My parents are amazing

I just had a dream about my youngest sister, I talked about her in this post. In the dream she is at my house while my parents go and get something. Let's skip details and just say she is making a mess. I call my mom to see where she is and finally wake up crying. I had a realization that I have not thanked my parents for being the best parents ever, in a while!!!

I want to say thank you for showing me what unconditional love looks like and how to be courageous. Quiero decir les gracias por ensenar me como amar sin condiciones y ser valiente. I admire both of you for all you have done and continue to do for your family. Los admiro a los dos por todo lo que hacen y han hecho para su familia. You have taught me how parents love, persevere, encourage, comfort, forgive, care for, and believe in their children. Aprendí como los padres aman, persisten, animan, consolando, perdonan, cuidan, y confían en sus hijos. I forgot how much being a sister to a person with special needs has taught me. Se me olvida que he aprendido por ser una hermana de una persona con necesidades especiales. I can never express how proud I am to be your daughter and say my parents are the best in the wolrd!!! ¡Nunca puedo expresar que orgullosa soy de ser su hija y poder decir que son mis padres! 

Lailonni in DD Preschoool, still  loves playing with babies!!

Lucero family, 2013...Lailonni as a daughter!

Lailonni and I, 2014...sweet sister! 

Lailonni and Karissa, 2014...the best Auntie because no one is as pure heart as you!!

Her birthday card to me one year...thoughtful and sweet!! 

My parents whom had us all and are the best in the world!!!! :) <3 

  

Kids art collection

I have tons of paper with the kids paintings, drawings, practice writing, and doodles. I am tried of seeing it get taken out and stuffed back in there...so my creative wheels started turning and simple solution. Make a colored paper chain!!

Piles of art work...

Colorful paper chain!!! 

Since Karissa's 1st birthday is coming ip we thought it would be perfect for decorating!! :) <3 

Beautiful baby

Heart Beat

"I live happily enough in the world;

Already my heart runs wild.

But now your presence changes my being: my center is lowered, stance wide, a foothold to draw strength from earth. My womb thrums with your pulse, beating twice as fast as mine." 

Anita Punla

This really makes me think of my sister, she is expecting her first little baby. I am so proud of her for choosing life and being brave enough to have a baby even if she is single. With all the temptations to not have babies and eliminate their very existence, I am glad she choose to give life and trust the Lord to take care of them! It is not always easy to be a mommy, but we know she will be great!!! We are here to help her in anyway!!! 

She got to hear her baby's heartbeat this week and even had an ultrasound last!!
  I am so excited to have another nephew or niece! We love you sister and baby!!!!!!! 

Children, the greatest gift

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19 

Here is why and how we choose life in our marriage. The Lord gave us life and the love we have produces life. Our calling as husband and wife is to love one another as Christ loves us. Here is a great quote from Christopher West, "Marriage is all or nothing. Sex as an expression of marriage commitment is also all or nothing. Love is not arbitrary. Love is not whatever we want it to be. Love is not merely an intense feeling or the sharing of pleasure. Love is to live according to the image in which we're made. Love is to give ourselves away freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully in imitation of Christ."
We have a mutual understanding in our marriage of how we give to one another without selfishness or reserves. It is not always easy but we always seek the Lord to help in our failings. We have never used contraceptives, barrier methods, or sterilization. In my first blog-post I explain how love between man and woman is is life giving. We still use NFP Creighton Model Method. I can't say enough how empowering understanding your fertility is. No matter how your cycles are or what you have time for (time is essential I know, 3 kids remember, lol!) It is not invasive or harmful in anyway, it is also not just charting but the method of observations are highly medically studied. Truth be told contraceptives are just horrible, they do not do your body good. Barrier methods are not good either because you are fearful and holding back from one another. Sterilization is giving up your fertility and not being open to life. We must not let our fears of having children lead us to drastic decisions about our bodies.
Remember the quote I used, "Marriage is all or nothing." We give it all to our spouse and they give back to us. If you don't give it your all then it won't work. Now the quote, "Sex, as an expression of marriage commitment, is also all or nothing." With that expression we also give all of ourselves out of love. It is not natural to hold back this part of your marriage, God wants to bless it and use it to be fruitful. Why would you want to repress your fertility? It is so amazing to be open to life and knowing that you can chose to achieve it is a blessing. NFP gives you this blessing, we have known exactly when we conceived because we were charting. By being able to choose to achieve, you can plan for the time they will be born, more or less. It really is a blessing to communicate together when to achieve or avoid a pregnancy. After all, being open to life is a choice and a calling.
For me being open to life is an important calling in my marriage. Sure being pleased intimately is important, but when you approach it humbly and lovingly, I promise you find glorious pleasure and satisfaction. Why, you ask? Here is the secret without reservations by accepting your fertility and being open to the gift of life when two become one, glorious satisfaction!! A good marriage is not about having sex all the time, it is choosing to love one another respectfully, selflessly, and openly. Christ calls us to union with our husbands in a surrendering way, but not as a slave. He also calls husbands to surrender to their wives. It is a union of two becoming one in Him. Like anything in our lives, it must be surrendered to Christ or it cannot function to its full potential.

