Before I was a mom... Thanks Jennifer, love you!

My friend Jennifer Napier posted this and I loved it!!! So I copied her, you know the whole imitation is the highest form of flattery.. and all that...

Before I was a mom.
I was sent this recently. Given that mother's day is just around the corner I thought it was appropriate... I could definitely add to the list...Before I was a Mom , I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom , I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night. Before I was a Mom , I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep. Before I was a Mom , I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.! I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom . Before I was a Mom , I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy. Before I was a Mom , I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom . I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .

How they roll...

I have been experiencing alot of different and new stages in this pregnancy. Or more along the lines of, being later side effects of pregnancy just much earlier. For example, I have very bad heart burn, and I am very very tired, all the time. Once every couple of days I will have a burst of energy in the morning and the urge to clean everything, but it fades quickly and I am back to being on the couch or in bed again. The Great news is , is that the babies are growing and healthy.My weight is under control, meaning I am being very diligent about nutrition, lots and lots of protein, and my blood pressure is low. Lord willing I will be able to carry these precious angel for the full 40 weeks. I know that may sound crazy, but with the Lord's help, I am going for it!!! Please Pray for us .

Stomach pic coming soon...

I will be posting a picture of my very rapidly growing belly.,

Well what can I say... God is an Awesome Creator!!

We had our BIG ultrasound yesterday for the twins, and everything is going great!!! They are fraternal and measuring at 7oz each, which I was told is a good size for 18weeks. God gave me the perfect baby making partner, we mix well, as they say. We also know the sex of the twins, which , yeah yeah , I know I wasn't going to find out, but that was when there was only ONE, two is a different story, there is alot of Pray and preparation that needs to take place. And I have a couple of friends , and you know who you are..., who were , to put it kindly, anxiously awaiting and probing me to find out the sexes. They want to throw us a shower, and who am I to say no to generosity from friends, you know, " the failing economy" and all that mess. So... going around my elbow to get to my rear... drum roll please... we have ...A Baby GIRL and a Baby BOY!!. We are all sugar and spice and snakes and snails!! Like I said God is an AWESOME creator, he knows my husbands propensity to everything being equal. We are so excited. Please pray that they will be born 38weeks along or more and healthy. Thanks for all your love and shared enthusiasm. we Love you.

Also, Jennifer, if you read this, I remember... I love you... Only a short while friend...then ... we will see her.all my love.

Twins.... But that is two....But I thought we were having one!!!!

It turns out that my first ultrasound was in fact WRONG!! We are having Twins!! God is so good. He is to be praised. What a double blessing. we are thrilled!!

God is good all the time!!

I am so thankful that I have a God who knows me better then myself. He knows I am prone to over reaction( is that one word?) and that I am secretly scared of screwing up my kids. He knows I am weak and have a tendency to be emotional (especially now) . And most all , I know that he is Always there. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to me. I don't deserve your Love , compassion, care and mercy... But I with gratefully accept it. O how I love my Father.

Friends for seasons??

I have been struggling Lately with friendships. A particular one, but I won't discuss it on screen, what I will say how do you know if the Lord is trying to remove you from a friendship, how is that done at all graciously, or even how do you just not be as involved? People change, especially christians I think because the Holy Spirit is always working on you, refining you , making you more like Christ, but sometimes when this change is happening you become aware that you and your friend are in different places and going in different directions. This has happen to me in the past couple of years, in different relationships. I kind feel like i am walking around on eggshells and that no one will recognize the giant elephant in the room. So the uncomfortable feeling continues, until one day, you are saying to your self, "but I don't want to talk to them". where does that come from, where is the line, when do friends become people you"used to know"?

I have been praying alot and if anyone has any insight into how this whole thing works, please let me know... My desire is to Honor the Lord in my friendships, HELP!!!!

Sick at Christmas, new year yuck, and Jorgie the Conqueror!!!

