Galatians 6:9

I was honored at being asked to share the devotion at Jen's baby shower... and also quite nervous. It's been a long time since I've been asked to teach anyone over 5 yrs. of age anything. And it was to be in Spanish. But thankfully it turned out okay. I did totally speed through it, and my pronunciation went out the window... but it was sweet time to share where I'm at and to encourage all the women to give thanks to God for wherever they are in life.

I focused on such a comforting verse: Galatians 6:9

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not grow weary.

Sadly I oftentimes lose heart in doing good and grow weary. It's so easy for me to grumble & complain (at least inwardly), but I thank the Lord that He gently reminds me of His promise to produce a harvest in His timing. I think that the biggest harvest to be reaped will probably be in my own heart as He continues to show me the multitude of rights that I hold on to instead of Him and the selfishness that eclipes "doing good." I thank Him for his abounding patience, and for his mercy in giving me four little blessings to teach me such lessons.

(the picture is Jen & I at her shower... isn't she the CUTEST expecting mother!!)

Baby Showers Here are Awesome

This past Saturday, the church we are involved with threw a shower to honor Jennifer Brown (on our team) and the upcoming birth of Austin . Everytime I go to a baby shower thrown by the women of our church I am blown away. Showers here are so focused on fellowship and celebration and the Lord. During this shower we sang hymns, played Bible charades, had a devotion and enjoyed a full meal together. We also played baby-related games & had cake, but I love how they honor mommy's by reminding them of their sweet Father's love.

New posts coming soon...

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm recovering from strep... so although I feel pretty good now, everything else in disorder. So hopefully it won't be too much longer!

Until then, here's an older pic of Anna, Maggie & Claire.

Elaine Catherine

Elaine is the baby of the family. She is just about 4 1/2 months old, so what she can do is pretty limited (which is an extreme blessing right now-- see previous post). But she has the sweetest personality you can imagine. She's is almost always smiling! She loves people and puts up with quite a bit from her big sisters. She is very ticklish and will giggle almost anytime you repeatedly kiss her chubby cheeks.

Claire Elizabeth

Better known as Claire Bear in our home, Claire is 18 months old and is what you would call "busy." She is constantly in, on, or pouring out everything. She doesn't like to be held for very long. And she is now in the early stages of talking and can say quite a few things - some spanish, but mostly english. She learned very early on how to say "I want" from her big sisters. Much of her day is spent saying:
I-uhnt (I want) agua, down, outside, books, etc.
I-uhnt watch Mahna-Mahna (early Muppet show skit that ROCKS)
I-uhnt to click it (meaning the mouse computer)
She is very silly and knows it! One of my very favorite things about her is how much she loves kissing Elaine. If you say "where's Elaine?" she immediately puckers her lips to kiss the baby!

Middle of the Night Story

Okay, I was going to begin this little tale with some disclaimers, but I think it'll speak for itself. If you lose all respect for me as a mother, I will totally understand... But Suzanne insisted that I share the story.

So it was little after midnight last night. I leaped out of bed as I heard my oldest daughter screaming "Mommy, HELP!!!... MOMMY, MOMMY!!!!" in extreme terror, from what seemed like a far away place... As I am bolting downstairs I realize that she is in the downstairs bathroom with the door closed. She is still screaming just as fearfully, and I start yelling to her to calm down and tell me what is the matter. I yell this to her a couple of times before I get to the bathroom door. Just as I am opening the door, I see Anna standing up on the sink (not the potty) screaming "THERE'S A RA----." I immediately do what any barefoot mother who has seen a cat-sized rat in her garage before... I closed the door back. I slammed the door shut and ran and got up on a chair... Isn't that horrible??!!!. My poor baby was shut in a room with a rat. And I didn't go rescue her! Luckily Wes had made it downstairs by then and as I sort of explained what was going on, he grabbed a hammer and was about to open the door when we hear Anna yell, "IT'S A ROACH, LIKE THAT WAS OUTSIDE." We then realized that it was probably a water bug which commonly come out of the drains this time of year. We went in and were actually unable to find the evil perpetrator... But we did find Anna who was still a little shaken. I'm not sure if she was most shaken by the bug or by the mommy who left her alone with the bug. But we reassured that it was okay, and got her tucked back into bed.

Maggie Eileen

Maggie is 4 years old going on 30. She is very intelligent & is wonderfully quick witted. She is always asking great questions and really wants to understand things. She is very energetic and a little sensitive. When she's happy, she's really happy, and when she's upset, she's really upset! She loves to make others laugh, especially her sisters. Most of her interests are the same as Anna's, but she is definitely her own person. She loves dressing up, usually in a bathing suit (even in the winter). And she is my biggest helper. She is always asking to help cook, clean and take care of the babies. And when I let her, she very sweetly says, "thank you mommy for letting me help you."

Anna Grace

I want to give a little bio on each of the girls, just to give you a glimpse of the creativity of God that I get to witness everyday. It's amazing how different the Lord makes each us.


Anna is the oldest and will be turning 6 years old in May. She has a very sweet nature. She is very flexible and kind. She loves puppies, ponies, polly pockets, princesses & pink. She also is a people pleaser by nature. And though she loves all things pretty (hearts, stars, gold), she loves to be comfortable. Almost everyday when she gets home from school she changes out of her school uniform into her pajamas. She is also a very wonderful big sister!

We miss you guys!

This is the entrance of Horse Tail Falls. The flowers are so beautiful! We had so much fun exploring with Mimi & Big Daddy! Here's Me, Big Daddy, Claire & Anna. 

Isn't this beautiful??? Horse Tail Falls is about 40 minutes from Monterrey.  

Mimi & Elaine at Cola del Caballo (Horse Tail Falls) 

Elaine is loving life! Especially because her grandparents are visiting!!!

Big Daddy, Anna & Maggie 

Here they come! 

Giant concrete slides at Chipinque... Too fun for words! 

Aaahh... a day trip to Home Depot! Claire seems to be having fun! 

Wes's parents visited us during their Spring Break. Here is a park near our house. We miss you Mimi & Big Daddy! 

Family Photo, at last

Here is a photo of our family taken in January when our dear friends, the Stewart's, were visiting. In the background is the famous mountain in Monterrey, el Cerro de la Silla (Saddleback Mountain). Although we have lived in Monterrey for over a year and a half, we are still amazed at living in such a huge city that surrounded by such majestic mountains.

here we go?

Well, I have been thinking that starting a blog would help me do two things that I've been wanting to do: journal more & update folks on the goings-on in our world. So bear with me while I try to figure this out.