Dreams

There was once a 12-year-old girl who would always sit in her room to do her homework. Out of all the 9 subjects she usually had homework for she would usually leave all her English subjects last. See, her approach to life has been that of getting done with the yucky first and then be left with the more enjoyable and pleasurable things. So Math (Spanish) would go first... those were long and dreary hours! Her afternoons of homework would journey through Arithmetic (English) and Reading, Spelling, Grammar and Social Studies (English). One afternoon, her afternoon routine was interrupted by her uncle. He was a pastor who had just received a team of missionaries from the U.S. and had clearly overestimated his own language abilities. In desperation, he sought out the 12-year-old to see if she could help him communicate with the team. In her own young language she managed to convey the message and something clicked in her mind... what a wonderful thing to do! What an amazing thing to be a bridge between two people, between two cultures. From that day on her future was set, she would do everything in her power to do just that for a living. When people asked what she would do when she grew up, she´d quickly respond "I´m going to be a translator", never even imagining the power that remark had on her future.

The dream that was once conceived in the heart of a 12-year-old, in her parent´s dining room has taken her to places she never even imagined. But most importantly, that very dream has been the thread God used to bring her life together.

Today I sit here in awe, marveled at how amazingly perfect God's plans are for us even when we have no clue what we are walking towards. As I prepared for a profession, God paved the way for the rest of my life and for that "hinted" dream I had as a young girl I now have a wonderful family!

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Hubo una vez una niña de 12 años que solía hacer sus deberes por las tardes. De las 9 materias de las que tenía tareas siempre dejaba de último las que disfrutaba más, las de Inglés. De hecho, ese ha sido su enfoque en la vida, hacer lo desagradable primero y lo que más disfruta después. Empezaba con Mate. en español... ¡las horas más largas de su tarde! Y el resto de su travesía la llevaba por Arithmetic, Grammar, Reading y Social Studies. Una tarde su rutina se vio interrumpida por un tío que tenía un grupo de misioneros de visita y que no podía comunicarse con ellos tan bien como quería. Supongo que en un momento de desesperación los llevó a casa de esta niña que en su infantil lenguaje logró aclararles algunos detalles. Esa tarde algo hizo "click" en su mente... ¡Qué interestante ser un puente de comunicación entre dos culturas, dos personas, dos mundos! De allí en adelante su futuro estaba decidido... cuando alguien le preguntaba qué sería cuando fuera grande su respuesta era "Traductora" sin siquiera imaginar la trascendencia de ese comentario.

El sueño que se concibió en la mesa del comedor de sus papás la ha llevado a lugares que ella jamás imaginó. Lo más importante es que ese mismo sueño ha sido el hilo que Dios usó para hilvanar su futuro.

Hoy me siento aquí y me maravillo de la perfección de los planes de Dios para nuestra vida aún cuando nosotros no tenemos la menor idea de la dirección que llevamos. Al prepararme para una profesión, Dios marcó el camino del resto de mi vida y por ese sueño de "inspiración divina" que tuve de niña ¡hoy tengo una familia maravillosa!

Mid-week

It is the middle of the week and I'm still fighting this thing. I think all my efforts have begun to pay off, though and I think I see light at the end of this tunnel. All the steam, solutions, drops, lemon water (thanks Darlene), etc., etc., etc. finally seem to be working. I have my doctor's appointment today and hopefully by the end of the week life will go back to normal... Whatever "normal" may be... he,he,he.

I am working on translating a book that will keep me busier than usual, but I am enjoying the work.

Next week we will be heading out of town and making a few stops, we are looking forward to these days away as we will be meeting with loved ones that I long so much to see and we will be meeting (I, for the first time) some of Ben's extended family too.

Another possibility has opened up for us to live in a more spacious situation. Though I am not in liberty to share details yet I will appreciate all your prayers as we continue to seek God's best will for those involved. We are not only trying to "work something out" but we are dealing with very dear friends that we want to bless as well through this process, whatever the outcome.

On a general note, my heart is full as I consider how blessed I am with the love of a perfect and loving Father, a wonderful husband, the cutest little girl on earth and a very lively baby constantly reminding me of how beautiful life is even in the blur of all this congestion!

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Estamos a media semana y sigo con mi batalla. Creo que todos mis esfuerzos han empezado a rendir fruto y que ya podré ver la luz al final de este túnel. Todo el vapor, soluciones, gotas, agua con jugo de lima (gracias, Darlene), etc., etc., etc. finalmente parecen estar empezando a funcionar. Tengo cita con el doctor hoy y primero Dios para el final de la semana todo vuelva a la normalidad... si es que podemos llamar "normalidad" al ritmo que llevamos actualmente... ji,ji,ji.

Estoy trabajando en la traducción de un libro que me mantendrá un poco más ocupada de lo normal, pero estoy disfrutando el trabajo.

La otra semana estaremos saliendo por unos días y haremos varias paradas, estamos anticipando estos días ya que visitaremos seres queridos que anhelo mucho ver y nos estaremos reuniendo (yo por primera vez) con familiares de Ben también.

Se nos ha presentado otra posibilidad de vivir en condiciones más espaciosas. Aunque no estoy en libertad de compartir los detalles todavía, apreciaremos todas sus oraciones mientras buscamos la perfecta voluntad del Señor para todos los involucrados. No solamente estamos tratando de "hacer funcionar" algo sino que también estamos "negociando" con amigos muy queridos que queremos bendecir en este proceso, cualquiera que sea el resultado.

¡En general, mi corazón rebosa al considerar lo bendecida que soy al contar con el amor de un Padre perfecto y amante, un esposo maravilloso, la nenita más linda que puede existir y un(a) bebé muy avivado(a) que me recuerdan constantemente lo hermosa que puede ser la vida aún en medio de esta nebulosa de congestión!

Weekend

I'm really, really tired. My weekend went by in a blur of breathing over boiling pots of water, aspiring saline solution and even putting drops in my ears... that is how congested I am. On the upside, if my sinuses don't clear up after so much steam at least my face pores will! At any rate I will see the doctor on Wednesday when I'll either be cured or worse! Oh well... Ben has kept things running as much as possible considering the usual busy-ness of the weekends and we were blessed to have someone bring us dinner on Saturday which was plenty to have again yesterday. My few hours at home have been spent trying to figure out what to do to relieve the discomfort. It is a beautiful day outside and I am not myself... as much as I want to bring Elena out to enjoy the day my face, literally, hurts to the touch and I can't do it... that is annoying. But as I said, I shall soon be better and in the meantime I am forced to keep everything low key. I appreciate all the encouragement that I've received the past few days, I appreciate every one of you who has taken the time to pray for us and drop us a phone call or a few lines of encouragement. Please know that though my energy and patience are running low due to my physical current discomfort my faith is still resting in the only One who can really bring comfort to my heart. I have learned to understand that He will, indeed, provide for our every need and that if anything hasn't yet been provided it must be that I don't really need it as much as I think I do. Thanks for your prayers, please keep them going as they will undoubtedly help keep me going! Love to all!

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Estoy muy, muy cansada. Mi fin de semana se me fue en una nebulosa de estar respirando sobre ollas de agua hirviendo, aspirando solución salina y hasta echándome gotas en los oídos porque así de congestionada estoy. Por lo menos sé que si no se me alivia la sinusitis, tendré el cutis limpio después de tanto vapor. Tengo cita con el doctor el miércoles y para entonces espero estar curada o peor... en fin. Ben ha tratado de mantener el flujo normal del apartamento tanto como ha sido posible considerando lo ocupados que son los fines de semana para nosotros, pero tuvimos la bendición de que alguien nos trajo cena el sábado en la noche que nos alcanzó para la comida de ayer. Mis pocas horas en casa se me han ido tratando de aliviar los malestares de una u otra manera. Es un día precioso y yo no estoy en mi humor normal... tanto como quisiera sacar a Elena a disfrutar del día, literalmente me duele la cara con sólo tocarla y eso sí es un poco desesperante. Pero como dije antes, pronto estaré mejor y para mientras me veo obligada a mantenerme tranquila. Muchas gracias por todo el apoyo que he recibido en estos últimos días, sepan que aprecio cada oración que han hecho por nosotros, cada llamada y cada línea de ánimo que nos han llegado. Por favor sepan que aunque mi paciencia y mi energía están escasas gracias a la incomodidad física que enfrento mi fe sigue descansando en el Único que puede traer paz a mi corazón. He aprendido que Él, en realidad, provee para toda mi necesidad y que si algo no ha sido provisto es porque probablemente no lo necesito tanto como creía. Gracias por sus oraciones, por favor manténganlas fluyendo pues sin duda alguna me mantendrán a mí mientras me mejoro. ¡Con mucho amor a todos!

It´s been a few days

I know it´s been a few days since I last wrote... sorry, we´ve just been so busy that by the time I sit in front of the computer my mind is blank. There is so much going on between doctors appointments for both Elena and myself (just regular checkups), trying to book flights for the team that will be going down to Mexico for a missions trip in July, an added weekend service on Saturday nights at church, daring mice who venture into our living room when we are trying to have some quality family down time (yes, another one!) and some translation projects that came my way that I really want to finish soon as I am still hopeful we will have to do some kind of moving before the baby comes and I don´t want to have pending projects (especially because I am getting paid for these!). If you chose to pay me a surprise visit today you would think that I don´t bother bending down and picking up all the scattered items (toys, tupperware, clothes, shoes, etc.) that don´t belong on the floor... the truth is: I don´t! These past few days after my last cold my sinuses are SO congested that every attempt at bending down makes my head hurt and feel as though I´m under water. So, for now, only what I can manage to make Elena pick up gets picked up from the floor and then we wait for Papi. But I am still choosing to believe that my Father sees the whole picture and that this little episode where the wheels of my cart seem to be stuck in drying concrete is nothing more than just another opportunity to trust Him with all my heart and grow in Him.

