A Virtuous Wife, Who Can Find?

KARIZMA'S ACCOUNT

Setting: While I am putting the shopping bags into the van in the Walmart parking lot, Karizma is buckling all the kiddos into their carseats and 2 men approach the SUV that is parked right next to us. They notice the pink 'Proverbs 31' sticker on the side of my van and say to one another...


First guy: (Speaking very loudly)"Proverbs 31!"

Other guy: "I love that verse. It's the one of the virtuous woman. Who can one find?"

First guy and other guy at the same time: "I haven't found one yet!"

First guy: "The guy she married obviously found one, because he has been blessed a lot."

Other guy: "Yeah, look at all those kids. She's gonna need a bigger van!"

Your Worth Is Far Above Rubies

Natalie's belly pic...23 weeks pregnant with my niece!


"A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far ABOVE RUBIES or pearls."

Proverbs 31:10


Virtuous: adjective
1. conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright: Lead a virtuous life.

Morally excellent? Not always. Upright? Nope, not as much as I would like to claim. Leading a virtuous life? I have my moments.
However, I do strive to be the virtuous Proverbs woman we read about in chapter 31. She is the things I long to be as a wife, mother, friend, daughter of the king. And I am a sinner. However, this chapter gives me a clear cut goal to work towards, daily! And believe me, I thank God each day that his mercies are new every morning! I need them!

So, it was a blessing to be able to attend the Southern California Above Rubies Retreat this past weekend as a family. Dan and Natalie's family attended as well.




Our handsome and Ephesians 5 husbands: Tim (My Sweetheart), Collin Campbell, and Dan (Natalie's husband)
Nancy Campbell standing between Natalie and I. We just love and admire her so much for helping us in our roles towards becoming more like the Proverbs 31 woman.

Nancy has a gift of encouraging families; especially women. She and her husband are founders of Above Rubies a wonderful organization that publishes a free magazine that is geared towards helping mothers in their walk with the Lord. You can subscribe for the magazine here. Did I mention it is FREE?!!

I love being in Nancy's presence. She is so loving, so kind, but also very bold. I look at her and think to myself, she is the kind of woman that I imagine will be hearing, "Well done, my good and faithful servant," when she comes face to face with Jesus(Like Michelle Duggar...LOVE HER!). So, I loved being able to sit up front and listen to her teach. She was reminding us that we aren't just having children for the sake of having children...but that we are to have children so we can train them up to be warriors for Christ! So they will be equipped to fight the war of light against darkness! Can I get an amen? She used the term: Weapons of War. Our children. Weapons of War. Yes! So, if I have many children, it is not to fill up the spaces in my minivan, but to be obedient to God's calling in my life in raising men and women that will fight this battle and help lead others to Christ. What an amazing position we hold, Christian mothers!! Let us not take it lightly and really work at training our children up to be bold in the Word...not mediocre or lukewarm Christians.



Worship was such a blessing to me. To see this husband and wife, singing praises to God, and then watch their little girls come up and be held by their mama and no one think anything wrong with it. How Tim and I loved this moment. I read recently on a blog how hard it is to find a church that is a 'family friendly' church. One that doesn't scurry the children away from the sanctuary. One that encourages children to sit with their family, as it should be, during service. I wholeheartedly agree with this and so wish it could be like the verse in Matthew 9:14-15:
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Although the disciples rebuked those that brought the children, Jesus not only brought them to him, he continued on with his teaching with them right there most likely on his knee, at his side, maybe even one with his arms wrapped around his neck. What a wonderful way to let our children know the importance of their presence in our family...worshipping together in the house of the Lord!



We had the honor of having lunch with the Campbell's and we gained so much from that time. Nancy even took it upon herself to find a friend for Karizma. She grabbed Karizma up, went to the next table, and introduced her to Emily, whom is also 14. They ended up becoming buddies.I also had a chance to spend some time at the pool with Emily's mom and Karizma and I plan to keep in touch with our new friends. Emily is the eldest of 7 children!


