I can tell have already benefited. There is more peace and rapport. We have had a more positive atmosphere. The kids just seem happier. Maybe they are feeding off me. Maybe I am just more at peace because of these precious blocks of time getting to know each of them.

The investment of time in them faaaar outweighs duties. My duties are there, but really, they always will be and they will get done. Whenever we have a gathering, I am forced into high-gear and get tons done. Surely I can do that for my little babes!

Thank You, Lord, for time. I see how much I long to invest time in my children and in turn see how much you long to invest and spend time with us. The investment of time with You faaaaar outweighs anything! Thank You for allowing me to come to Your throne all day long through prayer and praise. Thank You for feeding me Your Word in so many ways other than sitting and reading like the podcasts, radio, music, memory, and other believers. You are so good to me. I give you glory, honor and praise.

What's it like to have 7 kids?

2011-04-19T02:25:00.010-05:00

Hmmmm? Let's see what words can describe it:

Loud
Messy
Laughy (is that a word? no, but I will use it anyway)
Silly
Teary
Playful
Funny (Oh, maybe that's the word. Anyway)
Toys everywhere-y
Snacky
Tire-y
Downright craaaaazy!!!!

. . . and loooooads of fun!

This last weekend we watched our friends' three children while they rode their way on bikes to Austin to raise money for the MS Society. What a great cause!

We had an 8, 7, 6, 4, 4, 2, and 1 year old.

This is what it looked like when we went to the park by our house. I was pushing Giselle in the stroller. She wasn't feeling great.

It was so funny. When we got to the park, three mothers were there with their children playing. One of them was so sweet and talked for a bit and she asked if all the kids were ours. The other two ladies were on the other side and I think they probably watched us most of the time. When we left, they stopped talking and just watched us leave probably thinking to themselves (or to eachother), "I wonder if all those kids are theirs!?"

This is what it looked like at bed time. Both nights we had movie night.

This is what it looked like when everyone was zonked. This photo amazes me. All of the kids are facing the same direction! What are the odds?! Carmelita and Giselle were in our room for a little bit then we all ended up in the living room on the floor.

Here they all are on the couch. What a precious pic. We will remember this time forever (via the blog anyway! I hate my bad memory!).

Thank You, Lord, for precious friends and precious times together.

And, thank you for our four children.

. . . I'm happy with four :-)

Here are a couple of MyLove with Giselle. Such special bonding moments.

I couldn't have done it without my Handsome Honey, that's for sure!!!!!

Our Tradition of the Shaved Head

2011-04-16T17:05:00.008-05:00

So, the tradition continues.

Giselle is a couple months past one year old and we shaved her head!

Why?
1.) It is an old Filipino tradition that my Mom did with us.
2.) It allows for the hair to be all one length
3.) Because of the same length and blunt edges, the hair looks and feels thicker.
4.) When the babes are this young, it doesn't matter what the length of their hair is!!!

Giselle was the best little subject ever. I had given the boys their haircuts then decided that I would do hers. I have been putting it off because every night we thought about it, it was either too late or we had company or whatever.

Ethan filmed and Carmelita helped entertain. Martini was showering off after his own haircut. I was sad MyLove couldn't be there, but he agreed that I needed to do it soon. Each of our children had this done. Poor Carmelita, after everyone else got their haircut, she was begging me to cut her hair. I tried telling her that I did this to her when she turned one, but that didn't seem to suffice :-(

Here is her before. I love her hair, but I know in the long run it will help.

Here is our precious little "emperor baby" now!

The Commodity of Time

2011-04-13T16:12:00.005-05:00

"Just buy it, Babe!" MyLove tells me.
I hesitate. "But, it's so expensive."
"Honey, it fits. It looks great. We're going to buy it."
"Maybe I can find something like it on sale."
"Babe, time IS money."
I scoff at the silly thought. I give him a look conveying the clicheness of such a phrase.
"You are going to waste more time looking for something that won't fit and then probably buy something you don't like anyway. That would be a waste of money. You need a [skirt] and you like this one. We're going to get it"

This is a a conversation MyLove and I had very early in our marriage. And, we have had it various times since.

As I have aged . . . ahem . . . I can absolutely see the truth in this statement.

The commodity of time is sooooo valuable to me. Time is not only money, it is more than money. It has to do with freedom.

The Lord has blessed me with a heart that loves to give. I believe I got it from the Lord, but my Mom REALLY encouraged it growing up. So, giving has never really been a challenge.

Now, time on the other hand is different. Giving away my time takes real effort and is usually a sacrifice. I love my time, my freedom, the ability to be with my family, in the cave of our home, doing the things our nucleus of a family loves or needs to do is what I love. I have been accused, and rightly so, of being the most non-commital person. It makes for frustrating planning for precious friends and family. Why am I like this?

It is not because I am thinking something better will pop up. Not at all. It's just that I know if I commit that I need to follow through. And . . . I love my freedom and there always seems to be a million things waiting to be done at home. We tend to be hermits by nature, my family and I, so not committing with or investing our time can definitely stifle our relationships outside the home. Relationships take effort. Time. Love. And it is ALWAYS worth it.

But, isn't that how it always is? When the Lord stretches us in the areas we are uncomfortable, He always blesses us more than we think we are blessing others!!!!!!! He is always encouraging and oh, so patient. Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much!!!

Time. What a valuable, precious, fleeting commodity.

Zoo Time :-)

Our Acrostic Poem for Planets

2011-04-04T19:06:00.004-05:00

Today, we had to come up with a way to remember the planets in order from the sun.

Me: Martini, this is an activity we are going to do.
Martini: But, I already know them.
Me: Ok. Say them.

And, HE DID!

Me: How do you know them so well?
Martini: I love learning about planets!

Well, you go, Boy!!!

Anyway, I made him help me do the activity anyway. Here it is:

My
Very
Exciting
Monster
Jams
Snails
Up his
Nose

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

Poor Pluto. No longer is it classified as a planet!

Lent

2011-03-09T12:32:00.001-06:00

Today hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, begin observing Lent.

I believe that Lent is observed as a means of sacrifice to the Lord for the redemption of sins. To appeal to the Lord, and this is not what the Bible says to do.

In Isaiah 64:6 it says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

Our "righteous acts" mean nothing if we think they will in some way redeem us from our sins.

There is one sacrifice only that can redeem the sinner.

Hebrews 10:8-14 "First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

There is nothing wrong with fasting, or focusing one's heart on what is right: Jesus. But there is no redemption of sins by anything except by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Broccoli From the Garden!

2011-03-03T13:03:00.005-06:00

We had a couple of pretty hard freezes this year. So, what a pleasant surprise to find our broccoli plant produced broccoli still!!!

We actually weren't sure what it was. We thought it might be kale, but to our wonderment, we found little florets of broccoli. We harvested them when they got big enough and boy, it was just delicious.

Bravo, Honey. You are so awesome with the garden and veggies!!! I can't wait for this years crops!

Thank You, Lord, for the joy in growing your gifts. How satisfying to grow and eat your own veggies!

Here is the broccoli washed, chopped, and ready to be cooked.

And here it is sauteed in the pan with some olive oil and salt. It was so fresh and wonderful! The kids kept asking for more!

Virtual Education-The Benefits

2011-02-26T18:26:00.008-06:00

Martini's school, K12-TXVA, and I think two other virtual academies met up in Austin on a mission:

1.) To raise awareness about virtual schooling
2.) To talk to our representatives and let them know that virtual schooling is a great option!

Now, as we took off on our adventure, we were encouraged to focus on virtual schooling as opposed to homeschooling. Virtual schooling via K12 is education provided by a state funded public school that abides by all of the state's requirements and testings.

We started making a list of all the benefits of virtual schooling and here is what we came up with so far (in no particular order):

1.) Curriculum and lesson content is completely open. We are able to see everything our children are learning. In fact, our curriculum is a very good one and we like it. It is supposed to be neutral on the origins of life and evolution vs. creation issues, but in fact, we have definitely had to point out and address references to "a very old earth," "millions of years old" teachings. It has not been a problem because we have an open dialogue in our house about these things, but this would not happen if we didn't know what exactly is being taught.

2.) Not having good-intentioned counselors coming by the classroom teaching about homosexuality in context of tolerance. Tolerance is fine, but introducing sexual orientation is not.

3.) Medical concerns - our children have asthma. No need to miss school because we need to administer treatment. Also, he can work from home and even from the couch in his pj's.

4.) We get to be with our children more. The amount of time Martini was away from home at school just broke our hearts. We love it when our whole family is together. We are a team and we love time with each other. Martini used to come home and say how much he just missed being with us! How that pulled at my heartstrings! He would say that he missed seeing us and just being with Mommy and his brother and sisters. I would tell him that he would still need to work just as hard at home, but he would respond saying he didn't mind. As long as he got to be with us. So precious!!

5.) No "homework" - odd as this sounds being that we do all work at home! The lessons we go through are sufficient. When we cover something, it is a 1:1 ratio. So, there is no extra tedious work. This allows for more free time and other activities. When Martini was attending school he would get home, eat a snack, do homework which could sometimes last more than an hour (esp. if he was just too tired. Usually he would come home spent and ready to just play and be free. To think he was in a structured setting for seven straight hours and then have to come home and do more sitting and thinking and working . . . it drained me! ), then have a bit of free time before dinner, bathe, very little time with Daddy, then bedtime!

6.)We have full involvement in his educations both academically and with character growth. We are able to discipline on the spot. This is critical, in my opinion, for character development, and it allows us to guide him in a biblical perspective. He is being guided by someone who loves him more than anyone else in the world! We, as parents, have genuine motivation and concern for our child's well being. Not to say that teachers out there don't care, but I can't expect them to love my child like I do! Martini's 1st grade teacher was an absolute God-send. She was wonderful and truly one of the best teachers ever. I loved her. So, I know that wonderful teachers are out there, but at this time, I am blessed to be my children's academic educator.

7.) Being at home requires our children to learn responsibility. They have to help out and do things around the house throughout the day. I require the older ones to read to the younger ones and even do flashcards with the younger ones. It's great because it reinforces it for themselves, teaches the younger ones, and it's more fun than hearing Mommy do it every time! Also, we are trying to implement consistent daily chores.

8.) Homeschooling encourages self-motivation. Because I have other children, I can't sit with Martini the whole time. I have to give him instructions and he has to follow. He knows that if his lessons don't get done now, then he will have to get them done later, either into the evening or the next day. He can't just let things slide. This is a skill that is needed all throughout life. As he gets older, he will be able to log onto his account by himself and see his schedule and begin his studies.

9.) Martini's shyness hampered his learning. He was too afraid to participate at times and hesitated to talk to his teachers. My initial thought on this issue was that he would learn how to speak up. I can't baby him forever. But, MyLove was painfully shy as a child as well. I had shyness and anxiety issues. He has gotten better, and we continue to work with him on this issue.

10.) Behavioral concerns/influences.I was homeschooled as a child along with private-schooled and public-schooled. One of the comments I would hear or have heard is, "you can't keep them in a bubble!" I agree! I know this is true, but while the foundations are being set in my children, it is encouraging to know that we see and hear what is going on around him for now. We can openly address things on the spot. I know and remember what kids talk about. Martini would come home and tell us some. And, I know there was a lot he didn't remember or want to tell us. I am not naive on this subject. For that reason, we keep open dialogues in our home about sex (yes, even now), girls, boys, death, manners, bad words, the Bible, etc.

11.) Freedom to go at one's own pace . . . to a certain extent. We use a block learning schedule because it works really well for us at this time. This is a great improvement to how we started. This freedom has definitely been a better system for us. That said, we are still a public school. We do not have the same freedoms as a non K12 homeschooler. We have to log attendance, keep up with assessments, and turn in work samples quarterly. But, I need this accountability at this time. I definitely appreciate it because I know my weaknesses!

12.) Lower filters. Being at home, there aren't any social filters to get in the way of learning.

13.) Foreign Language. We loooove languages. One of Martini's classes is Spanish. K12 has an excellent program that is engaging and fun. Martini and his siblings love it! They learn together as a matter of fact. We were originally drawn to their Mandarin program, but for some reason it is not offered at his grade level. This is something we will be pursuing.

14.) If the Lord were to send us elsewhere in the world as His ambassadors, schooling could continue uninterrupted. I do love the idea of the kids attending schools where a different language is taught

15.) It's cheaper for the state of Texas. Every student enrolled in virtual education saves more for the state by eliminating the inherent costs with a brick and mortar school.

****** Now! a HUUUGE CAVIAT!

I have listed all of these wonderful benefits of virtual schooling, but I know full well that the Lord can use any type of schooling to His glory. Because of this, I am not declaring virtual/homeschooling the end all for our family. We literally take it a year at a time. At the beginning, it was more like a day/week at I time because I was worried I would mess up so badly.

At this time, we know this is what the Lord has for us. If next year the Lord changes our hearts and leads us in a new direction, we know that He will provide fully. We will take matter in stride, just like we did when Martini attended public school, and give God all glory! For now, we praise the Lord for where He has us and are enjoying this adventure!

Special Times

2011-02-23T02:25:00.005-06:00

We have been having such special times of late and I praise my Maker for giving them to me.

Last week on April 18th, Giselle took her first steps to Daddy! It was so precious. Her daddy is truly her BFF :-). As soon as Daddy comes home, she is off like a determined tiger in hot pursuit crawling as fast as she can to get to him. Daddy hugs her tight but she is ready for some major walking around the house. He so patiently holds her hands (as he did with all the kids) and lets her lead him all around, up and down the stairs, on chairs and tables, across the couch and so on. She has a blast. Poor thing, she knows that Mommy does not oblige much in this area. 1.) I am lazy, 2.) it hurts my back to bend down, 3.) I am lazy.

Ethan and Daddy have been enjoying playing checkers and chess. Here is Daddy playing with Ethan while Giselle feeds Daddy some Mini-Wheats cereal.

We recently took a trip to Austin with fellow K12 virtual schoolers to visit the capital and talk to our state representatives about virtual schooling and raise awareness. Martini went with MyLove and had a private meeting with Rep. Randy Weber! I will post something later with pics.

Just this last weekend I was soooo blessed to attend our Pillars of the Word (POW) Women's retreat. How blessed and encouraged, and humbled I am. The theme: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" Amen!

Today, while I was cleaning up after dinner, Carmelita asked me a question while singing in her own eclectic way. Well, I joined in and tried singing back an answer. Her reply, "No, Mommy. You can't sing. Only I can sing because I sing well." MyLove happened to walk Giselle by right at that moment. "Oh! Sorry!" We both say. She cracks us up, that feisty girl! She has no shortage of confidence.

Gisellerina's 1st Bday

2011-02-17T00:49:00.014-06:00

Gisellerina? How did we come up with that name?

Well, when you were a wee infant, I would sing to you while I changed your diaper. One day I made up this little ringer:

Gisellerina . . .
My ballerina.
Gisellerina . . .
My ballerina.
Gisellerina . . .
My ballerina.
I love you so.
I love you so.
I love you sooooooooo!

It was so cute because the kids got used to it and started singing it with me. Anyway, that is how your nickname came to be.