Well, just a quick update. This Christmas was definiately one of the lowest in recent memory. My brother was in bootcamp and the whole holiday was just rushed and not enjoyable. On Christmas eve , which is normally when my family celebrates, it was very rushed for time because of the church Christmas eve service. I think I would rather skip it next year, then to ruin the evening. then On Christmas day , there just seem to be discontentment flowing in the air.... it just messes with your mood. On the following Saturday, I got sick, and then it got Worse, and then it got Really bad... all I have to say is sinus, blackouts, dizziness and nausea. I haven't been sick like that in a long time. But the good thing about not being able to move out of bed, you have alot of time to read. I read all 4 of the "Twilight series" books. I definately recommend them. I loved them all.

This thursday we went to Cape May New Jersey, to see my brother's graduation from the Coast Guard Bootcamp. It was Great to see him. I have never been so Proud of my Brother, He has Become Such a Mature , Honorable, man of the Lord. His intregrity is overflowing from his new heart and there is just not enough to say about him . The Lord is Faithful and Amazing!!! I cried like a baby, seeing my father in Full Navy Dress suit, give my Brother his graduation Certificate and My brother Salute him, Jorgie also dress in his formal coast guard attire. I am so privileged to see that moment, and I will never forget it.

On another note, you can see that I am pregnant from my ticker, what I have Noticed in this pregnancy so far, is my extreme ... irritability!!! I don't know if you all can related. I have ZERO patience for mostly my family, but pretty much everyone. I get tired of my grandmother asking me fifty million questions and buggy the kids. This especially, drives me crazy to the point that I feel physically ill!! I don't to feel like this and Lord knows I need his Grace to help me through the day. He has been supply.Even though I have not been pressing in, he has been leading me. If you have any advice or if you can even pray for me ... I would be blessed. anyway.. here's to my rambling anger...!(

Disney World, our First Family Vacation

Hallween fun!!

The Tin man and Snow White

Minnie Mouse and Her Best Friend Snow White

My Brother ... He's so Cute!!

This is my Cuban Mating Dress, I guess it works!

I haven't posted in a while, we have been very busy. Hallween was just the first of our many adventures. october and november just flew by. Where does the time go. I thought I would update with some pictures. For all of you I have missed in the hussle and bussle, please forgive me. I still love you very much and I have not forgotten you, I will never forget. I hope to catch up with everyone real soon. Oh!!... I guess you see our news, .. we are Pregnant!!! We are not telling the kids until Christmas, so those of you who see us on a weekly bases, DON"T SAY ANYTHING TO THE KIDS... Please,... thanks friends. love you . Here is to halloween, disney world, uncle Jorgie, (who is in bootcamp, we miss you uncle jorge) and other random pictures.

Even more pictures

My Uncle emilio, My dad's brother and his wife Christine came to town for my Dad's Fiftith Birthday. My dad is offically OLD!

My Parents ( i pretend it's mine) New Puppy

Lady Godiva. She's a Chocolate Lab. Thanks Gable's!!!

long time no write...

Ok ok... I know.. I stink at this blogging thing, I just don't have time , sometimes not even to shower, which is another subject entirely. But anyway, I still have not downloaded my mexico pictures, but I do have some recent pictures. Time is flying by... we are three weeks away from our disney vacation and anyone who has been talking to me knows that means three weeks till baby time!!(trying for babies) I am very excited, I have been itching for another baby since layla was a year old,.. She's two and a half!!!! Needless to say, I am ready and for some reason, I feel like it will be twins. Call me crazy but that is just a feeling I have. . . I would love it. It is a very efficient way to have the most children with the least amount of pregnancies. I don't know how many children the Lord is going to bless us with I Just HOPE it is not a small number, that's right, I want a whole mess of Kids. Jeff says we're going to have " 6 kids, 2 dogs and a big A** van" . That always makes us laugh cause we know it's true. we are those people we used to say

"how can they have so many kids" or "I will never drive a van." God is so comical. Any way, alot has happen since july. I went to mexico, let's just say , it wasn't what I thought. God certainly made me check my motives for serving. But in that trip he gave me a greater appreciation for Jeff as my husband. I love that he loves me as I am and doesn't expect me to fit into some mold of what some people thinka Godly woman and wife is.