Dinner was so yummy and we are so grateful to Isabella for being such a good girl all weekend! She slept through all our meals which allowed me to eat without having to nurse her meanwhile. Zack was also pretty tired and passed out. Can you find Waldo..err, Zack in the picture below?




He fell asleep with a piece of roast beef in his mouth, the poor little guy. It was crowded in the dining hall, so we just spread a blankie on the floor under our table and he slept the entire way through dinner.


I was able to buy several books and cd's to keep me busy for awhile. One of them is the book by Randy Alcorn, 'Does The Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?'. I am fully aware of the fact that it definitely does, but wanted to become well versed about how it happens. I am only into chapter 2, but it is so informative. Is this information you were aware of? That the pill is indeed, an abortifacient? That not only does it act as a contraceptive but has a 3rd component which is abortive? It's 3rd component works to keep an already fertilized egg from implanting (A fertilized egg means that conception has already occurred, thus per the bible, this is already a life-a child.). Please be sure to know that once you know the truth, you are responsible to do the right thing in God's sight. I pray for each of you that reads this and is either unaware, or battling with this information, as I once was myself. That God would convict your heart and help you see that trusting Him in ALL things can only bring you peace.




Lastly, guess who we saw at the retreat this weekend? What I mean by 'saw' is that Natalie picked up the latest issue, #77, of Above Rubies and flipped it open and there she and her lovely article were, staring right at us. Our lovely bloggy friend, Stacie at A Firefighter's Wife. So, don't forget to susbcribe to the FREE magazine, support Above Rubies financially, and be blessed in abundance by this ministry! Remember ladies, to our Heavenly Father, we are more precious than jewels, our worth FAR ABOVE RUBIES! Love to you all.

Rite Of Passage

Definition: RITE OF PASSAGE-noun:
any important act or event that serves to mark a passage from one stage of life to another.




My Grandma had it done as a baby.
My Mom had hers done as a baby.
I had mine done as a baby.
We took Karizma to get hers done at 2 weeks old.
So, in going along with tradition, Isabella has now had hers done, at 2 months and 2 days old...it is a rite of passage in our family.








Doesn't she look so pretty with the bling on her ears? She was so good and Daddy can't get enough of her looking like such a little lady!


And to answer the question in the comments: "Did she cry much?" - She did cry, of course, but as soon as the sweet girl helping us was done, and I held her, she stopped crying immediately. I think she cried more when getting her shots.

One of the reasons I prefer doing it so young is because she won't be tugging at her ear, thus keeping dirty little fingers away from it. Also, the pain will be long forgotten. My Mom and a nurse that worked the NICU told me that they used to offer ear piercing in the hospital back in the day like they offer circumcision. How weird is that? Well, knowing me, I probably would have taken them up on it. The ear piercing, not the circumcision ;0).

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Another rite of passage is becoming a 'big sister'. I am 13 years older than Elisa, my little sister, whom I lovingly call 'Baby'. And now, Karizma, 14 years older, gets to be 'big sister' to Isabella, whom she lovingly calls 'Bella'.

It Never Rains In Southern California

Unless you are here on a day when a child is coming out of my womb and into the world. All of my babies, every single one of them, have been born on a rainy day. God knows the desire of my heart and on the day he chooses to bring new life into our family, he blesses me with rain. I always see it as a sweet kiss from the Lord. His way of letting me know he is in all the details and that he loves me that much. That he would remember how best to make it the most special day possible. So, although I can count how many times it has rained since we have moved up to the mountain (15 months ago), on one hand, it is a blessing that God never forgets me on the days I give birth.

That's why when we were listening to the news on the radio, as we enjoyed the lightening show from the van in the parking lot of the grocery store, we laughed as we heard what the announcer said:

"San Diego has been without any rain for quite awhile. Last time San Diego had rain fall was on June 16th."

June 16th was the day our Isabella Grace was born.

It was a sweet reminder to thank the Lord, to thank Jesus, for being such a sweet Daddy. One that knows me, inside and out.

Thought You Knew

I was so blessed to get this award from one of my sweetest bloggy friends, Dani Joy over at Gospel 2 Gijon. She and her family are missionaries in Spain and living for Jesus. She is a remarkable homeschooling mama, raising warriors for Christ and I am blessed to call her my friend!



