Can a mother be too proud of her little girl? I am struggling with that right now, as I attempt to write what is in my heart about our firstborn, our daughter Jessica Faith. The Lord gave her to us eleven years ago, and we were so ignorant, so unsuspecting of the treasure we had acquired in her.

When she arrived, I became a mother. I learned for the first time what it was like to carry a part of me outside of my body. So small, so vulnerable, so beautiful, she quickly won our hearts. Our lives had changed forever, and we never looked back.

As she grew, we learned so much about ourselves, about humanity, about God. We denied ourselves so that Jessica might have what she needed, and it was our joy to do so! We taught her God's Word, and promised to teach her to walk in His precepts. In training her, we were being trained in valuable life and ministry skills. We made mistakes. She readily forgave, and adored us as the gods in her little universe.

All too soon, she was no longer a toddler, but a spunky, happy little girl full of boundless energy. Her younger sister had arrived by then, and she eagerly took on the task of showing baby sister the world. How she made us all laugh! I might have kept her a little girl forever, but God knew better. He knew the best was yet to come..

As the years passed, I marvelled at her intelligence, her charm, her individuality, and her growing faith. She often surprised me with the thoughtful things she said, many times displaying wisdom beyond her years. I wrote many of those things into a journal, lest I forget them. We often talked about God and the Bible, and she loved to sing about Him! One day, she told me she wanted vida eterna, to be with God forever. That day she gave her heart to Christ.

And now she is eleven years old. Practically a lady! She chooses for herself to love God, to walk in His ways and seek to please Him with her life. She still adores us, her parents, but she knows we are not perfect. We still make mistakes. And she still graciously forgives. Whereas once we led her entirely by the hand, now she is beginning to walk by our side in this grace of the Christian life. I catch a glimpse of who she is becoming. A Christian. A lady. My friend. I am breathless at the thought that this beautiful person is my daughter.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us our Jessica for these eleven years!

And now, here are eleven things I love and admire about Jessica:

1) Her sweet, friendly personality.

2) Her kindness toward others.

3) Her willingness to help her mom.

4) She is so good with handicrafts and sewing.

5) She loves to give to others.

6) She loves and honors her parents.

7) She enjoys helping care for her younger siblings.

8) She readily memorizes God's Word, and is quick to recall key passages.

9) Her godly desire to learn how to be a keeper at home.

10) Her lovely, feminine ways which delight those around her.

11) Her sweet Christian testimony she maintains among her friends.

Happy birthday, sweet Jessica! I love you!

We have had some really cloudy days. It looks like it's trying to rain, and it is quite too early for rainy season! Makes the landscape around our house look as cool as it is - between 50 and 60 degrees F.


Our neighbors are all getting their fields ready for the next planting. The cool weather is nice when they're hard at work outdoors.


But I have a cozy little indoor nook for these babies! Jessica and I planted tomato seeds back in November.


I am dreaming of big, ripe, juicy, homegrown tomatoes!


We have had a couple of sick-o's in the house. Poor little J.B. and Joel have that upper-respiratory-snotty-nose-headache-sniffly-sneezy misery going on. It has passed among most of us, and hopefully is on its last leg.


Nothing some home remedies and snuggle-love won't take care of. :o)


Speaking of love, Daniel got pretty creative with the pancake batter the other day...


What would you call this, pancake art? Batter splatter?


Nothing says "I love you," like pancakes...

...Unless it's cheesecake, which is my hubby's treat of choice. I made him one for Valentine's Day, and let me tell you, my search for the perfect recipe is over. This one was smooth, creamy, toe-curling, cheesy goodness! Maybe I'll share the recipe for my Food on Fridays post this week. I have to make it again, since I didn't take a photo of the last one. ;o)

I hope you all are having a blessed week!

Yes, we are finally concluding our Family Birthday Month of May! :o) Daniel's birthday actually landed on Sunday, which was Dia De La Familia at the church in San Juan. (Details about that on our ministry blog.)

Today, the day after his actual birthday, was dubbed Daniel's Birthday Cake Day. And every year by the time we get to his birthday, we are all birthday caked-out and ready for something different. Like meatloaf, you say? Well, not THAT different. He loves cheesecake, so that's what I make him.


And he feels sooooo loved. :o)

You notice there's no bitsy, dainty pie-sized cheesecake here. No sir, the rest of us want a piece, too! I make the big one, and we're almost certain to have enough to go around. ;o)

The children all adore their Daddy and shower him with lots of attention, especially for his birthday. Jessica made him a special little frame with her picture, and on the frame she wrote, "Has any other girl a father like mine? So loving, so tender to his daughter. I thank God for you, Daddy!"

If you know Daniel, then you know that he is always serving, always lending a hand where help is needed.

He is a man who is comfortable wearing a suit and tie...


...But is just as comfortable in his work clothes, getting his hands dirty.


He'll try just about anything...once.


If it works, he'll do it again. If it doesn't, he chalks it up to experience!

He even delivers babies.


What a man! I love him!

Happy birthday, Sweetie!

Today my little man turned six years old! We had a little party after supper, just our family.


We had so much fun preparing little surprises for the birthday boy! His big sisters made him gifts several days ago: a hand-painted, wooden semi truck that is actually a coin bank; a stitched bag for carrying things in, etc.


This is the most fun I've ever had making a cake...
(Inspired by a cake I saw on BettyCrocker.com!)

They say variety is the spice of life. Well, the Lord added Joseph to our family six years ago to spice life up for us! He is a wonderful bundle of extremes... He can be extremely dramatic, extremely happy, (extremely annoying, interjects his sister)...


...Extremely fun! I'm so blessed to be his mom. We thank God for giving us our Joseph for six years so far.

Love ya, Bud!

Well, it has been another busy day with our six children. I got a bit stressed today, and it seemed it was one thing after another. I mean, I even had to bust out my chocolate stash. (Don't you have one of those?) It was the straw that broke the camel's back when I had just told (re-reminded) the children not to throw things in the house, when *SMACK* a flying dishrag got intercepted from its intended target - by my forehead.

When the dust had settled a few minutes later, I was able to sit down and collect my thoughts. The Mother's Topical Bible did not have anything under "Yelling" or "Losing Your Cool", but I did find this in my good old KJV:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind...Doth not behave itself unseemly...is not easily provoked...Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth." (from I Corinthians 13)

Ouch, ouch, and OUCH! I do love my children very much, but if I get provoked to yell in anger, I am not showing it.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31,32)

Thank God that He offers us forgiveness through His Son Jesus! As believers who benefit from this amazing grace, we must take this grace and spread it generously upon those around us. It is unseemly to be stingy with what has been graciously and richly bestowed.

I know I displease my Father at times, and I am so glad He doesn't blow up at me! (I bet He doesn't even need a chocolate stash.)

Lord, I want to learn to love my children the way You love Yours! Make me more like You.

I gave all of my guys haircuts today. (Well, at least the three that had enough hair to cut!) They are lookin' good! :o)

...So happy to be together again! :o) Thank you, Lord!

Well, it is a sweltering 75 degrees today (;-) The sun is so warm and the wind just right -- it's drying my laundry faster than I can keep up! A beautiful day for my hubby to come home. Yea!! We've whipped up a few surprises for the big welcome. Among them, cheeeeesecake. Daniel's favorite.