Glimpses of Grace

A photo array of Christmas

2011-12-27T13:05:00.008-05:00

These are some good looking kids!

Christmas dinner at Granny and Papa's

The Gonzales Family!

Thomas and I!

My mother and I!

Aaron-The Little Christmas Elf !

Isabella dressed up to spend an evening at Granny and Papa's house.

Christmas is over!

2011-12-27T12:56:00.002-05:00

Why an exclamation point after my blog title today?
Well, I am actually pretty happy that Christmas is over. Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas season and as happy as I am to see it come, I am just as happy to see it go. So much to look forward to in the new year. Time to move on down the road of life. Sometimes the Christmas season gives me a sense to being stuck. Stuck waiting, stuck preparing, stuck stressing and then Christmas comes and there is the release. Christmas morning! Ahh, it has finally come! All that anticipation has finally released and the settling comes once again. So, here's to the settling back down. The start of a New Year. The start of something new and good.

December Happenings

2011-12-14T22:54:00.013-05:00

December always seems to be such a busy month. Not only are there holiday activities to take part in, there is also a ton of school projects that seem to be crammed in at the last minute. I am looking forward to the upcoming school break and having the children home with me. I plan on doing some outdoor activities: nature walks, exercise trails, weeding flower beds and planning our spring garden. We will also begin planning a MAJOR change in our eating habits. More to come on that change in the New Year.

The Advent season began on November 29th! It has been a wonderful time of gathering together as a family and reading from scripture, discussing the events leading up to Christ's birth and anticipating together the coming King.

One the first night of Advent we read from scripture in the book of Isaiah. We learned about Jesus coming to a dark world to bring light to us all. We turned off all of lights and we sat in the dark. We talked about the earth being a dark place without Jesus. We then turned on one light and the children knew right away where the lesson was going. They all shouted out that the one light we lit was like the light that Jesus brought to this world at the moment of His birth. We went on to do this stain glass craft and hung it on our advent/Jesse tree. What a blessing to have the opportunity to pass on our Christian faith to our children. Truly a gift worth giving!

The True Meaning of Christmas

2011-11-28T12:03:00.003-05:00

What makes a holiday season special? How is it made meaningful? There is no right answer. The answer to these questions are defined by each of us personally. These are questions I ask myself each year as I sense the holidays drawing closer.
I love the holiday season! I enjoy the feelings of togetherness and warmth. The yummy food that is cooked and baked for the ocassion. The time spent focusing on blessing others with the gifts they love. I love all of it!
My dilemma is from within me. Something deep and at time unreachable. I struggle at Christmas time. As a mother of 6 beautiful children, gift giving can be a real struggle. The things I would love to get for my children are often unattainable as the cost is certainly an issue. It forces me to be creative and the energy that that takes can be overwhelming at times. I want the holidays to be meaningful to my children as well. This struggle has forced me to look at what the meaning of the season is for me and for my family. I am forced to dig deep and come to a place where I choose to celebrate Christmas season for exactly how it was meant to be celebrated.
As believers in Jesus Christ, the focus is Him during the holiday season. After all, isn't it His birth that brings us to this day anyway. So, as Christmas passed last year I became increasingly drawn into seeking out how our family can focus even more on the reason for the season. JESUS!
For me personally it's not even just about Christ's birth. It is the mere fact that he came to us all for the purpose of saving us from eternal death. So, it is the whole story that draws me during this time. It is a reason for celebration! It is a special time to anticipate His birth, His coming to to our world for the sole purpose of saving us. I don't know about you, but I certainly need saving. I can't do this life alone. I screw it up on a daily basis. My sin, my insecurities, my selfish ways.
This Christmas season begins The Gonzales family's first advent adventure. I am so looking forward to sharing with my children the joy that comes in anticipating Christ's birth and all that means for their life. They know the Christmas story already, but this will be a great way to going deeper in the realization of His love for us.
So, I am choosing not to stress this year on where all of the money is going to come from to buy gifts for our large family. It always works out. I am choosing to start some meaningful traditions that can be passed on through generations. The story of Jesus to be passed on to my children and on to their children and on to their children. A gift that lasts through the generations sounds like a perfect gift to me.

Here are some of the advent activities we are going to follow.

www.truthinthetinsel.com

Jesse Tree Journey at:
www.aholyexperience.com

Thanks to a couple of my friends for sending me their ideas as well. I am going to blog about our adventure. See you soon!

