Learning

So life is a school and you can always learn something knew even when you feel you know a lot, or most everything there is to now about one subject.
I bought me a parenting book the other day and as I started flipping the pages of this one book I ended up buying and other ones in the book store I realized how much there is to know and how little I do now about kids... yeah big revelation!!
In the end, the more I think about it I realize that I want to empower and prepare my children to be able to embrace and live rich full lives and I want them to have integrity and values, principles that will govern and reign supreme in their lives.
I only get one chance at parenting, one chance to be their mother, and I certainly want to give them as little baggage as possible for their journey in life. In reality we play a short part in our kid's life compare to all the years they go on to live on their own yet, as mothers we have the ability to mark them for life, to play a huge role in who they are and who they become. So I bought me a book and I will share here what I learn in the journey of reading through it. I must change habits in the way I interact with my children if I am to guide them and empower them to make good decisions in this cold hard world, and you little blog are coming with me. Till we meet again...

Al Partir...

Al partir un beso y una flor,
un te kiero, una caricia y un adios.

Es ligero equipaje para tan largo viaje,
lo que nos es querido siempre quedara.

Mas alla del mar habra un lugar,
donde el sol cada manana brille mas,

forjaran mi destino las piedras del camino,
lo que nos es querido, siempre quedara.

Moving and Packing.

Moving and having to pack or some of the most unfun things, specially when I have to fit the enormous task of packing six people's things in little undefined brackets of time. It's exhausting!. The rooms are a mess. Laundry piles. Toys are everywhere. Papers stack. Nick Nacks are too many. Forsake-all grows. Who knew I could collect so much stuff in 5 years!!.I'm sure you can do without a visual image of my messy mess right now. Quick sleep kids ... so mommy can do a bit more of that unfun stuff called packing. The good news .. we are spending Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma..the kids are so excited!!

Everything that matters.

These past weeks have been some of the hardest in my life, it seamed the whole world crumbled around me, at least my world, my little bubble of a world; my dreams, expectations, years of sacrifices, when all was said and done, it was worth nothing.

It’s an indescribable feeling to see your dreams shatter into a thousand peaces and an even worse one to realize that you’ve wasted time on something that was a mistake even if the Lord tries to recycle the situation to bring some good out of it . It’s a form of death which comes along with a grieving process while you bury your dreams and dare to hope that one day soon you’ll have the strength to dream new dreams.

Life lesson , the ones that mark your life, your thinking and behavior usually come at a pretty high personal cost, maybe that’s what it takes to make them stick . I’ve learned the hard way that trust is earned not handed to anyone, and that seeing the good in people even when there’s none is not a virtue. Real friends are few and it’s in the difficult times that you find out who they are.

We’ve had to make some of the most difficult decision in our lives, and let me tell you, having four little kids makes me desperate in praying to get it right

There’s nothing left to do but to start over, so we’re starting over, the winds of change are moving and so are we. After being in Mexico for ten years it’s hard to say goodbye, it’s felt like home for a long time now. I may not have much and I’m certainly leaving behind a lot, I may have lost some things but I have Him and everything that truly matters …..if you don't believe me , check it out for yourself:

A wonderful husband

Bright kid 1

Bright kid 2

Bright kid 3


Bright kid 4.

I told you so.

Change

Change...
It can be a scary word or sweet relief to ones ears. It really is a matter of perspective.
Change...
It comes into our life, sometimes invited but mostly like an uninvited and unexpected guest that turns out to have the answer to a problem and impeccable timing.
Change...
Difficult to face but in the end so much happier for it.

Here is to change... Cheers!!

A beautiful story.

My sister sent me this story, since I really liked it , I'd thought I'd share it with you.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly.
So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went on the winter, the second on the spring, the third on the summer and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and returned, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.
The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them , he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained that you cannot judge a tree, or a person by only one season.
That the essence of who they are, and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfillment of your fall.

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come in time.
Aspire to inspire ...before you expire.

Live simply. Love greatly. Care deeply speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.
Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble , success keeps you growing... but only God keeps you going.

New Year Resolutions...

The New Year rolls around, it doesn't feel like it was that long ago that I was thinking of my goals for the year that we've left behind.

I'm happy to see that I did reach some of those goals I put for last year, others like , "This year I'm really going to exercise and get back in shape" ..well... I stayed faithful a few months but for one reason or another I let lethargy and discouragement beat me. I'm not cutting myself any slack in that department because I'm a firm believer that if you want to do something, it doesn't matter the odds, you can and will do it. It's very easy to find excuses for myself , but in the end, they are just that , excuses.
I'm happy to say though that one of my goals for this past year was to become more profesional and organized and methodical in my job/ ministry, and I have.

