Big Boys DO Cry:)

And I mean that in the nicest, most sincere way ever. See, Juan is not an easy person to shop for. He is not a materialistic person at all and enjoys the simple things in life. For a person who loves clothes and decorating her house SO much, we have found a lovely balance amongst us. Father's day was coming up and I racked my brain. I have made him numerous photo albums. The kids have made him big posters of hand prints and their own special gifts. And they meant the world to him. But I wanted to do something else. Something that he could always have and would mean the world to him. And I didn't want to spend a lot of money. He isn't big on me splurging for him. See, great guy! Finally it hit me. Make him a slideshow of pictures with the song that reminds him of the kids. He loves the song by Creed, "Arms Wide Open". Great song. If you listen to the words, you will know why it is a great song to put with a slideshow of the kids. I started gathering pictures and got to work on the Mac. It took time, but so worth it. We also got him a new pair of swim shorts and a couple of work out shirts. And we took him to a baseball game. When he sat down to watch the movie, he was in tears. That means it was the perfect gift. Ever. And guess what I got for my birthday, the big 2-6? A new t.v. We decided to upgrade ours in the living room to something a little bigger and had the one in the living room mounted in our room. We love the results.

We have had an amazing summer and the kids have practically lived at the pool. They are so worn out by bedtime, they fall right to sleep and don't wake up until late morning. I love summertime!!!

And since this is all over the news I thought I would voice my opinion about the Casey Anthony case. I could probably write a book about how I feel. But instead I will just say it is completely ridiculous. Honestly, I can't believe it. It actually made me sick to my stomach when I heard she was found not guilty. She is so obviously guilty it makes you wonder who in the world these jurors were. So ridiculous. But I do know her Earthly punishment isn't what really matters in the end. (Even though I do not think this woman should ever be free and able to ever have more children) She will have to answer to God for what she did. And that might be a little more difficult than sitting in a Florida courtroom. I pray for her and the family. It is hard to pray for someone that is such a monster, but I know it is the right thing to do. And I will leave it at that.

John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

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It's Been A While

Merci's new summer haircut:)

Andrew had a reptile birthday party!

One of Sophia's skirts I made:)

We had a blast at the Marine Corps dinner:)

Oops, I did it again. It's not that I have forgotten about the lovely world of blogging, I have just been extremely busy. We had a ton of stuff going on with the end of school year parties, graduations, etc... and we have been doing a complete makeover on our bedroom. I can finally see the light at the end of the dang tunnel. Whew. It has been a hard project, but oh so worth it. Let me tell you about it. Pictures will come as soon as it is completely finished. I started with painting the entire room and bathroom. We have a huge master bedroom so this took a while. I did the ceilings, baseboards, doors, everything. It took me several weeks to pick a paint color and finally just closed my eyes and pointed to one. Not really, but kinda. I love the color. It is a soft tan, not dark at all and it makes the room look even bigger. I did a chocolate brown accent wall in the bathroom and it looks great against the bright white baseboards. Now for the most painful of the projects....But first I need to back up a tad. Juan bought brand new bedroom furniture a few weeks before I met him. When we got married we kept his since I didn't have an actual set. I didn't like his furniture but it was new and good quality. But the color was not my favorite and I just didn't like it. So I jumped online and researched. I had the perfect idea! I would strip the varnish and stain it. Easy, right? Ha! I.was.so.wrong. The original stuff I bought to strip the varnish was a waste of money. I poured the entire bottle on the top of the night stand and it did nothing to it. So my brilliant husband brings out the paint stripper we used on the banister(that's an even longer story!) It worked like a charm. He scraped, without effort, right down to the wood. I am excited at this point and get the stain out and start putting on the black stain I bought. It did not go on black, it just turned it the exact color we had just stripped off. I was so confused. I put more coats. Nothing worked. I let it sit in our garage for several weeks when I finally decided I would try something else. I had a can of black spray paint sitting in my paint collection, so I sprayed it down. And it looked good! I researched the best way to spray paint furniture, went to Lowe's and got the primer and spray paint. We sprayed our headboard, nightstand, and my dresser. I put Juan's dresser in the closet, I just didn't have it in me to go on any more with it! After several coats, we achieved the look we were going for. It is not in any way near perfect, but for about 100 bucks we have a brand new, (old) furniture set. Beats paying $5,000 for the one I wanted! We added some antique knobs and we are so happy with it. We also out in a new light and did some organizing in the closet. It is still a work in progress, but I am happy with how it is turning out.

