Menu Plan Monday 9/14/09 - 9/20/09

Ready for a new week!

I've been looking through my cookbooks. I'm trying to pull out some forgotten recipes, so hopfully we'll enjoy some old favorites. We're trying a couple new things, too, and I'm planning to double the Lazagna and putting the extras put in the freezer.

It should be a good week! Thanks to Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday!

Monday:

busicuts and applebutter (made in my tiny Crock Pot on Saturday)

Grilled Cheese sandwiches and fresh peaches

out to dinner -- Little Birthday Celebration :)

Tuesday:

Cereal

Soup, crackers, cheese

Lazagna, peas, salad, bread

Wednesday:

oatmeal, eggs and potatoes

grilled sausages, couscous

out to McAllen for church

Thursday:

"Cakes"

Grilled Turkey and cheese

Peppersteak, rice

Friday:

Oatmeal

Chilequillas w/ fresh salsa

Chicken Enchiladas, rice, beans

Saturday:

Waffles

BLT (turkeybacon)

Chicken Tostadas

Sunday:

Cereal, fruit

out

Fajita, rice, beans, salsa

We make fresh salsa a lot lately, the nice thing is, you can really suit it to your own taste. We make a cooked salsa, which is suprisingly simple, I usually use roma tomatoes they are the best price here and pretty flavorful, too.

here's what I do:

4-5 roma tomatoes

3-4 jalepenos or serrano peppers, (we've been using serranos lately, they have a different flavor - I think they are a little milder, too. this still makes a medium spicy salsa, so you may want more or less depending on your own taste)

2 cloves of garlic

chunk of onion

put it in a sauce pan with water to boil bring up to a rapid boil for a few minutes, then turn off. I let mine sit for a while and get back to it when I can (I get a little busy sometimes...) Take out tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onion with a slotted spoon and put in blender, blend till smooth, add a little water from that you boiled in if you need to loosen it up a little. Salt to taste and eat it hot or let cool and refridgerate. Easy!

You can even do this in the mictowave! Put the stuff in a microwave in water in a bowl, and microwave on high for 5 minutes then follow the rest of the direcitions. Even Easier!!

Love in Christ!

Picture catch-up time!

We've been busy and the kids are growing. Here are some moments from this summer:

Theona took a ballet class this summer. She loved it and we are considering continuing it this school year. After class one day we swung by Papa's work for a quick "Hello" and watched part of ICE AGE 3 before heading home.

We went Thrift Shopping in McAllen (One of my favorite hobbies!) Jecoa helped scope out some old kitchen electronics and toys.

We spent a night at South Padre Island (this deserves it's own post!) We had a blast at the beach, checked out a Sea Turtle rehabilatation center, and attended a friend's wedding on the beach before heading back home. It was a beautiful little weekend getaway! It was my (and the kids) first time to go to the Gulf of Mexico. It was so nice, now that I know how close it is we won't be strangers!

We had a friend from bible college over He was in town visiting his inlaws, who live near us. (Small world, huh?!) We sure had fun catching up with him and his wife, and getting to see their four beautiful children. Elihu kissed their baby! ha ha. You can come over; he'll give you a kiss, too!

That's it for now. Hope to share more soon!

Love to All!

Best. Venison. Ever.

It's a little surprising that I'm posting two food posts in a row, but Last night the dinner I made was unexpectedly DELICIOUS.

We had been given some Venison that was taking up space in my freezer, and though I was hesitant to cook it, fearing game-y, tough results, I pulled out the Slow cooker and decided to give it a go.

I had some two large strips and two small. I think the meat was from the back. I was going for stew-type results, so I salted, peppered and paprika-d, coated with flour and browned it in a pan with a little oil. I put it in the Crock with a few cloves of garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a hand full of baby carrots and diced up1/2 each of a green bell pepper and a red one. I added no liquid, but when it was pretty much done and I checked it, The liquid released from the meat was about as high as the meat, but I thought it needed a little something else. I added 1 cup of water with two tomato bullion cubes dissolved in it and a bay leaf. (Next time I would do this in the beginning.)

An hour later (on low) when we were ready to eat, the meat was just about falling apart. I made seasoned rice and served it up over the rice for me and next to it for Abe and the kids. (And some green beans that needed to be eaten.) We also had the neighbor over. He lives alone and I know he hunts, so I figured he was up for an adventurous meal.