Now being open to life does not necessarily mean having a ton of kids. It means you pray to ask what is best for your family, not selfishly. For us right now financially 3 kids is enough. We are still asked constantly if we are having more and we say we may be done. I leave it open because we may want to have more children later or adopt. We like having the free will to choose to have another baby if the Lord wills it. We also have always thought of adopting. The possibilities are endless and we trust the Lord will let us know how our family will grow. Afterall children are the future, they are our future it's a legacy of loving, serving, and giving that God blesses us with. 

I really can't express how richly the Lord is blessing me as a woman, wife, mother, and daughter because of how I choose to serve Him, as faithfully as I can. His love for me is endless and the only way to give back to Him is to surrender every part of my mind, heart, body, and soul. :) <3 

Miracle

We begin as a miracle and slowly forget that we still are. -- Corrine De Winter

Motherhood is Arduous

The definition for arduous is involving or requiring strenous effort; difficult and tiring. It is an arduous journey to care for little children. There is a quote by Sharon Jaynes, "Successful mothers are not the ones who have never struggled. They are the ones who never give up, despite the struggles."

Lately, I definitely feel that motherhood is arduous. The boys are so active and learning lots. Karissa is trying to keep up, so she is crawling, cruising furniture, and getting everything the boys leave behind.  Not to mention how much disciplining and correcting they need. Plus, demands for food, toys, and playing. The feeling like you are totally failing at the whole mom gig, often creeps in and makes you feel down. To be honest motherhood has been the most challenging thing in my life this far, not even going to college can top motherhood. I am sure you mother's can agree! Our job is never ending and exhausting. I can also say it is rewarding and such a beautiful experience. 

It has been a time in my life filled with grace and love. If I could go back in time to prepare for this journey to motherhood, I still would not be ready. I made a list to see the positive and blessings on hard days. 

While my kids make me feel crazy that they: 

-scream 

-run around the house

-act wild 

-make messes

-need attention 

-ask for food

-want to take baths 24/7

-constantly want to be outside 

I feel truly blessed that they:

-are healthy and happy 

-can vocalize well

-can run, walk, and jump

-have energy 

-have a growing curiosity and need to move 

-glad they can feel loved with a simple hug, word of affirmation, or tickle attack

-grateful for clean, running, warm water 

-grateful for having food

-grateful for an awesome yard and play equipment 

Sure it may mean speedy meals, lots of kitchen time, lots of sun time and little quiet time. They are what matters and it us such a joy, blessing, and privilege to be able to stay home and be their mommy, entertainer, chef, comforter, nurse, and everything haha! 

So hang in there momma's it will be bad some days, but remember Jesus is there to listen and carry you through! Here is a prayer I wrote using Galatian's 5:22-25

"Lord, let me put on the fruits of the Spirit: Love, everyone that surrounds me and those far from me. Joy be with me in all my thoughts and actions. Peace of mind and heart. Long suffering in all trials and temptations. Kindness to all I encounter this day. Goodness be filled within me and poured out to others. Faithfulness to You and others. Gentleness may it be my first action to my children. Self-control in my mind, heart, and body. Christ help me to crucify the passions and desires of my flesh. Let me walk in Your Spirit as well as live in it. Amen :) <3 

The black and white marriage

My in laws anniversary is today...38 years of marriage, 7 children and 8 grandchildren later, still have a growing love. I thought it was befitting to share a story about the black and white marriage that my beautiful mother in law wrote for representing the sacrament of marriage.

The Calling of a Panda

Jesus Christ spoke to me one day...He said, "There is something I must share, if I may?" 

(To me)

"If  you would reflect God like a panda bear, you would wear his colors of his black and white hair!"

"Black for sacrifice, white for love, these are My colors," He said from above. 

