viernes - our neglected child.

 

 

back in the 1800's when my husband and i started dating, we exchanged the flowers, yes i gave him flowers at one time, the letters, little gifts here and there and became parents to a stuffed fur baby from none other than toys r us.

i can't even remember why we were at toys r us. we were twenty years old, so why we were there is beyond me.
anyway, i was always a sucker for oversized stuffed toys, but the stuffed bear was so cliche, so overrated, so when we saw him, i knew i wanted him.

we didn't get it right then, as my guy wasn't making the millions he makes now, and just asked me to wait. ;).

however, that next friday, lo and behold in the back of his car was my stuffed fur baby with a pretty red bow on his head.
we named him viernes, which is friday in spanish. we dubbed him our first child.

that was almost fourteen years ago. can you believe that?

he's gone through four moves with us, one three hours away from houston to austin. he's been neglected due to the birth of three real kiddos. mangled by a real fur baby which sadly is no longer with us. thrown in the bottom of the toy boxes to be forgotten, used as cushions by the kids and as a pillow by the husband when he knocks out on the couch, and has received no love from his mama in forever.
poor viernes.

recently my husband looked at it and asked if that was 'our viernes.' he couldn't believe how terrible he looked. i mean it has been fourteen years honey!
so he gave viernes a real needed bath with fabric softener and everything. and now viernes sleeps in our bed. our long lost baby is being loved again! lol.

i joked with my husband that we could just pass this baby down to the kids, and that ensued an eye roll. but i think it would be kind of cute! no? okay, then.

praying for your kids.

(last year at Seattle)

i haven't always prayed over my kids.

there was a time not so long ago when my relationship with the Lord was iffy and well of course the relationship that my kids had with Him was iffy too.

it's so crazy that as a mother, thinking that when they were little it didn't matter all that much. that when they got older, they would understand and would seek it for themselves.
but it matters. it matters even when they're in the womb. every prayer is not in vain.

as a parent we pray for our babies' health, that runny noses, ear aches and serious illness would be kept away. we pray for protection as they walk the school hallways from danger. we pray that they would meet friends that would encourage them and bless them.

but how often do we pray for their spiritual lives?

in the old testament, i love how abraham, isaac and jacob would place their hands over their children and declare blessings over them, that the Lord would uphold.
and what makes it different now? if we serve the same God.
it doesn't.

we as parents, mothers, have the same right to place our hands on our babies and declare not only protection and good health, but that the Lord would pursue their heart relentlessly so that they would know His love from early on. that He would bring them up to be warriors of the faith, that they would stand strong in the midst of trial and would be a bright light in the darkness.

in the same way as we wouldn't hesitate to cover them up in the face of a blistering wind with a warm blanket and wrap them up tight in it. do not hesitate to lift them up in prayer and declare great things over them. wrap them up in prayer every day. even if you're exhausted, even if there are still crumbs to be swept up from the day, let's not skimp on prayer over them. craft time and play time can be skimped on. but prayer cannot.

in this world fallen short of God's glory, they deserve to be lifted up. so let's make a revolution shall we? declare victory and great blessings over your children, that nothing could steal that away.

12 years.

 

marriage is a funny thing.
there are days you walk around with stars in your eyes from how head over heels you are, and some days you look at him with a look that could make a lion crouch in fear.

and you can bet in twelve years of marriage, we've done our share of both. it's been rocky at times but ultimately God has been the One to work things out.

I love my guy, and what we've established together.

 

Saturday we celebrated in a low key kinda way. Quiet dinner with great conversation about dreams and goals for this year and a movie afterwards.
Came home to a kid free home and crashed immediately cause we're old.  

 

one day i shall write more about lessons i've learned in marriage. but today. i'll just keep it short and sweet.

 

 

 

because it's tuesday

i have decided that my favorite day of the week is tuesday.
i have a varying work schedule and tuesday is the first day of my week i leave work early.
mondays, other than being mondays, are my 'long' days, so tuesday is meant to be celebrated.

yesterday as i picked up my kiddos from school, well at least the two smallest as my oldest is in middle school. whaaat?, it was too cold out to go on an adventure so i declared it cocoa date day, just because it's tuesday.

as i prepare any meal for them, i realize how different they are from each other. might as well be my little three bears. you know.. from goldilocks?
one prefers jelly and pecans over their toast, while the other may just want butter and cinnamon, and still the littlest since it's sugar free jelly, prefers to have the toast plain.

we prepared some hot cocoa since we texans declare the thirties as blistering cold and just sat down to have a quick cocoa date. it's hilarious the things that come out of their mouth.
i can't remember what exactly my daughter said now, but she concluded her sentence with: 'just face it, mom.'

then she had the idea to make a toast. and we toasted to a good 2014 year where we came together closer as a family and loved each other more. the little one spilled cocoa as we clinked our mugs, drank up. and five minutes later they were at each other's throats. sigh.

