Monday, December 19, 2011

Birthday Boy!






Caedmon turned six on December 13th - we just celebrated this weekend as a family and had a great time! Caedmon is such a sweet boy and a gift from the Lord. I praise the Lord for saving Caedmon and pray that he will continue growing to love God and live for Him! Caedmon adds so much joy to my life! Happy 6th birthday to my 'baby' boy!
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Monday, December 5, 2011

Happy 10th Birthday, Hudson!

Hudson - our precious 10 year old!

Opening his cards from his grandparents

I just love that smile!

He asked for No-Bakes for his birthday dessert!  Does it get any easier than that?!

"Take a bite of the "cake" "

Hudson turned 10 the last day of November and we just celebrated as a family this past weekend!  Hudson is a joy!  We are so privileged to have such a sweet boy for our firstborn.  We pray that he will love the Lord all of His days and that he will continue to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in his life as he is now.  We love you, Hudson!  Happy 10th Birthday!

Friday, December 2, 2011

A good little mommy?

My sweet daughter loves to have an opportunity to hold a baby!  It is a highlight for her, maybe because she never had a younger brother or sister, I don't know, but regardless, she loves any chance she can get!  She looks like she just might make a very good mommy someday!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dia de Independencia de Loja






Tomorrow is Independence Day for Loja.  As a result, the school where Gabriella attends had a special morning performance and it was great!  It just thrills my soul to see my kids involved...it was a fun morning!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Happy Birthday, Chaz!



Happy Birthday, Chaz!  Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father!  I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be your wife - it is a joy and privilege.  Have a wonderful birthday! 

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Camara in the hands of a child

Gabriella was allowed to take some shots the other day with the camara.  
Here are some ....




I think I should let her take pictures more often!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Quality Time

We all have 24 hours in every single day

TWENTY FOUR
If we choose to sleep for eight hours each night to get the necessary sleep for our bodies to function properly, it leaves us with

24-9 = 15

FIFTEEN HOURS 

to accomplish all the other given things that must be accomplished within our days.

I can  not be sure of what YOU must do doing your days, but if you are anything like me, the list is quite long and sometimes daunting.  Besides spending time in prayer and the Word, there is 
exercising to be done
mouths to feed
meals to make
chores to accomplish
Bible studies to prepare and teach
Lessons for Kid's classes to prepare
visitation
contacts to make
etc
etc
etc

the list could continue and it sure does not take long to watch the other 15 hours pass by so quickly and rapidly that I can look back at the day and think, "Oh I should have done this or that."

One thing that I must put into my day is QUALITY TIME with those in my family.  This would include my wonderful husband, Chaz and my four children, Hudson, Davis, Caedmon and Gabiella.

What exactly is QUALITY TIME?  We have all heard the phase used before but what exactly does it mean?

Well, according to good old Answers.com the definition is.....

"Time during which one focuses on or dedicates oneself to a person or activity: "When you decide to turn on the TV, you decide ... not to spend quality time with your family" (Steve Tschirhart)."

I must make a concerted effort to spend this time with each one of those in my family, dedicating myself to just that ONE individual, making them feel loved and appreciated.  To some, it will mean the world.  To others, maybe it won't mean quite as much, but it sure can't hurt.  
The time spent with our loved ones should be valued!
Just the other day this boy

asked if he could help me in the kitchen.  To be honest with you, my first thought was "I could get this all done SO much faster without his help."  But with a big smile on my face I said, "Sure, Davis, come on in."  

And boy, am I glad I did.  
You want to know what?  

It was precious.
It was fun.
It was delightful.
I learned more about my son that day.
We laughed together.
Talked together.
Spent QUALITY TIME together.
And I am different because of it and I pray he is too.

As he left that kitchen that afternoon, as he rushed out.  He stopped on his heels, turned around, looked at me with those precious blue eyes and said my favorite three or four words.

"I LOVE YOU, MOM!"

Aww, my heart melted.  
I love that kid.  

And so a few day's later when Gabriella asked the same.
What did I do?

You got that right.



And I need to make this a regular part of my days.....time is fleeting....I only have these people for a while!

