Visited Countries

This was a cool website, visited countries that I found. It allows you to track all of the fun places you've traveled to! Here are a few places Tim and I have had the opportunities to visit...oh the memories!

• United Kingdom--My family lived here for 3yrs so we were able to travel quite a bit during christmas vacation


• Spain--Spent two summers here. Once doing a mission trip at a youth camp in Cataluna and the other doing a study abroad in Toledo (near madrid).
  
• France--The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower...very romantic!


• Holland--Favorite place to visit! Once on a mission trip and once with Tim backpacking
  
• Belgium--Gorgeous!


• Panama--Tim and I attended a family wedding and brought in the new year in 06 just a few months before Elianna was due!


• Mexico--Several Trips both for vacation purposes, honeymoon and mission trips
  

Not only can you track all the cool countries you have visited but you can track the states you have traveled to as well! Below are a few that I've had the opportunities to visit!

What countries/states have you visted?

Let's Make A Cake!

The other day the girls were watching Barney. (My husband's favorite!) It was an episode in which the kids celebrated Barney's birthday with a huge cake! So, the girls and I decided that would be a fun way to spend our Monday...making a cake! (Little did I know just how much of a mess would soon fill my kitchen table and how much icing would end up in my girls' hair!)

We headed to the store and big girl got to pick out the cake she wanted. Of course it was no surprise when she picked out a pink cake! She was so excited and kept asking, "mommy's who's birthday is it?" Since we did not have a birthday to celebrate and since she has been learning in school and church that God made everything, we decided to make a "Thank You Jesus for our Family" cake.

Below are some fun pics of the girls at work! I must say big girl did a great job and it was fun watching little girl get into it too! I actually had to pry the icing bowl out of her grip! Hilarious!

A Mommy's Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13

My hubby left me this beautiful interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 before he left for work this morning. It was a post he found at the Seay's blog which was written by one of their friends. It's a beautiful reminder of our role and influence in the lives of our children. I hope you find it to be as encouraging as I did.

"If I’m poetic and profound all day but don’t love my kids, I’m just like an annoying never-ending educational film.

If I teach my kids to memorize the whole Bible, giving my kids a deep understanding of God’s mysteries and making academics a breeze for them; if I have trained them to clean the whole house when I snap my fingers, to be quiet, still and compliant, but don’t love my kids, I’m worse than a dead-beat parent refusing to pay child support.

If I don’t buy myself jewelry, new clothes or anything nice ever again, but spend every penny on my children, if I’m a real “martyr mom” staying up all night working on their birthday parties, Halloween costumes, and decorating their rooms, but don’t love them personally and deeply, they might as well be orphans.

So no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m worse than useless without love.

Loving my kids means never giving up (on them, on their father, on the family, on their future.)

Love is patient with a “screamer,” kind to a “brat.”

Love cares more for her children’s joyful fulfillment than for her own “self-actualization”.

Love doesn’t expect her kids to be something they’re not, doesn’t wish they were more like somebody else’s kids. Doesn’t brag about their achievements and live for that vicarious glory.

Love doesn’t tyrannize her children, or rudely wish they’d go away.

Love doesn’t condescend to her kids or force her own paradigms and agendas on them. Isn’t always “me first.” But loves them with reckless abandon (sometimes saying goodbye forever to careers, traveling the world, old interests and dreams, and, of course, that “bikini body!”)

Love doesn’t fly off the handle or scream at her children. Doesn’t yank them around or cringe in embarrassment when they just act like kids. Doesn’t tally up the disobedience from the whole week and get progressively furious. Especially doesn’t get angry with one child because another has been misbehaving.

Love doesn’t revel when her kids grovel, doesn’t gloat when they finally feel terrible for their offenses.

Love delights when her children grow in truth, beaming when they first glimpse God’s holy light.

Love protects these precious people, guarding their bodies, hearts, and minds.

Love puts up with anything (a sick baby, a handicap, another “accident” on the new carpet.)Always trusts God with her children (even when he seems to have such a different plan for them.)Constantly looks for the best in her kids (even if it’s not what was expected.)Never looks back (at life before kids!)But keeps going (mothering) to the end.

Love never dies.

Love is eternal.

Love thinks about her children, praying for them, each day of her entire life.

We have three things to do for our children: Trust God to be glorious in their lives, be a pillar of hope by expecting his best for them, and love them wildly."

I did it Mommy!

Here is our big girl furiously working away on her first puzzle. This was a great gift that we received when she was just a baby. It's a puzzle that tells the story of creation. It's been a great tool to help teach her the word of God. Not to mention she's learning great skills and having fun at the same time! This has definitely been a great pass time for her and mommy!

Isabella's First Day of Preschool

Well Isabella is 3 now and she's off to her first day of preschool...Papi was there to get it all on video! She was totally excited and the first thing she said when I picked her up was... "we're coming back on Thursday right mommy?" I love days like these!