Back to the goals for this year,I've been thinking a lot about my personal goals for this year.

When I think about goals almost the first thing that comes to mind is that quote that says that if you have none, you are sure to reach them. I don't want to be like that.
I have goals , there's things I want to do this year and other things I want to see change in.

The truth is I see people embarking in exciting, ambitious new projects for this new year, while I feel I'm basically going to do the same I've done for the past few years, I would love to do something showy and exciting like that but after praying and thinking about it I've reached the conclusion that, for this year, kids are gonna be my mission, and their hearts my mission field.

I've dedicated the past few years to teaching, it's a rewarding job, monotonus sometimes too.

I know, not very showy, a kind of behind the scenes job maybe, perhaps when my kids are older I'll have time to do gardening, art, more witnessing, set up a business ... who knows...for now I'll keep whashing their dirty hands, changing their diappers, teaching them to read and then write, showing them algebra and the amazing world we live in.

Lego Night

Alex, showing off his super cool plane that he did all by himself.


Daddy gave permision to the kids to play with his very special legos, that he got during the renewal, :D the kids looked forward to it all day, and it turned out to be a great bargaining chip on my advantage. It's so neat to watch my kids grow, not only grow but develop their personality and particular interest that accompany each new year in their little life, see how they change and grow up so fast and are no longer content with the little simple version/explanation of something but want all the details and all the why's of it. Every once in a while they incorporate some new "cool" line or word to their vocabulary like "Yeah, right!!"... humm...son...aren't you to young to be using those kind of expressions?... and it makes me realize even more that those little ears are always listening, and those little eyes are always watching and what a big influence and roll I play in their lives; the short part of their lives I will share with them but that will mark them for a lifetime and undoubtedly turn them into the men they will be in the not so distant future.What a responsibility, what a challenge...

They came up with these "ships" all by themselves, and were pretty proud of their work.
Ayleen was just happy to fill up her cup with lego pieces and then dumping them out and starting all over again.

Moments

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang up my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I LOOKED....and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

Pain in the ...

Just cause you have pains .... doesn't mean you have to be one.

A good year

I know that's the title of a movie but it just seam to suit the recent, collective thoughts of my mind.
I 've been doing a mental recap of this past year.
I find it a good exercise once in a while to take a look back , dust off memories, experiences or just remember how something made me feel, that is, after all what life is, our experiences and how we react to them.

This year:

I started a blog
met new great friends through this little insignificant page.
put a dent in our van
got my drivers license
was blessed with a beautiful baby girl.
got to know one outstanding person;
Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.
Had to rush one of my kids to the emergency room for the first time, it felt awful.
bought one new pair of shoes.
got my green card.
went to a Retreat.
Was deeply moved by Jesus is Enough and Perfect Love
Felt & experienced in my life the power of positive praise.
Took a trip to the US.
Had our first, only us, family vacation in Ixtapa.
Crossed the States of Michoacan, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango and Chihuahua.
Taught about 900 hours of school.
Commemorated my 7th year of sharing my life with someone.
Celebrated my 4th wedding anniversary.


.. and those are just a few things, I have so much to be thankful for.
Just yesterday I went personal witnessing to the Children's hospital and I realized how much I have to be thankful for, here I am , having a trial that my daughter's front tooth is coming in divided in two pieces , what is that compared to not knowing if your 3month old baby is gonna make it having already undergone six operations? It's nothing... looking at the bright side... it's her milk teeth.

Family.

This is one of the few pictures of our family. It takes time to be a family, to weave the tapestry of memories, experiences and feelings that create the uniqueness of each family, it's so worth the time invested.
Take time to love those you love for they will not always be by your side and always treasure the gift family is, don't let the little annoyances of life get in the way of showing your true feelings. Love truly is the most important thing. Perfection, oh well.... nice thought.
Hasta la vista!

Hugs

A simple hug softens our heart;
it gives us a warm welcome and makes life a little brighter.

It's a way of sharing your hopes and happiness
and also the inevitable moments filled with sadness.

It's just a simple way of telling our friends
that we love them and care for them,
because hugs were made to be given to those we love.

A hug is something great.

It's the perfect way to show the love we feel
when we just can't find the right words.

For these reasons and more ...today I send you my warmest hug .... so that you can feel better.

Give a hug to someone today... you might just make their day. And they'll understand, because no matter the language, age or country ... we can all relate to a heart felt hug.

Don't let this be you:


( -Hug me. - I...can't!)

