NEW LOOK!!!

Alright I finally got my new look done, what do you guys think? :)

Cranky Cranky Cranky.....

Now I know why thin people and models sometimes walk around with annoyed looks on their faces. See yesterday I was feeling a bit better from the cold, but my stomach was just killing me, so I didn't eat much, which made me, yep, you guessed it....CRANKY!!!
I love food too much and this is why I have the hardest time dieting at all, I don't think I could ever be a Super Model, unless the Super stood for Super Sizing!!!

We had a good day yesterday, I spent time with the kids and when it came to lunch time I thought I would make them a treat. Usually lunch in this house consists of Macaroni & Cheese, or PB & J Sandwiches or Chicken Nuggets, you know the usual things kids like. Yesterday was no exception, when asked what they wanted, the answer was unanimous...."Chicken nuggets and mac & cheese". BLEH!!!!
But I decided to make it special, so I made them both some strawberry shakes, complete with whipped cream and all. You should have seen their faces, I don't think I've gotten hugs and kisses like THAT in a long time LOL

Again it proves that they really do love the small things you do for them. I mean I could have easily given them the usual juice box, but wasn't this better???

Today I have to go to a Notary to get a bunch of paperwork notarized and then get some more passport photos taken. Once that is done I can finally mail in the rest of the paperwork and be totally DONE with my part. I just hope this whole process doesn't take very long, so I'm putting it in the Lord's hands and letting him deal with it. Just this morning I started worrying about it and he AGAIN said "This is my battle, not yours, let it go, I didn't ask you to take it on".

What is wrong with me??? You would have thought that by now I would have learnt my lesson, but yet, I continue to annoy Him and question and provoke. He must feel the way I do with my kids at times. "How many times do I have to tell you to do something?", see????
I really am just a little kid when it comes to the Lord, how embarassing, a 31 year old woman who acts like a child.

Anyway, being that it's friday and payday, I'm going to get my menus posted on my food blog, and then I need to get my grocery list done, pay bills, etc. All that fun stuff that goes with being a mommy and wife.

I've also posted my "Everyday Things" below, if you want to know more about it, or even participate yourself, go to Jule's "Everyday Mommy" for the rules. Remember that Jules moved to a new site, so I'm giving you the new link, don't forget to update your bookmarks :)

I didn't forget about my blog look, just haven't had time to mess with it and get it finished. Hopefully sometime today, if not, then this weekend it should be up.

We're having a hard time getting Jasmine to read during the summer. It's frustrating because when she first started school she was thrilled to learn everything, it's like she couldn't get enough of words, reading, spelling etc. Now it's a total turn around and quite frankly I don't know how to deal with it. Her first grade teacher suggested she read chapter books during the school break, and you would think that I'm asking her to read a memo on nuclear bombs or something. Anyone have ideas to share????

Time to get on with the day, have so much to do and my coffee is now cold, need a refill. Hey if you stop by tomorrow I promise to have a fresh pot of coffee waiting AND I'll even throw in some of those new Blueberry Krispi Kreme donuts.....man are they to die for!!!

EVERYDAY THINGS!!!

It's friday and time for another Everyday Things. Jule's over at "Everyday Mommy" started this feature to help us remember the small things around us and embrace contentment. Go to her site to participate or to see a list of others embracing their "Everyday Things".

The smell of onions, olive oil, and garlic frying on the stove. Is there an aroma more heavenly in sight???

The minute I start frying them, the aroma transports me back in time, back to my house in Portugal. I vividly remember sitting on the kitchen floor while my greatgrandmother started lunch or dinner, and it didn't matter what she was making because I always remember the same smell.
It takes me back to the time of innocence, a time where the most important thing in my life were my dolls and my toys, the endless drawings and coloring in's I did, the stories told by my greatgrandma, what it was like when she was a little girl, living through world war I and II, her wedding night, her husband, how to be a good wife and mother.

So now, whenever I stand over my stove and fry the usual onions, garlic and olive oil, I'm quickly reminded of everything she taught me, it's like having a notebook etched in my mind, all the notes taken down of things she said and the minute that aroma fills the air, the words jump out and start dancing around me, reminding me of my childhood and how lucky I was to have such an amazing woman in my life.

HOLY ALPHABET!!!

I got this in the mail today and thought I would share it, it's just beautiful and I hope it brings a smile to many faces :)

The Holy Alphabet... This is Beautiful

Whoever came up with this one must have had some Divine guidance!

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

10 HOURS?!?!?!?!?!

You know of what???? 10 hours of sleep, yes, and it was actually MY sleep. I'm feeling SO much better, it's not even funny. LOL
I took some Motrin last night and it always knocks me out, so I fell asleep at 10pm and didn't wake up until 8am this morning. The kids let me sleep in too, actually Jasmine is still asleep with the pugs.

I want to start by thanking you all for the prayers, I really do feel much better today. I'm not over the cold, but at least I'm not feeling as horrible as I did yesterday. Here's what I've learnt though, over and over and over......no matter how sick you may be feeling, if you have kids, you have to put that aside and move on. One foot in front of the other, is what they say.

Just to give you all a heads up, I'm working on another template for my blog. You know how bored I get with things looking the same, and I like having a blog that reflects whatever is going on in my life at the time. It should be up later today, so check back if you're interested, if not that's ok too :)

So last night I was feeling really unwell and didn't want to cook. That's usually when you know I'm not well, I love cooking and nothing keeps me from my kitchen. I almost ordered take out and then I walked into the kitchen and thought, you know, no matter how yucky I'm feeling, my kids and hubby deserve a good meal.
Wanna know what I made???? Chicken Egg Rolls( I posted the recipe on my food blog if you want to see it)!!! Yeah, how about that?!?!?!
I'm dangerous when I'm sick, I usually pick the hardest things to make, I can't be normal like others and make some sandwiches or soup or something. LOL

Boy were they yummy, and let me tell you, I made it all up, the filling I mean. I had never made them before and had no idea what goes in other than chicken or shrimp or whatever. Turned out so good that it yielded 20 egg rolls and they're all gone LOL
Curt took the rest to work for lunch, which wasn't a lot actually, it was about 5 if that.

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I got into bed last night and picked up my book again. This time the chapter was called "Read it Again, Mom!"
It talks about how the authors daughter always asked her to read the same book at bedtime, and yet everytime she did, it was like the daughter was hearing it for the first time, she had that sparkle in her eye.

