2015 White Family Christmas Letter

December 2015

Greetings Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas from The White House! =)  It is so amazing to think that 2015 is nearing its completion, and that a new year is about to begin.  Time passes by quickly.  Remember when it took “forever” for a whole year to pass?!

Marcelo is in 1^st grade this year, and loves reading, tinkering, and is very detailed.  He is very determined in most everything he does, or doesn’t do.  He played his first team sport this year, and has since decided he plans to be a professional soccer player.  Obviously, he ended up loving soccer!

Ethan is in the 4^th grade this year, and also loves reading, art, music, and sports.  He is detailed as well, and this particularly shines in his drawings or art projects.  He is also a gifted athlete.  He is currently playing basketball, played soccer earlier this year, and dreams of being a professional football player.  Both boys learned how to play chess this year, and I’m amazed at their ability to strategize.

Although Mario has been a pastor for over 10 years, this year he pursued becoming a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God.  In addition to being on the pastoral staff at our church, he oversees a counseling ministry at the church, and has his own private counseling practice in a nearby town.  He is the lead pastor for our 5pm service on Sundays, and we love being a part of our church and community.  He also had the opportunity to climb Mt. Adams this year, and hopes to climb Mt. Rainer in the near future! Michelle continues teaching Spanish to elementary aged students, and leading a Summer Enrichment program through our church’s preschool.  A highlight for her continues to be leading a week long Missions Emphasis week for elementary aged students, sharing about Unreached People Groups (UPG) and praying for our church’s adopted UPG’s.

More than anything, we are thankful to the Lord for His great gift of salvation. Because of Jesus, we no longer need to be separated from God.  This Truth offers us hope daily, in both the good times and the hard. It is our deepest desire that you each know God’s immense love for you. Whether or not you know Him, may this year mark a newness in your understanding of His love for you.  May this be true for our family as well.

Sincerely,

Mario, Michelle, Ethan and Marcelo White

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”         Isaiah 9:6

Las Posadas

As many of you know I have taught Spanish for years.  Currently I teach for elementary students, and I was searching for a simple way to share with them about Las Posadas.  I used several story books and handouts, but also felt inspired to write this poem.  Enjoy!  And Feliz Navidad!

A child dressed as Joseph, a child dressed as Mary

And many young travelers more….

Walk house to house looking for shelter

Waiting for an innkeeper to open his door

Those outside sing can they come in?

Those inside sing  “no room in the inn”

Night after night continues the drama

Nine nights in a row they search for Posada

The path sometimes long, the path sometimes short,

Luminarias lighting their way

Over and over they are told there’s no room

And the pilgrims have nowhere to stay

Those outside sing can they come in?

Those inside sing  “no room in the inn”

Night after night continues the drama

Nine nights in a row they search for Posada

At last there is hope --- an innkeeper says yes,

And shelter the couple has found

Candy and food, piñatas and fun

Songs of joy can be heard all around

Those outside sing can they come in?

Those inside sing  “Yes, please come in”

Night after night continues the drama

Nine nights in a row they search for Posada

We each are the innkeeper guarding our heart

Will we let the Christ Child come in?

He offers us life, wants us to be whole,

Only He can forgive us of sin.

The God of Creation asks can He come in?

We must decide what we’ll answer Him.

Night after night continues the drama

Until everyone’s heard He is our Posada

The Arrival of Advent

I am so excited for Advent to begin today.  I enjoy pausing in the midst of all the hustle and bustle to really think about what Advent really is and means.  The word “Advent” means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.”  For those who believe Jesus is the Messiah, Advent is all about the waiting, hoping, and preparation for His arrival. 

As I ponder the characters in the Christmas story I wonder about how they were waiting, hoping, and preparing.  It’s not unlike my own story. Or maybe yours. Aren’t we all waiting for something? Hoping for something?  Preparing for something?  For me it used to be waiting until I found someone I wished to marry and spend the rest of my life with.  Would I ever meet him?  Or, I hoped, by some miracle my dad would be cured of his Louis Gehrig’s disease.  Or, I prepared for my son’s birth…thinking he would follow the family trend of being born weeks early…only to have him be two weeks late.  Waiting is never fun.  It’s hard. It’s work.  It takes encouragement and determination to hold on. To not let go.

