What a day!

A nine month old who is teething, a husband who hasn't had my attention in days, a bridal show in two weeks, a sister who would probably appreciate a visit, and a set of eyebrows that need waxing more than you could imagine....WHAT A DAY!!!!

YIKES! She's alive!!!

Meredith goes home today! It's amazing how fast they send you home these days...especially after a c-section! Today Olivia had her pictures that the hospital takes and she wore the prettiest ivory dress with a kackhi colored bow. They got her smiling on one.


Dalen met Olivia for the first time yesterday. He is so active we had to restrain his arms and legs to keep him from kicking and hitting her. My mom kept saying I don't think he realizes she is real. After a while of observing him with her I think she was right. She was so still and quiet I guess he thought she as a doll or toy. But today she really let out some crying and we watched him realize how real she is. He just sat straight up in his stroller watching her scream and looked really confused and scared. It was really funny. Enjoy some pics of their interaction.

Trust + faith= understanding

When Mario and I were freshman in college, I was attending Cleveland State and he was attending Lee. Right after Mario dedicated his life to the Lord at convocation, he developed a hunger to know more about God's word. On many occaisons he would talk about reading the Bible and I knew he was studying it a lot.
One day in Pathway, I was browsing around for nothing inparticular. I recieved direction from the Holy Spirit to purchase a Bible for Mario. Being a college student who was just learning how to budget after paying bills, I of course supressed this as a silly thought. I knew deep down inside it was God. After picking up the smallest, cheapest Bible I could find I knew God intended for his son to have the best Bible for him as he was growing in his faith. I knew his favorite color was blue and so I chose the only blue Bible on the shelves. It was a leather, study bible and it was the one God wanted for him.
A few minutes into a phone call with Mario I told him I had something for him. With no hints given he guessed a Bible. So strange I thought! How in the world did he know!? A few seconds of silence passed and he continued by saying that would be awesome if it were a Bible. I don't have one.
Come to find out this new believer who was so intentional concerning his conversion, was going to different students in his dorm and asking to borrow their Bibles just so he could know his Saviour more. God knew this but I didn't.
The purshase of that Bible took trust. That trust needed faith or a firm belief in what was not tangible or proven. Because God is so gracious, when I combined these two practices with being obediant he allowed me to have understanding. I am not saying we will always understand the mysteries of God but when we need to he gives understanding that later in life helps us to have faith again in situations where reason is not tangible and hope is being shy.

Welcome to the world Olivia Grace!

I am an aunt...again! I already have 2 nephews on Mario's side but last night my oldest sister, Meredith, gave birth to Olivia Grace Parker. As you can see, she is extrememly chubby in the face. We LOVE it. Literally when the nurse held her up at the nursery window for us to see her, her cheeks hung over the nurses hands!
On Monday, Meredith was admitted at 12:00 a.m. to be induced. I was nervous for her because you always take a chance at being induced. Of course, I was the supportive sister and didn't say anything but I was pretty concerned. That night I laid in bed until I got a text from her at 2 a.m. to read she was doing ok. The next morning she had made no progress. At this time I called Mario to let him know I was getting more concerned. I just had a strange feeling things weren't going the way we would have wanted them to go. After hours of being in labor the midwife told her she would have to have a c-section if she didn't progress a lot in the next 2 hours. Of course, we began to pray and my family gathered around to lay hands on her. After the prayer the midwife checked her one last time. She was going to have to have a c-section. I was REALLY worried for her. Meredith can get really nervous about things like that but she did INCREDIBLE! She seemed to have perfect peace and displayed such a calm demeanor about herself. Jonathan didn't leave her side pretty much all day. Soon after, she delivered an 8 lb. and one ounce chubby cheeked beauty. We are so excited about Dalen's new "rag doll". Ha Ha
Meredith is doing awesome and Jonathan is the doting dad we all expected him to be. They sure have a cutie to be proud of.

Swimming Pool

I decided to get Dalen a swimming pool at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. I finally got it blown up and filled. Yes, you read correctly..blown up. It was just a cheap $2.97 pool that will maybe last us this summer but Dalen really loves splashing around in it. Enjoy a few pics of his first splashes in his pool.

Self-control

Me and Dalen on June 21st.

Galations 5:22-23

This passage of scripture defines how we should live. When we see God face to face in Heaven we will see one who possesses all qualities in one being. This passage talks about the fruits of the spirit. You can say I am being super spiritual when reading this but I could care less...this is a testimony and it is dealing with a spiritual nature of struggles in my life.

A few blogs ago I shared about my recent weight gain. It didn't happen until after I had Dalen. I have always struggled with my weight. Looking back at pictures of myself several years ago I shouldn't have been concerned with my weight but there was reason to be concerned with it the last few months. I tried a few diets here and there. I tried watching this and that but none of it worked. The reason I always fail at diets or trying to have a healthy lifestyle is because I have always lacked self-control.