It's like reading the Bible. But it wasn't always that way for me, I'm ashamed to admit that when I first started reading it it was boring for me. I found myself falling asleep at times or yawning through it. The Old Testament was especially the worst for me, all those names and dates. Yet, once I started finding comfort with the Lord and really appreciating my relationship with him, I too felt like the author's daughter. Everynight I pick up the Bible and always find something new, I read a verse for the tenth time and find something I missed "Wow, how did I miss that?".

I know now that Christianity is not about religion. It is about a relationship - a very intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

There's books that my kids LOVE and when I'm done reading it, they ask me to start again. Wouldn't it be great to feel that way about the Bible and God's Word? To have that same enthusiasm, know all the words and what to expect, but yet feel like you can't wait to get in there and read it again.

"Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day...They are not just idle words for you-they are your life." Deuteronomy 32:46,47

Time Out

• On a scale of one to ten, one being "not intimate" and ten being "very intimate", how would you rate your relationship with Christ?
• If Christianity is enjoying a personal relationship with Jesus, why is so much emphasis placed on "Christian Disciplines" (reading scripture, praying, memorizing verses, going to church, etc.)? In what area do you most need to grow: the disciplines or your personal relationship with Christ?

I have to tell you that this book has really brought it all home for me. It's taught me SO SO much and it's totally changed my perspective on life. I almost feel cheated out of the first 31 years of my life, it's like I've spent it doing the wrong thing (yes we learn from our mistakes), but wouldn't it be nice if I had known about all this before and basked in the Glory of being close to the Lord?

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The kids and I are planning on doing some crafts today, don't know what yet, but I'm sure we'll find something to do. Since I'm feeling better, I think I'll get some laundry done and tackle that mountain of clothes to iron too.

If you have a moment today, please say a prayer for the troops, let's not forget that while we're here in the comfort of our homes, they are out there in the middle of danger and sleeping in cots, dealing with scorching temperatures, exhausted and not getting enough rest, and they're doing it all for US.

Hope you all have a beautiful blessed day,

Cloudy Day!!!

Woke up this morning feeling the same as yesterday, running a bit of a fever, sore throat and headache, guess this cold will stick around a bit longer than I thought.

The kids must be getting it too, they're kind of mopy (hope I got that right) and Jasmine has been sleeping in until 9:30am, which is just not normal for her. Poor Curt, hopefully he doesn't get this cold, maybe we should keep him clear of us? Or the house? Nah, where would he sleep right? LOL

Yesterday I managed to get all my to do list, done. It felt good to get it all achieved, wasn't easy as I was moving slower than usual, but I am happy I did it.
A couple of you asked about the Boston Cream Cupcakes, so I decided to share the recipe on my food blog.

Here's some pictures of the kids yesterday, having fun with the cupcakes.

When we were done, they both looked at me and said "we had so much fun, we loved making cupcakes with you". Isn't it great???
Here we think that in order for kids to be happy we have to buy them expensive toys or enroll them in all these sports and classes, when all they really want is something as simple as making cupcakes with their mommy. Thank you Lord, for reminding me that it's not THE QUANTITY, but THE QUALITY of what we do with our kids.

I'm feeling a little down today, I don't know if it might also be the fact that I'm not feeling well, but cloudy days + being sick = cranky, sad mommy.
I think I need to hold the Lord's hand a bit more tightly today and let him guide me through it, I don't know how else to make it through.

Remember I had said that I was in the middle of getting my "Green Card"?
Well if you only knew how much paperwork and questions and fees are involved, I think you would be running at turbo speed, in the opposite direction.
It's more frustrating when you send everything in only to be told that something is missing and now you need to redo it.....ok fine, I will.
Just means more paperwork, more money and more headaches, but hey, it's worth it in the end right?

I wish I had some profound words to say today, or even something that you could all walk away with feeling "wow that was deep, definitely thought provoking". I don't!!!
Actually, I very seldom do, but I think it's God's way of keeping me in my place, making sure I don't grow a huge head and try to preach what I don't know myself.
I feel like a kindergartener when it comes to my relationship with God.
You know, you tread carefully, you push your limits, you break the rules, you get your time-outs and thinking spots....."what did you do to get here? How does it make you feel? What will you do next time?". I never realized how well those words apply to my mistakes in real life.

Think I'm going to go print those words out on index cards and place them all over my house, next time I mess up with the Lord, I can read them out loud.

And that's it, the weather is looking gloomy, my heart is feeling it too and I feel God tugging at my hand, urging me to sit on his lap and let it all go. I think I need that, it's been a while since I've had a good cry.

See you all tomorrow,
God Bless,

Works for Me Wednesday!!!

I'm really starting to run out of ideas on this, either I need to start creating more shortcuts for myself or just admit that I really DON'T have that many tips worth making anyone's (much less myself) life easier. :)

My tip for today is one about kids and chores. A while ago I had talked about how Jasmine and I had sat down and wrote a list of chores that she is able to do. I'm not one to tell kids to do things that I don't think they should be doing at their age, like telling a 7 year old to scrub the toilet, Ummmm....NO!!!

We had a Chart of Chores for her but after about a week, she started getting bored with the things she was doing and I knew that I had to do something or come up with something before she would completely deny doing anything at all.

So I introduced the Chore Jar. In it I placed a bunch of papers with different chores on it, things like Clean your Room, Make the Bed, Set the Table, Feed the Pugs, Water the Plants etc. Then I also added things like Help Fix Dinner, Help in the Garden, Help Mommy Sew, Help Mommy Iron, Help Daddy make Shelf, Help Daddy change oil in car, etc.

These last ones I added because I think it's important that kids learn a variety of things AND it will also help us spend some one on one time with them. There are times that Jasmine will get a boy chore and Nicholas will get a girl chore, like cooking etc.......
This way they will both be introduced to all sorts of things, and let's face it, won't it be great when my son grows up and is able to do all the boy things PLUS cook, fold laundry etc???

As we think of new chores we just add them to the jar. The kids are actually excited to pull a paper out of the jar everyday and they don't get bored with the usual same things. Works for me!!!

For a list of other WFMW participants, don't forget to check out Shannon's blog. :)

You do what you have to do!!!

I think as a mother, wife and woman in general, we've all become used to just "doing what you have to do". You keep going, and going and going, but you start noticing that no matter how much or how fast you move, you just can't keep up with some things.

