From Snow White To Cinderella

I have 2 daughters.  Each of them absolutely beautiful in their own way.  I love how God created them with their very own personalities and gifts.  I have been truly blessed.  But, I must admit, having daughters, DOES NOT...in any way...guarantee GIRLY GIRLS.  I found this out pretty quickly 15 years ago, as Karizma (my 2nd born, but 1st daughter) started to grow into her own person.  She is 17, but I didn't really see the lack of 'girliness' until she was just over 2.  Call it denial?  Why not.

I grew up a girly girl, through and through.  My younger sister, Amanda (younger by 17 months) was the exact opposite of girly girl.  I would suggest lounging in the sun on a blanket, on a lazy Saturday, reading TeenBop and Tiger Beat and she wanted to watch Shogun with my Dad.  I talked about make up and hairstyles, she was banging her head to Def Leppard.  I would spend hours looking at all the different colored pairs of Bongo Jeans for sale at Contempo Casuals and she was bugging me about going to the arcade.  But, I wouldn't trade it for a thing.  She brought so much perspective into my life, on things I wouldn't have otherwise thought about it.  God made us the perfect pair.  I so wanted that for Karizma.  And, as Karizma grew and started to mirror my sister with her heart for others, her heart of compassion and selflessness and love of God, I knew that although she wasn't a 'girly girl', she was still one of a kind, that in a very sweet way, was a loving reminder of the kind of girl my sister Amanda was.  So, once I met Tim and God started blessing us with arrows, I would pray for Karizma's Amanda...or would that be her Veronica? heehee  She was praying, too.  She always wanted a little sister and had been praying since she could pray...probably around 2.

God's timing is perfect.  Always perfect.  Karizma got her little sister almost 15 years after she was born.  And, now Karizma is a sweet mixture of femininity, strength, and beauty.  (Amanda also started to grow into her girly side around 15)  But, don't get me wrong, she is also fearless, fearless, fearless.  She is one tough cookie and I love seeing her Tia Amanda in her.  

While on the other hand, our little Bella is a GIRLY GIRL, through and through, like her mama.  She adds such a sweet touch to our home full of boys.  One of the things we love watching her do is prance and dance around the house playing princess day in and day out.  Here are a few pictures of our princess from a year ago, at a princess tea party with her friend Sophia (for their 2nd birthdays):

These are the 2011 pictures....

 This is Sophia and Isabella listening to tea party instructions.  They look pained!

 I love that she sat as still at 2 as she did at almost 3.  She loves to get her hair done.

 Our Princess and her crooked crown.  When pretzels mattered much more than manners.

 She absolutely loved Snow White.

Isabella and Sophia, 5/2011

Look at how much the girls have grown in just under a year!!!  

Isabella and Sophia 4/2012 

 Can you tell how happy Bella is to see Cinderella show up at their tea party??

She loved chatting with Cinderella.  It was cute to see her acting so grown up.

 Bella LOVES to do the primping and pampering thing...and she isn't even 3 yet!

 I love these princesses and their sweet and funny personalities.  l-r:  Sophia, Brookie, Isabella

 The girls learned how to curtsy.  Bella was a pro!

 She makes some of the silliest faces!

We had a ball, Cinderella!!

I can't wait to post  pictures of the girls in another year.

I wouldn't trade Karizma for ANYTHING in this world...she is the perfect daughter for me.  And, I wouldn't trade my Bella for ANYTHING in the world, because she is also the perfect daughter for me.  God knew not only the desires of my heart, but knew what I needed, and when I needed it, and His timing for when he brought each of my girls into my life was perfection.  Thank you, Lord, for these beauties!

 Here is my other princess...not in frilly dresses or playing princess, but doing her thing in the outdoors.  She loves nature.  I will be sure to blog soon about what God is doing in my little girl's life, and the mission trips she will be taking within the next few weeks.  God has big plans for her!  Please, keep her in prayer.  I love you, Karizma.

Chapter Sixteen

I am currently reading chapter 16 of the Excellent Wife book by Martha Peace.  Chapter 16 is on 'Communication'.  I had been looking forward to this chapter, in particular, because I knew I could use some serious help here.  I read it the other night and answered some follow up questions that come with the workbook.  I learned some important things.  Now to put them to work in my life as a wife.