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Sé que han pasado varios días desde la última vez que escribí... lo siento. Sencillamente hemos estado tan ocupados que cuando me logro sentar frente a la computadora tengo la mente en blanco. Tenemos tanto qué hacer entre citas de doctores para Elena y para mí (chequeos regulares), tratar de reservar vuelos para los 21 miembros de la iglesia que irán de viaje misionero a México en julio, un servicio extra que empezamos en la iglesia los sábados en la noche, osados ratones que se atreven a salir hasta nuestra sala cuando estamos tratando de pasar tiempo de calidad como familia (¡sí, otro más!), y algunos proyectos de traducción que se me han atravesado que realmente quiero terminar pronto pues todavía tengo la esperanza de que de alguna manera nos mudemos antes de que nazca este bebito/a y no quiero tener proyectos a medias (especialmente porque me están pagando por éstos). Si alguien de ustedes escogiera darme una visita sorpresa en estos días pensarían que ni me molesto en agacharme a recoger todos los objetos regados por el suelo del apartamento (juguetes, trastos de tupperware, ropa, zapatos, etc.) que no pertenecen allí, la verdad es que no... no me molesto en recoger nada. Estos últimos días después del último catarro que me dió quedé con una sinusitis que cada vez que trato de agacharme me duele tanto la cabeza y siento como que estuviera debajo del agua. Así que, por el momento, se recoge lo que logro hacer que Elena recoja y lo demás se queda en el suelo esperando que llegue Papi. Pero todavía escojo creer que mi Padre tiene la visión completa de lo que está pasando en mi vida y que este pequeño episodio donde parece que tengo atascadas las carretas en cemento no es más que otra oportunidad para creer confiar en Él con todo mi corazón y crecer en Él.

Precious Moments

I had a very restless night. Although Elena slept through the night without a problem (for the first time in weeks!) I just wasn´t feeling well. This morning though, I was awoken by a little head that managed to find a comfortable spot on my pillow and quickly wrapped her little arms around my head. Between little squeezes and kisses she brought me back to consciousness (much to my regret as I was finally sleeping comfortably after tossing and turning all night long!) and upon opening my eyes the sweetest little smily face was looking at me! Now, who can resist that? And to think that that´s exactly the way God takes delight on us...

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Pasé una noche muy inquieta. A pesar de que Elena durmió toda la noche sin problema (¡por primera vez en semanas!) yo no me sentía bien y no pude dormir. Sin embargo, esta mañana me despertó una cabecita que se acomodó en mi almohada y rápidamente cubrió mi cabeza con sus bracitos. Entre apretoncitos y besos me trajo de vuelta a la realidad (para mi tristeza porque al fin había logrado dormir un poco después de dar vueltas toda la noche) y al abrir mis ojos la sonrisita más dulce iluminaba su pequeña carita viéndome. ¿Quién se puede resistir a algo así? Y pensar que es así exactamente como Dios se deleita en nosotros...

Miscelaneous...

• It is amazing how everything can become so quickly undone and pile up after just a couple days of not feeling well. I guess I shouldn´t be surprised that my little toddler has this amazing ability to pull out all kinds of things from all kinds of places and we end up living with kitchen things that show up in the bedroom, toys that end up in the bathroom and kitchen cabinets and little clothes scattered all around the apartment. But, I´m sick again! I have actually lost count on the times that I´ve gotten colds since this pregnancy began, but I can guarantee that I have had more than ever in my life! I probably get sick every two to three weeks... oh well, this too shall pass! I´ll just have to rest it out and pick up the pieces at the end!
• On another note, once again, God has proven Himself faithful in spite of my days of doubt and desperation. We don´t have a house yet but after doing our taxes and a special offering that was designated to us at church this Sunday we have enough to pay off a small debt, get closing costs started AND buy our new baby´s things we may need. How often do I forget that He really knows what He´s doing!
• A question for all the more experienced Moms out there: When and how did you start potty training? My sweet man asked me that the other day and I hadn´t even thought of it! Not that I think Elena is ready yet, but it doesn´t hurt to start asking the experts!

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• Es increíble lo rápido que todo se descompone y se amontona después de un par de días de no sentirme muy bien. Supongo que no debería de sorprenderme que mi nenita tenga la increíble habilidad de sacar todo tipo de cosas de todo tipo de lugares y terminamos viviendo con cosas de la cocina en el dormitorio, juguetes que aparecen en el baño y gabinetes de cocina y ropita regada por todo el apartamento. Pero, ¡estoy enferma otra vez! Ya perdí la cuenta de cuántas gripas me han dado desde que empezó este embarazo pero puedo garantizarles que me han dado más en este embarazo que nunca en mi vida. Probablemente me he enfermado cada dos o tres semanas. En fin... esto pasará también. ¡Qué me queda más que descansarlo y recoger los pedazos cuando me recupere!
• Por otro lado, una vez más Dios ha demostrado su fidelidad a pesar de mis momentos de duda y desesperación. Todavía no tenemos casa pero después de llenar los formularios de impuestos y de una ofrenda especial que entró designada para nosotros el domingo en la iglesia, tenemos suficiente para cancelar una pequeña deuda, echar a andar los costos de cierre de una casa y comprar las cosas que necesitaremos para este nuevo bebé. ¡Con qué frecuencia olvido que Él en realidad sabe lo que está haciendo!!
• Una pregunta para todas las mamás experimentadas: ¿Cuándo y cómo empezaron a entrenar a sus bebés para usar el baño? Mi esposito me preguntó el otro día y yo no tengo la menor idea, ni siquiera había pensado en eso. No es que crea que Elena esté lista todavía pero, ¡no es mala idea empezar a preguntarle a las expertas!

Happy Resurrection Day!!! (Late!!)

I have been trying to post these pictures since Sunday but kept having problems to publish it. Sorry it's so late but enjoy!! Two cute cousins sharing toys!
Our whole family just before service on Sunday
Trying to fix Elena's hair
Pretty girl!!!
Isn't she cute??

Update...

Well, it is 11 p.m., we have no mouse although he has dared to show himself three more times already and we even had the assitance of one of our college students who came for the evening. We have a very awake little girl who woke up in one of those unsuccessful attempts to catch the creature and what looks like a very long night ahead of us as I don't think any of us will be sleeping peacefully until we catch the little thing!

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Son las 11 p.m. no hemos agarrado al ratón aunque se ha atrevido a mostrarse tres veces más y hasta tuvimos la ayuda de uno de nuestros estudiantes universitarios que vino a pasar la tarde. Tenemos una niñita muy despierta que se despertó con toda la conmoción en uno de esos infructuosos intentos de atrapar al roedor y nos queda lo que parece una larga noche por delante porque no creo que podamos dormir en paz hasta que no agarremos al animal!

Sneaky!!

Elena and I went down for a nap to give Papi some quiet while he finished our taxes. Suddenly the noise of moving furniture, toys thrown around and my otherwise-ever-joyful husband´s groans of frustration woke me up. I came out of the room puzzled as I saw him pushing the couch forward, then back again, then the toy box and after my long quizzical look finally sunk in and he told me what was going on: "A baby mouse!", he exclaimed, followed by "watch out for him going back into the kitchen!" Our attempt at catching the little thing were futile... the sneaky little creature is sooo small (maybe two inches long, tail included)! And the funny thing is that it is so cute! We (I should say "he") set up a trap and tried covering the hole where we know he went in to make sure we wouldn´t be seeing more of him. It is Ben´s day off so we decided to eat our lunch salads in the living room while watching a movie with Elena. About 20 minutes into the movie I hear Ben say: "You´ve got to be kidding me!" as he paused the movie. Yeah, the mouse was out again, this time venturing into OUR BEDROOM!!! We kept our eyes open to no avail, so he just set yet another trap under the bed, and as we´re getting ready to sit back down we see this little gray thingy disappear behind the computer. Chairs are being thrown around, coffee table pushed out of the way, flashlight pointing in all directions, and yet more traps are set behind the couch and in the laundry room. We thought we had all the "exits" covered and we never saw him go back into the kitchen, so we were probably fine. Ben goes in the kitchen to get another drink for Elena and guess who´s back trying to make it into his hole again!!! We haven´t caught the thing yet but we think we have set an effective system of traps, and we are ready with anything we can throw at the creature if we should see it again. We´ll keep you posted.

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Elena y yo nos acostamos a dormir una siesta para permitirle a Papi unos minutos de silencio mientras terminaba de trabajar en nuestros impuestos. De repente me despertó el ruido de muebles y juguetes que parecían estar siendo arrojados por todo el apartamento y los gruñidos frustrados de mi normalmente gozoso esposo. Salí del dormitorio llena de curiosidad mientras lo veía mover el sillón para adelante, después para atrás, después el baúl de juguetes y cuando finalmente se dio cuenta de mi mirada perpleja decidió ponerme al tanto de la situación y dijo: "¡Es un ratón bebé!", seguido de "¡fijate que no pasé para la cocina!" Nuestros intentos de atrapar al animalito fueron fallidos, la criatura es taaaan chiquitita (como dos pulgadas de largo, con todo y cola). ¡Y lo más gracioso es que es tan lindo! Pusimos una trampa (o mejor dicho "él puso una trampa") y tratamos de cubrir el hoyo por donde vimos que se metió para asegurar no volver a verlo otra vez. Como es el día libre de Ben decidimos comernos nuestro almuerzo de ensalada en la sala mientras mirábamos una película con Elena. A unos 20 minutos de haber empezado la película escucho a Ben exclamar: "¡No puede ser!", mientras paraba la película. Sí, el ratón había salido otra vez. ¡Esta vez iba para NUESTRO DORMITORIO!! Mantuvimos los ojos abiertos sin éxito alguno así que él puso otra trampa debajo de la cama y cuando nos disponíamos a continuar viendo la película vemos esta cosita gris salir del cuarto y atravesarse la sala justo detrás de la computadora. Aventamos las sillas por allá, empujamos la mesita de centro, la linterna apuntaba a todo rincón imaginable y pusimos más trampas detrás del sillón y en la lavandería. Pensamos que teníamos todas las "salidas" cubiertas y nunca lo vimos volver a la cocina así que creímos estar bien. Ben fue a la cocina a traer algo de tomar para Elena, ¡y adivinen quién está en plena cocina tratando de volver a meterse en su hoyo! No hemos agarrado al animal todavía y pusimos todo un sistema efectivo de trampas y estamos listos para tirarle lo que encontremos si lo volvemos a ver. ¡Los mantendremos al tanto!