"These two colors are inseparable, like on a panda, you'll see! And until you obtain them, you can not be with me!"

But I said, "Lord, I am only white and I need black?" 

He said, "Keep looking, your on the right track!" 

So up the mountain, I began to climb...and kept falling down but on the third time... 

someone picked me up, his color was black. 

He said, "I'm your sacrifice and placed me on his back. 

Our Lord said,"Keep climbing you two to the top until you see Calvary, then you may stop." 

When the sign appeared in front of our face, we said to our Lord, "Are we in the right place?" 

He said, "Look at each other and then you tell Me!" 

We looked at each other and received such a scare!!!!

For we had turned into one Big panda bear!!!!!!!!!

By: F. Georgianna Hibler

Here is a picture of it hanging in their bedroom! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Mom and Dad!!! Thank you for being a beautiful example of a Christ filled-centered marriage! May the Lord ever be with you two in your marriage!! We love you!!!!! XOXO :) <3  

12 in 2014

Here is a little preview of our past year and all we did. We had ups and downs but ultimately thankful that God provided in more ways than one. :)

 We started the year with a new niece and celebrating a cousin's new journey into marriage. Plus 7 months pregnant with our 1st baby girl! Also lots of worries with her head measuring small, but beyond grateful things finally looked good! ;)

Had a fun Valentines with my boys and enjoying our last month as a family of 4. Date to Sweet Cece's for some yummy frozen yogurt! I was also really getting into nesting and having everything ready for Karissa's arrival. Beginning to experience contractions and restless nights at the end of February. :)

Karissa Kay born March 1, 2014, so little and absolutely beautiful!! Such a relief she was perfect and healthy, after all the struggles with the pregnancy and coming 4 weeks early! Her birth story is quite the eventful one, haha. It was quite the month for our family of 5! :)

Welcoming spring with ripe mulberries, a trip to Silver City for Easter, and our first minivan purchase (used). Still adjusting to life with 3 kids was challenging for us. My husband had his first job offer out of town and we really had to discern what we would ultimately choose. :)

Good ol' May...our busiest month! Lucas, the hubby graduated with a Bachelor's in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics. Celebrated Mother's Day with Karissa's Baptism and hubby's 27th Birthday!! We also celebrated the beginning of summer with Ezekiel's 2nd Birthday and a new cool pool for the kids. It was quite the eventful month and ended with Lucas having three job offers in three different cities in our state and finally choosing to move to his hometown near family. :)

Celebrated our 5th year anniversary with some good wine after packing for the big move! So exciting to reflect on our relationship as a married couple and looking to the year's to come with great anticipation. Also stressed about the big move and changes! :)

Packed up and ready for a 4 hr. trip away to our new home!! It was stressful and and super exhausting! We barely fit our things in the truck and made the drive safely. So thankful my parents came to help!!! We were welcomed with lots of rain, too! :) 

Enjoying summer's end and the awesome new big yard to play in!! We got most unpacked and organized the most important things, (like the kitchen, lol). Got my first blowout on I-40 driving to pick up my new glasses and feeling so grateful to have family to rescue me! Lucas started teaching and spent a lot of time setting up his classroom, thankful for having a creative mom to help him! :)

Had a fun month celebrating our oldest son Lukrik's 4th Birthday with a Spiderman theme. Karissa began eating solids, sitting, and rolling around. Still getting into a rhythm for our family being a new city, liking the quietness and friendly people in our new community. :) 

Fall is here and to kick off my favorite season we took a trip to the pumpkin patch and had a blast!! Spent the month painting and carving pumpkins. Baked pumpkin bread and made green chile stew for the first high school football game, took the kids to their first football game (they actually loved it). Plus Lucas joined a community band playing the tuba. We also went to the Balloon Fiesta with cousins and checked out our local library. We got a new T.V. and had fun trick or treating in our new neighborhood! :) 

Had the first snow fall of the season and we were excited to see so much! Celebrated my 29th Birthday! Took a trip to Silver City for Thanksgiving with my family! Had fun adventures at a park and walking in the downtown area. :) 

A beautiful and exhausting end to a great year! The kids were sick for most of this month and luckily got better right before Christmas. My second niece turned 1 yr. old and my other sister is having her first baby in August 2015!!! Had a quiet and peaceful Christmas, but very love filled and amazing company!!!! :)

So I look forward to all this new year has in store for us!! New goals and growth! Happy New Year!!!!!

"In Him we are also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of His will." Ephesisans 1:11 :) <3