Things to come

2011-09-26T21:28:00.005-04:00

I am looking forward to the future. Sometimes, I just get a little excited inside because I know that the future is bright. Even if 10 years from now I sit here doing the same things, I know I am right where I need to be. Mothering, keeping house, teaching childbirth education, attending births are very fulfilling things to be doing.
The monotany of the house work and teaching lead me to boredom at times. Mothering is always an adventure and attending births are always exciting and new. My life is good! I love my life! I do however think often about the things I would like to add to my life. Writing is one of them, crafting is another, gardening and learning about new and healthy ways to live. I just lack the "umph" to get it started. Maybe there are not enough hours in the day. Maybe I expect perfection and in that I just give up because I can't always give my 100% attention to projects as I would like. Either way, I know that in me lies the desire to make my life richer and more enjoyable for me. For my authentic self. For my spirit. I desire to live "richer". Not monetarily although that would help too, but to live deeper, presently and authentically. So, with that I want to start a few projects and I will keep up with them on my blog. I know, I know I get back to blogging and blog once and a year later come back and am ashamed that I haven't kept up with it. I am going to give it my best shot this time. I promise!

Returning to the things my heart loves

2010-09-03T08:46:00.004-04:00

More and more lately I feel pulled to return to the things I love. Yes, I love God and my husband, my children and my work. All of these things are a given. I love my life even on the crazy insane days where time marches on even when I drop out of the parade. I am talking about the things I feel drawn to from my innermost core. I love to write, I love photography and editing photos, I love blogging, I love creating. My daily life is so busy that even when I do get a moment to possibly dabble in a little creativity it is so short lived that I just give up and go back to laundry. So sad... It truly makes me sad. How can I make the time to pour energy into the things my heart loves. This is the question on my mind and heart these days. I am asking God to order my days so that every hour I am awake I am doing just what He wants me to be doing. Order my days and reveal to me what it is you would have me to be doing with my time. Time is a gift, not to be wasted. Teach me to work, rest and enjoy this life you have given me.

Months gone by...

2009-03-10T08:52:00.002-04:00

Well, let's see we have had Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day and we just sprang forward which means that we are on our way into Spring now. Blogging is just one more thing to do everyday which I haven't quite found the time to do. I enjoy it greatly, I just need to find the few minutes I need to do it. Maybe I will use blogging as a way to journal this pregnancy.

Most of you already know that we have been blessed with another child who is due to arrive in October. We are thrilled and look forward to meeting this little one. How exciting! The children are so excited and are already talking about names and where the baby will sleep and who is going to hold the baby. I love listening to their conversations about this baby. I also am just thrilled with the way they are so accepting of another child in the family. They are proud of our large family.

I am 8.2 weeks into this pregnancy. Morning sickness has hit me hard, but not in the morning. It is really is it's worst in the afternoon or it tends to be all day long. I am functioning, but not 100%. Smells are getting to me. I am especially gaggy too. Just that general gross feeling. :( Yuck!!

I am trying to figure out what I am going to do about a care provider this pregnancy. Some seem to think that Thomas and I could just stay at home and deliver this baby all by ourselves. We porbably could and we would be just fine. I am not there yet and feel like I still need a safeguard of a midwife if we stay home. The decision to either homebirth or hospital birth is still yet to be made. Hopefully this week we can decide something.

I will blog more later. I am getting super sleepy here at the keyboard and I think a cup of Pregnancy Tea would be helpful right now.

Facebook?

2009-01-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

I was thinking about Facebook this morning. Isn't funny how everyone goes to one place and updates their status and adds photos. I think thanks to facebook, myspace, twitter and blogging no one ever has to talk to anyone in true person. I was going through my stationary box last night thinking that it had been ages since I I actually hand wrote a letter to someone. Isn't that so sad? Thomas was telling me that he read an article about how cursive writing is now a lost art form. Children these days don't learn to write in cursive like I did when I was in school. No one needs to write now. We have computers! I think I will start writing notes again this year. I know how much I like to receive a letter in the mail. For now I will continue to blog and add my silly status in facebook and stay connected to all my friends and family via the virtual world. :)

Where has the time gone?

2009-01-01T09:46:00.001-05:00

I believe that 2008 went by faster than any other year in my life so far. Is it because I am getting older and everything happens faster the older you get and the busier you are. I don't like that very much. Just one more reason to live in the moment and enjoy each and every day of the rest of your life.

