Bringing in 2010 nice and easy!

After the hectic months of November and December, I declared a lazy month was in order. Minimal activities, lots of staying in (the cold temperatures sure did help with that one) and really what are Christmas presents for, if you cant actually take the time to enjoy them? This month I spent a lot of time studying a bit why we are the generation with the least amount of free time ever and with the most time time saving devices. Even though I stay home with my kids every day, even I have days where I feel like I am missing it. I am missing them growing up because of all the distractions, activities, and endless chores. Sometimes you need a few weeks to just savor every boo-boo, story time, barbie tea party, etc..I barely even took any pictures, but here are a few.

It actually "snowed" here for a day. I say it like that because I have seen real snow in places like Bangor, Maine and in Germany and this was a pitiful little powder show. Against my instincts I got the girls all dressed to go out and play in it (because wouldn't I be a rotten mom if I didn't?) only for them to walk around two steps and declare it was too cold to go outside and come back in...oh the layers.

The front street view, it was very pretty.

Here Elly is getting into playing with Castles just like her sister. She loves to copy her , even if she has no clue what to do. She sort of just slams the figurines against the walls.

One morning Joe surprised Izzy by bringing in a bunch of books and a princess vanity that one of his co-workers passed on. We love hand-me-downs. She loved singing Cinderella songs to herself in front of it.

The books were very much appreciated too!

This month was also very special because Izzy turned 3 years old!! THREE!! Wow.

We invited some of her favorite friends to celebrate with us. Pizza, Cake and Ice Cream...how can you go wrong with that?We played "Pin the Tail on the Lion" (Daniel and the Lion) and no it's not because I am super religious and think the donkey alternative is a pagan ritual...but because it was the only party game I found at the dollar store and really, I thought it was kind of cool (and my favorite book of the bible). All the kids all did very well! I'm really making an effort to make things simple and fun for my kids, and her birthday party was no different. All month I was saving odds and ends, recyclables, junk and then put it on the floor and let the kids just create whatever they wanted. (Siena's mommy was the winner with a dinosaur out of pipe cleaners, a coffee box and paper towel roll!)

I also tried to create a Super Sleuth Clubhouse from a box a friend gave me.
It was so much fun and we are so glad everyone came to celebrate with us!

Here is Izzy and Elly hugging it out on her real birthday later that week. Can't you just hear Chris Farley saying "Sometimes Sisters gotta hug!!!!"

Izzy was very grateful for all her presents she received. Lots of princess stuff, some educational stuff, and oh boy...a new easel from Elly's godmother.

Now have I mentioned how much this girl likes to paint? So now it is pretty much a DAILY occurrence. I have more artwork than I know what to do with and I don't think my parents know what to do with it but I make her take one to grandma every time we go over there. I just can't bear to throw them away.

Even when I cut it and say let it dry, she keeps painting it.

One day before church Izzy discovered how to give herself Freddy Kruger fingers with playdough..not that she knows who Freddy Kruger is..please she is afraid of the evil stepmother in Cinderella III.

This month was also Joe's 28th birthday. My mom watched the girls and we went to dinner to Fuji Hanna's or whatever its called off Johnson's Ferry and I got to stuff my face with sushi. I can eat sushi every day if you let me however, they don't have many sushi coupons in the Sunday paper so its a rare treat these days.

We then went to a bar- and this was all for him- where a game was on t.v, he talked, and showed me how to play darts. Lets just say I am lucky I didn't take any ones eye out.
Another rare treat was taking the girls to the mall one day to get Joe's bday present. Although it was out of stock and Izzy ended up getting a new Snow White doll that was half off in Sears. Kids...they always come before.

Some other pics from the month.....

Izzy playing her favorite game...princess tea party.

Speaking of princess tea parties, Izzy got a real treat when Scarlett and Victoria joined her for a fancy one. I actually broke out the nicer tea set, Amanda brought cupcakes , and I'm sure for Izzy it was grander than any palace invitation to a ball. It was really fun and cute.

Kids really surprise me too..it can be cold out and they just want to go outside and play and that they did for a while. There's nothing like a chilly January outside picnic with new friends.
One thing I LOVE about living so close to my parents is running into them unexpectedly at stores. Reminds me of living in Mexico and go into the tortilleria and seeing one of my aunts in line, or driving down the road and seeing my cousin in the lane next to us. I don't know why I like that so much, so it was great seeing my dad at our rare trip to Target. Plus BONUS he paid for everything in my cart and treated the girls to a snack there. I guess he was happy to see us too.

There was a very rare couple of days where it was nice and warm out this month! We totally took advantage of it. We spread a blanket out on the front lawn, I brought a book. the girls brought some toys but mostly we just soaked up the sun. Below is classic Izzy..princess dress and crown and yellow rain boots.

Every day she makes me laugh. She says some off the wall stuff or she imitates me in such a way. Like today she sat down very serious and said "Ewy (Elly) I need to talk to you! Then rambles on and gives her a hug and says "It's ok, I love you". Or also today when she runs up to me so excited and says "Mommy, mommy can we make a birthday cake for Chico?" and runs in with her step stool to help me. I don't need a break from her, she is my break. So refreshing and full of love and excitement for life.

Elly is trying to talk to us so badly, I feel for her sometimes that she gets drowned out. We noticed one night that she kept bringing us book in her room. We would start to read them and she would leave frustrated. Well we finally figured out that she wanted to read them like Izzy. Izzy has a couple she has down memorized (think "Goodnight Moon" and "I love you through and through") So Joe and I let her read those every night to us at the end and we clap and make a big deal on how she is "reading" lol. Well Elly was just trying to do the same thing. So one night she just took a book, opened it and startled babbling and pointing and turning the pages until she closed the book and looked up at us to clap. Joe and I just looked at each other with these faces, well I just wanted to cry.

Sigh...these kids just melt my heart.

And now the time where I like to ramble on what I have learned this month....

This month I have gotten into Food, Inc, No Impact Man, The Story of Stuff, and so on... thank to my Granola friends.

Just learning about where our food comes from again (in a non scary Peta way) and how it affects out health and the economy. Why is the dollar menu ever increasing but vegetables are more expensive?

Then No Impact Man really opened my eyes to how wasteful we are, with Electricity, water, disposables etc. By we, I mean our family. The trash doesn't even fit in our bin every week. Plus the electricity bill was through the roof and so much more.

The Story of Stuff you really have to watch the 20 min video because I can't do it justice but the interesting thing to me was when they said happiness levels have only continued to drop since the 1950's.

That's because we are so pressured to work so hard and so much to afford all these extra things, then to come home tired and just want to sit in front of the t.v, where we watch more commercials and shows that tell us how much we suck and need to go and buy more stuff to be happy, then we go buy the stuff, get a temporary high, then go back to work for more hours to pay for all that stuff. It's a terrible cycle. BUT also I think the reason happiness levels have dropped from the 1950's is because of the the feminist telling the women to go out, be like a man, bring home the bacon and you can have it all..because lets face it..you can never have it all.

My own divorced working mother in law told me...the kids come first because they are your kids, then the job comes second because that's what is going to support you and the kids if anything happens and oh..well #3 is the husband, he can fend for himself. She has some big regrets. So this is why I think and have good support, the divorce rate is one in two, we have women stressed out on anti-depressants, there is high credit card debt, mortgages that were above their means and families that only have time for fast food meals.... Consumerism and feminism one bad cocktail tearing our families apart. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are exceptions, and both consumerism and feminism have brought on some great things. But somebody is paying for it. Somewhere it got out of our hands. I hope I didn't blow a fuse in your mind, obviously these are my opinions.

If I wasn't unusual enough, I watched "The Business of Being Born"

with Ricky Lake, remember her? Wow how powerful. It was really eye opening on how backwards we have it when it comes to having babies. I definitely would like to have a home birth next time. Forget everything else that is wrong with medical intervention when its not necessary, what I really was shocked at was how the body produces Oxytocin and all those love hormones during the delivery so when the baby is born you feel that instant bond. You don't get those hormones when you use pictocin or have a C-section. The "Love Hormone" keeps you feeling protective over the baby. If a monkey has the baby cut out she will reject it and ignore it. Interesting no? This is a life changing experience and we prefer to be numb to it and not feel anything (me included there- I have had two epidurals). Again from the feminist side that 'forget the curse of Eve, if there are drugs I don't need to suffer or be in pain'. Truth is we are loosing natural birth and most doctors now have never even seen one! Are we headed down 100% C-Sections with included tummy tucks? Designer birth as it is called? Scary. Can the world survive without love?

Are you still with me?

So thats what I have been into this month..oh and wanting to grow a garden.

Today was the the start of our "No Impact week" and I have to say I feel really really good. We didn't watch any t.v. As a result the girls ate a lot more! (This suprised me) I cooked way better and my baking improved. The girls played more and were nicer to eachtoeher, they took two long baths, and we had family devotional time and dancing time. I bought a whole chicken at Harry's and made my own chicken stock, several meals for the week and even some yummy chicken salad with cage free eggs for Joe's lunch the next day. I did 5 loads of laundry,
and put away and ironed Joe's shirts. I washed dishes by hand, I fixed my comforer and cleaned my house. There was one point where the girls were playing outside and I was inside making my own cleaning supplies and using the containers I saved from the trash to store them in. I put my own carper freshner in a progresso bread crumbs container. I looked outside and thought how sweet life is and how lucky I am. I felt really really good today.

Maybe it was because I didnt see any comercials that made me feel bad about myself and what I dont have, or maybe it was because we had more time to hold hands and pray thoughtout the day, or it was the long nap we all took together in my bed. I dont know but I like it......


I pray you have a good month! Thanks for reading.

Dec 09 Wrap Up- Truly the most wonderful time of the year..

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year. That said, I had to weekly almost daily, reminded myself of what this time of year really is about. Its not about presents, stressing out, shopping madness, Santa Clause and a consumer driven holiday. Once I meditated on the fact that we are all sinners and that our awesome God sent his only son, most high, to be born in the most lowest of places to be sacrificed for us, so that we would be saved and given eternal life..well that just fills any heart with overflowing joy and thankfulness, at least to me it did. I was reminded of how truly blessed I was to have my family around me to enjoy it with and that we were all in good health. I really did have a stress free month and lots of fun with the girls with all my new traditions I decided on.

This month was full of so many great memories I wanted to remember, so its going to be a long post but I really want to document one of the few Christmas months I have with my girls when they are so little....


