Breathe

Would you believe it is 4am? I can't even try to remember how summer was this year. The only thing that comes to mind is hot. September brought the craziness of school, football, soccer and of course gymnastics. Tristan is having a wonderful transition to middle school. He plays trumpet, plays rocket football and is doing so well in school. I have been impressed with the responsibility that he shows. He is no means perfect, but homework is no longer that big of a struggle and the discipline he learned from GT is such a blessing. Trinity is enjoying being top dog in elementary. She is a safety and enjoys the power a fluorescent belt can wield. LOL! Her beauty and "mothering" amazes me daily. She is no longer a little girl and while she has always been tall for her age, I swear she is growing out of the girls clothing department. Im going to turn around and see a young woman soon. Tessa still adores her siblings. She has been doing well at gymnastics. She will be going to her first meets soon. She is my fashion diva, refusing to wear the hand me downs I saved from Trinity. Justice is her store of choice and dolls and stuffed animals still top her list. The farm is going well. We get six eggs everyday from our chickens and Tommy has been our lesson horse for Jeff and now for Trinity. The alpacas still don't trust us but seem to be happy together. We recently bought hay for the winter which set us back a pretty penny (and more since the price was driven up by the harsh summer and drought.) The garden survived thanks to faithful watering and aside from plenty of weeds, we got zucchini, tomatoes, corn, beans, watermelon, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and pumpkins. The apple trees gave no fruit because of an untimely frost after it had already started budding. Much of the landscaping plants we bought on memorial day were hastily planted wherever we found a spot. The heat was a huge factor in our "laziness" in being outside. Mom brought more perennials over from the condo and Jeff and I continued to trim back the overgrown plants that were left by the previous owner.

Quick catchup

- summer is hot, thanking God for our mini pool. - Tristan graduated from elementary school. Cried like a baby! - Tessa made PreTeam for gymnastics. - Trinity made the best friends ever this year. - Taking Thursdays off of work for summer. - have 6 chickens, 1 horse, 2 alpacas, 2 barn kittens, 2 dogs and 1 turtle. - have the best assistant ever at work. - spending lots of time with my nephews Brevin, Ian and Alex (at least more than usual) - my 4runner is still holding up woohoo! - started a garden. - love my pitchfork, mower cart and iPhone.

Dirty bathtub

As I walked into my bathroom I couldn't help but notice that my bathtub was sporting some good old fashioned dirt in it. The kids took a bath and left muddy prints by the knobs and dirt in the tub. I made the decision to be blessed by my dirty bathtub. :) It meant my kiddos had fun in the world that God created for them. That they were healthy enough to play. That they didn't sit in front of the tv or computer tonight. That tomorrow we will celebrate my sons 12th birthday when I know of a family who wishes they could have celebrated their sons same birthday. I could go on and on because I am blessed more than I deserve. Humbly I bow my head and say... Thank you Lord.

The cross

Today on my way to pick up a prescription at the doctor, I approached the front doors behind a family. There was a woman wearing her food service uniform with two young children who ran to the kids waiting area to watch tv. There was also a young man with them. He had cargo pants on with a pack of smokes in the side pocket. He looked too young to even be able to buy them legally. By the time I caught up with them at the second set of doors, I noticed the upside down cross he wore around his neck while he held the door open for me. My usual response is a smile and a quiet "thanks". The woman told the receptionist that they were there for an appointment, but then she stepped aside to let the newly 18 year-old deal with the rest. He had to sign his own forms and learn about HIPA laws. She didn't offer help and he just signed whatever the receptionist put in front of him. I soon moved on and did what I went there to do and said a small prayer for that young man. Especially when I went back to my own children. Now I am not super worldly so I didn't think too much about the upside down cross until later when I googled it for my own knowledge. Aside from being the name of a band it is a sign for followers of Satan. Did this 18 year-old mean to portray his allegiance for the Evil one? I immediately sensed a battle for this young mans soul. My prayer for him went from little to the magnitude of putting him on the top of my prayer list. How many battles are being fought for our souls and the souls of our loved ones? Of total strangers who take the time to open the door for you? Was my smile enough to tip the scales for our side? What else could I have done?