Giselle, what a gift you are from the Lord. We praise Jesus for His goodness. You are already ONE YEAR OLD!!! Time has just flown by. I cherish you.

I love your eyebrows and how expressive they are. Ever since you were born, your eyebrows have had something to say!

You look so serious sometimes but will quickly smile the moment you are smiled at.

You are healthy, sweet, cuddly, cheerful, loud :-), fun, funny, loving, observant, and just wonderful.

You are so very easy to take care of. You are not a fussy baby. You are content and easy-going.

You loooove to play with your brothers and sister. You are very loved by your siblings. They pick you up, read to you, sing to you, dance with/for you, talk to you a lot, feed you, and Carmelita even tried changing your diaper upstairs the other day without me! But, you wouldn't stay still long enough for her to take off your pants! You siblings stay right behind you while you head up the stairs. They pull your high chair close so you won't feel alone while they eat at the table. They love to hug and kiss you.

Your mornings are your best time of the day.

You love to eat: bananas, scrambled eggs, rice, pizza crust, strawberries, chicken adobo, and of course baba's. And we recently discovered you love ice cream!

You still love to be wrapped.

We celebrated your birthday on Saturday. It was great. We had lots, and lots of food: briskette, baked beans (Thank you Mom!!!),baked dill potatoes, sauteed veggies, sauteed mushrooms, pasta salad, fruit salad, angeled eggs (OK, deviled eggs, but anyway. Thank you, Dad for making them!!!!), bread, corn bread, crescent rolls (Thank you Uncle Daniel!), chicken adobo, coconut chicken chowder, rice, chips and queso, brownies, rice krispie treats, cupcakes, and ice cream.

You had so many family and friends around you. You are loved!

Here you are about to be sung "Happy Birthday" to.

Hmmm? What is that?

About to touch the flame!!!

Cousin Josiah being so loving.

With Sister.

With Grandpa.

With Mema. That's cake on her face from you sharing with her!

Here you are with Daddy as he sings to you on the karaoke.

Joy in my Duties!

2011-02-12T00:47:00.000-06:00

Boy, have I struggled with a short fuse and grumpiness!

After all those sicknesses and disorganization and lack of routine I struggled so much with a grumpy, so serious, easily angered, no fun spirit. I was down and discouraged with how far behind I felt with all my "duties." The kids' schedules were waaaaay off and I just lacked joy!

After I lost Lael, the Lord did such wonders in my life, my heart, my spirit. I saw life in a whole new way. I truly felt I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, I have the Holy Spirit from receiving Him when I became a believer and invited Him in my life. But, as Paul says in Ephesians 5:18-20* to be "filled with the spirit," I believe that is what I experienced. I loved easily. I was not bothered so quickly. I enjoyed every moment. Literally. I enjoyed menial things: laundry, playing Legos with the kids, cooking, DOING THE DISHES!!! I did these things unto the Lord with thanksgiving in my heart. I enjoyed my children with such depth that I would cry and hug them and love them. I just wasn't impatient. MyLove and I grew closer than ever. I was fully satisfied with the gifts from the Lord. The role He had given me. My duties.

I believe this period probably lasted around six to eight months. It was so special.

Then . . .

my heart got distracted . . .

onto myself . . .

onto the treasures of the world . . .

onto what my lack of accomplishments and how I stack up so insufficiently in the world's eyes.

And recently, I did a real heart check. I took a real, hard look at myself and saw such NON-LOVE.

Who is love?

God is love!

What is wrong with me? Lord? What do I do?

So, I prayed. I prayed that the Lord would just renew my heart to the peace, love and joy I had so experienced after losing Lael. But, suddenly fear gripped me. I then prayed that the Lord would not have to use another loss to get me there. It's amazing how quickly fear can seize you as you pray. It reminds me of Peter looking at Jesus and walking on the water then so quickly losing faith out of fear from the crashing waves all around him. The amazingness of experiencing Jesus' POWER that allowed him to walk on water was ruined, dashed because of the "powerful" waves around him. Oh, Lord. How quickly I become a Peter!

Well, with much joy and humility, I give praise to the Lord because He has brought back this joy. I do not loath my duties as I had been, and homeschooling has been going beautifully. I still lose my temper and shout, or I just don't get dinner done, but the Lord has renewed my spirit and there is nothing and no one who could have done it except for Jesus!

Jesus is the only way.

All praise and glory to Him.

-Amen

. . . The moment I post this, I just know that something will happen where I will lose my cool and COMPLETELY make my words ridiculous! I often find that when I praise the Lord for what He is doing in my life to others, that I get humbled by my own actions yet again! Oh, Lord. Save me from myself!

*Ephesians 5:18-20 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-NIV Bible

It's All Worth It

2011-02-10T13:44:00.008-06:00

The most beautiful moment happened for this Mama here. Yes, childbirth, breastfeeding, cuddling, singing, watching my child wolf down a dish I made . . . all of these moments are precious to behold, but there is one that I think might have surpassed them all.

It all started with bickering . . .

What?

Beautiful? I don't think so.

But, wait. There's more.

Martini was bitter and bothered that Ethan had a particular Lego minifig that was his and while Martini was eating, Ethan was playing with it. Well, he just couldn't handle it because Ethan got it first but he wanted it (even though he can't have toys at the table nor could he be excused just yet.)

Upon further examination I found that he had remembered (incorrectly it seems) that Daddy had at one time made Martini give up three minifigs to Ethan who already had 13 because Ethan claimed they were his. This would then result in Martini only having two and Ethan having 16.

Example of Lego minifigs (minifigures).

Whoa!! Whoa!!! First of all, we have a rule in this house. A gift received is that person's to play with the whole day without the requirement to share that day and maybe the next day. But, after that, all toys become the whole family's. We are a team. A cohesive unit that works together and shares all things (in theory and desire!).

Soooo, I had Martini talk to Daddy on the phone in tears, and they resolved that either Martini remembered incorrectly (most probable) or Daddy made a mistake. Martini still struggled and said some choice thing to Ethan and punched the air. He then took a set Ethan built and threw it into the bin. Ethan began crying.

Example of a Lego set they painstakingly build by themselves with their never-ending imaginations.

I then send Martini to the room for discipline. I put Giselle down with Ethan and Carmelita and let out a great, big sighing moan with a, "I hate disciplining you guys! Do you know that?!?!" Then, I go to the room with a deflated heart knowing what I have to do and praying for wisdom.

I walk in and Martini is livid. He is red and had tears coming down his cheeks. He felt like he had been so unjustly treated.

Me: Martini, why did you throw Ethan's set in the bin?
M: I threw mine in too!
Me: I don't care about your set. Why did you ruin Ethan's?
M: It wasn't just Ethan's. I put mine in too.
Me: Martini. Stop deflecting. Why did you do that? Did you ask Ethan?
M: No.
Me: No, what?
M: No, ma'am.
Me: OK. Well, you know that I am going to have to give you a spankin'. Martini, you should not have done that. You should have just been loving to Ethan and been the example. He probably would have shared with you if you had just asked.
M: No he wouldn't (now crying). He is so mean! He was laughing and looking at me like, Haha!
Me: Well, he should not have done that. I will talk to him. But still, you should have been loving to him. Who knows, he might have seen you being loving to him and then want to be loving back!
M: It's not fair! Daddy made me give him THREE of my men to him and he already had a huge army with 13 men. That makes 16 for him and I had only two left!.
Me: Martini, we already talked with Daddy. You know that he is always so fair. Being fair is so important to Daddy. You know that! Daddy already said it was either a mistake or maybe you are remembering differently. Anyway, that is not the issue here. We know that Daddy is so loving. Right?
M: Yes, ma'am

Then I had to leave for a moment to help with Giselle or something. Then I returned.

M: I prayed. (he says with his voice breaking)
Me: What?
M: I prayed.
Me: What did you pray for?
M: I prayed that God would help me be nice to Ethan and that he would give me my man back. (he says now crying)

Oh, to hear your child has prayed on his own without prompting is amazing! His spirit was broken and he was going to his Comforter. I could tell he was broken. He wasn't just saying this to get out of a spankin' or to appease me. I KNOW WHEN THAT HAPPENS!

I took my big boy in my arms and just hugged him.

Me: Martini. You did the best thing. I am so proud of you. Son, if all our time arguing and homeschooling and staying at home was to have you pray on your own for these critical learning times, then it is worth it all. This is what counts. I am so proud of you. Now, I need to give you a spankin' but because I see your heart is right, I want to extend grace and not give you one . . . unless you still want one. (I say kiddingly)
M: No, I want one.
Me: What?!?
M: I still want you to give me one.
Me: Why?
M: Because I did something terrible?
Me: What? (I ask wondering what he is talking about. Did he do something else that I don't know about!)
M: I destroyed his set (he is crying again)
Me: Oh, Sweetheart. That was not a nice thing, but I am telling you that I am encouraged by your heart and your desire to do what is right. I'll tell you what. If a spankin' is needed. I will take the spankin.' (I say with tears in my eyes)
M: Nooooo!
Me: Son, I will take it for you, because I love you and I want to extend grace.
M: Noooo, Mommy. I don't want you to.
Me: OK. Well, you are free and I want you to go and play with your brother.

We hugged and I just have been praising the Lord so much for such a moment.

Thank you Lord!!! So many things reminded me of your goodness with this short interaction:
1.) The need for justice by EVERYONE. It is indelibly printed on the hearts of all men and children get that concept at a very young age . . . even 3-year-olds. God is a just God who requires payment for our sins.
2.) How loving MyLove is to his children. He can't stand the thought of favoritism or injustice. There is just no way he would be knowingly unfair. God is the same with all. He died for the whole world . . . not an elect few! John 3:16
3.) My heart hurt to think that Martini still wanted the spankin' for what he had done. I love him so much that I would take it for him (I would die for my children, but you know what I mean). Jesus Christ love each one of us . . . each human being so much that he took the due punishment for each of us and died with our sins and the guilt of our sins on Himself. It is too much to fathom, really.

All glory and praise to Him!!!

A Tough Start to 2011

2011-02-07T14:19:00.004-06:00

As always, where does one begin?

Well, how about here: MyLove got sick on Christmas Eve with something of a stomach bug.

Soon thereafter, Ethan got 5th disease, a.k.a slap cheek. and croup. His asthma came on pretty strong. He had one of the worst coughing fits we have ever seen. It was unstoppable and we didn't know what to do. Finally, MyLove came up with the idea of steam treatment. We had a vaporizer but it wasn't doing anything. We boiled a pot of water and had him sit above it and how beautifully it worked. The Lord gave us a remedy that worked wonders and didn't cost us a thing!

We had dear friends over on New Year's day with Martini so sick with asthma that he didn't want to open the gifts they had brought for the kids. The following night we almost took him to the E.R. but talked with our pediatrician who helped us and the next morning were worked in at a dr.'s office. Martini tested positive for strep but is actually an a-symptomatic carrier. He was struggling with asthma as a result of a virus, maybe croup. Our blessed pediatrician saw us a few days later and said he shouldn't have taken the antibiotics because the strep wasn't what caused the inflammation of the asthma but probably the virus instead. We always learn a lot from him. He is the beeeeest and we praise the Lord for him. Our doctor is NEVER quick to prescribe medicines and has helped us not have to go to the E.R. various times.

Carmelita then got sick with croup and her asthma started up. She hasn't had asthma in such a long time. Her coughing was so bad that she would cry because her stomach hurt from coughing. We did the steam treatments for her as well (along with the inhaler and steroid) and she improved very well. She was so funny because she would climb on the chair and say, "Mommy, I'm ready for my steam!" as if it was some kind of beauty treatment!

Each of them were probably sick for about two solid weeks with a fever for about five days straight.

The kids were finally healed or on the mend when I got sick with the flu. I tried so hard not to breathe on Giselle, but being a nursing co sleeper makes that a very difficult task. I had to resist kissing her and sharing any drink or food. We prayed and prayed all throughout the sicknesses that she would not get sick, but she did and it was the flu.

Giselle with the flu. Oh, how that just breaks my heart. She did very well. We treated her fever and snot-snatched her nose often. This is when breastfeeding is king! It comforted her, put her to sleep, and gave her the necessary calories she so needed. She was in the wrap a lot when I could get up. The Lord would give me these bursts of energy and wellness so I could get some much needed things done and I would wrap her and she so needed it. It kept her upright with all that drainage and comforted her to be on me.

But, how beautifully the Lord works. MyLove took the whole week off to help me and the kids. Really I just needed him to take care of the kids, I was just desperate to lay down and sleep/rest with all the aching. Well, literally the the final morning I was sick, I really improved by the afternoon and by the evening MyLove came down with a terrible fever and he got the flu as well. We just praise the Lord that I was able to take over fully well and that we weren't sick at the same time! What a blessing!

Martini at the Dr.'s office doing a nebulizer treatment.

We are all better now, but I had sent out an email to all our family telling them of our situation and that we were so desperate with the kids' asthma. We are taking measures to help improve their asthma as best we can. Anyway, here is the email (as a time reference for myself):

Dearest family,

Wow, we are already almost finished with week #2 in 2011! Can you believe it? I pray that this year is just full of new revelations of God's love for you!

Well, we have been through one of the toughest bouts of asthma for both Martini, Ethan and Carmelita in a long time. This past week we were getting ready to take Martini to the ER Monday) but thankfully, we were worked in at a doctor's office here in Pearland who gave him a nebulizer treatment and prescribed him a steroid and antibiotic. Ethan went to our pediatrician the following evening. And last night I was up with Carmelita treating her asthma off and on. Her coughing has been so tough on her little body. Croup is the main culprit, but Martini has had sinus stuff and is a carrier of strep.

When our family gets sick, its pretty intensive. A simple cold turns into quite the ordeal when their asthma flares up. My mom and sister (and ourselves) have wondered if it is something in the house, but thankfully we haven't had any mold problems or anything like that.

Last week, MyLove spoke with a friend whose son had severe asthma and he firmly told MyLove that we should get rid of all our carpet. He said that he first started with his son's room and immediately saw improvement. They ended up putting wood/laminate throughout his entire house and his son doesn't struggle anymore! I am so excited about this. MyLove and I have talked about getting wood floors since we moved in, but haven't prioritized saving up or shopping around or making time for it. I would just love to see the kids not deal with asthma!!!

Along that vein, I will be getting rid of certain items that might be harboring dust/mites/allergens including stuffed animals and removing the curtains from their room. I am going to let the kids each choose about five stuffed animals to keep and store them. They will be able to play with one at a time or so. The others I am going to donate/give away. Many have been given to us by you (our family) and I just wanted to thank you for your love in giving them. We wanted to even see if you would like them for kids you know. Just let me know and I can give some to you! We just want to make this a healthy environment for our kids and not exasperate their asthma.

Thank you so much for understanding. We are looking forward to this new direction and prayerfully seek wisdom to make the best decisions for our kids' health.

With love,
Cristina and Martin

Conversations with Carmelita

2011-01-15T23:10:00.004-06:00

Today:
Carmelita and I are playing this little mini game of bowling. The pins are the size of a, I don't know, about an inch to inch and a half tall. The "bowling ball" is a sweet, green marble. We play a couple of rounds and then Ethan comes to join in . . .

