Tall & Small

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2008-05-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Grace

2008-05-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world, little one! Our new baby girl, Jennifer Grace was born on April 15th at 4:23pm weighing 8 lbs, 1o.4 ounces and she's just precious. She's a calm baby other than her fits of gas raging through her little body. She's learning the art of sleeping through the night but hasn't mastered it quite yet so I get to see a lot of the night's wonder now. :) For all those of you who prayed for my pregnancy and delivery, thank you oh so much. You don't know how powerful those prayers were and we're very thankful for your support. Jennifer was born naturally, a VBAC baby after my Cesarean with Wynter. The doctors said it couldn't be done but with the help of midwives, a wonderful Chiropractor who specializes in helping expectant mothers turn their babies in the right position to be born naturally and the constant attention and dedication of my own Doula, my sister Maureen, baby #2 was able to meet us first instead of the masked surgeons! :) Christian and Maureen were with me throughout my labor and were very supportive and strong when I needed them. My dear mother got to come visit us for 2 weeks to help me and the baby in her first days of life, a huge thank you to her home for letting her come, we love you guys! I hope you enjoy the pictures, everyone. Love, Julie

So Happy

2008-03-08T19:41:00.001-08:00

I can't say enough how thankful I am for the beautiful people in my life. I truly feel like the most blessed person in the universe right now because of the special people who I've been honored to feel loved by. Today I turned 26 and I couldn't feel happier than I do now to be surrounded by loving souls who truly care about me--I want everyone to be able to feel this way and I pray that I can pass on the gift to those who feel it less than I get to right now. To be given parents who want the best for you and confirm this with every nod of approval and wish in the right direction, to have brothers and sisters who care about how I feel and want me to know that they love me by surprising me in the most thoughtful ways, to have 3 beautiful nieces and a treasured daughter who get more happiness out of giving than receiving and be able to be the recipient of those gifts, to live the joy of being wife to a man who has proven himself so selfless time and time again and smile every time he says he loves me, I just can't imagine why all of these gifts are mine to enjoy but I won't question them too long. I only want to express the thankfulness that I feel right now and have Him know that not one gift has gone unnoticed today, I see them all and I'm humbled by their power. Isn't it beautiful to be loved?

LNF

2008-03-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Don't know if I mentioned this before but "It" is a girl and we'll be meeting her in a month, yay! Everything has been going great with the pregnancy and my midwives are wonderful. I also have the privilege of my own Doula--Maureen! So, we're excited about the upcoming event and Wynter is looking forward to being a big sister. Tomorrow is her 3rd birthday so we just made chocolate cake together for tomorrow's party and I told her she could lick the bowl afterwards. Well, when I came back to the kitchen after getting something from my room I found my daughter with her head planted inside the mixing bowl. When she emerged, I saw what this picture of her shows--total mischief in all it's irresistibility! I laughed so hard and then made sure she had a nice, long bath.
Christian and I got to go back to the Dominican Republic for 6 days and while there, the resort held an arm wrestling contest which my strong husband simply won. There just wasn't any other way. He was rewarded with a bottle of Rum and I was so proud of him--he had to beat 3 meaty guys to be 1st place winner. Here are some pix Maureen just took of me so that I can remember how pregnant I was when it's all over. See ya!

Willy's 17th Birthday

2007-12-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here we are, our happy family at Hooters for Willy's 17th birthday. Willy has been going to drum classes every Thursday so since his birthday fell on a Thursday it was the perfect opportunity to surprise him on the way home. Christian, Maureen, Danny & Chris were already there waiting for us and we all had a good time.

In other news, I'm 5 months along now and the baby seems to be growing faithfully. We're finding out tomorrow whether or not our kicker is a male or female child. I'll keep you posted. Love you all.

2007-09-03T20:03:00.001-07:00

I'll post more pix of our lake soon, it's really beautiful at sunset. We fed the ducks and geese today and we asked Wynter what the name of a baby goose is and she quickly replied "A gosling!" Then one of her older cousin's said "Hey, I didn't even know that." Proud parents moment for Christian and I, and if Willy were there he would have felt that "Proud Teacher" feeling he's entitled to for teaching her all he's taught her, including the word gosling.
We had a BBQ today for Labor Day at our place with Christian's whole family over. I asked Chris & Willy what "sides" they wanted me to cook and Chris wanted Spanish Rice, Willy wanted Green Bean Casserole--the two dishes couldn't be more different from each other but I went ahead with it and they were both a hit, thank God! Mei, Willy & Chris were superb helpers in the kitchen and I didn't even have to get my hands dirty chopping onions and garlic thanks to them. :) By the way, we're a full house here. Our fun filled team consists of Maureen, Leona, Liz, Ju Ju, Chris Willy, Mei, Christian, Wynter & I and my brother Danny is here on his way to Taiwan (we're helping him with his fundraising for that), and then there's also a 90% possibility that Christian's sister and her 2 girls will be living downstairs pretty soon so we'll have relative neighbors! There are times when noise makes you wonder about the worth of the "proverb" Less is more, but then there are those other times when you're laying on the floor in the kids room watching them play with each other and staring at their beautiful faces, wondering how each one could be as unique as they are and then it hits you--More is more!! So, here's to having more. More than you can handle... because then God has a chance to do it for you. More than you deserve...because then you feel as small as you truly are. More than you can hope for...because that's when it all falls into perspective that your prayers are really being answered. Day by day, step by step, prayer by prayer. I love you, thanks for your love and prayers. XOXOXO.

Pix from our Thornton Family Reunion

2007-09-03T19:57:00.001-07:00

The latest....

2007-08-24T21:05:00.001-07:00

Hello, I'm back! Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately because of all the excitement in the air over here--yes, it's exhausting, but good. 2 things: We had a wonderful family reunion (just our immediate family) and it was a special time of happy, loving memories. 2nd thing: I'm pregnant! Yippee, yabadaba-doo! It's been like 8 weeks since I started wondering about it so yes, the truth has spilled out and I am happy. The popular question is "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl??" and strangely enough, I'm really not set on either one. I just want a child, that would be a nice start. Then God can work out the gender part and we can all be happy with what He provides. :) I've come to realize in life that what you push for doesn't necessarily make you happy. Ahem.
Anyway, although this may be a rather short post, at least it's filled with juicy tidbits that will hopefully make you want to comment on this here page. I love you!

What's going down--or up??

2007-07-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Lord just did a miracle for us that makes me wonder just how blind I've been to His love all along. He really does love me. It's hard for me to grasp because I'm a pessimist of sorts when it comes to believing in myself. Have you ever felt that way before? Like you would do anything to make someone else believe in the gifts they've been given, the mercy they're entitled to and the joy that is theirs to explore but when it comes to yourself and your adequacy and intelligence--yeah, let's just say you're spent. Well, this is where that ends and I'm thankful to say I'm acknowledging His presence in my life. I'm noticing it more and more and I'm realizing that every good and precious gift comes from up above and He cares about me despite the fact that sometimes I don't .
Well, the above mentioned miracle is that we have paid the deposit on our new home--for a year anyway, since that is what rental deposits usually entail. I have to say this home is near perfect and such a gift of the Lord's love that I almost fell over. The house is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath's--huge kitchen, huge living room and hardwood floors with a deck on the side of the house that Christian plans to add to and last but not least, consider the following:
What we view from the windows of our new home: A large lake with a 2 1/2 mile walking/running trail wrapping around it. A mini-olympic pool w/ diving board bordering the lake. 5 darling playgrounds in the subdivision. Tons of trees and forestry surrounding everything. The Chattahoochee river (which I've learned to spell from spell check) running through our neighborhood with one of the large pools in the community overlooking it in a pristine, snobby way. :) All of this and more for a price that is less than what we were looking at spending! Crazy--but delightful. "Jesus is here, He's here right now. Jesus is here and I'll tell you how. Jesus to know is heaven below. Jesus is here, He's here right now."
Love you, want to tell more but I don't know where to start, help me with questions. Muah! XOXO!

