A very few pics

All the ladies (this wasn't the official photographer, so Melody can't really be seen)

The bride and her flower girls

Adriana stealing the bridal bouquet away...

As we saw the bride walk in...

It was a gorgeous day, an amazing setting, a beautiful ceremony... my, my, my... what a great beginning for a new love story!

The Big Day!

Today is the big day we've been preparing for the last few months. Today, two lives will become one. Seasons of prayer, pondering and seeking of God's will are over. Days of planning and preparation have come to an end. Today is a day of celebration! What an amazing gift God gave us when He thought of marriage. And the cherry on top? Today, a bride leaves my home to walk down the aisle that will lead her to her groom. This little home has been a part of it and this whole house is busting at the seams full of people celebrating. All of it thanks to God's blessing and provision to our own lives! Happy day!

This week

• Well, for starters, my Mom is here! She's been here for a week already and the girls are having the greatest time with her.
• The wedding is this Saturday (that is, Dan Wolford and Maria Hackel's). This whole little family is in the wedding, so the week is flying by as we prepare and help with last minute details.
• And that, is pretty much all I have time for as everything else would be way too elaborate to get into, so I'll catch up later!
  

Joining

We are joining in prayer for this little family. (In the pictures: This is only baby's dad, as mom is in another hospital recovering from delivery)

Stretching

It is safe to say that we are being stretched and are also growing, but at the same time we are dying.

I have been reminded afresh of the illustration of marriage being like a bow (as in archery). The structure represents the husband and the string, the wife. When I heard God's whisper in my heart about the hand that is doing the stretching, I could see in my minds eye a bow in preparation for shooting. How much tension goes in the process! The bow gets bent, the string gets pulled and they stay together as the hand pulls. A premature release of the tension would result in an inefficient throw. The mark would most definitely be missed. We do not want to miss the mark, whatever it is God wants to accomplish in and through us in this season, we want to be faithful to reach. So both of us are holding as hard as we can... holding on to Him and holding on to each other. It is definitely not easy but we know that it is for good, for growth, for life! As long as it His working in our lives, however uncomfortable, we say yes.

At a loss for words

I have to say, my writer's block continues. There is so much going on and I truly don't know where or how to focus (in writing). Let's see:
:: My dad is feeling better (or I should say doing better, for what I hear he is not necessarily feeling all that well).
:: My mom didn't come on Thursday. She will try to get on Sunday's plane.
:: We had a great week with them visiting. It has been the longest we've been able to hang out together since we got married. Our house feels empty now that they left... but we did have a wonderful time!
:: Today we are babysitting her.
:: Decisions seem to be the order of the day, some for ministry, some for family, some for finances but all decisions that need careful thought and prayer. I have come to learn that the process of making such decisions is as important as the decisions themselves, so usually keeping to myself keeps me from getting in trouble. I don't want to speak out of time or be led by my emotions. Trust me, they're right there, ready to pop their head in any minute.
:: Remember what I was saying before about coming to the cross? Well, in continuing with that post and as we face decisions and yet more stretching, I did ask the Lord, "How much more are we going to be stretched?" His whisper in my heart was clear... "Don't ask how much but know that the hand stretching you is mine"... That is enough for me to know that this stretching is for growth, for life, for love. It doesn't have to be fun or easy, but it is meant for good and that is all that matters.

Disappointed

My Mom was supposed to come on Saturday night. She is flying stand by, though, so she hasn't been able to board two flights already. Her next chance will be Thursday night. We made a little calendar with the girls, it has my mom's picture and we called it "Days 'til Pita comes". It had a flower and we numbered each petal and we would take one off and count the days left for her to come. At this point, out little flower has no more petals left... and the anticipation and excitement of her coming has turned into a daily prayer with the girls that she'll get a seat on the next plane.

Needless to say, I am so very disappointed and have absolutely no way to change things. The girls are fine... we pray everyday and the motto of our life has become "One more day and Pita comes!" Now, I do need to say that it turned out being ok because my dad hasn't been feeling well and so my mom will be taking him to the doctor today to figure out what's wrong with him and hopefully he'll have some time to recover before she leaves.

Oh well... hopefully we will finally see her on Thursday.

Writer's block

My apologies to my faithful friends who still visit this site, it has been hard to keep up with it lately. This has been an interesting season, to say the least. This season I have learned a lot about myself, my little family, and the calling we have to serve. Between not feeling well, the busy-ness of the summer, and trying to keep up with life alone... Let me put it this way: Have you ever seen the palm trees during a hurricane? I've only seen them on TV, but that is close enough for me to get the illustration. I find it so interesting that they're shaken by the winds that seem to be hitting them with all they have and the palm tree bends, and bends, and shakes, and bends a bit more. It may loose a coconut or two (ok, it looses all of its coconuts) but in the end it is still standing. Beat up, shaken, but standing and holding on to dear life with all it has.

Well, that is how I feel right now, emotionally, spiritually and physically. I am tired. I know I've said that before. I actually have thought I felt tired before, but now I am truly feeling it.

So, what do you do when every single aspect of your life seems to be acting up on you? Go to the cross... I'm definitely not done with what I want to say here, but this is the third time I attempt to finish this post, so I'm going to stop here and hopefully later try to catch up again.

Prayers will be highly appreciated, for wisdom, for grace, for energy, for solace and every other thing that comes to your mind!

trial

trying a new twmplate

I know, it´s been a while

But here I am,

after two months of planning,
hunting for teapots at garage sales, thrift stores and anywhere we could think of,
borrowing enough tea cups and dessert plates to serve around 70 people,
making 80 "empanadas" and baking another 80 almond crisps,
spending two days setting up...

I can officially say I am exhausted and very, very slowly trying to get my house back to normality. But it was totally and absolutely worth it! I enjoyed every minute of it, from the preparation to the actual delivery. I didn´t take very good pictures because I was caught up hosting the event, so my pics don´t do it much justice. Enjoy them, anyway!

The teapots were our centerpieces and we used mismatched china in every table.

The place were we had it was once a small theater, so we used the stage and the backdrops for the opening of presents. These pics were taken before the guests arrived, but you have to believe me, there was hardly any room for the bride on this stage once all the gifts came in!This water jug was also a loan, so I perpetuated it in my memory with this picture... I totally love it!