I’m sure Isaiah had hoped he’d see the Messiah come and fulfill all that he had prophesied.  My guess is the shepherds were encouraged (along with being scared) that the long awaited Messiah was really finally coming.  I think Mary held tight to the fact that someday others would finally see that her hoping in the Lord was honorable.  So honorable, that she became the mother of the Messiah, the Savior.  She endured shame and rejection, but clung to what she knew to be true.

May I continue to do the same.  Hold tight to what I know to be true.  Keep hoping when it seems impossible.  And prepare.  Prepare for what is yet to come.  Prepare my heart for what matters most.  Prepare my children by investing in them.

I wanted to share with you a few simple things we’ll be doing this season.  We’ll be lighting advent candles each week (beginning today), and then the fifth candle will be lit on Christmas Day.  Each means something significant.  In the past, I’ve printed coloring sheets for the boys to color the candles instead of lighting real ones.  We’ve also made a paper plate wreath, and cut out three purple and one pink circle to set tea lights on.  This year I found an advent candle stand at a second hand shop.  So, we’ll light the appropriate candles each week, and talk about its meaning.  I found some simple prayers I’m posting on our wall by our dining table to help us remember.

I find it’s so easy to get caught up all that our society says about Christmas.  And we have to be intentional about slowing down, pausing to remember what’s true, and taking time to ponder it and be encouraged by it.  The truth is that Jesus IS Truth (John 14:6). He is our Savior, the long awaited Messiah.  We might spend our whole lives waiting in lines, hoping for something to change.  Whether it’s hoping and waiting for the little things or big things…it still drains us.  Leaving us thirsty.  But the only thing that can truly satisfy is Jesus (Matt. 11:28). Only He has the power to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13). Only He can breathe hope and joy and love into us that is eternal.

May you, along with our family, pause this season to be filled up.  To remember, and refocus, re-invite our Savior in.

Michelle

p.s., here are the prayers we’ll be using this year:

Candle 1 (purple) This is the candle of hope, aka the prophecy candle.  Prayer: Come Lord Jesus fill my heart with hope.

Candle 2 (purple) This is the candle of peace, aka the Bethlehem candle, as well as the candle of preparation. Prayer: Come Lord Jesus fill my heart with peace.

Candle 3 (pink or rose) This is the candle of joy, aka the Shepherd’s candle.  Prayer: Come Lord Jesus fill my heart with joy.

Candle 4 (purple) This is the candle of love, aka the Angel’s candle. Prayer: Come Lord Jesus fill my heart with love.

Candle 5 (white) This is the Christ candle. Prayer: Come, let us adore him.  Jesus, the Savior, has been born!

Here's a simple coloring sheet of the candles:

http://www.freefunchristmas.com/christmas-coloring-pages/advent-wreath-coloring-page/

Homemade Resurrection Eggs

This is going to be our activity this week.  I'll keep you posted as to how it goes...and try to take a photo of our eggs once we make them.  Thought I'd share this before we do it...in case of you are interested in doing it with your kids as well.  Happy Easter!

Preschool  Easter Activity

Thriving Family April 2012

Retell and celebrate the Resurrection story with your child by creating a preschool version of “Resurrection eggs.” Gather six plastic eggs, each a different color. Place the following items inside, one item per egg: bread crumb, paper cross, strip of cloth, rock and piece of candy. One egg will remain empty. As you tell the Resurrection story, let your child open the eggs. Explain each item in the following order:

1.       Bread crumb: Jesus ate dinner with His friends. (Luke 22:14-15)

2.       Cross: The next day, Jesus died on the Cross. (John 19:17-18)

3.       Strip of cloth: He was wrapped in cloth and placed in a tomb. (John 19:40)

4.       Rock: A stone was placed in front of the tomb. (Matthew 27:59-60)

5.       Empty egg: Jesus’ friends came to the tomb and saw the stone had been moved. The tomb was empty! (Luke 24:1-3)

6.       Candy: Jesus is alive. That’s the sweet surprise of Easter. (Matthew 28:5-6)

Once you’ve finished sharing the Resurrection story with your child, encourage him/her to use the eggs to tell the story in his/her own words. 

Other resources:

www.thrivingfamily.com

www.jellytelly.com

Good Friday thoughts

Isaiah 53:3-4

The Message (MSG)

 ^2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, 
   a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him, 
   nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over, 
   a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away. 
   We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— 
   our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself, 
   that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him, 
   that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole. 
   Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. 
   We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, 
   on him, on him.

