Nine years passes so quickly!

Happy Birthday to our middle child, #2 son, #3 in line, the one who introduced our family to the facts that love has no borders, love for a child has nothing to do with DNA, and dedicating oneself to a commitment of serving others in another country is a very joyous way to live as a family.

Today we celebrate Marco Vinicio - all terrific nine years of him!

The three amigos

Posing for the sister
Carrying Ana to the top of a HUGE sand dune

Handsome boy

Tubing with the bro

Marco at one of his favorite places on Earth - Torch Lake, Michigan

Here is what I posted on Marco's 8th birthday:

http://thechroniclesof7.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

I'll never tire of reflecting on these thoughts.

One of our family traditions is that you get to choose your meals on your birthday. After a few seconds of intense deliberation, Marco's choices were:

Breakfast - pancakes and bacon (made by Daddy of course)

Lunch - chicken nuggets at school were just fine, thank you

Dinner - Applebee's

A Star Wars Clone Wars cake will top of the day of festivities with birthday presents.

Celebrate!!!

Always striving toward a goal

I'm pretty sure I missed my professional calling in my earlier career days. I worked in Marketing and Management, the corporate life. Report to an office, work on projects, manage others, travel a bit, pretty much the same routine week after week. At the time I enjoyed my career. I do not regret those years, I just hope to never return to that environment.

Shortly before the birth of our second child I retired from the corporate life to become a stay-at-home mother. Big adjustment. Huge. I now had the routine of caring for a 2 year old and newborn. Can someone pipe in the song "A Whole New World...."

Throughout the past sixteen years of being home full-time I have dabbled in a few part-time work ventures as well as volunteer opportunities. What have I enjoyed the most? The times when I am devoting time in service to others, particularly those less fortunate than myself.

Time spent in Guatemala is most precious to me. It is not easy. It is not a vacation. While in Guatemala one is surrounded by intense beauty and intense poverty. There are times I silently remind myself that I am not on a movie set. This is reality. Real people with very real needs live in circumstances unimaginable to most people living in the United States.

When the airplane transporting me to Guatemala touches down I am at peace. At the end of a trip when the airplane ascends into the sky taking me away from Guatemala I always leave a bit of my soul behind. I am a changed woman as a result of the time I have spent in Marco, Gustavo, and Ana Lucia's birth country.

My hope is that I will always be generous. I want to be generous with my love. I strive to be generous with my time and resources. I continue learning that to be generous with all I have been blessed with is an important avenue in spreading the love of God.

The following scriptures really speak to me. My prayer is that I will truly live them on a daily basis.

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

~Psalm 82:3 - 4

I John 3:17 - 18 tells us:

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

The same scripture from The Voice version of the Bible reads:

"If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God's love lives in him? Once God's love takes hold of a person, it is impossible for him to close his heart to his brothers and sisters in God's family. My little children, don't just talk about love as an idea or theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love. "

Live in the pattern of gracious love - my heart's desire. Will you join me?

College...are you kidding me?!

A kiss on the cheek followed by "I love you Mom". Walk away. Walk down the hall. Remember what they said at orientation? When it is time to leave, your child wants you to leave. No drama. No boo-hooing. Act cool. Tears in the eyes are acceptable.

I'm walking. Is it really time to leave? We moved him in the dorm. We met his roommate. We went to dinner. It is time to go, or so my husband says. He is crazy. He doesn't know what he is talking about! We didn't walk to the nearest dining hall. We didn't walk through his schedule on campus. We didn't do so many things I think parents should do before leaving their kid at college. In a dorm. Two hours away from home. Only knowing TWO other people on a campus of 16,000 students. Oh crap. Why do I have to be the grown up and walk calmly down the hall?

As I near the end of the hall I look back to say goodbye AGAIN. Yeap, he is still standing there watching us leave. What must he be thinking right now? LEAVE Mom and Dad. I am ready to start my college life. I can handle this. I do love you. I will miss you. I may even call you. Bye.

It was a quiet ride down the elevator. It was a quiet ride for the first hour home. The second hour included some tears and laughter and conversation.

The first move to college. We made it. Life is full of new experiences. Only 4 more to go. Are you kidding me?!