what are you gonna do. might as well celebrate the day either way, just because it's tuesday.

do you have a favorite day of the week?

lest i forget.

looking through photos of my children when they were smaller, always without fail, makes me teary eyed.
and the other day as we were looking through them, i paused a bit longer than usual to take in each detail. the way their baby teeth were still intact, their cheeks a little bit fuller and rosier, their pouty lips in some. all things that have gone away as they have gotten older. and although i will always have those photos to remember those details, i thought about the things that make them who they are, things they do that don't necessarily are photographed.

when they're grown, or as they get older, i want to remember the little things about them. even the things that frustrate me, sometimes. but that still make up who they are.

like the way my daughter always grabs an apple as a snack. eats it halfway, gets full and puts it back in the fridge, rather than throwing it away. sticks out like a sore eye when i open the fridge, but i guess she doesn't like wasting food.

or the way that no matter what day of the week it is, my littlest's shoes will always be scattered around the house. in different places, mind you. one in the living room, the other in the kitchen.
or the way he loves to keep up with his appearance. always wanting look 'handsome like dad.'

and the way my oldest finds it a trend to walk around the house with one sock on and the other God knows where. i've asked about it and his response is the sock bothers his foot. the other one, not so much.

or my daughter's little dimple when she smiles. she hadn't noticed it herself, until i pointed it out!

and how can i forget, how even at eleven, when he cries, my oldest has the most adorable pout. it melts me instantly.

i'm sure there are lots of other things that make them, them. and i'm on a mission to make note of it all, lest i forget when i'm older.

what little things of your loved one's do you love?

thankfully.

i win the award for the blurriest, low quality photo every. thank you. 

 

don't you just love when the day you planned in your head goes exactly opposite to it?

yep, me neither.

we woke up sunday morning, refreshed from the extra hour of sleep which really i just spent painting so not much extra sleep there, but  still felt somewhat refreshed, thankfully.
we had quite a bit of things to do, so we got up pretty quickly and decided to take the day on early enough.
sat at a little mexican restaurant for breakfast, and thankfully had some really good conversation then headed out for some shopping and spending good quality time together.
fast forward about thirty minutes,we were sitting in the mall parking lot, with a vehicle that was then malfunctioning.

thankfully, we are able to take it in to the nearest repair shop, where we were charged a pretty penny, and were then without a vehicle for the next several hours.
thankfully, there was a target a little walk away where we were able to go in and get some stuff that we needed. i would've liked to shop for pretty things that were not necessarily needed, but our money had just been handed over to the mechanics to get our car healed. boo.

thankfully, we were able to sit at the little cafe area and enjoy some popcorn and drinks while we waited for my sister to come and pick us up.
thakfully i have a sister who is close by and loves me enough to pick up some stranded family members.
thankfully, even though our experience for the day was a little sour, on our way home we had uplifted spirits to play a game of 'guess what am i.'
nobody guessed mine. i was grass.

thankfully when we got home and realized we had handed the keys to the mechanic and had failed to take out our house key, we didn't burst out in tears. when i write 'we' i obviously mean me.
thankfully, we were able to find a way in and didn't have to drive all the way back to the mechanic's to get the keys.

thankfully when my husband tried to give my sister some cash for her inconvenience, she refused and said words that i am so terribly thankful for.

'no i couldn't. we are family, that's what family does.'

thankfully i am reminded daily there's still lots to be thankful for, even in the middle of life's not so ideal experiences here and there.

linking up with:

 

THE THANKFUL PROJECT 

thankful for three.

Hello November.

It's bittersweet you're here. October flew by faster than I'd hoped for and didn't get to enjoy it fully, but you are one of my most favorite months, in which we get to celebrate thankfulness. so i'll put on my happy thankful pants on.

 

to begin the spirit of thankfulness, I am taking part in this link up I found that permits us to remember all for which we have to be thankful for. and we have lots!
today we write about a person we are thankful to have.
I have three that I want to focus on today.  Three little people that call me mommy.

 

These three littles have taken my heart and stretched it far beyond what I thought was possible and i'm oh so thankful for everything they teach me. they open my eyes to a new perspective everyday.

They have taught me how to be selfless for a bigger purpose, to believe in the power of prayer, and that working hard to attain something is far better than it dropping on your lap.
These three have also taught me that an 'I love you mommy' with a puppy eyes can weaken any mommy superpower and turn it into putty.
I'm thankful for their faith in me, even when i believe i'm messing up royally. their constant hugs and kisses reassure me that even though i might have lost my cool just minutes earlier, they get it. they know i feel horrible about not containing myself and shower me with grace.