This was the view as you came in the door (before I finished dressing all the tables with the centerpieces)

The happy bride and me (oh yeah, and my Adriana squeezed in between)This is also the unfinished food table, all the food is still missing...
by the end it was lovely full with great baked goods that so many people brought!


I had so much help, I can´t even begin to tell you. I would have never pulled it off without so many people "chasing after my grandiose illusion". Thanks to all that helped!

What can I say!

The paragraph below was a posting I began writing on July 25th. I hadn't realized it's been so long since I last sat in front of this screen! I hope it's ok, as I don't think I had time to proofread it!

"You don't want to be her pacifier" were her words as we talked about my little Adriana's frequent and sometimes (ok, often) prolonged nursing sessions. We were at Adriana's one year appointment at the doctor's office. The P.A. was responding to my report on how hard it is to say how many times she nurses a day because it varies according to the day's events. If she falls and gets upset, she'll nurse, even if only for 5 minutes. She nurses for comfort a lot. I wished I could have poured out my heart to this lady... I couldn't. I'm not sure whether I should have said anything, really. Sometimes I have a hard time determining when a response to such a comment would be "witnessing" or simply "casting my pearls out." All I said was "Well, I really don't mind." The truth is, why should I?

I truly think of it a blessing to be able to soothe my little girl. I try to use this times to tell her how the Lord can help us cope with our every day frustrations and how much He loves her and wants to soothe her. I tell her she can always count of me and I love her dearly but there is one love that is far better than mine and it is His perfect love.

This season, in hindsight will be so short in comparison to all the years she'll be away from me. So much to my doctor's disappointment I won't be looking to wean her sooner than she is ready to...

My baby is one!

Can you believe this? It feels as though just yesterday we brought her into our little home and then again, I can hardly remember life without her! She is so precious. I have told before of her strong determination. She is not the type of baby that can be distracted away from the object of her attention so easily. However, there is one thing that delights her little heart enough to hold her attention away from "trouble", at least momentarily, that is music. Whether it is a song on a worship CD or just a partial tune on a toy, she will stop on her tracks, look up at you, smile and start dancing!

Being an early walker, she is of course, an early climber. Still it is hard to keep up with her quick pace. It may take her a bit to learn a skill, but once learned it doesn't take her long to master it. For instance, Ben figured with her adventurous nature it would be wise to try to teach her how to climb up the stairs. We had caught her attempting to do it before, so he walked up the stairs showing her how to move her little arms and legs to climb up. He did it only once. The very next day, she sneaked out on us for a couple of minutes and climbed the whole flight of stairs on her own. All I know is that Ben said: "Honey, I hear her on the stairs," and much to my dismay I found her all the way up, holding on to the gate at the top! Our whole flight of stairs in just a minute or two I can't tell you how far down my stomach dropped.

One of her newest discoveries has been the computer keyboard. Her face lights up when I sit her on my lap. She immediately sticks out her little fingers and goes for the keys and if she sees my hands anywhere near hers, she'll quickly (and decidedly) push them away to keep it to herself.

And so, her determination and her ability to focus lead her to solve problems rather quickly. Her adventurous nature keep her discovering new things constantly. Her independent spirit takes her beyond her limits and yet she is still so much of a baby that can't be away from this proud and happy mom for long. For the first time ever she slept last night (or should I say this morning) until 4 a.m. (I am not holding my hopes high, this may be a one time thing more than a page turner in the life of). I cannot imagine where God will take my little girl, all I know is that my life is ever richer and happier by her presence! Happy first birthday, sweet girl!

To train or not to train

Potty train, that is. After my two bathroom adventures yesterday I am beginning to think that I do not want to take the girls into a public bathroom until they are old enough to be disgusted by public bathrooms themselves! I was happy to read that I'm not the only one facing such dilemma, though. I mean, really, how do you convince an almost-one-year-old that the fact that the toilet is at the height of her mouth doesn't mean she actually has to put her mouth on it?! And then, how much soap do you use to try to wash them clean? ...and then there's the crawling on the dirty floors, the pulling of the toilet paper a sheer fear of the hand dryer... it was crazy enough to leave this mama wanting to let them wear diapers until they're about 10!

My Dad´s Birthday!

Feliz cumpleaños, Papi... ¡Lo amamos!

Keepers at home

Yesterday, Ben and I were watching this show. I am always curious to see the stories behind families and pick up on some ideas for shopping, organizing, etc. I was amazed at how clean her house is and how organized her life seems while she has so many more little ones than I do. One thing led to the next and before you know it, my sweet man is holding my hand, trying to encourage me and stop my tears as I pour out my frustrations at being unable to keep up with the house lately.

If you have been to my house in the past couple months you know what I mean!

Probably one of the reasons why this woman's immaculate house brought me to the breaking down point is because I have been asking the Lord for supernatural strength, ability, ideas, or anything that will help me keep this house the way I envision it without lashing out at my husband and children when the chaos of everyday life simply cannot be contained. At least I can say for myself that I have been able to avoid the lashing out part.

My little mental notebook goes back to all the wise advice I've heard from amazing godly woman but nothing seemed to give me a satisfactory answer. If I am called to be a keeper of my home, doesn't that include making it a clean and orderly environment for my family? And while the answer to that question is a "yes", there is also the fact that the house in and of itself does not make the home. The house is a tool... a tool to keep my family happy, healthy and together.

I need to remember that the people in it are more important than the things in it. I am more responsible for the souls that it helps me nurture than anything else. And in the quiet place I hear a still voice that tells me that more than anything my home needs to be inviting. Inviting to the outsider who should feel welcome when they come in that door, but above all things, inviting to those entrusted to me. I am doing my job well if my husband and my children long for home, if I attach enough strings to their heart that home is a place they like to be at. And I look around and pray that I may not see a day when my children are desperate to leave my home...

Cailen Miner and Adriana

Little girls

Quickly

I quickly touch base to report that all is well with this little family. I am recovered from the cold, feeling much better and with a bit more energy to live life. I still can´t seem to manage through the day without falling asleep at some point, but have considerably recovered some energy. Life will soon get back to normal, hopefully. I´ll soon write a little more.

Love to all!

Continuing...

Our date was great. It was a much needed time alone to remind us of the very basic things of love and life. It was good. Oh yeah, and the food was also amazing!