God gives us opportunities everyday to either make the right choices or to make the wrong ones.  I am sure I make more of the wrong ones, some days, but yesterday was a real growing day and I am thankful for chapter 16!  Mrs. Peace shares a few principles in this chapter about communication and I had a few jump out at me when I needed to respond to an email from Tim yesterday....

Now, for you to understand, I need to share what the email from Tim said:

Baby,
The flight itinerary for the annual partners' Labor Day retreat (to Wisconsin, Brian's alma mater, this time) is below. Is this okay? Love you, babe.

Nice and sweet, right?  WRONG.  At least that wasn't my first sentiment.  You DO see what I see, right??  It's on LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!!  That's MY weekend with Tim.  The partners get to see Timmy ALL WEEK LONG!

So, I proceeded to type this:

Seriously????!!!  Not cool.  Why would they plan this on Labor Day weekend?  I am not happy about this.  Don't they get to see you all the time, now they want to take a holiday weekend from us and spend it with you, too?

As I typed, I stewed.  It wasn't some yummy smelling stew, either.  It was one of resentment (towards the partners) and anger (towards Tim for even considering this would be OK)  Can you imagine the stench of that combination?  Putrid, right?  It wouldn't be unusual for me to hit send as this point...   HOWEVER, one of my best friends, the Holy Spirit, impressed on my heart and brought some of those principles to mind:

Here are just a few of the principles:

1.  A WIFE'S WRONG WORDS BEGIN WITH WRONG THOUGHTS AND WRONG MOTIVES

(Matthew 15:19-20)

2.  A WIFE IS ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR EVERY WORD SHE SPEAKS.

(Matthew 12:36-37)

3.  A WIFE IS MORE LIKELY TO SIN IF HER WORDS ARE RASH.

(Proverbs 12:18)

Thank God for the Holy Spirit!  Thank God that He loves me and would allow the Holy Spirit to move me to do the right thing.   Remembering that my rash words could lead me to sin was convicting.  Remembering that God holds me accountable for every word I speak...or type, for that matter.  And, especially the point about how wrong words begin with wrong thoughts and motives...that is sooo me in this case!

So, I hit delete and erased that little, but not very excellent wifey, paragraph.  Ahhhh...that felt better already.  Then, I prayed that God would guide my fingers as I typed.  I will admit that my response could have totally been sweeter, and in retrospect, I should have stepped away from the computer, continued to pray and came back later, but I still saw progress. Here is my response:

Oh.  I see it's on Labor Day Weekend.  Not my first choice, but I'm glad you can go  have fun. 

Tim responded, "Thanks, Babe."  I was still trying to get past the thought that he would be gone that weekend, but life starts to distract me sweetly.  There is homeschooling to continue, and princesses that expect me to drink their tea, and laundry to be folded.  God used my beautiful life to have me stop thinking about how I would be missing my Timmy on that weekend.

Then it started to happen.  I started to see reward for having held my tongue.  I started to see God rewarding my obedience all over the place!  Check out this verse:

 "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land."
Isaiah 1:19

Don't you love seeing God's Word come to life in yours? I DO!!  So, here is how my day started to unfold.  It was such a GOOOOOD day!  God used this day, after my growth spurt, to have some prayer's that had been on my heart (And Tim's for the last few months) become answered.  His timing is so perfect!  I didn't understand why He was taking so long to answer our prayers, these past few months, but now I see why.  He wanted me to recognize that obedience brings reward.  Being willing to obey, brings the best of the land.  AND, IT DID!

It was bill paying day, which I actually consider a good day because it means we are blessed enough to have the means to pay those bills.  As, I sat down to pay the ones on my list,  I recognized the kids health insurance.  I usually pay that earlier in the month, however, we hadn't heard back about the application we had sent in, which allows for us to pay next to nothing for their health insurance.  We have to reapply for this plan of insurance every 2 years and this is the year that Miguel was too old to be on it, so we thought it might throw us off the bracket to receive it.  We had been praying so earnestly over this matter.  I decided I should call and find out if they were going to be covered or not.  I held my breath a little, but remembered that I had told Tim that if they were no longer covered, God had a plan for us in that area, anyway.  That sweet operator made my day.  Every single one of our 5 youngest children was covered for the next 2 years.  2 Y E A R S!  So awesome to hear her say "Until 2014."  

PRAISE GOD!  Such answered prayer.  

I couldn't wait to call Tim and share with him.