There's projects to be done, there's clothes to be washed, put away, floors to be mopped, dogs that need vet visits, cars that need to be serviced, and the list just goes on and on.

While reading my book, the third chapter entitled "Daddy's Lap" talks about the comfort of being in the Father's lap, much like watching your children sitting on your husbands lap, laughing and giggling, or crying and seeking some comfort. That is how we feel when we crawl into our Father's lap and cry over a problem we're having, a loved one we lost or a burden weighing heavy on our hearts.

Many times I've had people say to me "I wish I was as strong as you or had your faith". I smile, but inwardly I'm thinking "are you kidding me??? I'm not strong, I'm not that confident in my faith and I certainly don't have it all figured out and under control".

The author talks about times when she always felt that if someone needed help it was somehow her responsibility. Boy do I know that feeling, and I never trusted God to be the one helping, it's like I would challenge him to try and outdo me "come on let's see how fast you can get it done, I bet I can do it faster."
Sure, but I didn't do it right, I just added to the problem, and in the process disappointed God because again he had to remind me that "The battle is not yours, it is Mine".

Self-effort is ultimately self-destruction. Self-effort short-circuits God's purposes, robs God of His rightful glory and leaves me exhausted. (Exhaustion is God's reminder that we are not resting in Him).

Well when put that way, it makes so much more sense doesn't it???
You can crawl down from his lap after spending some time with Him, but as long as you move through the rest of the day, holding His hand tightly in yours, then everything will be ok.

Time Out

• What battles do you fight? Are you fighting a battle the Lord has not asked you to fight? If so, evacuate!
• Read II Chronicles 20. What is required to stand? What relationship do you see between standing and the psalmist's command in Psalm 46:10 to "be still, and know that I am God"?
• Be encouraged that in your battle, God goes before you and is with you.

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I woke up this morning with a sore throat and running a bit of a fever. I guess I got over my sinus infection but now I'm dealing with the remains of a summer cold. I could complain and cry and whine about it, or I could just go on and deal with it. I choose to just deal with it, really, I don't have energy to stomp my feet and yell and scream.

While watching "Super Nanny" yesterday (I'm sure some of you don't like her, but I do), I realized that I at times also talk to my kids in ways that are unnaceptable and mean. It's not that I deliberately set out to upset them, and honestly, after asking them or telling them to do something a gazillion times, you tend to loose your cool.
I think one thing that I learnt though is that it's all in the way you say things, wow, here I've been saying this for years and years. It's not what you say, it's HOW you say it!!!

So as much as it pains me to admit that I'm not the greatest mom in the world and that I mess up more times that I would like to.....I pledge to try my hardest to do what is right by my kids.
How could I not when I have these gorgeous faces in my life, every day.

So today this is what I have planned:

1. One load of laundry, wash, iron and put away
2. Dusting
3. Vacuum
4. Mop
5. Watch Brazil vs Ghana match
6. Make Boston Cream Cupcakes
7. Devotionals

Don't have a lot, and I'm hoping that me feeling sick today won't get in the way too much.

Yesterday I bid on a portuguese book on ebay, I'm so excited to get it. I've wanted to teach my kids portuguese for such a long time, and I think having some portuguese books to read to them will help too. Nothing would please me more than to have them be bilingual and also learn more about the portuguese culture. Wish me luck!!!

Well ladies, I'm all out of things to say and my head is starting to hurt, think it's time for some medicine and then get my day started. I really do hope you all have a wonderful tuesday and if you're going through some sort of trial or tribulation, I hope that you put it in God's hands and let him deal with it, or even better, hold on to his hand tightly and let him go through this day with you :)

God Bless,

Treasure Tuesday!!!

I've really come to enjoy my Tuesday's, I think mainly because it helps me to STOP and look around, at what I have, and the treasures that fill my house. Let's face it, anything could be a treasure right? Given by that special person, bought at a certain time in your life......

My treasure today is very near and dear to my heart, aren't they all???

You can't really see it well, and I can't seem to take picture good enough to show exactly what it looks like. But here's the story:

I've mentioned before in my blog, that I had two miscarriages between Jasmine and Nicholas. It was two of the hardest and lowest points in my life, I felt guilty because after all this was my body that had somehow rejected the pregnancies (even though now I understand that it was NOTHING I did). I grieved for a long time and you never quite get over it, you just learn to live with it. There's days that you hear something, or see something that takes you right back to those moments, and that is when I am so thankful to have this necklace.

See, I had been wanting a Mother's Necklace, with my kids birthstones, for a long time. Never got around to getting one, and then a few years ago, my wonderful hubby finally said "You know, that's it, we're getting you the necklace I don't care how much it costs, you deserve it".
So he picked this one that says WE LOVE YOU. On it he asked to have 4 birthstones placed, one for Jasmine, one for Nicholas and two for the babies we lost (using the stones for the month in which they were due).

Let me just say there are still days that something gets to me and I find myself longing for my two girls, and I know they're in heaven, but really, when you're feeling that sad you wish you could reach out to them, that is when I reach for my necklace and hold it tight in my hand, it reminds me to be thankful of the two beautiful kids I have with me, and the two beautiful girls that await me in heaven.

For a list of other Treasure Tuesday Participants, head on over to Faith's Blog.

TACKLE IT TUESDAY!!!

You've heard me talk about how my computer desk is always needing organizing, and for some reason I just can't keep it clean. There's always papers, bills, coffee mugs, empty plates etc. I spend a lot of time on the computer, either working or blogging, or emailing or whatever, AND that's where hubby and I spend some hours playing "DAOC", which leads to endless snacks and drinks.

I think of my computer desk as my small home office/entertainment area/bank/cookbook archive etc. See, it serves many many purposes doesn't it?

So in my attempts to constantly keep my desk clean, I have been searching for a way to keep it mess free or at least keep it out of sight. This weekend while doing my usual Yard Sale hunting, I came across just what I needed. A Computer Armoire for $20.....still new and just what I had wanted.

I brought it home and worked on getting my computer area reorganized, gave my old computer desk to my daughter (she's all happy cause it's big, she has lots of room to play and do homework etc).

This is what it looked like before:

This is what it looks like now:

I think what I like the most is that when I'm done working, I just close the doors and walk away LOL

So what have you been tackling this tuesday???? If you joined in then go on over to
5 Minutes for Mom and add your name to the list, or check out the other participants.