Now, as goes with everything else, I had hardly heard of mononucleosis before and this week I have been bombarded with all sorts of information about it. My doctors' instructions have been to eat well, take a multi-vitamin, drink plenty of juice and rest as much as life (a.k.a. two little girls) allow it. I can't tell you how hard it is to draw the line and stop myself when the past few weeks I have been pushing through the exhaustion. I sort of conditioned myself to live with this tiredness and still function 100%.

I am blessed with a wonderful natural and church family who have pitched in to help even more than I thought I needed. However, after having this cold on top of everything and nursing the girls through the cold, sleep has been very elusive and light and the help has been more than welcome.

From a wonderful sister-in-law who, with her own littles in tow came to sow a morning of her already busy life to relieve me from my house duties, to a great friend who delivered the best home made pizza I'd ever had, to even more friends who have made themselves available "on call" to come to the rescue as needed. How good it is to dwell in harmony with our brethren, indeed! The body of Christ is an awesome body to be a part of. And of course, I could never leave out my sweet man who is trying to cover the rest of the meals and needs of the girls.

The funny thing is that besides the cold, I don't really feel all that sick. I am mostly tired... I had never felt this tired before... I can't even describe it. I'm zapped of all energy by mid morning! I can take many naps during the day and still fall asleep at night! I don't even know how I have managed to stir out of my slumber to take care of little girls who have needed soothing through the night. And so goes our little life.

When it rains...

Boy, does it pour! The short version:

**Tuesday, I find out I have "mono" and I have been living with it for the past few weeks. We are relieved to know the reason behind my excessive fatigue and hopeful that enough rest should have me on the bend in no time. Ben needs to go to the doctor for some digestive inconveniences.

**Wednesday, Adriana didn´t sleep very well, therefore I didn´t either. Hopefully I will catch up on sleep through the day... (yeah, right!). By noon, I realize I have a massive cold and with the lack of sleep the night before I feel even more run down. And, of course, the girls have the cold as well.

**Thursday, 2.30 a.m. No, we didn´t get up this early. We just never went down last night in spite of multiple attempts. Now we have both girls in bed with us, they can´t sleep because of all the wonderful sneezing and running of noses. Ben needs to leave by 7.00 (or some insanely similarly early time) for some test scheduled as a result of the earlier doctor´s appointment. I have a pounding headache because of my own maladies. Stop to think/pray: "Ok, Lord, where is the grace for this? I´m for a hefty serving!"

8.30 a.m. Girls and I wake up from the slim rest we got last night. Ben is gone to his test. **sigh of relief** She is coming over for some help and company (both for me and the girls!). Looking forward to that.

12.30 p.m. Ben is not back yet from his appointment. However, the girls and I have had a lunch and are now watching a movie (the girls, I am obviously getting some computer time) in preparation for nap time. I know Ben is due home any minute so I´m giving him some time that we can see him before naps. Thanks to our company I can now see my floor AND it is clean! (Thank you sooo much, Dee) and we also got to visit and chat a little bit.

Now I am looking forward to a special date we were planning on having for some time now. We didn´t expect to take it in the midst of all this sickness and exhaustion but will probably still benefit from the time together (not to mention the food!). Somehow we will find the energy to pull it off... don´t you think?

Ohhh yeah, I almost forgot...

Her first time on a swing!!!

A few firsts around here....

She now faces the front! She still doesn't love the car seat.

but she likes it better!

Her first very own ice cream cone!

a bit messy...

but just perfect for her!!

Home

From the moment we got married we wanted to have a house. We wanted a big enough space that we could open to people, you know the unannounced drop-ins, the planned dinner parties, the guests over a meal, and all that fun stuff. I can't tell you how blessed we are to now have that space and all of the above! It is so good to fellowship with others and share food, laughter, and so much more. It is amazing how these kinds of things make people connect and bond. It is the perfect soil for friendships to be born and lessons to be learned. And so it is that with the busy-ness of the summer time of this first summer in a house, we have had anywhere from 2 to 10 people for some kind of meal this week alone. Tuesday we had a couple for dinner, Wednesday we had a family of three for dinner, Thursday we hosted a small birthday party for a young lady and today we had a young man over for breakfast! Monday was the only day we didn't have someone over! And although we are tired, I can confidently say we are thrilled... this is exactly what we wanted!

The weekend holds a different kind of socializing for us. At least this one. With church meetings both days, I will also attend some kind of ladies' social gathering both days while the girls spend some time with Papi. And somewhere in between we need to squeeze in the regular family and budget meetings we normally need to have!

It´s official!

They are getting married!!!!

Adriana

My baby just turned ten months two days ago. This is a couple days late, I know... sorry. What can I tell you about her... She has the most expressive eyes ever! Her smile is beautiful and her personality intense. Let me share with you a little about her:

::Her most favorite person in the world continues to be me. Contrary to her sister who was (and still is) more of a Papi's fan, Adriana's happiness is completely dependent on my presence. Her face lits up when she sees me and that makes this mama beam with joy! Although it gets a bit trying to do absolutely everything with her in arms, the look in her face is priceless and there's a secret pleasure in knowing that her cry can only be calmed by me.

::She is walking, walking, walking... she is much more quick than Elena ever was and far more determined and focused. Adriana has absolutely no delight in being restrained in any way (car seat, high chair, stroller, back pack, carrier, you name it, she doesn't like it!). She loves to move around, thus you'll find her some times walking laps around the living room just because. There's no purpose or direction, she is just walking.

::She is also discovering how to climb into, out of, and over things. My baby is so tiny that the tub seat that is supposed to work with their own weight to keep their legs in the seat does absolutely nothing for her. Therefore, I can't just sit her there and bathe her sister without constantly checking to make sure she is still sitting there. She is also very quick so it only takes one second of my convincing Elena to let me pour water down her head for Adriana to stand on the seat and lean over it to reach a toy that has escaped her grasp.

::Eating isn't something she's greatly interested in, especially because it requires for her to be strapped into the high chair. If I make her sit through a meal, she won't be the baby that sits there contentedly eating her cheerios or bits of food put on her tray. She'll sweep them off and sit there but squirm and scream for as long as it will take you to finish the meal and pick her up. Yes, she is very determined... she does know what she wants and she wants it right now.