Happy New Year! 2009 arrived with Thomas, the kids and I watching the ball dropping in NYC. Yes, we let the kiddos stay up until midnight. We watched Squanto and ate snacks. At midnight we all shared a toast with sparkling grape juice. It was nice and sweet. We all promptly climbed into our warm beds and left 2008 behind.

This morning I woke to 2009 with a huge to-do list. We should be getting keys to the new house either today or tomorrow. We are excited! I will certainly post pics of the new house when we are in.

I am off to start my long list. I wish all of you a blessed New Year. May you come to know Christ a little closer and know His mercy and grace like never before. I certainly have come to trust Him more in 2008 like no other year before. His grace is sufficient and available to all that ask and seek Him.

My life these days...

2008-12-20T12:58:00.007-05:00

Let's see... The last time I blogged was early December and I promised I would be back on here and blog every day or so. Well, obviously that did not happen. Life just gets so busy and I don't get the chance to tell my circle of friends and my family what I am up to. You can be assured I am always busy and always up to something. Usually it has everything to do with my family.

Here is what I did today......... You would have to understand where I am in my life right now to understand what this meant to me. I will explain more after you take a look at the photos.

So as you can see Jeremiah and I had a wonderful surprise today and were able to go up in a hot air balloon. Thomas and I were out this morning with Jeremiah. The four older children were dropped off at the church for Christmas play practice. We drove around town and saw the balloon flying above the city. As were heading back home from town we saw where the balloon had landed. We went and saw the balloon and Jeremiah was just amazed how large it was. He was so excited. The man who was flying it asked us if we wanted to go for a ride. I was just thrilled that we had the opportunity to go up in the balloon. It was one of those things that come to you that is so unexpected and such a blessing. So, up we went, higher and higher. Jeremiah was all smiles and it was just a sweet blessing. Thomas and I are facing some challenges right now and I have been particularly down this past week. Thank you Lord for allowing me the opportunity to fly high today even though I was feeling so down.

2008-12-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

I know, I know it has been too long since I posted. I know I have a few friends who follow my blog and when I don't blog they think I have disappeared off the face of the earth.

So, here I am again. I am going to really try and get on here daily at a certain time each day that I know I am close to the laptop and blog. I have been on facebook for several weeks now and I am able to kind of blog on there and that seems a bit easier for me.

What have I been up to? Well, as usual the busyness of family life takes center stage and I love that. I find myself exhausted by the end of the night because I am running all day. I still do nap at least 3-4 days a week for 15-30 minutes or so. I find that this keeps me alert and ready to face anything that my 5 kiddos throw at me. Without a nap I am not sure where I would me. Probably a very grumpy mom.

I am busy teaching childbirth classes as usual. I also have a doula client who is 41 weeks at this point, so anytime I will get the call of labor. I also have a client due Jan. 27th and another mom due in March. I love having doula clients. Doula work is truly my passion. My new job as director of our local childbirth education organization begins Jan. 1st. I am real excited about that and look forward to working in my community to make CBE classes available for all women. A majority of our clients are women who are at risk of giving birth to low birth weight babies due to their economical and environmental situations. It is very rewarding to work with these women and a challenge at times as well.

Can you believe Isaiah just turned 11. Here we are entering the pre-teen years. AHHHH! Isaiah is a good boy who really does aim to please his mom and dad. I am grateful for that.
It seems like he was just a little toddler not too long ago. Now he is my big guy who just loves video games, bike riding, hanging with his neighborhood friends and listening to music. I am so proud of him. He is a great kid!

I am fighting a chest cold today. I feel cruddy. I kept Isabella home from school so I didn't have to go out in the cold this morning. Isabella is on the family computer playing a preschool game and Jeremiah is watching Sinbad (the cartoon.) I think I will just veg today and maybe that will speed along my getting well. I only get a cold 1-2 times a year. When I do I am just miserable. I don't know why I don't handle discomfort like I used to. It is very aggravating probably because it makes me have to stop my life for a bit and I don't like that.

I will blog again tomorrow (I hope) unless I am at a birth or even sicker than today.

Bye for now.....

Oh Fall, how I've missed you...

2008-10-20T08:35:00.003-04:00

My dear sweet Fall you are my most favorite season. Welcome back!