I have also been doing a lot of sewing. Headbands and skirts are the main things I am working on, but I am determined to make Andrew his pajama shorts. I turn 26 tomorrow and I couldn't be happier. I am so blessed to have another year. My family is amazing. I have a beautiful home. I have a hard working, loyal husband. My kids rock. I have friends who I adore. Life is good.

I will post pictures from our room makeover as soon as it is all finished:)

He Is Risen!!

Every year the celebration of Easter touches me more and more. Maybe it is maturing in Christ, or maybe it is witnessing my kids learn about the amazing Lord we serve. Or maybe it is both. Today after church Andrew had a sincere tone in his voice and he proudly said, "mommy, Jesus died on the cross for our sins." The way he said it let me know he understood it. I am thankful we have found a church that has an amazing way of reaching children. Every Sunday Merci and Andrew come out with so much knowledge and can't wait to go back. Now if we could just get Sophia to enjoy it....

Yesterday we dyed eggs. I remember when Merci was younger she was convinced "dyeing" the eggs meant we had to kill them. We laugh about that every Easter. Andrew woke up from a nap in a grouchy mood so it took him a while to want to do his eggs. Sophia was so excited about getting messy and she mixed up some interesting colors!! Church was amazing this morning and I took so much away from it. I cannot say it enough how truly amazing the Lord is.

Sweet Girl

She was so excited!

Sweet guy

She was very proud of this egg!

Sophia's eggs

Merci

Sophia

Tired Boy

That's KrAzY!!

No, I am not talking about my kids. Even though they have their moments:) I am talking about couponing. It is my new found love. I found a website that is totally awesome. Two women, one being a military wife, give amazing tips and deals when it comes to shopping. They are also involved with the TLC show that shows how people use coupons with awesome results. I have only been doing this a week and after only three shopping trips, I saved over ninety bucks! And I am buying things we use and need, not things just because I have a coupon. Juan is amazed! I have a stack of coupons I spend hours sorting through and checking back on her website to see what deals she has found. It is so FUN!! I ordered the book and I have been waiting for the mail like a little kid waiting for a new toy. I walked into Walgreens the other night and with out coupons would have spent about 35 bucks but instead only spent 12!!! That is huge savings. I came home feeling like I had done my good deed. Everyone should learn how to coupon. I know I can improve and that is why I spend time really trying to learn all about it.

My sewing is going along well, I need to make a fabric run to Joanne's because I am running low on fabric. There are so many projects running around in my head, I get so excited and don't know where to start.

The kids are doing good. Their two week spring break has officially started and I have already asked 100 times WHY in the world they have TWO weeks off?!? That is WAY too long! But luckily Juan's mom is coming for a week so that will help!!

:)

Goodbyes STINK...With A Capital S!

Ugh. Before I married Juan I lived in my comfort zone. Texas. All of my family was there and we were all close. Then I met Juan and fell in love. The thought of being able to move around sounded great at the time, everyone who lives in College Station wanted out, if only for a little while. But for some reason they all ended up back there. So the idea of moving sounded great. Then I had Andrew and when it came time to head to Florida, that idea did not seem to great anymore. I wanted to be around my family. But we loaded up and headed out. We were in Florida for about eight months. I had to tell my very good friend bye which was hard but had the idea of being stationed in Corpus Christi to help me through. It was Texas!! Even though I hated that city because of the crime, I was able to have Sophia in Texas, which meant a lot to me. But it didn't last long. We were in Corpus for five months and got orders to California. By this point I do not find anything fun about moving so much. We loaded up, with a newborn baby, a three year old, and a seven year old and headed to California. The worst drive of my life. Seriously. And if it seems like I am griping a lot in this post, I can. Military wives earn that privilege:) Anyways, we made it to California. We lived in a hotel for a month, I could write a book about that experience, and finally to our house. While we were in our hotel one of Juan's friends from college sent me a message on face book. Well, actually his wife did. We had met before but they moved before us so we never got close. They had just got to Cali a few months before us and they asked us to dinner. That started a great friendship. Ashley became one of the best friends I have ever had. And she was from Texas! Over the last couple of years we have formed a wonderful friendship. She was just like family. The kids loved her and her husband. I knew the time would come when one of us would have to move but tried not to think about it. But sure enough, they got orders...to New York. My heart sank inside but they were so excited I tried to be happy for them. The selfish part of me did not want them to go. Ashley was that friend you could call any time night or day for whatever possible reason and she was there. How would I keep going without her? She was my rock when Juan was deployed and helped me out with the kids a lot. I dreaded the day I had to say goodbye. It brought back memories of hugging my family and telling them goodbye. I didn't like it and wanted to avoid it. But the day came. Me and Sophia went over to get some things and I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But I did. A lot. But I knew they would understand. And the big baby I am, I am crying as I write this. Ahhh!!! So, she is gone. But I know we will be life long friends and look forward to visiting New York!!