Manic Monday!!!

6 0' clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream *insert music*

Yeah it was more like 5:30am and I was in the middle of a dream, a nice dream too, not that I can remember it now no matter how hard I try. I do remember that I was enjoying it and then BAM (the sounds of kids and pugs).

When asked how many kids I have, now I say "4 kids, 3 girls and 1 boy". LOL
My pug girls have become an important part of the family, and where we go, they go, if we can get away with it obviously.

We were supposed to work on the yard yesterday but got a late start, didn't get out there until 10:30am and let me tell you something, the sun doesn't mess around. It was extremely hot, already in the 80's. We picked up the shovels determined to get some work done, and ended up only working for about 30 minutes tops. We gave up, how sad, but really I was sweating profusely, my lower back was killing me and I actually got a tan, just in that little time. So we decided to plant just some of the grass and leave the rest for next weekend. By the look of things this yard will be done next summer LOL

Does housework ever go away??? I mean just disappear, like one day you wake up and your house is spotless because a generous ghost decided to clean up for you???
My house is clean, everything is in it's place, not by luck, but because I've spent the past two weeks working really hard on organizing and cleaning. Yesterday I was happy, I put away 3 baskets of laundry, and you may laugh because it seems ridiculous, but to me it's HUGE.
No more digging through baskets to find that elusive tank top, or pair of shorts. I'm going to try real hard to stick to this, wash, dry, fold, put away.

Have you noticed that the minute you become a mom there's no reason to dress nicely???
I don't mean clean clothes, I mean DRESS UP, hair done, make up, nails, beautiful gown. This is why I wish I had lived in the Victorian times, I could always be seen in gorgeous gowns, but imagine trying to change a diaper wearing that?!?!?
One of my favorite genres of movies is Medieval, Victorian etc. and I think mainly because I enjoy drooling over admiring the dresses.
The last time I dressed up was for my high school prom......wow 14 years ago. Great now I feel ancient LOL

So this morning, we're going to the park with Veronica and her kids. Later today I need to go drop off some donations at the Airman's Attic, but that is pretty much all I have planned for today.
I'm hoping to get some sewing done though, I still want to finish Jasmine's dress and start the other one. I'm also planning on making some bread, I think my bread machine is feeling neglected and it's time to take it for a spin. (you know what I mean)

I picked up some Herbs yesterday, for the longest time I've wanted to grow my own and let's face it, there's nothing better than the smell of fresh herbs in your kitchen. So I got Basil, Marjoram, Chives and I also picked up some Leeks and Red Onions......they look so pretty already. Lord help me to keep them alive, I am so not plant oriented.
The kids and Curt also picked up some Cantaloupe to plant......hopefully everything will survive and we will have fresh fruit, veggies and herbs :)

Well I better get going, it's already 8:30am and I want to get some laundry started and the dishes going before heading to the park.

God Bless,

How does that saying go?

"One man's trash is another man's treasure?" or something like that right?

Well one thing I love doing during the summer, is going to yard sales, there's times I don't buy anything, but just love browsing and looking through everything, it's something that I'm thankful that my hubby loves doing too. So every saturday morning, we load up the kids in the truck and set off at 7:30am.

The sun is already shining, there's a warmth in the air and you can feel the activity in the streets, cars following each other from neighborhood to neighborhood, almost like a procession. Tons of cars stopped outside houses with eager homeowners smiling and giving their usual "how are you today?" Ahhhhhh such joy!!!

We get to this one, and as we drive around to the house I see something outside that catches my eye. Could it be??? Nah, there's no way I would get THAT lucky!!!
Yes yes yes, I think it really is. "Curt is that a computer armoire?" (hear the excitement in my voice?) "Yes I think it is, hold on, let me stop the truck before you run out!"
Yeah, I was THAT excited, because you all know that they are not cheap and it's something I've been looking for forever, well shouldn't really say looking for, I mean I know where they are just didn't want to have to pay close to $200 for it.

I run out and hug the armoire, look up at the price and it says $30. OH- MY- GOSH!!!! NO WAY!!! I turn to the lady and say "It's mine, I'm taking it". So we got to talking and they were saying how they had just gotten to the base 6 months ago and haven't been here long, and how long had we been here blah blah blah blah blah. Before we leave she says "I'll give it to you for $20". GASP!!!! WHAT?!?!?! WHO?!?!?! WHERE?!?!?!
(Doing the happy dance)

So here it is, my new computer armoire....don't you just love a good bargain????

Yesterday we were supposed to keep working on the back yard, but Curt and Jasmine went out to watch "Superman Returns" for FREE!!! The Base apparently won this contest thing and was one of the bases being awarded the showing of the movie for free. Here's the catch though (well for me it's a catch LOL), the doors opened at 11am and the movie didn't start until 1:30pm. So it was on a first come first served basis. I was NOT about to go sit there for hours with a 3 year old who really doesn't give a hoot about movies, and I honestly don't really like those movies myself *duck for fear of a stone being thrown my way*.

Nicholas and I stayed home, we went to Burger King for Lunch, just mommy and son, it was wonderful :) Then we came home and we put up his NASA space wall border in his room, he just loves it :) Will post a picture tomorrow.

I'm so thrilled with the response to my post yesterday, see I never think of myself as inspiring or uplifting. Direct and too open at times, not afraid to say what I'm feeling, YES!!! But inspiring, NO!!!
But if my posts in any way inspire even if just one person, then I know I'm doing the right thing.
Remember yesterday I said I would start posting every chapter of the book? Well I read through some more last night and this book is just filled with information, filled with thought provoking words and most of all FILLED with the Lord's love. How amazing!!!

The first chapter is actually called "Just a Moment, Please". When I started reading I honestly felt like it could have been me saying those things. How many of us have felt that since having children and getting married, we just don't have time for God? We had to put that relationship on hold, on the back burner, because we ran out of time to be with Him.

How many times have I tried to read the Bible or spend some time in prayer only to be interrupted continuously by something or someone? I remember one day trying to do this, I set my alarm for earlier and figured if I get up at least 15 minutes before the kids, I can devote that time to God. Well that worked great when I was thinking about it, then the alarm went off, I got up and picked up the Bible only to have Nicholas wake up too. "I'm hungry mommy, let's go downstairs". Ohhhhkay!!! I gave him his breakfast and picked up the Bible again thinking he's quiet and happy so I can do this. I read two words and the pugs had to go outside. Set it down again, take them out, come back in and pick it up, Jasmine wakes up. Oh forget it.....sorry Lord, I promise I will get back to you when I get a free moment.