The rules for this award are to share 7 things about myself that you wouldn't know, then pick 7 'kreativ bloggers' to do the same.


1. I have some serious pet peeve's and if these things happen around me, I start to feel physically ill!
-Anyone cracking their knuckles
-Someone popping their gum
-People that put their feet up on the dashboard in the car...ewww!
(This is just to name a few. I am sure my husband could list a few hundred for me.)


2. I hated to drink milk until I became pregnant with Miguel, my firstborn. Now, I drink milk like crazy and crave it with everything from cookies to steak. However, it has to be in a glass with ice.


3. My first 2 babies, Miguel and Karizma, wore cloth diapers for their first year. Only at home and during the day, but it still saved us a ton of money.


4. My Dad took me to a barber shop, just around my first birthday, to have my head shaved. I was a totally bald baby, as in my mom would have to tape bows to my head bald, and he thought that if my head were shaved, it would stimulate growth. (I have heard this a lot in mexican circles.) Well, I don't know if it is the shaving that worked or not, but my hair has been thick and long ever since.


5. I wanted to be a cop when I grew up. My Dad was a police officer when I was a little girl and I just thought that would be so cool and that I would become instantly 'tough'. I became a young mother and never took it any further than just a dream, however, when I became a single mom, I did look into becoming a border patrol agent. I seriously considered it, and had I remained a single mom, I might have tried, but God had much different plans for my life.


5. My first name is not Veronica, it is Noemi. Pronounced No-eh-MEE, accent on the last syllable. I think it is such a beautiful name. I totally wish I could have gone by that name instead. I did not even know it was my first name until I was in the first grade, when the teacher kept calling a 'Noemi' and no one answered, so she then called out my last name, and we pieced it together. Boy, was I shocked! I did try to go by it each year, but it never stuck, or whenever I started a new job, but no one could say it right. My sister also went by her middle name, Rocio, until at 8 years old she very boldly told everyone in the family that she did not want to be called that anymore. She wanted to go by her first name, Amanda. She had hated the nickname an uncle of ours had attached to her middle name (Chio, Chio, Chion...which was a way of calling her a crybaby) and left it behind, and Amanda she became at 8 years old. I always envied my little sister's boldness and miss that about her so much. She went home to be with Jesus at 25 years old.


6. Sticking to the theme of Amanda and I, we used to have burping contests in bed at night and 9 out of 10 times I won.


7. I am a big Dog the Bounty Hunter fan and am always telling Tim we could totally be friends with them. Sometimes I so want to go to Hawaii just to be able to go to the Da Kine bail bonds office and hang with them all and say a prayer with them as we all stand in a circle coming before Jesus. Tim and I love watching this show together and often pray for the people that are captured on the show.


I could have totally found lots more to reveal, but I don't want to let you think any worse of me than you already do... a neurotic, ex-lactose hating, semi-granola mama, balding, cop wanna be, going through an identity crisis, burping, bounty hunter stalker. And you thought you knew!

Oh, and yes, I realize I added two #5's....guess, I can add that another thing you might not know about me is I can be a total dunce sometimes and be forgetful.



The 7 bloggers I nominate to receive this award, in no significant order:

1. Natalie over at Raising Miracles..my loving SIL. She keeps her blog 'kreativ' by always having a new background when you visit! I am never bored when I visit her blog! This is her holding Isabella on the day she was born.





2. Corinna at the Brownlie Bunch. She takes such gorgeous pictures of her modern day gerber baby, Jacob.





3. Is Cynthia over at Cynthia's Thailand Blog. She is a dear friend of ours from church that just relocated to Thailand for 2 years to be a teacher. Her blog will inspire you!





4. Susan over at God, My Savior Forever, whom is another of my SIL's. She keeps it 'Kreativ' by always having a good balance of things on her blog. Plus, you probably will never meet another 'blogger' that is more caring, compassionate, and understanding, than Susan is. I always tell people that Susan is so sweet I could totally get cavities from being around her! She is just THAT NICE! You won't be disappointed if you make her a bloggy friend of yours, too. Here she is with my little brother, Manny.