Well, you know what we Floridians call Fall is nothing compared to what my northerner friends call Fall. None the less, this weekend we are experiencing what we consider Fall weather. Cool breezes, windows wide open, summer clothes packed not too far away and thoughts of relief from the hot Florida sun. It still seems that this time of year always brings to me a sense to renewed visions, anticipated holidays and just plain relief. Thank goodness for cooler weather.

We will go in search of a pumpkin patch this next weekend so we can continue to the yearly tradition of pumpkin patch photos. They are just too cute with the kids and seeing how much they are grown. When Isaiah was just a month shy of 2 and Samuel was just a week old we took them into Houston to a wonderful pmpkin patch and I have this hillarious photo of Isaiah smiling at the camera and sticking his finger in baby Samuel's throat gagging him. Of course, I rushed to remove his finger to keep wee one from throwing up milkies, but the incident was still caught on camera. Too funny! Oh the memories we share with our kiddos. Oh the many photos we have to share with their significant others in the future. I will have to scan a few and get them on here for all to see. :)

TGIF

2008-10-10T08:57:00.002-04:00

There is just something about Friday. I always feel a sense of releif that I have made it through another week, somtimes quite successfully and sometimes ending the week feeling like I never did get done the things I set out to do. The weekend is an end to the rat race and a time of rest. It is a chance to start again in the new week coming. So, what is on your agenda for your weekend? I try to always plan some family time doing something the kids find fun and entertaining. Here is a list of some of the things we do as a family....

We go to the mall for ice cream or a light dinner and then we walk the mall and look at the puppies in the pet store and then we go to the indoor playground and we let the kids play while Thomas and I have a little "us" time.
We go to the local marinas and look at the boats and look for manatees. Sometimes the manatees are quite friendly and curious and will come right to the side of the docks. We can rub their noses and heads too. The little ones love that.
We go walking as a family in out neighborhood or on nature trails. This is a favorite of mine especially when the weather cools.
We love to find new , healthy and affordable places to eat out. It is a kind of challenge for me I guess. Where can we take the family out to eat for less than $30.00. I get one chance a week to eat out, so I like to find new places.
We like to look for local art festivals, farmers markets, history or cultural festivals and free events. This exposes out children to new and interesting ideas, culture and history.
We love the zoo!
We love to load up the van early on Saturday mornings and go looking for garage sales. We love a good deal especially on kids clothing (I search for the name brands, another fun challenge for me), toys, books and educational software.
We like to take picnic lunches to the park. The kids play and Thomas and I spend time talking.
We enjoy going to the beach. That is always refreshing and fun.
We have a few nice community pools which are nice to go to in the summer with the children.

We are pretty much game for any kind of fun event we can find. We have been known to be pretty spontaneous for having 5 kids.

So I am off to clean the house so we can enjoy the upcoming weekend without the house cleaning to worry about. We get to have Izzy for a night this weekend. We are really looking forward to that. The kids are thrilled!

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

My Beautiful Family

2008-10-07T13:17:00.009-04:00

My heart has been a place of great sorrow these past few weeks. I must always keep in the forefront of my mind that the faithfulness of God is everlasting and that everything that comes to us comes through the hand of God first. If I believe and I do, that God loves me then I must trust that He knows what He is doing with even the very minute details of my life.

Here are some pictures that were taken during the last few days with Izzy. She is a special little girl who blessed our life with so much love in the 5 months she was with us. We miss you Lady Belle and can't wait to visit with you soon.

Jeremiah and Isabella giving Izzy a bath. They were wonderful helpers!

Isaiah contemplating the universe... Atlantic Ocean

Isabella and Baby Bella (aka Izzy)

Extraordinary Love!

A couch full of silly kids!

Jeremiah at the beach

Just a few more kisses before you go...

2008-09-22T20:26:00.002-04:00

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves; they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is truly free.

-Anonymous Chicago teacher-

Faith is putting hope to work when doubting would be easier.

-Anonymous-

Baby Bella

2008-09-20T22:12:00.005-04:00

I know many of you are watching my blog for news on Baby Bella and what is going on with her. So here is my heart poured out to all of you right now.

Baby Bella may very likely be leaving our family for good this next week. Her maternal grandparents would like to take her to live with them. What makes this difficult is they did not want to take her at birth, but have recently changed their minds. I realize that everyone has the right to change their minds, but when you are dealing with emotions and an innocent baby it makes it very hard for me to swallow. We all go to court on Thursday morning and the judge will hear the case. We would like to continue to care for her until her mom can reunite with her. We are asking God's will to be done here on earth. We are pleading for His peace and as His will unfolds we know He will meet us right where we are.

