Where you go, I will go; where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people for your God is my God.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Fresh Blankets.

*BDSCN1000aby* blankets that is.  

Part of the loot from our baby shower this past weekend. 

Will the day come when I am not excited about washing little baby items?  Probably.  And very soon.  As in once the baby is actually using them---but until then, I gleefully wash and play with all his little things, anticipating the wonder of the little man who will dirty it all up. 

Soon, very soon. 

Enchanted

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Up and over a winding dirt road above our casita lies a little piece of heaven.  Tucked unto a forgotten valley between hills and el Cofre de Perote exist a little ranch.  Some refer to it as a zoo because of the many exotic animals that call the land  home, but it is really so much more than that.  Apart from the water buffalo, mountain lions, owls, wart hogs, and many other species, green houses bursting with color and unique foliage dot the privately owned property. 

DSCN0948Around each curve hides a new treasure.  Upon entering the gate all five senses are awaked.  The smell of roses, an array of birds chirping, the sun and wind gently kissing the face, colors popping in all directions, and even the taste of the great outdoors fills the mouth.  Stop. Breath deep. Smile.  Was the Garden of Eden like this?!

I am continuously surprised at the beauty that surrounds us in our little corner of the world.   Little gifts given to us by God to remind us that we are not really home yet….He is preparing a place for us, and I do believe it will be far more awe-inspiring than the ranch we went to Sunday.  But until I pass from this world, I will be happy to catch a glimpse of the next by frequently visiting el rancho.

Friday, April 13, 2012

El Patio

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His Crib

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~Sheets {lovingly used} given by his great-great aunt Tita.

~ Knitted blanket and pillow made by his paternal grandmother Mimi.

~Little lamb blanket given my his soon-to-be Aunt Karen.

~Painting from his talented Uncle Drew. 

Marbles.

Rafa recently brought home a huge jar of marbles.  They had been at his mom’s house; his collection from childhood.  Since we are about to have a full-time child at this house, he thought it was high time to bring them home.DSCN0628  I love them.  Each one has a story of how he won or traded for it and why he likes it.  Some are teeny tiny while others are giants.  Some are solid in color, others have more colors than the rainbow. 

They remind me that I married a man who was once a boy and open a window for me to peep inside his yesterdays.   Being married to Rafa has caused me to realize that the line between boyhood and manhood is not as defined as I once thought and that the best of men still know how to be boys. I am so thankful that my son has a dad who will teach him how to be a boy, and in doing so, show him what it means to be a man. 

Yes, the marbles have a permanent place in our home and I foresee them playing a large part in another boy’s childhood. 

It’s April 13th. It’s April 13th?!

How in the world did we ever get halfway through April already?  Wasn’t it *just* Christmas?!?  As a child I heard people talk about time flying and I could never understand it.  Now I do.  Does that mean I am old?  I’m okay with being old.DSCN0648 

Last night I spent some time cleaning up the computer.  Defragmenting, erasing old pictures and the like.  We are about to have a baby and I have a feeling we will need all the memory space for pictures we can get!    I took the time to look at the pictures from the past several months.   In doing so, I was reminded again and again of God’s goodness to us. Our life is nothing extraordinary. We are just a young couple passing through day to day life in the midst of the struggles that come from being strangers in this world.  But God is good.  Showing us again and again that we are His. That He wants our hearts and has a plan for our lives that is anything but ordinary. 

Why am I so slow to trust?  Why do I let my emotions, not the truth, guide my heart?  We are weeks or even days away from welcoming a little man into this world.  A child.  A person. A soul.  To say I am thrilled would be an understatement.  But to say I was not worried would be a flat out lie.  Change always worries me because I do not know what the outcome will be.  I often prefer for everything to stay the same, good, bad, or missing out on God’s best, because I know the way things are is something I can handle.  How sad is that?  Some thoughts from my journal a few days ago….

“Lord, I do believe that this whole things is causing me to trust You…and your word….trust that You know what’s best even if its not what I would choose.  Trust that You love the soul I carry inside of me more than I ever could. That this child is only mine for a time, that I am only a season in his life, and that You will determine the rest.  That you have entrusted me with this precious boy because you know I am able; not on my own, but thru You.  That your mercies are new every morning and that You will carry us through one day at a time.”