We bought land in Texas and are SUPER excited!! We will have a house built on it and have big plans for our future. I am so lucky to have such a determined, hard working man. I am excited about moving back to Texas in about six years but scared at the same time. The military life is what we do. Anything outside of that is scary to me. I am a Marine wife, and a very proud one. I see my husband wear his camis and combat boots to work everyday and know how much our country means to him. So much that he is willing to die for it, when so many are afraid to. I have seen him deploy and the heartache it caused my kids. I cry every time I hear our National Anthem and know how significant and meaningful it is. Everyday I have to wake up wondering if we will get orders to pack up and move or if he will be deployed again. It is a hard feeling to explain but their is pride that comes with being a Marine wife. It will take a while to get used to living the "civilian" life again. But I am sure when I am around family again, it will be easier to adjust.

The kids are doing great. They are constantly arguing with each other and we have learned to ignore the petty things. Like if Andrew looks at Merci wrong and she is on her way to tell and Sophia slaps Andrew and pushes Merci all within seconds of each other. Yeah, we tend to ignore those complaints. I have the sweetest kids but I will be honest, they tattle way too much. I mean about every little thing. We are trying to teach them when it is okay to tell and when it is not, but it hasn't sunk in yet. Maybe one day!!

Where Do I Begin?

That's a good question. Andrew had his first game. I get confused what to label his league as. We signed him up for t-ball but it is actually a coach pitch league, unless the kid can't hit the ball by the fourth swing, then they bring out the stand. So, we will call it the ball league? Juan gets mad when I say t-ball. Maybe because they made him the "pitcher" and he wants to be acknowledged. I don't know! Anyways, Andrew had his first "ball"game. He didn't get a hit so he had to hit off of the stand. Which is perfectly fine. (Remember, we did sign him up for t-ball) He ran so fast to the bases, it was absolutely precious to watch. The biggest mistake I made that day was walking over to him, as he was talking to his teammates, and gave him a kiss and said "good luck honey, mommy loves you." Oops...major embarrassment. My brother-in-law informed me I had just ruined his life. I think he was being a little extreme.... Even though they don't keep score at this age, his team won. Andrew yelled it loud and clear.

Merci started soccer practice last week. She loves it. Her coach is stern, which is good. He knows a lot about the game and keeps the girls on track. Their practices are strictly for practicing, he doesn't allow goofing around. She has her first game Saturday. Apparently the Spring league is much different from the Fall league. They do not stress winning at all and their aren't any play off games. The parents from both teams sit on the same side of the field and we are encouraged not to "yell" out at the girls. This is hard for me. I like to yell. A lot. I like to get out of my chair and cheer. I have never been negative at games and have always clapped when the other team scores. But if they don't want me opening my mouth at all, they better have some pretty strong duct tape.

Sophia is doing well. Sorta. She is battling allergies or a cold, not really sure which one. Monday night she woke up screaming and scratching her body like a mad woman. When I looked I saw she was red all over and covered in bumps. Of course this is the night Juan had duty. Being the panicky mother I am, I shook Merci and Andrew to wake up so I could take her to urgent care. It took me forever to wake Andrew up. Finally, by 10:30 we were on our way. Sophia was crying asking me if I would make it all better. I felt terrible because I had no idea what the bumps were. I get there and she sees a neat playhouse in the waiting room. She gets down and runs over to play. She made me look like I made this up! Finally, she was seen by the doctor. She said they were hives and we would probably never know why she got them. She gave her benadryl and a steroid medicine and we went home. I took her to the pediatrician the next day and she said hives can be normal. Yesterday she woke up with them again and benadrly took them away. Andrew stayed home today because his cough was so bad and Merci seems to be coughing a lot, too. I can't quit either. Man, we do everything as a family. Remember that stomach virus we all shared? I am hopeful the kids will be better by Saturday for their games!