Every little moment in our lives could be devoted to God, we just need to realize that and like the scriptures say. "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (II Cor. 10:5)

As I positioned the diaper under Amanda's tiny bottom, I heard the Lord say, You have a moment.
Yes, Lord, I do. Hi again! I sure spend a lot of time changing Amanda. Just like You've spent a lot of time changing me.
I chuckled over the analogy and headed for the toilet with my scrub brush.
You have a moment.
Yes, God, I do. Thanks for washing away my sins, just the way I'm washing away disgusting things in this toilet.
In the kitchen, I set the table for dinner.
You have a moment.
Yes, God. Thank you for food to eat and a roof over our heads.
I was beginning to get the idea.

Yep I'm getting the idea too. How easy and how simple it is, but yet I never thought of it. The book talks about how we usually compartmentalize God, by sticking him into time slots such as Bible Study, Quiet Time and Church. The minute you let God spill over into every moment of your life and instead of being upset by not having an hour with God, you now have a WHOLE day with him. How wonderful!!!

Here's the "Time Out" for this Chapter,

• Memorize II Corinthians 10:5. What does it mean to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ? How can you do this? What does the verse instruct you to do before you take your thoughts captive?
• Do you acknowledge God's presence in your everyday moments or do you confine Him to compartments? What does it mean to abide in Christ? (Read John 15.)

Well I have breakfast cooking, bacon and sausages YUM. Going to make some cinnamon toast for the kids too. I have to say I'm really enjoying spending these quiet times with you all, this book has inspired me so much and I hope it spills over to all of you. Hope you have a great sunday :)

God Bless,

Big Things, Little Things.....

I've been reading a wonderful, wonderful book called "Diapers, Pacifiers and other Holy Things" by Lorraine Pintus. It's really taught me a lot as a mother to a preschooler and a 7 year old.

One of the things that stood out with me was the chapter entitled "Big Things, Little Things".
She starts by telling us that as a mother, one of the most inspiring verses in the Bible is Luke 19:17. It says, "Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities."

To me it translates as "If you faithfully do the small annoying chores that you encounter as a mother, you will be greatly rewarded in the end."

Little things matter to God. Yeah, how true is that??? If only I could keep reminding myself the next time I have to clean a mess, turn around and clean it again, and then yet again 5 minutes later at which point I'm ready to just throw my hands up in the air and scream "That's IT, I've had it and from now on YOU guys clean it up." But what Lorraine has taught me is that every little thing matters.

If your motive is right, even nose wiping can result in eternal rewards.

How truly amazing and shocking is that??? All these years I've been resentful at some of the little things that I had to do. Some of them were truly annoying and I found myself cringing everytime I had to pick up YET another toy, clean up a mess YET again just minutes after I had finished doing it.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23,24

So at the end of the chapter, she gives us what she calls "Time Out". This is a list of 3 things, well more like questions that we need to answer ourselves and work on.

• Motive is everything. Before doing anything, ask yourself "Why am I doing this? For whom am I doing this? Would this please Jesus?"
• Have you ever told a friend "I'll pray for you" but failed to do it? Do you copy personal items on the photocopier at work? Do you exaggerate your charitable contributions on your income tax form? Name three "little things" in which you find yourself tempted to be dishonest. As God to keep you faithful.
• Look up faithful in the dictionary. What does it mean? Why does God want to build faithfulness in us? Whom do we emulate when we are faithful?

I've loved this chapter, it's taught me so much about how I see my role as a mother.....and actually, it can be applied to a lot of other aspects of my life, the way I see myself as a wife, as a homemaker, as a friend.
Yes I know a lot of you would rather turn away from admitting that you do the same thing, that you take the little things for granted, or even worse, like me, that you resent them at times.
Not me, I did at one point, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I have faults, that I sometimes stumble around like a toddler just learning to walk, that I don't know the answers to everything, that even after two kids and 8 years of motherhood there are days I have NO clue what I'm doing.
The first step to fixing something is to admit it right???

Well here I am, being totally honest and upfront with each and everyone of you.
I think I will start sharing every chapter as I move through this book, who knows, maybe it will inspire another mom (or non mom) to take a closer look at their lives and the way they deal with it.

We all know that as mothers, there are millions of little things that drive us crazy, day in and day out, I mean really, who other than a mother is entrusted with all these little details and mindless frustrating chores?
My list usually consists of:

Get up, dress the kids, feed them breakfast
Wash dishes, sweep the floor and mop
Make the beds, feed the pets, clean the living room
Put away the toys, put them away again, and yet again, and yet again
Give them a snack and remind them not to eat in the living room
Watch as the little one spins in a circle while squeezing the juice pouch
Clean up the living room YET again
Repeat and then repeat again......

After a full day of this, I get into bed, open the Bible and say "Dear Lord" and that's usually as far as I get, because I'm exhausted and I tend to fall asleep before I even read a chapter. You may be wondering where I found the time to read this book then?
Ahhh let me tell you the secret......Oh I've become smart the past few weeks, I take the Bible and the book into the bathroom with me, yes, go ahead and turn your noses up and act disgusted, a woman desperate does whatever it takes.

So next time you have to clean up a mess (yet again), wipe a runny nose, cook another meal or do another load of laundry, remember that the little things matter, maybe not to us, but they certainly do to God. Do it with a smile and rejoice in the fact that He is keeping track of it all.

I hope you have a blessed Saturday and may it be FULL of "little things."

SOAKING UP THE SUN

We went to Veronica's house this afternoon so the kids could play in the sprinklers and pool etc. They had a blast and it was so much fun just watching them interact, they've been good friends the past two years and I know my kids are going to be heartbroken when Sydney and Scottie leave.

Anyway, I got some pictures and decided to turn it into a little video to make it more fun and easier than trying to upload 40 plus pictures LOL

So here you go, the kids soaking up some sun and having fun as usual :) Tomorrow I will post a video of them diving into the pool, it was too funny. Click the thumbnail or the file name to play the video :)

soaking up the sun.wmv

THE JOY OF FRIDAY!!!