E: I want to play. Carmelita, can I play too?
C: Yes! O.K. Ethan, these are the bullets . . . (pointing to the pins). You have to roll the ball and knock down all the bullets.

Obviously I need to explain that they are bowling pins but MyLove and I were having too much fun listening.

Last Week:
C: Mommy, what are you making?
Me: Some toast.
C: Wow, that is big toast!
Me: Yes, you are right.
C: Mommy, wouldn't it be funny if the toast was so big it was as big as a rocket launcher!?
Me: Oh, my. That would be huge! (I respond tickled at the odd placement of such a comment!)
C: (laughing now), Yeah, it would be like the size of a house!

A Few Weeks Ago:
Me: Carmelita, who are you talking to?
C: Hello Kitty
Me: Oh, what are you doing?
C: Fighting bad guys
Me: Oh, OK.

My poor little daughter. MyLove said tonight that if anyone heard her comments they would immediately know that she must have older brothers! She is truly such a girly girl, but sometimes she says these things because that is what she is surrounded by. Soon enough, Giselle and she will be reveling in their girl time and having a ball!

Celebrating Lael

2011-01-07T19:01:00.010-06:00

On December 11th, 2010, we celebrated Lael and gave all glory to the Lord for allowing her to be a part of our lives in the small way she was. It was two years ago. Even though we didn't get to meet her, she sure had a big impact on all of us.

That morning, we went to the cemetery to see her gravemarker and pray together. We talked about where she is right now and how she has a perfect body. She longs for nothing and is completely enveloped in God's love. Wow! What an amazing thought! The kids love to talk about her and get excited for the day we can meet her.

We swept her grave marker and the kids found wild flowers to put on it. Ethan found the red petals blowing by and picked them up to place on it as well (we made sure he wasn't taking them from another grave! We had to talk to them about that. They asked why they couldn't just take the other nice flowers and put them on Lael's grave!)

Here is Giselle sweeping away!

We made our traditional gingerbread house in her honor. Martini's school had a gingerbread contest and the boys got so excited about adding little Lego minifigs to the design. They got quite creative!

These times are so special. The Lord uses them to turn our focus on what really matters. Longing for heaven and longing to be with our Saviour come to the forefront of our minds and our joy is renewed at what is to come. Sometimes it seems far off, and yet, we remember how fragile life is and how close we really are. Our days are numbered. May they be used for His glory.

Daddy with Giselle

2010-12-05T01:16:00.006-06:00

I was going through some photos and found this stunner. Babe, you're so sexy!

MyLove had Giselle wrapped on his back in our new Didymos Jack. She looks so cute with her hands folded.

And here is another precious pic with MyLove holding Giselle after he had rocked her to sleep.

Park Time

2010-11-19T12:08:00.005-06:00

Wow. What beautiful weather we have been having. We have enjoyed some time outside, but not as much as we'd like because of sickness and trying to get caught up in school.

Recently, we met up with Mike and cousins at the park and the kids had a great time.

Martini's Thoughts

2010-11-04T15:56:00.006-05:00

We are doing Social Studies review and talking about what kind of pollution a leaking oil freight would produce . . .

Martini: Water pollution?

Me: Yes! Good job. Hey, remember the oil that was spilling into the gulf because of BP . . .

Martini: Oh, Tony Hayward? (he says before I could finish my sentence.)

Me: Yes. Ok, well next question.

***

After a somewhat tough morning and afternoon of me getting after him during school . . .

Me: Martini, I am sorry for being so tough on you today. Son, you are a smart boy and you have a great brain, so when I see you just staring off into space and not doing your work, it frustrates me because it takes us so long to move on.

Martini: I can't help it. Sometimes I am just daydreaming about gold . . . or Jesus . . . and sometimes about Genevieve and who I'm going to marry.

Me: Son, why are you worried about who you're going to marry? That is a long way away?

Martini: Well, what if I'm daydreaming about Jesus. Isn't it better to dream about Jesus than just do school work?

Me: It's always good to think about Jesus, but He also wants us to be responsible with the things we are supposed to do.

I then wanted to go on about my responsiblities as his mommy and how I can't just sit there all day and think and read my Bible, despite my desire to curl up with a cup of coffee and the Bible . . . but, we were interrupted and we moved on with the lesson.

***

After visiting with Genevieve and her precious family we came home and Martini went quickly to work with a pencil and paper. Later he showed us what he was so intently working on. He made a graph-sort of thing that showed how many years he has to get to 25 and then at 18 he starts dating and then at around 21 gets engaged and then around 23 thinks about what woman he would like to marry in case there are others and then at 25 marriage.

We asked him why 25, and he said that is how many lines he could put on the paper. Since then, he has repeatedly talked about how he will get married at 25. We told him that he will not need a long engagement if he knows who he is going to marry and that he will not get engaged unless he is sure she is the one. He sorted these bits of info in his filefolder of a brain and carried on!

Oh, that boy! He is such a romantic, imaginative, analytical little being. I love him so.

Giselle's Milestones - before I forget!

2010-10-04T14:03:00.003-05:00

09.15 - She started crawling, for real. And immediately afterward started pulling up on things. I keep trying to sit her down, but she won't stay down. Time is slipping away from me. Don't try walking yet!!! Please!

August sometime - got her first two bottom teeth

09.30 - her third tooth cuts through on top

09.24 - she says "dada" for the first time!!! What a joy for MyLove. Since then she has said "nanananana" and "ssssssss" and "hu, hu"

She is now eating baby food: MumMum rice crackers, baby puffs, squash (her favorite), carrots, peas, sweet potato, a bit of bread, a bit of rice, rice cereal, and pears*, nectarines, oranges and canteloupe* in her mesh teether.

Ethan's Cooking Show

2010-09-19T17:13:00.002-05:00

Here's Ethan's first cooking show. Our creative little boy! This was our third take.

Lost Didymos :-(

2010-09-17T17:28:00.001-05:00

So, I have been in the depths of despair of late.

OK, that was a gross exaggeration.

Anyway, I have been very sad.

We went to the park last Thursday and played some soccer and let the kids swing. When we were leaving, it was dark and we were rushing to the van, 1.) because I wanted to beat MyLove who was pushing the big three in the stroller while I was holding Giselle and 2.) the mosquitos were out in full force (those pesky things!).

I won, of course . . . well, actually, Martini won because he and Ethan fell out of the stroller trying to race me, but I had to stop because my motherly achings came to the surface as I watched Ethan writhing in pain on the gravelly lot holding his knee. Martini took this prime opportunity to tag the van first and exclaim his victory and run back to check on Ethan.

Moving on, I fed Giselle in the van and then we left. In the midst of all the commotion, MyLove and I believe the wrap must have fallen somewhere between the park and the van, or at the van as we clamored to get inside so the mutant mosquitos wouldn't kill us.

All this to say that my beloved Sequoia Waves Didymos is gone. I went back with the kids the next day and found nothing. We all went back the other night and looked again just in case, and there was nothing. I even posted a "lost" ad on craigslist with the hope that someone out there might find it and not think it is some random, old, good for nothing piece of long narrow cloth and chuck it.

Thank You, Lord, for that wonderful gift while I had it. It sure was one of my best ever baby/toddler essentials . . . I look forward to hopefully getting another!

Homeschooling Benefits

2010-09-15T22:15:00.004-05:00

During this new journey of ours called homeschooling, we are trying to mix things up and enjoy the benefits. It's difficult sometimes for me to make things interesting when I am trying so hard to wake up early enough to get started on our day and finish before dinner. I have my normal to-do's like feeding the kiddos and cleaning all the while trying to focus and prioritize school.

Well, today is my Mom's birthday and it was a mad rush to finish school so we could go to her house and give her her birthday gift. We didn't finish everything, but one fun thing we were able to do was Martini was able to log-on to his K12 account and do his Spanish lesson while my parents watched. They were so pleased and impressed.

Also, the other day we did Martini's spelling lesson on the window! We just used normal dry-erase markers and were able to erase them easily from the window.

This journey has just begun. It's been a bit slow going, but I am optimistic for what is to come!

During our lesson we spotted this beautiful butterfly which went right along with our lessons of the life cycle of butterflies and insects:

Our First Day of Homeschool Pics 2010

2010-09-10T01:54:00.008-05:00

On Martini's first day of school for first grade and second grade I took pictures of him. What great snapshots in time of these precious, fleeting moments. So, I wanted to do the same thing this year as homeschoolers.

This was an impromptu event and even though I took many photos that morning, I still didn't get exactly what I wanted. We had fussing and complaining about the pictures, being hungry, taking too long, another one? . . . Any way, at least I still got that snapshot in time!

Carmelita, one of the guys . . . kind of!

2010-09-10T01:41:00.004-05:00

So, we were all getting ready to go to the park when we told the kids to go to the bathroom first.

I walked in from the garage and called for Carmelita to make sure she went as well.

"Yes, Mommy!"

I opened the door and there they all were. All three of them. The boys on either side and Carmelita in the middle with their pants down and all aiming at the toilet!

The funny thing is that Carmelita was aiming what she had at the toilet fully believing that she would make the shot just like her brothers.

MyLove and I started cracking up as I told her that she couldn't pee that way and quickly took her to the other bathroom. All the while, the boys just finished their business!

Homeschool

2010-09-05T02:26:00.004-05:00

So much, so much, so much.

This week marked the completion of our second week of homeschooling. And, by the power of the Mighty One, we had a wonderful Friday!!! Peace. Love. Completed studies. What a blessing!

This is a beautiful thing, especially after some of the most grueling past two weeks ever. I think I cooked only about two dinners! We either had sandwiches, MyLove would pick something up, leftovers, or egg/breakfast type food.

Here is what the kids are doing:

Martini - 3rd grade. He is officially enrolled and a student of K12-TXVA (Texas Virtual Academy) which is an official state funded public school that uses an online and book curriculum but the students learn at home. (Here Martini is looking at Carmelita's coloring book at the laundromat)

Ethan - Kindergarten. He is using materials from Mardel Christian store (little learning activity booklets), Martini's old kindergarten homeschool materials and will use some of Martini's leftover public school materials from public school (Ethan at the laundromat waiting for me to finish taking pictures so he could use my phone to play a game and/or flashcards)

Carmelita - She is learning through fun activities with cutting, coloring, letters (very few), counting, shapes. Fun little booklets as well and various activities. (Carmelita cutting out shapes for school).

Giselle - playing, observing, eating, sleeping! (Here is my little trooper. She had fallen asleep in the wrap and I was able to lay her down in the stroller to finish up our comforters)

Why am I homeschooling?
1.) To put the primary focus on their character and hearts. Teaching them to honor the Lord in all things. Although my desires are to start every morning with a short Bible story/lesson, this has not happened even once yet. But, we have had numerous opportunities to stop and pray. If they grow up and live for the Lord with all their heart and live to bring Him glory, if they are able to see the value of the Christian life truly lived by faith, their rewards in heaven for eternity will far outweigh any accomplishment here. Amen!

2.) Time with the kids. The last two school years have gone fairly well, but every morning we were rushing to get ready and out the door. It did become a routine and we got good at it, but the day would go like this:
a. get ready, eat, load up all the kids, take Martini to school
b. Martini spends 7 hours at school trying to learn with intense shyness
c. Martini comes home and has a snack. Usually I am on him about taking so much time to eat because he needs to finish all of this homework
d. Martini spends another hour on homework. I have to keep making sure he stays on task.
e. Martini finally finishes and desperately joins Ethan to play LEGOs or whatever.
f. Not long after, Daddy comes home
g. Some nights have sports, some nights eat dinner
h. MyLove gives the boys baths (now they shower on their own) and does their teeth, reads to them and prays with them
i. Then, the night is over, we are exhausted and feel like any downtime with the kids on the weekdays is miniscule.

3.) Martini's shyness and independent learning style, I believe, somewhat impeded his learning. We now have more time together. He can ask questions. We can use tools he enjoys, i.e. LEGOs, computer, drawing and art, learning outside of the home like in the backyard, Mema's house. Also, I require that he reads to his siblings for his reading time, and that helps with his fluency and nerves. Also, near the end of his second grade year I asked him what he did at recess and he said he just walked around picking flowers and grass and saying which ones were nice/pretty and looking at what God made by himself. I asked why he didn't play with anyone. He said the boys he played with were so rough and were not obeying the rules and the girl he played with sometimes was playing with other girls he didn't know. Oh, how this broke MyLove's and my heart. The thought of him just walking around the field by himself just made me crumble inside. He asked me many time if I would just homeschool him.

4.) Language. When we first learned about K12 I found out they offered Mandarin. Well, in my book, that was like the golden ticket. We signed him up and enrolled and found out later that they didn't offer Mandarin until 6th grade. Boy, did that chap my hide. Not that we would have gone with another system, but I was pumped that he could continue his Mandarin studies. Anyway, we decided he would take Spanish instead. He is looooving the program so far and it is awesome. Ethan and Carmelita are learning right along with him; not to mention myself!

5.) His asthma. Last year, Martini got sick various time and had to stay home. Well, because of the asthma, any type of sickness is compounded because it prolongs his recovery. Also, if he has allergies his asthma can kick in and he has to stay home because he needs breathing treatments. Homeschooling allows us to continue his studies anyway in the comfort of our home, on the couch, in his pj's!

6.) I have always loved the idea of homeschooling. I homeschooled as a child. I homeschooled children for a couple of months in Taiwan. I love the freedom. I love the personalization. And, with K12, I love the structure and accountability. I love knowing exactly what my kids are learning. I love the thought that if we were to move tomorrow, we would not be put in the awkward position of finding a new school right away or being subject to different agendas.

Now, I am only two weeks into this. I homeschooled Martini in kindergarten and I am very open and transparent with others when I tell them I became "evil Mom." I mean, slamming the ruler on the desk while trying to understand why he can't get the letter "e" right. Perfectionism and different learning strengths can really hurt you, not to mention a dire need for patience. Because I know this about myself, I have not come to this decision lightly, nor has MyLove. This came about with much prayer and heart searching. Open communication between MyLove and I has been critical. Open communication with Martini has been important as well. I have asked Martini many, many times if he was sure he wanted to do this. That he would not see his friends. We talked about how I was mean to him in Kindergarten. He doesn't care. He just wants to learn at home. I told him he would have the same amount of work at home as he would at his old school. Again, he just doesn't care.

His reasons to homeschool:
1.) He loves to be home
2.) He misses us and wants to be with his Mommy, Daddy (when on Flex), and siblings
3.) He doesn't mind the work, as long as he is at home.

Well, this was good for me to get all of this down. One of the things that TXVA encourages the parents to do is write down the reasons we are homeschooling and keep them available so when the desperate times come, we remember why we made this decision in the first place!!! What a blessing it is to even have this option! I am so thankful to the Lord for His provisions for exactly what we need.