Beautiful words

I read these words on a blog this morning. I am encouraged. I can relate. I trust others will enjoy reading as well.

From the blog, http://tracieloux.wordpress.com/, she writes:

"Mothers, the hours you spend caring for your children with compassion in your hearts, the time that you give to them when you could be doing other things, is a sweet fragrance to the Lord. Remember the words of Jesus, "If you do it to the least of these, you have done it unto me."

I'm in a new stage of parenting now. My children's ages range from 3 - 18. Some days meeting the needs of each of them is pure exhaustion. From temper tantrums to pre-teen emotional meltdowns. From homework help to potty training. From being woken in the night by a frightened little one to being kept up late by a teenager that needs to talk through life. I remind myself everyday, "This counts." This matters before the Lord.

And I'm reminding you now. This counts. This matters before the Lord. It is a precious fragrance before the throne."

Thank you for the reminder. I am holding the words close to my heart.

The first few weeks of the school year can be tiring. It is one time of year that having a large family (as some call ours) can wear on my nerves a bit. I needed to read these words this morning. In the past 24 hours I have:

*wanted to spend more time than allowed, by both of our schedules, on the phone with our son away at college

*attended my fifth, and final, parent meeting for school

*celebrated with our 16 year old who had an audition and got a call back for today

*slept on the couch due to husband being sick with a fever and not wanting to be anywhere near him and his germs :(

*while sleeping on said couch the 7 year old came to me in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep (got him tucked back in bed) followed by the 4 year old waking up crying and joined me on the couch (cozy)

*soothed a crying 8 year old before school this morning because he misses his big brother at college

*got the boys off to school and spent the morning reading with our 4 year old and writing math problems for her to copy and solve (at her request) over and over and over and over

The daily grind of being a mother...it matters. God blessed us with five incredible children and has provided the opportunity for me to be home full-time with them.

I am thankful this morning for words written by another mother which provide encouragement. It matters.

What's up?

It is official. I totally abandoned blogging. I should be ashamed of myself. I am ashamed. A lot has happened since my last post in February! Mark and I vacationed in Mexico, Zack turned 18 and graduated and vacationed in Mexico, Katie turned 16 and got her driver's license, Zack and Katie attended Young Life camp in Virginia, Marco and Gus attended Farm Explorers camp, Gus turned 7, Ana completed her first year of preschool, Katie and I went to New York, summer vacation arrived, and we have been enjoying every single day of summer!

This summer is a big one for this mama. Our oldest child moves out of state to begin his college career. He moves in just 23 days...but who is counting. The number of kids in our house will be shrinking instead of expanding for the first time. Bizarre.


We leave for vacation in 3 days. One week of no work, no school work, no commitments, and total relaxation. I figured this was a good time to get back to writing and recording family happenings.


In the meantime, enjoy a few pictures of our last few months.



Katie in NYC




Katie and Aimee at The Statue of Liberty



The Graduate

Zack and Katie at graduation

Katie and Gustavo hamming it up

Mama and her chicks on Mother's Day

Mark and Aimee enjoying time away in Mexico

Mark enjoying one of his favorite sports, fishing, in Mexico

Peace

"Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear.

Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them.

Hasn't He kept you safe up to now?

So hold His loving hand tightly and He will lead you safely through all things.

And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look ahead to what may happen tomorrow.

The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it.

Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries. "

~Francis de Sales

Good 'ol Frances had it together. I believe the words and am going to do my best to live them.

"Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord."

~Psalm 31:24

4 day weekends are grand

We are wrapping up a delightful four day weekend due to the children having no school on Friday and today. It was nice to chill out.

What did we do?

The little ones made puppy chow in response to Gustavo's request. Yum...

Marco and Gustavo have their first Pinewood Derby coming up so they worked on their cars.

Gustavo at work

Marco concentrating


This morning all 5 kids decided to check out some youtube videos and watch a movie together. I love having children from preschool to high school. The little ones love it when the teenagers hang out with them. :)

Huddled around the laptop

Marco and Ana Lucia intently viewing a youtube video


All the while my heart is breaking each and every day for the people in Haiti. I feel such a heaviness for the crisis.