5. Amber over at Striving For 31. Her blog will keep you laughing, seeking the Lord, and you will be amazed at how honest she can be!




6. Jessica over at Working On A Full House. This mama loves the Lord mightily, and has become such a sweet friend to me! I adore her Proverb's 31 heart and I know you will, too! Here she is with her sweet girl, Gracie. Aren't they too pretty for words?



7. Oh, it is so hard just picking 7, and I realize I can only pick one more...so, I am just going to close my eyes and choose one from the LONG list of others I wanted to include... and the winner is...Janee over at The Lockwood Family. She is a missionary in Mexico/homeschooling mom of 12/wife/and daughter to the King of Kings. She is a Godly woman that I admire so much!

To all the women mentioned, I thank God for bringing you into my life. There were so many others I wanted to mention, but I stuck to the rules! I understand you are all very busy women, and may not have time to add a post about this award on your blog, but I wanted you to know you are loved and recognized for the wonderful way you share Jesus in your posts.

Have a blessed day!!!

God's Timing Is Perfect

How do I know? Because our Chris (Cristobal, to me), the guy that can 'be' the raptor from 'Jurassic Park'...sounds, leaping on counters, the whole bit; the guy that I call when I can't remember the name of a great 80's song; the guy that was brave enough to watch 4 kids, ALONE, and even take them to the movies and ice cream (What an uncle!); the guy that took me to the ER when I thought I had cut my finger off; the guy that has made us ALL laugh our heads off at one time or another; the guy that was partially responsible for saving Tim from making the BIGGEST mistake of his life (breaking up with me, of course),
is finally married and Kelley was SO worth the wait, right Chris?!! Chris was so faithful to wait for what God was preparing for him and it was just absolutely sweet to see how God's timing was so much a part of this relationship. I truly am blessed by Chris and Kelley's love for one another. Their obedience to God about His timing. And admire them for so many reasons... too many to list. I love you both and pray that your honeymoon is better than you ever dreamed or imagined.







Ephesians 5:25-33 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."





I am a proud Mama! Look at my handsome boys. Miguel was one of the groomsmen (standing next to me), and Walker was the ring-bearer (bottom, right) and they couldn't have been more honored to be standing up for their Uncle Chris.




Aren't my daughters amazingly beautiful? Karizma and I were both bridesmaids. Thank you, Kelley, for the honor.




Kelley with all the 'boys'. (l to r: Dan (Chris & Tim's little brother, Tim, Nick (hiding behind Kelley), Kelley, Sean (Chris' best friend), Miguel, Paul (Kelley's little brother), and our little man-Walker at bottom.



Chris and all the 'girls'. (l to r: Natalie (my SIL), me, Sarah (Kelley's sister), Chris, Becca (Kelley's little sister), Heather (another of Kelley's sisters), and my sweet Karizma




Karizma with her loving Auntie, Natalie.




Sarah and her sweet little man, Joshua (He is just 3 weeks younger than Isabella)


Our princess, Isabella Grace, 2 months old! Pretty in pink!


Me and my Timmy (He was the best man and gave a touching speech)



The boys with their 'new' Aunt Kelley



Christian boogie-ing with Aunt Kelley



Walker dancing with Aunt Kelley



Isn't Zack a genteman for asking his older cousin (by 7 weeks), Sonoma, to dance?




Song of Solomon 4:1- Take me away with you—let us hurry!




JUST MARRIED AND OFF TO START THEIR NEW LIFE TOGETHER...

Do They Have Lots Of Bugs In Utah?

Do they? What about Sun? Lots of sun in Utah?

Anyone? Anyone?

Why do I ask? What is the big deal about Utah and bugs and sun?

Well, the lovely Amanda at My Remodeled Life is a Utahnian, or Utahican, or maybe it is Utahnese...anyway, you get what I mean... she is from the state of Utah and is the winner of the Cozy Sun And Bug Cover from the contest in this post. I totally was going to pick a random comment from that post, but decided that since she came pretty close in her guess of what the mechanic found in Timmy's car the other day, I had to give her props and make her the WINNER!