Blessed to Serve

2010-08-10T13:46:00.006-05:00

We have the blessed opportunity to host my parents and brother this month while they wait to close on their home. It's an exciting and busy time. They arrived on July 29th or 30th and they will be here 'til the end of this month. I know it will be sad when they leave. We have had such fun and my mom has been an endless source of help.

My laundry is fully caught up.

There are no dishes in the sink.

The floors are clean.

I can tend to one of my little ones and not feel bad about the others because my mom is there to comfort them.

Mom has come with me to grocery shop, doctor appts. soccer practices and karate.

She has cleaned up after so many meals as we are rushing out the door for one thing or another.

My brother helped me on a trip to Hong Kong Market, and we looked for apartments for him.

Dad watched the boys while Mom and I went to an appt. with the girls and had a bit of girlie time. The boys had great fun with Papa running an errand and stopping by Whataburger.

Papa came to the Karate belt test yesterday.

We sing karaoke together.

Bonding of all kinds is happening. Papa with grandkids. Mema with grandkids. Uncle with nephews and nieces. Brother with my dear hubby. Me with Mom and Dad and Bro. MyLove with Mom and Dad.

Mom and I wake up and have coffee together. Oh, how I love these times. They are food to the soul.

Mom and I stay up late and talk and watch Entertainment Tonight together. I just love my mom.

I just love my parents and brother so much. What a blessing it is to host them. They feel like we are blessing them, but really, they have blessed us so much more with their stay. Thank you, Lord for such a special time!

Ethan's Brain

2010-08-10T13:41:00.004-05:00

Super Monkey Ball. It's a game the kids play on our iPhone and it is hard. I am terrible at it. If the kids ask for help, they quickly take it back and say nevermind!

I was on the couch watching Ethan play, "Ethan, how did you do that? It is so hard?"

"I just use my brain! My brain is very smart!"

"Oh, O.K."

Bonding through Jesus Christ

2010-07-22T01:47:00.006-05:00

The woman I bought our Kirby Sentria vacuum from is wonderful. She and her hubby brought down their asking price from $485 to $400 and just blessed us so much.

I drove to their house with all my children and she immediately let them go upstairs to play with her daughter. She showed me the vac and as much as she could even though her hubby was out of town and knew the vacuum's functionablity better. She let me feed and tend to Giselle and we had a great talk. I shared a bit about Lael ( I am not sure how it came up) and she shared how she lost her 18 month old son who had drowned only the previous August. it broke my heart and we talked about the support from our church families and the only hope you can have through Jesus Christ.

How do people function, cope, survive, live, grieve without Jesus?! We talked about how open and pure our children are about the whole thing. They just get it. They believe unabashedly the truth that their sibling is in heaven with Jesus and they long to be there with them. They talk about wanting to go to heaven and wanting to be with Jesus now. They don't despair. They are full of hope.

Both of us laughed when we talked about our kids wanting to set the table for one more, being for the one in heaven. I told her my loss is nothing like hers. I didn't act like I knew her pain. Her baby Luke was very much a part of their lives. He was their life. The center of the family being the baby. There are still pictures of him in their house as a baby and as a toddler. And his life was taken. She had such hope in the Lord and she gave glory to Him.

Hallelujah! Amen! Amen! Thank You Lord for the opportunity to meet a fellow Christ follower. Thank you for the immediate bond I can have with someone just because they know you, and that bond is so deep. Thank You that we have the blessed hope and assurance of joining our little ones in heaven. Thank You for working all things for good for those who love You. And thank You for being our comfort and strength and peace.

***

I posted these pics because I took them the other day and was just amazed by God's work in the heavens.

Our Kirby Vacuum

2010-07-22T01:40:00.003-05:00

Three of our little babes have asthma. Allergies seem to be a part of our lives, and because of this I rejoiced when our vacuum's belt broke. It was my impetus to buy a new vacuum. Sure, belts are cheap, but I am through with putting any money toward a machine that sucks up dirt, hair, dead skin cells, and food and spews tiny little particles of this nastiness back into the air all over every surface it's around.

I talked to MyLove and we were ready to get a good quality vacuum. At the time I was thinking a Dyson. We have a couple of family members who love theirs and I read some good reviews, but when doing research, the one I wanted ran between $300-$350. I decided that since I would be dropping this kind of cash that I would see if there might be a Kirby around that price range. I have always wanted a Kirby but knew it was impossible to buy one because they are rediculously expensive.

Long story short, we found a wonderful couple on craigslist selling their Sentria and we bought it for $400 (07.16.10). That might seem outrageous for a mere vacuum, but when you learn that these vacs go for around $2,000 brand new, you realize that this is a great deal. The vacs are made to last for at least 30 years and usually longer! And plus it's a shampooer and blower as well. Not to mention they are utter workhorses!

First impression: I love the metal!

Second impression: heeeeeavy!

First thing I did: cleaned vac, outer bag, hoses and all attachments. l

First-time using it experience:
A) it drives itself so the weight is no problem, I mean, it literally drives itself! It even has a "neutral" and "drive" setting
B) it sucks up everything! I can hear it sucking up a million things! (of course, it has been two weeks now that I have had a vacuum!)
C) I can't believe what filth is in my carpets!!
D) It actually lifts the carpet with all its suction
E) this vacuum rocks!

I feel like such a homely wife blogging about my vacuum, but if thirty years from now I read this and still have my Kirby Sentria vacuum, it will be $400 very well spent!

Giselle and Her Thumb

2010-07-19T03:34:00.005-05:00

So, Giselle is the only one of our precious babes who found her thumb. At the beginning I was afraid 1.) because people are always touching her hands and I didn't want her putting all those germs into her mouth, and 2.) because I didn't want it to become a habit so hard to break. I had talked to a dear teen from our church (who I roomed with at the retreat and I looove her!) who sucked her thumb at night until she was like 13 years old. I also know of a man who I think is in his 50's and still sucks his thumb at night (He's got some serious issues . . . no really, he does. Not mental, but anger and other stuff).

Anyway, when I would see Giselle sucking her thumb I would pull it out and try to feed her or give her a pacifier. The problem is she would gag with them. I tried a few different ones and after about a week of this she finally took a pacifier but would get tense and cry if I moved my hand near her when she was sucking her thumb :-( I felt terrible and decided at once to stop. Now she sucks her thumb and I have learned to embrace it and just love it.

Well, yesterday we were getting soccer pics taken of the kids with their teams when one of Martini's teammates' moms came to me and started talking. While she was talking she all of the sudden reached up and took Giselle's thumb out of her mouth and said, "Don't you suck that thumb! You get that out of your mouth!" I immediately hugged Giselle and said, "Oh, no. It's O.K. I don't mind her sucking her thumb." She told me that her daughter just recently stopped sucking her thumb at night and that it is why she has buck-teeth (which it didn't look like it to me, but then she told me her overbite was really bad).

She is a nice lady and her intentions were good but rash! I have appreciated the fact that Giselle is able to self-soothe especially since I can leave her to sleep when she has finished nursing because she will suck her thumb instead of needing me to lay there with her. She is now able to tolerate the van too!

One day it might be a struggle to overcome, but for now, I will enjoy Giselle and her thumbsucking for the comfort it brings her. What freedom there is when we learn to let go and enjoy what God's given us!

" . . . take the free gift of the water of life."

2010-07-12T23:50:00.006-05:00

"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life"

-Revelation 22:17b, The Bible - NIV

Yesterday, we had the son of KP Yohannan come to our church as a guest speaker. His father was supposed to come, but had urgent business in India. KP Yohannan is the founder of Gospel For Asia.

It is a wonderful organization that reaches out to the Dalits, the "untouchables" of India and shares with them the good news of Jesus Christ. They equip missionaries in their own regions to share the gospel and they have schools for children to teach the Bible and feed them. MyLove and I just love what they do and what they are about.

Well, listening to his son, MyLove and I just had our hearts rekindled with the fire to reach those who have no hope. The desire in our hearts is one of the main things that brought MyLove and I together, and we have prayed throughout our marriage that the Lord would use us. We know that we must be willing to be used wherever we are, but our hearts have always loved different cultures and peoples and different languages.

MyLove felt led to Spain after graduating from seminary. When I was a little girl, I had the desire to go anywhere the Lord wanted to send me, especially remote tribes or China (because my dad had lovingly shared stories and books about Jim Elliot and Hudson Taylor when I was a child). Either way, we just want to go wherever the Lord leads.

So, last night, MyLove pulled out our new "10/40 Window" map, and showed the kids where India was, "introduced" them to our new missionary family and observed all we could in the picture. The kids were so interested and excited. The family has two boys and two girls, so the kids liked that. They didn't smile in the picture, so that was really throwing them for a loop. The only one smiling was the eldest boy who is a middle child.

MyLove was so sweet sharing all that was on his heart. He was excited and factual and had many things to share, but with the wee ones feeling the excitement and "meeting our new family," the questions from their imaginative minds were endless and quite random at times:

Martini: "Why are there countries that are named after food, because I heard you say Turkey and Greece!"
MyLove: "Good question." he says, with his nose flaring, trying not to laugh, but smiling. "These names are just coincidentally foods in our language."

Carmelita: (with hand raised, waiting her turn, then called on) "Why are there so many babies in my room?" We all started laughing.
MyLove: "You mean your baby dolls?"
Carmelita: "Yes."
MyLove: "I don't know. And I'm not sure how this fits in." And we all are laughing at this point, including Carmelita.

Ethan: "The Philippines is so far away. How did Mema get here?"
MyLove: "Mema flew here on an airplane."
Martini: "I wouldn't want to fly. I would just want to take a car or a bus."
MyLove: "You can't. You have to fly over the ocean to get there."

Martini: "Mommy, what was that chocolate movie we watched?"
Me: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
Martini: "Yes. Willy Wonka is like God."
Me: (Hmmmmm?!) I'm thinking . . .
Martini: "He gives out these free tickets to go to this wonderful place. Except God gives His free gift to go to heaven!"
Me & MyLove: "Awesome, Martini. That's right!"
Me: "Except, Willy Wonka only gave five people tickets. How many people did God give His free gift to?"
Ethan: "Everyone!"
MyLove: "That's right! It's like God has given everyone the free ticket in their mailbox and all they have to do is go out and get it. If they were to try to go to heaven without the ticket, they wouldn't be able to. They have to decide to go get it."
Me: "And Who is that ticket? What gift did God give us?"
Kids: "JESUS!"
MyLove: "Right. You just have to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that he came and died to take away your sins. And you decide to follow Him. When you do, you will live forever in heaven."

The kids then started talking about Lael in heaven and how we would all get to meet her and be with her in heaven one day.

So, after dinner, MyLove had us all go to the couch and hold hands and pray together. He prayed first and then each of the kids prayed what was on their hearts.

Ethan: Our new family in India, that they could have money and food to tell others about Jesus. That God would help the poor people to have money and food and that we could tell others about Jesus.

Martini: That Uncle Daniel would find a godly and beautiful wife

Carmelita: That Mema would stop smoking and find a nice house and isn't too much money

Giselle: She babbled and smiled and was as sweet as could be :-)

MyLove and Me: Guidance, direction, boldness, fearlessness, compassion and realization of what is eternally at stake for the lost, confirmation, what country, unity . . . And praising the Lord with all our hearts.

***********

Note: spoke with a wonderful lady at church after the service for quite some time. She believes that she and her husband and son will be moving back France in a year. Excited about what the Lord is doing in their lives and we share our desires. We exchange info so I can send her some old pics of her son and my son. She says she really wants our info because she sees how serious and desirous we are to do what the Lord has laid on our hearts. And then she comments that maybe the Lord will have us work together there in Spain/France one day.

Although this is what seems to be a passing comment, it was such an encouragement from the Lord to my spirit at how quickly the Lord works. We have talked many times about how in the Christian life, you wait and wait and pray and pray. But when the Lord moves, He moves quickly. All the while, He had just been preparing you. When He moves, you better be ready!

Tank Top Dilemma

2010-07-06T22:46:00.004-05:00

O.K. I have a dilemma.

Tank tops. Camisoles. Sleeveless shirts. Spaghetti straps . . .

I don't wear them alone. If I do, it is rarely and it is when I am with MyLove to play some kind of sport or at home with just MyLove and the wee ones.

When I wear them, they are layered under or over something. I am definitely a layerer. Before it was quite the trend, I used to layer a lot just because v-necks are usually too low on me and I just like the look.

Why, one might ask, don't I feel free to wear them? Weeeeeeeeell, I grew up with a Filipina mother who never let me wear tank tops. I was brought up to dress very modestly and not to show my armpits! I have many a time wanted to, even as an adult, but stopped myself because I felt like I was doing something uncouth. I would see other women wearing them and thought how nice and cool (temperature wise) it would be to wear them, especially in Houston!!

On top of matters, I have tried on things and asked MyLove and he doesn't like me wearing them either. I have even had comments from my Martini telling me I need to put a shirt on (he was only about 3 years old, but for some reason wanted me to cover up my camisole!)

Well, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mindset I had so grown accustomed to and asked my mom why I was always told not to wear tank tops. She said,

"Oh, annocong, that is for ladies. When girls are not yet married, we were taught that they shouldn't show so much skin and that if you show your armpits, someone might see into your blouse."

"What about older women or married women?"

"Oh, yes, it's fine. I wear a sleeveless sometimes and my mother used to wear them too."

Wow, if I had just asked sooner!!! I just wonder if I will ever feel comfortable wearing them . . . ever! Now, I just have to work on MyLove!

Ethan's Sweetness

2010-06-30T11:27:00.006-05:00

Ethan is such a sweet soul. He is just precious.

He looooooves his siblings. Martini went to bingo for the first time with Mema the other day, and Ethan was a basket case without his best friend. He moped and cried and said over and over how he missed Martini. One day, Martini was going to get a spanking for being disobedient, and Ethan says, "Mommy, spank me instead." I cried. I hugged him and praised him for his heart. It was a tangible example of what Jesus Christ did for us. Taking our punishment on Himself! MyLove and I were touched immensely.

He lovingly will ask Carmelita to kick the soccer ball with him and include her when playing with toys.

He hugs and kisses and sings to Giselle all the time. He still enjoys holding her and when he sees her in bed, he will climb in right next to her to talk to her and hold her hands.

Ethan can not take music that shows tension or danger. Even if the cartoon has fuzzy bunnies or kids eating cotton candy, if the music changes to something intense sounding, he just can't take it. He closes his eyes, covers his ears and says, "Mommy, I'm scared!" He will run out of the room sometimes too. It is so funny. I have to tell him, "Ethan, it is just a movie/cartoon. Nothing bad is going to happen!"

Thank You, Lord, for entrusting our precious Ethan to us. What a precious soul he is. We have been so very blessed by him. It is such a privilege to be his mommy (and daddy). In Jesus' name, Amen.

Ethan with ranch squirted on his face!

. . . after eating a cupcake . . .

. . . being buried in the sand by Martini and Josiah . . .

. . . telling Carmelita how to spray him with the hose . . .

Kids' Quotes

2010-06-28T00:59:00.006-05:00

The kids were watching the making of Revenge of the Sith (a movie they are not allowed to watch, but try to come as close to watching it as possible) and a scary scene of Anakin getting all burned up in the lave came on screen.