::And so it is that though I knew this baby's personality was going to be "edgy" and intense, I discover every day just how much more intense it can get. I tell her constantly that the Lord blessed her with an amazing strength of character that we need to learn together to "reign it in" and submit it to the Lord for the fulfillment of His purpose in her life.

Projects

Now that my hubby has seen it all, I can freely show some of my "While you were out" completed projects. I won´t post all of them because there are some, like the clean ceiling of our upstairs bathroom (no more mildew growing on it), that aren´t as appealing to look at. I don´t have before pics for all of them, but here you go:


+ Both the curtain rod and curtain are new. I realize that the blue alone is quite bright, but it is still an improvement from either the original plain white, or the light blue (that was really lavender) that we put on it last year ! Ohh, yeah, and we brought out the TV into this room since our "family room" upstairs doesn´t look like it´s going to be ready any time soon.+ This little mirror "thingy" was left behind by them in the entryway of our upstairs apartment. I just transferred it to the entryway of our downstairs AND adjusted it to our height!
+ The valance in the window is new.
+ Out little sign welcoming Papi home!
+ Before: (This is actually even before our first moving down)
+ After:
+ Before:
+ After:
+ Before:
+ After

These are the most dramatic changes Ben found. We did paint the downstairs bathroom but it is such a light shade and small room that no picture can make it be appreciated. This is what kept me busy while my sweet man was away. I have so many amazing ladies (and some great gents too!) to thank for all this! Thanks for all your help!

Off we go...

to the airport, to pick my honey up!!!

Tomorrow

A promise, a joy completed... tomorrow he comes home. Most of the things I wanted to get done got done, some remain on the list waiting for a better day, but then again, the list kept growing as the days went by and I got more ideas, so I am satisfied. We had a great time with the girls, of course, we had challenges, but we are fine.

It has been a week of growth and rediscovery. I have found, once again, that the grace of the Lord is available for each day and that all I need to do is tap into it. I have found, once again, that He is faithful to provide for your every need, even the emotional ones. I have found, once again, that He is also faithful and loving to provide for your every desire. And as my love for my Father has been refreshed, so has the love for my girls and last but not least the love for my husband. I can honestly say that I miss him. I don´t miss what he does around here, I miss him. It seems as a very basic thing, but I think I needed to realize it afresh!

I can´t wait until tomorrow!

Counting days

Well, my girls and I have kept busy so as to make Papi's time away go faster for us. I can't go into detail as I have not yet been assured that my sweetie is not reading this (so honey, if you are reading this, don't even ask!) ;o) Suffice it to say that I have given myself "little" goals to look forward to each day and, so far, I'm very happy and excited with the results. I'll go into details further along!

On another note, I have been learning that the place where my heart is when I minister to my daughters plays a significant role on the kind of day we have. When I'm focused and rested in the Lord, when my spirit is in tune with His, I am a nicer mom to deal with! The girls respond better and even the difficult moments of the day go by without taking away my peace. I forget that my peace has to be Him and not my surroundings. I forget that I bring His peace into my surroundings. I forget that my babies are only babies and depend on me to show them how to find His peace in the midst of life's chaos.

So much to learn... and such a loving Father to teach us!

He's gone...

My sweet man is gone for the longest we've ever been apart since we got married. A week! I know, I know, some of you wonderful ladies out there have probably weathered more than I have. But what can I say? I admit I've been spoiled. At any rate, my "survival" strategy for this week is to keep busy. I have a few projects I want to have done by the time he gets back and most definitely will try to make of it a special time with the girls too.

Happy Birthday "Pita"!!!

Honoring my mother´s birthday!



¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mami! ¡La amamos!

What a Day!

You know it's going to be a good day when

*you get a phone call at 9:00 a.m. telling you they are on their way to the hospital,

*prayer meeting is exceptionally good when your friend receives prayer and words of encouragement, impartation and destiny,

*by the time prayer meeting is done you find out their baby has been born! (good short labor!)

*you know someone will get a surprise,

*you get to hold in your arms the sweet new baby and see again the joy in parent's eyes. There is nothing like a new baby!

*friends get together to work on said surprise

*you watch how God delivers answers to prayer, fulfillment of promises and desires of hearts through the surprise

*you are reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness throughout the day

*you find yourself shedding tears of joy several times through the day

*you go home, count your blessings and cry again at the goodness of our Father!

Happenings

Well, I can't even begin to tell you how busy our life has been these past couple weeks, but it's been good. A lot of thinking and a lot of pondering on the walk of Christianity as we continually interact with people in the ministry. But it is too much to explain right now. So while my mind is clear enough, I'll leave you with these images of my loved ones:

**"It's a non-contact sport," I've been told time and again as Ben heads out to play ultimate frisbee. However, I have learned that such words mean nothing at all when it comes to my sweet husband. Now, this wasn't frisbee, mind you, it was basket-ball--another safe sport. Oh well, the running joke is that I have a good right hook!
**This little girl surprised us yesterday when we came back from church. As I was getting them out of their pretty dresses into their play clothes Elena kept saying: "Mami, nena potty!" I figured I'd humor her (I haven't lost hope) so I took her to the bathroom. Not only did she let me take her clothes off, but her diaper as well. Then, she sat down and after a few minutes of sitting and reading a book, lo and behold, she was jumping up and down exclaiming: "I did it!, I did it!" From there on it's been a very, very unintentional-led-by-her training. I offer and if she accepts we try, if she doesn't we let it pass. Though every time she does go she is so excited about saying "bye,bye" and waving as the toilet is flushed and then celebrating "Yay! nena!" that maybe that'll prove enough motivation. We'll see!
**My now nine-month-old baby girl's favorite activity is walking laps around the room. She walks, and walks, and walks, I think, so as to perfect her new acquired skill. Of course, nursing is still her main sustenance and, truthfully, aside from a few bites off our food at meal times, she hadn't been all that interested in eating much. Now, that led to a rather awkward time at her doctor's appointment yesterday, as for some reason they insist on my trying to get her to eat because "she needs to get it in her mind that she won't always eat from Mom," whatever. She is still my most favorite sweetest tiniest walker ever!


**And one last shot of my two sweeties wearing their Easter dresses, just for fun!

Getting antsy

Well, it is just about that time of year when I feel like I've outlived our present arrangements and a desperate need for change starts to creep in. I just mean in the way our house is furnished and distributed right now. Granted, we are on a very limited budget right now and we can't really afford any projects.