Decisions

2007-07-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

I made a decision today that this would be my last blog entry. That I would complete the last 10 months or so of blogging with a sweet and simple goodbye, thank you for viewing part of my life kind of thing. But after reading Nyx's poetry on her site I realized that we can be a help to each other in this blogging world.
I don't like being exposed. I don't know if you've noticed but I haven't put as much depth into this blog as I could. I've tried to keep it very simple and basic with just enough information to post a photo or two. The thing is, I don't want this to be an "info-site" about my life. I get tired of explaining what I've done this week and what I plan to do in the next week or coming months. Who is to say what's gonna happen in the coming months or even tomorrow for that matter? Only God knows and I will leave it in His capable hands. That said, I feel free of the burden of telling others what I'm up to--because as everyone knows, life isn't all "write-worthy", right? I mean, do you feel that everything you did last week is worth a jot in the diary or a post on the good 'ol blog? Well, if so, that's good --you're amazing. :) As for me, if I do continue to blog it's going to be my feelings, my heart, experiences that have touched me and that will hopefully touch you if possible. All that to say, goodbye boredom, hello life! I want to be brave enough to write what I truly feel, to expose the hidden words that are me and freely admit that I am no angel. So for those of you opposed to a few poetic lines, the exit is found in the upper-most right hand corner of this page, marked by an X bordered by red (in most cases.)
Below you'll find a poem I wrote recently. Ever felt this way before? ....

It hurts to love someone so much when they've hurt you so bad,
To have to stay in touch because such history you've had,
To remember things about them that make you laugh and cry,
And then remember that they broke your heart, you could just die.
Where do you draw the line between forever and enough?
When do you tell them that they've gone too far, you're not that tough,
When is the time to ask forgiveness for harboring this pain?
Do you tell them now or wait a while till it's plain?
I know I love them, that is not the question I explore,
I know I'll laugh when they exude the humor they're made for,
I know they'll touch my heart with just their smile and kind words,
Why do I have to hurt so much? The past is so absurd.
I want to live tomorrow with yesterday cut out,
But then I'll lose the happy times it's great to think about,
What do I do, do I forget or keep this all inside?
I want to know so I can leave the heartache where I hide,
I want to give I don't want to be stuck on what's been dealt,
Tell me please, should I release the pain I have long felt?
J.W. July 1st, 2007

2007-07-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday night fun. Wynter was being tickled so she disappeared into the picture.

So much to say, so few brain cells.....

2007-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

It feels like we've been here forever but we only just got here a little over a week ago. I just finished reading over my past posts and it's amazing what life is like. --Full of variety, exploration, discovery and surprise. I told myself (& numerous others) when I got to Guatemala that I wouldn't be moving for a LONG time. Mistake #1: Don't talk to yourself. Hahah, no, I'm kidding. Talking to yourself can be healthy.... I think.
Anyway, Willy loves lizards. I posted about that a few times but this is where it gets good. He left a few of his prime catches with Danny when we left but he insisted on taking Mr.Right with him. Mr.Right is a baby Helmeted Lizard (I spelt that wrong in my other post about him). Willy guesses he was 4 weeks old when we left. As most of us know, it is generally illegal to transport animals, food & other things that belong to another country when you're trying to cross a border. Willy kept Mr.Right in a Tupperware container with a slit in the top for air, a branch of the tree he was on when he was captured and a little water sliding back and forth on the bottom. Even though he tried to make things as cushy as possible for his precious little find, Willy still had an unquenchable fear that we would be harrassed by the border patrol and that Mr.Right would be confiscated by those who we'll call the Mr. Wrongs. It was delicious to watch Willy tremble and squirm in his back seat, alongside Wynter who watched him intently as he begged God to let him keep his lizard and cross the border unnoticed. It was genuinely hilarious to see Willy confessing all his past mistakes and begging God to forgive the sins he had so unwittingly committed--all of this to keep Mr.Right right where he belongs, on Willy's lap. Oh dear.
Anyway, the picture above is of Willy with Mr.Right just seconds after the kind, cuddly border patrol guy waved us through into Los Estados Unidos without incidence. :) The first pic is Wynter's budding photography--me smiling nervously as she finally pushes the right button. Another pic is Wynter wearing Willy's new fashion find: a fresh diaper hat. The last pic is of 2 best friends, Wynter Jane and her Papa, soaking up the love that Jesus has so fully poured down on us. We love you all, stay tuned for more of our adventures....every day is getting better! XOXO!

Love you, Laura!

2007-07-01T07:25:00.001-07:00

Awwwwwwww....

2007-06-30T18:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, I said goodbye. And for those of you who I haven't told personally yet (or who heard from my Mother at the PEP)....we've
just recently moved from our happy home in Guatemala where we made many memories and got to make life long friends with some amazing people. More on all this later, I need to put Wynter to bed. Love you!

All of you.

2007-06-30T18:33:00.001-07:00

You are dearly missed.

2007-06-30T18:27:00.001-07:00

Goodbye, My Friends!

2007-06-30T18:19:00.001-07:00

2007-06-15T19:48:00.001-07:00

Just sharing the love with ya' all.
XOXOXO

The Epitome of Tall & Small (& Smallest--yes, Wynter's crying.)

2007-06-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Famous Little Guys

2007-06-13T08:04:00.001-07:00

Reptiles

2007-06-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

I live with 2 of my brothers here who happen to be total animal-lovers. My Dad always taught us to respect Mother Nature and give life and substance to living things as opposed to killing them off as the instincts of man would lead (in some cases). Danny caught a baby Spiny Lizard last week with his toddler students during school hours, brought it home, put it in his tank, wondered if it would live (they live wild in Guatemala). Three days before Willy would come home from Wordstock a miracle happened and Spkie started eating flies. (Table flies that bug us all at every meal and snack time--so long, suckers!) The toddlers kept telling Danny "catch those flies, Dan Dan--do it for Spike"--the name of the baby Lizard.
A couple days later, Pablo catches a deadly, poisonous snake in the garage (we live in the mountains.) He decides to ask Danny if little Spike can be fed to his snake before it goes off to the guillotine. ( To Danny's horror.) One week later on my brothers day off, Willy catches an awesome Helmet Headed Iguana (very rare in Guatemala or anywhere for that matter.) He brings it home, makes a sweet home for it out of a laundry basket (the one I was trying to use to hang laundry with--ahem!). Oh, wait. "What about poor Spike", my siblings ponder. "If Pablo hears of this new lizard, he will for sure want to feed Spike to his snake before he's decapitated." So, as planned, Willy brings the snake to the master's courters, knocks on the door and pleads "Pablo, you have to kill your snake now or I will kill it." So Pablo obliged, thinking now must be the time because Willy would have no more of it in his room. Pablo descends upon the snake with a machete not once but twice, making sure his snake's head was successfully severed from it's body while Willy commented "You know, snakes still live for a while longer after execution, their nerves are still alive."
Knowing that their Lizard's enemy has been slain, my brothers rejoice quietly in their room and then search for insect food for their new Lizard. Now Spike rests easy and my brothers feel like the knights that they are, protecting the weak and helpless of the animal world. Long live peace.

The Tall Side of our Blog

2007-06-02T21:45:00.001-07:00

Can I say something about my husband? I am more in love with him today than I ever thought possible when he proposed to me, and in that amazing moment I was walking on air, so I could say I am very much in love. I am astounded, humbled, moved that Jesus would give me such an incredible man to love and be loved by. Do I deserve him? No. But I do want him, need him and hope to be the wife of his dreams. I know, this may sound too emotional but that's what I am--a Pisces and so I'll end on this heartfelt note: I love you, Christian....so much.

A Lead Guitarist, a Drummer, a Beauty & a Doll

2007-06-02T19:48:00.001-07:00

The Cute, Happy & Entertained

2007-06-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

Irish Girls

2007-06-02T19:41:00.001-07:00

The McNally Family Reunion

2007-06-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

New Pictures!

2007-06-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Someone at Wordstock told me "oh, yeah, I've seen your blog I think. It was really boring or something.." Hahaha. If that's true, I'm really sorry. I guess if I had more time I would add more flashy news or pictures but usually it's a late night, last minute thing if I post anything, so if in that event the end result is less than entertaining, I apologize. Sigh.

Anyway, we took 7 days to get home because one of the small towns in the South of Mexico that we were driving through was rioting and closed down the only road through. We spent the night in a cute little hotel that was amazingly clean and affordable, thank God! Wynter loves hotels just like her Mom & Dad. Some of our favorite things are driving together and being in a hotel so it worked out well. :)

I truly am blessed to have such a beautiful family. (As you'll see in the pix.) Most of the pictures are from our trip up to the States and then our reunion in California. Well, I love you all and pray that your week will be full of adventure, fulfilling work and relaxing afterwards.

