Got Girls?

Got girls?

If so, then my next question is...

Got bows?

My sweet sister in law, Natalie, over at Raising Miracles, has started to make her own bows! She does a beautiful job and is willing to take orders for custom bows. And, she is definitely super affordable. She has got some really cute ideas in the works, so make sure and check out her new blog, Gigi's Bowtique, and let her know what you have in mind for your cutie. She makes them with clips on the back, so they can either clip straight into hair. You can also clip them into a hairband, like I do with Isabella, until they have enough hair of their own. Check out some of her pretty creations!

Daisy, Daisy Bow
Christmas Gingerbread bow
Brown Sugar and Peas Bow

...seems all her bows make me think of food, ha ha!

Thanks, Auntie, for letting us model your creations. We love your work!

Dollars and Sense

(I may have posted about this system before, but it bears repeating.)

I remember being a little girl and thinking we were rich! I was so happy as a child and had all I wanted. A hardworking and loving Dad. An absolute sense of security and warmth from my Mom. Siblings that were better than any toy ever manufactured. A dining table that always had comfort food as its inviting display. A home that was a constant haven. I WAS RICH! In love and comfort and security. But, as I grew older, I realized that my parents were able to give us the sense of material wealth, because they worked so hard at giving us spiritual and emotional wealth. They had to pinch their pennies as I was growing up. I just never noticed because I was so busy thinking that all those hand me downs were BRAND NEW. Well, they were to me!

I am so grateful to my parents for the time they took to instill in each of us an understanding of making wise choices with money. Their system is one I have now adopted for my own children, which starts once they have their first job (Be it mowing a lawn, or washing someones car, etc). Here is how it works:

Anytime you earn money from a job, for doing a service, a paycheck, you follow this breakdown...

10% Tithes...God always gets our firstfruits.

30% Savings...The kids love watching their bank account grow and grow and grow.

30%Home...I make sure to use whatever they give into the home in a way that they can see its fruits...for example, the other day Karizma helped fill up the family van's gas tank. And Miguel paid for Isabella's birth certificate.

30% Pocket...The kids can keep this amount in their wallets to use as they wish. However, they tend to be competitive about whose savings account is getting larger, that most of the time, they end up putting most of their 30% fun money into savings.

Once they deposit money into savings, they cannot withdraw any cash without prior consent from Mom or Dad. They have to have a good reason for taking any cash out. We start each of them off with a bank account at 6 years old, thanks to Grandma White and her generous birthday checks. This way they can start to develop many wonderful habits at a young age.

Since Tim and I do not use credit, and have never used credit our entire marriage (except for a car payment to our minivan), we are trying to instill the importance of not getting into debt for each of our children. We have already had Miguel read 'The Total Money Makeover' by Dave Ramsey. I think it inspired him to start saving now for his future and his future bride. He is thinking far ahead and I like it! So, if you don't have the cash, then you don't get to have the item. It tastes so much sweeter when you know it is completely yours and paid off. So, they have seen us saving for our passenger van and they know we are going to pay for it in cash. We do hope to have enough by the end of this month. But, we have really enjoyed driving 2 cars. God has rewarded our patience and our wise choice with some really fun times. But, most importantly it shows them that God is faithful to provide. That if we trust in Him, and are good stewards of our money, HE will ALWAYS take care of us! We see Him doing it for us on a daily basis!

The borrower is slave to the lender. When you are in debt to another, you enter into a slave/master relationship with your creditor. (Proverbs 22:7)

Tim and I, and our children, have seen God putting this verse into action over and over and over...

Deuteronomy 28:12:

“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”

Take the time to instill a plan with your children. The sooner the better. And make sure that the plan you are living now is the example you will be happy to have them living in their future. If not, it is never too late to change!

Have You Hugged Your Grandma Today?

I am blessed.

I know that I am super duper blessed.

Not many people can say that their grandparents, some great grandparents, or even great-great grandparents are alive.

I have had the privilege of meeting all my grandparents. Some great grandparents. And my children had the privilege of meeting their great-great grandma.

