Hello Again

Oh my. Am I really re-starting this blog?  So my last post was almost a year and a half ago and I said I would stop this blog to scrapbook and do other things.  I haven't scrapbooked.  : (  Let's see...so much has changed since that last post...

 I am no longer pregnant.  That was the quickest, yet toughest pregnancy yet.  I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes two days before Christmas.  I was put on a strict diet telling what and when to eat and checking my blood sugar 4 times a day.  Oh boy did the Lord use that to show me how self-serving I really am.  I did NOT like not being in control, but by God's grace He helped me stick to the plan and I've never felt so rewarded as when Joey was born a healthy 7 lbs. 13 oz. (my littlest baby yet!).  He was born February 23, 2010 and he brings huge joy to all of us.  He is walking and babbling and just so. much. fun!  He actually has 3 mommies - me, Annie, and Bekah.  : )   The girls are FANTASTIC helpers and love Joey to pieces.   To date, Joey has 6 teeth, gives high fives, feeds himself with a fork, loves peek-a-boo and patty cake, dances when Daddy makes a beat, and is refusing to stop nursing.  : /   He also is allergic to wheat, peanuts, and milk.  So one of my summer projects this year will be to research what he actually can eat and re-vamp some recipes.

Jose is ALMOST done with his bachelor's degree...praise the Lord!  He is taking one of his last 3 classes and is scheduled to be done August 19th.  I am so very proud of him.  It has been such a long haul and he has excelled and grown so much through this journey.  I know he feels more than ready to be done but he is a trooper and is still doing well through the home-stretch.  The Spanish ministry at church is going well and while his weekly sermon preparation is no easy task, we see the Lord moving and it's a blessing to watch the people grow and fellowship.

Annie and Bekah are doing so well.  They are healthy, beautiful, and smart and just enjoy life.  They are both excellent students and have done a great job with school this year.  We are determined to finish our last quarter of homeschool well.  Annie is involved with Girl Scouts this year and LOVES it!!  They have already held a food drive and visited a food bank, camped out in the leader's backyard, sold tons and tons of cookies, and this week they are packing backpacks for underprivileged kids.  These are exactly the kinds of activities I was hoping for when I signed her up.  Bekah is counting down the months until her Daisy troop begins.  She can't wait to do all the fun and exciting activities Big Sister has done.

Oh yes...and we bought a house last year!  After spending 3 years in our tiny 2-bedroom rental, the Lord blessed us with a little more elbow room about a mile away.  He did miracles for us with the timing of our purchase and working out the money.  He is so good and when He is in something, He gives that perfect peace that can only come from Him.  We love our home.  It isn't grand by any means, but rather average, yet it suits us perfectly.  Of course there are a million improvements and changes on our wishlist but overall we are very happy here.

I think that's a pretty basic summary of the last year and a half.  I hope to be more faithful to this blog because I know there is so much I want to remember, but if I don't document it I'm afraid I'll forget.  Be back soon!

Blown Away

Wow! God is good! This morning we had our first Spanish ministry service. It was packed out! The first room we had reserved did not hold all the people the Lord brought so halfway through worship they announced we would be changing rooms. We made the quick journey to another building and guess what...we packed out that room as well! The worship was a blessing and the message was magnificent (okay, okay so I'm a little biased)! Actually I didn't understand all that much but I sure enjoyed being there and witnessing God's answer to prayer in bringing so many to hear the Word in Spanish. We saw roughly 150 people in attendance. Alright so about 100 were our family members (j/k). Actually, our prayer is not for a huge crowd, but a crowd that is hungry for God's Word. We will see what the Lord will do in the near future!

Today was just a blessing overall. It was a beautiful day and it was so wonderful to see so much of our family come to church and just all be together. And Jose and I were both so encouraged all morning as so much of our church family prayed for us and were just excited with us, sharing the anticipation and joy of a new adventure. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us...and please, keep those prayers coming! :)