Bible Study with a 2-year old

I was attempting to practice my Spanish this morning by reading aloud from my bilingual Bible while Olivia sat and ate her "Yum-Cereal" (Cream of Wheat with applesauce and cinnamon). She wanted her Bible too, so I handed her a Bible Storybook. Then she wanted coffee just like mommy. Why not. So, I poured my little copycat a cup of warm milk with a shot of Folgers. The conversation that followed went something like this:

(Olivia flips open her book to Paul's shipwreck)

Olivia: "Mommy, what he doin'?"

Mommy: "His boat crashed on the rocks, but God..."

Olivia: "Are dey goin' to da beach?"

Mommy: "No..."

(Olivia flips to another page)

Olivia: "Mommy! Look at da water!!!"

Mommy: "Yes, God moved the water out of the way so the people could walk to the other side..."

Olivia: "Are there fish in the water?"

Mommy: "Yes.."

Olivia: "Is that daddy?"

Mommy: "No, that's Moses..."

Olivia: "Is he goin to da beach?"

She was really cracking me up, and she was on a roll, so like a good mommy.... I had to get the rest on camera!

Feliz Navidad!

Burning Still

The following is an excerpt from Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael. I hope that it is an encouragement to you as it was to me this morning!

"She hath neither rusted out, nor burned out. She is burning still." I read that in an Australian magazine and I prayed that it might be true of each one of us. We want most earnestly not to rust out, we would gladly be burned out, but till that day comes, the Lord keep us "burning still."

Perhaps some of us are sorely tempted to think that just now there is not much that is "burning" about our lives. Some are ill, some have duties of a very simple sort-- where does the burning come in? Where did it come in when John the Baptist was shut up in prison? He could not do anything but just endure, and not be offended, and not doubt his Lord's love. But when our Lord Jesus spoke of him, He said he was burning and shining-- "a burning and a shining light".

It is not the place where we are, or the work that we do or cannot do, that matters, it is something else. It is the fire within that burns and shines, whatever be our circumstances.

Christmas Program!

Today was a big day for our church. Our first ever children's Christmas program took place, and the children certainly rose to the occasion! Seeing all of them prance into the room with their little neckties, fluffy sparkling dresses, and bouncing curls made me smile. It also reminded me of Christmas past when I was sitting in a pile of ruffles waiting to get lined up for the big program. Sara Parks has diligently worked with them, and she even went the extra mile to make sure that every child had a special part... even if it was just saying "Dios le bendiga" (God bless you) at the very end. Our greatest desire was to see some of the parents come and hear the Gospel, and they did! Praise the Lord!

After the service, we had a special lunch where everyone brought their finest dish to share!

One of the biggest challenges for me is keeping track of my children... especially one in particular. Has anyone seen Olivia??

"Mommy, I'm stuck!"

(good thing mommy had the camera close by)

A.J. was not feeling the Christmas spirit! That's o.k. little buddy, mommy feels the same way sometimes!

Teething Troubles

AJ is getting a few more teeth, and my sweet little buddy has been miserable for the past few days. For a comforting and somewhat nutritious snack, I made him some yogurt chips. I spread yogurt in an 8x8 pan, froze it, cut it into cubes, put it in a bowl and stuck it back in the freezer. He loves these!

Happy Birthday to Me!

What a great day! Alex got AJ up this morning so I could sleep in a little bit, and the two of them set out to make me breakfast in bed. Olivia slept in with mamma. The rest of the morning was pretty normal... kids still have to go poo-poo and eat even if it is your birthday. That afternoon, we went to the Olive Garden for lunch.. YUM! I headed off to the grocery store with the kids, and Alex went home to wait for the CARPET CLEANERS!! Even though it wasn't an official birthday present, getting our nasty apple juice/banana/who-knows-what-else stained carpet cleaned was very exciting to me. My carpet looks like new, and I was happy to hear that ours was NOT the worst looking carpet they had ever seen (yes, I did ask).

We had a little party after church tonight. Maria (the lovely lady giving me bunny ears) had us over to her house last night for a birthday dinner... that was so sweet of her! You better believe I perked up when I saw this perched under the tree!
Thanks Sara! I love the red Coach umbrella! So cute!
You'll never guess who was first in line for cake... I took this picture during prayer. She even has the server in her hand!


My dear sweet friends!
"Hey Sara! This cake shur is good"

Whoever said that you can't find cute clothes for boys?

My grandma sent this little suit for AJ, and I could have eaten him up today!