A Fun Summer Weekend…

We had a couple of things that we did this past weekend. First, Arielle had a baseball ‘jamboree’ on Friday, where they played a baseball game and also they did some different tests (?) to see who could throw the farthest, bat the farthest, run the fastest, etc. Afterwards, all of the kids received medals and t-shirts. It was a really fun time for her.

Also, on Saturday, there was a fair in a town nearby that we went to. It was a lot of fun. There was a little of everything…

                                              Clowns on Stilts…

                                               Face Painting…

                                                  

                                              Stick on tattoos…

                                              Crafts for the kids…

                                                      Musicians playing on the street corners…

And of course, we can’t forget…

                                      THE PETTING ZOO!!!!!  That was the favourite part for both of my kids. They really enjoyed seeing the different animals. (There was a whole lot more to see and do, I just thought I’d share with you what I had taken pictures of).

Daddy and Gabriel hanging out waiting for Arielle to get her face painted.

And, I would love to show you a picture of me doing something at the fair, however, I’m behind the camera so you’ll just have to imagine me in one of the pictures.

But here’s one of me at home after the fair…

Taken by my little photographer in training.

I hope you enjoyed the little stroll through my weekend. How was yours? Did you have some excitement as well? I would love to hear about it.

 

I hope you have a wonderful day!

*Andrea*

Busy little daydreams

    I have had a busy week. Actually my daughter has been the busy in my week. I don’t know if she’s going through a phase or what, but she has not been herself lately and It’s been difficult. She has been very mischievous lately and getting into things that she doesn’t normally get into. Maybe it’s because I have been doing a bit more babysitting than normal. Yea, that could be it. Well let’s just add it to one more stage in this roller coaster ride called ‘parenting’.

I have been thinking back lately on life before my kids. You know, when the house would never get dirty and you wanted kids to come over so you had something to clean up. Or, Saturday mornings when my husband would sleep til noon and I was SOOOOOO bored. Oh How I wished for a kid to keep me occupied. I used to bang around and make lots of noise just hoping he would wake up! Or, when I would go shopping and there would be no one to say “mommy I have to pee” and you wouldn’t have to search for a bathroom, hoping to make it before she peed her pants! Ahhh… those were the days.

However, my daydreaming must end now, as I hear reality calling…

 

Andrea

Photo post

So, I was gonna write a nice long post today, but then I remembered that I had a bunch of cute pictures in my camera just waiting to be displayed. So, enjoy…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t think of a cute saying for each picture, cause It would take me a long time. I’m just not witty like that. But, I hope you enjoyed the pics!

Have a great day!!

Sunshiny days are here again!!!

Summer is on it's way!! After our cloudy, rainy week last week it sure is good to see Mr. Sun again! We had a lot of nice weather last weekend so here's a couple of pictures to show you what we did!

The kids and I also went for a walk yesterday to watch my brother's baseball game. We only caught the last little bit, but it was a fun walk for us. I think we will probably walk to Arielle's baseball tonight as well.
  Also this weekend I sent letters to my 'boys' again. I was actually a week later than usual, so I made sure to have them in the mail by Friday. I'm still waiting for letters from my other two boys (Niyomugabo sent me 1 already!). I check my mailbox every day hoping for something!

Psalm 71:14 "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."

Are you hoping for a letter as well? How long has it been since you last received one?



Have a blessed day!!

* Andrea *

My Baseball Girl

   What a week it's been! It's been really good but really busy. Wednesday Arielle had her first "Learn to play" baseball practice.

They had to have it in the arena because it had been raining off and on all day, and was supposed to rain some more. They had cancelled Monday's practice due to weather so I'm really glad that they didn't cancel Wednesday's. It was so cute watching all those little kids running back and forth! Those little minds were hanging onto every word the coach said. So eager to learn! They also had so much energy!!
But of course, nothing is ever complete without a meltdown by one of the kids! Well, this time it was mine! Everything seemed fine and then all of a sudden she turns and looks at me and there are tears streaming down her face. So, of course I go to her and this is what she says "that ball was mine!" Apparently some kid took the ball that she had thrown (they all look the same, so I'm not sure how she could tell), and she was not impressed. This boy gave her the ball back and she was still upset. She finally cheered up after daddy talked to her. Then all was good again. I don't know what he said, but it worked! She had a really great time and is looking forward to her next 'practice'.
    Today, the sun is shining and it is beautiful outside. So I'm not gonna sit here and write any longer. I'm off to enjoy God's gift to us today!