There are some fun stories to tell from the past few weeks but I am tired! More to come soon (hopefully).

I love this verse....

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

With everything that is going on in the world, it is so easy to become discouraged. But I am glad I can find peace in it all. Goodnight:)

I Could Possibly Be The Luckiest Mommy In The World...

Really, I think I am. My kids are such a tremendous blessing to me. The other day I got Sophia dressed and she told me, "mommy, I a cutie pie". I told her she very much is and she told me to take a picture of her. So outside we went. Here are a few pictures I got of her. Words cannot ever describe how incredibly blessed I am and how thankful I am.

One Sick Mama, Sick Kiddos, and Valentine's Day

Well, the worst happened. We all (except Juan) caught the stomach bug. Sophia's was short lived, thankfully. By Monday she was reduced to a cough that the doctor said to keep a close eye on. Luckily it went away without any type of medicine. Monday morning I was feeling very nauseous and decided to put a bag in my car incase I got sick on the way to take the kids to school. I made it back home and was feeling a lot better so went on about my day...lots of washing since Sophia had been so sick. I went to pick Merci up at 2:00 and she was crying that her stomach was hurting really bad. I pulled into the shopping center to go in and get her gatorade. I decided she wasn't well enough to go in so I wanted to take her home to stay with Juan while I ran back to the store. I gave her the bag just incase. Thank the Lord I did, because within seconds she needed it. I pulled over very quickly and tried to not throw up myself. I cannot stand the thought, site, or smell of vomit. I just can't. Ugh. I get her home and fixed in her bed and ran back to the store. By the time I get home she had thrown up a lot more so I called the nurse hotline. She tells me to take her to the ER, which I thought was silly. I already had the medicine from Sophia's prior visit on Saturday and knew there wasn't much they could do. But I took her in anyways. They inform me there is a nine hour wait. There were two people in the waiting room waiting who insisted they were having a heart attack. I knew it would be so ridiculous to stay there for nine hours just to be sent home. So I took her home. We were home about five minutes and I started throwing up. A lot. I was miserable trying to take care of sick Merci and a spunky two year old. Juan and Andrew tried to keep their distance from us hoping they would avoid the virus. By 10:00 p.m. Andrew ran down the stairs throwing up. This was a nightmare. Juan looked like a chicken with his head cut off running around trying to tend to all of us. I gave him Merci and Andrew duty and I made a pallet in the downstairs bathroom. Juan went Tuesday morning to pick up the rest of Sophia's medicine. Luckily the doctor gave us extra knowing we would need it. We took some and that was the end of the throwing up. Juan went to work and we laid on the couch all day watching movies. It was an adventure. The kids were back to school on Wednesday. Thankfully it was a short virus.

I am so glad we were all better because Thursday we drove over to San Diego and met up with an old friend from Florida. Him and his wife became very good friends of ours and their daughters are absolutely precious. He was here for a short school so it was only him but we had a great time. We ate at Joe's Crab Shack on the ocean. It was beautiful. We played catch up and had a fun time. We headed back home and the kids finished up their Valentine's Day cards for their parties.

On Friday, the kids celebrated Valentine's Day and had a blast. I was combing Andrew's hair and he said, "mom, don't make me too hot, ok." He makes my heart smile, really. Merci had fun decorating her cards and spent extra time on her "favorites".

Juan was so excited about our gifts he gave them to us on Friday night. He got the kids books and play dough and some other things. He got me a two year package to a tanning/spa close to our house. It is awesome. I have been a lot since he got me the package. It is so relaxing!

Andrew had his first t-ball practice on Saturday. He did great! He is loving this sport, I don't know if he will ever go back to soccer. Merci starts soccer practice on March 1st and is super excited. I know she will do great.

I feel so blessed. And I have said this before and I will say it again, our God is truly amazing. The power of prayer amazes me and I feel incredibly blessed to serve Him. I look forward to growing each day in Christ. I am only human and recognize my faults and thankful I am forgiven for them.