I always did like Snoopy, he's just so hugable!!( I 'm not sure that's a word:)but if you know me, you already knew that. And if you didn't know it, now you do.
Smile. Jesus love you, and I do too:)

Starting over.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Do you ever feel like you need a new start? Just to wipe the slate clean , start over, forget all the past hurts and all the little things we tuck away so carefully in our hearts without even realizing it. Have another chance at it, at being a better friend or coworker and pray that this time around you'll handle things differently and hopefully not cause any pain, hurt or sadness? How easy is it to forgive?

I wonder if when we pray for the Lord to make us humble, yielded, moldable clay in His hands, broken, does He just make us that way or does He allow things to happen in our lives that will bring that desired result .

Home improvements.

Since the kids are out of school, they've been going out more on follow up, market , etc and we've also been focusing on some major home projects, like fixing up our school room, ( I'll post a picture when it's all nice) and painting the house and rooms. Yesterday I worked on the kids and my room, did more painting then I've done in a long while, but I'm satisfied with the results. I also changed all the furniture and beds around, as much as "space" allowed me too. Muscles I didn't know I had are sore. I have to change things around once in a while if not it gets too boring. Since in the home, we have twice the amount of kids then we do adults, well... the kids just had to help too... the up side is they have fun and learn, the down side is everything takes twice as long and it's just a wee bit messier. But it's good , it teaches you patience... and lots of other things too.

Impressions.

"There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life, for eternity.
No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence...yet every one of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, hurt, to poison , to stain others lives" ( J. R. Miller)

Of routines and the likes.

Schedules are great and definitely serve their purpose in helping to organize and manage my time with a high rank of achievement.

Routines are necessary even though they eventually become something I don’t like too much, almost like a cage or prison, there’s something about the monotonous of it all that I dislike, I like to spread my wings of freedom once in a while even if it’s for a short escapade.

We decided to have some little vacations for three days or so at the beach and for that purpose we started a two week fundraising push. The Lord has already supplied more then half of what we’ll need. And for me it’s been refreshing and liberating to go out witnessing even if for a few short hours. My initial thoughts on the matter were not too great, sort of the ones you have when you feel rusty at something and it’s hard to give the initial step. But it’s been fun, I feel the Lord lined up special people in my path. Nothing like the thrill of witnessing to get you out of yourself and thinking about others.

I wonder if I’ll still now what to do with my time once my days aren’t filled with bottles, laundry, quarrels, diapers and bed time stories.

What's been up...

I know ..... finally I'm making an entry on my blog... about time you must think.

I had a couple creasy days.

Cried a couple times.

Terribly missed a couple of friends.

Got my drivers license.

Got more than couple of nice phone calls...the kind that make your day.

Rediscovered my love for tank tops and jeans.

Cooked more then a couple of meals.

Been using praise a lot more.

Laughed with my little angel when she discovered that she could grab her footsies.

Thinking of painting next rest day.

Been terribly nostalgic, missing the beach, must be my mediterranean side calling, due to the fact that it's summer and I'm no where near one.

I miss you.

Happy Fourth of July!

Driving.

I'm half way through my driving course, it makes me happy to finally be doing something about it, I mean about driving, one of those things I've put off for too long in my life . I'm taking lessons first thing in the morning so it doesn't interfire with the home's regular schedule.

I think I'm getting more confident with the gears and the clutch even though today the car choked twice on a "tope"( speed bump)and then stopped..I know... sad...I shouldn't be doing things like that. Been practicing how to drive up hill and I'm having a hard time going on reverse, must practice some more... oh well I will eventually get it down.

A sad thought is that I won't be able to do my 20 hours of practice that I need to do to became a family driver before Nate leaves,since he won't be able to drive with me, and I highly doubt any other of the guys would want to take me driving, that makes me sad, it means I won't be able to drive for another good while. Patience, patience, patience...

Why?

Benji has oficially started his why stage. If I tell him to do something or I ask for his help and he turns around, looks at me with his big brown eyes, and asks me why?.
His talking is a lot more clear and thankfully I'm no longer the only one that can understand when he talks, poor baby, he would often get frustrated because no one could make out what he was saying. It was a bit of a guessing game. He really wants to talk more but still has some difficulty pronouncing some of the phonics. But progress is progress and I'm sure happy he's making it. As a parent and teacher you realize all your kids are different, they all will eventually learn to talk and learn to ask when they need to use the bathroom, and they all will eventually learn to read, but at their own pace, preasure doesn't help a bit when it comes down to learning to things. You can't compare one of your child's progress with another, just like the Lord doesn't compare your progress against the progress of another one of His Children. Thankfully He takes us where we are at and slowly and patiently shows us the road, much like a parent with his kids.