But, as time passes, and I grow more and more busy with my little ones, I realize that I am not making enough time for the people that are part of the reason I am here! They are the people that helped mold our parents into the people they are now, in one way or another. Which in turn, has molded us into the kind of parents we are now, to their great grandchildren.

I do try. I call my grandma when I can. We go and see Tim's grandma since she is in town. I check in on my Dad's parents and send them pictures of the kids. But, I could do more. And what about the grandparents that don't get phone calls, or visits, or pictures? Today I got a taste of what they must feel like. Let me explain.

Today the kids and I took a little field trip to go see their great grandma (Tim's paternal grandmother) in her new 'digs'. She recently had a fall and is now staying in an assisted living facility. I have never entered into one. Let alone the kids. We did all go and visit a friend in hospice awhile back and this brought back memories of that time. I remember a nurse at the hospice mentioning then that children are hardly ever seen there, so when children do come, the patients hunger to see them, hear them, talk to them.

I had 'the talk' with the kids in the minivan. "Keep your voices down." "Don't run." "Don't misbehave." ETC, ETC. I explained that many people might be trying to rest, so we needed to be extra quiet. As we entered the facility you start to see lots of faces. Faces that have many stories wrinkled into their skin. Faces that seemed lost in time. It really made me aware of how each one of them has a history. A story to tell, but maybe no one to listen. I made an effort to smile at each one. At one point, when we got lost in the maze of hallways, there were 2 elderly ladies that beamed when they saw the kids walking by. I made us all go back and walked into their room. We were welcomed like family and the women gushed about how cute the boys were and how pretty Isabella looked in her dress. They did not seem at all surprised that I was a mother of 6. They got me. One of them said to me, "You have 4 boys and 2 girls. They are a gift. They are a blessing. Never forget that." I made a mental note of where their room was so we could come back and visit again. (Maybe next time with a bigger and frillier dress on Isabella, since they seemed to love that the most. She was wearing a tutu style dress today and they kept going on and on about how she looked like a doll.)

I realized as I walked down those long and sad halls with the kids, that my children were a hot commodity. Every face stared blankly ahead, until one of the children's face came into view. Then they would smile and their demeanor would change. Most people seemed completely surprised to see us there. It made us feel like celebrities! But, the absolute best was seeing Great Grandma. She lit up when the boys talked to her about getting an elevator put into her house. And she let us know that this visit had been her best yet. I loved that she has not lost a single ounce of spunk and talked to us about how she couldn't wait to get up and walk. How we love her! We talked about her time in boot camp and her visit to New York as a young girl. And we promised to return and play cards with her and let her win, since Grandad beat her the night before.

We each left feeling a sense of obligation and also a sense of love for each face we passed on our way out. We agreed that we would come back at least once a week and visit Great Grandma, the 2 ladies down the hall, and any face that would be willing to allow a mama and her 6 arrows in their room. We realized that we didn't need a reason to visit them. That they weren't wondering what we were doing there. They just seemed so happy to be visited. I pray that Jesus uses us in a big way there.

So, can I make a suggestion? Look up your local nursing home. Take your little ones in. Share their smiling faces with someone there. I can guarantee that it could be the one smiling face they have seen all day..all week...maybe all month. Our children are a gift, like the one lady down the hall said. Now, I am going to start sharing my gifts with others.

Oh, and if you are wondering how the kids handled seeing everyone... They are so sweet that I don't think they saw the sadness like I did. They were just happy to make new friends and have someone listen to their ideas and of course who doesn't like to hear they are handsome over and over again?!


Here are the kids just over a week ago with Great Grandma. We had gone over to her house and had pizza there. She had a nasty fall a few days later, so is now staying in the nursing home.

Official!

About to make it happen!


Daddy was so great about having all the paperwork done.

Waiting is hard, so why not sit on the registrar's desk meanwhile.


SHE'S FINALLY ALL OURS! LEGALLY AND ALL! You'd think we had to adopt our own biological daughter, the hoops we jumped through.


She's official! All the i's are dotted t's crossed, after 9 months...whew!