Mmm. It was good. I think I could have fed this to Jenni (or anyone else not inclined to eat deer meat) and we all would have enjoyed it. Maybe I got a particularly nice piece of venison, but I would try this again anytime I was unsure about how to cook a wild piece of meat. Not really "stew", but delicious! And if I'm ever out of wild meat, I may just try this with a roast or something. YUM!

Menu Plan Monday - Aug. 31

Well, I have been writing weekly menu plans for a long time now, but I haven't participated in Menu Plan Monday over at the Organizing Junkie Blog in a long, long time. So, I'm back in! Here is this week's plan. If you look closely, I think you can tell it's been overcast and rainy for a few days now (there is a lot of "comfort food" on here!)

Since I just got back from vacation and the cupboards were kind of bare, I did my planning/shopping backwards. Usually, I plan based on what I have then I shop for what I need picking up sale items for the next week and the best priced fruits and veggies to fill out the meals. This week I just filled in our usual staples, picked up some deals and reasonable priced things, then planned. (We also had some venison in the freezer, so I'm trying that out this week. There is still quite a bit frozen, so I guess I'll get to try many new recipes.)

Monday:
Oatmeal
Cheese Dogs, blueberry applesauce
Venison Stew (carrots, peppers), rice, bread
snack: yogurt, popcorn

Tuesday:
Oatmeal Apple Muffins, Fruit Smoothies
bean, green chile and cheese burritos, watermelon.
Crock pot chicken, rice, green beans, salad, garlic bread.
Sn: grapes, cheese & crackers

Wednesday:
eggs and potatoes, tortillas, fresh salsa
chicken fried rice
out to church
Sn: watermelon, banana bread

Thursday:
Pancakes, Orange Juice
homemade mac & cheese, broccoli, garlic bread.
chili and cornbread
desert: watermelon
Sn: carrots and ranch, homemade yogurt popsicles

Friday:
Cereal
BLTs (turkey bacon. I found a great deal at a local store!)
Chicken Tostadas, rice
Sn:apples and Pb, banana bread

Saturday:
Waffles
rolled french bread sandwich.
Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Sn: yogurt pops, crackers and cheese.

Sunday:
eggs and salsa, tortillas
tuna melts/grilled cheese
Fajita, broccoli, tortillas, fresh Salsa, Aguas de Sandia (Watermelon Water) if there is any left.
Sn: Banana Bread

Thanks, Laura, for the motivation to stay organized in the menu department!

Love in Christ to All!!

Oops!

I sure haven't blogged in a while. Well, we'll just call it busy-with-summer and get back to things now that the next season has started... The middle school across the street from us is busy again. I can see the buses full of kids arriving from my kitchen window in the morning.

We just got back from a nearly month long vacation in Oregon. The kids and I visited my family while Abe stayed home to work. Boy! Did we miss him!! It was a wonderful visit and I'm so glad the kids got to know their Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin as well as spend some extended time with Grandma and Grandpa.

We've only been home a few days, but I guess we're back to normal. Monday is Washing day and I'm changing the beds and unpacking and putting away the last of our stuff from our trip. I went with the intention of shopping for some clothes I needed for the winter and the next size for the kids. I went with about a bag and a half full and I came back with 3 bags packed to bursting!! I think I got some pretty useful stuff. Some was hand me downs, some was second hand from a consignment store I LOVE. I wish I lived closer, but it's probably a good thing we don't! :) I bought the Little People School Bus full of people there for only $5. I also found a nice dollhouse, but it was a little too big to bring back, so it stayed at the store.

So, on to Washing and writing a menu plan for the week.

Next week we're starting our Homeschool preschool! I think it will be great fun. Theona is very into school stuff and Jecoa is pretty interested in whatever his big sister is doing, so I'm expecting excitement over the whole thing! Our school year schedule is probably going to seem very busy at first, but I still hope to blog. I'm gonna put it on our schedule. We'll see how that works.

Love in Christ to All!!

"BOB" Party

(B.O.B. is the little blue guy with the eyeball.)

Yesterday was Jecoa's birthday. What a fun day we had!

We went out early and looked at a house we are interested in buying. It's a nice one. The kids like it, too.

We ran by the dollar store and picked up a couple things. Water toys and balloons.

We came home and did normal stuff. During nap time I finished the B.O.B. cupcakes (from Monsters vs. Aliens), added water to our little pool, made salsa and filled water balloons.

Sadly, the kids we invited weren't able to make it, but a couple grown up friends we invited and the kids had a great time with each other any way.