To recap it’s been pretty cold and wet in Marietta so we spent a lot of time inside, doing Christmas crafts, watching some Christmas movies, reading books on Baby Jesus, and it was the perfect time to get stubborn Izzy FINALLY potty trained! Elly loves to sit on the potty now so that gives me hope the next time around will be easier but for now I am just so happy to not have two in diapers..it was getting pretty expensive.

This month my parents moved to an apartment right next to my moms job, thank God! So now since she doesn’t drive she can just walk to work and my dad is free to find a job any hours. Plus Angel scored his dream job working at the library.

Joe had his Christmas party from work that was held at Ten Pin Alley in Atlanta that was a lot of fun. They rented the whole place out and had such an amazing spread of food that I literally spent the whole time eating and having a couple of dirty martinis. This lead to a big stomach ache later but was well worth it. We won a nice coffee maker that is so easy to use, even I can’t mess it up.

I had forgotten to bring along my camera since my dress had no pockets but I managed to take some low quality pics on my phone.

Corona + Bowling = a happy Joe.

Free Dirty Martinis + Me : A fun date companion!

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The pretty lights at Atlantic Station..this phone doesn't do it justice.

It was so much fun!

Moving on..Izzy loves Ballet! Loves to watch it and dance along. I hope to sign her up for classes at the Y next month. Here she is dancing along with the special on PBS.

Although she kind of resembles Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the above pose.

As a special treat I thought I would take her on a solo date to the ballet school performance at our church. We got all dressed up and she was so excited.Despite her face in this picture....She made it through most of it like a champ and then we left towards the end when she was getting squirmy and checked out their tree.As soon as we got in the car she passed out since it was way past her nap time. She must have been exhausted but held it together.

After her nap we decided to keep the special day going for her and take her out to dinner with Daddy.

More on Isabella...

I love who she is becoming. She shares with her sister without being told to, she enjoys helping me and loves to wear dresses all the time. Every day she wakes up and asks "Can we put a dress on me mommy?" and has quite interesting fashion choices at time.
-she is now obsessed with princesses! She just wants to play with her princesses and dress up as one and Cinderella is her favorite movie. Part of me worries about what this whole indoctrination is doing to her. Is she going to be another girl waiting for her prince charming to come along, sweep her off her feet and rescue her from some bad situation?

You know like in snow White, Cinderella, even the Little Mermaid. Maybe I am just overly sensitive to this. Well what can I do except talk to her when she understands that life doesn’t always play out like that. Although to be totally honest I do feel like Joe, was mine. He totally swept me of my feet and sort of did rescue me from a certain situation and took care of me. In fact today as the girls and I glanced out the window and saw Joe alone changing a tire, charging the battery of my car, and fixing a leak, I have to say he is my prince charming. I had a talk with April, my high school best friend and Izzy's godmother, about this and she agreed that there are a few prince charmings out there and you might have to kiss some frogs along the way but the point is never to settle until you find someone that treats you like a princess and nothing less. I agree! :)

So the house is now filled with castles, horses, princesses and barbies and I can see why Joe so badly wants a boy! This is all a lot of fun for me though. I feel like I get to relive my childhood all over again and those old movies still get me all emotional.

Elysia-

It's hard to get pictures of her because she is always on the go-go. Going out with her she just wants to be set free and go.She is so different from Izzy at her age. She is not much of a talker, she can tell the dog “down!” when he’s on the couch and can say all our names and a random word like Donald but thats about it. She is much more of a thinker and observer. She can follow almost any instructions you give her though which impresses me. Like go here and bring me back this…where Izzy would totally forget about the second part of the request at age one.

She is still a really good sleeper and has the new ability to sleep through anything like her big sister crying or screaming at the top of her lungs for a long time or turning the light on and playing in the middle of the night or early morning. Thank God for that!

She loves Veggie Tales and starts to clap and cheer when the music comes on.

I have these cd’s I bought at Lifeway that are Christian songs for kids and there is one that is obviously her favorite favorite. Whenever it comes on she goes crazy and does a Stevie Wonder sort of dace in her car seat.

Here they are playing together before bed time. They really do love sharing a room together.

Chico-

Is adjusting to the chaos in this house and subjected to lots of abuse from the girls in the form of kisses, sometimes rough play and medressing him up in ridiculous outfits. Its like another barbie doll which I should add he loves to chew on their arms and all of them have become plastic amputees to which Izzy always looks at and mutterer's to herself, "Bad Chico."

Here is a random picture of Izzy showing you how NOT to pick your nose.

Our moms class from church got together this month at our teachers class and during out get together we worked on some no-sew blankets for the poorest community in our country. It was a great way to sit together in groups and talk and make something together.

One thing that could have stressed me out but I prayed really hard about it was the event I was organizing at a senior center for my homescholing group. My idea was to have kids make home made Christmas cards and pass them out to the seniors and visit with them. I had no idea if it would happen, if any one would show and if it would turn out to be a disaster but I put my faith in God it would all work out and it did!

Here we are making the cards at my house a week prior.

Cute huh?

That week we stayed home a lot and I love turning off the t.v and just telling the girls to entertain themselves. Here they are having races around the house. Izzy gets way competitive even if Elly is always trailing behind.

One really cool thing we did was turn a diaper box into a sleigh using some bungee cords and I pulled the girls around the house, I didn't think to take a picture and then the sleigh was destroyed by guess who..yup the puppy that chews up everything!

I found these counting chips at Goodwill one day. Perfect for me and the girls and I am happy that Elly does NOT try to swallow them.

That day Izzy wasn't feeling very well so I let her watch a movie and she requested I make her a sick hat.

My goal that week was to make sure we had 50 cards made so I turned my girls into a little card making sweatshop telling them it was elves work..oh who am I kidding, it was mostly me making all those cards trying to pass them off as the work of a two year old..my poor crafty skill made that totally possible!

We were invited to two birthday parties this month. One was Sienna's party where there were lots of girls and a truck full of yup you guessed it..princess dresses so she was in heaven.
That following week I tried to make a lesson plan showing her how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world. Naturally I brought up Mexico and posadas and even made her a dinky little pinata...at first she wasn't too impressed.

But then when I hung it up and let her beat it with the broom stick she got totally into it!

This month I started to really teach ESL at the church. Me and another lady gor our own classroom and group of level 4 students. I wasn't nervous anymore because I prayed and prayed about it. I am lucky to have such an awesome co-teacher. She comes to my house to have dinner the night before and we go over the lesson plan and who does what, although a blurry pic this is our classroom and Nichole bought little treats for the class for our last class of the year.

One of the students brought in some yummy food from her Japanese background that kills me that I cant remember the names of but it was delicious! I think we are going to try to make it a thing where maybe each month a student will share something like that with us about where they are from instead of just trying to teach them English and our customs. I have to say I LOVE it. They are so grateful we all volunteer to do this but they have no idea what they give me in return.

Before our classes everyone got together and we sang "Silent Night" and everybody got to go up in groups and sing it in their native language. That made me want to cry.

The next day was finally the big Elmcroft event. I can't tell you how much I prayed about this. That we would bring joy to the seniors, that we would all feel the Holy Spirit, that people would show up, everyone had a card, that we would bring enough food and drink and it would be all about Christ and his love for us all.

The Lord did not dissapoint. There was a big turn out of Seniors who came downstairs for this one.

Thanks to Tania, the organizer of the homeschool group, she brought her kids to play the piano and another family to play the violin and piano too. Man they LOVED IT! Hearing kids play music for them was pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

I really don't get when people say homeschool kids are weird because all the ones I meet I am so impressed with! Especially all the kids who showed up to this event. They were so respectfull, so comfortable around the elderly and socialized well with them and the other children of all ages and I love that we moms were teaching them the joy of sharing with other at Christmas time.

They were so happy to play music for them over and over. It gave me such a warm feeling seeing our cards in their hands. The night before I stuck Christmas bible verses in each card and I found one where one of the little boys had already written "Jesus, came for you! Merry Christmas" I hope that touched someone.

Afterwards while others were serving them the tons of sweets and snacks we brough, (I was worried they would only have my burnt sugar cookies but everyone brought lots of yummy stuff) we sang them carols. After a few rounds we got them to sing along with us and well..that.was.so.heartwarming.

A special thanks to my friend Diane who even though her kids were at school, and not in the homeschool group, still came to help out, talk to the seniors and spread her Christmas cheer. She did not have to do that so I am so grateful.

Since most of the time I was running around with a cranky teething Elly in my arms, Izzy sort of found her way to a couple of adopted grandmas. I couldnt believe how still and quiet she sat on their laps for such long periods of time. They loved it of course and when I tried to take her away they begged me to leave her there longer.

She seems to really like Walkers too.

I couldn't have asked for a better day and plan on doing something for Valentines Day or Easter at least. They kept begging us all to come back really really soon and bring the kids back and how much they just loved our company. We saw our favorite resident from our last visit and I found out she had two girls close like mine. Well they are all big now and have kids of their own but she wanted to stress to me how fast it goes and to truly truly enjoy it now when they are so little.

Afterwards one of the other moms said how her daughter afterwards in the car said she felt lighter. WOW! That is exactly how I felt every time I left but couldnt explain it. Thats exactly right though..you feel lighter. Maybe its sort of this appreciation of your youth or the thrill of making someones day or I dont know....I just thank God for it. Thank you to everyone who made that wonderful morning possible.

That following weekend at church Izzy "made" a cute craft at sunday school and a paper chain link with instructions to tear off one each day counting down to Jesus Bday, what a great idea to explain to them the concept of time before the big anticipated day.

The following week we went to Jessica's house to get our twin baby fix. OH MY they are just too cute for words and I am not even a baby person..really.

Izzy loves to just stare at them and say "WOW 2 babies!" while Elly gets really jelouse if I pick one of them up.

One day I stayed up really late making curtains for the girls room but I figured out a new trick. If you put a new toy in the girls bedroom before you go to bed, they will let you sleep in for a good while. 9am I think it was. Joe's co-worker gave him this kitchen so I put it at the end of Izzys bed that night.

I decided to give the girls dinning table a little pick me up so I got some paints and went for it one morning. Elly was the one who wanted to help me most. Izzy was too busy playing princess dress up and didnt want to get her dress dirty.

It didnt turn out that fantastic but Izzy said "Thank you mommy! Its so colorful, I'm so proud of you!"

That afternoon we were going to see the Holl's (Ellys godmother) who we haven't seem much since October because of the holiday craziness. I think I have metioned they have a playroom the size of my entire first floor and as soon as Izzy saw Sophia's new Princess house with a kitchen and nursery inside, she was gone!

Last year Helen gave me the best present, a crock pot! I use that sucker ALL THE TIME. Great present and this year again she did it to me. A while back I mentioned how at the homeschool conference one of the mothers recommended this book as her #1 especially for big families and for planning ahead meals. This was so long ago and I can't believe she remembered it and gave it to me!