Our "family room" which is supposed to go in our old kitchen upstairs was supposed to be done over the winter. Come spring time, we were hoping to move our TV and some kind of seating up there thus freeing up the space down here for an office. Having the TV and the computer in this room throughout the winter ended up being a good idea because it provided for a smaller space to heat where the girls could bring their toys in and pretty much everything could be done in here. We have electric heat and it gets pricey to attempt to heat every space in the house. However, here we are... mid April already and the "family room" is but a collection of boxes with books from the old living room, plastic tubs with our winter wear, suitcases that upon moving were without a place and are hoping to go up in the attic some day, cupboards that were taken down just to take a look at the wall behind them--leading us to--two walls' upper halves stripped of said cupboards and displaying nasty, old wall paper, bare walls. And that is what we walk through to use our main bathroom upstairs and our bedrooms.

We have no curtains, anywhere... the girls' room didn't really get past the painting stage, the bathrooms are still waiting for their fresh paint, and boxes upon boxes of stuff await to be unpacked and organized somewhere in this dwelling. You know how it is... you can't do one thing until you do this other one, but then again, that one can't really be done yet because it needs for this other one to be done as well.

Now, mind you I am not complaining but merely realizing that my projects will take longer in being completed than I hoped for, but that's ok. There are things far more important than having all I think I need and if God hasn't provided for it, I probably don't need it quite yet.

I will, however think of re-arranging the things I do have for a fresher look and maybe a more efficient distribution... off I go.

This is the Scoop

I am working on translating a book. Back when I said yes, we thought it would be a good idea to brush up on my skills and make a bit of money. However, by the time I got the book, well I haven't caught up with life yet. So, long story short, I am working like crazy to finish and if I'm not nursing a baby, feeding us, kind-of cleaning the kitchen, changing diapers and seeing to immediate little girl needs, I am taking every other minute to sit in front of the computer and work as much as the next situation that needs tending to arises. Movies have been playing non-stop, meals have been kept to the bare minimal and I feel like my house will fall apart. All that to say I am ever so grateful for the opportunity of being a stay-at-home mom and not having the need to go out and work everyday. My heart goes out to those moms who need to go out and work and can't stay home and tend to their little ones. I certainly do not want to add more work to my work load, but above all things, I don't want to be home and not be there for my little family!

There she goes...

I will be happier...

* the morning we wake up without any hoarse voices, runny noses and unhappy little people.

*the day I get dressed in the morning and my clothes don´t look like I´ve been wearing them for weeks after just a couple hours of little noses rubbing against them.

*the temperature outside is at least 50o and we can breathe some fresh air without feeling like we´re about to freeze.

*the morning that goes by normally with no added sadness and crying spells of little girls who feel so sick they don´t know what they want.

ughhh!

One of those weeks

Boy! Do I feel like a palm tree that has just withstood a hurricane! Yet when I look back at my week there aren't really many BIG things, just a bunch of little tiny things that, this week, have just added up to too much for my liking! We have dealt with fevers, bugs, messes, meetings, teething, tantrums, and the list could go on, and on. And though I know I could glean some wisdom from some of my experienced mom friends it is just too much to go into detail right now.

All that being said, though, I feel the need to remind myself afresh of the things I have to be thankful for so I can keep my perspective (and my sanity! ;o) he,he) .

**Above all things I am deeply thankful for the most amazing sacrifice that brought me life! "Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe!" And, of course, in light of such an sacrifice of love, I feel ridiculous even thinking that my week was "hard".

**If that hadn't been enough... Is there anything more reassuring than knowing that the God you believe in, the God you love, the God you trust is LORD above all things! Not some things, all things. That means all those things I cannot control. That means the times I don't know what to do, not only does He know what needs to be done, He also know why I don't know and will be loving enough to "inform" me as I need to know. All I have to do is trust.

**I am thankful for the opportunity of learning more about being good stewards, not only of our spiritual gifts, but also of our finances and resources. Financial Peace University has come very timely for us and though it has been tricky to make it all work, we feel like we now are telling our every Dollar what to do for us and how. We were already budgeting, had been, actually for quite a while, but there's always room for learning and improving and this has been an awesome opportunity.

**How could I not be thankful for a wonderful man who is committed to be by my side on my bad days as much as my good days (and still loves me after my bad days!). As time goes by and we continue to seek God's purpose and vision for our little clan, we realize how truly "meant for each other" we are. Not that I ever doubted it, but we are amazed at times at how God had all the bases covered when He brought us together!

**And then there's my two little rays of sunshine. The most difficult of days fades away at the sight of their smiles and the touch of their little hands. Both of them love to snuggle, which makes for many a pretty crowded night in our bed, but it is just wonderful to wake up at around 5.00 a.m. to the sound of little feet on the carpet and a little sleepy girl who wants to climb up on our bed and finish her night with us. Once settled between the both of us, she'll stretch her little hands so as to touch us both, and if we happen to be too far, she distributes herself "hand and feet" accordingly. And she even goes as far as to try to be also touching Adriana if she happens to be in bed with us as well! Adriana takes on her own little role when Elena fails to wake us up, and then there's the loving slapping on my face to let me know she's awake. Oh... I would fill this space with the delicious stories of my sweet babies, but I'm sure you get my point and I don't want to bore you.

**What else? A roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my back, loving friends and family who not only love but support us... need I go on? No, I think this little heart has had enough to realize it wasn't such an awful week after all.

Happy Easter to all!!! He is risen! Can anything else matter more?

God of all

My husband and I lately have been "lending" our individual ears to two different friends. Consequently, we have been watching the amazing ways in which God moves to lead people's lives. I must say not only has it been an honor to witness God's fulfillment of a person's destiny but it has been exciting as well, and I have been reminded afresh that our faith is not blind. We haven't chosen to trust a careless God! He truly is in the details and when it comes to leading one person to their purpose and destiny, if they are truly submitted to Him, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Nothing and no one will stand between that person and that divinely appointed destiny. God will do His will in spite of anyone and anything! Have I seen it before? Of course! I have experienced it myself so many times!