Being Content

"O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. 7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:5-11, NKJV)

I am closing in on the third trimester of this pregnancy and though we have not given up hope, we have come to realize that we may very well have this baby while still living in this apartment. We know that miracles are not miracles unless they look like miracles so we know that as long as I´m not in labor we could still move. However we also need to be ready to be content if it were in God´s plan that we stayed here for a little longer. Don´t get me wrong, we are very happy living here. There are many advantages to our location and the apartment in and of itself has made us very comfortable as well. The major down side to it, which is at the same time the main reason why we need to move, is that we only have one bedroom. It is challenging enough to have company staying with us because they need to sleep in the living room and we need to go through the living room from our bedroom in order to go to the bathroom and/or the kitchen. Our next concern is that Elena still wakes up at night and very often, if she really wakes up we can fight for a couple hours to try to help her go back to sleep and we can´t imagine how to deal with that while having a nursing newborn in the same room. We know there is grace for the day and if that day comes we will have the grace, wisdom and strength to pull it through, and we are not the first ones to go through a season like this. If any of you, my friends and readers, have faced a similar situation please share your insight with us as we are very much welcoming tidbits of wisdom that can help us make it work smoothly if we need to! And do keep us in your prayers so we keep our eyes fixed in Him and learn to delight in His loving plans for our life while we await the fulfillment of His promises!

Not forgotten

I don´t have much time, but I have not forgotten you, so be entertained with some pics. of what went on in our kitchen in a few minutes of silence...

Catching up

Was it a week ago that I last posted? Oh my! I hadn't even realized it! Let me see, I'll give you a brief update:

• The long night I told you about was followed by yet a longer one with a sick little one... the first time up we washed all the sheets in her crib, her pjs, and she was put in the tub. The second time up Mami ended up in the shower with her, but the third one (at 3.30 a.m.) we had to wash all the sheets on our bed! Some nasty tummy bug has been going around and we couldn't escape it. She is doing much better now, though.
• Friday night we had special meetings begin in our church. Our guest speaker was Dr. Mike Brown and as timely as God always is, it was exactly what we needed.
• Saturday morning we, literally, showed our faces at the pastors' breakfast and left for Syracuse as Ben was scheduled to deliver a workshop at the Basic conference. After visiting with some family and friends we headed back here and made it just in time to the night meeting with Dr. Brown.
• Sunday we did two more meetings and we are wiped in our bodies but renewed in our spirits!
• Now after having begun to put away winter clothes, outgrown clothes, sort through hand-me-downs for Elena, going through her bout of sickness, and the weather getting cold again let's just say I don't even remember what the floor of our bedroom actually looks like! I have tons of laundry to catch up with and a floor to re-discover so I should go off to my duties!

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¿Ya pasó una semana desde mi última publicación? Vaya que se me ha ido el tiempo rápidamente... voy a tratar de ponerlos al día:

• La larga noche de la que les hablé esta última vez tuvo como secuela otra aún más larga con una chiquita enferma... la primera vez que nos despertamos tuvimos que lavar todas las sábanas de su cuna, su ropa de dormir y meterla a la bañera. La segunda vez que nos despertó Mami tuvo que meterse a la regadera con ella. La tercera vez que nos despertó (como a las 3.30 a.m.) hubo que lavar todas las sábanas de nuestra cama. Anda un virus estomacal pululando por allí y no pudimos hacernos el quite. Ya ella está mejor ahora, gracias a Dios.
• El viernes empezamos reuniones especiales en la iglesia con el Dr. Mike Brown y con la puntualidad que caracteriza a nuestro Dios, era justo lo que necesitábamos escuchar.
• El sábado, literalmente, hicimos acto de presencia en un desayuno de pastores y salimos para Syracuse donde mi esposo estaba programado para dar un taller en la conferencia de Basic. Luego de su taller pasamos un rato con familia y amigos y volvimos a salir para acá. Llegamos exactamente a la hora que empezaba la reunión de esa noche.
• El domingo tuvimos dos reuniones más y estamos exhaustos físicamente pero renovados en nuestro espíritu.
• Ahora, después de haber empezado a guardar toda la ropa de invierno, guardar la ropa que ya no le queda a Elena, abrir un par de cajas de ropa para Elena que nos pasaron un par de amistades, atravesar el virus que la tuvo malita y que el clima se volvió a enfriar... lo resumiré diciendo que no me recuerdo cómo es el suelo de nuestro dormitorio. ¡Tengo toneladas de ropa que lavar y un suelo que re-descubrir, asi que los dejo por ahora!

Faith

Last night was one of those long ones when Elena had a hard time sleeping and as a consequence so did we. It usually is not that big of a deal for me, a nap the next day and I´m good to go. Last night, however, so many thoughts kept assaulting me... lack of storage space, no sights of a house (or a bigger living space) but even if there were no money to put down towards it, going over budgets one time too many, the inminent arrival of this new little one and no bassinet (sp?) to receive them, etc., etc., etc. Hebrews 11:1 kept coming to mind:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

But I am beginning to realize that the faith I need is not for the material things that we are presently missing and that seem so hard to obtain. At this point, what I am hoping for and what I can´t see is the strength and the joy to stay exactly where I am at. If nothing that I am waiting for, hoping for, believing for came, would it undo me like it did last night or would I find the joy and faith to still honor the Lord? I came accross this:

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see." (Heb. 11:1, The Message)

Right now, I can´t see how I can go through this whole thing until God provides, be it ten years from now or tomorrow and I realize that I where my faith needs to kick in.

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Anoche fue una de esas noches largas en que a Elena le estaba costando dormir y como consecuencia, a nosotros también nos costó. Usualmente no es gran cosa para mí, una siesta al día siguiente y ya estoy lista. Sin embargo, anoche habían tantos pensamientos tomándome por sorpresa... falta de espacio para guardar cosas, no hay señas de una casa (o un espacio más grande dónde vivir) por ningún lado y aún si las hubiera, no hay dinero para engancharla, parece que cada semana nos pasamos del presupuesto, la llegada de este nuevo bebito/a está cada día más cerca y todavía no tenemos moisés o cunita en qué recibirlo/a, etc., etc., etc. Hebreos 11:1 me vino a la mente:

"Es, pues, la fe la certeza de lo que se espera, la convicción de lo que no se ve"

Pero estoy empezando a darme cuenta de que la fe que necesito no es para las cosas materiales que nos hacen falta y que se está haciendo tan difícil conseguir. En este momento, lo que espero y lo que no puedo ver es la fuerza y el gozo para permanecer exactamente en donde estoy. Si nada de lo que estoy esperando, anhelando o creyendo, ¿me descomprondría como lo hizo anoche o encontraría el gozo y la fe para seguir honrando al Señor? Me encontré con esta versión de la Biblia al inglés que voy a parafrasear en español porque no tengo equivalente:

"El hecho fundamental de la existencia es que esta confianza en Dios, esta fe, es el fundamento firme que sostiene todo y hace que valga le pena vivir. Es lo que nos deja echar mano de lo que no podemos ver."

En este preciso momento, no puedo ver cómo voy a atravesar todo esto hasta que Dios provea, sea en diez años o mañana mismo y me doy cuenta que es aqui donde mi fe necesita entrar en acción.

Justified lies???

There is one time a year when I make it a point (and actually enjoy) lying to my husband! Now, hold on... don't raise your eyebrows at me yet, let me explain. It is around his birthday (actually, I also do it around Christmas time). You know, I'm not really lying through my teeth I just present a modified version of the truth to not give away a surprise. Does this fall into the category of sin? he,he,he... My sweetheart will be turning 30 this year on Wednesday to be more accurate and so, this is the time of year when I delight in making up all sorts of stories and situations to make him do what needs to be done in order to be surprised. Last Tuesday I made him drive to a "mysterious location" where I had arranged for him and two other friends to get an induction lesson on Curling. He got so interested in the sport during the Olympics that I thought it would be the best opportunity for my unsuspecting husband to be surprised and I was right. He thought of every possible thing he could think of but curling never crossed his mind. And so, I make it harder on myself every year trying to outdo the previous year and as he gets to know my little "tricks" I have to devise new ways to really surprise him, but it is a very welcome challenge. There is nothing like the look on his face when he is surprised! Stay tuned for more "twisted truths" this week, I'll tell you all about it as soon as I am free to do it without revealing more than I should!