Weighing in at nearly 40 lbs. overweight I got some advice from a doctor and a serious dose of help in the area of self-control. Once I saw this as a spiritual issue and not just a physical issue I began to realize my victory had been established in Heaven long ago. June 19, 2006 marked on month since trying to lose weight. I am slowly but surely becoming victorious in this area. I still have a lot more to lose but it feels so good to say no to certain foods, choosing not to eat after a certain time, or just pushing the plate back when I start to feel full. Those of you skinny minnies that have never had to deal with this be glad! For those of you who can share in this struggle you know it is NOT easy. Please continue to pray for me as I gain a supernatural control over the temptations I battle daily.

FRIENDS

Do you have friends that you just can't explain? I am being totally serious. The ones that don't forget to call and when things are busy and its been a while in between talks you just pick up where you left off. If you can say yes, you probably don't have really many friends like that. People these days are just so busy that it's almost like they are too busy to have friends, much less be a good friend.

Today I got a surprise visit at work from one of my really good friends. Seriously, she is a amazing friend who has grown and matured beyond her years. My friend Abby has always been a really involved person. She seems to always have things to do but friends and family are an ultimate priority. Yes, sometimes we go too long without talking but she always comes back with effort to keep our friendship strong.

This picture made me wonder who would be Dalen's true/blue friend. I can only hope that he will be blessed with friends like I have. Silly it may sound...but I am already praying God will send him good friends, that are good influences.

First Kiss!

Last night was the first night of Tennessee campmeeting. Good service and also great time of fellowship with friends afterwards. We saw our good friend Jay Garcia who we don't get to see too often. He has a little girl, JayLee, who is 20 months. She is absolutely gorgeous. We were kidding around with her and getting her to give Dalen hugs and eventually talked her into kissing him. I was thinking a peck on the cheek....THIS GIRL WENT IN FOR THE KILL. We had her do it again so that I could take a picture of it. So adorable and cute. Please check out Dalen's big eyes...he looks so scared and overwhelmed!

Daisy Moffatt

If you know me well, you know I absolutely LOVE photography. I took a class at Lee hoping to find some hidden talent but I soon realized that its something I love but that I am not too good at. Back when I was pregnant with Dalen, I found a photographer through the store. Her name is Daisy Moffatt. She is one of the most talented women I know. She did my maternity pictures and because she did such a phenomenal job, I also booked Dalen for a package called Baby's First Year. Here is one of the shots I just love.


You can check out some more of Daisy's favorites at daisyphotographer.blogspot.com
She knows just how to capture someone's personality and Dalen's certainly shines in the pics she took. Check them out.

Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day. Its was a gorgeous day. We started the day off by going to church and then we joined my family for lunch. Afterwards, we headed to my grandparents to visit. My grandfather was too ill to make it to lunch. I am blessed to have an amazing Dad. Dalen is blessed to have Mario as a father who loves him unconditionally! I am very proud of him. He is doing a great job! Enjoy a few highlights from the day.

I love this pic. Mario took Dalen to the dumpster. He also always takes him to the mailbox. Mario trying to get Dalen to look.
There we go. Father and son.
Dalen and grump. Please look at my dad's tongue.
More kisses for grump.

Kisses for grump.Dalen with his sombrero.
3 generations...I love my dad.
Dalen and pretty aunt Mel.
Dalen and gran

Dalen first got a bath.Please notice his open mouth he was trying to catch water dripping from his washcloth.
Washing his curls.
Meredith is ready to have this baby! Dalen seems to not even notice her belly. I guess b-c he is so used to seeing my Dad's he thinks its normal...haha

Dancin'

Today was the funeral for the young teen that lost his lift earlier this week. What an incredible funeral that had me leaving with hope, encouragement and an example of perseverance. I had this young man in middle school ministry several years back and it was really neat to hear young people and old people alike speak of what a God-fearing person he had grown to be. Towards the end of the service Tom Sterbens sang a spoke a few words about Hugh. Tom is a close friend of our family and an EXTREMELY talented vocalist and songwriter and speaker. His thoughts are sometimes a little above my thinking (he is so intelligent) but today his words were simple. He spoke of Hugh (the father of the deceased young man) and he shared a phrase that Hugh apparently assaults people with because he says it so much. GOSH I WISH I COULD REMEMBER THE WHOLE THING!!!! This is it in a nutshell....God is who has always been and he will do what he has always done. He has no pretercessors.
How true and encouraging is that?! After sharing a little about their relationship he sang a song that he wrote himself...Audience Of One. (AMAZING) While he was singing I could see from the farthest corner in the back of the church a large hand raised on the front row. After straining for a moment I realized it was Hugh's. WOW! This man's 16 year old son just died and he was praising God in a symbolic surrender for all to see.
My prayer today:
God life is not easy. I know that we must daily pick up our cross and follow you. This is not easy. With life, comes joy, happiness, times of despair, loss, grief, trial and so much more. Help me today to be a public example of a stable, consistent, God-fearing, trusting, unshakable follower of your word. In times of loss, let me search no further than you. In times of joy, remind me only you provide joy with fullness. In times of happiness, help me to thank you for your many blessings. In times of despair, be the lifter of my head. In times of grief, embrace me with your peace that surpassess all understanding. In times of trial, give me strength to whisper your name, for your name is a strong tower and bless me with endurance to run to you because that's where the righteous are safe.
Preserve my son's heart for you. Help him to follow our example of faith in you. Save him from the evil intent of man and deliver him from a wicked world full of sin.
Amen