 

i'm thankful for being able to have these three to care for and love on.

thankful to have them as guinea pigs with my kitchen experiments and thankful that they are not too hard on me, politely declining seconds without hurting my feelings.

thankful that their sweet faces as they sleep, remind me that all is well and i get another chance to do better.
thankful that although i think they are not listening when i talk to them about life, i can see they are with the way the choices they make.
thankful that in leaving their room a mess for the thirteenth billionth time, just gives me the chance to practice my patience in asking for the room to get clean for the thirteenth billionth time.

thankful, yet knowing that even though i will never be a perfect mom, they will love me just the same.

these three monkeys make me want to be better, do better and live better.
i'm so thankful for them.

who are you thankful for in your life?

linking up with:

 

THE THANKFUL PROJECT

 

our weekend.

 

guys, how is october almost over?

i have yet to take out the kids to enjoy true fall activities. it almost feels like the days just mesh in together to create a really long week, yet there's hardly any time during the week with school assignments, errands, and such. eh. so we're pretty quick to jump on the wagon when there's an activity we can attend that requires almost no planning on our end!

our workplace is pretty notorious for always having activities and potlucks. i blame them actually for my weight gain, you know.
not that making pancakes for breakfast two days in a row would have anything to do with it. but how else can i start my family's day without fluffy goodness?

but anyway, this weekend they hosted a picnic which was nice. they had burgers and hot dogs cooking which filled the air with some delicious cook out aroma. i love how cook out smells. so yummy!
and they had plenty of children's activities too to keep my trio occupied. even though the weather was pretty gloomy, it was still in all a good time.

thank goodness.

 

 

linking up with:

chopped!

the day finally came.

a year ago my daughter decided she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love.

so for a year, she's been excitedly growing out her hair to be able to donate enough. ten inches is the requirement.

just before we left to get it cut, she doubted a little her decision fearing how she would look with short hair, and wondered how long it would take to grow back.
because we've all had the occasion where we chop and then we cry.

nonetheless, i think the fact that she would be helping out someone and the excitement of a new look, pushed her out the door and off we went.
she did great and not once did she shed a tear after seeing how much was cut. such a relief!

and her new little cut looks so cute! i didn't tell her, but she looks a little bit younger to me, kind of when she was smaller, and i love that!
i told her that her hair must have had all the sassiness, because she was super sweet when we got home and didn't give me sass one bit.
'someone will now have sassy hair mom, hopefully it doesn't tangle as much as it did on me!' she responded.

kids are amazing little creatures. they are so full of care and love. and i'm proud to be the momma of someone that yesterday made a difference.

my secret to a refreshed monday morning.

i've realized that in order for me to wake up feeling refreshed on a monday morning, is not necessary to stay home all day sunday just kicking back and getting chores done.
no. that won't do it at all. the secret is, to enjoy sunday with your family being out and about but in a laid back sort of way. i'm not talking about running errands, getting groceries done and oil changes. but instead just enjoying, really enjoying the day. breathing in the fresh crisp air, enjoy the goodness the day has to offer.
the weather was so delicious and we needed to get out. there was a music festival going on, so the streets were pretty crowded in the area we had originally planned on being around. instead of hustling through people with three kiddos in tow, we decided to have some lunch in an open area. and people watch of course. well that's just me. people are interesting beings, i tell you. but i digress..
and oh my goodness when i tell you i had the best tacos, there's not a pint sized possibility of a lie there. they were the best. i had a mr. orange taco, which is blackened salmon with grilled corn and black bean relish with queso fresco and avocado lime sauce. soooooo yummy.
and of course when you allow gluttony to take over and your pants begin to cut off your circulation, the best idea is to go for a walk.
we chose to just stroll through the capitol grounds. it was perfect. peaceful and quiet with just the right amount of sun, and the perfect little breeze. plus with so much open space, the kids were able to just run to their little heart's delight.
we weren't even out all day, just the afternoon, but it was just enough to enjoy each other and come back home feeling refreshed ready for monday. and there you have it. that's my secret.

how did you spend your weekend?

***don't forget to enter my one year anniversary giveaway!

 

goodbye summer + praise report.

happy monday friends!
it is officially fall, and to wish summer a bon voyage until next year, we made it a day out at the park yesterday, soaking up some nice on your shoulders sun with an oh so pleasant breeze. it was nice. family time is always nice, though right?
minus the crazy uncle, thank goodness that's on my husband's side. ;)

in other news, my heart is exploding with thankfulness. 

my parents have been experiencing a whole lotta stretching from the Lord lately, and in turn, it affects my sisters and i. however, in the middle of it all we have been able to witness God's hand all over it, time and time again. when the Lord wants to take your faith to a higher lever, He doesn't hesitate, and for that i'm so thankful that He is choosing to do so.

my baby sister was able to get her driver's license on her first try, so that my dad would not have to be taking time out of his work day to drive her anymore, she was hired at one of the first jobs she applied for. 

and let me tell you, it's a good job with good pay. in this economy, we really were just hoping for a fast food place or retail with minimum wage.

well God so comes through when He says He has something more than what we can hope for. 

and overall, He is just a good, good God. 

can i get an amen?

i hope you had a wonderful weekend, and here's to a blessed week!

linking up with:

life lately

our weekend