A little info on our trip

2007-05-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hello again, I'm gonna successfully post something, I just know I am. I've been thinking of what to say the past few weeks but it's been difficult because there's just so much going on. What's a girl to choose? We drove from Guatemala to Texas in 2 days, Wynter was an angel the whole trip. We got to stay with Anita and our brother Seth & his beloved Liz & baby Avicus, so precious. Chelsea and Grandpa Nick were also there, it was great! They were so hospitable and fun to be with, we had a really enjoyable time. Christian, Wynter & I drove from Texas to California to our family reunion. It was great to see everyone again and find out what each one is doing now, so many talented relatives. On the last night of the reunion we had a big talent night and my parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends and I performed. My cousins who live in Africa are breathtakingly talented, you just can't know what I'm talking about unless you see them--I'll have them send me a clip to upload! They dance professionally to support their volunteer work in Kenya and I was SOOOO impressed by them, I was speechless. They did 3 numbers, each one amazing and unique. I am so proud to be part of the family.
I played keyboard and Danny backed me up on guitar to "Just Hold Me", it was like time stood still. I was nervous at first, standing in front of my big Irish family but then calm came over me and I closed my eyes and enjoyed every word of the song, really special. My sister filmed all of this so maybe I'll get her to give me some clips somehow to put on here, we'll see.
After the reunion we drove back to Texas to attend Wordstock, performed an hour set on one of the nights and met lots of people, good times. I had a horrible cough and sore throat the whole time but miraculously, God let me sing (albeit scratchily). The highlight of it all for me was watching Willy play drums, making no mistakes and performing so well, a dream come true for me. Another special thing that happened was that my dear, longtime friend Heidi came up from Mexico to do back up vocals for us, she did such a good job too. Love you, Heidelicious!
Johnny came all the way from Costa Rica and left his family for almost a month to play lead for us and Tim agreed to drum for us even though he was already playing with 3 other bands, so I feel truly blessed and honored to have such wonderful and talented friends.
Now we'll be driving home on Tuesday if all goes well, a huge thank you to all of you who helped us get here, you are so loved.

Ange & Kevin's Wedding

2007-04-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pix from Ange & Kevin's wedding. It was a beautiful day with beautiful vows that made me cry. Kevin read a poem he'd written to Ange about how she's his queen and it was so romantic. Sigh. Anyway, we had fun but sadly our camera shut down for lack of battery power five minutes into the event. That is why there are no pictures of the bride and groom but I'll get some from them and post later, ok? Just in case, the pictures are L 2 R: Wynter, Hosy w/ Wynter, Christian and I, Premi.

Progress Report

2007-04-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

To all our dear loved ones and friends, thank you so much for caring about us and how we get to Wordstock! So far, we've recieved blessed donations from (drum roll, please): Anita Roselle! Mike & Nina! Esther Korkames! Caleb & Sylvia! Jenna the Rocker! Michael & Martin, my dear cousins! We are so thankful to all of you who have helped and the Lord is totally getting us there! Altogether, for our whole team to make it to Wordstock and back home safely we need around $2,500. That includes gas there and back, entrance fees for Wordstock and expenses. At present we have recieved $1, 050 through your loving donations. We are still in need of $1, 450 which we know the Lord will definitely supply. If you feel a tug in your heart, calling you to be one of those treasured ones who we affectionately call our sponsors, please answer! In exchange for your much needed gift, we'll give you a gift in return. We are finishing up production on our first album and you will be one of the first to recieve it, in appreciation for your help. Some of the songs included on this CD will be "Bend Me", "Soul Mate", "I'm Alive" & "You're Enough". We feel the Lord's blessing so strong right now as we record and follow His leadings in the production of this project, He is amazing. One of the top producers in Guatemala has been sacrificing his time to produce this CD and we are so thankful for the opportunity to work with him. I'll be posting pictures of our recording sessions and the road to the finished product soon. I love you so much, we're looking forward to your comments. :) P.S.: You might think that your $10 donation would only be a drop in the bucket but trust me, each drop in the bucket plays its part in filling it up! We need you.

The Rio Dulce Road Team

2007-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Me, Danny, Pablo, Tina, Renae (in middle) & David

So This Is What Happened....(my longest post so far)

2007-04-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

You have no idea what type of road trip we just got back from. Hmmm, how can I recap this? Apparently, Semana Santa is a BIG deal here in Central America. Umm, I'm pretty sure my companeros knew of this before we started off on our lovely trek to Rio Dulce to help the locals celebrate their holiday with our intention of bringing good cheer through our rousing music and offering CDs of every type of music imaginable. Sadly though, because Semana Santa is such a BIG deal there was nowhere to stay. I repeat NOWHERE to stay. We honestly felt like Mary & Joseph seeking lodging in Bethlehem. We left home at 8am Thursday morning and arrived in Rio Dulce, a bay town at around 12pm. From 12pm till midnight we knocked on every door in the city, I'm serious when I say every door and there was No room at any Inn. Our plan was to drive into the city, get set up in our hotel, read something, shower and change into singing clothes (not clothes that sing but rather clothes meant to sing in), and then head on out to the restaurants that let these guys sing during Semana Santa last year. This good plan did not pan out. God works in mysterious ways and sometimes that mystery can be painful. :) However, ALL things do work together for good, which is what kept me smiling and hopeful the whole long day. We started out just asking people if they had room, then we were telling people we knew they had no room but that we were in need of a miracle, then we were begging people to search the recesses of their minds for extra space at the Inn but to no avail. Renae even got in touch with an old friend of hers of great wealth who graciously gave her permission to let us stay at his good friend's resort home since his hotel was all full. He gave Renae directions, the name of the lady of the house and told us he'd call ahead and tell this woman that we were his guests and to let us stay with her. So, this was at about 11pm. We were brave, we were. No tears were shed, just lots of prayers and then utter thankfulness when Renae gave us the good news of a promised place to lay our weary heads, the same heads whose ears had heard the word "NO" one too many times. But we did not give up.
So, we make it to this vacation home that Renae's friend spoke of, it was so easy to find that we were thrilled. Renae and I jump out of the van in happy anticipation and climb the steps to the home of hearts that we longed for. Unfortunately for us the lady of the house was nowhere to be found so we gingerly walk over to the next door neighbors whose front door was open, showing the light from within. We knock on the door and see two less than friendly women who have had far too much sun in their long lives, missing teeth and all, drinking alcoholic beverages. After looking at us in disdain for a few minutes, we receive approval from the man of the house for entrance and proceed to explain our dire need for a roof and floor for the night. This man happens to be the brother of the woman we had been searching for. He explained that his sister was out of the country and so we start asking them if we can stay at her house anyway since they're related and in charge. You have to understand how desperate we were at this point. Did I fail to mention that Rio Dulce is not a sweet river at all, but actually holds firm in my mind as "Bitter Waters" and I tasted them one too many times. Why so many of Guatemala's finest retreat to this city during Easter weekend every year is beyond my understanding and I will just have to walk by faith, not sight. The city is muggy, dirty and hot as Hades, I assure you. So finding a place to stay, not just any place but a place with at least a fan was tops on our list. Back to the brother of the woman we wished to find. He wants to say yes and is beginning to lovingly tell us so when we are interrupted by the two women with overly taxed skin saying "No, No" quite loudly and defiantly. Sad. We step outside to let them decide and the prettier of the two women comes outside to tell us that although they would LOVE to have the foreigners for a night or two they are sadly out of space for us. Sigh. We thank them for understanding and not calling the cops and then return to the same van we'd spent the majority of our day jumping out of in search of lodging. To make a long story short, we ended up driving to the next little city whose streets were dark and had underfed men sporting large guns roaming the (if it weren't for them) empty streets. Oh boy, do I sound pessimistic? It gets better. After finding out that every room in every Inn in the next city was taken, David & Pablo started asking the night guards at the hotels if they could ask their bosses for permission for us to be able to park our van inside their gates, enabling us to "sleep" inside the van without the fear of scary people interrupting our humid rest. These nightguards tried their best but their bosses said another "no" and we were all the more desperate because this isn't like the States where you can just park in a Walmart parking lot and sleep your night out in relative peace. To make this long story shorter than it should be, my brother Danny finally speaks up and tells us that he thinks we should go back to one of the hotels we'd already discovered was full. So we did and guess what? The night manager, a sweet woman named Umpara, told us that she had 1 tiny room left! My jaw literally dropped, honestly it was a miracle! We knew there shouldn't have been a room left anywhere but here we were facing a miracle. But no, the fight wasn't over yet. Yes, there was a room but Umpara told us that only 2 people could sleep in it or else she'd get in trouble from the boss. I proceeded to tell her that "most of us are family, we can sleep in 1 room..." to which she agreed that yes, 4 people could sleep in the room. So, my brother Danny & I offered to be the ones to sleep in the muggy, hot, humid van and I was totally fine with the personal sacrifice until I walked into the hotel room and felt the aircon that I had believed in all day long, I had never given up hope of deliverance and here I was in the promised land I had waited for and in that moment I decided that the Lord was going to give me exactly what I'd expected---and He did! Right then when I was about to cry because I realized just how much aircon, a shower and a bed meant to me at the moment, Pablo & David came in to pour the good news on me: all 6 of us could sleep in the room if we could get out of the room by 6 am. Oh, yes. Yes, I will rise at 5 if I have to just to know that my prayers were answered and I was delivered from the battle. Thank You, Jesus for being real and for coming through for us even if it does go against natural reasoning sometimes and we have to wait a little longer than we're used to. I'm a spoiled girl, I've realized this on our special road trip. We are so used to getting everything we pray for from our wonderful God but sometimes He might want to see us believe before we receive. I believe, help Thou mine unbelief. I love You, Jesus. :)

Road Trip

2007-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way out the door to Rio Dulce on a road trip with David, Pablo, Danny, Tina & Renae. We'll be gone 3 days. Hopefully, we'll be singing for the rush of people who go there for Semana Santa. I will miss Wynter & Christian. I just remembered to bring my camera so I can show you what happened when we return. Pray for us!