As you can imagine this departure has come much sooner than we were prepared for, so we are dealing with our feeling of sadness right now. Throughout this journey people would say to me, how are you going to say goodbye? My response was that we were taking this one step at a time and that I had faith that the Lord would meet us at our need and help us. I was right... God has been faithful to allow times of sadness and tears and times of complete surrender to His will, times of pure anger and disapppointment. I have asked that God give me His perspective so I can stay above the emotions when that is necessary. I need to let the tears come, but there are times when I just need to be strong.

This sweet little lady came into our lives and has truly blessed us. I have seen my children grow as they have willingly given of their mama and daddy, their time, their space, and their attention and love to this baby. Thomas and I took this step of faith and I am so glad we did. I remember when Baby Bella was about 6-7 days old I cried most of the day. I was dealing with the fear of loving and then hurting when she went away. I was expressing my feelings to my mom and her response to me was to go ahead and love her because no one else was loving her tangibly right now. I expressed these same feelings to my friend Kimberlee and she gave me a very sweet little outfit with the word LOVE ME on it. Well, I fell for Izzy that day and allowed myself to pour into this little one. I have no regrets. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way, because I know I can send her off with full assurance I have given my all and more to care for her, love her and nurture her. She has experienced more love, more care and more prayer in her short little life then most children I know.

It looks like our little butterfly is flying away sooner then we had hoped, but we stand fast in our belief that God goes with her and we will continue to love her and pray for her.

A NEW DAY!

2008-08-25T09:21:00.002-04:00

Thank you Lord for new beginnings. I am so grateful that Lord provides new mercies for each new day. Just when life seems to be all consuming and I just don't feel like I have another ounce of energy or patience for another day, God comes in and saves the day and offers new beginnings.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

The children are off to school yet again this morning. Last Monday was offically the first day of school, but Tuesday brought Tropical Storm Fay and schools were closed for the rest of the week. We just decided we would act as if they had a summer extension by one week. The boys were thrilled to have an extra week of summer. I guess what we had can be considered "Florida snow days." :)

2008-08-24T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Home Is a Refuge

"When the seas of life are stormy, a wise mariner seeks a port of peace. The family, as we have traditionally known it, is such a refuge of safety. 'The home is the basis of a righteous life and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfil its essential functions' (quoted in Conference Report, Oct. 1962, 72). Actually, a home is much more than a house. A house is built of lumber, brick, and stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect.

A house can be a home, and a home can be a heaven when it shelters a family.
When true values and basic virtues undergird the families of society, hope will conquer despair, and faith will triumph over doubt. "Such values, when learned and lived in our families, will be as welcome rain to parched soil.

Love will be engendered; loyalty to one's best self will be enhanced; and those virtues of character, integrity, and goodness will be fostered. The family must hold its preeminent place in our way of life because it's the only possible base upon which a society of responsible human beings has ever found it practicable to build for the future and maintain the values they cherish in the present."

T.S. Fay

2008-08-22T09:19:00.002-04:00

Well, we have officially survived one more Florida tropical storm. Fay proved to be a real water maker mostly and has flooded many streets, homes and businesses. I am grateful that we only experienced mild flooding around our home and in our streets. God is good! Unfortunately many were not as fortunate. As we drove around yesterday we saw many cars underwater and many roads flooded and being accessed by boats. Our waterways are all breaching their banks and so we pray for the rain to cease falling.

Today it is still windy, but no rain. The look in the sky is unique only to tropical storms or hurricanes. You can almost feel that their is a hurricane or tropical storm on the horizon when you live in a tropical climate. The bird even fly in funny circles and all animals seem to be little unnerved by what is happening in the atmosphere. It is quite interesting.

My camera has been broken since July 4th, but this next week I am getting a new one and a new laptop. I will be back online with pictures and such as soon as I am set up wireless. I can't wait!

Ok, we are off to the store.

2008-08-21T22:40:00.003-04:00

Raising Boys... At The Well Week 2

As a woman at the well, you'll be meeting women who are trying to raise Godly men. These boys they are raising will grow up to marry your daughters or become leaders in your community.

What advice would you give to them?