There's nothing better than the end of the week, at least for me. It usually means I can stay up later, the kids can stay up later too, and yes I know a lot of parents don't agree with having their kids up late, but mine only get to do it every friday and saturday night, it's sorta like a family tradition.
We play games together or watch a movie or whatever, but it's enough to make us feel connected after a crazy week of running around with everyone doing their own thing.

Thank you all for the comments on yesterday's post, I think Liz opened up a can of worms for me and I just ran with it, literally spilling worms all over. (not really, but you get the idea)

Just got back from the park with the kids and Veronica and her kids. It was really nice to take them out first thing in the morning and let them have some fun instead of being stuck in the house. Boy are we gonna miss them when they move in August. Another hard part of being a military family! Go check out her blog and see those gorgeous kids, gotta love the red hair on Sydney (reminds me of my red haired princess).

After lunch we're going over to their house so the kids can play in the sprinkler outside. No it's not just a normal lawn sprinkler, it's one of those new ones that wiggle around like crazy LOL
Don't worry I will take the camera, I'm sure there will be lots of good moments to capture and then share on the blog.

Nothing much planned for today, just having some outdoor fun with the kids and then the usual house cleaning, you know, the joys of being a housewife.

Don't forget to check out my "Everyday Things" post below and on my food blog you can find my Five Ingredients Friday too.

With all the organizing and cleaning I've been doing here, running around with kids etc, I really feel that I've slipped a bit from my closeness with God. I wouldn't have known it before because I remember that when I didn't have that close relationship with Him, I didn't know what I was missing. Now that I do, I know what I'm missing out on and it's a HUGE change in my day to day.

It pretty much changes everything, your whole perspective and way of thinking. It's like removing that armor and leaving yourself vulnerable to attacks. So last night as I went to bed, I closed my eyes and started to pray, only there was a problem, I couldn't seem to do it. Anyone else ever feel that way???
It's like I knew what I wanted to say and who to pray for but the minute I opened my mouth it would become an inaudible jumble of weird-make-no-sense words, or I would fall asleep for a minute, wake up to realize I was trying to pray and have it happen again. Boy nothing like that to bring back the reality that the devil really tries to cut your happiness and any form of communication with the Lord.

After about an hour of struggling with this, I practically BEGGED God to please help me out here, it really felt like a deliberate attack, knowing that I was already feeling distant from Him and trying to make sure that connection was completely broken. What a scary feeling!!!
I do remember after a few minutes, that I was able to pray, honestly and straight from the heart, no more stumbling and babbling on my part, just pure emotional beautiful words that said everything I was feeling and prayed for those who were in need. Thank you Lord, for yet again coming to my rescue....I have to say though this Christian Damsel in Distress role is getting pretty old!!!

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

But before I close this post, I want you to think about something. If you are not being attacked by the devil, then he obviously isn't worried about you, and if he isn't worried about you then maybe you are NOT defending God and living for God the way you should, right???

If I find myself in his little black book of souls to torture, then at least I know that I'm doing something right by God because let's face it, he obviously sees me as a threat.

2 Timothy 2:3 - Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

YES, I will and I will gladly put up with the devils deliberate attempts to bring me down, because I know that I will always come out winning!!!

God Bless,

EVERYDAY THINGS!!!

Jules at Everyday Mommy started this weekly Friday feature called "Everyday Things".

We're supposed to embrace contentment and learn to like the everyday things that we tend to overlook or take for granted. Thank you Jules, this has definitely made me stop and think about the little things that really do make my life what it is - a happy one!!!

Everyday I cook and everyday I enjoy what I do, being a mom, a wife and a homemaker. But everytime I pick up a pot or pan, I'm instantly taken back to when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I was staying over at my grandmother's house during the summer, and my greatgrandmother lived with her. Every morning, they had the same ritual, they would sit at the table and drink tea with a dash of milk and a piece of toast with jam. I can still smell the tea and the jam and hear their voices talking about what to make for dinner or what they had to clean around the house.

Me, I was sitting on the floor right between them, with toy pots and pans and I would act like I was cooking. I would ask for some pepper or a potatoe or whatever else I could think of, and my greatgrandmother would sit there and tell me what a great job I was doing. "Now add some oil Sandra", she would say, or "you want to make some soup for lunch?".

Then everyday, we would all get dressed after breakfast, go to the market to get fresh vegetables and meat, and my grandmother would always buy me, yet another bag of play pots and pans.

So til this day, whenever I pick up a skillet or pot or pan and am getting ready to cook, I feel as if I have my greatgrandmother standing right next to me, watching as I prepare yet another meal. That is one of the little everyday things that may seem small to others, but is OH SO big for me. :)

"...and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Weddings, big or small????

I'm a romantic and I love the whole fairytale idea, but when it came to my own wedding, I had a small intimate gathering at my house back in South Africa. Why you may ask??? Why not???

It's not that I didn't have the choice of a huge lavish wedding, but I didn't want it, for some reason the whole princess big white wedding dress, the hundreds of guests (some of who you don't even want there), the food, the flowers etc, didn't appeal to me. You may be wondering why I'm bringing this up, well that's because the other day I was watching tv and saw that "Bridezilla".
Quite frankly I was shocked and disgusted......yes I know a wedding is an important day and you want it to be perfect (blah blah blah), but I think these women take it to the extremes.

So yes, I had a very small wedding, went to court and got married, then had about 12 friends and family back at my house for a nice intimate dinner, but I did have my Pastor come and perform the ceremony again at the house. It was a beautiful night, it was romantic, it was inexpensive (we made all the food ourselves), and most importantly, I was able to have my greatgrandmother nearby (at this point she was extremely sick and had to use a wheelchair). Am I happy I did it, ABSOLUTELY!!!

Aaahhhh look how young we looked in that picture, to think it was only 8 years ago.

I have nothing planned for today, which is a good thing because having a sinus infection can be a real pain in the nose neck.
I will have to keep the kids busy, either with a craft or a game or something. It's always like this, summer starts and all of a sudden I have to become a "Planner". It's like a wedding planner but on a smaller scale and just substituting a few things. And let me tell you, kids are harder to please than an angry bride.