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Una vez al año me doy a la tarea de mentirle a mi esposo (y disfruto cada minuto). Pero antes de que me juzguen, déjenme explicarles. Siempre es alrededor de su cumpleaños (y a veces también por Navidad). No es que esté mintiéndole sin ton ni son, solamente le presento una versión modificada de la verdad para no echar a perder una sorpresa. ¿Cae esto dentro de la categoría de pecado? je,je,je... Mi querido esposo estará cumpliendo 30 años el miércoles y es esta la época del año en que me deleito en inventar todo tipo de historias y situaciones que lo hagan hacer lo que sea necesario para recibir una sorpresa. El martes, por ejemplo, lo hice manejar a un "destino misterioso" donde ya había hecho los arreglos necesarios para que él y dos amigos más recibieran una lección de inducción de Curling. Ben se interesó mucho en ese deporte durante las Olimpiadas de invierno y a mí me pareció (acertadamente) la oportunidad perfecta para sorprenderlo. Pensó en cualquier cantidad de posibilidades, pero curling jamás le pasó por la mente. Y es asi como cada año me la pongo más difícil porque me tengo que ingeniar cosas que superen el año anterior y conforme él conoce mis "truquitos" tengo que inventarme nuevas formas de sorprenderlo pero siempre es un desafío muy bien recibido. ¡No hay nada mejor que ver su rostro cuando recibe su sorpresa! Sigan en sintonía para más "verdades retorcidas" esta semana, les contaré cada detalle tan pronto pueda sin arriesgarme a echar a perder la sorpresa.

Before and After

I don´t have much time to write... I did think you might enjoy a couple pictures of my cousins and myself... here you go:

This one was probably taken around 1999

and this one was this past week... yes, I guess you can see the "baby weight" now!
Enjoy!

Gone...

It is 5.20 a.m. and I sit in the quiet and sudden solitude of my home. They're gone. I am happy to have had them and though we are all tired it always feels as if just goes by all too soon. I can't help the tears... however I know we built wonderful memories to cherish and "dip into" in the future and most importantly we strengthened bonds of love. Thank God for family!

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Son las 5.20 a.m. y estoy sentada en la quietud y súbita soledad de mi hogar. Ya se fueron. Me alegra haberlas tenido y aunque todos estamos cansados siempre se siente como que el tiempo pasó demasiado rápido. No he podido evitar las traicioneras lágrimas... sin embargo sé que construimos recuerdos maravillosos que hoy podemos atesorar y de los que podremos sacar fuerzas en el futuro y, lo más importante, fortalecimos lazos de amor. ¡Gracias a Dios por la familia!

We just got on the roller coaster!

Some weeks I feel as though we climb on the little car and get started on the roller coaster ride having absolutely no idea of when it will stop or where it will turn. This is one of those weeks. Of course, you love every minute of the ride even if it ends up leaving you a bit undone. We did our shopping and errands today and it meant leaving home at 1:00 p.m. making, literally, 10 stops before getting home at 8:30 p.m. On the upside, our stops did include dinner with dear friends (so much fun), but also returning to a store after realizing (almost half-way home) that our debit card had been forgotten at the register (not so much fun). But we did make it home, very tired and only trying to get momentum for the rest of the week. Tomorrow we have prayer meeting in the a.m. and college ministry in the p.m. Wednesday we have a doctor´s appointment, two hospital visits (luckily in the same hospital), our church´s annual business meeting and then we´re heading to the airport to pick up my cousins, María Elena and Anaí, who will be visiting us from Guatemala. Thursday we´re taking them to New York City and so the week goes... Aside from my parents and brothers, they are the first extended relatives that come to visit, so I am thrilled. You may not hear much about me for the time they´re here, but I will try to keep you posted!

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Algunas semanas siento como que nos subimos en el carrito de la montaña rusa y empezamos la vuelta que no tenemos idea de cuándo se detendrá, ni para dónde va a agarrar. Esta es una de esas semanas. Por supuesto, a uno le encanta cada minuto del paseo aunque al final lo deje medio descontrolado. Hoy hicimos mandados y compras que requirieron que saliéramos de la casa a la 1:00 p.m., hiciéramos, literalmente, 10 paradas y regresáramos a casa a las 8:30 p.m. Lo bueno es que una de nuestras paradas fue la cena con muy buenos amigos, lo malo es que también incluyeron tener que regresar a una tienda cuando ya casi íbamos a la mitad del camino a casa porque nos dimos cuenta de que dejamos olvidada la tarjeta de débito en la caja. Pero llegamos a casa, cansados y solamente agarrando aviada para el resto de la semana. Mañana en la a.m. tenemos reunión de oración en la iglesia y ministerio de universitarios en la p.m. El miércoles tenemos cita con el médico, dos visitas de hospital (que por suerte son en el mismo hospital), y la reunión anual de negocios de la iglesia, después de la que saldremos para el aeropuerto a recoger a mis primas, María Elena y Anaí, que nos vienen a visitar de Guatemala. El jueves las llevamos a visitar la ciudad de Nueva York y así sigue nuestra semana... Fuera de mis papás y mis hermanos, ellas son las primeras de mi familia que vienen a visitarnos, asi que se imaginan mi emoción. Probablemente no sepan mucho de mí durante su estadía, pero trataré de mantenerlos al tanto.

This morning...

The morning looked very sunny, warm and inviting, so I thought we would take a walk Papi´s way and surprise him in the office. It would be such a short walk (not too menacing for my unfit-and-out-of-shape self) and it would surely make him happy. By the time I got through the "quick" things I wanted to get done before such walk the clouds moved in, Elena fell asleep and now I sit here enjoying the momentary peace and quiet. Earlier today, Sesame Street bought me some quiet time, so right now I am indulging in listening to the newest work of an old favorite: Ricardo Arjona. He is a very talented Guatemalan writer... yes, he is more a writer than he is a singer, he says so himself and though his topics of choice are not always my favorite, I must admit I do enjoy the skill he has to play with words and concepts and deliver them in poetry. This last CD was a birthday gift from my brother and it wasn´t until now that I have found the time to sit, listen and read the songs. This is one of those things that really belong in "My own little world" because I can´t really do much to integrate this into my current life. Ben has been gracious enough to sit with me as I attempt to translate the gist of each song and discuss with him what I like and don´t like about them, but as I voice out my attempted translation I realize how much I´m butchering his work because there is no way to make him justice in English and I feel bad for Ben having to put up with such a lousy version of what I enjoy... some things can be like that... some things belong in this sort of "black hole" in my life. You know, that place where I can´t bring who I was into who I am today for those who know me now and where I can´t take who I am now into who I used to be for those who knew me then... no regrets, though, God always has a good reason for everything!

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La mañana se veía cálida, soleada y era una clara invitación para salir a caminar. Pensé que una caminata hasta la oficina para sorprender a Papi (y no tan larga que amenace mi "falta de forma") nos caería bien y a él le agradaría mucho. Para cuando terminé de hacer el par de cosas que quería dejar terminadas se nubló el cielo, Elena se durmió y ahora me siento aquí disfrutando la paz y quietud momentáneas. Más temprano en la mañana, gracias a Plaza Sésamo pude tener mi tiempo de devoción, asi que ahora me estoy dando el gusto de escuchar el trabajo más reciente de un antiguo favorito: Ricardo Arjona. No hace falta que les diga a uds. quién es, pues ya todos uds. saben. Lo cierto es que aunque no comulgo con todos los temas que escoge tengo que admitir que su talento y su habilidad para jugar con las palabras y los conceptos convirtiéndolos en canción es admirable. Este último CD me lo regaló mi hermano y no fue sino hasta ahora que he podido sentarme a escuchar y leer las canciones como a mí me gusta hacerlo. Esta es una de esas cosas que realmente pertenece a "Mi propio mundito" porque no puedo hacer mucho para integrarlo a mi vida actual. Ben siempre me ha honrado con sentarse a escuchar mis intentos de traducirle al menos el tema de cada canción y dejarme discutir con él lo que me gusta y lo que no y por qué, pero cuando escuchó mi voz patéticamente intentando traducir su poesíame doy cuenta de cuanto "troceo" su trabajo porque no hay forma de hacerle justicia en Inglés y me siento mal por Ben que tiene que atravesar el suplicio de tan triste versión de lo que yo disfruto. Simplemente algunas cosas son asi... algunas cosas permanecen este "hoyo negro" de mi existencia. Ese lugar a donde no puedo traer lo que fui y hacerlo caber dentro de lo que soy para los que me conocen ahora y no me conocieron entonces y de la misma manera, no puedo llevar lo que soy dentro de quien solía ser para quienes me conocieron entonces y no me conocen ahora... pero no me lamento de nada... ¡Dios siempre tiene una muy buena razón para todo lo que permite!

Not a very fun day...

Woke up with a headache and had a dentist appointment... not much fun. Because I am expecting, they can´t use regular novocaine on me, so they used something different that wore off mid-procedure. Dr. gave me a second injection, but that one was wearing off near the end as well, so by the time he was finished the headache was worse. On the upside, the position and probably all the buzz and noise around kept the baby very active the whole time so I felt him/her move more than I had through the whole pregnancy! That was nice!

I´ll write something more substantial later!

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Un día no muy alegre...

Me desperté con dolor de cabeza y tenía cita con el dentista... nada divertido. Dado que estoy esperando, no pueden usar anestesia normal en mí, asi que usaron otro tipo de anestesia que ya se me había pasado a medio procedimiento. El doctor me puso otra inyección pero esa también se me estaba pasando al final del procedimiento asi que para cuando finalmente terminó de trabajarme el dolor de cabeza estaba peor. Por lo menos, sea por toda la bulla del dichoso taladro y todos los demás ruidos inusuales, o por la posición en que estaba, el/a bebé se mantuvo muy activo/a todo el rato y lo/a sentí moverse como no lo/a había sentido en todo el ambarazo. ¡Eso sí me gustó!

Escribiré algo más sustancial luego.

You definitely know I am pregnant when...