I love it! I can see I am going to use it as my staple and I already have made so many great recipes from it.

A few nights before Christmas Joe indulged me in one of my new traditions. I got the girls in their PJ's and tucked them into bed and went downstairs to fix some hot chocolate in their sippy cups and get their coats ready. Then I went back upsatirs busted into their room and yelled, "Get Up! We are going to go see Christmas lights!!!!" Boy were they ever excited!

Joe had a long day at work and was a little skeptical of my plan, even he didn't know where we were going.....

First stop was our crazy neighbors house who goes all out!

Then we went to Lights of Life. We did go last year but Elly was just a teeny tiny baby and this time we parked to get a closer look. Even the dog came with us.

Even Joe admited how it was really nice but the only draw back was the following night the girls did not want to go to sleep because they kept waiting fo me to bust in again and rescue them from bed time...sorry kiddos, next year!

Oh and let me tell you that dog got more compliments than both my kids put together ever did!

The day before Christmas we just relaxed at home and made more craft projects. All day in our pj's!

Oh, I almost forgot. The other birthday we were invited to was Sophias 4rth birthday party. It was at this place called PUMP IT UP in Marietta that was actually super close to me and I never knew about it. It was in this warehouse off of Canton Rd which I couldnt belive the little gem they had tucked away there.

Izzy had a blast jumping around on all the inflatables...

Except this everest! It was huge and had two entrances and all sorts of challenges to get to the top. Well my little girl went in but never came out. I gave her lots of time to try to do it on her own but when kids kept going in and out and still no sign of her I sent the employee in to get her. She just told me "I was stuck momma" and stayed clear from that one and moved on.

Finally it was time for the big day.....Christmas eve.

The girls in their almost matching dresses.

Waiting for my brother and parents..

My dad really loves Chico for some reason. I think he ends up playing with the dog more than with the girls.

Izzys aunt Yari bought a matching dress for her doll too.

I was absent from these pictures because I was hard at work making Joe his traditional Christmas Even dinner. I think my parents were a little dissapointed that "their" rice wasn't on the table (White Rice and Black Beans) and instead I made a kick ass Arrroz con Gandules (think yellow rice with pidgeon peas) and I made the BEST pernil if I do say so myself. I made my own Adobe rub, injected that bad boy with garlic cloves and basted it every 30 minutes all day. Even my mom said it was incredible.

Izzy loves to help me cook or bake anything. If I am in the kitchen she walks in and ask “What cha cooking mommy? Ohhh can I help, I’ll do it” and gets her little Publix apron out of the cabinet. She actually can be pretty helpful.

Afterwards we did my brothers and I favorite tradition of watching "The Small One" and a couple other Disney Holiday short movie classics. Even my dad was into it. We opened our gifts and when they left it was time to put the girls down and try to keep them down until the light of day.

For CHRISTMAS, finally!

They didnt get a lot of gifts from us, well a barbie each, Izzy got a dress up trunk and Elly got blocks and a ball popper cho choo train. A co-worker of Joes said to take advantage now when they are little because Christmas tends to get much more expensive when they are older and can ask for things!

I can't believe two years ago Izzy was wearing those same Christmas PJ's!

Wasting no time...


Joe playing with the blocks at least and showing the girls how to make castles.

They eventually lost interest and went on to other much more girly things, poor dad!

The day after Christmas we told the girls after nap time we would use the gift cards grandpa and Aunt Yari send and could go to Toys R Us... They were going to Toys R Us for the first time in both their lives! Yeah when I say toy store to the girls they know it as GOODWILL so this was a real treat.

Unfortunalty as soon as we got down the driveway we realized we had a flat on the mini-van. We all had to get out of the car and Izzy said "Oh no! The car is broken, don't worry I'LL FIX IT!" but she didnt follow through on that.

Bummer.

HOWEVER, there is no stopping not one or two but three girls who are all dressed and ready to SHOP! Joe was sadly outnumbered and while he wanted to get it taken care of right then, we ended up piling into daddy's car and on our way to the store...hehehe girl power!

Note to self..telling a toddler she can pick one toy in a store like Toys R Us, will make you want to pull your hair out. Homegirl could not decide. Joe and I were like "How about this? Or this? Or THAT?!" but she kept holding out saying "No daddy, I no want it" and kept perusing.

Finally choices were made for what else....

A princess castle with more plastic little pieces and a Snow White figurine set.

Now for dinner I dont know who came up with the brillaint idea (probably me) that it would be fun to go to the mall across the street for dinner. You know the food court! I should explain we don't EVER go to malls. So we thought this would be a fun treat..but on the day after Christmas..FAIL! It was soooo soo packed and since we brought Joes car we forgot the stroller and carrying Elly who practically flung herself to the floor to run around was a handfull. When we finally snatched a table at the food court we sent dad out in the mayhem to bring back food for his starving family.

Izzy didn't make a peep and ate a little bit of her chineese food but girl was all about her new toy.The next day we took it easy and while they played all day without the t.v on with their new toys I did let Izzy watch her favorite part of..yup you guessed it Cinderrella in her Cinderrella dress and glass slippers. I swear she has become better at walking in heels that I am!

I learned this month you do some pretty creative thngs when you dont turn the t.v on. For example our Ikea dressers finally bit the dust. While Joe just took his to the curb and smashed it in pieces, (actually he said he just threw it over the porch and it fell completely apart..which is why he hates Ikea) I got the idea to make mine into a puppet show box for the girls. Too bad I didnt get a good picture (long story) but I made some curtains, painted it and its become one of the girls favorite things to play with. Not so much puppet show but they love to just sing songs or hide out.

I read a lot of great books this month. A lot were by Dr. Kevin Leman. How to make your kids mind without loosing yours, Have a new kid by Friday and even the birth order books which I do not recomend unless you want to torture yourselves. I loved “Revolutionary Parenting: How to raise a Spiritual Champion” by George Barna. Also The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults (Paperback)
~ Randall Neustaedter, once I finished it I was totally horrified that I had vaccinated the kids and begged God to protect them and I vowed never to vaccinate or give a flu shot to any of my now kids and future kids…ever. Oh also “The two side of love” was good and I still don’t know if I am an otter or a lion.

One movie that really struck me this month was NOT Avatar in 3D(that was Joe's favorite) but was “Revolutionary Road”. Whoa. Its basically happy couple in love, whoops has kids, ends up in the suburbs, wife stays home, husband goes to a job he hates and they are just so miserable. Not the exciting fulfilling lives they imagined. Even though this is set in the 1950’s might as well be in today’s age. If they thought that was a hopeless, capitalistic driven country what would they say now where one income, one car no longer cuts it..or so we think. I really felt for Kate Winslets character even though watching it I kept thinking how lucky and blessed they are and how I would be estatic if I had a house like that, looked perfect all the time, and stayed home.

A reality that includes raising the kids, cooking, and taking care of their husbands. Is it really all that terrible?

I think I am so lucky and happy that I can so those things and sacrifice a lot to be able to make my family my carreer and take pride in that. I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me! Am I weird because I don’t ever want to get a conventional job, that I don’t feel tied down at all, in fact I feel I am free to pursue all of my passions and have more freedom that a carrer gal. Is that some delusion of mine? That the time I am investing in my kids is going to pay off in ways that I can’t even imagine that could trickle down to generations down the line and possibly make a difference somewhere sometime. I actually thought a lot about that, that night.Trying to figure out why I had no desire for a big shot career tracing it back to my stay at home mom and happy childhood and the next morning talked to Joe about it and he just cleared it all up for me with a just a couple of sentences. “Honey, all those people needed were God, if they had God in their lives they would have been grateful and happy, really loved eachother, if they would have moved to Paris the same problems would have followed them there.” How simple and yet I couldn’t come up with that on my own. God is Love.

I know staying home is not for everyone but if you are lucky enough to be in that situation you should see what a blessing it really is, I think so anyways.

Jessica and I have been talking a-lot about how we belonged in the 50’s. We enjoy our lives, and she is looking to volunteer with the USO. How fortunate and excited we are that we can volunteer at causes we believe in. We’re planning on renting an R.V and driving around the country when the kids are older. Life is fun and still an adventure even if we are not traveling around the world. Having kids does not mean your life is over.

I write this blog to remember all these wonderful memories and changes in my life but its also my prayer that maybe just maybe it will reach someone who needs a word of encouragement, a different outlook on staying home, raising kids especially since we all know it can be very isolating and a big adjustement. Lord knows, I have been inspired by others blogs and learned so much from them. Life is truly what you make of it and while I know it can't be fun 24/7 it is a gift from God and I vow never to take a second of it for granted.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

O God,

We thank you for this earth, our home; for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the ocean and streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and green grass.

We thank you for our senses by which we hear the songs of birds, and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, and taste autumn's fruit, rejoice in the feel of snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers.

Grant us a heart opened wide to all this beauty; and save us from being so blind that we pass unseeing when even the common thornbush is aflame with your glory.

For each new dawn is filled with infinite possibilities for new beginnings and new discoveries. Life is constantly changing and renewing itself. In this new day of new beginnings with God, all things are possible. We are restored and renewed in a joyous awakening to the wonder that our lives are and, yet, can be.

Amen.

I guess this is my testimony?

Lately the Lord has been laying something on my heart heavily. I have been going through some awesome changes and completely, I mean completely turning my life over to him. I can no longer deny the rightly desire in my heart and soul to please my God and no selfish desire or plan has ever or will ever give me a greater satisfaction than abandoning my ship and seeking greener pastures with my Lord. Most days I feel my heart is going to explode with gratitude and love. I have had quite a relationship with God.

Since I was young my aunts were are still are deeply devout catholics and went to church almost every day. They would stay up ant talk to me and answer my questions until the wee hours of the morning. When we moved away to Florida and I rebelled and got kicked out at 16- I headed back to Mexico. To live with those aunts who took me to the church and I was home again. When I left back to Florida and got married way too young for the wrong reasons I strayed. Terrible things were happening in my life and I started to go back to a Catholic Church almost daily before work and confessions every week.

One day I heard the voice of God calling me and said I was his, I was to console his heart for all the pain his people were causing him, rejecting him, using his name in vain, etc. I will never forget that day, I had begged God to use me and what happened I sort of freaked and went in the opposite direction. I rebelled to quite an extreme. I ruined my life. I thought I knew better, I would do whatever made me feel good, I didn't care about anybody else but myself.

