At the Orchard House with cousins.
My family
Kristen's snowman
Children's program Heather and Hannah's duo
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Part II
At the Orchard House with cousins.My family
Kristen's snowmanChildren's program Heather and Hannah's duo
Christmas happenings! Part 1
Heather Christmas Piano Recital
School Honor Choir. This girl loves to sing and really enjoyed herself.
Noche Buena, Christmas Eve with my parents. A Guatemalan tradition, except we didn't wait for the midnight dinner thing. In Guatemala we celebrate with a dinner (usually tamales) at midnight, fireworks and the midnight hugs and gift opening. We went to our church candlelight service and then came home to our family's Christmas with my parents.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Black Friday at my house!!
I got this idea from Familyfun.com
Finished product.
The girls quickly found the personalities of their hats.
... and of course a few rounds of Blitz! I am afraid they are hooked!Sunday, November 14, 2010
Finding Joy and Contentment
Life around here has always been on the go and I often struggle with the fact that I don't take time to meditate or do a self check on basically life. But God just has a way to make these things happen somehow. This week I was surprised by an emergency Laparoscopic Appendectomy. I have never had any type of surgery before so this was a new road for me. Specially for someone that is always on the go coming to a halt all of a sudden was interesting.
I won't go through all the details but I want to mentioned the "highlights" of this journey. As things were happening fast I remember lying in the hospital bed pretty much thinking, how were they going to get rid of that pain, what was going to be the outcome of all the testing and feeling bad that Kristen had to see me in such pain (until Roger's aunt came and got her). I remember the verse coming to my head, "I will bless the Lord at all times" and as it came to mind I found myself saying it over and over. After the doctor came and told me the diagnosis I am honest to say that I did felt a little fear but was quickly swept away with peace by a verse that Heather and I had been reciting together (for her own sake, I saw in her eyes that she was scared for mom) "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you..." and then off I went into surgery. Half hour later I was back trying to wake up and remember thinking that I didn't have pain anymore. Believe me, an awesome feeling to have.
The girls have really step up and have been helping around the house, along with my mom and the wonderful friends that have brought very delicious meals. Our dinner table has always been surrounded by the girls chit chat of their days, sometimes more casual than others. This particular time Heather said in her own words: "All things work together for good..." we get to learn/help more around that house and mom's gets to rest. I think she pretty much summed it all up. I have been down and hardly doing any physical things but for some reason this time is different. This might sound weird, but I am actually ok with it, I have actually enjoyed letting people help in what they can, I don't have to be the tough one all the time. Philippians 4:11 has been my motto this week.. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance..." believe me, it hasn't been just peaches and cream to get to this point, but I think God is doing His work in me... trying to look for the positive and at the same time learning to be content in my circumstances while finding joy at the same time is something I haven't really deeply thought about it before. I trust that I get back on my feet soon but mostly I pray that the lesson's learned during this waiting time stay with me and I can continue growing in the areas where I need it the most.
To have a completely mind set of: "God will get me through this, with His help. He knew I could handled it, and things will be ok..." vs "Why me..? or being sick and tired of it, feeling hopeless and angry.." is only a mind set/attitude that can only come from God with His help.
So, my prayer is that I can continue finding joy and contentment in whatever my circumstance.
Dámaris
I won't go through all the details but I want to mentioned the "highlights" of this journey. As things were happening fast I remember lying in the hospital bed pretty much thinking, how were they going to get rid of that pain, what was going to be the outcome of all the testing and feeling bad that Kristen had to see me in such pain (until Roger's aunt came and got her). I remember the verse coming to my head, "I will bless the Lord at all times" and as it came to mind I found myself saying it over and over. After the doctor came and told me the diagnosis I am honest to say that I did felt a little fear but was quickly swept away with peace by a verse that Heather and I had been reciting together (for her own sake, I saw in her eyes that she was scared for mom) "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you..." and then off I went into surgery. Half hour later I was back trying to wake up and remember thinking that I didn't have pain anymore. Believe me, an awesome feeling to have.
The girls have really step up and have been helping around the house, along with my mom and the wonderful friends that have brought very delicious meals. Our dinner table has always been surrounded by the girls chit chat of their days, sometimes more casual than others. This particular time Heather said in her own words: "All things work together for good..." we get to learn/help more around that house and mom's gets to rest. I think she pretty much summed it all up. I have been down and hardly doing any physical things but for some reason this time is different. This might sound weird, but I am actually ok with it, I have actually enjoyed letting people help in what they can, I don't have to be the tough one all the time. Philippians 4:11 has been my motto this week.. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance..." believe me, it hasn't been just peaches and cream to get to this point, but I think God is doing His work in me... trying to look for the positive and at the same time learning to be content in my circumstances while finding joy at the same time is something I haven't really deeply thought about it before. I trust that I get back on my feet soon but mostly I pray that the lesson's learned during this waiting time stay with me and I can continue growing in the areas where I need it the most.
To have a completely mind set of: "God will get me through this, with His help. He knew I could handled it, and things will be ok..." vs "Why me..? or being sick and tired of it, feeling hopeless and angry.." is only a mind set/attitude that can only come from God with His help.
So, my prayer is that I can continue finding joy and contentment in whatever my circumstance.
Dámaris
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!!!
I read this out of Streams in the Desert and loved it and thought It was worth sharing it. Hope you all have a blessed day!
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked.
And her Guide said: "Yes. And the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed with them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them and life was good, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come," and the mother said: "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, " A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "We could no have none it without you , Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked at the stars and said: "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage, today I have given them strength."
And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth -- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said: "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their mother, and when the was was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gate flung wide.
And the mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."
And the children said: "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."
Temple Bailey, from Food for Thought
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked.
And her Guide said: "Yes. And the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed with them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them and life was good, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come," and the mother said: "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, " A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "We could no have none it without you , Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked at the stars and said: "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage, today I have given them strength."
And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth -- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said: "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their mother, and when the was was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gate flung wide.
And the mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."
And the children said: "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."
Temple Bailey, from Food for Thought
Friday, March 12, 2010
Making Lemonade!
I was helping Heather finish her report yesterday and in the mean time Kristen was making us lemonade. She then served us a cup of pure syrup lemonade and made sure she saved a cup of lemonade for daddy too. She was proud of herself for making us some refreshing lemonade (sigh!!)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Good bye Dusty!!
Dusty came into our lives about a month before Kristen was born. Heather quickly fell in love with her and enjoyed playing with the new puppy while I was busy tending to the new born baby.As Kristen grew up, she too claimed Dusty as her own dog. As some of you know Kristen is a dog lover even more than Heather. She always made sure that we had dog treats for Dusty on hand and fed her so many of them just because.
Both the girls would take turns in the feeding and caring of Dusty and on the weekends it was there chore to clean up after her.
Yesterday we found Dusty in really bad shape and we still don't know how it happened. She was past the point of recuperation so we had to make the though decision to put her down.We broke the sad news to the girls after church last night and they were heartbroken. They cried and hugged each other, never seen such solidarity...
Each one got to call a friend to share the news and it was so sweet to watched them feel loved and cared for from their friends.
Yes it was a rough night but they are doing better today... of course many questions were asked
about death, where is she now?, why did she have to die? etc.. We have never experienced any thing like this before besides our beta fish and gold fish. :) It was quite the mourning process but I think they are doing better today... now the new question is: -When are we going to get another puppy?....
Not fun to watch your kids go through this but is part of life and together we learn, enjoy the memories and life moves on... and hopefully we can find another puppy that will be a great fit to our family.
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