Me: Guys, I don't know about this. This might be too scary.
Martini: Mommy, don't worry. Just go ahead and go upstairs.

Hmmmmmm. . . . . Uncle Daniel says it's just the "director" in him coming out!

Martini posing with his cousin David and friend Bryan

*************

Carmelita was using the restroom and I was telling her something and she responds:

Mommy, please don't talk to me while I'm going peepee. I need my quiet time!

What???????? I seriously don't know where she gets this stuff. Sure, I linger on the commode to enjoy a bit of respite, but still!!!

**************

I often hear Ethan playing and then say, "hold on, I want to see Giselle" or "I'm gunna check on Giselle" or "I think I hear Giselle." It just melts my heart!

**************

About two weeks ago, Giselle said "mama." Now, she was just babbling with these particular syllables and had no idea what they meant, but that doesn't matter. She is the first of all our children to say "mama" first. All of our others said "dada" first!

Giselle in Wrap

2010-06-24T10:06:00.007-05:00

I have so many things to remember and try to blog about. I don't want to forget them. I don't want to lose them forever. So, just to get something precious down that I am looooving, here is a pic of Giselle in her wrap. I have wrapped her in the front since birth, but started on the back around 3-4 months. With Carmelita, I waited much longer just because I didn't know how and wasn't confident enough.

Giselle loves it and now laughs when she grabs a fistfull of my hair! We wrap for long trips grocery shopping, to the park and out-n-about where strollers aren't practical, or in the house when tummy time and nap time are no longer an option for Lil' Miss Princess. But, right before she falls asleep, she fusses quite much because she wants to be flat in bed. If I can't, she finally passes out on my back, then I take the 30 seconds and lay her down. It's always a rush to do the next thing around here, you know?

This was taken this morning - Sequoia Waves Didymos

This was taken at a graduation - Sequoia Waves Didymos

Giselle is only a few weeks old here - Moby Wrap

Things I want to Remember

2010-02-18T18:44:00.003-06:00

Martini - He went on his first field trip yesterday to a play. His Grandpa Ford went with him as a class chaperone (and as comfort to Martini!). When he got back, he told me that he was "delighted to go" and had a great time.

Ethan - He is really learning to read now! He was kind of reading three letter words in December when I was still pregnant. Then Daddy stayed home for the month and really worked with him consistantly in the mornings. He has improved so much. He knows his letters and their sounds and is interested in spelling words on his own sometimes. This morning he spelled "kite." He first started with a "c" but with some help, got it right. Tools we have been using: magnet letters on fridge, Leap Frog videos: "The Letter Factory" and " The Reading Factory", making up spelling and rhyming games with him, giving him an ending sound like "-at" and then telling him to spell "bat" and "cat" and so on.

Carmelita - All the sudden, I realize it is quiet in the house. No singing, dancing, playing with the cd player changing out the cd's . . . where is Carmelita?! She is upstairs trying an different clothes of course! She comes down with a totally different outfit and on top of that, one that makes me cold just looking at her. Usually shorts and a tank or shortsleeve shirt when it is freezing outside! She sings without hesitation or shame. A song the kids are loving right now is "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner. They first heard it on an Alvin and The Chipmunks commercial. They kept singing it around the house (just the part on the commercial) and so we found it on youtube and let them listen to it. They all sing the chorus together. It is precious.

Giselle - She has started smiling more and just started actively cooing when talked to by Daddy or me. I just looooove this time. She has gained a good amount of weight and looks just beautiful and healthy. She is enjoying both the sling and wrap. I have only wrapped her in the front, not the back yet. I am too nervous yet. She has taken a bath with the kids in the big tub and loves the space. I usually bath her in my sing. The kids just love being with her and seeing her move around.

MyLove - He is trying to get on a regular workout schedule. He is using our P90X DVDs and loves them. He can only work out about two days a week, but we really want to make it more regular. He is such a hottie! MyLove has employed my Smoothing King background ;-), I make him a fresh smoothie after his workouts and we sit and sip with him. It's fun.

Me - I need to get this self of mine in shape! Feeling chunky, but so much better than that last month of pregnancy! I praise the Lord for good health. I look forward to getting outside with the kids, when it isn't too cold, but I am still enjoying this cold weather because I know how hot it gets!!! Have some sewing ideas, but can't seem to get to them. Just enjoying these fleeting days of Giselle's infancy. My heart aches at how fast they fly by. Finished the sketch for Lael's gravemarker and we are working with the funeral home to get the final touches done. This is long overdue.

A Day at the Park

2010-01-26T18:15:00.007-06:00

Perplexed, impopsicle, Peaches

2010-01-25T16:12:00.015-06:00

I know the heading doesn't make sense, but these are the words that we have heard lately.

Ethan came up with a nickname for Giselle. He wants to call her Peaches. We love it. I have no idea where he got it from, but it is so cute. He continues to enjoy holding Giselle. Today he said that he could hold her all day.

There is a song from the kids' hymns c.d. that Carmelita likes to sing:

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
You can say to this moutain,
'Move from here to there!'
And it will move, and it will move,
And nothing will be impossible for you."

It is so cute to hear Carmelita sing this because on the last line she says,
"And nothing will be impopsicle for you!"

Martini was drawing something the other night and said that he was confused. We asked him what he was confused about and he answered, "No, I am perplexed. I don't know why . . . "(I can't remember what it was about). MyLove and I looked at eachother and laughed. We asked Martini how he knew what that word meant and he said he learned it in school! We were so proud of him for using a new word and using it correctly!

One night, it was late. I was feeding Giselle and Carmelita was so tired and wanted me to hold her. Her desperation to hold me made me cry because it was so sweet. So, I moved Giselle to the football hold and had Carmelita lay on my other side. She was asleep in minutes, maybe seconds. It was such a sweet moment with my girls.

Carmelita Comments

2010-01-13T00:23:00.003-06:00

Carmelita has been saying the cutest things and I don't want to forget them:

"Mommy, I am brushing my hair so it won't get cavities."

"Ooooh, I am so eskited."

"Ooooh, she is so cute."

Uncle Mike: "Hi, Carmelita!"
Carmelita: "No, I'm not Carmelita. I'm Aurora."
U.M.: "Oh, Aurora."
C: "Say 'hi' to Aurora."
U.M.: "Hi, Aurora."

She used to pronounce her name Compita. Now it's Comapita. And if you try to call her Comapita, she corrects you by saying it louder. It's so funny.

Life

2010-01-12T01:43:00.008-06:00

I praise the Lord God Almighty for life. What a gift!!! I want to shout it from the rooftops.

LIFE!!! IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

I have been on such a high and just can't stop thanking the Lord for all He has given me. It is late, but I want to record this somehow so I don't forget, like the Israelites who made alters so as not to forget the great things Almighty God has done for them. And, as is common in the Christian life, I know that I will not be on this high forever. So, I will capitalize on this time in my life and give praise to the Giver of perfect gifts.

I can't believe the Lord has given MyLove and me a brand new human being, all our own. He has entrusted this blessed soul to us and it brings me to tears thinking of the grandness of it all.

I have been enjoying our other children and just reveled in the beauty there is with them. Their energy, innocence, wonder, honesty, their need to be loved and the fact they have no shame in asking for it, i.e. to be held, to give or receive kisses, the desire to spend time with MyLove and me, their need for interaction and for space.

I just love each of our children's unique qualities and differences and long to show them how I appreciate them for who they are.

The kids have been so interested in Giselle. If they hear her cry, they run into the room and see what is wrong. Ethan loves playing the XBOX and doesn't get to very often. He will stop playing and say, "I want to see the new baby!" and run to wherever I am with her to check on her and give her a kiss or caress her hair. He is done this over and over. They all love to hold her. Martini was holding her today and said that he could hold her forever. Carmelita refers to her as "my baby." She really is a little mommy. They all love to kiss her and touch her hair and watch her when her eyes are open. They also love to see her breastfeeding and give me things to eat so "the baby can try it/have some too!"

Giselle is so tiny, and I have been learning to embrace it and know there is nothing the matter. She is just tiny, and I will enjoy it. We were so graciously given a load of preemie clothing and I washed them and put a preemie night outfit on tonight. It fit like a charm.

I remember our Lael and our experience has given me maturity and a softer heart. I know the Lord will use it for His glory. I pray that I am a willing and favored vessel for Him.

I love my husband more than ever. He helps out without thought of "job responsiblity." He serves with a selfless and cheerful heart. I want to be a servant like him. I want to be the best help meet ever to him. He sure is the best hubby ever!

MyLove's dedication to the family is unmatched. He once again is taking a whole month off from work to be with me and the kids. I had a fantastic birth, but he still insists on staying home to help and to bond with Giselle and our other children. He stays up late with me and wakes up early. He fights sleep while trying his best to stay interested in a game of LEGOS or chunky superheros. He reads to the kids, plays board games with them, he has been teaching the boys how to ride their new bikes, he recently cooked an entire pasta dish from scratch and from his own thought out recipe, his effort is endless and his sacrifice for us is something to behold. Thank you Lord, for MyLove. I don't deserve him.

We brought Giselle to our nephew, Markie's, bday party and the family was so thankful that we brought her, even though we didn't allow anyone to touch or hold her. Their amusement and appreciation of her was so precious.

My parents got to meet Giselle for the first time yesterday, after being sick, and they just couldn't stop talking about her. Mema comforted Carmelita the whole time who was holding on to her like a monkey. Carmelita really missed her Mema.

My mom (Mema) has brought us so many meals and boxes of Shipley doughnuts. We are so spoiled. Not to mention kind friends who have brought their love with meals.

God continues to shower us with His love in countless ways and I praise Him.

Look at that face! Giselle in deep thought.

Martini holding Giselle.

Martini kissing Giselle.

Carmelita laying next to Giselle.

Giselle looking up at Ethan.

Ethan holding Giselle.

Now Introducing . . .

2010-01-10T20:34:00.005-06:00

We are overjoyed to announce the birth of our daughter, Giselle Shiloah Jen Ford.

Here are her stats:
Weight: 5lbs 8.3oz (tiny!)
Length: 19"
Hair: black and long and straight
Face: red complexion and beautiful, with a pointy nose!
Date of birth: Sunday, January 3rd.
Time: 9:02pm

We didn't have mittens with us, so we used socks for her hands to prevent scratching her face.

Meaning of Names:
Giselle means "pledge" or "promise". Shiloah represents peace or peacefulness, as in "the gently flowing waters of Shiloah...", mentioned in Isaiah 8:6. Shiloah symbolized the Lord's gentle, silent protection rather than worldly sources of strength. When one trusts in the Lord, the Lord promises his gentleness and peace, as referenced also in Psalm 23: "he leads me beside the still (or quiet) waters". After we lost Lael in December 2008, despite the profound sadness we experienced, we knew the Lord's peace in a very intimate way. And now one year later the Lord has blessed us with this daughter, whom Cristina has perceived as being gentle ever since months ago in the womb. And now after birth she seems so gentle and peaceful. So this meaning fits her well. Moreover, the Lord blessed us with a beautiful birth. Jen is Cristina's sister's name, and she has been an instrumental part of the last 4 births Cristina has gone through. So we wanted to honor her by using her name as the second middle name.

Labor and Delivery:
Labor began Sunday morning around 10:30am, to my ignorance. Only later in the afternoon, did Cristina inform me that she "may be in labor". Around 2-3pm, the labor got more intense, and we were discussing when to call her sister, Jen, who is a midwife, to help Cristina labor. Jen was with us for the births of Ethan and Carmelita, as well as Lael's delivery. She has been such a valuable support. Cristina kept expressing her fear of the labor stopping all the sudden, or not laboring long enough and showing up at the hospital with minimal progress. We were waiting to call the doctor until ready to leave for the hospital. Cristina packed our hospital bags while enduring contraction after contraction. Martin juggled getting other items ready, like the carseat and cameras, so we could have plenty of room for taking pictures and video, along with comforting Cristina through contractions occasionally. Finally Cristina agreed to call Jen when the contractions started getting really intense. Jen brought Kiana to help watch the kids with Uncle Daniel. Cristina's mother was sick. After Jen arrived, we called to ask Uncle Daniel to come over. After his arrival, we immediately left for the hospital, at emergency speeds, because Jen said we needed to hurry; she knew the baby would be coming out very soon. After getting to the hospital I found a wheelchair and wheeled her running with the guidance of a security guard to the elevator and up to Labor and Delivery where they took her in and wanted to calmly get all the info and waivers signed. But when they saw Cristina break into her contraction, they knew they had no time to spare, exclaiming, "She's ready to push! Get her to a room fast!" So we and 3-4 nurses went running through the hallways to a delivery room. They put her into a gown, broke down the bed into delivery mode, and within 15 minutes after arriving to the room, the baby was born in all of her beauty. Cristina, although having expressed repeatedly that she couldn't do this, did push the baby out and endured through a drug-free labor for the first time in all her deliveries- a long-awaited dream fulfilled! We want to thank the One who made it possible- Jesus Christ, who did in fact give his life for us, and gave my Cristina the strength she needed to push our baby out when she was at wit's end. She repeatedly expressed her desperation and called on the Lord for His help and recounts with all her heart that she couldn't have done it without His strength. Jesus deserves all the glory and credit! Cristina deserves credit for enduring and trusting in her Savior to bring her through this greatest life challenge.

We want to thank you for all your prayers for a safe birth and baby.

Mommy and baby are resting well after the marathon (or shall I say sprint?).

With love in Christ,

Martin and Cristina Ford

So Many Posts, So Little Time!

2009-11-19T16:53:00.003-06:00

I have so many posts ready to be written and posted, yet so little time.

Martini, Ethan and Carmelita are sitting at the table right now with their friend Kolbi drawing treasure maps. It is so fun for them and so simple. They have such great imaginations:

Ethan: "Here's a web."

Carmelita: "Huh? A web?"

EThan: "Yeah, a web."

Carmelita: "I'm gonna draw my house now."

They talked about how to draw the map compass and which directions go where, skeletons to resemble the bad guys' place, a pumpkin . . . Such fun to listen to.

***

After we got home from dropping Martini off at school, Ethan got out of the van and said, "Who wants to play with me?!" Carmelita was sleeping, so I was the only one to respond and my heart just melted for him. I said, "I do!" and he said, "you do? You want to play with me, Mommy? Ok, after you eat, we can play." Which is normal protocol.

I ate my breakfast and spent a little time in the Word and we drew and colored maps for our treasure hunt adventure. Ethan then led Carmelita and I on a grand adventure through the forest, mud, snakes and scorpians, mountains, and alligator infested waters to the treasure. We did this three times and danced to "Shake your Bon Bon." It was fun and they enjoyed it so much. It is such an effort for me to get the imagination going, but the kids just loooooove and appreciate it. Relatively, it is little effort to the amount of enjoyment they get out of playing with Mommy (and Daddy).

***

Carmelita came out of the restroom this morning and walked up to Ethan on the coffee table and gave him a hug. Ethan told her thank you.

