Isabella Turns One

my big 1 year old.

What a nice weekend we had.  Some friends of ours came to visit and were able to stay a night.  We also had fine arts for our two oldest children.  They competed in drama, music and photography and did quite well.  It was very reminiscent of this time last year.  This time last year I spent the day at fine arts watching my kids perform and waddling around ready to pop at any moment.  Then sure enough that night I gave birth to a beautiful little girl.  Isabella was a relatively easy birth.  I think it is great for moms to have their babies natural but I had a couple of mine that way and very much appreciate the God given medication to ease the pain.  I can't tell you how amazingly blessed I am to have all my children and Isabella was such a blessing because she is number 6 and my cup overfloweth.  I remember worrying how I would handle 3 children when I was expecting Sierra.  I only had 2 hands and I knew they had David and I out numbered.  Having baby number 4 was a walk of faith.  Baby number five people thought we were out of our mind and gave lots of helpful advice on how these things happen.  Now with Isabella, I just didn't care what people thought, or how I could give my children all the love they needed, or how we would provide for them all.  God has been a God of more than enough in all areas and I was so blessed to hold my precious little Isabella.  My heart would frequently melt as I held her and tears would pour down my face at the blessing I held.  This year watching the kids grow and interacting with her and each other I can see Gods plan in our family and how each child is a blessing and cause each other to grow.  It is hard to be selfish or feel unloved in a big family. 
Isabella is a little bit of thing, only weighing 16 pounds.  She is going at her own pace and still using us to assist in her walking.  But I can see she is growing and I enjoy her laugh, play time and precious cuddles.  She has a God given plan and purpose for her life and we are looking forward to seeing it all come to pass.  God bless.

Alicia

Isabella and Mommy

Drivers Permit

So she passed her test.  We have a new permit driver.  Latisha just finished Drivers Ed and passed her test.  Now she gets to drive the Yukon.  Isn't that every 15 year old's dream.  I went to pick her up and she was so excited.  I got out of the drivers side of the car and she said "not the Yukon."  I must admit it was a bit overwhelming the first time I drove a SUV and I had been driving for a while.  She did great but was a bit close to the side of the road.  It is a different perspective.  She has been driving a Fusion for Drivers Ed so this was a bit different.  She'll get used to it. :)  It is so fun for me to watch my kids hit new mile stones.  I almost cried when I saw her walking out of the building with a very big smile and glowing.  She was nervous for her test but she got one of the top grades in the class.

As you may have noticed from some of my post I have a huge passion for purity among our youth.  If you have a daughter I highly recommend the book "Before You Meet Prince Charming."  It is so very good.  Latisha has read it twice and Sierra is currently reading it.  I'm not sure where the Lord is taking us, but Latisha and I really want to get a Bright Lights group started.  There aren't any around here and I just love what I have seen about that ministry.  We have an amazing girl from our church who is 19 that is willing to help lead and another family that is considering working with us too.   There are also several other girls that would like to be in the group.  I think I just started out thinking about just doing a group with my own girls but I would really like to see this grow.  Girls need a peer group that is not living according to the world but according to the Word.  I am listening to the CD's and am looking forward to where the Lord might lead us with this.  I see so many girls so cute and innocent in there tweens and then something flips in them.  This group is focused on the ages of 10-13 where we can encourage the girls to let God and His Word lead them in the paths of righteousness.  Rebellion is not something all children go through.  The Bible refers to it as  the sin of witchcraft, 1 Samuel 15:23.  Not a good thing.  I pray we can instill within our children, hearts that are focused on God and they will be radiant for the Lord.  Have a great day

Latisha with her drivers permit.  Still glowing.

Alicia

Jr/Sr. Banquet

Me and my son

The Senior class

Alex with another girl mc

Alex shined at doing give aways.

Friday night Alex and I attended the Home school Junior/Senior Banquet.  It was a great time.  I enjoyed every moment with my son.  They had pictures, then dinner, talent show and I learned the Virginia Real.  Alex was the MC with a couple others.  He did an amazing job and kept people laughing.  I enjoyed just sitting there watching him and was amazed at his personality.  The people we were sharing a table with suggested that he throw in a couple jokes.  So he did "You might be a home school jokes."  Like...  You might be a home schooler if your family car is a 12 to 15 passenger van.  You might be a home schooler if your birthday is declared a school holiday.  You might be a home schooler if your teacher is caught kissing the principle.  etc.  It was a good night and one more way to celebrate our home school years.  Thank you for the night son. 