Our Valentine's Day

2007-04-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

These are pix from this year's annual Valentine's Day benefit meal for the underprivileged, downtown Guatemala City.

2007-04-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

THANKFULNESS!!

2007-04-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here in SHOCKED amazement!! The picture has posted and it's working, it's WORKING!!! YAYYYYYYYY!! Thank You, God! And may I add---
THANK YOU--Anita! Mike & Nina! Sylvia & Caleb! Alisa & Josh! Joe Henderson! Jenna the Rocker! Esther Korkames! My uncle Danny! My cousins, Michael & Martin & Wives!
The above wonderfuls are being thanked for their loving donations and promises of donations, we will be traveling and singing because of you, XOXOXOXO!
For all those interested, we are still in need of loving donations to be able to get the whole way there--are you one of the beautiful people due for a HUGE blessing? If so, our PayPal is Mysticsand2@yahoo.com & I'll email our bank account info to you in great speed once you give them the go ahead.
P.S.--Pray for our recording, it's on it's way and will be in your giving hands as soon as possible. WE LOVE YOU!
Thank you, dear Renae for your 1 Quetzal donation, this 12 cent donation is going to change our lives.
Now that I know the pictures post, they'll be flowing--yes, they'll be flowing.

My Plea

2007-03-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, please, oh, please---if you have the burning desire to send me a donation to get to Wordstock, please help us! We're completely, 100% depending on miracles so if you feel a halo glistening above your glorious head, please answer the call of my heart and reach deep (or shallowly) into your pocket (or purse). I know the blessings will come pouring down in full measure on your life if you are meant to give. I will be your earnest prayer warrior, in gratefulness to you. THANK YOU, oh, thank you. (Moment of silence.) A HUGE shout out and MUCHAS GRACIAS!!! to Mike (of Nina) & Anita for pledging to help with something, you guys are bringing magic to our lives through your generosity and kindness. We're practicing for our future recording session and yours will be the first hands to receive our first album, yay!! Remember, anything helps, anything at all--even your left over change. WE LOVE YOU!!! We have a PayPal account if you're interested.

Weekly Report :)

2007-03-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I've realized that this blogging thing has sadly become a weekly adventure for me. I can't bring myself to post more often than that lately because we've been so busy! We're all loading up the moving truck tomorrow to transfer our possessions to our new abode. We'll be spending our first night there tomorrow as well so our material things won't be alone. :) How are you all doing? Comments have been low this season so I need to liven things up around here somehow, what do you want to hear about?? Tell me what you'd be interested in me writing about and I'll humbly oblige.
Practice went so well last night, I actually enjoyed it. Usually practice is way more work than fun but I felt the spirit last night so it made things so much easier. Christian is still building the kitchen in the new house, I don't see him all day long--reminds me of Atlanta! But when he gets home with sawdust and white paint sprinkles all over him it's like a dream come true, what more could you want? He's a real man.
Wynter is becoming increasingly gorgeous with each passing day and she has a sense of humor like you wouldn't believe. Yesterday Christian and I were with her and I left the room to get something but she didn't want me to leave so she started whining for me. I told her I'd be right back but she made up her mind that she was upset at me. So when I returned all of 2 minutes later, she tells me firmly with a smug look on her face as she hugs her Papa, "Papa is my favorite, Mommy." Hahahahah, she's too much.
We're going singing today, we'll be leaving in like an hour so I'll let you know how that went later. It's always fun to harmonize and laugh at the same time, I love it. When you're performing with your friends, there's nothing like it, it's a good experience. If you want to see pictures, they're on flickr, I've been posting new ones quite regularly. I'll have more interesting things to blog about soon. Ciao, friends!

Life in Guatemala

2007-03-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

I'm hanging out with Christian and my brothers right now and I'm waiting for Flickr to upload my photos. La dee da. Taught school and then went singing today (after giving the class over to Premi who does an incredible job with the girls.) There were top international bankers lurking the streets of our singing haunts so the police force was in high demand, meaning that our little minstrel team had to change direction and go to a place we usually don't go to on Friday. Results? Good times, 12 CDs sold and contact information exchanged between me and the directora of a large social institution here that focuses on children who were raised in conflict--that doesn't sound right in English but I think she was saying that they work with abused children. My Spanish is actually getting better, believe it or not. David is teaching me and Hosy is brutal with her corrections when I say things horribly. Hahahaha, Hosy, I really do appreciate your help but I'm allowed to exaggerate. It's my blog. :)
Upon return home I practiced with David for Wordstock and we're making progress, thank God. Coffee helps too. Christian has been building a kitchen with Tim at our new house so we can move in next week. It's so cool to have a talented husband, he's got skills. The only downside is that I have to miss him all day but it's worth it. The landlords went down on the rent from $2500 to $1500, really nice people. The house is brand new, never lived in and that's why they're building a kitchen. Someone donated the cabinet doors so things are going well in answer to our many prayers.
Wynter's new love is the Disney movie, "Dinosaur". She has a distinct love for all things animal. It breaks her heart when they go through their turmoil and she's not scared of bad parts. She's so in tune that she knows they're looking for a new home when theirs gets destroyed by meteorites and she sits watching quietly yet cuddling close to her Dan Dan (my brother Danny), who's probably in the same world right about then. They look at each other and nod, all is well in Guatemala. Continue watching, I insist, because this means I can finish folding our laundry. Oh, one last thing: Wynter felt bad for the ugly monkey who was left alone on his swinging vine along with his also single friend, the huge dinosaur that in any other case would have eaten him for snack. Ahhh, Disney. Everyone finds their own in the end.
Willy is disturbingly obsessed with basketball. We're teaching him patience, self control and love through the many menial jobs he does daily. He is incredibly hardworking though and leaves a floor shining like you wouldn't believe. He goes to the market twice a week every week and never complains, loves it. He has a better Spanish accent than I do (which I shouldn't be advertising) and he keeps everyone in stitches when he, well when he's just being him.
Oh, another new thing! We (Hosy, Sharie, Willy, Danny, me, etc.) play Volley Ball on Thursday nights now. We are hmmmmm, let me see.... horrible!!! Well, at least I am. We left the court last night promising to each other that we will return every week to get just a tad bit better. We must. Failure is not an option, especially not when you're playing against people that have had knee surgery. (45 year olds and older, I assure you. I'm not one to brag.) We will overcome and they will fear us soon. Hurrah! We are learning this sport due to our dear Katina de Comas who invited us to her children's school's vast indoor court. Friends are important. :)
We might be playing gigs in local restaurants/bars soon, we have 2 possibilities. I'll keep you posted. Love you mucho and I'll try to be more faithful with this posting stuff. XOXOXO!

My day

2007-03-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

I owe you yet another apology for my procrastination in blogging. It's really just the fact that I can't post pictures. It makes me feel like my posts are boring with photos but I'll try better from now on to just start typing more often.
School is going very well. I'm grading today. We're moving to our new house by the end of the month, please pray for that because it's a HUGE job to move out of where we're living right now--this place has like 12 bedrooms and it's monstrous!
Practice needs to pick up the pace a bit if we want to sound Wordstock worthy so I'm looking into how I can fit more of that into the busy days and nights. Tonight I am going to play Volleyball with a friend, Katina. She's in real estate and is the beautiful woman who found our house for us. Because I was the one house hunting, I got to know her really well and I was worried that after we'd found the house we wouldn't keep in touch but she called and invited me to play Volleyball with her group on Thursday nights so who knows, maybe I'll get good at it. :)
I've gotta go get my girls, they're having recess and there is excess school to be done so away with me! I'll blog about more interesting stuff later, love you!!

