Sunday, April 25, 2010

Welcome Baby Esaias!

Our friends, Vycci and Danny, welcomed into the world their third child, Esaias Paul Sandoval, yesterday

We were supposed to be in Denver for soccer this weekend but the game was canceled, and we turned around at Vail to head home (I'll share this story later). It would have been great to have been over there this weekend and meet him, but I guess I can wait till next weekend.

I am so very happy for my friends, as getting Esaias here has been a long and difficult journey for them. I know that he will be a blessing in their life that far surpasses the heartache and hardship they faced to get him here.

Love you all so much!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Some Things I Thought I Would NEVER have to Say... (that is until I had a boy).

"Quit wiping buggers on the wall!"

"He's mad at me because I won't fight him!"

"Just sit here and watch TV, so I can have a moment (very brief) of semi silence."

"Thank you for bringing me a worm home from school, though he looks a little crusty!"

"Is there anything you don't throw?"

"No, under 'there'(speaking of his manhood area) is not old, will always have wrinkles there. It's just the way God made you."

"What do you mean it was an accident?"

"I pray for the woman you will marry... that she will be good enough for you and able to win me over."

Learned: There is a WHOLE lot that I never thought I would experience but am so thankful that having him brought these experiences to me.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Stressing

Ok... so I am completely stressing right now... Brian and I have got the ball rolling on finding a new house in Palisade (this has been our long term plan for ever), but now that we are getting stuff going and not just talking about it I am stressing out.

I don't think it is the change so much as the uncertainty of it all... and then I start seeing EVERY! LITTLE! THING! that needs to be done in our house before it is ready to sell...and then I start thinking about how hard it is going to be to keep our house in "showing" condition with 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 parents with more than full time jobs, soccer 3 nights a week, and soccer games in Denver for the next 5 weekends!

AHHHHH! I just start to self destruct -- literally! My brain quits forming coherent thoughts and plans, and I start swimming in circles like a fish with whirling disease, going no where and expending a lot of energy doing nothing, all the while being swept away by the current....

AND THEN... I remember that God is GOD, and that is all that really matters, this life is but a vapor, and all these decisions that I think are oh so important have little weight on eternity. I remember that God gives peace that passes all understanding (thankfully because I have little of it now with my whirling disease), and I remember that in all things God is in control.... I remember that I need to let go...

AND THEN I freak out again... because I am a CONTROL FREAK, and letting go isn't easy for me...

LEARNED: It is easy for me to say I trust God, but actually doing it is the challenge? Why is that?

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Nanny Diaries


On my trip to Denver several weeks ago I borrowed this boook on CD from a friend. On the way home I popped in the last of the CDs and it wouldn't play!!! Hating to leave a story unfinished, I ran to the library to grab the book.

I was really expecting a comical story of the life of a nanny to a wealthy NY family, instead it was quite sad! The story was very believable, and I am sure the the authors used their personal experiences as the materil for the novel-- making it even worse! I just can't believe that there are parents (I should say people that birth children) and then pay someone else to raise them! I mean this nanny went on vacations with them, to social gatherings, and many other places WITH the parents present, and was expected to take care of the childs every need.

Not only did Nanny (the main character) raise the child for the 9 months she worked there but she was treated HORRIBLY -- completely taken advantage of.

So though the book helped pass the time quickly on my lonesome drive, I was really disturbed by the reality that there really are situations like this out there, it was hard to fall in love with.

It is a movie, and despite my opinion of the book, I think that I just might need to watch it...

Learned: I promise not to beat my self up any more about my parenting practices... Compared to these characters I AM THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency


This book caught my eye only because the cover was of Africa, then when I read what it was about, I thought, "I must read this!"

Alexander McCall Smith's novel follows the life of a native Botswana woman named Prescious Ramotswe, or Mma Ramotswe, after the death of her father who left a sizable inheritance for her. With this inheritance Mma Ramotswe decides to open a detective agency, and since everyone knows that the women of the village know every detail of the comings and goings of its citizens, she is sure of her success.

Smith writes an almost poetic, yet simple, story of Mma Ramotswe that endears her to the reader while solving many mysteries of the Southern African country from missing pets, to unfaithful husbands. One of her first cases is that of a missing boy, and the circumstances are less than optimistic, as everyone knows that the witch doctors of the bush use them for their high priced "cures". So Mma Ramotswe regretfully declines the case, as if fate is playing its hand, clues to the missing boy's fate surface while she is investigating another case.

I enjoyed reading about the culture, and people of Botswana, making my heart ache to return there. Instead of venturing across the ocean, I pulled out all my African goods, the journal I kept while there, and all my pictures. to take a mini vacation. So I am not sure if I liked the book just because I loved the country, or because the story was actually good... either way I was swept away to the African bush through the flipping of the pages.

Learned? Once Africa has become a part of you, it never leaves.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Easter Weekend (a Busy One)

Brian had to work this weekend but of course this doesn't mean we skimp on all the plans. One good thing is that our soccer game that was scheduled for Saturday was rescheduled so we didn't have to travel Easter weekend.

Saturday night we made our monthly dinner for the homeless shelter. I started doing this with my friend Anne a while back and it since become a favorite family activity: everyone helps out. This month we made enchilada casseroles, which were way easier than I expected.






Later that night we had a live showing of COPS in our back yard... Brian was out walking the dogs with Madison and called to say that the Sheriff was at the house behind us and to lock the doors in case he hopped our fence... so after I followed his directions, I went upstairs to look out the window and I saw the dude hop over the balcony, drop off, and hide in the attached shed. So I called Brian, who went and told the officers (who were leaving)... Then all these sheriff cars showed up and there was a "stand off" while trying to get the guy to come out. I got bored watching then yell for him to come out so I came down to start the egg dying process. BUT when I went up to check again the cops were gone and the door was open... I MISSED ALL THE ACTION!

During this ordeal Brian's parents came over and had dinner and dyed eggs with us. Maddox was super wound up and a dying maniac! It took all my patience to accomplish this task.




Sunday morning we got up and read a story about the resurrection of Jesus (one of the two most important days in history to me), then set about our Easter day activities. Brian hid our eggs before he left for work and set up the Easter baskets (thanks to him I didn't have to get up early to do this... it may not have happened if it was up to me). So the kids had fun looking for eggs. They always get swim suits for Easter, and Maddox was easy to buy for, but Madison.... not so much. So we went on line and spent (too much) of the morning shopping for suits for her and I. But we did find some really cute one. After our shopping we made a fruit salad, and headed (with Brian) to his sisters for lunch and more egg hunts. The kids had a great time, and came home with too much - which I will be taking to school to give away.




Learned: Over all it was a very nice-though divers- weekend! Hope yours was fabulous too!