A Neglected Blog Repost!

Playing favorites is exactly what I am doing. It is just out right silly of me to have 2 blogs, one always seems to get neglected. I am having a blast over at My Creative Pink and as I update and view my blog I see my link to Little Moos and Mommy Too. Oh, the guilt sets in but what can I do, I am busy holding a paint brush.
I know in the next two weeks life is going to change, with my Abigail entering into Kindergarten. I can't believe it. It feel like yesterday when we were celebrating her birth. Not only do I have a Kindergartener but a High School Senior and of course my little preschooler.
Noelle is back from Israel, did I even post anything about that? She went to Beit Jala, Israel to help out at the Hope Secondary School. She went with Teen Mission's International, which is an amazing organization set up to send out teens on short term missions trips. This was her second trip with them. I will come back (hopefully) and update a bit more but until then I am reposting my neglected blog post from back in 2009. I am aware of my neglect of this blog and that is the first step, admitting you have a problem!

A Blog Neglected...

September 2009

If there was a Child Protective Service (CPS) equivalent for blogs (BPS) I would be on the watch list. It is no joking matter, this poor little blog of mine has been neglected pure and simple. It sits here waiting, hoping, wishing that I will give it some words of joy, happiness, love, creativity, something, anything! Day in and day out, it waits and waits. Then I pay it a visit but I am just teasing it, taunting it if you will. I just sit there, watching it, tapping my fingers at it, staring with a blank expression on my face, and glazed over eyes. I have nothing, I can type nothing, I can leave nothing and so without a second glance back I close the computer and go on my merry way. I don't think about my little blog, I forget it is even there until I hear it's faint call to me, begging me to come back. I do come back and to the disappointment of my blog, nothing is achieved there is just an awkward silence and I leave again. Then there is a break through and hope is in my little blogs future. It is just false hope because I do not leave those precious words it so desperately wants and needs. No on that day I have tell my little blog that, after all those endless days of staring at it I realized I was tired of the way it looked, that it bored me, and it must changed. It did just that, I mean after all it is trying to earn my attention back. It changed into such a cute background with polka dots and my favorite colors. My interested was sparked but only for a moment and then I left it to sit another week, with the same old stories, same old pictures, and same old blank-glazed eyed stare..


Oh my poor little blog, I didn't start out with the intention to neglect you, you must know that. I wanted to be creative with you. Just remember it isn't you, it's me, and I will try to do better.


So don't be so sad, tomorrow is another day, with more adventures, crafts, and backgrounds, there is so much in the future, so maybe just maybe I shall visit once again, and leave you with more then my tapping fingers and my blank stare, maybe just maybe....

Fun day times 3!

What a fun day we had today! A and M have been asking to go to the Train Museum the last few days. I am not sure why they started asking but I figured it would be a fun day. Not only did we go to the train museum but we went to a puppet show and the Padre game. I am not a big fan of sports but I do enjoy going to the stadiums. I will say, we only sat in our seats for one inning then wondered over to the grassy section. This worked out much better for the kids because they just ran around and made new friends. The stadium also has a play structure in the grass section, so that is also where we spent our time.

Noelle will be home in 11 days! We are all so excited for her to be home. It has been a little harder for me then it was last year. Last year we went to NY for three weeks and I had distractions there but this year we didn't go and so I feel her absence much more. I am getting many more team updates this year since they are in Israel and not Africa. I received 1 letter from her that she sent from Israel and I could tell she was enjoying herself. I can't wait to see the work God is doing in her and to hear all about her experience in the Holy Land!

Well I will leave you with a picture of my little ones riding their bikes! We took the training wheels off of Abigail's and it only took her two days to get the hang of it. Everyday after that all she wanted to do was go out and ride her bike. She is a pro and sad to say she rides her bike way better then her mama. It is quite embarrassing how timid I am and then to look at A & M riding their bikes like nothing..

Another Everything But The Kitchen Sink Post!

I can't believe it has been since October of last year that this blog was updated. Okay that is not entirely true, I am obviously no good at blogging but that doesn't mean I still can't come on once in a blue moon and post, right?
So what has gotten me on here today, well there has been a lot that has taken place since my last post and well since we are in the middle of summer I won't torture you with last years holiday events. I will however highlight the important events such as Mason's 3rd birthday and party, Noelle turning 17 and getting her license, Abigail's 5th birthday, and the event that has brought me on today, Noelle's second Mission trip with Teen Mission's International where she will be going to Israel.

