a time of testing

so sorry for the long absence from blogging... as if i really need to explain myself to all of you, but i really do want you to know what we've been up to recently. we've been back home now for over a month.

we have all been sick since the very day we got home, until now. if not one., then the other, then Ricky, then me...then a combination of... seriously. and we've had some weird totally unexplainable sicknesses, fevers, throwing up/down, whatever you like. this week it's been my turn. i have unexplainable pain and burning in my right eye. There's nothing stuck in there and there's no infection. But it feels like someone rubbed in a few onions and then topped it off with a red chili pepper and a squirt of shampoo. i have lost partial vision in that eye, serious lght sensitivity and a headache to top it off wth. I squint as I write this and take breaks every couple minutes because it hurts that bad. This is day 4. We tried going to the doctor this morning. Conventiently he is out of town til Monday. I'm prayng it gets better by then.

Anyway, I also have been away from blogging because my dear son, whom I love beyond words, broke my laptop. He has this thing with giving a super sweet kiss and then promptly following it up with a hard smack, usually across the side of your head. how to teach him to stop this behavior (or the biting) is a whole other blog topic (any tips?). This particular smack was aimed for the laptop which knocked it out of Ricky's hands and onto the floor. Oh, so I'm using this old donated laptop that is like at least 5 years old, It has a little pet virus or something that makes it select everything while using the mouse. and the keyboard doesnt work too well either.

i've taken over the children's ministry again this year. i'm tryng not to get all stressed out. Ricky is so great though, if it weren't for him I dont' know what I'd do. we've been hearing a lot lately about kidnapping children to sell them over the black market, and even child slave labor (5 kids were just rescued about 15 minutes from our house after being kidnapped, they were in route to Madre de Dios, the Amazon to work in the gold mines) Yikes. I've been watching my own children like a hawk and have this (probably unreasonable)  fear of being seperated from them, for even a moment.

On top of all this, we recently found out that our landlady is going to sell our house which means moving again! We're praying it doesn't sell right away (or at least for the next few years). They are asking $300k for this house btw, whch is CRAZY expensive. If you've seen our house you'd know it wasn't worth that! We can't even take hot showers, we have a water pressure issue. I will tell you the truth, my kids only bathe about once a week. The process involves boiling several pots of water to fill a little plastic tub that we still try and squeeze both kids into at the same time. It's a funny sight really and I should get a photo. I, on the other hand, will not tell you how often I shower. But let me just say that the water here (in the Andes Mountains, 11,400 feet in altitude.. is COLD). And why would the landlords want to fix the water situation knowing they are just going to sell the house?

I have a hunch that I am going through a time of testing... Really, all this is happening at the same time for some reason, no? i'm tryng to be faithful. but truly, i'm just trying to keep my sanity and focus on being a good mother and not go all crazy on my kids. If it weren't for Ricky I would have gone off the deep end a long time ago. That man has an amazing way of grounding me and bringing joy to my life!!! He truly is an example of Christ to us, is an excellent father and servant

Bono on Jesus and Grace

I enjoyed this article and thought I'd share it with you. It was refreshing to hear his stance on Christ as one of forgiveness, grace and the cross.... and not just from a good humanitarian point of view.

http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2010/09/bono-interview-grace-over-karma.html

we love melon!

12 months with Milan

These last 12 months have gone by incredibly fast. Milan brings us so much joy... i can hardly remember what it was like before he came along ( I slept better, that's about all I can remember). This little guy has been on developmental fast-track ever since he came into this world at 9:09 on Jan 29th, 2010. It doesn't stop or calm down with this one! He is determined, which I love so much about him, and happy all the time.

I just loved all these photos of Milan, taken over this past year and wanted to share them here to celebrate his birthday with you. 

Happy 1st birthday my sweet boy, you light up our lives!!

a little of everything

our last four weeks have been full... my heart is content that our children are having a good time with family... as are we. 

Isabella with her daddy on Christmas Eve

All Milan wants to do is go outside

Brazil-7 Chile-7. These guys from Brazil work with Ambassadors in Sport, a ministry that is getting connected with the iam ministries in Chile. 

lookin' at the chickens

more futbol

prayin'

i love watching Ricky play. it's been much too long since i've seen a game.

we've spent good times just like this, around the table with family.

our christmas shot, of course we couldn't get the kids in line... Milan doesn't like being held now that he can walk, and Isa wanted to hold a million things in her arms for the photo.

Cousins, Diego and Israel.. were visiting from the States. Diego is Isabella's favorite cousin. It's a little crush she has on him. Who wouldn't though? He's adorable

This is what I try to do as much as time allows. Any free moment my nose is in a good book.

happy

happy