The B.O.B. cupcakes were fun. Jecoa said he wanted a "B.O.B. Party" after seeing some party plates at the store. It was a fun choice. And he kept saying "B.O.B. cake!" It was very cute. (Also I thought the whole theme worked out pretty well because Abe grilled and the kids played in the pool. In the movie the Monsters all went to a BBQ and swimming summer kind of party at Susan's house after they were released from captivity... maybe you gotta see the movie to follow all that ;) The water balloons were a first for them, and they were a huge hit. Theona asked what they were for and I told her we could throw them and pop them. See looked a little sad then asked, "Could we put them in the pool?!" I said sure, so as soon as it was pool time, she put them all in. They liked swimming around with a bunch of water balloons. Funny.

Abe got his big boy a tool set. He loved them. I think his favorite is the hammer. Theona declaired, "These are like Home Depot!" They have both been figuring out how to use them. Jecoa will stay occupied going around with his pretend nail and hammer and hammering everything. So far I've only said "no" to hammering the computer and the guitar....

So, that was the big "2". I can hardly believe it's been 2 years. I miss the place we lived and the friends we had near us when he was born. I hope we'll get to visit you all soon.

Happy birthday my big boy!

Ouch! My feelings hurt.

Theona got up tonight after I put her to bed and had something she wanted to tell me:

Theona: Well, Mom, I'm senafied...

Me: Oh, you are?

T: Yeah, and I'm kinda misterated...

M: Are you gonna be ok?

T: Well, yeah, but misterated is for my feelings. Cause...(as she rubbed her side and scrunched her face) my feeling hurt...

He hee hee... She's so silly and cute. She was just looking for a reason to be up! I can hardly believe she's big enough for that. She just makes me smile.

I prayed for her and her feelings and she was ready to go right back to bed. Ahh, this is a good life.

The old computer and the NEW ONE!

(Explaining my absence.)

We've had some computer problems.

For almost the last year our main computer has been my sister's old laptop. Our Mac laptop is almost dead. (It's a rare day that it works...and then only for a few minutes. It's been like that for a year, so it was, uh, retired.) Abe really would like to get a new Mac, but there have been other things to save for, so we've put that off for now. My sis's old Dell does the job.

So, the Dell has been acting up. I spent some quality time on the phone with tech support. (Now that's a good time. Not!) Turned out, the mother board needed to be replaced. That was taken care of, but immediately we were again having problems. The problems were strange and they couldn't figure it out over the phone, so they had us send the computer in for them to fix. We were not looking forward to spending a week without a computer! (We've become so attached to our gadgets, huh!)

Well, turns out we aren't without a computer for a week cause Abe bought me a present!!!He got me a little 8.5 inch, white Acer netbook!

Yeah, the little one! So Cute. (pic from here)

It's so cute and teeny! He got it for me cause I like to listen to internet radio ( a lot) and I'm pretty sure he was worried I was gonna wear out *his* computer. It was especially good timing, too, cause it arrived the day the Dell had to be shipped out for repair. I guess they're great for surfing the web, listing to my music, skype (It has a webcam built in), blogging (maybe I'll do more of that), plus I bet it's really handy to tote around cause of its teeny-tiny, so soooo cute, uh, compact size. I'm having a great time playing with my new little toy! I'm sure I'll be around here more!

**Oh, and incase you are wondering what internet radio I like to listen to, it's on iTunes radio. Click on "Religious", then my favorites are Anima Radio and Growthtrac Radio, also, KJSM Radio (that's out of the church where I went to Bible College) and KWVE (Calvary Chapel teaching). There are some other good ones, too. Do you listen to internet radio? What's your fave?

I'm home when I'm here...

The BIG Tractor.

The other day, the kids went out with their Papa after he got home from work. Apparently, they played, picked flowers and jumped in the front yard.
(Look at that girl jumping! She's been really into jumping as high as she can. Maybe she'll be a volleyball player.)

They've been really into action songs lately. One favorite is: Jumping up and down, Jumping up and down, Jumping up and down, shout Hosanna!

I'm pretty sure that was sung at some point here.
(Look, Jecoa got some air! He's a good jumper.)

Then they took a walk, and now that I see these pictures I understand why the Big hole and BIG tractor have been the hot topics of conversation for the last couple days. (Tractors and big trucks have been exciting lately. There have been a lot around since there is a park being built on one side of us and a new sub-division on another side.)