Ethan's Observation

2009-11-16T11:49:00.006-06:00

"Mommy! You need new clothes!" Ethan tells me this morning.

"Why, Sweetie?"

"Look!" He says pointing to my belly poking out from under my shirt!

It was so funny.

Bento Boxes

2009-11-13T10:29:00.002-06:00

I had mentioned in an earlier post a new hobby of mine. Bento Boxes. They are a style of lunches the have migrated here from Japan. My sister-in-law, Ruslyn, used to make them for a company when they were stationed in Japan while Mike was in the Navy. Hers were "to-go" bentos sold in different stores.

The philosophy of bento boxes, and Japanese cuisine in general, is beautiful, eye-catching food that is colorful and healthy. They like to incorporate red, green and yellow veggies/fruits, rice, some kind of meat.

Now, Martini is not a fan of rice. Even though he has had it since infancy, and we eat it for most dinners, he prefers potatoe wedges or some kind of bread roll. He enjoys pasta, but even though he tends to be picky, he likes meats and certain veggies. For this reason, making his lunches has been a challenge. Many times in 1st grade, he would come home without touching hardly anything, let alone his sandwich. I tried cutting his sandwiches into different shapes and that has helped some, but I still want him to eat other things.

So, this year I happened upon bento boxes and the whole culture out there of over-acheiving mothers who wake up in the morning sometimes to steam veggies and cook little drummettes. I love the concept, the look, and the ideas so I am excited about this journey. This school year I have bought and used a few things to help.

A Sterilite container with an easy lid. If you were to initially see this, you would think it was only enough to hold one whole sandwich. You would be right, but creativity is in order. I have looked online for genuine bento boxes but I am not willing to pay the price or the shipping. There are all sorts. I am due to go to our HongKong Market, so hopefully I can find some there. In the interim, this is what I use.

I just purchased four of these cute Tupperware containers for sauces and dips. They're great, but a bit difficult to open.

I use two cups to make circle sandwiches that seal in the middle. There is a tool for this, but I am imporvising. One day I will probably invest in one, but I'm taking it slowly.

Anyway, this is a little look into my new hobby of bento boxes.

Here is the first layer. I am not sure why it posts sideways. I tried changing it but it wouldn't line up correctly.

This is the second layer sitting on top of the first with a folded paper towel in between.

Here is Ethan watching me make Martini's lunch one morning. He looks so tired.

Not a Graceful Gainer

2009-11-03T10:46:00.004-06:00

Here I am at 29 weeks pregnant

Getting bigger has never been the enjoyable part of pregnancy for me. I love having a big round belly, but it's everything else getting bigger that doesn't quite float my boat. I have always said that I am not a graceful gainer, and this time is no exception. I have had various comments that are completely innocent, but reflective none the less.

1.) Are you having twins? (either 2 or 3 times)
2.) Are you sure there aren't two in there?
3.) You have to be due any day now! (Said to me last week)
4.) Annacong, I think this is going to be a big baby! (by my precious mom)

I truly, with all my heart, have not been offended at these comments. I think with my other pregnancies, I would have had a hard time with these comments, but after Lael died at 20 weeks gestation, I am just so blessed to be pregnant at all. I just don't care how I look as much. I am enjoying this time of pregnancy. I am enjoying every little movement of my daughter. It reassures me every time. Knowing that she is alive and healthy really changes your perspective on things.

But, still, I feel big and round.

Trick-Or-Treating

2009-11-03T10:02:00.009-06:00

Well, we decided this year that we would take the kids trick-or-treating. In years past, we told them that we didn't celebrate death or evil or monsters or ghosts and that it wasn't anything the Lord meant for us to celebrate. We have always handed out candy with a verse about darkness or hope or salvation through Jesus.

The boys have been asking and asking if they could go trick-or-treating for the last couple of years and we decided that after explaining our position and knowing that they had a good understanding that what we were doing was letting them dress in their favorite characters and showing others while getting candy was fine. Actually, I really didn't know what to do and thankfully, MyLove decided what we were going to do.

So, they went out with Daddy and Grandma while I stayed home and handed out candy to the little ones . . . and not so little ones. I always love giving candy to the shy ones because I can so identify with the mothers who are trying to build their confidence and security.

Well, in the end, the kids had a good time except for the end. Sadly, it ended on a not-so-good note. They weren't gone for long. They all came back and MyLove dropped Grandma and Carmelita off. The boys and Daddy went out one more time for only a couple of minutes and at the door I heard someone crying. I opened the door to find my little Ethan crying. They came in and I held him as MyLove explained that they went to a neighbor's house who was quite "enthusiastic" about celebrating Halloween with elaborate, scary decorations in the yard and the couple dressed the part. Ethan heard the scary voices and just couldn't take the scene. It was too much for his little heart to take and he had enough. He was so scared, poor thing, and they came right home. Martini quickly piped in and said that he wasn't scared. :-)

How does this affect our position on the whole thing and the latest decision? I really don't know. MyLove and I will talk about it more and pray and see. We are learning as we go. It definitely became a good teaching moment to the kids about why we don't celebrate evil things, but things that are good and of the Lord. Giving candy away always feels good and the kids enjoy acting like their favorite characters. We talk about why these characters are good and what qualities the Lord would like us to have.

The journey of parenthood continues. . .

Knock-knock! Who's there?! Why, it's IronMan, Minnie Mouse and Obi-Wan Kenobi!

"Trick-or-Treat!"

Ethan, so handsome and confident in his costume; Carmelita looking for candy; Martini looking out for other little characters to bond with!

Grandma with the kids starting their journey.

***Side Note:

We have never bought costumes at full price. The kids have either gotten them as gifts and one year, I happened to go to Target after Halloween some time. I found the costumes in disarray, but at such cheap prices. So, I made it a point to go this year to see what I could find. Yesterday, I found various ones for the boys and settled on Power Ranger costumes for $10 each that were regularly $20 each. There were no costumes for Carmelita's age except for ugly gothic costumes. We will head to Walmart today to see what we can find. The kids love to dress up and play all year round, so this is a great opportunity for us. Carmelita really wants a princess costume. Hopefully we can find something.

***

We made it to WalMart and found Carmelita a Snow White costume that she is wearing right now on my lap as I type. We found some discount Halloween table cloths that we will use for camping this weekend and some %50 off fall cookie cutters and fall sprinkles!

Hunting for Geckos

2009-10-30T15:24:00.011-05:00

One of the activities the kids and I have enjoyed late this summer has been spotting and catching geckos. When my brother and I were kids in Okinawa, we used to catch them all the time. Well, my kids see them and they get so excited just the same. They aren't quite ready to try to catch them on their own yet, so they call me over and we try our very best to catch it. I think we've caught about four of them so far. We hold them, look at them, put them in our little mesh bug house for an hour or two and then let them go. They fill the little house with hybiscus leaves and flowers, grass, bugs and acorns. They have such fun just watching the gecko move around and try coaxing the little thing to eat.

Initially, catching them always is a bit of a rush for me. They are so fast and squirmy and have tails that can easily be broken off. Thankfully, I haven't broken a tail yet, but when we were little, it used to happen all the time. Your hand tries to come down quickly but gently and catches only the tail. When you look down, all you have is a twitching tail and no gecko! Ewww! So, I have to put any squeemish feeling aside and be the kids' hero.

Well, here is one we caught last night. It was a feisty one! He would move so fast wherever he went and went all around the bug house like a whirlwind. The others were more calm and not as jittery. MyLove took these pictures so we could remember the fun. It was a high of 62 today, so our gecko hunting days are coming to a close. Hopefully, we will get to catch a couple more before they're gone for the year!

The bug house

Carmelita Loving Daddy

2009-10-28T20:20:00.003-05:00

"Daddy, are you done right now?" Carmelita asks Daddy referring to his dinner.

"What, Sweetie?" Daddy didn't fully understand what she was saying.

"Can you play with me?" she asks.

"Oh, sure!"

Carmelita takes Daddy to her babies and they tuck her into her stroller and put "sock mittens" on and place other fun things in the stroller.

After a bit, Carmelita turns the cd player on and plays the Children's Hymns cd she loves so much and sits with Daddy. They sing and sing the songs so beautifully. They are such simple songs but they are the kind of songs you just cherish hearing your little babes singing.

She just loooooves her time with Daddy. It melts my heart to see and I am so blessed to have a husband who loves his children so much. She will grow up knowing the security of her Daddy's love.

Ethan's Favorite Meal

2009-10-28T13:53:00.004-05:00

It is such a simple dish, but Ethan just loves it. Carmelita enjoys it too, but not quite as much as Ethan. Here they are chowing down. I just love it when my kids eat well.

An Army of Pencils-Ready and Waiting!

2009-10-28T10:54:00.003-05:00

Do you ever need a pencil immediately and pull one out from the pencil holder/drawer only to find it's not sharpened or the lead is worn too low? That kind of thing makes me crazy, especially when trying to teach the kids or write down a phone number or draw something out. I can't stand being inefficient. Well, I just did a sweep of the house and sharpened every pencil I could find - 63 to be exact, not to mention another handful of colored pencils. I didn't open up my box of reserves, but I still had enough to fill a pencil box. Ethan and Carmelita enjoyed helping me sharpen them in the electric pencil sharpener.

Anyway, here is our army of pencils, ready and waiting to serve our sketching/writing needs.

Martini's Fall Festival '09

2009-10-26T09:53:00.004-05:00

Martini's school had a Fall Festival last Friday. The boys had been excited about going but on Friday around 3PM, Ethan said he didn't want to really go because he preferred staying home and watching our new movie: Sleeping Beauty, we just got on Blu-Ray. Here's our conversation:

"Mommy, can we watch the movie after we pick up Martini from school?"

"I don't know, Sweetie, because we have to get ready for the festival."

"I don't want to go to the festival."

"You mean you would rather stay home and not go to the festival just because you want to watch the movie?" I asked fully loaded and intending for him to remember that he and Martini have been talking about this festival for a couple of weeks now.

"Yes, I just want to watch the movie."

"The festival is going to be fun. There's going to be games . . . there will be people there . . . " I was trying to think of all the positives, but was kind of drawing a blank.

"There's nothing special about people!"

"Ethan, that's not nice." I say, knowing full well that I don't relish crowds or walking from booth to booth to stand in line for an activity with especially shy children who most likely will not want to participate in 99% of them. "There are going to be fun activities there!" Truthfully, I much prefer curling up with the fam at home to watch the new movie with some coffee or icecream in our comfy house with the nice cool weather outside.

***

Well, our time at the festival went quite well. Martini was Iron Man, Ethan was the Star Wars Emperor, and Carmelita was Minnie Mouse. The kids participated in the bean bag toss, toilet paper toss, dart throwing to pop balloons, and they got their first set of Y-Ties.

The kids enjoyed eating their first cone of fresh cotton candy, and they loved it. They also got snowcones despite the very cold weather that night. We got to see Martini's classmates and teachers and principal and even Auntie Ruslyn and their cousins Michelle, Jobe, Mark and James.

MyLove joined us and the kids were thrilled. I was even able to buy some mini-Tupperwares for sauces and dips for my new found hobby: bento boxes for Martini's lunches. I will try to post something on this later.

I was posted to serve at a booth that evening, but a blessing from the Lord was given to me. There were two teenage girls there trying to get some community service hours and took my shift. They were so sweet. Thank you, Lord!

Carmelita, Juliette, Genevieve and Martini

Cassidy and Martini

My Review of Cutting Food Box

2009-10-20T22:52:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Diapers.com

Melissa & Doug Cutting Food Box

However you slice it, the Cutting Food Box makes it fun -- and safe -- for kids to practice their culinary skills. Crafted of smoothly sanded and painted wood, the sectioned foods are linked by Velcro; when the dull wooden knife slices ...

My kids love this set!

By Filipina Follower of Jesus Christ from Texas on 10/20/2009

Pros: Entertaining, Easy to Construct, Durable, Lots of Fun, Great Features

Cons: none

Best Uses: Toddlers, Range of ages

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children

This is such a great set. My two older boys (4 and 7 yrs old) as well as my toddler daughter enjoy "cutting" the veggies and bread and putting them back together, even in wacky combinations. The "velcro" makes it sound and feel like you are really cutting them into slices. They put pieces in play pots and pans and act like they're cooking. One time, they brought a "bread slice" into the bath tub. I didn't notice until it was thoroughly soaked. It is still in great condition. The paint stayed on and the wood didn't warp. Whenever kids come over, they love playing with this set as well. What a great investment!

(legalese)

Arabelle

2009-10-09T10:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, while review letters and numbers with Ethan, Carmelita joined us. I wrote her name on the board and said, "'C' is your letter, Carmelita, because that is this letter at the beginning of your name" while I pointed to it on the board.

"And 'A' is also your letter because of your middle name Arabelle."

"Arabelle is me?"

"Yes, that is your middle name. Carmelita Arabelle."

"Oh, Arabelle is me? Ooooooh. I like that!" She says twisting back and forth enjoying the sound of her new name.

We have called all of our children their full names various times, but I guess it really stuck out this time and Carmelita just loved it. It was so cute.

I am proud of you, my child.

2009-09-30T23:41:00.004-05:00

I have had some of the sweetest moments with my precious little ones. They are moments that make this mommy's heart ache with love and joy and fill up so much it feels like my chest will explode. I love my little babes so much and they add enormous amounts to MyLove's and my lives.

Martini:
1.) When I drop Martini off in the morning at school, he goes from fun, excited stories and conversation with Ethan and me to completely closed-off, obedient student who does not want to make any trouble. His head goes down and he makes a b-line straight to the door, not greeting anyone or saying anything. Well, his shyness has affected various situations and this is an issue we have had to address numerous times. So, one morning on the way to school, I told Martini that he needed to initiate a "Good Morning!" to the kind 4th grader or teacher who opens up his car door in the drop-off lane. We joked about all the greetings he could give like "top of the morning to you!" or "howdy, ya'll!" or "nice to see ya" or "water!" (kids can be so creative), but settled on "hi." We pulled up and I told him to that he could do it and to make sure to do it. A cute little 4th grade girl opened up the door and he oh, so confidently said, "Hi!" Ethan, Carmelita and I drove off when great excitement and pride for our growing up Martini.

2.) We celebrated my mom's 56th birthday recently when she came by to have a little celebration with icing covered blueberry muffins and singing. When she was leaving, we remembered that the boys "owed her $10" for toys she bought them that were beyond the limit. My mom just cringed and was trying to rush out the door, but we were excited about the boys keeping their word and learning the value of money and what impact their decisions have. We urged my mom and dad to stay and reluctantly, my mom waited as they got their wallets. They excitedly pulled out all of their money on the floor and we helped them count out $10. My mom wouldn't even take the money. Dad had to do it for her, but it was such a good lesson for the boys. Then Martini said, "I want to give Mema more money." So he looked at his money and pulled out $6 more and gave it to my mom. She took it and started to cry softly at his generosity. We were so proud of him for having such joy and excitement to give. God loves a cheerful giver!