Congrats, Amanda!
And if you are wondering what she is doing with that gun and if she is ready to pop any minute with their first little boy, then you need to go check out her blog. Love you, girl, and I will send you the cover, just in time for your little man's arrival, as soon as you email me here. And, not to spoil the surprise or anything, but if you happen to be my SIL, and are pregnant, you can probably, most likely, almost for certain, expect to get one of these as a baby shower gift, deal ;0)?

So, what was Amanda's guess? What was in Timmy's car?

Amanda K said...
I say they found a mouse... Yucky guess but I have heard of it happening before. When we had a mouse in our garage I refused to park in there because I didn't want it in my car! All your pictures are so cute! I love the one of all the boys and the first black and white one! So cute!

Well, Amanda, you were pretty close. They didn't find a mouse, but that was close enough for me. What they found was a rodent's nest... so, that could mean a number of different nasty, slimy, disease infested things, and I would prefer to not try and guess. Gross! Thankfully, Timmy's car is all cleaned out now, but the mechanic said that the nest was near the vent, so he had been breathing that stuff for who knows how long.

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Not to change the subject or anything, but since I have your attention... (I do have your attention, right? Oh, just humor me) here are some things my boys said that had me cracking up this week:

Zack's the comedian in the family..so, pretty much everything he does, he is trying to get a laugh.
Zack's funny:

Tim poured Zack cold milk in his 'Zachary' mug and Zack went to sit down on his little table in the kitchen. Tim caught him blowing bubbles in his milk and told him to stop.

Zack blows bubbles again and says: Now my milk tastes just like soda!!!!

Guess you had to be there. The kids are not allowed to drink soda, so Zack figured if he blew bubbles in it, soda it became. Trust me, it was funny at the time.


Walker is our little serious/brainiac man, so what I consider funny from him, is probably not meant to be funny at all.
Walker's funny:

We were walking through Walmart talking about how to sew something together.

Walker: Gramita knows how to do it. (Gramita is what the kids call my Mom)

Me: How do you know?

Walker: Because Gramita is Mexican.

Me: Walker, do you even know what a Mexican is?

Walker: Yeah, someone born in Mexico.

Me: What does being Mexican have to do with it, though?

Walker: Well, Mexicans know everything. You are only 1/2 Mexican (actually, I am of full Mexican blood, but since I wasn't born in Mexico, Walker does not see it that way.)so, you almost know everything. Gramita is full Mexican so she knows EVERYTHING!

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One last, but very important thing to add, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING FOR ME! I totally felt so loved and encouraged that you were praying for me, and that you took the time to comment. You guys are such a blessing! Isabella had a good day today, and I was able to get a pedicure, breastfeeding free and have lunch with the girls while she sat, oh so prettily, on my lap. She sure is a doll.



"ME? A doll? You think?"



"Mom, get my good side."



"How's this for sugar and spice and everything nice?!!"



It was interesting to read all the different ways you mother, ladies, and I was touched at how you all shared. However, I must say I felt like Cassie-Ann over at Cassie-Ann's Life was lurking around in my brain last night, because I had been thinking the same thing and I was so relieved to know that someone out there (although, most of you said you have been there and done that), understood me! It sure is nice to know I am not alone. And even though I have done this a million times, it seems, each child totally is different, right Chris?

I want the cry it out mom's to know that I was totally not offended, and thought it so sweet for you to share your lives with me. But, as lots of you know, I tried the cry it out with my first (Mexican's are big at 'crying it out', and my inlaws really pushed that on me) and I had never, and still have not, experienced such a heart wrenching time in my life. I would sit outside the bedroom door, listening to this sweet, little infant, crying his head off, needing me, as I needed him and just BAWLING my eyes out, longing to hold him. But, I listened to "let him cry it out...it's good for his lungs."

