A New Season - Mary and Martha

For the past 6 years and 9 months, almost to the day, I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding with the acception of about 6 months inbetween Noah and Elia.  For the first time I feel like I fully have my body all to myself, not sharing it with a growing or breastfeeding baby and while many women are thrilled to have their "body's back"... I am actually in a weird spot with it.  I especially miss breastfeeding... so much!  For me, it was never an invonvenience or a burden... I loved every minute of it.  I loved the bonding, the relaxing hormone that came with it, the time that it forced me to SIT for at least 15 minutes at various times throughout the day.  I loved just watching the kids feed and how they would put all their bodies into it and what a whole experience it was for them too.  I miss the eye contact and them playing with my hair or sticking their foot on my chin while feeding.  When it comes to being a "Mary" or a "Martha", like the two sisters who had Jesus in their home, I am 100% MARTHA... I don't naturally enjoy cooking or cleaning as an every day thing but I LOVE snuggling, talking, reading books and anything "bonding".  It takes a mental effort for the most part for me to be organized, plan meals, get anywhere for any reason - on time.  While I know I would pass a test of sitting at Jesus' feet with flying colors for choosing "the better" as He put it to Martha, I tend to "fail" lots of other life tests by not being more of a Martha.  I am working hard on tapping in to my "inner-Martha" and am learning that many of the "duties" of life can be bonding, but more that most of life is filled with tasks, doctors appointments, homework, piano, school work, chores and loads of discipline.  I am very thankful I have had the opportunity to be home pretty much full time with the kids and especially for the time I have had to exclusively breastfeed all three kids (Liliana for 13 months, Noah for 18 and Elia for 17) without hindrance or even needing to pump for more than a handful of times!  I am thankful for the slow pace we have enjoyed of being home, living by our own schedule, going here and there whenever we pleased, visiting museums and parks.  I realize that most families do not have such luxuries and that I am extremely blessed.  So, I say, Thank you, Jesus, SO MUCH for this season, and please help me now to find a greater strength in discipline and serving others.  We all have our strengths and I know what mine are and am askng for help with the other parts of me!  :)

SO THANKFUL, BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE AND EMPOWERED FOR THIS NEW SEASON OF LIFE!

A Writer, A Poet, a future Novelist?

Tonight on the way to church as we talked about who would be going to who's class, Liliana said this about the Wednesday night teacher of the 4 year olds, Miss Mary (Mrs. Mary Anduaga), a highly revered Puerto Rican woman of God in her 60's who is a nurse and has done countless years of missionary work in places like Guatemala and Peru. She has a very strong accent and very tan skin color:

"Mommy, I know why Miss Mary loves God so much and is so much like Him! ...Because she looks like a deer.  I don't mean that disrespectful at all, let me tell you what I mean when I say she looks like a deer... she looks like a deer and has dark skin like a deer and Jesus rode on a donkey and donkey's have four legs and deer have four legs and Miss Mary looks like a deer that is similar to a donkey that carried Jesus, so that is why she loves God so much."

I could NOT believe my ears!!!  :)  I have shared this with a couple of friends and they loved it, one was blown away and said I need to write it down because she sounds like a gifted writer and the other person, Sister Ann said that sounds like the kind of connection she would have made!  :)

Love you, Bear!  xoxo

Project 365 Week 9

Tuesday, February 28th

Elia played a lot of the day putting these fish in and out of the holes and carrying them around in the tray.

Wednesday, February 29th - no pic

Thursday, March 1st

Daddy bought a Wii Lego Batman game and the kids love playing it with him!  Bonding time.

 I much prefer reading books to the kids!  :)  Liliana took this picture.  Notice Elia's socks... I have almost given up on ever finding matches lately... haha!

Friday, March 2nd

I helped Liliana's class at school celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday by making them all green eggs and ham to try!  Busy day!

Saturday, March 3rd

Today, I made the interesting breakfast for us at home so Noah could be in on the fun!  They loved it and could quote most of the book.

 Bath time... hahaha!  :)

 Look at how Elia's hair curls up all by itself after a bath!  Gorgeous!  :)

Elia and Mommy Visit Courtney

February 24th - 27th

Mommy and Elia travels over many states to visit Courtney and see her world of Arizona!  :)

Look who's taller!!!  :)

We got to see Courtney barrel race while we were there!  So cool to see her smile so huge while riding Boomer around those barrels!  :)

Elia kept busy distributing rocks to us... awe!