It was a long process, but so worth the wait, because when I looked at the birth certificate it gave me the laugh of the year and I know it will bring us many more laughs once Isabella can read and understand it herself.

PLACE OF BIRTH:
AMBULANCE
(this usually will state the name of hospital)


ADDRESS OF PLACE OF BIRTH:
INTERSTATE 8 AT BALTIMORE EXIT

Gotta love that!

Now to go visit the Fire station that helped bring Isabella into the world...well, maybe not bring, because I am SO taking all the credit for this delivery. However, they did transport us there, and clean up the mess, so kudos to them for that.

Another Walker-ism

A good friend of ours is due at the end of this month, and our mommies group is throwing a shower for her today in my home. As Karizma and I decorated, Walker comes out of his room to find baby shower decorations on the walls and the tables set up. He has a big grin on his face and comes up to and says:

Walker: I know what you are doing....(Said in a 'are you being sneaky?' kind of tone) All these decorations can mean only one thing...you are having a baby shower!

Me: Yep.

Walker: (His grin getting bigger and again with the 'are you being sneaky?' kind of tone) Is there a pregnancy secret you need to tell me about? (His grin turns to a super huge smile as he asks...) Are you pregnant??

Me: (Completely thrown off guard, although, it wouldn't be a weird question for our family, would it?) Oh, no, Buddy. I am throwing a shower for a friend of mine. Would you have been happy if I was pregnant?

Walker: (Now his look is kind of like 'What kind of question is that?') Of course! (Then walks away on his merry way.)

I loved the sequence of things here:

1st. He was happy at the possibility of my being pregnant again. It was a sweet example to me to be happy when my heavenly Father chooses to bless me. I should also be happy at the possibility to have him bestow another gift on our family. God says children are a gift from him in Psalm 127. Would we turn down a new blouse? New car? Giftcard to a nice restaurant? NO WAY! So, why do we turn away God's gifts to us....children.

2nd. When I asked if he would have been happy, he was confused at why he would be asked such a question. Of course he would, he said. Of course, we all should be. Again, a Godly example of how we should look at receiving children into our family...always happy at the thought!

I love who God can use a simple conversation like this to prune me and to see the gift that my children are to me. Being a mom is the most rewarding job EVER!



*And just a little extra ISM...this one from Zack.

Zack: My favorite color is blue.

Me: Like your eyes?

Zack: YES! Like mine and Easybelly's (Zack calls his little sister this instead of Isabella).

Me: What color are my eyes?

Zack: GROUND!

Gotta love the honesty.


(And, by the way, made you look with that lady bump pic, huh? hee hee)

Isabella Grace: Tomorrow is the big day!

The big day. We have been waiting for the big day for over 8 months. It has been one of the longest, most drawn out experiences, but the big day is finally here! We can finally say, thanks to the big day, that she is here! OH...what is the big day, you ask? Well, first sit through a little walk down memory lane with our 'Sugar Gracie' and then I will let you in on what the big day entails...


Isabella on the day she was born...our cheeky-chunk-a-dunk-dunk, as I love to call her...


1 month old and going to church for the first time.



2 months old


3 months old


4 months old


5 months old


6 months old


7 months old


8 months old


Oh, what a doll she is. Those bright eyes! That porcelain skin! The chubby cheeks, wrists, and thighs! Sheer joy is what this child has brought to my life! And to think exactly 1 year ago, we had to really trust in the Lord about her even coming into the world, when we were given information about her sonogram. But, God is Good. All the time. She is here and she is every bit a blessing to us all. God has used her to make me a better mother. I am so thankful for this little girl.

As for her milestones...well, I am not quite as good as a first time mommy about logging them. Not that they aren't as special, but I suppose I spend more time in the moment now and sometimes forget to stop and log it down somewhere for future reference. However, I can say a few things about our Isabella:

-She is a Mama's girl, through and through. You can find her perched on my lap, my hip, or my breast pretty much ANYTIME of the day or NIGHT. If she isn't attached to me, she is going to be attached to Karizma. But, even Karizma isn't as appealing to her anymore. She is my little sidekick. My dream come true, and I love that she loves me so much.