Excercise & WORDSTOCK

2007-03-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today was good, I did Tae Bo, haven't done that it awhile. Used to be SO faithful. Well, at least I've picked up jogging (thanks to Dawnie) and I WAS extremely faithful with that until I got sick last month. Now I'm starting up again with jogging and other forms of exercise. I always feel so much better when I'm active. Teaching is going well, my girls are learning but I think I'm learning more than they are, which is good because they'll benefit from that in the long run. :) Tomorrow's my birthday so I was joking with their mothers that I was thinking of creating a holiday tomorrow, no school for my class, just play time, snacks and laughter. Hmmm, I don't think it went over so well because I got the fake laughter thing with the forced smile that reads "I hope you're not serious". Hahahah, no, they're great but I don't think I'll do that to them this year--maybe next year when I'm indispensable, hehehehe!
Guess what? Our Home voted yes for us to go to Wordstock! Because we're living in Guatemala now and we can't just go out and raise the amount that we need, we're praying for miracle money to get there. So, if you're someone who has one of those extra soft hearts and you feel a little voice in your heart suggesting that you send me a donation towards us getting there , I will pray down the beauty of heaven on your life, I mean it. Nothing is too small and if you're interested, please write me at mysticsand2@yahoo.com and I'll send you bank account info. Also, I know it's not much but if you do decide to give something towards this, you'll get the first or one of the first copies of our new album (which should have at least 10 of the most recent songs I've written, we're producing it by faith within the next 2 months.) Gosh, that was hard! I hate talking about myself but especially regarding music, rough stuff. Anyway, it needed to be done so I did it! :) I love you all so very much and thank you for reading this blog that desperately needs more pictures. (Blogger is still not working.) Thank you for your friendship!

Flickr

2007-03-04T12:04:00.001-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Photos

2007-03-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, Solo told me that I need to add a flickr badge here so that you can view the photos I've been uploading there (since they actually let me do that) but I'm having technical difficulty. Maybe I should stop highlighting my hair--but no, that just wouldn't be me. :) Hmmm, I'm gonna add a link here that hopefully will work but please send up some prayers for this blonde disaster. I am in need of a computer tech.
In other news, Wynter's birthday was perfect, no stress (except maybe for Hosy who labored in the kitchen for hours with the decorating of Wynter's ladybug & flowers cake--hey, it was her idea & I did at least bake the cake underneath all the beautiful designs.) I'm posting pictures of the party and Wynter's day on my flickr account so please be sure to stop by & gaze over the faces & places. Wynter got a kite, bubbles, play make up and stuffed animals along with some other gadgets. Laura (11) & Julia (7) baked some delightfully colorful cookies for the party and I made sure to put Wynter's hair in 2 braids so that she'd look grown up. 2 is an achievement for sure. A big thank you to Grandma, Auntie Dawnie & Cuzzies for the darling e-card you sent Wynter, she loves it! She asks me to replay it over & over again so you've touched her heart. Also, thank you to Aunt Maureen who called to talk with the birthday girl, Wynter remembers you very well Reenie, don't ever worry about being forgotten by your only niece.
Another fun thing to mention is that David, Hosy, Christian and I ran away to Antigua again for our day off, it was gorgeous & very relaxing. I'm posting pix of that on flickr too so make way I say, make way. Our room is in need of some severe attention so I'm gonna drop off here to scrub, fold & store. Love you all dearly & hope you know that your comments brighten our day. XOXOXO! LINK TO PICTURES: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70704005@N00/

2007-02-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been horribly unfaithful with this blog but here I am, picking up the pieces, returning to you my friends and family. :) Life has been busy! I am now a K4 and 1st grade teacher, ta da!! My students have survived 3 days of my "teaching" and I'm liking it. It's very new for me, this whole staying home thing but I like a good challenge and one of the main perks is that I'll be skilled in the schooling my children thing when Wynter and her future siblings grow old enough to learn Kindergarten and 1st grade. For now she's doing very well being schooled by her Uncle Dan Dan (my brother, Danny) who teaches the 3 toddlers here, they are PRECIOUS and he does an amazing job with them. I have pictures to prove that but blogger is being stubborn still and won't let me post pictures, I'm sorry. That is actually the real reason I haven't been posting, I don't want to bore you guys with mere words. Sigh.
Christian is feeling much better now and he's been doing handyman stuff around the house as we're moving to a new house really soon. Pretty soon he'll get to know the city and be going out a lot more, that'll be cool. Um, what else? Oh yes, our band here (David (of Hosy), Danny, Miguel, Willy, Hosy & I) is asking our team to pray about us going to play at Wordstock this year, I'm leaving it God's reliable hands. I don't like pushing for things that might turn out to be a disaster, hee hee.
Oh, how could I forget! Wynter is turning 2 on Friday! I can't believe we've had her that long, so beautiful. I asked her what kind of cake she wants me to make and she said "A ladybug cake, Mama" so that's what it'll be--hopefully. :) I think I'll make it chocolate because she makes the cutest faces when she devours the stuff--totally worth the sugar high she'll most likely have for a few hours afterwards. Well, more news later. I love you all so very much and miss and pray for you whenever you come to mind (more often than not, I assure you.) Ciao!

2007-02-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry about this but for some reason blogger isn't letting me post pictures, no matter how many times I try. :( I'll keep looking into it and hopefully you'll see the new stuff soon. We just got home from our first visa trip here, it went well. Almost 5 hours to Mexico and then the same back. Wynter was an angel. She just soaked in all our attention and behaved herself. Tomorrow is our day off so I'll post about what we did tomorrow night,ok? Bye for now!

Welcome Home, Baby!

2007-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

"Honey, I'm home!!" Yes, these words are real and he is home! Christian got back the day before Valentine's Day and he is beautiful! He told me on the phone before getting here that he now weighs 250 lbs and that he needs to get in shape. So I told him that I didn't care what he looked like, I just wanted him home. So, when I spot him at the airport my jaw literally dropped and I was thoroughly shocked by how gorgeous he looked! He had been working out every night for 3 weeks before coming home and he wasn't even able to do cardio because of a knee injury but he looks amazing and I'm so proud of him! Now he's playing basketball with the guys here (2 of them are my brothers) so he's shooting towards perfection. :) It's such a great feeling to be the proud wife of a handsome man.
Wynter Jane is a totally different person since her Papa returned. She's so secure & animated now, she's talking up a storm. Right now she's taking a nap with Christian, he's not feeling well.
We went to Antigua with David & Hosy for our night & day off. We stayed at the house of one of David's friends and it was a really relaxing time. Some of the pictures are from there. I'll try to be more faithful with this blog, okay? Thank you all for your heartfelt concern for us, we really love you and know that we're together again because of your prayers.

Family & friends

2007-02-04T14:58:00.000-08:00

My beautiful Hosy in Winter splendor, Daniel, my wonderful brother & Lizzy's birthday with her best friend, Kayla (Hosy & David's 4th) & with her uncle Dan Dan. Life is beautiful.

Christmas morning & friends having fun

2007-02-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Reen Reen & Dan Dan & Wynter's cousins

2007-01-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

My beautiful family.

2007-01-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

1 more for the girls.

Uncle Woop Woop

2007-01-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

This is my amazing brother Willy. Wynter's hero, my guardian angel & camp comedian. More on this guy later.

Music

2007-01-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

I called one of our old friends, Bart in Houston to let him know about our need for a drum set for our band. It was great to talk to him, I haven't seen him in years but I've known him since I was 12 and I decided to call his music store and ask for the donation of a guitar for my younger brother, Danny who was turning 10 that week. Bart's reponse was that if I could gather enough knives from our missionary community that he would consider a trade. Thinking back on it now, he may have given me that answer thinking that I would just try around somewhere else but I did gather the knives and got my parents to drive me down there to show Bart what I'd collected for him, ha! He was shocked to see me and looked over the knives, finally choosing one of value, a whaling knife my dad had kept for years. Then after seeing Danny's current guitar that my dad had bought for $8 at a flea market in California when Danny was 8 years old, Bart tells us "That's not a guitar", and then pulling a new one off the shelf, he says "THIS is a guitar!" Such a nice man. Danny got the best birthday gift and I was floored by the miracle. Anyway, ever since then Bart has donated thousands of dollars worth of musical equiptment and instruments and when I mentioned our need for a drumset he quickly asked "How do I get it to you?" Isn't that precious? He didn't think twice or hesitate and when I told him he's one of our angels, he said he will always help "The Family Singers", the name our family singing group has always had. So, Danny, David & Hosy will be bringing home the drum set in a week and we can start practicing hard core! Oh, if you want to see a music video we did for one of my songs at my parents place, check it out here: 12foundationstones.com Click on "Pray For You" on the far right, you'll see a picture of me.