Despite that God gave me a way out, but that didn't change the fact I would experience such pain and loose EVERYTHING and be apart from him in the wilderness for a while, I had a small scare with cervical cancer and was told I would not have children. I was hopeless.

He still took mercy on me and sent an angel to rescue me from wanting to commit suicide. I felt the Lords presence in my room that cold night when I was alone so very far away from home. I knew then I was forgiven and loved and would never be alone again. In just 6 months God would give me everything I had dreamed of. A good man, a baby on the way. a place to live and my parents living nearby. Distractions got in the way though and not until recently that I have connected again with him. Sure I went to church here and there, prayed a little, but I was absent.

When I *really* came back to church I felt God say "There you are, what took you so long..oh well never mind I have been waiting for you, boy do I have some wonderful things I have been waiting to share with you, are you ready to get started?" and I sort of dipped my toes in for a while and though, "No, no this can't all be real, I'm crazy, better not tell anyone about this" and going as far as to doubt everything! I could feel God patiently sighing and waiting for me and in the meanwhile doing works in me, sending the right people in my life, and showing me great wonders that he was in fact there, working in my life.

So now I feel like I am totally ready to commit to God. Heart and Soul. I don't want any other way of life. I mean after all WHO KNOWS BEST? US? Buahahahaha.

Franky it takes more faith to believe that the earth just so happened to be 93 million miles away from the sun, and just so happened the atmosphere became a combination of nitrogen and oxygen and just so happened to balance at about 79 to 20 percent with 1 percent variant gasses, and it just so happened that around the earth there was a blanket of ozone protecting it from cosmic rays, and it just so happened that there is 2/3 water and 1/3 land mass ration and just so happened the water was a fortuitous combination of molecules of protein that happen to come together in just the right time, at the right place, in the right proportions, under right pressure, under right heat and spontaneously and these generated into a first cell. Oh come on.

For those of you struggling with Jesus just read on because this is fascinating and facts:


Professor Peter W. Stoner who authored “Science Speaks” stated that the probability of just eight particular prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 in 1017, i.e. 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000). The eight prophecies used in the calculation were:

1. Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; fulfilled in Matt. 2:1-7; John 7:42; Luke 2:47).

2. Messiah is to be preceded by a Messenger (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; fulfilled in Matthew 3:1-3; 11:10; John 1:23; Luke 1:17).

3. Messiah is to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; fulfilled in Luke 35-37; Matthew 21:6-11).

4. Messiah is to be betrayed by a friend (Psalms 41:9; 55:12-14; fulfilled in Matthew 10:4; 26:49-50; John 13:21).

5. Messiah is to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; fulfilled in Matthew 26:15; 27:3).

6. The money for which Messiah is sold is to be thrown “to the potter” in God’s house (Zechariah 11:13; fulfilled in Matthew 27:5-7).

7. Messiah is to be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; fulfilled in Matthew 27:12).

8. Messiah is to be executed by crucifixion as a thief (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 53:5,12; fulfilled in Luke 23:33; John 20:25; Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27,28).

This statement was validated by the American Scientific Affiliation. This number has been illustrated as follows:

If we take 1 X 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas, they'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one?

Professor Stoner went on to consider 48 prophecies and says, “… We find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157.


This is approximately the total number of electrons in all the mass of the known universe. In other words the probability of Jesus Christ fulfilling 48 prophecies is the same as one person being able to pick out one electron out of the entire mass of our universe.

Such is the chance of any one man fulfilling any 48 prophecies. Yet Jesus Christ fulfilled not just 48 prophecies, not just 61 prophecies, but more than 324 individual prophecies that the Prophets wrote concerning the Messiah. I haven’t been able to find the statistical projection representing the possibility of Jesus Christ fulfilling 324 prophecies but I really don’t think it matters given the illustrations set forth above.

Does it really take faith to come to salvation through Jesus Christ? Absolutely but that faith is not a blind faith as some would want you to believe but instead, it is a faith based upon facts. How much faith? Maybe not very much if one really takes the time to look at the facts and take into consideration the statistics and probability of the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

When someone tries to tell you that Christianity is a religious faith based upon ignorant acceptance of certain precepts that have no basis in fact, they are sadly mistaken. Christianity only makes sense. It is a faith that not only can be an emotional faith (which it is), it is also an intellectual faith.

Given the odds, I wouldn’t bet against it. Would you? I used to love Bill Maher but when he said on the Jay Leno show that faith was lack in critical thinking he could not be more wrong. Faith is believing in God's word and acting on it no matter how you feel because it promises a good result.

I am ready for God to use me and to serve him. I find myself now shouting, "I am ready God!" and him saying lets get to work.

What has really been bothering me is I have not an ounce of interest in school anymore. Quadratic Equations seem so unimportant to me right now. I really struggle with this. I always wanted this back up plan in case...so many factors but I realize now God is my greatest back up plan.

How interesting that in the past 2 years I have had to quit my job (long story) the shoe store I worked part time had no more hours, every single job that I apply for something happens, they are interested in me and my skills but I have had phone disconnections during phone interviews, EMAILS BLOCKED from the person sending me info, in short it never happens for me. Clearly God wants me at home and for other purposes. So I say God I need a little bit of extra money, so Joe gets not one but TWO extra bonuses and I get a translation job fall right in my lap. I feel like God wants me to do freelance translation work from home and stop killing myself with this full or even part time school work for a job I don't even want!!! Man that does sound crazy..only to have a back up??? God is my back up. I feel very drawn to languages. I love teaching English to Adults Wed nights, I love teaching kids Spanish, and I love translating documents to keep me sharp in my Spanish and doing it from home when the kids are asleep. This all feels so very right to me and where God is calling me...not Web Design.

I see the more I serve him, the more I pray, the more I focus on him and say God- you be God and have trust that he will take care of it the more blessed we are and I am not even talking in a material way because let me tell you after a bible study I did, I see how covetousness can destroy you. Can I really take that new rug to heaven? Is it better to spend money on more toys for an overflowing room or make blankets for the babies in the poorest county of our own nation in West Virginia. I am no longer impressed by how much you have, but what you do with what you have.

So here I lay it down..
Lord,
Any thing
Any where
Any time
At any cost

signed...Karen Rodriguez

I know this makes people uncomfortable all this "God" stuff but I don't care. It's my blog and I will not be ashamed to talk about how awesome he is. If you don't want to be my friend anymore because I am Christian, go to Church, whatever, there will always be a reason to hate me, hey they did it with Jesus but I will still be praying for you, loving you, and hey still being me. I'm not going to be hiding behind the punch bowl at Holiday parties popping out to saying "Hey, have you heard about Jesus?" or in a How-I-Met-Your-Mother sort of way...Haaaaavveee you met Jesus?"ok that made me chuckle but I am not going to be ashamed or hide my beliefs and personally, along with my family we are going to take it up a notch. BAM!

I know Gods role for me right now is to be home and be a teacher to my children. There is no greater job, there isn't. End of story. To love them and teach them about God and love them some more. You can't deny the sad shape the youth are in today. Just look at an episode of Flavor of Love or Rock of Love and see how those girls grow up with issues and needed to be loved by both a mother and a father.

I love how my mothers class at church has finally given me a real sense of direction in parenting in a Godly way. Man was I ever confused by the endless parenting books I have read. 1-2-3 Magic, New Kid by Friday, The Toddler Whisperer, Happiest Toddler on the Block...AHHHHH

So this class comes from a biblical sense and I love having Godly role models who had lots of kids, whose daughters are sitting in that same class with me and seeing how they turned out to be beautiful strong, God loving mothers themselves and still learning from their mom teaching the class, man that is awesome!

Last week we talked about Spanking and I thought this was not pleasing to God and felt guilty the few times I did it, like I was going to screw them up (especially after reading those books) but going in the scriptures I saw that it was not only OK with God (done properly) but necessary. I talked to Joe about this (who has never spanked the girls ever) and I was surprised to get the response, "Yeah, why do you think kids are the way they are now, look at the crime, how kids treat their parents! They need a good spanking." I don't know how I turned into the disciplinarian (well since I am home most) but Joe is going to have to learn to walk the talk. lol
I feel like I finally have a clear parenting direction and I only had to go to one book to get it and have a peace about it...THE BIBLE.

Also I have been feeling very convicted about Birth Control. It was thought that the OrthoVera patch or whatever was what caused my cervical displasia to advanced. Still even after the surgery where they removed a chunk of my cervix (ewwwww TMI huh?) I never went on birth control again. I did not want to chance it. I obviously was not on it when I met Joe and got pregnant. That was a much welcomed surprise since I thought it was not going to happen. The fact that I had an awesome pregnancy where I worked flying on an airplane all day and gave birth at 40 weeks was remarkable. Then when Izzy turned a year, surprise again...WHAT???

I stressed so much that entire pregnancy it nearly destroyed me and my marriage. How could we afford it? There was no way and yet I laugh now because we are in a bigger place, have 2 cars, one being a mini-van, a room full of toys and they have never gone without. What was I so stressed about? I had no faith! I didn't get to really enjoy Elly being a baby because I worked from home at first long hours and went to school, it was insane! For my stupid back up plan.

Then I went from no birth control to the mack daddy Mirena. I remember being in the doctors office saying "I CANNOT have any more kids!" The thought alarmed me. After a couple months I had never felt so sick in my life!! I was one of the very rare 1% with the worst side effects. Imagine feeling pregnant but your not and having migraines 24/7 EVERY DAY. I ran to have it taken out once I went on the Mirena forums and figured out what was wrong with me a long 3 months later. I didn't even have to pay for it, Mirena said it was on them "my bad" no hard feelings.

Clearly God does not want me on birth control and every time I fight it oh lets see, I get cervical dysplasia or the worst side effects possible without dying. In a world where so many women are barren and can't have babies I am closing down God's factory because my timing is more important. And we all know women who had babies even after their tubes were tied or were on the pill so who are we kidding. After that I vowed never to be on hormonal birth control again. I did get a diaphragm but I even struggled with that. One, it is a pain in the ass and two, come on..I'm not fooling God.

He has really been showing me a new love for my children, strengthening my desire even more to home school them and lately very strongly to leave the timing and size of our family up to him. Yes, call me crazy but I am totally into the Quiverfull movement. Now I am not going to stop wearing makeup, heels, pants, and sewing my own jumpers...although I did get a sewing machine and very much into the idea of making my own clothes for me and the girls but more project runway style, but I am so into lots of siblings for my kids, trusting God's will for us, family bible time, pillow fights, family vacations, late night talks and embracing the thought that children are a blessing from the Lord and happy is he who has a quiver full of them for they shall not be ashamed but shall speak with their enemies at the gate.