Jesus, forgive me for only barely understanding all that it is you did for me.  That you not only carried my sins, but the whole worlds.  I cannot even begin to imagine how horrible and heavy, thick and rancid, emotional and overwhelming that must have been.  When I'm carrying my own sin around it distorts my vision, creates physical presences such as headaches and muscle's hurting, can give gloom to my day and my being.  It can cripple me at times. And left to linger it eats away at me.  Oh, the disgusting thought that you must have felt similar things....while baring the sin of not just one man....but all mankind....and not just one sin, but a lifetime of sins.  And none your own.  You had never known the horror and separation it brings from life, from God.  You had never sinned. And yet our sin separated you from God the Father...because that's what sin does. It separates. It divides.

You continued to bare our sin even when people mocked you. Put thorns on your head. Beat you. Humiliated you.  You could have changed your mind at any time. These weren't your sins to carry.  You could have called the wrath of God down on those who hurt you, who despised you.  You could have asked the angels to attend you. But you didn't. You continued on to the very end....so you could say, "It is finished." So the curse could be BROKEN.  That we could have the opportunity of being freed from the curse of sin and death. Something we could never do on our own.

I am overwhelmed at what you did for me. For all of us. Thank you. Thank you.

I desire to live my life for you. I truly do.  And at times I find hard.  And much of the time I find I am distracted by the world around me.  But I want to live for you.  Please help me. Help me to lean on your Holy Spirit.  Help me to be focused and intentional about how I live me life. And when my emotions blind me, give me clarity.  I am Yours, and I desire to live for You.

A Poem about Doris Johnson (my grandma, and my children's Great Grandma)

When I think of Nana,

I think of a woman with many names:

Doris, Dode, Mom, Nana & GG.

I think of a woman who loved her family greatly.

When I think of Nana,

I think of a Matriarch,

a hen mothering her chicks,

wondering how all her children are,

and saying a prayer for wherever they are.

When I think of Nana,

I think of split pea soup with ham,

pizza parties, dilly bars, and ice cream.

I think of gnomes, a hidden key, and many a family gathering.

When I think of Nana,

I recall road trips to Ellensburg & California,

camping with her & Papa in the camper,

the smell of Downy, and my surprise at her false teeth.

When I think of Nana,

I remember feeding horses on neighborhood walks,

Harry her neighbor, hiding when delivering May Day flowers,

her & Papa staying with us kids when my parents traveled,

Missy being born on the couch.

When I think of Nana,

I will always think of a woman that loved her family,

Someone who enjoyed visiting, holding little ones,

singing old church songs, and excited to someday live in Heaven.

She is there now, and she is happy.

She is singing with her Savior, & holding her husband's hand.

Her body is young and able,

and she prays that we will all join her there one day.

This is what I think of when I think of Nana.

Not Giving Up

Oh, the joys of parenting! Monday the verse at our mom's group was Galatians 6:9, "Let us not grow weary of doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  It was encouraging us moms to keep instilling good virtues into our children; to keep sharing with them about the Lord, His Word, and how that plays out into our everyday lives; to not give up...even when it sounds like we're a broken record telling our kids to put away their shoes, or be kind to one another, etc.

That verse has continued to play in my mind a lot this week.  We all have those moments (sometimes more often than not) that just feel overwhelming or frustrating. 

Today at the grocery store I had a moment where I am proud to say I feel like I did the right thing, and I think my kids learned a lesson! (Hooray....because I can also attest to that is not always the case for myself or my kids). They were having a hard time listening and obeying the whole shopping experience. Running, hiding, and in particular sitting on the grocery racks & then again on a bunch of soda cans that were for sale.  They had already been scolded, taken a time out, etc.  We went out to the car (me frustrated) and as I loaded the car with the groceries I felt like God gave me an idea.  I then proceeded to have another chat with my kids about how it was not only them being disobedient to me, but being disrespectful to the store owners, workers, and other shoppers. Then I had them walk back into the store and apologize to the checkout clerk we had been with earlier.  They became very serious, I think perhaps a little nervous. They apologized, sharing what it was specifically that they had done to be disrespectful, and then asked for forgiveness. I must say I was not anticipating the look of shock on the clerks' face, nor that of those in line.  But he forgave them, and my kids went into the next store with me much more helpful and obedient.  =)

It is my hope that my boys will grow up being respectful of other people and their property. The good news about Galatians 6:9 is it says we'll reap a harvest if we don't give up.  So, bit by bit we'll keep "planting" and I'm looking forward to the "harvest" when they don't need me to remind them of the right thing to do. In the mean time...may the Lord continue to help me "not give up" because there are for sure times that I feel that way.