When you are in the middle of it though, relinquishing your control is such a tough thing to do. Because you see, you have told Him you want to do His will, but there is still a preference in your heart. There is a desire that deep down inside you may be afraid He won't grant. Yet we don't realize that in saying "Your will, Lord, not mine" we are really signing up for an improved and better version of the dream we thought we had. We fail to understand that our dreams are not the original... His is. His plans for us WERE the original blueprint to that notion of a desire we have in our heart. How amazingly crazy, isn't it?

I will never cease to marvel at how carefully He orchestrates events and situations to create a beautiful story that only He could have authored!

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

Mi esposo y yo, individualmente, hemos estado siriviendo de confidentes para dos amigos. Como consecuencia hemos estado observando las formas maravillosas en que Dios se mueve para dirigir la vida de las personas. Debo decir que ver el cumplimiento del destino de Dios en la vida de una persona no solamente ha sido un honor, sino que también ha sido emocionante y me ha recordado de nuevo que nuestra fe no es ciega. ¡No hemos escogido creer en un Dios descuidado y desinteresado! En realidad Él está en los detalles y cuando se trata de dirigir a una persona hacia su propósito y su destino, si en realidad están sometidos a Él, no hay absolutamente nada de qué preocuparse. ¡Nada ni nadie se interpondrán entre esa persona y su destino divino! ¿Lo he visto antes? Por supuesto que sí. ¡Lo he experimentado yo misma innumerables veces!

Cuando se está en medio de la situación, es difícil rendir el control. Porque le hemos dicho que queremos Su voluntad, pero en lo profundo de nuestro corazón hay una preferencia que tememos Él no nos concederá. De lo que no nos damos cuenta es que al decir "Haz tu voluntad, Señor, no la mía" en realidad estamos aceptando una versión mejorada del sueño que creemos haber tenido. No nos damos cuenta de que el sueño nuestro no es el "original" ...el de Dios sí es el original. Sus planes para nosotros ERAN los planos originales de la noción que nosotros tenemos de ese sueño. ¿Qué increíble, verdad?

¡Nunca dejaré de maravillarme del cuidado con que Él maneja las situaciones para crear bellas historias que sólo Él podría haber escrito!

little girls

This little girl likes to come in the kitchen and asks: "Mami help me nena?" And this is what she ends up looking like after she helps in the kitchen!

The other day I was in my bedroom and I could hear her at the top of the stairs yelling "aani"... finally I realized she was calling Ben. When he is downstairs and I need him, I usually go to the top of the stairs and call "Honey" so she was doing the same!

This little girl just figured out how to clap, how to wave and
when she is in the mood she'll do "so big"

She loves to snuggle, in fact, she has a hard time sleeping if she is not. This picture is one of those rare occasions when she stayed sleeping when I put her down and it was just too cute to pass

Eight months today!

My little one is eight months today. How fast time is going! It is funny how months and years seem to fly by and sometimes hours and days feel so long! Yet whether they feel quick or slow, there´s just no stopping them.

Yesterday, we were ready for church and it was still too early to leave (amazing, don´t ask how we managed that, I don´t know myself!), so we decided to linger around in our TV room letting the minutes go by. I sat in front of the computer, Ben turned on the Playstation 2. Between us, on the floor, where two little girls playing. Elena was on her little car that she "rides" around the house, Adriana standing in front of her holding on to the car. In that "zoned-out-but-still-tuned-in" mode that we seem to get into at times I heard Elena say something that sounded like "Walk, Aaana, walk", a quick glance to my right to see what it is all about and lo and behold, Adriana took three steps on her own! For her sister, nonetheless! They kept on playing as if nothing had happened as Ben and I stood still unable to respond. We knew she was close to letting herself go, but we still didn´t expect it yet.

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

Mi bebita cumple ocho meses hoy. ¡Qué rápido se está pasando el tiempo! ¡Es curioso ver cómo los meses y los años parecen volar mientras que las horas y los días a veces parecen eternos! Pero vayan lento o rápido, lo cierto es que no hay forma de detenerlos.

Ayer, estábamos listos para irnos a la iglesia y era muy temprano para irnos (no me pregunten cómo, yo misma no sé cómo logramos tal hazaña), asi que decidimos quedarnos en la sala de la tele y dejar pasar el tiempo. Yo me senté frente a la computadora y Ben encendió su Playstation 2. En medio de los dos, en el suelo, dos niñitas jugaban. Elena estaba montada en el carrito en que "pasea" por toda la casa, Adriana estaba parada frente a ella, agarrándose del carrito. En ese limbo en que a ratos parecemos estar en que no estamos poniendo atención pero todavía estamos conectados, oí a Elena decir algo así como "Walk, Ana, walk" (instándola a caminar), di un vistazo rápido para ver qué estaba pasando y para mi gran sopresa, ¡Adriana dio tres pasos sola! ¡Y para su hermana! Ellas siguieron jugando como si nada hubiera pasado mientras que Ben y yo estabamos mudos de asombro. Sabíamos que pronto se iba a dejar ir, es sólo que no lo esperábamos tan pronto.

Weekend

We just got back from a great time here. Courtesy of Dad and Mom L. we had a wonderful time with a good portion of the "Levendusky Clan". Do I really need to say more?

About Adoption

To begin with, I am sorry is I misled anyone with my previous entry into thinking I had been to Guatemala. By having been home I meant her home, which I called my own for a season and is still my "home away from home". Sorry about the mix up.

Now for today's thoughts:
I was browsing a new magazine that reached my hands last week. I don't have much to say about the magazine in and of itself except for a couple articles that caught my eye. One of them, "Adopting Helen" not only caught my eye, but my heart as well, and with a choking voice and tears streaming down my face I read it to Ben in the car. We have a heart for adoption. Not a heart that is moved to tears by every adoption story we hear, but a heart that feels the gentle "tug" of the Spirit with certain stories we've come across.

My experience with understanding and appreciating the miracle of adoption began in my teen years, when we foster cared for two babies that were in the process of being adopted by friends we had in Arizona. I have seen firsthand how miraculously God opens a place in a family's heart for a child. I have witnessed the heart of a little child be knit to that of their "new" family with a bond stronger than blood. Early on I understood that adoption is more than a legal action, it is a Godly endeavor, it is a calling.

We don't necessarily know if and when God may call us to the loving task of adopting but we do know that we have a heart for it. It is so close to my heart, it is so close to Ben's heart, and we know it is even closer to God's heart for He adopted us as His own.