The Invisible Mother

I have over a thousand unread emails in my inbox. I do not log on to my email by the computer very often unless I really need to and I do not like reading them from my phone. So a lot of them go unread. However, I was checking my email to see if Merci's soccer coach sent any information out and saw an email my mother-in-law sent. The title "The Invisible Mother" caught my attention because I can relate. I opened it up and began reading. It was a very touching email. It spoke of a mother who, over the time of raising her kids, began to feel invisible to everyone. She merely felt like a woman who sacrificed so many things for her family being a mother and it all went unnoticed and unappreciated. A friend gave her a book about the cathedrals built in Europe. The little book changed her entire views. The people who dedicated their lives to build the cathedrals made a tremendous sacrifice for something they would not even see the end results of. One of the most touching things I took from the email is when she concluded "the passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything." This is true about mothers as well. There are days I am sure my husband comes home and probably thinks to himself "wow, what did she do today?" If he only knew...

Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs. As clique as it may sound, it is very true. There are days I am sure it would be easier to put the kids in daycare and head to a 9-5 job. But I want to raise my kids and we are blessed enough for me to be able to stay home with them. I love being able to watch them grow and knowing what is going on in their lives. So as some days it may appear I am "griping" a lot, it is because it is a very stressful adventure. It isn't only about making sure they get their homework done and are at school on time, it is about making sure they are being raised so they can function as adults in a society that is so harsh. It is about making sure the values you want them to have are implemented on a daily basis so they never forget. Because once they are out on their own, their is very little you can do to change your mind about how you want them to be. It is teaching them about their faith and how turning away from God will only bring them hardship. It is teaching them about the consequences of their actions and how much they can affect their lives. It is teaching them about waiting to have sex for when they are married and not to do drugs, and having to do that without being so harsh about it that they want to rebel and do it anyways. Being a mother is hard. A lot falls on our shoulders. A lot. And I am not at all saying it isn't hard for fathers. I know it must be extremely stressful to have to worry about financially supporting a family and making sure your family doesn't go without they need. I have a tremendous amount of respect for my husband and the sacrifices he has made, not only for us, but for our country. I know him better than anyone else and I can honestly say he is an amazing man. At the end of the day we both want the same things, to be appreciated and recognized. I am certain God sees what I am trying to do for my kids and I am certain as long as I keep praying and believing he will help me achieve what I need to. And if my kids turn out to be respectable people and serve our amazing God, I will feel that I accomplished what I need to in life. And if it goes unnoticed to others, I know God has seen the sacrifices I have made and he will always appreciate me.

The last thing she says that I found point on is this "No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become". (These were her thoughts of what God would say to her)

I think after reading this email, I should make an effort to open more of the unread ones.

Oy!

There are only a few things I can think of that are worse than seeing your baby sick. Especially a two year old little princess. And the fact that it came out of nowhere makes it a tad worse. Saturday we got up super early and took the kids fishing at Pond Park. It is a catch and release pond so we just took Merci and Andrew's poles and let Sophia be in charge of the net. You aren't allowed to use live bait so we took a loaf of bread and hot dog weiners. We were walking up and saw an older man with a lot of fishing gear ready to fish. He was ahead of us and already thrown out his pole. The pond isn't huge. It is way more long than wide. We stayed a good distance from him but what my kids did next made him look at us like we were the most evil people he had ever seen. What did we do you ask? We threw a piece of bread to a single duck. This caused about 50 ducks to come out of nowhere running across the water, over the man's fishing line. They were quacking and diving for bread and it seemed like there were a million of them. I couldn't imagine why the man would be so mad. It wasn't like you were trying to catch dinner. It was a catch and release. And arent' parks more for kids anyways? I looked at all of the signs and nothing ever said to not feed the ducks. Finally the kids stopped feeding the ducks and started fishing. After a whole 2 minutes they were discouraged they weren't catching a fish. So they ran around and threw more bread. Another man walked up with about seven fishing poles and he had his game face on. Really? It is a catch and RELEASE pond. He knew every fact about fish. And I mean EVERY fact. He even showed us pictures. Finally we decided to walk the kids to the very end of the park so they could finish off the bread. They had a blast and afterwards climbed some trees. The perfect day. Around 10 pm Sophia told me her tummy hurt. I didn't think much of it and she fell asleep without a problem. I took her to bed and after I got out of the shower I heard her crying. She had thrown up all over her bed. I changed her, put the sheets in the washer and took her to my bed. She threw up again. And again. And again. By 1:30am she had thrown up about twenty times and I knew she should go in. As I am getting her out of the carseat she does it again. I take her in and they give her a pill and within 30 minutes she is feeling much better. But as we all know the ER is a very slow place, meaning they are bad about getting you in and out. At least that's how this hospital is. We finally get home by 6am and we are exhausted. The other part of the virus soon set in and Sophia was miserable. She finally fell asleep at 3pm and slept until 6am. Now she is feeling much better but has a nasty cough. I am hoping for a few things...Sophia feels better, the sickness skips me and Juan, and the sickness skips Andrew and Merci.