I can not deny this conviction any longer. Today I read this too I wanted to share.

Ten Great Reasons To Have Another Child



Have another child to join with God in the creation of an immortal soul.

Parents are given the incredible opportunity to assist God in the creation of an immortal soul. As the late Cardinal Mindszenty said, even the angels have not been given such a grace.

“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body...Even the angels have not been given such a grace! What is more glorious than this—to be a mother.” Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty Reason


Have another child to bring joy into your life.

There is no joy like the joy of welcoming another child into your life. You will marvel anew at how perfectly formed your little one is, and over how quickly you will fall head over heels in love with him. You will be enchanted with every tiny aspect of her appearance. The color of her hair, the shape of her nose, and the winsomeness of her smile will occasion endless happy debates about from which side of the family (yours, of course) she got that adorable trait.

The birth of a child will bind you to God more tightly than ever before, in awed gratitude. “She was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened in my life,” Whittaker Chambers wrote about his new daughter in Witness. And in the lives of most of us.


I thought that one day
I would be a famous artist
and create great works of art

Instead, God made me a mother,
and my children are His masterpiece.

The design of their lives
will live on after me.
What is painted on their hearts
will last an eternity
- Anonymous


Have another child to grown in holiness and virtue.

For those who marry and have families, children are the primary means God uses to help them grow in holiness and virtue. Children teach their parents patience, perseverance, charity, and humility. They give their parents the opportunity to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. They come into the world naked, and we clothe them, hungry and we feed them. Thirsty, and we give them drink. All of the things that we are required to do for the “least of these our brothers,” we do first and foremost for our own children. St. Catherine of Siena once had a vision in which God took her to a roomful of crosses and told her to pick one. St. Catherine went to the largest, heaviest cross in the room and would have chosen it. But God told her that it was not for her: That was reserved for the parents of large families.

“Mary gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes.” Luke 2:7


Have another child to help end abortion.

When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by a young mother about the best way to proceed with pro-life work, she responded emphatically, “Have a big family. That is the best way to end abortion!”

How this works is not difficult to understand. As children become more rare due to contraception, sterilization and abortion, whole segments of society become less and less familiar with the sense of joy and hope that only babies and children can give. In this climate, contraception and abortion feed on themselves, as the increasingly selfish few further reduce their number.

By having another child, you demonstrate once again to the world that children are God’s greatest gifts. “Children build up the life of the family and society,” as Pope John Paul II has said. “The child becomes a gift to its brothers and sisters, parents and entire family. Its entire life becomes a gift for the very people who were givers of life and who cannot help but feel its presence, its sharing in their life and its contribution to the common good and to the community of the family.”

The more children there are in society, the more pro-life that society will become, and the easier it will be for the great evil of abortion to be eradicated once and for all.

“Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19


A) Have another child so your sons will have brothers and your daughters will have sisters.

Children who have siblings learn early to share. They learn to take turns and to put the needs of others before their own. The bond formed between brothers and sisters is lifelong, and stronger than the bond between the closest friends.

“How good it is, how pleasant, where the brothers dwell as one!” Psalm 133:1-2

B) Have another child so your sons will have sisters and your daughters will have brothers.

Boys who have sisters learn the dignity of women. They learn to treat other girls and women with respect, as they consider how they would like their own sisters to be treated. Girls who have brothers learn the complementarity of men and women, both fashioned in the image and likeness of God.

“Love begins by taking care of the closest ones—the ones at home.” Mother Teresa


Have another child so you (and your parents) won’t be lonely in old age.

People who have children don’t have to rely upon strangers to care for them in their old age. Children also become the parents of your grandchildren. Grandchildren bring joy, happiness, and laughter, while still allowing you to get a good night’s sleep! “Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their parentage.”Proverbs 17:6


Have another child because people are our greatest resource.

Humans are blessed with the gifts of an intellect and free will. It is human ingenuity that discovers creative solutions to the problems which confront us. People without children should remember that it will be someone else’s child who will become the doctor that performs their life-saving operations. Someone else’s child will become the firefighter that saves their house. Someone else’s child will become the railroad engineer.

“How can there be too many children? That’s like saying there are too many flowers.”
Mother Teresa


Have another child to contribute to the economy.

Families with children are fuel to the economy, purchasing houses and cars and college educations. Without young people to enter the workforce, social security systems fail. Without children to attend school, teachers are jobless. Many industries, from fast food restaurants to toy stores, obviously rely heavily upon business from and for children to stay in business. But ultimately the whole economy does.

“Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home, Like olive plants your children around your table. Just so will they be blessed who fear the Lord.” Psalm 128:3-4


Have another child to counter global depopulation.

Anyone who has traveled from coast to coast in the United States and seen the vast empty spaces should know that America is not overpopulated. In fact, the entire population of the world could live in the state of Texas, in single-family dwellings with front and back yards. Fertility rates are falling everywhere. The world’s population will never again double. If current trends continue, world population will peak by the middle of this century and then begin demographic freefall. Our long-term problem is not too many children, but too few children. Having another child will help offset the coming population implosion.

“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth.” Genesis 1:28.


Have another child to help populate heaven.

The child that you and your spouse have been generous in accepting from God was created to return to Him, after a life of love, service, and obedience on earth, to spend eternity with God in heaven. Our Lord Himself said that there was plenty of room for those immortal souls. There is no overpopulation problem in Heaven!

“There are many mansions in my Father’s house.” John 14:2

So yes, I want to take a break from school, be the best mother and wife I can be, enjoy the many many blessings the Lord has given me and not waste my time away on distraction from the real jewels in my life. I hear God calling "Surrender to me, You belong to me, Let's get to work" and me saying "YES!!!!!" and praising him for never ever ever giving up me through all my wrong doings all these years. He has been ever so faithful all of eternity to me and now its my turn forever. Not because I HAVE TO but because I WANT TO.

So thats where I am right now. Thought I should record it on my blog because I am excited for what comes after this. The good, the bad, the tests from God, the blessings, the suprises....I am ready!

November 09 Wrap Up

Wow this has been such a fun and exciting month. The holidays are here and this year, with the girls ages 2 (almost 3) and Elly 1, makes it for a real fun time. Things have been going really great at church and I noticed a huge difference when during turkey week I neglected my bible studies, devotions and praying..God's word really is the bread of life and I learned every quickly what truly mattered and how I will not be ok without it for a while. It really is my strength. Its so easy to get caught up in the craziness of this end of the year time and focusing on the wrong things. Going into next month I am going to remind myself all the time that it is a month to help and think of others and the birth of our savior...NOT me, me, me, gifts, Santa Claus and well you get the picture.

I am almost done with this semester and I feel like seriously taking a semester off. I am so uninterested and burnt out from this semester I would hate to bring down my G.P.A. This semester Joe had school Mon, Wed and I had Tues, Thurs nights so we only had Fri nights together and that is really not enough. I really hate the days when I am not there to put the kids in bed. Besides I think I may have more of a future in the translation work field.
Thanks to God, a couple jobs came to me this month. I did nothing to search for them, they literally fell into my lap. I really enjoy the work and its something I can do from home and during nap times and after the girls bedtime and its a nice little extra help money wise. I got one job offer out of the blue this month to work for a translation service as the person who goes out and gets the accounts which just made me think I would rather do that myself for MY company so I will continue to pray about it and see where God leads me on this.

The beginning of this month we took a 5 day trip to Florida. We had visions of it being a fun trip with going to the beach, Casadega and Joe's mom helping us lots with the girls so we could go out. Well NONE of that happened. Instead both girls got sick the night before we left. In fact the never feel asleep and by 3:30am we were so fed up we just put them in the car and started drive. They were sick the entire time! Joe's mom was too intimated to watch them alone (I totally understood) so I let Joe go and hang out with his cousins and sister a couple nights while I tended to the cranky bunch. Joe and I got sick towards the end too so no one was sleeping and it was well...awful. We are not going back until we can just fly, take a shuttle to a Disney resort, eat at their million restaurants chicken fingers, go to the parks, and take a shuttle back to airport and that's it. So maybe we will do that next year. Then maybe next year Joe and I can also take a real vacation without the kids, I am dreaming of New York!

So here are some random pictures of the month.

Our trip to FL- Elly is starting to look more and more like me. Aunt Yari bought the girls beautiful dresses for the wedding. Izzy kept saying she felt like a princess.

Our only family picture...well Izzy is passed out on the couch but that was the best we could do the whole trip.

I tried my best to control sick Elly but all she wanted to do was walk around the whole place and rub her snotty nose on everything so I spent most of my time during the ceremony in the hallway and bathroom . We couldn't even stay for the reception because they were just a hot mess. Poor Joe drove an hour to drop us off, then an hour to go back only to get there when it was ending. At least he got to play dominos with everyone at his cousins house after that.

It really was a nice wedding too had we missed it and Uncle Johns dance off to get the dancing going. I heard he did a mean worm.

Izzy getting out of he car.

A lot of people say that Izzy looks just like Aunt Yari did when she was little.

One of my highlights of the trip was going to Pollo Tropical. Man I wish they had one of these here and no its not the same as El Pollo Loco. This is my dad's fav and he used to take us every weekend since we moved to FL until I left the house.

Surprise Surprise! Little did I know we would be coming back home with an extra kid. Grandpa decided to give the girls their first dog. It was love at first sight for Izzy and Chico.

The ride home with him wasn't bad. We just had to stop a little more to let him out to do his business. I was never so homesick and so happy to be back home after that trip, even if we traded 80 degree weather for more and more rain.

The next day we took the dog for his first walk with us around the neighborhood. Such a fun time.

It's actually my first dog too since we NEVER had any pets growing up and I only had cats before so this was all new to me..along with the baths, nail cutting and all these other duties that fell on my to do list like cleaning his cage and stuff.

Elly is full of life and her personality is shinning through more. She loves to laugh, loves quality time and washable markers and pens.

When we came back from FL our front and backyards were a total disaster! Last year when we had a newborn lets just say Yard Maintenance was on the bottom of the list and we never racked or did anything but this year I decided to roll up the sleeves, get the leaf blower out and rake. Of course I enlisted some help....

Then we attacked the bushes and I let Izzy take a break to look for some treasure in the front yard.

I never actually picked the leaved up though, I sort of just put them in piles around the trees. Joe was like "Whats the point of that?" but I think it looked way better than before.

I love how the girls are able to play together more outside and I can leave them alone for a little bit and watch them through the kitchen window.

One really cool thing we did this month was go to Swift Cantrell's dog park in Kennesaw. They have both a little and a big dog section and the girls were cautious with all the dogs sniffing them...