Our 21st Anniversary

In honor of our anniversary and the different seasons of life I have got together pictures that go with the seasons of life in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  The pictures didn't turn out real well but I hope you enjoy anyways the seasons of our 21 years of marriage.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.  A time to be born

Isabella Antonia birth

 A time to die

Alex with Grandma Maria Antonia (Isabella is name after her) has gone home to be with the Lord

 A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted

our garden last year.  Hoping to increase it with a couple more boxes soon

 A time to Kill a time to heal

Alex the knight in shining jammies on his horse ready to defeat the enemy

 A time to break down a time to break down a time to build up

My kids built their record 9 1/2 foot snowman this winter

 A time to weep

Our first trip with Alex to Island Park.  He didn't really enjoy it.

 and a time to laugh

But Alex did love to laugh.  Here he is with Grandpa

 A time to morn

Grandpa went home to be with the Lord and Grandma, mourning for us joy for them.

 a time to dance

Latisha and Alex dancing away at a wedding

 A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together

We tried for several years to build our waterfall and finally hired someone with knowledge to do it

 A time to embrace

Alex and Latisha embracing Cassandra

 and a time to refrain from embracing (?)
A time to get up

Morning after a long night with Alex came hard for David and I.

 and a time to lose.
A time to keep a time to cast away

Me keeping my babies close after Latisha's birth

 A time to rend a time to sew

Every year we sew Christmas pjs for the family

 A time to keep silence,

our wedding we kept silent as my sister sang and we listened to my Grandpa pray over us

 A time to speak

Speaking our vows to keep

 A time to Love

Love only grows as our family grows.  Here we are with Sierra.

 a time to hate.  A time of war

My grandpa served in WW11.  They had a gun salute at his funeral. 

 A time of peace. 

There is such peace in holding a sleeping baby.  Here I am with Danika.

I am so blessed with my Husband who has loved me for 21 years and am thankful to God for my husband and our amazing gifts of children.  I love you David Happy Anniversary.

Love Story part 5

What then is my love story.  It is a love story with God and David.  David and I didn't start off the easy way, God's way and for the first couple years of our marriage we paid.  But once we put God in control every year has gotten better and better. 

The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness, then all these things shall be added unto you.  Once we put God first things did go so much better.  So to those who are single I encourage you to Seek God first in all that you do.  Seeking romantic relationships is not God's best.  Get your focus on God and when you find someone whose focus is also on God you will both be headed in the right direction.  It is like a triangle where at the bottom corner is you and when God places someone in your life for your spouse they are the other bottom corner.  With both of you walking toward God he is the top of your triange and the closer you walk to God the closer your walk with each other will be.  The more David and I seek God and his will the closer we get to each other and the more joy and love there is in our life because God is Love and love without God is a struggle. 

In Proverbs 4:23 it said to guard your heart.  Your first love needs to be God, he will give you the desires of your heart.  If he gives you a desire for a spouse he will give you a spouse.  Guard your heart from those who would like to take pieces of your heart away.  And likewise don't be that person who takes peices of anothers heart.  Remove distractions that are not of God.  I have found the more I serve God and others, the more I don't notice my own selfishness, the hapier I am.  JOY is Jesus, others, yourself.  Guarding your heart means to put a hedge around what is going in your heart and that includes romantic relationships that are not in Gods time or Gods will.

Song of Solomn warns of not awaking love.  What a wonderful love story it is when we see someone who waited for that person God had for them.  Entered the marriage with their heart only given to God then to their spouse.  That is good fruit, fruit that endures.  As one waits pray.  Pray for that person who will one day have your heart or the heart of your child.  They need your prayer!!!  David and I pray all the time for our children's future spouse.  We want their hearts and lives protected also. 

Ecclesiastes reminds us that to everything there is a season.  Don't rush through the seasons that God has planned for you to satisfy the flesh.  

I hope someone out there can be blessed by this.  If you are a parent please encourage your child to seek God first.   David and I are not perfect parents. Our kids struggle the same as others and are also not perfect.  But as parents let's do the best we can to show them and encourage them to God's best. 

In a couple days David and I will be celebrating our 21st anniversary.  Join me for a fun post and a celebration of the wonderful gift of marriage.  May our marriages be ones of God's design. 

