This is what we woke up to!

 View of the back yard!

This is our fence near the road.

And at the end of a beautiful Christmas day, it turned magical...

 Lily's new outfit from Nani and Papa!

 Loves her glow worm!

 Teddy pack

Jonathan's Freaky Freezie Mittens!! I think I had these same mittens when I was little!

Random thoughts on the Eve of Christmas Eve...

I am sitting in the living room at 11:30pm, listening to the timer going off every 30 seconds on the microwave. I guess I should go turn it off. Be right back. Done. OK, you are probably wondering why our timer is going off at 11:30 pm, so I'll tell you. Luis is making a huge pot of the traditional, Christmas Eve pozole. He started his concoction at 10:30. pm. P! M! OK, so I have been known to start cooking rather late now and again, but as the timer was going off repeatedly (I think it chimed at least 20 times!), I began to think about how different Luis and I are. Take the pozole. If I started cooking a pot of authentic Mexican pozole at 10:30pm, I would not be able to sleep until the soup was cooked, cooled, and put in the refrigerator. Luis can put the pot to boil, set his alarm for one hour and in an instant he's in dreamland. I guess you could say I'm a little uptight, or maybe you could look at it as Luis is really laid-back. Either way, you can be sure that the pozole will be in it's proper place at midnight, and our house will not have needed five fire stations to battle the Great Pozole blaze of 2010. There have been times (the first two years of our marriage, to be exact) when the opposites almost drove me completely insane and to an early grave! (Funny how those things seemed so charming when we were dating!) However, I can honestly say, that, over the last 14 years, I have learned to appreciate our differences in opinion and perspective. OK, maybe I don't ALWAYS appreciate them (like tonight), and perhaps there are still times when I think, "Why can't you be more like...like...well, ME!" (Because I am so perfect, of course, and who wouldn't want to be married to someone just like themself??) The differences have helped to soften some of Luis's rough edges, and helped to toughen up some of my soft, wimpy ones as well. So, if you'll pardon the pun, it all boils down to this: I am thankful for a great man, with big dreams, whose adores his wife and children, who is extremely hard working, has HUGE faith, and on top of all that, can make Pozole. Merry Christmas to me!

Welcome To Our World

Great song by Chris Rice! (Thanks Marcella)

Welcome To Our World

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking

How we need to hear from God

You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child

Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger

How I wish we would have known

But long-awaited Holy Stranger

Make Yourself at home

Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence

Bid our hungry souls be filled

Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world

Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for thorn

Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born

Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You

Breathe our air and walk our sod

Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God

Perfect Son of God

Welcome to our world

Why it takes 100 shots to get a Christmas card worthy picture...

I have been overdosing the kids on Christmas music...this is one of Jonathan's favorites!

A Sentimental Journey

Love is patient,

love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud. 

It does not dishonor others,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

Love never fails.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8) 

The only perfect love is that of the Lord toward us. Immense, unfailing, unconditional love that flows freely from a loving Heavenly Father to His children. That being said, the best portrait and reflection of God's love that I have witnessed is that of my Mother and Father towards each other. A love that has spanned the generations, grown with time, prevailed through trials. I have spied on this love since I was a child. From the sweet dances in the kitchen, to renditions of the Old Shanghai Rooster in the car, to the shared joys of grandchildren to the challenges of aging. This love has been an anchor for me throughout my life. If I were to ask them today, what was the secret, what was the one thing, the most important adhesive that sealed this love...I know without a doubt that the answer would lead me right back to the perfect love of God. When we realize how much we are loved by the Father, we are free to love each other that much more. Thank you Mom and Dad, for loving each other so beautifully, so intentionally, and so honestly. I pray that our children see in us, what I have seen in both of you my whole lifetime.

Here's one for Nani and Papa!

Red Christmas Dress, and LOOK! She's walking all by herself now!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel...