So a little about each of those things, my little man turned 3 and as many little boys around that age he loves Pixar Cars, he had a cars party and I have to say the best part of the party was seeing his face when we presented him with his cake:

Yes, that is a MAC cake and Mason was besides himself with that cake, honestly he sat there the whole time with his little hand on his cheek and a big wide eyed smile!

Noelle got her license back in April but before that she had to drive around and practice. I would say I was the one who drove around with her the most. I think she preferred this and the above picture may explain why! Yes, my husband wore his helmet! (only until the end of the block but still!)

I can't believe my baby girl is 5 years old already. She is going to be a Kindergartner starting this fall. We just had her, which was a Hello Kitty party and we had such a fun time. I will be posting on my craft blog several of the things that I did. So check back later today for some great cake frosting recipes and ideas for Hello Kitty! My Creative Pink

What I have realized as I was searching through my pictures is that my Noelle is not in many pictures. I know she likes to hide away but geez, not to have any in the current albums I have is a bit ridiculous. Anyways I went off to search for pictures on Facebook and of course she has a ton! I love this one of her and my sister (Noelle is on the Right). So as I stated above, Noelle left on Wednesday for another mission trip with Teen Missions International. My last post was an update about her trip to Malawi, Africa last summer 2010. She really loved going to Africa, didn't enjoy Bootcamp that much but the field won her heart. So this year she felt lead to go to Israel. I miss her already! She will be going a total of 7 weeks, 2 1/2 weeks in Florida, 3 1/2 weeks in Bait Jala (Israel) where she will be working on the Hope Secondary School, and then 4 days back in Florida. I will have no contact with her other then letters, so it is quite difficult. I know the Lord has her in his hands and protection and I can not wait to see how this trip will impact her life.. My girl is going to The HOLY LAND!! What a world traveler she is becoming!

Well I didn't mention this above and I figured since it is the everything post I best post about it! That is me dancing up there! I started Ballroom dancing over 1 1/2 years ago and I love it. I have started to compete in Pro/Am competitions and have done fairly well. I have competed in a total of 3 so far. The first one was very low key and I got several 1st places for my International Standard of dance. Then back in November I switched instructors/dance partners and started dancing American Smooth. I have a hard time with this style but I love the whole idea of it so I keep moving forward with it. Back in the beginning of April I decided I wanted to try International Latin which truth be told when I started dancing it was what I wanted to do but I didn't think I had it in me to do it.. WELL, was I ever wrong! I LOVE Latin so much so that I put American Smooth on the shelf for a few lessons. I have done very well in my Latin and my instructor has said many times, I am a Latin dancer...hehe! I have gotten several 1st places in my Latin. I am so happy my husband supports me in this hobby!

Well folks, there may in fact be a kitchen sink somewhere in this post and since I have mentioned kitchen sink, we put an offer on a house! I am not sure if we are going to get it, we are waiting on the bank (it is a short-sale). This house is a nice house and even though it is only 11 years old the kitchen is outdated. I will eventually redo the kitchen and this folks is the kitchen sink!!

What do you do on a Rainy Day in So. Cal???

You update your long forgotten blog!! Life has been non-stop for so many months and honestly I just don't see it slowing down anytime soon. I really need to take a step back and ask the Lord for strength, endurance, and peace otherwise I just might go crazy! So where did I last leave off? Let's see, ahh yes Noelle my 16 year old daughter was heading to Malawi, Africa on her very first Mission trip. Which looking back, it came and went just like that. Now, I have to say the time she was gone was very difficult, in all she was gone for 7 1/2 weeks. She left on June 23 for Merritt Island, Florida the home base of Teen Missions International and returned home on August 11. She was in Malawi for 3 1/2 weeks and the rest of the time was in Florida. I was very fortunate that through Facebook I had contact with other parents from Noelle's team and it eased my anxiety. I was able to see that just like me there were other parents going through all the same emotions. Noelle came back having made some pretty amazing life long friends and I am thankful that in this day and age she is able to maintain a certain amount of contact with this new family she made. I am so incredibly thankful to God for his protection and watch over my child. She came back safe and sound and having had an experience of a lifetime. I am going to post the video she made and shared at her school, it says it all plus she came back home with ove 600 pictures, yikes! I had planned on writing more but alas my laundry is calling.. FYI Dishes, laundry, and the two little ones take priority, even on these rainy days!!!

Okay so the video doesn't seem to want to upload, I will keep working on that and in the mean time I posted a picture.

Where is the time going?