Prayers

Life is short. Life is unpredictable.

I keep up with a family whose daughter is fighting brain cancer. I have followed the story for a while now. I have cried and rejoiced with the family. I have found myself on my knees begging God to heal this little girl. And things were going well. After a horrible round of treatments, she was considered in remission. And this family has kept their faith better than anything I have ever witnessed. And today, as the little girl went in for a routine scan, they were very confident they wouldn't find anything bothersome. But they were wrong. Another spot was found. I have never met this family and my heart hurt for them as if it were my own. I was in shock, as the little girl has come so far and has not shown any signs of a new tumor. The parents are begging for prayers. Praying to God for a miracle. They know He can heal her. I pray, and I ask you to join me. We serve an awesome God and He can heal her, if it is His will.

After I read the news of the little girl and said a prayer, I looked over and saw Sophia sleeping. She looks so peaceful. I cannot put into words the feeling that I had. For a split second I imagined her being the one who is sick. I couldn't fathom it. I had to quickly change my thoughts and pray some more. It could easily be her, Andrew, or Merci. Or me. Or Juan. Or anyone in our family. I cannot imagine the pain the family is going through. I cannot imagine the thoughts the little girl must have. All I can imagine is our Father. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. None of us, no matter who we are. Rich or poor. Beautiful or ugly. White or black. The only thing that is for certain is we are all children of God. We all have a chance to be saved.

Here is the link to her website. Please pray for her and her family. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

Juan is now a Captain! I am so proud of him and very grateful for his hard work. He is very dedicated to the Marine Corps and they are very lucky to have him!

Just Dance...

So, last week a note was sent home with Merci about dance tryouts. Each participant needed to have a one minute dance prepared and tryouts were yesterday. Every child who tried out would be placed in a class but depending on their skills would decide which class. Merci tried out! And did good! She was nervous but still I think the judges were impressed. Tomorrow she will find out if she is in the beginners class or advanced. Also, yesterday was Wacky Wednesday. Andrew was not feeling it. But I made him get all whacked out and he loved it. He wore shorts, a green shirt, two different socks, two different shoes, a WILD hairdo and freckles. Yep, I got out my liquid eyeliner and made dots all over his face. It was really whacky. Merci wore green sweats, a striped shirt, purple knee highs, two different shoes, and REALLY whacky hair. We got to school and Merci noticed it looked like only the kindergartners were dressed up. I took Andrew to class and by the time I got back to the car she refused to get out. We sat there for ten minutes until we saw an older kid with blue hair. I was worried the dress up day was only for the little ones, but luckily I was wrong. Merci got out and I died laughing as I watched her walk away, she did look REALLY whacky! I picked Andrew up and he ran my errands with me looking like a wild child. He really soaked in the attention. The dots on his face made it really funny. Today was pajama day for the kindergartners and he sported his Scooby Doo nighties. This morning when he took a shower and scrubbed his face, I was a little panic stricken when he got out. The dots were still there, not even faded. I looked at my eyeliner and it read, "Waterproof". Greeeeaaaatttttt. I decided I would get it off with eye makeup remover, that didn't fade them. So I slathered his face with vaseline and rubbed off with a wet wash cloth and it worked, whew! Sophia still has hers I made on her cheeks and she goes into panic mode if I try to take them off. I guess I will just wait for them to fade on their own. If they covered her face like Andrew's did, I would make sure I got them off.