Christian

2007-01-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

Talked to Christian tonight on Skype and I just found out that he'll be longer than we'd expected. I was so excited about seeing him in a week and it's hard for me to understand why there have to be so many delays but I refuse to give in to defeat and doubt. God help me believe! I want so much to be one of those women of faith that believes without any thread of evidence, without any rescue call, without a deadline to look forward to. I want to trust just because I love Jesus and I want to give him that compliment, that I know He will work everything out perfectly for me and the precious ones I love. I don't know when I'll see Christian again but I know Jesus knows so I'll stay closer to Him than I ever have before to hear the first breath of news regarding his return. It's been 2 months now that we've been apart so I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day with all my heart. Wynter talks to him on Skype whenever I do and she dances as he sings to her through the huge earphones. "Five green speckled frogs sat on a speckled log eating some most delicious bugs--yum, yum! One jumped into a pool where it was nice and cool, now there's only four green speckled frogs." That's her favorite and when I ask her what she thinks of her Papa she tells me "peckled frogs, Mama!" She's worth it all. When your almost 2 year old wakes up in the morning and the first thing she does is grab your face with both her hands and says "I luf you, Mama"-- that is life. I have so much to be thankful for. Wanna hear the lyrics to the song I wrote to Christian on Christmas Day? It goes like this:

I'll Stay

Holding back tears,
Thinking of years we spent so well together,
Wondering why
At this special time we have to be apart.
He's the One who gave me to you,
I wanna be in your arms,
But He'll hold me as He always has,
My emotions feel disarmed...

Chorus:
But I'll stay
For He is the Way, the Truth & my very life,
If His will is for me to fill my whole heart with Him than I'll try,
To be
His eyes & to see the hurt souls He's pleading for,
"They say distance makes the heart grow fonder",
It's true, I love you more,
I can't wait 'til you walk through that door.

At my weakest, trembling knees test ground they haven't felt,
I have never felt the level of prayer my soul just dealt,
I'm here leaning on Him, weaning myself off of the facts,
Impossible won't be an option, on blind faith I will act.

Repeat Chorus til you have the faith to believe :)

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!

Christmas in Guatemala

2007-01-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is an example of the happiness I feel in my new country! Christmas was amazing here and I loved every second of it, so wonderful. These pictures are of most of our singing team when we performed for a poor neighborhood where some of our friends were giving away clothing and gifts.

Wynter Jane

2007-01-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

You would never know what a proud mother I am by the look of our blog. I post so many pictures of me that you could think I'm a vain, self absorbed person (which I hope I'm not!) So the theme of this post is our darling Wynter Jane. She's been such a good girl lately, giving me so much love and behaving so well with her friends that she deserves a little hall of fame. I was just thanking God this morning for giving us such a precious little girl. She's not a brat and she loves Jesus so much, prayer is a constant in her life and if you heard the way she prays and saw the way she squints her eyes closed, clasps her chubbly little hands together and gives her whole heart in prayer, you would want to squeeze her the way I get to every day and night, I'm so blessed! Here's to Wynter Jane Weiler!

The substance of things hoped for

2007-01-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hello my dears! I was battling depression the past 3 days and that is why you haven't heard from me, because I don't want anything but upbeat, positive, uplifting, praise-filled words to fall on your lovely ears! So, I'm happy now because I have the victory which is......drum roll, please! --Faith! Yes, simple childlike faith. What a discovery and how much lighter I feel now that I've stopped trying to fight God in His plan for my life. (In relation to Christian being away all this time and the many delays he's encountered in his fundraising and trying to make it home to us.) So, yesterday I told Jesus that I don't want to be stubborn and questioning Him anymore. I made a pledge in front of a friend (Renae) that I will not utter one single word of doubt regarding our situation and I will keep an attitude of faith and humble trust, knowing and expecting that God will do a miracle. The minute I said those words I felt lighter and then lighter until I was happy again and free to make other people happy too! So cool. I'm a believer, hahah! So, I'll post some pix on this page so that my sermon can be accompanied by some scenery. I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Ciao!

Christmas Morning

2007-01-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Wynter Jane discovering her new toy blender.

The promised pictures

2007-01-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Goodie! It works! Now I can share my life with you again! So, Antigua was beautiful and the company was even better. We had a great time walking through the darling marketplace and buying trinkets and then we got to eat Pupusas (El Salvadorean originally but common food here too) and drink beer atop the hill overlooking the city, such a pretty view! Ange brought a guitar so we shared songs, laughed and took pictures of eachother, good times. I'll post more pix of Christmas, New Year's and more later. Ciao!!

Antigua

2007-01-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful day in Antigua. The 1st picture is of Renae, Angelina, Me & Sharie chilling out on the hill overlooking the city of Antigua (former capitol of Guatemala). Next pic is Renae & I in the town square. I'm posting more pix in a few minutes, just checking to see if this works. Love you!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

I've been saying Happy New Year all night and now I'm missing the people I've shared old years with. :( New friends are wonderful but there's just something about people who know the real you and don't run, you know? Anyway, I am looking forward to a whole new set of everything this year and I know that's what I'll get because life has already changed so drastically. Yesterday I went to Antigua with some new friends and it was a wonderful day, I have pictures to prove it but this computer isn't letting me post pictures on blogger for some reason. I'm gonna try yet one more time and if it doesn't work, you know why. Happy new year, friends. Love you.

Busy, busy, busy!

2006-12-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hello my long lost loves, I'm back to fill you in on the exciting details of our new life! Okay, besides the ache in my heart from missing Christian so deeply, Christmas was wonderful and we all had a great time. Wynter got plenty of gifts and she was thrilled with her stocking. (The one that I stayed up 'til 2:30am to make with Hosy tutoring me on more efficient, time saving stitches, ahem.) We did a show on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so by the time dinner came around at 7:30, we were all ready to relax but that didn't happen until like 11pm after all the kids were down and we could just chill. So, it was fun, we danced a lot and celebrated the amazing things that happened during the Christmas season. I have so many good memories of going singing, we had an awesome group. The guys actually know how to sing really well here and they perform great, one of them plays bongos so we sounded terrific in my opinion. Willy got to join the group after his persistance and determination to show off his musical skills. :) He did great, mouthing the words he didn't know (which were many.) Anyway, David, Hosy, kids & my dear brother Danny are leaving today for the States and they're supposed to be gone a month but I'm praying less because there's a good possibility they're bringing Christian back with them! Sings: "Daddy, please come home, Mommy can't make it on her own. Little Wynter needs you too, we're not a family without you!" I'd sing more but the tears will flow and then the keyboard (which isn't mine) will get destroyed...a definite no-no. Okay, I'm in a slightly odd mood today so I'll cut off here, I'm gonna try to post some pix of our Christmas singing, such a fun time!! I love you all, write me if you feel the urge. A little reminder: Mysticsand2@yahoo.com Oh, no making fun of the email address. I've had it since I was 13. It used to be mysticsand@aol but then I couldn't afford the monthly fee and I went for the freebie with the addition of the number 2 at the end of my sands of mysticness. Ciao!

We're Home!

2006-12-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

So the most amazing thing happened! We were in a minivan. The four of us "older people" with 5 children, these are their ages: 7, 4, 2 1/2, 21 months & 4 months. All girls. So, the amazing thing that happened is that NOTHING happened! --Nothing bad that is. Tons of good stuff happened which leads me to believe you all were praying for us double time, THANK YOU! We spent 6 days on the road making stops in San Antonio, Harlingen (where Wynter got to meet her grandpa for the first time, Christian's dad.), Tampico, Vera Cruz, Arriaga and now we're home in Guatemala City, we love it here already! Everyone we stayed with was full of hospitality and gave from their hearts, really sweet. The house here is huge and beautiful and the people are great, we're truly blessed. I've gotta go now but I'll come back to tell more of our travels, there are plenty of great stories...Willy probably has a lead role in most of them so they're sure to be entertaining. Ciao!

At last!

2006-12-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

You just wouldn't believe it! We are in San Antonio on our way to the border and from there through Mexico & on to Guatemala! Thank you for your prayers but please keep praying for Christian as he's not with us yet, still raising funds. I don't have anymore time but I love you! XOXOX!