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

Estaba leyendo una nueva revista que me llegó a las manos la semana pasada. No tengo mucho que decir de la revista en sí, excepto por un par de artículos que me llamaron la atención. Uno de ellos, "La Adopción de Helen" no sólo llamó mi atención sino también cautivó mi corazón. Con la voz quebrada y lágrimas rodando por mis mejillas se lo leí a Ben en el carro. La adopción tiene un lugar importante en nuestro corazón. No hablo de un corazón que se conmueve al punto de las lágrimas cada vez que escuchamos una historia de adopción, sino de un corazón que siente el gentil toque del Espíritu Santo con ciertas historias que escuchamos.

Mi experiencia en entender y apreciar el milagro de la adopción empezó en mis años de adolescente cuando cuidamos a dos bebés que estaban en el proceso de ser adoptados por amigos nuestros en Arizona. He visto en primera fila la manera milagrosa en que Dios abre un lugar en el corazón de una familia para un niño. He sido testigo de cómo el corazón de un niño se entreteje con el de su "nueva" familia hasta formar un vínculo más fuerte que la sangre. Desde muy temprano me di cuenta de que la adopción no es solamente una acción legal, es una tarea divina, es un llamado de Dios.

No sabemos necesariamente si Dios nos va a llamar a adoptar ni cuando pero sí sabemos que en nuestro corazón hay una pasión por la adopción. La adopción está íntimamente ligada a mi corazón, está íntimamente ligada al corazón de Ben y sabemos que está aún más íntimamente ligada al corazón de Dios porque Él nos adoptó como Sus hijos.

In more ways than one

There's no place like home! It is good to "be home" and it was great to "have been home" over the weekend. It sure was a long weekend of travel that rendered my little girls way too tired but that allowed this Mami for a wonderful time of "retreat and recharge". I have been reminded afresh why it is that we do what we do and that it does work for the glory of the Lord even when the daily grind clouds my vision and I can't see it all so clearly. God does have a reason to let us face the challenges we face and we are indeed fulfilling a kingdom purpose. Ben, in turn, had a different kind of retreat where he was also reminded of important things. Once again we see the blending of our individualities into the wholeness of our union and realize that in God's speaking to both at our different "levels of management", He gave us each a piece of puzzle that we now can make into a whole. There is fresh anointing, new details to tweak our vision and new tasks to accomplish our mission. All that from a weekend away... Isn't God great?

Finally!

This is the first morning in over a week that I feel like a normal person. Yay!! I'm still quite congested but at least I can function a little better. And just in the best of times for we have been busy and are about to go out of town.

Let me tell you how much it blesses me when we have people over. I love planning for invitations and having people over for meals but I love it even more when people feel comfortable enough to drop by on a very short notice. We had friends over after church on Sunday for a movie and dessert. An "adult" themed movie (and by "adult" I mean something that has no animated anything in it!) was very much welcomed by yours truly after almost memorizing whatever the "trend" is with Elena, lately it's been this. Monday night we had other friends for dinner. This time we had a wonderful time with a little family just like ours. Elena had her friend to play with and we fellowshipped and enjoyed the conversation. Last night we had even more friends over and we ended up having two more unexpected but very welcomed friends and we had a great time watching American Idol.

Tomorrow we leave town to visit family and won't be back until Tuesday. Laundry and packing are the main activities of the day, followed by cleaning so we can come back to a clean house. So off I go to make sure I travel with everything we need!

How can you not love this face!

I'm telling you... even in the worst of days how can a smile like that not refresh you even a bit!

New discoveries

*Well, there's still no major improvement in my health yet. I'm really getting tired of this. I have no energy or desire to do anything and everything is piling up. My sweet babies have crusted little faces and cry at the sight of a tissue! They are also tired of being sick.

*Today we are just lounging. Ben has a lunch meeting so Elena is happy to have her all time favorite hot dog and I'll see what I can throw together for myself that won't hurt my throat and make me cough. This too shall pass, right?

*Interestingly enough, the last time I lost my voice like this was exactly four years ago in Turkey.

*When I went to bed last night I composed in my mind a most inspiring post that I just can't remember now, so the following little story of Elena should have to do... sorry.

*I came downstairs to find Elena sitting in the couch playing with her fingers. As I got closer, very excitedly she held out her finger and said: "Mami! Kook (look)! Nose!" I looked at her finger and realized the discovery she had just made. I explained that though a very interesting discovery, we don't go around playing with the "surprises" we find in our noses. She is still quite mystified though... how do you tell her that this wonderful new discovery is not so wonderful after all! he,he,he...

Three days...

and still sick... I wish I could be feeling better but that's not the case. Much to my frustration, my voice is still shut, I'm still coughing like crazy and my head is pounding, and I could go on and on, but why bother. Tuesday we were blessed with dinner from a church friend (thank you Lord!) but life needed to get back on track so we have had to go out these past two days. Tonight we're home for good and there are no needs to travel until Saturday night. Leftovers for dinner tonight and "prayerfully" tomorrow I WILL feel better to cook again. I'll check with you again when I feel more like a normal person!

As the day goes...

* BAD: Adriana is having a tough day, my poor sweet thing, tougher than I am! Considering how I feel, I can't even imagine how she feels. Tylenol has been keeping her fever controlled and ibuprofen has been helping ease my body ache that just got worse after "sleeping" on the couch.

* GOOD: Been doing a lot of reading.

* BAD: While napping yesterday Adriana's diaper came off and she soiled our sheets and comforter instead of the diaper. The sheets were washed right away, the comforter had to wait until today, so achy body and all, I had to wash it and am now in the process of drying it.

* GOOD: Yay! for frozen chicken soup I saved from the last time I made it!

* GOOD: Thankful for a caring husband who ran to the grocery store with Elena to pick up the most basic (and urgent) things and left Adriana and me to rest.

* EVEN BETTER: Hubby is excited trying out a grill someone handed us down so he is taking care of his own dinner. Elena has had cereal upon her request (who would have thought that such a little person would have such strong opinions about what she wants to eat! On a normal day we would've probably dealt with it but today I am happy to oblige). I am not really hungry so teas, chicken soup and more warm drinks shall suffice for me today!