So with that said, here's what I've learnt this week (so far):

• If mommy is sick or not feeling well, the world does NOT stop.
• If the kids are quiet it does NOT mean they are being good.
• If you hear "don't tell mommy", it's NOT a good sign.
• If you mention the word -bedtime- all does NOT fall into peaceful quiet.
• If you give the kids a bowl of popcorn, NOT all goes into their mouths (hence the million pieces needing to be vacuumed).
• If you go to the grocery store and have to take the kids with, just because you ask them to behave it does NOT mean they will.
• If you do all your laundry and fold it nicely, it does NOT mean you will put it away that day.

I'm sure I will learn a lot more before the week is over, that's the thing about being a mom, you're constantly learning something new.

While reading Liz's blog this morning, (and yes, I would encourage you to go on over because if there's ONE blogger that keeps it real and is open about her life and her faults, it's Liz), she brought up a very important topic, that of which relates to how we treat our husbands. I too am guilty of not always being fair and "nice" to my hubby.

Why you may want to know? Or maybe you don't, but I will tell you anyway. Since I can remember, all the boyfriends I have ever had were the type that walked all over me, they had no problem letting me know that I just wasn't THAT important. I was cheated on, I was stood up, I was slapped, but I think the thing that got to me the worst and did the most damage was the feeling of being "unloved and not worth it". Yes, that is a major thing for any woman, or man.

I brought that into my marriage, unfortunately, and not because I don't love my husband (he knows I love him to death), but because that was what I was used to. I couldn't trust him though he never gave me any reason not to, and let's not even mention the numerous time he tells me I'm beautiful and sexy, and I respond with "no I'm not, you're just biased".
Why do I do that? Because I can't seem to accept that there really is someone who loves me for who I am, and that I'm actually worth something. It hasn't been easy getting over these feelings I have, I mean, it's going on 9 years that we've been together and I still struggle with it.

Proverbs 31 Woman........Not only is a virtuous woman righteous in the Lord, but she is a loving wife and mother, a smart shopper, a seamstress, a gardener, a good housekeeper, and trains her children with wisdom. Her husband appreciates her and can praise her to his associates and friends because she is worthy of praise.

If I could just become the Proverbs 31 Woman, and I have no doubt that someday I will be able to achieve that, but not without pain and suffering and a lot of work.

So thank you Liz, thank you for reminding us all that our husbands need our devotion, our understanding and our love. I can tell him that I love him everyday, but am I really showing him???

Works for Me Wednesday!!!

It's getting harder to find something to post about for the WFMW. Either I really am not as creative and smart as I thought, or I really don't have any shortcuts to make my life easier LOL

But I thought that today I would share something that really does make my life easier in the summer.

We grill a lot and are always having hamburgers or hotdogs, even for a quick meal, these seem to be the kids favorites. A few years ago while visiting my mother in law, she showed me how she always had frozen hamburger patties ready to go, I thought it was a great idea, and now I do the same.

I go to Walmart and buy those huge packs of ground beef. Come home and before throwing it in the freezer, I put in some finely chopped onion, crushed garlic and some finely chopped tomato, salt and pepper. I then make all the patties out by using the Hamburger Press, you can find a cheap one for around $3, or you could do what I do at times, I use a lid that is the size of the patty I want.

Could be any lid, like a margarine tub lid even, then I wrap them in Press N Seal (gotta tell you, I LOVE this stuff). Throw them in the freezer and now I have tons of individually wrapped hamburgers ready to grill. When I want just one, I just take it out, thaw it and cook it up.......if I need more then I can do that too.

This has definitely made my life MUCH easier and I always have deliscious burgers ready for company.

For more WFMW participants, head on over to Shannon's blog.

TREASURE TUESDAY!!!

The treasure I have to share with you all today, is near and dear to my heart. It's a "Journal" that I kept from the first day I met my husband, to the day we married. As many of you may know, ours was a complicated relationship as I talked about here.

I kept the journal and wrote in it every night, my thoughts, my fears and my joys. The ups and downs of our relationship, the deployments, the year apart etc., everything was written down and when I go back and read it nowadays it's just amazing how many different emotions and feelings I had going through me. It's a REAL rollercoaster, let me tell you.

On June 29, 1998 I wrote this entry:

I've never been a fighter and many times I took the easy way out of problems....when something threatened my happiness, I would give in and back away from an eventual fight to keep what was important.
But since last year, exactly on the 12th of August, everything changed.

My love for Curtis changed the way I looked at life, the way I handle problems and most of all what I know as the real meaning of life.
One thing this has all taught me, is that you either trust the one you love, or you don't. God works in mysterious ways and when we think that he is hurting us, he really is only trying to teach us a lesson.

WOW.....I don't even know how to respond to that. This was during an especially hard time in our relationship.


August 14, 1998 (two days after our wedding)

We have been married for two days now and they have been the BEST of my life, in these last few weeks I have felt so much love and happiness, more than I had ever anticipated.
I am where I have always wanted to be, married and totally in love with my husband.

And here is the journal that has kept all these beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching thoughts. I hope to one day share it with my kids so they may understand how mommy and daddy met, married and lived.

For a list of more participants to the "Treasure Tuesday", head on over to Faith's blog "Faithful Mommy". :)

TACKLE IT TUESDAY!!!

If you ladies only knew how much I've come to LOVE Tuesdays LOL

Seriously Janice, you did an awesome thing but creating this "Tackle it Tuesday", now I always feel that I need to have something to show on the blog and my house is really starting to become organized. Pretty soon though I won't have anything to clean, and then maybe we should switch it to "Mess it up Monday"????? LOL

So this weekend I tackled my living room. Yes, you may wonder why I would do that, and no, it's not because I had nothing better to do, but the fact that through the years we collect more and more stuff and before you know it you have a really cramped living room.

It was hard work and took all day long to move everything around, toss out stuff we didn't need and find a new room for other things.

This was the living room before, and as you can see, it was really small due to the HUGE tv and the sectional couch.

The first thing to go was the toys, remember I told you a few weeks ago that those were removed from the living room and put back in the kids rooms where they belong?
Then the reorganizing began. It was a real pain but I have to give a shout out to Phillips (the makers of the tv) because they were brilliant in putting wheels in it LOL
So it's actually easier to move and lighter than my kids LOL

And this is what the living room looks like now. WOW, who knew it was actually this big???

So there you have it, that was my "Tackle it Tuesday" project. For more participants run go on over to "5 Minutes for Mom". :)

Mommy by day, Fighter by night!!!

Yep that's me, by day I fight potty training, sibling rivalry, misterious stains, missing socks, mountain laundry and jelly faces.