I am SO NOT discounting that this could totally be true, but for my emotional health, I could just never go down that route again. So, I decided to take my Mom's wise advice (Why is it that we choose to listen to everyone else before listening to our loving, want the best for us only, Mother's?) My Mom said that when she had me, at a young 19, totally new at the mommy thing, she was also told to let me cry, to not hold me because it would 'spoil me', etc., She just did not feel right about it. So, she decided that she would do what felt instinctually right and that was to hold me at every opportunity. Even if it meant that family would give her grief over it. To cuddle me whether I was happy, sad, full, hungry. To just be the Mom that God was molding her to be. To trust her mama's heart.

So, after letting my firstborn cry it out a few times and feeling like I was going to die, honest, it hurt that much, I have never let my kiddos cry, if I could help it. So, yep, I am one of those baby wearing, never cry it out, demand nursing, in my bed through the night, at my breast for comfort, mother's and I wouldn't change it for anything. It works for me. I know you are thinking, 'really, it works? Your last post didn't make it sound that way', but every mother goes through difficulties.

I would love to talk to the mother that has not had a single moment of difficulty, because you are obviously from another planet and I don't believe in aliens, so you could be the thing that would change my mind.

I nurse my baby more so for selfish reasons. Honest. It makes me feel empowered. It makes me feel needed. It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel beautiful. It makes me feel closer to God. It isn't always easy, but it is always worth it.

So, now I am returning the same sentiment to the mommies that don't necessarily adhere to my mama philosophy and ask that you, too, not be offended. They grow so fast and well, Isabella has been sleeping through the night, pretty much, since we brought her home from the NICU. 3 out of 3 sleeping through the night by 8 weeks, that's not bad. So, sleeping through the night is not the problem here. She just loves her mama to pieces...nipple pieces. Sorry, I had to add that in.

As for the little guys, all whom nursed a lot at night... I just relished those quiet times with you. They are some of my most treasured memories and I thank God for those sleepless nights, because I had you in my arms.
Psalm 22:9 (New International Version)

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
(Thought this was appropriate, again.)




SO, I LOVE YOU ALL, YOU ALL HAVE SUCH TENDER MAMA's HEARTS!!!!
-Natalie
-Ashley
-Jessica
-Cassie-Ann
-Stacie
-Jennifer W.
-Susan
-Amanda
-Chris
-Dani Joy
-Carrie at the mommies
-and all of you that prayed for me without de-lurking!

Once You Were Awake

Please, don't cry!
Please, don't cry!
Mommy's here, Honey Girl!
Please, don't cry!



You wanted to nurse immediately
You proceeded to do so, pretty much for the next 9 hours
I am exhausted
I am overwhelmed
I nurse you, you fall asleep in my arms, I lay you down, you wake right up
I nurse you again, you fall asleep in my arms, I lay you in the swing, you wake up, again
Back to nursing you
I should know better than to lay you down again, but you won't even fall asleep now
Tried the sling
Tried to take a walk
Tried to lay you on your tummy
I can't even go to the potty for fear you will start to cry again
How come after 6 kids I still don't have all the answers?
You are so mad again
You won't even nurse now
This is breaking my heart
I start to cry with you
We are both blubbering fools now
Jesus, please help me!
How can I do this?
How have I ever done this?
Please send me help, Lord.
I gotta bring in the big guns... Karizma
She manages to calm you down for a minute, but I am still crying
Lord, I can't believe I am having a meltdown in front of my daughters
Karizma asks if she can pray for me
Humbly I say "yes"
She comes over, with you crying your head off in her arms, and prays the sweetest prayer
Lord, thank you for this moment
Thank you, because if I wouldn't have felt like I was about to crack, my daughter wouldn't have offered to pray for me
I am blessed
I am so blessed with 2 of the sweetest girls
I am feeling better already
I call Timmy to ask if he is coming home soon
He says he will leave work right away to help with Isabella
I remind him that per doctor's orders, he isn't even supposed to pick her up
He says it doesn't matter, he will
I send Jessica at 'Working on a full house' a prayer request
I come to bed feeling like I have had a bit of a jumpstart and you finally take the breast again
I am breathing normal again, even though my nipples feel like they may fall off
I am watching you eat, and slowly fall asleep and although I am so tired, I fall in love with you all over again
You are beautiful
You are darling
You are a slice of heaven on earth
Remind me to read this when we go through this all over again