How many deaths

...must a mother die to herself? I often wonder about this, I think about it when I have to leave the shower half way through to get Elena out of some kind of mischief she figured out. I think about it when a whole morning has gone by and I haven't been able to use the bathroom because Adriana refuses to let go of me. I think about it when my meal is cut short by a little girl's urgent need, and I especially think about it during the eternal nights I sometimes seem to face.

Last night was one of those. Adriana is cutting a tooth and to add to her discomfort she has a cold, so do I (have a cold, I'm not cutting teeth mind you). We didn't go to bed until about 11 p.m. and by 1 a.m. I just moved to the couch downstairs with her as I realized we were just going to wake Ben and Elena up. From there on my sleep was limited by Adriana's discomfort and my own. Today I am exhausted, feel like throwing up with all the coughing. If it were up to me I'd sleep but my two girls need me and I have no choice but to "tough it up ". The kitchen is dirty, so are the bathrooms, our beds are undone and I'm sure I must look awful but dread looking in the mirror.

But I realize that however sick or tired I may feel, one of their smiles is all it takes for me to find some strength within me. They are so precious! It is just amazing how powerful the sound of their laughter is. I could spend hours just watching them interact and make each other laugh!

The other day we were in the bathroom upstairs and as I came out of the shower I noticed Elena sitting on her "potty", holding a book in her lap. Of course she was fully dressed, there is no other way she'll sit there. What caught my attention though was how many used dryer sheets were on the floor next to her. I went to pick them up and put them in the trash when she stopped me and put them in what she considers their rightful place! I don't know for how long she's been fishing those things from the garbage and storing them in her potty seat. When she goes to sit on it she piles them up at her feet and when her little game is over she proceeds to "wipe herself" with the sheets and put them back inside the potty!

On the other hand, Adriana will cry and crawl through the room just to put on the best and widest of her smiles when I bend down to pick her up. Speaking of her, she will soon have to be transfered from her little basket to the crib. It's not that she has outgrown the basket at all, but she is now standing and is so quick to move around that she wakes up and stands in the basket. So that would probably be my cue to put her in the big crib, at least for the couple hours a night she sleeps by herself.

And so it is that I am sick and tired and my house is a mess. We were supposed to go grocery shopping today but that's not going to happen, thus I have no clue as to what my family will eat today but I am happy and blessed.

Coloring

More pics. to keep you entertained!

Winter Camp

We are right in the middle of our Children's Winter Camp, so we're running full speed with tons of activity at church. For my loyal and faithful friends who take the time to visit, I'll share pics of the past few days until I can sit again with enough time and inspiration. Enjoy...

Estamos a medio campamento infantil de invierno, asi que estamos a millón con actividades en la iglesia. Para mis fieles amigos que se toman el tiempo de visitar este sitio, les comparto fotos de estos últimos días hasta que me pueda volver a sentar con suficiente tiempo e inspiración. Disfruten...

Elena, loving the huge snowfall we had last week
Elena, disfrutando de la nevada de la semana pasada

She loved every minute and nothing would make her want to come inside.
Disfrutó cada minuto y no había poder humano que la hiciera quere entrarse.

Adriana though, wasn´t so keen of it.
A Adriana, en cambio, no le pareció tanto.

But she still looked lovely!
¡Pero de todos modos se veía preciosa!

Our van also took part of the action...
(this is for my Guatemalans who haven´t seen snow this high)
Nuestra van también salió a jugar...
(para mis chapines que no han visto nieve de esta magnitud)

This has nothing to do with snow, but I thought it would be funny to share. Two nights ago Elena comes running to the kitchen and says: "Mami, Oh no, Ana!!!" Moved by the urgency of her message I went to look and little Adriana had found Elena´s markers... Cute, isn´t she?

Esta no tiene nada que ver con la nive pero pensé que les gustaría. Hace dos noches Elena entró corriendo a la cocina y me dijo: "¡¡Mami, Oh no, Ana!!!" La urgencia de su mensaje me hizo ir a ver y mi Adriana había encontrado los marcadores de Elena... Qué linda, ¿verdad?

Explanation/update

* I think I need to explain my last post. See, Elena crawled and walked a bit faster than we expected. She sat by herself at 6 months, pulled herself up to a standing position at 9 and walked at 11, and I was expecting Adriana to do the same or go a little slower than that. Instead, this intense little person sat by herself at 5 months, at 6 1/2 is already crawling AND pulling herself up into a standing position. Too quick for my preference!

* The all so long hoped for snow has finally arrived. My sweet Elena would check out her window so often asking for the "nos" or "nose" as she calls it and much to her disappointment we hadn't had enough for her to play in. Today we got what we wanted, though. And I was reminded afresh of why I love winter. I absolutely love the beauty of everything covered in white and watching the big fluffy chunks falling off the sky... maybe it is still novel for me, but I still love it. In fact, I was a bit disappointed to have to come back inside because Adriana was too cold and not really enjoying the whole thing! Elena and Ben did stay out a little longer burying their feet knee high into the white plush! I love it!

* We made an executive decision to postpone our valentine day's celebrations for another day. So today we only had a special breakfast of "fruit stuffed chocolate crepes" which really ended up being just a glorified pancake with fruit and chocolate sauce but we still loved it and had fun eating it. The reason behind our need to postpone, well my dear man has relapsed with the throat malady. It's not strep this time, but it is bad enough to make it so painful for him to eat. He made his best effort to get out there with Elena for a little while and now I hope he stays in for the rest of the day and just get the much needed rest his body is craving for. It will be a slow day for us, but we will celebrate when his palate can really enjoy the meal we had planned on having.

* That's about it for today. Have a wonderful day and enjoy your loved ones!

One day in the life of...

So I go to the kitchen to get dishes done and leave the girls in the TV room watching a children´s video. Elena looses interest and comes join me in the kitchen, so I go check on Adriana and this is what I find:

Fui a la cocina a lavar trastos y dejé a las niñas en la sala donde está la tele viendo un video infantil. Elena perdió el interés y se me unió en la cocina asi que fui a ver a Adriana y esto es lo que me encontré:




She is in such a hurry to move on to the next thing!

¡Tiene tanta prisa por crecer y enfrentar su próximo reto!

Time flies

But then again, we already knew that. And so it is that time to sit and write has been elusive these past few days. What can I say, life is busy and I seem to be running on empty in the inspiration department. We are all doing well though, and I'll update soon! If anyone still reads, that is! Be blessed!