• my lunch consists of a peanut butter, jelly AND banana (sliced and evently distributed to cover the whole slice of bread) sandwich... This is the second time throughout my marriage that I have such a meal. I never had it growing up, so it is hard for me to find myself wanting it and yes, the first time I had it I was pregnant with Elena.
• I can "snack" on a whole pineapple all by myself... I live for the day we go grocery shopping so I can buy one and smell it and can hardly wait to peel it!
• I cry at commercials about ANYTHING
• More often than not I have a headache
• I can hardly finish one cup of coffee when I am known to love coffee otherwise

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Se sabe que definitivamente estoy esperando bebé cuando...

• mi almuerzo consiste de un sandwich de mantequilla de maní, jalea de fresa Y un banano (rodajado y distribuido cuidadosamente para cubrir todo el pan). Desde que me casé, esta es la segunda vez que como un sandwich de mantequilla de maní. Al no haber crecido con la opción, generalmente no se me antoja y, sí, la primera vez que lo comí fue cuando esperaba a Elena.
• Me puedo comer una piña entera yo solita de una sentada... vivo esperando el día que vamos a hacer el súper para poder comprarla, olerla y comer ansias hasta que la pueda pelar y comérmela.
• Lloro con anuncios en la televisión de CUALQUIER tema
• Tengo dolor de cabeza la mayor parte de los días
• Apenas me puedo terminar una taza de café cuando ha sido bien sabido que normalmente soy cafetera

"Romantic" movies...

After having gotten up with some unusual discomfort and pretty much spending the morning that same way we decided that I should best be off my feet for the rest of the day and give my body a rest. Ben was very emphatic about this and my afternoon was spent sitting on the couch. I was left to finish the last hour of "Wives and Daughters," and later in the day we decided to venture into watching a new (more recent) romantic movie for the evening. Our choice was "Chasing Liberty"... So I went from a real romance full of propriety where parents were given their rightful place, young ladies strolling about town always in proper company, and it was all about honor to finally finding ourselves having wasted our time in the most foolish movie. When did the word "romantic" went from describing virtues of character and proper behavior to being reduced to a few out-of-place kisses and the dilema of whether to go "all the way" or not? How sad it is to see what our society is morphing into. God help us stayed focused and keep our eyes in Him and His kingdom to not loose sight of what He intended love to be!

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Después de haberme levantado con molestias inusuales y haber pasado la mayor parte de la mañana con ellas, decidimos que probablemente sería mejor que descansara el resto del día. Ben fue muy enfático al respecto así que el resto de mi día lo pasé sentada en el sillón. En el proceso terminé de ver "Wives and Daughters" y más tarde en el día decidimos terminar la tarde aventurándonos con un romance "más reciente". Nuestra elección fue "Chasing Liberty"... Asi que pasé de un verdadero romance lleno de actitudes apropiadas en donde a los padres se les daba su lugar, las jovencitas paseaban por las calles siempre debidamente acompañadas y todo se trataba de honor a encontrarnos habiendo perdido el tiempo en una película tonta. ¿Desde cuándo la palabra "romántico" dejó de describir virtudes de carácter y conducta apropiada y pasó a reducirse a unos cuantos besos fuera de lugar y el dilema de "hacerlo" o no? ¡Qué triste ver en que se está convirtiendo nuestra sociedad! Dios nos ayude a permanecer enfocados en Él y su Reino para no perder de vista el propósito que Él pretendió para el amor desde un principio.

Tidbits...

• My daughter pinches... that is, to go to sleep. Ever since she was able to control her little hands she would be nursing and reaching up to my neck and "pinch" until she fell asleep. Though the nursing has been left behind, the pinching certainly hasn´t. Another thing that hasn´t been left behind is wanting to be cuddled and snuggled with to go to sleep. So every morning when her nap time comes I must stop the running of the home and anything else, lay down next to her in our bed (that way I can sneak away once she fell asleep) and let her put her little arms around my face and, yes of course, pinch me until she falls asleep. Sometimes it doesn´t seem to be the most convenient way for her to go to sleep but it gives me a few minutes to be reminded of the most important things, love my daughter and sometimes (I must confess) even catch a few "zz´s" myself!
• My sweet husband came home last night with a surprise for me... he had gotten me the newest version of "Pride and Prejudice" intending to have a nice "P&P" sort-of-date-night-at-home. It was hard to get through the movie without comparing it to the first one I ever watched, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. So far, I think the new movie enjoys some advantages and I can´t say it isn´t a good movie. I think, though, that in an attempt to make it more "contemporary" and appealing to current audiences they did bring in some "subtle" changes in the character development that I don´t necessarily agree with. I don´t want to ruin it for those who haven´t seen it, so I´ll leave my comments here.
• We are believing the Lord of a home and we had a meeting yesterday to "cast out our vision" we are to be hearing about figures and possibilities some time (soon, hopefully) but I do realize this is one of those things that is just not going to happen in agreement with my expectations... you know, one of those times were my Father is going to keep stretching my faith and showing me His provision and faithfulness. I am excited to see what is in store for us in His heart... I wouldn´t mind if it were sooner than later, but I know He will deliver timely, even when His timing may not be the same as mine!

Lack of sleep and overwhelming emotions...

One of the things I have discovered about pregnancy is that it gives me the propensity of being overcome by emotions at the most unexpected times. My patience runs a little lower and it really becomes a conscientious effort to maintain a "quiet and gentle spirit" (1 Peter 3:4). Yesterday was one of those days. Somehow my emotions were stronger and at some point, instead of being the blessing I intended to be all along I ended up breaking up in tears and disappointed at myself. Then, though I was tired I couldn´t go to sleep... I did a mental inventory of all the projects I have both unfinished and to begin... Hem up those maternity pants that will fit sooner than later... Finish that translation for my uncle... Work on both the wedding and Elena´s scrap books... Fix the frays on my table settings and tablecloths... just to mention a few. Then I realized I am about to enter the 20th week of this pregnancy and we still don´t have a house to move into... Will we have one in time for the baby to be born? At any rate... it is so good to know that His mercies are new every morning and that He even provides for that quiet and gentle spirit so long as we are willing to let Him be stronger than ourselves in our lives. How much growing we need to do!!! How much growing I need to do!

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Una de las cosas que he descubierto del embarazo es que me hace propensa a que me traicionen las emociones en los momentos más inesperados. Ando corta de paciencia y mantener un "espíritu tierno y sereno" (1 Pedro 3:4) se vuelve un esfuerzo consciente. Ayer fue uno de esos días. De alguna manera, mis emociones fueron más fuertes que yo y llegó el momento en que en lugar de ser la bendición que quise ser todo el día, rompí a llorar y me decepcioné a mí misma. Luego, a pesar de estar cansada no podía dormir... Hice un inventario mental de todos los proyectos que tengo a media y por iniciar... subirle el ruedo a los pantalones de maternidad que me van a quedar más pronto de lo que imagino... Terminar esa traducción de mi tío que tengo a medias... Trabajar en el album de bodas y el de Elena... Componerle los flecos a mis mantelitos y manteles antes de que se me deshagan... estos son sólo unos cuantos. Luego caí en la cuenta de que voy entrando a la 20a. semana de embarazo y todavía no tenemos casa a dónde pasarnos... ¿Será que tendremos una cuando nazca este bebé? De cualquier manera, es tan bueno saber que sus misericordias son nuevas cada mañana y que Él mismo provee para ese espíritu tierno y sereno siempre y cuando estemos dispuestos a dejarlo a Él ser más fuerte que nosotros mismos en nuestra vida. ¡Cuánto nos falta crecer! ¡Cuánto me falta crecer!

Marriage... (second posting)

I had this on the works for quite a few weeks and when I went to publish it published under the date of the day when I began to write it... that is why it is the second posting.

"Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." (Song of Solomon 2:15, New Living Translation)

When does a married couple allows for familiarity and routine to steal away from them? How does it happen? When do voids that eventually turn into gaps grow between them? A little observation has brought sadness to my heart as I look at couples who are living as mere roommates. There is no vision, there are no goals, there are just two people that, somehow, ended up living under the same roof, sharing chores and expenses. Granted, being married is not easy. It is a life of dying to one's self, sacrifice and hard work. Then again, aren't good things supposed to be hard to get? All too often I find that "marital bliss" is not something that just falls on a lucky, unsuspecting couple who then just sit back and enjoy it. It is, instead, a decision that needs to be made daily, sorting through the nitty gritty details of the day and choosing to keep your attention focused on every good thing. After all, even a "match made in heaven" needs to be maintained on earth!
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"Cazadnos las zorras, las zorras pequeñas que arruinan las viñas, pues nuestras viñas están en flor." (Cantares 2:15, La Biblia de las Américas)

¿Cuándo es que una pareja de esposos permite que la rutina y la familiaridad le robe a su matrimonio? ¿Cómo es que sucede? ¿En qué momento crecen entre ellos vacíos que eventualmente se convierten en abismos? Un poco de observación a mi alrededor ha traído tristeza a mi corazón cuando veo parejas que parecen solamente ser compañeros de cuarto. No tienen visión, no tienen metas, simplemente son dos personas que, de algún modo terminaron viviendo bajo el mismo techo compartiendo gastos y responsabilidades. Claro está, el matrimonio no es fácil. Es una vida de morir a uno mismo, una vida de sacrificio y trabajo duro. Pero... ¿no se supone que lo bueno cuesta? Con frecuencia me encuentro reflexionando en que la dicha marital no es algo que le llega a una pareja de suertudos que se sientan a disfrutarla. Es, por el contrario, una decisión que debe tomarse cada día, separando entre lo engorroso de la vida diaria y escogiendo mantener la atención en las cosas buenas. Después de todo, hasta un romance "hecho en el cielo" debe mantenerse aquí en la tierra.