Blessings on all of you! 

Michelle

ABC verses

Some of you have asked about our ABC verses on the wall in the boys room.   It is definitely a work in progress…finally having half of them up now!  I am looking forward to the rest being painted soon.  =)

It is amazing how many of them (or at least pieces of them) that the boys know already.  A-E have been up for several years, so of course they are the most known.  Plus, I made up songs about those 5, so they know the songs as well.  And Ethan can even read the newest ones, which still surprises Mario and I.  It’s amazing to hear and be a witness to him reading. Each night before bed we review a Scripture verse or passage together.  Mario even has helped Ethan to memorize Psalm 23 in the NLT!  Ethan does such a great job, and it's wonderful to hear Marcelo chiming in the parts he knows.  =)

It is our prayer that these verses would be the beginning of a lifetime of hiding God’s Word in their hearts; that these simple truths would bring clarity and hope in hard moments.  That when they do something right they know who to give credit to, and that when they do something wrong they know why is was wrong and what to do differently in the future.   And I am amazed at how they speak truth to me as well…like when I’m frustrated about something and not using the kindest tones…verse B pops into my head! 

May the Lord continue to mold and shape us as parents so we can better guide our children towards Truth. 

A: Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.  Proverbs 4:23

B: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32

C: Children obey your parents in the Lord.  Ephesians 6:1

D: Do to others what you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

E: Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

F: For the Lord is the great God, the great king above all gods. Psalm 95:3

G: Give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians

H: He who began a good work it you will carry it on to completion. Philippians 1:6

I: I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. Psalm 139:14

J: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6

K: Keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 1 Peter 3:10

L: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. Luke 10:27

M: My soul finds rest in God alone. Psalm 62:1

May these ABC verses be a blessing to you and your family, however you choose to use them.  Hide them in your heart.  You’ll be glad you did!

Carrot Juice Anyone?

Well, this year is full of new adventures for the White Household.  One of which is juicing! We have been enjoying a lot of carrot-apple juice. The boys love it…which is really great!  I’ve also been exploring with things to do with the pulp.  Today’s recipe is now creating Gena’s Juice Pulp Crackers in our dehydrator.  I’m really looking forward to trying them…they sure smell delicious!

Here’s the recipe:

2 ½ cups juice pulp
½ cup ground flaxseed
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp curry
1 tbsp nama shoyu
1 tbsp lemon juice

Here’s the link in case you want the directions:

http://www.choosingraw.com/got-juice-pulp-or-how-to-make-raw-crackers/

I’ve also altered a favorite recipe for muffins…now using the carrot apple pulp as well.  They are still delicious, and by using the pulp and switching the oil to apple sauce, they are now half the calories!  What a bonus!!

Here’s my recipe (based off of Joan Kelly’s “Company Muffins” in Favorite Recipes from Quilters):

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats (or ½ cup, then ½ cup oat bran)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

4 cups carrot/apple pulp

½ cup raisins

¾ cup apple sauce

½ cups milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1.      Combine flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  (I like to keep this already prepped in a glass jar in my pantry).

2.      Add pulp to the dry ingredients. Then the raisins, and then the applesauce.

3.      Make a well in the center and add milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until just moistened.

4.      Use a tablespoon (T) to scoop batter into mini cupcake tins (greased, or use the mini cupcake holders).

5.      Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.  Makes approx. 72 mini cupcakes, 30 calories each.

 So here's to a new year of healthier eating!

A New Tradition

In celebration of my parent’s birthdays we pulled from ideas from last year’s birthday celebrations....and instead of letting Ethan body paint my dad…we face painted all of the kids!  Then we enjoyed a pizza dinner together, thanking the Lord for both Nana and Papa..  I think we may have started a new tradition!  Marcelo wanted to be Spider Man, Senna Spider Girl, and Ethan...a Native American!

Christmas GIVING

This year we have been attempting to help the boys learn that Christmas time is not just for getting, but for giving.  Now, when we pass by a Salvation Army volunteer ringing a bell the boys get all excited, shouting “there is one of Santa’s helpers!” (or as Marcelo says, “There’s Santa!).  =)  They are eager to share some of their change into the red bucket, ring the bell, and share with those in need.