Snowy June

Please look in his hands.

What a day already! If you have been to the store, you know we have a glass front. You can see everything that passes by. For whatever reason Dalen loves to be right at my feet under the desk. I left him a bag of toys to sift through to see if maybe they would occupy him for at least a few minutes! TRY AGAIN MOM!

So I am sitting kind of sideways and all the sudden see something fall out of the sky (no I am not losing it). Well, at least I thought I was seeing it come from the sky. When I turned completely sideways I realized it wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from at my feet. Dalen had gotten into the bag with the toys and found his can of formula and got the top off. He was taking fist fulls and throwing it in the air. Needless to say, it made the day a snowy June.

HOLA!

Dalen's Aunt MyMEL recently cruised to Mexico. She brought back a sombrero for Dalen...HILARIOUS! She also brought him a maraca (spelling?) and tamberene. Dalen now has hats from Mexico, France, Israel and South Africa. Its what he will collect from my family when we go places over seas. Thought you may enjoy my little mexican musician!

Life and Death

Yesterday, I receievd the news that a young teen from my church died in a car accident. I do believe that this is every parent's worst nightmare! The child you have loved, cared for, carried in your womb is gone. Gone to their eternal resting place however, you are here alone, abandoned and maybe even afraid. I hope and pray I never have to bear the grief of losing my baby. I can only imagine what pain and suffering these parents along with other parents who have lost children are feeling.

I do not in any way want to sound insensitive in sharing my thoughts about death but I do have thoughts I think might be an encouragment to someone who is going through the loss of someone they love. I think often times poeple are so spooked and afraid of death they don't dwell on the topic long enough to recieve any kind of clear explanation or understanding of death. The only explanation I can give is that DEATH IS A NATURAL AND INEVITABLE PART OF LIFE. No one is exempt from this hard and painful part of life. When death occurs our minds race questioning why and how and why God. Many times I hear people say they were so young or had so much faith in healing. I can't explain why some are delievered from sickness or bodily harm but I can state a true fact. Your faith, your age, your name, your gender, your anything does not exampt you from death. DEATH HAPPENS. At one point or another we will all take our last breath prepared or unprepared, young or old, sick or well, in great faith or in great rebellion, with calm peace or paralyzing fear we will ALL die.

I hope these thoughts and facts do not sound insensitive I only hope they can encourage a reader to make choices that will result in living on in the spirit realm after dying in the physical. For the Bible clearly states the wages of sin are death but the gift of God is eternal life. Choose life everyday in the decisions that you make so that when this natural occurance takes place your family and friends can grief, with hope.

Standing tall

Dalen is not only moving faster than ever he is standing on his own and sitting is still a task but he's making progress. Here are a few recent pics of how much he is growing.

My Poor Baby!

Ok, so I know I am a new mom but what happened a few days ago was absolutely heartbreaking. I had seen 2 wasps flying in me and mario's room one night. We realized it was because we had forgotten to close an open window. Mario searched for them everywhere while me and Dalen safely hid out in the bathroom. He never found them.

The next morning my wonderful husband is up with Dalen about 6 a.m. as he gradually begins to be ready for work at 8 a.m. while sleepy mama snores away. I was fully awake about 7:30 a.m. because of a knocking noise. It was Dalen playing with Mario's pantsleg hanging off the footboard of our bed. The belt kept knocking the wood over and over. Mario was watching Dalen from our closet as Dalen pulled Mario's pants over. He loves things over his face but this time he let out a ear peircing cry. We knew something was wrong. When Mario pulled the pants off his head he was laying on his stomach crying and out flew one of the wasps. Dalen had been stung on his left wrist. After screaming his head off for a few minutes he was fine. Mario killed the wasp...YAY! On the way out to work Pop bandaged Dalen's wrist with a band aid and put some ointment on it. Luckily he didn't have an allergic reaction.