Our conversation was so cute, so I must share with you:

ME:  "Babe, what is the best news I could give you right now?"

TIM:  "Ummm....that you are pregnant?"

ME:  "Really?  That would be the best news?"

TIM:  "Yeah.  That would be great.  So, are you pregnant?"

At this point I am so in love with my Timmy for being the kind of guy that would think that my being pregnant for the umpteeth time would be the BEST NEWS I could give him right now, that I almost forgot the reason I called him.

ME:  "That's so sweet, Babe, but that's not the news I have.  Remember the kids health insurance application?  It was approved!!"

We both rejoiced and thanked God over the phone. 

Then, the next big answer to prayer.  It has been my prayer for months.  

My prayer being that my handsome first born and I could have a sweet sit down-talk, without my having to pull it out of him.  I wanted him to share his heart with me, without my having to ask him to share.  I have been learning that it wasn't Miguel that needed to do something different, it was me.  I needed to make myself accessible and make myself the kind of mom that he would want to share his heart with.  (I am constantly growing in the area of wife and mother, and I praise God for his constant pruning in my life.)  It was a rainy day yesterday as just Miguel and I drove to Costco and when we found a parking spot it got us to talking about how God had answered prayer about the insurance and talking about his upcoming missions trip to Thailand and then it happened.  After about 20 minutes of my sharing my heart, he shared his.  I loved how he introduced his conversation to me:  

MIGUEL:  "OK.  I'm just going to say it.  OK?  I'm just going to tell you and that's it."

I was surprised at my response to my eldest son and how he then responded to me.  I saw God interwoven in our entire conversation and I can't tell you what a sweet way it was to end my day of applying Chapter 16 to my life.  Two MAJOR prayers, ANSWERED.  THANK YOU, JESUS.

It was so worth the wait.  And, it was so worth the pruning process of growing.

I am no excellent wife.  VERY far from it.  However, each day God gives me an opportunity to do the right thing or the wrong thing.  The God thing or the sin thing.  God help me to do your will today!  Help me to be willing to obey you so that I can eat the good of the land!

The Countdown Begins...6 Weeks Until The BIG 4-0!

I don't know that most people look forward to turning 40, but I really, really am.  I so loved my 30's and expect my 40's to be even more fabulous than my last decade.  I do recall how much dread I felt the last day of my 20's.  I thought it was the end of my youth and the  beginning of becoming 'old'.   However, once I became 30, and started to see all that God had before me, I quickly changed my tune.  I noticed that each passing year as a Christian meant growth and maturity and even some wisdom. ;0)  So, why wouldn't I look forward to the 40's with zeal and excitement and anticipation as to what God has before me?  

I anticipate many wonderful things like possibly becoming a mother in law, then a GRANDMA!  How cool would that be?!!  I look forward to growing in the Word and growing in the knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I pray that God would help me continue to strive to be an excellent wife and loving mother.  That I keep taking steps towards becoming more like the Proverbs 31 woman.  I pray that this decade would mean more children...either from my womb or from adoption, or however God may bring them into our lives...possibly as grandparents?!!  OK.  OK.  You can see that I have been longing for that position for quite awhile....probably since Miguel was born, ha ha.

I just long to face this new decade of life seeking to be obedient to my loving God and seeking to please Him in all I do so that He is given glory in all things that are my life.  A wise and sweet friend, we will call her 'J', wrote to me recently something that has stayed with me and has spoken so much life into me:  "I just long to be obedient.  It is my desire."  I want that to be my desire!  To long to just be obedient to God and that it be my burning and yearning desire!  

Will you pray that over me?  That God would use my 40's to strive to be obedient to Him, His Will, His plan over my life and that of my children?  I'd be so grateful for your prayers.

As for how I plan to start off my 40's...well, I read about a woman that decided to start off her 30th birthday doing 30 random acts of kindness.  I LOOOOOVED that idea and it is what I plan to do, too.  40 random acts of kindness, along with my family, praying that God would direct us in a way that we know is not random at all.  

I have been making a list for many months of ideas of random acts of kindness.  Do you have any ideas you would like to shoot my way so I can add it to my list?

P.S.  I know I have said it before, but another thing I would like to add to my list for my 40's, is being more intentional about blogging.  I have always found it to be so therapeutic and want to make room in my day to get back into it.  Plus, my hubby enjoys it.  I like to make my Timmy smile. :0)

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN.........