We also bought some ducks from the World Vision gift catalog…helping a family in somewhere like Bangladesh that has been flooding a lot.  This way…even if it rains, the ducks can still survive since they can swim!  Ethan has asked if duck eggs taste like chicken eggs…any answers anyone??  I told him I thought probably pretty close.  =)

The biggest “hands on” Christmas “giving” we did though was help put together the Christmas food baskets at our church.  What a delight!  16 kids and 8 adults worked hard on putting the 60 boxes together.  There are so many people going through hard times.  And I want to be a part of the solution and help.  And I want my kids to be as well.  I don’t want Christmas, or any other time of the year, to be an “all about me” time.  I want to teach my kids, and remind myself, that there are people in NEED; people who don’t have food, shelter, or warmth…living RIGHT HERE.  We can be a part of the solution and be a blessing.  AND by helping it brings perspective to our own lives. 

Thank you Lord for all the blessings you have given us.  Please help us to be mindful of them.  And please help us to be ready at any time to be a blessing to those around us going through hard times. 

Merry Christmas Eve to all of you!

Michelle

Marcelo praying in Sunday School

I just thought this was too funny and sweet not to share....below is an email from Marcelo's Sunday School teacher:

When I got all the kids seated at the table with their snacks-  I asked Marcelo if he would pray for snack.  He said he would.  What followed was about twenty seconds of the cutest thing I've ever witnessed.  I couldn't understand most of it, but I heard "thank you" at least twice.  I think he might have used the words "corndog," "percolator" and "Cincinnati."  Anyway, what an adorable "little fella"

-Erik (2 year old's teacher)

Hale Hokua

As I sit here on the North Shore, hearing the waves crashing methodically, I have this overwhelming sense that dad is missing.  Some moments I think I could walk around the corner and see him reading out on the back porch.  Or, perhaps come in the front door after being gone on an excursion. 

 

We are having a great time here, boogie boarding, building sand castles, and eating great food.  And by no means does the abscence of dad prohibit us from having a great time.  I'm just saying his abscence is noticable.  I am certain he is watching from above enjoying us all enjoying this wonderful place on earth. 

 

There are certain memories that seem so clear as I sit and close my eyes on the back porch. I recall reading and discussing many books together in this same spot.  I think the last book I read here was The Shack.  I think just like in that book when there is a moment where the main character gets to see and talk with his daughter who had passed away, I think being here provides almost a similar moment.  Even more similar is JP's dream about a week ago at home where he did get to talk with Papa Ray and dad.

 

I can almost hear dad laughing when JP or Mario plays with the kids....swinging them around, throwing them in the air, or helping them play at the beach.  I can almost hear dad comment on how incredible Fumi's Shrimp is, or Ted's Bakery's guava butter shrimp sandwich.  And I feel a little bit like driving to find the church he went to in high school, just because dad would do so, and he would want to say hi to whoever pastors there now.  =)

 

I am very glad we did not come here right away after dad passed away.  I know we all wished we could escape and flee to wonderful relaxation.  A place with no feeding tubes, no round the clock caregivers, etc. It would have been wonderful, but would have left us without something to look forward to in the near future.  I think each of us getting a chance to process, to heal, to figure out our new norm, has allowed us to come to the North Shore and more than relax...but have fun.  I think that may have been hard to do immediately after dad's homegoing.

 

I smile right now as I hear the kids singing outside.  They have definitely been our little entertainers.  I also chuckle thinking of dad doing the hula at the Polynesian Cultural Center, or the pig hunt there as well. Random thought, I know. I am also saddened to see his empty place on the bed he and mom shared here, but hope that the grandkids having cartoon time with Nana helps heal a little part of that place in mom's heart. 

 

God is good, and I wouldn't trade my life.  I wouldn't want my dad to return to that horrible disease just so I could have him around.  And I wouldn't trade my parent's for anyone else's parents.  God blessed me so much, and really I am grateful.  As I close this "letter" I think of the phrase, "Blessed to be a blessing", and I think that applies here too.  I have been blessed with my family.  Not just the one I was raised in, but the one I live life with now.  And really my whole family is blessed.  And so, we aren't supposed to keep it to ourselves...we are meant to bless others, in order to share God's love and goodness with others.  May we do it well

Insanity, Chaos, & a New Perspective

It's not easy raising little warriors.....can anyone else relate??  Ethan (almost 5) and Marcelo (2) are so FULL of energy it's CRAZY most of the time.  =)  And they currently seem to have a love/hate relationship.  Mostly they love each other...but they play games like "let's push each other and laugh and laugh until someone gets hurt." (Of course that's not what they call the game. I think they actually refer to it as BONK, and they, of course, never "mean" for anyone to get hurt).