Have a great day!!

* Andrea *

One Step At A Time...

    This week has been a bit busier for me. I babysit everyday except tomorrow and then my kids and I will be helping a friend all day (which I'm looking forward to!).  So yea, it's been busy. But it hasn't been without it's rewards and joys. I have been doing more things with Arielle, even though I have extra kids in my house! I'm very amazed that I've been able to find the extra time. It' s good for me and her to strengthen our relationship. One of my many faults as a mother is that I often tell her "I'm busy, we'll do it later", and that's not right. Now when she's young is when I need to build a strong bond with her so that when she's older, she will want to talk with me and share her feelings. 'I' also need to enjoy her childhood as much as she needs to. It is so much fun to just sit with her and not think about my chores. It's great to talk with her and walk with her and teach her as much as I can. I love listening to her talk, whether it's about Jesus or something else that she has learned from me or Sunday school or something she's curious about (which is almost everything!). I love reading my Bible to her too. I know she's too young to understand some of the words, but at least she's hearing the message.

We've also had a beautiful week where weather is concerned. It's been warm and not too windy most days. So, we've been outside a lot.

Gabriel had a great time in the cooler! He spent a lot of time in there!!

            Arielle has a blast rolling on the grass!










So this week has been a really good one. Except for the fact that my son and my niece are both teething and have not been sleeping as good as their mommies (and daddies) want them too!! But this too shall pass. I'm very thankful for things that come in stages, especially short ones!!

I hope you have a great day!
May God continue to bless you!

* Andrea *

This Week...

   What a great week it's been! Monday was nothing special, just an ordinary day in my household. Tuesday we took advantage of the great weather and spent some time outside.

I was also able to get a lot of baking done on Tuesday, even with babysitting my niece! I made 2 kinds of cookies, 2 loaves of lemon loaf and rice krispie squares. It sure is nice having some goodies in the house again! It's been a while since I did any major baking.

   On Wednesday, Arielle and I went on a girls morning out. We just went into town to do some shopping. We spent an hour and a half and the local thrift store! I really enjoy shopping there because it's amazing what you can find there for very little money. I bought a pair of Calvin Klein cord pants that look brand new for $2.00! That is not a typo. I was very excited! I also found some other things for me and Arielle found a couple shirts. She was hoping to find a dress, but they didn't have a good selection for any kids stuff yesterday. That's OK, better luck next time. After our thrift store shopping we went to the discount book store in town. I was very excited to find an activity book with a thin Spanish insert in the back! It was great! It's a thin book with Jesus stories all in Spanish! Alejandro is gonna love it! I looked for things for Niyomugabo and Nsengimana but all I found were bookmarks. I'll keep checking though, hopefully next time I'll find something.  

    Today I have a houseful of kids again, so it's gonna be a busy one. I have to get to the grocery store yet today (prob  this evening) and get the groceries that I'll need for this wonderful Easter weekend. But now, I have babies waking up from their morning naps and broccoli & cheese muffins to make, so I should probably go for now.

Romans 5:8 " But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Happy Easter!

* Andrea *

Happy Birthday!

    Well, the birthday parties are over for my daughter for now. However, they are just beginning for my niece! She turned 1 today! Happy Birthday Sophia! We love you!

Isn't she sweet?

She had a great time playing with her cupcake! She made a nice mess too!!

 Psalm 139:13-14 " For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."



Have a great day!

* Andrea *

It's Party Time!

    Wow, what a weekend! It was a really great one, but very busy! We had friends from B.C. come out so we were able to spend some time with them and we had a couple of birthday celebrations for my daughter. On Saturday, Tim and I took Arielle to Build-A-Bear Workshop for her birthday gift from us. She had a really good time and chose a very cute lamb. Afterward, we took her out for lunch and then we came home. On Sunday, I took her and 2 friends to the movie theatre to see the movie "Tangled" in 3D. That was a lot of fun! After the movie, we went to Mc Donald's for supper.

 The girls had a lot of fun and it was great for me because I didn't have to do it all in my house! Until now, all of her friend parties have been in my house, which is fine but last year we had 10 girls! That is a few too many to try to keep busy and to clean up after. So I thought this year we would do something different. We all really enjoyed it.

 The parties are not over yet! We have my family coming over tonite and my husbands over tomorrow nite. I really enjoy celebrating her birthday, but I am also glad when the parties are over.