Dump day!

You would swear it was a holiday. Ever since I've been married and we owned a house, there was a special day on the calendar. From April to October, the third Saturday of the month is dump day. The day you can fill your car, truck, trailer and throw it away for free. Maybe we just have lots of junk or it is like a coupon for a freebie... You have to take advantage of it! Today was an old dishwasher and part of a dog house that turned into a chicken coop. Packed it into the car and got a cup of coffee to drink while we waited to get into the dump. Usually the first one of the season causes huge lineups. (we are experienced in this remember) But we did have a productive day getting things marked off the project list. The bonus of having decent weather lately.

No one has the right to abuse you!!!

Tonight I have a heavy heart.... You see, I went with a young girl who I work with to the emergency room to get X-rays and report an abusive boyfriend. It wasn't the first time and while he did get arrested, she still is struggling with feelings of guilt for doing the right thing and reporting his abuse. This time was bruises and scrapes from punches, kicks and choking, but the doctor, nurse, police and social worker all stressed that next time would be worse. Maybe I'm too idealistic and like to pretend that this stuff doesn't exist. I am sitting here crying because if it happens this close to me, how many other places is it happening that I don't know about? No matter what your situation is, it is not right to have someone physically, emotionally or sexually abuse you. YOU don't deserve it and don't need to live with it. No matter how much they say they love you. Please don't let anyone make you think that you are worthless. Our God loves you so very much and didn't make you to be treated that way. If it happens around you, remember that God loves that child and wants you to do something about it. Don't stand by and let it happen. We are on this earth on a mission from God. To be His hands and feet... Don't take that job lightly.

Hugs and making a connection....

So I lead GEMS at church and I have about 9 beautiful girls who I get the pleasure of spending time with on a weekly basis. They bless the socks off of me. I try to see them as God would see them and try to make them feel special in little ways. One little girl who I met this year seemed so foreign to me. I wasn't sure how to reach out to her. But God gave me the words this week. To keep things simple, it boils down to taking the time to let her know that I wanted to help her and I did such a small thing for her. Tiny effort really. But the rewards were huge. I got a hug and thank you in the middle of class when i least expected it and a question of whether I would lead again next year. These girls are so precious. I can't express how much I love being with them and worshipping with them and gaining their trust. Don't ever think that getting involved and investing in these kids is not worth it. Tonight I pray for the leaders who volunteer to spend time with my children. May God bless them richly.

Deep thoughts

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. You see I just found out some news that left me sitting in a cloud of sadness tonight. The specifics aren't important but I know that as I turn my attention to God and look for His presence in all of this, I feel a clarity that leads to peace. The only way this could happen is because I trust my Lord. I just need to remember to look for Him with all my heart. This might be very elementary to many of you, but this is new for me. Having God speak to me with memorized bible verses. I feel like a character in a Karen Kingsbury novel. :) Thank you God for loving me. Amen

No apologies...

Yes, I am a hugger. Considering that I am of Peruvian descent, all of you should be happy that I gave up kissing as well! I grew up kissing my loved ones hello and goodbye. Total strangers who I never met got kisses if they were older and deserved respect. Kisses on the cheek, nothing gross! Christmas and New Years were hug and kiss-fests with my Peruvian-American family. So if I see that someone in need, they get a hug or a reassuring touch. No apologies, just a gesture of love and care.

Little man

Tristan came home this weekend with a homework assignment of having to find 100 adjectives that describe him. They had to be positive, not physical traits and words he has never heard before. We had so much fun doing this together. Not only that but it brought a closeness for the rest of the weekend. We had great talks about serious subjects and I was blessed to realize that my son is maturing into a thoughtful young man who is learning to have great insight. We also played some computer games together, simple ones that his old mom could understand. My prayers tonight will be that he continues to mature into the best person he can be, that is remains close to the Lord and that whatever struggles he faces, he turns to the ones who love him... God, his parents and his family.