I just keep sitting here in disbelief that we are already a third of the way into May 2010. Life seems to be going 100 miles an hour and each time I blink it feels like another day has past. There have been some pretty difficult times in my life where I would have given anything for time to disappear but instead I was tortured in a slow moving hell. Melodramatic I know and of course as I look back at that time, even then life got away from me. Now I want to just breath and enjoy this beautiful and blessed life that God has given to me and yet it just keeps moving at unspeakable speed.

So what has brought me to the blog today, well lots of things...... I know I don't write on my blog often. It isn't so much a time issue (it is part of it) as it is having something to say. When I actually do sit down to write, I end up having too much to say and run out of time. The last several months have been pretty busy and filled with activity after activity. I am happy to say my family and I have found a wonderful home church. This is something that we have struggled with since John and I married almost 5 years ago. We couldn't seem to find "our" church and ended up church hopping. This wasn't a good thing because we never really committed full hearted as a family to going to church every Sunday. I was involved in bible studies for most of that time, with exception to taking time to have my babies but we didn't have the much needed fellowship that I believe our hearts and souls so desperately need. Our new church is amazing, the people are so kind, welcoming, and loving. Honestly it felt like home the first day. It is small, so you get to really know people. The greatest thing is Noelle has even expressed a great liking for this church. God really answered our prayers and I feel him calling to me in so many ways.

Well, this is probably the biggest thing going on with regards to my family... Noelle is going with Teen Missions International to Malawi, Africa on a Footwashing Mission Trip. I am really stepping out in faith with regards to allowing her to go. It almost seems surreal. I have filled out all the paperwork, gotten her passport, made calls to arrange necessary shots and yet have felt a peace about the whole thing. This is quite unusual for me, I worry and fret about everything. My family teases me and well often gets annoyed at my stress of bad things happening. Oh, I know this is not how God wants me to live and I must give these fears over to him. I pray daily for Noelle and her trip and I have commissioned others to pray daily for her. Our pastor comes up to me each time he sees me to reaffirm his commitment to pray for Noelle. He carries her prayer bookmark in his bible and prays aloud for her everyday, thank you Lord! Her trip is fast approaching, it was only a few months ago that it was 6 months away and now it is only 7 weeks away. In 7 weeks my baby is going to be getting on a plane to Florida where she will spend 2 1/2 weeks training, and then she will hop on another plane to go overseas. She will be in Malawi, Africa for 3 1/2 weeks doing various work project but mostly ministering to orphan children. She will wash their feet and give them new socks and shoes. God is sovereign over Noelle's life and I know there is power in doing the work that God has set before her. As the trip approaches, I see myself calling more fervently upon God. If you read this I ask for you to also lift my precious Noelle up in prayer. Pray for her health, travel safety, her spiritual walk and also for her fellow team members. I also think that as the trip gets closer that Satan will be out in full force against her, and I pray for him to be bound in the name of Jesus Christ. Noelle can do all things through Christ who strengthens her, and I know He will do just that!

Well there is more I can write but I am tired and should go to bed.. next time I will let you know about my ballroom dancing.. Yes, I am a ballroom dancer ( since September!) I love it, and will be participating in a Pro/Am Dancesport competition in July... so excited!

Well goodnight, and remember if you feel inclined to pray for my daughter please do so, thank you!

She can write her name...WOW!

While I was washing dishes today, Abigail went into my purse got a pen, went over to the printer got a piece of paper, sat down at the table and started to write. She loves to scribble on paper and recently what she has been scribbling has started to look like something. The other day she drew a balloon with a face and hair that look like her daddy, haha!!

So today while I was distracted doing dishes I was able to hear her spelling her name out, A...b...i...g...a...i...l, then she lifted up her paper and this is what I saw. Now I don't know what the normal age is to be able to spell out your name let alone write it and it be legible, but this totally wowed me. Abigail is 3 1/2, she loves letters. When ever we go somewhere and there is a letter she will either ask me what it is or she will tell me. I have sat with her before and written out her name for her but not in the last couple of days. She did this from her own memory. What a smart girl, Abigail is!!!

And just as a side note, I will admit that it helps knowing that her name is Abigail when you look at this paper, but still it is pretty darn neat!

A Little Bit of Easter!

I have not blogged in so long, the BPS are watching..haha! If you want a little laugh check my blog post out here , it explains BPS to you. This is just a quick update with a couple of pictures from Easter. I hope you all had a great Easter and I will be back soon to update you on what I have been up to the last few months..