Yeah, I guess it was big!

Friday Already?!

This week absolutely flew by! Today was our shopping day. We do our grocery shopping every other Friday. I took all three kids! I think this is the first time I have taken all three and done an entire shopping trip. (Once before I took all three, did one store, came home and put them down for a nap, then went back while Abe stayed with sleeping babes, oh, and I took sleeping baby.)

We usually do two stores. Abe had to work this morning (He's been soooo busy at work this week. He's exhausted and we've missed him at home.) so we did our first store then stopped by the theater. I nursed baby and the kids ran around a little, then we were off to our second stop. We all did great. It seemed to take longer than normal, but everyone stayed happy and cooperative, and we made in home just in time for lunch and nap!

We ate some of the beautiful big sweet strawberries we bought (for a deal, by the way. I love a deal!) for lunch. We had a peaceful rest time. It was a good Friday-Shopping day.

Four Months

My baby Elihu is Four months old. This year is flying by already...My new haircut is really a lot cuter than it looks in this picture... But you weren't looking at me anyway, right?
Just look at my sweet little baby boy and those big, beautiful eyes and ears!

Today!

Ah, It's good to be here. In the present. Now.

I admit sometimes I look toward somewhere else. Where my friends are... Where my family is... Where my kids are behaving...

Some days there are too many places to wish to be. I'm learning (again) to be content where I am. Today I'm here and I'm glad.

Mondays are usually relaxing days at my house. Rest from a busy weekend, Do laundry, Make bread. It's an easy day. My "to do" list is short. But there are so many in-between things that make the day beautiful.

Jecoa is a little sick. He got a cough this weekend (We had some rain and it seems like every time the weather changes that boy has some lung issues.) He seems much better today, but he's such a little snuggle bug when he's sick. I love giving him extra love when he's not feeling his best. Usually he's too busy and independent to sit down for hugs from Momma.

Elihu is starting to get around. He gets up on his elbows, buries his head and pushes with his feet. He makes it a foot or so at a time. I don't think he means to go anywhere yet, but if he did, he'd be there! I'm pretty sure as soon as he realizes he can follow his brother and sister he's really gonna be on his way!

Oh, and I gave the big kids sweet pickles with their lunch. We never have pickles in the house (Abe HATES them), so I think the kids have only tried dill pickle slices on a hamburger a couple times. They were not a fan of dill... They both seemed excited about the sweet pickles. Theona immediately licked hers and announced that she liked it. Jecoa took a bite and immediately spit his out (and then wiped off his tongue! ha ha.) Neither of them ended up eating them. I guess they got their Papa's taste for pickles... just kidding. I'm probably gonna keep trying them. Maybe they'll acquire the taste... i don't know.

So, there's a glimpse of our Monday. There's beauty in the small stuff today.

Time flies...

I always intend to blog more regularly. I get out of the habit and it's so hard get back to it... honestly, I think I've put too much pressure on myself to blog, I'd rather enjoy it.

To catch up (all I ever do on here), the kids are growing, we've started a home study, well, home church (I guess I'm not 100% sure what to call it yet...) It's Sunday mornings. We are only having a visitor here and there, but Abe and I agree it's been a huge blessing to our little family. We still go to church on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. It's sure been a different season, but things are changing, and we pray we are following the Lord's leading as we think we are.

Mothers day was lovely. I tried to do almost nothing. I hung out with my family and held the baby. I had to keep reminding myself I was relaxing and enjoying the day. I didn't realize how busy I had become; I guess that's growing up! It was refreshing. Abe grilled and we just took it easy. It was a special day of rest from the busy days around here with three little, busy ones!

We've gotten into a great habit of having a little "circle time". Mostly, we read from the Childrens Bible and sing songs, it's great. Theona and Jecoa are very into singing right now, so they have been learning a lot of songs. I'm really excited about how this is moving us toward our first year of homeschooling. Next year I plan to start a little homeschool-preschool with Theona.

Oh, also, I finally made a couple friends around here! I met a girl from the church here in town (it's a Spanish-speaking fellowship) Her mom is so nice. She taught me to make meatballs, and she always speaks to me in Spanish "because I need to learn" she tells me. Also, I met a lady threw AWANA at the church we go to in McAllen on Wednesdays. I was so glad to meet her! It seems like we have similar ideas about a few things, and she's the first homeschooling momma I've met in the area. She told me about a local homeschool library, so I'm pretty excited about checking that out.