From a Child´s perspective

We constantly pray to honor the Lord with our marriage and the way we live. We want to bless people and model a godly marriage. Of course, it is easier said than done, but it is our heart and our prayer nonetheless. Yesteday my sweetheart was out and about, looking for a little something to grace my day. As he was in the local store he ran into a lady that we know. She is a single mom (divorced, I take it), doesn´t come to church herself but has sent her daughter (about 7 years-old) to several of our children outreach activities. This lady immediately began to relate to Ben the conversation that had taken place one day in her van. She and someone else were discussing whether they knew anyone who was "happily married". They kept throwing names back and forth and were coming to the sad conclusion that they didn´t know any couple whom they could say were "happily married". I don´t know if her daughter had been a part of the conversation or not, but she finally interjected and said: "What about Pastor Ben? He is happily married!" The mom said they couldn´t debate her argument. We are blessed to know that this little girl who doesn´t have the model of an integrated home has been impacted by whatever she has observed in our marriage. She thinks we are happy (and we are) and so, there is hope for her... she has the potential of believing that she could grow up to be happy herself! If we have lived to impact one life, we haven´t wasted our time!

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Constantemente le hemos pedido al Señor poder honrarlo con nuestro matrimonio y la manera en que llevamos nuestra vida. Por supuesto, es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo, pero esa es nuestra intención y nuestra oración. Ayer mi amado andaba en la calle, buscando algo con qué agraciarme el día. Estando en la tienda local se encontró con una señora que conocemos. Es mamá soltera (divorciada, supongo), no viene a la iglesia pero ha mandado a su hija (de más o menos 7 años) a varias de las actividades infantiles que hemos tenido. La señora inmediatamente empezó a contarle a Ben de una conversación que había tenido lugar en su van un día. Ella y alguien más discutían si conocían o no a alguien que estuviera "felizmente casado". Daban nombres a diestra y siniestra y llegaban a la triste conclusión de que ninguna pareja que conocen puede calificarse de "felizmente casada". No sé si su hija era parte de la discusión o no, pero finalmente intervino y dijo: "¿Qué hay del Pastor Ben? ¡Él está felizmente casado!" La mamá dijo que no pudieron debatir su argumento. Nos bendice saber que esta niñita que no tiene el modelo de un hogar integrado en su propia vida se ha impresionado por lo que ha observado en nuestro matrimonio. Ella piensa que somos felices (y lo somos) y por eso, hay esperanza para ella... ¡tiene el potencial de crecer creyendo que ella también podría llegar a ser feliz! ¡Si hemos vivido para causar una impresión en una sola vida, no hemos vivido en vano!

My Baby is weaning...

Upon Elena´s birth we had decided to nurse her for as long as it were possible, aiming at a year and hoping to revisit the decision at that point. Though this second baby was not a surprise to us, after finding out about his/her coming we decided that once Elena turned a year we would start the weaning process. It has seemed as a sensible decision to me all along, especially since I am so exhausted most of the time and she had been waking up too many times during the night. Now that we have been living through our attempts to wean her though, my heart is starting to realize what we are giving up. We started by offering her a cup of milk instead of certain nursings, but if she insisted on nursing we wouldn´t push it and would let her nurse. After a couple weeks of this and with her realizing that the cup of milk is now more filling than the nursing more and more cups of milk have been requested and less and less nursings have been demanded. Yesterday she nursed at 6:30 a.m. and didn´t ask to nurse throughout the day. When bedtime came, she didn´t ask to nurse and she drank her cup of milk and went to sleep in daddy´s arms. Through the night, in spite of waking up several times due to a cold, she was content to have her cup of milk and it wasn´t until this morning again at 6:30 a.m. that she finally asked to nurse again. Since then, she hasn´t asked again! I guess this is just one step of many we will reach in her growth and Ben also reminded me that "lechita" (as we had called nursing to Elena) will now be for the next baby. She is growing, just as she has been since the moment her life began in the secret depths of my womb and just as this baby is now. They are destined to grow as part of God´s calling and every inch takes them further away from me. That is why, even on the challenging days, I am not in a hurry to get past this season... the end of it will come too soon and then I will miss it.

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Desde que Elena nació decidimos que la amamantaríamos el mayor tiempo posible, tratando de llegar al año y volviendo a evaluar la situación entonces. Aunque este segundo bebito/a no nos vino de sorpresa, después de enterarnos de su venida decidimos que al cumplir Elena el año empezaríamos el proceso de quitarle el pecho. Desde entonces me ha parecido una decisión sensible, especialmente considerando lo exhausta que me mantengo y que ella se estaba despertando demasiadas veces durante la noche. Ahora que estamos viviendo nuestros intentos me estoy empezando a dar cuenta de la magnitud de lo que estamos dejando ir. Empezamos a ofrecerle vasos de leche para reemplazar algunos de los tiempos de pecho, pero si ella insistía en amamantar tampoco se lo negábamos. Después de un par de semanas de esto y de que ella se dio cuenta de que la leche la estaba llenando más, cada vez pidió amamantar menos y en su lugar optó más seguido por el vaso de leche. Ayer tomó pecho a las 6:30 a.m. y no volvió a pedir durante el resto del día. Cuando llegó la hora de dormir, se tomó su vaso de leche y se durmió en brazos de Papi. Durante la noche, a pesar de que se despertó varias veces por un catarro que tiene le bastó con tomarse su vaso de leche y se volvía a dormir y no fue sino hasta hoy a las 6:30 a.m. que volvió a pedir mamar. ¡Desde entonces, no lo ha vuelto a pedir! Sé que este es un primer paso de muchos que vamos a dar en el proceso de su crecimiento y Ben también me recordaba anoche que ahora la "lechita" será ahora para el siguiente bebé. Ella está creciendo, de la misma manera que lo ha hecho desde el momento en que su vida se empezó a formar en lo secreto de mi vientre y de la misma manera que ahora crece este bebito/a. Como parte del lamado de Dios están destinados a crecer y cada centímetro que alcanzan los lleva más lejos de mí. Es por eso que, aún en los días que no son tan fáciles, no tengo prisa por dejar esta temporada atrás... su final vendrá muy pronto y entonces lo estaré extrañando.

Superbowl

As I was doing dishes one day and was thinking of how long it usually takes me to accomplish the task (and any other task I set my hand to) I was remembering how I used to be the fastest, more practical woman anyone had ever met (except for my mom) back in Guatemala. Everything, from a test to getting ready in the morning and any kind of task in between I always finished first and had done well. When I came to the US I found myself being the last for everything! Everybody is quicker than me in everything. I have learned that I now live in a culture oriented to immediate results. From the kitchen to people´s personal develpment, everything is expected to render positive and efficient results right away. That is why I find it kind of intriguing that such a quick paced culture would make most of its sporting events last such a long time! That is without the added whistles of the pregame and postgame ceremonies. Now, no offense here, we were plugged in to the whole thing from beginning to end and were happy with the outcome as well. This is merely an observation from someone who has spent the past three years adjusting to fit into this new world that surrounds me and such observations are inevitable under the circumstances. At any rate, our day was enjoyed as were my sweet´s specialties as he wanted to make his own wings from scratch!

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Mientras lavaba los platos un día y pensaba en cuánto tiempo me toma terminar la tarea (y cualquier otra tarea que me disponga hacer) recordaba como yo solía ser la mujer más rápida, práctica y eficiente que nadie hubiera conocido en Guatemala antes (excepto por mi mamá). Desde presentar un examen hasta arreglarme en las mañanas y cualquier otra tarea de por medio, yo siempre terminaba primero habiendo hecho un buen trabajo. ¡Cuando vine a los Estados me topé con que siempre soy la última en terminar todo! ¡Todo el mundo es más rápido que yo! He aprendido que ahora vivo en una cultura orientada a resultados inmediatos. Desde la cocina hasta el desarrollo personal de la gente, se espera que todo rinda resultados positivos y eficientes inmediatamente. Es por eso que encuentro intrigante que una cultura tan apresurada haga que sus eventos deportivos duren tantísimo tiempo. Y eso sin agregar todo el bullicio de las ceremonias previas y posteriores al juego en sí. Ahora bien, sin ofender a nadie, nosotros estuvimos prendidos del evento completo desde que empezó hasta que terminó. Esto es sencillamente una observación desde el punto de vista de alquien que ha pasado los últimos tres años tratando de adaptarse a este nuevo mundo para quien observaciones como tales son inevitables bajo las circunstancias. De cualquier manera, disfrutamos nuestro día tanto como las especialidades de mi esposito que había dispuesto preparar sus propias viandas que, en esta ocasión, eran alitas en barbacoa.

"I´m gonna get you!!!"

Ben says those words and immediately a big huge smile appears on Elena´s face as she takes these cute little quick steps pretending to get away from him as fast as she can. Ben stumps his feet on the floor to make it more dramatic... he hasn´t moved yet, he only made noise with his feet, yet she is laughing and "trying" to get away. When Ben gets close to her, though instead of getting away she gets so excited with the anticipation and the delight of "being caught" that if he takes too long to get her, she´ll lean towards his hands. Such precious moments!

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

"¡Alli voy!" Ben dice esas palabras e inmediatamente aparece una gran sonrisa en la carita de Elena mientras da los más simpáticos pasitos rápidos como para escapársele tan rápidamente como puede. Ben somata los pies en el suelo para añadirle al drama... no se ha movido todavía, solamente hizo ruido con los pies, y ella está matándose de la risa "tratando" de escapar. Sin embargo, cuando Ben se le acerca en lugar de escaparse se emociona tanto con anticipación y el gusto de que la "atrape" que si se tarda mucho en agarrarla ella se inclina hacia sus manos haciéndose más fácil de atrapar. ¡Son momentos tan bellos!