News

2006-12-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

We're on our way! We picked up Willy's & Wynter's passports today & sang for some old friends. On Monday we'll be picked up by Tim & Sharie to travel down to the border with them & stay in Brownsville for a day or two. There we will be seeing Christian's father for the first time & he'll get to see his grand daughter (is that supposed to be 2 words?). From there we'll be driving through Mexico with them (Tim, Sharie & 4 daughters) until we arrive in Guatemala City, yippee! It's bittersweet of course, because our Christian isn't here with us to experience all these new things but we're thankful for the progress & we trust that we'll be reunited with him soon. I'll write more soon!

Timing

2006-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

So we're leaving for Houston (again) tomorrow at 10am. We have an appointment at the passport agency there on Tuesday & we're praying that all the documentation comes through for that before then. I know, this is boring--sorry. :)
Maureen & I went to H-E-B a few minutes ago & as we're walking in, lo & behold Vas himself is walking out! So fun to see a friendly face in a place where you'd only expect strangers to dwell. We hugged, laughed, shared quick stories of the day & then before he left he gave me a silver coin from his native Mexico, I'm RICH!!! Well, in friends at least. :) Timing is a God-appointed thing sometimes, isn't it?
Anyway, pray for our long drive to Houston tomorrow that Wynter is an angel & that we're protected & calm. I'm gonna go chill with my sister now that packing's out of the way. XOXO!

Stuff

2006-12-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today is my niece Leona's birthday, she's 9 now! Which makes me feel older but still not old. :) Did some Pilates today, love it. Always have loved it but don't get around to it like I should. All the travel we've been doing has cut back on rituals & routine--that'll change soon I think. We got to see Heidi, Cody, Joni, Vas & their beautiful kids & his sister Angela, they're passing through on a visa trip. Gotta love those guys, such givers. No one can make me laugh like Vas, he's a trip! And Heidi & Joni are such beautiful souls, they're perfect company.
Well, please keep praying for us: for the car to sell in Puerto Rico, for Christian's last job to start & finish fast & for Wynter to get healed, she's sick right now. Thanks so much, we believe in your prayers & look forward to the miracles!

Salvation

2006-11-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

I forgot to blog about this when it happened but last week Wynter asked Jesus into her heart! It was so adorable, I wish I could have filmed it. She's talking and understands things so well now that I figured it was time to pray the salvation prayer with her. I asked her if she wanted to pray a special prayer and she said "yes" very definitely. Then after explaining to her that she needed to repeat after me she folded her hands in a way too cute kind of way and scrunched up her eyes really tight to pray. She repeated every word so perfectly that I didn't want it to be over, so after she was done I asked her if she wanted to do it again and she wanted to so I go "Jesus, come into my heart..." she repeats and then I say "forgive me"...she says "fa-give me", then I say "for" and she says "five"---hahahah! I cracked up and then we finished the prayer the right way. Anyway, it was one of those moments where I felt like being a mom is the best thing in the world.
Christian drove off for Atlanta today and we miss him already but I believe that this time he'll be away shorter and we'll be together in our new home soon. It really makes a difference to think positively and being a pisces, if I do anything but that I sink real fast. :) Thank you for all your prayers for us, we feel them.

Thank You

2006-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn! I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorn. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow. ÂGeorge Matheson (1842-1906)

Thank You, God, for my cesarean. Thank You for the last year of financial difficulty. Thank You for the humbling circumstances we found ourselves in. Thank You for the loss of friends because it's made our friendship so much deeper. Thank You for the absence of my other half because it's given us a reason to work on being more whole. Thank You for taking a past love home to be with You, I know he's happy now. Thank You for the many long days & nights that Wynter was sick, we feel so much stronger from it. Thank You for the insecurity of not being home yet. Thank You for the frustration of not knowing when we'll be done here & able to start again. Thank You for the thorns because Your roses reach our hearts with a much fuller scent now. We love You.

SURPRISE!!!

2006-11-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, the biggest thing happened to me yesterday morning. I was scrambling around in the closet with Wynter at my side, looking for nail polish to paint her stubby toe nails and prepare her for a Thanksgiving photo shoot, so that her Papa could at least see her since he wouldn't be with us. I have to admit that the way I looked was less than fair--grungy would be a good way to describe it--hair scrunched up in a ball, day-before make up and "clean the house clothes". Anyway, there I am all serious about finding the right hue for her toes when I feel a tap on my shoulder. The first thing I think is that it's Willy because he happened to be the only other human in the apartment besides Wynter & I. But no, this stranger has a beard?? Who--what?--how--no.....YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! No WAY!!!!! I don't deserve this but it's totally happening and there in front of me is my amazing, tall, strong, completely loving husband Christian! He had driven all night long, 16 hours in total to come see his wife & daughter. Movie script, anyone? I feel like a princess who's been rescued by the knight of her dreams but it's better than that because I've exchanged vows with my knight, and I'll have him forever. Thank you, Baby, for being the most spontaneous person I know. For cutting through normal day life and creating a fairy tale for the ones you love. Anyone who knows me knows I love surprises so this has been the BEST Thanksgiving I've ever had and hey, Christmas doesn't have to be that great anymore because I feel like I've already had my Christmas--Christian. "Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so."
The pictures are the ones Maureen took of us on our way out the door to go to Thanksgiving dinner at Fiesta Home.

2006-11-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

So I just can't seem to get enough of traveling. Now I'm in San Antonio visiting Maureen & her girls to get some business done. She's a big help when it comes to narrowing things down and actually doing them, wheras I am a little bit of a romantic when it comes to executing details. Thank God we're not all the same. Anyway, I'm posting some pix of a fun night we had last week. Sisters, drinks, friends & laughter--good stuff.
This will be the first Thanksgiving Christian & I spend apart since we got together 6 years ago. We've been calling eachother, frantically trying to figure out a way to be together: cheap last minute flights/bus contacts/hitchhiking, and it doesn't look like it's gonna work out. I'm missing my husband dearly & so is Wynter Jane. I just asked her this morning "Do you know who we're gonna see for Thanksgiving??" & she quickly replied with huge, wide eyes "Papa!!!" Then I felt stupid and had to tell her no, that it was the goats I was referring to. Poor baby. But you know kids, they snap out of things so much quicker than we do. Goats are now the 1st thing on her mind, bless her heart.
We're gonna be celebrating Thanksgiving with the Fiesta Home tomorrow, looking forward to seeing old and new friends. Thank you, dear reader for your prayers for our final departure preparations.

Natalie

2006-11-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

2006-11-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna be posting pix soon, I've been taking them faithfully lately (for a change) but I haven't been able to upload them yet. I'm at Natalie's house in Houston, visiting her & her man, Mike. Her son Dylan (my godson) popped in for a minute to collect some needed items & it was crazy to see how grown up he's become. I've been a bad godmother, so negligent. I will change though, I'm working on it. I was 13 when he was born & was the first to visit when he was born, sigh. Anyway, it's good to see old friends and renew the ties that bonded us together in the first place. I'm supposedly recording all day tomorrow, we'll see! Have a wonderful weekend everyone, muah!

H-Town

2006-11-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

I'm here in Houston (or the outskirts thereof) and I'm not sure I'll be blogging too much for a while. It's odd that when there's plenty to blog about there's not plenty of time to do so, so alas, I am forced to be at a loss for words because of a time issue. Anyway, I'm not making sense because I'm trying to do this as fast as I can so that someone else can use the computer. Should I have just skipped this? Okay, in a nutshell, I got in 3 days ago and I'm adjusting to new weather, faces & ways of life. Change is a good thing of course but didn't Grandpa say it's also like dying? Hmmm. Anyway, I miss my husband. Love you all. It'll be Thanksgiving soon...yay!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-11-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend. We got back last night from visiting Feli (best friend for as long as I can remember), her guy Gabe & their dashing young one, Kevin (almost 4). We hadn't seen them for over 2 years so it was very special for us to be able to meet up before leaving for Guatemala. Feli's the reason I moved to the Dominican Republic back when I was 18. She's also the reason Christian and I are together because she played a very active game of matchmaker, ahem! Feli & I were daily outreach partners and before Christian and I had had our first kiss, Feli would tell me in between stores what mine & Christian's kids were gonna look like! Crazy but effective if I may say so myself. :) Feli arranged our first date & came along with us as I was so freaked out of being alone with "one of them". (The way I looked at guys at the time, with horror.) If there is such a thing as a completely loyal friend from whom you never hear things said about you behind your back, I would have to nominate Feli as 1st prize winner, she's great. Anyway, I could write a book about the adventures of Feli & Julie--hey, maybe I will! But for now I'll leave you with some pictures of our Blue Ridge Mountain hideaway.