Until one of them bit Izzy's hand. To this day she talks about it like some traumatic experience and shows her hand, even though she gets the hand confused.

After that whole fiasco we decided to just let the girls hit the playground.

While Joe and Chico bonded.

Only in GA ...they were having a Civil War reenactment and although the canon blasts scared the girls and the dogs nearly to death it was pretty fun.

One day as we were going to go for a walk we sort of got blocked when this city truck pulls up to cut down some tree branches that were getting in the way of the power cords so we just sat and watched them.

Chico too..

This month we also went to one of our favorite kid places, Southern Prep. They added a new room for ages 3 and under and it was perfect for the girls!

One of Izzy's favorite activities is to make her own pizza snack. They might not be so pretty but she is so proud of herself especially when she makes one for Elly.

We are so proud of Joe who completed the certificate part of his school program in Electronic Engineering. It may not sound like much but when you work full time, go to school at night and still help out with the kids and be in charge of all the house and car repairs...that is a big accomplishment! We are so proud of him!

I would like to point out how Izzy and Elly copy my smile when they are really happy..

Exhibit A Izzy

Exhibit B Elly


One Sunday after church Joe bought me flowers and Izzy would not let go of them saying how beutiful they were and kept re-giving them to me and asking for them back.

After the whole Florida trip Joe decided it would be a good idea to put DVD playes in the car. I was alwasy so against that since normally I never go more than three miles away but also I think they are bombarded with so much t.v anyways and enjoyed our sing alongs and quiet time in the car. They are handy in long car rides though........

The first time the girls saw them Izzy had her mouth hanging open. She kept looking over to Elly's screen to see if she was watching the same thing too.

It came in handy going to our pediatricians office who is clear across town in the West Cobb part of town. Poor thing was still sick from Fl and we learned she had an ear infection that day. Izzy has yet to get one but this is the secondd or third one for Elly :(

Here we are banished to the boring, plain sick room.

As Thanksgiving approached I got excited to use my "We Care" curriculum book I got off of amazon. It is an amazing curriculum textbook for ages 2-5 loaded with weekly themes and activities and I got it for 2 bucks!

They had a great thanksgiving week with lots of crafts so Izzy did her first cornacopia. That must be the cutest word I have ever heard come out of a toddler.

We also made pilgrim hats...

And what was suppose to be native american wear but Izzy just refered to it as her Robot outfit.

I tried teaching them about the first thanksgiving, and we made tepes and all kind of stuff but I think Izzy's favorite was the cookie baking part.

As thanksgiving came I bended over backwards to make it 150% better than last year. See last year I had a newborn and everything came out of boxes and that was the year we discovered the quirk that my stove has a 5 degree difference and lets just say the Turkey was a little pink. Not good so I had to totally reedem myself. So for two days I never sat down and made everythign from scratch and made that turkey my best friend. Also I did kid dishes, cuban dishes and american dishes so I had everyone in my family covered not to mention appetizers and home made desserts.

The morning of, I treated Izzy with some cartoons and a hot chocolate with marshmellows while I ran around.

Well all my efforts paid off because it was the best turkey ever. It was so moist and juicy from brining it and basting it every half hour. I had redemed myself!

At least everybody seemed to think so. The fav was the Pioneer Womans Mash potatoes. (Lets just say there is like 2 sticks of butter in it, some half anf half and a whole bar of Cream Cheese, YUMMY!)

I gave the girls some Vailla Ice cream afterwards and Elly thinks its better to just eat it with her hands no matter how cold it is.

I'm not sure what Elly is wishing for here but looks sneaky.
The best part of the day was when everyone left and it was way past bedtime but we let the girls stay up late and watch Angels and Demons with us. It's not thanksgiving without a good ol' Vatican bashing movie right?

The day after Thanksgiving we went over to Jessica and Roberts house for some dinner game night action. I can't believe the twins are almost 3 months old!

We had such a blast, the most fun I have had in a long long time. We said we would make it a bi -weekly event. I hope so because we all need some time to unwind like that.

Also the day after thanksgiving I should have let Joe take the camera because he went to Walmart at 5am and scored all the deals I had circled. He said it was a mad house and I am so glad it was him and not me. A couple of the presents I am really excited about for Izzy is the barbie dolls ( I had 15 of them and played with them every day until I was 15!!!!) and the Disney Princess Dress up trunk with 3 dresses and lots of accesories. She is now really getting into princesses and practices her princess dances with her mat and video (I kid you not).

I have to admit girls are so much fun and I love all this girly stuff just as much as them I think. We have been watching Little Mermaid and Izzy politely asks me to stop singing along with Ariel and last night after I put the girls in bed I went into their room to get them out and bring them in bed with me to watch the premier of the Tinkerbell movie on the Disney channel. The three of us snuggled up watching it in my bed, had to be one of my favorite memories of all time. Children really do give you a chance to re live your childhood in a fun way.

I have a few tradidions I want to start this month for Christmas so I can't wait to do them and see what is a hit or not.

A couple of little videos...

Here is Izzy singing along with me to "Don't be Tardy for the Party" that I can never get out of my head and neither can Izzy at times.

The girls are now sleeping in one room and while most days and nights they go right to sleep, others they stay up and talk (or in Elly's case gurgle) for a bit. Here Izzy is clearly telling Elly that the space heater in the room is tu-tu (our word for hot) and warning Elly to stay away, even if she is in her crib.

The first movie my parents took us to watch was Fivel goes to America. I was just a little older than Izzy when I watched this scene that totally devasted me and to this day still makes me want to cry. It was playing on our Starz on demand so I couldnt wait to show it to the girls. It was interesting to see her reaction to the same scene.

So I hope everyone had a Great Thanksgiving and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

That's me in the corner......

Wow, what a month is has been! Truly life changing. I feel like I have gone through an entire makeover and so has my whole little family. Let's just dive right into it. The begging of this month was celebrated thanks to little Elysia turning one year old! Learning my lesson from Izzy's one year Chuck E Cheese party, I knew the much better way to go was to forget the party stuff that she would not remember and add to my plate and instead go to Cagles Dairy Farm in Canton with her Godmother and girls and enjoy the fall with a cupcake picnic in the field after the tour and hayride. Afterward we cut a little cake for her and sang Happy Birthday at my parents house.

Not like her sister at all, Elly took her time to walk and just a few days before her birthday she started to walk. It was awesome. I love those awkward first steps and now she is just flying. How fast they go from "I don't know about this up right business" to "Get out of my way, don't even try to help me, I''m outta here!".

Here's a little video of Elly trying to get the hang it at the beg of the month and saying "oh-oh" every time she fell down. Adorable!
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As far as the title of this post I should explain although I am worried about offending anybody but this is my blog and this is probably one of those moments that I want most documented and to remember...

Most have you have been on the spiritual train with me and my search for answers. I have been a die-hard Catholic all my life- I mean this picture pretty much sums up my greatest pre-baby day.

Then I dabbled with Buddhism and then back to Catholicism even stronger and when I last ended my blog I had found myself in a United Methodist church..well hang on to your rosaries, mandalas whatever because I'm about to drop a doozie. I am now a Baptist, and I am not going anywhere.

Okay so let me explain...the beginning of the month was pretty bad financially. It got to the point where maybe we could not kid ourselves any longer and I had to...gulp..get a job! I know I know..seriously I will be honest and flat out tell you. I never want to work outside the home again. This will shock and repulse most of you but I dream of just staying home, homeschooling kids, taking care of my husband and that's it. I have no desire to try to have it all, I feel like I already do. Especially when I read every ones facebook status updates how they are counting down to Friday and celebrating when it is Friday and I feel like every day feels like Friday or Saturday. I can do what I want and I have fun so the thought of going to work for someone else and putting my kids in daycare made me physically sick. (I should note here I do not judge anyone else for their different decisions I am in no place too, I only know my heart and situation). I did get some calls for jobs and to make it more tempting..making more money that my husband.

One day I just really sat down and prayed about it and God to make it known to me what he wants me to do because I can't stomach the decision. Well like a clear as day voice went off in my head to go to Eastside Baptist Church THAT NIGHT. What? Whoa yeah. So I had to search online to see what this deal is about the church having only driven by it and knowing nothing or no one that goes there. So after dinner since Joe was at school I went with the two girls. They had Wed night Awana for the girls and classes for adults. I had NO CLUE what I was doing there and so happened the Pastor Assistant spotted me and helped me and welcomed me. Everyone I spoke a word to made me fee like I had made their day by just showing up. After the girls were settled in some great classes I still had no idea what class to go to. So the Assistant Pastor suggested the Head Pastors class. When I sat down I knew God brought me there to answer my prayers...It was the last day of this class and they were having a special presentation on the importance of staying home and homeschooling your kids...ding ding ding.


The next day I returned for their Moms by Design class and again the girls were so excited to go to their classes. their children ministries just continue to awe me. They truly love children and it shows. I loved the Mothers class and the moms I met were just so different.. They loved their Lord, their children, their lives and wanted to learn and serve! Then came another miracle. Joe had not been to church with me in two years but just from Wed night to Saturday he saw such a change in me that he came with me to bible study and church on Sunday! It did not disappoint. This was our first baptist worship, service whatever (not mass, I had to learn that) and I saw 3 people get baptised. Not the cute babies getting drizzled with water but adults totaling immersed in water. I don't know why..maybe it was the fact that I knew my girls were happy learning about Jesus, and Joe was sitting next to me, or the fact that I knew I belonged here, or seeing something I had never seen before and realizing it was exactly what I have been searching for only I never knew what it was..but I cried..and I never do that.

Now to add to the whole "How big is God" thang there was a women's night out that was happening the following Thursday. I had wanted to go but again money being tight and I was clearly not getting a job there was no fund for the ticket price. However our Sunday Class teacher told me someone couldn't go and they had one extra ticket to their table. Well there you go. So I went.