-She is a talker...says lots of words, from repetition. Some clearly, some not. The funniest is how she will say her own little version of "How dare you!" when someone doesn't let her have her way. It is HILARIOUS!

-She is not even thinking about crawling or walking. She has it made on Mama's hip.

-She just started to eat solids this month. We did try a couple of times at 6 months, but realized it just wasn't time and I wanted to wait until she developed teeth. So, her 2 bottom teeth came in at 7.5 months, so at just after 8 months I started to introduce sweet potatoes, which is the only baby food she will eat. She will eat table food, though, and I have found that this was the coolest way to go about the 'food' process with a baby. I am totally waiting for teeth to introduce solids from now on, if God blesses us with more children. She is still nursing about 90% and eating solids little by little. This means lots of me and Bella time. God was faithful to keep his promise...I asked him to spare her and I would nurse her anytime she wanted. Well, she wants a lot, and I oblige.

-She is showing so much of her personality. She already has likes and dislikes. She is enamored of her brothers, but Zack is definitely her favorite and he dotes on her every chance he gets. Sometimes he will be playing with the boys, tumbling around, then will stop everything just to go and give her a kiss and talk baby talk to her. Can you say melt my heart?? It is the sweetest.

-She will be 9 months in 8 days. I can't believe it.

It is so funny that it took so long to get to our big day. See, having had her in an ambulance proved to be easy(er) labor wise, but difficult to prove that she was actually born...to me....in the USA. So, we have had to jump through several hoops to get to the point of what should be the last leg of getting her birth certificate. Yep, still no birth certificate for the sugar gracie...but, tomorrow we meet with the county registrar. This hoop involves having to bring in a ton of paperwork along with Isabella Grace and myself to prove she is mine.......like I said before, she has porcelain skin...THIS should be interesting! Can anyone recommend a good baby tanning solution??ha ha




MY GIRL!

No Excuses

Seriously, not a one.

Not a single excuse for abandoning you and not keeping in touch, because there isn't a valid one.

So, let me just jump into a regular post without trying to say how sorry I am, blah, blah, blah....


Starting a new day...

Dusting myself off...
Getting right back in the saddle.

2010

WOW! 2010 and so, so, so much has happened already. Tim had his surgery new year's eve. The surgery where they implanted the neurostimulator. That is still up in the air, as far as it working, but we are remaining hopeful and trusting that God, no matter what, is faithful to keep his promises. Tim will one day have a new, pain free body in heaven, regardless of what happens here on earth. Praise God! The doctor we spoke to yesterday said it could be 6 months before we could really tell if it is working. So, I pray I can give you a very positive update then.

February is the beginning of birthday's in our family. First is Christian's....our QB turned 5 this year!
He is growing up before my eyes and I never thought that my baby faced little boy, would be a kindergartener, learning to read, caring about if his shoes look cool with his jacket, and already one of the most kind-hearted little men I know.



2nd birthday in February is Miguel's. I am now a mother of a 17 year old. Wow...don't even want to think about the next number in line after that. Anyway, we were blessed to have our cousins from Yuma make the drive out to spend the weekend with Miguel. It meant so much to him. And our sweet girl, Kassandra spent the weekend with us, too. That is ALWAYS a treat.




Then we also had Valentine's Day, where Tim planned a super sweet day for us at our 'special spot' and we laughed and reconnected in such sweet ways. It will go down as one of the best ones yet. Thanks, Baby, for being my best friend. Remember our first V-day?? You bit the bullet and tried sushi? You have loved me through thick and thin, literally, and I am so thankful for you.




It has been a fun year so far, especially watching our little girl, Isabella Grace growing and putting her stamp on our family. My next post will be ALL ABOUT ISABELLA...and you can mark my words, there WILL be another post...I will go as far to say that there will be another post, maybe even 2, this month!

Love to you all!
XOXO,
Veronica

Here are our little guys having a blast when our cousin Diego came to visit. We had too much fun with them in town!!!