Oh, last thing. Today I took Andrew and Sophia to the mall with me for some shopping. We were at Forever 21 checking out when I looked over and saw my dear Sophia pottying all over the floor. WHAT?! She is potty trained and rarely has accidents so I was surprised. I asked the clerk for paper towels and she handed me a roll of toilet paper. She walked over and said "oh did she spill her juice?" I looked at her and said, yeah kinda. I mean I am sure she was getting rid of what she had just drank, right? I had to try to find humor somewhere in cleaning my 2 year olds potty off of the floor while everyone waiting in line was staring at me:)

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

It's a sad day. Its a day to rejoice. Actually there are a lot of mixed emotions so that is where the Bible verse comes in. Today I will hug my family tighter, tell them I love them over and over, and I will know that God is in control. Yesterday I got news my cousin went to Heaven. He was in his 40's and had health problems since he was born. I am not going to go into details out of respect for family. I never lived close to him or got to really know him personally. But I do know I loved him. I remember him being such a good guy and asked about him often. I wish I would have made an effort to know him better. And now it is too late. But I know he is in a better place and will never suffer again. I know we serve a God who promised that and I feel at such peace knowing he is not in pain anymore and never will be again. I am giving today to God, I am praying for my family and those closest to him. I know without a doubt that God will comfort us and wrap His arms around us.

A Few Pictures

Me and my Love

Andrew

Andrew

Merci at Disneyland

Sophia:)

Sophia

Merci at her choir concert

The Simple Life

Well, things have been going well. The kids finally are getting back into the routine of school and I like that. I don't mind my schedule being thrown off every once in a while, but I really like structure. Andrew and Merci really enjoy going to school which makes my life a lot easier. In fact, 99 percent of the time I pick Andrew up he begs to stay longer. Sophia even wants to stay. However, I know if she saw me leave there would be a complete breakdown. Maybe I will start her in preschool in the next year so she can get used to it.

Merci is in choir at school and had a performance on Thursday night. They sang in front of the school board and it was really nice. They did one song, which was perfect because Sophia was talking really loud the entire time. Juan let me know how teary eyed he got when they started singing. I love a sensitive man. I told him he was a big wimp and we laughed together. Even though we were laughing we were looking in each others eyes and it was one of those unspoken moments. Merci is growing up. And so are Andrew and Sophia. But they are still in the "baby" years. Merci isn't. It is sad. Period. As many of you all know it has been a rough ride for her over the years. She was 2 1/2 when I met her and Juan. That is Sophia's age now. And now she is 10. It just seems so unreal at times the way things happened. I know God has a reason for everything and as much as I hate the situation she has endured, it has opened so many doors for us and brought us closer together. We have laughed together, cried together, and we have came together as a family.

I am slowly learning how to cherish the moments I have with my kids. I know when I was ten I couldn't wait to be a grown up. If I had a dime for every time my mom told me to enjoy life while I was young because being a grown up would come so quickly, I could buy my own island. And now when Merci talks to me about how she wants to decorate her house when she is older and the pets she wants to have, I can't help but laugh. I was her not too long ago. I appreciate my mom more every day I live. She is without a doubt the strongest, most unselfish person I have ever known. And no mattter who I ever meet, noone will compare to her. It is impossible.

What A Vet Visit...

Who knew taking a dog to the vet could be so traumatic. And I am not talking about for the dog. Note 3253: Andrew does not do well in veterinarian settings. Period. When I scheduled our Brussels Griffon's vet visit I made it for when Andrew was out of school because I thought he would like to go. He has a heart for animals and would take in every stray if we let him. So I thought this would be a good experience for him. Boy was I ever wrong. I picked him up from school and we headed to the vet. He was already asking if Cody's shots would make him bleed. I explained to him the process and it was not a big deal at all. We check Cody in and I ask them to check if he has a chip. Since we adopted him, I wasn't sure. Andrew freaked out. And this was just the little scanner that Cody could have cared less about. We take Cody back and Andrew and Sophia are fighting over who gets to hold the leash and I am now regretting bringing them with me. Finally they come in and we decided they should take Cody to the back for his shots, for Andrew's sake. I always like them to do the shots in front of me so I know I am getting what I pay for. But I really don't think Andrew could have handled it. His little body was trembling. At this point Sophia is crying too and I cannot wait to get out of there. We leave and Andrew is okay. The funniest part about it is he has never acted like that even when he has to get shots. His little heart is so tender.

Today we took Cody to the groomer and now he looks like a handsome Brussels Griffon. Another exciting thing...our dear Sophia decided 4am would be the new 7. She was wide awake at 4 and ready for her day to start. If you know me, you know I am NOT a morning person. I have a hard time falling asleep at night so I am up really late, kinda like right now. So I need my sleep. She also thought it would be nice to wake Andrew and Merci up. So now we had three little rugrats up before the sun. But that's not the funniest part, Sophia did not take a nap all day and did not fall asleep until 9:30 tonight. Today has been long. She was extremely cranky and I hope she gets a good rest so we can do it all again tomorrow!