Then the kids go to bed and I turn into a fighter for the lands of Camelot, helping Arthur and the Knights fight against the Realm of Midgard and Hibernia. I ride my horse, wear beautiful gowns and hand out justice where needed. Ahhhhhh such bliss!!!
Yeah it's fun to get away from reality for a few hours and indulge in some gaming fun with the hubby. I was surprised and ecstatic to find out that some of you play games with your hubbies too because I know a lot of ladies that don't and find it repulsive to even consider such a thing.

So this is what hubby and I have been doing this weekend, during the day we spend time with the kids and work on the house and yard etc, and then at night we spend a few hours playing "Dark Age of Camelot" together, I don't think I've laughed so hard as we do when playing that game.
It's been great bonding and finding something to do that we both enjoy :)

This weekend we also redid our living room. We rearranged everything, moved the HUGE tv, the sectional couches, etc. But I'm not showing you the pictures today, I'm going to save those for tomorrow's "Tackle it Tuesday".

I just can't think straight today, you know that feeling??? The one where you can't really seem to get a clear thought together???
Yesterday I started feeling like I was getting a cold, and lo and behold I get up today and my voice is all croaky, my head is killing me, I keep sneezing and my nose is running. Huh??? Where did THAT come from??? Am I so weak that just a few thunderstorms and the change in temperature is enough to get me sick??? That's a sad thought.

I have to point in the direction of my food blog again, where I posted a recipe for Lasagna by Sandra Lee (from the food network). I made it for dinner last night and it was just YUM-O (as Rachael Ray would say). So if you wish, just go on over and check it out.

I was talking on the phone with my dear SIL Hayley yesterday and we were saying how time just seems to be flying by and we're getting older, every year it just seems like the numbers keep growing, but that we feel the same way we did when we were both still single and hanging out at my house, watching movies, having sleepovers and being silly girls.

I hadn't thought about it until then, but it's true, because even though I'm getting older, here in August I will be turning 32, I don't really feel it, I still feel like I did when I was 18 (that's a good thing right?) Now that doesn't mean that I can still DO the things I did back then, God only knows my body doesn't cooperate anymore LOL

I remember growing up I used to believe that the minute I started feeling older, I would just resign myself to that fact, but it's been the total opposite for me, I'm more determined than ever to NOT let age get to me. Yes go ahead and laugh, I know there are many out there thinking "Oh for pete's sake, she's only turning 32".
That may be true, but one thing I've noticed is that when I turned 30, I started thinking back on my life, on who I am, on what I do and it was almost a daily struggle with my mind, the constant bombarding of questions "are you happy with your life?", "why haven't you accomplished more?", "who ARE you?". I think every one goes through that stage, some get through it fairly quickly and others seem to get stuck in a rut, wondering and questioning every single aspect of their lives.

Me, I guess I just got through it really fast. Not without my own doubts, but I think I just didn't let it keep me stuck in that frame of mind, I moved on. So I'm getting older, and??? Honestly, WHO CARES!!!!
So from now on I'm just going to adopt the saying "Just like wine, she gets better with age". At least it makes me feel happier LOL

So what do I have planned for today:

1. Start reading my new book "Diapers, Pacifiers and other Holy Things".
2. Put all my laundry away.
3. Sweep, vacuum and mop. (seems the cleaning fairy is on vacation)
4. Return movies to library.
5. Make template for hubby's blog.
6. Bake Bread.
7. Iron one basket of laundry.
8. Mending a few clothes.
9. Craft with kids.
10. Post today's recipe to food blog.

Now the way I'm feeling today, I'm hoping to to make it through one or two of those. These are the days I wish I had a cleaning lady, a buttler, a chef and a chauffeur. *sigh*
A woman's work is never done is it???

With that said, Ladies, I hope you have a great monday. :)

When you find yourself caught in a web of unanswerable "whys", imagine your problems as a convoluted mass of yarn with such tangles that you could never straighten it out.
Then imagine yourself dropping the tangles of your life into God's hands and leaving them there, knowing God alone can untangle the threads of our lives.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

I want to start by wishing a very Happy Father's Day to my dad.

My parents divorced when I was just 2 years old, and though I don't remember much about it, the one thing that has stuck with me throughout my life, is the fact that my dad worked SO hard to give me and my two older brothers, a good life.

That he did. He wasn't the easiest to get along with (sorry to tell you dad LOL), but only because he is a perfectionist and always expected us to do things the right way and to the best of our ability. Yes, that might seem harsh at times, but I truly believe that if it weren't for that, my brothers and I wouldn't have become the responsible adults that we are today.

Dad has always been there for me, after all, I'm daddy's girl. So when I got married and moved to the States in 1998, it was really hard for both of us. I miss him terribly and I thank him for always being the best dad anyone could ever wish for.

Thank you dad, for all the life lessons, for all the laughs, for your daily sacrifices and for always knowing what to say and do. I love you!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

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Now on to another important dad in my life. My husband, Curt!!!

I can not even begin to express the gratitude that I feel for having him as the father of my kids. He's always been there no matter what, he is what you would call the perfect daddy. You know the one everyone is drawn to???

He reads to them, he plays with them, he disciplines them when needed, he encourages them to be the best at what they do, he praises them when they do something good (at times even something so small for us, but huge for them) and he constantly tells them he loves them.

Being a soldier he is at times called to defend his country, which means leaving his kids behind for months at a time, and though he loves what he does, it breaks his heart to be separated from them.

So Curt, I thank you for being the best dad I could ever have dreamed of for my kids. We love you and we blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for everything, for the good and the bad times, for the deployments, for the sacrifices, for the tons of laughs you give us each day.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

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And last but not least, to my brothers Paul, Miguel and Bruno. You guys have all come so far, I remember the times we would run around playing hide and seek, or cars, or hospital (the endless bandaids on the dolls LOL).

Now you are all grown up, wonderful husbands and even more amazing father's. My nieces and nephews Tiffany, Colby, Dylan, Taryn-Lee and Alyssa couldn't be more lucky to have you all in their lives.
Thank you for being the best dads in the world. We love you all!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

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Last but certainly not least, a very Happy Fathers Day to the fathers out there, especially the soldiers who will unfortunately be spending this day miles and miles away from their little ones.
Again, thank you for your sacrifices and I hope that next year you will be able to spend the day surrounded by your kids and not by war.

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

~Author Unknown~