So, are you spending QUALITY time with those you love, or are they getting the leftovers?

I am linked up at here
and here











Typical "dance" --Loja, Ecuador

A typical "dance" as seen in Loja, Ecuador



I am linked up at...






where you can see all sorts of neat pictures from all over the world.   Pop on over there - it's pretty eye-opening!   Have a wonderful and Blessed Day in your part of the world!  I am also linked up over at

Sweet Shot Day

Monday, July 25, 2011

Multitudes on Monday's - My Madrina

 So much to be thankful for every day of the week and I appreciate
holy experience
where the challenge lies for "multitudes on Monday's."  My list continues, but this week instead of placing my list on this page, I am thanking God for my children and the precious gift they are to me.  I enjoy being a mother, I enjoy spending time with my children, and I enjoy watching my children become involved in their community here in Ecuador.  It is a thrill as a mother to see your children being a light for God around them and I pray that my saved children will be testimonies and live lives for the Lord. 

Gabriella had the opportunity to be the "madrina" for the Liga de Loja soccer team that her brothers play on.  Their coach asked her several weeks before the event and she was really looking forward to the day that she could dress up like a princess and lead the team on the day of the inauguration.  Caedmon was asked to escort her, which was really special, and they both did a fantastic job.  As is the custom here, judges select one of the madrinas to be the winner, and Gabriella was selected!  She received flowers, a sash naming her as the "Nina de Deportes de 2011" and she also found her way in to the newspaper.  One paper had an article covering the event and the other newspaper even included her picture.  It was a special day!  Now, we are looking forward to the start of the tournament so we can watch our boys in action on their respective teams.  Vamos Liga!  Let's Go Liga!


Gabriella before the big event!
Caedmon and Gabriella prepared for the big day!
My four precious gifts from the Lord...
The big day...
Gabriella waiting with the other madrinas
Gabriella after being selected and awarded

The teams...

Monday, July 18, 2011

Blessed beyond measure....

I have so much to be thankful for.  I am really trying to focus on the beauty around me every day and the little gifts that are given by the hand of God.  He is always at work around me, but sometimes in the hecticness of life it is very easy to lose sight of all the many little things that He does or gives to us so that we might glorify Him and give Him praise.  I am trying to teach my children to give thanks....for God has truly given us so much more than we deserve. I want my children to see the little things around them as being gifts from an extremely gracious God.  

So the list continues....

holy experience
61.  listening to the rain outside the window
62.  the smell after it rains
63.  time spent with my parents
64.  food to eat when we are hungry
65.  clean water
66.  healthy kids...who like to be together : )


67.  good health
68.  a husband who loves God and desires to serve Him
69. an exciting ministry
70.  a forgiving and patient God

God is ever good to us!  He is so worthy of our praise.  I am so thankful I can even go into His presence and recognize it is only because of Jesus Christ.  

Friday, July 1, 2011

Birthday Party

Birthday parties ---- we have probably all either been the beneficiary of one, a guest at one, or the one who plans a birthday party for someone else.  Either way, birthday parties are  usually a lot of fun!

God has been so good to our family since arriving to the new city of Loja. For those who visit my blog but don't know the history of our lives - this is our second term as missionaries and at the start of this new term we relocated to a new area of Ecuador.  With this move, came the opportunity to make new contacts and friends.  Like I mentioned, God has been ever so good to us in providing us already people who are dear to us, wonderful friends!

Our children as well have made a good number of special friends and we are regularly having them over to play and vice versa!  It is wonderful.

The other day our children were invited to their first birthday party in Loja - and what fun they had!  There were so many different activities planned for the party and they all came home laughing, exhausted and hands full of candy!

I'm linking up at
where you can go to see all sorts of neat and interesting things from all around the world.

This is a typical view of a birthday party in Loja, Ecuador

 Play a little limbo....Caedmon won a prize!

 Stand in line to place the sticker on the picture (kinda like pin the tail on the donkey)
Blindfolding Gabriella....
 Get as much candy as you can from the pinata....
 Throwing confetti....
 And don't forget the cake and party favors...