The meal and company were lovely but the speaker was incredible. Her name is Judy Reamer and had quite a testimony. She was a hard core Jewish lady that had tried everything to fill the void, marriage, children, money, activities, volunteer work and even the occult, new agey stuff. I can't give her story justice but she turned the t.v on one day and there was her teen idol Pat Boone. He was a new Christian and talked about it and his new book, that Judy right away bought, read, and asked to surrender herself to Jesus. Now her husband takes her to Vegas against her will practically and who is staying in her same hotel? Who did her husband friends heckle her to call and who returned the call and asked her to his dressing room? Pat Boone! Her trip ends with being baptised in the Cesar Palace fountains by Pat Boone and become what her Jewish relatives called a Jesus Freak. But she would rather have Jesus. It was amazing. I realized there are a lot of similarities between the Jews and Catholics. Both live in tradition. Lots of tradition and repeated prayers, no one reads the bible themselves, you go to mass or temple to hear a little piece of what they choose and no questions asked. Its something your born into and there are many distractions and no real personal deep relationship with Jesus (at least for me). It really opened my eyes. Afterwards I just had to talk to her and we talked about our feeling of guilt, the similarities and I told her this was my Las Vegas. She introduced me to the Pastors Wife and we had a nice talk. I swear I felt on cloud 9 after that. In fact I was. I could barely sleep because I was so excited about what I was learning and read the bible without stop, journaling and praying and doing now 3 bible studies. The book of Daniel on Tuesday morning, Lord, Change my Attitude Monday nights and a Discovering the Biblical Jesus on my own.

Now I still had not faced the hard part. Letting go of Catholicism for good. I knew I was reaching the point of no return. I needed to do some research. This was a whole new world and I wondered why aren't people praying to Mary, partaking in the Eucharist, praying the Rosary, and I would find myself blurting out these questions in studies, "Mary had other children? WHAT?" I had to find all this out for myself and not told by anyone so there came my dark period after the light. I did what I never did before and immersed myself in the history of Catholism and I did not like what I found.
These are just a couple of the things that disturbed me to the core.

(Note: I am not trying to offend my Catholic friends this is my journey of discovery that I wish I knew before)

*In studying the history of the bible and how it was put together I read there were uninspired gospels. They were not fake (Like the Gospel of Mary Magdalene or Timothy) but they were not divinely inspired did not pass all the scrupulous councils that put it together and were called Apocrypha. These books were not cohesive and although might have good advice it is not the word. Well I checked my King James version and they were not there. Then I took out my 15 year old Catholic Bible from Mexico and yup..they were there. It is from one of those books they claim we need to accept Mary as the Virign Mary but as far as all the other traditions nothing in any of those books. So where did it all come from? Oral traditions like the Jewish people? I had to do an even deeper search...
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(1) The Cult of Isis, an Egyptian mother-goddess religion, was absorbed into Christianity by replacing Isis with Mary. Many of the titles that were used for Isis, such as “Queen of Heaven,” “Mother of God,” and “theotokos” (God-bearer) were attached to Mary. Mary was given an exalted role in the Christian faith, far beyond what the Bible ascribes to her, in order to attract Isis worshippers to a faith they would not otherwise embrace. Many temples to Isis were, in fact, converted into temples dedicated to Mary. The first clear hints of Catholic Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be the focal point of Isis worship.

(2) Mithraism was a religion in the Roman Empire in the 1st through 5th centuries A.D. While Mithraism was never given “official” status in the Roman empire, it was the de-facto official religion until Constantine and succeeding Roman emperors replaced Mithraism with Christianity. One of the key features of Mithraism was a sacrificial meal, which involved eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a bull. Mithras, the god of Mithraism, was “present” in the flesh and blood of the bull, and when consumed, granted salvation to those who partook of the sacrificial meal (theophagy, the eating of one’s god). Mithraism also had seven “sacraments,” making the similarities between Mithraism and Roman Catholicism too many to ignore. Constantine and his successors found an easy substitute for the sacrificial meal of Mithraism in concept of the Lord’s Supper / Christian Communion. Sadly, some early Christians had already begun to attach mysticism to the Lord’s Supper, rejecting the Biblical concept of a simple and worshipful remembrance of Christ’s death and shed blood. The Romanization of the Lord’s Supper made the transition to a sacrificial consumption of Jesus Christ, now known as the Catholic Mass / Eucharist, complete.

(3) Most Roman emperors (and citizens) were henotheists. A henotheist is one who believes in the existence of many gods, but focuses primary on one particular god, or considers one particular god supreme over the other gods. For example, the Roman god Jupiter was supreme over the Roman pantheon of gods. Roman sailors were often worshippers of Neptune, the god of the oceans. When the Catholic Church absorbed Roman paganism, it simply replaced the pantheon of gods with the saints. Just as the Roman pantheon of gods had a god of love, a god of peace, a god of war, a god of strength, a god of wisdom, etc., so the Catholic Church has a saint who is “in charge” over each of these, and many other categories. Just as many Roman cities had a god specific to the city, so the Catholic Church provided “patron saints” for the cities.

(4) The supremacy of the Roman bishop (the papacy) was created with the support of the Roman emperors. With the city of Rome being the center of government for the Roman empire, and with the Roman emperors living in Rome, the city of Rome rose to prominence in all facets of life. Constantine, and his successors, gave their support to the bishop of Rome as the supreme ruler of the church. Of course it is best for the unity of the Roman empire that the government and state religion be centered in the same location. While most other bishops (and Christians) resisted the idea of the Roman bishop being supreme, the Roman bishop eventually rose to supremacy, due to the power and influence of the Roman emperors. When the Roman empire collapsed, the popes took on the title that had previously belonged to the Roman emperors – Pontificus Maximus.

Wow, are you with me? Big time stuff huh? Do I know if all that is true, how can I know for sure? But I do know this since I have focused only on the trinity and diving into the bible, things have changed majorly...

*I used to pray to Mary to be a better mother every night and I did not see any progress with me at all to be totally honest. I started praying to Jesus the same request and I have never been even more in love with my children and a stronger commitment to raise them right with a biblical curriculum because that is the most important thing to be learned in this world.

* I have never been more in love with my husband. Joe and I have never been happier. We go to church together, and stay up talking about all this stuff until the wee hours of the morning. This has been a monumental change for me and he is the one person I can really let my whole heart be exposed as to what I am going through (besides Jesus) and he has been there completely and been so supportive. He is on board with everything 100%.

* Since becoming Christian and putting our faith entirely in God he was blessed us. One Sunday Joe gave the little bit of spending money for the week we had all in the offering. I really admired him for that. 3 days later he received a big unexpected bonus, a couple weeks later both our financial aid for school came in and it was more than we expected, everywhere we turn there is abundance but we remain focused on what really matters. Our spiritual life and not material things. Clothes and Food that is all that is necessary...that's it. I find myself walking around and driving around saying "I have enough" and really meaning it and knowing anything extra is a blessing from God and being so happy to turn around and use that blessing to serve him. Its a wonderful cycle.

*I have peace. Real peace and sometimes when I think about how much Jesus loves me and how grateful I am that by his guidance I am living this new life, with new and amazing support all around me...I cry a little..my heart feels like its going to burst. When I look at my kids, my heart melts, when I think of all the new friends I have made, I am filled with Joy and can't wait to see them again and when I think of my husband I just want to be his best friend and follow him and serve him. I'm Happy. Truly great things are happening in my life. Going three times a week is almost not enough. I just can't get enough! I am so grateful that Eastside Baptist that I volunteered to teach ESL Wed nights. I wish I could do more.

Whew! Okay that was A LONG one! Your still awake, you still with me? So that has been my month. I didn't take so many pictures or do many play dates because I have been on "All God, All the Time" watch. I have seen such a change in Izzy too from her classes (all free by the way! ) and telling me in the car that Jesus is God and she is going to obey Mommy and Daddy and her Teacher. I found a new curriculum I am going to use with her next year and I just cant wait! We are going to have so much fun.

So here are some pictures of the month...

Izzy checking out the sanctuary and oohing and ahhing.

Elly enjoying her first meal at Ikea.


That's really a great place to practice my "I have enough" attitude. The girls had lots of fun and I am getting some ideas for when they share a room sometime next year.

Elly after church one Sunday at McDonalds..it was the most perfect early afternoon outside.

Izzy was REALLY into skeletons. It started with the "Dem Bones" video from the library and song CD and book. She can know name several bones in the body and being Halloween month had a feast for the eyes on her favorite thing in the world. She even eats breakfast with dem bones.

The gang together at Michelles. Even though I am not in the Moms group anymore, Izzy often ask for Julia and Ben so we get them all together.

One night the church threw a dinner party for the ESL students and family so we went and Joe and Izzy got to play some B-Ball.

At the Marietta Square admiring all the scare crows.

Izzy doing her favorite activity- painting. Here she is practically saying, "Shoo, mom leave me alone".One of my favorite pictures of the month, Elly sporting a Don King wig.

We did our first trunk or treating at a local church. The best was the pirate ship.

Izzy coming out of her Sunday Class with her own hand made crown.

I can't believe how grown up she is and different she is looking. Some days she looks more like me and some days just like Joe.

Julia and Izzy at Southern Prep- always a favorite.

One of my favorite things we did this month was going to Elmcroft Senior Center. All the seniors were all around the room and the kids went in a circle to trick or treat and visit with them. They were all so sweet and the kids totally totally made their day. They loved the attention and just being able to hold a babies finger or let them sit on their lap. There was one that I really loved talking the most. Inez...she touched my heart. All her siblings have passed away and she feels abandoned. She loves Southern Food and wearing colorful hats. She told me how important it is to dress up and wear some color. Although Elly was squirming I got a picture.

Of course I totally bawled in the car after that. I am so grateful that all my family is alive, I am needed, loved and healthy and vowed not to forget about Inez and all the residents and come back and visit real soon, make cards for them and bring Inez some fried Okra.

Joe had a halloween costume at work and went as...well I dont know what. The ugliest woman ever, whatever it was..it was scary.

Just what a little girl wants..her daddy in dark drag to play with her.

Another favorite pic. Elly before her nap "reading" a book.

The gang at Michelle's Halloween Party.

This month I also hosted my first BUNCO. Such a blast! It's always fun and won the big money for most Buncos. What can I say, I have been very blessed lately! These are the ladies from my Catholic Church Mothers Guild that hopefully will still be my friend after this blog! :)

Some pics from today, Halloween. We took the girls to our church fall festival. They moved it inside and had lots of jumpy things, tons of games, candy, anything you could want! Elly wore the costume Izzy wore last year and Izzy was Alice in Wonderland.

Elly had her first cotton candy and while Joe was not too approving of her stuffing her face- It's a carnival must have! lol

Joe getting blue hair from our Sunday class teacher.

This is my friend Catherine. We are both ESL volunteer teachers. She is so sweet.

After the party we let Elly come home with Joe to knock out while I took two very special girls trick or treating. Jessica is in the hospital again with one of the twins and instead of all going together I told her I would pick Giselle up take her to the party for a little bit and then hit the streets. This was Izzys first time trick or treating and had to be the best night of her life. She looks up to Giselle and having her with her gave her a lot of confidence to not get scared at the very scary houses. No seriously there is one on my block that goes ALL OUT and even made me scream when what I thought was a dummy came to life.