 Elia had Courtney busy reading books to her... her favorite thing!

 Coutney cracked up watching Elia dig in her cheeks... she said she looked like a squirrel digging for food in those cheeks!

 The legend is that this was Jerry Lee Lewis' piano at one time!  Elia got to play it!

 "Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!!"  :)

Elia loved riding Boomer!  She smiled and smiled!

 You can see that Elia is loving this!

 I thought Courtney's boots were so cool!!!  Real, worn cowgirl boots!

Courtney took me out for my first Gilato!  YUMMMMM!

 I tried to get a cool picture of the two Mater trucks... Courtney calls her truck Mater.  Love it!  She is a great driver!

We went quading!!!  SO fun!!!

 Elia had the best time feeding Courtney Fruit Loops.  :)

 Courtney had a lot of "firsts" this day... she got Elia dressed, put on a diaper and layed her down to sleep after they snuggled in the glider.  :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Project 365 Week 8

Sunday, February 19th

Pretzels for a snack.  :)  Grandma, see the chicken on the floor behind her.

Donnie got home from teaching his evening class for CCIBI that evening and I took some quick, cute pics...

Elia went off to bed and these guys piled up!  :)

Monday, February 20th

The kids were playing "connect the straws"... great fun and I didn't mind, since they were only $1.

Lip gloss!



Some pics from my phone from the day... L went to the dentist with me all dressed up.

at BJ's to grab a couple things... see the pendant with the yellow tag... it is in a figure 8 ... Liliana so innocently and sincerely asked if we could buy her that when she gets bigger because it is an 8 and she rides bus 8 to school... hehehehehe!!!!!!  :)

Tuesday, February 21st

Wednesay, February 22nd - no pic

Thursday, February 23rd

Okay, Noah played a few Curious George games on the computer today and watched a little video of him on there making a web with yarn and tape.  Noah LOVES Curious George and asked if we could make a web... well, since Mommy was ahead on her chores... we did it!  Noah said "I love you, Mommy" like 800 times during the construction and was just so thrilled to have this web!  So fun and sweet!!!

Noah helped with dinner.  He "made" buttery noodles with pepper.  YUM!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will all be in a seperate post.

Project 365 Week 7

Sunday, February 12th

Big Sister reading to Little Sister.  <3

 At dinner the big kids "helped" make hamburgers and put their fixin's on their buns while Elia rearranged all the condiments in the fridge!  :)

Monday, February 13th

I got home from BJ's and was walking the food into the house and the large carton of blueberry's popped open and scattered all over the floor...

Kids make the most of every situation and make Mommy SMILE no matter what happens!  The saying is "Get lemons, make lemonade"... well, ours is "Got a mess, make a snack!"  :) 

Monday Night Daddy's Cookin' tonight was the best ever pot roast and veggies!!!  Drool.... YUM!!!

Liliana making out her Valentine's Day cards for her classmates. 

 Tuesday, February 14th!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! 

Little Bear in two different shoes... one Liliana's and the other Noah's.

Liliana made cupcakes and Mommy made sugar cookies and helped out in Liliana's classroom for the end of the day Valentine's party.  So sweet!  I love her class, such great kids!

 Wednesday, February 15th

Playing the Candyland Game Mommy and Daddy bought them for Valentine's.  :)  Elia is eating her dinner (pizza) in the background.

 Thursday, February 16th

So proud of her strawberry ring!  :)  We eat LOTS of strawberries, blueberries, bananas, yogurt... yummy!

 Looking way into sister's mouth and then feeding sister a strawberry.

Friday, February 17th

Went to a museum we had never been to with our neighbor friends.  So fun!  Elia just chilled with her hand in the bubbling watter... she will love a hot-tub one day! She is definitely our very chilled, layed back, content, easy going, book loving, snuggle bug!!! 

I love how big this smock is on her!  She still got her sleve soaked to her pit.  :)

 Our sweet neighbor friends... Elia and Timmy, who is just days older than her.  Stew is there behind Timmy and Noah is behind Elia... The girls were at school!  So thankful for these guys!

Later that day at home having a pretzel snack.

 I LOVE THESE BEARS SO MUCH!!!!!  :)

Saturday, February 18th

Liliana and Noah went with Daddy to a special preview showing of Star Wars in 3D and had candy, popcorn and soda and they loved every bit of it!  We went to church in the evening then met with Curtis and Emma for pizza after!  SO FUN!!!  :)