In everything give thanks for the boys that God has sent to you to raise. God gives great grace when the need is great and as a mother of 4 boys I need great grace to raise my boys into men. I find it comforting to know that God saw Thomas and I able and fit to raise our boys, that's why he sent them to us. They are completely and uniquely designed to be in our family with me as their mother and Thomas as their father. That is why I find great confidence in knowing that they were born for this family and for this time. I know that God will meet my every need as a mother in raising my boys for Christ because he has promised to be with me and not forsake me. It is a challenge like no other and I deal with fears, worries and concerns every day.

1 Corinthians 16:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

If you are raising boys, what areas concern you most?

I have great concern that my boys are being raised in a world and a society that is sinking deeper into sin each and every day. I want my boys to be in this world, but not of it. This topic has been a timely reminder to look at our home life and put aside anything that might draw away their minds and emotions. I want my boys to become men of integrity that follow the leading of Christ no matter what that means.

Psalm 41:12 In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

Proverbs 10:9 The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

2008-08-20T21:56:00.004-04:00

What does it mean to be a Titus 2 Woman?

“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Titus 2: 1-5

As a younger woman I would often think of the women I knew in my life that were Titus 2 women. They were few and far between... This was discouraging to me, because I believe I always desired that there be an older woman in my life who would take me under her wing and teach me what it meant to love my husband, love my children, be discreet, be chaste, be a homemaker, be good and be obedient to my husband. In reality there was never just one woman who taught me all of these things. It was many... It was not always with words, but often by actions alone.

So what does it mean to me to be a Titus 2 Women? To me it means that I must stay available to the calling of God in my life as a wife, mother and a follower of Jesus Christ. I must stay focused and willing to be used by God in the lives of other women. I must know God's word. It means that I am to be an example to younger women in all that I do and say.

Now as I am growing older I am finding that I am approached by younger women who are just getting started in their lives as wives and mothers. They yearn for someone to come alongside them and disciple them and teach them to be Godly women. I remember to point them back to the Lord and to His word as He is the one who provides all they need, to be the woman He desires them to be.

The Invisible Woman

2008-07-13T02:55:00.001-04:00

I share this with you because I know that there are days that we all feel like "The Invisible Woman."

Family Picture

2008-06-28T19:19:00.004-04:00

We went to the beach last night and had my mom and sister take a few pictures of our family. This picture is a bit small and I am not sure how to resize the one my mom e-mailed to me so I will work on that, but here is a sneak preview. I think it came out nicely. Of course we had to have one "funny man" up in front. I will give him a break since he has a broken ankle. :)

Summer Fun!

2008-06-28T15:15:00.012-04:00

We spent the afternoon with my parents at their riverside campsite a few weeks ago. It was so much fun. We swam and kayaked and made smores. My friend Kimberley, her children Liam and Andalise and Kimberley's dad Bob joined us as well. The children had a wonderful time. They fished quite a bit also and 2 1/2 Jeremiah caught his first fish. The picture I took below is of him and my dad showing off his fish. When I took the picture the fished jumped out of my dad's hands. Jeremiah was not a fan of this fish after that. I think it startled him.

We bought a little wading pool for the backyard. The children loved it for a few days until I was drying it on the fence and one the children decided they were going to refill it and ripped it off the fence and ripped a hole in it. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Baby Bella (Izzy) is now 10 pounds 4 ounces and 23 inches long. She is doing so well. She is smiling now and is such a joy to have in the family. We still don't exactly when she may reunite with her mother. We continue to pray for God's will to be done as we know our will is so wrapped up in our emotions and love for her.

Family Ties

2008-06-10T12:28:00.005-04:00

Multi-tasking !

Isaiah continues to love to spend time with Izzy and is often found reading while holding her in this position or playing his game boy while caring for his little sister. He is going to make an awesome Daddy one day.

What a little smiley girl! For the most part Izzy is very serious and seems to be a great thinker, but lately on a rare occasion I can get her to smile and when she does she smiles big. What a sweet baby!

Jeremiah and Isabella taking a little napper! What big, blue eyes you have Jeremiah.

Summer is in full swing. I am loving not having to drive each morning to school and I am also loving the freedom to just do what you want to do. It seems that the boys may be changing schools for next year, so the drive will be so much shorter or we are close enough for them to rise their bikes if they can do it without getting in toruble. Boys! They are just a challenge somedays. Keeps me on my toes.

We are going to spend a day at the beach at the end of the week. My parents have a campsite for 3 nights down at the beach so we will join them for a little bit on Thursday. That should be nice.