I wonder how Alejandro will celebrate his birthday? What kinds of things do they do? I know he will have a party because Compassion has a birthday party for each sponsored child. That's a thought that brings me joy, because every child deserves a birthday party.

How does your sponsored child celebrate his/her birthday?

* Andrea *

Small Things Count

 So, last night I went for coffee with a wonderful woman that I met through my church. We had a great time! She borrowed me a book called "Diapers, Pacifiers, And Other Holy Things" by Lorraine Pintus. I have only read a small portion of it but it is a really good book for women, especially mothers who feel: too busy for God but want a relationship with him, taken for granted, invaluable, or who just need a bit more inspiration.
  Today I was reading about how the small things that you do for people really do count. You know, bringing someone supper when their sick, a wave to a stranger, a smile to the cashier who is having a rough day, all these things that are so easy (and painless) to do. She says that " God entrusts you with little things to teach you faithfulness in big things. Also, God wants you to see that each little thing you do can have eternal impact". Really? How? Show me. Then she goes on to say that each little thing that we do for others as long as we have the right motive, we are doing it for God. Matthew 25:40 says "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". So when we do something that seems small and insignificant to us, as long as we have the right heart about it, we are doing it for Jesus. Wiping noses, patching clothes, sweeping floors, laundry, all that little everyday stuff that we do constantly and get nowhere with, it all counts! Huh, who would have thought? I mean, I do it (or try to) everyday but I never think of it that way. So really, when we work no matter what we do, it's an act of worship. That's a much nicer way to look at things, to do it for Jesus. Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ that you are serving".
So, before doing anything, ask yourself why your doing it and for whom? Then you will know if your doing it for God or for man. If we want to serve Christ fully, Motive is Everything. 

Who do you do it for?


* Andrea *

An Interesting Friday...

   Today I really didn't know what to write about so I had not planned on posting anything. However, my day ended up being something to write about.

  Today I did NOT have to clean my house!! I was very excited. You see, a couple of days ago I got a call from a lady that I know. She's starting her own cleaning business and needed some people to use as references. In return, she would come spend 3 hours cleaning my house! What a treat! It was wonderful, especially after being busy all week.

   Then I put my son down for a nap and a little while later he starts calling for me. So, I go in there and not only has he filled his diaper, he's taken it off and there's poop all over! What a sight! It's all over his bed, his crib, even in his hair! What a crazy guy! So, off to the bath with him and now mommy gets to clean up. I guess that's my payback for not having to do any cleaning this morning. He really doesn't care though cause he LOVES the bath. He loves it so much he gets in fully dressed!

So that was part of my exciting afternoon. After his bath was over, Arielle had woke up from her nap and we went to the book fair. I love the book fair. There's thousands of different books, the prices are cheap, and it goes to a great cause! Everyone wins! All the proceeds from the fair this weekend went to the local hospital.  Arielle had a really great time. Her and I could spend hours looking through books to find ones we like. Gabriel, however, was not in the mood. So, we quickly found some books and went and finished our shopping. I'm hoping to be able to go back tomorrow and look for more. I'm also going to see if I can find some to send to my sponsor boys. I'm going to look for some that have more pictures than words. That way they can still enjoy the book even if they can't read English. If you are planning on sending books to your sponsor children, just make sure that they are thin and staple bound. There are many customs restrictions (and thefts) and if the book is too big and bulky it prob won't get sent.

   

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

God Bless!

* Andrea *

Hello Pink!

 There has been a lot of 'pink' happening at my house lately. First, my kids both got pink eye, then last week I decided to give my daughter a pink streak in her hair. She was really excited!

I know she doesn't look it but she really does like her pink hair.

Then on Thursday my 11 month old niece got pink eye, from my house of course! And to top it all off, yesterday she decided to be so generous and pass it onto me. So, I still have my head cold and pink eye as well! I think it's time for 'pink' to go. It's overstayed it's welcome at my place! The pink hair can stay but any pink infections have got to leave! 

On another note, everything else has been same old same old. Nothing too exciting. I'm very glad that the snow is melting! Me and my daughter took the dog for a walk yesterday evening. Well, we tried to walk the dog but she was so excited she walked us! Anyway, it was a nice evening for a walk and we had a good time.

I hope your all enjoying the nice weather! Have a great day!

 

* Andrea *

Hooray, It's Friday!