The kids new mattresses come in tomorrow and I am way more excited than I should be. I don't know why I love new things, decorating things, reorganizing things. Some people like alcohol, I like rearranging things. It makes me happy, makes my kids happy, and makes my house neat. I actually just bought my first staple gun and I can't wait to use it. First project is to reupholster a chair. So excited!!!

This weekend will be pretty uneventful, which is good. I plan on making a fabric run to Joanne's on Saturday and well, you guessed it, rearranging and organizing some things. Oh, one project is to get block letters that spell "Bruce", paint them and hang above Andrew's guinea pig's cage. How fun! Sunday is church and lunch with a good friend. I love lazy weekends.

I am now going to lay here and listen to my little angel snore. Sometimes the most annoying sounds are the most precious ones:)

Silly California

So, the kids FINALLY went back to school today. Yes, finally. They have been out for about 25 days and that is just a long time. Really. It is. And not just for me, but them as well. There is only so much you can do with rainy, chilly weather. They needed to get back into school, back with their friends. This morning went ok. I had to drag Andrew out of bed and Merci got up pretty well. We were out of the house on time and didn't forget anything. I even remembered Merci's lunch money! We were waiting outside waiting for the gate to open and Andrew was shivering. He looked to the sky and said "I wish Jesus would open the heavens a little and let the warmth out." It was so cute. I love to see my kids talk about Jesus and know who He is. It is truly heart warming. That reminds me of something. When Andrew was three he had a little tickle in his chest. He started laughing uncontrollably and when I asked him what he was laughing at he told me Jesus was tickling him. We have always taught them that Jesus lives in their hearts if they ask Him to and he was convinced that "tickle" was Jesus.

I signed Sophia up for gymnastics class. She goes for a trial visit on Friday so I can see if is is worth the money. She seems excited even though she has no idea what it is. She misses her Andrew and Merci today. She can't wait to pick them up, and honestly, I can't either. I am sure once the fighting sets in tonight I will be ready for tomorrow morning! I am super excited about making dinner tonight, chicken fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes. Yummy, yummy!

Oops...

Well, I did it again. I sorta forgot about my blog. Let's play catch up!! Christmas was great. We spent it as just our family of five and it was such a relaxed day. I was one of those crazy shoppers who finishes up on Christmas Eve. I ordered all of the "big" stuff online so all I had to get was stocking stuffers. I waited in line for 45 minutes at Claire's so I could buy Sophia all the princessy goodness she needed. Was she worth it? Absolutely! I also grabbed Merci a few things there, too. She was pleased. Then I battled Toys R Us. Even crazier. But I survived. Then to the awful, dreaded Walmart. Target is and always will be my first choice but they closed earlier than Walmart so I did not have a choice. Man, I was regretting not doing this shopping earlier. But I managed. My total Christmas eve shopping was about four hours and it was a nice break from the kids. They went to bed after baking Santa his favorite chocolate chip cookies. The elves made footprints all over the house and even put together all of the toys. How nice of the elves;)

The kids woke up bright and early Christmas morning and were amazed. They tore open their gifts and were excited about the note Santa left. It told them how they should always remember the true meaning of Christmas and left them a book about Jesus. They were thrilled. I made a huge feast for lunch...fajitas, refried beans, spanish rice, pecan pies, divinity, and fruit salad. We stayed in our pajamas all day and watched movies. It was so nice.

The next day we met Merci's aunt and uncle in Banning. They got Merci for a few days and had a blast. Merci baked cakes, played with her cousins, and went to an airplane museum. We picked her up on her birthday. She wasn't ready to leave but we were ready to have her back! We got her a "real" cellphone for her birthday and she was ecstatic. She has texted the life out of it. We went over the rules for having it and so far, so good.

That pretty much sums up the last couple of weeks. I am trying to update this thing more often, I just get so busy. The kids will be starting their sports soon; Merci in soccer and Andrew in t-ball. Sophia will also be starting a dance or gymnastics class as well. So to say I will be buys just might be an understatement. But it is my New Year's Resolution to keep up with this more often!