My sister and my nieces will be in town next week. I am looking forward to having them here. It will be nice to have someone to hang out with.

I am hoping now that summer is here I can blog more regularly. I like doing it I just can't always find the time. I will try harder! Bye for now...

The Tale of Two Bellas

2008-06-04T15:19:00.006-04:00

Ahhh, how sweet these two little ladies are... I was able to capture this sweet picture this week while the girls took their naps. Isabella thinks Baby Bella is a sweet sister and just dotes on her day and night. She is always telling her what a sweetie, cutie, lovey she is that she is o.k. with us. She must somehow know that Izzy needs to hear how loved and wanted and safe she is with our family.

It is such a blessing as a mom to watch my children minister to this little lamb. They may not know it and I am sure the littles don't but God is using them in the life of this little baby. We have talked to the older boys about it and they know that God is using our family and it is indeed a blessing to see their gracious response.

Life is busy

2008-05-20T20:26:00.008-04:00

I can't remember when life was this full and busy. The end of the school year is just insane when it comes to all of the activities that are planned in the last few weeks. I am looking forward to all of that ending in a few weeks. Here is a little bit of what we have been up to.

Isabella had her first ballet recital on Sunday. She was wonderful and was such a beautiful ballerina. A dream come true for her, as her main goal in her 4 year old little life is to be a real ballerina. She didn't seem nervous at all. When the music began out she ran and did her routine and of course stopped and waved to all of us. So cute! I am so proud of my daughter.

Baby Bella (Izzy) is doing wonderfully. She weighs 8 pounds 6 ounces now and is getting into a better sleeping routine. What a sweet baby we have in our home! We just love having her with us. We don't know exactly how long she will be with us. We just pray for her and this situation surrounding her mother and father and ask that God's will be done. We are going to eat dinner with her grandfather, grandmother and brothers tonight. That should be a nice time. :)

The boys have been in The Wizard of Oz play at their school these past few nights. I will post a few pictures later this evening once I download the photos from my camera.

Well, I am off to get everyone ready for our dinner outing tonight. It will take me a good hour to get everyone ready.

2008-05-07T16:56:00.004-04:00

IF I HAD LIFE TO DO OVER AGAIN...

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending theearth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before itmelted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in thefireplace..

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn! With my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television andmore while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical,wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherishedevery moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'

There would have been more 'I love you's' and 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize everyminute...look at it and really see it.. live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what Instead; let's cherish the relationships we have with those who dol ove us. Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

I hope you have a blessed day .

This was shared by an online friend.

Another Monday...

2008-05-05T19:38:00.007-04:00

I can't believe that it has been a week already since I blogged. Goodness how time flys! Well, life with a newborn has been very busy and full. I am enjoying her so much. It is amazing to me that the more children I have the more I learn to enjoy and treasure the sweetness of the moment. Life will go on and dishes will still be in the sink and laundry will still need folded, but you just can't get back the "baby days". The sweet days of blissful slumber while laying on my chest. The days of newness and firsts. I also enjoy watching Jeremiah's firsts as well. Maybe some of his lasts as well. The last diaper change, the last sippy cup. We so much want to grow our children quickly, but why... The days of youth are so fleeting... Let the children stay young as long as they will...

Here are a few pictures of our week.

Isabella prepares for her 1st ballet recital. She loves ballet!

Baby Bella continues to do very well. What a sweet little bundle.

Monday Update

2008-04-28T14:13:00.006-04:00

All is well! I am very pleased with how well this little one is transitioning into our home. She is just the sweetest little blessing. She literally just does not cry at all. She makes little squeaky noises when it is time to eat and when she has a wet diaper. As soon as she is fed and dry she just settles right back in and goes to sleep. I am counting my blessings as I know that she could be so much more agitated then she is right now.

We had a doctors appt. this morning. She has passed her birth weight already! She weighed 6 lb. 11 oz. when she left the hospital on Wednesday and today she weighed 7 lb. 1 oz. The doctor says she is doing wonderfully and would see us late next month.

The children are still doing really well with having a new baby in the house. I really just don't have any complaints. She truly fits so very well here in our home.

Please continue to pray for us as we settle in. I will say that it is so much easier caring for a newborn having not just given birth. I am able to handle the nighttime feedings better and general housework and care for my family better because I am not recovering from childbirth. Don't get me wrong I am sleepy for sure, but able to function. :)

Isabella Nichole is here!