Marriage

"Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." (Song of Solomon 2:15, New Living Translation)

When does a married couple allows for familiarity and routine to steal away from them? How does it happen? When do voids that eventually turn into gaps grow between them? A little observation has brought sadness to my heart as I look at couples who are living as mere roommates. There is no vision, there are no goals, there are just two people that, somehow, ended up living under the same roof, sharing chores and expenses. Granted, being married is not easy. It is a life of dying to one's self, sacrifice and hard work. Then again, aren't good things supposed to be hard to get? All too often I find that "marital bliss" is not something that just falls on a lucky, unsuspecting couple who then just sit back and enjoy it. It is, instead, a decision that needs to be made daily, sorting through the nitty gritty details of the day and choosing to keep your attention focused on every good thing. After all, even a "match made in heaven" needs to be maintained on earth!

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"Cazadnos las zorras, las zorras pequeñas que arruinan las viñas, pues nuestras viñas están en flor." (Cantares 2:15, La Biblia de las Américas)

¿Cuándo es que una pareja de esposos permite que la rutina y la familiaridad le robe a su matrimonio? ¿Cómo es que sucede? ¿En qué momento crecen entre ellos vacíos que eventualmente se convierten en abismos? Un poco de observación a mi alrededor ha traído tristeza a mi corazón cuando veo parejas que parecen solamente ser compañeros de cuarto. No tienen visión, no tienen metas, simplemente son dos personas que, de algún modo terminaron viviendo bajo el mismo techo compartiendo gastos y responsabilidades. Claro está, el matrimonio no es fácil. Es una vida de morir a uno mismo, una vida de sacrificio y trabajo duro. Pero... ¿no se supone que lo bueno cuesta? Con frecuencia me encuentro reflexionando en que la dicha marital no es algo que le llega a una pareja de suertudos que se sientan a disfrutarla. Es, por el contrario, una decisión que debe tomarse cada día, separando entre lo engorroso de la vida diaria y escogiendo mantener la atención en las cosas buenas. Después de todo, hasta un romance "hecho en el cielo" debe mantenerse aquí en la tierra.

Winter Wonderland

This morning I got up and Ben asked me to look out the window. What a beautiful sight it was! The ground and the trees were covered in a couple inches of snow and you could hardly see anything else but the big, huge, snowflakes coming down. It all looked so pretty! I immediately took Elena to the window and she seemed to be delighted for the sight as well. But it really became amazing to me when I brought Elena outside. Her face was glowing with excitement as she would point to the snowflakes and try to touch them as they were falling down. She didn´t care it was cold, she didn´t care it was wet, she would throw her head back and let the snowflakes fall on her face and laugh. The purity and innocence of that picture reminded me of how we miss out on the wonders of the simple things when we become so worked up about life. If we only had a desire like the Psalmist did:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."Psalm 51:9-11

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Esta mañana me levanté y Ben me dijo que viera por la ventana. ¡Qué vista más maravillosa! El suelo y los árboles estaban cubiertos de un par de pulgadas de nieve y apenas y se podía ver con claridad por los grandes copos de nieve que estaban cayendo. ¡Todo se veía tan precioso! Inmediatamente levanté a Elena y la llevé a la ventana y ella parecía estar deleitándose con la vista también. Pero realmente se volvió sorprendente cuando sacamos a Elena afuera. Su carita parecía brillar de la emoción mientras extendía sus manitas para tratar de tocar los copos de nieve que caían. No le importó que había frío, no le importó que estaba mojado, simplemente tiraba su cabecita para atrás para ver los copos caer y sentirlos en su carita. La pureza e inocencia de esa imagen me recordó cómo nos perdemos de las maravillas de las cosas sencillas al llenarnos de ansiedad por las cosas de la vida. Ojalá todos tuviéramos el corazón del Salmista:

" ¡Crea en mí, Dios, un corazón limpio, y renueva un espíritu recto dentro de mí!" Salmos 51:10

Random thoughts

• It is scary to realize that so many parents are so unaware of what goes on in their teenager´s lives. God help His people not be caught up in not "invading their privacy" and missing out on important signs of need in their lives... blogs are a great indicator.
• I don´t particularly like this part of the American Idol process, I know some people are there to really make a show of themselves but some others are so naive and then get humilliated in a very mean way and we sit there and watch it... I´m not sure about that.
• While in Guatemala, Elena had no problem at all with my drying my hair. I figured we must have gotten over the season of having to have Ben around every time I blow dry my hair (or use the blender, vacuum cleaner, mixer, and any other noise-making-appliance around the house). Sure enough we got back home and she can´t even see my hair dryer here!
• Like father, like daughter... these two years of living with my hubby I have discovered that he sometimes talks (and walks and does different things) in his sleep. It always takes me a while to figure it out because it usually involves my waking up and finding him walking around the room, eyes wide open and all. I´d ask what he´s doing and that´s usually when I realize he´s sleeping. The next morning he has absolutely no recollection of whatever happened the night before. At any rate, after an hour of napping, Elena suddenly sat on the bed, mumbled her usual conversation and then plopped back on the pillow and was immediately sleeping again.

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

• Da miedo pensar que hay tantos padres de adolescentes que no tienen la menor idea de lo que pasa en la vida de sus hijos. Dios nos ayude a Su pueblo a no caer en la trampa de no "invadir su privacidad" y perdernos señales importantes de la necesidad de su corazón. Los "blogs" son un buen indicador de cómo andan las cosas...
• Esta parte del proceso de American Idol no es precisamente mi favorita, yo sé que mucha de la gente que va sabe que va a dar un espectáculo y no tiene problema con eso, pero hay otro grupo de gente inocente que realmente se ve humillada por el show sin embargo, alli estamos sentados viéndolos... a veces me pregunto qué dice eso de nosotros...
• Mientras estábamos en Guate., Elena no tenía problema alguno con que me secara el pelo. Me imaginé que ya habíamos dejado atrás la época de tener que esperar que Ben estuviera aqui para secarme el pelo (o usar la licuadore, batidora, aspiradora y cualquier otro electrodoméstico que hiciera ruido). Por supuesto, al venir aqui y usar mi secadora, resulta que siempre no le gusta.
• De tal palo, tal astilla... estos dos años de vivir con mi esposito me han revelado que a veces habla (y camina y realiza diferentes actividades) dormido. Siempre me toma un poco de tiempo darme cuenta porque usualmente me despierta que ande caminando por el cuarto, con los ojos abiertos y todo. Le pregunto qué pasa y es allí donde me doy cuenta de que está dormido. A la mañana siguiente, ni se recuerda de lo que pasó. Hoy, después de estar durmiendo como por una hora, Elena se despertó, se sentó en la cama y empezó a hablar como es su costumbre, luego se dejó caer otra vez en la almohada e inmediatamente estaba sumida en el más profundo sueño.

Everything is a process...

There is nothing more disheartening for me than coming home and feeling overwhelmed rather than refreshed... My haven, the one place where my husband and daughter should feel comforted and nurtured and if it gives me that feeling when I walk through the door I can´t really expect it to be any different for them. I think it bothers me more becasue when I was growing up my mom used to tell my that my bedroom was a mirror to my heart and I really feel undone inside if my abode is undone. Now, I know there are only so many hours in one day and so many things I can do in those hours, especially when part of my day goes in following a little person around and picking up after her all day long (somehow the concept of "putting back in" is taking its sweet time to click). At any rate, I know it is a process and I know I won´t get it done as soon as I wish... little by little and one day at a time we´ll have a haven again. On another note, I told you earlier that my sweet hubby was setting up his own blog, so pay him a visit at www.misterrandom.blogspot.com

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No hay nada más descorazonador para mí que entrar a mi casa y en lugar de sentir regrigerio, sentirme atarantada... Mi oasis, el lugar donde mi esposo y mi hija deben sentirse reconfortados, si me hace sentirme así a mí al entrar por la puerta, realmente no puedo esperar que sea distinto para ellos. Creo que lo que más me molesta es que mi mamá solía decirme que mi cuarto era un reflejo de mi corazón y realmente siento que estoy descontrolada por dentro cuando tengo todo descontrolado por fuera. Ahora, yo sé que el día sólo tiene 24 horas y que solamente hay cierta cantidad de cosas que puedo hacer en ese tiempo, especialmente cuando una buena parte del día se me va en perseguir a una personita por todos lados recogiendo todo lo que deja tirado (por alguna razón el concepto de "guardar" todavía no le hace click). De cualquier manera, sé que es un proceso y sé que no lograré hacer todo tan pronto como quiero... poquito a poco y un día a la vez llegaremos a tener un oasis nuevamente. Cambiando de tema, como les conté antes, mi esposito tiene ahora su propio sitio, visítenlo cuando tengan tiempo: www.misterrandom.blogspot.com

A picture worth a thousand words...

The first birthday called for the first experience with chocolate cake... this was the result...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELENA!

A Year Ago...

One year ago today, I was at the hospital waiting for labor to progress. I was barely 3 cm dilated (which I had been for the longest time already). At this point, we realized it was going to be a very long hospital stay if we stayed there so we decided to leave and go "take a walk." Elena was finally born at 8:55 a.m. (tomorrow) after having been in transition for 8 hours. Time goes by so quickly! She will be one tomorrow and as we watch her grow from a baby into a little girl we are reminded of the new life that is growing within me. Yesterday we had an ultrasound (No, we won't find out what the baby is) and we saw a tiny nose in a cute little face and a tiny little body squirming all over the place. Our eyes were filled up with tears as we contemplated, once again, the miracle of life and our hearts were filled with joy as we realized afresh how blessed we are! It's simply amazing!