So, that's the excitement in my life... maybe I'll get on here a little more often and try to avoid the "catch up" posts...maybe.

Happy Birthday, Abe!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear A-Abe,
Happy Birthday to you!

(feel free to add "cha-cha-cha" if you must.)

Today we celebrated Abe's birthday. He had to work, but it gave us plenty of time to cook up a good surprise. We had fun! He's nearly impossible to surprise, so it was great fun to put twenty-seven candles on a big chocolate checkerboard cake carry it out after dinner. He was happy and surprised (even after Theona had declared, "We made you a cake, Papa!" as he walked in the door. He didn't even catch it then!)

Ahh, I love my little family! We have so much fun!

Open up the Sky

The Fair

The County Fair is in town! I was looking forward to entering a couple projects in the arts and crafts competition, but it kind of snuck up on me... I sure didn't expect the fair to be in February.

We went yesterday and had a lot of fun looking at the contests and animals. There were some really big cows and pigs there! The kids liked seeing that. And there was a little petting zoo. It had a few goats and lambs, some really fluffy chickens, a large, black rabbit, and a young camel. Abe took the Theona and Jecoa in and the biggest goat (who was bigger than Theona, but a miniature anyway) come running over to them. Theona hid behind her papa, and I was a little nervous for them, but I think she was just coming over for some treats (we didn't get any). After being greeted by Abe, she was on her way. The kids liked seeing the animals up close, but the only one they petted was a chicken! It was pretty cute, I would have captured the moment, but our camera battery died right before they went in.

Then we had to go play a game. My favorite game is the throw the dimes in the glass, you get one in you get the glass, you know... Well we threw a couple dollars worth of dimes at the glasses. It was pretty cute, Theona got the hang of throwing them up high, Jecoa threw 4 or 5 straight at the ground, and Abe and I had fun trying our hand at it. We went home with three glasses, actually! One of them was a mug that said "2000" on the handle. Ha ha.

We also went on the "BIG SLIDE" - the only "ride" Theona has gone on. I took Theona and Jecoa

So, Abe was invited to be part of judging the barbeque contest on Sunday afternoon. I know he'll enjoy that! And we will probably go back then to walk around and see the animals again.

There is No One Like Our God

Yesterday evening we went to a church in our town that we had been wanting to visit since we moved here. I don't know why we put it off... It's a Spanish-speaking fellowship. I think Abe was concerned that I wouldn't get much out of it or something... I barely know enough Spanish to get by in a Christian setting. I don't do well with it out and around town, but I know "church Spanish" I guess! Ha ha.

It was a wonderful service. The teaching was about love. Can't get enough of that, huh?! The Lord totally ministered to my heart. Limited Spanish abilities and all, and the worship time was so special. It's been a long time since I've worshiped the Lord by singing in Spanish. They played a translation of a new English song I listen to online sometimes, and a couple older songs that I knew. It was great!

Tonight I got on youtube and looked up a couple of Spanish worship songs that I like and remember. Here's one of them. It's really awesome to see all these people gathered for (what I would call) a worship concert. (Is that what they call it, cause that's sure what it looks like!) Notice about half way through the people with the "Jesus" banner. Awesome!

Midnight trip to Mexico

Last night Jecoa wasn't feeling well.

He had been teething all day, and screaming all afternoon (accompanied by drooling and chewing his fingers, poor baby.) In the evening his breathing seemed very shallow, almost like he was panting, but he seemed normal off and on, so I decided to wait and see. Maybe he was just doing that because he was in pain.

He played off and on from dinner to bedtime, then went down like normal. But he woke up about 10:30, just a couple hours later, and really didn't seem like himself. He was so tired, but was fighting to stay awake. His breathing was strange and shallow and he was grunting and moaning. I was concerned.

My kids rarely get sick, so I am always worried I'm over-reacting when they catch a little something. This time I was sure I wasn't over-reacting! I called Abe at work and told him he should come home right away and take Coa to the doctor.

We knew of an emergency clinic just across the border, in the town near us in Mexico that some of our friends here had taken their kids to. Abe called a friend to come with him since we aren't too familiar with that town yet, and they were off.

I think it's about a 30 minute drive, they arrived at the clinic and thankfully there were just a couple other people there. They got in quickly and the doctor told Abe it was bronchitis. (I'm so glad I sent them! I tend to get bronchitis easliy and I'm glad I didn't wait for it to get worse.) He prescribed Jecoa a decongestant and a breathing treatment and they were on their way.

