I'm off work tomorrow AND Monday!!!! Hoo-hoo!! It's times like this when I am very excited about working for the school district!

I have my Bible study tonight. I am going to start taking pictures at our meetings/fellowships and posting them on the other blog. (womenofflesh.blogspot.com) So, if you've ever even been the LEAST bit interested, head over there after tonight and check it out. We really do have a lot of fun! We meet every other Thursday night in different homes.

papa

just a pretty face

jp's laughter....medicine for my soul

Just playin' around at home.....my sweet "bebesito" lights up our world when he laughs, which is often! Man, I love coming home from work...

I am not one to go on and on about weight loss etc, and I am not going to use my blog for that, but I have to share this....


Once upon a time, before what I like to call "the Great Depression," aka the Guatemalan adoption process, I use to run. I really did enjoy it, so now that I am back to a healthy state mentally, I decided I would start again. It's only been four days since I began and anyone who knows anything about exercising knows that you cannot just jump back in to running several miles. You have to start out walking and you might run for a few minutes before you have to stop and catch your breath. SO.. yesterday we went over to eat lunch at my parent's house. That's where the treadmill is. I stayed on it for thirty minutes. When I came back in to the living room, my dad and Scott were giving me a hard time. They were saying things like, "I'm sixty and can walk longer than thirty minutes." etc. Just messing around. Anyway, in the middle of all the laughter and jokes, JP ran over to me yelling "STOP IT!" He crawled up in my lap and hugged me and said, "Great job, mommy!"


My heart melted! He is such a little sweetheart. The fact that he is two years old and realized that they were "making fun" of me and he did not like it! It was so cute!

FINALLY!!! ( the BIG Christmas gift)

OKAY... here are the pictures of JP "driving" Lightning McQueen! My computer finally decided to cooperate with me....

We had to move the party outside when he figured out that he could reach the gas petal! "I AM SPEED!"

1st time he pressed the gas petal with his foot....(sorry, Nanny, you didn't need that table did you?)

WOW...I can really sit in this!! Have I died and gone to Heaven?

Sorry for the delay in these pics. Better late than never!

Several of you have emailed me and asked about an update on Erin and Christi. Here it is:

• Erin's surgery went well. We went over the night she had it and she was bouncing off the walls. She was very happy and proud of her stitches. Megan heard from the doctor the other day and the biopsy was benign! Praise God! They were just enlarged lymph nodes. She is doing great. She celebrated her 6th birthday on Wednesday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, "HONEY!"

• Christi's surgery went well too. She has left the hospital and is staying with her daughter at her home in Central. Things are going okay from a medical standpoint. She just has a lot to get used to physically. The lymph node biopsy came back and there were traces of cancer in one of the other nodes. SO..unfortunately she will undergo chemo and radiation. We are very optimistic and know that God is going to use these treatments to free her. She is in good spirits and is grateful for every one's prayers!

With everything that has gone in the lives of the special people around me lately, I have found myself really searching the scriptures for answers. Why are people suffering? Why when Megan lost her husband in May does she have to worry about the health of her five year old little girl??

I don't understand, God!!!

I truly believe that there are some things we will NEVER know on this side of Heaven. However, He gave me a little insight last night through a book I am reading. Allow me to share with you...

" Whenever God is involved, the epilogue is not mysterious. God wins. Everyone on His side gets to share in that celebration. This is good news, but it can also be terribly misleading. We think that because the story concludes with a guaranteed victory, every chapter is lined with nothing but victories. We expect our journey to look like a trip on a rocket ship beginning from the launching pad and reaching to the highest heavens. In fact, it is better described as a roller coaster ride with nauseating ups and downs. We do well to remember that even in battles that are counted as victories, the winning side has many soldiers who died in the engagement.

The journey that travels through divine moments is not an escape route from personal suffering. In fact, it strengthens our resolve to suffer in the now for the greater good that can be accomplished."

"Chasing Daylight" by Erwin Raphael McManus

What does this mean?? I was created to praise Him. Unfortunately, because sin entered the once perfect world, CRAP happens! God doesn't make these things happen, but He certainly allows them. And He has reminded me that I am a VERY small part of a VERY big plan. So, when things do not make sense to me, I can only trust that He's using me and the people I love to carry out a more important plan somewhere else. I may never know what that is. And even though it hurts sometimes, if I keep my eyes on God and the ULTIMATE goal of this life, I can survive!

Thank you, God, for your Word and the words of others who have written such awesome books!

Pigs are flyin' and Hell has frozen over!!!!

BJAY FINALLY PROPOSED!!!

The happy couple at our celebration breakfast this morning. THE ring!

THE ring (from another angle!)

"What am I thinking????"

Congratulations, guys!! We are very happy for you both! And to think, BJay, I used to change your diapers!! Now it's Holly's turn! hehehe

(FYI- Word on the street is...Holly's asked a handsome little Mayan to be in the wedding!)