Then I ran the rock-n-roll half marathon with my best friend Tierney, who is newly engaged!!! Congrats TT, I love you!! and hey We didn't die... that is what is important! I have still been running, but it has been slow going since I have some foot injuries that seem to reoccur when ever I run, so hopefully I can resolve them, I plan on running through my pregnancy. I get runners world magazine and they occasionally have articles on pregnant runners, and I think they look so cute! What else is going on... my brother Jorgie is going in the Coast Guard, Nov. 17th. And he is a BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN!!! That's right, Jorgie has been saved. Praise the Lord. He comes to church every sunday and comes with us to the wasko care group. He's even become friends with Singles in church!!!! It is amazing to say the least. He is truely a new creation. For the first time in my life I actually have a relationship with my brother that doesn't consist of screaming and yelling and telling him he's a selfish jerk. We actually talk and laugh. It is great. I will write more about our crazy life soon. Here are some recent pictures of our kids and family life, have I mentioned we are Miami Hurricane Fans!!(except Jeff, he likes the "stinky Hokies" . That's what Gabe says)

I am going to mexico

This picture has nothing to do with my entry, I just thought it was funny!

Well.. On Monday the 21st @ 6am( yes 6 AM!!!) I will be on a flight to El Paso Texas and from there a van will take me to the orphanage in mexico. I am kinda excited, but bummed because Eric isn't going this time. The kids are really going to miss him. He has a God given ablity with all young people.

Because of this I am struggling sinfully. I don't know alot of the people going and a few people I don't get along with. I know this was all the Lords plan and not mine, and that his plan is perfect, but I am already dreading this now. I know it is not about fun, but I can't see how this will be fun at all now. I am just being honest!!I feel it will be to structured, to bogged down with serious God talk. The kids can see right through fakeness so my prayer( besides the one for my arogance and judgment) is that everyone would be real. their REAL selves, notacting a certain way for appearences or fear of man. I want to serve with a joyful heart. I want God to prove me wrong about those people. I want to have the children touched by the gospel. I want them to see Christ in me.

my sweet Jess is getting married tomorrow, to a wonderful guy. What a testimony of God's faithfulness. This time last year she didn't even know Brian existed and was praying faithfully for a husband and God answered her prayers. What an amazing Daddy we have. I love you Jess. May you continue to press into the Lord in your married life, and May the Lord continue to Bless you dear friend.

This is it!!!

I have no idea what to write but I thought I would update or add some pictures... incidently ..I know I am not the only one who is never i the pictures because I am the one always TAKING the pictures.Enjoy!!!

this was a trip we took with Mima to the strawberry patch. we bought two pounds.. ate about 4lbs!!!

God's faithfullness

I jsut wanted to share quickly an example of God's faithfulness to me recently. I was anxious about how I was going to get money jfor Mexico this year, donations were scarce and I was worried the God didn't want me to go, turns out he always has a plan, He blessed me with little odd side job and plenty of junk to sell and before I knew it, I had MORE THAN ENOUGH money!! Praise the Lord. He is so good!!

Having time...

I find that I am not a good person with time. It easily escapes me and then it passes by. I chase after it wanting to cling to each moment, but no matter how I try , this minute ends and tomorrow comes. I want so desperately to stop it, hold on to now and enjoy the full extent of the experience but I always miss something. Lord how I wonder about eternity, last forever, to never miss a single moment, but live each one as you entended us to live them. How I longer for Heaven and to see your face... So in waiting for that everlasting moment, these that you have so graciously given me will continue to pass by... I will attempt to capture all that you have for me... in the day to day, in the smiles and laugher of my children, in intimate moments shared with my husband, in caring words from friends and gleaning all I can from you, my Father. Here I am ... with time

Birthday Party

Birthdays!!!! One Superman and One Princess!!! And thankfully only one party. We had a great time! Gabriel got a "fossil" from mike hodge. HE LOVES IT!! Layla got a Baby doll that is dressed as a lamb. it's cute.

Birthdays!!!

My kids just had their birthdays, today is gabe's actual birthday. Layla is two and Gabriel is four. How did this happen, I have a four year old. where di all the time go. I blink and they are growing up so fast. We had a Superman party and a Princess party on Sunday. You can pretend you came!

BIRTHDAY BOY!!

WOW, I have a FOUR year old son!! how did theat happen. HE is so smart and cute, very kind, loving , and joyful. and he LOVES Dinosaurs, he had a Superman party on sunday with Layla how had a Princess party.