I love the Christmas season. I love the lights, the carols playing in every store, putting up decorations, and seeing presents underneath the beautifully lit tree. I love the excitement I see in my childrens' eyes with each ball or bell or angel that is hung on the tree branches. I love it's a "Wonderful Life" as well as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and I can still remember my Dad laughing hysterically at that poor little dog in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". I will sing at the top of my lungs with Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and even Elvis if need be. I love when snowflakes begin to fall, and you can see your breath on a chilly morning. There is a feeling that you get this time of the year. A wonder, an expectation, fills your heart. There is a hustle and bustle in the air, a skip in my step and extra joy in my heart. I love giving gifts, surprising my children, trying to find something special for my love, Luis. I love the challenge of finding something for my parents that is different from anything else I have given them in the last 39 years...now THAT is not easy!! (but this year I did pretty well!)

The boys and I went to a Christmas concert last night at Anderson University. Anderson is a private, Christian university, so the real meaning of Christmas was woven throughout the whole concert, intentionally, and without apology. It was really beautiful, yet surprisingly simple. It reminded me how the most important gift, the most precious present of the Savior sent to us, was miraculous and mighty, yet so simple. No ornaments. No decorated tree. No stockings. No warm fireplace. No ribbons or bows. No holiday feast. While those things are so beautiful, they so easily become our focus. Then, before we even realize, we fall into the trap, as beautiful as it may look on the outside, while Jesus is left out in the cold, once again. For every generation, every person in captivity, God sent us a Savior. We are just as trapped now, or maybe even more so, as the Israelites were back in the Bible days. Our trappings may look different, but they bind just the same. I have to catch myself many times during this season, regroup, and refocus on what is really important. I pray that after all is said and done, I give Jesus his rightful place this Christmas, and throughout the year.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourn in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice,
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we had a nice little dinner party here the day after Thanksgiving with some friends from church. I think there were around 15 people in our little house, and everyone seemed to have a good time! Less than 4 weeks until Christmas now, and I am busily working on our Christmas drama for church. I am actually pretty excited about it, and have gotten some good ideas. Can't wait to show the pictures. For now, here's some from the party. My poor Luis was feeling a bit under the weather with a head cold, and almost no voice, but it didn't stop him from engaging in the conversation!

Your Hand

Not a single leaf swirls and drifts to the ground,
That you have not hand selected.

Not one lovely bloom grows, fragrant and full
That you have not held in your palm.

Not even a drop of the fresh falling rain,
Would be allowed to descend without your command.

Every waking dawn, each radiant dusk,
You have ordained with your word.

Each beat of the heart, every blink, every breath,
A gift from your throne, each one to the next.

A time to remember, reflect and rejoice
Knowing you are my life, my love and my source.

Nothing more I could do, no kind act, not one deed
Would enlarge your affection you have toward me.

With heart overflowing,
No adequate words,
Laying crowns at your feet,
I gladly place my life,
One more time
In your hand.

Love is a flag flown high....

Photos from Berea

Here's some photos from our church in Greenville. Our resident photographer (Floresthela) is sending me some more. Hope to get them posted soon. Church is going really well. We are seeing God move at each service, which is our utmost desire. It is growing slowly, but steadily. We average about 15 people in every service since the two months that we started. I am leading praise and worship right now (piano and singing), and praying that the Lord sends more people with a Levite anointing, and a passion for the presence of God. Luis and I have divided the Sunday school class into elementary and junior high. I have the younger set, and I am really enjoying it! We are practicing for our first song/flag celebration in two weeks. The kids are really working hard! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it looks like our house will be bustling...can't wait!

On the home front, Lily took her first steps (finally) and soccer has ended. It's nice to have a break from sports for a few months, until baseball starts up again in the spring. I am still looking for opportunities for going back to work, possibly in the evening or at night to help with a little extra money, but so far I haven't had any responses from any applications that I have submitted. Leaving it all in God's hands, where it fits best, and resting in the peace of knowing that he promises to provide for our every need. Luis is still really enjoying his job, and receiving more training than he ever dreamed he would. It's easy to look back and see how God was putting all the puzzle pieces together, even when we couldn't see the picture at all. Did I ever mention that on top of all the miracles that God walked us through with our house sale and moving to Anderson that Luis's company is located on Miracle Mile Drive?? Amazing. Not only does God do the impossible, he does it with wit and style.

When I look back at all the Lord has done, I feel like Simon Peter when the Lord asked him if he wanted to leave, as some of the others had done. His reply was “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."