2008-04-25T23:22:00.004-04:00

Baby Bella is here!

Born: April 21st

Weighed: 6 lbs. 13 oz.

I picked Bella up late last night. We had a harrowing day as we quickly went through a homestudy (with 2 hour notice), background checks and fingerprinting in order to bring her home so quickly. A good friend of mine who has adopted 3 children told me today that bringing her home so quickly was God working because it just doesn't normally go as smoothly as it did for us. Praise God!

As you can imagine I was running around getting my home ready for inspection and calling all of friends and family to tell them to pray because I was facing a great challenge trying to accomplish what seemed to be impossible. God saw me through and as Thomas hurried and finished his day at work I prepared our home for Bella.

The social worker arrived around 8:00 pm and we walked her through the house. We sat down with her and introduced her to the children. She was warm and friendly. She asked us a few questions and said that she felt that the baby would be safe with us and that our home was a good place for her to be. I am sure an audible sigh of relief was heard by Thomas and Marjorie (the social worker).

As soon as Marjorie was finished with our interview she told me to go ahead and go get the baby. I arrived to find Baby Bella laying in her mama's arms. R was crying and knew that the time had come to let her come with me. She was strong as she knew this was a better place considering her circumstances. It was truly one of the saddest things I have experienced. As a mother I felt her pain and as a mother I felt the need to protect this little one as well.

Our first night together was peaceful. Bella slept really well, only waking to eat every 4 hours. I on the other hand could not sleep as I was worried about her and could hear all of her little sounds. I hope I sleep better tonight.

The day began a court appearance first thing this morning, appt. at WIC, appt. with medicaid and a trip to Target to but bottle nipples as I packed the ready to feed formula bottles without the nipples and ended up a good 30 minutes from my house without a nipple to feed this baby. All of my children were breastfed so I obviously need a little help in formula feeding area. :) We survived and arrived back home at 12 :30 and napped for an hour before heading out to Bella's first trip to pickup the boys at school.

Here is a picture of my sweet Isaiah. He loves babies so much and they love him too. Bella just stared at him for the longest time. She eventually fell asleep right on his chest. He is a proud little man tonight.

The children did really well today. Michael had a little melt down this morning. He fears that I won't have any alone time for him now that the baby is here. I will have to prove him wrong. :)

We are looking forward to a low key, restful weekend. I missed a birth today. I had a student ask me to be with her for her birth (induction) today. Sorry I missed your birth Angela. :(

Michael turns 7!

2008-04-20T19:59:00.009-04:00

I can't believe my Michael has turned 7 yrs. old. What a wonderful son he is to his father and I. His funny personality and clever thoughts and quick wit keeps us all laughing and keeps us amazed at what the human mind is capable of. I am so amazed at his thoughts about the world around him.

Here are a few pictures from the day he was born and a few pictures of him this week. On my children's birthday I find myself thinking about they day they were born and what I felt and experienced. It was my birth day too. So now I share with you a glimpse into Michael and I's birthday 7 years ago.

What is a doula?

2008-04-17T22:28:00.001-04:00

This is a great informational video on doulas. It presents what purpose doulas serve and how families feel about having had them present for the birth of their babies.

My new look...

2008-04-17T09:41:00.000-04:00

What do you all think of the new design? I so appreciate Jaimee for doing such an awesome job on the design. She is very talented!

I will try to blog every few days to keep everyone updated on our family and what we are up to.

Most of you know that we are taking a baby girl into our home for 6-9 months. She is not born yet and we eagerly await the news of her arrival. Her name is Isabella so she will be called Baby Bella here in our home since we have an Isabella of our own. The room is ready, the cradle is nice and cozy and our arms are open wide. I will keep you all updated.

The weather has been beautiful! Cool, breezy, sunny and gorgeous. I love spring! A feeling of a new start, a fresh awakening.

Here is a picture of Jeremiah and Isabella together. We have a friend Marlene who sent out a picture this morning with her 2 girls showing off their rain boots and Isabella decided she needed to show hers off as well.

Isabella and Jeremiah enjoy playing together. They usually are building forts with blankets and pillows or dressing up together. I will have to take a picture of Jeremiah dressed up in his ballerina costume. It is so funny! We have a picture of Samuel (now 8) with a ballerina tutu on when he was in preschool. He is mortified to see that picture now. :)

I am so excited to have this blog up and running. I look forward to having a place to write my thoughts and feelings.