Alicia

Love Story part 4

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 

Now life really began.  We were poor college students but really didn't know how poor we were.  We had each other and God.  But we had something else....baggage.  Here we were at 19 and yet we had baggage.  Some laugh at me when I talk of my "rebellious years."  By the standard today it wasn't much, but when I hold myself accountable to God's standards I realize I fall short.  As a young child I gave my heart to God.  I truly loved the Lord and yet I made mistakes.  I guess what I want is to share what I have learned.

In our early years of marriage we had so much growth.  So much to get over.  We had to learn to love unselfishly, a work still in progress.  The whole thought process that occurs in dating of breaking up is not an option in marriage.  The images of serving self is all over. 

After a few years of marriage we were serving as youth lay ministers.  This was the first time we had been introduced to dating as a bad thing.  David and I sat in awe as we soaked in how God's plan for finding a spouse should not include dating until you are ready to get married.  Can you imagine what a gift I could have given to David if I could have given him my whole heart?  He is so funny about any reference to a past boy friend.   So for our own children we encourage them to wait on dating until they are ready for marriage.    They have friends and do things with friends and although I know things are about to change as they are getting older, relationships have not been a big issue.   I look forward to the day when God shows them that someone he has for them, but until that time let's avoid as much drama as possible. 

The book I kissed Dating Goodbye by Josh Harris was a very good start for us to change our thought pattern.   It is good to not allow dating relationships to interfere with your relationship with God.  Your youth is a time to grow in Christ and to serve others.  The pattern of getting together and breaking up sets up a pattern for divorce.  Dating also sets the stage for unnecessary heart ache and can truly split a youth group wide apart.

A lady at our church wrote a paper on modern dating.  In it she told that the origins of dating comes from prostitutes.  Dates were what they called the men they were with.  Isn't it sad that this is what is now the process by which many find a spouse.  This was mans way of fulfilling the lust of the flesh and not Gods way of finding a companion to represent Christ and the church.

I encourage you to really think what dating really is.  How the television shows we watch, the movies we go to and the music we listen to focus on wrong relationships, relationships focused on self, dating as recreation, and sex outside of marriage.   Youth should be a time to grow in God and build a strong relationship with Him, serve others, and find God's plan for you life.  I encourage you to set boundaries for yourself or to help your children set boundaries for themselves before they start giving their hearts away.  After Pastor Mark's Purity series, when David and I were youth lay ministers, we began to talk to our two little children at that time about not having relationships before they were married.  We told them it would be best to save their first kiss for their wedding.  My son was in his preschool class at church when a little girl next to him asked him for a kiss.  He told her he couldn't kiss until he was married.  So she explained to him that he could be the daddy and she would be the mommy.  Funny, but David and I were there to intervene and it gave us a heads up on how young these things start.  A couple of wonderful books are Keeping Our Children's Hearts by the Maxwell's and Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarrah Mally. 

In dating one is focused on your own self.  How does this person meet my needs.   How do they make me feel.  My youth should have been focused on God and God's plan for my life.  Then when I had met David at God's appointed time my focus should have been if this is the man God has for me how can I bless him. God has so given me back everything the devil tried to take away and our marriage, though not perfect, is absolutely amazing.   My desire is to encourage others to take a stance for purity.  Look at how you dress, talk, love, watch, listen, and your beliefs.  Do they glorify God? 

Philippians 4:8  Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Love Story part 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...A time to love, and a time to hate a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ok so now the fairytale begins. Right?  We began the planning of the wedding.  The wedding that I had been planning all my life.  Complete with fufu dresses and a train.  How exciting it was.  I loved picking out the dress, the cake, the napkins, the invitation, the ceremony, the registry.  David didn't have a lot of input and I was so glad because after all I had been planning this for years.  Everything, at least from my point of view went wonderful.  I don't remember much drama, others remember a bit more.  David and I always had our discussions as my mother called them but isn't that how a relationship was supposed to be.  If someone made you unhappy you be sure and let them know. 

Then the day came, March 19, 1990.  We were both 19 and so excited.  My grandfather officiated the wedding and I couldn't be more thrilled.  My daddy calmed me as the wedding march began and for a minute I teared up as I thought this was the last time I would be daddy's little girl.  We started down the aisle and there stood my groom.  Dressed so handsome and he began to choke up.  He said that he thought I was so beautiful it took his breath away.  He held my hand through the ceremony and I remember thinking "He really does love me."  The wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch, except for one of the singers hair caught on fire as she stood too close to the candle opera.  The reception was perfect and we were finally man and wife. 