Of course, since they were in Mexico they had to stop on the way back to get some tacos! Jecoa hadn't eaten very well for dinner, so it was good he got a "midnight snack" too. They got home about 2:30 and everyone was in bed by 3:00. Yeah, 3:00a.m. I was wishing for a little extra sleep this morning, but the kids only slept in an extra half hour.... At least I got a little extra.

And I was so glad to wake up to my big boy feeling much, much better this morning.

Debt Freeeeee!

Well, here is something to celebrate: We paid off our little black car today!

Early in our marriage we incurred a little debt. Really not too much, but then the interest rates went way up and it was a struggle to get taken care of. Then my car was totaled and we got a car loan and bought the little black car.

THEN we figured out that living with payments here and there was NOT the way we wanted to live!

We started paying off all those little things as fast as we could and got rid of our credit cards (and then heard about Dave Ramsey on the Radio!) and all we were left with was the car loan.

Well, today Abe made the last big chunk of a payment and paid it off! We now own two cars. How exciting. But even more exciting (In Dave Ramsey Style) :

WE'RE DEBT FREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

No-Sew Baby Carrier

No-sew baby carrier- this is a pretty creative idea! I have a few different styles of baby carriers, but I don't have one that is absolutely my favorite or suits all our needs so, I'm always a little curious to try another one. Many of the different baby carriers are so expensive, too , and here's a very inexpensive carrier (possibly free if you have the sweats sitting around).

Anyway, I'm putting this link here mostly for me, in case I come across the prefect pants and want to give it a try.

Prayer

There was a shooting this morning in the town in Mexico, just across the border from us. Please pray especially for safety of the children at a local orphanage.

All I have heard is that the shooting was drug related, and sadly some children were shot. Schools in that city and the boarder crossings in our area were closed today.

Accidental Kitchen Clean-up

This morning has been such a busy one!

We've had rain, so that's refreshing. It's been so hot and humid the last week. Mostly mid-eighties! I think that's entirely too hot for February. Saturday was so warm even just a onsie was too much for my little winter baby. I had him laying around in just a diaper during the heat of the afternoon!

So, this morning... Abe got up early. I made eggs and chorizo for breakfast (yum! a favorite lately). He was off to work, the baby was nursing and the big kids were fighting! (Today, every time one child had a toy the other wanted it! A few times they both had a toy and were crying for what the other had. I found myself suggesting repeatedly, "Why don't you trade?" They would, then they were happy...briefly.

I got baby settled for a morning nap, and went back to my breakfast dishes. I had started a load of laundry and there was a lot of background noise from that. Then the big kids were having trouble. I helped them settle it. Then the baby was fussing. I un-swaddled him to see if he needed a change. Then Jecoa was upset about not getting his toy to work and was crying.

THEN...

I looked over and my WHOLE KITCHEN FLOOR was covered with water! I had left the water running and it had overflowed! Honestly, I can't remember having done this ever before, I've come close a couple times, but it has never actually made it out of the sink.

I was feeling so bummed at this point. We have invited people over for dinner and I had planned on having a peaceful day making a couple loaves of bread and getting the kids closet back in better order (I think it's time to pass along some of their clothes!) So, I got on with the situation at hand. I turned off the water and ran and grabbed a couple towels before the water got to my living room rug. I turned on KWVE (K wave internet radio, our favorite radio bible teaching). I dried and scrubbed the floor (hey there was already hot water there, might as well scrub!) I got to the counters and realized a few of my favorite cookbooks had gotten wet. I'm disappointed about that, but they are laid out to dry. Water has also gone under my sink and all my canned storage, plastic bags and cleaners had gotten wet. I had to remove them, dry them and then put them back (I threw out the empty things and trash, and re-organized while I was at it!)

So, while I wasn't planning on cleaning the floor before company came tonight, that is done! And some storage in my kitchen is in better shape, so that's a bonus! And I got to listen to the end of Pastor Chuck teaching, and a whole teaching by both Pastor Jon Coursen and Pastor Greg Laurie. What a treat to hear some of my favorite bible teachers while cleaning up a rather frustrating mess. I'm not upset about it at all now, I'm actually quite blessed that I let my sink run over. Thank you, Lord!

After all that, I sat down to feed baby boy and pulled up the Biblical Womanhood blog, and guess were she is in her Spring Cleaning for Normal People Series?! Cleaning the kitchen, cabinets and floors were on the list of things to accomplish this week. Well, check, check! ha ha.