My Mom

2006-11-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

I just got through looking at these pictures of my Mom & eldest sister, Chelsea. Mom went to visit Chelsea & her girlfriend of almost 10 years last month and they obviously had a blast. To anyone who doesn't know my mom, it'd be hard to explain just how different she is. For starters, she'll never believe she's getting older and you wouldn't believe it either if you talked with her, she's crazy--in the good kind of way. She wears T-shirts that say "I bite" and "I love Irish boys". She talks and prays really loud when we go on walks together through a neighborhood (sometimes hers, sometimes not.) She has a soup addiction and sometimes can't bring herself to cook anything else. She pulls people aside that she's only known for 2 minutes and asks them if they have Jesus in their heart. If they say no, she insists that they've got to have Him. She makes special names for anyone she loves and says them in the most love-filled way, it makes you think you're this incredible person. Anyway, I just feel so special to have a mother that I can talk to about ANYTHING and have her say "Oh, I've done that twice." Unconditional love comes naturally to this woman and I've never felt more comfortable, beautiful, accepted and cherished as when I'm with her. She's sees the talent, ability and drive that I never see in myself and she's always pushed me to use it--thanks Mom, I love you.

What's up with us

2006-10-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Lord is good to us! Christian should be starting his last job here in less than a week and that's supposed to take a week so we should be on our way really soon! Wynter & I will be visiting my parent's Home in Houston for a bit before Christian joins us to drive to Guatemala. Please pray for all the details to fall into place, like the funds to come in and for the car to sell in Puerto Rico and for us to find an economy car to drive down in. Thank you so much!
Latest happenings here would include Wynter doing better with her sleeping habits. She still goes to bed very late for a toddler but it's becoming more common for her to sleep 8 or 9 straight hours during the night, very new thing for her! Right now Christian is building a dock and he needs to drive these metal stakes into a lake bed but the wet suits they have aren't big enough for him so his helper has to do it but alas, his helper is too short to stand in the water! Funny situations he has to be in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAUREEN!!!

2006-10-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

I was given a gift the day Maureen was born, and I hadn't even come into the world yet! Maybe she was my incentive to go down to the place where I'd learn so much and also enjoy so much. Sometimes when I hear other people tell their childhood stories or memories I get shocked at the things I hear because I didn't know how random it actually is to have an almost perfect childhood. We really were blessed growing up, with travel, music, performing and being treated like royalty in many cases even though we've been called the paupers. I have so many pictures in my mind of times spent with Maureen, in most of them we're laughing uncontrollably. She never treated me like I was beneath her or younger than her, I was always her equal and we shared eachothers joys and sorrows. To be given a sister who is also your best friend is a gift that never gets old, only better with time. Life has gotten tougher and we don't laugh as often as we did when we were kids but when we do, it's hard to stop. Maureen knows my deepest secrets because I know they're safe with her. She's never judged me for the times in my life when I didn't even know who I was and hurt her in the process, she forgives and forgets and builds on tomorrow. Thank you, Maureen, for choosing to come down here and be my protector, my prayer warrior, my best friend and my counselor. And thank you for going through the extra rough times you've been through because you saved me from going through the same things, I'm always learning something new. :) I pray this new year is filled with the answers to your prayers. You're dearly treasured. I love you.

Dawnie & her girls, Michelle & Cheryl

2006-10-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

The Inlaws

2006-10-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have grown quite close to Christian's family, so much so that I will miss them when we leave. We've been staying with his Mom & sister, Dawn, & it's been really good for me to get to know them the way I have. Dawnie's 2 daughters, Michelle & Cheryl, are precious girls & Wynter calls them her cuzzies & cries for them when they're gone. We got close to them during the summer because Willy & I took care of them so Dawnie could work. (Dawn is in her last 7 months of 4 years of college to become a Dental Hygenist, works at the same time & is a single mom. What a woman!) Anyway, I'm just feeling thankful that while we're facing this difficult time in our lives we can be with family & feel loved, it's really meant a lot to me. Up until last week I kept expecting my mother in law to freak out & tell us we're too much, we've ruined her quiet, etc, but she's done no such thing & says she loves having us. :) I think that God gave us family & parents to represent how He never stops loving us, no matter what we do. As a new mom I've realized this even more, like when Wynter's acting horribly, staying up all night and screaming or throwing a huge fit, I still can't help be kiss her all over her face & squeeze her chubby little body. I've noticed that when people understand me it makes me want to please them because they know the effort I've gone to in trying harder. I pray that I can grow into every bit the mother that Christian's mom has been to us & mine has been to me. Let motherly love continue!

Friends

2006-10-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday night at Nik & Carmel's place & it was great to see them and their darling kids again. Jade & Kenny are growing up so fast & Kenny has a bleach-blonde mohawk to match his gushing personality. Darling. Wynter didn't behave as well as we would have liked but for the amount of change she's endured in her little life, I can't complain. Laughed my head off on the phone w/ my sister (Maureen) last night. Christian is a vile creature when he talks to her or tells me what messages he wants me to pass on to her. He draws from her "timid, good girl" side and begs for a reaction. Let's just say his comments are beyond foolish & he needs prayer. After that we watched part of "Rome" the mini series, it's good! Got a letter from Heidi (Cody's mom) yesterday, she's such a beautiful person. It always makes me feel unworthy when I have people like her in my life. I'm so happy Haven is back at her place so she can blog and keep me informed on her happenings, the love. Friendship is a gift that I haven't cherished enough in my life, I'm learning about that. People are much more worthy of my time than the laundry, the money we're trying to raise or things I hate about myself. Thank You Jesus for the love of friends.

Brrrrrrr

2006-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

There's a cold front here for the weekend. We're cold but I think we like it. The tropics can do that to you. Too much of a good thing can be bad at times. There's just something about curling up under a blanket, snuggling with your honey and drinking hot stuff, fun. Christian made a huge tent for Wynter last night and she kept wanting me to go in there and sit on her lap! Any type of control is what she's after, little tyke! She slept all night for the first time last night, without waking up to battle it out with her Papa (she had this darling habit of waking up at 3 and staying up til 7 every morning). We were giving in to her for quite some time & then we woke up to the fact that we wanted our sleep. Discipline works!
We're going over to visit Nik & Carmel tonight, have a few drinks and hang out. It's a long drive but good friends are worth more than that. Anyway, we'll have more to write about when we're on our way down to Guatemala--let the excitement begin!

Sorry Mike!

2006-10-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

So today I discovered there's more to blogging then just typing--you actually have to use your brain. Pity. I had my settings set in such a way that only Blogspot account holders could comment on our beautiful postings, the shame! All things change though, and now all is well--Mike, we're looking forward to hearing from you.
So, what's new with us ? We'll be going to Nashville next week, Christian was given a job that entails building a bridge and 2 arbors. Our deadline for being in the States is 'til the beginning of November so we're expecting miracles!
Wynter has a pure hatred for my guitar so it's a rare gem of a moment when I can play it, so the miracle I'd like to testify of is that the Lord just gave me a song the day before yesterday in the midst of my daughter's spite. PHN! (Praise His Name) But really, she hates the guitar, it's absurd. She beats it and screams at me when I play it--I think she wants to be the only one I play with--so not gonna happen. Anyway, the song is called "To The World" and it's an LJ song I wrote about a vision I have quite frequently, mostly when meditating.
Umm, I made Curried Split Pea Soup w/ Cornbread Muffins lastnight. I try to keep dinner original w/ all sorts of health benefits so that we don't have guilty tastebuds. I think it was a success--with the exception of Wynter. I think she thought I was trying to get her to eat something else if you know what I mean, Split Pea Soup bears a distinct resemblance to that thing we should never discuss at the dinner table (or on my blog.) Ahem! I should go now. Love y'all!

The latest

2006-10-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

So we're still in Atlanta fundraising. Yes, yes, we know we've been here too long and we like to believe that's not our fault. :) Have mercy dear ones and send up a prayer on our behalf: 1.For needed funds to come through 2. For our car to sell in Puerto Rico 3. For us to obtain an economy car to drive down to our new Home (they need one badly as they only have 2 gas guzzling vans). So, if you intercede for us we'll intercede for you--gladly! We love you. Kisses.

Happiness is growing!

2006-10-12T09:12:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our world!

2006-10-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

So this is the beginning of our commitment to keep in touch with our friends. We are horrible at staying in touch with those we love so we're challenging ourselves in this department. Anyway, we are just now being introduced to the blogworld so we'll see how this goes. We love you. :)