David and Alicia

David and my grandpa ready to start

My dad walking me down the aisle

finally Husband and Wife

Off we went on our honey moon.  We probably looked like kids as we dressed in our matching outfits and boarded an airplane for our romantic trip to Disneyland.  It was just amazing.  We got a little sun burned but what a way to start a marriage, complete with breakfast with Micky and Minnie.  Then the honey moon was over.  We were on spring break headed back home.  Got home quite late and were awakened by a phone call.  David was late for a raquet ball tournament and off he went. 

here we are at the airport in our matching sweats and t-shirts

A Love Story part 2

Song of Solomon 2:7  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up nor awake my love, till he please.

Well, here I was in a relationship with one very cute guy.  Over the next couple of years we began a process of dating and breaking up then dating and breaking up.  Each time I would go through a tremendous heart ache.  I had truly given my heart away again.  Had I not learned from past relationships that it hurts.  What does it take for one to change the pattern of life they have going. 

Finally, I invited him to church.  He actually came.  I was raised in a Pentecostal church and this Sunday was a live one.  I wanted to hide under the pew.  But something happened and we both went to the front during alter call and gave our lives to God.  It was so wonderful.  An older lady in the church told us that God had a call on our lives and He does.  Things started to change in our relationship.  God was now involved and a month later later David asked me to marry him.   It is amazing what happens in our lives when we let God be in control. 

It wasn't a real romantic proposal by some standards.  We were both college students and this was a big step.  I had shown David the ring I wanted and he went and bought it!   He had come to my house for my mothers birthday dinner.  I was frantically cooking and he asked me to come in the other room with him.  How could he do that, he obviously didn't see that I was very busy.  Finally he dragged me away from the kitchen took me in the other room and got down on one knee.  "Alicia Marie" he said and I mockingly said "David Anthony"  (not his real middle name just to aggravate him a bit).  He started again and now says at that moment he almost took the ring back.  Then he got out "the box" and said "Alicia Marie will you marry me?''  I was totally overwhelmed.  The idea of marriage seemed so natural, I had shown him the ring I wanted, but now the reality of it blew me away.  I stared at him.  Then I said "yes, oh yes."

Continued tomorrow...

A Love Story

Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteous; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Once upon a time there was a happy little girl who believed in love and stories of happily ever after and good as good and bad as bad. She was raised in a stable home and had just as many insecurities as the next little girl but had her faith in the Lord.  This little girls was me and I am going to share with you my love story.  From a young age I was interested in boys, I loved the flutter feeling I would get when one noticed me.  In second grade I had my first crush.  My first "kid" boyfriend in 3rd grade and started giving my heart away.  One of my favorite shows to watch was "Happy Days."  I thought the Fonz was so cool and watched the teenage dating ritual complete with make out sessions all glamorized in Sunday, Monday, happy days...  Church was no different.  The youth were all finding relationships with each other and it all looked so romantic.  When would my day come?

I spent my youth waiting for a guy to notice me.  My focus was on myself and boys.  Getting my first kiss was so exciting.  Then I learned the ritual of getting my heart broke.  Although that kiss meant something to me it meant little if anything to that boy.  So along came the next guy and this time I chose to end this relationship in hopes of something better and more exciting.  I wasn't a big dater.  I tried to focus on God but if my heart was stirred by a boy showing interest then I would follow my immature impulse and see what would happen this time.  Maybe this is the one?!?  Adults didn't help much they loved to ask if I had a boyfriend and if I didn't I felt somehow less important.  What was I to do. 

Then it happened I truly met the boy of my dreams.  We were in high school and he was so incredibly handsome.  My friend had a crush on him.  I really didn't think he would notice me.  And he didn't, he doesn't even remember that meeting.  A couple months later some friends and I went to a basketball game.  After the game we went bowling with a group of guys.  A couple of the guys in the group were quite cute and one of my friends placed her claim on one right off the bat.  That was ok because there was that guy I had met a couple months ago.  He was so cute and a bit of a flirt.  As we were bowling he asked to see my class ring.  He looked at it and I went to bowl.  I forgot about the ring until the next morning when I woke up and noticed it was gone.  The next morning was Sunday and an ex of mine from church camp had driven a couple hours to come see me.  While he was there I got this call from that cute guy.  He had my ring and also the start of my heart. 

Continued tomorrow...