In all this, I'm blessed. Even with unexpected cleanup the Lord has something special for me. Praise the Lord!

Pure

I heard this song last night. I've been listening to a lot of internet radio on itunes. There are some really good worship stations. I've loved hearing some new music, especially passionate worship like this!

Habla Espanol?

That "n" should really have a little squiggly over it. It's supposed to be an "en-yay" (you know, the Spanish "n" with a squiggly live above? ha ha. How would you spell that in English?) I thought I would find it at Alt + 164, but nothing happened there.

Anyway, today I was at the store. Theona and I ran into town to pick up just a couple things and have a little outing while the boys napped. She told me "just the girls" would go.

A common thing happened: A lady holding a box of frozen mashed potatoes walked up to me and gave a spiel in Spanish. (The mashed potatoes weren't the common thing, but the Spanish speaking was. People generally speak Spanish here first, or an equally confusing mix of Spanish and English) I missed the point of what she was trying to tell me as I grasped for some familiar vocabulary to emerge. I think I must have raised my eyebrows in that very uncertain way as I hesitantly offered, "no, thank you...?" She gave the spiel again in English offering the boxed mashed potatoes free with the purchase of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. (This time I knew for sure I didn't want her deal.) I smiled and said softly, "No, thank you." and I was on my way.

I really need to work on not being so flabbergasted when spoken to in Spanish. I'm familiar enough with the language I should be able to follow a general conversation and give a simple Spanish response. (Like "No, gracias.")

It's definitely a new challenge living here and becoming familiar enough with a new language to use it in simple ways... I know the Lord can use it. It's probably very good for my kids, too. Hopefully they will become fluent in both languages (I better get serious about learning for myself, or they're gonna beat me to it!)

I'm Back...

I'm sure this has been the title of a post here before (I've been an inconsistent blogger), but please forgive me... I'm back from my blogity hiatus.

Sorry I was gone so long. I now have a one month old! It's amazing how much he has grown. He hit the 10 pound mark. (quite impressive, I think!) It's so good and exciting to see these little guys growing. Not just physically, but they are learning so much. And, about soooo many things! Theona is becoming quite a little artist, and Jecoa has (finally) started saying some new words. Oh, he also loves to sing and dance lately. I have to try and catch that on video! It's really incredible to me! Especially when I look at this tiny little guy and remember what a short time ago the other two were so little and sweet-smelling and such brand new wondrous things to me.

Elihu is here!

Born this morning at 3:10am.

He's a healthy little guy!

8lbs 4 oz
21 inches

There will be more info and pictures later.

Updates. 41 weeks today!

I sure hope this baby makes an appearance soon... I was hoping for today, actually. It's my grandma's birthday. I think it's a great day for a birthday.

Grace left last night. We had a really nice visit. I'm so glad she got to see the kids and they got to get reacquainted with her. It was so special for Theona to get so attached to her in just a few days. She didn't want her to go, asked a few times if she could go with her. 

I've been crocheting a little today. Maybe I should be doing brisk laps around the block. Ha ha. Instead I'm making a little yellow V-stitch blanket. I love making baby blankets. They come together so quickly! It's so nice to see your work progressing.

Yesterday at church we focused on missions and had a couple missionaries share a little it was really a blessing. It's so exciting to be serving the Lord. I know he's called us here to Rio. It was definitely good and encouraging for both me and Abe.

Also, we are still on the hunt for a bigger car. We are looking for something that seats seven or eight, so most likely a SUV (a smallish one with a third row) or a van. We've found a few good options (a couple vans, a Trail Blazer with a third row, an Explorer with a third row, a Suburban with higher mileage...), and Lord willing, we'll be making a purchase at the end of the month. We've been saving and we're very excited about our first buying-a-car-cash experience. We'd love your prayer for wisdom to choose the right thing, and for the Lord's provision.

More upates later. I'll let you know when the little one joins us.

Happy 2009

Well, while I still have a chance...

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009!

I can hardly believe it's January. December and 2008 are behind us, and aparently we'll be having an '09 baby. Hopefully sometime real soon...

My best friend, Grace, came over from Arizona to visit. Last time we saw her was June. The kids have grown so, sooo much since then. What a difference half a year makes! I sure hope she gets to meet the newest member of our little family before she has to head back home. I think she will.

Love to all! Hope your year is starting off well.