They also really like the "let's sing, shout, stomp, and scream to make mom go crazy" game. I was thinking today it is REALLY good we don't live in an apartment.

But then in the midst of it all there are these WONDERFUL PRECIOUS moments that melt my heart.  Like Marcelo ALWAYS saying "thank you mom" whether I give him a cookie, a car to play with, or open a door for him. Or Ethan exclaiming, "Mom, this dinner is GREAT!!!"

Mario and I talk occasionally how when we take time to think about it, we are probably A LOT like our kids in how we act towards our Heavenly Father. I am SO GLAD He has soooooo much more patience that I do!!! I can't imagine how many "time out's" I'd be in.  (Or that maybe I've been in and thought it was all God's fault instead of my own).

Well, nothing like having kids to help us live with a mix of near insanity and gaining a new perspective on our personal relationship with the Lord.  Hmmmm...think that was on purpose??  I do.   =)

Enjoy the last bit of September!!

Michelle

Feeling Amish

Each year I feel a little more and more Amish.  I know that sounds funny, but with waking up at 5am (courtesy of Marcelo), farmer Mario attending to our garden, and my attempting to cook more and more from scratch….it’s the best thing I have to compare how I feel right now.  Even better is that I like it.  =)

Some things in our garden aren’t growing as well as we would like…for instance the tomatoes grow…but don’t want to turn red.  But others seem to produce in very large quantities.  Like the squash and zucchini.  I’ve been blanching and freezing to no end!  Zucchini bread anyone?  Grilled Zucchini? Zucchini fries? How about Zucchini soup, or scrambled eggs mixed with shredded zucchini? 

Really though, our garden has been a huge blessing.  We’ve also got green beans, a couple varieties of lettuce, spinach, bell peppers, onions, and hubbard squash.  Any ideas of what to do with a hubbard squash?  They still have a been longer in the garden to grow…but starting to search our recipes now.  =)

We were also given some wonderful peaches from a family friend, and some apples from our neighbors, so I’ve been canning….and we now have jars of applesauce and peaches ready to eat in the winter!  And lots of wild blackberries too!  Like I said….I’m starting to feel Amish.

As I think about my boys, I think my favorite quote this week was Ethan talking to Marcelo.  We were in the car, and I could see them in the rear view mirror as Ethan leaned over to get a little closer to Marcelo.  Then he said, “Hey, Marcelo, when we grow up, let’s be friends.”  Marcelo’s response, “Ok.” Gotta love it!

Enjoy what little sunshine and good weather we might have left!  It was wonderful to have it return this past week!

Blessings!

Michelle

A New Season

We have definitely entered a new season in our lives...and in many ways it is like a breath of fresh air.  After three long and heavy years, Mario has finished his Masters in Counseling! That means no more commuting to Seattle, no more homework, no more internship--while working full time.  Praise the Lord!  It is wonderful knowing he is coming home for dinner, him having more time to be with the boys, watching him "farm" in our garden, etc.
It also continues to be an adjustment to life without my dad. In so many ways there is a relief that the hardship of caring for him is over.  And yet, I miss him. We miss him.
And this week Ethan started preschool three afternoons a week....and it happens to be during Marcelo's nap time...which means this mom of two VERY active boys gets a chance to take a break!!! Who knows, maybe I'll actually clean my house!  Or enjoy a cup of coffee in silence!  Ahhhh...just thinking about it brings a smile to my face!
Well, I'm off to ensure Ethan eats some lunch before he heads out the door to preschool! Have a great day and weekend everyone!
Michelle

Raising Warriors?

You may ask why I named this blog spot Raising Warriors...but not only do Mario and I hope to raise up our children to be Warriors for the Lord, their names both mean warrior.  Ethan's name means courageous warrior (& Ethan was one of David's mighty men), and Marcelo means little warrior. Pretty funny---since he's not so little.  (He is in the 97% for his age for height, and it is estimated he will be 6 ft 4 in when fully grown!)

As we are on this en devour of raising and training our children (which takes up most of our lives right now), I thought I'd blog about it...so I'd take time to pause and reflect in the midst of this journey, and to share my journey with any of you wanting to hear what's happening in our lives.

So...here's to my first blog!