What a week it's been! The beginning went really smooth, nothing too crazy was going on which is a nice way to start the week. Yesterday however was a different story...
      To start my day I had all of the kids that I babysit (I don't usually have them all on the same day). The one child is new so I have to remind her often about the rules in my home. I'm sure that will change soon as she learns them, the first couple times are usually rough then it gets better. My daughter got pink eye on Wednesday so I was dealing with that and if my day wasn't crazy enough, my son gets the flu! My children hardly ever get sick and I was talking to my girlfriend on Tuesday and I made a comment about how we hardly ever get sick here and wow did I jinx myself. My son had been cranky all day but I just thought that he was teething ( babies are always teething!). So when he woke from his afternoon nap I went to get him. The first thing that that greeted me as I walked into his room was an awful stench. Yup, you guessed it, He threw up all over himself and his crib! Woo hoo!! So now I have to make sure that he other children in my home are taken care of and I stick him in the tub while I run downstairs to start the laundry. So finally he's all cleaned up and I sit him in the high chair give him some snacks. He's sitting there happily drinking his water, it's all good right? Nope! I take him out and yup he pukes all over me! Wow! Fantastic! But OK, I can deal with this. I'm his mom so it really doesn't bug me as much. Besides, moms are often puked on, spit on, peed on. You name, it we get it. So round two of clean up. An hour later, not vomit but diarrhea instead. Oh my, is it gonna end? Yes I'm sure it will, hopefully soon.
So far nothing has happened since then but mind you it's still early in the day, anything can happen.
     So my plan today is to relax and take it as it comes. I have no major projects that I want or need to get done except to write Easter letters to my sponsor children. I wanted to mail them by today so they would get there for sure by Easter, but after the week I've had I'll cut myself some slack. So my new goal is to get them in the mail this weekend so they can go out first thing Monday morning. I'm sure I should be able to accomplish that. Besides, I've already written two letters so I just have one more to write and then to pack some goodies for them and mail it off.
         So if you sponsor a child and want to send them an Easter letter, I would suggest doing it soon so that they will get it close to Easter. It usually takes 2 months or so for them to get a letter. That's something that I often forget to keep in mind. But mind you, I'm still new at this sponsorship stuff so I'll get the hang of it soon!!
  
    I hope you all have a great weekend!!

God Bless!

* Andrea *

My Ministry???

Hey for those of you who read my Sunday post and are waiting to meet our newest addition, Sorry to disappoint but I haven't gotten the picture yet. I can hardly wait to get it!!
       I've been wondering for a while now just how does God want me to serve him? What is my ministry? God calls each and everyone of his children to serve him in some way or another and I wasn't sure what mine was. Until now. I really believe that at this point in my life, my ministry is kids. You see, I babysit for 4, I have 2 of my own and I write to 3 sponsor children. It really makes sense that this would be my ministry. On top of all that I feel that I would like to be a Sunday school teacher. Kids as my ministry seems strange to me cause I did NOT ever want to have kids. That is until I met my husband. I always thought that kids were time consuming, money consuming, they ruin your body, make your hair turn grey, need I say more? They were definitely not part of my life plan nor would they fit into my lifestyle. I had it all (or so I thought). I had a career, a clean house, no stretch marks ( also known as mommy tattoos), and lots and lots of free time. I could do whatever I wanted. Go for coffee, go shopping, work late, It really didn't matter. I just had a husband at home to take care of and well he's a grown man so he really didn't need me much. Besides he liked to hang out with the guys. But after we were married and we were settled in our roles as husband and wife I realized that I WAS BORED!! On Saturday mornings when he would sleep in and I'd be up early I had no idea what to do. So I would try to find something on the T.V. to watch, do a bit of house cleaning, anything to keep me entertained. So we talked and decided to wait a year before we would try for a baby. Well, God really had kids in mind for me cause it didn't take long at all and Boom! Ok now what? Well you get fat (really fat in my case), your whole body hurts, you can't sleep, you get "mommy tattoos", and yes the grey hair is starting. So finally the baby comes and you think it's gonna be all wine and roses, babies sleep all the time right? Nope! My firstborn was a good baby and a good sleeper but I never realized how much time they took! All I wanted was a little less free time, not all of It gone! Oh how I wished for before baby days. Then I realized that I can't change the past (not that I would have), I can only live in the now and plan for the future.
   So now that I realized my life is not up to me to plan, most things make better sense. Not that they always make perfect sense, it's just a little clearer. We just need to remember to trust God in the direction that we should go and which path to take. He won't lead us astray. Just keep checking in to see if you are where he wants you to be. Who knows maybe your ministry is about to change...

* Andrea *