3.) Martini came home from school today and found Carmelita sitting in a baby bouncer that was given to us the other day. She was acting like a baby and he was obliging her. He took her hands and kissed each one. He rubbed her head and asked her if she would like him to read to her. He read her "Splish Splash! It's Time for my Bath" book and then took her out of the bouncer and helped her put together some puzzles. He is such a loving older brother.

Ethan:
1.) Ethan's sweetness with Carmelita has been heartmelting as well. Carmelita will make knowm that she wants one of her babies and Ethan will go a'runnin' to get it for her. One day, he came running downstairs so fast and picked up Carmelita's little baby carrier and took it upstairs. Another time, Carmelita was sitting on an end table putting on some music and needed help getting down. I couldn't do it right away, but who was there? Ethan came to her rescue and carried her to the ground. "Taint choo, Etan" she tells him.

2.) Ethan is such a sweet soul. With all the birthdays we have in September, birthdays are on the kids' minds. Well, Martini and Ethan have been discussing their plans for Ethan's birthday and Ethan lovingly will ask Martini who he would like to invite. He will also ask Martini if his idea for the theme is a good one or if Matinit likes it. Ethan's plans always seem to accomodate Martini's desires.

3.) Ethan loves to help. He is definitely my big helper. He loves to wash dishes and bring in groceries from the van and if I ask him for help with the laundry, he comes running into the laundry room to take out the clothes from the dryer, transfer clothes from the washer and then start a new load. He asks to vacuum and loves to wipe the table or furniture with a wet towel. Thank You, Lord, for Ethan's desire and love for helping.

Carmelita:
1.) Prayer time has become a time for everyone to participate with such colorful words and expressions to The Almighty. At night, Carmelita prays for Uncle Frank's cancer, for Mema to stop smoking and for things like Mommy to quit smoking too! I don't smoke, but I suppose it's a possibility that I would start one day and she is praying that I don't start. At the dinner table she thanks the Lord for EVERY type of food we are eating and responds to the boys with, "Shhhh, I'm praying!" when they start giggling about the minute details she goes into. She has also prayed that I wouldn't eat chicken before. This was so funny to us because she was completely serious and we just cut up laughing. Poor thing, she just wanted to finish praying but it took a few minutes to compose ourselves again and she finished.

2.) Carmelita has really embraced potty-training and has enjoyed wearing her new panties. It's been so nice having the consistancy, but it is not for the lazy, and lazy is how I have felt lately. As a matter of fact, I just did waited and waited to take her to the potty tonight and she peed in her pants. Oh, well. She is doing great and we are all proud of her.

3.) The other day I went to a maternity wear store and they had a little bin of toys for the kids to play with. I looked around and then told the kids it was time to leave. Carmelita and Ethan came to me and then Carmelita says, "Oh, no! I have to clean up the toys!" She ran back and picked them up while singing "Clean Up." The two ladies who worked there just fell apart with such admiration of this daughter of mine. I was so proud of her and praised her for what she did and then I praised the Lord for such a rewarding experience

We're Having a Girl!

2009-08-21T15:25:00.002-05:00

We went for our anatomical ultrasound and were so blessed to find out that the Lord has blessed us with another little daughter growing in my belly. I cried and cried at the ultrasound for the wonder of it all. It's just so beautiful to see such thing. A real life growing in my womb all the while the Lord is knitting her.

She seems like a calm little one. Just hanging out in complete comfort. At one point the tech needed her to turn around so she could get a better measurent. We coaxed her by turning and a bit of prodding. When she turned, she was just as content and didn't change positions. She likes to have her arm in front of her face near her forehead. I still don't feel her much even though I am nearing 19 weeks. With the other babes, I felt them quite early. It seemed to get earlier with each one and they were all so active.

The impression I get with this sweet little one is that she is gentle and mild. I know it's not going off much, but that is the way I feel so far. I look forward to meeting her in person and being able to experience this unique and precious soul.

These moments and thoughts make me really remember the loss of Lael. I think of her everyday, but not always with thoughts of loss. Opportunities to speak of her come up often and I speak of the great hope and excitement I have to experience her presence one day in heaven. But, lately it's been tough. Memories flood my mind of pregnancy with Lael. How every day I thought I had lost her. How much time in prayer I spent no knowing what to do. Remembering going into labor at only 20 weeks. Having an ultrasound in the triage and not finding her little heartbeat and feeling so weak and broken that I could have just melted through the hospital bed. Seeing My dear Love cry with me and the look of despair on his face. Delivering Lael's tiny, tiny little lifeless body and holding her the best I could not wanting to hurt her, even though I knew she was already in heaven with my Lord and Savior. So much pain. So much sorrow.

I remember a peace that I could not understand during this whole process despite the pain. It can only be attributed to The Amighty who loves His children, oh so much; so much more than I could ever love my own children. It became such a sweet time in my walk with the Lord. I grew closer to Him than ever before. I knew and know His love in such a real way. I know Him. I know the God of the universe personally and at such a a trying time, He showed Himself to me in such a way that I don't ever want to forget. He comforted me with warmth, love, peace, endurance. He sustained me. I talked to Him constantly. It was all I could do. I could do nothing else. I had no control and it was O.K. He was all I needed. I longed to go to Him sometimes in moments of despair, but mostly because of His goodness and love. He drew me to Himself.

I hope never to forget, and that is why I write this.

Balloons for Lael

2009-08-21T14:53:00.002-05:00

Beauty and sweetness amidst stress and fatigue.

As we drove home from HEB, Martini says, "Mommy, you know what I want to do with my balloon?"

"What, Sweety?"

"I want to let go of it and let it go so high for my sister Lael."

"You mean outside?"

"Yes. So she can have a balloon to play with."

"Me too." adds Ethan.

Tears rush to my eyes and I am brought back to rememberance of then that are pure, and sweet, and good. I am saddened all of the sudden and full of love and other things fade. I just love my children so much and I thank the Lord for them. I didn't go into the explanation that she wouldn't literally get to play with them. I just enjoyed the moment, and it was great.

We got home and immediately cut off the weights and the boys let them go. We watched them as long as we could and talked about how Lael is in Heaven. We touched a bit on how she would appreciate such a gift but that she would not actually be able to touch and play with these actual balloons. We did not dwell on that but on how sweet it was that they wanted to send them to her. They were happy and so was I.

***

Today has been a tough day. We woke up quite early to meet Martini's new teacher. It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't as smooth as it needs to be on Monday for school. His new teacher is the cutest little thing. She just had her first baby nine weeks ago and my heart broke for her and her little daughter at the thought.

We then headed to Target to get some extra supplies when I was pulled over by a police officer. I had been on the phone talking to my father-in-law about an uncle with cancer when the beautiful blue and red lights atop the cops car started flashing for me. I pulled over immediately, hung up, pulled out my license and got my registration.

Turns out, I didn't turn on my right turn signal when I turned. By the Lord's grace, I was give a written warning because he so kindly reminded me that they no longer give oral warnings. I shed a few tears as he ran my info while the boys excitedly told me how they would love to be police officers one day so they could tote around a real gun and have handcuffs for the bad guys.

On to Target where things went relatively smoothly despite the no-tax crowd. I checked out quickly longing to releive my bladder only to find the main restroom closed for cleaning and the only other one occupied.

We left and headed to HEB. Out of frustration, my kids sat in silence while I yelled quite loudly at them in the van for disrespectfulness (ironic, huh?) and warned of consequences if any more foul behavior were to take place.

HEB . . . head straight to the restroom - everyone goes including Carmelita after I took off a full diaper and then had to put her pants back on without a diaper - get a cart and the nice lady gives them each a balloon - immediately, three balloos are all over the place being hit, swung, bopped on heads, almost hitting other customers - quick warning about behaving with balloons - kids are hungry after samples - purchase sushi and eat in eating area - clean up and continue shopping - get more samples because kids are still hungry - try my best to continue shopping - have to stop behind the tiny furniture section at HEB to spank Carmelita's hand because of throwing and hitting balloon and throwing fit and not obeying - continue shopping - check out - head home in utter heat with Carmelita screaming almost the whole way home until sleep overtakes her - home - balloon release (beautiful moment) - unload groceries - put away perishables - sit and eat a bit more - sit in front of computer (while Carmelita screams after waking from her nap). Carmelita has had a tough two days for some reason. Early rising and late retiring have not helped (or contribute to) the situation.

Anyway, may the balloon moment reign in my mind today as a reminder of the futility of stress and the beauty of God's gift called children.

Sit Down!

2009-08-20T22:49:00.002-05:00

"Daddy, sit down."

"Sit down, Carmelita?"

"Yes, sit down and play wis me." Carmelita says to Daddy as she gets out her Littlest Pet Shops and big LEGOS.

Lately, she's been carrying around this purple see-through bag/tote that a doll came in at one time. The other day she packed it full of her favorite toys to take to Mema's to spend the night. Ever since, she has treasured and and carried it around and brought it on little car trips.

"I want to buy it my birthday." she just told Daddy and she points to something.

"Oh, man! It's OK Baby." Carmelita says as one of her toys falls over.

"It's OK little mouse." MyLove says while comforting the Littlest Pet shop mouse.

"Not mouse! Baby!" replies Carmelita with a bit of sass and "of course" in her tone.

Ethan Praises the Lord

2009-08-10T14:57:00.007-05:00

About a month ago, I was eating breakfast and Ethan was in the living room dancing in his boyish way (with jumps and kicks and stomps) and singing the most beautiful things to the Lord. When I realized what he was singing, I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and tried writing down as fast as I could what he was singing. Here are the snippets I was able to capture from such a precious moment:

Oh Lord, You're so big!
There is nothing You can't do!
I love you, God.
You are so great!
You're so strong.
I love you.
You're so mighty!
You are King of the mountain.
You are King every day.
God, I love you so much.
You are mighty to save.
You are so awesome!

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise . . . " -Psalm 8:2a

- I think that he was going in and out of the song "Mighty to save" by Hillsong. It is such a wonderful praise song.

* * *

Just yesterday afternoon, MyLove and I could hear Ethan singing to the Lord yet again in his creative ways. It brought tears to my eyes.

May the Lord bless you, my dear Ethan, with great boldness to proclaim truth as you get older, with a heart that is fearless of men but who fears the Lord and a heart that is after God's own heart. And may the Lord bless you in ways unimaginable!

Ratatouille

2009-08-10T12:29:00.003-05:00

The kids enjoy the movie Ratatouille and since they have watched it, they have asked me to make the famous dish that turns Anton Ego into the lovable, kind-hearted man at the end.

I checked a slew of ratatouille recipes online and this is what I came up with. It is definitely a combination of various recipes, but the gist is the same. It is essentially a vegetable stew.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
2 yellow squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, cubed
6 cloves garlic, minced
garlic salt
tomatoe goya seasoning
parsley
olive oil
parmesan cheese

Directions: Sautee onions, garlic in oil.
Add eggplant and garlic salt, parsley. reduce some @ 10 min?
Add squashes, cook til warmed through
Add tomatoes and goya seasoning
Cook in oven for 30 min with lid. (I used our stainless steel pan that can go into the oven. Otherwise you can transfer to a casserole dish)
Cook 15 min w/out lid, at this time add parmesan cheese if desired.

It was a hit! I had my mother-in-law over and she does not usually like eggplant. She loved it. Even the kids ate it. Ethan needed extra parmesan, but he ate some.

***

I made this again but added mushrooms. Yummy!!!

***

I made this yet again but this time I tried slicing the veggies very thin and layering in rows in a casserole dish (more like the movie). On the botton, I first poured in a bit of chicken broth with onions sliced in very thin circles. This helped the veggies steam in the oven. I baked it all with the seasonings originally used and it was beautiful and yummy! Martini really like this one.

Little Mommy-Carmelita

2009-08-10T12:15:00.004-05:00

Just now, the boys were arguing about the "rules" of their game, back and forth, back and forth. Carmelita would interject, "Be nice, MartiniEthan. Be niiiiice." They ignored her and after a few more back and forth comments I say, "That is enough, boys!" Carmelita reitterates, "that's enough, MartiniEthan!"

***

The other day. . .

Carmelita is sitting on the counter while I am looking at the computer. The boys are running around in circles through the kitchen, into the foyer, past the couch in the living room and back through the kitchen again. They are having so much fun giggling and chasing when . . .

Snap, snap. Clap clap. A "cluck-cluck" with the tongue. (Snapping is her new talent. It's a faint sound, but she loves to do it.)

Carmelita is trying to get the boys' attention.

"MartiniEthan," She says without pause between the names.

Snap, snap. "MartiniEthan!" The boys continue their game.

Clap, clap. "MartiniEthan!!" She says louder without any response.

"MartiniEthan!!!" She says.

"Boys, Carmelita is trying to tell you something." I say with curiosity.

The boys stop, "yes, Sister?"

"Take a break!"

We all start giggling.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Not playing!"

The boys looked at eachother and me to see what my thoughts were and we all laughed. I told her they could play and she laughed with us.

Adoption

2009-08-10T12:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday on our way home from church, Martini asked, "what does adopt mean?"

"To adopt is when maybe a child's parents die and that child is then given to another family to take care of them and love them, or maybe a mommy and daddy have a baby and they can't take care of him and they give him to another mommy and daddy to be his parents. It's a very loving thing." I told him.

"Oh." he responds.

"Also, it's what happens to us when we believe in Jesus. We will be adopted as heirs of His kingdom. We are all a family. We are children of The King!"

"Oh, O.K.! But that hasn't happened yet. It will happen when we are in heaven."

"Yes, Martini. That is exactly right. Your theology is perfect." MyLove tells him.

"This is what Jesus promised us in the Bible." I tell him as he smiles ear to ear with excitement.

Yucky Biscuits!

2009-05-29T10:09:00.002-05:00

O.K. I just baked one of my favorite recipes this morning and hated it.

Sour Cream Biscuits. They are so yummy and dense and yet light. I bake half of them normally and the other half with cinnamon and sugar. Well, I pulled them out fo the oven and they were so dark. They hadn't risen and when Carmelita and I tried them, we spit them out because they tasted bitter and maybe rancid.

I did my investigating and found that I had used three teaspoons of baking SODA instead of baking POWDER! Oh, that stinks!!! All those ingredients gone to waste and then there's the wasted effort. You know, taking out all the ingredients, mixing, rolling, cutting out with a biscuit cutter, cleaning up. Oh, man?!?!

Well, on to the compost pile these yucky things go. Maybe the birds will enjoy them.

Ethan's World

2009-05-16T20:13:00.002-05:00

Ethan has a world of his own that he transforms into in the most amazing ways. No matter where we are, he becomes this incredible fighter and fights off bad guys. He punches, kicks, pushes, jumps, runs around and around. He gets hit and flies back and tosses his head to the side clearly being punched with a right hook or something. He makes the most realistic noises of punches, "aaah!"'s, short pieces of dialogue, vehicle noises, gun blasts. It's really quite a sight.

Ethan becomes an incredible specticle when he finds this world of his. We can be in the halls of church, at the store, visiting Martini's school, the zoo, of course our home, anywhere he can move. People see him and smiles grace their faces as they undoubtedly ponder the wonder of my boy. Kids watch him sometimes with serious faces or inquisitive faces maybe thinking, "What is he doing?" or "I want to play what he's playing!" or "Wow, he is really having fun. Why can't I play that?" or "I'm stuck in this cart/stroller! Get me out!!!"