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Hoy hace un año estábamos en el hospital esperando que progresara el trabajo de parto. Apenas tenía 3 cm de dilatación (desde hacía un montón de tiempo). A estas alturas decidimos irnos a caminar por alli porque la espera en el hospital iba a ser demasiado larga. Elena finalmente nació a las 8:55 a.m. (de mañana) después de 8 horas de transición. ¡Qué rápido se va el tiempo! Mañana cumple un año y al mismo tiempo que la vemos crecer de bebé a nenita se nos recuerda la nueva vida que se forma dentro de mí. Ayer tuvimos un ultrasonido (No, no vamos a averiguar qué es) y vimos una naricita en una carita y un diminuto cuerpo que se movía por todos lados. Se nos llenaron los ojos de lágrimas al contemplar una vez más el milagro de la vida, el corazón se nos llenó de gozo al volver a darnos cuenta de lo bendecidos que somos. ¡Sencillamente es maravilloso!

Todavía estamos aterrizando...

2 Corintios 4:17-18 (Biblia en Lenguaje Sencillo)
Biblia
en Lenguaje Sencillo (BLS)

"17 Las dificultades que tenemos son pequeñas, y no van a durar siempre.
Pero, gracias a ellas, Dios nos llenará de la gloria que dura para siempre: una
gloria grande y maravillosa.18 Porque nosotros no nos preocupamos por lo que nos
pasa en esta vida, que pronto acabará. Al contrario, nos preocupamos por lo que
nos pasará en la vida que tendremos en el cielo. Ahora no sabemos cómo será esa
vida. Lo que sí sabemos es que será eterna."

Todo es cuestión de perspectiva.

Still trying to land...

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified
Bible (AMP)
"17For our light, momentary affliction
(this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly
preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory
[beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all
calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to
cease!],
18Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to
the
things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal
(brief and
fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and
everlasting."

Isn´t it all a matter of perspective?

We're Home!

Or so we think... it is the right address, it just doesn't look like home AT ALL! You can't really walk through any room without tripping on a box, a suitcase, a pile of something, or the toys my daughter keeps scattering through the floor of the whole apartment. We came home at 2 a.m. yesterday, landed in the middle of an awful snow storm and then drove home through roads covered in drifted snow that literally reached the bumper of our van. It took us over an hour an a half to reach home. We hit the ground running as we went to church yesterday morning, have an empty fridge and empty cupboards and don't seem to have time to shop for groceries today since Ben had to go to the office after being absent for three weeks, we have a doctor's appointment to make sure all is going well with baby number two and then we have a board meeting at church! But we are home... happy to be here and sad to have left Guatemala. But as we left church yesterday and I thought about the welcome we received from our church family I realized how blessed we are and how undeserving we feel! We are appreciated, loved and missed in two places that are very different from each other! Even though we landed in Albany at 11.45 p.m. and there was a snow storm we were greeted at the airport by these friends. We came home to learn of other friends who wanted to come meet us but couldn't make it under the circumstances. Then we were greeted at church by so many who told us how much we were missed! It wouldn't be fair if I didn't say that I do love my New York people too! It is good to be home, it is good to be loved and we are loved in two different places of the map... What else could we ask for?

Like a Breeze!

This is it! We breezed through it and our vacation is over... well, more over than not. We sit here, a little bit more than 24 hours away from departure time and toys are already being counted and put together. The bed holds four suitcases that, somehow, are supposed to fit all of the stuff we brought plus all of the stuff we're taking and still weigh up to 50 lbs. each (I truly believe I am in on line for a small miracle on this one). But the inevitable is coming and the time to say good by grows nearer. I miss home, I want to go home, as much as I love this country and all my friends and family we're getting to that time when we need our routine back. That doesn't mean that we're looking forward to saying good by. As we do this routine over and over again, I realize we have all tried to learn to live and endure it the best way we can. I have learned that He is my only hope and my only strength. I have understood that I don't need to understand why life goes the way it does... as long as I am secure in Him we will be fine. The grace for the day will come from Him, the strength to carry on will come from Him, and the joy for even these moments will come from Him as well. My only prayer is that all those others facing the good bys with us will find the same source.

Ooops!

I was in such a hurry this morning that I completely forgot there were actual pictures of Ben and my brothers doing the canopy... here you go...

A quick update

This last week is going quickly and, as expected, is getting busier by the minute as everyone realizes we are closer to leaving. We are packing tomorrow (somehow!) and heading home and as much as we want to go home a part of us doesn't want to leave. This week, Ben and my brothers did "canopy" on Monday and they had a great time. They even found a couple challenges that made their trip more adventurous! Elena and I stayed home and visited some friends (pregnant women shouldn't really hang from trees). After giving up on our desire of going to the beach, last night someone offered to take us today, so we are going!!! As I sit here and write preparations are going on around the house for a short day enjoying the warmest weather, the sun and the water! We'll send pics! Other than that, we still have dinner tonight with an uncle and lunch tomorrow with a friend and off we go! We should be arriving in Albany's airport around 11:45 p.m. on Saturday.

On another note, Elena finally cut her first tooth! With all the other stuff going on with the infamous virus and the colds that grabbed a hold of us on this trip, cutting her first tooth was as uneventful and almost unnoticeable as you can imagine, but there it is and she is constantly rubbing her tongue against it!

Well, just wanted to update you quickly on our schedule, we miss you all!

Elena's Piñata

Today, the Guatemalan family celebrated Elena's birthday. I've included a few pictures to give you a taste of it. It was supposed to be at an open park area, but it was too windy so we ended up all crowded in my cousin's house. It was a lot of fun and a lot of people came together to celebrate our daughter, which was a blessing!

I think she has a puzzled look on her face trying to figure out why there are so many people standing in front of her watching her on the swing!



They all chipped in and gave her an Elmo themed first piñata.




And, of course, after the piñata was broken and all the candy was on the ground, she was taught by my cousins that girls wear dresses to piñatas to gather all their candy!


We had a lot of fun and are very grateful that the family has taken all the time and effort to spoil her. It really means so much to us to see them going so much out of their way to bless our daughter... eventhough we weren't here for Christmas there was a gift for Elena under every tree at every home of friends and family. We have no idea how we will manage to get all those gifts back home but I must admit that is a wonderful "problem" to have! I love my Guatemalan people!

The Past few days

These past few days have been a treat in every possible way! To begin with, our wedding anniversary was the 3rd and my sweet husband surprised me with an appointment at a spa for a facial!!! I don't think I had had one of those before! I was spoiled and y face felt baby soft! After the facial we left Elena at my parents' and then went out for a nice lunch date. We had a wonderful avocado salad, steak, corn, baked potatoes and dessert. As I have told you before, my grandmother (dad's mom) is already 94 and one of her sons decided to have a recording made of her talking about her life before her memory fails her more and we loose all those wonderful stories. The video in and of itself was a joy to watch as she told anecdote after anecdote about her childhood, how she met my grandfather and her writings, but the real treat for me came at the end of the interview, when as she is closing with some personal thoughts the camera gets off her and suddenly starts showing what seems a very old video. "Mamita" (my grandmother) was all dressed up and she is standing outside a church. The church looked familiar to me, but I couldn't make out what it was about, until I saw this bride and groom position themselves right next to her on the receiving line. At that point, my mom exclaimed "That's my wedding!!" It turns out that my uncle had used an 8mm camera to record at the wedding and somewhere down the line completely forgot about it. My parents never saw it, so they didn't even know it existed. It was such a wonderful surprise to actually get to see my parents on their wedding day! We grew up looking at the pictures, but it is amazing how much it came to life as we watched it on the screen! Of course, now we will talk to the editor of Mamita's video and try to secure the whole recording of my parents' wedding and hopefully it will happen before we leave!

Thirty-two today

Today I welcome my 32nd birthday and as I go through this day in my old house, with my old friends and family I realize how much everything has changed. Just a few years ago the mere thought of growing older was so scary. Today, my high heels have been replaced by more comfortable shoes that ease my lower back as I carry the ever increasing extra weight of a new baby while making me quick on my toes to keep up with an almost one-year-old who seems to believe that the world is hers to conquer. Baggier, longer, more comfortable shirts have taken the place of short fancy ones because there is no way I could attempt nursing with them. The long curls are now short and easier to handle... you know, less management required. The morning make up routine is now squeezed together with the baby feeding and changing one, if there is any make up at all. A diaper bag now takes the place of the purse and hardly any personal effects are carried in it... after so many years I realize I don't really need that much stuff any way. A few gray hairs are more noticeable than ever but honestly, I don't seem to care. Above all things my loneliness has been shoved away by a loving husband whose company I enjoy every minute of the day and by the cuttest ever little girl who requires my constant attention. If that wasn't enough, every morning I am reminded of the wonderful miracle of a new life being formed inside of me and all of a sudden the years piling up don't seem as threatening as they used to. Yes, if I had the chance of doing it all over again I would do a few things differently, but deep down inside I am grateful for every single moment that has brought me this far. My life is as perfect as can be and I can't imagine the years to come bringing anything else but blessings. My body will continue to change, I know, "my own time" will continue to disappear while I share it with little people and my wonderful husband but I would never change any of these things for the past years. I am a year older, but I am a year happier!

Honoring a little fighter...

As you rejoice today and receive the New Year, please keep this family in your prayers as they have lost this little man. They are a young couple attending EBI, Seth and Tarah Goodson. Their baby Gideon was born very prematurely, 42 days ago and fought very hard for his life, we had been praying for them as they went through all of this a sought the Lord for strength to endure. Last night Doctors informed them that there was nothing that could be done any more and needed to remove medication, he passed at around 3.25 a.m. What a hard thing to go through! Please keep them in your prayers!