Just wanted everyone to know that in real life things aren't always as pretty as I would love to say they are. It has been quite a ride with Isabella Grace. Whenever we take her off the mountain, the lady doth protest, and we are starting to think that she is a mountain girl, through and through. Will you all please lift me and my little girl in prayer? That we start to 'understand' each other. That she be content once she is nursed, and that I am content with the fact that she is a newborn and needs her mama for everything, including, just feeling loved. We are all in a wedding on Sunday and need her to be happy that day, so prayers are soo needed right now. Well, guess who is crying again. It has been a long 2 days, Sisters.
Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

While You Were You Sleeping

Honey-Girl...
Purdy Grace...
Sugar Sweetness...
Isabella...





While you were sleeping I got all this done:

Did my bed
Tidied my room
Checked my email
Balanced the checkbook
Read Walker a book
Ate a turkey sandwich
Was not nice to Daddy
Asked Daddy to forgive me
Talked to Auntie
Set up a doctors appointment for Karizma's toe... which we think might be broken
Told your big brothers they needed to clean their room
Threatened to throw away the toys that are still scattered around in above said room
Praised your brothers for cleaning their room faster than ever, since I was standing over them with a Hefty trash bag
Finally set up appointment to pick up our books to start school next Tuesday
Tried on a pair of jeans I got out of one of my boxes from Grandmom's basement... that was a mistake.
Wrote a list of what I will be doing tomorrow
Contemplated pumping some mama's milk before you wake up
Realizing I probably just jinxed myself for thinking about your waking up
Yep, jinxing in effect now, so off to reattach you to your food source.

Thanks for the long morning off. I got a lot done... but true to form, you are now demanding every minute of my day, attached to my breast, and looking up at me with that gorgeous smile of yours and letting me know that YOU need me just as much as I need you.


Psalm 22:9 (New International Version)

Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

Wanna Win One Of My Must Haves?

Before we get to the contest, how about some catching up?

Me: I am feeling almost 100% again. I have more good days than bad, and the bad are usually just because Isabella Grace might have had a hard night, or isn't enjoying a day out. The blow on the bad days are softened by my sweet daughter's help with the baby.


Isabella Grace: What a sweet thing she is! I am having a crazy good time playing dolly with her! I had totally forgotten what a fun time it is having a little girl to play dress up with.



Tim and the little men: They all went and got haircuts this past weekend. I know I said I was going to save us a ton of cash by starting to do it myself, but since Uncle Chris is getting married this Sunday, we figured we wouldn't take any chances. He is worth it!



Miguel: My eldest son is so remarkable. I wish I had a picture of him sitting on top of the roof of the house he and my Dad are building on their own. Hammering away! They are both doing it completely themselves and this is homeschooling at its finest!


Karizma: She just started soccer practice last week. She attended one practice before stubbing one of her toes, which we believe she might have broken. She is a trooper and hopefully will be able to get back to practice next week. Her biggest concern is that her toe not be swollen and purple for the wedding since she is one of the bridesmaids.

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Guess what?

Recently Tim had to take his car into the dealership to have the door locks fixed. They kept jamming and wouldn't lock. You would never guess what the mechanic called to tell him they found in the car...

Take a guess in the comments section and you may win this:

(For you new mommies, this child is SO not buckled in right. It bugs me every time I look at the picture! The buckle should be at the armpit level...phew, I feel better now that I got that off my chest.)

(You can click on the picture to read the information about this awesome product!)


Remember? This is the Cozy Sun And Bug Cover that I gushed about in this post. Well, I bought an extra one the day I gave one as a gift to one of the mommies in the NICU just for this contest. We use ours anytime we go out and it has been a real blessing.



So, have fun trying to guess what they found in Timmy's car and I will announce the winner Thursday! This would be great for all you expecting mommies out there, or as a shower gift for the next baby shower you attend!

I can't wait to read your guesses and then tell you what it is...