Now, I am a total supporter of containment and strollers and carts. Believe me. I use them. I wore my babies on my back and side and front for that matter! But, sometimes Ethan is a force to behold. He has to get his "wiggles" out. And, it is another joy the Lord has given us as the parents of Ethan to watch and behold.

Circumstances

2009-05-16T18:41:00.001-05:00

Last night, Uncle Daniel came over to hang out. He was showing Ethan and Carmelita a new game on his iphone. Martini was talking to MyLove and me and decided to see what was going on.

"So, what are your circumstances?" he asked Uncle Daniel.

Where does he come up with this stuff?!

***

Martini had a playday at his school yesterday, and I was sad that I wasn't there to help with the activities. When I picked him up from school, I asked him all kinds of questions about what he did, what flavor snow cone he ate, what movie they showed, if they had popcorn, etc. I told him, "Martini, I am sorry I wasn't there to help with the activities. Do you wish that I was there?"

"Yes, because then I wouldn't have to explain all these things. You would already know them because you would have been there."

"Martini, it's fun to hear these things! You need to be patient and willing to share!"

A Mother's Journey

2009-05-16T18:20:00.002-05:00

Carmelita has been particularly sweet lately. She's been saying "thank you" very easily and readily and she's been beautifully cuddly with me. I just love it when she wants me to just sit and hold her, or she puts her head on my shoulder/chest while I carry her. This being said, she has also been disciplined A LOT lately as well. For what? Hitting her brothers, biting her brother, hitting Mommy, melt-downs at Target, WalMart, or HEB, blatantly not listening to instruction or doing the complete opposite from what she's been told.

Discipline is such a weary process. For it to be truly effective, you have to be consistant, and that takes perseverence, which takes energy! Then I second guess myself and wonder if I am being an over-bearing, micro-managing, crazy-controlling mother who will only be resented by her little ones for the rest of their lives.

This is where my knight in shining armor steps in . . .

I share my discouragement with my hubby and he prays for me, encourages me with the sweetest words, and encourages me in the Lord. He praises me for my efforts and tells me that I am doing the right thing.

. . . all of the sudden, all is well again and I trek on.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T09:40:00.004-05:00

. . . to all of you lovely mothers out there! What a gift bestowed upon us are our children.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." -Psalm 127:3

. . . and what a responsiblity we have of incredible proportions as mothers!

"do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4

The other day on KHCB, a Christian woman was interviewed and she said something that resonated with me: "Being a stay at home Mom is the one true full time job. It truly is 24/7."

There are so many things I have learned in my journey as Mommy, but there is a practical tip I learned from an organizational video from my dad. Keep a diaper bag always ready. It seems so simple and obvious, but it has helped me loads. When I come home from being out, I try to replenish the diaper bag right away and have it ready to just pick up when I leave the house.

Some of the things I try to keep in Carmelita's bag is:

2 diapers
plastic throw-away bags
a pair of pants and a t-shirt
a bib
a sippee with water

The sippee the one thing I usually grab right when we leave and fill it up. When my babes were infants, I would use a big backpack and have a lot more little things in there, but not so much anymore. Her little bag is a panda backpack small enough for her to even carry around.

By the way, we started using these Thermos Funtainers last year and absolutely love them. They are made of stainless steel and don't impart a funny taste when left in the van or used all day. The kids love them. Although, when open, they leak. So this is not a cup for very young children who don't know how to close the lid.

Tip #2:
I keep a plastic bin of wipes in the van at all times. We are constantly using them before/after eating, going to stores, cleaning up my own coffee spills, etc. I have never regretted having that bin in there.

Tip #3:
Keep one or two diapers in the front tiny storage bin at the front of the van. If for some reason, we've run out, or don't have the diaper bag, or something, we always have a couple on hand. We have also been able to give some to others when in need!

Tip#4:
Keep a "swim bag" always prepared and together. We have a huge Ikea bag we keep all of our swim stuff in: everyone's swimsuits, four or five huge towels, sunscreen, a couple plastic bags to throw wet things in, hats, extra flip-flops. I think I got this tip from my friend Teresa. It has helped us many, many times. The other day, we found a water park near our house had opened (the kind with water shooting out of the ground). We went home and pulled in the garage, I ran in and grabbed the bag and left in no time! What a time saver. No gathering swimsuits in everyone's respective drawers, grabbing towels in the linen closets, looking through under-sink cabinets for sunscreen. What a time saver!

I would love to learn more tips you might have. Please share!

Sounds and Dialogue

2009-05-07T08:16:00.003-05:00

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

"Awe. Oh!"

"Ching! Sharpness in my nails."

Laughing. Talking about the next part of their mission.

"This is my bubble gum gun but it sprays peepee!" says Ethan.

Laughter.

"Pshew, Pshew! Yayayayayayaya" shoots and fights Josiah.

"I'm the ninja king." - Ethan

Peering down his gun, Josiah chases Ethan around the house.

"Hold on, let me go and get something." - Ethan

"I'm coming too." - Josiah

. . . they come down the stairs again

"We fight swords!" - Josiah and Ethan say together.

Ching, clang, clang. Their sword hit eachother and they laugh and fight as little worriors in their own little world.

We just dropped Martini off to school and the boys are playing away while Carmelita still slumbers in our bed amidst all the noise. Martini so lovingly explained to his cousin Josiah that he had to go to school today but that he would be back later on to play. What fun these boys have together.

We have Josiah from Wed. night 'til Sunday because my nephew Jonathan is graduating from Army bootcamp! My sister and her hubby went to be with him.

Carmelita is 2!

2009-04-30T00:07:00.002-05:00

It has already been almost a month since Carmelita turned two, and I haven't even written about it yet. My heart is saddened. This will not be perfect or nearly close to how I want to honor her, but I need to get something down fast!

Dearest Carmelita, you are so precious to Daddy and me. Here are different thoughts and descriptions and "lately's" I don't want to forget:

~ You are so loving when you are comfortable. Tonight, while Daddy was sleeping and we came downstairs with Ethan, you went up to Daddy and kissed his arm over and over.
~ You shout "Daddy, Daddy!" when he gets home from work and are now one of the first to greet him with a hug and kiss.
~ You are so beautiful, you make Daddy's and my heart melt. People are always commenting on your blue eyes.
~ You are very petite. Someone asked the other day if you were one year old. Mommy used to get uncomfortable when people would say that you are small because I thought it meant you were too thin, or maybe they thought I didn't take good care of you. But I'm getting over it now! You are as healthy as can be, just small. The other day Daddy put on one of your favorite shirts, and it is for 6-12 months!
~ You love rice and chicken (marinated and grilled on Daddy's grill), tomatoes, soy sauce and vinegar, chicken adobo, popsicles, bananas, ice cream, oatmeal, toast, strawberries, grapes, and ONIONS!!! You amaze us at how much you love sauteed or grilled onions! And butter.
~ You love digging in Mommy's purse. I packed an old one of mine for you to rummage through, but it didn't work for long. The next day you gave up on it. I even packed a Hello Kitty one that Mema gave you, but you don't look at it anymore.
~ You are so cute acting like you are talking on the phone.
~ You love to chew gum. And you don't swallow it. You were the earliest gum chewer I've ever met!
~ You like to brush your teeth . . . with everyone else's toothbrush but your own.
~ You enjoy going peepee in the potty, but have only gone poo once.
~ You like to walk around in my heels and wedges and flipflops.
~ You love to run, especially down long hallways (like at church or at the store or doctor's office)
~ You dance with your shoulders a lot.
~ You love your brothers' Big Wheels.
~ You love to swing at the park.
~ You still remember some Mandarin. We truly hope that we can get you and your brothers in another program.
~ You love to change your clothes all the time and you definitely have an opinion on what you want to wear. Sometimes a dress, or a skirt, or maybe shorts and a tank. Quite particular.
~ You are so precious taking my fabric when I am sewing and wrapping it around your tiny frame and looking in the mirror to see how it looks. Then you'll ask me to put it on somehow.
~ You love to poke my pins into fabric or clothing. I nolonger keep them away from you but let you use them in your room by me. I ask you to put them into the pin cushion when they are loose.
~ Mema calls you my shadow because you follow me wherever I go. I just love that.
~ You can be so demanding at times and quite a drama queen. Sometimes Mommy is at a loss and has no idea what to do. Daddy too!
~ You love your big brothers, despite the arguing and fighting. When they leave, you get sad and ask about them. You love when Martini gets home from school and during the days, Ethan can be like your little caregiver looking out for you and helping you.
~ You like to read books and have them read to you. Barney, any books with babies, and animals.
~ You still enjoy throwing balls.
~ You pray prayers at the table and before bed that usually are for Daddy and his work and then you close with AMEN!. It is hard to understand what else you say, but it is so precious.
~ You are talking better every day. You told me "You're welcome" the other day.

Sweetie, we love you so much and look forward to watching you grow, grow, grow. May the Lord, whom we serve, guide us in raising you up in the way you should go. And we pray that one day you will be a courageous woman of God who loves Jesus more than anything else in the world!

Splendid Morning

2009-04-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

Cup of coffee, the book of Psalms, a beautiful morning . . . simply splendid. Then, a meltdown by Carmelita because I wouldn't give her my coffee (after already giving in twice!). All is well again. Thank you Lord, for this awesome morning!!!

I have so many posts I'd like to write, but haven't had time to upload the pics, and get my thoughts together. Hopefully soon!!!

Martini Reads!

2009-03-27T21:27:00.004-05:00

This school year has been quite wonderful with all the things Martini has been learning at school, but most of all, it’s been a lot of fun discovering the wonders of reading with him. He loves to read signs while we are driving, books, and any word he happens to see while we are out and about. It’s such a neat thing to see your little one discover reading and all the things out there to read. I remember this realization when I was learning to read. I started reading the store signs and different posters on the windows. It was like a whole new world to me. I don’t enjoy reading like I wish I did. But, I sure do hope that Martini loves it more and more as he grows up. I think it is an admirable trait.

Well, some grateful recipients of Martini’s new skill are his siblings. Here is Martini reading to Ethan and Carmelita this morning. I was in the kitchen and found them all sitting down to a great book and laughing at the pictures and story. I was so proud of this moment. I hope that there are many more to come!!!

New Kitchen Sink

2009-03-26T23:28:00.004-05:00

MyLove so lovingly installed a new sink for me in January. Our previous sink was a white acrylic sink that had so many ugly stains in it and various chips. It was quite unsightly. Well, MyLove found this most awesome sink that is a granite composite and also a beautiful faucet to go along with it.

Our little Carmelita is our water baby. She has probably not missed any more than 20-30 baths in her entire two years of life. She loooooves her bath time, and she does not settle down without one. She gets quite grumpy actually and even reminds us of bathtime before bed sometimes.

Well, the other night, I decided to give her a bath in the sink, and she was in water heaven. It combines her two most favorite things: acting like she is washing the dishes and taking a bath. Oh, she just loved it. We have given her a bath in the sink again and now she sees the sink and the water running and tries taking off her clothes to get in or points to the water and says, “Bass, bass!” (for bath, bath )

Thank you, Honey, for my most splendid sink! You are my hunky handy man!

"Taken"

2009-03-25T09:57:00.003-05:00

Last night, after my time at Starbucks, I came home and met MyLove. We got dressed up and went on our date to Thai Cottage for some awesome curry beef and shrimp and scallop skewers. We then headed to Target for a pint of ice cream and went to see the movie "Taken."

What an intense movie it is! MyLove and I were gripped the entire movie. It is a despairing premise but you leave the theatre feeling like it ended well. Yet, MyLove and I were impacted by the injustice and reality of the underground sex slave industry. We had seen a special on this a while back on PBS and were so impacted. When we came home, we prayed that if the Lord wanted to use us somehow, that He would. It is all so overwhelming, to think that we could actually have some kind of impact in this large, dark world, but we do know that we can pray. Our hearts were also brought to prayer after seeing the movie "Blood Diamond" and the cruelty of forcing children to become soldiers.

These issue lay so heavily on my heart, and MyLove's heart. Again, it is overwhelming because we have such a strong desire to do something. But, where do you start? How do you get the ball rolling? What to do first?

Before we were married, one of the biggest aspects that drew us together was our desire to one day live somewhere internationaly and share the Love of Christ. Well, we continue to pray for this and just wait on the Lord. It's all so unsure. We know we have this desire, but we don't want to jump the gun and take things into our own hands without letting the Lord lead. We do not want to be a mission field casualty - one who goes in too quickly and gets burnt out and never wants to do it again, or worse, ruin our testimony and lead others away from Christ.

All this to say, when we hear of these things: sex slavery, children soldiers, the children sex trade (running rampant especially since the tsunami in December of 2004), we ask the Lord what He wants us to do. Maybe these are the venues He will want us to be a part of to rescue those who are helpless, give a voice to the voiceless, shelter and care for the motherless/fatherless.

However the Lord leads, we know this. We can pray our hearts out! And that is what we'll do!

A Blessed Respite

2009-03-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

So, this week, Martini is on spring break. My mom so lovingly offered to take the kids for a few days while I relaxed and enjoyed some time by myself and alone with my fantastic Love! Right now, I am at Starbuck writing this post in my comfy leather chaise lounge (I know, isn’t that wonderful? It’s the first time I’ve seen one of these at a Starbucks.) I am conveniently tucked away in this little nook with three walls about me and my feet pointing out toward the open space. It’s wonderful. I praise the Lord for this time. It’s been so sweet. I have had uninterrupted time in the Word soaking in beautiful truths and taken my time cross-referencing, going off on rabbit-trails and reading whatever fluttered my heart. What bliss! I long for this experience for everyone.

Martini, Ethan, and Carmelita are all spending the night at mom’s tonight and then tomorrow I will pick up Carmelita. The boys will stay there another night and I will pick them up on Thursday!

Tonight, when MyLove gets home, we are going to see a movie (either “Taken” or “The International”), and then who knows. Just be together. What bliss! My heart is overflowing with anticipation and excitement and gratefulness.

Here’s to blissful times. I hope that your day has been wonderful!

My "Important Job"

2009-03-20T09:03:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning off the cutting board about to make dinner when Ethan says, "Mommy, your job is to clean."

"That's right, Son." I said wondering if I should expound on that and let him know that we all have to clean as a family, and that Mommy can't do all the cleaning. But, I figured he was saying it since I was cleaning the cutting board and around the sink, so I just kept quiet.

"That is your job." he says.

"That is right." I respond, still wondering quickly in my head if I should again expound on this.

"You have the most important job, Mommy." My heart melted. Wow, affirmation from my four-year old. What a blessing and what encouragement to this mommy!

"Thank you, Sweetheart. It is an important job. Did Daddy tell you that?"

"No, I just know!"

Thank you Lord, for these little beings who add so much to our lives! I love them so much.

Ethan and Carmelita on the couch together. Ethan laid next to her to share his cookie with her. Such sweet moments