The Box

OK, so I might have a slight love of kids toys.  I love the cute little sounds they make, the cute lights and the encouragement of learning.  It doesn't have to just be electrical, I like building toys, creative toys,  and reading kids story and basically playing with my kiddos.  I keep the toys we have and they don't leave until they break.  Why?  Because I form memories with the silly toys.  I can remember Alex in his little red car riding around with Mandy, then Latisha in that same car with Whitley, and Sierra with Rebekah and on it goes.  It is not so pretty right now but that car is kind of like a memorial of good times and friends.  Really we could probably get rid of about 1/2 the toys we have and not even notice it but I watch little ones come over and delight in our small toy store and it is all good.  Now the clean up can be another story.  My husband on the other hand will go through and find things and discard them or take them somewhere and rarely is it an issue.  The truth is the little ones really don't care.  Today Cassandra and her cousin Lauren were having the best time with a silly diaper card board box.  And the kicker was listening to Isabella laugh at them.  She thought they were hysterical and just kept laughing.  They were all having the best time with that box, and I truly enjoyed myself too.  They box cost nothing (outside of the diapers) but the enjoyment and imagination was great.  I guess what I'm saying is we can do that with anything.  Often I want the newest the best the thing that entertains the most but God is all we need and he has given us the most amazing theme park, this life and all of his creation.  I enjoy his creation and the rest can all really just be clutter.  Have a great day.

I wish you could hear her adorable laugh

Alicia 

Grandma's Cocoa Day

Sierra, Danika, Lauren and Cassandra playing in the snow

Cassandra wearing her apron that Latisha made her for Christmas.  Soooooo cute.  Good Job Latisha.

It's a great snowy day.  The kind of day that the kids love hot chocolate.  I got the recipe when I was in 4H, as a kid.  Now my kids enjoy it quite frequently and a little snow fall is a good excuse. 
Grandma's Cocoa
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 tsp cocoa
Boil hard
add:  1 qt milk
         1/2 cup sugar
         1/2  tsp vanilla
         1/3 cup creamer (non dairy)
heat but don't boil and enjoy.

Fun Weekend

So it is official, I've entered my 40's.  What a wonderful job my family did throwing me a great celebration.  Latisha planned it all and did all the baking with a little help.  She also planned the decorating and had help from her siblings.  All the kids did what they could and it so blessed me that they all wanted to make my birthday so special.  We had a great turn out and I felt so blessed to be surrounded by good friends and lots of chocolate.  The theme was chocolate and I wonder how many went home feeling a little sick.  We had chocolate cake, mocha cheesecake, chocolate cherry lava cake, chocolate cookies, brownie trifle, truffles, mouse pie, chocolate fondue, and a chocolate mocha drink.  It was amazing.  Everything turned out so yummy.  Ever since I was little I had fondue on my birthday so my mom and dad made the chocolate fondue and brought it over.  How wonderful.  Many felt by the end of the night that yes there is such a thing as too much chocolate.  My favorite part was spending time with my friends.  I love getting lots of families together and see the fun.  We have been very blessed with a big enough home to have everyone feel comfortable and not too crowded although there was a lot of happy noise.
Then Saturday night we had around 30 home school high school kids here getting ready for their Junior Senior Banquet.  They needed a place to learn the steps to different dances they will have at the banquet.  There are 50 graduates so I was worried if they would all fit but it was fine. It is very formal and proper dancing with things like the Spanish waltz and Virginia Reel (?)  I so love having homeschoolers over.  They were very respectful to the teacher, parents, and each other and it so blessed me to see these kids that their parents have poured so much into getting ready to graduate.  The last graduation meeting we had they had kids sit together as they will at the ceremony and told the parents that today we would have to let our kids go as that is what is ahead for each of us.  I so teared up.  I'm sure most if not all of us have poured as much as we can into our children and coming to the end of their high school education is a big accomplishment for both the parents and the kids.  Obviously I'm new at this graduating kids thing and so every little step is a big one for me.
Well, tonight is another big evening with a marriage enrichment at our house, so I need to get on with that.  There should be around 10 couples and not sure how many kids.  God bless you all. 

Look at all this food.  So good

Let the chocolate overload begin

my parent, David's parents and my brother in law

The guys

I was blessed with great gifts.

My very good friends Amy and Desiree

The rehearsal

Learning proper etiquette

Lots of wonderful people made it to the party

The girls keeping everyone in order. :)