Izzy thought it was hilarious to stick the glow sticks up her nose.

I love this video but its my dad dancing with Izzy his old Cuban music just like he did with me when I was Izzy's age. Actually my dad danced with me all the way until I was a teenager and then I thought I was too cool and big to dance with my dad. So now I cherish these videos.

See you end of next month!

September 09 Wrap up

Fall is finally here! My favorite time of the year. When you can feel the seasons changing, see the leaves starting to fall and can give your a/c a break. This month was a month of pretty big changes for us. I decided to take a major step back and smell the roses. I am the kind of person that gives 100% to something and there were an overwhelming amount of somethings going on and I felt the call to let some things go and embrace being at home more, prioritize, return to my passions and in short try to savor these fleeting moments when the girls are so little. Sounds so corny but I felt the weeks just rushing by and before i knew it, Elly was going to be one!

I decided to leave my beloved moms group but not my friends. (Thank God for facebook!) A funny thing happened once I slowed down to maybe just 2 or 3, (sometimes one) play date a week, we actually all looked forward to them. Even me! It became less of a dread to get up earlier and rush around or wake them up from their afternoon naps and instead something we look forward to for a day or so and then were excited on the day to see our friends.

What I really enjoyed was letting go of the frequent need to log in and see what is going on, all the events I wanted to attend and all the forum questions. I now only have facebook and making the decision to put the laptop upstairs connected straight to router, makes it so I can only check it and sit there when I wake up, nap time, and nighttime.

Some other joys I have discovered this month of laid-backness.

1. More time with my husband.
2. I actually have down time during the day and have to say I enjoy putting my feet up with a dessert and watching Tyra or Oprah..it's heavenly.
3. Not blogging almost every night gave me lots of free time to read and go to bed early for once.

I really wanted to start focusing more on becoming a better person, and continuing down my spiritual path-which to quote Denise Richards- "It's complicated".

I find my day starts out so much better when I get up and first thing I do is daily devotionals. My favorite is the Upper Room that sends them to you in a daily email.

My friend Rochelle also started up this bible study on Monday nights called "Lord, Change my Attitude" and I can't even tell you how this has begun to change me and how I live and view my life. They really are a great group of women and it's good enough that I miss a new episode of How I Met Your Mother every Monday night!

Also on the spiritual topic, there was always this one church close to my house that I pass almost daily to go anywhere that I always felt was calling me. They had great quotes up on the lawn that always made me think and tell myself "That feels like an awesome church" but being Catholic and it being United Methodist came back to the thought of ick. Well I could no longer deny the fact that it was calling me and even though I was a little hungover last Sunday morning (a RARE occurrence these days) and it was so early I took the girls to the contemporary mass. Let me just say..

Contemporary mass at a United Methodist church and Roman Catholic Mass..could not be any more opposite!

But I LOVED IT! It was as soon as I walked in and smelled the place I knew it was going to be ok. The nursery workers were so lovely and when I sat in a pew and a little wee chorus of kinder gardeners started singing (this was my favorite thing of mass in Mexico) I had to fight the tears back. I felt like I was home. At that point it didn't matter if Joe would ever join me, or what anybody else though of this, I was doing this for ME and it was OK, in fact God was waiting for me to do it. I can't wait on Saturday to go help in their great day of service where I signed up to either play games at a retirement home or make sandwiches for MUST ministry construction workers. It seems like a great place to make a second home and I can't wait to do that. I have no tolerance for people who think their religion is the only right way to God, or the only correct way to worship and up until recently I was silently in that crowd as well so it's nice to break free and not be a hypocrite. Anyways, enough about that, let's move on..

Fall is kicked off by the CHEC Home school Annual Picnic for us now. It was wonderful to put a face to all the homeschooling families, see that it does work and how normal everyone is. They had some yummy bbq and fun and games. I'm so grateful how Joe has come around and went from "No homeschooling" to being my biggest support and the one time I doubted myself this month, he was the one reassuring me and encouraging me.

CHEC is such a great support too and I look forward to planning the events for 6 and under this year! Here are a couple pics from the picnic.

After we won this balloon race we won a book called "Lies of Homeschooling" and it was just what I needed! Funny how things work out.

With all my new found free time at night, I got to paint again! I know I am not very good but its therapeutic and Joe encourages me to hang up my pictures. Izzy for three days would come downstairs and point to it and say "Oh so beautiful mama, oh so pretty!"....just like I say to her when she paints something.

Now Izzy wants to paint all the time too!

This reminds me of the quote "Carefully care about the things you care about and leave the rest up to God."

We had one fun day where thanks to a booster chair I no longer used from Target that got recalled, we got to treat ourselves with the money back on dollar bin stuff, slushies and an uber rare starbucks for me.

Did I mention the chocolate chip cookies?

I also had evenings where I would go jogging with the girls if I didn't feel like going to the gym. They seem to really enjoy it and thanks to all the hills, I am so very sore the next day, more than if I went to the gym.

We also started to play in the backyard again,which sadly was pure decorational until recently.

Here is Elly past her bed time enjoying some cereal with her dad.

Being at home more we had lots of time to do creative home school ideas. Here is Elly trying to touch and feel what is inside each paper bag.

Even something as a ladder inside can be made into an activity. The slow and steady books says you should lie it down and teach the kids what 'between' means and challenging them to walk between the rungs and then only on top. After that Izzy just carefully climbed up and down for a while.

We also made our own basketball hoop. I have to say they played with this A LOT more than with the one I bought at a store a couple days later. In fact they have never played with the fancy one..just goes to show you.

This month was known as FLOODS 09. What started out as just a lot of well needed rain became these devastating floods all over and our county got hit pretty hard. Luckily we were safe and only a few trees fell in our neighborhood, thank God, sparing our house.

We frequently just sat on the porch looking at the rain and talking about where rain comes from.

As you can see since we couldn't leave the house we spent a few days in our pj's and random clothing and messy hair.

With all the rain we had some rainy day activities also making more rain. Pouring water in a colander to create rain really impressed them and Elly just like to splash in it.
Here is Izzy admiring the piano at the Holl's house.

Since our regular park was flooded (see video )

It has now reopened but in the meantime, we had to find a replacement and the Lower Roswell Rd baptist park was it.

It's really a big wooden play area of castles and arcs and with biblical messages all over.Right down to that tree that started all the commotion with snake included.

This month we were thrilled to meet Jessica's new babies! Emma and Olivia! When I told Izzy we were going to see the babies that were in Jessica's belly I don't think she was prepared to see one baby brought out and then another. She just kept counting//"WOW..one, two babies! one, two babies!" I was able to show her how to use the Moby wrap for both of them and they stayed so silent the entire time we were there. I guess they loved being close together, next to Jessica's heart.

I can't ever believe my kids were that little. They are so big now.

Elly showing off her mouth full of teeth.

I was so excited to hear my friend from high school Anne, had moved up to the Atlanta area. So many of my high school friends are moving up and as soon as they were settled we had to have them over for dinner and game night.

Their little girl Julie is the cutest, most well behaved one year old I have seen. Izzy just loved her to pieces and was so excited even for a little bit to share her room with her at night. Maybe she is ready to bunk with Elly? We had a great time and they taught me how to play poker.Well humored me at least.

This month Izzy finished her swimming classes at the Y! She went from being terrified to a duck in water.

I love decorating for the holidays and Halloween is no exception. I couldnt even wait until the first day of October to break out the holiday bin and sort out the halloween stuff. I know..I am worst than the Dollar tree who already has Christmas stuff out...ok so I am not that bad.
The month ended up great with a family trip to a braves game. We were almost just going to give the tickets away which was sad because Jessica and Robert gave them to us as a Thank You for all our endless baby crap we passed them to them. Luckily when Joe came home from work I told Izzy to say "Dad, let's go the the baseball game! I Love baseball!" so how could he say no to his little girl. He didn't.

Such a great family night and I look forward to more games to come and basically being that couple that doesn't do anything without their kids. As Rochelle reminded me there will be lots of time later for Joe and I to do things alone but the kids are only this little once and for such a short amount of time and we really should take advantage of it.

See ya at the end of October!

Big changes to my blog and life in general.

The first phase was purging my house of clutter and material things not needed. The second phase of simplifying my life is online purging. I spend more time online than I would like and stress about going to so many activities and events, so I am going to make some changes. I left a major local social network, I am going to limit my facebook usage and now my blog.

I am going to try really hard to maybe just update once a month or few months with just that an update on us, the stages we are going through and some highlight pictures. I think this will make my life much easier and it will be more of a family blog and something I can print for the girls when they are older and not see all of moms neurosis and or stuff that will scar them like me having a crush on 12-pack. I don't need to contribute to their future therapy needs.

I realize its time to really unplug and focus on my husband and children, spending time with them at home, homeschooling and the homeschooling group, focusing on church, the important friendships and doing things that make us happy and not stress. It's all very liberating really and an exercise on not blabbing out every thought that pops into my head.

So here is my Summer Wrap Up.
Things I will miss..

• Pizza picnics at East Cobb Park with the girls.
• Cookouts with friends
• Sitting on the front porch watching the girls draw with sidewalk chalk.
• Wagon Rides around the block after dinner.
• Trips to the Zoo
• The very low gas bill

Wassa Going on?

• The girls have Strep Throat. I though it might have been H1N1 so I took them in but they wouldn't test for it. They seem to be better after one day of antibiotics, Thank God. I am praying I don't catch it.
• I am so glad I bought them a medical kit a long time ago. It is one of the few toys that gets played with almost daily. Every time we go to the doctor now they get excited and to be prodded and open their mouths wide. Makes my life easier.
• Izzy weights 36 lbs and Elly weights 24lbs!
• Going to have to cut this short because Elly just woke up screaming.

Train Week Continues....

In the Marietta Square...even after Elly has an explosive diaper situation.

So True

This is from one of my favorite political blogs...

I was shocked and appalled when Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, shouted at the President of the United States, during a presidential address to Congress, shouted, "You lie!" What a disgraceful remark. Has that ever happened? That intemperate and disrespectful outburst may have helped Obama as much as anything else he said tonight. Is that really what the Republican opposition has come down to -- hotheads who call the president a liar during a speech to Congress? What is wrong with the Republican Party? Who are these people? I don't care if this or any president really is a liar, you don't do that. They didn't even do it to Bill Clinton, who was, in fact, a notorious liar. And if they had done so, it would have been shocking and repugnant. It may seem like a small thing, but when a member of Congress feels emboldened to do that to a president, it tells us something. Something important is lost. Joe Wilson did not dishonor the president; he dishonored himself and his party tonight